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A 
 
 COMMENTARY, 
 
 CRITICAL, EXPERIMENTAL, AND PRACTICAL, 
 
 ON THE 
 
 OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS, 
 
 r,V THE 
 
 REV. ROBERT JAMIESON, D.D., ST. PAUL'S, GLASGOW; 
 REV. A. R. FAUSSET, A.M., ST. CUTHBERT'S, YORK; 
 
 AND THE 
 
 REV. DAVID BROWN, D.D., PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY, ABERDEEN. 
 
 VOL. Ill 
 JOB — IS AI AH. 
 
 BY THE EEV. A. R FAUSSET, A.M. 
 
 GLASGOW: 
 WILLIAM COLLINS, SONS, AND COMPANY; 
 LONDON: JAMES NISBET AND CO. 
 
PEET ACE. 
 
 IfY AIM in the following Commentary is not so much to give my comments 
 ■^^^ on Holy Writ as to make the Word of God its ov/n interpreter. Scripture 
 is self-contained, and, in so far as it is understood aright, is independent of 
 external aids. The best commentary on the Bible is that which will clear out 
 of the way of the English reader all such impediments to our perception of the 
 sense as arise out of our human ignorance. To remove such impediments, and 
 to let Scripture speak for itself, is the aim of the present undertaking. 
 
 One hindrance arises from the fact that the Word of God was originally 
 given in languages which are distinct, in many of their idioms and modes of 
 thought, from our mother-tongue. It is true that no book suffers so little 
 from faithful translation as the Bible, owing to its being adapted to the 
 universal family of man, in all times and places. Nevertheless, even the 
 Bible, and especially the Old Testament, presents many idiomatic phrases, 
 figurative modes of speech, and allusions to Hebrew usages which need 
 explanation to the English reader. Modern research has put within our reach 
 many means for the elucidation of such difficulties, and it is right that not 
 merely the learned, but also the general readers and lovers of the Bible, should 
 enjoy the benefit. 
 
 The books of ancient and modern writers have accordingly been freely 
 used in this Commentary, each in that department in which the writer is most 
 eminent. Some names will be seen quoted in these volumes with whose 
 rationalistic principles I have not the least sympathy. They are simply quoted 
 for that wherein they have rendered help to the understanding of Scripture, 
 though in other respects they^ have "darkened counsel by words." Some of 
 them have suggested valuable criticisms on the Hebrew words: others have 
 thrown light upon questions of history and antiquities; and for this alone I 
 quote them. Rationalists and deniers of inspiration have been constrained, b}^ 
 the overruling Providence of God, to subserve the cause of truth, which they 
 have vainly attem,pted to overthrow. Honey is produced in the carcase of 
 the slain lion, and " out of the eater comes forth meat." 
 
 My experience in the careful comparison of the English version with the 
 original has been that, for the most part, our authorized version is the best 
 rendering. There are, however, many passages in v/hich it is desirable that the. 
 intelligent English reader shall know what is the various translation proposed 
 by some able critics. Let him, on the one hand, remember that not the English, 
 version, but the original autograph, is strictly the infallible Word of God in its 
 minutest words. On the other hand, let him rest assured that, in the main, the 
 English version is a most faithful rendering, made by some of the ablesfc'and 
 
 129606 
 
iv PREFACE, 
 
 most devoufc scholars who have ever lived, and is practically, and with the 
 exception of some possible and other probable corrections, the infallible Word of 
 God to us. 
 
 Once for all, let me state my unhesitating conviction of the plenary and 
 verbal inspiration of "all Scripture," and of Holy Scripture alone. Not that 
 the sacred writers were mere machines: they retained their individuality and 
 conscious agency (1 Cor. xiv. 82); but their words were so controlled by the 
 superintending agency of the Spirit that all their words were sanctioned by 
 God for the purposes of His revelation. " It came not by the will of man ; 
 but holy men of God sjc^alce as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Pet. 
 i. 21). The apostles spake, and their speeches were afterwards embodied in 
 writing, " not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy 
 Ghost teacheth" (1 Cor. ii. 13). If the Apocrypha be quoted in this Com- 
 mentary, it is quoted, not as Holy Scripture, but as a valuable human history, 
 to elucidate the Word of God. 
 
 In the Old Testament I have scarcely ever recommended any reading as 
 preferable to that of the Hebrew MSS. used by our English version, except 
 that occasionally where the Chetib, or old Hebrew text, reads differently from 
 the Keri, or Hebrew margin, I have sometimes preferred the former as tlie 
 more genuine. In the New Testament there is greater ground, in several 
 passages, for an alteration of the text so as to accord with older Greek MSS,,, 
 versions, and authorities, which were not so much attended to, or known, when 
 the English version was made, as they are in our days. The more firmly we 
 believe in verbal inspiration, the more interest we have in the restoration, even 
 in minor details (which are all that are in question in the case), of the exact 
 words of the original autographs. 
 
 In consonance with the principle that Scripture is its own best commentator, 
 I have made frequent reference to parallel passages — not seeming or super- 
 ficial parallels, which often mislead — but such as appear to me real parallels. 
 Let me urge the reader always to take the trouble of searching them out, and 
 judging for himself the reality and suggestiveness of the parallelism. 
 
 A. R FAUSSET. 
 
 St. Cuthbert's, York, Juli/, ISGG. 
 
INTRODUCTION TO THE POETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 HEBREW poetry is unique in its kind : in essence, the most sublime ; in form, marked 
 by a simplicity and ease which flow from its sublimity. ^ The Spirit of the Lord 
 spake hy the Hebrew poet, and His word was upon his tongue ' (2 Sam. xxiii. 2). Even 
 the music was put under the charge of spiritually gifted men; and one of the chief 
 musicians, Heman, is called "the king's seer in the words of God" (1 Chr. xxv. 1, 5). 
 King David is stated to have invented instruments of music (Amos vi. 5). There is not 
 in Hebrew poetry the artistic rhythm of form which appears in the classical poetry 
 of Greece and Rome; but it amply makes up for this by its fresh and graceful 
 naturalness. 
 
 Early specimens of Hebrew poetry occur — e. g., Lamech's sceptical parody of 
 Enoch's prophecy, or, as others think, lamentation for a homicide committed in those 
 lawless times in self-defence (Gen. iv. 23 : cf. Jude 14; Exod. xxxii. 18; Num. xxi. 14, 
 15, 17, 18, 27; xxiii. 7, 8, 18 ; xxiv. 3, 15). The poetical element appears much more 
 in the Old than in the New Testament. The poetical books are exclusively those of the 
 Old Testament ; and in the Old Testament itself the portions that are the most funda- 
 mental {e. g., the Pentateuch of Moses, the lawgiver, in its main body) are those which 
 have in them least of the poetical element in form. Elijah, the father of the prophets, is 
 quite free of poetical art. The succeeding prophets were not strictly poets, except in so 
 far as the ecstatic state in inspiration lifted them to poetic modes of thought and expres- 
 sion. The prophet was more of an inspired teacher than a poet. It is when the sacred 
 writer acts as the representative of the p>^^^sonal experiences of the children of God and of 
 the Church that poetry finds its proper sphere. 
 
 The use of poetry in Scripture was particularly to supply the want not provided for 
 by the law, viz., of devotional forms to express in private, and in public joint worship, the 
 feelings of pious Israelites. The schools of the proi)hets fostered and diff'used a religious 
 spirit among the people ; and we find them using lyric instruments to accompany their 
 prophesyings (1 Sam. x. 5). David, however, it was who specially matured the lyric 
 efi'usions of devotion into a perfection which they had not before attained. 
 
 Another purpose which Psalmody, through David's inspired productions, served, was 
 to draw forth from under the typical forms of legal services their hidden essence and spirit, 
 adapting them to the various spiritual exigencies of individual and congregational life. 
 Nature, too, is in them shown to speak the glory and goodness of the invisible yet ever- 
 present God. A handbook of devotion was furnished to the Israelite whereby he could 
 enter into the true spirit of the services of the sanctuary, and so feel the need of that 
 coming Messiah, of whom especially the Book of Psalms testifies throughout. We also, 
 in our Christian dispensation, need its hel^^ in our devotions. Obliged as we are, not- 
 withstanding our higher privileges in most respects, to walk by faith rather than by sight 
 in a greater degree than they, we find the Psalms, with their realizing expression of the 
 felt nearness of God, the best repertory whence to draw divinely -sanctioned language, 
 wherewith to express our prayers and thanksgivings to God, and our breathings after holy 
 communion with our fellow- saints. 
 
 As to the objection raised against the spirit of revenge which breathes in some 
 psalms, the answer is, a wide distinction is to be drawn between personal vindictiveness 
 and the desire for God's honour being vindicated. Personal revenge, not only in the 
 other parts of Scripture, but also in the Psalms, in theory and in practice, is alike repro- 
 bated (Exod. xxiii. 4, 5 ; Lev. xix. 18 ; Job xxxi. 29, 30 ; Ps. vii. 4, 5, 8, 11, 12 ; Prov. 
 xxv. 21, 22), which corresponds to David's practice in the case of his unrelenting enemy 
 (1 Sam. xxiv. 5, 6 ; xxvi. 8-10). On the other hand, the i:>eople of God have always 
 desired that whatever mars the cause of God — as, for instance, the prosperity of the 
 enemies of God and His Church— should be brought to an end (Ps. x. 12 ; xxx. 27 ; 
 
vi 
 
 INTRODUCTION TO THE POETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 xJ. 16; Ixxix. 6-10). It is well for us, too, in our dispensation of love, to be reminded by 
 these psalms of the danger of lax views as to God's hatred of sin ; and of the need there 
 is we should altogether enter into the mind of God on such points, at the same time that 
 we seek to convert all men to God (cf. 1 Sam. xvi. 1; Ps. cxxxix. 21; Isa. Ixvi. 2i; 
 Rev. xiv. 10). 
 
 Some psalms are composed of twenty-two parallel vsentences, or strophes of verses, 
 beginning with words of which the initial letters correspond with the Hebrew letters 
 (twenty-two), in their order, (cf Ps. xxxvii. and cxix.) So Lamentations. This arrange- 
 ment was designed as a help to the memory, and is only found in such compositions as 
 handle not a distinct and progressive subject, but a series of pious reflections, in the case 
 of which the precise order was of less moment. The Psalmist, in adopting it, does not 
 slavishly follow it; but, as in the 25th Psalm, deviates from it, so as to make the form, 
 when needful, bend to the sense. Of these poems there are twelve in all in the Hebrew 
 Bible, (Ps. XXV., xxxiv., xxxvii., cxi., cxii , cxix., cxlv. ; Prov. xxxi. 10-31 ; Lam. i., 
 ii., iii., iv.) 
 
 The great excellence of the Hebrew jjrinciple of versification — viz., parallelism, or 
 ^ thonght-rhythm ' (Eicald) — is, that whilst the poetry of every other language whose 
 versification depends on the regular recurrence of certain sounds suffers considerably by 
 translation, Hebrew poetry, whose rhythm depends on the parallel correspondence of 
 similar thoughts, loses almost nothing in being translated — the Holy Spirit having thus 
 presciently provided for its ultimate translation into every language without loss to the 
 sense. Thus, our English version Job and Psalms, though but translations, are eminently 
 poetical. On parallelism, see Introduction to Job. Thus, also, a clue is given to tlie 
 meaning in many passages, the sense of the word in one clause being more fully set fortli 
 by the corresponding word in the succeeding parallel clause. In the Masoretic punctua- 
 tion of the Hebrew the metrical arrangement is marked by the distinctive accents. It 
 accords with the Divine inspiration of Scripture poetry that the thought is more pro- 
 minent than the form, the kernel than the shell. The Hebrew poetic rhythm resembled 
 our blank verse, without, however, metrical feet. There is a verbal rhythm above that of 
 prose; but as the true Hebrew pronunciation is lost, the rhythm is but imperfectly 
 recognized. 
 
 The peculiarity of the Hebrew poetical age is, that it was always historic and true, 
 not mythical, as the early poetical ages of all other nations. Again, its poetry is dis- 
 tinguished from prose by the use of terms decidedly poetic. David's lament over Jonathan 
 furnishes a beautiful specimen of another feature found in Hebrew poetry, the strophe — 
 three strophes being marked by the recurrence three times of the dirge sung by the 
 chorus ; the first dirge sung by the whole body of singers, representing Israel ; the second, 
 by a chorus of damsels ; the third, by a chorus of youths (2 Sam. i. 17-27). 
 
 The lyrical poetry, which is the predominant style in the Bible, and is especially 
 terse and sententious, seems to have come from an earlier kind, resembling the more 
 modern Book of Proverbs (cf Gen. iv. 23, 24). The Oriental mind tends to embody 
 thought in pithy gnomes, maxims, and proverbs. * The poetry of the Easterns is a string 
 of pearls. Every word has life. Every proposition is condensed wisdom. Every thought 
 is striking and epigrammatical ' {Kitto, * Biblical Cyclop£Bdia'). We are led to the same 
 inference from the term Maschal, *a proverb' or 'similitude,' being used to designate 
 poetry in general. * Hebrew poetry, in its origin, was a painting to the eye, a ])arable or 
 teaching by likene.sses discovered by the po])ular mind, expressed by the popular tongue, 
 and adopted and polished by the national poet.' Solomon, under inspiration, may have 
 embodied in his Proverbs such of the pre-existing popular wise sayings as were sanctioned 
 by the Spirit of God. 
 
 The Hebrew title for the Psalms, Tehilim, means hymns, i.e., joyous praises (aomG- 
 times accompanied with dancing, Exod. xv. ; Judg. v.), not exactly answering to the 
 I>XX. title. Psalms — i.e., lyrical odes, or songs accompanied by an instrument. Tlie title 
 Tehilim, 'hymns,' was ])robably ado])ted on account of the use made of the Psalms in 
 divine service, though only a part can be strictly called songs of praise, others being dirges^ 
 and very msiny prayers (whence, in Ps. Ixxii. 20, David styles all his previous composi- 
 tions " the prayers of David"). Sixty-five bear the title, lyrical odes {MizmoHin), whilst 
 
INTRODUCTION TO THE POETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 vii 
 
 only one is styled Tehilah or hymn. From the title being Psalms in the LXX. and New- 
 Testament, and also the Peshito, it is probable that Psalms (Mizmorim), or lyrical odes, 
 was the old title before Teliilim. 
 
 Epic poetry, as having its proper sphere in a mythical heroic age, has no place among 
 the Hebrews of the Old Testament Scripture age. For in their earliest ages, viz., the 
 patriarchal, not fable, as in Greece, Rome, Egypt, and all heathen nations, but truth and 
 historic reality reigned ; so much so that the poetic element, which is the offspring of the 
 imagination, is less found in those earlier than in the later ages. The Pentateuch is 
 almost throughout historic prose. In the subsequent uninspired age, in Tobit, we have 
 some approach to the Epos. 
 
 Drama, also, in the full modern sense, is not found in Hebrew literature. This wa3 
 due, not to any want of intellectual culture, as is fully shown by the high excellence of 
 their lyric and didactic poetry, but to their earnest character, and to the solemnity of the 
 subjects of their literature. The dramatic element appears in Job more than in any 
 other book in the Bible; there are the dramatis personoi, a plot, and a 'denouement' 
 prepared for by Elihu, the fourth friend's speech, and brought about by tlie interposition 
 of Jehovah himself. Still, it is not a strict drama, but rather an inspired debate on a 
 difficult problem of the Divine government exemplified in Job's case, with historic narra- 
 tive, prologue, and epilogue. The Song of Solomon, too, has much of the dramatic cast. 
 See Introductions to Job and Song of Solomon. The Style of many psalms is very 
 dramatic, transitions often occurring from one to another person, without introduction, 
 and especially from speaking indirectly of God to addresses to God ; thus, in Psalm xxxii. 
 1, 2, David makes a general introduction, " Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven," 
 &c. ; then, at vv. 3-7, he passes to addressing God directly ; then, in v. 8, without preface, 
 God is introduced, directly speaking, in answer to the previous prayer ; then, vv. 10, 11, 
 again he resumes indirect speaking of God, and addresses himself in conclusion to the 
 righteous. These quick changes of person do not startle us, but give us a stronger sense 
 of his habitual converse with God than any assertions could do. Cf also^ in Psalm cxxxii. 
 8-10, the prayer, "Arise, O Lord, into thy rest ; thou, and the ark of thy strength. Let 
 thy priests he clothed with righteousness ; and let thy saints shout for joy. For thy servant 
 David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed," with God's direct answer, which 
 follows in almost the words of the prayer, " The Lord hath sworn unto David, &c. This 
 is my rest for ever {v. 14). I will clothe her priests with salvation ; and her saints shall 
 shout aloud Jor joy'^ Thus, also, in Psalm ii., various personages are introduced 
 dramatically acting and speaking — the confederate nations, Jehovah, the Messiah, and 
 the Psalmist. 
 
 A frequent feature is the alternate succession of parts, adapting the several psalms to 
 alternate recitation by two semi-choruses in the temple worship, followed by a full chorus 
 between the parts or at the end. So Ps. cvii. 15, 21, 31. De Burgh, in his valuable 
 commentary on the Psalms, remarks, ' Our cathedral service exemplifies the form of 
 chanting the Psalms, except that the semi-chorus is alternately a whole ve7'se, instead of 
 alternating, as of old, the half verse; while the full chorus is the "gloria" at the end of 
 each Psalm.' 
 
 In conclusion, besides its unique point of excellence, its Divine inspiration, Hebrew 
 poetry is characterized as being essentially national, yet eminently catholic, speaking to 
 the heart and spiritual sensibilities of universal humanity. Simple and unconstrained, it 
 is distinguished by a natural freshness, which is the result of its genuine truthfulness. 
 The Hebrew poet sought not self, or his own fame, as all heathen poets, but was inspired 
 by the Spirit of God to meet a pressing want, which his own and his nation's spiritual 
 aspirations after God made to be at once a necessity and a delight. Cf. 2 Sam. xxiii. 
 1, 2, "The sweet Psalmist of Israel said. The Spirit of the Lord spake by me," &c. 
 
 Ewald rightly remarks, as several odes of the highest poetic excellence are not 
 included (e. g., the songs of Moses, Exod. xv. and xxxii. ; of Deborah, Judg. v. ; of 
 Hannah, 1 Sam. ii. 1-10 ; of Hezekiah, Isa. xxxviii. 9-20 ; of Habakkuk, Hab. iii. ; and 
 even David's dirge over Saul and Jonathan, 2 Sam. i. 17, 18), * The selection of the Psalms 
 collected in one book was made not so much with reference to the beauty of the pieces, as 
 to their adaptation for public worship. Still, one overruling Spirit ordered the selection 
 
viii 
 
 INTRODUCTION TO THE POETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 and arriingement of the contents of the book, as one pervading tone and subject appear 
 throughout, — Christ in His own inner life as the God-man, and in His past, present, and 
 future rehitions to the Cliurcli and the world.' Isaac Taylor well calls the Psalms ' The 
 Liturgy of the spiritual life and Luther, * A Bible in miniature.' 
 
 The of the order in which the Psalms, though not always discoverable, is in 
 
 some cases clear, and shows the arrangement to be unmistakably the work of the Spirit, 
 not merely that of the collector. Thus, Ps. xxii. plainly portrays the dying agonies of 
 Messiah ; Ps. xxiii.. His peaceful rest in Paradise after His death on the cross ; and 
 Ps. xxiv., His glorious ascension into heaven. 
 
 THE BOOK OF JOB. 
 
 Job A Beal Persoit. — It has been supposed by some that the Book of Job is an 
 allegory, not a real narrative, on account of the artificial character of many of its 
 statements. Thus, the sacred numbers, thi'ee and seven, often occur. He had seven 
 thousand sheep, seve7i sons, both before and after his trials ; his three friends sit down with 
 him seven days and seven nights ; both before and after his trials he had th'ee daughters. 
 So, also, the number and form of the speeches of the several speakers seem to be artificial. 
 The name of J ob, too, is derived from an Arabic word signifying repentance. 
 
 But Ezek. xiv^l4 (cf. v. 16-20) speaks of "Job" in conjunction with "Noah and 
 Daniel," real persons. St. James (v. 11) also refers to Job as an example of "patience;" 
 which he would not have been likely to do had Job been only a fictitious person. Also, 
 the names of persons and places are specified with a particularity not to be looked for in 
 an allegory. As to the exact doubling of his possessions after his restoration, no doubt 
 the rou7icl number is given for the exact number, as the latter approached near the 
 former; this is often done in undoubtedly historical books. As to the studied number 
 and form of the speeches, it seems likely that the arguments were substantially those 
 
 ' which appear in the Book, but that the studied and poetic form were given by Job himself, 
 guided by the Holy Spirit. He lived 140 years after his trials, and nothing would be 
 more natural than that he should, at his leisure, mould into a perfect form the arguments 
 used in the momentous debate, for the instruction of the Church in all ages. Probably, 
 too, the debate itself occupied several sittings ; and the number of speeches assigned to 
 
 I each was arranged by preconcerted agreement, and each was allowed the interval of a 
 
 I day or more io prepare carefully his speech and replies : this will account for the speakers 
 bringing forward their arguments in regular series, no one speaking out of his turn. As 
 to the name Job — repentance (supposing the derivation correct) — it was common in old 
 times to give a name from circumstances which occurred at an advanced period of life, 
 and this is no argument against the reality of the person. 
 
 Where Job Lived. — Uz, according ta Gesenius, means a light sandy soil, and was 
 in the North of Arabia Deserta, between Palestine and the Euphrates, called by Ptolemy 
 ('Geography,' 19) Ausitai, or Aisitai. In Gen. x. 23 ; xxii. 21; xxxvi. 28; and 1 Chr. i. 
 17-42, it is the name of a man; in Jer. xxv. 20; Lam. iv. 21 ; and Job i. 1, it is a country. 
 Uz, in Gen. xxii. 21, is said to be the son of Nahor, brother of Abraham, a diftcrent 
 person from the one mentioned in Gen. x. 23, a grandson of Shem. The probability 
 is, that tlie country took its name from the latter of the two ; for tliis one was the son 
 of Aram, from whom the Arameans take their name; and those dwelt in Mesopotamia, 
 between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris. Cf as to the dwelling of the sons of Shem in 
 Gen. x. 30, "a mount of tJie East," answering to "men of the East'' (Job i. 3). Raiolinson, 
 in his deciphering of the Assyrian inscriptions, states, that ' Uz is the jn-evailing name of 
 tlie country at the mouth of tlie Euphrates.' It is probable tliat Eliphaz the Temanite 
 
 I and the Sabeans dwelt in that quarter ; and wo know that the Clialdeans resided there, 
 and not near Idumea, whicli some identify with Uz. The tornado from " the wilder- 
 
 I nesrt" (ch. i. 19) agrees with tlie view of it being Arabia Deserta. Job (ch. i. 3) is 
 
 ' called "tlie greatest of the men of the East;" but Idumea was not East, but South of 
 Palestine; therefore, in Scrif)ture language, the phrase cannot aj)})ly to that country; but 
 
 : probably refers to the Noith of Arabia Deserta, between I*alestine, Idumea, and the 
 
THE BOOK OF JOB. 
 
 Euphrates. So the Arabs still show in the Houran. a place called Uz, as the residence 
 oi Job. 
 
 I The Age when Job Lived. — Eusebius fixes it two ages before Moses — i. e., about 
 the time of Isaac — eighteen hundred years before Christ, and six hundred after the deluge. 
 
 I Agreeing with this are the following considerations: — 1. Job's length of life is patriarchal, 
 200 years. 2. He alludes only to the earliest form of idolatry — viz., the worship of the 
 sun, moon, and heavenly hosts (called Saha, whence arises the title Lord of Sabaoth, a? 
 opposed to Sabeanism) (ch. xxxi. 26-28). 3. The number of oxen and rams sacrificed, 
 seven, as in the case of Balaam. God would not have sanctioned this after the giving of 
 the Mosaic law, though He might graciously accommodate himself to existing customs 
 be/ore the law. 4. The language of Job is Hebrew, interspersed occasionally with Syriao 
 and Arabic expressions, implying a time when all the Shemetic tribes spoke one common 
 tongue, and had not branched into different dialects, Hebrew, Syriac, and Arabic. 5. He 
 speaks of the most ancient kind of writing, viz., sculpture. Riches, also, are reckoned by 
 cattle. The Hebrew word translated a piece of money, ought rather to be rendered a 
 
 : lamb. 6. There is no allusion to the exodus from Egypt and to the miracles that accom- 
 panied it; nor to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah {Patrick, however, thinks 
 there is) ; though there is to the flood (ch. xxii. 1^) ; and these events, happening in Job's 
 vicinity, would have been striking illustrations of the argument for God's interposition 
 in destroying the wicked and vindicating the righteous, had Job and his friends known 
 of them. Nor is there any undoubted reference to the Jewish law, ritual, and priesthood. 
 7. The religion of Job is that which prevailed among the patriarchs previous to the Law : 
 sacrifices performed by the head of each family ; no ofl&ciating priesthood, temple, or con- 
 secrated altar. 
 
 The Whiter. — All the foregoing facts accord with Job himself having been the 
 author. The style of thought, imagery, and manners, are such as we should look for in 
 the work of an Arabian emir. There is precisely that degree of knowledge of primitive 
 j tradition (see ch. xxxi. 33, as to Adam) which was universally spread abroad in the days 
 of Noah and Abraham, and which was subsequently embodied in the early chapters of 
 Genesis. Job, in his speeches, shows that he was much more competent to compose the 
 w^ork than Elihu, to whom Lighffoot attributes it. The style forbids its being attributed 
 to Moses, to whom its composition is by some attributed, ' whilst he was among the 
 Midianites, about B. c. 1520.' But the fact that it, though not a Jewish book, appears 
 among the Hebrew sacred writings, makes it likely that it came to the knowledge of 
 Moses during tlie forty years which he passed in parts of Arabia, chiefly near Horeb; and 
 that he, by Divine guidance, introduced it as a sacred writing to the Israelites, to whom, 
 in their affliction, the patience and restoration of Job were calculated to be a lesson of 
 especial utility. That it is inspired appears from the fact that Paul (1 Cor. iii. 19) 
 quotes it (Job v. 13) with the formula, "It is written." Our Saviour, too (Matt» xxiv. 
 28), plainly refers to Job^xix. 30. Cf. ako Jas. iv. 10, and 1 Pet. v. 6, with Job 
 xxii. 29; Pom. xi. 34, 35, with Job xv. 8. It is probably the oldest book in the world. 
 It stands among the Hagiographa in the three-fold division of Scripture into the Law, the 
 Prophets, and the Hagiographa ("Psalms," Luke xxiv. 44). 
 
 Design of the Book. — It is a public debate in poetic form on an important question 
 concerning the Divine government ; moreover, the prologue and epilogue, which are in 
 prose, shed the interest of a living history over the debate, which would otherwise be but 
 a contest of abstract reasonings. To each speaker of the three friends three speeches are 
 assigned. J ob having no one to stand by him, is allowed to reply to each speech of each 
 of the three. Eliphaz, as the eldest, leads the way. Zophar, at his tldrd turn, failed to 
 speak, thus virtually owning himself overcome (ch. xxvii.) ; and therefore Job continued 
 his reply, which forms tJiree speeches (chs. xxvi., xxvii., xxviii., xxix.-xxxi.). Elihu (ch. 
 xxxii.-xxxvii.)is allowed four speeches. Jehovah makes three addresses, (chs. xxxviii.-xli.) 
 Thus, throughout there is a tripartite division. The whole is divided into three parts : — 
 the prologue, poem proper, and epilogue. The poem into three : — 1. The dispute of Job 
 and his three friends; 2. The address of Elihu; 3. The address of God. There are three 
 series in the controversy, and in the same order. The epilogue (ch. xlii.) also is three- 
 fold : Job's justification, reconciliation with his friends, restoration. The speakers also, 
 
INTRODUCTION TO THE POETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 in their successive speeches, regularly advance frmn less to greater vehemence. "With all 
 this artificial compositiou everything seems easy and natural. 
 
 The question to be solved, as exemplified in tlie case of Job, is, AVhy are the righteous 
 afilicted consistently with G-od's justice? The doctrine of retribution after death, no 
 doubt, is the great solution of the difficulty. And to it Job plainly refers in ch. xiv. 14, 
 and ch. xix. 25. The objection to this, that the explicitness of the language on the 
 resurrection in Job is inconsistent with the obscurity on the subject in the early books 
 of the Old Testament, is answered by the fact, that Job enjoyed the Divine vision (ch. 
 xxxviii. 1 ; xlii. 5), and therefore, hy inspiration, foretold these truths. Next, the reve- 
 lations made outside of Israel being few, needed to be the more explicit; thus, Balaam's 
 prophecy (Num. xxiv. 17) was clear enough to lead the wise men of the East by the star 
 (Matt, ii.); and in the age before the written law, it was the more needful for God not 
 to leave himself without witness of the truth. Still, Job evidently did not fully realize 
 the significance designed by the Spirit in his own words (cf. 1 Pet. i. 11, 12). 
 The doctrine, though existing, was not plainly revealed, or at least understood. Hence 
 he does not mainly vQ^ev to this solution. Yes, and even now, we need something in 
 addition to this solution. David, who firmly believed in a future retribution (Ps. 
 xvi. 10; xvii. 15), still felt the difficulty not entirely solved thereby, (Ps. Ixxxiii.) 
 The solution is not in Job's or in his three friends' speeches. It must, therefore, be in 
 Elihu's. God will hold a final judgment, no doubt, to clear up all that seems dark in his 
 present dealings; but He also 7iow providentially and morally governs the world, and all 
 the events of human life. Even the comparatively righteous are not without sin whicli 
 needs to be corrected. The justice and love of God administer the altogether deserved 
 and merciful correction. Affliction to the godly is thus mercy and justice in disguise. 
 The afiBlicted believer, on repentance, sees this, ' Via crucis, via salutis.' Though afflicted, 
 the godly are happier even now than the ungodly, and when affliction has attained its 
 end, it is removed by the Lord. In the Old Testament, the consolations are more 
 temporal and outward; in the New Testament, more spiritual; but in neither to the 
 entire exclusion of the other. 'Prosperity,' says Bacon, 'is the blessing of the Old 
 Testament; adversity that of the New Testament, which is the mark of God's more 
 especial favour. Yet even in the Old Testament, if you listen to David's harp, you shall 
 hear as many hearse-like airs as carols ; and the pencil of the Holy Ghost has laboured 
 more in describing the afflictions of Job than the felicities of Solomon. Prosperity is not 
 without many feai-s and distastes; and adversity is not without comforts and hopes.' 
 This solution of Elihu is seconded by the addresses of God, in which it is shown that God 
 must be just (because He is God), as Elihu had shown how God can be just, and yet the 
 righteous be afilicted. It is also acquiesced in by Job, who makes no reply. God 
 reprimands the three friends, but not Elihu. Job's general course is approved; he is 
 directed to intercede for his friends; and is restored to double his former prosperity. 
 
 Poetry. — In all countries poetry is the earliest form of composition, as being best 
 retained in the memory; and in the East especially it was customary to preserve their 
 sentiments in a terse, proverbial, and poetic form (called maschal). Hebrew jioetry is 
 not constituted by the rhythm or metre, but in a form ])eculiar to itself: — 1. In an alpha- 
 V)etical arrangement, somewhat like our acrostic; for instance. Lam. i. 2. The same 
 verse repeated at intervals, as Ps. xlii., cvii. 3. Rhythm of gradation : Psahns of degrees 
 (cxx.-cxxxiv.), in which the expression of the j^revious verse is resumed and carried 
 forward in the next, (Ps. cxxi.) 4. The chief characteristic of Hebrew poetry parallelism, 
 or the con-cHpondence of the same ideas in the parallel clauses. The earliest instance is 
 Enoch's prophecy (Jude 14), and Lamech's parody of it (Gen, iv. 23). These kinds 
 occur: — (1). The synonymous parallelism, in which the second is a repetition of the first, 
 with or without increase of force (Ps. xxii. 27; Isa. xv. 1); sometimes with double 
 parallelism (Isa. i. 15). (2). The antithetic, in which the idea of the second cla\ise is the 
 converse of tliat in the first (Prov. x. 1). (3). The synthetic, where there is a correspon- 
 dence Ixitween different propositions, noun answering to noun, verb to verb, member to 
 m<;ni})er; the sentiment, moreover, being not merely echoed, or put in contrast, but 
 enforced by accessory ideas (Job iii. 3-9). Also alternate (Iwa. li. 19), "Desolation and 
 destruction, famine and sword" — i. e., desolation by famine, and destruction by the sword. 
 
THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 
 
 XI 
 
 Introverted; where the fourth answers to the first, and the third to the second (Matt. vii. 
 6). Parallelism thus often affords a key to the interpretation. For fuller information, 
 see Lowth ('Introduction to Isaiah,' and 'Lecture on Hebrew Poetry'); and 'Spirit of 
 Hebrew Poetry,' by Herder, translated by Marsh. The simpler and less artificial forma 
 of parallelism prevail in J ob — a mark of its early age. 
 
 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 
 
 The Hebrew title of this book is Tehilim — Praises, or Hymns — for a leading feature 
 in its contents is praise, though the word occurs in the title of only one Psalm, (cxlv.) 
 The Greek title (in the Septuagint, a translation made 200 years before Christ) is Psahnoi, 
 whence our word Psalms. This corresponds to the Hebrew word Mizmoi, by which 
 sixty-five psalms are designated in their inscriptions, and which the Syriac, a language 
 like the Hebrew, nses for the whole book. It means, as does also the Greek name, an 
 ode, or song, whose singing is accompanied by an instrument, particularly the harp (cf. 
 1 Chr. xvi. 4-8; 2 Chr. v. 12, 13). To some psalms the Hebrew word Sliir, a song, is 
 prefixed. Paul seems to allude to all these terms in Eph. v. 19, "singing ... in 
 Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs''' 
 
 Titles. — To more than a hundred psalms are prefixed inscriptions, which give one 
 or more (and in one case, Ix., all) of these particulars: the direction to the Musician, the 
 name of the author, or the instrument, the style of the music or of the poetry, the subject 
 or occasion. The authority of these inscrijjtions has been disputed by some writers. 
 They say that the earliest translators, as the Greek and Syriac, evince a disregard for 
 their authority, by variations from a proper translation of some, altering others, and, in 
 several instances, supplying titles to psalms which in Hebrew had none. It is also 
 alleged that the subject of a psalm, as given in the title, is often inconsistent with its 
 contents. But those translators have also varied from a right translation of many 
 passages in the Bible, which all agree to be of good authority; and the alleged incon- 
 sistency may be shown, on more accurate investigation, not to exist. The admitted 
 antiquity of these inscriptions, on the other hand, and even their obscurity, raise a pre- 
 sumption in their favour, while such prefaces to a composition accord with the usages of 
 that age and part of the world (cf. Isa. xxxviii. 9). 
 
 ^^The Chief Musician" was the Superintendent of the Music, (cf. 1 Chr. xv. 21, 
 marg.) prefixed to this, means pertomm^^ to in his official character. This inscrip- 
 tion is found in fifty-three psalms, and is attacked to Habakkuk's prayer, (Hab. iii.) 
 The same Hebrew preposition is prefixed to the name of the author, and translated of, as, 
 "a Psalm o/ David;" "o/ Asaph," etc.; except that to "the sons of Korah," it is trans- 
 lated for, which is evidently wrong, as the usual direction, " to the chief Musician," is 
 given, and no other authorship intimated. 
 
 Authors. — This book is usually called "The Psalms of David," he being the only 
 author mentioned in the New Testament (Luke xx. 42), and his name appearing in more 
 titles than that of any other writer. Besides about one-half of the psalms in which it 
 thus appears, the ii. and xcv. are ascribed to him (Acts iv. 25, and Heb. iv. 7). He was 
 probably the author of many others which appear without a name. He used great efforts 
 to beautify the worship of the Sanctuary. Among the 288 Levites he appointed for 
 singing and performing instrumental music, we find mentioned the "sons of Korah" 
 (1 Chr. ix. 19); including Heman (1 Chr. vi. 33-38); and also Asaph (1 Chr. ix. 39- 
 44); and Ethan (1 Chr. ix. 15-19). God was doubtless pleased to endow these men 
 with the inspiration of His Spirit, so that they used those poetic talents which their 
 connection with the kindred art of Music had led them to cultivate, in the production 
 of compositions like those of their king and patron. To Asaph are ascribed twelve 
 psalms; to the sons of Korah eleven, including the Ixxxviii., which is also ascribed to 
 Heman, that being the only instance in which the name of the"50?i" (or descendant) is 
 mentioned; and to Ethan one. Solomon's name appears before the Ixxii. and cxxvii. ; 
 and that of Moses before the xc. 
 
 Contents. — As the book contains 150 independent compositions, it is not susceptible 
 
INTRODUCTION TO THE POETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 of any logical analysis. The Jews having divided it into five books, corresponding to the 
 five books of Moses (1st, i.-xlii. ; 2d, xliii.-lxxii. ; 3d, Ixxiii.-lxxxix. ; 4th, xc.-cvi. ; 5tli, 
 cvii.-cl.), many attempts have been made to discover, in this division, some critical or 
 practical value ; but in vain. Sundry efforts have been made to classify the psalms by 
 subject. That of Angus's Bihle Hand-Book is perhaps the most useful, and is appended. 
 
 Still, the psalms have a form and character peculiar to themselves ; and with indi- 
 vidual diversities of style and subject, they all assimilate to that form, and together 
 constitute a consistent system of moral truth. They are all poetical, and of that peculiar 
 parallelism {Introduction to Poetical Books) which distinguished Hebrew poetry. They 
 are all Ip-ical, or songs adapted to musical instruments ; and all religious lyrics, or such 
 as were designed to be used in the Sanctuary worsliip. 
 
 The distinguishing feature of the psalms is their devotional character. "Whether 
 their matter be didactic, historical, prophetical, or practical, it is made the ground or 
 subject of prayer, or praise, or both. The doctrines of theology, and precepts of pure 
 morality, are here inculcated. God's nature, attributes, perfections, and works of 
 creation, providence, and grace, are unfolded. In the sublimest conceptions of the most 
 exalted verse, His glorious supremacy over the principalities of heaven, earth, and hell, 
 and His holy, wise, and pow-erful control of all material and immaterial agencies, are 
 celebrated. The great covenant of grace, resting on the fundamental promise of a 
 Redeemer, both alike the provisions of God's exhaustless mercy, is set forth in respect of 
 the doctrines of regeneration by the Spirit, forgiveness of sins, repentance toward God, 
 and faith toward Jesus Christ ; while its glorious results, involving the salvation of men 
 from " the ends of the earth," are proclaimed in believing, prophetic prayer and thankful 
 praise. The personal history of the authors, and especially David's, in its spiritual 
 aspects, is that of God's people generally. Christian biography is edifying only as it is 
 truth illustrated in experience, such as God's Word and Spirit produce. It may be 
 factitious in origin, and of doubtful authenticity ; but here the experience of the truly 
 pious is detailed, under Divine influence, and ' in words which the Holy Ghost ' taught. 
 The whole inner life of the pious man is laid open, and Christians of all ages have here 
 the temptations, conflicts, perplexities, doubts, fears, penitent meanings, and over- 
 whelming griefs, on the one hand, and the joy and hope of pardoning mercy, the victory 
 over the seductions of false-hearted flatterers, and deliverance from the power of Satan, 
 on the other, with which to compare their own spiritual exercises. Here, too, are the 
 fruits of that sovereign mercy so often sought in earnest prayer, and w^hen found, so 
 often sung in rapturous joy, exhibited by patience in adversity, moderation in prosperity, 
 zeal for God's glory, love for man, justice to the oppressed, holy contempt for the proud, 
 magnanimity towards enemies, faithfulness towards friends, delight in the prosperity oi 
 Zion, and believing prayer for her enlargement and perpetuity. 
 
 The historical summaries of the psalms are richly instructive. God's choice of the 
 patriarchs, the sufferings of the Israelites in Egypt, their exodus, temptations of God, 
 rebellions and calamities in the wilderness, settlement in Canaan, backslidings and 
 reformations, furnish illustrations of God's providential government of His people, 
 individually and collectively, tending to exalt His adorable grace and abase human pride. 
 But the promises and prophecies connected with these summaries, and elsewhere pre- 
 sented in the psalms, have a far wider reach, exhibiting the relations of the book to the 
 great theme of promise and pro])hecy, — 
 
 The Messiah and His Kingdom. — David was God's chosen servant to rule His 
 people, as the head at once of the State and the Church, the lineal ancestor, according 
 to the flesh," of His adorable Son, and His type, in His olficial relations, both in 
 Kiiffering and in triumph. Generally, David's trials by the ungodly depicted the trials of 
 Christ, and His final success the success of Christ's kingdom. Typically, he uses 
 language describing his feelings, which only finds its full meaning in the feelings of 
 Christ. As such, it is quoted and applied in the New Testament. And further, in view 
 of the great promise (2 Sam. vii.) to him and his seed, to which such fniquent reference 
 is made in the psalms, David was ins})ired to know, that though liis earthly kingdom 
 should perish, his sj)nitual would ever endure in the power, beneficence, and glory of 
 Christ's. In repeating and ampliiying that promise, ho speaks not only as a type, but 
 
THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 
 
 XIU 
 
 " being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the 
 fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne," he 
 ' foretold the sufieriugs of Christ and the glory that should follow. His incarnation, 
 humiliating sorrows, persecution, and cruel death, are disclosed in the plaintive cries of a 
 despairing sufferer ; and his resurrection and ascension, his eternal priesthood, his royal 
 dignity, his prophetical ofiice, the purchase and bestowal of the gifts of the Spirit, the 
 conversion of the nations, the establishment, increase, and perpetuity of the Church, the 
 end of time, and the blessedness of the righteous who acknowledge, and the rwin of the 
 wicked who reject, this King in Zion, are predicted in the language of assured confidence 
 and joy.' While these great themes have supplied the people of God with a popular 
 theology, and a guide in religious experience and Christian morality, clothed in the 
 language of devotion, they have provided an inspired liturgy, in which the pious of 
 all creeds and sects have, for nearly three thousand years, poured out their prayers 
 and praises. The pious Jew, before the coming of Christ, mourned over the adversity, 
 or celebrated the future glories, of Zion in the words of her ancient king. Our 
 Saviour, with His disciples, sung one of these hymns on the night on which He was 
 betrayed; he took from one the words in which he uttered the dreadful sorrows of His 
 soul, and died with those of another on His lips. Paul and Silas in the dungeon, 
 primitive Christians in their covert places of worship, or the costly churches of a later 
 day, and the scattered and feeble Christian flocks in the prevalence of darkness and error 
 through the Aliddle Ages, fed their faith and warmed their love with these consoling 
 songs. Now, throughout the Christian world, in untold forms of version, paraphrase, 
 and imitation, by Papists and Protestants, Prelatists and Presbyterians, Independents, 
 Baptists, Methodists, men of all lands and all creeds, in public and private worship, God 
 is still adored in the sentiments expressed in these venerable psalms. From the tone of 
 sorrow and suffering which pervade their earlier portions, we are gradually borne on 
 amid alternate conflicts and triumphs, mournful complaints and awakening confidence : 
 as we approach the close the tones of sorrow grow feebler, and those of praise wax 
 louder and stronger, till, in the exulting strains of the last pscilm, the chorus of earth 
 mingles with the hallelujahs of the multitude which no man can number in the 
 Sanctuary above. 
 
 Angus's or Bickerstetli's arrangement may be profitably used as a guide for finding a 
 psalm on a special topic. It is a little modified, as follows : — 
 
 1. Didactic — Good and bad men : Ps. i., v., vii,, ix.-xii., xiv., xv., xvii., xxiv., 
 XXV., xxxii., xxxiv., xxxvi., xxxvii., 1., lii., liii., Iviii., Ixxiii. Ixxv., Ixxxiv., xci., xcii., 
 xciv., cxii., cxxi., cxxv., cxxvii., cxxviii., cxxxiii. — God's Law: Ps. xix., cxix. — 
 Human life vain: Ps. xxxix., xlix., xc. — Duty of Pulers : Ps. Ixxxii., ci. 2. 
 Praise — (1.) For God's goodness generally to Israel: Ps. xlvi., xlviii., Ixv., Ixvi., 
 Ixviii., Ixxvi., Ixxxi., Ixxxv., xcviii., cv., cxxiv., cxxvi., cxxix., cxxxv., cxxxvi., cxlix, — 
 (2.) To good men : Ps. xxiii., xxxiv., xxxvi., xci., c, ciii., cvii., cxvii., cxxi., cxlv., 
 cxlvi. — (3.) Mercies to individuals : Ps. ix., xviii., xxii., xxx., xl., Ixxv., ciii., cxiii., 
 cxvi., cxviii., cxxxviii., cxliv. — (4.) For His attributes generally : -Ps. viii., xix., xxiv., 
 xxix., xxxiii., xlvii., 1., Ixv., Ixvi., Ixxvi., Ixxvii., xciii., xcv.-xcvii., xcix., civ., cxi., cxiii.- 
 cxv., cxxxiv., cxxxix., cxlvii., cxlviii., el. 3. Devotional — expressive of (1.) Penitence : 
 Ps. vi., XXV., xxxii., xxxviii., li., cii., exx., cxliii.; (2.) Trust in trouble : Ps. iii., 
 xvi., xxvii., xxxi., liv., Ivi., Ivii., Ixi., Lxii., Ixxi., Ixxxvi. ; (3.) Sorrow with hope: Ps. 
 xiii., xxxii., Ixix., Ixxvii., Ixxxviii. ; (4.) Of deep distress : Ps. Iv., xv., xi., xxviii., xli., 
 Ix., lix., Ixiv., Ixx., cix., exx., cxl., cxli., cxliii. ; (5.) Feelings when deprived of religious 
 privileges: Ps. xlii., xliii,, Ixiii., Ixxxiv.; (6.) Desire for help: Ps. vii., xvii., xxvi., 
 xxxv., xliv., Ix., Ixxiv., Ixxix., Ixxx., Ixxxiii., Ixxxix., xciv., cii., cxxix., cxxxvii.; (7.) 
 Intercession : Ps. xx., Ixvii., cxxii., cxxxii., cxliv. 4. Historical : Ps. Ixxviii., 
 cv., cvi. 5. Prophetical : Ps. ii., xvi., xxii., xh, xlv., Ixviii., Ixix., Ixxii., xcvii., ex., 
 cxviii. 
 
INTRODUCTION TO THE POETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 THE BOOK OF PROVERBS. 
 
 T. — The Nature and Use of Proverbs. — A proverb is a pithy soiitence, concisely 
 expressing some well-established truth, susceptible of various illustrations and applica- 
 tions. The word is of Latin derivation, literally meaning for a word, speech, or discourse, 
 i. e., one expression for many. The Hebrew word for proverb {mashal) means a com- 
 parison. Many suppose it was used because the form or matter of the proverb, or both, 
 involved the idea of comparison. Most of the proverbs are in couplets or trijDlets, or 
 some modifications of them, the members of which correspond, in structure and length, 
 as if arranged to be compared one with another. They illustrate the varieties of * 
 parallelism, a distinguishing feature of Hebrew poetry. Many also clearly involve the 
 idea of comparison in the sentiments expressed (cf. chs. xii. 1-10 ; xxv. lO-lo ; xxvi. 1-9). 
 Sometimes, however, the designed oniission of one member of the comparison exercising 
 the reader's sagacity or study for its supply, presents the proverb as a " riddle," or " dark 
 saying" (cf. chs. xxx. 15-33; i. 6; Psalm xlix. 4). The sententious form of expression, 
 which thus became a marked feature of the proverbial style, was also adopted for con- 
 tinuous discourse, even when not always preserving traces of comparison, either in form 
 or matter, (cf. chs. i.-ix.) In Ezekiel xvii. 1 ; xxiv. 3 we find the same word properly 
 translated parable, to designate an illustrative discourse. Then the Greek translators have 
 used a word, parabola (parable), which the Gospel writers (except John) employ for our 
 Lord's discourses of the same character, and which also seems to involve the idea of com- 
 parison, though that may not be its primary meaning. It might seem, therefore, that 
 the proverbial and parabolic styles of writing were originally and essentially the same. 
 The proverb is a ' concentrated parable, and the parable an extension of the proverb by a 
 full illustration.' The proverb is thus the moral or theme of a parable, which sometimes 
 precedes it, as Matt. xix. 30 (cf. ch. xx. 1); or succeeds it, as Matt. xxii. 1-16 ; Luke xv. 
 1-10. This st3de being poetical, and adapted to the expression of a high order of poetical 
 sentiment, such as prophecy, we find the same term used to designate such compositions 
 (cf Num. xxiii. 7 ; Micah ii. 4 ; Hab. ii. 6). 
 
 Though the Hebrews used the same term for proverb and parable, the Greek employs 
 two, though the sacred writers have not always appeared to recognize a distinction. The 
 term for proverb is 2^(^'>'oimia, which the Greek translators employ for the title of this 
 book, evidently with special reference to the later definition of a proverb, as a trite 
 sententious form of speech, which appears to be the best meaning of the term. John 
 uses the same term to designate our Saviour's instructions, in view of their characteristic 
 obscurity (cf ch. xvi. 25-29, Greek), and even for his illustrative discourses (ch. x. 6), 
 whose sense M^as not at once obvious to all his hearers. This form of instruction was well 
 adapted to aid the learner. The parallel structure of sentences, the repetition, contrast, 
 or comparison of thought, were all calculated to facilitate the efforts of memory; and 
 precepts of practical wisdom which extended into logical discourses, might have failed to 
 make abiding impressions by reason of their length or complicated character, were 
 tlius compressed into pithy, and, for the most part, very plain statements. Such a mode 
 of instruction has distinguished the written or traditional literature of all nations, and 
 was, and still is, peculiarly current in the East. 
 
 In this book, however, we are supi)lied with a proverbial wisdom commended by the 
 seal of Divine inspiration. God has condescended to become our teacher on the practical 
 affairs belonging to all the relations of life. He has adapted His instruction to the plain 
 and unlettered, and presented, in this striking and impressive method, the great principles 
 of duty to Him and to our fellow-men. To the prime motive of all right conduct, the 
 fear of God, arc added all lawful and subordinate incentives, such as honour, interest, 
 love, fear, and natural affection. Besides the terror excited by an apprehension of God's 
 justly ]jn;voked judgments, we arc warned against evil-doing by tlie exhibition of the 
 inevitable temjx^ial results of ini])iety, injustice, j)rofIigacy, idleness, laziness, indolence, 
 drunkenness, and debauchery. To the rewards of true piety which follow in eternity, are 
 
THE BOOK OF PROVERBS. 
 
 XV 
 
 promised the peace, security, love, and approbation of the good, and the comforts of a 
 clear conscience, which render this life truly happy. 
 
 II. — Inspiration and Authorship. — With no important exception, Jewish and 
 Christian writers have received this book as the inspired production of Solomon. It is 
 the first book of the Bible prefaced by the name of the author. The New Testament 
 abounds with citations from the Proverbs. Its intrinsic excellence commends it to us as 
 the production of a higher authority than the apocryphal writings, such as Wisdom or 
 Ecclesiasticus. Solomon lived 500 years before the " seven wise men " of Greece, and 
 700 before the age of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. It is thus very evident, whatever 
 theory of his sources of knowledge be adopted, that he did not draw upon any heathen 
 repositories with which we are acquainted. It is far more probable, that by the various 
 migrations, captivities, and dispersions of the Jews, heathen philosophers drew from this 
 inspired fountain many of those streams which continue to refresh mankind amidst the 
 otherwise barren and parched deserts of profane literature. 
 
 As, however, the Psalms are ascribed to David, because he was the leading author, so 
 the ascription of this book to Solomon -is entirely consistent with the titles of chs. xxx. 
 and xxxi., which assign those chs. to Agur and Lemuel respectively. Of these persons 
 we know nothing. This is not the place for discussing the various speculations respecting 
 them. By a slight change of reading some propose to translate ch. xxx. 1 : ' The words 
 of Agur, the son of her who was obeyed (^. e., the Queen of Massa);' and ch. xxxi. 1 : 
 ' The words of Lemuel, king of Massa.' But to this the earliest versions are contra- 
 dictory; and nothing other than the strongest exegetical necessity ought to be allowed to 
 justify a departure from a well-established reading and version, when nothing useful to our 
 knowledge is gained. It is better to confess ignorance than indulge in useless conjectures. 
 
 It is probable that out of the "three thousand proverbs" (1 Ki. iv. 32) which 
 Solomon spoke, he selected and edited chs. i.-xxiv. during his life. Chs. xxv.-xxix. were 
 also of his production, and copied out in the days of Hezekiah by his "men" — perhaps 
 the prophets Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah. Such a work was evidently in the spirit of this 
 pious monarch, who set his heart so fully on a reformation of God's worship. Learned 
 men have endeavoured to establish the theory that Solomon himself was only a collector, 
 or that the other parts of the book, as these chapters, were also selections by later hands ; 
 but the reasons adduced to maintain these views have never appeared so satisfactory as to 
 change the usual opinions on the subject, which have the sanction of the most ancient 
 and reliable authorities. 
 
 III. — Divisions op the Book. — Such a work is, of course, not susceptible of any 
 logical analysis. There are, however, some well-defined marks of division, so that very 
 generally the book is divided into five or six parts. 
 
 L The first contains nine chapters, in which are discussed and enforced, by illustra- 
 tion, admonition, and encouragement, the principles and blessings of wisdom, and the 
 pernicious schemes and practices of sinful persons. These chapters are introductory. 
 With few specimens of the proper proverb, they are distinguished by its conciseness and 
 terseness. The sentences follow very strictly the form of parallelism, and generally, of 
 the synonymous species, only forty of the synthetic and four (ch. iii. 32-3-5) of the 
 antithetic, appearing. The style is ornate, the figures bolder and fuller, and the illustra- 
 tions more striking and extended. 
 
 2. The antithetic and synthetic parallelism, to the exclusion of the synonymous, 
 distinguish chs. x.-xxii. 16 ; and the verses are entirely unconnected, each containing a 
 complete sense of itself. 
 
 3. Chs. xxii. 16-xxiv. present a series of admonitions, as if addressed to a pupil, and 
 generally each topic occupies two or more verses. 
 
 4. Chs. xxv.-xxix. are entitled to be regarded as a distinct portion, for the reason above 
 given as to its origin. The style is very much mixed ; of the peculiarities, cf. parts 2 and 3. 
 
 5. Ch. xxx, is peculiar, not only for its authorship, but as a specimen of the kind of 
 proverb which has been described as "dark sayings," or "riddles." 
 
 6. To a few pregnant but concise admonitions, suitable for a king, is added a most 
 nimitable portraiture of female character. In both parts 5 and G the distinctive pecu- 
 iarity of the original proverbial style gives place to the modifications already mentioned, 
 
xvi 
 
 INTRODUCTION TO THE POETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 as markiug a later composition, tlioiigli both retain the concise and nervous method of 
 stating truth, eqiially valuable for its deep impression and permanent retention hy the 
 memory. 
 
 ECCLESI ASTES; 
 (OR, THE rREACHER), THE GREEK TITLE IN THE LXX. 
 
 The Hebrew title is Koheleth, which the speaker in it applies to himself (ch. i. 12), 
 "I, Koheleth, was king over Israel." It means an Assembler or Convener of a meeting, 
 and a Preacher to such a meeting. The feminine form of the Hebrew noun, and its con- 
 struction once (ch. vii. 27) with a feminine verb, show that it not only signifies Solomon, 
 the Preacher to assemblies (in which case it is construed with the verb or noun mascu- 
 line), but also Divine ivisdom (feminine in Hebrew) speaking by the mouth of the inspired 
 king. In six cases out of seven it is construed with the masculine. Solomon was 
 endowed with inspired wisdom (1 Ki. iii. 5-14; vi. 11, 12; ix. 1, &c. ; xi. 9-11), 
 specially fitting him for the task. The Orientals delight in such meetings for grave 
 discourse. Thus the Arabs formerly had an assembly yearly, at Ocadh, for hearing and 
 reciting poems. "The Preacher taught the people knowledge," probably viva voce; 
 1 Ki. iv. 34 ; x. 2, 8, 24 ; 2 Chr. ix. 1, 7, 23, plainly refer to a somewhat public divan 
 met for literary discussion. So "spake," thrice repeated (1 Ki. iv. 32, 33), refer not to 
 written compositions, but to addresses spohen in assemblies convened for the purpose. 
 The Holy Ghost, no doubt, signifies also by the term, that Solomon's doctrine is intended 
 for the " great congregation," the Church of all places and ages (Ps. xxii. 25 ; xlix. 2-4. 
 
 Solomon was jolainly the author (chs. i. 12, 16; ii. 15; xii. 9). That the Eabbins 
 attribute it to Isaiah or Hezekiah is explicable by supposing that one or the other 
 inserted it in the canon. Tlie difference of its style, as compared with Proverbs and 
 Song of Solomon, is due to the difference of subjects, and the different period of his life 
 in which each was written : the Song, in the fervour of his first love to God ; Proverbs, 
 about the same time, or somewhat later ; but Ecclesiastes in late old age, as the seal and 
 testimony of repentance of his apostasy in the intervening period (Ps. Ixxxix. 30, 33), 
 proves his penitence. The substitution of the title Koheleth for Solomon (that is ijeace)^ 
 may imply that, having troubled Israel, meantime he forfeited his name of peace, (1 Ki. 
 xi. 14, 23); but now, having repented, he wishes to be henceforth a Preacher of righ- 
 teousness. The alleged foreign expressions in the Hebrew may have been easily imported, 
 through the great intercourse there was with other nations during his long reign. More- 
 over, supposed Chaldaisms may be fragments preserved from the common tongue, of 
 which Hebrew, Syriac, Chalclce, and Arabic were offshoots. 
 
 The Scope of Ecclesiastes is to contrast the vanity of all mere human pursuits, when 
 made the chief end, as contrasted with the real blessedness of true luisdom — i. e., religion. 
 The immoitality of the soul is dwelt on incidentally, as subsidiary to the main scope. 
 Moses' law took this truth for granted, but drew its sanctions of rewards and punish- 
 ments, in accordance with the theocracy, which was under a special providence of God as 
 the temporal King of Israel, from the p)resent life, rather than the future. But after that 
 Israel chose an earthly king, God withdrew, in part, his extraordinary providence, so that 
 under Solomon temporal rewards did not invariably follow virtue, and punishments vice, 
 (cf chs. ii. IG ; iii. 19 ; iv. 1 ; v. 8 ; vii. 15 ; viii. 14 ; ix. 2, 11). Hence the need arises 
 to show that these anomalies will be rectified hereafter; and this is the grand "con- 
 clusion," therefore, of the "whole" book, that, seeing there is a coming judgment, and 
 seeing that present goods do not satisfy the soul, "man's whole duty is to fear God and 
 keep his comTiiandments" (ch. xii. 13, 14), and meanwhile, to use, in joyful and serene 
 sobriety, and not abuse, the present life (ch. iii. 12, 13). 
 
 It is objected that sensual epicurism s(!ems to be inculcited (ch. iii. 12, 13, 22, ^'c); 
 but it is a contented, thankful enjoyment of God's present gifts that is taught, as opposed 
 to a murmuring, anxious, avaricious spirit, as is proved by ch. v. 18, cf with 11-15, not 
 making them the cJiief end of life; not the joy of levity and folly; a misunderstanding 
 which he guards against in chs. vii. 2-G ; xi. 9; xii. 1. Again, chs. vii. IG; ix. 2-10, 
 
THE SONG OP SOLOMON. 
 
 xvii 
 
 raiglit seem to teach fatalism and scepticism. But these are words put in the mouth of 
 an'objector, or rather, were the language of Solomon himself during his apostasy, finding 
 an echo in the heart of every sensualist, who wishes to be an unbeliever, and who, there- 
 fore, sees difficulties enough in the world around wherewith to prop up his wilful unbelief 
 The' answer is given chs. vii. 17, 18 ; ix. 11, (fee. ; xi. 1, 6 ; xii. 13. Even if these passages 
 be taken as words of Solomon, they are to be understood as forbidding a self-made " righ- 
 teousness," which tries to constrain God to grant salvation to imaginary good_ works and 
 external strictness, with which it wearies itself; also, that speculation which tries to 
 fathom all God's inscrutable counsels (ch. viii. 17), and that carefulness about the future 
 forbidden in Matt. vi. 25. 
 
 The Chief Good is that, the possession of which makes us happy, to be sought as 
 the end^ for its own sake ; whereas, all other things are but mieans towards it. Philo- 
 sophers who made it the great subject of inquiry restricted it to the present life, treating 
 the eternal as unreal, and only useful to awe the multitude with. But Solomon shows 
 the vanity of all human things (so-called philosophy included) to satisfy the soul, and 
 that heavenly wisdom alone is the chief good. He had taught so when young (Prov. i. 
 20; viii. 1, &c.); so, also, in Song of Solomon, he had spiritualized the subject in an 
 allegory; and now, after having long personally tried the manifold ways in which the 
 worldly seek to reach happiness, he gives the fruit of his experience in old age. 
 
 It is divided into two parts, — chs. i.-vi. 10, showing the vanity of earthly things ; 
 ch. vi. 10, to ch. xii., the excellency of heavenly wisdom. Deviations from strict logical 
 method occur in these divisions, but in the main they are observed. The deviations make 
 it the less stiff and artificial, and the more suited to all capacities. It is in poetiy ; the 
 hemistichal division is mostly observed, but occasionally not so. The choice of epithets, 
 imagery, inverted order of words, ellipses, pamllelism, or, in its absence, similarity of 
 diction, mark versification. 
 
 THE SONG OF SOLOMOK 
 
 The Song of Solomon, called in the Yulgate and LXX., *The Song of Songs,' from the 
 opening words. This title denotes its superior excellence, according to the Hebrew idiom : 
 so holy of holies, equivalent to most holy (Exod. xxix. 37); the heaven of heavens, 
 equivalent to the highest heavens (Deut. x. 14). It is one of the five volumes {megilloth) 
 placed immediately after the Pentateuch in MSS. of the Jewish Scriptures. It is also 
 fourth of the Hagiographa (' Cetubim,' wi^itings), or the third division of the Old 
 Testament, the other two being the Law and the Prophets. The Jewish enumeration 
 of the Cetubim is. Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Canticles, Puth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, 
 Esther, Daniel, Ezra (including Nehemiah), and Chronicles. Its canonicity is certain ; 
 it is found in all Hebrew MSS. of Scripture; also in the Greek LXX.; in the cata- 
 logues of Melito, bishop of Sardis, a.d. 170 (Eusebius, H. E., iv. 26), and of others of 
 the ancient Church. 
 
 Origen and Jerome tell us that the Jews forbade it to be read by any until he was 
 thirty years old. It certainly needs a degree of spiritual maturity to enter aright into 
 the holy mystery of love, which it allegorically sets forth. To such as have attained this 
 maturity, of whatever age they be, the Song of Songs is one of the most edifying of the 
 sacred writings. Rosenmiiller justly says, the sudden transitions of the bride from the 
 court to the grove are inexplicable on the supposition that it describes merely human 
 love. Had it been th»i latter, it would have been positively objectionable, and never 
 would have been inserted in the holy canon. The allusion to "Pharaoh's chariots " (ch. 
 i. 9) has been made a ground for conjecturing that the love of Solomon and Pharaoh's 
 daughter is the subject of the Song. But this passage alludes to a remarkable event in 
 the history of the Old Testament Church — the deliverance from the hosts and chariots 
 of Pharaoh at the Bed Sea. The other allusions are quite opposed to the notion ; 
 the bride is represented at times as a shepherdess (ch. i. 7), "an abomination to the 
 Egyptians" (Gen. xlvi. 34); so also chs. i. 6; iii. 4 ; iv. 8 ; v. 7, are at variance with it. 
 The Christian Fathers, Origen and Theodoret compared the teaching of Solomon to a 
 
Xviii INTRODUCTION TO THE POETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 ladder with three stej)s : Ecclesiastes, natural (the nature of sensible things, vain); 
 Proverbs, moral ; Canticles, mystical (figuring the union of Christ and the Church). 
 The Jews compared Proverbs to the outer court of Solomon's temple, Ecclesiastes to the 
 holy place, and Canticles to the holy of holies. Understood allegorically, the Song is 
 cleared of all difficulty. ' Shulamith ' (ch. vi. 13), the bride, is thus an ai^propriate 
 name, Daughter of Peace being the feminine of Solomon, equivalent to the Prince of 
 Peace. She by turns is a vinedresser, shepherdess, midnight enquirer, and prince's 
 consort and daughter; and He a suppliant drenched with night-dews, and a king in His 
 palace, in harmony with the various relations of the Church and Christ. As Ecclesiastes 
 sets forth the vanity of love of the creature. Canticles sets forth the fulness of the love 
 which joins believers and the Saviour. The entire economy of salvation, says Harris, 
 aims at restoring to the world the lost spirit of love. God is love, and Christ is the 
 embodiment of the love of God. As the other books of Scripture present severally their 
 own aspects of divine truth, so Canticles furnishes the believer with language of holy 
 love, wherewith his heart can commune with his Lord, and portrays the intensity of 
 Christ's love to him. The affection of love was created in man to be a transcript of the 
 Divine love, and the Song clothes the latter in words. Were it not for this, we should 
 be at a loss for language, having the Divine warrant, wherewith to express, without 
 presumption, the fervour of the love between Christ and us. The image of a bride, a 
 bi-idegroom, and a marriage, to represent this spiritual union, has the sanction of Scrip- 
 ture throughout ; nay, the spiritual union was the original fact m the mind of God ^ of 
 which marriage is the transcript (Isa. liv. 5 ; Ixii. 5; Jer. iii. 1, (fee; Ezek. xvi. and xxiii.; 
 Matt. ix. 15; xxii. 2; xxv. 1, &c.; John iii. 29 ; 2 Cor. xi. 2 ; Eph. v. 23-32, where Paul 
 does not go from the marriage relation to the union of Christ and the Church, as if the 
 former were the first ; but comes down from the latter, as the first and best recognized 
 fact, on which the relation of mariage is based; Pev. xix. 7; xxi. 2; xxii. 17). Above 
 all, the Song seems to correspond to, and form a trilogy with, the 45th and 72d Psalms, 
 which contain the same imagery; just as Ps. xxxvii. answers to Proverbs, and Ps. 
 xxxix. and Ixxiii. to Job. Love to Christ is the strongest, as it is the purest, of human 
 passions, and therefore needs the strongest language to express it: to the pure in heart 
 the phraseology, drawn from the rich imagery of Oriental poetry, will not only appear 
 not indelicate or exaggerated, but even below the reality. A single emblem is a type — 
 the actual rites, incidents, and persons of the old Testament were appointed types of 
 truths afterwards to be revealed. But the allegory is a continued metaphor, in which 
 the circumstances are palpably often purely imagery, whilst the thing signified 
 is altogether real. The clue to the meaning of the Song is not to be looked 
 for in the allegory itself, but in other parts of Scripture. ' It lies in the casket of 
 revelation an exquisite gem, engraved with emblematical characters, with nothing literal 
 thereon to break the consistency of their beauty ' [Bui-roioes). This accounts for the 
 name of God not occurring in it. Whereas in the parable the writer narrates, in the 
 allegory he never does so. The song throughout consists of immediate addresses either of 
 Christ to the soul, or of the soul to Christ. 'The experimental knowledge of Christ's 
 loveliness and the believer's love is the best commentary on the whole of this allegorical 
 Song ' {LeigJiton). Like the curiously wrought Oriental lamps, which do not reveal the 
 beauty of their transparent emblems until lighted up within, so the types and allegories 
 of Scripture, ' the lantern to our path,' need the inner light of the Holy Spirit of Jesus 
 to reveal their significance. The details of the allegory are not to be too minutely 
 pressed. In the Song, with an Oriental profusion of imagery, numbers of lovely sensible 
 o})jects are aggregated, not strictly congruous, but portraying jointly, by their very 
 diversity, the thousand various and seemingly opposite beauties which meet together 
 in Christ. 
 
 The unity of subject throughout, and the recurrence of the same expressions (chs. 
 ii. G, 7; iii. 5; viii. 3, 4; ii. IG, and vi. 3; vii. 10; iii. G; vi. 10; viii. 5), prove the unity 
 of the poem, in oj)position to those who make it consist of a number of se])arate erotic 
 songs. Tlie sudden transitions — e. y., from the midnight knocking at a humble cottage 
 to a glorious d(!Kcri[)tion of the King — accord with the altcTuations in the believer's expe- 
 lience^ However various the divisions assigned be, most commentators have observed 
 
THE SONG OP SOLOMON. 
 
 XIX 
 
 four breaks (whatever more they have imagined), followed by four abrupt beginnings (chs. 
 ii. 7 ; iii. 5; v. 1; viii. 4). Thus there result tive parts, all alike ending in full repose 
 and refreshment. We read (1 Ki. iv. 32) that Solomon's Songs were "a thousand and 
 five^ The odd number j^re, added over the complete thousand^ makes it not unlikely that 
 the " five " refers to the Song of Songs, consisting of five parts. 
 
 It answers to the idyllic poetry of other nations. The Jews explain it of the union 
 of Jehovah and ancient Israel ; the allusions to the temple and the wilderness accord with 
 this; some Christians, of Christ and the Church; others, of Christ and the individual 
 believer. All these are true ; for the Church is one in all ages, the ancient typifying the 
 modern Church, and its history answering to that of each individual soul in it. Jesus 
 'sees all, as if that all were one; loves one, as if that one were all.' ' The time suited 
 the manner of this revelation; because types and allegories belonged to the old dispensa- 
 tion, which reached its ripeness under Solomon, when the temple was built ' (^Moody 
 Stuart). 'The daughter of Zion at that time was openly married to Jehovah;' for it 
 is thenceforth, that the j^rophets, in reproving Israel's subsequent sin, speak of it as a 
 breach of her marriage covenant. The songs heretofore sung by her were the preparatory 
 hymns of her childhood: 'the last- and crowning " Song of Songs" was prepared for the 
 now mature maiden against the day of her miirriage to the King of kings' {Origen). 
 Solomon was peculiarly fitted to clothe this holy mystery with the lovely natural 
 imagery with which the Song abounds; for "he spake of trees, from the cedar in 
 Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall" (1 Ki. iv. 33). A higher 
 qualification was his knowledge of the eternal Wisdom or Word of God (Pro v. viii.), 
 the heavenly bridegroom. David, his father, had prepared the way in Ps. xlv. and Ixxii.; 
 the son perfected the allegory. It seems to have been written in early life, long before 
 his declension ; for after it a song of holy gladness M^ould hardly be appropriate. It was 
 the song of his first love, in the kindness of his' youthful espousals to Jehovah. Like 
 other inspired books, its sense is not to be restricted to that local and temporary one in 
 Avhich the writer may have understood it. It extends to all ages, and shadow^s forth 
 everlasting truth (1 Pet. i 11, 12; 2 Pet. i. 20, 21). 
 
 'Oh that I knew how all thy lights combine, and the configurations of their glorie, 
 Seeing not only how each verse doth shine, but all the constellations of tlie storie." — Herbert. 
 
 Three notes of time occur : 1. The Jewish Church speaks of the Gentile Church 
 (ch. viii. 8), towards the end ; 2. Christ speaks to the apostles (ch. v. 1), in the middle; 
 3. The Church speaks of the coming of Christ (ch. i. 2), at the beginning. Thus we 
 have, in direct order, Christ about to come, and the cry for the advent; Christ finishing 
 his work on earth, and the last supper; Christ ascended, and the call of the Gentiles. In 
 another aspect, we have — 1. In the individual soul the longing for the manifestation of 
 Christ to it, and the various alternations in its experience (chs. i. 2, 4 ; ii. 8; iii. 1, 4, 6, 
 7) of His manifestation. 2. The abundant enjoyment of His sensible consolations, which 
 is soon withdrawn through the bride's carelessness (ch. v. 1-3, &c.), and her longings after 
 Him, and reconciliation (chs. v. 8-16; vi. 3, &c. ; vii. 1, &c.); 3. Effects of Christ's 
 manifestation on the believer, — viz., assurance, labours of love, anxiety for the salvation 
 of tlie impenitent, eagerness for th^ Lord's second coming (chs. vii. 10, 12; viii. 
 8-10, 14), 
 
INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 THE SECOND DIVISION OF SCRIPTURE; the others being the Law and 
 Hagiographa. It included Joshua, Judges, 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, 
 called the former 'pro'pliets'y and Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, tfcc, to Malachi, the latter "pro- 
 phets. Daniel is excluded ; because, though highly endowed w^ith prophetic gifts, he luid 
 not filled the lorophetic office : his book is therefore classed with the Hagiograplia. Ezra 
 probably commenced, and others subsequently completed, the arrangement of the canon. 
 The prophets were not mere predictors. Their Hebrew name, Nahi, comes from a root 
 to hoil up as a fountain; hence the fervour of inspiration (2 Pet. i. 21); others interpret 
 it as from an Arabic root (Exod. iv. 16), spokesman of God, the Holy Ghost supplying 
 him with words; communicated by dreams (Joel ii. 28; Job xxxiii. 14-17), (no instance 
 of this occurs in Isaiah) ; or visions, the scene being made to pass before their mind (Isa. 
 i. 1); or trance, ecstas?/ (Num. xxiv. 4, 16; Ezek. i. 3; iii. 14); not depriving them, 
 however, of free conscious agency (Jer. xx. 7, 9 ; 1 Cor. xiv. 32). 
 
 These peculiar forms of inspiration distinguish 2)rophets, strictly so called, from Moses 
 and others, though inspired (Num. xii. 6-8). Hence their name seers. Hence, too, the 
 poetical cast of their style, though less restricted, owing to their practical tendency, by 
 the outward forms observed in strictly poetical books. Hence, too, the union of music 
 with prophesying (1 Sam. x. 5). This ecstatic state, though exalted, is not the highest ; 
 for Jesus Christ w^as never in it, nor Moses. It w^as rendered necessary by the frailty of 
 the prophets and the spiritual obtuseness of the people. It, accordingly, predominates 
 in the Old Testament, but is subordinate in the New Testament, where the Holy Ghost, 
 by the fulness of His ordinary gifts, renders the extraordinary less necessary. After the 
 time of the Mosaic economy, the idea of a prophet was regularly connected with the 
 prophetic office, — not conferred by men, but by God. In this they differ from mystics, 
 whose pretended inspiration is for themselves. Prophetism is 2^ractical, not dreamy and 
 secluded : the proi)hets' inspiration is theirs only as God's messengers to the people. His 
 ordinary servants and regular teachers of the people w^ere the priests; the prophets, dis- 
 tinguished from them by inspiration, were designed to rouse and excite. In Israel, how^- 
 ever, as distinguished from Judah, as there was no true ])riesthood, the prophets were the 
 rerjular and only ministers of God. Prophecy in Israel needed to be supported more 
 ])owerfully : therefore, the " schools " were more established, and more striking prophetic 
 deeds {e.g., Elijah's and Elisha's) are recorded, than in Judah. The law was their basis 
 (Isa. viii. 16, 20); both its form and spirit (Deut, iv. 2 ; xiii. 1-3). At times they looked 
 forward to a day when its ever-living spirit would break its then imperfect form for a 
 freer and more perfect development (Jer. iii. 16 ; xxxi. 31); but they altered not a tittle 
 in their own days. Eichorn well calls Moses' song (Deut. xxxii.) the Magna Charta of 
 proi)hecy. The fulfilment of tlieir predictions was to be the sign of their being real 
 prophets of God (Deut, xviii. 22). Also, their speaking in the name of no other but tlie 
 true God (Deut. xviii. 20). Prophecy was the only sanctioned indulgence of the craving 
 after knowledge of future events which is so prevalent in the East (Deut. xviii. 10, 11). 
 For a momentary insi)iration, the mere beginning of spiritual life sufficed, as in Balaam's 
 case ; but for a continuous mission, the pro})liet must be converted (Isa. vi. 7). In 
 Samuel's days (1 Sam. x. 8; xix. 20) b(>gin tlie prophetic "schools." These were 
 associations of men, more or less endowed with the Spirit, in which the feebler were helped 
 by those of greater si)iritual powers : so at Beth-el and Gilgal (2 Ki. ii. 3 ; iv. 38 ; 
 vi. 21). Only the leaders stood in immediate communion with God, whilst the rest 
 were joined to Him through their mediation (1 Ki. xix. 15 ; 2 Ki. viii. 13); the 
 former acted through the latter as their instruments (1 Ki. xix. 16; 2 Ki. ix. 1, 2). 
 Tlio bestowal of prophetic gifts was not, however, limited to these schools (Amos vii. 
 14, 15). 
 
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. Xxi 
 
 As to Symbolic Actions, many of them are not actual, but only parts of the \)io- 
 phetic visions ; internal, not external facts, being impossible or indecent (Jer. xiii. l-.dO ; 
 XXV. 12-38; Hosea i. 2-11), Still, the internal actions, when possible and proper, were 
 often expressed externally (1 Ki. xxii. 11). Those purely internal express the subject 
 more strikingly than a naked statement could. 
 
 Other Criteria of a true prophet, besides the two above, were, the accordance of his 
 addresses with the laio; his not j^romising prosioerity ivithout repentance ; his own assurance 
 of his Divine mission {sometimes Yeceiyed reluctantl}^, Jer. xx. 8, 9), Jer. xxvi. 12, pro- 
 ducing that inward assui-ance of the truth in others, which is to them a stronger proof from 
 the Spirit of God than even outward miracles and arguments: his pious life, fortitude in 
 suffering, and freedom from fanaticism, confirm these criteria. Miracles, though proofs, 
 are not to be trusted without the negative criteria (Deut. xiii. 2). Predictions fulfilled 
 in the prophet's lifetime established his authority thenceforth, (1 Sam. iii. 19; Jer. xxii. 
 11, 12 , Ezek. xii. 12, 13 ; xxiv.) 
 
 As to their Promulgation, it was usually oral, before the assembled people, and 
 afterwards revised in writing. The second part of Isaiah, and Ezekiel xl.-xlviii., were 
 probably not given orally, but in writing. Before Isaiah's and his contemporaries' time 
 jDrophecies were not icritten, as not being intended for universal use. Bub now a larger 
 field was opened. To the worldly power of heathen nations, which threatened to destroy 
 the theocracy, is henceforth opposed the kingdom of God, about to conquer all through 
 Messiah, whose coming concerns all ages. The lesser prophets give the quintessence of the 
 pro2)hecies of their respective authors. An instance of the mode of collecting and publish- 
 ing prophecies occurs, Jer. xxxvi. 4-14. Those of the later prophets rest on those of the 
 earlier (Zech. i. 4 ; vii. 7, 12). Ewald fancies that a great number of proj^hetic rolls have 
 been lost. But the fact of the prophets often alluding to writings which we have, and 
 never to those which it can be proved we have not, makes it likely that we have all those 
 predictions which were committed to writing : the care bestowed on them as divine, and 
 the exact knowledge of them long after (Jer. xxvi. 18, 19), confirm this view. 
 
 The Arrangement is chronological; but as the twelve lesser prophets are regarded 
 as one work, and the three last of them lived later than Jeremiah and Ezekiel, the former 
 are put after the latter. The lesser prophets are arranged chronologically, except Hosea, 
 who, being the largest, is placed first, though some were earlier than he : also Jonah, who 
 seems to have been the earliest of the latter prophets. 
 
 As to THE Messiah, no single prophet gives a complete view of Him : this is made 
 up of the various aspects of Him in different prophecies combined ; just as His life in the 
 Gospels is one under a fourfold aspect. In the first part of Isaiah, addressed to the whole 
 people, the prominent idea is His triumph as King, the design being there to remove 
 their fears of the surrounding nations ; in the second, addressed to the elect remnant. He 
 is exhibited as Prophet and Priest, Himself being the sacrifice. 
 
 THE BOOK OF THE PKOPHET ISAIAH. 
 
 Isaiah, son of Anioz (not Amos), contemporary of Jonali, Amos, Hosea, in Israel, but 
 younger than they ; and of Micah, in Judah. His call to a higher degree of the 
 prophetic office (ch. vi.) is assigned to the last year of Uzziah — i.e., 754 B.C. The 
 chapters i.-v. belong to the closing years of that reign, not, as some think, to Jotham's 
 reign. In the reign of tlie latter he seems to have exercised his office only orally, and 
 not to have left any record of his prophecies, because they were not intended for all ages. 
 Clis i.-v. and vi. are all that was designed for the Church universal of the prophecies of 
 the first twenty years of his office. New historical epochs, such as occurred in the reigns 
 of Ahaz and Hezekiah, when the affairs of Israel became interwoven with those of 
 the Asiatic empires, are marked by prophetic writings. The prophets had now to 
 interpret the judgments of the Lord, so as to make the people conscious of His 
 punitive justice, as also His mercy. Chs, vii,-x. 4, belong to the reign of Ahaz, Chs. 
 xxxvi. -xxxix. are historical, reaching to the fifteenth year of Hezekiah; probably chs. 
 x.-xii,, and all from ch. xiii. to xxvi., inclusive, belong to the same reign, the historical 
 
XXil 
 
 INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 section being appended, to facilitate the riglit understanding of these prophecies : thus we 
 have Isaiah's office extending from about 760 to 713 B.C. — forty-seven years. Tradition 
 (Talmud) represents him as having been sawn asunder by Manasseh with a wooden saw ! 
 for having said that he had seen JehoA'ah (Exod. xxxiii. 20 ; 2 Kings xxi. 16; Heb. xi. 
 '67). 2 Chr. xxxii. 32 Beems to imply that Isaiah survived Hezekiah, but "first and 
 last " is not added, as in 2 Chr. xxvi. 22, which makes it possible that his history of 
 Hezekiah was only carried up to a certain point. The second part (chs. xl.-lxvi.) 
 containing complaints of gross idolatry, needs not to be restricted to Manassch's reign, 
 but is applicable to previous reigns. At the accession of Manasseh he would be eighty- 
 four; and if he pro])hesied for eight years afterwards, he must have endured martyrdom 
 at ninety-two : so Hosea prophesied for sixty years. And Eastern tradition reports that 
 he lived to 120. The conclusive argument against the tradition is that, according to the 
 inscription, all Isaiah's prophecies are included in the time from Uzziah to Hezekiah, and 
 the internal evidence accords with this. 
 
 His Wife is called the prophetess — i. 6., endowed, as JMiriam, with a prophetic gift. 
 
 His Children were considered by him as not belonging merely to liimself In 
 their names, Shear-jashub, 'the remnant shall return,' and Mahar-shalal-hash-baz, 
 ' speeding to the spoil, he hasteth to the prey,' the two chief points of his prophecies, are 
 intimated to the people — the judgments of the Lord on the people and the Avoiid, and 
 yet His mercy to the elect. 
 
 His Garment of sackcloth (ch. xx. 2), too, was a silent preaching by fact; he 
 appears as the embodiment of that repentance which he taught. 
 
 His Historical Works. — History, as written by the prophets, is retroverted 
 prophecy. As the past and future alike proceed from the essence of God, an inspired 
 insight into the past implies an insight into the future, and nice versd. Hence most of the 
 Old Testament histories were written by prophets, and are classed with their writings : 
 the Chronicles being not so classed, cannot have been written by them, but are taken ' 
 from historical monograpliies of theirs — e. g , Isaiah's life of Uzziah (2 Chr. xxvi. 22), 
 also of Hezekiah (2 Chr. xxxii. 32). Of these latter all that was important for all ages 
 has been preserved to us, whilst the rest, which was local and temporary, has been lost. 
 
 The Inscription (ch. i. 1) applies to the whole book, and implies that Isaiah is the 
 author of the second part (chs. xl.-lxvi.) as well as of the first. Kor do the words, 
 concerning Jiidah and Jerusalem," oppose the idea that the inscri})tion applies to the 
 whole ; for whatever he says against other nations, he says on account of their relation 
 to Judah. So the inscripti<m of Amos, " concerning /sraeZ," though several prophecies 
 follow against foreign nations. Ewald maintains that chs. xl.-lxvi., though spurious, 
 were subjoined to the previous portion in order to preserve the former. But it is untrue 
 that the first portion is unconnected with those chapters. The former ends with the 
 Babylonian exile (ch. xxxix. 6), the latter begins with the coming redemption from it. 
 The portion chs. xl.-xlvi. has no heading of its own— a proof that it is ch)sely connected 
 with what precedes, and falls under the general heading in ch. i. 1. Josephus, 'Anti- 
 quities,' xi. 1, sec. 1, 2, says that Cyrus was induced by the prophecies of Isaiah (ch. xliv. 
 38; xlv. 1, 13) to aid the Jews in returning and rebuilding the temple. Ezra i. confirms 
 this. Cyrus in his edict there plainly refers to the ])ro])hecies in the second portion, 
 which assign the kingdoms to him from Jehovah, and the duty of rebuilding the tem[)le. 
 I'robably he took from them his historical name, Cyras {Coresh). Moreover, subsequent 
 prophets riiiitate this second portion, which Ewald assigns to later times — e. g., cf Jer. 1. 
 51 with Isaiah's predictions against Babylon. " Tiie Holy One of Israel," occuri'ing but 
 three times elsewhere in the Old Testament, is a favourite cxjjression in the second, as in 
 the first portion of Isaiah: it expresses God's covenant faithfulness in fulfilling the 
 ])romises therein. Jeremiah borrows the expression from him. Also Eccl. xlviii. 22-2-5 
 ("comforted") quotes ch. xl. I as Isaiah's. Luke iv. 17 quotes ch. Ixi. 1, 2 as Isaiah's, 
 and as read as such by Jesus Christ in the synagogue. 
 
 The Uefiniteness of the ])ro})hecies is striking. As in the second portion of Isaiah, 
 is in Micah iv. 8-10, the Huhjlonian exile, and the deliverance from it, are foretold 150 
 years before any hostilities had arisen between Babylon and Judah. On the other hand, 
 all the prophets who foretell the Assyrian invasion, coincide in stating that Judah should 
 
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 
 
 XXIU 
 
 bo delivered from it, not by Egyptian aid, but directly by the Lord. Again, Jeremiah, 
 in the height of the Chaldean prosperity, foretold its conquest by the Medes, who shonld 
 enter Babylon through the dry bed of the Euphrates, on a night of general revelry. 
 No human calculation could have discovered these facts. Eichorn terms these prophecies 
 " veiled historical descriptions," recognizing, in spite of himself, that they are more than 
 general poetical fancies. Isaiah liii. was certainly written ages before the Messiah, yet 
 it minutely portrays His sufferings. These cannot be Jewish inventions, for the Jews 
 looked for a reigning, not a suffering Messiah. 
 
 nationalists are so far right, that the Prophecies are on a general basis, whereby 
 they are distinguished from soothsaying. They rest on the essential idea of God. The 
 prophets, penetrated by this inner knowledge of His character, became conscious of tho 
 eternal laws by which the world is governed ; that sin is man's ruin, and must be 
 followed by judgment; but that God's covenant-mercy to His elect is unchangeable. 
 Without pro])hetism the elect remnant would have decreased, and even God's judgments 
 would have missed their end, by not being recognized as such : they would have been 
 unmeaning, isolated facts. Babylon was in Isaiah's days under Assyria. It had tiied 
 a revolt unsuccessfully ; but the elements of its subsequent success and greatness were 
 then existing. The Holy Ghost enlightened his natural powers to discern this its rise, 
 and his spiritual faculties to foresee its fall — the sure consequence, in God's eternal law, 
 of the pride which Pagan sviccess generates; and also Judah's restoration, as the covenant- 
 people with w^hom God, according to His essential character, would not be wroth for 
 ever. True conversion is the prophet's grand remedy against all evils; in this alone 
 consist his politics. Rebuke, threatening, and promise regularly succeed one another. 
 The idea at the basis of all is in ch. xxvi. 7-9 ; Lev. x. 3 ; Amos iii. 2. 
 
 The Use of the Present and Preterite in prophecy is no proof that the author is 
 later than Isaiah. For seers view the future as present, and indicate what is ideally past, 
 not really past — seeing things in the light of God, who "calls the things that are not, as 
 though they were." Moreover, as in looking from a height on a landscape, hills seem 
 close together which are really wide apart; so iti events foretold, the order, succession, and 
 grouping are presented, but the intervals of time are overlooked. The twie,. however, is 
 sometimes marked (Jer. xxv. 12; Dan. ix. 26). Thus the deliverance from Babylon 
 and that effected by Messiah are in rapid transition grouped together by the law of 
 Prophetic Suggestion, yet no prophet so confounds the two as to make Messiah the 
 leader of Israel from Babylon. To the projohet there was probably no double sense ; but 
 to his spiritual eye the two events, though distinct, lay so near, and were so analogous, 
 that he could not separate them in description without unfaithfulness to the picture 
 presented before him. The more remote and antitypical event, however, — viz., Messiah's 
 coming — is that to which he always hastens, and which ho describes with far more 
 minuteness than he does the nearer type ; e. g., Cyrus, (cf. ch. xlv. 1 with liii.) In 
 some cases he takes his stand in the midst of events between {e. g.) the humiliation of 
 Jesus Christ, which he views as past, and His glorification as yet to come, using the future 
 tense as to the latter (cf. ch. liii. 4-9 with 10-12), Marks of the time of events are given 
 sparingly in the prophets; yet, as to Messiah, definitely enough to create the general 
 expectation of Him at the time that He was in fact born. 
 
 The CiiALD^iSMS alleged against the genuineness of the second portion of Isaiah, 
 are found more in the first and undoubted portion. They occur in all the Old Testament, 
 especially in the poetical parts, which prefer unusual expressions, and are due to the fact 
 that the patriarchs were surrounded by Chaldee-speaking people ; and in Isaiah's time a 
 few Chaldee words had crept in from abroad. 
 
 His Symbols are few and simple, and his poetical images correct ; in the prophets, 
 during and after the exile, the reverse holds good ; Haggai and Malachi are not excep- 
 tions ; for, though void of bold images, their style, unlike Isaiah's, rises little above prose: 
 a clear proof that our Isaiah was long before the exile. 
 
 Of Visions, strictly so called, he has but one, that in ch. vi. : even it is more simple 
 than those in later prophets. But he often gives Signs — i. e., a present fact as pledge of 
 the more distant future; God condescending to the feebleness of man (ch. vii. 14; xxxvii. 
 30; xxxviii. 7). 
 
XXiv INTRODUCTIOX TO THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 The Varieties in his Style do not prove spuriousness, but that he varied his style 
 with his subject. The second portion is not so much addressed to his contemporaries as 
 to the future people of the Lord, the elect remnant, purified by the previous judgments. 
 Hence its tenderness of style, and frequent repetitions (ch. xl. 1); for comforting exhorta- 
 tion uses many words; so also the many epithets added to the name of God, intended as 
 stays whei-eon faith may rest for comfort, so as not to despair. In both portions alike 
 there are peculiarities characteristic of Isaiah ; e.g., " to be called " equivalent to, to he; 
 the repetition of the same words, instead of synonyms, in the parallel members of 
 verses; the interspersing of his prophecies with hymns: "the remnant of olive-trees," 
 (fcc, for the remnant of peojile who have escaped God's judgments. Also cf ch. Ixv; 25 
 with xi. 6. 
 
 The Chronologtcal Arrangement fovours the opinion that Isaiah himself collected 
 his prophecies into the volume ; not Hezekiah's men, as the Tahnud guesses from Prov. 
 sxv. 1. All the portions, the dates of which can be ascertained, stand in the right place, 
 except a few instances, where prophecies of similar contents are placed together : with 
 the termination of the Assyrian invasion (chs. xxxvi-xxxix.) terminated the public life of 
 Isaiah. The second part is his prophetic legacy to the small band of the faithful, analogous 
 to the last speeches of Moses, and of Jesus Christ to His chosen disciples. 
 
 The Expectation of Messiah is so strong in Isaiah that Jerome, ad PauUnum, 
 calls his book, not a prophecy, but t\\Q gospel: "He is not .so much a prophet as an 
 e\'angelist." Messiah was already shadowed forth in Gen. xlix. 10 as the Shiloh or 
 tranquilizer; also Ps. ii., xlv., Ixxii., ex. Isaiah brings it out more definitely; and 
 whereas they dwelt on His kingly office, Isaiah develops most His priestly and prophetic 
 office. Psalm ex. also had set forth His priesthood ; but His kingly, rather than, as 
 Isaiah, His suffering priesthood. The latter is especially dwelt on in the second part, 
 addressed to the faithful elect; whereas the first part, addressed to the ivhole 2^eople, dwells 
 on Messiah's glory — the antidote to the fears which then filled the people, and the 
 assurance that the kingdom of God, then represented by Judali, would not be over- 
 whelmed by the surrounding nations. 
 
 His Style is simple and sublime — in imagery, intermediate between the poverty 
 of Jeremiah and the exuberance of Ezekiel. He shows his command of it in varying it 
 to suit his subject. 
 
 The Form is mostly that of Hebrew poetical parallelism, with, however, a freedom 
 unshackled Ijy undue restrictions. 
 
 JuDAH, the less apostate people, rather than Israel, was the subject of his pro- 
 phecies. His residence was mostly at Jerusalem. Christ and the apostles quote no 
 prophet so frequently. 
 
 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. 
 
 Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah, one of the ordinary priests, dwelling in Anathoth of 
 Benjamin (ch. i. 1); not the Hilkiah the high priest who discovered the book of the 
 law (2 Ki. xxii. 8); had he been the same, the designation Avould have been the 
 l)riest," or ^Hhe high priest." Besides, his i-esidcnce at Anathoth shows that he belonged 
 to the line of Abiathar, who was deposed from the high priesthood by Solomon (1 Ki.^ 
 ii. 2G-3.0) ; after which the ofiice i-emained in Zadok's line. Mention occurs of 
 Joremiali in 2 Chr. xxxv. 25 ; xxxvi. 12, 21. In B.C. G29, the thirteenth year of 
 King Josiah, whilst still very young (ch. i. 5), he received his prophetical call in 
 Anatlioth (ch. i. 2); and along with Hilkiah the high priest, the ])rophetess Huldah, 
 and the prophet Z(.'plianiah, he helped forward Josiah's relormation of religion (2 
 (Ki. xxiii. l-2r>). Among the first cliarges to him was one that he should go and 
 l»roclaim God's message in Jerusalem (cli. ii. 2), He also took an ofiicial tour to 
 announce to the cities of Judah the contents of the book of the law, found in the 
 temple (ch. xi. C), five years aft(;r his call to projjhesy. On his return to Anathoth, 
 his countrymen, offended at Ids reproofs, consi)ired against his life. To escape 
 tlutir persecutions (ch. xi. 21), as well as those of his own family (ch. xii. G), he 
 left Anathoth and resided at Jerusalem. During the eighteen years of his ministry in 
 
THE BOOK OP THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. 
 
 XXV 
 
 J osiali's reign he was unmolested ; also during the three months of Jehoahaz or Shallum's 
 reign (ch. xxii. 10-12). On Jehoiakim's accession it became evident that Josiah's refor- 
 mation efiected nothing more than a forcible repression of idolatry, and the establishment 
 of the worship of God outwardly. The priests, prophets, and people then brought 
 Jeremiah before the authorities, urging that he should be put to death for his denuncia- 
 tions of evil against the city (ch. xxvi. 8-11). The princes, however, especially Ahikam, 
 interposed in his behalf (ch. xxvi. 16-24); but he was put under restraint, or at least deemed 
 it prudent not to appear in public. In the fourth year of Jehoiakim (GOG B.C.) he was 
 commanded to write the predictions given orally through him, and to read them to the 
 jieople. Being '^shut up," he could not himself go into the house of the Lord (ch. xxxvi. 
 5); he therefore deputed Baruch, his amanuensis, to read them in public on the fast-day. 
 The princes thereupon advised Baruch and Jeremiah to hide themselves from the king's 
 displeasure. Meanwhile they read the roll to the king, who was so enraged that he cut 
 it with a knife and threw it into the fire ; at the same time giving orders for the appre- 
 hension of the prophet and Baruch. They escaped Jehoiakim's violence, which had 
 already killed the prophet Urijah (ch. xxvi. 20-2.J). Baruch rewrote the words, with 
 additional prophecies, on another roll (ch. xxxvi. 27-32). In the three months' reign of 
 Jehoiachin or Jeconiah, he prophesied the carrying away of the kiug and the queen- 
 mother (ch. xiii. 18; xxii. 24-30: cf. 2 Ki. xxiv. 12). In this reign he was imprisoned 
 for a short time by Pashur (ch. xx.), the chief governor of the Lord's house ; but at 
 Zedekiah's accession he was free (ch. xxxvii. 4), for the king sent to him to " enquire of 
 the Lord," when Nebuchadrezzar came up against Jerusalem (ch. xxi. 1-3, &c.; xxxvii. 
 3). The Chaldeans drew off on hearing of the approach of Pharaoh's army (ch. xxxvii. 
 5); but Jeremiah warned the king that the Egyptians would forsake him, and the 
 Chaldeans return and burn up the city (ch. xxxvii. 7, 8). The princes, irritated at this, 
 made the departure of Jeremiah from the city during the respite a pretext for imprison- 
 ing him, on the allegation of his deserting to the Chaldeans (ch. xxxviii. 1-5). He 
 would have been left to perish in the dungeon of Malchiah, but for the intercession 
 of Ebed-melech, the Ethiopian (ch. xxxviii. 6-13). Zedekiah, though he consulted 
 Jeremiah in secret, yet was induced by his princes to leave Jeremiah in prison (ch. 
 xxxviii. 14-28), until Jerusalem was taken. Nebuchadrezzar directed his captain, 
 Nebuzaradan, to give him his freedom, so that he might either go to Babylon, or stay 
 with the remnant of his people, as he chose. As a true patriot, notwithstanding the 
 forty and a-half years during which his country had repaid his services with neglect and 
 persecution, he stayed with Gedaliah, the ruler appointed by Nebuchadnezzar over Judea 
 (ch. xl. 6). After the murder of Gedaliah by Ishmael, Johanan, the recognized ruler of 
 the people, in fear of the Chaldeans avenging the murder of Gedaliah, fled with the 
 people to Egypt, and forced Jeremiah and Baruch to accompany him, in spite of the 
 prophet's warning, that the people should perish if they went to Egypt, but be preserved 
 by remaining in their land, (chs. xli., xlii., and xliii.) At Tahpanhes, a boundary city on 
 the Tanitic or Pelusian branch of the Nile, he prophesied the overthrow of Egypt (ch. 
 xliii. 8-13). Tradition says he died in Egypt. According to the Pseudo-Epiphanius, he 
 was .stoned at Taphnre or Tahpanhes. The Jews so venerated him that they believed he 
 would rise from the dead and be the forerunner of Messiah (Matt. xvi. 14). 
 
 IIaver7iick observes, that the combination of features in Jeremiah's character proves 
 liis Divine mission : mild, timid, and susceptible of melancholy, yet intrepid in the dis- 
 charge of his prophetic functions, not s])aring the prince any more than the meanest of his 
 subjects — the Spirit of prophecy controlling his natural temper, and qualifying him for 
 his hazardous undertaking, without doing violence to his individuality. Zephaniah, 
 Habakkuk, Daniel, and Ezekiel, were his contemporaries. The last form^s a good con- 
 trast to Jeremiah — the Spirit, in his case, acting on a temperament as strongly marked 
 by firmness, as Jeremiah's was by shrinking and delicate sensitiveness. Ezekiel views 
 the nation's sins as opposed to righteousness; Jeremiah, as productive of misery: the 
 former takes the objective, the latter the subjective view of the evils of the times. 
 Jeremiah's style corresponds to his character. He is peculiarly marked by pathos, and 
 sympathy with the wretched ; his Lamentations illustrate this ; the whole series of 
 elegies has but one object — to express sorrow for his fallen country ; yet the lights and 
 
xxvi 
 
 INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 images in which he presents this are so many, that the reader, so far from feeling it 
 monotonous, is charmed with the variety of the plaintive strains throughout. The 
 language is marked by Aramseisms, which, probably, was the ground of Jerome's charge, 
 that the style is " rustic." Lowth denies the charge, and considers him in portions not 
 inferior to Isaiah. His heaping of phrase on phrase, the repetition of stereotyped forms — 
 and these often three times — are due to his affected feelings, and to his desire to intensify 
 the expression of them : he is at times more concise, energetic, and sublime, especially 
 against foreign nations, and in the rhythmical parts. 
 
 The 23i'inci2)le of the arrangement of his prophecies is hard to ascertain. The order of 
 kings was Josiah (under whom he prophecied eighteen years); Jehoahaz (three months) ; 
 Jehoiakim (eleven years) ; Jeconiah (three months); Zedekiah (eleven years). But his 
 prophecies under Josiah (chs. i.-xx.) are immediately followed by a portion under 
 Zedekiah, (ch. xxi.) Again, ch. xxiv. 8-10, as to Zedekiah, comes in the midst of the 
 section as to Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Jeconiah, (chs. xxii., xxiii., xxv., v. 1, &c.) So 
 chs. XXXV., xxxvi., as to Jehoiakim, follow chs. xxvii., xxviii., xxix., xxxiii., xxxiv., as 
 to Zedekiah ; and ch. xlv., dated the fourth year of Jehoiakim, comes after predictions as 
 I to the Jews who fled to Egypt after the overthrow of Jerusalem. Ewald thinks the 
 j present arrangement substantially Jeremiah's own : the various portions are prefaced by 
 the same formula, "The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord" (chs. vii. 1; xi. 1 ; 
 xviii. 1; xxi. 1; xxv. 1; xxx. 1; xxxii. 1; xxxiv. 1, 8; xxxv. 1; xl. 1; xliv. 1: cf 
 chs. xiv. 1; xlvi. 1; xlvii. 1; xlix. 34). Notes of time mark other divisions more or less 
 historical (chs. xxvi. 1; xxvii. 1; xxxvi. 1; xxxvii. 1). Two other portions are distinct of 
 themselves (chs. xxix. 1; xlv. 1). Ch. ii. has the shorter introduction, which marks the 
 beginning of a strophe ; ch. iii. seems imperfect, having as the introduction merely 
 "saying" (Hebrew, ch. iii. 1). Thus, in the poetical parts there are twenty- three 
 sections, divided into strophes of from seven to nine verses, marked someway thus, " The 
 Lord said also unto me." They form five books : I. The Introduction, ch. i. 11. Re- 
 proofs of the Jew^s, chs. ii.-xxiv., made up of seven sections — (1.) chs. ii. ; (2.) iii.-vi. ; (3.) 
 vii.-x. ; (4.) xi.-xiii. ; (5.) xiv.-xvii. ; (6.) xvii.-xix., xx. ; (7.) xxi.-xxiv. III. Review of all 
 nations, in two sections — (1.) chs. xlvi.-xlix. ; (2.) xxv. IV. An historical appendix, in 
 ! three sections — (1.) chs. xxxiv. 1-7 ; (2.) xxxiv. 8-22 ; (3.) xxxv. Y. The conclusion, in 
 two sections — (1.) chs. xxxvi. 2; (2.) xlv. Subsequently, in Egypt, he added ch. xlvi. 13-2G 
 to the [)revious prophecy as to Egypt; also the three sections, chs. xxxvii.-xxxix. ; 
 xl.-xliii., and xliv. Ch. Hi. was probably (see ch. li. 64) an ai)pendix from a later hand, 
 i taken from 2 Ki. xxiv. 18, &c. ; xxv. 30. The prophecies against the several foreign 
 ! nations stand in a different order in the Hebrew from that of the LXX. ; also the pro- 
 j phecies against them in the Hebrew (chs. xlvi.-li.) are in the LXX. placed after ch. 
 I "xxv. 14, forming chs. xxvi.-xxxi, ; the remainder of ch. xxv. of the Hebrew is ch. xxxii. 
 I of the LXX. Some passages in the Hebrew (chs. xxvii. 19-22; xxxiii. 4-26; xxxix. 
 j 4-14; xlviii. 45-47) are not found in the LXX.; the 6^ree/?; translators must have had a 
 different recension before them ; probably an earlier one. The Hebrew is probably the 
 latest and fullest edition from Jeremiah's own hand. See note, ch. xxv. 13. 
 
 The canonicity of his prophecies is established by quotations of them in the New 
 Testament (see Matt. ii. 17 ; xvi, 14; Heb. viii. 8-12 : on Matt, xxvii. 9, see Introduc- 
 tion to Zechariah)) also by the testimony of Ecclus. xlix. 7, which quotes Jer. i. 10 ; of 
 Philo, who quotes his word as an " oracle ;" and of the list of canonical books in Melito, 
 Oriyen, Jerome, and the Talmud. 
 
 THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAH. 
 
 In the Ilebr(;w I3ible these Eh^gics of Jeremiah, five in number, are j)laccd among the 
 Clietuvim, or Holy Writimjs (" the Psalms," tire. ; Luke xxiv. 44), between Ruth and 
 EcclosiastcH. But tliougli in classification of comi)Ositions it belong to the Chetuvim, it 
 j*robably followed the j)roj)h(!cics of Jcremiali originally. For thus alone can we account 
 S >rthe propluitical }K><>ks l)eing enumerated hy Josephus (c. A pioii) i\H t/driee7i : he must 
 have reckoned Jeren)iah and Lamentations as one book, as also Judges and Ruth, tliu 
 
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 
 
 xxvii 
 
 two books of Samnel, &c., Ezra and Neliemiah. The Lamentations naturally follow the 
 book which sets forth the circumstances forming the subject of the Elegies. Similar 
 lamentations occur, 2 Sam. i. 19, &c. ; iii. 33. The Jews read it in their synagogues on 
 the ninth of the month Ab, which is a fost for the destruction of their holy city. As in 
 2 Chr. XXXV. 25, " lamentations " are said to have been " written " by Jeremiah on the 
 death of Josiah ; besides, it having been made " an ordinance in Israel " that " singing 
 women" should "speak" of that king in lamentations; »/ose/?/ms (' Antiquities,' i, 6), 
 Jerome, &c., thought that they are contained in the j^resent collection. But plainly the 
 subject here is the overthrow of the Jewish city and people, as the LXX. expressly state 
 in an introductory verse to their version. The probability is, that there is embodied in 
 these Lamentations much of the language of his original Elegy on Josiah, as 2 Chr. 
 xxxv. 25 states ; but it is now applied to the more universal calamity of the whole state, 
 of which Josiah's sad death was the forerunner. Thus ch. iv. 20, originally applied to 
 Josiah, was " written," in its subsequent reference, not so much of him as of the throne 
 of Judah in general, th^ last representative of which, Zedekiah, had just been carried 
 away. The language, which is true of good Josiah, is too strong in favour of Zedekiah, 
 except when viewed as representative of the crown in general. It was natural to embody 
 the language of the Elegy on Josiah in the more general lamentations, as Ms death was 
 the presage of the last disaster that overthrew the throne and state. 
 
 The title more frequently given by the Jews to these Elegies is " How " (Hebrew, 
 Eechalt), from the first word, as the Pentateuch is similarly called by the first Hebrew 
 word of Genesis i. The LXX. call it " Lamentations," from whom we derive the name. 
 It refers not merely to the events which occurred at the capture of the city, but to the 
 sufferings of the citizens (the penalty of national sin) from the very beginning of the 
 siege; and, perhaps, from before it, under Manasseli and Josiah (2 Chr. xxxiii. 11; 
 xxxv. 20-25); under Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah, (2 Chr. xxxvi. 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 
 11, kc.) Lowth says, 'Every letter is written with a tear, every word the sound of a 
 broken heart.' The style is midway between the simple elevation of prophetic writing, 
 and the loftier rhythm of Moses, David, and Habakkuk. Terse conciseness marks the 
 Hebrew original, notwithstanding Jeremiahs diffuseness in his other writings. The 
 Elegies are grouped in stanzas as they arose in his mind, without any artificial system of 
 arrangement as to the thoughts. The five Elegies are acrostic : each is divided into 
 twenty-two stanzas or verses. In the first three Elegies, the stanzas consist of triplets of 
 lines (excepting Elegy i. 7, and ii. 19, which contain each four lines), each beginning with 
 the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in regular order (twenty-two in mumber). In three 
 instances (Elegy ii. 16, 17; iii. 46-51; iv. 16, 17) two letters are transposed. In the 
 third Elegy, each line of the three forming every stanza begins with the same letter. 
 The stanzas in the fourth and fifth Elegies consist of two lines each. The fifth Elegy, 
 though having twenty-two stanzas (the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet), just 
 as the four first, yet is not alphabetical; and its lines are shorter than those of the others, 
 which are longer than are found in other Hebrew poems, and contain twelve syllables, 
 marked by a csesura about the middle, dividing them into two somewhat unequal parts. 
 The alphabetical arrangement was adopted originally to assist the memory. Grotius 
 thinks the reason for the inversion of two of the Hebrew letters in Elegy ii. 16, 17; iii. 
 46-51; iv. 16, 17, is, that the Chaldeans, like the Arabians, used a dififerent order from 
 the Hebrews. In the first Elegy, Jeremiah speaks as a Hebrew ; in the following ones, 
 as one subject to the Chaldeans. This is doubtful. 
 
 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 
 
 The name means '(whom) God will strengthen' {Gesenius); or, 'God will prevail' 
 (Rosenmiiller). His father was Busi (ch. i. 3), a priest, and he probably exercised the 
 priestly office himself at Jerusalem, previous to his captivity, as appears from the matured 
 priestly character to be seen in his prophecies, — a circumstance which much increased his 
 influence with his captive fellow-countrymen at Babylon. Tradition represents Sarera 
 as the land of his nativity. His call to proj)hecy was in the fifth year from the date of 
 
xxviii 
 
 INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 liifj being carried away with Jehoiachin (see 2 Ki. xxiv. 11-15), by Nebuchadnezzar, 599 
 B.C. The best portions of the people seem to have been among the first carried away 
 (ch. xi. 16; Jer. xxiv. 2-7, 8, 10). The ungodly were willing to do anything to remain 
 in their native land; whereas the godly believed the prophets, and obeyed the first sum- 
 mons to surrender, as the only path of safety. These latter, as adhering to the theocratic 
 principle, were among tlie earliest to be removed by the Chaldeans, who believed that, 
 if they were out of the way, the nation would fall to pieces of itself. They were despised 
 by their brethren in the Holy Land not yet captives, as having no share in the temple 
 sacrifices. Thus Ezekiel's sphere of labour was one happier and less impeded by his 
 countrymen than that of Jeremiah at home. The vicinity of the river Chebar, which 
 flows into the Euphrates near Circesium, was the first scene of his prophecies (ch. i. 1). 
 Tel-abib there (now Thelaba) was his place of residence (ch. iii. 15), whither the elders 
 used to come to enquire as to God's messages through him. They w^ere eager to return 
 to Jerusalem, but he taught them that they must first return to their God. He continued 
 to prophesy for at least twenty-two years — i. e., to the twenty-seventh year of the captivity 
 (ch. xxix. 17) — and probably remained with the captives by the Chebar the rest of his 
 life. A treatise, falsely attributed to Epiphanius, states a tradition that he was killed 
 at Babylon by a prince of his people whom he had reproved for idolatry. 
 
 He was contemj)orary with Jeremiah and Daniel. The former had prophesied for 
 tliirty-four years before Ezekiel, and continued to do so for six or seven years after him. 
 The call of Ezekiel followed the very next year after the communication of Jeremiah's 
 ])redictions to Babylon (Jer. li. 59), and was divinely intended as a sequel to them. 
 Daniel's predictions are mostly later than Ezekiel's, but his piety and wisdom had become 
 proverbial in the early part of Ezekiel's ministry (chs. xiv. 14, 16; xxviii. 3). They much 
 resemble one another, especially in the visions and grotesque images. It is a remarkable 
 proof of genuineness, that in Ezekiel no prophecies against Babylon occur among those 
 directed against the enemies of the covenant people. Probably he desired not to give 
 needless ofience to the government under which he lived. The effect of his labours is to 
 be seen in the im2:)roved character of the people towards the close of the captivity, and | 
 their general cessation from idolatry and return to the law. It was little more than j 
 thirty years after the close of his labours when the decree of the Jews' restoration was i 
 issued. His leading characteristic is realizing, determined energy : this admirably adapted 
 him for opposing the "rebellious house" "of stubborn front and hard heart," and for 
 maintaining the cause of God's Church among his countrymen in a foreign land when 
 the external framework had fallen to pieces. His style is plain and simple. His 
 conceptions are definite, and the details even of the symbolical and enigmatical parts are 
 given with life-like minuteness. The obscurity lies in the substance, not in the form of 
 his communications. The priestly element predominates in his prophecies, arising from 
 his previous training as a priest. He delights to linger about the temple, and to find in 
 its symbolical forms the imagery for conveying his instructions. This was divinely 
 ordered to satisfy the spiritual want felt by the people in the absence of the outward 
 temple and its sacrifices. In his images he is magnificent, though austere and somewhat 
 harsh. He abounds in repetitions, not for ornament, but for force and weight. Poetical 
 parallelism is not found except in a few portions, as chs. vii., xxi., xxvii., xxviii., xxix.- 
 xxxi. His great aim was to stimuhite the dormant minds of the Jews. For this end 
 nothing was better suited than the use of mysterious symbols expressed in the plainest 
 words. The superficial, volatile, and wilfully unbelieving, would thereby be left to 
 judicial blindness (Isa. vi. 10; Matt. xiii. 11-13, &c.); whereas the better disposed would 
 be awakened to a deeper searcli into the things of God by the very obscurity of the 
 symbols. Inattention to this divine purpose has led the modern Jews so to magnify this 
 obscurity as to ordain t]iat no one shall read this book till he has passed his thirtieth 
 year. 
 
 Pabbi Hananias is said to have satisfactorily solved the difficulties (Mischna) which 
 were alleged against its canonicity. Ecclesiasticus xlix. 8 refers to it, and Josephus, 
 'Antiquities,' x. 5, sec. 1. It is mentioned as part of the canon in Melito's catalogue, 
 (Eusehius, ' H. E.,' iv. 26); also in Origen, Jerome, and the Talmud. The oneness of tone 
 throughout, and tlie repetition of favourite expressions, exclude the suspicion that 
 
THE BOOK OF DANIEL. 
 
 xxix 
 
 separate portions are not genuine. The earlier portion (chs, i -xxxii.), which mainly 
 treats of sin and judgment, is a key to interpret the latter portion, which is more hopeful 
 and joyous, but remote in date. Thus a unity and an orderly pi-ogressive character are 
 imparted to the whole. The destruction of Jerusalem is the central point. Previously 
 to this, he calls to repentance, and warns against blind confidence in Egypt (ch. xvii. 15- 
 17: cf. Jer. xxxvii. 7), or other human stay. After it, he consoles the captives by 
 promising them future deliverance and restoration. His prophecies against foreign 
 nations stand between these two great divisions; and were uttered in the interval 
 between the intimation that Nebuchadnezzar was besieging Jerusalem, and the arrival of 
 the news that he had taken it (ch. xxxiii. 21). Havernick marks out nine sections : — 
 1. Ezekiel's call to prophesy, (chs. i.-iii. ; xv.) 2. Symbolical predictions of the 
 destruction of Jerusalem (chs. iii. 16-vii.) 3. A year and two months later, a vision 
 of the temple polluted by Tammuz or Adonis worship ; God's consequent scattering of 
 fire over the city, and forsaking of the temple to reveal Himself to an enquiring people 
 in exile; happier and purer times to follow, (chs. viii.-xi.) 4. Exposure of the particu- 
 lar sins prevalent in the several classes — priests, prophets, and princes, (chs. xii.-xix.) 
 5. A year later, the warning of judgment for national guilt repeated with greater 
 distinctness as the time drew nearer, (chs. xx.-xxiii.) 6. Two years and five months 
 later, the very day on which Ezekiel speaks, is announced as the day of the beginning of 
 the siege: Jerusalem shall be overthrown, (ch. xxiv.) 7. Predictions against foreign 
 nations during the interval of his silence towards his own people: if judgment begins at 
 the house of God, much more will it visit the ungodly world, (chs. xxv. -xxxii.) Some of 
 these were uttered much later than others; but they all began to be given after the fall 
 of Jerusalem. 8. In the twelfth year of the captivity, when the fugitives from 
 Jerusalem (ch. xxxiii. 21) had appeared in Chaldea, he foretells better times, and the 
 re-establishment of Israel, and the triumj^h of God's kingdom on earth over its enemies, 
 Seir, the heathen, and Gog, (chs. xxxiii. -xxxix.) 9. After an interval of thirteen 
 years, the closing vision of the order and beauty of the restored kingdom, (chs. xl.-xlviii.) 
 The particularity of details as to the temple and its offerings, rather discountenances the 
 view of this vision being only symbolical, and not at all literal. The event alone can 
 clear it up. At all events it has not yet been fulfilled : it must be future. Ezekiel was 
 the only prophet (in the strict sense) among the Jews at Babylon. Daniel was rather a 
 seer than a prophet, for the spirit of prophecy was given him, to qualify him, not for a 
 spiritual office, but for disclosing future events. His position in a heathen king's palace 
 fitted him for revelations of the outivard relations of God's kingdom to the kingdoms of 
 the world, so that his book is ranked by the Jews among the Hagiographa, or " Sacred 
 Writings," not among the prophetical Scriptures. On the other hand, Ezekiel was 
 distinctively a prophet, and one who had to do with the inward concerns of the Divine 
 kingdom. As a priest, when sent into exile, his service was but transferred from the 
 visible temple at Jerusalem to the spiritual temple in Chaldea. 
 
 THE BOOK OF DANIEL. 
 
 Daniel, i. e., God is my judge; probably of the blood royal (cf. ch. i. 3 with 1 Chr. iii. 1, 
 y^here a son of David in named so). Jerusalem may have been his birthplace (though 
 ch. ix. 24, " thy holy city," does not necessarily imply this). He was carried to Babylon 
 among the Hebrew captives brought thither by Nebuchadnezzar at the first deportation in 
 the fourth year of Jehoiakim. As he and his three companions are called (ch. i. 4) 
 " children," he cannot have been more than about twelve years old when put in training, 
 according to Eastern etiquette, to be a courtier (ch. i. 3, 6). He then received a new 
 name, by which it was usual to mark a change in one's condition (2 Ki. xxiii. 34; xxiv. 
 17 ; Ezra v. 14; Esth. ii. 7) — Belteshazzar, i. e., a prince favoured by Bel. His piety 
 and wisdom were proverbial among his countrymen at an early period, probably owing 
 to that noble proof he gave of faithfulness, combined with wisdom, in abstaining from 
 the food sent to him from the king's table, as being polluted by the idolatries usual at 
 lieathen banquets (ch. i. 8-16). Hence Ezekiel's reference to him (Ezek. xiv. 14, 20; 
 
XXX INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 xxviii. 3) is precisely of that kind we should expect — a coincidence which must be 
 undesigned. Ezekiel refers to him not as a writer, but as exhibiting a character 
 righteous and wise in discerning secrets, in those circumstances now found in his book, 
 which are earlier than the time when Ezekiel wrote. As Joseph rose in Egypt by 
 interpreting Pharaoh's dreams, so Daniel, by interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's, was pro- 
 moted to be governor of Babylonia, and president of the Magian priest-caste. Under 
 Evil-merodach, Nebuchadnezzar's successor, as a change officers often attends the 
 accession of a new king, Daniel seems to have had a lower post, which led him occasion- 
 ally to be away from Babylon (ch. viii. 2, 27). Again he came into note when he read 
 the mystic writing of Bekhazzar's doom on the wall on the night of that monarch's 
 impious feast. Berossus calls the last Babylonian king Naboneddus, and says he was 
 not killed, but had an. honourable abode in Carmania assigned to him, after having 
 surrendered voluntarily in Borsippa. Rawlinson has cleared up the discrepancy from 
 the Nineveh inscriptions. Belshazzar was joint-king with his fiither, Evil-merodach, or 
 Naboneddus (called Minus in the inscriptions), to whom he was subordinate. He shut 
 himself up in Babylon, whilst the other king took refuge elsewhere — viz., in Borsippa. 
 Berossus gives the Chaldean account, which suppresses all about Belshazzar, as being to 
 the national dishonour. Had Daniel been a late book, he would no doubt have taken up 
 the later account of Berossus. If he gave a history different from that current in 
 Babylonia the Jews of that region would not have received it as true. Darius the 
 Mede, or Cyaxares II., succeeded, and reigned two years. The mention of this monarch's 
 reign — almost unknown to profane history — being eclipsed by the splendour of Cyrus, is 
 an incidental proof that Daniel wrote as a contemporary historian of events which he 
 knew, and did not borrow from others. In the third year of Cyrus he saw the visions 
 (chs. x.-xii.) relating to his people down to the latest days, and the coming resurrection. 
 He must have been about eighty-four years old at this time. Tradition represents 
 Daniel as having died and been buried at Shushan. Though his advanced age did not 
 allow him to be among those who returned to Palestine, yet he never ceased to have his 
 people's interests nearest to his heart (chs, ix. and x. 12). 
 
 Authenticity of the Book of Daniel. — Ch. vii. 1, 28; viii. 2; ix. 2; x. 1, 2 ; 
 xii. 4, 5, testify that it was composed by Daniel himself He does not mention himself 
 in the first six chapters, which are historical ; for in these it is not the author, but the 
 events which are the prominent point. In the last six, which are prophetical, the author 
 makes himself known ; for here it was needed, prophecy being a revelation of words to 
 particular men. It holds a third rank in the Hebrew canon, not among the prophets, 
 but in the Hagiographa (Chetubim), between Esther and Ezra — books, like it, relating to 
 the captivity — because he did not strictly belong to those who held exclusively the 
 profession of "prophets" in the theocracy, but was rather a "seer," having the gift, but 
 not the office of prophet. Were the book an interpolated one, it would have been 
 doubtless placed among the prophets. Its present position is a proof of its genuineness, 
 as it was deliberately put in a position different from that where most would expect to 
 find it. Placed between Esther and Ezra and Nehemiah, it separated the historical 
 books of the time after the captivity. Thus Daniel was, as Bengel calls him, the poli- 
 tician, chronologer, and historian among the prophets. The Psalms, also, though many 
 are prophetical, are ranked with the Hagiographa, not with the prophets; and the Reve- 
 lation of John is separated from his epistles, as Daniel is from the Old Testament 
 prophets. Instead of writing in the midst of the covenant people, and making them the 
 foreground of his picture, he writes in a heathen court, the world-kingdoms occupying 
 the foreground, and the kingdom of God, though ultimately made the most significant, 
 the background. His peculiar position in the heathen court is reflected in his peculiar 
 position in the canon. As the " prophets " in the Old Testament, so the epistles of the 
 apostles in the New Testament, were written by divinely-commissioned persons for their 
 contemporaries. But Daniel and John were not in immediate contact with the congre- 
 gation, but isolated and alone with God — the one in a heathen court, the other on a 
 lonely isle (Eev. i. 9). Porphyry, the assailant of Christianity in the third century, 
 asserted that the book of Daniel was a forgery of the time of the Maccabees — 170-164 
 B.C. — a time when confessedly there were no prophets, written after the events as to 
 
THE BOOK OF DANIEL. 
 
 ) 
 
 xxxi 
 
 Antiochus Epiplianes, which it professes to foretell, so accurate are the details — a con- 
 clusive proof of Daniel's inspiration, if his prophecies can be shown to have been before 
 the events. Now we know from Joseyhus that the Jews in Christ's days recognized 
 Daniel as in the canon. Zechariah, Ezra, and Nehemiah, centuries before Antiochus, 
 refer to it. Jesus refers to it in His characteristic designation, " Son of man," Matt, 
 xxiv. 30 (Dan. vii. 13), also, expressly by name, and as a "prophet," in Matt. xxiv. 15 
 (cf. Matt. xxiv. 21, with Dan. xii. 1, &c.) and in the moment that decided His life 
 (Matt. xxvi. 64) or death, when the high priest adjured Him by the living God. Also 
 in Luke i. 19-26 "Gabriel" is mentioned, whose name occurs nowhere else in Scripture, 
 save ch. viii. 16; ix. 2L Besides the references to it in Revelation, Paul confirms the 
 prophetical part of it, as to the blasphemous king (Dan. vii. 8, 25; xi. 36), in 1 Cor. vi. 
 2 ; 2 Tlie.ss. ii. 3, 4 ; the narrative part, as to the miraculous deliverances from " the 
 lions and the fire," in Heb. xi. 33, 34. Thus the book is expressly attested by the 
 New Testament on the three points made the stumbling-block of neologists — the predic- 
 tions, the narratives of miracles, and the manifestations of angels. An objection has 
 been started to the unity of the book — viz., that Jesus quotes no part of the first half of 
 Daniel; but Matt. xxi. 44 would be an enigma if it were not a reference to the "stone 
 that smote the image " (Dan. ii. 34, 35, 44, 45). Thii^i the New Testament sanctions chs. 
 ii., iii., vi., vii., and xi. The design of the miracles in the heathen courts where Daniel 
 was, as of those of Moses in Egypt, was to lead the world-power, which seemed to be 
 victorious over the theocracy, to see the essential inner superiority of the seemingly 
 fallen kingdom of God to itself, and to show prostrate Israel that the power of God was 
 the same as of old in Egypt. The first book of Maccabees (cf. 1 Mace. i. 24 ; ix. 27, 40 
 with Dan. xii. 1 ; xi. 26 of the LXX ) refers to Daniel as an accredited book, and even 
 refers to the LXX. Alexandrian version of it. The fact of Daniel having a place in the 
 LXX. shows it was received by the Jews at large prior to the Maccabean times. The 
 LXX. version so arbitrarily deviated from the Hebrew Daniel that Theodotion's version 
 was substituted for it in the early Christian Church. Josephus ('Antiquities,' vii. 11, 8) 
 mentions that Alexander the Great had designed to punish the Jews for their fidelity to 
 Darius, but that Jaddua (332 b. c.) the high priest met him at the head of a procession, 
 and averted his wrath by showing him Daniel's prophecy that a Grecian monarch 
 should overthrow Persia. Certain it is, Alexander favoured the Jews, and Josephus s 
 statement gives an, explanation of the fact; at least, it shows that the Jews in Josephus's 
 days believed that Daniel was extant in Alexander's days, long before the Maccabees. 
 With Jaddua (high priest from B.C. 341-322) the Old Testament history ends (Neh. xii. 
 11). (The register of the priests and Levites was not written by Nehemiah, who died 
 about 400 B.C., but was inserted, with Divine sanction by the collectors of the canon 
 subsequently.) An objection to Daniel's authenticity has been rested on a few Greek 
 words found in it. But these are mostly names of Greek musical instruments, which 
 were imported by Greece from the East, rather than vice versd. Some of the words are 
 derived from the common Indo-Germanic stock of both Greek and Chaldee, hence their 
 appearance in both tongues. And one or two may have come through the Greeks of 
 Asia Minor to the Chaldee. The fact that from the fourth verse of the second chapter 
 to the end of the seventh the language is Chaldee, but the rest Hebrew, is not an 
 argument against, but for its authenticity. So in Ezra the two languages are found. 
 The work, if that of one author, must have been composed by some one in the circum- 
 stances of Daniel — i.e., by one familiar with both languages. No native-born Hebrew 
 who had not lived in Chaldea would know Chaldee so well as to use it with the same 
 idiomatic ease as his native tongue; the very impurities in Daniel's use of both are just 
 such as- were natural to one in his circumstances, but unnatural to one in a later age, or 
 to one not half-Hebrew, half-Chaldean in residence, as Daniel was. Those parts of 
 Daniel which concern the whole world are mostly Chaldee, then the language of the 
 world-empire. So Greek was made the language of the New Testament, which was 
 designed for the whole world. Those affecting the Jews, mostly Hebrew,, and this not 
 so impure as that of Ezekiel. His Chaldee is a mixture of Hebrew and Aramaic. Two 
 ])redictions alone are enough to prove — (1.) That Daniel was a true prophet; (2.) That 
 his prophecies reach beyond Antiochus; viz., he foretells the rise of the four great 
 
XXXll 
 
 INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 monarchies, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome (the last not being in Daniel's 
 time known beyond tlie precincts of Italy, or rather of Latiura), and that no other 
 earthly kingdom would subvert the fourth, but that it would divide into parts. Ail 
 this has come to pass. No fifth great earthly monarchy has arisen, though often 
 attempted, as by Charlemagne, Charles Y., and Napoleon. (3.) The time of Messiah's 
 advent, as dated from a certain decree. His being cut off, and the destruction of the 
 city. 'He who denies Daniel's prophecies,' says Sir Isaac Newton, 'undermines 
 Christianity, which is founded on Daniel's prophecies concerning Christ.' 
 
 Characteristics of Daniel. — The vision mode of revelation is the exception in 
 other prophets, the rule in Daniel. In Zechariah (i.-vi.), who lived after Daniel, the same 
 mode appears, but the other form from the seventh chapter to the end. The Revelation 
 of St. John alone is perfectly parallel to Daniel, which may be called the Old Testament 
 apocalypse. In the contents, too, there is the difference above noticed, that he views the 
 kingdom of God from the standpoint of the world-kingdoms, the development of which 
 is his great subject. This mode of viewing it was appropriate to his own position in a 
 heathen coui-t, and to the i-elation of subjection in which the covenant people then stood 
 to the world-powers. No longer are single powers of the world incidentally introduced, 
 but the universal monarchies are the chief theme, in which the worldly»2:)rinciple, opposed 
 to the kingdom of God, manifests itself fully. The near and distant are not seen in the 
 same perspective ' as by the other prophets, who viewed the whole future from the 
 eschatological point; but in Daniel the historical details are given of that development of 
 the world-powers which must precede the advent of the kingdom. 
 
