anene Sena ee Fon mm natn AAO” seaencerirecesnracntanesseseit waren en orergennere™ eet ERE! DLR ea tenets ee Se Dak at ane Potint me 4.» ee eet! πον greg eng paper tere FOES σ = Tn ogee op Meme ee he eens ety δ Te ae a gem te [430 .5-2 Vv | i } ks vi (ah Τὴ lag 4 7 LF ie ad a ais, | ἐν ᾿ iF mi Ht 7 tne PSoALMsS WITH INTRODUCTIONS AND CRITICAL NOTES: THE PSALMS WITH PNTRODUCTIONS AND CRITICAL NOTES BY » REV, A. Cy JENNINGS? IEA, JESUS COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, TYRWHITT SCHOLAR, CROSSE SCHOLAR, HEBREW UNIVERSITY PRIZEMAN, FRY SCHOLAR OF ST JOHN’S COLLEGE, CARUS AND SCHOLEFIELD PRIZEMAN, VICAR OF WHITTLESFORD, CAMBS. ASSISTED IN PARTS BY REV. W..H. ΟΝ HEBREW LECTURER AND LATE SCHOLAR OF CHRIST’S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, AND TYRWHITT SCHOLAR. BOOKS I. AND II, PSALMS I, TO LXXIl. SECOND EDITION. REVISED. London : MACMILLAN AND CO. 1884 [A Rights reserved.] Cambridge : PRINTED BY C. J. CLAY, M.A. AND SON, AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. BDITICN IT: WHEN this Book was begun it was hoped that Messrs Jennings and Lowe would be able to divide the work between them, Mr Jennings being responsible for the evenly-numbered and Mr Lowe for the unevenly-numbered Psalms. It was soon found, however, that Mr Lowe’s other engagements rendered this scheme impracticable, and Mr Jennings undertook the conduct and supervision of the whole Book. Mr Lowe’s contributions have been as follows : The greater part of the general “ Introduction.” Large portions of the Commentary on fifty-one Psalms, viz. on most of the unevenly-numbered Psalms in the first four Books (i.—cvi.), and on Cvil., C1x., Cxl., Cxlll., cxxxix. of the fifth Book. A few of these Psalms were contributed as they stand in this Book, viz. with an Introduction prefixed. And a few others of the Intro- ductions to these unevenly-numbered Psalms are the joint work of the two writers. But in the large majority of cases Mr Lowe contributed portions of Commentary only, in an unfinished form, and the task of revising and supplementing these, and writing the Introductions, fell on Mr Jennings. The references to Persian works in some of these Psalms are made by Mr Lowe. yp Ls P, b vi EDITION TF. The Appendix to Ps. cx. is the joint production of the two Authors. In the Prolegomena and remaining ninety-nine Psalms Mr Jennings worked alone, and he was unaided in the work of correcting all proof-sheets and seeing the book through the Press, EDITION, Wl. Mr Lowe’s engagements with pupils rendering it impossible for him to devote time to the laborious work of preparing the Second Edition, he has done no more than contribute occasional sug- gestions and critical notes. In Mr Jennings’ revision not many alterations of material importance have been found necessary, and the theological stand-point of both Authors may be regarded as the same as when they published Edition I. Some important modifications in the view taken of a few crucial passages may be noticed, but the work of revision has consisted mainly of the introduction of fresh illustrations and philological notes, and the excision of clerical errors. Numerous suggestions by correspondents and personal friends since the publication of Edition I. are here gratefully acknow- ledged. The authors are particularly indebted in this respect to Rey. H. E. Maddock, late Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, and Rector of Patrington. The type and plan of arrangement will be found to be almost the same as in Edition I. The use of English trans-literation to express the Hebrew vowel points has been retained, not as altogether satisfactory but as tending to dimi- nish the expense of publication. It is deeply to be regretted that it still costs about four times as much to print pointed Hebrew in England, as to print English. mC ae WH, 1884. ΡΈΕΙ ΘΒ, (As printed in Edition I.) In this work the Authors have chiefly had in view the require- ments of two distinct classes of readers. The want of a critical English Commentary on the Psalms has long been felt by such Hebrew students here and elsewhere, as are unable to grapple with the German Commentators, and find no satisfaction in the semi-homiletic commentaries in their own language. Such stu- dents generally fall back upon the somewhat antiquated Latin volumes of Rosenmiiller, or upon the English translation of Delitzsch’s Commentary, the faults of which—baldness of style and occasional obscurity of thought—appear yet more pronounced when reproduced in English. Besides these, there are a great many theological students who, though unable to devote time to the study of Hebrew, have a natural wish to know what the Poetry which in our translations appears so unintelligible really means. For the convenience of such persons we have made the Authorized Version the basis of our Commentary, giving our own translation only in the passages where this Version fails to express the meaning accurately and intelligibly. We are gratified to learn that by students of both classes the Parts already published (Books 111., Iv., v.) have been deemed of service. A few words as to the principle on which this work has been conducted. We believe that the expositor of Hebrew books— sacred or secular—must bring to his task such acquirements and the same critical principles as are required of the expositor of x PREFACE. Greek or Latin works. He must have mastered the language not only in the classical form, which is the immediate subject of treat- ment, but also in those cognate dialects which so frequently illus- trate both the thought and the idiom of the Old Testament. He must know not merely classical Hebrew, but also Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, and the composite tongue which is the language of Jewish tradition and Jewish exegesis. He must grasp the usages, modes of thought, metaphors, manners of speech, current among the Semitic nations. He must take special heed that he do not confound with these what belongs to the very alien family of Aryan languages, still more that he do not foist into his subject the moral or scientific systems of a later and more civilized age. He must adopt for the time the nationality, age, and position of the writers whose works he is expounding. The unscholarly character of the ordinary English Commentaries must be our excuse for enunciating such very obvious elementary principles. Until lately the principle on which our Commentaries were written might have been expressed thus: ‘ These are reli- gious books, therefore every religious man is qualified to interpret them.” Even now there survives in some quarters the erroneous idea that the saintly characters of the Christian Church, the Fathers, who were almost to a man wholly ignorant of Hebrew, and only acquainted with such miserable versions of the Psalter as the LXX. and the translations made from it, are to be accepted as qualified, nay, authoritative expositors. It would be cruel to quote the extraordinary blunders which appear on every page of Dr Neale’s amalgam of Patristic expositions, to illustrate the true worth of the Fathers as exegetes. We regret to see that Bp. Wordsworth, who according to our principle should have confined his attention to the Greek Testament, has also frequently followed, and so been misled, by the same principle. Of a very different character is the useful Commentary of Pro- sessor Perowne, who may at least take credit for being the earliest English interpreter of the German criticism of the Psalter. The line here struck out is the true one, and though we consider PREFACE. ΧΙ that this Commentary shews more of appropriative skill than of originality and scholarly grasp, at all events those whom the author reproduces are themselves Semitic scholars, in whom aberration is the rare exception, not the rule. The great fault in this work is its deficiency in judicial power and critical acumen. Difficulties are enunciated rather than thought out, explanatory theories are enumerated rather than estimated. A commentary should not dogmatize unnecessarily, but it should surely tend wherever possible eis διακρίσεις διαλογισμῶν. Perhaps also it may be said that the lengthy homiletic and devotional dissertations of this work are out of place. They are well written, but express nothing but what the student who has studied the actual commentary already knows. Dr Kay’s Commentary, though very meagre, is also conducted on sound principles. If we believe that such expositors have not satisfied the needs of students of the kind defined above, it is not because we are at variance with them on fundamental questions. The leading Jewish exegetes, an intimate acquaintance with whose work is of course indispensable to any one who attempts to comment on the Psalms, have been enumerated in our general Introduction. It only remains to express our obligations to such commentators as Delitzsch, Hupfeld, Hitzig, and to a less extent, Ewald. ‘The last named will seldom be found of great service to any sober critic. The very powers which make him sometimes a guide, always a suggestive writer, in matters of Hebrew history, render him unfit to cope with the more matter-of-fact details of Hebrew literature, and as a commentator he cannot claim a place in the foremost ranks. This fact has not been sufficiently recog- nized, we believe in England. Our best thanks are due to the readers at the Pitt Press for the great care which they have shewn in supervising the issue of the several Parts. CAMBRIDGE, /¢d, 1877. LACS ΥΩ ere cia cant Swine on ὁ ee Us Aloe "δὴ χὰ faa A by CoD . re tv r Ry gr) ee Ἐ PROLEGOMENA. CHAPTER: HEBREW POETRY. THE ‘sword song’ of Lamech (Gen. iv. 23, 24) is generally allowed to be the oldest extant specimen of Hebrew Poetry. The magnificent “song of Moses’ on the overthrow of Pharaoh’s hosts (Exod. xv.) pro- bably ranks next in point of antiquity. Fragments of ancient Poetry, apparently quoted from compositions in common use, are incorpo- rated in the Pentateuch narrative. We may notice the citation from the Book of the “ Wars of Jehovah,” Numb. xxi. 14, 15, and that from the Song of the Well, Numb. xxi. 17, 18, a piece which apparently ori- ginated in the episode narrated in the context. The most noted poems from this period to that of David are, Psalm xc. (if not a later imita- tion of the style of the author of Deut. xxxii.), the song of Moses in - Deut. xxxii., the song of Deborah in Judges v., and the hymn of Hannah, 1 Sam. ii. I—10. Little attention appears to have been paid during this epoch to the art of Poetry. Its productions are generally evoked by startling historical occurrences. David stands in the same position to the Hebrew lyric as Shakspere to our dramatic poetry. At his bidding the art springs up suddenly into maturity, and he becomes the model of succeeding Poets. As well by the quantity and variety, as by the quality of his compositions, he stands pre-eminent among the Hebrew Poets. His is the genius which adapts itself with ease to all the varied scenes of life, and is able to clothe in poetic garb subjects widely diverse. Whether it be the beauty of the natural world, or the social abuses which predominate in his little kingdom; whether public religious ceremonial and joyous processions, or solitary musings and disquieting problems of faith ; whether Jehovah’s majesty and mercy, or the cruelty of such enemies as Saul and Absalom,—the subject which demands his lay is grasped with vigour, probed to its depths, and presented to us in language, the burning eloquence of which is almost unrivalled. Take BP. I ΞΖ il PROLEGOME NA. [ CHAP. In one respect alone does the art fail to reach its culminating point under the hands of David. His Psalms commonly lack the smooth- ness and polish which give a kind of artificial beauty to the far inferior compositions of the post-exilic period. They are characterized by a terseness of expression which not unfrequently obscures the sense intended. To the ear they are often harsh and rugged. In fact the majority of them—these traits are not always present, and Psalms viii., xix., xxlii. are remarkable exceptions to the rule—must have been very ill-adapted for public singing, and all attempts of translators to repro- duce the sense and at the same time introduce such uniform rhythm as is required by musical schemes, have as yet proved failures. Our Prayer- book Version recklessly sacrifices the sense to sound. In David’s time musical (not poetical) schools were founded under the presidency of Asaph and others, and the “sons of Korah,” probably not long afterwards, undertook the actual vocal performance of such hymns as were used in public service. For the relation of these guilds of musicians and singers to the Poetry of the Psalter, see Proleg., Chap. VI. Of the names of the great Hebrew Poets from the time of David to that of the Captivity we have but very scanty records. The beautiful “Song of Songs” probably belongs to the era of Solomon. We need not here discuss the character and purport of this singular composition. We will only remark that it cannot be styled a dramatic Poem. This title may be given with more of justice to the Book of Job, a work which we are inclined to ascribe to this period. Two Psalms (Ixxxviii., Ixxxix.) are ascribed to sages of Solomon’s court, Heman and Ethan the Ezrachites. Some few of the poems of this period are of the highest order, e.g. Pss. lxxiii., Ixxviii., lxxxi. The overthrow of Sennacherib appears to have elicited some first-rate poems of the paean kind, Pss. xlvi., xlvii., xlviii., Ixxvi.; a fact which is illustrated by the care for | the national anthology shewn by Hezekiah ; cf. 2 Chron. xxix. 20—3o. This prince himself wrote a poem—obscure and rugged, but not wanting in depth—to commemorate his recovery from sickness (Is. XXVili. Q— 22). After the time of Hezekiah, Psalms replete with originality and depth of thought are the exception rather than the rule. The troubles of the Captivity period evoke three most melancholy but trustful Psalms, wherein the hand of Jeremiah may perhaps be detected,— Pss. xxii., Ixix., cii,—and to this period belongs the prayerful acrostic Poem known to the English reader as. the “Lamentations of Jere- 1. | HEBREW POETRY. iii τ Δ ἢ." The exquisite little elegy Ps. cxxxvii. appears to have been written under the actual pressure of the afflictions of the exile. After the return from Babylon the nation zealously devoted itself to the restoration of the Temple and its services. A great number of Psalms were written at this time. Almost all are joyous, run smoothly, and appear to be well adapted for public performance. But they are hymns rather than poems. The same expressions of joy and thanksgiving are repeated over and over again. Stereotyped phrases from older compositions are frequently interwoven. These Psalms have in fact the appearance of having been made to order. They are for the most part anonymous, and in the few cases (cf. ckx.—cxxxiv.) where the supposed author’s name is given, internal evidence refutes the Title. In the LXX. some of these Psalms are ascribed to Haggai and Zecha- riah, and that these Prophets contributed their share to the national anthology of their day is perfectly possible. The best production of this time perhaps is the little collection of “ Songs of Degrees,” cxx.— cxxxiv. What has been lost in poetical art is however to some extent atoned for by the progress made in religious belief. The animosity towards private or public foes, which is the disagreeable feature in earlier Psalms, now rarely asserts itself. There is a hope pre- valent that the foreign nations will embrace the religion of Israel. Jehovah Himself is expected to appear in glory, and to make Himself known to all peoples of the earth. A group of Psalms (xciii., xcv.—c.) specially proclaims this national hope, which has perhaps become blended with the Messianic promise of earlier days. The three Psalms, xliv., Ixxiv., Ixxix., which we assign to the Maccabzean era, are not stamped with any peculiar features. They are substantial and vigor- ous, as petitions which are the outcome of grievous troubles usually are. But they are not remarkably original in tone. The author of the two latter is specially indebted to Jeremiah. Almost all the Poetry of the Bible is of a religious character. The Song of Lamech, the Song of the Well, and the Lament of David over Jonathan, may be instanced as examples of secular Poems, and pro- bably the Song of Songs and Psalm xlv. are primarily of a secular cha- racter. The Poetry of the Bible is of the lyric order. Under this head the various Poems might be ranged in subdivisions, as being enigmatic, didactic, gnomic, elegiac, dramatic, etc. But none of these subdivisions can be definitely distinguished from the parent order : as Davidson well observes, “these species lie dormant in the lyric, which readily passes over into them.” The Song of Songs and the Book of Job itself do 1- Ὁ iv PROLEGOMENA. [ CHAP. but very imperfectly approximate to what is commonly known as dramatic poetry, and cannot be regarded as belonging to a distinct dramatic genus. Of the epic we have no example. Rhyme is not employed in ancient Hebrew Poetry. It appears to have been seldom used before the 7th century A.D.: since this date many beautiful specimens of rhyming poetry have from time to time been produced. Occasionally however in the ancient poetry the flow of a poem is rendered smoother by the introduction of a few lines end- ing in the same or like-sounding syllables (cf. Ps. Ixxxvi. 8—11, note). Metres are equally unknown: here and there we have instances of dactylic or anapzestic rhythm, but as Delitzsch says, “there is not a single instance of a definite rhythm running through the whole ; the rhythms vary according to the thoughts and feelings.” Attempts such as those of Philo, Josephus, and Jerome, to discover in the Psalms the metres of Greek and Latin Poetry, are as hopeless as might be expected. What there is of artificial arrangement in Hebrew Poetry may be thus analyzed. I. Throughout almost all Poems the feature known as “ Parallelis- mus membrorum” is to some extent observable. ‘The relation of the two parallel members of a verse zeed not be closer than that of the two halves on either side of the caesura of the hexameter and the penta- meter. It is clearly a rhythmical, not a logical system, that bisects such verses as the following: ‘‘Which my lips have uttered | and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.” «(σά looked down from heaven upon the children of men | to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.” ‘©Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold | wondrous things out of Thy law.” The consequence or development (not the cause) of this caesural scheme is the well-known system whereby the verse is split into two quite distinct clauses, the central thoughts in each of which correspond. This, and not the caesural system, is what most writers designate by the term “ parallelism ;” and though Ewald’s term “ thought-rhythm” is at least as appropriate, we shall adhere to this use, warning the reader not to confound such “ parallelism” with the merely czsural scheme of which it is the outcome. Under this head may be ranged a. Synonymous or cognate parallelism. The parallel lines here express substantially the same sense: e.g. **Seek ye the Lorp while He may be found: Call ye upon Him while He is near.” Is, lv. 6. 1.] HEBREW POETRY. v “But his delight is in the Law of the Lorp: *« And in His Law doth he meditate day and night.” Psy 2. “Deliver me from the workers of iniquity: “ And save me from bloody men.” Ps. lix. 2. This is the commonest form of parallelism. It is specially notice- able throughout the Poetry of the Psalter. It must be borne in mind that the two members are not necessarily synonymous in the strict sense of the term. They are merely two branches of one parent stem of thought. It is most inaccurate to denominate this system “ grada- tional.” The passages in which ascent from sfeczes to genus or de- scent from evs to species is noticeable are so rare that they do not deserve distinct classification. 8. Antithetic parallelism. This is merely another form of a. The same thought is expressed twice, by firstly predicating something of one term, and secondly, directly or indirectly denying that some- thing to a term of opposite character: 6. g. ‘‘For the froward is abomination to the Lorp, But His secret is with the righteous.” Prov. iii. 32. **For the Lorp knoweth the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.” IP SieOe “Ἧς hath put down the mighty from their seats, And exalted them of low degree.” S. Luke i. 52. This feature is far more common in Proverbs than in the Psalter. When the single thought extends over four clauses, additional elegance is conveyed to these two forms of parallelism by an inversion of clauses. This use is more prevalent where thé parallelism includes two entire verses, since the verse of four clauses is much rarer than that of two. Styling the four clauses a, ὦ, c, εἴ, it will be seen that in such a verse as this, a:d::d:¢. a ‘‘My son, if thine heart be wise, δ My heart also shall rejoice: ¢ Yea my reins shall rejoice, When thy lips speak right things.” Prov. xxiii. 15, 16. ὃς And that in this verse α :¢::4:d. a “JT will make drunken my arrows with blood— 6 And my sword shall devour flesh :— ¢ With the blood of the slain and the captives, @ From the hairy head of the enemy.” Deut. xxxii. 42. vi PROLEGOMENA. [ CHAP. These are merely deviations from the ordinary system of arrange- ment, and of course cannot be recognized (as by Jebb) as a distinct -class of parallelism. _Introverted parallelism, especially that of the kind last noticed, is a rare feature in Biblical Poetry. y. Synthetic or constructive parallelism. Here the parallelism is either wholly comprised in or extended to the form of construction. The clauses are so shaped that noun corresponds to noun, verb to verb, adjective to adjective : e. g. ‘*The law of the Lorn is perfect, restoring the soul: The testimony of the Lorp is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lorp are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of the Lorn is bright, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lorn is clean, enduring for ever: The judgments of the Lorp are true, they are righteous altogether. More desirable than gold, and than much fine gold: And sweeter than honey, and the juice of the honeycomb.” Ps. xix. 7—10. It has been stated that parallelism in its three main branches originates in the czesural scheme of the Hebrew verse. This scheme is rendered more striking in some passages by the allotment of the same number of words! to each member of the verse. This arrangement can hardly be designated as a “ metre,” since no regard is had to the comparative length of the words used. It deals with words, not with syllables. The rhythm throughout such passages varies as in other passages. The names Binary, Ternary, and Quater- nary verse have been applied to designate the passages wherein the members consist respectively of two, three, or four words. The fol- lowing are instances? of Bizary verse, Exod. xv. 9, 10; Judg. v. 3, 25; Is; 33 Pss: 1x. 15,06 (iro; 171; xxx.10 [12]; xlvon [2]; dev ΘΗ: We give the first of these at length : SYN WON ‘The enemy said, WS FTIN *T will pursue, overtake, Sy poms 1 will divide the spoil, 290 pS I will bare my sword, 7 (Own My hand shall drive them out.’ qn. NWI = Thou didst blow with Thy wind; O° D5 The sea covered them: MDWS bby They sank like lead, we DW IN D3 In the glittering waters.” Exod. xv. 9, 10. ὦ 1 Two words standing in that close connection which is indicated by the Masoretic mark Makkiph are counted as one word. 2 The majority of these instances are selected from Mason and Bernard’s excellent Grammar, Vol. τι. sale HEBREW POETRY. vii The best known examples of Zeruary verse are Gen. xlix. II; ΝΠ xxiii. 21,> 1 Sam. ti. 1; [5:1 53; lv.6; Hab. ili. 35 Pss. li. 7 [9]; crv. °33—35; Prov. xxi. 23; xxx. 255 Job xvi. 12, 18; xxix. 14—18} XXX. 29, 31. For instance: | | sseadsy Ων PIN ‘Righteousness put I on and it clothed me, ὌΨΙ FYI) DDS As robe and turban was my justice; syy5 $m D3 ~~ Eyes was I to the blind, SN nond pany And feet to the lame was I; Ὁ) ΝΟ S558 SN A father was I to the needy, JTIPAS ynytend 37) And a cause that I knew not searched I out. by ΓΤ AIAWN And I brake the grinders of the evil man, 815] pour wy) And from his teeth plucked out the prey. YUN ΡΤ ἽΝῚ So I said, In my nest shall I die, DD) TDN 24ND) And as the sand shall I multiply my days.” Job xxix. 14—18. The following are instances of Quaternary verse, Exod. xv. 15—18; ΠΕΣ ti Ps. cxvill 25> Prov. xxii; 53) xxvi. 27; Cant: iv. 11; Eccles: 5.20: xi. 4. For instance : πὸϑ TNINSY ΠΟΘ ΓΞ) “With honey drops thy lips, my bride, sw nnn bn wat Honey and milk are beneath thy tongue, wad m5 -noby my And the perfume of thy garments is as the perfume of Lebanon.” Cant. iv. 11. The Binary, Ternary and Quaternary systems may be systemati- cally interwoven, as in Exod. xv. 6—8; Numb. xxiv. 5—7; Deut. XXxil. I—4; Pss. xix. 7—10 [8—11] quoted above!; xxiii. 1—5 [2—6]. Cant. v. 2, 3, and other passages. We have seen that though the distichic system is the mould in which Hebrew poetry is usually cast, there are cases in which four clauses are to be found ina verse. Such cases are rare in the Psalter. Tristichic arrangement is the basis of some few Psalms, cf. xiv. and liii., xcili. Throughout the first two chapters of Lamentations every verse has no less than six στίχοι : e.g. ““How does she sit solitary; the city that was full of people: She has become a widow; she that was great among nations: The princess among provinces; she has become tributary.” : Lament. i. r. The strangest feature in Hebrew poetry is the occasional use of an Alphabetical or Acrostic arrangement. How such an irksome and 1 Here the system is this: each hemistich is broken into two clauses; the first clause is triverbal, the second biverbal. Vill PROLEGOMENA. [CHAP. unattractive scheme came to be adopted by Poets who did not submit to the thraldom of metre and rhyme is unknown. It is possible that Psalms were written alphabetically with the view of assisting the memory of an admiring reader : it is more probable perhaps that this system originated in that intense and jealous regard for their native tongue, which has always characterized the Hebrew race (see Ps. xxv. Introd.). In Pss. cxi. and cxii. the first sixteen letters of the alphabet commence each a hemistich till the 9th verse is reached. This and the 10th verse in both Psalms are tristichic, and each of them carries three of the remaining six letters. ° Thus the whole alphabet is included. In Ps. cxix. there are twenty-two stanzas of eight verses each. An ogdoad of verses is assigned to each letter of the alphabet. These are the only perfect specimens of alphabetical composition in the Psalter. In Psalms xxv., χχχῖν., Xxxvii., cxlv. the system is that of assigning averse to each letter, but the system is not rigidly adhered to. In Ps. ix. a very imperfect alphabetical scheme of the same kind obtains, and is carried on (even less faithfully) from the point to which Ps. ix. brought it by Ps. x., which is doubtless a strictly contemporary though distinct com- position. The Praise of the Virtuous Woman, Proverbs xxxi. 10--31, is a perfect alphabetical composition of this kind. So is each of the first two chapters of Lamentations. In Lament. iii. the six-clause arrangement of the first two Chapters takes a new form. The verses become short, and instead of one verse three are assigned to each letter. This scheme is carried out perfectly, save that the ‘5 triad strangely precedes instead of following the Ν᾽ triad. Thus while Lament. i. and ii. have each 22 verses, Lament. iii. has 66. In Lament. iv. the al- phabetical scheme is as in Chapters i. ii., but each verse has only four members. CHAPTER II. FORMATION OF PSALTER. THE Hebrew Psalter is divided into five Books, the respective con- tents of which are i.—xli. ; xlii.—Ixxii. 5 lxxiii.—1xxxix. ; xc.—cvi.; cvii. —cl. The concluding Psalm of each Book ends with a kind of doxo- logy. Some suppose that the doxology is in each case an integral part of the Psalm to which it is attached, and that the five Psalms 11. | FORMATION OF PSALTER. ix which ended with the most appropriate doxologies were selected to close the five Books. Others maintain that the doxology is (in some cases at least) a compiler’s insertion, indicating the close of a Book. We have adopted the former view. It is probable that this system of division is coeval with the com- pilation of the Old Testament Canon. The earliest mention of it in Jewish literature appears to be the well-known passage in the Midrash Tillim: “Moses gave the Israelites the five Books of the Torah; and corresponding to these, David gave them the Book of Psalms, in which are five Books.” This similarity to the Pentateuch is, however, noticed by Christian writers of earlier date. Hippolytus notices that the Hebrews divided the Psalter into five Books, ὥστε εἶναι καὶ αὐτὸ ἄλλον πεντάτευχον. And the fivefold division is mentioned (sometimes with disapprobation, as by Cassiodorus and Augustine) by other noted Christian writers of the first five centuries. Their general ignorance with regard to all that related to Hebrew language and literature is illustrated by the belief of Cassiodorus that this arrangement originated with Jerome. It is important that these Psalms with doxo- logical endings were found in their present position by the authors of the “Septuagint” Version; in other words, that Psalms xli., Ixxii., Ixxxix., cvi., and cl., were as well adapted to close the five Books some gene- rations before the Christian era as they were in the time of Hippolytus, Since most of these Books have a distinctive Elohistic or Jehovistic stamp (vzde 77:77), and other peculiar characteristics of their own, the natural view is, that the division into five Books each finished off with a B’racaéh, obtained as far back as that time. Those who regard the doxologies as supplementary are compelled to trace this division still further backwards, since in 1 Chron. xvi. 36 the verse, cvi. 48, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever, etc.” is evidently quoted as the known successor to cvi. 47. “Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, etc.” But the appear- ance of this verse in 1 Chron. xvi. is really only an argument in favour of its being an integral portion of the Psalm. We have, in short, no actual evidence in favour of the existence of the Psalter in its present arrangement before the time of the Greek translation. It is probable that the five-fold division is connected in its origin with a superstitious reverence for the Pentateuch. It was the same feeling that led to the juxtaposition ofthe five 7’ gi//éth—in defiance of all sense of propriety—viz., Canticles, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesi- astes, Esther. . There is nothing in this system to commend itself to a = PROLEGOMENA. [CHAP. rational mind. The arrangement of the Psalms in these several books is based on equally unscientific principles. Book I. is the one that exhibits most uniformity of character. Most of the Psalms in this Book are of Davidic authorship; and though of course differing much in tone, they bear the impress of the Davidic style throughout. Some Psalms in this Book are, however, of much later date. Ps. xxxiii. evidently dates from the Post-exilic period. Ps. xxii. belongs to the same period as lxix., cii., and may have been written by Jeremiah or one of his contemporaries. (See xxll., Introd.) And it is very unlikely that Ps. xl belongs to the Davidic epoch. Of the authorship and date of Psalm i., which is one of the four (Pss. i., ii., x., xxxili.) not assigned by title to David, we know nothing. In Book 11. we meet with Psalms of all periods. Many of them are assigned by title to David; and in some cases the style and circum- stances endorse this testimony. ‘This is specially the case in Pss. liv. —Ixiv. Of the other Psalms, some apparently commemorate Sen- nacherib’s overthrow (Ps. xlvi.—xlviii.); some, though apparently post-Davidic, cannot be assigned to any particular period (e.g. Pss. 1., li.); one (Ps. xliv.) we can find no place for save in the very last period, the era of the Seleucidz. The inscriptions “to the sons of Korah,” and “to Asaph,” furnish no clue to the date of Psalms: see ‘Proleg., Chap. VI. Book Il. is of the same mixed character. But Pss. Ixxxiv., Ixxxvi are the only two that can reasonably be assigned to David. Book IV. opens with a Psalm which may perhaps be the oldest in the Psalter. Ps. xc. is ascribed by title to Moses, and the resem- blance of this Psalm to the poetry in the Book of Deuteronomy is so striking that those who deny that it is by the same hand must admit that it is intended to be an imitation. The only other Psalm in this Book that can be credited with an ancient origin is Ps. ci., which may ‘be Davidic. Ps. ciii. is entitled to David, but erroneously. Pss. xci., xciv. are of doubtful origin. The remainder of the Psalms in this Book are of late date. Pss. xciii., xcv.—c. evidently express the joyous hope of the restored exiles, and Pss. ciii.—cvi. are of the same date. In fact, we have now passed from the era of David to that of the Poets of the Restoration. It is with the works of these that Book V. is mainly filled. The © style of these compositions, as the tyro who passes to them after read- ing the early Psalms well knows, is generally as smooth and easy as 11.] FORMATION OF PSALTER. ΧΙ that of David is harsh and rugged. Most of them are jubilant in tone; and most appropriate for public use, since they do not treat, like most Davidic Psalms, of individual, but of national experiences. The theo- logy of these Psalms is of a higher and broader kind than that of the early period. On the other hand, there is little originality or depth in these smoothly flowing pieces. Thought is sacrificed to the jingling rhythm. They are the work of musicians rather than of Poets. With a few striking exceptions, as CXxxxVil., Cxxxix., this post-exilic collection is to the Davidic Psalms what the contents of our popular hymnals are to the writings of our real Poets. A singular feature in this fifth Book is the sudden appearance of a recension of Psalms entitled “to David,” cxxxviiiicxliv. At least four of these, viz. Pss. cxl.—cxliii., exhibit the closest mutual relation- ship, and at the same time so forcibly recall the Davidic Psalms of the first Book that we must regard them as either written by David him- self or as clever imitations of the Davidic Poetry. We have adopted the former view. On the other hand, some thus entitled are clearly not Davidic. Apparently this collection was brought to light during the compilation of Book V., and, inasmuch as some were apparently genuine Davidic works, all were inscribed by the uncritical judgment of the compilers “to David.” Three other Psalms in Book v. may be of Davidic origin, viz. cviii., cix., cx. A collection of fifteen Psalms entitled “Songs of Degrees” is included in this fifth Book, cxx.— cxxxiv. They are obviously post-exilic, and all written by one hand With regard to the tradition which entitles four of them “to David” and one “to Solomon” see cxx.—cxxxiv. Introd. From what has been said it might be imagined that no systematic arrangement of the Psalms was known until a time at all events pos- terior to the Restoration. Nor have we any direct proof to the con- trary. Hezekiah, on a special occasion, is said to have set on foot the ancient practice, which had apparently fallen into disuse, of “singing praise with the words of David and of Asaph” during the Temple rites, to the accompaniment of “the instruments of David” and “trumpets ” (2 Chron. xxix. 25—30). Also in Prov. xxv. 1, some of the Proverbs of Solomon are said to have been copied out by the “men of Heze- kiah.” But from neither of these passages can it be inferred that there existed a defined collection of Psalms which could be used as a hymnal. It is possible, however, that the note which closes Ps. Ixxii., “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended,” may have stood as a foot-note to some ancient collection of Davidic Psalms. This ΧΙ PROLEGOMENA. [CHAP. collection may have been the zzc/eus of our Book 1. To us however the structure of Book I. appears to be of much later date. How is it that the Jehovistic Psalms of David are in the main those of the 1st Book, the Elohistic those of the 2nd Book? It may be replied that this dis- tinction between the compositions of David was old, and that the com- pilers in the Restoration period tacked on other Elohistic and Jeho- vistic Psalms to these two nuclei. But it is much more probable, we think, that this distinction originated in the later and more super- stitious period. It can scarcely be doubted that the Psalter in its present form sprang gradually from ancient collections. But to what extent the present arrangement of the Psalms originates in such col- lections it is impossible to tell. In view of this question we notice that there is a certain uniformity of plan throughout the Psalter which suggests that the present arrangement must have been the work of a single compiler, not of collectors living in different times and places. The Psalms believed to be David’s are ranged together, and this class of Psalms is subdivided into Jehovistic and Elohistic Psalms ; those entitled “to Asaph,” and “to the sons of Korah,” also form a class: so too those entitled “Songs of Degrees.” Throughout the book we may see that juxtaposition is frequently to be accounted for by resem- blances, real or fancied, of thought and style (vide zzfra). From these facts it may be argued that, though not strictly followed, certain general principles of arrangement—of the most unscientific character— do reign throughout, and it is most natural to credit one man, and not a broken succession of men, with the arrangement of the Psalms according to these principles. In fact, with the other view—that which supposes that the ancient collections received from time to time inser- tions—the continued juxtaposition of Psalms on the principle of re- semblance is perfectly unaccountable. What was the date of the final compilation, which welded together the smaller ancient collections into a whole in this systematic if un- scientific manner? ‘This is an important question. There are some Psalms which have been supposed to emanate from the Maccabeean period. In the case of three (Pss. xliv., Ixxiv., Ixxix.) we have adopted this date. If the Psalter was closed previous to this period such a view is of course precluded. There can be little doubt that no defined com- pilation of canonical books was dreamt of before the time of Ezra. And there is no reason to believe that the task of collecting and revising the Scriptures, which Ezra and Nehemiah personally—if the popular tradition may be credited—took in hand, was completed in the days of 11. | FORMATION OF PSALTER. xill the latter. Something like a certain Zevmzinus ad quem in the case of the Psalter is the date of the First Book of Maccabees. At the time when this Book was written, a Greek Version of the Psalms corre- sponding to some extent with the present LXX. Psalter was current, as may be concluded from a comparison of 1 Macc. ii. 63, vii. 17, ix. 23, with the LXX. renderings of the original passages in the Psalms. It is natural to suppose that the Psalms were translated as a whole and in one period, not separately and from time to time. Con- sequently it may be conjectured that the Psalter was closed before the writing of 1 Maccabees, the date of which may be fairly said to be between B.C. 120 and 100, The troubled period to which we assign these three Psalms is cir. B.C. 150. If we allow the existence of Mac- cabzean Psalms, we are led to believe that the Psalter was closed, and a Greek translation of it made, during the interval between these dates. The well-known account of Nehemiah’s labours, καταβαλλόμενος βιβλιοθήκην, ἐπισυνήγαγε τὰ περὶ τῶν βασιλέων Kal προφητῶν, Kat τὰ τοῦ Δαυίδ, καὶ ἐπιστολὰς βασιλέων περὶ ἀναθημάτων (2 Macc. ii. 13), records, not the formation of a defined Canon of Scriptures, but a (perhaps indiscriminate) collection of the noted writings bearing on the Jewish religion. And even this initiatory step had to be repeated before any- thing like a catena of sacred literature was compiled. For the ani- mosity of Antiochus scattered far and wide all such collections, and Nehemiah’s work had to be commenced aé ovo by Judas Macca- bzeus,—eoavtas δέ, continues the passage, καὶ Ἰούδας ra διαπεπτωκότα διὰ τὸν πόλεμον τὸν γεγονότα ἡμῖν ἐπισυνήγαγε πάντα, καὶ ἔστι παρ᾽ ἡμῖν. It has been observed that “the persecution of Antiochus was for the Old Testament what the persecution of Diocletian was for the New, the final crisis which stamped the sacred writings with their peculiar character’.” And there is little doubt that the formation of a defined Canon of Scripture, and as included in this, of a defined Collection of Psalms, was now vigorously taken in hand. In the execution of this work we may detect the uncritical spirit of a primitive and uncritical age. Psalms of the most recent date were, as we have shewn above, set side by side with the most venerable pieces of the sacred anthology: such an arrangement did 1 Jewish tradition attributes the formation of the canon to the men of the ‘‘ Great Syna- gogue” abysan MNDI5. As Del. observes, this tradition does not preclude the existence of Maccabzan Psalms, since this συναγωγὴ μεγάλη was still in existence under the domination of the Seleucid, 1 Mace, xiv, 28, xiv PROLEGOMENA, ᾿ [cHaP. not strike men of those days as misleading or tasteless. There would be no reason why modern poems like Pss. xliv., Ixxiv., xxix. should not be inserted in the 2nd and 3rd Books, though our judgment would naturally assign them a place at the very end of the Psalter. This notwithstanding, certain guiding principles appear to have ruled throughout. These principles may be classed thus : Ist. The juxtaposition of Psalms frequently originates in the mere fact of their having some similarity of diction. A single striking expression may sometimes be regarded as the band of connection be- tween Psalm and Psalm. ‘Thus Pss. xxxiv. and xxxv. probably stand side by side because they are the only two in which the “Angel of the LORD” is mentioned. ‘Thus too Ps. lvi., with its title “On the dumb dove of distant ‘places’ [or ‘peoples’,]” succeeds Ps.!v., which prays “Oh that I had wings like a dove!” etc. On similar grounds Ps. xvii. succeeds Ps. xvi. 2ndly. A sounder principle; the juxtaposition of Psalms (a) of like character and tone, (0) or of the same redaction, or the same authorship, also obtains. Thus (a) Pss. 1. and li. stand side by side as both disparaging material sacrifices in a remarkable manner. Thus too Ps. xciv. is interpolated among the Pss. of the Theophany, xciii.—c., because the Psalmist appeals to God as “Judge of the world” to vin- dicate his cause, and this group specially presents God as coming in His character of Judge. But (4) the more common account of the juxtaposition of Psalms is found in their claiming to be of the same redaction, e.g. the groups put to music by Asaph, Ixxiii.—lxxxiil., or performed by the sons of Korah, xlii.—xlix., or of the same author- ship, e.g. the cluster of Psalms of David in Books I. 11. and v. 3rdly._ Psalms were classified according to their nomenclature of the Deity. Psalms which styled God “Elohim” were grouped to- gether; so too those which styled Him “Jehovah.” This singular principle of classification was certainly maintained more or less faith- fully all through Books 1., 11.,) Iv., v. It is remarkable that it is alto- gether neglected in Book 111. Perhaps this was the last compiled of the five Books, and had, so to speak, to take the leavings of the others. The principle, however, has been so much misunderstood, that we shall discuss the use of the Divine Titles in a separate Chapter. III. | LITE DIVENE. LIELESS. XV CHAPPERMIIT. THE DIVINE TITLES. THE common appellations of the true God are, ‘JIN A’déndy, “Tord” (strictly, “my Lords”) ; bs £1 « God,” used in plur. of false gods ; ons £Uéhim “God, a plur. majestatis applicable to false gods as well as to the one true God, and also to dignitaries or great men (as perhaps also is ody élim, see lviii. I note), and 17° (read ac- cording to the present punctuation) “Jehovah,” A.V. “Lorp,” the most sacred word in the language. With the first of these Titles we need not concern ourselves here. It is rare in the Pentateuch and historical books, but common enough in poetical books, and occurs in Psalms of all periods. 2X 222 also has no special significance in the Psalter. The use of the other two Titles might seem to be more suggestive. According to a common numeration Jehovah is used as a Divine Title 272 times in Book 1., Elohim (absolutely) only 15 times. In Book 11. Jehovah occurs only 30 times, Elohim 164 times. In Book 111. Jehovah appears 44 times, Elohim 43. In Books Iv. and v. Jehovah has such a predominance that while Elohim (absolutely, and of the true God) occurs but once, viz. in cxliv. 9, Jehovah occurs 339 times. A theory, now abandoned by most sober critics, discovered a clue to the date of the individual Psalms in the use of one or other of the Divine Titles, it being conceived that Elohim is to some extent a mark of antiquity, and Jehovah of novelty. The theory, as enun- ciated by Bp. Colenso, was that a great part of the Pentateuch was written by Samuel, and that the name 17’ was introduced by him. It was assumed therefore that those Psalms which were written during David’s early years were Elohistic; those written after he had been indoctrinated by Samuel, Jehovistic. How far the titles Jehovah and Elohim indicate date in the Pentateuch, we shall not here consider. We have here merely to discuss the question whether in the Psalter “Elohism” or “Jehovism” can aid us in assigning dates to individual Psalms. So far as the Davidic period is concerned, nothing is clearer Xvi PROLEGOMENA. [CHAP. than that both Titles were in common use. For instance, Psalms vii. XVii., Xxxiv., xxxv., which belong to the early part of David’s life, are Jehovistic; Pss. xlii., xliii., Ix., which are slightly posterior to these, are Elohistic. As regards the non-Davidic Psalms, it is equally clear that whereas Jehovah was the Title commonly used in the hymns of the Restoration, both Titles were used throughout the period between David and the Exile, and in fact throughout all other periods. Thus Ps. Ixxii., the national prayer for Solomon, is Elohistic. So too are Ps. xlv., which celebrates the nuptials of some royal successor of David, and Ps. li., which was written probably not long before the Captivity; and (to come to the very latest period) so are Pss. xliv., Ixxiv., Ixxix., which we refer to the Maccabzan era. If we examine other Hebrew books the theory is still further damaged. Solomon’s Proverbs are Jehovistic, Ecclesiastes exclusively Elohistic. In the Book of Job, probably also dating from the time of Solomon, the dialogues are almost exclusively Elohistic. On the other hand, the Title “Jehovah” is repeatedly used in the historical part of the book. Jehovah occurs 37 times in Ezra, Elohim 97 times; while in the contemporary book of Nehemiah Jehovah occurs 17 times, Elohim 74 times. The use in Ezra and Nehemiah is the more remark- able in that these works are contemporary with the Jehovistic hymns of the Restoration, which form so large a part of Books Iv. and v. of the Psalter. The theory is thus overthrown by the facts of the case, and by analogy. There is no reason to doubt that in David’s time Jehovah and Elohim were Divine Titles in common (but not on that account indiscriminate) use. The severance of the Jehovistic and Elohistic Psalms of this period is simply the work of a compiler, possibly actuated by a desire to reproduce in the Psalm-Pentateuch the Jeho- vistic and Elohistic sections of the Books of Moses. Similarly it is owing to the compiler’s whim that Books Iv. and V. are so exclusively Jehovistic. It is a fact, however, that the religious songs of the Post- ' exilic period, to which the great part of these Books belong, are strictly Jehovistic. And the partiality of this generation for that sacred Title which distinguished the one true God from the Elohim of the heathen world is very natural. Generally speaking, both in works of this and of the early period Jehovah and Elohim have each its distinct significance. The Cove- nant God is Jehovah, the God of nature is Elohim. Praise is generally addressed to God under the Title Jehovah; so, too, are petitions in U1. | THE DIVINE TITLES. Xvil which the suppliant addresses God with familiar confidence. English pietism has borrowed much unconsciously from Hebrew usages, and in our devotional works a distinction between the two expressions, “the Lord” and “God” may be observed, which corresponds, to some extent, to that between Jehovah and Elohim. The etymology of these Titles, and especially that of the sacred Tetragrammaton, demands disquisition. First, as to £’léhim. Mr Matthew Arnold in “Literature and Dogma” recommends the English public to substitute for the ordinary “God” of the Old Testament the term “ Shining,” and so “‘to allow to the word no more contents than by its etymology it has.” The ra- tionale of this suggestion is sound, since the errors of popular religion mostly spring from misapprehension of Scriptural terms. But it is strange that Mr Arnold finds elucidation in Aryan instead of Semitic etymology. The meaning of “God” in the Bible is that of £’/éh2m, and no one has as yet interpreted E’/éh?m “Shining.” There are but two reasonable theories as to the derivation of ὩΠΟΝ Elohim, and the rarer singular form moe L’loha. One connects them with the other Divine Title Sx £7 (i. q. Ow ayzl), and so discovers in them the meaning “.Stveng¢h;” the other, in view of the Arabic roots alaha “to worship God,” and alzha “to be afraid,” interprets δ ὄψα and £°/éhim as meaning the “Object of human worship.” It appears probable that these verbs are but denominatives from the Arabic Tléh (with the art. A//éh) and that the first-mentioned interpreta- tion is the true one. There can be little doubt that unless it is an Egyptian word, 717) “Jehovah” is connected with the Rt. 1’ or (according to the cog- nate Aramaic dialects) ΠῚ} Π “he was.” It represents the mysterious Title of God, the Title with which so many superstitious legends and practices were in after time connected. The pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton, according to Maimonides, was permitted only to the Priests when delivering the blessing. It is clear, however, that he means the present form mim which to this day may not be pronounced, It is generally allowed that the true pronunciation (myn being merely an accommodation to the points of *J18 as is my. to those of DYTio§) of the Holy Title was long ago lost to the 1 As every student knows, A’dénzéy Lord” is read instead of the form V’hovih, and the prefixes 5, 4 5, 1. Ὁ when attached to [ΠῚ ΓΙ} take the vowels which they would take if attached to 9345N. EL: 2 XVili PROLEGOMENA. [CHAP. world through the silly exaggeration of a feeling of reverence. In the time of Josephus and Philo the knowledge of it was a rare secret ; and with the fall of Jerusalem this knowledge appears to have perished. In later times the Rabbis endeavoured to _per- suade mankind that nm Jehovah, which is simply the sacred Title with the vowels of ‘J, was the true Tetragrammaton. This belief is now exploded, not only because the vowels can be accounted for as those of A’déudy, but because such a form as min would be ut- terly meaningless. A substantive could not be formed in this man- ner from a 7’? root. Nevertheless min is not to be regarded as a modern Rabbinic invention. Probably it was used in ancient times for the true Tetragrammaton, much as A’ddéndy is now. It is clearly a mistake to deny 7}! the credit of an ancient origin, This barbarous form occurs commonly (for which reason it cannot make pretence to be the Tetragrammaton) as a compound in Hebrew names, e.g. in “Jochebed,” “Jonathan,” “Jonadab ;” so too the poetical abbreviated form 7 Yas, as in “Micah,” “Jeremiah,” etc. All attempts to raise the form Y’sévdéh above the level of an adaptation to A’déndy are hopeless. It may be reasonably conjectured (in view of the Rt. mn) that the sacred Name represents God as the “Eternal,” or as the “Author of existence.” In the first case ow natural form to be adopted. In the second the form 1m Vah’veh (3rd Fut. Hiph.) would be equally allowable. It may indeed be fairly urged that we should not expect the sacred Name to assume an ordinary verb-form. But, on the other hand, still less rational is it that the mystery should consist in a mere alteration of the vowel-points of a verb-future to those of A’ddéndy, especially when we know that this adaptation was no secret. And we can hardly conceive, in the face of other facts, that the account of the matter is that a Poel was employed to express this causative sense, and altered from mn Vhdveh to MT γ᾽ λδυάλ. ’ We are not brought any nearer to the true form of the Tetra- grammaton by the Versions or ancient Gentile writers. The former accommodate themselves (perforce perhaps) to the Hebrew usage. The LXX. renders it by Κύριος (whence A.V. “LORD”), thus making no distinction between it and the other Divine Title 8 (A.V. “Tord”), The Samaritans read shémé “the Name;” in con- nection with which practice should be noticed the ordinary Rabbinic 11. | THE DIVINE TITLES. X1X use of OWN hash-shém “the Name” as the Divine Title. That ancient writers should help us little is only natural. Jews who had been en- trusted with the secret would know how to keep it; aliens like the Christian Fathers, who inquired into the matter, attained such erroneous results as the characteristic astuteness of the respondents and credulity of the inquirers might have augured, Thus on the one hand Josephus, who was a priest and probably really possessed of the secret, if it still existed, says that he is not permitted to speak with regard to the subject of the Tetragrammaton (A 712. 11. 12), and Philo-Judaeus speaks of the name as “only to be mentioned or heard by holy men having their ears and their tongues purified by wisdom, and by no one else at all in any place whatever” (De V7t¢. Mos. ch. 111.). And thus on the other hand we find that the Greek writers were put off with some such form as Jah or Jahu, or strictly, Ἰαῶ (Diod. Sic. 1. 94; Irenaeus, I. 4 § 1), evo (Euseb. from Porphyry Pracp. Evan. 1. 9, ὃ 21), ᾿Ιαού (Clem. Alex. Strom. V. p. 666), and ’Aia (Theodoret Quaes¢. xv. ad Exod. vi.). There is in fact only one suggestive statement on the subject in these writers. Epiphanius (aer. 20) tells us that the form is Ἰαβέ, and Theodoret, while he gives ’Aia as the Jewish pronunciation, says that the Samaritans pronounced it “Ia8é. Such traditions are at least in accordance with etymological principles, for Ἰαβέ is probably the Greek form of 739) γα σελ, the pronunciation which ὦ 2γΖογξ has most claim for consideration. It is not surprising, therefore, that many modern writers employ some such form as “Jahve” instead of “ Jehovah.” On the other hand, it may be argued against such a substitution that the very suggestiveness of this verb-form condemns it. It is just because it is the natural shape for a noun of verb-future form (of such type as 2p¥!, 7319) intended to designate God as the Author of Being, or as Eternal, or both, that we can hardly accept it as that secret Title which was revered from the very earliest times, and to the know- ledge of which Jewish legend attributes such marvellous effects,—as e.g. the miracles of Jesus. If this were indeed the form, the ex- -istence of a secret must have been altogether a sacerdotal fable. We prefer to believe that the true pronunciation of the name is hopelessly lost. xx PROLEGOMENA. [cHar. CHAPTER IV. RELATION OF PSALTER TO NEW TESTAMENT. I. WHATEVER form the Messianic hope of the nation had pre- viously taken, it is sufficiently plain from 2 Sam. vii. 12—17 (not to press the obscure passage 2 Sam. xxill. 3—4), that in David’s reign its direction was definitely indicated by a Divine oracle. The blessing of Abraham’s seed was at this time limited to one family—that of David. The question naturally suggests itself whether in the Psalter, which is so closely connected with the life of David, the Davidic promise finds such illustration that parts of this work may be regarded as predictive of the Messiah. In treating this difficult question it is necessary to rid the mind of many worthless arguments with which the unscientific exegesis of religious zealots, both ancient and modern, has_unfortunately asso- ciated it. The system of exegesis we particularly demur to is that espoused by the Christian Fathers, who, with two or three exceptions, were disqualified as exegetes, not merely by the uncritical character of their age, but by absolute ignorance of the language in which the Psalms were written. It is commonly known as “mystical exposition,” and is the system adopted throughout in Dr Neale’s commentary, and viewed with favour in that of Bp. Wordsworth. We do not understand how far the mystical exegesis which has been compiled from the Christian Fathers and Schoolmen—in defiance often of the most elementary rules of Hebrew grammar—by Dr Neale is intended to be viewed seriously. Possibly the object is merely to construct a Christian “ Midrash,” in other words, to make the several verses of the Psalter “begs” on which to hang dogmas and principles with which these verses have no natural connexion. Such fanciful exegesis was once widely prevalent. In this fashion the Persians have treated the writings of the Sufi Poets, the Neo-Platonists the Homeric Poems, the Rabbis the Old Testament, and the Schoolmen not only the Bible but also the Latin Poets. But surely in days when criticism has so vehemently asserted its sway, and so definitely shifted the point of view from which we regard the Old Testament, it is dangerous to Iv. | PSALTER AND NEW TESTAMENT. xxi revive these vagaries of a less thoughtful (if more imaginative) age. Would anything be more likely to upset the faith of a critical student in the Messianic character of the Psalter than to lead him to believe that it depended upon, or necessarily involved, a system which common sense abhors? What more perilous, and what more false, than to teach such a student that every passage in the Psalms might with equal propriety (or impropriety, if he were not a mystic) be applied to the Christian dispensation, and that our very material is in such an un- settled state that the innumerable divergencies (or, to put it plainly, obvious blunders) of the LXX. are to be deemed as valuable as the Hebrew text itself? It is thus that zeal combating needlessly with critical principles unconsciously plays into the hands of the enemy. A similar error underlies the subjoined passage from another com- mentary. The Messianic character of the Psalter is here made to depend on a logical sequence which naively denies inspiration to every merely historical, gnomic, or poetical book in the Bible. The italics are ours. “In the perusal of them [the Psalms] it may be well to bear in mind the following remarks: sist, That the Spirit of the Lord spoke by David, and His Word was on his tongue, and this is a proof of their A7esstanic character (2 Sam, xxiii. 2). 