17b. Psalms 42-89

mmptcum
THE CAMBRIDGE BIBLE

FOR SCHOOLS & COLLEGES
THE PSALMS
BOOKS II III
EDITED BY
.KIREPATRICK.D;D
GENERAL EDITOR
AF.KIRKPATRICK.B.D
5 '
txhrary of trhe trheolojfcal ^tmimvf

PRINCETON • NEW JERSEY
PRESENTED BY
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îjt Caminlrje %Mt for ^tl)00ls
THE BOOK OF
PSALMS.
(XLII— LXXXIX)
HontJon: C. J. CLAY
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General Editor for the Old

A. F. KIRKPATRICK, D.D
THE BOOK OF
PSALMS
l^F/TH INTRODUCTION AND NOTES
A. F. KIRKPATRICK, D.D.
FELLOW OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE;
REGIUS PROFESSOR OF HEBREW.
BOOKS II AND III
PSALMS XLII— LXXXIX
EDITED FOR THE SYNDICS OF THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.
AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

1895
[A /I Rights reserved. '\

®am&rit)gc:
PRINTED BY J. & C. F. CLAY,
AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.
CONTENTS.
PACES
I. Introduction.
/. The Book of Psalms ix — xii
//. The Position, Names, Numbering, and

Divisions of the Psalter xii — xvii
///. The Titles of the Psalms xvii— xxxi
IV. The Authorship and Age of the Psalms ... xxxi— xxxviii
V. The Collection and Growth of the Psalter... xxxix — xliv

VL The Form of Hebrews Poetry xliv — xl viii
VII. The Hebrew Text, the Ancient Versions,

and the English Versions xlix — Ivii
VIII. The Messianic Hope Iviii — Ixvii
IX. On some points in the Theology of the

Psalms Ixvii —Ixxix
II. Text and Notes 221 — 543
III. Appendices 544 — 549
Index 551—556
The Text adopted in this Edition is that of Dr Scrivener's

Cambridge Paragraph Bible. A
few variations from the ordi-
nary Text, chiefly in the spelling of certain words, and in the
use of italics, will be noticed. For the principles adopted by
Dr Scrivener as regards the printing of the Text see his In-
troduction to the Paragraph Bible, published by the Cambridge
University Press.
The choice and flower of all things profitable in other books the
Psalms do both more briefly contain, and ?nore 7>iovingly also express,
by reason of that poetical form wherewith they are written What
. . .
is there necessary for man to know which the Psalms are not able to
teach ? They are to beginners an easy and familiar introductioti, a

mighty augmentation of all virtue and knowledge in such as are
ento'ed before, a strong confirmation to the most perfect among others.
Heroical magnanimity, exquisite justice, grave tnoderatiott, exact wisdom,
repentance unfeigned, tanvcaried patience, the mysteries of God, the
sufferings of Christ, the terrors of wrath, the comforts of grace, the works
of Providence over this world, and the promised joys of that world
which is to come, all good necessarily to be either known or done or
had, this one celestial fountain yieldeth. Let there be any grief or
disease incident into the soul of man, any wound or sickness named,
for which there is not in this treasure-house a present comfortable
remedy at all times ready to be found.
R. HOOKER.
INTRODUCTION.
CHAPTER I.
THE BOOK OF PSALMS.
Lyric poetry is the most ancient kind of poetry, and 'Hebrew

poetry is mainly lyric. Neither epic nor dramatic poetry
flourished in ancient Israel. Some indeed of the historical
Psalms may be said have an epic colouring, but they belong
to
to the class of didactic narrative Job and the Song of Songs
:
may be called in a sense dramatic, but they do not appear to

have been intended for performance on the stage. The only
independent branch of poetry in Israel was Gnomic or Pix)-
verbial poetry, which in the hands of the 'Wise Men' attained
to a rich development, and must have exercised an important
influence on the education of the people.
The Old Testament is the religious history of Israel, and the
poetry preserved in the Book of Psalms is, as might be expected,
religious poetry. Secular poetry no doubt existed^ but it has
not come down to us. The Psalter then is a collection of
religious lyrics. Lyric poetry is defined as "that which directly
expresses the individual emotions of the poet;" and religious
lyric poetry is the expression of those emotions and feelings as
they are stirred by the thought of God and directed God-wards.
This is the common characteristic of the Psalms in all their
1 Suchas the drinking songs referred to in Amos vi. 5 (R.V.);

Is. V.12: harvest and vintage songs (Is. xvi. 10, 11; Jer. xlviii. 33):
parables (Judg. ix. 8 ff.). Solomon's 'thousand and five songs' were
probably of a secular character (i Kings iv. 32). Poems like Exod. xv
and Judg. v are essentially religious,
INTRODUCTION.
manifold variety. Some are directly addressed to God, as
petition or thanksgiving or praise : some are the communings
of the soul with God, expressing its faith, its hope, its love, its
needs, its fears, its aspirations, its joys, its triumphs : some
celebrate the 'marvellous works' of God in nature and in
history :some reflect upon the perplexing problems of life and
their relation to the divine government of the world but God :
is as it were the sun around which all revolves, and His light
and heat illuminate and animate the whole.

The Psalms stand in an intimate relation to the whole of
the Old Testament. They are the inspired response of the
human heart to God's revelation of Himself, in Law and
History and Prophecy and Philosophy.
The Psalmists celebrate the moral law as the guide of
human conduct they welcome the ordinances of worship and
;
rejoice in the privilege of access to the presence of God in the
Temple, as the crowning joy of life.
History supplies its lessons of God's goodness and man's

ingratitude. The recollection of the past is a warning for the
present, the support of faith in the hour of trial, the ground

of comfort in times of calamity.
The Psalms are closely connected with Prophecy. The
term 'prophesying' is applied to the expression of religious
fervour in chant and hymn (i Sam. x. lo ff. xix. 20 ff. i Chr. ; :
XXV. I 3); and David's chief musicians, Heman, Asaph and

—
Jeduthun, are called 'seers' (i Chr. xxv. 5; 2 Chr. xxix. 30;
XXXV. 15). Sacred poetry often rises to prophetic foresight,
while prophecy passes into lyric poetry ^ The passion for truth
and righteousness, and the unquenchable belief that Jehovah's
moral government of the world is working, surely if slowly,
towards a glorious consummation in the establishment of His
universal sovereignty, animate and inspire Psalmists not less
than Prophets.
Several Psalms reflect the influence of the Wisdom or '
'
religious philosophy of Israel, both in its practical and in its

speculative aspects. The moral lessons for every-day life
collected in the Book of Proverbs, and the discussion of the
^ E.g. Is. xii, xxv, xxvi; Hab, iii.
INTRODUCTION.
problems of the world in Job and Ecclesiastes, find their echo
in the poetry of the Psalter.
The importance of the Psalter for a just appreciation of the
history of Israel is obvious. How meagre an idea of the higher
religious life of Israel should we derive from the Historical
Books apart from the Prophets how imperfect
still would be
:
the picture drawn from the Historical Books and the Prophets
without the warmth of colouring added to it by the Psalms.
These alone give us a glimpse into the inner religion of the best
spirits in the nation, and bear witness to the faith, the love, the
devotion of pious souls even under the limitations of the Old
Covenant.
Hence it is essential to study the Psalms critically and
historically ; to endeavour meaning
to ascertain their original
and to assign them to their proper place in the history and
development of revelation; not only in order to give life and
reality to the Psalms themselves, and to understand them
better but for the sake of the light which they throw upon the
;
religious history of Israel, and the course of God's dealings with

His people.
The inquiry is however one of extreme difficulty. The widest
diversity of opinion prevails as to the date and authorship of
the Psalms, and we must often be content to acknowledge that
a Psalm cannot be assigned to a definite period, still less to a
particular author, with any degree of certainty.
But after all, the critical and historical study of the Psalms
is but a preliminary to the higher study of their spiritual
meaning and their devotional use. The Psalter has been
through all the centuries and will ever continue to be the one
unique and inexhaustible treasury of devotion for the individual
and for the Church. Through its guidance the soul learns to
commune with God it : supplies the most fitting language for
common worship.
To some it may seem almost a sacrilege to apply the methods
of criticism to such a book. It may be disappointing to find
that many Psalms once supposed to be David's must be relegated
to a far later age ;
perplexing to find familiar renderings con-
demned, and long current interpretations abandoned.
INTRODUCTION.
But Holy Scripture conveys divine truth through the medium
of human language, and it is our duty to investigate to the full
the meaning and the force of that language. Criticism is not
the enemy but the handmaid of devotion. As we learn to
understand more of the original meaning of the Psalms for
those who wrote and used them, we shall learn more of their
true meaning for ourselves.
But that meaning is not limited to the '
original ' sense, if by
this is meant only that which the writers could recognise in
their own words. Every true poet's words contain far more
than he himself at the moment intends. And the words of
these inspired poets were so shaped and moulded by the Holy
Spirit that they might grow and expand with the growth of
revelation, and "gather wealth in the course of ages." The
Psalms belong indeed to the Old and not to the New Testa-
ment. They are the product of the Jewish and not of the
Christian Church. But "the Psalter in its spiritual fulness
belongs to no special time ;" and the old words are 'fulfilled' in
Christ. The Christian Church may, nay must, use them as
they are illuminated by the light of the Gospel. And if the
saying, "pectus est quod facit theologum^," is true of the study
of the Bible generally, it is most true of the study of that book
which has well been called "the Bible within the Bible," the
very " heart of the Bible."
CHAPTER II.
THE POSITION, NAMES, NUMBERING, AND DIVISIONS

OF THE PSALTER.
I, The position of the Psalter i7t the Old Testament. The
Hebrew title of the Old Testament indicates the three great
divisions, in which, from very early times 2, the Canonical
"It is the heart which makes the theologian."

1
2 This triple division is recognised in the Prologue to Ecclesiasticus,
written about B.C. 132 by the author's grandson, who translated the
book from Hebrew into Greek. " Whereas many and great things
have been delivered unto us by means of (Sta) the law and the pro-
phets and the others that have followed after them my grand-
INTRODUCTION.
Books were arranged by the Jewish Church Law, Prophets, :
Writings. The Book of Psalms belongs to the third of these

divisions, the Writings or Hagiographa. But its position in
the group has not always been the same. In the MSS. of the
German type, which our printed editions Psalms follow, the
stand first, That this was the
followed by Proverbs and Job.
ancient order is at least a probable inference from Luke xxiv.
44 where "the Psalms" stands by the side of "the Law" and
"the Prophets" as the title of the Hagiographa in general^
The order of the books of the O. T. in our English Bibles
is that which had come to be adopted in the Vulgate by the
sixteenth century. It corresponds more nearly to the arrange-

ment of the Lxx found in the Vatican MS. than to that of the
Hebrew, but differs from it Job before the Psalter
in placing
instead of after the Song of Songs, and in placing the Minor
Prophets after instead of before the Major Prophets, and
arranging them as they stand in the Hebrew text.
2. Names of the Psalter. The Septuagint translators em-
ployed the word iâkfioi^, psalm, to render the Heb. word jniz-
mor, which was the technical term for a song with musical
accompaniment (p. xvii). The collection was styled simply
Psalms, as in the Vatican MS. {\(/aXfioi, cp. Luke xxiv. 44), or
the Booh of Psahns (Luke xx. 42), or in later times the Psalter,
father Jesus, when he had diligently given himself to the reading of the
law and the prophets and the other books of our fathers (jQiv dWwv
irarplwu îldXiuif) . was drawn on also himself to write something per-
. .
taining to instruction and wisdom." And again, apologising for the

imperfections of his version, he says: "For words spoken in Hebrew
have not precisely the same force, when they are translated into another
tongue: and not only this treatise, but even the law and the prophe-
cies and the rest of the books (ra XotTrd ruii' î^Xluv) differ in no small
degree when they are spoken in their own language." The clear dis-
tinction which is here drawn between the Canonical books and Eccle-
siasticus, and the reference to the Greek Version of the O.T. as already
in existence, should be carefully noticed.
1 Comp. too Philo (B.C. 20— A. D. 50) de vita co7itempl. (ii. 475):
vS/J-ovs Kal \6yia deairiadivTa dia wpocp'qTuiv Kal vfjLvovs /cat to. aXXa oh
iTriarrifxr} Kal evcriêta crvvavôvTaL Kal TeXeiovvrai. "Laws and oracles
delivered by prophets and hymns and the other writings by which
knowledge and piety are increased and perfected."
* i/'ttX/Lios denotes (i) the music of a stringed instrument; (2) a song
sung to the accompaniment of such music.

INTRODUCTION.
ylfdKrijp or ylAu\Ti]piov^. The Greek words have come down to
us through the Latin psabmis, psalterium.
The title of the collection in the Hebrew Bible is Book of
Praises or simply Praises: Sepher Tehillim abbreviated into
Tilliin or Tillin'^. This title was known to Hippolytusând
Origen* in the first half of the third century A.D., and to Jerome^
Only one Psalm (cxlv) bears the title A P7-aise, and the name
Book of Praises probably originated in the use of the collection
as the hymn-book of the Second Temple^. But no more fitting
name could be found for a book, of which a predominant
characteristic is praise and thanksgiving, and which ends with
a diapason of Hallelujahs.
Another title, possibly that of the earliest collection of Davidic
Psalms, was Tephilloth or Prayers (Ixxii. 20). Only five
Psalms, xvii, Ixxxvi, xc, cii, cxlii, are so entitled ; but again,
although some Psalms (e.g. i, ii) contain no direct address to
God, the title is a suitable one. Prayer in its widest sense
includes all elevation of the mind
Hannah's thanks- to God^,
giving and Habakkuk's ode are both described as prayer (i Sam.
ii. I, Hab. iii. i).
3. Njimbering of the Psalms. The Massoretic Text and

the LXX both reckon a total of 150 Psalms. The 151st Psalm,
which is added in the LXX, is expressly said to be "outside
^ \jya\TrjpLov meant originally a stringed instrument, a psaltery (fre-
quently in the LXX), and was afterwards applied to a collection of

psahns, a psalter. In this sense it is used by Hippolytus, Athanasius,
Epiphanius, and stands as the title of the Psalms in the Alexandrine ms.
2 The word is derived from the same root as Halleliijali, and the
verb is frequently used in connexion with the Temple Service (i Chron.

xvi. 4 &c.).
* p. 188, ed. Lagarde. 'E^paXoi irepiiyparpau tt]v ^l^Xov "Z^cppa deXel/x.
The genuineness of the fragment of Hippolytus which treats of the
inscriptions, authorship, divisions, and order of the Psalms, is how-
ever doubtful. See Dr Salmon in the Diet, of Christian Biography,
iii. 103.
*In Euseb. Hist. Eccl. vi. 25 (ed. Burton) llcpapdeWel/x.
5In the Preface to his Psalterium iitxta Hebraeos (p. 2, ed. La-
garde): "titulus ipse Hebraicus sephar tallim, quod interpretatur volit-
7nen hyt?inorttm."
^ Cp. Neh. xii. 46.
''
"Lege totum Psalterium... nihil erit nisi ad Deimi in cunctis
operibus deprecatio." S. Jerome contra Pelag. i. 5.
INTRODUCTION.
the number^." But this reckoning has not been uniformly
observed. ancient Jewish authorities reckon 149, others
Some
147 Psalms, the latter number, as the Jerusalem Talmud says,
"according to the years of our father Jacob." These totals are
obtained by uniting one or all of the pairs i, ii ix, x cxiv, : :
cxv. Although the Hebrew and the LXX agree in the total,
they differ in the details of the numeration. The LXX unites ix
and x, cxiv and cxv, and divides cxvi and cxlvii. It may be use-
ful to modern English
subjoin a comparative table, for while our
versions follow the Hebrew reckoning, the Vulgate and the older
English Versions (e.g. Wycliffe and Coverdale) and modern
Roman Catholic versions based upon it, follow that of the LXX.
Hebrew (Later English LXX (Vulgate. Older English
Versions). Versions. Rom. Cath. Versions).
IX, X.
xi — cxiii. X — cxii.
cxiv, cxv. cxiii.
cxvi. cxiv, cxv.
cxvii — cxlvi. cxvi — cxiv.

cxlvii. cxlvi, cxlvii.
cxlviii — cl. cxlviii — cl.
^ This Psalm appears to have been translated from a Hebrew

original, but the contrast between it and the canonical Psalms is so
noteworthy that it seems worth while to append a version of it.
"This Psalm was written by David with his own hand (and it is
outside the number) when he fought in single combat with Goliath.
I was little among my brethren,
and the youngest in my father's house
I fed my father's sheep.
My hands made a harp,
my fingers contrived a psaltery.
And Vifho will declare unto my Lord ?
He is the Lord, it is He that heareth.
He sent His angel,
and took me from my father's sheep,
and anointed me with the oil of his anointing.
My brethren were comely and tall,
and in them the Lord had no pleasure.
I went forth to meet the Philistine,
and he cursed me by his idols.
But I drew the sword from his side, and beheaded him,
and took away the reproach from the children of Israel."
INTRODUCTION.
Thus numeration of the
for the greater part of the Psalter the
LXX one behind that of the Hebrew.
is
The English reader should also remember that the title of

a Psalm, when it consists of more than one or two words, is
reckoned as a verse, and sometimes (e.g. in Ps. li) as two verses,
in the Hebrew text. Attention to this is necessary in using the
references of commentaries, which like that of Delitzsch, follow
the numbering of the verses in the original.
4. Divisions of the Psalter. The Psalter has from ancient

times been divided into five books :
Book i = Pss. i — xli:
„ ii = Pss. — xlii Ixxii
„ iii = Pss. —Ixxxix

Ixxiii :
„ iv= Pss. xc — cvi:

„ v = Pss. —cvii cl.
These divisions are indicated not merely by headings in the

Massoretic text, which have been introduced into the Revised
Version, but by doxologies at the close of the first four books
(xli. 13, Ixxii. 18, 19, Ixxxix. 52, cvi. 48), which obviously form
no part of the Psalms to which they are appended. No special

doxology is added to Ps. cl. It is in itself an appropriate con-
cluding doxology for the whole Psalter.
This five-fold division is earlier than the LXX, which con-
tains the doxologies. It is often referred to by Jewish and
Christian authorities, and compared to the five books of the

Pentateuch.
Thus the Midrash^ on Ps. i. i: "Moses gave the Israelites
the five books of the Law,and to correspond to these David
gave them the Book of Psalms containing five books."
Hippolytus [?] (ed. Lagarde, p. 193) " Let it not escape :
your notice... that the Hebrews divided the Psalter also into
five books, that it might be a second Pentateuch."
Jerome, in the Prologus Galeatus: "Tertius ordo Hagiogra-
pha possidet. Et primus liber incipit a Job. Secundus a
1 An ancient Jewish commentary, probably however in its present
form not earlier than the loth century A.D. But older Jewish authori-
ties recognise the division. See Robertson Smith, Old lêst. in Jewish
Church, p. 195.
INTRODUCTION.
David, quern quinque iiicisionibus {sections) et uno Psalmorum
volumine comprehendunt." No doubt he chose this form of
expression carefully, for in his preface to the Psalter he some-
what passionately affirms the unity of the Book.
The division is referred to by most of the Fathers, some
of whom, as Ambrose, explain it allegorically others, as ;
Gregory of Nyssa, find in the several books so many steps

rising to moral perfection. As will be shewn presently, the
division of the books in part corresponds to older collections out
of which the Psalter was formed, in part is purely artificial.
CHAPTER III.
THE TITLES OF THE PSALMS.

To nearly all three Books, and to
the Psalms in the first
some of those in the fourth and

Books, are prefixed titles,
fifth
designating either (i) the character of the poem, or (2) matters

connected with its musical setting, or (3) its liturgical use, or
(4) the author, or perhaps more strictly, the collection from
which the Psalm was taken, or (5) the historical occasion for
which it was written or which it illustrates.
Such titles may occur separately or in combination. Many
of them are extremely obscure, and their meanings can only be
conjectured. All that will be attempted here is to give the most
probable explanations. An elaborate discussion of the innumer-
able interpretations which have been proposed would be mere
waste of time. Some special titles which occur but once will be
discussed in the introduction to the Psalms to which they
belong.
I. Titles descriptive of the character of the poem.
Psalm^. Mizmor, rendered Psalm, is a technical term
found only in the titles of the Psalter. It is prefixed to
57 Psalms, and with few exceptions, preceded or followed
by the name of the author, generally that of David. The
verb from which Mizfndr is derived occurs frequently in the
Psalter (e.g. vii. 17, xlvii. 6, 7, cxlix. 3) but rarely elsewhere
1 "llOrp: LXX VaMs: Vulg. Psalmus.
INTRODUCTION.
(Judg. V. 3; [2 Sam. xxii. 50; i Chr. xvi. 9]; Is. xii. 5). It
appears originally to have meant to make music, like the Lat.

canere, but came to be applied specially to instrumental music,
as distinguished from vocal music. Mizmor then means a piece
of music, a. song with instrumental accompaniment,
Song^. S/ur, rendered soug, is the general term for a song
or canticle. occurs 30 times in the titles, generally pre-
It
ceded or followed by Mizmor, and not unfrequently in the text

of the Psalms (e.g. xxviii. 7, xl. 3, cxxxvii, 3, 4), and in other
books. It is applied to secular as well as sacred songs (Gen.
xxxi. 27; Jud. V. 12; I Kings iv. 32; Is. xxx. 29; Neh. xii. 27,
36, 46).
MascMP is found as the title of thirteen ^ Psalms, eleven of

which are in Books ii and iii. The meaning is obscure, {a) It
•has been explained to mean a didactic psalm. Comp. the use
of the cognate verb in xxxii. 8, 'I will instruct thee.' But of the
Psalms which bear the title only xxxii and Ixxviii are specifi-
cally 'didactic' ip) Delitzsch supposes it to mean a meditation,
{c) Most probable however is Ewald's explanation, a skilful
psalm. The word is used in Ps. xlvii. 7, 'sing ye praises with

understandittg' (Heb. maschil), R.V. marg., in a skilful psalyi.
It may have denoted something more definite than the ordinary
Miztnor, a psalm with musical setting of a specially delicate
and artistic character.
Michtam occurs in the title of six Psalms, preceded or fol-

lowed by ofDavid\ It is probably, like Maschil, a musical term,
the meaning of which cannot now be determined. A few of the
many explanations which have been given may be mentioned :
(i) That of the LXX and Theodotion, crTrjXoypatpia or ds cttijXo-
ypa(f)iav, an inscription or for an inscription. Cp. the Targ. an

exxellent inscription or writing. Hence Delitzsch explains, a
1 T'ti' LXX in titles usually yS^, in text yS^ or

: ^.cîxa..
2 T>''3b'P LXX o-uv^crewj or d% (xvve<nv Vulg. intellectus

: : or ad intel-
ledum: Jer. eruditio.

3 xxxii. xlii. xliv. xlv. 111. liii. liv. Iv. Ixxiv. Ixxviii. Ixxxviii. Ixxxix.
cxlii.
* xvi. Ivi — Ix.
INTRODUCTION.
poem of epigrammatic character, containing pithy or expressive
sayings. (2) In defiance of all grammar and analogy Aquila
Symmachus and Jerome render the word as an epithet of David,
the humble atid sincere or blameless. (3) A golden Psalm (A.V.
marg.), with reference to the preciousness of its contents, like
the golden sayings ixpv(Ta cttj;) of Pythagoras. (4) An unpub-
lished poem. (5) A Psalm of hidden, mysterious meaning.
Shiggaion^ occurs in the title of Ps. vii, and the Prayer of
Habakkuk is said to be set to Shigionoth. The word is derived
from a verb which means to wander, and it probably denotes
a particular style of poetry or music, or it may include both, and
mean 'a dithyrambic poem in wild ecstatic wandering rhythms,
with corresponding music'
A Prayer stands as the title of five Psalms (xvii. Ixxxvi. xc.
cii. cxlii). Cp. Ixxii. 20; i Sam. ii. i; Hab. iii. i.
A Praise is the title of one Psalm only (cxlv).
2. Titles connected with the musical setting or performance.

To the chief Musician'^: R.V. For the Chief Musician: is
prefixed to fifty-five Psalms, of which only two (Ixvi, Ixvii) are

anonymous, and most bear the name of David. Fifty-two of
these are in Books I III, and three in Book V. It is found
also in the subscription to Habakkuk's Prayer (Hab. iii. 19).

The verb, of which the word is a participle, is used in Chro-
nicles and Ezra in the sense oi superintending (i Chr. xxiii. 4;
2 Chr. xxxiv. 12; Ezra iii. 8, 9), and in i Chr. xv. 21 in the
1 \V\^ plur. n"'i:''JK^ : LXX in Ps. vii simply xâXixos, in Hab. ixerSi
t^5ris.Jer. ignoratio, following Symm. dyvoTjtJLa. Aq. ^. vwep dyvoias,

supposing it to refer to the contents of the Psalm.
2 n-'lfJP? {lavi'nafceach). The Targum renders for praise, giving '\t
the general sense. But the other Ancient Versions were completely at
a loss. The LXX renders d% t6 reXos, Vulg. in finem, 'unto the end'
or 'for ever,' confusing the word with ilV?./ {Idnecach). The other
Greek Versions and Jerome connected it with the sense of victory,
which is one of the meanings of the root. Thus Aquila ry vt-Koiroil^,
'for the victor.' Symmachus, iTrcvlKios, 'a song of victory:' Theodo-
tion, els rb vIkos, 'for the victory:' Jerome, victori. So too the LXX
in Hab. iii. 19, toO viKrjao.1. These renderings gave the ingenuity of the
Fathers great opportunities for allegorical interpretations.
INTRODUCTION.
There can be little
specific sense of leading (R.V.) the music.
doubt that the word means the precentor, or co7iductor of the
Temple choir, who trained the choir and led the music, and
denotes the destination of the Psalm for use in the Temple
Services. Why it appears so rarely in the later books, where
the Psalms are mainly of a liturgical character, must remain
matter of conjecture. The explanation commonly given, that it
was unnecessary, because the destination of these Psalms was

obvious, is hardly satisfactory. Many of the Psalms in Books
I— III which have it prefixed to them, are clearly intended
for public use. Possibly it vas a term belonging to the older
collections,which had gone out of use in later times. Certainly
the translators of the LXX had lost all clue to its meaning.
Selah. This term, though not belonging to the titles, may
conveniently be discussed here.
The wordis found 71 times in the Psalter, 3 times in Habak-
kuk and nowhere else. In 16 Psalms it occurs once; in 15

iii,
twice in 7 (and in Hab. iii) three times in one, four times.

; :
Of these Psalms 9 are in Book I: 17 in Book II: 11 in

Book III; none in Book IV: 2 only in Book V. It is to be
further noted that all these Psalms, with the exception of the
anonymous Ixvi and Ixvii, bear the name of David or of the
Levitical singers (the sons of Korah, Asaph, Heman, Ethan);
and all bear indications of being intended to be set to music.
The majority of them (28 of the 39 cp. Hab. iii. 19) have, For
:
'
the Chief Musician' in the title, frequently with a further speci-

fication of the instruments or melody (iv. ix. xlvi. liv. Iv, Ivii.
lix. Ix. Ixi. Ixii. Ixvii. Ixxv. Ixxvi. Ixxvii. Ixxxi. Ixxxiv. Ixxxviii.
Hab. iii. 19). Of the remaining eleven, eight are designated

mizmor, 'psalm', two fnaschil, and one shiggaion.
It may fairly be inferred from these facts that Selah is a
technical term of great antiquity, having reference to musical
accompaniment. Its precise meaning, however, is quite uncer-
tain. There are two main lines of ancient tradition
{a) By the LXX always, and by Symmachus and Theodo-
tion generally, it is rendered h\.a>^ dK\t.a^ {diapsahna), which may
^ The word is also found twice in the Psalms of Solomon (xvii.
31
xviii. 10).
INTRODUCTION.
denote either louder playing, forte ; or, more probably, an
insttU7nental iftietiude'^, while the singing ceased. The Syriac
(with a few exceptions) gives an abbreviation of the Greek word.
The Vulgate omits it entirely.
{b) The most ancient Jewish traditions interpret the word to
iweaxifor ever. So the Targum, with some variety of rendering,
Aquila, the 'Fifth' and 'Sixth' Greek versions, Symmachus,
Theodotion, and the Syriac occasionally and Jerome, who ;
renders semper"^.
Of these ancient renderings, that of the LXX probably pre-
serves a true tradition as to the usage of Selah : but the mean-
ing '
always ' is based on no known etymology, and is obviously
unsuitable in the majority of passages.
Of the multitude of modern explanations only the most
reasonable and most generally accepted need be mentioned
here. According to this explanation Se/ak is derived from a
root meaning to raise, and signifies 'Up !'
It is then a direction to the musicians to strike up, either

with a louder accompaniment, or with an interlude while the
singing ceased. This explanation is supported by the conjunction
oi Selah in Ps. ix. i6 with Higgaion., a term used of instrumental
music (Ps. xcii. 3, 'a solemn sound'). It is moreover confirmed
by an examination of the passages in which Selah occurs. In
the majority of cases it is found at the end of a strophe, or
before the introduction of some fresh thought, where an interlude
would be most natural (Ps. iii. 2, 4, 8; xxiv. 6, 10; xliv. 8; xlvi.
3, 7, II; Ixvi. 4, 7, 15); or before some appeal or utterance
which would be distinguished from what preceded and em-
phasised by an interlude or by a stronger accompaniment
(Ps. vii. 5; 1. 6; Ix. 4; Ixxv. 3; Ixxxi. 7; Ixxxiii. 8). There
^ Cp. hiavKiov, an interlude on the flute.

* For an interesting account of the various opinions held in his day
consult his letter to Marcella (0pp. i. col. 135, ed. Vallarsi). He de-
cides in favour of the rendering semper, 'always,' because it is that
given by Aquila, 'the most careful interpreter of the meanings of He-
brew words,' and says that it is designed 'to connect what precedes
with what follows, or to shew that what has been said is everlasting':
and compares the use of the word with that oi Amen or Shalom (peace),
to mark the end of a passage, and confirm its contents.
PSALMS. II. ^
INTRODUCTION.
are no doubt many instances which do not appear to come
under these general principles; but the Hebrew idea of what
was fitting by way of accompaniment may have differed from
ours; and in some cases the accuracy of the Massoretic Text is
doubtful. The Septuagint does not always agree with it in the
insertion or omission of Sclah, and an obscure technical term
would be specially liable to be omitted or wrongly inserted.
Two terms refer to 7iiusical instruments.
On Neginoth^: R. V. on stringed instruments : occurs six times
in the Psalter ^ we find on 711}' stringed instru-
: and in Hab. iii. 19
ments. Upon Neginah R. V. on a stringed instrument (Ixi) :
may be a variation of the expression, or may indicate the melody

to which the Psalm was to be sung^. The word is derived from
a verb meaning to play on stringed i7istruments (i Sam. xvi,
16 —
18, 23). The meaning stringed i7ist7-U77ie7its is peculiar to
these titles : elsewhere it denotes so7ig Qob xxx. 9; Ps. Ixxvii. 6;
Is. xxxviii. 20). The
no doubt indicates that the Psalm was
title
to be accompanied by stringed instruments, perhaps by these

only.
Upon Nehiloth*: R.\'. with the Nehiloth, or (marg.) wi7id

instru77ients : in Ps, v only. some kind are
Probably y^fV/^j of
meant. For the use of these in sacred music see Is. xxx. 29 {a
pipe) : I Sam. x. 5 i Kings i. 40.
;
Two terms probably indicate the character or pitch of the

music.
Upon Alamoth^ : R.V. set to A, : is found in the title of Ps.
^ niJ''J22: LXX. ^j' \âXôts (iv): e;* ij/j-vois generally: in Hab. ii>
ry dbTj avTov: Viilg. in carvthtibus : Jer. in psalmis. Symm. 5io \paX-
^ Pss. iv. vi. liv. Iv. Ixvii. Ixxvi.

^ The Heb. is n^"'3? ?!? which may mean sd to neginath, or, the
song some word of definition being lost.
of...:
^ niyiflSn ?S. The Greek and Latin versions are quite astray,
refening the word to the contents of the Psalm. The LXX and Theo-
dotion : virlp rijs KX-qpoi'D/xova-qs : Vulg. pro ea quae lurcditatem conse-
(juitur. Aq. a.7r6(?) KKrjpoSoaiwv : Symm. virip KXtjpovxiuy Jer. super :
hcrcditatibus.
* The ancient Versions were again at fault. The LXX renders : vvkp
INTRODUCTION.
xlvi,and may possibly once have stood in the title of Ps. ix,
and as a subscription to Ps. xlviii, or in the title of Ps. xlix. See
the notes there. The term appears to mean in the maimer of
maidens^ ox^for niaidots' voices : soprano.
Upon Sheminith^:R.V. set to the S,, i.e. as marg., the eighth
(Pss. vi andprobably denotes that the setting was to be
xii) :
an octave lower, or, on the lower octave tenor or bass. Both ;
terms occur together in i Chr. xv. 19 21. Heman, Asaph, and —

Jeduthun were appointed " with cymbals of brass to sound
aloud": eight other Levites, "with psalteries set to Alamoth";
and six "with harps set to the Sheminith, to lead."
Upon Gittith^: R.V. set to the Gittith: occurs in the titles
of Pss. viii, Ixxxi, Ixxxiv. In form Gittith is a fem. adj. derived
from Gathy and may mean either (i) some Gittite instrument so :
the Targ. 'the harp which David brought from Gath': or (2) a
Gittite melody; possibly, as has been conjectured, the march of
the Gittite guard (2 Sam. xv. 18).
To Jeduthun^ R.V. manner of J. (Ixii, Ixxvii)

: after the
probably means that the Psalm was set to some melody com-
posed by or called after David's chief musician (i Chr. xvi. 41).
In the title of Ps. xxxix Jeduthun appears to be named as
the chief musician intended.
A series of obscure titles probably indicate the melody to
which the Psalm was to be sung by a reference to the opening
words of some well-known song. Such are the titles of
Ps. ix : set to Muth-labben (R.V.).
Ps. xxii : set to Ayy^leth hash-Shahar, i.e. the hind of the
morning.
Tuv Kpv(plwv: Vulg. pro ocadtis : Symm. vitlp rQv alwviuv: Aq. eVi
veavioTTjTui' and so Jer. p7'0 izcvcntuiibiis.
:
1 JT'^npK'n •?!;. The LXX literally hirkp r^s oySSrjs: Vulg. p-o
octava. Both terms areallegorically explained by the Fathers, of the
mysteries of the faith, the octave of eternity, &c. &c.
- IT'riin ?y. The LXX and Symm. have virkp tQv Xtjvuv : Vulg.
and Jer. /w torcularibus, 'for the wine-presses', reading nWi for TT'Oil.
Hence some have explained the title, 'set to the melody of a vintage
song.' Aq. and Symm. render the Massoretic text; iirkp r^j yeTdi-
rtSos.
,
''
'
b2
INTRODUCTION.
Pss. xlv, Ixix set to Shoshannim (R.V.), i.e. Lilies. Ps. Ix:
:
set to Shushan Eduth. (R.V.), i.e. The lily of testimony. Ps.

Ixxx : set to Shoshannim Eduth (R.V.), i.e. Lilies, a testimony.
Ps. Ivi set to Yonath elem rechokim, i.e. The silent dove
:
of them that are afar off: or, as read with different vowels, 77/1?
dove of the distant terebinths.

Four Psalms (Ivii — lix, Ixxv) are entitled, [set to] Al-tashcheth
i.e. Destroy not.
The titles of Ps. liii set to Mahalath and Ixxxviii: set
: :
to Mahalath Leannoth: are extremely obscure, but probably

belong to this class.
For further details see the notes in each case.
3. A few titles refer to the liturgical use of the Psalm. In
the time of the Second Temple, each day of the week had its
which was sung at the offering of the morning

special Psalm,
Thus Ps. xcii is entitled "A Psalm, a Song for
sacrifice^.
the Sahhath day." This is the only reference to the daily
psalms in the Heb. text: but in the LXX, Ps. xxiv is assigned
to the first day of the week (r^j /xtSy a-a^âroov) Ps. xlviii to ;
the second day (Seure'pa aajBârov) Ps. xciv to the fourth day ;
(rerpaSt aa^âTcov) Ps. xciii to the sixth day of the week, "when
;
the earth had been filled with inhabitants" {fls rfjv rmepav tov
TTpoaa^fiaTov, ore KaTaKiarai t; yrj). The Old Latin Version
further refers Ps. Ixxxi to the fifth day {quinta sabbati). These
titles agree with the arrangement given in the Mishna {fTamid,
vii. 3), according to which the Psalm for the third day was
Ps. Ixxxii.
The title of Pss. xxxviii and Ixx to bring to rememhrance,
or, as R.V. marg., to make memorial, may indicate that they
were sung at the offering of incense and that of Ps. c, Psalm : A
of thanksgiving (R.V.), marg. for the thank-offering, may mark
that it was sung when thank-offerings (Ivi. 12) were offered.
The title of Ps. xxx, A
Song at the Dedication of the
House, may refer to its use at the Festival of the Dedication.
To teach is part of the title prefixed to Ps. Ix. A comparison
of Deut. xxxi. 19 and 2 Sam. 18 makes it probable that it was
i.
to be learnt by heart and recited on public occasions.

1 Cp. Ecclus. 1. 14 ff. for a description of the service.
INTRODUCTION.
On these titles see further in the notes on the particular
Psalms.
A song of Degrees, rather, A Song of the Ascents (or,
of the Going up), is the title prefixed to 15 Psalms (cxx

cxxxiv), which appear to have formed a separate collection,
bearing the title Songs of the Goings up (or, of the Going up),
which was afterwards transferred to each separate Psalm.

Various explanations of this title have been proposed.
(i) The LXX renders, a)S») Tav dvaâdfiav. Vulg. and Jer.,
cantiacm gradutan, 'a. song of steps.' It has been supposed
that they were so called because they were sung upon the flight
of 15 steps which led from the Court of the Women to the
Court of the Men in the Second Temple. But Dehtzsch has
shewn that the passage of the Talmud quoted in support of
this explanation really says nothing at all about the singing
of these Psalms upon the steps, or the derivation of the name
from them, but merely compares the number of the Psalms
with that of the steps.
(2) An explanation which has found considerable favour in
modern times regards the term as denoting a particular kind of
'ascending' structure, in which each verse takes up and repeats
a word or clause from the preceding verse. Ps. cxxi offers
a good example of this structure but apart from the fact that
;
no trace can be found of this technical meaning of the word

'ascent' elsewhere, the structure is neither peculiar to these
Psalms nor characteristic of all of them.
(3) As was the regular term for
'the ascent' or 'going up'
the Return from Babylon (Ezra vii. 9), some have supposed
that these psalms were sung by the returning exiles on their
march. So the Syriac Version, and probably Aq. Symm. and
Theod., who render aa-fia tSv dpafidaecov or els rds dvaâa-as.
But the contents of many of the Psalms do not favour this
explanation.
To go up was the regular term for making pilgrimage
(4)
'
'
toJerusalem at the great festivals (i Sam. i. 3; Ps. cxxii. 4).

'The songs of the goings up may have been the name for those
'
which were sung on these occasions. We know that the pilgrims

went up with singing (Is. xxx. 29; Ps. xlii. 4), and many of these
INTRODUCTION.
Psalms are well suited for such occasions ^ ; while others, though
not so obviously appropriate, might well have been employed
for the purpose. This is on the whole the most probable
explanation, although the substantive 'going up' is not used else-
where in this technical sense.
4. Titles relating to Atcthorship. These are regularly intro-

duced by a preposition denoting ôr belonging /(?, the so-called
'
lamed auctoris.'
(<2) One Psalm (xc) bears the name of Moses.
{b) 73 Psalms bear the name of David viz. all those in :
Book I, except i and ii, which are prefatory; x, which is part

of ix; and xxxiii, which appears to be a later addition: 18 in
—
Book II. (li— Ixv, Ixviii Ixx) one in Book ill. (Ixxxvi); two
;
in Book iv. (ci, ciii); 15 in Book V. (cviii —ex, cxxii, cxxiv,

cxxxi, cxxxiii, cxxxviii — cxlv).
{c) Two (Ixxii, cxxvii) bear the name of Solomon.
{a) 12 (1, Ixxiii — Ixxxiii) bear the name of Asaph, one of
David's principal musicians (i Chr. vi. 39, xv. 17, xvi. 5 ff.
2 Chr. v. 12).
(e) To the sons of Korah are attributed 10 or 11 : xlii [xliii],
xliv — xlix. Ixxxiv. Ixxxv. Ixxxvii. Ixxxviii. [.?], for according to

analogy the be rendered as in R.V., of the sons of
title is to
K. ; not, as in AN., for
the sons of K.
(/) The sages Heman the Ezrachite and Ethan the Ezra-
chite (i Kings iv. 31) have each a psalm attributed to them
(Ixxxviii, Ixxxix).
5. Titles describing the occasion of the Psalm are prefixed to

13 psalms, all of which bear the name of David. Pss. vii. lix.
Ivi. xxxiv. Hi. Ivii. cxlii. liv. are referred to the period of his
persecution by Saul: xviii to the climax of his reign; Ps. Ix
to the Syro-Ammonite war; Ps. li to his fall; Pss. iii and Ixiii
to his flight from Absalom.

The Value of the Titles. We have now to inquire whether
these titles give any authentic information, or must be regarded
as late additions, largely, if not wholly, untrustworthy.

(i) With regard to the musical titles it is often asserted that
' E.g. cxxi — cxxiii. cxxv. cxxvii. cxxviii. cxxxii — cxxxiv.

INTRODUCTION.
they represent the usages of the Second Temple, and were
added by some post-exiHc editor. This may be true of some
but as a general statement it is hardly justified by the evidence,
(i) Although, as might be expected, light is thrown upon
them by the description of David's musical services in i Chron.,

it is by no means the case that they are merely borrowed from
that book. Many of them are not to be found there.

(2) We have positive evidence for the use of titles and terms
of the kind in pre-exilic times from Hab. iii. i, ig.
(3) It is precisely in the later Psalms which bear every

appearance of being intended for the Temple worship, that the
musical titles and terms are rare or entirely wanting.
(4) The Septuagint translators found them in the text, but
were unable to understand even their general purport. This
may possibly have been due to ignorance of the technical terms
of Palestinian music in Egypt, and in any case only indicates a
relatively high antiquity, but it must be taken into account.
The most
natural inference from these considerations appears
to be that while the liturgical titles belong to the services
of the Second Temple, and may in some cases (e.g. Ps. xxx)
have been added at a very late date, the musical titles may very
probably be referred to the period before the exile. After the
Return they ceased to be used, and in the second century B.C.
they were no longer intelligible.
(ii) We may now proceed to consider the titles relating
to authorship and occasion. It is frequently asserted that these
must be neglected as wholly untrustworthy for reasons such
as the following
(i) The variations found in MSS. and Versions shew that
they were not regarded as an integral part of the text, but were
liable to alteration by the transcribers, like the titles of the

books of the N.T., or the subscriptions to the Pauline Epistles.
(2) The fact that only Moses, David, Solomon, and David's
singers are mentioned is supposed to be due to the tendency
of tradition to connect everything with famous names.
(3) It is thought strange that none of the prophets, in
particular Jeremiah, whose writings so remarkably resemble

many of the Psalms, are mentioned.
INTRODUCTION.
(4) The almost all taken from the
historical notices are
Books of Samuel, and are most cases inappropriate. in
(5) Many of the titles are demonstrated to be erroneous

by the contents and language of the Psalms to which they are
prefixed. Many Psalms ascribed to David assume situations
and circumstances wholly unlike any in which he can be sup-
posed to have been placed: some (e.g. Ixix. ciii) refer to the
destruction of Jerusalem : the language of others (e.g. cxxxix)
is unquestionably late: some (e.g. Ixxxvi) are mere compi-
lations.
On these and similar grounds modern critics are disposed
to reject the titles entirely. But while it is clear that in many
cases the titles cannot be right, much may be said in favour of
allowing them a certain significance and a relative authority.
(i) The titles are not to be peremptorily condemned as
a whole, because MSS. and Versions do not unanimously sup-
port some of them^. The text itself was liable to alteration
in early times, but it is not therefore to be suspected where the
documentary evidence is unanimous, unless the strongest in-
ternal evidence points to an error anterior to our existing

authorities.
(2) Titles of a similar kind are prefixed to poems found else-

where in the O. T., e.g. Ex. xv. i : i Sam. ii. i ;2 Sam. i. 17, 18,
xxii. I, xxiii. i Is. xxxviii. 9; Hab. iii. i.
; These are no doubt
due in many cases to the compilers of the books in which they
are found, but they are evidence for the antiquity of the custom
of prefixing titles to poems.
(3) The infrequency of titles in the later books (iv, v) is at
least an indication that they were not arv- arbitrary addition of
^ The extent of the variations may easily be exaggerated. A few

Heb. MSS. assign Ixvi. Ixvii. to David. In the LXX David's name is
prefixed to xxxiii. xliii. xcix. civ. cxxxvii.
Ixvii. Ixxi. xci. xciiiHis- —
torical notices are added
to xxvii. xciii. xcvi. xcvii. cxliii. cxliv. Jere-
miah's name (as well as David's) is prefixed to cxxxvii in some MSS (not
AS), and the names of Haggai and Zechariah to cxxxviii (not in N, in A
—
Zechariah only), cxlvi cxlviii. In cxxii. cxxiv. cod. X, and in cxxxi.
cxxxiii. codd. A and S agree with the Heb. text in retaining David,
though it is omitted by the ordinary editions. In cxxvii Solomon is
omitted in the best MSS.
INTRODUCTION.
the latest compilers of the Psalter, but rested on some authority,
documentary or traditional.
(4) Some at any rate of the titles, e.g. those of vii and Ix, are
not derived from the historical books now extant, but from some
independent source.
It appears then that while on the one hand the titles cannot
be regarded as in all cases giving certain and trustworthy
information concerning the authorship of the Psalms, on the
other hand they are not to be one and all peremptorily rejected
as purely arbitraryand conjectural.
What then is their value? It seems probable that they indi-
cate the source from which the Psalms were derived rather than
the opinion of the collector as to their authorship.
In regard to the Psalms of the Sons of Korah this is clearly
the case. The A
Psalm of the Sons of Korah cannot mean
title
that the Psalm was composed by a plurality of authors. It

must be part of the title of the collection from which these
Psalms were derived. Such a collection may have been called,
" The Book of the Songs of the Sons of Korah," and have
contained Psalms written by members of the guild or family
of Korah and preserved in a collection, made probably for
liturgical purposes, which bore their name.
Similarly the title, "A Psalm of David," may have been
derived from the general title of the collection from which
the Psalms in question were taken —
" The Book of the Prayers
:
of David." The collection may have been so named from its

most eminent poet, although the works of other poets were
subsequently added to it. Just as in later times the whole
Psalter came to be spoken of as the Psalms of David, from
its founder and principal author, so in earlier times the smaller
collection of which only the origin and nucleus was due to

David, came to bear his name, and when that collection was
incorporated in the Psalter, his name was placed at the head of
each Psalm taken from it^
The compiler of the Second Book may also have taken the
Davidic Psalms which it contains from some earlier collection,
^We commonly speak of Newman's Lyra Apostolica, though five
other writers contributed to it.
INTRODUCTION.
possibly a historical work in which many of them were con-
nected with particular episodes in the life of David. The
earlier histories were often illustrated by the insertion of poems,
e.g. Judg. v: i Sam. ii 2 Sam. : xxii.
Even the compilers of Books V may have found the

IV and
Psalms which are there attributed to David in some earlier
collection bearing his name, or assigned to him by current
tradition.
Further it is quite possible that imitations of Davidic Psalms,
such for example as Ps. Ixxxvi, may have been called by his
name, without the slightest intention of fraud. In i Chr. xvi
we find a Psalm compiled from other Psalms suggested as an
appropriate thanksgiving for the occasion, though it does not
appear to be expressly attributed to Davids
Again, it is possible that Psalms were written by different
poets to illustrate particular episodes in the life of David, or to
express the thoughts which might be supposed to have been in
his mind upon certain occasions. These might easily have had
his name affixed to them, without the slightest intention of
passing them off as his for the sake of giving them currency
and authority. title "A Psalm of Asaph" may
Similarly the
Psalm was taken from a collection founded by
indicate that the
David's famous minstrel. Such a collection would have been
preserved and used by the guild or family of Asaph, and added
to from time to time, though it still retained the name of its
founder.
While then the titles of the Psalms cannot be supposed to
give certain information as to their authors, and many of the
Psalms bearing the name of David or Asaph cannot have been
written by them, we are not justified in rejecting the titles as
blind and worthless conjectures. A sober criticism will allow
them a certain weight, as giving, in general at least, some in-
formation as to the source from which the Psalms vvere derived,
which is not to be rejected without good reason.
In criticising the title of a Psalm by the light of its contents
much caution is necessary. The possibility of alterations and
additions to the original poem must be taken into account.
» See the R.V. of i Chr. xvi. 7.

INTRODUCTION.
It is probable that many of the Psalms were not at once com-

mitted to writing, but like other oriental poetry, transmitted
orally^. The comparison of Ps. xviii with 2 Sam. xxii shews
that the text has in some cases suffered from accidental errors
of transcription, while in others it appears to bear marks of in-
tentional revision. The comparison of Ps. liii with Ps. xiv,

and of Ps. cviii with Pss. Ivii and Ix, shews that editors did
not scruple to alter earlier Psalms, or to combine portions of
them, for their own special purposes. Additions seem to have
been made with a view of adapting Psalms for liturgical use.
Such processes, which can be definitely traced in some in-
stances, have no doubt been in operation elsewhere.
CHAPTER IV.
THE AUTHORSHIP AND AGE OF THE PSALMS.
It is obvious from what has been said in the preceding

chapter that great uncertainty must necessarily rest upon the
authorship of the Psalms. When once it is admitted, as it
must be admitted, that the titles cannot be absolutely rehed on,

we are launched upon a sea of uncertainty. Internal evidence,
whether of thought, or style, or language, is a precarious
guide. The same Psalm has been confidently assigned by one
critic to David, by another to the age of the Maccabees^.
1 Arabic poetry was preserved by the rdivis, or reciters. "The cus-

tom of committing verse to writing did not begin till near the end of
the first century after the Flight. The whole of the old poetry was
preserved by oral tradition only." Lyall's Ancient Arabian Poetry,
p. XXXV.
The question is often asked by the English reader why language
"
does not determine the date of the books of the O.T. within at any
rate comparatively definite limits. But (i) the remains of Hebrew
literature of which the date is admitted as certain are too scanty to give
much material for forming a judgment: (2) the Massoretic vocalisa-
tion, while here and there preserving ancient forms, has obscured dis-
tinctions under the uniform pronunciation of a later age: (3) the pos-
sibility of imitation of ancient models in a later age must be taken into
account.
INTRODUCTION.
Important as it is for the full interpretation of many Psalms
to know the circumstances under which they were written, and
for the elucidation of the religious histoiy of Israel to determine
the age to which they belong, the Psalms as a whole suffer less
from this uncertainty than might be expected. Their interest is
human and universal. They appeal to the experience of all

ages. Still the endeavour must be made to ascertain to what
period of the history a Psalm belongs.
An uncritical age attributed the whole Psalter to David.
Modern criticism has gone to the opposite extreme, and is
disposed to refer the whole Psalter, or at least the greater part

of to the period after the return from Babylon^.
it,
would be strange indeed if none of those sacred "songs of

It
Zion," the fame of which was so well known to her Babylonian

captors (Ps. cxxxvii. 3, 4), had survived. But further, it is
difficult to believe that the tradition of the Jewish Church was
entirely wrong in assigning the foundation of the Psalter to

David and regarding him as the most eminent religious poet of
the nation.
His skill as poet and musician, and his interest in the
development of religious music, are attested by the earliest
records 2. Later times pointed to him as the founder of the
services of the sanctuary ^ The leaders of the return from the
exile believed themselves to be restoring his institutions*.
But in particular, the incorporation of Ps. xviii in the Book
of Samuel as a specimen of David's poetry illustrating his
character and genius is the strongest evidence in favour of
So, for example, Wellhausen in Bleek's Introduction, p. 507 (ed.

^
1876): "Since the Psalter belongs to the Hagiographa, and is the

hymn-book of the congregation of the Second Temple. ..the question is
not whether it contains any post-exilic Psahns, but whether it contains
any pre-exiHc Psalms." Similarly Reuss: "Our doubts do not go so
far as to deny the possibility of referring a single one of the poems in
the present collection of Synagogue hymns to the period of the king-
dom. But we have no decisive proofs for such antiquity." History of
theO.T.%2^2.
2 See I Sam. xvi. 17 ff. ; xviii. 10; 2 Sam. i. 17 ff.; iii. 33 ff.; vi. 5,
15; xxii. i; xxiii. i ff.; Amos vi. 5.

•*
2 Chr. xxix. 30.
* Ezra iii. 10; Neh. xii. 24, 36, 46.
INTRODUCTION.
regarding David as the founder of the Psalter. That Psahn
is there circumstantially ascribed to David, and there is no
sufficient ground for placing the compilation of the Book of

Samuel at so late a date that its evidence on this point can be
set aside as a mere tradition which had sprung up in the course
of centuries.
But if must be acknowledged to be the work of
Ps. xviii
David, important consequences follow. For depth of devotion,
simplicity of trust, joyousness of gratitude, and confidence of
hope, not less than for its natural force and poetic beauty, that
Psalm has few rivals. It has all the freshness of creative
genius. It can hardly have been the solitary production of its
author. If such a Psalm could have been written by David, so
might many others; and it is reasonable to inquire with regard
to those which bear his name whether they may not actually
have been composed by him.
Both poetry and music existed before David's time, and
poetry had been carried to a high development in such compo-
sitions as Ex. XV and Judg. v. But with David a new era of
religious poetry commenced. The personal element entered
into it. became the instrument of the soul's communion with
It
God. David's natural poetic powers were awakened by his

training in the schools of the prophets under Samuel^ The
manifold vicissitudes of his life gave him an unparalleled depth
and variety of experience. Chosen by God to be the founder
of the kingdom of promise, he must still pass through trials and
persecutions and dangers to the throne. When he had reached
the zenith of his fame, he fell through pride and self-reliance,
and by sharp chastisement must learn the grievousness of sin.
But genius and circumstances alone could not have produced
the Psalms. In his " last words" he himself declared,
"The spirit of the LORD spake in me,

And his word was upon my tongue."
Unique natural genius, trained and called into action by the

discipline of an unique life, must still be quickened and illumi-
nated by the supernal inspiration of the Holy Spirit, before it
^ Comp. Delitzsch, The Psalms, Introd. § iii.
INTRODUCTION.
could strike out the strains, Avhich were to be the pattern and
model of religious poetry for all the ages.
It has often been asserted that the David of the Psalms is an
entirely different character from the David of history. The
devout singer and the rough warrior cannot, it is said \ be the
same person. But a great nature is necessarily many sided
and in early ages it is possible for traits of character which to
us seem irreconcilable to coexist in the same individual. And
the difference is often exaggerated. Not a few of the Psalms
illustrate and are illustrated by the history of David's life and ;
in that history, fragmentary and incomplete as it necessarily is,

are to be found abundant traces of the religious side of his
character of the confidence which in the midst of danger
;
and difficulty threw itself unperplexed upon God of the ;
patience which could await God's time instead of rushing to

revenge of the simple faith which ascribed all success and
;
advancement to God; of the hope which looked trustingly

forward into the unknown future, in calm assurance that God
would fulfil His promises last but not least, of the penitence
;
which humbled itself in unfeigned sorrow for sin.

It may have been the case, as Delitzsch supposes 2, that the
reigns of Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah were marked by fresh out-

bursts of Psalm poetry. Under both these kings great national
deliverances called for fresh expressions of praise and thanks-
giving (2 Ch. XX 2 Kings xviii. ff.) Jehoshaphat exerted him-
; :
self for the religious education of the country (2 Chr. xvii. 7 ff.):
the collection of Proverbs, made under the direction of Heze-

kiah, attests his interest in literature (Prov. xxv. i).
A few Psalms date from the time of the destruction of Jeru-

salem and the earlier years of the exile. Some may be from
the pen of Jeremiah, who has been credited by some critics with
the authorship of a considerable number^.
With the Return from the Exile Psalmody revived. The harp
1 e.g. by Reuss, § 157. - Introd. § ill.
8 This appears to be due partly to the fact thit so much of his per-
sonal and inner life is known to us from his autobiography partly to ;
his familiarity with existing literature and his free use of it, which
results in numerous parallels between his prophecies and the Psalms.
INTRODUCTION.
which had been hung up on the willows of Babylon was strung
once more. Fresh hymns were written for the services of the
restored Templet The renewed study of the Law under Ezra
and Nehemiah bore fruit in such meditations as Ps. cxix.
Did the Psalter still continue to receive further enrichment.?
The question has been warmly debated in ancient and modern
times, whether any of the Psalms belong to the Maccabaean
age. Prophecy was silent (i Mace. iv. 46, &c.); but might not
the great revival of national spirit naturally have found ex-
pression in poetry? and do not some of the Psalms clearly refer
to the circumstances of that period?
Some critics would refer the whole of the last three books as
well as many Psalms in the earlier books to that period, and
bring down the completion of the collection to the reign of John
Hyrcanus (B.C. 135 — 107) or Alexander Jannaeus (B.C. 105 — 79)^.
The real question is, however, a much narrower one. The
Psalms which have been most confidently and generally referred
to the age of the Maccabees are xliv. Ixxiv. Ixxix. and Ix.
Ixxx. Ixxxiii; with a few others. These are thought to present
features which belong to that age, and to no other e.g. in ;
Ps. xliv the description of the nation as suffering, though it has

been faithful to God in Ixxiv the destruction of the synagogues,
;
the profanation of the Temple, and the cessation of prophecy

and the quotation of Ixxix. 2, 3 in i Mace. vii. 16, 17 with
reference to the massacre of the Assideans by the usurping
high-priest Alcimus, is supposed to imply that it was written
on the occasion.
^ Yet some of the Temple Psalms in the later books of the Psalter
may have been revivals or adaptations of ancient hymns. An inciden-
tal reference in Jer. xxxiii. 11 shews that the doxology, "Give thanks
to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for his mercy endureth
for ever," was the characteristic formula of thanksgiving before the
Captivity. Yet it is found only in the later books (iv and v) of the
Psalter (Ps. c. 4, 5; cvi. i; &c.), in Psalms which would generally be
regarded as post-exilic. Is. Ixiv. 11 refers to the 'praise-songs' of the
pre-exilic Temple, and the existence of an order of 'singers' is implied
by Ezek. xl. 44.
- "The Psalms preserved to us," says Reuss, "are for the most part
the work of the generation which suffered under Antiochus, fought
with Judah and Jonathan, and then under Simon enjoyed victory and
rest, praising God in gratitude and humility." Hist, of O.T. % 474.
INTRODUCTION.
The question is one of exegesis, and a detailed examination of
the characteristics of these Psalms must be deferred to the com-
mentary on them. It will then be seen whether they cannot be
as well or better referred to the Chaldean or Persian period,
or even a much earlier time. Moreover it has well been pointed
out that some distinctive features of the Maccabaean period are
conspicuously absent from these Psalms. "They do not contain
the slightest trace of those internal divisions of the people which
were the most marked features of the Maccabaean struggle. The
dangers then were as much from within as from without and ;
party jealousies brought the divine cause to the greatest peril.

It is incredible that a series of Maccabaean Psalms should
contain no allusion to a system of enforced idolatry, or to a

temporising priesthood, or to a faithless multitude^"
The preliminary question may however be discussed here,
whether the history of the Psalter and the Canon does not
exclude the possibility of such late additions.
(i) As the author of the Book of Chronicles (i Chr. xvi. 8ff.),
in combining portions of Pss. cv, xcvi, cvi, includes as a part of

cvi the doxology which marks the end of the fourth Book, it has
been argued that the Psalter must have been already known to
him in its five-fold division. This is extremely doubtful, and
even if it is admitted, it cannot prove that the Psalter was finally
complete, and closed against the admission of fresh Psalms.
(2) More important is the fact that all the Psalms which
are most confidently set down as Maccabaean belong to the
'Elohistic' collection,which was anterior to the collections
contained in Books IV and V^. Moreover some of them have
musical titles, in contrast to the practice of the last collection.
Is it conceivable that the LXX translators should have been so
entirely at fault as to the meaning of the titles of Ix and Ixxx,
ifthey were almost contemporary compositions?
(3) The Prologue to Ecclesiasticus speaks of the Canonical
Books as already distinguished from other writings in the time
of the author's grandfather, and of the Greek translation as
already existing; and though again this statement does not
1 Dr (now Bp) Westcott in Smith's Diet, of the Bible, ii. 168.
"^
See below, p. xl ff.
INTRODUCTION.
amount to proof that the Canon was finally closed, it raises
a strong presumption against the admission of fresh writings at
so late a date as B.C. 150 or even 100. The Second Book of
Maccabees speaks of the care which Judas took to collect the
sacred writings which had been dispersed or lost in the war
(2 Mace. ii. 14), but no hint is given that the collection included
new works.
(4) If the Psalms of Solomoii^ could be referred to the
Maccabaean age, they would affordan almost conclusive proof
that the whole of the Psalter belongs to a much earlier time.
But it is now work belongs to

generally agreed that this the.
period after the conquest of Jerusalem by Pompey in B.C. 63,
and was completed soon after his death in B.C. 48 2. Even
if the Psalms of Solomon are to be placed at this later date,
the argument does not altogether lose its force^. For they
were written only a century after the standard of independence
was raised by Mattathias, and less than half a century after the
time at which the Psalter is supposed to have received its latest
additions. But the contrast is immense. They are separated
from the Psalter by an impassable gulf "The spirit which the
Psalms breathe is entirely that of Pharisaic Judaism. They are
pervaded by an earnest moral tone and a sincere piety. But
the righteousness which they preach and the dearth of which
they deplore is, all through, the righteousness which consists in
complying with all the Pharisaic prescriptions*." Their de-
velopment of the doctrine of the Resurrection and the Messi-
anic expectation separates them widely from the canonical
Psalms. Where for example can we find parallels in the Psalter
to language like the following with reference to the Resurrection?
^ A collection
of 18 Psalms, written in Hebrew, probably in Pales-
tine, and now extant in a Greek version, which may be found in
Fritzsche's Librl Vet. Test. Pseudepigraphi Selecti. A new edition,
with translation and notes, was published by Prof. Ryle and Mr James
in 1891.
See Schiirer's Hist. 0/ the jfeivish People in the time o/yesus Christ,
"^
Div. ii. § 32 (Vol. iii. p. 17 ff. E. T.),

* The development of this argument by Bp Westcott in Smith's Diet,
of the Bible, ii. i68, on the hypothesis of the Maccabaean date of these
Psalms, should still be consulted.
* Schiirer, p. 21.
PSALMS. II. /
INTRODUCTION.
"The destruction of the sinner shall be for ever,
and he shall not be remembered, when He visiteth the righteous.
This is the portion of sinners for ever.
But they that fear the Lord shall arise unto life eternal,
and their life shall be in the light of the Lord and shall fail
no more" (iii. 13 16). —

"For the Lord will spare His saints,
and their transgressions will He blot out by correction
for the hfe of the righteous is for ever,
but sinners shall be carried away to destruction
and their memorial shall no more be found" (xiii. 9, 10).
Equally remarkable is the expression of the Messianic hope:
"Behold, O Lord, and raise up unto them their king,

the son of David, at the time which thou knowest, O God,
that he may reign over Israel thy servant.
And gird him with strength to break in pieces unrighteous
rulers" (xvii. 23, 24).
* * * *
"And in his days there is no unrighteousness in the midst of

them,
for all are holy, and their king is the anointed lord^" {v. 36).
# * * -x-
"And he himself is pure from sin, to rule over a great people;

to rebuke rulers and to destroy sinners by the might of a word.
And he shall not be feeble in his days, relying upon his God,
for God made him mighty in the holy spirit,
and wise in the counsel of understanding with strength and
righteousness" {vv. 41, 42).
These considerations are sufficient, taken all together, to

make us hesitate to assign Psalms to the Maccabaean period,
except on the most cogent internal evidence. The discussion of
such evidence must necessarily be deferred to the notes on each
Psalm. Few commentators however deny the possibility, and
most maintain the certainty, of the existence of Maccabaean
Psalms in the Psalter.
^ Xpiffris Ki5/3tos: cp. Lam. iv. 20 (LXX).
INTRODUCTION.
CHAPTER V.
THE COLLECTION AND GROWTH OF THE PSALTER.
Internal evidence makes it certain that the Psalter grew up

gradually from the union of earlier collections of Psalms. The
various strata of which it is composed can to some extent be
distinguished. Three principal divisions, marked by well-de-

fined characteristics, may be observed. They appear to have
arisen in successive chronological order, but such a supposition
need not exclude the possibility that the earlier collection re-
ceived late additions, or that the later collection may contain

early Psalms.
(i) The First Division is coextensive with Book I (Pss. i
xli). All the Psalms in it have titles, with the exception of i.
ii. X. and are described as Psalms "of David." The

xxxiii,
exceptions are easily accounted for. Pss. i and ii are intro-

ductory, and probably did not belong to the original collection,
Ps. x was part of Ps. ix, or was written as a pendant to it.
Ps. xxxiii appears to be of distinctly later date, inserted as an
illustration of the last verse of Ps. xxxii.
(ii) The Second Division corresponds to Books II and III
(Ps. xlii — Ixxxix). All the Psalms in it, except xliii (which is
really part of xlii) and Ixxi, bear titles. It consists of (a)

seven Psalms (or eight, if xlii and xliii are both reckoned)
"of the sons of Korah" (xlii xhx) — : {d) a Psalm "of -Asaph"
Ixvii, "of David" (Ii
(1): {c) ten Psalms, all except Ixvi, Ixx): —
(d) an anonymous Psalm (Ixxi), and a Psalm "of Solomon"
(Ixxii)^: (e) eleven Psalms "of Asaph" (Ixxiii Ixxxiii) {/) a — :
It has been conjectured by Ewald that Pss. Ii

1 Ixxii originally —
stood after xli, so tliat the arrangement was (i) Davidic Psalms, i xli; —
Ii— Ixxii (2) Levitical Psahns
: (a) Korahite, xlii
: xlix {i>) Asaphite, — ;
1, Ixxiii —
Ixxxiii ; (c) Korahite supplement, Ixxxiv Ixxxix. The hy- —
pothesis is ingenious. It brings the Davidic Psalms together, and
makes the note to Ixxii. 20 more natural and it connects the isolated ;
Psalm of Asaph (1) with the rest of the group.

But it is clear that Books ii and iii formed a collection independent
of Book i and the editor may have wished to separate the mass of
:
xl INTRODUCTION.
supplement containing three Psalms "of the sons of Korah"
(Ixxxiv. Ixxxv. Ixxxvii) one "of David," which is manifestly
;
a cento from other Psalms (Ixxxvi) one "of Heman the

;
Ezrahite" (Ixxxviii); and one "of Ethan the Ezrahite" (Ixxxix).

(iii) The Third Division corresponds to Books IV and V
(Pss. xc —
cl). In this division many Psalms have no title at
all, and only a few bear the name of an author. In Book IV,
Ps. xc bears the name of Moses: Pss. ci and ciii that of
David. In Book V, Pss. cviii — ex. cxxii. cxxiv, cxxxi. cxxxiii.
cxxxviii — cxlv, bear the name of David: cxxvii that of Solo-

mon. Of the have no title, or only that of a
rest the majority
subordinate collection 'A Song of Ascents').
(e.g.
We may now^ proceed to examine the characteristics of these

divisions. The greater part of the Second Division is remark-
ably distinguished from the First and Third by the use of the
Divine Names. —
Psalms xlii Ixxxiii are 'Elohistic'; that is to
say, they employ the appellative Eldhim = ^God^ in the place
and almost to the exclusion of the proper name Jehovah,
represented in the A. V. by Lord.
—
In Pss. i xli, Elohim occurs absolutely^ only 15 times, and
in some of these cases it is required by the sense^. Jehovah
on the other hand occurs 272 times.
In Pss. xlii — Ixxxiii, the proportion is reversed. Elohi7n
occurs 200 times, Jehovah only 43 times (exclusive of the
—
doxology, Ixxii. 18); while in Pss. Ixxxiv Ixxxix Elohim occurs
only 7 times, Jehovah 31 times.
the Asaphite Psalms from the Korahite Psalms by placing the Davidic
Psalms between them, while he put 1. next to li. on account of the
similarity of its teaching on sacrifice. The note to Ixxii. 20 is true
for his collection ; and it does not necessarily imply that none but
Davidic Psalms have preceded. Cp. Job xxxi. 40.
1 By 'absolutely' is meant, without either a pronoun attached to it
('my God' and the like) or a qualifying word grammatically connected
with it ('God of my righteousness,' 'God of my salvation,' and the
like). The English reader must remember that three Hebrew words,
El, Eloah, and Elohim, are represented by God in the A.V. El occurs
absolutely 11 times in division i, 29 times in division ii, 14 times in
division iii. Eloah is rare in the Psalter.
2 E.g. ix. 17; X.
4, 13; xiv. I, 2, 5; xxxvi. i, 7. In iii. 1 the read-
ing is doubtful. See note there.
INTRODUCTION. xli
In Pss. xc — cl, Jehovah occurs 339 times, while Elohtm (of
the true God) is to which is taken

be found only in Ps. cviii,
direct from two Psalms in the Elohistic group, and in cxliv. 9,

in a Psalm which is evidently compiled from various sources.
It may also be noted that Addnai='Lord' occurs much more
frequently in the Second Division (31 times), than in the First

(10 times), or Third (8 times).
This use oi Elohim cannot be explained on internal grounds.
It stands precisely as Jehovah does elsewhere, and not unfre-
quently the substitution leads to awkwardness of expression.
Thus, for example, Ps. 1. 7 is taken from Ex. xx. 2; Ixviii. i, 2,
7, 8 are based upon Num. x. 35; Judg. v. 4, 5, 31 Ixxi. 19 is ;
from Ex. xv. 1 1 and in each case Elohun takes the place of
;
Jehovah. More striking still is the fact that in two Psalms

which are repeated from Book I. (Hii = xiv; lxx=xl. 14 Ôj ^he
alteration is made, though in Ps. Ixx Jehovah still occurs twice.
To what then is this peculiarity due? Is it characteristic of
a particular style of writing? or is it the work of an editor or
compiler?
It seems certain (i) from the alteration in Psalms adopted
from Book I, (2) from the variety of the sources from which the
Psalms in this group are derived, that the change is, in part at
least, due to the hand of an editor. It may no doubt have been
the usage of certain writers. It has been suggested that it was
a custom in the family of Asaph, connected possibly with the

musical or liturgical use of the Psalms. But even if the pecu-
liarity is due in some instances to the author, there can be little
doubt that it is due, in the gi'oup as a whole, to the collector or
editor.
A guess might be hazarded that the collection was thus
adapted for the use of the exiles, with a view to avoid the repe-
tition of the Sacred Name in a heathen land. But no positive
result can be arrived at. The relation of the 'Elohistic' Psalms
to the 'Elohistic' documents in the Pentateuch is also an
obscure question, which needs further investigation.
It seems clear, however, that the substitution of Elohtm for
Jehovah was not due to the superstitious avoidance of the use
of the Sacred Name in later times. Books IV and V arc
xlii INTRODUCTION.
composed of Psalms the majority of which are unquestionably
of later date than those in the Elohistic group. But in these
books the naxxxQ Jehovah is used throughout, with the exception
noted above. The compiler ofBook V knew the Elohistic
Psalms in their present form : and so apparently did the com-
piler of Ps. Ixxxvi, as may be inferred from a comparison of
V. 14 with liv. 4 f.
The argument for the original independence of the three

divisions which is derived from the use of the names of God is
corroborated :
{a) By the repetition in the Second Division of Psalms found

in the First, and in the Third of Psalms found in the Second.
Thus liii = xiv: lxx=xl. 15 ff. cviii = lvii. 7 11, Ix. 5
: 12. — —
(b) By the note appended to Ps. Ixxii., "the prayers of David
the son of Jesse are ended^." This note, whether taken over
from an by the editor of Books II and III,
earlier collection
or inserted by him, appears to shew that he knew of no more
Davidic Psalms, or at any rate that his collection contained no
more. Clearly therefore his collection must have been indepen-
dent of Books IV and V, which contain several more Psalms
ascribed to David.
{c) By the difference already noticed in regard to titles. In
this respect the markedly distinguished from
Third Division is
the First and Second. In these the Psalms with but few easily
explained exceptions have titles, giving the name of the author
or the collection from which the Psalm was taken, in many
cases the occasion, and some musical or liturgical description or
direction. But in the Third Division the majority of the
Psalms are anonymous musical and liturgical directions are
;
rare; and titles of the obscure character of many of those in

Divisions I and II are entirely absent. Moreover the musical
term Selah, which occurs 17 times in Division I, and 50 times
in Division II, is found but four times in Division III, and
then in two Psalms ascribed to David (cxl. cxliii).
{d) By the character of the contents of the three divisions.
Speaking broadly and generally, the Psalms of the First Division
axt personal, those of the Second, national, those of the Third,
^ Conip. Job xxxi. 40.
INTRODUCTION. xliii
liturgical. There are numerous exceptions, but it is in the

First Division that personal prayers and thanksgivings are
chiefly to be found: in the Second, prayers in special times
of national calamity (xliv. Ix. Ixxiv. Ixxix. Ixxx. Ixxxiii. Ixxxix),
and thanksgivings in times of national deliverance (xlvi. xlvii.
xlviii. Ixxv. Ixxvi. Ixv — Ixviii) : in the Third, Psalms of praise
and thanksgiving for general use in the Temple services (xcii.
xcv — c. cv — cvii. cxi — cxviii. cxx — cxxxvi. cxlvi — cl).
The various steps in the formation of the Psalter may have

been somewhat as follows :
(i) An original collection, which bore the name Psalms (or,
Prayers) of David, from its first and greatest poet, though

poems by other writers were not excluded from it. It has
already been suggested (p. xxix) that the general title of the
collection was subsequently transferred to each separate Psalm
in the First Group which was taken from it. To this 'Davidic'
collection Psalms i and ii were prefixed as an introduction.
(2) Next, the 'Elohistic' collection was formed by the union

of two selections of Levitical Psalms from the Korahite and
Asaphite hymnaries with another selection of 'Davidic' Psalms.
To this collection was added an appendix of Korahite and other
—
Psalms (Ixxxiv Ixxxix), which were not altered by the Elohistic
editor.
(3) Finally, the Temple Psalms of the Return were collected,

with a gleaning of earlier Psalms, some of which were believed
to have been written by David, or were taken from a collection
bearing his name.
The date of these collections cannot

be determined with cer-
tainty. The may have been
nucleus of the First Collection
formed by Solomon, or certainly early in the regal period, though
it appears to have received later additions. Nothing in the
collection (not even xiv. 7) necessarily refers to the Exile or
the Return.
The Second Collection contains Psalms of the middle period
of the Kingdom, but the appendix at any rate cannot have been
completed till the Return (Ixxxv).
The Third Collection may be placed in the time of Ezra and
xliv INTRODUCTION.
Nehemiah^ The Chronicler was famihar with it, and possibly
found the doxology at the close of Ps. cvi already in its place
(see p. xxxvi).
The possibility of much later additions has already been dis-
cussed (p. XXXV ff.).
Other collections no doubt preceded these. Such were 'The

Book of Songs of the Sons of Korah,' 'The Songs of Asaph,'
'
The Songs of Ascents.' Pss. xcii c, with the exception —
perhaps of Ps. xciv, are marked by a common character,
and may have formed a separate collection. The 'Hallelujah
Psalms,' civ — cvi. cxi — cxviii. cxxxv. cxlvi — cl, may have been
taken from some '
Book of Praise.'
The a7-rangeinent of t]ie Psalms
in the several books appears
to have been determined partly by their arrangement in the
smaller collections from which they were taken, where their
order may have been fixed by considerations of date and author-
ship partly by similarity of character and contents.
; Thus for
example, we find groups of Mascliil Psalms (xlii xlv. lii Iv. — —
Ixxxviii, Ixxxix), and Michtam Psalms (Ivi Ix). Resemblance —
in character may account for the juxtaposition of I and li:
xxxiii takes up xxxii. ii: xxxiv and xxxv both speak of 'the
angel of the Lord,' who is mentioned nowhere else in the
Psalter. The title of xxxvi links it to xxxv. 27 ('servant of
the Lord') : that of Ivi may connect it with Iv. 6.
CHAPTER VI.
THE FORM OF HEBREW POETRY.

Ancient Hebrew poetry possesses neither metre nor rhyme^.
Its essential characteristic is rhythm, which makes itself ap-
^ Cp. the statement in 2 Mace. ii. 13. "Neeniias founding a library

gathered together... the writings of David" (to. to\j Aavid).
' When Philo, Josephus, Eusebius, Jerome, and other early writers,
compared Hebrew poetry with Greek and Latin metres, and spoke of
hexameters and pentameters, sapphics, or trimeter and tetrameter iam-
bics, they were using familiar language loosely. Various attempts have
been made to discover a metrical system in the Psalms, on the basis of
quantity, or of number of syllables or accents. Most of them involve
INTRODUCTION. xlv
parent both in the rhythmical cadence of each separate clause,

and in the rhythmical balance of clauses when they are com-
bined in a verse.
The Hebrew language is characterised by a vigorous terse-
ness and power of condensation which cannot be preserved in
English. Hence the clauses of Hebrew poetry are as a rule
short. They consist sometimes of two words only, most fre-
quently of three words, but not seldom of more than three
words.
The rhythm of the clause often reflects the thought which it
expresses. Thus, for example, the lively animated rhythm of the
opening stanza {vv. i
—3) of Ps. ii vividly suggests the tumul-
tuous gathering of the nations ; while the stately measure of
V. 4 presents the contrast of the calm and unmoved majesty of
Jehovah enthroned in heaven. Or again, the evening hymn

Ps, iv sinks to rest in its concluding verse with a rhythm as
reposeful as the assurance which it expresses.
The rhythm of clauses however, together with many other
features of Hebrew poetry, such as assonance and alliteration,
distinctive use ofwords and constructions, and so forth, chiefly
concerns the student of the original But the rhythmical
balance of clauses combined in a verse admits of being repro-
duced in translation, and can to a large extent be appreciated
by the English reader. Owing to this peculiar nature of its
form, Hebrew poetry which

loses less in translation than poetry
depends for much of its charm upon rhymes or metres which
cannot be reproduced in another language.
This balanced symmetry of form and sense is known as
pa7-allelis7ii of clauses {parallcHsjmts viembroruni) or simply,
parallelism. It satisfies the love of regular and harmonious
movement which is natural to the human mind, and was
specially adapted to the primitive method of antiphonal chant-
the abandonment of the Massoretic vocalisation, and invoke the aid of

'
a whole arsenal of licences.' Happily they do not concern the English
reader.
Rhyme is found occasionally (e.g. viii. 3 \Heb. 4] ; cvi. 4 7), but it —
appears to be accidental rather than intentional, and is never system-
employed. Both rhyme and metre have been used in medieval
atically
and modern Jewish poetry from the 7th cent. A.D. onwards.
xlvi INTRODUCTION.
ing (Ex, XV. I, 20, 21; I Sam. xviii. 7). Such poetry is not
sharply distinguished from elevated prose. Many passages in
the prophets are written in poetical style, and exhibit the
features of parallelism as plainly as any of the Psalms^.
The law of parallelism in Hebrew poetry has an exegetical
value. can often be appealed to in order to determine the
It
construction or connexion of words, to elucidate the sense, or

to decide a doubtful reading. The arrangement of the text in
lines, adopted by Dr Scrivener in the standard edition of the
A. V. from which the text in this edition is taken, and in the

Revised Version, makes this characteristic of Hebrew poetry
more plainly perceptible to the English reader.
The various forms of parallelism are generally classified
under three principal heads
(i) Synonymous parallelisni, when the same fundamental
thought is repeated in different words in the second line of a
couplet. Thus in Ps. cxiv. I :
" When went forth out of Egypt,

Israel
The house of Jacob from a people of strange language:"
and the same construction is maintained throughout the Psalm.
Every page of the Psalter supplies abundant examples.
(2) Antithetic or contrasted parallelism, when the thought
expressed in the first line of a couplet is corroborated or eluci-
dated by the affirmation of its opposite in the second line.
This form of parallelism is specially suited to Gnomic Poetry,

and is particularly characteristic of the oldest collection of
proverbs in the Book of Proverbs (chaps, x — xxii. 16). Thus
for example
" Every wise woman buildeth her house :
But folly plucketh it down with her own hands" (Prov. xiv. i).
But it is by no means rare in the Psalms, e.g. i. 6,
" For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous :
But the way of the wicked shall perish."
(3) Synthetic or cofistructive parallelism. Under this head

are classed the numerous instances in which the two lines of
^ E.g. Is. Ix. I — 3; Ixv. 13, 14; Hos. xi. 8, 9; Nah. i. 2.

INTRODUCTION. xlvii
and consequence, pro-

the couplet stand in the relation of cause
tasisand apodosis, proposition and qualification or supplement,
or almost any logical or constructional relation or in which ;
the parallelism is one of form only without any logical relation

between the clauses.
The simplest and most common form of parallelism is the
couplet or distich : but this may be expanded into a tristich
(triplet) or a tetrastich (quatrain) or even longer combinations,
in a variety of ways. Thus the three lines of a verse may be
synonymous
" The floods have O Lord,
lifted up,
The floods have lifted up their voice;

The floods lift up their waves" (Ps. xciii. 3).
Or two only of the lines may be synonymous, while the third

is introductory (Ps. iii. 7), or supplementary (ii. 2), or antithetic
(liv. 3).
Similarly in tetrastichs (usually including two verses) we find

four synonymous lines, as in xci. 5, 6. Or the first line may be
parallel to the third, the second to the fourth, as in xxvii. 3
" Though an host should encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear:
Though war should rise against me.
Even then will I be confident."
Or two synonymous lines may be contrasted with two synony-
mous lines, as in xxxvii. 35, 36 :
"I have seen the wicked in his terribleness,

And spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil
And I passed by, and lo ! he was not,
Yea, I sought him, but he could not be found."
Even longer combinations than tetrastichs sometimes occur;
and on the other hand single lines are found, for the most part
as introductions or conclusions. While maintaining its funda-
mental characteristic of rhythm, Hebrew poetry admits of the
greatest freedom and variety of form.
Strophical arrangement. Series of verses are, as might be
expected, combined, and many Psalms consist of distinct
groups of verses. Such groups may conveniently be called
xlviii INTRODUCTION.
stanzas or strophes, but the terms must not be supposed to
imply that the same metrical or rhythmical structure recurs in
each, as in Greek or Latin poetry. The strophes in a Psalm do
not even necessarily consist of the same number of lines or
verses.
Such divisions are sometimes clearly marked by a refrain, as
in Pss. xlii — xliii. xlvi. Ivii : or by alphabetical arrangement,
as in cxix : or by Selah, denoting probably a musical interlude,
ai in Pss. iii and iv. But more frequently there is no external
mark of the division, though it is clearly indicated by the struc-
ture and contents of the Psalm, as in Ps. ii.
Alphabetic or Acrostic Psalms.

Eight or nine Psalms^ present various forms of alphabetic
structure (Pss. ix. x. xxv. xxxiv. xxxvii. cxi. cxii. cxix. cxlv).
In cxi and cxii each letter begins a line, and the lines are
arranged in eight distichs and two tristichs.
In Pss. xxv. xxxiv. cxlv. Pi'ov. xxxi. Lam. iv., each letter
begins a distich, in Lam. i. ii. a tristich. In Pss. xxxvii each

letter begins a pair of verses, commonly containing four, some-
times five, lines. In Lam. iii each verse in a stanza of three
verses, and in Ps. cxix each verse in a stanza of eight verses,
begins with the same letter, and the letters are taken in regular
succession.
Such an arrangement, artificial though it seems, does not
more than an elaborate metre or rhyme.
necessarily fetter a poet
It is not to be regarded as 'a compensation for the vanished
spirit of poetry.' It was probably intended as an aid to
memory, and is chiefly employed in Psalms of a proverbial
character to connect detached thoughts, or when, as in Ps. cxix
and in Lamentations, the poet needs some artificial bond to
link together a number of variations upon one theme.
The elaborate development of the system in Lamentations
proves that alphabetic structure is not in itself a proof of a very
late date 2.
1 —
Also Lam. i iv; Prov. xxxi. lo 31. Bickell has pointed out — —
traces of alphabetic structure in Nah. i. 1 10 and shewn that the :
original of Ecclesiaslicus Ii. 13 30 was alphabetic. —

The early Roman poet Ennius wrote acrostics (Cicero, de Divina-
'^
INTRODUCTION. xlix
CHAPTER VII.
THE HEBREW TEXT, THE ANCIENT VERSIONS,

AND THE ENGLISH VERSIONS.
i. The Hebrew Text. A few words on the character of the
Hebrew Text are necessary in order to justify the occasional
departures from it, which will be met with in this commentary.
The extant Hebrew MSS. of the O.T. are all comparatively
recent. The oldest of which the age is known with certainty
bears date A.D. 916; the majority are of the 12th to the i6th
centuries. They all present substantially the same text^, com-
monly called the Massoretic Text^. Thus while we possess
MSS. of the N. T. written less than three centuries after the date
of the earliest of the books, our oldest MS. of the O.T. is more
than ten centuries posterior to the date of the latest of the
books which it contains ; and while our MSS. of the N.T. present
a great variety of readings, those of the O.T. are practically
unanimous in supporting the same text.
This unanimity was long supposed to be due to the jealous

care with which the Jewish scribes had preserved the sacred
text from the earliest times. But careful examination makes
it clear that this is not the case. Since the rise of the schools
of the 'Massoretes,' in the seventh and eighth centuries A.D.,
the text has, no doubt, been preserved with scrupulous exact-
ness. But the recension which they adopted, whether originally
Hone, ii. 54, § in); and they are said to have been invented in Greece
by the comedian Epicharmus (B.C. 540 450). We may compare the
—
alliteration, which is a common feature of early poetry.
^ The variations between them are (roughly speaking) not greater
than the variations between the different editions of the A.V. which
have appeared since 161 1, and they concern for the most part unim-
portant points of orthography.
- Massord means (i) tradition in general
(2) specially, tradition
:
concerning the text of the O.T. and in particular the elaborate system
,
of rules and metnoria technica by which the later scribes sought to

guard the text from corruption. Those who devoted themselves to
this study were called 'masters ofMassora', or 'Massoretes'; and the
term 'Massoretic' is applied to the text which their labours were de-
signed to preserve.
1 INTRODUCTION.
derived from a single MS., as some suppose, or from a com-
parison of MSS. held in estimation at the time, unquestionably
contains not a few errors, which had crept in during the long
course of its previous history^. The proof of this lies in the
following facts :
(i) There are many passages in which the Massoretic Text

cannot be translated without doing violence to the laws of
grammar, or is irreconcilable with the context or with other
passages.
(2) Parallel passages (e.g. Ps. xviii and 2 Sam. xxii) differ
in such a way as to make it evident that the variations are

due partly to accidental mistakes in transcription, partly to
intentional revision.
(3) The Ancient Versions represent various readings,
which in many cases bear a strong stamp of probability upon
them, and often lessen or remove the difficulties of the Mas-
soretic Text.
The Massoretic Text as a whole is undoubtedly superior to
any of the Ancient Versions but we are amply justified in caUing
:
in the aid of those Versions, and in particular the Septuagint,

wherever that text appears to be defective: and even where
it is not in itself suspicious, but some of the Ancient Versions
offer a different reading, that reading may deserve to be taken
into account.
In some few cases, where there is reason to suspect corruption
anterior to all extant documentary authorities, it may even be
allowable to resort to conjectural emendation, and such emen-
dations will occasionally be mentioned.
^ history of the Hebrew text may be divided into four periods.

The
(i) The of these periods was marked by the exclusive use of the
first
archaic character (2) the second, from the time of Ezra to the destruc-
:
tion of Jerusalem, saw the archaic character completely superseded by

the square character, as the Hebrew language was superseded by Ara-
maic (3) in the third period, from the Fall of Jerusalem to the end of
:
the fifth century, the consonantal text was fixed: (4) in the fourth
period, the exegetical tradition of the proper method of reading the
text was stereotyped by the addition of the vowels, and an elaborate
system of rules invented to secure the accurate transmission of the text
even in the minutest particulars.
INTRODUCTION.
Two further points must be mentioned here in order to explain
some of the notes :
Hebrew, Hke other Semitic languages, was originally

(i)
written without any vowels, except such long vowels as were

represented by consonants. In the earlier stages of the language
even these were sparingly used. The present elaborate system
of vowel marks or 'points,' commonly called the Massoretic '
punctuation' or 'vocalisation,' was not reduced to writing until

the seventh or eighth century A.D. It stereotyped the pro-
nunciation and reading of the O. T. then current, and in many
But in a vowelless, or
respects represents a far older tradition.
as it is called 'unpointed,' text, many words may be read
in different ways, and the Massoretic punctuation does not
appear in all cases to give the true way of reading the con-
sonants.
(2) In some passages the traditional method of reading
(Q'rl) did not agree with the consonants of the written text
(K'thibh). In such cases the Massoretes did not alter the text,
but appended a marginal note, giving the consonants with
which the vowels shewn in the text were to be read. It should
be clearly understood that the Qri or marginal reading is the
accepted reading of the Jewish textual tradition. But internal
evidence, and the evidence of the Ancient Versions, lead us to
prefer sometimes the Qri and sometimes the K'thibh. See for
example Ps. xxiv. 4, where A.V. and R.V. rightly follow the
K^thibh, and desert the Jewish tradition or Ps. c. 3, where
:
A.V. unfortunately followed the K'thibh, and R.V. has happily

taken the Qri.
ii. The Ancient Versions of the O. T. These possess a fresh
interest for the English reader, since the R.V. has given oc-
casional references to them in its margin.
(i) The Septuagittt. The oldest and most valuable of them
is the Greek Version, commonly called the Septuagint (Sept.
or LXX), or Version of the Seventy Elders. It derives its name
from the tradition that the translation of the Pentateuch was made
by seventy or seventy-two elders, despatched from Jerusalem to
Alexandria at the request of Ptolemy Philadelphus (B.C. 283
247). But the 'Letter of Aristeas,' on which this story rests, is
lii INTRODUCTION.
undoubtedly a forgery, and all that can be asserted about the
origin of the Septuagint is that it was made (l) in Egypt, and
probably at Alexandria, (2) at different times and by different
hands during the third and second centuries B.C., (3) before the
vowel-pomts had been added to the Hebrew text, or that text
had finally taken its present form.
The Pentateuch was probably translated first under the earlier
Ptolemies and the grandson of Jesus the son of Sirach, about
:
132 B.C., knew and used the version of the Hagiographa as well
as of the Law and the Prophets ^ This, it maybe assumed, in-
cluded the Psalter.
The character of the LXX varies greatly in different parts of
the O. T. The work of pioneers in the task of translation, with
no aids of grammar and lexicon to help them, naturally presents
many imperfections. Yet not seldom it gives a valuable clue to
the meaning of obscure words, or suggests certain corrections of
the Massoretic Text. The version of the Psalter is on the
whole fairly good, though it is often altogether at fault in
difficult passages. It has a special interest for English readers,
because, as will be seen presently, it has indirectly had con-
siderable influence on the version most familiar to many of

them.
Unfortunately the Septuagint has not come down to us in its
original form. The text has suffered from numerous corruptions
and alterations, partly through the carelessness of transcribers,
partly through the introduction of fresh renderings intended to
harmonise it with the Massoretic Text, or taken from other
Greek Versions.
The most important MSS. of the LXX for the Psalter, to
which reference will occasionally be made, are the following":
The Vatican MS. (denoted by the letter B); a splendid copy
of the Greek Bible, written in the fourth century A.D., and now
preserved in the Vatican Library at Rome. Ten leaves of the
Psalter, containing Pss. cv. 27 — cxxxvii. 6, are unfortunately lost.
^ See above, p. xii f.

- For fuller information see Dr Swete's edition of the LXX, pub-
lished by the Camb. Univ. Press. The Psalter is to be had separately
in a convenient form.
INTRODUCTION. liii
The equally splendid Sinaitic MS. (denoted by the letter {i^
Aleph), also written in the fourth century, found by Tischendorf

in the convent of St Catharine on Mt Sinai, and now at St
Petersburg.
The Alexandrine MS. (denoted by the letter A), written in the
middle of the fifth century, brought from Alexandria, and now
the great treasure of the British Museum. Nine leaves are
wanting in the Psalter (Ps. xlix. 19 — Ixxix. 10).
The Septuagint, with all its defects, is of the greatest interest
to all students of the O.T.
(i) It preserves evidence for the text far more ancient than
the oldest Hebrew MS., and often represents a text differing
from the Massoretic recension.
(2) It is one of the most ancient helps for ascertaining the
meaning of the language of the O.T., and is a valuable supple-
ment to Jewish tradition.
(3) It was the means by which the Greek language was
wedded to Hebrew thought, and the way prepared for the use
of that language in the New Testament.
(4) The made from the O.T.
great majority of the quotations
by the N.T. are taken from the LXX.
writers of the
(5) It is the version in which the O.T. was studied by the
Fathers of the Eastern Church, and indirectly, in the old Latin
Versions made from it, by those of the Western, until Jerome's
new translation from the Hebrew came into use. In the Psalter
its influence was permanent, for as will be seen below (p. Iv), the
new version never superseded the old.

(ii) The Targum. After the return from the Babylonian
exile, Aramaic, sometimes inaccurately called Chaldee, began to
take the place of Hebrew in Palestine. As Hebrew died out,
the needs of the people were met by oral translations or para-
phrases in Aramaic. Hence arose the Aramaic Versions com-
monly called the Targums^ The Targum of the Psalter is on the
whole a fairly good version, though it often assumes the character
of a paraphrastic interpretation. In its present form it appears
to contain elements as late as the ninth century, but in the main
' Targttm means interpretation or translation. Cp. dragoman, lit,
interpreter.
PSALMS. II. d
liv INTRODUCTION.
it belongs to a much earlier date. As a rule it represents the
Massoretic recension, and is not of much value for textual
criticism. It is interesting as preserving interpretations current
in the ancient Jewish Church, in particular, for the reference of
several passages in the Psalter to the Messiah^
(iii) The Syriac Version, known as the Pescliito {simple or
literal wtYsiovi), probably originated at Edessa, about the second
century A.D. It was made from the Hebrew, with the help of
Jewish converts or actual Jews. But the present text in some
parts of the O.T. agrees with the LXX in such a way as to
make it evident that either the original translators consulted
that version, or subsequent revisers introduced renderings
from it. This is largely the case in the Psalms.
(iv) The later Greek Versions require only a brief mention.
That of Aquila of Pontus, a Jewish proselyte from heathenism,
was made in the beginning of the second century A.D.,
when the breach between Church and Synagogue was com-
plete, and the Jews desired an accurate version for purposes of
controversy with Christians. It is characterised by a slavish
but ingenious literalism.
That of Theodotion, made towards the end of the second
was little more than a revision of
century, or possibly earlier^,
the LXX.
That of Symmachus, made probably a little later than that
of Theodotion, was also based on the LXX. It aimed at com-
bining accuracy and perspicuity, and was by far the best of the
three.
in the gigantic work of Origen
These versions were collected
(a.D. 185 — 254) Hexapla, which contained in six
called the
parallel columns, (i) the Hebrew Text, (2) the Hebrew trans-
literated into Greek letters, (3) Aquila, (4) Symmachus, (5) the
LXX, (6) Theodotion. In the Psalter the Hexapla became the
Octapla by the addition of two columns containing two more
Greek versions known as the 'Fifth' {Quinta) and 'Sixth'
{Sexta).
^ See e.g. Ps. xxi. i, 7; xlv. 1, 7; Ixi. 6, 8; Ixxii. i ; Ixxx. 15.

2 See
Schiirer's Hist, of the Jewish People &'c., Div. ii. § 33 (Vol. iii.
p. 173, E. T.).
INTRODUCTION. Iv
Unfortunately only fragments of these versions are extant^.

Generally, though not always, they agree with the Massoretic
Text.
(v) The earliest Latin Version of the
The Latin Versions.
O.T., the Vetus Latina or Old Latin, was made in North
Africa from the LXX. This version, of which various recen-
sions appear to have been current, was twice revised by St
Jerome (Hieronymus). The first revision, made about a.d.
383, is known as the Roman Psalter, probably because it was
made at Rome and for the use of the Roman Church at the
request of Pope Damasus the second, made about a.d. 387,
;
is called the Gallican Psalter, because the Galilean Churches

were the first to adopt it.
Shortly afterwards, about A.D. 389, Jerome commenced his

memorable work of translating the O.T. directly from the
Hebrew, which occupied him for fourteen years. After bitter
opposition and many vicissitudes, it won its way by its intrinsic
excellence to be the Bible of the Latin Church, and came to be
known as The Vulgate.
But long familiarity with the Old Latin Version of the Psalter
made it impossible to displace it, and the Gallican Psalter is
incorporated in the Vulgate in place of Jerome's new translation.
That new translation, "iuxta Hebraicam veritatem," never came
into general use. It is of great value for the interpretation of
the text, and shews that the Hebrew text known to Jerome was
in the main the same as the present Massoretic Text.
Accordingly, the student must remember that in the Psalter
the Vulgate is an echo of the LXX, and not an independent
witness to text or interpretation : while Jerome's translation
(referred to as y^r.) occupies the place which the Vulgate does
in the otherbooks of the O.T.^
iii. The English Versions. It would be impossible to give
here even a sketch of the history of the English Bible. But as
the Version with which many readers are most familiar is not
Collected with exhaustive completeness in F. Field's Origenis Hexa-

^
plorum qiiae superstint. 1875.

The best edition of Jerome's Psalter with critical apparatus is that
^
by P. de Lagarde, Psalterium iuxta Hehraeos Hiero7tymi, 1874.

d 2
Ivi INTRODUCTION.
that ill the Bible, but that in the Prayer-Book, it seems worth
while to give a brief account of its origin and characteristics.
As the Old Latin Version held its ground against Jerome's
more accurate translation, because constant liturgical use had
established it be displaced, so the older
too firmly for it to
English Version of the Psalter taken from the Great Bible has
kept its place in the Prayer-Book, and has never been super-
seded for devotional use.
The 'Great Bible,' sometimes known as Cromwell's, because
the first edition (1539) appeared under his auspices, sometimes
as Cranmer's, because he wrote the preface to the second edition
(1540), was a revision of Matthew's Bible (1537), executed by
Coverdale with the help of Sebastian Miinster's Latin version,
published in 1534 5. —
Matthew's Bible was a composite work. The Pentateuch and
N.T. were taken from Tyndale's published translation the ;
books from Ezra Malachi and the Apocrypha from Cover-

to
dale's version; the remaining books from Joshua to 2 Chron.
from a translation which there is little reason to doubt was
made by Tyndale.
The Psalter in Matthew's Bible was therefore Coverdale's
work: and Coverdale's Version (1535) lays no claim to inde-
pendence. He tells us in the Epistle unto the Kynges hyghnesse
prefixed to the work, that he had "with a cleare conscience
purely and faythfully translated this out of fyve sundry inter-
preters," and the original title-page described the book as
"faithfully and truly translated out of Douche and Latyn into
Enghshe."
The 'Douche' was doubtless the Swiss-German version
known as the Zurich Bible: the 'Latyn' was of course the
Vulgate and it is worth while thus to trace the pedigree of the
:
Prayer-Book Version, for in spite of successive revisions, it

retains many marks of its origin. Many of its peculiar render-
ings, and in particular the additions which it contains, are
derived from the LXX through the Vulgate.
The A.V. of 161 1, though more accurate, is less melodious,
and when, at the revision of the Prayer-Book in 1662, the ver-
sion of 161 1 was substituted in the Epistles and Gospels, the
INTRODUCTION. Ivii
old Psalter was left untouched. "The choirs and congregations

had grown familiar with it, and it was felt to be smoother and
more easy to sing."^
The Revised Version of 1885 has made a great advance upon
the A.V. in respect of accuracy of rendering. The changes made
by the Revisers will, as a rule, be quoted in this commentary, but
the translation must be read and studied as a whole in order
properly to appreciate their force and value. Even with the
help which the R.V. now supplies to the English reader, it
does not seem superfluous to endeavour by more exact renderings

to bring the student closer to the sense of the original.
It is well known that the A.V. frequently creates artificial
distinctions by different renderings of the same word, and
ignores real distinctions by giving the same rendering for
different words : and this, though to a far less extent, is still
the case in the R.V.^ Rigid uniformity of rendering may be

misleading, but it is well that attention should be called to
distinctions where they exist. Again, the precise force of a
tense, or the exact emphasis of the original, cannot always be
given without some circumlocution which would be clumsy
in a version intended for general use but it is worth while to
:
attempt to express finer shades of meaning in a commentary.

The best translation cannot always adequately represent the
original and it is well that the English reader should be re-
:
minded that the sense cannot always be determined with pre-

cision, and may often best be realised by approaching it from
different sides.
^ SeeBp Westcott's History of the Ejiglish Bible, chap. iii.

^ See, for example, iii. 2, 7, 8, where the connexion is obscured by
the rendering of the same word help in v. 2, and salvation in v. 8. Two
entirely different words are rendered blessed in xli. i, 13. The first
expresses congratulation, {Happy: cp. be made happy in v. 2) the second :
expresses the tribute of human reverence to the divine majesty. The

word rendered trust or put trust in in vii. i, xi. i is quite distinct from
the word similarly rendered in xiii. 5. It means to take refuge in, and
the sense gains remarkably by the correct rendering. The exact ren-
dering of a tense may be sufficient to draw a forcible picture, as in
vii. 15.
Iviii INTRODUCTION.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE MESSIANIC HOPE.

Poetry was the handmaid of Prophecy in preparing the way
for the coming of Christ. Prophetic ideas are taken up, de-
veloped, pressed to their full consequences, with the boldness
and enthusiasm of inspired imagination. The constant use of
the Psalms for devotion and worship familiarised the people
with them. Expectation was aroused and kept alive. Hope
became part of the national life. Even Psalms, which were
not felt beforehand to speak of Him Who was to come, con-
tributed to mould the temper of mind which was prepared to
receive Him when He came in form and fashion far other than
that which popular hopes had anticipated and they were
;
recognised in the event as pointing forward to Him.

This work of preparation went forward along several distinct
Hnes, some of which are seen to converge or meet even in the
O.T., while others were only harmonised by the fulfilment.
Thus (i) some Psalms pointed forward to the Messiah as
Son of God and King and Priest others (2) prepared the
:
way for the suffering Redeemer others (3) only find their full
:
meaning in the perfect Son of Man: others (4) foretell the

Advent of Jehovah Himself to judge and redeem.
All these different lines of thought combined to prepare the
way for Christ but it must be remembered that the preparation
;
was in great measure silent and unconscious. It is difficult for
us who read the O.T. in the light of its fulfilment to realise how
dim and vague and incomplete the Messianic Hope must have
been until the Coming of Christ revealed the divine purpose,
and enabled men to recognise how through long ages God had
been preparing for its consummation.
(i) The Royal Messiah (Psalms ii. xviii. xx. xxi. xlv. Ixi.
Ixxii. Ixxxix. ex. cxxxii).
The Kingdom of Israel was at once the expression of God's

purpose to establish an universal kingdom upon earth, and the
means for the accomplishment of that purpose. The people of
Israel was Jehovah's son, His firstborn (Ex. iv. 22, 23 Deut. xxxii.
;
INTRODUCTION. lix
6; Hos. xi. i), and His servant and the Davidic king
(Is. xli. 8);
as the representative of the nation was Jehovah's son, His first-

born (2 Sam. vii. 14; Ps. ii. 7; Ixxxix. 26, 27), and His servant
(2 Sam. vii. 5 ff.). He was no absolute despot, reigning in His
own right, but the 'Anointed of Jehovah who was the true King '
of Israel, appointed by Him as His viceroy and representative

(Ps. ii. 6). He was said to "sit upon the throne of the kingdom
of the Lord over Israel" (i Chr. xxviii. 5), or even "on the
throne of the LORD" (i Chr. xxix. 23).
Thus he was at once the representative of the people before
Jehovah, and the representative of Jehovah before the people,
and before the nations. To Him as Jehovah's viceroy was
promised the sovereignty over the nations. Nathan's message
to David (2 Sam. vii) was the Davidic king's patent of
adoption and title deed of inheritance. It was the procla-
mation of "the everlasting covenant" which God made with
the house of David (2 Sam. xxiii. 5). Upon the divine choice
of David and his house, and in particular upon this great
prophecy, are based a series of what may be called Royal
Psalms. Critical events in the life of David or later kings,
or in the history of the kingdom, gave occasion to David him-
self, or other poet-seers, to declare the full significance and
extent of that promise. Successive kings might fail to realise
their rightful prerogatives, but the divine promise remained

unrevoked, waiting for one who could claim its fulfilment in all
its grandeur.
Different aspects of the promise are presented in different
Psalms. They can only be briefly summarised here : for fuller
explanation reference must be made to the introductions and
notes to each Psalm.
In Ps. ii the prominent thought is the divine sonship of the
anointed king and its The
nations are mustering
significance.
with intent to renounce their allegiance to the king recently
enthroned in Zion. But their purpose is vain, for the king is
none other than Jehovah's Son and representative. In rebelling
against him they are rebelling against Jehovah, and if they
persist, will do it to their own destruction.
In David's great thanksgiving (Ps. xviii) he celebrates Jehovah
Ix INTRODUCTION.
as the giver of victory, and recognises that his position as "the
head of the nations" (v. 43) has been given him in order that
he may proclaim Jehovah's glory among them {v. 49).
The relation of the king to Jehovah as His anointed repre-
sentative is the ground of intercession and confidence in Ps.
XX. 6 and the thanksgiving for victory which follows in Ps. xxi
;
naturally dwells upon the high dignity which belongs to him in

virtue of that relation, and anticipates his future triumphs. The
same thought is repeated in Ps. Ixi. 6 f.
Ps. xlv is a marriage song for Solomon or some later king of

the house of David. In lofty language the poet sets before him
the ideal of his office (cp. 2 Sam. xxiii. 3 ff.), and claims for him
the fulness of the promise of eternal dominion. The union with
a foreign princess suggests the hope of the peaceful union of
all nations in harmonious fellowship with Israel.
Ps. Ixxii is an intercession for Solomon or some other king

on his accession. In glowing colours it depicts the ideal of his
office, and prays that he may fulfil it as the righteous sovereign
who redresses wrong, and may rule over a world-wide empire,

receiving the willing homage of the nations to his virtue, and
proving himself the heir of the patriarchal promise.
In some crisis of national disaster the author of Ps. Ixxxix
recites the promise to David, and contrasting its brilliant hopes

with the disappointment which it was his trial to witness, pleads
for the renewal of God's favour.
Ps. ex is a kind of solemn oracle. It describes David as
king, priest, and conqueror. Jehovah adopts him as His as-
sessor, placing him in the seat of honour at His side. Though
not of Aaron's line he is invested with a priestly dignity. The
new king of Zion must inherit all the privileges of the ancient
king of Salem, and enter upon the religious as well as the civil
memories of his capital.
Once more, in Ps. cxxxii, possibly in days when the kingdom
had ceased to exist, and the representative of the house of David
was only a governor appointed by a foreign conciueror, the
ancient promise is pleaded in confidence that it must still find
fulfilment.
These Psalms refer primarily to the circumstances of the
INTRODUCTION. Ixi
time. The revolt of the nations, the royal marriage, the ac-
cession of a prince of unique promise, the installation of the
king, gave the inspired poets opportunity for dwelling on the
promises and hopes connected with the Davidic kingdom.
But successive princes of David's line failed to fulfil their high
destiny, to subdue the nations, to rule the world in righteous-
ness, to establish a permanent dynasty. The kingdom ceased
to exist yet it was felt that the divine promise could not fail
;
and hope was directed to the future. Men were led to see that
the divine promise had not been frustrated but postponed, and
to look for the coming of One who should 'fulfil' the utmost
that had been spoken of Israel's king^
(2) Tlie suffering Messiah (Pss. xxii. Ixix. cix. xxxv. xli. Iv.).
Men's minds had to be prepared not only for a triumphant
King, but for a sufifering Saviour. The great prophecy of Is.
lii, liii finds preludes and echoes in the Psalter in what may be
called the Passioti Psalms. The sufferings of David and other

saints of the old dispensation were typical they helped to
:
familiarise men with the thought of the righteous suffering for

God's sake, of sufifering as the path to victory, of glory to be
won for God and deliverance for man through suffering. They
were the anticipation, as the sufferings of the members of the
Christian Church are the supplement (Col. i. 24), of the afflictions
of Christ.
But not only were these sufferings in themselves typical, but
the records ofthem were so moulded by the Spirit of God as to
prefigure the sufferings of Christ even in circumstantial details.
These details are not the most important part of the type or
prophecy; but they serve to arrest attention, and direct it to the
essential idea.
These Psalms do not appear to have been applied to the
Messiah in the Jewish Church as the Royal Psalms were. It
was Christ Himself who first shewed His disciples that He
must gather up into Himself and fulfil the manifold experiences
of the people of God, in suffering as well as in triumph, and
taught them to recognise that those sufferings had been foreor-
^ For references to the Messianic interpretations of the Targums see

note on p. liv.
Ixii INTRODUCTION.
dained in the divine purpose, and how they had been fore-
shadowed throughout the Old Testament.
Ps. xxii stands by itself among these Psalms. In its descrip-
tion of the Psalmist's suflferings, and in its joyous anticipation
of the coming extension of Jehovah's kingdom, it foreshadows
the Passion of Christ and its glorious fruits and our Lord's use:
of the opening words (and probably of the whole Psalm) upon

the Cross, stamps it as applicable to and fulfilled in Him.
Ps. Ixix records the sufferings of one who was persecuted for
God's sake {vv. 7 ff.). In his consuming zeal for God's house, in
his suffering as the victim of causeless hatred (cp. xxxv. 19;
cix. 3 ff.), in his endurance of reproach for his faithfulness to
God, he was the prototype of Christ. The contemptuous

mockery {vv. 12, 20) and maltreatment {vv. 21, 26) to which he
was exposed, prefigured the actual sufferings of Christ. The
curse which falls upon his persecutors {v. 25 cp. cix. 8) be- ;
comes the doom of the arch-traitor (Acts i. 20) and the judg- ;
—
ment invoked upon his enemies (^v. 22 24) finds its fulfilment
in the rejection of apostate Israel (Rom. xi. 9, 10).
The treachery of the faithless friend described in xli. 9 (cp.
Iv. 12 ff.) anticipates the treachery of the false disciple.
(3) The Soil of Man (Pss. viii. xvi. xl). Psalms which
describe the true destiny of man, the issue of perfect fellowship
with God, the ideal of complete obedience, unmistakably point
forward to Him who as the representative of man triumphed
where man had failed.
viii looks away from the Fall and its fatal consequences
Ps.
to man's nature, position, and destiny in the purpose of God.
Christ's perfect humanity answered to that ideal, and is seen to
be the pledge of the fulfilment of the divine purpose for the
whole race of mankind (Heb. ii. 6 ff.).
In Ps. xvi faith and hope triumph over the fear of death in
the consciousness of fellowship with God. Yet the Psalmist did
not escape death; his words looked forward, and first found
their adequate realisation in the Resurrection of Christ (Acts ii.
25 ff. ; xiii. 35).

In Ps. xl the Psalmist professes his desire to prove his grati-
tude to God by offering the sacrifice of obedience. But that
INTRODUCTION. Ixiii
obedience was at best imperfect. His words must wait to receive

their full accomplishment in the perfect obedience of Christ
(Heb. X. 5ff.).
Christ as the perfect Teacher adopted and 'fulfilled' the

methods of the teachers of the old dispensation (Ps. Ixxviii. i).
(4) The coming of God. Another series of Psalms describes
or anticipates the Advent of Jehovah Himself to judge and to
redeem. Such are xviii. 7 ff. 1. Ixviii. xcvi xcviii. They —
correspond to the prophetic idea of 'the day of Jehovah,' which
culminates in Mai. iii. i ff. They do not indeed predict the
Incarnation, but they served to prepare men's minds for the
direct personal intervention of God which was to be realised in
the Incarnation. We find passages originally spoken of Jehovah
applied in the N.T. to Christ 1. The words of Ps. Ixviii. i8,
which describe the triumphant ascent of Jehovah to His throne
after the subjugation of the world, are adapted and applied to
the triumphant return of Christ to heaven and His distribution
of the gifts of grace (Eph. iv. 8).
The words of cii. 25, 26, contrasting the immutability of the

Creator with the mutability of created things, originally ad-
dressed to Jehovah by the exile who appealed to Him to inter-
vene on behalf of Sion, are applied to the Son through whom
the worlds were made (Hebr. i. 10).
Thus the inspired poetry of the Psalter, viewing the Davidic
kingdom in the light of the prophetic promises attached to it,
played its part in preparing men's minds for a King who
should be God's Son and representative, as it came to be inter-
preted in the course of history through failure and disappoint-
ment. The record of the Psalmists' own sufferings helped to
give some which suffering must perform in
insight into the part
the redemption of the world. Their ideals of man's destiny
and duty implied the hope of the coming of One who should
perfectly fulfil them. The expectation of Jehovah's advent to
judge and redeem anticipated a direct divine interposition for
the establishment of the divine kingdom in the world.
It is not to be supposed that the relation of these various
elements of the preparation could be recognised, or that they
^ See Bp Westcott's Hebrews, p. 89.
Ixiv INTRODUCTION.
could be harmonised into one consistent picture beforehand.
It was reserved for the event to shewf that the various lines of
hope and teaching were not parallel but convergent, meeting in

the Person and Work of Him Who is at once God and Man,
Son and Servant, Priest and King, Sufferer and Victor.
It has been assumed thus far that these Psalms refer primarily
to the circumstances under which they were written. Many

commentators however regard some of the Royal Psalms,' *
in particular Pss. ii. xlv. Ixxii. ex. as direct prophecies of the

Messianic King : some because they are unable to discover
the precise historical occasion in existing records : others,
because the language seems to reach beyond what could be
predicated of any earthly king, and the N. T. application of
these Psalms to Christ appears to them to require that they
should be referred to Him alone.
The particular historical reference of each of these Psalms
willbe discussed in the introduction to it: here it must suffice
to observe that such Psalms as ii and xlv produce the decided
impression that they were written in view of contemporary
events. Lofty as is the language used, it is no more than is
warranted by the grandeur of the divine promises to the house
of David; and if the words are applied to Christ with a fulness
and directness which seems to exclude any lower meaning, it
must be remembered that it was through the institution of the
kingdom that men were taught to look for Him, and their
fulfilment in Him presumes rather than excludes the view that
they had a true, if partial, meaning for the time at which they
were written.
Similarly in the case of the 'Passion Psalms' it has been
thought that, at least in Ps. xxii, the Psalmist is speaking in
the person of Christ. Yet even this Psalm plainly springs out
of personal suffering; though it is equally plain that the
character of that suffering was providentially moulded to be a
type, and the record of it inspired by the Holy Spirit to be a
prophecy, of the sufferings of Christ. That Ps. Ixix cannot as
a whole be placed in the mouth of Christ is evident, if for no
other reason, from the confession of sin in v. 5.
Have then these Psalms, has prophecy in general, a '

double
INTRODUCTION, Ixv
sense?' a primary historical sense in relation to the circum-

stances under which they were written, and a secondary
typical or prophetical sense, in which they came to be under-
stood by the Jewish and afterwards by the Christian Church?
We may no doubt legitimately talk of a double sense,' if what
'
we mean is that Psalmist and Prophet did not realise the full
meaning of their words, and that that meaning only came to be
understood as it was unfolded by the course of history. But is
it not a truer view to regard both senses as essentially one?

The institutions of Israel and the discipline of the saints of old
were designed to express the divine purpose as the age and the
people were able to receive it. The divine purpose is eternally
one and the same, though it must be gradually revealed to
man, and man's apprehension of it changes. And it is involved
in any worthy conception of inspiration that inspired words
should express divine ideas with a fulness which cannot at once
be intelligible, but only comes to be understood as it is in-
terpreted by the course of history or illuminated by the light of
fuller revelation.
Inspired words are " springing and germinant " in their very
nature : they grow with the growing mind of man. They are
'fulfilled,' not in the sense that their meaning
exhausted and
is
their function accomplished, but in the sense that they are

enlarged, expanded, ennobled. What is temporary and acci-
dental falls away, and the eternal truth shines forth in its in-
exhaustible freshness and grandeur.
For us the Psalms which were designed to prepare the way
for thecoming of Christ bear witness to the unity of the divine
plan which is being wrought out through successive ages of the
world.
(5)The nations. Under the head of Messianic Hope in the
Psalter must be included the view which is presented of the
relation of the nations to Jehovah and to Israel. Few features
are more striking than the constant anticipation of the inclusion
of all nations in Jehovah's kingdom.
On the one hand indeed the nations appear as the deadly
enemies of Jehovah's people, leagued together for its destruction
(iL Ixxxiii), but doomed themselves to be destroyed if they
Ixvi INTRODUCTION.
persist in their unhallowed purpose (ii. 9; ix. 17 ff. ; xxxiii. 10
xlvi. 6 ff. ; lix. 5, 8).
But concurrently with this view of the relation of the nations

to Jehovah and Israel, another and more hopeful view is con-
stantly presented. The nations as well as Israel belong to
Jehovah, and are the objects of His care; they will eventually
render Him homage; and Israel is to be the instrument for
accomplishing this purpose and establishing the universal divine
kingdom.
(a) The earth and all its inhabitants belong to Jehovah as
their Creator (xxiv. i); they are under His observa-
i ; cp. viii.
and subservient to His purposes (xxxiii. 14); He

tion (bcvi. 7),
disciplines and teaches them (xciv. 10) they are addressed as ;
being capable of moral instruction (xlix. i).

He is the supreme and universal King and Judge (xxii. 28;
xlvi.10; xlvii. 2, 8, 9; xcvi. 13 xcviii. 9; xcix. 2; cxiii. 4); the ;
nations are constantly exhorted to render Him homage (ii. 8 ff.),

to fear Him (xxxiii. 8), to praise Him (Ixvi. i f. ; cxvii. i ; cxlv.
21), and even to worship Him in His temple (xcvi. 7 ff.; c. i, 2).
(d) The time will come when all nations will acknowledge
His sovereignty (xxii. 27; Ixvi. 4; 29 ff. Ixxxvi. 9; cii.
Ixviii. ;
22). The kings of the earth will render homage to their

sovereign (cii. 15 ; cxxxviii. 4). To Him as the hearer of prayer
shall "all flesh" come (Ixv. 2); He is the confidence of all the
ends of the earth (Ixv. 5) ; and the Psalter ends with the chorus
of universal praise from every living thing (cl. 6).
{c) Israel is Jehovah's instrument for accomplishing the
world-wide extension of His kingdom.
In the early days of the kingdom it may have seemed that
Israel's destiny was to subjugate the nations and include them
in the kingdom of Jehovah by conquest (ii; xviii. 43; xlvii); yet
the thought is never far distant that the object of Israel's

victories is to make Jehovah known (xviii. 49 ; Ivii. 9), and to
lead to the harmonious union of the nations with His people

(xlvii. 9). Ps. xlv suggests the hope of peaceful alliance, Ps.
Ixxii of conquest by moral supremacy (w. 8 ff.). If to the last
the thought of actual conquests survived (cxlix. 6 ff.), a more

spiritual conception of Israel's relation to the nations grew up
INTRODUCTION. Ixvii
side by side with it. The Psalmist's gratitude for personal

deliverance widens out into the prospect of the universal
worship of Jehovah (xxii). Ps. Ixvii expresses Israel's con-
sciousness of its calling to be a blessing to the world, and the
final purpose of its prosperity is the conversion of the nations.
Zion becomes the spiritual metropolis in which nations once
hostile are enrolled as citizens (Ixxxvii) and Israel's deliverance ;
from captivity is seen to lead to the universal worship of her

Deliverer, and the gathering of the nations to Zion to serve Him
(cii. 15, 21 ff. ; cp. xcvi — xcviii).
Thus, even under the Hmitations of the old Covenant, were
formed the hopes which are in part fulfilled, and in part still
await fulfilment, in the Christian Church.
CHAPTER IX.
ON SOME POINTS IN THE THEOLOGY OF THE PSALMS.
A thorough examination of the Theology of the Psalms would

exceed the limits of the present work. It would include an
investigation whether any progress and development of doctrine

can be traced in the Psalms of different periods. All that can
be attempted here is a few brief notes on some points which re-
quire the student's attention or present special difficulties.
(i) The relation of the Psabns to the Ordinances of Worship.
The Psalms represent the inward and spiritual side of the
religion of Israel. They are the manifold expression of the
intense devotion of pious souls to God, of the feelings of trust
and hope and love which reach a climax in such Psalms as xxiii.
xlii —
xliii. Ixiii. Ixxxiv. They are the many-toned voice of prayer
in the widest sense, as the soul's address to God in confession,
petition, intercession, meditation, thanksgiving, praise, both in
public and private. They offer the most complete proof, if proof
were needed, how utterly false is the notion that the rehgion of
Israel was a formal system of external rites and ceremonies. In
such a book frequent reference to the external ordinances of
worship is scarcely to be expected: but they are presumed.
Ixviii INTRODUCTION.
and the experience of God's favour is constantly connected
with the Sanctuary and its acts of worship ^
There are frequent references to the Temple as the central
place of worship, where men appear before God, and where He
specially reveals His power glory and goodness, and interprets
the ways of His Providence (xlii. 2 xlviii. 9 Ixiii. 2 Ixv. 4 ; ; ;
Ixviii. 29; Ixxiii. 17 xcvi. 6 ff. &c.). ; ;
The impressive splendour of the priestly array is alluded to

(xxix. 2, note ;
9 ex. 3).
xcvi. ;
The delight of the festal pilgrimages to Zion is vividly de-

scribed (xlii. xliii. Ixxxiv. cp. Iv. 14). Consuming zeal for
God's house in a corrupt age characterised the saint and ex-
posed him to persecution (Ixix. 9).
The joyous character of the O. T. worship is so striking

a feature of the Psalter as scarcely to need special notice. The
Psalter as the hymn-book of the Second Temple was entitled
'The Book of Praises.' We hear the jubilant songs of the
troops of pilgrims (xlii. 4; cp. Is. xxx. 29): we see the pro-
cessions to the Temple with minstrels and singers (Ixviii. 24,
25) : we hear its courts resound with shouts of praise (xcv. i fif.
c. and music of harp and

I, 4), psaltery, timbrel and trumpet,
cymbals and pipe.
Sacrifice is referred to as the sanction of the covenant
between God and His people (1. 5; cp. Ex. xxiv. 5ff.); as the
regular accompaniment of approach to God (xx. 3; 1. 8ff.;
Ixvi. 13, 15; xcvi. 8); as the natural expression of worship and
thanksgiving (xliii. 4; li. 19; liv. 6; cvii. 22; cxviii. 27), es-
pecially in connexion with vows (Ivi. 12 ; Ixvi. 13 ff), which are
frequently mentioned (xxii. 25 ; Ixi. 5, 8 ; Ixv. i ; Ixxvi. 1 1 ; cxvi.
14, 18). The Levitical ceremonies of purification are alluded to

as symbols of the inward cleansing which must be effected by
God Himself (li. 7).
But the great prophetic doctrine^ of the intrinsic worthless-

ness of sacrifice apart from the disposition of the worshipper is
emphatically laid down. It is not sacrifice but obedience that
^ Cp. Oehler, 0. T. Theology, § 201.