 Significance of the Babylonian Captivity. — The exile is the historical basis of 
 Daniel's prophecies, as Daniel implies in the first chapter, which commences with the 
 beginning, and ends with the termination, of the captivity (ch. i.-l, 21 : cf ch. ix. 1, 2). 
 A new stage in the theocracy begins with the captivity. Nebuchadnezzar made three 
 incursions into Judah. The first, under Jehoiakim (606 b. c), in which Daniel was 
 carried away, subjected the theocracy to the Babylonian world-power. The second 
 (598 B.C.) was that in which Jehoiachim and Ezekiel were carried away. The third 
 (588 B. c), in wldch Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem, and carried away Zedekiah. 
 Oi'igiually Abraham was raised out of the " sea " (Dan. vii. 2) of the nations, as an island 
 holy to God ; and his seed chosen as God's mediator of His revelations of love to 
 mankind. Under David and Solomon, the theocracy, as o])posed to the heathen power, 
 attained its climax in the Old Testament, not only being independent, but lord of the 
 surrounding nations ; so that the period of these two kings was henceforth made the 
 type of the Messianic. But when God's people, instead of resting on him, seeks alliance 
 with the world-power, that very power is made the instrument of its chastisement. So 
 Ej)hraim (722 b.c.) fell by Assyria ; and Judah also, drawn into the sphere of the world's 
 movements from the time of Ahaz, who sought Assyrian help (740 B.C.; Isa. vii.), at last 
 fell by Babylon, and thenceforth has been more or less dependent ou the world- 
 monarchies, and so, till Messiah, was favoured with no revelations from the time of 
 Malachi, 400 years. Thus, from the beginning of the exile, the theocracy, in the strict 
 sense, ceased on earth ; the rule of the world-powers superseding it. But God's cove- 
 nant with Israel remains firm (Rom. xi. 29); therefore a period of blessing under 
 Messiah's kingdom is noio foretold as about to follow their long chastisement. The exile 
 thus is the turning point in the history of the theocracy, which Roos thus divides : 
 1. From Adam to the exodus out of Egypt. 2. From the exodus to the beginning of 
 the Babylonian captivity. 3. From the captivity to the millennium. 4, From the 
 millennium to the end of the world. The 2?ositio7i of Daniel in the Babylonian court was 
 in unison with the altered relations of the theocracy and the world-power, which new 
 relation was to be the theme of his prophecy. Earlier prophets, from the standpoint of 
 Israel, treated of Israel in its relation to the world-powers ; Daniel, from Babylon, the 
 centre of the then world-power, treats of the world-powers in their relation to Israel. 
 His seventy years' residence in Babylon, and his high official position there, gave him an 
 insight into the world's politics, fitting him to be the recipient of political revelations. 
 Whilst his spiritual experiences, gained through Nebuchadnezzar's humiliation, Bel- 
 shazzar's downfall, and the rapid decay of the Babylonian empire itself, as well as the 
 
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET HOSEA. 
 
 XXX hi 
 
 I miraculous deliverances of himself and his friends (chs. iii.-vi.), all fitted him for regard- 
 ing things from the spiritual standpoint, from which the world's power appears transient, 
 but the glory of God's kingdom eternal. As his political position was the hody, the 
 school of magicians, in which he had studied for three years (ch. i. 4, 5), v/as the soul; 
 and his mind, strong in faith and nourished by the earlier prophecies (ch. ix. 2), the 
 \ spirit of his prophecy, which only waited for the spirit of revelation from above to kindle 
 j it. So God fits His organs for their work, ^ttfeer/e/z compares Daniel to Joseph; the 
 j one at the beginning, the other at the end of the Jewish history of revelation ; both 
 j representatives of God and his people at heathen courts ; both interpreters of the dim 
 ! presentiments of truth expressed in God-sent dreams, and therefore raised to honour by 
 ! the powers of the world ; so representing Israel's calling to be a royal priesthood among 
 the nations ; and types of Christ, the true Israel, and of Israel's destination to be a light 
 to lighten the whole Gentile world, as Rom. xi. 12, 15 foretells. As Achilles at the 
 beginning, and Alexander at the end, of Grecian history are the mirrors of the whole life 
 I of the Hellenic people, so Joseph and Daniel of Israel. 
 
 I Contents of the Book. — Historical and biographical inti^oduction in the first chapter, 
 I Daniel, a captive exile, is representative of his nation in its servitude and exile ; while 
 I his heavenly insight into dreams, far excelling that of the Magi, represents the Divine 
 j superiority of the covenant-people over their heathen lords. The high dignities, even in 
 I the world, which he thereby attained, typify the giving of the earth-kingdom at last " to 
 the people of the saints of the Most High " (ch. vii. 27). Thus Daniel's personal history 
 is the typical foundation of his prophecy. The prophets had to experience in themselves, 
 and in their age, something of what they foretold about future times ; just as David felt 
 much of Christ's sufierings in his own person, (cf Hos. i. 2-9, 10, 11; ii.; iii.) So Jonah 
 L, &c. {Roos.) Hence biographical notices of Daniel and his friends are inserted among 
 his prophecies. Chs. ii.-xii. contain the substance of the book, and consist of two parts. 
 The first, viz., chs. ii.-vii., represent the development of the world-powers, viewed from a 
 historical point. The second, chs. viii.-xii., their development in relation to Israel, 
 especially in the future preceding Christ's first advent, foretold in the ninth chapter. 
 But prophecy looks beyond the immediate future to the complete fulfilment in the last 
 days, since tbe individual parts in the organic history of salvation cannot be understood 
 except in connection with the whole. Also Israel looked forward to the Messianic time, 
 not only for spiritual salvation, but also for the visible restoration of the kingdom, which 
 even now we too expect. The prophecy which they needed ought, therefore, to comprise 
 both, and so much of the history of the world as would elapse before the final consumma- 
 tion. The period of Daniel's prophecies, therefore, ia that from the downfall of the 
 theocracy at its captivity till its final restoration — yet future, the period of the dominion 
 of the world-powers, not set aside b}^ Christ's first coming (John xviii. 36, for, to have 
 taken the earth-kingdom tJien, would have been to take it from Satan's hands. Matt. iv. 
 8-10), but to be superseded by His universal and everlasting kingdom at His second 
 coming (Rev. xi. 15). Thus the general survey of the development and final destiny of 
 the world-powers (chs. ii.-vii.) fittingly precedes the disclosures as to the immediate 
 future (chs. viii.-xii.) Daniel marks this division by writing the first part in Chaldee, 
 and the second, and the introduction, in Hebrew ; the former, referring to the powers of 
 the world, in the language of the then dominant world-power under which he lived ; the 
 latter, relating to the people of God, in their own language. An interpolator in a 
 later age would have used Hebrew, the language of the ancient prophets throughout, or 
 if anywhere Aramaic, so as to be understood by his contemporaries, he would have used 
 it in the second rather than in the first part, as having a more immediate reference to 
 his own times. 
 
 I HOSEA. 
 
 The fii-st of the twelve minor prophets, in the order of the canon (called " minor," not as 
 loes in point of inspired authority, but simply in point of size). The twelve are first men- 
 tioned by Jesus the son of Sirach (Ecclus. xlix. 10). St. Stephen, in Acts vii. 42 (in 
 referring to Amos v. 27), quotes them as forming one collective bodv of writings — " the 
 
xxxiv 
 
 INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 book of the prophets," So Jerome ; and Melito, the first Greek father who has left us a 
 catalogue of these books. The collection of the sacred books is, by Jewish tradition, 
 attributed to the great synagogue of learned scribes formed by Ezra. Many think 
 Nehemiah completed this collection, by adding to the books already in the canon those of 
 his own times. Malachi, the last in the series, probably aided him in determining, with 
 infallible authority, what books were entitled to be ranked in the inspired canon. The 
 chronological order differs from the canonical : Joel, about 810 B. c. ; Jonah, about 810 
 B. c, or, as others, j^rs^, 862 b. c. ; Amos, about 790 b. c. ; Hosea, about 784 b. c. Hosea, 
 the contemporary of Isaiah, Micah, and Amos, seems to have entered on his prophetical 
 office in the last years of Jeroboam (contemporary in part with Uzziah), and to have 
 ended it in the beginning of Hezekiah's reign, 722 b. c. — i. e., about sixty years in all, from 
 784 B.C. to 722 b. c. The prophets, however, were not uninterruptedly engaged in pro- 
 phesying. Considerable intervals elapsed, though their office as divinely-commissioned 
 public teachers was never wholly laid aside. The book of Hosea, which we have, con- 
 stitutes only that portion of his public teachings which the Holy Spirit saw fit to pre- 
 serve for the benefit of the Church. The cause of his being placed first of the twelve was 
 probably the length, the vivid earnestness and patriotism of his prophecies, as well as 
 their closer resemblance to those of the greater prophets. His style is abrupt, sen- 
 tentious, and unrounded ; the connecting particles are few ; there are changes of person, 
 and anomalies of gender, number, and construction. His name means Salvation. He 
 was son of Beeri, of the tribe of Issachar, born in Beth-shemish. His mention, in the 
 inscription, of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, is no proof that he 
 belonged to J adah j for the prophets in Israel regarded its separation from Judah, civil 
 as well as religious, as an apostasy from God, who promised the dominion of the theo- 
 cracy to the line of David. Hence Elijah in Israel took twelve stones to represent Judah 
 as well as Israel (1 Ki. xviii. 31). Hence Hosea dates from Judah's kings, as well as 
 from Jeroboam of Israel, though he belonged to Israel, with whose sins and fates his 
 book is chiefly occupied. He, however, makes incidental references to Judah. His first 
 prophecy foretells the overthrow of Jehii's house, fulfilled on the death of Jeroboam, 
 Jehu's great grandson (2 Ki. xv. 12), in Zechariah, Jeroboam's son, the fourth and last 
 from Jehu, conspired against by Shallum. This first prediction was doubtless in Jero- 
 boam's life, as Zechariah, his son, was only suffered to reign six months; thus the 
 inscription is verified, that "the word of the Lord came unto him in the days of Jero- 
 boam." Again, in ch. x. 14, Shalmaneser's expedition against Israel is alluded to as past 
 — i. e., the first inroad against King Hoshea, who began to reign in the twelfth year of 
 Ahaz; so that, as Ahaz's whole reign was sixteen years, the prophecy seems to have been 
 given about the beginning of Hezekiah's reign. Thus the inscription is confirmed, that 
 the exercise of his prophetical functions was of such a protracted duration. 
 
 Hosea (ch. xi. 1) is quoted by Matt. ii. 15; also, ch. vi. 6, by Matt. ix. 13; xii. 7: 
 cf. Bom. ix. 25, 26, quoting ch. i. 10; ii. 1, 23; 1 Cor. xv. 55, quoting ch. xiii. 14; 
 1 Peter ii. 10, quoting ch. i. 9, 10 ; ii 23. Messianic references are not frequent ; but 
 the predictions of the future conversion of Israel to the Lord their God and David 
 their king, and of the fulfilment of the promise to Abraham, that his spiritual seed 
 should be as the sand of the sea (chs. i. 10 ; iii. 5), clearly refer to the New Testament 
 dispensation. 
 
 The first and third chapters are in prose ; the rest of the book is rhythmical. 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 Joel (meaning 'one to whom Jehovah is God' — i. e., a worshipper of Jehovah) seems 
 to have belonged to Judah, as no reference occurs to Israel; whereas he speaks of Jeru- 
 salem, the temple, the priests, and the ceremonies, as if he were intimately familiar with 
 them (cf. chs. i. 14; ii. 1, 15, 32; iii. 1, 2, 6, 16, 17, 20, 21.) His predictions were 
 probably delivered in the early days of Joash, b. c. 870-865. For no reference is made 
 in them to the Babylonian, Assyrian, or even the Syrian invasion; and the only enemies 
 mentioned are the Philistines, Phenicians, Edomites, and Egyptians (ch. iii. 4, 19). Had 
 
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET AMOS. XXXV 
 
 he lived after Joash, he would doubtless have mentioned the Syrians among the enemies 
 whom he enumerates, since they took Jerusalem, and carried oflf immense spoil to 
 Damascus (2 Chr. xxiv. 23, 24). No idolatry is mentioned; and the temple services, 
 the priesthood, and other institutions of the theocracy, are represented as flourish- 
 ing. This all answers to the state of thiugs under the high priesthood of Jehoiada, 
 through whom Joash had been placed on the throne, and who lived in the early 
 years of Joash (2 Ki. xi. 17, 18; xii. 2-16; 2 Chr. xxiv. 4-14). He was son of 
 Pethuel. 
 
 The first chapter describes the desolation caused by an inroad of locusts — one of the 
 instruments of Divine judgment mentioned by Moses (Deut. xxviii. 38, 39), and by 
 Solomon (1 Ki. viii. 37). The second chapter (vv. 1-11), the appearance of them, under 
 images of a hostile army, suggesting that the locusts were symbols and forerunners of a 
 more terrible scourge — viz., foreign enemies who would consume all before them. (The 
 absence of mention of personal injury to the inhabitants is not a just objection to the 
 figurative interpretation; for the figure is consistent throughout in attributing to the 
 locusts only injury to vegetation, thereby injuring indirectly man and beast.) Ch. ii. 
 12-17, exhortation to repentance, the result of which will be, God will deliver His 
 people, the former and latter rains shall return to fertilize their desolated lands, and shall 
 be the pledge of the spiritual outpouring of grace, beginning with Judah, and thence 
 extending to "all flesh." Ch. ii. 18-32; ch. iii., God's judgments on Judah's enemies, 
 whereas Judah shall be established for ever. 
 
 Joel's style is pre-eminently pure. It is characterized by smoothness and fluency in 
 the rhythms, roundness in the sentences, and regularity in the parallelisms. With the 
 strength of Micah, it combines the tenderness of Jeremiah, the vividness of Nahum, and 
 the sublimity of Isaiah. As a specimen of his style take ch. ii., wherein the terrible 
 aspect of the locusts, their rapidity, irresistible progress, noisy din, and instinct-taught 
 power of marshalling their forces for their career of devastation, are painted with 
 graphic reality. 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Amos (meaning in Hebrew 'a burden') was (ch. i. 1) a shepherd of Tekoa, a small 
 town of Judah, six miles south-east from Bethlehem, and twelve from Jerusalem, on the 
 borders of the great desert, (2 Chr. xx. 20; cf. xi. 6, ibid.) The region being sandy was 
 fitter for pastoral than for agricultural purposes. Amos therefore owned and tended 
 flocks, and collected sycamore figs; not that the former was a menial office, kings them- 
 selves, as Mesha of Moab (2 Ki. iii. 4), exercising it. Amos, however (from ch. vii. 14, 
 15), seems to have been of humble rank. 
 
 Though belonging to Judah, he was commissioned by God to exercise his prophetical 
 function in Israel; as the latter kingdom abounded in impostors, and the prophets of 
 God generally fled to Judah through fear of the kings of Israel, a true prophet from 
 Judah was the more needed in it. His name is not to be confounded with that of 
 Isaiah's father, Amoz. 
 
 The time of his prophesying was in the reigns of Uzziah, king of Judah, and 
 Jeroboam II., son of Joash, king of Israel (ch. i. 1) — i.e., in part of the time in which 
 the two kings were contemporary; probably in Jeroboam's latter years, after that 
 monarch had recovered from Syria " the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath to 
 the sea of the plain " (2 Ki. xiv. 25-27) ; for Amos foretells that these same coasts, 
 *' from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of the wilderness," should be the scene 
 of Israel's being afflicted (ch. vi. 14); also, his references to the state of luxurious 
 security then existing (ch. vi. 1, 4, 13), and to the speedy termination of it by the 
 Assyrian foe (chs. i. 5; iii. 12, 15; v. 27 ; viii. 2), point to the latter part of Jeroboam's 
 reign, which terminated in 784 b. c, the twenty-seventh year of Uzziah's reign, which 
 continued down to 759 b. c. 
 
 He was contemporary with Hosea, only that the latter continued to prophesy in 
 reigns subsequent to Uzziah (Hos. i. 1), whereas Amos ceased to prophesy in the reign of 
 that monarch. The scene of his ministry was Beth-el, where the idol-calves were set up 
 
xxxvi 
 
 INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 (cli. vii. 10-13.) There his prophecies roused Amaziah the idol-priest to accuse him ol 
 conspiracy, and to try to drive him back to Judah. 
 
 The first six chapters are without figure ; the last three symbolical, but with the 
 explanation subjoined. He first denounces the neighbouring peoples, then the Jews, 
 then Israel (from ch. iii. to the end), closing with the promise of restoration under 
 Messiah (ch. ix. 11-15.) His style is thought by t/erowe to betray his humble origin; 
 but though not sublime, it is regular, perspicuous, and energetic; his images are taken 
 from the scenes in nature with which he was familiar; his rhythms are flowing, his 
 parallelisms exact, and his descriptions minute and graphic. Some peculiar expressions 
 occur: " cleanness of teeth" — i.e., want of bread (ch. iv. 6); "the excellency of Jacob" 
 (ch. vi. 8; viii. 7); "the high places of Isaac" (ch. vii. 9); "the house of Isaac" (ch. 
 vii. 16); "he that createth the wind " (ch. iv. 13). 
 
 Hengstenherg draws an able argument for the genuineness of the Mosaic records 
 from the evidence in Amos, that the existing institutions in Israel, as well as Judah 
 (excepting the calves of Jeroboam), were framed according to the Pentateuch rules. 
 
 Two quotations from Amos occur in the New Testament (cf. Acts vii. 42, 43, with 
 ch. V. 25, 26; and Acts xv. 16, 17, with ch. ix. 11). 
 
 Philo, Josephus, Melitd's catalogue, Jerome, Justin Martyr (sec. 22, quoting the fifth 
 and sixth chapters of Amos as * one of the twelve minor prophets '), and the 60th canon 
 of the Laodicean council, support the canonicity of the book of Amos. 
 
 OBADIAH. 
 
 This is the shortest book in the Old Testament. The name means 'servant of 
 Jehovah.' Obadiah stands fourth of the minor prophets according to the Hebrew 
 arrangement of the canon, the fifth according to the Greek. Some consider he is the 
 same as the Obadiah who superintended the restoration of the temple under Josiah, b. c. 
 627 (2 Chr. xxxiv. 12); but vv. 11-16, 20, imply that Jerusalem was by this time over- 
 thrown by the Chaldeans; and that he refers to the cruelty of Edom towards the Jews 
 on that occasion, which is referred to also in Lam. iv. 21, 22; Ezek. xxv. 12-14, and 35; 
 Ps. cxxxvii. 7. From comparing v. 5 with Jer. xlix. 9; u 6 with Jer. xlix. 10; v. 8 
 with Jer. xlix. 7, it appears that Jeremiah embodied in his prophecies part of Obadiah's, 
 as he has done in the case of other prophets also, (cf. Isa. xv. and xvi. with Jer. xlviii.) 
 The reason for the present position of Obadiah before other of the minor prophets 
 anterior in date, is, — Amos, at the close of his prophecies, foretells the subjugation of 
 Edom hereafter by the J ews ; the arranger of the minor prophets in one volume, there- 
 fore, placed Obadiah next, as being a fuller statement, and, as it were, commentary on 
 the foregoing briefer prophecy of Amos, as to Edom (Maurer) (cf. Amos i. 11). The 
 date of Obadiah's prophecies was, probably, immediately after the taking of Jerusalem 
 by Nebuchadnezzar, 588 B. c. In five years afterwards (583 b. c.) Edom was con- 
 quered by Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah must have incorporated part of Obadiah's 
 prophecies with his own, immediately after they were uttered, thus stamping his 
 canonicity. 
 
 Jerome makes liim contemporary with iTosea, Joel, and Amos. It is an argument 
 in favour of this view, that Jeremiah would be more likely to insert in his prophecies a 
 portion from a preceding prophet than from a contemporary. If so, the allusion in vv. 
 11-14 will be to some one of the former captures of Jerusalem: by the Egyptians under 
 Eehoboam (1 Ki. xiv. 25, 26; 2 Chr. xii. 2, &c.); or that by the Philistines and 
 Arabians in the reign of Joram (2 Chr. xxi. 16, 17); or that by Joash, king of Israel, in 
 the reign of Amaziah (2 Chr. xxv. 22, 23) ; or that in the reign of Jehoiakim (2 Ki. 
 xxiv. 1, &c.); or that in the reign of Jehoiachin (2 Ki. xxiv. 8-16). On all occasions 
 the Idumeans were hostile to the Jews; and the terms in which that enmity is char- 
 acterized are not stronger in Obadiah than in Joel iii. 19 (cf. Obad. 10); Amos i. 11-12. 
 The probable capture of Jerusalem, alluded to by Obadiah, is that by Joash and the 
 Israelites in the reign of Amaziah. For as, a little before, in the reign of the same 
 Amaziah, the Jews had treated harshly the Edomites after conquering them in battle 
 
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JONAH. 
 
 xxxvii 
 
 (2 Chr. XXV. 11-23), it is probable that the Edomites, in revenge, joined the Israelites in 
 the attack on Jerusalem. 
 
 The book may be divided into two parts — I. Vv. 1-16 set forth Edom's \'iolence 
 towards his brother Israel in the day of the latter's distress, and his coming destruction 
 with the rest of the foes of Jndah ; II. Vv. 17-21, the coming re-establishment of the 
 Jews in their own possessions, to which shall be added those of the neighbouring 
 peoples, and especially those of Edom. 
 
 JONAH. 
 
 Jonah was the son of Amittai, of Gath-hepher in Zebulun (called Gittah-hepher in 
 Joshua xix. 10-13), so that he belonged to the kingdom of the Ten tribes, not to Judah. 
 His date is to be gathered from 2 Ki. xiv. 25-27, " He (Jeroboam II.) restored the coast 
 of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word 
 of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of 
 Amittai the prophet, which was of Gath-hepher. For the Lord saw the affliction of 
 Israel, that it was very bitter : for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any 
 helper for Israel. And the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel 
 from under heaven : but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash." 
 Now, as this prophecy of Jonah was given at a time when Israel was at the lowest point 
 of depression — when 'there was not any shut up or left ' {i. e., confined or left at large), 
 none to act as a "helper for Israel" — it cannot have been given in Jeroboam's reign, 
 which was ' marked by prosperity ; for in it Syria was worsted, in fulfilment of the 
 prophecy, and Israel raised to its former greatness. It must have been, therefore, in the 
 early part of the reign of Joash, Jeroboam's father, who had found Israel in subjection 
 to Syria, but had raised it by victories which were followed up so successfully by 
 Jeroboam. Thus Jonah was the earliest of the prophets, and close upon Elisha, who 
 died in Joash's reign, having just before his death given a token prophetical of the thrice 
 defeat of Syria (2 Ki. xiii. 14-21). Hosea and Amos prophesied also in the reign of 
 Jeroboam IL, but towards the closing part of his forty-one years' reign. The transac- 
 tions in the book of Jonah probably occurred in the latter part of his life ; if so, the 
 book is not much older than part of the writings of Hosea and Amos. The use of the 
 third person is no argument against Jonah himself being the writer; for the sacred 
 writers in mentioning themselves, do so in the third person (cf John xix. 26). Nor is 
 the use of the past tense (ch. iii. 3, " Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city ") a proof 
 that Nineveh's greatness was past when the book of J onah was being w^ritten ; it is 
 simply used to carry on the narrative uniformly, " the word of the Lord came to J onah 
 ... so Jonah arose . . . now Nineveh was," &c. The mention of its greatness proves 
 rather that the book was written at an early date before the Israelites had that intimate 
 knowledge of it which they must have had soon afterwards through frequent Assyrian 
 inroads. 
 
 As early as J ulian and Porphyiy, pagans ridiculed the credulity of Christians in 
 believing the deliverance of Jonah by a fish. Some infidels have derived it from the 
 heathen fable of the deliverance of Andromeda from a sea monster by Perseus (Appol- 
 lodius, ii. 4, 3); or from that of Arion the musician, thrown into the sea by sailors and 
 carried safe to shore on a dolphin {Herodotus, i. 24); or from that of Hercules, who sprang 
 into the jaws of a sea monster, and was three days in its belly, when he undertook to 
 save Hesione {Diodorus Siculus, iv. 42; 'Iliad,' xx. 145; xxi. 442). Probably the 
 heathen fables are, vice versa, corruptions of the sacred narrative, if there be any connec- 
 tion. Jerome states that near Joppa lay rocks pointed out as those to which Andromeda 
 was bound when exposed to the sea monster. This fable implies the likelihood of the 
 story of Jonah having passed through the Phoenicians in a corrupted form to Greece. 
 That the account of Jonah is history, and not parable, as rationalists represent, appears 
 from our Lord's reference to it, in which the personal existence, miraculous fate, and 
 prophetical office of Jonah are explicitly asserted, " No sign shall be given but the sign 
 of t}(^ prophet Jonas ; for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly. 
 
xxxviii 
 
 INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 SO shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." The 
 Lord recognizes his being in the belly of the fish as a "sign," i. e., a real miracle, typical 
 of a similar event in His own history, and assumes the execution of the prophet's com- 
 mission to Nineveh — ^' The men of Nineveh . . . repented at the preaching of Jonas ; 
 and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here" (Matt, xii, 39-41). 
 
 It seemed strange to Kimchi, a Jew himself, that the book of Jonah is among the 
 Scriptures, as the only prophecy in it concerns Nineveh, a heathen city, and makes no 
 mention of Israel — which is referred to by every other prophet. The reason seems to be 
 — a tacit reproof of Israel is intended — a heathen people were ready to repent at the 
 first preaching of the prophet, a stranger to them ; but Israel, who boasted of being 
 God's elect, repented not, though warned by their own prophets at all seasons. This 
 was an anticipatory streak of light ere the dawn of the full " light to lighten the 
 Gentiles." Jonah is a strange paradox himself : a prophet of God, yet a runaway from 
 God ; a man drowned, and yet alive ; a preacher of repentance, yet one that repines at 
 repentance. Yet Jonah, saved from the jaws of death himself, on repentance, was the 
 fittest to give a hope to Nineveh, doomed though it was, of a merciful respite on its 
 repentance. The patience and pity of God stand in striking contrast with the selfishness 
 and hard-heartedness of man. 
 
 Nineveh in particular was chosen to teach Israel these lessons, on account of its 
 being capital of the then world-kingdom, and because it was now beginning to make its 
 power felt by Israel. Our Lord (Matt. xii. 41) makes Nineveh's repentance a reproof 
 of the Jews' impenitence in His day, just as Jonah provoked Israel to jealousy (Deut. 
 xxxii. 21) by the same example. Jonah's mission to Nineveh implied that a heathen 
 city afforded as legitimate a field for the prophet's labours as Israel, and with a more 
 successful result (c£ Amos ix. 7). 
 
 The book is prose narrative throughout, except the prayer of thanksgiving in ch. ii. 
 The Chaldaisms in the original do not prove spuriousness, or a later age, but were 
 natural in the language of one living in Zebulun on the borders of the North, whence 
 Aramaic peculiarities would readily arise ; moreover, his message to Nineveh implies 
 acquaintance with Assyrian. Living as Jonah did in a part of Israel exposed to 
 Assyrian invasions, he probably stood in the same relation to Assyria as Elijah and Elisha 
 had stood to Syria. The purity of the language implies the antiquity of the book, and the 
 likelihood of its being Jonah's own writing. Indeed, none but Jonah could have written 
 or dictated so peculiar details, known only to himself. 
 
 The tradition that places the tomb of Jonah opposite to Mosul, and names it ' Nebbi 
 Junus' (i. e., prophet Jonah), originated probably in the spot having been occupied by a 
 Christian church or convent dedicated to him. A more ancient tradition of Jerome's 
 time placed the tomb in Jonah's native village of Gath-hepher. 
 
 MiCAH was a native of Moresheth, not the same as Mareshah in ch. i. 15 ; but the 
 town called Moresheth-gath (ch. i. 14), which lay near Eleutheropolis, west of Jerusalem, 
 on the border of the Philistine country, so called to distinguish it from Moresheth of 
 J udah. The full name is Micaiah (not the Micaiah mentioned 1 Ki. xxii. 8, the son of 
 Imlah), signifying, Who is like Jehovah ? The time of his prophesying is stated in the 
 introduction to be in the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah — i. e., between 757 and 
 969 B. c. Jeremiah (Jer. xxvi. 18) quotes ch. iii. 12, as delivered in the reign of 
 Hezekiah. He was thus a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea. The idolatries practised 
 in the reign of Ahaz accord with Micah's denunciations of such gross evils, and confirm 
 the truth of the time assigned (ch. i. 1). His prophecies are partly against Israel 
 (Samaria), partly against Judah. As Samaria, Israel's metropolis, was taken first, and 
 Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, subsequently, in the introductory heading, ch. i. 1, 
 Samaria is put first, then Jerusalem. He prophesies the capture of both — the Jews' 
 captivity and restoration, and the coming and reign of Messiah. His style is full, round, 
 and perspicuous ; his diction pure, and his parallelisms regular. His description of 
 
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET NAHUM. 
 
 xxxix 
 
 Jehovah (ch. vii. 18, 19) is not surpassed by any elsewhere in Scripture. The corre- 
 spondence between Isaiah and Micah in some passages (cf. ch. iv. 1-3 with Isa. ii. 2-4) is 
 to be accounted for by their being contemporaries, acquainted with each other's inspired 
 writings, and Laving the same subjects as their theme. Hengslenherg maintains that the 
 passage in Micah is the original. Isaiah was somewhat the elder, being a prophet in the 
 reign of Uzziah, Jotham's predecessor, whereas Micah began his prophecies under 
 Jotham. 
 
 The book consists of two parts — I. chs. i-v. ; II. chs. vi., vii., a dialogue or con- 
 testation between Jehovah and His people, in which he reproaches them with their 
 unnatural and ungrateful conduct, and threatens judgment for their corruptions, but 
 consoles them with the promise of restoration from captivity. 
 
 Micah stands sixth of the minor prophets in the Hebrew canon, but third in the LXX. 
 
 NA.HUM. 
 
 Nahum means consolation and vengeance; symbolizing the "consolation" in the 
 book for God's people, and the "vengeance " coming on their enemies. In the first 
 chapter the two themes alternate ; but as the prophet advances, vengeance on the capital 
 of the Assyrian foe is the predominant topic. He is called the Elkoshite (ch. i. 1), from 
 Elkosh, or Elkesi, a village of Galilee, pointed out to Jerome (' Preface in Nahum ') as a 
 place of note among the Jews, having traces of ancient buildings. The name Capernaum, 
 
 i. e., ' village of JSTahum,' seems to take its name from Nahum having resided in it, 
 though born in Elkosh, in the neighbourhood. There is another Elkosh, east of the 
 Tigris and north of Mosul, believed by Jewish pilgrims to be the birth-place and burial- 
 place of the prophet. But the book of Nahum in its allusions shows a particularity 
 of acquaintance with Palestine {ch, i. 4), and only a more general knowledge as to 
 Nineveh (ch. ii. 4-6 ; iii. 2, 3). 
 
 His graphic description of Sennacherib and his army (ch. i. 9-12) makes it not 
 unlikely that he was in or near Jerusalem at the time; hence the number of phrases 
 corresponding to those of Isaiah (cf ch. i. 8, 9 with Isa. viii. 8 ; x. 23 ; ch. ii. 10 with 
 Isa. xxiv. 1 and xxi. 3 ; ch. i. 15 with Isa. lii, 7). The prophecy in ch. i. 14 probably 
 refers to the murder of Sennacherib, twenty years after his return from Palestine (Isa. 
 xxxvii. 38). The date of his prophecies thus seems to be about the former years of 
 Hezekiah. So Jerome thinks. He plainly writes whilst the Assyrian power was yet 
 unbroken (chs. i. 12 ; ii. 11-13 ; iii. 15-17). The correspondence between the sentiments 
 of Nahum and those of Isaiah and Hezekiah, as recorded in 2 Kings and Isaiah, proves 
 the likelihood of Nahum's prophecies belonging to the time when Sennacherib was 
 demanding the surrender of Jerusalem, and had not yet raised the siege (cf ch. i. 2, &c., 
 with 2 Ki. xix. 14, 15; ch. i. 7 with 2 Ki. xviii. 22; xix. 19, 31 ; 2 Chr. xxxii. 7, 
 8 ; ch. i. 9, 11 with 2 Ki. xix. 22, 27, 28 ; chs. i. 14 with 2 Ki. xix. 6, 7 ; chs. i. 15 and 
 
 ii. 1, 2 with 2 Ki. xix. 32, 33 ; ch. ii. 13 with 2 Ki. xix. 22, 23). The historical data in 
 the book itself are the humiliation of Israel and Judah by Assyria (ch. ii. 2); the inva- 
 sion of Judah (ch. i. 9, 11) ; and the conquest of No-ammon or Thebes, in Upper Egypt 
 (ch. iii. 8-10). Tiglath-pileser and Shalmaneser had carried away Israel. Tlie Jews 
 were harassed by the Syrians and impoverished by Ahaz's payments to Tiglath-pileser, 
 (2 Chr. xxviii. ; Isa. viii-ix.) Sargon, Shalmaneser's successor, after the reduction of 
 Phoenicia by the latter, fearing lest Egypt should join Palestine against him, under- 
 took an expedition to Africa (Isa. xx.) and took Thebes ; the latter fact we know only 
 from Nahum, but the success of the expedition in general is corroborated by Isa. xx. 
 Sennacherib, Sargon's successor, made the last Assyrian attempt against Judea, ending in 
 the destruction of his army, in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah 713-710 B.C.) As 
 Nahum refers to this in part prophetically, in part as matter of history (chs. i. 9-13 ; ii. 
 13), he must have lived about B.C. 720-714 — that is, almost 100 years before the event 
 foretold — viz., the overthrow of Nineveh by the joint forces of Cyaxares and Nabopolassar 
 in the reign of Chyniladanus, b. c. 625 or else 603. 
 
 The prophecy is remarkable for its unity of aim. Nahum's object was to inspii'e his 
 
3d 
 
 INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS. 
 
 countrymen, the Jews, with the assurance that, however alarming their position might 
 seem, exposed to the attacks of the mighty Assyrian, who had already carried away the 
 Ten tribes, yet that not only should the Assyrian (Sennacherib) fail in his attack on 
 Jerusalem, but Nineveh, his own capital, be taken, and his empire everthrown ; and 
 this not by an arbitrary exercise of Jehovah's power, but for the iniquities of the city 
 and its people. 
 
 His position in the canon is seventh of the minor prophets, in both the Hebrew and 
 Greek arrangement. He is seventh in point of date. 
 
 His style is clear, elegant, and forcible. Its most striking characteristic is the power 
 of representing several phases of an idea in the briefest sentences ; as in the majestic 
 description of God, in the commencement, the conquest of Nineveh, and the destruction 
 of No-ammon. Be Wette calls attention to his variety of manner in presenting ideas, as 
 marking great poetic talent : * Here there is somewhat sonorous in his language, there 
 something murmuring ; with both, there alternates somewhat that is soft, delicate, and 
 melting, as the subject demands.' Excepting two alleged Assyrian words (ch. iii. 17), 
 English version " crowned," or princes^ and English version " captains," or satraps (used 
 by Jer. li. 27), the language is pure. These two, doubtless, came to be known in Judea, 
 from the intercourse with Assyria, in the eighth and seventh centuries p. c. 
 
 HABAKKTJK. 
 
 Habakkuk, from a Hebrew root meaning to embrace, denoting a 'favourite' (viz., of 
 God) and a ' struggler ' (for his country's good). Some ancient authors represent him 
 as belonging to the tribe of Levi, others (Pseudo Epiphanius) to that of Simeon. The 
 inscription to Bel and the Dragon in the LXX. asserts the former; and ch. iii. 19 perhaps 
 favours this. Eusebius states that in his time Habakkuk's tomb was shown at Ceila in 
 Palestine. 
 
 The time seems to have been about 610 b. c. ; for the Chaldeans attacked Jerusalem 
 in the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim, 605 b. c. (2 Ki. xxiv. 1 ; 2 Chr. xxxvi. 
 6 J Jer. xlvi. 2, and xxxvi. 9) ; and Habakkuk (ch. i. 5, 6, &c.) speaks of the Chaldeans 
 as about to invade Judah, but not as having actually invaded it. In ch. ii. he proceeds 
 to comfort his people by foretelling the humiliation of their conquerors, and that the 
 vision will soon have its fulfilment. In ch. iii. the prophet, in a sublime ode, celebrates 
 the deliverances wrought by Jehovah for His people in times past, as the ground of 
 assurance, notwithstanding all their existing calamities, that He will deliver them again ; 
 v. 16 shows that the invader is only coming, and not yet arrived, so that the whole refers 
 to the invasion in Jehoiakim's times, not those under Jehoiachin and Zedekiah. The 
 Apocryphal appendix to Daniel states that he lived to see the Babylonian exile (588 B. c), 
 which accords with his prophesying early in Jehoiakim's reign — about 610 b. c. 
 
 The position of the book immediately after Nahum is appropriate : as Nahum treated 
 of the judgments of the Lord on Assyria, for its violence against Israel, so Habakkuk 
 those inflicted by and on the Chaldeans for the same reason. 
 
 The style is poetical and sublime. The parallelisms generally regular. Borrowed 
 ideas occur (cf. ch. iii. 19 with Ps. xviii. 33 ; ch. ii. 6 with Isa. xiv. 4 ; ch. ii. 14 with 
 Isa. xi. 9). 
 
 The ancient catalogues imply that his book is part of the canon of Scripture. In 
 the New Testament, Kom. i. 17 quotes (though not naming him) ch. ii. 4 : cf. also Gal. 
 iii. 11; Heb. x. 38; Acts xiii. 40, 41 quotes Hab. i. 5. One or two Hebrew words 
 peculiar to Habakkuk occur, chs. i. 9 j ii. 6, 16. 
 
 ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 Zephaniah, ninth in order of the minor prophets, prophesied " in the days of Josiah " 
 (ch. i. 1) — i. e.j between 642 and 611 b.c. The name means 'Jehovah hath guarded' — 
 lit., hidden (Ps. xxvii 5 ; Lxxviii. 3). The specification, in the introductory heading, of 
 
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 xli 
 
 not only his father, but also his grandfather, and great-grandfather, and great-great- 
 grandfather, implies that the latter were persons of note ; or else the design was to 
 distinguish him from another Zephaniah of note at the time of the captivity. The 
 Jews' supposition, that persons recorded as a prophet's ancestors were themselves 
 endowed with the prophetic spirit, seems groundless. Though there is no impossibility 
 of the Hezekiah who was Zephaniah's great-great-grandfather being King Hezekiah as 
 to the number of generations — for Hezekiah's reign of twenty-nine years, and his suc- 
 cessor's reign of fifty-five years, admit of four generations interposing between — yet the 
 omission of the designation, " King of Judah," is fatal to the theory (cf. Prov. xxv. 1 ; 
 Isa. xxxviii. 9). 
 
 He must have flourished in the earlier part of Josiali's reign. In ch. ii. 13-15 he 
 foretells the doom of Nineveh, which happened in b. c. 625 ; and in ch. i. 4 he denounces 
 various forms of idolatry, and specially that of Baal. Now, Josiah's reformation began 
 in the twelfth, and was completed in the eighteenth year of his reign. Zephaniah, 
 therefore, in denouncing Baal worship, co-operated with that good king in his efibrts, 
 and so must have prophesied somewhere between the twelfth and eighteenth years of his 
 reign. The silence of the historical books is no argument against this, as it would 
 equally apply against Jeremiah's prophetical existence at the same time. Jewish 
 ti-adition says that Zephaniah had for his colleagues Jeremiah, whose sphere of labour 
 was the thoroughfares and market-places, and Huldah the prophetess, who exercised her 
 vocation in the college in Jerusalem. 
 
 The prophecy begins with the nation's sin, and the fearful retribution coming at the 
 hands of the Chaldeans. These are not mentioned by name, as in Jeremiah ; for the 
 prophecies of the latter, being nearer the fulfilment, become more explicit than those of 
 an earlier date. The second chapter dooms the persecuting states in the neighbourhood, 
 as well as Judea itself. The third chapter denounces Jerusalem, but concludes with the 
 promise of her joyful re- establishment in the theocracy. 
 
 The style, though not generally sublime, is graphic and vivid in details (cf ch. i. 
 4-12). The language is pure, and free from Aramaisms. There are occasional coin- 
 cidences with former prophets (cf. ch. ii. 14 with Isa. xxxiv. 11; ch. ii. 15 with Isa. 
 xlvii. 8; ch. iii. 10 with Isa. xviii. 1; ch. ii. 8 with Isa. xvi. 6; also ch. i. 5 with Jer. 
 viii. 2 ; ch. i. 12 with Jer. xlviii. 11). Such coincidences in part arise from the phrase- 
 ology of Hebrew prophetic poetry being the common language of the inspired brother- 
 hood. The New Testament, at Bom. xv. 6, seems to refer to Zeph. iii. 9, 
 
INTRODUCTIOJf TO PROPHETS OF THE RESTORATIOJJ. 
 
 The pi'ophetic gift existed long before the prophetic office was instituted. Thus Enoch 
 had the former (Jude 14); so Abraham is called "a prophet " (Gen. xx. 7); also the 
 patriarchs (Ps. cv. 15). The office was first instituted under the Mosaic economy; but 
 even then the gift was not always connected with the office ; e. g., Daniel was endowed 
 largely with the gift, but was never called to the office, as living in a heathen court, 
 where he could not have exercised it. So David (Matt. xiii. 35; xxvii. 35). Hence the 
 writings of both are classed with the Hagiographa, not with the prophets. Moreover, 
 tliough the office ceased with the close of the Old Testament dispensation, the gift con- 
 tinued, and was among the leading charisms of the New Testament Church. Prophet 
 (in Hebrew, from a root, ' to gush out like a fountain ') meant one acting as spokesman 
 for another (Exod. vii. 1), so one speaking authoritatively for God, as interpreter of His 
 will. Seer was the more ancient term (1 Sam. ix. 9), implying that he spake by a Divine 
 communication presented either to his senses or his mind, as "prophet," indicated his 
 authority as speaking for God. 
 
 Christ was the only fountain of prophecy (1 Pet. i. 11 ; Pev. xix. 10 : also Acts 
 xvi. 7, the oldest reading, Hhe Spirit of Jesus'), and declared God's will to men by His 
 Holy Spirit acting on the minds of the prophets. Thus, the history of the Church is the 
 history of God's revelations of Himself in His Son to man. The three divisions of this 
 history, the Patriarchal, the Mosaic, and the Christian dispensations, are characterized 
 each by a distinct mode of God's manifestations — i. e., by a distinct form of the prophetic 
 gift. The theoiohanic mode characterizes the Patriarchal dispensation — God revealing 
 Himself in visible appearances or theophanies. The theopneustic mode, the Mosaic — God 
 revealing Himself through God-inspired men. The theologic mode, the Christian — God 
 revealing Himself, not merely at intervals as before, but permanently by inspired writings 
 ("the oracles of God," 1 Pet. iv. 11). 
 
 In the first, or patriarchal age, men work no miracles, unlike all other primeval 
 histories, which abound in miracles wrought by men — a proof of genuineness. All the 
 miracles are wrought by God without man's intervention ; and the Divine communica- 
 tions are usually by direct utterance, whence the prophetic gift is rare, as God in this 
 dispensation only exceptionally employs the prophetic agency of men in it — only ' in 
 Gen. XX. 7 is the term " prophet " found. In the second, or Mosaic dispensation, God 
 withdraws Himself more from direct communication with man, and manifests Himself 
 through human instruments. Instead of working miracles directly, Moses, Joshua, &c., 
 are His agents. So in His communications He speaks not directly, but through Moses 
 and his successors. The theocracy needed a new form of prophetic gift : God-inspired 
 (theopneustic) men must speak and act for God, the Head of the theocracy, as His admin- 
 istrators ; the prophetic gift is therefore now connected with the prophetic office. These 
 prophets, accordingly, are acting, not writing, prophets. The latter do not arise till the 
 later ages of this second dispensation. Moses acted as a legislator ; Joshua, the Judges, 
 and Samuel, as executive prophets ; David and Solomon as devotional prophets. Even 
 in the case of the writing prophets of the latter half of the Mosaic dispensation, their 
 primary duty was to speak and act. Their writing had reference more to the use of the 
 New Testament dispensation than to their own (1 Pet. i. 12). So that even in their case 
 the characteristic of the Mosaic dispensation was theopneustic rather than theologic. The 
 third, or Christian dispensation, is theologic — i. e., a revelation of God by inspired writings 
 — 1 Pet. iv. 11; 2 Pet. i. 16-21, where he contrasts "the old time" when "holy men 
 spake by the Holy Ghost," with our time when we have the " sure word of prophecy," 
 or, as it may be translated, ' the word of prophecy confirmed (to us).' Thus God now 
 reveals His will, not by direct theophanies, as in the first dispensation ; not by inspired 
 men, as in the second ; but bv the written Word which liveth and abideth for ever (as 
 
INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETS OF THE RESTORATION. xliii 
 
 opposed to the desultory manifestations of God, and the non-continuance in life of the 
 prophets, under the two former dispensations respectively (1 Pet, i. 23; 2 Pet. iii. 2, 16). 
 The next form shall be the return of the theophanic manifestations on earth, in a more 
 perfect and abiding form than in the first age (Rev. xxi. 3). 
 
 The history of the prophetic office, under the Mosaic dispensation, falls into three 
 divisions. The first ends with the age of Samuel, and has no regular succession of pro- 
 phets ; these not being needed whilst God Himself ruled the people without an hereditary 
 executive. The second period extends from Samuel to Uzziah (800 B.C.), and is the age 
 of prophets of action. Samuel combined in himself the three elements of the theocracy — 
 being a judge, a priest, and a prophet. The creation of a human king rendered the 
 formal office of prophet more necessary, as a counterpoise to it. Hence the age of the 
 kings is the age of the prophets. But at this stage they were prophets of action, rather 
 than of writing. Towards the close of this second period, the devotional and Messianic 
 prophecies of David and Solomon prepared the way for the third period (from 800 B. c. to 
 400 B. c), which began under Uzziah, and which was the age of written prophecy. In this 
 third period the prophets turn from the present to the future ; and so the Messianic element 
 grows more distinct. Thus, in these three shorter periods, the grand characteristics of 
 the three great dispensations re-appear. The first is theophanic; the second, theopneustic ; 
 and the third, theologic. Just as the great organic laws of the world re-appear in smaller 
 departments, the law of the tree developing itself, in miniature forms, in the structure of 
 the leaf; and the curve of the planet's orbit re-appearing in the line traced by the pro- 
 jected cannon ball. 
 
 Samuel probably enacted rules giving a permanent form to the prophetic order ; at 
 least, in his time the first mention occurs of " schools of the prophets." These were all 
 near each other, and in Benjamin — viz., Bethel, Gilgal, Ramah, and Jericho. Had the 
 prophet been a mere foreteller of events, such schools would have been useless. But he 
 was also God's representative to ensure the due execution of the Mosaic ritual in its 
 purity ; hence arose the need of schools wherein to study that divinely-ordained institu- 
 tion. God mostly chose His prophets from those thus educated ; though not exclusively, 
 as the cases of Amos (Amos vii. 14) and Elisha (1 Ki. xix. 19) prove. The fact that the 
 humblest might be called to the prophetic office acted as a check to the hereditary kingly 
 power, and a stimulus to seeking the qualifications needed for so exalted an office. The 
 Messianic ' Psalms towards the close of this second period form the transition between 
 the prophets of action and the prophets of word: the men who were busy only with the 
 present, and the men who looked out from the present into the glorious future. 
 
 The third period, that from Uzziah to Malachi, includes three classes of prophets : 
 — 1. Those of the Ten tribes; 2. Those of the Gentiles; 3. Those of Judah. In the 
 first class were Hosea and Amos. Few of the writing prophets belonged to Israel. They 
 naturally gathered about the seat of the theocracy in Judah. Hence those of the Ten 
 tribes were mostly prophets of action. Under the second class fall Jonah, Nahum, and 
 Obadiah, who were witnesses for God's authority over the Gentile world, as others wit- 
 nessed for the same in the theocracy. The third class, those of Judah, have a wider 
 scope and a more hopeful joyous tone. They fall into five divisions : — ^1. Those dwelling 
 in Judah at the higliest point of its greatness during its separate state — viz., the century 
 between Uzziah and Hezekiah, 800-700 b. c. — Isaiah, Joel, and Micah. 2. The de- 
 clining period of Judah, from Manasseh to Zedekiah — e. g., Zephaniah and Habakkuk. 
 3. The captivity: Jeremiah. 4. 2%e exile, when the future was all that the eye could 
 rest on with hope — e. g., Ezekiel and Daniel, who are chiefly prophets of the future. 
 5. T/ie restoration: to which period belong the three last writing prophets of the Old 
 Testament, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. John the Baptist, long subsequently, be- 
 longed to the same dispensation, but he wrote nothing (Matt. xi. 9-11); like Elijah, he 
 was a prophet of action and preaching, preparing the way for the prophets of word; as 
 John did for the Incarnate Word. 
 
 To understand the spirit of each prophet's teaching, his historical position and the 
 circumstances of the time must be considered. The captivity was designed to eradicate 
 the Jews' tendency to idolatry, and to restore the theocratic spirit which recognized God 
 as the only ruler, and the Mosaic institutions as His established law for a time, until 
 
xliv 
 
 INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETS OF THE RESTORATION. 
 
 Messiah should come. Hence the prophets of the restoration are best illustrated by com- 
 parison with the histories of Ezra and Nehemiah, contemporaries of Malachi. 
 
 Of the three prophets of the restoration, two, Haggai and Zechariah, are at the 
 beginning of the period, and the remaining one, Malachi, is at the close. The exile was 
 not one complete deportation of the people, but a series of deportations, extending over a 
 century and a half. So the restoration was not accomplished at once, but in successive 
 returns, extending over a century. Hence arises the different tone of Haggai and 
 Zechariah at its beginning, and of Malachi at its close. The first return took place in 
 the first year of Cyrus, b. c. 536 ; 42,360 persons returned under Sheshbazzar or Zerub- 
 babel and Joshua (Ezra ii. 64). They built au altar and laid the foundations of the 
 temple. They were interrupted by the misrepresentations of the Samaritans, and the work 
 was suspended for fourteen years. The death of Smerdis gave an opportunity of 
 renewing the work, seventy years after the destruction of the first temple. This was the 
 time when Haggai and Zechariah arose — the former to incite to the immediate rebuilding of 
 the temple and restoration of the Mosaic ritual ; the latter to aid in the work, and to unfold 
 the grand future of the theocracy as an incentive to present labour. The impossibility 
 of observing the Mosaic ritual in the exile generated an anti-theocratic indifference to it 
 in the young, who were strangers to the Jerusalem worship, from which the nation had 
 been upwards of half a century debarred. Moreover, the gorgeous pomp of Babylon 
 tended to make them undervalue the humble rites of Jehovah's worship at that time. 
 Hence there was need of a Haggai and a Zechariah to correct these feelings, by unfolding 
 the true glory of the theocratic institutions. 
 
 The next great epoch was the return of Ezra, b. c. 458, eighty years after the first 
 expedition under Zerubbabel. Thirteen years later, 445 b. c, Neliemiah came to aid 
 Ezra in the good work. It was now that Malachi arose to second these works, three- 
 fourths of a century after Haggai and Zechariah. As their work was that of restorers, 
 his was that of a reformer. The estates of many had become mortgaged, and depression 
 of circumstances had led many into a sceptical spirit as to the service of God. They not 
 only neglected the temple worship, but took heathen wives, to the wrong of their Jewish 
 wives and the dishonour of God. Therefore, besides the reformation of civil abuses, and 
 the rebuilding of the wall, effected through Nehemiah's exertions, a religious reformer 
 was needed such as was Ezra, who reformed the ecclesiastical abuses, established syna- 
 gogues, where regular instruction in the law could be received ; restored the Sabbath, 
 and the passover, and the dignity of the priesthood ; and generated a reverence for the 
 written law, which afterwards became a superstition. Malachi aided in this good work 
 by giving it his prophetical authority. How thoroughly the work was effected is proved 
 by the utter change in the national character. Once always prone to idolatry, ever since 
 the captivity they have abhoiTcd it. Once loving kingly rule, now, contrary to the 
 ordinary course of history, they became submissive to priestly rule. Once negligent of the 
 written Word, now they regarded it with reverence sometimes bordering on superstition. 
 Once fond of foreign alliances, henceforth they shrank with abhorrence from all foreigners. 
 Once fond of agriculture, now they became a trading people. From being pliable before, 
 they now became intensely bigoted and nationally intolerant. Thus the restoration 
 from Babylon moulded the national character more than any event since the Exodus 
 from Egypt. 
 
 Now the distinction between Judah and the Ten tribes of Israel disappears. So in 
 the New Testament the twelve tribes are mentioned (Acts xxvi. 7 ; Jas. L 1). The 
 theocratic feeling generated at the restoration drew all of the elect nation round the seat of 
 the theocracy, the metropolis of the true religion, Jerusalem. Malachi tended to promote 
 this feeling ; thus his prophecy, though addressed to the people of Jerusalem, is called 
 " the word of the Lord to Israel'^ 
 
 The long silence of prophets from Malachi to the times of Messiah was calculated 
 to awaken in the Jewish mind the more earnest desire for Him who was to exceed 
 infinitely in word and deed all the prophets. His forerunners. The three prophets of the 
 restoration, being the last of the Old Testament, are especially distinct in pointing to Him 
 who, as the great subject of the New Testament, was to fulfil all the Old Testament. 
 
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET HAGGAI. xlv 
 
 HAGGAI. 
 
 The name Haggai means my feast ; given, according to Cocceius, in anticipation of the 
 joyous return from exile. He probably was one of the Jewish exiles (of the tribes 
 Judah, Benjamin, and Levi) who returned under Zerubbabel, the civil head of the people, 
 and Joshua, the high priest, 536 b. c. ; when Cyrus (actuated by the striking prophecies as 
 to himself, Isa. xliv. 28 ; xlv. 1) granted them their liberty, and furnished them with the 
 necessaries for restoring the temple (2 Chr. xxxvi. 23 ; Ezra i. 1 ; ii. 2). The work of 
 rebuilding went on under Cyrus, and his successor Cambyses (called Ahasuerus, Ezra 
 iv. 6), in spite of opposition from the Samaritans, who, when their offers of help were 
 I declined, began to try to hinder it. These at last obtained an interdict from the usurper 
 Smerdis, the Magian (called Artaxerxes, Ezra iv. 7-23), whose suspicions were easy to 
 rouse; and the Jews thereupon became so indifferent to the work that when Darius 
 came to the throne (521 b. c), virtually setting aside the prohibition of the usurper, 
 instead of recommencing their labours, they pretended that as the prophecy of the seventy/ 
 years applied to the temple as well as to the captivity in Babylon (ch. i. 2), they were 
 only in the sixty-eighth year of it ; so that, the proper time not having yet arrived, they 
 might devote themselves to building splendid mansions for themselves. Haggai and 
 Zechariah were commissioned by Jehovah (ch. i. 1) in the second year of Darius (Hystas- 
 pis), b. c. 520, sixteen years after the return under Zerubbabel, to rouse them from their 
 selfishness to resume the work which for fourteen years had been suspended. Haggai 
 preceded Zechariah in the work by two months. 
 
 The dates of his four distinct prophecies are accurately given : — I. The first (ch. i.), 
 on the first day of the sixth month of the second year of Darius, 520 b. c, reproved the 
 people for their apathy in allowing the temple to lie in ruins ; and reminded them of 
 their ill success in everything because of their not honouring God as to His house. The 
 result was, in twenty-four days afterwards they commenced building under Zerubbabel 
 (ch. i. 12-15). II. The second, on the twenty-first day of the seventh month (ch. ii. 1-9), 
 predicts that the glory of the new temple would be greater than that of Solomon's ; so 
 that the people need not be discouraged by the inferiority in outward splendour of the 
 new, as compared with the old temple, which had so moved to tears the elders who had 
 remembered the old (Ezra iii. 12, 13). Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel had implied the 
 same prediction, whence some had doubted whether they ought to proceed with a building 
 so inferior to the former one ; but Haggai shows wherein the superior glory was to 
 consist — viz., in the presence of Him who is the " desire of all nations" (v. 7). III. The 
 third, on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (ch. ii. 10-19), refers to a period when 
 building materials had been collected, and the workmen had begun to put them together 
 — from which time forth God promises His blessing : it begins with removing their past 
 error as to the efficacy of mere outward observances to cleanse from the taint of dis- 
 obedience as to the temple building. IV. The fourth (ch. ii. 20-23), on the same day 
 as the preceding, was addressed to Zerubbabel, as the representative of the theocratic 
 people, and as having asked as to the national revolutions spoken of in the second pro- 
 phecy (ch. ii. 7). 
 
 The prophecies are all so brief as to suggest the supposition that they are only a 
 summary of the original discourses. The space occupied is but three months from the 
 first to the last. 
 
 The Jews' adversaries, on the resumption of the work under Zerubbabel, Haggai, 
 and Zechariah, tried to set Darius against it; but that monarch confirmed Cyrus's 
 decree, and ordered all help to be given to the building of the temple, (Ezra v. 3, &c. ; 
 vi. 1, &c.) So the temple was completed in the sixth year of Darius's reign, b. c. 515-516 
 (Ezra vi. 14). 
 
 The style of Haggai is consonant with his messages : pathetic in exhortation, vehe- 
 ment in reproofs, elevated in contemplating the glorious future. The repetition of the 
 same phrases (e. g., saith the Lord, or the Lord of hosts, ch. i. 2, 5, 7 ; and thrice in one 
 verse, ch. ii. 4 ; so "the spirit," thrice in one verse, ch. i. 14), gives a simple earnestness to 
 
xlvi INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETS OF THE RESTORATION. 
 
 his style, calculated to awaken tlie solemn attention of the people, and to awaken them 
 from their apathy, to which also the interrogatory form, often adopted, especially tends. 
 Chaldaisms occur (ch. ii. 3, 6, 16), as might have been expected in a writer who was so 
 long in Chaldea. Parts are purely prose history ; the rest is somewhat rhythmical, and 
 observant of poetic parallelism. 
 
 Haggai is referred to in Ezra v. 1 ; vi. 14; and in the New Testament (Heb. xii. 26 : 
 cf. ch. il 6, 7, 22). 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 The name Zechariah means one whom Jehovah remembers: a common name, four 
 others of the name occurring in the Old Testament. Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, he was 
 a priest as well as a prophet, which adapts him for the sacerdotal character of some of 
 his prophecies (ch. vi. 13). He is called "the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo " (ch. 
 i. 1); but simply "the son of Iddo" (Ezra v. 1; vi. 14). Probably his father died when 
 he was young, and hence, as sometimes occurs in Jewish genealogies, he is called " the 
 son of Iddo," his grandfather. Iddo was one of the priests who returned with 
 Zerubbabel and Joshua from Babylon (Neh. xii. 4). 
 
 Zechariah entered early on his prophetic functions (ch. ii. 4); only two months 
 later than Haggai, in the second year of Darius's reign, 520 b. c. The design of both 
 prophets was to encourage the people and their religious and civil leaders, Joshua and 
 Zerubbabel, in their work of rebuildiug the temple, after the interruption caused by the 
 Samaritans (see Introduction to Haggai). Zechariah does so especially by unfolding in 
 detail the glorious future in connection with the present depressed appearance of the 
 theocracy, and its visible symbol, the temple. He must have been very young in leaving 
 Babylonia, where he was born. The Zechariah, son of Barachiah, mentioned by our 
 Lord (Matt, xxiii. 35) as slain between the porch and the altar, must have been the 
 one called the son of Jehoiada in 2 Chr. xxiv. 21, who so perished: the same person 
 often had two names ; and our Lord, in referiug to the Hehrew Bible, of which 2 Chr. is 
 the last book, would naturally mention the last martyr in the Hehrew order of the canon, 
 as He had instanced Abel as the first. Owing to Matt, xxvii. 9 quoting Zech. xi. 12, 
 13, as the words of Jeremiah, Mede doubts the authenticity of chs. ix., x., xi., xii., xiii., 
 xiv., and ascribes them to Jeremiah: he thinks that these chapters were not found till 
 after the return from the captivity, and being approved by Zechariah, were added to his 
 prophecies, as Agur's Proverbs were added to those of Solomon. All the oldest 
 authorities, except two MSS. of the old Italian or Pre-vulgate version, read "Jeremiah" 
 in Matt, xxvii. 9. The quotation there is not to the letter copied from Zechariah : Jer. 
 xviii. 1, 2; xxxii. 6-12, may also have been in the mind of Matthew, and perhaps in the 
 mind of Zechariah, whence the former mentions Jeremiah. Hengstenherg similarly thinks 
 that Matthew names Jeremiah, rather than Zechariah, to turn attention to the fact that 
 Zechariah 's prophecy is but a reiteration of the fearful oracle in Jer. xviii. and xix., to 
 be fulfilled in the destruction of the J ewish nation. Jeremiah had already, by the image 
 of a potter's vessel, portrayed their ruin in Nebuchadnezzar's invasion; and as Zechariah 
 virtually repeats this threat, to be inflicted again under Messiah for the nation's rejection 
 of Him, St. Matthew, virtually, by mentioning Jeremiah, implies tliat the "field of 
 blood," now bought by "the reward of iniquity" in the valley of Hinnom, was long ago 
 a scene of prophetic doom, in which awful disaster had been symbolically predicted; that 
 the present purchase of that field with the traitor's price renewed the prophecy and 
 revived the curse — a curse pronounced of old by Jeremiah, and once fulfilled in the 
 Babylonian siege — a curse reiterated by Zechariah, and again to be verified in the Roman 
 desolation. Lightfoot (referring to B. Bathra and Kimchi), less probably, thinks the third 
 division of Scripture, the Prophets, began with Jeremiah, and that the whole body of 
 prophets is thus quoted by the name "Jeremiah." The mention of "Ephraim"and 
 " Israel " in these chapters as distinct from Judah, does not prove that the prophecy was 
 written whilst the Ten tribes existed as a separate kingdom. It rather implies that 
 hereafter not only Judah, but the Ten tribes also, shall be restored, the earnest of which 
 was given in the numbers out of the Ten tribes who returned with their brethren the 
 
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET MALACHI. 
 
 xlvii 
 
 Jews from captivity under Cyrus. There is nothing in these chapters to imply that a 
 king reigned in Judah at that time. The editor of the Hebrew canon joined these 
 chapters to Zechariah, not to Jeremiah ; the LXX., 300 years b. c, confirm this. 
 
 The prophecy consists of four parts: I. Introductory, ch. i. 1-6. II. Symbolical, 
 ch. i. 7, to the end of ch. vi., containing nine visions : all these were vouchsafed in one 
 night, and are of a symbolical character. III. Didactic, chs. vii. and viii., containing 
 an answer to a query of the Bethelites concerning a certain fast. And IV. Prophetic, 
 ch. ix. to the end. These six last chapters predict Alexander's expedition along the 
 West coast of Palestine to Egypt; God's protection of the Jews, both at that time and 
 under the Maccabees; the advent, sufferings, and reign of Messiah; the destruction of 
 Jerusalem by Rome, and dissolution of the Jewish polity ; their conversion and restora- 
 tion ; the overthrow of the wicked confederacy which assail them in Canaan, and the 
 Gentiles' joining in their holy worship {Henderson). The difference in style between the 
 former and the latter chapters is due to the difference of subject : the first six chapters 
 being of a symbolical and peculiar character, whilst the poetical style of the concluding 
 chapters is adapted admirably to the subjects treated of. The titles (ch. ix. 1; xii. 1) 
 accord with the prophetic matter which follows; nor is it necessary, for unity of author- 
 ship, that the introductory formulas occurring in the first eight chapters should occur in 
 the last six. The non-reference in the last six chapters to the completion of the temple 
 and the Jews' restoration after the captivity, is just what we should expect, if, as seems 
 likely, these chapters were written long after the completion of the temple and the 
 restoration of the Jews' polity after the captivity, in circumstances different from those 
 which engaged the prophet when he wrote the earlier chapters. 
 
 The style varies with the subject : at one time conversational, at another poetical. 
 His symbols are enigmatical, and are therefore accompanied with explanations. His 
 prose is like that of Ezekiel, diffuse, uniform, and repetitious. The rhythm is somewhat 
 unequal, and the parallelisms not altogether symmetrical. Still there is found often 
 much of the elevation met with in the earlier prophets, and a general congruity between 
 the style and the subjects. Graphic vividness is his peculiar merit. Chaldaisms 
 occur occasionally. Another special characteristic of Zechariah is his introduction of 
 spiritual beings into his prophetic scenes. 
 
 MALACHI. 
 
 Malachi forms the transition-link between the two dispensations — the Old and the New : 
 'the skirt and boundary of Christianity,' to which, perhaps, is due the abrupt earnestness 
 which characterizes his prophecies. His very name is somewhat uncertain. Malachi is 
 the name of an office, rather than a person — 'my messenger' — and as such is found, ch. 
 iii. 1. The LXX. favours this view in ch. i. 1 — translate^ not 'by Malachi,' but 'by 
 the hand of His messenger' (cf. Hag. i. 13). Malachi is the last inspired messenger of 
 the Old Testament, announcing the advent of the Great Messenger of the New Testa- 
 ment. The Chaldee paraphrase identifies him with Ezra wrongly, as Ezra is never called 
 a prophet, but a scribe ; and Malachi never a scribe, but a prophet. Still, it hence 
 appears that Malachi was, by some old authorities, not regarded as a proper name. The 
 analogy of the headings of other prophets, however, favours the common view, that 
 Malachi is a proper name. As Haggai and Zechariah, the contemporary prophets, sup- 
 ported Joshua and Zerubbabel in the building of the temple, so he, at a subsequent 
 period, supported the priest Ezra and the governor Nehemiah. Like that ruler, he 
 presupposes the temple to have been already built (chs. i. 10; iii. 1-10). Both alike 
 censure the abuses still unreformed (Neh. xiii. 5, 15-22, 23-30)— the profane and mer- 
 cenary character of the priests; the people's marriages contracted with foreigners; and the 
 non-payment of the tithes; and want of sympathy towards the poor on the part of the 
 rich. Neh. vi. 7 implies that Nehemiah was supported by prophets in his work of 
 reformation. The date thus will be about 420 B.C., or later. Both the periods after the 
 captivity (that of Haggai and Zechariah, and that of Malachi) were marked by royal, 
 piiestly, and prophetic men at the head of God's people. The former period was 
 
xlviii 
 
 INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETS OF THE RESTORATION. 
 
 that of the building of the temple; the latter that of the restoration of the people 
 and rebuilding of the city. It fs characteristic of the people of God that the first 
 •period after the restoration was exclusively devoted to the rebuilding of the temple : 
 the political restoration came secondarily. Only a colony of 50,000 settled with 
 Joshua and Zerubbabel in Palestine (Ezra ii. 64). Even these became intermingled 
 with the heathen around during the sixty years passed over by Ezrian silence 
 (Ezra ix. 6-15 ; Neh. i. 3). Hence a second restoration was needed, which should 
 mould the national life into a Jewish form, re-establishing the holy law and the holy 
 city — a work effected by Ezra and Nehemiah, with the aid of Malachi, in a period of 
 about half a century, ending with the death of Malachi and Nehemiah in the last ten 
 years of the fifth century B.C. — i.e., the "seven weeks" (Dan. ix. 25) put in the beginning 
 of the ' seventy ' by themselves, to mark the fundamental difference between them, the 
 last period of Old Testament revelation, and the period which followed without any 
 revelation (the sixty-two weeks), preceding the final week standing out in unrivalled 
 dignity by itself as the time of Messiah's appearing. The seventy weeks thus begin 
 with the seventh year of Ai-taxerxes, who allowed Ezra to go to Jerusalem, 457 b. c, in 
 accordance with the commandment which then went forth from God. Ezra the priest 
 performed the inner work of purifying the nation from heathenish elements, and reintro- 
 ducing the law ; whilst Nehemiah did the outer work of rebuilding the city and restoring 
 the national polity (Auberlen). Vitrmga makes the date of Malachi's prophecies to be 
 about the second return of Nehemiah from Persia, not later than 424 B.C., the date of 
 Artaxerxes' death (Neh. xiii. 6). About this time Socrates was teaching the only 
 approach to a pure morality which corrupt Athens ever knew. Moore distinguishes six 
 portions : 1. Charge against Israel for insensibility to God's love, which so distinguished 
 Israel above Edom (ch. i. 1-5). 2. The priests are reproved for neglect and profanation 
 (chs. i. 6 ; ii. 9). 3. Mixed marriages and the wrongs done to Jewish wives are reproved 
 (ch. ii. 10-16). 4. Coming of Messiah and His forerunners (chs. ii. 17; iii. 6). 5. 
 Reproof for tithes withheld (ch. iii. 6-12). 6. Contrast between the godly and the 
 ungodly at the present time and in'the future judgment ; exhortation, therefore, to return 
 to the law (chs. iii. 13 ; iv. 6). 
 
 The style is animated, but less grand, and the rhythm less marked than in some of 
 the older prophets. 
 
 The canonicity of the book is established by the references to it in the New Testa- 
 ment (Matt. xi. 10; xvii. 12 ; Mark i. 2; ix. 11, 12; Luke L 17; Pom. ix. 13). 
 
THE BOOK OF 
 
 JOB. 
 
 1 rpHEUE was a man "in the land of Uz, whose name loas ^JoB; and" 
 X that man was ^perfect and upright, and one that feared '^God, and 
 
 2 eschewed evil. And there were born unto him seven sons and three 
 
 3 daughters. His ^substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three 
 thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she- 
 asses, and a very great ^ household; so that this man w^as the greatest of 
 all the ^ men of the east. 
 
 4 ■ And his sons went and feasted in tJieir houses, every one his day ; and 
 sent and called for their three sisters, to eat and to drink with them. 
 
 5 And it was so, when the days of theh^ feasting were gone about, that Job 
 sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morniDg, "^ojid offered 
 burnt offerings according to the number of them all : for Job said, ^It 
 may be that my sons have sinned, and ^cursed God in their hearts. 
 ^Thus did Job * continually. 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 » Gen. 22. 20. 
 b Eze. 14. 14. 
 " Gen 6. 9. 
 d Pro. 8. 13. 
 
 1 Or, cattle. 
 
 2 Or, hus- 
 bandry. 
 
 2 sons of the 
 east. 
 
 Gen 25. G. 
 * Gen. 8. 20. 
 / 2 Cor. 11. 2. 
 f 1 Ki. 21. 10, 
 
 13. 
 4 all the 
 
 days. 
 
 CHAP. I. Part I.— Prologue or Historical 
 Introduction in Prose — Chapters I. , IT. 
 
 The Holiness of Job, his Wealth, d-c. (1-5). 1. 
 Uz— north, of Arabia Deserta, lying towards tlie 
 Eiiplirates ; it was in this neighbourhood, and 
 not in that of Idumea, that the Chaldeans and 
 Sabeans who plundered him dwelt. The Arabs 
 divide their country into the north, called Sham, 
 or 'the left:' and the south, called Yeynen, or 
 ' the right : ' for they faced east, and so the north 
 was on their left and the south on their right. 
 Arabia Deserta was on the east; and so Job is 
 called {v. 3) "the greatest of all the onen of the 
 east;^' Arabia Petraea on the west, and Arabia 
 Felix on the south. (See Introduction, 'Where 
 Job lived.') Job. The name comes from an 
 Arabic word moaning to return, viz., to God, to re- 
 pent, referring to his end {Eichhorn): or rather from 
 a Hebrew word p."^. Ayah, in the passive Ay oh} 
 signifying one to whom enmity was shown, greatly 
 tried [Gesenius). Significant names were often 
 given among the Hebrews from some event of 
 the after-life (cf. Isa. viii. 3, 4, Mahar-shalal-hash- 
 baz). So the names David, ' Beloved,' Solomon, 
 ' Peaceful,' are names marking respectively the 
 leading characteristic of their history, given pre- 
 sciently through God's overruling providence. 
 The name Job may have been thus given at his 
 birth, or else after his trials. So the emir of Uz 
 was by general consent called Job, on account of 
 liis trials. The only other person so called was a 
 son of Issachar (Gen. xlvi. 13). perfect— not abso- 
 lute or faultless perfection (cf. ix. 20: "If I justify 
 myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I 
 say, I am perfect, it shall prove me perverse." 
 Eccl. vii. 21)), but integrity, sincerity, and con- 
 sistency on the whole, in all relations of life (Gen. 
 vi. 9 ; xvii. 1 ; Pro v. x. 9 ; Matt. v. 48). It Avas 
 the fear of God that kept Job from evil (Prov. 
 viii. 13). 2. seven sons— three daughters— (Prov. 
 xvii. 6). In the East, and in primitive times espe- 
 cially, it was thought a greater blessing to have 
 many sons than many daughters (cf. Ps. cxxvii. 
 3-^i ; cxxviii. .3, G). 3. she-asses— prized on account 
 of their milk, and for riding (Jud. v. 10). Houses 
 and lands are not mentioned among the emir's 
 VOL. II L 1 
 
 wealth, as nomadic tribes dwell in moveable tents, 
 and live chiefly by pasture, the right to the soil 
 not being appropriated by individuals. The " five 
 hundred yoke of oxen" imply, however, that Job 
 tilled the soil. He seems also to have had a dwell- 
 ing in a town (ch. xxix. 7), in which respect he 
 differed from the patriarchs. Camels are well 
 called ships of the desert, esxjecially valuable for 
 caravans, as being able to lay in a' store of water 
 that suffices them for days, and sustaining life 
 on a very few thistles or thorns, household — 
 (Gen. xxvi. 14, marg. ) The other rendering, which 
 the Hebrew admits, husbandry, is not so probable, 
 men of the east— denoting in Scripture those 
 living east of Palestine ; as the people of North 
 Arabia Deserta (Jud. vi. 3; Ezek. xxv. 4). 4. every 
 one his day— viz., the birthday (ch. iii. 1). {Urn- 
 breit.) Implying the love and harmony of the 
 members of the family, as contrasted with the 
 ruin which soon broke up such a scene of happi- 
 ness. The sisters are specified, as these feasts were 
 not for revelry, which would be inconsistent 
 with the presence of sisters. These latter were 
 invited by the brothers, though they gave no 
 invitations in return. The sisters, according to 
 Eastern custom, lived in their mother's home 
 (Gen. xxiv. 67). The Hebrew perfects, "feasted, 
 sent, called," imply that this was their regular 
 custom, each in his turn (iriz., on his birthday) 
 to feast the rest. Maurer objects that, as the 
 birthdays must have fallen at different times in 
 the year, i'c is not intelligible in Umhreit's view 
 why Job, who was as solicitous that no offence 
 of his children should be unatoned, should not 
 after each birthday, and not merely at the close 
 of the whole year, offer the atonements. The 
 narrative implies the series of feasts was at one 
 anniversary season each year, and lasted seven 
 days, and each of the seven sous was the enter- 
 tainer on one day of the seven, beginning with 
 the eldest son. 5. when the days of feasting 
 were gone about— i. e., at the end of all the 
 birthdays collectively, when the banquets had 
 gone round through all the families, sent—i. e., 
 sent and summoned them to him: for Job was 
 not present himself at their feasts {w. 13, 18). Job 
 
Satan, appearing before God, 
 
 JOB I 
 
 falsely accuses Job. 
 
 6 Now there was a day ^wlien the sons of God came to present them- 
 
 7 selves before the Lord, and ^ Satan came also among them. And the 
 Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou ? Then Satan answered the 
 Lord, and said. From -Agoing to and fro in the earth, and from walking 
 
 8 up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, ®Hast thou con- 
 sidered my servant Job, that there is none like him in tthe earth, a 
 perfect and an upright man, one that feareth sGod, and ,escheweth evil ? 
 
 9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said. Doth Job fear God for nought ? 
 
 10 Hast ^not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and 
 about all that he hath on every side? ^Thou hast blessed the work of 
 
 11 his hands, and his ^substance is increased in the land: but put forth 
 thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, ^ and he will curse thee to 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 ch. 2. 1. 
 i 1 Ki 22. 19. 
 6 the 
 
 adversary. 
 i Matt 12.43. 
 6 Hast thou 
 
 set thy 
 
 heart on. 
 
 Ps. 34. 1. 
 i Ps. 128. 1. 
 T Or. cattle. 
 8 if he curse 
 
 thee not to 
 
 thy face. 
 
 sanctified them — by purificatory washiugs (Gen, 
 XXXV. 2 ; Exod. xix. 10, 14; 1 Sam. xvi. 5), followed 
 by his oflfering up as many exj)iatory burnt offer- 
 ings as he had sons (Gen. viii. 20 ; Lev. i. 4). 
 This was done in the morning (Gen. xxii. 3; 
 Lev. vi. 12). So Jesus began devotions early 
 (Mark i. 35). The holocaust, or burnt offering, 
 in patriarchal times, was "offered" (lit., caused 
 to ascend [nibj? nbJ? n], referring to the smoke ascend- 
 ing to heaven) by each father of a family offi- 
 ciating as priest in behalf of his household, 
 cursed God. The same Hebrew word 
 means to curse and to bless; Gesenius says the 
 original sense is to kneel, and thus it came to 
 mean bending the knee in order to invoke either 
 a blessing or a curse. Cursing is a perversion 
 of blessing, as all sin is of goodness. Sin is a 
 degeneracy, not a generation. It is not, how- 
 ever, likely that Job should fear the possibility 
 of his sons cursing God. The sense bid farewell 
 to, derived from the blessing customary at jiart- 
 ing, seems sufficient (Gen. xlvii. 10). Thus [/m- 
 breit translates, ' may have dismissed God from 
 their hearts;' viz., amidst the intoxication of 
 pleasure (Prov. xx. 1 ; cf. Ps. x. 4, 5). This act 
 illustrates Job's "fear of God," v. 1. 
 
 Satan, Appearing before God, Falsely Accuses 
 Job (6-12), 6. sons of God— angels (ch. xxxviii. 7; 
 1 Ki. xxii. 19). Ps. xxix. 1, marg., "Sons of the 
 mighty." Called also "saints" (ch. v. I): and 
 "angels" or messengers (ch. iv. 18). "Sons of 
 God" implies their birth from, and likeness to, 
 God: whence man unfallen is similarly desig- 
 nated (Gen. i. 26, 27; vi. 2). "Saints" implies 
 their entire consecration, and relative, though 
 not absolute (ch. iv. 18; xv. 15), perfection. 
 "Angels" implies their function, in which re- 
 spect also God's human messengers resemble 
 them, and therefore receive the same name 
 (Mai. ii. 7; Gal. iv. 14). They present them- 
 selves to render account of their "ministry" 
 (Heb. i. 14) in other parts of the universe, and 
 to receive God's commands : so their attitude is 
 standing before Jehovah, who sits on His throne 
 (Zech. vi. 5; cf. Prov. xxii. 29), the Lord— He- 
 brew, Jehovah— the self-existing God, faithful 
 to His promises. God says (Exod. vi. 3) that He 
 was not known to the patriarchs by this name. 
 But, as the name occurs previously in Gen. ii. 
 7;9, kc, what_ must be meant is, not until the 
 time of delivering Israel by Moses was He known 
 X^eculiarly and publicly in the character which 
 the name means, viz., making things to be, fulfill- 
 ing the promises made to their forefathers. 
 This name, therefore, here is no objection against 
 the antiquity of the book of Job. Satan. The 
 tradition was widely spread that lie had been the 
 agent in Adam's temptation. Hence his name is 
 given without comment. The feeling with which 
 lie looks on Job is similar to that with which he 
 2 
 
 looked on Adam in Paradise : emboldened by his 
 success in the case of one not yet fallen, he is 
 confident that the piety of Job, one of a fallen 
 race, will not stand the test. He had fallen him- 
 self (ch. iv. 18; xv. 15; Jude 6). In the book of 
 Job first Satan is designated by name: Satan, in 
 Hebrew []TDiE'], an adversary in a court of justice 
 (1 Chr. xxi." 1 ; Ps. cix. 6; Zech. iii. 1). The 
 accuser (Rev. xii. 10). He has got the law of God 
 on his side by man's sin, and against man. But 
 Jesus Christ has fulfilled the law for us, so that 
 justice is once more on man's side against Satan 
 (Isa. xlii. 21); and so Jesus Christ can plead as 
 our advocate against the adversary (Rom. viii. 33). 
 Devil is the Greek name — the slanderer, or ac- 
 cuser. He is subject to God, who uses his minis- 
 try for chastising man. In Arabic Satan is often 
 applied to a serpent (Gen. iii, 1). H<e is called 
 Prince of this world (John xii. 31); the God of 
 this world (2 Cor. iv, 4) ; Prince of the power of 
 the air (Epli. ii. 2). God here questions him in 
 order to vindicate His own ways before angels. 
 7. going to and fro — rather, hurrying rapidly to 
 and fro. The original idea in Arabic is the heat 
 of haste (1 Pet. v. 8 ; Matt. xii. 43). Satan seenis 
 to have had some peculiar connection with this 
 earth. Perhaps he was formerly its ruler under 
 God. Man succeeded to the vice-royalty (Gen. i. 
 26; Ps. viii. 6). Man lost it, and Satan became 
 Prince of this world. The Son of man (Ps. viii. 4) 
 — the representative man, regains the forfeited in- 
 heritance (Rev. xi. 15). 7. Satan's replies are 
 characteristically curt and short. Perpetual 
 hurry and restlessness characterize himself and 
 his followers. The Hebrew [ow] means to kun 
 to and fro (cf. Hebrew, Jer. v. 1 ; Amos viii. 
 12). Umbreit translates, 'from a flight over 
 the earth.' When the angels appear before God 
 Satan is among them, even as there was a Judas 
 among the apostles. 8. considered — marg., set 
 thine heart on — i. e., considered attentively. No 
 true servant of God escapes the eye of the Adver- 
 sary of God. that — rather, ^for there is none 
 like him:' giving the reason for the question 
 asked. 9. fear God for nought? It is a mark of 
 the children of Satan to sneer and not give credit to 
 any for disinterested piety. Selfishness, say they, 
 is at the bottom of even the best men's religion. 
 But not so much God's gifts, as God Himself is 
 "the reward" of His people (Gen. xv. 1). 10. 
 Ms substance is increased— lit. , his cattle break 
 forth and spread out like a flood: Job's herds 
 covered the face of the country [Hebrew, V??j: 
 (cf. Gen. XXX. SO, marg., and 43; Isa. liv. 3). H- 
 curse thee to thy face— in antithesis to God's 
 praise of him {v. 8), "one that feareth God." 
 Satan's words are too true of many. Take away 
 their prosperity and you take away their religion 
 (Mai. lii. 14). curse thee— Umbreit translates, as 
 in V. 5, 'insolently renounce thee:' so Maur<2r 
 
Job in his bereavement 
 
 JOB I. 
 
 blesseth God. 
 
 12 thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is 
 in thy ^ power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan 
 went forth from the presence of the Lord. 
 
 13 And there was a day ™when his sons and his daughters were eating 
 
 14 and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house: and there came a 
 messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses 
 
 15 feeding beside them; and the "Sabeans fell upon them, and took them 
 away ; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword ; and 
 
 16 I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there 
 came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and 
 hath burnt up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them ; and I 
 
 17 only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there 
 came also another, and said. The Chaldeans made out three bands, and 
 
 fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the 
 servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell 
 
 18 thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, 
 Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their 
 
 19 eldest brother's house: and, behold, there came a great wind ^^from the 
 wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the 
 young men, and they are dead : and I only am escaped alone to tell 
 thee. 
 
 20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and ''fell 
 
 21 down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said. Naked came I out of 
 my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord ^gave, 
 
 and Gesenius. 12. in thy power— Satan has do 
 power against man till God gives it. God would 
 not touch Job with His own hand, though Satan 
 asks this (v. 11, "put forth thine hand"), but 
 allows the enemy to do so. 
 
 Job, in Affliction, Blessed God, <fec. (13-22). 
 13. wine — not specitied in ik 4. The mirth in- 
 spired by the wine here contrasts the more sadly 
 with the alarm which interrupted it. 14. the 
 asses feeding beside them— Hebrew, she-asses. A 
 graphic picture of rural repose and peace; the 
 more dreadful, therefore, by contrast is the sudden 
 attack of the plundering Arabs. 15. Sabeans— 
 not those of Arabia Felix, but those of Arabia 
 Deserta, descending from Sheba, grandson of 
 Abraham and Keturah (Gen, xxv. 3). The Be- 
 douin Arabs of the present day resemble, in 
 marauding habits, these Sabeans (cf. Gen. xvi. 
 12). The Sabeans of Arabia Felix were mer- 
 cantile (ch. vi. 19), not marauding in their habits. 
 Perhaps "Sabeans" is used for Arabians in 
 general (cf. Isa. xiii. 20; Jer. iii. 2). I only am 
 escaped. Cunningly contrived by Satan. One 
 in each case escapes {vv. 16, 17, 19), and brings the 
 same kind of message. This was to overwhelm 
 Job, and leave him no time to recover from the 
 rapid succession of calamities — ' misfortunes 
 seldom come single.' 16. fire of God — Hebraism 
 ior a mir/hty fire ; a,3 cedars of God— lofty cedars. 
 Umhreit understands it of the burning wind of 
 Arabia, called by the Turks 'wind of poison.' 
 But the burning wind would not be said to fall 
 from heaven: therefore, it is likely by "the fire of 
 God" is meant liglUninff (Exod. ix. 23; Num. 
 xvi. .35; 1 Ki. xviii. 38; 2 Ki. i. 10, 12, 14). 
 "The prince of the power of the air" is per- 
 mitted to have control over such destructive 
 agents. 17. Chaldeans — not merely robbers, as 
 the Sabeans; but experienced in war, as is 
 implied by "they set in array three bands" 
 (Hab. i. 6-8). Their original seat was in the region 
 of the Carduchian mountains, north of Assyria 
 {Xenophon 'Cyrop.' iii. 2, 3; and ' Anab.' iv. 3, 4), 
 
 and near Armenia, whence they proceeded south- 
 wards in wandering bands before they were estab- 
 lished in a settled empire, viz., the Babylonian (cf. 
 note, Isa. xxiii. 13). ^at:?^i??50w distinguishes three 
 periods : 1. When their seat of empire was in the 
 south, towards the confluence of the Tigris and 
 Euphrates. The Chaldean period, from 2300 b. c. 
 to 1500 c. In this period was Chedorlaomer 
 (Gen xiv.), the Kudur of Hur or Ur of the Chal- 
 dees, in the Assyrian inscriptions, and the con- 
 queror of Syria. 2. From 1500 to 625 b. c, the As- 
 syrian period. 3. From 625 to 538 b. c. (when Cyrus 
 the Persian took Babylon), the Babylonian period. 
 Chaldees in Hebrew, — Ghasdim. They were akin, 
 perhaps, to the Hebrews, as Abraham's sojourn in 
 Ur, and the name Ghesed, a nephew of Abraham 
 (Gen. xxii. 22), imply. The three bands were 
 probably in order to attack the three separate 
 thousands of Job's camels [v. 3). 19. wind from 
 the "Wilderness — lit. , ' from across the wilderness,' 
 south of Job's house. The tornado came the more 
 violently over the desert as being uninterruj^ted 
 (Isa. xxi. 1; Hos. xiii. 15). the young men— 
 rather, the young people; including the daughters 
 (so in Buth ii. 21). 20. Job arose— not necessarily 
 from sitting. Inward excitemen t is implied, and the 
 beginning to do anything. He had heard the other 
 messages calmly, but on hearing of the death of 
 his children, then he arose ; or, as Eichhorn trans- 
 lates, ' he started up ' (2 Sam. xiii. 31). The rending 
 of the mantle was the conventional mark of deep 
 grief (Gen. xxxvii. 34). Orientals wear a tunic or 
 shirt, and loose pantaloons, and over these a flow- 
 ing mantle (especially great persons and women). 
 Shaving the head was also usual in grief (Jer. xli. 
 5 ; Mic. i. 16). 21. naked— destitute of all earthly 
 resources (1 Tim. vi. 7). "Mother's womb" is 
 poetically the earth, the universal mother (EccL 
 V. 15; xii. 7; Ps. cxxxix. 15). Job herein realizes 
 God's assertion (v. 8) against Satan's {v. 11). In- 
 stead of cursing, he blesses the name of Jehovah 
 (the Hebrew). " The name of Jehovah" means 
 Jehovah himself., as manifested to us in His attri- 
 
Satan again appears before God. 
 
 JOB 11. 
 
 His further power over Job. 
 
 and the Lord hath ^ taken away; ^blessed be the name of the Lord. 
 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. 
 2 AGAIN there was a day when the sons of God came to present them- 
 selves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them, to present 
 
 2 himself before the Lord. And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence 
 comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to 
 
 3 and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the 
 Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there 
 is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that 
 feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he "holdeth fast his integrity, 
 although thou movedst me against him, ^ to destroy him ^without cause. 
 
 4 And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a 
 
 5 man hath will he give for his life : but put forth tMne hand now, and 
 
 6 touch his *^bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And 
 the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand ; ^ but save his 
 life. 
 
 7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job 
 
 CHAP. 2. 
 « Ch. 27. 6, 6. 
 
 Ps. 26. 1. 
 
 Ps 41. 12. 
 
 Jas. 1. 12. 
 
 1 Pet. 1. 7 
 1 to swallow 
 
 him up 
 b Gen. 52. 1. 
 
 Matt. 7. 11. 
 
 John 9. 2. 
 
 Heb. 2. iO. 
 
 Heb. 11. 6- 
 11. 
 
 « ch. 10. 20. 
 i 2 Or only. 
 
 bates (Isa. ix. 6). 22. nor charged God foolishly— 
 
 rather, allowed himself to commit no tolly against 
 God {Umhreit). Ch. ii. ]0 proves that this is the 
 meaning. Not as marg., nor attributed tolly to 
 God. Hasty words against God, though natural 
 in the bitterness of grief, are folly : lit. , an insipid, 
 unsavoury thing, (ch. vi. 6; Jer. xxiii. 13, marg.) 
 Folly in Scripture is continually equivalent to 
 wickedness (ch. xxiv. 12; Lam. ii. 14). For when 
 man sins, it is himself, not God, whom he injures 
 (Prov. viii. 36). 
 
 Remarks. — 1. No degree of worldly prosperity 
 is a guarantee against sudden and great re- 
 verses ; therefore, Blessed is the man who, in 
 prosperity, feareth always, and woe to them who, 
 "■ because they have no changes, fear not God" 
 (Ps. Iv. 19). 2. In festive enjoyments, however 
 innocent in themselves, there is a danger of the 
 natural heart becoming so intoxicated with, the 
 excitement of pleasure as to forget God, the 
 source of all true enjoyment : we therefore should 
 ask God's pardon if we have forgotten Him, and 
 should go into no scene of festivity whereinto we 
 cannot bring God with us, and whereupon we 
 cannot ask God's blessing at its close. Job had 
 many expiatory offerings to make from time to 
 time in order to sanctify his sons : we Christians 
 have one offering that has once for all been made, 
 by which Christ has for ever perfected them that 
 are sanctijied (Heb. x. 12, 14). 3. The dispensations 
 of Providence in the present world which are 
 most perplexing to the believer (cf. Ps. Ixxiii.) 
 would be m a great measure cleared up if we could 
 remove the veil which hides from us the unseen 
 world : we should then realize the fact that the 
 present world is a scene of probation, in which 
 Satan's malice, though for a time let loose upon the 
 saints, is actually being overruled by God for His 
 linal glory and their eternal good. 4. We see in 
 Job's case the power of true religion exemplified. 
 True piety recognizes God's right to do as He will 
 with His own ; and sees in affliction the hand of 
 an Almighty Father who loves us, and therefore 
 chastens us in order that we may be partakers of 
 His holiness (Heb. xii. 10). We are to submit to 
 trials, not because we see the reasons for them, 
 nor yet as though they were matters of chance, but 
 because God wills them, and has a right to send 
 them, and has His own good reasons in sending 
 them. 
 
 CHAP. II. Satan Farther Tempts Job (1-9). 
 I. a day— appointed for the angels giving an 
 
 account of their ministry to God. The words 
 to present himself before the Lord occur here, 
 though not in i. 6, as Satan has now a special 
 report to make as to Job. 3. integrity— lit. , 
 completeness P^^r], so ' perfect,' another form of 
 the same Heb rew word (ch. i. 1). movedst . . . 
 against— (so 1 Sam. xxvi. 19; cf. 1 Chr. xxi. 1 
 with 2 Sam. xxiv. 1). Destroy [yS^]—' to swal- 
 low up,' to ruin him in respect to his earthly pos- 
 sessions (cf. Prov. i. 12). 4. Skin for skin— 
 a proverb. Supply He will give. The skin is 
 figurative for any outward good. Nothing out- 
 ward is so dear that a man will not exchange it for 
 some other outward good; but (not yea) life, the 
 inward good, cannot be replaced — a man will sac- 
 rifice everything else for its sake. Satan sneers 
 bitterly at man's egotism, and says, Job is willing 
 to part with property and childi-en, because these 
 are mere outward and exchangeable goodiS, but he 
 will give up all things, even his religion, in order 
 to save his life, if you touch his bones and flesh. 
 Skin and life are in antithesis ( Umhreit). The 
 martyrs prove Satan's sneer false. Rosenmuller 
 explains it not so well, A man willingly gives up 
 another's skin (life) for his own skin (life). So J ob 
 might bear the loss of his children, &c., with 
 equanimity so long as he remained unhurt himself; 
 but when touched in his own person he would 
 renounce God. Thus the first "skin" means the 
 other's skin, i. e., body; the second "skin," one's 
 own, as in Exod. xxi. 23. Maurer explains as 
 English version, " skin for skin" — i. e., proverbially, 
 equivalent for equivalent, " and all that a man hath 
 will he give for his life"--i. e., and accordingly 
 Job, inasmuch as regarding his life still unim- 
 paired to be an equivalent for all things else 
 which he hath lost, may easily take his 
 losses patiently. I prefer this. 6. but save — 
 ratlier, only spare. Satan shows his ingenuity 
 in inflicting pain, and also his knowledge 
 of v/hat man's body can bear without vital injury. 
 7. sore boils— malignant boils. Rather, as it is 
 singular in the Hebrew, a burning sore. Job was 
 covered with one universal inflammation. The use 
 of the potsherd agrees AvitH this view. It was 
 that form of leprosy called black (to distinguish 
 it from tlte tohite) or Elephantiasis, because the 
 feet swell like those of the elephant. The 
 Arabic judham: The Hebrew is the same in 
 Deut. xxviii. 35, where sore botch is rather the 
 black burning boil (Isa. i. 6) : P? ]VV], called in 
 Dent. xxviiL 27, "the botch of Egypt r' (cl Ps. 
 
Job repromth his wife. 
 
 JOB III. 
 
 Visit of his three friendb 
 
 8 
 
 with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him 
 a potsherd to scrape himself withal ; '^and he sat down among the ashes. 
 
 Then said ^his wife unto liim, -^Dost thou still retain thine integrity? 
 curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the 
 foolish women speaketh. What ! shall ^ we receive good at the hand of God, 
 and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job ^sin with his lips. 
 
 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon 
 him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the *Temanite, 
 and Bildad -^'the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had 
 made an appointment together to come *to mourn with him and to 
 comfort him. And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew 
 him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept ; and they rent every one 
 13 his mantle, and 'sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. So they 
 sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and 
 none spake a word unto him : for they saw that his grief was very great. 
 3 AFTER this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. And Job 
 2 ^ spake, and said. 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 I 13. C . ir.20. 
 
 Ezek. zi. 
 30. 
 
 « Gen. 3. 6. 
 / ch. 21. 15 
 f John 18. 11. 
 
 Eoin.l2. 12. 
 
 Heb. 12. 9. 
 
 Jas. 5. 10. 
 h Ps. 39. 1. 
 
 Jas. 1. 12. 
 i Gen. 36. 11. 
 
 Jer. 49. 7. 
 } Gen. 26. 2. 
 
 Eom. 12, 
 15. 
 
 I Neh. 9. 1. 
 
 Lam. 2. 10. 
 
 Ezek. 27. 30. 
 '"Gen. 50. 10. 
 
 CHAP. 3. 
 1 answered. 
 
 xxxviii. 4-8.) 8. a potsherd — not a piece of a 
 broken earthen vessel, but an instrument made 
 for scratching (the root of the Hebrew word is 
 scratch); the sore was too disgusting to touch. 
 'To sit in the ashes' marks the deepest mourn- 
 ing (Jon. iii. 6) ; also humility, as if the moiirner 
 were nothing but dust and ashes; so Abraham 
 (Gen. xviii. 27). 
 
 Job Reproves His Wife (9-13). 9. curse God- 
 rather, renounce God. See on ch. 1, 5. ( Umhreit.) 
 Geseniws translates, 'Bless God' (as Job had 
 done, ch. i. 21, '^Blessed be the name of the Lord") 
 ' and die ' — i. e. , Bless God however much you may, 
 vou must die. She ironically tells him, Go on 
 blessing God, and all you get for it is dying! So, 
 often, two or more imperatives are joined, the 
 last expressing the result (cf. Isa. viii. 9, He- 
 brew). However, it was usual among the heathens, 
 when disaxjpointed in their prayers accompanied 
 Avith offerings to their gods, to reproach and cwr.se 
 theiru and die— i, e., take thy farewell of God 
 and so die.' For no good is to be got out of 
 religion, either here or hereafter; or, at least, 
 not in this life {Gill). Nothing makes the un- 
 godly so angry as to see the godly under trial not 
 angry. 10. the foolish women. Sin and folbj are 
 allied in Scripture (1 Sam. xxv. 25; 2 Sam. xiii. 
 
 I. 3; Ps. xiv. 1). receive evil— bear willingly 
 (Lam. iii. ,39). In all this— Hebrew here and in 
 ch. i. 22, 'in all these things:' i. e., notwithstand- 
 ing all these so many and grievous calamities. 
 "For all this" (Isa. v. 25; ix. 12; Ps. Ixxviii. 32). 
 
 II. Eliphaz. The view of Rawlinson, that the 
 names of Job's three friends represent the Chal- 
 dean times, about 700 b. c, cannot be accepted. 
 Eliphaz is an Idumean name, Esau's eldest son 
 (Gen. xxxvi. 4); and Teman, son of Eliphaz (15), 
 called "duke," UmeJAus places Teman in Arabia 
 Petrea (but see on ch. vi. 19). Teman means at the 
 right hand; and then the south, viz., part of 
 Idumea ; capital of Edom (Amos i. 12. ) Hebrew 
 geographers faced the east, not the north, as we 
 do ; hence with them the right hand was the south. 
 Temanites were famed for wisdom (Jer. xlix. 7). 
 Baruch mentions them as 'authors of fables, 
 viz., X)roverbg embodying the results of observa- 
 tion, and searchers out of understanding.' Bildad 
 the Shuhite— from the Hebrew Shuchah [nnv^j, 
 a pit: or else Shuah, son of Abraham and Keturah 
 (Gen. xxv. 2). Ptolemy (v. 15) mentions the re- 
 
 f'on Syccea i^aKKaia), m Arabia Deserta, east of 
 atanea : perhaps the same as the country of the 
 Shuhites ( Oesenius). Zophar the Naamathite— not 
 5 
 
 of the Naamans in Judah (Josh. xv. 41), which was 
 too distant; but some region in Arabia Deserta. 
 Fretelius says there was a Naamath in Uz, 12. 
 toward heaven. They threw violently ashes up- 
 wards, that they might fall on their heads and 
 cover them. Indication of the deei3est mourn- 
 ing (Josh. vii. 6; Acts xxii. 23). 13. seven days 
 .... nights. They did not remain in the one 
 posture and without food, &c., all this tirne, but 
 for the most of this period daily and nightly. 
 Sitting on the earth marked mourning (Lam. ii. 
 10). Seven days was the usual length of it (Gen. 
 1. 10; 1 Sam. xxxi. 13). This silence may have 
 been due to a rising suspicion of evil in Job; 
 but chiefly because it is only ordinary griefs that 
 find vent in language; extraordinary griefs are 
 too great for utterance. 
 
 Bemarks. — 1. When the angels presented them- 
 selves before God, there was Satan among them ; 
 when the Twelve were with Christ, there was 
 a Judas among them: we must therefore not 
 expect to be free from Satan's presence and 
 assaults in the holiest seasons, places, occupa- 
 tions, and companies. But he can only accuse and 
 afflict, not condemn or destroy, the children of 
 God (Horn. viii. 33-39). Satan's accusations 
 shall recoil on himself, and angels see God over- 
 ruling the evil, permitted for a time, to final and 
 everlasting good. 2. Carnal sense, like J ob's wife, 
 is prone to impatient and false iudgments of God 
 when He afflicts : true faith, like J ob's, justifies 
 God in all His dealings ; and amidst present trials 
 remembers past counterbalancing mercies. Sin 
 is not only vile, but also foolish : it offends against 
 our own true interests, as well as against God's 
 honour. Words betray this sinful folly as clearly 
 as deeds ; and, on the other hand, heavenly wis- 
 dom especially shows itself in not offending with 
 the tongue when tested by sore trials (Ps. xxxix. 
 1). 3. Times of adversity are times which prove 
 who are and who are not our real friends. How 
 precious is sympathy and good counsel at such 
 times! But, like Job's comforters, how imi^er- 
 fectly does our dearest earthly friend understand 
 ns! Our wisdom is to unbosom our grief to the 
 Friend who loveth at all times, who is born for 
 adversity, and sticketh closer than a brother 
 (Prov. xvii. 17; xviii. 24). Had Job done so, he 
 would not have been, as he was, betrayed into 
 impatient self -justification. 
 
 CHAP. III.— The Poem or Debate Itself, 
 iii.-xlii. 6; FiRST SERIES IN IT, iii,-xiv.; Job 
 First, iii. 
 
Job curseth the day of his hirth, 
 
 JOB III. 
 
 and wishethfor death. 
 
 3 Let "the day perish wherein I was born. 
 
 And the night in which it was said, — There is a man child conceived. 
 
 4 Let that day be darkness ; — let not God regard it from above. 
 Neither let the light shine upon it. 
 
 5 Let darkness and ^the shadow of death ^ stain it; 
 
 Let a cloud dwell upon it; — ^let the blackness of the day terrify it. 
 
 6 As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; 
 *Let it not be joined unto the days of the year; 
 Let it not come into the number of the months. 
 
 7 Lo, let that night be solitary; — let no joyful voice come therein. 
 
 8 Let them curse it that curse the day, 
 
 Who *^are ready to raise up ^ their mourning. 
 
 9 Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark ; let it look for Iight,but Aat?^ none ; 
 Neither let it see ^the dawning of the day : 
 
 10 Because it shut not up the doors of my mother s womb. 
 Nor hid sorrow from mine eyes. 
 
 11 "Why died I not from the womb? 
 
 Why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? 
 
 12 Why did the knees prevent me? — or why the breasts that I should suck ? 
 
 13 For now should I have lain still and been quiet, 
 I should have slept : then had I been at rest 
 
 14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, 
 
 B. c Am. 
 
 « ch. 10. 18. 
 
 Jer. 20. 14. 
 6 Ps. 23. 4. 
 
 Isa. 9. 2. 
 
 Jer. 13. 16. 
 
 Amos 6. 8. 
 
 Matt. 4. 16. 
 
 Luke J, 79. 
 
 2 Or. chal- 
 lenge it. 
 
 3 Or. let 
 them ter- 
 rify it. as 
 those who 
 have a 
 bitter day. 
 
 * Or. let it 
 not rejoice 
 among the 
 days. 
 
 « 2 Chr.36.25. 
 Jer. 9. 17. 
 Matt. 11.17- 
 
 5 Or. a 
 leviathan 
 
 6 the eyelids 
 of the 
 morning. 
 
 Job Curses the Day of His Birth, and Wishes for 
 Death (1-19). 1. opened Job Ms mouth. The 
 Orientals speak seldom, and then sententiously. 
 Hence this formula, expressing deliberation and 
 gravity (Ps. Ixxviii. 2). Formally began, cursed 
 his day — the strict Hebrew word for cursing 
 ; not the same as in ch. i. 5. J ob cursed his 
 birthday, but not his God. 2. spake— Hebrew, 
 ansivered — i. e., not to any actual question that 
 preceded, but to the question virtually involved 
 in the case. His outburst is singularly wild and 
 bold (Jer. xx. 14). To desire to die, so as to be 
 free from sin, is a mark of grace ; to desire to die, 
 so as to escape troubles, is a mark of corruption. 
 He was ill fitted to die who was so unwilling to 
 live. But his trials were greater and his light 
 less than ours. 3. the night in which— rather, 
 'the night which said.' The words in Italics 
 are not in the Hebrew. Night is personified, and 
 poetically made to speak. So in v. 7 and Ps. xix. 
 2. The birth of a male in the East is a matter of 
 joy; often not so of a female. 4. let not God 
 regard it — rather, more poetically. Seek it out 
 l^ljit]' ' Let not God stoop from his bright throne 
 to raise it up from its dark hiding-place.' The 
 curse on the day in v. 3 is amplified in vv. 4, 5; 
 that on the night, in vv. 6-10. 5. let— the shadow 
 of death (deepest darkness, Isa. ix. 2) stain 
 it. This is a later sense of the verb ['j^-i] {Ges- 
 enius); better the old and more poetic idea, 'Let 
 darkness (the ancient night of chaotic gloom) 
 resume its rights over light (Gen, i. 2), and claim 
 that day as its own.' a cloud — collectively, a 
 gathered mass of^ dark clouds, the blackness of 
 the day terrify it— lit., the obscurations P'Tl'ps], 
 whatever darkens the day {Gesenius). The verb 
 in Hebrew ['"i??] expresses sudden terrifying. May 
 it be suddenly afi'righted at its own darkness. 
 Umbreit explains it of magical incantations that 
 darken the day, forming the climax to the pre- 
 vious clauses ; v. 8 speaks of cursers of the day 
 similarly. But the former view is simpler. 
 Others refer it to the poisonous Simoon wind. 
 6. seize upon it — as its prey; i. e., utterly dissolve 
 it. joined unto the days of the year— rather, 
 6 
 
 by poetic personification, 'Let it not rejoice ['V] 
 in the circle of days and nights, and months, 
 which form the circle of years.' 7. solitary — 
 rather, unfruitful. 'Would that it had not given 
 birth to me' {Maurer and Umbreit). 8. them 
 . . . . that curse the day. If mourning be the 
 right rendering in the latter clause of this verse, 
 these words refer to the hired mourners of the 
 dead (Jer. ix. 17). But the Hebrew for mourning 
 [^mb] elsewhere always denotes an animal, 
 whether it be the crocodile or some huge serpent 
 (Isa. xxvii. 1) that is meant by leviathan [Tnnl?]. 
 Therefore the expression cursers of day refers to 
 magicians who were believed to be able by charms 
 to make a day one of evil omen. So Balaam 
 (Num. xxii. 5). This accords with Umbreit^ s view 
 {v. 5); or to the Ethiopians and Atlantes, who 'used 
 to curse the sun at his rising, for burning up them 
 and their country' {Herodotus). Necromancers 
 claimed power to control or rouse wild beasts at 
 will; as the Indian serpent-charmers at this day 
 (Ps. Iviii. 5). J ob does not say they had the power 
 they claimed; but, supposing they had, may they 
 curse the day. Schuttens renders it by supplying 
 words, as follows: — Let those that are ready 
 for anything, call it (the day) the raiser up of levia- 
 than— i. e., of a host of evils. 9. dawning of the 
 day — lit., eyelashes of morning; [d^????-''] eyelashes, 
 pTO"] morning. The Arab poets call the sun the eye 
 of day. His early rays, therefore, breaking forth 
 through the ruddy sky before sunrise, are the open- 
 ing eyelids or eyelashes of morning. 11. died . . . from 
 the womb — why died I not as soon as 1 came forth 
 from the womb ? 12. Why did the knees prevent 
 me?— old English for anticipate my wants. The 
 reference is to the solemn recognition of a new- 
 born child by the father, who used to place it on 
 his knees as his own, whom he was bound to rear 
 (Gen. XXX. 3; 1. 23; Isa. Ixvi. 12). 13. lain . . . 
 quiet . . . slept— a gradation. I should not only 
 have lain, but been quiet, and not only been quiet, 
 but slept. Death in Scripture is called sleep (Ps. 
 xiii. 3) ; especially in the New Testament, where 
 the Resurrection-awaking is more clearly set forth 
 (1 Cor. XV. 61; 1 Thess. iv. 14; v. 10). 14. With 
 
Job complains of life, 
 
 JOB III. 
 
 because of his anguish. 
 
 Which built desolate places for themselves ; 
 
 15 Or with princes that had gold, — ^who filled their houses with silver: 
 
 16 Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; 
 As infants which never saw light. 
 
 17 There the wicked cease from troubling; — and there the ''weary be at rest. 
 
 18 There the prisoners rest together ; — they hear not the voice of the oppressor. 
 The small and great are there ; — and the servant is free from his master. 
 
 Wherefore ^is light given to him that is in misery. 
 And life unto the bitter in soul ; 
 Which ^long for death, but it cometh not; 
 And dig for it more than ^for hid treasures;. 
 
 22 Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find. the grave? 
 
 23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, 
 •'' And whom God hath hedged in ? 
 
 24 For my sighing cometh ^before I eat. 
 
 And my roarings are poured out like the waters. 
 
 25 For ^^the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me. 
 And that which I was afraid of is come unto me. 
 
 26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet ; 
 Yet trouble came. 
 
 19 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 B C. 1620. 
 
 "> wearied in 
 
 strength, 
 d 1 Sam. 1. 10. 
 
 ch. 6. 9. 
 
 ch. 10. 1. 
 
 ch. 15. 16. 
 
 Jer. 20. 18. 
 
 Lam. 3. 1, 2. 
 
 8 wait. 
 
 « Pro. 2. 4. 
 
 Matt. 13.44. 
 
 John 5, 39. 
 / ch. 12. 14. 
 
 ch. 19. f . 
 
 Ps. 31. 8. 
 
 Lam. 3. 7. 
 
 Hos. 2. 6. 
 
 Rev. 3. 7. 
 
 9 before my 
 meat. 
 
 10 I feared a 
 fear, and 
 it came 
 upon me. 
 
 kings . . . wMcli built desolate places for them- 
 selves — who built up for themselves what proved 
 to be (not palaces, but) ruins! The wounded 
 spirit of Job, once a great emir himself, sick of 
 the vain struggles of mortal great men after 
 grandeur, contemplates the palaces of kings, now 
 desolate heaps of ruins. His regarding the repose 
 of death the most desirable end of the great ones 
 of the earth, wearied with heaping up perishable 
 treasures, marks the irony that breaks out from 
 the black clouds of melancholy [Umhreit). The 
 for themselves marks their selfishness. Hirzel ex- 
 plains it of mausoleums, such as are found still, of 
 stupendous proportions, in the ruins of Petra of 
 Idumea. Ewald thinks the pyramids are meant. 
 Affliction shows a man the real emptiness of 
 worldly greatness. 15. filled their houses with 
 silver. Some take this of the treasures which the 
 ancients used to bury with their dead. But see 
 last verse. 16. untimely birth (Ps. Iviii. 8)— 
 preferable to the life of the restless miser (Eccl. 
 vi 3-5). 17. the wicked — originally meaning those 
 ever restless, full of desires (Isa. Ivii. 20, 21). weary 
 — lit., those whose strength is wearied out (Rev. 
 xiv. 1.3) with the vexations caused by the ungodly. 
 
 18. There the prisoners rest— from their chains, 
 voice of the oppressor— driving them with threats 
 to task work (cf. an instance, Exod. v. 13-19). 
 
 19. The small and great are there— on the same 
 footing, without distinction of rank (Prov. xxii. 2). 
 servant. The slave is there manumitted from 
 slavery. 
 
 20-26.— He Complains op Life Because of His 
 Anguish. 20. Wherefore— seeing that the dead are 
 free from every earthly sorrow — is light given— Zi^., 
 'giveth He light,' viz., God. Often omitted rever- 
 entially (ch. xxiv. 23 ; Eccl. ix. 9). Light— i. e., life. 
 The joyful light ill suits the mourner. The grave 
 is most in unison with their feelings. 23. whose 
 way is hid. The picture of Job is drawn from a 
 wanderer who has lost his way, and who is hedged 
 in, so as to have no exit of escape (Hos. ii. 6; 
 Lam. iii. 7, 9). 24. my sighing cometh before I 
 eat — i. e. , prevents my eating. Before I begin to 
 eat, my sighs interrupt me, so that I cannot take 
 'my food' (so the Heorew, ci.marg.) — i. e., my ne- 
 cessary food ( U mhreit). Maurer translates the same 
 Hebrew here, ' My sighing cometh (not before ['pp'"? ] 
 / eat, but) in the likeness of — L e., as though it were 
 7 
 
 — 'my food;' and in ch. iv. 19, after the manner of the 
 moth (Ps. Ixxx. 5 ; xlii. 3). my roaring is poured 
 out like the waters — an image from the rushing 
 sound of water streaming (cf. Ps. xxxii. 3). 
 "Poaring" is properly said of a lion, or 
 
 one in agony (Ps. xxii. 1). 25. the thing which 
 I . . . feared- is come upon me. In the beginning 
 of his trials, when he heard of the loss of one 
 blessing he feared the loss of another, and when 
 he heard of the loss of that he feared the loss of 
 a third, that which I was afraid of is come unto 
 me — viz. , the ill-opinion of his friends, as though 
 he were a hypocrite, on account of his trials. 26. 
 I was not in safety, . . . yet trouble came— 
 referring, not to his former state, but to the be- 
 ginning of his troubles. From that time / have 
 had no rest, there has been no intermission of 
 sorrows. And, although I have been and am 
 harassed with so many trials, yet a fresh trouble 
 is coming— viz., my friends' suspicion of my being 
 a hypocrite. This gives the starting point to the 
 whole ensuing controversy. 
 
 Remarks. — 1. The truthfulness of the inspired 
 volume appears in its so faithfully recording 
 the blemisnes, as well as the graces, of its 
 heroes. Job, the man especially distinguished 
 for pious patience under the overwhelming pres- 
 sure of accumulated calamities, heightened by the 
 want of real sympathy in his professed friends, 
 gives way to the passionate prom^jtings of a 
 wounded spirit. 2. Let him that thinketh he 
 standetli, take heed lest he fall. None can say 
 what he may be tempted to when exposed to fiery 
 trial: but the believer knows Him who saith, "As 
 thy days, so shall thy strength be:" he therefore 
 prays, " Lead us not into temptation ; but deliver 
 us from evil." 3. Christ alone is the faultless 
 model to copy, and He has promised to "keep the 
 feet of His saints." Let us follow the example of 
 His patience, who, when He was reviled, reviled 
 not again, when He sutiered, threatened not, but 
 committed Himself to Him that judgeth righ- 
 teously. 4. By impatient murmurings against 
 the trying dispensations of God's Providence, we 
 only aj^gravate the evil. 5. A day is coming 
 when the ungodly may well wish they had never 
 been born. But so long as men are in this life, 
 they are in the land of grace and hope : and they 
 may so turn to good account all the contingencies 
 
Eliphaz reproveth J oh. 
 
 JOB IV. 
 
 The vision of Eliphaz. 
 
 4 THEN Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, 
 
 2 If we assay Ho commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? 
 But 2 who can withhold himself from speaking? 
 
 3 Behold, thou hast instructed many. 
 
 And thou hast strengthened the weak hands. 
 
 4 Thy words have upholden him that was falling, 
 And thou hast strengthened Hhe feeble knees. 
 
 5 But now it is come upon thee, and thou ''faintest; 
 It toucheth thee, and thou art troubled. 
 
 6 Is not this Hhy fear, Hhy confidence, 
 
 Thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways? 
 
 7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent ? 
 Or where were the righteous cut off? 
 
 8 Even as I have seen, ^they that plow iniquity, 
 And sow wickedness, reap the same. 
 
 9 By the blast of God they perish, 
 
 And ^by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed. 
 10 The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion. 
 And Hhe teeth of the young lions, are broken. 
 The -^old hon perisheth for lack of prey. 
 And the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad. 
 
 Now a thing was ^secretly brought to me, 
 And mine ear received a little thereof. 
 
 13 In thoughts from the visions of the night,— when deep sleep falleth on men, 
 
 14 Fear ^ came upon me, and trembUng, — which made ^all my bones to shake. 
 
 15 Then '^a spirit passed before my face;— the hair of my flesh stood up : 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 B. C. 165iO. 
 
 CHAP. 4. 
 
 1 a word. 
 
 2 who can 
 refrain 
 from 
 words ? 
 
 8 the bowing 
 
 knee. 
 « Pro. 24. 10. 
 
 Luke 4. 23. 
 
 2 Cor. 4. 1- 
 16. 
 b ch. 1. 1. 
 « Pro. 3. 26. 
 d Ps. 7. 14. 
 
 Pro. 22. 6. 
 
 4 That is, by 
 his anger. 
 Isa. 30. 3\ 
 2 Thes. 2.8. 
 
 « ch. 29. 17. 
 
 Ps. 3. 7. 
 
 Ps. 67. 4. 
 
 Ps. 58. 6. 
 / Ps. 31. 10. 
 
 5 by stealth. 
 " ch. 33. 15. 
 
 6 met me. 
 
 7 the multi- 
 tude of my 
 bones. 
 
 A Ps. 104. 4. 
 Heb. 1. 14. 
 
 of this life, even its sorest trials, as to have reason 
 to bless God to all eternity for their creation as 
 well as redemption. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 1-21.— First Speech or Eliphaz. 
 Eliphaz— the mildest of Job's three accusers. The 
 greatness of Job's calamities, and his complaints 
 against God, and the opinion that calamities are 
 proofs of guilt, led the three to doubt Job's in- 
 tegrity. 2. If we assay to commune. Umlreit 
 makes two questions, 'May we attempt a word 
 with thee? Wilt thou be grieved at it?' But 
 the English version is good sense, and accords 
 Avith the Hebrew. Even pious friends often count 
 that only a touch which we feel as a wound. 3. 
 weak hands— (Isa. xxxv. 3; 2 Sam. iv. 1). 5. 
 thou art troubled— thou hast lost thy self-com- 
 mand (1 Thess. iii. 3). 6. Is not this thy fear, thy 
 confidence, &c. — Does thy fear, thy confidence, 
 &c., come to nothing? Does it come only to 
 this, that thou faintest now? Hather (ch. xv. 4), 
 ' Is not thy fear [of God], thy confidence, and 
 the uprightness of thy waj^s, thy hope?' (ch. viii. 
 14). Hemember, I pray thee, who ever perished 
 beiiDg innocent?" {Maurer). But Luke (xiii. 
 2, 3) shows that though there is a retributive 
 divine government even in this life, yet loe cannot 
 judge by the mere outward appearance. " One 
 event is outwardly to the righteous and to the 
 wicked " (Eccl. ix. 2) ; but yet we must take it on 
 trust, that God deals righteously even now (Ps. 
 xxxvii. 25 ; Isa. xxxiii. 16). Judge not by a part, 
 but by the whole of a godly man's life, and by his 
 end, even here (James v. 11). The one and the 
 saine outward event is altogether a different thing 
 in its inward bearings on the godly and on the 
 ungodly even here. Even prosperity— much more 
 calamity— is a punishment to the wicked (Prov. 
 i. 32). Trials are chastisements for their good — to 
 the righteous (Ps. cxix. C7 ; Ixxi. 75). See Preface 
 on the Design of this Book. 8. they that plow 
 iniquity, . . . reap the same— (Prov. xxii. 8;Hos. 
 8 
 
 viii. 7; x. 13; Gal. vi. 7, 8). "Plow"— i e., plow 
 and plant. 9. breath of his nostrils— God's anger. 
 A figure from the fiery winds of the East (ch. i. 16 ; 
 Isa. V. 25; Ps. xviii. 8, 15). 10. lion— i e., wicked 
 men, upon whom Eliphaz wished to show that 
 calamities come in spite of their various resources, 
 just as destruction comes on the lion in spite of 
 his strength (Ps. Iviii. 6; 2 Tim. iv. 17). Five 
 different Hebrew terms here occur for lion. The 
 raging of the lion— the tearer pn^]- and the roar- 
 ing of the bellowing lion [bnttj], and the teeth of the 
 young lions P'??], not whelps\y'^, but grown up 
 enough to hunt for prey ; the strong lion (English 
 version, old), &c., the whelps of the lioness^ 
 
 not the stout lion, as Enghsh version, i^^^'liUmhreit). 
 The various phases of wickedness are expressed 
 by this variety of terms: obliquely Job, his 
 wife, and children, may be hinted at by the 
 lion, lioness, and whelps. The one verb, are 
 hroken, does not suit both subjects: therefore 
 supply, 'the roaring of the belloAving lion is 
 silenced.^ The strong lion dies of want at last, 
 and the whelps, torn from the mother, are scat- 
 tered, and the race becomes extinct. 12. a 
 thing — Hebrew, a word. Eliphaz confirms his 
 view by a divine declaration or revelation which 
 was secretly and unexpectedly imparted to him 
 (cf. marg., 'by stealth') p^;]. a little— lit., a 
 whisper — a word quickly passing away. Implying 
 the still silence around, and that more was con- 
 veyed than articulate words could utter (ch. xxvi. 
 14 ; 2 Cor. xii. 4). 13. In thoughts from the visions. 
 So Winer and English version. Whilst revolving 
 night visions previously made to him (Dan. ii. 29 ; 
 Ps. iv. 4). Rather, Mn my manifold (Hebrew 
 text, divided) thoughts, before the visions of the 
 night commenced ;' therefore not a delusive dream 
 (Umbreit). But Maurer supports the English 
 version, which gives good sense by connecting 
 it with what follows (not with the preceding 
 
The voice heard 
 
 JOB IV. 
 
 hy Eliphaz in his Vision. 
 
 16 It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: 
 • An image was before mine eyes ; 
 
 s There was silence, and I heard a voice, saying, 
 
 17 Shall mortal man be more just than God? 
 Shall a man be more pure than his Maker ? 
 
 18 Behold, he 'put no trust in his servants; 
 ^And his angels he charged with folly: 
 
 19 How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay. 
 
 Whose foundation is in the dust, — which are crushed before the moth ? 
 
 20 They are destroyed from morning to evening; 
 They perish for ever without any regarding it. 
 
 21 Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? 
 They die, even without wisdom. 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 8 Or. I heard 
 a still 
 voice. 
 
 1 Ki. 19. 12. 
 i ch. 15. 15. 
 
 ch. 25. 5. 
 Ps. lot. 4. 
 Isa. 6. 2. 
 
 2 Pet. 2. 4. 
 
 9 Or, nor in 
 his angels, 
 in whom 
 he put 
 light. 
 
 10 beaten m 
 pieces. 
 
 verse, as Winer's view given above connects it). 
 Fear came upon me in my distracted thoughts 
 from the visions of the night, then presented to me. 
 deep sleep— (Gen. ii. 21 ; xv. 12). 16. It stood still. 
 At first the apparition glides before Eliphaz, then 
 stands still, but with that shadowy indistinctness 
 of form which creates such an impression of awe; a 
 gentle murmur! not (English version) thei^ was 
 silence. For in 1 Ki. xix. 12 the still small voice, 
 as opposed to the previous storm, denotes a gentle 
 still murmur frrapi "jhp], translated, 'I heard a 
 whisper and a voice' — L e., a whispering voice. 
 
 17. mortal man ... a man. Two Hebrew 
 words for man are used; the first implying his 
 feebleness ['""a^], the second his strength 
 Whether feeble or strong, man is not righteous 
 before God. more just than God . . . more 
 pure than his Maker. Since this would be self- 
 evident without an oracle, Umhreit and Maurer, 
 &c., translate 'Is (mortal) man just before (in 
 the presence or judgment of) God?' not ^'more 
 just than God.'^ Ch. ix. 2, "How should man be 
 just with {marg., before) God?" and xxv. 4 confirm 
 this view. The Hebrew HP] expresses ' Regarded 
 fro7n God's point of view' (cf. Hebrew, Jer. li. 5). 
 
 18. folly. Imperfection (ch. ii. 10) is to be at- 
 tributed to the angels, in comparison with Him. 
 The holiness of some of them had given way 
 (2 Pet. ii. 4), and at best is but the holiness of a 
 creature. Folly is the want of moral considera- 
 tion {Umhreit). 19. houses of clay— "earthly 
 house of this tabernacle" (2 Cor. v. 1). Houses 
 made of sun-dried clay bricks are common in the 
 East ; they are easily washed away (Matt. vii. 27). 
 Man's foundation is this dust: "Dust thou art, 
 and unto dust shalt thou return" (Gen. iii. 19). 
 before the moth — rather, as before the moth, 
 which devours a garment (ch. xiii. 28, " He, as 
 a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is 
 moth-eaten;" xxvii. 18; Ps. xxxix. 11; Isa. 1. 9). 
 Man, who cannot, in a physical point of view, 
 stand before the very moth, surely cannot, in a 
 moral, stand before God (cf. remark, ch. iii. 24). So 
 Vulgate translation, Umbreit. But as the moth 
 does not crwsA or destroy anjrthing by force, but 
 rather consumes it by gnawing (Isa. li. 8), Maurer 
 thinks the moth is used as an image of an object 
 easily crushed, and translates 'Crushed like [lit, 
 after the manner of) the moth.' 20. from morn- 
 ing to evening — unceasingly; or, better, betioeen 
 the morning and evening of one short day (so Exod, 
 xviii. 14; Isa. xxxviii. 12). 'From day even to 
 night wilt thou make an end of me' (Umbreit). 
 " In the morning it flourisheth— in the evening 
 it is cut down" (Ps. xc. 5, 6). "They are de- 
 stroyed (lit., broken in pieces) in the space of a 
 day." Therefore man must not think to be holy 
 be) we Ood, but to draw holiness, and aU things I 
 
 9 
 
 else, /ro??i God (v. 17). 21. their excellency— (Ps. 
 xxxix. 11; cxlvi. 4; 1 Cor. xiii. 8). But Umbreit 
 by an Oriental image from a bow useless, because 
 unstrung. ' Their nerve or string would be torn 
 away.' Michaelis, better in accordance with v. 19, 
 makes the allusion be to the cords of a tabernacle 
 taken down (Isa. xxxiii. 20; xxxviii 12; liv. 2; 
 Jer. X. 20), ' Is not their cord in them snapped 
 asunder?' (so that their tabernacle falls down, 
 2 Cor. V. 1). they die, even without wisdom — 
 rather, ' They would perish, yet not according to 
 wisdom,' but according to arbitrary choice, if 
 God were not infinitely wise and holy. The de- 
 sign of the Spirit is to show that the continued 
 existence of weak man proves the inconceivable 
 wisdom and holiness of God, which alone save 
 man from ruin {Umbreit). Bengel shows from 
 Scripture that God's holiness [^'^'^R, holy\ com- 
 prehends all his excellencies and attributes. 
 As holiness and wisdom are inseparable, so sin 
 and folly (cf. v. 18). De W ette loses the scope in 
 explaining it of the shortness of man's life con- 
 trasted with the angels, 'before they have at- 
 tained to wisdom.' The English version seems 
 to me good sense, and accords with the paral- 
 lelism : ' Their excellency (or their cord) goes 
 away: they die, and their wisdom dies with them'' 
 —lit. J not, with wisdom (Ps. xlix, 14, 17; ch, 
 xxxvi. 12). 
 
 Remarks. — 1. How much easier it is to give 
 good counsel to the afflicted, than to act on that 
 good counsel when we are in affliction ourselves ! 
 Many a one who has, like Job, " instructed 
 many, and strcDgthened the weak hands," has 
 fainted in the day of his own calamity. The 
 day of trial is the testing day. " If thou faint in 
 the day of adversity, thy strength is small" (Prov, 
 xxiv. 10). 2, Teachers of religion especially ouglit 
 to be careful that the religious consolations which 
 they minister to others officially, should be 
 realized in their own experience personally. 
 Nothing is more calculated to give power to 
 exhortation, than that it should be recommended 
 by example ; and nothing gives more occasion to 
 the enemies or false professors of religion to blas- 
 pheme, than that the otherwise godly man should 
 \)Q seen to be impatient in adversity, and seem- 
 ingly unsustained by those holy principles which 
 he had urged upon others. 3. Still there are 
 peculiar cases, like that of Job, which call for 
 tender dealing and sympathy, rather than harsh 
 suspicions and insinuations of insincerity. Job 
 was no hypocrite, though so sorely tried ; nor are 
 severe afflictions, and even impatience on the part 
 of the sufferer, proofs, as Eliphaz thought, that 
 such a one must be a knave, or else a self-deceiver 
 in religion, and therefore especially obnoxious to 
 God's displeasure. We ought to be very slow in 
 
Man horn to trouble. 
 