2ndly, They are not merely expressions of experimental devotion, but a series of Arophecies. The Spirit of God was not needed to enable David to complain of his enemies or to describe his own sufferings.” The Christ of the Psalms, by Christianus. This in the nineteenth century, in an age when hostile criticism demands the most carefully weighed account of the faith that is in us! With all fervour we exclaim, “ Non tali auxilio nec defensoribus istis.” Addressing ourselves to such readers as are prepared to examine this subject intelligently and in an impartial spirit, we lay before them the following necessarily brief disquisition. As might be expected in a work which treats of so many subjects of national interest, the promise conveyed by Nathan to David is indeed from time to time made the subject of poetic treatment. A rebellion against this monarch (or if this be not conceded, against one of the Davidic line) elicits Psalm ii., wherein these promises are set forward as a proof that the insurrection will be vain. David’s line is here, as frequently, identified with David (see 11. Introd.), and the royal Poet speaks of himself in the characteristic language of 2 Sam. vil. as appointed to be the “Son” of God, and head of an extensive dominion. The Messianic Promise is the very basis of the Psalm. It is therefore applicable to Christ, as the N,T. writers continually certify. In Ps. lxxii. we have a prayer Xxil PROLEGOMENA. [CHAP. for a king in whom it is evidently expected that this promise will be fulfilled. The Psalm is traditionally entitled “to” or “for Solomon,” and we may reasonably conjecture that his contemporaries imagined that Solomon would prove to be the Messiah. At any rate the Psalm is Messianic. The prayer was not fulfilled in Solomon (whose later days belied the fair promise of his youth), or in any other Jewish king. But throughout it is most applicable to the kingdom of Christ. Psalm lxxxix., which was probably written in the reign of Solomon’s unfor- tunate son, naturally bewails the apparent failure of the Davidic promises. These are recited and enlarged upon, and we get from this Psalm a clear understanding of the character of the national hope. In Psalm xlv. a Jewish king, apparently of later date, is belauded in such.a manner that we may believe the national hope had centred on him, as-it had previously on Solomon. The Psalm is the most secular in the Psalter; in fact, it is only by the prevalence of mystical exegesis among the later Jews that its admission in this collection of sacred poetry is accounted for. Nevertheless, in that such hopes are con- nected with the personage in question, a great part of the Psalm becomes even more applicable to Christ than to him (as the writer to the Hebrews saw, cf. Heb. i. 8, 9), and if the mystic still chooses (in view of a common scriptural metaphor) to regard the details of a royal wedding as figurative of the union of Christ and the Church, we shall not quarrel with him. For—apart from the question whether a Divine Providence has not preserved to us a Psalm of so singularly figurative a character—if the king in this piece was really identified with the Messianic hopes (“the Divinely constituted king whose throne is for ever and ever,” cf. 2 Sam. vii. 16), fancy may be allowed to adapt the subordinate details to the true Messiah’s reign and dispensation. So far we have taken a line along which many modern iconoclasts will probably go with us. We have shewn that certain Psalms of various epochs have been preserved to us which treat of the Messianic hope, from the light of a partial revelation indeed, but always in terms which are applicable to the reign of Christ. We now come to more disputable matters. In our Introduction to Psalm cx. we argue that the only view that does not involve us in hopeless difficulties is that the Psalmist’s “Lord” is the Messiah, and that we have here a direct prediction | in which the prophet’s mind is carried altogether away from his own time to a remote future. Such prediction is, we grant, rare even in the N’biim or so-called “prophetical” books. And if Psalm cx. is of this character it stands alone in the Psalter. But how else can Iv. | PSALTER AND NEW TESTAMENT. Xxill we interpret the Psalm? Who is this king who proceeds from Zion and unites with kingship the glories of world-wide conquests, and the functions of a “Priest after the order of Melchizedek”? There is no royal character in Hebrew history to whom such terms are suitable. Paradoxical though it may appear, we believe that the Psalm is a direct Messianic prediction, and is written by David. That the Priesthood of Christ is never elsewhere directly foretold tells against the Davidic authorship, rather than against the Mes- sianic character of the Psalm. Almost every Messianic prophecy in the O. T. may be said to introduce some details hitherto unrevealed. For instance some of the details of the Judgment in Daniel’s vision (Dan. vii.),—notably the resurrection of the lost,—are peculiar to that prophet, and the Divinity of the Messiah is nowhere distinctly enunciated before the time of Isaiah. The only substantial objection that we recognize is, that if this priestly character of the Messiah was revealed as early as the time of David, it is remarkable that it is never alluded to in the Psalms above mentioned, and in the other works which treat of the Davidic Seed of the Promise. After the return from Captivity a hope pervaded the nation that Jehovah was about to appear shortly in His character of King and Judge, and proclaim Himself to all nations of the world. Whether this Theophany was identified with Messiah’s Advent, or was regarded as entirely distinct from it, cannot now be determined. The former view is at all events rendered possible by the fact that the Divinity of the Messiah had been boldly preached by Isaiah. II. Thus much for Psalms which treat directly of the Messianic promise. It is seen that in all these (unless we exclude cx. fiz. see note) the bright, the glorious side of the Messianic revelation is alone treated of. Turning our eyes now from the Psalter to the New Testament, we find that, besides citations of Messianic Psalms, a great many passages which originally refer to circumstances in the lives of the Psalmists themselves are quoted in illustration of various portions of the Christian scheme. More N. T. quotations are made from the Psalter than from any other book. Many, the most im- portant of these, are introduced in connexion with our Lord’s betrayal and sufferings. What is the rationale of such quotations? In former times, when it was not considered unreasonable and irreverent to meet every problem of Scripture by a gratuitous intro- duction of miraculous agencies, it was gravely insisted on that all Psalms thus quoted in the N. T. were the offspring of the Spirit of XXIV PROLEGOMENA. [ CHAP. Prophecy, and referred wholly to Christ and the Christian scheme. Now-a-days the exegesis of “catastrophism” is retained only by our mystical expositors. It is seen that common sense is outraged by wresting into the domain of prophecy what is obviously actual history, and it is allowed that few if any Psalms besides those enu- merated above can be strictly called Messianic. .It is seen, for instance, that the Psalmist, who in Ps. xl. 12 attributes his sufferings to his “‘iniquities which have taken hold upon him,” cannot be speaking in the person of the sinless Saviour, notwithstanding that vv. 6—8 are put by an Apostle in the mouth of Christ. It is seen that in Psalm lxix., though the Apostles were reminded by Christ’s purgation of the Temple of the text, “Zeal for thine house has de- voured me” (ver. 9), the sufferer who admits that his “foolishness” and “sins” are “not hid” from God (ver. 5), is not Christ, but a Hebrew Psalmist. And so again in Pss. xli. and lv., that the sufferer whose afflictions have been caused by his most trusted friend is David, not Christ, notwithstanding Ps. xli. 9 was said by the latter to be “fulfilled” in Judas’ act of treachery. For—apart from the fact that Christ did not trust Judas (see xli. 9, note)—the Psalmist recognizes that his trouble is the penalty of a great sin, and prays “heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee” (v. 4). All such Psalms refer to actual circumstances in the lives of the writers. They occupy a position distinct from, and lower than, that of the Psalms of prediction or aspiration which we have noticed above. How then are these New Testament quotations to be explained ? According to Dr Perowne the explanation is this, “that the Psalms to a large extent foreshadow Christ because the writers of the Psalms are types of Christ.” To demonstrate to the student the objections which make it plain that this explanation does not hold good, we must say a few words on the subject of what is commonly called ‘‘ typology.” By a “type” is generally understood “an actual transaction, circum- stance, use, or rite, by which a future transaction, circumstance, use, or rite, is portrayed beforehand or symbolically represented.” The selection of this particular term to express such a sense is singularly unfortunate, since both in English and in Greek it is at least as truly active! as passive, indicating the original die or mould from which the 1 Thus we have in N.T. τύπον διδαχῆς, Rom. v. 14, as well as τύπον τῶν ἥλων, S. John xx. 25; cf. also Phil. iii. 17, 1 Tim. iv. 12, Heb. viii. 5. In fact ἀντέτυπος in Hebr. ix. 24 denotes approximately what is expressed in the above definition: παραβολή in Heb. ix. 9 more closely, : Iv. | PSALTER AND NEW TESTAMENT. XXV stamp or impression takes its shape as well as the stamp or impression itself. But taking the term according to this definition, we may apply it to several Jewish rites and ordinances which were appointed by God as a kind of standing prophecy. Thus the Passover (Heb. vii. I—5), the bloody sacrifice (Heb. assim), the High Priesthood (Heb. v. 1—6), the Tabernacle and its ritual (Heb. ix.), are all recognized in the New Testament as typical. Not only institutions but also actions were appointed by God to be types. Thus Isaiah was ordered to go “naked and. barefoot,’ to symbolize the capture of the Egyptians and Ethiopians by the king of Assyria (Is. xx.). The conduct of Hosea (Hos. i.), however interpreted, is of similar character. But when we turn from institutions or solitary actions appointed of God, to human lives, it is clear that the definition given above changes its form. Men are not appointed by God to live good or bad lives in order that the life of Christ or of Judas may be symbolized. When S. Paul calls Adam τύπος τοῦ μέλλοντος (Rom. v. 14) he does not mean that Adam’s sin was a divine institution appointed to portray— by its similarity and dissimilarity—the work of Christ. He merely points out an analogy—accidental or providential—in certain details between the fall and the recovery of man, Still more remote is such a signification in 1 Cor. x. 6,11. The stereotyped definition according to which “the Passover” and “ David,” the “brazen serpent” and “ Ahithophel,” are all spoken of as “types,” is a mere blunder. Certain details there may be in the lives of some O. T. characters which were so providentially appointed that they must appear to the Christian as prophetical as these very institutions. We might hold that the partition of our Lord’s garments among the soldiers was predicted by the historical fact recorded in Ps. xxii. The fact that Jonah was three days and three nights in a fish’s belly may be a dumb prophecy of this kind, not only a “sign.” A like Providence may be detected in the Psalmist’s metaphorical use of such terms as might be applied literally to the details of Christ’s suffering, (cf. Ps. Ixix. 21). But the few cases in which we may see such a Providential arrangement cannot justify us in reducing lives to the level of typical institutions. Nor would such a process give us the key to the N. T. quotations. It is in an entirely different sense then that we apply the term “typical” to the lives of Psalmists or other Scriptural characters. So used the term will mean merely this, that the man’s life, as recorded in Scripture, presents to us traits of character, personal hopes, and illustrations of the principles of Divine government and human action, xxvi PROLEGOMENA. | [cHap. such as receive a fuller exposition in the Christian scheme. Thus the open hostility unrestrained by ties of gratitude with which the ungodly regards the life of the godly receives a full exposition in the life of Jesus. To a less extent it was illustrated in the lives of David, and of the persecuted patriot who indited Psalms xxii., Ixix., and cii. The pious confidence of such godly men during their affliction, the ultimate triumph of their holy cause, the affection of the individual sufferers for the Church (cf. Heb. ii. 12)—all these features appear in intensified forms in the Life of the Redeemer. We should in fact be speaking more accurately in every way if, instead of adopting such a view as that Psalm-writers are types of Christ, we said that Christ’s life bore the impress of certain principles, which had also faintly stamped the lives and writings of sundry characters in sacred history. But it would be better still, in interpreting the quotations in the N.T., to put the life of the Psalmist out of the question altogether, save where it is necessarily brought to mind. It is not the life of a sacred writer, it is a passage of a sacred book, whose principle thus receives illustration in the N.T. The passage may of necessity, as historical, be connected with incidents in a life,—as in those Psalms which are quoted with reference to the suffering Messiah. Or on the other hand, it may not, as in such passages as Ps. viii. 2, cxviii. 22. The basis of the N. T. system of quotation is therefore best defined thus —that the Jassage cited presents to us traits of character, personal hopes, principles of Divine government or of human action, such as receive a fresh or fuller exposition in the Christian scheme. And if we only trouble ourselves to detect such basis, all these quotations become intelli- gible enough. The system of multiplying types and prophecies is, on the contrary, as bewildering as it is unwarranted. It isin this way then that we find the true significance of such New Testament quotations as we are now discussing. When S. Paul wishes to impress on the Corinthians the fact that the ministers of Christ may claim to be supported by their congregations, he cites a well-known passage in the Mosaic Law, with the comment, “Is it for oxen that God cares? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sake it was written.” 1 Cor. ix. 9: 10. But who dreams of making either the writers of Deuteronomy or the Jewish oxen! a ¢yge of Christian ministers on account of this 1 We have not done justice to the powers of mystic intuition. The words *‘ad/ sheep and oxen,” Ps. viii. 7, are thus treated in Neale’s Commentary: ‘‘Ad/ sheep. By sheep we are to understand those whose business in Christ’s Church is not to teach but to learn... By oxen those who labour in His word and doctrine according to the saying of S. Paul, ‘Thou shalt not Iv. | PSALTER AND NEW TESTAMENT. XXVil quotation? We see at once that all that is meant is, that the moral Law—which is to guide the Christian as well as the Jew—prescribes humanity, and liberal recognition of service, even in the case of brute beasts, ἃ fortior2 then in the case of men. The same system of ex- position must be applied in these quotations from Psalms whose primary secular reference is obvious. S. Matthew says that our Lord taught in parables ‘‘in order that” a prefatory verse of Ps. Ixxviii. might be fulfilled, ‘I will open my mouth in parables, etc.’ According to the rule laid down by Perowne, we ought to make the unknown Psalmist a type of Christ, because both taught in parables. But as there was scarcely a single Jewish teacher who did not at some time employ this common form of teaching, the term type becomes thus robbed of all significance. Explain with regard to the principle and not the person, and the “fulfilment” is obvious. By our Lord’s deigning to use this very common manner of communicating instruction, Ps. Ixxviil. 2 re- ceived a new significance, or, in Jewish phraseology, was fulfilled}. Nor can it be alleged that there is here a mere play on the Psalmist’s words. The reasons which induced the Psalmist to use this very at- tractive and at the same time protective form of teaching, presented themselves, and assumed a far more cogent character, in the life of Jesus. Yet again, the writer to the Hebrews boldly puts the dis- paragement of ritual and of material sacrifices enunciated in Ps. xl. 6, 7, into the mouth of the Saviour “at His coming into the world,” Heb. x. 5—7. As we noticed above, it is clear that the Psalm is not prophetical. The principle which the Psalmist had grasped, viz. that personal sacrifice and not material sacrifice is what God delights in, is the obvious link of connexion. In that this is the central principle of Christianity, and that which the Saviour came not only to teach but to illustrate in action, it is appropriately made his very motto. This system of exposition we might illustrate copiously from the New Testament, and almost indefinitely from other Jewish writings. We have space for only a few examples. The simple statement in Ps. viii. 7, that man is lord of the irrational creation, S. Paul quotes as if attesting the doctrine that Christ’s reign is to be universal (1 Cor. muzzle the mouth of the ox while treading out the corn.’ For by these great profit is obtained in His Church, as it is written, ‘Much increase is by the strength of the ox.’”’ 1 Tt will be borne in mind that ppnnd and ppd (=O7rws πληρωθῇ or iva πληρωθῇ) are the common formulz by which the Rabbis indicate that history has expanded the meaning of a Scripture passage. Naturally, this mode of expressing the relation between the O.T. and N.T. can be illustrated from the Hebrew Evangelists S. Matthew and S. John, not from S. Mark (Mk. xv. 28 being an interpolation) or S. Luke. XXVIIl PROLEGOMENA. [CHAP. xv. 27). The Psalm is in no sense prophetical on this account. The words received new life by the coming of a dew-ddaém, who is both the Representative Man and Universal Lord. Their scope widened ac- cordingly. Psalm xvi. 10 expresses David’s personal trust that his life shall be preserved by Divine Providence. The absolute overthrow of Death by Christ throws an infinite significance into the words ov δώσεις τὸν ὅσιόν σου ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν (see note zx loc.) If God’s choice of that which was lightly esteemed by man was illustrated by the triumph of Restored Israel, much more was it by the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. He becomes indeed ‘the stone which was set at naught by the builders, but has become the head corner stone.” (Ps. cxviii. 22, Acts iv. 11.) We ought not to leave this subject without the additional remark, that besides the quotations of Messianic Psalms and those of such so-called typical passages, there are of course many citations in which the Old Testament diction merely serves as a dress for the writer’s thought, and where the original context can be entirely disregarded. Such a use of its classical literature is common in every country. But it is preeminently so in all Jewish writings, and, as we might expect, it is a most common feature in the writings of S. Paul. For this kind of quotation from the Psalter we may instance the use of Ps. cxvi. 10, in 2 Cor. iv. 3. The Apostle borrows the wording of his argument from a popular form of the O.T. passage without regard to the original contexth From what we have said it will be gathered that only a few Psalms treat directly of the national Messianic hope, and that fresh threads are supplied to the web of prophecy by one only. We have further shewn that certain actions and even forms of expression which had apparently no prophetic meaning at first, were given by the Divine conduct of events a really predictive significance, such as should con- firm our belief that the God of Israel is the God of the Christian Church, and that two passages illustrate this gracious Providence with startling clearness. We have also shewn that our Lord and His Apostles loved to make this connexion plainer by shewing how the 1 Tt must ever be remembered that the frequency of citations from the LXX. (rather than the Hebrew) in the N.T. lends no additional authority to this Version. ‘Theologians who are ignorant of Hebrew often argue as if a kind of sacrosanctity was given to the Greek Version by its N.T. use, forgetting that this use was due simply to the fallen condition of the Hebrew nation and language at one particular period. It would be as rational were an admirer of Wyclif’s doctrines to argue from his N.T. quotations in behalf of the infallibility of the Vulgate. IV. | PSALTER AND NEW TESTAMENT. XXIX. Christian scheme embraced grincip/es which appeared in embryo form in the Old Testament Scriptures, and that this is the explanation of the majority of the New Testament citations. We conclude with the suggestion, that it is this divinely-sanctioned usage which will supply the one comprehensive and unassailable principle for the use of the Psalter in the Christian Church. Much there is in it which our more perfect revelation and more matured moral growth renders unneces- sary; very much more, in our opinion, which the anthology of the nobler dispensation cannot rival even in propriety, much less in beauty. But little indeed is there which may not be regarded as a standing illustration of this one fact, that the government of the Redeeming God has been continuous, His will and His dealings with mankind recognizable to the Jewish as to the Christian believer,—ri yap ἐστιν ὃ νόμος; εὐαγγέλιον προκατηγγελμένον᾽ τί δὲ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον; νόμος πεπλη- ρωμένος. Threefold division of Old Testa- ment. Nature of inspiration of Hagio- grapha, and specially oS the Book of Psalus. PROLEGOMENA. [CHAP. CHAPTER. V, TEXT, VERSIONS, AND EXEGESIS. THE Jewish Scriptures are divided into three parts, the Térah or Law consisting of the Pentateuch; the WV’izm or Prophets; and the C’¢hoobim or Hagiographa. The “Pro- phets” are again subdivided into the “former” and the “latter prophets.” The “former prophets” include the books called Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings; probably these are called “prophets” because they were written by members of the prophetic schools, and “former” because they precede the “latter prophets” (viz. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the twelve minor prophets). The Hagiographa consists of Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the five Rolls, (viz. Canticles, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, arranged according to the sequence of the festivals on which they are read), Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles. In 2 Macc. ii. 13, τὰ τοῦ Δαυίδ seems to be the designation of this third division of Scripture, and in S. Luke xxiv. 44, where the threefold division of the Scriptures is referred to, ψαλμοί appears to include the whole Hagiographa. ‘The third division of Holy Scripture was, according to Jewish tradition, not written by a strictly rophetic inspiration, but 2 vooach hak-kédesh, “in the Holy Spirit,” to which distinction it is possible that our Lord refers when he speaks of David ἐν πνεύματι calling the Mes- siah Lord. And this tradition, at any rate as far as the book of Pss. is concerned, is quite in accordance with reason. Naturally, we should not expect to find direct prophecies in the book of Pss., but rather to see the hopes of the nation, as built upon the words of the prophets and cherished by pious servants of Jehovah, expressed with all the confidence of faith, in poetical and figurative language. But though as a rule we should not look for prophecy in the book of Pss., yet to deny the possibility of a Psalmist’s being upon occasions ν.] TEXT, VERSIONS AND EXEGESIS. ΧΧΧΙῚ endued with the gift of prophecy would be an arbitrary as- sumption, That the expression δ᾽ γοοαεΐ hak-kédesh was not held to exclude prediction is evident from the fact, that Kim- chi, who expressly says in the Introduction to his commen- tary on Pss,, that they are written δ᾽ γοοαεῖ hak-kédesh and not bzn’booah, “by prophecy,” sometimes in his commentary declares (erroneously enough) that Davzd wrote such and such a psalm concerning the captivity. There is another distinction, not generally known to Christians, which the Jews of the early centuries of the Christian era made between different parts of the Old Test. In contradistinction to the Zdréh, the five books attributed to Moses, they applied to the rest of Holy Scripture the term Kad- Tie Law balah or Tradition (cf. Mechilta, ed. Friedmann 30a, 5a, se Mea 27a, 280, &c.). This distinction was not meant as a dispa- ragement of the Prophets and Hagiographa, but was merely intended to enhance the authority of the 767éh or Law, and implied the superstitious idea that no subsequent scriptures could assert anything which was not capable of being deve- loped from the words of the Law. ‘The distinction however 7% Zaz is of interest to ourselves, as supplying one of the reasons why i ee. the strict rules which were in force with regard to the tran- soe “ΠΣ scription of the Law were somewhat relaxed in the case of dalah. the other Scriptures, We are more ready to admit the pro- bability of corrupicons in the text of the Prophets and Hagio- grapha than in that of the Law. With regard to these it should be noticed that in the He- Corruptions brew Scriptures there are in many passages two readings, ““** the one called ΧΑ 72 or read, and the other C’¢h26 or written. The latter is the ancient text preserved with all its faults from a time of remote antiquity by the cautious jealousy of Jewish conservatism. The former embodies the emendations of the Masorites, and assumed its stereotyped form about the middle of the 6th century A.D. These emendations however had doubtless been mostly handed down by suc- cessive guilds of Scribes from a date prior to the Christian era. They differ considerably in value, but in the large majority of cases appear to indicate the true reading. The variations of A’r? and C’¢hid affect the consonants of words only; there are also minor differences of pointing and accen- XXX11 PROLEGOMENA. [CHAP. Five books of Psalis. Aids to Criticism: (a) Ancient Versions. IEROG tuation in many passages, as handed down by Eastern and Western Tradition respectively. There are, also, some slight . variations in different MSS. and printed editions. In respect of the whole question of integrity of text, it is significant that in cases in which we have more than one recension of a Ps. (as Ps, xvili, 2 Sam. xxii; Pss. xiv, 111} the difference of read- ings is considerable. The Pss. are in the Hebrew Text divided into five books, as follows—Bk. 1. i—xli., Bk. 11. xlii.—Ilxxii., Bk. 111. Ixxili.— Ixxxix., Bk. IV. xc.—cvi., Bk. V. cvii.—cl. The oldest translation which we possess of the Pss. is contained in the Alexandrine, or Septuagint version of the Old Test. (LXX.). This version appears to have been degun under Ptolemy Philadelphus, cir. 285 B.c. On the legends relating to its origin we need not enter here, for they really affect only the Pentateuch of the LXX. It will be sufficient to state that the translation of the Prophets and Hagio- grapha had apparently been joined to that of the Pentateuch at the time when the grandson of Jesus the son of Sirach came to Egypt: cir. 131 B.c. The interest attaching to the LXX. is enhanced by the fact that the New Test. citations from the book of Pss. are, with a few exceptions, based upon that version. This use however lends no additional authority to the Septuagint version. It is accounted for by the pre- valence of Greek among the early Christian converts, even among such as were of Hebrew descent. In addressing such hearers or readers it would be as natural to quote the commonly accepted Greek version of the O.T., however imperfect, as it would be for us to cite the ‘ Authorized Version.” As a fact the poetical books of the O.T. are poorly translated in the LXX. A diversity exists between. the divisions of the Pss. in the original Hebrew and the LXX. version, as will be seen from the following table: Hebr, LXX. ἢ ΞΞ ΕΠ ΣΕ ΘΕ ΕΝ ΡΥ eens I.—VIII. TR Caney, AL. ced oe ἘΣ ΕΣ eee cate sence: ΙΧ SES CMT ΩΣ Με say σας ERHV Walid (CRAVE Ei Bataan στα. CXIII. RVD Se Race dest debe esate aoe ρον CXIV. and σχν. OO EOE eee v. | TEXT, VERSIONS AND EXEGESIS. XXXill Hebr. PAX. πον ΞΟ 40 Se Ree sire wails sotto tah tetnomptatis es CXVI.—CXLV. ONCE NaGeenc Gen aoa σε ἘΝ ero ors ΠΛ CXLVI. and CXLVII. OORTLAWITT SCOTS Ps Re Gee eRe αν ἘΝ Baas CXLVIII.—CL. CLI. (Apocryphal), The Chaldee Version or Targum (Targ.) represents the Zergum. Jewish interpretation of the first centuries of the Christian era. More Fudaico there were embodied in it traditions of a very much earlier date, The Peshz¢fo (Syr.) is the oldest Peshitzo, Syriac version of the Christian Church. It was made from the original Hebrew, with the assistance of the LXX. and Targ., cir. A.D. 160, A new Syriac translation was made and Hexap- from the Hexapla text of the LXX. in A.D. 617. In the ἀφο ζ τι early part of the second century Aquila (Aq.) a Jewish Aguila. proselyte, made a Greek version of the Hebrew Scriptures for the use of the Jews. This version is noted for its literal following of the Hebrew, to the utter disregard of Greek idiom; but the exactness and ingenuity with which this very difficult task is performed, testifies to the translator’s profound knowledge of both languages. During the latter half of the second century the Greek translation of Theodotion (Theod.) rieodotion. was published. It was an attempt to bring the LXX. more nearly into conformity with the Hebrew by the use of Aquila’s translation. To the translation of Theodotion succeeded, Symmachus. probably cir. A.D. 200, that of Symmachus (Symm.). He took the LXX. as the basis of his work, altogether discarded the literal method of Aquila, and performed his emendations from the original Hebrew with a masterly hand. Jerome’s Latin version of the Pss. “juxta Hebraicam veritatem,” cir. 400 A.D., was not included among the books of the Vulgate. The Psalterium Romanum, and Gallicanum, his first and Yerome. second revision of the Old Latin Version (which had been originally made from the LXX.), had been popularized by heir Liturgical use. They were therefore embodied in the ulgate, and never gave place to Jerome’s more correct ranslation from the original Hebrew. Consequently the ulgate Psalter is little better than a reproduction of that f the LXX. At the beginning of the tenth century Saadia Saadia. aon, a native of Egypt, translated the Psalter and most of Ὶ he books of the Old Test. into Arabic, jap 3 XXXIV (2) Ancient Exegesis. Talmud. Mishnah. Gemara. Talmud Ferushalnuti. Midrash Tillim. Rashi. lin Ezra. Kimchi. Greek and Latin Fathers. PROLEGOMENA. [CHAP. Besides the help which the ancient versions afford, occa- sional aid is to be obtained from such Rabbinical writings as the Talmudim and Midrashim. The Talmud consists of two parts, Mishnah and Gemara. The Mishnah is an embodi- ment of the Oral Tradition; it is said to have been compiled by Rabbi Judah in the second century of the Christian era. It contains, however, the actual sayings of men who lived more than a hundred years before Christ, and claims to include, among others, traditions handed down from Moses. In the Gemara the conclusions arrived at in the Mishnah are discussed by the Amoraim, the sages who succeeded the Tanaim or Mishnah teachers. The explanations of Biblical verses, found in the Gemara, are only odcter dicta, its proper office is to explain the Mishnah. Rab Ashi, in the 4th-5th centuries, collected and condensed the discussions of the Amoraim, and so consolidated the Gemara in much the same form as it now bears, though it was not completed by Rab Abina until cir. 500 A.D. Besides this Babylonian Talmud (Babli), there is also the Talmud Jerushalmi, the compilation of which began in the 3rd century. The Midrash Tillim, to which we occasionally refer, was well known in the first half of the eleventh century ; the antiquity, however, of the tradi- tions contained in it is not adequately indicated by the sup- posed date of its compilation. The most valuable source of exegesis is undoubtedly Rab- binic literature. To the great Rabbinic commentators our Authorized Version really owes most of its deviations from the Vulgate. No one, we may add, can pretend to have grasped the peculiarities of Hebrew thought, or to have entered into the spirit of Bible language, till he has studied these Commentators in their own tongue. Preeminent among the praeclara nomina of Rabbinic exegesis are Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitschak, or Yitschaki, sometimes wrongly called Yarchi, of the 11th century (Rashi); Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra (Ibn Ezra) of Toledo, who died: at the age of 75 in the year 1168 (see MS. Add. 1014. 1. in Camb. Univer- sity Library); and Rabbi David Kimchi, the great Hebrew grammarian and commentator of the 12th-13th centuries. Unfortunately the Greek and Latin Fathers, with the exception of Origen and Jerome, were, on account of their VI. | TITLES OF PSALMS. XXXV ignorance of Hebrew, entirely dependent upon the LXX. (or, later, the Vulgate) translation. Thus, though their works are inexhaustible mines of devotional and homiletic wealth, they are seldom of much aid in the severer task of critical exegesis. CHAPTER VI. TITLES OF PSALMS. IN connection with the interpretation of the Pss., one of 7ités. the greatest difficulties with which the commentator meets is the explanation of the “Titles.” It may be noticed that these superscriptions appear much more frequently in the first three than in the other two books. With regard to Z%eiran- their authority nothing is known; but that they are of great pits antiquity is evident from the fact that the LXX. translators 55:75 found them in the text which they made use of, but were unable to explain them. In many cases, the Titles in the Some au- LXX. differ from those which we now have in the Hebrew ἀφόωρθ he text, but chiefly by way of addition. Like the subscriptions to the Epistles in the N. T., the Hebrew Titles of the Pss. fre- quently record traditions of doubtful authenticity. The Titles are of varied import. Some refer to the style of composition Digerent or give the name of the composer; others give the name of the pions! musician or choir to whom the Ps. was assigned to be sung ie: by in the public services; others, again, refer to the different kinds of music and musical instruments then in use; while others are historical notices of the occasions on which the Psalms were composed. Of the three former classes of superscriptions we now proceed to give an alphabetical list, prefacing our explanations by the remark made long ago by xnowledee Kimchi, that though it doubtless rose to great excellence, yet eee no knowledge of the musical art of the ancient Jews is left to us 4 τις. Interpreta- of the present day. The force of this remark will be felt by zion of the reader, when he sees how various are the conjectural 7%", interpretations of some of the Titles in the following compen- 7°” 374 XXXVI On soprano voices. About hid- den things. Designation of the air. Historical allusion. Allusion to contents of the Ps, PROLEGOMENA. [CHAP. dium, in which these and the various musical and liturgical signs of the Psalter are treated in alphabetical order. Alamoth. In xlvi. H. mindy by αἱ alamédth probably = in soprano, or on virgin voices, aldméth being plur. of almah, “a virgin.” It evidently does not denote the instrumental accompaniment, as some have supposed, but rather the mode of singing. Thus in 1 Chron. xv. 20, 21 we read of the two bands of Levites being appointed to “lead the singing” (A.V. “to excel,” see under Precentor) respectively a/ a’lamdth (1.€. as we suppose “in soprano”) to the accompaniment of “lutes,” and al sh’minith (i.e. probably “in the bass”) to the accom- paniment of “harps.” LXX. in 1 Chron. simply reproduces the Hebrew word ἐπὶ ἀλαιμώθ, but in the Title of xlvi. it rends. al alaméth ὑπὲρ τῶν κρυφίων, connecting it with d/am, ab- scondit. The Targ. refers it to the same root, from which indeed many derive the word a/méh “virgin.” Some regard almooth, ix. Title, and xlviii. 15 (A.V. v. 14, “unto death,”) as equivalent to αὐ a’/démdth in soprano. Al-tashcheth, lvii., lili, lix., Ixxv. H. nnwn-by lit. Destroy thou not, so LXX. μὴ διαφθείρῃς. Probably this was, as Ibn Ezra says, the initial wording of some known song, to the melody of which these Pss. were to be sung, cf. Ayye- leth hash-shachar. The full Title in this case would be al al-tashchéth nnwn->x by; the prepos. a/ “upon” must therefore be understood. The theory that the words refer to David’s magnanimously restraining Abishai from killing Saul, when he used the same verb al-tashchithéhoo, “Destroy him not” (1 Sam. xxvi. 9), is absolutely controverted by the fact that two Pss. which have this Title have additional historical notices appended, which refer them to occasions which were anterior to that event. Ps. lvil. is thus connected with the incident of 1 Sam. xxii. I, and lix. with that of 1 Sam. xix. 11. Others have supposed that a/-tashchéth indicates the burden of the Ps., and implies that the Psalmist being in trouble implores God not to destroy him utterly. So Targ., even in Ixxv., “On account of tribulation, what time David said, Destroy Thou not.” This theory is, however, altogether incompatible with the subject-matter of lxxv. Asaph. Twelve Pss. (1. and Ixxiii—tlxxxiii.) bear the title 10ND 7-Asdph, lit. to Asaph. By Arabic writers the pre- v1. ] LIFELESS OLA ESE MM S. XXXVli position 42 is often used to denote authorship, and so is the Doubtful Hebrew 7’ in Hab. iii. 1, Is. xxxviii. 9, Cant. i. 1. But the J jouiion indefiniteness of this preposition, which may also bear the meanings “concerning” “for” and “[given ] to,” prevents our being certain that such Titles as ?Dédvid, li-’néy Kérach, LAsaph, &c., necessarily imply that David, the sons of Korah, and Asaph, were respectively the writers of the Pss. to which these Titles are prefixed. In the case of /’Dédvid we believe that such is invariably its meaning, though in some instances it is doubtless an erroneous tradition. In the case of /-0’néy Kérach on the other hand, the preposition seems only to indi- cate that the Psalm was delivered to the sons of Korah to be set to music or to be sung; see under Korah. Thus we see that it is possible to ascribe to the title VAsaph at least. two meanings. That Asaph was an az¢hor is apparently shewn ausician or by 2 Chron. xxix. 30, where it is said that, at the restoration ””?”! of the temple services and sacrifices, Hezekiah commanded the Levites to sing praise unto Jehovah “in the words of David and of Asaph the seer.” But, though Asaph may have composed Pss., it does not by any means follow that his compositions have come down to us and are included in the books of Pss. Let us examine the evidence. Pss. ]., Ixxiv., Ixxv., Ixxvi., Ixxviii., Ixxix., and lxxxiii. cannot, we think, for historical reasons (see Introductions to these Pss.) be assigned to Asaph the contemporary of David.. Neither does the national affliction lamented in Ps. Ιχχχ. give any support to the theory of its having been written by the Asaph of David’s time. Ps. lxxxi., as teaching spiritual rather than Wine out of formal obedience, recals Ps.1.; in other respects it resembles 38 panne Pss. Ixxvi. and Ixxviii. which we believe to be post-Davidic, 7 4s¢4# appear to be Pss. Ixxiii., Ixxvii., and Ixxxii. alone furnish us with no internal nee aviadk. evidence of their age. Thus zzze out of the ¢welve Pss. entitled P Asaph appear to be of a date posterior to the age of Asaph the contemporary of David. But some, while admitting that most of these Pss. were not written by the 1 Asaph is again mentioned in connection with David, though without any direct intimation of his being also a Psalmist, in Neh, xii. 46, “In the days of David and Asaph [there were] chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and τ thanksgiving unto God.” Some unwarrantably bring forward this passage as additional evidence that Asaph was a Psalm writer, XXXVIll PROLEGOMENA. [ CHAP. Asaph of David’s time, have maintained a theory that they were written upon the model of Ps. 1., which they assume to be his work. Thus Delitzsch concludes “The later ‘ Psalms of Asaph’, whether composed by later Asaphites or some other person, are inscribed Fond because, by whomsoever, they are composed in the style of Asaph and after Asaphic models. Ps. 1. however is an original Psalm of Asaph.” It is curious to observe how this usually trustworthy commen- tator here suffers himself to be misled by the love of his theory. The following are the special characteristics of “Asaphic Psalms” according to Delitzsch. (1) There. is frequent mention of Joseph and the-tribes descended from him in many of these Pss. (cf. Ixxvii. 15, lxxvili. 9, 67, Theory that ΙΧΧΧ. 1, 2, Ixxxi. 5). This feature is in each instance satisfac- the other Pss. entitled torily accounted for in our Introductions and notes to those UAsaphwere Pgs, It is entirely absent in Ps. 1. (2) These Pss. delight to modelled after Ps. ΛῈΣ untenable, Asaph did not write any Psalms. vary the designations for the people-of God, a point which is surely not peculiar to these Pss., and in which, so far from agreeing with Ps. 1., they utterly differ from it, for there the nation is simply spoken of as “God’s people”, “Israel”. (3) In them the relationship of Jehovah to Israel is set forth under the figure of the\shepherd and his flock rather than any other (cf. Ixxiv. 1, Ixxvii. 20, lxxviii. 52, Ixxx. 1). This feature is entirely absent from Ps. 1., and may be observed in many other Pss. In fact it originates in Gen. xlviii. 15, see Introd. to Ps. lxxx. (4) Del. argues moreover from the use of the Divine Names. “Of compound name of God,” says he, “El Eléhim Y’hévéh (only besides in Josh. xxii. 22) in the Psalter, and E°léhim Tsbddth in the Old Test. Scriptures generally, are exclusively peculiar to them” (i.e. to what he calls the Asaphic Pss.). As a fact the former compound-name occurs in the Bk. of Pss. in Ps. 1. ov/y, and the latter, which occurs in Ps, Ixxx. ozly of the Asaphic Pss., does occur in Pss. lix. and Ixxxiv., which are zo¢ of this number. Thus this theory falls to the ground, and we may now safely affirm that ? Asiph does not imply that the Asaph of David’s time was the author of the Pss. so entitled, nor that they are imitations of an Asaphic model. Let us now en- quire what we are told about Asaph and his descendants. Asaph, although likewise a Psalmist and a Seer (2 Chron. vi. TITLES OF PSALMS. XXXIX Xxix. 30), was by profession a Musician. In 1 Chron. xv. 19, Asaph the xxv. I we read that David appointed Heman the Kohathite, μίαν Asaph the Gershontte, and Ethan (see under Jeduthun) the π15 6 Merarite, as precentors or choir-masters over the three sub- divisions of the fourth division of the Levites, which con- sisted of four thousand who “ praised the LORD with instru- ments” (1 Chron. xxiii. 5). Moreover we have historical indications that the “sons of Asaph” were achoir or musical school, till after the return from the captivity. In 2 Chron. xxix. 13 the sons of Asaph are enumerated among the Levite officials, and we are told in Ezra ii. 41 that after the return from Babylon “the singers, the sons of Asaph” numbered ‘an hundred, twenty and eight.” In Ezra iii. τὸ we read— “the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord after the ordinance of David the king,”—and in Neh. vii. 44, xi. 22 the sons of Asaph are again mentioned as musicians. It is natural to suppose therefore that, after the death of Asaph, his family remained as a musical school in Israel, and that these Pss. entitled DAsaph were delivered to 7%ese Pss. A ᾿ 5 ; . gtven toan the Asaphic School to set to music and to sing in the public Asaghic services, just as after David had brought up the ark from the Se 8 house of Obed-Edom he delivered to Asaph and his brethren “5% the charge of praising Jehovah (1 Chron. xv. 7). We adopt this opinion because it appears to be the more probable one. Here and in the case of the “sons of Korah” we do not deny the possibility of the school or guild of musicians having sometimes composed the Psalm as well as its music. But there is no proof that they did. The name Asaf is used generically for the family of Asaph, just as Aaron is for the family of Aaron in τ Chron. xii. 27, xxvii. 17. The use of the names Judah, Levi, Benjamin, &c. for the tribes descended from them is hardly a parallel. But that of Aavroz is strictly so. The sons of Aaron were appointed to be priests, and therefore the whole priesthood were called “ Aaroz” as well why as “the sons of Aaron.” Similarly the descendants of Asaph Nae being appointed to be musicians were called “ Asaph” as well aA as “the sons of Asaph.” Korah on the other hand did not hold the office of musician; consequently, when his family are spoken of as a then well-known musical guild, it is necessary to designate them as the “sons of Korah.” xl PROLEGOMENA. [ CHAP, Ayyeleth hash-shachar. Ps. xxii. H. 3HWn nbs by al ayyeleth hash-shachar, lit. upon the hind of the dawn. (Concerning the different meanings which may be assigned to the prepos. a/ “upon” see under Mach’lath.) The dif- ferent interpretations of this Title may be placed roughly under two heads, (1) those which connect the word ayyeleth directly with a’ya/ strength and thence he/p; and (2) those which give it its ordinary meaning, /zzd,. Strength of (1) LXX. ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀντιλήψεως τῆς ἑωθινῆς (cf. ver. 19 [20], the dawn | ~ where a’ydloothi is rendd. by ἀντίληψίν pov). Theod. explains = that of the Ys early sacri- the words ἀντιλ. τ. ἑωθ. by the addition of ἡ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Jice ; or of earnest ἐπιφάνεια. Symm. has ὑπὲρ τῆς βοηθείας τῆς ὀρθρινῆς. Targ. ἘΣ ΠΕΣ “Upon the strength of the continual morning sacrifice,” possibly, according to a common Rabbinic custom, giving a pregnant meaning to the word ayye/eth, and connecting it both with a’yd/, strength, and ayzl, a ram, or rather δ᾽ γεν élim, lambs. Menahem Ibn Saruk (afud Rashi) rends, “concerning the strength of seeking earnestly,” which interpr. is certainly most agreeable to the contents of the Ps., and is, moreover, in accordance with meanings found under the roots of the words ayyeleth and shachar. According to usage, however, ayyeleth means “hind,” and shachar “ dawn.” Hind of the (2) Others retain the usual sense of these words, and dawn=the explain the Title figuratively, regarding the zd as the type victim ehous to we of persecuted innocence, and the daww# as denoting deli- elivered ; the actuat verance from distress. Thus some Rabbis interpret it of τῆς Ζζ, Ἐβίμευ, and Kimchi refers it to the congregation of Israel in eae 74 captivity. Luther rends. “of the hind that is early chased,” hey es and refers to the fact that Jesus was taken by night and " brought [early] before the Sanhedrin. Jerome on the other hand explains his “pro cervo matutino” thus “ Ipse (Chris- tus) et non alius, quasi mane et aurora paratus est nobis.” Others explain literally, as though the dawn was the subject of the Psalm. It is noticeable that the Arabic poets speak of the dawn under the figure of a gaze//e, and that in the Talmud the earliest appearance of light is called the “hind of the dawn,” Possibly however the Talmudic diction is in this instance influenced by the expression of the Psalm. Ibn Ezra considers the words “hind of the dawn” to be the | initial words of some well-known song, to the tune of which | | ¢ vi. | TITLES OF PSALMS. the Ps. was to be sung. And this interpretation seems open to fewer objections than most of the others. It may be that the melody entitled “‘ hind of the dawn” was mournful at the commencement, and became more cheerful towards the close. It would thus resemble “the darkest hour before the dawn,” and its retreat before the genial rays of the rising sun. So understood, it would be especially appropriate to the bipar- tite Ps. xxii. Lastly, some (as Rashi) take “‘ the hind of the dawn” as the name of a musical instrument. David. The Title ΤΡ /’Dévid is prefixed to all the Pss. Use of Titi. of Bk. I., except i., ii., x., and xxxili. (which are without any Title), 1.6. to thirty-seven Pss. In Bk. 1. it is prefixed to twenty-one; in Bk. III. to one; in Bk. Iv. to two; and in Bk. v. to seventeen Pss; in all to seventy-eight out of one hundred and fifty Pss. The 7’ in Z’ Dévid indicates author- ship. This is so plain in the majority of cases that we should hardly expect /’Dévid to be used (like 22-S/’léméh in Ps. Ixxii.) in signf. “concerning David.” Such a use however is perhaps discoverable (see Ps. li. Introd.). In most cases these ascriptions of Davidic authorship seem authentic ; in some they are evidently erroneous. The great preponderance of alleged Davidic compositions (which is even greater accord- ing to the LXX. Titles), and the absence in Bk. I. of other ascriptions of authorship, has led to the Book of Pss. being often quoted as “David.” Thus in Heb. iv. 11 ἐν Δαυίδ 7%e Psalter means “in the Psalms.” Thus, too, Chrysostom and other David.” Patristic writers speak of the Pss. as “ David,” and at the end of the A¢thiopic Psalter are the words “ Davidis ended.” In connection with this usage it should be noticed that in the Mistaken Talmud (Pesachim 117. a.) R. Meir gravely asserts that all vibes he the Pss. were written by David, a theory which, within the “* present century, has been supported by Klauss and Ran- degger. The better known Talmudic tradition, however, is, Ratéinical that the book contains, besides David’s Psalms, compositions poco by ten men of old, to wit, Adam the first man, Melchisedec, ” oe Abraham, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, Moses, and the three Pseéms. sons of Korah (vide Kimchi on Pss. /utrod.). Degrees, Song of. See Song. Ethan. One Ps. only, viz. Ixxxix., is entitled {M°N? PEythén, It belongs to the order of compositions called xlil PROLEGOMENA. [cHaP, Ezrachite, masctl, and is entitled “to Ethan the Ezrachite.” This etymolesy °F: term Ezrachite is applied also to Heman (Ps. Ixxxviii.), and comparing 1 Chron. ii. 6 we find that it is a patronymic, Ethan and Heman being the “sons of Zerach,” of the tribe of Judah (see further Ps. Ixxxviii, Introduction). The initial ἐδ E of Ezrachite is not radical, it is prefixed merely from a natural tendency to get rid of initial sibilants; cf. the Chald. words 2.2 22, Gr. στολή. and zst’vatyd, strata viarum, Germ. Strasse. By the LXX. the word £zrdchi “ Ezrachite” is wrongly rendered τῷ Ἰσραηλίτῃ in the Titles of Psalms Ixxxviil., Ixxxix. Ethan was a man famous for intellectual ability, for we read in 1 Kings iv. 31, as a proof of the excel- lence of Solomon’s wisdom, that he “ was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol.” The Titles “to Ethan” “to He- man” are therefore best interpreted as designations of author- ship. Ethan the Psalmist is probably not to be identified Another With Ethan (see Jeduthun) the son of Kushaiah the Merarite, fukay @ — of the tribe of Levi (1 Chron. xv. 17, vi. 29—32). Gittith. H. mnin Sy αἱ hag-gittith, Pss. viii., 1xxxi., 1. Musical \xxxiv. (1) Most commentators take g7¢7/i/h to be the name eee of a musical instrument, and rend. “upon the Gittith.” The from Gath, Tar. which many follow, supposes the Gittith to be a kind wt ae of harp which David brought from the Philistine city Gath, a ‘wine. Rimmon, while others are of opinion that it is an instru- “seat ment constructed after the form_of_a_wine-press (H. gazh). 2. Refersto (2) By others again this Title is supposed to refer to the ene subject-matter of the Psalms to which itis prefixed. Of these David's cir some hold that the Title implies that these Psalms ει shen at to circumstances which occurred to David at Gath. But if ‘ this were the case, surely the Title would be much more © appropriate to xxxiv. and ἵν]. than to viii. lxxxi. and Ixxxiv. 3. Κλ ie aa (3) Others suppose that they were to be sung at the ¢veading erape-tread- Of the wine-press; for we know that the custom of singing ins Jestivi- and shouting for joy on such occasions was prevalent among the Hebrews as well as the Greeks. In this connection the student may compare Is. xvi. 10, Jer. xlvili. 33, with Anacreon, Ode 111. Μόνον ἄρσενες πατοῦσι Σταφυλὴν, λύοντες οἶνον, Μέγα τὸν θεὸν κροτοῦντες ᾿Επιληνίοισιν ὕμνοις. This last-mentioned interpretation has the authority of the LXX., which renders VI. | TITLES OF PSALMS. xliii ὑπὲρ τῶν ληνῶν (Vulg. “pro torcularibus”). The contents, how- ever, of viii. and Ixxxiv. do not lend it the slightest support. Hallelujah. H. πο. Hal’loo-Véh “Praise ye the Psalms . . . eer Tat 7 Lorv.” This is in the original the commencement of ten 7/4" ἐπ “ Psalms. In eight of this number (cvi., cxi., cxii., Cxili., οὐ τος σι CXXxV., Cxlviii., cxlix., cl.) it seems to be a Title or Superscrip- 27a” as a tion, since it is in these Psalms quite independent of the re sense. But in cxlvi. and cxlvii. the words “ Praise ye the As Aart of LORD” are an integral portion of the first verses of those ad id Psalms. In the LXX. seven other Psalms (according to the seven other divisions adopted by that version) have also the Title ᾿Αλλη- 797.75 74, Aovia, viz. 106 [cvii.], 115 [cxvi. 1o—end], 116 [cxvii.], 117 ages [exviii.], 118 [cxix.], 135 [cxxxvi.], 147 [cxlvii. v. 12]. The Z%e Halle. designation “ the Hallelujah Psalms” is commonly applied to ἜΡΩΣ the five last Psalms of the Hebrew Psalter, viz. cxlvi.—cl. The “ Hallel of Egypt” consists of Pss. cxiiiimcxviii. On Tie “Hallet the Paschal evening Pss. cxiii., cxiv. are recited at the 427%", elevation of the Cup of the Haggadah or “ Shewing forth,” eae ΩΣ after the Master of the House has said (the rest repeating the Paschal after him) the words, “ Therefore are we bound to laud and “7.55: praise and glorify Him who...... brought us out of bondage into freedom...... therefore will we sing before Him ‘ Halle- lujah.’” The remaining Psalms of the “ Hallel of Egypt” are recited at the filling of the fourth cup, called the “ Cup of the Hallel, and of the Blessing of the Song.” These are Pss. exv., cxvi. (which latter contains the words “TI will lift up the 7%e eva- cup,” or “receive the cup, of salvation”), and Pss. cxvii. and ΚΦ ΠΣ cxvill., the “ Hosanna” Psalms (cf. the liturgies of 5. James, en S. Basil and S. Chrysostom). Then, after the singing of a nee: hymn, follows the “Great Hallel,” Ps. cxxxvi. Ps. cxxxv. is inéerpreta- also included by some in the Great Hallel. (See further Ps. 79° Creat Ixxxi. Introd.) Hallel” Heman the Ezrachite, author of Ps. lxxxviii., where see ‘Introd. Higgayon. H. }40 Azggdyénx occurs in Ps. xcii. 3 [4], ziegayon. followed by the words “upon the harp,” and in ix. 16 [17], 579902 2%, followed by “Selah.” From the former passage we infer @votes loud that it is a name for some kind of lively music played upon paren stringed instruments. From the latter passage, taking into consideration the triumphant nature of the Psalm, and xliv PROLEGOMENA. [CHAP: especially of the verse which closes with the words higgdyén selah, we conclude that the compound expression denotes a forte burst of joyous music, probably upon stringed instru- ments. Twice elsewhere we apparently find other parts of this subst. Azggdydn. In Ps. xix. 14 [15] we have hegydn Zibbz “the meditation of my heart,’ and in Lament. 111. 62 Others inter- hegyéndm “their device,” scil. that of my enemies. In these pret it as a call to meai- passages the context demands that we should go to the Root tation, Seduthun supposed to, be tdentical weth Ethan theMerarite. haégah, in signf. “ medztate,” for the meaning,and some critics have pursued the same course in interpreting Azggdyén. Thus Kimchi remarks on Ps. ix. τό, “ This help is for us [a subject of] meditation and thankfulness.” (In xcii. 3, however, he explains Aiggdyén to be “the melody of the hymn when played on the harp.”) Mendelssohn in like manner gives meditation, thought, zdea, as the translation. But this line of interpretation is not nearly so suitable to the contexts’ of ix. 16, xcil. 3 as that adopted above. These passages would not be peculiarly suggestive of “meditation ;” but they certainly would demand from the musician a loud exultant accompaniment. We are inclined to think that hegyon is itself a distinct substantival form (see Lowe’s He- brew Students Commentary on Zechariah, p. 108), and that it bears a different signf. from Aiggdyén. The former we take from dgah, in signf. meditatus est; the latter from hagah, in signf. mzemoravit; (which of these signfs. is to be the interpreter of Zegeh in xc. 9, is uncertain). This view is supported by the LXX., which rends. higgdyén seléh in ix. 16 ὠδὴ διαψάλματος (cf. Aq. and Symm.), and higgdyén Octunér in xcil. 3 per ὠδῆς ἐν κιθάρᾳ, but rends. hegyén in xix. 14 μελέτη, and hegyéndm in Lament. iii. 62 μελέτας αὐτῶν. Cf. also Targ., which gives in ix. 16 “let the right- eous sing joyfully for ever,” and in xcii. 3 “upon the joyful song of the harps.” Jeduthun. H. jn) y’doothoon. This word appears in the Titles of Pss. xxxix., lxii., and Ixxvii. It is often assumed without substantial reason that feduthun was another name of than the Levite, of the family of J/ervarz, who, together with Heman and Asaph, was appointed to preside over the Levitical Choir. The facts of the case are these. Heman, Asaph, and Z¢ian are mentioned as being thus appointed vi. ] TITLES. OF PSALMS. xlv by David, in 1 Chron. vi. 31—47, xv. 17, 19. On the other 4 Yeduthun hand we find in 1 Chron. xvi. 37, 41, xxv. I—6, 2 Chron. v. 12, said the xxxv. 15, that Asaph, Heman, and Feduthun are associated %?”7rh040" together as the chief Levitical singers. Never again after 4%, the removal of the Ark to Mount Zion (1 Chron. xv.) do we find mention of the name Ethan. In all the last enumerated passages Jeduthun is mentioned in conjunction with Asaph and Heman; and even as late as Neh. xi. 17, with Mattaniah, a descendant of Asaph, appointed ‘‘the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer,” is associated (apparently in a subordinate capacity) Abda, a descendant of Jeduthun. Two theories have been mooted to meet the difficulty. (1) That “Jeduthun” was a name by which Ethan was known. Thus Keil infers that Jeduthun (from Rt. yddéh, cf. Jeshurun from Rt. ydshar) means simply “ Praise-man,” and was a designa- tion bestowed on Ethan on account of his official functions. (2) That Ethan died or retired, and was succeeded by a musician named Jeduthun, about the time of the removal of the Ark to Mount Zion. With respect to (1) it may be asked at the outset, Why should the title “ Praise-man” have been given exclusively to Ethan, when there were other musicians who fulfilled it would seem precisely the same functions? But further, we have plain indications that “ Jeduthun” was a person be- but ifour longing to a family other than that of Ethan. Ethan was of 7°27“ the family of Merari. Jeduthun is mentioned in 1 Chron. #fvied ΠΡ xvi. 38 as the father of Obed-edom the gate-keeper, and in theMerarite! 1 Chron. xxvi. I—4 we find this Obed-edom classed with the Korahites, who were descendants not of Merari but of Kohath, Merari’s brother. Jeduthun then was descended from Kohath not Merari. He cannot therefore be the same person as Ethan. Theory (2) satisfactorily accounts for the appearance of the name “ Jeduthun” in the later passages in the place of “Ethan” of 1 Chron. vi. and xv., and if it cannot be proven, there is on the other hand nothing to contradict it. Accepting this theory we have now to ask, In what way was Jeduthun connected with the three Psalms cited above? In Ps. xxxix. “To the Precentor to Jeduthun, a Psalm to David,” the Title doubtless denotes that the Ps. was delivered to the Precentor Jeduthun to be sung, or set to music, But xlvi The pre- position in Titles of leit. and lxxvit. presents a difficulty with regard to his con- nection with these Psalms, Possibly a tune, poem or instru- ment, named after Seduthun, ts there meant. lexvit. can hardly have been written 17 Seduthun’s time. Mention of the Korahites elsewhere. As watch- men. As allies of Davia. As door- keepers. PROLEGOMENA. [CHAP, with this Title must be considered those of Ixii. and Ixxvii., whcre we find not nmin Ldoothoon “to Jeduthun,” as in xxxix., but }1n17) by al V *doothoon, LXX. ὑπὲρ ᾿διθούν. The preposition by αἴ would according to usage mean “to the tune of” some well-known song, or “upon” some instrument. The bold assumption has been hazarded that a/ Y’doothoon is equivalent to //doothoon, or that al is a mistake for 7’. It is conjectured however by Ibn Ezra that Jeduthun gave a name to a certain style of poem, and by Rashi that the term here indicates a musical instrument perhaps brought into use by Jeduthun. In the latter case a@7=“upon.” In the former it may be either “to the tune of,” or “according to,” “after the style of,’ “dapres.” Psalms xxxix., lxii. apparently be- long to the Davidic period, in which Jeduthun actually lived. On the other hand, whatever view be taken of the relationship of Ps. Ixxvii. to the book of Habakkuk, it is difficult to conceive that this Ps. was penned at so early a date as that of David’s Precentor. Korah. Eleven Psalms, xlii., xliv.—xlix., Ixxxiv., Ixxxv., Ixxxvii., and Ixxxviii., are entitled mp 930 2 δ᾽ ἂν Kérach “to the sons of Korah.” Korah, the great-grandson of _Leyi and grandson of Kohath (recte A’A@¢h), perished in his rebellion against Moses and Aaron (Numb. xvi.) ; his sons, however, were seemingly not involved in his fate (Numb. xxvi. 11). The Korahites are often mentioned in the course of the history of Israel. In the time of Moses they were watchmen at the entrance of the Levitical camp. It is mentioned in 1 Chron. xii. 6 that the Korahites (D'N7ph) assembled to take David’s part at Ziklag. It is, however, exceedingly probable that these were not the Kohathite Korahites, but the family of Korah the sixth in descent from Judah (1 Chron. ii. 43), and that they espoused David’s cause because they were of the family of Judah. When David in his old age abdicated in favour of Solomon, we read (1 Chron. xxvi. I—19) of two branches of the Korahite family being told off as keepers of the door of the sanctuary. We find also that after the exile (1 Chron. ix. 17, Neh. xi. 19) Korahites were keepers of the temple gates. Once, viz. in the time of Je- hoshaphat (2 Chron. xx. 19), are the sons of Korah (932 on pn, a double plur., see note on lxxxix. 6 δ) mentioned? νι] TITLES OF PSALMS. xlvii as singers, but there is no intimation whatever that they 4s sixgevs. were also Psalmists. Delitzsch accepts the theory of the Korahite authorship of these Psalms. To account for the fact that they are ascribed to a family and not to individuals of that family, he assumes that either the Korahite songs once formed a book of themselves, or else “that it had become a family custom in the circle of the singers among the Korahites to allow the individual to retreat behind the ΖΕ ΟΣ joint responsibility of family unity, they vying with one authorship another to expiate the name of their unfortunate ancestor ©”?“7” by the best liturgical productions” (!). Both assumptions are without any historical foundation. It may be true that /¢s support the LXX. (which renders /Ddvid by τῷ Δαυίδ), by giving for 7X4" pre. PAsdph τῷ ᾿Ασάφ and similarly for Z-d’néy Kérach τοῖς υἱοῖς “#772 Kopé, intended to ascribe Asaphic and Korahite authorship to these sets of Psalms respectively. But the musical notice “to Jeduthun” is rendered in exactly the same way τῷ Ἰδιθούν.Ό And in any case, since the LXX. has proved itself And ifsub- : 5 - - Β - stantial, of utterly incapable of solving difficulties involved in the He- xo grea im- brew Titles, we cannot hold ourselves bound by its testimony. 77” This assumed authority of the LXX., together with a support for the theory supposed to be contained in Ixxxiv. 10 (which, however, in fact tells against it, see Introd. to that Psalm), is all that can be really adduced! in evidence of Korahite 72%:s theory authorship. Nowhere is it ever hinted that any Korahite ae ever composed a single Psalm. © But the sons of Korah were Tie “sons of employed, at all events in the time of Jehoshaphat, as singers ; phe io and with this may be coupled the fact that Heman (not %”8*?* Heman the Ezrachite), one of the three Precentors appointed by David (1 Chron. xxv. 1—5), was himself a descendant of Korah, the grandson of Kohath, son of Levi. All Hemanites, therefore, were Korahites, though all (even Levitical) Korahites were not necessarily Hemanites. Heman had fourteen sons, Further and “all these were under the hands of their father for song emcee this view, 1 The argument drawn from the order of the several clauses in the Titles proves nothing. For if in most of these Titles the ascription ‘‘to the sons of Korah” occupies the same place as ‘‘to David” in Davidic Psalms, viz., after the musical notice, on the other hand it does not do so in xlvi., where we have “To the Precentor, to the sons of Korah, upon a’laméth, a song.” If we attached any weight to the order of the clauses, ‘‘to the sons of Korah”’ should follow the word ‘‘a song”’ to indicate Korahite authorship. xl viii PROLEGOMENA. [CHAP. zwhich ap- pears to be the true one. Four mean- ings of the preposition alin the Titles of the Psalms. 1. “*Con- cerning?’ — “pain to be inflicted,” “* sickness,” ete. 2. “Upon” — a pipe, harp, or other musical instrument: a rendering apparently adopted by LXX., in the house of the LoRD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God” (1 Chron. xxy. 5, 6). There might, therefore, have been no less than fourteen families of professional singers, descendants of Heman, who might fitly be called “the sons of Korah.” And so it is abundantly evident that the interpretation, which under- stands the Psalms entitled ‘To the sons of Korah” to have been given to professional musicians, sons of Korah the Levite, to be swzg, has a historical basis which is altogether lacking to the theory of Korahite authorshif, ‘This inter- pretation we have accordingly adopted. Loves, song of. See Song. Machlath. H. nbnn by αἱ mach’ lath, liii., and (with the addition ΤῚΣ) Z’anndth) \xxxviii. AZ may bear one of four - meanings: (1) Concerning, denoting that what follows indi- cates the swdbject of the Psalm; (2) Ufox some musical in- strument; (3) After i.g. to the tune of; or (4) in a more general sense it may indicate the #zanzer in which the Ps. is to be sung, thus giving an adverbial sense to the word which follows. The word bearing the greatest similarity to mach lath in Bibl. Hebr. is mach’léh (Exod. xv. 26), sickness or calamity. In accordance with this meaning, and taking sense (1) of a/, the Targum in li. rends. “ Concerning the vengeance to be taken on the wicked, who profane the Name of the Lord,” giving (according to custom, see on Ayyeleth hash-shachar) a pregnant meaning to the ambiguous word mach’ lath, and connecting it not only with mach’léh, calamity, but also with hachél, to profane. Rashi, on liii., gives “ Con- cerning the sickness of Israel, when the Temple is laid in ruins,” and on Ixxxviii. “Concerning one szck with love [i.e. pining for his country and the Temple-worship], and afflicted; who is afflicted [interpr. of /’av2é¢h] with the trials of the captivity.” Taking sense (2) of a/, some have supposed that mach’lath is the name of an instrument (=cha/il a pipe) from Rt. chalal, perforavit, as micsath “number” from Rt. cédsas. Gesenius gives céthara as the rendering of mach’lath, from the cognate Eth. root meaning ceciwit. The LXX., though unable to explain the word, perhaps understood it as the name of an instrument. It renders ὑπὲρ μαελέθ (with the addition in — νι. TITLES OF PSALMS. xlix Ixxxvill. of τοῦ ἀποκριθῆναι, 1.6. anndth). We have preferred to regard mach’lath as denoting the instrument on which the music which accompanied the Ps. was to be played, and we think the derivation from Rt. chd/lal, ferforavit, is the most substantial. Of other interpretations it may be noticed that some, in accordance with sense (3) of a/, interpret al mach’lath to 3. “After,” mean to the tune of some doleful song beginning with the ane word mach’ lath “sickness,” or, as Ibn Ezra suggests, mzach’- © S078 be- ginning with lath libbi or goophi, “the sickness of my heart” or ‘“‘of my ¢e word body.” In the first case mach’lath is taken as an instance rea of the rare fem. absol. form in a¢h, cf. 7’g¢nath (1xi.). Lastly, taking a/ in sense (4), Delitzsch regards a/ mach’- lath as equiv. to mesto,; others, referring to the Ath. root, as 4. “Accord- equiv. to dolce or cantabile, while Targ. of Ixxxviii., taking ae Sena the Root in signf. Zo pray (cf. Ixxvii. 