2 From I Sam. xv. 11 onwards. See Amos v. 21 ff. ; Hos. vi. 6:
Is. i. II ff.; Mic. vi. 6 ff.
; Jer. vi. 20; vii. 21 ff.; xiv. 12.
INTRODUCTION. Ixix
God desires (xl. 6ff.); it is not thank-offering, but a thankful

heart which finds acceptance with Him (1. 14, 23; cp. Ixix. 3o>
31); it is not sacrifice, but contrition which is the condition of
forgiveness ff.). Penitence and prayer are true sacrifices
(li. 16
(li. 17 ;and the moral conditions which can alone make
cxh. 2) :
sacrifice acceptable and are requisite for approach to God are

constantly insisted upon (iv. 5 xv. iff.; xxiv. 3 ff. xxvi. 6 Ixvi.
; ; ;
18).
It is God Himself who 'purges away' iniquity (Ixv. 3 ; Ixxviii.
38 ; Ixxix. 9 ; Ixxxv. 2).
(ii) TAe self-righteousness of the Psahnists. Readers of the

Psalms are sometimes startled by assertions of integrity and
innocence which appear to indicate a spirit of self-righteous-
ness and self-satisfaction approximating to that of the Pharisee
(Luke xviii. 9). Thus David appeals to be judged according to
his righteousness and his integrity (vii. 8; cp. xxvi. i ff.), and
regards his deliverance from his enemies as the reward of his
righteousness and innocence (xviii. 20 ff.); sincerity and inno-
cence are urged as grounds of answer to prayer (xvii. i ff.), and
God's most searching scrutiny is invited (xxvi. 2 ff.).
Some of these utterances are no more than asseverations that
the speaker is innocent of particular crimes laid to his charge by
hisenemies (vii. 3 ff.); others are general professions of purity of

purpose and single-hearted devotion to God (xvii. i ff.). They are
not to be compared with the self-complacency of the Pharisee,
who prides himself on his superiority to the rest of the world, but
to St Paul's assertions of conscious rectitude (Acts xx. 26 ff.; xxiii.
i). They breathe the spirit of simple faith and childlike trust,
which throws itself unreservedly on God. Those who make them
do not profess to be absolutely sinless, but they do claim to belong
to the class of the righteous who may expect God's favour, and
they do disclaim all fellowship with the wicked, from whom
they expect to be distinguished in the course of His Providence.
And if God's present favour is expected as the reward of right
conduct, it must be remembered that the Israelite looked for
the visible manifestation of the divine government of the world

in the reward of the godly and the punishment of the evildoer
in this present life (i Kings viii. 32, 39). He felt that he had a
VSALMS. II. e
Ixx INTRODUCTION.
right to be treated according to the rectitude of which he was
conscious.
Further, it was commonly supposed that there was a pro-
portion between sin and suffering; that exceptional suffering was
an evidence of exceptional guilt. This idea throws light upon the
assertions of national innocence in xliv. 17 ff., and of personal
innocence in lix. 3. They are clearly relative, as much as to
say, 'We know of no national apostasy which can account for
this defeat asa well-merited judgment :' 'I am not conscious of
any personal transgression for which this persecution is a fitting
chastisement.' So Job repeatedly acknowledges the sinfulness
of man, but denies that he has been guilty of any special sin to
account for his extraordinary afflictions.
Some however of these utterances undoubtedly belong to the

O. T. and not to the N.T. They are the partial expression of an
eternal truth (Matt. xvi. 27), in a form which belongs to the age
in which they were spoken. The N. T. has brought a new reve-
lation of the nature of sin, and a more thorough self-knowledge:
it teaches the inadmissibility of any plea of merit on man's part
(Luke xvii. 10). But the docile spirit which fearlessly submits
itself to the divine scrutiny and desires to be instructed (cxxxix.
23, 24) has nothing in common with the Pharisaism which is by

its very nature incapable of improvement.
And side by side with these assertions of integrity we find in

the Psalms the fullest recognition of personal sinfulness (li.
5 ;Ixix. 5), of man's inability to justify himself before God
(cxxx. 3 ff, cxliii. 2), of his need of pardon cleansing and

renewal (xxxii. li. Ixv. 3), of his dependence on God for preser-
vation from sin (xix. 12 ff.), of the barrier which sin erects be-
tween him and God (Ixvi. 18, 1. 16 ff.); as well as the strongest
expressions of absolute self-surrender and dependence on God
and entire trust in His mercy (xxv. 4ff., Ixxiii. 25 ff.).
(iii) The so-called Imprecatory Psalms have long been felt
to constitute one of the 'moral difficulties' of the O.T. We are
startled to find the most lofty and spiritual meditations inter-
rupted by passionate prayers for vengeance upon enemies, or
ending in triumphant exultation at their destruction. How, we
ask, can such utterances be part of a divine revelation.? How
INTRODUCTION. Ixxi
can the men who penned them have been in any sense inspired
by the Holy Spirit?
These imprecations cannot be explained away, as some
have thought, by rendering the verbs as futures, and regarding
them as authoritative declarations of the certain fate of the
wicked. Of these there are many, but in not a few cases the
form of the verb is that which specifically expresses a wish or
prayer, and it cannot be rendered as a simple future.
Nor again can the difficulty be removed by regarding the
imprecations of Pss. Ixix and cix as the curses not of the
Psalmist himself but of his enemies. Even if this view were
exegetically tenable for these two Psalms, which is doubtful,
expressions of the same kind are scattered throughout the
Psalter. Moreover the Book of Jeremiah contains prayers for
vengeance on the prophet's enemies, which are at least as
terrible as those of Pss. Ixix and cix.
In what light then are these utterances to be regarded? They

must be viewed as belonging to the dispensation of the Old
Testament; they must be estimated from the standpoint of the
Law, which was based upon the rule of retaliation, and not of
the Gospel, which is animated by the principle of love; they
belong to the spirit of Elijah, not of Christ; they use the
language of the age which was taught to love its neighbour
and hate its enemy (Matt. v. 43)*.
Our Lord explicitly declared that the old dispensation, though
not contrary to the new, was inferior to it that modes of
;
thought and actions were permitted or even enjoined which

would not be allowable for His followers; that He had come to
'fulfil' the Law and the Prophets by raising all to a higher
moral and spiritual level, expanding and completing what was

rudimentary and imperfect (Matt. v. 43; xix. 8; Luke ix. 55).
It is essential then to endeavour to understand the ruling
^ It is well to remember, on the other hand, that the Law inculcates
service to an enemy (Ex, xxiii. 4, 5), and forbids hatred, vengeance

and bearing of grudges (Lev. xix. 17, r8): and the Book of Proverbs
bids men leave vengeance to God(xx. 22), and control their exultation
at an enemy's misfortune (xxiv. 17; cp. Job xxxi. 29) ; and teaches
that kindness is the best revenge (xxv. 21, 22). We have here the germ
of Christian ethics.
e 2
Ixxii INTRODUCTION.
ideas and the circumstances of the age in which these Psalms
were composed, in order to realise how, from the point of view
of that age, such prayers for vengeance and expressions of
triumph as they contain could be regarded as justifiable.
In the first place it is important to observe that they are not
dictated merely by private vindictiveness and personal thirst for
revenge. While it would perhaps be too much to say that they
contain no tinge of human passion (for the Psalmists were men
of infirmity, and inspiration does not obliterate personal charac-
ter), they rise to a far higher level. They spring ultimately
from zeal for God's cause, and they express a willingness to
leave vengeance in the hands of Him to whom it belongs.
Retribution is desired and welcomed as part of the divine order
(Iviii. 1 1 ; civ. 35).
This was a great advance upon the ruder stage of society, in

which each man claimed to be his own avenger. David's first
impulse when he was insulted by Nabal was to wreak a terrible
vengeance upon him and all that belonged to him. It was the
natural instinct of the time. But his final resolve to leave ven-
geance to God indicated the better feeling that was being learnt
(i Sam. XXV. 21 ff., 39).
Though form belongs to the circumstances and limita-
their
tions of the age, these invocations of vengeance are the feeling
after a truth of the divine government of the world. For it is
the teaching of the N.T. not less than of the O.T. that the
kingdom of God must come in judgment as well as in grace.
Love no less than justice demands that there should be an
ultimate distinction between the good and the evil, that those
who will not submit to the laws of the kingdom should be
banished from it (Matt. xiii. 49, 50; xvi. 27 John v. 29). ;
But while the Gospel proclaims the law of universal love, and
bids men pray without ceasing for the establishment of the
kingdom of God by the repentance and reformation even of the
most hardened offenders, and leave the issue to the future
judgment of God, the Law with its stern principle of retribution
and its limitation of view to the present life, allowed men to
pray for the establishment of the kingdom of God through the
destruction of the wicked.
INTRODUCTION. Ixxiii
The Prophets and Psalmists of the O.T. had a keen sense

of the great conflict constantly going on between good and evil,
between God and His enemies^ That conflict was being waged
in the world at large between Israel as the people of God and
the nations which threatened to destroy Israel. The enemies
of Israel were the enemies of Israel's God; Israel's defeat was
a reproach to His Name; the cause at stake was not merely the
existence of the nation, but the cause of divine truth and
righteousness. This aspect of the conflict is most completely
expressed in Ps. Ixxxiii, and prayers for vengeance such as
those of Ixxix. lo, 12 and cxxxvii. 8 express the national desire
for the vindication of a just cause, and the punishment of cruel
insults.
Within the nation of Israel this same conflict was being waged
on a smaller scale between the godly and the ungodly. When
the righteous were oppressed and the wicked triumphant, it
seemed as though God's rule were being set at nought, as though
God's cause were losing. It was not only allowable but a duty
to pray for its triumph, and that involved the destruction of the
wicked who persisted in their wickedness. There must be no
half-heartedness or compromise. In hatred as well as in love
the man who fears God must be wholly on His side (cxxxix.
19 — 22). The
perfect ruler resolves not. only to choose the
faithful in the land for his servants, but "morning by morn-
ing " to " destroy all the wicked of the land to cut off all
;
the workers of iniquity from the city of the Lord" (ci. 6 8) —

and seemed only right and natural to pray that the Divine
it
Ruler would do the same.

Further light is thrown on the Imprecatory Psalms by the
consideration that there was as yet no revelation of a final judg-
ment in which evil will receive its entire condemnation, or of a
future state of rewards and punishments (see p. Ixxv ff.). Men
expected and desired to see a present and visible distinction
between the righteous and the wicked, according to the law of
the divine government (cxxv. 4, 5 cxlv. 20). It was part of God's
;
lovingkindness not less than of His omnipotence to "reward

1 See Rainy's Development of Christian Doctrine, p. 346, where
there is a helpful treatment of the whole question.
K
Ixxiv INTRODUCTION.
every man according to his work" (Ixii. 12). The sufferings of
the godly and the prosperity of the ungodly formed one of the
severest trials of faith and patience to those whose view was
limited to the present life (Ps. xxxvii. Ixxiii). Although God's
sentence upon evil is constantly being executed in this world, it
is often deferred and not immediately visible ; and those who

longed for the vindication of righteousness desired to have it
executed promptly before their eyes. Hence the righteous could
rejoice when he saw the wicked destroyed, for it was a manifest
proof of the righteous government of Jehovah (lii. 5 ff. ; liv. 7 ;
Iviii. 10, II ; xcii. il).
Again, must be remembered that we have been taught

it
to distinguish between the evil man and evil to love the :
sinner while we hate his sin. But Hebrew modes of thought

were concrete. The man was identified with his wickedness;
the one was a part of the other they were inseparable. Clearly
;
it was desirable that wickedness should be extirpated. How

could this be done except by the destruction of the wicked
man ? What right had he to exist, if he persisted obstinately in
his wickedness and refused to reform (1. 16 ff.)?
The imprecations which appear most terrible to us are those
which include a man's kith and kin in his doom (Ixix. 25 cix. ;
9 ff.). In order to estimate them rightly it must be borne in

mind that a man's family was regarded as part of him. He
lived on in his posterity the sin of the parent was entailed upon
:
the children if the offence had been monstrous and abnormal,

:
so ought the punishment to be. The defective conception of

the rights of the individual, so justly insisted upon by Professor
Mozley as one of the chief 'ruling ideas in early ages,' helps us
to understand how not only the guilty man, but all his family,
could be devoted to destruction
Let it be noted too that what seems the most awful of all
anathemas (Ixix. 28) would not have been understood in the
extreme sense which we attach to it and some of the ex- :
pressions which shock us most by their ferocity are metaphors

derived from times of wild and savage warfare (Iviii. 10; Ixviii.
21 ff.). The noblest thoughts may coexist side by side with
1 See Mozley's Lectures on the Old Testament, pp. 87 fif., 198 ff.
INTRODUCTION. Ixxv
much that to a later age seems wholly barbarous and revolt-

ing.
These utterances then belong to the spirit of the O.T. and
not of the N.T., and by it they must be judged. They belong
to the age in which the martyr's dying prayer was not, "Lord,
lay not this sin to their charge" (Acts vii. 60), but, "The Lord
look upon it, and require it" (2 Chron. xxiv. 22). It is im-
possible that such language should be repeated in its old and
literal sense by any follower of Him Who has bidden us to
love our enemies and pray for them that persecute us.
Yet these utterances still have their lesson. On the one hand
they may make us thankful that we live in the light of the Gospel
and under the law of Love: on the other hand they testify to
the punishment which the impenitent sinner deserves and must
finally receive (Rom. vi. 23). They set an example of moral
earnestness, of righteous indignation, of burning zeal for the
cause of God. Men have need to beware lest in pity for the
sinner they condone the sin, or relax the struggle against evil.
The underlying truth is still true, that "the cause of sin shall
go down, in the persons of those who maintain it, in such a
manner as to throw back on them all the evil they have sought
to do.. ..This was waited for with inexpressible longing. It was
fit it should be.. ..This not the only truth bearing on the
is
point; but it is truth, and it was then the present truth *". It
is which they contain that these Psalms
in virtue of the truth
can be regarded as 'inspired,' and their position in the records
of divine revelation justified. Their fundamental motive and
idea is the religious passion for justice and it was by the ;
Holy were taught to discern and grasp

Spirit that their writers
this essential truth; but the form in which they clothed their
desire for its realisation belonged to the limitations and modes
of thought of their particular age.
(iv) The Future Life. Death is never regarded in the O. T.
as annihilation or the end of personal existence. But it is for
the most part contemplated as the end of all that deserves to be
called life. Existence continues, but all the joy and vigour of
vitality are gone for ever (Is. xiv. 10; Ps. cxliii. 3 = Lam. iii. 6).
^ Rainy, p. 348.
Ixxvi LNTRODUCTION.
Communion with God is at an end the dead can no longer :
"see" Him: they cannot serve or praise Him in the silence of

Sheol His lovingkindness, faithfulness, and righteousness can
:
no longer be experienced there. See Ps. vi. 5 ; xxx. 9 ; Ixxxviii.
4, 5, 10 — 12; cxv. 17; Is. xxxviii. 11, 18: and numerous pas-
sages in Job, e.g. vii, 9; x. 2r ff.; xiv.
Death is the common lot of all, which none can escape
(xlix. 7 ff. ; Ixxxix. 48), but the righteous and the wicked are dis-
tinguished by the manner of their death (Ixxiii. 19). When death
comes to a man in a good old age, and he leaves his children
behind him to keep his name in remembrance, it may be borne
with equanimity; but premature death is usually regarded as
the sign of God's displeasure and the penal doom of the wicked
(xxvi. 9), and childlessness is little better than annihilation.
To the oppressed and persecuted indeed Sheol is a welcome
rest (Job iii. 17 ff.), and death may even be a gracious removal
from coming evil (Is. Ivii. i, 2) but as a rule death is dreaded
;
as the passage into the monotonous and hopeless gloom of the

under-world.
The continuance of existence after death has no moral or
religious element in it. It is practically non-existence. The
dead man 'is not' (xxxix. 13). It offers neither encouragement
nor warning. It brings no solution of the enigmas of the present
life. There is no hope of happiness or fear of punishment in the
world beyond.
This world was regarded as the scene of recompence and
retribution. If reward and punishment did not come to the
individual, they might be expected to come to his posterity.
For the man lived on in his children: this was his real con-
tinuance in life, not the shadowy existence of Sheol : hence the
bitterness of childlessness.
Nowhere in the Psalter do we find the hope of a Resurrection
from the dead. The prophets speak of a national, and finally of
a personal resurrection (Hos. vi. i ff. ; Is. xxvi. 19; Ezek. xxxvii.
I ff. Dan. xii. 2), and predict the final destruction of death (Is.
;
XXV. 8). But just where we should have expected to find such
a hope as the ground of consolation, it is conspicuously absent ^
1 Ivi. 13; Ixviii. 20; xc. 3; cxli. 7, which are sometimes referred to,
INTRODUCTION. Ixxvii
Indeed it is set on one side as incredible (Ixxxviii. lo). It is
evident that there was as yet no revelation of a resurrection

upon vi'hich men could rest ; it was no article of the common
religious belief to which the faithful naturally turned for comfort ^
But do we not find that strong souls, at least in rare moments of
exultant faithand hope, broke through the veil, and anticipated,
not indeed the resurrection of the body, but translation through
death into a true life of unending fellowship with God, like
Enoch or Elijah?
Do not Pss. xvi, xvii, xlix, Ixxiii, plainly speak of the hope
of the righteous in his death?
The answer to this question is one of the most difficult
problems of the theology of the Psalter. It can only be satis-
factorily treated in the detailed exposition of the passages as
they stand in their context. Some of the expressions which
appear at first sight to imply a sure hope of deliverance from
Sheol and of reception into the more immediate presence of
God (e.g. xlix. 15, Ixxiii. 24) are used elsewhere of temporal
deliverance from death or protection from danger, and may
mean no more than this (ix. 13, xviii. 16, xxx. 3, Ixxxvi. 13, ciii.
4, cxxxviii. 7). Reading these passages in the light of fuller

revelation we may easily assign to them a deeper and more
precisemeaning than their original authors and hearers under-
stood. They adapt themselves so readily to Christian hope that
we are easily led to believe that it was there from the first.
Unquestionably these Psalms (xvi, xvii, xlix, Ixxiii) do
contain the germ and principle of the doctrine of eternal life.
It was present to the mind of the Spirit Who inspired their

authors. The intimate fellowship with God of which they
speak as man's highest good and truest happiness could not,
in view of the nature and destiny of man and his relation to
God, continue to be regarded as limited to this life and liable to
sudden and final interruption. (See Matt. xxii. 31 ff".). It re-
cannot be interpreted of a resurrection. The text of xlviii. 14 is very

uncertain; Ixxxvi. 13 is a thanksgiving for deliverance from death;
cxviii. 17 expresses the hope of such a deliverance.
^ Contrast the precise statements in the Psalms
of Solomon, quoted
on p. xxxviii, where however it is only a resurrection of the righteous
which is anticipated.
Ixxviii INTRODUCTION.
quired but a step forward to realise the truth of its permanence,
but whether the Psalmists took this step is doubtful.
But even if they did, there was still no clear and explicit
revelation on which the doctrine of a future life or of a resur-
rection could be based. It was but a 'postulate of faith,' a
splendid hope, a personal and individual conclusion.
What was the meaning and purpose of this reserve in the
teaching of the O. T.? Mankind had to be trained through
long ages by this stern discipline to knov/ the bitterness of
death as the punishment of sin, and to trust God utterly in
spite of all appearances. They had
be profoundly impressed
to
with a sense of need and of the incompleteness of life here, in
order that they might long for deliverance from this bondage
and welcome it when it came (Heb. ii. 15). Nor could the
revelation of the Resurrection and eternal hfe be made in
fulness and certainty (so far as we can see) otherwise than
through the victory of the second Adam who through death
overcame death and opened unto us the gate of everlasting
life (i Cor. xv. 21 ff.).
Yet, as Delitzsch observes, there is nothing which comes to
light in the New

Testament which does not already exist in
germ in the Psalms. The ideas of death and life are regarded
by the Psalmists in their fundamental relation to the wrath and
the love of God, in such a way that it is easy for Christian faith
to appropriate and deepen, in the light of fuller revelation, all
that is said of them in the Psalms. There is no contradiction
of the when the Christian as he prays
Psalmist's thought,
Hades in such a passage as vi. 5, for the
substitutes hell for
Psalmist dreaded Hades only as the realm of wrath and
separation from the love of God, which is the true life of man.
Nor is there anything contrary to the mind of the authors in
the application of xvii. 15 to the future vision of the face of
God in all its glory, or of xlix. 14 to the Resurrection morning;
for the hopes there expressed in moments of spiritual elevation
can only find their full satisfaction in the world to come. The
faintglimmerings of twilight in the eschatological darkness of
the Old Testament are the first rays of the coming sunrise.
And the Christian cannot refrain from passing beyond the
INTRODUCTION. Ixxix
and understanding the Psalms according

limits of the Psalmists,
to the mind whose purpose in the gradual revela-
of the Spirit,
tion of salvation was ever directed towards the final consum-
mation. Thus understood, the Psalms belong to the Israel of
the New Testament not less than of the Old Testament.
The Church, in using the Psalms for its prayers, recognises
the unity of the two Testaments and scholarship, in expound-
:
ing the Psalms, gives full weight to the difference between

them. Both are right ; the former in regarding the Psalms in
the light of the one unchanging salvation, the latter in dis-
tinguishing the different periods and steps in which that salva-
tion was historically revealed ^
The sacred poetry of heathen religions, in spite of all that

it contains of noble aspiration and pathe'tic "feeling after
God," has ceased to be a living power. But "the Psalms of
those far distant days, the early utterances of their faith and
love, still form the staple of the worship and devotion of the
Christian Church"... "The Vedic hymns
are dead remains,
known and meaning to a few students. The
in their real spirit
Psalms are as living as when they were written.... They were
composed in an age at least as immature as that of the singers
of the Veda but they are now what they have been for thirty
;
centuries, the very life of spiritual religion

they suit the needs, —
they express, as nothing else can express, the deepest religious
ideas of ' the foremost in the files of time.'-"
^ Delitzsch, The Psalms, p. 63.

^ Dean Church, The Sacred Poetry 0/ Early Religions, pp. 12, 38.
In the Psalms the soul turns imtiard on itself, and their great feature
isthat they are the expression of a large spiritual experience. They come
straight frojn " the heart within the heart," and the secret depths of the
spirit. Where, in those rough c7-uel days, did they come from, those
piercing, lightnittg-like gleams of strange spiritual truth, those 7nagni-
ficent outlooks over the kingdom of God, those raptures at His presence
and His glory, those wonderful disclosures of self-knowledge, those pure
outpourings of the love of God? Surely here is something tnore than the
mere working of the mind of man. Surely they tell of higher guiding,
prepared for all time ; surely, as we believe, they hear '
' the word behind
them saying. This is the way, walk ye in it" they repeat the whispers of
the Spirit of God, they reflect the very light of the Eternal Wisdom. In
must have been men sheltered and hidden amid the
that wild time there
tumult round them, humble and faithful and true, to whotn the Holy
Ghost could open by degrees the ^^ wondrous things of His law," whom
He taught, and whose mouths He opened, to teach their brethren by their
otvn experience, and to do each their part in the great preparation.
Dean Church.
THE PSALMS.
BOOK II.
PSALMS XLII— LXXII.

THE SECOND BOOK OF PSALMS.
The Second and Third Books (Pss. xlii— Ixxxix) form the
second principal division of the Psalter. The greater part of it
(Pss. xlii — Ixxxiii) is known as the 'Elohistic' collection, because

the appellative Elohim, '
God,' is employed throughout it in
the place and almost to the exclusion of the proper name
Jehovah, A.V. * Lord '
or '
God.' This peculiarity is due, in
all probability, to the hand of the editor who made the collection
by combining a selection of Psalms taken from three sources :
(i) a collection of Psalms preserved and used by the Levitical
family or guild of the Korahites : (2) a collection bearing the

name of David :
(3) a collection bearing the name of Asaph,
and probably preserved in the family or guild of Asaph. To
the Elohistic collection is attached an appendix containing
Psalms taken from the Korahite hymnary and other sources,
which have not been altered by the Elohistic editor. This
collection, perhaps at first without, and afterwards with, the
appendix, was probably at one time in circulation as a separate
book. See Ititrod. pp. xxxix ff.
The first seven Psalms in Book ii (if we reckon xlii and xliii
as one) are described in their titles as of the sons of Eorah. This
rendering of the R.V. is certainly to be preferred to that of the
A.V. for the sons of K., which is explained to mean that these
Psalms were delivered to the Korahites to be set to music
and performed and the title indicates in all probability (see
;
p. xxix) that the Psalms bearing it were taken from a collection

;
224 THE PSALMS OF

bearing some such name as " The Book of the Songs of the
Sons of Korah."
Korah was the grandson of Kohath and great-grandson of
Levi. When he perished for the part which he took in the
famous rebeUion against Moses, his family escaped (Num. xvi
xxvi. ii), and his descendants held important offices.
Korahites acted as sentinels of the camp of the Levites
they were warders of the sacred Tent erected by David * ; and
to them was assigned the office of porters or door-keepers of the
Temple, which they resumed after the Return from Babylon
(i Chron. ix. 17 ff.Neh. xi. 19)2,
; x.xvi. i ff. ;
Korahites were also connected with the service of sacred

song in the Temple. Heman, one of David's three principal
musicians, was a Korahite (i Chron. vi. 31 33), and his sons —
were the leaders of fourteen out of the twenty-four courses of
Temple musicians (i Chron. xxv. 4 ff.).
There is an allusion to them as singers in the history of the
reign of Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. xx. 19), but in the post-exilic
period they are only mentioned as door-keepers and not as
musicians. Jehuel and Shimei, two of Heman's descendants,
are named in 2 Chron. xxix. 14 as taking part in Hezekiah's
reformation.
The common characteristics of the Korahite Psalms have
been somewhat exaggerated. The collection includes, as we
should expect a Levitical collection to do, Psalms which breathe
a spirit of strong devotion to the Temple, and heartfelt delight
in its services (xlii — xliii ; Ixxxiv), and Psalms which celebrate
with enthusiastic pride the praise of Jerusalem as " the city of
God," which He has chosen for His own abode, and in which
He reigns as King (xlvi, xlvii, xlviii, Ixxxvii). But these thoughts
are not confined to these Psalms ^ and other features have been
;
pointed out as peculiar, which do not amount to distinctive
^ It is uncertain whether the Korahites who joined David at Ziklag
(i Chron. xii. 6) belonged to the Levitical family, or to that of the

Judahite Korah settled at Hel^ron (i Chron. ii. 43).
- It is doubtful whether Ps. Ixxxiv. 10 is really, as has been
supposed, an allusion to this important office. See note on the passage.
^ See e.g. for the first, Pss. Ixiii, Ixv; for the second, Ps. xxiv.
THE SONS OF KORAH. 225
characteristics common to these Psalms as a group, or which,

as in the case of the Divine names, are due to the editor, not to
the original authors^.
In fact the variety of thought and type in the Psalms
included in this collection is more remarkable than their
similarity. There are (i) personal Psalms, expressive of the
most intense personal devotion (xlii — xliii, Ixxxiv), and, if
Ixxxviii is included among the Korahite Psalms, a most pathetic

prayer in a situation of the deepest distress : (2) national Psalms,
of which one (xliv) a prayer in time of grave calamity, others
is
(xlvi —
xlviii) are thanksgivings for a marvellous deliverance,
another (Ixxxv) is a combination of thanksgiving and prayer.

(3) Ps. xlv is a congratulatory ode on the marriage of a king
Ps. xlix is a didactic poem, closely related (as is also Ixxxviii)

to the 'Wisdom hterature': Ps. Ixxxvii breathes the largest
spirit of The Korahite Psalms form in
prophetic universalism.
fact a strikingly representative selection, though, as might be
expected, the public and national elements predominate.
As regards the date of these Psalms, the group included in
the Elohistic collection should be distinguished from the Psalms
in the appendix to it. Of the former (xlii xlix) some certainly —
belong to the time of the Monarchy (xlv, xlvi, xlviii) ; none are
certainly later than the Fall of the Kingdom : of the latter, some
may date from the time of the Monarchy, but one at least
(Ixxxv) is later than the Return.
Thus though Jehovah Tsebdoth occurs six times in Korahite Pss.

^
(xlvi. 7, 11; xlviii. 8; Ixxxiv. i, 3, 12) and only once besides in the
Psalter (xxiv. 10), it is only found in three out of eleven Psalms, and of
these two (xlvi, xlviii) are the work of the same poet. But in view of
the alteration which the Divine names have undergone, it can hardly be
distinguished from Jehovah Elohiin Tsebdoth, which occurs not only in
the Korahite Ps., Ixxxiv. 8, but in a Davidic Ps., lix. 5, and an Asaphic
Ps., Ixxx. 4, 19, which also has Etohtm Tsebdoth [vv. 7, 14), which can
be nothing but the editorial equivalent for Jehovah Tsebdoth. The
peculiar Adonai Jehovah Tsebdoth in Ixix. 6 is probably due to the
editor : the form in Ixxxix. 8 is not unfrequent in the prophets.
PSALMS II. 15
226 PSALMS XLII AND XLIII.
PSALMS XLII AND XLIII.
These two Psalms form a connected poem, consisting of three equal

stanzas, each ending with the same refrain. The same circumstances
appear to lie in the background, and the tone, spirit, and language are
the same throughout. The prayer of Ps. xliii is needed to supplement
the complaint of Ps. xlii.
It is possible that some interval of time separated the composition of
Ps. xliii from that of Ps. xlii, or even that they were the work of different
poets, and that from the first they were separate poems; but it is far
more probable that they are the work of the same poet, and that they
originally formed one poem, which has been divided for liturgical or
devotional purposes. This division is ancient, for it appears in the
majority of Hebrew MSB., and in all Ancient Versions. In some MSS.
the two Psalms appear to be united, but this may be due to the absence
of any title to mark the beginning of Ps. xliii. The absence of a title,
however, indicates that the division was made after the formation of the
Elohistic collection, in which all the Psalms, with the exception of this
and Ixxi, are furnished with titles. See Introd,, p. xxxix.
The author of these Psalms was one who had been wont to conduct
processions of pilgrims to the Temple for the great festivals with joyous
songs of praise. But now he is forcibly debarred from going up to the
worship of the sanctuary. He describes the locality where he is
detained as "the land of Jordan and the range of Hermon," the district
in which the Jordan takes its rise from the roots of Hermon. "Mount
Mizar " was doubtless some hill in the neighbourhood, though it cannot
now be identified. He is surrounded by inhuman heathen enemies
who continually taunt him with being deserted by his God
(xliii. i),
(xlii.3, 10; xliii. 2). His faith is sorely tried; but he is confident that
he will soon be allowed once more to go up to Jerusalem, and join in
the services of the sanctuary.
Who was he and when did he live? The inclusion of the Psalm in
the Korahite collection makes it probable that he was a Korahite
Levite; and this probability is confirmed by his enthusiastic love for the
Temple services, by the part he was accustomed to take in the festal
pilgrimages, and by his skill as a musician (xlii. 8; xliii. 4). The
Temple was standing and its services were being regularly carried on.
So far however as this Psalm is concerned there is nothing to shew
whether it was written before or after the Exile. But its close con-
nexion with Ps. Ixxxiv is in favour of assigning it to the earlier period.
That Psalm presents such striking resemblances in tone and spirit, in
language, and in structure, that it may well have been written by the
same author under happier circumstances ; and if v. 9 is understood (as
it is most natural as a prayer for the king, it must
to understand it)
belong to the period of the monarchy. Ps. Ixiii, and in a less degree
Ps. Ixi, which belong to the same period, also present affinities. The
coincidences with Joel (see notes on xlii. i, 3, and cp. Ixxxiv. 6), and
PSALMS XLII AND XLIII. 227
the use of the Psalm in the piayei' of Jonah (see on xlii. 7), are note-
worthy, but in the uncertainty as to the date of these books, throw no
additional light on the question. The circumstances under which the
Psalmist found himself debarred from going up to Jerusalem and exposed
to the taunts of heathen conquerors might have happened at many
different periods, in one of the Syrian or Assyrian invasions, or after
the northern kingdom had ceased to exist.
More definite conjectures as to the date lack probability. Delitzsch
attributes the Psalm to a Korahite Levite who accompanied David in
his flight to Mahanaim, in Absalom's rebellion (2 Sam. xv. 24). But
the Psalm contains no allusions to the circumstances of the rebellion
David was among sympathising friends, not among mocking heathen
enemies; and Mahanaim was too distant from Hermon to suit the
description of the locality in v. 6. Ewald thinks that the Psalm was
written by Jehoiachin, as he halted for a night in the neighbourhood of
Hermon on his way to exile in Babylon. But there is not the slightest
hint that the Psalmist was a king: he does not appear to be an actual
prisoner, or a mere temporaiy sojourner in the neighbourhood of
Hermon: he expects soon to be able to go up to Jerusalem again,
whereas Jehoiachin had nothing before him but the prospect of a life-
long captivity. Hitzig, followed so far as the date is concerned by
Cheyne, attributes the Psalm to the high-priest Onias iii, whom he
supposes to have been carried away prisoner by the Egyptian general
Scopas, when after the capture of Jerusalem he marched northwards
to be defeated by Antiochus the Great, near the source of the Jordan
—
(Jos. Antiq. xii. 3. 3), in B.C. 199 198. But the inclusion of the Psalm
in the Elohistic collection, to say nothing of the arguments already
given for assigning the Psalm to the period of the monarchy, renders so
late a date extremely improbable. See Intr. to Ps. xliv.
Happily the poetic beauty and the devotional earnestness of the Psalm
are independent of all doubts as to its date and authorship. It is a monu-
ment of the spirituality and the joyousness of the religion of Israel. If
the writer yearns for renewed access to the earthly sanctuary, it is that in
the appointed place and by the appointed means he may realise that
communion with God which is the soul's highest happiness. The Latin
hymn Ut iucutidas cervus nndas (Trench, Sacred Latin Poetry, No. Iii)
is a beautiful development of the theme of this Psalm.
The structure of the poem is symmetrical and artistic. It consists of
three equal stanzas, each closed by the same refrain. Many of the
lines fall into the peculiar 'lamentation-rhythm.'
i. The yearning of the Psalmist's soul for God strikes the keynote of
the Psalm (i, 1): and in his present sorrow he finds sad comfort in the
recollection of former happiness (3, 4).
ii. He describes his pitiable plight (6, 7); and recalling past mercies,
expostulates with God for having abandoned him to the taunts of his
foes (8 to).
iii. He prays for deliverance from these enemies (xliii. r, 2), and
restoration to the privileges of the sanctuary (3, 4).
In the refrain which closes each stanza faith rebukes despondency
and hope triumphs over despair (5, 11, xliii. 5).
15—2
:
228 PSALM XLII. 1—3.
Psalm XLII.
To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah.
42 AS the hart panteth after the water brooks,

l\. So panteth my soul after thee, O God.
2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God
When shall I come and appear before God ?
3 My tears have been my meat day and night,
While f/iey continually say unto me. Where /s thy God ?
On the title, which should be rendered, with R.V., For the Chief
Musician; Maschil of the sons of Korah, see Introd. pp. xviii, xix,
xxvi, and p. 223.
1, 2. The yearning of the Psalmist's soul for communion with God.

1. As a hind which panteth for water-hrooks,
So panteth my soul for Thee, God.
Render hind, not hart^ for the verb is feminine, and the timorous
hind is the apter emblem for the soul. The parallel in Joel i. 20 (the
only other instance of the verb) makes it clear that the figure is suggested
by the sufferings of wild animals in a prolonged drought (cp. Jer. xiv.
5 f ), not by the hind "heated in the chase," and deterred by the fear of
its pursuers from descending into the valley to slake its thirst.
2. thirsteth^ Cp. Ixiii. i; Am. viii. 11 13. —
God, who is the living
God, in contrast to dead impotent idols, is "the fountain of living
waters" (Jer. ii. 13; xvii. 13). With Him is "the fountain of life,"
and He gives men drink from the stream of His delights (xxxvi. 8, 9).
The phrase for 'living God' {El chayi) is found elsewhere only in Josh,
iii. 10; Ps. Ixxxiv. 2; Hos. i. 10. In Deut. v. 26; i Sam. xvii. 26, 36;
2 Kings xix. 4, 16 ( = Is. xxxvii. 4, 17); Jer. x. 10, xxiii. 36; the Heb.
word for God is ElohiiJi.
appear before God] The regular fomiula for the stated visits to the
Temple the three great Festivals (Ex. xxiii. 17; Ps. Ixxxiv. 7).
at
Grammatical considerations however make it probable that here and in
some other passages (e.g. Ex. xxiii. 15; xxxiv. 20; Deut. xxxi. 11 Is. i. ;
12) we should read, by a simple change of the vowel-points, see the face
of God. The usual phrase for admission to the presence of a superior
(Gen. xliii. 3) was applied to visiting the sanctuary; but since man can-
not literally see God (Ex. xxxiii. 20), it was supplemented by the
synonymous phrase appear before Gcd, which came to be generally
adopted as more seemly in the traditional method of reading the conson-
antal text. But cp. xi. 7 note; xvii. 15; Ixiii. 2.
3. 4. Present sorrow contrasted with past happiness.

3. my meat] Lit. my bread. Cp. Ixxx. 5 ; cii. 4, 9. Tears take the
place of his daily food. So Ovid, IMctam. x. 75, " Cura dolorque animi
lacrimaeque alimenta fuere."
contimially] Lit. all the day, and so in v. 10.
Where IS thy God] Cp. Ixxix. 10; cxv. 2; Joel ii. 17; Mic. vii. 10.
PSALM XLII. 4, 5. 229
When remember these things, I pour out my soul in me

I : 4
For had gone with the multitude, I went with them to

I
the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept
holyday.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul ? and why art thou 5
disquieted in me ?
The bitterest ingredient in his cup of sorrow is the taunt of the heathen
that his plight demonstrates the impotence or indifference of the God
Whom he serves.
4. This letme rememtoer as I pour out my soul upon me,
How I was wont to pass on with the throng, leading them to
the house of God,
With the voice of singing and thanksgiving, a multitude keep-
ing festival.
He must needs give free course to his feelings, to the emotional part
of his nature, as he thinks of the past. The renderings /« »ie (A.V. ) or
within me (R.V.) miss the idiomatic force of the preposition which
means iipoti me. The soul (as elsewhere the heart or the spirit) is
distinguished from a man's whole 'self,' and regarded as acting upon it
from without. See Delitzsch, Biblical Psychology, pp. 179 iT. Cp.
vv. 5, 6, II, xliii. 5; cxxxi. 2; cxlii. 3; Lam. iii. 20; Job xxx. 16;
Jer. viii. i8.
How was wont to pass on. The tense denotes that it was his
I
custom thus to conduct pilgrims to Jerusalem for the festivals. The
joyousness of these processions was proverbial (Is. xxx. 29 ; cp. xxxv.
10; li. 11).
But what is the connexion of thought? Is it that he indulges in the
recollection of the past, as a luxury of grief, because "a sorrow's crown
of sorrow is remembering happier things"? Or is it not rather that the
retrospect is the best antidote to the sneers of the heathen? The God,
in Whose service he once found such delight, cannot really have de-
serted him. The verse will then form the natural transition to v. 5.
Cp. V. 6, and Ixxvii. 11.
Leading them. The word is found elsewhere only in Is. xxxviii. 15.
It seems to denote the slow and stately march of a solemn procession,
and may be rendered as in R.V. marg. -went itt procession with them, or,
with a slight change of vowels, taken transitively.
5. In this refrain the truer 'self chides the weaker 'soul,' the
emotional nature, for its despondency and complaint.
cast doî/n] Bowed down as a mourner. Cp. xxxv. 14; xxxviii. 6.
The resemblance of our Lord's words in Gethsemane (Matt. xxvi. 38;
Mk. xiv. 34) to the Sept. rendering of this verse, IVhy art thou exceeding
sorrowful, O my soul? (iVa tI irep'CKvwos el, i] ^/vxv >) suggests that this
Psalm may have been in His mind at the time; the more so as He
appears to use the words of z^. 6, which the Sept. renders, Jl/y soul is
troubled (i] ^pvxv /J-ov erapax^'j), in a similar connexion upon another
—
230 PSALM XLII. 6.
Hope thou in God : for I shall yet praise him

For the help of his countenance.
6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me : therefore will

I remember thee
From the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the
hill Mizar.
occasion (John xii. 27). In view of this it is interesting to remember

that the hart is a common emblem for our Lord in Christian art.
disquieted in me] Lit. moanest, ox frettest upon me, the same idiom as
in V. 4. Cp. Ixxvii. 3; Jer. iv. 19.
hope thou in God] Or, wait thou for God. Cp. xxxviii. 15; xxxix.
7; Mic. vii. 7.
praise him] Or, give him thanks, as in past time (z/. 4).
for the help of his countenance] This is the reading of the Massoretic
Text. But the construction is pecuHar, and the and Syr. suggest LXX
that we ought to read here as in v. 11, and xliii. 5, (Who is) the help
of my countenance and my God. But my God should be retained at
the beginning of v. 6, where it is needed^. The help (lit. salvations,
the plur. denoting manifold and great deliverances, as in xxviii. 8) of
my countenance is a periphrasis for my help, facilitated by phrases like
to look upon or turn away the face of a person (Ixxxiv. 9; cxxxii. 10).
6 — 11. From self he turns to God and pleads his cause.

6. Within me, or rather, as in v. 4, upon me, stands emphatically
at the beginning of the sentence. His own feelings overwhelm him,
and therefore he must turn to God, whose goodness he can call to
mind, remote though he is from the place where God's presence is
specially manifested. He describes the place from which he speaks as

the land of Jordan and the Hermons, probably the neighbourhood of
Dan {Tell-el- Kadi) or Caesarea Philippi (Banias), where the Jordan
rises from the roots of Hermon. The plural Hermons either denotes
theHermon range in general or refers to the three peaks in which
Mount Hermon culminates. The hill Mizar or mount Mizar was pro-
bably some hill in the immediate neighbourhood of which he was";
perhaps some point whence he could command a view of the hills
beyond the Jordan, over which he would fain be travelling to Jeru-
salem. Its name the little mountain —
may perhaps be meant to con-
trast its insignificance with the fame and splendour of God's holy
mountain where he desires to be (xliii. 3; xlviii. i, 2).
' The error arose very simply from the transference of the ^ from the beginning of
Sn^KI to the end of <JQ, so that Ih'pKI ''3Q became >n'?t< VJ3- Then >r^^ was
assumed to be merely an accidental repetition of ^H^J? at the beginning of v. 6, and
dropped out.
3 Prof. G. A. Smith notes that there are in the same neighbourhood "two or three
names with the same or kindred radicals," and suggests that they may be "a
reminiscence of the name of a hill in this district." I/isi. Geogr. of tlie Holy Land,
P- 477-
PSALM XLII. 7, 8,
Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts : :
All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the day- '
time,
And in the night his song shall he with me,
And my prayer unto the God of my life.
7. Better, in the roar of thy cata-

at the noise of thy zvaterspottts]
racts. sending upon him one trouble after another. He is
God is
overwhelmed with a flood of misfortunes. The metaphorical language
is derived from the surrounding scenery. The roar of the cataracts
calling to one another from opposite sides of the valley is like the voice
of one abyss of waters (xxxiii. 7 note) summoning another to break
forth and join in overwhelming him. The torrents and eddies of the
Jordan suggest the breakers and waves of calamity which have gone
over his head. Tristram in describing Banias speaks of "the impetuous
stream which has hewn out its channel in the black basalt," and of the
"wild medley of cascades and dashing torrents" everywhere (Land of
Israel, p. 573). According to Robinson {Researches, iii. 405) "in the
rainy season, and at the time of the melting of the snow on Hermon,
an immense volume of water must rush down the chasm" below the
ridge on which the castle stands. It might be supposed that the figure
of breakers and ivavcs must have been suggested by the sea, but no one
who has seen mountain streams in spate will doubt that the words
might refer to the Jordan in flood. The winter rainfall in Palestine is
enormous. See Tristram's Nat. Hist, of the Bible, p. 31.
V. b is borrowed in Jonah's prayer (Jon. ii. 3).
"J
8. According to the rendering of the A.V., retained by the R.V.,

this verse expresses the Psalmist's confidence that he will soon again ex-
perience the favour of God, and give Him thanks for His goodness.
But it is equally possible to render
Jehovah used to give his lovingkindness charge concerning me,
And in the night his song was with me,
Even prayer unto the God of my life.
This rendering gives the best connexion of thought. The verse is a
retrospect like v. 4, and is a further explanation of the 'remembering
God' of which he speaks in v. 6. He contrasts the present, in which
tears are his constant food (v. 3) and God's indignation seems to be let
loose upon him, with the past, in which God's lovingkindness con-
stantly watched over him, and glad songs of praise to Him were his
constant companions. In the day-time and in the night, though divided
between the two lines for rhythmical reasons, are to be connected
together { = contimially), and taken as referring equally to both clauses.
Cp. xcii. 2. God's lovingkindness, like His light and truth in xliii. 3,
isalmost personified as the Psalmist's guardian angel.
Prayer denotes any form of communion with God here predomi- —
nantly thanksgiving. Cp. I Sam. ii. i; Hab. iii. i.
With the beautiful phrase the God of vty life cp. Ixvi. 9; and Ecclesi-
;
232 PSALM XLII. 9— II.

9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me?
Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the
enemy ?
10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me
While they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?
11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou
disquieted within me ?
Hope thou in God : for I shall yet praise him,
IV/io is the health of my countenance, and my God.
asticus xxiii. i, 4, "O Lord, Father and Master" [diffwoTo) of my

life" :..." Father and God of my life."
The Lord] Contrary to the general rule in Book ii {/nfrod. p. xl)
the name Jehovah has been retained here; unless it is the insertion
or alteration of a later editor.
9 —
11. Having thus recalled God's mercy in the past he expostulates
with Him for having abandoned him, and exposed him to the sneers of
his enemies.
9. / will say] Or, Ld me say, the tense (voluntative, as in v. 4)

emphatically expressing his resolution.
my rock] The word, lit. my cliff or crag (sela), is used of God as a
refuge only in xviii. 2 {=2 Sam. xxii. 2); xxxi. 3 ( = lxxi. 3). On the
more common word (or rock [tsur] see note on xviii. 2 (A. V. 7ny strength).
The original edition of the A.V. (r6ii) has unto God, My rock, why;
treating 7ny rock as a vocative, with LXX
and Jerome. Editions of
1612 and 1630 have God, 7iiy rock, why and the usual punctuation God
:
my rock. Why appears to have been introduced in editions of 1629,

1638. See Scrivener, Authorised Ed. of the English Bible, p. 165.
Why &c.] Not a demand for explanation, but the expostulation of
perplexity. Cp. xiii. i; xxii. i; Ixxvii. 9; Ixxxviii. 14.
mourning] Cp. xxxv. 14, xxxviii. 6; Job xxx. 28.
because of the oppression of the enemy] Or, as R.V. marg. (cp. P.B.V.),
while the enemy oppresseth. The substantive occurs in the Psalter only
here and in xliii. 2; xliv. 24; the verb only in Ivi. i ; cvi. 42. Both are
used elsewhere, especially of the oppression of Israel by foreign invaders
(Jud. ii. 18; I Sam. x. 18; 2 Kings xiii. 4; Am. vi. 14; &c. ).
10. My bones are smitten asunder with mine adversaries' re-
proaches.
While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
Lit. ^vithcrushing in my bones do mine adversaries reproach me.
They stab him to the heart with their taunts. 'The bones,' in the
language of Hebrew poetry, denote the whole physical organism of the
living man, as being the framework of it. They are the seat of pain;
and mental torture affects the body. Cp. vi. 2 (note); Lam. iii. 4; Is.
xxxviii. 13.
PSALM XLIII. 1—4. 233
Psalm XLIII.
Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly 43
nation :
O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.

For thou art the God of my strength why dost thou cast : 2
me off?
Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the
enemy ?
O send out thy light and thy truth let them lead me : 3
Let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
Then will I go unto the altar of God, 4
xliii. 1 — 6. A passionate prayer for deliverance from his enemies

and restoration to the privileges of the sanctuary.
1, 2. Prayer for deliverance, grounded upon God's relation to him.
1. Judge me &c.] An appeal to God the Judge to do him justice
and vindicate his innocence by delivering him from the power of his
insolent foes. For the language cp. vii. 8; xxvi. i ; xxxv. i, 24.
against an ungodly nation'] Lit. from, i.e. by delivering me from, a
nation without lovingkindness ; heathen destitute of all feeling of
humanity. For the meaning of chdsld see notes on iv. 3 ;<ii. i ; and ;
Appendix, Note i.
the deceitful and unjust man] The leader of the heathen, who had
distinguished himself by treachery and malignity, may be meant. But
it is better to understand the words collectively as a further description
of the 'inhuman nation' in general, men of deceit and malignity.

2. the God of my strength] Or, my
stronghold God : my natural
refuge and protector. Cp. xviii. 2; xlii. 9. But facts seem to con-
tradict faith, and the expostulation of xlii. 9 is repeated in a stronger
form: Why
hast thou cast me off (xliv. 9, 23)? and in the next line a
more emphatic fonn of the verb go is used, meaning go about by myself.
3. 4. Prayer for restoration.
3. send out thy light and thy truth] Cp. Ivii. 3. God's light and
truth, like His lovingkindness in xlii. 8, are almost personified. As of
old He gave His lovingkindness charge concerning His servant, so now
may He manifest the light of His countenance, and evermore shew
him favour (xxxvi. 9; xliv. 3); and thus prove Himself true to His
own character and His promises.
them lead tne &c.] Is the Psalmist thinking of the wonders of the
let
Exodus? Cp. Ex. xiii. 21; xv. 13.
tabernacles] Or, dwelling-place. Cp. xxvi. 8; xlvi. 4; Ixxxiv. r. The
plural may be 'amplificative,' expressive of the dignity of the Temple as
the dwelling-place of God; or it may be used with reference to the
various courts and buildings of w hich it was composed.
4. Then will /go] Or, That I may come (xlii. 2).
234 PSALM XLIII. 5.
Unto God my exceeding joy :
Yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, 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 praise him,
:
Who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Miio God 7ity exceeding joy] Even unto the God of gladsome my
rejoicing. God Himself is the goal of pilgrimage the altar is but the
:
means of approaching Him and realising His presence.

Yea, upon the harp will I praise thee] And give thanks unto thee
upon the harp, as of old (xlii. 4).
O Cod my God] A
phrase found only in the Elohistic Psalms, and
clearly the equivalent of Jehovah my God, due, not to the original
Psalmist, but to the Elohistic editor. See Introd. p. xli.
5. The refrain is once more repeated, and now, we may believe,
with a still more unwavering faith and certain hope that his prayer will
be answered.
PSALM XLIV.
This Psalm is the appeal of the nation to God in a time of unmerited
disaster and humiliation.
i. It begins by recalling the mighty deeds of God for His people in
the days of old. It was God Himself who drove out the nations from
Canaan, and planted Israel in their place. By His might and not by
their own valour was the victory won (i
ii.
3).—
From the past they have been wont to draw assurance for the
present. To Plim they still trust for victory and not to themselves, for
He is their King and they are His loyal subjects (4 8). —
iii. But facts contradict faith. God has surrendered them to their
enemies, and abandoned them to the scorn and derision of neighbouring
nations (9 — 16).
iv. And this suffering is undeserved. No
faithlessness on their
part accounts for it as a punishment. Nay, it is for His sake that they
are being persecuted (17 22).—
V. The Psalm closes with an urgent appeal for speedy help (23 26). —
This Psalm is one of those which have most generally and most con-
fidently been assigned to the Maccabaean period. It is argued that the
general tone of the Psalm and the reference to the dispersion of the
nation (z^. 11) prove it to be post-exilic; that we know of no earlier time
in the post-exilic period when the nation possessed an army (v, 9) that ;
then, as never before, it could plead its fidelity to Jehovah. The

persecution of Antiochus was preeminently a religious persecution,
in which the Jews were slaughtered and sold into slavery by thousands
for their faith's sake. They were fighting not only for their lives but for
their laws.
PSALM XLIV. 235
Those however who assign the Psalm to the Maccabaean period are
not agreed as to the particular occasion to which it refers. The most
plausible suggestion is that which connects it with the reverse sustained
by Judas at Beth-Zachariah, which was followed by the surrender of
Beth-zur, and the reduction of the defenders of the Temple to the
greatest extremities (i Mace. vi. 28 ff.). It cannot refer to the early days
of the persecution of Antiochus, for then the Jews had no army nor to the
:
defeat of Joseph and Azariah at Jamnia(i Mace. v. 56 ff.), for that defeat
was the result of self-willed disobedience, and arrogant self-assertion {v.
61) nor to disasters after the death of Judas (i Mace, ix), for the alliance
:
which he had just contracted with Rome (i Mace, viii) was incompatible
with that exclusive reliance upon Jehovah which the Psalmist so em-
phatically professes.
No doubt many of the features of the Psalm seem to reflect the
circumstances of the Maccabaean period. But the closeness of the
correspondence has been exaggerated. Could the Psalmist protest that
the nation was faithful to its God, when the high-priest Jason had but
recently introduced Greek customs into Jerusalem, and been followed by
a multitude of willing apostates (i Mace. i. 1 1 ff.) ? Moreover, although
an argument from silence is precarious, it would certainly be strange
that a Psalm of the Maccabaean period should contain no reference to
the desecration of the Temple, or to the attempt to destroy the national
religion and enforce heathen customs.
The most convincing argument however against a Maccabaean date
for this Psalm is to be derived from the history of the formation of the
Psalter. The Elohistic collection in which it is found was certainly
'
'
anterior to the collections contained in Books iv and v {Introd. pp. xl ff. ),

and must on any hypothesis have been formed earlier than the Maccabaean
age, while the subordinate collections which are incorporated in it cany
us back to an earlier date still. Now while it \s possible that a Macca-
baean Psalmist might have "thrown himself into the spirit of the oi'iginal
collector and made his additions Elohistic to correspond to the earlier
Psalms," and might even have furnished the Psalm with a title which no
longer had any meaning, it is, to say the least, extremely improbable^.
The internal indications of a Maccabaean date must be overwhelming in
order to justify such a bold hypothesis.
It is however easier to arrive at the negative conclusion that the Mac-
cabaean date is untenable than to suggest a satisfactory alternative.
Delitzsch connects this Psalm with Ps. Ix, and accepting the title of that
Psalm as trustworthy, supposes that the occasion of both Psalms was an
Edomite raid upon judah while David was occupied with his campaign
against the Ammonites and Syrians. There is certainly a remarkable
affinity between this Psalm and Ps. Ix ; and in David's reign the people
could boast of their faithfulness to Jehovah in marked contrast to the
1 See Robertson Smith, Old Test, in Jewish Church, ed. 2, pp. 207, 437.
Sanday, Bainpton Lectures, pp. 256, 270, draws out in detail the number of steps
implied between the original composition of the Hebrew Psalm and the Greek
Version of the Psalter, and shews that if, as many believe, the Greek Version of the
Psalter is not later than B.C. 100, it is almost incredible that they can have been
compressed into a space of seventy years.
236 PSALM XLIV. i.
repeated apostasies of the age of the Judges. Lagarde points to the

close resemblance between v. i6 and Is. xxxvii. 6, 23, 24, and assigns
the Psalm to the time of Sennacherib's invasion. Robertson Smith
(C. T.J. C, ed. 2, p. 207) refers it, along with Pss. Ixxiv, Ixxix, Ixxx,
to the rebellion of the Jews mider Artaxerxes Ochus {circa 350 B.C.),
which was put down with great severity.
It is impossible to decide with certainty; but the Psalm produces a
strong impression that it belongs to the time when Israel had still an
independent existence as a nation, and was accustomed to make war
upon its enemies. If so, it must be assigned to the period of the
Monarchy, for at no time after the exile, so far as we know, down to the
Maccabaean period, was Israel in a position to make war. The exile
is not necessarily presumed by z/. 11. All that the verse need mean is
that prisoners had been taken and sold for slaves, as was the case in the
eighth century (Amos i. 6, 9), and doubtless in earlier times.
The Psalm stands alone in its confident assertions of national
fidelity to Jehovah, which may be contrasted with the confessions
of national guilt in Is. Ixiii, Ixiv, and Lam. iii. But it must be noticed
carefully that it is not an absolute but a relative assertion of innocence.
It resembles that of Job. He made no claim of absolute sinlessness,
but protested that he was conscious of no exceptional sin which
would account for his exceptional afflictions on the current theory of
retribution and the Psalmist is conscious of no national apostasy which
;
would account for Jehovah's desertion of His people as a justly merited

punishment.
The parallels with Ps. Ix should be carefully studied. The situation
is similar in both Psalms the thought of God, not man, as the deliverer
:
is prominent and there are several parallels of language. Comp. xliv.

:
9, 23 with Ix. I, 10; xliv. 5 with Ix. 12; xliv. 3 with Ix. 5. Several
links of connexion with Pss. xlii, xliii will also be found in the notes.
To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil.
44 We have heard with our ears, O God,

Our fathers have told us,
On the title, which should be rendered with R.V., For the Chief
Musician ;
(a Psalm) of the sons of Korah. Maschil, see Introd. pp.
xviii, xix, xxvi ; and p. 223,
1 3.— A
retrospect. Not their own valour but God's help and
favour gave Israel possession of the land of Canaan.
1. our fathers have told us\ In obedience to the often repeated in-
junction to hand on the memory of God's marvellous works on behalf of
His people. See Ex. x. 2 ; xii. 26 f. ; xiii. 8, 14 Deut. vi. 20 Josh. iv.
; ;
6, 21. Cp. Judg. vi. 13; Ps. Ixxviii. 3. Observe the importance
attached to oral tradition as a means of perpetuating the memory of the
past. Much of the early history of Israel was doubtless preserved by
oral tradition for a long period before it was committed to writing.
PSALM XLIV. 2—4. 237
Wâf work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

How thou didst drive out the heathen wM
thy hand, and 2
plantedst them
How thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.
For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, 3
Neither did their own arm save them

But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy
countenance,
Because thou hadst a favour unto them.
Thouarf my King, O God : 4
Command deliverances for Jacob.
in the times of old\ Better, even the days of old. Cp. Is. xxxvii. 26
(A. v., of ancieftt times)
2. Witli thine own hand didst thou dispossess nations, and plant
them in,
Didst afiOict peoples, and cause them to spread abroad.
Thou zvith thy hand
are the first words of the verse in the Heb.,
emphasising by their position the prominent thought of this stanza, that
Israel owed its possession of Canaan not to its own courage but to
Jehovah's help. The metaphor of planting is frequently applied to the
establishment of Israel in Canaan (cp. Ex. xv. 17; 1 Sam. vii. 10), and
it is continued in the next line, where the rendering cause them to
spread abroad is commended by the usage of the word and by the
parallelism. Israel is compared to a tree which struck root and spread
its branches far and wide. Cp. Ixxx. 8 ff n. Note the artistic paral-
,
lelism, the first clause in each line referring to the nations, the second to
Israel.
3. The thought of the preceding verse is still further emphasised.
For not by their own sword gat they possession of the land,
Neither did their own arm give them victory :
But thy right hand, &c.
Cp. Ix. 5 Josh. iv. 24.
;
the light of thy countenance\Cp. iv. 6; xxxi. 16; Ixxx. 3, 7, 19; and
the Aaronic benediction in Num. vi. 24 ff.
hadst a favour unto theni] God's free choice, not Israel's merit, was
the ground of His intervention on their behalf. Cp. Deut. iv. 37 ; viii.
17, 18; ix. 4, 6.
—
4 8. The recollection of the past gives confidence for the present
and the future. God's strength must still avail for the deliverance of
His people, and in Him alone do they trust.
4. 7ny Kitig^ Cp. xlvii. 6; Ixxiv. 12; i Sam.xii. 12. The Psalmist
speaks in the name of the nation.
tonimand] Cp. xlii. 8. It is the duty of a king to defend his people
(i Sam. x. 19); and the authority of the divine King is supreme. He
has but to speak the word and it must needs be obeyed.
deliverances] R.V. deliverance, marg., victories (cp. v. 3). Tlie
; :
238 PSALM XLIV. 5—9.
5 Through thee will we push down our enemies

Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up
against us.
6 For I will not trust in my bow,
Neither shall my sword save me.
7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies,
And hast put them to shame that hated us.
8 In God we boast all the day long.
And praise thy name for ever. Selah.
9 But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame
And goest not forth with our armies.
Heb. word is plural, denoting deliverance full and complete. Cp. xviii.
50 ; xlii. 5 (note).
5. push dotiDi] Perhaps a reminiscence of Deut. xxxiii. 17; but
metaphors from homed animals are common. Cp. i Kings xxii. 11.
our enemies] R.V, our adversaries, and similarly in vv. 7, 10, the
Heb. word being different from that in v. 16.
through thy name] Relying upon all that Thou hast revealed Thy-
self to be as the God of Israel —
an emphatic alternative for through
:
Thee. The Name of God is the compendious expression for His

revealed character and attributes. See Oehler's O.T. Theology, § 56.
Cp. V. 11; XX. I Acts iii. 16.
;
6. Cp. XX. 7; xxxiii. 16; Ix. 11 f; i Sam. xvii. 47; Hos. i. 7; and
the noble speech of Judas Maccabaeus (i Mace. iii. 17 ff.); "The
victory of battle standeth not in the multitude of an host, but strength
Cometh from heaven."
7. But] Or, For. Past experience justifies the confidence of v. 6.
them. ..that hated us] R.V., them ..that hate us. Cp. v. 10.
8. Of God have we made our boast all day long,
And unto thy name will we give thanks for ever.
God has been the object of their praises in the past, and to Him they
are resolved to give thanks (xlii. 5) continually.
A
musical interlude marks the conclusion of the first main division of
the Psalm.
9 16. — But the present circumstances of the nation contradict these
expressions of faith based upon past experience. Israel is abandoned to
be the scorn and prey of its foes. Comp. the transition in Ixxxix. 38.
9. But no7ci] The conjunction is peculiar, and implies surprise. And
then, after all these proofs of Thy good will, and in spite of our loyalty
to Thee, hast thou cast us off and dishonoured us, and goest not
forth with our hosts leading them to victory .is in the days of old, as
;
the God of the armies of Israel. Almost the same words recur in Ix. 10.
In ancient times the Ark was carried to battle as the symbol of Jehovah's
presence. See Num. x. 35; Josh. vi. 6; i Sam. iv. 3; 2 Sam. xi. 11.
Cp. also Judg. vi. 14; 2 Sam. v. 24.
Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy

And they which hate us spoil for themselves.
Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat
And hast scattered us among the heathen.
Thou sellest thy people for nought,
And dost not increase thy wealth by their price.
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours,
A scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
Thou makest us a byword among the heathen,
A shaking of the head among the people.
My confusion is continually before me,
And the shame of my face hath covered me,
10. R.V., the adversary.

the mem}']
spoil for theniselves\Or, plunder at their will.
11. Some of God's people are butchered like sheep (cp. v. 22);
others are sold as slaves. It is evidently not a deportation of the
nation that is meant, but the sale of prisoners of war for slaves. Cp.
Joel iii. 2, 6 ; Am. i. 6, 9. To the Israelite with his love of freedom
and attachment to his own land such a fate seemed little better than
death.
12. Thoti sellest thy people] Handing them over to their enemies
(Deut. xxxii. 30; Judg. ii. 14; Is. 1. 1); and thaty^r nought, as though
they were worthless in Thy estimation (Jer. xv. 13): and hast made no
gain by their price; a bold 'anthropopathy,' or ascription to God of
human motives and feelings, as though the surrender of His people
might have seemed more justifiable if He had received some equivalent
for them. Comp. the plea in xxx. 9.
13. Repeated almost verbatim in Ixxix. 4; cp. Ixxx. 6. The
neighbouring nations, Philistines, Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites,
were always jealous of Israel, and ready to rejoice with a malicious
delight at Israel's humiliation.
14. the heathen. ..the people] Render with R.V., the nations... the
peoples. They point to our fate as a proverbial instance of a people
abandoned by its God, and make us the subject of taunting songs they :
shake their heads at us in derision. Cp. Deut. xxviii. 37 ; i Kings ix.

7; Jer. xxiv. 9; Joel ii. 17 (R.V. marg.); Ps. xxii. 7; and generally
Lam. ii. 15 ff.
15. My confusion &c.] Render with R.V., All the day long is my
dishonour before me, as in vv. 8, 22, 9. My disgrace is perpetually
staring me in the face. Cp. xxxviii. 17.
the shame of
7ny face &c.] Shame is said to cover or clothe a man
(Job 22; Ps. XXXV. 26; Ixix. 7; cxxxii. 18); and the shame of my
viii.
faceis an emphatic synonym for my shame, inasmuch as the sense of

shame betrays itself in the countenance. Cp. Ezra ix. 6 ff; Jer. vii. 19;
Dan. ix. 7, 8.
— ; ; ;
16 For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth

By enemy and avenger.
reason of the
17 All this come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee,
is ;
Neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.

18 Our heart is not turned back,
Neither have our steps declined from thy way
19 Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons,
16. For the voice of him that 7-eproacheth and blasphemeth] The
word reproach is frequently used of a heathen enemy's scornful defiance
or mocking derision of Israel and Israelites, and by consequence of
Israel's God, as though He were unable or unwilling to defend His
people (xlii. 10; Ixxiv. 10, 18, 22; Ixxix. 4, 12; i Sam. xvii. 10 ff.); but
the two words are found in combination elsewhere only of Sennacherib's
blasphemous defiance (Is. xxxvii. 6, 23 = 2 Kings xix. 6, 22).
by reason of} Render for tlie looks of, or, for the presence of,
as a better parallelism to for the voice of. Isaiah alludes to the terror
inspired by the grim looks of the Assyrian invaders (xxxiii. 19) and for
;
voice cp. Is. xxxvii. 23 Nah. ii. 13.

;
the enemy and the avenger] Cp. viii. 2. The Heb. word (or avenger
suggests the idea of one who is taking a selfish vengeance, usurping, in
his own interests, a function which belongs to God alone (Deut. xxxii.
35)-
17 22. The calamity is unmerited. No unfaithfulness to God's

covenant has called for punishment. Nay it is for His sake that His
people are suffering.
17. All this ^.c] Cp. Judg. vi. 13.
yet have we not &c.] Although we have not forgotten Thee, as
our fathers did so often. Cp. Ixxviii. 7, 11; cvi. 13, 21; Judg. iii. 7;
Hos. ii. 13; iv. 6; viii. 14; xiii. 6; Jer. ii. 32.
neither &c.] Neither have we been false to thy covenant. Cp.
Ixxxix. 33; " Neither will I be false to my faithfulness." God's covenant
with Abraham to be a God to him and to his seed after him (Gen. xvii.
7) was confirmed to the nation at Sinai (Ex. xix. 5; xxiv. 7, 8). Its
sacrament was circumcision (Gen. xvii. 2 ff) its outward symbol was
:
the Ark of the Covenant (Num. x. 33) and its fundamental charter
:
was the Ten Words inscribed on the Tables of the Covenant (Deut.
ix. 9).
19. Though &c.] Comp. the vigorous paraphrase of P. B.V. ; No,
not wheti thou hast smitten us &c. But it is better to render
That thou shouldest have crashed us into a haunt of Jackals.
The Psalmist's argument is that there has been no national apostasy
for which their present disasters would be a just punishment. A haunt
ofjackals is a proverbial expression for a scene of ruin and desolation, a
waste, howling wilderness, tenanted only by wild beasts (Is. xiii. 22
xxxiv. 13 ; Jer. ix. 11 ; x. 22). Some commentators (on the hypothesis of
the Maccabaean date) see a reference to the butchery of the Jews who
And covered us with the shadow of death.

Ifwe have forgotten the name of our God, •
Or stretched out our hands to a strange god

Shall not God search this out ?
For he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; :
We are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord ?
had fled into the wilderness to escape from the persecution of Antiochus
(i Mace. ii. 27 —
38). But more probably the phrase is a condensed ex-
pression, meaning 'crushed us and reduced our country to a desert.'
There is some doubt however about the reading. The Sept. has,
'humbled us in a place of affliction.'
the shadow of death'] The word tsalmdveth is rendered thus in the
Ancient Versions, and the present vocalisation assumes that this is
the meaning. But compounds are rare in Hebrew except in proper
names, and there are good grounds for supposing that the word is
derived from a different root and should be read tsalmfith, and rendered
deep gloom. It is however not improbable that the pronunciation of
the word was altered at an early date in accordance with a popular
etymology.
20. R.V., spread forth the gesture of prayer being
stretched out] :
not, as with us, yoM-;/ hands, but thehands extended with open palms:
the Lat. 'manibus passis.' Cp. cxliii. 6; i Kings viii. 22, 38, 54; Isa.
i. 15.
21. It would be vain to attempt to conceal any faithlessness from
the Searcher of hearts. Cp. Job's protestations of innocence, ch. xxxi.
4 ff. ; and Ps. cxxxix. r, 23; Jer. xvii. 10.
22. Yea, for thy sake] Or, Nay, but for thy sake. Not only have
we not been unfaithful to Thee, but we are actually suffering as martyrs
for Thy sake. Such a protest was no doubt particularly true in the
persecution of Antiochus, but not in that period only. Cp. the com-
plaints of Ixix. 7; Jer. XV. 15.
This verse is quoted by St Paul in Rom. viii. 36, to encourage his
converts in view of the possibility that they might have to face even
death for Christ's sake. If the saints of old time had to sufter per-
secution even to the death, they need not be surprised if a like fate
should befall them. And the quotation is doubtless intended (as so
often) to carry with it the thought of its context, and to remind them of
the steadfastness of the Old Testament saints under the sharpest trial of
their faith.
23 — 26. An urgent appeal for immediate help.

23.A'cvake .. .arise] Bestir thyself... awake. Cp. vii. 6, and many
similar invocations. But nowhere else do we find so bold an expostula-
tion as why sleepest thou ? The nearest parallel is in Ixxviii. 65. The
Psalmists do not shrink from using human language in refei'ence to
PSALMS 16
: —
;
Arise, cast us not off for ever.

24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face,
And forgettest our affliction and our oppression ?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust
Our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
26 Arise for our help,
And redeem us for thy mercy's sake.
God, though they well knew that the Watchman of Israel was one who
neither slumbered nor slept (cxxi. 3, 4).
It is recorded in the Talmud that in the time of the high-priest John
—
Hyrcanus (b.c. 135 107) certain Levites, called 'Awakeners,' daily
ascended the pulpit in the Temple and cried, "Awake, why sleepest
thou, O Lord"? He put a stop to the practice, saying, "Does Deity
sleep? Has not the Scripture said, 'Behold he that keepeth Israel
neither slumbereth nor sleepeth?'"
cast MS not off/or ever\ Cp. Ixxiv. i; Ixxvii. 7; Lam. iii. 31.
24. hidest thoii thy face] In anger or indifference, instead of shew-
ing the light of Thy countenance in gracious help to Thy people (v. 3
Ixxx. 3).
our affliction and otir oppression] Cp. Deut. xxvi. 7; Ex. iii. 7, 9;
^ Kings xiii. 4; xiv. 26. The latter word occurs elsewhere in the
Psalter only in xlii. 9, xliii. 2.
25. We lie utterly prostrate, crushed and helpless. Cp. cxix. 25.
26. Arise] R.V., Rise up. Cp. iii. 7; Num. x. 35.
for thy mercy's sake] R.V., for thy lovingkindness' sake. Jehovah
has revealed Himself to be "a God... plenteous in lovingkindness and
truth, who keeps loiJingkindness for thousands" (Ex. xxxiv. 7, 8), and
the Psalmist intreats Him to be true to this central attribute of His
character. Cp. vi. 4; Mic. vii. 18, 20. On the reading mercies', found
in many editions, see Scrivener, Auth. Ed. of the English Bible, p. 196.
PSALM XLV.
A nuptial ode, celebrating the marriage of a king with a king's
daughter. After a brief prelude (i) the Psalmist addresses the king,
praising the personal beauty which marks him out as a ruler of men,
and bidding him use his strength in the cause of trath and right.
Noble qualities of heart and mind fit him for his lofty calling, on which
the seal of divine approval has been newly set by the blessing of this
supreme happiness, the crowning glory of his state and splendour (2
9). Then turning to the bride he bids her cheerfully accept her new
position, and indicates its dignity by pointing to the gifts which allied
nations bring in her honour. In magnificent bridal array she is con-
ducted to the royal palace with jubilant rejoicings ; and the Psalm con-
cludes with the anticipation of a numerous posterity and undying and
worldwide renown for so famous a monarch (10 17). —
PSALM XLV. 243
There is no clearly marked strophical arrangement. The poet passes

from thought to thought as his enthusiasm kindles with the grandeur of
his theme.
That the Psalm refers to some actual occasion cannot be doubted.
Some commentators indeed deny that it has an historical basis, and
regard it as wholly prophetic or ideal. The language, they say, far
transcends any language that could be used of the best of earthly kings;
and from the earliest times, alike in the Jewish and in the Christian
Church, it has been understood to refer directly to the Messiah.
A careful study of the Psalm shews that this view is untenable.
(1) There is no indication that the Psalmist intends to describe a future
personage. (2) The language of the Ps. does not really go beyond
what might have been said by a poet of an actual king, viewed in
the light of the promises made to the house of David. {3) The Ps.
contains realistic details of the circumstances of an Oriental court,
which would hardly have been introduced, if it had been originally
written as a sacred poem with a mystic meaning.
The view that the Ps. is exclusively Messianic rests in great measure
upon an imperfect apprehension of the typical character of the Davidic
kingship. The Davidic king was the representative of Jehovah, Who
was the true King of Israel, and the poet-seer can boldly greet the
reigning monarch in the light of the great prophecies to which he was
the heir. Bidding him rise to the height of his calling by the exercise
of a just rule which should be a true reflection of the divine govern-
ment, he can claim for him the fulfilment of the promise of an eternal
dominion. It is of the essence of poetry to idealise, and sacred poetry
is no exception to the rule. It could disregard the limitations and
imperfections of experience, and portray the king in the light of the
true and perfect conception of his office, not simply as what he was,
but as what he should be. See Introd. pp. Iviii ff. ; introd. and notes to
Ps. ii; and comp. Riehm's Messianic Prophecy (Engl. Tr., ed. 2), pp.
102 ff".
Who then was the king, and what was the occasion referred to ? If
the lofty language of the Ps. is clearly based upon the Messianic pro-
mises and only explicable in connexion with them, some king of the
house of David must be its theme. This consideration excludes kings
of the Northern Kingdom, such as Ahab, who has been suggested be-
cause he possessed an ivory palace (cp. v. 8 with i Kings xxii. 39) and
married a foreign princess (i Kings xvi. 31) or Jeroboam II, the luxury
;
and splendour of whose reign might seem to correspond to the descrip-

tion in the poem. Still more decisively does it exclude foreign kings,
such as some unknown Persian monarch, or Ptolemy Philadelphus, or
the Syrian king Alexander (t Mace. x. 57, 58).
If then the Ps. must refer to some king of Judah, the choice appears
to lie between Jehoram and Solomon, (i) Delitzsch finds a suitable
occasion in the marriage of Jehoram with Athaliah. Jehoram was the
son of the pious Jehoshaphat, whose reign revived the glories of the
Solomonic age. Though not actually king when he married Athaliah,
he had been raised to the position of co-regent with his father (2 Kings
viii. 16). The exhortation to the bride to forget her home, and the
16 —
244 PSALM XLV.
mention of Tyre, are supposed to be allusions to the Sidonian origin of
Athaliah's mother, Jezebel.
It is however difficult to believe that an inspired poet could have
regarded an alliance with the idolatrous house of Ahab with satisfaction,
or that in view of the subsequent history such an ode would have been
preserved in a collection of temple-hymns. Moreover this bride appears
to be a foreign princess, not an Israelite. It remains to adopt the old
view that the Psalm celebrates the marriage of Solomon with the
daughter of the king of Egypt (i Kings iii. i). Such an alliance must
have been an event of the highest importance. Solomon's court was a
scene of splendour and luxury like that which is described in the Ps.
The kingdom was at the zenith of its glory. The promises to David
were recent: the hopes which they held out had not yet been dimmed
by failure and disappointment. Then as at no other later time it was
easy for a poet to idealise the kingship and the kingdom, and to use the
language of lofty hope and confident anticipation. Solomon's close
alliance with Hiram gives a natural explanation of the mention of Tyre
(v. 12) as the representative of allied nations. A recent theory regards
the Ps. as a '
dramatic lyric,' written after the Return from the exile
at a time when the traditional glories of Solomon's reign attracted
the attention and exercised the imagination of poets. The theory is im-
probable, but it recognises the fact that the Ps. may most appropriately
be referred to Solomon. The only objections which deserve consideration
are that the king is described as a martial hero, whereas Solomon was
a man of peace : and that Solomon had no line of royal ancestors such
as is supposed to be implied in v. 16. ( i) To the first of these objections
it may be answered that although this king is described as a conquering
hero, more stress is laid upon the justice of his rule than upon his war-
like exploits. Moreover Solomon was not deficient in military spirit,
and though his reign was on the whole peaceful, it was by no means
entirely so. He made great military preparations (1 Kings i v. 26; ix.
15 ff. ; xi. 27; 2 Chr. viii. 5 ff-), and it is recorded that he conquered
Hamath-zobah (2 Chr. viii. 3). It was scarcely possible for a poet to
dissociate the idea of a king from the idea of a victorious warrior.
(2) As regards the second objection, v. 16 does not necessarily imply a
long line of royal ancestors. It may be understood as implying the
reverse, and expressing the hope that a noble posterity might arise to
compensate for the absence of the long ancestry upon which so many
oriental monarchs prided themselves.
Whatever may have been the original occasion of the Ps. , its Messi-
anic significance has been almost universally recognised. "The mar-
riage-song of the Jewish monarch laid open thoughts which could only
be realised in the relation of the Divine King to His Church." The
Targum paraphrases v. 2; "Thy beauty, O King Messiah, exceeds that"
of the children of men a spirit of prophecy is bestowed upon thy lips
; :
and V. 10, "Hear, O congregation of Israel, the law of his mouth, and
consider his wondrous works." The writer of the Epistle to the He-
brews quotes vv. 6, 7 as a description of the moral and eternal sove-
reignty of Christ (Hebr. i. 8, 9). If the king was typical of Christ, the
marriage of the king might symbolise the bridal of Christ and the
PSALM XLV. I. 245
Church ; and this interpretation was facilitated by the common use of

the figure of marriage in the O.T. to describe the relation of Jehovah to
His people. The natural relationship is consecrated as the sacrament
of the mystical relationship; and the mystical relationship is rendered
more comprehensible to the human mind by the sanction of the analogy.
Comp. Eph. V. 23 ft'.; Apoc. xix. 7 ff. xxi. 2; xxii. 17.
;
It may seem strange that an ode thus secular in its origin should find
a place in the Canon. But the inclusion of such poems as this and the
Song of Songs, with which this Psalm has much in common, helps to
place the ordinary relations of human life in a truer light as part of the
divine order of the world. And further they are ennobled and conse-
crated by being thus made the vehicle for lofty thoughts and the type of
spiritual mysteries (Eph. v. 23 ff.).
To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil,
A
Song of loves.
My heart is inditing a good matter 45
I speak of the things which I have made touching the king :
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

The title may be rendered as in R.V., For tbe chief Musician set
;
to Shoshannim ;
(a Psalm) of the sons of Korah. Maschil, a Song of
loves. ShoshannifH, that is, lilies, denotes not the theme of the Ps., in
reference to the beauty and purity of the bride, nor a lily-shaped in-
strument by which it was to be accompanied, but the melody to which
it was to be sung —
some well-known song beginning with the word
Shoshannim. See Introd. p. xxiii f., and cp. the titles of Ixix, Ix, Ixxx.
The word for loves, or love, is from the same root as that which forms
part of Solomon's original name Jedidiah-= Beloved of Jah (2 Sam.
xii. 25). It is always used of high and noble affection, especially of
Jehovah's love for His people (Ix. 5; Deut. xxxiii. 12; Is. v. i).
1. Introduction and dedication.

Myheart &c.] Better, My
heart buhbleth over with goodly words.
The nobility of his subject inspires him with an impulse which will not
be restrained.
/ speak of the things &c.] Better, I speak the things which I have
made (i.e. composed, cp. Old Eng. maker— Y>oei) touching a king.
The absence of the article {a king) lays stress upon the dignity rather
than upon the personality of the sul:)ject of the Ps.; one who is a king
and of no lower rank. The punctuation of the Massoretic Text points
to a slightly different rendering / a?u about to speak; my work is for
:
(or, touching) a king.

the pen of a ready zuriter] Prompt to express and record the thoughts
with which the mind is overflowing. The words rendered ready -ioriler
are applied to Ezra (vii. 6) the 'ready scribe,' but clearly they do not
here bear this technical sense of a learned student of the law,' but the
'
literal sense of a skilful and rapid penmari.'

'
246 PSALM XLV. 2—4.
2 Thou art fairer than the children of men :
Grace is poured into thy Ups :
Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.

3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty,
With thy glory and thy majesty.
4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously
—
2 9. The royal bridegroom his personal beauty, the justice of his
:
government, the success of his arms, the glory of his kingdom, the mag-
nificence of his court. He is one upon whom the Divine blessing has
rested in fullest measure.
2. Thou art fairer &c.] Personal beauty was always regarded as a

qualification for a ruler, partly on account of its intrinsic attractiveness,
partly as the index of a noble nature. Cp. i Sam. ix. 2; x. 23; xvi. 12 ;
and the descriptions of the classical heroes in Homer and Vergil; e.g.
Aeneas {Aen. i. 589), " os humerosque deo similis."
grace is poured into ttiy tips'] Or, upon tliy tips. The gracious smile
upon his lips gives promise of the gracious words which proceed from
them. Cp. Prov. xxii. 11, "He that hath gracious lips, the king shall
be his friend"; Eccl. x. 12; Lk. iv. 22.
ttierefore] This is usually explained to mean, Hence it may be seen
'
that God hath blessed thee; it is the logical inference from this endow-
ment of beauty.' But must not tJierefore be understood as in z'. 7 ?
Physical qualifications correspond to moral qualifications. They are in
themselves a Divine gift but they are further regarded as a ground of
;
the special blessings which have been showered upon the king. The
P. B. V. because is ungrammatical.
for ever] The perpetuity of the covenant with David and his seed is
constantly emphasised. Cp. 2 Sam. vii. 13, 16, 25, 29; Ps. xviii. 50;
Ixxxix. 2 ff.
3. Instead of praising the king's strength and courage in the abstract,

the Psalmist bids him use them in the cause of truth and right.
O most miglity\ mighty hero.
with tfiy glory and ttiy majesty] It is better to repeat the verb (gird
:
on) thy honour and thy majesty. Honour and majesty are Divine
attributes, reflected in the person of the victorious King who is Jehovah's
representative. Cp. xcvi. 6; civ. i ; cxlv. 5; with xxi. 5.
4. And in ttiy majesty] The single word of the original is an exact
repetition of the last word of v. 3. Such repetitions are a common
poetical figure ; but the construction is harsh, the prep, in not being
expressed; the word is omitted by the Syr. (probably) and Jer. (ed.
Lagarde) and may be due to an early error of transcription. The con-
;
sonants are recognised by the LXX, but differently vocalised and

rendered, and bend [thy bow]. This rendering however involves a doubt-
ful ellipse, and the mention of the bow is hardly in place here.
ride prosperously] Ride on victoriously, on warhorse or in chariot,
forcing a way irresistibly tlirough the ranks of the enemy.
PSALM XLV. 5, 6. 247
Because of truth and meekness and righteousness ;
And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible tlwigs.

Thine arrows are sharp
In the heart of the king's enemies
Whereby the people fall under thee.
Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: <
because of iriitJi] Better, in the cause of truth in defence and fur-

:
therance of virtues which are trampled under foot in evil times and
under bad rulers. (Is. lix. 14, 15). Truth and righteousness are the
constant attributes of the true king: meekness is the characteristic of
the true people of God ; and it is the king's work to see that the meek
have justice done them.
xxxvii. 11; Ixxvi. 9; &c.
Cp. Is. xi. i
— 5; xxix. 19; Zeph. ii. 3; Ps.
shall teach thee'] Or, and let thy right hand teach thee terrible thiftgs,
an epithet applied to the marvellous works of God for His people,
inspiring them with a holy awe, and their foes with a panic terror (Deut.
x. 21; 2 Sam. vii. 23; Is. Ixiv. 3; Ps. Ixv. 5; cvi. 22; cxlv. 6). By a
bold figure the king's right hand, i.e. his strength and courage, is said
to teach or shew him terrible things, as his success in battle reveals the
divine energy with which he has been endowed.
5. As the text stands it must be rendered;
Thine arrows are sharp
Peoples fall under thee:
(They are) in the heart of the king's enemies.
The poet depicts the battle with rapid vigorous strokes of his pen.
The king's arrows are sharpened (Is. v. 28), ready for fatal effect; his
enemies fall at their discharge he rides on over their prostrate corpses
;
each shaft has found its mark in the heart of a foe. But the construction
is abrupt, and possibly there is some error in the text.
6. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever] (i) This appears to be
the sense given by all the Ancient Versions, for though it has been argued
that 6 deo% in the LXX is not the vocative {Thy throne God) but the
predicate (Thy throtie is God), the words do not appear to have been so
understood by any of the ancient commentators, and the construction is
certainly not an obvious one. But this rendering involves serious diffi-
culties, whether it is taken as an address to the king or to God. {a) Can
the king who is the subject of the Ps. be addressed as Elohim, 'God'?
The older expositors, who regarded the Psalm as directly Messianic, of
course felt no difficulty, and saw in the words a recognition of the Deity
of Christ. But the tone and contents of the Psalm make it clear that it is
addressed to some actual king. Could such a king be so addressed ? It
is argued that judges were called îc^j- (Ex. xxi.6; xxii.8, 9, 28(?); i Sam.
ii. 25); that the theocratic king as the representative of God was said
to sit "on the throne of Jehovah" (i Chr. xxviii. 5; xxix. 23); that a
prophet can predict that the house of David should be as God (Zech. xii.
8) ; that Elohim is applied to men in the sense of divine or supernatural
(Ex, vii. I ; I Sam. xxviii. 13) ; that Isaiah speaks of the Messianic king
:
248 PSALM XLV. 6.
as El gibbor, ' mighty God and that the words of the next verse (where
' ;
doubtless Jehovah thy God originally stood) preclude the possibility of

misunderstanding. But it is doubtful whether judges are actually called
gods (see R.V. of the passage quoted) certainly they are only so called
;
as the mouthpieces of God, who is regarded as the fountain of judgement

and after all that has been urged in favour of this interpretation it seems
hardly possible to suppose that the king is directly addressed as Elohim.
(/') The Targum regards the words as addressed to Jehovah, 'The
throne of Thy majesty, O Jehovah, abideth for ever and ever.' Jehovah's
throne may mean His heavenly throne (cxlv. 13; Lam. v. 19), or the
throne which He has established on earth as its counterpart and repre-
sentative. But this interpretation seems to be excluded by the context.
The king is addressed in the preceding and following verses, and it
seems hardly possible to suppose that in this verse alone Jehovah is
abruptly addressed.
(2) In view of these difficulties it is necessary to consider whether the
words are correctly translated. Various other renderings have been
proposed, taking Elohim as the subject or predicate of the clause instead
of as a vocative, {a) God is thy throne: i.e. thy kingdom is founded
upon God. In support of this are quoted such phrases as "Jehovah is
my refuge and my fortress" (xci. 2), or, "The eternal God is thy
dwelling-place" (Deut. xxxiii. 27). But the expression, to say the
least, would be a strange one. {b) Thy throne is God, i.e. divine.
But though Hebrew uses substantives as predicates in a way which
our idiom does not allow, this particular instance seems scarcely ad-
missible. (^) Thy throne [is the throne of] God (R.V. marg.). It is
a disputed point whether this rendering is grammatically legitimate;
but good authorities decide in the affirmative. It gives an excellent
sense, and if the text is to be retained is the most satisfactory ex-
planation of it. The theocratic king occupied the earthly throne of
Jehovah as His representative (i Chr. xxviii. 5; xxix. 23), ruling by
His power (i Kings iii. 28), and in His Name; and the justice of this
king's government {6b, 7) stamps him as a worthy representative of
Jehovah.
(3) Various emendations have been suggested, for the most part in-
troducing a verb to give the sense, God hath established thy throne. The
most ingenious is that of Bruston, who supposes that the Elohistic editor
misread YHVH, Jehovah, for YHYH, shall be, and according to his
usual custom substituted Elohim. Thy throne shall be for ever and ever
would be an echo of the promise in 2 Sam. vii. 16 b.
Whatever may be the precise rendering, there can be little doubt that
the words contain a reference to the promise of eternal dominion to the
house of David, which was fulfilled in Christ. See 2 Sam. vii. 13, 16;
Ps. Ixxxix; cp. xxi. 4; Ixxii. 5.
vv. 6, 7 are quoted in Heb. i. 8, 9. " It is commonly supposed that
the force of the quotation lies in the Divine title (6 6e6s) which, as it is
held, is applied to the Son. It seems however from the whole form of
the argument to lie rather in the description which is given of the Son's
office and endowment. The angels are subject to constant change. He
has a dominion for ever and ever; they work through material powers,
PSALM XLV, 7, 8. 249
The sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wicked-
ness
Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee
With the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
All thy garments s/nell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, 8
— —
He the Incarnate Son fulfils a moral sovereignty and is crowned with
unique joy. Nor could the reader forget the later teaching of the Psalna
on the Royal Bride and the Royal Race. In whatever way then 6 debs
be taken, the quotation establishes the conclusion which the writer
wishes to draw as to the essential difference of the Son and the angels."
Bp. Westcott in loc.
the sceptre &c.] R.V. rightly, A sceptre of equity is the sceptre of
thy kingdom. The sceptre is the symbol of royal authority; and the
authority of the true king, like that of Jehovah, is exercised in righteous-
ness and equity. Cp. Ixvii. 4; Ixxxix. 14 with Is. ix. 7; xi. 4ff; Ps.
Ixxii. 2 if, 12 ff, and numerous passages in which righteousness is named
as a fundamental attribute of God and an indispensable characteristic of
His true representative on earth.
7. Thou lovest &c.] Or, as R.V., Thou hast loved righteousness,
and hated wickedness. "I have loved justice and hated iniquity, and
therefore I die in exile " were the last memorable words of Gregory VII,
Milman, iY/j-/. ^ ZflA Christianity, iv. 138.
therefore'] The willing conformity of the king to the will of God is
rewarded with special tokens of His favour.
God, thy God] The rendering, O God, thy God is unquestionably
wrong. God, thy God in the Elohistic Psalms is the equivalent of
Jehovah thy God elsewhere. Cp. xliii. 4 1. 7.
;
hath anoitited thee &c.] The reference is not to anointing as the

symbol of consecration to the office of king, but to the use of oil on
occasions of festivity (xxiii. 5; civ. 15). Thus 'the oil of gladness' is
contrasted with mourning (Is. Ixi. 3: cp. 2 Sam. xii. 20; xiv. 2). The
rejoicings of the marriage festival are meant. Cp. Cant. iii. 11.
thy fellotus] Other kings, to none of whom has equal happiness been
granted. Cp. Ixxxix. 271^.
8. The bridegroom appears, arrayed for the marriage, his garments
saturated with costly perfumes, brought from distant lands. Myrrh was
a product of Arabia aloes here denotes the perfumed wood of an Indian
:
tree: cassia (a different word from that so translated in Ex. xxx. 24;
Ezek. xxvii. 19, and found here only) was either a species of cinnamon,
or the koost of India, Indian orris or costus. Myrrh and aloes are
mentioned together in Cant. iv. 14 among chief spices.
Prof. Earle notes that "these English spice-names are all identical
with the words in the Hebrew; for with these oriental spices their
oriental names travelled westward, and they became through Greek and
Latin the common property of the European languages." Psalter of
1539. P- 285.
: ;
2 50 PSALM XLV. 9, 10.
Out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
9 Kings' daughters 7tiere among thy honourable women
Upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
10 Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear
Forget also thine own people, and thy father's house;
otit of the ivory palaces, where^^j they have made thee glad'\ An
impossible rendering. Translate with R.V., out of ivory palaces
stringed instruments have made thee glad. Music greets the bride-
groom as he enters the palace. Palaces ornamented with ivory, probably
inlaid in panels, are mentioned in i Kings xxii. 39; Am. iii. 15. Cp.
I Kings X. 18, 22; Cant. v. 14; vii. 4; Am. vi. 4; Ezek. xxvii. 6,
15. Homer {OJ. iv. 72) speaks of
Echoing halls
Of gold, electron, silver, ivory,
in the palace of Menelaus. Vergil {Aen. x. 135 ff.) and Horace {Odes II.
18. 2) mention the use of ivory for inlaying.
9. Kings' daughters are among thy honourable women:
At thy right hand doth stand the queen in gold of Ophir
(R.V.).
An Oriental monarch prided himself on the number and nobility of
the wives in his harem, and some at least of the Jewish monarchs were
no exception to the rule (i Kings xi. 3; Cant. vi. 8). It may seem
strange that such a degradation of the true ideal of marriage should find
place in a Psalm which opens up such lofty thoughts and hopes. But the
Psalm reflects the actual facts and customs of the age it is not intended :
to depict a perfect state of things. One of the wives takes precedence

of the rest and occupies the place of honour (i Kings ii. 19) at the king's
right hand. It is implied that this place is reserved for the new bride
whom the poet now turns to address. The verse is a general descrip-
tion of the king's state, for the bride has not yet been brought in {v. 14);
or is the poet anticipating? Gold of Ophir was the choicest gold
(i Kings ix. 28; x. ii Job xxii. 24; xxviii. 16), but where Ophir was
;
is not known. Most probably it was in S. Arabia or India.

10 — 12. The poet addresses the bride, counselling her to forget her
old home and surrender herself with complete devotion to her husband,
and describing the honours which await her.
10. Hearken, daughter'] The Psalmist adopts the tone of an
authoritative teacher and uses language resembling that of the Wise
Man to his disciples in the opening chapter of Proverbs (i. 8, and
frequently). The exhortation seems strange until it is remembered that
the marriage was probably a matter of state policy, and that the bride
would not even have seen her future husband.
forget &c.] Cast no lingering looks of regret behind, but adapt thy-
self to the new home and new conditions. Perhaps, as the Targ.
suggests, there may be a special reference to religious beliefs and
customs. It has been thought that Pharaoh's daughter embraced
PSALM XLV. II— 14. 251
So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty "

For he is thy Lord and worship thou him.
;
And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift 12
Even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.
The is all glorious within
king's daughter 13
Her of wrought gold.

clothing is
She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needle- m
work
Judaism, as Egyptian deities are not mentioned among those for which
Solomon made high places. See Lumby on i Kings iii. i.
11. So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty'] Omit greatly,
ivorship thou hini\ Better, do lum homage not necessarily in the
:
literal sense of prostrating herself before him (i Sam. xxv. 41 ; i Kings

i. 16, 31), but by shewing him befitting respect and submission. This
exhortation, and the title lordlox husband (cp. Gen. xviii. 12) reflect the
subordinate position of women in ancient times and Oriental countries.
Yet see also 1 Pet. iii. 5, 6. The rendering of P.B.V., for he is thy
Lord God, follows the Vulg. But God is not in the LXX, and was no
doubt a gloss in accordance with the Messianic interpretation.
12. The words shall be there are not in the Heb., and it has been
proposed to render, And, daughter of Tyre, with a gift shall the rich
of the people intreat thy favour, making the bride a Tyrian princess.
But apart from other objections, the daughter of Tyre should mean,
according to the analogy of the similar phrases, dajighter of Zion,
daughter of Babylon, not an individual Tyrian woman, but the city and
people of Tyre personified as a woman and the A.V. no doubt gives
:
the sense correctly, though some verb has probably been lost. The
express mention of the wealthy merchant city of Tyre as the representa-
tive of the neighbouring nations which would send their greetings to the
new queen is most naturally accounted for if the Psalm refers to Solomon,
who was in close alliance with Tyre.
even the rich &c.] Render, Yea, the richest of people: i.e. as the
LXX paraphrases, the people of the earth; or -pexhsips, of the land wealthy
:
nobles of the country as well as foreigners.
13 — 15. Description of the bride adorned for her husband,

13. The king's daughter within (the palace) is all glorious
Her clothing is inwrought with gold. (R.V.)
The bride is described in all the splendour of her bridal attire.
Within the palace, or in the inner part of the palace, may refer to
her old home, the Psalmist by poetical licence ignoring intervals of time
and place; but, more probably, to the house in Jerusalem to which she
had been brought, and from which she is now to be conducted in state to
the king's palace {vv. 14, 15).
14. In raiment of embroidery shall she be conducted to the king,
in solemn and stately procession, accompanied by a train of attendants
such as befits a king's daughter. Cp. Esth. ii. 9. For mention of
: :
252 PSALM XLV. 15—17.
The virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought

unto thee.
'S With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought
They shall enter into the king's palace.
16 Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children,
Whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.
17 I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations
Therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.
embroidery cp. Ex. xxviii. 39; Judg. v. 30; &c. Other but less
probable renderings are, on tapestry or carpets of divers colours, or, into
tapestry-curtained chambers.
15. shall they be broughf] Shall they be conducted, as in v. 14.
The procession which conducted the bride to her new home was an
important part of the marriage ceremony, and was always accompanied
with songs and music and dancing and every mark of rejoicing. See
I Mace ix. 37 ff. "The children of Jambrin made a great marriage, and
were bringing the bride from Nadabath with a great escort, inasmuch as
she was the daughter of one of the great nobles of Canaan And there
was much ado, and a great train of baggage; and the bridegroom came
forth with his friends and his brethren to meet them, with drums and
instruments of music and many weapons."
16, 17. Concluding wishes and anticipations addressed to the king.

16. Instead of thy fathers &c.] The wish does not, as is sometimes
said, imply a long line of royal ancestors, and therefore exclude the
reference of the Psalm to Solomon, but rather the reverse. If he cannot
boast of a long ancestry, may he at least be famous for a numerous and
distinguished posterity.
7vho?n thou mayest &c.] Better, -whom thou shalt make princes in all
the earth (R.V.). We might render in all the land, and compare Solo-
mon's governors (i Kings iv. 7 ff.), and the 'princes of the provinces' in
the Northern Kingdom (i Kings xx. 14, 15), and Rehoboam's settlement
of his sons in different fortified cities (2 Chron. xi. 23). But the refer-
ence to subject and allied peoples {vv. 5, 17) makes it probable that in
all the earth is right. Cp. ii. 8 Ixxii. 8 ff.
;
17. The poet's song will perpetuate the memory of the king and ;
that not in Israel only, but among other peoples (Ixxii. 17).
therefore shall the people praise thee'] Therefore shall the peoples
praise thee, or (R.V.) give thee thanks a word commonly applied to
:
God (xlii. 5, II xliii. 4, 5; and often), rarely to men (Gen. xlix. 8; Ps.
;
xlix. 18). Solomon's name is remembered while the names of monarchs

far more powerful from a worldly point of view have been forgotten,
because God had made him His representative and the head of His
visible kingdom upon earth, the type of His perfect representative who
should come to establish His universal kingdom among men,
PSALM XLVI. 253
PSALM XLVI.
Psalms connected. They form a trilogy
xlvi, xlvii, xlviii, are closely
of praise, in which some signal deliverance of Jerusalem from foreign
enemies is celebrated. In Ps. xlvi the leading idea is the Presence of
Jehovah in the midst of His city and people as the ground of their con-
fidence in Ps. xlvii it is the universal Sovereignty of Jehovah as the
:
King of all the earth, of which the recent defeat of Zion's enemies is an
illustration in Ps. xlviii it is the Safety of Zion, the result and the
:
proof of God's presence in her midst.

These Psalms cannot be merely general expressions of confidence in
Jehovah as the protector of Zion. They plainly owe their origin to
some definite historical event. The Psalmist writes as the represent-
ative of those who have recently passed through some terrible crisis of
anxiety, who have seen with their own eyes a signal manifestation of
God's power on behalf of His people, comparable to Plis mighty works
of old time, and who have recognised in the course of events the proof
not only of Jehovah's love for His own people but of His universal
sovereignty.
The miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the army of Sen-
nacherib in the reign of Hezekiah (B.C. 701) may be assigned as the
occasion of these Psalms, with a probability which approaches cer-
tainty.
Hezekiah had asserted his independence of Assyria, and Sennacherib
had come to chastise his rebellious vassal. The exact course of events
is obscure, but it appears that Sennacherib after ravaging Judah com-
pelled Hezekiah to make a humble submission and pay a heavy

indemnity, without however requiring the surrender of Jerusalem
(2 Kings xviii. 13 —
16). But reflection quickly convinced him that it
would be imprudent to leave behind him such a strong fortress as
Jerusalem in the hands of a vassal of such doubtful loyalty as Hezekiah,
while he marched on into Egypt, and therefore while he was besieging
Lachish with the main body of his army, he sent a force under the
command of his chief officers, the Tartan and the Rabsaris and the
Rabshakeh, to demand the surrender of Jerusalem. It was an anxious
moment. A refusal seemed certain to ensure condign chastisement
when Sennacherib returned victorious from his Egyptian campaign.
Jerusalem would share the fate which had befallen Samaria twenty-one
years before. But relying upon Jehovah's promise to defend His city,
communicated through the prophet Isaiah, Hezekiah refused the demand,
and Sennacherib's envoys returned to their master, who was now be-
sieging Libnah. Gladly no doubt he would have inflicted a summary
vengeance on his defiant vassal. But Tirhakah's army was already on
the march, and all that Sennacherib could do was to threaten. His
letter to Hezekiah was a contemptuous denial of Jehovah's power to
defend Jerusalem. Hezekiah took it to the Temple, and "spread it
before Jehovah," appealing to Him to confute these blasphemies, and
vindicate His claim to be the living God. Then it was that Isaiah
uttered that sublime prophecy in which he declared that Sennacherib's
254 PSALM XLVI.
pride was doomed to be humbled, and that Jerusalem would be pre-

served inviolate.
And so it came to pass. A sudden and mysterious visitation de-
stroyed Sennacherib's army. Unable to face Tirhakah, he returned to
Assyria, leaving Jerusalem unharmed.
A deliverance so marvellous, so strikingly verifying Isaiah's pro-
phecy, and so visibly demonstrating the will and power of Jehovah
to defend His people, could not fail to make a deep impression, and
must have evoked the most heartfelt expressions of thanksgiving and
praise (cp. Is. xxx. 29). And when we mark the numerous coincidences
of thought and language between these Psalms and the prophecies of
Isaiah, we can scarcely doubt that some of the noblest of these thanks-
givings have been preserved to us in these Psalms.
Details will be found in the notes: here it may be sufficient to call
attention to some of the broader features of resemblance. The leading
thought of Ps. xlvi, expressed in the refrain (vv. 7, 11), is the echo of
Isaiah's great watchword Immanuel (Is. vii. 14; viii. 8, 10; cp. Mic.
iii. 11). The truth of the universal sovereignty of Jehovah, the assur-
ance that God 'our King' is the King of all the earth, which is the
prominent idea of Ps. xlvii (cp. xlviii. 2), is implicitly contained, if not
so explicitly expressed, in the teaching of Isaiah (vi. 5; xxxvii. 22 ff.).
The inviolability of Zion, the dwelling-place of Jehovah, which is the
theme of Ps. xlviii, is a fundamental principle of Isaiah's message in
the reign of Hezekiah (xxix. 3 ff. xxxi. 5; &c.).
;
Proof is of course impossible, but these Psalms will gain vastly in

vividness and reality if they are studied in close connexion with the pro-
phecies of Isaiah, as the expression of the gratitude and the hopes which
animated the noblest spirits in Jerusalem at that critical moment of the
nation's history. If not written by Isaiah himself, as some commen-
tators have thought, they must at least have been written by one of
Isaiah's disciples who was deeply penetrated with the spirit and
language of his master's prophecies.
Pss. Ixxv, Ixxvi in the Asaphite collection probably refer to the same
event, and should be compared.
A brief mention of two rival theories is all that is necessary,
(i) Delitzsch adopts the view that the occasion of these Psalms was the
discomfiture of the confederate forces of the Moabites Ammonites and
Edomites, who invaded Judah in the reign of Jehoshaphat (2 Chr. xx).
Jahaziel, an Asaphite Levite, foretold their defeat. The army marched
out with Korahite singers at its head. The arms of the invaders were
turned against one another, and in the neighbourhood of Tekoa their
forces were annihilated. The victory was celebrated first in the valley
of Beracah, and then by a triumphal thanksgiving procession to the
Temple. A deep impression was produced upoii surrounding nations
by the report of the victory. This view however is improbable, for
(a) upon that occasion Jerusalem was not directly threatened, and
\l>) it fails to account for the connexion of the Psalms with Isaiah's pro-
phecies. That the prophet is copying the Psalmist is unlikely.

(2) Others have found an appropriate occasion in the attack of the
confederate forces of Pekah and Rezin upon Judah in the reign of Ahaz,
PSALM XLVI. I, 2. 255
mainly on the ground of resemblances to Isaiah's prophecies of that

period. But inasmuch as Ahaz had refused to trust Jehovah and faith-
lessly appealed to Assyria for help, the retreat of the invaders can have
been no occasion for thanksgivings like these Psalms, which ascribe
Judah's deliverance wholly to the goodness of Jehovah.
Ps. xlvi consists of three equal stanzas, each followed by a Sclah.
The second and third end with a refrain (vv. 7, 11), which may per-
haps have originally stood at the close of the first also. Comp. Pss.
xlii, xliii. In the first stanza the primary truth that God is the refuge
of His people is presented as the truest ground for fearless confidence
(i— 3) the second refers to the specific illustration of this truth ex-
:
hibited in the recent deliverance of Zion (4—7) the third treats this
:
manifestation of Jehovah's power as the earnest and pledge of His final

supremacy over all the nations (8 11). —
Luther's famous hymn, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, " the battle-
song of the Reformation," is based upon this Psalm. See Wink-
worth's Christian Singers of Germany, p. no.
To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.
God is our refuge and strength, 46

A very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, 3
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the

sea;
The title should be rendered as in R.V., For the Chief Musician; (a

Psalm) of the sons of Korah set to Alamoth. A song. Aldmoth
;
means damsels (Ixviii. -25), and the phrase set to Aldmoth, which is
applied in i Chr. xv. 20 to instruments, probably denotes that the music
of the Ps. was intendedwomen's voices (cp. Ixviii. ir, note).
for
The Ancient Versions were entirely at fault as to the meaning. The
LXX renders hi:lp tlov Kpvtplwv, 'concerning secret things,' Vulg. pro
occultis: Symm. virlp rdv alioviuv, 'concerning eternal things': Aq. iwl
veavioT7]Twv, and similarly Jer., pro iuventtitibus, 'for youth.'
1 —
3. Secure under His protection God's people have nothing to
fear, even though the solid earth were convulsed, and rent asunder.
1. The prayer of Is. xxxiii. 1, "Be thou their arm every morning,
our salvation also in the time of trouble," has been answered. In the
extremity of their distress, God has proved Himself the refuge and
strength of His people. He has verified the prophecies of Isaiah, who
bade them trust in Him alone, and denounced the popular policy of an
alliance with Egypt as "a refuge of lies." Cp. Is. xxviii. 15, 17 xxx. 1. ;
a very present help in trouble'] Lit., a help in distresses hath he let

himself be found exceedingly. The words are not merely a general state-
ment, but an appeal to recent experience. For 'let himself be found'
cp. 2 Chr. XV. 2, 4, 15; Jer. xxix. 14.
2. Therefore will we not fear, though earth should change,
And the mountains be moved into the heart of the seas.
!
256 PSALM XLVI. 3, 4.
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,

Though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.
Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the

city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
Cp. Horace's description of the dauntlessness of the just man {Odes III.
3-7).
Si fractus illabatur orbis,
Impavidum ferient ruinae.
The words are to be understood literally (Is. liv. 10), and not metapho-
rically, as "a vivid sketch of utter confusion, dashed in with three or
four bold strokes, an impossible case supposed in order to bring out the
unshaken calm of those who have God for ark in such a deluge"
(Maclaren). At the same time they suggest the thought of the upheaval
and commotion of the nations, and {v. 3) the flood of invasion beating
against mount Zion and threatening to overwhelm it. Cp. v. 6; Is.
xvii. 12, 13.
3. As the text stands this verse must be treated, as in the A.V. and
R.V., as a continuation of z^. 2. But the symmetrical structure of the
Ps., resembling that of Pss. xlii —
xliii, makes it probable that the refrain
{vv. 7, 11) has been lost. If it is restored, we may render:

Let tlie waters thereof rage and foam
Let the mountains quake at the proud swelling thereof!
Jehovah of hosts is with us,
The God of Jacob is our high fortress.
Be all around us never so threatening, we are secure in the presence
and protection of Jehovah. For the 'proud swelling' of the sea cp.
Ixxxix. 9.
4 — 7. The Presence of God the joy and security of His people.

4. In contrast to the tumultuous sea threatening to engulf the solid
mountain, is the river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God.
The gently flowing river, fertilising all the land over which it is distri-
buted in channels and rivulets, is an emblem of Jehovah's Presence,
blessing and gladdening His city. Abundant irrigation is indispensable
in Palestine. Cp. i. 3; Is. xxx. 25. The figure reminds us of Is. viii.
6, where "the waters of Shiloah that go softly" are the emblem of the
Divine government, and "the waters of the River great and many" are
the emblem of the power of Assyria ; and again of Is. xxxiii. 21, where
Jehovah is compared to a mighty river encircling and protecting His city.
the city of Godi Cp. xlviii. i, 8; Ixxxvii. 3; ci. 8; Is. Ix. 14; Heb.
xii. 22 ; Rev. iii. 12.
the holy place &c.] Better, the holy dwelling place of the Most
High. Cp. xliii. 3, note. The title Most High is significant. By His
deliverance of His own city He has proved Himself the supreme Ruler
PSALM XLVI. 5—7. 257
God is in the midst of her ; she shall not be moved ;
God shall help her, afid that right early.

The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved :
<
He uttered his voice, the earth melted.

The Lord of hosts is with us ;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
of the world, refuting the self-deifying pretensions of Sennacherib (Is.

xxxvi. 20; xxxvii. 4, lofF., 23, 35; cp. xiv. 13, 14). Cp. Ps. vii. 17, and
for the usage of this title see Appendix, Note ii.
6. God is 171 the midst of her] Cp. Is. xii. 6 and Mic. iii. 11, where
;
we learn how this watchword was abused by those who saw in the
Presence of God a pledge of protection but no call to holiness.
she shall not be moved] More stable than the solid mountains (z'. 2)
more secure than the kingdoms of the earth (z/. 6).
and that right early] Better, when the mom appeareth, when the
dawn of deliverance succeeds the night of distress (v. 3 ; xxx. 5) but :
not without a special reference to the morning when they rose to find
Sennacherib's army destroyed (Is. xxxvii. 36), and a reminiscence of the
Exodus, where the same phrase is used (Ex. xiv. 27).
6. —
The heathen raged] Or, the nations roared ; a word commonly
used of the tumultuous noise of a multitude or an army (Ixxxiii. 2; Is.
xvii. 12). The same words {roared.. auere moved), which were used in
vv. 2, 3 of convulsions of the earth, are applied to commotions among
the nations; but the change of tense shews that while vv. 2, 3 are hypo-
thetical, V. 6 refers to an actual experience.
he tittered his voice] God has but to speak with His voice of thunder,
and earth melts in terror: its inhabitants with all their proud Titanic
boastings are dissolved. Cp. Is. xxix. 6; xxx. 30 f; Ex. xv. 15; Am.
ix. 5 ; Ps. Ixxv. 3; Ixxvi. 8. The rhythm of short abrupt clauses with-
out a conjunction recalls that of Ex. xv. 9, 10.
7. The refrain corresponds to Isaiah's watchword Immaiiuel, 'God
is with us' (Is. vii. 14; viii. 8, 10). The name Jehovah is retained (or
has been restored) here even in the Elohistic collection in the familiar
title Jehovah of hosts. This great title Jehovah Tsebdoth or 'Lord
of hosts' was characteristic of the regal and prophetic period. Originally
it may have designated Jehovah as "the God of the armies of Israel"
(i Sam. xvii. 45), Who went forth with His people's hosts to battle
(xliv. 9; Ix. 10). But as the phrase "host of heaven" was used for the
celestial bodies (Gen. ii. i), and celestial beings (i Kings xxii. 19), the
meaning of the title was extended to designate Jehovah as the ruler of
the heavenly powers, the supreme Sovereign of the universe. Hence
one of the renderings of it in the LXX is Ki'-pios iravTOKpaTwp, Lord
Almighty, or rather, Lord All-Sovereign. See add. note on i Sam.,
p. 235. The title is a favourite one with Isaiah, and its use here is
significant. He whose command all the hosts of heaven obey is Israel's
ally. Cp. 2 Kings vi. 16 ff.
the God of Jacob] A title suggesting the thought of Jehovah's provi-
PSALMS 17
:
2S8 PSALM XLVI. 8— ii.

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
What desolations he hath made in the earth,
9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth ;
He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder;
He burneth the chariot in the fire.
lo Be still, and know that I am God
I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in
the earth.
IT The Lord of hosts is with us ;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
dential care for the great ancestor of the nation, a thought upon which
Hosea dwells (xii. 2 ff.).
our reftige]Or, our high fo7-tress: the same word as that in ix. 9;
xviii. 2; 3; Is. xxxiii. 16.
xlviii. Cp. the use of the cognate verb in xx.
I, "The Name of the God of Jacob set thee up on high."
8^11. An exhortation to reflect upon this marvellous deliverance
and learn its lesson.
8. Come, behold'\ The invitation is addressed to all (Is. xxxiii. 13),
but especially to the nations, who are bidden (v. 10) to take warning'
from the sight. They are not merely to "see the works of Jehovah"
(Ixvi. 5), but to behold them; to gaze upon them with discerning
insight.
the Lord] Some MSS. read God; but LXX, Targ., Jer., support
the text. The name Jehovah may have been retained as significant in
relation to foreign enemies.
what desolations &c.] Rather, who liath set desolations, or, astonish-
ments. It is possible, as Lagarde thought, that the LXX
represents
another reading, wonders (Jer. xxxii. 20).
9. The destruction of the Assyrians is an earnest of that final aboli-
tion of war which Jehovah will one day bring about, destroying the
weapons of war, or burning them in a vast pyre upon the battlefield,
as Isaiah predicted (ix. 5, R.V.). Cp. Is. ii. 4 ( = Mic. iv. 3); Zech.
ix. 10.
the chariot] R.V. the chariots. The word however is nowhere
used of war chariots, and must rather mean baggage-wagons (cp. i Sam.
xvii. 20; xxvi. 7). Perhaps, as Baethgen proposes, the word should be
vocalised 'agtloth instead of 'agdloth, and rendered as in and LXX
Targ., shields.
10. Jehovah speaks, admonishing the nations to desist from their
vain endeavour to destroy His people, and bidding them recognise Him
as the true God, who will manifest His absolute supremacy. Cp. Is.
xxxiii. 10; Ex. xiv. 4, 17, 18; Ps. ii. 10.
11. The refrain with its triumphant chorus of faith and gratitude
forms an appropriate conclusion.
PSALM XLVII. I. 259
PSALM XLVII,
This Psalm is an expansion of the thought of Ps.
xlvi. lo. Zion's
King the true 'great King' (xlviii. 2), the King of all the earth.
is All
nations are summoned to pay homage to the God who has proclaimed
and proved His supremacy by His recent triumph over the heathen.
The occasion of the Psalm was probably the same as that ot Pss. xlvi
and xlviii, though the allusions to the circumstances are less definite,
and the resemblances to the prophecies of Isaiah are less marked than
in those Psalms. But it celebrates a recent victory, after which God,
who had 'come down' to fight for His people (Is. xxxi. 4), had 'ascended
up' in triumph to heaven {v. 5). The discomfiture of Sennacherib
was precisely such a triumph ; a lesson, as Isaiah repeatedly implies,
to the nations not less than to Judah, of Jehovah's supreme sovereignty.
The similarity of the Psalm to Pss. xciii, xcvi xcix, has led many —
commentators to connect it with the Return from Exile. There seems
however to be scarcely sufficient reason for separating it from the
Psalms between which it stands, and with both of which it has links of
connexion.
regarded as a Messianic Psalm, inasmuch as it looks for-
It is rightly
ward to the submission of all the nations of the world to Jehovah as
their King; and it has naturally, on account of v. 5, been used from
ancient times as a special Psalm for Ascension Day. Not that z'. 5 is a
prophecy of the Ascension ; the context makes it plain that it cannot be
so regarded. But the words originally spoken of Jehovah's return to
His throne in heaven (as we speak) after His triumph over the deadly
enemies of His people, may be legitiniately applied to the return of
Christ to heaven after His triumph over sin and death, to take His seat
upon His throne of glory at the right hand of God.
It is the New Year's Day Psalm of the Synagogue, recited seven
times previous to the blowing of the Trumpets, which marked that
festival (Num. xxix. i).
The Psalm consists of three stanzas
i. An universal summons to praise Jehovah, the King of all the
earth,
ii.
who has chosen Israel to be His people (i 4).
A repeated summons to sing His praises, in view of
— the recent
manifestation of His sovereignty (5
iii.
7). —
The ultimate realisation of that sovereignty in the homage of the
princes of the nations (8, 9).
To the chief Musician, A Psalm for

f the sons of Koiah.
O clap jour hands, all ye people 47
1 — 4. A summons to all nations to acknowledge Jehovah as their

King. He has proved His sovereignty by subjecting the nations to His
own people and assigning to it the choicest land for its inheritance.
1.all ye people] Render all ye peoples, here and in vv. 3, ga. It
isthe nations of the world who are addressed. They are summoned to
salute Jehovah, as a new king was saluted on his accession, with clapping
17 2
; :
26o PSALM XLVII. 2—4.
Shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

2 For the Lord most High is terrible
He is a great King over all the earth.
3 He shall subdue the people under us,
And the nations under our feet.
4 He shallchoose our inheritance for us,
The excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
of hands (2 Kings xi. 12) and shouting (i Sam. x. 24). Cp. Num. xxiii.
21, where "the shout of a king" means the shout with which Israel
celebrates the Presence of Jehovah in its midst as a victorious king.
triumpli\ The cognate verb is used in xx. 5 of the joyous shouting
which welcomes the victorious king.
2. We may also render as in R.V. marg.,
For the LORD is most bigli (and) terrible,
or better still,
For Jehovali, the Most High, the terrible.

Is a great King over all the earth,
for the universal sovereignty of Jehovah is the prominent thought of the
Psalm. He is not merely King of Israel {v. 6) but King of all the earth
{v. 7). It is to Him that the title 'great King,' so arrogantly assumed
by the king of Assyria (Is. xxxvi. 4), really belongs. This verse links
together xlvi. 4 and xlviii. 2. For the epithet 'terrible' cp. Ixxvi. 7, 12;
Ex. XV. 11; Deut. vii. 21; x. 17.
3, 4. It is difficult to decide what is the exact force of the tenses in
these verses. The most probable rendering (see Driver's Tenses, §§ 83 f.,
173) appears to be either (i), He subdued the peoples under us. .He chose
.
our inheritance for us referring to the settlement of Israel in Canaan

;
as a proof of the universal sovereignty of Jehovah (Deut. xxxii. 8 ; Ex.

xix. 5): or (2), He hath subdued... hath chosen; referring to the recent
triumph by which He had once more driven out the enemies of His
people from the land, and proved that He had chosen it for their
inheritance. The first explanation is preferable, for the second requires
a somewhat forced sense to be given to hath chosen, which can hardly be
justified even by Is. xiv. i, Zech. i. 17. Less satisfactory are the
renderings subdtieth...chooseth (R.V. marg.), expressing a general truth,
though not perhaps without reference to its illustration by recent events
and shall subdue... shall choose, or may he subdue... may he choose.
Za appears to be a reminiscence of xviii. 47.
oiir hiheritance\ The common word for Canaan as the possession
destined for Jehovah's firstborn son Israel (Ex. xv. 17; Deut. iv. 21, 38;
Jer. iii. 19; &c.).
the excellency] Better, the pride of J., the land on which Israel
prided itself. So the Temple is called "the pride of your power,"
Ezek. xxiv. 21.
whom he loved\ Jehovah's love, not Israel's merit, was the ground
of the choice. Cp. Deut. iv. 37 ; Mai. i. 1. R.V. marg. lovcth is a less
suitable rendering.
:
PSALM XLVII. 5—9. 261
God is gone up with a shout, :
The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

Sing praises to God, sing praises i
^\xvg praises unto our King, s\ng praises.

For God is the King of all the earth : ;
Sing ye praises with understanding.

God reigneth over the heathen : 1
God sitteth upon the throne of his hoHness.

The princes of the people are gathered together, <
5 — 7. A renewed summons to celebrate Jehovah's sovereignty.

5. God
is gone ttp\ He must therefore have previously 'come down.'
God said to ' come down when He manifests His presence by active
is '
interposition in the affairs of the world. (Gen. xi. 5, 7; Is. xxxi. 4;

Ixiv. 1,3). He
is said to ' go up,' when, His work over, He as it were
returns to heaven (Ixviii. r8). The triumphal procession, carrying up
(at least in ancient times) the Ark which was the symbol of God's pre-
sence to the Temple which was the symbol of heaven, and celebrating
the victory which He had won for them with shouts and blowing of
trumpets, was the outward and visible emblem of this ' ascension,' and
suggests the form of the expression here.Cp. 2 Sam. vi. 15.
6. Sing praises] The verb from which 77nzmdr, 'a psalm,' is
derived. See Introd. p. xvii.
7. with undcrstanding\ So the LXX, Vulg., and Jer. But better
as R.V. marg., in a skilful psalm, Heb. Maschil. See Introd. p. xviii.
8. 9. The final realisation of Jehovah's sovereignty over the world.

8. God hath proclaimed himself king over the nations,
God hath taken his seat upon his holy throne.
The verbs express not merely a fact but an act. God was King, but
He has given fresh proof of it. He has caused Himself to be acknowledged
King, and taken His seat upon His throne to judge and rule (ciii. 19).
Cp. Rev. xi. 15.
9. In the spirit of prophecy the Psahnist beholds the realisation of
the hope expressed m v. i. The nations acknowledge Jehovah's
sovereignty. Cp. cii. 22. As the representatives of the nations which
they rule, the princes of the peoples are gathered together to Jerusalem to
pay homage to Jehovah. The Massoretic text of the next line must be
rendered with R.V., 'To be the people of the God of Abraham' : a bold
phrase, reaching the very climax of Messianic hope, and hardly paralleled
elsewhere. For though the nations are frequently spoken of as attaching
themselves to Israel in the worship of Jehovah (Is. ii. 2 ff xi. 10; Ivi.
;
6ff.; Ix. 3ff.; Zech. viii. 2off. &c. &c.), they are not called "the people
;
of God." This title is reserved for Israel, and only in the N.T. are the
promises made to Israel extended to the Gentiles (Rom. ix. 25). Yet
see Is. xix. 25, where Egypt receives the title 'my people.' The ren-
dering of R.V. marg. 'Unto the people,'' is scarcely legitimate. It is
262 PSALM XLVIII. I.
Even the people of the God of Abraham :
For the shields of the earth belong unto God :
He is greatly exalted.
however to be noted that the consonants of the word âm people are ' '
identical with those of 'ivi, 'with,' and the LXX read them as the pre-
position {luith the God of A.). It is a natural conjecture that we should
restore the preposition and render;
The princes of the peoples are gathered together.
Along with the people of the God of Abraham.
the God of Abraham^ The title recalls the promises of blessing to the
nations made through Abraham (Gen. xii. 2 f. &c.).
the shields of the earthy Princes are so called, as the protectors of
their people. Jehovah is their overlord, and they come to acknowledge
their dependence. The title shield is often applied to God, and some-
times to the kings and princes of Israel (Hos. iv. 18; Ps. Ixxxix. 18).
he is greatly exalted'\ Cp. xcvii. 9 ; and, though the Heb. word is
different, xlvi. 10.
PSALM XLVIII.
In the crisis of her uttermost peril Jehovah has proved Himself the
protector of Zion (i 8) —
and the citizens of the rescued city are bidden
:
to deepen their sense of His mercy by reflecting on the marvellousness

of the deliverance vouchsafed to them (9 14). —
The Ps. is the com-
panion and counterpart to Ps. xlvi. There the Presence of God in the
midst of Zion as the guarantee of her safety, here the safety of Zion
which is the result of that Presence, is the leading idea. Reasons have
already been given for believing that the Psalm celebrates the escape of
Jerusalem from Sennacherib's threatened vengeance. It is the work of
an eyewitness of the deliverance it appeals to those who knew from
:
what imminent peril they had been saved. The parallels with Isaiah's
prophecies of the time, especially with ch. xxxiii, written partly before
(i— 12), partly after (13 —
24) the destruction of Sennacherib's host,
should be carefully studied.
This Ps. is appointed as a proper Ps. for Whitsunday. Zion is the
type of the Christian Church, and the Ps. which celebrates the glory of
Zion and her safety under the care of her Divme protector is an appro-
priate Psalm for the festival which is the birthday of the Church.
A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah.
48 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
Title. of the Sons of Korah (R.V.). A Song is

A Song; a Psalm
the general term a Psalm further defines it as intended for instrumental
:
accompaniment. See Introd. p. xviif. The LXX adds, "tor the second
day of the week," and we know from the Mishnah that the Psalm was
PSALM XLVIII. 2. 263
In the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount 2
Zion,
On the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
recited on that day by the Levites in the Temple Services. See Inirod.
p. xxiv.
1, 2. The theme of the Psahn : the greatness of Jehovah and the

glory of His city.
1. greatly to be praised'] The R.V. returns to Coverdale's rendering
(P.B.V.), MgMy to be praised. The same emphatic adverb occurs in
each of the two preceding Pss. God has proved Himself to be an ex-
ceedhigly present help in trouble (xlvi. i); by His triumph over the
nations He is exceedingly exalted (xlvii. 9) ; and therefore He is exceed-
ingly worthy to be praised. Jehovah is the one object of Israel's praise
(Deut. x. 21) :Israel's praises are as it were the throne upon which He
sits (Ps. xxii. 3): the keynote of worship is Hallelujah, praise ye Jah';
'
and the Hebrew title of the Psalter is Tehillim, i.e. Praises, v. 1 a

recurs in cxlv. 3 a.
in the city of our God] Cp. v. 8; xlvi. 4, note.
in the mountain of his holiness] R.V., in Ms holy mountain ; i.e.
Zion, which here and throughout the Psalm {vv. 2, ii, 12) denotes the
whole city, not merely one of the hills on which it was built. Cp. ii. 6,
note. For another possible translation see note on v. 2.
2. Beautifulfor situation] Rather, as R.V., beautiful in elevation.
Cp. 1. 2. "Its elevation," writes Dean Stanley, "is remarkable;
occasioned not from its being on the summit of one of the numerous
hills of Judaea, like most of the towns and villages, but because it
is on the edge of one of the highest tablelands of the country., ..To the
traveller approaching Jerusalem from the west or east, it must always
have presented the appearance... of a mountain city; breathing, as
compared with the plains of Jordan, a mountain air; enthroned, as
compared with Jericho and Damascus, Gaza or Tyre, on a mountain
fastness" {Sinai and Palestine: pp. 170, 171). May not the poet also
have in mind that ideal elevation of which the prophets speak ? e.g.
'
'
Is. 2; Mic. iv. i.

ii.
the joy of the tvhole earth] Lam. ii. 15 combines this phrase with that
of Ps. I. 2. "Is this the city that men called. The perfection of
beauty. The joy of the whole earth?" Cp. Is. Ix. 15.
on the sides of the north] Thus rendered, the words appear to be a
topographical description of the situation of Mount Zion to the north of
the city; or, if we render, on the sides of the north is the citadel of the great
King, a description of the position of the Temple. But ' Mount Zion '
in this Psalm is not a part of the city but the whole city {vv. ir, 12); a
merely topographical description would be frigid in the extreme; the
rendering involves a doubtful construction; and it gives a very inadequate
meaning to the phrase the sides of the north. This phrase occurs else-
where in Is. xiv. 13; Ezek. xxxviii. 6, 15; xxxix. 2; and in all these
:
264 PSALM XLVIII. 3, 4.
3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge.