 JOB V. 
 
 God to be sought in trouble. 
 
 B CALL now, if there be any that will answer thee ; 
 And to which of the saints wilt thou ^ turn? 
 
 2 For wrath killeth the foolish man, — and ^envy slayeth the silly one. 
 
 3 I have seen the foolish taking root : — ^but suddenly I cursed his habitation, 
 
 4 His children are far from safety, — and they are crushed in the gate, 
 Neither is there any to deliver them. 
 
 5 Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, — and taketh it even out of the thorns. 
 And the robber swalloweth up their substance. 
 
 6 Although ^affliction cometh not forth of the dust, 
 Neither doth trouble spring out of the ground ; 
 
 7 Yet man is born unto ^trouble, — as ^the sparks fly upward. 
 
 8 I would "seek unto God, — and unto God would I commit my cause : 
 
 9 Wliich doeth great things ^and unsearchable; 
 Marvellous things ^without number: 
 
 10 Who giveth rain upon the earth, — and sendeth waters upon the ^fields: 
 
 11 To set up on high those that be low; 
 
 B. C. 162a 
 
 CHAP. & 
 
 1 Or, look. 
 
 2 Or, indig- 
 nation. 
 
 8 Or. iniqui- 
 ty. 
 
 * Or, labour. 
 
 6 the sons of 
 the burn- 
 ing coal 
 lift up to 
 fly. 
 
 » Ps. 60. 15. 
 
 6 and there 
 is no 
 search. 
 
 7 till there 
 be no 
 number. 
 
 8 out-places. 
 
 forming unfavourable opinions of others, and par- 
 ticularly of those whose general course of life 
 has been that of consistent children of God. 
 "Charity hopeth all things," and "rejoiceth not 
 in iniquity." 4 Eliphaz's premises are sound, 
 though his harsh inference as to Job was unwar- 
 ranted. When we, like Job, curse the day of our 
 birth (ch. iii. ), under the pressure of present suffer- 
 ings, we virtually arraign God's wisdom and God's 
 holiness, which are inseparable, and set ourselves 
 up as good and wise before God. But man's utter 
 frailty and speedy mortality demonstrate how 
 vain is his claim to either purity or w^isdom in the 
 presence of the all-holy, all-wise God. Still Eli- 
 phaz had much to learn from Job, notwithstand- 
 ing minor blemishes. Better a diamond with a 
 flaw, than a pebble without one. His faith, sin- 
 cerity, integrity, and even, in the main, patience 
 (chaps, i, and ii.), were most remarkable, and will 
 be throughout all ages a noble example of the 
 power of God's grace (Jas. v. 10, 11). 
 
 CHAP. V. 1-27.— Eliphaz's Conclusion from 
 THE Vision. 
 
 1. if there be any, &c.— rather, ' Call now ! will 
 He [God] reply to thee?' Job, after the revelation 
 just given, cannot be so presumptuous as to think 
 God, or any of the holy owes (Dan. iv. 17, ang els) roxm6. 
 His throne, will vouchsafe a reply (a judicial ex- 
 pression) to his rebellious complaint {Umbo'eit). I 
 prefer the English Version. Job may call as loud 
 as he will, complaining of wrongful treatment, but 
 none will answer from above. No holy (English 
 Version, saint) angel will undertake to be ad- 
 vocate of so bad a cause. The idea of heavenly 
 advocacy for man is found ch. xxxiii. 23; Zech. 
 i. 12. 2. For— so far are you from profiting by 
 your complaints, you only destroy yourself by 
 justifying yourself and impatiently complaining 
 against God. foolish man . silly one— imply 
 at once the sin and folly of him who dreams he 
 has merited nothing but good at God's hands, 
 and is impatient at affliction being sent upon him. 
 wrath, . . . envy— fretful and passionate com- 
 plaints, such as Eliphaz charged Job with (ch. 
 iv. 5). So Prov. xiv. 30 — "Envy [is] the rotten- 
 ness of the bones." For "envy" translate ^fret- 
 ful passion killeth the foolish.^ Not, the wrath of 
 God killeth the foolish, and His envy, &c. 3. the 
 foolish — the wicked. I have seen the sinner 
 spread his roots (Isa. xxvii. 6) wide in prosperity, 
 yet circumstances suddenly occurred which gave 
 occasion for his once prosperous dwelling being 
 cursed as desolate. "I have seen the wicked in 
 great power, and spreading himseK like a green 
 
 bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not ; 
 yea, I sought him, but he could not be found'' 
 (Ps. xxxvii. 35, 36; Jer. xviL 8). 4. His chil- 
 dren . . . crushed in the gate — a judicial 
 formula. The gate was the place of judgment 
 and of other public proceedings (ch, xxxi. 21 ; Ps. 
 cxxvii. 5; Prov. xxii. 22; Gen. xxiii. 10; Deut. 
 xxL 19). Such propylcea have been found in the 
 Assyrian remains. Eliphaz obliquely alludes to 
 the calamity which cut off Job's children. 5. 
 even out of the thorns — even when part of the 
 grain remains hanging on the thorn Dushes (or, 
 is groioing among thorns. Matt. xiii. 7), the hungry 
 gleaner does not grudge the trouble of taking even 
 it away, so clean swept away is the harvest of 
 the wicked. Maurer explains, not even the hedge 
 of thorns prevents the hungry gleaner carrying the 
 sinner's harvest away from his fields. It gives 
 additional point to understand by "the hungry" 
 those whom the sinner had oppressed, " taking 
 away the sheaf from the hungry" (ch. xxiv. 10). 
 the robber [D'?)5:']— as the Sabeans who robbed 
 Job. Rather translate, the thirsty, as the anti- 
 thesis in the parallelism, the hungry, proves. 
 Maurer translates 'The snare {i. e., sudden 
 ruin) gapes for their substance.' This is 
 favoured by ch. xviii. 9, 10; but the English 
 version translates the Hebrew there also "rob- 
 ber." 6. Although — rather. For truly {Um- 
 hreit). affliction cometh not forth of the dust 
 —like a weed, of its own accord. Elii)haz 
 hints that the cause of it lay with Job himself. 
 The cause of afflictions is not to be sought for 
 extrinsically, but in man himself. 7. Yet — rather, 
 Truly, or. But. Affliction does not come from 
 chance, hut is the appointment of God for sin — 
 i. e. , the original birth-sin of man. Eliphaz passes 
 from the particular sin, and consequent suffering 
 of Job, to the universal sin, and suffering of man- 
 kind. Troubles spring from man's common sin 
 by as necessary a law of natural consequence as 
 spar^-s— Hebrew, sons of flame, or burning coal 
 (Song viii. 6) — fly upward. Troubles are many 
 and fiery as sparks (1 Pet. iv. 12 ; Isa. xliii. 2). 
 Umbreit for sparks has birds of prey -—lit., sons of 
 lightning, so called from their lightning speed. 
 So Maurer, Gesenius, LXX., Syriac, Vulgate — 'As 
 the sons of lightning fly high' (ch. xxxix. 27). 
 Not by mere external causes, but by his own 
 nature, man is born to sin, and by sin to misery, 
 as the birds of prey fly upward. 8. Therefore (as 
 affliction is ordered by God on account of sin) I 
 would, if I were in your place, seek unto God (Isa. 
 viil 19; ix. 13; Amos v. 8; 1 Chr. xxii. 19). 10, 
 
The happy end of 
 
 JOB V. 
 
 God^s correction 
 
 That those which mourn may be exalted to safety. 
 
 12 He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, 
 
 So that their hands ^ cannot perform their enterprise. 
 
 13 He taketh the wise in their own craftiness; 
 
 And the counsel of the froward is carried headlong. 
 
 14 They ^^meet with darkness in the day-time, 
 And grope in the noon-day as in the night. 
 
 15 But he saveth the poor from the sword. 
 
 From their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty. 
 
 16 So the poor hath hope, — and iniquity stoppeth her mouth. 
 
 17 Behold, ^ happy is the man whom God correcteth; 
 Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty ; 
 
 18 For he maketh sore, and bindeth up; 
 
 He woundeth, and his hands make whole. 
 
 19 He ^ shall deliver thee in six troubles; 
 
 Yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. 
 
 20 In famine he shall redeem thee from death ; 
 And in war ^^from the power of the sword. 
 
 21 Thou ^shalt be hid ^^from the scourge of the tongue; 
 Neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh. 
 
 22 At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh ; 
 Neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth. 
 
 11. God's great power displayed in nature, and in 
 His dealings with men, is a ground for hope to 
 Job [v. 16), if he will humbly seek Him [v. 8; of. 
 ch. ix. 10; xxxvi, 26, connected with v. 9). His 
 unsearchable dealings are with a view to raise 
 the humble, and abase the proud (Luke i. 53). 
 Therefore Job ought to turn humbly to Him. 12. 
 enterprise— lit., realization. The Hebrew [n^B'in] 
 combines in the one word the two ideas, wisdom 
 and happiness, enduring existence being the 
 etymological and philosophical root of the com- 
 bined notion [Umbreit). Maurer translates 
 ' counsel ' — i. e. , their well-formed plan — from a root 
 p'T] to establish. 13. He taketh— Paul (1 Cor. iii. 19) 
 quoted this clause with the formula establishing 
 its inspiration. It is written. He cites the exact 
 Hebrew words, not as he usually does the LXX., 
 Greek version. " In the net which they hid is their 
 own foot taken" (cf. Ps. ix. 15). Haman was hanged 
 on the gallows he prepared for Mordecai (Esth. v. 
 14; vii. 10). the wise— the cunning, is carried 
 headlong — their scheme is precipitated before it is 
 riije. 14. They meet. Judicial blindness often is 
 sent upon keen men of the world (Deut. xxviii. 29). 
 "Thou shalt grope at noon-day, as the blind gropeth 
 in darkness" (Isa. lix. 10). "For judgment I am 
 come into this world, that they which see might 
 be made blind" (John ix. 39). 15. From the sword 
 which proceedeth from their mouth - (Ps. lix. 7). 
 "Swords are in their lips" (Ivii. 4) — i. e., from 
 the mouth of the mighty oppressors. 16. the 
 poor hath hope— of the " interposition of God. 
 iniquity stoppeth her mouth— (Ps. cvii. 42, which 
 seems a quotation and inspired confirmation of 
 the book of Job; Mic. vii. 9, 10; Isa. lii. 15). 
 Especially at the last day, through shame (Jude 
 15 ; Matt. xxii. 12). The mouth was the offender 
 {v. 15), and the mouth shall then be stopped — (Isa. 
 xxv. 8, at the end — " The rebuke of his peojjle 
 shall He take away from off all the earth "). 17. 
 happy. Not that the actual suffering is joyous; 
 but the consideration of the righteousness of Him 
 who sends it, and the end for which it is sent, 
 make it a cause for thankfulness, not for com- 
 plaints, such as Job had uttered. "No chasten- 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 » Or, cannot 
 perform 
 any thing. 
 
 10 Or, run 
 into. 
 
 6 Ps. 94. 12. 
 
 Pro 3. 11. 
 
 iCor. 11.32. 
 
 Heb 12. 6. 
 
 Jas. 1. 12, 
 
 Jas. 5. 11. 
 
 Rev. 3. 19 
 " Ps. 34. 19. 
 
 Ps. 91. 3. 
 
 Pro. 24. 18. 
 
 iCor. 10.13, 
 
 2 Cor. 1. 8. 
 
 2 Pet. 2. 9. 
 d Ps. 31. 20. 
 
 Ps. 66. 22. 
 
 Ps. 9L 10. 
 
 Pro. 12. 21. 
 
 11 from the 
 hands. 
 
 « Ps. 31. 16. 
 
 12 Or, when 
 the tongue 
 scourgeth. 
 
 ing for the present seemeth joyous but grievous ; 
 nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable 
 fruit of righteousness to them which are exercised 
 thereby" (Heb. xii. 11). Eliphaz implies that the 
 end in this case is to call back Job from the par- 
 ticular sin of which he takes for granted that Job 
 is guilty. Paul seems to allude to this pas- 
 sage in Heb. xii. 5; so Jas. i. 12; Prov. iii. 12. 
 Eliphaz does not give due prominence to this 
 truth, but rather to Job's sin. It is Elihu 
 alone (32-37) who fully dwells upon the truth 
 that affliction is mercy and justice in dis- 
 guise for the good of the sufferer, despise 
 not— do not refuse to accept it, as heretofore, as 
 though you did not deserve it. 18. For — assigning 
 a motive to induce Job to accept chastisement 
 patiently — viz. , God, who chastises us, can and will 
 remove the stroke upon our penitent submission 
 to Him. he maketh sore, and hindeth up— (Deut. 
 xxxii. 39— "I wound and I heal;" Hos. vi. 1; 
 1 Sam. ii. 6). An image from binding up a wound. 
 The healing art consisted much at that time in 
 external applications. 19. in six . . . yea, in seven 
 —(Prov. vi. 16; Amos i. 3). The Hebrew idiom 
 fixes on a certain number (here six), in order to 
 call attention as to a thing of importance; then 
 increases the force by adding, with a yea, nay even, 
 the next higher number; here seven, the sacred 
 and perfect number. In all possible troubles ; not 
 merely in the precise number seven. How many 
 soever may be thy troubles, the Lord will deliver 
 thee out of them all (Ps. xxxiv. 6, 15, 17, 19). 
 20. power— (.Jer. xviii. 21— "i^amwe . . force," lit., 
 hands, "of the sword:'''' the two chief sources of 
 public calamity). [Hebrew, hands. ] of the sword — 
 (Ezek. XXXV. 5, marg.). Hands are given to the 
 sword personified as a living agent. 21. "Thou 
 shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from 
 the pride of man ; thou shalt keep them secretly 
 in a pavilion from the strife of tongues " (Ps. xxxi. 
 20); "Let us smite him with the tongue" (Jer. 
 xviii. 18): so here ''^scourge of the tongue" (Ps. 
 Ixxiii. 9). There is a play of sounds in the Hebrew 
 sliot (scourge), shod (destruction, or rather, "de- 
 vastation" — viz., such as comes from the agencies 
 of nature; cf v. 22, 23). 22. famine thou shalt 
 
The happy end of 
 
 JOB V. 
 
 God's correction. 
 
 23 For-^thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field; 
 And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee. 
 
 24 And thou shalt know ^^that thy tabernacle shall he in peace ; 
 And thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not ^*sin. 
 
 25 Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be ^^great^ 
 And thine offspring as the grass of the earth. 
 
 26 Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, 
 Like as a shock of corn ^"^cometh in in his season. 
 
 27 Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; 
 Hear it, and know thou it ^''for thy good. 
 
 laugh — not in spite of destruction and famine, 
 which is true (Hab. iii. 17, 18), though not the 
 truth meant by Eliphaz, but because those calami- 
 ties shall not come upon thee. A different Hebrew 
 word from that in v. 20 ; there, famine in general 
 [31??] — here, the languid state of those wanting 
 proper nutriment [)??] [Barnes). 23. in league witli 
 the stones of the field — they shall not hurt the 
 fertility of thy soil (2 Ki. iii. 19, 25; Isa. v. 2), 
 nor the wild beasts thy fruits. Spoken in Arabia 
 Deserta, where stones abounded. Arabia, de- 
 rived from Arahah — a desert plain. The first 
 clause of this verse answers to the first clause of 
 V. 22 ; and the last of this verse to the last of that 
 verse. The full realization of this is yet future. 
 "They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for 
 trouble" (Isa. Ixv. 23, 25; xi. 6-8); "I Avill make 
 a covenant for them with the leasts of the field — 
 I will break the bow and the sword and the bat- 
 tle out of the earth" (Hos. ii. 18). 24. know— as 
 a matter of blessed experience. ' Thou shalt 
 rest in the assurance that thine habitation is (not 
 as the English version, shall he) the abode of 
 peace; and (if) thou numberest thine herd, thine 
 expectations prove not fcdlacious^ {Umbreit). Sin 
 does not agree with the context. The He- 
 brew word, to miss a mark, said of slingers or 
 archers (Judg. xx. 16). The Hebrew for "habita- 
 tion " primarily means the fold for cattle ; and for 
 "visit," often to talce an account of , Ho number.' 
 Whenever you survey your flock you will find 
 none missing. 'Peace' is the common Eastern 
 salutation; including inward and outward pros- 
 perity. 25. as the grass. " They of the city shall 
 flourish like grass of the earth" (Ps. Ixxii. 16). 
 Properly, herb-bearing seed (Gen. i. 11, 12). 26. in 
 a full age— so full of days (xlii. 17 ; Gen. xxxv. 29). 
 Not mere length of years, but ripeness for death ; 
 one's inward and outward full development 
 not being prematurely cut short, is denoted. "As 
 the days of a tree are the days of my peoj^le, and 
 mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands ' ' 
 (Isa. Ixv. 22). Thou shalt come— not literally, but 
 expressing willingness to die. Eliphaz speaks from 
 the Old Testament point of view, which made full 
 years a reward of the righteous — "With long life 
 will I satisfy him" (Ps. xci. 16 ; Exod. xx. 12), and 
 premature death the lot of the wicked — "Bloody 
 and deceitful men shall not live out half their 
 days" (Ps. Iv. 23). The righteous are immortal 
 till their work is done. To keep them longer 
 would be to render them less fit to die. God takes 
 them at their best — " The righteous is taken away 
 from the evil to come" (Isa. Ivii. 1). The good are 
 compared to wheat — "Gather the wheat into my 
 barn" (Matt. xiii. 30). cometh in— lit., ascends. 
 The corn is lifted up off the earth and carried 
 home ; so the good man ' Is raised into the heap 
 of sheaves' ( Umbreit), In his season — in its right 
 time, when the grain is fully ripe (cf. Ps. i. 3) — 
 "He shall be like a tree planted by the waters, 
 12 
 
 B. C. 1620. 
 
 / Ps. 91. 12. 
 Hos. 2. 18. 
 Kom. 8. 38, 
 39. 
 
 13 Or. that 
 peace is 
 thy taber 
 nacle. 
 
 i*Or, err. 
 
 15 Or, much 
 
 16 ascendeth 
 
 17 for thyself. 
 
 that bringeth forth his fruit in his season.^^ 27- 
 searched it . . . for thy good— lit., for thyself 
 "The works of the Lord are great, sought out 
 of all them that have pleasure therein" (Ps. cxi. 2); 
 '' If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself" 
 (Prov. ix. 12; ii. 4). 
 
 Remarks. — 1. The murmurer against God 
 has no refuge in heaven or earth to flee to: 
 none of the heavenly beings will espouse his 
 cause, as though he were harshly and wrongfully 
 dealt with. 2. There is but one Advocate for 
 us with the Father, whose only plea is His 
 own, not our, righteousness (1 John ii. 1, 2). He 
 plea;ds for those of us alone who, instead of jus- 
 tifying, condemn themselves as guilty before God, 
 and rely solely on the propitiation for our sins 
 oflered on the cross by "Jesus Christ the righ- 
 teous." 3. The fretful complainer is his own 
 executioner. Impatience and passion are as 
 foolish as they are sinful. 4. The ungodly may 
 for a time flourish like a firmly rooted tree ; but 
 sudden destruction will come upon him when he 
 least expects it (1 Thess. v. 3); assuredly in the 
 eternal world, and often even in this life. God 
 visits the sin of the fathers upon the children unto 
 the third and fourth generation. 5. The cause 
 of men's troubles is often to be looked for, not so 
 much in external things, as in themselves. Men 
 reap as they sow (ch. iv. 8). But we are not, like 
 Eliphaz, to press this principle so far as to attrib- 
 ute each calamity to some special sinfulness in 
 the sufferer. God, when He sends adversity, has 
 often other objects in view besides retribution for 
 particular sin. In the case of His people, as J ob, 
 one purpose of chastisement is to manifest char- 
 acter, in order that their blemishes, heretofore 
 latent, may be opened out ; then, stripped of all 
 self-righteousness, and justifying God in all His 
 dealings, they learn to rest solely on the mercy of 
 God in Christ ; and faith and patience have thus 
 their perfect work. 6. All things are ordered in 
 time and eternity for the good of them that love 
 God. If God wound them for a time, the hand 
 that wounds will also make whole. Howsoever 
 many may be the troubles of the godly man, the 
 Lord will deliver him out of them all. He will 
 either avert every temporal calamity, or else over- 
 rule it to His people's good. When a man's ways 
 please the Lord, He maketh His enemies to be at 
 peace with him. The believer has peace with the 
 world (as much as lieth in him, Rom. xii. 18) — 
 peace in his home — above all, peace in his con- 
 science and with his God (Rom. v. 1; John 
 xiv. 27). And when the great change comes he 
 is not cut off prematurely: he comes to his 
 grave in a full age, in his due season; the corn 
 is found full in the ear ; the heavenly Husband- 
 man waits not a moment longer. " But when 
 the fruit is brought forth, immediately He put- 
 teth in the sickle, because the harvest is come" 
 (Mark iv. 29). 
 
Job's reply to Eliphaz. 
 
 JOB VL 
 
 He hopes for rest in death. 
 
 6 BUT Job answered and said, 
 
 2 Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, 
 And my calamity ^laid in the balances together ! 
 
 3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea : 
 Therefore ^my words are swallowed up. 
 
 4 For "the arrows of the Almighty are within me, 
 The poison whereof drinketh up my spirit : 
 
 The terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. 
 
 5 Doth the wild ass bray ^when he hath grass? 
 Or loweth the ox over his fodder ? 
 
 6 Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt ? 
 Or is there ariy taste in the white of an egg ? 
 
 7 The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat. 
 
 8 Oh that I might have my request; 
 
 And that God would grant me *the thing that I long for! 
 
 9 Even that it would please God to destroy me ; 
 That he would let loose his hand, and cut me off! 
 
 10 Then should I yet have comfort ; — yea would harden myself in sorrow : 
 Let him not spare; — for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One. 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 CHAP. 6. 
 
 1 lifted up. 
 
 2 That is. I 
 want words 
 to express 
 my grief, 
 ch 37.19,20. 
 Ps. 40. 6. 
 
 " Deut. 32.23, 
 42. 
 
 ch. 16. 12-14. 
 1 3. 7. 13. 
 Ps. 18. 14. 
 Ps. 21. 12. 
 
 Ps. 45 5. 
 
 3 at grass. 
 
 4 my expec- 
 tation. 
 
 5 Or, though 
 I should 
 be burnt 
 with pain, 
 ch. 3. 10. 
 ch. 9. 4. 
 
 CHAP. VL— First Series Continued. 
 
 Reply of Job to Eliphaz (1-80). 2. tlirougWy 
 weighed. Oh that, instead of censuring my com- 
 plaints, when thou oughtest rather to have sym- 
 pathized with me, thou wouldest accurately com- 
 pare together my sorrow and my misfortunes: 
 these latter outweigh in the balance the former. 
 Izid—Ut, ' lifted up.' 3. the sand. " The sand is 
 weighty" (Prov. xxvii 3). are swallowed up— 
 See marg. So Ps. Ixxvii. 4 — "I am so troubled 
 that I cannot speak." But Job plainly is apolo- 
 gizing, not for not having had words enough, but 
 for having spoken too much and too boldly ; and 
 the Hebrew is, to speak rashly (Umbreit, 
 Gesenius, Rosenmiiller). Translate, ' Therefore 
 were my words so rash.'' If my complaint has 
 been somewhat violent, it is not without much 
 reason. 4. arrows . . . within me — have pierced 
 me. A poetic image, representing the avenging 
 Almighty armed with bow and arrows. "Thine 
 arrows stick fast in me" (Ps. xxxviii. 2, 3). Here 
 the arrows are poisoned. Peculiarly appropriate 
 in reference to the burning paiyis which penetrated, 
 like poison, into the inmost parts (" spirit j*' as 
 contrasted with mere surface fiesh ivounds) of Job's 
 body, set themselves in array— a military image 
 (Judg. XX. 33). All the terrors which the divine 
 wrath can muster are set in array against me. 
 " The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, He 
 shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: He shall 
 cry, yea, roar; He shall prevail against His enemies. " 
 5. wild ass bray. Keither wild animals, as the wild 
 ass, nor tame animals, as the ox, are dissatisHed 
 when well sux)plied with food. The braying of 
 the one and the lowing of the other prove dis- 
 tress and want of j^alatable food. So, Job argues, 
 if he comi)lains, it is not without cause — viz., his 
 pains, which are as it were disgusting food which 
 God feeds him with (end of v. 7). But he should 
 have remembered, a rational being should evince a 
 better spirit than the brute. 6. unsavoury— taste- 
 less ; insixnd. S'cdt is a chief necessary of life to an 
 Eastern, whose food is mostly vegetable, the 
 v/hite — lit., spittle (1 Sam xxi. 13), which the 
 wliite of an egg resembles, egg [r.in'^n]. Gesenius 
 
 and Syriac version translate 'an insipid potlierb:' 
 a proverbial phrase with the A rabs. I'he Chaldaic 
 version and Rabbins support the English version. 
 The sense is. How can I possibly like that which is 
 tlistasteful— viz., my misery? 7. to touch is con- 
 13 
 
 trasted with meat. 'My taste refused even to 
 touch it, and yet am I fed with such meat of sick- 
 ness.' The second clause literally is, 'Such is like 
 the sickness of my food' — i.e., my food exciting 
 sickness or disgust. My miseries are like disgust- 
 ing food bDrn M.n?! The natural taste abhors 
 even to touch insipid food, and such forms my 
 nourishment. For my sickness is like such 
 nauseous food (Umbreit). "My tears have been 
 my meat day and night" (Ps. xlii. 3); "Thou 
 feedest- them with the bread of tears''^ (Ps. Ixxx. 
 5). No wonder, then, I complain. 8. have my re- 
 quest. To desire death is no necessary proof of fit- 
 ness for death. The ungodly sometimes desire 
 it so as to escape troubles, without thought of 
 the hereafter. The godly desire it in order to 
 be with the Lord; but they patiently wait 
 God's will. 9. destroy— lit. , grind or crush (Isa. 
 iii. 15). let loose his hand. God had put 
 forth His hand only so far as to wound the 
 surface of Job's flesh — "Only upon himself put 
 not forth thine hand" (ch. i. 12); "He is in thine 
 hand, but save his life" (ii. 6). He wishes 
 that hand to be let loose, so as to wound deeply 
 and vitcdly. cut me off— metaphor from a weaver 
 cutting off the web, when iinished, from the thrum 
 fastening it to the loom. "I have cut off" like 
 a weaver my life; He will cut me off" with 
 pining sickness" [marg., 'from the thrum,' Isa. 
 xxxviii. 12). 10. I would harden myself— rather, 
 ' I would exidt [i^p, leap for joy] in the pain,' 
 
 if I knew that that pain would hasten my 
 death [Gesenius). Umbreit trnnslates the He- 
 breio of " Let Him not spare," unsparing; and 
 joins it with pain or sorroiv. The English ver- 
 sion is more vivid, concealed. I have not 
 disowned in word or deed the commands of the 
 Holy One. " I will speak of thy testimonies also 
 before kings, and will not be ashamed" (Ps. 
 cxix. 4G); "I have kejjt back nothing that was 
 profitable — for I have not shunned to declare 
 —all the counsel of God" (Acts xx. 20, 27). 
 He says this in answer to Eliphaz's insinuation 
 that he is a hypocrite. The force of the "for" 
 is, I would exult in any pain, however unsparing, 
 I)rovided it brought speedy death ; for I have no 
 consciousness of having disowned the commands 
 of the Holy One, so as to disturb my peace in 
 dying. God is here called the Holy One, to imply 
 man's reciprocal obligation to be holy as He is 
 
Job reproveth Ms 
 
 JOB VI. 
 
 friends* unhindness. 
 
 11 What is my strength, that I should hope? 
 
 And what is mine end, that I should prolong my life ? 
 12/5 my strength the strength of stones? — or is my flesh ^of brass? 
 
 13 /s not my help in me? — and is wisdom driven quite from me? 
 
 14 ^To him that is afflicted pity should be showed from his friend; 
 But he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. 
 
 15 My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, 
 And as the stream of brooks they pass away; 
 
 16 Which ^are blackish by reason of the ice, — and wherein the snow is hid: 
 
 17 What time they wax warm, ^ they vanish : 
 
 When it is hot, they are consumed out of their place. 
 
 18 The paths of their way are turned aside; — they go to nothing, and perish. 
 
 19 The troops of Tema looked, — ^the companies of Sheba waited for them. 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 « brasen. 
 
 7 To him that 
 melteth. 
 ch. 4. 3, 4. 
 ch. 16. 6. 
 Pro. ir. 17. 
 Kom. 12.15. 
 
 1 Cor. 12.26. 
 
 2 Cor. 11.29. 
 
 8 Or, mourn. 
 
 9 they are 
 cut off. 
 
 10 in the heat 
 thereof. 
 
 11 extin- 
 guished. 
 
 holy (Lev. xix. 2). 11. What is my strength— so 
 
 as to warrant the hope of restoration to health? 
 a hope which Eliphaz had suggested. And what 
 but a miserable end of life is before me, that I 
 should desire to prolong life? [Umbreit). Having 
 continually before methei^rospect of a miserable end 
 sooner or later, why should I prolong life, aud not 
 meet my end at once, and so be put out of pain ? 
 Maurer, as the Hebrew is not the usual phrase 
 "prolong the days'''' (Isa. liii. 10), but "prolong 
 the soul or mind^^ [^vv], translates, ^ be patient any 
 lonqer,^ But the English version is good Hebrew, 
 and accords with the sense. Judg. xvi. 16, marg., 
 'soul shortened,' the opposite of "prolonging 
 the soul" here— i. e., he patient (as "shorten 
 the soul" means to he vexed or impatient), favours 
 Maurer's translation, ' patiently bear my cala- 
 mities any longer' (cf. Eccl. vii. 8— "The patient in 
 spirit"). 12. my strength. Disease had so attacked 
 him that his strength would need to be hard as 
 a stone, aud his Besh like brass, not to sink 
 under it. But he has only flesh like other men. 
 It must, therefore, give way ; so that the hope of 
 restoration suggested by Eliphaz is vain (see re- 
 mark, v. 11). 13. Is not my help in me? Theiuter- 
 rogation is better omitted. ' There is no help in 
 me!' For "wisdom," deliverance [n;?'ii^] is a 
 better rendering. 'And deliverance is driven 
 guite from me.' Or what is tantamount, 'Is 
 it not the case that there is no help in me, 
 and that deliverance (or security) is driven quite 
 from me?' {Maurer). 14. pity— a proverb p^.U]. 
 Chesed is the love which judges indulgently of our 
 fellowmen : it is put on a par with truth in Pro v. 
 iii. 3. ''Mercy and truth," for they together form 
 the essence of moral perfection ( Ombreit). It is 
 the spirit of Christianity. "Above all, have fer- 
 vent cJtarity among yourselves" (1 Pet. iv. 8); 
 "Charity beareth all things, believeth all things, 
 hopeth all things, eudureth all things" (1 Cor. xiii. 7) ; 
 " Love covereth all sins" (Prov. x. 12); "A friend 
 loveth at all times, and a brother is born for 
 adversity" (Prov. xvii. 17). If it ought to be 
 used towards all men, much more towards /newels. 
 It was in this loving spirit, in judging Job under 
 his afflictions, that his friends proved themselves 
 so deficient. But he who does not use it forsaketh 
 (renounceth) the fear of the Almighty. 'Love is 
 due to the afflicted from his friend, unless he (the 
 latter) has renounced the fear of the Almighty' 
 ( Umbreit; Jas. ii. 13). 15. Those whom I regarded 
 as my brethren, from whom I looked for faithful- 
 ness in my adversity, have disappointed me, as 
 the streams failing from drought,— wadys of 
 Arabia, filled in the winter aud spring, but dry in 
 the summer, which disappoint the caravans ex- 
 pe9ting to find water there. The fulness aud 
 taoise of these temporary streams answers to the 
 
 past large and loud professions of my friends; 
 their dryness in summer to the failure of the 
 friendship when needed. The Arab proverb says 
 of a treacherous friend, 'I trust not in thy torrent.' 
 "Thou shalt be like a spring of water whose waters 
 deceive not" (Isa. Iviii. 11, marg.; cf. Jer. xy. 18). 
 stream of brooks — "like the brook in the ravines 
 which passes away." It has no perpetual spring 
 of water to renew it, unlike "the fountain of living 
 waters" (Jer. ii. 13); "waters sure" (Isa. xxxiii. 
 16); and thus passes away as rapidly as it 
 arose. 16. blackish — lit., Go as a mourner in 
 black clothing (Ps. xxxv. 14, end). A vivid and 
 poetic image to picture the stream, turbid and 
 black with melted ice and snow, descending from 
 the mountains into the valley. In the next clause 
 the snow dissolved is in the poet's view, hid in 
 the flood {^Umbreit). 17. wax warm — rather, 
 'At the time when [But they soon, Umbreit) 
 they become narrower (flow in a narrower bed — 
 lit., are hound: akin to a Syriac root), they are 
 silent (cease to flow noisily) ; in the heat of the 
 sun they are consumed (or vanish) out of their 
 place.' First the stream flows more narrowly, — 
 then becomes silent and still: at length every 
 trace of water disappears by evaporation under 
 the hot sun (Umbi-eit). But Maurer translates 
 like Enghsh version, What time they are burnt 
 up^—i. e., dried up with summer heat [nnj — the 
 same as 3is and Pjnjy, to burn], 'they are de- 
 stroyed speedily.' The parallelism supports this. 
 
 18. Caravans (Hebrew, travellers) turn aside from 
 their way {Umbreit). But Maurer supports the 
 English version, The paths of their (the travel- 
 lers') 'way turn aside' — i. e. , travellers turn aside 
 from their way {ufU nmnj^] by circuitous routes 
 to obtain water. They had seen the brook in 
 spring full of water ; and now in the summer heat, 
 on their weary journey, they turn off their road 
 by a devious route to reach the living waters, 
 which they remembered with such pleasure. But 
 when 'they go up' it is Hnto^ a desert' {Noyes 
 and Umbreit). Not as the English version, "They 
 go to nothing,''^ which would be a tame rej)etition 
 of the drying up of the waters in v. 17 : instead 
 of waters, they find an 'empty wilderness^ [inn, 
 emptiness ; a desert] ; and not having strength to 
 regain their road, bitterly disappointed, they 
 j^erish. The terse brevity is most expressive. 
 
 19. the troops — i. e. , caravans. Tema, north of 
 Arabia Deserta, near the Syrian desert, called 
 from Tema son of Ishmael (Gen. xxv. 15; Isa. 
 xxi. 14; Jer. xxv. 23). Still so called by the 
 Arabs. Vv. 19, 20 give another picture of the 
 mortification of disappoi.ited hopes— viz., those of 
 tlie caravans on the direct road, anxiously awaiting 
 the return of their companions from the distant 
 
Job repr<yceth Ms 
 
 JOB VI. 
 
 friends* unkindness. 
 
 20 They were confounded because they had hoped ; 
 They came thither, and were ashamed. 
 
 21 ^^For now ye are ^^nothing; — ye see ^my casting down, and are afraid. 
 
 22 Did I say, Bring unto me? — or. Give a reward for me of your substance? 
 
 23 Or, DeHver me from the enemy's hand? 
 
 Or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty? 
 
 24 Teach me, and I will '^hoid my tongue; 
 
 And cause me to understand wherein I have erred. 
 
 25 How forcible are right words ! — ^but what doth your arguing reprove ? 
 
 26 Do ye imagine to reprove words, 
 
 And the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind ? 
 
 27 Yea, ^^ye overwhelm the fatherless, — and ye dig a pit for your friend. 
 
 28 Now therefore be content; look upon me : 
 For it is evident unto you if I lie. 
 
 29 Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; 
 Yea, return again, my righteousness is ^^in it. 
 
 30 Is there iniquity ^in my tongue ? — cannot ^^my taste discern perverse things ? 
 
 B. 0 1520. 
 
 i20r. For 
 now ye are 
 like to 
 them. 
 
 13 not. 
 
 6 Ps. 38. 11. 
 " ch. 42. 11. 
 
 Acts 20. 33. 
 
 Ps. 39. 1. 
 
 14 ye cause 
 tofaU 
 upon. 
 
 15 before 
 your face. 
 
 16 That is, in 
 this mat- 
 ter. 
 
 * ch. 33. 8-12. 
 Jas. 3. 13. 
 
 17 my palate. 
 Job 12. IL 
 
 valley. The mention of the locality whence the 
 caravans came gives living reality to the picture. 
 Sheha refers here not to the marauders in North 
 Arabia Deserta (ch. i. 15), but to the merchants 
 (Ezek. xxviL 22) in the South, in Arabia Felix or 
 Yemen, "afar off" (Jer. vi. 20; Matt, xii- 42; 
 Gen. X. 28). Caravans are first mentioned Gen. 
 xxxvii. 25; men needed to travel thus in com- 
 panies across the desert, for defence against the 
 roving robbers, and for mutual accommodation, 
 the companies waited cannot refer to the caravans 
 whohadgonein quest of the water s ; iovv. ISdescribes 
 their utter destruction. 20. they had hoped— 
 lit., each had hoped — viz., that their companions 
 would find water. The greater had been their 
 hopes the more bitter now their disai^pointment ; 
 they came thither to the place awe/ were ashamed; — 
 lit, their countenances hum — an oriental phrase for 
 the shame and consternation of deceived expecta- 
 tion. So ashamed as to disappointment — "Hope 
 maketh not ashamed" (Rom. v. 5). 21. As the 
 dried up brook is to the caravan, so are ye to me — 
 viz., a nothing; ye might as well not be in ex- 
 istence {Umbreit): just as the brook in summer 
 is a nonentity to the thirsty travellers, now — 
 viz., when I have you present with me — in contrast 
 to past time when they were away, and when Job 
 had hoped for comfort from their coming to him. 
 The marg., like to them or ii— viz., the waters of 
 the brook— is not so good a reading, ye see, and 
 are afraid— ye are struck aghast at the sight of 
 my misery, and ye lose pre^sence of mind. Job puts 
 this mild construction on their failing to relieve him 
 with affectionate consolation, my casting down — 
 ruin, limhreit translates 'terror'— i e., my fright- 
 ful misery. Hardly have ye with your own eyes 
 seen my calamity, when, suspecting that I must 
 have deserved it, ye desert me in terror. 22. Bring 
 unto me. And yet I did not ask you to bring me 
 a gift, or to pay for me out of your substance a re- 
 ward (to the Judge, to redeem me from my punish- 
 ment); all I asked from you was affectionate 
 treatment. 23. the mighty— i!//e oppressor, or 
 creditor in whose power the debtor was {Um- 
 brett). 24, 25. Irony. If you can teach me the ric/ht 
 view, 1 am willing to be set right and ftold my 
 tongue, and to be made to see my error. But then, 
 it your words be really the right words, how is it 
 that they are sofeeblel [yi?, to be weak or sick], 
 'Yet how feeble are the words of what you call 
 the right view ! ' So the Hebrew is used 'in Mic. 
 iL W; 1. 9, marg. The English version, "How 
 powerful, &c., does not agree so well with the 
 15 
 
 last clause of the verse, "And what will your 
 arguings reprove?" — lit., 'the reproofs which pro- 
 ceed from you;^ the emphasis is on you; you 
 may find fault, who are not in my situation {Um- 
 breit). But Gesenius supports the English version, 
 'How strong C^'l^?] (cf. marg. 1 KL ii. 8; Mic. ii. 
 10, English version) are right words.' So Kimchi 
 and Jewish traditions. 26. Do ye imagine, or 
 mean, to reprove ivords, and (to reprove) the 
 speeches of one desperate, (which are) as wind (cf. 
 V. 3, remark at end) mere nothings, not to be so nar- 
 rowly taken to task? or, as ilfawrer, 'which pass 
 to the wind,' the wind carrying away their sound. 
 Umbreit, not so well, takes the Hebrew iovaswind, 
 'as sentiments;' making formal sentiments V^'^'^'], 
 antithetical to mere speeches, and supplying, not 
 the word "reprove," but 'would you regard,' from 
 the first clause. 27, Ye overwhelm :— lit. , 'ye 
 cause (supply, your anger, Umbreit) a neV — viz., of 
 sophistry {Noyes and Schuttens) — ' to fall upon the 
 desolate (one bereft of help, like the fatherless 
 orphan) ; and ye dig (a pit) for your friend ' — i. e., 
 try to ensnare him, to catch him in the use of 
 unguarded language [Noyes). "They have prepared 
 a net for my steps — they have digged a pit before 
 me" (Ps. Ivii. 6); metaphor from hunters catch- 
 ing wild beasts in a pit covered with brushwood 
 to conceal it. Umbreit, from the Syriac version, 
 and answering to his interpretcition of the first 
 clause, translates the second clause, 'Would you 
 be indignant against your friend?' The Hebrew 
 in ch. xli. 6 means to feast upon. As the first 
 clause asks, 'Would you catch him in a net?'' so 
 this follows up the image, 'And would you next 
 feast upon him, and his miseries?' So LXX. But 
 Maurer supports the English version in the second 
 clause. Jer. xviii. 20, and Prov. xxvi. 27 favour 
 this. In the former clause he translates 'Ye 
 might as well cast lots for an orj^han' (cf. 1 Sam. 
 xiv. 42; Ps. xxii. 18). When ye can act so to me, 
 ye are ready for any act of cruel injustice. 28. 
 l)e content — rather, be pleased fo— look. Since 
 you have so falsely judged my words, look upon 
 me—i. €., upon my countenance : for it is evident 
 (before your faces) if I lie; my countenance will 
 betray me if I be the hypocrite that you suppose, 
 f/m^.rei^ translates, 'Could I then lie before your 
 face?^ If I were to address you otherwise than 
 as I do, attesting my own innocence, I should be 
 lying to your face— i. e., in a most shameful way. 
 29. Return— viz., from the wrong course which ye 
 have entered on in your conference with me — i. e., 
 retract your charges, let it not be iniquity— i.e.. 
 
Job excuseth his 
 
 JOB VII. 
 
 desire of death. 
 
 7 IS there not ^ an " appointed time to man upon earth ? 
 Are not his days also like the days of an hireling ? 
 
 2 As a servant ^ earnestly desireth the shadow, 
 
 And as an hireling looketh for the reward o/his work; 
 
 3 So am I made to possess months of ^vanity, 
 And wearisome nights are appointed to me. 
 
 4 When I lie down, I say, — When shall I arise, and ^the night be gone ? 
 And I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day. 
 
 5 My flesh is clothed ''with worms and clods of dust ; 
 My skin is broken, and become loathsome. 
 
 (retract) tliat injustice— lit. , iujiistice before judg- 
 ment ['"1^1.5] (Lev, xix. 15) — may not he done me. 
 Yea, retract, " my righteousness is in it" — i. e., my 
 right is involved in this matter. Return again, 
 illf aw rer joins the Hebrew [nil?] with the following 
 clause: — 'Return, my righteousness is still in it' 
 — i. e., my cause is still a just one. 30. iniquity in 
 my tongue. Will you say that my guilt lies in the 
 organ of speech, and will you call it to account? or 
 is it that my taste (palate) or discernment is 7iot 
 capable to form a judgment of perverse things ? Is 
 it thus you will explain the fact of my having no 
 consciousness of guilt? {Umbreit.) ["^n] The palate, 
 is used as the instrument of speaking, (ch. xxxi. 30, 
 marg.; Prov. v. 3, marg.) Thus perverse things 
 means wicked speeches; "devouring words" (Ps. 
 Hi. 4). Is it that I am not myself conscious when 
 I utter nefarious speeches ? 
 
 Remarks. — 1. It is easy to condemn others 
 for impatience and want of resignation, forget- 
 ting that we ourselves, if exposed to the same 
 trials, might probably not be one whit more 
 patient and resigned than he whom we condemn. 
 If our friends often complain of their sorrows, we 
 may be sure their complaints are not altogether 
 without cause, and it is the part of common 
 humanitj^ to show considerateness to one in afflic- 
 tion. It is a blessed fruit of ripened faith to have 
 the spirit of meekness in bearing one another's 
 burdens, "considering thyself, lest thou also be 
 tempted" (Gal. vi. 1, 2). 2. There is often much of 
 genuine kindness to be met with in earthly friends; 
 but oftener the friends to whom we have most 
 looked up, and on whose sympathy we have 
 especially calculated, have, when put to the test, 
 as bitterly disappointed our hopes as the dricd-up 
 brook disappoints the thirsty traveller in the wil- 
 derness. But there is a Friend who has never 
 betrayed the hopes of them that trust in Him. 
 " When the poor and needy seek water, and there 
 is none, and their tongue laileth for thirst, I the 
 Lord will hear them, 1 the God of Israel will not 
 forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, 
 and fountains in the midst of the valleys : I will 
 make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry 
 land springs of water " (Isa, xli. 17, 18). 
 
 ' One there is above all others, 0 how he loves! 
 Ilis is love beyond a brothor's, O how he loves 1 
 Earthly fi'ienda may fail and grieve us, 
 One day kind, the next day leave us, 
 1?ut this Friend will ne'er deceive us, 0 how he loves! ' 
 
 3. A good conscience does not save the soul, but it 
 assures us of salvation and peace with God {v. 10 ; 
 Heb. X. 22; ix. 14), and so takes away the fear of 
 death. But impatience of the sorrows of life 
 is no proof of fitness for death {vv. 8-10). We 
 should be willing to live, however afflicted, 
 and be willing to die, however prosperous, if 
 so God will it. Whilst there is life there is 
 hope ; and in this respect David— who said, " Why 
 art thou cast down, 0 my soul ? Hope thou in 
 
 B. C. 1^20. 
 
 CHAP. 7. 
 
 ^ Or, a war- 
 fare. 
 
 " Ps. 39. 4. 
 
 2 g*peth 
 after. 
 
 6 Ps. 39. 5. 
 
 3 the even- 
 ing be 
 measured. 
 
 " ch. 17. 14. 
 ch. 19. 26. 
 
 God, for I shall yet praise Him who is the health of 
 my countenance xlii. 11)— is a better pattern 
 
 to us than Job, who says, " What is my strength, 
 that I should hope?'''' 4. Kind and judicious words 
 spoken in season are at times more precious than 
 the most costly gifts {vv. 22, 23, 25). "A word 
 fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of 
 silver." On the other hand, harsh reproof and 
 unjust insinuations wound a tender spirit like 
 poisoned arrows. Truly we may pray, " Set a 
 watch, 0 Lord, before my mouth : keep the door 
 of my 1ms " (Ps. cxli. 3). 
 
 CHAP. VIL 1-21. -Job Excuses His Desire 
 FOR Death. 
 
 1. appointed time -better, warfare hard 
 conflict with evils (so in Isa. xl. 2); but in Dan. x. 
 1, and xiv. 14, it is translated appointed time (cf. 
 ch. xiv. 5-13)—' appoint me a set time' — " the meas- 
 ure of my days " (Ps. xxxix. 4). Job reverts to the 
 sad iiicture of man, however great, which he had 
 drawn (ch. iii, 14), and details in this chapter the 
 miseries which his friends will see if, according to 
 his request (ch. vi. 28), they will look on him. 
 Even the Christian soldier, " warring a good war- 
 fare," rejoices when it is completed (I Tim. i. 18; 
 2 Tim, ii. 3; iv. 7, 8) — "I have fought a good fight: 
 henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of 
 righteousness. " Man is enlisted as a soldier, to fight 
 the battle of life for a set time : implying a state of 
 hardship and sore trials. 2. earnestly desireth— 
 Hebrew, pants- for the Cevening') shadow [h^. P]Naf?]. 
 The Orientals measure time by the length of tlieir 
 shadow. If the servant, wearied with toil and 
 mid-day heat, longs for the evening, when his hard- 
 earned wages are paid, why may not Job long for 
 the close of his hard service, when he shall enter 
 on his reward ? This proves that Job did not, as 
 many maintain, regard the grave as a mere sleep. 
 3. months of vanity — comfortless misfortune. "I 
 am made (obliged against my will) to possess "—lit., 
 to be heir to — iro7iy. To be heir to is usually a matter 
 of joy; but here it is the entail of an involuntary and 
 dismal inheritance. Months, for days, to express 
 its long duration, appointed — lit., they^ have 
 numbered to me; marking well the unavoidable 
 doom assigned to him. 4. When shall . . the night 
 —lit, ' When shall be the flight of the night?' [nip, 
 ' flight,' from H^, to fly]. The Hebrew for ' ' night " 
 is literally 'evening' [^Tl^]— in contrast to 
 'morning twilight' (Gesenius), UmWeit trans- 
 lates [from the Arabic and Hebrew, "ino, to 
 extend a line], ' The night is long extended ' 
 —lit., measured out: so marg. 5. clothed with 
 worms. In elephantiasis maggots are bred in 
 the sores. "Herod was eaten of worms" (Acts 
 xii. 23; Isa. xiv. 11). clods of dust— clod-like 
 scales of dirt : a crust of dried filth and accumu- 
 lated corruption (ch. ii. 7, 8). my skin is broken 
 and . . . loathsome — rather, draws together, so as to 
 heal up, and again breaks out with running matter 
 (Gesenius). More simply, the Hebrew is, 'My skin 
 
restlessness. 
 
 Job's extreme JOB VII. 
 
 6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, — and are spent without hope. 
 
 7 0 remember that '^my life is wind : — mine eye * shall no more ^see good. 
 
 8 The ^eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: 
 Thine eyes are upon me, and ^I am not. 
 
 9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away; 
 
 So ^he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. 
 
 10 He shall return no more to his house, 
 Neither shall his place know him any more. 
 
 11 Therefore I will ^not refrain my mouth; 
 I will speak in the anguish of my spirit : 
 
 I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. 
 
 12 Ami sea, or a whale, — that thou settest a watch over me? 
 
 13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, — my couch shall ease my complaint; 
 
 14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, — and terrifiest me through visions; 
 
 15 So th t my soul chooseth strangling, — and death rather than my "life. 
 
 16 I ^4oathe it; I would not live alway: 
 
 rests (for a time) and (again) melts away' 
 
 (Ps. Iviii. 7). 6. days. " I have cut off like a weaver 
 my life " (Isa. xxxviii. 12). Every day, like the 
 weaver's shuttle, leaves a thread behind ; and each 
 shall wear as he weaves. But Job's thought is, 
 that his days must swiftly be cut off as a web : 
 ivithout hope — viz., of a recovery and renewal of 
 life. "Thou washest away the things which grow 
 out of the dust of the earth : and thou destroyest 
 the hope of man " (ch. xiv. 19 ; cf. ch. ix. 25 ; 1 Chr. 
 xxix. 15. ) 7. Address to God. Wind, a picture of 
 evanescence. "He remembered that they were 
 but flesh : a mind that passeth away, and cometh 
 not again" (Ps. Ixxviii. 39). shall no more see 
 — lit., ^ shall no more return to see good.' This 
 change from the different wish in ch. iii. 17, &c., 
 is most true to nature. He is now in a softer 
 mood : and a beam from former days of prosperity 
 falling upon memory, and the thought of the un- 
 seen world, where one is seen no more {v. 8),- di^ew 
 from him an expression of regret at leaving this 
 world of light. " Truly the light is sweet, and a 
 pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the 
 sun" (EccL xi. 7). So Hezekiah— " I shall not see 
 the Lord in the land of the living : I shall behold 
 man no more," &c. (Isa. xxxviii. 11). This is the 
 voice of nature. Grace rises above nature — " We 
 are confident, and willing rather to be absent from 
 the body, and to be present with the Lord" (2 Cor. 
 v. 8). 8. Tlie eye of him who beholds me [pres- 
 ent, not past, hath seen, as English version]— 
 i. e., in the very act of beholding me, seeth me no 
 more. " Thine eyes (are) upon me, and I am not V 
 He disappears from this earth (cf. v. 21; Ps. xxxvii. 
 38) even while God is looking upon him. Job 
 cannot survive the gaze of Jehovah— "He looketh 
 on the earth, and it trembleth" (Ps. civ. 32); 
 " From whose face the earth and the heavens fled 
 away" (Rev. xx. 11). Not as Umbreit, 'Thine 
 eyes seek me, and I am not to be found;' for 
 God's eye penetrates even to the unseen world. 
 " If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there " 
 (Ps. cxxxix. 8). Umbreit unnaturally takes I'hine 
 to refer to one of the three friends. 9. (2 Sam. 
 xii. 23). David as to his child, " I shall go to him, 
 Imt he shall not return to me. the grave— the 
 Sheol, or the place of departed spirits— not dis- 
 ])roving J ob's belief in the resurrection. It merely 
 means, ' He shall come wp no more ' in the present 
 order of things. Though doubtless Job, through 
 the severity of his afiliction, speaks under the 
 impulses of sense at times, more than of faith, 
 viewing things in their earthly aspect rather than 
 in their unseen and heavenly point of view. But 
 VOL. III. 17 
 
 B. C. 1620. 
 
 Ps. 78. 39. 
 Jas 4. 14. 
 
 * shall not 
 return. 
 
 6 to see, that 
 is, to en- 
 joy. 
 
 * ch. 20. 9. 
 
 6 That is, I 
 can live no 
 longer. 
 
 / 2 Sa. 12. 23. 
 
 Ps. 39. 13. 
 
 Ps. 103. 16. 
 f Ps. 29. 1, 9. 
 
 Ps. 40. 9. 
 
 7 bones. 
 Gen. 27. 46. 
 ch. 10. 1. 
 Jonah 4. 8. 
 
 his faith continually at intervals breaks forth in 
 glimpses of unseen realities, in spite of carnal 
 sense (ch. xix. 25). With "the cloud is con- 
 sumed" cf. Ps. xxxvii. 20 — "They shall con- 
 sume : into smoke shall they consume away." 10. 
 return to more— (Ps. ciii. 16). The Oriental keenly 
 loves his dwelling. In Arabian elegies the deser- 
 tion of abodes by their occupants is often a theme 
 of sorrow. Grace overcomes this also. "As many 
 as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, 
 and brought the prices of the things that were 
 sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet" 
 (Acts iv. 34). 11. Therefore, as such is my hard 
 lot, I will at least have the melancholy satisfaction 
 of venting my sorrow in words. The Hebrew 
 opening words, tJierefore 1, at all events \^^& 
 "Even I," I as concerns my part], express self- 
 elevation ( Umbreit). 12-14. Why dost thou deny 
 me the comfort of care-assuaging sleep? Why 
 scarest thou me with frightful dreams Am I, 
 then, a sea— regarded in Old Testament poetry as 
 a violent rebel against God, the Lord of nature, 
 who therefore curbs his violence: " I have placed 
 the sand for the bound of the sea by a j)erpetual 
 decree that it cannot pass it ; and though the waves 
 thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail" 
 (Jer. V. 22, &c.; cf. Dan. vii. 2; Bev. xxi. 1); or 
 a whale — (or some other sea monster \f'^y^\ 
 ' dragon that is in the sea ; ' crocodile, Tsa. xxvii. 
 1), that thou needest thus to watch and curb we.?' 
 The Egyptians " watched" the crocodile most 
 carefully, to prevent its doing mischief. Am I, a 
 poor frail man, so dangerous an object as to need, 
 like the sea, to be kept within bounds by mighty 
 barriers ? or, like a sea monster, needing to be be- 
 set with miseries as if watches? 13. ease — lit., 
 'bear a part of;' so alleviate. 14. thou scarest 
 me. The frightful dreams resulting from ele])han- 
 tia.sis he attributes to God: the common belief 
 assigned all niglit visions to God. 15. my soul 
 chooseth strangling. Umbreit translates, ' So that 
 I could wish to strangle myself,— dead by my own 
 hands.' He softens this idea of Job's harbouring 
 the thought of suicide, by representing it as enter- 
 tained only in agonizing dreams, and immediately 
 repudiated with horror next verse. 'Yet that 
 (self-strangling) I loathe.' But the Hebrew' [jP] 
 does not signify the efficient cause ' by my bones ' 
 or 'hands' (Maurer), Therefore, as in the English 
 version, the meaning is 8imi)ly, " My soul chooses 
 (even) strangling (or any violent) death rather 
 than my life"— lit., my bones (Ps. xxxv. 10);— e., 
 rather than the wasted and diseased skeleton (ch. 
 xix. 20) left to me. In elephantiasis sometimes 
 C 
 
with God. 
 
 Job's expostulation JOB VII. 
 
 Let me alone; for ^my days are vanity. 
 
 17 What Hs man, that thou shouldest magnify him? 
 And that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? 
 
 18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, 
 And try him every moment? 
 
 19 How long wilt thou not depart from me, 
 Nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle ? 
 
 20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, — ^0 thou ^Preserver of men? 
 Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee. 
 
 So that I am a burden to myself? 
 
 21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, 
 
 And take away mine iniquity? — for now shall I sleep in the dust; 
 And thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not he. 
 
 death is caused by violent suffocation. In this 
 view, "I loathe it" {v. 16) refers to his life. 16. I 
 would not live alway— even if I could. A life of 
 misery like mine is a thing to be loathed, not 
 desired, vanity. " Let me alone" — i. e., cease to 
 afflict me for the few and vain days still left to 
 me (ch. X. 20; Ps. xxxix. 13). 17. What is man, 
 that thou shouldest magnify him? (cf. Ps. viii. 4; 
 cxliv. 3). Job means, ' What is man that thou 
 shouldest make him of so much importance 
 
 and that thou shouldest expend such attention 
 (heart-thought [^j^ D\5i'L turn thy heart or mind) 
 
 upon him,' as to make him the subject of so 
 severe trials ? Job ought rather to have reasoned, 
 from God's condescending so far to notice man 
 as to try him, that there must be a wise and 
 loving purpose in trial. David uses the same 
 words in their right application, to express wonder 
 that God should do so much as He does for insig- 
 nificant man. Christians, who know God manifest 
 in the man Christ Jesus, still more may use them. 
 18. every morning— with each new day: "All the 
 day long have I been plagued, and chastened every 
 morning." It is rather "the Lord's mercies." not 
 our trials, that are "new every mor^iinr/^^ (hajn. 
 iii. 23). The idea is that of a shepherd taking 
 count of his flock every morning, to see if all are 
 there (Cocceius). 19. How long (like a jealous 
 keeper) wilt thou never look away P?*^, for 
 depart] from me, nor let me alone for the 
 hriefest respited — lit., so long as I take to swal- 
 low my spittle: an Arabic proverb, like our 
 till I draw my breath (ch. ix. 18). 20. I 
 have sinned (I grant): yet what sin can I do 
 igainst (to hurt, ch. xxxv. 6) thee of such a 
 nature that thou shouldest jealously watch and 
 deprive me of all strength, as if thou didst fear 
 me? Yet thou art one who hast men ever in vieiv, 
 ever watchest them, so as to be able to frustrate 
 any attack on their part {llmhreit). 0 thou 
 Watcher {v. 12; Dan. ix. 14^" The Lord hath 
 imic/icc? upon the evil, and brought it upon us"), 
 not as the English version, Preserver (Gesenius) 
 of men," Job had borne with patience his trials, 
 as sent by God (ch. i. 21 ; ch, ii, 10) ; only his 
 reason cannot reconcile the ceaseless continuance 
 of his mental and bodily pains with his ideas of 
 the divine nature, set me as a mark— Where- 
 fore dost thou make me thy point of attack?— i. e., 
 ever assail me with new pains. The image is 
 taken from war, where the foe directs his attack 
 against some principal point (ch, xvi. 12)— 'He 
 hath set me up for His mark' (Umbreit). (Lam. 
 iii. 12,) 21. for now [r^^Z]—very soon. It surely 
 is worthy of thee, the great God, to pardon, 
 •atlier than relentlessly to punish me: if so, then 
 pardon me soon, or I shall be dead, in the morn=p 
 
 B. C. 1620. 
 
 * Ps. 62. 9. 
 Ps. 78. 33. 
 Ec. 6. 11. 
 
 J Ps. 8. 4. 
 •Ps 144. 3. 
 Heb. 2. 6, 
 
 * Ps. 36. 6, 
 
 Neh. 9. 6. 
 a Or, 
 Observer. 
 Ps. 11. 4. 
 Ps. 33. 13. 
 Pb. 34. 15. 
 Pro. 16. 3. 
 Heb. 4. 13. 
 Rev. 2. 23. 
 
 in&— not the resurrection; for then Job will be 
 found. It is a figure, from one seeking a sick 
 man early in the morning, and finding he has died 
 in the night. So Job implies that if God does 
 not help him at once it will be too late, for he 
 will be gone. In the Hebrew, "seek me in the 
 morning" is all in one word, and means simply 
 'seek me early' ['')^1D^] from pDf] to seek early. 
 The same Hebrew, in Prov. viii, 17, is translated, 
 "They that seek me early,'' not literally 'in the 
 morning,' but seek diliyenily, as it were getting up 
 early to seek me. The reason why God does not 
 give an immediate sense of pardon to awakened sin- 
 ners is, they think they have a claim on God for it. 
 
 Remarks. — 1. Man's life is a warfare, in which 
 a good fight is to be fought against our spiritual 
 enemies, the flesh, the world, and Satan ; if we 
 do not by the grace of God in Christ overcome 
 them, they will overcome and ruin us everlast- 
 ingly. The time appointed for this warfare is a 
 set time of short duration. How necessary, then, 
 is it that we should "redeem the time, seeing 
 that upon our use, or else neglect and abuse, of 
 the time it depends whether we shall be happy 
 or miserable throughout eternity! 2. We must 
 expect, and not be impatient under, hardship, 
 trial, and toil, in our earthly pilgrimage, since 
 our high calling here is to be ' good soldiers of 
 Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. ii. 3), enlisted under Him 
 as the great "Captain of our salvation," who was 
 Himself also '^made perfect through sufferings" 
 (Heb. ii. 10). 3. "Hired" (Matt. xx. 7) as a 
 labourer into the Lord's vineyard, the believer, 
 whilst patiently and diligently doing the Lord's 
 work here, "eagerly pants for" the shades of 
 life's evening, and for the promised "reward of 
 his work" (v. 2), to be given by Christ at His 
 coming (Heb. x. 35-37), and " earnestly desires 
 the rest that remaineth for the people of God" 
 (Heb. iv, 9; Rev, xiv, 13). At the same time he 
 serves God in no " hireling" [v. 1) spirit, but re- 
 gards God Himself as His peoples "reward" 
 (Gen. XV, 1), and looks for a reward wholly of 
 grace, not of debt or merit. 4, It is the work- 
 ing of the old corrupt nature which tempts the 
 believer like Job to say, "My days are spent 
 without hope" (v. 6). However much besides we 
 lose, so long as we have God, we have all things 
 in Him, and a good hope through grace. But 
 clouds of sorrow often obscure the shining of the 
 Sun of righteousness even on the child of God. 
 And whilst we sympathize with the sufiering 
 patriarch, we must not coi)y his language. At 
 the same time, his case, even in respect to this 
 impatient language, is not without its profit to us, 
 for it shows the believer, when tempted to enter- 
 tain hard thoughts of God, that other saints 
 have passed through the same sore temptation. 
 
First Speech 
 
 JOB VIIL 
 
 of Bildad. 
 
 8 THEN answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, 
 
 2 How long wilt thou speak these things / 
 
 And how long shall the words of thy mouth he like a strong wind? 
 
 3 Doth ""God pervert judgment? — or doth the Almighty pervert justice? 
 
 4 If thy children have sinned against him, 
 
 And he have cast them away ^for their transgression 
 
 5 If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, 
 And make thy supplication to the Almighty ; 
 
 6 If thou wert pure and upright ; — surely now he would awake for thee, 
 And make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. 
 
 7 Though thy beginning was small, — yet thy latter end should greatly increase. 
 
 8 For ^enquire, I pray thee, of the former age. 
 And prepare thyself to the search of their fathers : 
 
 9 (For ''we are but yesterday, and know ^ nothing, 
 Because our days upon earth are a shadow :) 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 CHAP. 8. 
 " Gen. 18. 25. 
 Deut. 32. 4. 
 2 Chr. 19. 7. 
 Ch. 34. 12. 
 Ezek.l8.L5. 
 Dan. 9. 14. 
 Eom. 3. .5. 
 
 1 in the hand 
 of their 
 transgres- 
 sion. 
 
 6 Deut. 4. 32. 
 
 Deut. 32. 7. 
 
 Ps. 44. 1. 
 " Gen. 47. 9. 
 
 iChr 29.15. 
 
 Ps. 39. 5. 
 
 2 not. 
 
 So we may learn "that no man should be moved 
 by these afflictions, for yourselves know," saith 
 Paul (1 Thess. iii. 3), " that we are ajiDpointed there- 
 unto" (cf. also 1 Pet. iv. 12). 5. How amazing is 
 the long-suffering of God even with the believer ! 
 How often might we expect that the impatient 
 thoughts and hard speeches of the afflicted one 
 would tempt God to swear that the sinner should 
 not enter into His rest. But Christ intercedes 
 for the saint as He did for Simon when Satan de- 
 sired to have him to sift him as wheat ; so, 
 though the believer fall for a time, he is not 
 utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth him 
 with His hand. Considerable allowance, how- 
 ever, is to be made for Job in the frequently 
 gloomy views which he took of the future, see- 
 ing that he had not as yet the clear shining of the 
 Gospel, which " hath brought life and immortality 
 to light" (2 Tim. i. 10) in our days. It is indeed 
 marvellous, and can only proceed from the direct 
 inspiration of God, that his faith so often breaks 
 out in bright flashes from the gloom which sur- 
 rounded him. May the Holy Spirit give us grace, 
 with our greater light, never to lose sight of our 
 sure and blessed hope, as Job did at times, and 
 to follow in the steps of his faith wherein soever 
 it stood the test of the fiery ordeal to which it 
 was exposed! 
 
 CHAP. VIIL First Series— First Speech 
 OF Bildad, more severe and coarse than 
 Eliphaz, 
 
 A ddress ofBildad{ 1 -22). 2. like a strong wind— dis- 
 regarding restraints, vain, rash, and daring against 
 God. 3. Doth God pervert. The repetition of per- 
 vert gives an einphasis galling to Job. " Neither 
 will the Almighty pervert judgment"(ch. xxxiv. 12). 
 ' Wouldest thou have God (as thy words imply) 
 pervert judgment,' by letting thy sins go un- 
 punished? God deals with each justly, according 
 to his conduct : thy complaint against God for 
 His treatment of thee is impugniug His justice. 
 He assumes Job's guilt from his sufferings. 4, If 
 —rather, ''Since thy children have sinned against 
 Him, and {since) He have cast them away for 
 (Hebrew, by the hand of) their transgression ; "(Yet) 
 if thou wouldest seek unto God, &c. ; if thou wert 
 (.shalt be) pure, &c. (for even with this supplica- 
 tion you must join a new and pure life, if you 
 would have God to hear your prayer) ; surely 
 (even) now He would awake for tnee." Umhrtit, 
 better, makes the apodosis to " since thy children," 
 &c., begin at "He [consequently] has cast them 
 away." Also, instead of for, 'He gave them up 
 to (lit., into the hand of) their own guilt.' Bildad 
 expresses the justice of God, which Job had ar- 
 19 
 
 raigned. Thy children have sinned, God leaves 
 them to the consequence of their sin. He has left 
 sin to exert its necessary power, and have its 
 inevitable consequence in their penal destruction. 
 Their sudden death implies their sin. Most cut- 
 ting to the heart of the bereaved father. 5. seek 
 unto God betimes— early. Make it the first and 
 chief anxiety. "They returned and enquired 
 early after God" (Ps. Ixxviii. 34; Hos. v. 15; Isa. 
 xxvi. 9; Prov. viii. 17) ; "He that loveth (his son) 
 chasteneth him betimes'''' (Prov. xiii. 24). 6. wert — 
 translate, ' If thou shalt he (henceforth) pure,' &c. 
 (cf. remark v. 4). Surely now — translate, ' Surely 
 then;' in that case, as the consequence, "He 
 would awake for thee" — i. e., arise to thy help. 
 God seemed to be asleep towards the sufferer. 
 "Awake to my judgment, even unto my cause" (Ps. 
 XXXV. 23; vii. 6); " Awake, awake, put on strength, 
 0 arm of the Lord" (Isa. li. 9). make . . . 
 prosperous — restore to prosperity [rhp] thy righ- 
 teous habitation. Bildad assumes it to have been 
 heretofore the habitation of guilt. When restored 
 it shall be a habitation such as becomes a righ- 
 teous man. 7. thy beginning— the beginning of 
 thy new happiness after restoration, latter end. 
 So it actually came to pass, but not as Bildad 
 supposed; for not the friends, but Job was justi- 
 fied by God after he had humbled himself before 
 God: "The Lord blessed the latter end of Job 
 more than his beginning" (ch. xlii. 12); "Surely 
 there is an end ; and thine expectation shall not 
 be cut off" (Prov. xxiii. 18). 8, 9. The former 
 age — the age immediately i)receding Job. Their 
 fathers— the fathers preceding that age, and 
 therefore still farther back. The sages of the 
 olden time reached an age beyond those of Job's 
 time (see note on xlii. 16) ; and therefore could give 
 the testimony of a fuller experience, of yester- 
 day — i. e., a recent race. We know nothing as 
 compared with them, from the brevity of our 
 lives. So even Jacob — "Few and evil have the 
 days of the years of my life been, and have not 
 attained unto the days of the years of the life of 
 my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage" (Gen. 
 xlvii. 9). Knowledge consisted then in the 
 results of observation embodied in poetical pro- 
 verbs, and handed down by tradition. Longevity 
 gave the opportunity of wider observation, a 
 shadow. "Man is like to vanity: his days are 
 as a shadow that i)asseth away" (Ps. cxliv. 4); 
 "We are strangers before thee, and sojourners, 
 as were all our fathers: our days on the earth 
 are as a shadow, and there is none abiding" (1 Chr, 
 xxix. 15). 10. teach thee— Job (ch. vi. 24) had 
 said, "Teach me." Bildad, therefore, says, Sjnce 
 
The hope of tJie 
 
 JOB VIII. 
 
 hypocrite shall perish. 
 
 10 Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, — and utter words out of their heart ? 
 
 11 Can the rush grow up without mire? — can the flag grow without water? 
 
 12 "Whilst *^it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, 
 It withereth before any other herb : 
 
 13 So are the paths of all that forget God; 
 And the ^hypocrite's hope shall perish : 
 
 14 Whose hope shall be cut off, — and whose trust shall be^Sb spider's web. 
 
 15 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand : 
 He shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure. 
 
 16 He is green before the sun, — and his branch shooteth forth in his garden. 
 
 17 His roots are wrapped about the heap, — and seeth the place of stones. 
 
 18 If ^he destroy him from his place. 
 
 Then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee. 
 
 19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, — and out ^of the earth shall others grow. 
 
 C. 1620. 
 
 Ps. 129. 6. 
 Jer. 17. 6. 
 Jas. 1. 10, 
 11. 
 
 1 Pet. I. 24. 
 * Ch. 11. 20. 
 
 Pro. 10. 28, 
 3 a spider's 
 
 house. 
 
 Isa. 59. 5, G. 
 / ch. 27. 18. 
 
 Ps. 112. 10. 
 
 Pro. 10. 28. 
 ^ ch. 7. 10. 
 
 ch. 20. 9. 
 
 Ps. 37. 36. 
 
 Ps. 113. 7. 
 
 you want teaching. Enquire of the Fathers ; They 
 will teach thee, utter word,s — more than mere 
 speaking: 'put forth well-considered words.' 
 out of their heart — from observation and reflec- 
 tion. Not merely from their mouth [v. 2, ch. x v. 1.3), 
 such as Bildad insinuates were Job's words. 
 Vv. 11, 12, 13 embody, in poetic and sententious 
 form (probably the fragment of an old poem), 
 the observation of the elders. 11. rush— rather, 
 paper reed: the papyrus of Egypt, which was 
 used to make garments, shoes, baskets, boats, and 
 jyaper (a word derived from it). It and the flag or 
 bulrush grow only in marshy places such as are 
 along the Nile. So the godless thrive only in ex- 
 ternal prosperity : there is in the hypocrite no in- 
 ward stability, " Because he is without the favour 
 of God, the sole fountain of life" (Ps. xxxvi. 9). 
 His prosperity is like the rapid growth of water 
 plants. The double point of comparison between 
 the ungodly and the paper reed is — 1. The luxu- 
 riant prosperity at first; and 2, The sudden des- 
 truction. 12. not cut down. Ere it has ripened 
 for the scythe, it withers more suddenly than any 
 herb, having no self-sustaining power, once that 
 the moisture is gone, which other herbs do not 
 need in the same degree. So ruin seizes on the 
 godless in the zenith of prosperity^ more suddenly 
 than on others who appear less firmly seated in 
 their possessions {Umbreit). "The wicked shall 
 see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his 
 teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked 
 shall perish" (Ps, cxii. 10), 13. paths— so ways 
 (Prov, i. 19). all that forget God — the dis- 
 tinguishing trait of the godless. "The wicked 
 shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that 
 forget God'" (Ps. ix. 17). Bildad in this retorts the 
 charge of Job (ch. vi, 14) against each of the false 
 friends— "He forsaketh the fear of the Almighty." 
 (Ps. 1. 22.) 14. cut Off— so Gesenius. Or, to accord 
 with the metaphor of the spider's house (Hebrew 
 for "web"). 'The confidence on which he builds 
 [h'?!?? -\^^.] shall be laid in ruins' [Qip;] ( Umbreit). 
 "They weave the spider's web: their webs shall 
 not become garments, neither shall they cover 
 themselves with their works" (Isa. lix. 5, 6). 
 15, he shall hold it fast — implying his eager 
 grasp, when the storm of trial' comes. As the 
 spider "holds fast" by its web: but with this 
 difference, the light spider is sustained by that on 
 which it rests; the godless is not, by the thin 
 web constituting his house on which he rests. 
 The expression, "hold fast," properly applies to 
 the spider holding his web, but is transferred to 
 the man. Hypocrisy, like the spider's web, is 
 fine-spun, flimsy, and woven out of its own inven- 
 tions, as the spider's web out of its owil bowels. 
 
 An Arab ijroverb says, ' Time destroys the well- 
 built house, as well as the spider's web.' 16. 
 before the sun [^j-^yj ^-^ godless) is 
 
 green only before the sun rises; but he cannot 
 bear its heat, and withers. So succulent plants, 
 like the gourd of Jonah (Jon. iv. 7, 8). But the 
 wide spreading in the garden does not quite accord 
 with this merely nocturnal duration of the fruit. 
 Better, 'in sunshine;' the sun representing the 
 smiling fortune of the hypocrite, during which 
 he wondrously progresses ( Umbreit). The Chal- 
 daic supports the English version (cf. also 
 Jas, i, 11 — "The sun is no sooner risen with 
 a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, 
 and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace 
 of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall 
 the rich man fade away in his ways.") in 
 his garden — the garden in which it spreads 
 its roots and grows. The image is that of weeds 
 growing in rank luxuriance, and spreading over 
 even heaps of stones and walls, and then being 
 speedily torn away. 17. seeth the place of 
 stones — Hebrew ' tlte house of stones'— i. e., clam- 
 bers up to the top of the wall surrounding the 
 garden (Umbreit). The parasite plant, in creep- 
 ing towards and over the wall — the utmost bound 
 of the garden — is said figuratively to "see" or 
 regard it, Maurer thinks the additional notion 
 is included, that the roots, as being in the midst 
 of a stony place (lit,, house of^ stones, as "ban- 
 queting house" — lit., house of wine—Song ii. 4), do 
 not take fast hold, and can therefore be easily and 
 speedily plucked up, just as is the case with the 
 hypocrite : ' Seeth the house of stones'— i. e., it feels 
 or experiences the stony place. 18, If he destroy 
 him from Ms place, tlien it shall deny him. If (as 
 may happen at any moment when he seems most 
 secure) He [God] tear him away [the English 
 version, destroy; properly, to tear away rapidly 
 and violently, p^a] from his place, "then it (the 
 
 place personified) shall deny him." "The place 
 thereof shall know it no more" (Ps. ciii. 16), 
 The very soil is ashamed of the weeds lying 
 withered on its surface, as though it never 
 had been connected with them. So, when the 
 godless falls from prosperity, his nearest friends 
 disown him. Bildad thus justifies the conduct 
 of the friends towards Job. 19. Behold, this 
 is the joy of his way. Bitter irony. The 
 hypocrite boasts of joy. This then is his "joy" 
 at the last, and out of the earth ["i??, ' the 
 dust'], "Others" immediately [Hebrew, singu- 
 lar, ' always another,' "iH^], who take the place of 
 the man thus punished. Not godly men. "God 
 is able of these stones to raise up children to 
 
Job achiowledgeth 
 
 JOB IX. 
 
 God's justice. 
 
 20 Behold, God will not ^cast away a perfect man, 
 Neither will he * help the evil doers; 
 
 21 Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with ^rejoicing. 
 
 22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame ; 
 
 And the dwelling-place of the wicked shall ^come to nought. 
 9 THEN Job answered and said, 
 
 2 I know it is so of a truth: but how should "man be just ^with God? 
 
 3 If he will contend with him, — he cannot answer him one of a thousand. 
 
 4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength : 
 
 Abraham" (Matt. hi. 9). For "the place" of 
 the weeds is among stones, where the gardener 
 would have no plants. But ungodly: a fresh crop 
 of weeds always springs up in the room of those 
 torn up : there is no end of hypocrites on earth 
 (Umbreit). Or, simply, others spring up in his 
 place, and he is not in the least missed. 20. Behold, 
 God -Will not cast away a perfect man. Bildad 
 regards Job, not as a hardened sinner, but as a 
 righteous man who has fallen into sin, ' God 
 will not cast off for ever a perfect ' (or godly man, 
 such as Job was), if he will only repent. ' Those 
 alone who persevere in sin God will not help' 
 (Hebrew, take by the hand [i!? p\'q:]— "Thou 
 hast holden me by my right hand," Ps. Ixxiii. 23; 
 Isa. xlL 13 ; xlii. 6) when faillen. 21. fill thy mouth 
 with laughing— (Ps. cxxvi. 2). Ti\\['^V]—lit, 'to 
 the point that;' God's blessing on thee, when 
 repentant, shall go on increasing to the point 
 that, or until, &c. 22. They that hate thee 
 shall be clothed, &c. The haters of Job are 
 the wicked. They shall be clothed with shame 
 ("We lie down in our shame, and our confusion 
 covereth us," Jer. iiL 25; "Let them be clothed 
 with shame and dishonour '' Ps. xxxv. 26; cix. 29) 
 at the failure of their nope that Job would 
 utterly perish, and because they, instead of him, 
 came to nought. 
 
 Remarks.— \. Whatever befalls us, and how- 
 ever inexplicable in our eyes God's dealings with 
 us may appear, of one thing we may be sure, God 
 cannot "pervert justice" {v. 3), the Judge of all 
 the earth must do right. All the impatient words 
 which affliction tempts us to utter are but " wind," 
 causing a violent commotion about our own heads, 
 but utterly incapable of affecting or impairing the 
 majesty of Jehovah. Our true wisdom in pleading 
 with God as to His trying dealings is to begin by 
 justifying Him in all His ways, obeying the holy 
 instincts of faith, rather than the corruijt im- 
 pulses of self-willed reasoning. So Jeremiah (xii. 
 1), when in perplexity, cried, "Righteous art 
 thou, 0 Lord, when I plead with thee : yet let me 
 talk with thee of thy judgments." Even though 
 we may not remember particular and grievous 
 sins which have caused God's judgments, yet 
 there is so much of sin cleaving to us all continu- 
 ally that we should, like David (Ps. li, 4), always 
 join with justihcation of God condemnation of 
 ourselves — "Against thee, thee only, have I 
 sinned, and done this evil in thy sight; that thou 
 mightest- be justified when thou speakest, and be 
 clear when thou judgest," 2. To "accept the 
 punishment of one's iniquity" is the surest way 
 to obtain from God the removal of it (Lev. xxvi. 
 40-43). So also as to the chastisements which God 
 permits the godly to suffer under, for the testing 
 of their faith, entire submission under the stroke, 
 abhorrence of self, and justification of the Al- 
 mighty and all-loving Father, are the true way to 
 bring God to our deliverance (ch. xl. 3-5; xlii. 
 2-12). Bildad's mistake was that he regarded Job's 
 sufferings as the ijenal consequences of si)ecial sins, 
 instead of the permitted chastisements of a loving 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 < Ps. 37. 24. 
 
 * take the 
 ungodly by 
 the hand. 
 
 5 shouting 
 for joy. 
 
 6 not be. 
 
 CHAP. 9. 
 Ps. 143. 2. 
 1 Or, before 
 God. 
 
 Father, who would at last vindicate his servant 
 Job, after He had taught him to renounce all 
 self -justification, and to acknowledge without 
 reserve the righteous sovereignty of Jehovah. 
 3. The short-lived existence of man should lead 
 him {v. 9) 'to entertain an humble opinion of his 
 own attainments in knowledge. If we would learn 
 lessons of true wisdom, we must go, not so much 
 to the traditions of the fathers, as to tlie revealed 
 Word of "the Ancient of days," "the everlasting 
 Father." 4. How vain and perishing is the hope 
 of the hypocrite ! Scripture searches the domains 
 of the animal and vegetable kingdoms for images 
 to represent the sudden doom of his self-deceiving 
 confidence. He may seem to himself and others 
 flourishing and ijrosperous, but he is not as the 
 godly, like a tree planted by the waters (Ps. i. 3). 
 He has not God as the ever-living, ever-flowing 
 spring of his prosperity. Hence, like the "rush" 
 or "flag," wdiose growth and even life depend on 
 water, and which "withereth before any other 
 herb " when that is removed, he suddenly, in the 
 midst of his seeming good fortune, is hurled to 
 destruction. Like the spider's house, he is liable 
 to have the web of self-deceit and hypocrisy which 
 he has woven, and on wdiich he leans, torn asun- 
 der in a moment. But "the expectation" of the 
 humble believer shall not so perish (Ps. ix. 18). 
 God may long and sorely try him, but "will not 
 cast him away" at the last. " The Spirit of the 
 Lord God hath anointed Christ to appoint unto 
 them that mourn in Zion beauty for ashes, the oil 
 of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the 
 spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees 
 of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He 
 may be glorified." 
 
 CHAP. IX. 1-35,— First Series Continued- 
 Reply OF Job to Bildad. 
 
 2. I know it is so— that God does not " per- 
 vert justice" (viii. 3). but how should a man 
 be just with God? But (even though I be 
 sure of being in the right) how can a mere 
 weak man assert his right (be just) with the 
 omnipotent God? "In thy sight shall no man 
 living be justified" (Ps. cxliii. 2). 'Is mortal 
 man just in the presence of God?' &c. (Remark, 
 ch. iv. 17). The Gospel answers — " To declare 
 (God's) righteousness: that he might be just, and the 
 justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Rom. 
 iii. 26). 3. If he (God) will contend with him — 
 lit., ^ deign to enter into judgment:' 'If it were 
 His good pleasure [V-n-] to enter into judgment 
 with him' — i. e., to argue with man as to the rights 
 of the question at issue between Him and man. 
 he cannot answer. He (man) could not and 
 would not dare to answer in defence of his cause 
 to one of the thousand questions of God, from av. e 
 of his Majesty. How, then, can man maintain his 
 justice before God? (cf. v. 15). This was what, iu. 
 fact, took place in the end : God asked many ques- 
 tions of Job, to not one of which Job could give an 
 answer, (ch. xxxviii, 1, &c.) 4. He is wise in heart 
 and mighty in strength. Hebrew, 'Wise in 
 heart (understanding) I And mighty in power!' 
 
Job showeth there is no JOB IX. contending with God, 
 
 Who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? 
 
 5 Which removeth the mountains, and they know not ; 
 Which overturneth them in his anger ; 
 
 6 Which ^shaketh the earth out of her place, — and the pillars thereof tremble ; 
 
 7 Which commandeth the sun, and it risethnot, — and sealeth up the stars; 
 
 8 Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, 
 And treadeth upon the ^ waves of the sea ; 
 
 9 Which ^maketh ^Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, 
 And the chambers of the south ; 
 
 10 Which doeth great things past finding out; 
 Yea, and wonders without number. 
 
 11 Lo, '^he goeth by me, and I see him not : 
 He passeth on also, but I perceive him not. 
 
 12 Behold, ^he taketh away, *who can hinder him? 
 Who will say unto him. What doest thou ? 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 b Ex. 19. 18. 
 Isa. 2. 19,21. 
 Hag. 2. C, 
 21. 
 
 Heb. 12.26 
 
 2 heights. 
 Gen. 1. 16. 
 ch. 38. 31. 
 Amos 6. 8. 
 
 3 Ash, Cesil, 
 andCimah. 
 
 d ch. 23. 8. 
 * Isa. 29. 10. 
 
 Isa. 45. 9. 
 
 Jer. 18. 6. 
 
 Kom. 9. 20. 
 
 4 who can 
 turn him 
 away? 
 
 God confounds the ablest arguer by His wisdom, 
 and the mightiest by His power, hardened — viz. , 
 Jdmself, or his neck (Prov. xxix. 1) — i. e., defied God. 
 To ' prosper,' one must fall in with God's arrange- 
 ments of Providence and grace. 5. and they 
 know not — Hebrew for ' suddenly ; unexpected- 
 ly; before they are aware of it;' "at unawares" 
 (Ps. XXXV. 8) — Hebrew, which he knoweth not of. 
 6. Which shaketh the earth . . . pillars thereof 
 tremble. The earth is regarded, poetically, as rest- 
 ing on pillars, which tremble in an earthquake. 
 "The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dis- 
 solved : I bear up the pillars of it " (Ps. Ixxv. 3) ; 
 "The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard," 
 &c. (Is. xxiv. 20). The literal truth as to the earth 
 is given at xxvi. 7 — " He hangeth the earth upon 
 nothing." 7. Which commandeth the sun, and it 
 riseth not — viz. , in an eclipse, or the darkness that 
 accompanies earthquakes [v. 6). sealeth up — i. e. , 
 totally covers, as one would seal up a room, that 
 its contents may not be seen. 8. spreadeth out. 
 " He stretclieth out the heavens as a curtain, and 
 spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in" (Is. xl. 
 22 ; Ps. civ. 2). But throughout it is not so much 
 God's creating, as His governing power over 
 nature that is set forth. A storm seems a struggle 
 between Nature and her Lord ! Better, therefore, 
 ' Who boweth P'^^] the heavens alone,' without 
 help of any other {Maurer). God descends from 
 the bowed-down heaven to the earth— " He bowed 
 the heavens, and came down " (Ps. xviii. 9). The 
 storm, wherein the clouds descend, suggests this 
 image. In the descent of the vault of heaven, 
 God has come down from His high throne, and 
 walks majestic over the mountain waves (Hebrew, 
 heights), as a conqueror taming their violence. So 
 tread upon. "Thou shalt tread upon their high 
 places" (Dent, xxxiii. 29; Amos iv. 13) ; "Jesus walk- 
 ing on the sea" (Matt. xiv. 26). The Egyptian 
 hieroglyphic for impossibility is a man walking on 
 waves. 9. maketh. Umhreit translates, from the 
 Arabic, covereth up. This accords with the con- 
 text, which describes His boundless power as 
 controller, rather than as, creator. But as "the 
 stars " [v. 7) are represented as already sealed up 
 and covered, God would not be said here again to 
 be covered. Arcturus p?]— the great bear, which 
 always revolves about the pole, and never sets. 
 The Chaldeans and Arabs early named and 
 grouped in constellations the stars; often trav- 
 elling, and tending flocks by night, they would 
 naturally do so, especially as the rise and setting 
 of some stars mark the distinction of seasons. 
 Brinkley, presuming the stars here mentioned to 
 be those of Taurus and Scorpio, and that these 
 22 
 
 were the cardinal constellations of spring and 
 autumn in Job's time, calculates, by the preces- 
 sion of equinoxes, the time of Job to be 818 years 
 after the deluge, and 184 before Abrahani. So 
 Hales and Ducontant^ with a slight variation 
 {Barnes, Introduction— 1. Astronorny, Job). Orion 
 — Hebrew, the fool; in ch. xxxviii. 31 he appears 
 fettered with " bands." The old legend repre- 
 sented this star as a hero, who presumptuously 
 rebelled against God, and was therefore a fool 
 [b^p?], and was chained in the sky as a punish- 
 ment : for its rising is at the stormy period of the 
 year. He is Nimrod [the exceedingly impious rebel) 
 among the Assyrians; Orion among the Greeks. 
 Sabaism (worship of the heavenly hosts) and hero- 
 worship were blended in his person. He first 
 subverted the patriarchal order of society by sub- 
 stituting a chieftainship based on conquest (Gen. 
 X. 9, 10). Pleiades \r\r2>2y-iit^ ' the heap of stars :' 
 Arabic", 'knot of stars.' The various names ot 
 this constellation in the East express the close 
 union of the stars in it — " the seven stars " (Amos 
 V. 8). chambers of the south— the unseen regions 
 of the southern hemisphere, with its own set 
 of stars, as distinguished from those just men- 
 tioned of the northern. The stars of the 
 southern hemisphere never emerge into our 
 view but remain hidden as if in secret " cham- 
 bers." The true structure of the earth is here 
 implied. 10. Which doeth great things past find- 
 ing out ; yea, and wonders without number. Re- 
 peated from Eliphaz (ch. v. 9). As much as to say, 
 I know as well as you (ch. v. 10-16) God's stupen- 
 dous power: but Job dwells chiefly on Gods 
 terrible workings, to imply that God uses his 
 power not merely to relieve the wretched, as Eli- 
 Ijhaz had said, but to terrify and destroy them. 
 11. Lo, he goeth by me. Not only nature, but man 
 experiences the terrors of God's resistless power. 
 I see Him not : He passeth on. The image is that 
 of a howling wind — " As the whirlwinds in the 
 South pass through" (Isa. xxi. 1). Like it, when 
 it bursts invisibly upon man, so God is felt in the 
 awful effects of his wrath, but is not seen. " The 
 wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest 
 the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it 
 Cometh, and whither it goeth: so is . . the Spirit" 
 (John iii. 8). Therefore, reasons Job, it is impossible 
 to contend with Him. As the unseen storm sweeps 
 before it irresistibly what it will, so when God 
 removes man's dearest possessions in a moment, 
 man cannot contend with Him, or call Him to ac- 
 count for so doing. 12. Behold, he taketh away, 
 who can hinder him? who will say unto him, 
 What doest thou? If "He taketh away" suddenly 
 
 4 
 
Maris innocency not to he judged 
 
 JOB IX. 
 
 by his lot In this worlds 
 
 1 3 //God will not withdraw his anger, — the ^proud helpers do stoop under him. 
 
 14 How much less shall I answer him, 
 
 And choose out my words to reason with him? 
 
 15 Whom, -^'though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, 
 But I would make supphcation to my judge. 
 
 16 If I had called, and he had answered me; 
 
 Yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice. 
 
 17 For he breaketh me with a tempest. 
 
 And multiplieth my wounds ^without cause. 
 
 18 He will not suffer me to take my breath, — but filleth me with bitterness. 
 
 19 If / speak of strength, lo, he is strong : 
 
 And if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead f 
 
 20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: 
 If I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. 
 
 21 Though I icere perfect, yet would I not know my soul: 
 I would despise my life. 
 
 22 This is one thing, therefore I said it. 
 
 B C. 15V0. 
 
 6 helpers bt 
 
 pride, or, 
 
 strenjith. 
 / ch. 9. 10. 
 
 ch. 10. 16. 
 f ch. 2. 3. 
 
 ch. 16. 1?. 
 
 ch. 34. 6. 
 
 Ps. 25. 3, 
 
 Ps. 35. 19. 
 
 Ps. 69. 4. 
 
 Ps. 109. 3. 
 
 Ps. 119. 161. 
 
 Pro. 1. 11. 
 
 Is. 53. 9. 
 
 Lam. 3. 52. 
 
 Matt. 5. 22. 
 
 John 9. 3. 
 
 John 15. 25. 
 
 1 Pet. 2. 19, 
 20. 
 
 and violently, as in my case, all that was dear to 
 me, still a mortal cannot call Him to account. He 
 only takes His own. He is an absolute King. 
 " Where the word of a king is, there is power : and 
 loliomaysayuntohim, Whatdoest thou ?'''' (Eccl. viii. 
 4). " He doeth according to His will in the army 
 of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth ; 
 and none can stay His hand" (Dan. iv. 35). 13. If 
 God— or else, ' God will nr.t withdraw His anger' — 
 i. e., so long as a mortal obstinately resists ( Umhreit). 
 the proud helpers— ^Ae arrogant, who would help 
 one contending with the Almighty, are of no avail, 
 however mighty, against Him — lit., 'the helpers 
 of pride,' or fierce haughtiness pCl (the 
 name applied to Egypt, Isa. li. 9). Maurer 
 shows the connection of the clauses of this verse 
 better than Umhreifs view above. God does 
 not suffer Himself to be withdrawn or hindered 
 by any opponent from performing whatever in 
 His anger He has purposed, and so those who in 
 haughty reliance on their might venture to help 
 God's opponents have to bow beneath Him. The 
 "i/" in the English version is not in the Hebrew, 
 and is not needed for the sense. 14. How much 
 less shall I — who am weak — seeing that the mighty 
 have to stoop before Him— choose out my words- 
 use a well-chosen speech, in order to reason in con- 
 tention with Him. 15. Whom, though I were 
 righteous, yet would I not answer (ch. x. 15). 
 Though I were conscious of no sin, yet I would not 
 dare to say so, but leave it to His judgment and 
 mercy to justify me. "I know nothing by {i. e., 
 against) myself : yet am I not hereby justified : but 
 He that judgeth me is the Lord" (1 Cor. iv. 4). 
 16-17. If I had called, and he had answered me ; 
 yet would I not believe that he had hearkened 
 unto my voice,— For he breaketh me with a 
 tempest. 'I would not believe that He had hear- 
 kened (attended) unto my voice, who breaketh 
 [bruiseth, ^^i^; but Umhreit takes it breathes 
 violently upon] me (as a tree stript of its leaves) 
 with a tempest.' Probably " If I had called, 
 and He had answered" refers not to the answer 
 to prayer ; but, ' If I called Him to court (sum- 
 moned Him to try the question of right at issue 
 between Him and me), and He answered my chal- 
 lenge and submitted to a trial.' So in ch. xiii. 22. 
 'Call' and 'answer' are judicial terms like our 
 'plaintiff' and 'defendant. 18. He will not suffer 
 me to take my breath— cf. ch. vii. 19, "How long 
 wilt thou not— let me alone till I swallow down my 
 spittle. " 19. If I speak of strength, lo, he Is strong : 
 and if of Judgment, who shall set me a time to 
 23 
 
 plead? It is impossible but that Job must be de- 
 terred from the thought of a judicial controversy 
 with God, seeing that God, whether the question 
 be concerning might or right, is always superior 
 in power. ' If (the question be) as to the 
 strength of the strong, lo, (saith God, Here I am. 
 What is thy controversy with me?): and if (the 
 question be) as to judgment (justice or right), (He 
 saith). Who shall set me a time to plead.' God 
 herein declares as well that He is ready to meet 
 any adversary who challenges Him to a conflict, 
 as also that none is His superior in power so as to 
 be able to summon Him to a judicial trial 
 (Maurer). God's divine might and sovereignty 
 puts it out of the question for mortal to argue 
 the question of right with Him, in respect to His 
 dealings. The English version seems to me to 
 suit the parallelism better, with this slight change 
 of the inserted words in Italics : ' If the question be 
 one of strength, lo, saith God, 1 am strong : and if it 
 be of judgment. Who, saith God, shall set me a time 
 to plead?' (so "Who is like me? and who will ap- 
 point me the time? and who is that shepherd that 
 will stand before me?" Jer. xlix. 19). The last 
 words certainly apply better to God than to Job. 
 " Me," in the English version, apxjlies to Job. 
 The " lo, " expresses God's swift readiness for 
 battle when challenged. 20. If I justify myself. 
 Maurer translates — 'If I were just'— z. e., if I 
 had right on my side [p^M]. This accords with 
 V. 21. So also translate, not as English version, 
 'If I say I am perfect,' but '(If) I (were) per- 
 fect.' it— mine own mouth (ch. xv. 6). "Out of 
 thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked 
 servant " (Luke xix. 22). Or, ' He,' God, ' would 
 prove me perverse.' 21. Though I were perfect, 
 yet would I not know my soul— lit. (here and 
 in V. 20), ' I perfect ! I should not know my soul ! 
 I would despise (disown) my life' — i. e.. Though 
 conscious of innocence, I should be compelled, 
 in contending with the infinite God, to ignore 
 my own soul, and despise my past life as if it 
 were guilty (Rosenmiiller). Umbreit and Maurer 
 translate, 'I am innocent: I regard (so know 
 means, Gen. xxxix. 6 ; Ps. i. 6) not my soul, I de- 
 spise my life"— e., I profess my innocence at all 
 costs; even though my life must pay for this 
 avowal I care not. But the English version 
 accords better with v. 20, latter clause, and 
 with the acknowledgment of Job, v. 30-32. 22. 
 one thing— translate ' It is all one ; whether per- 
 fect or wicked, — He destroy eth.' This was 
 the point Job maintained against his friends 
 
Mans innocency not to be judged JOB IX. 
 
 by his lot in this world. 
 
 He '^destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. 
 
 23 If the scourge slay suddenly, — he will laugh at the trial of the innocent. 
 
 24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked : 
 'He covereth the faces of the judges thereof ; — if not, where, and who is he ? 
 
 25 Now my days are swifter than a post : — they flee away, they see no good. 
 
 26 They are passed away as the ^ swift ships; 
 As the eagle that hasteth to the prey. 
 
 27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, 
 I will leave off my heaviness, and ^ comfort myself; 
 
 28 I am afraid of all my sorrows, — I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent. 
 
 29 7/1 be wicked, why then labour I in vain ? 
 
 30 If I wash myself with snow water, — and make my hands never so clean; 
 
 31 Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, 
 And mine own clothes shall ^ abhor me. 
 
 32 For ^he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, 
 And we should come together in judgment. 
 
 33 Neither 4s there ^any daysman betwixt us. 
 That might lay his hand upon us both. 
 
 (ch. iv. 7, &c. ; viii. 3, 6), that the righteous 
 and wicked alike are afiiicted ; and that great 
 sufFerings here do not prove great guilt (Luke 
 xiii. 1-5) — "There is one event to the righteous, 
 and to the wicked ; to the good and to the clean, 
 and to the unclean ; to him that sacrificeth, and 
 to him that sacrificeth not" (Eccl. ix. 2). Maurer 
 and Umhreit explain — 'It is all one' tome whether 
 I die or live. 'Therefore I say, He destroy eth 
 the upright and the wicked' alike. "Therefore," 
 then, will mean, ' Because I fear nothing, and it 
 is all one to me what befals me.' 23. If—' While 
 (His) scourge (Isa. xxviii. 15) slays suddenly (both 
 the perfect and the loicked, v. 22), He laughs at 
 {disregards and treats as though He laughed at) 
 the trial (calamity) of the innocent.' Umbr-eit (cf. 
 my 'Critical Commentary') takes "the wicked" 
 as' the object of "slay suddenly;" and in order to 
 make an antithesis to suddenly, translates the 
 Hebrew for "trial" P?^], 'pining away' [from 
 DDD^ to melt away]. 'Whilst His scourge slays 
 suddenly (the wicked, v. 22), He laughs at the 
 (protracted) pining aivay of the innocent.' But v. 
 23 requires that the object after " slay suddenly" 
 should be the perfect and the wicked:" and in 
 Deut. iv. 34, and elsewhere, the Hebrew word is 
 used for ' temptation ' or ' trial ' [from i^D^, to 
 try]. 24. The earth is given into the hand of the 
 wicked : he covereth the faces of the judges there- 
 of — referring to righteous judges, in antithesis to 
 ! "the wicked," in the parallel first clause. Whereas 
 j the wicked oppressor often has the earth given into 
 \ /lis hand, the righteous judges are led to execution. 
 \ Culprits had their /ace? covered preparatory to exe- 
 1 cution (Esth. vii. 8). Or else, "He covereth the 
 faces," &c., means, He causes the righteous judges 
 to cover their faces in soi^roio : as David long after 
 (2 Sam. XV. 30; xix. 4; cf. Jer. xiv. 4). Thus the 
 contrast of the wicked and righteous here answers 
 to that in v. 22. Maurer explains it—' The earth 
 is given into the hand of wicked ' rulers ; nor can 
 just sentences be given by blinded judges : for " He 
 covereth the faces of (i. e., blinds) the judges there- 
 of," so that they cannot distinguish right from 
 wrong. An additional proof of Job's position, 
 I tliat great calamities are no proof of special guilt, 
 if not, where, and who— if God be tiot the cause of 
 these anomalies, where is the cause to be found, 
 and who is he ? 25. a post — a courier. In the 
 wide Persian empire such couriers, on dromedaiies 
 or on foot, were employed to carry the royal com- 
 mands to the distant provinces (Esth. iii. 13, 15 ; 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 '» Ezek. 21. X 
 i 2 Sa. 15. 30. 
 2 Sa. 19. 4. 
 Jer. H. 4. 
 
 6 ships of 
 desire, or, 
 ships of 
 Ebeh. 
 
 7 Or. 
 strengthen. 
 
 j Fx. 2i>. 7. 
 
 8 Or, make 
 me to be 
 abhorred. 
 
 fc Eccl. 6. 10. 
 Isa. 45. 9. 
 Rom. 9. 2^ 
 I 1 Sa. 2. 25. 
 
 9 one that 
 should 
 argue. 
 
 10 c;r, 
 umpTe. 
 
 viii. 14). My days are not like the slow caravan, 
 but the fleet i:)ost. The days are themselves poet- 
 ically said to see no good, instead of Job in 
 them (1 Pet. iii. 10). 26. Swift ships [n^n 
 — rather, canoes of reeds, or papyrm-skiffs, used on 
 the Nile, swift from their lightness — " vessels of 
 bulrushes" (Isa. xviii. 2). 28. I am afraid of all 
 my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold 
 me innocent. The apodosis to 27—' If I say, 
 &c., I still am afraid of all my sorrows (return - 
 iug), for I know that thou wilt (dost) not (by 
 removing my sufferings) hold or declare me inno- 
 cent. How then can / leave off my heaviness T 
 Hebrew, 'my face' — i. e., my gloomy countenance. 
 
 29. If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain ? 
 The if is better omitted : I (am treated by God, 
 ouce for all, as) wicked ; why then labour I in vain 
 (to disprove His charge). Job submits, not so 
 much because he is convinced that God is right, as 
 because God is powerful, and he weak {Barnes). 
 
 30. snow water — thought to be more cleansing 
 than common water, owing to the whiteness of 
 snow. "I shall be whiter than snow" (Ps. li. 7; 
 Isa. i. 18). never so clean— better to answer to 
 the parallelism of the first clause, which expresses 
 the cleansing material. " If I cleanse my hands 
 with lye the Arabs used alkali mixed with oil, 
 as soap. "Though thou wash thee with nitre, 
 and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is 
 marked before me, saith the Lord God " (Jer. ii. 22 ; 
 Ps. Ixxiii. 13). 32. For he is not a man, as I am, 
 that I should answer him, and we should come 
 together in judgment. " Neither may he contend 
 with Him that is mightier than he" (Eccl. vi. 10) ; 
 " Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker ! 
 Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the 
 earth. Shall the clay say to Him that fashioneth 
 it. What inakest thou?" (Isa. xlv. 9). 33. days- 
 man betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon 
 us both — mediator or umpire [O^^ID^ an arbitrator, 
 from ^5^, to manifest or reprove]. There is no 
 umpire to whose authoritative decision both God 
 and I are equally amenable ; an arbitrator, the 
 imposition of whose hand expresses power to ad- 
 judicate between the persons. As still in the 
 East, it is the practice for two disputants to refer 
 to a passing stranger, and tell him to lay his hand 
 upon both parties, so as to arbitrate or mediate 
 between them. There might be one on a level 
 with Job, the one party; but Job knew of none 
 on a level with the Almighty, the other jjarty — 
 "If one man sin against another, the judge shall 
 
Job in his affliction 
 
 JOB X. 
 
 expostulateth with God. 
 
 34 Let liim take his rod away from me, — and let not his fear terrify me : 
 
 35 Then would I speak, and not fear him : — ^^but it is not so with me. 
 
 iO MY soul is ^ weary of my life : — I will leave my complaint upon myself ; 
 I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. 
 
 2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me ; 
 Show me wherefore thou contendest with me. 
 
 3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, 
 That thou shouldest despise ^the work of thine hands, 
 And shine upon the counsel of the wicked? 
 
 4 Hast thou eyes of flesh? — or "seest thou as man seeth? 
 
 5 Are thy days as the days of man? — are thy years as man's da3"S, 
 
 6 That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, — and searchest after my sin ? 
 
 7 ^Thou knowest that I am not wicked; 
 
 judge him; but if a man siu agaiust the Lord, wlio 
 sliall entreat for liim?" (1 Sam. ii. 25). We Chris- 
 tians know of such a Mediator (not, however, in 
 the sense umpire), on a level with both, the God- 
 man, Christ Jesus (1 Tim. ii. 5). 34. rod— not 
 here the symbol of punishment, but of poiver 
 {Umbreit). Job cannot meet God on fair terms, 
 so long as God deals with him on the footing of 
 His Almighty power. But ch. xxi. 9 ; xxxvii. 13, 
 marg. , favour the view that the rod of correction 
 is meant. Ms fear — the fear which He inspires 
 — "The fear of a king" (Pro v. xx. 2) — viz., the 
 terror which proceeds from a king. 35. it is not 
 so ■with me — as it now is, God not taking His rod 
 away, I am not on such a footing of equality as to 
 be able without fear to vindicate myself — lit., ' I 
 (am) not so with myself :' which Maurer explains 
 — ' I am not so in my mind (so ' in us,' for in our 
 mind, ch. xv. 9) that I have any occasion to fear.' 
 I am conscious of no guilt to make me fear. Um- 
 breit explains — ' But now I am not in possession of 
 my right mind;' now as it is, not from guilt, but 
 from fear of God's omnipotence, Job has lost self- 
 possession, so as not to be able to vindicate himself, 
 (Ps. 1. 11, mary.) The English version, as explain- 
 ed above, is much the same in the general sense as 
 Umhreifs view, which is preferable to Maurer' s. 
 
 Remarks. — \. Weak and sinful man can never 
 stand justified in his own righteousness before the 
 Almighty and infinitely holy God. The publican's 
 plea is our safest plea—" God be merciful to me a 
 sinner!" If we would enter into a discussion of 
 right before God, we could not answer Him " one 
 of a thousand" [v. 3) questions which He might 
 put to us, and charges which He could bring 
 against us. 2. Our worst trials are always below 
 what our sins deserve, so that God's mercy beams 
 forth from the darkest cloud; and if, instead of 
 debating with Him as to the justice of His deal- 
 ings with us, we, in childlike faith, patiently bow 
 to them as right, not because we see the reason of 
 them, but simi^ly because they are His doing, the 
 cloud will in due time clear away, and we shall 
 bless God even for past cliastisements. 3. God's 
 wonderful and unsearchable workings in nature, 
 in the starry heaven, the earth, and the sea, should 
 teach us tp be humble, and not to expect we shall 
 understand the reason of all that God doeth. 4. 
 In the present order of things we often see the 
 upright and the guilty destroyed [vv. 22, 23) by 
 the same scourge: injustice often is stronger than 
 justice, and the wicked rule the earth [v. 24). 
 Heason can very imperfectly reconcile this anomaly 
 with the righteousness of (;!od's moral government 
 over the world. But faith remembers this is a 
 fallen world, and seeming anomalies must be 
 expected m such a state ; at the same time faith 
 believes that though "clouds and darkness are 
 round about him, righteousness and judgment 
 
 B. 0 15J0. 
 
 11 but I am 
 not so with 
 myself. 
 
 CHAP. 10. 
 
 1 Or, cut off 
 while I 
 live. 
 
 2 the labour. 
 Ps. 138. 8. 
 
 " 1 Sa. 16 7. 
 Luke 16. 15. 
 
 3 it is upon 
 thy know- 
 ledge. 
 
 Ps. 109. 1. 
 
 are tlie habitation of His throne" (Ps. xcvii. 2). 
 Moreover, faith looks beyond the present to the 
 future, when the seeming anomalies shall be cleared 
 up, and the people of God shall be blessed for 
 ever (their blessedness being intensified by the 
 retrospect of past sufferings), and the ungodly 
 shall eternally bewail their suicidal folly in fol- 
 lowing the ways of sin, which, though promising 
 enjoyment for a time, shall at last be found to be 
 ways of misery and death. 5. What Job longed 
 for, we in the New Testament have, a Daysman or 
 Mediator between us and God, who, as being God, 
 knows all that God's justice demands of us in ex- 
 piation of our sin, and, as being man, knows our 
 infirmities and needs. He does not, indeed, as um- 
 pire, vindicate our cause in the way that Job in his 
 temporary folly wished, by declaring our righteous- 
 ness (for however sincere and upright in human view 
 we be, like Job, yet " if we say that we have no 
 sin, we deceive ourselves") ; but by declaring God^s 
 righteousness in Christ for us (Rom. iii. 24-26 ; 2 Pet. 
 i. 1 ; 1 Cor. i. 30), that so we may be not merely 
 pardoned, but justified freely by His grace, 
 through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. " 
 So His "rod" is taken away {v. 34), and in the 
 spirit of adoption, "perfect love casteth out /ea?'" 
 (Kom. viii. 15; 1 John iv. 18; Is. xii. 1, 2.) 
 
 CHAP. X. 1-22.— Job's Eeply to Bildad 
 Continued. 
 
 1. I will leave my complaint upon myself— 
 
 rather, 'I will give loose to my complaint' [^1?, 
 to let free; to give loose rein to] — "I will not 
 refrain my mouth ; I will speak in the anguish of 
 my spirit ; I will complain in the bitterness of my 
 soul" (ch. vii. 11). upon myself. "Now my 
 soul poured out upon me" (ch. xxx. 16; Ps. xlii. 
 4, 5). 2. show me, &o.— Do not, by virtue of 
 thy mere sovereignty, treat me as guilty, without 
 showing me the reasons. 3. Is it good unto thee 
 that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest 
 despise the work of thine hands ? Job is unwilling 
 to think God can have "pleasure" in using hisx)ower 
 to "oppress" the weak, and to "treat" man, "the 
 work of His own hands (so curiously and elabor- 
 ately formed, as though his creation were a work 
 of labour), as of no value" {v. 8); "Forsake not 
 the works of thine own hands" (Ps. cxxxviii. 8). 
 and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?— 
 favour with prosperity (Ps. 1. 2). 4, 5, 6. Hast 
 thou eyes of flesh? . . Are thy days as the days of 
 man ? . . That thou enquirest after mine iniquity ? 
 Dost thou see as feebly as man? — i. e., with the 
 same uncharitable eye, and mistaken judgment, as, 
 for instance. Job's friends. Is thy time as short? 
 Impossible! Yet one might think, from the rapid 
 succession of thy strokes, that thy existence 
 Avas of limited duration ; and that thou hadst no 
 time to spare in overwhelming me, so as to force 
 from me as soon as possible a confession of guilt. 
 
Job complaineth of life, and 
 
 JOB X. 
 
 craves a little ease before death. 
 
 8 
 
 10 
 11 
 
 And there is none that can deliver out of thine hand. 
 
 Thine ^ hands have ^rnade me, and fashioned me together round about; 
 Yet thou dost destroy me. 
 
 Remember, I beseech thee, that "^thou hast made me as the clay; 
 And wilt thou bring me into dust again ? 
 
 Hast 'Hhou not poured me out as milk, — and curdled me like cheese? 
 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, 
 And hast ^ fenced me with bones and sinews. 
 
 12 Thou hast granted me life and favour, 
 And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. 
 
 13 And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: 
 I know that this is with thee. 
 
 If I sin, then thou markest me. 
 And thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquit)?-. 
 If I be wicked, ^woe unto me; 
 
 And if I be righteous, i/et will I not lift up my head, 
 lam full of confusion ; therefore ^see thou mine affliction ; for it increaseth. 
 ^Thou huntest me as a fierce lion ; 
 And again thou showest thyself marvellous upon me. 
 Thou renewest ^'thy witnesses against me, 
 And increasest thine indignation upon me ; 
 Changes and war are aganist me. 
 
 Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? 
 Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me ! 
 I should have been as though I had not been ; 
 I should have been carried from the womb to the grave. 
 
 14 
 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 6 Ps. 119. 73. 
 Isa. 43. 7. 
 
 4 taken 
 pains 
 about me. 
 
 " Gen 2. 7. 
 Gen 3. 19. 
 Isa. 45. 9. 
 Isa. 64. 8. 
 Jer. 18. 6. 
 
 d Ps. 139. 14. 
 
 5 hedged. 
 * Ch. 9. 29. 
 
 ch. 27. 7. 
 
 Ps. 9. 17. 
 
 Isa. 3. 11. 
 
 Isa. 6. 5. 
 
 Mai. 3. 18. 
 
 Eom. 2. 8, 9- 
 / ch. 9. 12. 
 
 Isa. 64. 5, G. 
 
 Luke 17. 10. 
 ^ Ex. 3. 7. 
 
 Ps. 26. 18. 
 
 Ps. 119. 163. 
 
 Lam. 1. 20. 
 
 Lam. 5. 1. 
 h Isa. 38. 13. 
 
 Lam. 3. 10. 
 
 6 That is. 
 thy 
 
 plagues. 
 Ruth 1. 21. 
 
 7. Thou (the Omniscieut) knowest that I am not 
 wicked; and there is none that can deliver out 
 of thine hand ; therefore thou hast no need to deal 
 with me with the rapid violence which "man" 
 would use, when afraid that his enemy will escape 
 from him (remark, vv. 4-6). This seventh verse is 
 connected with m 4-6, "Thou search est after my 
 sin" with sharp severity, though "thou knowest 
 that I am not wicked, and that there is none that 
 can deliver out of thine hand." 8, Thine hands 
 have made me, and fashioned me. " Made" with 
 pains and elaborate art, imi^lying a work of difficulty 
 €tnd art [^^'^J, applying to God language applicable 
 only to man (cf. v. 9-11). together round about- 
 implying that the human body is a complete unity, 
 the parts of which on all sides will bear the closest 
 scrutiny. 9. clay. Next verse proves that the 
 reference here is, not so much to the perishable 
 nature of the materials, as to their wonderful 
 fashioning by the Divine potter (Is. Ixiv. 8). 
 io. Hast thou not poured me out as milk, 
 and curdled me like cheese? In the organiza- 
 tion of the body, from its rude commencements 
 in the embryo, the liquid original gradually as- 
 sumes a more solid consistency, like milk curd- 
 ling into cheese — "My substance was not hid 
 from thee, when I was made in secret, and 
 curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the 
 eartli. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being 
 unperfect ; and in thy book all my members were 
 written, which in continuance were fashioned, 
 when as yet there was none of them" (Ps. 
 cxxxix. 15, 16). Science reveals that the chyle 
 circulated by the lacteal vessels is the supply to 
 every organ. 11. fenced — or ' inlaced,' ' woven 
 together' [15^^^] [Umbreit). In the foetus the skin 
 appears first, then the flesh, then the harder 
 parts. 12. visitation — thy watchful Providence, 
 spirit— breath. 13. These things hast thou hid in 
 thine heart ; I know that this is with thee— was 
 thy purposa All God's dealings with Job in his 
 9& 
 
 creation, preservation, and present afflictions were 
 part of His secret counsel (Ps. cxxxix. 16) ; " Known 
 unto God are all His works from the beginning" 
 (Acts XV. 18);. "He hath set the world in Ilis 
 heart, so that no man can find out the work that 
 Godmaketh from the beginning to the end" (Eccl. 
 iii. 11), 14, 15. If I sin, then thou markest me. 
 Job is perplexed because God "marks" every 
 sin of his with such ceaseless rigour. If I sin 
 ... if I be wicked. The former word " sin" 
 means a slip through imprudence; but "wicked" 
 [i^&^J, heinously wicked, of set purpose, and if I 
 be righteous, yet will I not lift up mine head. 
 Whether erring or "A\'icked" (deliberately godless 
 and a hypocrite), or "righteous" (comparatively: 
 sincere), God condemns and punishes alike, lift up 
 my head — in conscious innocence (Ps. iii. 3). Thou, 
 0 Lord, art the lifter up of mine head. I am full 
 of confusion; therefore see thou mine afQiction 
 — rather, ' Yet will I not lift ui^ my head, being 
 full of ignominy [shame, yhp], and seeing (as I too 
 
 well see) mine affliction,' which seems to prove 
 me gvLilty {Umbreit). 16. for it increaseth 
 lit. , (my affliction, v. 15) groweth up, as in ch. viii. 
 11. I prefer this to the translation, (if) I lift up (my 
 head) thou wouldest hunt me, &c. {Umbreit). 
 and again — as if a lion should not kill his prey at 
 once, but come back and torture it again. ' And 
 afresh thou showest thyself marvellous {i. e., thou 
 showest thy marvellous power) upon me' — i. e., 
 in oppressing me. So the Lord is compared to 
 a lion (Is. xxxL 4; Lam. iii. 10). 17. Thou re- 
 newest thy witnesses against me. His accumu- 
 lated trials were like a succession of witnesses 
 brought up in proof of his guilt, to wear out 
 the accused. Compare Mai. iii. 5, "I will be 
 a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against 
 the adulterers," &c. changes and war are against 
 me— rather ('thou settest in array) against me 
 host after host' [t^niM n'iQ''^n]— lit., changes and a 
 
ZopJiar reproves Job. 
 
 JOB XI. 
 
 The greatness of the A Imighty. 
 
 20 Are not my days few? ^ cease then, 
 
 And let ■'me alone, that I may take comfort a little, 
 
 21 Before I go whence I shall not return, 
 
 Even *to the land of darkness, 'and the shadow of death ; 
 A land of darkness, as darkness itself; 
 And of the shadow of death, without any order, 
 And where the light is as darkness. 
 
 THEN answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, 
 Should not the multitude of words be answered ? 
 And should ^a man full of talk be justified ? 
 Should thy ^lies make men hold their peace ? 
 And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed ? 
 For '^thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, — and I am clean in thine eyes. 
 But oh that God would speak, — and open his lips against thee ; 
 And that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom. 
 That they are double to that which is ! 
 
 Know therefore that * God exacteth of thee less than thine miqmty deserveth. 
 
 Canst ^thou by searching find out God ? 
 Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection ? 
 
 22 
 
 11 
 
 2 
 
 B, c. vm. 
 
 < Ps. 30. 13. 
 j Ch. 7. 16. 
 * ch. 3. 5. 
 
 Ps. 88. 12. 
 i ch. 3. 6. 
 
 Ps. 23. 4- 
 
 CHAP. 11. 
 
 1 a man of 
 lips. 
 
 2 Or, device"?. 
 " ch. 6. 10. 
 
 1 Pet. 3. 15. 
 6 Ezra. 9. 1?,. 
 Ps. 106. 45. 
 
 Mai. 3. 6. 
 " ch. 5. 9. 
 ch. 26. 14. 
 Eccl. 3. 11, 
 Isa. 40. 28, 
 Matt. 11.27. 
 Rom. 11.33. 
 1 Cor. 2. 10, 
 
 16, 
 
 host—i. e., a succession of hosts— viz., his afflic- 
 tions, and then reproach upon reproach from his 
 friends (ch. vi. 4; xix. 12, "His troops come to- 
 gether, and raise up their way against me, and 
 eucamp round about my tabernacle"). 20. Are 
 not my days few ? cease then, and let me alone, 
 that I may take comfort a little. But, since I was 
 destined from my birth to these ills, at least give 
 me a little breathing time during the few days left 
 me (ch. ix. 34; xiii. 21). " 0 spare me, that 1 may 
 recover strength before I go hence, and be no 
 more " (Ps. xxxix. 13). 22. A land of darkness, as 
 darkness itself. The ideas of order and light, dis- 
 order and darkness, harmonize (Gen. i. 2). Three 
 Hebrew words are used for darkness in vv. 21, 22 — 
 (I.) in V. 21 the common word darkness" ["^^'n] ; 
 (2.) in V. 22 'a land of gloom' [nriDP], from a Helorew 
 root to cover up; (3.) 'as darkness itself,' 
 
 or 'as thick darkness' or blackness [^t^ii], from a 
 root expressing sunset. "Where the light thereof is 
 like blackness." Its only sunshine is thick dark- 
 ness. A bold figure of poetry. Job in a better 
 frame has brighter thoughts of the unseen world. 
 But his views at best wanted the definite clear- 
 ness of the Christian's, ('ompare with his words 
 here — "The city had no need of the 'sun, neither 
 of the moon, to shine in it : for the glory of God 
 did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof" 
 (Rev. xxi. 23); "There shall be no night there" 
 (xxii. 5; 2 Tim. i. 10). 
 
 Hemarks. — 1. God has no pleasure in the pain 
 of His creatures. But the afflicted believer is at 
 times so confused in mind by the sharpness of his 
 sufferings as to utter hasty complaints as to the 
 dealings of God. Instead of asking, "in bitterness 
 of soul," " Wherefore dost thou contend with me?" 
 the tried saint should ask. What is the lesson that 
 thou wouldest have me to learn from my affliction ? 
 2. The elaborate construction of the human body, 
 and its marvellous successive development from 
 the embryonic state {vv. 8-11), and furthermore, 
 God's continued favour and providential care all 
 our life long (v. 12), are alone sufficient to show 
 tliat " He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the 
 children of men, to crush under His feet all the 
 prisoners of the earth " (Lam. iii. 33, 34). 3. 
 Though we have not faculties now to see all God's 
 reasons for His dealings with us, yet we do know 
 that afflictions are among the things which God 
 
 has hidden in His eternal purpose {v. 13) con- 
 cerning the believer, and which " work together 
 for good to them that love God, to them who are 
 the called according to His purpose" (Rom. viii. 28), 
 4. It is a wrong spirit to oe in to wish we never 
 had been born at all {vv. 18, 19), for whatever else 
 we lose, if we have faith, we can never lose God 
 and the future heaven, where sickness, sorrow, and 
 sighing shall be no more. But great allowance is 
 to be made for Job, when we remember how much 
 more indistinct, generally speaking, was the light 
 then enjoyed by believers than that with which 
 we are favoured {vv. 21, 22). 
 
 CHAP. XI. First Series in the Controversy 
 CONTINUED, 1-20.— First Speech of Zophar. 
 
 2. Should not the multitude of words be answer- 
 ed ? Zophar assails Job for his empty words, and 
 indirectly the two friends for their weak reply. 
 Taciturnity is highly prized among Orientals. 
 " In the multitude of words there v/anteth not sin : 
 but he that refraineth his lips is wise" (Prov. 
 x. 8-19). 3. Should thy lies make men hold 
 their peace? — "lies" — rather, vai7i boasting [ons] 
 (Isa. xvi. 6; Jer. xlviii. 30). The "men" is em- 
 phatic; men of sense [cnn], in antithesis to 
 ' vain boasting.' when thou mockest— upbraidest 
 God by comjjlaints that, though knowing thee 
 to be innocent. He yet punishes thee as guilty. 
 4. thou hast said, My doctrine is pure— pur- 
 posely used of Job's speeches, which sounded like 
 lessons of doctrine. "My doctrine sliall drop as 
 the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew" (Deut. 
 xxxii. 2; Prov. iv. 2). and I am clean in thine 
 eyes — addressed to God. J ob had maintained his 
 sincerity against his friends' suspicions, not fault- 
 lessness. 6. And that he would show thee the 
 secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that 
 which is ! — rather, ' they are double to (man's 
 and so double to thy) wisdom' {Michaelis). So 
 the Hebrew [nj^in] is rendered, Prov. ii. 7. 
 God's ways, which you arraign, if you were 
 shown their secret wisdom, would be seen 
 vastly to exceed that of men, including yours. 
 "The foolishness of God is wiser than men" 
 (1 Cor. i. 25). Then you would see sin in yourself 
 where now you see none, exacteth — rather, 
 'God consigns to oblivion in thy favour [^^ n^:] 
 much of thy guilt.' 7. Canst thou find out 
 
The assured blessing 
 
 JOB IX. 
 
 of repentance. 
 
 8 It is ^ as high as heaven ; what canst thou do ? 
 Deeper than hell; what canst thou know? 
 
 9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, — and broader than the sea. 
 
 10 If he *cut off, and shut up, or gather together. 
 Then ^wlio can hinder him? 
 
 11 For '^he knoweth vain men : — he seeth wickedness also; 
 Will he not then consider it ? 
 
 12 For ^vain man would be wise, — though man be born like a wild ass's colt. 
 
 13 If thou ^ prepare thine heart, — and stretch out thine hands toward him : 
 
 14 If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, 
 And let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. 
 
 15 For ^then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; 
 Yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear : 
 
 16 Because thou shalt forget tki/ misery. 
 And remember it as waters that pass away: 
 
 17 And thine age ''shall be clearer than the noon-day ; 
 Thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. 
 
 B. C. 1620. 
 
 3 the heights 
 
 of heaven. 
 * Or, make a 
 
 change. 
 6 who can 
 
 turn him 
 
 away? 
 
 d Ps. 10. 11. 
 
 6 empty. 
 
 « 1 Sa. 7. 3. 
 
 chap 5. 8. 
 
 Ps 78.8. 
 
 Luke 12. 47. 
 / Ps. 143. 6. 
 f Gen. 4. 5. 
 
 chap. 22. 26. 
 
 1 Tim 2. 8. 
 
 7 shall arise 
 above the 
 noon-day. 
 Ps 37 <i. 
 
 the Almighty unto perfection? j^rr'^sn]— rather, 
 
 'Penetrate (reach) to the perfections of the Al- 
 mighty' (ch. ix. 10); "Such knowledge is too 
 wonderful for me : it is high, I cannot attain unto 
 it" (Ps. cxxxix. 6). 8. It is as high as heaven— 
 the "wisdom" of God {v. 6). The abrui)tness of 
 the Hebrew is forcible : ' The heights of heaven ! 
 What canst thou do?' as to attaining to them 
 with thy gaze (Ps. cxxxix. 8). what canst thou 
 know— viz., of His perfections. 10. If he cut oflf 
 [f]Vi:]— rather, as in ch. ix. 11, pass as a storm — 
 viz., rush upon in anger. He turns Job's own 
 words (ch. ix. 11, 12) as weapons against him. 
 shut up— in prison, with a view to trial, gather 
 together — the parties for judgment: hold a judi- 
 cial assembly, to pass sentence on the prison ers. 11. 
 For he knoweth vain men. " The Lord knoweth 
 the thoughts of man, that they are vanity" (Ps. 
 xciv. 11). vain will he not then consider 
 
 it? — so as to punish it. Umbreit translates from 
 the connection, v. 6, ' He seeth Mackedness also, 
 which man does not perceive'' — lit., 'But no (other, 
 excepting Him) perceiveth it.' God's "wisdom" 
 {v. 6) detects sin where Job's human eye cannot 
 reach (?'. 8) so as to see any. This is why he 
 wishes God would show Job the secrets of sincere 
 wisdom. 12. vain man— hollow or empty P''^^]. 
 would be wise —wa7ife to consider himself wise i^' 
 opposed to God's "wisdom" (remark, v. 11); 
 refuses to see sin where God sees it (Rom. i. 22). 
 The translation of Umbreit and Maurer is — 'For 
 thus (viz., by God's judgments, v. 10) vain 
 (empty) man becomes wise, and the wild ass's colt 
 (an image for wild untamed man. Gen. xvi. 12; 
 Hos. viii. 9) becomes a man' (a sensible man). 
 The objection to this translation of the latter 
 clause is that "is born" in the Hebrew is em- 
 phatical, and cannot mean merely 'becomes:' so 
 that I would either retain the English version 
 or translate as Umbreit, excepting that for 'be- 
 comes,' in the last clause, I would translate 'is 
 born into' [-j-^-i;] (John iii. 3-7). "Wild ass's colt 
 
 —a proverb for untamed wildness (ch. xxxix. 
 5-8 ; Jer. ii. 24 ; Gen, xvi. 12 ; Hebrew, ' a wild-ass 
 man.') Man wishes to appear wisely obedient to 
 his Lord, whereas he is, from, his birth, unsubdued 
 in spirit. 13. If thou prepare thine heart, and 
 stretch out thine hands towards him. The 
 apodosis to the "If" is at v. 15. The 'pre- 
 paration of the heart' is to be obtained (Prov. 
 xvi. 1) by 'stretching out the hands' in prayer 
 for it. "Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the 
 28 
 
 humble : thou wilt prepare their heart, thou 
 wilt cause thine ear to near" (Ps. x. 17; 1 Chr. 
 xxix. 18). 14. If iniquity he in thine hand, put 
 it far away. Umbreit translates — 'If thou wilt 
 put far away the iniquity in thine hand' (as 
 Zaccheus did, Luke xix. 8). The apodosis or con- 
 clusion is at V. 15, " theji shalt thou," &c. The Eng- 
 lish version is better : so this [v. 14) is a parenthesis 
 between v. 13 and v. 15 : in v. 13 prayer is put as 
 the condition, and in v. 15 deliverance from fear is 
 declared to be the blessed consequence : but one 
 precaution Job needs to take in - order that his 
 praying to God may not be vain— viz., he must 
 put away all iniquity : this is inserted in v. 14 as a 
 parenthesis between the protasis, v. 13, and the 
 apodosis, v. 15. " If I regard iniquity in my heart, 
 the Lord will not hear me" (Ps. Ixvi. 18). 15. 
 For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot. 
 Zophar refers to Job's own words (ch. x. 15), " Yet 
 will I not lift up my head," even though righteous. 
 Zophar declares, if Job will follow his advice, he 
 may yet 'lift up his face.' spot — i. e., without 
 the spot or slur which thy present calamity 
 attaches to thee, stedfast — lit., molten, or run 
 fast together, like metals which become nrm and 
 hard by fusion (ch. xxxvii. 18). The sinner, on the 
 contrary, is wavering. 16. Because thou shalt 
 forget thy misery, and remember it as waters 
 that pass away. Just as w^hen the stream runs 
 dry (ch. \\. 17), the danger threatened by its wild 
 waves is forgotten. " The former troubles are 
 forgotten; they are hid from mine eyes" (Isa. Ixv. 
 16). {Umbreit.) 17. Thine age [days or life) 
 shall be clearer than the noon-day— viz. , of 
 thy former prosperity; wdiich, in the poet's 
 image, had gone on increasing, until it reached its 
 height, as the sim rises higher and higher until it 
 reaches the meridian. " The path of the just is as 
 the shining light, which shineth more and more 
 unto the perfect day" (Prov. iv. 18). Thou shalt 
 shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning 
 — rather, ' Though now thou art in darkness, 
 thou shalt presently be as the morning' {Geseniv£). 
 Or else, 'Thy darkness [i. e., if any dark shade 
 should arise on thee, it) shall be as the morning' 
 — only the dullness of morning twilight, not noc- 
 turnal darkness. {Umbreit). [ncyn means dark- 
 ness, not "shine forth," as English version: from 
 P]ir, to cover. However, many Jewish rabbins 
 explain as the English version, 'Thou shalt fly 
 forth from the darkness of thy calamities' — i.e., 
 "shine forth." P]W means primarily to fly.] 18. 
 Thou Shalt be secure, because there is hope. 
 