10, note 1 ὁ), rends. ad ”7s%a! mach’lath Cannéth “after the manner of a prayer, to be sung.” Mascil. H. 5 Ὁ mascil is the Title of thirteen Ps, Viz. xxxil., xlii., xliv., xlv., liiilv., Ixxiv., Ixxviil., Ixxxviii., Ixxxix., cxlii. Once it is used in the text of a Psalm (in xlvii. 7[8]). Here the A.V. gives it an adverbial sense “Sing ye praises with understanding” (LXX. συνετῶς). As a Title, Apparently mascil is generally interpreted to mean A didactic poem Wirers ας (LXX. συνέσεως or εἰς σύνεσιν). This interpr., though appli- ὑπ ὅταν: cable to xxxil. and Ixxviii., is hardly appropriate to the Ace. others, and especially not to cxlii., which is moreover entitled “A prayer.” ~Hence- Gesenius supposes that this special word was afterwards transferred to other kinds of odes. Davidson favours the opinion that this noun wasc?/ was used to designate any kind of poem, just as the Arab. "YW shir This mean- (not to be confounded with the H. Ww shér, see under Song) 2225” properly stands for zz¢el/igentia and afterwards for foeszs. This analogy, however, would favour the use of the H. séced, rather than of szasci7, in the signf. “A poem.” There is no solid ground for Rashi’s assumption (adopted by Clericus and Delitzsch) that there is an “allusion to the Mascil Psalms in 2 Chron. . . . ree XAX. 22 (Ω72- 2 Chron. xxx. 22,” or that it is “the Levite musicians who not de cited are called hal-Vuiyytm ham-mascilim sécel 166. la-Whivéh Y@2Y, tllustration. la Peo δ 4 ] PROLEGOMENA., [CHAP. (“the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the LorD,” A.V.), so that the words should mean “the Levites who played skilfully, with delicate tact, to the LORD.” In this passage there is no express mention of music; the words quoted above probably mean merely “the Levites who gave an intelligent attention to their duties before the LORD.” It is probably, however, from this passage that the Targ. gets its siclé 2 “good understanding” as a rendering of masci/. Primarily sasct/ is a partic. meaning “one who medtates” (Prov. xvi. 20), or “gtves due consideration” (Ps. xli. I, cvi. 7,2 Chron. xxx. 22). The transition to med¢tation, conside- ration has an analogy in the word mashchith, which means first that which destroys, but also bears the signification destruction. On the whole we decide that szasct/ must refer rather to the style of the composition than to the manner of setting it to music, and that the interpretation “instructive composition” is probably the fundamental meaning of the term; but in what technical signification this was applied to the various compositions so entitled in the Psalter it is im- possible to determine. Mictam. H. ON5 mictdm, xvi., lvi.—Ix., in six Titles in all. LXX. orndoypadia or εἰς στηλογραφίαν, Targ. sculptura recta. The partic. of the verb which is the root of this word is used in Jer. il. 22, “thine iniquity is #zarked (or emblazoned) Means pro before me.” The question then is, Why should these Psalms ee er in particular be worthy of being “emblazoned”? We think emblazoned. that Dr C. Taylor in his Gospel ix the Law, pp. 136—142 These poems has hit upon the reason. Pss. lvi.—lx. refer to “most note- mush well worthy crises” in the life of David; and he publicly records treatment. his spiritual experiences on those striking occasions in the five “monumental” Pss. Ps. xvi., although we cannot refer it with certainty to any particular incident in his life, is no less “monumental”, as a confession of that faith in God with which David encountered all his vicissitudes of fortune. Gesenius connects mzctdm with mictab, “writing” (e.g. of Hezekiah, Is. xxxviii. 9), declaring the primary meaning of the roots of both words to be zzczdere. This is probably correct Mictam dis- as far as it goes. But it is at least reasonable to suppose tinguishable 5 ae - fromthe that there is some distinction between the two words, and rindred |, this view has been taken by Dr Taylor. “There is the same vi. ΤΥ OF PSALMS. li kind of difference,” says he, “between mictdm and mictdad, as between zuscripizo and scriptio, or between στηλογραφία and γραφή." Others interpret it as carmen aureum, connect- ing it with cethem, “fine gold.””. The Rabbinical explanation Other inter- that it is an abbreviation for mM INDO mim-maccdthd ?”"r"™ tammah, “after his wound was healed,” is both arbitrary and inappropriate. Neither does the derivation of the word from Arab. catama, celavit, render us the slightest assistance. Mooth labben. H. wd nyo-by al-mooth lab-bén in ix. only. Some, taking a@/ in the sense “concerning,” suppose Concerning the Title to denote the subject of the Psalm. Thus Targ. Fw rends. “concerning the death of the man who came forth ne from between the armies,” i.e. Goliath, who is called int Sam. φ ‘the son.’ xvil. 4 “ish hab-bénayim,” i.e. the man of the μεταίχμιον or space between the two armies, ἔνθα ἦν τὸ μονομάχιον. Some of the Rabbis, regarding ind /ab-bém as a transposition for S39 Wabal Keck npn in I Sam, xix. 20 for nbnp), suppose that this is a triumphal song over the death of the churl Nabal. Others interpret this Title ‘‘concerning the death of the son,” 1.6. of Absalom, a very unnatural and improbable supposition when we consider the sorrow which David actually felt upon that occasion. If @/ refers to the manner 70 the tune in which the Ps. was to be put to music, the words sooth lab- Pie bén “die for the son,” or “death is for the son,” or changing ““#: the pointing, mdveth libben “death makes white” (with this last cf. Rashi), may be the first words of some song, now lost, to the tune of which this Ps. was to be sung. Others 4Zmo0th Bo : Nuc 5 possibly a take a/-mooth as one word (as it is written in some copies, Corruption see Rashi), and supply a/ before it. Thus the LXX. and % weet, a Vulg. rend. ὑπὲρ τῶν κρυφίων τοῦ υἱοῦ, “pro occultis 611]. /vonred by It might perhaps be conjectured that a/mooth wasmerelya corruption for a’/dmdth (“ soprano ?”), but as to the meaning of the word following, or how it is to be connected with a/éméth, it is then impossible to decide. It has been supposed indeed that 7 én should be read for /ad-bén, Bén being taken as the Laé-bex ae : 6 however name of a musician supposed to be mentioned in 1 Chron. xv. yemains une 18, so that “[given] ¢o δῶν [the musician]” is the meaning. are It is probable, however, that in that passage the word Bén “ame Ben the re : . 3 : in τ Chron. owes its insertion to a scribe’s mistake; the name Zechariah, αὖ. 10 is ? ? 4—2 ΠῚ PROLEGOMENA. [crap. possthly corrupt. Nehiloth probably = “flutes,” in which case the peculiar use of the pre- position ts accounted jor. Others tn- Zerpret tt of an “in- heritance,” “swarm of enemies,” “swarm of bees.” Upon stringed instruments, Always connected with other musical in= scriptions. The form nginath. The initial word of some song. which precedes it in v. 18, being followed in v. 24 by the name Benaiah. Moses. One Psalm only, viz. xc., is assigned traditionally to Moses. It is entitled “A Prayer of Moses the man of God.” Nehiloth. H. mibyns-by: e/-han-n’chiléth in Ps. v. only, probably =“ Zo the accompaniment of flutes,” n’chiloth being another form of c/’/édim “flutes.” The prep. δ. “to” is in this case more appropriate than δ᾽ or a/ “upon,” because as Redslob, quoted by Del., observes, the singer cannot play the flute at the same time, but can only sing to the playing of another. The LXX. takes this Title to denote the subject of the Ps. and rends. trép τῆς κληρονομούσης (Vulg. “pro ea quze hzereditatem consequitur”), connecting the word 7’chi- loth with nach’ lih “an inheritance.” Rashi, referring to the Talmudic wchil “a swarm,” interprets the words thus— “concerning the swarms (or troops) of enemies which came against Israel,” and supports this use of the root in Bibl. Hebr. by the expression xzach’léy Pliyyaal in xviii. 5, which he understands to mean “the troops of wicked men.” Others, comparing with this word w’chil “a swarm” the Arab. nachl “ bees,” consider that ef 2’chiléth means “to a melody resembling the hum of bees”; others again suppose it to indicate that the Ps. is to be sung to the tune of some song which treats of bees. Nginoth. H. n339192 d2-n’gindth, iv., vi., liv., lv., Ixvii., Ixxvi., and once (1xi.) ny al-wginath. LBi-wginoth means 22.071 stringed instruments, cf. the verb xiggén, pul- savit fides. At the end of Hab. iii. we find also 2-7’ gindthay “upon my stringed instruments.” In every case this Title is preceded by lam-m’natstséach “to the Precentor,” denoting that the Psalm is given to the chief musician, to be sung to an accompaniment of stringed instruments. In Ps. vi. it is followed by al hash-sh’minith, shewing that it is to be sung in a low octave. In Ps. lxi. 2’ginath is probably (cf. Machlath) a sing. fem. absol. form. It may be generic in meaning, so as to be virtually equivalent to 42-7’ gidth, or it may denote a single stringed instrument. Del. supposes that the word ’gizazh is the initial word of some song, and -that a/-n’ginath means to the tune of this song; cf. Ayye- vi.] TITLES OF PSALMS. hii leth. LXX. rends. a/-wginath and b:-n’gindth in every Psalm (except iv., where it has ἐν ψαλμοῖς) by ἐν ὕμνοις, cf. Ixxvii. 6 [7], where the sing. γ᾽ gizdh mcans “a song.” Precentor. H. myo m’natstséach occurs in fifty-five Titles of the Psalter, and in Hab. iii. 19. The Rt. udé¢sach Various primarily means “shone” (cf. ¢séchach and mdtsach, netutt, ΣΕ Ὁ Arab. phatsacha, purum fuit). Thence it comes to betoken superiority and presidency (as in mnatsts’chim “overseers,” 2 Chron. ii. 2, cf. Syr. watsiché, tllustris, λαμπρός, Chald. wtsach, vicit), and from this is evolved the notion of rm continuance (as in the common Hebr. expression /d-netsach “for ever”). The only passage in which the verb 15 used in Used in direct connection with music is 1 Chron. xv. 17—21, where @vection. we find that Heman Asaph and Ethan were appointed to ΤῈΣ Chron. sound aloud with cymbals, while eight other musicians with lutes, and six others with harps, were Z’xatstséach [A.V. “to excel”, the former in soprano and the latter in bass. In this passage /’xatstscach seems to mean “to take the /ead in music,” to act, in fact, as the professional musicians, and lead the congregational singing, while Heman Asaph and Ethan accompanied it with their cymbals. This use in 1 Chron. suggests that the Title Zam-s’natstséach probably means that Prodadie the Pss. so entitled were to be committed to the overseer or Tie” of leader of a choir, and that it may be rendered “ Zo the Pre- centor.” The Targ. always renders Jam-m’nuatstséach by Renderings Dshabbachd, i.e. “to sing,” as though it were an Aramaic a) eae Infinitive, 7’atstsdchoo being the form of a Syriac Infin. Pael. (Infinitives beginning with zz do actually occur in Hebr. e.g. Numb. x. 2). The interpr. of the verb in the Targum was decided probably by a similar understanding of Z’xatstséach in 1 Chron. xv. 21. For the sense “to sing,” as belonging to this verb, cf. Syr. 2’tsooché, vox clara, and Arab. pha-tsucha, claro sermone fuit, It is clear that the Targumists under- stood that Psalms inscribed lam-m’natstséach were specially intended to be swag. LXX. always has εἰς τὸ τέλος (Vulg. “in finem”), the rendg. it gives elsewhere for nya Zé-netsach “for ever,” with which word dam-m’natstséach was doubtless confounded. The Chald. verb w’tsach, vicit, seems to have misled the other versions: Aq. in Ps. iv. rends. τῷ νικοποιῷ, Symm. gives ἐπινίκιος, and Theod. εἰς τὼ νῖκος. liv Only once stands by itself. Distinction between “Psalm” and “ Song.” Sometimes connected with the object of the Psalm. This term has given nante to the whole book. PROLEGOMENA. [crraP. Psalm. H. 319 mzzmdr, from zammér “to make music,” occurs in the Titles of 56 Pss., generally accompanied by the name of the author (as mizmér [David Ps. iii. V’Dévid mizmér Ps. Χ].), or by “To the Precentor,” or by the name of the musical school to which the Psalm was delivered. In the title of xcvili. #z¢zm26r occurs alone, which doubtless accounts for that Psalm being called in the Talmud “the orphan Mizmor.” J/¢znér (correctly rendd. ψαλμός by LXX.) refers to the music; shiv “a song” (LXX. #67) rather to the wording of the composition. This distinction is per- haps not always strictly adhered to. In xlviii., Ixvi., Ixxxiii., Ixxxviil., cviil., we find the combination shir, mizmér, “a song, a Psalm,” and in lxvii., Ixviii., Ixxxvii., these words occur in reverse order, mzzmér, shir. In xxx. “a Psalm, a song of the dedication of the House,” and in xcii. ‘a Psalm, a song for the Sabbath day,” the proper distinction between muizmor and shir seems to be brought out. On the other hand, in Ps. c., since music is most expressive of joy and gratitude, the word szzzmér is appropriately connected with the object of the Psalm, mismédr P’thédéh “a Psalm for thanksgiving.” This latter Delitzsch, according to the ana- logy of ’hazctr (see under To bring to remembrance), inter- prets as a Psalm to accompany the “Thank-offerings.” But to make the analogy perfect, either we ought to have here ’hédbth to correspond to /’hazcir, or there we should have Lazcéréh corresponding to the /’¢hédah of this Psalm. Psalm of Praise. H. monn 2hiliéh LXX. Aiveots. Ps. cxlv. is the only one which bears the Title, yet it is from it that the whole book of Psalms is called in Hebr. sépher T’hillim, or T’hilléth (Euseb. σέφηρ θιλλήν, Jer. sefer tihit- lim), i.e. “Book of Praises;” or simply Z°Azllim, Tzllim, or Tillé, i.e. “Praises.” In the Syr., however, the book gets its name from the word m7zzmér, “Psalm,” and is called ¢’¢hdb6 a’ maszmooré, “the book of Pss. ;” similarly in the LXX., from the word ψαλμός, the rendg. given for mzzzad7, comes the appellation of the book, YAAMOI, whence (in S. Luke xx. 42, Acts i. 20) the designation βίβλος ψαλμῶν. The word ψαλ- τήριον, whence “Psalter,” is properly the name of a musical instrument, called f’santerin in Chaldee, in A.V. “ psaltery,” Dan. ili. 10. vi.] TITLES OF PSALMS. lv Selah. H. 7D sedéh is certainly a musical sign, and only occurs in those Pss. which have “to the Precentor,” or mizméor “a Psalm” (both indications of a musical accompa- niment) prefixed to them, and in the Prayer of Habakkuk, which has “to the Precentor” at the end. But with regard to its interpretation there is the greatest divergence of opinion. LXX. (followed by Theod., Symm., Syr.) has διάψαλμα, a word which has perplexed the commentators of all ages. Delitzsch compares διαύλιον, the interlude of the flutes be- tween the choruses, and the phrase διαψάλλειν τριγώνοις (in frag. of Eupolis). Διάψαλμα would thus mean a musical in- terlude, perhaps of a forze character. If we take this mean- ing and apply it to se/éh (deriving it from Rt. “bp sadal, sustultt,) we come to the conclusion that se/éh denotes a lifting wp of the music, i.e. a musical interlude, especially of a forte quality. The latter point however is not always to be pressed. The word seems frequently to occur where there is some transition of thought in the mind of the Psalm- ist (cf. the interpr. of διάψαλμα ap. Greg. Nyss., μεταβολὴν τοῦ νοήματος), making it natural that the accompanying instru- ments should play an interlude. The character of the interlude would be determined by the subject-matter of the verses which preceded and followed it, and be left to the taste of the Precentor. Thus in Ps. Ixxxix. (the only one in which it occurs four times) we have three uses of it. Inv. 4 it would seem to stand for maestoso, forte; in v. 37 it would denote the whole transition from this to mesto, Piano; in vv. 45, 48 it can stand for nothing but mes¢o. Still, in the greater number of places in which it occurs it is doubtless a triuuiphant note, more especially of praise to Jehovah. In this sense it occurs even in the middle of a verse, lv. 19 [20], Hab. iii. 9, or interrupting the sense, Ixviii. 7 [8], 32 [33], Hab. iii. 3. But it is of little use endeavouring to explain such a term theoretically; let a musician but enter into the spirit of the Psalm, and his feeling will usually tell him how to render σελ. seléh from Rt. shalah, guievit (Syr. 5116, cessavit), or from Rt. sdléh, “was suspended” (used in Pual, Job xxviii. 16, in signf. “be weighed’), and to take it as meaning “a cessation of the singing.” But, other considerations apart, the fact of its Selah only occurs in contpositions intended to be set to MUSIC. Denotes a musical interlude, especially of a forte character. Etymology 97 the word. Also often a transition of thought. The nature of the interlude varies. Instances in Psalne CLA ΣΟ, Ὁ It has been proposed to derive Other proposed derivations of the word. Supposed by some to be an abbre- viation. Renderings of Targum, Talmud, Ag., Synimt., Ferome. Expresses irregularity of theme or rhythm. Other inter- pretations, In the bass. PROLEGOMENA. [CHAP. occurring sometimes at the end of a Psalm (as in iil, ix., xxiv.), prohibits this meaning, as the singing would naturally come to a close at that point without any special indication. Others take se/éh as representing the initial letters of the Hebr. awn mbyyd ap “Return to the beginning, O Singer” (in the same manner as Radak stands for Rabbi David Kim- chi), 1.6. as equiv. to da cafo; others for ΡΠ ΡΣ ΞΘ “A sign to change the voice,” cf. the explan. of διάψαλμα given by Suidas μέλους ἐναλλαγή, and Theod.’s μέλους μεταβολή. Others explain it mbnpon mys jo “A sign for anti- phonal singing” or DYNA 53» yD “A sign for all the people.” Against all these interpretations the objections may be made that we do not*know that this style of abbreviation is ever used in Bibl. Hebr. Even if it is, the true key to its interpre- tation is lost, and all such decipherings are the merest con- jecture. The Targ. always rends. seléh by lalmin “for ever,” 2al’ méy almin “for ever and ever,” or words of similar import, and so Talmud passim. This interpretation reap- pears in Aquila’s ἀεί, and the διὰ παντός and εἰς τέλος of the Quinta and Sexta. Symm. in lii. 5 [7], and Theod. in ix. 16 [17], and both in Hab. iii. 13, give similar rendgs., and Jerome interprets sedai by “semper.” Neither etymology nor reason give the least support to this explanation. Shiggayon. H. }3w shiggdyén only in Ps. vii. (the plur. is in Hab. iii. 1), from shdgéh, erravit perhaps =“‘cantio erra- tica,” i.e. a poem in which the feelings expressed are variable and the rhythms irregular; Ewald renders it by the German Taumellied. Lee calls it an Elegzac, comparing the Arab. shagiyun, “mzerore et anxietate pressus.” Wahl compares the Syr. soogithd “a song,” from saggi, cecinit. Gesenius men- tions the Arab. shagiyun, in the sense “suavzs, de cantu et musica,” and suggests that hence shiggdyém may mean cantus suavis, but he adds ‘sed dubito, nam hic usus arabicus tum rarior tum recentior videtur esse.” LXX. has ψαλμός. In Habakkuk it renders al Shigydndth pera ῳδῆς. Shminith. H. ΠΡ) Sy, αἱ sh’minith occurs in Pss. vi. and xii. and 1 Chron. xv. 21 only. It probably means “in a lower octave,” or “in the bass,’ and is thus just the reverse of the modern 8va.. See Alamoth. Some take vi. | TITLES OF PSALMS. lvil sh’ minith to be an instrument with eight strings. LXX. has ὑπὲρ τῆς ὀγδόης, Vulg. “pro octava.” Shoshannim and Shooshan. H. jw1w’ shooshdn (plur. shéshannim) means in Hebr. and the kindred dialects “ Zities” “a lily,” cf. the ancient Egyptian word seshuzz. In the Titles Fe ED of xlv. and lxix. we have a/ shéshannim, which might mean “ After” [the melody of some song beginning with the word] “Lilies.” Some however suppose shdshannim to be instru- Referring to ments shaped like lilies, cf. Gittith. In Ix. we have ad {je shape of shooshan édooth (? to the tune of the song “ Lily of the Testi- ge mony”). We find in Ixxx. the variation e/ shéshannim, words of édooth, in which the punctuation is probably erroneous, the ee words being practically equivalent to e2 shédshannim |shd- shannéy| édooth, and thus perhaps admitting of the explana- tion “To the tune The Lilies [viz. the lilies of] the Testimony.” Some connect shéshannim with shésh “six,” and édooth with Connection Arab. ood “a lyre,” and take shooshan édoothand shéshannim on ee édooth to mean a six-styinged lyre. Michaelis connects pets Gia édooth with the Syr. 2ωδ “‘a feast,” and supposes that Ix. and lxxx. were sung on certain annual Feast-days. In xlv. and Renderings Ixix. the LXX. rends. al shéshannim by ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοιωθη- “ epee ge σομένων, Vulg. “pro iis qui commutabuntur”; in Ixxx. the same rendgs. are given (the word édooth being taken with the VAsdph following it). In 1x. al shooshan édooth is rendd. τοῖς ἀλλοιωθησομένοις ἔτι, Vulg. “pro his qui immutabuntur.” Doubtless the Title was understood to be in some way con- nected with the Rt. shéndh “ changed.” Solomon. Only two Pss. (Ixxii. and cxxvii.) are entitled “To Solomon.” This need not denote authorship, see In- troductions to these Pss. Song. H. Ww shiv. This word when occurring in a Generally Title generally has mdzmér preceding or following it (see “vee” Psalm): in Ps. xlvi. “127 stands alone. In the Title of Ps, 4/207 xviii. we find the expression ‘the words of this song” (shiréh as in Deut. xxxi. 30, xxxil. 44, 2 Sam. xxii. 1). Properly the word mzsmér ‘‘Psalm” refers to the music, and shir “Song” to the words, subject-matter, or intention of the séictly Poem. Thus xxx. is called “a Psalm, a song of the dedica- OSE LN tion of the House,” and xcii. “a Psalm, a song for the Sabbath see? 3 3 a s spoons matter of day.” Ps. xlyv. is entitled shir y’didéth A song of loves. ‘He Psalm. lvill PROLEGOMENA. [CHAP. Connection The adj. y’didéth is in fem. plur., and is therefore rendd. by ee ix Hengst. “ Beloved ones,” scil. the king’s daughters mentioned Psalm xl. jy the Psalm. But the fem. plur. is often used in a neuter sense in Hebr., so that shiv y’didéth may mean, A song of things loveable, lovely (Ixxxiv. 1), or beloved. Delitzsch says rightly that it does not signify a marriage-song; this would be shir cl’ thunndah (cf. “song of dedication” in Ps. xxx.). Nor does it signify a secular erotic song. To indicate this, the ex- pression shir a’gédim, Ezek. xxxiil. 32, or even (after Ezek. xvi. 8, and other passages) shiv dédim, would be used.” Some take y’didéth as a collateral form of y’didooth (“love” and metonymically “az object of love,’ Jer. xii. 7), thus Aq. dopa προσφιλίας. There is also another Title containing the word shir “song,” which has been variously interpreted by iit han= commentators; by the A.V. it is rendercd A song of de- “degrees.” grees, H. mibyon wey shir hammaa loth, lit. A Song of the goings up. Each of the Pss. cxx.—cxxxiv. bears this Title (except cxxl. which has shir lam*maa@loth A Song for the goings up). LXX. gives od) τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν, Vulg. canticunt graduum, Theod. dopa τῶν ἀναβάσεων, Aq. and Symm. 67 eis Tas ἀναβάσεις. (1) Ewald calls these Pss. “Songs of the (1) Perhaps Pilgrim caravans,” meaning that they are the songs, some Estes eed new and some old, which the Jews sang on their journey up ει “’ from Babylon. This return from Babylon is called in Ezra Babylon. Vil. 9 ham-maalih mib-Babel “The going up from Babylon,” and by the Fathers ἡ ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος ἐπάνοδος. The use of the plur. “ goings up,” instead of the sing. in the Titles of these Psalms, might be accounted for by the fact that two bodies of Jews came up from Babylon, one in the reign of Cyrus (Ezra ii.), and the other in the reign of Artaxerxes (Ezra viii.). Most of these fifteen Pss. are appropriate to such an occasion; (2) Orin — CXX., CXXil., CXXVI.,, Cxxxiv. sare the least ΞΟ (2). Maurer Hie stad Hengst. and others suppose these ‘‘ Songs of the goings up” tae to have been sung by the Jews as they went up to Jerusalem at the three great feasts, in the time of the second temple. (3) It és (3) In the Talmud (Middoth ii. 5, Succa 154), we read “on weentioned 4 - ἢ in Talmud, the 15 steps which led from the women’s court to the men’s é&c. that the court, corresponding to the 15 songs of degrees, stood the number of these os Levites, with their musical instruments, and sang.” Here, in corresponds . γϑ a tothenumber Correction of modern assumptions, it should be observed that v1. | ΟΣ OF PSALMS. lix it is not said that the Pee were iam ἜΝ the debe nor that Oe oe in (ΟΥ̓ ΖΕ 172 the Levites sang ¢hese Pss. upon the steps, though both these rents ix explanations have been drawn as inferences from the passage hoe τῷ by medizeval commentators. Indeed, elsewhere in the Tal- pe mud the Title “song of degrees” is accounted for in quite a of the nam. different manner (sce Rashi on cxx.). In the “ Gospel of the birth of Mary” we find a passage (iv. 2) which agrees with that which we have quoted from the Talmud, except in its referring to a different flight of steps. The words are as follows, “There were about the temple, according to the Jifieen Psalms of degrees, fifteen stairs to ascend, for, the temple being built on a mountain, the altar of burnt offering, which was without, could not be come near but by stairs.” Hippolytus and Hilary, on the other hand, refer to the 15 steps leading from the court of the Priests to the Holy of holies. (4) Gesenius thinks that the Title refers to the in- (4) 7%e ternal structure of these Psalms, in which a word ora thought ve al expressed in one verse is taken up and enlarged upon in the Se ie next, the verses thus moving step by step to a climax. It ὉΠ ΦΈΡΩΝ may be observed however that this style is not confined to composed. these 15 Pss., neither is it noticeable in all of them. (5) Luther 97 (5) ze the Manner 271 rends. the Title “Ein Lied im aap Chor,” which some ex- which they Ε : were to be plain to mean “‘in louder tones” or “in chorus” (cf. 2 Chron. suze. xx. 19 “with a loud voice wpwards”, H. ’md’léh), but Bakius (ap. Del.) “cantores harum odarum stetisse in loco eminen- tiore.” See further Ps, cxx, Introd. To bring to Remembrance. H. 7 31n5 LVhaszcir, Pss. xxxvill. and Ixx. The Septuagint rends. εἰς ἀνάμνησιν, and in xxxvill. adds περὶ σαββάτου, and in Ps. Ixx. eis τὸ σῷσαί pe Κύριον. This latter may perhaps give the real interpr. of the Title, viz. that it denotes a Ps. in which the writer, being in Meaning to great distress, calls on God to remember him and save him: 7277" so Rashi. The M’tsoodath David however takes it as mean- ing “to remind one who is crushed with trials, to pray to Or to remind God with such words as those of these Pss.” Delitzsch sup- I alas poses that Pss. xxxviii. and Ixx. were to be recited at the σα. offering of the azcarah (LXX. ἀνάμνησις), a handful of meal Supposed taken from the mzzcéh or “meal offering” (A.V. “meat- Py offering”), and mixed with some of the oil and the whole of the incense, and then burnt by the priest upon the altar. Ix _PROLEGOMENA. [curar. We do not however see "π΄ in the contents of these Pss. appropriate to such an occasion. Whatever may be the meaning of the Title, there is probably a reference to this Psaims “to species of Psalm in 1 Chron. xvi. 4, where David is said to inn aha have appointed certain “ of the Levites to minister before the “ela ark and to record (’hazcir), and to thank and to praise in Chron. (Uhallél, cf. ?hillak, Psalm of Praise) the LorD God of Israel.” This passage rather militates against the sacrificial ica a use of the word, as far at least as negative evidence goes, as support the Wwe do not know that there were any priests left ‘before the eal ark” in Zion, or that there were any sacrifices there: the mse, sacrificial worship was continued at the “ Tabernacle in the high place which was at Gibeon,” cf. 1 Chron. xvi. 37—40. To teach. H. 1095 Z’lamméd “ to teach,” as a Title, occurs in Ps. lx. only. In 2 Sam. i. 17, 18 we read, “ And David lamented this lamentation over Saul and over Jona- than his son; and he commanded to teach (/’lamméd) the children of Judah the bow, &c.:” then follows a dirge. This dirge, in which the word “ bow” occurs once, has been called in modern times “the song of the bow.” It may be observed however that the words “shield” and “sword” are also found in it, and it might apparently be with equal propriety Skee ie termed the “song of the shield ” or “of the sword.” As- with regard SuMing, however, that this dirge was called by the Hebrews Le song “the song of the bow,” and combining this assumption with τιν ΞΥΙΚΑ the fact that it is said in v. 18 that David “commanded to —27. teach the children of Israel the bow,” some have inferred that the dirge was to be sung at bow-practice. By a wide stretch of fancy /’/amméd in Ps. |x. is connected with this use, and that Ps. is supposed to have been sung “at the practice of arms,” cf. Del. But it seems to us that there is no solid ground for affirming such an use even of the so-called “song of the bow.” It is declared that David expressed his grief at the death of Saul and Jonathan in the dirge 2 Sam. 1. 19—27. It is also said in the verse preceding that he gave orders to teach the children of Judah the bow (2 Sam. i. 18). Evidence ‘The connexion of the statements is lost to us, but their com- Migs, one bination gives no evidence whatever that the dirge in which ace Saag David lamented was to be sung at the bow-practice. On the asongwas other hand, in Deut. xxxi. 19 we find that Moses was com- vi. | TITLES OF LSALMS. Ixi manded to write a certain song and to teach (2’Zamméd) it to a custom the children of Israel. Possibly the song alluded to is that εἰ Ses os contained in Deut. xxxii., but whether it be so or no, this pas- sage is sufficient to prove that the custom of teaching a song was not unknown among the Israelites, a fact which the pas- sage from Samuel, usually cited, does by no means satisfac- torily substantiate. Ps. lx., we may infer therefore, was de- signed 20 de taught, either to the children of Israel generally, or, which is more probable, to some noted school of music. Yonath elem rchokim. H. om obs noy-by al-yé- To the air nath élem rchokim (Ps. lvi.), i.e. to the tune of ‘ The silent eee dove of those afar off” or “ of far-off places” (Aq. ὑπὲρ περισ- Tepas ἀλάλου μακρυσμῶν), or according to Olshausen who suggests the reading é/im “terebinths” for é/em “silence,” “The dove of the distant terebinths.” Some, as Kimchi, Proposed suppose the dove to be a figure for the Jewish nation, when ταίρι. in captivity, and therefore far removed from the sanctuary Jsraedin and unable to sing the songs of Zion ; in which case a/ would ae mean “concerning.” This seems to have been the view taken & “¢ dove. by LXX. ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων μεμακρυμμένου, and by Symm., who has φύλου ἀπωσμένου. The Psalm bearing this Title is perhaps (according to a custom of the compilers, which is observable in numerous instances throughout the Psalter) placed after lv., because in lv. 6 David says “O that Psaturs I had wings as ¢he dove! 1 would fly away and be at rest. ©6777" sinilar Lo, I would take a dzs¢ant flight, I would remain in the wil- τυογεῖς and se : : δα »ε5510715 derness.” It is just possible that Ps. lv. is the song called ave often “The silent dove of far-off places,” for though it was ὙΠ εν τ posed after Ps. lvi., yet it may have been written before 216 /s4¢#7- David delivered lvi. into the hands of the Chief Musician to be sung in the public services. Ix PROLEGOMENA. [CHAP. We do not however see anything in the contents of these Pss. appropriate to such an occasion. Whatever may be the meaning of the Title, there is probably a reference to this Psalms “to species of Psalm in 1 Chron. xvi. 4, where David is said to es have appointed certain “ of the Levites to minister defore the seemingly ark and to record (Uhazcir), and to thank and to praise in Chron. (Whallél, cf. ?hillak, Psalm of Praise) the LoRD God of Israel.” This passage rather militates against the sacrificial This passage use of the word, as far at least as negative evidence goes, as poster ike we do not know that there were any priests left “‘ before the ee? ark” in Zion, or that there were any sacrifices there: the une sacrificial worship was continued at the “ Tabernacle in the high place which was at Gibeon,” cf. 1 Chron. xvi. 37—40. To teach. H. 11995 Z’lamméd “ to teach,” as a Title, occurs in Ps. lx. only. In 2 Sam. i. 17, 18 we read, ““And David lamented this lamentation over Saul and over Jona- than his son; and he commanded to teach (/’lamméd) the children of Judah the bow, &c.:” then follows a dirge. This dirge, in which the word “ bow” occurs once, has been called in modern times “the song of the bow.” It may be observed however that the words “shield” and “sword” are also found in it, and it might apparently be with equal propriety Baseless termed the “song of the shield” or “of the sword.” As- ΟΣ suming, however, that this dirge was called by the Hebrews ας κε “the song of the bow,” and combining this assumption with Oe the fact that it is said in v. 18 that David “commanded to —27. teach the children of Israel the bow,” some have inferred that the dirge was to be sung at bow-practice. By a wide stretch of fancy 7’/amméd in Ps. |x. is connected with this use, and that Ps. is supposed to have been sung “at the practice of arms,” cf. Del. But it seems to us that there is no solid ground for affirming such an use even of the so-called “song of the bow.” It is declared that David expressed his grief at the death of Saul and Jonathan in the dirge 2 Sam. i. 19—27. It is also said in the verse preceding that he gave orders to teach the children of Judah the bow (2 Sam. i. 18). Evidence ‘The connexion of the statements is lost to us, but their com- ee nai bination gives no evidence whatever that the dirge in which fend me David lamented was to be sung at the bow-practice. On the asongwas other hand, in Deut. xxxi. 19 we find that Moses was com- vi. | LITLES OF PSALMS. ΙΧ] manded to write a certain song and to teach (2’Zamméd@) it to α custom the children of Israel. Possibly the song alluded to is that Abe tii ας contained in Deut. xxxii., but whether it be so or no, this pas- sage is sufficient to prove that the custom of teaching a song was not unknown among the Israelites, a fact which the pas- sage from Samuel, usually cited, does by no means satisfac- torily substantiate. Ps. lx., we may infer therefore, was de- signed 20 de faught, either to the children of Israel generally, or, which is more probable, to some noted school of music. Yonath elem rchokim. ΠῚ. opm obs ΤΣ al-y6- To the air nath élen rchokim (Ps. lvi.), i.e. to the tune of “The silent Cis dove of those afar off” or “of far-off places” (Aq. ὑπὲρ περισ- Tepas ἀλάλου μακρυσμῶν), or according to Olshausen who suggests the reading éz7m “terebinths” for é/em “silence,” “The dove of the distant terebinths.” Some, as Kimchi, Proposed suppose the dove to be a figure for the Jewish nation, when ”"“?“" in captivity, and therefore far removed from the sanctuary JsraeZin and unable to sing the songs of Zion; in which case a/ would eee mean “concerning.” This seems to have been the view taken & “¢ dove. by LXX. ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων μεμακρυμμένου, and by Symm., who has φύλου ἀπωσμένουι The Psalm bearing this Title is perhaps (according to a custom of the compilers, which is observable in numerous instances throughout the Psalter) placed after lv., because in lv. 6 David says “O that Psatms I had wings as ¢he dove! 1 would fly away and be at rest. ©7477" siniitlar Lo, I would take a @s¢antz flight, I would remain in the wil- ~e7@s and 2) eee . Ξ δα γε 5 2071 derness.” It is just possible that Ps. lv. is the song called ave often “The silent dove of far-off places,” for though it was come eae posed after Ps. lvi., yet it may have been written before “¢ ?s@¢¢er. David delivered lvi. into the hands of the Chief Musician to be sung in the public services. ~ ᾿ ψ, it ile ata --- ; patty omy yun ἀνίας 1a as | . “᾿ς ᾿ ἴτω ag, \ ae ve) A’ a Ν ee 7 wa ἣν 9 ine Γάδ υσοῦ a ; oe ae ὦ ting" a of a τ δ Ν Fi f 7) Gee ΓΟ ies, ‘Loos Rf τ κ' Pa ae λὰ ὡς το ὐΨαρ INR χήν ἐκ x eles) ae ia ih ar ngs ay «ἐν yi ne Seek ~ ω ' alte Ὄνος, : ee A Pea ate | wer) | Meme) δοδακαὶ eae F 5 ‘vy Ti te i aaa ae εν af εἰ egies hice id ἐμ dans ee ee oe yee. δ... alia; ny ibd σ᾽ ὁ πῇ, SoA Conde a ὁ ne ΩΝ ΤΣ ὁ ely ath HUG aan dpust ans ΡΜ] yh ah Uk, hla el aaa ΑΘ δὴ nt! ι Ψ ν᾽ 15 (ORO T al, PSALMS 1.-- ΧΙ]. INTRODUCTION TO Psacm_ I. THE WAY OF HOLINESS A WAY OF PLEASANTNESS. THIS Psalm is distinct in character from all other Psalms. There is in it nothing historical, national, or personal : it contains neither prayer, nor complaint, nor praise; it is simply gnomic. It is reasonable to suppose that it stands with reference to the Psalter, or to the first Book of the Psalter, somewhat in the position of a Prefatory ode, reminding the ‘ pious reader’ of the happiness ensuing from a life of God-fearing virtue, and of the misery consequent on sinfulness. It is absurd to suppose that there is an allusion to the words of this Psalmin 2 Chron. xxii. 3, where, in describing the character of Ahaziah the son of Jeho- ram king of Judah, the Chronicler says “He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his coussellor to do wickedly.” On the other hand, it is more than probable that Jeremiah has Psalm i. in mind, when in reference to Jehoiakim he applies to him “that trusteth in man” all the curses which are the reverse of the blessings here assigned to the righteous, and adds, almost in the words of our Psalm, “ Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD...... for he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, &c.” Jer. xvii. 5—8. This passage must be regarded as an expository paraphrase of the Psalm ; it is based on the Psalm, not the Psalm on it. The Psalm therefore existed in the time of Jeremiah. And this is all that we know with respect to its date. Of its author- ship we know absolutely nothing. An indication of both has been found in the use of the word y5 léts “scornful” in this Psalm. This word occurs nowhere in the Psalter but in Psalmi. 1. It appears to have been a favourite word of Solomon’s, occurring twelve times in his first collection of Proverbs (x.—xxil. 16), and once in his second collection (xxv.—xxix.). Besides these cases it is found six times in the section Prov. i. 8—ix. (which however Delitzsch regards as the work of a compiler in Jehoshaphat’s time), and once in ΠΤ 5 4 PSALM T. BK. 1. Isaiah, and nowhere else. The prevalence of this word yb léts in Proverbs is used by Dr Cox (£xfosttor Feb. 1881) as an argument with respect to the date of Psalm i., which he assigns to Solomon him- self. If it were true, as Dr Cox assumes, that “the critics affirm with one consent” that Book I. of the Psalter was edited and published in Solomon’s time, we might accept his theory that Solomon composed Psalm i. as a preface to that collection of Psalms. But since such is by no means the case, we cannot go further with this writer than to say that the author of Psalm i. was evidently well acquainted with Solomon’s Proverbs, and that there is a remote possibility of his being identical with one of the collators of the Book of Proverbs. LESSED 7s the man that walketh | sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the not in the counsel of the un- | scornful. godly, nor standeth in the way of 2 But his delight zs in the law of the 1. “Blessed is,” lit. ‘“O the happiness of,”.H. "WN ash’réy. This word occurs always in the plur. except perhaps in Prov. xxix. 18, where we find ΠΝ, It does not of itself denote the blessings which are to accrue to a man of such conduct (“ blessed” in this sense would be 7173), but merely points to the enviable nature of his situa- tion :—“ Well is it with” such aman! ‘“ Walketh not...nor standeth... nor sitteth:” these verbs are all in the Perfect, which is used here to denote a past action, the exact moment of which is not specified; cf. 1 Sam. xii. 3 ‘“‘ Whose ox did I (ever) take?” See further Driver On the Hebrew tenses, p. 10. These three verbs denote the whole state of a man’s existence. Cf. the phraseology in Deut. vi. 7 “when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Similarly we have in the Koran (x. 13) “When evil befalleth a man, he prayeth unto us, [whether he be] lying on his side, or sitting, or standing.” In Sanscrit we find a like exhaustive expression “in lying down, and in sitting, and in eating,” Nala ii. 4 a. With regard to the words “ ungodly...sinners... scornful,” it may be observed that most commentators find here a climax, “impii corde, peccatores opere, illusores ore.” But as a matter of fact the word D'YY wicked (A. V.. “ungodly”) refers just as much to deeds as does the word D'NDN “sinners.” The fundamental meaning of the Rt. YL γάσλα is “to be unquiet,” as we see from Job xxxiv. 29 “If he give rest, who can make unquiet [py] >” And this adj. expresses the manifestation of unrest or discontent in evil actions, at least as often as the depravity of principle from which such actions rise. There is a play on the fundamental signf. in Is. lvii. 20, “The 7°shdim are like the troubled sea, for rest it cannot, etc.” The Rabbis, as is BK. I. PSAIM IT. 5 Lorp; and in his law doth he medi- | forth his fruit in his season ; his leaf tate day and night. also shall not wither; and whatsoever 3 Andhe shall be like a tree planted | he doeth shall prosper. by the rivers of water, that bringeth 4 The ungodly are not so: but are way evident from Avoth ii., regard Y2 as capable of expressing an act of sin against God. “Seat:” the H. IW!) méshadd does not here, as in cvii. 32 (see note), denote the official καθέδρα, but as equivalent to the Arab. and Pers. mejlis and mahfil = “social assembly,” “coterie.” Pescormiul:” the H, oy> /é¢ztm denotes those who are not content with acting wickedly, but must needs also scoff at all that is good and holy. 2.a. “ Delight :” H. fAN chéphets means “ occupation,” “business,” even in passages which do not belong to the later period, but there is no occasion to give this signf. here. 6. “Doth he meditate,” H. 737" yehgeh; the imperf. here de- notes habitude and is therefore rightly rendd. in A.V. Beginners should notice that the accent on /éy’lah “night” indicates that it is primarily a prolonged form of the masc. subst. /ayz/, or /éy/, and not a feminine, notwithstanding the use of the femin. form y/é¢h as plur. The final 7, was perhaps originally a case-ending (see Lowe’s Hebrew Student’s Commentary on Zechariah, p. 11). 3. This verse consists of three parts, the two latter “that bringeth ...wither” “and whatsoever...prosper” being coordinates, and ex- planatory of the first. Even here the blessedness of the righteous man is regarded as inherent, not as communicated from without. He is like a healthy tree, from which grow fruit and leaves in their proper seasons, and—here the figure is suddenly dropped—in everything which he does he prospers. a. “Planted,” A.V. rightly, not μεταπεφυτευμένον “ ¢ransplanted,” as Aq. This passage is cited in Avoth 1]. “Every one whose good deeds exceed his wisdom, to what is he like? Toa tree the branches of which are few and its roots numerous, so that even if all the winds in the world came and blew against it, they would not stir it from its place, as it is said ‘and he shall be like a tree, εἰς." Probably however there is no real ethical significance in the mention of the “fruit” and “ leaf,’ which seem to be introduced merely as the outwardly obvious marks of prosperity. 6. “Shall prosper,” H. πῶ" yatsliach, lit. “To cause to pass,” ᾿ἴο “carry through;” and hence “to prosper,” even of an inanimate subject, cf. Judg. xviii. 5. The rendg. of A.V. is therefore quite allow- able. We much prefer however to regard the good man as the nomin. so that the literal rendg. will be “And every thing that he does he 5—2 6 PSALM: 17: BK. I. like the chaff which the wind driveth | the congregation of the righteous. away. 6 For the Lorp knoweth the way 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not | of the righteous: but the way of the stand in the judgment, nor sinners in | ungodly shall perish. carries to a successful issue.” It is possible but very unlikely that “the LoRD” supplied from ver. 2, is the subject of the verb. 4. “Not so:” scil. not stablished in virtue and prosperity, but contrariwise, shifted to and fro, without root and without fruit ; in their instability both of character (cf. the primary signf. of YW) and fortune, resembling the useless wind-driven chaff. 5. a. “The judgement”=Jehovah’s continual cognizance of human actions. It severs the ungodly from those blessings which are the heritage of the true Israel. With ὁ. cf. Numb. xvi. 26, 33. 6. a. “For” introduces the Psalmist’s grounds for all these anticipations. ‘Knoweth,” i.e. knows and approves of, cf. Is. li. 7. ὦ. It is a fact worthy of note and one quite in accord with the general tone of this Psalm, that the Psalmist does not say “the way of the ungodly God will destroy,” but “the way of the ungodly shall perish,” or more correctly “de Zost:” 1. 6. from the very nature of the case such a course cannot but end in hopeless confusion. INTRODUCTION TO -Psarm II. THE REVOLT AGAINST THE DIVINE LEGATION. THE citation of Psalm ii. 1, 2 in the prayer of the Christian assembly, recorded in Acts iv. 24—30, is introduced by the words “ Who by the mouth of Thy servant David hast said.” From this formula it might be inferred that David was regarded by the early Christians as the author of Psalm il. Many commentators however argue from the use of ἐν Δαυίδ in Hebr. iv. 7 and in the Patristic writings, that nothing more definite is meant than—Who hast said by the mouth of a Psalm- ist. Such an interpretation is ceteris paribus quite allowable. We shall therefore discuss the propriety of ascribing Psalm ii. to David without regard to the passage in Acts iv. Certain subject nationalities had risen in revolt against a Jewish monarch enthroned by Divine appointment on Zion. In dramatic language the Psalm represents the folly of an attempt which is designed to frustrate the decree of Jehovah, and charges the insurgents to save BK. 1. PSALM 11. 7 themselves from wrath by rendering prompt allegiance to their Divinely-appointed Lord. The history of David’s reign presents a series of circumstances sufficiently correspondent to the language of the Psalm. Shortly after the elders had anointed David at Hebron he captured Zion from the Jebusites.. There he built his house, and there he received.a_Divine promise that his dynasty should be firmly established before God. This was succeeded by the reduction of the Philistines, the Moabites, and the Syrians. Then came a period of great peril. A new king οἵ. Ammon Ἢ after insulting David’s ambassadors; proceeded to stir up disaffection among the Syrian tribes. Two important battles appear to have ensued, the result being the total discomfiture of Hadarezer the Syrian king, and the submission of the various chieftains acknowledging his sway to the king of Judah (cf. 2 Sam. v. 9—12, vii. I—17, viii. 3—14, and x.). The Divine promise made to Davidin 2 Sam. vii. is quoted in Ps. Ixxxix. in the following form “I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him,...... 1 will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers; he shall cry unto me, Thou art my father.” Similarly, victory, wide_dominjon, and filial relationship to.God, are the three blessings assigned to the monarch of this Psalm by Divine decree (vv. 7—9). Again, it is not without significance that while the monarch is here styled God’s appointed “king” and God’s “anointed,” David ends Ps. xviii. with the words “ great deliver- ance giveth he to Hs king, and sheweth mercy to His anointed, to David, etc.” If we add to these arguments the consideration that it is most natural and fitting that the Psalter (to which Psalm i. stands in relation of Preface) should open with a composition from the pen of David, the great master of lyric poetry, we are led to the conclusion that the Psalm is a genuine Davidic work. Those who impugn this view urge with Delitzsch the groundless objection that it is “hazardous to assign an anonymous Psalm to David.” Accordingly we have such theories as that this Psalm be- longs to the reigns of Solomon (Bleek) or Uzziah (Meier), when no insurrection of the kind described is known to have taken place, or that it treats of the combination of Rezin with Pekah against Ahaz, which could not possibly have been regarded as a revolt (cf. on ν. 3). Thus much concerning the primary reference of the Psalm. We should err if we restricted the reference of the Psalm to the times of David or any other Jewish king. The basis of the Psalm is the; Promise of 2 ‘Sam. vii., and Promise and Psalm alike find their true! ---- 8 PSALM 71: Bae fulfilment only in the reign of Messiah. David did not obtain the “uttermost parts of the earth” for his possession, nor could he have expected any such extensive conquests to be effected in his own reign. But David certainly expected that the Messiah should spring from his house, and he well understood that he in whom the bone of wide dominion centred was that Messiah. In that he here ap- parently limits the promise to himself, he recognizes that unity between type and antitype, ancestor and seed, which is the foundation-stone of Biblical typology. Similarly in Ps. Ixxxix. the promise made con- cerning David’s seed “I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers...... I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth,” is quoted (after David’s death) as centring in David himself. And long after David’s time we have the promise “And David my servant [i.e. the Davidic dynasty] shall be king over them, and they all shall have one shepherd” Ezek. xxxviil. 24. If therefore we characterize the language of this Psalm as typical, rather than prophetic, we do not regard the Psalm as one wherein the writer has really no thought beyond the present. On the contrary, the primary reason for treating the Psalm as in any respect Messianic is that it is based on a promise which was recognized as finding com- pletion only in the remote future. The Messianic interpretation has the support not only of the N. T. (Acts iv. 25—27; xiii. 33; Heb. i. 5, v. 5; Rev. ii. 27) but also of the ‘traditional Jewish exposition. ?!The Talmud (Succah § 52) declares it to be a tradition that verse 8 is addressed by Jehovah to Messiah son of Joseph. In Zohar the words xashsW’koo bar (ver. 12) are inter+ preted as spoken of the Messiah. Rashi gives the candid comment, “Our Rabbis gave the matter an allegorical interpretation as [spoken] concerning King Messiah, but according to its literal meaning and for the sake of answering the heretics' it is right to interpret as con- cerning David.” Ibn’ Ezra allows that it may be spoken concerning David or concerning the Messiah. Kimchi, who interprets it of David, thus comments on v. 7, “And there are some who interpret this Psalm with reference to Gog and Magog, and the ‘anointed’ is [then] King Messiah ; and so our Rabbis, blessed be their memory, have in- terpreted.” He notices that “the Nazarenes [Christians] interpret it with reference to Jesus,” and proceeding to attack this exegesis, argues 1 ΝΠ i.e. the Christians. The above appears to have been the original form of this passage. But in some copies the clause italicized does not appear. This is the case with the copy which we have before us. In others only the word ‘‘heretics” is expunged. The passage in Kimchi is similarly mutilated in the common editions in deference to Christian prejudices, or rather to the terrors of the Inquisition, Βκ. 1. PSALM ΟΕ 9 that the words “Thou art my Son, etc.” should be a “stumbling block” to a believer in the Trinity, since a son cannot be coeval with a father. This passage in Kimchis Commentary is deeply in- teresting, and should be read by every Rabbinic student in Dr Schiller- Szinessy’s valuable edition of 1883. The foundation of the Messianic interpretation must be the allusion to the chék or “decree,” which was accomplished by the glorification of Christ. And, as we noticed above, this allusion to the future glory of Messiah renders the whole Psalm ¢yfical. The revolt of David’s lawful subjects prefigures the opposition of the powers of evil to the dominion of David’s Antitype. The conspiracy of the Jews against Jesus is thus (though the terms “kings” and “nations” of ver. 2 are inapplicable to this conspiracy) itself an instance of the Psalm’s fulfil- ment, as is indicated in Acts iv. 27. The divisions of the Psalm are marked with unusual distinctness. They are four in number, viz. I—3, Description of the rebellion: 4—6, Its miserable end, seeing that it clashes with the preordained purpose of God: 7—9, This purpose unfolded in the form of a. promise made in past time to David: 10—12, The rebels warned to bow before the Divine will, and return to allegiance. In some copies (e.g. four of Kennicott’s and three of De Rossi’s) this Psalm appears as a continuation of Psalm i. This inappropriate arrangement has the support of the Talmud and of one MS. examined by Origen; and Codex D, in Acts xili. 33, reads οὕτως γὰρ ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ Ψψαλμῷ γέγραπται. Possibly Psalm ii. once occupied the first place in the Psalter, to which Psalm i. may have been added asa prefatory piece in later times. Or the combination of the two Psalms may be due to the fact that Psalm ii. lacks a Title (cf. x. Introd.). That it can be assigned to a desire to open the Psalter with a Psalm beginning and ending with a μακαρισμός is hardly probable. HY do the heathen rage, and | selves, and the rulers take counsel the people imagineavain thing? | together, against the Lorp, and 2 The kings of the earth set them- | against his anointed, saying, 1. “Do...rage:” rend. “Have...assembled together.” The signf. of the H. yw3n rdg’shoo is determined by that of the derivatives in lv. 14 [15], lxiv. 2 [3], and that of the Chald. form Zargésh in Dan. vi. LXX. however has ἐφρύαξαν, cf. Acts iv.25. “Imagine, etc.” i.e. enter- tain the vain purpose which is expressed in ver. 3. 2. “Set themselves......take counsel:” more correctly, “ Stand up......have taken their station.” The idea of taking counsel is not involved in the latter verb; it is quite accidental that the phrase 10 PSALIG TF. BK. I. 3 Let us break their bands asunder, 5 Then shall he speak unto them in and cast away their cords from us. his wrath, and vex them in his sore 4 He that sitteth in the heavens | displeasure. shall laugh : the Lord shall have them 6 Yet have I set my king upon my in derision. holy hill of Zion. by 4M) IDI} is succeeded in xxxi. 13 [14] by mention of the plots of enemies. “The Lorp, and...His anointed:” in the same way we have in 1 Sam. xii. 3 “Before the LORD, and before his anointed,” i.e. Saul; cf. too, zdzd. ver. 5. 3. The wording of this v. shews that the insurgents have been at one time subject to the king: they are rebels, not merely enemies. “Bands :” Pi strictly speaking should be from 73° castigavit, not DS Zigavit. ΓΘ “a wonder” from NDN (a somewhat doubtful root) is perhaps an instance of a subst. of similar formation, and the inter- change of 5 and ND verb-forms is too common to need illustration. 4. Lit. “One sitting in the Heavens laughs: the Lord [Adonai] mocks at them.” 5. ὁ. Rend. “And in his hot anger shall he put them to confusion.” 6. The utterance wherewith Adonai utterly quells the hopes of the insurgents (ver. 5) runs thus: “/, however, have firmly stablished My king {the sovereign of Divine choice and appointment] won Zion, My holy mountain.” 7, however, H. 38) va-ani, The adversative force of the } here is much the same as in xxii. 3 [4], cix. 4: see also Jerem. 11. 11, Cant. i. 5. Lirmly stablished: H. 39) πάσας. Ordinarily this Rt. means to “pour out;” whence Gesen. and Ewald endeavour to extract the signf. “anointed” in the present passage. We very much prefer however to explain #désacti from Prov. viii. 23, where the Niph. certainly means “to be firmly established.” In the case of the verb Δ the connexion between “to be poured out” or “molten,” and “to be set firm” is obvious, though Fuerst assigns these signfs. severally to two distinct Roots. In the case of the Rt. 7D) there is the same transition noticeable, and we have little doubt that the derivative 'D) means, not (as Gesen.) “an anoinuted prince,” but “a constituted” or “an established prince.” The Yalkut Shim6ni men- tions the interpr. “I have set,” but wrongly illustrates from NID) in Judg. xvi. 13, 14. The Targ. rends. “I have magnified,” Syr. “I have established.” The LXX. (reading 3P 293) gives ἐγὼ de κατε- στάθην βασιλεὺς κιτιλ., and similarly Vulg., thus putting the ver. in the mouth of the king. This emendation is sufficiently condemned by the pronom. affix. of ‘wp 1M which, usage tells us, must refer to God. ΒΞ, PSALM LT. II 7 I will declare the decree: the 8 Ask of me, and I shall give ¢hee Lorp hath said unto me, Thou ar¢ | the heathen for thine inheritance, and my Son; this day have I begotten | the uttermost parts of the earth jor thee. thy possession. 7. Rend. “J wll tell of a decree: Fehovah said unto me, etc.” Notice that both by position and accentuation the word Yehovah is emphatic, the signf. being—it is Jehovah and none other who on a past occasion (presumably that of Nathan’s visit, 2 Sam. vii.) stablished this decree and made this promise. It is not requisite to regard @sapprah as an optat. form “Let me tell,” or “I would fain tell,’ as Perowne. It is doubtful whether the termination af is even intended to mark the optat. At all events in numerous cases no such force is given to the verb by this termination. ‘The construction of szfpér with eZ finds a true parallel in the use of dwar e/ in Gen. xx. 2, Jer. xxvii. 19, and of d@bdér eZin Job xlii. 7, In lxix. 27, stppér el occurs again, but there the e/ introduces the end and object for the attainment of which a discourse takes place, not as here the mere purport of discourse. The signf. of “Thou art my son” can be gathered from the fundamental passage 2 Sam. vii. 14, where it is said of David’s seed “I will be his father, and he shall be my son;” cf. Ps. Ixxxix. 27 “I will make him my firstborn,” and cx. 3 ὁ. The day on which the monarch becomes the adopted of Jehovah is here regarded as the day on which Jehovah begets him. The Targ. gives “I will narrate the oath which Jehovah has uttered, ‘Dear as a son to a father art thou to me, innocent as on the day when I created thee.’” In Acts xiii. 33 the words, “Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee,” are treated as bearing special reference to the Resur- rection (not to the “raising up” in the sense of “introduction” or “ap- pointment”) of the Messiah. This application is explained by thecontext of the Psalm. David claims the obedience of the nationalities on the ground of the decree which places him in a filial relation to Jehovah. And Christ’s claim to the world’s allegiance dates from the time when He was manifested openly as Son of God. But that time is the day of His Resurrection}, cf. ὁρισθέντος υἱοῦ Θεοῦ...... ἐξ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν, Rom.i. 4. Thus, the Eternity of Christ's Sonship notwithstanding, the time which answers to the day of such decree 1 This view is corroborated by the addition in Codex Bezae of our ver. 8 (αιτησαι παρ αιμου Kat δωσω σοι εθνη, «.7.A.) to the quotation in Acts. In Heb. v. 5, on the other hand, this passage is quoted merely as shewing that a Divine fiat is the basis of Christ’s Priest- hood: and so the corresponding epoch in Christ’s career does not come under consideration. So, too, in Heb. i. 5, where this passage only proves the /ac¢ that Christ is Son, 12 PSALM [1]. BE 9 Thou shalt break them with a 1r Serve the Lorp with fear, and rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in | rejoice with trembling. pieces like a potter’s vessel. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, to Be wise now therefore, O ye | and ye perish /rom the way, when his kings : be instructed, ye judges of the | wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed earth. are all they that put their trust in him. is the day of Resurrection. The correspondence traced out is, in fact, based not on éeizg Son, but on being declared Son. Further than this indeed it could not go, since David’s sonship only begins from the “ day” named, but Christ’s Sonship, no matter when declared to the world, is Eternal. 9. Here too the full significance of the decree made concerning David’s house is recognised in the N. T., the descriptions of the sway of Christ and His Church in Rev. il. 27, xil. 5, xix. 15 being based on this verse. 11. “Rejoice with trembling:” if this be the right translation the signf. will probably be,—rejoice that you are called to worship Jehovah, but worship Him with reverent awe. It is however at least possible that 2.2 g#/ (the fundamental meaning of which is “to be agitated,”) may represent here the effects of fear rather than of joy. ‘Tremble ye in fearfulness” will then be the rendg. And,—the awful character of the preceding verse considered—it is surely more natural that the rebels should be told to tremble rather than to rejoice before Jehovah. Gesen. notices that 19, commonly “ to fear,” denotes apparently joyful agitation in Is. lx. 5, Jer. xxxiii. 9; and 149 (cf. iv. 4) certainly represents commotion caused by fear as well as that caused by anger. The use of ydgiloo in Hos. x. 5 perhaps supports the reference to timorous agitation. The LXX. gives ἀγαλλιᾶσθε αὐτῷ ἐν τρόμῳ, Targ. “Pray to Him in fear,” Syr. “ Lay hold of Him in fear.” 12. “Kiss the Son.” We prefer to rend. the obscure and per- plexing words 13 pW) zashsh’koo bar “ Kiss ye the chosen one,” wn- derstanding an act of homage (such as is apparently referred to in Gen. xli. 40) to be meant. The Gentile rulers are advised to render prompt homage to Jehovah's elect representative, lest He [Jehovah] be roused to anger. The Pi. of pt] “to kiss” (prim. “ to cleave to”) is used in this signf., with ? of the object, in Gen. xxxi. 28. It occurs in the Kal zz re idol-ritual twice, but there is no reason for believing that it can mean absolutely “to worship,” and these passages are, if anything, against the reference to a worship of the true Deity. The Pi. of the other Rt. pt’) “to arm oneself” does not occur. 72 Jar we understand to be BK. 1. PSALM 77. 