4 For lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.
passages it means the

recesses or remotest quarters of the north. In Is.
xiv. 13 " the uttermost parts of the north " (R.V.) are mentioned as the
locahty of the sacred mountain, which according to Asiatic mythology
was the abode of the gods. This mountain, corresponding to the
Olympus of the Greeks, was the Meru of the Indians, the Alborg oi\!as
Persians, the Ardlu of the Assyrians and Babylonians. It would seem
that the Psalmist boldly calls Mount Zion the uttermost parts of the north
with reference to this mythological idea. According to this interpreta-
tion vv. I, 2 may be rendered as follows :
Great is Jehovah, and exceeding worthy to be praised,

In the city of our God is Ms holy mountain.
Beautiful in elevation, a joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion,
The uttermost parts of the north, the citadel of the great King.
The sacred mountain of our God is not in the remote recesses of the
north, but in the very midst of the city of His choice. Zion is in
reality all that the Assyrians claim for their fabled mount of the gods.
Their king too may style himself 'great,' but Zion is the citadel of One
Who is He is the King of all the earth
in truth the great King, for
(xlvii. 2, 7). "The
great king" was a title claimed by the king of
Assyria (Is. xxxvi. 4); and the word for 'great' is not that used in
V. I (gddot) but rad, which corresponds to the Assyrian title sa>-ri(
rabbu (Schrader, Ctineif. Inscr. p. 320). 'City' {citadel) is not the
same word as in v. i ('?>), but kirydh, a word which does not occur
again in the Psalter, but is found several times in Isaiah (xxii. 2 xxix. ;
I ; xxxiii. 20). To many commentators it seems inconceivable that

the Psalmist should allude to Assyrian mythology. But a writer of
Isaiah's time might easily have become acquainted with the religious
ideas of the Assyrians, and the author of the Book of Job does not
hesitate to introduce popular mythological ideas. See Prof Davidson's
note on Job xxvi. 12 and cp. Is. xxvii. i.
:
38. —Jehovah's revelation of Himself as Zion's protector in the

recent discomfiture of her enemies.
3. More exactly
God hath made himself known in her palaces for a high fortress.
This verse is commonly connected with vv. i, 2. But vv. i, 2
describe the relation of Zion to Jehovah generally, while v. 3 first
alludes to the recent deliverance, which is further described in vv. 4 ff.
in her palaces'] The stately palaces of Zion which the Assyrians
threatened to plunder and destroy. Cp. v. 13; Mic. v. 5. High fort-
ress (A.V. refuge) is the same word as that in xlvi. 7, 11.
4. For, lo, the kings assembled themselves (R.V.): Sennacherib's
vassal kings (Is. x. 8) met at their rendezvous (cp. Ps. ii. 2): they passed
over together ; uniting their forces they crossed the frontier and entered
the land of Judah. Cp. Is. viii. 7, 8; xxviii. 15. The rendering /)aw,?^
a'cuay (R.V. marg.) is possible but unsuitable, for (i) assembled them-
; :
PSALM XLVIII. 5—9. 265
They saw it, and so they marvelled

They were troubled, and hasted away.
Fear took hold upon them there, 1
And pain, as of a woman in travail.

Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.
As we have heard, so have we seen
In the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God :
God will establish it for ever. Selah.

We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, ,
selvesneeds some further explanation, and (2) it interrupts the order of

the description it is not until they have seen Jerusalem {v. 5) that they
:
disperse in confusion. P.B.V. kings of the earth is from the Vulg.

Cp. Ixxvi. 12.
5. They saw; forthwith they were amazed:
They were dismayed, they made haste to flee.
Caesar's boast, Veni, vidi, vici, was reversed. They came to Zion,
they saw it, they were smitten with panic terror. Cp. Is. xxxiii. 3.
6. Trembling took hold of them there
Pangs, as of a woman in travail.
14, 15; and for the phrase though in a different con-
Cp. Ex. XV.
nexion, Is. xxxiii. 14, "Trembling hath taken hold of the godless."
7.With an east wind
Thou shatterest ships of Tarshish.
As he gazes upon the wreck of the Assyrian enterprise, the poet
apostrophises God with mingled awe and thankfulness. The language
is plainly metaphorical. God's might is irresistible. He shatters the
stately ships of Tarshish with a sudden storm with equal ease He :
annihilates the vast Assyrian army. Cp. Is. xiv. 24 27, noting the —
phrase, "I will break the Assyrian in my land." For the metaphor comp.
Ezek. xxvii. 26, where the fall of Tyre is described as a wreck; and
Is. xxxiii. 23, where Jerusalem in her extremity (or, according to some
commentators, the Assyrian power) is represented as a disabled ship.
The is often employed as
east witid, notorious for its destructiveness,
a symbol of judgement (Job xxvii. 21 ; 8; Jer. xviii. 17); and
Is. xxvii.
ships of Tarshish, —
the largest vessels, such as were employed for the
voyage to Tartessus in the S.W. of Spain (cp. 'East Indiamen') were —
emblems of all that was strong and stately (Is. ii. 16). The alternative
rendering of R.V. marg., 'As with the east zvind that breaketh the
ships of Tarshish,^ is grammatically possible, but less suitable.
8. Experience has confirmed what tradition (cp. xliv. i) related of
God's marvellous works on behalf of His people, and justifies the con-
fidence that He will never cease to guard the city of His choice. Cp.
Ixxxvii. 5; Is. Ixii. 7. But all such anticipations are conditional:
Israel's unfaithfulness made a literal fulfilment impossible.
9 — 14. The lessons of deliverance.
9. We have thought on thy lovingkindness, God, realised it to
;
266 PSALM XLVIII. 10—13.
In the midst of thy temple.

10 According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the
ends of the earth :
Thy right hand is full <?/" righteousness.

" Let mount Zion rejoice,
Let the daughters of Judah be glad,
Because of thy judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, and go round about her : tell the towers
thereof.
13 Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces
ourselves as manifested in this new deliverance, while we ofifered our

thanksgivings in the Temple courts; for there, in the immediate pre-
sence of God, men learn the true significance of events (Ixxiii. 17). It
suits the context less well to render JVe thought on &c., and to under-
stand the words to refer to prayers offered before the great deliverance,
in which past mercies were recalled as a ground of confidence.
10. Accordittg to thy name] As is thy name (R.V.). God's reve-
lation of His power and lovingkindness receives worldwide celebration.
Cp. Is. xxxiii. 13. To other nations beside Judah the destruction of
the great tyrant's army was a cause for rejoicing. Cp. xlvi. 8 ff.; Nah.
iii. 19.
thy right hand is full of righteousness] Ready to be exercised on be-
half of Thy people in judgements on their enemies {v. 11). Cp. Is.
xxxiii. 5.
11. The R.V. assimilates the rendering to that of xcvii. 8, where
the same words recur :
Let mount Zion toe glad,

Let the daughters of Judah rejoice.
The daughters of jFttdah are not the maidens of Judah, though the
fact that women were wont to celebrate victories with dance and song
may have suggested the use of the expression, but the cities of Judah,
which had been captured by Sennacherib (Is. xxxvi. i), and therefore
had special cause for rejoicing at his overthrow. Countiy towns are re-
garded as 'daughters' of the metropolis. Cp. Num. xxi. 25; Josh. xvii.
II, 16 the word for toivns in both cases literally means daitghlers.
;
12 ff. The inhabitants of Jerusalem had been confined within its

walls during the siege: now they can freely walk round, and thankfully
contemplate the safety of the walls and towers and palaces so lately
menaced with destruction. Cp. Is. xxxiii. 20.
tell] count, as in xxii. 17; Gen. xv. 5.
I.e. The retention of the
archaism in R.V. is justifiable for the sake of the connexion with v. 13,
where the same word is used for tell= nar7-ate. But lately the towers
had been counted with a very different object by the Assyrian officers
reconnoitring the city in preparation for the siege (Is. xxxiii. 18).
13. bulwarks] The outer wall or rampart.
consider] Or, as R.V. niarg., traverse. The word occurs here only,
:
PSALM XLVIII. 14. XLIX. 267
That ye may tell it to the generation following.

For this God is our God for ever and ever m
He will be our guide even unto death.
and isof doubtful meaning. But the rendering consider suits the con-
text better. In either case the object is to convince themselves of the
safety of the city. P. B. V. set up is derived from some Jewish autho-
rities.
that ye may tell \'i\ Cp. xxii. 30, 31; xliv. i.
14. For this God &c.] For such is God [Jehovah] our God for ever
and ever. Jehovah is a God who has proved Himself the defender of
His city and people, and will continue to be the same for ever.
he %vill be our guide even unto dcatli] Beautiful as is the thought, He
—
(emphatic He and no other) will be our guide unto death (or, in death,
or, over death), it cannot be legitimately extracted from the present
text, nor would such an expression oi personal i^x'Ca. form a natural con-
clusion to this wholly tiational Psalm. Possibly the words 'al fnilth
(rendered unto death) should be read as one, with different vowels,
old/not h, 'for ever.'
' So the LXX
and Symmachus. Possibly the
words are the remains of a musical direction like that of Ps. ix, 'al
tnuth labben, meaning 'set to the tune of mi'dh,'' or that of Ps. xlvi,
'set Xo'Ald>ndth,'' which has been placed at the end of the Ps. (as in
Hab. iii. 19) instead of at the beginning, as is the rule in the Psalter, or
which has been accidentally transferred from the beginning of Ps. xlix. In
this case the clause he will gicide us seems incomplete, (though he will
save tis in Is. xxxiii. 22 offers an exact parallel), and we must either with
Delitzsch suppose that the concluding words are lost or, with Bickell, ;
Cheyne, and others, transpose words from the first line to the second,
and read For (or. That) such is God [Jehovah] our God: He will guide
us for ever and ever. Cp. Is. xxv. 9.
PSALM XLIX.
The preceding group of Psalms contains an appeal to "all peoples"
to recognise in Jehovah the Ruler of the world in virtue of His mighty
deeds for Israel: this Psalm addresses "all peoples" with a theme of
common interest to all humanity.
The author a moralist. He offers teaching concerning one of those
is
enigmas of life which perplex men and try their faith. Is not wealth
after all the master-force in the world? Must not the poor tremble
before its power and pay court to its splendour? Is not the lot of those
who possess the means of luxurious enjoyment, however selfish, most
enviable ?
The Psalmist's solution of the problem is to point out the limits to
the power of wealth and to its owner's tenure of it. All the wealth in
the world cannot purchase exemption from death ; and it must all be
abandoned when its owner comes to die. Quite briefly the Psalmist
expresses his own faith that righteousness will be finally triumphant
268 PSALM XLIX.
{v. 14), and that God will do for him what all his wealth cannot do for
the rich man (v. 15).
Does he here break through the veil of darkness which rested over the
world beyond for Israel of old, and declare his belief, if not in a resur-
rection, at least in a translation from the gloom of Sheol to a blessed
state of communion with God? This question is a difficult one, but
reasons will be given in the notes for thinking that the Psalmist's view
did not reach beyond the present life, though it contains the germ of
the principle by which men were raised, through sore struggles of faith,
to grasp the hope of eternal life. See also Introd. pp. Ixxv ff.
The theme of the Ps. is akin to that of Pss. xxxvii and Ixxiii. But
while those Psalms treat of the temptations to murmuring and disbelief
which spring from the sight of high-handed wickedness prospering un-
checked, we have here only incidental hints {vv. 5, 14) that the rich
men who are spoken of are oppressors of the poor, or have amassed
their wealth by injustice. They are not expressly condemned as tyran-
nous and oppressive, though no doubt they tended to become so. But
they make a god of their wealth and pride themselves on their magnifi-
cence. Wrapped in a haughty self-satisfaction, they care for nothing
but their own selfish pleasure. What appals the Psalmist is not so
much their wickedness as their worldliness. They ignore God and yet
they prosper. The Psalm reminds us of the parables of the Rich Fool
(Luke xii. 16 ff.) and the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke xvi. 19 ff. ). Its
moral teaching is for all men and ail time. Worldliness and envy are
temptations which do not lose their power. Rich and poor alike con-
stantly need to be reminded that "a man's life consisteth not in the
abundance of the things that he possesseth."
This Ps. is closely connected with the 'Wisdom' or religious philo-
sophy of Israel, which, working side by side with Prophecy, was an
important power in the education of the nation. It contains numerous
parallels of thought and language to the Books of Job and Proverbs.
There is little to determine the date of the Psalm. But it may per-
haps belong to the eighth century B.C., when the existence of great
wealth and great poverty side by side in the reigns of Uzziah and
Jotham could not fail to suggest the problem here discussed. There
seems to be an allusion in z/. ii to the vast estates which are condemned
by Isaiah and Micah. If so, it will be somewhat earlier than Psalms
xlvi— xlviii. The structure of the Ps. is clearly marked. It consists of
an introduction and two equal divisions, each of which is closed by a
refrain.
i. A solemn invitation to listen, addressed to men of every nation,
every rank, and every class, for the theme is one of universal interest
(1-4)-
ii. Why should the power of wealth be feared, though men make a
god of their riches? Wealth cannot save from death: and its owner
must inevitably surrender it when he dies (5 12). —
iii. Sheol is the destination of the richest and most powerful. But
the upright will be finally triumphant and the Psalmist in fellowship
;
with God has a hope which no wealth can purchase. There is nothing to
fear in worldly magnificence, for it is doomed to a speedy end (13 20). —
; ; : :
PSALM XLIX. 1—4. 269
To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.
Hear this, all ye people 49

Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world
Both low and high, s
Rich and poor, together.
My mouth shall speak of wisdom 3
And the meditation of my heart shall be ûnderstanding.
I will incline mine ear to a parable 4
I will open my dark saying upon the harp.
1 4.— Asolemn introduction, addressed to men of every nation and

every class, emphasising the importance of the Psalmist's theme.
1. all ye people] Rather, all ye peoples, as in xlvii. i. All peoples,
all the inhabitants of the world, are summoned to listen, for the theme is
one of universal interest ; it concerns all humanity. It is characteristic
of the 'Wisdom' or religious philosophy of Israel to view the problems
of life in their wider aspect. It treats of man as man, not of Israel as
the chosen people. The first line recalls the opening words of Micah's
prophecy (Mic. i. 2), and the words of his older namesake (i Kings
xxii. 28). For the form of the verse cp. Elihu's words (Job xxxiv. 2).
the world] Apeculiar word, found in this sense only in Ps. xvii. 14.
It denotes the lapse of time, the fleeting age, the world as uncertain and
transitory.
2. Both low and high] So the A.V. rightly paraphrases the Heb.
sons of mankind {dddiii) and sons of men Cish) those whose personality
:
is lost in the common multitude, and those who are individually dis-
tinguished ; plebeians and patricians. Adam corresponds to dvdpuiros,
homo:, Îsh to ovi?/), vir, Cp. iv. 2; Ixii. 9. The P.B.V. (Jiigh and low)
wrongly inverts the meanings.
rich and poor together] The rich that they may recognise the vanity
of riches, and take warning: the poor that they may learn to be con-
tented with their lot, and not to envy the rich.
3. My mouth shall speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart shall be (full of) under-
standing.
The words for wisdoin and tmderstaiidzng are both plural in the
Heb., denoting manifold wisdom and profound insight.
4. The poet receives by revelation what he desires to teach. He
will bend his ear to listen to the voice of God before he ventures
himself to speak to men. Aldshdl, rtn.6.Qitd parable, means (1) primarily
a comparison, (2) a p7-overb, as frequently involving a comparison, (3) a
parable, as the extension of a proverb, (4) a poem, either contemptuous (Is.
xiv. 4) or didactic, as here. Chiddh, denotes {\) an enigma or riddle (Judg.
xiv. 12 f.; I Kings x. i), (2) z. parable or simile (Ezek. xvii. 2), (3) any
profound or obscure titterance, a problem, dark saying. Both words
occur together in Ixxviii. 2; Prov. i. 6; Ezek. xvii. 2. The prosperity
of the godless was one of the great 'enigmas of life' to the pious
;
270 PSALM XLIX. 5—7.
5 Wherefore should the days of evil,

I fear in
When the my
heels shall compass me about
iniquity of ?
6 They that trust in their wealth,
And boast themselves in the multitude of their riches
7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Israelite, demanding a solution which could only be partially given

before the fuller revelation of Christ "brought life and immortality to
light." What he has learned on this perplexing question he will open
upon the harp, set it forth in a poem accompanied lay music.
5 — 12. The limits to the power and the possession of wealth.
5- in the days of evil] Or, of the evil man when evil or evil men
:
seem to have the upper hand, uncontrolled by any divine law of

righteousness. Cp. xciv. 13.
when the iniquity of my heels &c.] Apparently this means, when his
own false steps and errors of conduct surround him and threaten to
prove his ruin. But apart from the strangeness of the expression, this
meaning does not suit the context. It is better to render with R.V.,
When iniquity at my
heels compasseth me about,
when the injustice of wealthy neighbours dogs his footsteps and
threatens to trip him up. But better still is the rendering of R.V.
marg., which gives a clear sense, and a good connexion with v. 6,
When the iniquity of them that would supplant me compasseth
me ahout.
Even of them that trust riches?
He is danger from wealthy and unscrupulous neighbours, who are
in
eager to trip him up and get him into their power. Cp. Jer. ix. 4.
7. The first answer to the question, 'Wherefore should I fear'?
These men make a god of their wealth. They trust in it and gloi-y
in it, as the godly man trusts in Jehovah and glories in Him (xxxii. 10;
xxxiv. 2). But how powerless it is It cannot deliver anyone from
!
death. If the rich man's friends have so little to hope, his victims
have little to fear.
The language borrowed from the ancient
of this verse and the next is
law in Ex. xxi. 30, where the words ransom and redemption of life (or
found nowhere else. If a
sold) occur together, the latter phrase being
man's neglect to keep a dangerous ox under proper control had been
the cause of another man's death, his life was forfeit. But he might
redeem his life by paying a ransom to the relatives of the deceased
person. Probably he would always be allowed to do so, and the
penalty of death would never be exacted. Another law prohibited the
pardon of a murderer upon the mere payment of a fine (Num. xxxv. 31),
lest rich men should regard the taking of life as a matter of indift'erence.
Thus payment of money as the equivalent of a life was
the idea of the
familiar. There were cases in which wealth could deliver from death,
when man was dealing with man. But when God claims the life,
riches are of no avail.
his brother'] Lit. a brother : his most intimate relative or friend.
:
PSALM XLIX. 8— lo, 271
Nor give to God a ransom for him :
(For the redemption of their soul is precious,

And it ceaseth for ever :)
That he should still live for ever,
A7id not see corruption.
For he seeth that wise meti die,
Likewise the fool and the brutish person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.
Possibly there may be an allusion to the use of the word in dirges. See
Jer. xxii. 18. But the position of the word at the beginning of the
sentence is peculiar, and an adversative particle seems to be needed.
It has therefore been plausibly conjectured that we should read ak,
'surely' or 'but' (asinz/. 15), in place of ac7/, 'brother,' and, with a slight
alteration of the vowels, render thus
But 710 one can by any means redeem himself.
Nor give to God the ransom He requires.
The reading of the Massoretic Text however is attested by the LXX
and other Ancient Versions.
8. Render:
For too costly is the redemption of their life.
And he must let it alone for ever.
The sum to be paid by the man whose life was forfeit was to be
assessed, probably in proportion to his culpability and his means but :
there is no ransom which can be paid to God it is hopeless to think of

;
attempting it. Cp. Matt. v. 26. Their refers to brother, regarded

generically; or, if the reading But is adopted, to the rich men.
9. The preceding verse is a parenthesis, and this verse is to be con-
nected with V. 7 and rendered.
That he shoxild live on perpetually,
(And) shoiild not see the pit.
'To see the pit' = to experience death. The word shachatk, rendered
corruption in the A.V., must mean 'pit' in some passages where it
occurs (e.g. vii. 15; xxx. 9), and may have this meaning always. Cp.
note on xvi. 10.
10. For he seeth that wise men die"] Experience shews the rich man
that all alike come to the grave. Even wisdom cannot deliver its
possessor. This rendering is on the whole preferable to that of R.V.
marg., Yea, he (the brother or the rich man) shall see it (the pit) zvise
:
7nen die &c. 'Wise' and 'fool' are words characteristic of the Wisdom
literature. The former occurs but once again in the Psalter, and
46 times in Proverbs the latter but twice in the Psalter, and 49 times in
:
Proverbs.
likewise &c.] Fool and brutish perish together. Perhaps the use
of different verbs is intended to distinguish between the end of the wise
man and the end of the fool and the brutish, the self-confident braggart
and the mere stupid animal.
and leave &c.] Or, abandon. The point of course is not that they
: ; : :
272 PSALM XLIX. II— 13.

11 Their inward thought is, that their houses shall contmue for
ever,
A7id their dwelling places to all generations
They lands after their own names.
call their
12 Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not
He is like the beasts that perish.
13 This their way is their folly :
Yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.
can pass on their property to their heirs, but that they must themselves
surrender it. Wealth can neither prolong life, nor be retained by its
owner at death. Cp. Luke xii. 10.
11. Their inward thought is &c.] If they do reflect that they must
die, they comfort themselves with the delusion that their houses will last
for ever, and their names be perpetuated in the names of their estates,
which like builders of cities or conquerors (2 Sam. xii. 28) they have
named after themselves. But the rendering their inward thought is
questionable; and the LXX, Vulg., Syr., and Targ., all point to a
different reading, involving simply a transposition of letters (qbrm for
qrbm), which gives the sense
Graves are their houses for ever ;
The dwelling-places for all generations
Of those who called lands after their own names.
This reading suits the context best. They must surrender their wealth,
and a narrow grave will be the only possession left to the man who
called a vast estate by his own name. The first line recalls the name
'eternal house' applied to the grave in Eccles. xii. 5, and in inscrip-
tions: cp. 'eternal place,' Tobit iii. 6: and Isaiah calls Shebna's pre-
tentious sepulchre a 'dwelling-place' (Is. xxii. 16). Is there an ironical
allusion in the last line to the vast estates of Isaiah's day (Is. v. 8)?
12. If we retain the reading of the Massoretic Text in v. 11, we
may render with R.V., But man abideth not in honour.
If the reading ^raz^^j is adopted, v. 12 sums up the picture:
So man in splendour hath no continuance.
However imposing may be man's magnificence, it must come to an
end. The LXX and Syr. read here, as in v. 20, Man being in honour
tinderstandeth not. But refrains are not always identical in form, and
the difference in the Heb. text is significant.
that perisK\ Or, are cut off, a different word from that in v. 10.
—
13 15. The fate of the godless rich man is further described, and
contrasted with the Psalmist's confidence.
13. A difficult verse. The best rendering appears to be
This is the way
of them that are self-confident.
And of their followers who [lit. those who after themi approve
their sayings.
The verse sums up the preceding verses, like Job xviii. 21; xx. 29.
So it fares with these self-confident fools and their deluded followers
; ; ;
PSALM XLIX. 14, 15. 273
Like sheep they are laid in the grave 14
Death shall feed oii them ;
And the upright shall have dominion over them in the

morning
And their beauty shall consume in the grave from their
dwelling.
But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave : 15
For he shall receive me. Selah.
(Ixxiii. 10; Job xxi. 33). Then, after an interlude, the fate of the
wicked is more fully described in v, 14, in contrast with the hope of the
godly, z/. 15.
The word kesd denotes the stupid self-confidence which is character-
istic of the 'fool' {k'sil, V. 10). Cp. Job xxxi. 24. Aquila and Jerome
render run instead of approve. The difference is simply one of vocali-
sation, and in their day the text had no written vowels. With this
reading we might render And of those %vho 7-1171 after the7>i at their beck,
:
14. Like slieep are they put into Slieol;

Death shepherdetli them
And the upright have dominion over them in the morning-,
And their form shall Sheol consume, that it have no more
habitation.
What becomes of the wicked ? They are driven down to Sheol like
a flock of sheep, mere animals that they are (v. 12); there Death is
their shepherd the king of terrors rules them at his will.
: They perish
in the night, and in the morning the righteous awake, triumphant over
their fallen oppressors. The night of trouble is over; the morning of
deliverance has dawned (xxx. 5). But what is meant by 'the morning'?
Not, as yet, the resurrection morning; but the morning of the day
which Jehovah is making, in which "all the proud, and all that work
wickedness, shall be as stubble... and ye shall tread down the wicked,
for they shall be as ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I
do make, saith the Lord of hosts" (Mai. iv. 1,3): a day in the history
of the world corresponding to the day when the restored Israel "shall
rule over their oppressors" (Is. xiv. 2). Comp. Ps. civ. 35, and Ps.
xxxvii.
The precise meaning of the last line is doubtful and the text possibly
corrupt. Their form, or perhaps, tlieir beauty, is delivered up to Sheol
to consume: a poetical way of expressing that their bodies moulder in
the grave all that made such a brave show upon earth has no more
:
existence, no longer needs any abode. Possibly we should make a

slight change in the text, and render. Their for771 shall be cottsu7ned,
Sheol shall be their habitatio7i. Cp. A. V. marg.
15. While the wicked become the prey of Sheol, the Psalmist is
delivered from its power. But in what sense ? In this life, or after
death ? A careful study of the context and of similar phrases elsewhere
seems to shew that the Psalmist looks with confidence for deliverance
from the premature and penal death of the wicked, but does not antici-
psAT.Ms 18
; ;:
274 PSALM XLIX. i6.
i6 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich,

When the glory of his house is increased
pate escape from death or express his belief in a resurrection. The

verse corresponds to vv. 7, 8. While wealth is powerless to avert
death, God can and will deliver His servant. Similar phrases are con-
stantly used of deliverance from imminent peril of death. Cp. xxx. 3;
xxxiii. i8f.; Ixxxvi. 13; ciii. 4; cxxxviii. 7; and particularly Ixxxix. 48;
Job xxxiii. 22 ff. ; Hosea xiii. 14; see also xvi. 10, and note there. For
he shall receive me is to be explained by the use of the same word in
xviii. 16 (A.V. he took me) :He will take hold of me and deliver me. It
is possible that the verse should be divided thus :But God zvill redeem
my life [soul] oitt of the grasp of Sheol will he surely take me.
:
Delitzsch indeed thinks that he shall receive ?>ie contains an allusion

to the history of Enoch (Gen. v. 24), where the same word is used, "He
was not; for God took him." He holds that in a moment of lofty
aspiration the Psalmist expresses a bold hope that he may escape death,
and be taken directly into the presence of God. But this interpretation
is improbable it does not appear that he, any more than the author of
:
Ps. Ixxxix, anticipates that any mortal man can finally escape death.
Many commentators find in the passage "the strong hope of eternal
life with God, if not the hope of a resurrection." But the context and
the parallel passages lead to a different conclusion. Certainly the doc-
trine of a future life was not to the Psalmist a revealed certainty to which
he could appeal for a solution of the enigmas of life which were per-
plexing him. Probably, as has been said before on Ps. xvi, the truth is
that the antithesis in the Psalmist's mind is not between life here and
life hereafter (as we speak), but between life with and life without God
and for the moment, in the consciousness of the blessedness of fellowship
with God, death fades from his view. The rich man's wealth, which he
is tempted to envy, cannot buy from God one moment's prolongation of
life ; nay, the wicked are doomed to a premature and miserable death
while the Psalmist rejoices in the assured protection and fellowship of
God.
But whatever may have been the extent or the limitation of the
Psalmist's view, his words contain the germ and principle of the doctrine
of the Resurrection; and for ourselves, as we use them, they will bear
the fuller meaning with which they have been illuminated by Christ's
Resurrection.
16 — 20. The rich man cannot carry his wealth with him when he
dies. The thought already expressed in v. 10 is resumed and further
developed.
16. Be not thou afraid] The Psalmist addresses himself, repeating
the question of v. 5 in the form of an exhortation (the Heb. word is the
same), or any individual who is listening to him.
glory] The magnificence and splendour which accompany wealth.
Cp. Prov. iii. 16; viii. 18.
:; :
PSALM XLIX. 17—20. 275
For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away :
His glory shall not descend after him.

Though whiles he Hved he blessed his soul
And men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.
He shall go to the generation of his fathers
They shall never see light.
Man that is in honour, and understandeth not,
Is like the beasts that perish.
17. Cp. Job i. 21; Eccl. V. 15; i Tim. vi. 7; and parallels from
classical authors : e.g. Propertius iv. 5. 13:
Haud ullas portabis opes Acherontis ad undas

Nudus at inferna, stulte, vehere, rate.
18. Congratulated himself on his good fortune,

blessed his soul^
flattering himself that he was beyond the reach of misfortune. Cp.
Deut. xxix. 19; Luke xii. 19.
men tvill praise thee'] Men praise thee (R.V.). The words are a
parenthesis, addressed to the rich man. The unthinking multitude (cp.
V. 13 b) worship success and wealth. They see nothing wrong in the
selfish misuse of riches.
19. He shall go\ There should be a comma at the end of v. 18, as
in R.V., for v. 19 forms the apodosis to it. The Heb. verb may be
either the 3rd person fem., the subject being the soul, or the 2nd person
masc; so either, 'Though he blessed his soul. ..it shall go' &c. or, :
'Though men praise thee. ..thou shalt go.' The first alternative is pre-
ferable. The second involves an intolerably harsh change of person
{' Thou shalt go. ..his fathers '). For the phrase cp. Gen. xv. 15, "Thou
shalt go to thy fathers in peace." The more usual expression for dying
is, "he was gathered to his people," or, "his fathers." Families are
contemplated as reunited in Sheol, where existence is a shadowy re-
flection of life on earth.
they shall 7iever see light] ' They refers to the rich men. The Heb.
'
mind passes from the class to the individual and from the individual to
the class with a facility to which we are not accustomed. But it is per-
haps better to take the phrase as a relative clause referring to 'his
fathers ; Who shall never more see the light.
'
He goes to join the
ranks of those whose lot is fixed irrevocably, who will never return to
life. For the phrase cp. Iviii. 8; Job iii. 16; Eccl. vi. 5.
20. The refrain of v. 1 2, repeated with a significant variation, quali-
fying the previous statement. It is not the rich and honourable man, as
such, who is no better than the cattle that perish ; but the rich man who
is destitute of discernment, and knows no distinction between false and
true riches, reckoning earthly and transitory wealth more precious than
spiritual and eternal fellowship with God.
18-
276 PSALM L.
PSALM L.
This Psalm, like the preceding one, is a didactic Psalm. But while
the lesson of Psalm xlix is an echo of the teaching of the Wise Men,' '
that of Ps. 1 is an echo of the teaching of the Prophets and while, in :
"
accordance with the characteristic method of Wisdom,' "all peoples
'
are addressed in Ps. xlix, in accordance with the characteristic method

of Prophecy the people of Jehovah is addressed in Ps. 1.
The Psalm is a solemn vision of judgement. It is finely dramatic
in form. As in Isaiah i and Micah vi, Jehovah puts Israel upon its trial
in the presence of all Nature. He
is at once Plaintiff and Judge. The
two speeches in which He
exposes the shortcomings of His people are
introduced by a prologue, and summed up in a brief epilogue.
In a solemn introduction the Advent of God to judge His people
j.
is described. As He came of old from Sinai in the midst of storm

and lightning to promulgate the Law, so now He is represented as
appearing from Zion surrounded by these symbols of His majesty to
enforce it. Heaven and earth are summoned to be witnesses of the
trial (i— 6).
ii. God speaks ; and first He addresses the mass of the people, who
imagine that their duty to Him is fulfilled by the formal offering of
material sacrifices. He shews them that He has no need of material
sacrifices. What He desires is the sacrifice of the heart, expressed in
sincere thankfulness and loyal trust (7 15). —
iii. Then in a sterner tone He addresses the hypocrites who glibly
repeat His laws with their lips, but shamelessly break them in act by
gross offences against their neighbours (16 21). —
iv. The Psalm concludes with an epilogue of warning and promise
(22, 23).
Thus the Ps. deals with man's duty towards God and his duty towards
his neighbour; with the nature of acceptable service, and the obligations
of social morality. Its two main divisions answer to the two great
divisions of the Decalogue. The whole corresponds to the teaching
which was constantly being repeated by the prophets, and is briefly
summed up in the sentence, " I desire lovingkindness, and not sacrifice,
and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." The principle
comes down from the first of the prophets (i Sam. xv. 22), and finds its
most forcible exposition in Isaiah i. 1 1 ff., to which the Psalm is intimately
related, and Mic. vi. 6 ff. The same thought is expressed in the Wisdom-
literature in Prov. xxi. 3, and Ecclesiasticus xxxv. i 7 —
and elsewhere
;
xv; xxiv. i ff.

in the Psalter, e.g. in Ps. xl. 6ff. li. 16 ff.; Ixix. 30 f.
; ;
But none of these passages is to be understood as an absolute condem-

nation of sacrifice. Sacrifice was the recognised bond of the relation
between God and men, though it was not, as men were prone to think,
the sum and substance of that relation. The primitive institution of
sacrifice was continued and developed in the Mosaic legislation. The
covenant of Sinai was sanctioned by sacrifice, though it was not based
upon it the Decalogue contained no injunction to offer sacrifice. It
;
isnot the sacrificial system in itself, but the sacrificial system emptied of
"its moral significance as the recognition of the holiness of God and the
PSALM L. t. 277
sinfulness of the sinner,"and made a substitute for the higher duties of

devotion and morality, or combined with a glaring defiance of those
duties, which is denounced by prophet and psalmist as a thing which
God hates. See Oehler's 0. T. Theology, § 201.
To what date is the Psalm to be assigned ? Clearly it belongs to a
time when sacrificial worship was scrupulously maintained, but a low
standard of morality was united with punctilious ceremonial observance.
We know from the prophets Hosea, Isaiah, and Micah, that this was
conspicuously the case in the eighth century B.C., and to this period the
Psalm may most safely be assigned. Delitzsch indeed regarded it as an
original Psalm of David's musician Asaph, but the tendency to form-
alism does not seem to have been specially characteristic of that time.
Some critics place it after the Exile, alleging that v. 5 implies the
dispersion of the nation. But this inference cannot legitimately be
drawn from the verse and on the other hand, would any poet after the
:
Return have ventured to call Zion 'the perfection of beauty,' in view of

the past glories of the city and Temple which were never restored?
Moreover Lam. "Is this the city that men called The perfection
ii. 15,
of beauty. The joy
of the whole earth"? combines v, 2 and xlviii. 2:
and Ps. xcvii, which is acknowledged to belong to the time of the
Return, is based upon reminiscences of this Psalm together with Pss.
xlvii, xlviii.
This Psalm may then best be referred to the same period as the pre-
ceding Psalms. A
somewhat later date, in the reign of Josiah, has
been suggested, but the close relation between the Psalm and Isaiah i
is in favour of the earlier date.
A Psalm of Asaph.
The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called 50
the earth
On the title A Psalm of Asaph, and the general characteristics of

the Asaph Psalms see Intr. to Book iii, pp. 427 ff.
1 —
6. A
solemn introduction, describing the Advent of Jehovah to
judge His people. Of old He appeared at Sinai in the midst of
lightnings and storm to give the Law now He comes forth from Zion
:
with the same tokens of power and majesty to enforce it.

1. The mighty God, even the Lord] El Elohim Jehovah. The
three names, representing three aspects of the Divine character, are
combined to emphasise the majesty of Him with Israel has to Whom
do. El represents Him as the Mighty One; Elohlm perhaps (the
original meaning is doubtful) as the Awful One in are united Whom
all manifold excellences of Deity; Jehovah as the Self- revealing One.
Elohtm is His name as the God of nature and creation Jehovah as the :
God of the covenant and of grace. The same threefold combination is

found, twice repeated, in Josh. xxii. 22, in the solemn asseveration by
the trans-Jordanic tribes of their innocence of any wrong motive in
; '
278 PSALM L. 2, 3.
From the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God hath shined.
3 Our God shallcome, and shall not keep silence
A fire shalldevour before him,
And it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
erecting the altar of Witness. It occurs nowhere else in exactly the

same form, but similar combinations are found. See Gen. xxxiii. 20;
xlvi. 3, "El, the God of thy. father"; Deut. iv. 31, "Jehovah thy God
{Elohim) is a merciful God" {El)\ v. 9, "I Jehovah thy God {Elohim)
am a jealous God" {El); and similarly vi. 15; vii. 9, "Jehovah thy God,
he is God {Elohivi); the faithful God" {El).
It is noteworthy that two other names of God occur in this Ps. He
is called 'the Most High' {Elyon), as the Supreme Ruler of the
Universe {v. 14), cp. vii. 17; xviii. 13; and see Appendix, Note ii. In
V. 22, Eloah, the singular of Elohim, is used. This form is found
frequently in Job; in Deut. xxxii. 15, 17; Is. xliv. 8; Hab. i. 11, iii. 3;
and in a few other passages ; but elsewhere in the Psalter only in xviii.
31; cxiv. 7; cxxxix. 19.
The rendering The God of gods, the LORD (Jehovah), is not probable,
though its adoption by the LXX
has given it a wide currency.
hath spoken'] In the summons which the next line describes. He
breaks the silence which has been misunderstood to mean indifference
{v. 21) by proclaiming a great assize.
a}id called the earth'] The earth in all its length and breadth, with
all its inhabitants, is summoned to be the witness of the trial.
2. Out of Zion, the pe}fectio7i of beauty] This rendering is certainly
preferable to that of P. B. V. Out of Zion hath God appeared in perfect
,
'
beauty." Cp. xlviii. 2; and Lam. ii. 15, which unites phrases taken
from both Psalms. In 1 Mace. ii. 12 the Temple is called "our beauty
and our glory." Zion is now the abode of Jehovah, where He sits
enthroned upon the cherubim (Ixxx. i). From thence, as of old from
Sinai, He liath shined forth (R.V.): a word specially used of that
dazzling blaze of light which is the symbol of God's Presence. Cp.
Deut. xxxiii. 2 ; Ps. Ixxx. i ; xciv. i.
3. In the preceding verses the Theophany is described as already
visibly beginning. Instead of simply continuing that description, the
poet-seer "imagines himself as an eager and interested spectator," and
prays God to come near and declare His will:
Let our God come, and not keep silence!
Fire devoureth before him,
And round about him it is very tempestuous.
See Driver, Hehreiu Tenses, § 58; and for similar constructions cp.
xli. 2 (note); Is. ii. 9.
Lightnings and storm are the outward symbols which express the
awfulness of God's coming to judgement. He is a consuming fire'
(Deut. iv. 24; ix. 3; Hebr. xii. 29) devouring His enemies; an irresist-
;
PSALM L. 4, 5. 279
He shall call to the heavens from above, 4
And to the earth, that he may judge his people.

Gather my saints together unto me 5
Those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
ible whirlwind (Iviii. 9), sweeping them away like chaff (i. 4; Is. xxix.
5). Cp. Ex. xix. 16, 18; Is. xxix. 6; Ps. xviii. 7 ff.; xcvii. 2 ff.
4. He shall call to the heavens fro7n above] Better, in continuation
of the preceding verse, Let him call to the heavens above. The
object of the summons is 'that he may judge his people.' Heaven and_
earth, the whole world of nature, are summoned to be witnesses of the

judgement, for they are far older than man, and have watched the whole
course of Israel's history. Cp. Deut. iv. 26, 32; xxxi. 28; xxxii. i;
Isa. i. 2; Mic. i. 2; vi. r, 2. The poetical idea finds a strange equi-
valent in the conception of modern science that every action is recorded
by a corresponding physical change, so that Nature is in truth a witness
to the actions of man ^.
5. Gather &.C.] To whom is the command addressed ? Perhaps to
the angels who are God's ministers of judgement (Matt. xxiv. 31), and
by whom He appears attended (Deut. xxxiii. 2); less probably to
heaven and earth, which according to the analogy of the parallel passages,
are summoned as witnesses. But perhaps no definite reference at all is
intended, and no particular messengers are in the Psalmist's mind (cp.
Is. xiii. 2).
7?iy saints'] The word chdsid denotes those who are the objects of
Jehovah's chesed or lovingkindness. 'Saint,' like 'servant,' as applied
to Israel, expresses the relation in which Jehovah has placed the nation
towards Himself, without necessarily implying that its character corre-
sponds to its calling (Ixxix. 2; Is. xlii. 19). The indictment against
many of the Israelites is that their conduct towai-ds their fellow-men is
entirely destitute of that 'lovingkindness' which ought to reflect the
lovingkindness of Jehovah towards them. On the word chdsid see
Appendix, Note i.
those that have made &c.] Or, those that make
&c. The reference
is not merely to the original covenant with the nation
ratification of the
at Sinai (Ex. xxiv. 5 ff.), but to the recognition and maintenance of it by
each fresh generation with repeated sacrifices. The previous line refers
(in the word 'saints') to the divine grace which is the originating cause
of the covenant with Israel, this line to the human act which acknow-
ledges that grace and the obligations which it entails. It has been
thought strange that the Ps. which depreciates sacrifice should re-
cognise it as the sanction of the covenant, and it has been suggested
that these words are merely 'ironical.' It is however impossible to
regard them as merely ironical. Though the Decalogue contained no
command to offer sacrifice, the primitive institution of sacrifice was
sanctioned and regulated by the Book of the Covenant (Ex. xx. 24 ff).
' See Babbage, Ninth Bridgeivater Treatise, ch. ix., "On

"
the Permanent
Impression of our Words and Actions on the Globe we inhabit.
; ;
28o PSALM L. 6—9.
6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness :
For God is judge himself. Selah.
7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak

Israel, and I will testify against thee :
1 af?i God, even thy God.

8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices
Or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.
9 I will take no bullock out of thy house,
Sacrifice had its divinely appointed place in the economy of the old
Covenant, though not that which formal and hypocritical viôrshippers
imagined. It could not be a substitute for devotion and morality; but
its abuse did not abrogate its use. See Oehler's O. T. Theology, § 201.
6. Better (unless we alter the vocalisation and render, and let the
heavens declare),
And the heavens declare his righteousness,
For God is about to Judge.
While the defendants are being gathered, the Psalmist hears the
heavens, which have been summoned to witness the trial, solemnly pro-
claiming the justice of the Judge, as a guarantee of the impartiality of
His judgement. This explanation is supported by the use of the perfect
tense in xcvii. 6, a passage which is obviously based upon this Psalm.
7 — 15. The trial begins. God

the accuser as well as the judge.
is
it is not slain beasts which the
Israel's sacrifices are unexceptionable, but
Lord of all the earth desires, but the devotion of the heart, exhibited
in thanksgiving and trust. The people as a whole are addressed. The
duty which is enforced is their duty towards God, corresponding to the
first Table of the Decalogue.
7. / will testify against thee\ Or, I will protest unto thee, of

solemn warning and exhortation. Cp. Ixxxi. 8, another Asaphite Psalm.
/ am God, even thy God] The words which stand at the head of the
Decalogue, with God substituted for Jehovah by the Elohistic editor of
the Psalm. Cp. Ixxxi. 10, where Jehovah is retained. They express
the relation of Jehovah to Israel, upon which was founded His right to
give them a law, and now to call them to account for their neglect of it.
8. Render with R.V.,
I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices
And thy burnt offerings are continually before me.
This rendering is grammatically preferable to that of R.V. marg.
Nor for thy burnt offerings, which are &c., which gives substantially
the same sense. God's indictment does not relate to sacrifice the:
stated offerings are duly presented. Continually seems to allude to the

'continual burnt offering,' which was offeied daily, morning and evening.
See Num. xxviii. 3 ff.
9 flF. The owner of the vast herds of animals which roam the forests
and range over a thousand mountains is not like some earthly king who
; :: ;
PSALM L. 10—15. 281
Nor he goats out of thy folds.

For every beast of the forest is mine,
Ajid the cattle upon a thousand hills.
I know all the fowls of the mountains :
And the wild beasts of the field are mine.

If I were hungry, I would not tell thee
For the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
Will I eat the flesh of bulls,
Or drink the blood of goats ?
Offer unto God thanksgiving
And pay thy vows unto the most High
And call upon me in the day of trouble :
comes and takes the choicest of his subjects' possessions at his will
(i Sam. viii. 16 f.). The phrase rendered upon a thousand hills may
mean iipo7i the mountains ivhcre thousands a>-e. The construction in
either case is peculiar, and it has been conjectured that we should read
upon the mountai7is of God, as in xxxvi. 6; but the alteration is
hardly necessary.
11. The tuild beasts of the Jicld'\ A
peculiar phrase, found only in
another Asaphite Psalm (Ixxx. 13), meaning probably all that moveth
in the field, including the 'creeping thing' (Gen. i. 24 f).
are inine\ Lit., are with vie, i.e. are in my sight (P.B. V.), or, in my
mind (R.V. marg.).
12 f. If God had need of sustenance, He would not be dependent
upon man for it but a spiritual Being needs no material support.
:
12. the world is mine &c.] Cp. xxiv. i; Ixxxix. 11; Ex. xix. 5;
Deut. X. 14; Job xli. 11; i Cor. x. 26.
13. Such a gross and material notion of sacrifice was common in
heathen countries, and the survival of the phrase 'bread' or 'food of
Jehovah seems to indicate that it once existed even in Israel. See
'
Lev. iii. ii; xxi. 6, 8, 17, 21; &c. See Robertson Smith, Religion of
the Semites, p. 207.
14. 15. What sacrifice then does desire? God Not the material
sacrifices of the altar, but the offering of the heart.
14. Offer &c.] unto God thanksgiving: hence R.V.,

Lit., sacrifice
ofiFer unto God the thanksgiving. The context makes it
sacrifice of
clear that spiritual sacrifices of thanksgiving are meant, not the material
'sacrifices of thanksgiving' (Lev. vii. 12) as contrasted with burnt
offerings. Cp. Ixix. 30 f; li. 17; Hos. xiv. 2.
and pay &c.] i.e., by such spiritual sacrifice thou shalt discharge thy
vows (Lev. vii. 16). Cp. Ixi. 8.
15. call upon me &c.] Prayer is the proof of trust. Cp. Ps. xx. r
yet note that that Psalm contains a reference to the acceptableness of
material sacrifice (z'. 3).
—
282 PSALM L. i6— 18.
I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
i6 But unto the wicked God saith,
What hast thou to do to declare my statutes,
Or that thou shouldst take my covenant in thy mouth ?
17 Seeing thou hatest instruction,
And castest my words behind thee.
18 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him,
And hast been partaker with adulterers.
The LXX. here inserts a Selah, which would appropriately mark the
close of this division of the Ps. Cp. v. 6.
16—21. In the preceding verses God has reproved the formalist :
theman who regarded the offering of sacrifice as the essence of religion.

He now turns to address the wicked man —
the hypocrite, who repeated
:
His commandments and professed allegiance to Him, while he delibe-

rately set those commandments at defiance by his conduct. To him
God adopts a sterner tone. The offences with which he is charged are
breaches of the commandments of the second Table of the Decalogue,
neglect of the simplest moral duties toward his neighbour. The general
reproof in vv. 16, 17 is followed by specific charges of breaking the
eighth, seventh, and ninth commandments, and the address concludes
with a stern warning, v. 2\. Comp. generally Hos. iv. i, 2; Rom. ii.
17—24.
16. What meanest thou by rehearsing my statutes, and by having
taken (R.V. rightly, and that tbou hast taken) my covenant in thy
mouth? The people had pledged themselves to observe the conditions
of the covenant as laid down in the 'book of the covenant,' of which
the Decalogue ('the tables of the covenant') was the first and most
important part (Ex. xxiv. 7), and these men professed to recognise their
duty as Israelites. Cp. Is. xxix. 13 Matt. xv. 8. ;
17. instruction] Or, correction the whole discipline of moral

;
education ; a word occurring here only in the Psalter, but common in

Proverbs, where it is the mark of the fool and the scorner to despise
instruction. Cp. Deut. viii. 5; xi. 2.
a7td castest &c.] Lit., and hast cast, flung them away out of
sight and got rid of them. Contrast David's behaviour, xviii. 22. My
ivords includes all God's commandments, but points especially to the
'ten words' of the Decalogue (Deut. iv. 13; cp. Ex. xx. i).
18. then thoii consentedst with hini\ The original is stronger thou :
didst delight thyself with him, didst gladly associate with him. Cf.
Job xxxiv. 9. R.V. omits then. The LXX
vocalises the consonants
differently and renders, thoii didst run along with him (cp. Prov. i. 16):
but the Massoretic reading is preferable.
and hast been pai-taker &c. ] Lit. and thy/portion was with adulte7-ers :
,
thou didst make common cause with them, condoning and sharing their
sin.
:
PSALM L. 19—22. 283
'I'hou givest thy mouth to evil,

And thy tongue frameth deceit.
Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother;
Thou slanderest thine own mother's son.
These things hast thou done, and I kept silence ;
Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself

But I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine
eyes.
Now consider this, ye that forget God,
Lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
19. Thou hast let loose thy mouth for evil,

And thy tongue contriveth deceit.
Giving way to unbridled speech, evil in substance and mischievous in
aim contriving a whole structure of deliberate falsehoods.
:
20. Thou sittest emphasises the deliberateness of the slander. Cp.

"the session of scorners," i. i. Thy brother might mean any Israelite;
but the alternative thine own viother^s son (cf. Ixix. 8, note) in the
parallel line indicates that it is to be understood literally. The Psalmist
describes a state of moral degeneracy in which even the closest ties of
kinship are ignored. Cp. Mic. vii. 6; Jer. ix. 4.
thou slanderest\ Lit. dost allege a fault against. This rendering suits
the parallelism, but the phrase (which occurs here only) is of uncertain
meaning, and may mean givest a thrust against (R.V. marg.), or, settest
a stumbling block for.
21. When thou didst these things, and I kept silence, refraining from
immediate condemnation of thy conduct by condign punishment, thou
didst mistake longsufifering for indifference, and think that I cared as
little as thyself for the laws of morality.
that I tvas'\ This rendering hardly represents the original, which
means that I should be or prove myself. It is the same word Ehyeh, /
am, or I will be, which is found in Ex. iii. 14, in God's proclamation of
Himself as the Self-revealing One, / will be that I luill be.
'
The '
wicked man degrades his conception of God into a reflection of himself,

and fancies that Jehovah as He reveals Himself will prove to be only
like a man.
set them in ordet-] All the offences of which thou art guilty. The
word is a forensic term, used of drawing up the various counts of an in-
dictment. Cp. Job xxiii. 4; xxxiii. 5.
22. 23. Practical conclusion, addressed to both classes to the formal

:
worshippers who 'forget God' by ignoring the spiritual character of the

worship which He desires, as well as to the hypocrites whose conduct
proves that they "refuse to have Him in their knowledge."
22. ye that forget God] Eloah: see note on v. i. For the phrase
cp. ix. 17; Job viii. 13; and for the thought, x. 4.
test I tear Si-C.] Like a lion. Cp. Hos. v. 14.
;
284 PSALM L. 23.
23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me :
And to him that ordereth his conversation aright

Will I shew the salvation of God.
23. Whoso He that offereth the sacrifice of thanks-

offereth praise']
gîving, as in v. I4. This line sums up the teaching oi vv. 7 15 on the —
nature of true worship and it is natural to expect the second line to
:
—
sum up the teaching of vv. 16 21 on the obligations of moral duty.
This it does if the rendering of A.V. can be retained, to him that ^
ordereth his conversation aright,' i.e. takes heed to his way of life, or
orders it in accordance with My commandments. But aright is not in
the Heb. and it is doubtful if this sense can fairly be extracted from
,
the text. Hence the rendering of R.V. marg. has been proposed, and
prepareth a way that I may sheia him &c. which is grammatically unex-
,
ceptionable, but does not fit the context. Probably some slight cor-
rection of the text is needed, such as. He that keepeth my ivay (xviii. 21
xxxvii. 34), or, 7ny words {v. 17; cxix. 17, loi), to him will I shew the
salvation of God. Cp. xci. 1 6.
PSALM LI.
This Psalm is the first of eighteen Psalms bearing the name of David,
which appear to have been taken from some earlier collection by the
compiler of the Elohistic Psalter. Eight of them have titles connecting
them with historical incidents in the life of David. Most recent com-
mentators find the contents of these Psalms unsuitable to the occasions
indicated, and regard the titles as arbitrarily prefixed by the compiler.
In some instances this appears to be the case but it may be doubted
;
whether we are always capable of judging what might or might not have
been considered appropriate to a particular occasion. Some of these
Psalms may be original Davidic Psalms, altered perhaps in the process
of transmission, or adapted for liturgical use by modifications and
additions. Others may have been selected as bearing, more or less, upon
the events with which they are connected. Others again may have been
composed with the intention of illustrating episodes in the life of David.
The latter view is sometimes objected to as implying a fraud which is
incompatible with inspiration. But the objection rests upon a narrow
view of inspiration. Why may not God have used and directed the
faculty of poetic imagination, in order to enable us better to understand
some particular incident, and more fully to realise the lessons contained
in it?
In studying these Psalms it must be remembered that they have a
history. The possibility that they no longer lie before us in their
original form must be taken into account. Other changes beside the
substitution of Elohim for Jehovah may have been made by the editor,
or may have crept in by accident in the process of transmission. This is
PSALM LI. 285
not mere theory. We see what has actually happened in the case of
Ps. liii.
Ps. li is its title to that crisis in David's life when Nathan
assigned by
awoke slumbering conscience to recognise his guilt in the matter of
his
Bath-sheba (2 Sam. xii). It is then a commentary upon David's con-
fession, " I have sinned against Jehovah," and Nathan's assurance,
"Jehovah also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die." It has
generally been thought to contain David's first heart-felt prayer for
pardon, while Ps. xxxii, written after some interval, when he had had
time to ponder upon the past, records his experience for the warning
and instruction of others, in accordance with the resolution of li. 13.
Its general appropriateness cannot be denied. Where, save in a
character like that of David, uniting the strongest contrasts, capable of
the highest virtue and the lowest fall, could we find such a combination
of the deepest guilt with the most profound penitence? David had
been endowed with the spirit of Jehovah (i Sam. xvi. 13; 2 Sam. xxiii.
2) ; he had received the promise that his house should be established for
ever before Jehovah (2 Sam. vii. 15, 16). Might he not well fear lest
the fate of Saul should be his fate; lest, like Saul, he should be deprived
of the spirit of God and deposed from his high position of privilege ?
But it was just this capacity for repentance and trust in the abundance
of God's mercy which distinguished him from Saul, and made it possible
for him with all his faults to be called "the man after God's own
heart." Comp. the well-known passage in Carlyle's Heroes, p. 43.
The Davidic authorship of the Psalm has however been denied by
many critics, chiefly upon the following grounds.
(
I)
The last two verses imply that Jerusalem was in ruins and that sacri-
ficial worship was suspended. If these verses were part of the original
Psalm, they would certainly point to a date in the Exile or in some period
of distress such as that which preceded the mission of Nehemiah. It has
indeed been maintained that they can be understood as a prayer of
David that the still unfinished fortifications of Jerusalem (cp. i Kings
iii. i) may be carried to a successful completion; or, in figurative
language, that his kingdom may not suffer for his sin. But the expla-
nation is unsatisfactory. A comparison of similar expressions in Ixix.
35 ; cii. 16 cxlvii. 2, makes it almost certain that the words are a prayer
;
for the restoration of Jerusalem and the reestablishment of sacrificial

worship there. These verses however do not appear to be an original
part of the Psalm. It is indeed argued that "the omission of these
verses makes the Psalm end abruptly": but the abruptness, if it
exists, is far less startling than the termination of a Psalm of such
surpassing spirituality with the hope of the restoration of material
sacrifices, v. 17 forms a conclusion which, if abrupt, is in harmony
with the spirit of the Psalm: v. 19 does not. In fact the contrast, if
not actual contradiction, between v. 19 and vv. 16, 17 makes it
difficult to suppose that they can have been written by the same poet at
the same time. —
Moreover while w. i 17 are, at least in expression,
strictly individual, v. 19 introduces the people generally ("they shall
offer"). These verses then must be excluded in the consideration of
the date of the Psalm, as in all probability a later addition.
286 PSALM LI.
(2) But further it is urged that the words of v. 4, "against thee,

thee only, have I sinned," are inapplicable to David's situation, for
"however great David's sin against God, he had done Uriah the most
burning wrong that could be imagined ; and an injury to a neighbour is
in the O.T. a 'sin' against him. Gen. xx. 9; Jud. xi. 27; Jer. xxxvii.
18 " (Driver, Introd. to Lit. of O. T. p. 367). But surely it is a mistake
to demand logical accuracy in words of intense emotion. What is meant
is that "the other aspects of his deed — its heinous criminality as a wrong
—
done to a fellow-man disappeared for the time, while he contemplated
it as a sin against his infinitely gracious Benefactor." (Kay.) Moreover
if the words are inapplicable to David, to whom can they apply? The
Psalmist confesses himself blood-guilty {v. 14), and whether the expres-
sion refers to actual murder or only to 'mortal sins,' it must refer in
the main to offences against man not God. —
See Ezek. xviii. 10 13.
(3) Of more weight against the Davidic authorship is the consideration
that the closest parallels of thought and language are to be found in the
later chapters of Isaiah, in particular in the national confession of guilt
—
in Is. Ixiii. 7 Ixiv, and that the language appears to belong to a later
and more developed stage of the religious consciousness. Cp. v. 1 with
Is. Ixiii. 7; iv- 3 with Is. lix. 12; 57. 9 with Is. xliii. 25; xliv. 22; v. \i b
with Is. Ixiii. 10, 11; v. 17 with Is. Ivii. 15; Ixi. i; Ixvi. 2. The
precariousness of this argument is obvious, and the weight attached
to it will depend largely upon the view taken of the whole course of the
growth of religious ideas in Israel, but it cannot be disregarded.
It must then be taken into account as at least a possibility that the
Psalm was written by some deeply devout prophet of the Exile, perhaps
even the author of the later chapters of Isaiah, and placed in the mouth
of David, to illustrate an episode in his life which presented the most
signal instance in history of the fall, repentance, and pardon, of a good
and great man written by inspiration of God to supply to all ages the
:
most profound type of confession, and the most comforting assurance,

based upon the experience of David, that God's mercy to the penitent
knows no limit.
By many critics the Psalm regarded as the utterance not of an
is
individual but of the nation.This view is as old as Theodore of
Mopsuestia (a.d. 428) who refers it to Israel in Babylon, confessing its
sins and praying for forgiveness and restoration from exile, and it has
recently been maintained by Robertson Smith [0. T. in Jeivish Church,
2nd ed., p. 440) and Driver {Introd. p. 367), who place it in the Exile,
and by Cheyne {Origin of the Psalter, p. 162 Aids to the Devout Study of
;
Criticism, pp. 164 ff.), who places it later, between the Restoration and
Nehemiah. "The situation of the Psalm," writes Robertson Smith,
"does not necessarily presuppose such a case as David's. It is equally
applicable to the prophet, labouring under a deep sense that he has dis-
charged his calling inadequately and may have the guilt of lost lives
upon his head (Ezek. xxxiii), or to collective Israel in the Captivity,
when, according to the prophets, it was the guilt of blood equally with
the guilt of idolatry that removed God's favour from His land (Jer. vii.
6; Hos. iv. 2, vi. 8; Is. iv. 4). Nay, from the Old Testament point of
view, in which the experience of wrath and forgiveness stands generally
PSALM LI. 287
in such immediate relation to Jehovah's actual deaUngs with the nation,

the whole thought of the Psalm is most simply understood as a prayer
for the restoration and sanctification of Israel in the mouth of a prophet
of the Exile. .perhaps of the very prophet who wrote the last chapters of
.
the Book of Isaiah."

Such a view will not appear impossible to anyone who compares the
personification of Israel as the Servant of Jehovah in Is. xl. ff ; and the
addition of vv. 18, 19 points to the use of the Psalm by Israel in
exile as the fitting expression of its feelings. But it is difficult to resist
the impression that the Psalm is personal rather than national in its
originaland prhnary intention.
and date and original intention are however questions
Its authorship
of minor importance, compared with its profound appropriateness as the
voice of the penitent soul in all ages. One generation after another
has found by experience that its words "fit into every fold of the human
heart," and supply them with language which the revelation of the
Gospel has not superseded, but only deepened in meaning. If any
proof of its inspiration is needed, it is to be found here (Rom. viii. 26).
In true repentance, says Luther, a knowledge of sin and a knowledge
of grace must combine it is this double knowledge which inspires this
:
Psalm, and is revealed in a clearer light in Jesus Christ.

Astrange testimony to its power is given in the story that Voltaire
began to parody it, but when he reached v. 10 was so overcome with
alarm that he desisted from his profane attempt.
It is the fourth of the seven Psalms known from ancient times in the
Christian Church as the 'Penitential Psalms' (vi, xxxii, xxxviii, li, cii,
cxxx, cxliii). According to some Jewish rituals it is recited on the Day
of Atonement; and it is appointed for use in the Commination Service
on Ash Wednesday.
There is no clearly marked strophical arrangement in the Psalm, but
{^v. 18, 19 being regarded as an addition outside the scheme of the Ps.)
itfalls into four stanzas, each, with the exception of the fourth, consist-
ing of two pairs of verses.
i. The Psalmist prays for pardon and cleansing, confessing the great-
ness of his sins (i —
4).
In utter self-abasement he contrasts the corruption of his nature

ii.
with the sincerity which God desires, and expresses his confident assur-
ance that God can and will cleanse and gladden him (5 8). —
iii. Repeating his petition for pardon, he supplicates for inward
renewal and for the continuance of God's favour and support (9 —
12).
lie resolves to employ his regained freedom in grateful service,

iv.
and to express his thanksgiving by that sacrifice of the heart which God
most desires (13 — 17).
v. A
prayer of the congregation in exile that Jerusalem may be
rebuilt and the sacrificial worship reestablished, as a visible proof of
the restoration of God's favour (18, 19).
;
288 PSALM LI. I, 2.
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto
him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba.
51 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-

kindness :
According unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot

out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
1 —
4. Prayer for forgiveness and cleansing : its ground, God's grace;
its condition, man's repentance.
1. Have mercy upon me\ Or, Be gracious unto me, as the word is
rendered in ^ Sam. xii. 22. It suggests the free bestowal of favour
rather than the exercise of forgiving clemency, and is connected with
the word rendered gracious in Ex. xxxiv. 6. Cp. Ps. iv. i ; Ivi. i
Ivii. I.
thy lovingkindness\ The origin and the bond of the covenant between
Jehovah and Israel.
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies] Or, according to
the abundance of thy compassions. Cp. xxv. 6; Is. Ixiii. 7; Lam. iii.
32 I Pet. i. 3.
;
The prayer for pardon is thus based upon God's revelation of His
character as "a God full of compassion and gracious, abundant in
lovingkindness and truth; keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiv-
ing iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear
the guilty" (Ex. xxxiv. 6, 7); —
a passage which seems to have supplied
the Psalmist's language. Cp. Ixxxvi. 15; Joel ii. 13.
Sin is described, as in Ex. xxxiv. 7 (cp. Ps. xxxii. i, 2), in three
different aspects, as transgression, iniquity, sin: the Heb. words thus
rendered meaning respectively, defection from God or rebellion
(i)
against Him (2) the perversion of right, depravity of conduct (3) error,
: :
wandering from the right way, missing the mark in life.

The removal of guilt is also triply described, (i) Blot out (cp. v. 9):
sin is regarded as a debt recorded in God's book which needs to be
erased and cancelled (cp. the use of the word in Ex. xxxii. 32; Num. v. 23 ;
and see note on Ps. xxxii. 2) or the word may be used more generally
:
{wipe out) of cleansing away defilement so that no trace of it remains

(2 Kings xxi. 13). Cp. the promise in Is. xliii. 25 xliv. 22; and also ;
Neh. iv. 5 ; Jer. xviii. 23. (2) Wash 7ne: the word means properly to
wash clothes, as a fuller does (LXX correctly, t:\vvov, cp. Rev. vii. 14;
xxii. 14), and is frequently used of ceremonial purifications (Ex. xix. 10,
14, &c.) here it denotes that inward cleansing of which external wash-
:
ings were the type. Cp. Jer. ii. 32; iv. 14. He prays, 'wash me
thoroughly,^ or, abundantly, for "the depth of his guilt demands an
unwonted and special grace." But if transgressions abound (Lam. i. 5),
so does mercy. (3) Cleanse me (cp. be clean, v. 7) like wash, a common ;
term in the Levitical ritual, especially in the laws concerning leprosy,

meaning sometimes to cleanse, sometimes to pronounce clean. This use
:
PSALM LI. 3, 4- 289
For I acknowledge my transgressions : ;
And my sin is ever before me.

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, ^
And done this evil in thy sight

That thou mightest be justified when thou speak-
est,
And be clear when thou judgest.
of it suggests the comparison of sin with leprosy. Cp. Lev. xiii. 6, 34,
&c. ; 2 Kings v. 10, 12, 13, 14.
3. For J acknowledge\ Lit., / kno-w. The pronoun is emphatic. His
sins have all along been known to God. They are before His eyes (xc. 8).
But now he has come to know them himself; they are unceasingly pre-
sent to his conscience. Such consciousness of sin is the first step towards
the repentance and confession which are the indispensable conditions of
forgiveness. David refused to acknowledge his sin to himself and to
— —
God yet not, apparently, without sharp pangs of remorse, see xxxii. 3, 4
until Nathan's message awoke his conscience. Cp. the confession of
the nation in Is. lix. 12.
4. David's confession to Nathan was couched in the simple words
(two only in the Heb.), "I have sinned against Jehovah." The addi-
tional words "thee only" have been taken as a proof that the Psalm
cannot have been written by David. But they need not, as we have
seen already, be pressed with such extreme logical precision as to
exclude sin against man. All sin, even that by which man is most
grievously injured, is, in its ultimate nature, sin against God, as a breach
of His holy law ; just as man's duty to his fellow-man is based upon his
duty to God and is regarded as part of it. Moreover the king, as
Jehovah's representative, was in an especial and peculiar way respon-
Him.
sible to
and done this evil] and done that wMch is evil in
Better as R.V.,
thy sight. Cp. 2 Sam. "the thing that David had done was
xi. 27,
evil in the sight of Jehovah": and xii. 9, "Wherefore hast thou despised
the word of Jehovah, to do that which is evil in his sight?"
that thou mightest &c.] Better, that thou mayest he justified when
thou givest sentence: i.e., that Thy righteousness and holiness may be
declared and vindicated when Thou dost pronounce sentence on my sin.
When thou speakest is shewn by the parallelism to mean, 'when Thou
dost pronounce sentence.' Be justified corresponds to the cardinal
divine attribute of righteousness: be clear to that of holiness. Cp. Is. v.
16, "God the Holy One proves Himself holy in righteousness."
But this is a hard saying. Can it be meant that the vindication
of God's holiness is the object of man's sin? (i) Grammar forbids us
to relieve the difificulty by rendering so that thou art justified (con-
sequence) instead of in order that thou mayest be justified (purpose).
(2) Wemight regard that as depending upon vv. 3, 4 a taken together,
and introducing the object of the Psalmist's confession. 'I confess my
sin, that thou mayest be justified in pronouncing sentence upon me.'
PSALMS 19
;
290 PSALM LI. 5.
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity
The sinner's confession and self-condemnation is a justification of God's

sentence upon sin, just as, conversely, the sinner's self-justification is a
challenge and impugnment of God's justice (Josh. vii. 19; Job xl. 8;
I John i. 10). (3) Probably however we are meant to understand that
man's sin brings out into a clearer light the justice and holiness of God,
Who pronounces sentence upon it. The Psalmist flings himself at the
footstool of the Divine Justice. The consequence of his sin, and there-
fore in a sense its purpose (for nothing is independent of the sovereign
Will of God), is to enhance before men the justice and holiness of God,
the absolutely Righteous and Pure. "The Biblical writers... drew no
sharp accurate line between events as the consequence of the Divine
order, and events as following from the Divine purpose. To them all
was ordained and designed of God. Even sin itself in all its manifesta-
tions, though the whole guilt of it rested with man, did not flow uncon-
trolled, but only in channels hewn for it by God, and to subserve His
purposes We must not expect that the Hebrew mind... altogether
averse from philosophical speculation, should have exactly defined for
itself the distinction between an action viewed as the consequence, and
the same action viewed as the end, of another action. The mind which
holds the simple fundamental truth that all is of God, may also hold,
almost as a matter of course, that all is designed of God " (Bishop
Perowne). In this connexion passages such as 2 Sam. xxiv. i Is. vi. ;
10, Ixiii. 17; Jud. ix. 23; i Sam. xvi. 14, xviii. 10, xix. 9; i Kings xxii.
21, require careful consideration.
Such a view is obviously liable to misconstruction, as though, if sin
is in any sense treated as part of the divine purpose, and redounding to
God's glory, must cease to be sinful, and there must be an end of
it
human But the O.T. firmly maintains the truth of man's

responsibility.
responsibility and St Paul, in applying the words of this verse to the
:
course of Israel's history (Rom. iii. 4) rebuts as the suggestion of an

unhealthy conscience the notion that God is responsible for sin which
He overrules to His glory.
The quotation in Rom. iii. 4 is from the LXX, in which the Heb.
word for be clear is taken in its Aramaic sense, be victorious, prevail,
and the last word {zuhen ikon judgest) is ambiguously rendered. The
Greek word may be passive, when thou art judged (as P.B.V., derived
from LXX through the Vulg., and A. V. in Rom.), i.e. when Thy justice
is challenged but more probably it is middle, when Thou comest into
:
'
judgement.' So R.V. in Rom. Cp. Jer. ii. 9 (LXX); Matt. v. 40.

—
5 8. He has inherited a sinful nature and yet, so he is confident,
;
God can and will make it conform to His desire. The emphatic 'Be-
hold!' marks the beginning of a new stanza.
5. Behold, I was shapen] Better, Behold, I was bom. Acts of sin
have their root in the inherited sinfulness of mankind. It does not
appear, as some have thought, that the Psalmist pleads the sinfulness of
his nature as an excuse for his actual sins. Rather, in utter self-abase-
ment, he feels compelled to confess and bewail not only his actual sins,
PSALM LI. 6, 7. 291
And in sin did my mother conceive me.

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts : 6
And in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know

wisdom.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean : 7
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
but the deep infection of his whole nature (Job xiv. 4; Rom. vii. 18).
Moreover this verse forms the introduction to v. 6, wliich, as the repe-
tition of 'behold' indicates (cp. Is. Iv. 4 f; liv. 15 f), stands in close con-
nexion and correlation with it. He contrasts his natural perversity and
liability to error with the inward truth and wisdom which God desires,
and which, he is confident, God can communicate to the pardoned and
regenerate soul.
6. truth in the imvard farts] In the most secret springs of thought
and will, unseen by man but known to God, He desires truth, perfect
sincerity, whole-hearted devotion, incapable of deluding self, as David
had done, or deceiving man, as he had endeavoured to do by his attempts
to cover his sin and its consequences, or dissembling with God, as in his
infatuation he had imagined to be possible. Correlative to the truth
which God desires is wisdom, which is His gift, the spiritual discernment
which is synonymous with the fear of Jehovah, and is the practical prin-
ciple of right conduct. Cp. Prov. i. 7, ix. 10; Job xxviii. 28; James
iii. 17.
The verbs in these verses may be regarded as optatives {iiiaycst

7, 8.
thou purge vie), but it is preferable to render them as futures Thou :
Shalt purge me... thou shalt wash me... thou shalt make me hear.
They thus give utterance to the Psalmist's faith that God can and will
cleanse and restore him. In vv. 9ff direct prayer is resumed by the
imperative, as in vv. i, 1.
The figurative language is borrowed from the ceremonial of the law.
A bunch of hyssop, some common herb which grew upon walls (Tris-
tram, Nat. Hist, of the Bible, p. 455), was used as a sprinkler, especially
in the rites for cleansing the leper and purifying the unclean. (Ex. xii.
1^•, Lev. xiv. 4 ff; Num. xix. 6 ff 18 ff; Hebr. ix. 19.)
, Washing of the
person and clothes regularly formed part of the rites of purification.
The Psalmist is of course thinking of the inward and spiritual cleansing
of which those outward rites were the symbol. He appeals to God Him-
self to perform the office of the priest and cleanse him from his defile-
ment.
than snow\ Cp. Is. i. 18, where this natural emblem of purity
luhiter
is contrasted with the scarlet of sin, suggested by the stains of blood
upon the hands (;u. 15). Terms usually applied to garments {v. 2 note)
are transferred to the person. Cp. Rev. iii. 4, 5, iv. 4 ; &c.
It is unnecessary to follow the Syr. in reading thot( shalt satisfy me
ivith joy (xc. 14) for thou shalt make me hear joy, though the change
would be a simple one. The language is still borrowed from the law.
19—2
292 PSALM LI. 8—11.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness ;
That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

9 Hide thy face from my sins,
And blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God ;
And renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence;
And take not thy holy Spirit from me.
As the purification of the unclean was the prehide to his readmission to
the gladness of the worship of the sanctuary (xlii. 4), so the cleansing of
the Psalmist's heart will be the prelude to his restoration to that 'joy of
God's salvation {v. 12), which he desires.
'
the bones which thou hast brokeji] For the sense of God's displeasure
had as it were crushed and shattered his whole frame. See note on xlii.
10, and cp. xxxii. 3.
9 — Repeated prayer for pardon, cleansing, and renewal. The

12.
change from the future to the imperative (see above) indicates that a
fresh division of the Ps. begins here.
9. Hide thy face fro i?i my ««j] Cease to gaze upon them in dis-
pleasure. Cp. xxxii.
I ; xc. 8. This use of the expression is unusual.
Generally God
said to
ishide His face when He withdraws His favour
(xiii. I xliv. 24, &c.).
;
blot out] See note on z^. i.

10. Create in me] Rather, Create me, i.e. for me. The word is
used of the creative operation of God, bringing into being what did not
exist before and so in the parallel line rettezu should be rather make
:
new (Vulg. iiinova better than Jer. reiiova). It is not the restoration of
what was there before that he desires, but a radical change of heart and
spirit. A
right spirit should rather be a stedfast or constant spirit
(Ivii. 7; Ixxviii. 37; cxii. 7), fixed and resolute in its allegiance to God,
inimoved by the assaults of temptation. Such a clean heart and stedfast
spirit, the condition of fellowship with God (Matt. v. 8), the spring of a
holy life, can only come from the creative, life-giving power of God.
Cp. the prophetic promises in Jer. xxiv. 7; xxxi. 33; xxxii. 39; Ezek.
xi. 19 xviii. 31; xxxvi. 26; and see ^ Cor. v. 17; Gal. vi. 15; Eph. ii.
;
10; iv. 24.

11. The upright "behold God's face" (xi. 7): He admits them to
His presence for ever (xli. 12). The spirit of Jehovah came upon David,
as it departed from Saul (i Sam. xvi. 13, 14). Did David fear that he
might share the fate of Saul, banished from God's presence and deprived
of His favour, deserted by that Spirit which is the source of all right
desire and action ?
pointed out by the advocates of the national interpretation of the
It is
Psalm first line is always used of the rejection of
that the phrase of the
the nation and its banishment from the holy land (2 Kings xiii. 23 ; xvii.
20; xxiv. 20; Jer. vii. 15): and that the phrase 'God's holysjDirit' is
: ;
PSALM LI. 12—14. 293
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation ,2
And uphold me 7C'it/i thy free spirit.

Then will I teach transgressors thy ways ',
13
And sinners shall be converted unto thee.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O
God, thou God of my 14
salvation
And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
found elsewhere in the O.T. only in Is. Ixiii. 10, 11, where it is mentioned
(along with the angel of His presence v. 9) as the mediator of His
'
'
presence in the midst of the nation of Israel. But both phrases are
equally applicable to the individual.
Although the doctrine of the personality of the Holy Spirit is not
taught in the O.T., passages like these, which imply that in the spirit
Jehovah personally acts, prepare the way for the N.T. revelation con-
cerning Him, and can be used in the fullest Christian sense. See
.Oehler's O.T. Tkeol., § 65.
12. Restore &c.] For sin has destroyed that assurance of God's help
which is ever a ground of rejoicing (ix. 14; xiii. 5; xx. 5; xxxv. 9).
He prays for that deliverance which he is confident [v. 8) that God can
and will grant him.
with thy free spirit'] Rather, with a free, or, wllliiig spirit. Cp.
Exod. xxxv. 5, 22; and the cognate word in liv. 6, 3. freewill oênng.'
'
He desires to be upheld from falling by such a divine inspiration as will

move him spontaneously to think and do such things as are right. His
first impulse will be to shew forth his thankfulness in acts {v. 13).
13—17. Resolutions of thanksgiving.

13. Having experienced the joy of penitence and restoration, he will
endeavour to instruct transgressors in the ways of Jehovah in which they
have refused to walk (Is. xlii. 24), those commandments which they have
refused to keep, so that they may return to Him from Whom they have
gone astray. Ps. xxxii has been thought to be the fulfilment of this
resolution. This resolve is however, it is said, "little appropriate to
David, whose natural and right feeling in connexion with his great
sin must rather have been that of silent humiliation than of an instant
desire to preach his forgiveness to other sinners." But surely an en-
deavour to undo the evil effects of a sin whereby he " had given great
occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme" would be one of the
most fitting fruits of repentance.
14. Deliver me from bloodgiiiltiness\ From the power and the
punishment of my sin. Cf xxxix. 8; xl. 12. No doubt 'bloodguilti-
ness' may include all 'mortal sin,' for which death was the punishment
(see Ezek. xviii. 13; Ps. ix. 12, note); and the word is applicable
enough to the nation which is repeatedly charged with the crime of
murder (Is. i. 15; iv. 4; Jer. xix. 4; Ezek. vii. 23; 2 Kings xxiv. 3, 4;
&c.) but it is distinctly appropriate to David's crimes of adultery and
;
murder. Cp. 2 Sam. xii. 5, 13.

thy righteousnessl God's righteousness, i.e. His faithfulness to His
: :
294 PSALM LI. 15—18.
15 O Lord, open thou my lips ;
And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

16 For thou desirest not sacrifice ; else would I give it
Thou delightest not in burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion :
Build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
character and covenant, is exhibited in the pardon of the penitent not

less than in the judgement of the impenitent. "If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness" (i John i. 9). Contrast Rom. ii. 4 ff.
15. open t/ioii] Lit. as P.B.V., thou shall open, i.e. when thou openest.
Not the occasion for praise only, but the power to praise aright is the
gift of God. Cp. xl. 3. In this verse and the preceding one there may
be an allusion to the public worship of God. Cp. xxvi. 6, 7. He
may be tacitly comparing himself to the leper who has been pronounced
clean, and restored to that fellowship with the congregation from which
he had been excluded.
16. For thou desirest not sacrifice'] R.V., For thou delightest not
In sacrifice. The verb is the same as in vv. 6, 19, and xl. 6. For gives
the reason for the nature of the thank-offering which he proposes to
offer: —
not material sacrifice which God does not desire, but the
sacrifice of a contrite heart. Cp. xl. 6, the sacrifice of obedience;
1. 14, 23; the sacrifice of thanksgiving.
thou delightest not] R.V., thou hast no pleasure a word used of :
accepting a sacrifice (cxix. 108; cp. xix. 14). For the sense in which
God is said to have no pleasure in sacrifice, see Introd. to Ps. 1. An
absolute repudiation of all sacrificial worship cannot be intended.
17. The sacrifices of God] Such as He desires and approves.
A broken spirit and a co7itrite heart are those in which sorrow and
affliction {v. 8) have done their work, and the obstinacy of pride has
been replaced by the humility of penitence. Cp. xxxiv. 18; Is. Ivii. 15.
The P.B.V. a troubled spirit follows the Vulg. spiritus contribulatus,
but introduces a distinction which does not exist in the Heb.
thou tuilt not despise] Though David had despised the word of the
Lord (2 Sam. xii. 9), he is confident that God will not despise him.
Cp. cii. 17 ; John vi. 37.
18. 19. Prayer of Israel in exile for the restoration of Jerusalem and
the renewal of the Temple worship.
Reasons have already been given for thinking that these verses are
not part of the original Psalm, but an addition by the exiles who
adapted it to their own needs.
18. Cp. cii. 136".
:
PSALM LI. 19. LIL 295
Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteous- 19
ness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering

Then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
19. Then shalt thou be pleased with} R.V., Then shalt thou delight
in, as in v. 16.
the sacrifices of righteousness']Those offered in a right spirit. Cp.
iv. 5; Deut. xxxiii. 19.
with burnt offering and whole burnt offering] R.V., in burnt offering
&c. The iexmdldh, 'burnt-offering,' denotes the sacrifice as 'ascending'
in smoke and flame: kdlll, 'whole burnt offering,' denotes the sacrifice
as entirely consumed. It was the rule that the burnt offering should
be wholly consumed, to symbolise the entire self-dedication of the
worshipper; and the second designation is added in order to emphasise
this idea of the sacrifice.Cp. Deut. xxxiii. 10; i Sam. vii. 9.
This anticipation of the restoration of material sacrifices in Jerusalem
seems a poor ending to a Psalm of such profound spirituality. But a
material Temple and visible sacrifices still had their work to do in
forming a centre for the Jewish Church and serving as a visible sign of
God's covenant with His people. Not until Christ had come and offered
one sacrifice for sins for ever, could they be finally dispensed with, and
the full truth of such words as those of this Psalm be understood,
PSALM LIL
The title prefixed to this it to David, and connects it
Psalm ascribes
with the occasion when Doeg informed
Saul that David had been
received by Ahimelech at Nob, and assisted with the means for his
flight (i Sam. xxi, xxii). The character denounced in the Psalm is in
some respects such as we may suppose Doeg to have been. He was a
man of wealth and importance as the chief of Saul's herdmen (or,
according to the LXX, the keeper of his mules). His tongue was "a
deceitful tongue," because although the facts he reported were true, he
helped to confirm Saul in a false and cruel suspicion. It "devised
destruction" and "loved all devouring words," for his story was told
with malicious intent and fatal result. Just sufficient appropriateness
may be traced to account for the title having been prefixed by the com-
piler of this division of the Psalter, or for the Psalm having been con-
nected with the story of Doeg in some historical work from which the
compiler took it.
But the entire absence of any reference to the cold-blooded and
sacrilegious murder of the priests at Nob, in which Doeg acted as Saul's
agent, when all his other officers shrank from executing his brutal order,
makes it difficult, if not impossible, to suppose that the Psalm was
really written by David on that occasion, unless we could assume that
it was composed after Doeg's information was given but before the
massacre was perpetrated, which is wholly improbable.
296 PSALM LII. I.
To judge from its contents, the Psalm is a denunciation of some

wealthy and powerful noble, who had been guilty of ruining innocent
persons by malicious slanders or false evidence. As reference is made
to his wealth [v. 7), and his wrongdoing is contrasted with the loving-
kindness of God, it seems probable that he was one of those magnates
so frequently denounced by the prophets, who, in defiance of their duty
of lovingkindness to their neighbours, enriched themselves by impov-
erishing the poor, and did not scruple to ruin their victims by the use of
false evidence and the subservience of venal judges. See for example,
Mic. ii. I ff; iii. i ff; vi. 12; vii. 3. The Psalmist speaks as the repre-
sentative of the sufferers, who will rejoice at their oppressor's fall as a
proof of God's righteous judgement.
As to the particular occasion and date of the Psalm little can be said.
The evils to which it refers were rife in the eighth century, but they
had existed before and continued to exist after. A
couple of parallels
in Jeremiah {vv. i, 8) are insufficient to establish its dependence upon
that book. author may have been a prophet. His tone of authority
Its
and vigorous denunciation of evil in high places recall Isaiah's denun-
ciation of Shebna (Is. xxii. 15 ff), and, in a less degree, Jeremiah's
denunciation of Pashhur (xx. 3 ff), and Hananiah (xxviii. 5 if). Evidently
it is directed against some conspicuous individual, and is not merely a
general denunciation.
The Psalm falls into two divisions.
i. The unscrupulous evil-doer is called
to account ; his character is
described; and his fate foretold (i
ii.
5). —
With awe the righteous contemplate his fall, and rejoice over the
judgement of this self-confident braggart while the Psalmist contrasts
:
his own security under the protection of God, and makes vows of public
thanksgiving (6 9). —
To the chief Musician, Maschil, A

Psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came
and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech.
52 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty 7na7i 1
On the title. For the chief Musician, Maschil of David, see Introd.
pp. xviii f. It is the first of four 'Maschil' Psalms.
1 — 5. Denunciation of the evil-doer and prediction of his fate.
1. This verse states the theme of the Psalm

the contrast between
;
man's wrongdoing and God's lovingkindness. The two halves of the

verse correspond to the two divisions of the Psalm. The statement of
the second line is abruptly introduced, but it is virtually the answer to
the question of the first. What avails it thee to boast of successful evil-
doing (x. 3)? it is vain: the lovingkindness of God (endureth) all the
day; that covenant love in which the Psalmist trusts (z/, 8), and of
which all His saints' {v. 9) are the object.
'
mighty man] Perhaps simply, as P. R. V., thou tyrant, for power

;
PSALM LI I. 2— s. 297
The goodness of God endureth continually.

Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs ;
s
Like a sharp rasor, working deceitfully.

Thou lovest evil more than good ;
And lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.

Thou lovest all devouring words, <
O thou deceitful tongue.

God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, ;
soon degenerates into tyranny but rather perhaps with sarcastic irony,
:
thou hero! Cp. Is. v. 22 ; Jer. ix. 3.

God\ El, 'the strong one' (cp. 1. i), is significantly used here. The
braggart tyrant thinks himself strong, but there is a stronger than he,
who him to account.
will call
2. Thy tongue deviseth^ Cp. xxxv.
20. Sins of the tongue falsehood, —
slander, false witness, and the like —
are frequently denounced in the
Psalms and by the Prophets. See v. 9 ; x. 7; xii. 2 ff ; Mic. vi. 12;
Jer. ix. 3 ; &c.
misehitfs] R.V., very wickedness (as in v. 9); or destruction, perhaps
not without a reminiscence of the original meaning of the word, a
yawning gulf, for his tongue is ready to swallow up [v. 4) the righteous.
The plur. denotes mischief or destructiveness of every kind.
tike a sharp rasor] Lit., /i/ee a whetted rasor, which cuts you before
you are aware, as you handle it incautiously. The tongue and its words
are elsewhere compared to swords and spears and arrows (Iv. 2X, Ivii. 4,
lix. 7, Ixiv. 3 ; cp. Prov, xxvi. 18). Comp. Shakespeare, Cymbeline,
iii. 4,
'"Tis slander,
Whose edge is sharper than the sword."
rvorking deceitfully'] The partic. cannot,unless we assume a laxity of
construction, be in agreement with thy tongue; nor can it well be referred
to the sharp rasor. It is best to take it as a vocative, thou worker of
deceit. Cp. ci. 7.
3. evil ?nore than good] Evil rather than good, evil and not good.
The meaning is not merely that he has a preference for evil, but that
he chooses evil instead of good, like the nobles censured in Mic. iii. 2,
"who hate the good and love the evih"
righteousness] Not merely truth, but truth regarded as promoting
and securing justice. The aim and result of his falsehoods was in-
justice.
4. devouring zvords] Lit., tvoi-ds of sxvalloiuing up. Cp. the use of
the verb in xxxv. 25, "We
have swallowed him up " and liii. 4. :
thou deceitful tongue] This rendering is certainly preferable to that

of the margin, and the deceitful tongue.'
'
The bold identification of the
offender with the offending member is far more vigorous, and perfectly
legitimate. Cp. cxx. 2, 3; xii. 3; i Kings xix. 18.
5. like-wise] We might have expected therefore, as P. B. V. following
Vulg. loosely renders: but likexvise is significant. There is a corre-
:
298 PSALM LI I. 6.
He shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling
place,
And root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.
6 The righteous also shall see, and fear,
And shall laugh at him :
spondence and equivalence between the sin and its punishment. Cp.
Mic. ii. I —
lo, where the idea is worked out that the heartless oppressors
who have driven the poor from their homes will be driven from the land
into exile.
The doom of the wicked man is forcibly described by various figures.
He fancies himself securely intrenched in the fortress of his wealth, but
God will break him down (Jud. viii. 9) and that for ever, so that there
will be no restoration of the ruins. He is at ease in his home, but God
will take him as a man takes a coal from the hearth with tongs or shovel,
and plucking him out of his dwelling, drive him forth as a homeless
wanderer (Deut. xxviii. 63; Prov. ii. 22; Job xviii. 14, R.V.). He is
"spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil" (xxxvii. 35),
but God will uproot him out of the land of the living. Cp. for the
phrase Jer. xi. 19; and note the contrast between the fate of the wicked
and the future of the Psalmist (z^. 8).
The verbs in this verse might be rendered as in the LXX, as a prayer,
" May God destroy thee " &c. ; but the rendering in the future is prefer-
able. Sentence is pronounced in a tone of prophetic authority. Cp. Is.
xxii. 17 ff.
Sclah marks the conclusion of the first part of the Psalm.
6 —
9. The sight of his fall inspires the righteous with awe, and gives
occasion for rejoicing at this proof of God's just government of the
world, for trustful hope, and grateful thanksgiving.
6, 7. And the righteous shall see, and fear,

And shall laugh at him, (saying),
Lo, &c.
The impression produced by the sight is that oifear; not alarm,
first
but awe; a deeper reverence for God and His government of the world
the next impression that of scorn and derision (ii. 4) for the braggart
who trusted in his wealth. Such rejoicing is no mere vindictive triumph
at the wicked man's ruin. Malicious satisfaction at the calamity of the
wicked is condemned in the O.T. see Job xxxi. 29; Prov. xxiv. 17.
;
But inasmuch as the judgement of the wicked is an illustration and proof

of the government of God, it must be welcomed with joy by the
righteous. Cp. Rev. xviii. 20; xix. i ff. It must be remembered
moreover that the apparently unchecked prosperity of the wicked was a
sore trial of faith to those whose view of God's working was limited
to this world. They naturally and rightly desired a vindication of His
righteousness, and rejoiced when they saw it. See further Introd. pp.
Ixx fF, and cp. Iviii. 10 f ; Ixiv. 7 ff j v. 11, note.
PSALM LI I. 7—9. 299
Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength \
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,

And strengthened himself in his wickedness.
But hke a green oUve tree in the house of God
I ai7i : '
I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done // .•
!
And I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy

saints.
7. The words of the righteous. There is a touch of sarcasm in the

use of the word geber (akin to gibbor, v. i) for man (as perhaps in Is.
xxii. 17, see R.V. marg.), denoting a man in his full vigour.
that made not God his strength'] Or, stronghold. The tense implies
that it was the constant habit of his mind.
but trusted &c.] Cp. xlix. 6.
in his wickedtiess'] The singular of the word rendered mischiefs (R.V.
very tvicJiedness) in v. 2. It may here mean^r^^/, or covetoiisncss. But the
rendering of the Targ. and the Syr. in Ids wealth (whence A.V. marg.
substance), seems to represent a slightly different reading, which agrees
well with the parallel, i}t the abundance of his riches.
8. But I am li/ce a green olive tree] R.V., But as for me, I am like
a green olive tree, rightly emphasising the contrast between the fate of
the wicked man and the hopes of the speaker. But who is the speaker?
Is it, as is commonly supposed, the Psalmist? or is the speech of the
righteous in v. 7 continued, but with a transition to the singular, in order
more forcibly to express the personal faith of each individual ? It makes
little difference to the sense the Psalmist, if he is the speaker, speaks
:
as the representative of the righteous.

like a green olive tree in the house of God] It is possible (cp. xcii. 13)
that trees grew in the temple courts, as they grow at the present day in
the Haram area, and that he compares his prosperity and security to that
of the carefully tended trees planted in sacred ground. But more pro-
bably two figures are combined. He is like an evergreen olive tree, while
the wicked man is rooted up: he is God's guest, enjoying His favour
and protection. For the metaphor of the tree cp. Jer. xi. 16; Hos. xiv.
8 (of the nation) ; Ps. i. 3 ; xcii. 1 2 ff and for that of the guest see xxiii.
:
6; xxvii. 4; xv. i. Note too that God's house may mean the land of
Israel (Hos. ix. 15), in which the righteous dwells securely while the
wicked man is driven out of it {v. 5).
mercy] Rather, lovingkindness, as \r\v. i.
9. I will praise tJiee] R.V., I will give thee thanks, "the sacrifice
of thanksgiving," 1. 23.
because thou hast done it] For this emphatic absolute use of the verb
cp. xxii. 31; xxxvii. 5.
/ will wait &c.] R.V., I will wait on thy name, for it is good, in
the presence of thy saints. Cp. Is. xxvi. 8. But in the presence '
of thy saints' implies some public act of praise (cp. xxii. 25; liv. 6);
and it is probable that for wait some word meaning proclaim should
300 PSALM LI 1 1.
be read, thus : I will proclaim that thy name is good, in the presence
of thy saints. God's chasTdim, 'saints' or 'beloved ones,' are those
who are the object of His chcsed or lovingkindness. Cp. I. 5; and
Appendix, Note i.
PSALM LIIL
This Psalm is another recension of Ps. xiv. Elohim (God), is substi-

tuted for Jeliovah (A.V. Lord) in accordance with the usage of this
—
book; and in vv. i 4, 6 there are a few variations which hardly affect
the sense; but v. 5 differs widely from the corresponding vv. 5, 6 of Ps.
xiv. It is a disputed question whether this difference is due to corrup-
tion of the text or to intentional change. On the one hand the curious
similarity of the Hebrew letters is in favour of the view that the text
here is a conjectural restoration of characters which had become partially
obliterated : but on the other hand it is possible that some later editor
intentionally altered the original text in order to adapt the Psalm to
his purpose by introducing a fresh historical reference, probably, as we
shall see, to the destruction of Sennacherib's army.
At first sight v. 6 seems to bring the date of the Psalm down to the
Exile. It might be a liturgical addition made in the time of the Exile,
but even if this is not the case (and the occurrence of the verse in both
recensions points to its being an original part of the Psalm) its language,
as will be shewn in the notes, is not decisive.
The Psalmist traces the deep and universal corruption of mankind to
its source in their failure to seek after God (i 3). —
He illustrates this
corruption by the cruel treatment to which 'the people of Jehovah'
have been subjected; and points to some signal interposition by which
Jehovah has proved His care for them and refuted the denial of His
Providence (4, 5). The Psalm concludes with a prayer that He will
gladden Israel with a full deliverance {v. 6).
It is commonly supposed that the Psalmist is describing the depravity
of his own age and his own country. —
But at least in vv. i 3 it is of
mankind at large {the sons of men, v. 2) that he is speaking. His words
recall the great examples of corruption in the primeval world, in the
days before the Flood, at Babel, in Sodom and in this recension at any
;
rate, it is clear that my people in v. 4 must mean the nation of Israel,

'
'
and not the poor but godly folk within the nation, while the 'workers
of iniquity' must mean foreign invaders, not tyrannical Israelite mag-
nates, for V. 5 can refer to nothing less than some great national deliver-
ance from a foreign enemy. In the notes on Ps. xiv the view is taken
that vv. 4, 5 were originally meant to refer to the oppression of Israel
in Egypt and the deliverance at the Red Sea, as a great typical instance
of defiant antagonism to Jehovah and of His intervention on behalf of
His people; and they seem to have been remodelled here to introduce a
reference to the invasion of Judah by the Assyrians and the miraculous
destruction of Sennacherib's host.
PSALM LIII. I, 2. 301
To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David.
The no God.
fool hath said in his heart, T/iere 53 is
Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity :
There is none that doeth good.

God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, 2
To see if there were any that did understand, that did
seek God.
The runs: For the chief Musician: set to Mahalath.

title Maschil
of David. Rlahalath (cp. the title of Ps. Ixxxviii) may mean sickness,
and is best explained as the initial word of some well-known song, to
the melody of which the Psalm was set; rather than as denoting a
mournful style of music or some kind of instrument. The could LXX
only transliterate the word as unintelligible.
1 — 3. The universal depravity of mankind, and its cause.

1. The fool] A men, not a particular individual. The word
class of
ndl'dl here used for fool denotes moral perversity, not mere ignorance or
weakness of reason. 'Folly' is the opposite of 'wisdom' in its highest
sense. It may be predicated of forgetfulness of God or impious opposi-
tion to His will (Deut. xxxii. 6, 21 Job ii. 10; xlii. 8; Ps. Ixxiv. 18,
;
22): of gross offences against morality (2 Sam. xiii. 12, 13): of sacrilege
(Josh. vii. 15): of ungenerous churlishness (i Sam. xxv. 25). For a
description of the 'fool' in his 'folly' see Is. xxxii. 5, 6 (A.V. vile
person, villany).
hath said in his heart] Or, said. This was the deliberate conclusion
of men, upon which they acted. Cp. x. 6, 11, 13.
There is no God] Cp. x. This
not to be understood of a
4. is
speculative denial of the existence of God
but of a practical denial of
;
His moral government. It is rightly paraphrased by the Targum on

xiv. I, 'There is no government of God in the earth.' Cp. Ixxiii. 11;
Jer. V. 12; Zeph. i. 12; Rom. i. 28 ff.
Corrupt are they &c.] Render, They did corrupt and abominable
iniquity; there was none doing good. The subject of the sentence is
mankind in general. Abandoning a practical belief in God, they
depraved their natui'e, and gave themselves up to practices which God
abhors (v. 6). 'Corrupt' describes the self-degradation of their better
nature; 'abominable' the character of their conduct in the sight of
God. Such was the condition of the world before the Flood. See
Gen. vi. 11, 12; and with the last line of the verse cp. Gen. vi. 5.
—
Rom. i. 18 32 is a commentary on this verse. Men "refused to have
God in their knowledge "..."their senseless heart was darkened"...
"professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." For iniquity
Ps. xiv reads doings.
2. For a while God as it were overlooked the growing corruption.
At length He 'looked down' (xxxiii. 13, 14). So in the yet simpler
language of the Pentateuch He is said to have 'come down to see' the
wickedness of Babel and Sodom (Gen. xi. 5; xviii. 21; and note the
302 PSALM LIII. 3, 4.
3 Every one of them is gone back, they are altogether

become filthy;
There is none that doeth good, no, not one.
4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge ?
Who eat up my people as they eat bread :
They have not called upon God.
use of look down in the latter narrative though in a different con-

'
'
nexion, xviii. 16). Were not these typical examples of human corrup-
tion in the Psalmist's mind? God (in xiv. 2 Jehovah) looked down...
to see if there were any that did understand (or deal wisely, R.V. marg.,
for the verb often includes the idea of right action), that did seek after
God. Cp. ix. 10. The use of God, not Jehovah, in Ps. xiv as well as
here, is significant. It is of mankind in general, not of Israel, that the
Psalmist is speaking. God made Himself known through the voice of
conscience and in the works of creation, but men would not follow the
light of conscience or read the book of nature. See Acts xiv. 17 xvii. ;
27 ; and especially Rom. i. 19 ff.

3. The result of His investigation. Every one of them had gone
back (xliv. 18) from following God (in xiv. 3 tiirned aside from the path
of right) together had they become tainted, a word which in Arabic
:
means to go bad or tiu-n sour, but in Heb. is used only in a moral

sense, here and in Job xv. 16. On the interpolation in the P.B. V. of
Ps. xiv after v. 3 see note there.
4, 6. The corruption of mankind exemplified in their treatment of

God's people ; and His Providence demonstrated in the deliverance of
them.
4. God is the speaker. The first clause may be taken as in A.V.,
'Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge?' Are they so ignorant
that they cannot distinguish between right and wrong? Cp. v. 2, and
Ixxxii. 5. But a much better connexion with v. 5 is gained by render-
ing, Have not the zvorkers of iniquity been made to know? i.e. taught by
sharp experience to recognise their error. Then v. 5 follows as an
answer to the question, pointing to the plain white with the bones of
Jerusalem's besiegers. For this pregnant sense oi knoiv cp. Hos. ix. 7;
Jud. viii. 16 (taught, lit. made to know).
who eat up &c.] The A.V. follows the Ancient Versions in under-
standing this to mean, they devour my people as naturally as they take
'
their daily food.' And this they do without regard to God (in Ps. xiv,
Jehovah). Cp. for the phrase. Num. xiv. 9, "the people of the land are
bread for us"; Num. xxiv. 8; and for the fact, Is. i. 7; Jer. x. 25;
XXX. 16; Hab. iii. 14; Ps. Ixxix. 7. The reference to national
deliverance in the following verse excludes (at any rate in this recension
of the Ps.) the explanation of ' my people as the godly few in Israel
'
(Mic. ii. 9; iii. 3, 5, and often in the prophets), and of 'the workers of
iniquity as the nobles who impoverished them by unjust extortions
'
(Mic. iii. I ff; Is, iii. 14 f; Prov. xxx. 14).

: : ;
PSALM LI 1 1, s, 6. 303
There were they in great fear, where no fear was s
For God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth

against thee
Thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised
them.
O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion !

6
When God bringeth back the captivity of his people,

Jacob shall rejoice, atid Israel shall be glad.
5. There points to some signal instance in which panic terror and

overvvhehiiing calamity overtook the ' workers of iniquity who came to'
devour the people of God. They were seized with a supernaturally

inspired terror, where there was no natural cause for panic. Cp. i Sam.
xiv. 15; 2 Kings vii. 6 ; xix. 7, 35.
for God hath scattered &c.] The bones of Israel's enemies lie bleach-
ing on the plain, where their bodies were left unburied (Ezek. vi. 5).
This cannot be an anticipation of some further defeat. It must rather
be an allusion to some historic event; and it at once suggests the
annihilation of Sennacherib's great army. Probably the text was
intentionally altered in this recension in order to introduce a reference
to the most famous example in later times of the discomfiture of worldly
arrogance venturing to measure its strength with Jehovah.
against thee^ The people of God are addressed.
thou hast put them to shame'] Cp. 2 Kings xix. 20 ff.
hath despised them] R.V. rejected them, as the word is often rendered
elsewhere. But despised better expresses the contempt for the enemies
of His people which is meant. Cp. Jud. ix. 38; Is. xxxiii. 8. In their
folly they said in their heart,'
There is no God (cp. 2 Kings xviii. 35)
'
and this catastrophe which they are powerless to avert is His answer to
their blasphemy. Cp. ii. 4, 5. For the widely different reading
of xiv. 5, 6 see notes there.
6. Concluding prayer for the full restoration of Israel. Some com-
mentators have regarded this as a liturgical addition, but its presence in
both recensions is in favour of its originality. It forms an appropriate
conclusion to the Ps. and the recollection of past deliverance in v. 5
,
naturally passes into a prayer for further restoration.

the salvation of Israel] Lit. salvations, victory and deliverance full
and complete. (Ps. xiv. 7 has the lingular.) Zion is Jehovah's dwelling-
place, the centre from which He exercises His earthly sovereignty.
when God bringeth back &c.] Or, as R.V. marg., retiirneth to the
captivity &c. For God Ps. xiv. 7 has fehovah. At first sight these
words seem to fix the date of the Psalm in the period of the Exile (cxxvi.
i). Nor does the phrase out of Zion exclude such a view. The exiles
turned to Zion even in her desolation (Dan. vi. 10; i Kings viii. 44),
and from thence Jehovah might be expected to restore His people.
But (i) it is very probable that the phrase rendered bring back the cap-
:
304 PSALM LIV. i.
tivity means rather tui-n the fortunes^. This meaning suits all the
passages in which the phrase occurs, while turn the captivity does not,
except in the figurative sense of restoring prosperity. See e.g. Job xlii.
lo; Ezek. xvi. 53 ; Zeph. ii. 7. And (2) even if turn the captivity is
the original meaning, the phrase is used by Amos (ix. 14) and Hosea (vi.
1 1) long before the Babylonian Captivity. In the time of Hezekiah the
words might refer to the recent fall of the Northern Kingdom.
then shall Jacob rejoice'] Properly a wish or prayer (cp. xiii. 5, 6)
let Jacob rejoice, and Israel toe glad.
PSALM LIV.
This Psalm consists of two divisions, separated by Selah.
i.
ii.
A prayer for help in imminent peril from godless enemies (i 3).
A
profession of unshaken confidence that God will defend and
—
avenge the Psalmist, with a vow of thanksgiving for the deliverance
which he is well assured is in store for him (4 7).
The title refers the Psalm to the time of David's persecution by Saul.
—
When David became aware that the men of Keilah, with selfish ingrati-
tude, intended to surrender him to Saul, he fled with his men to the
wilderness of Ziph, a district to the S.E. of Hebron. But theZiphites
" came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with
us in the strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on
the south of the desert?" (i Sam. xxiii. 19). Saul came down to seek
David, who viâs in imminent peril of being surrounded and captured,
when Saul was compelled to withdraw in order to repel a Philistine raid.
On a subsequent occasion (unless the narrative in i Sam. xxvi. i ff is
only another account of the same incident) the Ziphites repeated their
treachery, and again betrayed David's hiding-place.
It is argued that this reference is excluded by the description of the
Psalmist's enemies in z'. 3 as strangers and violent men,' terms elsewhere
'
' '
applied to foreign oppressors. This no doubt is the general meaning of

the words ; but it is difficult to say positively (see note) that they could not
have been applied to Israelites. Otherwise the Psalm suits the occasion.
If not written by David, it may have been placed in his mouth by some
later Psalmist. But its language is so general, that no positive con-
clusion can be formed from its contents as to the particular circumstances
under which it was composed.
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A

Psalm of David, when the Ziphims
came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us ?
54 Save me, O God, by thy name,
The title may be rendered with R.V., For the chief Musician on ;
stringed instruments. Maschil of David when the Ziphites came :
and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us ?

1. by thy name] God's name is the manifestation of His character,
• turn a turning, the word sh'bnth being derived from shiib 'to turn ' or
Lit.
'
return,' not from shabdlt, to take captive.'
'
The regular word for the Babylonian
captivity \sgold/i, 'exile.'
; : ;'
PSALM LIV. 2-4. 305
And judge me by thy strength.

Hear my prayer, O God ;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.

For strangers are risen up against me,
And oppressors seek after my soul
They have not set God before them. Selah.
Behold, God is mine helper
the sum of His revealed attributes. The Psalmist can appeal to it, for
He has declared that it is His will to save those who put their trust in
Him. Cp. V. 11.
judge we] Do me justice. Confident in the goodness of his cause, he
is sure that if right is done him, he will be delivered. Cp. i Sam. xxiv.
15; Ps. vii. 8; ix. 4; xxvi. i ; xxxv. 24; xliii. i.
dy thy strengt/i\ R.V., in thy might. God has not only the will,
but the power to deliver His servant. He is " a mighty one who will
save" (Zeph. iii. 17).
3. This verse is repeated almost verbatim in Ps. Ixxxvi. 14 (a mosaic
constructed of fragments of other Psalms), with the change, accidental
or intentional, of strangers into protid. The consonants of the Heb.
words ZARiM, strangers, and zedIm, protid, are almost identical, and
some Heb. MSS. and the Targ. read zEdIm here ; but the rest of the
versions support the Massoretic Text.
and oppressors &c.] Render, and violent men have sought life, my
as in I Sam. xxiii. 15, "David saw that Saul was come out to seek his
life." It has been argued that the terms 'strangers' and 'violent men
are inapplicable to Israelites, and prove that the title is erroneous. No
doubt they are often used of foreign invaders or oppressors (Is. xxv. 2 ff
xxix. 5; Ezek. xxxi. 12; cp. Is. i. 7; Ezek. vii. 21); but 'violent
men' or 'terrible ones' is not exclusively so used (Job vi. 23; Jer. xv.
21), and might well be applied to Saul and his followers; while the
Ziphites might be designated 'strangers,' in view of their unneighbourly
behaviour. It is however possible that 'strangers refers to the men of '
Keilah, whom there is some ground for regarding as Canaanites. The

peculiar term 'lords' or 'owners' applied to the men of Keilah (i Sam.
xxiii. II, 12) seems to have been specially (though not exclusively) used
of Canaanites. See Josh. xxiv. 1 1 Judg. ix. 2 ff and J. S. Black's note
; ;
on the latter passage in the Smaller Cambridge Bible for Schools.

they have not set God before them] They have no regard for God's
will, and no fear of His judgements. Cp. x. 4, 5 ; xxxvi. i and con- ;
trast xvi. 8; xviii. 22. Under other circumstances loyalty to Saul might
have required the Ziphites to surrender David as it was, they were :
simply fighting against God in making themselves the tools of Saul's

blind rage, for it must have been well known that God intended David
to be Saul's successor.
4 — 7. A confident expectation of deliverance and vow of thanks-

giving.
4. God is mine helper] Taught by his past experience he can say not
PSALMS 20
: : :
3o6 PSALM LIV. 5—7.
The Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

5 He shall reward evil unto mine enemies :
Cut them off in thy truth.

unto thee
6 I will freely sacrifice
thy name,
I will praise O
Lord ; for // is good.
7 For he hath delivered me out of all trouble
And mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.
merely that God will help him, but that God is on his side, so that the
issue cannot be doubtful.
the Lord is 7mth them that uphold my souT\ R.V., is of them that
uphold my soul perhaps better, is the Upholder of my soul. The
:
expression is an idiomatic one, and "the sense is not that God is the
support of the Psalmist among many others, but that He is so in a
supreme degree, that He sums up in Himself the qualities of a class,
viz. the class of helpers (so cxviii. 7). Comp. Judg. xi. 35, Alas, my '
daughter, thou hast bowed me down even thou art my greatest

;
troubler.' " (Cheyne). ¥ ox uphold c^. iii. 5 (sustaineth) ; li. 12.

5. He shall requite the evil unto them that lie in wait for me
Destroy thou them in thy truth.
God will cause the evil which they are plotting to recoil upon their
own heads: or, according to the fC thtbh or written text {Introd. p. li),
The evil shall return &c.: cp. vii. r6. Enemies (A.V.) is a peculiar
word found only in v. 8; xxvii. 11; hi. 1; lix. 10, meaning those who
lie in wait for him, like fowlers (Jer. v. 26 R.V.), or a leopard for its
prey (Hos. xiii. 7). Jerome renders it insidiatores.
hi thy truth'] For Thou canst not be false to Thy promise to deliver
me.
6. / will freely sacrifice unto thee] Or, With a free will I will
sacrifice unto thee. So the LXX
and Jer. R.V., with a freewill
offering. But cp. Num. xv. 3, "a burnt offering or sacrifice, to accom-
plish a vow, or of freewill, or in your set feasts."
I will praise thy name, Lokd] R.V. I will give thanks unto thy
,
name. Cp. Hi. 9. Lord, i.e. Jehovah, appears here, contrary to the
general usage of the book. It may have been retained, or restored, in
a familiar formula. For it, viz. Thy name, is good. Cp. Hi. 9, and v. i.
7. For he hath delivered me] Such a transition from the second
person of ?'. 6 to the tliird person is quite possible cp. the converse :
transition in v. 5: but the subject of the verb maybe 'the Name of

Jehovah.' Cp. Lev. xxiv. 11; Is. xxx. 27.
The perfect tense ('hath delivered '...'hath seen') looks back from the
hour of thanksgiving upon an answered prayer. Cp. Hi. 9, "because
thou hast done it."
hath seen his desire] Cp. xxxvii. 34; Hi. 6; lix. 10; xcii. 11; cxii.
8 ; cxviii. 7. Such rejoicing over the fall of enemies is not of the spirit
of the Gospel. But the salvation for which the Psalmist prays is a
'
'
temporal deliverance, which can only be effected at the expense of the

implacable enemies who are seeking his life ; and it will be a vindication of
PSALM LV. 307
God's faithfulness and a proof of His righteous government at which he

cannot but rejoice. The defeat of evil and the triumph of good pre-
sented themselves to the saints of the O.T. in this concrete form, which
sometimes has a ring of personal vindictiveness about it, yet, fairly con-
sidered, is in its real motive and character elevated far above a mere
thirst for revenge. See Introd. pp. Ixx ff.
PSALM LV.
Despair, sorrow, indignation, faith, find expression by turns in this

pathetic record of persecution embittered by the treachery of an intimate
friend, which is a companion to Ps. xli, and should be carefully compared
with it. The title ascribes it to David, and its occasion has generally
been supposed to be the rebellion of Absalom and the treachery of
Ahithophel, whose name the Targum introduces in v. 16 (A.V. 15).
Much of the Psalm is sufficiently appropriate to David's circumstances to
account for its having been regarded as an expression of his feelings
at that bitter crisis: but a closer examination makes it difficult, if not
impossible, to suppose that it was actually written by him.
There is no hint that tlie writer is a king whose authority is threat-
ened by a formidable insurrection. Would David have called Ahitho-
phel "a man mine equal", even though the king's confidential adviser
was styled his 'friend' (2 Sam. xv. 37; xvi. 17)? The Psalmist appears
to be still in the city and unable to escape from it, living in the very
midst of his enemies, whose hostility is open and unconcealed but it:
was not until after he had fled from the city that David was informed
of Ahithophel's treachery (2 Sam. xv. 31); it was at Hebron, not in
Jerusalem, that Absalom's conspiracy made head and broke out; David's
adherents in Jerusalem were sufficiently strong to prevent any rising
until Absalom's arrival, and whatever preparations for rebellion may
have been made there were carefully concealed; when David resolved to
flee, he had no difficulty in effecting his escape. Moreover although
David's administration of justice seems to have been lax or inadequate
(2 Sam. XV. 2 ff"), it is difficult to believe that Jerusalem can have been
such a hotbed of discord and disorder and iniquity as the Psalm
describes; and still more difficult to imagine that David should use the
language of this Psalm in regard to a state of things for which he was
largely responsible.
With this negative conclusion we must remain content. It is impos-
sible to determine with certainty by whom or even at what period the
Psalm was written. It has been suggested that Jeremiah was the
author, and that the treacherous friend oi v. 13 was Pashhur, by whom
Jeremiah was scourged for predicting the destruction of Jerusalem (J er. xx).
The circumstances which seem to form the historical background of
the Psalm resemble those described in the Book of Jeremiah (cp. e.g.
Jer. v, vi); similarities of language appear to connect the Psalm with
Jeremiah's prophecies (cp. Jer. ix. 2 ff, and references in the notes);
Pashhur, as a priest, was Jeremiah's 'equal.' There is however not the
; !
3o8 PSALM LV. i.
slightest indication in the Book of Jeremiah that Pashhur had ever

been the prophet's intimate friend; the similarities of thought and lan-
guage fall far short of proving identity of authorship; and all that can
really be said is that the circumstances of the Psalmist receive valuable
illustration from the prophecies of Jeremiah. The Psalmist may have
been a contemporary of Jeremiah but he may have lived in the reign
;
of Ahaz or Manasseh, or in some other period when a weak govern-

ment allowed Jerusalem to become the prey of faction, and in the
ambitions of party moral obligations weie contemptuously disregarded
and old ties of friendship ruthlessly ignored, while the dominant party
for the time being heaped insult and injury upon their defeated rivals,
and even their lives were not secure. Readers of Thucydides will recall
his reflections upon the Corcyrsean massacre (Ilisi. iii. 82 ff ), and the
history of the French Revolution will supply modern illustrations.
In a MS. of Jerome's Latin Version the Psalm bears the title. Vox
Christi advcvsus magnatos yiaiaeoruin etjiidam traditorem, 'The voice
of Christ against the chiefs of the Jews and the traitor Judas.' It is not
indeed, any more than Ps. xli, a prediction of the treachery of Judas;
but every such experience of the faithlessness of trusted friends was a
foreshadowing of the experience of the Son of Man. He fathomed the
depths of human baseness and cruelty and ingratitude. The experience
of the righteous in former generations was 'fulfilled' in His.
The Psalm falls into three nearly equal divisions. In the first of these,
despair, in the second, indignation, in the third, trust, is the dominant
note. Shorter stanzas of six lines may be traced in the greater part of
the Psalm, but either this scheme was nqt completely carried out, or it
has been broken by corruption of the text.
i. The Psalmist begins with an urgent prayer that God will hear
—
him in his distress (i S^); he describes its nature, and its effect upon
him {3 3— 5); and in language of pathetic beauty, expresses his longing
to escape to some quiet refuge (6 8). —
ii. Suddenly his tone changes. In vehement indignation he invokes
confusion upon the counsels of his enemies, and describes the tyranny of
iniquity which is supreme in the city (9 11). —
What makes their hos-
tility most intolerable is that the leader of the faction was once his
intimate friend (12 —
14). May they meet the fate they deserve (15)
iii. In a calmer tone he expresses his confidence that God will
deliver him (16 —
18), and judge his arrogant and godless foes (19) and ;
as he mentions them, his mind naturally reverts to the base hypocrisy

of the arch-traitor (20, 21). In conclusion he reassures himself by
contemplating the contrast between Jehovah's care of the righteous and
His judgement of the wicked (22, 23).
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David.
55 Give ear to my prayer, O God

1 —3 a. The Psalmist's passionate appeal to God for a hearing in
his distress.
Give ear &.C.] Cp. liv. 2.

: ;
PSALM LV. 2—6. 309
And hide not thyself from my supplication.

Attend unto me, and hear me «
I mourn complaint, and make a noise

in my
Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppress- 3
ion of the wicked :
For they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
My heart is sore pained within me : 4
And the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

Tearfulness and trembling are come upon me, s
And horror hath overwhelmed me.

And I said, O
that I had wings like a dove, 6
For then would I fly away, and be at rest.
hide not thyself] As the unmerciful man turns away from misfortune
and suffering which he does not want to relieve (Deut xxii. i, 3, 4 Is. ;
Iviii. 7) ; or as though my prayer were the prayer of a hypocrite

(Is. i.
15). Cp. X. I Lam. iii. 56.;
2. hear me] Answer me.

/ mourn &c.] Render, I am restless in my complaint, and am
distracted (R.V. moan). A word used in Gen. xxvii. 40 of a roving
life,in Jer. ii. 31 of impatience of restraint (R.V. break loose), is here
applied to the restlessness of a distracted mind.
3. the voice of the enemy] Insulting, calumniating, threatening.
oppression] A
peculiar word, found here only, meaning that his
enemies hem him in or crush him down. Cp. the cognate verb in Am.
ii. 13.
3 ^—5. He describes the nature of the persecution from which he is
suffering, upon his spirits.

and its effect
Zh. they cast iniquity upon me] Not, they charge me with crimes
of which I am innocent but, they hurl or roll mischief down upon me,
:
a metaphor from the practice of rolling stones down upon an enemy.

Cp. cxl. 10 (of hot coals), and similar phrases in xxi. ii 2 Sam. xv. 14. ;
and in zurath &c.] And in anger are they hostile unto me (R.V. :
persecute me).
4. terrors of death] Such terrors as the presence of Death, "the
king of terrors," inspires.
5. horror hath overwhelmed me] The same phrase as in Ezek. vii.
18, "horror shall cover them." The word occurs besides only in Job
xxi. 6; Is. xxi. 4.
6 — 8. He would fain escape to some solitary refuge. Cp. Jer. ix. 1.
6. Weary of his life in the cruel city, he wishes he could be like the
dove which he watches winging its flight swiftly to its nest in the clefts
of some inaccessible precipice, far from the haunts of men (Cant. ii. 14).
The dove may be meant too as an emblem of his own timidity and
innocence.
: !
3IO PSALM LV. 7— II.

7 Lo, then would I wander far ofif,
And remain in the wilderness. Selah.
8 I would hasten my escape
From the windy storm and tempest.
9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues :
For have seen violence and strife in the city.

I
lo Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof:
Mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
n Wickedness is in the midst thereof:
Deceit and guile depart not from her streets,
7. and rt-inain &c.] R.V., I would lodge in the wilderness. Sclah

seems to be misplaced here, and also in v. 19.
8. Or as R.V.,
would haste me to a shelter
I
From
the stormy wind and tempest,
the storms of faction and party spirit raging in the city.
9—15. The plaintive pleading of the opening verses suddenly gives

wzy to a fierce outburst of indignation.
9— 11. He prays for the confusion of his enemies' counsels, and
describes the miserable condition of the city.
9. Destroy] Lit., swallow vp these malicious plotters, as the earth
swallowed up Korah and his crew (Num. xvi. 32). From several pas-
sages however it has been inferred that this verb also means to confound;
and if so, their tongue may be the object of both verbs, and there may
be a reminiscence of two passages in Genesis :
—
"The Lord did there
<:o«/^//;/(/ the language of all the earth" (xi. 9): and "In his days was the
earth divided^' (x. 25). May confusion and division such as overtook
the builders of Babel overtake them, and break up their confederacy
10. they go about it upon the walls thereof] A
metaphor from watch-
men going their rounds on the city walls. But who are meant by they?
Perhaps the party hostile to the Psalmist, who are ever patrolling the
city, on the alert for mischief. Cp. Is. xxix. 20. But perhaps rather
Violence and Strife personified. These he implies with a bitter irony are
the watchmen who are now in charge of order and safety in the city.
This explanation agrees well with the following lines
Iniquity also and Mischief are in the midst of it,
Destruction is in the midst thereof:
Oppression and Deceit depart not from her streets.
11. Wickedness] The same word as in lii. 2 ; very wickedness or
destruction. R.V. oppression, or, niarg.,y)-rtW.
deceit]
her streets] broad place: the open space inside the gates, where
Lit.,
justice was administered and business transacted. Everywhere through-
out the city, in the most public places of concourse, every form of
: ::
PSALM LV. 12-14. 311
For it was not an enemy that reproached me ; then I could 12
have borne //.•

Neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself
against me ; then I would have hid myself from him :
But it 7vas thou, a man mine equal, 13
My guide, and mine acquaintance.

We took sweet counsel together, 14
Atid walked unto the house of God in company.

eviland injustice is rampant, without check or intermission. The
whole city lies at their mercy. Cp. the catalogue of vices in x. 7
"His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; under his
tongue is fnischief a.n<i iniquity."
—
12 14. Foremost among the Psalmist's enemies is one who had
formerly been one of his most intimate and trusted friends. He
interrupts the denunciation, which he resumes at v. 15, to relate what
is the bitterest ingredient in his cup of suffering. The burning
indignation of the preceding and following verses gives way for a
moment to a pathetic tone of sorrowful reproach. There is no need
to suppose, with some critics, that these verses are misplaced, and ought
to follow or precede vv. 6 8. —
The sudden transition is most true to
nature: vv. 9 —
11 describe the general situation; then for the moment
the thought of the personal injury which constitutes its most poignant
bitterness eclipses every other thought ; and in z/. 15 indignation against
the whole mass of his enemies breaks out again.
12. Render:
For not an enemy that reproacheth me, then I could bear it
it is
Neither is it one that hated me that hath magnified himself
against me, then I would hide myself from him
But it is thou, a man mine eqiual,
Mine associate and my familiar friend. /
For connects this stanza somewhat loosely with what precedes, giving
an additional reason for the prayer of v. 9 in the false-hearted treachery
of one who is conspicuous among them, —
apparently the leader of the
faction. If an open and acknowledged enemy had flung scom at him
(xlii. 10; xliv. 16; Ivii. 3) in the hour of defeat and humiliation, he
could bear it as one of the common ills of life (cp. 2 Sam. xvi. 10 flf) if :
an old hatred had animated the man who took the lead in procuring his
disgrace and degradation, then he might retire into obscurity without
repining. But thou Et 'X\3, Brittel Fov t/iagnijied himself c^. ^xyiv.
!
26, or xli. 9 (see note).

13. Mine equal rank and position ; 7ny associate or companion (as
in
in Prov. xvi. 28, chieffriends ; Mic. vii. 5, where R.V. ma.vg. familiar
friend is right); my close acquaintance or familiar friend (xxxi. 11).
Cp. Jer. ix. 4 f.
14. We were wont to take sweet counsel together,

To walk in the house of God with the throng.
: ; :
312 PSALM LV. 15—17.
15 Let death seize upon them,

A7id let them go down quick into hell
For wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
16 As for me, I will call upon God
And the Lord shall save me.
17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry
aloud
Ours was an habitual intimacy of the closest and most sacred kind, in
confidential intercourse in private, in companionship in the worship of
God in pubHc. The throng is the festal procession or assembly of
worshippers; the "multitude keeping holyday " of xlii. 4 (where however
the word for th?-ong is different). The P.B.V. as friends follows the
LXX iv oiJ-ovolq., 'in concord,' Vulg. atm consensu.
15. The mournful recollections of past friendships so cruelly out-

raged give way to a fierce invocation of vengeance, and the individual
disappears behind the whole body of the Psalmist's enemies. It will be
noted that he avoids any personal execration of his old friend.
Let death &c.] The consonants of the written text must be rendered.
Desolations be tipon them .' but the word for desolations is one which only
occurs in the name of a place {Beth-jeshimoth) and is not a natural word
to apply to persons and the marginal reading, with which all the Ancient
;
Versions agree, should certainly be followed in its division of the con-

sonants into two words. Render, Let death come upon them unawares.
In this and in the next line. Let them go down alive into Sheol,
there may be an allusion to the fate of Korah and his company of rebels
(Num. xvi. 30, 33). Let them be overtaken in the midst of their
villany by a sudden and premature death, which will be a visible judge-
ment on their crimes. Cp. xxxv. 8; and cxxiv. 3; Prov. i. 12. Quick
in A.V. regularly retains its old meaning alive. Sheol (A.V. hell) is
not the place of torment, but the abode of the departed, the O.T. equi-
valent of Hades, by which it is rendered in the LXX. See note on vi. 5.
for 'wickedness &c.] For wickedness (lit. evils) is in their dwelling,
in the midst of them (lit. in their inward part). Evil of every kind
finds a home, not only in their dwellings, but in their hearts.
16—23. In this division of the Psalm the storm of indignation dies

away, and the Psalmist's trustful confidence revives.
—
16 18. The Psalmist's assurance that his prayer will be answered.
16. the Lord] Here and in v. 22 tlie name Jehovah is significant.
It isthe covenant-God of revelation to Whomhe can appeal, and under
Whose protection he can rest.
17. Evening, aiid morning, and at noon] Evening stands first
because the day began at sunset. A reference to stated hours of prayer
(cp. Uan. vi. 10; Acts x. 9, 30) is hardly to be found in so natural
an expression for "continuing stedfastly in prayer."
will 1 pray, and cry aloud] R.V., wiU I complain and moan. Cp.
:
PSALM LV. i8, 19. 313
And he shall hear my voice.