Job censureth his friends JOB XII. pretended 
 
 18 And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope ; 
 
 Yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. 
 
 19 Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; 
 Yea, many shall ^make suit unto thee. 
 
 20 But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, — and ^they shall not escape. 
 And their hope shall be as ^^the giving up of the ghost. 
 
 12 AND Job answered and said, 
 
 2 No doubt but ye are the people, — and wisdom shall die with you ! 
 
 3 But I have ^understanding as well as you ; — ^^yi ^ot inferior to you : 
 Yea, ^ who knoweth not such things as these ? 
 
 4 I am «5 one mocked of his neighbour. 
 Who ^calleth upon God, and he answereth him: 
 The just upright man is laughed to scorn. 
 
 5 He ^that is ready to slip with his feet 
 Is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease. 
 
 The experience of thy life will teach thee there 
 is "hope" for man in every trial; in opposition 
 to Job's having said that he was "without hope" 
 (ch. vii. 6). thou shalt dig — viz., wells, the 
 chief necessary in the East. Better, ' Though 
 now ashamed {Rom. v. 5, opposed to the previous 
 "hope"), thou shalt then rest safely' Rl^^] 
 {Gesenim). Ewald takes i'L 'If thou shalt take 
 a survey (of thy goods and nocks, thou shalt miss 
 none : and so) thou shalt take thy rest in safety. ' 
 19. Also thou Shalt lie down, and none shall 
 make thee afraid. (Ps. iv. 8; Prov. iii. 24; Isa. 
 xiv. 30.) lie down— image from a quadruped 
 couching down to rest (Gen. xlix. 14) — Oriental 
 images of prosperity, yea, many shall make suit 
 unto thee — lit, 'stroke thy face,' 'be sweet to,' 
 'caress thee' (Prov. xix, 6). 20. But the eyes of 
 the wicked shall fail. A warning to Job, if he 
 would not tiu-n to God. the wicked — i. e., ob- 
 durate sinners, eyes . . . fail — i. e., in vain look 
 for relief (Deut. xxviii. 65). Zophar implies J ob's 
 only hope of relief is in a change of heart, they 
 shall not escape— , ' every refuge shall vanish 
 from them.' So Ps. cxlii. 4, 'Eefuge perished 
 from me,' marg. their hope shall be as the 
 giving up the ghost— their hope shall leave them 
 as the breath does the body. "When a wicked 
 man dieth, his expectation shall perish" (Prov. 
 xi. 7). 
 
 Remarks. — 1. If we desire the good of him whom 
 we would reprove, we must speak meekly and 
 lovingly, not with exaggeration, harshness, and 
 injustice. If Job used, as he had done, a " multi- 
 tude of words," love might have suggested that it 
 was not without some palliation : his sufferings 
 were many and acute. To have recognized this m 
 the first instance, as well as bis past integrity of 
 character, would have prepared the way for re- 
 I)roving him in those respects wherein his present 
 temper and words were really reprehensible. 2. 
 Not " the multitude of words," but the power of 
 the Holy Ghost, can assure any man of his justifi- 
 cation (1 Thess. i. 5). Man's protestations of his 
 own purity and cleanness [v. 4) only ensure his 
 condemnation. His true wisdom is to hasten 
 before the throne of mercy with full acknowledg- 
 ment of his guilt and uncleanness. 3. However 
 severe o\xv trials be, we may lake one thing as 
 sure, namely, that God always "exacteth less of" 
 us than our "iniquity deserveth" {v. 6), 4, We 
 are too apt to form our estimate of sin in general, 
 and of our own sin in particular, by the low 
 standard of our own intellectual and moral com- 
 prehensions. The antidote to this tendency is 
 that we should call to mind the infinitude of (;!od's 
 wisdom (v. 7, &c.), and tho far-searching ken of 
 
 knowledge. 
 
 B. C. 15-20. 
 
 8 intreat thy 
 face. 
 
 9 flight shaU 
 perish 
 from them. 
 
 10 Or. a puff 
 of breath. 
 
 CHAP. 12. 
 
 1 an heart. 
 
 2 I faU not 
 lower than 
 you. 
 
 8 with whom 
 are not 
 such as 
 these? 
 " Fs. 91. 15. 
 b Pro. 14. 2. 
 
 His omniscience, which sees sin in man where man 
 himself suspects none. Our wisdom is to cry to 
 God, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; 
 try me, and know my thoughts ; and see if there he 
 any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way 
 everlasting" (Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24). 5. Man, by 
 nature " empty," and wild (spiritually) as the wild 
 ass's colt is physically, ceases from his folly when 
 he turns to God with uplifted hands and prepared 
 heart {v. 13; Lam. iii. 41): but in doing so he must 
 see that no iniquity still cleave to his hands, and 
 no wickedness be harboured in his dwelling {v. 14) : 
 for if we regard iniquity in our heart — and we 
 must do so if we sufier it externally in our hands or 
 dwelling — the Lord will not hear us. 6. All good 
 things, here imperfectly, hereafter jDerfectly, shall 
 be the portion of him who walks closely with 
 God. The believer can "lift up his face without 
 spot" to God, as a reconciled Father, in trust. 
 Fear gives place to love. Soon former troubles 
 shall be for ever forgotten (r. 16), or only remem- 
 bered to enhance the joy of present salvation: 
 " The righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the 
 kingdom of their Father" (Mat. xiii. 43; v. 17); and 
 whereas "the hope of the wicked shall be as the 
 giving up of the ghost," the godly shall rest m 
 secure blessedness for ever. 
 
 CHAP. XIL First Series Continued, 1-25.— 
 Job's Reply to Zophar, xii., xiii., xiv. 
 
 2. wisdom shall die with you !— Ironical. As if 
 all the wisdom in the world was concentrated in 
 them, and would expire when they expired. Wis- 
 dom makes " a people : " a foolish nation are " not a 
 people" (Rom. x. 19). 3. not inferior— not van- 
 quished in argument and "wisdom" (ch. xiii. 2). 
 such things as these — such commonplace maxims 
 as you so pompously adduce. 4. mocked. The 
 unfounded accusations of Job's friends were a 
 ' mockery' of him. He alludes to Zophar's words, 
 "when thou mockest" (ch. xi. 3). I am as one 
 mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, 
 and he answereth him— rather, 'who called upon 
 God, and He answered him.' Job speaks of 
 himself in the third person, standing as it were 
 outside of himself, and contemplating himself as 
 an object. ' I am like one mocked of his neigh- 
 bour, though that one formerly was always 
 answered in all that he called upon God for 
 (enjoying the favour of God: a proof that I 
 could not have been the wicked hypocrite which 
 ye make me out)' (cf. ch. xxix, .3-5). 5. lamp— a 
 torch. " (Jonfidonce in an unfaithful man in time 
 of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of 
 joint" (Prov. xxv. 19). 'Thoughts' and 'feet' 
 are in contrast: also rests 'securely' and 'falter- 
 ings.' The wanderer, arrived at his night quar- 
 
The wisdom and 
 
 JOB XIL 
 
 omnipotence of God. 
 
 6 The tabernacles of robbers prosper, — and they that provoke God are secure; 
 Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly. 
 
 7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; 
 And the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee : 
 
 8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee ; 
 And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. 
 
 9 Who knoweth not in all these 
 
 That the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? 
 
 10 In ^ whose hand is the ^soul of every living thing, 
 And the breath of ^ all mankind. 
 
 11 Doth not the ear try words? — and the ^ mouth taste his meat? 
 
 12 With the ancient is wisdom; — and in length of days understanding. 
 
 13 With '''him is wisdom and strength, — ^he hath counsel and understanding. 
 
 14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again; 
 He '^shutteth ^up a man, and there can be no opening. 
 
 15 Behold, he ^withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; 
 Also he ^ sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth. 
 
 16 With him is strength and wisdom : — the deceived and the deceiver are his. 
 
 1 7 He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, — and maketh the judges fools. 
 
 18 He looseth the bond of kings, — and girdeth their loins with a girdle. 
 
 B. C. 1620. 
 
 " Num. 16. 22. 
 Dan. 6. 23. 
 Acts 17. 28. 
 
 4 Or, life. 
 
 5 all flesh of 
 man. 
 
 6 palate. 
 
 7 That is, 
 With God. 
 
 d 1 Sam. 17. 
 46. 
 
 ch. 16. 11. 
 Isa. 22. 22. 
 Eom.11.32. 
 Rev. 3. 7. 
 
 8 upon. 
 
 " Gen. 8. 1, 2. 
 1 Ki. 8. 36, 
 36. 
 
 1 Ki. 17. 1. 
 Ps. 104. 7. 
 Jer. 14. 22. 
 Nah. 1. 4. 
 Luke 4. 25. 
 / Gen. 7. U. 
 
 ters, contemptuously throws aside the torch 
 which had guided his uncertain steps through the 
 darkness. As the torch is to the wanderer, so 
 Job to his friends. Once they gladly used his aid 
 in their need, now they in prosperity mock him in 
 his need. Maurer translates instead of ''lamp 
 despised," ' To calamity ["i'?] (is due) contempt 
 in the thought of him that is at ease : ' and the 
 first clause transposed, 'And it (contempt) is 
 ready for them that slip with their feet.' 6. 
 The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they 
 that provoke God are secure. Job shows that 
 the matter of fact opposes Zophar's theory (ch. xi. 
 14, 19, 20), that wickedness causes 'insecurity)' in 
 men's "tabernacles." On the contrary, they who 
 'rob the tabernacles' (dwellings) of others 'pros- 
 per securely' in their own. into whose hand God 
 bringeth abundantly— rather, ' who make a god of 
 their own hand ;' lit. , ' carry God in their own hand' 
 (Hab. i. 11, Hebrew, cf. my remark ; Ps. xii. 4) — i. e., 
 who regard their might as their only ruling prin- 
 ciple {Umbreit). 7, 8. Ask now the beasts . . and 
 the fowls . . and the fishes. Beasts, birds, fishes, 
 and plants, reasons Job, teach that the violent live 
 the most securely {v. 6). The vulture lives more 
 securely than the dove, the lion than the ox, the 
 shark than the dolphin, the thorn which tears 
 it than the rose, speak to the earth [D'ji'J— either 
 'meditate upon' or "speak to the earth" — i. e., 
 the animals of the earth. 9. Who knoweth not 
 in all these that the hand of the Lord hath 
 wrought this ? In all these cases, says Job, the 
 agency must be referred to Jehovah ("the Lord," 
 English version), though they may seem to man 
 to imply imperfection {v. 6; ch. ix. 24). This is 
 the only undisputed passage of the poetical part 
 in which the name "Jehovah" occurs : in the his- 
 torical parts it occurs frequently. 10. In whose 
 hand is the soul of every living thing, and the 
 breath of all mankind. The soul— i. e. , the animal 
 life. Man, reasons Job, is subjected to the 
 same laws as the lower animals. 11. Doth not 
 the ear try words? and the mouth taste his 
 meat? As the mouth by tasting meats selects 
 what pleases it, so the ear tries the words of 
 others, and retains in the mind and memory 
 what is convincing and pleasing. Each chooses 
 according to his taste. The connection with v. 
 30 
 
 12 is in reference to Bildad's appeal to the 
 "ancients" (ch. viii. 8). You are right in appeal- 
 ing to them, since 'with them was wisdom, &c. 
 But you select such proverbs of theirs as suit 
 your views, so I may borrow from the same such 
 as suit mine, taste his meat — tastes to find 
 its own suitable food — the food which pleases it. 
 As in ch. ix. 4, &c.. Job dwelt on the terrors of 
 God's power in the world of nature, here he 
 dwells on those terrors in His dealings with man. 
 Instead of dwelling on all that is clear, pleasant, 
 and beneficent, he dwells on all that is inexpli- 
 cable, dark, and terrible. 12. With the ancient 
 is wisdom— "the ancient," the aged (ch. xv. 10). 
 13. In contrast "with the ancient is wisdom" 
 {v. 12), Job quotes a saying of the ancients which 
 suits his argument — "With Him (God) is (the 
 true) wisdom;" "Counsel is mine, aod sound wis- 
 dom: I am understanding; I have strength" (Prov. 
 viii. 14): and by that "wisdom and strength" 
 "He breaketh down," &c., as an absolute 
 Sovereign, not allowing man to penetrate His 
 mysteries : man's part is to bow to His unchange- 
 able decrees (ch. i. 21). The Mohammedan saying 
 is, 'If God will, and how God will' 14. shutteth 
 up. "He shall open, and none shall shut ; and He 
 shall shut, and none shall open" fisa. xxii. 22). 
 Job refers to Zophar's "shut up'' (ch. xi. 10). 
 The image is from the pits often used as prisons 
 (Jer. xxxvii ; xxxviii. 6) : the mouth was shut over 
 the prisoner. Job's calamity is like such a pit- 
 prison, in which he is shut without any hope of 
 opening. 15. Behold, he withholdeth the waters, 
 and they dry up ; also he sendeth them out, and 
 they overturn the earth. Probably alluding to the 
 flood. 16. the deceived and the deceiver are his. 
 "If the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken 
 a thing, I the Lord have deceived that i^rophet " 
 (Ezek. xiv. 9). Job means, since God has in His 
 Almighty power all alike, the successful deceiver 
 and his duped victim are equally in His power. 
 
 17. spoiled— ^VvkS'], stripped of the upper garment 
 and barefoot, as captives (Isa. xx. 4). {Maurer.) 
 
 18. He looseth the bond of kings— He looseth 
 the authority of kings— the "bond" with which 
 they bind their subjects: "I will loose the loins 
 of kings" (Isa xlv. 1); "He changeth the times 
 and the seasons : he removeth kings, and setteth 
 
Job maintains that his knowledge JOB XIII. is as great as that of his friends. 
 
 19 He leadeth princes away spoiled, — and overtliroweth the mighty. 
 
 20 He removeth away ^the speech of the trusty, 
 And taketh away the understanding of the aged. 
 
 21 He poureth contempt upon princes. 
 
 And i^weakeneth the strength of the mighty. 
 He ^discovereth deep things out of darkness, 
 And bringeth out to light the shadow of death. 
 He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them 
 He enlargeth the nations, and ^^straiteneth them again. 
 He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, 
 And causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way, 
 25 They grope in the dark without light. 
 
 And he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man. 
 
 LO, mine eye hath seen all this, — mine ear hath heard and understood it. 
 What ye know, the same do I know also : — I am not inferior unto you. 
 
 Surely I would speak to the Almighty, 
 And I desire to reason with God. 
 
 22 
 
 23 
 
 24 
 
 13 
 
 2 
 3 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 » the lip of 
 the faith 
 ful. 
 
 10 Or, looseth 
 the girdle 
 of the 
 strong. 
 
 f 1 Ki. 6. 12. 
 ch. 11. 6. 
 Ch. 28. 20- 
 23. 
 
 Ps. 44. 21. 
 Ps. 139. 12. 
 Isa. 29. Vx 
 Jer. 23. 24. 
 Dan. 2. 22. 
 Matt. 10. 2a 
 1 Cor. 2. 10. 
 1 Cor. 4. 5. 
 
 11 leadeth in. 
 
 12 wander. 
 
 r.p kings" (Gen. xiv. 4; Daii. ii. 21). and girdeth 
 their loins with a girdle— the cord with which 
 they are bouud as captives, instead of the royal 
 "girdle" they once wore (Isa. xxii. 21), and the 
 bond they once bound others with. So "gird" 
 — put on one the bonds of a prisoner, instead 
 of the ordinary girdle (John xxi. 18). 19. princes 
 — rather, priests, as the Hebrew is rendered, Ps. 
 xcix. 6 {Umbreit). Even the sacred ministers 
 of religion are not exempt from reverses and 
 captivity. [The idea of jns is that of a mediat- 
 ing priest.'\ But in Job's days patriarch princes 
 exercised this office. So that the English ver- 
 sion is probably right. So David's sons (who 
 certainly were not mediating priests) are called 
 by this very Hebrew term, Cohanim (2 Sam. viii. 
 18), 'chief rulers.' the mighty— 'the firm-rooted 
 in power : ' the Arabic root expresses overflowing 
 ivater (Umbreit). 20. He removeth away the 
 speech of the trusty— the approved, those of 
 approved eloquence— 'those secure in their elo- 
 quence:' ex. gr., the speakers in the gate (Isa. 
 iii. 3). (Beza.) understanding— ^i^.,' taste'— «. e., 
 insight or s^jiritual discernment, which experience 
 gives the aged. The same Hebrew word P?^] is 
 applied to Daniel's wisdom in interpretation (Dan, 
 il 14). 21. He poureth contempt upon princes. 
 Fs. cvii. 40 quotes, in its first clause, this verse, and 
 in its second the 24th verse of the chapter, "weak- 
 eneth the strength— lit. , ' looseth thegirdle : ' Orien- 
 tals wear flowing garments : when active strength 
 is to be put forth they gird up their garments 
 with a girdle. Hence here, 'He destroyeth 
 iheir power" in the eyes of the people. 22. He 
 ('iscovereth deep things out of darkness. "He 
 revealeth the deep and secret things" (Dan. ii. 
 22). 23. He increaseth the nations. "Thou 
 liast multiplied the nation," &c,, (Isa. ix. 3; Ps. 
 evil 38, 39, which Psalm quotes this chapter else- 
 where). (See remark, v. 2\). straiteneth — lit., 
 ' leadeth in'— i. e. , reduces. JJ/awrer translates f^- ?-J 
 ' He leads them away (captive)' (2 Ki. xviii. 11). I 
 prefer the English version. 24. He taketh away 
 the hQdirt— intelligence, wander in a wilderness 
 — figurative; not referring to any actual fact. 
 This cannot be quoted to prove Job lived after 
 Israel's wanderings in the desert. Ps. cvii. 4, 
 40, quotes this passage. 25. They grope in the 
 dark without light. "Thou shalt grope at noon- 
 day, as the blind gropeth in darkness" (Deut. 
 xxviii. 29). Ps. cvii. 27 again quotes Job, but in a 
 different connection. 
 Iieimrkn.—\. How many are the self-sufficient 
 
 people who seem to think all the wisdom in the 
 world is centered in themselves [y. 2). A juster 
 view of ourselves and of others will lead us "not 
 to think of ourselves more highly than we ought 
 to think ; but to think soberly, according as God 
 hath dealt to every man the measure of faith'* 
 (Rom. xii. 3). 2. The worldly tramj)le heartlessly 
 on the fallen. Even an upright man is " despised 
 if adversity happen him. So long as one stands 
 firm in prosperity he is spoken well of, but when 
 his feet are ready to slip {v. 5), he is treated like 
 the torch almost burnt out, which the traveller, 
 when he has reached his journey's end, casts away, 
 now that he no longer needs its light. The believer 
 ought to show a very different spirit from this to 
 the falling and fallen. For "charity suffereth 
 long, and is kind— doth not behave itself unseemly." 
 3. It is a great difficulty to those of weak faith 
 to account for the anomaly that daring and dis- 
 honest oppressors "prosper" here. But the truth 
 is, if worldly prosperity were such a real blessing 
 as it is supposed, the ungodly would not be allowed 
 to have so much of it. God values it at a low rate : 
 He makes the very prosperity of fools their 
 destruction (Prov. i. 32). 4. He has better things in 
 store for His children : so that the believer can 
 say, "Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more 
 than in the time that their corn and their wine 
 increased" (Ps. iv. 7). How apt men are to make 
 onesided quotations, only choosing such passages, 
 especially of Scripture, as suit their own puri30se 
 {v. 11) and "taste!" In dealing spiritually with 
 others we should not seek out merely texts to 
 condemn, but also texts to edify, heal, and com- 
 fort them. 5. Job in his description of the irre- 
 sistible might of God dwells more on God's acts 
 of terrible might, in sending sudden reverses on 
 kings, counsellors, and nations, than on His mar- 
 vellous loving-kindness in healing the broken- 
 hearted, loosening the prisoner, and restoring the 
 fallen. We ought never to let the severity of our 
 trials blind us to the tender mercies of our God, 
 The more honourably we think and speak of God, 
 the more cause will He give us to honour and 
 glorify Him. 
 
 CHAP. XIII. 1-28.— Job's Reply to Zophar 
 Continued, 
 
 1. Mine eye hath seen all this— as to the dealings 
 of Providence (ch. xii. 3). 3. Surely I would speak 
 to the Almighty. Job wishes to plead his cause 
 before God (ch. ix. 34, 35), as he is more and more 
 convinced of t\\Q valueless character of his would-be 
 " physicians" (ch. xvi. 2). As the Almighty power 
 
J oh professeth his 
 
 JOB XIII. 
 
 confidence in God. 
 
 4 But ye are forgers of lies, — ye are all physicians of no value. 
 
 5 0 that ye would altogether hold your peace ! 
 And "it should be your wisdom. 
 
 6 Hear now my reasoning, — and hearken to the pleadings of my lips. 
 
 7 Will ^ye speak wickedly for God ? — and talk deceitfully for him ? 
 
 8 Will ye '^accept his person ? — will ye contend for God ? 
 
 9 Is it good that he should search you out ? 
 
 Or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him ? 
 
 10 He will surely reprove you, — if ye do secretly accept persons. 
 
 11 Shall not his ^excellency make you afraid ? — and his dread fall upon you? 
 
 12 Your remembrances are like unto ashes, — your bodies to bodies of clay. 
 
 13 ^Hold your peace, let me alone. 
 
 That I may speak, and let come on me what will, 
 H Wherefore do I 'take my flesh in my teeth, 
 And '^put my life in mine hand ? 
 Though ^he slay me, yet will I trust in him : 
 ^But I will ^maintain mine own ways before him. 
 He also shall be my ^salvation : 
 For an hypocrite shall not come before him. 
 Hear diligently my speech, — and my declaration with your ears. 
 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 B C. 1520. 
 
 " Fro. ir. 2S. 
 
 Eccl. 6. 3. 
 
 Amos 6. 13. 
 
 Jas 1 19. 
 «• ch 17. 6. 
 
 John 16. 2. 
 
 2 Cor. 4. 2. 
 " Ex. 2J. 23. 
 
 ch. 32. 21. 
 
 ch. 34. 19. 
 
 Fro. 2i, 23. 
 
 JMal. 2. 9. 
 
 1 Or. height 
 of great- 
 ness. 
 
 2 Fe silent 
 fr in Die. 
 
 d Judg 1-2. 3. 
 
 1 Sam 1 ). 5. 
 
 Ps. 119. 109. 
 * Ps 23. 4. 
 
 Pro. 14. o2. 
 / ch. 27. 5. 
 8 prove, or, 
 
 argue. 
 » Isa. 12. 1, 2. 
 
 of God precluded his power of standing before 
 God in judgment, he had said he did not desire it 
 (ch, ix. 3); but now, strongly urged by the sense of 
 his integrity, and reckless of life and hope, he 
 resolves to plead his cause before (^lod, provided 
 that God will give him rest in doing so. His 
 so-called friends are "physicians of no value;" 
 for, coming to console, they only aggravated his 
 misery. So far is he from dreading the judgment 
 of God, with which they threaten him (ch. xi. 5), 
 that he rather desires God would come to try the 
 issue, as he is ready to plead his cause before 
 Him. 4. forgers of lies— lit., artful twisters of 
 vain speeches {Umbreit). 5. (Prov. xvii. 28, "Even 
 a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted 
 wise.") The Arabs say, 'The wise are dumb: 
 silence is wisdom.' 6. pleadings of my lips— 
 ' reproofs of my lips :' the reproofs which my 
 lips will lay ui)on you : so LXX. {Maurer) 
 [nian]. 7. deceitfully— use fallacies to vindicate 
 God in His dealings, as if the end justified the 
 means. Their ' deceitfulness ' for God against 
 Job was, they asserted he was a sinner, because 
 he was a sufferer. 8. accept his person— God's ; 
 i. e., be partial for Him, as when a judge favours 
 one party in a trial, because of personal consid- 
 erations, contend for God— viz., with fallacies 
 and prepossessions against Job before judgment 
 (Judg. vi. 31). Partiality can never please the im- 
 partial God; nor the goodness of the cause excuse 
 the unfairness of the arguments. 9. Will the issue 
 to you be good, when He searches out you [Maurer] 
 and your arguments? Will you be regarded by 
 Him as pure and disinterested ? mock— (Gal. yi. 
 7, "God is not mocked ") : ' Can you deceive Him 
 as men are deceived?' {Maurer.) Can ye deceive 
 Him as ye can deceive men with your argu- 
 ments that I must be guilty? 10. If ye do, though 
 secretly, act partially. (Note, v. 8; Ps. Ixxxii. 1, 2, 
 " How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept of 
 the persons of the wicked?") God can success- 
 fully vindicate His acts, and needs no fallacious 
 argument of man. 11. make you afraid ?— viz., 
 of employing sophisms in His name, (Jer. x. 7, 10, 
 " Who would not fear thee, 0 King of nations 
 . . . At His wrath the earth shall tremble," &c.) 
 12. remembrances— 'proueriiaZ maxims,^ so called 
 because well-remembered: 'memorial sentences.' 
 32 
 
 are— rather, shall become. The old senterwes to 
 which you refer me (ch. viii. 8) shall become sen- 
 tences of ashes, like unto ashes— or, 'parables 
 of ashes'; the image of lightness and nothingness 
 (Isa. xliv. 20, "He feedeth on ashes." When 
 weighed in God's balance, they shall be found 
 light as ashes, and shall be scattered away), 
 bodies [d^3j]— rather, ' entrenchments ;' those of 
 clay, as opposed to those of stone, are easy to be 
 destroyed; so the proverbs, befiind which they 
 entrench themselves, w^ill not shelter them, when 
 God shall appear to reprove them for their injus- 
 tice to Job. 
 
 13. Job would wish to be spared their speeches, 
 so as to speak out all his mind as to his wretched- 
 ness [v. 14), happen what will. 14. A proverb for, 
 ' Why should I anxiously desire to save my life?' 
 [Eichorn). The image in the first clause is that of 
 a wild beast, which, in order to preserve his pi'ey, 
 carries it in his teeth. That in the second refers 
 to men who hold in the hand what they want to 
 keep secure. But Maurer takes the second clause 
 without interrogation: 'Why should I take my 
 flesh in my teeth' {i. e., be so keen about preserv- 
 ing my life) ? / will even put my life in mine hand — 
 i. e., expose my life to the most imminent danger. 
 J udg. xii. 3 ; 1 Sam, xix, 5 ; xxviii. 21; Ps, cxix. 
 109, favour this view. His danger lay in his ven- 
 turing to ask God to come (Exod. xxxiii. 20). 15. 
 in Mm — so the margin, or Keri, reads But the 
 textual reading, or Cetib, is 'wo^,' which agrees 
 best with the context, and other passages wherein 
 he says he has no hope (chs, vi, 11; vii. 6, 21; ix. 
 25; X. 20; xix. 10). 'Though He slay me, and I 
 dare no more hope, yet I will maintain,' &c. — i. e., 
 ' I desire to vindicate myself before Him,' as not 
 a hypocrite {Umbreit and Noyes) [t^'?]. Still the 
 English version agrees with the alternations in 
 Job elsewhere between total desimir and fitful 
 gleams of faith and hope. V. 16 also favours the 
 English version. "He also (or this also) shall be 
 my salvation," implying that he had still trust in 
 God, and had not at all times cast off hope. 16. 
 He — rather, ^ This also already speaks in my 
 behalf {lit, 'for my saviny acquittal'); for an 
 hypocrite would not wish to come before Him' 
 (as I do). [Umbreit.) (See last clause of v. 15.) 17. 
 
Job entreateth to 
 
 JOB XIII. 
 
 know Ills own sins. 
 
 1 8 Behold now, I have ordered mi/ cause ; — I know that I shall be justified. 
 
 19 Who ^is he that will plead with me ? 
 
 For now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost. 
 
 20 Only do not two things unto me ; 
 Then will I not hide myself from thee. 
 
 21 Withdraw thine hand far from me ; 
 And let not thy dread make me afraid : 
 
 22 Then call thou, and I will answer ; — or let me speak, and answer thou me. 
 
 23 How many are mine iniquities and sins ? 
 Make me to know my transgression and my sin. 
 
 24 Wherefore ^hidest thou thy face, — and holdest ^ me for thine enemy ? 
 
 25 Wilt ^tliou break a leaf driven to and fro? 
 And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble ? 
 
 26 For thou writest bitter things against me. 
 
 And ^makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth. 
 
 27 Thou ""puttest my feet also in the stocks. 
 And ^lookest narrowly unto all my paths; 
 Thou settest a print upon the ^ heels of my feet. 
 
 28 And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, — as a garment that is moth-eaten. 
 
 my declaration— viz., that I wish to be permitttd 
 to justify myself immediately before God. witli 
 your ears— e., attentively. 18. ordered — im- 
 plying a constant preparation for defence in his 
 contidence of innocence. 19. if, &c. — rather, ^then 
 would I hold my tongue, and give up the ghost ;' 
 i. e., if any one can contend with me, and prove 
 me false, I have no more to say ; ' I will be silent 
 and die.' Like our ' I would stake my life on it' 
 ( Umbreit). 20. Address to God. not hide— stand 
 forth boldly to maintain my cause. 21. (Note, 
 ch. ix. 34; Ps. xxxix. 10, "Remove thy stroke 
 away from me: I am consumed by the blow of 
 thine hand"). The "two things" (v. 20) which 
 Job requests are— (1.) That God will withdraw His 
 heavily pressing hand from him— 2. e., remove his 
 disease ; (2.) That God will not overwhelm him by 
 His terrible presence, as He usually does those 
 before whom He appears visibly. So Job will not 
 shrink from meeting Him, to try his cause before 
 Him face to face [v. 22). 22. call— a challenge to the 
 defendant to answer to the charges, answer— the 
 defence begun, speak— as plaintiff, answer— to 
 the plea of the plaintiff. Expressions from a trial. 
 
 23. The catalogue of my sms ought to be great, 
 to judge from the severity with which God ever 
 anew crushes one already bowed down. Would 
 that He would reckon them up ! He then would 
 see how much my calamities outnumber them, 
 sins ? --singular, ' I am unconscious of a sinule partic- 
 ular sin, much less many' ( f/mferei;;). 24. hidest . . . 
 face— a figure from the gloomy impression caused 
 by the sudden clouding over of the sun. enemy. 
 God treated Job as an enemy who must be robbed 
 of power by ceaseless sufievings (ch. vii. 17, 21). 
 25. (Lev. xxvi. 36; Ps. i. 4). Job compares him- 
 self to a leaf already fallen, which the storm still 
 chases hither and thither, break— lit., shake with 
 (thy) terrors. Jesus Christ does not "break the 
 bruised reed" (Isa. xlii. 3; xxvii. 8). 26. writest 
 —a judicial phrase, to note down the determined 
 punishment. The sentence of the condemned used 
 to be written down (Isa. x. 1; Jer xxii. 30; Ps. 
 cxlix. 9). [Umbreit.) bitter things— bitter pun- 
 ishments, makest me to possess— or inherit. In 
 old age he receives possession of the inheritance of 
 sin thoughtlessly acquired in youth. 'To inherit 
 fsim'' is to inherit the j^unishments inseparably con- 
 nected with them in Hebrew ideas (Ps. xxv. 7). 
 27. stocks— in which the prisoner's feet were made 
 VOL. Ill, 33 
 
 B. c. l-,20. 
 
 >>■ ch. 19. 5. 
 
 ch. 33. 6. 
 
 Isa, £0. 8. 
 
 R )m. 8. 33. 
 ' Deut 32.20. 
 
 ch 10. 2. 
 
 ch. 29. 2-3. 
 
 Ps. 10. 1. 
 
 Ps 13. 1. 
 
 I's a. 24. 
 
 Ps. 77. 6-9. 
 
 Ps. 88. 14. 
 
 Isa. 8 17. 
 j 1 Sam.2S.16. 
 
 ch. 16. 9. 
 
 ch. 19. 11. 
 
 ch. hO. 21. 
 
 Lam. 2 5. 
 
 1 Sam. 2 L 14. 
 
 Isa. 42. 3. 
 i Ps 26. 7. 
 "^Ch. 33. tl. 
 
 * observest. 
 5 roots. 
 
 fast until the time of execution (Jer. xx. 2). look- 
 est narrowly — as an overseer would watch a pri- 
 soner, print. Either the stocks or his disease 
 mai^ked his soles (Hebrew, roots), as the bastinado 
 would. Better, thou drawest (or dig g est) [Gesenius) 
 for thyself — i. e., to effect thy purpose— a line 
 (or trench) (Gesenius) round my soles, beyond 
 which I must not move [Umbreit). [npnnn, ch. 
 iii. 23; xix. 8, "He hath fenced up my way that 
 I cannot pass."] 
 
 28. Job speaks of himself in the third person, 
 thus forming the transition to the general lot of 
 man (ch. xiv. 1 ; Ps. xxxix. 11 ; Hos. v. 12). The 
 sense is. Wilt not thou, in the case of one so 
 consumed and worn out by disease, grant some 
 respite from constant narrowly watching, and from 
 hedging me in with calamities ? 
 
 Remarks. — 1. It is often our only solace to flee 
 from men, who do not understand us, to our God, 
 who knows all the circumstances of our case, our 
 motives of conduct, and our difficulties and trials (?\ 
 3). 2. Human physicians both of body and mind 
 often prove "physicians of no value" [v. 4). Like 
 the woman with the issue of blood, the patient, 
 after he has spent his all, and suffered many things 
 of many physicians, is nothing bettered, butrathev 
 grows worse (Mark v. 20). But the good Physician 
 knows our several cases intimately, and applies the 
 exactly aijpropriate remedy to each. 3. It is our 
 wisdom, when we have nothing to say either kind 
 or useful, to hold our peace [v. 5) altogether. Words 
 si)oken precipitately, and not strictly in conso- 
 nance with truth and love, do an immensity of 
 harm. 4. The end or the intention, however good, 
 will not justify the means which are bad. God 
 does not need our flattery, or our false arguments 
 for the truth (.". 7). ISIay, He will hold us ac- 
 countable for all such doings of evil that good may 
 come. Whilst zealous for the cause of God, let us 
 eschev/ all pious h-auds, all unsound arguments, 
 and leave it to God to vindicate His own honour 
 in His own way and in His own good time. 5. The 
 sincere believer, however sorely tried [v. 15) by 
 God, never parts with his trmt in God. Like 
 Jesus, amidst afflictions he can still triumphantly 
 cry [v. 19), "Who is he that shall condemn me? 
 Behold, the Lord God will help me" (Isa. 1. 9; 
 Rom. viii. 33-35). Such faith, though exposed to a 
 fiery ordeal for a time, will come forth the brighter 
 and the more unalloyed at the last. 6. Meanwhile, 
 D 
 
Maris frailty 
 
 JOB XIV. 
 
 and mortality. 
 
 14 MAN that is bom of a woman is ^of few days, and *full of trouble. 
 
 2 He * Cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down : 
 He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. 
 
 3 And '^dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, 
 And '^bringest me into judgment with thee ? 
 
 4 2 Who *can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ? — not one. 
 
 5 Seeing his days are determined, — the number of his months are with thee. 
 Thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass; 
 
 6 Turn -^from him, that he may ^rest, 
 
 Till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day. 
 
 7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again. 
 And that the tender branch thereof will not cease. 
 
 8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth. 
 And the stock thereof die in the ground ; 
 
 9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud^ 
 And bring forth boughs like a plant. 
 
 10 But man dieth, and *wasteth away; 
 
 Yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he ? 
 
 11 J. 5 the waters fail from the sea, — and the flood decayeth and drieth up ; 
 
 12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: 
 
 Till ^the heavens he no more, they shall not awake. 
 Nor be raised out of their sleep. 
 
 B C. 1520. 
 
 CHAP. 14. 
 1 short of 
 days. 
 
 * Eccl. 2. 28. 
 6 Isa. 40 6. 
 
 Jas. 1. 10. 
 
 1 Pet. 1. 21. 
 
 « Ps. 144. 3. 
 d Ps. 143 2. 
 a Who will 
 give? 
 
 * Gen. 5. 3. 
 Ps. 51. 5. 
 John 3. 6. 
 Kom. 6. 12. 
 Eph. 2. 3. 
 
 / Ps. 39. 13. 
 
 3 cease. 
 
 4 is weaken- 
 ed, or, cut 
 off. 
 
 f Ps. 102. 26. 
 Isa. 61. 6. 
 Isa. 66. 22. 
 Acts 3. 21. 
 Rom. 8. 20. 
 
 2 Pet. 3. r. 
 Rev. 20. 11. 
 
 llow it stings the conscience to have the iniquities of 
 youth brought to remembrance! If the yoxing 
 would desire to escape a world of remorse and self- 
 reproach hereafter, they must exercise a jealous 
 watchfulness over their passions and ways now. 
 Above all, they must enlist Almighty strength on 
 their side against temptation, by unceasing prayer. 
 So shall they not be as a moth-eaten garment (v. 
 28) at the last, but as a bride adorned and beau- 
 tified for her husband. 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 1-22.— Job passes from His 
 Own to the Common Misery of Mankind. 
 
 1. "woman— feeble, and in the East looked down 
 upon (Gen. ii. 21). Man, being born of one so 
 frail, must be frail and prone to sin himself 
 (chs. XV. 14; XXV. 4; Matt. xi. 11). few days 
 ((ien. xlvii. 9; Ps. xc. 10) — lit., short of days. 
 Man is the reverse of full of days and short of 
 trouble. 2. (Ps. xc. 6 ; note, ch. viii. 9. ) 3. open 
 eyes upon — not . in graciousness ; biit, 
 "Dost thou sharply fix thine eyes upon?" (Note, 
 vii. 19, 20 ; also i. 8. ) Is one so frail as man worthy 
 of such constant watching on the part of God? 
 (Zech xii. 4, "I will open mine eyes upon Judah.") 
 me— so frail, thee— so Almighty. 4. A plea in 
 mitigation. The doctrine of original sin was held 
 from the first. 'Man is unclean from his birth: 
 how then can God expect perfect cleanness from 
 such a one, and deal so severely with me?' not one 
 clean person can be brought out of an unclean. 5. 
 determined — (ch. vii. 1, "Is there not an appointed 
 time to men upon earth?" Isa. x. 23; Dan. ix. 27 ; 
 XI. 36). 6. Turn— viz., thine eyes from watching 
 him so jealously (y. 3). hireling — (ch. vii. 1). ac- 
 complish — rather, 'enjoy.' Give him rest in his 
 short span of life, that he may at least enjoy the 
 measure of rest of the hireling, who, though hard- 
 worked, reconciles himself to his lot by the hope of 
 his rest and reward, [nin, to be contented with; 
 to bear willingly.] ( Umbreit.) 
 
 7. Man may the more claim a peaceful life, since, 
 when separated from it by death, he never returns 
 to it. This does not deny a future life, but a 
 return to the present condition of life. Job plainly 
 hopes for a future state (?;. 13 ; ch. vii, 2). Still it 
 is but vague and trembling hope, not assurance; 
 34 
 
 excepting the one bright glimpse in ch. xix. 25. 
 The Gospel revelation was needed to change fears, 
 hopes, and glimpses into clear and definite cer- 
 tainties. 9. scent — exhalation, which, rather than 
 the humidity of water, causes the tree to germinate. 
 Hardly does it feel the vapour or scent of the water 
 when it buds. In the antithesis to man the ^ree is 
 personified, and volition is poetically ascribed to it. 
 like a plant— 'as if newly planted' {Umbreit). 
 Not as if trees and plants were a different species. 
 10. man . . . man. Two distinct Hebrew words 
 are here used Geber, a mighty man] ; though 
 mighty, he dies [onx, Adam, a man of earth] ; be- 
 cause earthy, he gives up the ghost, wasteth — 
 lit., 'is prostrated' [K'^n, from the Arabic]; is re- 
 duced to nothing: he cannot revive in the pres- 
 ent state, as the tree does. The c5T)ress and pine, 
 which when cut down do not revive, were the sym- 
 bols of death among the Romans. 
 
 11. sea— i. e., a lake, or pool formed from the 
 outspreading of a river. Job lived near the Eu- 
 phrates ; and "sea" is applied to it (Jer. li. 36 ; Isa. 
 xxvii. 1). So of the Nile (Isa. xix. 5). fail- 
 utterly disappear by drying up. The rugged 
 channel of the once-liowing water answers to the 
 outstretched corpse ("lieth down," v. 12) of the 
 once-living man. 12. heavens he no niore. This 
 only implies that Job had no hope of living again 
 in the present order of the world; not that he had 
 no hope of life again in a new order of things. Ps. 
 cii. 26 proves that early under the Old Testament 
 the dissolution of the present earth and heavens 
 was expected (cf. Gen. viii. 22, " While the earth 
 remaineth"). Enoch, before Job, had implied that 
 the 'saints shall live again' (Jude 14; Heb. xi. 
 13-16). Even if, by this phrase. Job meant ' never' 
 (Ps. Ixxxix. 29, "His throne as the days of heaven^^ 
 — i. e.,for ever) in his gloomier state of feelings, yet 
 the Holy Ghost has made him unconsciously (1 Pet. 
 i. 11, 12) use language expressing the truth that 
 the resurrection is to be preceded by the dissolu- 
 tion of the heavens. In vv. 13-15 he plainly passes 
 to brighter hopes of a world to come. 
 
 13. Job wishes to be kept hidden in the grave 
 until God's wrath against him shall have passed 
 
By sm the creature 
 
 JOB XIV. 
 
 is subject to corruption. 
 
 13 0 that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, 
 
 That thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past. 
 That thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me ! 
 
 14 If a man die, shall he live again f 
 
 AU the days of my appointed time '*will I wait, till my ^change come. 
 
 15 Thou ■'shalt call, and I will answer thee : 
 
 Thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands. 
 
 16 For now thou numberest my steps : — dost thou not watch over my sin ? 
 
 1 7 My * transgression is sealed up in a bag, — and thou sewest up mine iniquit)^ 
 
 18 And surely the mountain falling ^cometh to nought, 
 And the rock is removed out of his place. 
 
 19 The waters wear the stones : 
 
 Thou ^washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; 
 And thou destroyest the hope of man. 
 
 20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth : 
 Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away. 
 
 21 His sons come to honour, and 'he knoweth it not; 
 
 And they are brought low, but he perceive th it not of them. 
 
 away. So whilst God's wrath is visiting the earth 
 for the abounding apostasy which is to precede 
 the Second Coming, God's people shall be hidden 
 against the resurrection-glory (Isa. xxvi. 19-21). 
 set time— a decreed time (Acts i. 7). 14. shall lie 
 live?— The answer implied is. There is a hope that 
 he shall, though not in the present order of life, as is 
 shown bv the words following. Job had denied 
 {vv. 10-12) that man shall live again in this present 
 world. But hoping for a "set time" when God 
 shall remember and raise him out of the ' hiding '- 
 place of the grave {v. 13), he declares himself will- 
 ing to 'wait all the days of his appointed time' of 
 continuance in the grave, as well as now in this pres- 
 ent life of trial, however long and hard that may 
 be. appointed time— lit., warfare, hard service; 
 implying the hardship of being shut out from the 
 realms of life, light, and God for the time he shall be 
 in the grave (ch. vii. 1). change— my release, as a 
 soldier at his post released from duty by the reliev- 
 ing guard (note, x. 17), {Umbreit and Gesenius): 
 but elsewhere Gesenius explains it renovation, as 
 of plants in spring {v. 7) ; but this does not accord 
 so well with the metaphor in "appointed time" or 
 ^ warfare.^ 15. Viz., at the resurrection (John v. 
 28; Ps. xvii. 15). have a desire to— lit., become 
 pale with anxious desire. The same M'ord is trans- 
 lated "sore longedst after" (Gen. xxxi. 30; Ps. 
 Ixxxiv. 2), implying the utter unlikelihood that 
 God would leave in oblivion the ' creature of His 
 own hands, so fearfully and wonderfully made ' (ch. 
 X. 8-12). It is objected that, if Job knew of a future 
 retribution, he would make it the leading topic in 
 solving the problem of the permitted afflictions of 
 the righteous. But 1. ' He did not intend to ex- 
 ceed the limits of what was clearly revealed : the 
 doctrine was then in a vague form only. 2. The 
 doctrine of God's moral government in this life, 
 even independently of the future, needed vindica- 
 tion. 16. Rather, 'Yeaj thou wilt number, &c., 
 and wilt not (as now) jealously watch over my 
 sin.' Thenceforward, instead of severe watching 
 for every sin of Job, God will guard him against 
 every sin. ' Number . . . steps ' — i. e. , minutely 
 attend to them, that they may not wander {Um- 
 breit). (1 Sam. ii. 9, "He will keep the feet of 
 His saints;" Ps. xxvii. 23, "The steps of a good 
 man are ordered by the Lord") In the English 
 version the " For,' means. But my wish {vv. 13- 
 15) is vain : ' For now, as it is, thou numberest my 
 steps, watching for my every slip ; dost thou not 
 
 B c. im 
 
 ch. 13. 15. 
 1 Cor. 15. 51, 
 
 Phil 3 21. 
 ' Fs. 16 10. 
 1 Cor. 15. 
 42-58. 
 j ch. 13. 22. 
 Ps. 50. 4. 
 Johns 28. 
 1 Thess. 4. 
 16. 
 
 lJohn2.28. 
 fc Deut. 32.34. 
 ch. 21. 19. 
 Hos. 13. 12. 
 
 5 fadeth. 
 
 6 over- 
 flowest. 
 
 I iSam. 4.20. 
 Ps. 39. 6. 
 Eccl. 9. 6. 
 Isa. 39, 7, 8. 
 
 watch over my sin, so as to let none of my sins 
 escape thee?' or, as Maurer, 'Thou dost not 
 attend to my sin, so as to consider whether it 
 deserve so heavy a punishment as I bear.' 17. 
 sealed up— (ch. ix. 7). Is shut up in eternal 
 oblivion — i. e. , God thenceforth will think no 
 more of my former sins. To cover sins is to 
 completely forgive them (Ps. xxxii. 1; Ixxxv. 2). 
 Purses of money in the East are usually sealed, 
 sewest up— rather, 'coverest' ['jqd, the same as 
 ^30]; akin to an Arabic word, 'to colour over;' 
 to forget wholly {Umbreit). Maurer translates, 
 somewhat as the English version, 'Thou sewest 
 upon mine iniquity :' besides the iniquities which 
 thou chargest me with, thou attach est to me 
 others which I never committed [akin to "igin 
 and Ssn]. On the former clause, taken in the 
 sense, sealed by an irrevocable decree as doomed 
 to punishment, cf. Deut. xxxii. 34, "Is not this 
 laid up in store with me, and sealed up among 
 my treasures?" Hos. xiii. 12, "The iniquity of 
 Ephraim is bound up." This view seems better 
 than Umbreifs. 
 
 18. Cometh to nought— lit., fadeth; a poetical 
 image from a leaf (Isa. xxxiv. 4). Here Job falls 
 back into his gloomy bodings as to the grave. 
 Instead of "and surely," translate 'yet,' mark- 
 ing the transition from his brighter hopes {Um- 
 breit). Even the solid mountain falls and crumbles 
 away; man, therefore, cannot "hope," worn as he 
 is by continued calamities, to escape decay, or to 
 live again in the present world {v. 19). out of his 
 place— so man (Ps. ciii. 16, " And the place thereof 
 shall know it no more "). 19. The Hebrew order 
 is more forcible. 'Stones themselves are worn 
 away by water.' thou washest away the things 
 which grow out of— rather, 'its floods wash 
 away the dust of the earth ' [rcn/^p Dbw]. There 
 is a gradation from " mountains " to "rocks" {v. 
 18), then "stones," then, last, " dust of the earth;" 
 thus the solid mountain at last disappears utterly. 
 As those natural objects, when once destroyed, 
 remain in the same state unrestored, so man, 
 once dead, has no hope of living again in the 
 present order of things. 20. prevailest— doest 
 overpower by superior strength, passeth— dieth. 
 changest countenance — the change in the visage 
 at death. Differently (Dan. v. 9). 21. One strik- 
 ing trait is selected from the sad x^icture of 
 
El'ipliaz accuseth 
 
 JOB XV. 
 
 Job of impiety t 
 
 22 
 
 15 
 
 2 
 
 But "^his flesh upon him shall have pain, 
 And "his soul within him shall mourn. 
 
 THEN answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said. 
 
 Should a wise man utter ^vain knowledge, 
 And fill his belly with the east wind ? 
 Should he reason with unprofitable talk ? 
 Or with speeches wherewith he can do no good ? 
 Yea, ^thou castest off fear, — and restrainest Sprayer before God. 
 For thy mouth * uttereth thine iniquity. 
 And thou choosest the tongue of the crafty. 
 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I ; 
 Yea, thine own lips testify against thee. 
 
 Art thou the first man that was born ? 
 Or '^wast thou made before the hills ? 
 Hast ^thou heard the secret of God? 
 And dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself ? 
 What ^knowest thou, that we know not ? 
 What understandest thou, which is not in us ? 
 
 S C. 1520. 
 
 Fs. 49. 14. 
 ** VtO. 14. 31 
 Matt 8. 12. 
 Luke 16 23. 
 
 CHAP. 16. 
 
 1 knowledge 
 of wind, 
 ch. 6. 26. 
 ch. P. 2. 
 
 2 thou mak- 
 est void 
 
 8 Or. speech. 
 * teacheth. 
 
 ch. 38. 4. 
 
 Ps. 90. 2. 
 
 Pro 8 25. 
 f Deut. 29 29. 
 
 Ps. 25. 14. 
 
 Pro. 3. 32. 
 
 Rom 11.34. 
 
 1 Cor. 2 11. 
 0 ch. 13 2. 
 
 the severance of the dead from all tliat passes in 
 the world (Eccl. ix. 5)— viz., the utter separation 
 of parents and children. 22. "Flesh" and "sonl" 
 describe the whole man. Scripture rests the 
 hope of a future life, not on the inherent immor- 
 tality of the soul, but on the restoration of the 
 body with the soul. In the unseen world, Job, in 
 a gloomy frame, anticipates man shall be limited to 
 the thought of his own misery. ' Pain is, by per- 
 sonification, from our feelings whilst alive, attri- 
 buted to the flesh and soul, as if the man could 
 feel in his body when dead. It is the dead in 
 general, not the wicked, who are meant here. 
 
 Remarlcs.—\. Three features of man's frail state 
 here are brought forward, — his birth of woman, im- 
 plying at once his infirmity and his proneness to 
 sin ; iiext, his fewness of days; lastly, his few days 
 being full of trouble {v. 1). These considerations 
 should abase our pride, moderate our earthly 
 hopes, and lead us to seek our portion in the 
 blessed world where frailty, corruption, sori-ow, 
 and death have no place. 2. How vain it is for 
 man, so constituted by his fallen nature, to dream 
 of justification in his own righteousness, if God 
 should enter into judgment with him ! [v. 3. ) Man, 
 coming out of the unclean, can never be clean in 
 himself [v. 4). But man can be faultlessly clean 
 by being washed in "the fountain opened for 
 uucleanness" (Zech. xiii. 1 ; Heb. ix. 14). 3. The 
 number of each man's days and months is accur- 
 ately defined with God {v. 5). We know not 
 whether the days left to us be many or few. Our 
 prayer, therefore, ought to be, not as Job's, Turn 
 from us, that we may rest {v. 6) ; but. Turn to us, 
 and "Turn thou us unto thee, 0 Lord, and we 
 shall be turned " (Lam. v. 21) ; so " shall we find 
 rest for our souls" (Jer. vi. 16); and, also, "So 
 teach us to number our days, that we may apply 
 our hearts unto wisdom '' (Ps. xc. 12). 4. The 
 book of nature teaches, in type, the doctrine of 
 the resurrection. The tree that seemed dead in 
 winter, after having been cut down to the stump, 
 sends out fresh shoots in spring. Job in his 
 gloomier seasons lost sight of the hope which 
 revelation and nature both teach. But even then 
 he was not without earnest desires that God 
 would keep him in the grave, as in a secret 
 chamber, against the time when God's wrath 
 shall have been past, and a brighter, better order 
 of things shall supersede the present troublous 
 state. Blessed be God, we Christians can give 
 p,n answer of joyful assurance to the question, "If 
 3(i 
 
 a man die, shall he live again?" [v. 14.) "We 
 know, if our earthly house ot this tabernacle were 
 dissolved, we have a building of God, an house 
 not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 
 Therefore "we are confident and willing rather 
 to be absent from the body, and to be present 
 with the Lord" (2 Cor. v. 1, 8). 
 
 CHAP. XV. 1-35.— Second Speech of Eli- 
 phaz.— Second Series. 
 
 2. a wise man — which Job claims to be. vain 
 knowledge— Hebrew, windy knowledge— lit., 'of 
 wind' (ch. viii. 2). In Eccl. i. 14 [nil nii?l], 
 Hebrew, to catch wind, expresses to strive for 
 what is vain, east wind — stronger than the pre- 
 vious " wind." For in that region the east 
 wind is the most destructive of winds (Isa. 
 xxvii. 8). Thus hevQ— empty violence, belly — the 
 inward parts, the breast (Pro v. xviii. 8). 4. castest 
 off fear — Hebrew, ' breakest ' — reverence for God 
 (ch. iv. 6 ; Ps. ii. 11, " Serve the Lord with 
 fear"), prayer— meditation, in Ps, civ. 34; cxix. 
 97, 99, devotion [nn'b>]. If thy views were right, 
 reasons Eliphaz, that God disregards the afflic- 
 tions of the righteous, and makes the wicked to 
 prosper (ch. ix. 22 ; xii. 6), all devotion would be 
 at end. restrainest— 6?os« detract from [i?!^]. 6. 
 
 The sophistry of thine own speeches proves thy 
 guilt, uttereth— wars'. , rightly 'teacheth.' The 
 craft of Job consisted, according to Eliphaz, in his 
 transferring the blame to his friends, and accusing 
 them of being " forgers of lies" (ch. xiii. 4, 7). 6. 
 No pious man would utter such sentiments. 
 
 7. i. e.. Art thou wisdom personified? Wisdom 
 existed before the hills— i. e., the eternal Son 
 of God (Prov. viii. 25 ; Ps. xc. 2). Wast thou 
 in existence before Adam? The farther back 
 one existed, the nearer he was to the Eternal 
 Wisdom. 8. secret— rather, ' Wast thou a list- 
 ener in the secret council [I'ln:?] of God?' The 
 Hebrew means properly the cushions on which 
 a divan of councillors in the East usually sit. 
 God's servants are admitted to God's secrets (Ps. 
 XXV. 14 ; Gen. xviii. 17 ; John xv. 15). restrain- 
 rather, didst thou take away, or borrow, thence 
 (viz., from the Divine secret council) thy wis- 
 dom. The Hebrew is the same as in v. 4 
 there it meant 'detract;' here, * didst thou attract 
 to thyself thence wisdom ? ' Eliphaz in this {vv. 
 8, 9) retorts Job's words upon himself (chs. xii. 2, 
 3 J xiii. 2). 9. in us— or ' with us ; ' Hebraism for 
 
Eliphaz proteth the 
 
 JOB XV. 
 
 unquietness of wicked men. 
 
 10 
 
 With '^us are both the grey-headed and very aged men, 
 Much elder than thy father. 
 Are the consolations of God small with thee ? 
 Is there any secret thing with thee ? 
 
 V/hy doth thine heart carry thee away ? — and what do thy eyes wink at, 
 13 That thou turnest thy spirit against God, 
 And lettest such words go out of thy mouth ? 
 
 What ^is man, that he should be clean ? 
 And he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous ? 
 Behold, -^he putteth no trust in his saints; 
 Yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight ; 
 How ^much more abominable and filthy is man, 
 Which drinketh iniquity like water ? 
 I will show thee, hear me ; — and that which I have seen I will declare ; 
 Which wise men have told 'from their fathers, — and have not hid it : 
 Unto ^ whom alone the earth was given, 
 And *no stranger passed among them. 
 20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, 
 ^ And the number of years is hidden to the oppressor. 
 A ^ dreadful sound is in his ears : 
 "^In prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him. 
 He believe th not that he shall return out of darkness, 
 And he is waited for of the sword. 
 He 'Vandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it ? 
 He knoweth that ''the day of darkness is ready at his hand. 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 23 
 
 B. C. 102!) 
 
 d Deut r 2 7. 
 ch 8, 8-10. 
 ch 12. 20. 
 ch 32. 6. 
 
 1 TO. IC. 31. 
 
 * 1 Ki. 8. 46. 
 
 2 Ch. 6. 36. 
 P.s. 14. 3. 
 Ps 51. 5. 
 Pro 20 9. 
 Eccl 7. 29. 
 Joiin 3. 6. 
 Eom. r. 1?. 
 Gal. 3. 2!. 
 
 1 John 1. 8. 
 
 / ch 23. 5. 
 
 ^ Fs. 14. 3. 
 Ps. 53. 3 
 Eom. 1.28- 
 30. 
 
 Titus 3. 3. 
 
 Fro. 19. 28. 
 » Gen. 18. 19. 
 J Gen. 10. 25. 
 
 Joel 3. ir. 
 
 * Ps. 90. 12. 
 
 6 a sound of 
 fears. 
 1 Thess. 5. 
 3. 
 
 " Fs. 59. 15. 
 " C'l. 18. 12. 
 
 vje are aware of. 10. On our side, thinking with 
 us, are the aged. Job had admitted that wisdom 
 is with them (ch. xii. 12). Eliphaz seems to have 
 been himself older than Job ; perhaps the other 
 two also were so (eh. xxxii. 6). Job, in ch. xxx. 
 1, does not refer to his three friends ; it therefore 
 forms no objection. The Arabs are proud of ful- 
 ness of years. 11. consolations— viz. , the revela- 
 tion which Eliphaz had stated (chs. iv. 12, 17 ; 
 V. 7, 8-26) as a consolatory reproof to Job, and 
 which he partly repeats in v. 14. secret. Hast 
 thou some secret wisdom and revealed source of 
 consolation, which makes thee disregard those 
 suggested by me? {v. 8.) I prefer this to the 
 other translation, from a different Hebrew root, 
 Is the word of kindness [tox^ nai], or gentleness 
 ^addressed by me), treated by thee as valueless? 
 ( Umbreit.) 
 
 12. wink— e., why do thy eyes evince passion 
 and pride ? (Pro v. vi. 13 ; Ps. xxxv. 19. ) 13. i. e. , 
 frettest against God, and lettest fall rash words, 
 thy spirit — ' thy breath : ' implying the airy 
 emptiness of Job's passionate speeches. 
 
 14. Eliphaz repeats the revelation (ch. iv. 17) 
 in substance, but using Job's own words (ch. xiv. 
 1, note on "born of a woman"), to strike him 
 with his own weapons. 15. Repeated from ch. 
 iv. 18; "servants" there are "saints" here— viz., 
 holy angels, heavens— ^j^. , or else answering to 
 "angels" (ch. iv. 18; see note there, and ch. xxv. 
 5). 16. filthy— in Arabic, sour (Ps. xiv. 3 ; liii. 3); 
 corrupted from his original purity, drinketh— 
 (Prov. xix. 28, " The mouth of the wicked de- 
 voureth iniquity ; " cf. xxxiv. 7 ; Ps. Ixxiii. 10). 
 
 17. In direct contradiction of Job's position 
 (ch. xii. 6, &c.), that the lot of the wicked was 
 the most prosperous here, Eliphaz appeals (1) To 
 his own experience ; (2) To the wisdom of the 
 ancients. 18. 'Which, as handed down from their 
 fathers, wise men have told, and have not con- 
 cealed. 19. Eliphaz speaks like a genuine Arab 
 37 
 
 when he boasts that his ancestors had ever pos- 
 sessed the land unmixed with foreigners ( Umhreit). 
 His words are intended to oppose Job's (ch. ix. 
 24); "the earth" in their case was not "given 
 into the hand of the wicked." He refers to the 
 division of the earth by Divine appointment (Gren. 
 X. 5, 25, 32). Also, he may insinuate that Job's 
 sentiments had been corrupted from original 
 purity by his vicinity to the Sabeans and Chal- 
 deans {EosenmiiUer). 20. travaileth — rather, 
 ' trembleth of himself ' ['^VinoPl, though there 
 is no real danger {Umhreit). 'The sinner is a 
 self-tormentor all his days ' {Grotius), and the 
 number of (his) years, &c. This gives the 
 reason why the wicked man trembles continu- 
 ally — viz., because he knows not the moment when 
 his life must end. 21. An evil conscience con- 
 ceives alarm at every sudden sound, though it be in 
 a time of peace ("prosperity"), when there is no 
 real danger (Lev. xxvi. 36 ; Prov. xxviii. 1 ; 2 Ki. 
 vii. 6). A dreadful sound— Hebrew, 'a voice of 
 terrors.' 22. darkness -viz., danger or calamitg. 
 Glancing at Job, who despaired of restoration : in 
 contrast to good men when in darkness (Mic. vii. 
 8, 9). waited for of—?, e.. He is destined for the 
 sword (Gesenius), or (in the night of danger) 'he 
 looks anxiously towards the sword,' as if every 
 sword was drawn against him {Umhreit) [^1?.^. 1D» 
 nnn]. The English version is more literal, exceijt 
 that the Hebrew for " of " is towards. He fancies 
 he is doomed to the sword. 23. Wandereth in 
 anxious search for bread. Famine in the Old 
 Testament depicts sore need (Isa v. 13, "their 
 honourable men are famished." Contrast the 
 pious man's lot (ch. v. 20-22). As in peace the 
 wicked man fears the sudden attack of an 
 enemy, so in the midst of abundance he is 
 apprehensive of famine, and anxiously wanders 
 to and fro in search of bread to lay up in store. 
 The abruptness of the verse marks his rest^ 
 
Eliphaz promth the 
 
 JOB XV. 
 
 unquietness of wicked men. 
 
 24 Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; 
 
 They shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle, 
 
 25 For he stretcheth out his hand against God, 
 And strengthen eth himself against the Almighty. 
 
 26 He runneth upon him, even on his neck, 
 Upon the thick bosses of his bucklers ; 
 
 27 Because ^he covereth his face with his fatness, 
 And maketh collops of fat on his flanks. 
 
 28 And he dwelleth in desolate cities. 
 And in houses which no man inhabiteth. 
 Which are ready to become heaps. 
 
 29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, 
 Neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth. 
 
 30 He shall not depart out of darkness ; 
 The flame shall dry up his branches ; 
 
 And by ^the breath of his mouth shall he go away. 
 
 31 Let not him that is deceived ''trust in vanity; 
 For vanity shall be his recompence. 
 
 32 It shall be ^accomphshed * before his time, 
 And his branch shall not be green. 
 
 33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine. 
 And shall cast off his flower as the olive. 
 
 34 For Hhe congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate. 
 And fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery. 
 
 35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth ^vanity. 
 And their belly prepareth deceit. 
 
 less anxiety, knowetli— has the firm conviction. 
 Contrast the same word applied to the pious 
 (ch. V. 24, 25). ready at his hand— an Arabic 
 phrase, to denote a thing's complete readiness 
 and full presence, as if in the hand. 24. pre- 
 vail—break upon him suddenly and terribly, as a 
 kiu^, &c. (Prov. vi. 11). 25. Stretcheth . . . hand 
 — wielding the spear as a bold rebel against God 
 (ch. ix. 4 ; Isa. xxvii. 4). 26. on his neck— rather, 
 'with outstretched neck' — viz., that of the rebel 
 uplifted haughtily ( £/"w6re«7). (Ps. Ixxv. 5.) upon 
 . . . bucklers — rather, loith— his, (the rebel's, 
 not God's) bucklers.' The- rebel and his fellows 
 are depicted as joining shields together, to form 
 a compact covering over their heads against the 
 weapons hurled on them from a fortress {Um- 
 breit and Gesenlus). 27. The well - nourished 
 body of the rebel is the sign of his prosperity, 
 collops— masses of fat. He pampers and fattens 
 himself with sensual indulgences, making a god 
 of his belly (Phil. iii. 19). Hence his rebellion 
 against God (Deut. xxxii. 15; 1 Sam. ii. 29). 28. 
 The class of wicked here described is that of rob- 
 bers who plunder "cities," and seize on the houses 
 of the banished citizens (Tsa. xiii. 20), that they 
 may be placed alone in the midst of the earth 
 (Isa. V. 8). Eliphaz chooses this class because 
 Job had chosen the same (ch. xii. 6). heaps— of 
 ruins. 29. ' He doth not grow rich : ' he has 
 reached his highest point : ' his prosperity shall 
 not continue.' perfection— rather, 'his acquired 
 wealth [D^?p] — what he possesses — shall not he ex- 
 tended,'' &c. ; or 'spread itself [riQiJ, as a plant 
 spreading its shoots upon the ground. But 
 Maurer, on account of the Hebrew particle [?], 
 towards, translates, ' His acquisitions do not bend 
 towards the earth.' He is not like a tree whose 
 boughs, laden with fruit, are borne down to the 
 earth. 3Q, depart— i. e., escape ca,lainity {vv. '22, 
 
 B C. 1520. 
 
 P Deut 32.16. 
 
 ch. 16. 8. 
 
 Ps. 11. 10. 
 
 Ps. 73. r. 
 
 Ps. 78. 31. 
 
 Isa. 6. 10. 
 
 Jer 6. 28. 
 9 ch. 4. 9. 
 
 Is. 11. 4. 
 
 Rev. 19. 15. 
 
 Ps. ( 2. 10. 
 
 Isa. 59. 4. 
 
 John 2. 8. 
 6 Or. cut 
 
 oflf. 
 
 oh 22. 16. 
 
 Ps. 55. 23. 
 
 Eccl, 7. 17. 
 * ch 22 16. 
 
 Ps. 65. 23. 
 « ch. 8. 13. 
 
 ch. 20 5. 
 
 ch. 27. 8, 
 
 ch. 36. 13. 
 
 Isa 33. 14. 
 
 Matt. 24 51. 
 " Ps 7. 14. 
 
 Isa. 59. 4. 
 
 Hos. 10. 13 
 
 Gal. 6 7, 8. 
 
 Jas. 1. 15. 
 
 Or, 
 
 iniquity. 
 
 23). branches— viz., his offspring (ch. i. 18, 19, 
 Job's sons and daughters slain ; Ps. xxxvii. 35). 
 dry up. The "flame" is the sultry wind in the 
 East, by which plants most full of sap are sud- 
 denly shrivelled. His mouth— i. e., God's wrath 
 (Isa. xi. 4, "With the rod of His mouth, and 
 with the breath of His lips, shall He slay the 
 wicked").- 
 
 31. Rather, ' let him not trust in vanity (or) 
 he will be deceived,' &c. vanity that 
 which is unsubstantial. Sin is its own punish- 
 ment (Prov. i. 31; Jer. ii, 19). 32, Lit, ' it {the tree 
 to which he is compared, v. 30, or else his life) 
 shall be filled up'— i e., 'he shall be ended before 
 his time.' shall not be green — image from a 
 withered tree: the childless extinction of the 
 wicked : He and his children together perish 
 utterly. 33. Image of incompleteness. The loss 
 of the unripe grapes is poetically made the vine 
 tree's own act, in order to express more pointedly 
 that the sinner's ruin is the iruit of his own con- 
 duct (Isa. iii. 11; Jer. vi. 19). 34, Rather, The 
 banding together of the hypocrites (wicked) shall 
 he fruitless [Umbreit). J/awrer translates, 'the 
 family of the wicked shall be barren '— i. e. , 
 without offspring. I prefer this. Tabernacles of 
 bribery — viz., dwellings of unjust judges, often 
 reprobated in the Old Testament (Isa. i. 23). No 
 dwelling shall be left to record their past exis- 
 tence. The abodes wherein were treasured their 
 unjust gains shall be destroyed, as well as the 
 wicked themselves. The " fire of God" that con- 
 sumed Job's possessions (ch. i. 16, 19), and the 
 w^inds that destroyed his children and the house, 
 Eliphaz insinuates may have been on account of 
 Job's bribery as an Arab sheikh or emir (cf. chs. 
 xviii. 15; xx. 26; xxii. 20). 35. Bitter ?rony, illus- 
 trating the " unfruitfulness " {v. 34) of the wicked. 
 Their conceptions and birth-givings consist solely 
 in mischief, &c. bring forth vanity. Their plans, 
 
Job reprovetJi JOB XVL 
 
 16 THEN Job answered and said, 
 
 2 I have heard many such things miserable comforters are ye all 
 
 3 Shall 2 vain words have an end ? 
 Or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest ?■ 
 
 4 I also could speak as ye do : ^ 
 If your soul were in my soul's stead, • -r j , 
 I could heap up words against you,— and shake mine head at you.. 
 
 5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, 
 And the moving of my Hps should asswage ijour grief, 
 
 6 Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged; 
 And though I forbear, ^what am I eased ? 
 
 7 But now he hath made me weary : 
 Thou hast made desolate all my company. 
 
 8 And thou hast filled me with wiinkles, which \^ 2i, v^iiwe?>^ against me, 
 And my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face. 
 
 when on the eve of execution, are brought to 
 nought (Ps. vii. 14, 15; Isa. lix. 4; Isa. xxxui. 
 11, " Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth 
 stubble"), their belly— as a womb, prepareth- 
 hatcheth. deceit— what deceives their expecta- 
 tion. The evil which they meditate against others 
 falls on themselves. , 
 
 Remarks.— \. Nothing more exhibits a man s 
 wisdom, or betrays his folly, than the character 
 of his speech {vv. 2, 3). " Who is a wise man, and 
 endued with knowledge? let him show out of a 
 good conversation his works , with meekness of 
 wisdom" (Jas. iii. 13). But the sinner's own 
 mouth condemns him, and his own lips testify 
 against him (v. 6). 2. How suicidal is the folly of 
 the ungodly in putting away from him in time of 
 trouble the only solace, the true source of peace, 
 namely, "the consolations of God" {v. 11). Pride 
 is at the root of his rejection of God's offer of 
 love. Self-willed impatience and passion lead 
 him to fret against God, instead of bowing hum- 
 bly to God {vv. 12, 13). "The wicked through the 
 pride of his countenance will not seek after God" 
 (Ps. x. 4; cf. Jer. xiii. 17). The godly weep in 
 secret for the pride which keeps the ungodly from 
 hearkening to our loving God. But Job was not 
 such a one as the friends thought him to be. It 
 is true, the severity of his Satan-inflicted trials 
 clouded his spiritual perceptions for a time, and 
 led him to use unwarranted language in justifica- 
 tion of himself and comi^laint against God ; but, 
 in the main. Job was a sincere, humble, and con- 
 sistent worshipper. This teaches us not to be too 
 ready in applying to others, without the surest 
 l)roof. Scripture condemnations of pride and hy- 
 Ijocrisy, which, however true in the abstract, are 
 untrue in the particular case wherein we apply 
 them. 3. The state of the ungodly man, however 
 seemingly prosperous, is anything but an enviable 
 state. Anxieties and apprehensions mar most of 
 his enjoyments {v. 20). He knows not how soon 
 his days shall end. Conscience, from time to 
 time, creates within an uneasy misgiving and an 
 alarm, as though some unforeseen and undefined 
 calamity is coming upon him {vv. 20-22). This is 
 the necessary consequence of his lifting himself 
 up against God {vv. 25, 27). As men sow they 
 shall also reap. Sinners shall eat of the fruit of 
 their own way, and shall he filled with their own 
 devices (Prov. i. 31). The man who trusts in 
 vanity— and all sin is vanity — shall have vanity 
 for his righteous recompence. 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 1-22.-Job's Reply. — Second 
 Series. 
 
 2. (ch. xiii. 4.) miserable— burdensome ; i. e., 
 annoying. 3. 'Words of wind' (Hebrew). He 
 39 
 
 his friends. 
 
 B. C. 1-.20. 
 
 CHAP. 16. 
 
 1 Or, troub- 
 lesome, 
 ch. 1^. 4. 
 Ps. 69. 23. 
 Phil. 1. la. 
 
 2 words of 
 wind, 
 ch. 6. 26 
 
 " 2Ki. 19. 21. 
 Ps. 22. 7. 
 Ps. 44. It. 
 Ps. 109. 25. 
 Jer. IS. 16. 
 Lam. 2 15. 
 Matt. 27. 39, 
 40. 
 
 3 what goeth 
 from me? 
 
 retorts upon Eliphaz his reproach (ch. xv. 2). 
 emboldeneth — "What wearies (causes annoyance 
 to) thee so that thou dost contradict? i. e.. What 
 have I said to provoke you? &c. {Schultetus.) 
 Or, ' Wherefore do ye weary yourselves contra- 
 dicting?' {Umhreit.) The same Hebrew [po] 
 occurs ch. vi. 25, where see the note. 4. if 
 your soul were in my soul's stead— if you 
 were in my place, suffering the same adversi- 
 ties, heap up words— rather, marshal together 
 an army of words ; lit. , ' make a connection of 
 words ' — i. e., arrange them in the order of a 
 set speech, shake head— in mockery: it means 
 nodding rather than shaking. Nodding is not 
 with us, as in the East, a gesture of scorn (Isa. 
 xxxvii. 22; Jer. xviii. 16; Matt, xxvii. 39). 5. 
 strengthen with . . . mouth— bitter irony. In al- 
 lusion to Elix)haz's boasted " consolations " (ch. xv. 
 11). Opposed to strengthening with the heart 
 and in act — i. e., with real consolation. Tran- 
 slate, ' I also (like you) could strengthen with the 
 mouth^ — i. e., with heartless t^i[^s. — 'and the mov- 
 ing of my lips (mere lip-comfort) could console ' — 
 in the same fashion as you do. Cf. v. 6 ( Umbreit). 
 " Hearty counsel" (Prov. xxvii. 9, " Ointment 
 and perfume rejoice the heart, so doth the sweet- 
 ness of a man's friend by hearty counsel ") is tho 
 opposite. 
 
 6. eased— What portion of my sufferings 
 goes from me ? — not the smallest portion. 7. But 
 now— truly now. he— God. company— 'all my 
 family,^ 'all my band of witnesses,'' — viz., those 
 who could attest his innocence, his children, 
 servants, &c. So the same Hebrew is translated 
 next verse. Umhreit makes his 'band of wit- 
 nesses' himself; for, alas! he had no other to 
 witness for him. But this is too recondite. 8. 
 filled with wrinkles— rather [as also the same 
 Hebrew word, t^soj^, bound as a captive, in ch. 
 xxii. 16; the English version, "cut down"] 
 'thou hast fettered me' {besides cutting off my 
 'band of witnesses,' v. 7) — i. e., hast disabled me 
 by pains from properly attesting my innocence 
 
 i Umhreit) — lit., in respect to being a witness, 
 prefer the English version of the latter clause,, 
 which is a witness against we." Another "wit- 
 ness" (cf. ch. X. 17) arises against him — viz., his 
 " leanness" or wretched state of body, construed 
 by his friends into a proof of his guilt. The radi- 
 cal meaning of the Hebrew is to draw together^ 
 whence flow the double meanings to bind or fetter y 
 and in Syriac, to wrinkle, leanness— meaning 
 also lie; implying it was a false "witness" 
 pn?], failure in truth as well as failure in body, 
 bearetli witness to my face— openly and insa* 
 
Job asserts 
 
 JOB XVI. 
 
 his innocency. 
 
 9 He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me : 
 He gnasheth upon me with his teeth; 
 Mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me. 
 
 10 They have ^gaped upon me with their mouth; 
 They *^have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully ; 
 They have ^gathered themselves together against me. 
 
 11 God ^ hath delivered me to the ungodly, 
 And turned me over into the hands of the wicked. 
 
 12 I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: 
 He hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces. 
 And set me up for his mark. 
 
 13 His archers compass me round about; 
 He cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare ; 
 He poureth out my gall upon the ground. 
 
 14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach; 
 He runneth upon me like a giant. 
 
 15 I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, — and Mefiled my horn in the dust. 
 
 16 My face is foul with weeping, — and on my eyelids is the shadow of death ; 
 
 17 Not for any injustice in mine hands : — also my prayer is pure. 
 
 18 0 earth, cover not thou my blood, — and let-^my cry have no place. 
 
 19 Also now, behold, ^my witness is in heaven, — and my record is ^on high. 
 
 20 My friends ^ scorn me : — but mine eye poureth out tears unto God. 
 
 lently. 9. Image from a wild beast. So God is 
 represented (ch. x. 16). who hateth me — rather, 
 ' and pursues me hard, or in a hostile manner.' 
 Job would not ascribe 'hatred' to God (Ps. 1. 
 22, " Consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear 
 you in pieces "). mine enemy — rather, he sharp- 
 ens, &c., 'as an enemy'' (Ps. vii. 12). Darts 
 wrathful glances at me, like a foe (ch. xiii. 24, 
 *'Thou boldest me for thine enemy"). 10. Not 
 only doth God assail Job, but also He exposes 
 him to the wanton insults of men, (cf. v. 11 ; ch. 
 XXX. 1, &c.) gaped— not in order to devour, but 
 to mock him. lu this Job suffered in type what 
 afterwards was the bitter portion of Messiah (Ps. 
 xxii. 13). To fill his cup of misery, the mockery 
 of his friends {v. 10) is added to the hostile treat- 
 ment from God {v. 9). smitten . . . cheek- 
 figure for contemptuous abuse (Lam. iii. 30 ; Matt, 
 v. 39). gathered themselves— 'conspired unani- 
 mously' {Schultens). 
 
 11. turned me over— cast me headlong 
 into, &c. {'WTX the ungodly— viz., his pro- 
 fessed friends, who persecuted him with unkind 
 speeches. 12. I was at ease— in past times, (ch. 
 i.) by my neck— as an animal doth its prey (so 
 ch. X. 16). shaken — violently: in contrast to his 
 former "ease" (Ps. cii. 10, "Thou hast lifted me 
 up and cast me down"). Set me up {again). 
 mark— (ch. vii. 20; Lam. iii. 12). God lets me 
 always recover strength, so as to torment me 
 ceaselessly. 13. his archers. The image of last 
 verse is continued. God, in making me His 
 *' mark," is accompanied by the three friends^ 
 whose words wound like sharp arrows, gall — 
 imt for a vital part. So the liver (Lam. ii. 11), 
 14. The image is from storming a fortress by mak- 
 ing breaches in the walls (2 Ki. xiv. 13). a giant 
 — a mighty warrior. 15. sewed — denoting the 
 tight fit of'^the mourning garment: it was a sack 
 with arm-holes, closely sewed to the body, horn — 
 image from horned cattle, which when excited 
 tear the earth with their horns. The horn was 
 the emblem of power (1 Ki. xxii. 11). Here it is 
 "in the dust,^^ which, as applied to Job, denotes 
 hh humiliation from former greatness. To throw 
 one's self in the dust was a sign of mourning: 
 
 B. 0 1520. 
 
 6 Fs. 22 13. 
 Fs. 35. 21. 
 Luke 23. 35. 
 36. 
 
 * 1 Ki. 22. 24. 
 2 Ch 18. 23. 
 Isa 60. 6. 
 Lam. 3. 30 
 Mic. 6. 1. 
 Matt. 26 67. 
 John IS. 22 
 Acts 23. 2. 
 2 Cor. 11 20 
 Ps. 35. 16. 
 Ps. 94. 21. 
 Acts 4. 27. 
 < hath shut 
 me up. 
 ch. 1. 15, 17. 
 « Ps 7. 5. 
 / ch 27. 9. 
 
 Is. 63.18,19 
 f Rom. 1. 9. 
 1 Thes 2. 5. 
 
 5 in the high 
 places 
 
 6 are my 
 scorner.i, 
 
 this idea is here joined with that of excited de- 
 spair, depicted by the fury of a horned beast. 
 The Druses of Lebanon still wear horns as an 
 ornament. 16. foul [nnnnpn] — rather, 'is very 
 red ;' i. e., violently inflamed, flushed and heated 
 (Umhreit and Noyes). shadow of death— i. e., 
 darkening through many tears (Lam. v, 17). 17. 
 Job here refers to Zopnar's implied charge (ch. 
 xi. 14, 15). Nearly the same words occur as to 
 Jesus Christ (Isa. liiL 9, " He had done no violence, 
 neither was any deceit in his mouth"). So v. 10 
 above answers to the description of Jesus Christ 
 (Ps. xxii. 13; Isa. 1. 6, " I gave my cheeks to them 
 that plucked off the hair;" and v. 4 to Ps. xxii, 
 7). He alone realized what Job aspired after— 
 viz., outward riyhteousness of acts and inward 
 purity of devotion. Jesus Christ, as the represen- 
 tative man, is typified in some degree in every 
 servant of God in the Old Testament. 18. In- 
 asrnuch as Job is persuaded he shall soon die, he 
 desires that his innocence, which is called in ques- 
 tion whilst he is alive, may be at least acknow- 
 ledged when he is dead, my blood— i. e,, my 
 undeserved suffering. He compares himself to 
 one murdered, whose blood the earth refuses to 
 drink up until he is avenged (Gen. iv. 10, 11; Ezek. 
 xxiv. 1, 8; Isa. xxvi. 21). The Arabs say that the 
 dew of heaven will'not descend on a spot watered 
 with innocent blood (cf. 2 Sam. i. 21). no place- 
 no resting-place. "May my cry never stop!" 
 May it go abroad ! May there be no halting-place 
 to the cry of my blood demanding vindication! 
 May it resound through the whole earth, and be 
 borne even to the remote heaven ! (cf. ch. xix, 25. ) 
 "Earth" in this verse in antithesis to "heaven" 
 {v. 19). May my innocence be as well known to 
 man as it is even now to God ! 19. Also now— erew 
 now, when I am so greatlj'' misunderstood on earth, 
 God in heaven is sensible of my innocence, record 
 — Hebrew, my witness. Amidst all his impatience, 
 Job still trusts in God. 
 
 20. Hebrew, more forcibly, *my mockers— my 
 friends!' A heart-cutting paradox! {(Jmbreit.) 
 God alone remains to whom he can look for attes- 
 tation of his innocence; plaintively, with tearful 
 eye, he supplicates for this (Isa, xxxviii. 14, "I 
 
I Job appealeth from 
 
 JOB XVII. 
 
 man to God. 
 
 21 Oh '^that one might plead for a man with God, 
 As a msinpleadetk for his ^ neighbour! 
 
 22 When ^ a few years are come, 
 
 Then I shall 'go the way whence I shall not return. 
 17 MY ^ breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, 
 "The graves are ready for me. 
 
 2 Are there not mockers with me ? 
 
 And doth not mine eye ^ continue in their ^provocation ? 
 
 3 Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee ; 
 Who is he that ^will strike hands with me ? 
 
 B C I6v0. 
 
 * Ch 31. 35. 
 
 7 Or, friend. 
 
 8 years of 
 u limber. 
 
 »■ Ec 1 12 6. 
 
 CHAP. 17. 
 
 1 Or, spirit, 
 is spent 
 
 " Ps. 88. 3, 4. 
 
 2 lodge. 
 
 1 Sa. 1. 6. 
 " Pro. 6. 1. 
 
 mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking 
 upward"). 21. one— rather, He (God). 'Othat 
 he would plead for a man (viz. me) against God.' 
 Job quaintly says, God must support me against 
 God ; for He makes me to suffer, and He alone 
 knows me to be innocent [Umhreit). So God 
 helped Jacob in wrestling against Himself (ch. 
 xxiii. 6; Gen. xxxii. 25). God in Jesus Christ 
 does plead with God for man (Rom. viii. 26, 27, 
 "The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us . . . 
 And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what 
 is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh 
 intercession for the saints according to the will of 
 Ood;" cf. Heb. vii. 25). as a man— Zi/,, the Son 
 of man [n"it< |3, Ben Adam]. A prefiguring of the 
 advocacy of Jesus Christ— a boon longed for by 
 Job (cb. ix. 33), though the spiritual pregnancy of 
 his own words, designed for all ages, was but little 
 understood by him (Ps. Ixxx. 17). for his neigh- 
 bour—Hebrew, friend. Job himself (ch. xlii. 8) 
 pleaded as intercessor for his 'friend,' though 
 'his scoruers' (v. 20): so Jesus Christ, the Son 
 of man (Luke xxiii. 34, "Father, forgive them; 
 for they know not what they do") ^ior friends^ 
 (John XV. 13-15, "Greater love hath no man than 
 this, that a man lay down his life for his friends"), 
 &c. UmhreWs translation, 'And for the Son of 
 man against his friend' (against his friends, allud- 
 ing to Job's friends) {3Iau7'er)—is opposed by the 
 Hebrew; for the same particle in the two 
 clauses must clearly be translated the same way, 
 ' FOR a man,' ' for his neighbour' (friend) ; besides, 
 the insertion of 'for' before 'the Son of man' is 
 unsupported by the Hebrew. 22. few — lit. , ' years 
 ofnumher;^ i. e., few, opposed to numheiiess (Gen. 
 xxxiv. 30, "I being few iu number"). 
 
 Remarks. — 1. Heartless talk and mere lip-oom- 
 fqrt offered to a Jriend in affliction only aggravate 
 his distress. What is wanting is true sympathy 
 and tenderness of spirit. The wounded spirit is 
 sensitive, and needs to be dealt with gently and 
 considerately. How "miserable" are all earthly 
 " comforters, " as compared with the loving High 
 Priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the 
 Son of God, who is touched with the feeling of our 
 infirmities, in all points having been tempted like 
 as we are, yet without sin [o. 2; Heb. iv. 14, 15). 
 2. The believer in his sufferings is identified with 
 his Lord and Head. If Job's mockers shook their 
 head at Job ('•. 4), it was no more than what the 
 Son of God endured, as he expresses it (Ps. xxii. 
 7, "All they that see me, laugh me to scorn : they 
 shoot out the lip, they shake the head"). If Job's 
 foes gaT)ed upon him with their mouth, smote him 
 upon the cheek, and gathered themselves together 
 against him, so also Messiah testifies, "They 
 gaped ui)on me with their mouths" (Ps. xxii. 13) ; 
 ' 1 gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to 
 them that plucked off the hair" (Isa. 1. 6); "The 
 abjects gathered themselves together against me" 
 (Ps. XXXV. 15). This coincidence, evidently uude- 
 41 
 
 signed, is a strong incidental confirmation of the 
 inspiration and deep-lying unity of the several 
 parts of Scripture, which all converge to the one 
 point, "the testimony of Jesus" (Rev. xix. 10). 3. 
 The consideration of the fellowship of believers in 
 the sufferings of Christ (Phil. iii. 10) should recon- 
 cile them to all which God sees fit that they 
 should endure. Therein they become one with 
 their Lord, and conformed to His pattern in this, 
 as in all other things, so that, amidst the tears 
 which pain elicits, they may still rejoice in their 
 sufferings (Col. i. 24), and glory in tribulations 
 (Rom. V. 3), being made conformable to His 
 death (Phil. iii. 10). 4. One characteristic marks 
 the child of God howsoever many be his shortcom- 
 ings ; like Job {vv. 19, 20) he has one resource to 
 which he invariably repairs at last, the Faithful 
 and True witness in heaven. He appeals from, 
 short-sighted and misjudging man to the all- 
 knowing God. When false friends scorn, the 
 believer's eye pours out his tears before his one 
 true and unfailing friend, God. The needle of the 
 compass may tremble and oscillate for a time; but 
 it is sure to point to the pole at last. Peter may, 
 in shameful weakness, deny his Lord for a time, 
 but the heart is in the main true to His Saviour, 
 and he shall at last say, " Lord, thou knowest all 
 things; thou knowest that I love thee" (John xxi. 
 17). 5. Our wisdom, when we are in perplexity, and 
 ready to sink in despair, is to cease to plead our 
 own cause, and to ask God to plead for us with 
 Himself {v. 21), as well as with them that strive 
 with us (Ps. XXXV. 1, 2). We Christians have an 
 Advocate with the Father, in whose hands we 
 may put our cause with perfect confidence. He 
 as God can x>lead with God: though unable to say 
 anything good of us, He can say all that is good 
 for us, — He can plead His own faultless righteous- 
 ness as man for maw,— especially for those whom 
 He calls His friends {v. 21; John xv, 15), and 
 whom the Father has given Him (John xvii. 9), 
 and for whom He has therefore a right to pray 
 with authoritative power. 
 CHAP. XVIL 1-16.— Job's Answer Con^ 
 
 TINUED. 
 
 1. breath . . . corrupt— result of elephantiasis. 
 But ( Umhreit) 'my strength (spirit) is spent ' [n^3n] 
 —destroyed, extinct. Life is compared to an ex- 
 piring light. 'The light of my day is extin- 
 guished.' graves— p^Mr. , to heighten the force. 
 2. Umhreit, more emphatically,' 'had I only not 
 to endure mockery (lit., if only there were not 
 mockim/s with me), in the midst of their conten- 
 tions, I (mine eye) would remain quiet.' 'Eye 
 continue,' or tarry all night is a figure taken 
 from sleep at night, to express undisturbed rest : 
 opposed to ch. xvi. 20, when the eye of Job is 
 represented as pouring out tears to God without 
 rest. Maurer takes the second clause, ' And (if) 
 mine eye did not continue in their contentious 
 obloquy '—viz., I would not be unwilling to die 
 
Unmercl fal dealings of men 
 
 JOB XVIL should not discourage the righteous. 
 
 4 For thou hast hid their heart from understarding : 
 Therefore shalt thou not exalt them. 
 
 5 He that speaketh flattery to his friends, 
 Even the eyes of his children shall fail. 
 
 6 He hath made me also '^a byword of the people; 
 And ^ aforetime 1 was as a tabret. 
 
 7 Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, 
 And all *my members are as a shadow. 
 
 8 Upright men shall be astonied at this, 
 
 And the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite. 
 
 9 The ^righteous also shall hold on his way. 
 
 And he that hath ^ clean hands ^ shall be stronger and stronger. 
 
 10 But as for you all, ^do ye return, and come now: 
 For I cannot find one wise man among you. 
 
 11 My '^days are past, — my purposes are broken off. 
 Even ^the thoughts of my heart. 
 
 12 They change the night into day : — the light is ^ short because of darkness. 
 
 13 If I wait, the grave is mine house: 
 
 I have made my bed in the darkness. 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 1 Ki. 9 7. 
 
 Ch. 30. 9. 
 Ps 44. 14. 
 3 Or, before 
 them. 
 
 * Or, my 
 thoughts. 
 
 * Ps 84. 7. 11. 
 Pro. 4. 18. 
 Pro. 14. 16. 
 Isa. 35. 8- 0. 
 1 Pet. 1. 5 
 
 1 John 2. 19, 
 
 / Ps 24. 4. 
 Ps. 26 6. 
 
 5 shall add 
 strength. 
 
 f ch, 6. 29. 
 
 h ch. 7. 6. 
 ch. 9. 25. 
 Isa. 38. 10. 
 
 « the pos- 
 sessions. 
 
 f near. 
 
 immediately (taken from v. 1). 1 prefer Umhr-eWs 
 view, or else the English version. 3. Lay down — 
 viz., a pledge or security — i.e., be my surety; do 
 thou attest ray innocence, since my friends only 
 mock me {v. 2). Both litigating parties had to lay 
 down a sum as security before the trial, put me 
 in surety — provide a surety for me in the trial 
 with thee. A presage of the "surety of a better 
 testament" (Heb. vii. 22); or "one Mediator be- 
 tween God and man" (see note, ch. xvi. 21). strike 
 hands—' Who else, save God Himself , could strike 
 hands with me?'— i.e., be my security (Ps. cxix. 
 122, " Be surety for thy servant for good"). The 
 Hebrew strikes the hand of him for whom he goes 
 security (Prov. vi. 1, " If thou be surety for thy 
 friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a 
 stranger"). 4. hid— withlield. their heart— the 
 iiiteUect of his friends, shalt . . . exalt — rather, 
 imperative, exalt them not. Allow them not to 
 conquer ( Umbreit). (Isa. vi. 9, 10. ) 5. Not only are 
 the friends void of intelligence, but also they plot 
 Job's ruin. The Hebrew for flattery is smoothness: 
 then it came to mean a prey divided by lot, be- 
 cause a smooth stone was used in casting the 
 lots (Deut. xviii. 8); "a portion" (Gen. xiv. 24). 
 Therefore translate, "He that delivers up (lit, 
 
 discloses, so betrays) his friend as a prey [P.^'D?] 
 (which the conduct of my friends implies that 
 they would do), even the eye.s,' &c. [Noyes.) (Ch. 
 xi. 20.) Job says this as to the sinner's children, 
 retorting upon their reproach as to the cutting off 
 of his (chs. V, 4 ; xv. 30). This accords with the 
 Old Testament dispensation of legal retribution 
 (Exod. XX. 5). 
 
 6. He — God. The poet reverentially suppresses 
 the name of God w^hen speaking of calamities 
 inflicted, byword— (Deut. xxviii. 37; Ps. Ixix. 
 11). My awful punishment makes my name exe- 
 crated everywhere, as if I must have been super- 
 latively bad to have earned it. aforetime . . . 
 tabret — as David was honoured (1 Sam. xviii. 6) 
 [from Pin, a drum]. Bather, from a different 
 Hebrew root [nsn, from P]iri], the sound express- 
 ing the act of spitting — ' I am treated to my face 
 as an object of disgust.^ Lit., an object to be spit 
 upon in the face (Num. xii. 14). So Baca, from a 
 root to spit, me&na (Matt. v. 22). {Umbreit.) 7. 
 (Ps. VL 7 ; xxxi. 9 ; Deut. xxxiv. 7). members — 
 lit., figures; all the individual members being 
 
 peculiar forms of the body: opposed to "shadow," 
 which looks like a figure, but has no solidity.^ 8. 
 astonied— at my unmerited sufferings, against 
 the hypocrite. The upright shall feel their sense 
 of justice wounded (' will be indignant') because of 
 the prosperity of the wicked (Ps. xxxvii. and lxxiii>. 
 By " hypocrite" or " ungodly " he perhaps glances 
 at his false friends. 9. The strength of religious 
 principle is heightened by misfortune. The pious 
 shall take fresh courage to persevere from the 
 example of suffering Job. The image is from a 
 warrior acquiring new courage in action (Isa. xl. 
 30, 31 ; Phil. i. 14). 10. return — if you have 
 anything to advance really wise, though I doubt 
 it, recommence your speech. For as yet I cannot 
 find one wise man among you all. As often so- 
 ever as ye return to your speeches with me, I shall 
 always find you speaking folly. 
 
 11. Only do not vainly speak of the restoration 
 of health to me ; for "my days are past." broken 
 ofiF— as the threads of the web cut off from the 
 loom (Isa. xxxviii. 12). thoughts— lit. , possessions 
 —i. e., all the feelings and fair hopes which my 
 heart once cherished. These belong to the heart, 
 as "purposes" to the understanding: the two 
 together here describe the entire inner man. 12. 
 They— viz., my friends— would change the night 
 into day; would assert that bright day is there 
 where nothing is to be seen but dark night — i. e. , 
 would try to persuade me of the change of my 
 misery into joy, which is impossible (Umbreit) 
 (ch. xi. 17); (but) the light of prosperity (could it 
 be enjoyed) would be short, because of the dark- 
 ness of adversity. Or, better, for "short," the 
 Hebrew ' near ;' ' and the light of new prosperity 
 should be near in the face of (before) the darkness 
 of death;' i.e., they would persuade me that 
 light is near, even though darkness approaches. 
 Maurer translates, somewhat similarly, 'Light is 
 nearer than the face D"n{^] of darkness'— 
 
 viz, , than the most palpable darkness. My friends 
 say that the light of prosperity (though really it is 
 utterly remote from me) is nearer to me than 
 my calamity, which is most palpable, and by 
 which I am on the point of dying. 13. Bather, 
 if I wait for the grave [scheol, or the unseen 
 world) as my house, and make my bed in the 
 darkness {v. 14), and say to corruption— rather, 
 to the pit or grave [nng^J, &c. (v. 15)— Where, 
 
Bildad reproveth Job for 
 
 JOB XVIIL 
 
 presumption and impatience. 
 
 14 I have ^said to corruption, Thou art my father; 
 To the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sisi;er. 
 
 15 And where is now my hope? — as for my hope, w^ho shall see it ? 
 
 16 They ^ shall go down -^'to the bars of the pit. 
 When our *rest together is in the dust. 
 
 18 THEN answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, 
 
 2 How long will it be ere ye make an end of words ? 
 Mark, and afterwards we will speak. 
 
 3 Wherefore are we counted as beasts, — and reputed vile in your sight ? 
 
 4 He " teareth ^ himself in his anger : — shall the earth be forsaken for thee ? 
 And shall the rock be removed out of his place ? 
 
 5 ^Yea, ^the light of the wicked shall be put out, 
 And the spark of his fire shall not shine. 
 
 6 The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, 
 And his ^candle shall be put out with him. 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 8 cried, or, 
 
 called. 
 < 2 Cor. 1. 9. 
 i eh. 18. 13. 
 
 Ps. 88. 4 8. 
 
 Jon 2. 6. 
 * ch. 3. 17. 
 
 CHAP. 18. 
 » oh. 13. 14, 
 Jon. 4. 9. 
 Mark 9 18- 
 
 1 his soul. 
 
 2 neverthe- 
 less. 
 
 b Pro. 13. e. 
 Pro. 20. 20. 
 Pro. 24. 20. 
 
 3 Or, lamp. 
 
 then, is my hope? {Umhreit). The apodosis is 
 at V. 15. 14. Thou art my father, &c.— Express- 
 ing most intimate connection (ch. xxx. 29; Prov. 
 vii. 4, "Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister"). 
 His diseased state made him closely akin to 
 the grave and worm. 15. And where. Where, 
 then, is my hope? The apodosis to vv. 13, 14. Who 
 shall see it— fulfilled ? viz., the "hope" (ch. xi. 18) 
 which they held out to him of restoration. 16. 
 They — viz., my hopes, shall be buried with me. 
 bars— (Isa. xxxviii. 10, "I shall go to the gates of 
 the grave;" Jon. ii. 6, "The earth with her bars 
 was about me for ever"). Eather, the wastes, 
 or solitudes [d"'"}?] of the pit {scheol, the unseen 
 world), rest together — the rest of me and my 
 hopes is in, &c. Both expire together. The word. 
 ' ' rest " implies that man's ceaseless hopes only 
 rob him of rest. 
 
 Remarks. — 1. Stung to the quick by the mock- 
 ings of his professed friends, and apparently on 
 the verge of the grave, Job appeals from man to 
 God. The believer, though tempted by sore trials 
 to think that God is against him, and that his 
 afflictions are proofs of God's displeasure, yet 
 boldly, by faith, rises above the suggestions of 
 sense, and implores the very God who afflicts him 
 to vindicate his cause: he begs that the Great 
 Being who wounds him, as though He were his 
 adversary, should become his surety, and be 
 answerable for him (v. 3). Marvellous to say, 
 no plea can there be which is more effectual with 
 our God! Looking off from self to Christ, our 
 surety, we may each saj^ with holy confidence, 
 Thou wilt answer for me, 0 Lord. 2. Neither the 
 prosperity of the ungodly nor the afflictions of 
 the godly can make the believer swerve from 
 the right path. As it was said of Fabricius, It is 
 easier to turn the sun from his course than Fabri- 
 cius from the path of honour ; so it is true of the 
 righteous [v. 9), that he draws strength even from 
 opposing influences to "hold on his way" the 
 more steadfastly. The very means which Satan 
 adopts for shaking the faith of the people of God- 
 viz., the infliction of unmerited sufferings on the 
 righteous — are overruled to the confirmation of 
 their faith ; so that, seeing with what patient and 
 heroic fortitude their afllicted bretliren have 
 cleaved to their integrity, in spite of grievous 
 sufferings, the godly in general have waxed the 
 more confident (Phil. i. 14) and resolute in their 
 holy course. 3. The grave is the house which ere 
 long awaits all wlio shall not be found among the 
 living at Christ's second coming. The thought 
 that our bodies are so closely allied to the worm 
 and corruijtion {v. 14), should lead us less to build 
 
 our hopes on earthly things, which shall soon 
 crumble in the dust like ourselves {vv. 14-16), and 
 more to look for that blessed hope, and the glori- 
 ous appearing of the great God and our Saviour 
 (Tit. ii. 13)— "the hope laid up for us in heaven" 
 (Col. i. 5). 
 
 CHAP. XVIIL 1-21.— Keply of Bildad.— 
 Second Series. 
 
 2. ye — the other tivo friends of Job, whom Bil- 
 dad charges with having spoken mere "words" — 
 i.e., empty speeches: or else, 'thou. Job, and 
 those who think with thee ;' opposed to " mark" — 
 i. e. , come to reason, consider the question intelli- 
 gently ; and then let us speak, make an end of— 
 pif^p]. Maurer translates, ' Set nooses for words ' — 
 i. e. , hunt after words. I prefer the English version. 
 3. beasts— alluding to what Job said (ch. xii. 7; 
 so Isa. i. 3 ; Ps. xlix. 12, 20). vile— rather, from a 
 Hebrew root, to stop up not from t^p^, but 
 
 from nnp, or d^^]. ' Stubborn,' answering to the 
 stupidity implied in the parallel first clause ( Um- 
 hreit). Why should we give occasion by your 
 empty speeches for our being mutually reputed 
 in the sight of Job, and one another, unintelli- 
 gent ? (ch. xvii. 4, 10. ) 4. Eather, turning to Job, 
 'Thou that tearest thyself in anger' (ch. v. 2, 
 " Wrath killeth the foolish man ;" also, ch. xvi. 9, 
 "He teareth me in his anger"). Bildad implies, 
 It is not so much God that teareth thee, as thou 
 sayest: it is thou that tearest thyself, &c. be 
 forsaken— become desolate. He alludes here to 
 Job's words as to the "rock," &c., crumbling away 
 (ch. xiv. 18, 19) ; but in a different application. 
 He says bitterly " for thee." Wert thou not pun- 
 ished as thou art, and as thou art unwilling to 
 bear, the eternal order of the universe (im- 
 movable as the rock) would be disturbed, and 
 the earth become desolate through unavenged 
 wickedness. Must the eternal and divine law, 
 by which the universe is governed, be set aside, 
 in order that you may escape the i)unishment of 
 your wickedness? [Umhreit.) Bildad takes it for 
 granted Job is a great sinner (ch. viii. 3-6; Isa. 
 xxiv. 5, 6). 'Shall that which stands fast as a 
 rock be removed for your special accommodation?' 
 
 5. That (v. 4) cannot be. Yea — however much 
 the wicked kick against it. The decree of God is 
 unalterable: the light (prosperity) of the wicked 
 shall at length be put out. Ms fire — alluding to 
 Arabian hospitality, which i)rided itself on wel- 
 coming the stranger to the tire in the tent, and 
 even lit fires to direct him to it. The ungodly 
 shall be deprived of the means to show hospitality. 
 His dwelling shall be dark and desolate ! 6. can- 
 
Calamities of 
 
 JOB XVIII. 
 
 the wiched. 
 
 7 The steps of his strength shall be straitened, 
 And his own counsel shall cast him down. 
 
 8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet, — and he walketh upon a snare, 
 j 9 The gin shall take him by the heel, 
 
 I And the robber shall prevail against him. 
 
 I 10 The snare is * laid for him in the ground, — and a trap for him in the way. 
 
 11 Terrors shall make him afraid on every side. 
 And shall ^ drive him to his feet. 
 
 12 His strength shall be hunger-bitten, 
 
 And ^destruction shall be ready at his side. 
 ! 13 It shall devour the ^strength of his skin : 
 
 Even the first-born of death shall devour his strength. 
 
 14 His ^confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, 
 And it shall bring him to the king of terrors. 
 
 15 It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his : 
 •^Brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation. 
 
 16 His roots shall be dried up beneath. 
 And above shall his branch be cut off. 
 
 17 His ^remembrance shall perish from the earth, 
 And he shall have no name in the street. 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 4 hiddea. 
 " ch. 6 4. 
 
 ch. 15. 21 
 P3. 73. 19. 
 Jer. 6. 2i. 
 Jer. 20. 3. 4. 
 2 Cor 5. II. 
 Eev. 6. 15, 
 Ifi. 
 
 5 scatter 
 him 
 
 d ch 15. 23. 
 Ps. 7. 12-14. 
 
 1 Thes. 6. 3. 
 
 2 Pet. 2. 3. 
 
 * bars. 
 
 • ch 8. 14. 
 ch 11. 2(). 
 Pro. 10. 28. 
 Matt. 7. 2J, 
 
 27. 
 
 / Gen. 19. 21. 
 f Ps. 34. 16. 
 
 Pro. 2. 22. 
 
 Pro. 10. r. 
 
 die — the lamp which in the East is usually 
 fastened to the ceiling. Oil abounds in those 
 regions, and the lamp was kept burning all night, 
 as now in Egypt, where the poorest would rather 
 dispense with food than the night-lamp (Ps. xviii. 
 28). To put out the lamp was an image of utter 
 desolation, with Mm — rather, above him ; over 
 his head. 7. steps of . . . strength— Hebrew for 
 his strong steps. A firm step marks health. To be 
 straitened in steps is to be no longer able to move 
 about at will (Pro v. iv. 12; contrast Ps. xviii. 36, 
 "Thou hast enlarged my steps under me"), his 
 own counsel — or plans, shall be the means of his 
 fall (ch. V. 13, "He taketh the wise in their own 
 craftiness, and the counsel of the fro ward is carried 
 headlong"). 8. he walketh upon— rather, 'heZefe 
 himself go ["^"^ini?:] into the net' ( Umbreit). If the 
 English version be retained, then understand 
 "snare" to be the pitfall, covered over with 
 branches and earth, which, when walked upon, 
 gave way (Ps. ix. 15; xxxv. 8). In following "his 
 own counsel " {v. 7), which he fancies wall secure 
 him against calamity, he walks unwittingly into 
 it. 9. robber [d''D5?; cf. ch.v. 5]— rather, answering 
 to 'gin' in the parallel clause, 'the noose shall 
 hold him fast' {Umbreit). 11. terrors— often men- 
 tioned in this book [v. 14; ch. xxiv. 17, &c.) The 
 terrors excited through an evil conscience are here 
 personified. ' Magor-missabib,' fear round about 
 (Jer. XX. 3). drive ... to his feet— rather, shall 
 
 Eursue {lit., scatter, Hab. iii. 14) him close at his 
 eels {lit., immediately after his feet, Hab. iii. 5, 
 " Burning coals went forth at his feet;'' Isa. xli. 2; 
 Gen. XXX. 30, marg.; 1 Sam. xxv. 42, Hebrew: or 
 wherever he sets his feet, whithersoever he turcs). 
 The image is that of a pursuing conqueror who 
 scatters the enemy {Umbreit). 12. The Hebrew is 
 brief and bold, ' his strength is hungry.' Besides 
 dangers at every step, the sinner's own strength 
 is wasted by disease, destruction— i. e. , a great 
 calamity (Prov. i. 27). ready at his side— close 
 at hand to destroy him. 13. ^JmSmi has 'he' for 
 " it"— i. e., 'in the rage of hunger he shall devour 
 his own body:' or, his own children (Lam. iv. 10). 
 Rather, ' destruction ' from the last verse, or else 
 'the first-born of death,' is nominative to "de- 
 vour." strength [na] rather, 'members' {lit., 
 the branches of a tree), of his skin— ». c, of liis 
 44 
 
 body: purposely used with allusion to Job's disease 
 of the skin, elephantiasis (ch. xix. 26). " Devour" is 
 twice used, to mark that the sinner is not slain at 
 one moment, but is gradually worn out by disease, 
 the first-born of death— a personification full of 
 poetical horror. The first-born son held the chief 
 place (Gen. xlix, 3) ; so here the chiefest {most 
 deadly) disease that death has ever engendered 
 (Tsa. xiv. 30, "first-born of the poor"— the poorest). 
 The Arabs call fever 'daughter of death.' 14. 
 confidence- all that the father trusted in for 
 domestic happiness — children, fortune, &c. ; re- 
 ferring to Job's losses. He and his hopes together 
 are cast out from his home (ch. viii. 14, 15, " Whose 
 hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a 
 spider's web; he shall lean upon his house, but it 
 shall not stand"), rooted out — suddenly torn 
 away, it shall bring— i. e, , he shall be brought : or, 
 as Umbreit, better, has, ' Thou (God) shalt bring him 
 slowly.' The Hebrew expresses, 'to stride slowly 
 and solemnly.' The godless has a fearful death 
 long before his eyes, and is gradually at last 
 taken away by it : alluding to Job's case. The 
 King of Terrors, not like the heathen Pluto, the 
 fabled ruler of the dead, but Death, with all its 
 terrors to the ungodly, personified. In the English 
 version, "it" means ' his doom shall bring him with 
 slow and lingering pace' I prefer, with 
 
 Maurer, to translate, 'He shall be rooted out of 
 his tabernacle, oiit of his confidence' — i. e., from his 
 tabernacle, in which he always placed his confi- 
 dence [inoapj. 15. It— terror shall haunt, &c. ; and 
 not, as Umbreit, another, which the last clause dis- 
 proves: for the fire having consumed his taberna- 
 cle, none other can dwell in it save the terror 
 which haunts deserted dwellings, none of his — 
 it is his no longer, but desolate and untenanted, 
 brimstone— perhaps comparing the calamity of 
 Job by the ' fire of Giod" (ch. i. 16), to the destruc- 
 tion of guilty Sodom by fire and brimstone (Gen. 
 xix. 24) ; but the language is too vague to make 
 the allusion certain (cf. Ps. xi. 6, "Upon the 
 wicked He shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone"). 
 16. roots — himself, branch — his children (chs. 
 viii. 12; xv. 30; Mai. iv. 1, "The day that 
 cometh shall burn them up, that it shall leave 
 them neither root nor branch "). 17. street. Men 
 shall not speak of him in meeting in the high- 
 
Job complains of 
 
 JOB XIX. 
 
 his friends cruelty. 
 
 18 He ^ shall be driven from light into darkness, 
 And chased out of the world, 
 
 19 He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, 
 Nor any remaining in his dwellings. 
 
 20 The)^ that come after him, shall be astonied at his day, 
 As they that ^went before ^were affrighted. 
 
 21 Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, 
 
 And this is the place of him, that knoweth *not God. 
 19 THEN Job answered and said, 
 
 2 How long will ye "vex my soul, — and break me in pieces with words ? 
 
 3 These ten times have ye reproached me : 
 
 Ye are not ashamed that ye ^ make yourselves strange to me. 
 
 4 And be it indeed that I have erred, 
 ^Mine error remaineth with myself 
 
 5 If indeed ye Vill magnify yoursehes against me. 
 And plead against me my reproach ; 
 
 6 Know now that '^God hath overthrown me. 
 And hath compassed me with his net. 
 
 ways. E-ather, in the field, or meadow [nu'in, eh. 
 V. 10, as here], the shepherds shall no more men- 
 tion his name. A picture from nomadic life ( Um- 
 breit). 18. light . . . darkness— existence— non- 
 existence. 19. nephew — (so Isa. xiv. 22). But it 
 is triinslated 'graudsou' (Gen. xxi. 23) : translate 
 'kinsman.' 20. after . . . before — rather, 'those 
 in the West— those in the East' — i.e., all people; 
 lit., those behind— those before; for Orientals, in 
 geograjihy, turn with their face to the East (not to 
 the North, as we), and back to the West; so that 
 before — East: behind— West (so Zech. xiv. 8, "the 
 former (i e.. Eastern) sea — the binder (Western) 
 sea"). However, the English version is good 
 sense: "they that went before" are the sinner's 
 contemporaries, contrasted with " those that come 
 after him." day— of ruin (Obad. 12; Ps. xxxvii. 
 1.3; cxxxvii. 7). affrighted— seized with terror 
 (ch, xxi. 6; Isa. xiii, 8). 21. (ch. viii. 22, marg., 
 "The dwelling-place of the wicked shall come to 
 nought"— Hebrew, ' shall not be'). 
 
 Remarks.— \. TJie eternal and unchangeable laws 
 of God's justice cannot be set aside, in order to give 
 the sinner impunity in his wickedness. In vain 
 shall the lost tear themselves in anger {v. 4) aiHl 
 impotent rage ; God's righteousness stands im- 
 movable as the Rock of ages. Sin will assuredly 
 be men's ruin, unless they repent. However 
 brightly the light of the ungodly may shine now, 
 the gloomy shades of death and hell are fast 
 gathering round them {vv. 5, 6). 2. The sinner is 
 his own executioner ; he is caught in his own net ; 
 the very schemes whereby he had promised him- 
 self security are the pitfalls wherein he causes 
 himself to be entrapped {vv. 8-10). Satan, the 
 tempter, uses the sinner's own devices as the 
 snares wherein to entangle him ; and when once 
 Satan has made his victim sinful as himself, he 
 will also make him wretched as himself. 3. 
 Alarms of conscience make the sinner's deathbed 
 a scene of horrors {v. 11). Slowly, but surely, he 
 is brought face to face before the King of Terrors, 
 and his y)ast confidences now j^rove of no avail. 
 He and they perish together; and whereas the 
 memory of the just is blessed, the name and re- 
 membrance of the wicked shall rot (/;. 17 ; Pro v. x. 
 7). Sin brings a blight upon the sinner's whole 
 family and connection, as well as upon himself; so 
 much so, that even the worldly, when they see 
 God's just judgment, shall be constrained to ac- 
 knowledge, "Verily, there is a reward for the 
 4j 
 
 B 0 15 0. 
 
 7 they shaU 
 driVe him. 
 
 ^ Isa. 14. i2. 
 Jer 22. 30. 
 
 8 Or, lived 
 wit'i him. 
 
 9 laid ho d 
 on honor. 
 
 * Jer. 9. 3 
 Jer lO 2\ 
 
 1 Thea 4, 6. 
 
 2 Thes. 1. 8. 
 Tit. 1. 16. 
 
 CHAP. 11.. 
 « 1 Sa 1. 6. 
 1 Or, hardea 
 
 yourselves 
 
 against 
 
 me. 
 b Ez. 18 4. 
 <= Mic. 7. 8. 
 rf Lam. 1. 13. 
 
 righteous ; verily. He is a God that judgeth in the 
 earth" (Ps. Iviii. 11). 4. The truths stated by 
 Bildad are weighty and important, but their ap- 
 plication to Job was not justified by candour or 
 charity. When we engage in disputation, we 
 should beware of being betrayed by the heat of 
 argument into unjust denunciations of others, as 
 though they were the enemies of God, and espe- 
 cially doomed to His wrath, because they do not 
 agree Avith our particular opinions. We should 
 rather try, whilst not sacrificing truth to charity, 
 to hope the best of them, and gently lead them to 
 what seems to us the better way. 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 1-29— Job's Reply to Bildad. 
 — Second Series. 
 
 2. How long, &c.— retorting Bildad's words (ch. 
 xviii. 2). Admitting the punishment to be deserv- 
 ed, is it kind thus ever to be harping on this to the 
 sufferer? And yet even this they have not yet 
 proved. 3. These— prefixed to numbers emphati- 
 cally (Gen. xxvii. 31)). ten— i.e., often (Gen. xxxi. 
 7). make yourselves strange— rather, stun me 
 (Gesenius). (See marg. for a different mean- 
 ing). 4. erred. The Hebrew expresses uiiconscious 
 error [nJiy]. Job was unconscious of wilful sin. 
 remaineth— , passeth the night An image 
 
 from harbouring an unpleasant guest for the night. 
 I bear the consequences. 5. magnify, &c.— speak 
 proudly (Obad. 12; Ezek. xxxv. 13). against me— 
 emphatically repeated (Ps. xxxviii. 16, "When 
 my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against 
 me''), plead . . . reproach. The English version 
 makes this part of the protasis, ' if ' being 
 understood, and the apodosis beginning at v. 6, 
 ' If ye wish to magnify yourselves against me, and 
 to reproach me with my shame (/. e., my suffer- 
 ings), know that these my calamities have befallen 
 me, not by my own fault, but Ood has overthrown 
 me,' &c. Umbreit takes it, ' If ye would become 
 great heroes against me in truth, ye must prove 
 (evince) against me my guilt, or shame, which you 
 assert.' In the English version "reproach" will 
 mean Job's calamities, which they "pleaded" 
 against him as a "reproach," or proof of guilt. 6. 
 compassed . . . net— alluding to Bildad's words 
 (ch. xviii. 8). Know that it is not that /, as a 
 wicked man, have been caught in my "oww net:" 
 it is God who has compassed me in His— why, I 
 know not. 
 
his afflictions. 
 
 Toh mourns over JOB XIX. 
 
 7 Behold, I cry out of ^ wrong, but I am not heard : 
 I cry aloud, but there is no judgment. 
 
 8 He hath ^fenced up my way that I cannot pass. 
 And he hath set darkness in my paths. 
 
 9 He hath stripped me of my glory, — and taken the crown from my head. 
 
 10 He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone; 
 And mine hope hath he removed like a tree. 
 
 11 He hath also kindled -^his wrath against me, 
 
 And he counteth me unto him as one o/his enemies. 
 
 12 His ^troops come together, and raise up their way against me, 
 And encamp round about my tabernacle. 
 
 13 He hath put ^my brethren far from me. 
 
 And mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me. 
 
 14 My kinsfolk *have failed, — and my famihar friends have forgotten me. 
 
 15 They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: 
 I am an alien in their sight. 
 
 16 I called my •'servant, and he gave me no answer; 
 I entreated him with my mouth. 
 
 17 My breath is strange to my wife. 
 
 Though I entreated for the children's sake of ^mine own body. 
 
 18 Yea, * young children despised me; — I arose, and they spake against me. 
 
 19 All ^my inward friends abhorred me; 
 
 And they whom I loved are turned against me. 
 
 20 My bone cleaveth to my skin ^and to my flesh. 
 And I am escaped with the skin of my teeth. 
 
 7. wrong — violence : brought on him by God. 
 no judgment— God will not remove my calamities, 
 and so vindicate my just cause : and my friends 
 will not do justice to my past character (Hab. i. 2, 
 "How long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! 
 even ... of violence, and thou wilt not save"). 8. 
 Image from a benighted traveller (ch. iii. 23 ; Lam. 
 
 iii. 7, 9). 9. stripped . . . crown. A crown is 
 an emblem of all that imparts to one grace and 
 dignity. The image is from a deposed king, de- 
 prived of his rohes and crown : appropriate to Job, 
 once an emir, with all but royal dignity (Lam. 
 V. 16, "The crown is fallen from our head;" Prov. 
 
 iv. 9 ; Ps. Ixxxix. 39). 10, destroyed ... on 
 every side — ' shaken all round, so that I fall in the 
 dust :' image from a tree uprooted by violent 
 shaking from every side (Umhreit). The last 
 clause accords with this (Jer. i. 10). mine hope — 
 as to this life (in opposition to Zophar, ch. xi. 18) : 
 not as to the world to come [v. 25; ch. xiv. 15). 
 removed — uprooted. The tree, when merely cut 
 above, may revive, but not when torn up by the 
 roots : so is my hope utterly gone (ch. xiv. 7, 9, 19, 
 20). 11. enemies — (ch. xiii. 24, " Wherefore 
 boldest thou me for thine enemy?" Lam. ii, 5). 12. 
 troops — calamities advance together like hostile 
 troops (ch. X. 17, note), raise up . . . way. An 
 army must cast up a way of access before it, in 
 marching against a city (Isa. xl. 3). 13. brethren 
 —nearest kinsmen, as distinguished from "acquaint- 
 ance." So "kinsfolk" and " familiar friends" (?\ 
 14) correspond in parallelism. The Arabic proverb 
 is, 'The brother' — ^. e. , the true friend — 'is only 
 known in time of need.' estranged— , turn 
 away with disgust [iitJ. Job again unconsciously 
 uses language pretiguring the desertion of Jesus 
 Christ (ch. xvi. 10 ; Luke xxiii. 49, " All his 
 acquaintance, and the women . . . stood afar 
 off;" Ps. xxxviii. 11, "My lovers and my friends 
 stand aloof from my sore, and my kinsmen stand 
 afar off"). 14. failed — 'cease' to come to me. 
 15. They that dwell, &c.— rather, sojourn; male- 
 
 46 
 
 B. C 1520. 
 
 violence. 
 * ch. 3. 23. 
 Ps. 88. 8. 
 Lam. 3. 7, 
 8. 
 
 Hos 2 6. 
 / Deut. 32.22. 
 
 Ps. 89 46. 
 
 Ps. CO 7. 
 f ch. 16. 11. 
 
 Ps. 34. 19. 
 
 Isa. 10 6. 6. 
 
 Isa 61. 23. 
 fi- Ps. 31. 11. 
 
 Ps. 38. 11. 
 
 Matt 26. 66, 
 
 2 Tim. 4. 16, 
 » Ps. 18. 11. 
 
 Pro 18. 24. 
 
 Mic. 7. 5, 6. 
 
 Matt 10. 21. 
 } ch. 1. 15, 16. 
 
 Pro. 30. 21. 
 22. 
 
 3 my belly. 
 
 4 Or, the 
 wicked. 
 
 5 the men 
 of my 
 secret. 
 
 6 Or, as. 
 
 servants, sojourning in his house [M^i]. Mark 
 the contrast. The stranger, admitted to sojourn 
 as a dependent, treats the master as a stranger 
 \^]\ in his own house. 16. servant — born in my 
 house (as distinguished from those sojourning in 
 it), and so altogether belonging to the family. Yet 
 even he disobeys my call, mouth—?, e,, calling 
 aloud; formerly a nod was enough. Now I look 
 no longer for obedience; I try entreaty. 17. strange. 
 His breath, by elephantiasis, had become so strongly 
 altered and offensive, that his wife turned away as 
 estranged from him [v. 13; ch. xvii. 1). children 
 . . . of mine own body— lit., belly. But 'loins' is 
 what we should expect, not ' belly ' (womb), which 
 applies to the woman. The "mine" forbids it 
 being taken of his wife. Their children, besides, 
 were dead (ch. i. 19). In ch. iii, 10, the same 
 words, 'my womb,' mean, my mother's womb: 
 therefore translate, 'and I must entreat (as a sup- 
 pliant) the children of my mother's womb' — i.e., 
 my own brothers. A heightening of force, as com- 
 pared with last clause of v. 16 {Umbreit). Not 
 only must I entreat suppliantly my servant, lout my 
 own brothers (Ps. Ixix. 8). Here, too, he uncon- 
 sciously foreshadows Jesus Christ (John vii. 5). 
 Maurer translates, 'I am ojfensive (stinking) 
 to the children of mine own body'— viz., grand- 
 children sprung from me [^nhiin, |3n, to be stinking). 
 His own children were dead (ch. i. 19). 18. 
 young children. So the Hebrew [h'^v, from to 
 suck] means (ch. xxi. 11). Reverence for age is a 
 chief duty in the East. The word means 'wicked' 
 (ch. xvi. 11). So Umbreit has it here, not so well. 
 I arose — rather supply 'if,' as Job was no more 
 in a state to stand up. ' If I should stand up 
 (arise), they would speak against (abuse) me' (Um- 
 breit), (Ps. 1. 20, " Thou sittest and speakest 
 against thy brother," &c.) 19. inward— confidential 
 — lit., 'men of my secret,' or intimacy (Ps. xxv. 
 14) — to whom I entrusted my most intimate confi- 
 dence. 20. Extreme meagreness (Ps. cii. 5, "my 
 
His belief in 
 
 JOB XIX. 
 
 the resurrection. 
 
 21 Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, 0 ye my friends; 
 For the hand of God hath touched me. 
 
 22 Why do ye persecute me as God, 
 And are not satisfied with my flesh ? 
 
 23 ^ Oh that my words were now written ! 
 Oh that they were printed in a book ! 
 
 24 That they were graven with an iron pen — and lead in the rock for ever ! 
 
 25 For ^ I know that my Redeemer liveth, 
 
 And that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 
 
 bones cleave to my skiu ;" cf. Lam. iv. 8). The 
 bone seemed to stick to the skin, being seen 
 through it, owing to the flesh drying up and fall- 
 ing away from the bone. The marg., 'as to my 
 flesh,' would mean, ' my bone cleaves to my skin, 
 as (in health) it would do to my flesh ;' which gives 
 a clear sense. The English version expresses, ''and 
 to my flesh " — viz. , and to the little flesh which 
 remains, and which has fallen away from the 
 bone, instead of firmly covering it. Mz/ bone 
 cleaves to my skin and fiesh together: whereas 
 ordinarily the bones are joined by the flesh to the 
 skin {marg. , Ps. cii. 5 ; Lam. iv. 8). My skin and 
 flesh are so emaciated that the bones cleave closely 
 to the skin, and are seen easily from without (Ps. 
 xxii. 17). Christ, the Antitype, says, " I may tell 
 all my bones." skin of my teeth. Proverbial. I 
 have escaped vnth bare life ; 1 am whole only with 
 the skin of my teeth — i. e., my gums alone are whole, 
 the rest of the skin of my body is broken with 
 sores (ch. vii. 5). Satan left Job speech, in hope 
 that he might therewith curse God. 21. When 
 God had made him such a piteous spectacle, his 
 friends should spare him the additional persecu- 
 tion of their cruel speeches. 22. as God — has per- 
 secuted me. Prefiguring Jesus Christ (Ps. Ixix. 
 26). That God afflicts is no reason that man is to 
 add to a sufi"erer's affliction (Zech. i. 15). satis- 
 fied with my flesh. It is not enough that God 
 afflicts my flesh literally {v. 20), but you naust 'eat 
 my flesh' metaphorically (Ps. xxvii. 2) — i. e., utter 
 the woi'st calu7nnies—3iS the phrase often means in 
 Arabic (Gal. v. 15, " If ye bite and devour one an- 
 other, take heed that ye be not consumed one of 
 another "). 
 
 23. Despairing of justice from his friends in his 
 lifetime, he wishes his words could be preserved 
 imperishably to posterity, attesting his hope of 
 vindication at the resurrection, my words — vin- 
 dicating my innocence, printed— not our modern 
 printing, but engraven. 24. pen— graver, lead — 
 
 {)oured into the engraven characters, to make them 
 )etter seen [Umhreit). Not on leaden plates; for 
 it was "in the rock" that they were engraved. 
 Perhaps it was the hammer that was of " lead," as 
 sculptors find more delicate incisions are made by 
 it than by a harder hammer. Forster ( ' One Prime- 
 val Language') has shown that the inscrij)tions on 
 the rocks in Wady-Mokatta, along Israel's route 
 through the desert, record the journeys of that 
 peoi)le, as Cosmas Indicopleustes asserted, 535 a. d. 
 Whether his view be correct or not, the engraving 
 of inscriptions on rocks is of very ancient date, 
 for ever. As long as the rock lasts; not perishable 
 as a "book" {v. 23) would be. 25. For I— rather, 
 ' Yet / know,' if you do not. The / is emjihatical. 
 Redeemer. Umhreit, &c., understand this and 
 V. 26 of God appearing as Job's Avenger before 
 his d,eath, when his body would be wasted to a 
 skeleton. But Job uniformly despairs of restora- 
 tion and vindication of his cause in this life (ch. 
 xvii. 15, IG). One hope alone was left, which the 
 Spirit revealed— a Anndication in a future life : it 
 would be no full vindication if his soul alone were 
 47 
 
 B C. If)2). 
 