13 the adject. derivative of 2 e/eg7¢, meaning primarily eZectizs, then (cf. Cant. vi..9) dlectus, then purus. Both Aq. and Symm. connected the word with this Rt.; the former rends. καταφιλήσατε ἐκλεκτῶς, the latter προσκυνήσατε καθάρως. Jerome in his text gives ‘‘adorate pure,” Rashi “Arm yourselves with purity of heart,’ and Kimchi gives “pure,” “ chosen,” ‘‘ son,” as optional rendgs. The A.V. rendg. “son” has the support of the Syr., and of Ibn Ezra; and Jerome in his Commentary adopts the rendg. ‘‘ Adorate filium.” The great objection to this interpr. is that 12 in signf. {2 “son” is unknown in Biblical Hebrew, if we except Prov. xxxi. 2, which as Perowne admits is “manifestly a later passage and not free from other Chaldaisms.” We grant that 02 “is not to be regarded as a term of late origin, that it is in fact Phoenician as much as Chaldee.” But this only removes a part of the difficulty. We have to account for the appearance of an obscure foreign term expressing a sense which can be well expressed in Hebrew. Of this we know of but one explanation with any show of reason, viz. that 2 might have been used instead of 13 to avoid the conjunction of the two like-sounding syllables 15, 13. The absence of the article tells rather in favour of the adjectival interpr. ; the anarthrous defining adj. occurring frequently, e.g. iv. [4], v. [13], ix. [17], Ixxii. 13. For the anar- throus subst. denoting office and title, xlv. [10] may perhaps be cited. The LXX. gives δράξασθε παιδείας, and similarly Targ. ap NIDDIN, Vulg. “apprehendite disciplinam.” The Arab. dzrr “ obe- dience” illustrates this line of interpr. Cf. also the use of 12 in this signf. in the Yalkut Shiméni on this passage ΠῚ Π ow ΠῚΞ 1p. Whatever view we take of 72 here, the Messianic interpr. of the ‘Psalm, which depends on the proleptic character of the Divine decree of vv. 7—9, is not affected. We may add however that Nl “My chosen” is perhaps a Messianic title in Is. xlii. 1. “And ye perish, etc.” Lit. “And ye go astray with regard to the way” or “on the way.” Strictly speaking 73 is to “roam-about,” hence to “ wander in confusion,” “be lost,” cf. i. 6, or more broadly “be confounded.” The 717 is the evz7 course chosen by these men, the LXX.’s ἀπολεῖσθε ἐξ ὁδοῦ δικαίας is wrong. “ When his wrath, εἰς. The LXX. is more near the mark; ὅταν ἐκκαυθῇ ἐν τάχει ὁ θυμὸς αὐτοῦ. Rend. “ For guickly ts His anger kin- dled.” ‘OY is used with a verb in signf. “a little.” But there is no instance of O22 (“almost,” “suddenly,” “ quickly”) in this signf., except quasi-adjectivally with a subst., and with a verb in such cumu- lative expressions as we find in Ezra ix. 8, Is. xxvi. 20. “ Suddenly” or “quickly” appears therefore to be the signf. here, the clause indi- 14 PSALIE La, BK. 1. cating the jealous promptitude with which God executes His wrath on the contumacious. Cf. Hom. //. E 178 χαλεπὴ δὲ Θεοῦ ἔπι μῆνις. INTRODUCTION 10) Petra ii: MORNING PRAYER IN TIME OF PERSECUTION. Tittre. ‘‘A Psalm, to David, when he fled before Absalom his son.” CERTAIN linguistic features (see iv. Introd.) connect Psalms iii. and iy. closely together, and indicate not only that both are Davidic, but that they are the outcome of one and the same affliction. That affliction is, according to the Title of this Psalm, the rebellion of Absalom. There is nothing in either Psalm inconsistent with this testimony. On the contrary, the cry of the adversaries in these Psalms “ There is no help for him in God,” “Who can cause us [scé/. David’s party] to see good?” are the echo of Shimei’s taunt, which imputed David’s suf- ferings to his sins, and denounced himas forsaken of the Lord : 2 Sam. xvi. 7, 8. There is no other link of connection, but the language of both Psalms is throughout appropriate to this sad episode. The style is undeniably Davidic. In both, as is not uncommon in Psalms written in affliction, complaint blends with, and is eventually supplanted by, cheering convictions of Jehovah’s saving power. Verses 4, 8 of Psalm iv. shew that it is an evening hymn. The troubled chieftain of Israel is about to lie down in peace, and sleep secure in the protection of Israel’s God. The Psalm before us is shewn by verse 5 to be written at the close of a night, spent in peril and yet in the serenity of pious confidence. Against the possible dangers of the coming day David invokes the aid of that God who has watched over him in the hours of unconsciousness. The main divisions of this Psalm are well indicated by the three Selahs. ORD, how are they increased that 2 Many ¢here be which say of my trouble me! many az they that | soul, Zere 2s no help for him in God. rise up against me. Selah. 1. 4. Or ‘How many are.” But either rendg. is allowable, for 335 and 12 are interchangeable Roots, and we cannot confine the signf. “τὸ be many” to the former, “ to increase” to the latter. 2. a. “Of my soul,” A.V. rightly. H. wd Luaphshi, the 2 being used as in Gen, xxvi. 7 and passim to denote “ of” or “ concerning.” BK. I. PSAIM Χ77: 15 3 But thou, O Lorn, art a shield | voice, and he heard me out of his for me; my glory, and the lifter up | holy hill. Selah. of mine head. 5 1 laid me down and slept; I a- 4 I cried unto the Lorp with my | waked; for the LorD sustained me. “Μῦν soul” is simply a paraphrase for “‘me;” it does not by any means imply, as in our popular theology it would, ‘my inmost spiritual life,” an interpr. upheld by Del. and Kay. Generally speaking zephesh in O.T. denotes, either simply “the life,” or the sensuous appetitive faculty, Aristotle’s τὸ ἐπιθυμητικόν. It is in connection with the former of these signfs. that it stands for the personal pronoun, see further clii. T, note. ὁ. “Help:” the word ANY" should probably be regarded as an emphatic or a poetical form of double feminine termination. That such forms generally have the accent thrown back may be perhaps only to prevent the concurrence of two toned syllables, cf. ANWY in xliv. [27], lxiii. [8], xciv. 17, MNS in cxx. 1. If this be not the case (cf. Job v. 16), the accent merely marks the penultimate as the original termination of the fem. noun-form. 3. a. “For me,” or perhaps ‘‘ round about me,” for 12)2, as a subst. of surrounding, may like the verbs of surrounding (cf. Lament. iii. 7) give 1Y2 this signf., if indeed it be not the primary meaning of this pre- position. 3Y2 when defined by the verb may also mean “behind,” and in close connection with such local signfs. the meanings “in the place of,” “on behalf of” come into use. ‘YI is in fact περί both with genit. and accus. LXX. gives the general meaning, ἀντιλήπτωρ μου εἶ. 4. a. LXX. and A. V., misled by the verb in the second hemist., have rendd. γα “ I will cry” by ἐκέκραξα, “1 cried.” For ‘?}P accus. ὁ. “Andhe feared wae H. ‘IY vay-yadnéni: rend. “ And He has answered me.” The fut. or imperf. with vav convers. or consec. denotes here David’s firm confidence in God, cf. 1 Sam. xxvill. 17. He means almost to say “ Before ever I cry unto Thee Thou wilt already have answered me.” “His holy hill”=Zion, as in ii. 6 and passim, not heaven. The Selah is succeeded by a change of feeling. Complaint and entreaty give place to expressions of the deepest confidence, the fact that Jehovah has protected him during the hours of unconscious- ness being regarded as a pledge of future security. 5. ὦ. “Sustained me,” the Hebrew Imperf. here denotes the de- pendence of the verb 79D on the verbs ete We might rend. “for the LORD was all the time sustaining me.” LXX. wrongly rends. by the Fut., ἀντιλήψεταί pov. 16 PSADMATY: 6 1 will not be afraid of ten thou- sands of people, that have set ¢henz- enemies 2fo2 the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. Brae selves against me round about. 8 Salvation dclongeth unto the LorD: 7 Arise, O Lorp; save me, O my | thy blessing zs upon thy people. Se- God : fer thou hast smitten all mine | lah. 6. ὦ. “Have set themselves,” A.V. rightly ; Hebr. séthoo as in Is. xxii. 7. DO in 1 Kings xx. 12 has the same reflexive force. 7. ‘Upon the cheek bone:” the verb “to strike” is here construed with a double accus., cf. Gen. xxxvii. 21. Del. well compares Hom. 74 XVi. 597, τὸν μὲν dpa TAadxos στῆθος μέσον οὔτασε δουρί. LXX. seems to have mistaken Zechz “on the cheek” for DIN? ?’chinndm, as it rends, ματαίως. The expression pind never occurs; we find however pin-s “in vain,” Ezek. vi. 10. The Past Tenses in this verse may either be the Praet. confidentiae, in which case we must rend. ‘Thou shalt,” cf. xx. 8, or according to a less common usage, the Praet. of habit “Thou art wont to, etc.”— ““Many times hast Thou saved me and smitten mine enemies, so mayest Thou do now,” as Kimchi puts it. 6. To break the teeth of any one means to put an end to his power of doing harm, cf. lviii. 6. 8. a. Lit. “To Jehovah is the deliverance,” i.e. the deliverance which we look for. b. Rend. “ Upon Thy people be Thy blessing.” Thy people doubt- less means the faithful Israelites, who adhered to David. To include in the prayer the rebellious faction, so that it “has its counterpart in the ‘Father, forgive them’ of the other David,” (Del.) appears quite unnecessary. INTRODUCTION LO *Psarmww, EVENING PRAYER IN TIME OF PERSECUTION. TITLE. “Τὸ the Precentor on n’ginéth: a Psalm of David.” THE connection between Psalms iii. and iv. may be gathered from a comparison Of 11]. 2, iv. 6; iii. 4, iv. I δ; 111. 5, iv. 8. Psalm iv. is an evening petition, emanating from the same period in David’s life as the morning petition which precedes it. Both may reasonably be referred to the occasion of Absalom’s rebellion. The present Psalm is slightly different from its predecessor in tone, inasmuch as it as- BK. 1. PSALM ΤΥ, 17 sumes in part the form of ἃ gentle loving expostulation with the enemies, and seeks for their conversion rather than their overthrow (cf. iii. 7, iv. 5). A quieter tone prevails. There is less of complaint, more of joyous confidence. The difference is just that between a man rising to encounter a day of trial by faith in Jehovah, and a man seeking rest in the conviction that all things work together for the good of the righteous, and that even for the most hardened sinner there is hope of repentance. Psalm iv. was used, appropriately enough, as the Ist Psalm of Compline by the Western Church, and as the 1st Psalm of Late Evensong by the Greek Church. The Psalm falls into three main divisions— as Appeal to the God whose saving mercy David has experienced in past time, v. I. A loving remonstrance, wherein the rebels are implored to acknow- ledge the Divine legation of David, and to render true homage to Jehovah, vv. 2—5. Cheering assurance of Jehovah’s protection, notwithstanding the desperate appearance of David’s fortunes, vv. 6—-8. 2 O ye sons of men, how long τοῦδ ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah. 3 But know that the Lorp hath set EAR me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me whe 7 was in distress ; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer, 1. “ Hear me,” more correctly “ Answer me.” The v. continues lit. “ Thou didst make a broad place for me in the straits [scil. in which I lay].” In our word “straits” the discomfort arising from want of room furnishes a metaphor. This is the case with the common Hebr. term ἫΝ tsar [A. V. “distress”], usually rendd. θλίψις or ἀνάγκη in LXX., but really denoting what is termed in Wisdom v. 3 στενοχωρία πνεύματος. Preserving the same figure, the Hebrews con- stantly speak of a deliverance from ¢sav as a making.of room for the afflicted person, so that in the Hebrew idiom literally “‘/aetitia est vata, as Aquinas putsiit? cfs xxv. 17, Cxvili,/ 5. .cxix. 325 45._ It may be that the second clause of this verse bears reference to some recent deliverance, but it is more probable, we think, that David has in view the frequent manifestations of Divine favour during the period when he was persecuted by Saul. 2. “Sons of men:” δ᾽ πᾶν ish, a term which denotes men in high station in xlix. 2 [3], lxii. 9 [10], where the other term for “sons of men” δ᾽ γᾶν ddém denotes men in low station: cf. the uses of 2: and adém in Is. ii. 9. It is possible that here the phrase has the 18 PSALM TY: BK. I. apart him that is godly for himself : 4 Stand in awe, and sin not : com- the LORD will hear when I call unto | mune with your own heart upon your him. bed, and be still. Selah. same force, and that “the leading men” of the adverse faction are particularly addressed. So Kimchi, “He speaks with respect to the great men of Israel who were with Absalom.” ‘The force of Bnéy ish will thus be much the same as that of the Spanish Azdalgos, i. q. hijos a’digo “sons of somebody.” LXX. rends. υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων ἕως πότε βαρυκάρδιοι; ἱνατί ἀγαπᾶτε ; as if reading mp a5 "142 for mood 123. “ Leasing” (cf. Angl.-Sax. eas, “empty” or false”) =“ lying.” 3. “Him that is godly,” or more accurately, “One that is pious [or “good”].” ‘WDM chastd (anarthrous, cf. ii. 12, note), like the Lat. pius, may denote one who is dutifully disposed towards God, or man, or both. Thus it has to be translated sometimes “ pious,” sometimes “benevolent,” sometimes ‘ good.” The fundamental meaning of the Rt. 3DM is probably zzc/inare, as also is that of {37 “to be favourable ;” and T’DN is apparently a de- rivative adjective, of reflexive signf.=“ inclining oneself.” For such signf. of passive forms, cf. ciii. 14, note. It is evidently erroneous to adhere to the strictly passive signf., and explain ὙΠ as one who is regarded with 7D9 by God. After the return from the Babylonish Captivity, the name C/’sidim (Gr.’Acdaior) was adopted by a sect who professed extraordinary holiness, and extreme regard for those tra- ditional prescriptions, which the antagonistic sect of Zsaddikim, “righteous,” or observers of the written Law, ignored. From the latter sect sprang the Karaites and Sadducees, from the former the Pharisees. The Rabbis define a ὉΠ chastd as “one who acts within the line of judicial requirement,” i.e. is on the right side of that line which severs the just from the unjust. See further Ixxxvi. 2, note. “Set apart,” i.e. ‘ Distinguished,” so as to bring into special favour and protection. From this radical meaning springs the common signf. of mbpm and soar (the collateral form) “to make wonderful.” Simi- larly from sozdern comes sonderbar as well as sonderlich. The LXX. wrongly gives ἐθαυμάστωσεν here. 4. “Stand in awe,” or “Be moved with fear.” The primary mean- ing of the Rt. 1 χάραξ is “to be agitated,” with “fear,” “anger,” “sorrow,” or even (cf. "Jer. xxxili. 9, Is. xiv. 9) “joy” The (Liao therefore is not much in the wrong in rendg. here ὀργίζεσθε καὶ μὴ dpaptavete, Which words 5. Paul applies in Eph. iv. 26. And some critics actually render, ‘‘ Be angry [with me] if you will, but do not sin [against God].” But such an interpr. seems far-fetched, when we EE υν»». BK. L PSALM TV. 19 5 Offer the sacrifices ofrighteousness, 7 Thou hast put gladness in my and put your trust in the Lorn. heart, more than in the time Ζλαΐ 6 There δὲ many that say, Who will | their corn and their wine increased. shew us azy good? Lorp, lift thou 8 I will both lay me down in peace, up the light of thy countenance upon | and sleep: for thou, LORD, only mak- us. est me dwell in safety. reflect that “ Be moved with fear” is an equally warrantable rendg. This latter has the support of Targ. and most Rabbis. “Commune with your own heart :” 353 ἼΣΝ is common enough in signf. “say to oneself,” always with the mention of what ἐς said. It is possible that it may be used here absolutely (cf. WON in Gen. iv. 8); but it is more probable that we must supply what is said from v. 3, “commune in your own heart on all Ζζ25, viz. that the LORD hath set apart, etc.,” ‘*Upon your bed :” “For when a man is upon his bed, his heart will be turned away from worldly occupations, and then his designs will be pure:” Kimchi. 5. a. “Sacrifices of righteousness” = Sacrifices offered in the spirit of stucerity (cf. the Arab. ¢sadaka, “sincerus fuit.”) The sacrifices are of course material (see the same phrase in Deut. xxxiii. 19, Ps. li. 19). Kimchi well remarks “Since ye have done wickedly, ye are bound to make atonement; and the meaning of ‘sacrifice ye [to Jehovah] the sacrifices of righteousness’ is that ye should repent, and not that they should not be as the sacrifices of wicked men, of which it is said ‘The sacrifice of wicked men is an abomination.’” 6. a. We believe this means “ Many there be that say [with respect to our party] Who can cause us to sce good?” 1. 6. there are many who regard our case as hopelessly desperate. Verse 2 in the preceding Ps. expresses the same thought in similar phraseology. The construc- tion is not that of the oratio recta here, for the speakers are apparently malevolent enemies as in iil. 2, while “us” must refer to David’s own party. Ps. xi. 1, and Hos. vu. 2, “and they say not in their hearts [with respect to me], I remember all their wickedness,” are somewhat similar in structure. “Tift thou up,’ H. 40) evidently a doubly anomalous form for Np) which is the actual reading of some of Kennicott’s MSS. This anomalous form is based on a combination of the verbs 8’) and DD), on which latter cf. lx. 4 [6], note. 7. The “many” enemies who said “ Who can bring prosperity to David’s party?” (cf. ver. 6) may have had in view that scarcity of provisions in David’s camp at the time of Absalom’s revolt, which induced Mephibosheth to send supplies by the hand of Ziba, 2 Sam. xvi. David replies “Thou puttest a joy in my heart more than 7: 1 Ὁ: 6 20 PSAIM V. BK. I. [that of] the time, when their corn and wine are abundant,” i.e. Let Jehovah but lift up the light of His countenance, and my faith brings me greater happiness than that which such men find in blessings of harvest and vintage. It is hardly possible to take the poss. pronoun “their” as indefinite—“ more than that of the time when men’s corn and wine increase” (Ewald, Olsh.),—though the joy of harvest and vintage was proverbial among the Hebrews, cf. Is. ix. 3, Jer. xlvii. 33. Some rend. “ szwzce the time” referring the pron. “their” to David’s followers, presumably now recruited by Me- phibosheth’s supplies. But to specify such material ground of com- fort would be contrary to the spirit of the Psalm. LXX. rends. hemist. ὦ. ἀπὸ καρποῦ σίτου, καὶ οἴνου, καὶ ἐλαίου αὐτῶν ἐπληθύνθησαν. Probably καιροῦ should be read for καρποῦ, as the Syr. gives “from the time.” The additional καὶ ἐλαίου may be regarded as an adaptation to Deut. xxviii. 51, Hos. ii. 8. We notice again that there is no real distinction between the Rt. 535 used here and in iii. 1, and 73>. The significations “grow abundant,” “be abundant,” belong to each. 8. Cf. the morning utterance of the Psalmist in iii. 5. INTRODUCTION TO Psatm V. CONFIDENT PRAYER OF THE RIGHTEOUS TO THE GOD WHO HATES SIN. TITLE. “Τὸ the Precentor, to the n’chilé6th; a Psalm, to David.” ? DAVID indites this Psalm at a time when he is endangered by the plots of bloodthirsty and deceitful foes. Whether the Psalm is to be assigned, as Pss. iii. and iv., to the period of Absalom’s insurrection, or to that earlier time when David fled before the persecution of Saul, is not plain. Verse 7, however, where ‘‘ Thy house” and “ Thy holy Hléycél” are most naturally identified with the Davidic Tabernacle on Zion, favours the later date. David’s prayer is based on a conviction of his own faithful adhesion to Jehovah, whom, on the other hand, as hating sinners, he implores to put his ungodly enemies to confusion. The Psalm falls into two main divisions; vv. I—7 being a kind of Introductory statement of the grounds on which he approaches God, vv. 8— 12 the prayer for his own edification and the overthrow of his enemies. Verse 3 shews that this Psalm, like Psalm iii., is a morning prayer. Bike ts PSALM V. 21 IVE ear to my words, O Lorp, 3 My voice shalt thou hear in the consider my meditation. morning, O LORD; in the morning 2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, | will I direct my prayer unto thee, and my King, and my God : for unto thee | will look up. will I pray. 4 For thou art not a God that hath 1. &. “Consider,” H. 7393. It is questionable whether the forms 3, ΠΛ, 1992, N5°D, are to be regarded as belonging to the Kal voice of this verb (regularly formed parts of which occur twice), or as Hiph. forms deprived of the formative 7. We adopt the latter view. “My meditation:” H. 993m, from 335=73n. The connection of rin “lightning flash” with Rt. m1n, is perhaps similar. 2. a. “Hearken unto.” The H. verb 2°wpn may be accompanied by ᾿ξ “ear,” as in Prov. ii. 2, or not, as here and in cxlii. 7, &c. It may be followed by "Ἶ ON (cxlii. 7), or 3 (Ixvi. 19), or by a simple accusative, as Jer. xxii. 18, or it may be used absolutely, as Azkshabti vd-eshmé, Jer. viii. 6. “The voice of my cry,” i.e. my articulately spoken cry as opposed to “my meditation,” v. 1. ‘YI’, apparently from a form DIY ig. IW. 6. “For unto thee will I pray,” LXX. ὅτι πρὸς σὲ προσεύξομαι. This rendering is admissible, and is explained by Kimchi, “Unto 7%ee, and not to any other Saviour.” But we incline to the rendering “When I pray unto Thee.” 3. “In the morning.” The efficacy and especial obligation of morning prayer is continually dwelt upon by Orientals. Thus in the Talmud (Berachoth τὸ ὁ) we read “ Every one that eateth and drink- eth, and after that says the prayers, of him the Scripture saith, ‘ But Me thou hast cast behind thy back.’” And again, “It is forbidden to a man to go about his business before praying.” Cf. also 6 4. So too Koran xvii. 80, “ Perform the prayer at the declining of the sun, at the first darkness of the night, and the prayer of daybreak, for the prayer of daybreak is borne witness to,’ cf. also xx. 130, xxx. 16. And so HAfiz, the great Persian lyric poet, addressing the Beloved in mystical language, says (ed. Schwannau, p. 40), “In the morning hours be Thou on thy guard, lest Thou be comfelled to hear if this poor stranger make his complaint.” Such instances might indeed be multiplied almost without limit. “ Will I direct.” The word “ prayer” is rightly supplied after this verb. LXX. paraphrases παραστήσομαί σοι. The H. JW drac is the word used for the laying of the pieces of the sacrifice in order (Lev. i. 8), for the laying in order of the wood (Lev. i. 7), and for the adjustment of the burnt-offering on the altar (Lev. vi. 12 [5]). Thus it 6: 22 PSALM V. ΒΚ. 1. pleasure in wickedness: neither shall | leasing: the Lorp will abhor the evil dwell with thee. bloody and deceitful man. 5 The foolish shall not stand in thy 7 But as for me, I will come 77220 sight : thou hatest all workers of ini- | thy house in the multitude of thy uity. mercy: and in thy fear will I wor- 6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak | ship toward thy holy temple. is more than probable that morning prayer is here referred to as a morning sacrifice, somewhat as of evening prayer it is said, “let... the lifting up of my hands be [as] the evening sacrifice” (cxli. 2). “And will look up,” or rather, “look forth,” viz. in confident ex- pectation of being answered. LXX. καὶ ἐπόψομαι (Cod. Alex. καὶ ἐπόψῃ με). 4. ὁ. “Dwell with Thee ;” Hebr. JV} for TOY Na" ydgoor immica, cf, 521) Gen. xxx.; so IND 3553 Job xxxi. 18, “He grew up wzti me as with a father.” “Evil,” H. 7 γᾶ. Here, as in ci. 4 and fre- quently, it is doubtful whether “evil” or “an evil person” is meant ; cf. the verata guaestio of ἀπὸ τοῦ πονήρου in the Lord’s Prayer. The former rendering is perhaps to be preferred as being a better parallel to vesha, “wickedness,” in the first hemist. LXX. gives πονηρευόμενος. 5. “The foolish:” Hebr. pddyn héVlim, as in \xxili. 3, lxxv. 4, rather denotes “ /oolish-boasters,;” it is the Partic. Kal, not the Partic. Poel for w’hél’lim ; cf. xxiii. 3 note. 6. ‘“Destroy:” though it is doubtful whether the Kal of TAS ever means actually “to perish,” there can be no doubt that the Pi. may mean “to destroy.” This signf. may come from a primary meaning “to make as lost,” perdere. 7. a. “Inthe multitude of Thy mercy.” There is a contrast here between the wicked who cannot stand in God’s sight, and himself who is to come into God’s own House. And yet he acknowledges that it is only by God’s grace and mercy that he is allowed to do so. ‘‘ House,” i.e. the tabernacle which David pitched for the ark when it was re- moved to Zion (2 Sam. vi. 17). The name, “House of Jehovah,” is applied to the tent-sanctuary in Josh. vi. 24, 2 Sam. xii. 20; Del. ob- serves that even at the present day the Beduin calls his tent Ww ΤΠ. bét shar, “hair house.” ὁ. “Toward Thy holy Temple.” Entering the front court of this Tabernacle, he will prostrate himself towards the WP 3 Π héycal kédesh, lit. ‘holy Temple,’ but here denoting the Δ 47 227 (cf. xxviii. 2), or Holy of Holies. This expression is repeated in cxxxviii. 2. It may be noticed that 23° is applied in O.T. to various parts of the Taber- nacle or Temple. Its derivation (Rt. bay bia capacem esse) merely BES: f. PSALM V. 23 8 Lead me, O LorD, in thy right- 9 For ¢here zs no faithfulness in their eousness because of mine enemies; | mouth; their inward part zs very wick- make thy way straight before my | edness; their throat zs an open sepul- face. chre; they flatter with their tongue. denotes its purpose as the receptacle of Divinity, and does not in the least determine the material. We see that already the custom of worshipping towards the place of God’s especial Presence obtained. The practice of turning to Jerusalem, alluded to in Daniel vi. 10, is still enjoined on the Jews (see Berachoth 30a). Mohammed, when he fled to Medina, directed his followers to turn to Ferwsalem, but in the 2nd year of the Hejra he gave them the Caada or holy temple at Mecca as their A7é/ah, or place to turn towards (Koran ii. 139). Sa) Male: το. ες: straight.” The C’thib form is Aéshar, but Καὶ τ hayshar, cf. Gen. viii. 17, where the K’ri is aytsé for Cthib Adtsé; on the contrary in Is. xlv. 2, the K’ri is a’vashshér for wyashshér. “Thy way,” LXX. wrongly τὴν ὁδόν pov. 9. “Faithfulness;” Hebr 3133 »’céudh Niph. partic., the fem. being used for want of a neut. in Hebr., cf. cxviii. 23. It denotes “honesty,” “trustworthiness ;” cf. 0°33 “true men,” Gen. xli. 11, from the same root })3 “to establish.” ‘In their mouth,” lit. “in his mouth,” the adversaries being regarded collectively. “Very wickedness,’ H. M10 havvdth. This subst., used in sing. and plur. (generally the latter), is peculiar to Pss., Prov., and Job. It may be used to express “ malevolent desire,” or injurious action which proceeds from malevolence. Its connexion with the Rts. 71, M18, MAN is obvious. It is suggested that here in connection with 73) it denotes the yawning, hungry gulf of destruction, and it is noteworthy that the Arab. awzyat denotes darathrum, as well as cupido. But in Arab. we have the Rt. 0, deczdi¢, as well as ", amavit, and it may be doubted whether there is any real connection between the two sub- stantival signifs. We prefer on the whole to adhere to the signif. “ déstruction,” and we believe the climax to be—their inner parts are a very place of destruction, their throat is a yawning sepulchral passage to it, their tongue is a smooth and easy entrance. The general signf. being, that these adversaries devise the most destructive schemes, and veil their purpose from their victims by smoothly-framed speech. ‘‘ Their tongue they make smooth” or “slippery” is the literal rendg. of the final clause, which thus reverts to the opening words, “ There is no faithfulness in their mouth.” Kimchi notices the play on the words 02p 02) in this verse. The LXX. misrends. N17, ματαία. 24 PSALM VI. BER, το Destroy thou them, O God; let | shout for joy, because thou defendest them fall by their own counsels; cast | them: let them also that love thy them out in the multitude of their | name be joyful in thee. transgressions; for they have rebelled 12 For thou, Lorn, wilt bless the against thee. righteous ; with favour wilt thou com- τι But let all those that put their | pass him as wth a shield. trust in thee rejoice: let them ever 10. “Destroy Thou them:” this will be the rendg. if we take the Rt. DUN as = DOW. But better, “Treat them as guilty,” “punish them ;” cf. the use of #*W7 in Deut. xxv. 1. Kimchi, after the analogy of NOM Judg. xx. 16, rends. “Let them miss their mark.” LXX. κρίνον αὐτούς. 11. “Because Thou defendest them.” H. yw dy yoni. LXxXx. wrongly καὶ κατασκηνώσεις ἐν αὐτοῖς. 12. ὦὄ. LXX. gives the wrong tense (ἐστεφάνωσας), and rends. the pronom. suffix by ἡμᾶς. INTRODUCTION TO Psatm VI. THE MISERY OF THE PERSECUTED SAINT. TITLE. ‘‘To the Precentor on n’gindéth, upon the sh’minith; a Psalm to David.” THE suppliant is surrounded by malignant foes. Their machinations have caused him continual sorrow, and sorrow has caused emaciation and premature decay. That the Psalmist ascribes his sufferings to God’s anger (verse 1) is probably the ground on which this Psalm is numbered among the seven “penitential Psalms” (vi., xxxii., XXXviiL., li., Cll., Cxxx., cxliii.). But this view of the Psalm is incorrect, for no- where does the Psalmist make confession of sin; on the contrary he apparently claims God’s intervention on the ground that he is severed from iniquity, and from the workers of iniquity. God’s “anger” is mentioned merely because, according to the usage of Hebrew writers, the continuance of an affliction which might be removed by Divine interposition is assignable to the displeasure of Jehovah. There is no reason for doubting the authenticity of the Inscription which assigns this Psalm to David, though here, as elsewhere, it is uncertain whether it is the persecution by Saul or the revolt of Absalom, or either, which is the cause of the royal Psalmist’s lamentations. All the Penitential BK. I. PSALM VI. 25 Psalms are included (Ps. li. being repeated in the Commination Office) in our Ash-Wednesday Services. LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. ἢ 2 Have mercy upon me, O LorD ; for 1 am weak: O LorD, heal me ; for my bones are vexed. 3 My soul is also sore vexed : but thou, O Lorp, how long? 4 Return, O Lorp, deliver my soul : oh save me for thy mercies’ sake. 5 For in death ¢heve is no remem- brance of thee : in the grave who shall give thee thanks ? 6 I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. 7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies. ‘8 Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lorp hath heard the voice of my weeping. 2. “Weak.” H. SSpx wwlal: this anomalous form may be regarded, either as a Partic. i. q. D2DNN) (with Kamets changed to Pathach because the word is closely joined to ‘38 following), or as an adj. =091% Neh. iii. 34. ὁ. Lit. “For my bones are perturbed,” or “shaken.” This style of language is common in the writings of those who are visited with great sickness or sorrow, cf. xxii. 14, Cll. 3, Ezek. xxxvii. 11. In such cases, where an English writer would mention merely the bodily frame generally, the Hebrews specify the loins, reins, inner parts, bones, etc. 3. Lit. ‘And my soul is perturbed exceedingly; Thou, Jehovah, how long [dost thou keep aloof]?” A similar aposiopesis after ἫΝ YMD occurs in xc. 13. Cf. also Is. vi. 11. 5. Cf. Hezekiah’s prayer, Is. xxxviil. 18, 19, and Ecclus. xvii. 27 “Who shall praise the Most High in the grave, instead of them which live and give thanks?” ‘The state after death was generally regarded by the Hebrews as one of utter inactivity, and of severance from God. This thought is expanded in Ixxxviii., see our note on Ixxxvlil. 5. 6. “Water:” ADDN amseh (from ADD, i. 4. DDD) = “dissolve,” “cause to melt.” The only other passages in which this verb occurs are Josh. xiv. 8 and Ps. xxxix. 11 [12]. 7, “Mine eye:” better, we think, “ My features,” or lit. “ My aspect.” }y, somewhat like our words “ sight,” “vision,” May repre- sent that which is seen as well as that which sees, the asfec¢ as well as the eye: cf. Numb. xi. 7, Zech. v. 6, and Ixxxviii. 9. 8. το. In whatever way we account for the use of the Past tense here, it is plain that the Psalmist’s prayer has suddenly kindled confident hope of future security. We prefer to rend. the Past tense just as in A.V. “hath heard,” explaining this confident decla- 26 PSALM VI. BK. I. g The Lorp hath heard my suppli- | 10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed cation; the Lorp will receive my | and sore vexed: let them return and prayer. be ashamed suddenly. ration of the Psalmist merely by the inward alleviation which his confession has procured. But it is also perfectly possible to rend. this Past as a Praet. confidentiae, ‘‘will surely hear.” 1o. ‘Let them return :” rend. “Let them be turned back.” INTRODUCTION TO Psatm VII. THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE WILL RIGHT THE RIGHTEOUS. TITLE. ‘‘Shiggay6n of David, which he sang unto Jehovah concerning the words of Cush a Benjaminite.”’ THERE seems to be every reason to acknowledge the authenticity of the Title of this Psalm. Even Ewald and Hitzig include it among the few which they attribute to David. Who Cush was we have no historical grounds for determining with certainty. It is worth noticing that the Title designates him as “a Benjaminite,” not “the Benjaminite” 2712) as A.V. Possibly he was some one who after the anointing of David, still, for family reasons, espoused the cause of the Benjaminite king, Saul. Some, as Luther, have held that Cush (“the Moor”) was a term of re- proach applied to Saul, on account of the blackness of his heart. Others again, as Kay, relying upon the appellation “this Benjaminite” in 2 Sam. xvi. 11, have supposed Shimei to be referred to. It appears to us that, whoever “Cush a Benjaminite” may have been, the circumstances nar- rated in 1 Sam. xxlv.—xxvi. seem most suggestive of an occasion which would have prompted such a Psalm. To no incident do the words of v. 4 appear more applicable than to that of 1 Sam. xxiv. 1—8, when David in the cave of En-gedi cut off Saul’s skirt and spared his life. To a time slightly posterior to this event we attribute the penning of this Psalm,—to an occasion when some kinsman of Saul, some slavish myrmidon of the de facto king, acting the part of Doeg and the Ziphites, slandered (v. 3) David before Saul. The Psalm may be divided thus: I. vv. 1, 2, A declaration of perfect trust in God. II. vv. 3—5, An assertion of the Psalmist’s innocence of the charges brought against him, and of his readiness to abide the consequences if he should be deemed guilty. Bey. I. PSALM VT. 27 III. vv. 6—16, An appeal to the just God to vindicate the right- eous (6—10), based upon His known dealings with the wicked (11— 16). IV. v. 17, A promise to praise God, which amounts to a declara- tion of his certain conviction that God will right him. The last verse takes up the thought of vv. 1, 2, and so seals the conclusion with the signet of faith with which the Psalmist was impressed at its com- mencement. LORD my God, in thee doI |} 3 Ὁ Lorp my God, if Ihave put my trust: save me from all | done this; if there be iniquity in my them that persecute me, and deliver | hands ; me: | 4 IfI have rewarded evil unto him 2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, | that was at peace with me; (yea, I rending 12 in pieces, while ¢here is | have delivered him that without cause none to deliver. is mine enemy :) 3. “This;” taking the expression of the Title 37 bY to denote “upon the words of,” we refer “this” to the false accusations of Cush. And if [27 5y be taken as in Deut. iv. 21, Jer. vii. 22, to mean “in reference to,” “this” will be understood as referring to these same accusations implied in vv. 3 ὁ, 4. ΛΠ Δ ΟΙΕῚ Sam. xxv. 12,xxvi. 18. 4. a. “Him that was at peace with me,” Hebr. mow shél mi, pres. partic. Kal. with pronom. suffix. It is equivalent to ον WN δὰ sh’ 2δηεῖ, xli. το. b. “Yea,” or “Nay rather.” The Hebr. 1 vd is here adversative, as in Gen. xlii. 10, ““Nay...thy servants are come to buy food.” We much prefer the interpr. of this clause adopted by A. V., retaining the ordinary meaning of the verb vn. It has the support of Kimchi, de Dieu, Ewald, and Hupfeld. Del. rends. “And if I have plundered him who is without cause my enemy,” deducing this meaning of von from the word myn exuviae, and the Aram. signf. of the verb. He notes “How extremely appropriate it is as an allusion to the incident in the cave, where David did not rescue Saul, but (without indeed designing to take avon exuviae) cut off the hem of his garment!” This interpr. is as old as Rashi. The great objection to it is that though YN in Pi. bears the rendg. “spoil” in Chald. and Syriac, in Hebrew it does not get beyond the signf. “draw off.” The Targ. rends. “And if I have oppressed those who hemmed me in without a cause,” possibly reading mymbs : LXX, ἀποπέσωμαι ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου κενός, perhaps reading the Niph. fut., and explaining it of the spoliation of those slain on the battle-field. 28 PSALM VIE: BK. I. 5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take 7¢; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah. 6 Arise, O Lorp, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies : and awake for me 20 the judgment ¢hat thou hast com- manded. 7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high. 8 The LorD shall judge the people : judge me, O LorD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity ¢ia¢t zs in me. 5. “Persecute,” H. 912’. This unparalleled form is taken by Kimchi to be a compound of the Kal and Piel, which he says means “let him persecute and cause others to persecute;” Puisker thinks that this pointing is designed to give the reader the choice between reading the Kal oy Piel. The explanation of Del. is much more scholarly, he says “ By first making the Siva audible A becomes TY (like PMNS. Gen. xxi. 6, shan Ps. Ixxiii. 9), and this is then sharpened by an euphonic dagesh forte.’ “My soul,” =that part of my being in which life is centred, or, as we should say, “de,” cf. iii. 2 note. “Mine honour” is rather the equivalent to our expression “my soul,” cf. xvi. 9, and so it is explained by Saadia, Ibn Ezra, Kimchi. “The dust,” ie. “the dust of death,” xxii. 15. 6. a. “Because of,” rend. “ Against.” “The rage of :” ΕἸ. NYY plur.; LXX. rends. ἐν τοῖς πέρασι, connecting the word with 7A} ger, “the other side.” 6. Rend. “And awake for me, Thou who hast decreed justice !” as Maurer and Hengst. Hupf. rends. “ And awake for me: Thou hast indeed enjoined the maintaining of right ;” but the above seems more forcible. That “‘for me”is to be taken with the former, not the latter part of the sentence is rightly shewn by the accents. The LXX. rends. ἐξεγέρθητι Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου ἐν προστάγματι @ ἐνετείλω. ὦ: “The peoples? thes. DoNd Lummim (as also DY ammim v. 8) is taken by Kimchi to denote the tribes of /svae/, as D’DY Dae Gen. xxviii. 3, and O°) ap, Gen. xxxv. 11. He strengthens his argument by reference to the word NY “congregation of,” which precedes the word usmmim, and which he rightly maintains would not have been used had the nations of the world in general been meant. b. Or “And over it return Thou on high,” 1.6, Vindicate Thy dignity by no longer allowing it to appear as though the wicked were to have the upper hand. 8. Of the two terms here rendd. “judge,” the first denotes merely the fact that the whole earth shall be subjected to God’s judgment, Keele 9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just : for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. to My defence zs of \(iod, which saveth the upright in heart. τι God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry wrth the wicked every PSALM VII. 29 day. 12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. 13 He hath also prepared for him | the instruments of death; he ordain- eth his arrows against the persecutors. 14 Behold, he travaileth with ini- the second expresses the prayer wzvdica me (as in xxvi. I, Xxxv. 24), grounded on this fact. “In me:” H. ‘?¥ day, lit. “upon me,” cf. xlii. 4 [5]. 5Y in these cases locates the state of mind or body, as in some sense outside the individual Ego, as lying upon it, and as subjected to its inspection. 9. ὦ. explains how God’s discriminating wisdom will enable Him to grant the petition of hemist. a. The “heart” is regarded by the Hebrews as the seat of the thoughts (not the feelings), the “reins” as that of the emotions. The rendg. adopted by Del. and others, “For Thou art He who trieth the hearts and reins, a just God,” is hardly allowable in the absence of the mark of the 2nd personal pronoun. Is. xxix. ὃ, where the 3rd, and Hab. i. 5, where perhaps the Ist personal pron. is omitted, are cited as justifying the anomaly. το. a. Rend. “ My shield ts upon God,” i.e. He bears my shield, He has undertaken to defend me. LXX. taking the word “righteous,” or ‘“7zs¢,” from the preceding verse rends. wrongly, δικαία ἡ βοήθειά μου παρὰ Tov Θεοῦ. I1—13. God’s cognizance of sin in its certainty and awfulness. 11. Rend. “God | E’lohim] zs a righteous Fudge; and God [ZZ] shews His indignation every day.” Upon the whole we prefer this to the well-known rendg. adopted from Kimchi by many moderns, “God judgeth the righteous, and God [judgeth] him who provokes continually.” Ov? zéam lit. “to be moved with violent indignation,” never occurs in signf. “provoke.” The A. V. rendg. is allowable, but we should expect the object of the Partic. in 4 to be expressed, were "7% the object after DDI. : The LXX. owing apparently to a misreading ?% for by gives an interpr. which is very diverse from the true drift of the passage, Ὁ Θεὸς κριτὴς δίκαιος καὶ ἰσχυρὸς καὶ μακρόθυμος, μὴ ὀργὴν ἐπάγων καθ᾽ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν. 13. ὁ. Rend. “He maketh His arrows burning ones,’ i.e. God’s arrows are veritable #zad/eolz. The allusion doubtless being to lightning- bolts, we may compare the phrase ΠΡ "Hv, lit. “ burning-bolts of the bow,” as applied to the lightning of Exod. ix. 23, 24 in Ixxvil. 48. 30 PSALM VIII. quity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. 15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch whzch he made. 16 His mischief shall return upon BK. 1. his own head, and his violent dealing - shall come down upon his own pate. 17 I will praise the LorD according to his righteousness : and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high. Cf. too xviii. 14, where God’s “arrows” evidently mean lightnings or thunderbolts. The rendg. of A. V. has the authority of Targ., Rashi, Kimchi; and pos when followed by "ὙΠ and even by an accus. (cf. Lament. iv. 19) may mean “hotly pursue,” [lit. “burn after”]. But that it can be used aésolutely in signf. “ persecute” is not certain. 14—16. The futility of the enemy’s schemes set forth under the figures of a pit which entraps its digger, and a badly-built wall which falls on its builder’s head. 14. The order of these verbs, which are rightly translated “tra- vaileth” (cf. Cant. viii. 5), “hath conceived,” “hath brought forth,” shews that there is no such climax as Kimchi discovers. The first verb “travaileth” states the general fact. The other two verbs mark subdivisions of the process. He conceives trouble or mischief, and when it is brought forth it turns out to be but a deception which does but mock its would-be perpetrator. For similar figures cf. S. James i. 15. 15. Lit. “He has dug a pit, and deepened it, and has fallen into the chasm he has wrought,” cf. ix. 15. Aq. rends. NNW shachath “chasm” by διαφθορᾷ as if from Rt. NOW “destroyed.” This is a common error in LXX., as may be seen from its rendgs. in ix. 15, KV 10) KOCK 7: INTRODUCTION TO Psatm VIII. MAN THE LORD OF CREATION. TITLE. “Τὸ the Precentor on the Gittith, a Psalm to David.” IN the glory of the firmament the pious Psalmist finds a testimony to the transcendent glory of its Creator Jehovah. This Psalm is written at night, or rather it is the nightly aspect of the firmament that is depicted. Hence there is no mention of the sun. The Hebrew Psalmists love to treat the love and condescension of Jehovah as the natural counterpart to His all-embracing power. And thus from the contemplation of Jehovah’s grandeur the writer passes to a thankful BK. I. PSALM VIII. 31 recognition of His care for mankind, marvelling how so puny and insignificant a being as man should have been deputed as Jehovah’s vicegerent on earth, the lord of the myriad creatures that people the land, the waters, and the air. The Psalm is in no respect prophetic, but the thoughtful student will find no difficulty in the Apostle’s application of verses 4—6 to the dominion of Christ, who brings the glory of man to its acmé by con- quering death in person, and by finally making it manifest that its sway over man is lost (see Heb. ii. 8, 9, 1 Cor. xv. 25—27). The testimony of nature to its Divine Governor, though exhaus- tively expounded in the Book of Job, is not a common theme in the Psalter. In reading Psalm vill. we are at once reminded of Psalm civ., ‘the more so as both Psalms have evidently one and the same basis, the Genesis account of the work of Creation. To a less extent this Psalm resembles Psalm xix. That David wrote this Psalm, as the Title asserts, there is no reason to doubt. Commentators have amused themselves with the conception that the nightly glories of the firmament may have inspired the youthful shepherd while tending his father’s flocks on the plains of Judah. Such conceptions are of course baseless. But equally base- less, on the other hand, is Delitzsch’s objection that “the Old Testa- ment canon contains no Psalms of David belonging to the time prior to his anointing.” LORD our Lord, how excellent | who hast set thy glory above the hea- zs thy name in all the earth! | vens. 1. a. “Our Lord.” Here first in the Psalter the speech proceeds, not from an individual, but from a company of individuals, the Psalm- ist speaking in the name of the Church. For “excellent” rend. “ Glo- rious,” lit. “bright.” 6. The general signf. doubtless is “ Who hast covered the heavens with Thy glory;” lit. “set Thy glory upon [by {3, as in Numb. xxvii. 20, 1 Chron. xxix. 25, etc.] the heavens.” It is however extremely difficult to account for the use of the verbal form, 13N Φηπᾶλ, which strictly should be the Imper. with 1, paragogic. Taking “πάλ thus, we might rend. “Thou, who—O do Thou set Thy glory above the Heavens!” i.e. make it manifest to all the universe. But there is no instance of such an use of the Imper. preceded by the relative. Gesen.’s guam tuam magnificentiam pone 771 coelis, can by no possi- bility be extracted from the words before us. Of various interpreta- tions, the chief appear to be: a, That ζηῶλ is an anomalous Inf, ‘ 32 PSALM VIII. BK. 1. 2 Out of the mouth of babes and | work of thy fingers, the moon and the sucklings hast thou ordained strength | stars, which thou hast ordained ; because of thine enemies, that thou 4 What is man, that thou art mind- mightest still the enemy and the a- | ful of him? and the son of man, that venger. thou visitest him ? 3 When I consider thy heavens, the 5 For thou hast made him a little form somewhat like 7déh in Gen. xlvi. 3.. The rendg. will then be “The setting of whose glory is above the heavens.” But 7dah is a solitary example of this form, and is perhaps to be accounted for by the presence of the prepos., as Hupfeld remarks. ὁ. That 13) “is extolled” should be read. c. That 73M must be arbitrarily set down as a corruption for MMi; the Targ. and Syr. having the 2nd pers. Past of the verb. Ewald’s invention of a Rt. 73M “is extended,” is not worth discussion. LXX. gives ὅτι ἐπήρθη ἡ μεγαλοπρέπειά σου, but Jerome “ Qui posuisti gloriam tuam super caelos.” 2. By “children (not “babes”] and sucklings” is probably meant the sacred nation itself, as appointed to be a witness of God’s might, and thus to thwart the opponents of the Divine sovereignty, here called “the enemy and avenger” [or “him who breathes out vengeance”], a phrase which is applied again to Gentile powers in xliv. 16. This view of the v. appears to us to be supported by the use of the Ist pers. plural inv. τ. Or the signf. may be that God’s power is so manifest that even children can recognise it, and thus give testimony on His behalf. In our Lord’s application of the first part of this v. in Matt. xxi. 16, the current LXX. rendg. κατηρτίσω αἶνον is adapted to the circum- stances of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. But of course, here and elsewhere, the real signf. of the Hebr. must be discussed indepen- dently of such N.T. applications. And there is no doubt that Aq.’s ἐθεμελίωσας κράτος is here the more correct rendg. 'tY sometimes denotes power ascribed to God in praise, cf. Exod. xv. 2, but this signf. is only possible after verbs of giving or ascribing. 3. The “glory” with which God has clothed the heavens is now defined, the Ist pers. sing. being substituted for the Ist pers. plur., as the Psalmist passes on to the effect which the glorious vision produces on his own mind. a. A. V.rightly. “For I will consider, etc.” of LXX. and P. B. V. is not so appropriate. 4. The connection with verse 3 is—When I consider, etc., then I muse thus. Verse 3 of cxliv. is almost identical with this verse. a ett ee «ὐὰ IBK-iI1: PSA BAG LEX. 33 lower than the angels, and hast crown- | beasts of the field ; ed him with glory and honour. 8 The fowl of the air, and the fish 6 Thou madest him to have do- | of the sea, and whatsoever passeth minion over the works of thy hands; | through the paths of the seas. thou hast put all ¢hzzgs under his feet: | g O LorD our Lord, how excellent 7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the | zs thy name in all the earth! “Man :” e’zosh, “frail-man,” points to the impotence and mortality of the creature who has been thus honoured. 5. The A.V. here follows the LXX., where this verse appears in the form ἠλάττωσας αὐτὸν βραχύ τι map’ ἀγγέλους, cf. Heb. ii. 7. There can be no doubt that the only admissible rendg. of the Hebr. is “ Thou hast made hin little less than divine,” or lit. “Thou hast made him to fall short but little of God.” The real signf. of the passage is even more suitable to the Apostle’s argument in Heb. ii. 7 than the LXX. rendg. For “the stress of that argument,” as Alford remarks, “is not on this mention of the angels, but on the sovereignty of man.” And man’s affinity to the Divine demonstrates this sovereignty more clearly than does his affinity to the angelic. It must be noted that τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος in the Apostle’s argument, as the Hebr, W138 710,= “guantulus (not guantus) est homo.” INTRODUCTION TO Psatm IX. JEHOVAH FIGHTS, AS ISRAEL’S CHAMPION, AGAINST THE HEATHEN. TiTLe. ‘‘To the Precentor upon mooth lab-bén; a Psalm, to David.” THIS Psalm commemorates a victory over a Gentile foe. It is in the main a joyous national song, but the Psalmist cannot refrain from glancing for a moment (cf. verse 13) at certain personal afflictions, originating as we think in the antagonism of some disloyal Israelite faction. This brief glance is the only link which unites this Psalm with the main section (vv. 1--- 5) of its despondent successor, Psalm x. On the mutual relations of these two Psalms, which are welded into one Psalm in the LXX., we shall treat in our Introduction to Psalm x. This Psalm is entitled “to David,” and its acrostic character fur- nishes, as even Hitzig admits, no substantial objection to the ancient date thus assigned to it. The scanty records of the events of David’s reign recount several military successes in which the Psalm may have 34 PSALM IX. BK. I. originated. David’s capture of Rabbah (2 Sam. xii. 29), an event which brought the Syro-Ammonitish war to a triumphant close, is one of the most suitable. This Psalm is only partially acrostic. The Poet continually suffers his ideas to make their progress untrammelled by the artificial system. The interval between the initial letters is sometimes of four lines, sometimes only of two. Some letters are altogether passed over, and the Psalm brings us only as far as Caph, the eleventh letter of the alphabet. WILL praise ¢iee, O Lorn, with Ϊ my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee : I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High. 3 When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence. 4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right. 5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. 6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities ; their memorial is perished with them. I, 2. Each hemist. of these two verses begins with δὲ, the Ist letter of the alphabet. - 1. &. “1 will shew forth ;” rend. “Z w7l/ recount.” 3. (a the 2nd letter). 4. “They shall fall;” lit. “stumble,” LXX. wrongly ἀσθενήσουσι. “At Thy presence;” H. 735! mip-pdneyca, rend. “Oz account of Thine [angry] countenance.” The is causative, and pdneycd is to be taken, as in xxi. 9[11], of God’s anger. It is thus opposed to “the light of His countenance” iv. 6 [7], which denotes His favour. Cf. the use of féxim in Lament. iv. 16, Job 1. 11. 4. Satest,” better “.Sz¢zest,” “Art continually sitting.” 5. (ἃ the 3rd letter.) ‘Thou hast rebuked the heathen ;” lit. “Thou hast rebuked nations.” Kimchi arbitrarily states that the verb Y3 when not followed by 2 denotes ¢o destroy, and when followed by 1 20 rebuke. This view is sufficiently refuted by Ixviii. 30[31], where the rendg. “destroy” is impossible. 6. (the sth letter.) “Ὁ thou enemy:” perhaps, since the third clause of this verse speaks of the enemy in the third person, it is better to take ANN fd-dy2b as a nominativus pendens, and to render “As Sor the enemy, there ts an eternal end of [their] destructions; yea Thou hast wasted cities, even their [i.e. the enemies’] very name ts perished.” Del. takes Ad-dyéb as the subject of the verb ¢ammoo, and rends. “The enemy are perished [so as to become] perpetual ruins.” BK. 1. PSALM IX. 35 7 But the Lorp shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. 8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judg- ment to the people in uprightness. 9 The Lorp also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. το And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lorp, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. 11 Sing praises to the LorD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings. 12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble. 13 Have mercy upon me, O Lorp; consider my trouble which 7 suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death : 14 That I may shew forth all thy LXX. rends. τοῦ ἐχθροῦ ἐξέλιπον ai ῥομφαῖαι reading M390 “swords,” for i297 “ destructions,” and treating 287 as a nominat. pendens. For the emphatic use of the pronoun DN Aémmah after the pronominal suffix we may compare Numb. xiv. 32, I Sam. xxv. 24, Zech. vii. 5, Ps. xxxviii. 1o[11]. The LXX. wrongly rends. this word by per’ ἤχου, connecting it doubtless with Rt. Admdah, “was noisy.” 7. (This and the two following verses begin with } the 6th letter). 9. “In times of trouble;” H. M7823 minyd, Littoth batstsdran, This expression, which recurs in x. 1 only, is usually understood as meaning “at seasons [when they are] in trouble,” the 3 of datstsdrah being taken as a Prepos. But we prefer (with Kimchi, Fuerst, and Del.) to take datstsérah as a substantive from dd¢sar, “ cut off,” of the form of nwpa and P32 (cf. batstsdreth Jer. xvil. 8, and datstsdroth Jer. xiv. 1), and to rend. “412 ¢emes of desperation,” i.e. upon occasions when all hope is cut off. LXX. rends. 77¢téth by ἐν εὐκαιρίαις, and batstsirah by ἐν θλίψει. It. (1 the 7th letter.) 13. (M the 8th letter). This verse appears at first sight, in its tone of complaint, to be quite at variance with the rest of the Psalm. We prefer to see here a parenthetical allusion to the troubles which David suffered from the opposition of that ungodly party, whose injustice and violence evoke Psalm x. It is possible, however, to treat vv. 13, 14 as the purfort of the cry of the “humble” or “meek” of ver. 12. It is remarkable that the language of the succeeding verses, 15—17, is far more applicable to such insidious plots as are described in Psalm x., than to the form of antagonism which the géyz# or heathen nationalities would display: cf. 15, 16 with x. 8,9. The description of the enemy as “the wicked,” of their victims as “the needy,” is in keeping with this. The connection of Pss. ix, and x. is one of the most curious phenomena in the Psalter, and one of which the full explanation is probably hopelessly lost. We can only suggest that J- Le Ps 7 36 PSALM IX. BK a praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion : I will rejoice in thy salvation. 15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit ¢zat they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. 16 The Lorn is known éy the judg- ment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. 17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, avd all the nations that forget God. 18 For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall of perish for ever. 1g Arise, O Lorp; let not man prevail: let the heathen-be judged in thy sight. 20 Put them in fear, O LoRD: ¢hat the nations may know themselves 20 be but men. Selah. David’s conflicts with foreign foes and with turbulent subjects may have been so strictly contemporaneous, as to be continually over- lapping each other in his mind. 15. (the gth letter). ἐνεπάγησαν. XV», 13- “Are sunk:” A. V. rightly, LX.X. wrongly “Which ;” for the relatival use of 1? zoo cf. xxxii. ὃ, Exod. 16. “Is snared;” rend, “Swaring [as He does]:” the H. &p' x0- késh is to be taken as the regular pres. partic. Kal. from Rt. zdkash, not as an irregular Niph. partic. for zdkash from Rt. ydkash. “ Hig- gaion Selah:” see Proleg. chap. VI. 17. (’ the roth letter). ‘‘Shall be turned :” 121" ydshooboo may mean “Shall be turned back,” cf. ver. 3; or “Shall [or must] return.” If we adopt the latter line of interpretation, there is’ perhaps a refer- ence to the original curse, Gen. iii. 19. It is not to be rendd. by an Imperat., as in the LXX. (ἀποστραφήτωσαν). “Into hell;” H. -sh’dlah, “to SW’dl,” with the double sign of motion to, cf. eis ἅλαδε mpopéovow Hom. Od. X. 351. 516] is not “hell” in the usual sense of that term (yéeva), but the place of departed spirits (ᾷδης). 18. (3 the rith letter.) The “not” of the first hemist. is to be supplied in the second, as in xxxv. 19, xxxviii. 1 [2]. 20. “Put them in fear;” A.V. rightly, as Jer. dome cerrorem 625. The LXX. rends. κατάστησον νομοθέτην ἐπ᾽ αὐτούς, by an unnecessary emendation of mdéreh for mérah, fear, or object of fear. The final Π of morah is for δὲ, as ΠΌΣΟ for N30 Hos. iii. 17%; ck Ps ivi [71 Sia be] but men” or “but mortals ;” the H. W138 e’2ésh=man in his frailty and weakness. ΒΚ. 1. PSALM. X. 37 INTRODUCTION TO Psatm X. APPEAL TO JEHOVAH AGAINST AN UNGODLY AND OPPRESSIVE FACTION. In the LXX. this Psalm is treated as a continuation of Psalm ix. Nor is this arrangement altogether unreasonable, for the acrostic system of this Psalm does certainly seem to be complementary to that of its predecessor. Psalm ix. carried us as far as Caph, the 11th letter of the alphabet. Psalm x. begins with Lamed, the 12th. Several non-acros- tic verses succeed; but when the scheme is resumed (in ver. 12) we find that an allowance of letters has been made for these verses (as though the Poet thought of adapting them to the scheme at some future time), and a leap has been made from Lamed the 12th to Kooph the 19th letter. From Kooph the scheme proceeds regularly to the end of the alphabet. Again, the two compositions are marked by the same peculiarities of expression. In both we have the phrases 1732 ninyd “at times of desperation ;” &7 “search,” or “require,” used of God’s judicial inves- tigation ; 717° ADP “rise, O LoRD,” introducing an appeal to Jehovah ; ywn “wicked” applied to “the adversary ;” y3y “afflicted,” alternating with the varia lectio \3y “meek,” applied to the Psalmist’s own party ; D3 “heathen-nations” interchanged with WIN “weak man;” and confident expectations that Jehovah will not “forget.” Cf. also the language of ix. 15, 16 with that of x. 8,9. That Psalm x. has no Title is somewhat in favour of the amalgamation of the two compositions If we except Pss. i, ii., xxxiii., no integral Psalm in the first Book lacks a Title. On the other hand, the themes of the two compositions are far too dissonant for us to accept the theory that they form but one Psalm. For Psalm ix. clearly celebrates a victory over the heathen, and Psalm x. 15 equally clearly a complaint of the cruelties and acts of injustice perpetrated by some wicked subjects. The Psalms are in unison only in their subordinate clauses; the parenthetical prayer, ix. 13, 14 being very suitable to Psalm x., and the cheerful finale, x. 16—18, recalling the tones of Psalm ix. We repudiate entirely the theory that the two compositions are but one Psalm. We are convinced that Psalm x. bears a close relationship to its predecessor, but it is the relationship of a supplement, not that of an integral part. It may be conceived that David, very shortly after inditing his acrostic Epinikion, was moved by the shameful Ke} 38 PSALM X. BK. 1. rapacity and injustice of a powerful party in the State—the same per- haps that afterwards sided with Absalom—to compose a prayer for Divine intervention. He chose to give it the form of a pendant to the imperfect Acrostic which had been his acknowledgment of a past inter- vention. That he had interwoven with that poem a few words of supplication against the party that “hated” him (ix. 13, 14) rendered such an arrangement somewhat less unsuitable. Congruity was to some extent secured by a backward glance in the close of Psalm x. at the victory which had roused him to write Psalm ix., “Jehovah is King for ever and ever, the heathen are perished out of His land.” We may even go further, and regard the opposition of the Gentile and that of the ungodly Israelite as so strictly contemporaneous, that Psalm ix. in part anticipates Psalm x., and that the two troubles— guoad subjects of Psalmody—lend colouring each to each; see notes on ix. 6, x. 16. A few words may be necessary on the character of the social evils of which this Psalm complains. They are fundamentally the same abuses as are complained of by David in xiv., xxvi.; and which reap- pear, cloking themselves under aristocratic privilege, in the period of which lxxxii. is the offspring. They originate in an avarice which is ready to employ not only guile, but even outrage and violence to attain its object. The offenders are apparently too high in station to be easily punished or suppressed ; the sufferers are those of humble station, such as have not sufficient footing to hope for redress. So limited was the power of the Jewish monarchy, that even a strong ruler such as David had no resource in these seasons of social corruption but to offer prayers to Jehovah. His inability to execute vengeance in person is illustrated by his compromising policy with regard to the hated Joab, and by the inability of righteous rulers such as Asa and Jotham to suppress yet grosser abuses. HY standest thou afar off, O 2 The wicked in Azs pride doth per- Lorp? why hidest thou ¢hy- | secute the poor: let them be taken in se/f in times of trouble? the devices that they have imagined. if (5 the 12th letter.) “In times of trouble,” Η. 1783 ninyd see ix. 9, note. 2. a. With the present text, this hemist. can only be rendd. “By reason of the haughtiness of the wicked, the afflicted burns [prob. with indignation].” The A.V. rendg. would require NINJA to be read for the constr. form N83. The verb bs is intrans. as in vii. 13 Bx: 1. PSAIM X. 39 3 For the wicked boasteth of his | God. God Zs not in all his thoughts. heart’s desire, and blesseth the co- 5 His ways are always grievous ; vetous, zw/om the LORD abhorreth. thy judgments ave far above out of 4 The wicked, through the pride of | his sight: as for all his enemies, he his countenance, will not seek after | puffeth at them. [14], and is so rendd. by LXX., Syr., Aq.. Symm. It is possible that “burns with pain,” or “sorrow” (cf. Job xxx. 27, 30), rather than “burns with indignation,” is meant; but hemist. ὦ, which may be the cry of indignation proceeding from the outraged sufferers, favours the latter. 