He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that 18
ivas against me
For there were many wîth me.
God shall hear, and afflict them, 19
Even he that abideth of old. Selah.

Because they have no changes,
and he shall hear^ By an idiom which cannot be translated, the

Psalmist speaks of this hearing as a present fact. So in v. 18 he uses
the 'perfect of certainty,' He hath redeemed, for the context makes it
clear that deliverance has not actually reached him. In peace denotes
the result : delivered me and placed me in safety.
from the battle that was against me] Better, with the Ancient Ver-
that they shovQd not come nigh me.
sions,
/or there were many with me] According to this rendering the words
may refer to the hosts of angels sent for his succour (2 Kings vi. 16 ;
Ps. xxxiv. 7) ; but the R.V. is doubtless right in rendering, for they
were many (that strove) with me.
19. The judgement of his enemies.
God shall hear, and afflict them] Or, humble them. This, which is
the rendering of the Ancient Versions, is probably right. But it
requires a change of the vocalisation. The text as it stands must be
rendered with R.V., God shall hear, and answer them, meaning
apparently, that God will hear their raging and answer them with
judgement. But this is an unnatural form of expression. The object
to the verbs 'hear' and 'answer' could hardly be other than the Psalmist
or his prayer.
even he that abideth of old] Render, He that sitteth enthroned
eternally, as Judge of the world. (Cp. "Thou most worthy Judge
Eternal.") Cp. Deut. xxxiii. 27; Pss. ix. 7, 8; xxix. 10; Ixxiv. 12;
Hab. i. 12.
Because they have no changes] This is best taken as a relative clause,
dependent on the preceding sentence. Render with R.V. (placing a
comma only after of old),
(The men) who have no changes,
And who fear not God.
'Changes' will mean vicissitudes of fortune. God will humble these
men, who, because their prosperity is unbroken, fear Him not. Cp. x.
—
4 6; Ixxiii. 4 ff The truth is a general one, but the Psalmist is think-
.
ing particularly of his own enemies. The V.V>.\.,for they will

not turn, nor fear God, takes changes in the sense of change of mind,
repentance, an interpretation adopted by some critics, but not justified
by usage. The text is not free from difficulty, but the explanation
given above is sufficiently probable to make it unnecessary to assume a
further corruption or displacement of the text.
Selah in the middle of a sentence is quite inexplicable, and must be
misplaced, as it seems to be in v. 7.
:
314 PSALM LV. 20—22.
Therefore they fear not God.

20 He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace
with him :
He hath broken his covenant.

21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war
^vas in his heart
His words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he. shall sustain thee :
20, 21. Once more

the Psalmist reverts to the treacheiy of his former
friend. It quite natural that he should do so again, abmpt as is the
is
transition from the great mass of his enemies to the one individual who
to his mind stands in the forefront of them as the typical traitor.
It is unnecessary to transpose these verses to follow vv. 12 14, or to —
assume that they are a misplaced fragment of another Psalm.
20. He hath put forth his hands'\ The arch-traitor is certainly
meant, not (though the Heb. idiom would allow of this explanation)
each of the evildoers mentioned in v, 19. For the phrase cp. i Sam.
xxvi. 9, R.V.
against such as be at peace 'with R.V., against such as were at
hi»i'\
peace with him. Cp. vii. 4; xli. lit. man of my
9 (fain iliar friend,
peace); Jer. xx. 10; xxxviii. 22. The plural may merely generalise,
but seems rather to indicate that the Psalmist is the representative of a
party.
he hath broken his coveiiantl R.V., he hath profaned his covenant :
desecrated the sacred obligations of friendship (i Sam. xviii. 3).

21. The words of his month were smoother than butter^ This render-
ing, though supported by some of the Ancient Versions and commended
—
by the parallelism (smoother than butter softer than oil), cannot be got
out of the text as it stands. This means literally.
Smooth were the buttery words of his mouth.
But an easy emendation gives the sense, His mouth [LXX, face'l wcls
smoother than butter. Smoothness is the Heb. term for false and hypo-
critical flattery, as we speak of a smooth-faced or 'smooth-tongued'
'
'
rogue. Cp. V. 9; xii. 2, 3.

btit war was in his heart'\ R.V., but his heart was war.
softer than oir\ Cp. "smoother than oil" (Prov. v. 3), of flattering
and delusive speeches.
drawn swords\ Ready to stab their victim to the heart. Cp. lii. 2,
note.
22, 23. Conclusion. The Psalmist's exhortation to himself and

everyone in like case, assuring himself and them that God will uphold
the righteous and judge the wicked. It has been suggested that in the
liturgical use of the Psalm these verses may have been sung by a
different voice, as an answer of encouragement to the Psalmist.
22. Cast thy burden^ The word rendered burden is of uncertain
meaning. The LXX, from which St Peter borrows (i Pet. v. 7),
: ;::
PSALM LV. 23. LVI. 315
He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of 23
destruction
Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days
But I will trust in thee.
renders thy care. But for this explanation there is no philological
ground, and the word seems rather to mean that which he hath given
thee, the burden of care or sufiering which He hath laid upon thee to
bear. He shall sustain thee, not necessarily removing the burden, but
giving strength to bear it, upholding thee lest thou shouldest fall under
its weight. Cp. xxii. 8, xxxvii. 5, and notes.
The later Greek Versions and Jerome presume a reading which differs
very slightly so far as the appearance of the consonants is concerned
Cast {thy burden, or, thy cattse] tipon Jehovah, xvho loveth thee. The
form of the sentence would then resemble xxii. 8. But the reading is
scarcely probable.
He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved^ We
must either
understand moved of final and fatal disaster, or else render, He zvill not
suffer the righteous to be viovcdfor ever: though they may be in distress
for awhile, there will be an end to their suffering. For the phrase cp.
X. 6; xiii. 4 ; xxx. 6.
23. shall bring than dotvn'\ Namely, the foes, who are still in the
Psalmist's mind their end is the pit of the grave
: a premature death
:
awaits bloodthirsty and deceitful men, whom God abhors (v. 6). Cp.
xxxvii. 35 f ; cix. 8, and many passages which speak of the penal death
of the wicked.
But I &c.] But as for me, I will trust in thee. The same God
who destroys the wicked is the object of the Psalmist's trust and in :
truth the extermination of the wicked is but the converse of the reward
and exaltation of the righteous: the one is the necessary preliminary to
the other : and the earth, be it remembered, is the stage upon which the
Psalmist expects to see the denouement of the drama of life, the vindi-
cation of God's moral government of the world. See Introd. p. Ixxiii ff.
PSALM LVI.
Trust in God in the presence of danger is the keynote of this and the
following Psalm, which are intimately connected together. The danger
is imminent ; fear is inevitable ; but faith is victorious over fear. The
spirit of the Psalm is concentrated in the twice-i-epeated refrain (vv. 3,
4; 10, 11).
This Psalm and Ps. xxxiv are connected by their titles with the same
period in David's life. His first visit to Gath (1 Sam. xxi. loff), when
he went there as a solitary fugitive, must be the occasion referred to.
Finding that his life was no longer safe in Judah, he resorted to the
desperate expedient of taking refuge with the enemies of his country,
hoping no doubt that the Philistines would not recognise in him the
Stripling who slew their champion. But their suspicions were aroused
:;
3i6 PSALM LVI. i.
David, in I'ear for his life, feigned madness, so that he might be supposed
to be harmless. It is not expressly stated in i Samuel that the Philistines
forcibly detained him, but the words " feigned himself mad in their
hands," together with the mention of his escape in ch. xxii. i, seem to
imply that he was practically a prisoner.
The obscure words of the title, set to Yonath elem recholdm, are para-
phrased in the LXX, "For the people removed far from the sanctuary";
and in the Targum, "Concerning the congregation of Israel, which is
compared to a silent dove at the time when they were far from their
cities, and turned again and praised the Lord of the World." These
interpretations are interesting as shewing that the Psalm was at an early
date regarded as a national Psalm, and placed in the mouth of the
suffering people. Hence the Psalmist has been regarded by some
critics as "the mouthpiece of oppressed and suffering Israel." But it is
a mistake to say that this " the oldest interpretation of the Psalm."
is
For the title, whetherupon an authentic tradition or is only the

it rests
conjecture of the editor of this book, proves that at a still earlier time
the Psalm was regarded as the expression of personal experience. And
this is the natural account of its origin ; its use as the prayer of the
nation in exile was a secondary application of it. While it is impossible
to affirm with certainty that it was really composed by David in Gath, it
breathes the spirit of trust in God in the face of danger by which David
was animated, and may be taken as an illustration of his feelings in that
hour of his extremity.
The Psalm consists of two stanzas, each ending with a refrain, vv. i 4, —
5— 1 1 and a concluding thanksgiving vv. 12, 13. In each of the prin-
;
cipal stanzas prayers for help against enemies whose hostility is described
are combined with the strongest expressions of trust in God.
In the title, For the chief Musician; set to Yonath elem rechoklm.
(A Psalm) of David Michtam when the Philistines took him in Gath
; :
the words Yonath elem rechoklm mean The silent dove of them that are
afar off ; or if elim be read for elem (a change of vowel-points only). The
dove of the distant terebinths. These words, like The hind of the '
morning in the title of Ps. xxii, are doubtless the title of some song to
'
the melody of which the Psalm was to be sung, so called either from its
opening words or from its subject. The explanation which regards
these words as a figurative description of the subject of the Psalm {con-
ceniing the silent dove &c.), the innocent sufferer David patiently
enduring persecution in a foreign land, is now generally abandoned.
To the chief Musician upon Jonath-elem-rechokim, Michtam of David, when the

Philistines took him in Gath.
56 Be merciful unto me, O God : for man would swallow me up

On Michtam, which appears in the titles of the four following Psalms
also, and of Ps. xvi, see Introd. p. xviii.
1 — 4. However fiercely his enemies may assault him, he will trust in
God, Who will surely be true to His promise.
1. Be merciful^ Be gracious : see note on li. i, and cp. Ivii. i.
PSALM LVI. 2—4. 317
He fighting daily oppresseth me.

Mine enemies would daily swallow 7ne up :
For they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.
What time I am afraid,
I will trust in thee.
In God word,
I will praise his
In Godhave put my trust ; I
I will not fear
What flesh can do unto me.
for man would

swallow me up] Like a wild beast rushing upon its
prey. But all the Ancient Versions render trample upon or crush, which
may be right. Cp. Ivii. 3. The word for ma7t denotes mortal man as
contrasted with God. Cp. ix. 19; x. 18. Will the Almighty allow
weak men to triumph against His Will ?
hefighting daily &c.] R. V., all the day long he fighting oppresseth
me. See note on xlii. 9. 'AH the day long' is a phrase characteristic
of this Psalm, vv. 2, 5.
2. They that lie in wait for me would swallow me up [or, crush
me] all the day long :
For many are they that fight against me haughtily.

For they that lie in waitfor me see note on liv. 5. The word rendered
thou most High in A.V. is not Elydn, the word usually so rendered
(e.g. Ivii. 2), but vidrom. This word is applied to God, as in Mic. vi. 6,
"the high God," Ps. xcii. 8, "Thou, O Lord, art on high for ever-
more " but it can hardly stand by itself as a vocative, and probably
:
means 'with a high hand,' 'haughtily.' Cp. Ixxiii. 8. 'Be thou ex-
alted' in Ivii. 5, II is derived from the same root. The Psalmist prays
that God will prove His own supreme exaltation against these self-
exalted braggarts. P.B.V. are in hand-=z.xQ. busying themselves.
3. What titne &c.] Lit., In the day that I am afraid. David's
sojourn in Gath is the only occasion on which he is recorded to have
been afraid of man (i Sam. xxi. 12; but cp. Ps. xviii. 4).
/ will trust in thee] R.V., I will put my trust in thee, as in A.V.
V. 4. / is they trust in their own might, but / will trust
emphatic ;
in Thee. The
preposition, which is different from that in v. 3, gives a
delicate shade of meaning, 'I will trustfully betake myself to Thee.'
" Each day of peril should be to him a discipline of faith." Kay.
4. /// God I will praise his word] In God's strength, by the help of
His grace, I shall be enabled to praise His words of promise (cxxx. 5).
Cp. xliv. 8. This rendering is preferable to the possible alternative, /«
God do I make my boast, even in his word.
in God &c.] R.V., In God have I put my
trust, I will not be
afraid ; what can flesh do unto me 7 Flesh, synonymous with 7nan in
z/. II, denotes man on the material side of his nature, as a frail and
perishable being, contrasted with God the Eternal and Almighty. Cp.
Lxxviii. 39; Gen. vi. 3; Job x. 4; Is. xl. 5, 6; Jer. xvii. 5.
3i8 PSALM LVI. 5—8.
5 Every day they wrest my words :
All their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves,
They mark my steps.
When they wait for my soul.
7 Shall they escape by iniquity ?
In thine, anger cast down the people, O God.
8 Thou tellest my wanderings :
Put thou my tears into thy bottle :
—
6 11. The second division of the Psahn is similar to the first a :
description of present distress, and prayer for help, followed by an ex-

pression of perfect confidence in God's protection.
5. From the heights of faith he returns to the urgent reality of
present distress. Cp. xlii. 6.
Every day] R.V., all the day long.
//ley wrest my words] Distorting and perverting them. Calumniators
endeavoured to poison Saul's mind against David, i .Sam. xxiv. 9, cp.
Ps. vii. 3 ff. But the meaning is somewhat doubtful. It may be, t/iey
pctt'crt 7uy affairs, i.e. injure my interests.
all their thoughts &c.] Cp. xli. 7.
6. they hide themselves] I.e., lie in wait for me; or according to the
Kthibh, set an atnbtish. Cp. lix. 3 x. 8, 9. ;
they mark my steps] Like hunters tracking their game. *'

Go, I pray
you," said Saul to the men of Keilah, "and know and see his place
where his haunt {Wi. foot) is" (i Sam. xxiii. 22, 23).
zvhen they wait &c.] R.V. even as (marg. inasmuch as) they have
,
waited for my soul have been watching their opportunity to take my

;
life. Cp. cxix. 95.

7. Shall they escape by iniquity'?] Or, In spite of iniquity shall they
escape? When their conduct is so inhuman, shall they escape the judge-
ment ? Less probable is the rendering of R.V. marg. (for the thought
of which cp. Is. xxviii. 15), 7'hey think to escape by iniquity. But the
phrase is obscure, and the emendation palles for PALLIJT adopted by
many critics deserves consideration Weigh taito them (i.e. pay them, cp.
:
Iviii. 2) according to their iniquity.

in thine anger &c.] In anger bring down peoples, God humble
:
them by judgement. Cp. Iv. 23; Is. Ixiii. 6. This prayer, it is said, is
unsuitable for an individual it must be the voice of the congregation
:
demanding the humiliation of its proud oppressors. But here, as in

vii. 6 ff., the appeal for a particular judgement is absorbed in the
desire for a general judgement of the world.
8. Thou tellest my 7uanderings] Thou countest the days and adven-
tures of my fugitive life, while I am driven from my home as a wanderer
and vagabond (xxxvi. 11, note); not one of them escapes Thy notice
(Job xxxi. 4; Matt. x. 30). Tell, as in xxii. 17, xlviii. 12, means count.
put thou my tears] Or, my tears are put.
into thy bottle] By a bold figure God is said to collect and treasure
;
PSALM LVI. 9-13. 319
Are they not in thy book ?

When I mine enemies turn back
cry unto thee, then shall : 9
This I know for God is for me.
;
In God will I praise his word : 10
In the Lord will I praise his word.

In God have I put my trust I will not be afraid : n
What man can do unto me.
Thy vows are upon me, O God : 12
render praises unto thee.

I will
For thou hast delivered my soul from death : wilt not thou 13
deliver my feet from falling,
his tears, as though they were precious wine. Kay quotes St. Bernard's
saying, "Lacrimae poenitentium vinum angelorum." The 'bottle' is
the skin bottle of Oriental countries, holding a considerable quantity
(Josh. ix. 4, 13; I Sam. xvi. 20; Ps. cxix. 83). There is no reference
to the use of so-called 'lachrymatories.'
are they not in thy book?'\ Or, record. For God's ' book of remem-
brance' see Mai. iii. 16. Cp. Ex. xxxii. 32; Ps. Ixix. 28; cxxxix. 16.
The abrupt question is characteristic of this Psalm. Cp. vv. 4, 13.
9. Then shall mine enemies turn back in the day when I call:
This I know, that [or, for] God is on my side.
For the emphatic t/un cp. ii. 5. The certainty that God is on his
side is the ground of his assurance that his enemies will be put to flight.
Cp. ix. 3; cxviii. 6.
10. his worcfl The omission of the pronoun, which is found in v. 4,
is difficult. If the text is sound, word must be used absolutely for the
divine word of promise. Cp. Prov. xiii. 13; xvi. 20.
In the Lord will I praise his word'\ The line is repeated for
emphasis with the substitution of the covenant name Jehovah for God.
The two names sometimes occur together in the Elohistic Psalms (e.g.
Iv. 16 ; Iviii. 6) and a refrain is not always repeated in precisely the
;
same form. But the repetition may simply be a 'conflate reading,' the
second line being either the survival or the restoration of the original
text, while the first line is due to the 'Elohistic' editor.
11. In God have I put my trust, I will not he afraid
What can man do unto me? (R.V.).
Man' = 'flesh' of v. 4. Cp. cxviii. 6, borrowed from this passage.
'
12. 13. Concluding vows of thanksgiving.

12. Thy
vo-vs &c.] Vows made to Thee. The Psalmist acknow-
ledges his obligations. Cp. Ixvi. 13; Acts xxi. 23.
praises] R. V., thank offerings, in addition to the votive offerings.
Borrowed with slight variations in cxvi. 8.
13.
For thou hast delivered &c.] He takes his stand in the future and
looks back upon deliverance granted. Cp. liv. 7.
wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling] Yea, my feet from
320 PSALM LVII.
That / may walk before God in the light of the living ?
stumbling: lit.,'hast thou noi delivered my feet from thrustingV i.e.

not only saved me
from death, but upheld me when the foe ^''thrust
sore at me that I might fall" (cxviii. 13 ; cp. xxxvi. 12).
that I viay walk before God] Not simply live in His Presence and
under His protection, but serve Him acceptably. So the LXX, toD
eiapeffTrjcrai ivuiwiov rod 6eoO ; cp. Heb. xi. 5, 6. Cp. Gen. xvii. i ; xxiv.
40; Ps. Ixi. 8: and Gen. v. 22, 24; vi. 9.
in the light of the living] Or, of life. " The land of the living"
(xxvii. 13; cxvi. 9) is the land of light contrasted with the darkness of
the grave (Job xxxiii. 28, 30) ; it is illuminated by the Presence of God
(xxxvi. 9), from Whom comes all that is worthy to be called happiness.
What to the Psalmist was a present and temporal truth, receives for the
Christian a spiritual and eternal meaning. Cp. John viii. 12, "I am
the light of the world he that foUoweth me shall not walk in the dark-
:
ness, but shall have the light of life."
PSALM LVII.
This Psalm resembles the preceding Psalm in thought, language, and

structure. It breathes the same lofty spirit of confidence in the presence
of danger; it begins with the same cry, 'be gracious unto me,' and uses
the same word {;v. 3) to express the enemy's ferocity; it has two
principal divisions, each closed with a refrain (vv. 5, 11). But it has
also marked characteristics of its own in thought, language, and rhythm.
Its tone is more triumphant and it is distinguished by the use of the
;
figure, common in lyrical poetry, of 'epizeuxis,' or emphatic repetition

of words (^v. I, 3, 7, 8). ,
The title attributes the Psalm to David when he was "in the cave"
during his flight from Saul. It is doubtful whether the cave of Adullam
(i Sam. xxii), or the cave in the wilderness of En-gedi, on the western
shore of the Dead Sea (i Sam. xxiv), is meant. The reference to
enemies caught in their own trap (v. 6) may perhaps point to the latter
occasion. There is nothing in the Psalm (not even v. 9, see note),
inconsistent with its Davidic authorship, but on the other hand nothing
decisively in favour of it. It may have been written to illustrate this
episode in David's fugitive life. This Psalm, like the preceding one,
has been explained as a prayer of the suffering nation but its language
:
is certainly more appropriate to an individual than to the nation.

The Psalm consists of two divisions, each ending with the same
refrain, an appeal to God to manifest His supreme and universal
sovereignty.
i. Prayer for protection and confident anticipation of help in the
midst of imminent danger (i
ii.
—
5).
Resolution to give thanks to God for His goodness in the certain
prospect that the malice of enemies will recoil upon themselves (6 ii). —
: 1
PSALM LVII. I, 2. 321
The Psalm appointed as a Proper Psalm for Easter Day, partly as

is
an appropriate thanksgiving for Christ's triumph over the powers of
Death and Hell; partly because the refrain is the expression of the
Messianic hope which finds its guarantee in the triumph of the Resurrec-
tion (i Cor. XV. 24 28). —
Vv. 7 —
II form the first part of the composite Ps. cviii: and v. 10 is
found again almost verbatim in xxxvi. 5. Cp. also v. 1 with xxxvi. 7.
The melody to which this Psalm, as well as the two following Psalms
and also Ps. Ixxv, was to be sung is described as Al-tashcheth, i.e.
'Destroy not.' Of the song which gave this title it is possible that "a
trace is still preserved in Is. Ixv. 8. 'When the new wine is found in
the cluster,' says the prophet, 'men say, 'Destroy it not, for a blessing
is in it.' These words in the Plebrew have a distinct lyric rhythm.
They are the first line of one of the vintage songs so often alluded to in
Scripture. And so we
learn that the early religious melody of Israel
had a popular origin,and was closely connected with the old joyous life
of the nation." Robertson Smith, Old Test, in the Jewish Clutrcli,
p. 209.
To the chief Musician, Al-taschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul
in the cave.
Be merciful unto me, O

God, be merciful unto me : 57
For my soul trusteth in thee :
Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge,

Until these calamities be overpast.
I will cry unto God most High ; 2
Unto God that performeth all things for me.

1 5. —
Beset by fierce and cruel enemies, the Psalmist throws
himself upon God's protection, with the confident assurance of speedy
help.
1. Be viercifiilf>ie] Be gracious unto me, as in Ivi. i.
unto
for my soul Render
&c.]
For in thee hath my soul taken refuge,
And in the shadow of thy wings will I take refuge.
Until destruction's storm be overpast.
The distinction of tenses is significant. He has placed himself under
Jehovah's protection, and in his present distress claims his rights as
Jehovah's client. The shadow of thy ivings is a beautiful metaphor from
the care of the mother-bird for her young. When danger threatens,
they nin to her for shelter. Cp. xvii. 8 ; xxxvi. 7 ; Ixi. 4 ; Ixiii. 7 ; xci. 4;
Ruth ii. 12; Matt, xxiii. 37.
Calamities is the same word as that rendered mischiefs in Hi. 2,
wickedness in Iv. 1 1 (see notes), and the verb suggests the metaphor of a
storm. Cp. Is. xxvi. 20.
2. / ^vill cry &c.] I will call unto God Most High. Cp. Iv. 16;
Ivi. 9. The combination Elohlm Elyon occurs only here and in Ixxviii.
56 ; it is the Elohistic equivalent of Jehovah Elyon (vii. 1 7 ; cp.
PSALMS 2
:
322 PSALM LVII. 3, 4.
3 He shall send from heaven, and save me

Froin the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah.
God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
4 My soul is among lions
And I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons
of men,
xlvii. 2; Ixxxiii.18; xcvii. 9). El Elyon occurs in Ixxviii. 35 (cp. Ixxiii.

11); Gen. xiv. 18 ff. The Psalmist appeals to God first as the 'Most
High' (see Appendix, Note ii), a name which implies God's power to
help him, as the supreme Ruler of the world; and then as God (El)
that performcth all things for me, a title which implies His willingness
to help His servant now as heretofore. Here as in cxxxviii. 8, the
object of the verb is left to be supplied (cp. lii. 9). He will perform
all that needs to be performed. Cp. Phil. iv. 19.
3. He shall sendfrom heaven^ There is no need to supply an object
to the verb here. The object is introduced when the verb is repeated
according to the characteristic peculiarity of this Psalm. For the
meaning cp. xx. 2, and perhaps xviii. 16, though see note there.
from the reproach &c.] Better, (For) he that -would swallow me up
(or, crtish vie, Ivi. i, note) hath reproached. The object of the verb
may be God, Whom the enemy blasphemes in denying His willingness
to help His servant (Is. xxxvii. 23, 24) ; or the Psalmist, whom he taunts
with being deserted by his God (xlii. 10; Iv. 12). The rendering of
A.V. marg., he reproacheth him that would s'ualloiu me up, is contrary
to usage, for the word is never used of God rebuking men.
Selah here is probably misplaced, cp. Iv. 19. In the LXX
it follows
V. 2.
God shall sendforth &c.] God's lovingkindncss and truth (cp. xlii. 8,
xliii. almost personified as "ministering spirits, sent forth to do
3) are
service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation." It is in virtue
of the lovingkindness which is the foundation of His covenant, and of
the faithfulness which is an inalienable attribute of His nature, that God
will send help to His servant.
4. A difficult verse, the text of which is perhaps corrupt. Adhering
to the punctuation (in the modern sense) of the Massoretic accents, we
may render with R.V.,
My soul is among lions ;
I lie among them that are set on fire,

Even the sons of men, &c.
i.e. virtually, as the marg., / mtist lie, an expression of despondent
resignation. But the note of despair is out of harmony with the
generally courageous and confident tone of the Psalm ; and it is more in
accordance with the usual force of the Heb. tense (the 'cohortative' or
'voluntative') to take I %vill lie douni as expressive of strong resolution :
My soul Is among lions;
I will lie down to rest among fiery foes,
Even the sons of men, &c.
; ' :
PSALM LVII. 5, 6. 323
Whose teeth are spears and arrows,

And tongue a sharp sword.
their
Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; ;
Let thy glory be above all the earth.
They have prepared a net for my steps (
My soul is bowed down :
Though my life is in momentary danger from savage enemies, I

will liedown to rest (cp. iv. 8) among these fiery foes, secure under
God's protection. The Psalm is an evening hymn, for the Psalmist
contemplates 'waking the dawn' with his praises (v. 8). He lies down
in danger, he awakes in safety: the night of trouble ends in the dawn
of deliverance.
Delitzsch, rightly understanding the words as an expression of con-
fidence, thinks that actual wild beasts are meant, among which he feels
more secure than among his deadly foes ; but this is scarcely probable.
Neglecting the accents we may render somewhat differently, With my
life in my bands (so the idiomatic apposition 'nty soul, /' may be
paraphrased) I must lie down (or, I will lie down) among lions fiery :
are the sons of men &c. but the sense will be substantially the
;
same. For lions as a metaphor for fierce and dangerous enemies cp.
vii. 2 :X. 9; xvii. 12.
whose teeth'] The language is suggested by the comparison of his
enemies to lions.
their tongue &c.] The reference may be not so much to slander,
as to the blasphemy of which he speaks in v. 3, which pierces him to
the heart. Cp. xlii. 10. See also lii. 2 note; Iviii. 6; Ixiv. 3; Prov,
XXX. 14.
6. The thought of man's murderous hostility naturally leads up to
the prayer that God will manifest Himself in majesty. From the
confusions of earth the Psalmist looks up to God. Cf. xi. 4 ff. ; xxxvi.
5ff-
Be thou exalted] Or, Exalt thyself. Cp. xxi. 13 ; xlvi. 10. God is
exalted in majesty (Is. vi. i) what is needed is that He should 77ianifest
:
His supreme authority (Is. ii. 1 1 ff.) over these insolent rebels.
Though rhythmically divided, the two clauses are logically one
'
exalt Thyself in Thy glory above heaven and earth.
6 —
11. Convinced that God will manifest His authority, the Psalmist
sees the machinations of his enemies turning to their own defeat, and
utters resolutions of joyous thanksgiving.
6. The transposition of w. 5 and 6, proposed by Cheyne and others,
simply ruins the sense, v. 6 is the fitting sequel of v. 5. Just as in Ivi.
5 ff, he returns after the refrain to contemplate his present situation.
But now Faith sees the prayer of v. 5 answered, and with the mani-
festation of God's supreme authority all opposition is subdued, nay, his
foes' own schemes prove their ruin.
my soul is bowed doivn] Perhaps we should read with the LXX, they
: :
324 PSALM LVII. 7—9.
They have digged a pit before me,

Into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
7 My heart is fixed, God, my heart is fixed O :
I will sing and give praise.

8 Awake up, my glory awake, psaltery and harp ; :
I viysdf \\''\\\ awake early.

9 I will praise thee, Lord, among the people O
I will sing unto thee among the nations.
have bowed down my

soul; i.e. (the perf. as in Ivi. i) tlicy have made
sure of capturing me. But it is tempting to go further and read (with
Ewald), their sou! is bo7(<cd Jo7c>», thereby securing a double paralleHsm
in the verse. Lines i and 3 then descril>e their plots: lines 2 and 4
describe how they are caught in their own trap. The metaphors are
taken from the nets and pitfalls used by hunters. Cp. vii. 15; ix. iî-;
XXXV. 7; Ezek. xix. 4; Eccl. x. 8.
into the 7)iidst -whe7-cof they are fallen themselves] Better, they are
fallen into the midst of it.
7. My
heart is fixed\ Stedfastly resolved. Cp. li. 10; cxii. 7;
Col. i. 23 (eSpaios is the word used by Symmachus here). The P.B.V.
has changed Coverdale's ready into yf.r<i/ here, but retained it in cviii. i,
probably owing to the influence of the familiar Latin title, Paratidm eor
meum, at the beginning of that Psalm.
/ ivill sing and give praise'] I will sing and make melody. The
/alter is the verb fi-om which mizmor, 'psalm,' is derived. See Introd.
p. xvii.
8. Awake up] A common summons to action. Cp. Judg. v. 12;
Is. li. 9, 17 ; lii- I.
»!y ghty] So the soul is designated, either as the noblest part of

man, or as the image of the divine glor)'. Cp. vii. 5 ; xvi. 9; xxx. 12.
psaltciy and harp\ Stringed instruments, often coupled together
(xxxiii. 2; I Sam. x. 5; 2 Sam. vi.
5; iKings x. 12; Is. v. 12).
/ myseif 7C'in a7i'ake early] Better, as R.V. marg., I will awake the
dawn. A
bold and beautiful poetical figure. The dawn is often
personified (Job xli. 18; Ps. cxxxix. 9). Usually it is the dawn that
awakes men he will awake the dawn by his praises before
: daylight.
Cp. Milton, VAlleg7-o, 1. iî,
"Oft listening how the hounds and horn
Cheerly rouse the slumbering morn."
and 0^^d, Mctam. xi. 597,
"Non vigil ales ibi cristati cantibus oris
Evocat auroram."
I will give thanks unto thee,
9. Lord, among the peoples
I will make melody unto thee among the nations.
This verse at any rate, it is said, could never have been written by
David, and is only really intelligible, if the Psalmist speaks in the name
of the nation. But the words are not unsuitable for one who was
:
PSALM LVir. lo, rr. 325
For thy mercy is great unto the heavens,

And thy truth unto the clouds.
Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens 1
Let thy glory be above all the earth.
chosen to be king over a nation which had a special calling in relation

to the nations of the world. If the nations were to be brought under
the sway of Israel that they might be taught to know Jehovah, it wxs
fitting that they should hear of Jehovah's faithfulness exhibited in the
deliverance of His servant. Cp. xviii. 49 (with the context) ix. ir,
;
10. For thy lovingkindiiess Is great unto the beavens,

And thy truth unto the skies.
For gives the reason for v. 9. Mercy and truth which reach from
earth to heaven demand world-wide praise. Note that it is the attri-
butes which minister to the deliverance of God's servant (v. 3) which
are expressly named. Sent forth for his help they have proved
victorious. Almost the same words are found in x.\xvi. 5. Cp. Eph.
iii. 18.
11- How can the Psalmist conclude more fitly than with a repetition
of this prayer, which now looks beyond his ov\-n immediate needs to
that perfect and universal sovereignty of God, which is the final goal of
hope (i Cor. xv. 28; Rev. xix. 6)?
PSALM LVIII.
This Psalm begins with an indignant remonstrance with those in

authority, who not only fail to administer justice equitably, but are
themselves among the worst of offenders (i, 1). A description of the
incurably wicked, among whom, it is implied, such men must be classed,
follows (3 —5), and leads up to a prayer (or perhaps an e.xpression of
confident assurance) that God will render them powerless to hurt, or
utterly destroy them (6 — 9). The Psalm concludes with a description
of the double result of the judgement : the righteous who are freed from
their oppressors rejoice and men in general acknowledge God's moral
;
government of the world (10, 11).

The Psalm is remarkable for the vigour of its language and the bold-
ness of its figures. It has a ring of prophetic authority, in its denuncia-
tion of wicked men in high place, and its prediction of the certainty of
their downfall.
Adhering to the title, which assigns it to David, Delitzsch supposes
that it refers to Absalom's rebellion. In rt'. i, z we might find an
allusion to Absalom's pretended zeal for justice (2 Sam. xv. 2 ff.), while
in reality he was meditating the most monstrous crimes : the language
of trv. 3 ff. is not too severe for the graceless treachery of the son who
shrank from no extremes, and coldly contemplated parricide (2 Sam.
xvi, xvii. I — —
4): II'. 6 9 might well refer to the sudden and complete
collapse of the rebellion, and w. 10, 11 to the rejoicing of David's
sympathisers at the \-ictory (1 Sam. xviii. 19 ff.; note the phrase, "the
326 PSALM LVIII. i.
Lord hath judged and delivered him out of the hand of his enemies";
xix. 2).
But it is inconceivable that at any point of time, before or after the
outbreak of the insurrection, David could have used the language of the
Psalm with reference to Absalom. Beforehand indeed (though we may
draw a wrong inference from the brevity of the narrative in 1 Sam.) he
seems to have been blind to what was going on and when he knew the :
worst, his feelings of anxiety for the personal safety of Absalom and
finally of grief at his death (2 Sam. xviii. 5, 33 xix. 4), are as unlike ;
the severe indignation of this Psalm as anything could well be. If it

refers to Absalom's rebellion, it can never have been written by
David.
More probably however it belongs to some later period in the history of
Israel. There is no supposing that the unjust
sufficient ground for
judges are foreigners, whether Babylonians, Persians, or Syrians, and
that the Psalm is post-exilic. The evils complained of are precisely
those against which the prophets of the regal period are constantly
inveighing.
Compare generally Pss. xii, xiv, and especially Ixxxii; and with the
concluding verses cp. the conclusions of Ixiv and cxl.
To the chief Musician, Al-taschith, Michtam of David.
58 Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation ?
Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men ?
For the title see Ps. Ivii.
1, 2. An
indignant remonstrance with those in authority, who,
instead of condemning crime, are themselves the most guilty ciiminals.
1. congregation] This rendering of the obscure word t'lein,
adopted by the scholars of the early part of the i6th century from the
learned Rabbi David Kimchi (c. 1160 —
1235), cannot be defended, and
does not suit the context. The word elem occurs elsewhere only in the
title of Ps. Ivi, and from its derivation appears to mean silence.
i. Taking this meaning, we may render,
(i) as R.V., Do ye indeed in silence speak righteousness? The
Psalmist expostulates with the judges who neglect their office. " They
are dumb when they ought to speak, as afterwards they are said to be
deaf when they ought to hear." (Bp Perowne). 'To speak righteous-
ness' means 'to pronounce just sentences.' Justice and uprightness are
characteristics of God's judgement (ix. 8), which ought to be reflected
by all earthly judges.
(2) as R.V. marg. with substantially the same sense: Is the right-
eousness ye should speak dumb ?
(3) as Kay: Will ye indeed utter long-silent justice? a reference,
he supposes, to Absalom's profession of a desire to remedy the want of
proper provision for the administration of justice, while he was himself
;
PSALM LVIII. 2. 327
Yea, in heart you work wickedness

You weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
plotting the unnatural crime of rebellion against his father. See 2 Sam.
XV. 2-— 6.
With this reading best to retain the rendering, O ye sons of men,
it is
in the next line, though it is also possible to render, Do ye judge
tiprighily the sous of men ? The judges aie addressed as sons of men to
remind them that they are but human, and themselves subject to a
higher tribunal.
ii. Most critics, however, think that hei'e (as perhaps in the title of
Ps. Ivi also) the word elem should be read with different vowels, eltm,
'gods,' or, 'mighty ones.' We
must then render.
Do ye indeed, ye gods, speak righteousness ?
Do ye judge uprightly the sons of men?
The judges are addressed as elim, 'gods,' as in Ps. Ixxxii. i, 6 they
are called eloliini, 'gods,' because in their judicial capacity they acted as
the representatives of God, the supreme Judge. They are thus addressed
here, half-sarcastically and half- reproachfully, in contrast to the 'sons of
men,' over whom they exercise jurisdiction; as well as to emphasise
the comparison between their failure to administer justice, and the
righteous judgement of God {v. 11).
El'im however is not so used elsewhere, and may simply mean
'mighty ones.' Cp. Ex. xv. 15; 2 Kings xxiv. 15; Job xli. 25 (Heb.
17); Ezek. xvii. 13; xxxii. 21.
Cheyne and some other commentators find here a reference to the
angels, "to whom the actual administration of the world's government
has been entrusted." But there is nothing in the context to justify the
importation of an idea which belongs to the later development of Jewish
theology. It is true that it is found in the LXX of Deut. xxxii. 8, " He
set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of
God"; but this paraphrase has no claim to be regarded as representing
the original text.
iii. None of the Ancient Versions however give any support to this
emendation. The LXXand Jerome render elem as an adverb ('then'
or 'certainly'); the Syr. omits it ; Aquila and the Targ. attest the read-
ing of the text. Plausible as the emendation is, it must not be made a
basis of argument, and the obscurity of the passage must be admitted.
2. Yea\ Or, Nay, for the particle implies a negative answer, and
an additional accusation. Far from judging equitably, you are your-
selves the greatest offenders.
in heari\ Inwardly they are ever contriving some scheme of in-
justice, like the nobles against whom Micah inveighs (ii. i),as "working
evil upon their beds."
ye weig/i] R.V., ye weigh out. There is a bitter irony in the use of a
word strictly applicable to justice only. For the metaphor of the 'scales
of justice' cp. Job xxxi. 6.
in the earth'\ Or, in the land ; publicly and openly, carrying into
execution the schemes they contrive in their hearts. Cp. Mic. ii. i.
: ;
328 PSALM LVIII. 3—6.
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb :
They go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

4 Their poison is Uke the poison of a serpent
They are hke the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear
5 Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers,
Charming never so wisely.
6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth :
Break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord.

3 — 5. A
description of the class to which these wicked judges
belong ; the deliberately wicked, who are deaf to remonstrance and
incapable of reformation.
3. are estranged\ From God and His laws. Cp. Eph. iv. 18,
"alienated from the life of God": Col. i. 21, "alienated and enemies in
your mind in your evil works," where St Paul uses the word (dTTTjX-
\oTpL(i3iJ.ivot.) employed by the LXX here.
"The imagination of man's heart
is evil from his youth" (Gen. viii.
21); but these men have shewn a more than ordinaiy aptitude for
wickedness. It has become to them a second nature.
4, 5. They are not only insidious and venomous as serpents, but

obstinately oppose all attempts to control them ; like the deaf adder or
asp, most venomous of all serpents, which resists all the arts of the
charmer. The Arabs distinguish the 'deaf serpent from that which
answers the call of the charmer by hissing. Snake charming is alluded
to in Eccl. X. II ; Jer. viii. 17 ; Ecclus. xii. 13, and is still practised in
Africa and the East. As the asp is deaf to the voice of the enchanter, so
these men shut their ears to the warnings and exhortations of the prophets.
Experience confirms the teaching of the Psalmist that among the end-
less varieties of human character, there are some which exhibit a diabolical
aptitude for evil and opposition to good. In the light of God's infinite
love, none are outside the pale of His mercy; yet it lies in the power of
man to defeat the operations of His grace (Matt. xii. 31).
—
6 9. Since they are thus obstinately and incurably evil, nothing
remains but that they should be deprived of their power to hurt or
altogether destroyed.
6. The figure of the serpent, typical of insidious deadliness, is
changed to that of the lion, typical of open ferocity.
Break... break ou^] Render them powerless for harm. Two strong
words, properly used of breaking down and overthrowing walls. Cp.
iii. 7; Job iv. 10: Prov. xxx. 14.
The LXX
rendering of these verbs as perfects of certainty deserves
consideration. It only requires a different vocalisation of the con-
sonants, and gives an excellent sense: God shall sirrely break ^c. The
tenses in w. 7, 8 must then be rendered as futures They shall melt :
away &c. Such an authoritative declaration of the punishment in store

for the wicked seems more in keeping with the projihetic tone of the
J'salm than the prayer for their destruction.
: :
PSALM LVIII. 7—9. 329
Let them melt away as waters which run continually 7
When he bendeth his boiv to shoot his arrows, let them be

as cut in pieces.
As a snail which melteth, let eiêry ofie of tliem pass away : s
Like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see
the sun.
Before your pots can feel the thorns, 9
He shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living,

and in his wrath.
7. as 'waters which rim contintially] R.V., restoring P.B.V., as

water that runneth apace like some tonent that rages wildly for a
:
while when swollen by a sudden storm, and then vanishes entirely (Job
vi. isfif.).
when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrrnvs^ A cumbrous rendering
of a peculiar phrase, the verb strictly applicable to the bow being used
of the arrows (cp. Ixiv. 3). Better as R.V., when he aimeth his
arrows. But who is the subject? (i) It may be the wicked man, (as in
Ixiv. 3); When he aimeth his arrows, let them be as though they
were cut off (R.V.), their points broken, and their power to hurt
destroyed. (2) It may be God (as in vii. 12 f.); when He aimeth His
arrows, let them (the wicked) be as it were mowed down. Cp. xc. 6.
Neither alternative is free from serious difficulties, but the first seems
preferable.
8. Let them be like a snail which melts away and is gone
Like the untimely births of women, that have not seen the
sun.
—
Two more figures for the destruction of the wicked let them melt
:
away nay, vanish as though they had never existed.

;
The word shahhll puzzled the ancient translators. The LXX render
it 'wax' (doubtless to suit the verb 'melt'), Jerome 'worm'; but later
Hebrew attests the meaning snail. But what is the point of compari-
son ? Is it that the snail seems to melt away as it goes along, leaving a
slimy track behind it, or perhaps was popularly supposed to do so? oris
it not rather an allusion to the way in which snails dry up and perish in
drought? There are to be found in all parts of Palestine "myriads of

snail shells in fissures, still adhering by the calcareous exudation round
their orifice to the surface of the rock, but the animal of which is utterly
shrivelled and wasted — 'melted away,' according to the expression of
the Psalmist." Tristram, Nat. Hist, of Bible, p. 296.
For the second figure cp. Job iii. 16; Eccl. vi. 3—5. That they may
not see the sun (A.V. ) is an ungrammalical rendering.
9. The general sense of the verse is clear, though the second line is
extremely obscure and possibly corrupt. The first line certainly means.
Before your pots can feel the thorns (possibly a proverbial expression),
and the verb in the second line means. He shall sweep them (or, it) away
with a whirhvind. It is another figure for the swift destruction of the
wicked and their schemes, taken from the experience of travel in the
:
330 PSALM LVIII. lo.
lo The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance

He shallwash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
desert. The travellers have lighted a fire of dry thorns or brambles

under their cooking pots. It blazes up rapidly, but even so, before the
pots are heated and the meat in them cooked, a sudden whirlwind
sweeps away the fire and undoes their work. The fire represents the
malicious will of the evildoers, the pots with the meat the plans which
they are devising but let them work never so rapidly, the whirlwind of
:
divine judgement will annihilate their schemes.

The crux of the verse is in the words rendered in A.V. both living and
in his wrath. They have been supposed to refer to the thorns, the
gi-een and the burning alike : or to the flesh in the pot, the razv flesh and
the sodden alike: or to the flesh and the fire, the razu flesh and hot embers
alike: but all these interpretations break down on the fact that chdron,
though not a rare word, always means the burning wrath of God. It
seems necessary either to omit the word k'md, 'as,' before chdron, or to
read b''ino, 'in,' instead of it (103 for 103). We may then render. Like
raw flesh ( = perhaps, while the flesh is yet raw), shall Wrath sweep
them away with a whirlwind or, shall He sweep them away with a
;
whirlwind in wrath. The pronoun for the^n is in the singidar, and

may mean each one of the wicked, or perhaps rather it, the whole
scheme. For a figure from cooking cp. Hos. vii. 4ff.: for the thorn
fires Is. xxxiii. 12; Eccl. vii. 6; and for the whirlwind of divine
wrath see 1. 3, "it shall be very tempestuous round about him"; Job
XX vii. 21.
10, 11. The issues of the judgement: the righteous rejoice in the
discomfiture of their oppressors men in general recognise the reality of
:
God's moral government of the world.

10. The righteous shall rejoice &c.] On the moral aspects of the
triumph of the godly at the just punishment of the wicked see note on
v. II, and generally, Introd. pp. Ixxff. It is important to observe that
the rejoicing of the righteous is at the vengeance which God has taken
upon the wicked, and that that vengeance is only taken upon those who
have wilfully and obstinately resisted every effort for their reformation
{vv. 4, 5). God has proclaimed, "Vengeance is mine" (Deut. xxxii.
35 ; cp. Nah. i. 2) ; in other words the time must come when evil can
no longer be tolerated but must be extirpated (2 Thes. i. 8) and the ;
righteous cannot but rejoice at the triumph of good over evil and the
proof that God is true to His revealed character as a just Judge and
sovereign Ruler. It is not for them to usurp God's function and avenge
themselves, but they must rejoice when right is vindicated. In the O.T.
that joy took a concrete form which is repugnant to us, who have learned
to distinguish between the sinner and his sin it is not the spirit of the
:
Gospel but we may well beware lest the right feeling of moral indig-
:
nation, not only against wrong in the abstract but against the wrong-
doer, should be weakened.
he shall wash his feet &c.] The metaphorical and hyperbolical Ian-
:
PSALM LVIII. II. 331
So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the "
righteous
Verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
guage of a warlike age. Cp. Ps. Ixviii. 23 ; and for a similar metaphor
see Job xxix. 6.
11. So that a man shall say\ Rather, So that men shall say the :
mass of men, who are neither 'righteous' nor 'wicked,' but as it were
spectators of the conflict between the righteous and the wicked.
Verily\ This particle expresses the recognition of a truth which has
been obscured or questioned: 'after all,' 'surely.' Cp. Ixxiii. i.
areward^ lAi. fruit. Cf. Is. iii. 10. Their patient continuance in
well-doing bears its harvest in due time (Gal. vi. 9).
verily he is a God] Better, Verily there is a God (R.V.). Contrary
however to the general usage when GoD is spoken of, the predicate is in
the plural and perhaps Elolnm is meant to be taken somewhat more
:
vaguely, in parallelism and contrast to the judges of vv. i, 2 the con- —

trast holds whether elim, 'gods,' is read in v. i or not as Divine —
Poivers. But the reading is not above suspicion. The LXX and Syr.
have that Judgeth them, i.e. does the righteous justice (xliii. i), the final
i?i being read as the pronominal suffix, not as the sign of the plural'.
For like confidence in the final manifestation of God's judgement see

vii. II ff.; ix. 7 ff., 19; xi. 4ff.; and cp. Lk. xviii. 7 ff.
PSALM LIX.
This Psalm is another prayer for deliverance from virulent enemies

who are threatening the Psalmist's life. It consists of two principal
divisions (i —
9, 10 —
17) each ending with a refrain. These are again
subdivided ; the end of the first stanza in each being marked by a Selah,
and the initial verse of the second (6, 14) being the same.
i. (i) In peril of his life from truculent enemies the Psalmist cries
for help (i, 2). Emphasising the fact that their attack is unprovoked,
he prays Jehovah to interpose and punish all the antagonists of His
people (3 — 5).
(2) He describes the menacing behaviour and the scornful godlessness
of his enemies (6, 7), and declares his confidence that Jehovah will treat
them with sovereign contempt (8, 9).
ii. (i) Starting from the height of this confidence {v. lo) he prays
that they may be humbled, yet not utterly destroyed, but left for a
warning example, till their own sin proves their ruin (11, 12), and their
final disappearance demonstrates the sovereignty of Jacob's God (13).
' They must have found DDQC^ written defectively and read shoplitaui not
shdph'tl»i.
332 PSALM LIX.
(2) Returning to the present, he contrasts the baffled rage of his pur-
suers (14, 15) with his own hymns of thanksgiving for deUverance (16,
n)-
Thus the Psalm strikes the familiar note of unshaken trust in God
under circumstances of danger and difficulty. Its constant recurrence in
the Psalter is doubtless intended to provide a large variety of comfort
and encouragement for the various circumstances of trial to which the
godly are exposed.
But what were the actual circumstances of the Psalmist ? According
to the title the Psalm refers to the occasion in David's life " when Saul
sent, and they watched the house to kill him." The narrative in i Sam.
xix. 8 ff relates that after Saul's unsuccessful attempt upon his life David
fled and escaped. "And it came to pass that night" (so we should
read with the LXX) " that Saul sent messengers to David's house to
watch it, that he might slay him in the morning." Michal however
contrived to effect his escape by letting him down through a window.
There is much in the Psalm which suits David's situation. Not on
that particular night only but for some time previously his life had been
in danger. Saul had spoken "to Jonathan his son and to all his ser-
vants, that they should slay David" (i Sam. xix. i); and doubtless
there were men {v. 3) in Saul's retinue ready to curry favour with their
master by secretly despatching him, treacherous ruffians who might well
be compared to the hungry and savage dogs which infest oriental towns.
David's enemies had been using the weapons of false and cruel calumny
with the view of effecting his ruin. With w. 7, 12 cp. i Sam. xxiv. 9;
XX vi. 19. Again and again he protested his innocence and the ground-
lessness of the persecution he was suffering. With w. 3, 4 cp. i Sam.
XX. I ; xxiv. II ; xxvi. 18 ff"; and Ps. vii.
The connexion of the Psalm with this episode in David's life is how-
ever commonly set aside on the ground that the Psalmist's foes are
described as foreigners (vv. 5, 8), and my people
' '
(v. 1 1) seems to
imply that he is a king or at least in a position of authority.
Ewald supposed that the Psalm was written by Josiah when Jerusa-
lem was threatened by the marauding bands of the Scythians ; others
have attributed it to Nehemiah, when he was hindered in his work of
rebuilding the walls by the Samaritans and their confederates (Neh. iv.
iff", 7 ff ; vi. iff). But neither of these conjectures is satisfactory.
The enemies appear to be personal one of their chief weapons is
;
calumny ; it is the Psalmist's life which is in danger, rather than the

city, or the cause which he represents.
It is indeed not quite certain (see the notes) that the '
heathen of w.
'
5, 8, are the Psalmist's own immediate enemies: but if they are, the
data do not seem to be entirely consistent. Is it possible that we have
here a Psalm written by David, or possibly by some later poet, with
reference to the occasion stated in the title, and subsequently adapted for
liturgical use by the introduction of prayers for the judgement of the
enemies of the nation?
: ; : :
PSALM LIX. 1—5. 333
Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they

To Ihe chief Musician, M-taschith,
watcht the house to kill him.
Deliverme from mine enemies, O my God : 59

Defend me from them that rise up against me.
'
Deliver me from the workers of iniquity,
And save me from bloody men.
For lo, they lie in wait for my soul 3
The mighty are gathered against me

Hot for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord.
They run and prepare themselves without ?/iy fault 4
Awake to help me, and behold.

Thou therefore, Lord God ghosts, the God of Israel,
O 5
Awake heathen
to visit all the :
Be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.
1—5. The Psalmist prays for deliverance from the enemies who are
bent on taking his life, pleading his innocence, and appealing to God to
punish all injustice.
1. Deliver me] So vii. i, and frequently.
defend me] Better, as R.V., set me on high (xx. i ; xci. 14). It is
the verb from which is derived the epithet high tower

'
' so often applied
to God 1 6, 17; xviii. 2; xlvi. 7, 11).
{vv. 9,
2. bloody men]
from Better, from bloodthirsty men (v. 6 ;
Iv. 23 ;
cxxxix. 19; Prov. xxix. 10).

3. 4. For, lo, strong ones have laid wait for my life,
They gather themselves together against me.

For no transgression or sin of mine, Jehovah.
For no iniquity (of mine) they run and station themselves
Arouse thee to meet me, and behold.
Observe the tenses. Secret plots (cp. Prov. i. 1 1 Mic. vii. 1) have ;
long been going on now they are preparing a more open attack (liv. 3 ;
:
Ivi. 6). In this crisis he calls upon God to arouse Himself from His
apparent slumber of indifference (xliv. 23), and 'meet him as with an '
army of relief. For 'behold' (ht. see) cp. x. 14; xxv. 18; xxxi. 7.
The transgression, sin, iniquity, of which he protests his innocence,
might refer to offences against God, for which this persecution might
have been sent as a punishment (i Sam. xxvi. 19) but more probably they
;
refer to offences against his persecutors. Their hostility is unprovoked.

Exactly the same words are used by David in protesting his innocence of
treasonable designs against Saul, i Sam. xx. i; xxiv. 11.
Yea, do Thou, Jehovah, the God of hosts, the God of Israel,
5.
Awake to visit all the nations:
Be not gracious to any treacherous workers of iniquity.
Thou is emphatic, and the address virtually means, 'since Thou art
God of hosts, and God of Israel.' The first title implies that He has
:
334 PSALM LIX. 6, 7.
6 They return at evening :
They make a noise like a dog,

And go round about the city.
7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth
Swords are in their lips :
For who, say they, doth hear ?
the power (xlvi. 7, note), the second that He is under the obligation, to
interpose and 'visit,' hold inquisition concerning, the nations, to punish
them for their offences. But who are meant by the 'nations' or
'heathen'? Are they the enemies against whom the Psalmist is praying,
and identical with the 'treacherous workers of iniquity,' mentioned in
the next line ? If so, the Psalmist's enemies are foreigners, for usage
does not justify the interpretation oi goyim as 'heathenishly minded
men'; and if the Psalm is in its original form, it cannot have been
written by David with reference to Saul and his myrmidons. But it is
possible that, as in Ps. vii, the prayer for a judgement upon personal
enemies is expanded into a prayer for a judgement upon all the enemies
of Israel and in that general judgement the treacherous Israelites who
:
are iniquitously plotting against the Psalmist's life will meet iheir due
reward. Similarly 'va.v. 8, 'them' will refer to the Psalmist's personal
enemies, 'the heathen' or 'nations' to the enemies of Israel. It is also
possible, as has been suggested above, that the Psalm has been altered
for liturgical use.
The anomalous form of the combination Jehovah the God of hosts here
and in Ixxx. 4, 19; Ixxxiv. 8 (yehovah Elolnni Tsebddth not "Jehovah
Elohe Tsebddth) makes it probable that the original reading was simply
Jehovah of hosts, and that God is the substitution of the Elohistic editor
for Jehovah, which however has survived or has been restored along
with it.
Be not gracious is the opposite to the Psalmist's prayer for himself,

Ivi. I, Ivii. r.
6 — 9. Be his enemies never so threatening and insolent, he can trust

in God.
6. He compares
enemies to a troop of savage and hungry dogs
his
(xxii. 16) such as
Oriental towns, in the day-time sleeping in
still infest
the sun or slinking lazily about, but as night comes on collecting

together, and traversing the streets in search of food, howling dismally.
P. B.V. grin means 'snarl.' Cp. Shakespeare, 2 Hen. VI, iii. i. 18,
quoted in Wright's Bible Word-Book,
"Small curs are not regarded when they grin;
But great men tremble when the lion roars."
7. The
figure of v. 6 is dropped. A flood of cursing and falsehood
{v. pours from their mouth (Prov. xv. 2, 28); they menace him with
12)
death, or openly boast that he will soon be got rid of; cp. Iii. 2, note.
'Say they' is rightly inserted. 'Who doth hear'? is not the Psalmist's
; : : :
PSALM LIX. 8— lo. 335
But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them

Thou shalt the heathen in derision.
have all
Because of his strength will I wait upon thee
For God is my defence.
The God of my mercy shall prevent me
God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.
complaint that there is no one to take his part, but the scornful sneer of
his enemies, who do not believe that God cares for His servant. Cp. x.
4, II, 13; Ixiv. 5; Ixxiii. 11; xciv. 7.
8. The verbs are the same as in ii. 4: cp. xxxvii. 13; Is. xxxvii. 22.
The bold phrase "expresses generally the truth that the machinations of
God's enemies are not less absurd than wicked." Speaker's Coinm.
For the meaning of heathen' or 'nations,' see note on v. 5.
'
9. my strength, unto thee will I watch

For God is my high tower.
His enemies are 'strong' {v. 3); but God is his strength; they watch
his house (title), but he will 'watch unto God,' waiting in faith for His
help; he has prayed that God will 'set him up on high,' and he is con-
fident of an answer, for God Himself is his 'high tower' of refuge.
The A.V. 'because of his strength' follows the Massoretic Text;
but some MSS., the LXX, Vulg., Jer., and Targ., read, as in v. 17, my
strength, which is doubtless right. P.B.V. retains i7iy from the
Vulg., though adopting an impossible rendering, 'My strength will I
ascribe unto thee.' It is unnecessary to follow the Syr. in reading
as in z/. 17, / will make melody, for / xvill watch; but possibly the
words the God of my loviîgkindness originally stood at the end of this
verse as well as oiv. 17. See note on v. 10.
—
10 13. His enemies will be punished: yet let them not be utterly
destroyed forthwith, but kept awhile for a warning, till they perisli
through their own iniquity, an evidence of the sovereignty of God.
10. The Kthibh, with which the LXX agrees, has My God shall
meet me 7vith His lovingkindness but the Qri is, The God of my
:
loviitgkindiiess shall meet me. This variety of reading possibly points

to an original text, in 9 ended with the words, the God of my
which v.
lovingkindness, and v. \o began. His lovingkindness (or. My God with
his lovingkindness) shall meet me. Cp. Ixxix. 8. The loss of the
words would be easily accounted for by the similarity between the end
of V. 9 and the beginning of v. 10. Cp. note on xlii. 5, 6.
shall prevent me} shall come to meet me in answer to the prayer
;
of w. 4. For the archaism /r^z/^w/ cp. xxi. 3.

shall let me see my desire] Cp. liv. 7, note. The same phrase occurs
on the Moabite Stone, where Mesha says that he erected the high place
to Chemosh, "because he let me see my desire upon all that hated
me."
upon mine enet)iies\ Upon them that lie in wait for me. See note
on liv. 5.
; : :
336 PSALM LIX. 11-13.
11 Slay them not, lest my people forget

Scatter them by thy power
And bring them down, O
Lord our shield.
12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips
Let them even be taken in their pride
And for cursing and lying tvhich they speak.
13 Consume them in wrath, consume them^ that they may
not be:
And let them know that God ruleth in Jacob
Unto the ends of the earth. Selah.
11. Slay them not\ Apparently inconsistent with z". 13; but burning
indignation does not study logical consistency. What he desires is that
they may not be destroyed outright by some signal catastrophe, but
visibly punished as a living example, until at last their own wickedness
proves their destruction. Cp. Ex. ix. 15, 16 (R.V.). Fharaoh might
have been cut off at once, but was his obstinate
sufiiered to exist, till
resistance sealed his doom, and enhanced God's sovereignty. The

Fathers applied the words to the Jews in their dispersion, scattered
but not consumed, an ever visible memorial of divine judgement.
scatter them by thy power'] Rather, make them wander to and fro
by thine army, as vagabonds and outcasts (cix. 10; Gen. iv. 12, 14;
Num. xxxii. 13). The word rendered by thy poiver in A.V. is never
used of God's might, but may mean (cp. Joel ii. 25 iii. 11) the heavenly
;
army which God has at His command. Cp. xxxv. 5, 6.

bring them dowii] Cp. Iv. 23; Ivi. 7.
our shield\ The Psalmist speaks as tJie representative of the nation,
or at least of a class. For the metaphor cp. iii. 3 Gen. xv. i Deut. ; ;
xxxiii. 29 Ps. xviii. 2

; &c.
;
12. The A.V. gives the sense, though the precise construction is
doubtful. Perhaps, The word of their lips is the sin of their mouth, i.e.
every word they utter is sin: or, O the sin of their mouth! O the ivord
of their lips! let them &c.
let them even be taken'] Caught in their own snare, their plots recoil-
ing on themselves. Cp. ix. 15 xxxv. 8 Prov. xi. 6.
; ;
in their pride] The atheistic self-sufficiency which says. Who doth

hear? Cp. x. 4.
13. Consume them in wrath, consume them] For the emphatic
repetition cp. Ivii. i, 7, 8; and for the wrath of divine judgement cp.
Ivi. 7.
that they may Better as R.V., that they he no more.
not be]
and let them knmv] best to regard the subject of the verb as
It is
indefinite, let 7nen know; and to connect utito the ends of the earth with
this clause. Let it be known throughout the length and breadth of the
world. Cp. I Sam. xvii. 46: 'that all the earth may know that there is
a God in Israel.' The P.B.V. 'that it is God that nileth in Jacob, and
unto the ends of the world,' gives an equally good sense, but requires
the insertion of the conjunction.
; : ; :
PSALM LIX. 14—17. 337
And at evening let them return i
And let them make a noise like a dog,

And go round about the city.
Let them wander up and down for meat, 1
And grudge if they be not satisfied.

But I will sing of thy power ; '
Yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning

For thou hast been my defence
And refuge in the day of my trouble.
Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing 1
For God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.
14—17. The Psalmist contrasts the baffled rage of his persecutors

with his own calm trust in God.
14. Arepetition oi v. 6. But is it (i) as the A.V. appears to take it,
an ironical repetition as a curse? let them do now perforce what they

did before in malice and wantonness, wandering to and fro (cp. v. 1 1) in
unsatisfied hunger. Or is it (2) a reiterated description of the writer's
present situation, introduced here to emphasise the contrast of his own
security under Jehovah's protection? The second alternative is prefer-
able, as giving full force to the emphatic they {v. 15) and But I [v. 16).
Render,
And though they return at evening, howl like dogs, and go
round about the city.
Though they wander to and fro for meat,
And tarry all night if they he not satisfied;
Yet as for me, I shall sing &c.
The preyof which they were in quest was the Psalmist himself. Dis-
appointed in their attempt they might tarry all night, yet he is confident
that the dawn will see him still safe, and bring fresh occasion for praise.
The A.V. grudge, i.e. murmur, follows the LXX and Jer.; but the
contrast 'in the morning' {v. 15) is in favour of R.V. (cp. A.V. marg.)
tarry all night.
16, 17. Render,
Yet as for me, I shall sing of thy strength
Yea, shall sing aloud of thy lovingkindness in the morning:
I
For thou hast been a high tower for me,
And a refuge in the day of distress. my
Unto thee, my
strength, will I make melody,
For God is my
high tower, the God of lovingklndnesa. my
Thouhast been, for in the language of faith he looks back upon the
deliverance from the morning of peace which succeeds the night of
anxiety.
The refrain is slightly varied from v. 9 the patient waiting of the
:
night is changed into the joyous song of the morning.

;
338 PSALM LX.
PSALM LX.
According to the title this Psahn refers to an event in the wars of

David, " when he was contending with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-
zobah, and Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the Valley of Salt
twelve thousand." David's conquest of Edom is recorded in 2 Sam.
viii. 13 f, but (see note on the passage in this series) the text of v. 13 is
certainly corrupt, and we should probably read, " And David gat him a
name when he returned from smiting the Syrians and smote of Edom in
the Valley of Salt eighteen thousand." It has been most plausibly con-
jectured (see Ewald, Nisi. iii. 156, E.T.) that while David was fully
occupied in the north with the Syrian war, the Edomites seized the
opportunity for invading the south of Judah, and inflicted serious damage.
Had their plans been entirely successful, David's victories in the north
would have been rendered useless. It was a critical moment; but
David promptly detached a force, which routed the Edomites with great
slaughter in the Valley of Salt. This was the valley to the south of the
Dead Sea, which was the ancient border between Judah and Edom, and
was the scene of another victory over Edom in the reign of Amaziah
(2 Kings xiv. 7). The victory was followed up by the complete subju-
gation of the country. From an incidental notice in i Kings xi. 15, 16
we learn that the war was pursued with relentless severity. The signal
vengeance which was taken upon Edom is more readily intelligible if
the Edomites had attempted to use the opportunity of David's absence
for striking a deadly blow at Judah. The phrase " gat him a name"
(i.e. won renown) in 2 Sam. viii. 13 may refer to the admiration excited
by the skill and promptitude with which David met the sudden danger
to his kingdom.
The Psalm may be supposed to have been written at the moment
when David received the news of the defeat inflicted by Edom, and was
despatching Joab to repel the invaders. It was an anxious crisis ; for
it must have seemed doubtful whether these reverses in the south would
not compel him to abandon his conquests in the north, and might not
even endanger the safety of the kingdom.
That the victory over Edom is attributed to David in 2 Sam., to
Abishai in i Chr. xviii. 12, and to Joab in the title of the Psalm, need
cause no difficulty. David was concerned in it as king, and to his
military genius may have been due the plan of the campaign and the
promptitude of action Joab was the commander-in-chief of the army
;
Abishai may have led the division which was sent forward in advance.
The variation between twelve thousaftd here and eighteen thousand in
2 Sam. and i Chron. is probably due to a textual error.
Aram-naharaim, or Syria of the two Rivers, was probably not Meso-
potamia, but the country between the Euphrates and Chaboras, or in
the neighbourhood of these rivers. It is not mentioned in 2 Sam. viii,
but in 2 Sam. x. 16, it is said that Hadadezer brought into the field the
Syrians that were beyond the River (Euphrates), and in i Chr. xix. 6
Aram-naharaim (A.V. Mesopotamia) is mentioned along with Zobah.
The exact position of Zobah is uncertain it seems to have been north-
:
;
PSALM LX. I. 339
east of Damascus and south of Hamath, between the Orontes and the
Euphrates.
The accuracy of the title has been questioned upon various grounds.
It is not a valid argument against it that 2 Sam. does not mention such
a disaster as that to which the Psalm refers. Reverses would not be
recorded in the brief summary of David's victories which is all that the
history gives; and an invasion which for the moment seemed most
alarming would fade into insignificance when the danger was past. The
hypothesis of such an invasion certainly explains and connects the frag-
mentary notices in Samuel and Kings. Nor does the Psalm necessarily
imply a prolonged period of disaster. An attack which imperilled the
safety of the kingdom would quite account for the language of vv. i ff.
Numerous conjectures as to the occasion of the Psalm have been pro-
posed by commentators who reject the title. Some would connect it
with Amaziah's war with Edom (2 Kings xiv. 7). Not a few would
bring it down to the Maccabaean times, chiefly on the ground of its
relation to Ps. xliv in tone and language (cp. xHv. 9 with v. 10). But
none of the occasions in that period with which it has been connected is
really suitable, and it has already been shewn in the Introd. to Ps. xliv
that the history of the formation of the Psalter makes it difficult to sup-
pose that Maccabaean Psalms are included in the Elohistic collection. It
may reasonably be maintained that the situation indicated in the title
explains the Psalm more satisfactorily than any alternative which has
been suggested.
The Psalm is to be sung to the melody known as Shushan-eduth, that
is, The lily of testimony. Cp. the title of Ps. Ixxx, set to Shoshannim-
Ediith, and also those of Pss. xlv, Ixix. It is intended for teaching,
probably, like David's elegy on Saul and Jonathan, to be committed to
memory for recitation. Cp. Deut. xxxi. 22.
vv. 5 —12 form the second part of the composite Ps. cviii.
The Psalm may be divided into three stanzas as follows :
i. David expostulates with God for abandoning His people to disaster

and defeat (i — 4).
ii. He
appeals to God's promise to apportion the land to His people,
and give them dominion over the neighbouring nations (5 8). —
iii. Though God has for the time deserted His people it is He alone
Who can help; and to Him David turns in confident assurance of
victory (9 — 12).
To the chief Musician upon Shushan-eduth, Michtam of David, to teach; when

he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, when Joab returned, and
smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand.
O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, 60
Grave disasters have befallen Israel through God's displeasure.

1. thou hast cast us off] Cp. v. 10 ; xliv. 9, 23; Ixxiv. i ; Ixxvii. 7 ;
Ixxxix. 38.
thou hast scattered us] Better as R.V., thou hast broken us down, a
word applied to defeat (2 Sam. v. 20), or any great calamity (Jud. xxi. 15
;;
340 PSALM LX. 2—4.
Thou hast been displeased ; O

turn thyself to us again.
2 Thou hast made the earth to tremble ; thou hast broken it
Heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.

3 Thou hast shewed thy people hard things :
Thou hast made us to drink the wine âstonishment.
4 Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee,
That if may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.
Job xvi. 14). It is a metaphor from the destruction of a wall or a

building (2 Kings xiv. 13; Is. v. 5).
iAoti hast been displeased^ R.V. rightly, thou hast been angry, as
A.V. elsewhere (ii. 12; Ixxix. 5; i Kings viii. 46; &c.). Israel's neigh-
bours used exactly the same language. Mesha in the inscription known
as the Moabite Stone says that Omri the king of Israel oppressed Moab
many days, " because Chemosh was angry with his land " (/. 5).
O turn thyself to us again] Better, grant us restoration.
2. Thou hast made &c.] R.V. Thou hast made the land to tremble
thou hast rent it. The disaster is compared to an earthquake, which
is often used as a symbol of great catastrophes and especially of divine
judgement (xviii. 7; xlvi. 3, 6; Is. xxiv. 18 ff). 'The breaches' may
be the rents and rifts in the solid ground, or by a very natural transition,
the state is further compared to the buildings shattered by the earthquake
and threatening to fall (Ixii. 3; Is. xxx. 13; and for heal=repair, see
Jer. xix. 11).
3. hard] i.e. calamitous.
the wine of astotiishment] Better as R.V., the wine of staggering.
The cup of God's wrath is a common metaphor for His judgements. It
is like some drugged potion, which robs the drinker of reason, and
makes him reel helplessly along, the mockery of all beholders. Com-
monly it is administered to the enemies of Israel (Ixxv. 8 ; Jer. xxv. 15 ff);
but also to Israel itself (Is. li. 17, 21 f ).
4. That it may be displayed because of the truth] With this render-

ing, which has been retained in the text of the R.V., the verse becomes
the preface to the following prayer. Israel is charged with the mainten-
ance of God's cause, therefore let Him help them against the heathen.
But it is decidedly preferable (cp. R.V. marg.) to follow the LXX,
Vulg., Symm., and Jer. in rendering, That they may betake themselves
to flight from before the bow (cp. Is. xxxi. 8). The verse then forms
the conclusion of the first stanza of the Psalm. By 'them that fear
thee' Israel is meant; and the word implies that Israel is loyal to
Jehovah (cp. xliv. 17 ff). He has 'given them a banner' (cp. Is. v. 26;
xiii. 1 ;Jer. iv. 6), raised a standard to summon them to fight for His
cause (for the cause of the nation was the cause of its God), in order
that they should be put to flight before the enemy's archers. The words
are reproachfully sarcastic, and there is no need to weaken the sarcasm
by inserting only before that they may betake themselves to flight. God
has deliberately mustered His people and led them forth to defeat.
They recall (though their spirit is wholly different) the complaint of the
; ;
PSALM LX. 5, 6. 341
That thy beloved may be delivered s

Save with thy right hand, and hear me.
God hath spoken in his holiness 6
I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem,
And mete out the valley of Succoth.
Israelites in the wilderness, "Because the I,ORD hated us, he hath

brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of
the Amorites, to destroy us" (Deut. i. 27).
—
The view that w. i 4 form the first stanza of the Psalm is confirmed
by the position of Selah, by the commencement of the extract in Ps.
cviii with v. 5, and by the symmetry of structure which is given by a
division at this point.
5 8. — A
prayer for deliverance and victory, based upon God's
promise to give Israel the possession of Canaan, and supremacy over
the neighbouring nations.
5. ihybeloved^ Thy beloved ones {-^wx.) îx&Y'ixTizX. Cp. Deut. xxxiii.
12 ; Jer. xi. 15. God's love for Israel is the counterpart to Israel's fear
of God.
save\ i.e. give victory. Cp. v. 11.
hear me] Answer me. The Kthtbh has us, which R.V. adopts; but
the Qrt is me. This has the support of the Ancient Versions and is
preferable. David is the speaker. Cp. v. 9.
6. hi his holiness'] Or, by Ms
holiness, for 'spoken is the equiva- '
lent of 'promised' or 'sworn.' Cp. Ixxxix. 35; Am. iv. 2. God's

'holiness' includes His whole essential nature in its moral aspect, and
that nature makes impossible for Him to break His promise (Num.
it
xxiii. 19; Tit. i. It is equivalent to 'Himself (Am. vi. 8; Heb. vi.

2).
13, 17 f). 'In his sanctuary' (cp. Ixiii. 2) is a possible but less probable
rendering.
I will rejoice] Better as R.V., I will exult. But who is the speaker?
Is it David or God? The latter alternative is certainly preferable. The
language is bold, but not bolder than that of Is. Ixiii. i ff. God is
represented as a victorious warrior, conquering the land, and portioning
it out to His people. The language recalls the conquest of the land
under Joshua (Josh, xviii. 10); but it certainly does not imply that the
land was now permanently in the possession of foreigners, and needing
to be reconquered. He makes Ephraim the chief defence of His king-
dom, and Judah the seat of government, and treats the neighbouring
nations as His vassals. It is possible that some actual oracle is quoted,
but more probable that the drift of the great promise to David (2 Sam.
vii. 9f ) is freely reproduced in a poetical form. Cp. ii. 7; Ixxxix. 19.
Shechem. ..the valley of Succoth] Shechem, as a central place of
importance, represents the territory west of the Jordan; Succoth, 'in
the vale' (Josh. xiii. 27), somewhere to the south of the Jabbok, between
Peniel and the Jordan, represents the territory east of the Jordan.
These two places may be named, because of their connexion with the
;; '
342 PSALM LX. 7, 8.
7 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine ;
Ephraim also is the strength of mine head ;

Judah is my lawgiver
8 Moab is my washpot
Over Edom will I castout my shoe :
Philistia, triumph thou because of me.
history of Jacob, who halted Succoth and then at Shechem,

first at
when he returned to Canaan (Gen. God will fulfil His
xxxiii. 17, i8).
promise to Jacob, apportioning to His people the land in which their
great ancestor settled.
7. Gilead and Manasseh, that is the land of Bashan in which half the
tribe of Manasseh settled, stand for the territory east of the Jordan and
the tribes settled there Ephraim and Judah stand for the tribes west of
:
the Jordan. God claims all as His own : all therefore can claim God's
protection.
Ephraim &c.] Render with R.V.,
Ephraim also is the defence of mine head;
Judah is my sceptre.
Ephraim, as the most powerful tribe and the chief defence of the
nation,is compared to the warrior's helmet Judah, as the tribe to which
:
belonged the Davidic sovereignty, is compared to the royal sceptre, or,

as the same word is rendered in R.V. of Gen. xlix. lo, to which the
present passage alludes, the ruler's staff.
'
8. The neighbouring nations are reduced to servitude. In strong

contrast to the honour assigned to Ephraim and Judah is the disgrace of
Moab and Edom. Moab, notorious for its pride (Is. xvi. 6), is compared
to the vessel which is brought to the victorious warrior to wash his feet
when he returns from the battle. The old enemy of God and His
people is degraded to do menial service : in other words, it becomes a
subject and a vassal.
In close connexion with this metaphor the next line may be rendered.
Unto Edom will I cast myshoe Edom is like the slave to whom the
:
warrior flings his sandals to carry or to clean. Haughty and defiant

Edom (Obad. 3 f.) must perform the duty of the lowest slave (cp. Matt.
iii. 11). The R.V. renders, Upon Edom will I cast shoe. my
This
would mean, I will take possession of Edom,' in allusion to an Oriental
'
custom of taking possession of land by casting the shoe upon it; but the
first explanation agrees best with the context.
Philistia, triumph thoti because of 7ne\ R.V., shout thou because of
me. Mighty Philistia must raise the shout of homage to its conqueror.
Cp. ii. 11; xviii. 44; xlvii. i. This rendering is preferable to that of
A.V. marg. (with its explanatory note) tritunph thou over me (by an
'
irony)': and to the rendering, ''cry aloud in te>-ror.' But perhaps we

should alter the vocalisation and read Over Philistia shall he my shout
:
of t7-iumphf or adopt the reading of cviii. 9, Over Philistia ivill I shout in

triumph.
; :
PSALM LX. 9—12. 343
Who will bring me into the strong city ?

Who will lead me into Edom ?
Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off?
And thou, O
God, which didst not go out with our armies ?
Give us help from trouble :
For vain is the help of man.

Through God we shall do valiantly :
For he // is that shall tread down our enemies.
9— 12. None but God can give help, and though for the moment He
has abandoned His people, He will surely once more lead them to
victory.
9. the strong ciiy\ Probably Sela or Petra,' the capital of Edom,
famous for its inaccessibility (Obad. 3). See Stanley's Sinai and Pal.,
p. 89, for a description of the wonderful defile, which in ancient times
was the only usual approach to Petra.
Who will lead me into Edoni] The verb is in the perfect tense,
which is sometimes used a sense of difficulty or
in questions to express
hopelessness. Who could lead me, or, who could have led me, right
into (the preposition is emphatic) Edom ? The difficulties are almost
insuperable. But possibly the text is faulty. The restoration of one
letter with a change in the vocalisation would give the future tense. In
any case the rendering of R.V., Who hath led me unto Edom? as a
reference to some previous successful invasion, does not suit the context.
10. Wilt not thou, God &c.] This rendering, which is that of the
LXX, Vulg., Symm., and Jer., is grammatically legitimate, though
less obvious than that of R. V.
Hast not thou, God, cast us off?
And thou goest not forth, God, with our hosts.
It suits the context better as the answer to z;. 9 in a tone of con-
fidence which corresponds to that of w. 12. Though God has for the
moment deserted us, and has not led our armies to victory, He will
surely now give us help, for we trust in Him alone. The rendering of
R.V. introduces a note of despair, which harmonises ill with the con-
fidence of V. 12. With it the connexion of thought would be. Who
can lead us into the enemy's stronghold? None but God, and God
has deserted us. Yet even now perhaps He will hear our prayer (z^. ii).
With the second line cp. xliv. 9.
11. Give us help from trouble'] Or, as R.V., Give us help against
the adversary. Cp. z'. 12.
for vain is the help of man] Lit. salvation. It is a delusion (cp.
xxxiii. 17) to look to human strength for victory. See xliv. 6, 7; i Sam.
xvii. 47 Jer. xvii. 5 ; and cp. Judg. vii. 4, 7 ; i Sam. xiv. 6 ; 2 Chron.
;
xiv. ri; I Mace. iii. 16 ff.
12. Through God] Cp. Ivi. 4.

we shall do valiantly] Cp. Num. xxiv. 18; Ps. cxviii. 15, 16.
shall tread down our enemies] Cp. xliv. 5; xviii. 42 (note). R.V.,
adversaries, cp. z/. 11.
;
344 PSALM LXI. i.
PSALM LXI.
The author of this Psalm is far from Jerusalem. Though his prayers
have been answered, and he can look forward to his return with
in part
confidence, he is still in dispiriting circumstances. He is either a king,
or one closely connected with a king and deeply interested in his wel-
fare. At first sight vv. 6, 7 seem to favour the latter hypothesis ; but
inasmuch as the stress in these verses is upon the king's office, not upon
his personality, a king might appropriately speak of himself in the third
person and this view best explains the connexion of the verses.
;
The Psalm belongs therefore to the time of the monarchy; for there
is no real ground for supposing that one of the Maccabaean princes, of
whom Aristobulus I (B.C. 105) was the first to assume the title of king,
is meant. If David was the author, it may best be referred to the time
when he was at Mahanaim, after the collapse of Absalom's rebellion,
but before his recall to Jerusalem.
The hope of return to "God's dwelling-place," which finds such
touching expression in this Psalm (v. 4), lay deep in his heart as he left
the city (2 Sam. xv. 25) ; v. 3 may refer to the hairbreadth escapes of
his earlier life; vv. 6, 7 allude to the great promise of 2 Sam. vii; the
phrase God's tent' (v. 4) may naturally be connected with the tent which
'
David pitched for the Ark. At any rate David's situation gives point
to the Psalm and helps to explain it.
The Psalm is best divided into two equal stanzas.
i.
ii.
Prayer for support and restoration to God's dwelling-place (i 4).
He appeals to the experience of answered prayer and to the cer-
—
tainty of God's promises to the king, and looks forward with confidence
to a life of thanksgiving for God's mercy (5 8). —
The Psalm has affinities with Pss. xx, xxi, xxvii, xlii, xliii, Ixiii, and
with Proverbs.
In later times the Psalm was naturally adopted as a prayer of the
nation in its dispersion, and the king was interpreted to refer to the
Messiah. See the Targum on vv. 6, 8.
To the chief Musician upon Neginah, A Psalm of David.
61 Hear my cry, O God

Attend unto my prayer.
Upon Negitiath in the title may mean On a stringed instrument (R.V.),

or To the accotnpanimcnt of stringed mtisie: or possibly, Set to the song
of..., some word of definition being lost. See Introd. p. xxii.
1 — 4. David prays that God will prove Himself a refuge as in time

past, and that he may again live in His presence and under His protec-
tion in Jerusalem.
1. my cry.-.niy prayerl Synonyms often coupled together to express
the urgency of supplication. Cp. xvii. i; i Kings viii. 28; Jer. vii. 16;
xi. 14.
: : ;
PSALM LXI. 2—4. 345
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my 2
heart is overwhelmed
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For thou hast been a shelter for me, 3
And a strong tower from the enemy.

I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever 4
I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.
2. From the end of the earth] Perhaps,/r<7;« the end of the land. But
Jerusalem, the dwelling-place of God, is for him the centre of the earth.
He measures his distance from it not by miles but by the intensity of
his yearning to be there, in the place where the visible pledges of God's
Presence were to be found.
will I cry] R. V. , wiU I call.
is overwhelmed] Or, fainteth (cxlii. 3).
Lead me to the rock that is higher than /] Lead me up upon a rock
that is too high for me to reach by my own unaided efforts. 'Rock'
denotes an asylum to be reached, not an obstacle to be surmounted
(xxvii. 5). God Himself is such a Rock of refuge (Ixii. 2, 6, 7).
David's wanderings may have suggested the metaphor (i Sam. xxiv. 2;
I Chron. xi. 15).
3. For thou hast been a refuge for me,
A strong tower from the enemy (R.V.).
He appeals to past experience. " In Thee have I taken refuge" is
the constant cry with which faith approaches God (vii. i ; xi. i xvi. i;
xxxi. I Ivii. i ; Ixxi. i ; &c.). In xviii. 1 David addresses God as "my

;
Rock in whom I take refuge." We may see from Jud. ix. 51 what 'a
strong tower' meant literally: for the metaphor cp. Prov. xviii. 10.
4. Let me sojourn in thy tent for ever:
Let me take refuge in the hidingplace of thy wings.
The words are a prayer. In his banishment he prays that he may
once more be received as Jehovah's guest, to enjoy His protection and
hospitality, to dwell in the place which He has consecrated by His
Presence (xv. i). /« thy tent may mean no more than 'in thy abode':
but it is natural to connect the metaphor with the 'tent' which David
pitched for the Ark on Mount Zion (2 Sam. vi. 17). Cp. xxvii. 5, 6.
'vSojourn' implies the relation of guest to host, and the protection
which the guest in Oriental countries claims from his host. "The Arabs
give the title of jar alldh to one who resides in Mecca beside the
Caaba." Robertson Smith, Religion of the Semites, p. 77.
for ever] All my life. Cp. i Sam. i. 22 Ps. xxiii. 6. And the
;
revelation of the Gospel has made it plain that life does not end with
death.
the hidingplace (R.V. covert) of thy wings cp. Ivii. i, note; xxvii.
For
6, "in the hidingplace of his tent shall he hide me"; xxxi. 20, "Thou
shalt hide them in the hidingplace of thy presence." So the Targ. here
in the shadow of Thy Presence (lit. Shechinah).
;
346 PSALM LXI. 5, 6.
5 For thou, O God, hast heard my vows :
Thou hast given 7ne the heritage of those that fear thy name.
6 Thou wilt prolong the king's hfe :
And his years as many generations.
6 8. — Such prayers David can offer in confidence, for his prayers

have already been partially answered. He can look forward in faith to
the fulfilment of the promises God has made to His king, and he will
spend the rest of his life in grateful thanksgiving.
5. hast heard my voivs\ Vows accompanied by prayers.

thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name'] Me is
not in the original and it is best to supply the remoter object of
;
the verb from the complement of the nearer object, and render with
LXX, (Vulg.), Jer., P.B.V., thou hast given (their) possession to
them that fear thy name. 'Possession' is the term regularly used of
Israel's 'occupation' of the land of Canaan (Deut. ii. 19; iii. 18; &c.
Ps. xxxvii. 9, If, 22, 29, 34). The collapse of Absalom's rebellion has
restored the true and loyal Israelites, who shewed their fear of God's name
by adhering to the king of His choice, to the possession of their rightful
inheritance, from which they were in danger of being expelled.
It is best to regard the perfects not as 'perfects of confidence' that
his prayers will surely be heard, but as referring to past experience.
The insurrection has been crushed but the king awaits restoration
:
(2/. 4).
6. Thou wilt prolong the king's life] Lit., Thou wilt add days to the
days of the king. Cp. 1 Kings xx. 6. From speaking of the people
(z'. 5), David passes to speak of himself. His life had been in danger:
but now the danger was over. At first sight the words may seem to be
those of another, speaking of David, rather than those of David speaking of
himself. But he thus uses the third person because he is speaking of
himself in his capacity of king, referring to the promises made to the
king as such. Cp. Jer. xxxviii. 5, where Zedekiah says, "The king is
not he that can do anything against you " = I, though king, cannot &c.
Tmd^ his years] R.V., his years shall be as many generations. This
verse is not a prayer, and the text ought not to be altered to turn it into
a prayer. It is a confident appeal to God's promise and purpose. The
long life which was one of Jehovah's special blessings under the old
covenant (Ex. xxiii. 26; i Kings iii. 11; Prov. iii. 2, and often), and
which was a natural object of desire when the hope of a future life was
all but a blank, was promised specially to the king (xxi. 4). The
language is partly hyperbolical, like the salutation " Let the king live for
ever" (i Kings i. 31 Neh. ii. 3); partly it thinks of the king as living
;
on in his descendants (2 Sam. vii. 13, 16, 29; Ps. Ixxxix. 29, 36); but
words which in their strict sense could apply to no human individual,
become a prophecy of One greater than David and thus the Targum ;
here interprets king by King Messiah.' See Ititrod. p. Iviii ff and

' ' '
;
Introd. to Ps. xxi.

:
PSALM LXI. 7, 8. 347
He shall abide before God for ever ^
O prepare mercy and truth, wJiichmay preserve him.

»
So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever,
That I may daily perform my vows.

Rather, He shaU sit enthroned
7 He shall abide before Godfor ever]
for ever, an allusion to the promise of eternal
dominion to
Ijefore God
in the presence of God,' enjoying His
favour
the house of David,
'
and protection. See 2 Sam. vii. i6 (read with LXX

before me), 26,
29 ; Ps. xxi. 6 Ixxxix. 36 b

;
and for the pregnant sense of sit cp.
:
'
^^'0'
prepare &c.] Appoint lovingkindness and truth that they may
xlii. 8 ; Ixxxix. 14. God s
ffuard him. Cp. xl. 11 ; 2 Sam. xv. 20; Ps.
guardian angels
covenant love and faithfulness to His promise are like
attributes of God in his own
to the king; and the reflection of these
his throne (Prov.
character and administration will be the safeguard of
XX. 28).
') is ignored by some
{'appoint of the Ancient Ver-
The word prepare
sions (Ter. Aq. Symm.), and variously rendered by others. It is m itself
suspicious both for its form and for its position, and perhaps should
of the word tor
simply be omitted. Possibly it may be a corruption
('Lovingkindness and
'continually' (xl. 11), or of an emphatic l/iey
truth shall continually— or, even they shall—
guard him ). Such a state-
ment agrees better with vv. 6, 7 a than a prayer does. _
preservation of a life demands lifelong thanksgiving. Lp.

8 The
If David is the speaker in vv. 6, 7, the
return to the first
1. 14.
transition is
person in this resolution is entirely natural otherwise the
:
harsh. „ ,,^ .„ _
pay my
Very pathetic is the paraphrase of the Targum. "So will I
vows in the day of the redemption of Israel, even m
the day when King
Messiah is anointed to reign."
PSALM LXIL
When Saul was seeking David's life, Jonathan went to him secretly,
and when
and "strengthened his hand in God" (1 Sam. xxiii. 16);
to stone him,
David's followers in a fit of blind exasperation threatened
Sam. xxx. 6). In
he "strengthened himself in Jehovah his God" (x
the face of treacherous plots against his
honour and perhaps his hfe,
when his followers are in danger of being carried away by the power
of
himself in God. With
position and wealth, this Psalmist "strengthens
triumphant reiteration he dwells upon the thought of all that
God is to
him— his rock, his strong rock, his high tower, his refuge, his salvation,
his hope and with this trust in God he
;
contrasts the folly of trustiiig to
man and material resources, and the futility of opposing the will of God.
The trustful confidence and courage of the Psalm is worthy of David.
If it is his, it may best be referred to the time of
Absalom's rebellion.
: ;
348 PSALM LXII. i, 2.
It has aSfinities with Ps. iv, which seems to belong to that time. We
might indeed have expected more definite allusions to the rebellion but ;
at any rate the situation of the Psalmist is not wholly dissimilar. Un-
scrupulous and hypocritical enemies are seeking to depose him from a
position of dignity (3, 4) ; he has a party of followers to whom he can
appeal (8), but some of them, in common with many others who are still
wavering, are in danger of being seduced by the show of power and the
fair promises of his enemies (cp. iv. 6).
Like Ps. xxxix, to which it has several points of resemblance, though
the situation is wholly different, this Psalm has the name of Jeduthun in
the title, but with a different preposition, which seems to mean after tlie
manner of Jeduthim (R.V.), or possibly, set to some melody composed
by or called after Jeduthun. Cp. the title of Ps. Ixxvii. Jeduthun, who
appears to have been also called Ethan (i Chr. xv. 17 ff), is mentioned
in I Chr. xvi. 41 f ; xxv. i ff; 2 Chr. v. 12 ; xxxv. 15, along with Heman
and Asaph, as one of the directors of the Temple music.
The structure of the Psalm is regular. It consists of three equal
stanzas.
i. God alone is the Psalmist's defence. How long will his enemies
plot to ruin
ii. With
him (i
slight
—but
4) ?
significant variations the opening verses are
repeated, and those who are on the Psalmist's side are exhorted to trust
in God (5—8),
iii. It is vain to trust in man and brute force and material wealth.
God is a God of strength and love, which are manifested in the justice
of His government (9 — 12).
To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David.
62 Truly my soul waiteth upon God

From him cometh my salvation.
2 He only is my rock and my salvation
1 — 4. Patiently the Psalmist awaits God's help, and remonstrates

with his enemies for their malice and hypocrisy.
1. Truly] The particle ak is characteristic of this Ps. in which it ,
occurs six times, and of Ps. xxxix, in which it occurs four times. It
stands at the beginning of vv. i, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9. It may be affirmative,
'truly,' 'surely,' or restrictive, 'only.' Either sense will suit, and
possibly the shade of meaning may not always be the same ; but only
'
'
appears to be preferable throughout. Literally the line means: Only

tiuio God is i7iy soul silence ; unto God alone does my soul look in
patient calmness, waiting for the deliverance which will surely come,
and can come from Him alone. For such silent waiting cp. v. 5 ; '
'
xxxvii. 7; xxxix. 2; Lam. iii. 26.

2. The same titles my
my high tozvcr, are com-
7-ock, my salvation,
bined in xviii. 2. The Rock
frequently used to symbolise the
title is
strength, faithfulness, and unchangeableness of Jehovah here (cp. Ixi. :
2) with the special thought of an asylum in danger.

: : :
PSALM LXII. 3, 4. 349
He is my defence I shall not be greatly moved.

;
How long will ye imagine mischief against a man ?

Ye shall be slain all of you
As a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.
They only consult to cast him down from his excellency
They delight in lies :
They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly.

Selah.
I shall not be greatly inoved^ In other words, "though he may fall

he shall not lie prostrate" (xxxvii. 24; cp. Prov. xxiv. 16).
3. Hotv loiig\ For the indignant remonstrance cp. iv. 2, noting also
the connexion of that verse with vv. 4, 7, 9 of this Psalm. God is on his
side ; they cannot harm him ; how long will they persist in the futile
attempt ?
ivill ye imagine mischief against a man .?] This rendering, adopted
from Jewish authorities by the scholars upon whom Coverdale largely
relied, and passing on from him to the later versions, rests upon an im-
possible derivation. Render with R.V., following LXX and Vulg.,
will ye set upon a man. The corresponding Arabic word is said to be
still used in Damascus in the sense of to intimidate,'
'
to threaten with
'
violence.'
ye shall be slain"] This is the reading of R. Aaron ben Asher, a
famous Jewish scholar of the loth century, whose authority was
generally followed in the West. But the reading of his rival, R. Moses
ben Naphtali, which makes the verb active (the difference is one of
vowel points only) suits the context better. Render with R.V., that
ye may slay Mm, or better still, returning to the primary meaning of
the verb in connexion with the metaphor of the next line.
Battering him, all of you.
Like a toppling wall, like a tottering fence.
The blows of calamity have already taken effect, and they are eager
to complete his ruin. Wycliffe gives a graphic rendering of the Vulg.;
'a wal bowid, and a wal of stoon with out morter cast down.' "The
metaphor of the falling wall is common in Eastern proverbs. 'The
wall bowing,' is said of a man at the point of death. 'By the oppres-
is
sion of the headman the people of that village are a ruined wall.'"
(Aglen.)
all of yott\ In contrast to 'a man'; for though the Psalmist was
not alone (v. 8) he was the principal object of attack. Cp. 2 Sam.
xvii. I ff.
4. Only to thrust him down from his dignity have they taken
counsel, delighting in a lie
With his mouth doth each of them bless, hut inwardly they
curse.
Their plot is 'a lie,' false in its principle and in its aim (iv. 2, note);
and they have been guilty of the grossest hypocrisy and duplicity in
promoting it. Cp. xii. 2; xxviii. 3; Iv. 21.
: ; ::
350 PSALM LXII. 5—9.
5 My thou only upon God

soul, wait
For my
expectation is from him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation
Jle is my defence ; I shall not be moved.
7 In God is my salvation and my glory
The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
8 Trust in him at all times ye people, ;
Pour out your heart before him

God is a refuge for us. Selah.
9 Surely men of low degree are vanity, a?id men of high
degree are a lie :
—
6 8. The opening verses are repeated, with slight variations,
leading up to an exhortation to the Psalmist's sympathisers to trust in
God.
6. Only unto God be thou silent, my soul.
For from him cometh my hope.
It is only by constant self-exhortation that the calmness of v. i can
be maintained, especially when the recollection of his enemies' double-
faced behaviour stirs his indignation. Cp. xxxvii. 7. 'My hope' = 'my
salvation' (v. i), the deliverance which I look for.
6. my defence] My
high tower, as in v. 2.
I shall not be moved} Perhaps the omission of 'greatly' {v. 2) marks
a growing faith.
7. In God] R.V., With God, lit. tipon God (cp. vii. 10, note). It
rests with God to deliver him and defend his honour; —
his personal
reputation and (if the speaker is David) his royal dignity. See iv. 2, note.
is in God] Or, consists in God, is God {vv. 6, 8). Cp. Is. xxvi. 4.
8. Render in accordance with the Massoretic punctuation, Trust ye
in him at all times, people. He exhorts his faint-hearted followers,
who were in danger of being carried away by the show of power on
Absalom's side. Cp. 2 Sam. xvii. 2 ff for 'people' used of David's
adherents. It is unnecessary to follow the LXX
in reading. Trust ye
in him, O whole assembly of the people.
pour out your heart] Give free vent to your anxieties make them all :
known to God. Cp. xlii. 4.
—
9 12. Trust in God, I say, and not in man or in material force.
God's strength and love are the guarantee for the punishment of the
wicked and the reward of the righteous.
9. Surely^ Lit., as before, only. Nought but vanity are men,
(nought but) a lie are great men. Only a mere breath which vanishes,
an imposture which deludes those who trust them, are all men, what-
ever may be their rank. For the phrases bne dddfn, bne tsh, 'low' and
'high,' see xlix. 2. In iv. 2 Absalom's followers are termed bne tsh:
waverers would be influenced by seeing the number of leading men on
his side. The same phrase nought but vanity is used in xxxix. 5,
; :
PSALM LXII. lo— 12. 351
To be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than

vanity.
Trust not in oppression,
And become not vain in robbery :
If riches increase, set not your heart upon them.

God hath spoken once ;
Twice have I heard this
That power belongeth unto God.
Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy
For thou renderest to every man according to his work.
II, to describe the transitoriness and unsubstantiality of man, but the

point is wholly diflferent.
to be laid 171 the balance &c.] In the balances they will go up, they
are altogether of vanity. They spring from and consist of mere
breath (Is. xli. 24) put them in the scale, it flies up, for they have no
:
weight or substance. The rendering 'lighter than vanity'' is possible

but less probable.
10. The first two lines (cp. vv. ga, 11 a,b) are a rhythmical division
of what is logically one sentence put not vain trust in oppression and
:
'
robbery.' Do not rely, for you will only be deceived, upon wealth and
material resources amassed by violence and wrong, instead of trusting
in God {v. 8). It is a warning against the old temptation to follow
might rather than right. 'Oppression and robl ery' are often coupled.
See Lev. vi. 2, 4; Ezek. xxii. 29; and cp. Is. xxx. 12.
if riches increase &c.] Lit. if riches grow, pay no regard. The
Psalmist addresses those who were in danger of being tempted to
covet the power which wealth brings, no matter what might be the
means used for obtaining it. There are indications that social discon-
tent was a factor in the momentary success of Absalom's rebellion
11, 12. Once, yea twice,

i.e. repeatedly (Job xxxiii. 14; xl. 5) has
God spoken and the Psalmist heard (Ixxxv. 8) the double truth which
supplies the answer to such temptations;
That strength belongeth unto God,
And that unto thee, Lord, belongeth lovingkindness.
He has the power and He has the will; therefore those who fear Him
have nothing to fear. This he emphatically declares to be a truth of
revelation, which he has learnt himself from God. "Scit, potest, vult;
quid est quod timeamus?"
The sense will be the same if we render. One thing hath God spoken,
two things there are that I have heard, and compare for the form of
the sentence the numerical proverbs, e.g. Prov. vi. i6ff xxx. 15 f.
;
for thou renderest &c.] The punishment of the wicked and the reward
of the faithful attest God's power and love. See Rom. ii. 6 ff, where
St Paul quotes the words and expands their meaning.
352 PSALM LXIII.
PSALM LXIII.
The faith which two preceding Psalms reaches its climax

inspires the
here. At a distance from the sanctuary and in peril of his life, the
Psalmist throws himself upon God. What he longs for above all things
is the sense of God's presence, as he realised it in the worship of the
sanctuary (i, 2). In lifelong thanksgiving for God's love he will find
his highest joy and satisfaction (3 —
5), spending whole nights in medita-
tion upon Him as he recalls the greatness of His past mercies (6, 7).
While he draws closer and closer to God, his enemies will be banished
into the nether darkness (8, 9). While their corpses lie ignominiously
exposed on the field of battle where they fell, he and those who are
loyal to God and to him rejoice in God, and all factious opposition is
silenced (10, 11).
The Psalm does not admit of clear division into stanzas. Thought
follows thought out of the fulness of a loving heart, and the precise con-
nexion of the clauses is often obscure.
Such a Psalm teaches, more effectually than any formal definition,
—
what is meant by a Personal God a God with Whom the soul can hold
converse with the whole force and fervour of a loving devotion. Its
lofty spirituality is such as few can reach. But the concluding verses of
the Psalm seem to be on a lower level. "We pass all at once into a
different atmosphere. We have come down, as it were, from the mount
of holy aspirations, into the common everyday world, where human
enemies are struggling, and human passions are strong. Yet this very
transition, harsh as it is, gives us a wonderful sense of reality. In some
respects, it brings the Psalm nearer to our own level. The man who
has been pouring out the fervent affection of his heart towards God is no
mystic or recluse, lost in ecstatic contemplation, but one who is fighting
a battle with foes of flesh and blood, and who hopes to see their malice
defeated, their power crushed, and their carcases left to be the prey of
jackals in the wilderness" (Bp Perowne). It must be remembered too
that the Psalmist felt strongly that his enemies were God's enemies, and
looked for their discomfiture, not only as a visible proof of God's favour
to himself, but as a manifest token that God had not withdrawn from
the government of the world, and was surely, if slowly, establishing His
Kingdom among men.
The author of this Psalm was a king, for unless it is of himself as king
that he speaks in v. 11, it is difficult to understand the relation of the
king's rejoicing to the destruction of the Psalmist's enemies {;vv. 9, 10).
He was apparently at a distance from the sanctuary, and was in danger
from malicious enemies, whose destruction he looks for on the field of
battle. The title ascribes it to David, "when he was in the wilderness
of Judah." Since he is already king, it is not to his earlier wanderings
(i Sam. xxiii. 14 ff), but to his flight from Absalom, that this title must
be intended to refer. The road to Jericho by which David left Jeru-
salem led through the northern part of the desert of Judah, and he halted
at "the fords of the wilderness" before crossing the Jordan (2 Sam. xv.
23, 28). The graphic narrative in 2 Sam. refers more than once to the
privations which the king had to suffer in his hasty flight {2 Sam. xvi. 2,
PSALM LXIII. I. 353
14; xvii. 29; cp. xvii. 2). The king and his followers were 'weary' in
the 'weary land,' which supplied so apt a figure of his spiritual priva-
tions. The germ of the Psalm is to be found in the faith and resignation
of David's words to Zadok, " Carry back the ark of God into the city if :
I shall find favour in the eyes of Jehovah, he will bring me again, and
shew me both it, and his habitation but if he say thus, I have no delight
:
in thee; behold here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto

him" (2 Sam. xv. 25 f). Topart with the visible symbol of God's
power and presence argued no common faith: it shewed that he was
no slave to the common superstition, which regarded God's favour as
tied to the Ark.
Much of the Psalm can certainly be explained from David's situation,
and if the reference of the Psalm to David is abandoned, it is idle to
speculate as to the author and his circumstances. But whoever he was,
the spiritual power and beauty of vv. i —
8 remain the same. It is no
wonder that the Psalm was adopted by the early Church as its morning
Psalm (primarily on the ground of the LXX
rendering of v. i), as Ps.
cxli was chosen for the evening Psalm. "The Fathers of the Church,"
says St Chrysostom, "appointed it to be said every morning, as a
spiritual song and a medicine to blot out our sins; to kindle in us a desire
of God; to raise our souls, and inflame them with a mighty fire of
devotion ; to make us overflow with goodness and love, and send us with
such preparation to approach and appear before God." See Bingham's
Antiquities, B. xiii. c. 10.
Comp. (beside Pss. Ixi, Ixii) Pss. xlii — xHii, the companion piece in
the Korahite collection.
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
O God, thou art my God ; early will I seek thee : 63

My soul thirsteth for thee,
My flesh longeth for thee,
1, 2. Recalling the glorious visions of God which he has enjoyed in
the sanctuary, the Psalmist thirsts for a renewed sense of His Presence.
1. O God, thou 2iri my Goci] Elohim, thou art my El. Headdresses
Jehovah, for Elohim here is the substitute for that Name (cp. cxl. 6), as
the Strong One to whom he can appeal with confidence in his need.
Cp. xlii. 2, 8, 9 xliii. 4.
;
early will I seek thee] So the LXX, irpds eye 6p0piû (the word used
in Luke xxi. 38); and hence the use of the Psalm as a morning
Psalm. Rather, however, earnestly will I seek thee; though some-
times (e.g. Is. xxvi. 9) the word seems to be used with allusion to the
supposed derivation from shachar, 'dawn.'
my soul... my flesh] My whole self, soul and body. Cp. Ixxxiv. 2,
soul, heart, flesh': the emotions, the reason and the will, the physical
organism in and through which they act.
thirsteth for thee] See xlii. 2, note; Ixxxiv. 2.
longeth for thee] Pineth for thee, a strong word, occurring here only,
meaning probably, 'faints with desire.'
PSALMS 23
; ;
354 PSALM LXIII. 2—4.
In a dry and thirsty land, where no water is
2 To see thy power and thy glory,

So as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise thee.

4 Thus will I bless thee while I live :
in a dry and
thirsty land] In a dry and weary land (Ps. cxliii. 6
Is. xxxii. 1). These words are certainly metaphorical, not literal: it is
the 'water of life' for which he thirsts; the spiritual refreshment with
which God revives the fainting soul. But the metaphor was naturally
suggested by the circumstances in which David was situated.
2. The A.V. transposes the clauses of this verse in a way which can-
not be justified. Render:
In such wise have I gazed upon thee in the sanctuary,
To see thy strength and thy glory.
In such wise ('so') is explained to refer io v. i, meaning 'as my God,'
or 'so fervently'; but this verse seems rather to give the ground and
reason for the preceding verse: —
I pine for communion with Thee,
because I have had such glorious visions of Thy presence in the sanctuary.
—
There he has 'gazed' upon God the word is used of an intent and
discerning contemplation, specially of things divine (xxvii. 4; xi. 7; xvii.
15), and of prophetic 'vision' (Is. i. i) —
in order to realise His Majesty
as it is revealed to man. The Ark was the symbol of God's Presence,
of His strength and glory (i Sam. iv. 21 ; Ps. xxiv. 7, note; Ixxviii. 61
cxxxii. 8); and all the ordinances of the sanctuary possessed for him a
sacramental meaning. It was thus that Isaiah 'saw the Lord.'
3 — 5. The joy of grateful praise.

3. Because thy lovingkindness &c.] R.V. renders, For thy loving-
kindness &c., a further reason for the longing of v. i. But it is best to
retain the rendering of the A.V. He has waited to see God's power
and glory, yet after all it is the lovingkindness of which he has personal
experience that tunes his lips to praise. When Moses desired to see
God's glory, he was granted a revelation of His goodness (Ex. xxxiii.
18 ff). It is better than life, than that which men count most precious,
for without it life would be a desert. His life was threatened, but the
danger fades out of sight in the consciousness of God's love. Note the
connexion of God's strength and lovingkindness (vv. 2, 3), as in
Ixii. II, 17.
shall praise thee]Shall laud thee, a different word from that in v. 3.
The word supposed to be a proof of the late date of the Psalm, as it
is
is an Aramaic word, and is found elsewhere only in the later parts of

the O.T. But it is precarious to argue from a single word, when the
remains of Heb. literature are so comparatively scanty.
4. Thusi So, as in v. 1 cp. Ixi. 8 so fervently; in such a spirit of
: :
loving gratitude.
while I live] Cp. civ. 33; cxlvi. 2.
— ; ;
PSALM LXIII. 5— g. 355
I will lift up my hands in thy name.

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness
And my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips :
When I remember thee upon my bed,

And meditate on thee in the night watches.
Because thou hast been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
My soul foUoweth hard after thee :
Thy right hand upholdeth me.

But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, 1
/ -will lift lip my /muds'] The attitude of prayer (xxviii. T, ; cxli. 2

I Tim. ii. 8), the outward symbol of an uplifted heart (xxv. i).
in thy name] Relying upon all that Thou hast revealed Thyself to
be. Cp. xliv. 5; John xiv. 13, &c.
6. God feeds the hungry soul with rich and bountiful food (Deut.
xxxii. 14; Ps. xxii. 26; xxiii. 5; xxxvi. 8; Is. xxv. 6; Iv. 2; Jer. xxxi.
14). Though the language may be derived from the sacrificial feasts, it
is indifferent to strict ritual precision, for the fat (A.V. here marrotv)
was never to be eaten, but was to be burnt on the altar as God's portion
(Lev. iii. 16, 17).
6, 7. Thankful recollection of past mercies.

6. The A.V. connects this verse with v. 5, but the absence of ami in
the second clause makes it preferable to connect it with v. 7, thus :
When I remember thee upon bed, my
I meditate on thee in the night watches :
For thou hast been my help,

And in the shadow of thy wings will I shout for joy.
When once he calls God to mind as he lies down to rest, he is so en-
grossed with the thought of His love that he meditates on it all night
long per singidas vigilias (Jer.). The night was divided into three
watches by the IsraeUtes (Lam. ii. 19; Jud. vii. 19; i Sam. xi. 11); the
division into four watches referred to in the N.T. was of Roman origin.
8, 9. While he draws ever closer to God, his enemies will be

destroyed.
8. followetk hard after thee] Lit., cleaves after thee ; cleaves to God
(Deut. x. 20 &c.) and follows Him (Hos. vi. 3). Hard— dose.' Cp. '
Shakespeare, Hamlet, i. 2. 179, "Indeed my lord, it followed hard

upon."
thy right hand &c.] Cp. xvii. 7; xviii. 35; xli. 12; Is. xli. 10.
Man's effort is met by God's care (Phil. ii. 13).
9. But those &c.] They, his enemies, who are seeking his life, are
emphatically contrasted with himself (lix. 15; Ivi. 6). While his path
is upward to God, theirs is downward to the depths of Sheol. It is
possible to render (cp. R.V. marg.) But they shall be destroyed that seek
my life. They shall go &c.
23—2
;
356 PSALM LXIII. lo, ii.
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

10 They shall fall by the sword :
They shall be a portion for foxes.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God
Every one that sweareth by him shall glory :
But the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.
into the lower parts of the earth"] Into Sheol, swallowed up like
Korah and his company of rebels. Cp. for the phrase, Is. xliv. 23;
Ezek. xxvi. 20; Ps. Ixxxvi. 13; Eph. iv. 9; Deut. xxxii. 22: and for
the thought, Ps. ix. 15, 17 ; Iv. 15, 23.
10, 11. While his enemies come to an ignominious end, the king
emerges from the struggle, triumphant over all opposition.
10. They shall fall &c.] Lit., They shall give him over (lit. pour
him out) to the power of the sword (Jer. xviii. 21; Ezek. xxxv. 5).
The active verb with indefinite subject is practically equivalent to a
passive, 'He shall be given over'; yet the idiom suggests the idea of
mysterious agents, God's ministers of justice, whose office it is. Cp.
Luke xii. 20, R.V. marg. The object of the verb is in the singular,
either individualising the king's enemies ('each one of them'), or treating
them as one body ; but hardly singling out the leader. Cp. Ixiv. 8, note.
a portion for foxes] Rather, jackals. "It is the jackal rather than
the fox which preys on dead bodies, and which assembles in troops on
the battle-fields, to feast on the slain." Tristram, Nat. Hist., p. no.
Their corpses will lie unburied where they fall, to be devoured igno-
miniously by wild beasts, instead of receiving honourable sepulture. Cp.
Is. xviii. 6 ; Jer. xix. 7.
11. But the kittg]The connexion is unintelligible unless the king
is identified with the Psalmist, whose enemies are destroyed. Cp.
Ixi. 6 ff.
that sweareth by hini\ Grammatically him may refer to the king or

' '
to God, but usage decides that God is meant. Cp. Deut. vi. 13; x. 20;
Is. Ixv. 16. Those who invoke His Name as the attestation of their
oaths are His loyal worshippers; they share the triumph of the king
who is His representative.
but the ntoitth &c.] For the mouth &c. Those who ' speak lies are '
those who rebel against God and His king, deluding men by false pro-
mises to join an undertaking which is false in its principle and aim. See
iv. 2, note; Ixii. 4. They are all completely silenced.
Cp. the similar ending of Ps. Ixiv. St Paul may have had the phrase
in mind in Rom. iii. 19. The context shews how familiar the Psalms
were to him.
PSALM LXIV.
The theme of this Psalm is God's judgement upon the enemies of the
righteous. It falls into two main divisions, in each of which the verses
are arranged in pairs.
: ;
PSALM LXIV. 1—3. 357
i. The
Psalmist confidently appeals to God for protection against the
secret plots and open attacks of evil-doers (1,2), who are bent on ruining
innocent men by slander and intrigue (3, 4), and flattering themselves
that they have nothing to fear, prosecute their designs with an evil
inventiveness and determination (5, 6).
ii. But surely and suddenly the arrow of God's judgement will pierce
them, and their plots will recoil upon themselves, to the scorn of all
beholders (7, 8). In their fate men will recognise the hand of God,
and the righteous will rejoice in this proof of His providence (9, 10).
Thus the Psalmist's present and personal need is merged in the larger
question of the punishment of the persecutors of the righteous; and the
certainty of their punishment as the consequence of their sin is proclaimed
in a tone of prophetic authority. The Ps. has its distinctive peculiarities,
though numerous parallels of thought and language are to be found in
other Psalms. Cp. especially v, vii, x, xi, xii, xiv, xxxvi, Hi, Iv, Ivii,
Iviii.
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
Hear my O
God, in my prayer
voice, 64
Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked a
From the insurrection of the workers of iniquity :
Who whet their tongue like a sword, 3
And bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words :
1 6.— Prayer for preservation from malicious enemies, who are

plotting against the Psalmist with subtle treachery and resolute determi-
nation.
1. in my praycr\ R.V., in my complaint. Cp. Iv. 2, 17; i Sam.
i. 16.
preserve From the enemy's terror — the alarm which he excites
—thou wilt&c.]
gârd my The common rendering of
life (xii. 7 ; Ixi. 7).
the verbs in this and the following line as imperatives ('preserve'
'hide'), though legitimate, seems to miss the shade of meaning intended
by the change from the imperative 'hear.' From petition the Psalmist
passes at once to the language of confident anticipation, such as we
find in xvi. 10 f
2. Thou wilt hide me from the secret council of evil doers,
From the tumultuous throng of workers of iniquity.
i.e. from secret machinations and open attack. The cognate verbs are
used together in ii. i, 2 {iiimnltuously assemble, R.V. marg.; take counsel).
Cp. xxxi. 13. The same words occur in Iv. 14, but in a good sense.
3. Who -whef^ R.V., who have whet. For the comparison see Iv.
11', Ivii. 4; Hx. 7.
and bend &c.] Render, They have aimed as their arrow a bitter
scheme. For the peculiar phrase see Iviii. 7. Ddbdr seems to mean
scheme as in z'. 5, rather than speech, or words. So the irpayixa LXX
; ; ; :
358 PSALM LXIV. 4—6.
4 That they may shoot in secret at the perfect

Suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
5 They encourage themselves in an evil matter :
They commune of laying snares privily

They say, Who shall see them ?
6 They search out iniquities
They accomplish a diligent search :
Both the inward thought of every one of thejn, and the heart,
is deep.
irLKp6v. Btffer=hvirt{ul or venomous. Is the idea that of a poisoned

arrow? The Targ. paraphrases, "They have anointed their arrows
with deadly and bitter venom."
4. TAat they may shoof\ Cp. xi. 2.
in secret] R.V., in secret places, as x. 8; xvii. 12.
ike pet-feet'] The upright, blameless man, an epithet often applied to
Job (i. I, &c.). Cp. xxxvii. 37; Prov. xxix. 10, and see note on the
cognate word in Ps. xv. 2.
fear not] They neither fear God nor regard man. Cp. Iv. 19.
6. They encourage &c.] Lit., They make strong for themselves an
evil sche?ne, sparing no pains to make their plot successful.
they say] Lit. they have said, i.e. to themselves; they have made up
their minds that there is no retributive Providence in the world. This
is the reason of their unrestrained wickedness.
Who shall see them ?] An indirect form of speech in place of the
direct Who ivill see us ? More exactly the Heb. means, Who will see to
them ? They have persuaded themselves that there is no God who will
take any account of their proceedings. Cp. x. 11, 13; xii. 4; lix. 7;
Ls. xxix. 15, &c.
6. They plan deeds of iniquity; We have perfected (say they)
a consummate plan
And each man's innermost thought and heart is deep.
The form of the verb is anomalous, and
uncertain whether it is
it is
meant A.V. takes it, the third person, 'they
for the first person, or, as
accomplish.' The first person is however more graphic and forcible.
Por a similar abrupt introduction of the persons spoken of as speakers,
see lix. 7. The various reading they have hidden is improbable. They
conceal their thoughts deep in their own hearts, but in vain God !
explores the lowest depths and most tortuous labyrinths of the human
heart (Jer. xvii. 9, 10). Cp. with this and the preceding verse Is. xxix.
15, " Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from Jehovah,
and their works are in the dai'k, and they say, Who seeth us ? and who
knoweth us ? " and the sarcastic words of Mic. vii. 3, " Both hands are set
to that which is evil to do it well."
7 — 10. They may scheme, but

in the midst of their schemes the
arrow of divine judgement pierces them by this exhibition of God's
:
justice all men are warned, and the righteous are encouraged.
. ; ; ;
PSALM LXIV. 7—9. 359
But God shall shoot at them with an arrow 7
Suddenly shall they be wounded.

So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon them- s
selves :
All that see them shall flee away.

And all men shall fear, 9
And shall declare the work of God
7. Therefore God shoots at them with an arrow

Suddenly are they smitten.
The peculiar idiom of the Heb. in this and the following verses conveys
the idea that this judgement is the immediate consequence of their con-
duct, and though still future, is as certain as though it were already
historical fact. Lit. So God hath shot... they have been wounded .. .and
they have been made to stumble... and all men have feared, and they have
declared... and understood dfc: Note the parallelism of this verse to v. 4,
They aim their arrows at the righteous, unseen, as they fancy, by man,
and unregarded by God but swift retribution overtakes them unawares.
;
Cp. vii. 12 ff. R.V. follows the Massoretic accents in attaching zvi'th an
arrow to the second line but the balance of the clauses is in favour of
;
dividing the verses as A.V. does, and the parallel with v. 4 is more
striking if suddenly occupies the same emphatic position at the begin-
'
'
ning of the second line as there. Note how their punishment is de-
scribed in terms of their crime {vv. 4, 5).
8. So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon thetnselvesl An
untenable rendering of an obscure sentence. It is best to render, sub-
stantially as R. v., And they are made to stumble, their own tongue
being against them. Lit. they make hitn stu??ible : the plural subject to
the verb suggesting, as in Ixiii. 10, the idea of mysterious agents in
God's service, and the singular object regarding the enemy' (as in v. '
I b) collectively as a body. For the sense cp. cxl. 9; vii. 15 f (note that
vv. 12 fare parallel to v. 7 here); Ivii. 6. Their tongue, the weapon
with which they sought to destroy others, is turned against themselves.
Ahithophel's fate may serve for illustration. Possible, but
less satisfactory, is the rendering of R.V. marg. So shall they against
:
whom their tongue 7vas make the??i to stumble. The context does not
hint that their victims become their executioners.
shall flee away'] For fear of sharing their fate (Num. xvi. 34). But
the right rendering certainly is, All that see their desire upon them
shall wag the head, in scornful triumph, as Jer. xlviii. 27, R.V.; cp.
Ps. xxii. 7. See Hi. 6ff. ; liv. 7 ; lix. 10, and for the light in which such
expressions of satisfaction are to be regarded see note on Iviii. 11.
9. all men] Upon men in general (cp. Iviii. 11) this judgement
produces an impression of wholesome fear, in contrast to the profane
fearlessness of the ungodly {v. 4)
And they declare the work of God,
And understand his operation:
publicly acknowledging that He rules in the world, and interpreting for
;
36o PSALM LXIV. lo.
For they shall wisely consider of his doing.

loThe righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust
in him
And all the upright in heart shall glory.
themselves the meaning of the judgement. For 'work,' 'operation,'

cp. xxviii. 5; for 'understand,' cvi. 7; and generally, Hos. xiv. 9.
The P.B.V. all men that see it presumes a slightly different and
inferior reading.
10. —
For the righteous and the upright in heart the Psalmist and
—
those whom he represents the judgement is an occasion of joy, supply-
ing a fresh proof that Jehovah governs the world righteously and that
in Him they have a sure refuge. Cp. v. 11; lii. 6ff ; Iviii. 10 f; Ixiii.
II.
and shall trust ifi hint] Rather, take refuge in him (Ivii. i ; Ixi. 4).
the upright in hearty Cp. xi. 2, already quoted as a parallel to v. 4.
PSALM LXV.
A hymn of praise, intended probably to be sung at the presentation
of the firstfruits at the Passover (Lev. xxiii. 10 — 14) in a year of
exceptional promise. It is clear from the allusions to the gathering of
the people to the Temple (^v. 2, 4) that it was composed for use at one
of the great festivals, and as the corn was still in the fields (s-. 13) the
later festivals of Pentecost or Harvest and Tabernacles or Ingathering
are excluded.
Was the Psalm written for any special occasion? Not only does the
poet see before him the promise of a more than ordinarily bountiful
harvest, but the recollection of a great national deliverance seems to be
fresh in his mind {vv, 5 ff ). Accordingly Delitzsch thinks that the spring
of the third year foretold by Isaiah (xxxvii. 30), when the retreat of the
Assyrians had left the Israelites once more free to till their fields in
peace, offers the most appropriate historical basis for the Psalm. This
view gains support from the coincidences of thought and language with
Ps. xlvi, which belongs to that time, and with Isaiah, as well as from
the general similarity of the Ps. to Ps. Ixvi, which there are good
reasons for connecting with the deliverance of Jerusalem from the
Assyrians.
The Psalm consists of three nearly equal stanzas.
i. It is meet that a grateful people should gather in the Temple to
offer their praises to the Hearer of prayer to whom all mankind may
have access. Sin indeed unfits them to approach God, but He Himself
will make atonement for them. In the blessings of His house they will
find their highest happiness (i
ii.
— 4),
Israel's God is the one true trust of all mankind. He created
and sustains the world ; and He controls the nations in it as He controls
its natural forces. The signs of His power inspire universal awe and
joy (5-8).
PSALM LXV. I, 2. 361
iii. And now in particular Israel has to acknowledge God's loving

bounty in the rich abundance with which He has blessed the year
(9—13)-
Some MSS. of the LXX and the Vulg. contain the curious addition
to the title; 'a song of Jeremiah and Ezekiel and the people of the
captivity (lit. sojourning) when they were about to set forth,' but it does
not appear to have been part of the original LXX.
This and the three following Psalms bear the double title So7tg and
Psalm. Cp. xlviii, Ixxv, Ixxvi, &c. Song is the older term for a hymn
intended to be sung in public worship. Cp. Is. xxx. 29; Am. viii. 3.
To the chief Musician, A Psalm and Song of David.
Praise waiteth for thee, O

God, in Zion : 65
And unto thee shall the vow be performed.
O thou that hearest prayer, a
Unto thee shall all flesh come.
—
1 4. It is the duty of a grateful people to render thanks to God in
the Temple, assembling to pay its vows to the universal Hearer of
prayer. The consciousness of manifold sins might deter them from
approaching a holy God, were not He Himself graciously ready to
purge their guilt away. In the blessings, of which the welcome to His
house is the pledge, is to be found man's truest happiness.
1. Praise waiteth for t/tee'] The phrase beautifully suggests the idea
of a grateful people, assembled to render thanks to God, and only waiting
for the festival to begin. But this can hardly be the meaning of the
original. The renderings, For thee praise is silent, or, silence is praise,
give no appropriate meaning, for though prayer may be silent (Ixii. i),
praise calls for vocal expression. The R.V. marg.. There shall be silence
before thee and praise, God, involves a harsh asyndeton. It remains
to follow the LXX (irpiiru, Vulg. te decet hyinnus), which preserves a
slightly different tradition as to the vocalisation of the Hebrew, and to
render. Praise beseemeth thee, God, in Zion.
the vozo] Or, collectively, vows. Cp. Ixvi. 13; and for vows and
praises coupled together see xxii. 25; Ixi. 8. At the end of the verse
P.B.V. adds in ferusalem, from the LXX
(most MSS. though not the
Vatican) and Vulg., completing the parallelism, as in cii. 21 cxlvii. 12.
;
2. O thou that hearest praj/er'] God is thus addressed, because He

has given His people cause for the present thanksgiving by hearing their
prayers. But the words are more than a reference to a particular
answer to prayer. They proclaim that it is His inalienable attribute.
His 'nature and property,' to hear and answer prayer.
unto thee shall all flesh covie\ At first sight the context seems to
limit 'all flesh' to Israel, contemplated in its weakness and frailty as
needing the strength of God (Joel ii. 28). But it seems more consonant
to the spirit of this and the two following Psalms to take it in the wider
sense of all mankind. Already the Psalmist beholds the Temple
becoming a house of prayer lor all nations (Mark xi. 17). It is no
: ;
362 PSALM LXV. 3, 4-
3 Iniquities prevail against me

As for our transgressions, thou shalt purgethem away.
4 Blessed is the man tvhom thou choosest,
And causest to approach tinto thee, that he may dwell in
thy courts :
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house,

Even of thy holy temple.
larger hope than was entertained by Isaiah and Micah (Is. ii. 2 ff;
Mic. iv. I flf ) if not by some earlier prophet whom they both quote.
Cp. Jer. xvi. 19; Is. xlv. 24; Ixvi. 23 Ps. xxii. 27; Ixxxvi. 9.
;
3. hiiquitiesX Lit., words, or, matters of iniquities: many various

items of iniquity. Cp. for the same idiom cv. 27, cxlv. 5. Virtually
the clause is a protasis to the second line:
Though manifold iniquities are too strong for me,
As for our transgressions, Thou wilt purge them away.
In the singular 'me' we may hear the voice of the Psalmist himself,
or of some representative of the nation, the king or high-priest, who,
like Daniel or Nehemiah, confesses his own sin as well as the sin of his
people (Dan. ix. 20; Neh. i. 6: cp. Heb. v. 3, vii. 27): but more pro-
bably it is the assembled congregation which speaks of itself first as an
individual ('against me''), then as an aggregate of individuals {ôur
transgressions'). For a similar change from sing, to plur. cp. Num. xxi.
22, and many other passages. Its sins are an enemy which it cannot
defeat (Gen. iv. 7; cp. Ps. xxxviii. 4; cxxx. 3; cxliii. 2); yet God who
"forgives iniquity and transgression and sin" will purge away their
transgressions, thou is emphatic. He, and He alone, can do it. The
word iox purge away is that commonly rendered 'make atonement for'
(whether its primary meaning is 'to blot out' or 'to cover' is disputed),
and it would be natural to see in it an allusion to the Day of Atonement
which immediately preceded the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. xxiii. 27,
34), and to suppose that the Ps. was intended for use at that Fes-
tival, did not z'. 13 speak of the corn as still standing in the fields.
4. Blessed &c.] Or, Happy is he whom thou choosest, as in i. i
&c. The language is that which is used of the priests who were
'chosen,' and 'brought near' to God (Num. xvi. 5; cp. Jer. xxx. 21;
Zech. iii. 7). Here however it is not limited to the sons of Aaron, but
applied to all the nation as 'a kingdom of priests' (Ex. xix. 6). They
are God's guests in His house, members of the 'household of God.'
The visit to the Temple was for the devout Israelite a sacrament of his
membership in God's household, and the sacred feasts symbolised the
spiritual blessings prepared by God for His people in fellowship with
Him. Cp. XV. 1 xxiii. 5f xxvii. 4 f; xxxvi. 8; Ixiii. 5.
; ;
we shall be satisfied'\ Or, let us be satisfied. Cp. xvii. 15; xxii.