 ^ Who wiU 
 give, etc. 
 fc ch 33. 23. 
 24. 
 
 Ps 19. 14. 
 I3 64 6. 
 Isa. 59. 20. 
 21. 
 
 Kom 8. 25. 
 Eph. 1. 7. 
 
 to be happy without the body ; as some explain {v. 
 26) ' out of the flesh.' It was his body that had 
 chiefly suffered: the resurrection of his body, 
 therefore, alone could vindicate his cavxse : to see 
 God with his own eyes, and in a renovated body 
 (y. 27), would disprove the imputation of guilt cast 
 on him because of the sufferings of his present 
 body. That this truth is not further dwelt on by 
 Job, or noticed by his friends, only shows that it 
 was with him a bright passing glimpse of Old Testa- 
 ment hope, rather than the steady light of Gospel 
 assurance ; with us this passage has a definite 
 clearness which it had not in his mind (see note, 
 ch. xxi. 30). The idea in " Eedeemer" ['^^^i] with 
 Job is Vindicator (ch. xvi. 19; Num. xxxv. 27), 
 redressing his wrongs ; also including, at least with 
 us, for whom (and not merely for Job) the Spirit 
 designed this Scripture (Pom. xv. 4), and probably 
 with him, the idea of the predicted Bruiser 
 of the Serpent's head. Tradition would in- 
 form him of the prediction. Forster shows that 
 the fall by the serpent is represented perfectly 
 on the Temple of Osiris at Phyloe : and the resur- 
 rection on the tomb of the Egyptian Myceriuus, 
 dating 4000 years back. Job's sacrifices imply 
 sense of sin and need of atonement. Satan was 
 the Injurer of Job's body : Jesus Christ his Vindi- 
 cator, the Living One, who giveth life (John v. 21, 
 26.) at the latter day— rather, 'the Last,' agree- 
 ing in syntax with " my Redeemer," the peculiar 
 title of Jesus Christ, though Job may not have 
 known the pregnancy of his own inspired words, 
 and may have understood .merely one that comes 
 after (1 Cor. xv. 45; Rev. i. 17). Jesus Christ is 
 the last; the day of Jesus Christ the last day 
 (John vi. 39.) stand — rather, arise. As God is 
 said to "raise up" the Messiah (Jer. xxiii. 5; 
 Deut. xviii, 15). earth— rather, du^t ; often asso- 
 ciated with the body crumbling away in it (chs. vii. 
 21; xvii. 16): therefore appropriately here. Above 
 that very dust, wherewith was mingled man's 
 decaying body, shall man's Vindicator arise. 
 'Arise above the dust,' strikingly expresses 
 that fact that Jesus Christ arose first Himself 
 above the dust, and then is to raise His people 
 above it (1 Cor. xv. 20, 23). The Spirit intended 
 in Job's words more than Job fully understood 
 (1 Pet. i. 11, 12). Though He seems, in forsaking 
 me, to be as one dead. He now truly "liveth' 
 in heaven : hereafter He shall appear also above 
 the dust of earth. The Goel or Vindicator of 
 blood was the nearest kinsman of the slain. So 
 Jesus Christ took our flesh, to be our kinsman, 
 and to redeem the lost inheritance. Man lost 
 life by Satan the "murderer" (John viii. 44), here 
 Job's persecutor (Heb. ii. 14, "him that had the 
 power of death, that is, the devil"). Man re- 
 gains life by and in the Redeemer. Cf. also as of 
 redemption of the inheritance by the kinsman to 
 the dead (Ruth iv. 3-5). Christ is our Boaz 
 (strength), who has already bought us, and gives 
 us the Spirit as the 'earnest of our inheritance, 
 until the redemption of the purchased posses- 
 
His belief in 
 
 JOB XIX. 
 
 the resurrection. 
 
 26 ^And though after my skin worms destroy this body, 
 Yet in my flesh sliall I see God : 
 
 27 Whom I shall see for myself, — and mine eyes shall behold, and not another ; 
 Though my reins be consumed ^within me. 
 
 28 But ye should say, Why persecute we him, 
 Seeing the root of the matter is found in me ? 
 
 29 Be ye afraid of the sword : 
 For wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, 
 That ye may know there is a judgment. 
 
 siou,' which shall be at "the redemption of the 
 body," when Christ shall raise the dead (Rom. 
 viii. 23; Eph. i. 14). 26. And though after my skin 
 worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall 
 I see God— rather, 'though after my skin (is no 
 more) this (body) is destroyed,' "body" being 
 omitted, becaiise it was so wasted as not to 
 deserve the name ; yet from my flesh [njyan] (from 
 my renewed body, as the starting-point of vision 
 
 iSongii. 9, 'looking out from the windows') "shall 
 ^. see God." Next clause proves bodily vision 
 is meant, for it si3ecities " mine eyes " (BosenmuUer, 
 2d edition). The Hebrew opposes "m my flesh." 
 The"skin "was thefirst destroyed by elephantiasis, 
 then the " body." "/w my flesh "— n e., my present 
 flesh — would not accord so \A ell with " Flesli and 
 blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 
 XV. 50). It is ''from my flesh ' that I shall see God 
 — i. e., from my renewed body, which Job con- 
 trasts with "this" [nxi], pointing to his poor 
 emaciated frame, which he was soon to lay by. 
 Rationalists contradict themselves; for they say 
 Job expected to see God vindicating him with his 
 eyes {i\ 27), before death ; and yet, in v. 26, that 
 he should see God without his flesh (as the Hebrew 
 [J23] often means). Maurer, indeed, avoids this by 
 explaining, 'without my flesh' — i. e., after my flesh 
 has been all wasted away, I shall yet before death 
 see God. But this is a most unnatural sense. 
 How could Job still live after his skin and fieslt 
 had been destroyed? He certainly elsewhere never 
 had such an expectation of deliverance in this 
 life (cf. note, v. 25). 27. for myself— for my advan- 
 tage, as my friend, vindicating my innocence and 
 delivering me from all my calamities, not another'. 
 Mine eyes shall behold Him, but no longer as one 
 estranged [~it] from me, as now [Bengel). The 
 English version is good sense: "Not another" — 
 lit., not a stranger shall see God, whilst I am 
 ubseut and dead, though— better omitted: my 
 reins (inward recesses of the heart) are consumed 
 within me [lit, iu my bosom)— i. e., pine with 
 longing desire for that day (Ps, Ixxxiv. 2; cxix. 
 81). The Gentiles had but few revealed promises : 
 how gracious that the few should have been so 
 explicit! (cf. Num. xxiv. 17; Matt. ii. 2.) 
 
 28. Rather, ye muII then (when the Vindicator 
 cometh) say, Why did we persecute him ? root 
 . . . in me— the root of pious integrity, which 
 was the matter at issue, whether it could be iu one 
 so afflicted, is found in me. Umbreit, with many 
 MSS. and versions, reads 'in him:' 'Why did we 
 persecute him, or how found we in him ground for 
 contention ?' Noyes translates, ' Since ye say, How 
 may we persecute him, and find ground of accusa- 
 tion against him? be afraid of the sword,' &c. The 
 English version, however, accords well with the 
 eense. ' Seeing the root of the matter is found in me, 
 ye will then say (when the Vindicator comes), Why 
 did we persecute him?' 29. Be ye afraid of the 
 sword — the punishment about to be inflicted by 
 the coming Judge. "Wrath (the passionate 
 violence with which the friends persecuted Job) 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 8 Or. After I 
 shall awake 
 th. vgi 
 this bo('y 
 be destroy 
 ed, yet out 
 of my flesh 
 sliall Isee 
 God. 
 * in my 
 b som. 
 
 bringeth," &c. : lit., is sin of the swo^^d [nh:ii?. nz^n 
 n;]n]. that ye may know— supply, 'I say this.' 
 judgment — inseparably connected with the coming 
 of the Vindicator. The "wrath" of God at His 
 appearing for the temporal vindication of Job 
 against the friends (ch. xlii. 7) is a pledge of the 
 eternal wrath at the final coming to glorify the 
 saints and judge their enemies (2 Thess. i. 6-10; 
 Isa. XXV. 8). judgment Lji""^]- Maurer reads 
 i'lyf] 'the Almighty.'' 
 
 Remarks.— \. When God visits any with afflic- 
 tion, we should not add to it by magnifying 
 ourselves against the sufferer, as though our 
 exemption from trial "were a proof of our re- 
 ligious superiority. Granting, even, that such a 
 one has erred, it is he that has to bear the chas- 
 tisement of his error, not we (i\ 4). The spirit of 
 meekness, therefore, becomes us, considering our- 
 selves, lest we also should be tempted (Gal. vi. 1). 
 2. In many cases, as in that of Job, affliction is no 
 proof of God's displeasure at some special sin 
 [vv. 5, 6), but is a testing of the faith of His children, 
 " that the trial of their faith, being more precious 
 than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with 
 fire, may be found unto praise and honour and glory 
 at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. i. 7). 3. 
 Of all such trials none is so distressing to the 
 believer as that, when he cries to heaven, God 
 his Father seems at times to turn a deaf ear to 
 his supplications. But the disciple must not 
 expect to be above his Master. Even the divine 
 Son of God had once to complain, "0 my God, I 
 cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not ; and in 
 the night season, and am not silent" (Ps. xxii. 2). 
 No wonder, then, if the adopted children of God 
 have at times to complain similarly — "Thou hast 
 covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer 
 should not pass through" (Lj^m. iii. 44). Our 
 wisdom at such seasons is to trust God still, 
 when we cannot see Him, and, with strong faith 
 in His love, to tell the accuser, " Rejoice not 
 against me, 0 my enemy : when I fall, I shall arise ; 
 when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light 
 unto me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord 
 . . . until He plead my cause . . . He will bring 
 me forth to the light, and I shall behold His 
 righteousness" (Mic. vii. 8, 9). 4. How uncertain is 
 the friendship of the nearest relatives and acquaint- 
 ances ! {vv. 14-19.) Adversity often turns those 
 of our own household into advei-saries. The very 
 servant treats with disrespect the fallen master. 
 But if we can say, "The Lord is my helper . . . 
 the Lord who hath promised, I will never leave 
 thee nor forsake thee" (Heb. xiii. 5, 6), we may 
 boldly say, "I will not fear what man shall do 
 unto me." If we can say, Christ is "my Re- 
 deemer," and "I know" that He liveth, we need 
 not fear present suffering and approaching death. 
 The shroud, the coffin, the worm, and corruption 
 are terrible thoughts to the natural man; but the 
 believer looks beyond the present gloom to the 
 coming day when He who is "the Last" as well 
 as "the Ilrst" shall stand triumphant over all 
 
ZopJiar showeth the state 
 
 JOB XX. 
 
 and portion of the wicked. 
 
 20 
 
 2 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 THEN answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, 
 Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer. 
 And for this make haste. 
 
 3 I have heard the check of my reproach, 
 
 And the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer. 
 
 4 Knowest thou not this of old, — since man was placed upon earth, 
 
 5 That '^the triumphing of the wicked is ^ short. 
 And the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment ? 
 
 6 Though his excellency mount up to the heavens. 
 And his head reach unto the ^clouds; 
 
 7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung : 
 They which have seen him shall say, Where is he ? 
 
 8 He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found ; 
 Yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night. 
 
 9 The eye also which saw him shall see him no more ; 
 Neither shall his place any more behold him. 
 *His children shall seek to please the poor. 
 
 And his hands shall restore their goods. 
 His bones are full of the sin of his youth. 
 Which shall lie down with him in the dust. 
 
 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth,. 
 Though he hide it under his tongue ; 
 Though he spare it, and forsake it not. 
 
 But keep it still ^ within his mouth ; 
 
 Or 
 
 B. C. 1620. 
 
 14 Yet his "meat in his bowels is turned, — it is the gall of asps within him. 
 
 CHAP. 20. 
 
 1 my haste 
 is in me. 
 Ex. 15. 9, 10. 
 Ju'^g 1G.21, 
 
 30. 
 
 Esth. 5. 11. 
 
 12. 
 Ch. 5. 3. 
 Ch. 15. 23- 
 
 S4. 
 
 ch. 18. 5, C. 
 ch. 27. 13, 
 2}. 
 
 Ps. 37. 35 , 
 Ts. 73. 18, 
 20. 
 
 Acts 12 22, 
 23. 
 
 2 from near. 
 
 3 cloud. 
 
 4 Or. the 
 poor shall 
 oppress his 
 children. 
 
 5 in the 
 midst of 
 his pala'e. 
 
 6 2 Sam 11. 3. 
 
 5. 
 
 Ps 32. 3, 4. 
 Jer 4. 1^, 
 
 the foes of man— death, hell, and Satan— and 
 shall redeem man's body as He hath already re- 
 deemed his soul. "Fear not," saith He; "lam 
 the first and the last : I am He that liveth, and was 
 dead ; and, behold, I am alive for evermore. Amen ; 
 and have the keys of hell and of death " (Rev. i. 17, 
 18). Then shall those who persecuted the righteous 
 [vv. 28, 29) bitterly reproach themselves for the 
 past, when "the sword" of "judgment" is about 
 to descend on them. 
 
 CHAP. XX. 1-29. — Eeply of Zophar.— 
 Second Series. 
 
 2. Therefore— the more excited I feel by Job's 
 speech, the more, for that very reason, shall my 
 reply be supplied by my calm consideration. Lit. , 
 ^Notwithstanding, my calm thoughts (^g^b', as in 
 ch. iv. 13) shall furnish my answer, because of 
 tlie excitement" (haste) within me ' ( (Jmbreit). 
 But the English version is good sense : " Therefore 
 my thoughts cause me to answer (lit., answer for 
 me: supply me with an answer), and for this I 
 make haste" (lit., 7ny haste is in me) — viz., (because) 
 "1 have heard the check," &c. {v. 3). 3. check 
 of my reproach— i. e., the castigation intended as 
 a reproach (lit., shame) to me (ch. xix. 29). and— 
 rather, 'but,' spirit of . . . understanding— 
 'the spirit /roTTi my understanding:' my rational 
 spirit; answering to 'calm thoughts' {v. 2). In 
 si)ite of thy reproach, urging me to 'hastiness,' I 
 will answer in calm reason. 
 
 4. Knowest thou not? From thy way of be- 
 having, one would think thou didst not know. 
 5. hypocrite— lit., the ungodly (Ps. xxxvii. 35, 
 36). 6. (Isa. xiv. 13; Obad. iii. 4). 7. dung- 
 in contrast to the haughtiness of the sinner {v. 
 C) ; this strong term expresses disgust and the 
 lowest degradation (Ps. Ixxxiii. 10; 1 Ki xiv. 
 10). 8. fly away— {Ps. xc. 10). as a dream— (Isa. 
 xxix. 7; Ps. Ixxiii. 20). 9. 'The eye followeth 
 Iiim, but can discern him no more' (Ps. ciii. 16). 
 A sharp looking is meant (ch. xxviii. 7 ; cf. ch. vii 
 10). ( Umbreit.) 10. seek to please— 'atone to the 
 VOL. III. 49 
 
 poor' (by restoring the property of which they 
 had been robbed by the father) [Ve Wette). " The 
 children" are reduced to the humiliating condition 
 of 'seeking the favour of those very poor' whom 
 the father had oppressed, [iny. is taken by the 
 English version from n5i"i, to delight, or _p?ease; 
 but by Maurer and Umbreit, from yif'^, to break, 
 or oppress, as marg. ; and so the old versions. ] 'The 
 poor shall oppress his sons:' the very poor who 
 had been reduced to want by the oppression of 
 the father, his hands— rather, their (the children's) 
 hands. their goods — the goods of the poor. 
 Righteous retribution ! (Exod. xx. 5, ) 11. (Ps. xxv. 
 7) ; so the Vulgate. Gesenius has 'full of youth'— 
 viz., in the fulness of his youthful strength he shall 
 be laid in the dust. But "bones" plainly alludes 
 to Job's diseases, probably to Job's own words 
 (ch. xix. 20). Umbreit translates instead 
 of "youth," 'full of his secret sins,' as in Ps. xc. 8; 
 his secret guilt in his time of seeming righteousness, 
 like secret poison, at last lays him in the dust. The 
 English version is best. Zophar alludes to Job's 
 own words (ch. xvii. 16, "Our rest together is in the 
 dust." with him. His sin had so pervaded his na- 
 ture that it accompanies him to the grave : for eter- 
 nity the sinner cannot get rid of it (Rev. xxii. 11). 
 
 12. loe— 'taste sweet/ Sin's fascination is like 
 poison, sweet to the taste, but at last deadly to 
 the vital organs (Prov. xx. 17, "Bread of deceit is 
 sweet to a man ; but afterwards his mouth shall 
 be filled with gravel ;" Prov. ix. 17, 18). hide . . . 
 tongue— seek to prolong the enjoyment by keep- 
 ing the sweet morsel long in the mouth (so v. 13), 
 13. forsake it not—does not let it go from his 
 mouth down his throat, so as the longer to enjoy 
 its sweet relish. 14. turned— c/iaw^ecZ into poison. 
 The Hebrew denotes a total change into a disagree- 
 able contrary (Jer. ii 21 ; cf. Rev. x. 9, 10). gall 
 —in which the poison of the asp was thought to 
 lie. It rather is contained in a sack in the mouth. 
 Scripture uses popular language where no moral 
 
Zophar showcth the state 
 
 JOB XX. 
 
 and portion of the wicked. 
 
 X5 He hath ^swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again ; 
 God shall cast them out of his belly= 
 
 16 He shall suck the poison of asps: — the viper's tongue shall slay him. 
 
 17 He shall not see ^the rivers, ^the floods, 
 The brooks of honey and butter. 
 
 18 That which he laboured for shall he restore. 
 And shall not swallow it down : 
 
 ^According to his substance shall the restitution be, 
 And he shall not rejoice therein. 
 
 19 Because he hath ^oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; 
 
 Because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not ; 
 
 20 Surely 'he shall not ^feel quietness in his belly, 
 He shall not save of that which he desired. 
 
 21 10 There shall none of his meat be left ; 
 Therefore shall no man look for his goods. 
 
 22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits : 
 Every hand of the wicked shall come upon him. 
 
 23 When he is about to fill his belly Got' shall cast the fury of his wrath 
 
 upon him, 
 
 And shall rain it upon him ^ while he is eating. 
 
 24 He ^shall flee from the iron weapon, 
 
 And the bow of steel shall strike him through. 
 
 25 It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; 
 
 Yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall : — terrors ^are upon him. 
 
 26 All darkness shall be hid in his secret places : 
 *A fire not blown shall consume him ; 
 
 It shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle. 
 
 truth is thereby endangered. 15. He is forced to 
 disgorge his ill-gotten wealth. 16. shall suck— it 
 shall turn out that he has sucked the poison, &c. 
 17. The wicked is not allowed to have the enjoy- 
 ment of the overflowing abundance of goods which 
 he has accumulated, floods— lit. , streams of floods ; 
 plentiful streams flowing with milk, &c. (ch. xxix. 
 () ; Exod. iii. 17). Honey and butter are more 
 fluid in the East than with us, and are poured out 
 from jars. These "rivers" or water-hrooks are in 
 the sultry East emblems of prosperity. 18. Image 
 from food which is taken away from one before 
 he can swallow it. restitution — (so Prov. vi. 
 31). The parallelism favours the English version 
 ".according to his substance, so shall be his 
 restitution'— ^i^., 'according to the substance of 
 his recompence' or restitution), rather than the 
 translation of Gesenius, 'As a jpossession to be 
 restored in which he rejoices not,' lie shall 
 not rejoice — his enjoyment of nis ill-gotten 
 gains shall then be at an end {v. 5). 19. op- 
 pressed—whereas he ought to have espoused 
 their cause (2 Chr. xvi. 10). forsaken — left 
 helpless, house. Thus leaving the poor without 
 shelter (Isa, v. 8; Mic. ii. 2, "take by violence 
 houses"). 20. shall not— rather, 'For he knows 
 (or knew) no quietness' or rest from desires, in his 
 belly— i, e. , inivardly. not save— , ' not escape 
 with that which he desired'— viz., with his much- 
 prized wealth. Alluding to Job's having been 
 stripped of his all. 21. There shall none of his 
 meat be left. Maurer translates; 'Nothing was 
 left to his voracity'— i. e., nothmg escaped his 
 voracity. The English version gives good sense— 
 lit., ' Nothing shall be left for his meat.' look for 
 —rather, because his goods, i. e., prosperity, shall 
 have no endurance [^^n^]. 22. shall be — rather, 
 'he is (feeleth) straitened' [Umhreit). The next 
 clause exijlains in what rewpect. The E)iglish 
 60 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 * Fro. 23. 8. 
 Matt 27. 3, 
 
 4. 
 
 ^ Num U 23. 
 2 Ki. 7. 2. 
 Jer. 17. 6. 
 
 6 Or, stream- 
 ing brooks. 
 
 7 according 
 to the sub- 
 stance of 
 his ex- 
 change. 
 
 8 crushed. 
 Pro. 22. 22. 
 Matt. 5. 42. 
 
 * Eccl 5. 13. 
 
 8 know. 
 
 10 Or, There 
 shall be 
 none left 
 for his 
 meat. 
 
 "Or. 
 trouble- 
 some. 
 Num. 11 33. 
 Ps 78 30, 
 SI. 
 
 f ISL 24. 18. 
 
 Jer. 48 43. 
 
 Amos 6 19. 
 ft ch. 18. 11. 
 
 Ps. 73. 19. 
 
 * Ps 21. 9. 
 
 version is good sense: 'In the fulness of his 
 abundance he shall be reduced to straits.' wicked 
 —rather, 'the whole hand of the miserable l'^^?] 
 (whom he had oppressed) cometh upon him ;' viz., 
 the sense of his having oppressed the poor, now 
 in turn comes with all its power (hand) on him 
 (ch. XV. 21). This causes his 'straitened' feeling 
 even in prosperity {Umhreit). Or. 'every head of 
 those made miserable by him snail come upon 
 him:' they all shall literally attack him to take 
 revenge. 23. Rather, 'God shall cast (may God 
 send) ( U mbreit) upon him the fury of His wrath 
 to fill his belly !^ i. e., to satisfy his insatiable 
 covetousness. while eating — rather, ' shall rain it 
 upon him /or his food!'' Fiery rain— i. e., light- 
 ning (Ps. xi. 6; alluding to Job's misfortune, cn. i. 
 16). The force of the image is felt by picturing to 
 one's self the opposite nature of a refreshing rain 
 in the desert (Exod. xvi. 4; Ps. Ixviii. 9). His 
 craving appetite, never satisfied, shall at least 
 get enough of the kind of food which God shall 
 send — fiery judgments rained upon him. 24. 
 Steel— rather, ' brass' [nJi'ira]. Whilst the wicked 
 flees from one danger, he falls into a greater one 
 from an opposite quarter {Umbreit). 25. It is 
 drawn — ^i^., 'He (God) draweth (the sword, 
 Josh. V. 13), and (no sooner has He done so, than) 
 it cometh out of {i. €., passes right through) the 
 (sinner's) body' (Deut. xxxii. 41, 42; Ezek. xxi. 
 9, 10). 'The glittering sword' is in the Hebrew 
 lightning [p^s]. gall— i. e., his life (ch. xvi. 13) 
 'inflicts a deadly wound.' terrors— the terrors 
 of death, which with horror he perceives approach- 
 ing through the deadly wound. Zophar repeats 
 Bildad's words (ch. xviii. 11; Ps. Ixxxviii. 16; 
 Iv. 4). 26. All darkness— i. e., every calamity 
 that befalls the wicked shall be hid (in store for 
 him) m His (God's secret places or treasures, Jude 
 
Job craves to he 
 
 JOB XXL 
 
 patiently heard. 
 
 B C. l'S20. 
 
 1 Isa. 20. 21. 
 ch. 18. 21. 
 ch. 27. 13. 
 ch. 31. 2, 3. 
 Fs 11. 5, 6. 
 Matt. 24.51. 
 12 of his 
 decree 
 from God. 
 
 27 The heavens ■'shall reveal his iniquity ; 
 And the earth shall rise up against him. 
 
 28 The increase of his house shall depart, 
 And his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath. 
 
 29 This ^is the portion of a wicked man from God, 
 And the heritage appointed unto him by God. 
 
 21 BUT Job answered and said, 
 
 2 Hear diligently my speech; — and let this be your consolations. 
 
 3 Suffer me that I may speak ; — and after that I have spoken, mock on. 
 
 4 As for me, is my '"complaint to man ? 
 And if it were so, why should not my spirit be ^troubled ? 
 
 5 ^Mark me, and be astonished, — and lay your hand upon your mouth. 
 
 6 Even when I remember I am afraid, 
 And trembling taketh hold on my flesh. 
 
 7 Wherefore ^ do the wicked live, — become old, yea, are mighty in power ? 
 
 8 Their seed is estabhshed in their sight with them, 
 And their offspring before their eyes. 
 
 ]3 ; Deut. xxxiii. 34). Maurer, not so well, takes 
 it, 'in tlie sinner's secret treasures.' not blown— 
 not kindled by man's hands, but by God's (Isa. 
 XXX. 33; xxxiii. 11-14; the LXX., in Alexandrian 
 manuscript, read ' unqnenchable tire ;' Matt. iii. 12). 
 Tact is shown by the friends in not expressly men- 
 tioning, but alluding, under colour of general cases, 
 to Job's calamities here (ch. i. 16). Umhreit 
 explains it, wickedness is a ' self-igniting-lire ;' in it 
 lie the principles of destruction, ill . . . tabernacle 
 —every trace of the sinner must be obliterated 
 (ch. xviii. 15). 27. All creation is at enmity with 
 him, and proclaims his guilt, which he would fain 
 conceal. He alludes to Job's own words (ch. xvi. 
 18, 19), in which he appealed to heaven and earth 
 to attest his innocence. 28. increase— prosperity. 
 Ill got— ill gone, flow away — like waters that 
 run dry in summer ; using Job's own metaphor 
 against himself (ch. vi. 15-17 ; 2 Sam. xiv. 14; Mic. 
 i. 4). Ms wrath— God's. 29. appointed— not as 
 a matter of chance, but by the Divine ' decree' 
 (marr/.) and settled principle (cf. ch. xviii. 21). 
 
 Remarks. — 1. When reproached by others, we 
 need the more to take heed to our spirit, that we 
 do not reply in hastiness, but in accordance with 
 the calm dictates of reason {vv. 2, 3). We do not 
 lose but gain weight by controlling our natui'al 
 tempers ; for the very term ' passion ' implies that 
 he who gives way to it is passive, acted on, in- 
 stead of being capable of acting ou others. 2. 
 The ungodly may seem to triumph for a time, but 
 their triumph is of short-lived duration {vv. 5-7). 
 Hypocrisy is a losiug game. It affords but a sorry 
 satisfaction for the time, that a man should be 
 thought to be that which he knows iu his heart he 
 is not ; and the mask is soon, and for ever, to be 
 stripped off, and the hyjiocrite's naked deformity 
 to be exposed before angels, men, and devils. The 
 very height of the sinner's previous elevation only 
 enhances the depth of his ignominious fall at last. 
 All else, save solid piety, is like a vanishing dream. 
 The place of the sinner who is most brilliantly 
 
 i)rosperous now shall soon k)iow him no more. 3. 
 Cven in this world God's moral government for 
 the most part causes the transgressor to suffer 
 retribution in kind. "Be sure your sin will find 
 you out" (Num. xxxii. 23), Sometimes the 
 children [v. 10) of the oppressor have been fain to 
 win the favour of those very poor whom their 
 father had robbed. "The sin of his youth" [v. 11) 
 often haunts his conscience with guilty remem- 
 brances, destroying all peace, and often leaves 
 seeds of disease in the bodily constitution which 
 
 CHAP. -a. 
 1 Sa. 1. 16. 
 ch. 10. 1, 2. 
 Ps. 22. 1-3. 
 Matt. 26. 
 38. 39. 
 
 1 shortened 
 
 2 Look unto 
 me. 
 
 6 ch 12. 6. 
 Ps. 17. 10. 
 Jer. 12. 1-3. 
 
 remain with him for life. However sweet a 
 man's pleasant sins be to him at the time, and 
 however long he tries to prolong the enjoyment of 
 them {vv. 12-15), yet, presently, bitterness and 
 death are the fatal result. Even iu the midst of 
 his affluence he is deprived of the enjoyment of it. 
 He knows no inward rest amidst his plenty, and 
 he shall ere long have to disgorge his ill-gotten 
 wealth {vv. 15, 18-20). He feels as though he were 
 in straits amidst abundance {v. 22) ; and is con- 
 tinually fearing that the whole force of those 
 whom he has reduced to misery shall suddenly 
 attack him. His insatiable appetite shall at last 
 receive at God's hands a shower of fiery wrath 
 more than enough to fill him to the full {v. 23). 
 God's glittering sword shall pierce him in an in- 
 stant. Heaven and earth are against him. Whither, 
 then, can he flee to? Oh how sweet to the believer 
 to know that he "is passed from death unto life" 
 (John V. 24), and that God's anger is turned away 
 (Isa. xii. 1) for ever from him ! 
 
 CHAP. XXI. 1-34.— Job's Answer.— Second 
 Series. 
 
 2. consolations. If you will listen calmly to me, 
 this will be regarded by me as "consolations;" 
 alluding to Eliphaz's boasted "consolations" (ch. 
 XV. 11), which Job felt more as aggravations 
 (' mockings,' vv. 3, 34) than consolations (ch. xvi. 2). 
 3. ' Then you may go on with your mockings ' (ch. 
 
 xvii, 2). 4. Job's difficulty was not as to man, but 
 as to God, why He so afflicted him, as if he were 
 the guilty hypocrite which the friends alleged him 
 to be. Vvlgate translates it, 'my disputat" m.' 
 if it were— rather, since this is the case, troubled 
 — lit. ' short : ' rendered impatient. 5. lay . . . 
 hand upon . . . mouth— (Prov. xxx. 32; Judg. 
 
 xviii. 19). So the heathen god of silence was 
 pictured with his hand on his mouth. There was 
 enough in Job's case to awe them into silence (ch. 
 xvii. 8). Cease to try to explain these anomalies 
 of God's moral government, which you cannot 
 explain. 6. remember— think on it. Can you 
 wonder that I broke out into complaints, when 
 the struggle was not with men but with the Al- 
 mighty ? Reconcile, if you can, the ceaseless woes 
 of the innocent with the Divine justice. Is it not 
 enough to make one tremble? ( Umhreit.) 
 
 7. Wherefore do the wicked live. The answer 
 is (Ptom. ii. 4 ; 1 Tim. i. IG ; Ps. Ixxiii. 18 ; Eccl. 
 
 viii. 11-13; Luke ii. 35, end; Prov. xvi. 4; Eom. 
 
 ix. 22). old — in o])position to the friends who 
 asserted that sinners are "cut off "early (ch. 
 
 I viii. 12, 14). 8. Iu opijositign to ch. xviii. 19; 
 
The wicked sometimes 
 
 JOB XXI. 
 
 prosper in this life. 
 
 9 Their houses ^are safe from fear, — neither is the rod of God upon them. 
 
 10 Their bull gendereth, and faileth not ; 
 Their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf. 
 
 1 1 They send forth their little ones like a flock, — and their children dance. 
 
 12 They take the timbrel and harp, — and rejoice at the sound of the organ. 
 
 13 They spend their days * in wealth, — and in a moment go down to the gi'ave. 
 
 14 Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; 
 For we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. ^ 
 
 15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve liim ? 
 And v/hat profit should we have, if we pray unto him ? 
 
 16 Lo, their good is not in their hand : 
 The counsel of the wicked is far from me. 
 
 17 How oft is the ^candle of the wicked put out ? 
 And how oft cometh their destruction upon them ? 
 God distributeth sorrows in his anger. 
 
 18 They are as stubble before the wind. 
 
 And as chaff that the storm ^carrieth away. 
 
 19 God layeth up ''his iniquity for his children : 
 He rewardeth him, and he shall know it, 
 
 20 His eyes shall see his destruction. 
 
 And he shall drink of the wrath of the AlmigLty. 
 
 21 For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, 
 When the number of his months is cut off in the midst ? 
 
 B. C. 1620. 
 
 8 are peace 
 from fear, 
 ch. 15. 21. 
 Ps. 73. 19, 
 Isa. 67. 19. 
 21. 
 
 4 Or, in 
 mirth. 
 
 6 Or, lamp, 
 ch. 18. 5. 6. 
 
 6 stealeth 
 away. 
 Ps. 1. 4. 
 Ps. 35. 5. 
 Isa. ir. 13. 
 Isa. 29. 5. 
 Hos. 13. 3. 
 
 7 That is. 
 the punish- 
 ment of his 
 iniquity. 
 Gen. 4. 7. 
 Ex. 20. 6. 
 Isa, 63. 4-6 
 
 2 Cor. 5. 21. 
 " Ps. 75. 8. 
 Isa, 51. 17, 
 Jer. 25. 15, 
 16. 
 
 V. 4; Jer. xii. 1; Ps. Ixxiii. 3, &c. 9. L'lt.^ peace 
 from fear : with poetic force. Their house is peace 
 itself, far removed from fear. Opposed to the 
 friends' assertion as to the bad (chs. xv. 21-24; xx. 
 2G-28), and, conversely, the good (ch. v. 23, 24). 
 10. Their cattle {i. e., cows) conceive. The first 
 clause of the verse describes an easy conception, the 
 second a happy hirth {Umhreit). I prefer the 
 English version. 11. send forth — viz., out of 
 doors, to their happy sports under the skies, like 
 a joyful flock sent to the pastures, little ones 
 — like lambkins, children — somewhat older than 
 the former, dance— not formal dances, but skip, 
 like lambs, in joyous and healthful play. 12. take 
 — rather, lift up the voice (sing) to the note of 
 (Isa. xlii. 11). (Umhreit.) timbrel— rather, 
 tambourine, organ — not the modern " organ," but 
 the ' pipe' (Gen. iv. 21). The first clause refers to 
 stringed, the latter to wind instruments; thus, 
 with 'the voice,' all kinds of music are enumerated. 
 13. wealth— old English for prosperity, in a 
 moment — not by a lingering disease. Great 
 blessings ! Lengthened life, with prosperity, and a 
 sudden painless death (Ps. Ixxiii. 4; "There are 
 no bands in their death;" cf. ch. xxiv. 24). 14. 
 Therefore— rather, And yet they are such as say, 
 &c. — i. e. , say, not in so many words, but virtually, 
 by their conduct (so the Gergesenes expressly, 
 Matt, viii. 34). How differently the godly! (Isa. ii. 
 3.) ways — the course of action which God points 
 out ; as in Ps. 1. 23, marg, 15. (Cf. Jer. ii. 20, " I 
 will not serve " (God), marg.; Prov. xxx. 9 ; Exod. v. 
 2, Pharaoh, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey 
 His voice? I know not the Lord.") what profit 
 — (ch. XXXV. 3; Mai. iii. 14, "It is vain to serve 
 God : and what profit is it that we have kept His 
 ordinance?" Ps, Ixxiii. 13). Sinners ask not what 
 is right, but what is for the profit of self. They 
 forget, ' If religion cost self something, the want of 
 it will cost self infinitely more.' pray unto him— 
 lit., ' apply to Him with j)rayer.' 
 
 16. not in their hand— but in the hand of God. 
 Tliis is Job's difficulty, that God, who has sinners' 
 prosperity (good) in His hand, should allow them to 
 
 have it. Maurer translates, ' Lo, is not their good 
 in their hand?' Does not good fortune attend 
 them everywhere ? Dathius takes the words as 
 ironical, as much as to say, Surely you cannot say 
 that ' their good is not in their hand' — i. e., is not 
 solid and lasting, is— rather, 'way the counsel 
 of the wicked be far from me ! ' ( Umbreit.) This 
 naturally follows the sentiment of the first clause. 
 Yet let me not hereby be thought to regard with 
 aught but horror the ways of the wicked, however 
 prosperous. 17. Job in this whole passage, down to 
 21, quotes the assertion of the friends as to the 
 short continuance of the sinner's prosperity, not 
 his own sentiments. In v. 22 he proceeds to refute 
 them. " How oft is the candle" (lamp), &c., quot- 
 ing Bildad's sentiment (ch. xviii. 5, 6, 12), in order 
 to question its truth (cf. Matt. xxv. 8). how oft 
 — " God distributeth," &c., alluding to ch. xx. 23, 
 29. sorrows — [n^^an is derived by Gesenius from 
 ^50, pain: but by Maurer from a cord to 
 measure with ; hence a portioii, as inheritances, 
 were measured out by cords (Ps. xvi. 6, "The lines 
 are fallen to me in pleasant places ;" Amos vii. 17, 
 " Thy land shall be divided by line")]. Umbreit 
 translates ' snares'— lit., cords, which lightning in 
 its twining motion resembles (Ps. xi. 6). 18. 
 J ob alludes to a like sentiment of JBildad (ch. xviii. 
 18), using his own previous ivords (ch. xiii. 25). 
 chafF— (Ps. i. 4 ; xxxv. 5). 19. Equally questionable 
 is the friends' assertion, that if the godless himself is 
 not punished, the children are (chs. xviii. 19 ; xx. 10); 
 and that God rewardeth him here for his iniquity, 
 awc^.that 7ie shall know it to his cost. So "know" 
 (Hos. ix. 7). 20. Another questionable assertion 
 of the friends, that the sinner sees his own and his 
 children's destruction in his lifetime, drink — 
 (Ps. xi. 6; Isa. li. 17; Lam. iv. 21). 21. The argu- 
 ment of the friends, in proof of v. 20, What plea- 
 sure can he have from his house (children) when 
 he is dead? (Eccl. iii. 22, "after him.") when the 
 number, &c.— (ch. xiv. 21). Or, rather. What hath 
 fie to do with his children, &;c.? (so the Hebrew ["j'gn] 
 in EccL iii. 1; viii. 6.) It is therefore necessary 
 
The punishment of the 
 
 JOB XXL 
 
 tcicked is in another world. 
 
 22 Shall any teach God knowledge ? 
 Seeing he judgeth those that are high. 
 
 23 One dieth ^in his full strength, — being wholly at ease and quiet : 
 
 24 His ^breasts are full of milk, 
 
 And his bones are moistened with marrow. 
 
 25 And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, 
 And never eateth with pleasure. 
 
 26 They shall lie '^down alike in the dust, — and the worms * shall cover them. 
 
 27 Behold, I know your thoughts, 
 
 And the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me. 
 
 28 For ye say, Where is the house of the prince ? 
 And where are ^'^the dwelling-places of the wicked? 
 
 29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way ? 
 And do ye not know their tokens, 
 
 30 That the ^ wicked is reserved to the day of destruction ? 
 They shall be brought forth to ^Hhe day of wrath. 
 
 31 ^Vho shall declare his way to his face ? 
 
 And who shall repay him what he hath done ? 
 
 32 Yet shall he be brought to the grave, — and sliall remain in the tomb. 
 
 ''his eyes should see his and their destruction.' 
 cut OflF— rather, when the number of his allotted 
 months is fulfilled (ch. xiv. 5) : [from yn, an ar- 
 row, which was used to draw lots with. Hence 
 arrow is the figure for inevitable destiny] (Umbreit). 
 I prefer the English version, and explain the whole 
 verse thus : — You, when you cannot deny that the 
 ungodly are often prosperous to their end, assert 
 that if they are not themselves punished, their 
 children are : but you cannot so prove God to be 
 just ; for justice requires that they should be pun- 
 ished themselves; for when they are dead 'what 
 have they to do with their children after them, 
 when the number of their months is cut off?' 
 They cannot feel their children's lot whether it be 
 happy or miserable. 
 
 22. Reply of Job. — *In all these assertions you 
 try to teach God how He ought to deal with men, 
 rather than prove that He does in fact so deal with 
 them. Experience is against you. God gives 
 prosperity and adversity as it pleases Him, not as 
 man s wisdom would have it, on principles in- 
 scrutable to us' (Isa. xl. 13; Rom. xi. 34). those 
 . . . high — the high ones ; not only angels, but men 
 (fsa. ii. 12-17). 23, Lit, in the bone [qv??] of his 
 perfection— i. e., the full strength of unimpaired 
 prosperity (Umbreit). 24. breasts— rather, skins 
 or vessels for fluids (Lee). But U mhreit has ' stations 
 or resting-places of his herds near water : ' in oppo- 
 sition to Zophar (ch, xx. 17), the first clause refers 
 to his abundant substance, the second to his 
 vigorous health, I prefer, with marg., 'milk 
 pails.' moistened— comparing man's body to a 
 M'ell-watered field (Pro v. iii. 8; Isa, Iviii, 11; Ixvi, 
 14, "Your bones shall flourish like an herb"). 
 Translate, ' The marrow of his bones is well 
 moistened,' so as not to dry up. In opposition to 
 Zophar's statement (ch. xx. 11, "His bones are full 
 of the sin of his youth"). 25. (Of. ch. iii. 20; ix. 
 25.) 26, (Eccl, ix. 2.) 
 
 27. Their wrongful thoughts against Job are 
 stated by him in v. 28, They do not honestly 
 name Job, but insinuate his guilt, as if proved by 
 his sufferings, 28. ye say— referring to Zophar (ch. 
 XX. 7). the house-referring to the fall of the 
 house of Job's eldest son (ch. i, 19), and the de- 
 struction of his family, prince. The parallel 
 " wicked" in the second clause requires this to be 
 taken in a bad sense, tyrant, oppressor (Isa.. xiii. 2; 
 
 the same Hebrew, "nobles" — oppressors), dwell- 
 ing-places—rather, pavilions; lit., a tent contam- 
 ing many dwellings, such as a great emir, like Job, 
 with many dependents, would have. 29. Job, 
 seeing that the friends will not admit him as an 
 impartial judge, as they consider his calamities 
 prove his guilt, begs them to ask the opinion of 
 travellers (Lam, i, 12), who have the experience 
 drawn from observation, and who are no way con- 
 nected with him, J ob opposes this to Bildad (ch, 
 viii, 8) and Zophar (ch, xx. 4). tokens— rather, 
 intimations [e. g., inscriptions, r)ro verbs, signifying 
 the results of their observation), testimony. Lit., 
 signs or proofs in confirmation of the words which I 
 have spoken (Isa. vii, 11). 30. Their testimony 
 (referring perhaps to those who had visited the 
 region where Abraham, who enjoyed a revelation, 
 then lived) is, "the wicked is (now) spared [re- 
 served) against the day of destruction " (hereafter). 
 The Hebrew does not so well agree with {Umbreit) 
 'in the day of destruction.' [^'^'n;. DV^ plainly 
 agrees with the English version, "Is reserved to 
 (or for, or against) the day, &c.] Job does not 
 deny sinners' /w^itre punishment, but their punish- 
 ment in this life. They have their "good things" 
 noiv. Hereafter their lot, and that of the godly, 
 shall be reversed (Luke xvi, 25). Job, by the Spirit, 
 often utters truths which solve the difficulty 
 under which he laboured. His afflictions mostly 
 clouded his faith, else he would have seen the 
 solution furnished by his own words. This 
 answers the objection, that if he knew of the 
 resurrection (ch. xix. 25), and future retribu- 
 tion (ch. xxi. 30), why did he not draw his rea- 
 sonings elsewhere from them, which he does not ? 
 God's righteous government, however, needs to be 
 vindicated as to this life also, and therefore the 
 Holy Ghost has caused the argument mainly to 
 tui'n on it, at the same time giving glimpses of a 
 future fuller vindication of God's ways, brought 
 forth— not 'carried away safe' or 'escape' (re- 
 ferring to this life), as Umbreit has it. wmth— lit., 
 'wraths;' i e., multiplied and fierce wrath. 31, 
 /. e,,Who dares to charge him openly with his bad 
 ways ? viz, , in this present life. So powerful is the 
 wicked man now. He shall, I grant (v. 30), be 're- 
 paid' hereafter. 32. Yet— rather, And. brought 
 — with solemn pomp (Ps. xlv. 15). Not only when 
 alive, but even when dead, he is treated with 
 
Eliphaz accuseth 
 
 JOB XXIL 
 
 Job of sin. 
 
 33 The clods of the valley ^ shall be sweet unto him, 
 And every man shall draw after him, 
 
 As there are innumerable before him. 
 
 34 How then comfort ye me in vain, 
 
 Seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood? 
 22 THEN Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, 
 
 2 Can ^a man be profitable unto God, 
 
 ^ As he that is wise may be profitable unto himself ? 
 
 3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous ? 
 Or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect ? 
 
 4 Will he reprove thee for fear of thee ? 
 Will he enter with thee into judgment ? 
 
 5 Is not thy wickedness great? — and thine iniquities infinite ? 
 
 6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nouglit. 
 And 2 stripped the naked of their clothing. 
 
 B C. 1520. 
 
 ^ ch. 3. 17, 18. 
 1* transgres- 
 sion. 
 
 CHAP. 22. 
 " Ps. 11 2 
 Luke 17. 10. 
 
 1 Or, if he 
 may be 
 profitable, 
 doth his 
 good 
 success 
 depend 
 thereoi) 1 
 
 2 stripped 
 the clotlies 
 of the 
 naked. 
 
 honour, grave— lit., graves; i. e., Llie place where 
 the graves are. remain in— rather, watch on [Tipt^'J 
 the tomb, or sepulchral mound. Even after death 
 he seems still to live and watch [i. e., have his 
 " remembrance " preserved) by means of the monu- 
 ment over the grave. In opposition to Bildad (ch. 
 xviii. 17). 33. As the classic saying has it, 'The 
 earth is light upon him.' His repose shall be 
 " sweet." draw — follow. As in Judg. iv. 6. He 
 shall share the common lot of mortals : no worse 
 off than they (Heb. ix. 27). {Umh7xit.) Not so 
 well (for it is not true of every man"): others 
 translate, ''most men follow in his bad steps, as 
 countless such preceded him.' 34, falsehood — 
 lit. , wickedness. Your boasted ' ' consolations " (ch. 
 XV. 11) are contradicted by facts ("vain"); they 
 therefore only betray your evil intent ("wicked- 
 ness") against me. 
 
 Remarks.— It has often been a subject of dis- 
 tressing perplexity to the godly to observe the 
 seemingly continuous prosperity of many of the 
 ungodly. Striking judgments are sometimes in- 
 flicted on grievous sinners, as samples of God 
 oeing still the righteous Governor of the world. 
 The difficulty is, Why is it not always so? The 
 answer is, This is a world of probation, in which 
 God, in wonderful long-suffering and patience, 
 gives a season for repentance to the vilest; and 
 at the same time the prosperity of wicked fools, 
 whilst serving God's counsels, ripens them, when 
 they have continued to harden their heart against 
 His goodness, for their own destruction (Prov. i. 
 32). 2. The language of the natural heart to God 
 is, "Depart from us" {v. 14): as, on the contrary, 
 the earnest prayer of every believer is, "Draw 
 nigh unto my soul, and ledeem it" (Ps. Ixix. 18). 
 The unconverted cannot see any "profit" to be 
 gained by praying to and serving the Almighty, 
 whilst they are most keen-sighted as to worldly 
 profits and gains, from whatsoever source derived. 
 Self-destroyers, and blind to their true interest, 
 they forget, " What is a man profited, if he shall 
 gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Or, 
 ■' What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" 
 (Matt. xvi. 26.) 3, It is presumption and vanity 
 for us to think we can give an account of, or 
 fathom, all the mysteries of God's dealings. Why 
 one dies in tranquillity, another in bitterness of soul 
 — the former, perhaps, the worst man of the two — 
 we cannot say, but simply believe that the Judge 
 of all the earth does right, and exclaim, " Oh the 
 depths of the riches both of the wisdom and know- 
 ledge of God ! how unsearchable are His judgments, 
 and His ways past finding out ! " (Rom. xi. 33. ) To 
 charge great sufferers with great and extraordinary 
 54 
 
 sins is contrary alike to experience and charity. 
 4. The truth, which should dispel every perplex- 
 ing thought about the seeming anomalies of the 
 present disordered state of things, is, there is a 
 judgment (p. 30) soon coming, in which all things 
 shall be put to rights,— the ungodly shall be eter- 
 nally punished, their very prosperity previously 
 increasing the weight of their condemnation ; and 
 the righteous shall be everlastingly rewarded, 
 their previous sufferings enhancing their incon- 
 ceivable blessedness. Though now the death of 
 the godly and of the ungodly, in a physical point 
 of view, is alike [vv. 32, 33), there shall then be an 
 eternal difference between their relative states. 
 In a religious point of view, as death left them, so 
 shall the judgment find them. 
 
 'Hope humbly then, with trembliug pinions soar; 
 Wait the great teacher Death, and God adore.' 
 
 CHAP. XXIL 1-30.— As before— Eliphaz 
 Begins.— Third Series. 
 
 1. Eliphaz shows that man's goodness does not 
 add to, or man's badness take from, the happiness 
 of God: therefore it cannot be that God sends 
 prosperity to some and calamities on others for 
 His own advantage: the cause of the goods and ills 
 sent must lie in the men themselves (Ps. xvi. 2; 
 Luke xvii. 10 ; Acts xvii, 25 ; 1 Chr. xxix. 14). So 
 Job's calamities must arise from guilt. Eliphaz, 
 instead of meeting the facts, tries to show that it 
 could not be so. 
 
 2. as he that is wise— rather, yea, the (truly) 
 wise {pious) man profiteth himself. So "under- 
 standing" or " wise "— j9«*oi6s (Dan. xii. 3, 10; Ps. 
 xiv. 2). {Michaelis.) 3. pleasure — accession of 
 happiness: God has pleasure in man's righteous- 
 ness (Ps. xlv. 7), but He is not dependent on man's 
 character for His happiness. 4. Is the punishment 
 inflicted on thee from fear of thee, in order to dis- 
 arm thee ? as Job had implied (notes, chs. vii. 12, 20 ; 
 X. 17). will he enter . . . into judgment? Job 
 had desired this (ch. xiii. 3, 21, 22). He ought 
 rather to have spoken as Ps. clxiii. 2. 
 
 5. Heretofore Eliphaz had only insinuated, now 
 he plainly asserts Job's guilt, merely on the 
 ground of his sufferings. 6. The crimes alleged, 
 on a harsh inference, by Eliphaz against Job, are 
 such as he would think likely to be committed 
 by a rich man. The Mosaic law (Exod. xxii. 26 ; 
 Deut. xxiv. 10) subsequently embodied the feel- 
 ing that existed among the godly in Job's time 
 against oppression of debtors as to their pledges. 
 Here the case is not quite the same: Job is 
 charged with taking a pledge where he had no 
 Just claim to it: and in the second clause, that 
 
EUphaz accuseth 
 
 JOB XXII. 
 
 J ob of siu: 
 
 7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, 
 And thou Miast withholden bread from the hungry. 
 
 8 But as for ^the mighty man, he had the earth; 
 And the * honourable man dwelt in it. 
 
 9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, 
 
 And the arms of the fatherless have been broken. 
 10 Therefore snares are round about thee, 
 And sudden fear troubleth thee , 
 Or darkness, that thou canst not see ; 
 And abundance of waters cover thee. 
 
 /5 '^not God in the height of heaven ? 
 And behold ^the height of the stars, how high they are ! 
 13 And thou sayest, ^How doth God know ? 
 Can he judge through the dark cloud ? 
 Thick ^clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; 
 And he walketh in the circuit of heaven. 
 
 Hast thou marked Hhe old way — which wicked men have trodden 
 Which were cut down out of time, 
 ^ Whose foundation was overflown with a flood : 
 Which said unto God, Depart from us : 
 And what can the Almighty do ^for them ? 
 
 18 Yet he filled-^ their houses with good things: 
 But the counsel of the wicked is far from me. 
 
 19 The righteous ^see it, and are glad ; — and the innocent laugh them to scorn. 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 14 
 
 15 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 B C. 12). 
 
 f> ch. 31. 16, 
 17. 
 
 Malt. 25.12. 
 
 3 the man of 
 arm. 
 
 i eminent, 
 or, accept- 
 ed for 
 counte- 
 nance. 
 
 " fs. 1l5. 3, 
 16. 
 
 Eccl. 5. 2. 
 Isa. 66. 1. 
 
 5 the head of 
 the stars. 
 
 6 Or, What. 
 d Ps. 139. 12. 
 * Gen. 6. Il- 
 ls. 
 
 7 a flood was 
 poured 
 upon their 
 founda- 
 tion. 
 
 Gen. 7. 11. 
 
 8 Or, to 
 them. 
 
 / Ps. 17. 13, 
 14. 
 
 f Ps. 107. 42. 
 
 pledge {the outer garment, which served the 
 poor as a covering by day, and a bed by night) 
 13 represented as taken from one who had not 
 "changes of raiment" (a common constituent of 
 wealth in the East), but was j^oorly clad — " naked" 
 (Matt. XXV. 36; Jas. ii. 15): a sin the more heinous 
 in a rich man like Job. 7. Hospitality to the 
 weary traveller is regarded in the East as a 
 primary duty (Isa. xxi. 14). 8. mighty— Hebrew, 
 ' man of ami' (Ps. x. 15); viz., Job. honourable- 
 Hebrew, accejjted of countenance (Isa. iii. 3, marg.; 
 2 Ki. V. 1, marg.)', i. e., possessing authority. 
 Eliphaz repeats his charge (ch. xv. 28; so Zophar, 
 ch. XX. 19), that it was by violence Job wrung 
 houses and lands from the poor, to whom now he 
 refused relief {vv. 7,9). {Michaelis.) 9. empty- 
 without their wants being relieved (Gen. xxxi. 42). 
 The Mosaic law especially protected the widow 
 and fatherless (Exod. xxii. 22); tlie violation of it 
 in their case by the great is a complaint of the 
 prophets (Isa. i. 17). arms— supports, helps on 
 which one leans (Hos. vii. 15, "I have strength- 
 ened their arms"). Thou hast robbed them of 
 their only stay. Job replies in ch. xxix. 11-1(1 
 10. snares— alluding to Job's admission (ch. xix. 6 ; 
 cf. ch. xviii. 10; Prov. xxii. 5, "Snares are in the 
 way of the froward"). 11. that— so that thou 
 canst not see. abundance — floods. Danger by 
 floods is a less frequent image in this book than in 
 the rest of the Old Testament (chs. xi. 16 ; xxvii. 
 2f)). Overwhelming calamities are meant (Ps. xviii. 
 16; xxxii. 6). 
 
 12. Eliphaz says this to prove that God can 
 from His height behold all things; gratuitously 
 inferring that Job denied it, because he denied 
 that the wicked are punished here, height — 
 Hebrew, head; i. e., elevation (ch. xi. 8). 13. 
 Kather, And yet thou sayest, God does not con- 
 cern himself with ("know") human affairs, (Ps. 
 Ixxiii. 11, " How doth God know ? Is there know- 
 ledge in the Most High?") judge through . . . 
 cloud?— Can His judgment penetrate "through 
 tlie dark cloud" to the earth? 14. covering— a 
 55 
 
 veil. " In the circuit of heaven " only, not taking 
 any part in earthly affairs. Job is alleged as 
 holding this Epicurean sentiment (Lam. iii. 44; 
 Isa. xxix. 15; xl. 27; Jer. xxiii. 24; Ezek. viii. 12; 
 Ps. cxxxix. 12, "The darkness hideth not from 
 thee"). 15. marked— rather. Dost thou keep to? 
 i e., v/isli to follow (so Hebrew, 2 Sam. xxii. 22). 
 If so, beware of sharing their end. the old way — 
 the degenerate ways of the world before the flood 
 (Gen. vi. 5, " The wickedness of man was great in 
 the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts 
 of his heai't was only evil continually"). 16. cut 
 down — rather, 'fettered,' as in ch. xvi. 8; i.e., 
 arrested by death, out of time— prematurely, 
 suddenly (ch. xv. 32; Eccl. vii. 17); lit, whose 
 foundation was poured out (so as to become) a 
 stream, or flood. The solid earth passed from 
 beneath their feet into a flood (Gen. vii. 11, " The 
 fountains of the great deep were broken up "). 
 17. Eliphaz designedly uses Job's own words (ch. 
 xxi. 14, 15), to show that the wicked, who so put 
 away God from them, are not prosperous, as Job 
 had asserted, do for them. They think they 
 can do everything for themselves. 18. "Yet" 
 you say (ch. xxi. 16, see note) that it is " He who 
 tilled their houses with good" — "their" 'good is 
 not in their hand,' but comes from God. but the 
 counsel ... is, &c,— rather, viay the counsel be, 
 &c. Eliphaz sarcastically quotes in continuation 
 Job's words (ch. xxi. 16). Yet, after uttering this 
 godless sentiment, thou dost hypocritically add. 
 May the counsel," &c. Such a formula of aver- 
 sion against the wicked becomes not you, a wicked 
 man yourself, but me. 19. Triumph of the pious 
 at the fall of the recent followers of the antedilu- 
 vian sinners. Whilst in the act of denying that 
 God can do them any good or harm, they are cut 
 off' by Him. Eliphaz Jiereby justifles himself and 
 the friends for their conduct to Job: not derision 
 of the wretched, but joy at the vindication of 
 God's ways (Ps. cvii. 42; Kev. xv. 3; xvi. 7; 
 xix. 1, 2, " Salvation, and glory, and honour, 
 and power unto the Lord our God: for true 
 
Eliphaz exfiorteth 
 
 JOB XXII. 
 
 Job to repentance. 
 
 20 Whereas our ^substance is not cut down, 
 
 But ^"^the remnant of them the fire consumeth. 
 
 21 Acquaint now thyself ^^with him, and be at peace : 
 Thereby good shall come unto thee. 
 
 22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, 
 And lay up ^his words in thine heart. 
 
 23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up. 
 Thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. 
 
 24 Then shalt thou lay up gold ^^as dust, 
 
 And the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. 
 
 25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence. 
 And thou shalt have plenty of silver. 
 
 26 For then shalt thou have thy* delight in the Almighty 
 And shalt lift up thy face unto God. 
 
 27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee. 
 And thou shalt pay thy vows. 
 
 28 Thou shalt -^also decree a thing, — and it shall be established unto thee : 
 And the light shall shine upon thy ways. 
 
 29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say. There is lifting up; 
 And he shall save ^^the humble person. 
 
 30 ^^He shall deliver the island of the innocent: 
 And it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands. 
 
 and righteous are His judgments"). 20. Where- 
 as our substance is not cut down. The trium- 
 phant speech of the pious. If "substance" be 
 retained, translate, rather, as the LXX., ' Has not 
 their substance been taken away, and ? ' &c. But 
 the Hebrew is rather, ' Truly [vh : not, whereas 
 . . . not] our adversary [^3Q"'p"l is cut down' 
 (Gesenius). The learned Cocceius supports the 
 English version. The same opposition exists be- 
 tween the godly and ungodly seed as between the 
 unf alien and restored Adam and Satan {adversary): 
 this forms the groundwork of the book (chs. i. and 
 ii. ; Gen. iii. 15). remnant— all that ' is left ' of 
 the sinner: repeated from ch. xx. 26, which makes 
 U'liibreifs rendering, 'glory' (marg.), 'excellency,' 
 less probable, fire— alluding to Job (chs. i. 16; xv. 
 34 ; xviii. 15 ; xx. 26). First is mentioned destruc- 
 tion by water (v. 16); here, by fire (2 Pet. iii. 
 5-7). 
 
 21. Eliphaz takes it for granted, Job is not yet 
 'acquainted' with God; lit., becomes comjoanion 
 of God. Turn with familiar confidence to God. 
 and be— so thou shalt be. The second imperative 
 expresses the consequence of obeying the first (Ps. 
 xxxvii. 27). peace— prosperity and restoration to 
 Job; true, spiritually, also to us (Eom. v. 1 ; Col. 
 1. 20). good— (1 Tim. iv. 8). 22. lay up— (Ps. 
 cxix. 11, " Thj^ word have I hid in mine heart, that 
 I might not sin against thee;" cf. Prov. ii. 1; iv. 
 10). law [rri^T^I—lit , a directory: from the idea of 
 straightness. 23. built up — anew, as a restored 
 house, thou shalt put away— rather, if thou 
 put away {Michaelis). 24, Eather, containing the 
 protasis from the last clause of v. 23, //thou re- 
 gard the glittering metal as dust— lit., lay it on the 
 dust— to regard it of as little value as the dust on 
 which it lies. The apodosis is at v. 25. Then 
 shall the Almighty be, &c. God will take the 
 place of the wealth in which thou didst formerly 
 trust, gold — rather, ' precious ' or ' glittering 
 metal,' parallel to " (gold) of Ophir," in the second 
 clause {Umhreit and Maurer). Ophir — derived 
 from a Hebrew word, dust — viz. , gold dust. 
 Heeren thinks it a general name for the rich 
 countries of the South, on the African, Indian, 
 
 B. 0. 1520. 
 
 9 Or, estate. 
 10 Or, their 
 
 excellency. 
 UThat is, 
 
 with God. 
 
 Isa. 27. 5. 
 
 Kom. 5. 1. 
 
 i Ps. 119. 11. 
 
 Jer 15. 16. 
 Luke 2. 19, 
 51. 
 
 12 Or, on the 
 dust. 
 
 2 Ch. 1. 15. 
 
 13 Or, go'd. 
 
 14 silver of 
 strength. 
 
 } Pro 16. 3. 
 
 15 bim that 
 hath low 
 eyes. 
 
 Ps. 138. 6. 
 
 16 Or, The 
 innocent 
 shall 
 deliver 
 the island. 
 Geu. 18. 26. 
 
 and especially the Arabian coast (where was the 
 port Aphar. El Ophir, too, a city of Oman, was 
 formerly the centre of Arabian commerce). It is 
 curious, the natives of Malacca still call their 
 mines Ophirs. stones of the brooks — i/ thou 
 dost let the gold of Ophir remain in its native val- 
 ley among the stones of the brooks; i. e., regard it us 
 of as little ivorth as the stones, &c. The gold was 
 washed down by mountain torrents, and lodged 
 among the stones and sand of the valley. 25. 
 Apodosis. Yea— rather. Then shall the Almighty 
 be, &c. defence —rather, as the same Hebrew 
 pv?.] means in v. 24 (see note), thy precious 
 metals ; God will be to thee in the place of riches, 
 plenty of silver— rather, ' and shall be to thee in 
 the place of laboriously obtained treasures of silver.' 
 [nisphn, from worn out with labour.] {Ge- 
 senius.) Elegantly implying, it is less labour to 
 find God than the hidden metals ; at least to the 
 humble seeker (ch. xxviii. 12-28). But Maurer has 
 ' the shining silver ^—lit. , ' silver of splendours. ' 26. 
 lift up . . . face, &c. — repeated from Zophar (ch. xi. 
 15). 27. (Isa. Iviii. 9, 14.) pay thy vows— which 
 thou hast promised to God in the event of thy pray- 
 ers being heard : God will give thee occasion to pay 
 the former by hearing the latter. 28. decree— pur- 
 pose or resolve on a thing, and thy resolution shall 
 be realized, light — success. 29. Rather, When 
 thy ways (from v. 28) are cast down (for a time), 
 thou shalt (soon again have joyful cause to) say, 
 There is lifting up (prosperity returns back to me). 
 {Maurer.) he — God. humble— Hebrew, 'him 
 that is of low eyes.' Eliphaz implies that Job is 
 not so now in his affliction ; therefore it continues : 
 with this he contrasts the blessed eflfect of being 
 humble under it (Jas. iv. 6, and 1 Pet. v. 5, 
 probably quote this passage). Therefore it is 
 better, I think, to take the first clause as re- 
 ferred to in James and Peter by " God resisteth 
 the proud." When (men) are cast down, thou 
 shalt say (behold the effects of) pride. Eli- 
 
 Jhaz hereby justifies himself for attributing 
 ob's calamities to his pride. "Giveth grace to 
 the humble" answers to the second clause. 30. 
 island— ^, e., (^welling. But the Hebrew cut; 
 
Job longeth to 
 
 JOB XXIII. 
 
 appear before God, 
 
 23 THEN Job answered and said, 
 
 2 Even to-day is my complaint bitter : 
 ^My stroke is heavier than my groaning. 
 
 3 Oh that I knew where I might find him ! 
 That I might come even to his seat ! 
 
 4 I would order my cause before him, — and fill my mouth with arguments. 
 
 5 I would "know the words which he would answer me, 
 And understand what he would say unto me. 
 
 6 Will *he plead against me with Ms great power? 
 No ; but he would put strength in me. 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 CHA.P. 23. 
 1 my hand. 
 " ch. 10. 2. 
 Ch. 13.22,23. 
 ch. 42. 2, 6. 
 6 ch. 9. 19, 
 £3. 31. 
 ch. 13. 21. 
 Isa. 27. 4. 
 8. 
 
 Is 57. 16. 
 Mic. 2. 1. 
 
 down from ]'^] expresses the negative (1 Sam. iv. 
 21) ; translate ' Thus He (God) shall deliver him 
 who was not guiltless'— viz., one who, like Job 
 himself on conversion shall be saved, but not 
 because he was, as Job so constantly affirms of 
 himself, guiltless, but because he humbles himself 
 (y. 29) : an oblique attack on Job even to the last 
 and it — rather, ' he (the one not heretofore guiltless) 
 shall be delivered through the purity (acquired 
 since conversion) of thy hands :' by thy intercession, 
 (as Gen. xviii. 26, &c.) [Maurer.) God will deliver 
 even others from death at thy intercession. The 
 irony is strikingly exhibited in Eliphaz uncon- 
 sciously uttering words which exactly answer to 
 what happened at last : he and the other two 
 were "delivered" by God accepting the inter- 
 cession of Job for them (ch. xlii. 7, 8). Umbreit 
 makes Eliphaz in the latter clause turn from Job 
 to God: ' He (Job) shall be delivered by the pure- 
 ness of thine hands,' 0 God, not by his own pure- 
 ness, such as he once thought he had. 
 
 Remark?. — 1. Man's piety is no gain to God : the 
 ' profit ' is all to one s self (ch. xxxv. 7). We 
 cannot add to God's perfect felicity, nor put Him 
 under an obligation to us. When we have done all 
 that is commanded to us, the truth is, " we are un- 
 profitable servants ; we have done that which was our 
 duty to do" ( Luke xvii. 10). God receives no benefit 
 from man for which He owes us a debt. When He 
 desires us to be holy, it is our happiness that He 
 desires. The cause of men's misery or blessedness 
 is to be looked for in themselves, and is not due 
 to any selfish aim on God's part : for whether we be 
 saved or lost, God shall overrule all things to His 
 own glory (Prov. xvi, 4). 2. God, being Himself 
 the All-merciful and All-just One, takes particular 
 cognizance of sins against the law of justice and 
 the law of love. The poor, the naked, the weary, 
 the hungry, the widow, and the fatherless are His 
 especial clients : He will plead their cause and 
 execute judgment for them, not only on the op- 
 pressor, but also on the unmerciful, who have had 
 no sympathy for, and rendered no relief to their 
 brethren in their distress. The Judge shall say, 
 "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of 
 these (my brethren), ye did it not to me" (Matt. 
 XXV. 45). Even in this world retribution in kind 
 often overtakes the unmerciful and selfish. But 
 the full retribution shall be in the world to come. 
 3. The worldly and unbelieving are willing to 
 admit the being of a God, provided that He be not 
 8Ui)posed to take particular cognizance of all the 
 concerns of this lower world: "Thick clouds" 
 (v. 14), say they in their heart, if not in express 
 words, "are a veil to Him, that He seeth not:" 
 it is true "He walketh in the circuit of heaven," 
 but as to what goes on here on earth, nature has 
 her fixed laws, and "all things continue as they 
 were from the beginning of creation" (2 Pet. iii. 3, 
 4). In direct confutation of all such Epicurean 
 notions stands the fact of God's visitation of man's 
 sin with the overwhelming flood, in the days of 
 57 
 
 Noah [vv. 15, 16 ; 2 Pet. iii. 5). The way of 
 wickedness is an "old way," but it is no better 
 and no safer for that. The same God who 
 punished so awfully men's ungodliness and un- 
 belief then, can and will do the same again by 
 fire (2 Pet. iii. 7). 4. The practical lesson to be 
 learned by each is, "Acquaint now thyself with 
 God, and be at peace: thereby good shall come 
 unto thee " {v. 21). So long as one is unconverted, 
 one is alienated from, and a stranger to God. 
 Whatever else he may know, he knows not Him 
 whom to know is "eternal life" (John xvii. 3). 
 To be at peace with God, we must come to Him 
 through Christ, who is "our peace;" and then, 
 "being justified by faith, we have peace with 
 God, through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Kom. v. 1). 
 5. The blessed fruits of this peace with God are, 
 His law becomes henceforth dear to us, so that we 
 no longer put from us Him and His words {v. 17), 
 but " lay them up in our heart " {v. 22) : the love 
 of money gives place to the love of God ; gold is 
 henceforth valued by us as but "dust" [vv. 24, 25), 
 when compared with the Almighty. God is the be- 
 liever's treasure and his "delight " [v. 26) : no longer 
 does he hang the head in slavish fear, but "lifts up 
 his face unto God " in child-like confidence [v. 26) : 
 his prayers, too, are heard, being presented through 
 the all-prevailing merits of our great High Priest 
 [v. 27) : his purposes, being in the main directed to 
 the glory of God, are realized {v. 28). 6. The twenty- 
 ninth verse furnishes us with one great key of God's 
 dealings with us : God is continually abasing the 
 proud and lifting up the humble. He will save 
 none but those who confess themselves "not in- 
 nocent." He will have none to be esteemed ab- 
 solutely pure but Himself {v. 30 ; Luke xviii. 10-14). 
 
 CHAP. XXIIL 1-17.— Job's Answer.— Third 
 Series. 
 
 2. to-day — implying, perhaps, that the debate 
 was carried on through more days than one (see 
 'Introduction'), bitter— (ch. vii. 11; x. 1). my 
 stroke — the hand of God on me {marg,; ch. xix. 
 21 ; Ps. xxxii. 4). heavier than— is so heavy that 
 I cannot relieve myself adec^uately by groaning. 
 3. The same wish as in ch. xiii. 3 (contrast Heb. x. 
 19-22, "Having . . . boldness to enter into the 
 holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living 
 way, which He hath consecrated for us, through 
 the veil, that is to say. His flesh ; and having an 
 High Priest over the house of God; let us draw 
 near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, 
 having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, 
 and our bodies washed with pure water"), seat. 
 The idea in the Hebrew is a well-prepared throne 
 [in:iDn, from to fit] (Ps. ix. 7). 4. order — 
 state methodically (ch. xiii. 3, 18 ; Isa. xliii. 26). 
 fill, &c. — I would have abundance of arguments to 
 adduce. 5. lie — emphatic: it little matters what 
 man may say of me. if only I know what God 
 judges of me. 6. An objection suggests itself 
 whilst he utters the wish {v. 5). Do I hereby wish 
 that He should plead against me with His omni- 
 
The decree of 
 
 JOB XXIII. 
 
 God is immortal. 
 
 7 There the righteous might dispute with him ; 
 
 So should I be delivered for ever from my judge. 
 
 8 Behold, '^I go forward, but he is not there; 
 And backward, but I cannot perceive him : 
 
 9 On the left hand, where he doth work, — but I cannot behold him: 
 He hideth himself on the right hand, — that I cannot see him : 
 
 10 But he knoweth ^the way that I take : 
 
 When ^he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. 
 
 11 My ^foot hath held his steps, — his way have I kept, and not declined. 
 
 12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips ; 
 
 ^ I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than ^ my necessary food. 
 
 13 But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? 
 And what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. 
 
 14 For he performeth the thing that is ^appointed for me : 
 And many such things are with him. 
 
 15 Therefore am I troubled at his presence: 
 When I consider, I am afraid of him. 
 
 16 For God maketh my heart soft, — and the Almighty troubleth me : 
 
 17 Because I was not cut off before the darkness, 
 Neither hath he covered the darkness from my face. 
 
 potence ? Far from it (chs. ix. 19, 34 ; xiii. 21 ; 
 XXX. 18). strength — so as to prevail with Him : as 
 in Jacob's case, when lamed, and unable, there- 
 fore, to wrestle any longer in his own strength, he 
 hung on the angel of the Lord with his whole 
 weight, and, strengthened by the strength which 
 God put in him, he prevailed (Hos. xii. 3, 4). 
 Umhreit and Maurer translate as in ch. iv. 20 (I 
 only wish that He) 'would attend to me' — lit., 
 turn (His attention) to me nb•^ being un- 
 derstood] i. e., give me a patient hearing, as an 
 ordinary judge, not using His omnipotence, but 
 only His divine knowledge of my innocence. I 
 prefer the English version— (1.) Because the He- 
 brew [3] is "in" rather than 'to;' (2.) Because 
 "strength " or ' power ' is more naturally supplied 
 from the former clause than 'attention' or 'heart.' 
 
 7. There— rather. Then : if God would ' attend ' 
 to me [v. 6). righteous— e., the result of my 
 dispute would be. He would acknowledge me as 
 rir/hteous. Job means, by "the righteous," him- 
 sdf, then recognized as such by God. delivered — 
 from suspicion of guilt on the part of my Judge. 
 
 8. But I wish in vain. For "behold," &c. for- 
 ward . . . backward— rather, 'to the east, to the 
 toesf The Hebrew geographers faced the east— 
 i. e., sunrise: not the north, as we do. So 'before' 
 means east: 'behind,' west (so the Hindoos). 
 ' Para,' before — east : ' Apara,' behind — west : ' Das- 
 china,' the right hand — south : 'Bama,' left — north. 
 A similar reference to sunrise appears in the name 
 Asia, sunrise: Europe, sunset: pure Babylonian 
 names, as Rawlinson shows. 9. Eather, ' To the 
 north.' work. God's glorious works are especially 
 seen towards the northern region of the sky by 
 one in the northern hemisphere. The antithesis 
 is between God working, and yet not being beheld : 
 as in ch. ix. 11, between "He goeth by,"" and "I 
 see Him not.'' The parallelism to the second 
 clause leads Umbreit to translate, doth hide him- 
 self; but then the antithesis to behold would be 
 lost ; and the Hebrew [nb^y] means rather, as the 
 English version, "doth work ;" lit, 'In His work- 
 ing.' right hand— 'in the south.' hideth— ap- 
 propriately of the wnexplored south, then regarded 
 as uninhabitable through heat (see ch. xxxiv. 29). 
 
 10. But— correcting himself for the wish that his 
 58 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 " ch. 9. 11. 
 Ps. 10. 1. 
 iTim. 16.6. 
 
 2 the way 
 that is 
 with me. 
 Ps 139. 1. 2, 
 
 3. 
 
 d P,s. 17. 3. 
 
 Jas 1. 12. 
 
 1 Pet. 1. 7. 
 * Ps. 44. 18. 
 
 3 I have hid, 
 or. laid up- 
 John 4. 32. 
 
 4 Or, my 
 appointed 
 portion. 
 
 / Nu. 23. IJ. 
 20. 
 
 ch. ol 29. 
 Eccl. 1. 15. 
 Eccl. 3. 14. 
 Kom 9. 19. 
 Jas 1. 17. 
 » 1 Thess 3.3. 
 
 cause should be known before God. The om- 
 niscient One already knoweth the way that is with me 
 (my inward principles: his outward way, or course 
 of acts, is mentioned in v. 11. So in me, ch. iv. 21) ; 
 though, for some inscrutable cause. He as yet hides 
 Himself {vv. 8, 9). when— let Him only but try 
 my cause, I shall, &c. 11. held — fast by His steps. 
 The law is in the Old Testament poetry regarc led 
 as a way, God going before us as our guide, in 
 whose footsteps we must tread (Ps. xvii. 5). de- 
 clined— (Ps. cxxv. 5). 12. esteemed— rather, laid 
 up— viz., as a treasure found (Matt. xiii. 44; Ps. 
 cxix. 11) 05?]: alluding to the words of Eliphaz 
 (ch. xxii. 22), There was no need to tell me so ; I 
 liave done so already (Jer. xv. 16). necessary — 
 'apijointed portion' (of food: as in Prov. xxx. 
 8). Umbreit and Maurer translate, 'More than 
 my law' ['p;n] ; my own will, in antithesis to 'the 
 words of His mouth ' (John vi. 38). How difficult 
 it is for man to prefer God's laws to those of 
 his own will ! Probably, under the general term, 
 ' what is appointed to me ' (the same Hebrew is 
 in V. 14), all that ministers to the appetites of the 
 .body and carnal will is included. 
 
 13. in one mind — notwithstanding my inno- 
 cence. He is unaltered in His purpose of proving 
 me guilty, who can turn him? — (ch. ix. 12). 
 soul— His will (Ps. cxv. 3). God'^ sovereignty. 
 He has one great purpose ; nothing is haphazard ; 
 everything has its proper place, with a view to His 
 purpose. 14. many such — He has yet many more 
 such ills in store for me, though hidden in His breast 
 (ch. X. 13). 15. God's decrees, impossible to be re- 
 sisted, and leaving us in the dark as to what may 
 come next, are calculated to fill the mind with holy 
 awe (Bai^nes). 16. soft — faint. Hath melted my 
 courage. Here again Job's language is that of 
 Jesus Christ (Ps. xxii. 14, "My heart is like wax : 
 it is melted in the midst of my bowels"). 17. 
 Because / was not taken away by death from the 
 evil to come (lit., /rom before the face of the dark- 
 ness, Isa. Ivii. 1). Alluding to the words of Eliphaz 
 (ch. xxii. 11, "darkness" — i.e., calamity. "Cut 
 off ;" rather, in the Arabic sense, brought to the 
 land of silence ['ripv?]: my sad complaint hushed 
 in death {Umbreit). "Darkness," in the second 
 clause, not the same Hebrew word as in the first, 
 
Wicked men often 
 
 JOB XXIV. 
 
 go unpunished here. 
 
 24 WHY, seeing "times are not hidden from the Almighty, 
 Do they that know him not see his days ? 
 
 2 Some remove the ^landmarks: 
 They violently take away flocks, and ^feed thereof. 
 
 3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, 
 They '^take the widow's ox for a pledge. 
 
 4 They turn the needy out of the way : 
 The "^poor of the earth hide themselves together. 
 
 5 Behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work ; 
 Rising betimes for a prey : 
 
 The wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children, 
 
 6 They reap every one his ^ corn in the field ; 
 And ^ they gather the vintage of the wicked. 
 
 7 They ^ cause the naked to lodge without clothing, 
 That they have no covering in the cold. 
 
 cloud, obscurity. Instead of ' covering the cloud 
 (of evil) from my face,' He " covers" me with it 
 (ch. xxiL 11). 
 
 Remarks. — 1. How light are our trials, for the 
 most part, as compared with those under which 
 Job "groaned" [v. 1); and, on the other hand, 
 how much fuller and clearer are our spiritual 
 privileges and consolations than his ! What he 
 sighed for we possess, — boldness of access to the 
 throne of God [vv. 3-5). Moreover, we have not 
 to plead our own cause, as Job unwisely desired 
 to be permitted to do. Our Advocate with the 
 Father, our "great High Priest, that is passed 
 into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God" (Heb. 
 iv. 14), undertakes our case, and pleads with all- 
 prevailing efficacy for us, who believe and come 
 unto the Father by Him. 2. When our spirits 
 fail whilst God contends with us, He graciously 
 keeps us from sinking by putting His strength in 
 us {v. 6). Our greatest wisdom in such cases is, 
 like the wrestling patriarch Jacob, to hang with 
 our whole weight on Him: so shall His strength 
 be made perfect in our weakness. The best 
 ' arguments ' we can ' fill our mouth with ' are 
 God's promises in His Word (r. 4), which He 
 delights to be "put in remembrance" of, as 
 though He needed to be reminded of them (Isa. 
 xliii. 26). 3, There are times in the experience 
 of every believer when God seems to withdraw 
 Himself, so that His child, as it were, gropes after 
 Him in the dark, but is unable to attain to the 
 sense of His comfortable presence. At such times 
 the believer must wait in faith and patience, re- 
 membering that God " knows his way," and that 
 when God has fully tried him, and removed the 
 dross from him in the fiery ordeal of affliction, he 
 shall "come forth as gold" {v. 10). 4. God's 
 words are the spiritual food of every true saint 
 {v. 12). The discii)le of Christ, like his Master, 
 feels that "man shall not live by bread alone, but 
 by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth 
 of God" (Matt. iv. 4). As God is a sovereign, 
 who x)erforms whatsoever He appoints, so that none 
 can turn Him [cv. 13, 14), the believer refers all 
 things to the good pleasure of His will, and waits 
 in assured hope that God is faithful to his pro- 
 mises, and that, though "weeping may endure for 
 a night, joy cometh in the morning" (Ps. xxx. 5). 
 
 CHAP. XXIV. 1-2.). 1. Why is it that, see- 
 ing that the times of punishment (Ezek. xxx. 
 3; "time" in the same sense) are not hidden 
 from the Almighty, they who know Him (His 
 true worshippers, ch. xviii. 21), do not see His 
 days? (of vengeance; Joel i. 15; 2 Pet. iii. 10.) 
 Or, with IJwhrcdt, less simply, making the par- 
 allel clauses more nicely balanced. Why are not 
 59 
 
 B. C. 15-20. 
 
 CHAP. 24. 
 Acts 1. 7. 
 & Deut. 19 11. 
 Pro. 25. 10. 
 
 1 Or, feed 
 them. 
 
 « Deut. 24. 6, 
 
 10, 12, 17. 
 ^ Pro. 2S. 2S. 
 
 2 mingled 
 corn, or, 
 dredge 
 
 3 the wicked 
 gather tiie 
 vintage 
 
 « Ex 11. 26. 
 Deut 2i. 
 12. 
 
 ch. "2 6. 
 
 times of punishment hoarded up (' laid up,' 
 ch. xxi. 19; appointed) by the Almighty ?—i e., 
 why are they not so appointed as that man may 
 now see them? as the second clause shows. Job 
 does not doubt that they are appointed ; nay, he 
 asserts it (ch. xxi. 30) ; what he wishes is, that God 
 would let all now see that it is so. 2-14. Instances 
 of the wicked doing the worst deeds with seem- 
 ing impunity. Some — the wicked, landmarks- 
 boundaries between difl'erent pastures (Deut. xix. 
 14 ; Prov. xxii. 28). 3. pledge— alluding to ch. xxii. 
 6. Others really do, and with impunity, that which 
 Eliphaz falsely charges the afflicted Job with. 4. 
 Lit., they push the poor out of their road in meet- 
 ing them. Fig., they take advantage of them by 
 force and injustice (alluding to the charge of 
 Eliphaz (ch. xxii. 8; 1 Sam. viii. 3). poor— in 
 spirit and in circumstances (Matt. v. 3). Mde — 
 from the injustice of their oppressors, who have 
 robbed them of their all, and driven them into 
 unfrequented places (chs. xx. 19; xxx. 3-6; Prov. 
 xxviii, 28). The aboriginal inhabitants were driven 
 into the deserts, to live in the greatest misery and 
 want ; and when, compelled by need, they have 
 ventured out of their hiding - places, they are 
 cruelly driven back into them by their oppress- 
 ors; a frequent occurrence in early times. 5. 
 wild asses— (ch. xi. 12). So Ishmael is called a 
 ivild ass-man; Hebrew (Gen. xvi. 12). These 
 Bedouin robbers, with the unbridled wildness of 
 the ass of the desert, go forth thither. Robbery 
 is their lawless "work." The desert, which 
 yields no food to other men, yields food for the 
 robber and his children by the plunder of cara- 
 vans, rising betimes. In the East travelling is 
 begun very early, before the heat comes on. 6. 
 Like the wild asses {v. 5), they (these Bedouin rob- 
 bers) reap (metaphorically) their various grain (so 
 the Hebrew for " corn" means ['^^'??, meslin'\). The 
 wild ass does not let man pile up in a stable his 
 mired provender (Isa. xxx. 24) ; so these robbers 
 find their food in the open air, at one time in the 
 desert {v. 5), at another in the fields, the vin- 
 tage of the wicked— the vintage of robbery, not 
 of honest industry. If we translate 'belonging to 
 the wicked,' then it will imply that the wicked 
 alone have vineyards, the ' pious poor ' {v. 4) have 
 none. 'Gather' in Hebrew [i^^j^?!: ^0,-> is latter 
 grass'] is gather late : as the first clause refers to 
 the early harvest of corn, so the second to the 
 vintage late in autumn. 7. Umhreit understands 
 it of the Bedouin robbers, who are quite regard- 
 less of the comforts of life, ''They pass the night 
 naked, &c.j and uncovered,' &c. But the allusion 
 to ch. xxii. 6 makes the English version prefer- 
 
go unpunished here. 
 
 Wicked men often JOB XXIV. 
 
 8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, 
 And ^ embrace the rock for want of a shelter. 
 
 9 They pluck the fatherless from the breast, — and take a pledge of the poor. 
 
 10 They cause kim to go naked without clothing, 
 And they take away the sheaf /rom the hungry ; 
 
 11 Which make oil within their walls, 
 And tread their wine-presses, and suffer thirst. 
 
 12 Men groan from out of the city, — and the soul of the wounded crieth out : 
 ^Yet God layeth not folly to them. 
 
 13 They are of those that rebel against the light; 
 They know not the ways thereof, — nor abide in the paths thereof. 
 
 14 The murderer rising with the light 
 Killeth the poor and needy, — and in the night is as a thief. 
 
 15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight. 
 Saying, No eye shall see me ; — and ^ disguiseth his face. 
 
 16 In the dark they dig through houses,* 
 Which they had marked for themselves in the day-time : 
 ''They know not the light. 
 
 17 For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: 
 If one know them, they are in Hhe terrors of the shadow of death. 
 
 18 He is * swift as the waters; — their portion is cursed in the earth : 
 He beholdeth not the way of the vineyards. 
 
 able (see note below, v. 10). Frost is not un- 
 common at night in those regions (Gen. xxxi. 40). 
 8. They— the plundered travellers, embrace the 
 rock — take refuge under it (Lam. iv. 5, "They 
 that were brought up in scarlet embrace dung- 
 hills"). 9. from the breast — of the widowed 
 mother. Kidnapping children for slaves. Here 
 Job passes from wrongs in the desert to those 
 done among the habitations of men. pledge — viz., 
 the garment of the poor debtor, as next verse 
 shows. 10. (Note ch. xxii. 6.) In v. 7 a like sin is 
 alluded to : but there he implies open robbery of 
 garments in the desert ; here, the more refined 
 robbery in civilized life, under the name of a 
 "pledge." Having stripped the poor, they make 
 them, besides, labour in their harvest-fields, and do 
 not allow them to satisfy their hunger with any 
 of the very corn which they carry to the heap. 
 Worse treatment than that of the ox, according to 
 Deut. XXV. 4, " Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that 
 treadeth out the corn." The "/rom" of the Eng- 
 lish version is not in the Hebrew. Translate, 
 ' they (the poor labourers), hungering, carry [i^'f 3] 
 the sheaves' [Umhreit). 11. Which — ' they 
 the poor, 'press the oil within their walls:' viz., 
 not only in the open fields {v. 10), but also in the 
 wall-enclosed vineyards and olive gardens of the 
 oppressor (Tsa. v. 5). Yet they are not allowed to 
 quench their "thirst" with the grapes and olives. 
 Here, thirsty; v. 10, hungry. 12. Men — rather, 
 'mortals' (not the common Hebrew for "men"); 
 so the Masoretic vowel points read as the English 
 version [cnp]. But the vowel points are modern. 
 The true reading is, The dying [D'no],: answering 
 to "the wounded" in the next clause: so Syriac, 
 and one MS. of De Rossi. Not merely in the 
 country [v. 11), but also in the city, there are op- 
 pressed sufferers, who cry for help in vain, from 
 out of the city — i. e., they long to get forth, and be 
 free outside of it (Exod. i. 11; ii. 23). wounded— 
 by the oppressor (Ezek. xxx. 24). layeth not 
 folly— takes no account of (by punishing) their 
 sin ("folly" in Scripture; ch. i. 22). This is the 
 gist of the whole previous list of sins (Acts xvii, 
 30). Umhreit, with Syriac and two MSS., reads, by 
 60 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 / Lam. 4. 6. 
 
 Heb. 11. 38. 
 ^ Fs. 60. 1. 
 Eccl 8. 11. 
 Mai. 2. ir. 
 Mai 3. 15. 
 Kom. 2. 4. 
 5. 
 
 2 Pet. 3 15. 
 4 setteth his 
 face in 
 secret. 
 ^ ch. 38. 12. 
 13. 
 
 John 3. 20. 
 Eph. 5. Il- 
 ia. 
 
 < ch. 3 5. 
 Ps 73. 18. 
 19. 
 
 jer. 2. 25. 
 2 Cor. 5. 10. 
 11. 
 
 Eev. 6. 16. 
 17. 
 
 * Ps 58. 7. 
 Ps. 73. 18-20. 
 Is. 23. 10. 
 
 changing a vowel point, ' Regards not their sup- 
 plication ' [n'^sn, instead of n^?n]. 
 
 13. So far as to openly committed sins; now, 
 those done in the dark. Translate, 'There are 
 those among them (the wicked) who rebel,' &c. 
 light— both literally and figuratively (John iii. 19, 
 20; Prov. ii. 13). paths thereof— places where 
 the light shines. 14. with the light. At early 
 dawn, whilst still dark, when the traveller in the 
 East usually sets out, and the poor labourer to his 
 work, the murderous robber lies in wait then (Ps. 
 x. 8, " He sitteth in the lurking places of the vil- 
 lages: in the secret places doth he murder the 
 innocent; his eyes are privily set against the 
 poor"), is as a thief. Thieves in the East steal 
 whilst men sleep at night ; robbers murder at early 
 dawn. The same man who steals at night, when 
 light dawns, not only robs, but murders, to escape 
 detection. 15. (Prov. vii. 9; Ps. x. 11.) disguis- 
 eth— puts a veil on. 16. dig through. Houses in 
 the East are generally built of sun-dried mud 
 bricks (so Matt. vi. 19) {^lopixraovcri]. "Thieves 
 break through "—lit. , dig through (Ezek. xii. 7, "I 
 digged through the wall with mine hand"), had 
 marked— rather, as in ch. ix. 7, ' They shut them- 
 selves up ' (in their houses)— lit., they seal up. for 
 themselves — for their own ends, viz., to escape 
 detection, know not — shun. 17. They shrink 
 from the " morning " light, as much as other men 
 do from the blackest darkness ("the shadow of 
 death"), if one know — i. e., recognize them. 
 Rather, 'they know well (are familiar with) the 
 terrors of,' &c. {Umbreit.) Or, as J/awrer, 'They 
 Know the terrors of (this) darkness'— viz., of morn- 
 ing light, that it is as terrible to them as darkness 
 ("the shadow of death") is to other men. 
 
 18-21. In these verses Job quotes the opinion of 
 his adversaries, ironically: he quoted them so 
 before (ch. xxi. 17-21). In m 22-24 he states his 
 own observation as the opposite. You say, ' The 
 sinner is swift— i.e., swiftly passes away (as a thing 
 floating)— ow the surface (lit., on the face) of tlve 
 waters^ (Eccl. xi. 1; Hos. x. 7). is cursed— by 
 those who witness their " swift " destruction, be- 
 holdeth not— 'tumeth not to' [nj?:]: fig., for he 
 
Man cannot he 
 
 JOB XXV. 
 
 justified before God. 
 
 19 Drought and heat ^consume the snow waters; 
 So doth the grave those which have sinned. 
 
 20 The womb shall forget him ; — the worm shall feed sweetly on him : 
 ^He shall be no more remembered; 
 
 And wickedness shall be broken as a tree. 
 
 21 He evil-entreateth the barren that beareth not, 
 And doeth not good to the widow. 
 
 22 He draweth also the mighty with his power: 
 He riseth up, ^ and no man is sure of life. 
 
 23 Though it be given him to he in safety, whereon he resteth, 
 Yet ^ his eyes are upon their ways. 
 
 24 They are exalted-^ for a little while, but ^are gone and brought low; 
 They are ^ taken out of the way as all other, 
 
 And cut off as the tops of the ears of corn. 
 
 25 And if it he not so now, who will make me a liar, 
 And make my speech nothing worth? 
 
 25 THEN answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, 
 
 2 Dominion and fear are with him ; 
 He maketh peace in his high places. 
 
 3 Is there any number of his armies? 
 
 And upon whom doth not "his light arise? 
 
 4 How ^then can man be justified with God? 
 
 Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman ? 
 
 B C. 1620. 
 
 6 violently 
 
 take. 
 » Pro 10. 7. 
 
 6 Or. he 
 trusteth 
 not his 
 own life. 
 
 7 That is, 
 God's. 
 Heb 4 13. 
 
 } Ps. 37. 35, 
 36. 
 
 8 are not. 
 
 9 closed up. 
 
 CHAP. 25, 
 " Gen. 1. 3-5, 
 14-16. 
 
 Ps. 19. 4-6. 
 Ps. 139. 8, 
 11. 
 
 - Matt. 5. 45w 
 Jas. 1. 17. 
 ch 4. 17. 
 ch. 9. 2. 
 ch. 16. 14. 
 Ps. 130. 3, 
 Ps. 143. 2. 
 Kom. 3. 19, 
 
 cannot enjoy his pleasant x'ossessions (chs. xx. 17 ; 
 XV. 83). the way of the vineyards— including his 
 fields, fertile as vineyards : opposite to ' the way 
 of the desert.' 19. Arabian image: melted snow, 
 as contrasted with the living fountain, quickly 
 dries up in the sun-burnt sand, not leaving a trace 
 behind (ch. vi. 16-18). The Hebrew is terse and 
 elliptical, to express the swift and utter destruc- 
 tion of the godless: (so) "the grave— they have 
 sinned ! " 20. The womb— the very mother that 
 bare him, and who is the last to " forget " the 
 child that sucked her (Isa. xlix. 15), shall dismiss 
 him from her memory (ch. xviii. 17 ; Prov. x. 7, 
 "The memory of the just is blessed, but the name 
 of the wicked shall rot "). The worm shall suck; 
 i. e., 'feed sweetly' on him as a delicate morsel 
 (ch. xxi. 33). wickedness— i. e., the wicked; ab- 
 stract for concrete (as ch. v. 16). as a tree — 
 utterly (ch. xix. 10). Maurer, better, 'As a 
 staff' [yp] [Umhreit). A broken staff is the em- 
 blem of irreparable ruin (Isa. xiv. 5). 
 
 21. The reason given by the friends why the 
 sinner deserves such a fate, barren — without 
 sons, who might have protected her. widow- 
 without a husband to support her. 22-25. Rei)ly 
 of Job to the opinion of the friends. Experience 
 proves the contrary. Translate, 'But He (God) 
 prolongeth the life of (lit., draweth out at lew/th ; 
 marg., Ps. xxxvi. 10, "continue;" Hebrew, 'draw 
 out at length ') the mighty with His (God's) power. 
 He (the wicked) riseth up (from his sick bed), 
 although he had given up hope of [lit, when he 
 no longer believed in) life^ (Deut. xxviii. 66, " Thy 
 life shall hang in doubt before thee . . . and thou 
 shalt have none assurance of thy life "). ( Umhreit.) 
 (Cf. rnarf/.) 23. Lit, He (God omitted as often: 
 ch. iii. 20; Eccl. ix. 9: reverentially) giveth to 
 him (tlie wicked, to be) in safety, or security, yet. 
 Job means. How strange that God should so favour 
 them, and yet have His eyes all the time open to 
 their wicked ways ! (Prov. xv. 3, " The eyes of the 
 Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and 
 the good.") 24. Job repeats what he said (ch. xxi. 
 13), that sinners die in exalted positions, not the 
 61 
 
 painful and lingering death we might expect, but a 
 quick and easy death. Join " for a . . . while " with 
 " are gone," not as the English version. Translate 
 'A moment— and they are no more! They are 
 brought low, as all (others) gather up (their feet) to 
 die ' (so the Hebrew of ' are taken out of the way') 
 [pi;?)f3:]. A natural death (Gen. xlix. 33). ears 
 of corn — in a ripe and full age, not prematurely 
 (ch. V. 26). 25. (So ch. ix. 24.) 
 
 Bemarks.—l. They that truly know God long 
 for the manifestation of the day of the Lord {v. 1). 
 Even the souls of the martyred-dead cry, " How 
 long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge 
 and avenge?" &c. It is for the probation of their 
 faith that it is not given to them " to know the 
 times or the seasons which the Father hath put in 
 His own power." 2. In this present time oppres- 
 sion and wrong prevail. Deeds of darkness are 
 done on every side. Sinners are careful that their 
 crimes should not be brought to light under the 
 eye of their fellow-men, but have no dread of God's 
 eye, which is always upon them : they shrink, not 
 from doing, but from being detected in doing 
 wrong. 3. How wretched, whatever be the sin- 
 ner's success, to be in a state of continual fear lest 
 his evil deeds should be exposed ! Moreover, 
 though God does not always visit transgressors 
 with condign punishment in this life, and they 
 may seem to be favoured alike in life and death, 
 yet God's "eyes are ui)on their ways " [v. 23) even 
 now ; and in the great day of retribution they shall 
 receive the righteous doom of their evil deeds. 
 
 CHAP. XXV. 1-6.— Bildad's Reply.— Third 
 Series. —He tries to show Job's rashness (ch. 
 xxiii. 3), by arguments borrowed from Eliphaz 
 (ch. XV. 15), with which cf. ch. xi. 17, 
 
 2. Power and terror — i. e., terror-inspiring power, 
 peace in his high places— implying that His power 
 is such on high as to quell all oi)position, not merely 
 there, but on earth also. The Holy Ghost here 
 shadowed forth Gospel truths (Col. i. 20; Eph. i. 
 10). 3. armies— angels and stars (Isa. xl. 26 ; Jer. 
 xxxiii. 22; Gen. xv. 5; countless, Dan. vii. 10). 
 his light-(Jas. i. 17). 4. (Chs. iv. 17, 18; xiv. 4i 
 
Job reproteth Bildad' s 
 
 JOB XXVI. 
 
 uncharitable spirit. 
 
 26 
 
 2 
 
 Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; 
 Yea, the stars are not pure in his sight : 
 How much less man, that is worm; 
 And the son of man, which is a worm? 
 
 BUT Job answered and said. 
 
 How hast thou "helped him that is without power? 
 How savest thou the arm that hath no strength? 
 How hast thou counselled ^him that hath no wisdom? 
 And how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is? 
 To whom hast thou uttered words ? — and whose spirit came from thee ? 
 
 Dead things are formed from under the waters, 
 ^And the inhabitants thereof. 
 
 Hell '^is naked before him, — and destruction hath no covering. 
 He '^stretcheth out the north over the empty place, 
 And hangeth the earth upon nothing. 
 
 B. C. la'.'O. 
 
 " Ps. 22, 6 
 
 CHAP. 26. 
 " I'ro. 25 11. 
 Isa. 36. 3. 4. 
 Isa, 40. 14, 
 Isa. 41 5. r. 
 Ch. 32 11, 
 13. 
 
 1 Cor. 2, 4. 
 
 1 Or, with 
 the ID ha- 
 bitants. 
 
 0 Ps. 139. 8. 
 Pro. 15. 11. 
 Lsa. 14. 9 
 Amos 9, 2. 
 Heb 4. 13. 
 
 d Ps 24. 2. 
 
 XV, 14. ) 5. Look up ' even unto the moon ' (ch. 
 XV, 15). " Stars" here answer to "saints" (angels) 
 there; "the moon" here, to "the heavens" there. 
 Even the " stars," the most dazzling object to 
 man's eye, and the angels, of which the stars are 
 emblems (ch. iv. 18; Rev. ix. 1), are imperfect in 
 His sight. Theirs is the light and purity of but 
 creatures ; His, of the Creator. 6, (Chs, iv. 19-21 ; 
 XV. IG,) worm . . . worm— two distinct Hebrew 
 words. The first [n!Q"]], a worm bred in iDutridity ; 
 alluding to man's corruption. The second [n»Vm], 
 a crawling worm ; implying that man is weak and 
 gro>'ell'mg. 
 
 Rema7'ks. — 1. In order to realize our own insig- 
 niftcance, we ought to contemplate the majesty 
 and awe-inspiring dominion of Jehovah {vv. 2, 3). 
 Satan, by his impious revolt, once introduced an 
 element of discord in the heavenly " high places." 
 God in Christ, " the King that cometh in the name 
 of the Lord," hath re-established " peace in heaven, 
 and glory in the highest " (Luke xix, 38), 3. If even 
 the stars are not absolutely pure in God's sight, 
 how vain is it for man to set up the plea of clean- 
 ness and inherent righteousness before God ! 4, Our 
 only way of salvation is, worms that we are, to 
 look solely to Him, who for our sakes became "a 
 worm, and no man ; a reproach of men, and despis- 
 ed of the people" (Ps. xxii, 6). Our vileness com- 
 mends God's love : washed in the fountain of 
 Christ's blood, opened for uncleanness (Zech. xiii. 
 1), we shall be to the praise of the glory of His 
 grace throughout eternity. 
 
 CHAP. XXVL 1-14.— Job's Reply. -Third 
 Series. 
 
 2, 3. without power ... no strength ... no 
 wisdom. The negatives are used instead of the 
 I)ositives, powerlessness, &c., designedly (so Isa. 
 xxxi. 8 ; Deut. xxxii. 21, " That which is not God 
 . . . those which are not a people ") : Granting I 
 am, as you say (chs. xviii. 17 ; xv. 2), powerlessness 
 itself, &c.. How hast thou helped such a one? 
 savest— helpest, supportest, plentifully . . . the 
 thing as it is — rather, ' abundantly —wisdom' 
 [n^a'in], Bildad had made great pretensions to 
 abundant wisdom. How has he shown it? 4. For 
 whose instruction were thy words meant ? If for 
 me, I know the subject (God's omnipotence) better 
 than my instructor : verses 5-14 is a sample of Jobs 
 knowledge of it. whose spirit— not that of God 
 (ch, xxxii. 8) : nay, rather, the spirit that came 
 from thee in what thou hast just said is the bor- 
 rowed sentiment of Eliphaz (chs. iv. 17-19; xv. 
 14- 1 G). 
 
 5-14. As before, in chs. ix. and xii.. Job had 
 62 
 
 shown himself not inferior to the friends in ability 
 to describe God's greatness, so now he describes it 
 as manifested in hell (the world of the dead), 5, 
 G ; on earth, 7 ; in the sky, 8-11 ; the sea, 12 ; the 
 heavens, 13. Dead things are formed— rather, 
 'the souls of the dead [d'N^i] tremble' [^Vin^^ 
 from Not only does God's power exist, 
 
 as Bildad says (ch. xxv. 2), "in high places" 
 (heaven), but reaches to the region of the dead, so 
 that even they whose bodily powers are gone, feel 
 the power of God. Bephaim here, and Prov. xxi. 
 IG ; Isa. xiv. 9, " the dead," is from a Hebrew 
 root [npn] meaning to be weak, hence deceased; in 
 Gen. xiv. 5 it is applied to the Canaanite giants; 
 perhaps in derision, to express their weakness, in 
 spite of their gigantic size, as compared with 
 Jehovah (Umbreit); or as the imagination of. the 
 living maguilies apparitions, the term originally 
 was applied to ghosts, and then to giants in general 
 {Magee). from under. Umbreit joins this with 
 the previous word, ' tremble from beneath ' (so 
 Isa. xiv. 9). But the Masoretic text joins it 
 "under the waters." Thus the place of the dead 
 will be represented as under the waters (Ps. xviii. 
 4, 5) : and the waters as under the earth (Ps. xxiv. 
 2), Magee well translates thus, ' The souls of the 
 dead tremble ; (the places) under the w^aters, and 
 their inhabitants. ' Thus the Masoretic connection 
 is retained ; and at the same time the parallel 
 clauses are evenly balanced. ' The inhabitants of 
 the places under the waters ' are those in Gehenna, 
 the lower of the two parts into which Sheol, ac- 
 cording to the Jews, is divided: they answer to 
 "destruction" — i. e., the place of the wicked :u 
 V. 6, as 'Rephaim,' the general term, {v. 5), to 
 " hell " (Sheol) {v. 6). Sheol comes from a Hebrew 
 root l^^"^, ask\ because it is insatiable (Prov. xxvii, 
 20) ; or, ask as a loan to be returned, implying Sheol 
 is but a temporary abode, previous to tlie resur- 
 rection ; so for the English version " formed," the 
 LXX. and Chaldee translate shall be born, or born 
 again, implying the dead are to be given back from 
 Sheol and born again into a new state {Magee.) 6. 
 (Ch. xxxviii. 17 ; Ps. cxxxix. 8 ; Prov. xv. 11. 
 "Hell and destruction are before the Lord.") 
 destruction— ^/te abode of destruction— i. e. , of lost 
 souls. The Hebrew [jnnN] Abaddon (Rev. ix. 11). 
 no covering— from God's eyes. 7. Hint of the true 
 theory of the earth. Its suspension in empty 
 space is stated in the second clause. The north in 
 particular is specified in the first, being believed to 
 be the highest part of the earth (Isa. xiv. 13, 
 "above the stars of God ... in the sides of the 
 
God's power in fin He 
 
 JOB XXVII. 
 
 and unsearchable. 
 
 8 He ^bindetli up the waters in his thick clouds; 
 And the cloud is not rent under them. 
 
 9 He holdeth back the face of his throne, — and spreadeth his cloud upon it. 
 
 10 He ■''hath compassed the waters with bounds, 
 2 Until the day and night come to an end. 
 
 11 The pillars of heaven tremble — and are astonished at his reproof. 
 
 12 He ^divideth the sea with his power, 
 
 And by his understanding he smiteth through ^the proud. 
 
 13 By '^his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens; 
 His hand hath formed the crooked serpent. 
 
 14 Lo, these are parts of his ways; but how little a portion is heard of him? 
 But the thunder of his power who can understand ? 
 
 27 MOEEOVER Job ^continued his parable, and said, 
 
 B C. 15 0 
 
 ^ Pro. 30. 4. 
 / Jer. 5 22. 
 
 2 until the 
 end of 1 ght 
 with 
 
 darkness. 
 » Ex 14. 21. 
 Isa. 51. 15. 
 Jer. 31. 35. 
 
 3 pride, or, 
 Eahab. 
 
 ^ Ps. 33. 6. 
 
 CHAP, 27. 
 1 added to 
 take up. 
 
 north "). The nortlieru hemisphere stands for the 
 whole vault of heaven, as being the only hemisphere 
 visible to us: often compared to a stretched-out 
 canopy (Ps. civ. 2, "who stretchest out the 
 heavens like a curtain "). The chambers of the 
 south are mentioned (ch. ix. 9); %. e., the southern 
 hemisphere, consistently with the earth's globular 
 form. 8. in ... clouds— as if in airy vessels, 
 which, though light, do not burst with the weight 
 of water in them (Prov. xxx. 4, " who hath bound 
 the waters in a garment"). 9. Lit, He encompas- 
 seth or closeth [Tn{<], The English version is, vir- 
 tually, God makes the clouds a veil to screen the 
 glory not only of His person, but even of the exterior 
 of His throne, from profane eyes. His agency is 
 everywhere, yet Himself invisible (Ps. xviii. 11 ; 
 civ. 3). 10. Rather, ' He hath drawn a circular 
 bound round the waters \ (Prov. viii. 27 ; Ps. civ. 
 y). The horizon seems a circle. Indication is given 
 of the globular form of the earth. untU the day, 
 &c. — to the confines of light and darkness. When 
 the light falls on our horizon, the other hemisphere 
 is dark. Umbreit and Maurer translate, 'He has 
 most 'perfectly (lit., to perfection) drawn the hound 
 (taken from the first clause) between light and dark- 
 ness;' the Hebrew, 'even to perfection the light 
 with the darkness ;' cf. Gen. i. 4, 6, 9, where the 
 bounding of the light from darkness is similarly 
 brought into proximity with the boundiug of the 
 waters. 11. pillars — xjoetically for the mountains, 
 which seem to bear up the sky (Ps. civ. 32). 
 astonished — viz., from terror. Personification, 
 his reproof— (Ps. civ. 7). The thunder reverberat- 
 ing from cliff to cliff (Hab. iii. 10; Nah. i. 5). 12. 
 divideth— (Ps.lxxiv. 13). Perhaps at creation (Gen. 
 i. 9, 10). The parallel clause favours Umbreit, ' He 
 stilleth.' But the Hebrew means He moves [si"}]. 
 Probably such a 'moving' is meant as that at th^, 
 a,sua[/inr/ of the flood by the wind which "Gou 
 made to pass over" it (Gen. viii. 1; Ps, civ. 7). 
 the proud— rather, its pride [^nn] ; viz., of the sea 
 (ch. ix, 13). Maurer takes Rahah, as sometimes 
 it means, ' the monsters of the sea.' 13. Umbreit, 
 less simply, 'By His breath He maketh the 
 heavens to revive '—viz., His wind dissipates the 
 clouds, which obscured the shining stars. And 
 so the next clause, in contrast, ' His hand doth 
 strangle' or pierce from ^^n'|; i. €., obscures 
 
 the north constellation, the dragon. Pagan astro- 
 nomy typified the flood trying to destroy the ark 
 by tue dragon constellation about to devour the 
 moon in its eclipsed crescent-shape like a boat 
 (ch. iii. 8, marg., and notes). The English version 
 (Ps. xxxiii. 6) takes choleel from hT\ or h'^n, to bring 
 forth, to give birth to: so "formed:" the parallel- 
 ism to the first clause favours this. If ' pierces ' 
 C3 
 
 be preferred, then the 'dragon' or "serpent" 
 must be regarded as a symbol of the hostile dark- 
 ness which God pierced or overcame by light. 
 'By His Spirit he garnished the heaven, and His 
 hand dispelled the fleeting darki-iess.' I prefer 
 the English version, crookeei —implying the ob- 
 lique course of the stars, or the ecliptic. [0712] 
 'Fleeing' or 'swift,' an appropriate epithet of 
 both the literal serpent and the constellation so 
 cd^Xledi (Umbreit). (Isa. xxvii. 1.) This particular 
 constellation is made to rej)resent the splendour 
 of all the stars which God "formed," 14. parts 
 —rather, ' only the extreme boundaries [n'lifp] of, 
 &c.; and how faint is the word-whisper ["inn^ X^^, 
 the whisper of a word] that we hear of Him!' 
 of his power [vniiaj]— 0/ His acts of power; His 
 miracles, thunder — the entire fulness. In anti- 
 thesis to ' whisper ' (1 Cor. xiii. 9, 10, 12). 
 
 Remarks— 1. It is an easy thing to see the fail- 
 ings and imperfections of him whom we find fault 
 with; but not so easy to give the helping hand, 
 and speak the loving "and wise counsel [v. 2). We 
 speak to no purpose when we offer to one fa 
 aflliction general maxims, true indeed in them- 
 selves, but not applicable to the particular case in 
 hand, and known by him fully as well as w^e know 
 them ourselves. 2. There is no region of exis- 
 tence into which God's power does not extend — 
 heaven, hell, earth, and sea. The law of attrac- 
 tion and gravitation, whereby the globular form 
 of the earth and the heavenly bodies is main- 
 tained, is a beautiful instance of the sublime 
 simplicity, universality, and efficiency of God's 
 working in nature. 
 
 ♦The very law which moulds a tear. 
 
 And malies it trickle from its source, 
 That law preserv is the earth a sphere, 
 And keeps the planets in their course.' 
 
 Though the Bible was not designed to unfold 
 physical science, yet the germ of the discoveries 
 of modern science is often found in hints which it 
 ailbrds— as in v. 7, "He hangeth the earth upon 
 nothing." 3. The parts of God's glorious working 
 which come under our cognizance {v, 14) are but 
 as a faint 'whisper' compared with the "thun- 
 der " of the fulness of his power. But there is a 
 ' still small voice ' heard in the Gospel of the Lord 
 Jesus which gives us a deeper insight into the 
 glorious excellences of God's all-wise, all-power- 
 ful, and all-loving character than all His works of 
 nature can afford. Here we are not merely aston- 
 ished, but attracted; not merely overwhelmed 
 with awe, but sweetly drawn to love, adoring 
 gratitude, and joyful obedience. 
 
 CHAP. XXVlI. 1-23.— It was now Zophar's 
 turn to speak. But as he and the other two wer^ 
 
Job protesteth 
 
 JOB XXVII. 
 
 his sincerity. 
 
 2 As God liveth, "'who hath taken away my judgment; 
 And the Almighty, who hath ^ vexed my soul ; 
 
 3 All the while my breath is in me, — and ^ the spirit of God is in my nostrils, 
 
 4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, — nor my tongue utter deceit. 
 
 5 God forbid that I should justify you : 
 Till I die ^ I will not remove mine integrity from me. 
 
 6 My righteousness I *^hold fast, and will not let it go : 
 ''My heart shall not reproach me *so long as I live. 
 
 7 Let mine enemy be as the wicked, 
 And he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous. 
 
 8 For Vhat is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, 
 When God taketh away his soul? 
 
 9 Will -^God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? 
 
 10 Will ^he delight himself in the Almighty? — will he always call upon God? 
 
 11 I will teach you ^by the hand of God : 
 That which is with the Almighty will I not conceal. 
 
 12 Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; 
 Why then are ye thus altogether vain? 
 
 13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God, 
 And the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty. 
 
 14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: 
 And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread. 
 
 15 Those that remain of him shall be buried in death; 
 And ^his widows shall not weep. 
 
 silent, virtually admitting defeat, after a i^ause. 
 Job proceeds. 
 
 1. parable p^?]— applied in the East to a figu- 
 rative sententious embodiment of wisdom in 
 poetic form, a gnome (Ps. xlix. 4). continued- 
 proceeded to put forth; lit.^ 'added to lift up:' 
 implying elevation of discourse. 
 
 2. As God liveth— (1 Sam. xx. 3). taken away 
 . . . judgment — words unconsciously foreshadow- 
 ing Jesus Christ (Isa. liii. 8; Acts viii. 33). God 
 will not give Job his right by declaring his inno- 
 cence, vexed — Hebrew, made hitter (Ruth i. 20). 
 3. Implying Job's knowledge of the fact that the 
 living soul was breathed into man by God (Gen. 
 ii. 7). AH the while. But Maurer, ' as yet all my 
 breath is in me (notwithstanding my trials)' — the 
 reason why I can speak so boldly. 4. (Ch. vi. 28, 
 30.) The " deceit " would be, if he were to admit 
 guilt, against the witness of his conscience. 5. 
 justify you— approve of your views, mine in- 
 tegrity — which you deny, on account of my 
 misfortunes. 6. Rather, 'my heart' (conscience) 
 reproaches 'not one of my days'— ^. e,, I do not 
 repent of any of my days since I came into exis- 
 tence ['o;^] {Maurer). 
 
 7. Let . . be— let mine enemy be accounted as 
 wicked; L e., He who opposes my asseveration of 
 innocence must be regarded as actuated by crim- 
 inal hostility. Not a curse on his enemies. 8. 
 ' What hope hath the hypocrite, notwithstanding 
 all his gains, when ?' &c. " Gained " [ri'a] is anti- 
 thetic to " taketh away." Umbreifs translation is 
 an unmeaning tautology; 'When God cuts off, 
 when He taketh away his life.' taketh away- 
 lit., draws out the soul from the body, which is, as 
 it were, its scabbard (ch. iv. 21; Ps. civ. 29; Dan. 
 vii. 15, "body," marg., sheath; cf. 2 Pet. i. 14). 
 Job says he admits what Bildad said (ch. viii, 13), 
 and Zophar (ch. xx. 5). But he says the very 
 fact of his still calling upon God [v. 10), amidst all 
 his trials, which a hypocrite would not dare to do, 
 shows he is no " hypocrite." 9. (Ps. Ixvi. 18, " If 
 T regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not 
 
 B. C. l'--20. 
 
 ch. 34. 6. 
 2 made my 
 
 soul b t'er. 
 8 That is, 
 the breath 
 which God 
 gave him. 
 6 ch. 13. 15. 
 " ch. 2. 3. 
 <^ Acts 24. 16. 
 < from my 
 
 days. 
 * Matt. 16 23. 
 
 Lu. 12 20. 
 / ch. 36. 12. 
 Ps 18. 41 
 Ps. 1C9. 7. 
 Fro. 1. 2S. 
 Jer. 14, 12. 
 Eze. 8. 18. 
 Mic. 3. 4. 
 Jas 4. 3. 
 » ch 22. 26. 
 6 Or, being 
 in the 
 hand, etc. 
 h Esth. 9 10. 
 Hos. 9. 13, 
 14. 
 
 i Ps. 78. 64. 
 Jer. 21 18. 
 
 hear me.") 10. Alluding to ch. xxii. 26. always 
 call — he may do so in times of prosperity, in order 
 to be thought religious. But he will not, as I 
 do, call on God in calamities verging on death. 
 Therefore I cannot be a "hypocrite" (chs. xix. 25; 
 XX. 5 ; Ps. Ixii. 8). 
 
 11-23. These words are contrary to Job's previ- 
 ous sentiments (notes, chs. xxi. 22-33; xxiv. 22- 
 25). They therefore seem to be Job's statement, 
 not so much of his own sentiments, as of what 
 Zophar would have said, had he spoken when his 
 turn came, (end of ch. xxvi.) So Job stated the 
 friends' opinion (chs. xxi. 17-21 ; xxiv. 18-21). The 
 objection is, Why, if so, does not Job answer 
 'Zophar's opinion, as stated by himself? The fact 
 is, it is probable that J ob tacitly, by giving, in ch. 
 xxviii., only a general answer, implies that, in 
 spite of the wicked often dying, as he said, in 
 prosperity, he does not mean to deny that the 
 wicked are in the main dealt with according to 
 right, and that God herein vindicates His moral 
 government even here. Job therefore states Zo- 
 phar's argument more strongly than Zophar would 
 have done. But by comparing 13 with ch, xx. 
 29 ("portion," "heritage"), it will be seen it is 
 Zophar's argument, rather than his own, that Job 
 states. Granting it to be true, implies Job, you 
 ought not to use it as an argument to criminate 
 me. For (ch. xx\'iii. ), the ways of Divine wisdom 
 in afflicting the godly ai'e inscrutable ; all that is 
 sure to man is, the fear of the Lord is wisdom {v. 
 28). by the hand — rather, concerning the hand of 
 God— viz., what God does in governing men. with 
 the Almighty — the counsel or principle which 
 regulates God's dealings, 12. ' Ye yourselves see ' 
 that the wicked often are afflicted (though often 
 the reverse, ch. xxi. 33). But why (not " why 
 then," as the English version) do you ' vainly ' 
 make this an argument to prove from my 'afflic- 
 tions that I am wicked? 13. (Note, v. 11.) 14. 
 His family only increases to perish by §word or 
 famine (Jer. xviii. 21 ; contrast ch. v. 20, the 
 converse). 15. Those that escape war and famine 
 (y. 14) *shall be buried by the deadly plague''-^ 
 
There is a knowledge 
 
 JOB XXVIIL 
 
 of natural things. 
 
 16 Though he heap up silver as the dust, — and prepare raiment as the clay; 
 
 17 He may prepare it, but Hhe just shall put it on, 
 And the mnocent shall divide the silver. 
 
 18 He buildeth his house as a moth, — and as ^a booth that the keeper makcth. 
 
 19 The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be ^gathered: 
 He openeth his eyes, and he is not. 
 
 20 Terrors take hold on him as waters^ 
 A tempest stealeth him away in the night. 
 
 21 The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth; 
 And as a storm hurleth him out of his place. 
 
 22 For God shall cast upon him, and not spare : 
 ^ He would fain flee out of his hand. 
 
 23 Men shall clap their hands at him, — and shall hiss him out of his place. 
 28 SURELY there is ^a vein for the silver, 
 
 And a place for gold where they fine it. 
 2 Iron is taken out of the ^ earth, — and brass is molten out of the stone. 
 
 "death" (ch. xviii. 1.3; Jer. xv. 2; Rev. vL 8). 
 The plague of the Middle Ages was called 'the 
 black death.' Buried by it implies that they 
 would have none else but the death-plague itself 
 (poetically personified) to perform their funeral 
 rites — i. e., would have none. Ms — rather, their 
 widows (Ps. Ixxviii. 64). Transitions from singu- 
 lar to plural are frequent. Polygamy is not im- 
 plied. 16. dust . . . clay — images of multitudes 
 (Zech. ix. 3). Many changes of raiment are a 
 chief constituent of wealth in the East. 17. Intro- 
 verted parallelism. See my Introduction. Of the 
 four clauses in the two verses, 1 answers to 4, 2 to 
 3 (so Matt. vii. 6). 18. (Chs. viii. 14; iv. 19.) The 
 transition is natural from "raiment" {v. l6), to 
 " the house" of the "moth " in it, and of it, when 
 in its larva state. The moih-ivorin' s house is 
 broken whenever the " raiment " is shaken out, so 
 frail is it. bootli— a bough-formed hut which the 
 guard of a vineyard raises for temporary shelter 
 (Isa. i. 8). 19. gathered [r|Dt<;.]— buried honourably 
 (Gen. XXV. 8; 2 Ki. xxii. 20). But Umhreit, agree- 
 ably to V. 18, which describes the short continuance 
 of the sinner's prosperity, ' He layeth himself rich 
 in his bed, and nothing is robbed from him; he 
 openeth his eyes, and nothing more is there.'' If 
 the English version be retained, the first clause 
 probably means. Rich though he be in dying, 
 he shall not be honoured with a funeral; the 
 second. When he opens his eyes in the unseen 
 world, it is only to see hvi destruction. The LXX. 
 read, for " not gathered," He does not proceed 
 [cj'-pv]— i. e., goes to his bed no more. So Maurer. 
 20. (Chs. xviii. 11; xxii. 11, 21.) Like a rapid 
 violent flood (Isa. viii. 7, 8 ; Jer. xlvii. 2) : con- 
 versely (Ps. xxxii. 6). 21. (Chs. xxi. 18; xv. 2; 
 Ps. Iviii. 9.) 22. cast— viz., thunderbolts (chs. vi. 
 4; viL 20; xvi. 13; Ps. vii. 12, 13). 23. clap hands 
 —for joy at his downfall (Lani. ii. 15; Nah, iii. 19). 
 hiss— deride (Jer. xxv. 9). Job alludes to Bildad's 
 words (ch. xviii. 18). 
 
 Remarks.—!. There is no sight so sublime as that 
 of an afflicted, tempted, and dying child of God 
 still maintaining his integrity to the last {v. 5). 
 "We cannot command at will health and i)rosperity, 
 but we can make it the one aim of life, even unto 
 tlie end, to " live in all good conscience before God" 
 (Acts xxiii. 1); " to hold fast to righteousness, and 
 not to let it go ;" and to give no place to the stings of 
 self-reproach so long as we live {v. 6). 2. Let us 
 not, however, make the mistake of making good 
 conscience and our own integrity the means and 
 ground of salvation. Though Job's sacrifices (ch. 
 L 5) show that he knew the truth, that " without 
 
 VOL. iiL e5 
 
 B C. 1520. 
 i Pro. 13. 22. 
 Pro. 28. 8. 
 Eccl. 2 26. 
 * Lam. 2 6. 
 I Gen. 49. 10. 
 Nu. 20. 23. 
 Jer 8. 2. 
 Matt. 3. 12. 
 Matt. 2 i.37. 
 8 in fleeing 
 he would 
 fiee. 
 
 Ex. 14. 25. 
 Judg. 4. 17. 
 ch. 20. 21. 
 Isa 10. 3. 
 Amos 2 14 
 
 CHAP. 28. 
 
 1 Or, a mine. 
 
 2 Or. dust 
 
 shedding of blood there is no remission," yet, 
 for a time, he undoubtedly rested too much on 
 his own righteousness. No righteousness will 
 avail us for justification, but the perfect righteous- 
 ness of Him " who of God is made unto us wisdom, 
 righteousness, sanctification, and redemption" (1 
 Cor. i. 30). 3. Perseverance in prayer at all times, 
 in all places, and under all circumstances {v. 10), 
 is the touchstone which tests who is the hypocrite 
 and formalist — who the true servant and child of 
 God. The instinct of fleeing for refuge to God 
 in all troubles, as the child when alarmed turns 
 to the mother, cannot be simulated, and must be 
 real. 4. Though many cases occur of prosperity 
 apparently attending the ungodly throughout life, 
 reminding us that we have to wait for the coming 
 judgment and rectification of all things, yet, in the 
 main, even in this disordered world, God vindi- 
 cates His righteousness by causing just retribution 
 to overtake transgressors and their seed. How 
 often the wealth which the ungodly have accumu- 
 lated by wrong has been transferred {vv. 16, 17) to 
 the just: and the inspired saying has been ful- 
 filled, that it is only ^'the blessing of the Lord 
 maketh rich, and He addetli no sorrow with it" 
 (Prov. X. 22). 
 
 CHAP. XXVIIL l-28.-JoB's Speech con- 
 tinued. 
 
 In ch. xxvii. Job had tacitly admitted that the 
 statement of the friends was often true, that God 
 vindicated His justice by punishing the wicked 
 here : but still the affliction of the godly remained 
 unexplained. Man has, by skill, brought the pre- 
 cious metals from their concealment. But the 
 Divine Wisdom, which governs human affairs, he 
 cannot similarly discover, (12, &c.) However, the 
 image from the same metals (ch. xxiii. 10) implies 
 Job has made some way towards solving the rid- 
 dle of his life— viz., that affliction is to him as the 
 refining fire to gold, vein— a mine, from which it 
 goes fwth, Hebrew — i. e., is dug. place for gold 
 — ' a place where gold maybe found, wliich men re- 
 fine. ' Not as the English version, ' ' a place— t^Aere," 
 &c. (Mai. iii. 3.) Contrasted with gold found in 
 the bed and sand of rivers, which does not need 
 refining, as the gold dug from a mine does. Golden 
 ornaments have been found in Egypt of the times 
 of Joseph. 2. brass— i. e., copper; for brass is a 
 rnixed metal of copper and zinc, of modern inven- 
 tion. Iron is less easily discovered and wrought 
 than copper: therefore copper was in common use 
 long before iron. Coi)per-stone is called 'cadmia' 
 by Pliny ('Natural History,' xxxiv. 1; xxxvi. 21). 
 Iron is fitly said to be taken out of the "earth" 
 V 
 
There is a hiowledge JOB XXVIII. of natural things. 
 
 3 He setteth an end to darkness, — " and searcheth out all perfection : 
 The stones of darkness, and the shadow of death. 
 
 4 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; 
 Even the waters forgotten of the foot : 
 
 They are dried up, they are gone away from men, 
 
 5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread; 
 And under it is turned up as it were fire. 
 
 6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires; — and it hath ^dust of gold. 
 
 7 There is a path which no fowl knoweth, 
 And which the vulture's eye hath not seen : 
 
 8 The lion's whelps have not trodden it ; — nor the fierce lion passed by it. 
 
 9 He putteth forth his hand upon the ^rock; 
 He overturneth the mountains by the roots. 
 
 10 He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; 
 And his eye seeth every precious thing. 
 
 11 He bindeth the floods ^from overflowing; 
 
 And the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light. 
 
 12 But ^ where shall wisdom be found? 
 And where is the place of understanding? 
 
 13 Man knoweth not the ^ price thereof; 
 Neither is it found in the land of the living. 
 
 14 The ^depth saith. It is not in me; — and the sea saith, It is not with me. 
 
 (dust), for ore looks like mere earth. 3. 'Man 
 makes an end of darkness' by exj)loring the darkest 
 depths (with torches), all perfection— rather, 
 carries out his search to the utmost perfection [^^^ 
 n"''p?n]: 'most thoroughly searches the stones of 
 dai'kness and of the shadow of death' (thickest 
 gloom) — i. e., the stones, whatever they be, em- 
 bedded in the darkest bowels of the earth {Um- 
 hreit). (Ch. xxvi. 10. ) 4. Three hardships in mining : 
 1. ' A stream (flood) breaks out at the side of the 
 stranger ' di?d — lit. , from alongside the stranger^ : 
 viz., the miner, a strange new-comer into places 
 heretofore unexplored ; his surprise at the sudden 
 stream breaking out beside him is expressed 
 (English version, /ro??i the inhabitant). Maurer 
 and Gesenius translate, ' A shaft (or gully-like 
 pit) is broken open far from the inhabitant' (the 
 dwellers on the surface of the earth). 2. "For- 
 gotten" (unsupported), by the foot they hang, by 
 ropes, in descending. In the Hebrew, 'Lo there' 
 [n] i)recedes this clause, graphically placing it as 
 if before the eyes. The waters are inserted by the 
 English version. Are dried up ought to be, ' hang,' 
 ' are suspended' {"hi, from n^i, to draw. The 
 English version takes it from hh"^, wasted]. The 
 English version perhaps understood waters of 
 whose existence man was previously unconscious, 
 and near which he never trod; and yet man's 
 energy is such that, by pumps, &c., he soon 
 causes them to ' dry up and go away,' (so Her- 
 der). 3. ' Far away from men, they move with 
 uncertain step ;' they stagger : not ' they are gone,' 
 as the English version [w:, from to be shaken] 
 {Umbreit). 5. Its fertile surface yields food; and 
 yet 'beneath it is turned up as it were by lire.' 
 So Pliny (' Natural History, xxxiii.) observes on 
 the ingratitude of man, who repays the debt he 
 owes the earth for food by digging out its bowels. 
 ' Fire' was used in mining {Umbreit). The English 
 version is simpler, which means precious stones 
 which glow like fire; and so v. G follows naturally 
 (Ezek. xxviii. 14, "stones of lire"). 6. Sapphires 
 
 B. C. 152). 
 
 » Pro. 2. 4. 
 