3. a. Or “For the wicked acts arrogantly according to his soul’s lust.” The signf. “speak arrogantly,” or ‘behave arrogantly,” which certainly belongs to the Kal, Poel, and Hithp., is apparently the only one which is possible here. θη “to praise” would be utterly inappro- priate here. But by cannot like 3 express the object of this vaunt, nor is there any reason why the wicked should boast of his soul’s desire. ὁ. We prefer to rend. “And the plunderer renounces, [yea] contemus Fehovah.” Another allowable rendg. is “And blesses the plunderer, [but] contemns Jehovah.” With regard to the former rendg., it must be observed that 772 is used in signf. ‘‘ renounce” in 1 Kings xxi. 10, Job i. 5, ii. 5. Hengst., adhering to the usual signf. of 772 absurdly rends. “And the plunderer blesses, [and yet] despises Jehovah.” LXX. gives Ὅτι ἐπαινεῖται 6 ἁμαρτωλὸς ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ, Kal ὁ ἀδικῶν ἐνευλογεῖται. Παρώξυνεν τὸν Κύριον ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς, blending this with the following verse. 4. Rend. “As for the wicked in his scornfulness—' He will not require it at all, there is no Godj—is the sum of his thoughts.” Ver. 13, “He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it,” (cf. ix. 12), shews that the nominat. to the verb W717" here is not “the wicked,” but ‘‘God,” and that this verb denotes not search after God, but Divine seeking out or cognizance of sin. Scornfulness: the H. \BS8 3) lit. elatio nasz, denotes here not anger (cf. LXX.’s κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ), but arrogant bearing, ὑπερηφανία. In xviil. 27, ci. 5, Is. ii. 11 the same form of pride is expressed by the terms “lofty eyes,” “eyes of loftiness.” 5. Rend. “ Hzs ways are always firmly-stablished:” i.e. he is never subject to the agitating influence of misfortune. For this signf. of the Root 51n cf. Job xx. 21, and the derivat. Son “strength.” So Rashi. The rendgs. “terrify” (Ibn Ezra), and “grieve” would pro- bably require an accus. to be expressed. The LXX. which rends. βεβηλοῦνται wrongly connects im with the Rt. 5$n. For similar complaints of the prosperity of the ungodly cf. lxxiii. 3—5, and Koran 40 PSALM X. BK. 1. 6 He hath said in his heart, I shall 8 He sitteth in the lurking places of not be moved: for 7 sha// never de | the villages: in the secret places in adversity. doth he murder the innocent : his 7 His mouth is full of cursing and | eyes are privily set against the poor. deceit and fraud: under his tongue 9 He lieth in wait secretly as a zs mischief and vanity. lion in his den: he lieth in wait to ii. 209, “The present life is ordained for those who believe not, and they laugh the faithful to scorn.” 6. “Puffeth at them:” 2 127 has here doubtless the same signf. as NS ΠΕΠ in Mal. i. 13, viz. to “puff” or “blow at” contemptuously. 6. The construction of W& in this verse is very puzzling. We are inclined to prefer the rendg., “He hath said in his heart ‘I shall not be moved, for successive generations [1 shall be] ove who ts free Srom misfortune.” That WS is to be taken as the conjunction (not as the relative pron.), in signf. “for,” or “so that,” (cf. Gen. xi. 7) is impro- bable, and the Makkiph, which unites xd with ΜΔ (see Baer’s text), rather favours the view that WN is the relative pron. So understood, it might refer not to “the wicked,” but to the “successive genera- tions,”—“for successive generations, which shall be free-from-misfor- tune.” But this signf. would be somewhat vapid. For its use as given above cf. Is. viii. 20. The LXX. neglects WS altogether, and rends. ἄνευ κακοῦ. The Syr. and Targ. evidently regarding (WS as a conjunc- tion rend. respectively “I shall not be moved...... from meditating evil,” and “I shall not be moved...... from doing evil.” 7. a. For “cursing” rend. “Perjury,” for this is the signf. of nbs “an oath,” when coupled as here with a word denoting “deceit” or “lying,” cf. lix. 12 [13], Hos. iv. 2. Kimchi observes “So is the way of the wicked; when he wishes to deceive others, he swears copiously, that it may appear as if he swore with all conviction on his own part.” ὦ. More correctly, ‘Under his tongue is mischief and ¢voudle :” NS in this signf. is constantly joined with Spy, cf, Ivo: [19} xe? ro: 8. a. It is not conceivable that the extortionate and violent persons whom David has in view literally took up their abode outside ‘‘villages” with the view of murdering the inhabitants. We prefer to rend. the first clause “He sts in an enclosed ambush,” understanding the insidious designs of such persons to be represented here (as in vv. 9, 10) in language purely figurative. “8M chdtsér is primarily not “ta village,” but “an enclosed place” or “δ hedged-in place.” It re- presents the “lair” or ‘‘covert” of a wild beast here, as in the proper name C/’¢sar Shocdl, “Fox’s Covert”, Nehem. xi. 27; cf. the use of SN in similar signf. in Is. xxxiv. 13, xxxv. 7ζ. The lit. meaning here BK. 1. PSALM X. 41 catch the poor: he doth catch the to He croucheth, azd humbleth poor, when he draweth him into his | himself, that the poor may fall by his net. strong ones. s “He sits in an ambush of enclosed places,” the plur. being used rather than the sing. to give additional emphasis, 1.4. “a thoroughly enclosed ambush.” The LXX. misrends. ἐγκάθηται ἐνέδρα μετὰ πλουσίων, probably understanding DSM in signf. “courts,” “halls,” as Targ., and paraphrasing. 6. “The poor:” here and in ver. 14 we have the word nan chél’céh. In ver. 10 we have ὨΝΝ ΣΟΙ chélcdim, doubtless the plur. of the same word. Neither sing. nor plur. occurs elsewhere. The Ma- sorites read two words Ὁ δὰ 3 Sn chél cdim (either 1.4. O83) Is. xvi. 7 or plur. of M83), “host of afflicted or dejected” in v. 10; and here and in v. 14 apparently understand the form to be a prolongation of en “Thy host.” But, not to speak of the anomaly of Sn for Syn, there is no adj. form with which D°S3 can be connected; see 10 note. Most modern Commentators therefore read only one word in v. Io, and discover in all three passages a quadriliteral adj. otherwise unknown in Hebrew, which may be connected with the Arab. chadlic, lit. “black,” sometimes “miserable.” It is supposed that this adj. form is nabn— ΞΟΠ (plur, D'N39M after the form DN from ΣῈ cf. Ewald, § 189, 6), possibly connected with 5»5n, Gen:, xlix. 12; ‘cf, Provexxii.20,. his adjectival interpr. we adopt in the absence af better-founded explana- tions of these anomalous forms. It has some support from the Ver- sions, the LXX. rendering πένητες, Targ. “the poor,” Syr. “the mise- rable,” Aq. and Symm. ἀσθενεῖς. Ὁ. “Catch,” or “Rob;” H. ΘΠ which recurs only in Judg. xxi. 21. to. @ Rend. “He stoops, he crouches.” Stoops: such is obviously the meaning (cf. the signf. of the Rt. N37 and the adj. 7), and it matters little whether we read 137? as the K’ri, or m7}. Some however would rend. “The miserable, each of them ¢s crushed, brought fow, and fallen, by means of his strong ones.” 37 in Pi. certainly means “to crush,” but the use of NNY in Job xxxviii. 40, with reference to ravenous lions “when they crouch (1M) in the dens, and abide in the covert, to lie in wait,” shews that Nt” is to be understood in signf. “crouch” [for prey], with which the interpr. “stoops” best agrees. LXX. combining this with the preceding v. gives ἐν τῇ παγίδι αὐτοῦ ταπεινώσει αὐτόν, κύψει καὶ πεσεῖται ἐν τῷ αὐτὸν κατακυριεῦσαι τῶν πενήτων. “‘His strong ones:” the metaphor of a beast of prey is probably still kept up, but whether WD18Y a@tsoomdyv =“‘his strong 42 PSAT AT Xe BK. 1. t1 He hath said in his heart, God | z¢ with thy hand: the poor commit- hath forgotten: he hideth his face; | teth himself unto thee; thou art the he will never see 2¢. helper of the fatherless. 12 Arise, O Lorp; O God, lift up 15 Break thou the arm of the wick- thine hand: forget not the humble. —_ ed and the evil maz: seek out his 13 Wherefore doth the wicked con- | wickedness ¢z// thou find none. temn God? he hath said in his heart, | 16 The Lorp zs King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land. 17 Lorp, thou hast heard the desire Thou wilt not require 77. 14 Thou hast seen 22; for thou be- holdest mischief and spite, to requite claws,” or “his strong teeth” (in which cases it may be from a dual form @tsoomayim), or merely =‘‘his strength,” is not clear. “The poor :” D'S32N chélcdim, on which see ver. 8, note. With regard to the reading DNS bm it must be noticed that the Rt. 83 is only known in Hebr. by its rare occurrence in the Niph. and Hiph., and that the adj. 782 is unknown. 12. (P the rgth letter.) “Humble” or “meek:” so the K’ri: the C’thib has ‘‘the afflicted.” 14. (1 the 2oth letter.) “To requite [it] with Thy hand:” rend. “To set [1] in Thy hand,’ i.e. To make it the matter of Thy care, cf. Gen. xxxii. 17. Perowne’s expansion, “[That men] may set [it] in Thy hand” (after LXX. and Vulg.), is improbable; still more so are all references to Isaiah’s “Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands (xlix. 26).” ὁ. Or “With Thee the poor [or miserable] leaves it.” 15. (& the 21st letter.) a. “Break Thou the arm of,” i.e. Shatter his strength: for the same phrase see Job xxxvili. 15, Ezek. xxx. 21, 24. YI “arm,” as 7 “hand” (cf. xxii. 20, lxxvil. 2 notes), is constantly employed to express the more abstract signf, “strength.” ὁ. Rend. “ Thou shalt punish his wickedness; Thou shalt find no more of tt.” Punish, or take cognizance of (lit. “seek out”), which is the real force of the verb &/1 in wv. 4, 13, and passim. The general meaning of the clause is that not only shall the sin be punished, but also (as implied in hemist. a) the power which was used in the service of sin taken away. Perowne observes that “‘to seek and not find,’ is a proverbial expression, signifying that an object has utterly perished,” not noticing that in all cases where this phrase occurs the verb is not ¥7 as here, but Mpa. 16. That this v. is a genuine portion of the Psalm cannot be doubted: the incongruity of its appearance in a Psalm which treats of the social abuses prevalent in David’s realm is accounted for by the mutual affinity of Psalms ix. and x.; see Introd. That the heathen BK. τ. PSALM XJ. 43 of the humble: thou wilt prepare 18 To judge the fatherless and the their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear | oppressed, that the man of the earth to hear: may no more oppress. nations are perished out of God’s land (as described in ix. 1—6) is David’s ground for expecting to be relieved from the other enemies of His saints. 17. (ἢ the 22nd letter.) ὁ. Rend. “Zhou wilt stablish their heart”, i.e. by imparting cheering convictions. 18. ὦ. “Oppress:” better “Cause terror.” The verb ~W has the two signff. of our Engl. “be fearful ;” viz. to “ cause terror” and to “suffer terror,” and ’138, which means “mortal man,” may be applied either to the oppressor or the oppressed. Thus we may rend. either “so that mortal man, from the earth, may no more cause terror,” or ‘so that mortal man may be no more terrified from off the earth.” The former is decidedly preferable in view of ix. 20, where wiIX is applied to the persecuting Gentile, but / Y cannot mean “resist” (Perowne), or μεγαλαυχεῖν as LXX., either here or in Is. xIvii. 12. INTRODUCTION: <2O θαι ΧΙ JEHOVAH THE PROTECTOR AND AVENGER OF THE PERSECUTED SAINT. TirLe. ‘ Tothe Precentor, to David.” THE Psalmist beset by malicious foes is warned by some of his adherents to seek refuge in flight. The Psalm is his response to this suggestion. In Jehovah he says, is his trust, there is no need for him to fear; Jehovah is watching all human actions from His heavenly sanctuary, and it is certain that He will eventually whelm the un- godly in a terrible ruin, and cheer with the light of His countenance the righteous whom He has proved in the furnace of adversity. The Psalm is Davidic by Title, and may perhaps be assigned to the period when David’s life was imperilled by the rebellion of Absalom. N the Lorp put I my trust: how | to your mountain? say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird 2 For, lo, the wicked bend ‘heir 1. The words from “Flee” to “what can the righteous do?” v. 3, are put into the mouth of those who are supposed to address the 44 PSALM XI. BK. 1. bow, they make ready their arrow | eyes behold, his eyelids try, the chil- upon the string, that they may pri- | dren of men. vily shoot at the upright in heart. | 5 The Lorp trieth the righteous : 3 If the foundations be destroyed, | but the wicked and him that loveth what can the righteous do ? violence his soul hateth. 4 The Lorp zs in his holy temple, 6 Upon the wicked he shall rain the Lornp’s throne zs in heaven: his | snares, fire and brimstone, and an Psalmist. They are his friends, and because they have not such confidence in God’s protection as he himself possesses, they bid him flee from the wrath of his enemies. Taking the C’thib zoodoo, flee ye, some absurdly interpr. 7xzaphshi, to my soul, “to my faithful companions, who are as dear to me as my soul.” But if we adopt the K’ri zood?, and still render /’xaphshi, “to my soul,” then there is a transition from the oratio recta to the oratio obliqua,—* Flee thou to your mountain” being equivalent to “Flee thou to our mountain” [the mountain we trust in]. Or if ?zaphshi (with the reading ood?) be rendd. ‘‘of [i.e. concerning] my soul,” the oratio recta in the first part of the clause is for the oratio obliqua, viz. “that she should flee as a bird to your mountain.” We adopt the K’ri text, and prefer the former interpr. of it. On the combination of the two constructions of oratio obliqua and recta, see iv. 6, note. LXX. has the singular verb and omits the pronom. suff. after Zar “ mountain,” rendering μεταναστεύου ἐπὶ τὰ Opn. 2. “Upon the string,” A.V. rightly; LXX. strangely rends. εἰς φαρέτραν. 3. a. “If;” H. Ξ c, rather “Seezng that,” “Inasmuch as.” 6. When the principal clause is hypothetical, the H. perf. may be rendd. in English by the aid of the auxiliary caz or w#d/ (see Driver, “Use of the Tenses,” ch. X.). MWah-pddl is, as Del. says, equivalent to quid fecerit. LXX. rends. the Ist hemist. ὅτε ἃ κατηρτίσω καθεῖλον, reading probably ἢ) Mn %3, and making Ninw’n 2nd pers. Hiph. Past from Nv’. 4. “His holy temple :” Son heycal is applied here and in xviii. 6 not to the material temple, but to the Heavens, the ἀληθινὰ ἅγια of ΕΘ 1x. 24" 5. “His soul hateth,” A. V. rightly; LXX. wrongly, μισεῖ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν. 6. ‘‘Snares;’? H. D'B pachim; if the rendg. of the A.V. be adopted, the word is of course the plur. of ach, a snare; by Rashi, Ibn Ezra and Fuerst it is taken as a sing. nom. (of the form of wre DDS), in which case we must not consider it as equivalent to the ordinary ὩΠΞ pechém (which means simply coa/, not durning coal, BK. 1. PSAIM X11. 45 horrible tempest: ψὲς shall be the | righteousness ; his countenance doth portion of their cup. behold the upright. 7 For the righteous Lorp loveth Sma gechdl), but as identical with the Arab. D'ND fahim, burning coal. “Horrible tempest;” H. MIBY?t z2laphdth. This word only occurs three times, viz. here, in Ps. cxix. 53 ‘JINN naydt “horror hath taken hold upon me,” and Lament. v. to 197 mipyet i.e. Zeneca fames. Here, in conjunction with vovach, it denotes a pestilential wind or Samoom, but whether it is derived from a quadriliteral root, or from }Wt with the insertion of 5, or from mud with a prosthetic ? (cf. prosth. ¥ in NAW), it is impossible to decide. LXX. has πνεῦμα καταιγίδος, Vulg. “spiritus procellarum.” The verse is wrongly divided in the A.V. The first hemist. is closed by the word “snares ;” the second must be rendd. “ five, and brimstone, and a burning wind [shall be] the portion of their cup.” The word ΠΩ is the construct. for M3) from Rt. 7319, like NS? for NSP, 7. Rend. “ For righteous is Fehovah; He loveth acts of righteous- ness: the upright shall behold His countenance.” W* yashdr in the second hemist., though singular in number, denotes ¢he upright, cf. tsaddik and rdshé in ver. 5. Being here a collective noun, it is con- strued with a plur. verb yech’zoo. The pronom. suff. of Aénéymd, His countenance, is the plur. majestatis, cf. Job xxii. 2, xxvii. 23. With the second hemist. of this verse as above rendd. cf. cxl. 13, “The upright shall dwell before Thy face.” The A.V. in the verse before us makes panéymé the subject and ydshadr the object of the verb, and this interpr. is admissible. The LXX. which renders εὐθύτητα εἶδε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, probably read ydsher for ydshdr, though we may observe that in cxi. 8 ὁ, ydshdr is used in the sense of ydsher. We notice that it would be perfectly allowable to regard ydshér as used adverbially, and to interpret “His countenance beholds rightly ;” for which way of expressing the justice and truth of God’s judgment, see xvii. 2.4; cf. also Prov. iv. 25. 46 PSALM XII. BK. 1. INTRODUCTION TO Psarm XII. JEHOVAH THE AVENGER OF THE PERSECUTED POOR. TiTLe. ‘To the Precentor upon the Sh’minith, a Psalm to David.” HERE, as in Ps. x., we have a complaint of the crafty machinations whereby an ungodly faction seeks to oppress the poorer and humbler of David’s subjects. We say “ David’s,” for the language and thought here fully attest the reasonableness of the Title which assigns the Psalm to the poet-king. There is no warrant for the statements, “The prophets had already raised their voices against this corruption : Isaiah had probably already entered on his mission ” (“ Psalms Chro- nologically Arranged”). Here as elsewhere David conceives of a Divine interposition which is to right the cause of Jehovah’s perse- cuted servants. This conception has not necessarily anything to do with “the thoughts of a coming judgment, and of the establishment of a righteous kingdom upon earth,” which belong to the late prophetic period. On the contrary, it is the same cheering conviction which consoles David in Ps. x. He cries aloud over the ascendancy of the wicked and the triumph of insidious oppression. And even while he speaks he seems to hear a Divine voice answering his complaint, and promising a speedy intervention, and deliverance of the afflicted. God’s voice, as the nation well knows, speaks words of unadulterated truth. On this shall the sufferer rely, when the strong blast of perse- cution shakes the foundations of society (see vv. 7, 8). ELP, Lorp; for the godly 2 They speak vanity every one with man ceaseth; for the faithful | his neighbour: wth flattering lips fail from among the children of | avd with a double heart do they men. speak. 1. “Fail;” H. 1D5 passoo, a am. deyou., which some rend. “ Are dispersed,” instancing the subst. NBS “spreading out” so “ abund- ance,” in lxxii. 16. Others “are come to an end,” connecting the Root with DES; thus LXX. ὠλιγώθησαν, Symm. ἐξέλειπον. 2. ὦ. We prefer to rend. “ Decettful language do they speak with a double heart.” Deceitful language: AY “lip” is constantly used in signf. “language,” and in this verse we adopt this rather than the material signf. in which it is used (in the dual) further on. It is how- ever grammatically possible to regard mipon nt’ as an adverbial accus. =“smooth-lip-wise,” an expression which finds an illustration in IPS As, (O} Ke Ts 3 The Lorp shall cut off all flatter- ing lips, avd the tongue that speaketh proud things : 4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips ave our own : who zs lord over us ? 5 For the oppression of the poor, PSALM XII. 47 for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lorn; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him. 6 The words of the LorD ave pure words : as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Double heart: H.251 20 Ub vd-léb “A heart and a heart,” as in 1 Chron. xii. 33, where this phrase is contrasted (see v. 38 with /2bdd shilém and léb echéd, i.e. singleness of intention, the ὀφθαλμὸς ἁπλοῦς of Matt. vi. 22). 4. a. Rend. either “ We have power over our tongues,” or “ To our tongue we will grant free sway.” The latter rendg. is more appro- priate, but whether the Hiph. of 723 can mean “ give sway” is doubt- ful. It is also possible to rend. “ As to our tongue are we strong.” ὦ. ‘Our lips are our own,” or “We have the use of our lips:” lit. “Our lips are with us.” Some interpret this expression as meaning “ Our lips are our confederates.” 5. 4. Lit. “Because of the laying waste [or making desolate] of the afflicted.” ὅ. Rend. “7 w7ll set [him] zx the salvation for which he pants.” The Rt. M5 here apparently -- “Τὸ pant with desire,” as in Hab. ii. 3, not, as in x. 5, “Τὸ puff contemptuously.” And the above is the most natural rendg. ofthe clause. Such rendgs. as “[From him that] puffeth at him,” and “[From him that] pants with indignation [ο΄ Acts ix. I] against him,” require too much to be supplied. The LXX. has παρρησιάσομαι ἐν αὐτῷ. Probably it read Ὁ DYES “T will shine-out upon him” for m5’, since the LXX. uses the same verb as the equivalent to }°5iN in xciv. 1, and the Syr. has similar rendgs. in Ixxx. 2, xciv. 1 to its “faciam salutem palam” here. 6. “The words of the LORD,” viz. the promise made by Jehovah in verse 5. That promise is like silver seven times smelted, both as being wholly free from all spurious admixture, cf. cxix. 140, and as holding high value in the estimation of men, cf. cxix. 127. “In a furnace of earth.” This rendg. is impossible. So too is the rendg. “Tried in a furnace, because of the earth [with which it is mixed].” For {0S “The Earth” is never used in Biblical Hebr. to express earth as a material element. This clause is obscured by the occurrence of the word Sy a’ (A. V. furnace), a dz. Aeyou., of which the two most satisfactory interpretations perhaps are “a workshop” from Ὅν “perficere,’ and “a crucible” from’ a Rt. 229 “to burn.” Talmudic use perhaps justifies a third interpr. in connection with the 48 PSALM XT. BK. 1. 8 The wicked walk on every side, 7 Thou shalt keep them, O Lorp, when the vilest men are exalted. thou shalt preserve them from this | generation for ever. former Root, viz. “thoroughly” or “truly” [tried], cf. the French ex efict. The construction with /8? may be explained in two ways, “ The words of the Lorp...are to the Earth silver, etc.,” the rendg. we prefer, or “The words of the LORD...are as silver smelted...for the use of the Earth [i.g. men of the earth].” The rendg., “A furnace zz the earth” lit. “delonging-to, fixed-upon the earth,” is vapid and barely- allowable, though authorized by the Targum. According to another interpr. (based in the main on Kimchi), the 3 of σον saa’ lil is to be regarded as a Root-letter, and the word interpreted in the signf. of daal “Lord,’—“The words of Jehovah are pure words ; smelted silver [are the words of] the Lord of the Earth, [silver] purified seven times.” ‘This is ingenious, and it is no objection that we have to supply N8 “words of ” from the first clause. But how are we to account for the application to Jehovah of daa dil, a dimi- nutive form apparently (cf. Φ᾽ 122, always used of false gods)? The LXX. omits this difficult word, and rends. the clause δοκίμιον τῇ γῇ κεκαθαρισμένον ἑπταπλασίως. 7. a. “Them:” viz. the “afflicted? and “needy” of ver. 5. 5 Uae equiv. to “them” in ὁ is sing.—‘‘him,”—1i.e. each one of such persons. There is no reason to render “us” [1373], though the LXX. in- accurately gives ἡμᾶς in both hemistiches, and the termination 43,, does in a few rare cases stand for 12}. “This generation” (1? without the article, as always, cf. Ewald ὃ 293 a) denotes not the present depraved age, but this depraved class of whom he has been complaining,—hence genus rather than generation. 7267 is used in the same signf. in the passages, “the generation of them that seek Him,” xxiv. 6, “the generation of Thy children,” Ixxiii. 15; cf. xiv. 3. To interpret it Ὁ as “spoken of those who not only live in the same age, but are per- vaded by the spirit of that age” (Perowne), is to extend the signf. unnecessarily. 8. The best rendg. of this difficult verse seems to be, “Jz all directions advance the wicked, |it 15] like the rising of a tempest to the sons of men.” 1.6. society is afflicted by outbursts of oppression from every quarter, which resemble the shifting gales of a tempest. a. Inall directions: this isthe signf. of 2°D “round,” after verbs of motion, cf. Is. xlix. 18, lx. 4. With the rendg. given above, cf. the language of Eccl. i. 6, with reference to the wind, 3) in alals) labia) 6. This hemist. is rendd. difficult by the obscure word mibr sulloth, BK. I. PSALMS. 49 which we take with Maurer (in the signf. of the Syr. ze/o) from Rt. sdlal, “shook,” “shattered,” cf. Arab. zalzalun, “earthquake.” From the same Rt. come the Participial signfs. “squandering ”* “profligate,” in Prov. xxiii. 21 and 20, and “abject” “shattered,” in Lament. i. 11. In connection with these meanings, z#//dth has been interpreted of the “wzleness” of the wicked, as in A. V., or of the “Aumzliation” of the afflicted, as by Kimchi,—‘‘ When the wicked raise themselves up, it [causes] humiliation and degradation to the sons of men;” —cf. “the children of men are put to rebuke” of P. B. V. Rashi understands the v. to mean “[The wicked are goaded to jealousy] when one who has been of humble state in the eyes of men is raised up,” in allusion to David’s extraordinary rise from the sheepfolds to the throne. The Targ. curiously rends. this hemist., ‘As a leech which sucks out the blood of the sons of men” perhaps reading 075 ΡΝ. LXX. has κατὰ τὸ ὕψος σου ἐπολυώρησας τοὺς υἱοὺς τών ἀνθρώπων. moa “Thou hast lifted up” (cf. xxx. 1) may have been read for mibr. Symm. rends. as A. V. INGER ODUECTION- tO MPsArine Crise EXPOSTULATION WITH THE GOD WHO HAS FORGOTTEN HIs AFFLICTED SERVANT. TitLe. “To the Precentor; a Psalm, to David.” IN this Psalm the sorrow of an imperilled servant of God is seen gradually diminishing, as he bethinks him of the loving-kindness of Jehovah, till finally his heart warms with assurance of relief, and complaint gives place to gratitude. Hitzig supposes that this Psalm was written at the time when David was fleeing before Saul, and this period of David’s lifetime is more suitable than any other of which we have record. The Psalm is full of Davidic idioms. OW long wilt thou forget me, | wilt thou hide thy face from me? _ Ὁ Lorp? for ever? how long 2 How long shall I take counsel in 1. ‘For ever:” H. ΠΝ) zetsach is not an additional question, but is to be taken with the first clause, so that the meaning of the whole is, “How long, O Jehovah, wilt Thou xo¢ cease to forget me!” 2. ἃ. Or “[While] sorrow [is] in my heart;” the omission of the conjunction gives greater emphasis to this dependent clause. 50 PSALM XIV. BK. 1. my soul, Aaving sorrow in my heart | trouble me rejoice when I am moved. daily ? how long shall mine enemy be 5 But I have trusted in thy mercy ; exalted over me? my heart shall rejoice in thy salva- 3 Consider avd hear me, Ὁ LorD | tion. my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I 6 I will sing unto the Lorp, be- sleep the sleep of death ; cause he hath dealt bountifully with 4 Lest mine enemy say, I have pre- | me. vailed against him; avd those that ὦ. “Be exalted:” H. D1 ydroom, it is perhaps possible to regard the word as connecting this Ps. with v. 8 of the preceding, “It is as the lifting up (c’700m), etc.” 3. a. “Consider and hear me:” rend. “Zook, answer me,” a double imperative without any conjunctive particle, as in Ixix. [18] and passim. 6. Lit. “Lest I sleep the death.” 4. a. “I have prevailed against him;” H. ynbs y coltiv. bo) ag master is constructed both with the accus., as here and Jer. xxviii. 5, and with 9 as Ps. cxxix. 2, ὌΧΧΧΙΣ. 6. b. Rend. “dy enemies would rejoice if {it should happen that] 7 should be moved.” UXX. rightly ἀγαλλιάσονται ἐὰν σαλευθῶς For this use of Ξ cf. xi. 3. 6. “Hath dealt bountifully with:” such is the meaning of Spa followed by by, cf. cxvi. 7, cxix. 17. The tense is Praet., because this bountiful dealing is anterior to the Psalmist’s outburst of gratitude, i.q. “because he shall have dealt, etc. ;” cf. the same construction in ὉΠ 10, 17; INTRODUCTION TO Psatm XIV. SOCIAL ABUSES. TITLE. ‘To the Precentor; to David.” PSALM XIV. deplores the same social abuses as Psalms x. and xii. With the former of these Psalms the present has affinity in that it sets forth the godlessness of the oppressive faction (cf. ver. 1 with x. 4). It recalls Psalm xii. in its conception of an actual interference on the part of the all-seeing Jehovah (cf. ver. 2 with xii. 5), and in the use of the H. 1173 dor “generation” (in signf. “class” or “ set”), with reference to moral traits which have divided society into two distinct parties. Such links of connection vindicate the Title ‘‘to David,” and shew that the term “captivity” in ver. 7 (see note) is not to be understood literally. BE. I: PSALM XIV. 51 This Psalm appears in a slightly altered form in the second Book, as Psalm lii. is there carried on throughout. The tristichic formation which here fails in verses 5, 6 But we cannot on that account pre- sume that Psalm liii. is the older of the two recensions (see liii. Introd.). And it is natural to infer from its position that Psalm xiv. was deemed by the compilers the earlier form. HE fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are cor- rupt, they have done abominable works, zhere zs none that doeth good. 2 The Lorp looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did under- 3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy : there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lorp. stand, azd seek God. 5 There were they in great fear : i. “Hath said,” or better “Says:” the perfect here as in x. 3 denoting habitude, is well explained by Del. as “expressing a fact of universal experience inferred from a number of single instances ;” cf. Gesen. ὃ 126,3. “They are corrupt :” H. INNWN Azshchithoo “They have made corrupt.” Zeph. iii. 7 seems to shew that it is best to regard ndby as the object of this verb, so that “‘They have made corrupt, yea they have made abominable their doing” is the lit. signf. 2—4. The conception is probably based on the Wns in Gen. Vi. 5. 3. Lit. “The whole [mass of them] is turned aside, they have become foul together.” Portions of vv. 1—3 are freely cited by S. Paul in Rom. iii. 1o—12, in 7/ustration of his position that both Jews and Gentiles are “under sin.” To these are attached other quotations from various parts of the O. T., forming six verses. These verses (Rom. iii. 13—18) are introduced after our verse 3 by Cod. Vat. of LXX., and appear in the Vulg. and Arabic, as well as in our P.B.V. as a part of this Psalm. 4. This v. is the utterance of the Almighty, after He ae made His inspection and seen the degraded condition of mankind. That this condition is attributed to zgzorance,—crass brutal stupidity,—is in accordance with the language of ver. 1. Is. xliv. 18 and divers other passages illustrate the common O. T. axiom that the root of sin is zgnorance. This moral standpoint has found acceptance among the deep thinkers of all ages. Cf. G. H. Lewis on the Philosophy of Socra- tes : “only the wise man, said he, can be brave, just, or temperate. Vice of every kind is ignorance, and involuntary because ignorant.” The advance from this position to that of all-embracing tolerant “charity” fetes Pe 8 52 PSALM XIV. BK. I. for God zs in the generation of the 7 Oh that the salvation of Israel righteous. were come out of Zion! when the Ye have shamed the counsel of | Lorpb bringeth back the captivity of the poor, because the Loxp ἦς his | his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and refuge. Israel shall be glad. (1 Cor. xiii.) would appear to be adumbrated even more in the teach- ing of Socrates than in the Book of Psalms. Verse 5 dramatically portrays the effect of this imaginary Divine censure. We believe the signf. to be “ Then they were exceedingly afraid, for that [recognizing the fact that] God ἐς iu the righteous generation.” This proof that Jehovah abides among His true followers and cares for their welfare produces terror among the persecutors. OW shdm, as in Judg. v. 11, and elsewhere=“then” rather than “there.” The term “righteous generation” is not (as “the righteous nation” of Is. xxvi. 2), the designation of Israel generally, but merely denotes that class in Israel who follow righteousness. Cf. for this signf. of WI xxiv. 6, xxiii. 15, and see xii. 7, note. In liii. 5, [6] we have an additional clause IND 7 xd “Tl where] no fear had been,” and from this passage the LXX. interpolates ov οὐκ ἦν φόβος here. 6,7. From this conception of Divine visitation the Poet passes on to the actual circumstances, and addresses the evil-doers directly. 6. Rend. “ Ye may frustrate the counsel of the afflicted, but Jehovah is his refuge.” wan hébish “Put to shame” cannot be understood as “defame,” “reproach.” Followed by ΤᾺΝ it naturally means “confound” “frus- trate,” as Hupfeld. That 3 can mean “4uz,” without a negative clause preceding, is shewn by xxii. [1o], cxli. 8. It must be noticed that the tristichic formation, noticeable in all other verses, is not extended to our verses 5, 6. In liii. the corresponding place is filled by one tristichic verse, which introduces other expressions and ideas: see 1111. 5, note. 7. ‘Bringeth back the captivity of.” From cxxvi. 4 it might be supposed that the phrase Nia’ Aiw’=“Restore the captives of,” and that the Psalm is to be assigned not to David, but to one of the Babylonian exiles. But such difficulties are lessened when we find the same phrase used in Job xlii. 10, Ezek. xvi. 53, evidently as indi- cating deliverance from affliction. In view of such passages it may denote here merely release from the thraldom of sorrow, such as is elsewhere called a deliverance from a confined place, a setting in a broad place, or a place of liberty. Even Hitzig, who assigns the Psalm to Jeremiah, rends. “If Jehovah would but turn the misfortune of His people.” BK: I. PSALM. 53 The Kal of 21¥ “turn” here, as in Ixxxv. 1 [2], cxxvi. 1, 4, Nah. ii. 3 (not in Ixxxv. 4. [5], Ezek. xlvii. 7, as Perowne), is used in the transit. signf.=2'Wn. Nah. ii. 3 shews that this use is not confined to the case where ΤῚΣ) or ‘AW is the object of the verb. This anomaly may be illustrated by the corresponding use of vertere, στρέφειν, the Engl. “turn,” “move,” and the verbs expressing motion in many lan- guages (e.g. N'Y, ἄγειν, κλίνειν, ztehen), in both active and reflexive signfs. INFRODUCTION ΤῸ PsAtw XV. ATIA ATIOIS. TitLe. ‘A Psalm, to David.”’ ALL that can be gathered with respect to the occasion of this Psalm is that it was written after the Ark had been moved to Mount Zion. It has been supposed that the expression “Thy AoZy hill” ver. 1, rather favours the time of the Absalomic exile, when the sanctuary “was in the possession of men the very opposite of those described in the Psalm,” Del. But we think it more probable that David writes while in a position of power, with the view of correcting those abuses among his subjects against which he appealed in Psalm xiv. His rebuke is based on the grandeur of the prerogative which Israel enjoys as the elect people of God. He sets before the corrupt section of his subjects the sacredness of Jehovah’s tabernacle, proclaiming that there must “enter in there nothing that defileth.” Isaiah appears to have had this Psalm in mind when in reply to the question, “Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire [of God’s Presence]?” he answers, “He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth gain got by oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil.” Is. xxxill. 14, 15. ORD, who shall abide in thy 2 He that walketh uprightly, and tabernacle? who shall dwell in | worketh righteousness, and speaketh thy holy hill? the truth in his heart. 2. ‘He that walketh uprightly:” H. Bn πη holéc tamim (cf. Prov. xxvill. 18). Zdmim, integer probably here means That which zs right, 1.6. integrity. It must be parsed as an ethical accus. denoting the manner of the man’s walking, and is thus equivalent to 8—2 54 PSALM XV. BK. I. 3 He that backbiteth not with his | eth to zs own hurt, and changeth tongue, nor doeth evil to his neigh- | not. ‘ bour, nor taketh up a reproach against 5 He that putteth not out his money his neighbour. to usury, nor taketh reward against 4 In whose eyes a vile person is | the innocent. He that doeth these contemned; but he honoureth them | ¢hzzgs shall never be moved. that fear the Lorp. He that swear- the D°9N3 of Ixxxiv. 12. It is admissible also to take ¢émim as quali- fying the subject of the sentence; so LXX. πορευόμενος ἄμωμος. 3. The perfects (interspersed here with imperfs.) denote the habit, as ini. 1,2. “He that backbiteth not with his tongue:” Kay’s rendg. “Allows no slander upon his tongue” is much better, for it is not yw, but 13 τον, 4. “In whose eyes a vile person is contemned,” A.V. rightly. We reject the rendg. “Despised is he in his own eyes and worthless,” which is that of Targ., Kimchi, Ibn Ezra, Gesen., Del., Kay, etc., because though a good man might be dp9 thought little of, or Says lowly, in his own eyes (2 Sam. vi. 22), he could not be habitually DNID) abominable or loathsome. LXX. rightly ἐξουδένωται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ πονηρευόμενος. ὁ. Rend. “Jf he have sworn to his own hurt, yet he will not change.” The perf. YIU nzshba is hypothetical, cf. 2 Kings v. 13. The expression YI? dra lit. “to do evil,” is evidently borrowed from Lev. v. 4, where it is enjoined that any one who has inadvertently omitted to fulfil an oath sworn 20'S 3 yand Whether for good or evil [i.e. of course to Azmself], is to bring a trespass-offering [@shdm]. The LXX. rends. τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, taking 7’hdra for pie Chiréa, or yb lé-réa, lit. “To the neighbour.” The P.B.V. combines the two signfs. by rendering “sweareth unto his neighbour and disappointeth him not, though it were to his own hindrance.” The verb ὙΠ hadmir is in legal language used of exchanging the offering one has vowed for another offering. Here however it has no such technical signf. but points simply to alteration of intention. 5. 4. In accordance with Exod. xxiii. 8 and Lev. xxv. 37. ~ BK. 1. PSALM XVI. 55 INTRODUCTION TO: Psatm XVI. DISTRESS AND DANGER UNHEEDED BY HIM TO WHOM GOD IS THE HIGHEST GOOD. TITLE. ‘‘Mictém, to David.” THIs Psalm is so badly rendered in the English Version that it seems well to preface it with an analysis. It is written in time of urgent need, and opens in the form of a prayer, which is however shortly changed into a pious meditation, David declares that he has vowed allegiance to God, fellowship with the holy, self-severance from idolaters (2—4). Jehovah is his posses- sion, and with such an inheritance he is all contentment (5, 6). Je- hovah inspires him with wisdom, more especially with moral discri- mination ; and Jehovah is before him and about him, so that he may confidently expect to shew an unswerving front to fortune (7, 8). And therefore his heart and soul rejoice; and therefore too, despite of present dangers, his whole man has confidence that he shall not be numbered with the inhabitants of Sh’6l, but shall experience life and happiness, the happiness which God continually showers with liberal hand on those He loves (9---τ 1). Verse τὸ of this Psalm naturally suggested itself to the Apostles as applicable to the deliverance of Christ from “Hades” and “destruc- tion.” But it is not merely in the letter that such an interpretation holds. The apostolic application (Acts 11. 29—32, xill. 35-37) is based on the consideration that David’s hope of escaping the power of death could not be realized to the full in David himself, but that it is fulfilled in Jesus, who is in other respects David’s antitype. Alford well re- marks on Acts ii. 31 “‘The word προϊδών distinctly asserts the pro- phetic consciousness of David in the composition of this Psalm. But of what sort that prophetic consciousness was, may be gathered from the same Apostle, 1 Pet. 1. 1o—12....It was not a distinct knowledge of the events which they foretold, but only a conscious reference in - their mind to the great promises of the covenant, in the expression of which they were to be guided by the Holy Spirit of prophecy to say things pregnant with meaning, not patent to themselves, but to us.” David bases his hope of escaping death on Jehovah’s intervention; and since Jehovah prostrated the powers of death by the agency of Jesus, the Psalm becomes predictive of Jesus. 56 PSALM XV, BK. 1. RESERVE me, O God: for in | 3 Af to the saints that ave in the _ thee do I put my trust. earth, and Zo the excellent, in whom 2 O my soul, thou hast said unto | zs all my delight. the Lorp, Thou av¢ my Lord: my 4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied goodness extendeth not to thee ; that hasten after another god: their 2. Rend. “7 have said unto Fehovah,‘Thou art my Lord, my happiness [extends] not beyond Thee.” a TL have said: VON admart is not to be regarded as a 2nd pers. fem. (5) “my soul” being understood) as by Targ. and A.V., but as a defective form of δὲ dmarti, “I have said,” or “Tsaid.” LXX. rightly εἶπα τῷ Κυρίῳ. Similar defective forms are 1°33 (C’thib), I Kings viii. 48, ny (C’thib), Ezek. xvi. 59, MYT? (C’thib), Job xlii. 2, cf. Gesen. §44, rem. 4. In the present passage two MSS. of De Rossi give NON, and LXX., Vulg., Syr. have the verb in the Ist person. My Lord: A.V. rightly, for the fundamental signf. of A’déndy must be retained here, as in xxxv. 23. 6. Lit. “My happiness [is] not at all beyond Thee.” The thought is that of Ixxili. 25 “Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and [in communion] with Thee I take no pleasure in the earth.” The prepos. 2Y a/ must here be taken in the rare signf. “beyond,” as in Gen. xlix. 26, cf. Ixxxix. ὃ. It was probably so understood by Targ. [“‘is not given, outside of Thee”] and Symm. [οὐκ ἔστιν ἄνευ σου]. The LXX. however took ΟΝ in the more usual signf. “with regard to,” “concerning,” rendering τῶν ἀγαθῶν μου οὐ χρείαν ἔχεις. So Vulg. “quoniam bonorum meorum non eges,” and Joseph Kimchi “the good which I am doing ... does not extend as far as Thee.” David Kimchi gives “the good which Thou art doing for me, it is not im- posed on Thee to do it.... but it is all free-beneficence from Thee,” and this may be the meaning of Aquila’s ἀγαθωσύνη μου ov μὴ ἐπὶ σέ. We understand 1210 in signf. “welfare,” “happiness,” as in Job ix. 25. Eccles. v. 17, etc. "The emendation 3 for “52 [“my happiness is wholly upon Thee”] is quite unnecessary, and grammatically very questionable. 3,4. We believe the signf. to be, “Zo the holy ones that are in the earth, and those illustrious ones in whom ts all my delight (sub- intell. “1 said” from v. 2], ‘May their sorrows be multiplied who offer gifts to another [god]; their drink-offerings of blood may I never pour out, and may 7 never take up their names upon my lips.” To Jehovah the Psalmist has said that all his own longings are satisfied in Him; to his fellow-worshippers he addresses this expression of sympathy. ἄν. BK. 1. PSALM XVI. 57 drink offerings of blood will I not 5 The Lorn zs the portion of mine offer, nor take up their names into my | inheritance and of my cup: thou lips. maintainest my lot. That are in the earth: the qualifying clause is necessary, the term wiap kdédésh “Holy” being more usually employed to denote the sanctity of Jehovah, or of His angels (see Ixxxix. 5). Illustrious ones: H. WS addir, lit. splendidus, can hardly point to the moral excellencies of the holy men. Rather does it betoken the high esteem in which the Psalmist holds them. To him they are the truly honourable and illustrious of the earth. Offer gifts to or “Endow :” H. 2 méahar (cf. Exod. xxii. 15) means to give a 10 méhar, this signifying the dowry paid by a husband. Idolatry being constantly treated in Biblical idiom under the figure of adultery, this verb is here used with special significance. The renderings “ Hasten [after] another [god],” or ‘‘ Hasten in- another-direction” [‘‘elsewhither”], are unallowable. The Kal voice of 9 is not used in signf. “ Hasten,” and "NN achér cannot mean “ Else- whither,” still less “[A/¢er] another.” Delitzsch’s interpr., “Barter [ for] another,” i.e. “Take another [god] instead,” is even more un- warrantable. ἽΠ is never found in the signf. of 12 and neither ON (see ον]. 20, Jer. ii. 11), nor any other verb of like force takes the accus. of the thing received in change. LXX. misrenders pera ταῦτα ἐτάχυναν. Their drink-offerings of blood: for which the LXX. gives the absurd rendg. [οὐ μὴ συναγάγω] τὰς συναγωγὰς αὐτῶν ἐξ αἱμάτων, as if reading ὩΙΠΞ for ODD). ὉΠ mzd-déim probably points, not |to blood as the actual material of these drink-offerings, but to the blood-guiltiness which characterizes those who offer them. The prepos. }!2 denotes therefore not the wzazerzal, nor the primary source, but merely gwality. We doubt however if this use finds a parallel anywhere inthe O.T.; its explanation here may be that the possessive \ pronoun rendered the use of the constructive impossible. May I never take up their names: Exod. xxiii. 13 (“Make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth”) suggests that the pronoun “their” in this part of the v. refers to the strange gods generally, implied in the term “another ;” not to the idol-worshippers. In our opinion vv. 3, 4 are to be regarded as closely connected, v. 4 being the speech of the Psalmist to the fellow-worshippers who are mentioned in v. 3. But the 5 2 “to” which opens v. 3, has been explained in various ways. Thus we have such interpretations as 58 PSAIM XVI. BK. I. 6 The lines are fallen unto me in | 7 I will bless the Lorp, who hath: pleasant Alaces ; yea, I have a goodly | given me counsel: my reins also in- heritage. | struct me in the night seasons. “As for the holy ones.... and the illustrious ones, all my delight is in them” [wherein the constructive force of "IN is completely ignored], and “As for the holy ones.... they are the illustrious ones in whom is all my delight,” [wherein ἡ awkwardly introduces the apodosis]. Delitzsch arbitrarily transfers the } from ‘178 to the beginning of the v., rendering “And to the saints who are on the earth [I said] ‘ These are the excellent, in whom is all my delight.’” Ver. 4 will then merely express the inner conviction of the Psalmist, not what he has said. But this “easy improvement of the text” is really perfectly unneces- sary. The old mistranslation of ON\AXY in v. 4. given by Targ. and Symm. “Their idols” is retained by Ewald, who rends. “As for the saints that are in the land, and the noble who have all my love, many are their gods, they take strange gods instead [of the true God], etc.” The “saints” are assumed to be perverted to idolatry, and the Psalmist is understood to disown them, certainly as far as v. 3 is concerned in very flattering terms. It is possible that v. 3 is to be taken in close connection with v. 26 and rendd. “Belonging as I do to the holy ones, etc.” v. 4 being taken separately. The variation from this interpr., adopted by Mendelssohn “There is nothing beyond Thee] to the saints who are in the earth, etc.,” is not so good. The rendg. given above appears to be less open to objection than any any other. 5. a. 1.6. tome Jehovah supplies the place of worldly blessings, cf. ver. 2 ὁ. There is probably a tacit allusion to the law of the Levites. in Deut. x. 9, xviii. 1; ‘The LorD is his inheritance,” “They shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance.” 6. The share which the Psalmist has in Jehovah is also secured to him by Jehovah. “ Maintainest :” H. 91M ¢émmic, a form which it is hard to explain satisfactorily. The three chief interpretations are that it is (1) Hiph. Fut. of a Rt. 7° assumed to be a variation of ON. “lay hold of,” “support.” (2) Ibid. from 7) assumed to be a kindred) form of Arab. 2) “to be broad”—“Thou makest broad my lot,” i.e. ensurest me a spacious habitation. So Schultens, Del. (3) Partic. Kal from 720. of irregular formation (cf. 2°21D 2 Kings viii. 21). Thus LXX. ἀποκαθίστων. 6. ὁ. Lit. “Yea, my inheritance is beautiful with me.” npn probably for ‘on, cf. Nt “my song” in Exod. xv. 12, cxviii. 14, etc., so Hupfeld. But Ewald and others interpret it as a lengthened form | BEAL PSALM XVI. 59 8 Ihave set the LoRD always before | rest in hope. me: because fe zs at my right hand, to For thou wilt not leave my soul I shall not be moved. in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my | Holy One to see corruption. glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall tr Thou wilt shew me the path of of nom. According to this view the form before us may be either a constr. used as absol., or an old form of the absol. termination (cf. the Arab. termin. az). The forms machlath and n’ginath may perhaps be instanced in support of this view, cf. too NW for WW Ix. 11 [13], cviii. 12 [13]. 7. 6. Better “Have instructed me.” This hemist. is little more than an illustration of hemist. @: it is by the workings of conscience (here represented by the “reins,” as in vii. 9, Jer. xvil. 10, xx. 12) that Jehovah inspires the Psalmist with that determination to choose Him as his portion, and abhor all apostasy, of which he has made mention above. 8. “At my right hand:” i.e. Set as my defender and protector; ἸΟΥ͂ΣΙ, €X..5. g. Rend. “Was glad,’ “Hath rejoiced.” “My glory” (H. ‘i325 σόα) =“My soul,” as in vil. 5, xxx. 12, cvili. 2. LXX. here rends. by ἡ γλῶσσά pov. 10. Rend. “Because Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades ; [and] Zhou welt not give up Thy saint to see the pit.” My soul; here, as constantly, YD) zephesh denotes the seat of 2276. Those who interpret hemist. a as referring to the s#z7z¢, and hemist. ὦ as referring to the flesh, have been misled by the διαφθορά of LXX and Acts xiii. 3437; vide infra. Hades, or the Nether-world. The word “hell,” 47 έο (the “deep” or “excavated” place), is etymologically exactly equivalent to δὴ Sh6l; but usage, which has identified “hell” with the γέενα τοῦ πυρός or place of torment, rends. it necessary to translate Dixw otherwise throughout the O. T. Thy saint, or Thy pious servant. The K’ri ὙΠ sing., is on every ground to be preferred to the C’thib 1 ὉΠ plur., and has the support of LXX., and Targ. To see the pit, not “To see destruction” (ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν, as LXX.), for NOW is not derived from naw “destroyed,” but from Mw “to sink down,” and here and everywhere means “the pit,” or “the grave.” “To see the pit” (cf. xlix. 9 [10]), is as Del. observes “the opposite of ‘seeing life,’ i.e. experiencing and enjoying it, Eccl. ix. 9, John iii. 36,” and thus really means to szccumd to the state of the grave, i.e. death. 60 PSALM OVE κ᾽ Bea life : in thy presence zs fulness of joy; | for evermore. at thy right hand ¢heve are pleasures | Thus all that is implied in this v. is that the Psalmist, in that he has Jehovah at his right hand, is confident that he shall escape death, i.e. probably, the violent death with which his adversaries menace him. . 5, Peter in Acts ii. 25 sqq. cites our vv. 8—11 as spoken propheti-' cally by David with reference to the Messiah’s resurrection from the grave (see Introd.). 5. Paul also in Acts xiii. 36, 37 illustrates from our ver. 10 the fact that Christ did zo¢ “see destruction,” i.e. finally succumb to the destructive powers of death. The words μηκέτι ped- λοντα ὑποστρέφειν eis διαφθοράν ver. 34, when compared with οὐκ εἶδε διαφθοράν of ver. 37, shew that the adzding in, not the exferiencing of διαφθορά is what is meant. S. Paul’s argument is that the verse did not receive its true fulfilment in David’s case, inasmuch as David eventually died in the usual way. It is only Christ who truly οὐκ εἶδε διαφθοράν, succumbed not finally (even at death) to the powers of destruction, and shall never be subject to them again. The stress of the argument therefore is laid on εἶδε, which expresses the full exhaustive experience of the H. 4N7 (cf. xxxiv. 12 [13], cxxviii. 5, Lament. ii. 16, iii. 1, Eccl. ii. 1); and the Hebr. “to see the 212 would have served the Apostle’s argu- ment just as well as the ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν of LXX. The A. V. rendg. “see corruption” entirely alters the character of the argument. The LXX. rendgs. of ix. 15, xxxv. 7 shew that διαφθορά is “destruction,” not “corruption ;” cf. also the rendgs. of Job xxxiii. 28 (where διαφθορά is predicated of the ψυχή) and Prov. xxviii. 10. 11. a. “In thy presence:” H. eth-pdneycé as in cxl. 13 [14]. This phrase probably has its origin in the use of zréh “to appear” with eth, or eth panim (or panim only), for “before,” cf. xlii. 2 [3], 1 Sam. 1: 22) 15: 1512: ὦ. Rend. “Jz Thy right hand, etc.;” in the bounteous hand of Jehovah (cf. cxlv. 16) are endless blessings, reserved for His servants. NS) 1. q. myad as In Xili. I. BK 1. PSALM XVII. 61 INTRODUCTION TO Psatm XVII. APPEAL OF PERSECUTED INNOCENCE TO THE RIGHTEOUS GOD. TITLE. ‘‘A Prayer, to David.” FIVE Psalms, viz. xvii., Ixxxvi., xc., cii., cxliii., bear the Title 7’phzl/ah, “A prayer.” This Psalm has many points of resemblance both in thought and diction with other Psalms attributed to David, especially with Psalms iv., vii., x., xi., xvi. Even Hitzig admits the genuineness of the Title 2 Dévid. Ewald, however, assuming that before the time of the Captivity the Hebrews had no expectation of a future state, assigns this Psalm (as also xvi. and xlix.), to the period between the destruction of the kingdom and the return from the Captivity. We deny the validity of this conjecture (see v. 15 note), and accept the Title as authentic. The situation of the Psalmist, persecuted together with his followers by enemies who are eager as a ravening lion for his destruction, agrees well with the position of David in the wilderness of Maon (1 Sam. xxiii. 25 sq.). He was there hemmed in by Saul and his men, and eventually owed his escape to Saul’s receiving a sudden intimation that the Philistines were invading the land. The position of this Psalm in the Psalter as immediately succeeding Ps. xvi. is most appropriate on account of the similarity of the concluding verses in each of them, wherein the Psalmist speaks with hope and confidence of joys which are in the presence of God. Another link of connection may be found in the Psalmist’s retrospective description of his nightly communion with God (xvi. 7 and xvii. 3). But we cannot agree with Delitzsch in laying stress on such common expressions as "3712 (xvi. 1, and xvii. 8), JOM (xvi. 5, xvii. 5), or on the form of address, by (xvi. 1 and xvii. 6). The Psalm may be divided as follows: I. vv. 1—5. Prayer to God based upon David’s consciousness of his own integrity: II. vv. 6—9. Appeal to God against his persecutors, based on the fact that He is known to save those that take refuge in Him: III. vv. ro—12. A description of his enemies: IV. vv. 13—end. A final appeal, and declaration of unshaken faith in God. EAR the right, O LorD, attend | prayer, chat goeth not out of feigned unto my cry, give ear unto my | lips. 1. Cf. the opening verse of Ps. Ixi. 62 PSALM XVII. BK. τ 2 Let my sentence come forth from | mouth shall not transgress. thy presence; let thine eyes behold 4 Concerning the works of men, by — the things that are equal. the word of thy lips I have kept me 3 Thou hast proved mine heart; | /vom the paths of the destroyer. thou hast visited me in the night; 5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, thou hast tried me, avd shalt find | ¢hat my footsteps slip not. nothing; I am purposed ¢hat my 6 I have called upon thee, for thou 2. ὦ. The rendg. of the A. V. is possibly correct, but we prefer to understand this hemist. as a declaration of God’s justice, and to rend. “(For] Thine eyes do behold rightly,” i.e. Thou discernest (as he goes on to say) the very thoughts of the heart, and judgest accordingly. ὩΣ Ὁ méyshdrim is best taken, in accordance with usage (cf. lviii. 1, Ixxv. 2), adverbially. It may however be the ‘accus. after the verb MINN tech’ zeynah (cf. 1 Chron. xxix. 17). 3. a. “Thou hast tried me,” H. YN 2 γαῤλέῥωξ, lit. as LXX. ἐπύρωσάς pe. “[And] shalt find nothing :” rend. “ 7hou didst find nothing [to find fault with].” The imperf. does not give a future signf., but merely denotes the dependence of this on the preceding verb. 58 bal with the imperf. is here as in x. 4, 6 equivalent to Ne; or rather to ov μή, Not as understood by Fuerst to by or μή prohibitive; but see XXXIV. 5, note. ὦ. “I am purposed [that] my mouth shall not transgress.” There is no rendg. of this clause which is not open to objection. If we take ~ Mt sammdtht as a verb (milra, cf. Deut. xxxii. 41, Is. xlix. 16), meaning “I am purposed” (cf. Jer. iv. 28, Lament. ii. 17), and rend. as above, we are met by the objection that the verb ἽΝ is never in Bibl. Hebr. used absolutely in signf. “to transgress.” If we take zamméthi as a subst. of the form chadléthi, \xxii. 10 [11], the rendg. “‘My determination shall not pass my mouth” (or my Ζ225, according to the English idiom) is at best vapid, and the rendg. “ My evil thought shall not pass my mouth” is open to the objection that the first part of the verse implies that the Psalmist never harboured an evil thought. An emendation suggested by Del., that of reading 5 for *5, in which case we should render “my thoughts do not go beyond Thy command- ment,” obviates all difficulties. The LX X. combines this verse with the following one, rendering καὶ οὐχ εὑρέθη ἐν ἐμοὶ adixia’ ὅπως ἂν μὴ λαλήσῃ τὸ στόμα μου τὰ ἔργα k.T.A., as if reading “Δ 5 TON’ P=! valele A.. “Concerning,” or “As ΤῸ om With) respect sto:? ΕΠ 5 2, of general reference. “I have kept [me from]” A.V. rightly, V3’ with the accus. here denoting cavere αὖ, as in 1 Sam. xxv. 21, and possibly in Job ii. 6. BES PSAIM XVII. 63 wilt hear me, O God: incline thine 8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, ear unto me, avd hear my speech. hide me under the shadow of thy 7 Shew thy marvellous lovingkind- | wings, ness, O thou that savest by thy right g From the wicked that oppress me, hand them which put their trust zz | from my deadly enemies, who com- thee from those that rise up agazzst | pass me about. them. to They are inclosed in their own 5. a. “Hold up my goings in:” rend. “Jy steps have held fast vo.” Comparing the first with the second hemist., it seems natural to supply a finite verb after the absol. infin. ¢4mdéc, which thus stands for témée taén’coo. A similar use of the absol. infin. may perhaps be found in xxxv. 15 [16]. LXX. rends. by an Imper. κατάρτισαι. ὁ. Rend. “Aly footsteps have been unmoved.” A.V. follows LXX., which has iva μὴ σαλευθῇ. 6. “1 have called;” the pron. °3N α᾽ηὲ “I” is here expressed, but there is no need to give it any such pregnant meaning as that adopted by Del. “As such an one, 1.” The Pret. ‘ANP Lérathi denotes “I have just called, and am now calling;” it would be best expressed in English by “JZ cadd.” 7. “Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, etc:” better, “Gzve a marvellous mantfestation of Thy kindness, etc.:” so LXX., θαυμά- στωσον Ta ἐλέη σου. 8. “As the apple of the eye:” JY NA 5 οδελδη bath ayin. The usual expressions are ἢ) ΓΞ dath ayin Lament. ii. 18 (or PY N23, Zech. ii. 12), and Τὴ }V"NS Zzshdx ayin Deut. xxxii. 10, Prov. vii. 2; the compound expression occurs only here. Ishén is prob. a diminutive of ish, a man, the pupil being so called from the little image seen in it; cf. Gr. κόρη; κορασίδιον, Lat. pupil/a, and Arab. zushdn-ul-ayn. In Prov. vii. 9. we find 2. όλ lay lah, and in xx. 20 ?shén chéshec. In such passages 7shéz is probably used figuratively, the dark central pupil representing the blackness of midnight. That 2516) denotes Blackness or Darkness directly is a theory devised to meet the difficulty of these passages. This interpretation of ?séz has apparently the support of Rashi, and the Coptic term for “the pupil” is κακε ex Bade, The dark of the eye. But it has no etymological basis whatever. Bath ayim is generally understood to be lit. “ The daughter of the eye,’ cf. κορασίδιον above; but dazh is more probably a contraction of débath (Zech. li. 12), lit. “Zhe opening of, the pupil being regarded as the entrance to the chamber of the eye. 9. “That:” H. 4? zoo, cf. ix. 15 [16]. ‘My deadly enemies :” A.V. rightly, for Dxephesh is to be taken with éy’bay (and not with yakkiphoo, though LXX. gives τὴν ψυχήν μου περιέσχον), and expresses 64 PSALM ΟΣ BK fat: with their mouth they speak | his prey, and as it were a young lion proudly. lurking in secret places. 11 They have now compassed us in 13 Arise, O Lorp, disappoint him, our steps: they have set their eyes | cast him down: deliver my soul from bowing down to the earth ; the wicked, w/zch zs thy sword : 12 Like as a lion ¢hat is greedy of 14 From men which are thy hand, the eagerness with which the enemies pursue their malicious intent, cf. Ixxiv. 19. 10. “They are inclosed in their own fat ;” H. 3D ywordn chelbdmé sdg’roo, which we rend. “They have closed up their heart.” For this use of the subst. chelddmé we may compare the Arab. chzlb, pericar- dium, as Gesen., Hupf. At the same time there is no doubt a refer- ence to faézess in the use of this word ché/ed, fatness of heart being a common figure for moral insensibility, cf. Ixxili. 7, Is. vi. το. More- over, as Del. suggests, it is not improbable that the word fimzd “Their mouth,” which follows, is chosen as being similar in sound with pimdah, fatness, Job xv. 27. LXX. has τὸ στέαρ αὐτῶν συνέκλεισαν. 11. 4. “In our steps:” the H. WS ashshurénoo is in the sing., meaning “each step that we take ;” it is the accus. of closer definition. Only here and in Job xxxi. 7. has NWS a step the ¥ dageshed. LXX. has ἐκβαλόντες pe, reading probably IWS a’shadunni, lit. “They have poured me out.” “Compassed ws,” this is according to the K’ri, the C’thib has “ze.” ὦ. “Bowing down to the earth.” Better, “Zo dring [us| down to the earth,” ΠῺΣ being understood as transitive, as passim; cf. the ex- pression in vii. 5 “Let him tread down my life to the earth” γον, for which we have here the proleptic 84). 12. “Like :” H. 137 adzmyédnd, lit. “His likeness [is];” the most prominent of his enemies being singled out. The subst. occurs only here. For the figure cf. x. 9. 13. a. “Disappoint him:” lit. “Come before his face,” an ex- pression which is used in both the senses of our “Prevent him.” 6. “[Which is] Thy sword;” the Hebr. is simply JA charbecé “Thy sword.” The construction of this word, as also of Ἴ7᾽ yda’ca . “Thy hand” in 14, a, is extremely difficult. We prefer to take them both as “accusatives of the instrument” (cf. the use of 77’ in the same construction in xliv. 2), “By Thy sword,” “By Thy hand.” LXX. runs the two verses into one, and rends, ῥῦσαι τὴν ψυχήν μου ἀπὸ ἀσεβοῦς, ῥομφαίαν σου ἀπὸ ἐχθρῶν τῆς χειρός σου, seemingly taking “Thy sword” as in apposition with “my soul,” and rendg. the first Ὡ “men” by ἐχθρῶν. The A. V. apparently adopts the view that “Thy sword” and “Thy hand” are respectively in apposition with “the wicked” and BK. 1. PSALM XVI. 65 O Lorp, from men of the world, | to their babes. which have their portion in Zs life, 15 As for me, I will behold thy face and whose belly thou fillest with thy | in righteousness: I shall be satisfied,, hid ¢veasure : they are full of children, | when I awake, with thy likeness. and leave the rest of their szdstazce “men.” According to this interpretation the Psalmist merely refers to the acknowledged fact that the wicked are often used as God’s instruments for the chastisement and trial of those whom He loves. “From men of the world,” lit. “From the men [who are] of this tentporal state ;” this clause defines more closely the character of the adversaries. ΙΓ mé-cheled, as Kimchi says, shews them to be men “whose whole desire and pleasure are in this world,” what the Persians call dunyd-parast, or dunya-dér, “worldly-minded.” LXX. rends. ἀπο- λύων ἀπὸ γῆς, reading OND) lit. “Killing them.” “[This] life,” A. V. rightly ; for the Hebr. O° chayyim here=the Arab. al-hayét-ud- dunyd. LXX., gives διαμέρισον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτῶν, reading ppon for ppen, “Their portion.” The 1st hemis. of v. 14 is closed by the accent dleh-v yoréd. It will be understood that the Psalmist here soars above the ordinary Hebrew conception that material prosperity is the reward of godliness ; and by faith in a future state (see on ver. 15) is enabled to understand that it is natural that worldly blessings should be reserved for worldly men, who have no hope beyond the grave. David has here a clue which the writer of the later Psalm Ixxiii. had not, or at all events does not mention, and accordingly accepts com- posedly the phenomena which caused the latter so much discontent. With the latter part of this v. cf. Job xxi. 11, where the patriarch, describing the prosperity of the wicked, says ‘They send forth their little ones like a flock.” I5 is apparently a prayer rather than a prediction. Rend. “JZay IT behold..... may 7 be satisfied.” The verb to “awake,” which is un- intelligible in the ordinary signf., shews that David has in mind a state of blessedness beyond the grave. In contrast with the material happiness of his enemies, he declares that his hopes are centred on a future vision of Jehovah, to be vouchsafed him at the time when he wakes from the sleep of death. This hope (which never in pre-exilic times became a positive assurance) of a future state is a rare feature. No direct revelation on this subject had been given, and any per- ception of a resurrection arises entirely from spiritual instinct and sense of propriety. Where these are clogged by the presence of grievous affliction, all hope of resurrection vanishes, cf. vi. 5, xxx. 9, 66 PSAIM XVIII. BK. I. Ixxxviii. 