26 Ixiii. 5.
;
even of thy holy Temple] Better, as R.V., the holy place of thy
temple. See xlvi. 4; and cp. Ixiii. 2.
;
PSALM LXV. 5—7. 363
By ternbie things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, s
O God of our salvation \

Who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of
them that are afar off upon the sea :
Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains 6

Being girded with power :
Which stilleth the noise of the seas, ^

The noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.
6 — In the future, as in the past, God will prove His righteousness
8.
by awe-inspiring acts on behalf of His people in answer to their prayers,
for He has created and sustains the universe, and controls the forces
alike of nature and of the nations.
5. By terrible things &c.] The R.V. gives a better order: By
terrible things thou wilt answer us in righteousness. As God Him-
self is 'a terrible God' (xlvii. 2; Ixxvi. 7ff), so His acts are 'terrible,'
inspiring His enemies with dread, and His people with reverent awe.
The epithet is often applied to the mighty works of the Exodus (Deut.
X. 21; 2 Sam. vii. 23; Is. Ixiv. 3; Ps. cvi. 22; cxlv. 6); here to all
similar deliverances, granted in answer to prayer. 'Righteousness' is
the principle of the divine government; and it is closely related to
'salvation'; for by it God's honour is pledged to answer prayer and
deliver His people. Cp. xlviii. 10; Is. xli. 10; xlv. 8, 21; li. 5; &c.
who art the confidence of all the ends of the earthy R.V. (cp. P.B.V.),
thou that art the confidence &c. This may mean that He is the object
of their unconscious trust, although they know Him not, because it is
He who provides for their wants and rules their destinies (Ixvii. 4;
Amos ix. 7; Acts xvii. 230"); but the further thought is certainly in-
cluded that His mighty deeds on behalf of His people in destroying
their tyrannical oppressors will lead all the oppressed and needy
throughout the world to turn to Him with a conscious trust. Cp. Is.
xxxiii. 13.
and of them that are afar off upon the sed\ Better, and of the sea
afar off. A change of text would give the phrase of Is. Ixvi. 19,
slight
the isles, or coastlands, afar off. But the change is unnecessary; land
and sea naturally stand for the entire world.
6. setteth fast the inoitntains\ The mountains poetically represent
the strongest and most solid parts of the earth (xviii. 7; xlvi. 2f).
These He has created and sustains. Comp. the appeals of Amos to the
phenomena of nature as the evidence of God's power, iv. 13; v. 8;
ix. 5, 6.
being girded with powerl Girding' himself with might. Cp.
xciii. I.
7. Who stilleth the roaring of the seas.
The roaring of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.
He controls alike the turbulent elements of nature (Jer. v. 22), and
the tumultuous hosts of the nations which they symbolise. Cp. xlvi.
2 f, 6; Is. xvii. 12 14. —
: : : :
364 PSALM LXV. 8—10.
8 They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at

thy tokens
Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to
rejoice.
9 Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it
Thou greatly enrichest it
With the river of God, which is full water ^

Thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided
for it.
10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly thou settlest :
the furrows thereof

Thou makest it soft with showers thou blessest the spring-
:
ing thereof.
8. They also &c. ] Better, So that they who dwell in the ends of
the earth are afraid at thy signs. These mighty works impress them
with awe, as 'signs' of the irresistible power of God.
the outgoings of the morning a?id evt'nifig] The term outgoitigs which
strictly speaking is appropriate to the east only (xix. 5 f.) is applied, by
a kind of zeugma, to the west also. From the furthest east to the
furthest west He makes earth with all its inhabitants to shout for joy
(v. II ;Ixvii. 4). Awe gives place to triumph as they watch the down-
fall of their tyrants and welcome the establishment of God's kingdom of
peace (xlvi. gf ), and all nature sympathises with them.
—
9 13. —
The special object of the Psalm thanksgiving for the plenty
of the year. First, grateful acknowledgment that the rains which have
fertilised the soil were God's gift; then a charming picture of a joyous
landscape rich with promise.
9. Thou hast visited the land, and made it plentiful, greatly
enriching it:
The stream of God is full of water;
Thou preparest their corn, for so thou preparest it.
The A.V. visitest turns the special thanksgiving into a general state-
ment. The rendering watei-est follows the Ancient Versions, which
may however have read the word differently. The use of the verb in
Joel ii. 24, iii. 13, points to the meaning fnade it overjiow, made it
plentiful. God's 'stream' (i. 3) is the rain, with which irrigates He
the land as out of a brimming aqueduct (Deut. xi. 11 ; Job xxxviii. 25),
providing corn for men by preparing the earth, as the next verse goes
on to describe:
10. Saturating its furrows, levelling its ridges:
Thou softenest it with showers, thou blessest its springing
growth.
The poet looks back upon the 'early rain' of autumn and winter
(Nov. — Feb.), which had prejâred the ground for the seed and fostered
; ; ;
PSALM LXV. II— 13. 365
Thou crovvnest the year with thy goodness ;
And thy paths drop fatness.

They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness :
And the httle hills rejoice on every side.

The pastures are clothed with flocks
The valleys also are covered over with corn
They shout for joy, they also sing.
its growth. It had been abundant, and now {^v. 11 ff ) he gazes upon
crops of unusual promise ripening for the harvest.
11. Thou crownest &c.] Thou hast crowned the year of thy good-
ness, added fresh beauty and perfection to a year already marked by
special bounty, and thy paths drop fatness, rich blessings fall as Thou
traversest the land, an allusion probably to an unusually copious fall of
the 'latter rain,' which was more uncertain than the early rain, and was
most anxiously looked for as a special blessing (Job xxix. 23; Prov. xvi.
15; Jer. iii. 3; Zech. x. i).
P.B.V. clouds (Great Bible, not Coverdale, who hz.s fotesteppes) seems
to be intended as an explanation oi paths. Cp. Nah. i. 3.
12. the pastures of the tvilde7-ness'\ Jer. ix. 10; xxiii. 10; Joel i. 19,
20; ii. 22. 'Wilderness' denotes the open uncultivated country used
for pasturage, in contrast to the cultivated land or 'field.'
and the little hills &c.] R.V., And the hills are girded with joy.
For the personification of nature cp. xcvi. 11 ff; Is. xliv. 23; &c.
13. The meadows are clothed with sheep
And the vales are decked with wheat;
They shout
for joy, yea sing.
With
the last line cp. Is. Iv. 12. The vales (Heb. 'emek) denote
"the long broad sweeps sometimes found between parallel ranges of
hills" (Sinai and Pal., p. 481) which were the natural cornfields of
Palestine (i Sam. vi. 13). The graphic touch of the Heb., which
represents the pastures and vales as shouting one to another, can hardly
be preserved in translation.
PSALM LXVI.
Another Psalm of thanksgiving, probably intended, like Ps. Ixv, for
use at the Passover, but evidently owing its origin to special circum-
stances which called for more than ordinary rejoicings. It consists of
—
two parts, distinguished by the use of the first person plural (i 12) and
the first person singular ( 1—3 20) respectively ; and it contains five stanzas
of nearly equal length, marked off (except where the division is obvious
at the end of the first part and of the whole) by Selah.
i. I. All the inhabitants of the world are summoned to praise God
and acknowledge His sovereignty (i 4).
2.
—
They are bidden to contemplate His mighty works on behalf of
His people in the past, and to recognise that His sovereignty is still
exercised in the government of the world (5 — 7).
366 PSALM LXVI.
3. They are invited to praise God for His recent deliverance of His
people from a calamity which had threatened to prove their ruin
(8-12).
ii. I. The
people's representative enters the Temple to pay the
vows which he had made in the hour of distress (13 15). —
2. lie invites all who fear God to listen to his grateful acknowledge-
ment of God's answer to his prayer, and concludes with an ascription
of praise to God for His goodness (16 20). —
The reader is.at once struck by the abrupt change from the first person
plural in w. i —
12 to the first person singular in vv. 13 20. — is How
it to be accounted for, and who is the speaker in vv. 13 ff?
(i) Some critics have supposed that portions of two Psalms, the one
national, the other personal, have been combined. But would not the
incongruity, if it exists, have been felt by the compiler? and the similarity
of the situation {yv. 9 ff, 14 ff), and of the style (vv. 5, 8, 16) in both
parts is strongly in favour of the unity of the Psalm.
(2) In spite of the personal turn of the language in vv. 13 ff, it
might be the congregation assembled for worship which lifts up its
voice as one man in that consciousness of national solidarity which was
so vivid a reality to the mind of ancient Israel.
(3) But this view does not account for the transition from the plural
to the singular; and it seems best to hear in these verses the voice of
the responsible and representative leader of the nation (not necessarily
himself the author of the Psalm), who identifies its fortunes and interests
with his own.
Who then was this leader and what was the occasion ? The language
of vv. 9 ff clearly refers to some wonderful interposition by which God
had delivered the nation from a danger which threatened its very exist-
ence. Was it the termination of the Assyrian tyranny by the destruction
of Sennacherib's army? or was it the restoration from the Babylonian
captivity? If it was the latter, the Psalm must be placed after B.C. 516,
for the Temple is standing, and sacrificial worship is being carried on.
But there is no distinct reference to the Exile; the language points to
a short and sharp crisis rather than to a prolonged humiliation; and
the whole Psalm admits of a far more satisfactory explanation in
connexion with the earlier occasion, {a) The Assyrian oppression was
certainly sufficiently severe, and the danger to Judah sufficiently great,
to justify the language of vv. 9 ff. It must have seemed as though
Jerusalem's last hour was come, and the Southern Kingdom must
inevitably share the fate of the Northern Kingdom, {b) distinctive A
feature of the Psalm is the appeal to the nations to recognise Jehovah
as the ruler of the world. In just such a spirit Hezekiah prays for
deliverance from Sennacherib "that all the kingdoms of the earth may
know that thou art the Lord, even thou only" (Is. xxxvii. 20) and ;
in God's name Isaiah bids those who are afar off to hear what He
has done and those who are near to acknowledge His might (xxxiii.
13). (f) The parallel obviously suggested between the Exodus and the
recent deliverance might seem to point to the Return from Babylon
.which is so often spoken of as a second Exodus but the parallel
:
between the Egyptian o^jpression and the Assyrian oi:)pression is

PSALM LXVI. 1—3. 367
constantly present to Isaiah's mind (x. 24, &c.), and he expressly

compares the rejoicings with which the deliverance will be celebrated to
the rejoicings of the Passover (xxx. 29). (d) The Psalm contains some
striking parallels of thought and language with Is. i, and with Pss. xlvi,
xlviii, Ixxv, Ixxvi, which belong to that time.
If then the Psalm is a song for the Passover festival, celebrating the
deliverance of Jerusalem from the tyranny of the Assyrians and the
menaces of Sennacherib, the speaker in vv. 13 ff (though not necessarily
the composer of the Psalm) will be Hezekiah. This may explain the
personal, and yet more than personal, character of the language. He
speaks as the representative and mouthpiece of the nation in its trial
and deliverance ; and in vv. 16 ff not without allusion to his own
restoration from sickness, which was to him a type and pledge of the
nation's escape from death (Is. xxxviii. 5 ff ). His prayer in his sickness
(Is. xxxviii. 3) presents a striking parallel to the profession of integrity
in V. 18.
This Psalm and Ps. Ixvii are the only anonymous Psalms which have
For the Chief Musician prefixed. It is doubly described as A Song, a
Psalm, or perhaps A Song for Music. The LXX adds dcacrTdcrews, of
resurrection, probably with reference to vv. 9, 16.
To the chief Musician, A Song or Psalm.
Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands : 66

Sing forth the honour of his name : 2
Make his praise glorious.

Say unto God, How terrible art t/iou in thy works !
3
Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies
submit themselves unto thee.
1— 4. All the earth is summoned to worship God and acknowledge

the greatness of His power.
1. Make a joyful noise] Or, as the word is rendered in xlvii. i,
shout: greet Hinrwith the acclamations which befit a victorious king.
all ye lands] Lit. as R.V., all tlie earth, as in v. 4.
2. Sing forth the honour of his name] Or, Hjrmn forth the glory of
his name: celebrate in a joyous psalm this fresh revelation of His
character.
make his praise glorious] Or, perhaps, ascribe glory to praise him.
3. How thou in thy zuorks!] Better as R.V., How ter-
terrible art
rible are thy works! Cp. Ixv. 5 Rev. xv. 3. ;
through the greatness of thy poiuer] Rather, of thy streng^th ; cp.

xlvi. I ; Ixiii. 1; Ixviii. 33, 34.
submit themselves unto thee] Or, come cringing unto thee. The
word, which means literally to lie (hence P. B. V. be found liars unto thee)
and so to yield feigned obedience, denotes the unwilling homage paid by
the conquered to their conqueror. Cp. xviii. 44; Ixxxi. 15; Deut.
xxxiii. 29.
: "
368 PSALM LXVI. 4—6.
4 All the earth shall worship thee,

And shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name.
Selah.
5 Come and see the works of God :
He is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.

6 He turned the sea into dry land:
They went through the flood on foot
There did we rejoice in him.
4. All tbe earth shall worship thee and hjnun thee,

Yea, hymn thy name.
This verse is part of the address to God put into the mouth of the
nations.
5 —
7. The nations are invited to contemplate God's mighty works
forHis people in the past, and to learn that the sovereignty to which they
bear witness is eternal and universal.
5. Come and seethe -works of God] Cp. xlvi. 8, the only other place
where the word works is found.
for
he is terrible in his doing to%vard the children of men] The preposi-
tion to-tvard implies supremacy over mankind. AH men must fear Him
(Ixiv. 9) but it depends on themselves whether they will reverence
;
Him as their God, or must dread Him as an enemy.

6. The passage of the Red Sea and the crossing of the Jordan are
referred to as the most notable of His terrible acts (Ixv. 5). Cp. Ixxiv.
13; Ixxviii. 13 &c. Flood, as in Josh. xxiv. 2, 3, 14, 15, is an archaism
;
for river (R.V.).

there did we rejoice in him'] At the Red Sea and the Jordan. The
Psalmist can thus identify himself and his contemporaries with the
Israelites of ancient time, for he regards the nation as possessing an
unbroken continuity of life. This rendering is grammatically justifiable,
and it suits the context better than the alternative of R.V. marg., there
let us rejoice in him, whether this is understood to mean, " There — on
the spot where those old historical events occurred, — there let us take
our stand, and renew our praise to Him, our wondrous Benefactor
(Kay); or, ''There, pointing as it were to the field in which God had
made bare His arm, and where the past history had been repeated in
the present, there let us rejoice in Him" (Perowne). For the Psalmist
is addressing the nations, not his countrymen, and a historical reference
to the rejoicing which took place after the passage of the Red Sea is
more natural than an invitation to join in celebrating either that or the
recent deliverance. Moreover mention of the recent deliverance appears
to be reserved for the next stanza, to which v. 7 forms the appropriate
transition. Bp. Perowne's explanation would at any rate require the
adoption of the LXX
reading, 'who tumeth the sea into dry land, they
go through the river on foot'; i.e. He is ever doing as He did at the
Red Sea and the Jordan, opening ways of escape for His people.
: ;; ;
PSALM LXVI. 7 -I I. 369
He ruleth by his power for ever

His eyes behold the nations
Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.
O bless our God, ye people, '
And make the voice of his praise to be heard :
Which holdeth our soul in life, !
And suffereth not our feet to be moved.

For thou, O
God, hast proved us :
Thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.

Thou broughtest us into the net
7. dj/ his poiuer] By his might (R.V.), as Ixv. 6.

for ever] What is and the
true for the past is true for the present
future. God's sovereignty is Cp. cxlv. 13; Jer. x. 10.
eternal,
his eyes behold the nations'] Better, as R.V. renders the word in Prov.
XV. 3, keep watch upon. He is the world's watchman, sleeplessly on
the watch lest any foe should injure Israel. Cp. xxxiii. 10, i3ff; Is.
xxvii. 3; and Hezekiah's prayer (Is. xxxvii. 17), "open thine eyes, O
Lord, and see."
iet not the rebellious exalt themselves] A warning to those who obsti-
nately resist God's will (Ixviii. 6, 18) to humble themselves (ii. 10 f),
rather than a prayer to God to humble them (ix. 19). Cp. God's
reproof of Sennacherib by Isaiah (xxxvii. 23), "Against whom hast thou
exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high?"
—
8 12. A
renewed call to the nations to praise God for His deliwer-
ance of Israel from dangers which menaced the very existence of the
nation.
8. Ye peoples (R.V.). The nations, not Israel, are still
ye people]
addressed. Conscious of Israel's mission to the world, the Psalmist
can call upon them to give thanks for Israel's preservation to fulfil its
work for them.
9. Who hath set our soul in life,
And not suffered our foot to be moved.
The nation was on the point of death and ruin, but God preserved
and upheld it. The tenses indicate that the words are not the state-
ment of a general truth (as A.V. renders them), but reter particularly to
the deliverance from the trial described in the following verses.
10. proved us... tried tis] Words used of testing precious metals, and
smelting away the dross (xvii. 3 xxvi. 2 Prov. xvii. 3 ; Jer. ix. 7
; ;
Zech. xiii. 9; Mai. iii. 2, 3). God had declared His intention of smelt-
ing out the dross from His people by the Assyrian troubles (Is. i. 25).
11. Thou broughtest us into the net] God had deliberately brought
them into the power of their enemies, to punish them for their sins.
Cp. for the figure Job xix. 6. Some commentators render into the
dungeon, a figure for the loss of freedom (Is. xlii. 22), but the usage of
the word is not in favour of this rendering.
PSALMS 24
; : : ;
370 PSALM LXVI. 12—15.
Thou laidst afifliction upon our loins.

12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads
We went through fire and through water
But thou broughtest us out into a wealthy p/ace.
13 I will go info thy house with burnt offerings
I will pay thee my vows,
14 Which my lips have uttered,
And my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fathngs,
With the incense of rams
i/iou laidst &c.] Thou layedst a crushing load upon our loins,
bowing us down under its weight.
12. Better: Thou didst cause... we went... but thou hast brought
us out. The figure in the first line is clearly that of the vanquished
flung down upon the ground, and trampled remorselessly under the
horsehoofs or crushed by the chariot wheels of their conquerors. Cp.
Is. li. 23. Representations of a conqueror driving his chariot over
prostrate foes may be seen on Egyptian and Assyrian monuments. The
sense of outrage is heightened by the word for vten, which means mortal
men. Cp. ix. 19; x. 18; Ivi. i. Fire and water are symbolical of
extreme and varied dangers. Cp. Is. xliii. 2.
into a wealthy place] Lit., into abundance, the opposite of the
priyations we endured. But the Ancient Versions point to a different
and more suitable reading, a place of liberty. Cp. xviii. 19; cxix. 45.
13 — 15. The people's leader and representative enters the Temple
to pay the vows which he made in the hour of national distress.
13. I will go^ R.V. I will come, the usual word for approaching
God in the sanctuary (v. 7; xlii. 2; xliii. 4; Ixv. 2; &c.). The transition
from the plural in vv. i —
12 ('we,' 'us,' 'our') to the singular is more
naturally explained by supposing that the king comes forward to speak
as the representative of the people than by supposing that the congrega-
tion speaks as an individual. He comes with 'burnt offerings,' express-
ing the devotion of the worshipper to God, and 'peace offerings' in
fulfilment of his vows (Ixv. 1 cp. Lev. xxii. 21).
;
14. Wherewith mylips opened,

And which my mouth spake, when I was in distress.
For the first line cp. Judg. xi. 35 f but there is no reason to suppose
;
that rash vows are here meant.

16. Burnt offerings of fatlings will I offer trnto thee,
Together with incense of rams.
'Incense of rams' denotes the sweet savour of the sacrifice ascending
as it was consumed by fire. Cp. perhaps, though the meaning is not
certain, Is. i. 13. The cognate verb is used of burning the victim or
the fat of the victim on the altar. Thus Ex. xxix. i8, "and thou shalt
; 2
PSALM LXVI. 16—19. 371
I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.

Come and hear, all ye that fear God,
And I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
I cried unto him iviih my mouth,
And he tvas extolled with my tongue.
If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear me :
But verily God hath heard me
He hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
burn (lit., an obsolete verb might be revived, incense) the whole ram
if
upon the it is a burnt offering unto the Lord
altar ; it is a sweet
:
savour." According to the Levitical ritual the ram was to be offered as

a burnt offering or peace offering only by the whole people or its
princes, by the high-priest or an ordinary priest, or by a Nazirite;
never by an ordinary individual (by whom however it was to be used as
a trespass offering). He-goats are only mentioned in connexion with the
offerings of the princes (Num. vii. 17 ff). Hence it may be inferred
that the Psalm refers to sacrifices offered by the nation or its leaders,
not by an ordinary private individual. Cp. however Is. i. 11, where
almost exactly the same animals are mentioned as here; and Ps. 1. 9, 13.
/ will offer\ Lit., dress for sacrifice. Cp. i Kings xviii. 23 ff; Ex.
xxix. 36 ff; &c. and Gr. ^pdeii>, piêw, in LXX voietu: Yjî. facere.
:
16 20.— All who fear God are bidden to hear what He has done for
the speaker. He had prayed in expectation of a favourable hearing,
knowing that sincerity is the necessary condition of prayer and the ;
answer to his prayer had attested his sincerity. In conclusion he blesses

God for this continuance of His lovingkindness.
16. all The whole drift of the Ps., especially w.
ye that fear God]
I, 5, favour of extending the phrase to include all who fear God
8, is in
wherever they are to be found, whether Israelites, or non-Israelites who
have been won to worship Him by the sight of His works, rather than
of limiting it to Israel, or an inner circle of the faithful in Israel.
w/iat he hath done for my soul] What he did for me when my very
life was in danger. If Hezekiah is the speaker, he may be thinking at
once of his own life (Is. xxxviii. 17) and of the life of the nation whose
representative he was. He had prayed for both (Is. xxxvii. 15 ff;
xxxviii. 2); and the preservation of the one was a pledge of the preser-
vation of the other (Is. xxxviii. 6).
17. and he was extolled zvith my tongite] Better as R.V. marg., and
high praise (cxlix. 6) was under my tongue. Even while he prayed,
he had praises ready, so sure was he of an answer. Cp. x. 7, though
(see note) the idea there may be different.
18. 19. If I regarded iniquity in my heart,
The Lord would not hear:
But verily God hath heard.
24 —
! ;
372 PSALM LXVI. lo.
so Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer,

Nor his mercy from me.
Hypocrisy disqualifies the suppliant, but he is confident that he is no

hypocrite, and the answer to his prayer justifies him. There is no self-
righteousness in this, but the simplicity of "a conscience void of offence
toward God and men." Cp. Hezekiah's plea. Is. xxxviii. 3; and Ps. xvii.
iff; xviii. 20 ff; Job xvi. 17; Is. i. 15; lix. 2, 3; i John iii. i\\ &c.
and Is. i. 13 (R.V.), "I cannot away with iniquity and the solemn
meeting"; i.e. tolerate the union of reliigious observances and iniquitous
conduct.
20. Blessed be God'\ Cp. xxviii. 6; xxxi. 21; Ixviii. 19, 35.
nor his mercy from me] From me must belong to this clause only.
It is forced to explain who has not removed my prayer and His loving-
'
kindness from me' to mean 'who has not deprived me of the power to
pray or of the blessing of an answer'; in spite of the beauty of St
Augustine's comment: "Cum videris non a te amotam deprecationem
tuam, securus esto, quia non est a te amota misericordia eius." Possibly
a verb, such as Coverdale (P.B.V.) supplies for the sake of the rhythm,
has been lost so that the clause would read, nor withdrawn his loving-
;
kindness from me.
PSALM LXVII.
Another bright and joyous song, evidently intended for use in the
Temple worship, perhaps, like the two last, at the Passover, but more
probably, as the harvest seems to have been gathered in {v. 6), at the
Feast of Pentecost (Harvest), or Feast of Tabernacles (Ingathering).
It consists of three stanzas of four, five, and six lines respectively.
The second and third have an initial refrain.
i. In words borrowed from the ancient priestly benediction the
assembled people pray for God's blessing, that all the world may learn
the character of His providential dealings with men (i, 2).
ii. O that all nations might join in worshipping God, and rejoice in
the establishment of His kingdom upon earth (3, 4)
iii. Yea surely, they will join in His worship. He has granted
Israel an abundant harvest ; He does bless them and will continue to
bless them, and so all nations will be won to acknowledge Him as their
^'Od (5, 7)- . . „ .
The Psalm may be connected in ongui as well as in purpose with tlic

two preceding Psalms. Like them it is not merely a thanksgiving for a
plentiful harvest, but is evidently inspired by the recollection of some
great deliverance calculated to make a deep impression upon the nations,
which might be regarded as the pledge if not the commencement of the
visible divine rule of righteousness upon the earth. Now the destruction
of Sennacherib's army, with which we have seen reason to connect the
two last Psalms, was just such an event: and we know that the prophets
of the time expected the establishment of the Messianic kingdom to
: : ; "
PSALM LXVII. I, 2.
373
follow immediately upon the removal of the Assyrian tyranny. See e.g.
Is. X. 33 —xi. 9; Mic. v. 2 ff.
As in Ps. Ixvi God's providential care for Israel in some great national
crisis, so here His goodness towards His people exemplified in the recent
bountiful harvest, is urged as an argument to win the nations to His
service. Disaster and defeat, drought and scarcity, put Israel to shame
before the nations (Joel ii. 17, 19); deliverance from danger and do-
mestic prosperity were an evidence to the nations of the true character of
Israel's God. The Psalm is inspired by the consciousness of Israel's
mission to the world as the Messianic nation, the instrument for the
'
'
establishment of God's universal kingdom : it is a prayer for the accom-

plishment of that mission.
The O.T. prayer for the extension of God's salvation to all the nations
is very appropriately appointed for use as an alternative Canticle to the
—
Nunc Dimittis, the thanksgiving for the Saviour through that Whom
hope is to be realised. It is moreover commonly used at Afternoon
Service in the ritual of the Sephardic Jews.
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song.
God be merciful unto us, and bless us 67

And cause his face to shine upon us ; Selah.
That thy way may be known upon earth, 2
The title may be rendered, For the Chief Musician; on stringed in-
struments. A Psalm, a Song. See Introd. pp. xxii, xviii.
1, 2. The final object of the blessing for which Israel prays is that
the whole woild may know God.
1. The Psalm begins with words taken from the priestly blessing of
Num. vi. 24 ff
"Jehovah bless thee and keep thee:

Jehovah cause his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto
thee
:
Jehovahlift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace
as the following Ps. begins with the invocation used when the Ark started
on a journey, Num. x. 35. Other echoes of the priestly blessing may be
found in 6; xxix. 11; xxxi. 16; Ixxx. 3, 7, 19.
iv.
God be jnercifiil]Rather, as in Num. vi. 25, be gracious unto us.
God is substituted for the original Jehovah according to the usual prac-
tice of the editor of the Elohislic collection of Psalms.
' '
jipon us\ Lit. with us. For the simple preposition of the original
{mito or upon) the Psalmist substitutes one which suggests the thought
of God's gracious favour abiding with His people. Cp. " The blessing
of God Almighty. ..be amongst you and remain with you always."
Selah (if it is in its right place) marks a musical interlude following
upon and emphasising this echo of the priestly benediction. But it may
have been accidentally transferred from the close of z'. 2.
2. Lit. that vieti may know thy way in the earth. The blessings
; ; : ;
374 PSALM LXVII. 3—6.
Thy saving health among all nations.

3 Let the people praise thee, O God ;
Let all the people praise thee.
4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy
For thou shalt judge the people righteously,
And govern the nations upon earth. Selah.
s Let the people praise thee, O God
Let all the people praise thee.
6 Then shall the earth yield her increase
And God, even our own God, shall bless us.
which God bestows upon Israel will shew the nations what a God He is,
and make them desire to serve Him. Cp. Jer. xxxiii. 9; Zech. viii.
20 ff; Is. xi. 9. God's way is His gracious method of dealing with
men, explained in the next line as His saving health, i.e. salvatioft, as
the word is generally translated. Health in old English meant healing
power, deliverance, salvation. Cp. xlii. 11.
3, 4. May all nations soon acknowledge the God of Israel as their

God!
3. Let the peoples give thanks unto thee, God
Let all the peoples give thanks unto thee.
The A.V. people is misleading. It is not Israel that is meant, but all
the peoples of the earth. Cp. cxvii. i f.
4. The reason for the universal rejoicing of the nations is given in
the words, for thou shalt judge the peoples with equity; i.e. rule
them with just and equitable government. Cp. the attributes of the true
king as God's representative, Is. xi. 3 f ; Ps. Ixxii. 1 2 ff. Judge does not
here mtTvn. punish, hwi govern.
govern] Or, lead, a word often applied to God's leading of Israel
through the wilderness (Ixxviii. 14). All nations are under His pro-
vidential guidance, not Israel only. His specially chosen flock. Cp.
Am. ix. 7.
5—7. The special occasion of the Psalm in the present bountiful

harvest.
5. the people] As before, the peoples. This refrain is generally
treated as before as a wish or prayer ; but it is worth considering whether
the tone of the last stanza does not change throughout from prayer to
confident hope, so that we should render, The peoples shall give thanks
unto thee, God. The form of a refrain is often slightly varied, why
not its tonel The ambiguity arises from the fact that Heb. (with some
exceptions) does not possess separate forms for the future and the
optative.
6. Then shall the earth &c.] Render, The land hath yielded her
increase, according to the promise of Lev. xxvi. 4; cp. Ps. Ixxxv. 12;
Ixv. 9 ff. God, iiir God, is the Elohistic editor's substitution for
jfehovah our God.
;
PSALM LXVII. 7. 375
God shall bless us

And all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
shall bless its'] Here and in the following verse the verbs might be
taken as a prayer: may God bless us. But it is better to render doth or
shall bless us. Pointing to the abundant harvest (v. 6 a), the thankful
people declare that God is blessing them, and express their faith that
He will continue to bless them, with the result that the remotest nations
of the world will become fearers of God,' worshippers of the only true
'
God, the God of Israel (Ixvi. 16).
PSALM LXVIIL
The theme of this magnificent Psalm is the march of God to victory.
It traces the establishment of His kingdom in Israel in the past; it looks
forward to the defeat of all opposition in the future, until all the king-
doms of the world own the God of Israel as their Lord and pay Him
homage.
Every conceivable occasion and date have been suggested for this
Psalm, from the age of Joshua to that of the Maccabees. Those who
accept the title, and maintain the Davidic authorship, or at any rate the
Davidic date, are by no means agreed as to the particular period of
David's reign to which it should be referred. Some suppose it to have
been wiitten for the translation of the ark to Zion (2 Sam. vi): others,
for the triumphal procession of thanksgiving for some victory; while
others again regard it as celebrating David's victories in general, with
retrospective allusion to the translation of the Ark, and prospective
anticipation of the building of the Temple. Others have connected it
with the translation of the Ark to Solomon's Temple. Others find an
appropriate occasion for it in the victoiy of Jehoshaphat and Jehoram
over Moab, or in the repulse of the Assyrians in the reign of Hezekiah.
Others place it in the closing years of the Babylonian Exile, and others
after the Return from Babylon, at a date decidedly later than the time
of Nehemiah. Others think that it was written during the wars between
Egypt and Syria for the possession of Palestine towards the close of the
third century B.C. ; and others place it later still, connecting it with the
war between Ptolemy Philometor and Alexander Balas, B.C. 146
(i Mace. xi).
The obvious inference from this wide variety of opinion is that the
data are really insufficient for forming a definite conclusion. It is im-
possible to speak positively ; but the grounds for assigning it to the same
—
period as Is. xl Ixvi, i.e. the last decade of the Babylonian exile, seem
so far to preponderate, and the circumstances of that time appear so far
to give the best background for the explanation of the Psalm as a whole,
that this view has been provisionally adopted as the basis of the present
commentary. The following are the chief grounds for it.
(i) Language is no doubt a precarious criterion; but there are
features in the Psalm which point to a late rather than an early date.
Thus e.g. the word for prosperity (v. 6) is derived from a root found only
;
376 PSALM LXVIII.
in late books (Esth. Eccl.), though common in Aramaic : the nearest

parallel to the word {ox parched land (tj. 6) is in Ezekiel; the word for
scatter {v. 30) is not the ordinary Heb. word, but half Aramaic in form.
(2) The affinities of the Psalm point decidedly in the
literary
same Not only is it dependent on the Blessing of Moses
direction.
(Deut. xxxiii)^ and the Song of Deborah (Judg. v)^, but it con-
tains parallels with Is. xl —
Ixvi which seem to indicate either that the
writer was acquainted with those prophecies, or else that his language
had been formed in the same atmosphere of thought and hope. Thus
e.g. the summons of v. 4, "Cast up a highway for him that rideth
through the deserts" at once reminds us of Is. xl. 3, "Make straight in
the desert a highway for our God"; and the very same word "cast up a
highway" is used in Is. Ivii. 14; Ixii. 10, and nowhere else in this sense.
With V. 6 compare Is. xlii. 7; xlix. 9; Ixi. i; and with v. 31 cp. Is.
xlv. 14. There are also parallels with the Prayer of Habakkuk^, but
they are not in themselves such as to prove that the Psalmist was in-
debted to it.
On hand the dependence of the Psalm on Is. xxiv xxvii

the other —
(probably to be dated after the Return from Babylon, perhaps about
B.C. 500 —
480), which is maintained by some commentators, certainly
cannot be proved.
(3) Clear and definite historical references are wanting; but many of
the allusions can best be explained from the circumstances of the closing
years of the Exile.
(i) The opening verses in each of the main divisions of the Psalm
(i— 3; 19 — 23) seem to contemplate an approaching manifestation of
God's power on behalf of His people which will bring salvation and joy
to them, shame and destruction to their enemies, and appear to point
(cp. vv. 5, 6, 20) to the present need of such an interposition. The
same juxtaposition of Redemption and Judgement is prominent in Is.
xl — Ixvi.
(2) The characteristic attributes of God in vv. 4 6 no doubt include —
a reference to the Exodus from Egypt and the settlement in Canaan
but the parallels already quoted from Is. xl ff give good ground for
thinking that the Exodus from Babylon and the resettlement of Israel in
Canaan were also in the Psalmist's mind.
(3) Vv. 7 —
18 are a historical retrospect; and there is nothing to
shew that the poet was contemporary with the point to which he
carries it. If he wrote in view of the approaching return of God to His
ancient dwelling-place, His original entry into it was a natural point to
which to bring down his survey.
(4) It has been maintained that vv. 24 —
27 are the description of
an actual procession which the Psalmist himself lias witnessed, and that
the mention of Zebulun and Naphtali along with Judah and Benjamin
carries the Psalm back to a date before the separation of the kingdoms.
' Cp. 4 with Judg. V. 3; 7ni. 7, 8 with Judg. v. 4, 5; i>. 12 with Judg. v. 30;
'<•'.
7'. 13 with Judg. V. 16; 7'. 18 with Judg. v. 12; v. 27 with Judg. v. 14, 18.
'^
Cp. V. 17 with Deut. xxxiii. 2; vv. 19, 20 with Deut. xxxiii. 29; v. 26 with Deut.
xxxiii. 28; 7'7'. 4, 33, 34 with Deut. xxxiii. 26, 27.
' Cp. 7' 7 with Hab. iii. 12, 13; v. 10 with H.ib. iii. 14; v. 21 with Hab. iii. 13, 14.
PSALM LXVIII. yjl
But, as will be shewn in the notes, the connexion of thought points

rather to an occasion beyond the deliverance spoken of in vv. 19 — 23 as
still future ;in other words to an ideal procession which rises before the
poet's imagination as the celebration of the great triumph over Israel's
enemies to which he looks forward and if this is the case, the mention
;
of Northern as well as Southern tribes as taking part in it can be best

explained as the anticipation of the fulfilment of the numerous prophecies
which predict the reunion of Israel and Judah.
(5) V. 29 does not necessarily presuppose the existence of the
Temple. It may look forward to its restoration, just as, on the hypo-
thesis of the Davidic date, it must look forward to its erection. The
importance of the Temple to the age of the Restoration is a prominent
thought in Haggai and Zechariah and its significance in relation to the
;
nations appears from Is. Ix, &c.

(6) The reference to Egypt in v. 30 is too obscure to be made the
ground of argument. There probably, as in z/. 31, Egypt is mentioned
as the typical enemy of Israel. At any rate it gives no support to the
Davidic date. There is no hint that Israel was in any way threatened
by Egypt during the reign of David.
It has been argued that the triumphant tone of the Psalm furnishes a
conclusive refutation of the hypothesis that it was composed during the
Exile. But if the approaching Return was the occasion of some of the
grandest prophecies in the O.T., it cannot be impossible that it should
also have been the occasion of one of the grandest Psalms in the Psalter.
In appearance and to the outward eye the Return from Baliylon was a
"day of small things": in reality and to the eye of faith it was one of
the most momentous crises in the history of the Chosen People, nay, of
the world, comparable only to the Exodus. For if the Exodus from
Egypt was the birthday of the nation of Israel, the Exodus from Babylon
was the birthday of the Jewish Church. The parallel between the first
and the second Exodus is constantly present to the mind of the prophets.
This poet-seer looks away from the actual circumstances which surround
him to the true meaning and the ultimate issues of that new march of
C'lod through the deserts which he is about to witness, and he sees
the analogy and the guarantee for it in the past history of the nation.
—
There are parts of Is. xl Ixvi (e.g. ch. Ix) which betray no trace of
weakness or misgiving. Why may not the age which could produce
such a prophecy have produced such a Psalm ? At least the occasion
was worthy of a Psalm which has been well described as " the most
buoyant, the most powerful, the most animated, which is to be found in
tlie Psalter."
Whatever may have been its origin and date, the grandeur of the
Psalm remains the same, and itsinspired and inspiring assurance of the
certainty of the final triumph of God and the universal recognition of
His sovereignty is unaltered. It has always been the favourite Psalm of
those who felt (whether rightly or wrongly) that their cause was the
cause of God, and that in His strength they were sure to conquer. To
the crusaders setting out for the recovery of the Holy Land ; to
Savonarola and his monks as they marched to the 'trial of fire' in the
Piazza at Florence; to the Huguenots who called it "the song of
378 PSALM LXVIII.
Cromwell at Dunbar as the sun rose on the mists of the

battles "; to
morning and he charged Leslie's army; it has supplied words for the
expression of their heartfelt convictions.
The choice of the Psalm for use in the service of the Synagogue at
Pentecost was doubtless determined by the allusion in w. 7, 8 ^ to the
giving of the Law at Sinai, which is commemorated at that Festival.
Its selection as a Proper Psalm for Whitsunday was probably suggested
partly by the Jewish usage, partly by St Paul's application oi v. 18 to
the spiritual gifts bestowed by the risen and ascended Christ upon the
Church. But the appropriateness does not depend upon a single verse.
No Psalm could be fitter for the "birthday of the universal Church"
than the Psalm which celebrates the triumphs of God in the history of
His people, and looks forward to the extension of His kingdom through-
out the world.
It is most truly a Messianic Psalm for though it contains no direct
;
prophecy of Christ's coming, it is full of the thought of the presence and

dwelling of God among His people, which is most fully realised in the
Incarnation; and it is animated by the consciousness that all God's
mighty works for Israel were but the means to a higher end, the
spiritual conquest of the world, and the universal establishment of His
kingdom.
The following is an outline of the contents of the Psalm, which con-
sistsof a prelude, and two main divisions, wliich may be subdivided into
stanzas of 3, 4, and 5 verses.
i. The Prelude (1—6).
1. God is about to manifest His presence and power to the discom-
fitureof His foes and the joy of His people (i —
3).
2. The Psalmist calls upon his countiymen to welcome the advent
of their God and prepare the way for it; bidding them remember
•what He is —
the helper of the helpless and oppressed, the liberator
of the captive (4 — 6).
ii. A survey of Israel's history in proof of God's victorious power and

gracious love (7 — 18).
1. The Exodus from Egypt and the Entry into the Promised Land.
His majesty was manifested at Sinai, His goodness in the preparation
of Canaan to be the home of the long-oppressed Israelites (7 —
lo).
2. The conquest. He gave them victory over the mighty kings of
Canaan (11 14).—
3. The choice of Zion. He chose Zion for His earthly abode, and
returned to heaven as a triumphant conqueror, having received the
submission and homage of men (15 18). —
iii. From the past the Psalmist turns to the present and the future
('9—35)-
I. God is an ever-present Saviour of His people: He will take
vengeance on their enemies (19 23). —
1 The Targum introduces references to the giving of the Law in several other
p.issages: e.g: v. 11, "The Lord gave the words of the Law to the people": v. 15,
" Mount Sinai was cho'ên for the giving of the Law": v. 18, see note.
:
PSALM LXVIII. 1—3. 379
1. Once more the victory of God will be celebrated by a reunited

Israel (24—27).
3. The Psalmist prays that God will display His power and subdue
all opposition, and sees the nations hastening to pay Him homage
4. All nations are summoned to join in the praise of Israel's God,

and the Psalm closes with their confession of His gracious sove-
reignty (32—35).
To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David
Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered : 68

Let them also that hate him flee before him.
As smoke is driven away, so drive ^/lem away s
As wax melteth before the fire.
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
But let the righteous be glad ; let them rejoice before God :
3
1 —
3. The advent of God brings terror and destruction to His
enemies, blessing and joy to His people.
1. God shall arise, bis enemies shall be scattered,
And they that hate him shall flee from his presence.
Ps. Ixvii begins with an echo of the priestly blessing of Num. vi. 24 flf,
and the opening words of Ps. Ixviii are based upon the prayer or watch-
word used when the Ark, the symbol of the Divine Presence in the
midst of Israel, set forward on its journeys in the wilderness (Num. x.
35). But the Psalmist translates the prayer of Moses
" Arise, Jehovah, and let thine enemies be scattered,
And let them that hate thee flee from thy presence,"
into a positive expression of confident assurance that God is about to
arise and manifest His power on behalf of His people. Most versions
ancient and modern (except the Genevan, which has the future through-
out vv. I —
3) render Zei God arise; but the form of the verb is against
this rendering, and if the words had been meant as a prayer, it would
have been more natural to retain the direct invocation of the original.
before hivi\ Better, from his presence ^\\.. face) as in vv. 2, 8; and
so also in vv. 3, 4.
2. The verbs should be rendered as in v. i by futures As smoke :
...so Shalt thou drive them away: as wax... so shall the wicked
perish at the presence of God. The smoke scattered by the wind is an
apt emblem for total disappearance (xxxvii. 20; Hos. xiii. 3); the wax
melted by the fire for unresisting impotence (xcvii. 5; Mic. i. 4). "At
the blast of the breath of Jehovah " the wicked vanish, leaving no trace
behind; the consuming fire of His wrath they are powerless to with-
stand.
3. But the righteous shall be glad, shall exult at the presence
of God ;
Yea, they shall rejoice with gladness.

: ;
38o PSALM LXVIII. 4.
Yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

4 Sing unto God, %\v\g praises to his name
Extol him that rideth upon the heavens
By his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
The righteous are the people of God, viewed in the light of their
calling the wicked are the heathen, regarded in the light of their
:
general antagonism to God and His people. Cp. Hab. i. 13. In the
contrast between Israel and the heathen the unrighteousness of many in
Israel fades out of sight. The A.V. rendering before in this verse and
V. 4 fails to bring out the significant contrast with vv. i, 2. The
Presence which brings dismay and destruction to the wicked, brings joy
and blessing to the righteous. Cp. Ixvii. i ; Ex. xxxiii. 14; Is. Ixiii. 9;
1 Thess. i. 9, 10.
4 — 6. God's people are summoned to welcome Him and prepare the

way for His coming He is the champion of the weak and defenceless,
:
the liberator of the captive.
4. Praising Him for all that He has revealed Himself

to his name'\
to be. Cp.Ex. iii. 15.
xliv. 8;
extol &c.] Render,
Cast up a high way for him that rideth through the deserts
His name is JAH; and exult ye at his presence.
God's advent is described under the figure of the progress of an
Oriental monarch, for whose chariot pioneers prepare the road. In
almost identical words the prophet calls to the exiles in Babylon (Is. xl. 3),
"Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of the Lord,
Make straight in the desert a high way for our God:"
and in Is. Ivii. 14, Ixii. 10 the same word cast tip a high ivay is used of
preparing for the return of Israel from Babylon. God's people must
prepare a way for Him by the removal of the obstacles of unbelief and
faintheartedness and ungodliness which hinder Him from coming to
deliver them.
The renderings of A.V. Extol... upon the heavens are derived from
Jewish sources. The Targ. renders "Extol him that sitteth upon the
throne of his glory in Ardboth" which is explained by comparison of
V. 33 to mean the seventh or uppermost heaven. See Talm. Chagigah
12^ (Streane's transl. p. 65). The curious addition as it 'tvere upon
an horse in P.B.V. (Great Bible, but not Coverdale) appears to come
from Miinster's Latin Version (r534 5) vebtti equo insidet. —
JAH is a shortened form of yehovah (Jahveli), chosen here perhaps
with allusion to its use in Ex. xv. 1 (upon which are based Is. xii. 2, Ps.
cxviii. 4), to recall the memories of the Exodus. It is peculiar to poetry,
and outside the book of Psalms, where it occurs most frequently in the
familiar Hallelujah = 'Praise ye Jah,' it is found only in Ex, xv. 2, xvii.
16; Is. xii. 2, xxvi. 4, xxxviii. ir.
A curious mistake is to be found in the older editions of the Prayer
;
PSALM LXVIII. s, 6. 381
A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows,

Is God in his holy habitation.
God setteth the solitary in families :
He bringeth out those which are bound with chains :
But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
Book, until about 1750:

—"Praise him in his name: yea, and rejoice
before him." The Great Bible of 1539 has, "Prayse ye him in his
name la and reioyse before hym"; but the edition of Nov. 1540 and
others have: "Prayse hym in hys name: yea, and reioyce before hym."
It appears to be simply a typographical error.
5. The orphan and the widow are typical examples of the friendless
and unprotected who are under God's special guardianship (Ps. x. 14;
cxlvi. 9; Hos. xiv. 3). They are the subjects of a special clause in the
earliest legislation (Ex. xxii. 22 ff.), which is reechoed by the latest of
the prophets (Mai. iii. 5). Cp. Is. i. 17, 23.
his holy habitation^ Not the temple but heaven, whence He 'looks
down' to bless His people (Deut. xxvi. 15), and rules the world, espous-
ing the cause of the humblest, whom men are most prone to despise.
For the phrase cp. Jer. xxv. 30; Zech. ii. 13; 2 Chr. xxx. 27. In Is.
Ixiii. 15 a different Heb. word is used.
6. God maketh the solitary to dwell in a house

He bringeth out prisoners into prosperity;
But the stubborn dwell in a parched land.
The verse describes general principles of God's dealings with men,
yet with special allusion to the establishment of Israel in Canaan, to
their liberation from the bondage of Egypt, and to the fate of the rebels
in the wilderness: and again, if the Ps. is rightly placed in the Exile,
to the second Exodus from Babylon, and the reestablishment of the
Israelites in their ancient home, while the faithless and rebellious part of
the people will be left in the dreary and inhospitable heathen land,
unwatered by the streams of divine grace (Ixiii. i). Rebellious or
stubborn has been understood by some to refer to the heathen, but the
usage of the word (which is applied to the ''stjibborn and rebellious son'
in Deut. xxi. 18, 20) suggests rather that refractory Israelites are meant,
as in Ixxviii. 8. Stubborn rebellion against Jehovah's will was charac-
teristic of the whole course of Israel's history; and it is hinted not
obscurely that as of old the rebels perished in the wilderness instead of
entering Canaan, so now the murmurers in Babylon, of whom it is plain
—
from Is. xl Ixvi (e.g. Ixv. 2) that there were many, will be left there
to their fate. The solitary or desolate (xxv. 16) are the homeless
and friendless. Cp. Is. Iviii. 7 ; and (though the word is different) Lam.
i. I.
7 —
18. After this general introduction the Psalmist proceeds to review
the past history of Israel in proof of God's victorious power and of His
gracious love towards His people.
: '
382 PSALM LXVIII. 7—9.
7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people,

When thou didst march through the wilderness ; Selah.
8 The earth shook, the heavens also dropped
At the presence of God even Sinai itself was moved
:
At the presence of God, the God of Israel.

9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain,
7 — 10. The Exodus from Egypt and the Entry into Canaan.
7. 8. These verses are borrowed, with some omissions and altera-
tions, from the Song of Deborah (Judg. v. 4, 5)
"Jehovah, when thou wentest forth out of Seir,
When thou didst march out of the field of Edom,
The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped,
Yea, the clouds dropped water;
The mountains quaked at the presence of God,
Even yon Sinai at the presence of Jehovah, the God of Israel."
When God brought Israel out of Egypt, He "went before them...
to lead them in the way" (Ex. xiii. 21 f.; cp. Mic. ii. 13), and in the
great Theophany of Sinai the mystery and marvel of His self-revelation
were concentrated. Earthquake and storm are the symbols of His
Presence and Power. SeeEx. xix. 16 ff.,and cp.Ps.xviii. 7ff.; Hab.iii.3ff.
Three times in this Psalm (7, 19, 32) Selah occurs not at the close of
a stanza, but after the first verse of a stanza. If the text is right, it
would seem that a musical interlude was employed to enforce the
thought with which the stanza begins.
8. shook^ R.V. trembled.
dropped'\ Torrents of rain accompanied the thunders and lightnings.
Cp. Ixxvii. 17 f.
at the presence of God^ Cp. vv. i, 2, 3, 4.
even Sinai itself ^12.% moved] R. V., Even yon Sinai (trembled). The
vi oris yon Sinai come in somewhat abruptly here, while in Judges they
follow quite naturally upon the clause "the mountains quaked." A
verb however can be supplied from the first line, and there is no need
to alter the text.
the God of Is7-ael\ The use of this title here is significant. It was
from Sinai that the covenant-relation between Jehovah and His people
dated. Cp. Ex. xxiv. 8, 10.
9. Thou, O God, didst send &c.] Or, dost send, a general truth,
illustrated by God's dealings with Israel. The verse is explained by
many to refer to the manna and the quails which God ' rained down
upon the Israelites (Ex. xvi. 4; Ps. Ixxviii. 24, 27); or generally, to all
the gifts and blessings which He bestowed upon them in the wilderness.
But 'dwelt' in v. 10 (though the word is sometimes used of the tempo-
rary sojourn in the wilderness, e.g. Num. xxv. i Deut. i. 46) is most
;
naturally understood of the settlement in Canaan, and the antecedent to

'therein' must be 'thine inheritance,' i.e. the promised land, which is
called God's inheritance in Ex. xv. 17; Jer. ii. 7 Ps. Ixxix. i
; 2 Mace,
;
ii. 4, "The mount which Moses ascended and viewed the inheritance of
:: :
PSALM LXVIII. lo— 12. 383
Whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was

weary.
Thy congregation hath dwelt therein : i
Thou, O
God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
The Lord gave the word : i
Great was the company of those that published it.
Kings of armies did flee apace 1
God." V. 9 will thus refer to the gracious preparation of the land of

Canaan to be the home of Israel. In contrast to the land of Egypt
from which they had come, and the wilderness through which they had
passed, it was a land of abundant rain (Deut. xi. 10 12; Ps. Ixv. 9)—
though it too had known what it was to be 'weary' with drought (Gen.
xlvii. 13). But a plentiful rain, lit. rain of bounteousnesses, is not per-
haps to be limited to the literal meaning, but may include all blessings
which God pours out upon His people of His gracious liberality.
whereby thou didst confirm] Omit ivhereby, which is not in the Heb.
Confirm may mean stablish as in Ex. xv. 17; Ps. xlviii. 8; ox prepare,
LXX KaT7]pTicnt).
weary] Cp., though the word is different, Ixiii. i.
10. Thy congregation took up its abode therein:

In thy goodness, God, thou dost provide for the afflicted.
The word rendered congregation, or, as R. V. marg., troop, ox family,
is a peculiar one. The corresponding Arabic word means " such a kin-
dred group as was guided in war and on the march by one chief,
migrating together, and forming generally a single settlement." Robert-
son Smith, Kinship and Marriage in Early Arabia, pp. 36 ff. From
the meaning life or living, the word came to mean a clan, a group of
one blood, on the old Semitic principle that " the life of the flesh lies in
the blood" (Lev. xvii. 11). Thozi dost provide for the a /flic ted is a
general truth, which found special illustration in regard to Israel,
'afflicted' by the bondage of Egypt (Ex. iii. 7, 17).
11 —
With a few graphic strokes the poet recalls the victories by
14.
which Canaan was won and retained. He refers to the times of the
Judges as well as to the original conquest under Joshua.
The Lord giveth the word

11.
The women that publish the tidings are a great host.
God's word is sovereign (xxxiii. 9; Is. xxx. 30). He has only to
command, and the victory is won. Forthwith are heard the songs of
the women proclaiming the good news. Victories were commonly cele-
brated by the Israelite women with song and dance. Cp. v. 25, Ex.
XV. 20 f.; Judg. v; xi. 34; i Sam. xviii. 6 f It is a less satisfactory
.
explanation to regard the word as the song of triumph which God puts
in the mouth of the singers.
:
384 PSALM LXVIII. 13.
And she that tarried at home divided the spoil.

13 Though ye have lien among the pots,
Ve^ shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver,
12. Kings of hosts do flee, do flee,

And she that tarrieth at home divideth the spoil.
Vv. 12 — 14 contain allusions to the Song of Deborah and possibly to
similar poems which have not been preserved to us. Many commenta-
tors regard them as the triumphal song of the women celebrating the
victory ; but it is better to take them as the continuation of the poet's
description of the victory. The verses run in pairs, and v. 13 is parallel
to V. 12. The first line paints the scene in the battle-field the pell-mell —
rout of the defeated kings the second line depicts the scene at home
:
when the warriors have returned with their spoils.

The unusual expression kings of hosts seems to be chosen with refer-
ence to the title Jehovah of hosts. Vast as their armies may be, they are
powerless to resist One who has infinitely stronger armies at His com-
mand. The graphic repetition do flee, do flee recalls the form of Judg. v.
22; and the next line recalls the words of Judg. v. 30. The battle has
been won; the warriors return home with their spoils; and the matron
who has anxiously awaited the issue of the battle divides among her
family the rich garments and ornaments taken from the enemy. Cp.
Judg. viii. 26; 2 Sam. i. 24 ; 2 Kings vii. 8, 15.
13. An extremely difficult verse. It has been suggested that the
second and third lines, like the first, are derived from some ancient
poem now lost, and that to readers who could recognise the allusion
they would be intelligible, though to us they are obscure. The A.V.,
which appears to contrast the squalid misery of Israel in Egypt with
the brilliant prosperity of their new home in Canaan, must be abandoned,
and two considerations must govern the interpretation of the verse.
(i) The first line clearly alludes to Judg. v. 16 (cp. Gen. xlix. 14,
R.V.), where Deborah upbraids Reuben for cowardice and irresolution,
and for preferring the ignoble ease of pastoral life to the glorious dangers
of the war of independence
" Why satest thou among the sheepfolds.
To hear the pipings for the flocks?"
Lie is here substituted for sit to emphasise the idea of slothful in-
activity.
(2) The second and third lines describe under the image of a dove
basking in the sunshine an idyllic condition of peace and prosperity.
The idea that the dove represents the enemy fleeing in all his gorgeous
splendour, depicted thus as an inducement to Israel to pursue and win
rich spoil, may safely be set aside. The point of comparison is the
beauty of the dove's plumage, not the swiftness of its flight.
Three explanations deserve to be taken account of.
(t) Will ye lie among the sheepfolds,
(As) the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And her pinions with yellow gold? (R.V.).
:
PSALM LXVIII. 14. 385
And her feathers with yellow gold.

When the Almighty scattered kings in it,
It was white as snow in Salmon.
The whole verse, like Judg. v. 16, will then be a reproof of the re-
creant Israelites who preferred the ignoble ease of their pastoral life to
the hardships and dangers of the battlefield. But such a reproof is
hardly in place here, nor does this explanation give its full natural
meaning to the simile.
(2) More probable is the rendering of R.V. marg.
When ye lie among the sheepfolds,
(It is as) the wings of a dove... gold,
which regards the verse as a description of the peace and prosperity
which await Israel after the victories described in v. 12. "Everything
will gleam and glitter with silver and gold. Israel is God's turtle-dove
(Ixxiv. 19), and accordingly the new prosperity is compared to the play
of colour on the wings of a dove basking in the sunshine." (Delitzsch).
This interpretation however fails to take account of the allusion in line i
to Judg. V. 16.
(3) seems preferable to render thus:
It
Though ye may lie among the sheepfolds,
The dove's wings are covered with silver,
And her pinions with yellow gold.
Though some Israelites may fail in their duty and prefer slothful ease
to fighting the battles of Jehovah, yet Israel once more enjoys the
blessings of peace and prosperity. In spite of man's backwardness God
gives blessing. This explanation takes account of the allusion to Judges,
and gives its proper meaning to the simile. It agrees better with the
general purport of the Ps., which dwells upon God's victories on behalf
of His people. It may moreover (if the Psalm dates from the closing
years of the Exile) be intended to convey a tacit reproof to those Israelites
who were in danger of preferring selfish ease in Babylon to the patriotic
effort of the Return. It warns them that God's purpose for His people
would be accomplished, even if they held back from taking part in it.
14. Of this verse, as of v. 13, the meaning is uncertain. Possibly
it too a fragment, significant to those who remembered its original
is
context, but necessarily obscure to us. It is doubtful, too, if the text is
sound. In it, R.V. therein, must mean in the land.' '
Salmon, R.V. Zalmon, is only known to us as the name of a wooded hill

near Shechem, from which Abimelech fetched wood to burn the tower
of Shechem (Judg. ix. 48). But the name, which means dark or '
'
'shady' (cp. Black Mountain, Black Forest), may have been borne by
other mountains. If Zalmon near Shechem is intended, it may be men-
tioned either as a central point in the land, or from its connexion with
some historical incident of which no record has been preserved, or simply
to heighten the picturesqueness of the simile by representing the snow-
storm as seen against the background of the dark mountain. Shaddai,
'
The Almighty ', only occurs once again in the Psalter (xci. i).
PSALMS 25
;
386 PSALM LXVIII. 15, 16.
15 The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan

A high hill as the hill of Bashan.
16 Why leap ye, ye high hills ?
(i)Taking the second line as a simile, we may render with R.V.,
When the Almighty scattered kings therein,
(It was as when) it snoweth in Zalmon.
But what is meant by the simile? It has been supposed to refer to the
bones of the enemy bleaching on the field of battle (cp. Verg. Aen. xii.
36, campiqtie ingentes ossibtis albent: "The vast plains are white with
bones ") : or to the glistening of the armour &c. dropped by the fugitives
in their flight but it is far more suggestive to think, not of fallen snow
:
lying on the ground, but of falling snow. The snowflakes driven before
the storm are an apt emblem of the kings driven in pell-mell flight by
the breath of the Lord, and this explanation suits the context. By the
thought of the victory won for Israel by God in spite of the sloth of
many an Israelite {v. 13) the poet is naturally carried back to the battle-
scene, and desires to emphasise the fact that the Almighty had fought
for Israel, sweeping the foe before Him like the snowflakes swept along
])y the hurricane.
(2) Taking the second line literally, we may render with R.V.
marg., It snowed in Zalmon. The words will then refer to a snowstorm
which accompanied and completed the rout of the kings. They can
scarcely i-efer to the hardships endured by those who took up arms amid
the rigours of an exceptionally severe winter, in contrast to the luxurious
ease of the cowards who are chidden in z'. 13 ; still less can they be the
words of those cowards excusing themselves from taking part in the
war by the severity of the weather.
(3) Some combine the literal and figurative explanations, inter-
preting it snowed iti Zalmoti to mean that "the mountain clothed itself
in a bright garment of light in celebration of the joyful event. Whoever
has been in Palestine knows how refreshing is the sight of the distant
mountain peaks covered with snow." This however is too far-fetched
an explanation to be probable.
—
15 18. After the conquest of the land, God chose for His abode not
the stately mountains of Bashan, whose natural preeminence might seem
to mark them out for that privilege, but the insignificant hill of Zion.
16. A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan:
An high-peaked mountain is the mountain of Bashan.
Mount Hermon is probably meant, rather than the mountains of
Bashan generally. It is the grandest of the mountains of Palestine, and
was the northern boundary of Bashan (Deut. iii. 8). It has three sum-
mits of nearly equal height. Its natural preeminence seemed to mark it
as a mountain of God, a mountain worthy to be the abode of God; and
the early conquest of Bashan seemed to confirm its prior claim.
16. Why look ye enviously, ye high-peaked mountains,
At the mountain which God hath desired for his abode 7
Yea, Jehovah will dwell In It for ever.
: ;
PSALM LXVIIL 17. 387
This is the hill which God desireth to dwell in

Yea, the Lord will dwell in it for ever.
The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands 17
of angels
The Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the \io\y place.
The grander momitaius of Bashan, not Hermon only, but the rugged
basaltic mountains which rise in precipitous peaks, suggesting ideas of
majesty, antiquity, impregnability, are represented as looking enviously
upon the insignificant mountain of Zion which God has chosen for His
earthly dwelling-place. Sinai had been his temporary abode (Ex. xxiv.
16); on Zion He will dwell for ever. Cp. i Kings viii. 12, 13. The
choice of Zion is a parable of the method of God's dealings with men.
Cp. I Cor. i. 26 29. —
The A.V. ivhy leap ye comes from the Targ., and assumes that the
root RTSD, occurring here only, is synonymous with RQD, used in a
similar apostrophe, Ps. cxiv. 4, 6. But it is certainly to be explained
from the meaning of the same root in Arabic.
17. The chariots of God are in mjrriads, yea thousands upon
thousands.
God is represented as entering Zion in triumph with a vast retinue of
'
the heavenly hosts. His chariots are not simply twice ten thousand
'
but 'counted by tens of thousands' (this is the idiomatic force of the

dual termination), explained further as 'thousands of repetition,' i.e.
thousands upon thousands. Cp. Dan. vii. 10. The A.V. angels is
traceable ultimately to the paraphrase of the Targ., suggested by such
passages as Deut. xxxiii. 2, but resting on no philological basis. The
LXX x'?^'a5es evdrjvoijvTuv, Vulg. millia laetantium, thousands of joyous
'
ones,' presumes a slightly different reading, but was probably intended

to give the same meaning.
the Lo7-d is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place] Or, in the
sanctuary (R.V.) or in holiness. But as the words as in are not in the
;
text, the rendering Sinai is in the sanctuary (R.V. marg.), or, It is Sinai
in holiness, is preferable. With either rendering the sense will be sub-
stantially the same. The glory and majesty which were revealed at
Sinai are now transferred to God's new abode. He comes surrounded
as it were by an environment of holiness. Cp. Deut. xxxiii. 2. For
the use of the name of a place to convey all the associations of the place
cp. Mic. vi. 5, where "remember from Shittim unto Gilgal" means
"remember all that happened there and in the interval."
Many commentators adopt a slight emendation of the text, and read
The Lord is come from Sinai into the sanctuary (or, in holiness),
a reminiscence of Deut. xxxiii. 2. From Sinai, the scene of His first
great self-revelation to Israel, He comes to Zion, which He has chosen
for His permanent abode. But the corruption of the text if it is faulty
must be anterior to all existing versions: and the proposed reading has
a somewhat prosaic ring.
25—2
:
388 PSALM LXVIII. i8.
'
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led capti-
vity captive
Thou hast received gifts for men;
Yesi, /or the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell
among them.
18. Thou hast ascended on high"] Lit. thoti hast gone up to the
height. Cp. xlvii. 5. 'The height' elsewhere means heaven, though
we find such a phrase as ' the height of Zion ( Jer. xxxi. 12). Probably
'
the poet did not make any sharp distinction between the triumphant
return of Jehovah to heaven (as we speak), and the triumphant pro-
cession to His earthly abode which was the symbol of it.
thou hast led captivity captive\ For the phrase cp. Judg. v. 12.
'Captivity' is not, as the English reader might suppose, a personifica-
tion of the hostile powers which had led Israel captive, but the abstract
for the concrete, equivalent to a body of captives. To obviate misunder-
standing, R. V. gives thy captivity.'
'
The captive enemies of Israel are
meant, not, as some modern commentators suppose, referring to Is.
xxiv. 2 iff., rebellious heavenly powers, nor, as Kay thinks, the
Israelites themselves, though 2 Cor. ii. 14 (R-V.) would give a good
parallel for this meaning.
thou hast received gifts for men] An impossible rendering, influenced
probably by the quotation in Eph. iv. 8. R.V. rightly, among men.
The 'gifts' offered to the king as Jehovah's representative and appro-
priated to the service of the Temple (2 Sam. viii. 2, 6, ; n
i Kings iv.
21), are regarded as offered to Him as the real Conqueror.

yea, for the rebellions also] R.V., Yea, (among) the rebellious also,
that the LORD God might dweU (with them): marg., there. 'The
rebellious ' are commonly understood to be the heathen, who pay
homage to Jehovah, and dwell under His protection. But (see note on
V. 6) the term is generally applied to the Israelites ; and the line may
be rendered, Yea, even the stubborn (are content) to dwell with Jah
Elohim. Even the successors (in spirit) of the stubborn and rebellious
generation of the wilderness are subdued when they see Jehovah's
triumphs, and are content to become His obedient subjects. For con-
struction and thought cp. v. 4; Is. xxxiii. 14. Another alterna-
tive is to take Jah as the subject of the infin., Yea, even the stubborn
(are content) that Jah Elohim should dweU (among them). Cp. Ixxviii.
60; Ex. xxv. 8; &c. So apparently the LXX.
St Paul quotes this verse in Eph. iv. 8 in the form, "Wherefore he
saith, When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave
gifts unto men," applying it to the spiritual gifts showered upon the
Church by the risen and ascended Christ. How came he to substitute
"gave gifts unto men " for " received gifts among men "? The Targum
paraphrases the verse thus; "Thou didst ascend to the firmament, O
prophet Moses thou didst lead captivity captive thou didst teach the
! ;
words of the law; thou didst give gifts to the sons of men." Similarly
the Syriac, which may have been influenced by Jewish exegesis, has,
; ;
PSALM LXVIIi. 19, 20. 389
Blessed be the Lord, 1
Who daily loadeth us ^vith benefits,

Eveti the God of our salvation. Selah.
He that is our God is the God of salvation ;
;
And unto God the Lord belong the issues from death.
"Thou didst give gifts to the sons of men." Nowthough the Targum
in its present form is much later than St Paul's time, it is not unreason-
able to suppose that the oral paraphrase then current already interpreted
the verse in this way, and St Paul quotes it in the form familiar to him,
without pausing to think whether it was an exact rendering of the
original or not. But though the quotation is not verbally exact it is
deeply significant. The triumph of Jehovah over the enemies of Israel
prefigured the triumph of Christ over the spiritual enemies of the
Church or rather may we not say more truly that they are both parts
:
of the same divine plan of redemption working first in the natural and
then in the spiritual order? Christ ascended up to heaven, leading the
defeated powers of evil in triumph (Col. ii. 15). There He performs a
yet more royal function than receiving gifts from men, (though of course
it would be also true to say that lie receives gifts) ; He bestows them.
Spiritual victory corresponds to temporal the bestowal of gifts of grace

:
to the reception of gifts of homage. For a full discussion of the passage

see Driver in The Expositor, 1 889, i. pp. 20 ff.
— —
19 23. The second part of the Psalm (19 35) begins here. From
reviewing the triumphs of God in the past the Psalmist turns to the
present and the future. God is an ever-present Saviour ; He will take
vengeance on the enemies of His people.
19. Blessed he the Lord'\ We are again reminded of the Song of
Deborah, Judg. v. 2, 9.
who daily loadeth lis with benefits] Better, as R.V., who daily
beareth our burden: or, as Aq., Synnn., Jer. and Targ. wlio daily
,
bearetli us. In Is. xlvi. "O

3, 4, the same word is used in the phrase,
house of Jacob. ..which have been borne by me": and in Ex. xix. 4
Deut. i. 31 Ps. xxviii. 9; the idea, though not the word, is the same.
;
The R.V. marg. Blessed be the Lord day by day : if one oppresseth zts,
God is our salvation, involves the abandonment of the traditional
accentuation, and gives a less satisfactory sense.
even the God of our salvation] In order to avoid the appearance of a
grammatical blunder, the R.V. gives. Even the God who is ovir salva-
tion. The whole verse might be rendered more exactly and forcibly:
Blessed be the Lord; day by day he beareth our bvirden:
God is our salvation.
On the position of Selah see note on v. 7.
20. God is unto us a God of deliverances
And unto JEHOVAH the Lord belong the issues from death.
The plural denotes mighty and manifold deliverances. Cp. xliv. 4.
God is printed in capital letters in the A.V. because it represents the
sacred Name, for which Eloht/ii, 'God,' was substituted by the Jews in
— :
390 PSALM LXVIII. 21, 2±.
21 But God shall wound the head of his enemies,

And the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his
trespasses.
22 The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan,
I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea
reading, when Adonai, 'Lord' (the regular substitute) is joined with it.
Even in regard todeath God can provide ways of escape (cp. i Cor. x.
13). In the uttermost extremity of peril, when death seems inevitable,
He can devise means of deliverance. Nay, though Israel as a nation
seems to lie dead in exile. He can bring it forth from that grave and
give it new life (i Sam. ii. 6; Hos. vi. 2; Ezek. xxxvii. i ff.).
21. But God shall wound the head &c.] Yea, God sball smite
througli tlie head &c. Cp. Judg. v. 26; Hab. iii. 13, 14.
and the haity scalp] Omit and. The warrior's long hair is men-
tioned not merely as "a sign of exuberant strength and impenitent
pride," but in allusion to the ancient practice of allowing the hair to
grow when a vow had been undertaken. " With warriors in primitive
times the unshorn head was a usual mark of their consecration to the
work they had undertaken, and their locks remained untouched till they
had achieved their enterprise or had perished in the attempt. War among
most primitive peoples is a sacred function." J. S. Black in the Smaller
Cainbr. Bible for Schools, on Judg. v. 2, which should be rendered
"For that flowing locks were worn in Israel,
For that the people volunteered themselves, bless ye the Lord,"
i.e. give thanks for the zeal with which the people devoted themselves to
the sacred war of independence. Cp. Deut. xxxii. 42, where "from
the beginning of revenges on the enemy" should be rendered "from
the hairy head of the enemy."
of such a one &c.] According to strict grammar, the hairy scalp
that goeth on in his guiltiness, the scalp standing by metonymy for
the man. The verb expresses the idea of open and defiant persistence.
22. The Lord said] The Psalmist either quotes some ancient
promise, like that of Num. xxi. 34, or proclaims a fresh message from
God with the authority and in the language of a prophet: The Lord
saith. But what is the object of the verb / xvill bring againl (i) If
with A.V. we supply my people, the meaning will be that God will
bring the Israelites back to their own land from all the places in which
they have been scattered, in order that they may witness a complete and
final triumph over their enemies (cp. Mic. iv. ii —
13). This is the
interpretation of the Targ. and Delitzsch quotes from the Talmud a
,
touching story which shews that it was current in early times. When,
after the destruction of Jerusalem, a number of young and noble captives
were being conveyed by ship to Rome, where a fate worse than death
awaited them, they all flung themselves from the ship into the sea,
trusting to the promise of these words. (2) But the context makes it
more natural to supply, as R.V., them, i.e. the enemies spoken of in
vv. 21, 23. Though they hide themselves in the rock fastnesses of
;
That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies,

23
And the tongue of thy dogs in the same.

They have seen thy goings, O God =4
Even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.

The singers went before, the players on instruments /<7//(7z«/^^ 25
after ;
be
Bashan, nay in the very depths of the sea, they shall not escape, but
where
brought back to suffer a righteous vengeance. Cp. Am. ix. 2, 3,
will avail to
Jehovah warns the sinful Israelites that no hidingplace
shelter them from judgement. Bashan may be mentioned with allusion
to Og, the depths of the sea with allusion to Pharaoh
(Ex. xv. 4ff.).
23. That thou mayest dip thy foot in blood,
That the tongue of thy dogs may have its portion from
(thine) enemies.
though the
This rendering of the R.V. probably gives the right sense,
Heb. presents some difficulties. For dip should probably be read
wash, as in Iviii. 10, which passage (with the notes) should be
com-
pared. The thought of the approaching vengeance upon the
enemies of
Israel is a prominent one in Is. xl— Ixvi. See e.g. xli. 15 f.; xlix. 26;
Ixiii. I ff. The judgement of the oppressor is in fact the necessary
condition of the deliverance of the oppressed, indispensable
moreover
as the vindication of God's eternal justice.
24—27. These verses describe a solemn procession of thanksgiving

to the Temple. But is it past, present, or future? Delitzsch is right
when he says that it is " not the rejoicing over a victory lately won, not
of old, but
the rejoicing over the dehverance at the Red Sea in the days
redemptive
the rejoicing of Israel when it shall have seen the judicial and
act of its God and King." It is an 'ideal' description. The poets
imagination springs forward to the great celebration of the victory
described in vv. 21—23. It rises before his eyes as an actual fact.
24. They have seen^ The subject is significantly indefinite it in-:
cludes men, who have been the spectators of the conflict between
all
God and His enemies. Cp. xcviii. 1—3; Is. xl. 5. ^
thy goings\ The festal procession which celebrates God s

victory
on behalf of His people. He comes in triumph once more, as He came
of old. .
my King\ The has again placed Himselt at

title is significant. He
the head of His people and victoriously manifested His
sovereignty.
Cp. xliv. 4; Ixxiv. 12. . .
A ,r u•
in the sanctuary'\ R.V. Into the sanctuary, retaining A.V. in the

marg. The preposition implies His rest there after His entry. It is
possible also to render as in v. 17, in holiness (R.V. marg. alt.).

His
triumph is the vindication of that holiness which is His supreme attribute
and distinguishes all His action. Cp. Ex. xv. 11 ; Ps. Ixxvii. 13.
25. the players on instruments'] R.V. as P.B.V., the minstrels.
Among thein were the damsels playing with timbrels.

26 Bless ye God in the congregations,
Even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
among \}ci&xa\\iix&the damsels\ An ungrammatical rendering. R.V.

rightly, in the midst of the damsels. On either side of the procession
of singers and minstrels playing upon stringed instruments were the
damsels beating their timbrels (tambourines or hand-drums), as they
danced joyously along. The scene recalls the thanksgiving by the Red
Sea (Ex. xv. 20), when " Miriam took a timbrel in her hand, and all the
women went out after her with timbrels and with dances," for "the deliver-
ance which is being celebrated is the counterpart of the deliverance
from Egypt." (Delitzsch.)
26. This verse is best regarded as a part of the processional hymn.
Cp. Judg. V. 2, 9.
from the fountain of Israel] Kay and Cheyne compare cxviii. 26,
cxxxv. 21, and suppose that 'the fountain of Israel' is the Temple. But
it is better to render with R.V., and A.V. marg., (ye that are) of the
fountain of Israel the patriarch being regarded as the fountain-head

;
from which the nation is derived. Cp. Is. xlviii. i, "O house of Jacob,
which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the
waters of Judah"; li. i, 2; and Deut. xxxiii. 28. The address reminds
them of the privileges of their ancestry. It is however possible that the
preposition /rcw is an accidental repetition of the initial letter of the
word for 'fountain,' and should be omitted. 'The fountain of Israel' will
then be the Lord Himself, the source of His people's life. Cp. Jer. ii.
13; xvii. 13; Ps. xxxvi. 9. The P.B.V. (Great Bible, not Coverdale)
Give thanks, O Israel, mito God the Lord in the congregations, from the
ground of the heart appears to be due to a misunderstanding of MUnster's
In congregatiotiibus benedicite dco atque domino ex origine (cordis) Israel,
Israel being wrongly taken as a vocative.
27. The representatives of four tribes are specified as taking pait in
the procession. Judah and Benjamin naturally represent the South.
Jerusalem was on the boundary between them and the Temple was in
;
the territory assigned to Benjamin (Deut. xxxiii. 12; Josh, xviii. 16),
which may account for the place of honour being assigned to it. But
why are Zebulun and Naphtali selected to represent the North? Is it
as a recognition of their heroic patriotism commemorated in the Song of
Deborah (Judg. v. 18) of which this Psalm contains so many remi-
niscences? or is it (on the assumption of the exilic date of the Psalm)
an allusion to the prophecy of Isaiah (ix. i), that just those tribes which
had suffered most severely from the first Assyrian invasion should be
restored to honour ? This, if the exilic date of the Psalm is adopted, is
the most obvious explanation. The prophets from Amos (ix. 1 1 ff.) and
Hosea (iii. 5) onward, foretold the restoration of Israel as well as Judah,
and their reunion into one state, and the Psalmist sees this hope visibly
fulfilled in the festal procession. It may be noted that in Jer. iii. 17, iS,
the restoration of the reunited people is placed in close connexion with
the conflux of the nations to worship at Jerusalem of which the Psalmist
There is little Benjamin with their ruler,

The princes of Judah a;/<^ their council,
The princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
Thy God hath commanded thy strength :
Strengthen, O
God, that which thou hast wrought for us.
Because of thy temple at Jerusalem
Shall kings^bring presents unto thee.
goes on to speak in vv. 28 ff. It is important to remember that tlie

Israelites who returned from Babylon regarded themselves as repre-
senting the whole nation, and not the kingdom of Judah only. Cp.
Ezr. viii. 35; Ps. cxxii. 4.
littleBenjainin with their ruler] Omit 7vitA. Benjamin is called
little as the youngest of the sons of Jacob, and the smallest of the tribes
in population and territory (i Sam. ix. 21). Their ruler is explained
by the Targ. as an allusion to Saul's kingship; "There was Benjamin,
small among the tribes, who first went down into the [Red] Sea, and
therefore first received the kingdom": by others it is supposed to mean
'
conducting them.' The word is obscure and possibly corrupt.
and their council] Or, company.
—
28 31. The purpose and sequel of the restoration of Israel is the
conversion of the world; and the Psalmist now prays that God will
display His strength and subdue all opposition, and sees the noblest of
the nations hastening to pay Him homage.
28. Thy God Sec] Israel is addressed; the first line is a summary
statement of past experience, introduced as the ground of the prayer
which follows. In past times God has given Israel strength therefore ;
Israel can now pray with confidence for the renewal and continuance of
His support. But the Ancient Versions (LXX, Vulg., Symm., Jer. (some
MSS.), Syr., Targ.) read (the difference in the verb is simply in the
vowels), God, command thy strength: i.e. give charge to Thy power,
put it forth. Cp. xlii. 8; xliv. 4. This suits the parallelism better, and
avoids the abrupt and isolated address to Israel.
Strengthett, God &c.] This rendering is grammatically questionable,
and the R.V. marg. is to be preferred Be strong, O God, thou that hast
:
ivrotight for us; i.e. shew Thyself strong as in time past. Cp. Is.
xxvi. 12.
29. To the age of the Return
Because of thy temple at Jerusalem]
the restored Temple was
the visible symbol and proof that Jehovah had
come back to His ancient dwelling-place (cxxii. 9). It was to be the
occasion and the centre of fresh homage. Cp. Is. Ix. 7 ff.; Ixvi. 20;
Hagg. ii.7; Zech. ii. 11 ff.;15; viii. 21 ff.
vi.
From thy temple however a more natural rendering than because of
is
thy temple; and it is possible that the words should be joined with the
—
preceding verse either thus, thoii that hast wi-ought for us out of thy
temple; or better still, shexv thyself strong, thou who hast wrought for us.
; :
394 PSALM LXVIII. 30, 31.
30 Rebuke the company of spearmen,

The multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people.
Till every one submit himself with pieces of silver
Scatter thou the people that delight in war.
31 Princes shall come out of Egypt
Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.
out of thy temple^ cp. ex. 2.

; The next line will then begin Up to :
Jerusalem shall kings &c.

bring presents] A
phrase used only in Ixxvi. 11; Is. xviii. 7, of
bringing solemn tribute to God.
30. tAe coDtpany of spearmen] Better as R.V., the wild beast of
the reeds, i.e. the crocodile, or rather, the hippopotamus, which is
described in Job xl. 21 as lying "in the covert of the reed." It is a
symbolical designation of Egypt, which is mentioned either as the
typical enemy of Israel, or with reference to circumstances of the time.
the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people] R.V. peoples.
The kings or leaders of heathen nations, followed by their peoples as
the calves of the herd follow the bulls. Cp. Jer. xlvi. 20, 21, R.V.
' Bulls' suggests the idea of proud defiance ; calves' that of comfortable
'
security.
till every one submit himself with pieces of silver] Lit. as R.V. marg.,
Every one submitting himself &c. Their proud spirits are subdued by
the irresistible divine 'rebuke' (Ixxvi. 6; Is. xvii. 13); they prostrate
themselves in the dust before the Lord of the world, and offer tribute of
their wealth. Cp. Is. Ix. 9. This gives a fair sense, but the construc-
tion is difficult. The difficulty is avoided by the rendering of R.V.,
which makes the participle refer to God Trampling under foot the
:
pieces of silver, i.e. spurning the tribute which they bring Thee. The
true meaning is however quite uncertain, and the text is very possibly
corrupt. The Ancient Versions vary greatly, some of them pointing to
varieties of reading. Of the host of modern emendations, one may be
mentioned which only requires alteration of the vowel points 'Tramp- :
ling under foot them that delight in silve/-''; but it can hardly be
pronounced satisfactory.
scatter thou &c.] The Massoretic Text reads: He hath scattered
the peoples: a 'prophetic perfect,' realising the triumph of God over
all opposition as already complete. But it suits the context better to
read the imperative with LXX
and Jer. scatter thou. The difference
,
is one of vocalisation only.

31. Princes] Or, magnates. LXX
irpiajSeis, ambassadors. The
word occurs here only, and is of doubtful meaning.
shall soon stretch out &c.] R.V., shall haste to stretch out her
hands unto God, either in token of submission (cp. Lat. dare manus) ;
' The pausal form of the word ^?D^np oiit of thy temple, looks like the trace
of a tradition that the verses were once so divided.

; ;
PSALM LXVIIl. 32—35- 395
Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth 3^
O sing praises unto the Lord Selah. \
To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were 33
of old
Lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
Ascribe ye strength unto God : 34
His excellency is over Israel,

And his strength is in the clouds.
O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places : 35
or in supplication (cp. Is. xlv. 14); or with gifts of homage (Ixxii. 10;
Is. xviii. 7). Egypt and Ethiopia are often coupled together, and they
are mentioned here as examples of the nations which come to pay
homage, the one as the typical ancient enemy of Israel (cp. Is. xix.
19 ff.), the other as a remote nation of noble appearance and formidable
reputation (Is. xviii. i, 7). Cp. Is. xlv. 14. Their submission signifies
that the most inveterate foes of God and His people, and the most
remote and the noblest of the peoples of the world, acknowledge His
supremacy. Morians in P.B.V. means 'Moors,' 'blackamoors,' the
Heb. Cush being taken as a general term for 'Africans,'
32 — 35. All nations are summoned to unite in praising Israel's God.
32. The kingdomsof the earth are invited to reecho Israel's chorus
of praise, v. 4. Cp. Rev. xi. isff. The musical interlude {Selah) may
suggest the outbreak of the chorus of universal praise.
33. To him that rideth &c.] The same God who "rides through the
deserts" {v. 4) when He intervenes in human affairs is supremely exalted
in the highest heavens (Deut. x. 14; i Kings viii. 27; Neh. ix. 6),
which like the mountains (Deut. xxxiii. 15) are of primeval antiquity.
which were of old] Better, with R.V., which are of old. Cp.
Wordsworth's "the most ancient heavens."
he doth send out his voice] R.V., he uttereth his voice, as xlvi. 6.
Cp. xxix. 3ff.; Is. xxx. 30.
34. Ascribe &c.] Lit. as in xxix. i, give. Acknowledge by the
tribute of your praises the power which is His and which He exercises
in the world.
His excellency, or majesty, is over Israel to protect and bless, and his
strength is in the skies, supreme not on earth alone, but throughout the
universe. This and thelast verse are based upon Deut. xxxiii. 26,
"There isnone like God (El), O Jeshurun,

Who rideth upon the heavens as thy help.
And in his excellency on the skies."
35. God, thou art terrible Sec] This rendering is retained in
R.V., but grammar requires us to render (cp. R.V. marg.); Terrible is
God out of thy sanctuary. Israel is addressed and the verse is the :
answer of the nations to the summons of v. 34, acknowledging the

awful might (Ex. xv. 11 Deut. x. 17 ; Ps. xlvii. 2) which God displays
;
The God of Israel is he

That giveth strength and power unto his people.
Blessed be God.
from His sanctuary in the midst of Israel (cp. v. 29 note), recognising

Him as the source of Israel's preeminence, and in conclusion reechoing
Israel's watchword of praise, Blessed be God. Simpler but less forcible
is the reading of LXX and Jer., out of his sanctuary, making the verse
the Psalmist's own conclusion.
thy holy places'] Better, thy sanctuary, as the word is generally
rendered (Ex. xv. 17; Ps. Ixxviii. 69; xcvi. 6, &c.). The plural is an
idiomatic plural of 'extension' or 'amplification,' denoting the various
parts of the Temple, or its dignity.
the God of Israel is he that giveth] Better as R.V., the God of Israel,
he giveth &c.
poiver] Or, mightiness. The subst. is found here only, but the adj.
is common, cp. Deut. iv. 38; Is. Ix. 22.
unto \i\% people] Cp. xxix. 11; Is. xl. 29. Lit., the people, which
stands out among the nations of the world as the people of His choice.
Thus the Psalmist's outlook reaches forward to the final triumph
celebrated in the Apocalyptic song, Rev. xv. 3 f.
PSALM LXIX.
This plaintive cry for help falls into two divisions, each of which may
be subdivided into three stanzas.
i. The Psalmist entreats God to rescue him from the deadly foes
—
who beset him (i 6). He urges as the ground of his prayer that it is
for God's sake that he is being persecuted (7 —
12); and then with more
strenuous insistence repeats his cry for help (13 18). —
ii. Once more he lays before God all the inhumanity of his perse-
cutors (19 —
21); and, goaded by the recollection of their behaviour,
imprecates upon them the judgement they deserve (22 28). — Regain-
ing his calmness, he looks forward with confidence to his deliverance
and consequent thanksgiving; and concludes with a call to universal
praise for the redemption and restoration of Zion which God will
assuredly accomplish (29 —
36).
The name of David stands in the title, but though the Psalm may
have been taken from a collection bearing his name, it is impossible to
suppose that it was written by him. To what period' of his life could
vz>. 8ff. refer, or how can vv. 33 ff. be connected with his reign? These
latter verses, which cannot be detached from the Psalm as a later

liturgical addition, point decidedly to the Exile, or to the closing years
of the kingdom, when Jehoiachin and the flower of the population of
Judah had already been carried into captivity (b.c. 597), and the final
downfall of the state was imminent. The latter alternative is the most
probable; and the circumstances, ideas, and language of the Psalmist
so remarkably resemble those of Jeremiah, that it has been conjectured
PSALM LXIX. 397
with much plausibihty that he was the author of the Psalm. It is not
indeed to be supposed that the metaphorical expressions of z/z^. i, 2, 14,
15 are a literal description of his sufferings in the dungeon of Malchiah,
(ch. xxxviii. 6 ff.), or that the Psalm was composed as he lay there, though
the language may have been partly suggested by his treatment upon
that occasion and it is of course impossible positively to affirm that it
;
was written by him ; but it is certainly to the Book of Jeremiah that we

must turn for the most vivid illustration of the circumstances and the
feelings of the Psalmist. If Jeremiah was not the author, it must have
been some prophet of a kindred temper of mind under very similar
circumstances.
(i) The general situation of the Psalmist corresponds remarkably to
that of Jeremiah as he describes it himself in chaps, xi. 18 ff., xii. i ff.,
XV. 10 ff., xvii. 12 ff., xviii. 18 ff., xx. yfif., and elsewhere. His words,
"Know that for thy sake I bear reproach " (xv. 15), might be taken as the
motto of the Psalm. Like Jeremiah, the Psalmist is the victim of con-
tempt which crushes his spirits and hostility which threatens his life.
His persecutors are not heathen foreigners, but godless fellow-country-
men ; and even his own relations have deserted him.
(2) The Psalmist's imprecations of judgement on his enemies find a
close parallel in the passages already referred to and the prediction of
:
the restoration of Judah with which the Psalm closes is a brief summary
—
of Jeremiah's prophecies collected in chaps, xxx xxxiii. The Psalmist's
intense depression of spirit and sudden changes of feeling are very
characteristic of Jeremiah. Cp. e.g., Jer. xx. 13.
(3) The language of the Psalm is full of coincidences with the
language of Jeremiah, which will be pointed out in the notes.
In such a case proof is impossible, but it will give point and reality
to the Psalm, if we hear in it the voice of the martyr-prophet to whom
was assigned the bitter task of delivering God's message to a hardened
and impenitent people, by whom it was received with indifference or
open contempt who, while divinely strengthened to deliver that
:
message with unflinching courage, and inspired to look forward with

unshaken faith to the rise of a nobler order out of the ruins of the old,
yet in moments of human weakness almost lost his own personal trust in
God, and became the prey of impatience and despair^.
No Psalm, with the exception of Ps. xxii, is so frequently quoted in
the N.T. The experience of the Psalmist (v. 4) was 'fulfilled' in the
causeless hatred of the Jews for the Son of God (John xv. 25). The
consuming zeal of Jesus for the honour of His Father's desecrated house
brought the words of v. 9 to the minds of His disciples (John ii. 17):
and the rest of the same verse is applied by St Paul to Christ, Who
pleased not Himself, but voluntarily bore the reproaches intended for
God (Rom. XV. 3). The words of v. 25 are combined with those of
cix. 8 in Acts i. 20, to describe the doom of the traitor ; and tjv.
22, 23 are applied in Rom. xi. 9 ff. to the rejection of apostate Israel.
The physical sufferings of the Psalmist (v. 21) foreshadowed those of
1 The writer would refer to his Doctrine of the Prophets, Lert. xi., for a sketch of
the life an J work of Jeremiah.
398 PSALM LXIX. i.
Christ (St John xix. 28 f.); and though he does not expressly quote it,
the passage seems to have been in the mind of St Matthew (xxvii. 34,
48) in his description of the Passion. Vv. 12, 20 point forward to the
mockery (Matt, xxvii. 27 ff.); and as we read v. 26 in the light of Is.
liii and Zech. xiii. 7, its typical significance is obvious.
Yet the Psalm is not prediction but description, and much of it is
plainly not applicable to Christ. The confession of sin in v. 5, and the
imprecations of vengeance {vv. 22 ff. ), are wholly unsuited to the meek
and sinless Jesus. It is prophetic only inasmuch as the experience of
each suffering servant of God who endured reproach and persecution
for God's sake under the old covenant was in some measure a type and
foreshadowing of the experience of the true and perfect Servant of the
Lord. Even the details of their lives were shaped so as to correspond
to details in the life of Christ and these details serve to attract atten-
:
tion and to point to the inner correspondence by which He gathered up

and 'fulfilled' the experience of the saints and servants of God who had
gone before. Jeremiah was a type of Christ but he and others like :
him were but partial and imperfect types there was much in their lives
:
and characters which shewed that they were men compassed with
infirmity but in the antitype the imperfections disappear, and the true
:
Son of Man, the perfect Servant of the Lord, stands revealed. On the
'Passion Psalms' in general see Iiitrod. pp. Ixi f.
For a discussion of the imprecations of vv. 21 ff., which startle and
shock the Christian reader, see hitrod, pp. Ixx ff. Here it may suffice
to remark that if the reader would be fair to Jeremiah (or the unknown
author) he must endeavour to realise the intense provocation to which
Jeremiah was subjected. He must remember that they are to be judged
by the standard of the Law, and not by the spirit of the Gospel. He
must bear in mind that they are not merely or mainly the utterance of
personal vindictiveness, but the expression of a burning desire for the
manifestation of the righteous judgement of God upon those who
resisted His will and persecuted His servants.
This Psalm should be compared with Pss. xxii and xl it has also ;
points of connexion with Pss. xxxi, xxxviii, xliv ; and in its imprecations
it stands midway between Pss. xxxv and cix.
Its typical character explains its selection as a Proper Psalm for Good
Friday.
To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, A Psnlnt of David.
69 Save me, O God ; for the waters are come in unto tny soul.
On the title For the Chief Musician ; set to Shoshannim, i.e. lilies,
see note on the title of Ps. xlv.
—
1 6. The Psalmist appeals to God for help, pleading the extremity
of his plight.
1. the waters &c.] He is like a drowning man. The flood of
calamity has risen till it threatens his life. For the metaphor cp. xviii.
16; xxxii. 6; Ixvi. 12; cxxiv. 4; Lam. iii. 54; and for unto my soul
see Jer. iv. 10, 18 ; Jon. ii. 5.
: : : —
PSALM LXIX. 2—4. 399
I sink in deep mire, where tJiere is no standing

I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
I am weary of my crying my throat is dried
: :
Mine eyes fail while / wait for my God.

They that hate me without a cause are moe than the.
mine head
hairs of
They would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully,
that
are mighty
Then I restored that which I took not away.
2. He is like a man floundering in a morass or quicksand where
there is no footing and his struggles only plunge him deeper, or fording
a river and in imminent danger of being swept away by the current.
Quagmires, 'treacherous to the last degree,' are common in Palestine.
See Thomson's Land and the Book, p. 360; and Dr Tristram's descrip-
tion of the vast and impenetrable swamp of Huleh, where a false step
off the roots of the papyrus "will take the intruder over head in suffo-
cating peat mud." Land of Israel, p. 579.
the floods overflow Jtie'\
—
Or, the current 'Shibboleth,' Judg. xii, 6
siveeps me away.
3. He is worn out and exhausted in mind and body by the pro-
longed strain of prayer unanswered. Cp. xxii. r, 2, 15; vi. 7; Jer. xlv.
3; Ps. cxix. 82, 123; Lam. ii. 11, iv. 17. For I am weary 0/ &c.,
render with R.V. I am weary with my crying.
4. The number and the virulence of his foes, and the groundlessness
of their hostility. For the language comp. xl. 12; xxxv. 19; xxxviii.
19. The quotation in John xv. 25 agrees with the LXX.
Moe] This archaism for 'more,' which has disappeared from modern
Bibles, is restored by Scrivener in accordance with the original edition
of 1611.
they that would destroy me] R.V., they that wovild cut me off.
Ewald and others follow the Syr. in reading this line, More numerous'
than my bones are they that are mine enemies falsely.' The parallelism
of the first two lines of the verse is improved by the change, which
involves only a slight alteration of the consonants ; but the comparison
is not a natural one, and the reading of the text is supported by the use
of the same verb in Lam. iii. 53, in a closely similar context (note vv.
5^> 54).
wrongfully] lAi. falsely. Their hostility is based upon misconcep-
tion and misrepresentation.
theji I restored] Or, as R.V. marg., T had to restore. 'Then' may
refer to some signal instance prominent in the Psalmist's recollection.
i\isX2vhichItooknota2vay] That which I had not plundered. Perhaps
a proverbial expression for the extreme of injured innocence. He was
accused of being an extortioner and oppressor of the poor who must be
made to disgorge his ill-gotten gains (Ezek. xxxiii. 15). Cp. Eliphaz'
charges against Job (xxii. 6ff.), and Zophar's picture of the wicked man
compelled to make restitution (xx. 18 H.).
;
400 PSALM LXIX. 5—9.
5 O God, thou knowest my foolishness

And my sins are not hid from thee.
6 Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of hosts, be
ashamed for my sake :
Let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O

God of Israel.
7 Because for thy sake I have borne reproach ;
Shame hath covered my face.

8 I am become a stranger unto my brethren.
And an alien unto my mother's children.
9 For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up ;
6, 6. Chastisement is not undeserved but he commits himself to ;
the mercy of the Omniscient, and pleads for a hearing on the ground
that the cause of all God's servants is bound up with his cause. If
he is abandoned they must be discouraged and exposed to the contempt
of the world.
Thoti is emphatic. Similar appeals to God's omniscience are charac-
teristic of Jeremiah (ch. xii. 3; xv. 15; xvii. 16; xviii. 23). Sin is de-
signated as 'foolishness' in Ps. xxxviii. 5, where, as here, the Psalmist
acknowledges that his sufferings are the chastisement of his sin. This
is the only other passage in which the word occurs, except in the Book
of Proverbs, where it is common.
sins\ Lit. guiltinesses; cp. Ixviii. 21.
6. Let not those that wait on thee be ashamed through me,
Lord, Jehovah of hosts:
Let not those that seek thee be brought to dishonour through
me, God of IsraeL
Cp. xxv. 3 ; xxxviii. 15, 16. The divine titles are significant.
They appeal God's sovereignty and to His relation to His people.
to
.Surely, since He has the power to prevent it, He cannot leave the true
Israel to be the scorn of its foes, as will happen through tne, or, in
my case, if I am left to perish unregarded.
7 — 12. Such discouragement must be the

inevitable consequence if
he is abandoned, for it is for God's sake that he is persecuted and
defamed. Comp. the plea of the nation in xliv. 14 ff.
7. So Jeremiah pleads, "Know that for thy sake I bear reproach"
(xv. 15). shame &c.]
cp. xliv. 15.
8. Even his nearest relations treat him as a stranger and a foreigner.
Cp. xxxviii. II ; Job xix. 13 ff. ; Jer. xii. 6.
my mother's childreti] The sons of my own mother expresses a closer
degree of relationship than 7?iy brethren, the children of the same mother
being always regarded as bound to one another by a closer tie than
those of the same father by different mothers. Cp. 1. 20.
9. His jealousy for the honour of God's house was like a consuming
fire within him. Cp. cxix. 139; xxxix. 3; Jer. xx. 9. It is difficult to
; : ;
PSALM LXIX. lo— 12. 401
And the reproaches of them that reproached thee

are fallen upon me.
When I chastened my soul with fasting,
wept, and
That was my
reproach.
to
I made sackcloth also my garment
And I became a proverb to them.
They that sit in the gate speak against me
determine whether 'thine house' means the Temple only, or as in Num.

xii. 7, Hos. viii. i, bears the wider meaning of the land or the people
of Israel, (i) In the former case the reference may be to the burning
indignation which was stirred by the sight of abominations such as those
which Ezekiel describes as polluting the Temple (ch. viii) and it is ;
noteworthy that he particularly mentions "the image of jealousy which

provoketh to jealousy," i.e. some image or symbol which was a direct
challenge of the "jealous God" who could brook no rival, and which
must have stirred the grief and indignation of His faithful servants. (2)
In the latter case it is the general condition of the nation, the contrast
between its calling to be a holy nation and the universal corruption
prevalent, which stirs his deepest emotion. This alternative gains some
support from Jeremiah's usage (xi. 15; xii. 7; xxiii. 11).
The zeal of Christ for His Father's desecrated house recalled these
words to the minds of His disciples (John ii. 17: the reading of the
true text follows the LXX
(b), shall eat me up).
the reproaches &c.] Better as R.V., the reproaches of them that
reproach thee are fallen upon. me. On the one hand their blasphemies
against God wound and crush the spirit of His servant; and on the other
hand they shew their contempt for God by their mockery of His servant.
Such was Jeremiah's experience his contemporaries mocked God's
:
message, and mocked him for delivering it (ch. vi. 10; xx. 8) such too :
was the experience of Christ Himself, to whom St Paul applies these

words in Rom. xv. 3.
. 10, 11. Whenwept, (and chastened) my soul with fasting,
I
It to reproaches for me
was turned
When I made sackcloth my clothing,
I became a byword unto them.
In shame and penitence for the dishonour done by his countrymen to
God, he fasted and mourned but they only mocked and derided him
;
for doing what they ought to have done themselves (Jer. iv. 8; vi. 26).
The construction of the first line is anomalous. Probably the word
for 'wept' is a corruption of some word for 'humbled' (xxxv. 13) or
'chastened.' For /y/w on/ cp. xliv. 14.
12. They that sit in the gate talk of me,
And the songs of them that drink strong drink (make sport
of me).
In the gate where men gather to hear the last gossip as well as to
transact business (ix. 14; Jer. xvii. 19 f.) he is the talk of the city: his
PS A I.MS 26
;
402 PSALM LXIX. 13—16.
And I was the song of the drunkards.

»3 But as Jor me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, /;/ an
acceptable time :
O God, in the muhitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth

of thy salvation.
14 Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink :
Let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of

the deep waters.
15 Let not the waterflood overflow me,
Neither let the deep swallow me up,
And let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.
16 Hear me, O Lord for thy lovingkindness is good
;
Turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender

mercies.
austerities and oddities furnish a subject for the latest comic song of the
revellers' parties. Cp. Lam. iii. 14; Job xxx. 9; Is. v. ir, 12, 22; Am.
vi. 4 ff.
13 — 18. From the hardheartedness of men he turns to the mercy of

God.
13. It is best to divide the clauses somewhat differently:
But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, Jehovah,

At the time thou pleasest, God, in the abundance of thy
lovingkindness,
Answer me in the truth of thy salvation.
hi an acceptable time, lit. a time of good pleasure (xl. 13; li. 18) is
most naturally connected with answer me, as in Is. xlix. 8, " In an
acceptable time have I answered thee." He cannot tell that it is yet
God's will to deliver him, but he can be sure that the time will come,
for God has revealed Himself to be a God "abundant in lovingkindness
and truth" (Ex. xxxiv. 6), and if He is true to His character, He must
save His servant. Cp. li. i.
14, 15. In his prayer he repeats the words which he had previously
used to describe his plight {vv. 2, 4). It is difficult to see why the R.V.
has substituted overivheltn for ovei-Jlo7o here and not in v. 1, the Heb.
word being the same in both cases.
let not t lie pit Sec.'] Either the grave (Iv. 23), or a dungeon (Lam.
iii. 53, 55), may be meant. In the latter case Jeremiah's experience
(ch. xxxviii. 6) may have suggested the metaphor; but the words are
not to be understood literally of release from Malchiah's dungeon.
16. Hear me] Answer me.
/or thy lovingkindness is good] So cix. 2 i.
titrn unto me &c. ] According to the abundance of thy compassions
turn thee unto me. Cp. li. i note; Lam. iii. 32. 'Turning' or 'look-
; : ;
PSALM LXIX. 17-21. 403
And hide not thy face from thy servant; 17
For am in trouble hear me speedily.

I :
Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it 18
Dehver me because of mine enemies.

Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my 19
dishonour :
Mine adversaries are all before thee.

Reproach hath broken my heart ; and I am full of heavi- 20
ness :
And looked 7^/- some to take pity, but there was none
I
And but I found none.

for comforters,
They gave me also gall for my meat zi
And in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

ing' unto him (xxv. i6; cxix. 132) is the opposite of that 'hiding of
(jod's face' which he deprecates in the next verse.
17. The Psahnist pleads his calling: surely God cannot continue to
withhold His favour and help from one who is bound to His service
and devoted to His cause. The plea would have special force if the
Psalmist was a prophet like Jeremiah (Am. iii. 7). Cp. xxvii. 9; xxxi.
16; xliv. '24; &c.
for I am in trouble &c.] Because I am in a strait, answer me
speedily.
18. Draw Cp. the acknowledgement of answered prayer in
iiig/i]
Lam. iii. 57, 5.8, in the day when I called upon
'Thou drewest nigh
thee... thou redeemedst my life."
ddiver nie\ Or, as R.V., ransom me. Cp. Jer. xv. i\.
because of mine enemies\ Who will triumph if I am abandoned
to their malice, and by whose triumph the honour of the God whom I
serve will suffer. Cp. xiii. 4.
19 —21. Once more he lays before God the severity of his sufferings,
and the inhumanity of his enemies.
19. Thou hast knowii\ Rather, THOU knowest. Thou, as \x\.v. 5,
is emphatic. See note there for references to Jeremiah's use of this
phrase.
all before thee] They are all in Thy sight. He pleads with God as he
might with men, who are more easily moved to pity by the sight of
suffering than by merely hearing of it.
20. hath broken my heart] Cp. Jer. xxiii. 9.
I am full of heaviness] Or, as R.V. marg., soie sick. A cognate word
is frequently used in Jer., e.g. xv. 18, A.V. incurable.
and I looked &c.] Or, and I waited for some to sympathise, but there
•was no otie.
21. This verse is connected with the preceding one. Not content
with merely refusing sympathy, they aggravated and embittered his
26 2
404 PSALM LXIX. 22.
Let their table become a snare before them:

And that which should have been for their welfare,
let it become a trap.
sufferings, as though one were to mock a hungry man by offering him

bitter and poisonous food, or a thirsty man by giving liim sour and un-
drinkable wine. The language is plainly metaphorical: cp. Jer. viii.
14; ix. 15; xxiii. 15. The Heb. word rosh, rendered gall (LXX xoX^,
Vulg. and Jer. fet), denotes some bitter and poisonous plant, which
cannot however be identified with certainty. Tristram {Nat. Hist, of
Bible, p. 447) thinks that the Poppy is the plant intended. ^^ Papaver
arenariuin grows everywhere in Palestine; it springs up very quickly

in cornfields, and its juice is most bitter and poisonous."
Vinegar cannot here mean the thin sour wine which was used as a
refreshing beverage (Num. vi. 3; Ruth ii. 14), but sucVi as had gone
bad and become nauseous and unfit to drink.
Allusion seems to be made to this passage in St Matthew's account of
the Crucifixion (xxvii. 34), though it is not actually quoted ; and St
John expressly says that the cry "I thirst" was uttered "that the scrip-
ture might be accomplished^."
—
22 28. At the thought of the intolerable inhumanity of his enemies
he can no longer restrain himself, and breaks out into fierce imprecation.
Some commentators, feeling the difficulty of such imprecations
proceeding from the Psalmist, have regarded these verses as the utter-
ance of the Psalmist's enemies, invoking destruction upon him and his
companions. But such an interpretation is unnatural: the pronouns
'their' and 'they' in vv. 2 2ff. cannot have a different reference from
'they' in v. 21.
22. Let their table before them become a snare;
Yea, when they are at peace, let it become a trap.
The language is suggested by the metaphors of the preceding verse.
They had aggravated the sufferings of a joyless life let their own enjoy-
:
ments turn to their ruin. The idea of the transformation of their table
into a snare becomes more intelligible if it is remembered that the table
meant was probably a piece of leather unrolled and spread upon the
ground, such as is still used in the East. The curse is intensified by the
prayer that this fate may overtake them while they are in unsuspecting
security. Cp. i Thess. v. 3. The rendering of the A.V. which is ,
substantially the same as that of the P.B.V., is untenable. It was intro-

duced into the 'Great Bible' from Miinster's Latin Version et quae in
pacem (esse dihueratit sint) in offendiculu7n, and was doubtless derived
by him from the Jewish scholar Kimchi.
The quotation of this verse in Rom. xi. 9 is made freely from the
LXX, supplemented probably by a reminiscence of xxxv. 8 (xxxiv).
The following verse is quoted exactly as it stands in the LXX.
1 The 'Gospel of Peter' (ch.

5) represents the potion of "gall with vinegar" as
poison administered to hasten death.
;
PSALM LXIX. 23—27. 405
Let their eyes be darkened, that they see notj

And make their loins continually to shake.
Pour out thine indignation upon them,
And let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.
Let their habitation be desolate;
And let none dwell in their tents.
For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten
And they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.
Add iniquity unto their iniquity :
And let them not come into thy righteousness.
23. Let the eyes which gloated over another's misfortunes be

blinded : let the limbs which are the seat of the strength they have
abused be palsied.
24. Cp. Ixxix. 6; Jer. x. 25. and let &c.] R.V., and let the
fierceness of thine anger overtake them.
25. their habitation^ Rather, as R.V. marg., their encampment;
cp. Gen. XXV. 16; Num. xxxi. 10; Ezek. xxv. 4 (R.V.). The language
is a survival from the habits of nomad life, with which however the
Israelites must always have been familiar. Cp. Jer. iv. 20; x. 10. To
the Oriental no prospect was more terrible than that of the complete
extermination of his family. Cp. Job xviii. 19; Prov. xiv. 11.
The quotation in Acts i. 20 is a free adaptation of the LXX.
26. For they persecute &.c.'\ They had no commission to aggravate
the sufferings of one who was already smitten with the rod of chastise-
ment by God Himself. We think of Job and his friends (xix. 21, 22), and
of the Suffering Servant of Jehovah (Is. liii. 4). Cp. Is. xlvii. 6.
they talk to the grief 1 R.V., they tell of the sorrow, or as marg.,
the pain. The LXX and Syr. represent a reading which suits the
parallelism better: ''they add ^ *he sorroruJ^
him xvhoiii thou hast smitten] The plural of the next line suggests
the rendering those whom &c., which the Heb. admits: but the A.V.
follows the Ancient Versions in giving the singular.
those who7ii thou hast tvounded\ Cp. cix. 22, "my heart is wounded
within me." Note that the Psalmist is not alone in his suffering.
27. Some commentators, retaining the A.V. rendering of v. 26,
i-egard vv. 27, 28 as the words of the Psalmist's enemies, directed
against him and his fellow sufferers. This interpretation has been advo-
cated, as removing from the mouth of the Psalmist at any rate the most
terrible anathemas. But perplexing as it may be, it is far more natural
to see in these verses the climax of his imprecations.
Add iniquity &c.] Instead of taking away their iniquities by forgive-
ness, let one iniquity accumulate upon another till they are crushed by
the load. Cp. xxxviii. 4 Jer. xviii. 23.
;
let them not come into thy righteousness] Let them have no share in
the manifestation of that righteousness or faithfulness to His covenant
in virtue of which Jehovah pardons sin and delivers from danger, Cp.
v. 8; Ixxi. 2, 15, 19, 24.
: : ; :
4o6 PSALM LXIX. 28—33.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,

And not be written with the righteous.
29 But I am poor and sorrowful
Let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.
30 I will praise the of God with a song
name
And will magnify him with thanksgiving.
31 This also shall please the Lord better than an ox
Or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
32 The humble shall see this, ajtd be glad
And your heart shall live that seek God.
33 For the Lord heareth the poor,
28. the book of the living] Or, as R.V., the book of life. The figure
is borrowed from the hsts or registers of citizens (Jer. xxii. 30; Ezek.
xiii. 9). God has a book in which the names of those who are to be
preserved ahve are inscribed. The righteous have their names recorded
in it (cp. Hab. ii. 4). May the names of these malefactors be struck
out, or never inserted there! May they be deprived of their privileges
as Israelites May they perish and be utterly forgotten
! Cp. Ex. !
xxxii. 32; Is. iv. 3; Dan. xii. i. —

But and this mitigates what would
—
otherwise be the awful character of the imprecation 'the book of life'
is not here to be understood in the full N.T. sense as 'the book of
eternal life' (Luke x. 20; Phil. iv. 3 Rev. iii. 5 ; xiii. 8; xvii. 8 ; xx, 12).
;
—
29 36. In contrast to the fate which his enemies deserve, the
Psalmist looks forward to his own deliverance, and predicts the restora-
tion of Jerusalem and the reestablishment there of the true people of
God. Such a sudden change of tone is quite characteristic of Jeremiah,
e.g. xx. 13.
29. But as for me, who am afflicted and sore pained.

Thy salvation, God, shall set me up on high.
The verb may be rendered as a prayer (A.V.), or as an expression of
confidence (P.B. V.). God's deliverance will set him as it were in a high
fortress, out of the reach of his enemies. Cp. lix. i note.
31. And it shall please Jehovah better than an ox,
(Or) a bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
The Massoretic accentuation makes one clause of the verse, reading
it better than an ox-bullock but the division of the clauses adopted by
:
R.V. is preferable. The epithets are not merely ornamental the horns :
shew that the animal is of full age the hoofs allude to the definition of
;
'clean' animals in Lev. xi. 3 ff But spiritual sacrifices of praise and

.
thanksgiving are more acceptable than the most perfect animal victim.
Cp. Pss. 1, li.
32. When meek see it, they shall be glad

the
Ye that seek after God, let your heart revive.
Cp. xxii. 26, and with ?'. 33 cp. xxii. 24.
33. the poor'\ R.V. the needy, as ix. 18, Jer. xx. 13, and frequently.
: ;
PSALM LXIX. 34-36. LXX. 407
And despiseth not his prisoners.

Let the heaven and earth praise him, 34
The seas, and every thifig that moveth therein.

For God will save Zion, 35
And will build the cities of Judah :
That they may dwell there, and have it in possession.

36
The seed also of his servants shall inherit it
And they that love his name shall dwell therein.
his prisoners'^ Though He has cast them into the prison of captivity
for their sins, He will not reject their prayers. Cp. xxii. 1^; cii. 17,
10; cvii. 10 ff. After the capture of the city in B.C. 597, all the best
part of the nation was carried into captivity.
34. All creation is summoned to join in a chorus of praise to God
for the redemption of Zion, for it is an event of universal significance.
Cp. Is. xliv. -23.
35.So Jeremiah couples 'Jerusalem and the cities of Judah,' xxxiii.
10 xxxiv. 7: and the prediction of restoration corresponds to the
ff.,
prophecies collected in his 'Book of Consolation,' chaps, xxx— xxxiii.

The language does not presume that Jerusalem was already in ruins,
any more than do those prophecies.
(hat they may dwell there] Better, and men shall atoide there.
36. Cp. Is. Ixv. 9, 23.
they that love his na/zie] Cp. v. 11; cxix. 132. The citizens of Zion
will all be true Israelites, faithfully observing the first and great com-
mandment of the law (Deut. vi. 4, 5, 13).
PSALM LXX.
This short prayer for speedy help and the discomfiture of malicious
enemies is a repetition of Fs. xl. 13 —
17 with some slight variations.
Jehovah has been changed to God in vv. \a, 4c, and Lord to God in e,d,
according to the usual practice of the editor of the Elohistic collection
but Jehovah has been retained mv. id and substituted for wj God in
V. ^d for the sake of variety, where God occurs in the same verse. In
other respects Ps. xl appears to present a more original text. On the
relation of these verses to the rest of Ps. xl, see Introd. to that Psalm.
Probably, as the title suggests, they were detached from Ps. xl for
liturgical purposes.
The title to brim; to remembrance, prefixed also to Ps. xxxviii, has
commonly been explained to refer to the contents of the Psalm, either
as a record of suffering, or as a prayer intended to bring the suppliant
to God's remembrance. But more probably it should be rendered, to
make Jiumorial (R.V. marg.), ox, for making the memorial (LXX et's
avaixv7)(7iv as in Lev. xxiv. 7 cp. Num. x. 10), and explained as a note
;
of the liturgical use of the Psalm either in connexion with the offering
of incense, or at the offering of the Azkdrd. (i) The phrase to make a
: ;
4o8 PSALM LXX. 1—3.
memorial of incense occurs in Is. Ixvi. 3 ; and for the connexion of

prayer with offering of incense see Num. xvi. 46 ff.; Luke i. 9, 10.
The Targum suggests this reference in its double rendering, To remember
concerning the use of incense. (2) The Azkdrd or Memorial was a
technical term in the Levitical ritual [a] for the portion of the meal- '
offering' mixed with oil and burnt with incense on the altar (Lev. ii. 2)
(b) for the incense placed on the shewbread and afterwards burnt (Lev.
xxiv. 7). Though probably the term originally meant only 'a fragrant
offering' (see Dillmann on Lev. ii. 1), it was interpreted to mean 'a
memorial' (LXX /xprinoawov, Vulg. met>ioriale) as bringing the offerer
to God's remembrance. There may be an allusion to the use of Psalms
in connexion with the Azkdrd in i Chr. xvi. 4, where to celebrate (R.V.)
is the same word as that used here.
The liturgical use of the Psalm must have arisen in days of national
distress and persecution, and implies the application of the Psalm to the
nation. A
hint of this national application is given in the Targum of
V, \a, "O
God make haste to deliver us"
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.
70 Make haste, O
God, to deliver me ;
Make haste to help me, Lord. O

2 Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my
soul
Let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that
desire my hurt.
3 Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame
1. Makehaste] The words, as the italics indicate, are not in the

Hebrew ; as the text stands, we must either supply make haste from
and
the next line, or render according to the Heb. idiom found in Is.
xxxviii. 20, God is ready to deliver me. But probably the first word of
the verse as it stands in xl. 13 should be restored. Be pleased. This
word would be a link of connexion with Ixix. 13, in a time when thou
pleasest. make haste to help nie'\ Cp. xxii. 19; xxxviii. 22.
2. The whole verse is a repetition, with variations, of xxxv. 4, 26
(cp. xxxviii. 12); and z'z/. 3 —
5 recall vv. 11, 25, 27, 10, of the same
Psalm.
that seek after my soul] Or, that seek my life. The text of Ps.
xl. 13 'Let them be... confounded ^f^^///t'r...my life to destroy it.^
is fuller,
let them be turned backzvard &c.] Render with R.V.,
Let tliein be turned backward and torouglit to dishonour
That delight in my hurt.
With the last line contrast xxxv. 27.
3. Let them be turned back] Let them turn back, retreating after
their ignominious repulse [v. 2). Cp. vi. 10. The reading of xl. 15 is
let them be desolate. The difference probably arose out of a confusion
between the letters M and B (nti'^— IDC'), but may be due to intentional
; : ;
PSALM LXX. 4, 5. LXXI. 409
That Aha, aha.

say,
Let those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee
all
And let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God
be magnified.
But I a7n poor and needy make haste unto me, O God
: : ;
Thou art my help and my deliverer

O Lord, make no tarrying.
alteration. for a reiuard of their skame\ Better as R.V. by ,
reason of their shame, being foiled in their malicious plans.

A ha, ahal An exclamation of malicious pleasure at another's mis-
fortune. Cp. XXXV. 21, 25. The text of xl. 15 reads 'that say unto
me'; and so the LXX here, from which it has passed through the Vulg.
into the P.B.V., 'that cry over me.'
4. Cp. XXXV. 27. The discomfiture of the wicked gives occasion for
the righteous to rejoice in God, not only because they are set free from
persecution, but because they see in it the proof of God's righteous
sovereignty and the unfolding of His purposes of salvation.
suck as lojie thy salvalio>i\ Cp. "they that love his name" (Ixix. 36)
and the corresponding N.T. thought in 2 Tim. iv. 8.
6. But I Scc.'\ But as for me, who am afllictecl and needy. Cp.
Ixix. 29, 33; ix. 18; XXXV. 10; xxxvii. 14; Ixxxvi. i; cix. 22.
make haste unto me, O God'\ So cxli. i. The text of xl. 17, "The
Lord will take thought for me," glancing back at " thy thoughts to us-
ward" in v. 5, is probably the original reading. The variati(jn here
may have been introduced for the sake of closer parallelism to make no
tarrymg. my help, as xxxiii. 20: my deliverer, as xviii. 1, 48, a
differentword from that used in z*. i.
O Lord] In xl. 17, <3 my God. make no tarrying] Cp.
Daniel's prayer (ix. 19, A.V. defer not), and the promise in Is. xlvi. 13.
PSALM LXXI.
Though this Psalm, like Ps. Ixxxvi, is little more than a mosaic of frag-
ments and reminiscences of other Psalms, especially xxii, xxxi, xxxv, xl,
it possesses a singular beauty and tenderness of its own. It is the utter-
ance of a faith which has proved the goodness of God in a life of many
trials, and trusts to experience it to the end. It is fitly chosen for use in
the Order for the Visitation of the Sick.
Some commentators regard it as a 'national' Psalm, taking the plural
'us' in V. 20 (R.V.) as the key to its interpretation, and supposing the
speaker to be not an individual, but suffering Israel. The language of
V7'. 5, 6, 9, 17, is not a fatal objection to this theory; for many passages
speak of the birth and youth and old age of Israel (cxxix. i Hos. vii. 9, ;
xi. I Jer. ii. 2 Is. xlvi. 3, 4). But the transition from the singular to the
; ;
plural in v. 20 is no proof that the Psalm as a whole is the utterance of

:
410 PSALM LXXI. i, 2.
the nation. It was most natural that the Psalmist should pass from the
thought of his own needs to the thought of the needs of the nation, in
whose calamity he was involved. Doubtless the language of the Psalm
is such as could be adopted by others, or even by the godly nucleus of
Israel as a whole; but it bears in the main the stamp of a personal and
individual meditation.
As to authorship and date, all that can be said is that apparently the
Psalmist was an old man [w. 9, 18), and that Israel was in exile {v. 20).
The latter part of the LXXtitle, '[A Psalm] of the sons of Jonadab
and those who were first carried captive,' may preserve an authentic
tradition of its use in the exile. It has been attributed to Jeremiah on
the grounds (i) that the free use of earlier Psalms is entirely in his style;
(2) that 7'v. 5, 6 refer to his call (Jer. i. 5) and w. 21 to the dignity of his
office, and that the general situation of the Psalmist corresponds to that
of the persecuted prophet; (3) that his authorship would account for the
use of this Psalm by the Rechabites, with whom he had been brought
into such close connexion (Jer. xxxv). If it was composed by Jeremiah,
it must have been in the latest period of his life, when he had been
carried down into Egypt after the Fall of Jerusalem ; when the stress
and strain of his life was over, and yet he was by no means free from
hostility and danger (Jer. xliv). But the grounds for attributing it to
him are quite inconclusive.
One thought grows out of another, and there is no marked division
into stanzas: but in the first half of the Psalm (1 —
13) prayer, in the
—
second half (14 24) praise, predominates.
71 In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust

Let me
never be put to confusion.
2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape :
Incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
1 — 3. The prayer of faith in the midst of danger. These verses are

taken, with but little change, from xxxi. i — 3.
1. thee... do I put my trust]

In Better, In thee... have I taken
refuge. See note on Ivii. i,and cp. vii. i xi. i xvi. i xxv. 20.
; ; ;
/et me nezvr be put to confiision\ Let me never toe ashamed. He

has put himself under Jehovah's protection may he never be disap-
:
pointed and disgraced by finding that his trust is vain. Cp. xxxi. 17;
xxv. 2, 20; xxii. 5; Phil. i. 20. It will be remembered that the verse
forms the close of the Te Deitni.
2. Deliver me &c.] In thy righteousness wilt thou deliver me
and rescue me: an expansion of the simpler rescue me in xxxi. i. In
thy righteousness stands emphatically at the beginning of the sentence
in the Heb. The righteousness of God is a thought upon which this
Psalmist loves to dwell (vv. 2, 15, 16, 19, 24). In virtue of that un-
changing rectitude which is an inalienable attribute of Deity, He cannot
desert His servant. He must be true to His promise. Cp. 2 Tim. ii. 13.
incline'\ Or, bow down, as in xxxi. 2: i.e. 'bend a listening ear.'
save me] In xxxi. 2, deliver me speedily.
: ; ; : :
PSALM LXXI. 3—7. 411
Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto / may continually 3
resort
Thou hast given commandment to save me
For thou art my rock and my fortress.
Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand
of the wicked, 4
Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

For thou art my hope, Lord God O : 5
Thou art my trust from my youth.