 Eccl 1 13. 
 Hab 2. 13. 
 Matt. 6. 23. 
 Luke IS. 8. 
 
 3 Or gold 
 ore. 
 
 4 Or, flint. 
 6 from 
 
 weeping 
 6 Deut. 30.11- 
 14. 
 
 1 Ki. 3. 9. 
 cliap. 11. 7, 
 8. 
 
 Ps 36 6. 
 Ps 61. 6. 
 Ps. 139. 6. 
 Pro 2. 4. 
 Pro. 3. 9. 
 Eccl. 1. 23. 
 25. 
 
 1 Cor. 1. 19. 
 20. 
 
 « Pro 3. 15. 
 Matt. 13.44, 
 45. 46. 
 d Rom 11 33 
 
 are found in alluvial soil near rocks and embedded 
 in gneiss. The ancients distinguished two kinds : 
 1. The real, of transparent blue; 2. That impro- 
 
 f)erly so called, opaque, with gold spots — i. e., 
 apis lazuli. To the latter, looking like gold dust, 
 Umbreit refers 'dust of gold.' The English ver- 
 sion is better, 'The stones of the earth are, &c., 
 and the clods of it [niiDi?] ( Vulgate) are gold : ' the 
 parallel clauses are thus neater. 7. fowl [t3;r] — 
 rather, ravenous bird, or eagle, which is the most 
 sharp-sighted of birds (Isa. xlvi. 11). A vulture 
 will spy a carcass at an amazing distance. The 
 miner penetrates the earth by a way unseen by 
 birds of keenest sight. 8. lion's wlielps— lit., the 
 sons of pride [yu^ 'A?] — i- the fiercest beasts, 
 passed. The Hebrew implies the proud gait of the 
 lion : traversed. The miner ventures where not 
 even the fierce lion dares to go in i)iu"suit of his 
 prey. 9. rock— flint. He puts forth his hand to 
 cleave the hardest rock. Toy the roots — from their 
 foundations, by undermining them. 10. He cuts 
 channels to drain off the waters, which hinder 
 his mining ; and when the waters are gone, he is 
 able to see the precious things in the earth. 11. 
 floods. 'He restrains the streams from weeping^ 
 (marg.) ; a poetical expression for the trickling sub- 
 terranean rills which impede him : answering to the 
 first clause of v. 10 ; so also the two latter clauses 
 in each verse correspond. 
 
 12. Can man discover the Divine Wisdom by 
 which the world is governed, as he can the treas- 
 ures hidden in the earth ? Certainly not. Divine 
 Wisdom is conceived as a person (f ?\ 12-27) distinct 
 from God {v. 23 ; also, in Prov. viii. 23, 27). The 
 Almighty Word, Jesus Christ, we know now, is 
 that Wisdom. The order of the world was origi- 
 nated and is maintained by the breathing forth 
 (Spirit) of Wisdom, unfathomable and unpurchas- 
 able by man. In v. 28 the only aspect of it 
 which relates to, and may be understood by, man 
 is stated, understanding — insight into the plan 
 of the Divine government. 13. Man can fix no 
 price upon it, as it is nowhere to be found in 
 man's aoode, the land of the living' (Isa. xxxviii. 
 
Wisdom ts an excellent 
 
 JOB XXVIII. 
 
 gift of God. 
 
 15 ^It ^cannot be gotten for gold, 
 
 Neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. 
 
 16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, 
 With the precious onyx, or the sapphire. 
 
 17 The gold and the cr3^stal cannot equal it; 
 
 And the exchange of it shall not he for ^jewels of fine gold. 
 
 18 No mention shall be made of ^ coral, or of pearls : 
 For the price of wisdom is above rubies. 
 
 19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, 
 Neither shall it be valued with pure gold. 
 
 20 Whence then cometh wisdom ? — and where is the place of understanding ? 
 
 21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, 
 And kept close from the fowls of the ^air. 
 
 22 Destruction and death say, — We have heard the fame thereof with our ears. 
 
 23 God ^ understandetli the way thereof, — and he knoweth the place thereof 
 
 24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, 
 And ^seeth under the whole heaven; 
 
 25 To ^make the weight for the winds; 
 And he weigheth the waters by measure. 
 When he ^made a decree for the rain. 
 And a way for the lightning of the thunder; 
 Then did he see it, and declare it ; 
 He prepared it, yea, and searched it out. 
 And ■'unto man he said. Behold, 
 *The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom ; 
 And to depart from evil is understanding. 
 
 26 
 
 27 
 
 28 
 
 B C. 1-.20. 
 
 ^ fine gold 
 shall not 
 be Kivea 
 for it. 
 
 * Fro. 3. 13, 
 14. 15. 
 Pro. 8. 10. 
 Pro. 16. ]6. 
 
 7 Or, vessels 
 of fine 
 gold. 
 
 8 C r. 
 Eamoth. 
 
 9 Or, 
 heaveu. 
 
 / Acts 15. 18. 
 Heb 4. 13. 
 
 0 Pro. 15. 3. 
 h Ps. 135. 7. 
 
 1 ver. 25. 
 Ch. 36. 26, 
 
 27, 32 
 ch. 38. 25. 
 Amos 4. 7. 
 
 10 Or num- 
 ber it. 
 
 3 Deut. 29.29, 
 
 2 Tim. 315. 
 k Deut. 4. 6. 
 
 Ps. 111. 10. 
 
 Pro. 1. 7. 
 
 Pro. 9. 10. 
 
 Eccl. 12. 13. 
 
 11). Job implies both its invaluable worth and 
 the impossibility of buying it at any price. 15. 
 Not the usual word for gold [i^jD] ; from a Hebrew 
 root ["i;ip], to shut up with care— i. e., purest gold, 
 (1 Ki. "vi. 20, marg.) weiglied. The precious 
 metals were weighed out before coining was known 
 (Gen. xxiii. 16). 16. gold of OpMr— the most 
 I)recious (note, ch. xxii. 24; Ps. xlv. 9). onyx— 
 ((:;en. ii. 12). More valued formerly than now. 
 The term is Greek, meaning thumb nail, from some 
 resemblance in colour. The Arabic denotes of 
 two colours, white preponderating. 17. crystal 
 [noiDT]— or else glass, if then known, very costly. 
 From a root ["^37] to he transparent, jewels — 
 rather, vessels O'??]. 18. Red coral (Ezek. xxvii. 
 IG). v^dJc\B—\it.l what is frozen Probably 
 crystal; and v. Yl will then be glass, rubies. 
 Umhreit translates pearls (see Lam. iv. 1 ; Prov. 
 ill 15, "She is more precious than rubies: and 
 all the things thou canst desire are not to be 
 compared unto her"). The Urim and Thummim, 
 the means of consulting God by the twelve stones 
 on the high priest's breastplate, "the stones of the 
 sanctuary" (Lam. iv. 1), have their counterpart in 
 this chapter: the precious stones symbolizing the 
 'light' and 'perfection' (as Urim and Thummiin 
 respectively mean) of the Divine Wisdom, 19. 
 Ethiopia— Cw«A in the Hebrew. Either Ethiopia 
 or the south of Arabia, near the Tigris. 
 ^ 20. Verse 12 repeated with great force. 21. 
 None can tell whence or vjhere, seeing it, &c. 
 fowls. The gift of divination was assigned by 
 the heathen esi)ecially to birds. Their rapid 
 flight heavenwards and keen sight originated 
 the superstition. Job may allude to it, Not even 
 the boasted divination of birds has an insight into 
 it (Eccl. x. 20). But it may merely mean, as v. 
 7, it escapes the eye of the most keen-sighted bird. 
 
 22. /. e., the abodes of destruction and of the dead- 
 "Death" put for Shoel (chs. xxx. 23; xxvi. 6, 
 note; Ps. ix. 13). We have (only) heard — the 
 report of her. We have not seen her. In the land 
 of the living (r. 13) the workings of Wisdom are 
 seen, though not herself. In the regions of the 
 dead she is only heard of, her actings on nature 
 not being seen (Eccl. ix, 10). 
 
 23. God hath, and is Himself wisdom. So He 
 alone " understandetli the way thereof, and know- 
 eth the place thereof." 24, Seeth (all that is) 
 under, &c. 25. God has adjusted the weight of 
 the winds, so seemingly imponderable, lest, if too 
 weighty or too light, injury should be caused. He 
 measureth out the waters, fixing their bounds, 
 with wisdom as His counsellor (Prov. viii. 27-31; 
 Isa. xl. 12). 26. The decree regulating at what 
 time and place, and in what quantity, the rain 
 should fall, a way— through the parted clouds 
 (ch. xxxviii. 25; Zech. x. 1). 27. declare— mani- 
 fest her— viz., in His works (Ps. xix. 1, 2). So the 
 approval bestowed by the Creator on His works 
 (Gen. i. 10, 31); cf. the "rejoicing" of wisdom at 
 the same (Prov. viii. 30; the former clause of 
 which Umhreit translates ' I was the skilful artificer 
 by his side;' Prov. viii. 31). prepared— not cre- 
 ated, for wisdom is from everlasting (Prov. viii.).; 
 but 'established' Her as Governor of the world, 
 searched out — examined her works, to see whether 
 she was adequate to the task of governing the 
 world (ilfcmrer). 28. Rather, But unto man, &c., 
 my wisdom is that whereby all things are gov- 
 erned : thy wisdom is in fearing God and shunning 
 evil, and in feeling assured that my wisdom always 
 acts aright, though thou dost not understand the 
 principle which regulates it— e. g., in alllicting the 
 godly (John vii. 17). The friends, therefore, as not 
 comprehending the Divine Wisdom, should not 
 infer Job's guilt from his sufferings ; for though, for 
 the most part, vengeance overtakes the heinous 
 
Job bemoanetJi his 
 
 JOB XXIX. 
 
 former prosperity. 
 
 29 
 
 2 
 
 9 
 10 
 
 MOREOVER Job ^ continued his parable, and said. 
 
 Oh that I were as in months past. 
 As in the days when God preserved me ; 
 When "his ^candle shined upon my head, 
 Aiid when by his light I walked through darkness; 
 As I was in the days of my youth, 
 When ^the secret of God was upon my tabernacle; 
 When the Almighty was yet with me, — when my children were about me ; 
 When *^ I washed my steps with butter, 
 And '^the rock poured ^me out rivers of oil ! 
 
 When I went out to the gate through tlie city. 
 When I prepared my seat in the street : 
 The young men saw me, and hid themselves ; 
 And the aged arose, and stood up. 
 
 The princes refrained talking, — and laid their hand on their moutli 
 *The nobles held their peace, 
 
 And their Hongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. 
 
 B. O 1520. 
 
 CHAP. 29. 
 
 1 added to 
 take up. 
 
 " ch 18 6. 
 Ps. 18. 23. 
 Pro 21. 20. 
 
 2 Or, lamp. 
 6 Ps. 25: 14. 
 
 Ps. 91. 1 
 
 Pro. 3. 32. 
 " Gen. 49. 11. 
 
 Deut 32 13. 
 
 Deut. 33 24. 
 
 Ch. 20. 17. 
 d Ps. 81. 16. 
 
 3 with me. 
 
 4 the voice 
 of the 
 nobles was 
 hid. 
 
 • Ps. 137. 6. 
 
 transgressor even here, and prosperity attends the 
 righteous, yet there are cases where God afflicts the 
 godly in His own inscrutable wisdom. Here alone 
 in Job the name of God 'Adonai' occurs, Lord or 
 Master, often applied to Messiah in the Old Testa- 
 ment. Appropriately here, in speaking of the 
 Word or wisdom by whom the world was made, 
 (Prov. viii.; John i. ; Ecclus. xxiv.) 
 
 Remarlcs. — 1. How marvellous are the contriv- 
 ances devised by man, how desperate the risks 
 which he has incurred, to obtain the much-coveted 
 treasures of the earth — iron, copper, silver, gold, 
 and precious stones ! He ventures where foot has 
 never trodden before, exiling himself from the 
 cheerful haunts of men, to sojourn in the darkness 
 of a pit, his life at every moment exposed to a 
 thousand dangers from water, fire-damp, foul air, 
 the falling in of the mine, and his own false steps — 
 and all in order to gain the hidden riches beneath 
 the soil. His boldness is often crowned with suc- 
 cess, and, by all-conquering industry and scientific 
 skill, he surmounts most of the difficulties in the 
 way of his object. This energy is not in itself 
 censurable, but commendable, when exercised in 
 its due measure and place ; and it tends to carry 
 oat the gracious purposes of the beneficent Creator 
 for the good of man. 2. Still more marvellous it 
 is that man will not bestow at least equal energy, 
 Xierseverance, and self-sacrificing ardour on that 
 which is so infinitely more precious than earthly 
 treasures — the attainment of true and saving wis- 
 dom. Like Solomon, we ought to pray, not for 
 long life, riches, and honours, but thus — "I am but 
 a little child : I know not how to go out or come 
 in. Give, therefore, thy servant an understanding 
 heart." We ought to seek at all costs, as our first 
 aim, to be " made wise unto salvation through 
 faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. iii. 15). 
 3. Wisdom has a two-fold relation— as it belongs 
 to God, and as it belongs to us. The wisdom by 
 which the world is governed by God cannot be 
 explored by man, as he can discover the secret 
 treasures of the mine. The most costly price that 
 man could pay cannot purchase the knowledge of 
 this Divine secret {vv. 13-19). But the wisdom 
 which it most concerns man to know is, blessed 
 be God ! altogether attainable by us. " Behold the 
 fear of the Lord, that is wisdom: and to depart 
 from evil is understanding." This wisdom is 
 bought already for us, and needs not to be bought 
 by us. "In Christ are hid all the treasures of wis- 
 dom and knowledge" (Col. ii. 3). They are re- 
 vealed in the Word to believers through the Holy 
 68 
 
 Ghost, and received by faith. We cannot solve all 
 difficulties in theory, but we can know all that is 
 needful practically for salvation. "The secret 
 things belong unto the Lord our God: but those 
 things which are revealed belong unto us and to 
 our children for ever, that we may do all the words 
 of this law" (Deut. xxix. 29). 
 
 CHAP. XXIX. 1-25,-1. Job pauses for a re- 
 ply. None being made, he proceeds to illus- 
 trate the mystenousness of God's dealings, as 
 set forth (ch. xxviii.) by his own case. 2. pre- 
 served me— from calamity. 3. candle— when His 
 favour shone on me (note, xviii. 6; Ps. xviii. 
 28). darkness— by His safeguard I passed se- 
 cure through dangers. Perhaps alluding to the 
 lights carried before caravans in nightly travels 
 through deserts {Noyes). 4. youth— rather [r)nn, 
 autumn], the time of the ripe fruits of niy pros- 
 perity. The Vulgate, as the English version, ap- 
 plies it to youth, as the Orientalists began their 
 year with autumn, the most temperate season in 
 the East, secret — when the intimate friendship of 
 God rested on my tent (Prov. iii. 32 ; Ps. xxxi. 20 ; 
 XXV. 14, " The secret of the Lord is with them that 
 fear Him;" Gen. xviii. 17 ; John xv. 15). The 
 Hebrew often means a divan for deliberation. 6. 
 butter — rather, cream — lit., thick milk. Wherever 
 I turned my steps the richest milk and oil flowed 
 in to me abundantly. Image from pastoral life. 
 Literal washing of the feet in milk is not meant, as 
 the second clause shows ; marg., with me— i. e. , near 
 my path, wherever I walked (Devit. xxxii. 13, 14). 
 Olives amidst rocks yield the best oil. Oil in the 
 East is used for food, light, anointing, and medicine. 
 
 7-10. The great influence J ob had over young and 
 old, and noblemen, through . . . street — rather, 
 'when I went out of my house in the country 
 (see ch. i., prologue) to the gate, (ascending) up to 
 (not through, as the English version) the city 
 (which was on elevated ground), and when I pre- 
 pared my (judicial) seat in the market-place^ [^hnn]. 
 The market-place was the place of judgment, at 
 the gate or propyloea of the city, such as is found 
 in the remains of Nineveh and Persepolis (Isa. lix. 
 14; Ps. Iv. 11; cxxvii. 5). 8, hid— not lit, but 
 withdrew, stepped backwards, reverentially. The 
 aged, who were already seated, arose and remained 
 standing until Job seated himself. Oriental man- 
 ners. 9, (Ch. iv. 2; note, ch. xxi. 5.) Refrained— 
 stopped in the middle of their speech. 10. Marg., 
 voice — hid: i. e., hushed (Ezek. iii. 26). tongue 
 cleaved, &c.— e.^ awed by my presence, the emira 
 
Job bemoaneth his 
 
 JOB XXIX. 
 
 former prosperity. 
 
 11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; 
 i\nd when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: 
 
 12 Because -^I dehvered the poor that cried, 
 And the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. 
 
 13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me : 
 And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. 
 
 14 I ^put on righteousness, and it clothed me: 
 My judgment was as a robe and a diadem. 
 
 15 1 was '^eyes to the blind, — and feet was I to the lame, 
 
 16 I icas a father to the poor: 
 And Hhe cause which I knew not I searched out, 
 
 17 And I brake ^the jaws of the wicked, 
 And ^plucked the spoil out of his teeth. 
 
 18 Then I said, -^'I shall die in my nest. 
 And I shall multiply my days as the sand. 
 
 19 My ^root was ^spread out ^by the waters, 
 And the dew lay all night upon my branch. 
 
 20 My glory was Afresh in me, — and "^my bow was ^renewed in my hand. 
 
 21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, 
 And kept silence at my counsel. 
 
 22 After my words they spake not again; 
 And my speech dropped upon them. 
 
 23 And they waited for me as for the rain ; 
 And they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain. 
 
 or sheikhs were silent. 11. blessed— extolled my 
 virtues (Prov. xxxi. 28). Omit me after "heard; 
 whoever heard of me in general, not in the market- 
 
 tjlace (7-10), praised me. I was praised not only 
 )y those who saw me, but also by those who heard 
 of me, and knew me only l)y report, gave witness 
 — to my honourable character. Image from a court 
 of justice (Luke iv. 22). the eye— i. e,, face to 
 face; antithesis to "ear" — i. e., report of me. 12-17. 
 The grounds on which Job was praised {v. II) — his 
 helping the afflicted (Ps. Ixxii. 12), who cried to 
 him for help, as a judge, or as one possessed of 
 means of charity. Translate, The fatherless, ivho 
 had none to help him. 13. So far was I from send- 
 ing "widows" away empty (ch. xxii. 9), "I caused 
 the widow's heart to sing for joy." ready to perish 
 —(Prov. xxii. 6). 14. (Isa. Ixi. 10; 1 Chr. xii, 
 18, murg.) judgment— justice, diadem— tiara; 
 rather, turban, head-dress {^^y^\ {Urnbreit). It, 
 and the full flowing outer mantle or "robe," are 
 the prominent characteristics of an Oriental's 
 grandee or high priest's dress (Zech. iii. 5). So 
 Job's righteousness especially characterized him. 
 15. Lit., the blind (Deut. xxvii. 18): lame (2 Sam. 
 ix. \Z);fifjuraMrely, also the spiritual support which 
 the more enlightened gives to those less so (ch. iv. 
 8; Heb. xii. 13; Num. x. .31). 16. So far was I 
 from "breaking the arms of the fatherless,''' as 
 Eliphaz asserts (ch. xxii. 9), I was a ''''father'''' to 
 such, the cause which I knew not— rather, of 
 Mm whom, I knew not, the stranger, (Prov. xxix. 7 ; 
 Urnbreit; contrast Luke xviii. 1, &c.) Applica- 
 ble to almsgiving (Ps. xii. 1) ; but here, primarily, 
 judicial conscientioiisness (ch. xxxi. 1.3). 17. Image 
 from combating with wild beasts (ch. iv. 11; Ps. 
 iii. 7). So compassionate was .Job to the oppressed, 
 so terrible to the oppressor ! Jaws— Job broke his 
 power, so that he could do no more hurt, and tore 
 from him the spoil which he had torn from others. 
 18. I said— in my heart (Ps. xxx. 0). in— rather, 
 'with my nest:' as the second clause refers to 
 long life. Instead of my family dying before me, 
 as now, I shall live so long as to die with them : 
 69 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 / Neh. 5. 2. 
 fs. 72. 12. 
 Pro. 21. 13. 
 Fro. 24. 11, 
 12. 
 
 Jer. 22. 16. 
 c Deut. 21 13. 
 Ps. 132. 9. 
 Is. 59. 17. 
 Eora. 13. 14. 
 1 Thess 5.8. 
 Eph. 6. 14. 
 Eev. 19. 8. 
 h Nu. 10. 31. 
 
 • Pro 29. 7. 
 
 5 the jaw- 
 teeth, or, 
 the 
 
 grinders. 
 
 6 cast. 
 J Ps. 30. 6. 
 
 * ch. 18. 16. 
 Ps. 1. 3. 
 Jer. 17. 8. 
 Hos. 14 6.7. 
 
 7 opened. 
 I Ps. 1. 3. 
 
 Jer. 17. 8. 
 
 8 new. 
 
 ™Gen. 40. 24. 
 ' 9 changed 
 
 proverbial for long life. Job did realize his hope 
 (ch. xlii. 16). However, in the bosom of my 
 family gives a good sense. Num. xxiv. 21, 
 Obad. 4, use "nest" for a secure dwelling, sand — 
 (Gen. xxii. 17; Hab. i. 9) [hSn], But the LXX., 
 the Vtilgate, and Jewish interpreters favour 
 the translation, 'the phoenix-bird.' "Nest" 
 in the parallel clause supports the reference to a 
 bird. " Sand" for midt'itude applies to men rather 
 than to years. The myth was, that the phoenix 
 sprang from a nest of myrrh, made by his father 
 before death, and that he then came from Arabia 
 {JoVs country) to Heliopolis (the City of the Sun) 
 in Egypt, once in every 500 years, and there burnt 
 his father {Herodotus, ii. 73). Modern research 
 has shown that this was the Egyptian mode of 
 representing hieroglyphically a particular chrono- 
 logical ei-a or cycle. The death and revival every 
 500 years, and the reference to the szin, implies 
 such a grand cj''cle commencing afresh from the 
 same point, in relation to the sun, from which the 
 previous one started. Job probably refers to this. 
 19. Lit., opened to the waters: continually irrigated ' 
 by them. Opposed to ch. xviii. 16, "His roots 
 shall be driecf up beneath." Vigorous health. 20. 
 My renown, like my bodily health, was continu- 
 ally fresh, bow — metar^hor from war, for My 
 strength, which gains me ' renown,' was ever re- 
 newed (Jer. xlix. .35). 
 
 21. Job reverts with peculiar pleasure to his 
 former dimity in assemblies {vv. 7-10). 22. not 
 again— did not contradict me. dropped— aflFected 
 their minds, as the genial rain does the soil on 
 which it gently dro]»s (Amos vii. 16; Deut. xxxii. 
 2; Song iv. 11). 23. Image of v. "22 continued. 
 They waited for my salutary counsel, as the dry 
 soil does for the refreshing rain, opened . . . 
 mouth— panted for; Oriental ima^e (Ps. cxix. 131). 
 Tlie " early rain " is in autumn and onwards, while 
 the seed is being sown. Tlie "latter rain is in 
 March, and brings forward the harvest, which 
 ripens in May or June. Between "the early" aud 
 " the latter rains," some rain falls, but not in such 
 
Job's honour is turnea 
 
 JOB XXX. 
 
 into extreme contempt. 
 
 24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not ; 
 
 And the light of my countenance they cast not down. 
 
 25 I chose '^out their way, and sat chief, — and dwelt as a king in the army, 
 As one that comforteth the mourners. 
 
 30 BUT now they that are ^younger than I have me in derision, 
 
 Whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with tlie dogs of my flock. 
 
 2 Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands jsro/^ me, 
 In whom old age was perished? 
 
 3 For want and famine they were ^ solitary; 
 
 Fleeing into the wilderness ^ in former time desolate and waste. 
 
 quantities as those rains. Between March and 
 October no rain falls (Dent. xi. 14; Jas. v. 7). 24. 
 When I relaxed from my wonted gravity (a virtue 
 much esteemed in the East), and smiled on them, 
 they could hardly credit it; and yet, notwith- 
 standing my condescension, they did not cast aside 
 reverence in consequence of my cheerfulness of 
 countenance. But the parallelism is better in 
 Umbreifs translation : ' I smiled kindly on those 
 who trusted not'— i.e., in times of danger I 
 cheered those in despondency. ' And they could 
 not cast down (by their despondency) my ser- 
 enity of countenance ' (flowing from trust in God). 
 (Prov. xvi. 15; Ps. civ. 15.) The opposite phrase 
 (Gen. iv. 5, 6, " countenance fallen "). 25, I chose 
 . . . their way— i. e., I willingly went up to their 
 assembly from my country residence {v. 7). 
 {Maurer.) 'If I chose to go in their way' — i. e., 
 if their ways pleased me, I then sat there as chief 
 {Umbreit). The English version is good sense, 'I 
 chose out for them, as their counsellor, the way in 
 which they should go.' in . . . army— as a king 
 supreme in the midst of his army, comforteth 
 . . . mourners. Here, again, Job unconsciously 
 foreshadows Jesus Christ (Isa. Ixi. 2, 3). Job's 
 afflictions, as those of Jesus Christ, were fitting 
 him for the office hereafter (Isa. 1. 4; Heb. ii. 18). 
 
 Remarks. — 1. The remembrance of past com- 
 forts increases the bitterness of present sufteriugs. 
 Above all other privations, the believer feels most 
 acutely the withdrawal of the light of God's coun- 
 tenance, and looks back with mournful regrets on 
 the sweet seasons of secret communion and holy 
 intimacy with God which once were his chiefest 
 joy {vv. 1-5). As the hymn expresses it, — 
 
 'What peaceful hours I once enjoy'd! 
 
 How sweet their memory still ! 
 But they have left an aching void 
 The world can never fill.' 
 
 Sometimes this withdrawal of the sensible com- 
 forts of religion arises from sinful carelessness of 
 walk and declension in prayer and watchfulness 
 (Song v. 2-8). At other times it is regarded, as in 
 J ob's case, to be a trial of our faith, and to teach 
 lis to trust God even when we cannot see or feel 
 Him. In the former case, we need to search our- 
 selves, and to ask God to search us, that we may 
 put away from us whatever in us has displeased 
 Him, and provoked Him to withdraw His Spirit 
 from us. In the latter case we must, like Jesus 
 on the cross, amidst the darkness, when there is 
 no light, " trust in the name of the Lord, and stay 
 upon our God." 2. Paches, honours, and flourish- 
 ing families soon pass away. Yet so deceitful are 
 earthly things that even the godly are apt to forget 
 how transitory are the best of earth's good things. 
 Therefore God often cuts by the root, and in the 
 moment when we least expect it, our confident 
 anticipations of security, prosperity, and length- 
 ened "days" {,vv. 18-20), in order to teach us not 
 to make our "nest" here, but to look for the 
 heavenly and enduring home. 3. Meanwhile, so 
 
 B C. 1620. 
 " Gen. a. 40. 
 Judg. 11. 8. 
 
 CHAP. 30. 
 
 1 of fewer 
 days than 
 I. 
 
 2 Or, dark as 
 the night, 
 ch. 24. 13. 
 
 16. 
 
 3 yester- 
 night 
 
 long as wealth, influence, and rank remain with 
 us, they are to be prized, not so much for their 
 own sake as because they afford valuable oppor- 
 tunities of honouring God and promoting the 
 good of our fellow-men (vv. 11-13). There is no 
 such exquisite luxury as that of doing good. In 
 the retrospect of his past prosperity, doubtless, 
 there was no one circumstance on which Job 
 could look back with such unmingled satisfaction, 
 as upon the generosity which had called forth 
 " the blessing of him that was ready to perish," 
 and which had " caused the widow's heart to sing 
 for joy." Then, also, what a source of pleasure it 
 is to the honourable magistrate, civil officer, and 
 senator, if, in looking back on his conduct in sucli 
 high positions, he can truly say, "I put on righ- 
 teousness, and it clothed me ; my justice was as 
 my mantle and diadem " [v. 14). Riches and rank 
 so used, though perishing themselves, leave a 
 beneficent and lasting impression behind them ; 
 but if abused for mere earthly ends, pride, vanity, 
 and selfishness, they entail on the possessor an 
 aM'ful weight of condemnation. 
 
 CHAP. XXX. 1-31.-1. younger— not the three 
 friends (chs. xv. 10; xxxii. 4, 6, 7). A general 
 description : 1-8, The lowness of the i)ersons who 
 derided him ; 9-15, The derision itself. Formerly 
 old men rose to me (ch. xxix. 8). Now not only 
 my juniors, who are bound to reverence me (Lev. 
 xix. 32), but even the mean and base-born, actually 
 deride me: opposed to "smiled upon" (ch. xxix. 
 24). This goes farther than even the 'mockery' 
 of Job by relations and friends (chs. xii. 4 ; xvi. 10, 
 20 ; xvii. 2, 6 ; xix. 22). Orientals feel keenly any 
 indignity shown by the young. Job speaks as a 
 rich Arabian emir, proud of his desCent. dogs — 
 regarded with disgust in the East as unclean (1 
 Sam. xvii. 43; Prov. xxvi. 11). They are not 
 allowed to enter a house, but run about wild in 
 the open air, living on otfal and chance morsels 
 (Ps. lix. 14, 15). Here again we are reminded of 
 Jesus Christ (Ps. xxii. 16, " Dogs have compas- 
 sioned me"). Their fathers, my coevals, were so 
 mean and famished that I would not have asso- 
 ciated them with (not to say, set them over) my 
 dogs in guarding my flock. 2. If their fathers 
 could be of no profit to me, much less the sons, 
 who are feebler than their sires ; and in whose case 
 the hope of attaining old age [n^5] (ch. v. 26, simi- 
 larly) is utterly gone, so puny are they (Maurer), 
 Even if they had " strength of hands," that could 
 be now of no use to me, as all I want in my present 
 affliction is sympathy. But they have not even 
 strength. Umbreit translates the latter clause, 
 ' With them even old age must perish :' so in- 
 human are they that aged men, whose sufferings 
 ought to excite pity, are allowed to perish near 
 them without a helping hand. 3. solitary — lit., 
 hard as a rock [iiD^.i] : translate, ' dried up,'' ema- 
 ciated with hunger. Job describes the rudest 
 race of Bedouins of the desert ( Umbreit). fleeing 
 
His prosperity is 
 
 JOB XXX. 
 
 turned into calamity. 
 
 4 Who cut up mallows by the buslies, — and juniper roots /or their meat. 
 
 5 They were driven forth from among r)%e7i, 
 (They cried after them as after a thief;) 
 
 6 To dwell in the cHffs of the valleys, 
 
 In * caves of the earth, and i7i the rocks. 
 
 7 Among the bushes they brayed; 
 
 Under the nettles they were gathered together. 
 
 8 They were children of fools, — yea, children of ^base men; 
 They were viler than the earth. 
 
 9 And now am I their song; — "yea, I am their byword. 
 
 10 They abhor me, they flee far from me, — ^and spare not * to spit in my face. 
 
 11 Because he '^hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, 
 They have also let loose the bridle before me. 
 
 12 Upon my right hand rise the youth ; — they push away my feet. 
 And '^the}^ raise up against me the ways of their destruction. 
 
 13 They ^ mar my path, — they set forward my calamity, — they have no helper, 
 
 14 They came upon me-^SiS a wide breaking in of waters: 
 In the desolation they rolled themselves upon me. 
 
 15 Terrors are turned upon me : — they pursue ^my soul as the wind ; 
 And my welfare passeth away as a cloud. 
 
 16 And now my soul is ^poured out upon me ; 
 The days of affliction have taken hold upon me. 
 
 B. C. 1 2 ). 
 
 4 holes. 
 
 5 men of no 
 name. 
 
 " ch. n. 6. 
 Ps. 35. 15, 
 Ps. 69. 11. 
 Lam. 3. 14, 
 63. 
 
 6 and with- 
 hold EOt 
 spittle 
 from my 
 face. 
 
 6 Matt. 26 ej. 
 " ch. 12. 18. 
 
 <l ch. 19. 12. 
 « Ps. 69. 26. 
 
 Zech. 1, 15, 
 / Ps. 18. 4. 
 
 Ps. 69. 14, 
 15, 
 
 Isa 8. r, 8. 
 
 7 my prin- 
 cipal one. 
 
 ^ 1 Sa. 1. 15. 
 Ps. 22. 14. 
 Ps. 42. 4. 
 Isa. 63. 12. 
 
 [p!]?] — SO the LXX. Better, as the Syriac, Arabic, 
 aud Vulgate, ^ gnaiuers of the wilderness.' What 
 they gnaw in the wilderness follows in v. 4. in 
 former limQ—Ut, the 'yesternight of desolation and 
 waste' (the most utter desolation, Ezek, vi, 14); 
 i. e., those deserts, frightful as night to man by 
 their gloom, and even therefrom time immemorial. 
 I think both ideas are in the word— viz., both dark- 
 ness {Gesenius) and antiquitg {Umbreit). (Isa, xxx. 
 33, marg. > Hebrew, ' from yesterday '— i. e., of old. 
 4. mallows — rather, salt wort, which grows in 
 deserts, aud is eaten as a salad by the poor, hav- 
 ing a salt taste [Maurer). by the bushes— among 
 the bushes, juniper— rather, a kind of broom, 
 spartium junceum {Linnams), still called in Arabia, 
 as in the Hebrew of Job. Retem, of which the 
 bitter roots are eaten by tne poor. 5. they cried 
 —i. e., a cry is raised, &c. Expressing the con- 
 tempt felt for this race by civilized and well-born 
 Arabs. When these wild vagabonds make an in- 
 cursion on villages, they are driven away as 
 thieves would be. 6. They are forced "to dwell." 
 cliffs of valleys — rather, 'in the gloomy {lit, 
 gloom of) valleys,' or loadys [o^Sni ynyg]. To 
 dwell in valleys is in the East a mark of wretch- 
 edness. The Troglodytes, in parts of Arabia, 
 lived in such dwellings as caves, &c. 7. brayed— 
 hke the wild ass (ch. vi. 5) for food. The inar- 
 ticulate tones of this uncivilized rabble are but 
 little above those of the beast of the field, gath- 
 ered together— rather, sprinkled here and there. 
 Lit., xjoured out [in^c:], graphically picturing their 
 disorderly mode of "encampment, lying up and 
 down behind the thorn-bushes, nettles— or bram- 
 bles (Umbreit). 8. fools— i. e., the impious and 
 abandoned (1 Sam. xxv. 25). base — Hebrew, 
 nameless, low-born rabble. viler than, &c.— 
 rather, they were driven or beaten out [iNii:, from 
 na:, to beat] of the land. The Horites in 'Mount 
 Seir (Gen. xiv. 6, with which cf. xxxvi. 20, 21 ; 
 l)eut. 11. 12 22) were probably the aborigines, 
 driven out by the tribe to which Job's ancestors 
 belonged ; their name means Troglodytaj, or dwell- 
 ers m caves. To these Job alludes here (vv. 1-8) 
 71 
 
 and in ch. xxiv. 4-8, which see. 9. (Ch. xvii, 6.) 
 Strikingly similar to the derision Jesus Christ 
 underwent (Lam. iii. 14; Ps. Ixix. 12). Here Job 
 returns to the sentiment in v. 1. It is to such I 
 am become a song of 'derision.' 10. in my face 
 — rather, refrain not to spit (in deliberate con- 
 tempt) before my face. To spit at all in presence 
 of another is thought in the East insulting, 
 much more when done to mark 'abhorrence.' 
 Cf. the further insult to Jesus Christ (Isa. 1. 6; 
 Matt. xxvi. 67). 11. He — i.e., God; antithet- 
 ical to they: the English version here follows 
 the marginal reading [Keri), '■'my cord;" image 
 from a bow unstrung ; opposed to ch. xxix. 20, "My 
 bow was renewed in my hand." The text [Chetib), 
 ' his cord,' or ' reins,' is better, because of the 
 parallelism to "they have let loose the bridle:" 
 ' yea, each lets loose his reins ' ( Umbreit). But the 
 parallelism is good in the English version also. 12. 
 youth— rather, a (low) brood [nnn^^]. To rise on the 
 right hand is to accuse, as that was the position of 
 the accuser in court (Zech. iii. 1 ; Ps. cix. 6). push 
 . . . feet— jostle me out of the way (ch. xxiv. 4). 
 ways of— i. e., their ways of [i. e., with a view to 
 my) destruction. Image, as in ch. xix. 12, from a 
 besieging army throwing up a way of approach for 
 itself to a city. 13. Image of an assailed fortress 
 continued. They tear up the path by which suc- 
 cour might reach me. set forward — in calamity 
 (Zech. i. 15). they have no helper— Arabic pro- 
 verb for contemptible persons. Yet even such 
 afflict Job. 14. waters— (so 2 Sam. v. 20). But 
 it is better to retain the image of vv. 12, 13. " They 
 came (upon me) as through a wide breach''^ — viz., 
 made by the besiegers in the wall of a fortress 
 (Isa. xxx. 13). {Maurer.) in the desolation— 
 'amidst the crash' of falling masonry: or, 'with 
 a shout like the crash ' of, &c. 15. they— terrors, 
 soul [nn-i?]— rather, 'my dignity' [n^:, willing, 
 noble] ( Umbreit). Perhaps 'my noble spirit.' wel- 
 fare—prosperity, cloud— (ch. vii. 9; Isa. xliv. 22). 
 
 16-23. Jod's outward calamities affect his mind, 
 poured out— in irrepressible complaints (Ps. xlii. 
 4 ; Josh. vii. 5). 17. In the Hebrew night is poeti- 
 cally personified, as ch. iii. 3, ' Night pierceth my 
 
His prosperity is 
 
 JOB XXX. 
 
 turned into calamity. 
 
 17 My bones ^are pierced in me in the night season; 
 And my sinews take no rest. 
 
 18 By the great force of my disease is my garment changed ; 
 It bindeth me ^ about as the collar of my coat. 
 
 19 He hath cast me into the mire, — and I am become like dust and ashes. 
 
 20 I cry ^ unto thee, and thou dost not hear me : 
 I stand up, and thou regardest me not. 
 
 •21 Thou art ^become cruel to me; 
 
 With ^thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me. 
 
 22 Thou liftest me up to the wind; 
 
 Thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance. 
 
 23 For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, 
 And to the house appointed for all living. 
 
 24 Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, 
 Though they cry in his destruction. 
 
 25 Did ^not I weep ^^for him that was in trouble? 
 Was not my soul grieved for the poor? 
 
 26 When 4 looked for good, then evil came unto me; 
 And when I waited for light, there came darkness. 
 
 27 My bowels boiled, and rested not ; — the days of affliction prevented me. 
 
 28 I went mourning without the sun : 
 
 I stood up, and I cried in the congregation. 
 
 bone (so that they fall) from me ' (not, as the 
 English version, "mme"), see v. 30. sinews— so 
 the Arabic, vdns^ akin to the Hebrew: rather, 
 gnaivers, the same Hebrew as in v. 3 (note)— viz., 
 my gnaiving pains never cease. Effects of elephan- 
 tiasis. 18. of my disease— rather, 'of God* (ch. 
 xxiii. 6). garment changed— from a robe of hon- 
 our to one of mourning, literally (ch. ii. 8; Jon. iii. 
 6) and metaphorically {Umbreit). Or, ratlier, as 
 Sckuttens, following up v. 17, My outer garment is 
 changed into affliction— i e., affliction has become 
 my outer garment ; it also bindeth me fast round 
 (my throat) as the collar of the inner coat — i. e. , it 
 is both my inner and outer garment. Observe the 
 distinction between the inner and outer garments. 
 The latter refers to his afflictions from without 
 {vi\ 1-13); the former his personal afflictions 
 (vv. 14-23). Umbreit makes "God" subject to 
 "bindeth," as in v. 19. 19. God is poetically said 
 to do that which the niourner had done to himself 
 (ch. ii. 8). With lying in the ashes he had become, 
 like them, in dirty colour. 20. stand up— the 
 reverential attitude of a suppliant before a king 
 (1 Ki. viii. 14; Luke xviii. 11-13). not— supplied 
 from the first clause. But the intervening affirma- 
 tive "stand" makes this ellipsis unlikely. Eather, 
 as ch. xvi. 9 (not only dost thou refuse aid to me 
 'standing' as a suppliant, but), tJiou dost regard 
 me loith a frown : eye me sternly. 22. liftest . . . 
 to wind— as a "leaf," or "stubble" (ch. xiii. 25). 
 The moving pillars of sand raised by the wind 
 to the clouds, as described by travellers, would 
 happily depict Job's agitated spirit, if it be to them 
 that he alludes, dissolvest . . . substance— the 
 warg., Hebrew reading {Keri): *my wealth,' or 
 else ' wisdom ' — i. e. , sense and spirit ; or ' my 
 hope of deliverance' [n;K'in]. But the text {Chetib) 
 is better, Thou dissolvest me (with fear, Exod. 
 XV. lo) in the crash (of the whirlwind; as v. 14, 
 note) [njK'n], (Maurer.) Umbreit translates as a 
 verb, 'T\xo\xterrifiestm.e' [r\r^'r^]. 23. This shows 
 ch. xix. 25 cannot be restricted to Job's hope of a 
 temporal deliverance : he had no anticipation of 
 deliverance before death and the grave, death — 
 as in ch. xxviii. 22, the realm of the dead (Heb. 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 ch. 33. i&- 
 21. 
 
 Ps. 6. 2. 
 Ps 38. 2-8. 
 
 i Ch. 2. r. 
 
 J Ps. 22. 2. 
 Matt. 15 23' 
 
 8 turned to 
 be cruel. 
 
 9 the 
 strength ot 
 thy hand. 
 
 10 Or. 
 wisdom. 
 
 11 heap. 
 
 * Luke 19. 41. 
 John 11. 35. 
 Eom. 12. 16. 
 
 12 for him 
 that was 
 hard of 
 day. 
 
 13 bur. ed. 
 2 Cor 11. 
 
 29. 
 
 ' Jer. 8. 15. 
 Lam 3. 1. 
 2. 
 
 ix. 27 ; Gen. iii. 19). 24. Expressing Job's faith 
 as to the state after death. 'Though one must 
 go to the grave, yet He will no mwe afflict in 
 THE RUIN of the body (so the Hebrew for grave 
 I'v^]) there, if one has cried to Him when being 
 destroyed.' 'If, in His destruction [its?] among 
 them [jri'?], there is a cry of prayer ' [pit^']. If, in the 
 destruction which God brings upon men, there be 
 prayer offered on their part {Barnes). This ac- 
 cords best with J ob's expectation that God would 
 ultimately vindicate him (ch. xix. 25). [Gesenius 
 takes from nr3, prayer: 'Yea, prayer is 
 nought when He stretches out His hand (to ruin), 
 and in His (God's) destruction (viz., which Ho 
 inflicts) their cry avails noug ht.'l The 'stretch- 
 ing of His hand' to punish after death answers 
 antithetically to the raising 'the cry' of prayer 
 in the second clause. Maurer gives another trans- 
 lation, which accords with the scope of vv. 24-31 : 
 If it be natural for one in affliction to ask aid, why 
 should it be considered (by the friends) wrong in 
 my case? 'Nevertheless, does not a man in ruin 
 stretch out his hand?' (imploring help, v. 20; Lam. 
 i. 17.) 'If one be in his calamity (destruction), 
 is there not therefore a cry ' (for aid) ? Thus in 
 the parallelism "cry" answers to "stretch . . . 
 hand;" 'in his calamity,' to 'in ruin.' The 
 negative of the first clause is to be supplied in 
 the second, as in v. 25 (ch. xxviii. 17). 26. May I 
 not be allowed to complain of my calamity, and 
 beg relief, seeing that I myself sympathized wdth 
 those " in trouble ?" (lit., hard of day ; those who 
 had a hard time of it.) 26. I may be allowed 
 to crave help, seeing that, "when I looked for 
 good (on account of my piety and charity), yet 
 evil," &c. light — prosperity and joy (ch. xxii. 28). 
 
 27. bowels — regarded as the seat of deep feeling 
 (Isa. xvi. 11). boiled— violently heated and agi- 
 tated, prevented— old English for unexpectedly 
 came upon me, surprised me. 28. mourning— rather, 
 I move about blackened [Tip], though not by the suu 
 —i. e., whereas many are blackened by the sun, I 
 am by the heat of God's wrath (so" boiled," v. 
 27); the elephantiasis covering me with blackness 
 of skin {v, 30), as with the garb of mourning 
 
JoVs solemn declaration 
 
 JOB XXXI. 
 
 of h,i^ 
 
 t'nl'.prif'i fii 
 
 
 B. C. 1520, 
 
 
 " Ps lOi, 6. 
 
 
 HOr. 
 
 
 ost^ic^e3, 
 
 
 CHAP. 31, 
 
 
 « Matt. 5 28. 
 
 
 1 John 2. 
 
 
 16. 
 
 
 6 2 Chr 16 9, 
 
 
 Ch. 3t. 21. 
 
 
 Pro. 5. 21. 
 
 
 Pro. 15. 3. 
 
 
 .Ter 32. .9. 
 
 
 1 let him 
 
 
 weigh 
 
 
 me in 
 
 
 balances 
 
 
 of justice. 
 
 
 ^ Nu 15. 39. 
 
 
 Eccl 11. 9. 
 
 
 Eze. 6. 9 
 
 
 Matt. 5. 23. 
 
 29 I am a "brother to dragons, — and a companion to owls. 
 
 30 My skin is black upon me, — and my bones are burnt with heat. 
 
 31 My harp also is turned to mourning, 
 
 And my organ into the voice of them that weep. 
 31 I MADE a covenant with mine "eyes; 
 Why then should I think upon a maid ? 
 
 2 For what portion of God is there from above ? 
 
 And what inheritance of the Almighty from on high? 
 
 3 Is not destruction to the wicked? 
 
 And a stmnge pii?iish7nent to the workers of iniquity? 
 
 4 Doth ^not he see my ways, — and count all my steps? 
 
 5 If I have walked with vanity, — or if my foot hath hasted to deceit ; 
 
 6 ^Let me be weighed in an even balance, 
 That God may know mine integrity. 
 
 7 If my step hath turned out of the way. 
 And '^mine heart walked after mine eyes, 
 And if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands ; 
 
 (Jer. xiv. 2). This striking enigmatic form of 
 Hebrew expression occurs Isa. xxix. 9. stood up 
 — as an innocent man crying for justice in an as- 
 sembled court {v. 29). 29. dragons . . . owls— 
 rather, jackals, ostriches, both of which utter dis- 
 mal screams (Mic. i. 8); in which resj)ect, as also 
 in their living amidst solitudes, the emblem of 
 desolation, Job is their brother and companion — 
 i. e. , resembles them. " Dragon," Hebrew Tannim, 
 usually means the crocodile ; so perhaps here, its 
 open jaws lifted towards heaven, and its noise, 
 making it seem as if it mourned over its fate 
 (Bochart). 30. upon me— rather, as in 17 (note), 
 my skin is black (and falls away) from me [■'^^^J. 
 my bones— (ch. xix. 20 ; Ps. cii. 5). 31. organ— 
 rather, pipe (ch. xxi. 12) : " My joy is turned into 
 the voice of weeping" (Lam. v. 15). My harp 
 and pipe now emit only soimds of sorrow. These 
 instruments are properly appropriated to joy (Isa. 
 xxx. 29, 32), which makes their use now in sorrow 
 the sadder by contrast. 
 
 Remarks. — 1. Derision and disdain (m 1-10) 
 wound a high-spirited and sensitive nature more 
 than the most acute bodily pain. Yet, if we are 
 conscious of not having deserved reproach, we 
 ought not to let ourselves be cast down by the sneers, 
 revilings, and hatred of ungodly men. Rather let 
 us " consider Him who endured such contradiction 
 of sinners against Himself" (Heb. xii. 13) ; and 
 "who, when He was reviled, reviled not again" 
 (1 Pet. ii. 23). 2. How little reason have men to 
 be ambitious of the praises or proud of the hon- 
 ours which the multitude bestow, seeing that the 
 breath of man's favour is as fickle as the wind. 
 The same rabble that cringe and fawn upon you 
 to-day will, if adversity assail you, turn against, 
 deride, and insult you to-morrow; just as the 
 mob that cried ' Hosanna to Jesus, the Son of 
 David' on tlie previous Sunday, cried "Away 
 with Him, crucify Him," on the following Friday. 
 3. When the spirit is embittered by bodily pains 
 and afflictions arising from our fellow-men, we 
 ought especially to be on our guard against being 
 betrayed, as Job was, into entertaining hard 
 thoughts of God {m. 11-22). Still great allowance 
 is to be made for our brother-believers in such a 
 trying position, where their mind is confused, and 
 the soul is hurried away by the violence of con- 
 flicting emotions. Instead of harshly condemning, 
 we ought gently to soothe, sympathize, and try to 
 lead tliem to view things in their true light. The 
 remembrance of their jiast sympathy with those | 
 
 in trouble of mind, body, or estate {v. 25), and the 
 unexpected suddenness of their reverses of for- 
 tune {v. 26), are strong claims on our charity and 
 tenderness in dealing with them. 4. The feature 
 in one's trials which causes most pain to the child 
 of God is, that when he cries, his heavenly Father 
 seems not to heed him {v. 20). Let such a one 
 wait patiently, and» like Job, pray on believingly, 
 confident that, if not in this life, yet beyond the 
 grave, God will for ever cease to stretch out His 
 hand to afflict those who now cry to Him in their 
 destruction {v. 24). 
 
 CHAP. XXXL 1-40.— Job proceeds to prove 
 that he deserved a better lot. As in ch, xxix. he 
 showed his uprightness as an emir, or magistrate, 
 in public life, so in this chapter he vindicates his 
 character in private life. 1-4. He asserts his 
 guarding against being allured to sin by his senses. 
 
 1. think— ca5« a (lustful) look [Jpisi?.^]. He not 
 merely did not so, but put it out of the question, 
 by covenanting with his eyes against leading him 
 into temptation (Pro v. vi. 25; Matt. v. 28). The 
 Hebrew for "made a covenant" is literally ' / cut 
 a covenant .•' referring to the victims slain in mak- 
 ing a covenant [nm nn|): Greek, opfcta Ts/xveiv: 
 Latin, icere fcedus]. The Hebrew particle [hj 
 before "eyes" expresses that these were not the 
 party with whom he contracted, but in respect to 
 which he made the covenant with his own soul 
 and with God. 2. Had I let my senses tempt me 
 to sin, ' what portion (would there have been to 
 me — i. e., must I have expected) from (lit., of) God 
 from above, and what inheritance from (lit., of) the 
 Almighty,' &c. {Maurer). (Ch. xx. 29, " This is the 
 portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage 
 appointed unto him by God ; " ch. xxvii. 13. ) 3. An- 
 swer to the question in v. 2. strange— extraordi- 
 nary. 4. Doth not He see, &c. ? Knowing this, T 
 could only have expected "destruction" {v. 3), had 
 I committed this sin (Pro v. v. 21). 5. Job's abstin- 
 ence from evil deeds, vanity— i. e., falsehood (Ps. 
 xii. 2). 6. Parenthetical. Translate, '0 that 
 God would weigh me in a balance of justice, then 
 would He know my integrity.' 7. Connected with 
 V. 6. the way— of God (ch. xxiii. 11 ; Jer. v. 5). 
 A godly life, heart walked after . . . eyes— if 
 my heart coveted what my eyes beheld (Eccl. xi. 
 9 ; Josh. vii. 21, where the successive stages in the 
 progress of sin here mentioned are exemplified in 
 Achan's case— "I saw among the spoils a goodly 
 Babylonish garment, &c., then I coveted them, and 
 
J oVs solemn declaration 
 
 JOB XXXI. 
 
 of his integrity. 
 
 8 Then let me sow, and let another eat ; — yea, let my offspring be rooted out. 
 
 9 If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, 
 Or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door ; 
 
 10 Then let my wife grind unto another, — and let others bow down upon her. 
 
 1 1 For this is an heinous crime ; 
 
 Yea, it is an iniquity to be punished hy the judges. 
 
 12 For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, 
 And would root out all mine increase. 
 
 13 If I did despise the cause of my manservant, 
 
 Or of my maidservant, when they contended with me ; 
 
 14 What '^then shall I do when God riseth up? 
 And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? 
 
 15 Did ^not he that made me in the womb make him? 
 And 2 did not one fashion us in the womb? 
 
 16 If I have withheld -^'the poor from their desire, 
 Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail ; 
 
 17 Or have eaten my morsel myself alone. 
 And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof ; 
 
 18 (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as icith a father, 
 And I have guided ^her from my mother's womb ;) 
 
 19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing. 
 Or any poor without covering; 
 
 20 If his loins have not blessed me. 
 
 And if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep ; 
 
 21 If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless. 
 When I saw my help in the gate ; 
 
 22 Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade. 
 And mine arm be broken from *the bone. 
 
 23 For destruction /rom God was a terror to me, 
 And by reason of his highness I could not endure. 
 
 B. C. 1520 
 
 ch 9. 32. 
 ch. 10. 2. 
 Ps. 7. 6. 
 Ps. 9. 1211).' 
 Ps. 10. 12, 
 15. 
 
 Ps. 44 21. 
 
 Ps. re. 9. 
 
 Ps. 143. 2. 
 Isa. 10. 3. 
 Zech. 2. 13. 
 * Neh, 5. 6. 
 ch. 34. 19. 
 Pro. 14. 31. 
 Pro. 22 2. 
 Isa 58. 7. 
 Mai. 2. 10. 
 Eph. 4. 6. 
 
 2 Or, did 
 he rot 
 fashion 
 us in one 
 womb? 
 ch. 10 8, 12. 
 Ps. 139. H, 
 
 16. 
 
 Acts 17. 26. 
 / Deut. 5. 7, 
 10. 
 
 ch. 22 7, 9. 
 Ps. 11. 2, 9. 
 Luke 113.21. 
 Acts 11 2). 
 Jas. 2 .^0. 
 
 3 That is, 
 the widov/. 
 
 4 Or, the 
 chanel- 
 bone. 
 
 took them : aud behold they are hid in the earth "). 
 hands— (Ps. xxiv. 4). 8. Apodosis to v. 5 and 7 : 
 the curses which he imprecates on himself, if he 
 had done these things (Lev. xxvi. 16; contrast 
 Amos ix. 14; Ps. cxxviii. 2). Offspring— rather, 
 xt^hat I plant ; my harvests. 9-12. Job asserts his 
 innocence of adultery, deceived — hath let itself 
 be seduced (Pro v. vii. 8, &c. ; Gen. xxxix. 7-12). 
 laid wait— until the husband went out. 10. grind 
 — turn the handmill. Be the most abject slave 
 and concubine (Isa. xlvii. 2; 2 Sam. xii. 11). 11. In 
 the earliest times punished with death (Gen. 
 xxxviii. 24). So in later times (Deut. xxii. 22). 
 Heretofore he had spoken only of sins against con- 
 science ; now, one against the community, needing 
 the cognizance of the judge. 12. (Prov. vi. 27-35, 
 " Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes 
 not be burned ? Can one go upon hot coals, aud 
 his feet not be burned ? So he that goeth in to his 
 neighbour's wife;" Prov. vii. 6-23, 26, 27.) No 
 crime more provokes God to send destruction as 
 a consuming fire ; none so desolates the soul. 
 
 13-23. Job affirms his freedom from unfairness 
 towards his servants : from harshness and oppres- 
 sion towards the needy, despise the cause- 
 refused to do them justice. 14, 15. Parenthetical ; 
 the reason why Job did not despise the cause of 
 his servants. Translate, What then (had I done 
 so) could I have done, when God arose (to call me 
 to account) ; and when He visited (came to en- 
 quire), what could I have answered Him? 15. 
 Slaveholders try to defend themselves by main- 
 taining the original inferiority of the slave. But 
 Mai. ii. 10, Acts xvii. 26, Eph. vi. 9, make the 
 common origin of masters and servants the argu- 
 74 
 
 ment for brotherly love being shown by the former 
 to the latter. 
 
 16. to fail — in the vain expectation of relief (ch. 
 xi. 20). 17. Arabian rules of hospitality require the 
 stranger to be helped first, and to the best. 18, 
 Parenthetical : asserting that he did the contrary 
 to the things in vv. 16, 17. he— the orphan, guided 
 her — viz., the widow, by advice and protection. 
 On this and "a father" see ch. xxix. 16. 19. 
 perish — i. e., ready to perish (ch. xxix. 13). 20. 
 loins. The parts of the body benefited by Job are 
 poetically described as thanking him. The loins, 
 before naked, when clad by me, wished me every 
 blessing. 21. "When {i. e., because) I saw " that I 
 might calculate on the " help" of a powerful party 
 in the court of justice ("gate"), if I should be 
 summoned by the injured fatherless. 22. Apodosis 
 to vv. 13, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21. If I had done those 
 crimes I should have made a bad use of my influ- 
 ence {my arm, figuratively, v. 21): therefore, if I have 
 done them, let my arm (literally) suffer: retribution 
 in kind. Job alludes to Eliphaz's charge (ch. xxii. 
 9). The first "arm" is rather the shoulder. The 
 second "arm" is the forearm, from the hone- 
 lit., a reed \p)p^: hence the bone of the upper 
 arm, above the elbow. 23. For— t. e., the reason 
 why Job guarded against such sins. Fear of God, 
 though he could escape man's judgment (Gen. 
 xxxix. 9). Umhreit translates, 'Yea, destruction 
 and terror from God might have befallen me had I 
 done so.' I prefer the English version, highness 
 —majestic might, endure— I could have availed 
 nothing against it. "I could not endure" the 
 assault of His might, if He should put it forth 
 against me. 
 
JoVs solemn declaration 
 
 JOB XXXL 
 
 of Im integrity. 
 
 25 
 
 26 
 
 24 If I have made gold my hope, 
 
 Or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence 
 If I rejoiced because my wealth was great. 
 And because mine hand had ^gotten much ; 
 
 If ^I beheld ^the sun when it shined, — or the moon walking ^ /^i briglitness : 
 
 27 And my heart hath been secretly enticed, 
 Or ^my mouth hath kissed my hand : 
 
 28 This also were an iniquity to he punished by the judge : 
 For '^I should have denied the God that is above. 
 
 29 If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me. 
 Or lifted up myself when evil found him ; 
 
 30 Neither %ave I suffered ^my mouth to sin — by wishing a curse to his soul ; 
 
 31 If the men of my tabernacle said not, 
 
 Oh that we had of his flesh ! we cannot be satisfied ; 
 
 32 The ^'stranger did not lodge in the street ; 
 But I opened my doors to the traveller ; 
 
 33 If I covered my transgressions as Adam, 
 By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom : 
 
 34 Did I fear a great multitude, — or did the contempt of families terrify me, 
 That I kept silence, and went not out of the door? 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 8 found 
 
 much, 
 f Deut 4 19. 
 
 Jer 8. 2. 
 
 Eze. 8. 16. 
 6 the light. 
 "> bright 
 8 my hand 
 
 hath kissed 
 
 my mouih 
 h Josh. 24. 23. 
 
 27. 
 
 Isa. 42 8. 
 
 Tit. 1 16. 
 
 1 John 2. 23. 
 i Matt. 5. 44. 
 
 Ro. 12. 14. 
 3 my palate. 
 } Gen 19. 2. 
 
 Heb. 13. 2. 
 10 Or, to the 
 
 way. 
 "(Jr. after 
 
 the m an- 
 il er of 
 
 men. 
 
 24, 25. Job asserts his freedom from trust in 
 money (1. Tim. vi. 17). Here he turns to his duty 
 towards God, as before he had spoken of his duty 
 towards himself and his neighbour. Covetousness 
 is covert idolatry, as it transfers the heart from the 
 Creator to the creature (Col. iii. 5). In vv. 26, 27 
 he passes to overt idolatry. 26. If I looked unto 
 the Sun (as an object of worship), because he 
 shined ; or to the Moon, because she w alked (moved 
 majestically), &c. Sabaism (from tsaba, the hea- 
 venly hosts) was the earliest form of false worship. 
 God is hence called, in contradistinction, " Lord of 
 Sabaoth." The sun, moon, and stars, the brightest 
 objects in nature, and seen everywhere, were sup- 
 posed to be visible representatives of the invisible 
 God. They had no temples, but were worshipped 
 on high places and roofs of houses (Ezek. viii. 16 ; 
 Deut. iv. 19; 2 Ki. xxiii. 5, 11). The Hebrew 
 [HiK] here for "sun" is light (cf. Eccl. xi. 7; Hab. 
 iii. 4). Probably light was worshipped as the 
 emanation from God, before its embodiments, the 
 sun, &c. This worship prevailed in Chaldea; 
 wherefore Job's exemption from the idolatry of 
 his neighbours was the more exemplary. Our 
 'Sunday, Monday' or Moon-day, bear traces of 
 Sabaism. 27. enticed— away from God to idolatry, 
 kissed . . . hand. Adoration literally means this. 
 In worshipping they used to kiss the hand, and then 
 throw the kiss, as it were, towards the object of 
 worship (1 Ki. xix. 18; Hos. xiii. 2). 28, The 
 Mosaic law embodied subsequently the feeling of 
 the godly from the earliest times against idolatry, 
 as deserving judicial penalties : being treason 
 against the Supreme King (Deut. xiii. 9; xvii. 2-7; 
 Ezek, viii. 14-18). This passage therefore does not 
 I)rove Job to have been subsequent to Moses. 29. 
 lifted up myself— in malicious triumph (Pro v. xvii. 
 5, " He that is glad at calamities shall not be un- 
 punished ;" Prov. xxiv. 17 ; Ps. vii. 4). 30. mouth— 
 lit, , palate (ch. vi. 30, note), wishing— , ' so as to 
 demand his (my enemy^s) soul (?. e., life) by a 
 curse.' This verse parenthetically confirms v. 29. 
 Job, in the patriarchal age of the promise, anterior 
 to the law, realizes the Gospel spirit, which was 
 the end of the law (cf. Lev. xix. 18 ; contrast Deut, 
 xxiii. 6 with Matt. v. 43, 44). 31. /. e,, Job's 
 household said, Oh that we had Job's enemy to 
 devour! We cannot rest satisfied till we have. But 
 Job refrained from even wishing revenge (1 Sam. 
 75 
 
 xxvi. 8, 9, David would not hurt Saul, his cruel 
 foe, when in his power, at the hill of Hachilah ; 2 
 Sam. xvi. 9, 10, David would not let Abishai kill 
 Shimei, who had cursed and cast stones at him in 
 fleeing from Absalom). So Jesus Christ (Luke ix. 
 54, 55). In this view this v. 31 is connected with 
 V. 30, 'No; I never wished a curse to his soul, 
 when the men of my tabernacle (household) said, 
 "Oh that,"' &c. But better (see v. 32) translated, 
 ' Who can show (lit,, give) [jn', ^n] the man who 
 was not satisfied with the flesh (meat) provided by 
 Job?' He never let a poor man leave his gate 
 without giving him enough to eat. 32. traveller 
 [niN] —lit, , ivay — i. e. , wayfarers ; so expressed to in- 
 clude all of every kind (2 Sam. xii, 4), 33. Adam. 
 Translated by Umbreit 'as men do,' (Hos. vi. 7, 
 where see marg.) But the English version is 
 more natural. Job elsewhere alludes to the flood. 
 So he might easily know of the fall, through the 
 two links which connect Adam and Abraham 
 (about Job's time)— viz., Methuselah and Shem. 
 Adam is representative of fallen man's propensity 
 to concealment (Prov. xxviii. 13). It was frorii 
 God that Job did not "hide his iniquity in his 
 bosom;" as, on the contrary, it was from God 
 that " Adam" hid in his lurking-place. This dis- 
 proves the translation ' as men :' for it is from 
 their fellow-men that ' men ' are chiefly anxious to 
 hide their real character as guilty. Magee, to 
 make the comparison with Adam more exact, 
 for " my bosom " translates ' iu my lurking-place ' 
 p3n2]. The same word, as a verb, is found in Gen. 
 iii. 8, 10 [t<3nb?, "I hid myself"] : an incidental con- 
 firmation of the view that Job refers to A dam^s 
 covering of his sin. 34. Eather, the apodosis to v. 
 33, "Then let me be (or, I must have been) fear- 
 stricken before a great multitude ; let the contempt 
 (or the contempt, &c., must have terrified me) &c. ; 
 let me keep silence (the greatest disgrace to a 
 patriot, heretofore so prominent in assemblies), 
 and not go out' (or, And I, brought to silence, 
 durst not again have gone out of the door), &c. A 
 just retribution, that he who hides his sin from 
 God should have it exposed before man (2 Sam. 
 xii. 12). But Job had not been so exposed, but, 
 on the contrary, was esteemed in the assemblies of 
 the tribes ("families"): a proof, he implies, that 
 God does not hold him guilty of hiding sin (ch. 
 
Job endetli his argument 
 
 JOB XXXI. 
 
 with his Jr tends. 
 
 35 Oh that one would hear me! 
 
 Behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, 
 And that mine adversary had written a book: 
 
 36 Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, 
 And bind it as a crown to me. 
 I would declare unto him the number of my steps ; 
 As a prince would I go near unto him. 
 
 If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain ; 
 If I have eaten ^Hhe fruits thereof without money. 
 Or have ^* caused the owners thereof to lose their life : 
 40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. 
 The words of Job are ended. 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 12 weep, 
 
 13 the 
 strength 
 thereof. 
 
 "caused 
 the soul 
 of the 
 owners 
 thereof to 
 expire, or, 
 breathe 
 out. 
 
 15 Or, 
 noisome 
 weeds 
 
 xxiv. 16, coutrast with ch. xxix. 21-2J). Maarer 
 does not make tlie apodosis come till v. 40, "(Then) 
 let thistles grow," &c. So he translates this v. 34 
 as giving the reason which might have induced 
 him, had he jrielded to the temptation, to " cover 
 Ids transgressions "—viz., 'because I feared a great 
 multitude, and because the contempt of the tribes 
 terrified me so that I should keep quiet and not 
 go out of doors.' 
 
 35. Job returns to his wish (chs. xui. 22 ; xix. 
 23). Omit is: 'Behold, my sign'— I e., my mark 
 of subscription to the statements just given in my 
 defence: the mark or signature was originally a 
 cross ; and hence the letter Tau (in the Hebrew 
 here for sirin) or T. Translate also, ' Oh that the Al- 
 mighty,' &c. He marks "God" as the "One" meant 
 in the first clause— "Oh that one would hear me ! " 
 Adversary— i, e., he who contends with me— refers 
 also to God. The vagueness is designed to express 
 ' whoever it be that judicially opposes me'— the 
 Almighty, if it be He. had written a book- 
 rather, 'would write down his charge' or 'bill 
 of indictment.' 36. So far from hiding the adver- 
 sary's "answer" or 'charge' through fear, 'I 
 would take it on my shoulders' as a public honour 
 (Isa. ix. 6). a crown— not a mark of shame, but 
 of distinction (Isa. Ixii. 3). 37. declare . . . num- 
 ber of . . . steps— I would accurately declare all 
 my ways— my whole course of life. A good con- 
 science imparts a princely dignity before man, and 
 free assurance in approaching God. This can be 
 realized, not in Job^s way (cf. ch. xlii. 5, 6), but 
 only through Jesus Christ (Heb. x. 22). 
 
 38. Personification. The complaints of the un- 
 justly ousted proprietors are transferred to the 
 lands themselves {v. 20; Gen. iv. 10; Hab. ii. 11). 
 If I have unjustly acquired lands (ch. xxiv. 2; Isa. 
 V. 8). furrows— the specification of these makes 
 it likely, he implies in this, 'If I paid not the 
 labourer for tillage;'' as next verse, ' If I paid him 
 not for gathering iu the fruits.' Thus of the four 
 clauses in vv. SH, 39, the first refers to the same 
 subject as the fourth, and the second is connected 
 with the third by introverted parallelism. Jas. v. 
 4, who plainly alludes to this passage: cf. " Lord 
 of Sabaoth " with v. 26 here. 39. lose . . . life— 
 not literally, but 'harassed to death;' until he 
 gave me up his land gi'atis [Maurer); as in Judg. 
 xvi. 16 ; ' suflfered him to languish ' by taking away 
 his means of living {Umhreit). (1 Ki. xxi. 13.) 40. 
 thistles— or brambles; thorns, cockle— lit. , noxious 
 weeds, perhaps wolfsbane, which is common in 
 Arabia. The words . . . ended— i. e. , in the con- 
 troversy with the friends. He spoke in the book 
 afterwards, but not to them. At v. 37 would be the 
 regular conclusion, in strict art. But vv. 38-40 are 
 natural to be added by one whose mind in agita- 
 tion recurs to its sense of innocence, even after it 
 has come to the point usual to stop at ; this takes 
 away the appearance of rhetorical artifice. Hence 
 
 the transposition by Eichorn of vv. 38-40 to follow 
 V. 25 is quite im warranted. 
 
 Remarks.— \. Tlie eye [v. 1) is one of the greatest 
 avenues by which lust enters into the soul. Then, 
 when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin ; 
 and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death 
 (Jas. i. 15). In the case of sexual passion the only 
 safety is in fleeing from whatever would lead to 
 temptation. The moth that hovers long about 
 the candle is sure at last to burn himself. Joseph, 
 when tempted by a licentious woman, avoided 
 being "with her^' at all. and when she caught 
 him oy the garment, "fled" from her (Gen. xxxix. 
 12). Job "made a covenant with his eyes" to 
 avoid occasion of temptation. Had David done 
 so (2 Sam. xi. 2), he would have escaped falling 
 into the great sin of his life, and blot on his 
 otherwise godly character: but beauty attracted 
 his eye in a season of idleness and ease, and, suf- 
 fering his mind to dwell on the first thought of 
 i)assion, fanned his lust into a flame, and from 
 lust he sunk into murder, and has 'given great 
 occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme' 
 (2 Sam. xii. 14). The impure look is regarded 
 before God as equivalent to the impure act (Matt. 
 V. 28). Therefore let us oppose the first begin- 
 nings of sin, as we have to do with the God who 
 searcheth the heart. 2. Whatever professions of 
 religion we make, if our practice be sinful, our 
 final sentence shall be, "I never knew you; de- 
 part from me, ye that work iniquity " (vv. 2, 4, 14, 
 28; Matt. vii. 23). God will "weigh, as in an 
 even balance," at the judgment, and will vindicate 
 His people's "integrity" (v. 6), flowing from faith, 
 on the one hand, and, on the other, will take ac- 
 curate note of those whose " step hath turned out 
 of the way, and whose heart has walked after 
 their eyes, and to whose hands any blot hath 
 cleaved" (v. 7). Especially will He take cog- 
 nizance of sins committed against the purity of 
 the marriage bed. Even in this life such sins 
 often bring on the perpetrator retribution in kind 
 [vv. 9, 10): thus David's secret adultery with Bath- 
 sheba was punished by the incestuous act of his 
 owni son Absalom, who lay with his father's wives 
 iu the sight of all Israel (2 Sam. xii. 11, 12; xvi. 
 22). 3. The true child of God will jealously 
 watch over himself, lest the natural pride and 
 selfishness of the heart should betray hirn into 
 the least unfairness in his dealings with his ser- 
 vants and labourers [w. 13, 38, 39), knowing that 
 he and they have one and the same Master in 
 heaven, who is no respecter of persons— one and 
 the same God, who made them as well as him. 
 Substantial pity for the poor, the widow, and the 
 fatherless {vv. 16-21), is another characteristic of 
 the sincere follower of God, who is "a Father of 
 the fatherless, and a Judge of the widow" (Ps. 
 Ixviii. 5). How sweet the pleasure of imitating 
 God. who delights to share His own happiness 
 
EUhu reasons 
 
 JOB XXXIL 
 
 icith Job, 
 
 32 SO these three men ceased Ho answer Job, because he was righteous in 
 his own eyes. 
 
 2 Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, 
 of the kindred of Bam ; against Job was his wrath kindled, because he 
 
 3 justified ^ himself rather than God. Also against his three friends was his 
 wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned 
 
 4 Job. Now Elihu had ^waited till Job had spoken, because they icere 
 
 5 * elder than he. When Elihu saw that there ivas no answer in the mouth 
 of these three men, then his wrath was kindled. 
 
 6 And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, 
 
 I am ^ young, and ye are very old; 
 Wherefore I was afraid, — and ^ durst not show you mine opinion. 
 
 7 I said, *Days should speak, — and multitude of years should teach wisdom. 
 
 8 But there is a spirit in man : 
 
 And '^the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. 
 
 9 Great men are '^not always wise ; 
 Neither do the aged understand judgment. 
 
 Therefore I said. Hearken to me ; — I also will show mine opinion. 
 
 Behold, I waited for your words ; 
 I gave ear to your ^reasons, — whilst ye searched out ^what to say. 
 
 10 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 Yea, I attended ''unto you. 
 And, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, 
 Or that answered his words : 
 13 Lest ^ye should say. We have found out wisdom : 
 God thrusteth him down, not man. 
 
 B. C l-;20. 
 
 CHAP. 32. 
 1 from 
 
 answering. 
 ° Gen. 22 21. 
 
 his soul. 
 
 3 expected 
 Job in 
 words. 
 
 4 elder lor 
 dnys 
 
 5 few of days. 
 
 6 feared. 
 
 6 1 Ki. 12. ^ 
 8. 
 
 Ch 8. 8 P. 
 ch. 12 12. 
 Ps. 34. 11, 
 12. 
 
 Pro. 1 1-4. 
 Pro. 13. 31. 
 Heb. 5. 1 2. 
 = 1 Ki, 3. 12, 
 
 ch 3S. 36. 
 l^ro. 2, 6. 
 Jas 1. 5, 
 
 d 1 Cor. 1. 21. 
 
 ^ under- 
 standings. 
 
 8 words. 
 
 « Pro. l**. 13, 
 
 / Jer. 9. 23. 
 
 with others; and, instead of eating one's morsel 
 alone (r. 17), 
 
 ' To press the bashful stranger to his food, 
 And learn the luxmy of doing good' {vv. 31, 32). 
 
 4. Coyetousness and idolatry are different mani- 
 festations of one and the same principle — namely, 
 love and service to the creature instead of the 
 Creator. How apt the heart is to make gold its 
 "confidence" {v. 24), instead of "trust in the 
 living God !" (1 Tim. vi. 17.) Here then especially 
 we ought to set a watch over ourselves against 
 "the love of money," which is "a (Greek) root of 
 all evil" (1 Tim. vi. 10.) 5. Triumph in the cala- 
 mity of an enemy is peculiarly offensive to God, 
 who "resisteth the proud" {v. 29). A meek and 
 forgiving spirit towards others best becomes us, 
 who owe such a debt of forgiveness to God, when 
 we were enemies. 6. It is the natural tendency 
 of us all to follow our first i^arent, Adam, in the 
 vain attempt to hide ourselves and our transgres- 
 sions from God [v. 33). Our truest wisdom is, 
 instead of vainly trying to "cover" them our- 
 selves, to go to God to "cover" them for us with 
 the atonement provided in Christ, that so we 
 may know experimentally the blessedness of the 
 man whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sin is 
 corered (Ps. xxxii. 1). 
 
 CHAP. XXXII. 1-22.— Speech of Elihu, (chs. 
 xxxii. -xxxvii.) 1-6. Prose (poetry begins with " I 
 am young," v. 6). 
 
 1. because, &c. — and because they could not 
 I)rove to him that he was unrighteous. 2. Elihu — 
 meaning 'God is Jehovah.' In his name and 
 character, as messenger between God and Job, 
 he shadows forth Jesus Christ (ch. xxxiiL 23-26). 
 Barachel— meaning 'God blesses.' Both names 
 indicate the piety of the family, and their sefja- 
 ration from idolaters. Buzite — Buz was son of 
 Is'ahor, brother of Abraham. Hence was named 
 a region in Arabia Deserta (Jei. xxr. 231 Ram 
 —Aram, nephew of Bnz. Job was urolDably of 
 77 
 
 an elder generation than Elihu. However, the 
 identity of names does not necessarily prove the 
 identity of persons. The particularity with which 
 Elihu's descent is given, as contrasted with the 
 others, led Lightfoot to infer Elihu was the author 
 of the book. But the reason for particularity 
 was, probably, that Elihu was less known than the 
 three called "" friends " of Job; and that it was 
 right for the poet to mark especially him who was 
 mainly to solve the problem of the book, rather 
 than God — i. e., was more eager to vindicate himself 
 than God. In ch. iv. 17, Job denies that man 
 can be more just than God {Umbreit). Translate, 
 'Before (in the presence of) God' [D^n'?^]: Ut.^ 
 regarded from God's point of view (note, ch. iv. 
 17). 3. Though silenced in argument, they held 
 their opinion still. 4. had spoken — the Hebrew, 
 in words, referring rather to his own 'words' of 
 reply, which he had long ago ready, but kept back 
 in deference to the seniority of the friends who 
 spoke — ' had awaited Job with words.' 6. was 
 afraid — the root-meaning in Hebrew is to crawl 
 [hr\i] (Dent xxxii. 24). 7. days— i e., the aged 
 (ch. XV. 10). 8. Elihu claims inspiration, as a 
 divinely commissioned messenger to Job (ch. 
 xxxiii. 6, 23) ; and that claim is not contradicted 
 in ch. xlii. Translate, 'But the spirit (which God 
 I)uts) in man, and the inspiration, &c., is that 
 which giveth,' &c. : it is not mere "years" which 
 give understanding (Prov. ii. 6 ; John viii, 57 : xx. 
 22). 9. Great— rather, old {v. 6). So the Hebrew 
 in Gen. xxv. 13, " Greater, less," for the elder, the 
 younger, judgment— what is right. 10. Rather, 
 / say. opinion — rather, knowledge 
 
 11. Therefore Elihu was X)resent from the first, 
 reasons— lit., understandings; i. e., the meaning 
 intended by words, whilst— I waited until you 
 should discover a suitable reply to Job 13.. This 
 has been so ordered, " lest ye sho'-ild " pride 
 yourselves on having overcome hiin by your 
 
Elihu offers to 
 
 JOB XXXIIL 
 
 reason with Job. 
 
 14 Now he hath not ^directed his words against me; 
 Neither will I answer him with your speeches. 
 
 15 They were amazed; they answered no more; — ^^they left off speaking. 
 
 16 When I had waited, (for they spake not, 
 But stood still, and answered no more,) 
 
 17 / said, I will answer also my part; — I also will show mine opinion. 
 
 18 For I am full of matter; — ^^the spirit within me constraineth me. 
 
 19 Behold, my belly is as wine which ^^hath no vent; 
 It is ready to ^ burst like new bottles. 
 
 20 I will speak, that I may ^*be refreshed: — I will open my lips and answer. 
 
 21 Let me not, I pray you, ^accept any man's person; 
 Neither let me give flattering titles unto man. 
 
 22 For I know not to give flattering titles; 
 
 In so doing my Maker would soon take me away. 
 33 WHEREFORE, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, 
 And hearken to all my words. 
 
 2 Behold, now I have opened my mouth. 
 My tongue hath spoken ^ in my mouth. 
 
 3 My words shall be oft\\Q uprightness of my heart; 
 And my lips shall utter knowledge ^clearly. 
 
 B C. 1520. 
 » Or, 
 ordered 
 his words. 
 
 10 they 
 removed 
 speeches 
 from 
 them- 
 selves. 
 
 11 words 
 
 12 the spirit 
 of my 
 belly. 
 
 13 is not 
 opened. 
 
 P Matt. 9. 17. 
 
 Acts 12 22. 
 Inbreathe. 
 ^ Ex. 23. 3. 
 
 Lev. 19. 15. 
 
 Acts 12. 23. 
 
 CHAP. 33. 
 
 1 in niy 
 palate. 
 
 2 purely. 
 
 "wisdom" (Jer, ix. 23; the great aim of the book 
 of J ob) ; and that you may see ' God alone can 
 thrust him down' — i.e., confute him, — 'not man.' 
 So Elihu grounds his confutation, not on the max- 
 ims of sages, as the friends did, but on his special 
 commission from God {v. 8 ; ch. xxxiii. 4, 6). 14, 
 I am altogether unprejudiced. For it is not I 
 whom he addressed. ' Your speeches ' have been 
 influenced by irritation. Therefore I will not 
 "answer him with your speeches." 
 
 15. Here Elihu turns from the friends to Job, 
 and so passes from the second person to the third ; 
 a transition frequent in a rebuke (ch. xviii. 3, 4). 
 they left off—' words were taken from them,' 
 (cf. marg.) 17. my part— for my part. Maurer 
 translates vv. 16. 17, 'And should I have loaited 
 because they spake not?' &c. Certainly not. 'I 
 also will answer,' &c. Umhreit translates, 'I 
 waited, but they spoke not : now will I also 
 answer,' &c. / said, of the English version, is not 
 in the Hebrew, opinion — knowledge. 18. ' I am 
 full of words,' whereas the friends have not a 
 word more to say. the spirit — (y. 8 ; ch. xxxiii. 
 4; Jer. xx. 9, "His word was as a burning fire 
 shut up in my bones, and I was weary with for- 
 bearing, and I could not stay;" Acts xviii. 5, "Paul 
 was pressed in the spirit"). 19. belly — bosom, 
 from which the words of orientalists, in speaking, 
 seem to come more than with us: they speak 
 gutturally. 'Like (new) wine (in fermentation) 
 without a vent,' to work itself oS—lit, 'is not 
 opened.' New wine is kept in new goatskin 
 bottles. This fittingly applies to the young 
 Elihu, as contrasted with the old friends (Matt, 
 ix. 17, " Neither do men put new wine into old 
 bottles; else the bottles break. . . but they put new 
 wine into new bottles"). 20. refreshed— lit. , that 
 there may be air or relief to me (1 Sam. xvi. 23). 
 
 21. 'May I never accept,' &c. Elihu alludes to 
 Job's wwds (ch. xiii. 8, 10), wherein he complains 
 that the friends plead for God partially, " accept- 
 ing His person." Elihu says he will not do so, but 
 act impartially between God and Job. 'And I 
 will not give flattery,' &c. (Prov. xxiv. 23, " It is 
 not good to have respect of persons in judgment.") 
 
 22. take me away— as a punishment (Ps. cii. 24). 
 Remarks. — 1. A third party listening calmly to 
 
 two disputants often sees much that is faulty on 
 both sides which escapes the notice of the persons 
 78 
 
 themselves in the heat of debate, at the same time 
 that each side has something to be said in its 
 favour. Job was certainly not the guilty man 
 whom the three friends supposed him to be ; and so 
 far they were censurable, since they had condemned 
 Job without proving his guilt {vv. 2, 3). On the 
 other hand, Job was clearly in the wrong, in so 
 far as he was eager to vindicate his own character, 
 even at the expense of attributing harshness and 
 injustice to God. 2. It gives great weight to the 
 counsels of a mediating friend that he wait 
 patiently for the seasonable opportunity {v. 4), and 
 that he should not obtrude himself before those 
 who, in point of rank and age, have a claim to pre- 
 cedency. Still age does not always " teach wisdom" 
 {vv. 7, 9) : and a younger man, when he has the 
 Word of God on his side and the Spirit of God in 
 his heart {v. 8), may, without presumption— nay, 
 altogether seasonably— suggest the better way to 
 his seniors. 3. One great object of the book of 
 Job is to teach the self -wise not to glory in their 
 fancied wisdom {v. 13), but to confess that there 
 are mysteries in God's government of the world 
 which are beyond the reach of man's finite faculties 
 to explain. Therefore God does not suff'er Job's 
 confutation to be effected by mere man's reason- 
 ings ; but brings him to the true attitude of the 
 afflicted creature before his Creator— namely, self- 
 renouncing and self-abasing submission in the dust, 
 by a divinely commissioned messenger {v. 3; ch. 
 xxxiii. 4, 23-26) in part, but mainly by God's own 
 direct interposition. 4. The more we realize the 
 continual presence of God, and fear His wrath 
 {v. 22), and speak under the influence of His 
 Spirit, the more we shall discard "the fear of 
 man," which "bringeth a snare" (Prov. xxix. 25); 
 and shall act faithfully under all circumstances, 
 without " accepting any man's person, or giving 
 unto man flattering titles" (v. 21). 
 
 CHAP. XXXIII. 1-33.— Address to Job, as 
 (ch. xxxii. ) TO THE Friends. 
 
 2. mouth — rather, 2mlate, whereby the taste 
 discerns. Every man speaks with his mouth, but 
 few, as Elihu, try their words with discririmiation 
 first, and only say what is really good (chs. vi. 30 ; 
 xii. 11). hath spoken— rather, pi-oceeds to speak. 
 3. I will speak according to my inward conviction, 
 clearly — rather, purely; [iiis] sincerely; not 
 distorting the truth through passion, as the friends. 
 
God giveth not an account 
 
 JOB XXXIIL 
 
 of his ways to man. 
 
 4 The Spirit of God hath ''made me, 
 
 And the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. 
 
 5 If thou canst answer me, — set thy words in order before me^ stand up. 
 
 6 Behold, am ^according to thy wish in God's stead: 
 I also am "^formed out of the clay. 
 
 7 Behold, my '^terror shall not make thee afraid, 
 Neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee. 
 
 8 Surely thou hast spoken ^in mine hearing, 
 And I have heard the voice of thy words, saying, 
 
 9 I am clean ^without transgression, I am innocent; 
 Neither is there iniquity in me. 
 
 10 Behold, he ^findeth occasions against me, — he counteth me for his enemy, 
 
 11 He putteth-^my feet in the stocks, — he marketh all my paths. 
 
 12 Behold, in this thou art ^not just : 
 
 I will answer thee, that God is greater than man. 
 
 13 Why dost thou strive against him? 
 
 For ^he giveth not account of any of his matters. 
 
 1 4 For God speaketh once, yea twice, — yet man perceiveth it not. 
 
 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, 
 
 When deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; 
 
 16 Then -^he openeth the ears of men, — and sealeth their instruction, 
 
 17 That he may withdraw man from his ^purpose, 
 And hide pride from man. 
 
 B C. 1520. 
 
 " Gea. 2. 7. 
 Ps. 33. 6. 
 1 Cor. 15. 
 45. 
 
 6 Ch 9. 32. 
 ch 13. 3. 
 ch. 20. 22. 
 
 3 according 
 to thy 
 mouth. 
 
 4 cut out of 
 the day. 
 
 " ch. 13. 21, 
 Ps. 88. 16. 
 
 5 in mine 
 ears, 
 ch. 10, 7. 
 ch. 11, 4, 
 ch. 16. 17. 
 
 * ch. 13. 24. 
 / ch. 13. 2r. 
 » Eccl. 7. 20. 
 fi' Isa. 45 9, 
 
 6 he an- 
 swereth 
 not. 
 
 7 he reveal- 
 eth, or, un- 
 covereth, 
 
 8 work. 
 
 4, The Spirit of God hatli made me— as He did 
 
 thee: latter clause of v. 6 (Gen. ii. 7). Therefore 
 thou needest not fear me as thou wouldest God 
 {v. 7 ; ch, ix, 34). On the other hand, ' the breath 
 of the Almighty hath inspired me' (as ch. xxxii. 
 8); not, as the English version, "given me life:" 
 therefore "I am, according to thy wish (ch. ix. 32, 
 33), iu God's stead" to thee; a "daysman," 
 umpire, or mediator between God and thee. So 
 Elihu Avas designed by the Holy Ghost to be a 
 type of J esus Christ {vi\ 23-26). 5. Images from a 
 court of justice, stand up — alluding to Job's 
 words (ch, xxx, 20). 6. (Note, v. 4; chs. xxxi, 35; 
 xiii, 3, 20, 21.) in God's stead— 'for God' [hi<h]. 
 Maurer translates ' I am to God (in the same rela- 
 tion) as thou art.' But v. 23 implies he was God's 
 representative, as the English version renders the 
 Hebrew correctly here, "in God's stead." lormed— 
 though acting as God's representative, I am but a 
 creature like thyself. Arabic, pressed together, 
 as a mass of clay by the potter in forming a 
 vessel ( U mhre.it). Hebrew cut off, as the portion 
 taken from the clay to form it {yip^ {Maurer). 7. 
 hand— alluding to Job's words (ch, xiii. 21, "With- 
 draw thine hand far from me"). The Hebrew here 
 is not found elsewhere It means in Arabic 
 
 'a load' or 'burden.' 8o Maurer and Umhreit 
 translate it here. But in ch. xiii. 21 [c]?] the 
 kindred word means 'hand.' So the LXX. 
 translates as the English version rightly here, 
 
 8. thy words-(chs. x, 7; xvi, 17; xxiii, 11,12; 
 xxvii. 5, 6 ; xxix. 14), In chs. ix, 30 ; xiii. 23, Job 
 had acknowledged sin ; but the general spirit of 
 his words was to maintain himself to be " clean," 
 and to charge God with injustice. He went too 
 far on the opposite side in opposing the friends' 
 false charge of hypocrisy. Even the godly, though 
 willing to confess themselves sinners in general, 
 often dislike sin in particular to be brought as a 
 charge against them. Affliction is therefore need- 
 ed to bring them to feel that sin in them deserves 
 even worse than they suffer, and that God does 
 them no injustice. Theu at length, humbled 
 79 
 
 under God, they find affliction is for their real good; 
 and so at last it is taken awajr either here, or at 
 least at death. To teach this is Elihu's mission. 
 9. clean— spotless. 10. occasions— for hostility: 
 lit., enmities (chs. xiii. 24; xvi. 9; xix. 11 ; xxx. 21). 
 [nhi^iin]. 11. (Ch. xiii. 27.) marketh— narrowly 
 watches (chs. xiv. 16; vii. 12; xxxi. 4). 12. in this 
 — view of God and His government. It cannot be 
 that God should jealously 'watch' man, though 
 'spotless,' as an 'enemy,' or as one afraid of Him 
 as an equal. For "God is greater than man." 
 There must be sin in man, even though he be no 
 hypocrite, which needs correction by suffering for 
 the sufferer's good. 13. Why dost thou strive 
 againsthim? (Isa. xlv. 9,) hismatters— ways ; lit,, 
 ivords. The Hebrew idiom uses word [i^n] for things. 
 Our part is, not to " strive" with God, but to sub- 
 mit. To believe it is right because He does it, 
 not because we see all the reasons for His doing it. 
 
 14, Translate, ' Yet man regardeth it not : ' 
 or, rather, as Umhreit, 'Yea twice (he repeats the 
 warning), (if) man gives no heed' to the first 
 warning. Elihu implies that God's renson for 
 sending affliction is because, when God has com- 
 municated His will in various ways, man in pros- 
 l)erity has not heeded it: God therefore must try 
 what affliction will effect (John xv, 2; Ps. Ixii. 11 ; 
 Isa. xxviii. 10, 13). 15. slumberings— light, as 
 opposed to ' deep sleep, ' Elihu has in view Eliphaz 
 (ch, iv. 13), and also Job himself (ch. vii. 14). 
 "Dreams" in sleep, and "visions" of actual appari- 
 tions, were among the ways whereby God then 
 spake to man (Gen. xx. 3). 16. Lit., sealeth (their 
 ears) to himself by warnings— i e. , with the sureness 
 and secrecy of a seal He reveals His warnings ( Lfm- 
 hreit). To seal up securely (ch. xxxvii. 7) to one's 
 self. On the " openeth," see ch. xxxvi. 10. 17. 
 purpose— mar^, , 'work,' So ch. xxxvi. 9, So 
 'business' in a bad sense (1 Sam. xx. 19). Elihu 
 alludes to Job's words (ch. xvii. 11). "Pride" is 
 an open "pit" {v. 18) which God hides or covers 
 up lest man should fall into it. Even the godly 
 need to learn the lesson, which trials teach, to 
 ' humble themselves under the mighty hand of 
 
God calleth men to 
 
 JOB XXXIII. 
 
 repentance by afflictions. 
 
 18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit, 
 And his life ^from perishing by the sword. 
 
 19 He is 'chastened also with pain upon his bed, 
 
 And the multitude of his bones with strong 
 
 pain. 
 
 20 So that his life abhorreth bread, — and his soul dainty meat. 
 
 21 His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen ; 
 And -^his bones that were not seen stick out. 
 
 22 Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, — and his life to the destroyers. 
 
 23 If there be a ^messenger with him, — an interj^reter, one among a thousand, 
 To show unto man his uprightness ; 
 Then he is 'gracious unto him, and saith. 
 
 Deliver him from going down to the pit; — I have found ^^a ransom. 
 His flesh shall be fresher than a child's : 
 He shall return to the days of his youth : 
 
 24 
 
 25 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 S from pass- 
 ing by the 
 sword. 
 
 i Deut. 8 5. 
 Rev. 3. 9. 
 
 10 meat of 
 desire. 
 
 i Ps. 102. .5. 
 
 * 2 Chr. 36. 
 15, 16. 
 
 2 Cor. 10. 2. 
 
 ' Rom. 3. 24. 
 
 " Or. an 
 atone- 
 ment. 
 
 12 that! child- 
 hood 
 
 God.' 18. his soul— his life, the pit— the grave ; 
 a symbol of hell, perishing by the sword— i. e. , a 
 
 violent death ; in the Old Testameut a symbol of 
 the future punishment of the ungodly. 
 
 19. When man does not heed warnings of the 
 night, he is chastened, &c. The new thought sug- 
 gested by Elihu is that affliction is disciplinary 
 {ch. xxxvi. 10) : for tlie good of the godly, multi- 
 tude—so the Hebrew margin (Keri) [an]. Better, 
 with the text {Chetib), 'And with the perpetual 
 (strong) contest ot his bones;' the never-rest- 
 ing fever in his bones (Ps. xxxviii. 3, "Neither is 
 there any rest in my bones because of my sin"). 
 (UtTibreit.) 20. life— i. e., ^7ie appei<7f, which ordi- 
 narily sustains "life" (ch. xxxv^iii. 39, marg.; see 
 Ps. cvii. 18, "Their soul abhorreth all manner of 
 meat, and they draw near unto the gates of death ;" 
 Eccl' xii, 5, " Desire shall fail"). The taking 
 away of desire for food by sickness symbolizes the 
 removal by affliction of lust for things which foster 
 the spiritual fever of pride, soul— desire. 21. 
 His flesh, once prominent, ' can no more be seen,' 
 His bones, once not seen, now appear prominent, 
 stick out— lit., are hare \y^^,\ The Hebrew margin 
 {Keri) reading. The text (Chetib) reads it a noun 
 (are become), ' bareness ' ['DK']. The Keri was no 
 cloubt an explanatory reading of transcribers. 22. 
 destroyers —a wg'e'fe of death commissioned by God 
 to end man's life (2 Sam. xxiv. 16; Ps. Ixxviii. 49, 
 " He cast upon them the fierceness of His anger . . . 
 by sending evil angels among them"). The death 
 pains personified may, however, be meant : so 
 ' gnawers ' (note, ch. xxx. 17). 23. Elihu refers to 
 himself as the divinely sent (chs. xxxii. 8 ; xxxiii. 
 6) " messenger" or angel \y\^^Ti\, the " interpreter," 
 to explain to Job and vindicate God's righteous- 
 ness ; [y^p], an interpreter of foreign tongues, 
 and so an interpreter to Job of God's obscure deal- 
 ings: such a one Eliphaz had denied that Job 
 could look for (ch. v. 1); and Job (ch. ix. 33) had 
 wished for such a " daysman" or umpire between 
 him and God. The "messenger" of good is anti- 
 thetical to " the destroyers " {v. 22). with him 
 T'^?] — ' for him ' — i. e., for his good, for his salva- 
 tion {Maurer). If these be vouchsafed to the suf- 
 ferer. The ofl&ce of the interpreter is stated, ' to 
 show unto man God's uprightness ' in His deal- 
 ings. Umbreit translates, 'man's upright course 
 towards God' (Prov. xiv. 2), 'to show man what 
 is his upright course towards God.' The former 
 is better: Job maintained his own "uprightness" 
 (chs. xvi. 17; xxvii. 5, 6); Elihu, on the contrary, 
 maintains God's, and that man's true uprightness 
 lies in submission to God. — "One among a thou- 
 80 
 
 sand" is a man rarelv to be found. So Jesus 
 Christ (Song v. 10, " The chiefest among ten thou- 
 sand"). Elihu, the God-sent mediator of a temporal 
 deliverance {vv. 24-20), is a tvpe of the God-man 
 Jesus Christ, the Mediator of eternal deliverance, 
 "the messenger of the covenant" (Mai. iii. 1). 
 This is the wonderful work of the Holy Ghost, that 
 persons and events move in their own sphere in 
 such a way as unconsciously to shadow forth Him 
 whose " testimony is the spirit of prophecy," as 
 the same point may be centre of a small and of a 
 vastly larger concentric circle. 24. Apodosis to 
 23. he is gracious— God. Deliver— lit, rec/eem.- 
 [viQ or nne] : deliver by paying a price [Greek, 
 Xvrpov, a ijayment or ransom, used Matt. xx. 28, 
 " The Sou of man came to give his life a ratisom lor 
 many"]. In it and "ransom" there is reference to 
 the consideration or price, on account of which God 
 pardons and relieves the sufferers ; here it is 
 primarily the intercession of Ehhu. But the 
 language is too strong for its full meaning to be 
 exhausted by this. The Holy Ghost has suggested 
 language which receives its, full realization only in 
 the "eternal redemption found" by God in the 
 price paid by Jesus Christ for it— i. e.. His blood 
 and meritorious intercession (cf. Heb. ix. 12). 
 ' Obtained' — lit., found: implying the earnest zeal, 
 wisdom, and faithfulness of the .finder, and the 
 newness and joyousness of the finding. Jesus 
 Christ could not but have found it, but still His 
 seeking it was needed [Bengel). (Luke xv. 6, 9, " I 
 have found my sheep which was lost ... 1 have 
 found the piece which ^I had lost.") God the 
 Father is the finder (Ps. Ixxxix. 19, 20, "Thou 
 spakest in vision to thy Holy One ... I have laid 
 help ui3on one that is mighty ... I have found 
 David my servant "). Jesus Christ is the Redeemer, 
 to whom He saith. Redeem (so Hebrew) him from 
 going, &c. (2 Cor. v. 19.) ransom [-iD5)~used in a 
 general sense by Elihu, but meant by the Holy 
 Ghost in its strict sense, as applied to Jesus Christ, 
 of a price paid for deliverance (Exod. xxL 30, 
 " ransom of His life ") — an atonement (i e., means 
 of setting at one — i. e., reconciling two who are 
 estranged), a covering, as of the ark with pitch, 
 typical of what covers us sinners from wrath (Gen. 
 vi 14, "Pitch it . . . with pitch;" cover it with 
 a covering of pitch, not to let the flood of wrath 
 cover it: Hebrew ["^.i) niQ^j; Ps. xxxii. 1). The 
 pit is primarily here the grave (Isa. xxxviii. 17, 
 "the pit of corruption"), but the spiritual pit is 
 mainly shadowed forth (Zech. ix. 11, "the X->it 
 wherein is no water "). 25-28. Effects of restora- 
 tion to God's favour ; lit. , to Job a temporal re- 
 vival; spiritually, an eternal regeneration. The 
 striking words cannot be restricted to their tern- 
 
EUhu inciteth J ob 
 
 JOB XXXIII. 
 
 to attention. 
 
 26 He shall pray "^unto God, aud he will be favourable unto him; 
 And he shall see his face with joy : 
 
 For he will render unto man his righteousness. 
 
 27 ^^He looketh upon men ; and if any ^ say, 
 
 I have sinned, and perverted that which teas right, — and it profited me not; 
 
 28 ^^He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, 
 And his life shaU see the light. 
 
 29 Lo, all these things — worketh God oftentimes with man, 
 
 30 To bring back "his soul from the pit. 
 
 To be enlightened with the light of the living. 
 
 31 Mark well, 0 Job ; hearken unto me : — hold thy peace, and I will speak. 
 
 32 If thou hast anything to say, answer me : 
 Speak, for I desire to justify thee. 
 
 33 If not, hearken unto me : — hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom. 
 
 poral meauing as used by Elihu (1 Pet. i. II, 12). 
 fresher tlian a child's. So Naaman, 2 Ki. v. 14; 
 spiritually, John iii. 3-7. 26. Job shall no longer 
 pray to God, as he complains, iu vain (ch. xxiii. 3, 
 8, 9). True especially to the redeemed in Jesus 
 Christ (John xvi. 23-27). he (Job) shall see his 
 face — or God shall make him to see his face (Alaurer). 
 The Hebrew will suit either case. God shall no 
 longer "hide his face" (ch. xiii, 24). True to the 
 believer now, John xiv. 21, 22 ; eternally, Ps. xvii. 
 15; John xvii. 24. his (God's) righteousness— God 
 will again make the restored Job no longer ("I 
 perverted . . . right," r. 27) doubt God's justice, but 
 to justify Him in His dealings. Lit., "He restores 
 to man His righteousness" — i. e., the recognition 
 of His righteousness, both in His past dealings, as 
 also in His present acceptance of the sinner on 
 repentance and faith. God's righteousness is mag- 
 nified in the penitent believer's salvation. The 
 
 f)enitent justifies God (Ps. li. 4). So the be- 
 iever is made to see God's righteousness in Jesus 
 Christ (Isa. xlv. 24, "In the Lord have I righteous- 
 ness and strength;" Isa. xlvi. 13). 27. He looketh 
 — God. But Umhreit, 'Now he {the o'estored peni- 
 tent) singeth joyfully (answering to "joy," v. 26; Ps. 
 li. 12) before men, and saith,' &c. (rrov. xxv. 20;, 
 Ps. Ixvi. 16, " Come and hear all ye that fear God, 
 aud I will declare what He hath done for my soul ;" 
 Ps. cxvi. 14) [i^'j, from ~iW or "i'^,, to sing]. 
 The English version, however, is good Hebrew 
 and good sense, v. 28 forming the apodosis, "If 
 any say I have sinned . . . (then) He (God) will de- 
 liver his (that man's) soul," &c. perverted— made 
 the straight crooked: as Job had misreijresented 
 God's character, profited [''h ma*'] — lit., it was 
 not made even to me : ' My punishment was not 
 commensurate with my sin ;' (so Zophar, ch. xi. 6, 
 " God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity de- 
 serveth") ; the reverse of what Job heretofore said 
 (ch. xvi. 17 ; Ps. ciii. 10 ; Ezra ix. 13). 28. (Note, 
 V. 24). The Chetib, or Hebrew text (the English 
 version reads as the Hebrew margin, Keri, ' his soul, 
 his life'), is, ' He hath delivered my soul, &c., my life' 
 {v^zi hn;n] {Keri) : V^D] {Chetib). The Chetib 
 is the continuation of the penitent's testimony to 
 the people, according to Umbreifs view {v. 27). 
 light-(*\ 30; ch. iii. 16, 20; Ps. Ivi. 1.3, " Tliou 
 hast delivered my soul from death, that I may 
 wnlk before God in the light of the living;'^ Eccl. 
 xi. 7). 
 
 29. Hebrew margin, &c., twice (and) thrice, allud- 
 iw' to v. 14 : once by visions, vv. 15-17 ; secondly, by 
 alilictions, vv. 19-22; now by the "messenger;" 
 thirdly, V. 23. 30. Referring to v. 28 (Ps. Ivi. 13). 
 
 32. justify— <o do thee justice; and, if I can, con- 
 sistently with it, to declare thee innocent. At v. 
 
 VOL. IIL 81 
 
 33 Elihu pauses for a reply; then proceeds, ch. 
 XXX iv. 
 
 RemarJcs. — 1. Calm and candid reasoning in a 
 kindly spirit is more likely to win men to a right 
 state of mind than dealing with a "heavy hand" 
 {vv. 3, 7). The minister, whilst addressing sinners 
 authoritatively, as "in God's stead" {v. 6), and " in 
 Christ's stead (2 Cor. v. 20), should speak with a 
 fellow-feeling, as Elihu, " I also am formed out of 
 the clay:" or as Peter to Cornelius, " I myself also 
 am a man." 'Terror' only hardens it : it is love 
 alone that melts it {v. 1). 2. At the same time, 
 the sinner is to be dealt faithfully with; and when 
 anything has been said to the dishonour of God, 
 we ought to bear our testimony against it, in vin- 
 dication of His goodness and His justice (vv. 8-12). 
 Job had been betrayed, by a mind soured by mis- 
 fortune, into unwarranted reflections against God, 
 as though God treated him in the spirit of an 
 "enemy;" and this, notwithstanding that he was 
 " clean, without transgression, and innocent." 
 The one simple consideration, that " God is greater 
 than man," is a complete answer to such wrong- 
 minded imputations against Jehovah. When God 
 afflicts man, it cannot be from fear or jealousy of 
 him as an equal. It must be for some other reason. 
 It is worse than vain to "strive against Him" 
 {v. 13) because we cannot always discover what 
 is the reason of some of His dealings with us : for 
 "He giveth not account of any of His matters." 
 We may in faith take it assuredly for granted that 
 He acts in perfect wisdom, justice, aud goodness, 
 though we cannot perceive it. 3. When God de- 
 signs our good, He speaks to us by various agencies : 
 if wo give no heed to one voice from Him, He 
 speaks to us in another {vv. 14-19). When His 
 word of grace and His loving dealings iu provi- 
 dence fail to attract us to Him, He next sends 
 affliction. His gracious purpose is to open men's 
 hearts, as well as their ears, to saving instruction 
 (v. 16), as He opened the heart of Lydia (Acts xvi. 
 14). Man, if left to himself, would go on in his 
 own "work" of self-seeking "pride," which goeth 
 before destruction {v. 17 ; Prov. xvi. 18). But 
 God mercifully " keepeth back his soul from the 
 pit," by sending severe but wholesome disciplinary 
 chastisement {vv. 19-22). Though pain, which is the 
 fruit of sin, is not for the time "joyous, but griev- 
 ous, yet afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of 
 righteousness to them that are exercised thereby" 
 (Heb. xii. 11). 4, God's most effectual way of 
 drawing man to Himself is by the Divine "Mes- 
 senger" between God and man, the Mediator, 
 "the chiefest among ten thousand," the Intercessor 
 with God for us, and the " Interpreter," to vindi- 
 cate God's righteousness to us {w. 23, 24, 26). Christ 
 Jesus is at once the Hedeemer and the Eansom 
 a 
 
EUh u repromth Job for 
 
 JOB XXXIV. 
 
 charging God with injustice. 
 
 34 FURTHERMORE, Elihu answered and said, 
 
 2 Hear my words, 0 ye wise men; 
 
 And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge : 
 
 3 For the ear trieth words, — as the ^ mouth taste th meat. 
 
 4 Let us choose to us judgment : — let us know among ourselves what is good. 
 
 5 For Job hath said, "I am righteous : 
 And ^God hath taken away my judgment, 
 
 6 Should '^I lie against my right? 
 
 ^My wound is incurable without transgression. 
 
 7 What man is like Job, — who drinketh up scorning like water? 
 
 8 Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, 
 And walketh with wicked men. 
 
 9 For '^he hath said. It profitetli a man nothing 
 That he should delight himself with God. 
 
 10 Therefore hearken unto me, ye ^men of understanding: 
 ^Far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; 
 
 And from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity. 
 
 1 1 For the work of a man shall he render unto him. 
 And cause every man to find according to his ways. 
 
 12 Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, 
 Neither will the Almighty pervert judgment. 
 
 1 3 Who hath given him a charge over the earth ? 
 Or who hath disposed ^ the whole world ? 
 
 14 If he set his heart ^upon man, 
 
 If^\\Q gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; 
 
 15 All flesh shall perish together, — and man shall turn again unto dust. 
 
 16 If noy^ thou hast understanding, hear this; 
 Hearken to the voice of my words : 
 
 B. C. 1620. 
 
 CHAP. 34. 
 1 palate. 
 » ch. 10. r. 
 
 ch. 11. 4. 
 
 ch. 16. ir. 
 
 ch. 2X 14. 
 
 ch. 33 9. 
 6 ch. 27. 2. 
 
 * Ch. 9. 17. 
 ch. 27. 2. 
 
 3 mine 
 arrow. 
 
 <* ch. 9. 1'2. 
 
 ch. 22. 17. 
 
 ch. 35. 3. 
 
 Mai 3 14. 
 8 men of 
 
 heart. 
 
 * Gen. 18. 2.5. 
 Deut. 32. 4. 
 2 Chr. 19. 7. 
 Ps. 92. 16. 
 Jer. 12 1. 
 Jas. 1. 13. 
 Eom. 9. 14. 
 
 / Pro. 2t. 12. 
 Jer 32. 19. 
 Matt. 16.27. 
 Kom 2. 6. 
 2 Cor 6. 10. 
 1 Pet. 1. 17. 
 Eev 22. 12. 
 
 4 aUof it. 
 
 6 upon him. 
 « Eccl. 12 7. 
 Ps. 104. 29. 
 
 found by the love of the triune God : He is alone 
 the Priest and the Sacrifice. In order to have a 
 saving part in this great redemption, we must be 
 born again of the Spirit, and become little children 
 {v. 25). The first token of regeneration is hearty- 
 repentance and confession of sin,— of the fact of sin, 
 without palliating it — " I have sinned of the^9e^- 
 versity of our sin — " I have perverted that which 
 was right;" of the protitless./oZ^?/ of it — "It pro- 
 fited me not." Then shall we "be enlightened 
 with the light of the living " {v. 30), and " shall see 
 God's face with joy," as a reconciled Father {v. 26). 
 
 CHAP. XXXIV. 1-37 — 1. ansTvered — pro- 
 ceeded. 2. This chapter is addressed also to tlie 
 " friends," as chapter xxxiii. to Job alone. 3. 
 Palate (note, clis. xii. 11 ; xxxiii. 2). 4. judg- 
 ment — what is right and just. Let us select, 
 among the conflicting sentiments advanced, what 
 will stand the test of examination, 5. judgment — 
 my right. Job's own words (chs, xiii. 18 ; xxvii. 2). 
 6. /. c, were I to renounce my right [i. e., confess 
 myself guilty), I should lie. Job virtually had 
 said so (chs. xxvii. 4, 5 ; vi. 28). Maurer, not so 
 well, ' Notwithstanding my right (innocence), I am 
 treated as a liar by God,' by His afiiicting me. my 
 wound— lit,, mine arrow— viz. ^ by which I am 
 
 1) ierced. So "my stroke" (hand, marg.^ ch. xxiii. 
 
 2) . My sickness (ch. vi. 4; xvi. 13). without 
 transgression— without fault of mine to deserve 
 it (ch. xvi. 17). 7. (Ch. xv. 16.) Image from the 
 camel, scorning— against God (ch. xv. 4). 8. 
 Job virtually gocth in company (makes common 
 cause) with the wicked, by taking up their senti- 
 ments (chs. ix. 22, 23, 30 ; xxi. 7-15), or at least by 
 saying that those who act on such sentiments are 
 u npunished (Mai. iii. 14, " It is vain to serve God "). 
 To deny God's rigliteous government, because we 
 do not see the reasons of His acts, is virtually to 
 
 82 
 
 take part with the ungodly. 9. with God— in iTi- 
 timacy (Ps. 1. 18, " When thou sawest a thief, then 
 thou consentcdst with him, and hast been partaker 
 with adulterers"). 
 
 10. The true answer to Job, which God follows 
 up, (ch. xxxviii.) Man is to believe God's ways are 
 right, because they are His, not because we fully 
 see they are so, (Rom. ix. 14 ; Deut. xxxii. 4 ; Gen. 
 xviii. 25, " Shall not the Judge of all the earth do 
 right?") 11. Partly here; fully hereafter (Jer. 
 xxxii. 19; Rom. ii. 6; 1 Pet. i. 17; Rev. xxii. 12). 
 12. (Ch. viii. 3.) In opposition to Job {v. 5). will 
 not— cannot. 13. If the world were not God's 
 property, as having been made by Him, but com- 
 mitted to His charge by some superior, it might 
 be possible for Him to act unjustly, as He would 
 not then be injuring Himself ; but as it is, for God 
 to act unjustly would undermine the whole order 
 of the world, and so would injure God's own pro- 
 perty (ch. xxxvi. 23). disposed fn^K']— lit., placed; 
 hath founded (Isa. xliv. 7) ; established the circle 
 of the globe. 14, 15. 'If He were to set His 
 heart on man,' either to injure him, or to take 
 strict account of his sins. The connection sup- 
 ports rather ( Umhreit), ' If He had regard to 
 Himself (only), and M'ere to gather unto Himself 
 (Ps. civ. 29) His 'Spirit, &c. (which He sends forth 
 to give life to man and all other animals, Ps. civ. 
 30; Eccl. xii. 7), all flesh must perish together,' 
 &c. (Gen. iii. 19.) God's loving preservation of 
 His creatures proves He cannot be seltish, and 
 therefore cannot be unjust. 
 
 16. In V. 2 Elihu had spoken to all men of wis- 
 dom and understanding in general, now he calls 
 Job's special attention, if he have understanding. 
 17. ' Can even He who (in thy view) hateth right 
 (justice) govern?' The government of the worhl 
 would De impossible if injustice were sanctioned. 
 
God omnipotent 
 
 JOB XXXIV. 
 
 cannot be unjust. 
 
 17 Shall '^even he that hateth right ^govern? 
 
 And wilt thou condemn him that is most just ? 
 IS Is it Jit to say to a king, Tkoti art wicked ? 
 
 And to princes, Ye are ungodly ? 
 
 19 How much less to him that *accepteth not the persons of princes, 
 Nor regardeth the rich more than the poor 1 
 
 For they all are the work of his hands. 
 
 20 In a moment shall they die, 
 
 And the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away : 
 And Hhe mighty shaU be taken away without hand. 
 
 21 For his eyes are upon the ways of man, — and he seeth all his goings. 
 
 22 There is no darkness, nor shadow of death. 
 Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. 
 
 23 For -^he will not lay upon man more than right, 
 That he should ^ enter into judgment with God. 
 
 24 He shall break in pieces mighty men ^without number, 
 And set others in their stead. 
 
 25 Therefore he knoweth their works, 
 
 And he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed. 
 
 26 He striketh them as wicked men — ^Hn the open sight of others • 
 
 27 Because they turned back ^^from him, 
 And would not consider any of his ways : 
 
 28 So that they * cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, 
 And he ^heareth the cry of the afflicted. 
 
 29 When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble ? 
 And when he hideth his face, who then can behold him ? 
 Whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only : 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 * Gen 18. 
 
 2 Sam 23. 
 
 3. 
 
 * bind. 
 
 i Deut. 10 ir. 
 2 Chr. 19. r. 
 Acts 10. 34. 
 Rom. 2. 11. 
 Gal. 2. 6. 
 Eph,6. 9. 
 Col 3. 25. 
 1 Pet. 1 ir. 
 
 7 they shall 
 take away 
 the 
 
 mighty. 
 3 Ezra 9. 13. 
 
 8 go. 
 
 9 without 
 searching 
 out. 
 
 10 crushed. 
 " in the 
 
 place of 
 beholders. 
 12 from after 
 him. 
 
 * Deut. 24.14. 
 
 16. 
 
 EccL 6. 8. 
 Jas. 6 4. 
 ' Ex. 22. 2?>. 
 Ps. 37. 39. 
 40 
 
 Eccl. 3 16. 
 
 God must be just, because He governs (2 Sam. 
 xxiii. 3, "He that ruleth over men must be just"), 
 govern— lit., hind, viz., by authority (so 'reign,' 
 tnarg., 1 Sam. ix. 17; cf. Ps. cxlix. 8). Umbreit 
 translates, for "govern, " repress wrath — viz. , against 
 Job for his accusations, most just— rather, ' Him 
 who is at once mighty and just' (in His government 
 of the world) [T33 pn?]. 18, Lit. , (Is it fit) to he said 
 to a king? It would be a gross outrage to reproach 
 thus an earthly monarch, much more the King 
 of kings (Exod. xxii. 28). But Maurer, with the 
 LXX. and Vulgate, reads (It is not fit to accuse of 
 injustice Him) who says to a king. Thou art wicked ; 
 to princes. Ye are ungodly— i e., who punishes 
 inapartially the great as the small. This accords 
 with V. 19. He remarks that the English version 
 would require the infinitive absolute [iDN.n], whereas 
 the Hebrew is [ibKn]. He reads [i^SNn], ' who says.' 
 19. (Acts X. .34; 2 Chr. xix. 7; Prov. xxii. 2; ch. 
 xxxi. 1.5.) accepteth not the persons oi— shows no 
 partiality to. 20. they— " the rich " and "princes " 
 who offend God. the people— viz., of the guilty 
 princes; guilty also themselves, at midnight- 
 image from a night attack of an enemy on a camp, 
 which becomes an easy prey (Exod. xii. 29, 30, 
 "At midnight the Lord smote all the first-born"), 
 without hand— without visihle agency, by the mere 
 word of God (so ch. xx. 2(>, "afire not blown;" 
 Zech. iv. 6; Dan. ii. M, "a stone was cut out 
 without hands"). 21. God's omniscience and ora- 
 nixjotence enable Him to execute immediate justice. 
 He needs not to be long on the " watch," as Job 
 thought (ch. vii. 12; 2 Chr. xvi. 9; Jer. xxxii. 19). 
 22. shadow of death— thick darkness ( Amos ix. 2, 
 3; Ps. cxxxix. 12). 23. (1 Cor. x. 13; Lam. iii. 
 32; Isa. xxvii. 8.) Better, as Umhreit, 'He does 
 not (needs not to) reyard (as in v. 14 ; Isa. xli. 20) 
 man long (so the Hebrew [Thr- lit., again, i.e.. 
 S3 
 
 continuously, for a long time]; Gen. xlvi. 29), in 
 order that he may go (be brought by God) iuto 
 judginent.' Lit., ^ Set his (attention) upon men' 
 (ch. xi. 10, 11). So, 24, "without number" ought 
 to be translated 'without (needing any) searching 
 out,' such as has to be made in human judgments. 
 24. break in pieces— (Ps. ii. 9 ; ch. xii. 18; Dan. ii. 
 21). without number— rather, as marg., ' without 
 searching out' [nj^n kS]. 25. Therefore— because 
 He knows all things (?'. 21), He knows their works, 
 without a formal investigation (r. 24). in the 
 night— suddenly, unexpectedly {v. 20). Fitly in 
 the night, as it was in it that the godless hid them- 
 selves [v. 22). Umhreit, less simply, for " over- 
 turneth" ["^pn], translates, ' walketh' — i. e., God is 
 ever on the alert, discovering all wickedness. 26. 
 striketh— chasteneth. as ['^Dr^]— lit., under; i. e., 
 because they are wicked. But Maurer takes it 'm 
 the place where wicked men are punished:' as the 
 next clause explains the Hebrew (see marg.), 'in 
 the place of those beholding'— i e., before the sight 
 of all (Josh. V. 8). sight of others. Sinners hid 
 themselves in darkness; therefore they are pun- 
 ished before all, in open day. Image from the place 
 of public execution (ch. xl. 12 ; Exod. xiv. 30 , 2 
 Sam. xii. 12). 27, 28. The grounds of their pun- 
 ishment in V. 26; v. 28 states in what respect they 
 "considered not God's ways" — viz., by oppression, 
 whereby "they caused the cry," &c. 29. (Prov. 
 xvi. 7 ; Isa. xxvi. 3, " Thou wilt keep him in 
 perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee.") 
 make trouble— rather, condemn [W}l\ (Rom. viii. 
 33, 34). Maurer, from the reference being only 
 to the godless, in the next clause, and v. 20, trans- 
 lates, ' When God keeps quiet [QpB': ; leaves men 
 to perish, Ps. Ixxxiii. 1 ; Umbreit, from the Arabic, 
 strikes to the earth], who shall condemn Him as 
 unjust?' {v. 17.) Mdetli . . . face— (ch. xxiii. 8, 
 
The necessity of 
 
 JOB XXXIV. 
 
 mails humility ^ 
 
 32 
 
 33 
 
 30 That the hypocrite ™ reign not, — "lest the people be ensnared. 
 
 31 Surely it is meet to be said unto God, 
 
 I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any m,ore : 
 That which I see not, teach thou me : 
 If I have done iniquity, I will do no more. 
 '^^ Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense it, 
 Whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose ; and not I : 
 Therefore speak what thou knowest. 
 
 34 Let men of understanding tell me, — and let a wise man hearken unto me. 
 
 35 Job "hath spoken without knowledge, — and his words were without wisdom. 
 
 36 i^My desire is, that Job may be tried unto the end, 
 Because of his answers for wicked men. 
 
 37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin ; — he clappeth his hands among us. 
 And multiplieth his words against God. 
 
 B C. Ini 
 
 '"Pro. 29. 2- 
 12. 
 
 " 1 Ki. 12. 28. 
 30. 
 
 2 Ki. 21. 9. 
 
 Ps. 12. 8. 
 
 EccL 9. 18. 
 
 Hos. 6. 11. 
 W should it 
 
 be frnm 
 
 with thee? 
 " of heart. 
 " ch. 38. 2. 
 
 1 Tim. 1. 7. 
 16 Or. My 
 
 father, let 
 
 Job be 
 
 tried. 
 
 9; Ps. xiii. 1). it be done— whether it be against 
 a guilty nation (2 Ki. xviii. 9-12) or an individual 
 that God acts so. 30. ensnared— into sin (1 Ki. 
 xii. 28, 30). Or, rather, enthralled hy further op- 
 pression {v. 26-28). 
 
 31. Job accordingly says so (ch. xl. 3-5 ; Mic. vii. 
 9 ; Lev. xxvi. 41). It was to lead him to this 
 that Elihu was sent. Though no hypocrite, Job, 
 like all, had sin, therefore through affliction he 
 was to iDe brought to humble himself under God. 
 All sorrow is a proof of the common heritage of 
 sin, in which the godly shares ; and therefore he 
 ought to regard it as a merciful correction. Um- 
 hreit and Maurer lose this by translating, as the 
 Hebrew will bear, ' Has any a right to say to God, 
 I have borne chastisement and yet have not sin- 
 ned ? ' (so V. 6. ) borne— viz. , the penalty of sin ; as 
 in Lev. v. 1, 17, " He shall bear his iniquity." 
 oflFend— lit., to deal destructively or corruptly [^iar^, 
 from h-in, to corrupt]. (Neh. i. 7.) 32. (Ch. x.'2; 
 God promises to teach His people, Ps. xxxii. 8, 
 when penitently seeking His inward teaching ; Ps. 
 xix. 12; cxxxix. 23, 24.) The Hebrew is literally 
 ^Besides those things which I see, teach thou me.' 
 no more— (Prov. xxviii. 13; Eph. iv. 22). 33. 
 ' Should God recompense (sinners) according to 
 thy mind? Then it is for thee to reject and to 
 choose, and not me ' ( Umbreit) ; or, as Maurer trans- 
 lates the latter clause, ^ For thou hast rejected 
 (God's way of recompensing; state, therefore, thy 
 way), for thou mmt choose, not I '—i. e. , it is thy 
 part, not mine, to show a better way than God's. 
 The English version is good sense thus : ' Should 
 it (God's dealing) be according to thy mind? (lit., 
 from with thee.) (Nay, it is preposterous to think 
 God will govern according to thy ideas and not His 
 own.) He will recompense it (iniquity, v. 32), 
 whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose 
 (whether thou likest or likest not His way of 
 dealing : I say " thou ") : for it is not I (who call 
 in question God's dealings) : therefore, speak what 
 thou knowest' (not w^hat thou knowest not— viz., 
 God's ways of governing the world). The " thou " 
 is in emphatical opposition to " I," and is therefore 
 expressed in the Hebrew. 34, 35. Rather, ' men, 
 &c., will say to me, and the wise man {w. 2, 10) 
 wh hearkens to me (will say), "Job hath spoken,'" 
 &c. 36. from n^x, wi'ih, desire.] Marc/., 
 
 not so well, 3fy father; Elihu addressing God. 
 This title does not elsewhere occur in Job. tried 
 —by calamities, answers for wicked men— (see 
 note, V. 8) : lit. , among [3] wicked men ; making 
 common cause with them. Trials of the godly 
 are not removed until they produce the effect 
 designed. 37. Clappeth . . . hands— in scorn 
 84 
 
 (ch. xxvii. 23; Ezek. xxi. 17). multipUeth . . . 
 words— (chs. xi. 2; xxxv. 16). To his original ' sin,' 
 to correct which trials have been sent, 'he adds 
 rebellion'— i. e., words arraigning God's jiistice. 
 
 Remarks. — 1. We are not at random to take up 
 every sentiment, by whomsoever propounded, but 
 to try, by the touciistone of true wisdom and the 
 Revelation of God, the statements of even good 
 men, such as was Job {vv. 2, 4). The spiritually 
 unse have spiritual discernment, so as almost in- 
 stinctively, for the most part, under the Spirit's 
 guidance, to choose the good and reiect the evil 
 (Heb. V. 14) which teachers may put before them. 
 So St. Paul, like Elihu, appeals to the spiritual 
 wisdom of nis hearers to test his doctrine — " I 
 speak as to wise men, judge ye what I say" (1 Cor. 
 X. 15). 2. To justify ourselves is virtually to con- 
 demn God. "He who saith, I have cleansed my 
 heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency " 
 (Ps. Ixxxiii. 13-15), and " Itprofiteth a man nothing 
 that he should delight himself with God," at one 
 and the same time " offends against the generation 
 of God's children," and makes common cause with 
 God's enemies {vv. 7-9). 3. God, by the essential 
 law of His nature, cannot do wrong. We should 
 lay down this as a fixed principle, whatever ap- 
 pearances of injustice may now for a time be suf- 
 fered in the present dispensation of the world. 
 God's ways are even now right, and we are to 
 beliere them to be so, whether we see the grounds 
 of His dealings or do not. The coming day of 
 retribution will rectify all seeming anomalies, and 
 show that His government has always throughout 
 been perfectly righteous and just (u. 11). 4. God is 
 absolute proprietor of the world, as its Creator and 
 Preserver : were He, then, to govern it unjustly, 
 He would be injuring His own property— a sup- 
 position palpably absurd {y. 13). Moreover, His 
 continual care for, and His love evinced in the 
 preservation of His creatures, prove Him to be 
 supremely unselfish, and therefore not by possi- 
 bility unjust {vv. 14. 15). 5. The fact that God 
 governs the world, of itself proves He cannot be 
 unjust: for if injustice were admitted, moral 
 government of it would cease {v. 17 ; 2 Sam. xxiii. 
 3). Moreover, His omniscience and His omnipo- 
 tence enable Him to enforce justice by immediate 
 execution of the penalty upon the violator of His 
 just laws {vv. 20-22). He has no need to go through 
 man's tedious processes of judicial investigation : 
 He sees and knows all things at once (yy. 23, 24), 
 6. The grand end of God's dealings in afflicting 
 us is, that we may humble ourselves under His 
 mighty hand. Even the believer merits far worse 
 than any trials which may befall him : so that he 
 has no reason to complain of injustice being done 
 him, however sorely he may be tried. Tliough 
 
Comparison is not to 
 
 JOB XXXV. 
 
 be made with God. 
 
 35 ELIHU spake moreover, and said, 
 
 2 Tliinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, 
 My righteousness is more than God's ? 
 
 3 For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee ? 
 A7id, What profit shall I have, Hf I be cleansed from my sin ? 
 
 4^1 will answer thee, — and thy companions with thee. 
 
 5 Look unto the heavens, and see ; ^ 
 And behold the clouds, which are higher than thou. 
 
 6 If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him ? 
 Or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him ? 
 
 7 If "thou be righteous, what givest thou him ? 
 Or what receiveth he of thine hand ? 
 
 8 Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; 
 And thy righteousness may profit the son of man. 
 
 9 By ^reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oi 
 to cry; 
 
 They cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty. 
 But none saith, ''Where is God my maker, 
 ^Who giveth songs in the night; 
 Who ^teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, 
 And maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven ? 
 12 There -^they cry, but none giveth answer, — because of the pride of evil men. 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 B. C. 15:0. 
 
 CHA.P. 35. 
 
 1 Or, by it 
 more than 
 by my sia. 
 
 2 I will 
 return to 
 thee words. 
 Pro 9. 12, 
 Rom. 11.35. 
 
 6 Ex. 2. 23. 
 
 Ex 3. r. 9. 
 