1o—12. The ordinary position of the early Israelite with regard to the future state must have been one of doubt. But we do not feel ourselves bound on this account to deny the Davidic author- ship of the Psalm. INTRODUCTION TO Psatm XVIII. JEHOVAH WARRING ON BEHALF OF HIS RIGHTEOUS SERVANT. TITLE. ‘To the Precentor; to David, the servant of the LoRD, who spake unto the LorpD the words of this song, in the day that the Lorp delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. And he said...” THE authenticity of the above-quoted Inscription is vindicated by the Psalm itself, and we shall not devote space to a refutation of the very few rash critics who here deny the Davidic authorship. The writer of the Second Book of Samuel incorporates this Psalm as a genuine Davidic composition in chap. xxii., heading it in accordance with the testimony of the Title with the words “And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him, etc.” There are some important differences between the poem of 2 Sam. xxii. and that before us. The majority of these doubtless arose from errors of transcription ; and a comparison of the two compositions is instructive as refuting the opinions of those who maintain the abso- lute accuracy of the Masoretic text. It is probable that the present is the original form of the Psalm, and that 2 Sam. xxii. was transcribed from a copy preserved in the chronicles of David’s reign. It should be noticed that the LXX. maintains (with a few exceptions) the diver- gencies of the two recensions. The Psalm is a Thanksgiving-ode, written apparently at the close of the chequered life of the Poet-King. As he casts a retrospective glance at that life, and notes how Jehovah, who had chosen him from a humble position to be “His anointed” and “His King,” had through- out continued faithful to him, had rescued him from the enmity of Saul, had placed him in a position of secure prosperity, and even now enlarges and strengthens his dominion, he breaks forth with the joyous acknowledgment, “I will love Thee, Jehovah, my strength,” which is the key-note of the whole Psalm. This Poem is in the truest sense the autobiography of David. It pretends not to detail, or analysis, it ignores the very early and more peaceful part of David’s career alto- a ῥὲὺ δα δὰ BK: T. PSALM XVIII. 67 gether; yet if spirit is superior to letter, and personal principle a truer test of character than biographical detail, then is this Psalm a more veritable exposition of David’s history than any the most critically balanced narrative of its circumstances. It shews us the principles by which the man “after God’s heart” was guided. Notably it reveals three :—an unswerving faith, which induces the writer to trust impli- citly in Jehovah on occasions of affliction; moral rectitude, which accepts the truth that righteousness is the condition of the favour of the righteous God ; humility, which ascribes the present regal grandeur of the writer not to his own prowess but to Jehovah’s mercies. The vigorous enthusiasm of the writer renders it difficult to follow his steps as he passes from scene to scene in the lifetime which he so vividly yet cursorily recalls. It would seem probable however that the dangers and distresses which he first describes are those by which he was menaced when exiled by Saul, and that his dramatic account of the Divine intervention (vv. 6—19) commemorates the constant succour afforded at that time by Jehovah. This part of the Psalm is conspicuous for a continuous imagery. The conceptions are anthropomorphic, and (regarded by themselves) recall passages descriptive of Divine intervention in the classical poets. Passing on from this subject, David dwells on the character of Jeho- vah’s moral government, which ever renders to the pure and humble their due reward. Thence he proceeds to a description of military successes, such as are aptly illustrated by the history of David after he ascended the throne. With renewed acknowledgments of Jehovah’s goodness the Psalm closes. There are accordingly five main divisions. I, 1—3. An ascription of praise: II. 4—19. The ground thereof—Jehovah’s interventions on occa- sions of imminent peril : 111, 20—30, The reason of these interyentions found in the character of Jehovah and of His government: IV. 31—45. The military successes and general prosperity granted to David by Divine favour: V. 46—end. Renewed acknowledgment of the dependence of his fortunes on Jehovah. WILL love thee, O Lorp, my 2 The LorpD zs my rock, and my strength. fortress, and my deliverer ; my God, 1. Cf. the commencement of cxvi. The verb 08 rvdcham which nowhere else occurs in Kal, denotes affection in its most tender form. This v. is omitted in the recension of 2 Sam. xxii. Hebr. and LXX, entre Ῥ- 9 68 PSALU RVI BK. 1. my strength, in whom I will trust; | saved from mine enemies. my buckler, and the horn of my sal- 4 The sorrows of death compassed vation, azd my high tower. me, and the floods of ungodly men 3 I will call upon the Lorn, who zs | made me afraid. worthy to be praised: so shall I be 5 The sorrows of hell compassed me 2, “My strength” lit. “My rock” ΣῊΝ ig. ‘Y9D preceding. LXX. here rends. the two expressions by στερέωμα and βοηθός. In 2 Sam, xxii. it rends, ‘YOD by πέτρα and "18 by φύλαξ. The former is the only instance throughout the whole Bible where LXX. rends. literally the term ‘“‘rock” when a designation of Jehovah. The terms commonly used are θεὸς, κτίστης, φύλαξ, and βοηθός. Is this to be ascribed to some under- lying dread of materialism on the part of translators living in a land where the granite representations of Apis and Osiris would prompt a jealous purism? ‘“‘Horn of my salvation” or “Horn of my deliver- ance :” this is a common figure in Hebr. poetry. The ov of the wild ox and the Zand of the human being are alike the emblems, in Hebrew idiom, of material strength, cf. Ixxv. 4, Ixxxix. 17, and see xcii. Io note. 3. “[Worthy] to be praised” (H. bap mhullal, cf. x\viii. [2]), 1.6. on account of those former mercies which inspire the Psalmist with confidence in all future supplications. Olsh.’s rendg. ‘ Worthy of praise, I proclaim, is Jehovah,” is not so suitable to the context as that of A. V. LXX. wrongly Αἰνῶν ἐπικαλέσομαι Κύριον, in 2 Sam. xxil. rightly αἰνετόν. 4.a. ‘Sorrows of:” ban ched'léy here and in 5 a must be rendd. “Cords of,” notwithstanding the LXX.’s ὠδῖνες. The verse corre- sponding to our v. 4 in 2 Sam. 22 has 3") “ Billows of” (a term which in view of the figure in hemist. ὁ is very appropriate), San being con- fined to the next v., see 2 Sam. xxii. 5,6. The Psalmist’s danger is represented here under the figures of a snare (cf. xci. 3), and a whelm- ing stream (cf. Jonah ii. 5). “Floods of ungodly men:” lit. “Streams of ungodliness.” byba Pliyyaal (from blz δὲ “without yoke,” or from δ᾽ 12 yaal “ without profit),” represents in all cases moral not physical evil. In xli. 8, where at first sight the other view might appear tenable, Syv53 727 includes the guilt to which his enemies ascribed the Psalmist’s misfortune. Consequently we cannot interpret the phrase here as indicating merely the “abysmal destruction” with which death and Hades threatened the writer. Rather does it refer directly to the origin of these dangers, which were designed by impious foes. “Streams of ungodliness” or “streams of wickedness” appears therefore to be the true signf., though what precise kind of wickedness is expressed | : BK. 1. PSAIM XVIII. 69 about: the snares of death prevented | his ears. me, 7 Then the earth shook and trem- 6 In my distress I called upon the | bled; the foundations also of the hills Lorp, and cried unto my God: he | moved and were shaken, because he heard my voice out of his temple, and | was wroth. my cry came before him, eve into 8 There went up a smoke out of his by &Zyyaal must in the absence of etymological guidance remain un- certain. From the common phrases dex &liyyaal, ish Pliyyaal comes the term βελίαρ, employed apparently as a designation of the Evil One in 2 Cor. vi. 15. Stanley remarks there that Belial “corresponds in Hebrew to the same notion of wickedness as is expressed in Greek by πονηρός, in Latin by zegzam, in Old English by zaughty, and is there- fore the most contemptuous name for ‘evil’ or the ‘evil spirit,’ the ‘Little Master’ in Siztram (see Arnold’s Life, Ὁ. 684) as contrasted with Satan in the Paradise Lost.” But this appears to be little more than conjecture. See further, xli. 8, ci. 3. 5. ὦ. ie. deadly snares were at my feet, z7zfeded me. The verb D> apparently bears this latter signf. in ver. 8. In every other pas- sage however it means simply “To be beforehand,” “Τὸ forestal” or “To meet,” and the reference is very frequently to blessings, kind- nesses etc. with which Jehovah forestals his worshippers ; cf. Ps. xxi. 3, Ixxix. 8. The LXX. renders here as usually by the verb προφθάνω. For “snares” it rends. in 2 Sam. σκληρότητες connecting ~wPID with Rt. Π Ὁ. 6. The context shews that the term “Temple” here means Jehovah’s heavenly dwelling-place, as in xi. 4. 7—19. In this remarkable passage the deliverance of the Psalmist is treated as if accompanied by such phenomena as actually attended the Divine revelation at Sinai, see Exod. xix. Ps. cxliv. I—11 extols Jehovah the Protector and Deliverer in the same terms as those here used, and in Ps. xcvii. the self-manifestation of Jehovah is foreseen as accompanied by “clouds and darkness,” “lightnings,” consuming “fire,” and earthquake. But here it is the deliverance of Israel at the Red Sea as figurative of his own recent deliverance which David has especially in mind (see 14—16), and this leads him to introduce the phenomena of the revelation on Sinai. The writer of Ixxvii. similarly blends the miracles at the Red Sea and on Sinai, and, as David here, introduces first that which was posterior in point of time. With this passage we may compare Hom. //. Ν. 16: Αὐτίκα δ᾽ ἐξ ὄρεος κατεβήσατο παιπαλύεντος, Κραιπνὰ ποσὶ προβιβάς" τρέμε δ᾽ οὔρεα μακρὰ καὶ ὕλη Ποσσὶν ὑπ᾽ ἀθανάτοισι ἸΤοσειδάωνος ἰόντος. Ξ-ὦ 70 PSALM XVIII. BK. 1. nostrils, and fire out of his mouth de- | did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings voured: coals were kindled by it. of the wind. g He bowed the heavens also, and tr He made darkness his secret came down: and darkness was under | place; his pavilion round about him his feet. were dark waters avd thick clouds of 1o And he rode upon a cherub, and | the skies. 7. For “hills” 2 Sam. xxii. has “heavens” both in Hebr. and LXX. 8.a. Cf. Hom. J/. = 110 χόλος nite καπνός. ; 10.@ “A cherub,” or perhaps indefinite, “Cherubim.” The ety- mology of 212 c’vood is uncertain. If it be regarded as the prototype of the fabulous “griffin” (from the Vedic grabh, Zend. garew, garefsh, “to seize”), it may be connected with the Arab. caradba, constringere, see Del. The most absurd theory on this subject, that of Abuhu and other Rabbis, viz. that evoob=crdbi, “like a child,” has caused the popular misconception of a ‘cherub’ as the personification of childlike gentleness. On the contrary, the cherub was apparently regarded as the emblem of colossal physical strength. Cherubim are conceived of as the special escort of Jehovah, and it is perhaps in this character rather than as guardians of the Covenant that a pair of Cherubim were placed on the mercy-seat of the ark. This position, however, really originated in the Egyptian cult, from which was taken, in defer- ence to Israel’s oxAnpoxapdia, the material imagery of an ark and cherubim. The figure in this verse recalls Ezekiel’s description of the cherub as mounted on wheels, and thus rendered a kind of living throne-chariot (cf. Ezek. i. and x.). ‘Yea, he did fly:” 87, in 2 Sam. xxii. we have N11; the difference of reading is maintained in the ἐπετάσθη and ὠφθη of LXX., though obviously one of the variations is a corruption. 11. Omit “were:” “dark waters etc.,” is in apposition with “dark- ness” in hemist. a2. The Psalmist clearly has in mind in this and the next verse the account of Exod. xv., where a pillar of cloud hides the Israelites from the Egyptians during the night, but at dawn “the LorD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the Egyptians.” In 12 6 dramatic force is added by the omission of the copula denoting consequence or dependence. Similarly in xiii. 2 we have “[ While] sorrow [is] in my heart.” Allattempts at connection with the preceding 11), “passed” —‘‘His thick clouds passed [away in] hailstones, etc.,” or, “hail- stones and coals of fire passed through His clouds,’—are unnecessary. Apparently the Poet has now gone a step farther backward in the thaumaturgy of the Mosaic period, and has in mind the seventh of i BK. Tf. PSALM, XVITT. aE 12 At the brightness ¢Za¢ was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stozes and coals of fire. 13 The Lorp also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail s¢oses and coals of fire. 14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them ; and he shot out light- nings, and discomfited them. 15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O Lorn, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. 16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. 18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LorD was my stay. 19 He brought me forth also into a the Egyptian plagues, wherein “thunder,” “hail,” and “fire” were commingled, see Exod. ix. 23, 24. Ir. In 2 Sam. xxii. the word ND “his secret place” is omitted. LXX. however inserts ἀποκρυφὴν αὐτοῦ there as here. For “dark waters” DD) Npwn (LXX. σκοτεινὸν ὕδωρ) 2 Sam. xxii. gives DD NWN “a collection of waters” (but LXX. σκότος ὑδάτων). Here again one of the Hebrew variants is corrupt. 12, The reading in 2 Sam. xxii. is “At the brightness that was before Him coals of fire were kindled” (Hebr. and LXX.) 13. ὦ, “Hail stones” etc., this clause is omitted in 2 Sam. xxii. 14. 6, “Discomfited” DM) (cf. 2 Sam. xxii. 15. C’¢hzd) the verb used of the terror inspired by God’s lightning in cxliv. 6. 15. ‘Channels of waters,” or “Water courses,” cf. cxxvi. 4: there is no such ethical signf. in the expression here as Del. gives it; obviously David has his eye on that ancient Theophany, when at God’s command “the floods stood upright as an heap” (Exod. xv. 8). The “foundations of the world were discovered” by the waters being swept aside. Habakkuk (111. 13) uses the phrase “discovering the foundation unto the neck,” apparently with reference to the same great miracle. The term, “The blast of the breath of Thy nostrils” is explained by Exod. xiv. 21, where the cleaving of the Red Sea is effected by “a strong east wind.” “At Thy rebuke,” cf. Hab. iii. 8, “Was Thine avger against the rivers? was Thy wra¢h against the sea? etc.” The allusion to the Red Sea deliverance is plainly dis- cernible in 17, and even in 18, 19. For “water” 0%) 2 Sam. xxii. has “sea” O’. One of the readings is of course corrupt. LXX. maintains the variation in the two passages. In J 2.Sam. xxii. (both Hebr. and LXX.) give ‘At the rebuke of Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.” Ἧι 6. “or,” rend. °1t’hen.” 18. a. So LXX. and 2 Sam. xxii. But the LXX. in the latter passage gives προέφθασάν pe ἡμέραι θλίψεως μου. 72 PSALM XVII. BRT large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. 20 The Lorn rewarded me accord- ing to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. 21 For I have kept the ways of the Lorp, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22 For all his judgments weve before me, and I did not put away his sta- tutes from me. 23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. 24 Therefore hath the LorD recom- pensed me according to my righteous- ness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. 25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; 26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. 27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks. 28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LorD my God will enlighten my darkness. 29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall. 30 As for God, his way zs perfect: To. “A larce place :” see note on lv. I. 20. These Imperfects are rightly rendd. by Past Tenses (not by Futures, as LXX.).’ The use of the Imperf. here and above is ap- parently explainable on the ground that the Hebrews constantly avoid backing up the Future with Vau Convers. by a Past Tense. DD Ub In 2 Sam. xxii. ‘And as for His statutes, I did not turn aside from [one of | them,” Hebr. and LXX. ” 23. “Mine iniquity;” not my peculiarly besetting iniquity: the constr. is proleptic=I kept myself from iniquity, so that it was not mine. So in 33 “My high places”=the high places which are thus rendered mine, not, as Del., the high places which are mine of right. 24. 6. “My cleanness” in 2 Sam. xxil. but in LXX. “cleanness of my hands” there as here. . 25, 26. “Upright,” “pure:” 124 is apparently in sfa¢. constr. to Dan, which may be used substantivally, as in xv. 2. 33 “in accord- ance with the reflexive primary meaning of the Niphal, one who is purifying himself, ἁγνίζων ἑαυτόν, 1 John iii. 3.” Del. The bearing of 25—27, even of 26 4, is not that man’s estimation of God is affected by the healthy or unhealthy state of his moral sense, but that God literally modifies His conduct according to ours, cf. 1 Sam. ii. 30, xv. 23. 26. “Shew thyself pure” H. 173M ; in2 Sam. xxii. 12H. Similarly for Smann 2 2 Sam. xxii. gives the contracted form bean, 27.- ὦ. 2 Sam. xxii, (no doubt corruptly) evn D7 by yy) which LXX. rends. καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐπὶ μετεώρων ταπεινώσεις. 28. In 2 Sam. xxii. “For thou art my candle, O LORD, and the LorD will enlighten my darkness” (Hebr. and LXX.). 29. There is no occasion to rend. by the Past. Not what he has: BK. τ: PSALM XVIII. 73 the word of the LorD is tried: he zs | places. a buckler to all those that trust in him. 34 He teacheth my hands to war, 31 For who zs God save the Lorp? | so that a bow of steel is broken by or who zs a rock save our God? mine arms. 32 7ὲ is God that girdeth me with 35 Thou hast also given me the strength, and maketh my way perfect. | shield of thy salvation: and thy right 33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ | hand hath holden me up, and thy Jeet, and setteth me upon my high | gentleness hath made me great. done, but what he might do, is meant. The general signf. is, “By Thee 7 could charge a host; by my God I could surmount a fortress wall.” Thought of the mighty deeds which he could effect singlehanded, if conscious of Divine support, naturally recalls the great Song of Moses (cf. Deut. xxxii. 30); and the two next verses are based on that com- position, cf. Deut. xxxii. 4, 31. 29. a. The LXX. here gives ὅτι ἐν σοὶ pus Oy copa ἀπὸ πειρατηρίου “be delivered from a band of robbers;” but in 2 Sam. xxii. ὅτι ἐν σοὶ δραμοῦμαι μονόζωνος. This is a common LXX. rendg. for 1174: on its signf. see Schleusner Lexic. Gian God,” my Eléah. This, the sing. form of the Divine ap- pellation, unknown hitherto except in Deut. xxxil. 15, 17, occurs con- stantly in the Book of Job and in the Hebrew portion of Daniel, and is used once in Pss. 1., cxiv., cxxxix., Prov., 2 Chron., Nehem., and twice in Hab. The corresponding passage in 2 Sam. xxil. has ON. 6. “A rock” LXX. here rends. by θεύς, and in 2 Sam. xxii. by κτίστης. 32. “Maketh” H. ΠῚ: in 2 Sam. xxii. WN", which LXX. rends. by ἐξετίναξεν. 33. Lit. “Who maketh my feet like [szdznzed/. feet of | hinds ;” for the ellipsis cf. Cant. i. 15 “thine eyes are doves,” and see xlv. 6, note. 34. ὦ. Rend. “And my arms can bend a copper bow.” NUN is not “brazen;” brass was apparently a compound unknown to the Hebrews, still less is it “of steel,’ as A.V. The expression is ob- viously hyperbolical, and no inference can be drawn as to the use of copper in the structure of bow-frames. 35. “Thy right hand hath holden me up;” this clause appears in 2 Sam. xxii. LXX., dreading perhaps the anthropomorphism, gives 7 παιδεία σου for “thy right hand.” “ Gentleness,” better “condescension.” ΤῚΣ) andvah is the bending of oneself in meekness either before the will of God, or downward to meet the requirements of one’s inferiors. Luther’s “When Thou humblest me Thou makest me great” is there- fore impossible. Nor can this sense be given to the 7D)2Y of 2 Sam. The LXX. here gives παιδεία and there ὑπακοή. 74 PSALM XVIII. Be 36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip. 37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed. 38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise; they are fallen under my feet. 39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. 40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that F might destroy them that hate me. 41 They cried, but ¢#eve was none to save them: even unto the LorD, but he answered them not. 42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets. 43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; azd thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me. 44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me. 36. ὁ. Lit. “That my ancles did not waver.” To “enlarge” a person’s steps=to give him a firm foothold and freedom of motion. See iv. I, note, and cf. the opposite form of expression in Prov. iv. 12. 37, “Overtake” Dyys) for which 2 Sam. has DIDWN) καὶ ἀφανιῶ > , avuTOous. 38. 2 Sam. has, before “I wound them” pd>x} “And I exterminate them,” which is omitted in LXX. 40. Lit. “Thou hast made mine enemies back,” i.e. Through Thy interposition nothing is seen of them but their backs. The expression is borrowed from the Promise of Exod. xxiii. 27, cf. xxi. 12. The A.V. rendg. is based on a false view of the construction which has the support of Ibn Ezra. 42. “Cast them out” or “Clear them out” DPN, for which 2 Sam. has OPIN. One of these variants is doubtless due to a clerical error. LXX. maintains the variation. 43. “Hast made.” By another corruption of the text we have here DWN, but in 2 Sam. DWN, and LXX. again preserves the va- riation. 44. “As soon as they hear of me:” lit. “At the hearing of the ear,” i.e. at the very report of my victories they shall surrender. “Shall submit themselves unto me:” or rather perhaps “λα fall before me.” The usual interpr. of WN czchésh, is “To lie,” or “To dis- semble,” used with reference to enforced submission, because this is regarded as void of reality, as proceeding from fear and not from free- will. The Niph. is used in the same connection in Deut. xxxiil. 29, where the A.V. rends. “Shall be found liars.” This latter line of interpr. the P. B. V. unfortunately adopts in the case of the Piel, here and elsewhere. It has the support of the LXX. (ἐψεύσαντό μοι) and many Rabbis. Kimchi’s comment is “They will tell lies to me BEEK PSALM XVIII. 75 45 The strangers shall fade away, | subdueth the people under me. and be afraid out of their close places. 48 He delivereth me from mine ene- 46 The Lorp liveth; and blessed | mies: yea, thou liftest me up above be my rock; and let the God of my | those that rise up against me: thou salvation be exalted. hast delivered me from the violent 47 lt zs God that avengeth me, and | man. and say ‘We did not fight against Thee, or its interpretation may be— they will deal falsely with their confederates on account of me.” It appears best in all these cases to interpret the verb wna by the light of the signf. which it certainly bears in cix. 24, Hos. ix. 2, Hab. iii. 17, viz. “fail,” “succumb.” From this signf. comes the use of the subst. in sense “zzacies” in Job xvi. 8. We may compare the connection of our verb “fail” with fad/ere. 2 Sam. xxii. 45 employs the Hithp. wnan’. The order of the two hemistiches of this verse is inverted in 2 Sam., Hebr. and LXX. 45. “Fade away” or “Be wearied out:” in which signf. the verb occurs in Exod. xviii, 18. The “close places” or “strongholds” are those in which they have shut themselves, with the view of evading David. In this hemist. we have another instance of pregnant con- struction, the real signf. being, “they shall come trembling out of their strongholds,” a form of expression which is repeated in Micah vii. 17 “Like creeping things of the earth they will tremble | = come trembling] out of their strongholds.” For 139%, which is probably what David really wrote, 2 Sam. has ὙΠ}, which Gesen. rends. accincti prodeunt, but Kimchi “come halting.” The LXX. rends. as if the case were vice Versa, it gives in 2 Sam. σφαλοῦσιν ἐκ τῶν συγκλεισμῶν, and here ἐχώλαναν ἀπὸ τῶν τρίβων αὐτῶν. 46. a. 7173 NM must be explained according to the tenor of the whole verse as optative, Vivat Fehovah! The form is borrowed from the language of popular acclamation, cf. 1 Sam. x. 24, 1 Kings 1. 39. ὁ. In 2 Sam. “God the rock of my salvation,” LXX. 6 θεός μου ὁ φύλαξ τῆς σωτηρίας pov. 47. “Subdueth” 725"), LXX. ὑποτάξας, 2 Sam. 39919} LXX. παιδεύων. “The people,” rend. “ations.” Ps. cxliv., which is moulded on this Psalm, gives Sy for DD in v. 2. 48. In this recapitulation of the mercies which elicit the present poem, “the violent man” (DION Ys) probably denotes Saul, with the mention of whose name the poem began. So Kimchi. 2 Sam. here differs in several minor points (Hebr. and LXX.) “Yea:” H. *& omitted in 2 Sam. By LXX. this was confounded with the subst. 4&8, hence the rendering here ἐξ ἐχθρῶν ὀργίλων. 76 PSAIM XTX, BK. 1. 49 Therefore will I give thanks unto | his king; and sheweth mercy to his thee, O Lorp, among the heathen, | anointed, to David, and to his seed and sing praises unto thy name. for evermore. 50 Great deliverance giveth he to INTRODUCTION TO Psatm XIX. THE GLORY OF GOD PROCLAIMED BY HIS WORKS AND BY HIs LAw. TITLE. ‘To the Precentor; a Psalm, to David.” IN this little poem, which celebrates God’s twofold revelation of Him- self, in the glorious harmony of the spheres, and the perfection of His law (both as written in the conscience and as revealed in the 7éréh), most readers will discern beauties almost unrivalled. From the ab- ruptness of the transition from the one subject to the other, Ewald, with his usual self-confidence, unhesitatingly infers that the Psalm before us is composed of two heterogeneous fragments. The former portion he conceives to be a beautiful but unfinished fragment of the time of David; the latter he ascribes to an unknown poet who lived not earlier than the time of Josiah. The support (if not the real basis) of this view is that so early a writer as David could not have been so enthusiastic in his praise of the Law(!). The undue! importance which has been attached to Ewald’s “critical” conjectures in England must be our excuse for noticing this specimen of his manipulation. So far from being astounded at the violence of the transition, we hold its very abruptness to be an additional beauty. A poet of less genius than David would have recoiled from such a leap; he would have thought it necessary to lead his readers little by little from the one thought to the other, and to render the aptness of his comparison obvious to the dullest intellect. The true artist, on the contrary, leaves the two themes to suggest their own relationship. David, with the boldness of self-conscious power, has contented himself with exposing two pictures side by side in one frame, leaving it to the appreciative observer to mark how the outlines of the one are repeated in the other. The twofold subject of this Psalm is one which in all ages has served (with variations according to the nature of the religion of the ! The conjectures of Ewald as to the chronological order of the Psalms have been accepted with blind credulity by ‘‘ Four Friends,” who consider that an intimate acquaint- ance with the works of this overrated scholar compensates for an utter nescience of the Semitic languages on their own part. BK. 1. PSALM XIX. a thinker), as the theme of pious meditation. Those eternal “Lieder ohne Worte,” the music of the spheres, have ever sung to the thought- ful heart the glory of the Creator. Plato declares that the wondrous order of the heavens is a proof of God’s existence. Hafiz enlarges on the same topic, telling us how even the sweet scent and beauteous hue of the tiniest floweret that decks the field, is but an efflux of the per- fections of the Divinity. S. Paul shews how the heathen were not left without a witness of God, either in the external world or in their own conscience. Kant is said to have remarked that the two things which most forcibly impressed him with a feeling of the sublime, were the starry heavens above him, and the moral sense within him, And Lord Bacon, in the very spirit of this Psalm, writes, “I have delighted in the brightness of Thy temple. Thy creatures have been my books; but Thy Scriptures much more. I have sought Thee in the courts, fields, and gardens; I have found Thee in Thy temples.” HE heavens declare the glory of | and night unto night sheweth know- God; and the firmament shew- | ledge. eth his handywork. 3 There ts no speech nor language, 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, | were their voice is not heard. I. i.e. as 5. Paul says (Rom. i. 20), “His invisible attributes from the time of the creation, being understood by means of His works, are perceived.” With both passages we may compare the noble words of Plato (Leg. X. 1) πρῶτον μὲν γῆ καὶ ἥλιος ἄστρα τε Kal τὰ ξύμπαντα, καὶ τὰ τῶν ὡρῶν διακεκοσμημένα καλῶς οὕτως, ἐνιαυτοῖς τε καὶ μησὶ διειλημμένα" καὶ ὅτι πάντες, “Ἑλληνές τε καὶ βάρβαροι, νομίζουσιν εἶναι θεούς. It is noticeable that in this part of his subject the Poet designates the Divine Governor by the term bx EJ, whereas when the relations of the Covenant-God to Israel are to be treated of (vv. 7—14), M17) “Jeho- vah,” is the term used. Here as elsewhere in the Psalter this distinc- tion of terms has an obvious force. 2. “Uttereth:” H. ya) yaddia, the primary meaning of the word is to bubble forth as a fountain, “ Sheweth” or “declareth,” H. ΠῚΠ" ychavveh, in Hebr. a poetical term, but in Aram. very common. “Speech” and “knowledge” represent the communication of what they know of the Divine attributes by the Day and the Night, which, as Hengstenberg puts it, are represented as “the underheralds of God’s glory, communicating to their successors what they had learned from the heavens and from the firmament.” 3. We prefer to rend. “ 7heirs zs not a declaration, neither are theirs words, whose voice ts inaudible [or incomprehensible] ;” i.e. the 78 PSALM XIX. BEE 4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which zs as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, avd rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 6 His going forth zs from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. 7 The law of the Lorp ἦς perfect, conyerting the soul: the testimony of the LorbD 7s sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the Lorp ave right, language they speak is 7ea/, as is further shewn in the next verse. The LXX. rightly οὐκ εἰσὶ λαλιαὶ οὐδὲ λόγοι, ὧν οὐχὶ ἀκούονται ai φωναὶ αὐτῶν. A possible but not so forcible rendg. is ‘‘There is no speech and there are no words; their voice is inaudible:” i.e. genuine witnesses though they be, they are silent, speechless witnesses. With this thought we may compare the words of the Persian poet Jelaleddin Rumi “Listen to the arcana declared by the roses, without voice or cry,” cf. also Hafiz (ed. Rosenz. Schwan. I. p. 64) ‘Without either voice or language thy locks draw hearts.” The A. V. rendg. (after Luther and Calvin) is contrary to Hebr. idiom; ΠΒ and nw> would be required for "8 and ὩΣ Δ. 4. We believe that this v. should be taken in close connection with the preceding. Rend. ‘‘ Yea znto all the earth ts gone forth their strain, etc.’ Their strain: on the whole we prefer this rendg. of the H. \p £av to the common signf. ‘‘measuring-line” retained by Kimchi and others. This connection of such a meaning with the Rt. Mp kavah “stretched” is easily traced, cf. τόνος, rovaia. The LXX. gives φθόγγος, Symm. ἦχος. Aq. on the other hand gives κανών. “Tn them” of course=“In the heavens.” Del., objecting to “the tameness of the thought so obtained,” compares ὩΠ in Is. xxx. 6, and refers the pron. to the words “the ends of the world,” 5. a. “Chamber,” H. ΠΕΠ chuppah, used in Joel 11. 16 as parallel with ὙΠ chdder. In later Hebrew it denotes the canopy under which the marriage-service is performed =§3)) giv’d (Berachoth 16 a). &. “A race,” better as P.B.V. “His course,”1.e. from east to wes cf. ver. 6, and Eccles. i. 5. A very common epithet of the sun in Persian is garm-raw, i.e. hot- or swift-goer. Cf. also I Esdr. iv. 34. 6. ‘Heat:” Kimchi observes that things may be hidden from the light of the sun, but not from the heat thereof. 7. Having spoken of God’s (Oss El) revelation of Himself in His works of nature, he proceeds to celebrate the Law of Fehovah (Nii the Deity of revelation, cf. Exod. vi. 3) as being “holy, and just, and good” (Rom. vii. 12, 14). The rhythm of vv. 7—9 is remarkably regular and spirited. Each verse consists of two clauses; and each ey EE EEE BK. 1. PSALM XIX. 79 rejoicing the heart: the command- | during for ever: the judgments of the ment of the LorD zs pure, enlighten- | LorD ave true ana righteous alto- ing the eyes. gether. 9 The fear of the Lorn zs clean, en- 10 More to be desired ave ¢hey than clause of two divisions, the first of which contains three words, and the latter two. The designation of the various portions of the Divine revelation recalls Psalm cxix. “Perfect:” H. MOON Lmtmah, i.e. “without blemish,” perfectly adapted to the good of man. “Convert- ing the soul:” here again the reader is reminded that BI nephesh is not “soul” in the common sense of the term. Neither has the Partic. mshibath any ethical signf.; “7vefreshing the spirit” (cf. xxiil. 3) would give the true meaning of the clause. ὁ. “Testimony,” probably the Decalogue, which was written upon the tables of stone called Zuchéth hd-édooth “ The tablets of the testt- mony.” This testimony of God is “sure,” as giving forth no uncer- tain sound, and therefore being a most sure guide to, or “making wise,” those who but for it might easily be led astray. We are reminded of S. Paul’s τὰ δυνάμενά σε σοφίσαι εἰς σωτηρίαν, 2 Tim. iil. 15. 8 a. “The statutes :” H. ΣΤΡ pikhoodim (ἐντολαί) is perhaps intended here to include the chukkim or religious ordinances, to per- form which is the joy of the heart of the faithful Israelite. b. For “pure” rend. “ Bright.” This rendg. of ΠῚ daérah, which is authorized by Cant. vi. 10, is here suggested by the context. The “commandment” (i.e. the moral precepts of the Law) is compared to the light of the sun, in that it sheds its illuminating influence over the whole inner man. For a similar idea see cxix. 105, and Prov, Wie 23° ao. ΟΠ fear of te. Worship of. The worship of Jehovah, as distinguished from the cults of heathen religions, is morally “clean,” and pure, its very end and object being the development of moral perfection in its devotees. Thus (see cxix. 160) it contains in itself the condition for “enduring for ever.” Cf. Soph. Philoct. 1443: οὐ yap ἡ εὐσέβεια συνθνήσκει βροτοῖς. and Goethe, Faust: Was glanzt ist fiir den Augenblick geboren ; Das Aechte bleibt der Nachwelt unverloren. “The judgments:” DODD mishpatim = all those Divine enactments which are based on the fact that man is considered as responsible for his actions, not merely punitive sentences. That such enactments are called “true” is explained by the additional statement “they are righteous altogether,” or as we should say “they are strictly just.” 80 PSALM XIX. BK. 1. gold, yea, than much fine gold: | zs great reward. sweeter also than honey and the 12 Who can understand 7s errors? honeycomb. cleanse thou me from secret faz/¢s. 11 Moreover by them is thy servant 13 Keep back thy servant also from warned: avd in keeping of them ¢here | presumptuous szvs ; let them not have 10. a. ‘*More to be desired are they than:” H. ’) O°9NI0 the definite article of which refers to each of the things mentioned above, and is well expressed by the English “are they” or the Germ. “ Die da...sind.” ὁ. “Honeycomb,” H. D'DYS NDI ndpheth tsoophim, “the juice of the honeycomb.” épheth=“ destillatio;” its final N is radical, cf. Arab. naphatha “profudit:” it is used without the word ssoophim in Cant. iv. 11. ἘΝ is not equivalent to ἢῚΘ ‘‘a reed” (Fuerst), but denotes that which is “ overflowing” with liquid, see Gesen. 11. a. “Moreover :” H. D3 gam emphasizes the Partic. z7zhdr, the next word but one to it. The rendg. of A.V. is the usual, and possibly the best, interpretation of the 1st hemist., but that of the LXX. φυ- λάσσει αὐτά is by no means an objectionable paraphrase, for the words might well mean “is warned [i.e. is careful] in the matter of them,” scil. “carefully observeth them.” ὁ. “Reward,” H. APY éed,; lit. “result,” “Erfolg,” cf. Prov. xxii. 4, hence “Wages,” “Reward,” so too Arab. 7kd0, cf. the Gr. λοισθήϊα (liad XXII. 751) from λοῖσθος, fostremus. 12. a. “His errors:” H. MWY sh’gidth=MIW sh’gdgdth “Sins of inadvertency.” The meaning of the clause is, Who is so fully acquainted with the nature of sin, and with the intricacies of his own heart, as to be able to tell how oft he may have offended unawares? Such an interrogative sentence is of course equivalent to a negative. ὦ. Rend. “Hold thou me innocent of those [sins] [ wot not of” Han-nistéréth are those sins which even those of the most tender conscience may be unconscious of ; a’/ooménoo on the other hand, in xc. 8, refers to sin which the wicked would fain persuade themselves is hidden even from the all-searching eye of God. 13. “Also:” H. DA gam perhaps qualifies the verb JUN ch’sdc “ Keep back,” the meaning being—Do more than acquit me of sins of ignorance, 765 77 1771 me moreover from sins of presumption! For, in consideration of the context, we take DY? zédim to mean presump- tuous 5771.5, not presumptuous persons. Similarly in ci. 3 ὦ we render DOD «ἄγε (“them that turn aside,” A.V.) “acts of apostasy” or “ obli- quity.” The LXX. rends ἀλλοτρίων, evidently reading DN zérim. ὁ. “Then,” H. t® dz generally temporal, here logical, cf. the double uses of “then,” Pers. pas, Fr. alors. “Shall I be upright” BK. I. PSAIM XX. 81 dominion over me: then shall I be | the meditation of my heart, be accept- upright, and I shall be innocent from | able in thy sight, Ὁ LorpD, my the great transgression. strength, and my redeemer, 14 Let the words of my mouth, and rend. “Shall 7 be blameless,” the H. ODS is an irregular Fut. Kal for DAN from Dn, “From the great transgression :” rend. “ Fyrom much transgression [into which otherwise I might have fallen].” 14. Perhaps it is better to take the first two clauses of this verse as independent, and to rend. “ May the words of my mouth be accept- able, and the meditation of my heart before Thee.” “My Strength,” lit. “My Rock.” INTRODUCTION TO: Psat XX. THE KING GOING OUT TO BATTLE. TITLE. “Τὸ the Precentor; a Psalm, to David.” THIS is evidently a Litany offered on behalf of a warrior who was going out to meet his enemies. That this warrior was a king is shewn by vv. 1, 7 of the next, which is the pendant to the present Psalm, cf. too our verse 9, note. According to the Inscriptions, both Psalms are “to,” 1.6. “by” David. And there is no objection to the commonly received opinion that David is here both subject and author, i.e. that Ps. xx. is a Litany penned by David and intended to be offered on behalf of David, and that Ps. xxi. is a Davidic Epinikion for public performance. Kimchi and Ibn Ezra however suppose that David is only the subject, and that the Psalm was composed by one of the singers. The Syriac heads this Psalm with the words “To David, when he prayed that he might be delivered from the Am- monite war.” And this war (2 Sam. x.) is at least as suitable as any other occasion in the history of David. In view of our verse 7, it is noticeable that the victory in which it terminated was attended by a great slaughter of the enemy’s cavalry and chariot-warriors, cf. 2 Sam. moto, τ Ghron. xix.18: The Fathers treat these two Psalms as Messianic. In the case of Ps. xx. such an interpretation is allowable, only inasmuch as David’s reign is a type of that of Christ. The mind of the writer is of course directed only to present secular circumstances. Both Psalms are liturgical In Psalm xx. the warrior is con- 82 PSALM XX. Bear ceived of as offering his sacrifice in the sanctuary amidst the assem- blage of worshippers. Part of the Psalm (vv. I—5, and 9) 15 appa- rently intended to be sung by the whole congregation, and part (vv. 6—8) as a solo by one of the Levites. HE Lorp hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee ; 2 Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion; 3 Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah. 4 Grant thee according to thine own and in the name of our God we will set up ow banners: the Lorn fulfil all thy petitions. 6 Now know I that the Lorn saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. 7 Some ¢rust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the heart, and fulfil all thy counsel. name of the LorD our God. 5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, 1. For “hear” rend. “Answer :” for “defend” ‘‘Set...on high.” On the latter term cf. xviii. 48. 3. “Accept:” H. MW ydashsh’neh lit. “ Make fat,” an expres- sion which Rashi explains to mean “receive them with favour, like burnt-offerings of fat-sheep.” Kimchi on the other hand connects this verb with deshen “ashes” with signf. “Reduce to ashes,” —“ may He send fire to burn it, and receive it favourably.” The e% stands for ah, cf. the form MNIPS8 in 1 Sam. xxvili. 15. Asso. OT, ¢ Fulfil ‘all thy purpose,” i.e. Carry thy enterprise to a successful issue. 5. a Rend. “We wll shout for joy because of thy deliverance.” Thy deliverance, not as in xxi. 1 addressed to God, but, as all this part of the Psalm, addressed to the king: “thy deliverance” is the victory which Divine intervention effects for thee. ‘The Psalmist con- Boe “and in the name of our God we will set #p our banners,” or “cave our banners.” 5333 a denominative of 217 “A banner.” The emendation 51) is quite unnecessary, though it has the authority of the LXX. [μεγαλ δι moneda): Syr., Vulg. 6—8. The prayer of the choir gives place to a cheerful acknow- ledgment (perhaps sung by one of the Levites) that this prayer has been heard. 7. Rend. “Some [make mention] of chariots, and some of horses; but we will make mention of the name of Fehovah our God.” The horse is only once mentioned in the O.T. in connection with agriculture, and the foreign usage of war-horses is discountenanced in many passages. Consequently war-chariots were little used by the BEIT PSAIM XX. 83 8 They are brought down and fallen: g Save, Lorn: let the king hear us but we are risen, and stand upright. when we call. Hebrews, and were regarded by them as peculiarly formidable (cf. Josh. xi. 4, xvii. 16, Judg. i. 19, iv. 3). 12.310 hizcir & “is to make laudatory mention of any matter, indirectly therefore to take credit to oneself for it, and boast of it,” Del. It is unnecessary to supply the verb “trust” in hemist. a, as A.V. after Rashi. LXX. misrends. the verb by μεγαλυνθησόμεθα, Vulg. by “invocabimus.” 8. The battle and its issues being evidently a matter of the future, it seems necessary to rend. the verbs by the fraet. confiden- tiae or “prophetic perfect.” Rend. “They shall stumble and fall: but we shall rise up, and stand firm.” (IOP Lamnoo ‘rise up” assumes the present superiority of the enemy. The superior force shall be overthrown and prostrated, the inferior shall rise from a position of degradation, and keep the field it wins. g. Rend. “Save the king, O Lorv! May He hear us in [this] day when we call!” According to the traditional accentuation the rendg. of A.V. right. But sbnn ham-melec “The king” is never applied ΡΟΝ as a Divinetitle. It is evident from xxi. that the warrior for whom prayer is made is a king. We prefer therefore the LXX.’s Κύριε σῶσον τὸν βασιλέα κιτιλ. This closing petition is probably a forte on the part of the choir which sang vv. i—5. He scil. Jehovah: cf. iv. 1, CxIx. 145. INTRODUCTION TO Psatm XXI. THE KING RETURNING TRIUMPHANT. TITLE. ‘*To the Precentor; a Psalm, to David.” THIS Psalm commemorates the victory which was the subject of national prayer in Psalm xx. Verses 5 a and 4 of that Psalm find an echo in xxi. 1 ὦ, 2 respectively. If the war to which David was going out was that against the Ammonites, verse 3 ὁ of this Psalm may be understood literally, for after the decisive capture of Rabbah, the goodly crown of the king of the Ammonites was set on the head of David, 2 Sam. xii. 30. Weber Ps 10 84 PSALM XXI. BK. 1. Some of the less-known modern commentators interpret this Psalm of the triumph of Messiah. Bishop Horsley calls it ‘A thanks- giving of the Church on Messiah’s victory.’ Nor does this view lack the support of sound Hebraists. Rashi says that “our Rabbis have interpreted it with reference to the King Messiah,” but that “to answer the heretics who have erred in that matter” it should be inter- preted of David. Kimchi notices the view that the Psalm was “by David, who spake it in the Holy Spirit with reference to the Messiah his son.” He adds, “And the Nazarites interpret it with reference to Jesus,” and proceeds to overthrow this exegesis in a very interesting passage, for the expurgation of which from most editions the Inquisi- tion is doubtless accountable. (See Dr Schiller-Szinessy’s edition.) “The King” of vv. 1 and 7 appears in the Targum as “the king the Messiah.” Without endeavouring to press this interpretation in detail we may regard the whole poem as at least appropriate (Kimchi notwithstanding) to the Triumph of the risen and ascended Saviour. For, not to mention that David’s course—in its triumphant issues no less than in its afflictions—is generally typical of the course of Mes- siah, verse 4 at once takes us back to the Davidic Promises (the 37 IDM), which were only fulfilled in the glorification of his great descendant. It is in 2 Sam. vii., 1 Chron. xvii., that we find the pro- mises of “life” and “length of days,” and He on whom these bless- ings were to rest was not David but David’s Seed. According to Christian opinion that Seed is Christ. That the recipient of the pro- mise is treated as having actual fruition of the promise is in accord- ance with the usage which we have noticed in Psalms ii, Ixxxix., Introductions. HE king shall joy in thy strength, 2 Thou hast given him his heart’s O Lorpb; and in thy salvation | desire, and hast uot withholden the how greatly shall he rejoice ! request of his lips. Selah. 1. Rend. “Fehovah! on account of Thy strength the king is glad; and on account of Thy salvation how greatly doth he rejoice!” The collocation of the words in the original throws the emphasis on “Jehovah ;” not on “king” as in A.V. The verbs are best rendd. here by the indefinite English present. 2. This verse is the correlative of xx 4 4. The word NWN @resheth is a am. λεγόμ.; of which the etymology is not satisfactorily ascertained (see Gesen. and Fuerst), the context however determines its meaning to be “request” or “desire.” So LXX. δέησις, ΝΡ, “voluntas.” The Syr. rendg. “ preparation,” and that of Targ. Aévoosh — BK. 1. PSALM XXI. 85 3 For thou preventest him with the | and through the mercy of the most blessings of goodness: thou settest a | High he shall not be moved. ‘crown of pure gold on his head. 8 Thine hand shall find out all thine 4 He asked life of thee, azd thou | enemies: thy right hand shall find out gavest 22 him, ever length of days for | those that hate thee. ever and ever. g Thou shalt make them as a fiery 5 His glory zs great in thy salvation: | oven in the time of thine anger: the honour and majesty hast thou laid | Lorp shall swallow them up in his upon him. wrath, and the fire shall devour them. 6 For thou hast made him most το Their fruit shalt thou destroy from blessed for ever: thou hast made him | the earth, and their seed from among exceeding glad with thy countenance. | the children of men. 7 For the king trusteth in the Lorp, ΤΙ For they intended evil against “detailed statement,” are less happy conjectures. “Selah” doubtless indicates that the instruments here strike up with an appropriate triumphal interlude. From time immemorial it has been the custom of the Jews to read or sing this word “Selah” as an integral portion of the verse to which it is attached. This traditional manner of reading is indicated after an unaccentuated ah, dh, or 4, by the euphonic Dagesh. So that the words bal-mdndtd-s-séléh are read as closely together as the words wé¢hdttdé-d-l6 of the first hemist. In pronunciation the unaccentuated long @ before a double consonant approximates to the sound 0. 3. On ὅ see Introd. 4. ὦ. “For ever and ever” might be understood as an hyperbole, as in the expression “ Let the king live for ever,” 1 Kings i. 31: see however Introd. fz. 8—end. We agree with Hupfeld in taking these verses as ad- dressed to Jehovah, and not, as Del., to the king. They express a conviction of the power and goodwill of Jehovah, and of the certainty with which He overcomes all opposition to His authority. The pro- priety of such reflexions is seen when we remember that David fights as the Anointed Viceregent of Jehovah, cf. Psalm ii. 8. ‘Shall find out;” rend. “ Shall reach.” The verb ΝΙΝ mdtsd is here followed by ὃ ?,asinIs.x. 10. Inthe 1st hemist. LXX. gives εὑρεθείη, as if reading Ζ2ηη) 56, in the 2nd it wrongly renders by an optative εὕροι. 9. “Of Thine anger:” H. 7°35 Adneycd lit. “ Of Thy countenance,” i.e. of Thy countenance shewn in wrath, cf. ix. 3, note. In ver. 6, as in xvi. 10, the word is used zz donam partem. 1o, “ Their fruit :” H. 195 pzrydmé =“ Their offspring,” in paral- lelism with zavém their seed in 2nd hemist. 11. The word “intended” well expresses the H. 10) xdétoo, from nitah, tetendit. LXX. has ἔκλιναν. 1o—2 86 PSALM XX. BK. I. thee: they imagined a mischievous | ready ¢hzze arrows upon thy strings device, which they are not able ¢o | against the face of them. perform. 13 Be thou exalted, Lorp, in thine 12 Therefore shalt thou make them | own strength: so will we sing and turn their back, we thou shalt make | praise thy power. 12. a. Lit. “Thou shalt make them [to be] dack,;” on which ex- pression see xviii. 40, note. The Hebr. py shecem is either the pausal form of s/’cem; or, since we generally find the form sh’cemah for “το Shechem,” but once shecmdh (Hos. vi. 9), it is possible that there were two forms in use, viz. shecem and sh’cem. Segolate nouns have arisen from an attempt to facilitate the pronunciation of mono- syllables, e.g. Arab. Jachm “Flesh,” Aram. ’chem “Bread,” Hebr. lechem “ Bread;” Aram. sZhar “Book,” Arab. siphr, Hebr. sépher. 6. The A.V. rightly supplies the words “Thine arrows.” LXX. rends. méythareycd “upon Thy strings” by ἐν τοῖς περιλοίποις σου. failing to make any sense of this verse. INTRODUCTION TO Psatm XXII. CONFIDENT PRAYER OF THE VICTIM OF PERSECUTION. TITLE. “Τὸ the Precentor, upon ayyeleth hash-shachar; a Psalm, to David.” Wuy this Psalm was entitled “to David” is unintelligible. At no time was the position of that Poet such as is here described. Immi- nent as was his peril when pursued by Saul and when expelled by Absalom, never was he in the desperate condition of the writer of Psalm xxii.—a prisoner, despoiled, exposed to insult and even to out- rage. Only by repudiating the reality of the Psalmist’s sufferings, only by confining to the region of prophecy a Psalm to which pro- phecy has but a secondary claim, can we discover here a work of | David. Regarding as we do the language of vv. 1—18 as absolutely historical, we unhesitatingly discard the Inscription. If we search for some sounder theory of authorship, we are at once directed, by the peculiar character of the Psalmist’s sufferings and by the manner in which they are described, to a much later period. If internal evi- dence be of any weight at all, that epoch of disgrace and captivity from which issued Psalms Ixix., cii., (cf. Ixix. 35, cli. 13—16), and the Lamentations of Jeremiah, claims Psalm xxii. as emphatically as So BK. 1. PSALM XXII. 87 David’s biography disclaims it. We invite the reader to a careful consideration of the following obvious links of connection : In all four writings an afflicted saint cries to God for deliverance from a fiery trial dy which he has been blasted; “My strength is dried up like a potsherd,” xxii. 15; “‘my throat is dried,” Ixix. 3; “my bones are grown hot as with burning. My heart is smitten and withered like grass,” cii. 3, 4; “from above hath He sent fire into my bones.” “ My flesh and my skin hath He made old ; He hath broken my bones,” Lament. i. 13, iii. 4. His sufferings are made matter of reproach (xxii. 6, lxix. 20, cii. 8; Lament. iii. 30, 61) and of scurrilous deriston,; “They that see me laugh me to scorn,” xxii. 7; “I became a proverb unto them...... and the song of the drunkards,” Ixix. 11, 12; “(1 was their song all the day,” “1 am their music,” Lament. iii. 14, 63. A special subject of taunt is his expectation of Divine assistance, xxii. 8, lxix. 6. Sorrow and bitterness have been made his dazly food ; “They gave me also gall for my meat,” lxix. 21; “He hath filled me with bitterness, He hath made me drunken with wormwood. He hath also broken my teeth with gravel-stones, He hath covered me’ with ashes,” Lament. 111. 15, 16; “I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,” cii. 9. Nevertheless the eye of faith looks forward to a glorious deliverance. The fact that Jehovah does not despise this afflicted saint shall cause the spread of religious conviction ; when it is seen that “ He hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted,” xxii. 24; “for the Lord heareth the poor and despiseth not His prisoners,” Ixix. 33; “ He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer,” cii. 17; cf. Lament. 111. 22 sqq. The allusions to the caftivity and the ruined. condi- tion of Jerusalem are sufficiently obvious in Pss. lxix., cil., and Lamen- tations ; and the result of Divine interposition—the establishment of a faithful Church in which Gentiles are included—is described in similar terms in the three Psalms: “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee. A seed shall serve Him etc.” xxii. 27, 30; “Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything which moveth therein. For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah; that they may d@we// there and have it in possession. The seed also of his servants shall inherit it etc.” lxix. 36; “So the hea- then shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth His glory; when the LORD shall build up Zion...... The children of Thy servants shall dwe//, and their seed shall be established before Thee,” cii. 15, 16, 28. In all four compositions the sorrows and joys of the writer are blended with those of the nation. In Lamentations 88 PSALM XXII. BRE and Psalm cii. the Poet passes by an abrupt transition from his own emaciation and suffering to the degraded and ruined state of his. country, and from hope of personal assistance to predictions that Jehovah shall be universally extolled. Similarly in Pss. xxii. and Ixix. personal afflictions give place to national hopes. In their sources and issues all these sorrows are intertwined with national events. Without pressing the resemblance to the Lamentations, we infer from the relationship subsisting between the three Psalms that Psalm xxii. belongs, no less than xix. and cii., to the period of Invasion and Captivity. Though connected with these national events, the affliction com- plained of must be regarded as strictly personal. The theory that the Psalmist personifies his nation, though supported by Rashi and Kimchi, will not stand proof. The individuality of the sufferer is obvious. Not to argue from the mention of his mother, his hands and feet, garments,. etc., verses 22, 23 shew that the sufferer is an individual member of Jehovah’s congregation. He will declare God’s name to his brethren, he will pay his vows before those that fear God. It is not clear in xxii. whether the outrages of which the Psalmist complains proceed from a Gentile oppressor or from an ungodly Israelite faction. But in lxix. and cii. the personal animosity of compatriots is indicated as the source of suffering. Bearing in mind what the Jewish prophets of these troublous times suffered at the hands of their countrymen, we are inclined to the view that the persecutors of xxii. are unworthy Is- raelites. If Jeremiah be the author, the derision and outrageous violence with which Pashur and others of like mind requited him (cf. Jer. xx. I—9, xv. 10) sufficiently illustrate our writer’s position. He is the discredited prophet of an unhappy and turbulent people. He suffers as a supporter of the Divinely sanctioned policy at a time when an impious and violent faction clamours for an alliance with Egypt and a toleration of idolatry. It may appear strange that the Psalmist expects such important results to follow his personal deliverance as are mentioned in vv. 27sq. But Psalms Ixix. and cii., where the individuality of the sufferer is yet plainer, terminate with the same catholic aspirations. It must be remembered that it is a leading feature in the history of this trou- blous period that the faithful regard Jehovah less as the national Deity, and more as the one true God of all the earth. The Psalms of the Exile period and the later chapters of Isaiah continually recognize Jehovah as the worshipped of the Gentiles, a character almost un- known to the early writers. The same catholic conception rises spon- taneously in the hearts of the restored exiles (cf. Pss. xcvi., xcviii., c., BRAG PSAIM XXII. 89 etc.). Itis a greater triumph of faith when it cheers the heart of the imperilled saint while Jerusalem’s punishment is yet impending, and while apostasy and worldliness have unbridled sway. Hitherto we have regarded the Psalm in its primary signification. But the language of Psalm xxii., and of the three other compositions with which we have compared it, is not exhaustively interpreted by the affliction of any human martyr of the Captivity period. The “typical sufferer, whose deliverance is the turning point in the world’s destiny, and the ae for the converting of the nations from scorners (ver. 8) to worshippers,” necessarily leads our thoughts to the suffering Messiah. Such compositions are of a figurative character, inasmuch as their full significance is only discovered by the light of the Gospel narrative. History repeats and expands itself, and these writings thus become a kind of prophecy, the actual sufferings of God’s saints a seeming parable. Our Lord Himself appropriated Psalm xxii. by uttering a portion of the first verse when on the cross. His tormentors identified themselves with the Psalmist’s foes by deriding the Divine sufferer in terms and with gestures such as those of vv. 7,8. Even the partition of the despoiled sufferer’s garments, v. 18, has its counter- part ; and the violence wreaked on the Saviour’s person, if not the very manner of His death, is foreshadowed in v. 16 (see note). Finally, the glorification of God by the Gentiles,—the consequence, according to the Psalmist, of Divine intervention in His behalf,—was the direct issue of the Saviour’s sufferings. The Psalm falls naturally into two main divisions, inasmuch as vv. 22—31 stand out in bold contrast as an expression of hope from Ὁ the mournful complaint which precedes them. In vy. I—21 com- plaint and prayer are intermingled in such a way that there is no break noticeable. On the remarkable Title, which perhaps indicates the tune to which this Psalm was to be sung, see Prolegomena, chap. xvi. Psalm xxii. is one of the Proper Psalms for Good Friday. Y God, my God, why hast thou | far from helping me, azd from the forsaken me? why art thou so | words of my roaring? 1. a. The Aramaic form of this clause API nnd by by Lui Eli Pméh sh baktant (cf. Targ. m’tool mah sh’ baktant)? was adopted by our Lord (Matt. xxvii. 46) for the same reason that He used the expression 7°/2thé koom (Mark v. 41) and Addé4 (Mark xiv. 36) viz. be- cause Aramaic was His native tongue. The LXX. insert πρόσχες μοι between Θεέ μου and iva τί pe ἐγκατέλιπες ; Cf. Vulg. and P.B.V. 90 PSALM XXII. BK. i 2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not ; and in the night season, and am not silent. 3 But thou αγό holy, O ¢how that inhabitest the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. 5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. 6 But I ama worm, and no man: a reproach of men, and despised of the people. 7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 He trusted on the Lorp ¢hat he ὁ. For “roaring” rend. “Groaning,” cf. xxxiii. 3. The view of the construction adopted by A.V. is probably correct. {9 mznx “from” is (by acommon ellipsis) to be repeated before "17 dzbd’réy “words of,” cf. the omission of the same preposition in Jer. xlvii. 3 “at the rushing of his chariots, [and at] the rumbling of his wheels.” The rendg. “Far from bringing me help are the words of my complaint” assumes either an enallage of number (P1M for DPM), or an adverbial use of P11. The latter view has the support of LXX.’s μακράν. For ‘NIX’ “my groaning” LXX. gives τῶν παραπτωμάτων pov, as if reading some such form as INUY from WY erravit. 3. Rend. “ Vet Thou, O Holy One, art throned on the praises of Israel,” i.e. Thou art the theme of national praises and Thou acceptest them, why art Thou heedless when praise is changed to supplication ? Or the reasoning may be, Thou: hast frequently received praises for relieving the distressed, why not attend to my distress? The expos- tulation can hardly be grounded, as in A.V., on Jehovah’s being “holy,” for WII) sédésh primarily =“ severed.” Throned on: cf. the phrase 0921937 31’ “throned on the cheru- bim” Ps. xxx. 1. God is apparently regarded as enthroned on the praises addressed towards the Shechinah. But the metaphor is some- what obscure. The rendg. “ Dwelling in the praises, etc.” is not so likely. 6. a. “No man:” not with any reference to the preceding, so as to mean I am rather a worm than a human being. An insignificant person, A xo-body, is rather the signf. of wrnend, ὅ. DY "2, ch TM W2 Gen. xxiv. 31, ONON ADD Is. 1]. 