By thee have I been holden up from the womb 6
Thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels

My praise shall be continually of thee.
I am as a wonder unto many 7
3. Be thou my strong
kabitadon'] Better as R.V., Ba thou to me a
rock of habitation. God is called our halntation in xc. i and the ;
phrase may be an intentional modification of the words a rock of strong-

hold in xxxi. 2. But some Heb. MSS., the LXX, Symm., and Targ.,
read stronghold here also, and the word ind'on (\'\]3'0) so closely resem-
bles md'oz (TiyD) that the variation is probably due to accident.
thou hast given commandment'] Cp. xliv. 4; Ixviii. 28. To the three
Heb. words' rendered whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given
comtnandment correspond two words in xxxi. 2, me3.n\ng for a fort/rss-
house. The curious similarity of the consonants in the Heb. suggests
that the reading of the Massoretic Text here is a restoration of partially
obliterated or faded letters: and the LXX
translators, though they give
a different rendering, appear to have found the same reading here as
in
xxxi. 2, or a closely similar one. The other Versions agree with the
Massoretic Text.
my rock] My a different word from that in the first line, recall-
cliflf :
ing the 'cliff' {sela)where David had been so unexpectedly delivered

from Saul (i Sam. xxiii. 25 ff.). On the metaphors see note on xviii. 2.
4—8. The ground of the Psalmist's appeal for deliverance.
4. Deliver me] R.V., rescue me, as in j/. 2.
the unrighteous and cruel man] Comp. the complaints in Habakkuk
(i. 2—4) and Jeremiah (vi. 7 ; &c.) of the prevailing injustice and
violence. The singular is probably collective.
5, 6. A
free imitation of xxii. 9, 10.
my hope... my trust] Cp. Jer. xiv. 8; xvii. 7, 13; and "Christ Jesus
our hope" (i Tim. i. i).
By thee &c.] Better (cp. On thee have I stayed myself

Is. xlviii. 2),
from (my) birth. The same word

used in iii. 5 li. 12.is ;
thou art he that took !?ie] A

different word from that similarly trans-
lated in xxii. 9, and of doubtful meaning. The rendering, Thou hast
been my benefactor from my mother's womb (cp. R.V. marg.), suits
the
parallelism well. But cp. Jer. i. 5.
7. / am &c.] Or, I have been as a wonder. Many of those who saw
; ; ;
412 PSALM LXXl. 8—13.
my strong refuge.
But thou art
8 my mouth be filled zvith thy praise
Let
And tvith thy honour all the day.
9 Cast me not off in the time of old age
Forsake me not when my strength faileth.

10 For mine enemies speak against me
And they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,
11 Saying, God hath forsaken him :
Persecute and take him ; for there is none to deliver him.

12 O God, be not far from me :
O my God, make haste for my help.

13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries
to my soul
my sufferings regarded me as a typical example of divine chastisement,

but my faith has remained unshaken throughout. Cp. Is. Hi. 14; and
Deut. xxviii. 46, where the punishment of Israel for its sins is spoken of
as "a sign and a wonder." In a somewhat different sense Ezekiel was
a 'wonder' to his contemporaries (xii. 6, 11 ; xxiv. 24, 27). The expla-
nation I have been a sign and example of God's protecting care is less
'
'
natural. 'Monster' in P.B.V. is an archaism for 'portent,' or, 'prodigy,'

from Lat. nionstrinn.
my strong refuge\ Cji. v. i, and Jer. xvii. 17, R.V.
8. My mouth shall be filled with thy praise,
And with thy honour all the day (R.V.).
Cp. I Chr. xxix. 11, "Thine, O Jehovah, is the greatness, and the
might, and the honour, and the victoiy, and the majesty." The P.B.V.
that I may sing of thy gloiy and honour all the day long comes from the
LXX through the Vulg.
9 —13. Repeated deprecations and prayers.
9. Cast me not off] Or, cast me not aivay, from Thy presence (li. 1 ), 1
though for the time the nation as a whole is so cast out (Deut. xxix. 28;
Jer. vii. 15).
10. against me] R.V. concerning me. Cp. iii. 2 ; xli. 5. What
they say follows in v. 11.
they that lay wait for my soul] Or, they that watch for my life.
11. God hath forsaken him] Cp. xxii. i; xxxviii. 11 b.
persecute] R.V. pursue. But cp. Ixix. 26; Jer. xv. 15; xvii. 18;
XX. II.
12, 13. Reminiscences of xxxv. ^^b, xl. 133, 14 (Ixx. ib, 2): cp.
xxii. xxxviii. 21, 22; xxxv. 4, 26; cix. 29.
II a\
make haste for my help] R.V. make haste to help me.
let them be confounded] R.V. as in v. i, let them be ashamed.
cotisumed] Some editors Avould read dishonoured as in xl. 14, with
some MSS. and the .Syr. The Hebrew words differ in one letter only.
But the LXX and Jer. support the M.T., for which cp. xxxvii. 20.
; ;
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek

my hurt.
But I will hope continually, m
And will yet praise thee more and more.
My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness 15
And thy salvation all the day

For I know not the numbers thereof.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God :
16
I will make mention

of thy righteousness, even of thine only.
O God, thou hast taught me from my youth : 17
And hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.

Now also when I am old and gray headed, is
14 —16. Vows of praiseand thanksgiving.

14. But as for me, I will hope continually,
And will praise thee yet more and more.
He contrasts his own future with that of his enemies.
15. My mouth shall teU of thy righteousness,

And
of thy salvation all the day;
For I know not the tale thereof.
Salvation is coupled with righteousness, because the one is the out-
come and visible manifestation of the other. Cp. v. 2; Is. xlv. 21.
There is a play in the Heb. on the words tell and tale. They are
derived from the same root, which, like tell in old English, means both
to count and to recount. God's mercies are an inexhaustible theme. Cp.
xl. 5; cxxxix. 17, 18.
16. I will go &c.] Better, I will come with the mighty acts of the
Lord Jehovah, bringing them as my theme for praise. Cp. cvi. 2. The
A.V. would at any rate require the singular, which is however read by
the LXX and some other Versions.
17 — 20. Past mercies are the ground of liope alike for the Psalmist
and for the nation.
17. thou hast tatight me &c.] He has been a life-long disciple in
the school of God. Cp. Is. viii. 16; 1. 4; liv. 13.
have I declared^ Have I been declaring, habitually and constantly.
thy wondrous works\ A
special term for the singular and conspicuous
works of God, both in nature (Job v. 9), and in His dealings with His
people (Ex. iii. 20), particularly in the great crises of their history
(Ixxviii. 4, II, 32), which declare His power and love, and arouse the
admiration of all who behold them. The word includes 'miracles'
commonly so called, as one limited class of 'the wonderful works of
God, but is of much wider application. To recount and celebrate His
'
marvellous works is the duty and delight of God's saints. Cp. ix. i
xxvi. 7 ; xl. 5.
18. Noiv also ivhen I am old and grayheaded'\ Better, And even
; :
414 PSALM LXXI. 19, 20.
O God, forsake me not

Until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation,
And thy power to every one that is to come.
19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high.
Who hast done great things
O God, who is like unto thee !
20 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles,

Shalt quicken me again.
And shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
when I am old and grayheaded: lit. and even unto old age and gi-ay
hairs. Cp. i Sam. xii. 2.
&c.]
tintil Better with R.V.,
Until I have declared thy strength unto (the next) generation,
Thy might unto every one that is to come.
TJiy strength, lit., thine arm, implies more than power ; it suggests
"thoughts of guidance, support, protection, government, chastisement,
conflict, victory." (Kay). Cp. Ixxvii. 15; Is. liii. i; &c. It is more
natural to supply the next (R.V.) than this with generation. But gene-
ration needs some qualification and the Syr. (with which the
; LXX
nearly agrees) may be right in reading, until I hare declared thy strength,
and thy tnight to the generation to come. Cp. xxii. 30, 31, and the note
there.
19. is very high'] Lit., (reacheth) unto the height, of heaven. Cp.
xxxvi. 5; Ivii. 10; Job xi. 8.
ivho hast done &c.] It is better with R.V. to connect this clause with
what follows Thou who hast done great things, God, who is like unto
:
thee? Jehovah is incomparable for power and goodness. The funda-

mental passage is Ex. xv. 11; cp. Ps. xxxv. 10; Ixxxvi. 8; Ixxxix. 6, S;
Mic. vii. 18.
20. Thou which hast shewed us many and sore troubles,
Shalt quicken us again,
And shalt bring us up again from the depths of the earth.
So R.V., with marg. note, 'Another reading is, rue.' The Kthlhh
or written text (p. li) has us ; but the Qri, or accepted reading of the
Jewish textual tradition, is me. The latter reading is supported in the
first line by all the Versions except Aquila: in the second and third
lines the LXX and Syr. read me, Targ. and Jer. us. The plural, whether
it is the original reading or not, points to the correct interpretation.
The Psalmist's hopes are not merely personal he speaks on behalf of ;
the nation whose representative he is; he looks for its restoration from
its present state of humiliation. It is as it were dead and sunk in the
depths of Sheol, but God can and will recall it to life. Cp. Hos. vi. i,
2; Ezek. xxxvii. i2ff. ; Ps. Ixxx. 18: Ixxxv. 6. ^,â/« hardly expresses
the full meaning: lit. thou wilt turn, or, return {and) quicken us. Cp.
vi. 4; Ixxx. 14; Ixxxv. 4; Is. Ixiii. 17.
the depths of the eat-th] The 'depths' denote (i) the vast masses of
water stored away in the earth (xxxiii. 7), and hence (2) the subterranean
;
Thou shall increase my greatness, 21
And comfort me on
every side.
I will also praise thee with the psaltery, 22
Even thy truth, O my God unto thee will : I sing

With the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee 23
And my soul, which thou hast redeemed.

My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day 24
long:
For they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame,
that seek my hurt.
abysses where Sheol was supposed to be situated. Cp. "the lower

parts of the earth" (Ixiii. q), and Job xxvi. 5, 6.
21 — 24. Repeated prayers and vows of thanksgiving.

21. mayest thou increase my greatness,
And tiim again and comfort me.
Except in the Book of Esther the word iox greatness
is used of God's
greatness or great deeds (cxlv. 3, 6); and the LXX
reads thy righteous-
ness, or, according to some MSS. and the Vulg., tity greatness. This
may be right ; but if the text is correct, the Psalmist thinks of himself
as sharing in the honour of the resuscitated nation. He can hardly
refer to personal dignity only. For comfort c^. Is. xii. t; xl. i. The
past tenses of the P.B.V. in this and the preceding verse are due to
the influence of the Vulg.
22. / ivill also &c.] I also will give thanks unto thee in response
:
to this new proof of Thy love. psaltery'] See on Ivii. 8.

thy truth] For in this manifestation of mercy to Israel God has
shewn Himself /ri/f to His promises. Cp. Mic. vii. 20.
unto thee &c.] Unto thee will I make melody.
O thou Holy One of Israel] A title which is found frequently in the
Book of Isaiah, but elsewhere only twice again in the Psalter (Ixxviii.
41 ; Ixxxix. 18), twice in the Book of Jeremiah (1. 29; li. 5), and once
in a modified form in Ezekiel (xxxix. 7). Cp. too IIos. xi. 9; Hab. i.
12. Its use here in connexion with the redemption of Israel is signi-
ficant. It denotes that God in His character of a Holy God has
entered into covenant with Israel, and His holiness is pledged to redeem
His people. For a fuller explanation of this title the present writer
may be allowed to refer to his Doctrine of the Prophets, pp. 173 ff.
23. My lips shall sing aloud when I make melody unto thee.
P.B.V. 'my lips shall h&fain,' i.e. glad: Vulg. exiiltabunt.
my soul] His whole self and personality, delivered from danger,
will join in the glad thanksgiving. Cp. xxxiv. 22 Iv. 18. ;
24. My tongue &ic.] From xxxv. 28. The word for talk denotes
musing, meditative speech.
for they &c.] For they are ashamed, for they are confounded, that
:
4i6 PSALM LXXII.
seek my hurt (R.V.). A reminiscence of xxxv. 4, 26; xl. 14 (Ixx. 2).

His faith realises the discomfiture of his enemies as though it had
already taken place.
PSALM LXXII.
The preceding Psalm dwells much upon the righteousness of God
thisPsalm depicts the blessings which will flow from the righteousness
of His earthly representative, the theocratic king. In Psalm after
Psalm in this book we have heard the cry of the oppressed here is :
unfolded to our view the splendid vision of a perfect ruler who shall be
the champion of the oppressed, whose glory will be, "redressing human
wrong."
i. The Psalm begins with a prayer that God will endow the king
with the knowledge of His laws and with the spirit of His righteousness.
Thus equipped he will fulfil the ideal of his office, as the just nder who
protects the oppressed, and secures for his people the blessings of peace
ii.
—
and plenty (i 7).
Thus far the Psalmist has dealt with the relation of the king to
his own people. Now, taking a wider sweep, he prays that he may
have a world-wide dominion, and that the wealthiest and most distant
nations may bring him tribute, won by the moral supremacy of his
beneficent rule to offer him their voluntary homage (8 — 14).
iii. The Psalm concludes with prayers for the welfare of the king
himself, for the prosperity of his people, and for the undying perpetua-
tion of his memory as the benefactor of the nations, in whom the
—
promise made to the seed of Abraham finds its fulfilment (15 17).
In rendering the title 'A Psalm yj;^ Solomon,'' the A.V. follows the
LXX (ei's Xa\w/j.div) in regarding Solomon as the subject of the Psalm.
Similarly the Syriac Version entitles it, 'A Psalm of David, when he
had made Solomon king, and a prophecy concerning the Advent of the
Messiah and the calling of the Gentiles.' But this explanation is unten-
able. The analogy of the other Psalm-titles points to the rendering of
A.V. marg. and R.V., supported by all the other Ancient Versions, 'A
Psalm of Solomon.^ It seems then to have been regarded as having been
composed by Solomon as an intercession to be used by the people on
his behalf. Nor is this an impossible view of its origin and purpose.
If the "last words" of David, uttered in the spirit of prophecy shortly
before his death, describe the blessings which would flow from the rule
of a righteous king, animated by the spirit of justice and guided by the
fear of God, and anticipate the rise of such a righteous king out of his
house in virtue of the eternal covenant which God has made with him,
why should not the first words of Solomon be a prayer that these great
hopes should be realised in himself by the world-wide extension and
eternal duration of a kingdom founded in righteousness?
Many of the arguments urged against the Solomonic date are of little
real weight, (i) It is said that in v. 2 the whole people is spoken of
—
as 'afflicted,' and that w. 12 14 "read like the hope of one who had
seen the nation sunk in distress." But the reference is not to the nation
as a whole, but to the poor and weak within it who were always liable
PSALM LXXII. 417
to be hardly treated by the rich and powerful. (2) V. 8 is said to be a

quotation from Zech. ix. 10; and z/. 12 from Job xxix. 12.
It is how-
ever by no means clear that the Psalmist is the borrower. (3) The
clear and flowing style is thought to be the mark of a later age.
Delitzsch on the contrary finds in the somewhat artificial style a mark
of the Solomonic period, and the argument is not one which can be
pressed.
On the whole however the Psalm seems rather to reflect the memories
of Solomon's imperial greatness than to anticipate it. For what later
king it was written must remain uncertain. It may have been for
Hezekiah, who came to the throne at a time when grave social evils
called for reform, and when the hope of the advent of the ideal king in
the near future animated the minds of the prophets. It is even possible
that the Psalm does not refer to any particular king, but is a prayer for
the establishment of the Messianic kingdom under a prince of David's
line according to prophecy, the lyrical counterpart in fact of Zech. ix.
9 ff. At the same time it does appear to have a definite historical back-
ground, and to be a prayer for a king who is actually on the throne.
The prayer in the Psalms of Solomon for the advent of the Messianic
king [Introd. p.xxwiii) has an altogether different tone.
The hypothesis of Hitzig and others, approved by Cheyne, that it
refers to some non-Israelite king, such as Ptolemy Philadelphus (B.C.
285), may safely be rejected. It is not conceivable that a poet of real
patriotism, not to say of inspiration in the higher sense of the word,
should have so grovelled to a heathen monarch as to apply to him the
sacred language of Messianic hope, and to connect his name with the
solemn promises to the seed of Abraham and the house of David.
But if the primary reference of the Psalm is to some actual king of
Judah, it is it reaches far beyond him.
plain that It is a 'Messianic'
Psalm. a picture of the kingdom of God upon earth in its
It presents
ideal character of perfection and universality. It is thus in its nature
not only a prayer and a hope but a prophecy. As each successive king
of David's line failed to realise the ideal, it became clearer and clearer
that its words pointed forward to One who was to come, to the true
" Prince of Peace." Hence the Targum interprets it of the Messiah.
It paraphrases v. i thus :
"O God, give the precepts of Thy judgement to King Messiah,

And Thy righteousness to the son of king David:"
and it interprets z^. 17 of the pre-existence of His name :
"His name shall be remembered for ever;

And before the sun existed was His name prepared;
And all peoples shall be blessed in His merits."
—
According to the Talmud and Midrash, Yinnon the word in 7>. 17
—
which is rendered shall be continued or shall have issue is one of the
eight names of the Messiah. "His Name," so the Rabbis mystically in-
terpreted the passage, "is Yinnon. Why is He called Yinnon ? Because
He will make those who sleep in the dust to flourish": i.e. He will
raise the dead.
Following the example of Jewish exegesis, the Christian Church has
rightly understood the Psalm to refer to Christ. Yet it is never quoted
rsALMS 27
4i8 PSALM LXXII. i, 2.
in the N.T. Possibly the regal aspect of the Messiah was so dominant
in the first age (Acts i. 6) that it needed to be kept in the background,
until men had learnt that His kingdom was "not of this world," but a
spiritual kingdom.
It was
fitly chosen by the Early Church as the special Psalm for the
Epiphany, foretelling as it does the homage of the nations to the
Messiah, of which the visit of the Wise Men was the earnest.
It was a favourite Psalm of St Edmund, the martyr king of East
Anglia, who spent a year in retirement that he might learn the Psalter
by heart, so as to be able to repeat it in his intervals of leisure. Its
kingly ideal seems to have moulded his life.
A Psahti for Solomon.
72 Give the king thy judgments, O God,

And thy righteousness unto the king's son.
2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness,
And thy poor with judgment.

1 — 7. A prayer that God will confer upon the king the gifts which
he needs for the right exercise of his office. Then righteousness will
bear the fruit of peace; redress and repression of wrong will promote
the fear of God under
; his beneficent rule the righteous will flourish.
1. God is the source of all judgement (Deut. i. 17); the king is His
representative for administering it. May God therefore grant him such
a knowledge of the divine laws and ordinances by which he is to
govern Israel, and endow him with such a divine spirit of justice, as
may make him a worthy ruler. Just judgement is the constant charac-
teristic of the ideal king (Is. xi. 3ff. ; xvi. 5; xxviii. 6; xxxii. i). The
words of this verse and the next are the echo of God's ofler to Solomon,
"Ask what I shall give thee;" and of Solomon's answer, "Give thy
servant an understanding heart to judge thy people ;^'' and a prayer for the
effectual realisation of the promise, "Lo, I have given thee a wise and
an understanding heart." (i Kings iii. 5 ff.).
the king... the king's soul Not, to the king and his heir, for the Psalm
speaks of but one ruler; but, to a king who is a king's son, the legiti-
mate successor to the throne.
2. He shall give sentence to thy people with righteousness,
And to thine afllicted ones with judgement.
Many commentators render the verbs throughout the Ps. as optatives,
Let him give sentence, and so forth. In vv. 8 ff. this rendering is
required by the form of the verb but here the form is a simple future.
;
The administration of the king endowed with divine capacities for

ruling is described {w. 2, 4, 6), together with the resultant blessings
(3> 5' 7)' The rendering give sentence is adopted to indicate that the
Heb. word is different from that in v. 4.
It has been argued that 'thine afflicted ones' implies that the nation
was at the time in a state of depression and humiliation but the term :
2 ;
PSALM LXXII. 3—5. 419
The mountains peace to the people,

shall bring 3
And the by righteousness.
little hills,
He shall judge the poor of the people, 4
He shall save the children of the needy.
And break in pieces the oppressor.
shall
They long as the sun
shall fear thee as s
And moon endure, throughout all generations.
is not necessarily coextensive with thy people it denotes, as fre-
'
'
;
quently in the prophets, the poorer classes, who especially needed the
protection of good government. See Is. iii. 14, 15; x. 2; Jer. xxii. 16;
Am. viii. 4.
3. Logically this verse forms but one sentence, and the exact repro-
duction of the Heb. division into two clauses for the sake of rhythm
has an awkward effect. The sense is, By righteousness shall the
mountains and the hills bear peace for the people. The mountains
and the hills, which are the characteristic features of Palestine, repre- y^
sent poetically the whole land, which; under a just government, will bear
the fruit of peace and general welfare for its inhabitants. Similarly
Isaiah describes peace as the result of righteousness (xxxii. 17); and
peace was the distinguishing characteristic of Solomon's reign (i Chron.
xxii. 9), as well as of its antitype the Messianic age; (Is. ii. 4; ix. 6, 7 ;
Zech. ix. 10).
4. An expansion of v. 2. The oppressed and defenceless are the
special care of the true king, "whose glory is, redressing human wrong."
He does justice to 'the afflicted of the people'; he is the preserver of
'the children of the needy,' words which are best understood literally,
not merely of those born poor, or as a periphrasis, according to a com-
mon idiom, for 'the needy,' but of children, especially orphans, at once
innocent and helpless, and therefore calling for special protection (see
Is. X. 2; Mic. ii. 9, for the dangers to which they were exposed) while :
he crashes the merciless oppressor, treating him as he had treated his

victims (xciv. 5; Prov. xxii. 22, 23; Is. iii. 15; James ii. 13).
5. They shall fear thee while the sun endureth,
And so long as the moon doth shine, throughout all genera-
tions.
Who is addressed? Not the king, who is spoken of throughout in
the third person, but God. The just administration of the king will
promote reverence for God, Whose representative he is (cp. i Kings
viii. 40; Matt. v. 16), so long as the established course of nature lasts.
For the order of nature as an emblem of permanence cp. Jer. xxxi. 35 ft".
xxxiii. 20 ff
The LXX
however represents a different reading ffe shall endure :
as long as the stm, &c. a reference to the promise of eternal dominion

:
to the house of David, as in z^. 17: cp. Ixxxix. 4, 29, 36, 37; xxi. 4.
The word presumed by the LXX
("inX'') closely resembles that in the
Massoretic Text (']1N"1'"'), so far as the consonants are concerned, and it
may have been the original reading still, the text gives a good sense.
:
27 —
:
420 PSALM LXXII. 6—8.
6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass

As showers that water the earth.
7 In his days shall the righteous flourish ;
And abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the river unto the ends of the earth.
He shall come do'vn &c.] A condensed comparison, for, 'he

6.
shallbe like rain coming down.' The simile may have been suggested
by the 'last words of David,' 2 Sam. xxiii. 4: cp. Prov. xvi. 15; Hos.
vi. 3; Micah v. 7.
the mown The meadow which has been mown, and which
gyass\
needs rain to start the aftermath (Am. vii. i). The P.B.V. into a fleece
of tvool is an amplification of the rendering of LXX, Vulg., Symm.,
Jer., iipon a fleece. The Heb. word means a shorn fleece or a 7nown
meadow ; probably the Ancient Versions meant fleece metaphorically of
the meadow Coverdale's paraphrase a fleece of wool may have been
:
prompted by the recollection of the dew on Gideon's fleece.

7. flourish^ The metaphor follows naturally upon that of the pre-
ceding verse. Cp. Prov. xi. 28; Ps. xcii. 12, 13. For the righteous
LXX, Jer., Syr. read righteousness, which suits the parallelism better.
so long as the moon endiireth'\ Lit. as R.V., till the moon be no
more; for all time. Cp. Job xiv. 12.
8 — 14. May all nations submit to this best of rulers, recognising the
paramount claim of moral supremacy.
8. He shall have dominion also] Render, And may lie have domi-
nion. The form of the verb here
decisive in favour of rendering as a
is
wish or prayer, and governs the meaning of the verbs in vv. 9 11, —
which should all be similarly rendered.
from sea to sea &c.] The words are a poetical generalisation of the
promise to Israel in Ex. xxiii. 31, "I will set thy border from the Red
Sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness unto
the River" ; and of the language in which Solomon's empire is described,
I Kings iv. 21, 24 (where note the use of the same word to have dominion).
If any definite seas are intended, they would be the Mediterranean on

the West, and the Red Sea or the Indian Ocean on the East but more ;
probably the phrase is quite general, meaning, 'as far as the land ex-
tends' (Am. viii. 12; Mic. vii. 12). The River (rightly spelt in R.V.
with a capital, as denoting the River par excellence) is the Euphrates:
the ends of the earth (the same words as the nttertnost parts of the earth
in ii. 8) are the remotest parts of the known world. Extension, not
limit, is the idea conveyed. The world belongs to God may He confer :
upon His representative a world-wide dominion a hope to be realised !
only in the universal kingdom of Christ. Almost the same words recur
in Zech. ix. 10, and the son of Sirach combines them with the promise
to Abraham in Ecclus. xliv. 21.
;
PSALM LXXII. 9—12. 421
They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him ;
And his enemies shall lick the dust.

The kings of Tarshish and ^the isles shall bring presents : >
The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

Yea, all kings shall fall down before him : i
All nations shall serve him.

For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth 1
The poor also, and hi?n that hath no helper.

9. Let them that dwell in the wilderness bow down before him,
And let his enemies lick the dust.
Even the wild Bedouin tribes that roam at large through the desert,
the freest of the free, submit to his rule. LXX, Aq. Symm., Jer.,
,
render, Ethiopians, the Targ., Africans; but the term is quite general.
There is no need to alter the text. Cp. Ixxiv. 14.
lick the dust} I.e. prostrate themselves with their faces on the
ground in abject submission. Cp. Mic. vii. 17 Is. xlix. 23.
;
10. Let the kings... bring presents, or, as R.V. marg., render tri-
bute, the word implying that they are rendering what is dtce to him.
Tarshish was the wealthy Phcenician colony of Tartessus in southern
Spain the isles or rather the coastlands are those of the Mediterranean
:
generally. Sheba was south-eastern Arabia (Arabia P'elix), famous for

its wealth and commerce; hence P.B.V., following LXX and Vulg.,
gives Arabia: Seba, mentioned in Gen. x. 7 among Cushite peoples and
coupled with Egypt and Ethiopia in Is. xliii. 3, xlv. 14, is generally
supposed to be the kingdom of Meroe in Ethiopia, but may denote a
Cushite state on the Arabian Gulf. The most remote and the most
wealthy nations unite in honouring the righteous king.
11. Yea, let all kings fall down before him.
Let all nations serve him.
The allusions to Solomon's empire in this and the preceding verse are
obvious. "All kingdoms brought presents and served Solomon."...
"All the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, ...and they
brought every man his present." His alliance with Phoenicia brought
him into connexion with the West he had extensive commerce both by
;
sea and land with the East and South his fame brought the queen of
;
Sheba to visit him in person. See i Kings iv. 21, 34 x. i ff., 11,15,
;
11, 25, 28, 29.

12. For he shall deliver"] His claim to this universal homage rests
not on the strength of his armies but on the justice and mercifulness of
his nde. Cp. Is. xvi. 4, 5. The true victory of the kingdom of God is a
moral victory, v. 9, it is true, refers to the forced submission of his
enemies; but the same inconsistency is found in Zech. ix. gff. it was :
only by slow degrees that the triumph of the kingdom of God came to
be completely dissociated from the idea of material conquest, and was
realised to be entirely a moral triumph.
the poor also &c.] And the afflicted, when he hath no helper. The
verse closely resembles Job xxix. 12.
: ; ;
422 PSALM LXXII. 13—16.
13 He shall spare the poor and needy,

And shall save the souls of the needy,
u He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence:
And precious shall their blood be in his sight.
15 And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of
Sheba
Prayer also shall be made for him continually
And daily shall he be praised.
16 There shall be a handful of corn in the earth upon the top
of the mountains
13. He shall bave pity on the weak and needy,

And the souls of the needy shall he save.
77ie zveak may include the sick as well as the poor. Cp- xl. i Ixxxii.;
3, 4; Is. X. 2, xi. 4; Am. iv. i. Sotds primarily = lives, and so in v. 14.

14. deceif] Oppression (R-V.) or fraud (R.V. marg.). The word
occurs elsewhere only in x. 7; Iv. 11.
and precious &c.] He will not suffer it to be shed with impunity.
Cp. for the phrase cxvi. 15; i Sam. xxvi. 21 2 Kings i. 13, 14; and see
;
Ps. ix. 12. P.B.V. ^âr means 'costly' or 'precious.'
15—17. A concluding triplet of prayers, for the welfare of the l<ing

{v. 15), for the prosperity of his people {v. 16), for the perpetuation of
his memory {v. 17).
15. The connexion and meaning are uncertain. The R.V. con-
nects the verse with v. 14, placing a colon at the end oi v. 14 and
rendering, and they shall live: lit., as marg., he, namely, each one of
the afflicted ones. The literal rendering of the next clause is, and he
(or, one) shall give him, which is understood to mean either that the
poor man will grow rich and give presents to the king in gratitude for
his deliverance, or that the king will not only protect the life of the poor
man, but give him a rich largess in addition. Neither of these explana-
tions is satisfactory. It is better to separate z'. 15 from v. 14, and
regard vv. 15 —
17 as a concluding series of wishes or prayers for the
king and his kingdom.
So may he live, and may men give him of the gold of Sheba:
And may they pray for him continually, and bless him all day
long.
Alay he live is an echo of the regular acclamation Vivat Rex,' 'Vive
'
le Roi,' which we render God save the king. See i Sam. x. 24; 2 Sam.
xvi. 16; I Kings i. 25, 34, 39. May the people not only greet him
with the customary acclamation and offer him the choicest gifts, but
pray for his welfare and bless him as the source of their happiness and
prosperity. Cp. i Kings viii. 66. The P.B.V. 'prayer shall be made
ever unto hivi is untenable as a rendering of the Heb.
' It was doubt-
less suggested by the view that the subject of the Psalm is the divine
Messiah.
: :
PSALM LXXII. 17, 18. 423
The fruit thereof shall shake Hke Lebanon :
And they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
His name shall endure for ever 17
His name shall be continued as long as the sun :
And men shall be blessed in him :
All nations shall call him blessed.
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, 18
Who only doeth wondrous thi?igs.
16. May there be abundance of com In the land upon the top
of the mountains
May the fruit thereof rustle like Lebanon;
And may men flourish out of the city like grass of the
earth.
A prayer for the fertility of the land, and the prosperity of the people.
The poet would see the cornfields stretching up to the very top of the
hills, and hear the wind rustling through the ears of corn as through the
cedars of Lebanon, a name in itself full of associations of beauty and fer-
tility (Hos. xiv. 5 ft'.). It is doubtful whether the verb means to tvave,
as A.V. shake, or to rustle. Grass is emblematic of freshness, beauty,
abundant and vigorous growth. Cp. Job v. 25; Is. xxvii. 6. The in-
crease of the population was a marked feature of Solomon's reign
(i Kings iv. 20), and is a common characteristic in the pictures of the
Messianic age (Is. xlix. 20 ff).
17. May his name endure for ever;
As long as the sun doth shine may his name have issue:
May all nations bless themselves in him, (and) call him
happy.
The Psalmist prays that the king's name may not perish like the
name of the wicked (Job xviii. 19), but may always have issue, be per-
petuated in his posterity as long as time lasts (cp. v. 5). The Ancient
Versions however (LXX, Syr., Targ., Jer.) point to the reading
YIKKON, shall be established, instead of YINNON, shall have issue, a word
which is found nowhere else. Cp. Ixxxix. 37 i Kings ii. 12, 45.
; The
LXX reads, "All the families of the earth shall be blessed in him, all
nations shall call him happy." But each of these last three verses is a
tristich, and the words "all families of the earth" are introduced from
Gen. xii. 3. May all nations bless themselves in him, invoking for them-
selves the blessings which he enjoys as the highest and best which they
can imagine (cp. —
Gen. xlviii. 20); an allusion to the promises to /
Abraham and Isaac (Gen. xxii. 18; xxvi. 4).
18, 19. This doxology is no part of the Psalm, but marks the close of
Book ii. It is fuller than the corresponding doxology at the end of
Book i (xli. 13), and those at the end of Books iii (Ixxxix. 52) and iv
(cvi. 48).
18. who only doeth 7vondroiis things] Cp. Ixxxvi. 10; cxxxvi. 4;
Job ix. 10; and note on Ixxi. 17.
:
424 PSALM LXXII. 19, 20.
19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever

And let the whole earth be filled with his glory ; Amen, and
Amen.
20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
19. this glorio7is name] Lit. the name of his glory, as in Neh. ix. 5.
Cp. the similar phrase in i Chr. xxix. 13 Is. Ixiii. 14. The Name of
;
His glory is the compendious expression for the Majesty of His Being,
as it is revealed to men.
attd let the 7vhole earth Si.c.'] From Num. xiv. 11.
Amen, and Amen] So it response of the congregation,
is : the
affirming the ascription of praise on their own behalf (cvi. 48 ; Neh.
viii. 6).
20. Compare the note in Job xxxi. 40 which separates the speeches
of Job from those of Elihu and Jehovah. As the Fourth and Fifth
Books contain Psalms ascribed to David, this note cannot have been
placed here by an editor who had the whole Psalter before him. Most
probably it was added by the compiler of the Elohistic collection, to
separate the 'Psalms of David' from the 'Psalms of Asaph' which follow,
and to indicate that there were no more 'Davidic' Psalms in his collec-
tion. The only Psalm in Book iii which bears the name of David
(Ixxxvi) is outside the Elohistic collection, and is moreover obviously a
late compilation, composed of fragments of other Psalms.
THE PSALMS.
BOOK III.
PSALMS LXXIII— LXXXIX.

THE THIRD BOOK OF PSALMS.
Twelve Psalms in the Psalter are entitled Psalms "of
Asaph," of which one (Ps. 1) stands by itself between the
Korahite and Davidic groups in Book ii, and the remainder
stand together in a group at the beginning of Book iii. It has
been conjectured (see Intj-od. p. xxxix, note i) that the isolated

position of Ps. due to a transposition of the divisions
1 is
of Books ii and and that the original arrangement was

iii,
(i) Davidic Psalms, 51 —

72; (ii) Levitical Psalms, (i) of the sons
of Korah, 42—49 (2) of Asaph, 50, 73- 83.
;
But it is at least
as probable that Ps. 1 owes its position to its connexion with
Ps. xlix on the one hand and Ps. Ii on the other, and was
intentionally placed by the compiler between the Psalms which
he took from the Korahite collection and those which he took
from the Davidic collection.
Asaph was one of David's three chief musicians. Along with
Heman and Ethan (who seems to have been also called Jeduthun,
see p. 348, and Intr. to Ps. Ixxxviii) he was selected by the Levites
to lead the music when David brought up the Ark to Jerusalem
(i Chron. xv. 16 —
19). He was appointed by David to preside
over the services of praise and thanksgiving in the Tent where
the Ark was placed (i Chi on. xvi. 4, 5, 7, 37), while Heman
and Jeduthun ministered in the Tabernacle at Gibeon (xvi. 41,
42). His sons, under his superintendence, were leaders of four

of the twenty-four courses of musicians (xxv. and they i fif.),
are mentioned as taking part in the Dedication of the Temple

(2 Chron. v. 12). In later times Asaph was ranked with David
as the author of sacred songs, and along with Heman and
Jeduthun, he bore the title of " the king's seer " (2 Chr. xxix. 30 ;
I Chr. xxv. 5 2 Chr. xxxv. 15).

;
The " sons of Asaph," that is, the Levitical family or guild
of his descendants, are further mentioned in the reign of Jeho-
shaphat (2 Chron. xx. 14), in connexion with Hezekiah's
reformation (xxix. 13), and as taking part in the Passover
celebrated by Josiah (xxxv. 15). Among the exiles who re-
turned with Zerubbabel were " the singers, the sons of Asaph,"
in number 128 (Ezra ii. 41), or (according to Neh. vii 44) 148,
^
428 THE PSALMS

and they conducted the service of praise and thanksgiving
when the foundation of the Temple was laid (Ezra iii. lo). In
the time of Nehemiah they are once more mentioned as holding
the same office (Neh. xi. 22).
It is clear that all the Psalms which bear the name of Asaph
cannot have been written by David's musician, if indeed any

of them were, for some unquestionably belong to the time of
the Exile or even a later period. Probably the title does no
more than indicate that they were taken by the compiler of the
Elohistic Psalter from a collection of Psalms preserved and used
in the family or guild of Asaph, and bearing his name. Why one
Levitical hymn-book should have been named from the sons of
Korah, and the other from Asaph rather than the sons of Asaph
can only be conjectured. Possibly tradition connected the name
of Asaph himself more closely with it as the founder of the
collection or the author of some of the Psalms in it, but it
must have remained open to additions in successive periods.
The Psalms of Asaph are marked by distinctive charac-
teristics. How is this to be accounted for, if they belong, as
seems certainly to be the case, to widely different periods.''
It may best be explained by the supposition that a certain
type or style of composition, derived possibly from Asaph him-

self, was traditional in the family of Asaph, rather than by
the supposition that they were selected on account of their

particular characteristics.
Broadly speaking, these Psalms are distinguished by their
prophetic character. The theme of Ps. 1, which is a typical
Psalm of Asaph, conspicuous for its vigour and originality, is
the message reiterated by the prophets from Samuel onward,
that merely formal sacrifices are worthless in the sight of God ;
and the following features occur with sufficient frequency to be

regarded as characteristic of the collection
^ Stahelin, who is followed by Bishop Pero\vne, reckons among the
characteristics of these Psalms the interchange of the Divine names

Jehovah and Elohlni, and observes that Jehovah generally occurs
towards the end of a Psalm where it passes into supplication. But
if the predominant use of Elohim in the Elohistic collection is due to
the hand of an editor {/iitrcd. p. xli), the interchange cannot be set
. ;;
OF ASAPH. 429
(i) Like the prophets, they represent God as the Judge. y

Ps. 1 describes Him as coming to judge His people, demanding
spiritual service, and rebuking unbelief. Pss. Ixxv, Ixxvi cele-
brate a signal judgement upon some blasphemous and insolent
enemy of His people, probably Sennacherib. Ps. Ixxxii re-
presents Him Judge of judges, calling them to account for

as the
malversation of their office. And though God is not expressly
called the Judge in Pss. Ixxiii, Ixxviii, Ixxxi, the judgements of God
as exhibited in life and history for encouragement and warning
form the subject of these Psalms. Of course the representation
of God as the Judge is not confined to these Psalms, but it is
so prominent in them as to constitute a distinctive feature.
(2) As in the prophets, God Himself is frequently introduced
as the speaker, and that not merely by the way, but in solemn,
judicial utterances. See 1, Ixxv, Ixxxi, Ixxxii. Comp. Ps. Ix. 6 ff.
in the Davidic group.
(3) The didactic use of history is also a prophetical feature,

for it was the function of prophecy not only to foretell the future,
but to interpret the past. It is in the Psalms of Asaph that we
first meet with frequent references to the ancient history of Israel.
The allusion to the legislation at Sinai in Ps. 1 is merely general
but in Ixxiv. 12 ff., Ixxvii. 10 ff., Ixxx. 8 ff., Ixxxi. 5 ff., Ixxxiii. gff.,
the past history of the nation isappealed to for encouragement

or warning, and Ps. Ixxviii is entirely devoted to the 'parable'
of Israel's history from the Exodus to the Building of the
Temple. Such references are not found in Book i, and are
rare in Book ii (xliv. i ff., Ixvi, 5 ff., Ixviii) in the later books ;
however they are more frequent (xcv. 8 ff., ciii. 7 cv cvi cxiv ; ; ;
cxxxii ; cxxxv ; cxxxvi).
(4) Another feature, springing out of the last, is the fre-
down Psalms of Asaph or of those of the

as a peculiarity either of the
sons of Korah.
El, 'God', and Elyon, 'the Most High', occur with somewhat
greater relative frequency, but the former is distributed over the whole
Psalter, and the latter over the first four Books of it. In Book v it
occurs only in cvii. 1 1 Adoiidi, ' Lord (which however may '
often be due only to an editor or scribe, the word read in place of

JHVH being actually written instead of it) occurs but six times, while
in Ixviii alone it occurs seven times, and in Ixxxvi seven times.
430 THE PSALMS OF ASAPH.
quency with which the relation of Jehovah to Israel is expressed
by the figure of the Shepherd and His flock. It recalls Jehovah's
guidance of His people through the wilderness, and conveys the
assurance that He will yet seek the lost and gather the scattered
and guide them back into their own land. See Ixxiv. i Ixxvii. ;
—
20 Ixxviii. 52, cp. 70 72; Ixxix. 13; Ixxx. I. It may be noted
;
that this is a favourite figure with the prophets Micah, Jeremiah,

and Ezekiel.
(5) Connected with the tendency to look back to the

early history of Israel may be the use of the combinations
Jacob and Joseph (Ixxvii. 15), Joseph and Israel (Ixxx. i ; Ixxxi.
4, 5); cp. Ixxviii. 67, 68. Cp. Am. v. 6, 15; vi. 6; Ob. 18; Zech.
X. 6; Ezek. xxxvii. 16, 19; xlvii. 13. It seems to express the
idea that the division of the nation is intolerable, and that the
reunion of Israel is necessary to its full restoration. In this too
the Asaphite Psalms agree with the prophets, who from the time
of Amos onward predict the ultimate reunion of the nation.
The Asaphite Psalms are almost entirely national Psalms,
of intercession, thanksgiving, warning, and instruction. The
purely personal element is scarcely found among them. In
the Psalms which have the most individual character (Ixxiii,
Ixxvii) the Psalmist speaks as the representative of a class, and

the circumstances which cause him perplexity are social or
national, not personal.
As regards the date of the Psalms in this group, some belong
to the period of the monarchy (Ixxv, Ixxvi) some to the Exile
;
(Ixxiv, Ixxix, Ixxx) ; and some perhaps to the post-exilic period.

But the predominant impression gained from reading the col-
lection as a whole is that of a cry out of the Exile, pleading
that God will visit and restore His people. Psalms of thanks-
giving for past deliverances, such as Ixxv, Ixxvi, Ixxxi, follow
Psalms of supplication, as reminders of the marvellous works
wrought by God for His people in times past, and pledges that
He can and will once more deliver them. That the collection
contains Maccabaean Psalms appears to the present writer
improbable, in spite of the general opinion to the contrary. See
Introd., p. xxxv, and the introduction to Ps. Ixxiv.
—
PSALM LXXIII. 431
PSALM LXXIII.
This Psalm is a touching confession of faith sorely tried but finally
victorious. It falls into two equal divisions: in the first, the Psalmist
relates his temptation; in the second, the conquest of his doubts.
i. He had all but lost belief in God's goodness towards the righteous
(i, 2), as he gazed with envy on the prosperity and influence of the
wicked, who seem to enjoy immunity from sickness and trouble, and go
on unchecked in a career of pride and violence and blasphemy, seducing
the mass of men to follow them in denying God's rule in the world (3
11). He was tempted to think that all his endeavours after holiness had
been worse than wasted labour, for they had only brought him suffer-
ing (12— 14).
ii. He felt that to proclaim such a view of life would have been an
act of treachery towards his fellow-Israelites, but the more he pondered
on the problem, the more cruel did it seem (15, 16), until in the Temple
the truth was revealed to him, that all the pomp of the wicked is but a
hollow show, doomed to sudden and irreparable destruction (17 20). —
To envy it was indeed irrational stupidity, when in the fellowship and
guidance and favour of God he possessed the highest good of which
—
man is capable (21 26). For desertion of God leads to death; draw-
ing near to Him is happiness (27, 28).
The double problem of the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering
of the righteous weighed heavily on the minds of many in ancient Israel,
who only knew of this world as the scene of God's dealings with men,
and missed the clear evidence of God's sovereign justice which theydesired
to see in the reward of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked.
In Ps. xxxvii we have a simple exhortation to patience and faith in view
of the prosperity of the wicked, for the triumph of the wicked will
be short-lived, while the reward of the righteous will be sure and
abiding. In Ps. xlix the impotence and the transitoriness of wealth are
insisted on, and contrasted with God's care for the righteous and the
final triumph of righteousness. In this Psalm the problem is still
approached from the side of the prosperity of the wicked, though there is
a side-glance at the sufferings of the righteous (v. 14). It represents a
deeper and probably later stage of thought the difficulty has become
:
more acute, and the solution is more complete; for the Psalmist is led
to recognise not only the instability of worldly greatness, but the
supreme blessedness of fellowship with God as man's highest good. In
the Book of Job the problem is approached from the side of the suffer-
ing of the righteous, but it is fully discussed in its manifold aspects.
A further step is made towards the conclusion implicitly contained in
the faith of this Psalm, that this world is but one act in the great drama
of life.
Whether the Psalmist in vv. 24 ff. looks beyond this life or not, is a
question of interpretation on which opinion will probably always be
divided. But it is clear, as Delitzsch observes, that he does not rise
from pointing to the retribution which awaits the wicked in this world,
to anticipate a solution of the contradictions of life in the world beyond.
;
432 PSALM LXXIII. 1—3.
and the exceeding glory which infinitely outweighs the sufferings of this
present time still lies beyond his horizon. But the dimmer his view of
a future life, the more wonderful is the triumphant faith, which sur-
renders all and cleaves to God, and the pure love, which counts all in
the universe as nothing in comparison of Him.
It isimpossible to speak with confidence as to the date of the Psalm. /
It does not belong to the Exile, for the Temple was standing (v. 17).
The problem was debated in pre-exilic times (Jer. xii. i ff. Hab. i. ;
2 ff.) ; as well as after the Return (Ps. xciv. 3 ff. ; xcii. 7 ff. ; Mai. iii. 13 ff.
Ecclesiastes viii. 1 1 ff.; &c.). The relation of the Psalm to Job (cp.
especially ch. xxi) and Proverbs (xxiii. 17, 18; &c.) does not enable us
to fix its date. It should be noted that here, as in Pss. xxxvii, xlix, the
thoughts and language of the ' Wisdom or religious philosophy of Israel,
'
find a place in the Psalter.
A Psalm of Asaph.
Truly God is good to Israel, 73

£ven to such as are of a clean heart.
But as for me, my feet were almost gone ; a
My steps had well nigh slipt.
For I was envious at the foolish, 3
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
1 — 14. Faith tried by the sight of the prosperity of the wicked.
1, 2. The Psalmist begins by stating the conclusion to which he had
been led through the trial of his faith.
1. Truly] It is possible to render with R.V. marg., Only good is

God. Though He permits His people to suffer, He is wholly loving-
kindness toward them. Cp. Lam. iii. 25. But it is preferable to
render with R.V. text, Surely. The particle ak in this connexion ex-
presses the idea Nay but after all.
such as are of a clean heart] R.V., such as are pure in heart.
'Israel' is thus defined as the true Israel of God. To them, in spite of
all appearances to the contrary, He manifests His goodness (Ex. xxxiii.
19). Purity of heart and life is the condition of admission to His pre-
sence (xxiv. 4 ff.), of 'seeing God' (Matt. v. 8).
2. But the Psalmist had almost lost his faith in God's goodness. He
had as it were all but swerved from the right path (xliv. 18) ; all but lost
his footing in the slippery places of life's journey (xvii. 5).
—
3 9. The cause the unbroken prosperity of the godless.
: Cp. Job's
indignant complaint, xxi. 7 ff.
3./ was envious] Cp. xxxvii. i ; and the repeated warnings of the
Book of Proverbs, iii. 31, xxiii. 17, xxiv. i, 19.
the foolish] Rather as R. V., the arrogant, a word denoting boastful
blustering presumption. Cp. v. 5 ; Ixxv. 4.
the prosperity] Lit. the peace. Cp. Job xxi. 9, "their houses are in
peace without fear."
: : : : ; :
PSALM LXXiri. 4-8. 433
For there are no bands in their death : 4

But their strength is firm.
They are not in trouble as other men ; s
Neither are they plagued like other men.
Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain ; 6
Violence covereth them as a garment.

Their eyes stand out with fatness 7
They have more than heart could wish.
They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: 8
They speak loftily.
4. no bands &^c.'\ The meaning maybe that they are not bound and
delivered over like "pale captives" to premature death (cp. the para-
phrase of P.B.V. "they are in no peril of death"): or that they have
no torments of pain and disease (R.V. vxzxg. pangs) in their death, but
have a peaceful end to a prosperous life. Cp. Job xxi. 13, 23.
But the mention of death seems premature, and the rhythm of the
Hebrew is halting: sense and rhythm both gain by a simple emendation
which is adopted by most editors
For they liave no torments
Sound and stalwart is their body.
5, 6. They have no share in the misery of mortals
Neither are they plagued along with other men
Therefore pride is as a chain about their neck;
Violence covereth them as a garment.
Though "man is born for misery" (Job v. 7), they escape the com-
mon lot of humanity, and consequently their pride and brutality are
unchecked. For the metaphors cp. Prov. i. 9; Ps. cix. 18. Chains
were worn on the neck in Eastern countries for ornament by men as
well as women, and also as badges of office (Gen. xli. 42 Dan. v. 7). ;
7. According to the Massoretic Text the first line describes the insolent
look of these sleek-faced villains. Cp. Job xv. 27. But the LXX and
Syr. represent a different reading, which suits the probable sense of the
next line better, and gets rid of a grammatical anomaly. Render
Their iniquity cometh forth from the heart
The imaginations of their mind overflow.
The word for heart is the same as that in xvii. 10, which according to
Robertson Smith {Religion of the Semites, p. 360) means properly the
midriff. The verse is thus a continuation oiv. 6. "Out of the abund-
ance of the heart the mouth speaketh"; and no lear or shame controls
their utterance of their thoughts. Cp. Jer. v. 28.
8. The rhythm seems to require a different division of the verse from
that given by the Massoretic accentuation, thus;
They scoff, and talk of evil:
Of oppression do they talk from on high.
Not the commandments of God (Deut. vi. 7; xi. 19) but their own
PSALMS 28
— —
434 PSALM LXXIII. 9— ii.

9 They set their mouth against the heavens,
And tongue walketh through the earth.
their
10 Therefore his people return hither :
And waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.

11 And they say, How doth God know?
And is there knowledge in the most High ?
nefarious designs are the subject of their conversation they talk "as if
:
they were gods and their words oracles." Cp. Is. xiv. 13. P.B.V.
"their talking is against the most High" (Great Bible from Miinster) is
untenable.
9. The A.V. gives a good sense: they blaspheme God and dictate
to men. Cp. Dan. vii. 25. But probably the R.V. is right in rendering,
They have set their mouth in the heavens.
The clause expands the words of the preceding verse "from on high."
They make an impious claim of divine authority, and dictate to men as
though the earth belonged to them.
10, 11. The mass of men are carried away by their evil example.
10. A difficult verse. The general sense appears to be that attracted
by the prosperity and pretensions of the wicked a crowd of imitators
turn to follow them, and in their company drink to the dregs the cup of
sinful pleasure. The Psalmist's temptation is intensified as he contem-
plates the popularity of the wicked. Cp. xlix. 13. The details however
are obscure. Therefore, because they are deluded by the extravagant
pretensions of the wicked. The pronoun his is commonly explained to
refer to the wicked regarded as a whole, or to some conspicuous leader
among them. The context hardly allows of its reference to God. But
the LXX and Syr. may preserve the true reading 'my people,' the
Psalmist speaking with sorrow of his deluded countrymen. Return
should rather be t2trn; hither, to the wicked and their pernicious ways.
The reading of the Kthibh given in R.V. marg., he "will bring back his
people hither, finds no support from the Ancient Versions, and admits of
no satisfactory explanation. Waters offulness are drained by them
is a metaphor for the enjoyment of pleasure or possibly for imbibing
;
pernicious principles. Cp. Job xv. 16; and the saying of Jose ben
Joezer, "Iêt thy house be a meeting house for the wise... and drink
their words with thirstiness." Pirqe Aboth, i. 4, cp. 12.
11. The speakers in this verse are not 'the wicked,' but the deluded
mass of their followers described in v. 10. They adopt the language of
their leaders, and question God's knowledge of their doings in particular,
and even His omniscience in general. Cp. x. 4, 11, 13. The names of
God El, the Mighty One, 'Elyon, the Supreme Ruler of the Universe
are chosen so as to accentuate the blasphemy of their scepticism.
12 — 14. The Psalmist's temptation as he contemplated the scene.

Some commentators regard these verses as the continuation of the
speech in v. 11, giving the thoughts of the followers of the wicked, the
; 2 ;
:
PSALM LXXIII. 12—15. 435
Behold, these are the ungodly, 12
Who prosper in the world ; they increase in riches.

Verily I have cleansed my heart vain, m 13
And washed my hands in innocency.

For all the day long have I been plagued, m
And chastened every morning.
If I say, I will speak thus ;
15
Behold, I should offend against the generation of thy

children.
speaker in vv. 13, 14 being any individual among them. But it is pre-
ferable to regard them as the words of the Psalmist himself, expressing
the thoughts which he had been tempted to indulge, (i) The form of
the sentence, Behold, siich &c., points to a summing up (cp. Job v. 27;
viii. 19, 20; xviii. 21); (2) 'the wicked' is a more natural designation
for the Psalmist than for their own followers to use ; (3) there is nothing
to shew that the speaker in z/. 15 is another than the speaker in vv. 13,
14; (4) the LXX (followed by the P.B.V.) inserts And I said at the
beginning q{v. 13.
12. Behold, such are the wicked!
And being always at ease they have gotten much sub-
stance.
At ease is a favourite word in Job : e.g. iii. 26 ; xii. 6 ; xvi. 1 2 ; xx. 20
xxi. 23; cp. Jer. xii. i.
13. Verily\ The same word ak as in v. i. R.V. Surely in vain
have cleansed my heart. If the wicked prosper thus, his endeavours
I
after holiness have been wasted. There is no reward for the righteous
nay (z/. 14) his own reward has been chastisement. He would not have
claimed to be sinless any more than Job (cp. Prov. xx. 9), but he has
a good conscience. For the second line cp. Ps. xxvi. 6. The meta-
phor is derived from the ceremonies of the Levitical ritual. See Ex.
XXX. 17 ff.; cp. Deut. xxi. 6.
14. For &c.] Apparently the recompence of his piety has been
continual chastisement. The wicked are not plagued {v. 5), but for
him there has been constant renewal of divinely inflicted sufferings.
Cp. xxxix. lo, 11; Job vii. 18.
15 —28. Faith triumphant in the conviction of an ultimate judge-
ment and the consciousness of the supreme blessedness of fellowship
with God.
—
15 17. Instead of parading his doubts, he wrestled with ^y
them until
in the sanctuary the solution of them was revealed to him.
15. had said, I will speak thus
If I
Behold, I had dealt treacherously with the generation of thy
children (R.V.).
If he had paraded his perplexities, and made open profession of the
wicked man's creed (Job xxi. 15), he would have been faithless to the
28 —
; ; : !
436 PSALM LXXIII. 16—20.
16 When I thought to know this,

It 7vas too painful for me
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God
Then understood I their end.
18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery //air^j- .•
Thou castedst them down into destruction.

19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment
They are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when 07ie awaketh ;
So, O
Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their
image.
interests of God's family. In the O.T. Israel as a people is called

Jehovah's son (Ex. iv. 22) or Jehovah's sons (Deut. xiv. i), but the
individual does not yet claim for himself the title of son except in an
official and representative capacity (ii. 7). The recognition of that
closer personal relation is reserved for the N.T. (Gal. iii. 16).
16, 17. And I kept thinking how to understand this
It was misery in mine eyes:
Until I went into the sanctuary of God,
And
considered their latter end.
As he kept pondering how to reconcile the facts of experience with the
revealed truth of God's character and promises, the sight of the
world's disorder seemed intolerable, until in the Temple, the place
of God's Presence, where He reveals His power and glory (Ixiii. 2), he
was enabled to realise the transitoriness of the prosperity of the wicked,
and their nothingness in the sight of God. The sanctuary (lit. as in
Ixviii. 35, sa7ictiiaries) is to be understood literally: the explanation of it
as "the sacred mysteries of God's Providence" (cp. Wisdom ii. 22) is
attractive but too fanciful.
—
18 20. The awful fate of the wicked is the negative solution of the
problem.
18. Surely in slippery places dost thou appoint their lot:
Suddenly dost thou cast them down into ruin.
Surely, as in vv. i, 13, means 'after all.' They are set in dangerous
places where they will stumble and fall. Cp. xxxv. 6; Jer. xxiii. 12.
The word for ruin occurs elsewhere only in Ixxiv. 3.
19. How are they become a desolation in a moment!
They are at an end, they are consumed with terrors.
The word terrors, found here only in the Psalter, is a favourite word
in Job in similar connexions (xviii. 11, 14, Sec).
20. As a dreani] Cp. Job xx. 8; Is. xxix. 7.
7vhen thou aivakest] When thou arousest thyself, a different word
from that in the previous line, used in vii. 6, xxxv. 23, of God bestirring
Himself to judgement. The word may mean in the city (R.V. marg.
and the Ancient Versions); but this rendering yields no satisfactory
: : :
PSALM LXXUl. 21—24. 437
^'
Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was pricked in my reins.
So foolish was I, and ignorant

I was as a beast before thee.
Nevertheless I am continually with thee ""
Thou hast holden me by my right hand.

Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel,
And afterwards receive me to glory.
shalt thou make their image to

sense: the paraphrase of P.B.V., 'so
vanish out of the city,' is quite unjustifiable
their imaee] Cp. xxxix. 6, note.
All their brave pomp is a phantom,
mere counterfeit of reality, an eidolon; and God
rates it at its true
a
value.
21, 22. The Psalmist's confession of his error. ^

If this rendering is adopted, the
connexion
21'
T/ms} R V For.
failed to perceive
is vvi'th the general sense of the preceding verses:-'!
eyes were opened in the sanctuary, for &c.
liut it
the truth until my
is better to render
When my heart grew sour.
And I was pricked in my reins,
I was brutish and ignorant,
I hecame a mere beast with
thee.
He confesses the folly of his former impatience.
He had lowered
for what distinguishes man
himself to the level of a beast (xlix. 10),
from the lower animals is his power of
communion with God. BeAe-
in Job xl- i5,,to the mf"
moth, rendered beast, might be taken, as
stupidity, but the more
hippopotamus,' as an emblem for 'a monster of
general rendering is preferable. The reins (renes, the kidneys) were
regarded as the seat of the emotions. Cp. vii. 9.
(/
23—26 The /(7J///W solution of the Psalmist's perplexity: the only
is to be found in fellowship
with God.
true and abiding happiness
Nevertheless\ Lit. But as for me, I am &c.
,
Render, Whereas
23.
I am &c. He contrasts his real position of fellowship witti God with
insecurity of the wicked.
his former delusion and also with the
thou hast holden &c.] Better as R.V., thou
hast holden right my
hand. Cp. Ixiii. 8. , n 1- -tu
of his hie with
•
24. with thy counsel] Tacitly he contrasts the course

of the Divine Wisdom
that of the wicked, for counsel is an
attribute
(Prov. 1. 25, 30).
(Prov. viii. 14.), which the wicked despise _
the word is often

to gloryl Or, with glory (R.V. marg.); or, as
translated, with honour. ,
Can we suppose that
The mining of this verse is much disputed naturally bear
Psalmist the sense which they
the words bore for the
for the Christian in the fuller light of
the Gospel? ô they express his
faith that God's guidance of him
through this life will be followed by
438 PSALM LXXIII. 25.
25 Whom have I in heaven but thee ?

And t/ie7-e is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.
reception into the glory of His Presence after death? Or do they

simply express his confidence that God will guide him safely through
his present troubles, so that in the end honour, not shame, will be his lot,
and his acceptableness to God will be demonstrated to the world?
Delitzsch finds in them the larger hope, and thinks that here, as in
xlix. 15, there is a reference to the assumption of Enoch (Gen. v. 24);
but he admits that there was as yet no divine promise holding out the
prospect of a heavenly triumph to the struggling church on earth upon
which such a hope could rest. If the Psalmist possessed this definite hope,
we might have expected that he would lay more stress upon it as affording
a solution of his perplexities. Such a hope moreover would rise far
above the general level of the O. T. view of a future life, at any rate till
the latest period. And no parallel can be quoted for the absolute use
of 'glory' in the sense of 'heavenly' or 'eternal glory.' Elsewhere in
the Psalter kdhod is used in the sense of 'honour' (Ixii. 7; Ixxxiv. 11;
cxii. 9; cxlix. 5); and in Job and Proverbs, to which it is natural to
turn for the elucidation of the language of a Psalm so closely connected
with the reflections of the 'Wise,' it bears the same sense. It is often
coupled with riches and life, and contrasted with shame. See Job xix.
9; xxix. 20; Prov. iii. 16, 35; viii. 18; xv. 33; xxi. 21; xxii. 4.
It seems therefore that as the Psalmist anticipates that judgement will
overtake the wicked in this world, so he looks for such a deliverance
and advancement in this world as will visibly demonstrate that he is the
object of God's loving favour, and prove that "there is a reward for the
righteous." Cp. Ixxi. 20, 21. This life is for him the scene of God's
dealings with men, and a full vindication of God's moral government
is looked for within the limits of individual experience. See further in
Introd. pp. Ixxv ff. and consult Oehler's O. T. Theology, § 246, and
:
Schultz's O. T. Theology, ch. xlii.

It may be noted that the LXX, followed of course by the Vulg., sees
no reference here to a future life, but renders, "In thy counsel didst
thou guide me, and with glory didst thou receive me."
If this view is correct, the Psalmist's faith is even grander than if he
looked foi-ward to glorification in a future life. He rises victorious
over the world of sense and appearance in the inward certainty of the
reality of his communion with God, and the absolute conviction that
this is the highest good and the truest happiness of which man is
capable. Such a knowledge is eternal life; and the possibility of it is
in itself a pledge that the communion thus begun cannot suddenly be
interrupted by death, but must be carried on to an ever fuller perfec-
tion,
25. But thee is rightly supplied in the first line, which receives its
completion and explanation from the second. The idea which logically
is one is divided into two clauses for the sake of the poetical rhythm.
beside thee\ Lit. with thee. If I have Thee, there is none else in
heaven and earth whom I desire. Thou art my only good and
:
PSALM LXXIII. 26-28. 439
My my heart faileth
flesh and :
But God the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

is
For lo, they that are far from thee shall perish :
Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.

But // is good for me to draw near to God
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That / may declare all thy works.
source of happiness in the whole universe. Cp. xvi. 1, R.V., "Thou

art my Lord I have no good beyond thee."
;
26. God is the strength of my heart] Lit., the rock of my heaxt.

Though bodily and mental powers fail, God is his sure refuge in
every danger (Ixii. 2, 6, 7), the possession which cannot be taken from
him (xvi. 5 ; cxiii. 5). Never, now that he has come to his right mind,
will he look for any other refuge (Is. xliv. 8), or envy those "whose
portion in life is of the world" (xvii. 14).
'^'
27, 28. The final contrast of death and life.
27. they that are far froin thee] Better, they that go far from thee,
Vulg., qui elongant se a te. Desertion of God the source of life (xxxvi.
9) can lead only to ruin and death.
all them that go a whoring from thee] All Israelites who are faithless
to the covenant with God. The figure of marriage is used to express
the closeness of Jehovah's relation to His people (Hos. ii. 1 if. Is. liv. ;
5, 6; and often), and consequently apostasy is spoken of as infidelity to

the marriage vow.
28. But as for me, to draw near to God is good for me :
In the Lord Jehovah have I made my refuge;
That I may speak of all thy works.
Emphatically he contrasts himself with those who 'go far from God.'
Once he had been tempted to ask what profit there was in serving God,
and openly to speak {y. 15) of his doubts: but now he can find an end-
less theme for praise in the dealings of God with the righteous and the
wicked. The LXX
reads, "that I may declare all thy praises
in the gates of the daughter of Sion," as in ix. 14; and this may
preserve the original reading, for the present Heb. text sounds incom-
plete. The P.B.V. "to speak of all thy works in the gates of the
daughter of Sion" combines the LXX
with the Heb.
PSALM LXXIV,
This Psalm and Ps. Ixxix are closely connected in thought and
language \ and reflect the same historical situation. If they are not
* Comp. Ixxiv. I, 9, 10 with Ixxix. 5, how long, for ever Ixxiv. 3, 7 with Ixxix. i,
:
the desecration of the sanctuary Ixxiv. i with Ixxix. 5, God's wrath Ixxiv. i with
: :
Ixxix. 13, sheep o/ thy pasture: Ixxiv. 2 with Ixxix. i, thine inheritance: Ixxiv. 10,
18, 22, 23 with Ixxix. 4, 12, the reproaches of the enemy: Ixxiv. 7, lo, i8, 21 with
Ixxix. 6, 9, God's name.
44° PSALM LXXIV.
from the same pen, they must at least belong to the same period, and
must be considered together.
The circumstances under which they were written stand out clearly.
The holy land has been overrun by heathen enemies; the Temple
has been desecrated and burnt to the ground; Jerusalem is in ruins;
numbers of Israelites have been slaughtered, and their bodies left
unburied; Israel is the scorn of neighbouring nations; the outward
ordinances of religion are suspended Jehovah seems permanently to
;
have cast off His people, and its fortunes seem destined to know no
recovery no one can foresee the end of its humiliation.
;
It has generally been thought that there are two periods, and only two,
to which this description can apply :
—
the destruction of Jerusalem by
the Chaldeans in B.C. 586, and the oppression of the Jews by Antiochus
—
Epiphanes in B.C. 170 165. Almost all commentators who admit the
existence of Maccabaean Psalms in the Psalter at all agree in referring
these Psalms to the latter occasion, and we may consider it first.
Antiochus IV, surnamed Epiphanes, became king of Syria in B.C. 175.
After his second expedition to Egypt, B.C. 170, he invaded Jerusalem,
plundered the Temple of its treasures, and massacred thousands of the
people. "All the house of Jacob was covered with confusion" (i Mace.
i, —
20 28). Two years later, after his fourth Egyptian campaign,
Antiochus sent a force under his general Apollonius to occupy Jeru-
.salem. He seized the city by treachery, plundered it and set it on fire,
massacred many of the people, sold many women and children as slaves,
and fortifying the city of David, established a Syrian garrison there
(i Mace. I. 29 ff.). Antiochus next resolved to stamp out the Jewish
religion. He promulgated an edict prohibiting the practice of all its
distinctive ceremonies upon pain of death, and ordering the Jews to take
part in heathen rites. The Temple was desecrated an idol altar set up
;
on the altar, and sacrifices offered upon it to Zeus Olympics; all the
copies of the Law that could be found were destroyed or defaced, and
their possession was made a capital offence. Many Israelites turned
apostate, but many preferred death to the abnegation of their religion.
The resistance inaugurated by Mattathias at Modin was crowned with
success. Under the heroic leadership of his son Judas the Jews re-
covered their liberty, and in B.C. 165 the Temple was cleansed and
re-dedicated with great rejoicings (i Mace. iv. 36 ff.).
In many respects these Psalms appear remarkably to reflect the
circumstances of this period ; they illustrate and are illustrated by the
narrative in i and 2 Maccabees in a number of details ; and in particular
the complaints put into the mouth of Mattathias (i Mace. ii. 6 ff.) and
Judas (2 Mace. viii. 2 ff.) present many points of resemblance. The
special arguments urged in favour of the Maccabaean date are ( ) that the
i
absence of prophets spoken of in Ixxiv. 9 was a marked characteristic of

the Maccabaean times (i Mace. iv. 46; ix. 27 xiv. 41), whereas Jeremiah
;
and Ezekiel survived the destruction of Jerasalem for many years, and
the former had predicted the duration of the captivity: (2) that the
existence of synagogues (Ixxiv. 8) points to a late period of Jewish
history (3) that the language of the Psalms implies that Israel was
:
suffering a. religious persecuiion (Ixxiv. 10, 18, 22): (4) that the 'signs'
PSALM LXXIV. 441
of the heathen in the Temple and the absence of Israel's 'signs' (Ixxiv.
4, 9) clearly refer to the introduction of idolatrous emblems and the

attempt to destroy the Jewish religion.
Upon these grounds these Psalms have very generally been assigned
to the period between B.C. 170 and B.C. 165, or more particularly
between the desecration of the Temple in B.C. 168 and its re-dedication
in B.C. 165. At first sight the arguments appear to be convincing.
But it has already been pointed out in the introduction to Ps. xliv that
the histoiy of the growth of the Psalter makes the presence of Maccabaean
Psalms in the Elohistic collection highly improbable. In view of this
improbability it is necessary further to examine the arguments alleged in
proof of the Maccabaean date. Now (i) though Jeremiah and Ezekiel
lived for several years after the destruction of Jerusalem, the complaint
of Ixxiv. 9 is intelligible, if the Psalm was written, as it may well have
been, after their death. It finds at least a partial parallel in Lam. ii. 9.
Further, though the question 'How long' may seem strange in the face
of Jeremiah's prediction of the duration of the Captivity, it could still
be asked even after the first Return (Zech. i. 12). (2) It will be
shewn in the notes on Ixxiv. 8 that the LXX, the oldest authority for
the text and interpretation of the passage, finds no allusion in it to
synagogues, but understands it of the solemn feasts, the suspension of
which is deplored in Lamentations as one of the great calamities of
the Exile. (3) Every war against Israel was in a sense a religious
war, and the language is no more than might have been used with
reference to any occasion when the humiliation of Israel gave the
heathen opportunity to speak contemptuously of Israel's God. (4) The
'signs' of the enemy may equally well mean the military ensigns of the
Chaldeans, and the absence of Israel's 'signs' may refer to the suspen-
sion of festivals and other outward ordinances of religion.
Thus the special arguments for the Maccabaean date break down upon
examination. But further, there are allusions which fit the earlier date
better than the later, and there are some marked features of the Macca-
baean period which are conspicuously absent.
(i) The description of the burning and destruction of the Temple
and the demolition of the city agrees with the account of the destruction
of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans (2 Kings xxv. 9, 10), whereas in the
Syrian troubles only the gates of the Temple were burnt and some of
the subordinate buildings destroyed (i Mace. iv. 38), and though the
city had suffered, it does not seem to have been laid in ruins.
(2) The prolonged desolation of the city and humiliation of Israel
points decidedly to the earlier occasion. The interval from the outrage
of Antiochus to the re-dedication of the Temple was only three years,
and even from his first invasion of Jerusalem only five years, a short
period, surely, to account for the strong expressions in Ps. Ixxiv.
(3) The mockery of the neighbouring peoples was a conspicuous
feature at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem (Ps. cxxxvii; Ezek.
xxv). (4) The parallels with Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Ezekiel are
at least as striking as those with i Maccabees ^
' Comp. Ixxiv. 4 with Lam. ii. 6, 7; Ixxiv. 7 with Lam. ii. 2; Ixxiv. g with Lam.
ii. 6, 9; Ixxix. 6, 7 with Jer. x. 25; Ixxiv. i, Ixxix. 13 with Jer. xxiii. i
; and further
references in the notes.
:
442 PSALM LXXIV.

Arguments from silence are no doubt precarious, but it must be noted
that these Psalms contain no reference to some prominent features of the
Maccabaean times. There is no allusion to the intrigues which had dis-
graced the hierarchy, or to the religious divisions of the time and the
apostasy of many of the people, or to the deliberate attempt of
Antiochus to enforce idolatry and destroy the Jewish religion.
On the whole, then, the view which seems most in accordance with
the evidence is that these Psalms were written some fifteen or twenty
years after the destruction of Jerusalem, about the same time as the
Lamentations. The author might have been an eye-witness of the
destruction of the Temple, which he describes so graphically, while at
the same time the exile had lasted long enough to make it seem as
though, in spite of Jeremiah's predictions of restoration, God had
permanently rejected His people. This hypothesis we may at any rate
take as the basis of our study, referring to the Book of Maccabees only
for illustration.
It has been suggested that these Psalms, though originally written
with reference to the destruction of Jerusalem, were re-touched to adapt
them to the circumstances of the later struggle. The possibility may be
borne in mind, but the conjecture does not admit of proof. Naturally
the Psalms would have been favourites at that time, and this may
account for many of the coincidences of thought and expression.
It may indeed be the case that it has been too hastily assumed by
the majority of commentators that these Psalms must refer to one or
other of the periods above mentioned. Ewald would connect them,
together with xliv, Ix, Ixxx, Ixxxv, with disasters which befel the
restored community in the earlier part of the fifth century B.C., to which
reference is made in Neh. i. 3. But it must be noted that Nehemiah's
concern is for the city only there is no mention of any desecration of
:
the Temple.
Robertson Smith {Old Test, in JeiL'ish Ch., ed. 1, p. 438) prefers
Ewald's earlier view, and connects them with the rebellion of the Jews
under Artaxerxes Ochus (circa B.C. 350), which was put down with
great severity. Our knowledge of the history of that period is, however,
extremely scanty, and the hypothesis lacks evidence.
Psalm Ixxiv may be divided into three stanzas, thus
i. The Psalmist expostulates with God for abandoning His people,
and entreats Him to come to their help, enforcing his appeal by a vivid
description of the havoc which the enemy had wrought in the sanctuary,
ii.
—
and the despair which is seizing upon Israel (i 9).
He renews his expostulation, bidding God remember that His
honour is at stake, and recalling, at once by way of pleading with God
and for his own consolation, the sovereignty of Israel's King in history
and in nature (10 —
17).
iii. Repeating the arguments he has already used, he once more
urgently entreats God not to abandon His people to the mercy of their
foes, or any longer to endure the insults which are heaped upon Him
daily (18 — 23).
; ; ;
PSALM LXXIV. 1—4. 443.
Maschil of Asaph.
O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? 74

Why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy
pasture ?
Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of 2
old;
The rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed
This mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations 3
Even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations ; 4
On Maschil see Introd. p. xviii.
1 — appeal to God, Who seems to have abandoned and forgotten

3. An
the people and city of His choice.
1. for ever] God's rejection of His people seems to have become
pennanent. The same thought recurs in w. 3, 10, 19, Ixxix. 5. Cp.
Lam. V. 20; Ps. xliv. 23; Lam. iii. 31.
smo/<:e] A metaphor for the outward signs of the fire of wrath. Cp.
xviii. 8; Ixxx. 4; Lam. ii. 3, 4.
the sheep of thy pastw-e] The exact phrase recurs only in Ixxix. 13;
c- 3; Jer. xxiii. i; Ezek. xxxiv. 31; but cp. xcv. 7. The title implies
that Israel has a right to claim God's loving care in virtue of His lela-
tion to it a relation which v. 1 points out was initiated by God Himself.
:
The representation of God as Israel's shepherd is common. See Ixxx. i

Ixxvii. 20; Ixxviii. 52; Is. xl. n; Jer. xxxi. 10; Ezek. xxxiv. iiff.
2. jRememberl Cp. vv. 18, 22; Lam. v. i; Is. Ixii. 6.
pm'chased... redeemed] Reminiscences of the Song of Moses (Ex, xv.
13, 16). Cp. Ixxvii. 15; Ixxviii. 35; Deut. xxxii. 6.
the rod &c.] Render with R.V.,
Wliicli thou hast redeemed to be the tribe of thine inheritance.
The nation is called a tribe, as in Am. iii. i it is called z. family. So
too in Jer. x. 16 ( = li. 19) cp. Is. Ixiii. 17.
;
this mount Zion] Omit this: the pronoun here serves for the relative.
divelt] Cp. Ixviii. 16. The verb is that from which later Judaism
derived the term Shechittdh to denote the abiding Presence of God
among His people.
3. Lift up thy feet] Bestir Thyself: come in might and inajesty to
visit and deliver. the perpetual desolations] R. V. the perpetual
ruins: a word found elsewhere only in Ixxiii. 18. Cp. the threat, Jer.
XXV. 9, and the promises, Is. Iviii. 12, Ixi. 4.
even all &c.] Better as R.V., All the evil that the enemy hath
done in the sanctuary; or R.V. marg., The enemy hath wrought all evil.
4 9. — A
graphic picture of the desecration of the Temple by the
heathen enemies of Israel.
4. Render, Thine adversaries roared in the midst of thy meeting-
;
444 PSALM LXXIV. 5—7.
They up their ensigns /îr signs.

set
5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up
Axes upon the thick trees.
6 But now they break down the carved work thereof
At once with axes and hammers.
7 They have cast fire into thy sanctuary,
They have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy
name to the ground.
place. Aloed may mean either the place or the time at which God
meets His people, as of old He met them at "the tent of meeting" (Ex.
xxix. 42 — 44). Here probably the Temple is meant. Its courts were
filled with heathen foes instead of reverent worshippers they rang with :
wild shouts of triumph instead of the praises of Israel. Cp. Lam. ii. 6, 7.
they set up their ensigns for signs^ Pro-
Lit., their signs as signs.
bably their military ensigns or standards (Num. are meant.
ii. 2) The
erection of these in the Temple itself was a visible sign of its desecration,
and of the completeness of the triumph of the heathen. Many commen-
tators however suppose that religious emblems and ceremonies are
meant, and those who regard this Psalm as Maccabaean suppose that
the idolatrous altars erected and rites celebrated by command of Antio-
—
chus are referred to. See i Mace. i. 45 49, 54, 59, iii. 48.
The R.V. gives the probable sense of these verses, but does not
6, 6.
reproduce the pictorial tenses, which represent the work of destruction
as though it were going on before the reader's eyes. Render:
They seem as men that lift up
Axes upon a thicket of trees.
And now all the carved work thereof together
They are battering down with hatchet and hammers.
The enemy are compared to wood-cutters hewing down a forest (Jer.
xlvi. 22, 23) and the simile may have been suggested by the fact that the
;
carved work on the Temple walls represented "palm trees and open
flowers" (i Kings vi. 29).
The P.B.V., " He that hewed timber afore out of the thick trees was
known to bring it to an excellent work. But now they break down
&c.," introduced into the Great Bible from Miinster, gives a suggestive
contrast between the skill of the artist and the vandalism of the
destroyer but the present Heb. text cannot bear this meaning.
;
7. They have set thy sanctuary on fire

They have profaned the dwelling place of thy name even to
the ground. (R.V.)
The verse appears to speak of a complete destruction of the Temple
by fire. This was done by Nebuzaradan (2 Kings xxv. 9, 10) but not by
the emissaries of Antiochus, for Judas found the main building standing,
though the gates had been burned and the priests' chambers pulled
down (i Mace. iv. 38). Comp. the stress which Ezekiel lays on the
desecration of the sanctuary (vii. 21, 22, 24). See also Lam. ii. 2.
: :
PSALM LXXIV. 8— lo. 445
They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together

They have burnt up all the synagogues of God in the land.
We see not our signs :
There is no more any prophet

Neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
O God, how long shall the adversary reproach ?
For the dwellingplace of thy name cp. Deut. xii. 1 1 ; xvi. 2, 6, i r,
&c. ; Jer. vii. 12; Fs. xxvi. 8.

8. They said in their heart, Let us crush them altogether:
They burned up all the meeting places of God in the land.
For the form of expression cp. Ixxxiii. 4.
The interpretation of this verse is specially important in its bearing
on the date of the l^salm. It would be a strong argument for the late
date if it really contained an allusion to synagogues. Though the origin
of these buildings for purposes of worship and instruction is hidden in
obscurity, it can hardly have been earlier than the post-exilic period.
(See Schiirer, Hist, of the Jetvish People, Div. ii. § 27, E.T. ii. ii. 54.)
But it is doubtful whether there is any such allusion. The word trans-
lated synagogues is the same as that used in v. 4, meaning either //atr^ or
time of meeting. In the plural it always has the latter meaning. Now
if the Psalm were Maccabaean and the passage referred to synagogues,
it might be expected that the LXX
translators, working no long time
afterwards, would have so understood it. But they do not; and ap-
parently they had a different text before them, for they render Come, :
let Its cause the feasts of the Lord to cease out of the land. Similarly the
Syriac. These versions then understand the words to refer to the
festivals or solemn assemblies. Now the cessation of the festivals is
one of the points mentioned in the Lamentations (i. 4 ; ii. 6) as a special
calamity; and in Hos. ii. n
the Heb. word presumed by the LXX
here is used in the prediction of the cessation of religious festivals in
the Captivity. This reading and interpretation suit the context. The
stated festivals were among the 'signs,' the symbols of God's presence
and favour, of which v. 9 speaks.
9. our The outward and visible symbols of our religion, such
signs'\
as sabbath and festival, which God "had caused to be forgotten in
Zion" (Lam. ii. 6). The sabbath is spoken of as a sign in Ex. xxxi. 13,
17; Ezek. XX. 12, 20. The words would of course be specially appro-
priate to the time at which Antiochus attempted to suppress all the
distinctive ordinances of the Jewish religion (i Mace. i. 45, 46, 60, 61).
Note the contrast with the 'signs' of hostile domination, v. 4.
there is no fnore any prophet'] A
characteristic of the Maccabaean
age (i Mace. iv. 46; 41): but the complaints of the exile
ix. 27; xiv.
are not dissimilar (Lam. ii. 9; Ezek. vii. 26); and even after the Return
the angel in Zechariah's vision (i. 12) asks 'How long?'
10. H. Once more the Psalmist expostulates with God for His in-
action.
10. How long] Taking up the last words of v. 9, the Psalmist begins
446 PSALM LXXIV. ii — 14.
Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever ?

11 Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand ?
Pluck it out of thy bosom.
12 For God is my King of old,
Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength :
Thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.

14 Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces,
And gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the
wilderness.
the second division of the Psalm with an appeal parallel to that in tjv. i 3. —
There he entreats God to have pity on His people's need, here to have
regard to His own honour.
reproach... blasphe»ie\ In act and word. Like the Assyrians, Is. x.
7ff., xxxvii. ; 23!?.; and Syrians, Dan. vii. 8, 25; xi. 36; i Mace. ii. 6.
11. Why
drawest thou back thy hand, even thy right hand?
(Pluck it) out of thy bosom (and) consume (them).
The right hand which in days of old was stretched out to annihilate
the Egyptians (Ex. xv. 12), is now as it were thrust idly into the folded
garment. Cp. Lam. ii. 3.
12 —17. Yet God's mighty works of Redemption and Creation attest

His power His people. Cp. Ixxvii.
to interpose for the deliverance of
10 ff.
12. For'\ Better as R.V., Yet. In spite of His present inactivity

God has been and still is Israel's King. The Psalmist speaks in the
name of the nation. Cp. Ex. xv. 18; Ps. xliv. 4; Hab. i. 12.
salvatioti] Lit. salvations, manifold and great acts of deliverance.
in the midst of the earth'] As in Ex. viii. 22, the phrase implies that
His wonders are wrought in the sight of all the nations and attest His
claim of universal sovereignty (Ixxvii. 14).
13. Thou] Vv. 13, 14, 15, 17 all begin with an emphatic Thou;
V. 16 with Thine. It is Thou and none other, Who didst and doest
all these things. The Asaphite Psalms are full of references to the
Exodus.
by thy strength] Cp. Ixxvii. 14; Ex. xv. 13. The dragons or sea
monsters, and leviathan, either the crocodile or some vague mythological
monster, are symbolical of Egypt. Cp. Is. xxvii. i ; Ii. 9 ; Ezek.
xxix. 3.
in the waters] Lit. itpon the waters, the symbolical monsters being
imagined as floating upon the surface of the water. The reference of
course is to the destruction of Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea.
14. Thou brakest &c. Thou didst crush... thou didst give him &c.
The dead bodies of the Egyptians were cast up on the shore (Ex. xiv.
30) to be devoured by the wild beasts of the desert. Cp. Ezek. xxix.
3— 5. For 'people' applied to animals cp. Prov. xxx. 25, 26.
: : : ;
PSALM LXXIV. IS— 20. 447
Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood : is
Thou driedst up mighty rivers.

The day is thine, the night also ts thine : 16
Thou hast prepared the light and the sun.

Thou hast set all the borders of the earth : 17
Thou hast made summer and winter.

Remember this, f/iat the enemy hath reproached, O Lord, iS
And the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.

f/ia^
O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude '9
wicked
o/f/ie
Forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
Have respect unto the covenant 20
16. Thou didst cleave fountain and torrent

Thou didst dry up perennial rivers.
God's omnipotence was shewn alike in cleaving the rock so that water
flowed out (Ex. xvii. 6; Num. xx. 8; Ps. Ixxviii. 15; Is. xlviii. •zi),
and in drying up the perennial stream of the Jordan (Josh, iii, iv. ^s).
16, 17. All the fixed laws and ordinances of the natural world were
established and are maintained by God.
16. The day Sac.'] Thine is the day and the night is thine.
the light and the sun'\ Possibly equivalent to 'the moon and the sun*
(civ. 19); but more probably 'the luminaries and especially the sun.'
Cp. Gen. i. 14, 16.
17. the borders of the eartJi\ The divisions of land and sea (civ. 9;
Job xxxviii. 8ff. ; Jer. v. 22), and the apportionment of the land among
the nations (Deut. xxxii. 8; Acts xvii. 26).
18 — 23. Emboldened by his contemplation of the power of God in

history and in nature the Psalmist returns to prayer.
18. thefoolish people] R. V. a foolish people. The epithet denotes

the moral perversity of opposition to God. Cp. xiv. 1, note. It is
applied to the heathen in Deut. xxxii. 21.
19. The rendering of R.V., deliver not the soul of thy turtle-
dove unto the wild heast, is preferable to that of R.V. marg., deliver
ttot thy turtledove unto the greedy tnultitude. The dove is an emblem of
the defenceless people.
forget not &c.] Forget not the family of thine afflcted ones for
ever :or, the life of thine afflicted ones. There is a play upon the
different senses of the word chayyath: in the first line it means wild
beast (living creature), in the second yaw//)' (or life). For the meaning
family see note on Ixviii. 10.
20. the covenant] With the patriarchs, Gen. ix. 9ff. ; xvii. 2ff.
with the nation at the Exodus, Ex. xxiv. 8; with David, Ps. Ixxxix.
3, 39-
::
448 PSALM LXXIV. 21—23.
For the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations
of cruelty.
21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed :
Let the poor and needy praise thy name.

22 Arise, O
God, plead thine own cause
Remember how the foolish tnan reproacheth thee daily.
23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies
The tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth
continually.
the dark places of the eartK\ The heathen lands where Israel was in
exile. We
might also render, tlie dark places of the land, i.e. the
caves and hiding-places where the persecuted Israelites took refuge,
and where they were tracked out and butchered (i Mace. i.
53,
ii. 27 ff.).
are full of the habitations of cruelty\ R.V. violence. If the text is
right, the sense seems to be 'places where violence makes its home.'
But the expression is a strange one, and the emendation are full of
insolence and violence, adopted by many commentators, which requires
a very slight change in the consonants of the text, is plausible. Cp.
Ixxiii. 6; Gen. vi. 11, 13.
21. O let not the oppressed &c.] Let not the crushed or down-trodden
(ix. 9 ; X. 18) turn back from Thee unanswered and disappointed.
let the poor &c.] Let the afflicted have cause to praise Thee for
answered prayer.
22. 23. A final appeal. Elsewhere the Psalmist prays 'plead my
cause' (xliii. i), but Israel's cause is God's cause: His honour is at
stake.
the foolishman] The fool, the members of 'the foolish people, 't^. 18.
The Targ. paraphrases, "the reproach of thy people from the foolish
king," but there is nothing to shew that this meant Antiochus rather
than Nebuchadnezzar. daily\ All the day (R.V.).
23. thine enemies'] Thine adversaries, as in v. 4.
increaseth] Rather, ascendeth (R.V.), to heaven, challenging Thee
to act. Cp. Is. xxxvii. 29.
PSALM LXXV.
In one of his prophecies of the approaching judgement which was to
shatter the power of Assyria and set Israel free, Isaiah compares the
rejoicings with which the deliverance would be celebrated to the
rejoicings of the Passover festival. "Ye shall have a song, as in the
night when a holy feast is kept ; and gladness of heart, as when one
goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock
of Israel" (Is. xxx. 29). Of such songs this and the following Psalm
may well —like Pss. xlvi — xlviii in the Korahite collection— be examples.
PSALM LXXV. 449
They are closely connected in thought and language^, and may naturally
be referred, if not to the same author, at least to the same period. They
speak of a great act of judgement, by which God had condemned the
proud pretensions of some boastful enemy of a supernatural annihilation
;
of the hostile forces which had threatened Zion, the city of His choice,
whereby He had manifested His Presence and power among His
people. The destruction of Sennacherib's army was just such an act of
judgement, such a direct intervention on behalf of Zion. Sennacherib,
like Pharaoh, had challenged Jehovah to a trial of strength; and
through the Assyrian prophecies of Isaiah there runs the thought that it
was a crisis comparable to the Exodus, and second only to the Exodus
in importance. These Psalms are full of coincidences indirect rather —
—
than direct with Isaiah's prophecies of that period, and they breathe
an intensity of feeling which indicates that the poet himself had ex-
perienced that crisis of uttermost peril and marvellous deliverance.
The addition in the LXX title of Ps. Ixxv, 'A song with reference
to the Assyrians,'' whether due to tradition or conjecture, shews that
the Psalm was at an early date connected with the deliverance from
Sennacherib.
Some commentators have supposed that these Psalms celebrate Mac-
cabaean such as those of Judas over Apollonius (i Mace. iii.
victories,
loff.) and Seron (i Mace. iii. 13 ff-). But the general improbability
of the presence of Maccabaean Psalms in the Elohistic collection has
already been pointed out, and there is nothing in the Psalms themselves
to support this view. They speak of a signal Divine judgement super-
naturally inflicted, rather than of victories won like those of Judas,
not indeed without special help from God, but still by the valour of his
soldiers.
The position of these Psalms is significant. Following as they do
upon the urgent appeal of Ps. Ixxiv, they supply an answer to it.
"Remember," the compiler of the collection seems to say, "how in
one supreme crisis God proved His power to help His people."
Psalm Ixxv is cast into a vividly dramatic form, and speaks in a tone
of prophetic authority.
i. The people address God with thanksgiving for the recent mani-
festation of His power on their behalf (i). God speaks in answer,
assuring them that ever and anon at the fitting moment He exercises
judgement though all may seem confusion and men's hearts fail them,
:
He maintains the order which He has established in the world (-2, 3).
ii. Fortified by this Divine utterance, the Psalmist addresses the
proud enemies of Israel, warning them against presumptuous boasting,
for Israel looks to no human ally for help, but to God the judge, the
sovereign arbiter of human destiny. Who holds in His hands the cup of
judicial wrath to administer to those who resist His will (4 8). —
iii. While the wicked are thus punished, Israel (on whose behalf the
Psalmist speaks) will offer unceasing praise to God ; confident that the
1 Comp. Ixxv. I with Ix.wi. i, the name of God ; Ixxv. 9 \yith Ixxvi. 6, the God of
Jacob: Ixxv. 2, 7 with Ixxvi. 8, 9; and the general tone of triumph and thanksgiving
which pervades both.
29
: : ; :
450 PSALM LXXV. 1—3.
power of the wicked will be utterly destroyed, and the righteous be

brought to honour (9, 10).
Compare the Song of Hannah, i Sam. ii. i 10. On the title, For —
the Chief Musician set to Al-tashcheth. A Psalm of Asaph, a Song ;
;
see Introd. pp. xxiii, xxiv, and Introd. to Ps. Ivii.
To the chief Musician, Al-taschith, A Psalm or Song of Asaph.
75 Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give

thanks
For that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.
2 When I shall receive the congregation

I will judge uprightly.
3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved
1. The theme
of the Psalm: thanksgiving for the recent mani-
festation of God's presence and power among His people.
for that thy name is near thy wondrous ivorks declare'] The A.V.,
retained in R.V. marg., gives a good sense, but such a personification
of God's wondrous works is without analogy, and elsewhere 'wondrous
works is always the object to 'declare or similar verbs. Hence it is
' '
better to render with R.V.

We give thanks unto thee, God
We give thanks, for thy name is near:
Men tell of thy wondrous works.
God's 'Name' is the compendious expression for His Being as it is
revealed to men. Cp. the striking parallel in Isaiah's prediction of the
coming judgement on the Assyrians (xxx. 27 ff.), a passage which should
be carefully studied in connexion with this Psalm, "Behold the name of
Jehovah cometh from far." Though God is always 'near' (Deut. iv. 7),
yet in an especial sense He is near when He manifests His presence
'
'
(xxxiv. 18; cxlv. 18). men tell 8i.c.'\ God's miracles of deliverance
(ix. I ; Ixxi. 1 7, note) are in every one's mouth.
2, 3. God speaks, as in xlvi. 10, and His words are virtually an

answer to men's thoughts. Men may have thought that He had abdi-
cated His function as Judge of all the earth: not so: He was only
waiting for the fitting moment for action.
2. When I reach the appointed time,

I judge uprightly.
The 'appointed time' (cii. 13; Hab. ii. 3; Acts xvii. 31) is the
proper moment foreordained in the Divine counsels and known to God.
The intervention of Jehovah at the moment when the Assyrians are ripe
for judgement is a favourite thought with Isaiah (x. 32, 33; xviii. 4, 5).
The second / is emphatic: /, whatever men may do; /, whatever
men may think.
3. The first line virtually forms the protasis of the sentence Though :
: : : ;
PSALM LXXV. 4—6. 451
I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.

I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly 4
And to the wicked, Lift not up the horn
Lift not up your horn on high s
Speak not with a stiff neck.
For promotion cometh neither from the east, 6
Nor from the west, nor from the south.
the earth &c. I have set up the pillars of it. Though all the world
;
is in terror and confusion, / (emphatic) have established a moral order

in it. The material world is often compared to a building with its
foundations and pillars (i Sam. ii. 8; Job ix. 6; xxxviii. 4ff.); and the
moral world is described by the same figure. Cp. xi. 3 Ixxxii. 5. ;
/ bear up] Lit. / kave pi-oportioned, or, adjusted by line and measure.
The rendering of R. V. marg.. When the earth...! set up, will mean that
when confusion reigns, God re-establishes order but it is better to un-
:
derstand the perfect tense (/ have set up) of the fundamental laws which
God has from the first ordained.
4, 5. A
warning to all presumptuous braggarts, based on the Divine
utterances of t^z'. 2, 3. It is disputed whether the speaker is still God,
as in w. 2, 3, or the poet, but the latter alternative is preferable. The
interposition of Se/ak marks the end of the Divine speech, and I -said
naturally introduces a fresh speaker. Moreover there is no break between
V. 5 and V. 6, but it is clear that God is no longer speaking in w. 6, 7.
4. I say unto the arrogant, Deal not arrogantly. Cp. Ixxiii. 3

v. 5. Rabshakeh and his colleagues and the Assyrians in general were
the very type of such boastful, defiant arrogance (Is. xxxvii. 23; x.
7ff. ; Nah. i. 11).
Lift not up the horn] A metaphor, derived from animals tossing
their heads, to denote overweening, defiant self- consciousness of
strength.
6. speak not with a Better, as R.V. marg.. Speak not inso-
stiff neck]
lently with a haughty Cp. i Sam. ii. 3 and for neck = haughty neck,
neck. ;
see Job xv. 26. Aôt should not have been italicised in A.V. A single
negative governs both clauses in the Heb. though our idiom requires
its repetition. There is an interesting various reading in the LXX,
" Speak not unrighteousness against God." They read in their text the
word for J?ock, which differs by only one consonant from the word for
neck (^1V — liilV) ; and it is noteworthy that this title of God occurs in
Is. XXX. 29. Cp. Hab. i. 12.
6 — 8. The reason for this warning. Israel looks to God alone for
help, and He isthe supi'eme arbiter of human destinies.
6. According to one reading of the Heb. text we must render,
For neither from the east, nor from the west,
Nor yet from the mlderness, (cometh) lifting up.
The wilderness, to the S. of Palestine, stands for the south and the :
:
452 PSALM LXXV. 7—10.
7 But God is the judge

He putteth down one, and setteth up another.
8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is
red;
It is full ^mixture ; and he poureth out of the same :
But the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring
t/ie??i out, and drink them.
9 But I will declare for ever ;
I will ?,'mg praises to the God of Jacob.

10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off;
Btit the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
sense is, Exalt not yourselves, for exaltation comes from no quarter of
the compass, but from God. But it is better to follow a slightly different
reading, which is that of all the Ancient Versions except the Targum,
and render the second line, Nor yet from tlie wilderness of mountains,
(cometh our help). The sentence is an aposiopesis, to be completed
with words such as those of cxxi. i, 2. Israel looks not to any quarter
of the compass for human help, but to God alone. The North is not
mentioned because the Assyrians were approaching from that quarter.
7. the Judge'] Cp. Is. xxxiii. 22.
settetk itf\ Lifteth up. Cp. 1 Sam. ii. 6, 7 ; Ps. cxlvii. 6.
8. The judgement is described under the figine of a cup of wine, which
God gives the wicked to drink. The figure is a common one. See
Jer. XXV. 15 ff., 27 ff.; xlix. 12; li. 7; Is. li. 17 ff.; Job xxi. 20; Ps. xi.
6; Ix. 3. is red] Or, foameth (R.V.). mixture] Herbs and
spices to make it more seductive and intoxicating.
but the dregs &c.] Surely the dregs thereof all the wicked of the
earth shall drain up and drink. I'hey must drink the draught of
God's wrath to the last drop. Cp. Is. li. 17. Rosenmiiller quotes in
illustration from an Arabic poet, "We
gave the Hudheilites the cup of
death to drink, whose dregs are confusion, disgrace, and shame."
9. 10. The vow of praise and the assurance of triumph.

9. But as for me, I will declare for ever. It is easy to supply
'thy wondrous works.' But the LXX reads (with change of one letter)
I will rejoice, which may be right. Cp. ix. 14; Is. xxix. 19.
For ever may mean while life lasts (i Sam. i. 22) or is he speaking
'
' :
as the representative of the immortal people ?

10. will I cut off] If the poet is the speaker, he speaks in the name
of Israel, confident that in God's strength they will be able to complete
the humiliation of their proud foes. Cp. Mic. iv. 13. But the speaker
may be God, answering the vow of praise with a fresh promise. Cp.
xlvi. 10. For the figure cp. Zech. i. 18 ff.
shall be exalted] Shall be lifted up (R.V.). Cp. i Sam. ii. ro.
'
The righteous one is Israel, righteous by contrast with the wicked
'
Assyrians. Cp. Hab. i. 13.

PSALM LXXVI. 1—3. 453
PSALM LXXVI.
The occasion of this Psahn has already been discussed in the Intro-
duction to Ps. Ixxv. Its structure is clearly marked, and should be
compared with that of Ps. xlvi. It consists of four stanzas of three
verses each, the close of the first and third being marked by Selah.
i. God has once more revealed Himself in Zion, by shattering the
power of the foes which assailed her (i 3). —
ii. Triumphantly He returns from the scene of their discomfiture,
where hero and warrior, chariot and horse, lie still in death (4 — 6).
iii. None can resist Him when He puts forth His power as Judge
and Saviour (7 9). —
Man's opposition does but enhance His gloiy. Let Israel render
iv.
due thanksgiving, and the neighbouring nations pay fitting homage, to
Him Who subdues kings and princes at His will (lo 12). —
On the title, For the chief Musician, on stringed instruments. A
Psalm of Asaph, a Song, see Introd. pp. xix, xxii.
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song of Asaph.
In Judah is God known :

76
His name is great in Israel.
In Salem also is his tabernacle, •
And his dwelling place in Zion.

There brake he the arrows of the bow, :
The shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah.
1—3. God has once more shewn His might in Zion by shattering
the power of her assailants.
1. luiowiiX Lit. one who has made Himself known.
,
By this recent
deliverance He has once more "made Himself known in her palaces as
a sure refuge" (xlviii. 3; cp. ix. 16; Is. xxxiii. 13).
his name '\% gnat\ Cp. Ixxv. i; xlvii. 2; xlviii, i, 10; Ixxvu. 13.
Israel\ The covenant name, denoting the people of God's choice.
Now that the kingdom of Israel had fallen, Judah was the representa-
tive of the whole nation.
2. And he hath set his pavilion in Salem,
And his tahitation in Zion.
For the words pavilion and habitation applied to the Temple see
xxvii. 5 Ixviii. 5.
; The words may however mean the covert and lair
of a lion (x. 9; civ. 22; Am. iii. 4); and it is possible that the Psalmist
intends to describe God as the lion of Judah, who has issued forth from
His lair, and seized His prey. Cp. v. 4, and the simile in Is. xxxi. 4.
Salem is either an old name for Jerusalem (Gen. xiv. iS), or a poeti-
cal abbreviation. The name means 'unharmed,' 'at peace,' and it is
doubtless used with allusion to the recent escape of Zion from destruc-
tion (Is. xxxiii. 20).
3. There hath he broken the lightnings of the bow. The destruc-
454 PSALM LXXVI. 4—6.
4 Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of

prey.
5 The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep :
And none of the men of might have found their hands.

6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.
tion of Sennacherib's army apparently took place at some distance from

Jerusalem, but Jenisalem is naturally spoken of as the scene of God's
action, because it was the seat of His presence (xlvi. 5 ff.) and it was on
her behalf that He put forth His power.
Yox broken cp. xlvi. 9; Hos. ii. 18; Is. ix.4; Jer. xlix. 35; and more
generally, Is. xiv. 25. Arrows are called lightnings from the swiftness of
their flight, rather than from any reference to fiie-laden darts (vii. 13,
note). The battle includes all instruments and equipments for war.
—
4 6. The manifestation of God's majesty in the discomfiture of the
enemy.
4. A difficult verse. Two renderings are grammatically possible:
either. Illustrious art Thou, majestic, from the mountains of prey:
or, more than the mountains of prey. The second rendering however
appears to involve an unsuitable comparison, whether mountains ofprey
is explained to mean the strongholds of the invaders, or as a metaphor
for the invaders themselves, and the first rendering is certainly prefer-
able. It describes God either as issuing forth from mount Zion to spoil
the foe (Ixviii. 35) or better, as a lion returning from the mountains
;
where he has hunted his prey. Cp. Is. xiv. 25, "I will break the
Assyrian in my land, and upo)i my moimtains tread him under foot."
The fierce lion of Assyria who "filled his caves with prey, and his dens
with ravin" (Nah. ii. 1 1 ff. iii. i) had met his match.
;
The LXX has, fro7n the eternal mountains (cp. Hab. iii. 6), a reading
which is preferred by some commentators, and understood to mean the
mountains of Zion, on which God has placed His throne.
The word rendered majestic (A.V. excellent) is applied to God in Is.
x. 34: "Lebanon," the emblem of the Assyrians, "shall fall by a
majestic one'''' : Is. xxxiii. 21, "There Jehovah will be with us in
?najesty" : cp. the cognate word in Ex. xv. 11, majestic in holiness."
''''
5. The stonthearted\ For illustration cp. Is. x. 1 2 ff.
are spoiled\ Lit. have let themselves be spoiled. Cp. Is. xvii. 14;
xxxiii. I. they have slept their sleep'] They slumber their (last)
sleep, the sleep of death (Jer. Ii. 39, 57; Nah. iii. 18).
have found their hands'] Their hands refused to act their strength was
;
paralysed; in spite of all their haughty boastings, Is. x. 10, 13, 14, 32.
6. At thy rebuke'] Cp. ix. 5; xviii. 15; Is. xvii. 13.
are cast into a dead sleep] A word which denotes a deep, superna-
turally caused slumber. It is usual to say that 'chariot and horse' stand
by metonymy for charioteers and horsemen but surely poetry imagines
:
chariots as well as horses to be alive. The "pransing horses" and

: ; ;
PSALM LXXVI. 7— II- 455
Thou, even thou, art to be feared ^
And who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry ?
Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven 8
The earth feared, and was still.

When God arose to judgment, 9
To save all the meek of the earth. Selah.
Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee ; lo
The remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.

Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God "
the "bounding chariots" (Nah. ii. 3, 4; iii. 2), all the rush and roar of
the battle, are still and silent as the grave. Cp. Is. xliii. 17.
7 — 9. It was the irresistible judgement of God.

7. to be feared^ The same word as in v. 12, and in xlvii. 2.
who stand] Cp. Nah. i. 6 ; Ps. i. 5 cxxx. 3.
tfiay ;
8. Thou didst cause judgement to be heard] Or, as R.V., sentence.

God pronounced sentence upon the proud Assyrian when He intervened
for the rescue of His people. Cp. xlvi. 6; Is. xxx. 30; i Sam. ii. 10.
from heaven] For though God has chosen Zion for His earthly
dwelling-place, His true abode and seat of judgement is in heaven.
the meek of the earth] Cp. Is. xi. 4; Zeph. ii. 3. Israel, regarded
ideally as 'the righteous one' (Ixxv. 10), and contrasted with 'the
wicked of the earth ' (Ixxv. 8), is meant.
10 — 12. The lessons of judgement.

10. wrath of tna7t shall praise thee] All rebellion against God's
the
will must in the end redound to God's glory: it serves to set His
sovereignty in a clearer light (Ex. ix. 16). Excellently the P.B.V,,
'shall turn to thy praise.'
the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain] All that will not submit
shall be subdued. The sense is good, but it is very doubtful if the verb
can bear this meaning. Hence R.V., The residue of wrath shalt thou
gird upon thee. But whose wrath is meant? Surely it cannot be
God's wrath, with which He girds Himself to complete the destruction
of the foe, for the reference of zvrath in the two clauses of the verse to
different persons awkward, and it is difficult to see what can be meant
is
by the God's wrath. Rather it must be, as in the preceding

residue of
line, man's wrath that is meant. God girds on Himself as an ornament
the last futile efforts of human wrath, turning them to His own honour:
or girds them on as a sword, making the wrath of His enemies to
minister to their final discomfiture. Cp. Is. xxxiii. 11, "Your spirit
(i.e. wrath) is a fire which shall devour you." The peculiar rendering
of the LXX, "shall keep festival unto thee," may however point to a
different reading, meaning, shall honour thee.
11. Let Israel pay the vows it made, in its hour of peril (Ixvi. 13);
let the nations that dwell near God's city and people bring their presents
456 PSALM LXXVI. 12.
Let all that be round about him bring presents unto him
that ought to be feared.
12 He shall cut off the spiritof princes :
He is terrible to the kings of the earth.
—a phrase used only of bringing solemn tribute to God (Ixviii. 29; Is.
xviii. 7). "Many," we read in 2 Chron. xxxii. 23, "brought gifts unto
Jehovah to Jerusalem," after the great deliverance.
unto him that ought to be feared'] Lit. tnito the fear, the same word
as in Is. viii. 13.
12. He shall cut off] Cp. the simile in Is. xviii. 4, 5, describing how
Jehovah will destroy the plans of the Assyrians just as they are coming-
to maturity and Rev. xiv. 18, 19.
:
tJw spirit of princes] Their pride and fury. Cp. Is. xxxiii. 1 1.
the kings of the earth] Cp. xlviii. 4.
PSALM LXXVII.
This Psalm breathes the spirit of Habakkuk, and uses language closely
resembling that of his Prayer.' As Habakkuk watched the advance of
'
the Chaldeans, and foresaw that they were to be the executioners of

God's judgement upon Judah, his faith was tried to the uttermost.
Could such an apparent triumph of pride and violence be consistent
with the Divine government of the world ? His questionings were
answered with the assurance that pride and injustice must inevitably
come to ruin, while righteousness endures; but the assurance was
coupled with the warning that its realisation might be long delayed.
And when the prophet prayed that God would hasten His work lest the
delay should prove too great a strain for the faith of Plis waiting people,
in place of a direct answer there rose before his mind the vision of God's
Advent to judge His enemies and redeem His people. That Advent he
describes in language borrowed from the great deliverances and visi-
tations of the past, conveying the same fundamental idea as that of this
Psalm, that Israel's past is the pledge for Israel's future^.
When the Psalmist wrote, the blow had fallen. Israel was in exile.
It is clearly no merely j^rivate and personal sorrow which overwhelms
his spirit, but the apparent rejection of Israel by God. But in the light
of Israel's past history he is taught to believe that this rejection cannot l)e
permanent. In the recollection of that marvellous past he finds the
ground of hope for the future. The God who led His people out of the
bondage of Egypt can bring them back from their Exile in Babylon.
The structure of the Psalm is regular. There are two main divisions,
in each of which there are two stanzas, marked off by Selah. The second
1 For fuller explanation of Hîbakkuk's magnificent ode I may refer to my

Doctrine of the Prophets, pp. 276 ft".
PSALM LXXVII. 457
and third stanzas into equal subdivisions of three verses. In the

fall
fourth stanza the rhythm changes; instead of six distichs we have four
tristichs ; but the number of lines is the same. The last verse stands
by itself as the conclusion.
i. The problem.
1. Introduction. The Psalmist relates how in the day of distress
he strove, but in vain, to find comfort in prayer (i —3).
2. In the watches of the night he pondered on the past history

—
of Israel (4 6), and asked himself whether God could have
irrevocably rejected His people (7 9). —
ii. The solution.
3. The answer to such questionings must, he feels, be looked for
in —
God's revelation of Himself in history (10 12), especially in
His redemption of Israel out of Egypt (13 15). —
4. On the grandeur of that manifestation he dwells at length
(16-19).
In conclusion he points to God's guidance of His people through
the wilderness (20).
Some commentators —
regard vv. 16 ^19 as a fragment of another
Psalm, mainly on the ground of the change of rhythm, and a supposed
want of connexion with what precedes and follows. But though the
rhythm changes, tristichs taking the place of distichs, the length of the
— —
stanza is the same -twelve lines as that of the two preceding ones.
The first stanza contains a tristich {v. 2), and it should be noted that
vv. I and 1 6 are both marked by the figure of ' epanaphora or rhetori- '
cal repetition.
Attention has also been called to the abruptness of the close of the
Psalm, and it has been suggested that it is either incomplete or muti-
lated. But this abruptness is a mark of the poet's skill. He ends with
the thought which he would leave impressed on the reader's mind for
his consolation —
God's providential guidance of His people. Any
addition would weaken the effect. The reader is left to draw the
inference that God's guidance will continue, and that, as He redeemed
Israel from the bondage of Egypt, He can redeem them from exile in
Babylon. The parallel between the Exodus from Babylon and the
Exodus from Egypt is constantly present to the minds of the prophets.
The resemblance of the Psalm to the Prayer of Habakkuk has already
been referred to. It has been much disputed whether the Psalmist is
imitating the Prophet, or the Prophet the Psalm. On literary grounds
alone it would be difficult to decide, though the presumption is perhaps
in favour of the originality of Habakkuk. But if (as I believe) the
Prayer of Habakkuk is an integral part of his book, not a later addition,
and if the Psalm belongs to the time of the Exile, the Psalmist must be
the borrower.
—
Compare, besides Hab. iii, Ex. xv; and Pss. cxlii. i 3; cxliii. 4 6. —
: :
458 PSALM LXXVII. 1—3.
To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of Asaph.
77 I cried unto God with my voice,

Eveti unto God tvith my voice ; and he gave ear unto me.
2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord
My sore ran in the night, and ceased not
My soul refused to be comforted.
3 1 remembered God, and was troubled:
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.
On the title, For the chief Musician ; after the manner of Jeduthun
(R.V.), see Introd. to Ps. Ixii.
1 —3. The Psahnist relates how, under the pressure of calamity, he

could find no consolation even in prayer.
1. "Aloud unto God let me cry,
Yea, aloud unto God, and he will give ear to me."
2. (Thus) in the day of my distress I sought the Lord:
My hand was stretched out in the night, and slacked not;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3. When I would fain rememtoer God, I was disquieted:
When I would fain muse in prayer, my spirit fainted.
The precise force of the tenses of the original is difficult to determine.
The perfects in v. 1, and again in vv. 4, 5, however, shew that the poet
is relating a past experience. In v. i he quotes, as it were, the words in
which, in that hour of sorrow, he resolved to betake himself to prayer,
and in v. 3, in tenses which recall the emotion of the time, though
their force can hardly be given in a translation, he describes his failure
to find comfort.
In its my sore ra7i, the A.V. follows Jewish authorities
rendering
in taking the sense of blow or wound (Job xxiii. 2).
hand in '
wound My
was unstanched,' is a metaphor for ' my sorrow M'as unrelieved.' But
the rendering of R.V. given above is preferable. He sought God day
and night, with hands unceasingly outstretched in the attitude of prayer
(xxviii. 1, note; Ex. xvii. 11, 12). The text however is doubtful. The
verb which means literally 'was poured out,' is not a natural one to
apply to the hand; and the use of the same verb, and substantives
derived from the root of the verb rendered 'slacked,' in Lam. ii. 18, 19;
iii. 49, with reference to tears, suggests that the original reading may
have been, Mine eye poured down in the night, and slacked not.' So
'
the Targ.
7ny soul &c.] Like Jacob, mourning for the loss of Joseph (Gen.
xxxvii. 35) ; and Rachel, weeping for her children (Jer. xxxi. 15).
3. For the word rendered ' disquieted cp. xlii. 5, 1 1 ; xliii. 5. In
'
Iv. 17 it is joined with that rendered 'muse in prayer,' which recurs

in vv. 6 b, \2 b, and denotes meditation, musing prayer, musing or
plaintive speech.
my spirit &c.] Cp. cxlii. 3 ; cxliii. 4, in contexts full of parallels to
this Psalm.
" : —
PSALM LXXVII. 4—7. 459
Thou boldest mine eyes waking: 4

I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
I have considered the days of old, 5
The years of ancient times.
I call to remembrance my song in the night 6
Icommune with mine own heart:

And my spirit made diligent search.
Will the Lord cast off for ever? 7
And will he be favourable no more?
4 — 9. In the night he pondered on the history of the

vigils of the
past, and asked liimself with
earnest questionings whether it were
possible that God could have utterly cast off His people, and changed
His character as a gracious and merciful God.
4. Thou heldest open the lids of mine eyes:
I was perplexed, and coxUd not speak.
6. Iconsidered the days of old,
The years of ages past, (saying),
6. ,
" Let me remember my song in the night:
Let me muse in my heart ;
And my
spirit inquired, (saying),
7. " For age after age will the Lord cast off?
And will he not once again shew favour?"
4. The word rendered wakingin A.V., watching iw R.V., probably
means the guards or lids of the eyes. The general sense is clear. In
his agony of sorrow he was sleepless and speechless it was God who :
withheld sleep from his eyes. He was 'troubled,' perplexed and

agitated (Gen. xli. 8 Dan. ii. 3) by the riddle of Israel's present
;
rejection and humiliation, and in this perplexity he pondered {v.

5)
on the glorious record of God's mercies to His people in the days
of old.
5. "Not pathetic only but profound also and of the most solid
substance was that reply made by an old Carthusian monk to the trifler
who asked him how he had managed to get through his life Cogitavi :
annos aeternos iti mente habiii.'"

dies antiquos, et
6. In the first two lines he tells us how he bade himself recall the
songs of thanksgiving which he had once been able to sing in the night,
the quiet time of meditation and thanksgiving (xlii. 8 xcii. 2 Job xxxv.
;
;
10), in contrast to his present cries of anguish or silence of despair.

Song means literally song to the '
accompaniment of stringed instru-
ments.' P.B.V. 'and search out my spirits,' follows the reading of the
LXX and some other Ancient Versions.
7. The emphasis is on for ever ; lit. for ages to come, which are
compared with the ages past {v. 5) ; a different word from that in v. 8,
and Ixxiv. i. Cp. Ixxxv. 5.
For 'shew favour,' cp. xliv. 3; li. 18; Ixxxv. i cvi. 4, ;
; ! .
46o PSALM LXXVII. 8— ii.

8 Is hismercy clean gone for ever?
Doth his promise fail for evermore?
9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious?
Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.
10 And I said, This is my infirmity:

Btit I will remejiiber the years of the right hand of the most
High.
11 I will remember the works of the Lord:
Surely I will remember thy wonders of old.
8. Is Ws lovingkindness at an end for ever?

Hath his promise failed for all generations ?
Cp. Ixxxv. 5; cv. 8.
9. Has He forgotten or deliberately abandoned those attributes
which He once proclaimed as the essence of His Nature (Ex. xxxiv. 6)?
Cp. Hab. iii. 2, "In wrath wilt thou remember mercy."
—
10 20. The history of the past is the most convincing answer to
these questions, the best cordial for his fainting spirits. Cp. Is. Ixiii. 7 ff
10^15. The Psalmist resolves to recall the exhibition of God's
character in the deliverance of His people from Egypt.
10. And I said introduces the argument by which the Psalmist
thrusts aside the possibility of an affirmative answer to his questionings.
But the rest of the verse is obscure, and has been very variously ex-
plained. The precise sense of the word rendered 7/iy injirmity is
doubtful; and in the second line the word sKnoth may mean years, or,
changifig. If the rendering years is adopted, the verb / toill reinemher
must be supplied from v. 11. Two explanations deserve consideration.
(i) This apparent desertion of Israel by God is my suffering, and I
must bear it (cp. Jer. x. 19); but for my consolation I will recall ///f
years of the right hand of the Most High, "the years of ages past" {v.
5), in which the sovereign power of the Ruler of the world was put
forth on behalf of His people.
(ii) It is tny weakness which prompts these questionings. To think
that the right hand of the Most High doth change! that His power can
ever grow feeble (Is. 1. 2) or His will change (Mai. iii. 6)
The explanation, 'This is what grieveth me, that the right hand of
the Most High doth change,' is untenable, for v. 10 clearly introduces
the answer to his doubts.
The authority of the Ancient Versions is in favour of taking sh^noth in
the sense of change', but on the other hand the first explanation retains
the sense in which the word has already occurred in <'. 5.
11. I will make mention of the deeds of Jah
Yea, I will remember thy wonders of old.
' The Targ. however gives alternative renderings.

: : :
PSALM LXXVII. 12— 16. 461
I will meditate also of all thy work, 12

And talk of thy doings.
Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary 13
Who is so great a God as our God ?
Thou art the God that doest wonders 14
Thou hast declared thy strength among the people.
Thou hast with i/ii/ie arm redeemed thy people, 15
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they 16
were afraid
The depths also were troubled.
The A.V. reiiieinber follows the Qri; the R.V. make mention is the
reading of the Kthibh. Cp. Is. Ixiii. 7.
The name J ah recalls the deliverance from Egypt (Ex. xv. 2; cp.
Ps. Ixviii. 4), the greatest of all God's wonderful works.
12. I will meditate also upon all thy work,
And muse on tliy doings. (R.V.)
For work cp. Hab. iii. 1.
13. in the sanctuary] Better, in holiness. Cp. Ex. xv. 11. All the
plan and method of God's dealings in the world moves in the sphere of
holiness, separate from all sin and imperfection, in accord with the per-
fection of His Nature. Cp. Hahakkuk's appeal to God's holiness (i. 12.)
who Slc] Who is a great god (^/) like God (^Mm)? ¥ox Elohiin
no doubt originally stood Jehovah as in the passage of Moses' song,
which the Psalmist has in mind (Ex. xv. 1 1).
14. Thou art the God &c.] The true El, the living, Almighty God
(v. 4; xlii. 2). The epithet that doest zvonders is borrowed from Ex.
XV. II. Cp. Is. XXV. I.
thoti hast declared &c.] Render, Thou didst make known thy
strength among the peoples. Cp. Ex. xv. 13, 14; ix. 16.
15. Thou hast &c.] With a (strong) arm didst thou redeem thy
people. Cp. Ex. XV. 13, 16; vi. 6; Ps. Ixxiv. 2.
the sons of Jacob and Joseph] According to the Targiim, Joseph is
named because, by preserving the lives of his brethren in Egypt, he
became as it were a second father of the nation. But more probably
Joseph is named as the father of Ephraim and Manasseh, the ancestors
of the most powerful tribes of the Northern Kingdom. Cp. Ixxviii. 67;
Ixxx. i; Ixxxi. 5. In Amos (v. 6, 15; vi. 6) Joseph denotes the
Northern Kingdom. In Obad. 18, the house of Jacob and the house of
Joseph stands for the whole nation. Cp. Zech. x. 6; Ezek. xxxvii. 16,
19; xlvii. 13; xlviii. 32.
16 —19. The manifestation of God's sovereignty over nature in that
supreme act of redemption.
16. The waters and depths of the Red Sea are personified, as though
they were conscious of the presence of their Creator and Lord. Cp.
: —
462 PSALM LXXVII. 17—20.
17 The clouds poured out water:

The skies sent out a sound
Thine arrows also went abroad.
18 The voice of thy thunder ivas in the heaven:
The lightnings lightened the world:
The earth trembled and shook.
19 Thy way is in the sea,
And thy path in the great waters,
And thy footsteps are not known.
20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Hab. iii. 10, "The mountains saw thee, they were afraid": and Ps.
cxiv. 3 ; Ex. XV. 5, 8. We
miss in translation the pictorial force of
the Heb. tenses : lit. they are afraid, the depths also tremble.
17. God came in storm and earthquake. So the poet develops the
thought of Ex. xiv. 24, 25. Cp. Ps. xviii. 7 ff. ; xcvii. 3ff. and the
;
parallel passage in Hab. iii. 10, 11, whei-e tempest (R.V.) is the cognate
substantive to the verb rendered poured out here.
sent out a sottnd] Better (cp. Hab.), uttered a voice, i.e. thundered.
God's arrows are the flashes of lightning.
18. in the heaveit] The word galgal, derived from a root meaning
to roll, was understood by the Jewish commentators to mean the vault
or circuit of the heaven. More probably it should be rendered in the
whirlwind (R.V.), or, with rumbling, the rolling of the thunder being
conceived of as the rolling of God's chariot-wheels. Cp. Hab. iii. 8.
19. Thy way was in the sea,
And thy paths in the great waters,
And thy footsteps were not known. (R.V.)
Cp. Hab. iii. 15. The A.V. path follows the Qri; R.V. paths the
Kthibh and the Ancient Versions. The sea flowed back where Israel
passed, and no visible trace of God's victorious march was left: a
parable of His method of working. Cp. Job xxiii. 8 ff.
20. Conclusion. The convulsions of nature were the heralds of
deliverance (Luke xxi. 28), and the Shepherd of Israel led forth His flock
under the guidance of His chosen servants. Cp. Ex. xv. 13; Ps. Ixxviii.
52 flf. ; Ixxiv. I, note. The words of the last line come from Num.
xxxiii. I ; cp. Mic. vi. 4; Is. Ixiii, 11 ff.
PSALM LXXVIII.
In Ps. Ixxvii the poet recalls God's wonderful works of old for the
encouragement of his faith in the hour of distress. In this Psalm he
invites his hearers to draw a lesson of warning for themselves from the
past history of the nation. Again and again Israel had forgotten the
great works which Jehovah had done for them, and with base ingratitude
PSALM LXXVIII. 463
and short-memoried faithlessness had rebelled against His government,

or tempted Him by distrust of His goodness. The Psalmist holds up
the picture to his contemporaries, in the hope that they may be taught
to avoid repealing the sins of their forefathers.
Though the Psalm refers to the behaviour of the whole nation,
Ephraim (if the text of v, 9 is sound) seems to be singled out at the
outset as especially guilty ; and the Psalm concludes with the choice of
Zion as the seat of the sanctuary and David as the king of Israel, in a way
which indicates that the writer had some reason for dwelling upon the
position of Jerusalem and the Davidic kingdom as the special objects of
Jehovah's favour. But the rebuke of Ephraim is not the main purpose
of the Psalm. Its intention is evidently positive, to draw warnings for
the present and the future from the consideration of the past.
It is impossible to fix the date of the Psalm with any certainty. That
the history is brought down to the time of David and no further does not
prove that it was written then. It presumes the existence of the Temple
\v. 69), and apparently the separation of the kingdoms. It has been
said that "the didactic use of past history is in itself decisive against a
pre-Exile date," and that "it would be foolish to separate it from
Pss. cv— cvii." But the didactic use of past history is to be found in the
earliest prophets; and though Pss. cv, cvi belong to the same class of
historical Psalms, it does not necessarily follow that they all belong to the
same period. There are some remarkable differences, and Pss. cv cvii —
contain clear allusions to the Captivity, which this Psalm does not.
V. 69 speaks of the Temple in language which makes it difficult to
suppose that it had already been destroyed. Moreover it is at least
noteworthy, that the Psalmist refers to those plagues only which are
described in the Jehovistic narrative in Exodus (J), and according to a
very probable reading and explanation of v. 48, to all of them. He
does not refer to the plague of darkness described in the Elohistic nar-
rative (E) only, nor to the plagues of lice and boils described only in
the Priestly code (P). Of course the poet was not bound to mention
eveiy plague, but it is a not unnatural inference that he was familiar
with J only, while it was still in circulation as a separate work. If so,
the Psalm must have been written at a relatively early date. On the
other hand the use of the title "the Holy One of Israel" (z/. 41)
indicates that it is not earlier than the time of Isaiah, who originated
this title to express the truth revealed to him in the vision of his Call.
It may however belong to that period, and may have been written in
view of the hostility of the Northern Kingdom to Judah (Is. vii, viii), or
more probably in view of the fall of the Northern Kingdom, as a warn-
ing to Judah to beware lest, though Zion was the city of God's choice,
and the house of David chosen to rule His people, they too, like Shiloh
and Ephraim, might be rejected. At such a time moreover the thought
of the divine choice of Jerusalem might naturally be offered as a ground
of hope and confidence.
The Psalm falls for the most part into stanzas of eight and sixteen
verses. Vv. 17, 18; 40, 41 ; 56, 57, form a kind of initial refrain, in
—
which the dominant idea of the Psalm, Israel's rebellion and temptation
—
of God is repeated and emphasised. The Psalmist does not follow the
464 PSALM LXXVIII. I.
historical order of events, but relates first the care of Jehovah for Israel
and Israel's ingratitude towards Jehovah in the wilderness (12 39), and —
then the miracles of the Exodus and the settlement in Canaan (40 ff.).
i. —
The purpose of the Psalm stated; to draw warning and in-
struction for the present from the past history of Israel, by recapitulating
its course and enforcing its lessons in accordance with the divine com-
mand, that the ingratitude and unfaithfulness of the past might not be
repeated (i 8).—
ii. Israel's history had been a strange record of forgetfulness and
disloyalty to the God Who
had brought them out of Egypt and
provided for their wants in the wilderness with loving care (9 16). —
iii. In spite of His care they rebelled against Him and tempted Him
by doubting His power and goodness, so that even while He provided
for their wants He was forced to punish them for their sin (17
iv. The chastisements of the wilderness produced only temporary
31). —
and superficial amendment, and it was due to God's forbearance that
they were not utterly destroyed (32—39).
V. It was no momentary aberration, but repeated and defiant
rebellion, in utter forgetfulness of all that they owed to Jehovah for
redeeming them from the bondage of Egypt. The Psalmist relates the
wonders which accompanied their deliverance, in order to set Israel's
ingratitude in the strongest light. Jehovah destroyed their enemies,
and brought them safely into the land which He had prepared for them
(40— 55)-
vi. But there again they tempted God and rebelled against Him, till
He forsook His dwelling-place in Shiloh, and abandoned them to their
enemies (56 — 64).
vii. Yet once more He
had mercy on them, and when He delivered
them from He
chose Judah instead of Ephraim, Zion in
their enemies.
place of Shiloh, and appointed David to be the shepherd of His people
(65—72)-
Comp. generally, besides Pss. cv, cvi, Deut. xxxii.
Maschil of Asaph.
78 Give ear, O my
people, to my law:
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
On the title, Maschil of Asaph, see In trod. p. xviii.
1 — 8. The
Psalmist's solemn invitation to his countrymen to listen
to his teaching. He proposes to set forth the lessons to be drawn from
Israel's past history, in obedience to God's command to hand on the
tradition of His mighty works for the encouragement and warning of
each successive generation.
1, 2. Cp. the opening of Ps. xlix, noting that while there all '
peoples are addressed, in accordance with the wider scope of the

'
teaching of the 'Wise Men,' here Israel is addressed in the spirit of

prophecy. It was the function of prophecy to interpret the past, as
: ; : : '
PSALM LXXVIII. 2—4. 465
I will open my mouth

in a parable 2
I dark sayings of old:

will utter
Which we have heard and known, 3
And our fathers have told us.
We will not hide thetn from their children, 4
Shewing to the generation to come
The praises of the Lord, and his strength,
well as to foretell the future. 7ny huv] Rather, teaching, as my

in Prov. i. 8, and often. See note on i. 2.
2. On the words parable and dark sayings or enigmas see note on
xlix. 4. The Psalmist has no mere narrative of facts to recount, but a
history full of significance for those who can penetrate its hidden mean-
ing. It is a ' parable not for Israel only, but for every individual in
'
the Christian Church. dark sayings of old'\ Lessons drawn from the
history of ancient times, from the Exodus, when Israel was ' born
as a nation, onward. Cp. Ixxvii. 5.
This verse is freely quoted by St Matthew (xiii. 34, 35), in a form
which does not agree exactly either with the Heb. or with the LXX,
with reference to our Lord's teaching in parables. All these things '
'
spake Jesus in parables unto the multitudes; and without a parable

spake he nothing unto them that : it might be fulfilled which was spoken
through the prophet, saying,
I will open my mouth in parables
hidden from the foundation of the world."
I will utter things
The words of the Psalmist are not a direct prophecy of the Messiah's
method of teaching; but just as Christ as perfect Man summed up in
Himself and fulfilled the manifold experiences of the people of God, so
as the perfect Teacher He adopted the methods of the teachers of
the old dispensation, and fulfilled them by carrying them to their
'
'
highest perfection. As the Psalmist used the facts of Israel's history to

convey the lesson which he desired to teach, so Christ used the pheno-
mena of Nature and the experiences of Life. Comp. Introd. pp. Ixi ff.
3, 4. It is best to place a full stop at the end of v. 2, and connect
vv. 3, 4 thus
The things which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told to us,
We will not hide from their sons,
Telling to another generation the praises of Jehovah,
And his strength and his wondrous works that he hath done.
With line 2 cp. xliv. i ; Judg. vi. 13.
*
From our
sons might have been expected rather than * from (/leir
'
sons but the pronoun tkeir is significant.