 JSTeh. 5. 1-5. 
 
 ch. 24. 12. 
 
 Ps. 12. 5. 
 
 Ps. 43. 2. 
 " Eccl. 12. 1. 
 
 Isa. 51. 13. 
 
 1 Pet. 4. 19. 
 d Ps. 42. 8. 
 
 Acts 16. 25. 
 « Gen. 1. 26. 
 
 Gen 2. 7. 
 
 ch. 32. 8. 
 
 Ps. 8. 6. 
 
 1 John 5.1!0. 
 / Ps 18. 41. 
 
 Pro. 1. 28. 
 
 John 9. 31 
 
 sincere, and not a hypocritical formalist, he needs 
 to be made to feel the evil of the common heritage 
 of sin in which the godly also share. Chastise- 
 ment makes him to realize this mortifying fact, 
 as well as his own particular sins. Thus, with a 
 chastened spirit, he learns to accept the punish- 
 ment of sin, crying, 'I have borne chastisement, 
 I will not offend any more for it is not enough 
 to be sorry for sin, we must "go and sin no more." 
 Meekly, too, he prays to be taught in affliction 
 that which he saw not before (m 31, 32) : he is will- 
 ing to know the worst of himself, and to think the 
 best of God, who corrects him. Thus chastisement, 
 having effected the gracious end designed, is at last 
 removed ; and the saint can look back and say, 
 " It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that 
 I might learn thy statutes" (Ps. cxix. 71). 
 
 CHAP. XXXV. 1-16.— 2. more than. Umbreit 
 translates, as chs. ix. 2; xxv. 4, "I am righteous 
 (lit, my righteousness is) before God' [h^'Q 'p.!?!- 
 The English version agrees with chs. ix. 17 ; xvi. 
 12-17; xxvii. 2-6; xxxiv. 18, 19. Ch. iv. 17 is 
 susceptible of either rendering. Elihu means Job 
 said so, not in so many words, but virtually. 3. 
 Explanatory of "this" in v. 2, 'For thou sayest 
 (to thyself, as if a distinct person), What advan- 
 tage is it (thy integrity) to thee? What profit 
 have I (by integrity) more than (I should have) 
 by my sin?'—?, e., more than if I had sinned (ch. 
 xxxiv. 9). Job had said that the wicked, who use 
 these very words, do not suffer for it (ch. xxi. 13-15); 
 whereby he virtually sanctioned their sentiments : 
 as also by regarding his own righteousness as 
 giving him a claim to exemption from trials, and 
 therefore considering that as he was nevertheless 
 afflicted, righteousness is of no profit. The same 
 change of persons from oblique to direct address 
 occurs in ens. xix. 28; xxii. 17. 4. companions — 
 those entertaining like sentiments with thee (ch. 
 xxxiv. 8, .36). 
 
 5-8. Elihu, like Eliphaz (ch. xxii, 2, 3, 12), shows 
 that God is too exalted in nature to be susceptible 
 of benefit or hurt from the righteousness or sin of 
 man respectively : it is themselves that they bene- 
 fit by righteousness or hurt by sin. Mglier tlian 
 85 
 
 thou — spoken with irony. Not only are they 
 higher than thou, but thou cannot even reach 
 them clearly with the eye. Yet these are not as 
 high as God's seat. God is therefore too exalted 
 to be dependent on man. Therefore He has no 
 inducement to injustice in His dealings with man. 
 When He afflicts, it must be from a different 
 motive— viz., the good of the sufferer. 6. what 
 doest— how canst thou affect Him? unto him— 
 that can hurt him (Jer. vii. 19; Prov. viii. 36). 
 7. (Ps. xvi. 2 ; Prov. ix. 12, " If thou be wise, thou 
 shalt be wise for thyself; but if thou scornest, 
 thou alone shalt bear it;" Luke xvii. 10.) 
 
 9. (Eccl. iv. 1, "I considered all the oppressions 
 that are done under the sun : and beheld the tears 
 of such as were oppressed, and they had no com- 
 forter : and on the side of the oppressor there was 
 power.") Elihu states in Job's words (chs. xxiv. 
 12; XXX. 20) the difficulty: the "cries" of "the 
 oppressed" not being heard might lead man to 
 think that wrongs are not punished by Him. 
 10-13. But the reason is, that the innocent suf- 
 ferers often do not humbly seek God for succour ; 
 so to their "pride" is to be laid the blame of 
 their ruin: also because (vv. 13-16) they, as Job, 
 instead of waiting God's time in pious trust, 
 are prone to despair of His justice, when it 
 is not immediately visible (ch. xxxiii. 19-26). 
 If the sufferer would apply to God with an 
 humbled, penitent spirit, He would hear. 
 Where, &c.— (Jer. ii. 6, 8; Isa. li. 13.) songs— of 
 joy at deliverance (Ps. xlii. 8 ; cxlix. 5 ; Acts xvi. 
 25). in the night — unexpectedly (ch. xxxiv. 20, 
 25). Rather, in calamity (cf. Ps. cxxvi. 2). 11. 
 Man's spirit, which distinguishes him from the 
 brute, is the strongest proof of God's beneficence : 
 by the use of it we may understand that God is 
 the Almighty helper of all sufferers who humbly 
 seek him ; and that they err who do not so seek 
 him. fowls— (ch. xxviii. 21, note). 12. There— 
 rather, llien (when none humbly casts himself 
 on God, V. 10). They cry proudly against _ God, 
 rather than humbly to God. So, as the design of 
 affliction is to humble the sufferer, there can be 
 no answer until "pride" gives place to humble, 
 penitent prayer (Ps. x. 4 ; Jer. xiii. 17). 
 
God is just 
 
 JOB XXXVI. 
 
 in all his ways. 
 
 13 Surely God will not hear vanity, — neither will the Almighty regard it. 
 
 14 Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, 
 
 Yet judgment is before him ; — therefore trust tliou in him. 
 
 15 But now, because it is not so, ^he hath visited in his anger; 
 Yet ^he knoweth it not in great extremity: 
 
 16 Therefore ^doth Job open his mouth in vain ; 
 He multiplieth words without knowledge. 
 
 36 ELIHU also proceeded, and said, 
 
 2 Suffer me a little, and I will show thee 
 ^That / have yet to speak on God's behaU 
 
 3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar, 
 
 And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. 
 
 B C. 1 
 
 8 '1 hat is. 
 
 God. 
 < That is. 
 
 Job. 
 « ch. 3. 1. 
 
 cb. 31. 36, 
 37. 
 
 ch. 38. 2. 
 
 CHAP. 36 
 » That there 
 are yet 
 words for 
 God. 
 
 13. vanity — i. e., cries uttered in an unhumbled 
 spirit [v. 12), which applies in some degree to J ob's 
 cries ; still more to those of the wicked (ch. xxvii. 
 9; Prov. XV. 29). 14. Although thou sayest 
 thou Shalt not see him — as a temporal deliverer ; 
 for he did look for a Redeemer after death (ch. 
 xix. 25-27); which passage cannot, consistently 
 with Elihu's assertion here, be interpreted of 
 seeing a temporal 'Redeemer,' as Rationalists 
 think (chs. vii. 7; ix. 11; xxiii. 3, 8, 9). yet judg- 
 ment, &c.; therefore trust, &c. Maurer trans- 
 lates, ^how much less (will God . . . regard, v. 
 13), since thou sayest that He does not regard 
 thee.' So in ch. iv. 19, the Hebrew P]n;, or as 
 here, means, how much less, when i)receded 
 
 by a negative enunciation. The same Hebrew, 
 Gen. iii. 1, yea indeed, which amounts to the 
 same thing as the English version. Thus Elihu 
 alludes to Job's words (chs. xix. 7; xxx. 20). 
 judgment — i. e., thy cause, thy riyht; as in Prov. 
 xxxi. 5, 8. trust ['^Vm] — rather, wait thou on 
 Him patiently until He take up thy cause (Ps. 
 xxxvii. 7). 15. As it is, because Job waited not 
 trustingly and patiently {v. 14; Num. xx. 12; 
 Zeph. iii. 2, "She received not correction; she 
 trusted not in the Lord ; she drew not near to her 
 God;" Mic. vii. 9), God hath visited, d-c, yet still 
 he has not taken (severe) cognizance of the great 
 multitude (the English version wrongly, " extrem- 
 ity") of sins; therefore Job should not complain 
 or being punished with undue severity (chs. vii. 
 20 ; xi. 6). Maurer translates, ' Because His anger 
 hath not visited (hath not immediately punished 
 Job for his impious complaints), nor has He taken 
 strict (great) [n^p] cognizance of his folly (sinful 
 speeches), therefore doth Job thus open his 
 mouth,' &c. Eor "folly" [Ji'Q] Umbreit trans- 
 lates, with the Rabbins, multitudes : ' Yet al- 
 though His wrath doth not now visit, doth He 
 not care for the great multitude?' Man's false 
 conclusion, when God does not at once punish, is 
 that the multitude of God's creatures is too great 
 for Him to concern Himself about individuals. 
 Gesenius reads, with the LXX. and Vulgate, need- 
 lessly, ' transgression ' [vivo]. 16. Apodosis to 15. 
 in vain — rashly. 
 
 Remarks.— \. God can have no possible induce- 
 ment to act with injustice in His dealings towards 
 us. He is exalted so far above man as to be alto- 
 gether independent of man, as regards His own 
 infinite glory and blessedness. When men sin, it 
 is themselves, not God, that they hurt ; when they 
 practise righteousness, it is themselves, not God, 
 that they benefit. When, therefore. He sends 
 affliction on His people, it can only be the good 
 of the sufferers that lie has in \aew (?w. 5-8). 2. 
 Doubtless there are cases of oppression by the 
 mighty which we cannot account for, consistently 
 86 
 
 with God's justice, except by reference to the 
 coming judgment. But in the case of many com- 
 paratively innocent sufferers, as in that of Job so 
 tar, the reason for their being still left to suffer is. 
 they do not humbly seek God for help. God will 
 not regard the self-righteous cry of the proud. 
 Instead of patiently looking up to God for deliver- 
 ance in His own good time and way, even believers 
 at times murmur against His dealings as unjust, 
 and give way to despair because deliverance is 
 deferred for a time. When we only pore over our 
 afflictions, instead of contemplating the love and 
 power of Him " who giveth songs in the night," it 
 IS just that He should disregard the cry which is 
 wrung from us by pain, not elicited by faith. 
 When God does not remove ovir trials at once, it 
 is not because His hand is shortened, or His ears 
 heavy, but because we are not yet sufficiently 
 humbled. If the sufferer would seek God in lowly 
 penitence. He would turn the night of sorrow into 
 the morning of joy, and jnit a new song into his 
 mouth, even thanksgiving unto our God. 5. Man 
 is ever prone to extremes on either side : in pros- 
 jjerity even the believer is apt to think, " I shall 
 never be moved ; Lord, by thy favour thou hast 
 made my mountain to stand strong" (Ps. xxx. 6, 
 7). In adversity, on the other hand, he is apt to 
 say, There is no hope; I shall never see good (v. 
 14). Yet the excellency of understanding which 
 God has put upon us above the beasts of the field 
 and the fowls of heaven (w. 11) might teach us how 
 great is God's good-will toward us, and how confi- 
 dently we may commit ourselves and our cause 
 to Him, waiting patiently on Him for relief and 
 deliverance in His own good time [v. 14). 
 
 CHAP. XXXVL 1-33. —1, 2. Elihu main- 
 tains that afflictions are to the godly disciplinaiy, 
 in order to lead them to attain a higher moral 
 worth, and that the reason for their continuance 
 is not, as the friends asserted, on account of the 
 sufferer's extraordinary guilt, but because the dis- 
 cipline has not yet attained its object — viz., to lead 
 him to humble himself penitently before God (Isa. 
 ix. 13, "The people turneth not unto Him that 
 smiteth them; neither do they seek the Lord of 
 hosts " ( Jer. v. 3). This is Elihu's fourth speech. 
 He thus exceeds the ternary number of the 
 others. Hence his formula of politeness {v. 2). 
 Lit., Wait yet hut a little for me. Bear with me 
 a little farther. I have yet much to say (ch. 
 xxxii. 18-20). There are Chaldeisms in this verse, 
 agreeably to the view that the scene of the book 
 is near the Euphrates and the Chaldees [in? and 
 n^vT, used in the Chaldaic rather than the ordinary 
 Hebrew sense]. 3. from afar — not trite common- 
 places, but drawn from God's mighty works, 
 ascribe righteousness— whereas Job had ascribed 
 unrighteousness (ch. xxxiv. 10-12). A man, in 
 enquiring into God's ways, should at the outset 
 
Job's sins hinder 
 
 JOB XXXVI. 
 
 God's blessings^ \ 
 
 4 For truly my words shall not be false : 
 
 He that is perfect in knowledge is with thee. 
 
 5 Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not amj : 
 He is mighty in strength and ^wisdom. 
 
 6 He preserveth not the life of the wicked: — but giveth right to the "poor. 
 
 7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: 
 But "with kings are they on the throne; 
 
 Yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted. 
 
 8 And *if they be bound in fetters,— J be holden in cords of affliction; 
 
 9 Then he showeth them their work, 
 
 And their transgressions that they have exceeded. 
 
 1 0 He. openeth also their ear to discipline, 
 
 And commandeth that they return from iniquity. 
 
 1 1 If they obey and serve him, 
 
 They shall spend their days in prosperity, — and their years in pleasures: 
 
 12 But if they obey not, *they shall perish by the sword. 
 And they shall die without knowledge. 
 
 13 But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath; 
 They cry not when he bindeth them. 
 
 14 ^They die in youth, — and their life is among the ^unclean. 
 
 15 He delivereth the ^poor in his affliction, 
 And openeth their ears in oppression : 
 
 16 Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait 
 Into a broad place, where there is no straitness ; 
 
 And ^that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness. 
 
 17 But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked : 
 ^Judgment and justice take hold on thee. 
 
 presume they are all just, be ivilUng to find them 
 so, and expect that the result of investigation will 
 prove them to be so; such a one will never be 
 disappointed (Barnes). 4, I will not " speak 
 wickedly for God," as the friends (ch. xiii. 4, 7, 8) 
 — L e., vindicate God by unsound arguments, lie 
 tiiat is perfect, &c.— rather, as the parallelism 
 requires, ' a man of integrity/ in sentiynents [Q^^?n 
 rrip^] is with thee ' (is he with whom thou hast to 
 do). Elihu means himself, as opposed to the dis- 
 honest reasonings of the friends (ch. xxi. 34). 
 
 5. strength and wisdom — rather, strength of 
 understanding (heart): the force of the repetition 
 of "mighty" is, "mighty" as God is, none is too 
 low to be "despised" by Him; for His 'might' 
 lies especially in 'His strength of understand- 
 ing,' whereby He searches out the most minute 
 things, so as to give to each his right. Elihu con- 
 firms his exhortation (ch. xxxv, 14). 6. right . . . 
 poor— he espouses the cause of the afflicted. 7. 
 (1 Pet. iii. 12. ) God does not forsake the godly, as 
 Job implied, but 'establishes,' or mate them sit 
 on the throne as kings (1 Sam. ii. 8; Ps. cxiii. 7, 
 8). True of believers, in the highest sense, already 
 in part (1 Pet. ii. 9; Eev, i. 6); hereafter fully 
 (Rev. V. 10; ch. xxii. 5). and they axe— that they 
 may he. 8-10. If they be afflicted, it is no proof 
 that they are hypocrites, as the friends maintain ; 
 or that God disregards them, and is indifferent 
 whether men are good or bad, as Job asserts: God 
 is thereby ' disciplining them,' and ' showing them 
 their sins,' and if they bow in a right spirit under 
 God's visiting hand, the greatest blessings ensue. 
 9. work— transgression : so "work" is used, ch. 
 xxxiii. 17, marg. that . . . exceeded — ' in that 
 they behaved themselves mightily '—Zi<. , as mighty 
 heroes [i~i3-io:]; c., presumptuously, or, at least, 
 self -confidently. 10. (Ch. xxxiiL 16-18, 23.) 11. 
 
 B. C. ]r.2>. 
 
 2 heart. 
 
 8 Or, 
 afiUctcd. 
 
 " Ps. 113. 8. 
 & Ps. 107. 10. 
 <^ ch 11. 13- 
 19. 
 
 ch 21. Il- 
 ls 
 
 Ch 21 23- 
 25 
 
 Eccl 9. 2, 
 3. 
 
 Isa 1. 19. 
 1 Tim 4. 8. 
 Jas 5. 5. 
 Kev IS. 7. 
 4 they shall 
 pass away 
 by the 
 sword. 
 
 6 their soul 
 dieth. 
 
 ff Or. 
 sodomites 
 Deut. 23 \1. 
 
 7 Or. 
 afiaicted. 
 
 s the rest of 
 thy table. 
 
 9 Or, .judg- 
 ment and 
 justice 
 should up- 
 hold thee. 
 
 serve — i. e., worship; as in Isa. xix. 23 God is to 
 be supplied (cf. Isa. i. xix. 20). 12. perish by 
 the sword— (ch. xxxiii. 18). without knowledge 
 — in, i.e., on account of, their foolishness (ch. 
 iv. 20, 21). 13-15. Same sentiment as vv. 11, 
 12, expanded. 13. hypocrites— or, the ungodly 
 [Maurer); but "hypocrites" is perhaps a distinct 
 class from the openly wicked {v. 12). heap up 
 wrath — of God against themselves (Eom. ii. 5). 
 Umbreit translates, ' nourish their wrath against 
 God,'' instead of 'crying' unto Him. Tliis suits 
 well the parallelism and the Hebrew 
 lit., put or lay up lorath. But the English version 
 gives a good parallelism, " hypocrites " answering 
 to "cry not ;" (ch. xxvii. 8, 10, "Will he . . . the 
 hypocrite . . . always call upon God?") "heap 
 up wrath" against themselves to "He bindeth 
 them" with fetters of affliction {v. 8). 14. Eathcr 
 (Deut. xxiii. 17), ' Their life is (ended) as that of 
 (lit., among) the unclean,^ prematurely and dishon- 
 ourably. So the second clause answers to the 
 first. A warning that Job make not common 
 cause with the wicked (ch. xxxiv. 36). 
 
 15. voor— the afflicted pious, openeth . . . ears 
 — [v. 10); so as to be admonished in their straits 
 ("oppression") to seek God penitently, and so be 
 " delivered " (ch. xxxiii. 16, 17, 23-27). 16. Lit., He 
 would have led forth thee also out of the jaws of a 
 strait "—viz., if thou hadst humbled thyself as the 
 pious poor in affliction, and hadst opened thine 
 ear to admonition in thy straits [v. 15; Ps. xviii. 
 19; cxviii. 5). ["i3f The '^ broad place" ex- 
 presses the liberty, and the well-supplied "table " 
 the abundance of the prosperous (Ps. xxiii. 5; Isa. 
 XXV. 6). 17. 'But if thou art fulfilled (i.e., en- 
 tirely filled) with the judgment of the wicked' 
 (i. e., the guilt incurring judgment, Maurer; 
 or, as Umbreit, referring to ch. xxxiv. 5, 6, 7, 
 36, the judgment pronounced on God by the 
 
God's works to 
 
 JOB XXXVI. 
 
 he magnified. 
 
 18 Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: 
 Then a great ransom cannot ^^deHver thee. 
 
 19 Will he esteem thy riches? — no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength. 
 
 20 Desire not the night, — when people are cut off in their place. 
 
 21 Take heed, regard not iniquity: 
 
 For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction. 
 
 22 Behold, God exalteth by his power: — who Heacheth like him? 
 
 23 Who hath enjoined him his way? 
 
 Or who -^can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity? 
 
 24 Remember that thou ^magnify his work, — which men behold. 
 
 25 Every ^^man may see it; — man may behold it afar off. 
 
 26 Behold, God is great, and we %now him not, 
 
 •^ Neither can the number of his years be searched out. 
 
 27 For he maketh small the drops of water : 
 
 They pour down rain according to the vapour thereof, 
 
 guilty in misfortunes), judgment {God's judg- 
 ment on the wicked; Jer. li. 9, playing on the 
 double meaning of "judgment") and justice 
 (or, as Maurer, ''guilt and its judicial penalty') 
 shall closely follow each other' (Umbreit). The 
 English version, however, is good sense, and ac- 
 cords with the Hebrew : ' Thou hast fulfilled the 
 judgment of the wicked,' by making common cause 
 with them in their judgment of God: accordingly, 
 'judgment (from God) and justice take hold'— viz., 
 of thee. The abruptness of the Hebrew expresses 
 better the retributive correspondence between 
 Job's continuance in an unhumbled spirit of 
 judging God and his continuance in affliction, 
 the judicial just penalty. Ch. xxxiv. 7, 8 shows 
 Elihu puts no 'if' in the case, but asserts Job 
 does "fulfil the judgment of the wicked." 18. 
 (Num. xvi. 45; Ps. xlix. 6, 7; Matt. xvi. 26.) 
 Even the "ransom" by Jesus Christ (ch. xxxiii. 
 24) will be of no avail to wilful despisers (Heb. x. 
 26-29). with his stroke— [pgty is the same as p^D^ 
 smite] (ch. xxxiv. 26). Umbreit translates ' Be- 
 ware lest the wrath of God (thy severe calamity) 
 lead thee to scorn' (chs. xxxiv. 7 ; xxvii. 23) : lit, 
 to smite the hands in scorn. This accords with 
 the verb in the parallel clause, which ought to be 
 translated, ' Let not the great ransom (of money, 
 which thou canst give) seduce thee' [marg., turn 
 thee aside, as if thou couldst deliver thyself from 
 "wrath" by it). As the "scorn" in the first 
 clause answers to the "judgment of the wicked," 
 V. 17, so 'ransom, seduce' to "Will he esteem 
 riches," v. 19. Thus v. 18 is the transition between 
 vv. 17 and 19. Maurer for "wrath" translates 
 'milk' or 'butter,' the very image for wealth 
 which Job himself had used, ch. xxix. 6, 'Beware 
 lest thy milk-like flow of wealth seduce thee in 
 abundance' (so the Hebrew means, ch. xx. 22). 
 The Hebrew [nnn] will bear either meaning, milk 
 or wrath. The English version is good Hebrew 
 and good sense. 19. forces of strength— i. e., 
 resources of wealth (Ps. xlix. 6, 7; Prov. xi. 4, 
 "Biches profit not in the day of wrath"). 20. 
 desire— 2jawi for {^mp]. Job had wished far 
 death, (ch. iii. 3-9, &c. ) night— (John ix. 4). when 
 [^] — whereby, or wherein; lit. , for the purpose, cut 
 off— lit., ascend, as the corn cut and lifted upon the 
 M^aggon or stack (ch. v. 26) ; so cut off, disappear. 
 in their place— lit., under themselves [onru^]; so, 
 without moving from their place, on the spot, 
 suddenly (ch. xl. 12). {Maurer.) Umbreit' s trans- 
 lation, 'To ascend (which is really, as thou wilt 
 find to thy cost, to descend) to the people below ' (lit., 
 under themselves) answers better to the parallelism 
 88 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 10 turn thee 
 
 aside. 
 <i Heb. 11. 26. 
 * Isa. 40. 13. 
 
 Rom. 11.34. 
 
 1 Cor. 2. 16. 
 / Deut. 32. 4. 
 
 Horn 2 5. 
 
 Eom. 3. 5. 
 " Pa. 92. 5. 
 
 Dan. 4. 37. 
 
 Rev. 15. 3. 
 
 Rom. 1. 19. 
 i 1 Cor. 13.12- 
 j Ps. 90 2. 
 
 Ps. 102. 24. 
 27. 
 
 Heb. 1. 12. 
 
 and the Hebrevy. Thou pantest for death as 
 desirable, but it is a " night or region of darkness; 
 thy fancied ascent (amelioration) will prove a 
 descent (deterioration, ch. x. 22); therefore desire 
 it not. 21. regard— lit., turn thyself to. iniquity 
 —viz., presumptuous speaking against God (ch. 
 xxxiv. 5, and above, yv. 17, 18, note), rather 
 than — to bear "affliction" with pious patience. 
 Men think it an alleviation to complain against 
 God. But this is adding sin to sorrow; it is sin, 
 not sorrow, which can really hurt us (contrast 
 Heb. xi. 25). 
 
 22-25. God is not to be impiously arraigned, but 
 to be praised for His might, shown in His works, 
 exalteth — rather [a^iB'^], doeth lofty things; shows 
 His exalted power ( U mbreit). (Ps. xxi. 13. ) teach- 
 eth— (Ps. xciv. 12, &c.) The connection is, re- 
 turning to V. 5, God's "might" is shown in His 
 " wisdom :" He alone can teach ; yet, because He, 
 as a sovereign, explains not all His dealings, for- 
 sooth Job must presume to teach Him (Isa. xl. 13, 
 14, "Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or, 
 being His counsellor, hath taught Him?" Rom. xi. 
 34 ; 1 Cor. ii. 16). So the transition to v. 23 is 
 natural. U mbreit, with the LXX. , translates, ' Who 
 is Lord?' wrongly, as this meaning belongs to 
 later Hebrew [nniD is plainly, as the English ver- 
 sion, "teacher"]. 23. Job dared to prescribe to 
 God what He should do (ch. xxxiv. 10, 13). 24. 
 Instead of arraigning, let it be thy fixed principle 
 to magnify God in His works (Ps. cxi. '2-8; Bev. 
 XV. 3) : these, which all may " see," may convince 
 us that what we do not see is altogether wise and 
 good (Bom. i. 20). behold — so "see," v. 25; not as 
 Maurer, ' sing,' laud (note, ch. xxxiii. 27) from 
 "11'^', to see or behold]. 25. see— viz., with won- 
 dering admiration {Maurer). man may behold — 
 '(yet) mortals (a different Hebrew word [^W] 
 from "man" p!?^]) behold it (only) from afar off:' 
 see but a small "part" (ch. xxvi. 14). 26. God's 
 greatness in heaven and earth : a reason why Job 
 should bow under His afflicting hand, know 
 him not— only in part, and afar off (y. 25 ; 1 Cor. 
 xiii. 12). his years— (Ps. xc. 2 ; cii. 24, 27) ; applied 
 to Jesus Christ (Heb. i. 12), His infinitude as to 
 duration is the first characteristic of God's great- 
 ness noticed. 
 
 27, 28. The marvellous formation of rain (so chs. 
 V. 9, 10 ; xxxvii. 13). maketh small— rather, ' He 
 draweth (up) to Him; He attracts [pn;:— lit., draws 
 off] (from the earth below) the drops of water ; they 
 (the drops of water) pour down rain, {which is) His 
 vapour. " Vapour ' is in apposition with " rain," 
 marking the way in which rain is formed— viz., 
 
God's works to 
 
 JOB XXXVL 
 
 be magnified. 
 
 28 Which the ^clouds do drop — and distil upon man abundantly. 
 
 29 Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds. 
 Or the 'noise of his tabernacle? 
 
 30 Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, 
 And covereth ^^the bottom of the sea. 
 
 31 For by them judgeth he the people; — he giveth meat in abundance. 
 
 32 With clouds he covereth the light; 
 
 And commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt. 
 
 33 The noise thereof showeth concerning it, 
 The cattle also concerning ^^the vapour. 
 
 from the vapour drawn up by God into the air and 
 then condensed into drops, which fall (Ps. cxlvii. 
 8). The suspension of such a mass of water, and 
 its descent, not in a deluge, but in drops of vapoury 
 rain, are the marvel. The selection of this par- 
 ticular illustration of God's greatness forms a fit 
 prelude to the storm in which God appears (ch. 
 xxx\'iii. 1). 28. abundantly— lit. , upon many men. 
 29. (Ch. xxxvii. 5.) God's marvels in thunder and 
 lightnings. 29. spreadings, &c.— the canopy of thick 
 clouds which covers the heavens in a storm (Ps. 
 cv. 39). the noise (crashing) of Ms tabernacle- 
 viz., thunder ; God being poetically said to have 
 His pavilion amidst dark clouds (Ps. xviii. 11 ; Isa. 
 xl. 22). 30. light— lightning, it— His tabernacle. 
 The light, in an instant spread over the vast mass of 
 dark clouds, forms a striking picture. " Spread" 
 is repeated from v. 29, to form an antithesis, ' He 
 spreads not only clouds but ligld.'' covereth the 
 bottom {roots) of the sea — viz., ivith the li[/ht. In 
 the storm the depths of ocean are laid bare ; and 
 the light "covers " them at the same moment that 
 it "spreads" across the dark sky. So in Ps. xviii. 
 14, 15, the discovering of "the channels of waters" 
 follows the " lightnings." Umbreit translates, ' He 
 spreadeth His light upon Himself, and covereth 
 Himself with the roots of the sea ' (Ps. civ. 2) : 
 God's garment is woven of celestial light, and of 
 the watery depths raised to the sky to form His 
 cloudy canopy. The phrase ' cover Himself with 
 the roots (the depths) of the sea ' is harsh ; but 
 the image is grand. 31. These (rain and lightnings) 
 are marvellous, and not to be understood {v. 29), 
 yet necessary: " i^o?' by them He judgeth (chas- 
 tiseth on the one hand), &c., (and on the other, by 
 them) He giveth meat" (food), &c. (chs. xxxvii. 13; 
 xxxviii. 23, 27; Acts xiv. 17). 32. Rather, 'He 
 covereth (both) His hands with light [lightninr/, 
 ch. xxxvii. 3, marg.: lit., ^upon both hands He 
 spreads light as a covering' [d^qs and giveth 
 it a command against his adversary^ — lit., the one 
 assailing Him [r^icpa n\^p] : or else, ' He giveth it 
 a command against (whomsoever it is directed) in 
 striking^ (Ps. viii. 2; cxxxix. 20; xxi. 19). Thus, 
 as in V. 31, the two-fold effects of His waters are 
 set forth, so here of His light; in the one hand 
 destructive lightning against the wicked ; in the 
 otlier, the genial light for good to His friends, &c. 
 ( V. .33. ) ( Umhreit. ) 33. noise—' He revealeth it (lit. , 
 announceth concerning it) to His friend (antithesis 
 to adversary, v. 32: so the Hebrew [irn, from v•^^ 
 a friend] is translated, ch. ii. 11): also to cattle 
 and plants' (lit., that which shooteth up; Gen. xl. 
 10; xli. 22). As the genial effect of "water" in 
 the growth of food is mentioned in v. 31, so here 
 that of •' light " in cherishing cattle and plants 
 [Umhreit). The English version may be in the 
 main retained, translating, 'His noise (thunder) 
 announces concerning Him (His coming in the 
 tempest) ; the cattle (too announce) concerning 
 Him when He is in the act of rising up^ (in the 
 
 B. G. i-.LO 
 
 * Gen. 7. 11. 
 12. 
 
 Pro. 3. 20. 
 ' Ps. 18 13. 
 Ps. 29. 3-10, 
 Ps. 77. 16- 
 19. 
 
 Ps. 104. r. 
 Nah. 1. 3. 
 
 11 the roots. 
 
 12 that which 
 goeth up. 
 
 storm) ("1^7!, properly tumult, from vv'^, to le tu- 
 multuous : hence the thunder-peal] {Maurer). 
 Some animals give various intimations that they 
 are sensible of tlie approach of a storm, ( Virgil's 
 'Georgics,' i. 373, &c.) 
 
 Remarks. — 1. In order to comprehend God's 
 dealings at all, we must set out with the principle 
 that God's ways must be all righteous, simply be- 
 cause they emanate from God. W e must not, like 
 Job, for a moment, call in question His justice, but, 
 with Elihu, "ascribe righteousness to our Maker" 
 {v. 3). 2. His omnipotent "might" and "under- 
 standing " are shown not merely in His more stu- 
 pendous works, but in His regarding with fatherly 
 love and providential care the very humblest of 
 His creatures. He searches out accurately the 
 most niinute objects, so as to withhold from none 
 their right [v. 6). 
 
 ' Thou art as much His care as if, beside, 
 
 Not man or angel lived in heaven or earth : 
 Thus sunbeams pour alike a glorious tide 
 To light up worlds or wake an insect's mirth.' 
 
 3. Whatever unbelief may whisper to the contrary, 
 " God never withdraws His eyes from the rigli- 
 teous " {v. 7). • It is true, they are at times afflicted ; 
 but it is an utter mistake, either, with Job's friends, 
 to infer from this that the religion of the sufferer 
 was mere hypocrisy, or, with Job, to infer that, 
 as the sufferer was consciously sincere, God ne- 
 glects the pious man, and is indifferent whether 
 men are godly or not {v. 8). Nay, the true reason 
 is, God disciplines His people with chastisements, 
 in order to make sin exceeding sinful to them, 
 and to teach them more entire self-abasement at 
 the remembrance of their own vileness, however 
 respectable they be in outward act and sin- 
 cere in their worship of God {vv. 9, 10). When- 
 ever this blessed end is attained, and they 
 meekly submit to Him, He withdraws the rod, 
 and grants them outward prosperity [vv. 11, 15, 
 16). 4. But if, instead of humble submission and 
 acceptance of God's chastening, tl)ey cherish 
 angry feelings against Him that striketh them, 
 and will not cry to Him for His loving mercy to 
 interpose in their behalf, unworthy though they 
 be, they are in danger of being given up to final 
 destruction, from which no riches or largeness of 
 resources can "ransom" them {vv. 17-20). Even 
 the redemption wrought by Christ can Idc of no 
 avail to hardened reprobates and scorners. 5. 
 Men in suffering often pant for death as a relief, 
 when they are in a state unfit for dying {v. 20). Bad 
 as may be the condition of the unhumbled and 
 impenitent here, it is infinitely preferable to that 
 which awaits them beyond the grave. It is, there- 
 fore, the worst kind of suicidal folly for any un- 
 believer to desire it. Rather let him cease from 
 iniquity {v. 21) and rebellion against God's ways. 
 6. To choose vain and sinful complaints against 
 God, as a kind of alleviation of one's pain, rather 
 than to learn the lesson of meek submission and 
 penitent confession of having deserved it by sin. 
 
Ood is to be feared 
 
 JOB XXXVII. 
 
 for his great works. 
 
 37 AT this also my heart trembleth, — ^and is moved out of his place. 
 
 2 1 Hear attentively the noise of his voice, 
 And the sound that goeth out of his mouth. 
 
 3 He directeth it under the whole heaven, 
 
 And his ^lightning unto the ^ends of the earth. 
 
 4 After it a voice roareth : 
 
 He thuudereth with the voice of his excellency; 
 And he will not stay them when his voice is hear J. 
 
 5 God thuudereth marvellously with his voice ; 
 Great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend. 
 
 6 For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth ; 
 
 ^ Likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength. 
 
 7 He sealeth up the hand of every man ; — tliat "all men may know his work. 
 
 8 Then the beasts go into dens, — and remain in their places. 
 
 9 ^Out of the south cometh the whirlwind; — and cold out of the ^north. 
 
 10 By the breath of God frost is given; 
 
 And the breadth of the waters is straitened. 
 
 1 1 Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud ; 
 He scattereth "his bright cloud, 
 
 is a wretched choice to make [v. 21) : for it is 
 adding to sorrow sin, which alone can lastingly 
 hurt us. Our wisest course is, instead of pre- 
 Buming to be "teachers of God, and enjoining Him 
 His way" (vv. 22, 23), we should "magnify His 
 work'" {v. 24). What we see of God's doings 
 iuay assure us that what we do not see, as being 
 beyond the reach of our finite faculties, is alto- 
 Igether in accordance with perfect beneficence and 
 justice. It is true, we get but a glimpse, and from 
 "afar ofi"" (''. 25), of even the small portion of His 
 works which we do see. But eren this glimpse 
 is enough to show how unsearchable is His infinite 
 perfection of nature and operations {vv. 26-30). 
 The works of nature which come under our cog- 
 nizance in a great measure display His power, 
 exercised on the one hand in judgment against 
 His foes, on the other in blessings ou His servants 
 {vo. 31-33). 
 
 CHAP. XXXVII. 1-24. -1. At this— when I 
 hear the thundering of the Divine Majesty. Per- 
 iiaps the storm already had begun out of which 
 God was to address Job (ch, xxxviii. 1). 2. Hear 
 attentively — the thunder ("noise "), &c., and then 
 you will feel that there is good reason to tremble. 
 '^ounCi—muUeriny of the thunder. 3. directeth 
 it — however zig-zag the lightning's course ; or, 
 rather, it applies to the peeling roll of the thun- 
 der. God's aU-emhracing power is imijlied. ends 
 ^\it., wings, skirts, the habitable earth being often 
 compared to an extended garment (ch. xxxviii. 13; 
 Isa. XL 12, "the four corners of the earth"). 4. 
 After it — after the lightning the voice roareth. 
 The thunder-clap follows at an interval after the 
 flash, stay them— He will not hold hack the light- 
 nings [v. 3) when the thunder is heard {Maurer). 
 Or, not so well, take 'them' as the usual concomi- 
 tants of thunder — viz., rain and hail [Umhreit). 
 (Ch. xl. 9.) 5. great things . . . which we can- 
 not comprehend — (ch. xxxvi. 26 ; Ps. Ixv. 6 ; 
 cxxxix. 14). The sublimity of the description lies 
 in this, that God is everywhere in the storm, 
 directing it whither He will [Barnes). See Ps. 
 xxix., where, as here, the "voice of the Lord" 
 (Jehovah) is repeated with grand effect. The 
 thunder in Arabia is sublimely terrible. 6. Be — 
 more forcible than ' fall,' as Umbreit translates 
 (Gen. i. 3). [^1^1, from n;n, to fall. But this is the 
 Arabic sense. The LXX., as the English version, 
 90 
 
 B. 0 15.:0. 
 
 CHAP. 37.. 
 
 1 Hear la 
 hearitjg. 
 
 2 light. 
 
 s wings of 
 the earth, 
 ch. 38. 13. 
 
 * and to the 
 shower of 
 rain, and 
 to the 
 showers of 
 rain of his 
 strength. 
 
 a Ps 46. 8. 
 Ps. 64. 9. 
 Ps. 92 4. 
 
 Ps. ni. 2. 
 
 s Out of the 
 chamber. 
 
 6 scatterirg 
 winds. 
 
 ' the cloud 
 of hisii:.;lit 
 
 takes the Hebrew as the same as n;rj., the impera^ 
 tive of n;n, to he.] to the small rain, &c.— He 
 
 saith. Be on the earth. The shower increasing 
 from "small" to "great," is ex])ressed by the 
 plural showers (marg.) following the singular 
 shower. Winter rain (Song ii. 11). 7. In winter 
 God stops man's out-of-doors activity, sealeth— 
 closeth up (ch. ix. 7). Man's "hands" are then 
 tied up. his work— in antithesis to rnan's own 
 work (" hand"), which at other times engages men 
 so as to be liable to forget their dei)endence on 
 God. Umhreit, more literally, translates. That all 
 men whom He has made (lit., of His making) may 
 be brought to acknowledgment; viz., may know 
 and acknowledge themselves to have been made 
 by Him, and, therefore, to be subject to His will 
 and power. 8. remain— rest in their lairs. It is 
 beautifully ordered that, during the cold, when 
 they could not obtain food, many lie torpid— a 
 state wherein they need no food. The desola- 
 tion of the fields, at God's bidding, is poetically 
 graphic. 9. south — lit. , chamber ; connected with 
 the south ["innj (cf. note, ch. ix. 9). The whirl- 
 winds are poetically regarded as pent up by God 
 in His south chambers, whence He sends them 
 forth (so ch. xxxviii. 22 ; Ps. cxxxv. 7, " He bring- 
 eth the wind out of His treasuries "). As to the 
 south whirlwinds, see Isa. xxi 1; Zech. ix. 14: 
 they drive before them burning sands; chiefly 
 from February to May. the north [onra]— lit., 
 scatterings, the scattering north winds; the north 
 winds scatter the clouds. 10. frost— rather, ice. 
 the breath of God — poetically for the ice-jjro- 
 ducing north wind, straitened— physically accu- 
 rate : frost compresses or contracts the expanded 
 liquid into a congealed mass (ch. xxxviii. 29, 30; 
 Ps. cxlvii. 17, 18). 11-13. How the thunder-clouds 
 are dispersed, or else emijloyed by God either for 
 correction or mercy, by' watering — by loading it 
 with water, wearieth {ry-\}yi\--hurdeneth it, so 
 that it falls in rain: thus "wearieth" answers to 
 the i^arallel "scattereth" (cf. note, y. 9); a clear 
 sky resulting alike from both, bright cloud- 
 lit., cloud of His light, i.e., of His lightning. 
 Umhreit, for " watering " [n?, from n, toatering], 
 &c., translates, ' Brightness drives away the 
 clouds; His light scattereth the thick clouds.' 
 [The Hebrew is thus from to make clear.] 
 
is unsearchable. 
 
 God's wisdom JOB XXXVII. 
 
 12 And it is turned round about by his counsels; 
 That they may do whatsoever he commandeth them 
 Upon the face of the world in the earth. 
 
 13 ^iHe causeth it to come, whether for ^correction, 
 Or for his land, or for mercy. 
 
 14 Hearken unto this, 0 Job: 
 
 Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of Goih 
 
 15 Dost thou know when God disposed them. 
 And caused the light of his cloud to shine? 
 
 16 Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds. 
 
 The wondrous works of ^ him which is perfect in knowledge? 
 
 17 How thy garments are warm, 
 
 When he quieteth the earth by the south icind? 
 
 18 Hast thou with him spread out the sky, 
 Which is strong, and as a molten looking-glass ? 
 
 19 Teach us what we shall say unto him; 
 
 For we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness 
 
 20 Shall it be told him that I speak? 
 
 If a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up. 
 
 2 1 And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds ; 
 But the wind passeth, and cleanseth them. 
 
 The parallelism is thus good, but the Hebrew I 
 hardly sanctions it. 12. it — the cloud of light- 
 ning, counsels— guidance (Ps. cxlviii. 8) [n^'jiann]; 
 Ht., steering: the clouds obey God's guidance, as 
 the ship does the helmsman. So the lightning 
 (note, ch. xxxvi. 31, 32); neither is haphazard in 
 its movements, they— <Ae clouds, implied in the 
 collective singular "it." 13. Lit., He maketh it 
 (the rain cloud) find place, whether for correction, 
 if (it be destined) for his land [i. e. , for the part 
 inhabited hy man, with whom God deals, as op- 
 posed to the parts uninhabited, on which rain is at 
 other times appointed to fall, ch. xxxviii. 26, 27), 
 or for mercy. ' If it be destined for His land ' is 
 a parenthetical supposition {Maurer; who, how- 
 ever, takes *'for His land," not as I have sug- 
 gested above, but 'for God^s earth'— ^.f., the whole 
 earth, which is God's). In the English version 
 this clause spoils the even balance of the anti- 
 thesis between the 'rod' (marg.) and "mercy" 
 (Ps. Ixviii. 9, is an instance of mercy; Gen. vii., 
 of the rod). 
 
 14. (Ps. cxi. 2.) 15. when— rather, how. dis- 
 posed them— lays His charge on [hv D^b2] these 
 w^onders {v. 14) to arise, light — lightning, shine 
 — Hash. How is it that light arises from the dark 
 thunder- cloud? 16. Hebrew, ^ Hast thou under- 
 standing of the balancings,' &c., how the clouds 
 are poised in the air, so that their watery gravity 
 does not bring them to the earth? The condensed 
 moisture, descending by gravity, meets a warmer 
 temperature, which dissipates it into vapour (the 
 tendency of which is to ascend) and so counter- 
 acts the descending force, perfect in knowledge 
 — God: not here in the sense that Elihu uses it of 
 himself (ch. xxxvi. 4). dost thou know— how, &c. 
 17. thy garments — i. e., how tliy body grows 
 warm, so as to affect thy garments with heat ? 
 south wind — lit. , region of the south [onij]. 
 ' When He maketh still (and sultry) the earth 
 i. e., the atmosphere) by (during) the south wind' 
 Song iv. 16). 18. with him— like as he does (ch. 
 xl. 15). spread out— given expanse to. strong 
 — firm; whence the term "firmament" (Gen. i. 6; 
 mary., expansion, Isa. xliv. 24). Not necessarily 
 meaning solid, as many of the ancients regarded 
 
 B. c. If ZO. 
 
 * Ex. 9. 18» 
 
 23. 
 
 1 Satn. 12. 
 18, 19. 
 Ezra 10. 9. 
 ch. 36 31. 
 
 * a rod. 
 
 * ch. 36. 4. 
 P8 104. 24. 
 Ps 147. ft. 
 Pro. 3, 19. 
 
 20. 
 
 Jer. 10. 12. 
 d Gen. 1. e. 
 ch. 9. 8. 
 9. 
 
 ch. 37. Il- 
 ls. 
 
 Ps. 104. 2. 
 Ps. 148. 4 6. 
 Ps. 150. 1. 
 Pro. 8. 27. 
 Isa. 40. 12- 
 22. 
 
 Isa 44. 2*. 
 Jer. 10 13. 
 
 I the firmament. At the same time, Elihu de- 
 scribes the works of God according to their 
 phenomenal aspect, rather than their scientific : 
 the Bible being not a treatise on science, but on 
 religion, and therefore, whilst not contradicting, 
 yet not unfolding science in detail, molten look- 
 ing-glass—image of the bright smiling sky. Mir- 
 rors were then formed of molten polished metal, 
 not "glass." 19. Men cannot explain God's won- 
 ders ; we ought, therefore, to be dumb, and not 
 contend with God, If Job thinks we ought, let 
 him "teach us what we shall say." order — frame, 
 darkness— of mind ; ignorance. ' The eyes are 
 bewilderingly blinded, when turned in bold con- 
 troversy with God towards the sunny heavens' 
 {v. 18). (Umbreit.) 20, What I, a mortal, say 
 against God's dealings is not worthy of being told 
 Him. In opposition to Job's wish to "speak" 
 before God (ch. xiii. 3, 18-22). If a man speak, 
 surely he shall he swallowed up. The parallel- 
 ism more favours Umhreit — ' Durst a man speak 
 (before Him, complaining), that he is (without 
 cause) being destroyed?^ 21. cleanseth — i. e., 
 cleareth the air of clouds. When the "light" of 
 the sun (the same Hebrew is translated light here 
 and sun in ch. xxxi. 26), previously ' not seen ' 
 through " clouds," suddenly shines out from 
 behind them, owing to 'the wind clearing them 
 away,' the effect is dazzling to the eye; so, if 
 God's majesty, now hidden, were suddenly re- 
 vealed in all its brightness, it would spread ' dark- 
 ness ' over Job's eyes, anxious as he is for it (cf. 
 note, V. 19). ( Umbreit.) Translate, literally, ' Now 
 men see not the sun (light) ; it shineth in {i. e., 
 behind) the clouds; but the wind i)asseth and 
 cleanseth them.' The Hebrew for "bright" 
 [Tnri] is rather 'it shineth.' It is because 'now 
 man sees not the bright sunlight' (God's dazzling 
 majesty), owing to the intervening "clouds" (ch. 
 xxvi. 9), that they dare to wish to "speak" 
 before God {v. 20), as Job does. Prelude to God's 
 appearance (ch. xxxviii. 1). The words also hold 
 true in a sense not intended by Elihu, but per- 
 haps included by the Holy Ghost. Job and other 
 sunerers cannot see the light of God's countenance 
 through the clouds of trial ; but the wind will 
 soon clear them ofif, and God shall appear again : 
 
The Lord challengeth 
 
 JOB XXXVIII. 
 
 Job to answer. 
 
 22 ^Fair weather cometh out of the north: — with God is terrible majesty. 
 
 23 Touching the Almighty, Sve cannot find him out: 
 ^He is excellent in power, and in judgment, 
 
 And in plenty of justice : he will ^not afflict. 
 
 24 Men do therefore ^fear him : — he respecteth not any that are wise of heart. 
 38 THEN the Lord answered Job "out of the whirlwind, and said, 
 
 2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel — by words without knowledge ? 
 
 3 Gird ^up now thy loins like a man ; 
 
 For I will demand of thee, and ^ answer thou me. 
 
 4 Where ^wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? 
 Declare, ^if thou hast understanding. 
 
 5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? 
 Or who hath stretched the line upon it? 
 
 6 Whereupon are the ^foundations thereof ^ fastened ? 
 Or who laid tlie corner stone thereof, 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 9 Gold. 
 * 1 Ti. 6. 16. 
 / ch. 36. 5. 
 f Lam. 3. 33. 
 Matt. 10. 2S. 
 
 CHAP. 38. 
 " Ex. 19. 16, 18. 
 «• ch 40. r. 
 
 1 make me 
 know. 
 
 " Fro. 8. 23. 
 
 2 if thou 
 knoweat 
 under- 
 standing. 
 
 3 sockets. 
 
 4 madi to 
 sink. 
 
 let them but wait patiently, for He still shines, 
 though for a time they see Him not (see note, v. 
 23). 22. Rather, golden splendour. Maurer trans- 
 lates, gold. It is found in northern regions. But 
 God cannot be 'found out,' because of His 
 "majesty." Thus ch. xxviii. corresponds; the 
 English version is simpler, the novih.—hnghtness is 
 chiefly associated with it (note, ch. xxiii. 9). Here, 
 perhaps, because the north wind clears the air 
 (Prov. XXV. 23). Thus this clause answers to the 
 last of V. 21, as the second of this verse to the first 
 of V. 21. Inverted parallelism. See Isa. xiv. 13, 
 Ps. xlviii. 2, as to the association of the north with 
 the Deity, with God— rather, upon God, as a gar- 
 ment (Ps. civ. 1, 2). majesty— splendour. 
 
 23. afflict —oppressively, so as to ' pervert jtidg- 
 ment,^ as Job implied (note, ch. viii. 3) ; but see 
 end of note, ch. xxi., above [npu: nS]. The read- 
 ing, ' He answereth not ' [n^y;. nS]— i. e. , gives no 
 account of His dealings— is like a transcriber's 
 correction, from ch. xxxiii. 13, marg. It is sup- 
 ported by some MSS. of De Mossi, by the LXX., 
 Vulgate, Syriac, and Gesenius. 24. do— rather, 
 ought, wise— in their own conceits. 
 
 Remarks. — 1. None of the operations in nature 
 are haphazard — they are all under God's imme- 
 diate direction [v. 3). The lightning flash has its 
 appointed destination, and fulfils God's pleasure, 
 in perfect obedience to His ' guidance ' {v. 12). 
 Nor is it only in the more awful phenomena of 
 nature that God's glory is to be discerned, but 
 also in the more ordinary and quiet changes of 
 the weather, frost or snow, showers and rain : all 
 of which God uses as instruments either of chas- 
 tisement or of mercy [v. 13). 2. We can explain 
 perfectly not one of God's wonderful doings in the 
 visible sky {w. 15-18) : how presumptuous, then, is 
 it not for such ignorant creatures to think of con- 
 tending with their almighty Maker! When we 
 cannot as much as gaze at the dazzling light of 
 the material sun, bursting forth from behind a 
 cloud, how can we imagine that we can for a 
 moment confront the revealed majesty of the 
 infinitely glorious Jehovah! Every mouth must 
 be 'stopped, every eye blinded, and every under- 
 standing bewildered, of those who dare to enter 
 into controversy with Him. The rebels can only 
 call upon the rocks, Hide us from the face of Him 
 that sitteth upon the throne ! [vv. 19-21 ; Rev. 
 vi. 16.) 3. Trials- like clouds, will pass away in 
 God's good time, if we patiently wait and believingly 
 pray. The light always shines, but is not always 
 to be seen : the sun's beams are as bright as ever, 
 but clouds intercept them from us. So God's 
 love is ever the same, but sins and sorrows often, 
 92 
 
 through our unbelief, hide from us the light of 
 His countenance. The Spirit of God is the 
 cleansing wind that clears off from the soul the 
 mists of ignorance, unbelief, and sin. And though 
 we cannot find Him out in His infinite perfections, 
 we are sure, if we be His children, "He will not 
 always chide, neither will He keep His anger for 
 ever" (Ps. ciii. 9) : for His character is that " He 
 doth not afl&ict willingly, nor grieve the children 
 of men" [v. 23; Lam. iii. 32): and whilst "He 
 respecteth not the wise of heart" in their own con- 
 ceits (y. 24), He will withdraw the rod from those 
 in whom correction has wrought the end designed 
 — deeper penitence, meekness, and humility. 
 
 CHAP. XXXVIII. .1-41.-1. Jehovah appears 
 unexpectedly in a whirlwind (already gathering, 
 ch. xxxvii. 1,2), the symbol of "judgment" (Ps. 
 1. 3, 4. &c.), to which Job had challenged Him. 
 He asks him now to get himself ready for the 
 contest. Can he explain the phenomena of God's 
 natural government? How can he, then, hope to 
 understand the principles of His moral govern- 
 ment ? God thus confirms Elihu's sentiment, that 
 submission to, not reasonings on, God's ways is 
 man's X)art. This and the disciplina')^ design of 
 trial to the godly is the great lesson of this book. 
 He does not solve the difficulty by reference to 
 future retribution ; for this was not the immediate 
 question : glimpses of that truth were already 
 given in chs. xiv. and xix., the full revelation of 
 it being reserved for Gospel times: yet even noio 
 we need to learn the lesson taught by Elihu and 
 God in Job. 
 
 2. tbis— Job. counsel — impugning my divine 
 ivisdom in the providential arrangements of the 
 universe. Such "words" (including those of the 
 friends) rather obscure than throw light on my 
 ways. God is about to be Job's vindicator; but 
 must first bring him to a right state of mind for 
 receiving relief. 3. a man Aero, ready for 
 
 battle (1 Cor. xvi. 13, "Quit yon like men, be 
 strong"), as he had wished (chs. ix. 35; xiii. 22; 
 xxxi. 37). The robe, usually worn flowing, was 
 girt up by a girdle when men ran, laboured, or 
 fought (1 Pet. i. 13). 
 
 4. To understand the cause of things, man 
 should have been present at their origin. The 
 finite creature cannot fathom the infinite wisdom 
 of the Creator (chs. xxviii. 12; xv. 7, 8). hast 
 (knowest) understanding— (Prov. iv. 1). If thou 
 hast all the knowledge and understanding that 
 thou thinkest thou hast. 5. measures— of its 
 proportions. Image from an architect's plans of 
 a building, line— of measurement (Isa. xxviii. 
 17). The earth is formed on an all-wise plan. 
 6. foundations — not sockets^ as marg. fastened — 
 
God, by his mighty works, 
 
 JOB XXXVIII. 
 
 conmnceth Job of ignorance. 
 
 7 When the morning stars sang together, 
 And all '^the sons of God shouted for joy? 
 
 8 Or ^who shut up the sea with doors, 
 
 When it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? 
 
 9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof, 
 And thick darkness a swaddling-band for it, 
 
 10 And ^ brake up for it my diQcxQ^di place, — and set bars and doors, 
 
 11 And said. Hitherto shalt thou come, but-^no further; 
 And here shall ^thy proud waves be stayed? 
 
 12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; 
 And caused the dayspring to know liis place; 
 
 13 That it might take hold of the ^ends of the earth, 
 That the wicked might be shaken out of it ? 
 
 14 It is turned as clay to the seal; — and they stand as a garment. 
 
 15 And from the wicked their light is withholden, 
 And the high arm shall be broken. 
 
 1 6 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea ? 
 Or hast thou walked in the search of the depth ? 
 
 17 Have ^the gates of death been opened unto thee ? 
 Or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death? 
 
 1 8 Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth ? — declare if thou knowest it all, 
 
 19 Where is the way where light dwelleth? 
 And as for darkness, where is the place thereof, 
 
 20 That thou shouldest take it ^to the bound thereof, 
 
 And that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof ? 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 Ch 1. 6. 
 ch 2 1. 
 Ps. 101. 4. 
 Eev. 5. 11. 
 ' Gen. 1. 9. 
 Ps. 24. 2. 
 Ps. 33. 7. 
 Ps. 96. 5. 
 Ps. 104. 9. 
 Ps. 136. 6. 
 Pro. 8. 28, 
 29. 
 
 Jer, 5. 22. 
 2 Pet. 3. 6. 
 
 5 Or, 
 
 established 
 my decree 
 upon it. 
 Gen. 1 9,10. 
 Gen. 9. 15. 
 ch. 26. 10. 
 Ps. 104. 9. 
 Jer. 5. 22. 
 / Ps. 76 16. 
 Ps. 89. 9. 
 Isa. 27. 8. 
 
 6 the pride 
 of thy 
 waves. 
 
 7 wings. 
 
 f Ps. 9. 13. 
 
 8 Or, at. 
 
 lit., made to sink, as a foimdation-stone let down 
 till it settles firmly in the clay (ch. xxvi. 7). 
 Gravitation makes and keeps the earth a sphere. 
 7. So, at the founding of Zerubbabel's temple 
 (Ezra iii. 10-13), the priests and Levites '''' sang to- 
 gether in praising the Lord, and many shouted 
 aloud for joy." 8o hereafter, at the completion 
 of the Church, the temple of the Holy Ghost 
 (Zech. iv, 7) ; as at its f Mindation (Luke ii. 13, 14). 
 7. morning stars— especially beautiful. The crea- 
 tion-mo?-/i is apjjropriately associated with these, 
 it being the commencement of this w^orld's day. 
 The stars are figuratively said to sing God's praises, 
 as in Ps. xix. 1; cxlWii. 3. They are symbols of 
 the angels, bearing the same relation to our earth 
 as angels do to us. Therefore they answer to 
 "sons of God," or angels, in the parallel (see 
 note, ch. xxv. 5). 
 
 8. doors— flood-gates ; these when opened caused 
 the flood (Gen. vii. 11) ; or else the shores, "womb 
 —of chaos. The bowels of the earth. Image from 
 child-birth [m. 8, 9). Ocean at its birth was 
 wrapped in clouds as its swaddling bands (Ezek. 
 xxxii. 2; Mic. iv. 10). 10. brake up for— i e., 
 appointed it. Shores are generally hroken and 
 abrupt cliffs. The Greek [aKTn, from ayi/u^t] for 
 shore means a hroken place, I broke off or measured 
 off for it mg limit— i. e., the limit which / thought 
 fit (ch. xxvi. 10). 11. stayed— Hebrew, a {limit) 
 shall be set to. 12-15. Passing from creation to 
 phenomena in the existing inanimate world. 
 
 12. hast thou— as God daily does, commanded 
 the morning— to rise, since thy days— since thou 
 hast come into being, its place— it varies in its 
 place of rising from day to day, and yet has its place 
 each day according to fixed laws. 13. take hold of 
 the ends, &c.— spread itself over the earth to its 
 utmost bounds in a moment, wicked— who hate 
 the light, and do their evil works in the dark 
 (ch. xxiv, 13). shaken out of it— the corners 
 (Hebrew, vjings or skirts) of it, as of a garment, 
 are taken hold of by tlie day-spring, so as to 
 93 
 
 shake off the wicked. 14. Ex|)lainiag the first 
 clause of 13, as v. 15 does tne second clause. 
 As the plastic clay presents the various figures 
 impressed on it by a seal, so the earth, which in 
 the dark was void of all form, when illuminated 
 by the day-spring, presents a variety of forms, 
 hills, valleys, &c. "Turned" ('turns itself,' He- 
 brew) alludes to the rolling cylinder seal, from 
 one to three inches long, such as is found in Baby- 
 lon, which leaves its impressions on the soft plastic 
 cla^, as it is turned about: so the morning light 
 rolling on over the earth. Ricli (' On the Puins of 
 Babylon') in Barnes, says, 'The cuneiform writing 
 on these cylindrical seals is reversed, or written 
 from right to left, whereas every other cuneiform 
 writing is to be read from left to right. This can 
 only be accounted for by supposing tnat they were 
 intended to roll off impressions.^ they stand— ^Ae 
 forms of beauty unfolded by the dawn stand forth 
 as a garment in whicli the earth is clad. 15. 
 their light— by which they work: viz., darkness, 
 which is their day (ch. xxiv. 17), is extinguished 
 by daylight, high— rather, tJie arm uplifted for 
 murder or other crime is broken ; it falls down 
 suddenly, powerless, through their fear of light. 
 
 16. springs — fountains beneath the sea (Ps. xcv, 
 4). search [ip.n] — rather, the inmost recesses: lit., 
 that which is only found by seaixhing the deep caverns 
 of ocean. 17. seen. The second clause heightens 
 tlie thought in the first. Man during life does not 
 even "see" the gates of the realm of the dead 
 ("death," ch. x. 21), much less are they 'opened' 
 to him. But those are "naked before God" (ch. 
 xxvi. 6), 18, Hast thou perceived the breadth 
 of the earth?- as God doth (ch. xxviii. 24). 19-38. 
 The marvels in heaven, 
 
 19. ' What is the way (to the place wherein) 
 light dwelleth?' The origin of light and darkness. 
 In Gen. i "light" is created distinct from and 
 previous to light-emitting bodies, the luminaries 
 of heaven. 20. Dost thou know their place (the 
 place of darkness and light) so well as to be able 
 
God, by his mighty works, 
 
 JOB XXXVIII. 
 
 convinceth Job of imbecility. 
 
 21 Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? 
 Or because the number of thy days is great? 
 
 22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? 
 Or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, 
 
 23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, 
 Against the day of battle and war? 
 
 24 By what way is the light parted, 
 
 Which scattereth the east wind upon the earth? 
 
 25 Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters; 
 Or a way for the lightning of thunder; 
 
 2G To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; 
 On the wilderness, wherein there is no man ; 
 To '^satisfy the desolate and waste ground; 
 And to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth? 
 Hath Hhe rain a father? — or who hath begotten the drops of dew? 
 Out of whose womb came the ice ? 
 And the •'hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? 
 
 30 The waters are hid as with a stone, — ^and the face of the deep ^is frozen. 
 
 31 Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, 
 Or loose the bands of Orion? 
 
 32 Canst thou bring forth ^^Mazzaroth in his season? 
 Or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons ? 
 
 33 Knowest thou *the ordinances of heaven? 
 
 Canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth ? 
 
 34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, 
 That abundance of waters may cover thee? 
 
 27 
 
 29 
 
 B. G 1620. 
 
 A Ps lOr. 35 
 » 1 Sa. 12. ir, 
 
 18. 
 
 Ch. 6. 9, 10- 
 
 Ps 65 9. 10. 
 
 Ps. 117. 8. 
 
 Jer. 5. 24. 
 
 Jer. 10. n. 
 
 Jer. H 22. 
 
 Joel 2 23. 
 
 Amos 4. r. 
 } ch. 6. 16. 
 
 Ps. 147. 16. 
 » is taken. 
 
 ch 37. 10. 
 lOCimah. 
 
 or, the 
 
 seven 
 
 stars. 
 
 ch. 9 9 
 
 Isa. 40 2'. 
 
 Amos 5. 8. 
 "Cesil 
 12 Or, the 
 
 twelve 
 
 signs, 
 ixgu de 
 
 them. 
 * Gen. 1. If?. 
 
 Gen. 8. 22 
 
 Ps 119. t»0. 
 
 91. 
 
 Jer .31. 3^. 
 
 36. 
 
 to guide, ("take" Lnp_^], as in Isa. xxxvi. 17) them 
 to (but Umhreit, ^ reach it in') their own boundary? 
 —i.e., the limit between light and darkness (ch. 
 xx\'i. 10). 21. Or, without the interrogation, in 
 an ironical sense (Umbreit). then— when I created 
 light and darkness (ch. xv. 7). 
 
 22. treasures — storehouses, from which God 
 draws forth snow and hail. Snow is vapour con- 
 gealed in the air, before it is collected in drops 
 large enough to form hail. Its shape is that of a 
 crystal in endless variety of beautiful figures. 
 Hail is formed by rain falling through cold air. 
 23. against the time of trouble— the time when 
 I design to chastise men (Exod. ix. 18; Josh. x. 11; 
 Rev. xvi. 21 ; Isa. xxviii. 17 ; Ps. xviii. 12, 13 ; Hag. 
 ii. 17). 
 
 24. is . . . parted— parts, so as to diffuse itself 
 over the whole earth, tliough seeming to come from 
 one point. Light travels from the sun to the earth, 
 ninety millions of miles, in eight minutes, which 
 scattereth— rather, 'And by what way the east 
 wind (])ersonified) spreads (scattereth) itself,' &c. 
 The light and east wind are associated to- 
 gether, as both come from one quarter, and often 
 arise together (Jon. iv. 8). 25. waters. i?am falls, 
 not in a mass on one spot, but in countless separate 
 canals in tlie air marked out for them, way for 
 the lightning— (ch. xxviii. 26). 26. Since rain falls 
 also on places uninhabited by man, it cannot be 
 that man guides its course. Such rain, though 
 man cannot explain the reason for it, is not lost. 
 God has some wise design in it. The lovely flower 
 that blooms in regions never explored by man, and 
 that is watered by the rains of heaven, is seen by 
 God, and reflects His glory, which is the ultimate 
 end of all His works. 27. As though the desolate 
 ground thirsted for God's showers. Personifica- 
 tion. The beauty imparted to the uninhabited 
 desert pleases God, for whom primarily all things 
 exist, and He has ulterior designs in it. bud— lit., 
 94 
 
 the outgoing [ks'io]. 28. Can any visible origin of 
 rain and dew be assigned by man? Is man their 
 author and creator? Dew is moisture which was 
 suspended in the air, but becomes condensed on 
 reaching the— in the night— lower temperature of 
 objects on the earth. 29. (Ch. xxxvii. 10. ) 30. The 
 uutrozen waters are hid under the frozen, as with a 
 covering of stone, frozen— lit., is taken: the parti- 
 c'es [na^n*, from nn^, to take hold] take hold of one 
 another so as to cohere. 
 
 31. sweet influences [niiurD, from to be de- 
 lightful; whence comes Bden]— the joy diffused by 
 sx^ring, the time when the Pleiades L^Q''?] appear. 
 The Eastern poets Hafiz, Sadi, &c., describe them 
 as ' brilliant rosettes. ' Oesenius translates ' bands ' 
 or 'knot,' which answers better the parallelism. 
 [He supposes the Hebrew is a trans j)Osition for 
 nn^rn, from bound. ] But the English version 
 agrees better with the Hebrew. The seven stars 
 are closely 'bound' together (note, ch. ix. 9). 'Cans* 
 thou bind or loose the tie?' ' Canst thou loose the 
 bonds by which the constellation Orion (repre- 
 sented in the East as an impious giant chained to 
 the sky) is held fast' (note, ch.ix. 9). 32. Canst thou 
 bring forth (into the sky) the signs of the Zodiac at 
 their respective seasons— the twelve lodgings [Maz- 
 zaloth, in the Hebrew, 2 Ki. xxiii. 5, ni'riD, being 
 equivalent to n"nm, Mazzaroth, here—viz., stopping- 
 places] in which the sun successively stays, or 
 appears in the sky? Aicturus [e<:?]— Ursa Major, 
 his sons— the three stars in its tail. Canst thou 
 make them appear in the sky? (ch. ix. 9.) The 
 great and less Bear are called by the Arabs 
 'Daughters of the Bier,' the quadrangle being 
 the bier, the three others the mourners. 33. 
 ordinances— which regulate the alternations of 
 seasons, &c. (Ceu. viii. 22.) dominion — the con- 
 
God, by His mighty works. 
 
 JOB XXXVIII. 
 
 conmncetli Job of imbecility. 
 
 35 Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, 
 And say unto thee, ^*Here we arel 
 
 36 Who ^hath put wisdom in the inward parts? 
 Or who hath given understanding to the heart ? 
 
 37 Wlio can number the clouds in wisdom? 
 Or ^^who can stay the bottles of heaven, 
 
 38 ^^When the dust ^''groweth into hardness. 
 And the clods cleave fast together? 
 
 39 Wilt thou hunt tlie prey for the lion, 
 Or fill ^^the appetite of the young lions, 
 
 40 When they couch in their dens, — and abide in the covert to lie in wait' 
 
 41 Who ""provideth for the raven his food? 
 
 When his young ones cry unto God, — they wander for lack of meat. 
 
 B. O 120 
 
 14 Behold us 
 ' ch. 32. 8. 
 
 Ps 51 6. 
 
 Feci 2. 25. 
 '5 who can 
 
 cause to 
 
 lie down. 
 
 16 Cr. When 
 the dust is 
 turned 
 into mire. 
 
 17 is poured. 
 
 18 the life, 
 "'fs. 104 27, 
 
 28 
 
 P3 147 9. 
 
 trolling influence of the heavenly bodies, the sun, 
 moon, &c., on the earth (on the tides, weather) 
 (Gen. i. 16; Ps. exxxvi. 7-9). 34. Canst thou at 
 will command the clouds to send down abundance 
 of rain? (Jer. xiv. 22; above, ch. xxii. 11, "abun- 
 dance of waters," metaphorically.) 35. Here we 
 are— at thy disposal (Isa. vi. 8). 36. inward parts 
 . . heart— but Umhreit, 'dark clouds' [nine]; 
 ' shining x^henomena;' {Maurer) 'meteor' l^pl?], re- 
 ferring to the consultation of these as signs of 
 weather by the husbandman (Eccl. xi. 4). But the 
 Hebrew supports the English version. In Ps. li. 
 6 the same Hebrew is translated "inward parts." 
 In Ps. Ixxiii. 7 the kindred Hebrew to that for 
 heart here is translated 'thoughts' or 'wishes' {of 
 the heart). The connection which causes Umhreit 
 and Maurer to stumble is, 'Who hath given thee 
 the intelligence to comprehend in any degree 
 the phenomena just specified?' heart— not the 
 usual Hebrew word, but one from a root [n^b'] to 
 view; perception. 37. Who appoints by his wis- 
 dom the due measure of the clouds, accurately 
 numbering the sum of vaporous particles (like so 
 many grains of (hist) of which they are to be com- 
 posed? [□"pnK^, dust and clouds\ stay — rather, 
 emptp — lit., lay doivn, or incline, so as to pour out 
 [3'3p:]. bottles of heaven— e., the rain-filled 
 clouds. 38. groweth, &c.— rather, pours itself info 
 a mass by the rain, like molten metal ; then trans- 
 late V. 38, ' Who is it that empties, &c., when,' &c.? 
 The English version, however, is tenable : ' Is caked 
 into a mass' by heat, like molten metal, before the 
 rain falls;' 'Who is it that can em,pt>i ibhe rain 
 vessels, and bring down rain at such a time?' {v. 
 38.) 
 
 39. From this ver:<e to ch. xxxix. 30 the instincts 
 of animals are discussed. Is it thou that givest 
 it the instinct to hunt its prey? (Ps. civ. 21.) 
 appetite— lit., life; which depends on the appetite 
 (ch. xxxiii. 20). 40. lie in wait— for their prey 
 (Ps. X. 9). 41. (Lukexii. 24.) Transition from the 
 noble lioness to the croaking raven. Though man 
 dislikes it, as of ill-omen, God cares for it, as for 
 all His creatures. "He giveth (his food) to the 
 young ravens which cry" (Ps. cxlvii. 9). 
 
 Remarks.— \. When men in affliction wish to 
 enter into controversy with God respecting His 
 dealings, they little know how foolhardy is their 
 desire. They could not answer one of a thousand 
 questions which God might put to them. Their 
 "words without knowledge" only "darken coun- 
 .sel," instead of shedding light on God's infinite 
 wisdom in the ordering and governing of the world 
 (?'. 2). 2. In order to have known the reason for 
 things, man needed to have been present at their 
 first origination (?w. 4. 21 ). The angels were present 
 when man's earthly habitation was being prepared 
 9d 
 
 for him, and sang thereupon joyful praises to God 
 {v. 7) : they do not presume to call in question 
 God's dealings, but evermore thank and adore 
 Him for His goodness and wisdom : yet shall man, 
 the latest born of God's creatures, sit in judgment 
 upon his Creator? Infinitely better it would be 
 for him to praise God, like them, for all things, 
 whether joyous or sorrowful, as all things alike 
 are working together for good to them that love 
 God. 3. The earth is framed on a definite plan of 
 consummate wisdom, which man knows ljut a very 
 minute portion of. Since, then, he cannot exjjlain, 
 much less originate, the phenomena of the natural 
 world, of which God alone is Creator, how then 
 can he pretend to dispute with God as to the 
 justice and goodness of His dealings in His govern- 
 ment of the moral world? [vv. 5, 6.) Whosoever 
 presumes to prescribe to God what He ought to 
 have done, instead of meekly and believingly sub- 
 mitting to, and even justifying, God in what he 
 hath done, betrays at once his own ignorance and 
 impious folly. 4. The phenomena of the natural 
 world, combining unity with variety, law and 
 order with free action, the alternations of light 
 and darkness (vv. 12-15, 19, 20), the separation of 
 land and sea by impassable barriers (vv. 8-11), the 
 marvels of the sky above us, the beautiful laws 
 which regulate the snow, hail, ice, and rain, ful- 
 filling God's purposes of love as well as of wrath (vv. 
 22-30), may well silence the rebellious spirit, and fill 
 our hearts with adoring humility. W hat we know 
 of God's works is as nothing in comparison with 
 what we know not. 5. Our power is still less than 
 our knowledge: little as we know, we can do still 
 less (vv. 31-40). With all our modern discoveries, 
 no man ever yet has created a single particle of 
 matter that was not in existence before. Though 
 man has discovered some of the laws of electricity, 
 and turned them to his purposes by the lightning 
 conductor, the electric telegraph, &c., yet he is 
 continually at the mercy of God, M^ho alone can 
 control the elements. In the case of the constella- 
 tions and heavenly bodies, which exercise a con- 
 trolling influence (v. 33) over our weather, tides, 
 and atmosphere, it is most palpable how utterly 
 impotent we are in exercising any command. And 
 even in the case of things nearer us, the calling 
 down, or else restraining, of lightnings and rains, 
 is wholly at God's pleasure (m. 34-38). Also who, 
 save God, can provide with food the dumb crea- 
 tures around— beasts, birds, and fishes? Not even 
 the humblest is neglected by the common Father 
 of all. All things on every side of us give endless 
 scope for observing how exceedingly above all our 
 powers of conception are the proofs of God's per- 
 fect justice, wisdom, and tender mercies towards 
 all His creatures. So that, on every ground, our 
 part is not to call in question with shallow reason- 
 
God enumerates 
 
 JOB XXXIX. 
 
 His great works. 
 
 39 KNOWEST thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth ? ^ 1620. 
 Or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve? 
 
 2 Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? 
 Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth ? 
 
 3 They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, 
 They cast out their sorrows. 
 
 4 Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; 
 They go forth, and return not unto them. 
 
 5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free? 
 Or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? 
 
 6 Whose "house I have made the wilderness. 
 And the ^ barren land his dwellings. 
 
 7 He scorneth the multitude of the city, 
 Neither regardeth he the crying ^of the driver. 
 
 8 The range ^of the mountains is his pasture, 
 And he searcheth after every green thing. 
 
 9 Will the ^unicorn be willing to serve thee, — or abide by thy crib? 
 
 10 Canst thou bind ^the unicorn with his band in the furrow? 
 Or will he harrow the valleys after thee? 
 
 1 1 Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great ? 
 Or wilt thou leave thy labour to him? 
 
 12 Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, 
 And gather it into thy barn ? 
 
 13 Gavest thou tlie goodly wings unto the peacocks? 
 Or ^ wings and feathers unto the ostrich? | 
 
 CHAP. 39. 
 " Ch 24. 6. 
 
 Jer 2. 24. 
 Hos. 8. 9. 
 
 1 salt places 
 
 2 of the 
 exactor, 
 ch. 3. 18. 
 
 3 Or, rhino- 
 ceros. 
 Num. 23. 
 
 22. 
 
 Deut. 33. 17. 
 
 4 Or, the 
 feathers of 
 the stork 
 and 
 ostrich. 
 
 6 ch. 40. 15, 
 20, 22. 
 Gen. 1. 29. 
 30. 
 
 Ps. 104. 27, 
 28. 
 
 Ps. 145. 15, 
 16, 
 
 = ch. 1. 14. 
 ch. 41. 5. 
 
 Ps. 129. 3. 
 Hos. 10 10, 
 11. 
 
 Mic 1. 13. 
 
 ings, but patiently and lovingly to approve of all 
 that God doeth, not because we see the reasons of 
 God's doings, but simijly because they are God's, 
 'submittiug ourselves wholly to His holy will and 
 pleasure, and studying to serve Him in true holi- 
 ness and rigliteousness all the days of our life' 
 (' Church of England Communion Service'). 
 
 CHAP. XXXIX. 1-30.-1. Even wild beasts, 
 cut off from all care of man, are cared for by God 
 at their seasons of greatest need. Their instinct 
 comes direct from God, and guides them to help 
 themselves in parturition— the very time when 
 the herdsman is most anxious for his herds, wild 
 goats— ibex (Ps. civ. 18 ; 1 Sam. xxiv. 2). hinds- 
 most timid and defenceless animals, yet cared for 
 by God. 2. They briug forth with ease, and do 
 not need to reckon the months of pregnancy, as 
 the shepherd does in the case of his Hocks. 3. 
 bow themselves— in parturition : bend on their 
 knees (1 Sam. iv. 19). toring forth [n^e]— lit., cause 
 their young to cleave the womb and break forth. 
 sorrows— their young ones, the cause of their 
 momentary pains. 4. are in good liking — in good 
 condition, grow up strong, with corn— rather, in 
 the field [12], without man's care, return not- 
 being able to provide for themselves. 
 
 5. wild ass. Two different Hebrew words are 
 here used for the same animal, the ass of the icoods 
 [t*?.?.], and the wild ass [I'liij]. (Note, cli. vi. 5 ; chs. xi. 
 12 ; xxiv. 5 ; Jer. ii. 24 ) loosed the bands— given 
 its liberty to. Man can rob animals of freedom, 
 but not, as God, give freedom, combined with 
 subordination to fixed laws. 6. barren — lit., salt 
 — i. e.y unfruitful [nnSp], (So "barrenness," Ps. 
 cvii. 34, marg. , saltness. ) 1. multitude — rather, din : 
 he sets it at defiance, being far away from it in the 
 freedom of the wilderness, driver — w^ho urges on 
 the tame ass to work. The wild ass is the symbol 
 of uncontrolled freedom in the East; even kings 
 in Persia have, therefore, added its name to them. 
 96 
 
 8. The range [imj]- lit. , searching: 'that which 
 it finds by searching is,' &c. 
 
 9. unicorn. Pliny ('Natural History,' viii. 21/ 
 mentions such an animal: its figure is found de« 
 picted in the ruins of Persepolis. The Hebrew 
 [on] conveys the idea of loftiness and power (cf. 
 Ramah; Indian, ^am; hoXm, Roma). The rhino- 
 ceros was perhaps the original type of the unicorn. 
 The Arab rim is a two-horned animal. Sometimes 
 'unicorn,' or reem, is a mere poetical symbol, or 
 abstraction. But the buffalo is the animal re- 
 ferred to here, from the contrast to the tame ox 
 used in ploughing, &c. {vv. 10, 12.) Many animals 
 have become extinct where once they abounded. 
 Thus the wild bison or urns, described by Ctesar, 
 is now only found in Lithuania, but was then 
 spread over the whole of the north temperate 
 climes, and Bashan, Lebanon, &c. Dr. Roth found 
 remains of the lion, not in a fossil state, but water- 
 worn, among the gravel at the Jordan, though it 
 is now no longer there, crib — (Isa. i. 3). abide— 
 lit., VC'SS the night 10. his band— fastened 
 
 to the horns, as its chief strength lies in the head 
 and shoulders, after thee— obedient to thee; 
 willing to follow, instead of being goaded on before 
 thee. 11. thy labour— rustic work. 12. believe 
 —trust, seed— produce [i^u]] (1 Sam. viii. 15). 
 into thy barn— rather, gather (the contents of) thy 
 threshing floor Maurer, the corn threshed 
 
 on it. 
 
 13. Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the pea- 
 cocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich? 
 
 —rather, 'the wing of the ostrich hen (lit., of 
 cries: the crying-hird [Q\3nJ; as the Arab name 
 for it means song : referring to its night-cries ; ch. 
 XXX. 29; Mic. i. 8) vibrates joyously. Is it not 
 like the quill and feathers of the pious bird '—the 
 stork? [r'lpnj. {Umbreit.) Eather, 'Is it like 
 (surely not) the pious bird?' The vibrating, 
 quivering wing, serving for sail and oar at once, 
 
The poicer and 
 
 JOB XXXIX. 
 
 strength of the horse* 
 
 14 Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, — and warmeth them in dust, 
 
 15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, 
 Or that the wild beasts may break them. 
 
 16 She is ^hardened against her young ones, as though they were not her's: 
 Her labour is in vain without fear ; 
 
 17 Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, 
 Neither hath he ^imparted to her understanding. 
 
 18 What time she lifteth up herself on high, 
 She scorneth the horse and his rider. 
 
 19 Hast thou given the horse strength? 
 Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? 
 
 20 Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? 
 The glory of his nostrils ^ is terrible. 
 
 21 ^He paweth in the valley, and rejoice th in his strength: 
 ''He goeth on to meet ^the armed men. 
 
 22 He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; 
 Neither turneth he back from the sword. 
 
 23 The quiver rattleth against him, — the glittering spear and the shield. 
 
 24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage ; 
 Neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. 
 
 25 He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha ! — and he smelleth the battle afar off. 
 The thunder of the captains, and the shouting. 
 
 B. C. Ij 
 
 & Lev. 20. 29. 
 Deut. 28. 62' 
 57. 
 
 1 Ki. 3. 26, 
 
 27. 
 
 2 Ki 6. 28, 
 
 23. 
 
 Ps. 103. 13. 
 Isa. 49. 1.5, 
 Jer. 10. 9. 
 Lam. 2. 20. 
 Lam. 4. 3. 
 Eze. 5. 10. 
 Matt. 7. 11. 
 Rom, 1. 31. 
 <= Deut. 2. 30. 
 2 Ch. 32, 31, 
 ch, 35. 11. 
 Is. 19, 11. 
 14. 
 
 Is. 57. 17, 
 
 5 terrors. 
 
 6 Or, His 
 feet dig. 
 
 d Pro. 21. 31. 
 Jer 8. G. 
 
 7 the 
 armour. 
 
 is characteristic of the ostrich in full course. Its 
 white and black feathers in the wing and tail are 
 like the stork's. But, unlike that bird, the symbol 
 of parental love in the East, it, with seeming want 
 of natural (pious) affection, deserts its young. Both 
 birds are poetically called by descrii)tive instead 
 of their usual appellative names. The peacock 
 came originally from the East Indies, and was 
 imported into Palestine long subsequently. It 
 is mentioned among the rarities imported from 
 far by Solomon (1 Ki. x. 22) : whence it seems 
 unlikely, though not impossible, that the bird was 
 known to Job, in Ur, at so early a date. More- 
 over, the tail, rather than the wings, would have 
 been specified if the peacock had been meant 
 here, the former being its chief feature of beauty, 
 14. Nay (unlike the stork) she leaveth, &c. Hence 
 called by the Arabs the iminous bird. However, 
 the fact is, she lays her eggs with great care about 
 a foot beneath the surface, and hatches them as 
 other birds do ; but in hot countries the eggs do 
 not need so constant incubation ; she therefore 
 often leaves them during the day : moreover, the 
 outer eggs, intended for food, she feeds her young 
 with [Cuvier, 'Animal Kingdom,' viii. 432); these 
 eggs, lying sexjarate in the sand exposed to the 
 sun, gave rise to the idea of her altogether 
 leaving them. God describes her as she seems 
 toman: implying, though she may seem foolishly 
 to neglect her young, yet really she is guided 
 by a sure instinct from God, as much as ani- 
 mals of instincts widely different. 16. On a 
 slight noise often she forsakes her eggs, and re- 
 turns not, as if she were ' hardened towards her 
 young.' her labour— in producing eggs, is in 
 vain, (yet) she has no disquietude (about her 
 young): unlike other birds, who, if one egg and 
 another are taken away, will go on laying till 
 their full number is made up. 17. wisdom— such 
 as God gives to other animals, and to man (ch. 
 XXXV. 11). The Arab proverb is, 'Foolish as an 
 ostrich,' Yet her very seeming want of wisdom is 
 not without wise design of God, though man cannot 
 see it: just as in the trials of the godly, which 
 seem so unreasonable to Job, there lies hid a 
 wise design, 18. Notwithstanding her deficiences, 
 VOL. III. 97 
 
 siie has distinguishing excellences, lifteth . . . 
 herself— for running: she cannot mount in the 
 air. Gesenius translates fi'om N-jn, akin 
 
 to the Arabic], lashes herself up to her course by 
 flapping her wings. The old versions, the LXX. 
 and Vulgate, favour the English version, and the 
 parallel " scorneth" answers to her proudly "lift- 
 ing up herself " [from on, to raise one's self\ 
 
 19. The allusion to "the horse" [v. 18) suggests 
 the description of him. Arab poets delight in 
 Ijraising the horse; yet it is not mentioned in 
 the possessions of Job, (chs. i. and xlii,) It seems 
 to have been at the time chiefly used for war 
 rather than ' domestic purposes.' thunder [npp] 
 —poetically for 'he with arched neck inspires 
 fear as thunder does.' Translate 'majesty' {Uvi- 
 hreit). Eather, 'the trembling, quivering mane,' 
 answering to the ' vibrating wing ' of the ostrich, 
 (note, ch. xiii.) {Maurer.) Jfawe in Greek \_<l'6(in] 
 also is from a root meaning fear [</jo/3o?]. The 
 English version is more sublime. 20, make . . . 
 afraid— rather, 'canst thou (as I do) make him 
 spring as the locust unites the meaning of 
 
 tremhle and spring up (Umbreit)]. So in Joel ii. 4 
 the comparison is between locusts and war horses. 
 The heads of the two are so like that the Italians 
 call the locusts cavaletta, ' little horse.' nostrils 
 —snorting furiously. 21. valley— where the battle 
 is joined, goeth on— goeth forth (Num. i. 3; 
 xxi. 23.) 23. quiver— for the arrows, which they 
 contain, and which are directed ''against him." 
 glittering spear— lit,, glittering of the spear, like 
 'lightning of the spear' (Hab. iii. 11). shield- 
 rather, lance [I'li^?]. 24. swalloweth — fretting 
 with impatience, he draws the ground towards 
 him with his hoof, as if he would swallow it. The 
 parallelism shows this to be the sense : not, as 
 Maurer, 'scours over it.' neither believeth— for 
 joy. Rather, ' he will not stand still W'mU ^^om 
 ]'Q^, to he firm] when the note of the trumpet' 
 (soundeth). 25. saith— poetically applied to his 
 mettlesome neighing, whereby he shows his love 
 of the battle, smelleth — snuffeth : discerneth 
 {marg., Isa. xi. 3). thunder— thundering voice. 
 
Job humbleth himself 
 
 JOB XL. 
 
 before God. 
 
 -and make her nest on high ? 
 
 26 Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, 
 And stretch her wings toward the south? 
 
 27 Doth the eagle mount up ^at thy command^ 
 
 28 She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, 
 Upon the ^crag of the rock, and the strong place. 
 
 29 From thence she seeketh the prey, — and her eyes behold afar off. 
 
 30 Her young ones also suck up blood : — and ^ where the slain are, there is she. 
 40 MOREOVER the Lord answered Job, and said, 
 
 2 Shall he that "contendeth with the Almighty instruct him^ 
 He that reproveth God, let him answer it. 
 
 3 Then Job answered the Lord, and said, 
 
 4 Behold, ^ I am vile ; what shall I answer thee ? 
 '^I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. 
 
 5 Once have I spoken ; but I will not answer : 
 Yea, twice ; but I will proceed no further. 
 
 G Then '^answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 
 
 7 Gird ^up thy loins now like a man : 
 
 •^I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 
 
 8 Wilt ^thou also disannul my judgment? 
 
 Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? 
 
 9 Hast thou an arm like God? — or canst thou thunder with ^^a voice like him ? 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 8 by thy 
 mouth. 
 
 • Jer. 49. 16. 
 Obad. 4. 
 
 » tooth. 
 / Matt. 2t.28. 
 Luke 17. sr. 
 
 CHAP. 40. 
 " Ch 9. 3. 
 
 Ch. 33. 13. 
 
 ch. 34, 37. 
 
 Isa. 45. 9. 
 «> Ezra 9. 6. 
 
 ch. 42. 6. 
 
 Ps. 61. 4. 
 " ch. 29. 9. 
 
 Ps. 39. 9. 
 
 Zech. 2. 13. 
 d ch. 38. L 
 
 Ps. 50. 3 
 « ch. 3S. 3. 
 / ch. 42. 4. 
 
 * Ps. 51. 4. 
 Rom. 3. 4. 
 
 h ch. 37. 4. 
 Ps. 29. 3. 
 
 26. The instinct by which some birds migrate 
 to warmer climates before winter. Rapid flying 
 peculiarly characterizes the whole hawk genvs. 
 27. eagle— it flies highest of all birds : thence 
 called the bird of heaven. 28. abideth— securely 
 (Ps. xci. 1) ; it occupies the same abode mostly 
 lor life, crag— lit., tooth [Ji^] {marg., 1 Sam. xiv. 
 5). strong place— citadel, fastness. 29. seeketh 
 — is on the look out for. behold — the eagle de- 
 scries its prey at an astonishing distance by 
 sight rather than smell. 30. Quoted partly by 
 Jesus Christ (Matt. xxiv". 28). The food of young 
 eagles is the blood of victims brought by the 
 parent, when they are still too feeble to devour 
 tiesh. slain— as the vidture chiefly feeds on car- 
 cases, it is included probably in the genus eagle. 
 
 Eemarks. — 1. The instincts of the various beasts 
 and birds lead them intuitively and unerringly to 
 adopt the means best fltted for their sustenance 
 and preservation. This instinct is the direct gift 
 of God, and proves how consummately wise and 
 considerate, in the case of even His humbler 
 creatures, God is. Shall we, then, harbour the 
 thought for a moment that He who so providen- 
 tially cares for birds and beasts can possibly 
 be capable, as Job in affliction surmised, of 
 iiarshness and injustice towards the noblest of 
 His earthly creatures, man? (see Matt. vi. 2G.) 2. 
 Even those animals which seem to the superficial 
 observer to be wanting in some of those beautiful 
 instincts which characterize the majority (as, for 
 instance, the ostrich was thought foolishly to 
 neglect her young, vv. 13-17) are really guided 
 by instincts as appropriate for their particular 
 wants and modes of life, after their kind, as 
 other animals whose instincts impress us with 
 their Divine origination more palpably. The want 
 of some particular instinct in one animal, which 
 might seem to us objectionable, is really the result 
 of omniscient counsel ; and we can see in animals 
 deficient in one respect some counterbalancing 
 excellency. So in the trials of the godly, which 
 seemed so unaccountable to Job as to form an 
 objection against the wisdom and goodness of 
 God, there lies underneath an all-wise design : a 
 temporary and inconsiderable evil, in a sin-tainted 
 world of imperfection, is permitted, and overruled 
 98 
 
 to a solid and everlasting good to the child of God, 
 and that for the glory of God, which is the final 
 end of all God's doings. 3. Cheerful submission 
 to God's will, under the conviction of God's per- 
 fect wisdom and goodness, which co-operate for 
 the believer's good even in the darkest dispensa- 
 tion, is the grand lesson to be learned from this 
 address of God to Job. If man cannot even ex- 
 plain, much less bestow on the lower animals the 
 instincts so happily varied to meet their several 
 needs for their support and preservation, how 
 preposterous and presumptuous it is for man, 
 because he cannot see the reasons of God's afflic- 
 tive dealings with him, to call in question His 
 justice and goodness ! 
 
 CHAP. XL. 1-24.— God's Second Address.— 
 He had paused for a reply, but Job was silent. 
 
 1. the Lord— Hebrew, Jehovah. 2. he that 
 contendeth — as Job had so often expressed a wish 
 to do (cf. Isa. xlv. 9). Or, rebuketh [d'i, the same 
 as nn, to hold a law controversy with\ Does Job 
 now still (after seeing and hearing of God's ma- 
 jesty and wisdom) wish to set God right? [iid^ 
 —lit., chastise, so teach, or instruct, with, however, 
 the idea of reproof and rebuke addedj. answer it 
 — viz., the questions I have asked. 
 
 3. Lord — Jehovah. 4. I am (too) vile — to 
 reply. It is a very different thing to vindicate 
 ourselves before God from what it is before men. 
 Job could do the latter, not the former, lay . . . 
 hand upon . . . mouth— I have no plea to off'er 
 (ch. xxi. 5; Judg. xviii. 19). 5. Once . . ; twice 
 — oftentimes, morre than once (ch. xxxiii. 14, cf. with 
 29, marg.; Ps. Ixii. 11), "I have spoken" — viz., 
 against God. not answer — not plead against thee. 
 
 6. the Lord— Jehovah. 7. (Note, xxxviii. 3.) 
 Since Job has not only spoken against God, but 
 accused Him of injustice, God challenges him to 
 try could he govern the world as God by His 
 power doth, and punish the proud and wicked 
 {vv. 7-14). 8. Wilt thou not only contend 
 with, but set aside my judgment, or justice in 
 the government of the world, condemn — de- 
 clare me unrighteous, in order that thou mayest 
 he accounted righteous (innocent); undeserv- 
 ingly afflicted. 9. arm— God's omnipotence (Isa. 
 
God^s great power 
 
 JOB XL. 
 
 in the behemoth. 
 
 10 Deck Hhyself now with majesty and excellency. 
 And array thyself with glory and beauty. 
 
 1 1 Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath : 
 And •'behold every one that is proud, and abase him. 
 
 12 Look on every one that is *proud, and bring him low; 
 And tread down the wicked in their place. 
 
 13 Hide them in the dust together; — and bind their faces in secret. 
 
 14 Then wiU. I also confess unto thee — that thine own right hand can save thee. 
 
 15 Behold now ^behemoth, which I made with thee; 
 He eateth grass as an ox. 
 
 16 Lo now, his strength is in his loins, 
 And his force is in the navel of his belly. 
 
 17 '^He moveth his tail like a cedar: 
 The sinews of his stones are wrapped together. 
 
 18 His bones are as strong pieces of brass; — his bones a7'e like bars of iron. 
 
 19 He is the chief of the ways of God : 
 He that made him can make his sword to approach unto him. 
 
 20 Surely the mountains 'bring him forth food, 
 W^ere all the beasts of the field play. 
 
 21 He lieth under the shady trees, — in the covert of the reed, and fens. 
 
 liii. 1). thunder — God's voice (ch. xxxvii. 4). 
 10. See, hast thoii power and majesty like 
 God's, to enable thee to judge and govern the 
 world. 11. rage — rather, 'pour out the redundant 
 /foods of^ &.C. [rii~i35, the unrestrained overjlowings]. 
 behold— try, canst thou, as God, by a mere glance, 
 abase the proud, (Isa. ii. 12, &c.) 12. proud— high 
 (Dan. iv. 37, "Tliose that walk in pride He is able 
 to abase "). in their place— on the spot : suddenly, 
 before they can move from their place (note, chs. 
 xxxiv. 36 ; xxxvi. 20). 13. (Isa. ii. 10.) Abase smd 
 remove them out of the sight of men. bind . . . 
 faces— i. e., shut up their persons [Maurer). But 
 it refers rather to the custom of binding a cloth 
 over the faces of persons about to be executed 
 (ch. ix. 24; Esth. vii. 8). in secret— consign them 
 to darkness. Umbreit translates, 'Veil their face 
 in concealment' or 'darkness.' 14. confess — 
 rather, extol: 'I also,' who now censure thee, 'will 
 extol thee,because thine own hand saves thee,' with- 
 out requiring my help. But since thou canst not do 
 these works, thou must, instead of censuring, ex- 
 tol my government (contrast Ps. xliv. 3). §o as 
 to eternal salvation by Jesus Christ (Isa. lix. 16 ; 
 Ixiii. 5). 
 
 15-2'1. God shows that if Job cannot bring 
 under control the lower animals, of which he se- 
 lects the two most striking (Behemoth on land. 
 Leviathan in the water), how much less is he 
 capable of governing the world! 15. behemoth 
 [n-nn^]. The descrij)tion in part agrees with the 
 hippopotamus, in part with the elephant, but 
 exactly in all details with neither. It is rather 
 &poetical personification of the great Pachydermata, 
 or Herhvora (so "he eateth grass," &c.), the idea 
 of the hippopotamus being predominant. In v. 
 17 the "tail like a cedar" hardly applies to the 
 elephant (so also vv. 20, 2.3, "Jordan," a river 
 which elephants alone could reach [Colonel G. H. 
 Smith in Kitto's 'Cyclopaedia'] ; but see note, v. 23). 
 On tlie other hand, vv. 21, 22 are characteristic of 
 the amphibious river-liorse. So leviathan (the 
 twisting animal, ch. xli. 1) is a generalized term 
 for cetacea, pythons, saurians, of the neighbouring 
 seas and rivers, including the crocodile, which is 
 the most prominent, and is often associated with 
 the river-horse by old writers. "Behemoth" 
 seems to be the Egyptian or Coptic Pehemout^ 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 < l3. 59. 17. 
 Ps. 93. 1. 
 Ps. 104. 1. 
 Ex.9. 16.17. 
 Ex 15. 6. 
 Is. 2. 11. 
 Is. 10. 12,19. 
 Eze. 28. 2. 
 Dan. 4. 37. 
 Dan. 5. 20. 
 21 
 Isa. 2. 12. 
 Dan 4. 37. 
 Dan. 5. 20- 
 24. 
 
 Luke 18. 14. 
 
 1 Supposed 
 to be 
 eitlier the 
 elephant 
 or the 
 hippo- 
 potamus. 
 
 2 Or, He 
 setteth up. 
 
 I Ps. lOt. 14. 
 
 ' water-ox ' [from P, the article, che, ox, and mout, 
 water), Hebraized : so called as being like an ox, 
 whence the Italian 'bomarino.' with thee— as 
 / made thyself. Yet how great the difference! 
 The manifold wisdom and power of God! he 
 eateth grass — marvellous in an animal living so 
 much in the water: also strange that such a 
 monster should not be carnivorous. 16. navel— 
 rather, muscles of his belly ; the weakest point 
 of the elephant: therefore it is not meant. But 
 this verse is true of the hippopotamus, which has its 
 belly guarded by a thick skin, whereas the skin 
 of the elephant's belly is thin and easily pierced, 
 so that in this part he is ■ stung even by insects. 
 17. tail like a cedar— as the tempest bends the 
 cedar, so it can move its smooth thick tail [yen, 
 bend] {Umbreit}. But the cedar implies straight- 
 ness and length, such as do not apply to the river- 
 horse's short tail, but perhaps to an extinct species of 
 animal (see note, v. 15). However, the inflexibility 
 of the tail, which remains straight and rigid as a 
 cedar, moved by the wind, applies well to the 
 hippopotamus, though it does not resemble the 
 cedar in length : so that the English version, 
 "moveth," is better than Umhreii's 'bendeth' 
 stones — rather, thighs ["ing, lit., fear; object of 
 fear : his formidable strength of thighs]. The Eng- 
 lish version, which is consistent with the Hebrew, 
 arises from shame (and so the secret parts) being 
 associated with fear, wrapped — firmly twisted 
 together, like a thick rope. 18. strong pieces- 
 rath er, tubes of copper (Umbreit). The 
 English version is good Hebrew. 19. Chief of the 
 works of God: so "ways" (ch. xxvi. 14; Prov. 
 viii. 22). can make his sword to approach- 
 rather, has furnished him with his sword (harjie) 
 — viz., the sickle-like teeth with which he cuts 
 down grain [Hebrew, isin]. The English version 
 however, is literally right [^.^l]. 20. The moun- 
 tain is not his usual haunt. Bochart says it is 
 sometimes found there (?). beasts . . . play — a 
 graphic trait : though armed with such teeth, 
 he lets the beasts play near him unhurt, for his 
 food is grass. 21. lieth — he leads an inactive 
 life, shady trees— rather, lotus-hu.shes ; as v. 22 
 requires, where it cannot be said with propriety 
 'shady trees are entwined in order to shade him' 
 
God^s great power 
 
 JOB XLI. 
 
 in the leviathan. 
 
 22 The shady trees cover him with their shadow ; 
 The willows of the brook compass him about. 
 
 23 Behold, ^lie drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: 
 
 He trusteth that he can draw up ™ Jordan into his mouth. 
 
 24 *He taketh it with his eyes; — his nose pierceth through snares. 
 41 CANST thou draw out ^ leviathan with an hook? 
 
 Or his tongue with a cord ^ which thou lettest down? 
 
 2 Canst thou put an hook into his nose ? 
 Or bore his jaw through with a thorn? 
 
 3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? 
 Will he speak soft words unto thee ? 
 
 4 Will he make a covenant with thee ? 
 Wilt thou take him for a servant for ever? 
 
 5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird ? 
 Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? 
 
 6 Shall thy companions make a banquet of him ? 
 Shall they part him among the merchants ? 
 
 7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? — or his head with fish spears? 
 
 8 Lay thine hand upon him, — remember the battle, do no more. 
 
 B. C. 1^20. 
 
 3 he oppres- 
 seth. 
 
 '"Gen. 13. 10. 
 Josh. 3, 17. 
 Jer. 12. 5. 
 
 4 Or. AVill 
 any take 
 him in his 
 sight, or, 
 bore Ms 
 nose with 
 a gin? 
 
 ch. 41. 1, 2. 
 Isa. 37 29. 
 
 CHAP. 41. 
 
 1 That is, a 
 whale, or, 
 crocodile. 
 Ps 74. 14. 
 Ps. 104. 26. 
 Isa. 27. 1. 
 
 2 which thou 
 dro^vnest. 
 
 [D'''?.i^V.] {Umbreit). 22. Translate, lotus -hushes. 
 
 23. Rather, '(Though) a river he overwiielming 
 (overflow), he trembleth not (for though living 
 on land, he can live in the water too); he is secure, 
 though a Jordan swell up to his mouth.' Though 
 finding his food on land, and reposing under the 
 shady lotus at times, he can live in the water as 
 well as on the land, and therefore has no fear 
 of the overflowing river [pJi'V, oppress {marg.) 
 or overwhelm : n\v, lit., draw out, then rush 
 forth]. "Jordan" is used for a^iy great rirer; 
 consonant with the "behemoth" being a poetical 
 generalization (note, v. 15). The author cannot have 
 been a Hebrew, as Umhreit asserts, or he would 
 not adduce the Jordan, where there were no river- 
 horses. He alludes to it as a name for any river, 
 but not as one known to him, except by hearsay. 
 
 24. Rather, ' Will any take him by open force (lit., 
 hefore his eyes), or x^ierce his nose with cords?' 
 No : he can only be taken by guile, and in a pitfall 
 (ch. xli. 1, 2). (Bochart.) Can the hunter even 
 then pierce his nose, so as to put in a cord and 
 lead him wherever he pleases? That which was 
 the common method in taming wild animals that 
 had been captured (Tsa. xxxvii. 29), could not be 
 done in his case {Barnes). (Cf. marg.) 
 
 Remarks. — 1. When once a man has had the 
 majesty and all- wise perfection of Jehovah re- 
 vealed to him in all their overwhelming grandeur, 
 self -justification is at an end : like Job, no longer 
 does he dare to impugn God's justice and good- 
 ness, as though man could instruct his Maker 
 {v. 2). Whatever Job had to say in self -vindi- 
 cation before the three friends, he has not a 
 word to say in his own behalf before God. 2. 
 Self-wise men see imperfections in God's moral 
 government of the world ; but it is because they 
 know not all the circumstances of the case. 
 Could those who presume to arraign the justice 
 and goodness of Jehovah govern the world them- 
 selves ? Could they, like God, with almighty arm 
 and voice of thunder {v. 9), command the elements 
 at will, and, clothed in majesty and glory, by a 
 mere glance, "abase the proud" {v. 11), "tread 
 down the wicked" {v. 12) suddenly, before they 
 can stir from their place, and lay their bodies 
 low in the dust, and consign their soul to outer 
 darkness {v. 13). Man's utter want of the Al- 
 mighty's power should for ever silence the pre- 
 100 
 
 sumption with which he sets himself up as 
 judge of God's dealings, as though man were 
 capable of judging, and as though God must be 
 unrighteous in order that man may appear righ- 
 teous {v. 8). 3. Man is not now so much as able 
 to tame and govern many of the lower creatures 
 of God's manifold creation, the river-horse, &c.; 
 how, then, could man control the world, with its 
 countless orders of beings, and complicated mutual 
 relations? {vv. 15-24.)' 
 
 CHAP. XLI. 1-34.— 1. leviathan— Latin, the 
 twisted animal, gathering itself in folds. The last 
 syllable, than, appertains to the form of the noun, 
 as in Nehushtan; the first part, levi, in Arabic, 
 means twisting {Bochart, i. 1S7): a synonym to 
 the Thannin (ch. iii. 8, marg.; see Ps. Ixxiv. 14; 
 type of the Egyptian, tyrant; Ps. civ. 26; Isa. 
 xxvii. 1, "Leviathan, that crooked serpent;" the 
 Babylonian tyrant). A poetical generalization for all 
 cetacean, serpentine, and saurian monsters (note, 
 ch. xl. 15 ; hence all the description applies to no one 
 animal) ; especially the crocodile, which is natur- 
 ally described after the river-horse, as both are 
 found in the Nile, tongue . . . lettest down. The 
 crocodile has no tongue, or a very small one 
 cleaving to the lower jaw. But as in fishing the 
 tongue of the fish draws the baited hook to it, God 
 asks, Canst thou in like manner take leviathan? 
 Translate literally [^mi V'p^n "^.^D?!, 'Canst 
 thou press down his tongue vsdth a cord?' 2 
 hook — rather, a rope of rusAes thorn— 
 rather, a ring or hook [nin]. So wild beasts were 
 led about when caught (Isa. xxxvii. 29; Ezek. 
 xxix. 4); fishes also were secured thus, and thro v;u 
 into the water, to keep them alive. 3. soft words 
 — that thou may est spare his life. No; he is 
 untameable. 4. Can he be tamed for domestic 
 use? (so ch. xxxix. 10-12.) 5. a bird — that is 
 tamed, bind him for thy maidens ?— with a thread 
 or string, as a pet or toy for them. 6. compan- 
 ions—rather, partners (viz., in fishing), make a 
 banquet. The parallelism rather supports Um- 
 hreit, 'Do partners (in trade) desire to purchase 
 him ?' [bv ms] (so the Hebrew, Deut. ii. 6.) De 
 Wette translates as the English version, mer- 
 chants—lit. , Canaanites, who were great merchants, 
 (Hos. xii. 7, marg.) 7. His hide is not penetrable, 
 as that of fishes. 8. If thou lay, &c, thou wilt 
 
GoiTs great power 
 
 JOB XLL 
 
 in the lemathan. 
 
 9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain : 
 
 Shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? 
 None is so fierce that dare stir him up : 
 Who "then is able to stand before me? 
 Who ^hath prevented me, that I should repay him? 
 ^ Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine. 
 
 1 will not conceal his parts, nor his power, — nor his comely proportion. 
 Who can discover the face of his garment? 
 Or who can come to him ^with his double bridle? 
 
 Who can open the doors of his face? — his teeth a7^e terrible round about. 
 
 15 His * scales are his pride, — shut up together as with a close seal. 
 
 16 One is so near to another, — that no air can come between them. 
 They are joined one to another. 
 They stick together, that they cannot be sundered. 
 By his neesings a light doth shine. 
 
 And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. 
 
 19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, — a?id sparks of fire leap out. 
 
 20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, — as out of a seething pot or caldron. 
 
 21 His breath kindleth coals, — and a flame goeth out of his mouth. 
 
 22 In his neck remaineth strength, — and ^ sorrow is turned into joy before him. 
 
 23 ^The flakes of his flesh are joined together: 
 
 They are firm in themselves ; they cannot be moved. 
 
 24 His heart is as firm as a stone ; — yea, as hard as a piece of the nethev77iillstone. 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 13 
 
 14 
 
 17 
 
 18 
 
 B. 0. 1520. 
 Ex. 9. 14- 
 17. 
 
 Jer. 12. 5. 
 
 Ch. 9. 4. 
 
 Ch 40. 9-14. 
 
 1 Cor li^. 22. 
 6 Ps. 21. 3. 
 
 ch. 35. 7. 
 
 Matt. 20 15. 
 
 1 Cor. 2. 6. 
 
 Rom. 11 35. 
 " Gen. 14. 19. 
 
 Ex. 9. 29. 
 
 Ex. 19 5. 
 
 Deut 10. 14. 
 
 Ps. 24. 1 
 
 Ps 60. 12. 
 
 Ps. 94. 5, 6. 
 
 Jer. 27. 5, 6. 
 
 1 Cor. 10 26, 
 
 1 Tim. 6. 17. 
 
 3 Or, within. 
 
 4 strong 
 pieces of 
 shields. 
 
 * sorrow 
 rejoiceth. 
 
 6 The 
 fallings. 
 
 liave reason ever to remember the battle, how se- 
 vere it was, and thou wilt never try it again. 9. 
 the hope— 0/ taking him: or else, 'of any one 
 who tries a battle with him' {v. 8). is in vain 
 [nnnj] — 'is convicted of a lie;' is proved false, 
 cast down — with fear "at the (mere) sight of him." 
 10. fierce— courageous ; foolhardy. If a man dare 
 not attack one of my creatures (Gen. xlix. 9 ; 
 Num. xxiv. 9), who will dare (as Job had wished) 
 oppose himself (Ps. ii. 2) to me, the Ckeator? 
 This is the main drift of the description of levi- 
 athan. 11. prevented — done me a favour first : 
 anticipated me with service (Ps. xxi. 3). None 
 can call me to account ("stand before me," v. 10) as 
 unjust, because I have withdrawn favours from 
 him (as in Job's case) which I was not in the least 
 bound to give : for none has laid me under a prior 
 obligation by conferring on me something which 
 was not already my own. What can man give to 
 Him who xjossesses all, including man himself ? 
 Man cannot constrain the creature to be his " ser- 
 vant" {v. 4), much less the Creator. 
 
 12. I Will not conceal. A resumption of the 
 description broken off by the digression, which 
 formed an agreeable change, his power — lit., 
 the word or way ; i. e., true proportion or expres- 
 sion ["I?"!] of his strength (so Hebrew, Deut. xix. 4). 
 comely proportion— lit., the comeliness of his struc- 
 ture (his apparatus, accoutrement; so "suit of 
 apparel" pn], Judg. xvii. 10). [Maurer.) Um- 
 hrc'it translates, 'beauty of his armour.^ But that 
 follows after. 13. discover— ' Who can uncover 
 the surface of his garment?' {skin, ch. x. 11:) 
 strip off the hard outer coat with which the inner 
 skin is covered, with— rather, within his double 
 jav)8—\\t., bridle [j.?:!] : hence that into which the 
 bridle is put, the double row of teeth; but 'bridle' 
 is used to imply that none dare put his hand in 
 to insert a bridle where in other animals it is 
 placed {v. 4 ; ch. xxxix. 10). 14. doors of . . . 
 face— his jaws. His teeth are sixty in number, 
 larger in proportion than his body, some standing 
 out, some serrated, fitting into each other like a 
 101 
 
 comb {Bochart). 15. Rather [o'^ja 'p.'?^], liis 
 furrows of shields (as 'tubes,' ^ channels,^ note, ch. xl. 
 18) are his pride — i. e., the rows of scales, like shields, 
 covering him : he has seventeen such rows in his 
 furrowed coat of scales, shut up — firmly closed 
 together. A musket ball cannot penetrate him, 
 save in the eye, throat, and belly. 18. his nees- 
 ings [na'^Qj?]. Translate, ' his sneezing causeth 
 a light to shine.' Amphibious animals, emerging 
 after having long held their breath under water, 
 respire by violently expelling the breath like one 
 sneezing : in the effort the eyes, which are usually 
 directed towards the sun whilst it basks in the 
 sunshine, seem to flash Are : or it is the expelled 
 breath that in the sun seems to emit light, 
 eyelids of morning. The Egyptian hieroglyphics 
 paint the eyes of the crocodile as the symbol 
 for morniyig, because the eyes appear the first 
 thing, before the whole body emerges from the 
 deep ('Horse Hieroglyphicse,' i. 65; Bochart). 19. 
 burning lamps— torc/ies .• viz., in respiring {v. 18) 
 seem to go out. 20. seething — boiling: lit., blow 
 under, a pot under which a fire is blown [niD3 "rn], 
 caldron [pnjtjt, from n^ii, to glow]— a, glowing 
 caldron. 21. kindleth coals — poetical imagery 
 (Ps. xviii. 8, "There went up a smoke out of his 
 nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: 
 coals were kindled by it"). 22. remaineth — 
 abideth permanently. His chief strength is in 
 the neck, sorrow— anxiety or dismay personified, 
 is turned into joy— rather, danceth, exulteth []«nn^ 
 from yn] : wherever he goes, he spreads terror 
 "before him." 23. flakes— rather, dewlaps. That 
 which falls down: marg., fallings ["^QD, from 
 h^, fall]. They are "joined" fast and firm 
 together, not hanging loose, as in the ox. are 
 firm — Umbreit and Maurer, '(His flesh) is spread 
 over him.' [The image in piv^, from ps^, is from 
 metal poured out and spread until it becomes 
 hard and firm, as the Euglish version rightly 
 expresses.] in themselves — Tvd\\er, upon him. 24. 
 heart. 'In large beasts, which are less acute in 
 
God's power in the leviathan. 
 
 JOB XLII. 
 
 25 When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid : 
 By reason of breakings they purify themselves. 
 
 26 The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold ; 
 The spear, the dart, nor the ^ habergeon. 
 
 27 He esteemeth iron as straw, — and brass as rotten wood, 
 
 28 The arrow cannot make him flee : 
 Slingstones are turned with him into stubble. 
 
 29 Darts are counted as stubble: — he laugheth at the shaking of a spear. 
 
 30 ^ Sharp stones are under him : 
 
 He spreadeth sharp-pointed things upon the mire. 
 
 3 1 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot ; 
 He maketh the sea like a pot of ointment, 
 
 32 He maketh a path to shine after him ; — one would think the deep to be hoary, 
 
 33 Upon earth there is not his like, — ^who is made without fear. 
 
 34 He beholdeth all high things : — he "^is a king over all the children of pride. 
 42 THEN Job answered the Lord, and said, 
 
 2 I know that thou "canst do every thing, 
 
 And that ^ no thought can be withholden from thee, 
 
 3 Who ^is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? 
 Therefore have I uttered that I understood not ; 
 ^Things too wonderful for nie, which I knew not. 
 
 B C. 1-.20. 
 
 ^ Or. breast- 
 plate. 
 
 8 sharp 
 pieces of 
 potsherd. 
 
 9 Or, who 
 behave 
 thems Ives 
 ■without 
 fear. 
 
 El. 5. 2. 
 Ps.74. 13,14. 
 Isa. 27. 1. 
 Kze. 29. 3. 
 
 CHAP. 42. 
 Gen. 18 14. 
 Matt. 19.26. 
 1 Or. no 
 th(-ught of 
 thine can 
 be hin- 
 dered. 
 
 b Ch. 3S. 2. 
 " Ps. 40. 5. 
 
 Ps. 131 1. 
 
 Ps. 139. 6. 
 
 feelicg, there is great tirmuess of the heart, and 
 slower motion' [Bochart). The nether millstone, 
 on which the upper turns, is esxjecially har<l. 
 
 25. When he raiseth up himself, the mighty 
 are afraid. The crocodile : a type of the awe 
 which the Creator inspires when He rises in 
 wrath, hreakings— viz., of the mind: i. e., ter- 
 rors, purify themselves — rather, they wander 
 from the way—i. e., flee away bewildered [1^<t3^n!] 
 (Maurer and Umhreit). 26. cannot hold— on liis 
 hard skin, habergeon— coat of mail : avail must 
 be taken by Zeugma out of "hold," as the verb in 
 the second clause; "hold" cannot apply to the 
 ' coat of mail.' 27. iron , , . brass— viz., weapons. 
 28. arrow— lit., the son of the how: Oriental ima- 
 gery, (Lam. iii. 13, marg.) stubble— sling stones 
 produce no more effect than it would to throw 
 stubble at him. 29. darts [nnhn, from nn;]— Ara- 
 bic, ' smite with a club: ' rather, cluhs; darts have 
 been already mentioned. 
 
 30. sharp stones— rather, as marg., potsherds 
 [K'r^n ''H^i'^n]- i.e., the sharp and pointed scales on 
 the belly, like broken pieces of pottery, sharp- 
 pointed things — rather, a threshing instrument 
 [*j»nnj, but not on the fruits of the earth, but ' on 
 the miref irony. When he lies on the mire he 
 leaves the marks of his scales so imprinted on it 
 that one might fancy a threshing instrument with 
 its sharp teeth had bee;a drawn over it (Isa. xxviii. 
 27). 31. He maketh the deep to boil like a pot- 
 whenever he moves, sea— the Nile (Isa. xix. 5; 
 Nab. iii. 8). pot of ointment —the vessel in which 
 it is mixed. Appropriate to the crocodile, which 
 emits a musky smell. 32. path— the foam on his 
 track, hoary— as the hair of the aged. 33. Upon 
 earth— Zi^., 'upon the dust:' upon this crumbling 
 transitory earth, there is not his like ['?k;'o]— 
 anything like to him. who— being one "who is 
 made without fear," &c. 34. beholdeth— as their 
 superior. children of pride — the proud and 
 tierce beasts. So ch, xxviii, 8; Hebrew, sons of 
 pride. To humble the pride of man, and to teach 
 implicit submission, is the aim of Jehovah's sijeech, 
 and of the book; therefore, with this, as to levi- 
 athan, the type of God in His lordship over crea- 
 tion, he closes. 
 
 102 
 
 Remarks. — 1. How strange and ])erverse the 
 presumption of man is ! he durst not provoke the 
 creature that is his superior in strength, yet he 
 dares to provoke the almighty Creator {v. 10), If 
 he could not stand in the contest with some of 
 God's lower creatures, what hope could there be 
 for him in conflict with the infinite Jehovah? 
 2. Men in their murmurings against God, when 
 He afflicts them, forget that the benefits and 
 prosperity which they have previously enjoyed 
 were altogether gratuitous on the x)ait of God. 
 He was under no pre-existing obligation to confer 
 favours on them : and in taking back what He has 
 given He cannot justly be called to account as 
 guilty of injustice {v. 11). .3. Not only is God 
 under no obligation to continue to beneflt even 
 the best of men, regarded in themselves, but 
 if He were to deal with them according to their 
 deserts towards Him, He might justly consign 
 them to everlasting misery. Nothing but the 
 long-suffering of God, whom we so often pro- 
 voke, keeps us from suffering far worse things 
 than the very worst which we are called on to 
 suffer. 
 
 CHAP. XLII. 1-6.— Job's Penitent Reply. 
 
 2. In the tirst clause (" I know that thou canst 
 do everything") he owns God to be omniijo- 
 teut over nature, as contrasted with his own 
 feebleness, which God had proved (chs. xl. 15; 
 xli. 34) ; in the second ("no thought can be with- 
 holden from thee"), that God is supremely just 
 (which, in order to be governor of the world. He 
 must needs be) in all His dealings as contrasted 
 with his own vileness {v. 6) and incompetence to 
 deal with the wicked as a just judge (ch. xl. 8-14). 
 no thought— purpose, as in ch. xvii. 11; but it is 
 usually applied to evil devices (ch. xxi. 27 ; Ps, x. 
 2) ; the ambiguous word is designedly chosen to 
 express that, whilst to Job's finite view God's 
 plans seem bad, to the All-wise One they continue 
 unhindered in their development, and will at last 
 be seen to be as good as they are inflnitely wise. 
 No evil can emanate from the Parent of good (Jas. 
 I 13, 17) ; but it is His prerogative to overrule 
 evil to good. 3. Job, in Oodfs own woi'ds (ch. 
 xxxviii. 2), expresses his deep and humble peni- 
 tence. Thou hast asked, " Who is he that hideth 
 counsel without knowledge?" I take the descrip- 
 
God acceptetk of Job. 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak : 
 I '^wiU demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 
 I have 'heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; 
 But now -^mine eye seeth thee: 
 
 Wherefore I abhor myself , — and repent in dust and ashes. 
 
 And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, 
 the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against 
 thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the 
 thing that is right, as my servant Job hatk. Therefore take unto 
 you now ^ seven bullocks and seven rams, and ^go to my servant Job,, 
 and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shaU 
 pray *for you; for ^him will I accept; lest I deal with you after your 
 folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my 
 servant Job. 
 
 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the 
 Naamathite went and did according as the Lord commanded them : the 
 Lord also accepted ^Job. 
 
 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his 
 friends: also the Lord ^gave Job -^twice as much as he had before. 
 Then came there unto him *all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all 
 they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 d ch. 38, 3. 
 ch. 40 7. 
 
 * Rom. 10. 17. 
 / Num 12. 8, 
 
 9. 
 
 Isa. 6. 1. 
 £ph 1. 17. 
 18. 
 
 f Num. 23. 1. 
 
 iChr 15. 2 J. 
 
 Eze. 14. 2.'}. 
 h Matt .5 24. 
 
 1 Gen. 20. 17 
 Jas. 5. If; 
 iJohno 16. 
 
 2 his faee, or, 
 person. 
 
 3 the face of 
 Job. 
 
 4 added all 
 that had 
 been to 
 Job unto 
 the double 
 Zech. 9. 12 
 
 j Isa. 40. 2. 
 
 * ch 19. 13. 
 
 tion home to myself : / am the man ! God's word 
 concerning our guilt should be engraven on our 
 hearts, aud form the groundwork of our confession. 
 Most men, in confessing sin, jjalliate rather than 
 confess. J ob, in omitting ' by words ' before " with- 
 out knowledge " (ch. xxxviii. 2), goes even further 
 than God's accusation. Not merely my words, 
 but my whole thoughts and ways were "without 
 knowledge." too wonderful — I rashly denied that 
 thou hast any fixed plan in governing human 
 affairs, merely because thy plan was "too wonder- 
 ful" for my coraijrehensiou. 4. When I said, "Hear 
 . . . and i will speak : I will demand of thee, and 
 declare thou unto me " (ch. xiii. 22) ; my demand 
 convicted me of being " without knowledge." God 
 alone could speak thus to Job, not Job to God: 
 therefore he quotes again God's words (clis. xxxviii. 
 3; xl. 7, "I will demand of thee, and declare thou 
 unto me") as the groundwork of retracting his 
 own foolish words. My appeal was a presump- 
 tuous demand, instead of a suppliant prayer. God 
 alone can demand. 5. hearing of ear — (Ps. xviii. 
 44, mary.) Hearing and seei7iff are often in anti- 
 thesis (ch. xxix. 11 ; Ps. xlviii. 8). seetli— not 
 God's face (Exod. xxxiii. 20, "Thou canst not see 
 my face : for there shall no man see me and live "), 
 but His presence in the veil of a dark cloud (ch. 
 xxxviii. 1). Job imi^lies also that, besides this 
 literal seeing, he now saw spiritually what he had 
 indistinctly taken on hearsay before— God's infinite 
 wisdom. He "now " proves this ; he had seen in a 
 literal sense before, at the beginning of God's 
 speech, but he had not seen spiritually till "now," 
 at its close. 6. myself —rather, ' I abhor,' and 
 retract the rash speeches I made against thee 
 {vo. 3, 4). ( Umhreit. ) 
 
 7-17.— Epilogue in prose. 7. to Eliphaz— be- 
 cause he was the foremost of the three friends: 
 their speeches were but the echo of his. right - 
 lit., well-grounded [n3iD5, from ]i3, set in order], 
 sure and true. Their spirit towards Job was un- 
 kindly, and to justify themselves in their unkind- 
 liness they used false arguments (ch. xiii. 7; viz., 
 that calamities always prove peculiar guilt) ; 
 tlierefore, though it was "for God" they sjjake 
 thus falsely, God "reproves" them, as Job said 
 He would (ch. xiii. 10). like Job. Job had spoken 
 103 
 
 rightly in relation to them and their argument, 
 denying their theory, and the fact which they 
 alleged, that he was peculiarly guilty and a hypo- 
 crite; but wrongly in relation to God, when he 
 fell into the opposite extreme of almost denying 
 all guilt. This extreme he has now repented of, 
 and therefore God speaks of him as now altogether 
 "right." 8. seven — (see 'Introduction'). The 
 number offered by the Gentile prophet Balaam 
 (Num. xxiii. 1). Job plainly lived before the 
 legal priesthood and Mosaic ritual. The patri- 
 archs acted as priests for their families, and some- 
 times as praying mediators (Gen. xx. 17), thus 
 foreshadowing the true Mediator (1 Tim. ii. 5) : but 
 sacrifice accompanies, and is the gi'oundwork on 
 which the mediation rests, him— rather, 'His 
 person (face) only' Dt< (note, ch. xxii. 30). 
 The 'person' must be first accepted before God 
 can accept his offering and work (Gen. iv. 4, "The 
 Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offey^ing^'')', 
 that can only be through Jesus Christ, folly- 
 impiety (chs. i. 22 ; ii. 10). 
 
 9. The forgiving spirit of Job foreshadows the Ioa'-o 
 of Jesus Christ and of Christians to enemies (Matt. 
 V. 44 ; Luke xxiii. 34 ; Acts vii. 60 ; xvi. 24, 28, 30, 31.) 
 
 10. turned. . . captivity— proverbial for restorec/, 
 or amply indemnified him for all he had lost (Ezek. 
 xvi. 53; Ps. xiv. 7, " When the Lord bringeth back 
 the captivity of His people, Jacob shall rejoice," &c.; 
 Hos. vi. 11). Thus the future vindication of re- 
 deemed man, body and soul, against Satan (ch. i. 
 9-12), at the resurrection (ch. xix. 25-27), has its 
 earnest and adumbration in the temporal vindica- 
 tion of Job at lasb by Jehovah in person, twice — 
 so the ' double' to be rendered to the afflicted literal 
 and spiritual Jerusalem (Isa. xl. 2 ; Ix. 7 ; Ixi. 7 ; 
 Zech. ix. 12). "The Lord turned the captivity of 
 Job, when he prayed for his frienxW As in Job's 
 case, so in that of Jesus Christ, the glorious recom- 
 
 t)ence follows the 'intercession' for enemies (Isa. 
 iii. 12, " Therefore will I divide him a portion with 
 the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the 
 strong; because he . . . made intercession for tlie 
 transgressors:" another feature in Job's history 
 typical of Christ; for "the testimony of Jesiis is 
 the spirit of prophecy," Rev. xix. 10). H- It was 
 Job's complaint in his misery that his "brethren" 
 
God accepteth Job JOB XLII. and doubles his blessings. 
 
 him in his house : and they bemcaned him, and comforted him over all 
 the evil that the Lord had brought upon him : every man also gave him 
 a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. 
 
 12 So the Lord blessed Hhe latter end of Job more than his beginning; 
 for he had fourteen "^thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a 
 
 13 thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven 
 li sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first, ^Jemima; 
 
 and the name of the second, ^Kezia; and the name of the third, ^Keren- 
 
 15 happuch. And in all the land were no women found so fair as the 
 daughters of Job : and their father gave them inheritance among their 
 brethren. 
 
 16 After this "lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and 
 
 17 his sons' sons, ewn four generations. So Job died, being old, and ''full 
 of days. 
 
 B. C. 1520. 
 
 ' ch 8. r. 
 
 Jas, 5. 11. 
 '"ch, 1. 3. 
 
 5 That is. 
 Handsome 
 as the day. 
 
 6 That is. 
 Cassia. 
 Ps. 45. 8. 
 
 7 That is. 
 The horn, 
 or. Child of 
 beauty. 
 
 " ch. 5. 2S. 
 
 Pro. 3. 16. 
 " Gen. 25. 8 
 
 and his "acquaintance" were "estranged" from 
 liiiu (ch. xix. 13) : these now return with the re- 
 turn of his prosperity (Prov, xiv. 20; xix, 6, 7, "All 
 the brethren of the poor do hate him ; how much 
 more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth 
 them with words, yet they are wanting to him ") ; 
 the true "friend loveth at all times, and a brother 
 is born for adversity" (Prov. xvii, 17; xviii. 24, 
 " There is a friend that sticketh closer than a 
 brother"). 'Swallow-friends leave in the winter 
 and return with the spring' [Henry), eat bread 
 — in token of friendship (Ps. xli. 9). piece of 
 money. Presents are usual in visiting a man of 
 rank in the East, especially after a calamity (2 Chr. 
 xxxii. 23, "Many brought presents to Hezekiah, 
 king of Judah," after the invasion of Sennacherib) 
 [Hebrew, nci^b'pj. Magee translates a lamb (the 
 medium of exchange then, before money was used), 
 as it is in marg. of Gen. xxxiii. 19 ; Josh. xxiv. 32. 
 But it is from the Arabic Kasat, 'weighed out' 
 {Uinhreit), not coined; so Gen. xlii. 35; xxxiii. 19, 
 compared with Gen. xxiii. 15, makes it likely it was 
 equal to four shekels : Hebrew [Q^*]^], 'pure' — viz., 
 metal {Bochart). The term, instead of the usual 
 ' shekel,' &c., is a mark of antiquity, ring — whether 
 for the nose or ear (Gen, xxxv. 4; Isa. iii. 21). Much 
 of the gold in the East, in absence of banks, is in the 
 shape of ornaments. 
 