4. The points of comparison, between this v. and Is. liii. are sufficiently obvious. Note too that nydin zé/aath “Worm” is applied to the nation in 15. xli. 14. 7. ὁ. Lit. “They open with the lip.” This expression denotes panting open-mouthed ferocity. See the phrase in 13 a, and cf. the expression “Thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee” in Lament. ii. 15, 16, in which passage contemptuous shaking of the head is also mentioned. How appropriate the Evangelists considered this τ αι ὗν «πὰ ΣΕ .. | : BK. I. PSALM XXII. gt would deliver him: let him deliver | womb: thou αγΖ my God from my him, seeing he delighted in him. mother’s belly. g But thou at he that took me out tr Be not far from me; for trouble of the womb: thou didst make me | zs near; for ¢here zs none to help. hope when 7 was upon my mother’s 12 Many bulls have compassed me: breasts. strong dz//s of Bashan have beset me 10 I was cast upon thee from the | round. Ps. to the circumstances of the Redeemer’s sufferings may be gathered from the following passage, ‘‘ They that passed by reviled Him, wag- ging their heads...Likewise also the chief priests mocking Him...said Serine ‘He trusted in God, let Him deliver Him now,” Matt. xxvii. 39— 43. The parallel passage, Luke xxiii. 35, uses the verb ἐξεμυκτήριζον, which verb is employed by LXX. in our ver. 7. 8. a. It seems best to render “[saying]‘ Compt it unto Fehovah: yes He will deliver Him.” The A.V. regards ἃ σόϊ as a Past (as LXX. followed by S. Matt.) of form W432, 18; cf. the use of the form 439) in Gen. xlix. 23. As an Imper. gé/ occurs in Prov. xvi. 3 “ Com- mit thy works unto the LORD,” and Ps. xxxvii. 5 “Commit thy way unto [lit. upon] the LORD.” 553 is lit. “to roll ; its use in the phrase “roll away reproach” cxix. 22, Josh. v. 9, suggests that the primary signf. in the above passages is “roll away...from thyself unto” or “upon ;” so “commit unto.” “But :” we believe that here this is the true signf. of 3 cZ, cf. cxli. 8 (note). If we adhere to the meaning “for,” the connection will be—It is natural that they should mock me for trusting in Jehovah, for verily Thou αγΖ the object of my confidence. “He that took me out:” the H. ‘M3 géch7 is difficult. Itcan hardly be from ΠῚ} “break forth” (cf. Micah iv. 10), in causative signf., such a signf. being unwarranted. And still less allowable is Hitzig’s inven- tion of a Root ΠῚ “to draw forth.” On the whole it seems best to treat this term as an Infin. from [Π1} -- 9 Wy breaking forth,” or “ My coming out” as Hengst. renders. ‘God may be called ‘the coming out’ because it is by His power alone that this took place, just as He is in other places called the covenant, the salvation, the blessing, the joy, etc.,” Hengst. In the similar passage Ixxi. 6 "ἷἴλ gdzi is the phrase used. There too we have in (ver. 5) ‘M03 “My hope” for our ‘M201, indicating that this latter does not mean “make secure,” as Hupf., but as A.V. “make to hope,” the expression being hyperbolical. 12. a. “Many,” or perhaps “Mighty.” ‘In ὁ. “VAN addiréy “Strong ones of” =“Strong bulls of.” Similarly in 1. 13 we have “Will I eat the flesh of addivim?” i.e. of bulls. For 92 PSALM XXII. BK. I. 13 They gaped upon me wth their | potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to. mouths, asaraveningandaroaringlion. | my jaws; and thou hast brought me 14 Iam poured out like water, and | into the dust of death. all my bones are out of joint: my 16 For dogs have compassed me : heart is like wax; it is melted in the | the assembly of the wicked have in- midst of my bowels. closed me: they pierced my hands 15 My strength is dried up like a | and my feet. the absolute use of this word in a very different sense see Ixxviii. 25. Bashan was the rich fertile tract in the territory of Manasseh, extending from the “‘border of Gilead” on the south to mount Hermon on the north, and forming in earlier time the kingdom of Og. In Deut. xxxii. 14 “rams of the breed of Bashan” (jwa 933) are men- tioned. No deep “ethical sense” is to be given to such representa- tions of the Psalmist’s foes. “Lions,” “dogs,” “bulls,” are introduced merely because his foes exhibit the savage ὀγηίαζ character of these creatures. 13. In ὦ. “as” is to be supplied, as in Gen. xlix. 9, 14. 14,15. “The being poured out like water reminds one of the ignominious abandonment of the Crucified One to a condition of weakness, in which His life deprived of its natural support is in the act of dissolution, and its powers dried up (2 Sam. xiv. 14); the bones being stretched out, of the forcible stretching out of His body; the heart being melted recalls His burning anguish, the inflammation of the wounds, and the pressure of blood on the head and heart, the characteristic cause of death by crucifixion.” Del. 16. “They pierced my hands and my feet.” The Masoretic reading is "$2 cd-ari (in Cambridge MSS. Add. 465 “S83 ca-a’ri) “like a lion my hands and my feet,” which is in our opinion absolutely inexplicable and therefore corrupt. Thenius and Meier, who adopt this reading, are driven to the rendg. ‘‘A mob of the wicked has com- passed me, like lions. On my hands and my feet I can count all my bones.” The supporters of this Masoretic reading have even been reduced to altering the ons “dogs” of hemist. a to Dass “as lionesses,” “to make the parallel more perfect.” Dr Rowland Williams speaks of this unhappy conjecture as “a morally certain emendation,” (Essays and Reviews). The Verb-reading has the authority of the ancient versions, and the Masora on Is. xxxviii. 13 notices that “IND occurs in different meanings in that and in the present passage. Retaining the letters of the text we may read "JN3 céa’réy, Partic. plur. constr.; or if we suppose 1} to have been altered to " as in many pas- sages, we have the verb-form which the Versions apparently read, viz. a a BK. I. PSALM XXII. 93 SS caéaroo'. We may regard these forms as expanded respectively from "3 (from 73), and 173, just as M1287 Zech. xiv. 10 from M7, OXP Hos. x. 14 from O?. Or we may assume the existence of a Root ἽΝ “pierce” cognate to 3 and m3. (A reading {75 is actually found in the text of one MS. and in the margin of two others, and is mentioned by some of the Rabbis as originating with the Christians.) In favour of such explanations is the LXX.’s rendering ὥρυξαν, fol- lowed by Vulg. (foderunt), Jer. (fixerunt), Arab, and Syr. The great objection to this line of interpretation is that ΠῚ and the cognate 1)3 do not mean “to pierce,” but “to dig” or “to hollow out.” But the verb-form has been regarded as capable of other interpretations. Aquila in his 2nd edition rendd. “they bound,” so too Symm., and in Jerome’s independent translation the reading vzwzxerunt is found by the side of fxerunt. This interpr. is based on the Arab. "3 carvra (not “2 cara as Maurer), which in Voice I].=szcctnctorio induct, whence the subst. carr “a rope.” Another rendg. is that of Aquila’s Ist edition—yoyxvvar, cf the Aramaic ND “to soil,” δ 3 “dirty.” Which of these rendgs.—each of which is on some grounds open to objection—we adopt, must depend somewhat upon our view of the Messianic character of the Psalm. Could we believe that any part of this Psalm could be so withdrawn from the context as to be interpreted of Christ and Him only, the interpr. ‘‘pierced” would be foremost in point of propriety. But is there anything to lead us to the view that we have nothing here but bare prediction? Contrariwise, every- thing favours the supposition that the Psalmist is describing his own real personal sufferings, none the less real because rendered figurative by the experiences of a greater and Holier Sufferer. And with this view of the Psalm the rendg. “pierced” is completely inconsistent. For crucifixion was not a Jewish punishment, nor is it probable that the victim would survive to recount his experience of it. And if “piercing” with darts or arrows were meant, why are the “hands” and “feet” mentioned at all? On the other hand, it is likely enough that the enemies who deprived the Psalmist of his liberty on this occasion of affliction, literally douzd his hands and his feet. If the Psalmist be Jeremiah (see Introd.) this verb may find illustration in Jer. xxi. 2, where we find that Pashur set the Prophet in the stocks, where his hands and feet may have been fastened in such manner as was best expressed by the use of this peculiar verb "83. Nor if we 1 This latter is attested as a C’thib reading by the Masora on Numb. xxiv. 9, and by Jacob ben Chajim in the Masora finalis. It is the reading of at least one MS. (De Rossi, 337); see Del. 94 PSALM XXII. BK. 1. 17 I may tell all my bones: ie 20 Deliver my soul from the sword ; look azd stare upon me. my darling from the power of the 18 They part my garments among | dog. them, and cast lots upon my vesture. 21 Save me from the lion’s mouth : 19 But be not thou far from me, O | for thou hast heard me from the horns Lorp: O my strength, haste thee to | of the unicorns. help me. 22 I will declare thy name unto my adopt the interpr. “bound” is the clause necessarily deprived of its typical character. There is no reason to believe that the ordinary practice of éxding the extremities to the cross was omitted, when as in the case of our Saviour nails were employed. But, the Psalm being historical, not (save indirectly) prophetical, our interpr. must be in no way influenced by theories of New Testament “ fulfilment.” 17. i.e. He is reduced to a state of extreme emaciation, such as is described in Job xxxiil. 21. “His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out.” The Piél of 15D in Kal signf. “count” is as in Job xxxvili. 37, see also Ps. xl. 5 [6]. Hemist. is predicated of the enemies, who continually and with . malignant joy (cf. the use of 2 AN 7éah δ᾽ in liv. 7, xcii. 11) gaze on his affliction. 18. There is no reason why this should not be regarded as an outrage actually effected by the piratical foes in whose hands the Psalmist is fallen. Its “fulfilment” in the case of the Saviour is re- corded in John xix. 23, 24. 19. Cf. the phraseology in xxxviil. 21, 22, xl. 13. “Strength:” H. mow a ’yalooth, an. Nee ,alengthened form of PANY @yél \xxxviii. 4, and probably of precisely the same signf. 20. “Mysoul:” H. wb) zaphshi means “My life,” cf. iii. 2, xvi. 10, notes. ‘My darling” is perhaps as good a rendg. of ‘NM! y’chidathé (cf. xxxv. 17) as our language admits of. Strictly this adjective=my single one, the life besides which I have no other, wuécam meam as Vulg. “Power” A.V. rightly; 1" yad “Hand” the emblem of Jower, is used in Hebr. to denote power absolutely, even in the case of inani- mate objects. Thus we have not only the “hand of the lion and the bear” 1 Sam. xvii. 37, but also “hands of the sword” Ixiii. 11, “hand of the flame,” see Ixxvii. 2 note. 21. “Thou hast heard me,” etc., more correctly “ Thou welt surely answer me |and deliver me] from the horus of the buffalos.” The Past Tense is used to express strong conviction of the future event. Ewald § 223 ὁ and Gesenius ὃ 124, 6 c, maintain the existence of a precati perfect ; ; so too Bottcher S$ 939 g, 947 g, who cites this passage aid iftstance. We much prefer the above explanation as far as this pas- BK. 1. PSALM XXII. 95 brethren: in the midst of the congre- | horred the affliction of the afflicted; gation will I praise thee. neither hath he hid his face from 23 Ye that fear the LoRD, praise | him; but when he cried unto him, he him ; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify | heard. him ; ana fear him, all ye the seed of 25 My praise shall be of thee in the Israel. great congregation: I will pay my 24 For he hath not despised nor ab- | vows before them that fear him. sage is concerned, and we endorse Driver’s remark concerning the so-called precative Perfect, ‘in any case if the usage exists it is but an extension of the . . . perfect of certainty.” To speak of a Perfect so’ used as an τ 3 is inaccurate and misleading. We have frequent instances in the Psalter of sudden transitions from prayer to convictions that prayer has been heard, cf. vi. 9, xx. 7, XXviii. 6, etc., but nowhere else such an expansion of the changed feelings of the writer as in these verses 2I—3I. Buffalos, certainly not “unicorns,” nor yet creatures of the ovyx or one-horned antelope kind. There is no reason for supposing a one- horned animal to be meant by the term 7’é or rvéym in O. T., not- withstanding the LXX.’s povoxépws. In fact (not to argue from the present passage) Deut. xxxiii. 17 “the horns of a 7é,” and Numb. xxiil. 22 “the glittering-points of a 7’ém,” shew that it is not a one- horned animal. The misconception is not supported by xcii. 10, for the phrase “to exalt one’s horns” only occurs in Ixxv. 10; see further xCcli. 10, note. The coustructio praegnans “Answer...from” is matched or rather surpassed by cxviii. 5 ‘‘answer—into,” cf. also Ixxiv. 7, Is. vii.6. Such conjectures as that of Thrupp that »n3y “my afflicted [soul]” should be read for ‘3n'3} are little better than the LXX.’s blundering τὴν ra- πείνωσίν pov [as if Nyy]. 22—25. He will declare Jehovah’s mercy in the congregation of the faithful. That ver. 22 is cited in illustration of the unity of man with Christ (6 τε... ἁγιάζων καὶ of ἁγιαζόμενοι ἐξ ἑνὸς πάντες κιτ.λ.) in Hebr. ii. 12 is another proof of the general recognition of the Mes- sianic character of Psalm xxii. by the early Church. 25. Notwithstanding that we know of no closer parallel to NSD of a subject of praise or joy than 1) MD” in Prov. v. 18, we believe the A.V. is right in regarding the preposition as indicating subject, not cause [“ From Thee cometh my praise”] as most commentators. Such a use is really only a mod ification of the bold *n>AN ANN which is the more familiar form of expression ; and the context renders this the more appropriate explanation. 96 PSALM XXII. BKer 26 The meek shall eat and be satis- fied : they shall praise the Lorn that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. 27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LorD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. 28 For the kingdom zs the Lorn’s: and he zs the governor among the nations. 29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. 26. Alludes to the presentation of thank-offerings ( ΠΡΟ sh’ lamim) after deliverance from affliction. ‘When the sprinkling with blood and the laying of the fat pieces upon the altar were completed, the remaining flesh of the sh’/émim was used by the offerer to make a joyous meal; and the time allowed for this feasting was the day of offering and on into the night in connection with the /édah- sWlémim offering, and in connection with the sh’/émim of vows even the following day also (Lev. vii. 15, sqq.).” Del. Here those that “seek Jehovah,” and those that submit meekly to His will are to be the participators, and it is these whom the Psalmist in the warmth of sympathy apostrophizes with “May your heart live for ever!” i.e. (contrast “His heart ded within him,” 1 Sam. xxv. 37), may the joy of this present feast abide with you always! The correspondence of the Holy Eucharist in that scheme of Redemption which this Psalm fore- shadows, at once suggests itself. The analogy is imperfect only inas- much as this rite is a she/em for Christ’s death, not for His Resurrec- tion. With reference to this apostrophe however Neale remarks “the second Council of Niczea calls that Sacrament the symbol of the Resurrection, 5. Ignatius, the remedy of immortality. And Irenzeus argues at length against those who denied the Resurrection, that the body nourished by our Lord’s Flesh and Blood cannot finally perish.” 27. Not unfrequently the Hebrew Psalmists of the later period rise in their sympathy, from a conviction that Jehovah hears their supplications, to predictions concerning His future self-revelation to the Gentiles. Ps. cil. 12—22 furnishes us with a parallel to this por- tion of the Psalm, and indeed it is from the same connection of ideas that the whole group of Theophanic Psalms (xci. xcv.—c.) emanates. The Psalmist’s prediction based on his own deliverance is more than fulfilled in the issue of the sufferings of his great Antitype. 29. What is meant is—rich and poor, great and small alike shall glorify Jehovah’s saving power. The A.V. rendg. of the final clause utterly obscures this signf. Rend. “And he who cannot keep alive his soul,” i.e. (in view of the phrase in ver. 26) he who has hitherto TE, , Ee ΠΝ νων. BK. 1. PSALM XXII. 97 30 A seed shall serve him; it shall 31 They shall come, and shall declare be accounted to the Lord for a gene- | his righteousness unto a people that ration. shall be born, that he hath done ¢hzs. been degraded and down-trodden in the social system of the world and brought down even to the dust of death—even to him shall participation in such thank-offering feasts be open: πτωχοὶ evayye- λίζονται, Matt. xi. 5. 30. & Rend. “He shall be accounted as Lord to [that] genera- tion.” 1 dér the generation of the /wéure is thus identical with the YN zera “seed” or “posterity,” and with “the people that shall be born” of ver. 31. Or we may rend. “It shall be told concerning the Lord to a generation,” regarding the first 5 7 as of the same force as in 111. 2[3]. Psalm Ixxxvii. naturally suggests itself to us as expres- sive of the very same predictions as this section of the Psalm, but the common interpr. “a seed which shall serve Him shall be reckoned to the Lord for a generation,” based on the use of the verb 15D saphar in that Psalm, is not so good as the two given above. 31. The words “To a people that shall be born [shall they tell] that He hath achieved it” form a distinct hemist. Achieved it: MWY dsdh in this sense is somewhat difficult of translation ; Rosenm.’s Dracclare egit expresses the meaning adequately. It is the phrase employed in Is. xliv. 23 “Sing, O heavens, for Jehovah hath done [it] :” cf. xxxvii. 5 and lii. 9, “I will praise Thee for ever because Thou hast done [11]. We want something between the “He hath done this” of A.V. and Del.’s “He hath finished it.” The LXX,. rightly rend. λαῷ τῷ τεχθησομένῳ (cf. for the construction of the Hebr. partic. cii. 18 [19]), but unfortunately add ὃν ἐποίησε κύριος. INTRODUCTION TO Psatm XXIII. THE LOVING CARE OF GOD. TITLE. ‘A Psalm of David.” THE Psalter contains, perhaps, no Psalm which is a more general favourite than the one before us. It is almost unique in its spirit of perfect confidence and peace. Faith in Jehovah is the theme of many other Psalms, but generally with this subject are interwoven words of complaint or of prayer for deliverance, or if the occasion be entirely a joyful one the tone is that of jubilant exultation. Hee there is 98 PSALM XXIII. BK. 1. neither complaint nor prayer nor exultant praise, but throughout pre- dominate the “love and joy and peace,” which rank foremost in the Apostle’s catalogue of the fruits of the Spirit. We naturally conjec- ture that such a Psalm as this must be the product of maturer years. The light skiff gliding smoothly over the calm waters may be an emblem of the hopefulness of inexperienced youth, but the storm- beaten ship which has at last regained its port after years of buffeting with the storms and waves is the truer representative of enduring peace. Would David, for to him we unhesitatingly assign its author- ship, have written in his early years in the spirit of this Psalm? No. His earlier Psalms are indeed as full of faith in God, but they are more restless, more enthusiastic, more indicative of confidence in himself. It is only after grievous falls, long repentance, and a daily growing conviction of God’s forgiveness and continued protection that he could attain this condition of mental rest. His early life, when he used to feed his father’s flocks on the hills of Bethlehem doubtless furnished him with the figurative language of the first part of the Psalm. Possibly the remembrance of the help of Barzillai and his friends at Mahanaim (2 Sam. xvii. 2), when he was weary and weak- handed in his flight from Absalom, suggested to him the phraseology of ver. 5. But it is the experience of a long eventful life, and the peaceful hopefulness of his latter days which breathes throughout the whole Psalm, and especially characterizes its close. HE Lorp zs my shepherd, I | green pastures: he leadeth me beside shall not want. the still waters. 2 He maketh me to lie down in 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth 2. “In green pastures:” H. NWT NANI ὀέη θέλ deshe. The form MN) 76th constr. plur. is the only one in use. In Ps. Ixxiv. 20 we find it in construction with ppm “ Violence;” in Ixxxiii. [13] with omds “God ;” in lxv. [13] and Jer. ix. 9 with 1271) “The wilderness,” or “open country;” and in Amos i. 2 with O'70 “The shepherds.” Instead of the singular Nj the cognate 3 is used, e.g. Is. xxxiii. 20. Primarily these terms denote a dwelling not a pasture, though in lxv.[13], Jer. ix. 9, and here, the resting-places of flocks, or pasture land, is intended. Here, as qualified by deshe “Grass,” it may be fitly rendd. “Green pastures.” “ He maketh to lie down” -H. yarbits the technical word for letting flocks lie down at their ease, cf. Cant. 1% ὦ. “The still waters:” H. nna "2 méy m’noochoth. Lit. this must be rendd. “ Zhe water of resting-places” i.e. “ Well-watered BK. I. PSALM XXIII. 99 me in the paths of righteousness for | in the presence of mine enemies : thou his name’s sake. anointest my head with oil ; my cup 4 Yea, though I walk through the | runneth over. valley of the shadow of death, I will 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall fear no evil: for thou av¢ with me; | follow me all the days of my life: and thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. | I will dwell in the house of the Lorp 5 Thou preparest a table before me | for ever. oases.” Such is evidently the meaning of the words, and not “ Still waters,” or “Gently flowing streams.” LXX. rightly has ἐπὶ ὕδατος ἀναπαύσεως. 3. “He restoreth my soul,” or as we should say “He provides me with refreshment.” For the idiom see xix. 8, where the Hiph. of the same Rt. is used. The language is throughout metaphorical. The shepherd, after letting his flocks lie down at noonday in the green pastures, and refreshing them at the watering-places, then proceeds to lead them forth along the most suitable paths. 4. “Shadow of death” H. nvw>¥. This word should probably be pronounced mney tsal’mooth and derived from Rt. D238 obscurus Suit; cf. mal’cooth from Rt. bn. The proper name nnby A.V. “Salmon” is derived from the same root, as is pointed out by the Talmud Babli (Berachoth 16). In this case not “ Shadow of death,” or “ Death-shade” will be the signf., but simply “Gloom.” Walking through “The valley of gloom”=being in a situation of imminent | peril. The figure of the shepherd is still preserved, as is shewn by the concluding clause of the verse. The popular pronunciation ¢sad- médveth, though evidently as old as the LXX. (which rends. σκιᾶς θανάτου), and supported by Targ., Syr., Saad., Abulw., Kimchi, &c., is probably a Masoretic corruption. In support of the theory that the first part of the word stands for ?$ “Shadow,” the proper name Y3!?¥ is adduced, and in illustration of the combination with mdveth “death,” CW’tsar-mdveth “Court of death,” the name of the part of Arabia Felix near the Indian sea. 5. The figure here changes. It is no longer the shepherd guiding and defending his flock with his crook and staff, but a powerful patron who spreads before his client a luxurious banquet, under the very eyes, as we should say, of his enemies. The imperf. and perf. tenses are here both used to express habit. “My cup runneth over,” lit. “My cup is an overflowing,” an instance of the very common usage of putting the abstract noun instead of the corresponding adjective, e.g. “I am prayer.” LXX. quite wrongly καὶ τὸ ποτήριόν cov μεθύσκον ὡς κράτιστον. oer surely-” Εἰ: NS ac =“ Nothing but” “ Only,” as in xxxix. [6], ole Εἰ II TOO PSALM XXIII. BK [12], cxxxix.[11]. The peculiar figure of Jehovah’s goodness and mercy being as it were in pursuit of him seems to have been suggested by the mention of the word “enemies” in the preceding verse. The Psalmist means to say that his enemies are impotent and unwilling spectators of his prosperity, and so far from their harassing him, nothing but goodness and mercy will pursue him all the days of his life. 6. “And I will dwell” H. ‘N30 v’shabti. This word has been the subject of much discussion. (1) Some have taken sfad¢i as the infin, with the suffix=szd¢7, but a for z in such a case is unheard of, and the signf. of skzb¢? (which some suggest as an emendation), is itself unsuitable, for an infin. here would be, not indeed as Del. affirms “logically inadmissible,” but certainly obscure and weak in — the extreme. (2) It is suggested that shabti=ydshabti. This is yet more objectionable. Even if we admit that s/00 in Jer. xlii. 10 stands for yéshéb, an instance from so late and corrupt a writer as Jeremiah gives no proof that David would have written shadti for ydshabii. It is true that fatééh stands for zathattéh in 2 Sam. xxii. 41, but this is no parallel, since Za¢tah explains itself, whereas σλαδί for ydshabti would naturally be confounded with siadz¢i from shood “To return.” (3) It is possible to take shad¢i from shood “To return,” and to assume ~ that there is a constructio praegnans in the passage before us. In this case we should rend. the hemist. “Axd J shall return, [and be] in the house of Fehovah for length of days.” Cf. the similar Greek construction, e. g. in κατῆλθε Πλάτων ἐν Σικελίᾳ. We may even, without giving a pregnant sense to the verb, arrive at the same result by giving to 2 δ᾽ the sense which ἐν sometimes has after a verb of motion, e.g. in Luke xxiii. 53 ἔθηκεν αὐτὸ ἐν μνήματί, and vice versa eis with — a verb of rest, e.g. in Mark xili. 16. (4) Considering however how meaningless is the verb “ Return” here, and how frequent in Davidic Psalms are such expressions as “ Dwell” or “ Abide” in the “ house” or “tabernacle” (cf. xv. 1, xxiv. 3, xxvii. 4), we prefer to adopt the very natural theory that * has dropt out of the text, and that for ΠΩΣ Nw vydshabt? must be read. “Forever” rend. “Hor length of days.” BK. I. PSALM XXIV. IOI INTRODUCTION TO Psatm XXIV. ZION THE ABODE OF THE HOLY GOD. ΤΊΙΤΙΕ. “ΧΑ Psalm, to David.” LXX. Ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυὶδ, τῆς μιᾶς σαββάτου. THIS beautiful little chant, which describes the entry of Jehovah into Zion, recalls the closing verse of Psalm xxiii. “I will dwell in the house of Jehovah for length of days!” Hence perhaps its position as the successor of that Psalm. If the Psalm before us be Davidic—and there is no reason for doubting that it is—the removal of the ark from Kirjath-jearim to Mount Zion may be the occasion of writing. It has been suggested, however, that the description of Jehovah as ‘‘mighty in battle” in ver. 8 rather points to the triumphant return of the Ark from some field of victory. With reference to this viewit may be noticed that in David’s war with the Ammonites, the Ark apparently accompanied the march, see 2 Sam. xi. 11. We think, however, that too much stress has been laid on a single phrase, which may well have been elicited by reminiscences of the connection of the Ark with former triumphs. From vv. I—6 we are struck by a close resemblance to Ps. xv. A change of tone follows the “ Selah,” and on this very natural feature po grounds a theory that the Psalm is composed of two distinct fragments. Regard being had to the occasion, we think that the change of tone at once explains itself. The 1st part of the Psalm, sung during the march, naturally treats of things accessory to fehowaas entry; the _ 2nd, sung after the procession has reached the gates, naturally treats of the entry itself. Regarded as a prelude, the Ist part, which treats of [Jenovan dignity and the responsibilities of His worshippers, 1 1S €X- / tremely appropriate to the ceremony. Here, as in xciv. and elsewhere, the Septuagint addition to the In- scription is explained by the Jewish ritual. Ps. xxiv. was used in the Temple Services and is used still in those of the Synagogues as a Proper Psalm for the first day of the week. HE earth zs the Lorn’s, and the | seas, and established it upon the floods. fulness thereof; the world, and 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of they that dwell therein. the LorD? or who shall stand in his 2 For he hath founded it upon the | holy place? 2. “Founded it upon the seas, etc.” in allusion to the account of Gen. i. 9, 10. “Floods” NWI whdrdth used here of salt-water cur- rents, as is the sing. 17) in Jonah ii. 3 3. Compare xv. I. II—2 102 PSAILM XXIV. BK. I. 4 He that hath clean hands, and a 6 This zs the generation of them that pure heart; who hath not lifted up | seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. his soul unto vanity, nor sworn de- | Selah. ceitfully. 7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; 5 He shall receive the blessing from | and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors : the Lorn, and righteousness from the | and the King of glory shall come in. God of his salvation. 8 Who zs this King of glory? The 4. “Hath not lifted up his soul, etc.” i.e. has not directed his destres to falsehood (δ) cf. xii. 2, xli. 6) of any kind. For W5) xaphshé “ His soul,” the K’ri gives WI zaphshi “My soul.” And this reading is adopted by Cod. Alex. of LXX., Saadia, the Zohar, the Codices, and the Hebrew authorities generally with the exception of Elias Levita. Those who retain it strive to make 5) NW equivalent to OW SLI, interpreting “He who hath not invoked Me to vain [or false] promises,” and comparing (with Kimchi) Exod. xx. 7. But God nowhere speaks in the Ist person throughout the Psalm, nor is such a phrase as ombs wa) ΝΣ known. The passages cited by Rosenm., where God in speaking uses the phrase 5) “ Myself,” prove nothing, for DNDN NW is equally unknown. The irrelevancy of this well- supported reading warns us against implicit confidence in the integrity of the Masoretic text. 5. “Righteousness :” if this be the true rendg., the signf. is “ per- sonal conformity to God,” granted in addition to “salvation” from ene- mies. But it is questionable whether ΠΡῚΝ ¢s’dékah does not here betoken “Beneficence” on the part of God, as it does in cxi. 3, see also cxii. 3 note. In the latter case the connection with M302 @racaéh “Blessing” is obvious. 6. Rend. “ 7hzs zs the generation of them that inquire after Hin, those that seek Thy face—[even] Facob.”. We much prefer this interpr. (which has the support of Targ., Kimchi, Ibn Ezra) to that of Ewald, Olsh., Hupf., which supplies "πον ΞΕ) λῶν “ God of” before 1p). The LXX. gives ζητούντων τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ θεοῦ Ἰακώβ (reproduced in Syr. and Vulg.), but of course we cannot infer from this that mds ever stood in the text. Z/zs (ΠῚ zeh) is almost equivalent to “ such,” refer- ring back to the qualifications enumerated in v. 4. It is such as these —men that inquire after Jehovah and seek His Presence—that are in fact the true “Jacob.” The use of this national title is rare in the early Scriptures. It is not uncommon in those of the Exile and Re- storation period, cf. lxxxv. 1, Ixxxvii. 2, Jer. xxx. 10 etc. This title is here purposely introduced with an emphatic abruptness, which the cadence of the Selah intensifies by contrast, 7. This is addressed to the gates of the citadel of Zion, which the BK. 1. PSALM XXV. 103 Lorp strong and mighty, the Lorp | and the King of glory shall come in. mighty in battle. 10 Who is this King of glory? The g Lift up your heads, O ye gates; | Lorpof hosts, he zs the King of glory. even lift chem up, ye everlasting doors: | Selah. procession has now reached. The (not “everlasting” but) “asczent doors” (O?\¥ as in Is. lviii. 12) of the Jebusite fortress, too low for the entrance of Divinity, are charged to raise their very lintels that space may be found. For “The King of glory” rend. “ 7he glorious King” here and in vv. 8, 9, Io. 8. It may be supposed that the question and answer here and in v. 10 proceed respectively from two different choirs, the one within, the other without the gates—‘‘ Who is this glorious King? ‘ Feho- vah, strong and mighty, Fehovah mighty tn battle.” το. N10 hoo “He” emphatic, this personal pronoun being often itself used as a kind of Divine Title, see xliv. 4, note. The designa- tion of God that follows is MINI¥ 7) “Jehovah [Lord of] hosts,” as in the (as we believe) Davidic Psalm lxxxiv. and frequently in later works. INTRODUCTION TO PsaLm XXV. PRAYER IN AFFLICTION. DITLE,, “Do David? THE fragmentary and disjointed aspect of this Psalm is due to the artificial restraints to which the writer subjects himself. It is an “acrostic,” or “alphabetic,” Psalm. Psalms ix. and x. are very im- perfect specimens of compositions of this kind. The other alphabetic Psalms are xxxiv., xxxvil., cxi., cxii., cxix., cxlv. But cxl., exii., cxix, are the only Psalms in which the system is so faithfully adhered to, that every letter has its representative verse, or clause, or comple- ment of verses. The alphabetic system is also followed, and followed closely, in the first four chapters of Lamentations, and in Proverbs XXxl. IO—3I. It will be readily conceived that where the Poet follows—with even approximate fidelity—the requirements of such a scheme, his composition will lack brilliancy, and appear destitute of climax, if not of continuity of thought. For this reason the acrostic system is more appropriate in pieces of a gnomic or plaintive character (such as cxi. 104 PSALM XXV. BK. 1. Cxii., cxix., Lament. i.—iv.), wherein we do not expect to find historical continuity or progressive thought. In other languages the acrostic may be regarded as a tasteless or pedantic conceit. In Hebrew it assumes a different aspect, inasmuch as it has a basis in convictions and methods of thought of a quasi- religious character. It is connected with a belief in the sanctity of the Hebrew language, as traditionally the language of primeval man, and actually that of a nation which had been specially selected to be the recipient of Divine revelations. It is the reasonable product of that reverence for the ‘letter, which in later and more superstitious days elaborated the Ath-bash and Al-bam systems, and, later still, the stupendous absurdities of the Kabalists. As we observed in our Introduction to Psalm ix., there is no reason to think that all alphabetic compositions are of late date. The usage was perhaps considerably developed at the end of the regal period’, when, it would seem, the systems of gemetria (“arithmetical valuation of letters”) and ¢emura (“permutation of letters”) began to be intro- duced. But this is no proof that the simple scheme of such alpha- betic Psalms as the present may not date as far back as the time of David. On the contrary the alphabetic composition of Psalm xxxiv., which strongly resembles the Psalm before us, is probably Davidic. The only valid objection to the authenticity of the Title lies in the concluding verse “Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles,” which reminds one of the national Psalms of the post-exilic period, such petitions on behalf of “/svae/” being as characteristic of that epoch as they are foreign to the Davidic Psalms. It is possible how- ever that this verse, which is supplementary to the Acrostic, and is not appropriate to the conclusion of a personal Prayer, is not to be regarded as an integral portion. A later hand may have added it with the view of giving the Psalm a more even balance, since this verse of one clause evidently serves as a pendant to the only other verse of like construction—verse I. Psalm xxv. appears to be in the main a prayer for deliverance from enemies. The prayer is grounded on the Psalmist’s conscious- ness of his own faithfulness, and consequent trust that Jehovah will forgive him all past transgressions. The connection between the prayer and such convictions is illustrated here and there by remarks on the nature of Jehovah’s government, which is designed to give * It may be reasonably supposed that Jeremiah availed himself of an Ath-bash system in Jerem. xxv. 26, if not in Jerem. li. 1. It is barely possible that the obscure term JNJ in Is. vii. 6 is to be explained according to the Al-bam system. Psalm cxix., in which the alphabetic scheme appears in its most elaborate form, is generally supposed to be not earlier than this epoch. BK. τῷ peace and prosperity to the pious (vv. 8—10, 12—I4). to be the ground-plan of the composition. PSALM XXV. 105 Such appears But climax and logical sequence are excluded, not by confusion of thought on the writer’s part, but by the thraldom of the acrostic system. To find a definite occasion for this Psalm in the surviving records of David’s reign is impossible. NTO thee, O Lorn, do I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine ene- mies triumph over me. 3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. 4 Shew me thy ways, O Lorp; teach me thy paths. 5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou αγΖ the God of my sal- vation ; on thee do I wait all the day. 6 Remember, O Lorp, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses ; for they ave been ever of old. 7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: ac- cording to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O ΓΟ ΚΡ. 1. This verse begins with δὲ, 2. (&). If we could regard the word mos 2’ léhay “My God,” with which this verse begins, as to be reckoned extra metrum (as are often ὦμοι and other ejaculations in the Greek Tragedians) the 3 of cd “in Thee” would be the initial letter, and the alphabetic scheme would be maintained. 3. (4). The force of this verse is entirely lost in the A.V. which interprets the verbs as optatives. The Psalmist, after praying “ Let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me,” declares his confidence in the words “Yea, none who wait on Thee shall be put to shame: the wantonly faithless shall be put to shame.” Ae Δ(}): 5. (Mand). Itis probable that in this verse, as also in xxxiv. 5 [6], a conjunctive 1 is put at one of the breaks in the verse to represent the sixth letter of the alphabet, which otherwise would be entirely passed over in both these acrostic Psalms. If we except a few proper names, the only words in Biblical Hebrew beginning with ἡ are vavim “hooks,” and the common conjunction Ἱ σ᾽ “and”; this deficiency may perhaps account for the irregularity. Singularly enough however, in another alphabetic Poem—Ps. ix.—we have four verses assigned irregularly to this letter, verses 7—10 [8—11] each beginning with the copula } in signf. “and” “but” or “also.” 6. (1). 7. (MW). a. “My transgressions :” this is the exact signf. of the Le WWE P’shday. LXX. wrongly ἀγνοίας pov. ὦ. “ Remember Thou me : mnxwo-q 2’cor-li-attah, the word attéh “Thou” being ae 106 8 Good and upright zs the Lorp: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. g The meek will he guide in judg- ment: and the meek will he teach his way. 1o All the paths of the LorD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. 11 For thy name’s sake, O Lorp, PSALM XXV. BReat pardon mine iniquity; for it zs great. 12 What man zs he that feareth the LorpD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. 13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. 14 The secret of the Lorp zs with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. 15 Mine eyes ave ever toward the expressed in a verse in which forgiveness of sin is prayed for as con- sistent with the attributes of Jehovah. It is as much as to say “Remember me, Thou, who hast revealed Thyself as Jehovah the. gracious, the merciful, etc.” 8, 9, 10 begin respectively with ©, ", 3, in strict deference to the acrostic scheme. 11. (5). This verse finds a remarkable parallel in Jer. xiv. 7, “Verily our iniquities have testified against us; Jehovah, act Thou for Thy name’s sake: for many are our backslidings, against Thee have we sinned.” In neither passage should 3 εΖ be understood in signf. 3 DI gam ci “though.” Rather is the very magnitude of the guilt put forward as the grounds on which mercy is implored. “Pardon :” NN2D) vsdlachtd: the use of the Preet. with vév consecu- tivum, preceded by a clause which apparently does not contain a verb, is somewhat remarkable. Some consider ὙΠ) γ᾽ 12 “let it be [...... that]” to be implied in the first clause. Or it is possible that MWY a’séh “Act Thou!” is implied; so that the full construction would be “[Act Thou] for Thy name’s sake: azd so shalt thou [the so-called precative imperfect, =‘‘and so do Thou” ] forgive my iniquity, for it is great.” 12. (2). . a. The demonstrative ΠῚ seh gives additional vividness to the interrogative 2 m2 “Who?” as in xxiv. 8, Is. lxiii. 1. Some- times we have ΠῚ 817%) m2 hoo zeh (e.g. xxiv. 10, Jer. xxx. 21), where hoo according to usage stands instead of a part of the verb “to be,” cf. the Syr. sanoo (for man hoo) “Who is?” For another instance of the dramatic use of the interrogative, where we should expect the relative “ whosoever” cf. cvii. 43. ὦ. “He shall choose:” H. Wal yébchdér. The best interpr. is “The way that he [viz..the man] should [or ought to| choose,” cf. Is. xlviiil. 17. But the rendg. of LXX. 9 ἡρετίσατο [scil. ὁ Θεός] is defen- sible. fer 3), aah (2) Bale 8 Aq. ἀπόῤῥητον, Theod. μυστήριον. “The secret:” H. ‘31D séd, i.e. The secret counsel, In cxi. 1, it denotes “Assembly,” Bit, PSALM XXV. 107 Lorp; for he shall pluck my feet out | and afflicted. of the net. 17 The troubles of my heart are 16 Turn thee unto me, and have | enlarged: O bring thou me out of mercy upon me; for I am desolate | my distresses. which is the meaning wrongly given to it in this Ps. by Symm., who rends. ὁμιλία. Although this verse must begin with D the LXX. which renders κραταίωμα evidently read THD. 6. “He will shew:” H. oynd Phddidm iit. ‘(ie 151 ‘for making them to know,” cf. Is. xxxviil. 20 1YWIT2 MN “ Jehovah is for saving us,” i.e. “will save us.” But Hitzig takes Zédia as used (cf. 2 Sam. vii. 21) without the accus. rei, and 1N"3) 00-0’rithé “ And his covenant” as the nomin. coupled with séd, interpreting the verse “Those who honour Jehovah possess His confidence and His covenant for their instruction [sie zu verstandigen].” So too LXX. τοῦ δηλῶσαι αὐτοῖς. Another possible rendg. is “And His covenant is [i.e. He zs bound by agreement] to instruct them.” 16. (5). & “Desolate,” H. WM ydchid, see xxii. 20 note; LXX. wrongly here as there Aas The concurrence of the similar sounds °3) “afflicted” and "δὲ “1” is no doubt intentional. Bie “The troubles of my heart are enlarged:” H. 1200 sad ny tsréth Pbabt hirchiboo, This rendg. is admissible, the Hiph. Ζ27- chiboo being then used reflexively like the Hiph. Azgdiloo “they have magnified themselves” in xxxv. 26, xxxviii. 16 [17]. The same idea of the “expansion” of affliction is to be found in Lament. ii. 13 “ great as the sea is thy wound.” So the LXX. ἐπληθύνθησαν, which we need not regard as a corruption of ἐπλατύνθησαν. But according to an emendation now pretty generally adopted, the Imper. sing. harchib is read, and the vo treated as a conjunction heading the next clause. The rendg. will then be, “ Zhe anguish of my heart relieve Thou [lit. make broad, expand], ad from my straits bring Thou me out.” Or, reading 129119 harchibé for 12] we may render “Angudsh is my heart, relieve Thou it; from my straits bring Thou me out.” In both these interpretations the verb 2'N7M lit. “make broad,” denotes the release from N1¥ [the Lat. azgor], as in iv. 1. That this is its meaning here is rendered probable by the succeeding “from my straits bring Thou me out.” On the connection of “narrowness” with discomfort, and “making-broad”’ with relief see iv. 1, note. We may notice here that the same figure is found in Persian. Thus the heart is compared to a rosebud, which is “fold upon fold;” when the cold wind of adversity blows upon it, it closes itself up tighter and tighter, “knot upon knot ;” when the sun of prosperity shines once more upon it, the petals untwine, the rosebud is expanded. 108 PSAILM XXVI. BK. I. 18 Look upon mine affliction and my | let me not be ashamed; for I put my pain ; and forgive all my sins. trust in thee. 19 Consider mine enemies; for they | 21 Let integrity and uprightness are many; and they hate me with | preserve me; for I wait on thee. cruel hatred. | 22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of 20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: | all his troubles. 18. The letter P which should open this verse is passed over, and 18 and 19 begin with 9, and 20 with & In το rend. “ Zaz they are many,” 3 c? being here constructed as in Gen. i. 4. 21. (N). a. LXX. wrongly ἄκακοι καὶ εὐθεῖς ἐκολλῶντό μοι. Pro- bably it read Zam v'yashar ytsurooni. 22. One might well expect the Psalm to close with ver. 21, which is headed by N the last letter of the alphabet. Instead of which, both here and in xxxiv. (also an alphabetic Psalm), the NM verse is succeeded by one beginning with 5. In both Pss. too, the example of this letter is the same Root 775 “redeem,” and curiously enough the true 5 verse begins in each Psalm with a term originating in the Rt. 35 (scil. here in 16 933, in xxxiv. 16 °28). The latter coincidence we regard as accidental, but the former is probably intentional. The supplementary v. in xxxiv. appears to be an integral portion of the Ps., but here the inappropriate mention of “/svae/” and the resem- blance to the prayers of the later time (cf. cxxx. 8) suggest that verse 22 was the addition of a compiler in later times to render the Ps. more appropriate for public use. In thus completing the Psalm he probably deliberately adapted it (by the selection of the verb ΠῚ) to the other Davidic Acrostic, Ps. xxxiv. INTRODUCTION TO Psatm XXVI. SELF-J USTIFICATION. TiTLE, “Τὸ David.” IN its diction this Psalm slightly resembles Psalm xxv. We have the phrases “redeem” [i.e. “deliver”], “be merciful” [or “gracious”] repeated; God’s attribute of “truth” is again mentioned; and the “integrity” for which the writer of xxv. prays is here claimed as the Psalmist’s rule of life. Resemblances of the same kind connect this composition with Psalm xxvii. In fact it may be inferred from a com- parison of the four Psalms xxv—xxvill. that they are probably the work of one and the same author. There is no objection to the view ΒΚ. 1. PSAIM ΧΧΥ͂Λ 109 that this author is David, save so far as exception can be taken to the discordant tone of xxv. 22. (See xxv. Introd.) The most prominent feature in Psalm xxvi. is the writer’s con- fidence in his own piety. On this he grounds a plea that Jehovah will “right” him (verse 1), and not involve him in such misfortunes as are the proper penalty of sin (verse 9). Such self-confidence is emi- nently characteristic of the Hebrew religion. Its assertion will be repugnant only to those who expect the Hebrew Poets to write in accordance with the higher teaching of Christianity. Readers who bear in mind the limited nature of the Jewish revelation can do with- out such apologies as those of Hengstenberg, “that it is destruction only, not chastisement which the Psalmist deprecates,” and that “the Psalmist acknowledges (?) as right in itself the suffering to which he is exposed.” We may add however that if Psalm xxv. be regarded as proceeding from the same writer under the same afflicting circum- stances, self-confidence here is sufficiently balanced by the acknow- ledgment of sin there. But we believe that Psalm xxv. is not thus closely connected in occasion with Psalm xxvi. It is hardly possible that mere change of impulse should alter the Psalmist’s prayer from “ Be merciful to my sin, for it is great” to “Right me, for I have walked in mine integrity.” The two Psalms are best referred to different occasions. If Psalm xxvi. be Davidic, it suits the period of the Absalomic rebellion better than any other episode of which we have record. The allusions to the hypocrisy of the wicked men from whom the Psalmist has severed himself, and to their practice of giving bribes (verses 4, 10), recall the artifices whereby “Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel” 2 Sam. xv. 6. And the affection for the sanctuary which the Psalmist professes in verses 6—8 is well illustrated by the regretful terms in which David at the commence- ment of his flight speaks to Zadok: 2 Sam. xv. 25, 26. | ae me, O Lorn; for I have | me; try my reins and my heart. walked in mine integrity: I have 3 For thy lovingkindness zs before trusted also in the LorRD; ¢hevefore I | mine eyes: and I have walked in thy shall not slide. truth. 2 Examine me, O Lorp, and prove 4 I have not sat with vain per- 1. “Judge me,” or “Right me ;” for this use of DEY shaéphat see vii. 8, note. The final clause we regard as a prayer, and render “Therefore may I not totter!” i.e. be overthrown from a position of stability (cf. xviii. 37, and ver. 12) by my enemies. 2. The expressions are Davidic, cf. vil. 9, xvi. 7. 3. ὁ. Rend. “And 7 walk in Thy truth,” i.e. 1 adapt my life to ΙΤΟ PSALM ΧΟΘΙΣΙ. Bea sons, neither will I go in with dis- | cency: so will I compass thine altar, semblers. O Lorp: 5 I have hated the congregation of 7 That I may publish with the voice evildoers ; and will not sit with the | of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wicked. wondrous works. 6 I will wash mine hands in inno- 8 LorD, I have loved the habitation the Divine characteristics of benevolence (1DN), and faithfulness to promises, making Jehovah in these respects my model. On the terms ~ Walk,” “Sit? Goin” cf int note: 4. “Vain persons;” better “false persons.” ‘ Dissemblers :” onby waa’lémim lit. “Concealed ones”=Men in whom evil pur- poses are concealed under a mask of respectability, ὑποκριταί. 6. ‘Compass Thine altar.” It is generally assumed that there is here a reference to the functions of the Priest at the altar, which were preceded by ablutions, Exod. xxx. 17—21. In this case the language must be purely figurative, since David would not be capable of performing sacerdotal functions himself. But that this is not the case, and that the washing of the hands and compassing of the altar are no mere ethical figures, is plain from the direct allusion to public worship in vv. 7, 8,12. Now we notice that in Biblical Hebrew, as well as in the language of the Talmudim and Rabbis, this Rt. 23D sdbab “compass” is used to express attendance at a meal. Thus in I Sam. xvi. 11 Samuel refuses to commence the ΠῚ zedach or “ sacri- ficial banquet” until David’s arrival, in the words M5 Ἰδ 2 ἽΝ 20) xd lit. “we will not compass [the M21] until he come here.” And hence, rightly or wrongly, the Rabbis give the meaning “table” to 3D) in Cant. i. 12. What is more likely than that the Psalmist, attending in a joyful spirit at the service of the sanctuary, should offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, or MN ¢édéh (cf. ver. 7), and according to Hebrew usage make, with what was left over, a festive banquet round the altar (cf. xxii. 26). Literally then he vows that having washed his hands in innocency (=either “in protestation of innocency,” cf. Deut. xxi. 6, Matt. xxvii. 34, or “thus becoming [sym- bolically] innocent,” with 2 δ᾽ proleptic), he will after this ceremony partake of a sacrificial banquet. The student should compare the Rabbinic phrases ynbwS Δ “sit down at table” and NAD sesszo zx convivio. See further the Azoor on Cant. i. 12 in Mendelssohn’s Bible, and Buxtorf, Lexic. sb voce 13D, Notice that the congregation of pious worshippers with whom the Psalmist reclines at banquet round the altar is thus contrasted with the “congregation of evil-doers” with whom he “ will not sit.” BK. 1. PSALM XXVIII. ZI of thy house, and the place where 11 But as for me, I will walk in thine honour dwelleth. mine integrity: redeem me, and be g Gather not my soul with sinners, | merciful unto me. nor my life with bloody men: 12 My foot standeth in an even to In whose hands zs mischief, and | place: in the congregations will I their right hand is full of bribes. bless the Lorp. ὃ. ὁ. Or “And the dwelling-place of Zhy glory,” doubtless in allusion to the “indwelling glory,” the Shecinah. g. “Gather not;” ie. Let not my soul and my life be knit in their faze with those of such men. The “soul” is here the actual personality of the Psalmist rather than the inner desire of his heart (cf. iii. 2, note); and the prayer is apparently against evil fortunes, regarded as the punishment of sin. 11. Lit. “But I, may I walk in my integrity: deliver Thou me [from such fate], and shew me Thy favour.” 12. Confident that the above prayer will be heard and that his position is one of stability, he keeps before his mind the joyous prospect of offering public praises in the sanctuary. The “even place” is literally one which is free from the difficulties and dangers of precipices or pitfalls. INTRODUCTION TO Psatm XXVII. TAKING REFUGE IN JEHOVAH. LVR Ὁ Davids, IN some respects this Psalm resembles its predecessor. The writer's enemies are similar in character to those described in xxvi. (cf. xxvi. 9, 10 with xxvii. 12); and in both Psalms the sufferer cheers his soul with a confident expectation of joining in the services of the sanc- tuary, and offering public praises and thanksgivings. Compare also the wording in xxvi. 12, xxvii. 11. But the dangers with which the adversaries menace him are brought out more strongly here than in xxvi. If Psalm xxvi. be assigned to the time of Absalom’s revolt, Psalm xxvii. may well be referred to the same occasion, see XxVi. Introd. The flow of the Psalmist’s thoughts is in a direction just opposite to the usual one. He begins with triumphant confidence, and ends with complaint and sorrowful supplication. There are in fact two main strophes, the one of jubilant confidence, the other of prayer: in the one, as Hengstenberg puts it, the Psalmist rising 112 7. ΧΟ ΧΗ: BK. 1. heavenward on the wings of faith, looks down with contempt on the troubles below ; in the other he looks up from trouble to God, sor- rowfully, yet in confidence. The Psalm may be divided thus: I. Verses 1—3. Jehovahthe hope of the Psalmist when beset by foes: II. Verses 4—6. The Psalmist’s affectionate yearning for the sanctuary, as for an asylum. A. Verses 7—end. III malicious enemies. HE Lorp zs my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lorp zs the strength of my life ; of whom shall I be afraid ? 2 When the wicked, eve mine ene- mies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp Prayer for deliverance from his against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this zwz/7 I de confident. 4 One ¢hing have I desired of the Lorp, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lorp all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lorpb, and to enquire in his temple. 1. a. “My light.” Affliction being frequently represented by “darkness,” the Divine Deliverer is regarded as the suppliant’s “light ;” cf. Micah vii. ὃ “If I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me;” see also Is. lx. 1 “ Thy light is come, etc.” 6. “Strength of:” H. ty mdéz. It is perhaps necessary to remind the Hebrew student that the KAmets of this word is immu- table ; the constr. therefore is not 7’éz, like m’én xxvi. 8, but mdéz, and so with suff. #duzzi etc. with Metheg on the Kamets; see fur- ther xxxi. 2, note. 20a Mime than pleonastic; it is used, as the Arab. grammarians say ‘“2¢-¢a'd7- yah,” i.e. to denote the passing on of the action [viz. that of enmity”), implied in the preceding participles. ὁ. “They :” H. 190 hémmah is emphatic; ¢hey fell, and not /. 3. “In this” H. NNtI Ozdth: rend. “Jn spite of this” with Cocc., Mendelssohn, etc., as in Lev. xxvi. 27; cf. &'col-zéth “For all this” 1.6. “Tn spite of all this” Ps. Ixxviii. 32. With this verse compare the confidence expressed in Ps. iii. 6 [7]. LXX. has ἐν ταύτῃ ἐγὼ ἐλπίζω. Rosenm. refers “In this” to the above-mentioned ‘“‘ War,” and Rashi and Ibn Ezra interpret “In this—in the fact that Jehovah is my light and salvation—do I trust.” But the interpr. which we have adopted is much to be preferred. 4. “Dwelling in” the house of the LORD=habitual attendance there, cf. Ixxxiv. 4. “Beauty :” H. DY) éam may denote either the The Hebr. > / after the possess. suffix is more BK. 1. 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about PSALM XX VII. 113 yea, I will sing praises unto the Lor. 7 Hear, O LorD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When thou saidst, Seek ye τὴν me: therefore will I offer in his taber- nacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. beauty of the Divine cultus, or the favour of Jehovah (cf. xc. 17, note), We prefer the latter interpr. To ‘‘ behold” [lit. “ gaze on”] Jehovah’s favour would be to experience and enjoy it. ‘“Inquire:” this verb WA bakkér probably =“ To meditate” or “reflect,” as in 2 Kings xvi. 15; Prov. xx. 25. It sometimes bears the signf. “Make search; the mu- tual relation of these two meanings, and their connection with the primary signf. “To cut” or “cleave” are obvious. The Rabbinic theory that this verb is a denom. of 123 “morning,” and means “to attend early,” is now generally abandoned. The H. Son héycal (A.V. “Temple” may mean the Davidic sanctuary, as in Ps. v. 7 [8]. 5. The verbs in this verse express habitude; whenever trouble comes, Jehovah is wont to intervene. This fact is the cause of the Psalmist’s confidence expressed in the next verse. We render “or in the time of trouble He hides me in His place-of-covert, in the secret parts of His Tabernacle He conceals me; He sets me up upon a rock.” The main reference is to the Tabernacle or Sanctuary. But the underlying conception is that of a householder secreting a fugitive friend in the recesses of the tent. The same ideas are combined and similarly expressed in xxxi. 20; and in lxi, 2—4 the figure of the “rock” is combined, as here, with that of the “asylum.” JD or M3D (cf. xviii. 11) A.V. “pavilion” =a well-screened place of abode ; hence with reference to animals ‘‘a lair.” Hengst. argues from the use of SAN dhel “tabernacle” that the Ps. could not possibly have been written after the erection of the Temple. It might be replied how- ever by those who deny the Davidic authorship that 27 may be em- ployed (in signf. “tent”) in deference to the underlying metaphor. Here the poet passes from ?Azl/éh praise to ¢phillah prayer. K6li “With my voice” as in iii. 4 [5], or as we should say ‘‘ loudly.” Del. well turns the dependent clause 46/2 ekrad by “voce mea cla- mante me.” 8. The A.V., though inaccurate, gives the real drift of this obscure v., which runs literally thus “ My heart said to Thee ‘Seek ye My face,’ Thy face, Jehovah, I will seek.” Jehovah’s command is “Seek ye My face’ i.e. ‘My Presence’ (an expression possibly occur- 114 PSALM XXVII. BK. I. 9 Hide not thy face far from me; | my salvation. put not thy servant away in anger: 10 When my father and my mother thou hast been my help; leave me | forsake me, then the LoRD will take not, neither forsake me, O God of | me up. ring in some common liturgical form): the Psalmist cites this com- mand with the ᾿Αμὴν “ Thy face, Jehovah, I w7// seek.” Awkward as this explanation is, it is the only one that is not open to fatal objec- tions. The interpr. given by the Rabbis from R. Moses downwards is that 7’céd “to Thee” means “on Thy behalf,’ and that the verse runs thus “On Thy behalf my heart says [i.e. re-echoing Thy com- mand] ‘ Seek ye My face;’ [and in obedience to this inner prompting I exclaim] ‘Thy face, LorD, I will seek.’” This rendg. we should prefer, were there any grounds for believing that 5 “to” or “of” could possibly mean “on behalf of.” The rendg. of Dathe and Olshausen is deserving of mention on account of its ingenuity, but is too far- fetched to be the true one. It is as follows “ Thine it is, my consci- ence tells me, [to say] ‘Seek ye My face:’”—then, instead of writing tamely “Mine it is to obey this command,” the Psalmist exclaims with fervent resolution “Thy face, Jehovah, I will seek.” LXX. rends. σοὶ εἶπεν ἡ καρδία pov, ἐξεζήτησα TO πρόσωπόν σου κιτιλ. Targ. changes the zber of the verb and rends. “Τὸ Thee my heart said, Seek thou My face, Thy Face, Jehovah, will I seek.” 9. “Put away:” Hiph, of ΠΣ used as in Job xxiv. 4. On 5N is nearly equivalent to ἘΠ Sy. “Thou hast been my help,” A.V. rightly, not as some take it “Be Thou my help.” This latter use of the Hebr. Perf. we do not admit, see xxii. 21, note; and were it allow- able, the Perf. so used should, from the analogy of the Arabic, be the first word of the clause. το. Rend. “Should my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet Fehovah would take mein.” Take in, or Gather in, H. ἢ dsaph which here= “adopt,” “an Kindes statt axnehmen.” We regard 3 εἶ as purely hypothetical here (cf. Ewald, § 362 4), as in Exod. xxi. 2, 2 Kings iv. 29. Between the concluding prayer of ver. 9 and the statement of this verse, we must understand some such thought as “And forsake me Thou wilt zo¢.” The c? of this v. might of course be rendered “for” as usual :—“/or my father and my mother have forsaken me, but Jehovah takes me in.” Such an interpr. however is hardly reconcilable with the view that the Ps. was written by David. David was sometimes compelled to leave his parents to the care of others, cf. 1 Sam. xxii. 3; but we know nothing of his parents ‘‘ for- saking” him. BK. I. PSAIM XXVIII. 115 11 Teach me thy way, O Lorn, | 13 7 had fainted, unless I had be- and lead me in a plain path, because | lieved to see the goodness of the of mine enemies. | Lorp in the land of the living. 12 Deliver me not over unto the | 14 Wait on the Lorp: be of good will of mine enemies: for false wit- | courage, and he shall strengthen thine nesses are risen up against me, and | heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. such as breathe out cruelty. 12. ὦ. Better “And such as breathe out vzolence.” The H. Π5" y'phéach is the constr. of the sing. Partic. The sing. is rightly under- stood by A.V. as used generically, and as really equivalent to a plural. In the LXX.’s mistranslation καὶ ἐψεύσατο ἡ ἀδικία ἑαυτῇ the word ἑαυτῇ evidently represents the 1 of the ist syllable of xd with which ver. 13 begins. 13. In this v. we have an instance of the common figure of speech called aposiopesis. Rend. “Unless 1 had been confident of looking on the goodness of Fchovah in the land of the living [1 should have lost all hope.|’ In Gen. xxxi. 42 we find a very similar aposiopesis of the apodosis after the same conjunction x15 Zoolé. This word is com- pounded of H. ἡ Zoo (Arab. dau, Chald. aN, Syr. elloo) “if,” and ND /6=N? 76 (Arab. 4 or dam, Aram. ὟΣ “not,” so that ydab (Arab. lau-la, lau-lam, or lau-md, Chald. baby, Syr. elloold)=“I1f not,” or “ Unless.” The Masorites have in this instance marked the word with peculiar points (3 above and 4 below, according to Baer), pos- sibly because of the singularity of its use here in a clause to which there is no apodosis attached. The Talmud Babli (Berach. 4 a) absurdly takes the word to mean “wot, nol,” 1.6. “certainly not.” The LXX. on the other hand (see ver. 12 note) rends. πιστεύω τοῦ ἰδεῖν k.T.A. Without any negative at all. No particle is absolutely necessary to introduce the apodosis after /oo/é, but in Ps. cxix. 92 Ἰδὲ is used, in cxxiv. 3 ‘TS, and in Gen. xliil. Io 9. INTRODUCTION TO Psatm XXVIII. JEHOVAH THE AVENGER A HELP AGAINST THE PUBLIC FOE. LITLE. “LowMavid.”