'
: It implies that the tnist
was committed to the speakers by their ancestors not for themselves
only but for future generations. Excellently Keble
"The tale our fathers used to tell
We to their children owe."
PSALMS 2©
: ; : : ;
466 PSALM LXXVIII. 5—8.
And his wonderful works that he hath done.
5 For he established a testimony in Jacob,

And appointed a law in Israel,
Which he commanded our fathers,
That they should make them known to their children
6 That the generation to come might know them, even the
children which should be born
Who should arise and declare them to their children
7 That they might set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep his commandments:
8 And might not be as their fathers,
A stubborn and rebellious generation;
A generation that set not their heart aright,
And whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
The praises of Jehovah are His praiseworthy acts. Cp, xxii. 3, 30,
31 For wondrous works see note on Ixxi. 1 7
. Cp. cxlv. 4 ff.
.
5. a testimony... a taw] Not the Mosaic legislation generally, but

the express precept which enjoined upon Israelite parents the duty of
teaching their children the great facts of Israel's history, that the
remembrance of them might be handed down from generation to
generation. See Ex. x. 2; xii. 26, 27; xiii. 8 ff., 14; Deut. iv. 9;
vi. 20 ff. Cp. in the N.T. 2 Tim, ii. 2.
that they should make them knoivn] Them refers to "the things
which we have heard and known " &c., vv. 3, 4. Cp. Deut. iv. 9.
6. The A.V. follows the Massoretic division of the verse; but it is
better to connect the clauses thus
That another generation might know,
That sons which should be born might arise and tell their sons.
7. their hope] Or, their confidence, as Prov. iii. 26.
and not forget] "Lest thou forget" is the constantly recurring
warning in Deuteronomy (iv. 9, &c.).
the works of God] Or, as R.V. in Ixxvii. 11, the deeds of God.
8.as their fathers] Primarily, the generation of the wandering in
the wilderness ; but the warning was true for almost every age.
stubborn and rebellious] Epithets applied in Deut. xxi. 18 to the son,
whom no admonition or chastisement would reform, and for whom
accordingly nothing remained but the penalty of death. Cp. Jer. v. 23
Deut. ix. 7ff. ; xxxi. 27; xxxii. 5, 20.
that set not their heart aright] Failed to direct and prepare it with
stedfast purpose to serve God. Cp. v. 37.
whose spirit was not stedfast] Better, as in v. 37, was not faithful.
Fickleness, instability, untrustworthiness, were the characteristics of
Israel's conduct.
PSALM LXXVIII. 9—12, 467
The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows,

Turned back in the day of battle.
They kept not the covenant of God,
And refused to walk in his law;
And forgat his works.
And his wonders that he had shewed them.
Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers,
In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
—
9 16. Israel's disobedience and ingratitude, in spite of all God's
mercies to them at the Exodus and in the wilderness.
9. This verse presents serious difficulties, (i) It seems to speak of
some well-known act of cowardice on the part of the Ephraimites. But
why should cowardice in war be censured, when it is disloyalty to God of
which the Psalmist is speaking? It has been suggested that it refers
to the slackness of Ephraim in prosecuting the conquest of Canaan
(Judg. i), regarded as shewing their distrustfulness of God, in view of
all the mighty works that He had done for them in the past. But it
seems better to understand it figuratively (cp. v. 57), to mean that the
Ephraimites were like cowards who flee in battle, and failed to fight for
the cause of God. (2) Why are the Ephraimites particularly named,
when the context refers to all Israel? Possibly to point forward to the
rejection of Ephraim and choice of Judah which is the climax of the
Psalm {v. 67). w. 10, 1 1 must then be taken with v, 9, as a literal
description of the disobedience and unfaithfulness of the Ephraimites.
After all attempts to explain it, the verse remains obscure, and many
commentators suppose that it is an interpolation or that the text is in
some way corrupt. The absence of parallelism and rhythm casts some
suspicion on it independently ; and it may possibly have been a gloss
suggested by v. 57, and inserted here as an illustration of Israel's want
of stedfastness {v. 8). v. 10 would follow naturally on v. 8, introduc-
ing the description of the rebellious generation, whose conduct is held
up to reprobation for the admonition of their descendants.
10. the covenant of God^ See Ex. xix. 5; xxiv. 3, 7, 8.
11. And they forgat Ms doings,
And Ms wondrous works that he had shewed them (R.V.).
12. In the sight of their fathers he did wonders. Cp. Ixxvii. 14,
in the field of Zoan] Zoan, known to the Greeks as Tanis, was
situated on the E. bank of the Tanitic branch of the Nile. It was famous
as the capital of the Hyksos dynasty, and was refounded by Ramses II,
the Pharaoh of the oppression. It is described by Mr Petrie, who
capitals —
—
excavated it in 1883 4, as "a city which was only inferior to the other
—
Thebes and Memphis in the splendour of its sculptures."
The phrase "field of Zoan" for the district in which it was situated has
been found in an Egyptian inscription.
After this brief allusion to the plagues, of which he intends to speak
in detail afterwards (43 ff.), the Psalmist passes on at once to the
Exodus and the journey through the wilderness.
30—2
:
468 PSALM LXXVIIl. 13—18.
13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through;

And he made the waters to stand as a heap.
14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud,
And all the night with a light of fire.
15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them drink as 02it ^the great depths.
16 He brought streams also out of the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 And they sinned yet more against him
By provoking the most High in the wilderness.
18 And they tempted God in their heart
13. He divided the sed\ Lit. clave, as in v. 15; tlie word which is
used in Ex. xiv. 16; Is. Ixiii. 12; Neh. ix. 11.
as an heap] Cp. Ex. xv. 8 Ps. xxxiii. 7.
;
14. And lie led them with the cloud by day (cp. Ex. xiii. 21), as
a shepherd leads his flock (v. 53; Ixxvii. 20).
15. 16. He clave rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them drink as out of the depths abxindantly
And he brought forth streams out of a cliflF.
Two different words are used, with reference to the two occasions
upon which the Israelites were miraculously supplied with water: first
in Rephidim at the beginning of their journey when Moses was com-
manded to smite 'the rock' (Ex. xvii. 6), and secondly, in Kadesh, at
the close of their wanderings, when Moses smote the cliff, to which he
'
was commanded to speak (Num. xx. 8 ff.). The depths are the reservoirs
of water hidden in the earth (xxxiii. 7; Gen. vii. 11; Deut. viii. 7).
—
17 31. In spite of these miracles of mercy they sinned yet more,
and tempted God in their unbelief, so that while He supplied their
wants He was compelled to punish them for their sin. The order is
logical not chronological. The first murmurings for food (Ex. xvi)
preceded the giving of the water: and the narratives of Ex. xvi and
Num. xi are fused into one.
17. Yet went they on still to sin against him,

Rebelling against the Most High in the land of drought.
Both the occasions referred to in vv. 15, 16 were connected with
murmuring. The names of JMassah and Me7-ibah preserved the memory
of Israel's sin in tempting God and striving with Him. And to these
sins they added other sins. Note how the words 'rebel' and 'tempt'
recur like a refrain at the beginning of each division of the Psalm {vv.
17, 18; 40, 41; 56). Cp. xcv. 9; cvi. 7, 14, 33, 43; Ex. xvii. 2, 7;
Num. xiv. 22; XX. 10, 24; Deut. i. 26, 43; vi. 16; ix. 23; xxxiii. 8;
&c. The two words sum up Israel's behaviour : they rebelled against
God by constant disobedience to His revealed Will; they tempted Him,
by sceptical doubts of His goodness, and insolent demands that He
should prove His power.
: ; ; : .
PSALM LXXVIIl. 19—24. 469
By asking meat for their lust.

Yea, they spake against God; they said, 1
Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out,
And the streams overflowed;
Can he give bread also ?
Can he provide flesh for his people ?
Therefore the Lord heard f/m, and was wroth: =
So a fire was kindled against Jacob,

And anger also came up against Israel
Because they believed not in God,
And trusted not in his salvation
Though he had commanded the clouds from above,
And opened the doors of heaven,
And had rained down manna upon them to eat,
And had given them 0/ the corn of heaven.
18. djyasking &c.] By asking food for their appetite a different :
word from that rendered /us( in v. 30. The alUision is not to the
demand for flesh, but to the doubt whether God could provide food for
the people at all (Ex. xvi. 2 ff.). In the verses which follow, the murmur-
ings which preceded the first sending of manna and quails (Ex. xvi) are
fused with those which preceded the second sending of quails (Num. xi).
19. Can God furnish'] R.V., Can God prepare?
20. can he provide] R.V., Will he provide? The narrative is
thrown into a graphic poetical form. Unbelief reaches its climax in the
words for his people. If, as He says, we are His people, let Him provide,
and provide liberally, for our wants. Bread...flesh, as in Ex. xvi. 8, 12.
21. Therefore when Jehovah heard, he was wroth
And a fire was kindled against Jacob,
And anger also went up against Israel.
Cp. vv. 59, 62. Afire alludes to the punishment of the murmuring
Israelites by the burning at Taberah (Num. xi. i ff.), before the second
giving of quails.
Went tip is a metaphor from smoke. Cp. xviii. 8 ; Ixxiv. i
22. For a moment they had believed (Ex. xiv. 31), but they soon
fell away. Cp. Num. xiv. 11, a verse which might serve as a motto for
this Psalm. his salvation] Of which they had had such marvellous
proof in the Exodus (Ex. xiv. 13; xv. 2).
23. Yet he commanded the skies above,
And opened the doors of heaven
24. And he rained down manna upon them to eat.
And gave them the corn of heaven.
25. Everyone did eat the bread of the mighty,
He sent them provision to the full.
: ::
25 Man did eat angels' food

He sent them nieat to the full.
26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven
And by power he brought in the south wind.
his
27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust,
And feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea
28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp,
Round about their habitations.
The A.V. rendering of the verbs in vv. 23, 24 as phi perfects is contrary
Hebrew grammar. The connexion of thought is that God
to the rules of
was wroth at the unbeHef of the Israelites, and yet He provided for
their wants. The Psalmist does not follow the order of time in his
recital, but combines the difierent murmurings, and then the different
provisions of manna and quails.
The doors of heaven, as of some vast storehouse cp. the windows
:
'
(or 'flood-gates') of heaven,' 1 Kings vii. 2, 19; Mai. iii. 10. The
Psalmist closely follows the language of Exodus xvi. 4, "Behold, I
will rain bread from heaven for you." Cp. cv. 40; John vi. 31.
Corn of heaven may allude to the granular form of the manna (Ex.
xvi. 31).
Angels' food (LXX, Vulg. Syr.) is probably a right paraphrase of the
,
words the bread of the mighty, though the term is nowhere applied
to the angels. But cp. ciii. 20. Wisd. xvi. 20, "Thou feddest thine
own people with angels' food," naturally follows the LXX. It is a
question whether we should render 'Everyone did eat' &c. cp. Ex. xvi.
16, 18, 21; or man, as contrasted with angels: cp. the Targ. "The
sons of men ate bread which came down from the dwelling of the
angels" but the former is probably right.
: For to the full cp. Ex. xvi,
3. 8. 12.
26. He led forth the east wind in the heaven:
And by his power he guided the south wind:
27. And he rained flesh upon them as the dust,
And winged fowl as the sand of the seas.
The sending of quails is connected, as in Ex. xvi, with the sending of
the manna but the language of the Psalm follows the description of the
;
second sending of quails in Num. xi.

The verbs in v. 26 are the same as those in v. 52. Cp. Ex. x. 13;
Num. xi. 31. East z.\\A South are separated for the sake of rhythm. A
S.E. wind brought up the quails from 'the sea,' i.e. the Red Sea.
"The period when they were brought to the camp of Israel was in
spring, when on their northward migration from Africa. According
to their well-known instinct, they would follow up the coast of the
Red Sea until they came to its bifurcation by the Sinaitic Peninsula,
and then would cross at the nan'ow part." Tristram, Nat. Hist, of
Bible, p. 231.
28. their cavtp... their habitalions'\ Cp. Ex. xvi. 13; Num. xi. 31.
; : :
So they did eat, and were well filled

For he gave them their own desire
They were not estranged from their lust.
But while meat was yet in their mouths,
their
The wrath of God came upon them,
And slew the fattest of them,
And smote down the chosen men of Israel.
For they sinned still,
all this
And believed not for his wondrous works.
Therefore their days did he consume in vanity,
And their years in trouble.
When he slew them, then they sought him
And they returned and inquired early after God.
And they remembered that God was their rock,
And the high God their redeemer.
29. for he gave them &c.] For he brought them that for which
they lusted. Cp. cvi. 14; Num. xi. 4, 34.
30. They were not estranged from their lust,
Their food was yet in their mouth,
31. When the anger of God went up against them,
And slew of the lustiest of them,
And laid low the young men of Israel.
Even before they had been surfeited with the quails an allusion to —
Num. xi. 20— the judgement fell upon them (Num. xi. 33), and the
plague broke out. God punishes men by answering their prayers, a
truth which even heathen moralists recognised.
—
32 39. These judgements failed to reforai them, and further chas-
tisements produced only temporary and superficial amendments. Yet
in spite of all, God continued to shew them mercy.
32. The further sin of murmuring and unbelief on the return of the
spies, for which they were condemned to wander in the wilderness.
See Num. xiv, esp. v. 22 ff.
for his luondroiis •works\ I.e., because of. Better, as R.V., in.
33. in vanity... in trouble\ Or, as a breath, unsubstantial and trans-
itory (xxxix. s, 11; Ixii. 9) with sudden terror (Lev. xxvi. 16).
:
34. When he slew them, then they would inquire after him:
And return and seek God earnestly.
The tenses denote the repeated alternations of punishment and repent-
ance. Cp. Jud. ii. 1 1 ff.
36. their rock] Cp. Deut. xxxii. 4 ff.
the high God] God Most High, £/ Elyon, a combination found else-
where only in Gen. xiv. 18 ff. But cp. Ixxiii. 11; and vii. 17, xlvii. 2,
yehovah Elyon; Ivii. 2, Elohl/n Elyon.
;
36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth,

And they lied unto him with their tongues.
37 For their heart was not right with him,
Neither were they stedfast in his covenant.
38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and
destroyed them not:
Yea, many a time turned he his anger away.
And did not stir up all his wrath.
39 For he remembered that they were but flesh
A wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness,
36. flattered him with their mouth,

But they
And lied unto him with their tongue (R.V.).
As though God were a man who could be deceived by hypocrisy. Cp.
Is. xxix. 13.
According to the Massoretic reckoning, this is the middle of the 2527
verses of the Psalter, but it must be remembered that the titles of the Psalms
are frequently reckoned as verses in the Hebrew text {Introd. p. xvi).
37. right... stedfasi\ Or, stedfast... faithful. Cp. v. 8, where the
same words are used. The heart is the organ of thought and will,
which determines the moral and religious character, the seat of true
repentance and amendment of life (li. 10 ; Ivii. 7).
38. This verse describes the general attributes of God, in virtue of
which (v. 39) He spared Israel in spite of their guilt. Render :
But he, being full of compassion, forgiveth iniquity and de-

stroyeth not,
And ofttimes tumeth his anger away,
And stirreth not up all his wrath.
Cp. Ex. xxxiv. 6, 7; xxxii. 10, 12; Num. xiv. i8ff. ; Deut. iv. 31.
" V. 38 is, according to Kidditshin 30a, the middle of the 5896 lines
((rrix<") of the Psalter. According to Maccoth 22b, Ps. Ixxviii. 38 and
Deut. xxviii. 58, 59, xxix. 8 were recited, when the forty stripes save
one, which Paul five times suffered (2 Cor. xi. 24), were inflicted on the
offender." (Delitzsch).
39. For ik.c.'\ And he remembered &c. ^/w/i denotes the frailty of
human nature, including moral as well as physical weakness a wind :
&c. symbolises the transitoriness of human life. Cp. Ivi. 4; ciii. 14 ff.;
Gen. vi. 3 ; Job vii. 7 ff.
40 — 55. But as God multiplied His mercies, Israel multiplied its

acts of rebellion and in order to set the heinousness of their ingratitude
:
in a still stronger light, the Psalmist goes back to recount the miracles
which preceded and prepared for the Exodus.
40,41. An emphatic repetition of z/z/. 17, 18.
provoke hint] Rather, as in vv. 8, 17, 56, rebel against him. Both
words, rebel against and grieve, occur together in Is. Ixiii. 10.
! : :
PSALM LXXVIII. 41—44- 473
Afid grieve him in the desert

Yea, they turned back and tempted God,
And limited the Holy One of Israel.
They remembered not his hand
Nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.
How he had wrought his signs in Egypt,
And his wonders in the field of Zoan
And had turned their rivers into blood;
And their floods, that they could not drink.
41. And they turned again and tempted God,

And provoked the Holy One of Israel.
limited (A.V.) would mean "entertained mean and circumscribed
notions of His power and goodness and faithfulness " (Kay), or 'hindered
His action by their unbelief (Matt. xiii. 58). But more probably the
word meaxis provoked {L.'K.'K, Syr., Jer.).
the Holy One of Israel'] A title characteristic of the Book of Isaiah, and
found in the Psalter only here and in Ixxi. 22, Ixxxix. 18. It denotes that
it was in His character of a Holy God that Jehovah had become the God
of Israel. Though the title is not used in the Pentateuch, the thought
is expressed there. In the chastisements of His people Jehovah proved
Himself to be a Holy God, Who could not tolerate sin ; and it was
because Moses and Aaron failed to acknowledge that holiness, that they
were punished by exclusion from Canaan (Num. xx. 12, 13).
42. his hand] His power exerted on their behalf. See Ex. iii. 19,
and often. nor the day Slc] Nor the day when he redeemed them
from the adversary (R.V.).
43. How he set his signs in Egypt (R.V.): words borrowed from
Ex. X. I, 2, "my signs which I have set among them." Cp. cv. 27.
Only six, or, if v. 48 or v. 50 refers to the murrain, possibly seven,
plagues are mentioned, the plagues of lice, boils, and darkness being
omitted. The order is different from that of Exodus, coinciding with it
only in the first and last plagues. It is of course possible that the
Psalmist, treating the narrative with poetic freedom, only mentions the
principal plagues, and intentionally omits the others: but it is note-
worthy that the three which he does not mention are just those the ac-
counts of which are judged by critics upon grounds of style to have been
derived from different documents : the plague of darkness from the
'Elohistic document,' and the plagues of lice and boils from the Priestly
'
Code.' The accounts of the remaining seven are in the main derived
from the 'Jehovistic document.' See Driver's Introd. to the Lit. of the
O. T., pp. 22 ff. It certainly looks as if the Psalmist used the 'Jehovistic
document,' while it was in circulation as a separate work.
44. And turned their rivers into hlood,
And their streams, that they could not drink.
See Ex. vii, lyfif. The word for 'rivers' (y'o>-) is one specially used of
the Nile and its canals.
45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured

them;
And frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar,
And their labour unto the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail,
And their sycomore trees with frost.
48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail,
And their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger,
Wrath, and indignation, and trouble,
45. The fourth and second plagues, Ex. viii. 20 ff., viii. i ff. The
word rendered divers sorts of flies, or, swarms of flies (R.V.), is used
only with reference to this plague (Ex. viii; Ps. cv. 31), and probably
means some venomous kind of fly, such as abound in Egypt.
46. The eighth plague, Ex. x. i ff.
their increase^ The produce the land (Ixvii. 6).

of The word
rendered 'caterpillar' is not used in Exodus, but often occurs elsewhere,
and probably denotes the locust in the larva or pupa state.
47. He killed their vines &c. The seventh plague, Ex. ix. 13 ff.
Cp. cv. 33. Grapes and figs are among the fruits frequently repre-
sented in paintings in Egyptian tombs. The sycomore was and is one
of the common trees of Egypt, much valued for its durable wood, of
which mummy cases were commonly made.
with frosty This is the rendering of the LXX, Aq., Syr., Jer., but
i^reat hailstones (R.V. marg. ) or lumps of ice is more probably the mean-
ing.
48. And he gave over their beasts to the hail,
And their cattle to fiery lightnings.
As the text stands, the reference is to the destruction of the Egyptian
cattle as well as the crops by the lightning which accompanied the hail-
storm (Ex. ix. 28). But two Hebrew MSS., with which agrees the
version of Symmachus, read Deber, 'pestilence' in place of Barad,
'hail.' Now Deber is the word used in Ex. ix. 3 ff of the f/iurrain
.
which attacked the cattle. Resheph, the word rendered flery light-
nings, is also used of burning fever in Deut. xxxii. 24; Hab. iii. 5; in
the latter passage in parallelism with Deber. It seems possible,
therefore, that this verse originally referred to the fifth plague, the
murrain on the cattle. The LXX, Syr., Jer., Targ. however support
the Massoretic Text.
49 —51. The culmination of the plagues in the death of the first-
born.
49. He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger] Lit., he sent, as in
V. 45. The same phrase is found in Job xx. 23.
: :
PSALM LXXVIII. 50-54. 475
By sending evil angels among them.

He made a way to his anger; :
He spared not their soul from death,

But gave their life over to the pestilence;
And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; ;
The chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham

But made his own people to go forth like sheep, :
And guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

And he led them on safely, so that they feared not :
But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, :
by sending evil angels among them] R.V., a band of angels of

evil: lit. a mission of evil angels: not wicked angels, but destroying
angels, commissioned by God to execute His purposes of punishment.
Cp. "the destroyer," Ex. xii. 23; and see 2 Sam. xxiv. 16 f.; 2 Kings
xix. 35 ; Job xxxiii. 22.
50. He made a -way to his anger] Lit. , he levelled a path for his
anger, i.e. gave it free course.
but gave their life over to the pestilence] This is the natural rendering
of the words in this context. The rendering of R.V. marg., gave their
beasts over to the murrain, is that of the Ancient Versions. But a refer-
ence to the murrain is out of place here, where the Psalmist is clearly
describing the culmination of the plagues in the destruction of the first-
born. He emphasises the fact that after minor plagues had failed to
touch Pharaoh's conscience, God finally attacked the very liiJes of the
Egyptians.
51. the chief of their strength] The beginning, or, firstlings of
strength, a term applied to fiistborn sons in Gen. xlix. 3; Deut. xxi.
17. So cv. 36.
in the tabernacles of Ham] R.V. tents. Ham was the ancestor of
Mizraim, i.e. Egypt, Gen. x. 6. Cp. cv. 23, 27; cvi. 22.
—
52 55. God's guidance of Israel through the wilderness into
Canaan. Cp. Ex. xv. 13 17. —
The circumstances of the Journey have
been already recounted in vv. 13 ff.
52. But made &c.] But he led forth his people like sheep. The
verb is that which is commonly used of the journeynigs of the Israelites
from stage to stage through the wilderness (Ex. xv. 22 &c.). The figure
of Israel as Jehovah's flock is a favourite one in the Asaphite Psalms
(Ixxiv. I note).
63. feared not]In contrast to their enemies, who were seized with
panic (Ex. xiv. 25), Israel had no cause for fear (Ex. xiv. 13). Not of
course that they never gave way to fear (Ex. xiv. 10).
overwhelmed] The same word as that rendered covered in Ex. xv. 10.
54. The border of his sanctuary may mean the land of Canaan, as
that in which He purposed to place His temple, and this mountain may
Even to this mountain, which his right hand had pur-

chased.
55 He cast out the heathen also before them,
And divided them an inheritance by Hne,
And made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God,
And kept not his testimonies :
57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers:

They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places,
And moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
59 When God heard this, he was wroth,
And greatly abhorred Israel:
denote Mount Zion. But it is preferable to render to Ms holy border,

the land separate from all other lands, to be consecrated by His Presence,
and known henceforth as the Holy Land and in the next line, to the
:
mountain land, which &c. This is the sense in Ex. xv. 17, which
evidently was in the poet's mind. Cp. Deut. iii. 25; Is. xi. 9.
55. And he drove out the nations before them,
And allotted them for the portion of their inheritance:
i.e. distributed the land of the Canaanites among the Israelites by lot.
Cp. Josh, xxiii. 4; Ps. cv. 11.
66 — 58. The unfaithfulness of Israel in Canaan during the period of

the Judges.
56. Yet &c.] Yet they tempted and rebelled against God the
Most High. In spite of all God's goodness to them, they persisted in
their old unfaithfulness. Cp. vv. 17, 18; 40, 41. God the Most High
is not El Elyon, as in v. 35 ; but Elohlni Elyon, the equivalent of
yehovah the Most High, vii. 1 7 ; xlvii. 2.
his testimonies'] His commandments, regarded as bearing witness to
His will. Cp. xix. 7 ; xxv. 10.
57. unfaithfully] Or, as R.V.,
treacherously. Cp. Hos. v. 7;
vi. 7. a deceitful bow] Which misses the mark and dis-
like
appoints its owner. Cp. Hos. vii. 16.
68. They provoked Jehovah, the "jealous God" Who can tolerate
no rival (Ex. xx. 5), by their adoption of Canaanite idolatries. Cp.
Deut. xxxii. 16, 21.
69 — 64.
Once more therefore God punished them for their sins,
abandoning them to their enemies and even suffering ihe Ark to be
captured.
59. Cp. 'A 21. and greatly abhorred Israel] Better, and utterly
rejected Israel. Israel here can hardly mean Ephraim only, as some
commentators hold; for neither sin nor punishment was limited to
; ;
6»
So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,
The tent ivhich he placed among men;
61
And delivered his strength into captivity,
And his glory into the enemy's hand.
6'
He gave his people over also unto the swôrd
And was wroth with his inheritance.
The fire their young men
consumed ^3
And their maidens were not given to marriage.

^4
Their priests fell by the sword;
And their widows made no lamentation.
Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, _
^s
And like a mighty itian that shouteth by reason of wine.

Ephraim, and the sanctuary of Shiloh, though in Ephraimite territory,
was the sanctuary of all Israel.

60. placed] Lit. caused to dwell. The use of this word here and in
use with
Josh, xviii. i (A.V. set tip) was probably suggested by its frequent
reference to the dwelling of God among His people. Cp. Jer. vii. 12.
On the position and history of Shiloh see note on i Sam. i. 3.
61. his strength. ..his glory] The Ark, the symbol and seat of His
majesty (i Sam. iv. 21 f; Ps. cxxxii. 8), was suffered to fall into the
hands of the Philistines (i Sam. iv. 11 ft".).
the enemy's hand] The adversary's hand. (R.V.)
62. See i Sam. iv. 1, 10, 17.
63.Fire devoured their young men;
And their maidens had no marriage song. (R.V.)
The fire of war (Num. xxi. 28) consumed the young men, so that the
maidens remained unmarried.
64. and their widows &c.] This line recurs word for word in
Job xxvii. 15. In the universal distress the customary rites of mourning
were not performed, even for a husband (2 Sam. xi. 26, 27).
65_66. At length Jehovah took pity on His people, and delivered
them from their adversaries.
65. While His people were at the mercy of their enemies He seemed
to be asleep. Cp. xliv. 23, note.
that shouteth &c.] Cp. Is. xlii. 13, 14. " The daring figure of God's
awaking as from sleep, and dashing upon Israel's foes, who are also
His, with a shout like that of a hero stimulated by wine, is more
accordant with Eastern fervour than with our colder imagination ; but
it wonderfully expresses the sudden transition from a period, during
which God seemed passive and careless of His people's wretchedness,
to one in which His power flashed forth triumphant for their defence."
(Maclaren). Many modem commentators follow the LXX, Targ., and
Jer., in rendering like agiant who has been overcome with wine. This
gives a good parallelism to the preceding line, but the verb does not
occur elsewhere in this sense, and bold as are the similes of the
Psalmists, this would be scarcely seemly.
: :
66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts

He put them to a perpetual reproach.
67 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph,
And chose not the tribe of Ephraim
68 But chose the tribe of Judah,
The mount Zion which he loved.
69 And he built his sanctuary like high palaces.
Like the earth which he hath established for ever,
70 He chose David also his servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds:
71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him
To feed Jacob his people,
And Israel his inheritance.
66. And he smote &c.] Render with R.V., And he smote Ms

adversaries backward, a general allusion to the victories over the
Philistines and other enemies of Israel under Samuel, Saul, and David.
The A.V. follows Jewish authorities in seeing a reference to i Sam. v. 6 ff.
67 — 69. The choice of Zion.
67. Moreover &c.] And he rejected the tent of Joseph, i.e. Shiloh
in the tribe of Ephraim. The Ark was never brought back there, and if
Shiloh was not actually destroyed by the Philistines, it ceased to be the
sanctuary of the nation. Jeremiah points to the fall of Shiloh as a
warning to his incredulous contemporaries, who refused to believe that
Jehovah could possibly desert Jerusalem and allow His Temple to be
destroyed (Jer. vii. 12, 14; xxvi. 6, 9). Stanley observes that the first
division of the history of the Chosen People ended with the overthrow
of the first sanctuary, as the second division terminated in the fall of the
second sanctuary, and the third by the still vaster destruction of the last
Temple of Jerusalem. The Jewish Church, Lect. xvii.
68. which he lovedl Cp. Ixxxvii. 2 xlvii. 4.
;
69. like high palaces] Rather, like the heights of heaven, which
along with the earth are emblems of grandeur and stalîlity.
70 —72. The choice of David as king.

70. David his serz'ant] Though any Israelite might profess himself
Jehovah's servant in addressing Him, only a few who were raised up to
do special service or who stood in a special relation to Jehovah, such as
Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Job, are distinguished by this title of
honour. Cp. 2 Sam. iii. 18; vii. 5, 8; Kings viii. 24; Ps. Ixxxix. 3,
1
20; cxxxii. 10.

71. Fromfollowing the ewes with their young ones he brought
him.
To be shepherd of Jacob his people &c.
This natural metaphor for the ruler's care of his people was especially
appropriate in the case of David, who was taken from being the shep-
;
PSALM LXXVIII. 72. LXXIX. i. 479
So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart

And guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
herd of Jesse's flock to be the shepherd of Jehovah's flock. Cp. 2 Sam.
V. 2.
72. the integt-ity of his hem-f] Cp. i Kings ix. 4 Ps. vii. 8 ci. 1; ; ;
and the use of the cognate adjective in xv. 1 xviii. 23. ;
the skilfulness] The regal faculty of discertt»ient which Solomon

desired (i Kings iii. 9), and with which he was so richly endowed
(i Kings iv. 29).
PSALM LXXIX.
The occasion of this Psalm has already been discussed in the Intro-
duction to Ps. Ixxiv. It consists of three stanzas,
i. The Psalmist tells God of the invasion of His land, the desecration
of His Temple, the destruction of His city, the slaughter of His servants,
the reproach of His people (i
ii.
4). —
He entreats God to show mercy to Israel, and not to punish them
any more for the sins of their forefathers, but to chastise their wanton
oppressors (5 8). —
iii. Once more he pleads for help and pardon, urging that the honour
of God's name is at stake, and that the outrages of the heathen should
not go unpunished and he concludes with a vow of perpetual praise
;
from the restored nation (9 13). —

This Psalm, together with Ps. cxxxvii, is prescribed in the Talmudic
treatise Sopherirn (xviii. 3) for use on the 9th day of the month Ab, the
day on which the destruction of both the first and the second Temple
was commemorated. Cp. Zech. vii. 3.
A Psalm of Asaph.
O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; 79

Thy holy temple have they defiled;
They have laid Jerusalem on heaps.
1 —4. The Psalmist tells his grief to God His land is overran by:
heathen. His temple is desecrated. His city is in ruins, His people are
slaughtered, the survivors are the scorn of their neighbours.
1. Cp. Jer. li. 51; Lam. i. 10; and for the desecration of the
Temple cp. Ixxiv. 7; Ezek. vii. 21, 22.
the heathen} Lit. as in tjv. 6, 10, the nations : but where, as here,
the nations are in antagonism to God and His people, the rendering
heathen may be retained. thine inheritance] Here of the holy
land (cp. Ex. xv. 17): more commonly of the people (Ixxiv. 1; Ixxviii.
62, 71).
on heaps'] I.e. in ruins : perhaps an allusion to the prophecy of Micah
;
48o PSALM LXXIX. 2—5.
a The dead bodies of thy servants have they given

To be meat unto the fowls of the heaven,
The flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.
3 Their blood have they shed like water
Round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.
4 We are become a reproach to our neighbours,
A scorn and derision to them that are round about us,
5 How long, Lord? wilt thou be angry, for ever?
Shall thy jealousy burn like fire?
(iii. 12; cp. Jer. xxvi. 18). For the archaic use of 'on,' Wright {Bible
Word-Book, p. 436) quotes Shakespeare, Henry V, v. 2. 39
And all her husbandry doth lie on heaps.
2. The horrors of a remorseless slaughter were aggravated by the
disgrace of the corpses being left unburied, in accordance \vith the
threats of the law (Deut. xxviii. 26) and prophets (Jer. vii. 33; viii. 2;
ix. 22; XV. 3; xvi. 4; xix. 7).
(Ay servants... thy saints'] These titles are not meant to plead Israel's
merits, but Israel's relationship to God in virtue of His covenant with
them (Ixxiv. 20; 1. 5).
3. like tvater] Freely, and as though it were of little worth. Con-
trast cxvi. 15.
none bury them] Cp. Jer. xiv. 16. This passage is quoted freely
to
in I vii. 17 with reference to the murder of certain Assideans by
Mace.
the high priest Alcimus, "He took of them threescore men and slew
them in one day, according to the words which one wrote. The flesh of
thy saints and their blood did they shed round about Jerusalem, and
they had none to bury them." Clearly the meaning cannot be that the
Psalm was written with reference to that event, for by that time (B.C.
162) the situation of afifairs was wholly different from that described in
the Psalm. Judas had won many victories, and the Temple had been
re-dedicated. Moreover the Psalm implies a much more extensive
slaughter of Israelites, and that by heathen, not by a treacherous
Israelite. There is probably another reminiscence of v. 3 in i Mace. i.
37, "They shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary, and
defiled it."
4. A
repetition of xliv. 13, witl\ the change of 'thou makest us' to
'we are become.' Cp. Ixxx. 6; Ezek. xxii. 4; xxv. 6 ff. Dan. ix. 16
combines this verse with v. 8 a.
6 — 8. Prayer that God will cease to be angry with His own people
and will punish their destroyers.
5. How
long, Jehovali, wilt thou be angry for ever ?
(How
long) shall thy jealousy like fire ?bum
As in xiii. i, faith combines two questions into a self-contradictory
expression. How long and /or ever are characteristic words of Ps. Ixxiv
(w. I, 10, 19). Cp. Ixxx. 4; Ixxxix. 46.
Shall thy jealojisy burn like fire] "Jehovah thy God is a devouring
: :
PSALM LXXIX. 6— lo. 481
Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known 6
thee,
And upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.
For they have devoured Jacob, 7
And waste his dwelling place.
laid
O remember not against us former iniquities 8
Let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us
For we are brought very low.
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: 9
And deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's
sake.
Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? 10
fire, a jealous God" (Deut. iv. 24). He cannot endure a divided alle-
giance, and must punish Israel for its sin. Cp. Deut. xxix. 20; Zeph.
i. 18.
6. upott the heathen &c.] Not upon the nations as such, but upon
the nations which refuse to acknowledge Jehovah, and make havoc of
His people. Render with R.V., that know thee not... that call not
upon thy name.
7. R.V. his habitation, \\\3.\-g. pasture: a dif-
his dwelling placel
ferentword however horn pasture in v. 13.
vv. 6, 7 recur in Jer. x. 25. At first sight it would appear that the
prophecy must be earlier than the Fall of Jerusalem, and that the
Psalmist must be quoting from the prophet. But ch, x in its present
form can hardly be from the pen of Jeremiah himself: vzk i 10 at —
—
any rate can hardly be his and vv. 23 25 appear to be a composite
:
passage. The insertion of yea, they have devoured him and consumed
'
him' after 'Jacob,' looks like the transformation of poetry into prose,
and it is possible that the Psalm is the original,
8. Bememher not against us the iniquities of our forefathers
(R.V.). For these sins Israel in the Exile knew that it was suffering (Lam.
V. 7), in accordance with the warnings of the law (Ex. xx. 5). For the
phrase cp. Jer. xi. lo. But the next verse shews that the Psalmist does
not claim that his own generation is innocent. Cp. Lev. xxvi. 39, 40.
prevent us] Come to meet us. See on lix. 10. It is an appeal to the
fundamental revelation of God as a merciful God (Ex. xxxiv. 6).
9 — 12. Repeated prayers for deliverance for the honour of God's
Name.
9. for the glory of thy name'] for the sake of the glory of thy
Lit.
natne (xxix. 2 ; Ixvi. 2). If Thou
moved by the sight of our suf-
art not
ferings, at least be jealous for Thine own honour, lest the heathen should
think that Israel's God is powerless to help His people.
purge away] Or, make atonement for. See note on Ixv. 3.
10. Wherefore &c.] The same plea in cxv. 2 (cp. also cxv. 1 with
""•
9); Joel ii. 17. Cp. Ex. xxxii. 12; Ps. xlii. 3; Mic. vii. 10.
PSALMS X I
: ;
482 PSALM LXXIX. ii — 13.
Let him be known among the heathen in our sight

By the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is
shed.
11 Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee
According to the greatness of thy power
Preserve thou those that are appointed to die;
12 And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom
Their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee,
O Lord.
13 So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture
Will give thee thanks for ever:
We will shew forth thy praise to all generations.
let him be knotuti] Better

Let vengeance for thy servants' blood that is shed
Be made known among the heathen in our sight.
Defer not vengeance to some future generation let us see with our
:
own eyes the fitting punishment of the enemies of Israel. This verse
and V. 9 are based upon Deut. xxxii. 43. Note how the thought of
vengeance goes side by side with that of deliverance in Is. xxxv. 4;
xlvii. 3; lix. 17; Ixi. 2; Ixiii. 4; and in Jer. 1. 15, 28; li. 6, 11, 36,
chapters which also probably date from the Exile.
11. The same phrases recur in cii. 20.
thy power] Lit. ikine arm, a word which recalls the memories of a
glorious past (Ex. xv. 16; Ps. xliv. 3).
those that ai-e appointed to die] Lit., the sons of death. It is not
necessary to understand these expressions literally of prisoners sentenced
to execution more probably they denote the prison and the living death
:
of exile 7 ; xlix. 9 ; Ixi. i).

(Is. xlii.
12. onr neighbours] Cp. v. 4 the nations around, such as the
:
Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites, which instead of sympathising

rejoiced at Israel's calamity. Cp. Ezek. xxv.
sevenfold] Cp. Gen. iv. 15; and contrast Christ's law of forgiveness,
Matt, xviii. 22.
into their bosom] A
metaphor from the practice of carrying articles in
the folds of the dress. It further suggests the idea of full and intimate
recompence. Cp. Is. Ixv. 6; Jer. xxxii. 18; Luke vi. 38.
13. Concluding vow of thanksgiving. Israel will then be able to
render its tribute of unceasing praise to its Lord and Shepherd.
sheep of thy pasture] Cp. Ixxiv. i, note; Ixxx. i.
thy praise] Cp. Ixxiv. 21; Ixxviii. 4. To set forth Jehovah's praise
was Israel's mission, Is. xliii. 21.
)
PSALM LXXX. 483
PSALM LXXX.
The Psalm begins with a prayer to the Shepherd of Israel once more
to manifest His power and lead His people to victory (i 3). —
How long, pleads the Psalmist, will God continue to be angry with
His people and abandon them to the mockery of their enemies (4 7) ? —
He reminds God of the care which He had once bestowed upon the
vine of Israel, and of its former luxuriant growth why then has He :
now withdrawn His protection and abandoned it to the ravages of its

foes(8—13)?
Once more he prays that God will visit and restore His people, and
bind them to Himself by a new bond of allegiance (14—19).
The refrains (3, 7, 19) mark a strophical arrangement, and vv. 8 19 —
naturally fall into two divisions, 8 13, 14 —
19. —
But there are indica-
tions of some dislocation of the text of w. 14 ff., and it is possible that
the strophical arrangement was originally more complete.
This Psalm throws into the form of a prayer those hopes for the
restoration of the Northern tribes and the reunion of all Israel, which are
found in the prophets from the time of Amos onward, and are expressed
in the fullest detail by Jeremiah (iii. 11 15; xxxi. — i—
21), and Ezekiel
(xxxvii, 15 —
28), and, probably at a still later date, after the first
Return from the Exile, in Zech. ix xi.i —
It must have been written
after the fall of the Northern Kingdom, when political rivahy between
Israel and Judah was at an end and it may have been written either
;
before the Exile or after the Return from Babylon, for the language of
vv. 3, 7, 19 does not necessarily imply that the whole nation was in exile.
But more probably it was written during the Babylonian exile for ( ; 1
z^- 3> 7> 19 are most naturally interpreted as a prayer for the termina-
tion of the exile: (2) vv. 12 ff. seem to describe the land as wholly
overrun by enemies and the national existence as for the time at an
end: and (3) the resemblances of language to Pss. Ixxiv and Ixxix are
in favour of referring it to the same period'^.
On the whole then, though the Psalm may be a prayer of the post-
exile congregation for the fuller restoration of Israel, and doubtless was
so used by them, it seems best to regard it as originally the prayer of
Israel in exile for a complete national restoration. The special interest
shewn in the tribes of the Northern Kingdom {v. 2) may have been due
to theconnexion of the author with one of those tribes but it is sufficiently:
accounted for by the prominence given to Israel's restoration in Jere-

miah and Ezekiel. "The brotherly love of Judah for Israel (cp. Ixxvii.
15; Ixxxi. 5) is a reflection (if we may expand the thought of the
Asaphite Psalmists in accordance with Jer. xxxi. 9, 20) of the fatherly
love of Jehovah for His 'first-born.' Man's self-will (Hos. v. 11) cannot
permanently make void the divine idea of all-Israel." (Cheyne.)
According to the Massoretic accentuation the title runs. For the chief
1 For a discussion of the date of Zech. ix — xi the writer would refer to his Doctrine
of the Prophets, pp. 443 ff.
2 With V. I cp. Ixxiv. i: Ixxix. 13; with v. 4 cp. Ixxiv. i, 9, 10; Ixxix. 5; with
V. 6 cp. Ixxix. 4, 12; with v. 18 cp. Ixxix. 6, 9.
;
484 PSALM LXXX. i, 2.
Musician, set to Shoshannim (lilies) : a testimony of Asaph, a Psalm :
but the analogy of the title of Ps. Ix suggests the connexion of the
words Shoshaiiiiim-Ediith, i.e. (Like) lilies is the tesiimony, pure
and beautiful. These would be the opening words of some well-known
song in praise of the Law, to the melody of which the Psalm was to be
sung. Cp. the titles of Pss. xlv, Ixix ; and see Introd. p. xxiv.
To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim-Eduth, A Psalm of Asaph.
80 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,

Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock;
Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.
2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh
1 — 3. A prayer for the restoration of God's favour to His people.

1. Psalmist addresses God (i) as the Shepherd of Israel, a title
The
which is the correlative of the words in Ixxix. 13, thy people and the
flock of thy pasture (cp. Ixxiv. 1), and appeals to their claim on His
protecting care: (2) as thou that leddest Joseph like a flock, recalling
His providential guidance of them through the wilderness (Ixxvii. 20;
Ixxviii. 52) (3) as thou that sittest enthroned upon the Cherubim,
:
words which suggest the double idea of the King enthroned in heaven
and yet dwelling in the midst of His people (i Sam. iv. 4:2 Sam. vi.
2; 2 Kings xix. 15), and are here clearly intended to recall the Presence
of God with His people in the wilderness manifested from the 'mercy-
seat' above the Ark (Ex. xxv. 22). Israel is the nation as a whole;
Joseph represents the tribes of the Northern Kingdom, in which the
Psalmist has a special interest. Cp. Jacob and Joseph, Ps. Ixxvii. 15.
The use of the title Shephe7-d may allude to the use of the word in
Jacob's blessings of Joseph, Gen. xlviii. 15 (fed= shepherded), xlix. 24.
shine forth] Manifest Thyself in power and glory for our deliverance.
Cp. 1. 2 xciv. I ; Deut. xxxiii. 2.
;
2. Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh were united by the tie of

common descent from Jacob's beloved wife Rachel, who is regarded by
Jeremiah (xxxi. 15) as the mother of the Northern Kingdom, and they
are named as representatives of that Kingdom. According to Num. ii.
1 7 ff. these tribes encamped to the West of the Tabernacle, and marched
immediately behind it (v. 24). Before Ephraim &c. therefore means,

'placing Thyself at their head as a victorious leader, as Thou didst go
before them of old in the journeyings of the wilderness.' At first sight
it may seem strange that Benjamin is reckoned among the Northern
tribes, for partially at any rate it sided with Rehoboam (i Kings xii. 21
2 Chr. xi. 3, 23; XV. 8, 9); but the one tribe remaining to David was
Tudah (i Kings xi. 13, 32, 36), and Benjamin must be reckoned to the
Northern Kingdom to make up Ten tribes, for Simeon had become
merged in Judah and is not counted. The principal Benjamite towns-
of Bethel, Gilgal, and Jericho belonged to the Northern Kingdom.
;
PSALM LXXX. 3—5. 485
Stir up thy strength,

And come and save us.
Turn us again, O God, 3
And cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
O Lord God ghosts, 4
How long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy

people?
Thou feedest them with the bread of tears 5
And givest them tears to drink in great measure.

stir tip thy strength'] Put in action thy might (xx. 6) which seems
to be dormant. come and save ns] R.V., come to save us: lit.
covne for salvation or deliverance for 71s.
3. T7tm us again] Usually taken to mean bring us back from exile,
or more generally, restore us: repair our broken fortunes. Cp. Ix. i.
But is it not rather an allusion to Ephraim's prayer in Jer. xxxi. 18,
interpreted in Lam. v. 21 in a spiritual sense? National repentance is the
condition of national restoration; and it must be God's own work.
Make us return to Thee, and return to us (v. 14) with Thy favour as of
old ; then and not till then shall we be saved.
cause thy face to shine] Shew us Thy favour as of old words bor-
:
rowed from the great Aaronic benediction, Num. vi. 25. Cp. Ps. iv. 6.
4 — 7. How
long shall Israel continue to be tlie object of Jehovah's
displeasure, and the scorn of neighbouring nations?
4. Lord God of hosts] yehovah Elohini Tsebdoth, as in lix. 5.
For the meaning see note on xlvi. 7. There is a special significance in
the repeated appeals to Jehovah {4, 14, 19) by the title which denotes
His universal sovereignty, and therefore His ability to help Israel in its
humiliation, and also recalls the days when He went forth with Israel's
armies to victory.
ho7v long zuilt thou be angry] Lit. hast thou been fowling. For the
verb cp. Ixxiv. i. The tense denotes 'how long hast Thou been and
wilt Thou continue to be angry,' and implies that Israel's distress has
already lasted long. Cp. Ixxiv. 9, ro; Ixxix. 5.
against the prayer of thy people] As the punishment for the sins of
their ancestors (Prov. i. 28 ff.; Lam. iii. 8). Perhaps the smoke of the
divine wrath is thought of as a thick cloud which interposes between
them and God ; see Lam. iii. 44. We might render in spite of the
prayer, but the rendering of A.V. and R.V. is the more forcible. God's
indignation against His people is so intense, that even their prayers are
an offence to Him. On the wrath of God as the manifestation of His
holiness see Oehler's O. T. Theology, § 48.
The LXXand Syr. read thy servant or thy seivants for thy people.
5. Thou hast fed them with bread of tears,
And given them tears to drink in large measure,
i.e. made tears their daily portion:cp. xlii. 3; oil. 9. In large measure.
:
486 PSALM LXXX. 6—10.
6 Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours

And our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 Turn us again, O God of hosts,
And cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt:
Thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.
9 Thou preparedst rooin before it.

And didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.
10 The hillswere covered with the shadow of it.

And the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.
lit. by the ticne, or third part of some larger measure, probably the bath
(=ej>hah, in dry measure), and if so containing nearly three gallons: a
huge drinking goblet, though but a tiny measure for the dust of the
earth. Is. xl. 12, the only other place where the word occurs.
LXX, Syr., Jer., read us for them.
6. a strife &c.] An object of contention (Jer. xv. 10): the petty
states round about (Ixxix. 4, 12), Edomites, Arabians, and the like,
quarrel among themselves for our territory. Lagarde conjectures that
we should read manod, shaking (of the head), for madon, strife, as in
xliv. 14, which would suit the parallelism better.
laugh among themselves'] Rather, to their hearfs content, so, laugh
scornftilly. Cp. Ixxix. 4.
P. B. V. '
laugh us to scorn ' follows LXX, Vulg., Jer.
8 — 13. Under
the figure of a vine, once carefully tended and spread-
ing far and wide in luxuriant growth, but now exposed to the ravages of
wild beasts, the Psalmist contrasts God's former care for His people
with their present plight. The figure of the vine may have been sug-
gested by Gen. xlix. 22. See Hos. x. i; Is. v. i 7; xxvii. 1—%;
"The vine was the emblem of the nation on the
—
Jer. ii. 21 ; xii. 10 ff.
coins of the Maccabees, and in the colossal cluster of golden grapes
which overhung the porch of the second Temple and the grapes of ;
Judah still mark the tombstones of the Hebrew race in the oldest of
their European cemeteries, at Prague." Sinai and Palestine, p. 164.
8. Thou broughtest a vine out of Egypt R. V. ) the verb is one ( :
which can be applied to the transplantation of a vine, or the migration

of a people, as in Ixxviii. 52. Thou didst drive out the nations,
and plantedst it. See Ex. xxiii. 28 ff. ; xv. 17 Ps. xliv. 2; Ixxviii. 55.
;
9. Thou preparedst room before it] As the vinedresser prepares the

ground for his vine by clearing away the stones and thorns and all that
would hinder its free growth (Is. v. 2), so God prepared Canaan for
Israel by the expulsion of its old inhabitants.
and didst cause it Sec] Rather, and it struck deep its roots, and
filled the land.
10. The hills] The mountains.
the goodly cedars] Cedars of Qod {El), those "which he hath planted,"
PSALM LXXX. II— 15. 487
She sent out her boughs unto the sea, "

And her branches unto the river.
hast thou then broken down her hedges,
12
Why
So that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?
The boar out of the wood doth waste it, >3
And the wild beast of the field doth devour it.

Return, we beseech thee, O
God ^/ hosts: M
Look down from heaven, and behold,
And vine;
visit this
And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, 15
the indigenous cedars of Lebanon, noblest of forest trees. Cp.

"moun-
tains of God" (xxxvi. 6). The alternative rendering of
R.V. marg., Aiid
the cedars of God with the boughs thereof, gives the
same sense as the
LXX. The vine grew so that it overshadowed the mountainous country
to the South, and the cedars of Lebanon on the North,
an allusion to
in Deut. xi. 24
the ideal boundaries of the Promised Land, as described
the wilderness
'= the mountains here). That the next verse
(where ' ' '
clearly refers to the Eastern and Western boundaries is an argument in

favour of this interpretation.
11. She sent out her branches unto the sea.
And her shoots unto the River (R.V.),
spreading westward to the Mediterranean, and eastward to the Euphrates,
boundaries approximately realised in the time of David and Solomon.
Seelxxii. 8; Gen. xv. 18; Ex. xxiii. 31; Deut. xi. 24; 2 Sam.
vm. 6;
I Kings iv. 24. ,. , . .
12. &c.] The question is half expostulation, half mquiry, tor

Why
Israel's present plight is a riddle to the Psalmist.
hedges^ R.V. fences. Vineyards were always carefully fenced to
protect them (Is. v. 5). Almost the same words recur in Ixxxix. 40, 41.
13. The boar out of the forest doth ravage it,
And the wild beasts of the field feed on it.
" Under Hermon," says Dr Tristram, "in the vineyard districts, we
heard grievous lamentations of the damage done to the vines by the
boars, which not only devour the grapes, but also munch up the
beanng
Nat. Hist, Israel's land is laid waste by
shoots." of Bible, p. 56.
remorseless enemies.
14—19. Repeated prayers for the restoration of God's favour to

Israel.
14. Fetunt] Or, as R. v., Turn again. It is the intransitive form
of the verb turn us again in vv. 3, 7, 19.

16. This verse presents serious ambiguities and difficulties. The
first word may be rendered as a substantive, in close
connexion with v.
14, and the vineyard, or better as R.V. and the
stock: or, as in R.V.
marg., as a verb: and protect (or maintain) that which thy right
:
PSALM LXXX. 16—19.
And the branch that thou madest strong for thyself.
16 // is fire, it is cut down

burnt with
They perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.
17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand,
Upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself
18 So will not we go back from thee:
Quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.
19 Turn us again, O
Lord God <?/" hosts,
Cause thy face to shine ; and we shall be saved.
hand Iiath planted. The second rendering is preferable, though not

wholly free from difficulty.
the branch'\ Or, the son, which is the literal meaning of the word.
Cp. Ex. iv. 22 Hos. xi. i. ; Probably an allusion to Gen. xlix. 22.
The Targuhi interprets, and upon Messiah the king, whom thou hast
'
'
made strong for thyself." But the primary reference is obviously to the
nation.
madest strong] Tending it with loving care till it grew up : cp. Ixxxix.
21 ; Is. i. 2.
16. The gender of the word shews
that it refers to the vine. C7tt
dmvn, as fit for nothing but fuel. Cp. Is. xxxiii. 12; Ezek. xv. 4.
they perish &c.] The figure is dropped. The Israelites perish, for
God has not merely hidden His face, but turned it upon them in anger.
It has been conjectured that there has been some displacement of the
text, and various rearrangements have been proposed. Thus Cheyne
would read the verses in this order: 11, 14, 15, 12, 13, 16. Let them
perish will then refer to Israel's enemies. Then too there may have
been some confusion between 153 and 17 b.
17. A repetition of v. 15, dropping the metaphor. Extend Thy
hand, put forth Thy power to protect the people which Thy right hand
made into a nation and delivered from Egypt. The son of man describes
it as affected by human frailty and therefore needing divine help. The
personification of Israel as Jehovah's son underlies the language of the
verse. Possibly there is an allusion to Benjamin = son of the right '
hand.'
18. So shall we not go hack from thee (R.V.), bound to Thee by a
fresh tie of allegiance. qnicken its] The restoration of our
national life (Hos. vi. 2) will evoke a fresh response of grateful praise.
19. O Lord God of hosts'] There is a climax in the use of divine
names in the refrains (3, 7, 19). The Psalmist clenches his appeal by
the use of the covenant name Jehovah, along with the title expressive of
universal sovereignty, God of hosts.
: ;
PSALM LXXXI. 489
PSALM LXXXI.
The beginning month was marked by the blowing of the
of each
silver trumpets (Num. 10); but the first day of the month Ethanlm
x.
—
or Tisri (Sept. Oct.), the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year and
the first of the civil year, was kept as a solemn festival and was called
'the Day of trumpet-blowing' or 'the Feast of trumpets' (Num. xxix.
I Lev. xxiii. 24).
; Upon the fifteenth day of the same month, at the
fullmoon, the Feast of Tabernacles began (Lev. xxiii. 39). To this
double celebrationv. 3 plainly alludes and we find that from ancient
;
times this Psalm has been the New Year's Day Psalm of the Jewish
Church, and that by an apparently unanimous Jewish tradition it is
connected with the Feast of Tabernacles. It is unreasonable to disre-
gard the evidence of practice and tradition, and maintain that the Psalm
was intended for the Passover, on the ground of the reference to the
Exodus in v. 5. In point of fact its contents are more appropriate to
the Feast of Tabernacles than to the Passover. The Feast of Taber-
nacles was the most joyous of all the feasts, and the opening verses are
a call to a jubilant celebration. The Feast of Tabernacles was the time
appointed for the septennial recitation of the Law (Deut. xxxi. 10)
and the leading thoughts of the Psalm are that allegiance of Israel to
Jehovah alone which was the fundamental principle of the Law;
Jehovah's deliverance of Israel from Egypt, which was the ground upon
which that claim rested and Israel's failure in its duty and consequent
;
loss of promised blessing.

The Psalm falls into
three divisions
i. A the festival with shout and song and blowing
call to celebrate
of trumpets, for it is a divine ordinance for Israel (i
ii. Throwing
—
5).
himself back in imagination to the time of the Exodus,
the Psalmist hears the voice of God proclaiming the decree for Israel's
liberation, and the fundamental principle of the covenant made at Sinai,
the absolute allegiance of Israel to Jehovah as their God (6 —10).
iii. But Israel would not obey, and Jehovah was forced to leave them
to experience the consequences of their obstinate self-will. Yet even
now, if they would obey His commands, He would subdue their enemies,
—
and satisfy them with the promised blessings of plenty (11 16).
Some commentators regard the Psalm as a combination of two frag-
ments, I —
5 a,b, 5f —
16, on the ground of the want of connexion be-
tween 5 b and 5 c, the dissimilarity in style between the two parts, and
the unsuitability of the latter part for a festival hymn. But these argu-
ments are not convincing. If the transition in v. 5 is somewhat abrupt,
it is not more so than is frequently the case ; that the Psalmist should
pass from a summons to the celebration of the festival to a consideration
of its religious significance is perfectly natural; and a review of Jehovah's
relation to Israel is surely not unsuitable for a festival hymn, in view
alike of the general commemorative purpose of the festival, and of the
particular fact that it was the occasion for the septennial recitation of
the Law, which was based upon that relation. That rejoicing should
be tempered by warning is fully in accord with the prophetic spirit of
the Asaphic Psalms.
490 PSALM LXXXI. 1—3.
There is nothing in the Psalm by which

its date can be fixed with
certainty. contains several allusions to Deut. xxxii, and z^. 11, 12
It
may be a reminiscence of Jer, vii. 24. The summons to the festival
implies that the Temple was standing, and from vv. 14, 15 it may be
inferred that the nation was threatened or oppressed by foreign enemies.
Perhaps it may belong to the later years of. the kingdom, and if so,
probably to the reign of Josiah.
It is the special Psalm for Thursday as well as for New Year's Day
according to the ancient Jewish usage. See Introd. p. xxiv. Pre-
sumably the title in the LXX
once contained a reference to this usage,
as the Old Latin Version has Qiiinta Sabbati; but it has disappeared
from all but one or two MSS of the LXX.
To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psaliit of Asaph.
81 Sing aloud unto God our strength :
Make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel,
The pleasant harp with the psaltery.

3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon,
In the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
On the title, For the cMef Musician; set to the Gittith (R. V.), see
Introd. p. xxiii.
1— 3. A call to the joyous celebration of the festival, addressed to

the whole congregation (v. i), to the Levites as the appointed leaders
of the Temple music {v. 2), and to the Priests, whose special duty it was
to blow the trumpets {v. 3). See Num. x. 8, 10; Josh. vi. 4ff. ; 2 Chr.
v. 12 if., vii. 6; Ezra iii. 10.
1. God ottr strength"] Cp. Ex. xv. 2; Ps. xlvi. i.
2. Take a psalm &c.] Or, Raise a psalm and sound the timbrel.
The timbrel, or tabret, was a tambourine or hand drum the psaltery, ;
like the harp, a stringed instrument.

3. the trutrtpet] Heb. shophdr, the horn, as distinguished from the
metal trumpet. In the Pentateuch the use of the shophdr is only pre-
scribed in connexion with the year of Jubilee (Lev. xxv. 9), but accord-
ing to practice it was used for the New Year as well.
in the netv moon] The Targum expressly states that the new moon
of Tisri is meant here, and there is no sufficient reason for setting aside this
ancient Jewish tradition and supposing that the new moon of Nisan, the
first month of the ecclesiastical year, is meant, on the ground that the
contents of the Psalm shew that the festival at the full moon referred to
in the next line must be the Passover.
in the time appoitited &c.] Better, at the full moon, for the day of
our feast. If the month referred to is Tisri, our feast must be the
Feast of Tabernacles, which began at the full moon on the 1 5th of that
month. It was often called simply "the feast" (i Kings viii. 2, &c.),
and was regarded as the most joyous of all the feasts. The trumpet
: : : :
PSALM LXXXI. 4—6. 491
'
For this was a statute for Israel,

And a law of the God of Jacob.
This he ordained in Joseph >r a testimony, s
When he went out through the land of Egypt

Where I heard a language that I understood not.
I removed his shoulder from the burden 6
blowing at the beginning of the month is regarded as pointing forward

to it, and it was repeated on the day itself, in
accordance with the law
of Num. X, lo.
4, 5. reason for the celebration in the divine appointment of

The
the festival as a memorial of God's goodness to Israel.
4. For it is a statute for Israel,
An ordinance of the God of Jacob. (R. V.)
The title God of Jacob carries our thoughts
It refers to the feast.
back beyond the Exodus to the providential dealings of Jehovah with
the great ancestor of the nation (Gen. xlvi. iff.).
6. He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony (R.V.): to bear
wheti Slc.^ Render,
continual witness to His care of Israel.
When he (i.e. God) went out against (or over) the land of Egypt, to
execute judgement upon the Egyptians. See Ex. xi. 4. ., .^
where / heard a language that / understood not] The poet identihes
himself with his nation and speaks in the name of Israel
of old. It
for masters
was an aggravation of their misery that they were toiling
whose language they could not understand. This meanmg
however,
is possible
though Ps. cxiv. I offers a parallel, is hardly adequate here. It
I hear, and to regard
to render, The speech of one that I know not do
divine oracle
the line as the words of the poet himself, introducing the
voice
which follows. He suddenly breaks off, hearing a supernatural
addressing him. Cp. Job iv. 16 ; and for the introduction of God
as the
speaker, Ps. Ix. 6; Ixii. ri. But it is difficult to see how the poet
could speak of God as one w/iom I knoiv ttot: the phrase
must surely
mean more than 'strange,' 'unearthly': and it is preferable to render.
The speech of one that I knew not did I hear. The Psalmist
speaks
in., the person of Israel at the time of
the Exodus. This he can do,
of its national
since Israel of all time is one in virtue of the continuity
of the
life. Israel then began to hear Jehovah (such is the proper force
Whom it had not yet learned to know as the
self-
tense in the original),
revealing God of redemption, speaking to it in the wondrous
works of
the deliverance from Egypt. See Ex. iii. 13 ; vi. 2 ft., 7. The
substance
next verse,
of the words which Israel heard in Egypt is given in the
which contains God's decree for Israel's liberation from servitude
6. I have removed his shoulder from the burden
His hands shall go free from the basket.
The term 'basket' does not occur in Exodus, but baskets for carrying
the burdens of bricks or clay so often referred to in Exodus
(i. 11; u.
; V. ; vi. 6, 7) are fi-equently represented in

Egyptian paintings.
1 1 4, 5
; :
492 PSALM LXXXI. 7—10.
His hands were delivered from the pots.

7 Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered 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 testify unto thee
O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
9 There shall no strange god be in thee;
Neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
10 I am the Lord thy God,
Fro7n the pots (AN.), i.e. from making the pots (P.B.V.), is an impro-
bable explanation.
The P.B.V. in v. 5, "when he came out of the land of Egypt and
had heard a strange language," is derived through the Vulg. from the
LXX. Similarly Jerome; but it is probably only a conjectural render-
ing of a difficult passage, and does not represent a different text.
7. From the divine decree for Israel's liberation the transition to an
address to Israel is easy. Israel of the present is regarded as one with
Israel of the past.
Thoii calledst <S:c.] For the phrase cp. 1. 15; and for the fact, Ex.
ii. 23ff.
in the secret place of thtinderl In the covert of the thunder-cloud God
conceals and reveals Himself (xviii. ri, 13,; Ixxvii. 17 ff.). At the
passage of the Red Sea, when Israel was sore afraid and cried out unto
Jehovah, He "looked forth upon the host of the Egyptians through the
"
pillar of fire and of cloud, and discomfited the host of the Egyptians
(Ex. xiv. 10, 24).
/ pt'oved thee at the waters of Meribah'] Testing thy faith and obedi-
ence. The name Meribah or Strife was a reminder of repeated unbelief
and ingratitude (Ex. xvii. 7; Num. xx.13; Ps. Ixxviii. 20); of the long
'controversy' (Mic. vi. 2) of a long-suffering God with an obstinate
people. It is possible that the reference to this miracle in particular
was suggested by the libations of water at the Feast of Tabernacles,
which commemorated the supply of water in the wilderness.
8 —
10. Israel's duty of allegiance to Jehovah alone ; the fundamental
principle of the covenant. Israel in the wilderness is primarily ad-
dressed, but Israel of every age is included.
8. Hear. .and I ivill testify unto thee] Or, I will protest unto thee,
.
of solemn warning and exhortation. Cp. 1. 7 ; and numerous passages

in Deuteronomy, e.g. vi. 4; v. i, 6; iv. 26; xxx. 19: xxxi. 28.
if thoji wilt hearken &.C.] Better as R.V., if thou wouldest hearken
unto me !
9.no strange god] Cp. xliv. 20; Deut. xxxii. 16.

any strange god] Any alien god. Cp. Deut. xxxii. 12. Absolute
fidelity to Jehovah was the fundamental principle of the Sinaitic
covenant, embodied in the first 'word' of the Decalojnie.
: ! .
PSALM LXXXI. II— 15. 493
Which brought thee out of the land of Egypt:

Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
But people would not hearken to my voice;
my u
And would none of me.
Israel
So I gave them up unto their own heart's lust: 12
And they walked in their own counsels.

that my people had hearkened unto me, 13
And Israel had walked in my ways !
1 should soon have subdued their enemies, 14
And turned my hand against their adversaries.

The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves 15
unto him
But their time should have endured for ever.
10. I am Jehovah thy God,

Which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Cp. Ex. XX. 2 ff. ; Dent. xx. i. To Jehovah Israel owed its existence.
The fact that He redeemed it from Egypt constituted His claim upon
its allegiance. Cp. i John iv. 10.
open &c.] God is ready liberally to satisfy all their needs. Cp.
Matt. vii. 7, XI.
11, 12. Israel's disobedience and its punishment.

11. But my
people hearkened not to my voice. For my people. .
Israel in a similar complaint see Is. i. 3.

12. So I let them go after the stubbornness of their heart,
That they might walk in their own counsels. (R.V.).
God punishes men by leaving them to their own self-willed courses
of action, which prove their ruin. Cp. Job viii. 4; Prov. i. 30 ff.;
Rom. i. 24fif. ; 2 Thess. ii. 10 ff. 'Stubbornness' is a favourite word
with Jeremiah (vii. 24, &c.), occurring elsewhere only in Deut. xxix. 19.
Most editions both of the Bible and of the Prayer Book wrongly print
hearts' for heart'' s. See Scrivener, Aitth. Ed. of Engl, Bible, p. 152,
and Earle, Psalter of li^^^j, p. 313.
13—16. Yet God's mercy is inexhaustible. Even now if Israel
would obey Him, He would subdue their enemies, and bless them
abundantly.
13. that my people were hearkening unto me,
That Israel would walk in my ways
14. I should soon subdue their enemies,
And turn my hand against their adversaries.
In myways is the contrast to in their own counsels. (Jer. vii. 23, 24.^
The hand which is now turned against Israel in chastisement would
be turned against their enemies.
15. The haters of Jehovah should come cringing unto him,
So that their time should be for ever.
: :
494 PSALM LXXXI. i6.
16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat
And with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.
Unto hivi may mean to yehovah or to Israel; but apparently the latter.
Jehovah's enemies are the enemies of His people, and He would force
them to pay homage, however reluctantly (Ixvi. 3 note), to Israel; that
so Israel's time of prosperity might know no end, the nation's life never
fail.
16. Tense and person both present serious difficulties, and it seems
necessary to emend the text of the first line, and read
Yea, I would feed Mm
with the fat of wheat.
And with honey out of the rock would I satisfy thee.
.îVw = Israel. The transition to direct address in /. 2 ('thee') seems
harsh, but is not uncommon in Heb. The third person 'them' or
'him' in LXX, Jer., Syr., is probably only a correction to avoid it.
We have here another reminiscence of Deut. xxxii, vv. 13, 14. Cp.
cxlvii. 14. To an obedient people God would fulfil His ancient pro-
mises of blessing. Cp. Ex. iii. 8; Deut. vii. 12, 13; viii. 6ff.
PSALM LXXXII.
This Psalm is a vision of judgement. It sets forth, in a highly
poetical and imaginative form, the responsibility of earthly judges to
the Supreme Judge, Whose representatives they are, and from Whom
they derive their authority. The dramatic form, the representation of
God as the Judge, and the introduction of God Himself as the speaker,
are characteristics common to several of the Asaphic Psalms. See
Pss. 1, Ixxv, Ixxxi.
Godtakes His stand as Judge in a solemn assembly: His delegates
appear before His tribunal (i).
Sternly He upbraids them for their injustice and partiality, and bids
them remember what the duties of their office are (2 4). —
But they are incapable of reformation, and the foundations of society
are being shaken by their misconduct. Though they bear the lofty
title of gods, they shall share the common fate of men (5 7). —
The Psalmist concludes with a prayer that God will Himself assume
the government of the world (8).
In Ps. 1 the nation of Israel is assembled for judgement here the :
authorities of the nation who have abused their trust are put upon their
trial. The evil complained of has been common in Oriental countries
in all ages, and ancient Israel was no exception. Exhortations to main-
tain the purity of justice are common in the Law: complaints of its
maladministration are frequent in the Prophets. One passage in par-
ticular —
Is. iii. 13 ffi —
presents a close parallel. "Jehovah standeth up
to plead, and standeth to judge the peoples. Jehovah will enter into
judgement with the elders of His people, and the princes thereof: for ye
— ye have devoured the vineyard the spoil of the afflicted is in your
:
PSALM LXXXII. 495
houses : what mean ye that ye crush my people, and grind the face of
the afflicted? saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts."
The authorities of the nation are called gods (vv. i, 6) as being the
representatives of God, sons of the Most High {v. 6) as exercising a
power delegated by the supreme Ruler of the world. The judgement
which they give is God's (Deut. i. 17). Even if it be hel'd that Elohlm
should be rendered God rather than the judges in Ex. xxi. 6 ; xxii. 8, 9,
28; I Sam. ii. 25, it is clear that the administration of justice at the
sanctuary by those who were regarded as the representatives of God is
meant in these passages, and the direct application of the title Elohim
to judges in the Psalm is fully intelligible. This interpretation is the
oldest, for it is not only given by the Targum, but was that generally
current in our Lord's time, as is clear from His use of the passage in
John x. 34 ff. and it is the simplest and most natural. Two other
,
explanations however require notice.

(i) Some commentators think that the Psalm refers to foreign ruleis,
by whom the nation of Israel was being oppressed. The prayer of v. 8,
it is said, proves that the reference cannot be merely to the injustice of
Israelite judges, for God is entreated to arise and judge the world. But
the judgement of Israel is often regarded as part of a universal judge-
ment. See Ps. vii. 6 ff. and particularly the passage of Isaiah already
:
referred to, where Jehovah is standing up to judge the peoples, when He

summons the elders and princes of Israel to account for oppressing their
—
poor countrymen. The language of vv. 2 4 tallies exactly with the
language used elsewhere of the oppression of poor and defenceless
Israelites by the rich and powerful there is not the slightest hint that
:
the terms ' poor and afflicted are transferred to Israel as a nation.
'
'
'
And lastly, though heathen princes claimed divine titles (Ezek. xxviii.
2, 6; Is. xiv. 14) it is improbable that the Psalmist would acknowledge
their right to them as he does.
(ii) Others think that by Elohtm angels are meant, and hold that
the Psalm refers generally to God's judgement upon unjust judges in
heaven and earth ; or more particularly to the judgement of the patron-
angels of the nations. This view, proposed by Bleek, is adopted by
Cheyne, who says, "The charge brought against these patron-angels of
the nations (see Dan. x, xii) is that they have (in the persons of their
human subordinates) permitted such gross violence and injustice, that
the moral bases of the earth are shaken." If this view is to be adopted,
it is certainly the case that " no Psalm makes a stronger demand
than this on the historic imagination of the interpreter." But (i) as has
already been remarked in the note on Iviii. i with reference to a similar
interpretation of that Psalm, there is nothing in the context to justify the
importation of an idea which belongs to the later development of Jewish
theology. (2) The idea that angels can be punished with death is
startling, and foreign to the O.T. view of angelic nature. (3) There is
not the slightest hint that vv. 2 —
4 refer to anything but the oppression
of men by men. The language, as has been pointed out above, closely
resembles that of the Law and the Prophets, and there is no reason for
taking it in a non-natural sense.
There is nothing in the Psalm to fix its date. The evils complained
: :
496 PSALM LXXXII. 1—3.
of were constantly recurring, especially of course when the central

government was weak.
This Psalm is the Psalm for the third day of the week in the ancient
Jewish liturgy. See IiUrod. p. xxiv.
A Psalm of Asaph.
82 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty;

He judgeth among the gods.
2 How long will ye judge unjustly,
And accept the persons of the wicked.? Selah.
3 Defend the poor and fatherless
Do justice to the afiflicted and needy.
1. A vision of God as the Judge of judges.

God'\ Originally no doubt Jehovah, for which the Elohistic editor
has substituted EWhini. standeth'] Or, taketh his stand: solemnly
takes His place as president. Cp. Is. iii. 13 a; Am. vii. 7; ix. i.
in the cong)-egation of the mighty] I.e., as P. B. V., ofprinces. But we
must rather render, in the assembly of God {El), i.e., not the congrega-
tion of Israel, though this is called the congregation of Jehovah (Num.
xxvii. 17; cp. Ps. Ixxiv. 2), but an assembly summoned and presided
over by God in His capacity of Almighty Ruler.
hejudgeth &c.] In the midst of gods (Elohvu) will he judge. Ac-
cording to the view adopted above, the judges and authorities of Israel
are meant hy gods. It might indeed be supposed that the poet intended
to represent God as holding His court surrounded by angels, like an
earthly king in the midst of his courtiers (cp. i Kings xxii. 19; Job i,
ii); and so probably the Syriac translator understood the verse: "God
standeth in the assembly of the angels, and in the midst of the angels
will He judge." But Eldh'im can hardly have a different meaning from
that which it has in v. 6, where it clearly refers to the judges who are
put on their trial; and the address in v. 2 would be unintelligible if
the persons addressed had not already been mentioned.
2 — 4. God speaks, arraigning the judges for injustice and partiality,

and bidding them perfonn their duties faithfully.
2. accept the persons] Or, as R.V., respect the persons, shewing

partiality to the rich and powerful. Strict impartiality in the adminis-
tration of justice is frequently enjoined in the Law. Favouring the poor
is condemned as well as favouring the rich. —
See Ex. xxiii. 2, 3, 6 8 ;
Lev. xix. 15, 17; xvi. 18 ff.: cp. Prov. xviii. 5; xxiv. 23.
35; Deut. i.
The music strikes up to emphasise the question, and as it were give

time for an answer. But the judges have no defence, and God proceeds
to remind them of their duty.
3. Judge the weak and fatherless
Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.
:
PSALM LXXXII. 4—7- 497
Deliver the poor and needy: 4
Rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

They know not, neither will they understand; s
They walk on darkness

in
All the foundations of the earth are out of course.
I have said, Ye are gods; ^
And all of you are children of the most High.

But ye shall die like men, ^
4. Rescue the weak and needy:

Deliver tliem out of tlie hand of the wicked.
Cp. Is. i. 17; X. I, 1. Human authorities are God's representatives
to see that the weak and friendless have justice done them. See Ex.
xxii. 12 ff. Deut. x. 17, 18; Ps. x. 14, 18; Mai. iii. 5: and comp. the
;
portrait of the ideal ruler in Ps. Ixxii. 12 ff. ; Is. xi. 3, 4.
5 — 7. The character of these judges described and their sentence

pronounced.
5. God is still the speaker; but instead of addressing the culprits,
He describes their incorrigible blindness and obstinacy, before He pro-
nounces sentence on them. They have no knowledge, neither will
they get understanding, though these are the needful qualifications
for a judge (i Kings iii. 9 ff.): they walk on to and fro in darkness,
complacently self-satisfied with their ignorance and moral darkness:
and consequently all the foundations of the earth are shaken, the
principles upon which the moral order of the world is based are im-
perilled. Cp. xi. 3, Ixxv. 3, for the metaphor and generally, Prov. ii.
;
10—15.
6. I said.Ye are gods.
And you sons of the Most High (R.V.).
all of
I is emphatic. It is by God's appointment that they have been in-
vested with divine authority to execute judgement in His name. Cp. the
language used of the king, ii. 7; Ixxxix. 27.
To the words of this verse our Lord appealed (John x. 34 ff.), when
the Jews accused Him of blasphemy because He claimed to be one with
God. In virtue of their call to a sacred office as representatives of God
the judges of old time were called gods and sons of the Most High, and
this in spite of their unworthiness. Was it then blasphemy, He asked,
for one who had received a special consecration and commission as
God's representative, one whose life and work bore witness to that con-
secration, to call Himself the Son of God ?
On the surface this may seem to be a verbal argument such as the
Jews themselves would have used; but the real significance of the quo-
tation lies deeper. The fact that it was possible for men so to represent
God as to be called gods or divine was a foreshadowing of the Incar-
nation. "There lay already in the Law the germ of the truth which
Christ announced, the union of God and man." Bp Westcott.
7. BHt\ R. v.. Nevertheless. Though they bear this high title, it
PSALMS 32
—
498 PSALM LXXXII. 8.
And fall likeone of the princes.

Arise, O God, judge the earth:
For thou shalt inherit all nations.
will not exempt them from punishment. They shall die like common
men, and fall like any other princes whose ruin is recorded in history
(Hos. vii. 7). Or is there an allusion to the princes mentioned in
Ixxxiii. gff.?
8. The Psalmist has watched the trial and condemnation of Israel's
judges; and the sight stirs him to appeal to God Himself to assume the
office of Judge not only for Israel but for all the world. If Israel's
judges have failed so lamentably in their duty towards their own country-
men, how can Israel rule the world, though all the nations have been
promised to its kings for their inheritance (ii. 8)? Nay, God Himself
—
Thou is emphatic must take possession of all the nations as their
Sovereign and their Judge.
PSALM LXXXIII.
The vision of the judgement of unjust rulers who oppress God's
people wilhin the nation is followed by a prayer for the judgement of
the nations which threaten to destroy God's people as a nation from

without. The nations around are represented as joining in an unhal-
lowed confederacy against Israel. Their aim is nothing less than to
frustrate the counsel of God, and blot the very name of Israel out of
remembrance. The ancient enemies of Israel, the Moabites and Am-
monites, are the leaders of the coalition; with them are united the
Edomites, Amalekites, and Arabian tribes from the desert Philistia,
:
Tyre, and even Assyria, appear as their auxiliaries.

In spite of the apparent definiteness of the historical circumstances,
it is impossible to lix the occasion of the Psalm with any certainty.
(i) Many commentators connect it with the events related in i Mace. v.
Provoked by the success of Judas in restoring the Temple, "the na-

tions round about"... "took counsel to destroy the generation of Jacob
that was among them, and thereupon they began to slay and destroy
the people." Judas accordingly turned his arms against them, and of
the tribes and nations named in the Psalm, the Edomites, Ammonites,
Philistines, and Tyrians are mentioned among the enemies whom he
defeated. The Ishmaelites and perhaps Gebal and the Ilagarenesmight
be included among the Arabians (v. 39) but the Moabites no longer
;
existed as an independent nation, and the Amalekites had long been

destroyed (i Chr. iv. 42 f ). It is assumed that the names of ancient
enemies are vaguely used for the tribes inhabiting the territories which
formerly belonged to them, or are introduced to heighten the effect.
Assyria is supposed to mean Syria, or possibly the Samaritans. But
(i) the narrative of i Mace, does not speak, as the Psalm does, of a
confederacy. (2) The prominence of "the children of Lot" in the Psalm
does not suit a time when Moab had ceased to exist. (3) While it is
PSALM LXXXIII. 499
possible that Asshur might mean Syria, it is hardly possible that the
most bitter enemies of the Jews could be mentioned merely as the
auxiliaries of less important nations.
(ii) Other commentators think that the Psalm refers to the coalition
against Jehoshaphat described in i Chron. xx. Upon that occasion the
Moabites and Ammonites took the leading part they were joined by
:
Arabians 1 and Edomites, and the combined forces made their rendez-
vous in Edom- before invading Judah. The aim of the invaders (2 Chr.
XX. 11) corresponds to that described in the Psalm, and the result of
the victory {v. 29) is the confession of Jehovah's power for which the
Psalmist prays ; while the prominent part taken by the Asaphite Levite
Jahaziel gives a link of connexion with an Asaphite Psalm. But of the
nations named Psalm the Ishmaelites and Hagarenes, Gebal and
in the
Amalek, Tyre, and Assyria, are not mentioned in Chronicles.
Philistia,
Even if we could suppose that the Ishmaelites, Hagarenes and Gebal
correspond to the Meunites, and that Amalek is included in Edom
(Gen. xxxvi. 12), there is no hint that the coalition against Jehoshaphat
was supported by the Philistines and Phoenicians, though we learn
from Amos i. 6, 9, that they were in alliance with Edom against Judah
at an early date; while the mention of Assyria at this period, even as an
auxiliary, is isolated and perplexing.
(iii) Others again refer the Psalm to the Persian period, and connect
itwith the opposition to the rebuilding of the city described in Nehemiah
iv. iff., 7 ft'., where Arabians, Ammonites, and Ashdodites are men-
tioned among the enemies of Judah. In this case Asshur must stand for
Persia, as in Ezra vi. 22. Robertson Smith (Old Test, in ynuish Ch.
ed. 2, p. 439) refers it to the time of Artaxerxes Ochus, c. 350 B.C., or
later. But the circumstances of the first occasion present no really close
correspondence to the situation described in the Psalm; and of the
details of the time of Ochus we are wholly ignorant.
In fact history records no one single occasion upon which the nations
and tribes mentioned in the Psalm were united in a confederacy against
Israel. On the whole, the invasion recorded in 2 Chron. xx offers the
closest parallel and the best illustration, and the Psalm may have been
written with reference to it. It is possible that nations which did not
actually join the confederacy may have threatened to do so; or enemies
of Israel, actual and possible, past and present, are enumerated in order
to heighten the effect, and forcibly represent the formidable nature of the
danger. Poetry is not history, and as Bishop Perowne observes,
"divine inspiration does not change the laws of the imagination, though
it may control them for certain ends."
It is of course possible that the Psalm refers to some episode in

Jewish history of which no record has been preserved; nor must the
possibility be excluded that the Psalm is not historical but, so to speak,
ideal. A
poet, pondering on such a passage as Micah iv. 11 13, at—
1 For the corrupt reading of the Mass. Te.vt in v. i some 0/ the Aiiniioiiites we
should probably read with the LXX sovte 0/ the MefinJin (i Chr. iv. 41; 2 Chr.
.\xvi 7). Josephus (Ant. IX. i, 2) says that the Moabites and Ammonites took with
them a great bndy of Arabians.
- For Aram (Syria) in v. 2 Edom must certainly be read.
32-
: ;
500 PSALM LXXXIII. 1—3.

a time when neighbouring nations were menacing Judah, miglit expand
that prophecy in a concrete form into the prayer of this Psalm, that,
though enemies from every side should conspire to destroy Israel,
Jehovah would frustrate their schemes, and make their malice an
occasion for the exhibition of His own supremacy.
The Psalm falls into two main divisions.
i. The Psalmist prays that God will not remain an inert and indif-
ferent spectator, while enemies close in upon His people from every
side with intent to destroy them utterly (i — 8).
ii. May He discomfit them as He discomfited the Midianites and
Canaanites of old, till they yield Him homage ; or if they will not
submit, may He disperse and destroy them till they are forced to ac-
knowledge His supremacy {9 — 18).
A .Song or Psalm of Asaph.
83 Keep not thou silence, O God

Hold not thy peace, and be not still, God. O
2 For thine enemies make a tumult:
lo,
And they that hate thee have lift up the head.
3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people,
And consulted against thy hidden ones.
An urgent prayer that God will come to the rescue of His

people, whom their enemies are conspiring to annihilate.
1. Keep not &c.] God (Eldhvn), keep not still, lit. let there be no
rest to thee. hold not thy peace] Or, be not silent. Cp. xxviii. i
XXXV. 21; xxxix. 12.
be not still] Neither take thou rest, God (El). For the phrases
of this verse cp. Is. Ixii. i, 6, 7. God seems to be indifferent to the
danger of His people: their enemies are mustering unrebuked but He :
has only to speak the word, and their schemes will be utterly frustrated
(Ixxvi. 6ff.).
2. make a iuiittilt] A
word denoting the uproar and tumult of a
throng of people the substantive for multitude, frequently used of a
:
great army, is derived from it: cp. xlvi. 3, 6; Is. xvii. 12; xxix. 5,
7, 8 2 Chr. XX. 2, 12, 15, 24.
;
thine enemies... they that hate thee] For Israel's enemies are Jehovah's
enemies their plot to destroy His people is a plot to frustrate the
:
purposes and put an end to the worship of Jehovah. Cp. against thee,
V. 5; and Judg. v. 31.
3. They have taken... and consulted] They are taking... and con-
sulting together. Jehovah's hidden ones are His people whom He
conceals in His pavilion in the day of trouble (xxvii. 5; xxxi. 20), those
to whom He has given an asylum from their enemies. The later Greek
Versions (Aq. Symm. Theod.) and Jerome read the singular, thy secret
place, i.e. the temple, cp. Ezek. vii. 22.
: : ;
PSALM LXXXIII. 4—8. 501
They have said. Come, and let us cut them off from being a 4
nation;
That the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
For they have consulted together ivith one consent 5
They are confederate against thee
The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; 6
Of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
Gebal, and Amnion, and Amalek; 7
The Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;

Assur also is joined with them: 8
4. from being a nation'\ Their aim is to obliterate the name of

Israel from the map of the world. For the phrase cp. Jer. xlviii. 2
and see Ixxiv. 8 ; i Mace. v. 2. that the name Sic.'] More accurately,
and so the name of Israel shall be remembered no more.
5. they are confederate against thee} Lit., against thee do they
make a covenant. Cp. v. 1.
5 — 8. An
enumeration of the confederate peoples. From the south-
east come the Edomites, who inhabited the mountainous region be-
tween the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Akaba, and the Ishmaelites, who
roamed over the deserts from the borders of Egypt to the north-west
shore of the Persian Gulf (Gen. xxv. 18): from the east of the Dead
Sea come the Moabites, and from the north-east the Hagarenes or
Hagrites who lived in the neighbourhood of the Hauran, east of Gilead
(i Chr. V. 10, 19, 20); —
they are mentioned in the inscriptions of
Sennacherib along with the Nabatheans. Gebal is not the Gebal of
Ezekiel xxvii. 9 to the north of Tyre (Byblus), but the northern part of
the mountains of Edom, southward of the Dead Sea, a district known
to Pliny as Gebalene. The Ammonites, ancient and bitter foes of
Israel, come from their home beyond the Jordan, the Amalekites from
the southern deserts between the Arabah and the Mediterranean. The
maritime states of the Philistines on the west and Tyre on the north
have joined them, and even the remote Assyria sends a contingent to
support the confederacy.
6. 77ie tabernacles &c. ] The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
i.e. the nomadic Edomites and Ishmaelites who dwell in tents. Cp.
Hab. iii. 7. of MoaU} Omit of.
7. the Philistines'] Lit. Philistia. In Am. i. 6ff., 9fr., Philistia
and Tyre are censured for surrendering Israelite captives to Edom,
which in its turn {v. 11) is condemned for unbrotherly hostility to
Israel.
8. Assur] Assyria. The mention of Assyria as an auxiliary of
Moab and Amnion seems to imply that it was not yet a leading power,
which would fall in with an early date for the Psalm. Assyria is not
known to have come in contact with Israel until the reign of Jehu, who
paid tribute to Shalmaneser II in B.C. 842. Still in the time of
Jehoshaphat the Assyrians appear to have made conquests in Phoenicia
;
502 PSALM LXXXIII. 9—12.
They have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.
9 Do unto them as tinto the Midianites

As to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:
10Which perished at En-dor:
They became as dung for the earth.
" Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb:
Yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:
12 Who said, Let us take to ourselves
The houses of God in possession.
and Syria, and the Ammonites might have procured help from them as
they did from Syria at an earlier date (2 Sam. x. 6).
If the Psalm belongs to the Persian or Maccabaean age, Assyria must
stand for Persia or Syria. Theodoret suggests that the Samaritans, as
Assyrian colonists, are meant. Lagarde, followed by Cheyne, cuts the
knot by reading Geshiir for Asshur {%ee 2 Sam. iii. 3); but this petty
Syrian kingdom would hardly be mentioned as an important ally.
t/itj have holpen^ Lit. they have been an ai-m, i.e. a help. Cp. Is.
xxxiii. 2.
the children of Lot] The Moabites and Ammonites, who seem to be
singled out as the leaders of the confederacy. Cp. 2 Chron. xx. i. The
phrase occurs in Deut. ii. 9, 19, the only other passages outside of
Genesis where Lot is mentioned. It points to the unbrotherly character
of the hostility of these nations by recalling their common descent.
—
9 12. Prayer for their destruction as the Canaanites were destroyed
by Deborah and Barak, and the Midianites by Gideon.
9. Do thou unto them as unto Mldian ;
As unto Sisera, as unto Jabin, at the torrent of Eishon.

The victory of Gideon over the confederate forces of the Midianites,
Amalekites, and Arabians (Judg. vii, viii) is referred to by Isaiah as a
typical triumph (ix. 4; x. 26). They fell, like Jehoshaphat's enemies
(2 Chr. xx. 23), by one another's hands. For the rout of the Canaanites
see Judg. iv, v. The storm-swollen torrent of the Kishon contributed
to the victory (Judg. v, 21).
10. En-doris not mentioned in the narrative of Judges, but it was
situated in the same valley as Taanach and Megiddo, which are named
in Judg. v. 19, and is mentioned along with them in Josh. xvii. r. 1
as dung] Omit as. A contemptuous expression for the fate of un-

buried corpses. Cp. 2 Kings ix. 37; Jer. viii. 2 &c. ;
11. The Psalmist returns to Gideon's victory. Oreb and Zeeb

('Raven' and 'Wolf') were the princes, i.e. generals, of the Midianites
(Judg. vii. 25; Is. X. 26); Zebah and Zalmunna were the kings of
Midian (Judg. viii. 5 ff., 12, 18 ff).
12. Who have us take for ourselves in possession
said, Let
The habitations (or, pastures) of God.
WJio refers to the present enemies of Israel, not to the Midianites.
;
PSALM LXXXIII. 13—17. 503
O my God, make them like a wheel;

As the stubble before the wind.
As the fire burneth a wood,
And as the flame setteth the mountains on fire
So persecute them with thy tempest,
And make them afraid with thy storm.
Fill their faces with shame;
That they may seek thy name, O Lord.
Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; •
God's habitations or pastures are the land which He has given to His
people Israel. Cp. 2 Chr. xx. i r. The LXX reads altar, or according
to another reading, sanctuary.
—
13 18. Renewed prayer for the dispersion and destruction of the
enemy expressed by figures from nature. The final end and object of
all is that they may acknowledge Jehovah to be supreme.
13. make a wheel] Rather, like whirling dust or chaff.
tJiefii like
Anything whirled away before the wind may be meant. Thomson
[Land and Book, p. 563) thinks that the globular heads of the wild
artichoke may be meant. They are light as a feather, and in the
autumn when they break off from the parent stem thousands of them '
'
come scudding over the plain, rolling, leaping, bounding with vast
racket, to the dismay both of the horse and rider." The Arabs, who
call it \ikkul>, " derive one of their many forms of cursing from this
plant: 'May you be whirled like the 'akkub before the wind.'"
as the stubble] As stubhle. Dry, light, broken straw, whirled
away from the threshing floor, which was usually in an exposed situ-
ation to catch the wind, is meant. Cp. Is. xvii. 3 xxix. 5 Jer. xiii. 24 ;
1 ; ;
Ps. i. 4.
14, 15. As fire that consumeth a forest.
And as fiame that humeth up mountains ; .
So Shalt thou pursue them with thy tempest,

And dismay them with thy hurricane.
God's wrath is a fiery blast which at once kindles and fans the flame
(Is. xxix. 6; XXX. 27, 30, 33), and pursues and consumes His enemies
like a fire in the forest or on the mountains. "Before the rains came,"
says Thomson {La?id and Book, p. 341), "this whole mountain side was
in a blaze. Thorns and briars grow so luxuriantly here that they must
be burned off always before the plough can operate. The peasants
watch for a high wind, and then the fire catches easily, and spreads
with great rapidity." Cp. Is. x. 16 —
19; Jer. xxi. 14.
16. fill their faces with shame] Or, disgrace. Let them be dis-
graced by defeat and disappointed in their project. But this is only as
the means to the higher end, that they may seek Jehovah's name,
recognising in Israel's God the God of revelation, and submitting
themselves to His Will.
; : :
504 PSALM LXXXIII. i8.
Yea, letthem be put to shame, and perish:

i8 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is
JEHOVAH,
Art the most High over all the earth.
17. Let them be ashamed and dismayed for ever

Yea, let them he put to confusion and perish
18. That they may know that thou, whose name is JEHOVAH,
even thou alone,
Art the Most High over all the earth.
The primary object of chastisement is conversion (^v. i6); but if they
will not acknowledge Israel's God as the God of revelation, let them be
compelled by reiterated judgements to recognise Him as the Almighty
Ruler. Cp. Is. xxxvii. 20; 2 Chr. xx. 29. The ruin with which they
threaten God's people will recoil upon themselves (vi. 10; xxxv. 4, 26).
For 'know' see lix. 13: and generally, cp. xcvii. 8, 9; Is. xxvi. 9 11. —
PSALM LXXXIV.
With Ps. Ixxxiii the Asaphite division of the Elohistic collection ends ;
—
and Pss. Ixxxiv Ixxxix form an appendix to that collection, which
shews but few indications of the hand of the Elohistic editor. It can
however still be traced in Ps. Ixxxiv in the phrase yehovah Elohim
Tsebdoth (v. 8), and in the absolute use of God (v. 9), by the side of
Jehovah (vv. x, 2, 3, 8, 11, 12).
Ps. Ixxxiv is a companion poem to Pss. xlii xliii. —
It is animated by
the same spirit of enthusiastic devotion to the service of God and love
for the worship of the Temple. It makes use of the same expressions
(e.g. tabernacles, or dwelling-place, v. i ; the living God, v. 2 ; appear
before God, v. 7) ; and it presents the same structure of three equal
stanzas, which are divided by musical interludes, instead of by refrains
as in Pss. xlii — xliii.
These Psalms may have been written by the same poet, though
under widely different circumstances. In Pss. xlii xliii the leading —
motive is the pain of being debarred from approaching the sanctuary
in Ps. Ixxxiv it is joy at the privilege of access to it. The author's feet
seem be already standing in the gates of Jerusalem. It is virtually a
to
pilgrim song, though it is not included in the special collection of
"Songs of Going up" [Introd. p. xxv).
It clearly belongs to a time when the Temple was standing, and its
services were regularly carried on and if thine anointed {v. 9) refers (as
;
it is most natural to suppose) to the king, it must be assigned to the
period of the monarchy. But more than this it is impossible to say.

Some attempts to fix the date of the companion Pss. xlii xliii have —
been considered in the introduction to those Psalms, and shewn to be
improbable. Certainly it cannot, as Delitzsch supposes, be so early as
the time of David. The Temple is a permanent building with courts
and chambers annexed to it for resident ministers; its services appear to
: !
PSALM LXXXIV. I, 2. 505
be of long standing and pilgrimages to

; it are an established part of the
national religious life.
But as "the Psalter in its spiritual fulness belongs to no special time,"
so "this Psalm is the hymn of the Divine life in all ages. It brings
before us the grace and the glory of sacrifice, of service, of progress,
where God alone, the Lord of Hosts, is the source and the strength and
the end of effort." (Bp Westcott.)
The Psalm is divided into three equal stanzas by Selah, marking a
musical interlude after vv. 4 and 8. At first sight this division seems
unsatisfactory, because it separates verses of similar form and meaning;
and it may be thought preferable to treat the Ps. as consisting of two
stanzas only: vv. i 7; 8 12.— —
But the triple division is probably
right, and corresponds to the triple division of Pss. xlii xliii. The —
second and third stanzas open with words suggested by the close of the
first and second stanzas respectively, and the connexion of thought
appears to be as follows
i. The Psalmist's eager longing for the house of God (i, 2); the
happiness of those who dwell there (3, 4).
ii. Happy too are those who in the strength of God surmount all
obstacles, and appearing in His Presence offer their prayers (5 8). —
iii. The preciousness of the privilege of access to God, is the Who
unfailing source of blessing for those who trust in Him (9 12). —
Beside Pss. xlii — xliii, Pss. xxvii, Ixi, Ixiii should be compared.
On the title, For the chief Musician ; set to the Gittith. A Psalm
of the sons of Korah (R.V.), see Introd. pp. xix, xxiii, and pp. 223 ff.
To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.
How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts 84

My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the 2
Lord:
1, 2. The Psalmist's delight in the house of God.
1. How amiable are thy tabeniacles\ Or, How dear is thy dwelling-
place. Amiable is no longer used of things, in the sense of worthy to be
loved. For dwdling-place see note on xxvi. 8. The plural of the
original, as in xliii. 3, may be 'amplificative,' expressing the dignity of
the house of God; or it may be used with reference to the various
buildings of which the Temple was composed.
Lord of hosts] See note on xlvi. 7.
2. My soul hath pined, yea, even fainted. The verbs are perfects,
and it seems best to suppose that he is recalling the earnest longings
which are even now finding satisfaction, as his feet stand in the Temple
courts, and his heart and fiesh sing for joy unto the living God. The
latter verb denotes joyous singing, such as that with which pilgrims
enlivened their journey. Cp. Jer. xxxi. 1 2 and the cognate substan-
;
tive in Ps. xlii. 4. Soul, heart, axiAJlesh, the emotions, the reason and
the will, with the living organism of the body through which they act,
make up the whole man. See xvi. 9; Ixxiii. 26; and cp. i Thess. v. 23.
:
5o6 PSALM LXXXIV.

My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
3 Yea, the sparrow hath found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her
young,
Even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.
4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house
They will be still praising thee. Selah.
the Hvmg GoJ] The same phrase {El chay) as in xlii. 2. God Him-
self is the final object of desire the Temple is only the means of realis-
:
ing His Presence.
3, 4. The happiness of those who find a home in the Temple.

3. The Psalmist envies the privilege of the birds which build
their
nests within the precincts of the Temple. If even they are allowed to
find a home there, surely he may expect a welcome. As at an earlier
time the surrounding scenery was eloquent to the poet of his own mis-
fortunes (xlii. 7), so now a feature in the Temple courts expresses the
longing of his heart. No doubt the figure is abruptly introduced. The
picture is painted, and left to the reader to interpret. But it is unne-
cessary to suppose that the text is defective, and must be emended by
the insertion of words to give the sense: 'Birds have their nests, and so
have I found (or rather, would I fain find) a home by thine altars.'
The direct address to God is not out of place, because though the
Psalmist does not directly mean himself by ihe sparrow and swallow,
his own longing breaks through the figure and moulds the language.
sparro"u...swallozv\ Cp. Prov. xxvi. 2. Tsippor, Y&ndQveA span-07v,
is a generic term for small birds: dror is rendered dove by the LXX,
Targ. and Syr., but probably means swallcno.
, In ancient Greece as in
the East the birds which nested in temples were accounted sacred.
Comp. the story of Aristodicus at the temple of Branchidae (Herodotus
i. 159) ; and "still the swallow seeks the temple enclosure at Jerusalem,
and the mosque of Omar, as a secure and safe nesting-place." (Tris-
tram, Nat. Hist. 0/ ike Bible, p. 206.)
may lay] Rather, hath laid.
even t///ne altars] Not of course the actual altar but its neighbour-
hood. Or we may render, //y thine altars.
my King and my God] See v. 2 ; cp. xliv. 4.
4. Blessed] Or, happy, as in i. r ; and so in vv. 5, 12. Not those
who are "of the household of God" in the wider sense (xxiii. 6; xxvii.
4; cf. Eph. ii. iq), but the actual ministers of the Temple appear to be
meant. They can be still, i.e. again and again, raising their Halle-
lujahs.
—
5 8. Yet not only those are happy, who reside within the precincts
of the Temple, but those who in the strength of God surmounting every
obstacle appear in His Presence and offer their prayers.
; ;
PSALM LXXXIV. 5—7. 507
Blessed t's the man whose strength is in thee :
In whose heart are the ways of thon.

Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well ; <
The rain also filleth the pools.

They go from strength to strength, ;
5. Happy are the men whose strength is in thee

In whose hearts are the highways (to Zion).
Happy are those whose minds are wholly set on pilgrimage to Zion.
The phrase is peculiar and to Zion must be supplied but this is prefer-
;
able to rendering highways are in tlicir hearts, and explaining highways

as a metaphor for right ways of life. The Targ. has, in whose hearts is
cotijidence, which has been thought by some to represent a more correct
reading, but is probably only a free paraphrase.
6. Passing through the vale of Baca they make it a place of
springs.
Yea, the early rain clotheth it with blessings.
The word Baca is derived from the root which means to weep, but it
nowhere means weeping, for which words of a different form are used.
Here, as in 2 Sam. v. 23, it probably denotes some kind of balsam-tree,
so called from the 'tears' of gum which it exudes. The vale of Baca
or the balsam-trees was some vale which, like the vale of Elah or the
terebinth (i Sam. xvii. 2), and the vale of Shittim or acacias, took its
name from the trees which grew there. Balsam-trees are said to love
dry situations, growing plentifully for example in the arid valley of
Mecca; and this is clearly the point of the reference. The vale of Baca
was some waterless and barren valley through which pilgrims passed
on their way to Jerusalem ; but faith turns it into a place of springs,
finding refreshment under the most untoward circumstances, while God
refreshes them with showers of blessing from above, as the autumnal
rains clothe the dry plains with grass and flowers. Cp. Is. xxxv. i ff.,
6 ff
.
xli. 18 ff.; and see TnsivMXis Natural Hist, of the Bible, pp. 30,
;
455, for a graphic description of the marvellous way in which the rains in
Palestine transform the country from a brown and dusty desert to a lovely
garden. Once more we have to note the singularly bold use of meta-
phor which is characteristic of this poet.
The familiar phrase 'the vale of tears' comes from the Vulg. vallis
lacrimarutn, and it is possible that such an allusion to the derivation of
the word is intended. It is natural to regard the pilgrim's experience
as a parable of the pilgrimage of life, but this secondary applkation
must not be allowed to supersede the original meaning.
This verse has suffered a strange fate in translation. The English
Versions follow Jewish authorities in taking berdchoth as the plural of
berechdh, 'a pool,' not, as it must be, o{ berdchdh, 'blessing.' The LXX
renders. The lawgiver shall give blessings, taking nioreh to be connected
with tordh, law and similarly Jerome, The teacher shall be clothed with
:
blessing, a rendering followed by Luther.

7. They go front strength to strength^ Instead of fainting on
;
5o8 PSALM LXXXIV. 8, 9.
Every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.

8 O Lord God <^ hosts, hear my prayer:
Give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
9 Behold, O God our shield,
And look upon the face of thine anointed.
their toilsome journey they gain fresh strength as they advance. Cp.
Is. xl. 31, and for the form of expression, John i. 16; 2 Cor. iii. 18.
every one of them in Zion] Better as R.V., every one of them ap-
peareth before God in Zion. The words every one of thet?i are not in
the original, but may legitimately be supplied, the use of the verb in
the singular individualising the different members of the company.
The LXX
read El Elohim, God of Gods,' for el £/o/nm, 'unto God,'
'
and thence, through the Vulg., came Coverdale's rendering, And so the
God of Gods apeareth vnto the in Sion. The P.B.V., while giving the
right construction to the Heb. sentence, has retained God of Gods.
appeareth before God] The technical term for visiting the sanctuary
at the great Festivals. Cp. xlii. 2, note.
8. Aprayer for favourable audience, uttered apparently by the
Psalmist as the leader of the pilgrims on their arrival in the Temple.
9 — 12. The pilgrims' prayer, and the ground of their confidence.
9. The
Psalmist's prayer for favourable audience in v. 8 is succeeded,
after a musical interlude [selah), by a prayer offered by all the pilgrims
together. Contrast ôitr shield' with w/ prayer' {v. 8), and the singular
'
which recurs in iJ. 10.

The first line admits of two renderings, (i) As in the A.V., 'our
shield may be taken as a vocative in apposition to God,
'
Who
is styled
a shield in v. 1 1, and frequently elsewhere, e.g. iii. 3 ; xxviii. 7 lix. 1 1 ;
Gen. XV. i. (2) As in R.V. marg.. Behold our shield, O God, 'our
shield may be taken as the object of the verb, in parallelism with and
'
referring to thine anointed in the next line.

'
' This rendering is com-
mended by the parallelism, and not excluded by the order of the words
in the original: the king is styled 'our shield in Ixxxix. 18 (R.V.), and
'
there is nothing unnatural in the application in the same context of the

same epithet to the king and to God, Whose representative the king was
acknowledged to be.
look upon theface ofthine anointed] Graciously accept him. But who is
meant by thine anoiitted ? Is it the king, the high-priest, or the people ?
Those who maintain that the Psalm is post-exilic suppose that the high-
priest or the people is thus designated. But though the high-priest is
called the anointed priest (Lev. iv. 3, 5, 16; vi. 22), he is never called
the anointed of Jehovah: and it is very doubtful whether this title is ever
applied to the people. Ps. Ixxxix. 38 and Hab. iii. 13 are quoted, but
do not establish the usage. The most natural explanation is that the
king is meant. Nor is the prayer out of place. The welfare of the
nation was bound up with the welfare of the king. And ifthe king was
PSALM LXXXIV. lo, ii. 509
For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand.

I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God,
Than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield :
one who Hezekiah or Josiah had effected a great reformation, the

like
Psalmist might well feel that the religious privileges which he prized
depended upon the continuance of the king's life. It certainly cannot
be inferred from the words that the Psalmist was himself a king, but
rather the reverse.
10. For a day &c.] The connexion of thought is obscure. For
apparently introduces a reason for the foregoing prayer. A
'good day,'
i.e. a day of festivity and rejoicing, was regarded as a propitious occasion
for preferring requests (i Sam. xxv. 8). A day spent in Jehovah's
courts was better than a thousand others, and therefore the most oppor-
tune occasion for this prayer. Some commentators connect this verse
with vv. I — 7, taking vv. 8, 9 as parenthetical, and regard it as giving
the reason for the desire to enter the Temple which is the dominant
idea of the Psalm. But neither of these explanations is quite satis-
factory, and the difficulty disappears if we render, Surely a day &c.
After offering the prayer of v. 9 the Psalmist returns to the thought
which inspires his song, the blessedness of approach to God in His
house.
'
One day (P. B. V.) comes from the
'
LXX through the Vulg.
/ had rather be a doorkeeper'] Lit., be at the threshold. Delitzsch
thinks that this is an allusion to the office of the Korahites as "keepers
of the thresholds of the tent" (i Chron. ix. 19). If so, the reference
must be to some subordinate position, and not to the distinguished office
of "keeper of the threshold" (2 Kings xxii. 4; xxv. 18); for the sense
clearly is, * I had rather perform the humblest service at the temple of
Him who tolerates no evil (v. 4) than be entertained as a guest where
wickedness makes its home.' But the meaning may simply be, I had
rather stand, or, lie, at the threshold, wait humbly at the gate as a sup-
pliant. Cp. LXX, irapapLwTfiaOai, Vulg. abiecttis esse.
The tents of ivickedness probably refers to the heathen neighbours of
whose scoffing this Psalmist had had such a bitter experience (xlii. 3,
10). Cp. cxx. 5.
11. a sun and shield] R.V., A sun and a shield. Nowhere else in
the O.T. is Jehovah directly called a sun, though the ideas conveyed
by the metaphor are frequent. Cp. xxvii. i; Is. x. 17; Ix. 19, 20;
Mai. iv. 2. Perhaps the prevalence of sun-worship in the East led to
the avoidance of so natural and significant a metaphor. Even here the
oldest Versions either had a different reading or shrank from a literal
rendering. The LXX and Theodotion have: For the Lord God loveth
mercy and truth. The Targ. paraphrases, For the Lord God is like a
high 7vall and a strong shield, reading shonesh ( = sun), but taking it in
the sense of battlement (R.V. pinnacles^ which it has in Is. liv. 12.
The Syr. gives, our sustainer and our helper. Only the later Greek
Versions and Jerome render the Massoretic text literally.
5IO PSALM LXXXIV. 12.
The Lord will give grace and glory

:
No good thiiig will he withhold from them that walk up-

rightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
fhe Lord
&c.] Favour (Gen. xxxix. i\), honour (Ixxxv. 9; i Kings
iii. and prosperity (Ixxxv. 12) are the reward of the upright. Cp.
13),
the parallel in Prov. iii. 33 —
35, which speaks of God's blessing on the
habitation of the righteous, of His bestowal of favour on the lowly, and
of the honour which is the inheritance of the wise. Grace and glory sug-
gest to us ideas which were hardly in the Psalmist's mind, though his
words include all divine blessings, and he would not have drawn the
sharp distinction between temporal and spiritual things which we are
accustomed to do. But the temporal blessings of the Old Covenant are
the types of the spiritual blessings of the New; and the promise, like so
many sayings in the Psalter, receives a larger sense and a spiritual
meaning in the light of the Gospel. See Rom. v. 2 ; i Pet. v. 10.
them that walk iiprightly\ Making sincere devotion to God and
perfect integrity in their dealings with men the rule of their lives. Cp.
XV. 2, note; ci. 2, 6.
12. O Lord
of hosts] The addition of God in P. B. V. , as in v. 8,
comes from the Roman or unrevised Latin Psalter (see p. Iv), and is
found in some MSS. of the LXX.
PSALM LXXXV.
The from exile is a pioof that God has forgiven
restoration of Israel
His people and taken them back into favour as He promised (Jer. xxxiii.
8 ft'.). Yet the present condition of Israel seems to shew that God's
anger still rests upon it. Only a feeble remnant has returned. Disap-
pointment and disaster are crushing them. The national life has not
revived. The great hopes held out by the prophets, especially in
Is. xl —
Ixvi, in connexion with the Return, have not been realised.
And therefore the nation prays for a fresh manifestation of God's saving
power to gladden His people (i 7). —
Listening for an answer the Psalmist receives the assurance that God's
purposes of good toward His faithful people will surely be fulfilled. He
will dwell among them and bless them, fulfilling the prophetic promises
of the establishment of His kingdom among men (8 —
13).
Such is the argument of the Psalm; and we can hardly be wrong in
referring it to the early days of the Return from Babylon. The lêst
illustration of it is to be found in the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah,
especially in Zech. i. 12 ft'., and with this period (c. B.C. 520) it should
be connected, rather than with the time of Nehemiah. It was written
to meet the depression and despondency which were rapidly crushing
the life out of the feeble church of the restoration, with the assurance
that the prophetic promises of a glorious Messianic future were not a
:
5»i
PSALM LXXXV. 1—3.
but that God would establish His

kingdom in llis land.
delusion,
shew familianty with Is. xl— Ixvi.
Thought and language
of meic.es already
Thf Psalm fall! into two divisions, (i) the pleading (n) the answer of
and
received (i-î) as the ground of prayer (4-7),
the first part was to be
hope (8-n): and it has been suggested that
At any rate vv. 1-7 may
sung by the people, the second by the priest.
the inspired conviction of
expTess the thoughts of the people ; w. 8-13
some 'soul of nobler tone,' prophet or priest, who
wrote the I sa m
Proper Psalms for
The appropriateness of this Psalm as one of the
Messianic hopes. The Incar-
Christmas Uay is obvious. It is full of
of Israel and in Christ almost
nation is the tme answer to the prayer :
its fulfilment. The message of

eveiT word of the second part finds
salvation (Matt. 1. ai ; Luke 11.
peace (Luke ii. 14), the nearness of
earth (Luke 11. 32; John 1. 14),
\o ff ) the divine glory dwelling in the
of righteousness and peace
the union of lovingkindness and truth,
preceded by righteousness
John i 17 Rom. v. i), the advent of God
•
blessings were imparted

making a way for His people to walk in :-these
transcending anything that the
in Christ in a fulness and a reality far
Psalmist could have anticipated.
A Psalm for the sons of Korah.

To the chief Musician,
85
Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land
Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, 2
Thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.

Thou hast taken away all thy wrath :
^
3
anger.
Thou hast turned thyself ixom the fierceness of thine
1—3. God has forgiven and restored His people.
thou hast been favourable] Thou art propitiated :

once more Thou
1
craciously acceptest Thy people, and receivest
them back into Thy favour.
Haggai
The ban of Jer. xiv. 10, 12 is removed. Cp. Ixxvii. 7; cvi. 4;
i 8
Or, as R.V. marg.,
thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob]
"
returned to. But more probably the phrase means,

thou hast turned
the fortune of Jacob. See note on liii. 6.
Here doubtless the resto-
exile is meant.
ration of the nation from the Babylonian
2 The Heb. words describe sin (i) as depravity or moral distortion;
(2) 'as a wandering from the way, or
missing the mark; and forgiveness
as the removal of a burden, (2) as the
covering of the offence which
I
punishment.
would otherwise meet the eye of the judge and call for
C^T) XXXI I. I *% ^
Thou hast taken away^ Lit. ivithdrawn, or drazvn in, the wrath
3.
which was let loose against us. ^ ^ ,
. .
from the fierceness of thine anger] Poured out upon

Israel for its sin.
See Jer. xxx. 24; Lam. i. 12; iv. 11. Cp. Ex. xxxii. 12.
:
512 PSALM LXXXV. 4—8.
4 Turn us, O God of our salvation,

And cause thine anger towards us to cease.
5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever ?
Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations ?
6 Wilt thou not revive us again :
That thy people may rejoice in thee?

7 Shew us thy mercy, O Lord,
And grant us thy salvation.
8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak :
For he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints
4 — 7. Yet in spite of forgiveness and restoration, much is still lack-

ing. Oh that God would wholly withdraw His wrath, and gladden
His people with a full salvation ! Cp. the prayer of cxxvi. 4.
4. Turn tis\ Restore us.
I.e. Cp. Ixxx. 3. For R.V. marg.
Ttu-n to its, cp. Is. Ixiii. 17; but the rendering of the text is preferable.
cattse thine ai/ger &c.] Lit. break off thine indignation with us: cease
to be provoked with us. The cognate verb is constantly used of Israel's
'provocation' of Jehovah (e.g. Jer. vii. 18 ff.).
5. For the pleading question cp. Ixxvii. 7 ff.
wilt thoii dra%v out &c.] I.e. protract, prolong, continue thine anger
to one generation after another (Ixxvii. 8).
6. Wilt thou not revive us again] Wilt not THOU turn and quicken
us? restoring our national life according to tlie promises of the prophets.
See Hos. vi. 2; Hab. ii. 4; Ezek. xxxvii. 3 ff. Cp. Ps. Ixxi. 20; Ixxx.
18. Thou is emphatic. Thou Who alone canst, Thou Who art
pledged to it by Thy word.
7. Shew us &c.] Cause us to see thy lovingkindness, upon which we
have a claim as Thy beloved ones {v. 8).
8 —13. The Psalmist listens for Jehovah's answer to His people's
prayer; and conveys to them the assurance that rich abundance of
blessing is in store for those who fear Him.
8. / will hcar'\ Or, Let me hear. Cp. Ixii. 1 1 ; and the striking
parallel inHab. ii. i, which the LXX makes even closer by its reading,
what the Lord God will speak with vie (lit. in me), from which comes
the P.B.V., what the Lord God will say concerning me.
God the Lord] The mighty God {El), Jehovah.
he will speak &c.] Or, he speaketh peace. He will not always be
wroth, but will forthwith utter the He has all
'thoughts of peace' which
along cherished (Jer. xxix. 11). This reconciliation must result in the
welfare of His people. Cp. cxxii. 6 ff. and for the phrase, Zech. ix. 10.
;
and to his saints] Or, even to: for 'his saints' are synonymous with
'his people.' It is as the objects of His lovingkindness {v. 7) not for
any merits of their own, that they look for His favour. For the mean-
ing of 'saints' see note on 1. 5, and Appendix, Note i.
; ; ; ;
PSALM LXXXV. 9— II. 513
But let them not turn again to folly.

Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him
That glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth are met together
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Truth shall spring out of the earth;
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.
but let them not turn again to folly] The folly of self-confidence
(xlix. 13) leading to unbelief and disobedience, which has been the
cause of their past misfortunes. Such a note of warning is not out of
place, but the reading of the LXX, and to those who turn their heart to
him, preferred by some editors.
is
9. The Psalmist expands the results of that word of peace.
them that fear him\ Those who answer to their calling as 'saints.'
Cp. ciii. If, 13, 17.
that glory may chvell in
our land] 'Glory' is the manifest Presence
of Jehovah, which Ezekiel saw departing from the doomed city (x. 18),
but returning to it in the glorious restoration (xliii. 4 ff.). Cp. Is. Ix. i, 2;
Zech. ii. 5, 'Dwell' is the word specially used of the abiding of God
among His people, from which later Heb. derived the term Shechinah
for the Presence of God in the Tabernacle and Temple (Ex. xl. 34, 35
2 Chr. vii. i 3). —
Comp. Zech. ii. 10, 11 ; viii. 3. The promise of the
words was to be fulfilled in the Incarnation (John i. 14).
The meaning 'honour' in contrast to the shame and humiliation
which are now Israel's portion is inadequate, though this may be included
as a result of the return of that greater Glory.
10. Does this verse speak of the divine attributes which conspire
together in the work of salvation, or of the humaji virtues which will
characterise the new community? Primarily of the former. God's
—
lovingkindness and truth the love which moved Him to enter into
covenant with Israel, and the faithfulness which binds Him to be true
to —
His covenant meet in Israel's redemption. Righteousness and
peace greet one another with joyous welcome. Jehovah is a righteous
God and therefore a Saviour (Is. xlv. 21). Because salvation is His
eternal purpose and He cannot change His purpose, therefore He recon-
ciles His people to Himself. For lovingkindness and truth as attributes
—
of God often as here almost personified as ministering angels see Ex. —
xxxiv. 6; Ps. xxv. 10; xl. 11; Ivii. 3, 10; Ixi. 7; Ixxxvi. 15; Ixxxix,
14; cxv. I ; cxxxviii. 2; Mic. vii. 20. For the connexion of 'righteous-
ness' with salvation see on Ixv. 5, and note the frequency of this thought
in Is. xl. flf.
While however divineattributes are primarily meant, the correspond-

ing humanvirtues (Prov. iii. 3; Is. xxxii. 16 f.) need not be excluded.
The restored community will reflect the attributes of God to which it
owes its existence. Cp. Hos. ii. 19, 20; Zech. viii. 8, 16, 19. This
thought is more clearly brought out in the next verse.
11. Truth springeth out of tlie earth
And righteousness hath looked down from heaven. (R.V.)
PSALMS 23
; ;
514 PSALM LXXXV. 12, 13.
12 Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good

And our land shall yield her increase.
13 Righteousness shall go before him ;
And shall set us in the way of his steps.

Truth springs up as a natural growth in response to God's manifesta-
tion of His saving righteousness. Harmony between earth and heaven
is perfected. Cp. Hos. ii. 2 1 flf ; Is. xlv. 8. .
Milton must have had
this passage in his mind in the 0(te on the Nativity:
Yea, truth and justice then
Will down return to men,
Orb'd in a rainbow; and, like glories wearing,
Mercy will sit between,
Throned in celestial sheen,
With radiant feet the tissued clouds down steering
And heaven, as at some festival,
Will open wide the gates of her high palace hall.
12. Material prosperity will go hand in hand with moral progress.
Earth responds to the divine blessing. Cp. Lev. xxvi. 4; Deut. xxviii.
1
2Ps. Ixvii. 6.
; The fruitfulness of the land is a constant feature
in pictures of the Messianic future ; and point is given to the promise
by the fact that the returned exiles had been suffering from scarcity
(Haggai i. 10 f.).
13. Jehovah Himself appears His people forward. Before
to lead
Him which moves Him to the salva-
as a herald goes the righteousness
tion of His people and (it) shall make; his footsteps a way (to walk
in) so that His people may follow without let or hindrance an allusion
; ;
possibly to the 'way' so often spoken of in the later chapters of Isaiah

(xxxv. 8; xlii. 16; xlviii. 17; xlix. ii;li. io;lvii. 14; Ixii. lo). The
words are obscure, but this rendering, adopted by R.V., is the best.
Other renderings are ; (i) and shall set its footsteps iti the way of his foot-
steps, i.e. follow Him closely, cp. Is. Iviii. 8; lii. 12; or, {2) which gives
way of his footsteps ; or (3) and shall
a similar sense, shall give heed to the
in the way, march forward freely and unrestrainedly, in
set its footsteps
contrast to the gloomy picture of Is. lix. 14; or (4) shall set his footsteps
in the way, move God to march forth in saving might.
PSALM LXXXVI.
This Psalm is a mosaic of fragments from other Psalms and scrip-
tures ^ It claims no poetic originality, yet it possesses a pathetic
1 The references are given in the notes.

Pss. xxv, xxvi, xxvii, xl, liv are quoted
almost verbatim. Pss. v, vi (7), ix, xvii, xxii, xxviii, xxxi, 1 (?), Iv, Ivi, Ivii, Ixxii,
Ixxvii, cxvi, seem to have been laid under contribution, though where the
cxxx (?)
language is general, it is impossible to say that it is derived from one Ps. rather than
— —
another. The use of the two groups xxv xxviii, liv Ivii is noticeable.
Of other books, Ex. xxxiv. 6 is quoted verbatim: and the Psalmist seems to be
further indebted to Ex. xv. ii; Deut, iii. 24; xxviii, 58; xx.xii. 22; Is. xxiv. isCO;
xlix. 8, 13; Jer. xxxii. 39,
— ;
PSALM LXXXVI. I. 515
earnestness and tender grace of its own. It is distinguished by the

seven times repeated use of AJonai, ' Lord,' in addressing God, a title
which expresses the consciousness of specially belonging to God, of
standing under His immediate guidance and protection. To this title
corresponds the Psalmist's designation of himself as God's servant, and
the son of His handmaid {v. 16, cp. vv. 3, 4). The Psalm furnishes at
least one noble phrase which is unique (v. 1 1 i>), and in v. 9 it rises to a
height of Messianic hope not surpassed elsewhere. It is the composition
of some pious soul whose mind was steeped with the scriptures already
in existence, and who recast reminiscences of them into a prayer to suit
his own particular needs. Primarily it appears to be an expression of
personal devotion, rather than a prayer for the use of the congregation
though sometimes perhaps the Psalmist identifies himself with the com-
munity of which he is a member, and speaks of its circumstances and
needs as his own (vv. 13, 14).
It is the Book which has the name of
only Psalm in the Third
David prefixed to it. The title A
Prayer of David can only mean that
it is an imitation of the Prayers of David (Ixxii. 20), and was probably
never intended to mean more than this. It cannot have been written
till after the Return from the Captivity (to which z>. 13 may be an
allusion), but at what period there is nothing to shew. The author
apparently had the Elohistic collection in his hands as revised by its
editor {Introd. p. xli), for he quotes Ps. liv. 3 in v. 14 in the Elohistic
form.
One thought leads to another and no definite structural arrangement
can be traced in the Psalm. It may perhaps be divided as follows.
i. A series of petitions, each followed by some reason which the
Psalmist urges for the hearing of his prayer
ii. Renewing
(i
he finds a ground of confidence in
his supplication,
— 5).
the incomparable nature of God, which suggests the thought of the

universal homage which will one day be offered to Him as the only true
God (6 10).
iii. Prayers for guidance and vows of thanksgiving lead on to the
description of present dangers. Pleading God's revealed character as a
God of lovingkindness, he prays for further blessing, and such a clear
token of God's favour as may prove to his enemies that he is under
God's protection (11 17). —
A Prayer of David.
Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me : 86

For I am poor and needy.
1— 5. A
series of petitions, each supported by the ground on which
the Psalmist pleads for a hearing.
1. Bow down &c.] A common form of invocation. Cp. xvii. 6;
xxxi. 1; Is. xxxvii. 17; &c. hear me'] Answer me (Iv. 2).
for I am poor and needy] Or, afllicted and needy and therefore one :
of those whom
God has specially promised to help (xii. 5). From xl.
17 { = lxx. 5): cp. cix. 22.
33-2
: ; : ;
5i6 PSALM LXXXVI. 2—9.
2 Preserve my soul ; for I am holy :
O thou my God, save thy servant that tiusteth in thee.

3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord :
For I cry unto thee daily.

4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant
For unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive ;
And plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
6 Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer
And attend to the voice of my supplications.
7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee
For thou wilt answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord
Neither are there any works like unto thy works.
9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come
2. Preserve my sotd'\ — x\\. 20.

for I am holy\ R.V. godly
fails to bring out the connexion of the
word with 'lovingkindness' [w. 5, 13, 15).
c/iesed, Cheyne gives
duteous in love. But the passive sense beloved, 'the object of thy loving-
kindness,' is far more suitable. He pleads not his own merits, but the
covenant relation into which God has brought him as an Israelite. See
on 1. 5 ; Ixxxv. 8.
3. Be gracious unto me, Lord;
For unto thee do I cry all the day long.
See Ivii. [, 2, and elsewhere (iii. 4; iv. &c.). i ;
4.Rejoice &c.] Cp. xc. 15.

for unto thee &c.] From xxv. i. God alone is the object of his
desires, his aspirations, his prayers. Cp. cxliii. 8; Lam. iii. 41.
ready to forgive^
5. The exact word is found only here, but for the
thought see Ps. cxxx. 4 ; and for the whole verse cp. Ex. xxxiv. 6 f.
—
6 10. Renewed supplication for a hearing. The Psalmist is sure of
an answer, for Jehovah is the only true God, Whom allnations will one
day acknowledge.
6. Taken from Iv. i, 2; v. 2; xxviii. 2; cp. cxxx. 2.
attend^ R.V. hearken.
7. From Ixxvii. 2 ; xvii. 6.
8. is none like thee among the gods,
There Lord ;
And
there Is nought like thy works.
Based upon Ex. xv. 11, which is frequently imitated elsewhere; and
Deut. iii. 24. In v. 5 the Psalmist dwelt on God's -willingness to
answer prayer ; here he comforts himself with the thought of His ability.
His is the power possessed by none of those who are called gods and
worshipped as such.
9. Apparently a reminiscence of Ps. xxii. 27, combined possibly
; : : "
PSALM LXXXVl. 10—14. 517
And worship before thee, O Lord

And shall glorify thy name.
For thou art great, and doest wondrous things
Thou art God alone.
Teach me thy way, O Lord ; I will walk in thy truth :
Unite my
heart to fear thy name.
I will praise thee, O
Lord my God, with all my heart 1
And I will glorify thy name for evermore.

For great is thy mercy toward me :
:
And thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

O God, the proud are risen against me,
with Is. xxiv. 15 ('glorify ye. ..the name

of Jehovah') and other pas-
sages. But the verse is remarkable for the distinctness and fulness of
its Messianic hope, and for the thought implied in the words whom thou
hast made, that the nations cannot fail ultimately to fulfil the will of their
Creator (Rev. iv. 11). It is taken up and expanded in Rev. xv. 3, 4.
10. Cp. Ixxvii. 13, 14; Ixxii. 18; Ixxxiii. 18; and Ex. xv. 11;
xxxiv. 10.
11. Teach me thy way, Lord] Word for word from xxvii. 11.
/ 7vill walk in thy truth] When Thou dost teach me Thy way.
From xxvi. 3.
unite my heart to fear thy name] Let it be no longer divided between
Thee and other attractions ; let all its powers and affections be concen-
trated in reverence to Thee as Thou hast revealed Thyself in the works
of creation and in acts of redemption. The unity and uniqueness of
God demand unity of heart in His worshippers (Deut. vi. 4, 5; x. 12).
Such singleheartedness is frequently expressed by the phrases 'a whole
heart,' 'a perfect heart,' but the verb unite is found here only in this
sense. Doubtless it is an allusion to the promise in Jer. xxxii. 39, "I
will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever.
Cp. too Deut. xxviii. 58.
The LXX and Syr. read the consonants with different vowels {yichad
for yacheil), let my heart rejoice to fear thy name.
12. 13. Cp. Ivii. 9, 10; ix. i; 1. 15, 23.
7vith all my heart] R.V. with my
whole heart; when the prayer of
V. 1 1 is granted.
thy mercy] Thy lovingkindness.

and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell] From the
nethermost Sheol. From Ivi. 13 ( = cxvi. 8); Deut. xxxii. 22. De-
liverance from imminent danger of death may be meant ; yet here the
P.salmist may identify himself with the nation, and refer to its
deliverance from the death of the exile. Cp. Ixxxv. 6.
14. Again, though the Psalmist may be referring to personal circum-
stances, it is not impossible that he is alluding to dangers by which the
community was threatened. The verse is taken almost word for word
from liv. 3, with perhaps a reminiscence of xxii. 16 {'assembly of evil
; ;
5i8 PSALM LXXXVI. 15—17.
And the assemblies of violent men have sought after my

soul
And have not set thee before them.
'5 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and
gracious,
Longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
16 O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me
Give thy strength unto thy servant,
And save the son of thine handmaid.
17 Shew me a token for good ;
That they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed :
Because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me.

doers '). The variation proud for strangers may be accidental the con- :
sonants of the two words ZEDIM and zarim are easily confused, I) (T)
and R ("1) being much alike in Hebrew. It should be noted that Ps.
liv. is quoted in its 'Elohistic' form, so that apparently the collection
had already been made and edited by the Elohistic editor.
assc/nbties] Assemtoly, or congregation.
15. Word for word from Ex. xxxiv. 6. With his proud and merciless
enemies he contrasts the revealed character of God, as the ground of the
]Mayer which follows. Though he may have deserved punishment, God
cannot surely abandon him to them.
longsiiffering\ Or, slow to anger (R.V.).
16. O turn &c.] From xxv. i6.
have 7)iercy upon nie] Render, be gracious unto me, to shew the
connexion with the attribute 'gracious' in v. 15.
thy servant. ..tlie son of thine ha7id!Haid\ Cp. cxvi. 16. ' The son of
thine handmaid' is a synonym for 'thy servant,' denoting a closer
relationship, for servants 'born in the house' (Gen. xiv. 14) were the
most trusted dependents. Cp. "of the household of God," Eph. ii. 19.
It has been conjectured that the Psalmist, like Samuel, was early dedi-
cated to the service of God ; but the words do not necessarily convey
thismeaning.
17.a tohen for good] Some visible and unmistakable sign of Thy
favour towards me. Cp. Jer. xxiv. 6; Ezra viii. 22; Neh. v. 19;
xiii. 31.
that they &c.] That they which hate me may be ashamed when
they see that thou &c. Cp. xl. 3; vi. 10; xxxv. 4: and for holpen...
comforted. Is. xlix. 8, 13.
PSALM LXXXVI I.
This Psalm is fittingly placed here, for it expands the thought of

Ixxxvi. 9 in the style and the spirit of prophecy. It is terse, abrupt,
enigmatic, like a prophetic oracle ; in its breadth of view and fulness of
Messianic hope it vies with the grandest of prophetic utterances. It
;
PSALM LXXXVII. 519
depicts Zion as the metropolis of the universal kingdom of God, into

which all nations are adopted as citizens. The franchise of Zion is con-
ferred upon them as though it were theirs by right of birth. It stands
alone in the peculiar form in which the idea is embodied, though many
prophecies lead up to it. — —
See especially Is. ii. 2 4 ( = Mic. iv. i 3);
Zeph. ii. 11; iii. 9, 10
Is. xi. 10 ; xviii. 7 ; xix. 19 ff. ; xliv. 5 ; Ix. i ff.
;
Zech. ii. 11; viii. —

20 23. Like Isaiah (xix. 24 f.) the poet sees the
most inveterate foes of the kingdom of God acknowledging His
sovereignty ; he sees nations the most bitterly antagonistic to Israel,
the most diametrically opposed in character to the true spirit of Israel,
the most remote from the influence of Israel, brought into harmony
with Israel, and adopted into its commonwealth.
Thus the Psalm is a prediction of the incorporation of all nations into
the Church of Christ, and the establishment of the new and universal
nationality of the kingdom of God. It is a prophecy in O.T. language
of "the Jerusalem that is above, which is our mother" (Gal. iv. 26).
It looks forward to the time when the Gentiles shall no longer be
" alienated from the commonwealth of Israel " but "fellow citizens with
the saints, and of the household of God " (Eph. ii. 12, 19). We must
not indeed read the full Christian idea of the new birth into the words
"This one was born there," for jtrimarily they refer to nations not to
individuals; yet we may see in them a foreshadowing of the truth that a
new birth is requisite for entrance into the kingdom of God (John iii. 3 ff.).
The Psalm has been assigned, with considerable plausibility, to the
age of Hezekiah. (i) The same loving enthusiasm for Zion, and the
same hopes of the conversion of the nations, meet us in the Psalms and
prophecies of that period. See especially Pss. xlvi, xlvii, xlviii, Ixxvi;
Is. xix. 24 f. (2) 'Rahab'is Isaiah's name for Egypt (xxx. 7, R.V.),
which was a leading power at the time Babylon was brought into contact
;
with Judah (Is. xxxix) ; the Philistines had been subjugated by Hezekiah
(2 Kings xviii. 8); the Ethiopians were coming into notice (Is. xviii;
xxxvii. 9); and after the retreat of Sennacherib many nations sent con-
gratulatory embassies to Hezekiah with gifts for the Temple (2 Chron.
xxxii. 23).
On the other hand the parallels of thought and language with the
later part of the book of Isaiah (especially xliv. 5 Ix. i ff.) and Zecha-
;
riah, are not less striking; and the mention of Babylon rather than
Assyria points to a date after that power had taken the place of Assyria
as the mistress of Western Asia. Egypt, the ancient enemy, and Babylon,
the recent oppressor, are named as the typical foes of God's people. It
seems best then to suppose that the Psalm was written (like Ps. Ixxxv)
after the Return from Babylon, to cheer the drooping spirits of those
returned exiles who were in danger of being utterly disheartened by the
disappointing contrast between the weakness and insignificance of their
little community, and the grandeur and magnificence of the prophetic
promises of the future glory and greatness of Zion. In poetic language
and with prophetic authority it reasserts the fundamental truths of
Jehovah's choice of Zion, and of Zion's destiny in relation to the nations.
Never had such encouragement been more needed ; never was such a
faith more clearly the fruit of divine inspiration.
:
520 PSALM LXXXVII. i, 2.
The rsalm consists of two stanzas with a concluding verse.

i. Zion is the city of God, founded and beloved by Him, the heir of
glorious promises (1—3).
ii. God proclaims that it is His will to reconcile her ancient enemies
to Himself and incorporate them as her citizens. Zion shall be the
mother-city of the nations of the world (4 6). —
iii. A picture of the rejoicing of those who find in her the source of
every joy (7).
A Psalm or Song for the sons of Korah.
87 His foundation the holy mountains.

is in
2 The Lord loveth the gates of Zion
More than all the dweUings of Jacob.
1 — 3. The glory of Zion the city of God.
1. The Psalmist's heart is full of his theme. He states it abruptly
in a verse of a single line (cp. xviii. i)
foundation upon the holy mountains
'Tis his :
which stands by a kind of title to his poem or inscription on his

itself as
picture. Zion is a city founded by God Himself (Is. xiv. 32). Its site
is consecrated (ii. 6; xliii. 3; xlviii. i, and often) by the ownership and
presence of Jehovah.
The plural inoiuilaiiis (cp. cxxxiii. 3) may be merely poetical, or it
may refer to the different hills upon which Jerusalem stood, or generally
to the mountainous region in which it was situated. "Jenisalem was
on the ridge, the broadest and most strongly marked ridge of the back-
bone of the complicated hills, which extend through the whole country
from the Desert to the plain of Esdraelon." Like Rome and Constanti-
nople, it stood upon a "multiplicity of eminences," and "the peculiarity
imparted to its general aspect and to its history by these various heights
is incontestable." Sia.vi[ey, Sinai ajid Palestine, ^^'p. I'iS, 177. Comp.
note on xlviii. 2.
The brevity and abruptness of the verse have led some commentators
to conjecture that the first line has been lost, and others to combine vv.
I, 2 in construction (cp. R.V. marg.) thus:
His foundation upon the holy mountains doth Jehovah love,

Yea, the gates of Zion &c.
The conjecture-is unnecessary, and though the combination of w. 1, 2
would give a good parallelism, the Ancient Versions support the divi-
sion of the Massoretic Text, and the abrupt beginning is in accordance
with the terse oracular style of the Psalm.
P.B.V. ',^£?r foundation' is untenable. The gender of the pronoun in
the Heb. shews that it cannot refer to the city.
2. t/ie gates of Zion'] A poetical expression for the city, specially
appropriate with reference to the thought of the crowd of pilgrims
(cxxii. 2) entering it from all nations (Is. Ix. 11; Rev. xxii. 14).
7)iore than all the dwellings of yacol>\ Better than any of the other
cities of Israel, though tliey too are goodly (Num. xxiv. 5, where the
same word is rendered 'tabernacles').
: ; ;
PSALM LXXXVII. 3—5. 521
Glorious things are spoken of thee, 3
city of God. Selah.
1 will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that 4
know me :
Behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia

This man was born there.
And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in 5
her
3. Glorious things are spoken of tJicc'\ This need not be limited to

the utterance of vz'. 4 ff., but may inchide the great prophetic promises
generally, such as Is. ii. 2 ff., xi. 10, xix. 2off. ;and, if the Psalm is
post-exilic, Ix. i ff. O city of God'] Of His choice, His love,
His care. Cp. xlvi. 4 ; xlviii. i, 2, 8.
4 —
6. The nations of the world shall be enrolled as Zion's children
and Zion shall be glorified by this accession of unnumbered fresh citizens.
4. God Himself is the speaker (cp. Ix. 6 ff.). I -vrLll make mention
of,solemnly and publicly acknowledge, Rahal) and Babylon, as among
them that know me, that own Me as their God and worship Me.
Cp. xxxvi. 10; ix. 10; V. 11; Is. xix. 21. Rahab'^ is a nickname for
Egypt (Is. XXX. 7; li. 9; Ps. Ixxxix. 10). It may have been the name
of some mythological sea-monster (Job xxvi. 12, ix. 13, R.V.) chosen as
an emblem of Egypt (cp. Is. li. 9), or it may simply mean 'Arrogance.'
Its use here is significant: the ferocious monster is tamed; the blustering
antagonist is reconciled.
Behold &c.] God points as it were to each of these nations in .succes-
sion and says, This one was bom there, namely in Zion. By this
divine edict each of them is invested with the full rights and privileges
of citizenship as though they had been born in Zion.
It is God's purpose to reconcile all nations to Himself. Egypt, the
world-power of the South, the ancient and hereditary enemy of God's
people Babylon, the world-power of the North, the cruel oppressor of
;
later times; warlike Philistia, by which Israel had so often been

harassed ; proud Tyre, the haughty representative of commerce and
wealth; distant Ethiopia, famous for its stalwart warriors (Is. xviii. 7);
— all will be brought to recognise Jehovah as their God ; all shall be
incorporated into the commonwealth of Israel (Eph. ii. 12). The
thought is the same as that of Is. xix. 24, 25, though it is expressed in
different language.
5. The Psalmist speaks, echoing the divine decree from Zion's point
of view, dwelling upon the honour which will accrue to Zion by this
accession of citizens.
1 It may be noted that this name is differently spelt In Hebrew from Rnliab
in Josh. ii. and is derived from a difterenl root. This is Rahab, that Rdchab.
i ff.,
: ; : ;
522 PSALM LXXXVII. 6, 7.
And the Highest himself shall establish her.

6 The Lord shall count, when he writeth tip the people,
That this man was born there. Selah.
7 As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be
there :
All my springs are in thee.
Yea, of Zion it shall be said,

Eacli and every one was born in her
And tbe Most High himself shall establish her.
Not merely certain specified nations but all the nations shall call Zion
their mother-city. One after another comes to be reckoned among her
children'. Grammatically it is possible to understand eacA atid every
one of individuals, but the context is decisive in favour of taking this
verse to refer to nations, as vv. 4 and 6 do. Each nation, reckoned as
a whole, receives the right of citizenship. Individuals receive it as
members of their nation.
The LXX and some other Ancient Versions rtwAer hafk founded her
but shall establish her, as xlviii. 8, is certainly right. Under the pro-
tection and blessing of the Sovereign Ruler of the world she grows ever
stronger and nobler as each fresh nation joins the universal kingdom of
God.
6. Jehovah shall reckon, when he registers the peoples,
'This one was born there.'
Jehovah holds His census of the nations, and writes their names down
in His book. One after another of them He registers as 'born in Zion.'
It is the official confirmation of their rights of citizenship. Allusions to
the registers of citizens are found in Ixix. 28; Is. iv. 3; Ezek. xiii. 9; and
the importance attached to genealogical registers appears in Ezra ii. 62.
7. Conclusion. The Psalm ends as abiiiptly as it began, with a
verse which is enigmatic in its brevity. It is best explained as an
outline picture of the universal rejoicing with which the citizens of Zion
greet their mother.
And singing as well as dancing (shall they chant),
'All my fountains are in thee.'
The rendering dancing is preferable X.o playing on the flute (cp. A.V.,
R.V. marg. ). For dancing as an expression of religious rejoicing see
XXX. 11; cxlix. 3; cl. 4; Ex. XV. 20; 2 Sam. vi. 16.
The second line is their anthem. It may even be a fragment of some
well-known hymn. My
fountains is to be understood metaphorically,
as 'fountains of salvation' in Is. xii. 3. Cp. Ps. xxxvi. g f. Ixxxiv. 6; ;
Ezek. xlvii. i; Joel iii. 18; Zech. xiv. 8. It is possible, but less
satisfactory, to take the verse as the Psalmist's apostrophe to Zion
Both they that sing and they that dance,

All my fountains are in thee
' The reading of the LXX, though due apparently simply to a textual error in the
Greek (ft^Tijp for fiijTi, Vulg. numquid), catches the spirit tif tlie Psahn too strikingly
to be passed over: O Mother Sion, shatl a vian say.
;
PSALM LXXXVIII. 523
"meaning that every source of pleasure, music, singing, &c. was to be

found in Zion" (Bp Perowne). So Milton in his paraphrase:
Both they who sing and they who dance
With sacred songs are there
In thee fresh brooks and soft streams glance,
And all my fountains clear.
The obscurity of the verse must however be acknowledged. Cheyne
thinks that it may be "a fragment of a description of a joyous proces-
sion." Cp. Ixviii. 25. Is it possil^le that it is not, strictly speaking,
part of the Psalm, but a liturgical direction to sing the anthem "All my
fountains are in thee " at the end of the Psalm, as an expression of the
joy of Zion's citizens ?
PSALM LXXXVIII.
This is the saddest Psalm in the whole Psalter. It is a pathetic cry of
hopeless despair in the midst of unrelieved suffering. In other Psalms the
light breaks through the clouds at last : here the gloom is deepest at
the close. It is characteristic that the last word is darkness.
Is the Psalmist describing his own personal experience, or does he
speak in the name of the nation? There is much to be said for the
view that the speaker is Israel in exile, "lamenting its exclusion from the
light of its Lord's Presence." Possibly, as may be the case in Lam. iii,
the community identifies itself with the typical sufferer Job, and borrows
his language to describe its sufferings. So the Psalm is interpreted
in the Targum, which paraphrases v. 7, "Thou hast placed me in exile
which is like the nether pit"; and in the Syriac Version, which prefixes
the title, "Concerning the people which was in Babylon."
But while the Psalm was doubtless so applied in liturgical use, there is
nothing in it which demands the national interpretation, and much which
it is most natural to regard as primarily personal; and it seems best to
regard it as springing out of the personal experience of some heavily

afflicted saint. He had been, it would seem, a victim of the painful and
loathsome disease of leprosy from his childhood. Life had been for
him a living death. He stood on the brink of the grave: nay, though
still alive on earth, he seemed to have been plunged into the darkness
of Sheol. Banished from society, he could have no part in the joys of
life; excluded from the Temple, he could have no share in the worship
which was the outward and visible sign of God's covenant with His
people. The wrath of God seemed to be resting upon him. Nor could
he look forward to a life through death in which his soul "delivered
from the burden of the flesh" would be "in joy and felicity." Death,
as it then seemed, must sever the covenant relation between God and
His people. Sheol was the land of oblivion, where neither He remem-
bered them, nor they remembered Him. Still less could he console
himself with the hope of a joyful resurrection.
Such a Psalm brings home to us, as no other does, a sense of the
shadow which rested upon the life of ancient Israel, and of the precious-
ness ot the revelation of eternal life in Je.sus Christ (Heb. ii. 14, 15). It
;
524 PSALM LXXXVIII.

ismoreover a noble examjile of a faith which trusts God utterly in spite
of all discouragement, and cleaves to God most passionately when Cod
seems to have withdrawn Himself most completely.
The Psalm presents many parallels with similar Psalms, with the
Book of Lamentations, and with the Book of Job, with which the author
must have been familiar, and from which he borrows language for the
portraiture of his own sufferings. Who he was, it is idle to speculate.
Uzziah in his leprosy, Hezekiah in his sickness, Jeremiah in his dun-
geon, have been suggested. Ingenious, but improbable, is the conjec-
ture of Delitzsch, that Heman the Ezrahite, in conjunction with other
sages of Solomon's time, was the author of the Book of Job, and that
in this Psalm he records his personal experiences, which are there ex-
panded in a dramatic form.
The Psalm may be analysed as follows :
i. After an introductory invocation the Psalmist pleads the intensity

of his sufferings, if so be he may move God to pity. He is at the point
of death; nay already counted as a dead man; deserted by his friends;
plunged as it were into the very depths of Sheol by the visitation of
God's wrath (i 8). —
ii. He has no hope in life. Yet he has continued instant in prayer.
Can God display His power and love in the unseen world ? Nay, that
is incredible (9 — 12).
iii. he casts himself upon God. Why does God reject him, and
Still
drive him to distraction by the terrors of His wrath, hemming him in
and isolating him so that no ray of sympathy relieves the misery of his
life( 13—18)?
The Psalm is appointed as a Proper Psalm for Good Friday,
doubtless because the Ancient Fathers interpreted it, like Ps. xxii, as
the utterance of the suffering Christ.
The title is composite. The first half, A song, a Psalm of the sons
of Eorah, unless it is a mere accidental repetition of the title of Ps.
Ixxxvii, indicates that it was taken from the Korahite collection. The
second half, For the Chief Musician; set to Mahalath Leannoth.
Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite, gives the musical setting and tra-
ditional authorship. Leannoth may mean 'for singing antiphonally'
but more probably Mahalath Leannoth, i.e. 'sickness to afflict is the
'
title of the melody to which the Psalm was to be sung, which may or
may not have been identical with that called Mahalath in the title of
Ps. liii. On Maschil see Lntrod. p. xviii.
The designation of Heman and Ethan as Ezrahites in the titles of
this and the following Psalm is perplexing.
(i) In I Kings iv. 31, Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol, and
Darda are named as famous sages, whose wisdom was surpassed by that
of Solomon. In i Chron. ii. 6, we have the same four names (for
Dara is an obvious error of transcription for Darda) given as sons
or descendants of Zerah. It is natural to infer that the patronymic
Ezrahite means, as it may legitimately do, 'of the family of Zerah.'
Heman and Ethan consequently belonged to the tribe of Judah. It
is not stated whether the four sages of i Kings iv. 31 were contemporary
with Solomon or not. The comparison would be more forcible if they

:
PSALM LXXXV[II. 1,2. 525
were the most famous sages of all past time known to the historian.
But on the other hand it need not be supposed that they were literally
sons of Zerah, for 'sons' in genealogical language frequently means
'descendants,' and in i Kings they (or at least the last three of them)
are called 'the sons of Mahol.'
(ii) In I Chron. xv. 17, 19 Heman and Ethan appear along with
Asaph as leaders of the Temple music. Heman, who was a Korahite,
represented the family of Kohath ; Asaph that of Gershom ; Ethan that
of Merari. In i Chron. xxv. 5 Heman is called "the king's seer," and
from a comparison of i Chron. xvi. 41, 42; xxv. i ff. with xv. 17, 19 it
has been inferred that Ethan was also called Jeduthun.
It is certainly natural to suppose that the famous musicians are meant
here, and that these Psalms were traditionally ascribed to them, or
were in some way connected with the guilds or choirs which bore their
names, as the Psalms of Asaph were connected with the guild or choir
of Asaph. Accordingly various attempts have been made to explain
how Levites could also be called Ezrahites. It has been conjectured
that they were Judahites who had been adopted into the Levitical guild,
or Levites, who as dwelling in the territory assigned to the family of
Zerah were reckoned to belong to that family (cp. Judg. xvii. 7). But
these conjectures are precarious, and it seems most probable that Heman
and Ethan the musicians have been wrongly identified with their name-
sakes the famous sages.
A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah. To the chief Musician upon Mahalath
Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.
Lord God of my salvation, 33

1 have cried day atid night before thee :
Let my prayer come before thee :

^
—
1 8. The Psalmist appeals for a hearing, supporting his, appeal by
a pathetic description of the chastisements by which God has brought
him to the very edge of the grave.
1. Lord God &c.] Jehovah, the God of my salvation. Cp.
xxvii. 9.
/ have cried day and night before thee"] Parallels such as xxii. 2 sug-
gest that this is the meaning intended, but it is difficult to extract it from
the Heb. text, even if we assume that "the broken language corresponds
to the weakness of the gasping sufferer" (Kay). An ingenious and
plausible emendation removes the difficulty thus
Jehovah my God, I have cried for help in the day time,
And in the night hath my crying toeen before thee.
Cp. w. 13 ; XXX. 2 ; Job xix. 7 ; Ps. xlii. 8. Though God has forsaken
him, he can still address Him as my God (xxii. i). Like Job, he must
appeal to God even when God seems wholly alienated from him.
2. come before thce\ Enter into thy presence (R.V. from P.B.V.).
Cp. xviii. 6; Ixxix. i r.
: :
526 PSALM LXXXVIII. 3—6.
Incline thine ear unto my cry ;

3 For my soul is full of troubles
And my life draweth nigh unto the grave.
4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit
I am as a man that hath no strength :
s Free among the dead,

Like the* slain that lie in the grave,
Whom thou rememberest no more :
And they are cut off from thy hand.

6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit,
tny prayer... my cryl Cp. xvii. i Ixi. i.

; The word for 'cry denotes '
a shrill piercing cry, frequently of joy, but sometimes, as here, of sup-

plication, "expressive of emotional excitement such as an Eastern
scruples not to use in prayer " (Cheyne).
3. For &c.] He pleads the urgency of his need as the ground for a
hearing.
drazveth nigh &c.] Hath drawn nigh unto Sheol, the gloomy nether
world which is the abode of the departed. Cp. vi. 5; cvii. i8.
4. He is regarded as a dying man. The pit is the grave or Sheol.
Cp. xxviii. I cxliii. 7; xxii. 29; Prov. i. 12.
;
that hath no strenglh'] Like the feeble shadows of the dead. Or as

R.V., that hath no help : cp. the cognate word in xxii. 19, rendered in
R.V., O thou tny succour.
5. Free among the dead] There can hardly be any allusion to Job
iii. 19, where the word is used of a welcome release from servitude, for
it is a far-fetched interpretation to suppose that a new turn is given to
the phrase and that it here means ' dismissed against his will from the
service of God.' Render as R.V., cast off, or R.V. marg., cast away.
A cognate word is used for the house of separation ' in which Uzziah
'
lived as a leper (2 Chron. xxvi. 21).

Another but doubtful translation is, My
couch is among the dead:
cp. Job xvii. 13.
the slain i&c.] The slain in battle, whose corpses are flung into a
nameless common Cp. Ezek.
grave. xxxii. 24 ff.
whom thou rememberest no more'] Sheol is the 'land of oblivion,'

where men neither remember God (vi. 5 xxx. 9) nor are remembered
;
by Him. They are cut off from thy hand, severed from Thy gracious
help and protection. Cp. xxxi. 22; Lam. iii. 54; 2 Chron. xxvi. 21.
On this gloomy view of the future state see Introd. pp. Ixxv ff.
6. Thou hast laid me\ God is treating him as though he were actually
dead. The same word is used in the same connexion in xlix. 14.
in the lowest pit] The nether world in the depths of the earth. Cp.
Ixxxvi. 13; Ixiii. 9; Lam. iii. 55. The Targum explains it allegorically
of the Exile. "Thou hast placed me in exile which is like the nether
pit." in darkness] R.V. in dark places. So Sheol is described in
cxliii. 3; Lam. iii. 6. Cp. Job x. 21, 22.
;
'
PSALM LXXXVIII. 7—9. 527
In darkness, in the deeps.

Thy wrath heth hard upon me, ,
And thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.

Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; f
Thou hast made me an abomination unto them :
/ am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction : ,
Lord, have called daily upon thee,

I
I have stretched out my hands unto thee.
in the deeps] A
word generally used of the depths of the sea hei-e :
metaphorically of the depths of misery (Ixix. 15; cp. Lam. iii. 54), or as
another synonym for Sheol, which was supposed to be situated below
the sea. Cp. Ixxi. 20; Job xxvi. 5.
The LXX and Syr. however read ' shadow of death or ' deep gloom '
(xliv. 19, note). This reading only implies a transposition of the con-
sonants in the Heb. text, and is supported by the parallel passage in
Job x. 21, 22, which seems to be in the Psalmist's mind.
7. Thy wrath &c.] Cp. xxxii. 4; xxxviii. 2.
thoii hast afflicted me with all thy ivaves] Cp. xlii. 7 for the metaphor.
8. Like Job he is deserted even by his familiar friends (not merely
acquauitance, as A.V.), and this is due to the act of God, Who has
smitten him with a sickness which makes them loathe even the sight of
him. Cp. xxxi. 11 Job xix. 13 ff., 19. He seems to describe himself
;
as a leper like Job. Leprosy was a living death (Num. xii. 12): more
than any other disease it was regarded as the direct stroke of God (Job
'
'
xix. 21). The leper was cut off from all society and even from taking
part in the public worship of God, and was compelled to live alone (Lev.
xiii. 46; 2 Chr. xxvi. 21). The reference is of course not to the tem-
porary seclusion for the purpose of ascertaining whether a man was really
a leper (Lev. xiii. 4 ff.), but to the permanent separation from society,
in which the leper was virtually a prisoner, not daring to expose himself
to the public gaze (Job xxxi. 34).
Possibly however the last line of the verse is not literal but metaphor-
ical, describing the hopelessness of his condition as a prisoner who cannot
escape. Cp. Job iii. 23; xiii. 27; xix. 8; Lam. iii. 7.
St Luke seems to allude to this verse in his narrative of the Crucifixion,
ch. xxiii. 49.
9 —12. Again he pleads the constancy of his prayers. His

(cp. v. i)
strength is failing. He
soon be dead and in the grave he will be
will ;
beyond the reach of God's love and faithfulness. Cp. Job x. 20 ff.
xvii. II ff.
9. Mine eye viournetK\ R.V. wasteth away. The sunken, lack-

lustre eye is the sure sign of suffering. Cp. vi. 7 ; xxxi. 9 ; Job xvii. 7.
stretched out] R.V. spread forth, in the attitude of prayer. Cp.
(though the word is different) xliv. 20; cxliii. 6; Is. i. 15.
;
528 PSALM LXXXVIII. 10—13.
10 Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead ?

Shall the dead arise and praise thee ?
Selah.
11 Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave?
Or thy faithfulness in destruction ?
12 Shall thywonders be known in the dark ?
And thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness ?
13 But unto thee have I cried, Lord ; O
And in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.
10. This and the two following verses can hardly be, as some com-
mentators suppose, the prayer to which he refers in v. 9. The connexion
of thought seems to be this. He has prayed that God will shew him
His marvellous lovingkindness, but he will soon be beyond the reach of
it, for of course from his point of view there can be but one answer to
the questions of vv. 10 —

12, and that a negative one. In despair he
asks;
Wilt thou do wonders for the dead?
Shall the shades arise and praise thee?
To do 'wonders' is the prerogative of God (Ex. xv. 11; Ps. Ixxvii.
II, 14) to give thanks to Him for them is the duty of man: but the
:
Psalmist cannot believe that even God will work such a miracle that the
dead shall arise and praise Him. Rephdim, the Heb. word for 'shades,'
denotes the dead as weak and nerveless ghosts. Arise might mean no
more than stand up,' referring to what takes place in the unseen world,
'
but the parallel of Is. xxvi. 14 suggests that it is a resurrection of which

the poet speaks as inconceivable. Cp. Job xiv. 12.
11. To proclaim God's lovingkindness and faithfulness is the delight
of His people (xl. 10; xcii. 2), but in the grave they will neither have
cause nor power to do it. These two attributes, so often coupled
together, are the keynote of Ps. Ixxxix.
'Destruction,' Heb. Abaddon, is almost a proper name for Sheol as
the place of ruin elsewhere only in the Wisdom literature, Job xxvi. 6
:
'
'
xxviii. 22; xxxi. 12; Prov. xv. 11; xxvii. 20. Cp. Rev. ix. 11, where
it is the name of "the angel of the abyss," Gk. Apollyon, 'the Destroyer.'
12. Nay, God's wonders will not even be known in Darkness, nor
His righteousness, His faithfulness to His covenant (Ixxi. 2, and often),
in the land of Oblivion where men neither remember God (vi. 5) nor
:
are remembered by Him (z*. 5) ; where thought feeling and action are
at an end. See Eccl. ix. 5, 6, 10; and even in Ecclesiasticus xvii. 27, 28,
Baruch ii. 17, we hear the echo of Is. xxxviii. x8 f.
—
13 18. Death brings no hope. Will not God then listen to his
prayer and grant him some relief in his extremity of suffering and
solitude ?
13. But as for me, unto thee, Jehovah, have I cried for help,
And in the morning shall my prayer come hefore thee.
He contrasts himself with the dead, whose covenant relation with
; ;
PSALM LXXXVIII. 14-18. 529
Lord, why easiest thou off my soul ? 14

TV/iy hidestthou thy face from me ?
I am afflicted and ready to die from piy youth ??/.• 15
IVMe I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
Thy fierce wrath goeth over me i6
Thy terrors have cut me off.
They came round about me daily like water 17
They compassed me about together.
Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, 18
A/id mine acquaintance info darkness.
God is at an end. He at least can still pray, and in spite of all dis-
couragement will not cease to pray.
Prevents 'go to meet,' as in lix. 10; Ixxix. 8. The first thought of
each day shall be prayer. Cp. v. 3; Iv. 17.
14. Questions of surprise and expostulation. Cp. Ixxiv. i; Ixxvii. 7.
For the second line cp. Job xiii. 24; Ps. xiii. i. God "shuts out his
prayer," Lam. iii. 8.
15. Will God have no pity upon one whose whole life has been
spent at the point of death? Could this be said of Israel as a nation?
'From youth' is of course frequently used of the nation (cxxix. i, 2;
Jer. xxxii. 30; &c.), but Israel's existence had not been continuously
wretched and precarious.
while I suffer &c.] I have borne thy terrors (till) I am distracted.
Terrors is a favourite word with Job. The word rendered distracted
occurs here only and is of doubtful meaning. Possibly it is a false read-
ing for another word meaning/(72«^ or stttpefied (xxxviii. 8).
16. The fiery streams of thy wrath have gone over me.
Cp. xiii. 7 but for waves he substitutesyf^rj/ wraths.
;
Thine alarms, a word found only in Job vi. 4, have made an end of
me (Lam. iii. 53).
17. They have surrounded me like water all the day long;
They have encompassed me about together.
The figure of z;. i6 is continued. The flood of calamity threatens to
engulf him, and there is none (v. 18) to stretch out a helping hand
to the drowning man.
18. Cp. V. 8; xxxviii. 11; Job xix. 13.
and mine acquaintance into darkness] A
difficult phrase. Another
possible rendering is, my familiar friends are darkness: darkness
takes the place of friends: cp. Job xvii. 14.
VVe take leave of this sad singer with his riddle unsolved, with no ray
of light piercing the gloom; yet believing in the fact of God's love
though he can only see the signs of His wrath, appealing, like Job, to
God, though God seems utterly hostile to him; assured that if he has
any hope at all, it is in God alone. His faith has met its reward.
34
530 PSALM LXXXIX.
PSALM LXXXIX.
This Psalm presents, with singular force and pathos, the dilemma
which must have perplexed many a pious soul in the Exile. On the
one hand, the assured lovingkindness and faithfulness of God and His
explicit promise of an eternal dominion to the house of David; on the
other hand, the sight of the representative of that house a discrowned
exile, and his kingdom plundered and desolate. How could the con-
tradiction be reconciled?
The Psalm consists of an introduction, followed by three main divi-
sions. Its argument may be traced as follows.
i. The Psalmist's purpose is to celebrate the lovingkindness and
faithfulness of Jehovah, which he ispersuaded are eternal and unlimited.
They have been manifested in the covenant with David, and the solemn
proclamation of that covenant is given as from the mouth of God Him-
self (i — 4).
ii. After this introduction, marked off as such by a musical interlude,

the Psalmist proceeds to celebrate the praise of Jehovah, dwelling espe-
cially upon the power and faithfulness which are the double guarantee
for the performance of His promises. Heaven and the angels praise
—
Him, for they know that there is none like Him (5 7); He manifests
His sovereignty in nature and in history as the Creator and Ruler of
the world, and His moral attributes of righteousness and judgement,
lovingkindness and truth, are the climax of His glory (8^14). Happy
the people who have such a God, and whose king is the special object
of His choice and care (15 18).—
iii. The mention of the king forms the transition to the next division,
which is a poetical expansion of the promise to David recorded in
2 Sam. vii. On that memorable occasion Jehovah had solemnly cove-
nanted to strengthen and support the king of His choice, to give him
victory over all his enemies, to extend his dominion to the boundaries _
foretold of old, to adopt him as His firstborn and make him supreme
over the kings of the earth, to give eternal dominion to his seed after
him. Though the sins of his descendants might demand punishment,
the divine covenant that his seed and his throne should endure for ever,
would be sacred and inviolable (19 37). —
iv. Having thus confronted God with His own promises, the Psalmist
proceeds to confront Him with the actual state of things which is in
glaring contradiction to those promises. He has abandoned king and
earnest pleading. Life is short.
—
people to defeat, disgrace, ruin (38 45). Remonstrance is followed by
If relief come not soon, the Psalmist
cannot live to see the proof of God's faithfulness, and meanwhile he and
all God's servants are forced to endure the contemptuous insults of their
heathen conquerors (46 51). —
Thus the motive of the Psalm is the contradiction between God's
character and promises on the one hand, and the fate of the king and
people of Israel on the other hand. The keywords of the Psalm zxtloving-
PSALM LXXXIX. 531
kindness zxvd faithfulness, each of which occurs seven times {vv. i,

2, 5,
8, 14, 24, 28, 33, 49). Cp. zXio faithful (28, 37), I will not be false (33)'
I will not lie (35), covenant (3, 28, 34, 39), oath (3, 35, 49). Love moved
Jehovah to enter into the covenant with the house of David faithful- :
ness binds Him to keep it. The enthusiastic praises of Jehovah's majesty
{w. 5ff.), and the detailed recital of the splendour and solemnity of the
promise {vv. 19 ff.), serve to heighten the contrast of the king's present
degradation, while at the same time they are a plea and a consolation.
Can such a God, is the Psalmist's argument, fail to make good so
solemn a promise? How the contradiction is to be solved is left entirely
to God. Hope does not yet take the shape of prayer for the advent of
the Messianic king.
The Psalm was probably written during the Exile. It can hardly be
earlier than the destruction of Jerasalem and the downfall of
the Davidic
kingdom, and on the other hand there is nothing to indicate that it is
later than the Return from Babylon. Vv. 38 ff. receive their most
natural interpretation if it was written while j'ehoiachin was still a
dis-
honoured captive in Babylon, i.e. before B.C. 561, For they seem to
speak of an individual who is the representative of David and bears
the title of Jehovah's anointed, and yet is actually dethroned and
dis-
honoured and the feeling of bitter disappointment which they breathe
;
was niore natural when the fall of the kingdom was comparatively recent,
than it would have been after the Return, when at least the dawn
of
hope had begun, and a step had been taken towards the solution of the
problem which perplexed the Psalmist. V. 14 a is borrowed in v. 2 of
the Restoration hymn, Ps. xcvii.
The theory that the Psalm was written after the conquest of Judah by
Shishak in the reign of Rehoboam (i Kings xiv. 25ff. ; 2 Chron. xii.
2 ff.) is wholly improbable. The language ofvv.
38 ff. must refer to some-
thing more than a temporary disaster, however serious moreover : use is
certainly made of Ps. Ixxx. 12 in vv. 40, 41, and possibly of
Pss. Ixxiv,
Ixxix m
w. 41, 46, 50, 51, Psalms which cannot well be earlier than
the Fall of Jerusalem.
The exilic date
supported by the parallels in Jer. xxxiii. 21, 22, 26,
is
and Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24; xxxvii. 24, 25, theonly passages in prophecy
where the phrase 'David my servant' is used (except Is. xxxvii. =2
Kmgs XIX. 34). Cp. too Ezek. xxxiv. 29; xxxvi. 6, 15 with vv. 50,35 51 •
the conjunction of 'lovingkindness' and 'faithfulness' in Lam.

iii. 22)
23; and the lament over the capture of 'Jehovah's anointed' in Lam!
IV. 20.
The choice of this Psalm as a Proper Psalm for Christmas Day is
doubtless due to its containing the recital of the great Messianic
promise
to David. But the whole Psalm, and not merely that part of it, is
appropriate, for the Incarnation was the true solution of
the Psalmist's
perplexity, as the supreme demonstration of the
lovingkindness and
laithfulness of God in the fulfilment of His promises. Cp, Luke i 32 f
34—2
: :
532 PSALM LXXXIX. 1—4.
Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite.
89 I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever

With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all
generations.
2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever
Thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
3 I have made a covenant with my chosen,
I have sworn unto David my servant,
4 Thy seed will I stablish for ever,
And build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.
On Ethan the Ezrahite see Intr. to Ps. Ixxxviii.

1 — 4. The
Psalmist states his theme the lovingkindness and faith-
:
fulness of Jehovah, which he is persuaded can never fail ; and the promise
of eternal dominion to the house of David.
1. God's lovingkindnesses and faithfulness are an unfailing theme
for grateful song. The past lovingkindnesses of God are unalterable
facts His faithfulness to His promises is beyond question
; thus in :
these opening verses the poet's faith rises tiiumphantly over the circum-
stances in which he is situated.
the mercies] Better, the lovingkindnesses, and so throughout the
Psalm. ' Lovingkindness and faithfulness are its keywords, each
'
' '
occurring seven times. Cp. Is. Iv. 3, "the sure " (or "faithful ") "loving-
kindnesses shewn to David."
with my 7uo!ith'] Aloud and openly.
2. For I have said\ 'I have deliberately come to this conclusion.'
Thus emphatically the poet introduces the motive for his song. He is
persuaded that one stone after another will continue to be laid in the
building of God's lovingkindness till it reaches to heaven itself, even
though it may now seem to be a deserted ruin. Though for rhythmical
reasons the verse is divided into two lines, its sense must be taken as a
whole Lovingkindness and faithfulness shall be built up and es-
:
'
tablished for ever in the heavens.'

For the metaphorical use of 'build' cp. Job xxii. ly. Jar. xii. 16;
Mai. iii. 15, The choice of the word, as well as of 'establish' in the
next line, is suggested by their use in v. 4.
in the very heaveiis\ High as the heavens (xxxvi. 5) or in the region ;
where it is beyond the reach of earthly vicissitudes (cxix. 89, 90).

Many editors would read. Thou hast said... My
faithfulness shall be
established &c., a change partly supported by the and Jer. But LXX
the structure of the Psalm is against the change, for the verses run in
pairs, and v. 2 is clearly to be connected with v. I moreover the em- :
phatic I have said is by no means superfluous.

'
'
3. 4. These verses contain the sum of the promise to David and his
seed (2 Sam. vii. 5 ff.) which is expanded in w. 19 ff. It is in relation
to this promise in particular that the poet intends to sing of God's loving-
kindness and faithfulness. Almost every word is taken from the narra-
PSALM LXXXIX. 5—7. 533
And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord :
Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.

For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord ? '
Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the
Lord?
God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, ;
tive of 2 Sam. vii. For ' David my servant ' see vv. 5, 8, 26, and cp.
vv. 19, 20, 11, 25, 27, 28, 29: for 'establish' see vv. 12, 13, 16, 26:
for 'for ever' see vv. 13, 16, 24, 26, 29: for 'seed' and 'throne' see
vv. 12, 13, 16: for 'build see z*. 27. 'Chosen' represents v. 8 (cp. Ps.
'
Ixxviii. 70 f ). '
Covenant however does not belong to the phraseology
'
of 2 Sam. vii (but see 2 Sam. xxiii. 5) nor is the promise spoken of
;
there as confimied by an oath.

The introduction of God as the speaker without any prefatoi7 ' Thou
hast said is surprisingly abrupt.
'
It is possible that the word has drop-
ped out. But Hebrew leaves much to be understood, and misunder-
standing is here impossible.
—
6 18. The adoring recital of God's attributes which follows here has
a twofold purpose in relation to the subject of the Psalm. It is a plea
with God, and it is an encouragement to Israel. His omnipotence
guarantees His abihty, His faithfulness is the pledge of His will, to
perform His promises to David.
6 —
7. Jehovah's incomparableness is ever being celebrated in heaven.
The angelic beings, "who best can tell," as standing nearest to the
throne of God, and partaking most of His nature, know that there is
none like Him. (Cp. Milton, Par. Lost, Book V. 160, if.).
6. The heavens, in contrast to the earth, include the whole celestial
order of being. Cp. xix. i ; 1. 6.
thy zuonders] The \\'ord in the Heb. is in the singular. It denotes not
the -wondroiisness of God in the abstract, but His wonderful course of
action regarded as a whole, of which His 'wonderful works' are the
several parts. The word conveys the idea of what is mysterious, super-
natural, divine. (See on Ixxi. 17.) It is especially appropriate here,
since the choice of David was a factor in the great plan which was to be
consummated in the mystery of the Incarnation. Cp. Is. ix. 6.
thy faithfulness &c.] Yea, thy faithfulness in the assembly of the
holy ones. It is not the congregation of Israel, but 'the company of
heaven' that is meant, as in Job v. i and xv. 15, where we have the
same parallel between heavens and ' holy ones.
' '
Holy themselves,
'
as supernatural beings (though only relatively holy. Job xv. 15), they
best know the absolute holiness of God and can praise Him most
worthily (Is. vi. 3), as they watch the revelation of His wisdom in the
unfolding of His purposes of grace (Eph. iii. 10).
6, 7. For who in the sky can be compared unto Jehovah ?
Who is like Jehovah among the sons of God,
A God greatly to be dreaded in the council of the holy ones,
; ;
And to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.

8 O Lord God of hosts,
Who is a strong Lord like unto thee ?
Or to thy faithfulness round about thee ?
9 Thou rulest the raging of the sea :
When the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.

10 Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain
And to be feared above all that are round about him?

God's nature is unique, incomparable. Even among celestial beings
there is none that can be compared with Him.
The phrase bne eltm, found elsewhere only in xxix. i, denotes angels.
It might be rendered sons of the mighty, describing them as mighty
'
celestial beings ; or sons of the gods, beings belonging to the class of
'
superhuman, heavenly powers" (Cheyne); but it is best taken as a

doubly-formed plural, and rendered as in R.V. marg., sons of God (El)
synonymous with bne Elohim in Job i. 6 ; ii. i ; xxxviii. 7.
With V. 7 cp. Is. viii. 13. The angels form the council of the great
King (Job XV. 8, R.V. marg.; Jer. xxiii. 18, 22), but He towers above
them all in unapproachable majesty.
8 — 14. Jehovah's incomparableness is manifested in nature and in
history.
8. God of hosts'] A significant title in this connexion. See i Kings

xxii. 19; and note on xlvi. 7.
Who Is a mighty one
like thee, Jah?
And thy faithfulness is round about thee.
Name and question both recall the great hymn of redemption, Ex. xv.
2, II. Cp. Ixviii. 4; 2 Sam. vii. 22. Strength and faithfulness are the
attributes upon which the Psalmist dwells, as the pledge for the fulfil-
ment of the promise. Faithfulness surrounds Him like an atmosphere of
light, as in a different aspect "clouds and darkness are round about
him " (xcvii. 2).
9, 10. In this and the following verses thou, thine are the em-
phatic words.
the raging] Or, proud swelling. Cp. xlvi. 3. The sea represents
the most turbulent and formidable of the powers of nature. Cp. xciii.
3 f. ; Job xxxviii. 1 1 From the sea of nature the poet turns to the sea
.
of nations of which it is the emblem (Ixv. 7). At the Red Sea God proved
His sovereignty over both. For Rahab as a name of Egypt see note on
Ixxxvii. 4. Broken in pieces denotes crushing defeat (xliv. 19) as one that :
is slain expresses the result ; the ferocious monster lies pierced through
and haiTnless. A comparison of Job xxvi. 12, 13 (on which see Dr
Davidson's notes) suggests that the language is chosen so as to allude
not only to the destruction of the Egyptians at the Red Sea, but to the
primitive mythological idea of a conflict between God and the powers
of nature personified as Rahab.' '
: : "
PSALM LXXXIX. II— 14. 535
Thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.

The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine :
As for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded
them.
The north and the south thou hast created them :
Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.

Thou hast a mighty arm :
Strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne :
Mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
%vith thy strong arvi] With the arm of thy strength didst
Better,
thou scatter thine enemies. Cp. Is. li. 9, 10.
11. THINE are the heavens, THINE also the earth
The world and the fulness thereof, THOU hast founded
them.
Cp. xxiv. I, 2; 1. 12; Ixxviii. 69; Job xxxviii. 4; Prov. iii. 19.
12. The north and the south'] The furthest extremities of the world.
Cp. Job xxvi. 7.
Tabor and Hermon'] These mountains are named, not so much to
represent the West and East of the land, as because they are the grandest
and most conspicuous natural features of Palestine. Tabor is described
as a " strange and beautiful mountain," towering "over the monotonous
undulations of the surrounding hills," and "so thickly studded with trees,
as to rise from the plain like a mass of verdure." In Jer. xlvi. 18 it is used
as an emblem of pre-eminence. Hermon was "the image of unearthly
grandeur, which nothing else but perpetual snow can give especially as
;
seen in the summer, when the fimiament around it seems to be on fire.

'
'
Stanley, Sinai and Palestine, pp. 350, 404.

shall rejoice in thy name] Better as R.V., rejoice. Nature is a
revelation of its Creator, and rejoices in the fulfilment of its office. Cp.
xix. I ; Ixv. 12, 13.
13. THINE arm with might. 'Arm,' 'hand,' 'right hand'
Is an
(terms frequently used in connexion with the Exodus, e.g. Ex. xv. 6, 9,
12, 16) denote not merely power but the exertion of power; and the use
of verbs in the second line, lit. Thy hand sheweth strength, thy right
hand exalteth itself, emphasises the thought, that God not only possesses
but exercises His power.
14. Righteousness and judgement are the foundation of thy
throne
Lovingkindness and truth attend thy presence.
The first line recurs in xcvii. 2. Cp. too xxxiii. 5. Righteousness, or
the principle of justice, a.n6. judgement, or the application of it in act, are
the basis of all true government, divine as well as human (Prov. xvi. 12;
xxv. 5). Lovingkindness and truth are represented as angels attending
in God's Presence (xcv. 2), ready to do His bidding (xliii. 3), rather than
as couriers preceding Him.
;
15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound :
They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.

16 In thy name shall they rejoice all the day :
And in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.

17 For thou art the glory of their strength :
And in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.

18 For the Lord is our defence
And the Holy One of Israel is our king.
—
15 18. Happy the people that have such a God, and whose King is
the vicegerent of such a Sovereign. These verses form the transition to
the second division of the Psalm, vv. 19 ff. From the praise of God it
is natural to pass on to the felicity of His people, and from the mention
of the people to the king who is their head and His representative.
15. Happy the people that know the shout of joy,
That walk, Jehovah, in the light of thy countenance.
Terudh may mean the jubilant shouting with which religious festivi-
ties were celebrated (xxvii. 6; xxxiii. 3; Ixxxi. i; xcv. i, 2; 2 Sam. vi.
15); or the acclamation with which a king was greeted (xlvii. i, 5;
Num. xxiii. 21); or the blowing of tnniipets upon certain solemn
occasions (Lev. xxiii. 24; Num. xxix. i). Happy indeed is Israel when
it can thus greet its God (cxliv. 15), enjoying the sunshine of His favour
(iv. 6).
16. shall they rejoice... shall they be exalted] Render with R.V. do
they rejoice... are they exalted. Jehovah's revelation of Himself is at
once the source and the subject of their joy: His unswerving adherence
to His covenant is the secret of their prosperity.
17. Jehovah alone is the strength of which they boast. Cp. xliv. 6 ff.
in thy favour] Cp. xliv. 3; xxx. 7.
our horn shall be exalted] So the Qrt, with the LXX and Syr. The
Kthlbh, with which agree Targ. and Jer., has tvilt thou exalt our horn.
Cp. Ixxv. 5, 10. By the change of person, the poet claims his share
in this glorious inheritance. " They gives place to we unconsciously, as
his heart swells with the joy that he paints." (Maclaren.)
18. For to Jehovah belongeth our shield;
And our King to the Holy One of IsraeL
Shield, as in xlvii. 9, is a metaphor for the king as the protector of
his people. The king of Israel belongs to Jehovah, because he is ap-
pointed by Him to be His representative, as his title ychovah^s anointed
testifies ; he derives his authority from Him, and therefore can claim
His protection. For Holy One of Israel see note on Ixxi. 22.
The A.V. is grammatically unjustifiable; and the R.V. marg. render-
ing of the second line, Even to the Holy One of Israel our King, though
grammatically possible, and supported by some Ancient Versions, is less
suitable to the context.
—
19 37. The mention of the king in v. 18 naturally leads up to the
covenant with David which was briefly alluded to in vv. 3, 4. The
; : : ;
Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, 3
And have laid help upon one that is mighty

saidst, I
I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
I have found David my servant s
With my holy oil have I anointed him

With whom my hand shall be established 5
Mine arm also shall strengthen him.

The enemy shall not exact upon him ; s
Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.

And I will beat down his foes before his face, !
And plague them that hate him.

But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him : s
Psalmist now recites the promise in detail in a poetical expansion of the

narrative in 2 Sam. vii.
19. ThaiX On
the well-lcnown occasion already referred to in
vv. 3, 4. in visiott] See 2 Sam. vii. 17.
to thy holy one] Nathan, or more probably David, as the principal
recipient of the message. So some MSS. But the traditional text,
supported apparently by all the Ancient Versions, reads the plural, to
thy samts, or rather to thy beloved; i.e. the people of Israel, for whom
the promise made through David to Nathan was intended. The word
rendered thy beloved denotes Israel as the object of that lovingkiitdness
which the Psalmist is celebrating. See 1. 5, and Appendix, Note I.
/ have laid help] Endowed him with the power and assigned to him
the office of helping My people in their need. For laid— 'conferred,' of
the Divine endowment of the king, see xxi. 5 ; and for help as a Divine
gift to the king, see xx. 2. The phrase is unusual, but the conjectures
a diadon (cp. v. 39) or strength are unnecessary.
one that is viighty] Cp. 2 Sam. xvii. 10. The word is chosen with
reference to the Divine 'might' of which he was the representative, w. 13 :
cp. XX. 6; xxi. 13.

one chosen] Cp. v. 3; Ixxviii. 70; i Kings viii. 16.
20. I have found] Sought out and provided. Cp. i Sam. xiii. 14;
xvi. i; Acts xiii. 22. David tiiy servant] See on Ixxviii. 70, and cp.
« Sam. iii. 18; vii. 5, 8. have / anointed him] i Sam. xvi. i, 12 f.
21. With ivhom &c.] My
helping hand shall continually be with
him: a stronger equivalent for " the Lord was with him," i Sam. xviii.
12, 14; 2 Sam. v. 10.
22. shall not exact upon him] Shall not oppress him as a creditor
oppresses a debtor. But the sense is doubtful, and the word probably
means surprise him, fall upon him unawares, as in Iv. 15.
nor the son oftuickedness afflict him] The phrase is taken from 2 Sam.
vii. 10, where however it is applied to the people.
23. But I will beat down his adversaries before him,

And smite them that hate him.
24. And my faithfulness and lovingkindness shall be with him.
;
And in my name shall his horn be exalted.

25 1 will set his hand also in the sea,
And his right hand in the rivers.
z6 He unto me, Thou art my Father,
shall cry
My God, and the rock of my salvation.
27 Also I will make him my firstborn,
Higher than the kings of the earth.
28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore,
And my covenant shall stand fast with him.
29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever,
And his throne as the days of heaven.
30 If his children forsake my law.
And walk not in my judgments
25. in the sea. ..in the rivers] R.V., on the sea. ..on the rivers; i.e.
I will extend his dominion to the Mediterranean on the west, and to the
Euphrates on the north-east, the boundaries of the land according to
ancient promise. See Gen. xv. 18 ; Ex. xxiii. 31 ; Deut. xi. 24; i Kings
iv. 24; cp. Fs. Ixxii. 8; Ixxx. 11. The plural rivers is a poetical gene-
ralisation, or may denote the Euphrates and its canals.
26. The promise made to David on behalf of .Solomon is here ex-
tended to David himself. For my God, and the rock of my salvation cp.
xviii. 2; Deut. xxxii. 15.
27. I also corresponds to the emphatic He at the beginning of v. 26.
It is God's answer to David's cry of filial love. The titles son a.ndjirst-
born applied to Israel (Ex. iv. 22 ; Jer. xxxi. 9) are conferred upon the
king who is Israel's representative and the promise made to Israel
:
(Deut. xxvi. 19, cp. xxviii. i) is here transferred to David,

I also will appoint him as firstborn,
Most high above the kings of the earth.
David's posterity is included in his person and the high promise,
:
never fully realised in any of his successors, points forward to Him

Whom St John styles in language borrowed from this verse and v. 37,
"the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the prince of the
kings of the earth."
28. 29. The emphasis is on for evermore. The permanence of the
promise expressed in the strongest terms. Cp. 2 Sam. vii. 13, i6.
is
Once more too the notes of lovingkindness and faithfulness are
sounded, for the word rendered shall stand fast is from the same root
as the word for faithfulness hence R.V. marg. shall be faithful.
;
as the days of heaven] I.e. for ever; the heaven is the emblem of
permanence as well as stability. Again a phrase originally referring to
the nation (Deut. xi. 21) is applied to the king.
—
30 34. The sins of David's descendants will bring chastisement to
them, but they will not annul the promise to David. Man's unfaithful-
;
3i
If they break my statutes,
And keep not my commandments
32
Then will I visit their transgression with the rod,
And their iniquity with stripes.
Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from 33
him,
Nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
34
My covenant will I not break,
Nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
Once have I sworn by my hoHness 35
That I will not lie unto David.

36
His seed shall endure for ever,
And his throne as the sun before me.
It shall be established for ever as the moon,
37
And as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.

though it may modify
ness cannot make void the faithfulness of God,
the course of its working.
31. If they break] Lit. profane. , r ,1 i,
phrases
32. The rod... stripes'] From 2 Sam. vii. 14, where the fuller
children of vien seem to mean correc-
the rod of men... the stripes of the
must admmister. J he
tion such as even human parents know they
duty of chastisement (Prov. xxni. 13 1.;
paternal relation involves the
Heb. xii. 9f.).
33. my lovingkindness will I not toreak off from mm,
But
Neither be false to my faithfulness.
lovmg-
The word rendered break off is an unusual one to apply to
kindness, and its form is anomalous. The change of
one letter however
gives the word used in i Chr. xvii. 13, I wiU not take
away, and this
emendation should probably be adopted. Be false to is the
word found
in I Sam. xv. 29, "The Strength of Israel luill
not he:
like His laws,
34. Lit. profane, as in e^. 31. God's covenant,
break]
is a sacred thing. Men may violate His laws, but He will not violate
His covenant. . .
the thing that gone out of my lips] The word once spoken is irre-
is
vocable. The phrase is used of vows in Num. xxx. 12 Deut. xxiu. 23. ;
35—37, The irreversible nature of a promise confirmed by God's

oath.
35. Once] Once for all (LXX aira?, Vulg. semel) or, one thing,
:
have I sworn] Cp. v. 3. bf my holiness] See note on Ix. 6.

that I will not lie] R.V. omits that, and makes this clause parallel
to,not dependent on, the preceding line.

36. Cp. vv. 4, 29; Ixxii. 5, 7> i7- , ^ r.rx.
1 • •
37. Construction and meaning are doubtful, (i) The original pas-
Sam. 16 in favour of making his throne the subject to
sage in 2 vii. is
shall be established, and against the marginal alternatives

of R.V., As the
— :
540 PSALM LXXXIX. 38, 39.
38 But thou hast cast off and abhorred,

Thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.
39 Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant
Thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.
moon which is established for ever, and as the faithful witness in the
sky: or, and is a faithful witness in the sky.
(2) The A.V., with which substantially agrees the R.V., And (as) the
faithful wltiiess in the sky, raises the question what is meant by ' the
faithful witness in the sky.' Is it the sun, or the moon, or the rainbow ?
Or is it the fixed laws of nature which are appealed to in Jer. xxxi. 35,
36, xxxiii. 20 f., 25 f., as a symbol of the permanence of God's covenant
with Israel and with David? This last explanation is the best, but it
seems somewhat far-fetched and the omission of the particle of com-
;
parison as points (3) to another rendering : And the witness in the sky
is faithful. The witness is God Himself, thus confirms His Who
promise with a final attestation. Cp. Jer. xlii. 5, "Jehovah be a true
zxsA faithful witness against us": Job xvi. 19, "my witness is in heaven."
—
38 45. But present realities are in appalling contrast to this glorious
promise: the king is rejected and dethroned, his kingdom is overrun by
invaders, his enemies are triumphant.
38. And THOU, thou hast
cast off and rejected,
Hast been enraged with thine anointed.
The Psalmist has drawn out God's promise in the fullest detail, and
now he confronts God with it: thou Who omnipotent, faithful,
art
and just; THOU Who hast made this promise, and confirmed it with
the most solemn oath ; THOU hast broken
it Some punishment might !
have been expected (;yv. 30 ff.), but not this total abandonment (^. 33
ff.). David's heir has the same fate as Saul (i Sam. xv. 23, 26), in
spite of the express promise that it should not be so (2 Sam. vii. 15).
The audacity of the expostulation scandalised many ancient Jewish
commentators, and the famous Aben-Ezra of Toledo (d. 1167) relates
that there was a certain wise and pious man in Spain, who would neither
read nor listen to this Psalm. But the boldness is that of faith, not of
irreverence: it finds a parallel in xliv. 9ft'., and in Habakkuk's ques-
tionings (i. 2 ff., 13 ft".).
39; Thou hast abhorred the covenant of thy servant:

Thou hast cast his desecrated crown to the ground.
Thine anointed, thy servant (cp. v. 20) include both David and the
successor who represents him. The titles plead the claim which the
king had on God's protection.
The word nezer means (i) consecration, and (2) the crown or diadem
of the high priest (Ex. xxix. 6) or the king (2 Sam. i. 10), as the mark
of consecration to their office. For the phrase profaned to the ground
cp. Ixxiv. 7.
40. Insensibly the king is identified with the nation whose head and
representative he was. The first line is taken from the description of
Israel as a vine in Ixxx. 12.
; ; ;
Thou hast broken down all his hedges ^
Thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.

All that pass by the way spoil him :
^
He is a reproach to his neighbours.

Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries <
Thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.

Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, ^
And hast not made him to stand in the battle.

Thou hast made his glory to cease, <
And cast his throne down to the ground.

The days of his youth hast thou shortened :
<
Thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.

How long. Lord ? wilt thou hide thyself, for ever ? <
Shall thy wrath burn like fire ?

Remember how short my time is :
'
/ic(fges] Or, as R.V. in Ixxx. 12, fences.

41. first line from Ixxx. 12, with the substitution of sôi'I for
The
phick: the second from Ixxix. 4; cp. xliv. 13. The 'neighbours' are
surrounding nations, once tributary to Israel.
42. Thou hast set up\ R.V. thou hast exalted. Contrast z'z'. 19, 24.
to rejoice] The malignant delight of enemies is constantly deprecated
as an aggravation of the bitterness of misfortune. Cp. xxv. 2 ; xxx. i
xxxv. 19, 24 ff. ; xxxviii. 16; and the close parallel in Lam. ii. 17.
43. Yea, thou turnest hack the edge of his sword (R.V.) i.e. not :
as A.V. might seem to mean, bluntest it, but as the parallelism shews,
makest it give way in battle. Cp. 2 Sam. i. 22.
44. his glory] R.V. his hrightness the lustre of his kingdom.
:
45. He is prematurely old. Cp. cii. 23. The words might be figura-
tively applied to the nation (Hos. vii. 9), or to the kingdom, prematurely
brought to an end but it is more natural to regard them as referring
:
to the king himself. Jehoiachin was but 18 (2 Kings xxiv. 8), or

according to 2 Chron. xxxvi. 9, only 8 years old, when he came to the
throne, and he reigned only three months and ten days. The prime of
his life was spent in exile, apparently in actual confinement in which he
was literally 'clothed with dishonour' (2 Kings xxv. 29).
46 — 51. Psalmist appeals to God to withdraw His wrath and
The
remove pleading the shortness of life and the taunts
this contradiction,
of God's enemies as grounds for a speedy answer.
46. How long, Jehovah, wilt thou hide thyself for ever?
long) shall thy wrath bum like fire?
(How
A repetition of Ixxix. 5, with slight variations.
47. Literally, if the text is right, remember what a fleeting life I
am! but it is possible that the letters of the word cheled have been
; ;
Wherefore hast thou made all men in vain ?

48 What man he that liveth, and shall not see death ?
is
Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave ? Selah.
49 Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses,

Which thou swarest unto David in thy truth ?
50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants
How I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty
people
accidentally transposed and that we should read chddel, as in xxxix.

4: ho70 frail, or, transitory^ I am. As in that Psalm (cp. v. 13) and in
Job vii. 6 ff, xiv. i ff, the shortness and uncertainty of life are pleaded as a
ground for the speedy restoration of God's favour. The Psalmist desires
to see the solution of the riddle with his own eyes, and doubtless he gives
utterance to the feelings of many pious souls in the Exile, whose faith
was tried by the thought that they would not live to see the fulfilment
of the prophecies of restoration.
2vherefore &c.] For -what vanity hast thou created all the sons of
men! Must life end thus in unsatisfied longing? Cp. xxxix. 5, 11.
48. What man is he that shall live on, and not see death,
That shall deliver his sovQ from the hand of Sheol ?
The word for man is geber, 'strong man,' as distinguished from
women, children, and non-combatants, as much as to say, What man is
so strong that he shall live on and escape the iron grasp of Death?
"There no armour against fate.
is
Death lays his icy hand on kings."
49. After an interlude of music the Psalmist resumes his prayer. He
returns to the thoughts of God's lovingkindness and faithfulness, from
which he started {v. i). But His lovingkindnesses seem to belong to an
age that is past and gone: have they vanished never to return? The
faith which had to look for the manifestation of God's love in this world
was often sorely têd. See Ps. Ixxvii; Is. Ixiii. For the question cp.
Judg. vi. 13; and for the second line, Mic. vii. 20.
in thy truth] In thy faithfulness.
60. the reproach of thy servants] The taunts which they have to bear
as the servants of a God Who, say their enemies, cannot or will not help
them. Cp. Ixxiv. 10, 18, 22; Ixxix. 4, 10.
how I do bear &c.] The Massoretic text must be rendered, Hoav I do
bear in my bosom all the many peoples. It is grammatically anomalous
and gives no satisfactory sense. Asimple emendation, which has some
support from Ancient Versions, reads thus:
How I hear in my hosom the dishonouring of the peoples.
Cp. the similar phrase with the same word for 'dishonouring' (A.V.
shame) in Ezek. xxxiv. 29; xxxvi. 6, 15. As a faithful Israelite he
must perforce bear the burden of his people's shame.
PSALM LXXXIX. 51, 52. 543
Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O Lord ;

51
Wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine

anointed.
Blessed be the Lord for evermore. Amen, and Amen. 52
61. Cp. Ixxix. 12, of which v. 50 is also a partial reminiscence.

the footsteps of thine anointed^ They are like a rabble hooting and
insulting him wherever he goes. Cp. xvii. 11 Jer. xii. 6 (R.V.). May
;
not the phrase have been suggested by the recollection of actual insults
offered to the discrowned Jehoiachin as he was led through the streets
of Babylon in the conqueror's triumph? Insults offered to the king are
insults at once to Jehovah and to the people whose representative he
was.
The Targum interprets the words of the delay of Messiah's Advent.
"For thine enemies repi'oach, O Lord, they reproach the slowness of
the footsteps of Thine Anointed."
52. The doxology marks the close of Book iii. Cp. xli. 13; Ixxii. 18,
19; cvi. 48. In P.B.V. it is joined, somewhat incongruously, to the
preceding verse. But though it is no part of the original Psalm, it is
entirely in harmony with the spirit of it, as an expression of the faith
which can bless God even when the visible signs of His love are with-
drawn. Cp. Job i. 21.
APPENDIX.
Note I.
On the word Chasid.
The word chdsTd is characteristic of the Psalter, in which it is found

^5 times. Elsewhere it occurs only in Deut. xxxiii. 8; i Sam. ii. 9;
Prov. ii. 8; Jer. iii. 12; Mic. vii. 2. (2 Sam. xxii. 26, and 2 Chr. vi. 41
are of course not independent passages.) It is variously rendered in
A.V., 'godly,' 'merciful,' or, after the Sept. oVtos, Vulg. sanctus,
'holy,' 'saints.' Its exact meaning, however, is disputed. Is it (r)
active, denoting the character of the man who practises dutiful love
(chesed) to God and to his fellow-men (A.V. and R.V. 'godly' or
'merciful'): or (2) passive, denoting the state of one who is the object
of God's lovingkindness (R.V. marg., 'one that He favoureth:' cp.
A.V. marg. to Ixxxvi. 2)? The form of the word is not decisive between
the two senses, and appeal must be made to the usage of the word.
In favour of (i) it is urged that the word certainly has an active sense
in cxlv. 17 and Jer. iii. 12, where it is applied to God: and also in
Ps. xii. I ; xviii. 25 ; xliii. i ; Mic. vii. 2 ; where it is used of the quality
of lovingkindness between man and man.
On the other hand in favour of (2) it may be urged that the substan-
tive chesed from which the adjective chdsid is derived denotes in the
Psalter almost without exception God's lovingkindness to man. It
occurs there 127 times, and in three cases only is it used of man's love to
man (cix. 12, 16; cxli. 5), though this sense is common elsewhere. It is
never used in the Psalter of man's love to God, and indeed it is doubtful
whether it is really so used at all. The passages generally quoted (Hos.
vi. 4, 6 ; Jer. ii. 2) are not decisive.
If the primary meaning of chdsid is to be governed (as seems reason-
able) Ijy that of chesed in the Psalms, it must certainly mean one who '
is the object of Jehovah's lovingkindness.' And this sense suits the

predominant usage of the word best. It is used 15 times with a pronoun
to express the relation of the covenant people, or individuals in it, to
Jehovah (My, Thy, His chasidim), in connexions where the position
into which they have been brought by Jehovah's grace is a more appro-
priate thought than that of their response to that grace either by love to
God or love to their fellow-men. It is not man's love to God or to his
fellow-man which is pleaded as the ground of acceptance or urged as the
motive for duty, but the fact that Jehovah by His I'ree lovingkindness
has brought the nation and its members into covenant with Himself. In
its primary sense then the word implies no moral praise or merit but it;
APPENDIX. 545
came, not unnaturally, to be connected with the idea o{ chcsed as Moving-

kindness' between man and man, and to be used of the character which
reflected that love of which it was itself the object and finally was
;
applied even to God Himself.
Note II.
On the Title 'Most High.'
The usage of the title 'Most High' (Elyon) should be carefully

examined.
(i) As used by non-Israelites, it appears as the designation of the
Supreme God in the mouth of the Canaanite priest-king Melchisedek
—
(Gen. xiv. i8 22); it is employed by Balaam (Num. xxiv. 16); it is
put into the mouth of the presumptuous king of Babylon (Is. xiv. 14).
(2) Its application to Jehovah from the Israelite standpoint is limited
to poetry. It occurs in Deut. xxxii. 8 (note the connexion with the par-
tition of the earth among the nations); Lam. iii. 35, 38; and 11 times
in the Psalter [and in 2 Sam. xxii. i4=:Ps. xviii. 13], always, with
one exception (cvii. 11), in the first four books. It is nowhere found
in the Prophets.
(3) In the Aramaic of the Book of Daniel it occurs, in one
—
peculiar passage (vii. 18 27) in the plural of majesty; and asynonymous
word is used frequently, but, with one exception (vii. 25), in the
mouth of Nebuchadnezzar or Belshazzar, or in words addressed to
them. It comes to be a favourite word with the author of Ecclesiasticus
(iJ^40Tos, without the article), and occurs also in 2 Mace. iii. 31.
Note III.
On the Hebrew Tenses.
The English reader may be at a loss to understand how it can so

often be doubtful whether a verb should be rendered by the past or
the future tense. The uncertainty arises from the peculiar character of
the Heljrew Tenses, which denote mode of action rather than /i?ne of
action. The fundamental idea of the perfect (sometimes called the
'
'
'past') is completed action: the fundamental idea of the 'imperfect'

(sometimes called the 'future') is incomplete aciion.
In simple narrative prose the 'perfect' usually refers to the past,
and the 'imperfect' to the future. But in the higher styles of poetry
and prophecy both tenses are used with much greater freedom.
(i) Afuture event may be regarded as having already taken
place, either in order that it may be more forcibly presented to the
mind, or because it is contemplated as being absolutely certain to
liappen ; and in such cases the perfect tense, sometimes called the
'
perfect of certainty,' or prophetic perfect,' is used.
'
See Ps. xxii. 29 ;
xxxvii. 20.
PSALMS 35
546 APPENDIX.
(2) A past event may be regarded, for the sake of vivid descrip-
tion, as being still in progress, and the '
imperfect' tense may be
employed with reference to it. Thus in Ps. vii. 15, 'the ditch he -was
niakiiig' (imperf ) represents the wicked man as still engaged upon his
plot when it proves his own ruin. This usage corresponds to the
'
historic present,' and is very common in poetry.
The 'imperfect' is also used as a frequentative, of repeated action,
and to express general truths.
Hence it is often doubtful, as in numerous instances in Ps. xviii,
whether a Hebrew imperfect refers to the past or the future, and should
be rendered by past, present, or future. The decision must be regulated
by the context and the general view taken of the sense of the passage.
Not seldom the peculiar force of the Hebrew tenses cannot be expressed
in an English translation without awkward circumlocutions.
NEW TESTAMENT QUOTATIONS
FROM THE PSALMS.
Psalm ii. I, 2
548 NEW TESTAMENT QUOTATIONS
Psalm xliv. 22
FROM THE PSALMS. 549
Psalm cxii. 9
_ , ;
INDEX.
quoted, 540 Benjamin, tribe of, 392

Aben Ezra Bickell quoted, 267
Abraham, promises to, 423
birds, sacred, 506
Absalom's rebellion, see David
Black, J. S. quoted, 390
acrostic Psalms, xlviii
bloodguiltiness, 293
Adullam, 320
bones, meaning of, 232, 292
Ahab, 243
book of life, 406
Ahaz, 254, 308
bottle, 319 •
r
Ahithophel, 307 .
meaning ot
'bring back the captivity,
Alilmoth, xxii, 255, idl
phrase, 303
alphabetic Psalms, xlviii
Bruston quoted, 248
Al-tascheth, 321
Amalekites, 501
Carlyle quoted, 285
Amaziah, 339
544
chiisld, 233, 279,
Ammonites, 501
Cheyne quoted, 306, 327, 483, 488, 495,
Amos, 483 , • < &c.
523,
angels, 475, 496, 533: functions of, 279,
Chrysostom quoted, 353
guardians of nations, 495
covenant of God, 240, 279, 282, 447
anointed of Jehovah, 504, 508
Coverdale quoted, 349, &c.
anthropomorphism, 477
Cromwell, 378
anthropopathy, 239
Antiochus Epiphanes, 440
daughter of Tyre, 251
appear before God, 228, 508
and notes /«W;« daughters of Judah, 266
Aquila, liv,
David the founder of the Psalter, xxxu ff.
Arabic poetry, xxxi
Psalms of, meaning of the title, xxix,
_
Aramaic language, liii

Aram-naharaim, 338 284; Psalms connected by their_ titles
Presence, or by conjecture with events in his life,
Ark, the symbol of Jehovah s
capture of, 477; at Gibeah, 332; at Gath, 315; during
238, 261, 354. 379
Saul's persecution, 295, 304, 320; his
i
translation to Zion, 37s; to the lemple,

war with Edom, 235, 338; the transla-
375 ^ ^ tion of the ark, 375 : his sin and re-
arm of God, 535
pentance, 285; the time of Absalom s
Artaxerxes Ochus, 236, 442, 499
rebellion, 227, 307, 325, 344. 347. 352
Asaph, 427
David's last words, 416; Messianic pro-
.
Asaph, Psalms of, 276 ff., 427 "•; tbeir

mises made to him, 530 ff.
characteristics, 428 ff.
Davidson, Professor A. B., quoted, 534
Assyria, 501 ^ r ,
death, O.T. view of, Ixxv ff., 267 ff.,
Assyrians, deliverance of Jertisalem from,
273f.,43iff-.526ff-
see Sennacherib
Deborah, song of, 376 ff.
Augustine quoted, 372
decalogue, 280, 282, 492
Authorised Version, Ivi, and notes/îizw
Degrees, Songs of, xxv
Azkilra, 407
Delitzsch quoted, 274, 325, 360, 472, &c.
Dillmann quoted, 40S
Babylon, 519 ff. ; see Exile
Baca, vale of, 507
Doeg, 295
dogs, 334
Baethgen quoted, 258
dove, 309, 384
balsam-trees, 507
doxologies, 423, 543
Bashan, 386
Bathsheba, 285 Driver quoted, 286, 389
; ;;
552 INDEX.
Earle quoted, 249 434, 471, 476, 545 the living God,;
early rain, 364 228; King, 237, 260, 391, 446; Rock,
east wind, 265 232, 348, 439 Judge, 429, 450, 494 ff.
;
Edmund, St, his favourite Ps., 418 lion of Judah, 453 a sun and shield,
;
Edom, David's conquest of, 338 509; God of Abraham, 262; of Jacob,
Edomites, 501 258 ; Holy One of Israel, 415, 473
Egypt, references to, 377, 394 Shepherd of Israel, 429
El, see Cod His attributes: faithfulness, 531;
Eloah, see God holiness, 341 light, 233
; lovingkind- :
Elohlm, see God ness, 231,242, 322, 354, 530; righteous-

Elokiiii. judges addressed as, 327, 495 ness, 293, 363, 410, 513, 535 truth, ;
Elohistic Psalms, xl, 223 233. 322, 3251.513; jealousy, 476;

Endor, 502 wrath, 485 attributes personified, 233,
;
Engedi, 320 322, 535

Enoch, supposed reference to, 274, 438 His glory, 481, 513; His sovereignty,
Ephraim, 342 290 His incomparableness, 533
; His ;
Ephraimites, 467 revelation of Himself, 288 the Spirit ;
Epiphany, Ps. for the, 418 of God, 292 His covenant with Israel,
:
Ethan, 348, 427, 524 (. 240; with David, 532; His wondrous
Ethanlm, 489 works, 413; His arm, 535 anthropo- ;
Ethiopia, 395 morphic descriptions of, 477 descrip- ;
Ewald quoted, 227, 332, 338, 442, &c. tion of His Advent, 277 introduced as ;
Exile, Psalms referring to the, 303, 396, Speaker, 280, 429 revealed in Nature
;
430, 456, 483 restoration from, 375,

; and in History, 534; to be acknow-
510, 519, 531; its significance, 377 ledged by the nations, 504, 516 ; com-
Ezekiel, 401, 412, 483, 531 munion with Him man's highest good,
Ezrahite, 524 f. 353 ff., 438
gods, judges addressed as, 327, 495
figurative language derived from chaff, : Gospel of Peter, 404
503; conquered enemies, 370; cup of grace, 510
wine, 340, 452 desert travel, 330; dove,
; Great Bible, Ivi, 380, 381, and notes
309, 384; falling wall, 349; flock, 443; passi>n
Levitical ritual, 435 morass, 399 ; Gregory VII, 249
mountain fires, 503 neck-chains, 433 ; grin, 334
progress of an oriental king, 380; regis-
ters of citizens, 406, 522 smoke, 379 ; ;
Habakkuk, Prayer of, 376, 456
snowstorm, 386 swollen river, 398 ; ; Hagarenes, 501
wax, 379; winds, 472 Haggai, 377, 510
flesh, 317, 353, 361, 472, S05 hair, worn long in vows, 390
=
flood river, 368 Ham, 475
fool, meaning of term, 271, 301 harvest thanksgiving, Ps. for, 372
forgiveness, words for, 288 health, 374
full moon, 490 heart, 353, 472, 505
future life, view of, Ixxvff., 268 AT., 273 f., Hebrew language, mode of writing, li
43I'"-. 437 f-. 526 ff- Hebrew tenses, 545

Hebrew poetry, various kinds of, ix ;
gall,404 form of, xliv ff. strophical arrange-

:
gate of the city, 401 ment, xlvii alphabetic or acrostic

;
Gebal, 501 Psalms, xlviii

Gideon's victory, 502 Hebrew Text of O. T., xlix ff.; date of
Gilead, 342 MSS. , xlix; history of, 1; imperfec-
Gittith, xxiii, 490 tions of, 1 ; apparent errors in, 230, 246,
glory, 437 f., 510 267. 318, 330, 335, 395, 411, 474, 494,
glory = soul, 324 539, 542, &c.
glory of God, see God Heman, 524 f.
GoD = Jehovah, 389 Hermon, 230. 386, 535
God, Hebrew words for; El, 277, 297, Hexapla, Origen's, liv
322, 353 ; Eloah, 278 ; Elohim, xl, 277, Hezekiah, xxxiv, 253, 366, 417, 519, 524
&c. the Name of, 238, 304, 450;
;
His history, allusions to earlier, characteristic
Name Jehovah, 277 Jeho7'ah ;
Tse- of Pss. of Asaph, 429 ; the Flood, 301 ;
bddth = \.ov.u of Hosts, 225, 257, 48s, Babel, 310; the 473; the plagues,
488 J ah, 380, 461
;
Exodus, 375ff., 491 passage of the ff.j
His titles: Adonai, 'Lord," 515; Red Sea, 368, 446, 461, 492 destruc- ;
'Elyon, 'Most High," 256, 278, 321, tion of the Egyptians, 446 ; Sinai, 277,
; ;
INDEX. S53
382 journey through the wilderness,

;
Kay quoted, 286, 326, 368, 414, &c.
382, 447, 468 ff. Korah, 310, 312
;
Keble quoted, 465
crossing of the Jordan, 368 ; occupa- Keilah, men of, 304, 318
tion of Canaan, 237, 260 period of the ;
Kimchi quoted, 326
Judges, 383 ff., 502; capture of the king, position and typical significance of
.ark, 47^ the Israelite, 243, 416 ff. lofty lan- ;
history, didactic use of, 429, 463 guage applied to, 243 ff. duties of, ;
Holy One of Israel, 415, 473 416 ff.; the ideal, 416 ff. shield a ;
holy ones, 533 metaphor for, 536 his relation to ;
Horace quoted, 256 Jehovah, 536 Jehovah's firstborn, 538

;
Hosea, 277 Korah, 224, 310, 312

hours of prayer, 312 Korah, Psalms of the Sons of, xxix,
house of God, 400 223 ff. their characteristics, 224 f.
;
Huguenots, 377 date, 225

hyssop, 291 Korahites, history of the, 224
Kri see Qri
'
Imprecatory Psalms,' Ixx fF., 398 ff. Kthibh, li, 306, 335, 414, 434, 461, 462,
incense, 370 536, &c.
innocence, assertions of, Ixix f. ; national,
236, 240 Lagarde quoted, 236, 258
interpretation of Psalms as referring to Latin Versions, Iv
our Lord, Ixiv, 308, 398,
465 law, meaning of word, 465 ; references
Isaiah, Pss. connected with prophecies to the, 270, 291
of. 254, 277, 296, 448, 494, 519 leper, life of a, 523
—
Isaiah xl Ixvi, Pss. related to, 286, 375, leprosy, sin compared to, 289
S19 .
Levites, 490
Ishmaelites, 501 life, ble.ssing of long, 346
Israel, history of reviewed, 462 ff. hopes ; liturgical use, Psalms probably written
for the restoration of the Northern for, 360, 365, 372, 489 ; altered for, 285,
tribes, 377, 4S3 the Messianic na-
;
'
3°3> 332, 407 ; in Jewish Church, xxiv,
tion,'373 259. 287, 373, 378, 418, 479, 489, 490,
ivory palaces, 250 496 ; in Christian Church, 353, 373,
378, 418 ; see also Proper Psaiins
Jabin, 502 living God, see God
jackals, 356 Lord = Jehovah, see God
Jacob, 430, 461 Lord = Adonai, see God
Jah, 380 Lord of hosts, see God
Jeduthun, xxiii, 348, 427, 458 Lot, children of, 502
Jehoiachin, Pss. thought to refer to, 227, lovingkindness, 513
396, 53 1 540 >
Luther, 255, 2S7
Jehoram, 243
Jehoshaphat, xxxiv, 254, 375, 499 Maccabaean Psalms, supposed, xxxv, 227,
Jchm'nh Tscbaoth, 257 see God : 234 f-, 339. 344. 375. 417. 43°, 44°. 449.
Jeremiah, Psalms attributed to, xxxiv, 498
307, 396 ff., 410, 524; prophecies of, Maccabees, history of the, 440
referred to, 483 Maclaren quoted, 256, 477, 536
Jeroboam II, 243 J\Tahalath, 301
Jerome's work on the Psalter, Iv his ; Malialath Leatinoth, 524
version referred to, 327, 507, and notes man, Heb. words for, 269, 299, 317, 542
passim Manas.seh, 308
Jerusalem, situation of, 263, 520 ; love Manasseh, tribe 342 of,
for, 345 marriage procession, 252
John Hyrcanus, 242 marvellous works, 413
Jonadab, 410 Maschll, xviii
Jonathan, 347 Massah, 468
Joseph, 430, 461 Massora, xlix
Josiah, 277, 332, 490 Massoretic Text, xlix ; see Hebrew Text
Jotham, 268 Matthew's Bible, Ivi
Judah, tribe of, 342, 392 meekness, 247
Judas foreshadowed, 308 memorial, the, 407
Judas Maccabaeus, 440 Meribah, 468, 492
judges censured, 325 ff., 494 ff. Messianic hope, Iviii ff. ; the royal
Messiah, Iviii the suffering Messiah,
;
Kadesh, 468 Ixi ; the Son of Man, Ixii ; the Advent

;;
554 INDEX.
of God, Ixiii ; the destiny of the na- parable, 269
tions, Ixv parallelism, xlvff.
Messianic Psalms, 243, 259, 308, 378, Pashhur, 307
397, 417. 5". 515. 518 ff. '
Passion Psalms,' Ixif., 398
Messianic references in the Targum, see Passover, Psalms for, 360, 365
TarguiH penitence, language of, framed by the
Micah, 268, 269, 276, 277 Psalter, 287
Michtavi, xviii penitential Psalms, 287
Midianites, 502 Pentecost, Psalm for, 372
Milton quoted, 324, 514, 523 Perowne, Bp, quoted, 290, 326, 352,
mizvwr, xiii, xvii 368, 499, 523, &c.
Moab, 342 Peschito, liv
Moabite stone, 335, 340 Petrie quoted, 467
}noe, 399 Philistines, 342, 501
tnonster, 412 Pirqe Aboth quoted, 434
Morians, 395 plagues, the, 463
Moses, Blessing of, 376 ; Song of, praises, as a name for the Psalms, xiv,
alluded to, 443, 461, 534, &c. 263
mourning, rites of, 477 Prayer Book Version, Ivi; renderings
Miinster quoted, 380,392,404, 434,444, &c. explained, 251, 312, 317, 324, 380, 392,
Musician, the chief, xix 404, 412, 420, 422, 459, 492, 508,
520, &c.
Name of God, 238 see God ; prayers, as a name for the Psalms, xiv,
Naphtali, tribe of, 392 424, 515
Nathan, 537 prevent, 335, 481, 529
nations, destiny of, Ixvff. 521; to bring
,
priests,
490
tribute to Jehovah, 394, 455; to re- Proper Psalms, 262, 259, 321, 378, 511,
cognise His supremacy, 258, 259, 261, 524. 531
367, 373, 504; and worship Him, 517; Propertius quoted, 275
to become citizens of Zion, 518 ff. sum- ; prophecy, connexion of Psalms with, x,
moned to hear instruction, 269, 371; 276, 325, 428 cessation of, 445 ; double
;
'
to submit to the true king, 420 ; re- sense of, Ixiv f.

'
See Messianic HoJ>e
lation of Israel to, Ixvi, 372 f. prosperity of the wicked, problem of
nations, the neighbouring, hostility of the, 268 ff., 298, 431
to Israel, 239, 482, 486, 498 ff. psalm, xiii
nature, a revelation of God, 447, 535; Psalms, Book of, general characteristics,
a witness to man's action, 279 ix ; relation to other books of O. T.,
Negitiah, 344 X ; historical importance, xi ; critical
Neginoth, xxii study, xi devotional use, xi
; posi- ;
Nehemiah, Pss. attributed to the age of, tion in O. T., xii names, xiii num-
; ;
332, 442> 499 bering, xiv division into books, xvi

;
Neliiloth, xxii middle verse and line of, 472 collec- ;
new moon, 490 tion and growth, xxxix steps in for- ;
nobles, oppression of poor by, 296 mation, xliii date of collection, xliii
;
nomad life, language of, 405 previous collections, xliv; Messianic

Northern Israel, tribes of mentioned, Hope in, Iviii ff. theology of, Ixviiff.
;
484 hopes for restoration of, 377, 483

; Psalms, titles of, xviiff. oral transmis- ;
sion of, xxxi ; adapted and altered,

Oehler's O. T. theology quoted, 277, xxxi authorship and age of, xxxi ff,
;
280, 293, 438, 485, &c. arrangement, xliv alphabetic or a- ;
oil, symbol of joy, 249 ; poetical form of, xliv

crostic, xlviii
Old Testament, position of Psalter in, strophical arrangement, xlvii impre- ;
xii; division, xii ;

triple order of catory, Ixx ff., 39Sff.; supposed to be
Books, text of, xlix ff.
xiii ; Ver- ; written in the name of the nation, 286,
sions of, lifT.; limitations of view in, 316,409, 523; secondary, 409, 514; re-
Ixxii; some ruling ideas in, l.\,\iii f. ; peated, 300, 407
relation to N. T., Ixixff., Ixxv Psalms of Solomon, xxxvii
Onias III, 227 psalter, xiv. See Psalms, Book of
Ophir, 250 psaltery, 490
oral tradition, xxxi ; importance at- purpose, Heb. idea of Divine, 290
tached to, 236, 466
Oreb, 502 (?''/. •'. 33.S> 4H> 461. 462, 536, &c.
Origer., liv quick = alive, 312
Ovid quoted, 228, 324 quotations from Psalms in N.T., 547 ff.
; ; ;
INDEX. 555
Sliuslian-eduth, 339
Rahab = Egypt, 521, 534 words for, 288, 511; con-
sin, different
registers of citizens, 406, 522
Rehoboam, fessed and repented of, 289; punish-
531
ment of, 481
reins, 437 of the
r 1. j and suffering, popular view
, . •
sin
rejoicing at the punishment oi the wicked,
, 1
relation of, Ixx

Ixxff., 298, 306, 330
Sinai, allusions to, 277, 382
Rephidim, 468
in O.T., Ixxvif., 273 Sisera, 502
resurrection, hope of
desire for in the 0.1., slavery, Israelite view of, 239
retribution,
Smith, G. A., quoted, 230
IxxiiiflF., 298, 315, 330
Smith, Robertson, quoted, 235, 236, 281,
.
return from Babylon, 366, 375 ft. ; its
significance, 377 3?i, 345. 383. 433. 442. 499, &c.

snail, 329
Reuben, 384
Revised Version, Ivii, and notes /assim snake charmers, 328
Riehm quoted. 243 Solomon, references to, 244, 416
righteousness, of God, see God ; of man, Solomon, Psalms of, xxxvii
song, .xviii
247. 513
Robinson quoted, 241 Songs of Degrees, xxv
Rosenmiiller quoted, 452 sons of God, 534
soul, 229, 505, 353
Spirit of God, 292
sacred mountain of Asiatic mythology,
Stanley quoted, 478, 486, 520, 535
264
sacrifice, Ixviii; prophetic view of, 276;
Succoth, 341
the sanction of the covenant, 279 Symraachus, liv, and notes passijn
victims offered in, 371, 406; spiritual, synagogues, 445
281, 294 various terms for, 295
;
Syriac Version, liv, and notes passim
saints, 279, 512, 544
Salem, 453 Taberah, 469
Salmon, 385 Tabernacles, Pss. for Feast of, 372, 489
Sanday quoted, 235 table, 404
Savonarola, 377 T.Voor, 535
Schultz's O. T. Theology quoted, 348 Talmud quoted, 242, 390
Targum, liii; Messianic references in,
Schiirer quoted, 445
Scrivener quoted, 232, 493, &c. 244, 346 f, 417, 543; quoted, 244,
liv,
Seba, 421 248, 301, 346 f., 378, 380, 388, 417, 448,
Sela, 343 488, 507, 509, 523, 526, 543, &c.
Selah, XX Tarshish, 265, 421
self-righteousness, supposed, Ixix fif. ;
tell, 266
Temple, references to, Ixviii; pilgrimages
372
to, 362, 504; at, 228, 362; love
worship
Sennacherib, Psalms connected with de-
for, 352, 504;place where God reveals
liverance of Jerusalem from, 253 ff. ;
Himself, 436; destruction of, 440; sig-

303, 360, 366, 372, 44« ff., 453
ff-
Septuagint, li ff. its history, li ; MSS. hi

;
nificance of the restored, 393
value, liii ; influence on P. B. V., Ivi ;
terrible things, 363
readings of, 230, 246, 251, 258, 262, 267, Theodotion, liv, and notes /lassiiu
272, 278, 282, 314, 316, 323, 327, 328, Theology of the Psalms, Ixvii ff relation ;
to ordinances of worship, Ixvii alleged ;

331, 335. 340. 361. 367. 387. 395. 411.
self- righteousness of the Psalmists,
414, 419, 423, 433, 434. 439, 445. 449.
509, 513, Ixix f., 372 imprecatory Psalms, Ixx ff.
451, 454, 470, 490, 507, 508,
;
future life, Ixxv ff., 268 ff., 273 f., 431 f.,
517, 527, vtc. &c.
servant of Jehovah, 478, 518 437 f., 526 ff. view of death, 273 f,
;
shadow of death, 241 526 ff. destruction of the wicked why

;
Shakespeare quoted, 297, 334, 355 desired, Ixxiii, 298

Sheba, 421 Theophany, description of a, 277 f.
Shechem, 341, 385 Thomson quoted, 399, 503
Shechinnh, 443 timbrel, 490
_
Sheiiiinith, xxiii Tisri, 489

titles of Psalms, xvii ff. referring to
;
Sheol, 273
shield, a title of God, 336, 509; of kings, character of poem, xvii; musical set-
262 ting or performance, xix instruments, ;
Skiggaioti, xix xxii: pitch of music, xxii melody, ;
Shiloh, destruction of, xxiii; liturgical use, xxiv; author-

477 f.
Shir, xviii ship, xxvi occasion, xxvi

; value of ;
Shoshanniin, 245, 398, 484 the titles, xxvi ff.

556 INDEX.
tongue, sins of the, 297, 359 '
Wisdom' of Israel, x; Psalms connected
Tristram quoted, 329, 356, 399, 404, 470, with, 267 f., 432
487, 506, &c. wise, 271
Trumpets, Feast of, 489 wonders, 533
truth, 291, 513 wondrous works of God, 413
Tyre, 501, 251 Wright's Bible Word-Book quoted, 334,
480, &c.
Uzziah, 268, 524 Wycliffe quoted, 349
vale of tears, 507

Yinnon, 417
vales, 365
Versions, Ancient, li ff. and notes /<mj//«
,
,, English, Iv ff. Zalmon, 385

vindictiveness, apparent spirit of, Ixx ff ,
Zalmunna, 502
298, 306, 330 Zebah, 502
vine as emblem of Israel, 486 Zebulun, tribe of, 392
vinegar, 404 Zechariah, prophecies of, 377, 510
vintage songs, 321 —
Zech. ix xi, 483
Vulgate, Iv, and notes passim Zeeb, 502
Zion, the city of God, 256; the abode of
watches of the night, 355 Jehovah, 278 metropolis of the na-
;
wealth, impotence of, 267 tions, 519

week. Psalms for days of, xxiv Ziphites, 304 f.
Westcott, Bp, quoted, 248, 505 Zoan, 467
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Cfte Cambritige (§reefe Ce^tament for

^ci;ool£J anil Colleges!,
with a Revised Text, based on the most recent critical authorities,
and English Notes.
General Editor: J. J. S. PEROWNE, D.D.,
Gospel according to St Matthew. By Rev. A. Carr, M.A.
With 4 Maps. 4.S. 6d.
Gospel according to St Mark. By Rev. G. F. Maclear, D.D.
With 3 Maps. 4^. (xi.
Gospel according to St Luke. By Archdeacon Farrar.

With 4 Maps. 6s.
Gospel according to St John. By Rev. A. Plummer, D.D.

With 4 Maps. 6s.
Acts of the Apostles. By Rev. Professor Lumby, D.D.

With 4 Maps. 6.?.
First Epistle to the Corinthians. By Rev. J. J. Lias, M.A. y.

Second Epistle to the Corinthians. By the same Editor, y.
Epistle to the Hebrews. By Archdeacon Farrar, D. D. 3^. 6d.
Epistles of St John. By Rev. A. Plummer, M. A., D.D. 4^.
General Editor : Rev. J. A. ROBINSON, B.D.,
Norrisian Professor of Divinity.
Book of Revelation. By the late Rev. W. H. Simcox, M.A. 5^.
Epistle to the Philippians. By Rev. H. C. G. Moule, B.D.
[/« the Press.
aonDon: C. J. CLAY and SONS,

CAMBRIDGE WAREHOUSE, AVE MARIA LANE.
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Jêto gorfe: MACMILLAN AND CO.
Cambridge: printed by j. & c. f. clay, at the university press.
——
THE CAMBRIDGE BIBLE FOR
SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES.
General Editor, J. J. S. Perowne,
a^pmions; oi tfte tresis;*
commend too highly this excellent ^^«Vj."— Guardian.

^'/i is difficult to
" The modesty of the general title of this series has, we believe, led
„,any to m^sundnstandit^s character
and twderrate US value Jhe books
upper forms of our best schools, but not
are well suited for study in the
he Tess are they adapted to the
wants of all Bible students who are not
any of the numerous popular
leciaisZ We dozfbt, indeed, whether
will be found more se.-vue-
tZ!en!ar,es recently issued in this country
ablcforgetteral use."— Aco.A&my. _
the
useful literary enterprises of
" One
of the most popular and
«/«^/<f«?M fijw/i^^j-"— Baptist Magazine. ,.,-,,
scJiools is highly
Of sreat value. The whole series of comments for The books are
' '
by students capable of forming a judgment.

esteemed
scholarly without being pretentious :
and information ts so given as to be
easilyunderstood."— Svioid and Trowel.
" The notes possess a rare advantage of being scholarly, and at the
same
average reader For the Sunday-
time within the comprehension of the -Sunday-
School Teacher we do not know of a
more valuable work.
School Chronicle.
" His introduction is clear
THe Book of Judges. J. J. Lias, M.A. require. —
and concise, of the information which young students
full
^'îf SaSf A. F. KIRKPATKICK, D.D. " Small as this work. is

its subject and for its
in mere dimensions, it is every way the best on
sections at once Pôve the
purpose that we know of. The opening
with questions of criti-
thorough competence of the writer for dealing
spirit ; and the appendices discuss
cism in an earnest, faithful and devout
a few special difficulties with a full
knowledge of the data, and a judicial
reserve, which contrast most favourably
with the superficial dogmatism
Testament a field for
which has too often made the exegesis of the Old
of unlimited paradox and the ostentation of personal inlalli-
the play
triflmg or
bilitv. The notes are always clear and suggestive; never
irrelevant; and they everywhere
demonstrate the great difference in
value between the work of a commentator
who is also a Hebraist, ana
his Hebrew upon secondhand
that of one who has to depend for
sources." Academy. ,
" With great heartiness we commend
.
Kings and Ephesians.

I
these most valuable little commentaries. We had rather purchase
these than nine out of ten of the big blown

up expositions. Quality is
far better than quantity, and
we have it htx^." -Sword and Trowel.
II Kings. "The Introduction is scholarly and wholly admirable,
students."- Âw|<r^ Herald
the notes must be of incalculable value to
be to find a commentary better suited for geneial
"It would difficult
use." Academy.
1 0,000
1/2/9S
— — — — — —— ;
2 CAMBRIDGE BIBLE FOR SCHOOLS &- COLLEGES.

The Book of Job. "Able and scholarly as the Introduction is, it is
far surpassed by the detailed exegesis of the book. In this Dr Davidson's
strength is at its greatest. His linguistic knowledge, his artistic habit,
his scientific insight, and his literary power have full scope when he
comes to exegesis " The Spectator.
" In the course of a long introduction, Dr Davidson has presented
us with a very able and very interesting criticism of this wonderful
book. Its contents, the nature of its composition, its idea and purpose,
its integrity, and its age are all exhaustively treated of.
. We have not
. .
space to examine fully the text and notes before us, but we can, and do
heartily, recommend the book, not only for the upper forms in schools,
but to Bible students and teachers generally. As we wrote of a previous
volume in the same series, this one leaves nothing to be desired. The
notes are full and suggestive, without being too long, and, in itself, the
introduction forms a valuable addition to modern Bible literature." The
Educational Times.
"Already we have frequently called attention to this exceedingly
valuable work as its volumes have successively appeared. But we have
never done so with greater pleasure, very seldom with so great pleasure,
as we now refer to the last published volume, that on the Book of Job,
by Dr Davidson, of Edinburgh.... Wecordially commend the volume to
all our readers. The least instructed will understand and enjoy it
and mature scholars will learn from it." Methodist Recorder.
Psalms. Book I. '
His commentary upon the books of Samuel
'
was good, but this is incomparably better, shewing traces of much more
work and of greater independence of scholarship and judgment.,.. As a
whole it is admirable, and we are hardly going too far in saying that it
is one of the very ablest of all the volumes that have yet appeared in the
'Cambridge Bible for Schools'." Record.
'
Another volume of this excellent Bible, in which the student may
'
rely on meeting with the latest scholarship. The introduction is ad-

mirable. We know of nothing in so concise a form better adapted for
Sunday- School Teachers." Sunday-School Chronicle.
"It is full of instruction and interest, bringing within easy reach of
the English reader the results of the latest scholarship bearing upon the
study of this ever new book of the Bible. The Introduction of eighty
pages is a repertory of information, not drily but interestingly given. "
Methodist Recorder.
"For a masterly summary of all that is known and much that is
hazarded about the history and authorship of this book of religious
lyrics we can point to that with which Mr Kirkpatrick prefaces his new
volume. From a perusal of this summary the student will be unimpres-
sionable indeed if he rise not convinced of the vitality imparted to the
Psalter by a systematic study of its literary character and historical
allusions.... In conclusion, we may say that for a work which is handy,
and withal complete, we know none better than this volume; and we
await with considerable interest the next instalment." Education.
"It seems in every way a most valuable little book, containing a
mass of information, well-assorted, and well-digested, and will be useful
not only to students preparing for examinations, but to many who want
— —— — —— —
OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.
a handy volume of explanation to much that is difficult in the Psalter.
We owe a great debt of gratitude to Professor Kirkpatrick for his
scholarly and interesting volume." Church Times.
"In this volume thoughtful exegesis founded on nice critical scholar-
ship and due regard for the opinions of various writers, combine, under
the influence of a devout spirit, to render this commentary a source of
much valuable assistance. The notes are 'though deep yet clear,' for
they seem to put in a concentrated form the very pith and marrow of all
the best that has been hitherto said on the subject, with striking freedonj
from anything like pressure of personal views. Throughout the work care
and pains are as conspicuous as scholarship." Literary Churchman.
—
Job Hosea. " It is difficult to commend too highly this excellent
series, the volumes of which are now becoming numerous. The two
books before us, small as they are in size, comprise almost everything
that the young student can reasonably expect to find in the way of helps
towards such general knowledge of their subjects as may be gained
without an attempt to grapple with the Hebrew and even the learned
;
scholar can hardly read without interest and benefit the very able intro-
ductory matter which both these commentators have prefixed to their
volumes. It is not too much to say that these works have brought
within the reach of the ordinary reader resources which were until
lately quite unknown for understanding some of the most difficult and
obscure portions of Old Testament literature." Guardian.
Ecclesiastes ; or, the Preacher.— "Of the Notes, it is sufficient to
say that they are in every respect worthy of Dr Plumptre's high repu-
tation as a scholar and a critic, being at once learned, sensible, and
practical. ...Commentaries are seldom attractive reading. This little
volume is a notable exception." The Scotsman.
Jeremiah, by A. W. Streane, B.D. "The arrangement of the book
iswell treated on pp. xxx., 396, and the question of Baruch's relations
with its composition on pp. xxvii., xxxiv., 317. The illustrations from
English literature, history, monuments, works on botany, topography,
etc., aregood and plentiful, as indeed they are in other volumes of this
series." Church Quarterly Review.
Malachi. " Archdeacon Perowne has already edited Jonah and
Zechariah for this series. Malachi presents comparatively few difficulties
and the Editor's treatment leaves nothing to be desired. His introduction
is clear and scholarly and his commentary sufficient. We
may instance
the notes on ii. 15 and iv. 2 as examples of careful arrangement,
clear exposition and graceful expression." Academy.
" The Gospel according to St Matthew, by the Rev. A. Carr. The
introduction is able, scholarly, and eminently practical, as it bears
on the authorship and contents of the Gospel, and the original form
in which it is supposed to have been written. It is well illustrated by
two excellent maps of the Holy Land and of the Sea of Galilee."
English Churchman.
"St Mark, with Notes by the Rev. G. F. Maclear, D.D. Into
this small volume Dr Maclear, besides a clear and able Introduc-
tion to the Gospel, and the text of St Mark, has compressed many
— — ———
4 CAMBRIDGE BIBLE FOR SCHOOLS 6- COLLEGES.
hundreds of valuable and helpful notes. In short, he has given us
—
a capital manual of the kind required containing all that is needed to
illustrate the text, i. e. all that can be drawn from the history, geography,
customs, and manners of the time. But as a handbook, giving in a
clear and succinct form the information which a lad requires in order
to stand an examination in the Gospel, it is admirable I can very
heartily commend it, not only to the senior boys and girls in our High
Schools, but also to Sunday-school teachers, who may get from it the
very kind of knowledge they often find it hardest to get. " Expositor.
"With the help of a book like this, an intelligent teacher may make
'Divinity' as interesting a lesson as any in the school course. The
notes are of a kind that will be, for the most part, intelligible to boys
of the lower forms of our public schools but they may be read with
;
greater profit by the fifth and sixth, in conjunction with the original
text." — The Academy.
"St Luke. Canon Farrar has supplied students of the Gospel
with an admirable manual in this volume. It has all that copious
variety of illustration, ingenuity of suggestion, and general soundness of
interpretation which readers are accustomed to expect from the learned
and eloquent editor. Anyone who has been accustomed to associate
the idea of 'dryness' with a commentary, should go to Canon Farrar's
St Luke for a more correct impression. He will find that a commen-
tary may be made interesting in the highest degree, and that without
losing anything of its solid value. ...But, so to speak, it is too good for
some of the readers for whom it is intended." The Spectator.
The Gospel accordiiig to St John. "The notes are extremely
scholarly and valuable, and in most cases exhaustive, bringing to the
elucidation of the text all that is best in commentaries, ancient and
modern." The English Churchman and Clerical yourttal.
"(i) The Acts of the Apostles. By J. Rawson LinviBY, D.D.
(2) The Second Epistle of the Corinthlajis, edited by Professor Lias.
The introduction is pithy, and contains a mass of carefully-selected
information on the authorship of the Acts, its designs, and its sources.
The Second Epistle of the Corinthians is a manual beyond all praise,
for the excellence of its pithy and pointed annotations, its analysis of the
contents, and the fulness and value of its introduction." Examiner.
"The Rev. H. C. G. MOULE, B.D., has made a valuable addition
to The
Cambridge Bible for Schools in his brief commentary on
the Epistle to the Komans. The 'Notes' are very good, and lean,
as the notes of a School Bible should, to the most commonly ac-
cepted and orthodox view of the inspired author's meaning ; while the
Introduction, and especially the Sketch of the Life of St Paul, is a model
of condensation. It is as lively and pleasant to read as if two or three
factshad not been crowded into well-nigh every sentence." Expositor.
"TheEpistle to the Romans. It is seldom we have met with a
work so remarkable for the compression and condensation of all that
is valuable in the smallest possible space as in the volume betore us.
Within its limited pages we have 'a sketch of the Life of St Paul,'
we have further a critical account of the date of the Epistle to the
Romans, of its language, and of its genuineness. The notes are
— —— — — — ;
OPINIONS OF THE PRESS

numerous, full of matter, to the point, and leave no real difficulty
or obscurity unexplained." The Exammer.
"TheFirst Epistle to the Corinthians. Edited by Professor Lias.
Every fresh instalment of this annotated edition of the Bible for Schools
confirms the favourable opinion -wq formed of its value from the exami-
nation of its first number. The origin and plan of the Epistle are
discussed with its character and genuineness." The Nonconformist.
Galatians. "Dr Pekowne
deals throughout in a very thorough
manner with every and in this respect he has
real difficulty in the text,
faithfully followed the noble example set him in the exegetical master-
piece, his indebtedness to which he frankly acknowledges." Modern
Church.
"The introductory matter full and informing, whilst the
is very
Notes are admirable. They combine the scholarly and the practical in
an unusual degree It is not the young students in 'schools and
colleges' alone who will find this Commentary helpful on every
'
page. '
Record.
"This little work, like all of the series, is a scholarly production;
but we canalso unreservedly recommend it from a doctrinal standpoint
Dr E. H. Pekowne is one who has grasped the distinctive teaching of
the Epistle, and expounds it with clearness and definiteness. In an
appendix, he ably maintains the correctness of the A. V. as against the
R. V. in the translation of II. i6, a point of no small importance."
English Churchman.
The Epistle to the Ephesians. By Rev. H. C. G. Moule, B.D.
" It seems to us the model of a School and College Commentary
comprehensive, but not cumbersome; scholarly, but not pedantic."
Baptist Magazine.
The Epistle to the Fhillpplans. "There are few series more valued
by theological students than The Cambridge Bible for Schools and
'
Colleges,' and there will be no number of it more esteemed than that

by Mr H. C. G. Moule on the Epistle to the Philippians." Record. —
Thessalonians. "It will stand the severest scrutiny, for no volume
in this admirable series exhibits more careful work, and Mr Findlay is
a true expositor, who keeps in mind what he is expounding, and for
whom he is expounding it." Expository Times.
"Mr Findlay maintains the high level of the series to which he has
become contributor. Some parts of his introduction to the Epistles to
the Thessalonians could scarcely be bettered. The account of Thessa-
lonica, the description of the style and character of the Epistles, and the
analysis of them are excellent in style and scholarly care. The notes
are possibly too voluminous ; but there is so much matter in them, and
the matter is arranged and handled so ably, that we are ready to forgive
their fulness. ...Mr Findlay's commentary is a valuable addition to
what has been written on the letters to the Thessalonian Church."
Academy.
"Of all the volumes of this most excellent series, none is better
done, and few are so well done as this small volume.... From begin-
ning to end the volume is marked by accurate grammatical scholarship,
delicate appreciation of the apostle's meaning, thorough investigation
— — — —— —
6 CAMBRIDGE BIBLE FOR SCHOOLS &- COLLEGES.
of all matters open to doubt, extensive reading, and deep sympathy
with the spiritual aim of these epistles. It is, on the whole, the best
commentary on the Thessalonians which has yet appeared, and its
small price puts it within reach of all. We
heartily recommend it."
Methodist Recorder.
"Mr FiNDLAY has fulfilled in this volume a task which Dr Moulton
was compelled to decline, though he has rendered valuable aid in its pre-
paration. —
The commentary is in its own way a model clear, forceful,
—
scholarly such as young students will welcome as a really useful guide,
and old ones will acknowledge as giving in brief space the substance of
all that they knew. " Baptist Magazitie.
Hebrews. " Like his (Canon Farrar's) commentary on Luke it
possesses all the best characteristics of his writing. It is a work not

only of an accomplished scholar, but of a skilled teacher." Baptist
Magazine.
Tlie Epistles of St John. By the Rev. A. Plummer, D.D.
•'This forms an admirable companion to the 'Commentary on the
Gospel according to St John,' which was reviewed in The Churchman
as soon as it appeared. Dr Plummer has some cT the highest qualifica-
tions for such a task and these two volumes, their size being considered,
;
will bear comparison with the best Commentaries of the time." The
Churchman.
Revelation. "This volume contains evidence of much carefiil
labour. It is a scholarly production, as might be expected from the pen
of the late Mr W. H. SiMCOX. ...The notes throw light upon many
passages of this difficult bocJk, and are extremely suggestive. It is an
advantage that they sometimes set before the student various interpre-
tations without exactly guiding him to a choice." Guardian.
"Mr SiMCOX has treated his very difficult subject with that con-
scious care, grasp and lucidity which characterises everything he
wrote." Alodern Church.
^f)e ^mailer GDambrOjge iSible for ^côols.

'
' We can
only repeat what we have already said of this admirable
series, containing, as it does, the scholarship of the larger work. For
scholars in our elder classes, and for those preparing for Scripture exami-
nations, no better comtnentaries can be put into their hands." —
Sunday-
School Chronicle.
"Despite their small size, these volumes give the substance of the
admirable pieces of work on which they are founded. We can only hope
that in many schools the class-teaching will proceed on the lines these com-
mentators suggest." —
Record.
" We should be glad to hear that this series has been introduced into
many of our Sunday-Schools, for which it is so admirably adapted." —
Christian Leader.
"All that is 7iecessary to be knozvn and learned by pupils in junior
and elementary schools is to be found in this series. Indeed, muck more
is provided than should be required by the examiners. We do not know
what more could be done to provide sensible, interesting, and solid Scrip-
tural instrtution for boys and girls. The Syndics of the Cambridge
—— —— — —— — ;
OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.

University Press are rendering great services both to teachers and to
scholars by the publication of such a valuable series of books, in which
slipshod work could not have a place." —
Literary World.
^^
For the student of the sacred oracles who utilizes hours of travel or
moments of waiting in the perusal of the Bible there is nothing so handy,
and, at the same time, so satisfying as these little books Nor let anyone
suppose that, because these are school-books, therefore they are beneath
the adult reader. They contain the very ripest results of the best Biblical
scholarship, and that in the very simplest form." —
Christian Leader.
" Altogether one of the most perfect examples of a Shilling New Tes-
tament commentary which even this age of cheapness is likely to produce."
—Bookseller.
Samuel I. and II. "Professor Kirkpatrick's two tiny volumes on
the First and Second Books of Samuel are quite model school-books
the notes elucidate every possible difficulty with scholarly brevity and
clearness and a perfect knowledge of the subject." Sattirday Review.
"They consist of an introduction full of matter, clearly and succinctly
given, and of notes which appear to us to be admirable, at once full and
brief." Church Times.
Kings I. " We
can cordially recommend this little book. The Intro-
duction discusses the question of authorship and date in a plain but
scholarly fashion, while the footnotes throughout are brief, pointed, and
helpful." Review of Reviews.
St Matthew. "The notes are terse, clear, and helpful, and teachers
and students cannot fail to find the volume of great service."
Publishers'' Circular.
St Mark. St Luke. " We
have received the volumes of St Mark
and St Luke in this series.... The two volumes seem, on the whole, well
adapted for school use, are well and carefully printed, and have maps
and good, though necessarily brief, introductions. There is little doubt
that this series will be found as popular and useful as the well-known
larger series, of which they are abbreviated editions." Guardian.
St Luke. "We
cannot too highly commend this handy little book
to all teachers." Wesleyan Methodist Sunday-School Record.
St John. "We have been especially interested in Mr Plummer's
treatment of the Gospel which has been entrasted to his charge. He is con-
cise, comprehensive, interesting, and simple. Youngstudents of this inim-
itable book, as well as elder student.s, even ministers and teachers, may
use it with advantage as a very serviceable handbook." Literary World.
"A model of condensation, losing nothing of its clearness and force
from its condensation into a small compass. Many who have long since
completed their college curriculum will find it an invaluable handbook."
— Methodist Times.
Acts. "The notes are very brief, but exceedingly comprehensive,
comprising as much detail in the way of explanation as would be needed
by young students of the Scriptures preparing for examination. We
again give the opinion that this series furnishes as much real help as
would usually satisfy students for the Christian ministry, or even minis-
ters themselves." Literary World.
— — — — —
THE CAMBRIDGE GREEK TESTAMENT
FOR SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES
with a Revised Text, based on the most recent critical authorities,
and English Notes.
" Has achieved an excellence which puts it above criticism.'" —Expositor.
St Matthew. " Copious illustrations, gathered from a great variety
of sources, make his notes a very valuable aid to the student. They
are indeed remarkably interesting, while all explanations on meanings,
applications, and the like are distinguished by their lucidity and good
sense. " Pall Mall Gazette.
St Mark. " Dr Maclear's introduction contains all that is known
of St Mark's life; an account of the circumstances in which the Gospel
was composed, with an estimate of the influence of St Peter's teaching
upon St Mark ; an excellent sketch of the special characteristics of this
Gospel; an analysis, and a chapter on the text of the New Testament
generally. " Saturday Review.
St Luke. "Of this second series we have a new volume by
Archdeacon Farrar on St Luke, completing the four Gospels It
gives us in clear and beautiful language the best results of modern
scholarship. We have a most attractive Introduction. Then follows
a sort of composite Greek text, representing fairly and in very beautiful
type the consensus of modem textual critics. At the beginning of the
exposition of each chapter of the Gospel are a few short critical notes
giving the manuscript evidence for such various readings as seem to
deserve mention. The expository notes are short, but clear and helpful.
For young students and those who are not disposed to buy or to study
the much more costly work of Godet, this seems to us to be the best
book on the Greek Text of the Third Gospel." Methodist Recorder.
St John. "We take this opportunity of recommending to ministers
on probation, the very excellent volume of the same series on this part
of the New Testament. We hope that most or all of our young ministers
will prefer to study the volume in the Cambridge Greek Testaitient for
Schools." —Methodist Recorder.
The Acts of the Apostles. "Professor Lumby has performed his
laborious task well, and supplied us with a commentary the fulness and
freshness of which Bible students will not be slow to appreciate. The
volume is enriched with the usual copious indexes and four coloured
maps." Glasgow Herald.
Corinthians.
I. "Mr Lias is no novice in New Testament exposi-
tion, and the present series of essays and notes is an able and helpful
addition to the existing books." Guardian.
The Epistles of St John. "In the very useful and well annotated
series of the Cambridge Greek Testament the volume on the Epistles
of St John must hold a high position.... The notes are brief, well
informed and intelligent." Scotsman.
cambridgk: printed by j. & c. f. clay, at the university press.

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The book of Psalms with introduction
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Princeton Theological Semlnary-Speer Library
1 1012 00048 5674

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mmptcum

THE CAMBRIDGE BIBLE

txhrary of trhe trheolojfcal ^tmimvf

General Editor for the Old

BOOKS II AND III

PSALMS XLII— LXXXIX

EDITED FOR THE SYNDICS OF THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

[A /I Rights reserved. '\

//. The Position, Names, Numbering, and

V. The Collection and Growth of the Psalter... xxxix — xliv

VII. The Hebrew Text, the Ancient Versions,

VIII. The Messianic Hope Iviii — Ixvii

IX. On some points in the Theology of the

The Text adopted in this Edition is that of Dr Scrivener's

teach ? They are to beginners an easy and familiar introductioti, a

THE BOOK OF PSALMS.

Lyric poetry is the most ancient kind of poetry, and 'Hebrew

may be called in a sense dramatic, but they do not appear to

1 Suchas the drinking songs referred to in Amos vi. 5 (R.V.);

and heat illuminate and animate the whole.

rejoice in the privilege of access to the presence of God in the

Temple, as the crowning joy of life.

History supplies its lessons of God's goodness and man's

present, the support of faith in the hour of trial, the ground

fervour in chant and hymn (i Sam. x. lo ff. xix. 20 ff. i Chr. ; :

XXV. I 3); and David's chief musicians, Heman, Asaph and

religious philosophy of Israel, both in its practical and in its

religious history of Israel, and the course of God's dealings with

THE POSITION, NAMES, NUMBERING, AND DIVISIONS

divisions, in which, from very early times 2, the Canonical

"It is the heart which makes the theologian."

2 This triple division is recognised in the Prologue to Ecclesiasticus,

Writings. The Book of Psalms belongs to the third of these

sixteenth century. It corresponds more nearly to the arrange-

taining to instruction and wisdom." And again, apologising for the

sung to the accompaniment of such music.

3. Njimbering of the Psalms. The Massoretic Text and

^ \jya\TrjpLov meant originally a stringed instrument, a psaltery (fre-

quently in the LXX), and was afterwards applied to a collection of

verb is frequently used in connexion with the Temple Service (i Chron.

cxiv, cxv. cxiii.

cxvi. cxiv, cxv.

cxvii — cxlvi. cxvi — cxiv.

^ This Psalm appears to have been translated from a Hebrew

The English reader should also remember that the title of

4. Divisions of the Psalter. The Psalter has from ancient

Book i = Pss. i — xli:

„ ii = Pss. — xlii Ixxii

„ iii = Pss. —Ixxxix

„ iv= Pss. xc — cvi:

These divisions are indicated not merely by headings in the

no part of the Psalms to which they are appended. No special

Christian authorities, and compared to the five books of the

Gregory of Nyssa, find in the several books so many steps

THE TITLES OF THE PSALMS.