* THE Title “To David” is to some extent confirmed by verses 8, 9, wherein the writer apparently speaks of himself as God’s “anointed” sovereign, and identifies his cause with that of the nation. A comparison of verse 3 with xxvi. 9, 10 leads to the conjecture that the two Psalms tel: ee: 116 PSAIM XXVIII. BK. 1. originate in one and the same occasion. The extreme peril of the writer, the mention of the sanctuary towards which the Psalmist pros- trates himself, and the description of the enemy’s hypocrisy, are all appropriate to the occasion of Absalom’s revolt (see xxvi. Introd.). The Psalm is full of phrases recurring in other Psalms entitled “to David.” It falls naturally into two distinct portions, vv. I—5, and vv. 6—9. The former consists of an introductory appeal (vv. I, 2), followed by a prayer that he may not be involved in that destruction which is the proper fate of the wicked, but that such fate may, as merited by them, befall his enemies (vv. 2—5). In the second por- tion he entertains a comforting assurance that his prayer is heard, and praises Jehovah as the Deliverer of His people and of His anointed (vv. 6—9). NTO thee will I cry, O LorpD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, 27 thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. 2 Hear the voice of my supplica- tions, when I cry unto thee, when I 3 Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of ini- quity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief zs in their hearts. 4 Give them according to their lift up my hands toward thy holy deeds, and according to the wicked- oracle. ness of their endeavours: give them i, %.- Lit.“ Lest Thou be silent...and I become, etc.” te. “ Lege Thou being silent...I become, etc.’ Wa ddr “ Pit” means Hades, as in xxx. 3, Is. xiv. 15, and it is clear that the Psalmist is molested by foes who threaten his very life. 2. 6. “Oracle:” “Sanctuary” is a better translation; the rendg. “Oracle” is based on an etymological blunder, for 2 @dzr is not from 1259 dibdér “Spoke,” as imagined by Aq., Symm. (χρηματιστή- ριον), Jer. (“oraculum”), but is connected with the Arab. dabara, pone fuit (cf. dubr, “hinder part”), and points to the position of the Holy of Holies at the hinder or western (NS) part of the Tabernacle or Temple. The word occurs again only in Kings and Chronicles. The LXX. either rends. this word by ναός as here, or transcribes it daBip. On the expression “Zoward” indicating that the worshipper turns his face to the place specially hallowed by God’s Presence, see Psalm i175 ote. 3. a. The “Wicked” we take to be the Psalmist’s enemies, in accordance with the description of these in the preceding Psalm. The prayer “‘ Draw me not away” at once recalls xxvi. 9; here as there the signif. is—may I not be drawn [into destruction] with the wicked. With the description in hemist. ὁ. cf. xxvi. 10. τ. after the work of their hands; render to them their desert. 5 Because they regard not the works of the LorD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up. 6 Blessed de the Lorpb, because he hath heard the voice of my supplica- tions. 7 The Lorn zs my strength and my PSALM XXVIII. 117 shield ; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. 8 The Lorp zs their strength, and he zs the saving strength of his a- nointed. g Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lilt them up for ever. 4. 6. “Their desert :” lit. “ Their requiting,” i.e. What they have requited fo ws, or accomplished with regard to us; not merely the requital they deserve. The true construction of this phrase D711 1wn is explained by the expanded form Ὁ nbs ἼΩΝ Jd NN > pow in cxxxvii. 8. 5. a. “Because” A.V. rightly; not “ For.” In 4, which is proba- bly a prayer (“ May He,” not “ He shall”), we have the figure of a building, levelled and never to be vebuilt. For 13. dduah in this signf. Bee ἘΠῚ 16, Exxil. 3: 7. 6. “With” or “ By means of.” Is. Iviii. 12, Ezek. xxviii. 18, Obad. 9. 8. “Their.” By the insertion of a letter ἕν Lammé for 0 γι) we have “The LorD is a strength to His people,” a text which has the support of the LXX.’s Kupios κραταίωμα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτου and which corresponds in form to xxix. 11. 1122 “To them” is to us simply unintelligible. It cannot refer to “Thy people” in v. 9, a distinct verse probably not yet thought of. And it is very improbable that it refers (as a plur. majestatis) to the word “Jehovah,” so that “to them” should mean “to Him :”’—‘‘ Jehovah, to Him belongs strength.” _ We rend, the v. “ ¥ehovah is a strength to His people, and a fortress of protection to His anointed.” 9. ὁ. Or “And do Thou tend them, and exalt them perpetually.” For this signf. of }!9 wezz cf. E2—2 “8 PSALM XXIX. BK. 1. INTRODUCTION TO Psatm XXIX. THE GLORY OF JEHOVAH MANIFESTED IN A THUNDERSTORM. TITLE. §‘A Psalm, to David.” LXX. Ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυίδ, ἐξοδίου σκηνῆς. THERE is no reason for calling in question the genuineness of the Title “to David”, but the Septuagint’s addition to this wording presents great difficulties to the commentator. Delitzsch, taking σκηνῆς as equivalent to σκηνοπηγίας, understands this addition to imply that the Psalm was sung on the last day (ἐξόδιον Lev. xxiii. 36) of the Feast of Tabernacles. The only semblance of Rabbinical authority he has for this supposition is found by him in Zohar (sect. δ). There Ps. xxix. is connected with the pouring forth of the water on the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles, called the Great Hosanna, it being said that by means of the seven A6/é6th (vv. 3—9) or “‘ voices” (corresponding to the seven compassings of the altar), seven of the S’Ahirérh [1. 6. Di- vine Attributes] open the flood-gates of heaven. On the other hand, the treatise Sofrim (xxiii. § 3) mentions Ps. xxix. as a Pentecostal Psalm, and the tradition of the synagogue of the present day recog- nises it only as a festival Psalm for Pentecost ; the Psalm proper for the last day of Tabernacles being Ps. Ixy. It may be added that the Talmud Babli does not state what is the proper Psalm for the Zas¢ day of Tabernacles, and that the Talmud Jerushalmi guesses, not at Ps. xxix., but at Ps. vi. or Ps. ΧΙ, If the use of the word σκηνῆς not σκηνοπηγίας, does not, as Hitzig says, cut away all solid ground from Delitzsch’s argument, at any rate the difficulty of taking σκηνῆς in the sense of σκηνοπηγίας, and the absence of evidence that this Psalm was ever a proper Psalm for the day of Tabernacles, renders his suppo- sition extremely precarious. ‘The addition by the LXX. may be con- nected with the fact of this Psalm’s immediately preceding one which is entitled ψαλμὸς δῆς τοῦ ἐγκαινισμοῦ τοῦ οἴκου. Or the words may refer to some Alexandrian use of the Psalter, of which we are ignorant. The Feast of Pentecost is kept by the Jews as a commemoration of © the Giving of the Law, though it is not expressly mentioned in Scrip- ture that the Law was given at the time when the feast is observed, viz. on the fiftieth day after the 15th (or 16th?) of Nisan. Most appropriate for use on the day of the Giving of the Law (cf. Sofrim as BK. I. PSAIM XXIX. 110 above) does this “ Psalm of the thunderstorm” appear, when we call to mind “the thunderings [£6/6¢/] and lightnings” (Exod. xix. 16, xx. 18), and “the glory, like devouring fire” (Exod. xxiv. 17), which accom- panied that revelation. It is here, not as in Ps. xix., the peaceful depth of the star- bespangled heaven which appeals to the Psalmist’s religious instincts, but the sonorous crash of the thunder-peal, accompanying the march of a destructive hurricane. Probably the very rarity and violence of such storms in Palestine gave them in Hebrew estimation a peculiar significance. The student will notice that prominence is given through- out to the thunder, not to the lightning. The thunder produces the lightning (v. 7), and to the thunder is attributed all the destruction which the storm works upon the land. Such a misconception among a primitive people, so susceptible of religious impressions, is hardly to be wondered at. them the thunder is no mere natural phenome- non; it is the very “voice of Jehovah,” which spake to them from Mount Sinai. The lightning (usually a less impressive phenomenon), is only an accessory to this divine utterance. The Psalm is one which admits of exhaustive analysis. We find that its structure is remarkably complete, and yet that the poetic ardour of the Psalmist is nowise trammelled by its artificial form. It may be thus divided: I. Verses 1, 2. A prologue in which the Heavenly Host are called upon to ascribe praise and power to Jehovah. II. Verses 3—9. The body of the Psalm; descriptive of the rise, progress, and dying away of the thunderstorm. This section may be divided into three strophes : (1) verses 3, 4. In which the angry rumbling of the distant thunder, and its eventual bursting forth in force and majesty, are depicted: (2) verses 5—7. Here the Poet describes the effects of the storm bursting over the northern mountain-ranges. Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon are conceived of as quaking with the reverberating crash of the thunder-peals, while round their peaks glance those forked lightning-flashes which move in obedience to the “ voice of the HORD\:” (3) verses 8,9. The storm has now passed over Palestine, and is pouring its fury on the wilderness of the South. The broad desert- steppes quake, even as the lofty mountains quaked. The forest-trees are laid bare before the hurricane. All nature is moved; the world, Jehovah’s sanctuary, responds to the awful crash of the thunder-peals with an outspoken confession of Jehovah’s might and majesty. 120 PSALM XXIX. BK. 1. III. Verses 10, 11. The epilogue. Hitherto we have hadno mention ᾿ of the torrents of rain which usually accompany a thunderstorm. Pos- sibly the Psalm describes a thunderstorm unaccompanied by a shower. Such storms are more awful, by reason of the apparent causelessness of the thunder and lightning, than those in which the violence of the rain diverts the mind of the observer from the pealing thunder and lurid lightning-flash. At any rate it is not till the thunder is supposed to have passed away that we can detect the remotest reference to rain, and then only in a retrospective glance at the Deluge. Jehovah, whose rule is ancient as the Deluge, still abides a King; at His sovereign will strength and peace commingled shall diffuse themselves throughout the land of His chosen people. As Delitzsch observes, the Psalm which begins with Gloria in excelsis ends with Pax in terra. IVE unto the Lorn, O ye migh- 2 Give unto the Lorp the glory due ty, give unto the Lorp glory | unto his name; worship the Lorb in and strength. the beauty of holiness. 1. “Give,” or rather “ Ascribe.” The H. 120 hdéboo (Milra) from R. 17’ is peculiar in retaining and lengthening the vowel of the second radical in the Imperative. The sing. N10 λάῤῥαλ (generally Mil’el) usually means Age / Come now! In Western Aramaic the 7 of this Rt. is usually not sounded; thus in the Aramaic of Jerusalem, and in Syriac the third pers. Past is pronounced yadh. In Arabic the 1 is firm, as in Wdahzb “the | Bestower,” one of the titles of God. Fuerst in his Lehrgebiaude (p. 42) endeavours to connect the verb γάλα with the German geden, Engl. give. He says “Das "Ὁ, 5, ἃ, ἡ, 1 findet im ὁ zuweilen seine Analogie z. B. W25 urspriinglich gleichbedeutend amt WO sana: ; 37’ goth. GiBa GeBen.” But all such attempts to connect the Aryan and Semitic languages are hopeless. “O ye mighty:” rend. “O ye angels,” H. DS 32 δ᾽ γιδγ elim, an expression which recurs only in Ixxxix. 6 [7]. The plur. DY?N éim is never like elohim used for God, but always (when not the plur. of 7S @ vam) means “gods” or “mighty ones.” Probably &’éy élim is a double plur. from sing. den-é/ “a son of God,” cf. the plur. of déyth cele in Is, xlii. 22 and see Ps. lxxxix. 6, note. To take d’éy élim as the object of the verb λάδοο, and to rend. “ Give ye to Jehovah young rams” would be extremely tame and inappropriate. LXX. attempts to evade the difficulty of the expression by combining the two interpretations. It rends. ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κυρίῳ viol θεοῦ, ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κυρίῳ υἱοὺς κριῶν. Vulg. and P.B.V. reproduce this rendg. The words are taken in their true sense in Targ., which adds by way of explanation “ Ye angelic BK. 1. PSAIM XX1X. 121 3 The voice of the Lorp zs upon | dereth: the Lorp ¢ upon many the waters: the God of glory thun- | waters. hosts.” “Strength :” H. tY oz means “Strength,” and in the present context of course “ Strength ascribed,” although (see viii. 2, note) it never quite attains the sense “" Praise ;” cf. the use of ἀρετή as “ praise for excellence.” 2. a. “The glory due unto His name,” A.V. rightly. The Hebrew constructive here denotes the same kind of dative dependence as in the phrase DIN SD “a dish [fit] for men of renown,” Judg. v. 25. The LXX. preserves this signf. in its δόξαν ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ. 6. “Inthe beauty of holiness :” H. YIP NVI Shad rath kédesh: rend. “Jz the glorious sanctuary.” We believe the phrase indicates the Temple, which (see ver. 9) resounds with proclamations of Jeho- vah’s praise,—scil. the Universe. The signf. “Jz holy vestments” (cf. cx. 3), which we adopted in our Ist edition, seems to be precluded by the occurrence of the phrase U7? nn in 2 Chron. xx. 21, where the prepos. δ is unintelligible with this interpr. of the substantives. We have the same phrase as here in Ps. xcvi. 9 and its recension 1 Chron. xvi. 29. The construction of the two substantives, the first of which (not as usually the second) is represented by the Engl. adj., is as in WIT Pw lit. “a wilderness of a way,” cvii. 4. The LXX. renders ἐν αὐλῇ ayia αὐτοῦ, but there are no grounds (cf. xcvi. 9, note) for sup- posing that ΠΝ ΠῚ was ever a received reading for N77. In Talmud B. Berachoth 30 ὁ we find “read not Ὁ NVA but Ὁ NWN” 1.6. “With holy reverence.” This of course does not indicate a varia ectio. Such notes are homiletical not critical, and an arbitrary change of the wording is made, simply to inculcate the obligation of a devout mental attitude of mind when God is approached in prayer. 3—9. These verses describe the rise, progress, and effect of a thun- derstorm. They may be divided into three strophes, viz. vv. 3 and 4, vv. 5—7, vv.8 and 9. It may be observed that the expression ΠῚ) Sip “The voice of Fehovahk” [or “οἵ the LORD”] occurs seven times in these verses, a fact which reminds one of the introduction of the ἑπτὰ βρονταί in Rev. x. 3 sq. It is also noticeable that in Ps. xix. the God of revelation is seven times called “Jehovah.” Among a people of such mystical tendencies as the Jews, such coincidences can hardly be without some significance. 3. This verse seems to describe the preliminary rumbling of the thunder in the distance, before the storm breaks over the land. a. “The voice of Jehovah” means the ¢huzder, as in Is. xxx. 30; cf. the use of the plural nbdip kéloth “voices” in Exod. ix. 23, 28, and 122 PSALM EAST BK. 1: 4 The voice of the LorD 2s power- 6 He maketh them also to skip like ful; the voice of the Lorp zs full of | a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a majesty. young unicorn. 5 The voice of the LorpD breaketh 7 The voice of the Lorpb divideth the cedars; yea, the LorpD breaketh | the flames of fire. the cedars of Lebanon. 8 The voice of the Lorp shaketh see civ. 7. “[Is] upon the waters,” i.e. rolls upon “the waters which are above the heavens,” those reservoirs from which He waters the earth, cf. civ. 13. ὁ. “Many:” rend. “Great” or “Mighty.” Cf. Is. xvii. 13, Ezek SMS Sey. Ae 5 4. This verse describes the bursting of the storm, when the ‘‘voice of Jehovah” manifests itself in power and majesty. “ Powerful,” “full of majesty :” H. M32 bac-céach, WWI be-hédar. The use of 2 here with the def. art. and an abstract subst. is exactly the same as in Ixxvii. 13 [14], where we have W1P2 dak-hddesh “ [15] in holiness,” i.e. manifests itself in holiness, or “75 holy.” Cf. Luke iv. 32, ev ἐξουσίᾳ ἦν ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ. LXX. has here ἐν ἰσχύϊ (cf. Rev. XVili. 2, text rec.), and ἐν μεγαλοπρεπείᾳ. Vv. 5—7 describe the effects of the storm, and the flashing of the forked lightnings. 6. a. “He maketh them...to skip.” For such figurative lan- guage cf. cxiv. 6 “Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams,” where the Kal of the same verb is used. LXX. wrongly λεπτυνεῖ (? reading DP), 6. “Sirion” ji’ with & (not Y as in Deut. iii. 9) according to the Masora. This was the Sidonian name for Hermon; the Amorites used the name .5᾽ γ127., see Deut. iii. 9. Hitzig and Del. connect this name, by a correct interchange of Hebr. & and Arab. Y, with Arab. shard, coruscavit, whence shardrah “the glittering snow-capped summit of a mountain” (cf. the expression N)5YIN in χον. 4). Gesen. and Fuerst conjecture that the mount was called Shiryén (or Siry6n) from its likeness to a “breastplate” shzrydn (1 Sam. xvii. 5), and compare the Gr. Θώραξ, the name of a mountain near Magnesia. LXX. has ὁ ἠγαπημένος, which is its usual rendering of j)1” “ Je- shurun.” “A young unicorn:” rend. “A young buffalo ;” see xxii. 22, and xcil. 10 a, notes. 7. “Divideth, etc.”: H. ASM chétséd, lit. “Cleaveth,” i.e. sends forked lightning-shafts. Cf. the “ignes trisulcos” of Ovid, 7762. τι. 848. Here apparently the lightning is regarded as subordinate to the thunder, and as acting as its envoy. Such views are natural among a primitive and unscientific people. BK. 1. PSALM XXIX. 123 the wilderness; the LorpD shaketh | the hinds to calve, and discovereth the wilderness of Kadesh. the forests: and in his temple doth 9 The voice of the Lorp maketh | every one speak of Azs glory. 8,9. At first sight these verses seem but a repetition, with slight variation, of the effects of the storm mentioned in vv. 5 and 6. But when we consider the geographical position of “ Kadesh,” i.e. Kadesh- barnea, situated at the north-western part of the wilderness of Paran, south of Palestine, we perceive that the storm which broke forth over the mountains of Lebanon and Hermon in the north, has passed with destructive violence over the whole length of the land, and is now expending its force over the wilderness of Kadesh in the south. Ritter mentions a place lying between Hagar’s Well and Bered, called by the Arabs Kudes ; this place is probably identical with “ Kadesh.” It is the wilderness country in its neighbourhood which is here called Midbar Kadésh. On the connection of “Kadesh” with the “ wilder- ness of Zin,” Numb. xxvii. 14, xxxiil. 36, see Smith’s Bzb/. Dect. g. “Maketh the hinds to calve.” H. mb 55m, We suggest that this should be rendd. “ AZaketh the trees to shake.” We propose this rendg. for the following reasons: (1) It is inanimate nature which is described in the other verses as being affected by the storm. To have spoken of the shaking of the hills, wilderness, etc. and then to mention the hinds, and then to revert to a mention of the effect on the woodlands would be somewhat inartistic. (2) Ché/é/, unless it have that signf. here, never means “70 cause to bring forth,” although it may mean “To bear” (Is. li. 2, Job xxxix. 1), and so figuratively So create” (Ps. xc. 2, Deut. xxxil, 13). If however we give it the meaning “To shake,” we have in vv. ὃ, 9 the slight variation from the Hiphil (the simplest transitive form of the verb) in ver. 8, to the Piél or Polél, corresponding to the variation from the Kal to the Piél of the verb s#déar in ver. 5. The change is probably made in both cases more for the sake of variety, than for the slightly intensified sense given by the Piél. (3) Nothing could be more appropriate than the order of the words of the first hemist. according to our rendg. “The voice of Fehovah shaketh the trees, and strippeth the woods [οἵ their foliage].” (4). It is possible that the meaning of nmby nds in Gen. xlix. 21 is “a wild sapling,” not “a hind let loose” as A.V., cf. the LXX.’s στέλεχος ἀνειμένον. If the above rendg. be adopted, the word should be pointed MN éy/é/h (not MIPS ayydléth) cf. the name of the Edomite scaport ΠΝ Lyléth or Lath (HAaé Euseb.)» the nomen proprium Lylim Exod. xv. 27, and the ordinary Aram. word Τὴ i/dn, Syr. 46nd, “tree.” 124 PSAIM XXIX. BK. I. 10 The Lorp sitteth upon the flood; tr The Lorp will give strength unto yea, the Lorp sitteth King for | his people; the Lorp will bless his ever. people with peace. On the other hand, the following note in Kay’s Commentary well illustrates the rendg. given in the A.V. “In Moffat’s South Africa it is mentioned that during heavy thunderstorms ‘the antelopes flee in consternation, and the poor Bechuanas start off, the morning following such a storm, in quest of the young which have been cast off through horror.” LXX. gives καταρτιζομένου ἐλάφους. ὁ. Rend. “And in His temple [1.6. the universe] each thing thereto belonging, saith ‘Glory [to Jehovah!]” A.V. “Every one,” so too LXX. πᾶς τις, but the H. 152 cullé is perfectly general, meaning πᾶν τι ev αὐτῷ [scil. ἐν τῷ ναῷ αὐτοῦ]. 10. “Sitteth upon the flood, etc.:” rend. “Fehovah took His seat for the Flood, and Fehovah continues King for ever.” The subst. D129 mabbool is used only with reference to the Noachic flood else- where, and used as it is here with the def. art. it seems natural to take it as referring to that event, and not merely to the reservoir of waters “above the heavens.” J/adbdool being taken in this sense, we explain the prepos. 5 Pin accordance with cxxii. 5 pawnd 12" sash boo ?mishpat “Are set for judgment.” As Hengst. remarks, the use of in Dewy? might seem to have given rise to its use in byand. It would also be possible to explain it as directly indicating a point of time, “Jehovah took His seat at [the time of] the Flood.” The Noachic Flood seems to be referred to as the great type of all sub- sequent openings of the floodgates of heaven. “The retrospective reference to this event is also still further confirmed by the aorist 2") which follows the perfect 1 (Hofmann af. Del.). This Root is purposely repeated, as containing both the notions of “sitting” and of “enduring.” 11. Jehovah who thus manifests His power and Majesty, and to whom strength is so rightly ascribed (v. 1), will communicate to His chosen people a portion of His own attributes. In material things He will give them strength; and thus (since “si vis pacem para bellum”) as a nation they will enjoy outward peace, their enemies being afraid to attack them. And ethically, enduing them with all spiritual strength, He will give them power to resist evil, and so will bless them with the greatest of all blessings, the crowning fruit of the Spirit, viz. Peace. The abstract art. is used with ΟΦ shdlém “ Peace,” as with coach and hddar in ver. 4. a ee ee ee ee PEs I. PSAIM XXX. ρος INTRODUCTION TO PsaLtm XXX. DELIVERANCE FROM DEADLY PERIL. TITLE: ‘‘A Psalm, a Song for the dedication of the House; to David.” HENGSTENBERG and others identify the ‘dedication of the house” [M3 NIN ch’nuccath hab-bayith| with the consecration of Araunah’s threshing-floor mentioned in 2 Sam. xxiv., 1 Chron. xxi., and connect the afflictions to which the Psalmist refers with the plague, by which David's transgression in numbering the people was chastised. David’s proleptic use of the words 1M’ M2 Ni ΠῚ “this is [to be] the House of Jehovah” with reference to this site (1 Chron. xxii. 1) is supposed to justify the use of Τὴ “House” here. Few occasions are so inap- propriate. The Psalmist has had his life endangered; he has been preserved from ‘going down into the pit,” his soul has been brought up from Sh’6l, his “blood” has not been shed; his enemies have not been permitted to rejoice. David at the time of the plague was in no danger of death himself, still less of violence, and the reference to “my enemies” is quite unsuitable to such an occasion. We may add that the reference to some nearly fatal “sickness” on which Perowne insists is quite imaginary. Only one word gives support to this refer- ence, viz. ND) raphd “heal” in ver. 2. And this word is frequently used to denote release from distress (cf. vi. 2 [3], Jer. xvii. 14). The natural view, apart from the statement of the Title, is that Psalm xxx. is the thanksgiving-song of one whose life has been recently endan- gered by malignant foes, in fact that it records a deliverance from hostility of the kind described in xxv.—xxviil. Others explain N‘3N fad-dayith (which naturally, and in such a context necessarily, denotes the “House of God”) to mean David’s own “house” or “palace” on Zion (2 Sam. v. 6—12, 1 Chron. xiv. 12). The Title might then refer to some purification of the royal precincts, after the death of Absalom, who defiled them by the abominable obscenity recorded in 2 Sam. xvi. 22. The afflictions and dangers alluded to will then be associated with Absalom’s rebellion. The lan- guage of the Psalm would befit this occasion. And there is no basis for Rosenmuller’s dictum (repeated with approbation by later com- mentators), “330 non repurgationem rei foedatae, sed rez novae dedi- cationem et primum usum significat.” The nomenclature of the eight- day feast in the month Chisleu (see below) shews that the term need not be thus restricted. 126 PSALM XXX. ΒΚ. 1. It is, however, at least possible that the “dedication of the House” has nothing to do with the history of David. It is questionable whether, according to the ordinary view of the Title, a different collocation of the words would not be more natural, viz. ‘a Psalm, to David; a Song for the dedication of the House.” In its present form, the Inscription may merely mean that the Psalm was used on some occa- sion (post-Davidic or not) for ‘the dedication of the House,” and that it was held to be written by David. Now the most noted N’3N N33n cl’nuccath hab-bayith or “dedication of the House” is undoubtedly that reconsecration of the Temple, after Judas Maccabzeus had driven out the Syrians (1 Macc. iv. 52—59), in jie oc of which the eight- day ‘‘feast of dedication” (cf. 5. John x. 22) beginning on the 25th of Chisleu, has been observed ever since, ae the title Ci’nuccah. What is more likely than that this Inscription is merely a compiler’s indica- tion of a special liturgical wse (which actually obtains in the Synagogue now) of Psalm xxx. for the occasion of this feast? The circumstances which had preceded the Maccabzean achievements, and the great solemnity of the C/’xuccaéh festival, sufficiently explain the selection of this Davidic Psalm, with its tone of thankful but self-abasing joy, for such a purpose. On the other hand, regarded as a Psalm written purposely for some ceremony of “dedication,” it is as inappropriate as it could well be. To conclude, we see no occasion to adapt our conceptions of this Psalm to the Title ““A Song for the dedication of the House,” because it is probable that this heading, like many others, merely indicates a liturgical use of later times. David may well be the author, but we shall not attempt to associate the Psalm definitely with any recorded incident in his biography. This Psalm requires no analysis. The line of the writer’s thoughts can be easily followed, and there is a happy absence of artificial arrangement. WILL extol thee, O Lorp; for 2 O Lorp my God, I cried unto thou hast lifted me up, and hast | thee, and thou hast healed me. not made my foes to rejoice over me. 3 O Lorp, thou hast brought up τ Litted ὙΠῸ ΠΡ ἐπ 6 ΕΠ ΠΡῚ diliéh in Pi. is used here (and in Prov. xxvi. 7?) only: lit. it denotes the drawing up of water (cf. "27 “a bucket”) from a well. Here figuratively it represents the deliver- ance from Sh’él and the “pit” ver. 3. 3. ὁ. Lit. “Thou hast kept me alive, from [thus separating me from] those that go down into the pit.” The often-recurring aia) 11. “Those that go down...” of the Cthib is doubtless to be preferred BK. I. my soul from the grave: thou hast PSALM XXX. 127 8 ing may endure for a night, but joy kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. 4 Sing unto the Lorp, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remem- brance of his holiness. 5 For his anger endureth but a mo- ment ; and in his favour zs life: weep- to the ΚΎΪ reading V2 WY “My going down...” So a7 yi Oo ζω illustrated by xxviii. cometh in the morning. 6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. 7 Lorp, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, azd I was troubled. The expression is I, where David is in fear lest he “decome like them that go down into the pit.” XXil. 21, note. 4. ὁ. Rend. “And give thanks to His Holy Name ;” or lit. “to His Holy Memorial.” The passage Exod. iii. 15 “Jehovah God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob...this is My name for ever, and this is My memorial unto all generations,” shews that this phrase denotes the Sacred Title, by which Israel commemorates God. This hemist. recurs in xcvii. 12 ὦ. 5. 4. The beauty of the antithesis is completely lost in the A.V. Freely rendd. this hemist.=“ For His anger endures but for a mo- ment, His favour for a lifetime ;” lit. “For [there is] a moment in His anger, life in His favour.” LXX. misrenders this hemist. ὅτε ὀργὴ ἐν τῷ θυμῷ αὐτοῦ as if reading 13 for Ya. 6. Rend. “lx the evening weeping may make tts abode, but at morn [there is] a@ shout of joy.” Sorrow is depicted as an intrusive guest, who may claim his temporary lodging, but who must eventually be ejected and supplanted by joy. A Persian couplet expresses the same thought somewhat thus— On the constructio praegnans see “The end of gloomy night is morn in radiant dress, And of unhappiness the end is happiness.” “Toye: Jet nd Joon, even if connected etymologically with by laytl, is not necessarily to “pass a zéght” (any more than our “sojourn” is necessarily to “ pass a day”), though here and frequently the context renders this interpr. admissible, but to “take up an abode.” It is possible but not necessary to supply nd taken in this signf, rather than the substantive verb, in hemist. ὁ. 6. “My prosperity” H. now: the masc. form of the subst. (py ?) occurs here only, the femin. mabe ἢ is common, “- ὙΠῸ ‘speech. of the Psalmist probably ends with ver. 6, so that for “hast” we should rend. “ads¢.” Lit. the clause will run “ Thou hadst established strength to my mountain” ("177 i.g. 19 cf. the forms 128 8 I cried to thee, O LorD; unto the Lorp I made supplication. g What profit zs there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth ? το Hear, O Lorp, and have mercy upon me: LorpD, be thou my helper. PSALM XXX. and | ΒΚ 1r Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness ; 12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LorD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. in Gen. xiv. 6, Jer. xvii. 3). In the term “mountain” there is possibly an allusion to the mountain-stronghold of Zion, won by David from the Jebusites and rendered the political and religious centre of the kingdom. As a mere figure, it is hardly intelligible. LXX. for this term has τῷ κάλλει μου (? "ὙΠ for 17). 8. Or “Then 7 cried, etc.” The use of the Fut. here well illus- trates its force as an aorist of succeeding action. The purport of the “cry” and “supplication” is given in the two next verses. g. a. “What profit?” 1.6. to God, as is shewn by hemist. 4. Not only does it not profit God, it robs him of an offering of praise and confession; cf. vi. 5, Ixxxvili. 1o--12._ The expression “‘In my blood” shews, according to the Hebrew idiom, that the Psalmist had been in danger of a vzo/ent death, see Introd. 11, 12. The result of the prayer. The tenses are probably aorists, so that we should rend. “Thou ads¢ turn...dzds¢ put off...to the end that my glory mzghi.” 12. “[My] glory” i.e. [“My] soul,” cf. vii. 5, xvi. 9. It can hardly be doubted that ". the affix of the 1st person sing., which is retained in the LXX.’s ἡ δόξα pov, has fallen out. The indefinite subst. “glory” can hardly mean “my glory ;” and other rendgs. (such as “that one may praise Thee gloriously”’) are out of the question. INTRODUCTION TO Psatm XXXI. PRAYER IN AFFLICTION. TiTLE. ‘To the Precentor; a Psalm, to David.” LXX. Els τὸ τέλος, ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυὶδ, ἐκστάσεως. THE authenticity of the Inscription “to David” has been the subject of much discussion among commentators. On the one hand there is undoubtedly a remarkable similarity of language observable between BK. I. PSAILM XXX. 129 Psalm xxxi. and the writings of Jeremiah (cf. v. 13 @ with Jer. xx. το; v. 9 with Lament. i. 20; v. 10 with Jer. xx. 18; v. 17 with Jer. xvii. 18; v. 22 with Lament. iii. 54). This has led Hitzig and Ewald to assign to that prophet the authorship of our Psalm. The position of the writer, who suffers from the aspersions of wicked men, who is made the theme of popular reproaches, and who is blighted and emaciated by his grief, also reminds one of Jeremiah (cf. xxii. Introd.). In fact a certain correspondence of language and circumstances is indispu- table. On the other hand the resemblances to David’s Psalms are so numerous, as to suggest a doubt whether this was not an old Davidic Psalm, from which Jeremiah borrowed, because it seemed very appro- priate to his circumstances. It is generally admitted that Jonah 11. 5—9 is a prophet’s reminiscence of this Psalm, and there is no reason why the points of contact above noticed should not be accounted for in the same way. The appearance of our 13 ὦ in Jer. xx. 10 tells little in favour of Jeremiah’s authorship here, when we reflect that the works of that prophet teem with reproductions of earlier writers. Nor does the fact that the expression mdégér mis—sabib “ fear [15] on every side” (ver. 13 [14]) occurs no less than six times in Jeremiah, much strengthen the argument in favour of the prophet’s being the author of the Psalm. For if he once adopted a Davidic expression, and that not a very remarkable one, there is no reason why he should not have repeated it as often as he pleased. Besides it appears to us that there is much in the Psalm itself, which would lead us to consider it Da- vidic. For instance, the application to God of the terms “ Rock,” “ Fortress” (ver. 3), is very common in David’s Psalms. Peculiarly Davidic too is the use of the verb pa/éd or Pala, cf. v. 21 with xvii. 7. The conception of God hiding away the righteous in His σός or “covered place” (v. 20) occurs again in xxvil. 5. The expression dsh’- shah &@caas éyni, “my features are grown old through grief [or fret- ting]” (v. 9) varies in vi. 7 only in the use of another preposition. Every expression in vv. 9, 10 is Davidic; compare also the use of hisgir “shut up” (v. 8) in David’s utterance of 1 Sam. xxiii. 11, and that of merchdb “a broad place” in Ps. xviii. 19 [20]. Moreover the habit of mental retrospect indicated by the expression “I said” (cf. ver. 22 with xxx. 6[7]) is Davidic, though not exclusively so, and the language of 22 ὁ is the same as that of xxviil. 2. Lastly, though the afflictions of the writer remind us of Pss. xxii., lxix., cii,, compositions of Jeremiah’s time, yet they are nearer akin to those described in such Davidic compositions as Pss. vi., xvil., xxviii. There is here none of the patriotic feeling which animates Pss. xxii., lxix., cii., and . the writings of Jeremiah; no consciousness on the part of the writer 130 PSAIM XXX. BK. 1. that he is the representative sufferer by whose affliction Jehovah is to be glorified. He attributes his suffering to his own iniquity (ver. 10), a characteristic feature (however we explain it) of certain Davidic Psalms, but inappropriate and actually undiscoverable in the works of the patriot Prophet. We incline to the view that this is a Davidic Psalm, and we believe that the similar position of the Prophet, and his well known habit of indirect citation, sufficiently account for the resemblances to be found in the works of Jeremiah. The Psalm falls into three parts : I. vv. 1—8. The Psalmist’s prayer to God for deliverance, based on his experience of God’s lovingkindness to him in times past. II. vv. 9—18. A plaintive pouring forth of his sorrows. 111. vv. 19—end. Praise and thanksgiving to God for His good- ness to the Psalmist, and to all who put their trust in Him; and ex- hortation to God’s servants to love Him, and to be of good courage. N thee, O Lorp, do I put my | rock, for an house of defence to save trust; let me never be ashamed: | me. deliver me in thy righteousness. 3 For thou av¢ my rock and my for- 2 Bow down thine ear to me; de- | tress; therefore for thy name’s sake liver me speedily : be thou my strong | lead me, and guide me. 1. The words of this verse recur with very slight alterations in Ixxi. 2, between which Psalm and the one before us, there are many points of contact. a. “Let me never, etc.” Better “Let me not be put to perpetual shame.” ὦ. “In Thy righteousness,” i.e. In vindication of Thy righteous- ness. 2. 6. “Strong rock:” H. TY WY tsoor maéz, rend. “Be Thou unto me a Rock of defence οὐ, of refuge).” It is supposed that there are two words TY) wdéz derived from different roots ; viz. #a@éz, from NY coz, equivalent to Arab. ma‘dch, a refuge (cf. the H. DV mands D132), which should be declined m’dz7 or m’o0z7 etc. like m’noosi ; and γι δε, declined mduzzi etc. A stronghold, fortress or defence, from ΤῚΝ dzaz, see Wetstein’s opinion given in Del.’s commentary. 3. “For,” H. 3 ci. (2) “Be Thou unto me a Rock of defence...... (3) for Thou art my rock, etc.,” i.e. Defend me, for to Thee and none other I am wont to look for defence. LXX. as usual paraphrases the word “Rock,” rendering θεύς. ΒΚ. I. PSAIM XXXI1. 131 4 Pull me out of the net that they | spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O have laid privily for me: for thou av¢ | Lorp God of truth, my strength. 6 I have hated them that regard lying 5 Into thine hand I commit my | vanities: but I trust in the Lorp. 4. a Rend. “Thou wilt bring me out from that net they have laid for me.” That Ἡ. 4) z00; the H. pronouns σελ, 26 and hallézeh masc., 26th, s6h and hallézoo fem., zoo and halldz masc. or fem., are strictly demonstrative, but are often used as here, with the omission of the relative in the dependent clause, just as we have used the word “that” in our rendg. In Arabic, however, the corresponding word alladhi masc. (al/at? fem.) has passed over entirely into a 7elative, cf. the somewhat similar use of the Germ. der for welcher. 5. @. The words of this hemist. are those with which our Lord. breathed out His life upon the cross. His adoption of words so evi- dently appropriate does not in the least degree compel us to regard this Psalm as Messianic, or as typical of the Passion. 6. “Hast redeemed :” we regard this verb, as also those of 7 ὦ, as referring to past, or rather to habitual mercies. Del., on the other hand, finds here a use of the praet. confidentiae, making them equiva- lent to “Thou wilt certainly redeem,” “Thou wilt certainly consider my trouble, etc.” ‘God of truth:” it is possible that these words may be used with a slight antithetical glance at the “vazz clusions” of v. 6 (cf. the expression E’/éhéy e’meth in 2 Chron. xv. 3), but certainly the main point indicated by them is the ¢rustworthiness of God, so that El meth is equivalent to El emoonadh, Deut. xxxil. 4. 6. “1 have hated:” the perfect of habit, see i. 1, note. 10. followed by Vulg., Syr., Arab., Hitzig, Ewald, Olshausen, and others, here reads the second person ἐμίσησας. In 2 Sam. xiv. 21, Ruth. iv. 5 the ΚΠ gives the second, in the place of the first person of the C’thib, but here there is no such correction. We see no reason for altering the text. ‘Them that regard:” H. WY shdm’réy, rend. “The worship- pers of” The verb shadmar is here as in Hos. iv. 10 “ odservavit” used in the sense of co/uzt, cf. Virg. Georg. IV. 212 *‘ Praeterea regem, non sic Aegyptos et ingens Lydia...observant.” In Jonah ii. 9 the phrase occurs with the Piél Partic. absol. m’shamm’rim. “ Lying vanities :” Η. sw San hab'léy shav rend. “Vain illusions,” i.e. false gods which profit not, but only disappoint their worshippers. They are first called DIN Wsdlim in Deut. xxxii. 21. With Jeremiah (e.g. viii. 19): this appellation is a favourite one. The compound expression hal’léy shév recurs only in Jonah ii. 9. 6. “But 1” Η. 38) va-ani. If the second person were read in the Ist hemist. the word a’zz “1” would be emphatic. But since the 7. L. P. 13 132 PSALM XXXI. BK. 1. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy 8 And hast not shut me up into the mercy; for thou hast considered my | hand of the enemy: thou hast set my trouble ; thou hast known my soul in | feet in a large room. adversities ; 9 Have mercy upon me, O Lorn, Ist pers. is the reading, it is the va “but” on which the greatest stress is to be laid, and which qualifies the whole clause. It introduces a statement which is perfectly in agreement with that of the 1st hemist., but in which a different attitude of the poet’s mind is presented to our gaze; it would be expressed in Greek by δέ, thus ἐμίσησα μὲν τοὺς δια- φυλάσσοντας... ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἤλπισα. xix. 113 is an instance of this kind of construction, and the wording of cxix. 113, 163 supplies a strong argument against the Septuagint emendation of the present verse noticed above. 7. 6, “For thou:” H. WS a’sher here, as in Gen. xxxiv. 27, is equivalent to guzpfhe gui, or ὅστις as distinguished from ὅς. “ Hast considered :” H. M8) 7déithé “Thou hast seen” followed by direct object, and meaning (as in Exod. iv. 31) “ Zhou art wont to have con- sideration for.” LXX. has ἐπεῖδες, employing the verb in the same sense as that in which ἐπέβλεψε is used in 5. Lukei. 48. With this use of the verb 181 vaéaéh we may compare a somewhat similar use of mascil el in xli. 1 [2], of @avash ? and perhaps also of maccir in Ps. cxlii. 4 [5]: the Arab. verb of seeing zazara followed by 4 is also used in a like sense, cf. Harir, p. δι. “Thou hast known my soul in adversities :” we retain this rendg., taking the word NYT yddata “ Hast known,” or “Art wont to know” in the sense of “Hast sfecial regard for,” as ini. 6, Gen. xviii. 19. Cf. also the language of xxxiili. 18. Hupfeld and Del. rend. “Thou hast taken cognizance of the distresses of my soul;” this use of 1 YT ydda δ᾽ may certainly be supported by Job xxxv. 15, but with regard to the other passages usu- ally cited in support of it, in Gen. xix. 33, 35 it seems to mean “to be fully conscious of,’ and in Job xii. 9 “to rightly understand.” As-— suming that there is a subst. datstsdrdh (see ix. 9 note), we might take 2 das a Root-letter (pointing NIN¥3 datstsdréth) and render “Thou — hast known the desperations of my soul.” | 8. a. “Shut up into” ie. “Deliver over to:” H. VIDN hisgir, a truly Davidic expression, cf. 1 Sam. xxiii. 11. ὁ. “A large room” i.e. “A broad [unconfined] place,” cf. xviii. 19. As we observed above, the Past Tenses in these vv. do not refer — to a deliverance now being effected or confidently expected, but merely point to the general character of the Divine rule. Freely — rendered vy. 7, 8 run “I shall [yet] be glad and rejoice in Thy kind- , BK. 1, PSALM XXX. £33 for I am in trouble: mine eye is con- sumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. 1o For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine ini- quity, and my bones are consumed. 11 I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me. ness, for Thou art wont to consider my trouble...... And deliverest of up my soul into the hand of my enemies, [nay] Thou causest me at such time to stand firm and free from discomfort.” g—18. Abandoning for a time the tone of confident assurance grounded on God’s former mercies, the poet gives himself up to lamentation and plaintive supplication. 9. 4 “Mine eye,” or more probably “My whole aspect,” “My features,” cf. vi. 7, note. ‘My soul and my belly” H. 03) "52 naphshi oo-bitni: these words are in apposition with, or more accu- rately, are a further extension of the preceding éyuz “my whole aspect.” The three words, éyzz naphshi oo-bitnt might almost be rendered, in the language of our Liturgy “yself, my soul and bcdy.” 11. Rend. “7 am a reproach by reason of all my enemies, and especially so to my neighbours.” By reason of: this rendg. of }!2 mzn, which can hardly denote the agent here, is generally accepted. The next clause simply states the fact that his nearest neighbours were the first to vent reproaches on him, an experience which appears to be shared by sufferers of’ all ages. Difficulties really non-existent have been discovered in this clause, inasmuch as it is supposed to be meaningless unless interpreted “eve to my neighbours exceedingly,” the conjunction Ἱ v’ being rendered “even.” Such a rendg. would certainly, as Del. remarks, be “hazardous.” He accordingly rends. ἽΝ dd not “exceedingly” but “a burden”—“ I am a reproach by reason of all my enemies, and @ burden to my neighbours.” The only support for this signf. “burden” lies in the capacity of the Arab. Rt. TS to bear the meaning gravitate pressit, as well as robustus fuit. The fact that δα] is used as a subst. in Deut. vi. 5 tells not for but against Del., for there it means “might” not “weight.” And is it probable that the Psalmist would have used in this signf. a word which could be so easily confounded with the common adverb? Others meet the supposed difficulty by emendations. Thus Hitzig devises a reading 739 munndd “One scared” or “frightened.” Ols- hausen arbitrarily shifts sn) vli-sh’cénay “and to my neighbours” to the end of the hemist. Ewald with better judgment reads “ be- cause of all my enemies” at the end of v. 10, instead of at the begin- ning of this verse. This collocation is supported by the language of 13—2 134 PSALM XXXII. BK. 1. 12 I am forgotten as a dead man | life. out of mind: 1 am like a broken 14 But I trusted in thee, O Lorp: vessel. I said, Thou ar¢ my God. 13 For I have heard the slander of 15 My times ave in thy hand: de- many: fear was on every side: while | liver me from the hand of mine ene- they took counsel together against | mies, and from them that persecute me, they devised to take away my | me. the very similar passage vi. 7. The objection to it is that the } v7 (which could hardly in this context mean “evev”) is thus unintelligible. The LXX. gives παρὰ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου ἐγενήθην ὄνειδος, καὶ τοῖς γείτοσίν pov σφόδρα, wherein the first clause (cf. the use of παρὰ in 1 Cor. xv.) may bear the meaning we adopt above. 121 @ “Out of mind” A:V. rightly, “H: 00 mil-léb. “Out of mind” is to be taken in close connection with ‘I am forgotten ; it means, “I am forgotten so as to be no more ¢houwght of,” cf. Ital. “s-cord-arsi” to forget. In Deut. xxxi. 21 we have the expression “To be forgotten out of mouth” H. M5 mzp-feh, i.e. “forgotten so as to be no more spoken of.” ὅ. “A broken vessel” H. 728 3 ¢7/ δέδιε, vas periens, 1.6, A vessel, instrument, or piece of furniture which is going to pieces, and is therefore “condemned” to be broken up. 13. “The slander of” A.V. rightly, H. N47 dibdath. The word adibbih, like Lat. fama, isa vox media. Sometimes as in Jer. xx. Io it means simply “talk,” and in Gen. xxxvil. 2 joined with ΠΡ rd@éh “evil” means “evil report,” “(an account turning to disparagement.” Here, and in Numb. xiv. 36, Prov. x. 18 it is used without any qualifying subst. or adj. in signf. “slander,” cf. Arab. daboob “a slander.” In Prov. xxv. 10 it means “fame.” The verse should be ~ rendd. “For I hear the slander of many, fear ts on every side; sta-— tioning themselves together against me, they scheme to take my life.” The verbs here, as in vv. I, 11, 14 must be rendered by the English indef. present. IM DIDINI Whivudsdém yachad is lit. “In their being stationed together,” i.e. “Assembling themselves ;” not “ While they took counsel together” as A.V.: see 11]. 2, note. τή. Rend. “7 trust,” “I say.” 15. “My times” H. ΠῚ zttéthay=“The various vicissitudes of my life,” the masc. plur. z¢/7mz is used in this sense (with reference to the events of David’s reign) in 1 Chron. xxix. 30. So too is the Arab. 7d@a¢, plur. of dat, which in common with H. Ny é¢h for edeth (cf. cill. 5, note), is derived from Rt. waada, H. ydad. LXX. has οἱ κλῆροί μου. BK. I: 16 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant : save me for thy mercies’ sake. 17 Let me not be ashamed, O Lorn; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, azd let them be silent in the grave. 18 Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righ- teous. PSALM XXXI. 135 19 Ok how great zs thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; wich thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! 20 Thou shalt hide them in the se- cret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them se- cretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. 17. ὦ. Or “Let them be put to silence in Hades” Ἡ. Sy yom! yidd’moo li-svél. This is a good rendg., since silence and inactivity is the condition of those in S/’d/ (see Ixxxviii. 4, note), and the prepos. “to” may well denote an ellipsis of the fuller expression “let them be cast into Hades, and there silenced.” It would however be pos- sible to rend. “Let them be dumbfounded [so as to fall a ready prey | to Sh’6l.” The form yidd’moo (cf. Exod. xv. 16) is the plur. of yzddom Fut. Kal of démam, cf. yikk’doo Gen. xlii. 28 (and with Dagesh drop- ped, yzk’doo Exod. iv. 31) from 4édad. The progress of démam from “to be silent” to the Hiph. signf. “to destroy” is similar to that of tsdmath, see ci. 8, note. 18. “Grievous things” H. PNY athdk: rend. “Arrogance,” as in 1 Sam. ii. 3, Ps. Ixxv. 6 (see note), and xciv. 4. Athak is strictly an adj. used without a subst., like Y1 va passim. According to the Arab. the primary meaning of the word seems to be “unrestrained,” but according to the Hebr. “unbending,” “solid,” “enduring,” whence the signf. ‘ old.” 19—22. Resuming the tone of trust and confidence, the Psalmist passes (after the manner of Hebrew poets) from complaint and lamen- tation to complete and grateful assurance that God is about to inter- pose on his behalf. 19. “Thou hast laid up” H. MIDS stsdphanzd, lit. “Thou hast hidden” (cf. xvii. 14, and τὸ μάννα TO κεκρυμμένον of Rev. ii, 17). We may compare the Arabic line “ Never be cast down, O afflicted one, For God has many mercies Azdden [in store for thee].” Gulistani-i-Sadi, 1. 16. “Before the sons of men,” i.e. “In opposition to” “In spite of them,” coram hominibus recusantibus, cf. xxiii. 5, note. 20. a. Rend. “Jn the secret place of Thy presence.” On this phraseology and on the term “pavilion” see xxvii. 5, note, and Ixi. 4 [5], xci. 1. ‘*From the pride of” H. ‘D219 mé-ruc’séy. This word 136 PSALM XXXI. BK. 1, 21 Blessed de the Lorp: for he | ness ina strong city. hath shewed me his marvellous kind- 22 For I said in my haste, I am cut is one of great difficulty. The verb 9 rdcas occurs only in Exod. XXVIll. 28, xxxix. 21, where it has the sense of a//igavit=Arab. racasa. In Is. xl. 4 we have 2 ἼΠ /d-7’cdsim, which Gesen. rends. loca ligata 1.6. zpedita, opposed to MYPA bikdh “A plain.” This is the only passage in which any other part or derivative of this Root occurs. Taking into consideration the fundamental meaning of the Rt. viz. “to bind to” or “ together,” and ue modifications of this meaning in such words as Arab. récés “a rope” riks “a crowd” (ο Hebr. wry lv. [15], and ΠΕ Ixiv. [3]), we should conclude that ruc’ séy means either (rade umultuous assemblies of,” or (2) “Conspiracies of,’ with which latter rendg. we may compare H. kesher “a conspiracy” from héshar, ligavit. (3) Hitzig’s conjecture is good, that 7éces (plur. constr. vrucséy) may be another pronunciation of régez “Anger,” cf. JOD mesec Ιχχν. ὃ [g]i.q. 4 mezeg Cant. vii. 2 “a mixture.” (4) His other suggestion “that perhaps we should compare the Arab. 77cz mussitatio (cf. dbbah v. 14)” is not so probable. (5) The rendg. “ Pride” of A.V. possibly arose from the supposition that 7°cdstm “rough places” (Is. xl. 4) meant originally “loca tumida;” cf. BNI A’doorim Is. xlv. 2, which Gesen. rends. loca tumida, with hddoor bi-Pbooshé (Is. \xiii. 1) which he rends. ¢zzdus [i.e. superbus] 7 vestitu suo. It is doubtful whether Targ. by 8123 9717939 means “ab elationibus hominum” or “ab exercitibus hominum.” (6) LXX. has here ἀπὸ ταραχῆς, in Is. xl. 4 ἡ τραχεῖα. With the general tone of this Psalm, and especially of this verse, compare Koran cxiv. “Say, I fly for refuge unto the Lord of men, the King of men, the God of men, from the mischief of the whisperer who slily withdraweth, who whispereth evil suggestions in the breast of men; from genii and men.” 21. Tath aed me...kindness” H. ‘> on WaT hiphli chasdé Zi: rend. “Has given me a marvellous proof of His kindness.” Cf. xvil. 7, and see Deut. xxviii. 59 and iv. 3[4]; in the 1st and 3rd of these passages the verb MSD not NOD is used. In the clause “in a strong [or “fortified”] city” there is perhaps an historical allusion now lost. It is mere conjecture that this city is Ziklag, of which Achish to whom he had fled for refuge, put David in possession, see 1 Sam. xxvii. 6. Some however, comparing Is. xxxiii. 21, suppose that God Himself is here spoken of under the figure of a fortified city. 22. a. “I said” cf. xxx. 6[7]. “In my haste” H. ‘?502 rend. as in cxvi. 11 “J my disquiet” or “perturbation.” “I am cut off” H, ‘NT xigrazti, cf. garzen “an axe;’ in Lament. iil. 54 we have BK. 1. PSALM XXXII. 137 off from before thine eyes: neverthe- | faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the less thou heardest the voice of my | proud doer. supplications when I cried unto thee. 24 Be of good courage, and he 23 Ὁ love the Lorp, all ye his | shall strengthen your heart, all ye saints : for the Lorp preserveth the that hope in the Lorb. the same word, but ‘NWI xigrashté “1 am driven forth” in Jonah ii. 5 has nothing to do with it. The verb meaning “To cut off” is “1 gdzar rather than gdraz,; for a similar transposition of the two final Root-letters cf. the variation 397) in xviil. 45 [46] for 1730") in 2 Sam. xxii. 46. ὁ. “Nevertheless Thou heardest” H. nypw IDs dcén shdmata: rend. “And yet Thou hast heard.” Acén here, as in Is. xlix. 4, is adversative, strongly contradicting a former supposition; not as usually giving mere emphasis [“surely,” “indeed”], nor as 9.9.6 διὰ τοῦτος The phraseology of this hemist. is almost identical with that of xxviii. 2. 23, 24. The Psalmist exhorts Jehovah’s servants to love Him, and to be of good courage. 23. 6. “The faithful” H. DON emoontm. The context shews that this is the correct rendg. Z’oonim as in xii. 1 [2], is Kal Pass. Partic. plur. from dan; it denotes those whose attitude of mind is one of firm reliance. Cf. our note on V3? ciil. 14. Usually e’moonim is a substantive (from é00n, fides, Deut. xxxil. 20) meaning “ fideli- tates,” e.g. Prov. xx. 6, xiv. 5, xill. 17. Even here e’#zoonim may stand for DNDN WIN. LXX. and Gesen. rend. wrongly ἀληθείας and fidelt- tates respectively. “ Plentifully rewardeth” A.V. rightly. LXX. takes the adverbial expression 1 by al yether “plentifully” as quali- fying dséh gadvah, and rends. τοῖς περισσῶς ποιοῦσιν ὑπερηφανίαν. 24. Cf. xxvil. 14. INTRODUCTION TO PsaLm XOXO THE RECOVERY OF THE LAPSED. TirLeE. ‘To David, a Mascil.” ALIKE in his ideas of morality and in his theological tenets, the Hebrew Psalmist frequently appears to stand far below his Christian reader. Much of the religious teaching of the Psalter the latter con- fesses to be inapplicable to himself. It is a lower step in the ladder, 138 PSAIM XXXII. Bx. 1. a germ which has been lost in the stem which sprang from it, a parent who died in her birth-pangs. He regards it with the mind of the historian rather than the disciple. He must frequently contrast as well as assimilate. It is otherwise when the Psalter leaves the domain of dogma and of moral law to treat of spiritual experiences. \\We are astounded to see how marvellously appropriate to ourselves is the Hebrew treat- ment of the inner life. The saints of the inferior dispensation seem to have attained a standpoint which we might have deemed accessible only to the Christian. The writers of such Psalms as xxxii. and li. appear to anticipate our Augustine, Francis of Sales, or Bunyan. Nor is this surprising. The soul’s experiences depend not exclusively on dogmas. The history of the disciplined spirit, even in the absence of the quickening impulse of religious systems, constantly repeats itself. The remorse of the conscientious victim of temptation, the struggles between humoured passion and offended principle, his self-humiliation and acknowledgment of error, the consequent self-adjustment of the mind, as it exchanges useless regrets for wholesome resolutions, and plucks from the mire of error the jewel admonition,—subjects such as these, though fully interpreted and systematized only by the Christian revelation, are discernible, more or less, to every conscience that, works in harmony with nature. The Stoic philosopher might seem to have undergone experiences such as those described in the 32nd Psalm, when he writes, “ Suppose thou hast detached thyself from the natural unity...yet here is the beautiful provision, that it is in thy power again to unite thyself. God has allowed this to no other part— after it has been separated and cut asunder, to come together again. But consider the goodness with which He has privileged man; for He has put it in his power, when he has been separated, to return, and to be reunited, and to resume his place.” (Marc. Aurelius “ Meditations.”) What the Psalmist’s sin had been it would be idle to inquire. The Psalm is entitled “to David,” and it contains just such a frank account of individual spiritual experiences as is characteristic of the Davidic Psalms. If “ Mascil” mean a hortative poem (see General Introd.) the propriety of this appellation is here obvious. The Psalm falls into a series of sections, the most distinct of which are indicated by the concluding “Selah.” Verse 5 forms a section in itself, other- wise each section consists of two verses. The analysis of each will be found in our commentary. IBKoLr: LESSED 7s he whose transgres- sion zs forgiven, whose sin 7s covered. 2 Blessed zs the man unto whom the LorpD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there 7s no guile. 3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. PSALM XXXII. 139 4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lorn; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. I, 2. An acknowledgment of the blessedness of that peace with God which the Psalmist has at last found. I. Lit. “Blessed ishe who is exempt from transgression {πεῖ the punishment of transgression], and covered with respect to sin.” he construction of YE) msooy pesha (i.q . fy xi) in Is. xxxiil. 24) is peculiar, for NJ “take away,” “pardon, > is strictly followed by the accus. of the sin and 5 “to” of the person. The original idiom is in fact reversed, “taken away with respect to transgression” standing for “he who has had transgressions taken away from him.” In 2 it is indicated that such forgiveness must be based on sin- cerity on the part of the forgiven. Hemist. ὁ reminds one of Christ’s description of Nathaniel St John i. 48. 3,4. The melancholy condition in which the Psalmist lay, before he sincerely repented of his sin and obtained assurance of pardon. 3. “When I kept silence,” scil. “before I made outspoken con- fession of my guilt.” While in the half-repentant state, his frame was worn away by internal battlings which elicited continual groaning [AANY sW’dgaéh: not “roaring”]. The physical effects of such spi- ritual strife are described in like terms in vi. 2—7, cii. 3—5, cxix. 83, see Vi. 2, note. 4. ὁ. For “is” rend. “was.” Grief had as it were blasted his frame, drying up the vital juices. This is attributed to the punitive “hand of Jehovah” (cf. Exod. viii. 19, ix. 3), inasmuch as it was really part of the penalty of his sin. The LXX. puzzled by the rare /éshdd “juice” and ch’rabdu ae ἊΣ ΤῊΣ ταν ταν μον ἢ rends. ἐστράφην εἰς interpreting the ieee as § ‘piercings of” from 13N ‘ BS rorel ay: 5. In this v., which stands alone, we find the central facts round which the Psalm is woven. The inner strugglings between the Spirit and the natural man issued in a frank confesston, and a consequent assurance of forgiveness, whence proceeded joy, peace, and conviction that Jehovah superintends the ways of man. (1 acknowledged :” the Imperf. may be explained as “bringing 140 PSALM XXXII. BK. I. 6 For this shall every one that is | shalt compass me about with songs of godly pray unto thee in a time when | deliverance. Selah. thou mayest be found: surely in the 8 I will instruct thee and teach thee floods of great waters they shall not | in the way which thou shalt go: I come nigh unto him. will guide thee with mine eye. 7 Thou art my hiding place; thou 9 Be ye not as the horse, o7 as the shalt preserve me from trouble; thou | mule, wick have no understanding: into prominence the process introducing the action and preliminary to its complete execution” (Driver, Ox the Temses, p. 29). 6, 7. From this assurance of Divine pardon he infers firstly that Jehovah is ever ready, not only to stop, but also to forestall the inroads of misfortune. 6. Rend. “Therefore let every pious man pray unto Thee while Thou mayest be found” [lit. “at the time of finding”]. The “finding of” God is conceded to the just, and denied (or as in the Psalmist’s case temporarily forfeited) to those who sin; see Prov. i. 28, ii. 5, Hos. v. 6. Because God answers prayer and relieves from affliction, ¢here- Jore let every pious man avail himself of this access to God, ere the evil day comes, and so shall he be shielded altogether from misfor- tune. This latter result is expressed in the words “surely at the time of the inundation of mighty waters they [the waters] shall not come nigh him.” Affliction is described under the same figure in Ixix. 1, 2. 7. 6. “Compass...about:” 1.6. Thou shalt cause me to raise con- tinual songs of deliverance in whatever direction I go. The subst. 1) “song” is a ἅπ. λεγόμ. 8, 9. Those who accept Jehovah’s rules of conduct are in fact under His special protection. Would then that men would discard self-conceit and wilfulness, and accept the path Jehovah has marked out for them! By an abrupt change of person, such as we find in Ixxxi. 5, 6, Jehovah himself is introduced as the speaker. Del.’s interpr. that David himself “now directly adopts the tone of the teacher (cf. xxxiv. 11)” is not so probable. 8. a. Wt zoo bears the meaning “/hat...which,” exactly as in SOS ἢ. ὦ. Should apparently be rendered “J τοί give [thee] counsel; My eye shall be upon thee.” The verb SYS ia’tsdh should be taken absolutely, not with oy Gleycd, for by V3" ydats al is “to counsel [evil] against,” cf. Is. vii. 5. The last clause is, strictly speaking, de- pendent—“My eye being upon thee”—cf. xiii. 2 [3], xviii. 12 [13]. For the phrase “to have the eye upon” cf. Gen. xliv. 21, Jer. xxiv. 6, 9. a. Lit. “Be ye not as the horse [or] as the senseless mule.” “ Senseless,” 27 [8 ἄγη Addin, The infinitival subst. [130 with. Τὰ Bre fi PSAILM XXXII. 141 whose mouth must be held in with | unto thee. bit and bridle, lest they come near 1o Many sorrows shall be to the privative attached has the force of an adj. Similarly in Is. xliv. 12 we have M3 }*€ corresponding to our adj. “ powerless.” 6. The closing words of the verse are apparently understood by A.V. as by Kimchi “to the end that it may not come near to thee, to bite thee.” The true signf. is either “[Otherwise] ¢hey w7// not come near unto thee” or “[Because] they will not come near unto thee.” The lit. rendg. is “there is no coming near unto thee.” The negative b3 dal is followed by a subst. (here infinitival), the verb “to be” being understood, as in Prov. xxiv. 23, cf. also xvi. 2, Prov. xxiii. 7. The words preceding are generally explained “whose trapping [consists] in bit and bridle; for binding [them].” YY edyé, sing. for plur. by distribution, is taken from TY a’di (R. TY “put on”) “orna- ment,” here in signf. ‘‘trappings.” And Del. remarks, we may per- haps “recognise an allusion to the senseless servility of the animal, viz. that its ornament is also the means by which it is kept in check.” In ciii. 5 however we understand JY edyéc to mean “my life,” con- necting it with TY ad “duration,” NY éh “time,” Aram. JY zddén “time,” Ar. z