 12. Probably by degrees, not all at once, 13. 
 The same number as before : perhaps by a second 
 wife : in ch. xix, 17 his wife is last mentioned. 14. 
 Names significant of his restored prosperity (Gen. 
 iv, 25 ; V. 29). Jemima, daylight, after his "night " 
 of calamity : but Maurer, a dove,' from an Arabic 
 root. Kezia, cassia, an aromatic herb (Ps. xlv. 8) : 
 instead of his offensive breath and ulcers, Keren- 
 liaiDpuch, 'horn of stibium,^ a paint with which 
 females dyed their eyelids ; in contrast to his " horn 
 detiled in the dust" (ch. xvi. 15), The names also 
 imidy the beauty of his daughters, 15. inheritance 
 among . . . brethren— an unusual favour in the 
 East to daughters, who, in the Jewish law, only 
 inherited if there were no sons (Num. xxvii, 8), a 
 proof of wealth and unanimity, 
 
 16. The LXX. make Job live 170 years after his 
 calamity, and 240 in all. This would make him 
 70 at the time of his calamity, which, added to 140 
 in the Hebrew text, make up 210— little more than 
 the age (205) of Terah, father of Abraham, perhaps 
 his contemporary. Man's length of life gradually 
 shortened, till it reached threescore and ten in 
 104 
 
 Moses' time (Ps. xc. 10), sons' sons— a proof of 
 Divine favour (Gen, 1.23 ; Ps. cxxviii, 6 ; Prov. xvii. 
 6, " Children's children are the crown of old men "). 
 17, full of dsiys—fulhj sated and contented with all 
 the happiness that life could give him ; realizing 
 what Eliphaz had painted as the lot of the godly 
 (ch, v. 26, "Thou slialt come to thy grave in a full 
 age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season ;" 
 Ps. xci, 16; Gen, xxv. 8; xxxv. 29). The LXX. 
 adds, 'It is written, that he will rise again with 
 those whom the Lord will raise up.' Cf. Matt, 
 xxvii. 52, 53, from which it perhaps was derived, 
 being a forgery introduced after Christ's comiug 
 on earth. 
 
 Remarks. — 1, When a believer is once brought 
 by affliction to thorough repentance, how he ab- 
 hors himself and his past spirit, words, and whole 
 bearing towards God [v. 6), He recognizes now 
 first the infinite perfections of Jehovah, and per- 
 ceives how presumptuous he himself was in trench- 
 ing upon the prerogative of the Almighty and All- 
 wise One, having ' uttered things which he under- 
 stood not; too wonderful for him, and which he 
 knew not' {tw. 2, 3), God's omnii^otence contrasts 
 strangely with man's feebleness, — God's perfect 
 justice with man's vileness and inability to punish 
 righteously proud sinners. 2. God alone can "de- 
 mand " an account from His creatures {v. 4) ; man 
 must not presume to "demand" an account of 
 God's doings, but take it for granted that they 
 must be good and righteous just because they 
 emanate from God, who cannot but do right. 
 3. As Job's friends had to come to God for reconcili- 
 ation through the intercession of him whom they 
 had wronged [vv. 8, 9), so must we come through 
 the intercession of that Saviour whom our whole 
 race has dishonoured and crucified by sin. Union 
 in Christ, the great sacrifice, outweighs all the 
 lesser differences of opinion which, for a time, 
 estrange Christian friends. If, instead of quar- 
 relling, they would pray more for and with one 
 another, God would unite them in an indissoluble 
 bond of love. 4. Job's case may teach us that the 
 believer's last days are his best days, whereas the 
 unbeliever's only good things are in this passing 
 perishing scene. Let us learn to wait for our good 
 things at the future restoration of man, when 
 Christ shall come as his great Vindicator, and 
 meanwhile choose rather to suffer affliction with 
 the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of 
 sin for a season. 
 
BOOK OF PSALMS. 
 
 PSALM 1. 
 
 1 T)LESSED "'is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ^ungodly, 
 Jj Nor standeth in the way of sinners, 
 
 Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful : 
 
 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord ; 
 And in his law doth he meditate day and night. 
 
 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, 
 That bringeth forth his fruit in his season ; 
 
 His leaf also shall not ^ wither; — and whatsoever he doeth ^ shall prosper. 
 
 PSALM U 
 ' Gen. 5. 24. 
 
 Job 31. 5. 
 
 Pro. 4. 14. 
 L Or. 
 
 wicked. 
 ! fade. 
 ' Gen. 39. 3. 
 
 Job 22, il. 
 
 1 Tim. 4. 8. 
 
 PSALM I. The Hebrew title of tins book is 
 'The Book of Praises.' The term "Psalms" is 
 Greek [\/Aa\/i.o't], taken from the LXX., and mean- 
 ing so7i:js sung to musical instruments. This psalm 
 is a preface to the collection. Hence in the oldest 
 reading of Acts xiii. 33, our second psalm is quoted 
 as "the Jii'si psalm." One psalm is prefixed as a 
 compeadions summary of the whole, — GocFs ap- 
 pointment of salvation to the righteous, perdition to 
 the ungodly, in spite of all present appearances to 
 the contrary. 
 
 1. Blessed— lit. , ' Oh the happinesses of the man ! ' 
 &c. Xot merely happy in one respect, but in 
 countless ways (marked by the abstract term, im- 
 plying that happiness finds its realization only in 
 Him; and by the plural number, implying the 
 manifold aspects of his happiness). [The Hebrew, 
 nty'x, happiness, is distinct from "^'13, bless and 
 blessedness], walketh . . . ungodly . . . standeth 
 . . . sinners . . . sitteth . . . scornful— answer- 
 ing respectively to one another in poetical paral- 
 lelism of thought (the Hebrew principle of versi- 
 fication : see Introduction to Poetical Books) ; 
 and forming a climax : from " walking in the coim- 
 sel" {>. e., according to the counsel or plans, Mic. 
 vi. 16; Ps. Ixxxi. 12), in the downward steps of 
 sin, one goes on to " standing in the way ;" and 
 from this to ^''sitting in the sea<" (Ps. xxvi. 4, 5). 
 From associating with the "ungodly" or ' wicked' 
 [marg., D'?"^!, the root idea of which is disturb- 
 ance; restlessness (Isa. Ivii. 20), impelling to con- 
 tinual fresh misdeeds : hence transgression, in act, 
 of God's law], one passes to the way of "sinners" 
 [D-^i^tan : lit, those deviating from the straight 
 course; errinn, from estrangement of heart and 
 principle]. The crowning of this awful declen- 
 sion is sittimi, as in one's habitual place, among 
 " scorners" (2 Pet. iii. 3 ; Isa. v. 19 ; Ps. 1. 20 ; Ixix. 
 12 ; Jcr. XV. 17 ; xvii. 15). Sitting is the attitude 
 of drinking boon companions. Wine itself is a 
 mocker (Pro v. xx. 1). 2. But — Hebrew, Ki im, 
 But if; i.e.. But who (if there be anything in 
 which he) delights (Ilom. vii. 22), (it is) in the 
 law {torah, lit., the directory, from a root, 
 jarah, to point the way or direct; the law of 
 Moses : the representative of the whole inspired 
 volume) of the Lord. So Maurer. Thus even 
 the Psalms are called "the law" of the Jews 
 (John x. 34 ; xv. 25). Jesus, the faultless model- 
 man, pre-euiiuently could say, "I delight to do 
 105 
 
 thy will : thy law is written within my heart " 
 (Ps. xl. 8). The renewed and believing man de- 
 lights in God's law sincerely, though in a lower 
 degree (Pom. vii. 22 ; cf. Ps. cxix. 16, 35, 47). the 
 Lord — Hebrew, Jehovah. So the English version 
 is to be understood wherever the Lord is in 
 capital letters. Cf., as to the meaning of the 
 name, Exod. iii. 14, 15 ("I am that I am ;" or, 'I 
 shall be (alw'ays) that I am (now), ' according to 
 Gesenius), and Rev. i. 4, 8, notes, meditate day 
 and night — alluding to J osh. i. 8. M editation upon^ 
 is to reading the Word what digesting is to 
 eating. Without the slow and lengthened process 
 of digestion, food would not nourish the body : 
 without meditation, the Word read will not 
 nourish the soul. 
 
 3. tree planted by . . . ■waters— alluded to in Jer. 
 xvii. 8, the prophet thereby sealing the inspira- 
 tion of the Psalmist. Not accidentally growing 
 there, but "planted" by the heavenly Husband- 
 man (Ps. Ixxx. 8; Matt. xv. 13) in His electing 
 love (Isa. Ix. 21; Ixi. 3). TVfQXQ— palgee; lit., 
 divisions :' the Eastern mode of watering trees 
 in a garden being by dividing the water from the 
 cistern or well in the midst into rivulets, to run 
 along the rows of trees, and so, in the absence of 
 rain, provide a constant artificial supply for irri- 
 gation, his fruit — its proper fruit (cf. Rev. xxii. 
 2). A peculiar beauty of the believer's fruits of righ- 
 teousness is, they are not only good in themselves, 
 but also are in season (Eccl.iii. 1-11; contrast Matt, 
 xxi. 19). his — its. leaf— not only the fruit of the 
 believer, but even the leaf has its beauty and its 
 use (Ezek. xlvii. 12; Rev. xxii. 2). Even the 
 minor exhibitions of his character are perfect 
 after their kind, and his smallest undertaking is 
 blessed: as explained in the next clause, what- 
 soever he doeth shall prosper. So the English 
 version rightly {Maurer and Hengstenherg). In 
 this fourth member there is a transition from the 
 tree to him whom it represents. The parallelism 
 is sufficiently maintained by t]ie corresjjondence 
 between the image and the thing represented — 
 viz., the godly man. The tree's leaf (in the third 
 member of the parallelism) answers to "whatso- 
 ever he (the godly man) doeth," even his most 
 minute and ordinary acts (in the fourth niembej-) ; 
 " not wither," to " prosper." Joseph realized this 
 picture (cf. Gen. xxxix. 3, 4, from which the 
 language here seems to be drawn). De Burgh pre- 
 fers, on the authority of the Targum, ' whatsoever 
 
The kingdom 
 
 PSALM II. 
 
 of Christ 
 
 4 The ungodly are not so : 
 
 But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 
 
 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, 
 Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 
 
 6 For '^the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; 
 But the way of the ungodly shall perish. 
 
 PSALM II. 
 
 1 WHY do the heathen ^rage, — and the people ^imagine a vain thing ? 
 
 2 The kings of the earth set themselves. 
 And the rulers take counsel together, 
 
 Against the Lord, and against his "Anointed, saying, 
 
 3 Let *us break their bands asunder, — and cast away their cords from us. 
 
 it (the tree) ptoduceth shall flourish.' 4. (Job. xxi. 
 18; Hos. xiii. 3; cf. Matt. iii. 12.) In the East 
 threshing floors are placed on a height; the 
 threshed corn is thrown aloft for the wind to 
 carry the chaff away, the ungodly are not so— 
 the negation of all that characterizes the righteous ; 
 saying more than the most detailed description. 
 "Not so" in character; "not so" in destiny {De 
 Burgh). 
 
 5. Therefore — because they are unstable as 
 "the chaff which the wind driveth away " (i?. 4), 
 and because God is about to have a judicial sifting 
 (Eccl. xii. 14), wherein the fruit {v. 3) shall abide, 
 and the chajfhe driven awaj^. shall not stand- 
 lit. , rise up: the LXX., 'rise again.' Thus the 
 ultimate meaning designed by the Spirit will be, 
 The ungodly shall not rise up to partake of the 
 first resurrection with the righteous (1 Cor. xv. 
 23; Phil. iii. 11; Luke xx. 35; Rev. xx. 5, 6). 
 If the English version be retained, "not stand in 
 judgment" does not contradict Rom. xiv. 10, 
 "We shall all stand before the judgment-seat of 
 Christ" (cf. Acts xxiv. 15); but stand''— i. e., be 
 justified— is opposed to falling— i. e., being con- 
 demned (cf. Ps. xviii. 38; xx. 8; Mai. iii. 2, "Who 
 shall stand when He appeareth ?" Rev. vi. 17). The 
 parallel clause, "in the congregation of the righ- 
 teous " (the full number of the elect gathered togetlier 
 unto Christ at His coming, 2 Thess. ii. 1; cf. Ps. 
 1. 5), favours the former view, whereby "stand" 
 or 'rise in the judgment' refers to the elect 
 rising and sharing with Christ in His reign in 
 judgment or justice (Ps. ix. 7, 8; xcvi. 13): not 
 the last "judgment," but the millennial reign ; as 
 "judge" is often used for righteous rule (Isa. ix. 
 7 ; Jer. xxiii. 5). in the congregation of the righ- 
 teous— "the congregation of the righteous" in its 
 true ideal, from which every ungodly element is 
 removed, about to be realized at Christ's second 
 coming (Mai. iv. 1-3; Matt. xiii. 41). The Israelite 
 congregation, "holy" to the Lord, was the type 
 (Ps. cxi. 1; Num. xvi. 3; Ezek. xiii. 9). Korah 
 and his company, destroyed "from among the 
 congregation" (Num. xvi. 33), typify the sinners 
 who " shall not stand in the congregation of the 
 righteous." 6. way . . . way — not used in differ- 
 ent senses, but in the same: the 2yortion or lot 
 (Ps. xxxvii. 5, 18, 23) which results from the course 
 of the unrighteous and ungodly respectively. God 
 knows the way of both by His omniscience : that 
 of the righteous with approving favour (Ps. ci. 
 6; John x. 14; 2 Tim. ii. 19): the result, therefore, 
 must be, as He governs and judges righteously, 
 that blessing must attend the righteous, and de- 
 struction the wicked, whatever appearances there 
 now may be to the contrary. God accurately 
 discriminates between the two classes, though 
 man now confounds them. Cod knows His 
 106 
 
 « Nah. 1. r. 
 John 10.14. 
 2 Tim. 2.19. 
 
 PSALM 2. 
 
 1 Or, tumul- 
 tuously 
 assemble. 
 Acts 4. 25. 
 
 2 meditate. 
 « 1 Sam. 10.1. 
 
 1 Sam. 16. 
 13. 
 
 1 Ki. 1. 39. 
 Ps. 45. 7. 
 Joha 1. 41. 
 Heb. 1. 9. 
 Luke 19.14. 
 
 leople, however hidden from man's observation 
 Ps. Ixxxiii. 3), and marks them out for special 
 honour (Gen. xviii. 17-19). God knows the ungodly, 
 and shall judge them accordingly (Isa. iii. 10, 11). 
 
 PSALM II. 1. Why — expressing indignant 
 astonishment and horror. the heathen — the 
 Gentile nations [nnj], as distinguished from the 
 Jews. the people — Hebrew, plural [d^EN^?]: 
 the Hebrew singular is limited to the elect 
 people, Israel : but in the plural it is used of 
 the mixed multitudes. rage — Hebrew, ' tu- 
 multuously assemble' [iJJ'^^]: the kindred noun 
 is translated " insurrection " in Ps. Ixiv. 2. 
 imagine — Hebrew, " meditate," as in Ps. i. 
 2 : another instance of the close connection of 
 the two psalms. The righteous " meditate " 
 in the law of the Lord; the ungodly '^' meditate" 
 a vain thing, a project which shall come to 
 nought: their revolt against Messiah is a re- 
 volt against Jeliovah Himself (for Messiah is 
 His Representative on eartli), and must there- 
 fore i)rove vain, as the psalm proceeds to show 
 (cf. the parallel, Isa. viii. 8-10; also vii. 14-16). 2. 
 set themselves — im])lying their determined at- 
 titude in array "against Jehovah:" used of Go- 
 liath presenting himself in hostile attitude before 
 Israel (1 Sam. xvii. 16). rulers — ' princes.' Sub- 
 ordinate governors conspire with the superior 
 kings against Messiah (Luke xix. 14). The spirit 
 of antichristianity, which has long leavened the 
 world secretly, shall break out into open hostility 
 in the last days (Rev. xvi. 14; xvii. 12-14; xix. 
 16-20; 2 Thess. ii. 7-10). The incipient fulfilment 
 in Acts iv. 25-27 is a pledge of the final one. his 
 anointed— 'His Messiah:' anointed with the 
 plenitude of the Holy Ghost (Isa. xi. 2, 3 ; Acts 
 X. 38 ; Luke iv. 18 ; John iii. 34, end), as prophet, 
 priest, and king (the three functionaries who used 
 to be anointed : cf. the anointing of David, the 
 type, 1 Sam. xvi. 12-14). The only other passage 
 where "Messiah" occurs, in respect to the Re- 
 deemer, is Dan. ix. 25, 26. This psalm is quoted 
 as to Messiah in Acts iv. 24, 25 ; xiii. 33 ; Heb. 
 i. 5 ; V. 5 ; Rev. ii. 27 ; xii. 5 ; xix. 15. Jarchi 
 and the older Jewish writers refer this psalm 
 to Messiah. And that such is its reference 
 appears from the two names of the Redeemer 
 current in Christ's time — viz., Messiah ("An- 
 ointed") and Son of God (the latter applied to 
 Him by Nathanael, John i. 49; and by the high 
 priest. Matt. xxvi. 63), both derived from this 
 second psalm [vv. 2, 6 ; marg., rv. 7, 12). 3. The easy 
 yoke of Jesus seems to natural men a galling chain. 
 The law of Jehovah, and especially the Gospel 
 law of Messiah, which to the godly is his "de- 
 light" and continual subject of "meditation" 
 (Ps. i. 2), is to the ungodly insufieraljle bondage 
 
The kingdom 
 
 PSALM II. 
 
 of Christ. 
 
 4 He Hhat sitteth in the heavens shall laugh : 
 The Lord shall have them in derision. 
 
 5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, 
 And ^vex them in his sore displeasure. 
 
 6 Yet have I ^set my King — ^upon my holv hill of Zion. 
 
 7 I will declare ^the decree: — the Lord hath said unto me, 
 "^Thou art my Son; — this day have I begotten thee. 
 
 8 Ask *of me, — and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance. 
 And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 
 
 9 Thou -^shalt break them with a rod of iron ; 
 
 Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. 
 
 * Ps. 11. 4. 
 
 8 Or, trouble. 
 
 * anointed. 
 
 * upon Zion, 
 the hill of 
 my holi- 
 ness. 
 
 6 Or, for a 
 
 decree, 
 d Matt. 8. 29. 
 
 Acts 13. 33. 
 
 * Dan. 7. 13. 
 John 17. 4. 
 
 / Watt. 21.41. 
 
 (Jer. V. 5). (Contrast Matt. xi. 29, 30; 1 John 
 V. 3.) 
 
 4. The scene passes from earth to heaven, 
 from Antichrist and his confederate hosts to Je- 
 hovah on His throne above, laughing to scorn 
 their purpose, and then proceeding to execute 
 judgment, sitteth in the heavens — and there- 
 fore exercises exalted sovereignty over "the kings 
 of the earth." 5. Then— at the moment when 
 their might and profanity are at their height, 
 and seemingly "nothing will be restrained from 
 them which they have imagined to do" (Gen. xi. 
 6), as at Babel, when " the Lord came down." 
 When they seemed to triumph (as at the death of 
 Jesus, Acts iv. 27, 28), they were but furthering 
 God's purpose, vex— Hebrew, 'affright,' 'con- 
 found:' marg., 'trouble' ['rnn J. sore displeasure 
 — 'hot anger.' 6. Yet— notwithstanding the op- 
 position of the antichristian confederacy, set— 
 marg., 'Anointed' (cf. v. 2). Lit, 'poured out.' 
 But in Prov. viii. 23 the Hebrew is translated 
 "set up." In Mic. v. 5, end, the cognate noun is 
 translated " principal men." Hengstenherg is prob- 
 ably right in maintaining the English version, 
 "set," appointed, or constituted. The "I" in the 
 Hebrew stands in emphatical contrast to the con- 
 federate rebels. They reject His dominion {v. 4), 
 whereas /, Jehovah, have set Him as "my King," 
 the King who stands in closest relation to me, 
 "the man that is MY fellow" (Zech. xiii. 7). 
 Thus "my King" answers to "my Son," v. 8. 
 For God's own King nothing short of the whole 
 earth can be a fitting empire {v. 8) : whence ap- 
 pears the vanitv of the conspiracy {or. 1, 2). my 
 holy hill— the' hill Zion, in which David had 
 deijosited the ark of the covenant, and which 
 thereby was constituted the holy centre of 
 the kingdom of God (Ps. xlviii. 1, 2). From 
 it, as the centre seat of empire (Isa. xxxi. 4; 
 ii. 2, 3 ; Jer. iii. 10, 17), Messiah shall reign over the 
 whole earth (Ps. cxxxii. 13; Ezek. xliii. 7; Luke 
 i. 32, 33). Israel shall no longer reject her King, 
 as she did at His advent in lowliness, but shall 
 say, "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of 
 the Lord" (Matt, xxiii. 38, 39; cf. Ps. xxi. 5; Rev. 
 xL 25, 20 ; Isa. lix. 20, 21). Whilst the Pentateuch 
 refers prophetically to the people, the Psalms 
 delineate also the Messiah Priest-king (Ps. ex. 4). 
 Not merely Christ's person, but His kingdom on 
 earth, is foretold. Israel in the Psalms means 
 literal Israel, not the spiritual Israel, the Church, 
 except in a secondary and intermediate applica- 
 tion. Rationalists rightly hold this, in oymosition 
 to the false sj)iritual interpretation : but denying, 
 like the spiritualizers, the coming of a literal 
 kingdom, they maintain the prophets were mis- 
 taken in expecting one {Auherlen). Thus spiritu- 
 al izers play into the hands of Rationalists. As 
 the whole earth is to be the Redeemer's kingdom, 
 so the scat of government, "the place oi His 
 107 
 
 throne, the i)lace of the soles of His feet, where 
 He Mali dwell in the midst of Israel for ever" 
 (Ezek. xliii. 7) is " chosen " by Jehovah to be 
 ^' Mount Zion" (Ps. xlviii. 1, 2, "The city of our 
 God, in the mountain of His holiness . . . the joy 
 of the whole earth . . . the city of the great king ;" 
 Ps. cxxxii, 13). At the time of Judah's and Israel's 
 joint restoration " they shall call Jerusalem the 
 throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be 
 gathered unto it" (Jer. iii. 17, 18; cf. Isa. ii. 2, 3). 
 
 7. The Messiah-king, so appointed by God, 
 reiterates in His own words what already had 
 been said by God {v. 6), and further develops 
 the same truth, declare the decree. [The pre- 
 position hii. merely indicates the object of declara- 
 tion (Ps. Ixix. 20), and is not to be translated, as 
 Rosenmuller, ' I will declare according to (or in 
 terms of) the decree:' but simply as the English 
 version. However, j5n is 'the law' or 'statute,' 
 not merely "decree."] Jehovah's resolution re- 
 specting Messiah's universal kingdom on earth 
 has the force of law eternally established, so that 
 it is vain for the heathen peoples to oppose it. 
 Messiah is Jehovah's Interpreter, by whom He 
 declares His unalterable will. Thou art my Son ; 
 this day have I begotten thee— quoted by St. 
 Paul (Acts xiii. 30-33) as fulfilled in the resurrec- 
 tion of Christ. From eternity He was the Only- 
 begotten of the Father (John xvii. 5), ' God of 
 God, Light OF Light' {Nicme Creed). At the 
 incarnation the First-begotten was hrought into the 
 world (Heb. i. 0). But it was only at and by His 
 resurrection that His Divinity, as the Only-begot- 
 ten of the Father, was manifested and openlg 
 attested by God. "Made of "the seed of David 
 according to the flesh," He was then "declared to 
 be the Son of God with power, according to the 
 Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the 
 dead " (Rom. i. 4). It was only after the resur- 
 rection that He gave the commission, "Go ye and 
 teach all nations, baptising them," &c., in accord- 
 ance with the Father's grant to the Son {r. 8), "Ask 
 of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine 
 inheritance, and the uttermost i:)arts of the earth 
 for thy possession." The Son's installation as "the 
 Only-begotten of the Father" (John i. 14), in the 
 day that God published to the world His unalter- 
 able laio concerning Him— viz., the day of His 
 resurrection — is what is here referred to : This day 
 have I manifested to the world thy Divine Son- 
 ship, which is the ground of my grant to Thee of 
 the Kingdom. 8. For God's King and Son noth- 
 ing short of the whole earth is a proper dominion, 
 heathen— the nations. All that the Father hath is 
 the Son's ; yet here a particular and limited inheri- 
 tance is specified— viz., the earth. 9. break them 
 ■with a rod of iron. Whichsoever of the heathen 
 nations will not obey thee willingly as their right- 
 ful King, shall be broken by thee with a sceptre, 
 not of ivory, silver, or gold, the ordinary ma- 
 
The troubles 
 
 PSALM III. 
 
 of Damd. 
 
 10 Be wise now therefore, 0 ye kings ; — be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 
 
 11 Serve the Lord with fear, — and rejoice with trembling. 
 
 12 Kiss ^the Son, — lest he be angry, 
 
 And ye perish from the way, — when his v/rath is kindled but a little. 
 Blessed ^'-are all they that put their trust in him. 
 
 PSALM in. 
 
 A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. 
 1 LORD, "how are they increased that trouble me ? 
 Many are they that rise up against me. 
 
 " John 5. 22, 
 23. 
 
 h Ps. 34. 8. 
 Isa. 30. 18. 
 Jer. ir. 7. 
 Rom. 9. 33. 
 Rom. 10.11. 
 1 Pet. 2. fi. 
 
 PSALM 3. 
 " 2 Sam. 15. 
 12. 
 
 Matt. 27.25. 
 
 terials, but of iron, crashing the antichristian 
 faction [vv. 2, 3) with ponderous force. Cf. Matt. 
 XX. 44, " Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall 
 be broken : but on whomsoever it shall fall, it 
 will grind him to powder;" also, the kingdom of 
 the great mountain issuing from the stone, which 
 smote the image on the feet— viz., the fourth ot 
 iron kingdom, " breaking in pieces,''^ and consuming 
 it and all other kingdoms, but itself standing '"''for 
 ever " (Dan. ii. 34, 35, 44). The iron kingdom shall 
 be broken as clay before Christ's iron sceptre. [The 
 LXX., Syriac, and the Vulgate, &c,, read ornn, 
 from nrn, to feed or tend, ' rule ' (cf. Mic. vii. 14? 
 
 Feed thy people with thy rod'''). So Rev. ii. 
 27; xix. 15, quotes the passage. Here, however, 
 the parallelism to " dash in pieces " requires the 
 reading Drnn, from run, 'break.' I think the 
 Spirit designed an allusion to nrn, ' feed,' or 'rule' 
 as a shepherd.] Christ, who would have ruled 
 them with the pastoral staff as the good shepherd, 
 if they had been obedient, will break them to 
 pieces with the sceptre of iron, because refractor3^ 
 
 10. Be wise ... O ye kings— offers of grace ever 
 accompanying threats against sinners in this day 
 of God's long-suffering, now therefore — seeing 
 that ye cannot by opposition overthrow Messiah's 
 kingdom, but must be "dashed to pieces" in 
 making the attempt, be instructed — take warn- 
 ing. 11. Serve the Lord — instead of 'taking 
 counsel together' to cast away the bands of Je- 
 hovah and His Messiah {vv. 2, 3). rejoice [^^4]— 
 be ready with joyous acclamations to hail Him as 
 your King at His second Advent (cf. Num. xxiii. 
 21 ; Ps. Ixxxix. 15, IG ; Matt. xxi. 9. 12. Kiss the 
 Son, Adore is derived from kissing with the 
 mouth the hand [ad os, 'to the mouth') in 
 token of homage. A kiss has always in the 
 East been a mark of subjection and reverence. 
 So Samuel, after having anointed Saul as king, 
 kissed him (1 Sam. x. 1). It was used also in re- 
 ligious adoration (Job xxxi. 27; 1 Ki. xix. 18; 
 Hos. xiii. 2). [The Chaldaic or Aramaic in is 
 used for j?, here, as in Prov. xxxi. 2, and often in 
 Ezra and Daniel. It is a form retained from 
 the primitive common stock from which both 
 Hebrew and Chaldaic sprung ; here used to avoid 
 the inharmonious juxtaposition of p., Ben, and 
 % Pen. As Ben is derived from Banah, to build, 
 so Bar is from Bara, to create or beget. Ben ex- 
 presses the building up in the womb, or the build- 
 ing up of the father's house : and so is applied to 
 Christ's conception as Man in the womb, or His 
 Headship of the Church (Heb. iii. 3, 4, 6). Bar 
 expresses that Christ is the Only-begotten of the 
 Father in respect to the Godhead.] The Messiah 
 is in a sense i^eculiar to Him alone "the Son." 
 Others are so by creation and adoption ; He alone 
 by eternal generation, perish from the way — 
 viz., from the right way; or 'as to the way; i. e., 
 
 in the way that ye have entered on, the God- 
 opposed way. Cf. Ps. i. 6, '''the way of the un- 
 godly shall i9em/i .•" a confirmation of the connec- 
 tion that subsists between the first and second 
 psalms, but a little [oj?x?3] — rather, 'in but a 
 little time ; ' ' shortly ' {Hengstenherg). When He 
 shall come. His wrath shall not be merely a little, 
 but it shall be "the great day of His wrath" 
 (Rev. vi. 17). Blessed, &c.— or, happy; as in Ps. 
 i. 1; lit., ' 07i the happinesses of all,' &c. The 
 grand conclusion drawn from the second psalm is 
 the similar sentiment, Blessed is the man that 
 walketh not in the counsels of the ungodly . . . 
 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord," as 
 the introduction to the first; another confirma- 
 tion of the close connection of the two psalms, 
 the general statements in the first, as to the righ- 
 teous and sinners, being repeated in the second, 
 with special reference to Messiah, the King ap- 
 pointed by Jehovah, put their trust in him— in 
 the Divine though human King : as opposed to 
 trusting in earthly kings (Ps. cxviii. 9 ; cxlvi. 3) : 
 and especially opposed to the confederate anti- 
 christian kings (t-v. 2, 6), whom the dragon, the 
 beast, and the false prox)het shall seduce with 
 spirits of devils, "to gather them to the battle of 
 that great day of God Almighty" (Rev. xvl 4). 
 
 PSALM II L Title.— k psalm [niD]n, from the 
 Piel conjugation of "iot, to sing]. Gesenius ex- 
 plains it ' a song cut or divided in rhythmical num- 
 bers.' Mendlessohn, 'a song accompanied by a 
 musical instrument, by which it is divided into 
 portions.' But Hengstenberg takes the root [~ioi] 
 to mean to decorate, dress, adorn (cf. Hebrew, 
 Lev, XXV. 3, 4; Isa. v. 6, where the word is ap- 
 plied to the dressing of a vineyard) : hence, to sing 
 to the Lord in ornate speech and with well-exe- 
 cuted music: so the Hebrew is used Judg. v. 3. 
 of David— i. e., written by David. His name 
 means 'the beloved' [and comes from Tn, or 
 "it;, 'he loved'] (whence Solomon's name, Jedi- 
 diah, 2 Sam. xii. 25, marg., 'Beloved of the Lord'), 
 when he fled from Absalom— (2 Sam. xv. 16.) The 
 reason why Absalom is not mentioned by David 
 in the psalm, is partly owing to the great lov^e 
 which, as a father, he bore to Absalom (2 Sam. 
 xviii. 5, 12, 29, 32) : chiefly because merely personal 
 particulars were unsuited to the purpose of the 
 Psalms, which are designed for the liturgical ser- 
 vice. 
 
 This psalm was probably sketched out by David 
 on his way to Mahanaim, whither he had fled 
 beyond Jordan, after having heard of Ahithophel's 
 counsel, and that all Israel had joined Absalom 
 (2 Sam. xvii. 1, 2^ 21-24: cf. in\ 1, 2, 6 here). It 
 describes his confidence in the Lord on his first 
 night, the most critical one in the rebellion (cf. 
 vv. 4-6 with 2 Sam. xvi. 14 ; xvii. 15-29). 
 
 l-S.— David's troubles (vv. 1, 2); his shield (v. 3); 
 his past resource, prayer and its answer {v. 4); his 
 
in God s protection. 
 
 David trusts PSALM III. 
 
 2 Many there be which say of my soul, 
 There ^is no help for him in God. Selah. 
 
 3 But thou, 0 Lord, art a shield ^for me ; 
 My glory, and 'the lifter up of mine head. 
 
 4 I cried unto the Lord with my voice. 
 And he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. 
 
 5 I ''laid me down and slept; — I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. 
 
 confidence against foes, so that he lies down calmly 
 through the Lord's help {vv. 5, 6); his prayer {v. 1); 
 his praise {v, 8). 
 
 1. Many . . . rise up against me. So tlie Anti- 
 type, Christ, said to the armed band led by Judas, 
 "Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords 
 and staves?" (Luke xxii. 53.) As Ahith9phel, 
 David s former counsellor, rose up against him, so 
 Christ's " familiar friend " (Ps. xli. 9), and one of 
 the twelve, "lifted up his heel against Him:" 
 the treachery and suicide of both correspond. 
 When fleeing from Absalom, David passed over 
 the brook Kidron ; so Jesus on the night of His 
 betrayal (John xviii. 1). The mount of Olives was 
 the scene of the tears of both David and the Son 
 of David (cf. 2 Sam. xv. 30 with Matt. xxvi. 30, 
 38 ; Luke xxii. 44). 2. say of my soul 
 better, ' say to my soul. There is no help for him 
 in God.' Then Ps. xxxv. 3 forms a beautiful con- 
 trast. For the Hebrew word for "help" and 
 " salvation " is one [in both places npiti'^]. Whence 
 come the names Jehoshua, or Joshua, and Jeshua 
 (Greek, 'Iijcrous, Jesus, for Joshua), Neh. 
 viii. 17; Acts vii. 45; Heb. iv. 8]. Many say to my 
 soul, "There is no salvation for him in God:" but 
 do thou "say to my soul, I am thy salvation." 
 Some of his foes thought that God takes no cog- 
 nizance of earthly affairs (Ps. x. 11 ; xlii. 3, 10) ; 
 others, that God had forsaken him, as subse- 
 quently his Antitype (Ps. Ixxi. 11; xxii. 7, 8; Matt, 
 xxvii. 43). Of the latter was Shimei, 2 Sam. xvi. 
 8: this stung David in the sorest point— viz., 
 his trust in God. ' The denial that God is our 
 God finds an allj^ in the believer's own conscious- 
 ness of guilt, amid all his convictions of innocence 
 in regard to particular charges. It requires no 
 small faith to gain here the victory' (Hengsten- 
 berg). Against the taunt of his foes, " There is no 
 salvation for him in God" (Elohim), David (v. 8) 
 asserts, "Salvation belongeth unto the Lord" {v. 2) 
 (Jehovah), They use the general name Elohim. 
 He in reply {v. 8) uses the special name that im- 
 plies God's unchangeable faithfulness to His pro- 
 mises, Jehovah. So the taunt uttered against his 
 Antitype, "He trusted in God : let Him deliver 
 Him now, if He will have Him" (Matt, xxvii. 43). 
 Selah— found seventy-three times in the Psalms 
 and thrice in Habakkuk : from nh^, shelah, rest. 
 A music mark, noting a pause, during which the 
 singers ceased to sing, and only the instruments 
 were heard. LXX., (^idxl/aXfjLu, a break in the 
 psalm. It is introduced where the sense requires 
 a rest. It is a call to calm reflection on the pre- 
 ceding words of the psalm; whence, in Psalm ix. 
 16, it folbws "Higgaion;" i. e. , meditation. The 
 Selah reminds us that the psalm requires a peace- 
 ful and meditative soul, which can apprehend 
 what the Holy Spirit propounds. 
 
 3. But— against the enemy's denial of God's 
 power and will to save him, which, indeed, seems 
 confirmed by the trouble on every side in which 
 he is, faith recalls x>ast deliverances, and relies 
 on God's Word. So the Antitype "committed 
 Himself to Him that judgeth righteously" (1 Pet. 
 ii. 2.3). thou art a shield— as to Abraham (Gen. 
 
 >> 2 Sam.ic.3. 
 
 Ps. 22. 7. 8. 
 1 Or, about. 
 ° 2 Ki. 2.5. 27, 
 
 Ps. 27. 6. 
 
 Ps. 110. t. 
 d Lev. 26. 6. 
 
 Ps. 4. 8. 
 
 Acts 12. 6. 
 
 XV. 1), and to Israel (Dent, xxxiii. 29). A favour- 
 ite designation of God in David's Psalms, for 
 me ['nj^.i]— rather, as marg., 'around me.' Not 
 merely as a common shield, protecting me in front, 
 but encompassing me on every side against the 
 "many that rise up against me" (Ps. cxxxix. 3, 5), 
 my glory— whereas they think to put me to shame. 
 The honour which God has put on me hereto- 
 fore is a pledge that He will not now disgrace 
 me for ever. Nay, 6^oc? Himself \^ "my glory." 
 the lifter up of mine head— in times past ; for 
 instance, when thou didst lift me up from following 
 the flocks to be King of Israel ; again, from the 
 persecutions of Saul ; so now wilt thou be my 
 'lifter up' from the unnatural revolt of Absalom. 
 Cf. Gen. xl. 13: another type of Christ lifted uf) 
 after three days from the tomb. 4. I cried . . . 
 he heard me— 'He answered [n3y] me.' David's 
 habit of "crying" to the Lord at all times, and 
 the fact that the Lord is the continual answerer 
 of his prayer, is the ground of hope that He will 
 now also deliver him. with my voice. The heart 
 must pray inwardly, and then express its feeling 
 outwardly 'with the voice.' Heart-prayer, un- 
 less embodied in words, degenerates into dreamy 
 musing. Words without the heart is hypocritical 
 formalism. Christ, "in the days of Hisiiesh, . . . 
 offered up prayers and supplications with strong 
 crying and tears, unto Him that was able to save 
 Him from death, and was heard''' (Heb. v. 7). 
 God was the Lifter up of His head at the resurrec- 
 tion {v. 3). out of his holy hill— "Zion," upon 
 which David was set as Jehovah's king, the type 
 of Messiah, about to reign on the same hill. The 
 Lord promised to "dwell there for ever" (Ps. 
 cxxxii. 13, 14). Upon Zion, Jehovah, as Israel's 
 God, sat enthroned above the ark of the cove- 
 nant, which had been removed thither by David. 
 The believing Israelite therefore looks for help 
 from Jehovah upon Zion: not merely from Elo- 
 him, which expresses God's power in general, but 
 from J ehovah, expressing His covenant relation to 
 Israel; just as the Christian looks to Jehovah 
 Jesus, through whom God is in covenant with 
 believers. Horeb is never in the Old Testament 
 the " holy hill " to which the Israelites looked for 
 help, just as neither do Christians look to the 
 Law, but to the Gosi^el, which speaks from 
 heaven, of which Zion is the type (Heb. xii. 
 22-25). 
 
 5. I laid me down and slept. Thus this verse 
 would be joined to vv. 3, 4 ; referring to past times, 
 in which God had given him calm sleep amidst 
 troubles. But the "Selah" at the end of v. 4 
 marks the break in the music and the sense, at 
 the end of the second strophe. Rather, therefore, 
 refer this 5th verse to his present danger, in which 
 he anticipates safe repose : '1 lay me down and 
 sleep; I awake; for the Lord sustains me.' Faith 
 sees what is not as if it were, the awaking as 
 surely as the lying down {Hengstenberg). (Heb. 
 xi. 1; cf. Ps. iv. 8.) The "I" L\3N, ani] is em- 
 phatical. "L" whom ye imagine to be without 
 "help" from God [v. 2), 'lay me down and sleep,' 
 sustained by Jehovah. So it was according to 
 his faith. Ahithophel's counsel was defeated. 
 
PSALM IV. 
 
 Damd prayeth 
 
 6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people 
 That have set themselves against me round about. 
 
 7 Arise, 0 Lord ; — save me, 0 my God : 
 
 For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek-bone ; 
 Thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. 
 
 8 Salvation ^belongeth unto the Lord: 
 •''Thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah. 
 
 PSALM IV. 
 
 To the 1 chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 HEAR me when I call, 0 God of my righteousness : 
 '^Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; 
 
 ^ Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. 
 
 2 0 ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame ? 
 How long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing ? Selah. 
 
 for audience. 
 
 • Ps. 37. 39, 
 40. 
 
 Pro. 21.. ^1. 
 Isa. 43. 11. 
 Jer. 3. 23. 
 Hos. 13. 4. 
 Jon 2. 9. 
 Acts 4. 12. 
 Rev. 7. 10. 
 Rev. 19. 1. 
 / Ps. 29. II. 
 
 PSALM 4. 
 
 1 Or, over 
 seer. 
 
 " Ps. 18. 19. 
 Ps. 31. 8. 
 
 2 Or. be 
 gracious 
 unto me. 
 
 and David slept secure (2 Sam. xvii. 1, 16, 22, 
 24). So Jesns composed Himself to sleep in 
 the storm on the Sea of Galilee (Mark iv. 38, 40); 
 and in prospect of the antitypical sleep of the 
 tomb, He could say, "Father, into thy hands I 
 commend ray spirit," (Luke xxiii. 46; Ps. xxiii.) 
 6. ten thousands— the "many" of vv. 1, 2. 
 
 7. Arise . . . save me. What thou hast done 
 for me heretofore is tlie ground of my confident 
 prayer that thou wilt do so again. " Save me," and 
 so show 'there is help (Hebrew, salvation) for me 
 in God,' in opposition to their taunt [v. 2). smit- 
 ten . . . upon the cheek-bone— implying at once 
 the shame and subjugation of his foes (Lam. iii. 
 30). An image also from wild beasts, which, 
 when their jaw has been broken, and the teeth 
 dashed out, can no longer hurt. David's foes, 
 like so many wild beasts, would have "eaten up 
 his flesh" (Ps. xxvii. 2). But God renders them 
 powerless ; for David's foes are God's foes. He 
 was the representative of religious principle : their 
 hatred of him flowed from their hatred of God. 
 'The ungodly principle, which was put to the 
 worse in Saul, sought afterwards to regain the 
 ascendant in Absalom, the centre of the unrigh- 
 teous party' [Hengstenberg). This forms the 
 ground of his prayer. The expression, " My God," 
 marks David's close relation to God, as his claim 
 upon God for help and salvation. 8. Salvation 
 belongeth unto the Lord— as its sole Possessor 
 and Dispenser (Jon. ii. 9; Prov. xxi. 31, end; Jer. 
 iii. 23). In opposition to the taunt {v. 2), "There 
 is no help (Hebrew, salvation) for him in God," 
 David comforts himself with the reflection. To 
 Jehovah alone belongeth saving help ; Jehovah is 
 "my God" [v. 7); therefore there is all saving 
 help for me. thy blessing is upon thy people. 
 'May thy blessing be' {Hengstenbe7-g) . Like the 
 Son of David, David's concern is for CfocTs people, 
 committed to him, more than for himself (cf. 2 
 Sam. xxiv. 17). The " bleseing " desired answers 
 to "salvation" in the former clause. The prayer 
 in the latter clause for this "blessing" rests on 
 the assurance in the former clause, that God has 
 such saving help altogether at His disposal. As 
 Christ and the Church are one, so David, who had 
 spoken as representative of Messiah, here speaks 
 for Messiah's people. 
 
 PSALM IV. Title.— To the chief Musician 
 j-nxiD]— lit., overseer (1 Chr. xv. 21, marg.; 2 Chr. 
 ii. 2; xxxiv. 13) : hence the precentor oi the sing- 
 ing, who either sang alone or bore the chief part 
 in singing, the chorus chiming in with him (cf. 
 Hab. iii. 19, marg. : an imitation of the super- 
 scription of the Psalms). The psalm, according 
 110 
 
 to the title, was assigned by David to him 
 before the musical performance, in order that 
 he might be prepared to sing it publicly with 
 the accompaniment of sacred music in the tem- 
 I)le-3ervice. The same holds good of the other 
 flfty-two psalms in which this title occurs. This 
 temple-music constitutes the national music of 
 Israel. Aquila and Jerome translate, less prob- 
 ably, 'To the Conqueror,' or 'Giver of victory;' 
 viz., Messiah. Neginoth— the general name for 
 all stringed instruments [from niggeen, 'per- 
 formed music ']. Cf. Isa. xxxviii. 20, Hebrew. For 
 "on" [:?J translate '(to be sung) accompanied 
 with stringed instruments.' 
 
 The occasion was (as in Ps. iii.) when David fled 
 from Absalom. Vv. 1-8. Prayer {v. 1); warning 
 to the ungodly foe {vv. 2-5); God's favour gives glad- 
 ness even amidst trials {w. 6, 7); hence flows calm 
 repose {v. 8). 
 
 1. Hear— 'answer ' (cf. Ps. iii. 4, note). God 
 of my righteousness — God, who, as being rigft- 
 teousness itself, will support m,y righteous cause. 
 The "my" refers to the compound idea, my righ- 
 teousness-God. This furnishes a rule as to how 
 far we can look for God's aid in answer to prayer. 
 To ask God for help in any but a righteous cause 
 would be to insult God's righteousness, and to 
 wish Him to become unrighteous like ourselves. 
 The Antitype could, in the fullest sense, claim 
 for His righteous cause the God of righteousness 
 to be His Vindicator, thou hast enlarged me 
 . . . in distress — ' In straits thou hast made wide 
 room for me.' David had just been set jpree from 
 imminent peril, in Jerusalem, with which he was 
 threatened by Absalom, (2 Sam. xv. 14, &c.) 
 ' Narrowness ' in Scripture means adversity, as 
 enlarging means prosperity, have mercy upon me 
 — marg., 'Be gracious unto me' [''??.n]. Mercy 
 relates more to sin : grace [|n] relates to God's 
 favour in general. 
 
 2. (will ye turn) my glory into shame?— Zi/:., 
 'How long (shall) my glory (be) for shame?' 
 ' When will ye at length cease m antonly to attack 
 my dignity?— to make my glory a matter of re- 
 proach' {Hengstenberg). [The "Hebrew for " sons 
 of men " is "y^—lit, ' sons of man,' the honour- 
 able appellation, not the less distinguished term, 
 ' Benee ^c?am;' still less ^ Enosh.' Jsh (Latin, 
 vir, Greek avvp, as distinguished from homo, 
 avQpiaTToi) implies strength and greatness as man, — 
 model men, normal men.] He ironically gives 
 them this title of honour, in reference to their 
 own high opinion of themselves. Great and wise 
 as you tHnk yourselves, "ye love vanity;" i. e., ye 
 
Mans happiness is 
 
 PSALM IV. 
 
 in God's favour. 
 
 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: 
 The Lord will hear when I call unto him. 
 
 Stand ^in awe, and sin not: 
 Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. 
 Offer *^the sacrifices of righteousness, — and "'put your trust in the Lord. 
 
 There be many that say, Who will show us any good ? 
 ^Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. 
 
 6 Job 28. 28. 
 
 Pro. 3. r. 
 
 Eph. 4. 26. 
 ° Dent.33.'9. 
 
 Mai. 1.8.: l- 
 14. 
 
 Matt. 6. 2.3. 
 d Ps. 37. 3. 
 « Ps. 80. 3. 
 
 pursue eagerly a scheme which shall end in your 
 disappointment. So Ps. ii. 1, "the people ima- 
 gine a vain thing :" a correspondence which shows 
 the designed arrangement of the pair of psalms, 
 iii and iv. after i. and ii. Both pairs have rela- 
 tion to a revolt against the Lord's Anointed : Ps. 
 ii. against the Antitype, Christ; aud Ps. iii. and 
 iv. against the type, David. The distinction be- 
 tween Benee Adam and Benee Ish appear-s in Ps. 
 Ixii. 9, where the former is translated "men of 
 low degree;" the latter, "men of high degree." 
 The revolters against the Antitype similarly tried 
 to bring "the King of glory" to shame, in mockery 
 crowning Him with 'thorns, and robing Him in 
 royal purple, seek after leasing — i. e., lies (cf. 
 Ps. Ixii 4 ; Isa. xxviii. 15, end). ' The revolt is 
 truly called a lie, because the revolters deluded 
 themselves as to the real nature of their attempt, 
 which they decked out in splendid colours' {Cal- 
 vin). The rebels sought by ' lies ' to help forward 
 their bad cause: for instance, Absalom's hypo- 
 critical lie, making religion the mask of treason 
 (2 Sam. XV. 7, 8). 3. hath set apart [r\h^n, Hiph- 
 lak]—cf. Exod. xxxiii. 16, "separated • . . from 
 all the people." Many MSS. read [t^'^on], 'acted 
 wonderfully towards.' The English version read- 
 ing, "set apart," accords best with the following 
 "K)r Himself." Cf. also the parallel, Ps. Ixxviii. 70, 
 71, "He chose David also His servant, and took him 
 from the sheepf olds . . . to feed Jacob His people, 
 and Israel His inheritance." In fighting against me, 
 ye are lighting against the king of God's choice : 
 God will therefore sustain my cause. Your enter- 
 prise will prove "vanity." Mm that is godly — 
 the royal Psalmist himself : chosen out of the 
 midst of the people for the throne, not by mere 
 caprice, but as one that should represent godliness 
 in the nation. Cf. 1 Sam. xv. 28. Samuel says 
 to Saul concerning David, "The Lord hath rent 
 the kingdom from thee, and hath given it to a 
 neighbour of thine that is better than thou ;" also 1 
 Sam. xvi. 7. The Hebrew for "godly" h"?", 
 cJutsid] means 'one loving toward God and to- 
 ward his brethren.' Love and mercy ever in the 
 Old Testament are made characteristic of the 
 godly. The Psalms reflect the law, of which 
 the essence is love to God and love to our neigh- 
 bour (Lev. xix. 18; Exod. xx. 6; Deut. x. 12; xi. 
 13). InPs. xvi. 10 the same Hebrew is applied to 
 Christ, the Father's "Holy One;" whence it ap- 
 pears that God's choice of the godh/ David typifies 
 His choice of the Holy One, the antitypical Son of 
 David, the Lord will hear when I call. Beau- 
 tifully corresponding to v. 1. David's reflection 
 that he had not taken the royal honour to himself 
 without God's choice {v. 3), is the ground of his 
 confidence that 'Jehovah will hear him now that 
 he calls.' 
 
 4. Stand in awe, and sin not. LXX. and Eph. 
 iv. 26 translate "j&e ye angry, aud sin not." 
 
 Rigzu usually means ' tremble ' (cf . Ps. xviii. 
 7), or else " be wroth " (Isa. xxviii. 21). The former 
 accords with the English version, " Stand in (tremb- 
 ling) awe" of God as the Avenger of my cause, "and 
 sin not " by persisting in your revolt. Cf. Ps. ii. 
 
 10-12, exactly parallel as to the Antitype, Christ. 
 Hengstenherg takes it as LXX., and as Eph. iv. 26 
 guotes it — i. e., ' Sin not through anger:' I would 
 indeed permit your anger, if the only effect were 
 the injury which might thereby alight upon me ; 
 but since in this revolt you cannot be angry with- 
 out sinning, I warn you to abstain from it. The 
 blustering passion of the enemy stands in contrast 
 to "be still:" this antithesis confirms the rendering, 
 "^e ye angry," &c. In Eph. iv. 26, " Let not the 
 sun go down upon your wrath " answers to " com- 
 mune with your own heart upon your bed, and be 
 still " (the opposite of 'wrath ') : see my note there. 
 David forbids "anger" in the case of the revolt 
 altogether; but in such a way as to imply (as Paul 
 uses the text) that cases might occur where "anger" 
 has legitimate scope. Paul takes that particular 
 application of the verse which the Spirit suggested 
 as there needed, though a distinct aspect from that 
 which it bears here : for Scripture has many-sided 
 aspects. David exhorts the revolters to that which 
 he experienced the blessedness of himself— namely, 
 meditation on one's ways before God in the still- 
 ness of night, upon one's bed. It is this which 
 gives him such composure and holy confidence. 
 Without the least bitterness, he urges them to 
 " coramune with their own heart.^^ in the retirement 
 of the bedchamber, alone wath G9d, when con- 
 science may put their bad enterprise in its true 
 light; and to "be still" or 'silent,' apart from 
 the tumultuous passions which their communings 
 with their fellow-rebels excited. 5. Offer the 
 sacrifices of righteousness— not hypocritical sacri- 
 fices, such as Absalom offered (2 Sam. xv. 7-9), but 
 sacrifices in expiation of your wicked undertaking ; 
 on a principle otrighteousness{D&y\t. xxxiii. 19), with 
 a hearty renunciation of all sin, and of anger against 
 God's chosen king (Ps. Ixvi. 18 ; cf. Prov. xv. 8). ['•n^T^ 
 sacrifices by blood-shedding. The nn3D is unbloody 
 (Ps. XX. 3). nViP, holah, a burnt oflfering, wherein 
 all the victim was consumed, and ascended 
 (Hebrew root meaning) as smoke : whereas in the 
 Zebach, 'sacrifice,' all was not consumed, e. g., 
 the sin offering, Exod. x. 25.] put your trust 
 in the Lord — not in fleshly confidences such 
 as ye rely on. The rebels had the capital in 
 their possession, and all Israel on their side ; 
 whereas David seemed helpless. But he warns 
 them, all earthly powers are vain whilst the Lord 
 is not with them: whereas he having on his side 
 the Lord, who had "set him apart for himself," is 
 secure against all their hosts (cf. vv. 3, 8). 
 
 6. many . . . say, Who will show us any good? 
 Many, amidst overwhelming troubles, such as the 
 present ones, give way to despair, as they look not 
 beyond outward appearances, which are all against 
 them : their cry is, " Who will show us any good?" 
 we cannot see any one able and willing to helj) us. 
 The sentiment is general, though perhaps with 
 allusion to some of his companions in exile, who 
 had not the faith of David. In contrast to these, 
 he expresses his own confidence, derived from 
 Jehovah,— "Lord, lift thou up the light of thy 
 countenance upon us." One glance of thy presence 
 shining on me, and those with me (" us"), is enough 
 instantly to dispel the gloom. David lays hold. 
 
David prqfesseth 
 
 PSALM V. 
 
 his study in prayer. 
 
 
 / Deut.l2 10. 
 
 
 FSALM 5. 
 
 
 " Ps. 17. 1. 
 
 
 Fs. 54, 2. 
 
 
 1 Pet. 3. 12. 
 
 
 6 Ps. 44. 4. 
 
 
 Ps. 47. 6, 7. 
 
 
 Ps. 74. 12. 
 
 
 Isa. 33. 22. 
 
 
 « Ps. 65. 2. 
 
 
 d Ps. 30. 5. 
 
 
 Ps. 59. 16. 
 
 
 Ps. 88. 13. 
 
 
 Ps. 130. 6. 
 
 I up. 
 
 Isa. 20. 9. 
 
 7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, 
 
 More than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. 
 
 8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep : 
 •^For thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. 
 
 PSALM V. 
 
 To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 "GIVE ear to my words. 0 Lord; consider my meditation. 
 
 2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, *my King, and my God: 
 For ^unto thee will I pray. 
 
 3 My ^ voice shalt thou hear in the morning, 0 Lord; 
 
 by faith, on the promise implied in Jehovah's 
 command to the Levites to pronounce the triple 
 blessing (Num. vi. 24-26), "Jehovah bless thee, 
 aud keep thee: Jehovah make His face to shine 
 upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: Jehovah lift 
 up His countenance upon thee, and give thee 
 peace" (cf. v. 8, "peace"). Another idea may be, — 
 The revolters had been restlessly seeking their 
 "good" from earthly sources (Jer. ii. 13; xyii. 5-8), 
 and hence had lent a ready ear to the lying pro- 
 mises {leasing, v. 2) of the ringleaders. In contrast, 
 David expresses his trust in the Lord, as the only 
 satisfying good (Ps. ii. 12, end). 7. Thou hast put 
 gladness in my heart. Scarcely has he prayed 
 {v. 6), "Lord, lift thou up the light of thy coun- 
 tenance upon us," than he feels it to be granted. 
 Heartfelt gladness is already his, greater than is 
 "the joy of harvest" (Isa. ix. 3). more than in 
 the time — i. e., 'more than their joy in the time 
 that their corn and their wine increased.' David's 
 joy in the prospect of salvation, on the ground of 
 God's favour abiding with him, is greater than their 
 joy in the present possession of earthly goods with- 
 out God's favour. The "their" is twice repeated, as 
 if corn and wine were their all (Luke xvi. 25, 
 "Thy good thiugs ;" Hos. ii. 5, end). The Lord, on 
 the contrary, is David's chief good, in and from 
 whom he looked for all things (Ps. xvi. 5; Hab. 
 iii. 17, 18). David doubtless remembers Absalom's 
 former f eastings (2 Sam. xiii. 23-28), and their sad 
 end, as well as the abundance which the revolters 
 have now, as contrasted with his own state, depen- 
 dent on Ziba and others (2 Sam. xvi. 1; cf. xvii. 
 27-29). LXX., Vulgate, and Syriac add to "their 
 corn and their wine" and their oil. So the Church 
 of England Prayer-book version (cf. Deut. xxviii. 
 51; Hos. ii. 8). 
 
 8. both [nrr]— rather, 'at once.' So soon as I 
 lie down I shall go to sleep, sleep 'go to 
 
 sleep' (cf. the parallel, Ps. iii. 5). thou, Lord, only 
 —thou canst afford me such security as hosts 
 around me could not. Thou alone art all I need. 
 Rather, translate, from Deut. xxxiii. 28, " Israel 
 shall dwell in safety alone:''' there is a reference also 
 there, as here, to "corn and wine." 'Thou, 
 Jehovah, makest me to dwell alone,' — i. e. , separated 
 from my foe^, and "in safety." In Deut. xxxiii. 
 28, as here, there is a play of similar sounds— 
 lehadad labetach, "in safety alone;" Ps. iv. 8, 
 hetach hadad, 'safety alone:' which proves that 
 David had the passage in his mind, makest me 
 dwell in safety— (Lev, xxv. 18, 19.) 
 
 PSALM V. Title.— uvou Nehiioth ]h^. nh^n^p 
 *on the flutes:' or 'to 'be sung to wind-instru- 
 ments ' {Maurer). from hhr\^ to bore. But ' el ' 
 is never used to introduce the instruments\ Prob- 
 ably the title is enigmatic, and expresses poetically 
 the subject of the Psalm. The LXX. and other 
 112 
 
 Greek translators render it virhp t?}? K\i,j6oj/ouou(Tt;s, 
 ' concerning the heiress :' so V ulgate. The heiress 
 is the Church, who possesses the Lord as her 
 " inheritance " (Ps. xvi. 5). Or else passively [from 
 "^nn^ nachal], ' Her who is possessed as an inherit- 
 ance; ' the Lord's portion is His people. ' Jacob 
 (type of the Church) is the lot of flis inheritance.' 
 The plural implies the plurality of members in the 
 Church. Hengstenberg translates, ' upon the lots ' 
 — viz., the double destiny, blessing appointed by 
 God to the righteous — misery to the wicked. 
 
 As Ps. iv. was for the evening, so Ps. v. is a morning 
 prayer. Vv. 1-12. David' s early cry (vv. 1-3); his plea, 
 God's hatred of sin, and love of sincere worshippers 
 [vv. 4-7); prayer for guidance amidst foes ivhose 
 doom m.ust be perdition from God {vv. 8-10); con- 
 trasted lot of tlie righteous {vv. 11, 12). 
 
 1. Give ear . . . consider. The latter verb [^f^] 
 is stronger than "give ear." ' Tahe cognizance of, 
 so as to understand my meditation,' or [M''j:n] 
 which in Ps. xxxix. 3 is translated musing," ' intense 
 sighing :' my fercent prayer of the heart, expressed 
 only in moans: "groanings which cannot be ut- 
 tered," but which "He that searcheth the hearts, 
 and knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit," 
 understands (E,om. viii. 26, 27). This groaning 
 inward prayer stands in contrast to the previous 
 "my {uttered) wwds." Cf. Ps. xxxix. 2, 3. 2. 
 Hearken — used in the English version for other 
 Hebrew verbs [translate, therefore, ^'dp^ here, 
 ' Attend to ']. my cry. Another form of prayer, 
 expressed in loud earnest calls for help, distinguished 
 from "my words" and " my meditation " {v. 1). 
 my king, and my God— the ground of his prayer. 
 God, as David's king, standing at the head of the 
 Israelite theocracy, cannot let evil triumph in his 
 kingdom, or His believing subjects call for help 
 against their unbelieving foes in vain. ' David 
 places himself in opposition to the unbelieving, who 
 in misfortune neglecting God, either consume their 
 grief within themselves, or make complaints of it 
 to men, as if God took no cognizance of them' 
 {Ccdvin). 3. My voice shalt thou hear in the 
 morning. It is my first thought when I awake, 
 to raise "my voice" to thee: do thou also lose no 
 time in 'speedily' helping me (Ps. cxliii. 7, 8). 
 direct my prayer ["rinr]- ' set in order (the particu- 
 lars of my case) before thee.' The Hebrew is used 
 of setting in order the wood upon the altar (Gen. 
 xxii. 9; Lev. i. 7; 1 Ki. xviii. 33), and the show- 
 bread upon the sacred table before the Lord (Lev. 
 xxiv. 8). Prayer is the spiritual oblation which 
 the believer presents, the first thing which he does 
 each day. The two other times of prayer, ' even- 
 ing and noon,' are mentioned, Ps. Iv. 17. Prayer 
 is not to be offered at random, but with words 
 duly set in order before the God who has no ))lea- 
 
Datid prayeth 
 
 PSALM V. 
 
 Jor guidance. 
 
 10 
 
 For tliou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness ; 
 
 Neither shall evil dwell with thee. 
 
 The foolish sliall not stand ^in thy sight: 
 
 Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. 
 
 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing : 
 
 The Lord will abhor - the bloody and deceitful man. 
 
 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy ; 
 
 A nd in thy fear will I worship toward ^ thy holy temple. 
 
 Lead me, 0 liORD, in thy righteousness because of ^ mine enemies; 
 Make thy way straight before my face. 
 For there is no ^faithfulness in their mouth; 
 Their inward part is ^ very wickedness ; 
 
 Their throat is an open sepulchre ; — they flatter with their tongue. 
 "Destroy thou them, 0 God; let tliem fall by their own counsels; 
 
 1 before 
 
 thine eyes. 
 
 2 the man of 
 blood and 
 deceit. 
 
 2 the temple 
 of thy holi- 
 ness. 
 
 4 those 
 which ob- 
 serve m'. 
 
 5 Or, sted- 
 fastness 
 
 6 wicked- 
 nes=:es. 
 
 7 Or, M ke 
 them 
 guilty. 
 
 sure in the "sacrifice of fools" (Eccl. v. 1). look 
 up [nci] — ' I will look out '—viz., as one on a watch- 
 tower looking out eagerly for the expected succoxir 
 (Hab. ii. 1 ; Mic. vii. 7). 4. For— the ground of his 
 hope. Deliverance from his enemies is the object 
 of his prayer. His enemies are wicked {vv. 9, 10), 
 therefore God will deliver him, as being a siucere 
 Morshipper, from them. For thou art not a God 
 
 here fii-st: "The Mighty One"] that hath 
 pleasure in ■wickedness. Seven expressions por- 
 tray the ungodly (a'. 4-6): 'wickedness: evil: the 
 foolish : workers of iniquity : them that speak 
 evil: the bloody : deceitful man.' Again, seceii 
 in vv. 9, 10: ' No faithfulness in their mouth : their 
 inward part very wickedness: their throat an 
 open sepulchre: they Hatter with their tongue: 
 their own counsels: multitude of transgressions: 
 rebelled against thee.' Seven expresses consum- 
 mated totality, neither shall evil dwell with 
 thee [Hebrew iij;: 'sojourn with thee']— neither 
 shall evil be received by thee as a pilgrim, to sojourn 
 eren for a time in thy tabernacle (Ps. xv. 1; Ixi. 
 4). He who would dwell with God must be holy, 
 as God is holy (1 Pet. i. 16). 5. The foolish 
 [U'h^^^, ' the boastful']. Folly is the designation of 
 boasting (2 Cor. xi. 1, 21); and of sin generally (Ps. 
 xiv. 1; Ixxiii. .3), with the additional idea of 
 highmindedness here, which is specially offensive 
 to God. shall not stand in thy sight. Kings 
 allow none to stand in their presence at court, 
 save those who enjoy their favour, iniquity— 
 ' vanity' [|^.Nt^ from nothingness]. 6. leasing— 
 old English for 'lies.' 7. But as for me— While 
 mine enemies, whom the Lord abhors, are put 
 down, /,whom thou lovest as thy pious worshipper, 
 will come unto thine house (to thank thee for 
 deliverance, v. 11; Ps. Ixvi. 13), not through mine 
 own power, but through thy favour, in the mul- 
 titude of thy mercy— 'in the greatness of thy 
 farov.r,' shown in my deliverance. [Cf. Ps. Ixix. 
 13, 16— -irri.l in thy fear. Cf. the i;arallel words, 
 "in the multitude (greatness) of thy mercy 
 (favour)." David's reverent fear of God is the 
 result of the grace of God exiierienced in his 
 deliverance. Cf. Ps. cxxx. 4. lSo the touching 
 ap])eal of (^od, Ezek. xvi. 62, 63. Also Jacob's 
 fa ir after God's manifestation of grace (Gen. xxviii. 
 J 7). toward thy . . . temple. David, according to 
 Israelite usage, turned himself, in praying, towards 
 the seat of Jehovah's manifested presence in Zion, 
 from whence he looked for aid. The word "temple" 
 L'^5'7)] does not prove this psalm to be subsequent 
 to David'.s time ; for the term "the temple of Jeho- 
 
 VOL. III. 113 
 
 vah" is applied in 1 Sam. i. 9; iii. 3, to the Mosaic 
 tabernacle at Shiloh ; and to the tabernacle which 
 covered the ark of the covenant placed by David 
 on Zion (Ps. xxvii. 4). ' The dwelling jjlace of the 
 Lord was not so named as being a great building, 
 but from being His residence as King of Israel. 
 The house where a king dwells is a italace, whether 
 it be splendid or not ' {Hengstenberg). The 
 fl cecal includes the temple strictly so called, the 
 holy and most holy place together, as distinguished 
 from the outer court. 
 
 8. The matter of 8-12 is parallel to that 
 vv. 3-7. A prayer; t\\Q plea whereon it rests ; the 
 hope resulting thence. The confident ho])e ex- 
 pressed in V. 7, so far from causing remissness, only 
 stimulates him to pray afresh, on the ground of 
 that hope. Lead me ... in thy righteousness 
 — i. e., in the righteousness which thou requiresf, 
 ivhich thou dost impart of thy "wierc?/" {v. 7), and 
 which thou reivardest with thy blessing {v. 12). 
 Hengstenierg explains it — 'God's own righteous- 
 ness, whereby He gives to every one His own, 
 befriends the pious, and destroys the ungodly.' 
 I prefer the former explanation, as confirmed by 
 "thy way" in the parallel clause. Cf. Ps. xxvii. 
 11. because of mine enemies— Hebrew, 'those 
 who observe' or "lie in Avait for me (Ps. xxvii. 
 11, marg.; Luke xi. 54; cf. Jer. v. 26; Hos. xiii. 7). 
 make . . . straight— i e., unimpeded (Isa. xl. 3). 
 
 9. Parallel to vv. 4, 5 ; as v. 10 is to v. 6. Seven 
 characteristics of the wicked. For — assigning the 
 reason v.'hy he needed to be 'led in God's righ- 
 teousness' {v. 8)— viz., because of the great sinful- 
 ness and insidiousness of his enemies, no faith- 
 fulness \r\r\::>i\— steadfastness. No fixed priuciiile 
 to make their professions with " their month " 
 trustworthy (Ps. Ixii. 4, end), their inward part— • 
 their heart, the seat of \h<d feelings, as distinguished 
 from the mouth, the oi'gan of tvovds. their throat 
 is an open sepulchre — ' emitting in impious 
 language the noisome exhalations of a putrid heart 
 entombed in a body of sin' [Bishop Home). 
 The til rout is used as an organ of speech (Ps. cxv. 
 7), and of swallowing. Malignant and treachei'ous 
 speeches are the weapons wherewith they kill aiul 
 devour, as a sepulchre opened to receive its victim 
 (Jer. V. 16; Ps. xxxv. 25; cxxiv. 3). they flatter 
 with their tongue— Hebrew, 'they make smooth 
 [lP'''^.nl their tongue.' If ever they speak what is 
 good, it is in order the more effectually to destroy. 
 ' By plausible arguments, contriving to set a fair 
 a]iV)earance upon mischievous maxims' [Horrdey). 
 
 10. Destroy— Hebrew, 'Deal with them as guilty;' 
 'bring on them tlie penalty of guilt' [□"i^^jJ'Jin] : cf. 
 marg., Ps. xxxiv. 21. Tijese imprecatory denun- 
 
David's complaint 
 
 PSALM VI. 
 
 in 
 
 Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions ; 
 For they have rebelled against thee. 
 
 11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: 
 
 Let them ever shout for joy, because ^thou defendest them : 
 Let them also *that love thy name be joyful in tijce. 
 
 12 For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; 
 
 With favour wilt thou ^compass him as with a shield. 
 
 PSALM VL 
 
 To the cliief Musician on Neginoth ^ upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David, 
 
 1 0 LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, 
 Neither chasten me in tliy hot displeasure. 
 
 2 Have mercy upon me, 0 Lord ; for I am weak : 
 0 Lord, "heal me; for my bones are vexed. 
 
 ?) My soul is also sore vexed: — but thou, 0 Lord, ^how long? 
 
 * thou 
 covere-t 
 over, or, 
 protectest 
 them. 
 
 • Ps. 69. 36. 
 Rom. 8. 2S. 
 1 Cor. *2. 9. 
 J as. 1. 12. 
 Jas 2. 5. 
 
 9 crown 
 him. 
 
 PSALM 6. 
 I Or, upon 
 
 the eighth. 
 « Hos. 6. 1. 
 «» Ps. 90. 13. 
 
 I'ro. IS. It. 
 
 Matt. 26.-8. 
 
 ciations do not prove that tlie Old Testament is a 
 lower standard than the Gospel (of. Matt. v. 44 
 with 38); but are predictions of the fore-appointed 
 doom of the transgressors (Jude iv.): also they 
 express David's concun-ence in it as the sentence of 
 God. David pronoijiuces God's sentence against 
 them, not as his personal enemies, but as op]iosers 
 of God and His Anointed: and only against the 
 finally impenitent (Ps. vii. 12). ' What God does, 
 and mnst do, that man not merely may, but mufst 
 •wish' iflengstenberg). ' David speaks in the form 
 of a wish concerning what he certainly foresees, 
 showing how we mnst not be dissatisHed with the 
 known determination of God which He has unal- 
 terably fixed,' {AngH><tine, Sermon Twenty-two, 
 ^ Ad Scrip. ) Cf. 1 Sam. xv. 8"); xvi. 1; Ps. 
 cxxxix. 21 ; Rev. xiv. 10. Joy in the destruction 
 of God's foes becomes the child of God alike in 
 the Old and JS'ew Testaments, let tlieni fall by 
 (Hebrew, min, from: oioing to) their own counsels — 
 like Hainan (Esth. vii. 9, 10). 11. let all those that 
 . . . trust in thee rejoice— being delivered from all 
 their spiritual and personal enemies, who are the 
 enemies of God also. David classes all the godly 
 with himself. His triumph is the |)ledge of theirs, 
 defendest — Hebrew, 'coverest them over' 
 iD^'?]. them that love thy name. 'The name of 
 God does not signify His mere appellation, but 
 expresses His nature. Thus to love God's name is 
 to love Himself, in so fai' as He has manifested His 
 naiure in relation to ns (Isa. ix. 0). 12. For— the 
 ground of his hope expressed in vv. 7, 11. It is 
 thy way, founded uj)on thy nature, to "bless the 
 righteous." as with a shield [in']— the larger 
 shield, covering the whole body, as distinguished 
 from the smaller. 
 
 PSALM VL TitJe.-See note on -Title of Ps. 
 iv. upon Sheminith— feminine of Shemini 
 the eighth (Exod. xxii. 30). From 1 Ohr. xv. 21, 
 ('the singers were appointed) with harps on the 
 Sheminith to excel,' or 'oversee,' Gesenhis takes 
 it to mean the lowest of the three keys of the 
 human voice, an octave, or eighth below the 
 treble, the bass sung by men having a bass voice; 
 p,3 "on Alamoth" [nHn^r^ 1 Chr. xv. 20] answers 
 to the treble, or female voice, as the word literally 
 means. Hengsienberg takes it as indicating the 
 time, as measured according to the number eight. 
 This is the first of the seven Penitential Psalms — 
 viz., vi., xxxii., xxxviii,, li,, cii., cxxx., clxiii. 
 
 Vv. 1-10. — David's pragerful complaint in distress 
 ivdl-nifih unto death [w. 1-7); his triumphant de- 
 liverance from foes in answer to prayer {i v. 8-10). 
 
 1. rebuke— from n^. Do not reprove by laying 
 114 
 
 sufferings on me. Kebuke with words is not wliat 
 is meant, David prays not merely for an abate- 
 ment of his suffering, but for its removal (cf. v. 2, 
 "heal me.") Vv. 8-10 imply his complete deliver- 
 ance. In Jer. x. 24 the prayer is for abatement of 
 suffering: "O Lord, correct me, but with judg- 
 ment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to 
 nothing." Chastisement results from God's "an- 
 ger;" not always against some special sin of the 
 believer (.lohn ix. 2, 3), but against his sin in 
 general. David's distress arose from outward 
 enemies in the first instance {rv. 7-10) ; then, 
 looking on his outward distress as the punishment 
 of past sins, he felt these as a grievous burden, 
 sore vexing his soul {v. 3). The inward struggle 
 acted on his bodily frame {v, 2), bringing him to the 
 verge of the "grave" (/• 5). Prayer at last gives 
 vent to his burdened feelings ; then follows joy in 
 the Lord, enabling him to triumph over outward 
 distress, and in synrit to see his enemies already 
 conquered (m 7-10). 'When plied with such as- 
 saults, one must have recourse to no other refuge 
 than to the angry Lord Himself— believing against 
 hope (Rom. iv. 18). When men seek consolation 
 in a worldly way, and have recourse to some 
 inferior creature, they fall, to their great hurt, 
 out of the hand of God, who would have held 
 them up, and purified them. If the clay, while 
 being turned, falls out of the hand of the 
 potter, it becomes more unhappily shattered 
 than before, insomuch that it is useless, and 
 the potter throws it away as good for nothing' 
 
 {Luther'). 2. for I am weak— 'faint' ['p^c^, from 
 '^'Q^, amal, to droop as a plant]. David's plea is 
 not that his sufferings are not deserved, but that 
 his pain is bringing him to that extremity from 
 which God's fatherly mercy cannot but deliver 
 His child. The believer is the object of God's 
 love, even in thy sufferings, which God's anger at 
 sin inflicts. AVhen, then, he has been brought to 
 the verge of his powers of endurance (1 Cor. x. 13), 
 God, who designs by suffeiungs to consume in him 
 the remainders of sin, and not to destroy him as 
 He does the ungodly, turns, and has mercy on 
 him, in answer to his believing cry. heal me — 
 both in body and spirit, my bones are vexed— 
 lit., 'terrified,' nihhalu. my acute distress para- 
 lyzes all my limbs. 3. My soul is . . . sore vexed 
 — as well as my body, of which the "bones are 
 vexed" [v. 2). Cf. the transfer of the "sore 
 vexed" to his enemies {v. 10). how long? — i. e., 
 *How long wilt thou be angry?' (Ps. Ixxix. 5:) 
 aposiopesis. The broken-off sentence marks the 
 agitated spirit, wearying of the long delay. " Ho})e 
 deterred maketh the heart sick " (Pro v. xiii. 12) ; 
 
Davicts prayer for PSALM VII. deliverance from persecutors. 
 
 4 Return, 0 Lord, deliver my soul : — oh save me for thy mercies' sake ! 
 
 5 For ^in death there is no remembrance of thee : 
 In the grave who shall give thee thanks ? 
 
 6 I am weary with my groaning ; 
 
 2 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 Lord hath heard the voice of my weejnng. 
 
 9 The Lor D/^ hath heard my supplication ; — the Lord will receive my prayer. 
 10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed : 
 
 Let them return and be ashamed suddenly. 
 
 PSALM VII. 
 
 "Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the Lord, ''concerning the ^ words of 
 Cush the Benjainite. 
 
 1 0 LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust : 
 
 Save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me ; 
 
 " Ps. 30. 9. 
 Vs. 88. 10- 
 12. 
 
 Ps. 115. ir. 
 Ps. 118. ir. 
 
 Isa. 3S. IS 
 19. 
 
 2 Or, every 
 
 right. 
 d Ps. 3. 4. 
 
 Ps. 31. 22. 
 
 Ps. 40. 1. 2. 
 
 Ps. 66. V), 
 20. 
 
 Ps. 118. 5. 
 Ps. 20. 1. 
 
 Ps. 138. 3. 
 
 PSALM r. 
 
 " Hab. 3. 1. 
 
 b 2 Sam. 16. 
 
 1 Or, busi- 
 ness. 
 
 esi»ecially in those troubles iu which susi)eQse be- 
 tween hope and fear is intolerable. 4. Return - 
 back to favour towards me. deliver my soul— or 
 life, from "death," which I am on the point of {v. 
 5). save me for thy mercies' sake!— not for my 
 merits, but for the glory of thy grace, which shall 
 be magnified in my deliverance. 5. in death 
 there is no remembrance of thee [•^nat] —' me- 
 morial of thee' (as in Ps. ix. 6). 'Here and else- 
 where (Ps. XXX. 9; cxv. 17, 18; Ixxxviii. 10; Isa. 
 xxxviii. 18) dmth and the separate state are con- 
 templated in the aspect which they bear to the 
 unpardoned sinner, a])art from the influence of 
 redemption : Death, with its sting,— and Hades, 
 viewed as the dark prison-house of spirits reserved 
 unto the judgment — another consequence of sin. 
 But the aspect of both is changed by the fact that 
 Christ has encountered death and descended into 
 Hades, by which both are in His power, and are 
 no longer objects of terror (Rev. i. 18). Wliile, 
 even as regards the redeemed, it is still tlie Uvin<i 
 who pre-eminently jjravie God (Tsa. xxxvui. 19); 
 as well those who now live, as those who shall 
 hereafter live again out of death by resurrection. 
 The glory of God, in service and testimony, which 
 is the end of man's being, cannot be answered 
 among men in death as in life; and the inter- 
 mediate state of se])aration from the body, though 
 blessed, is imperfect, and is one of re)<l, rather 
 than active service, where there is rememhrance of 
 God, but no memorial to His praise' {De Bim/h). 
 David does not deny consciousness of (ilod in the 
 interinediute state, [the English version, "the 
 grave;" rather, sheol, ''^**{?'; Greek, aJ*??, Hades], 
 but implies that the state of disembodied spirits 
 is one in which the praises, which are so grateful 
 to God (Ps. 1. 23; cf. Heb. xiii. 15), and which are 
 the main end of life, can no longer be rendered by 
 man in his inteurity, body, soul,, and spirit, and 
 before his fellow-men. David foresaw the resurrec- 
 tion (Ps. xvi. 9-11 ; xvii. 15), the doctnne which 
 is 80 clearly brought to liwht by Christianity (2 
 Tim. i. 10). The word hell (from the Saxon 
 hUlnn, or helan, to hide ; holl, hole) meant origin- 
 ally the unseen place of spirits, like the Hebrew 
 sheol, not the place of the damned. So in Ps. 
 xvi. 10; xlix. 15, Hebrew, sheol; the English ver- 
 sion, "the grave;" mar(u, 'hell'; Iv. 15, cf. marg.: 
 and in the Ajtostles' Creed, 'He descended into 
 
 Jiell.'' [The Hebrew is derived from '^x^, to de- 
 mand, referring to its insatiablenesa (Prov. xxviL 
 llj 
 
 20; XXX. 16; Isa. v. 14; Hab. ii. 5).] 6. Another 
 plea why God should have mercy on him — viz., 
 his heartfelt contrition for his sins, which had 
 brought on him God's chastisement. I am weary 
 with my groaning— and that not only by day, but 
 also every night {marg. ) make I my bed to swim ; 
 I water {lit , I dissolve) my couch with my tears — 
 (cf. Ps. xlii. 3.) His groans and tears for sin 
 caused his general debility. 7. Mine eye .... 
 waxeth old. The eye generally indicates the 
 state of the body and mind, whether aff'ected with 
 illness or not so. In sickness the eye becomes dull, 
 like that of an aged person. For "grief" tran- 
 slate [d^?1 vexation, arising from the provocation 
 of enemies, which accords with the parallel, be- 
 cause of all mine enemies; lit., oppressors [^"3.111?, 
 distinct from v. 10, '^enemies;" lit., haters], 
 8. Immediately after his heartfelt contrition 
 follows his restoration to God's favour, and to 
 confident anticipation of triumi^h over his ene- 
 mies. Depart from me, all ye workers of ini- 
 quity— i. e., desist from your assaults, for they are 
 all in vain (cf. v. 10), as I am under God's special 
 protection. After bitter wailings over weakness, 
 faith suddenly gains the victory, God hearing his 
 cry, and giving him peace, the voice of my weep- 
 ing. Silent grief is uncommon in the East. It is 
 generally expressed in loud wailings with the 
 "voice." 9. supplication — lit, 'cry for grace;' 
 techinnathi, from a Hebrew root, ' to be gracious.' 
 prayer— from a Hebrew root, 'to urge a plea,' 
 tephillathi. 10. Let all, &c.— or, 'AH mine ene- 
 mies shall be ashamed,' &c. But the Chaldaic, 
 Vulgate, Arabic, Syriac, and LXX. support the 
 English version ( // engstenherg). sore vexed— lit , 
 'terrified;' as also in vv. 2, 3, to which he refers 
 here. The terror is transferred, in righteous re- 
 tribution, from David to those who had caused it 
 to him. let them return— or, 'they shall return.' 
 In either translation he confidently anticipates 
 this result from his prayer. They who were ad- 
 vancing to attack him suddenly, in terror, fall 
 back and "return," because (iod, in answer to his 
 prayer (v. 4), has returned to him. The return 
 of Jehovah is the cause; their retarn from Him the 
 effect. 
 
 PSALM VII. Shiggaion— from a He- 
 brew root \py^], ' erred. ' Eeferred by some to tho 
 erratic character of the melody, betokening^ agita- 
 tion. 'A song uttered in great excitement' (Ewald). 
 Hengstenbery refers it to the subject of the psalm : 
 
Davids s innocency 
 
 PSALM VII. 
 
 toicard his enemies. 
 
 2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, 
 Rending it in pieces, while there is ^none to deliver. 
 
 3 0 Lord my God, ''if I have done this; 
 If there be iniquity in my hands ; 
 
 4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me ; 
 (Yea, *^I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy ;) 
 
 5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; 
 Yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, 
 And lay mine honour in the dust. Selah. 
 
 'the aberrations of the wicked.' Cf. Hab. iii. 1. 
 It accords with this that the Hebrew root of 
 Sliiggaion, as above, occurs in Saul's address to 
 David, 1 Sam. xxvi. 21, "Behold, I have played 
 the fool, and erred exceedingly " (cf. Ps. cxix. 21, 
 118). of David. Cf. v 4, which alludes to DankVs 
 being accused by Saul of plotting "evil" against him, 
 whereas he returned good for evil in sparing Saul, 
 his deadly enemy, when he had him in his power 
 (1 Sam. xxiv. 7). Many expressions here coincide 
 with those of David in the history (cf. i\ 1 with 1 
 Sam. xxiv. 14 and xxvi. 20; v. 3 with 1 Sam. xxiv. 
 11, "There is neither evil . . . in mine hand v. ^ 
 with 1 Sam. xxiv. 12, 15, "The Lord. ?W.f/e between 
 me and thee," &c. ; i\ 16 with 1 Sam. xxv. 39, 
 "The Lord hath returned the wickedness of 
 Nabal upon his own head''), concerning the 
 words — i. e. , on account of the calumnies of, 
 &c. {Hengstenherg). [So LXX., 
 Xovai.] That by "words" he means calumnies, 
 appears from vi?.' 3-5, wherein he defends himself 
 ajj;ainst them. That there were men who calum- 
 niated David to Saul, in order to ingratiate them- 
 selves with the latter, a])pears from 1 Sam. xxiv. 
 9 ; xxvi. 19. Saul himself, a Benjamite, is meant 
 by the enigmatic term, "Cush the Benjamite." 
 "Cush," or 'the Ethiopian,' is symbolical for one 
 hlack at heart, and unchangeably so as to malice 
 (cf. Jer. xiii. 23; also Amos ix. 7). David's X)re- 
 dilection for enigmatical titles appears in Ps. ix. ; 
 xxii. ; liii., &c. An allusion, too, seems to be hid 
 in "Cush" to the name of Saul's father, "Kish." 
 As David in this psalm appears still exposed to 
 Saul's persecutions; whereas immediately after the 
 second time of Saul's being in his power (1 Sam. 
 xxvi.) David passed over to the Philistines, and 
 was no more souglit after by Saul (1 Sam. xxvii. 
 4). The occasion of his sparing Saul, alluded to in 
 V. 4, must be the first one, (1 Sam. xxiv.) 
 
 Vv. 1-17. — David's prayer for deliverance from 
 enemies {vv. 1, 2); Ms innocency towards them [rv. 
 3-5); God's righteousness his plea [vv. 6-9); his 
 confidence resting on this {vv. 10-13); the foe's malice 
 shall recoil on himself, whereas David shall 2^i'aise 
 the Lord for His righteousness {vv. 14-17). _ 
 
 1. my God — a strong argument for being heard 
 lies in the word " my." Luther remarks, much of 
 the force of the Psalms lies in the pronouns. To 
 appropriate God as our God, and God," en- 
 
 sures His help, all them that persecute me. The 
 greatness of his danger through many persecutors 
 is his plea that God should interpose in his behalf. 
 2. Lest he tear my soul. He sii.gles out one among 
 his many persecutors {v. 1) as prominent: evi- 
 dently the same one as is enigmatically described 
 in the title "Cush," unchangeahly hlack at lie art, 
 as the Ethiopian is unchangeably black in skin. 
 "The Benjamite" evidently identifies him with 
 Saul (1 Sam. xx. 1; xxiii. 23; xxvi. 18, 19). The 
 singular may be an ideal personification of the 
 many enemies of whom Saul was the foremost. 
 So the antitype, the last enemy of the son of 
 David, shall "tear, like a lion, rending the sheep." 
 Cf. Zech. xi. 15, 16, "I will raise up a shepherd 
 
 2 not a 
 deliverer. 
 Josh. 21'. -12. 
 
 1 Sam. 20. 
 8. 
 
 2 Sam. 1 i. 
 7. 
 
 Ps. £9. 3. 
 <* 1 Sam. 24. 
 7. 
 
 1 Sam 2fi. 
 9. 
 
 (a lion or wolf in sheep's clothiuj,^) which shall . . . 
 eat the flesh of the fat, and tear ... in i^ieces." 
 
 3. if I have done this— namely, that which my 
 calumniators lay to my charf^e {r. 4; cf. 1 Sam. xxiv. 
 9), "David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou 
 men's words,ssLyiT\g,Behold,Dcwid seeketh thy hurt f 
 if there be iniquity in my hands. The "hands " 
 are often the instruments of sin ( Ps. xxiv. 4). Tiiere 
 is an undesigned coincidence (the strongest proof 
 of the genuineness of both) between the language 
 of David here, and that attril)uted to him in the 
 history in addressing Saul (1 Sam. xxiv. 10, ll), 
 "The Lord delivered to- Axvy ii\lo mine hand, 
 but ... I s^d, I will not put forth mine hand against 
 my lord, for he is the Lord's anointed. Moreover, 
 . . . see theskirtof thy robe in mine hand,for in that 
 I . . . killed thee not, know . . . there is neither evil 
 nor transgression in mine hand," and xxvi. 18. The 
 root meaning of the Hebrew "iniquity" [W| is 
 distortion, perverseness. 4. If I have rewarded 
 evil unto him that was at peace with me. If, 
 as my calumniators assert, 1 have ungratefully 
 returned evil to Saul, who was my friend (so " at 
 peace with me" means in Hebrew idiom. Job xxii. 
 21; Ps. xli. 9, marg., 'the man of my peace'). 
 (Yea, I have delivered [hs'thn;] him that without 
 cause was mine enemy) — rather, as Hebrew, 
 'spoil,' stripped from, a slain enemy (Judg. xiv. 
 19 ; 2 Sam. ii. 21, marg.), ' spoiled.' Chaldaic trans- 
 lates, 'I have afflicted;' Syriac, 'oppressed.' 
 "Yea," I go further, "if I have even spoiled him 
 that without cause is mine enemy." Not only did 
 I not turn ungratefully against him in the days of 
 our friendship ; but when without cause he became 
 mine enemy, I spared him, and not even spoiled 
 him ; the skirt cut off from him whilst sleeping, 
 proves that he was in my power (1 Sam. xxiv. 
 4-17). The LXX., Vulgate, Syriac, instead of "re- 
 warded evil to him that was at peace with me," 
 translate, 'If I have retaliated (evil) to him that 
 has rendei'ed evil to me;' so the Hebrew ['•n'^iJ'] means, 
 Ps. XXXV. 12. But the Hebrew pr.^D^] is used 
 rather in a good sense, not in the sense ' retaliate 
 evil ;' and the rising climax in the English version, 
 as exi)lained above, is more forcible than maki)i^ 
 the first clause exactly parallel to the second. 5. 
 Consequence which he prays may follow if he has 
 done what his foes allege {vv. 3, 4). my soul — 
 parallel to 'my life,' my truest self, my inner 
 being, and noblest jiart. upon the earth . . . 
 in the dust. The Hebrew h implies belonging to. 
 "Let him tread down my life (so that it shall 
 belong henceforth) to the earth, and lay mine 
 honour (rather, yashkeen, make mine honour to 
 dwell) in the dust," so that it can never rise again, 
 mine honour — in contrast to "the dust." "My 
 honour" is not merely "my good name;" but as 
 being parallel to "my soul," it means my noblest 
 part; the glory of man above the brutes that 
 
 Eerish, with whom he is only connected in his 
 odily part— inner spirit, the breath of God 
 (Gen. ii. 7) whereby "man became a living soul" 
 
ffis defence 
 
 PSALM VII. 
 
 is of God. 
 
 6 Arise, 0 Lord, in thine anger, 
 
 'Lift up thyself, because of the rage of mine enemies ; 
 
 And awake for me to the judgment t/?at thou hast commanded. 
 
 7 So shall the congTegation of the people compass thee about : 
 For their sakes therefore return thou on high. 
 
 8 The Lord shall judge the people : 
 
 Judge me, 0 Lord, according to my righteousness, 
 And according to mine integrity that is in me. 
 
 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. 
 
 10 ^ My defence is of God, — which saveth the ui)right in heart. 
 
 1 1 *God judgeth the righteous, — and God is angry with the wicked every day. 
 
 « Fs. 74. 3. 
 
 Pa. 94. 2. 
 
 Isa. 33. 10. 
 
 Isa. 37. 20. 
 / 1 Sam. 16. 
 7. 
 
 Ps. 17. 3. 
 Jer. 11. 20. 
 Eev. 2. 2\ 
 
 3 Mybuckler 
 is upon 
 God. 
 
 4 Or, God is 
 a righteous 
 judge. 
 
 Ps. 94. 15. 
 Ps. 140. 12. 
 
 (cf. V. 2). So Gen. xlix. 6, where "mine honour" is 
 parallel and equivalent to "0 my soul " Cf. Ps. 
 xvi. 9; Ivii. 8; cviii. 1. The enemy, Satan, through 
 his agent Saul, seeks to destroy David's "soul" 
 {v. 2), David is content, if he be tainted with the 
 guilt imputed to him, that his soul shall "dwell 
 in the dust." 
 
 6. But as T am innocent of the charges alleged 
 {vr. 3-5), T may justly appeal to thy righteousness to 
 vindicate me. lift up thyself— from the attitude 
 of stillness ; image of a giant lifting up his mighty 
 frame to strike the enemy, wliom he had here- 
 tofore suffered to remain unnoticed (Ps. 1. 8, 21; 
 Ixxviii. 65; Isa. xxxiii 10). because of tlie rage. 
 As the same Hebrew [2] is translated "in" in tlie 
 first clause, it must be rendered similarly here, 
 " with the rage (habroth—lit, the over-passings, like 
 Hoods passing over the river banks, Isa. viii. 7, 8) 
 of mine enemies." As they lift themselves up in 
 rage, so, 0 Jehovah, do thou lift thyself up^ in 
 corresponding rage, awake for me— lit., ^ to- 
 v)ards me ;' in relation to me. (to) the judgment 
 (that) thou hast commanded. David grounds his 
 prayer on God's being the righteous judge of the 
 world (cf. vi\ 8, 11). God has ordained judgment, 
 as the necessary vindication of his righteousness. 
 The final judgment will be its fullest manifestation 
 (?;. 8). Even in the meantime He often gives earnests 
 of that last vindication of His righteousness, by 
 punishing the ungodly and rewarding the righ- 
 teous openly in this world. 7. So shall the 
 congregation of the people (Hebrew, tribes) 
 compass thee about. In the East the king, in 
 pronouncing judgment, sits surrounded by the 
 peoples interested in the decision. Here "the 
 peoples " congregated, in the ultimate design of the 
 Si>irit, include both Israel (peculiarly called the 
 "tribes") and the Gentile nations (Hebrew, 
 Goyim); which shall constitute " the gatliering of 
 the peoples" to the "Shiloh" at His second com- 
 ing (Gen. xlix. 10; Ps. ii. 6-8). The antichristian 
 enemies shall then be judicially punished, Israel 
 s'lall be once more Jehovah's own people, and the 
 nations shall be converted to Christ reigning in 
 Zion (Isa. ii. 2-4; Ps. 1. 1-5; cii. 1.3-16). Israel shall 
 then occupy the place originally designed for her, 
 but never yet realized, as centre of the nations, 
 religiously (Deut. xxxii. 8; xxxiii. 19). for their 
 sakes. Translate, ' for its (the congregation's) sake.' 
 return thou on high. ' In order that the congre- 
 gation of the peoples may compass thee about, 
 return thou on high [or to the high place, nryrh ].' 
 The high place is "the height of Zion" (Jer. xxxi. 
 10-12), "the mountain of the height of Israel" 
 (Ezek. XX. 40). It hardly means ' God's lofty dwell- 
 ing in heaven.^ Metaphorically it may mean, 
 RcoHsume thy throne of judgment, which thy long- 
 sufierin;' towards the wicked heretofore may 
 117 
 
 seem to show thou hast abdicated. Judge between 
 me and Saul (2 Sam. xxiv. 12, 15). But the literal 
 meaning also holds good, and accords with the 
 general voice of prophecy. God cannot be said to 
 have left His throne in heaven, though He has 
 forsaken temporarily " the place of His throne" 
 at Jerusalem (Ezek. xliii. 7; Jer. iii. 17; Ps. Ixviii. 
 16); it is this to which he will return in greater 
 glory than ever; His return shall be accompanied 
 with judgment on the Christ-opposed enemy, of 
 whom David's foes, about to be judged by God, 
 were the type. The adjudication of the throne 
 finally to David, and the rejection of Saul,_ which 
 was the result of Jehovah's return to the high seat 
 of judicature, is the type of Christ - Jehovah's 
 resumption of the throne of the Israelite theo- 
 cracy, whence He shall reign over the whole earth, 
 and of the final rejection of the world-' kings, who 
 have abused the trust delegated by Him,' having 
 reigned for self and against Him, instead of as 
 under Him and for His glory. 8. the people- 
 Hebrew, 'peoples' [WBV: different from n^m in v. 7, 
 "tribes"]. The leummim are -primarily the peoples 
 sprung from the same mother [amam); the hammim 
 are those collected fj^om various nations, judge me. 
 'give sentence concerning me' ["•jE??*^] : a distinct 
 word from "The Lord shall judge,'' &c. 
 according to my righteousness. Not absolutely, 
 for his cry is, Ps. cxliii. 2, " Enter not into judg- 
 ment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no 
 man living be justilied." Cf. Ps. cxxx. 3, 4; but 
 in respect to the charge laid against him by Saul, 
 as though he plotted Saul's hurt. Without this 
 desire not to "regard iniquity in the heart " (Ps. 
 Ixvi. 18), " the Lord will not hear" the cry for 
 mercy. 9. Oh let the wickedness . . . come to an 
 end. This prayer is granted in the prophetical 
 view of the Psalmist (Ps. x. 6), " O thou enemy, 
 destructions are come to a perpetual end." the 
 wicked . . . the just— represented res])ectively 
 by Saul and David. It was not a mere contest 
 between them as individuals, _ but between the 
 universal and everlasting i^rmcip^es of wickedness 
 and righteousness. In Saul's overthrow by God's 
 judicial interposition and David's elevation, un- 
 godliness would receive a deadly blow, and righ- 
 teousness a material vindication. There may be 
 an allusion designed by the Spirit to David's anti- 
 type, ''the just one,'' Messiah; for tlio Hel)rew is 
 singular, not plural, for the righteous God 
 trieth the hearts— which ensures thy putting 
 an end to the wicked and establishing the just 
 (Jer. xvii. 10; xx. 12). reins— lit., the kidneys, the 
 most hidden part of the body, often aifecled by 
 the working of the mind. 
 
 10. defence— He!>rew, 'buckler' (cf. note, Ps. 
 V. 12). is of God— lit., 'upon (unV L />un 
 Him it rests to hold His buckler over me. 11. 
 
Godl^s glory 
 
 PSALM VIIL 
 
 is magnified. 
 
 12 
 13 
 
 14 
 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 If he turn not, he will whet his sword ; 
 
 He hath bent his bow, and made it ready. 
 
 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death ; 
 
 He ordain eth his arrows against the persecutors. 
 
 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, 
 And hath conceived mischief, — and brought forth falsehood. 
 ^ He made a pit, and digged it, 
 ^And is fallen into the ditch which he made. 
 His '^mischief shall return upon his own head. 
 And his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. 
 
 I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness; 
 And will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high. 
 
 PSALM VHL 
 
 To the chief Musician "upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 0 LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the eartli ! 
 Who hast set thy glory above the heavens. 
 
 2 Out ^of the mouth of babes and sucklinofs hast thou ^ordained strength 
 
 » He hath 
 
 digged a 
 
 pit. 
 " Esth. 7. 10. 
 
 Job 4. 8. 
 
 Ps. 9. 15. 
 
 Ps. 10. 2. 
 
 Ps. 35. 8. 
 
 Ps. 94. 2^. 
 
 Pro. 6. 22 
 
 Pro. 2 i. 27. 
 
 Eccl. 10 8, 
 1 1 Ki. 2. .32. 
 
 Esth. 9. 2'.. 
 
 Ps. 36. 4. 
 12. 
 
 t'SALM 8. 
 
 » I'S, 81, 
 title. 
 
 6 Matt. 11.23. 
 Matt. 21.1 
 1 Cor. 1. 27. 
 
 I founded. 
 
 Gofl judgeth the righteous, and God is angry 
 with the wicked— the two-fold ground of David's 
 confidence; for in the present case he is "the 
 righteous," and his enemies are "the wicked." 
 every day. 'The divine judgment upon ungodli- 
 ness is one always realizing itself in the course of 
 history, so that the ungodly can never he secure, 
 but are continually in danger of a sudden over- 
 throw' (Hengstenherg). There is never a mo- 
 ment when God is not ready to punish the guilty. 
 Long-sufferiug mercy alone, if haply the sinner 
 will repent, stay eth the blow for a time. 12. If he 
 turn not. There is this merciful jn-oviso ahvays 
 made, that judgment will descend only if the 
 sinner will " not turn" from his evil way. David, 
 in denouncing judgment on the ungodly, is always 
 to be regarded as wishing that they would rather 
 turn, and so avert the judgments, he will whet 
 his sword— 6?o(2 will whet it. A plain allusion 
 to Dent, xxxii. 41. So entirely are the Psalms 
 based on the Pentateuch-law. bow . . . ready— 
 with the arrows upon it, the aim having been 
 already taken. Tt is striking that the very instru- 
 ments of Saul's death, the how and the sword, 
 are here mentioned. Hit and sore wounded by 
 the Philistine archers, " Saul took a sivord and 
 fell upon it" (1 Sara. xxxi. 3, 4). 13. ordaineth— 
 'maketh.' against the persecutors. Gesenhis 
 translates, 'He maketh his arrows burning,^ like 
 the fiery darts hurled against wooden towers, in 
 order to set them on fire. The Hebrew, ledolquhn, 
 may be rendered either 'for burning' — i. e., so as 
 to be burning. Better, as the English version, 
 'against the burning' — i. e., the fiery persecutors. 
 As fire-darts were more used in the case of besieged 
 towns, they seem less api)ropriate here. 
 
 14. he travaileth . . . and hath conceived 
 mischief . . . falsehood. Describing the sinner's 
 laborious course of evil, from its first conception 
 to its maturity, under the image of a woman in 
 labour -pangs (cf. Jas. i. 14, 15). His toilsome 
 plotting of mischief shall not be without effect, 
 but the effect shall be against himself. His evil 
 shall all recoil on himself (7u\ 15, 16). Hengstenberg 
 makes this result to himself begin in this v., and 
 translates, 'He is big with misery {hamal), and 
 bringeth forth falsehood,—!, e., the falsifying of his 
 expectation, and reversal of his plot. 15. a pit 
 —such as is prepared with branches and foliage 
 over it, to entrap wild beasts in. How striking 
 the righteous retribution in kind dealt by God to 
 Saul ! He had plotted against David (1 Sam. xviii. 
 118 
 
 17), "Let not mine hand be upon him, but let tJie 
 hand of tlie Philistines he upon him." But David 
 was actually saved by the Philistines, and Saul w;is 
 slain by the Philistines (1 Sam. xxvii. 1-3; xxxi. 2. 
 digged it— 'hollowed it out,' marking the mali- 
 cious care of the wicked plotter to make it as deep 
 as possible, to entrap and kill the godly. 16. His 
 mischief— the mischief which he devised against 
 me, but which justly belongs to himself, and falls on 
 him. shall return upon his own head— like a 
 stone falling on him who threw it up, or an arrow 
 recoiling and hitting him who shot it. 
 
 17. I Will praise the Lord according to his 
 righteousness— according to what His righteous 
 nature demands, so signally exhibited in makit)g 
 the evil plotter's mischief fall on his own head 
 (y. 14-16), and in saving the righteous [v. 1). 
 
 PSALM VIIL Title.-nvon Gittith. The Git- 
 tith was an instrunifnt, or possibly a tune, in- 
 vented in Gath, whence David brought it after his 
 sojourn there with Achish (1 Sam. xxvii. 2) ; or 
 else it is derived from n-i, a wine-press, being used 
 on occasions of joy, like the vintage. All the 
 three psalms, viii., Ixxxi., and Ixxxiv., which 
 have this title, are of the joyful kind. There may 
 be an enigmatical reference to Messiah treading 
 the wine-press (Isa. Ixiii. 3; Kev. xix. 15). 
 
 The psalm foretells the recovery by the Second 
 Adam of the dominion over the earth and all 
 nature, forfeited by the first Adam. (Cf. the 
 quotations of it in Matt. xxi. 16 ; Heb. ii. 6-9 ; 
 1 Cor. XV. 27.) Vv. 1-9.— Gocfs glory seen in the 
 starry heavens enhances His grace in raising seem- 
 ingly insignificant man, in the person of the Messiah, 
 above all creation. 
 
 1. 0 Lord our Lord— Hebrew, '0 Jehovah our 
 Lord' So in Ps. ex. 1, 'Jehovah said unto 
 
 my Lord.' Lord implies rule, mastership, and 
 ownership, thy name. How excellent (glorious;) 
 is thy manifestation of thyself (cf. note, Ps. v. 11, 
 "thy name")— viz., in "the heavens," which 
 "declare the glory of God"(Ps xix. 1) to men, 
 "in all the earth" (cf. v. 3). The name in Hebrew 
 is the image and expression of the being. God, as 
 existing in Himself, is nameless. In the Son He 
 manifests His name, who hast set thy glory- 
 above— as a crown (v. 5) upon "the heavens." 
 The sun, moon, and stars in "the heavens" mani- 
 fest God's ''glory" {v. 3). 2. sucklings— children 
 till the third year, up to which the Hebrew 
 women used to suckle their children (1 Sam. i. 
 
Go^s great 
 
 PSALM VIIL 
 
 lo'ce to man. 
 
 Because of thiue enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the 
 avenger. 
 
 3 When I '^consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, 
 The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained ; 
 
 4 What ^is man, that thou art mindful of him ? 
 And the son of man, that thou visitest him ? 
 
 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels^ 
 And hast crowned him with glory and honour. 
 
 6 Thou -^madest him to have dominion over the works of tliy hands; 
 ^Thou hast put all things under his feet : 
 
 Ps. 44. 10. 
 Job 22. 12. 
 Ps. 19. 1. 
 Ps. 111. 2. 
 Rnm. 1.20. 
 Job 7. 1?. 
 Ps. 144. 3. 
 
 Heb. 2. (;. 
 Gen. I. 2*i. 
 . Cor. 1.-..21* 
 27. 
 
 I- ph. 1. 22. 
 Heb. 2. 8. 
 
 22-24). Even tender children can, by their ad- 
 miration of God's works, imt to shame the folly of 
 the ' enemies of God ' and of Christ ; as the chil- 
 dren did the chief i>riests, who were "sore dis- 
 jiieased" at their 'Hosannas to the Sou of David' 
 (Matt. xxi. 15). But this was only one exemplifi- 
 cation of the general i)rincii)le in this verse— viz., 
 that it is by man's lowliest weakness that God in 
 redemption overthrows man's great "enemy ;" for 
 " God hath chosen the weak things of the world 
 to confound the things which are mighty" (1 Cor. 
 i. 27). This principle is especially exemplified in 
 the Babe of Bethlehem, who was at once a "child" 
 and "the mighty God, the Everlasting Father" (Isa. 
 ix. 6), who " stills the enemy and the avenger," 
 not merely by His Almighty power as God, but 
 by the weakness of His humanity, and even in- 
 fancy. His true disciples are children in spirit, 
 if not in age, as He declares in Matt. xi. 2 '), 26. 
 ordained— Hebrew, yi^mdta, 'founded;' in Matt, 
 xxi. 16, "perfected praise" (quoted from the 
 LXX.), "praise," the effpH, being substituted for 
 "strength," the cause (cf. Ps. cxviii. 14, "my 
 strength . . . song . . . salvation"): laid the foun- 
 dation ot an edifice to thy"i)raise" or "glory." 
 A different Hebrew word from that for "or- 
 dained" {Konantah, esfah/i-hcd), v. 3. God's glory 
 is compared to a lofty edijice. strength — 'might.' 
 God brings forth might out of seeming weakness, 
 r.i iking children the overthrowersof the adversary; 
 hence redounds praise to Him when tlie work is 
 perfected of which here the laying of the founda- 
 tion is mentioned. In David's time language is 
 used appropriate to the beginning of the work; but 
 in (i;hrist's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, lan- 
 guage axi|)ropriate to the completion of the work ; 
 for then a glorious earnest was given of that com- 
 pletion. t)ecause of thine enemies — the serpent's 
 seed (C^en. iii. 15). the enemy and the avenger— 
 the old serpent himself, the enemy of God and 
 man, and the avenger of man's sin on man, just as 
 he is 'the accuser of the brethren' (Rev. xii. 10); 
 and our "adversary," as in a court of justice (1 
 Pet. v. 8). Cf. liis resistanre before the Lord to 
 Joshua the high priest (Ze-jh. iii. 1). Cf, the 
 same words, Ps. xliv. 16. As .Satan is the spiteful 
 "avenger" against man, so Messiah is 'the Vindi- 
 cator' [Job xix. 25, note: ^KJ, Goeel\ for man (1 
 John ii. 2; Rom. viii. 33, 34). The Hebrew for 
 "enemies" {tzorereka) and "the enemy" [ogeeh) is 
 distinct. There is one great enemy, to whom all 
 the other energies are subordinate. 
 
 3. thy heavens . . . the moon and the stars. 
 The sun is probably included in "thy heavens "— 
 viz., as they ai)i)ear by day, wherein the sun rules 
 supreme. "The moon and the stars" in tlie 
 second clause describe the splendour of the niglU 
 heavens. Cf. Ps. xix. 1, 2, 4-6, where day, with 
 its Hun, and night are similarly contrasted. David's 
 original occupation as a shepherd, watching his 
 flocks by night as well as day, would naturally 
 B iggest gloiious thoughts of God's greatness ex- 
 119 
 
 hibited in the" visible heavens. Afdiction it was 
 that elicited his poetical powers. >-'o blessed 
 are the results of sanctified son ow. the work of 
 thy fingers - human language used of God, in 
 condescension to man's conceptions. What a 
 contrast to the most ingenious works of man's 
 " fingers " \ 4. How condescending that the Cre- 
 ator of such glorious luminaries (r. 3) should stoo]p 
 to make man [lit., /ra?7 wan, rij.^^] a special object 
 of His regard ! the son of man— i. e., morttd wan; 
 Hebrew^ ' the sou of Adam,' whose Very name 
 (Gen. ii. 7; iii. 19) implies that he is " of earth, 
 earthy," and frail. visitest hira?— with such 
 favour (so visit is used, Ruth i. 6; Gen. xxi. 1), 
 making him thy glorious vicegerent over all thy 
 works (m 5-8). Fulfilled only in "the Second 
 Man, the Lord from heaven" (1 Cor. xv. 47), the 
 God-man, Christ Jesus, Mho first gives us an 
 adequate view, not only of God, but also of man; 
 for man has never been presented before us 
 by any other save Jesus in his true ideal. Cf. 
 David's similar adoring wonder at God's conde- 
 scension to himself personally (2 Sam. vii. 18), as 
 here it is for God's condescending favour to man 
 generally. 5 thou hast made him a little lower 
 than the angels— Hebrew, 'Elohim:' the abstract 
 idea of Godhead; woi God Himself, for Scripture 
 always puts an infinite distance between man and 
 God; but the superhuman, the heavenly, such as 
 are angels. Cf. Zech. xii. 8, "The house of David 
 shall be as Elohim. as the angel of the Lord ;" 1 
 Sam. xxviii. 13, "I saw gods {Elohiw) ascending 
 out of the earth," where Elohim is supcrnafural 
 beings. Hengstenberg translates, 'Thou makest 
 him to ivant little of a dirine standing.'' He ob- 
 jects to the translation "angels," 'How could 
 man, in respect to the sovereignty over the earth, 
 be compared with angels, who possess no such 
 sovereignty?' But Paul, in Heb. ii. 7, translates 
 it "angels;" and the argument is, Man, through 
 (ilod's favour, originally made but a little lower 
 than angels, who have heavenly thrones assigned 
 to them near God, has a universal dominion ulti- 
 mately awaiting him in Christ, even far above 
 that of angels. See the whole chapter, Heb. ii., 
 and cf. i. 4, &c. Elohim is applied to judges or 
 rulers, Ps. Ixxxii. 6, as (pioted by Christ (John x. 
 34, 35). They are called so as being representa- 
 tives of God, administering the power delegated 
 to them by Him. A ngels are called Elohim simi- 
 larly, as exercising power under God, and minister- 
 ing to man benefits from Him. It is noteworthy 
 that the incommunicable name Jehovah never 
 has the possessive pronouns my, our, &c., attached 
 to it, whereas Elohim has frequently— e. r/., 
 God." 6. Thou madest him to have dominion 
 over the works of thy hands— alluding to Gen. 
 i. 2(), 28, "Let us make man in our image (an- 
 swering to V. 5, Thou madest him hut a little lon:er 
 than the Elohim, or awjels) . . . and let them have 
 dominion over the fish of the sea {v. 8, here) . . . the 
 fowl of the air , . * » the cattle [v. 1) .... all the 
 
David praiseth God 
 
 PSALM IX. 
 
 for executing of judgment. 
 
 7 ^ All sheep and oxen, — yea, and the beasts of the field; 
 
 8 The fowl ^'of the air, and the fish of the sea. 
 And whatsoever passe th through the paths of the seas. 
 
 9 0 Lord our Lord, — how ^excellent is thy name in all the earth! 
 
 PSALM IX. 
 
 To the chief Musician upon Muth-labben, A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 I WILL praise thee, 0 Lord, with my whole heart; 
 I will show forth all thy marvellous works. 
 
 2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee : 
 I will sing praise to thy name, 0 thou Most High. 
 
 3 When mine enemies are turned back, 
 They shall fall and perish at thy presence. 
 
 4 For Hhou hast maintained my right and my cause; 
 Thou satest in the throne judging ^ right. 
 
 earth," answering to "Thou hast put all things 
 under his feet," with the important difference that 
 here, in Christ, the dominion of man is extended 
 over "ail things," imiversally and without exception, 
 not only on earth, but also in heaven and liell 
 (as Paul reasons, 1 Cor. xv. 24-28 ; Heb, ii. 8), 
 God alone being excepted. Cf. also Gen. ix. 2. 
 "Crowned him with glory and honour" {v. 5) ex- 
 I)resses similarly that (ilod has made man, in Christ, 
 His deputy-king. This earth restored is to be the 
 scene of His dominion (cf. Isa. xi. 4-9). 7. sheep— 
 ' flocks,' marg.; made nji of sheep, goats, and such 
 smaller animals, beasts — Hebrew, 'Behemoth' 
 (Job xl. 15) : used hei-e for the larger quadrupeds. 
 Cf. Gen. i. 21. From Gen. ix. 2, as well as daily 
 experience, it is shown that man, even though fallen, 
 retains some of his sovereignty over the animal 
 world. No animal is so strong and savage but 
 that man, though relatively weak, in time becomes 
 its master (Jas. iii. 7). Still there is this great 
 difference between man's sovereignty now and 
 what it was before the fall; then it was a volun- 
 tary submission ; now it is a constrained one. As 
 man revolted against his Lord, so the subject 
 animals have revolted against man. He must 
 maintain against them, as against the resisting 
 earth, a conflict, employing art and cunning; and 
 though on the whole he remains conqueror, yet he 
 has to suffer many defeats {Hengstenberg). of the 
 field. (Cf. Gen. ii. 19.) Man's lost dominion over 
 the animal world shall be restored in Messiah's 
 kingdom. 
 
 9. Translate as (note) v. 1, '0 Jehovah our 
 Lord.' In the English version, the Lord, where 
 it stands for Jehovah, is in capitals; where for 
 Adonai, in small letters. This burst of praise in 
 V. I is the language of believing hope, in v. 9 that 
 of praise at the consummation of redemption. All 
 God's redeemed ones shall join the song (Eev. xix. 
 1, 4, 5, 6). 
 
 PSALM IX. Title.— To the chief Musician 
 upon Muth-labben. The LXX. and Vulgate read, 
 i 'concerning the mysteries of the Son.' The He- 
 biew may be r\VDhv hv, as the LXX. read, but 
 with a different pointing. 'Upon Alamoth' (as 
 in the title of Ps. xlvi.), an instrument which 
 young virgins used to play, 'upon a virginal,'' 
 or else a melody. 1 Chr. xv. 20 agrees with this 
 — " with psalteries on Alamoth.''^ Then "Labben" 
 is contracted for Lihne Korach [nnp ' for the 
 sons of Korah' (as the full title appears in the 
 same, Ps. xlvi.); or else means, 'For Ben,' the 
 musician of the second order, mentioned in the 
 same context (1 Chr. xv. 18) ; or, hQ^t, Labben 
 is an anagram for Naba\ i. e., a fool: ' Upon the 
 
 2 Fiocks ai d 
 oxen all of 
 them. 
 A Gen. 1. :o, 
 
 25. 
 
 Job 3S. S9, 
 41. 
 
 Job 39. 1. 
 Job :o. 1.5. 
 Ps. HP. 10, 
 i Job 11. 7. 
 Ps. 35. 10. 
 Ps. 104. 21. 
 
 PSALM 9. 
 
 1 thou hast 
 made my 
 judgment. 
 
 2 In 
 righteous- 
 ness. 
 
 dying of the fool,' then, is the sense of the title: 
 cf. w. 5, 6, 12, 17; 1 Sara. xxv. 26, 38 ; 2 Sam. iii. 
 33. In the LXX. rendering, the psalm propheti- 
 cally refers to the Divine Son's death, the earnest 
 of His final triumph over the enemy. So Ps. 
 xiv. 1. 
 
 Vv. 1-20. — Thanksgiving for Go(Vs vindication of 
 His people's cause {vv. i-5); the extinction of the 
 enemy, the eternity of the Lord (vv. 6, 7) ; bei7ig 
 about to judge in righteousness. He will be a refuge 
 to His people [vv. 8-10); David, representing the 
 humble, praises God for what He hath done, and 
 will do, in destroying the wicked, and in fidfilling 
 His poor people's expectation {vv. 11, 12) ; praise 
 gives confidence to the closing prayer [vv. 13-20). 
 
 1. I will praise thee, 0 Lord, with my whole 
 heart — not as hypocrites, with a dimded heart. 
 The "heart" is the true instrument of praise, the 
 mouth is only the organ. I will show forth all 
 thy marvellous works. Full appreciation of 
 God's marvellous working in grace is the secret 
 spring of whole-heartedness in praise. 2. I will 
 be glad and rejoice in thee — not merely in what 
 thou doest, or what thou givest, of earthly bless- 
 ing (Ps. iv. 7), but in thyself. Thou art thy peo- 
 ple's chief joy. I will sing praise to thy name— 
 1 will praise thee in thy manifestation of thyself 
 ("name") as thy people's Saviour from their 
 "enemies" {v. 3). Therefore he adds, 0 thou 
 Most High— i e., exalted far above all who set 
 themselves against thee and thy people (Eccl. v. 
 8). 
 
 3. they shall fall ... at thy presence. The 
 
 mere glance of God is enough to destroy every 
 enemy. It is not man's might that gains for His 
 people their triumph over the ungodly. "The 
 man of sin," the "wicked one," "the son of 
 perdition," shall in the last days be destroyed 
 ' by the brightness [eirKpaveia, lit., manifestation] 
 of the Lord's coming' [Trapovaia, lit., presence in 
 person] (2 Thess. ii. 8). An earnest of the 
 confusion of the antichristian confederacy at the 
 mere presence of the Lord was given when the 
 band under Judas (the only other one in all 
 Scripture called "the son of perdition"), at the 
 mere presence 9f the unarmed Jesus, and on 
 His merely saying, "I am He," "went back- 
 ward and fell to the ground" (John xviii. 3-6). 
 4. For thou hast maintained my right [r.''K;y 
 'p^K'p]— , 'Thou madest my right;' i. e., thou 
 gavest the decision which was due to my righteous 
 cause. The question at issue between Satan, the 
 adversary, and the Lord's people, is not to be 
 decided hy might, but by right. Messiah is their 
 Vindicator and Law fultiller (Rom. viii. 33, 34). 
 
Ue inciteth others 
 
 PSALM IX. 
 
 to 2)raise God. 
 
 5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, 
 
 Thou hast destroyed the wicked, 
 
 Thou hast "put out their name for ever and ever. 
 G ^0 thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end; 
 
 And thou hast destroyed cities ; 
 
 Their memorial is perished with them. 
 
 7 But * the Lord shall endure for ever: 
 He hath prepared his throne for judgment ; 
 
 8 And he sliall judge the world in righteousness, 
 
 He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. 
 
 9 The Lord also will be ^a refuge for the oppressed, 
 A refuge in times of trouble. 
 
 10 And they that know Hhy name will put their trust in thee: 
 For thou. Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. 
 
 1 1 Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion : 
 Declare among the people his doings. 
 
 Dent. 9. 14, 
 Fro. 10. 7. 
 
 3 Or, The 
 destruc- 
 tions of 
 the enemy- 
 are come 
 to a per- 
 petual end 
 and their 
 cities hast 
 thou de 
 stroyed, 
 etc. 
 
 t> Fs. 90. 2. 
 Mic 5. 2. 
 Heb. 1. 11. 
 
 4 an high 
 plice. 
 
 " John 17. 3. 
 2 Cor. 4. 0. 
 
 t'nou satest in the throne— as the place rightfully 
 belonging to [h] thee. judging right— rather, 
 'judging righteousness' [pi?]: a different Hebrew 
 word from that for "right" in tlie former clause. 
 5. Thou hast rebuked — not in mere wo7'd, as man 
 rebukes, but with actual punishments inflicted ; 
 for God's Word shall be operative as a terrible 
 reality to the lost (Ps. cvi. 9; cf. Ps. Ixviii, 30). 
 the heathen— Hebrew, 'the nations' [D'^.!]- viz., 
 those confederate against Messiah, of which nations 
 tliose leagued against David and Israel were the 
 type, thou hast destroyed the wicked— Hebrew, 
 singular, ' the vncked one : ' the same as the 
 "enemy," next verse. 6. 0 thou enemy— rather, 
 Hebrew, ha-oyeeh, ' as for the enemy ^ (see note, vv. 
 5, 7). Satan is the adversary, in the court of Divine 
 justice, against man. The Lord Messiah is our 
 Advocate, and so 'rebukes' Satan (cf. Zech. iii. 1, 
 2), "The Lord rebuke thee, 0 Satan: the Lord that 
 hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee." Egypt, the 
 Philistines, Babylon, Edom, Rome, and Antichrist, 
 in various ages, are the enemy's representatives, and 
 constitute the visible "enemy" for the time being. 
 David probably had chiefly in view the Amalek- 
 ites, who, after the victories of Saul and David 
 over them, altogether disappear from history (2 
 Sam. viii. 12). See how the people of God overcome 
 tlie enemy, Rom. xvi. 20; Rev. xii. 11. destruc- 
 tions are come to a perpetual end— lit, ' consum- 
 mated (or finished) are the wastes for ever' pon 
 r,i£)h nhD^H] : ' his own now desolated strongholds 
 (parallel to 'the cities') are finished for ever.' So 
 Job iii. 14, "With kings . . . which built rfeso/a^e 
 places (same Hebrew as here) for themselves :" 
 i. e. , places doomed to be desolate. The Hebrevv for 
 ' to an end' is literally 'to victory' (cf. Isa. ii. 58 
 v.'ith 1 Cor. XV. 54). "The last enemy that shall 
 be destroyed is death'' (1 Cor. xv. 26; Rev. xx. 14). 
 The enemy's strongholds (2 Cor. x. 4; Col. ii. 15) 
 are now wastes — "come to a perpetual end." 
 and thou hast destroyed cities— "thou," i. e., God. 
 Therefore it is not likely that the "enemy" is 
 addressed in the first clause; for then "thou" in 
 the first clause would mean the enemy, in the 
 second, God. God is addressed throughout the 
 verse. Thou, 0 God, hast destroyed the enemy's 
 strongholds utterly and for ever, their memorial 
 is perished with them— Zi^., 'their memorial, even 
 it has perished;' or 'even theirs,' emphatically 
 repeated. David here has in view the Amalek- 
 ites, who had been by this time utterly extin- 
 guished. Cf. Exod. xvii. 14; Deut. xxv. 19; Num. 
 xxiv. 20. 
 
 121 
 
 7. But the Lord shall endure for ever. From 
 speaking to God, in confident anticipation of his 
 destruction of the enemy's strongholds [v. 6), 
 David passes to speak of God's perpetuity of 
 reign, in contrast to the enemy's 'short time' of 
 usurpation (Rev. xii. 12) as "prince of this world." 
 he hath prepared his throne for judgment. The 
 
 Hebrew [phu] is the same as in Prov. iii. 19, marg. 
 He hath 'solidly established'' it ; not as the throne 
 of wickedness, which rests on a basis of sand. 
 God's throne rests on "righteousness" [o. 8), as 
 well as power. Every triumph of right over wrong 
 now is an earnest of the final judgment in righ- 
 teousness. 8, 9. And he shall judge the world 
 P???, the habitable world] in righteousness, he 
 shall minister judgment to the people (lit., peo- 
 ples) in uprightness (lit., uprightnesses'). The 
 Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed. 
 His judging in righteousness is the pledge of assur- 
 ance that He " will be a refuge [niib'p] (lit., a high 
 place) for the oppressed' \Ut., the down-trodden) 
 as Israel had long been (Rev. xi. 2). David 
 is the first to call God ' a high place ' (cf. v. 2) : a 
 natural image to one who so often found refuge iu 
 such high ]places from his persecutor Saul, in times 
 of trouble— ^i^. , 'for seasonable,' or 'opportune 
 times [n'lnr^J in trouble,' or straits, batztzarah. 
 The Church's extremity is God's opportunity. 
 10. And they that know thy name will put their 
 trust in thee. They that know experimentally 
 thy character in its past manifestations of love 
 and power in their behalf will put their trust in 
 thee for the time to come, for (such know per- 
 sonally that) thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them 
 that seek thee— therefore in confidence they will 
 "seek" and "trust" in thee again. 
 
 11, 12. These two verses form the concluding 
 summary of the first part of the psalm, 
 wherein David has set forth both what God has 
 done and what God is. It appropriately takes the 
 form of a song of thanksgiving. 11. Sing praises 
 to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion. Therefore 
 by this time the tabernacle and ark had been 
 removed to Zion from Baale, or Kirjath-jearim, 
 and then from the house of Obed-Edom (2 Sam. 
 vi. 2, 12, 17). There is no "in" in the Hebrew. 
 It is literally, 'who enthrones Zion,' or 'makes 
 Zion His habitation.' declare among the people 
 (lit., peoples) his doings— lit., His counsels and the 
 events of them [vn'i'?^^^] ; i. e., His workings. Cf. 
 Jer. xxxii. 19, "Great in counsel and mighty in 
 
Datid prayeth that lie may 
 
 PSALM IX. 
 
 hate came to praise IFm. 
 
 12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth theui ; 
 He fotgetteth not the cry of the ^humble. 
 
 13 Have mercy upon me, 0 Lord ; 
 
 Consider my trouble which I svffer of them that hate me, 
 Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death ; 
 
 14 That I may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of 
 
 Zioii : 
 
 I will rejoice '^in thy salvation. 
 
 15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made : 
 In the net which they hid is their own foot taken. 
 
 16 The Lord is ^known by the judgment which he executeth: 
 
 The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. ^Higgaion. Selah. 
 
 17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, 
 And all the nations -^that forget God. 
 
 18 For ^the needy shall not alway be forgotten : 
 The ''expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever. 
 
 Arise, 0 Lord ; let not man prevail ; 
 Let the heathen be judged in thy sight. 
 
 19 
 
 5 <;if. 
 
 afflic'ed. 
 d Ps. 13 5. 
 
 Ps. 20. 5. 
 
 Ps. 21. 1. 
 
 I'S. 35. !'. 
 
 1 Sam. 2. 1. 
 
 Isa. 1.'. 2. 
 • Ex. 7. o. 
 
 6 That is, 
 Medi- 
 tation. 
 
 / Job «. 11. 
 
 Ps. 60. 2 '. 
 Ps. 106. .3. 
 
 •a. 
 Jer. 2. 32. 
 Ho3. 2. 13. 
 f Ps. 12. 5. 
 Phil.]. 20. 
 Ps 72. 4. 
 Pro. 2;. 18. 
 Fro. 2 .4. 
 
 work." 12. When he maketh inquisition for 
 blood, he remembereth them— Hebrew, 'bloods.' 
 Thus "tliem" refers to 'bloods.' Translate, in 
 English idiom, ' He remembereth it ' (of. Gen. ix. 
 5). So innocent Abel's case, Gen. iv. 10. So long 
 as the blood of the innocent remains unavenged 
 upon the murderer, God seems to forget the blood 
 so shed ; but when He avenges it on the guilty, 
 He is said to 'remember it.' This sense suits the 
 parallelism. "He remembereth " it (the blood of 
 the afflicted) answers to "He forgetteth not the 
 cry of the afiiicted." The same Hebrew word 
 I^Knn] is here used for '* maketh inquisition" as in 
 V. 10 is translated "seek." As the godly "seek" 
 (:;od, so God 'seeks into' all that affects the wel- 
 fare of the godly, he forgetteth not the cry of 
 the humble. So the Masoretic mai-gin reads 
 'the humble.' But the text is better [ov^r], 'the 
 afflicted.'' The words "cry" and "blood" both 
 point to affliction (suffered innocently), not humility. 
 So the same Hebrew is taken up in v. 13, 'Con- 
 sider my affliction'' (English version, "trouble") 
 
 13. Have mercy upon me, 0 Lord, Praise, in 
 consideration of the cliaracter of God towards His 
 people, having been laid down as the basis {vo.^ 11, 
 12), prayer follows, resting upon that foundation. 
 There are these alternations in the believer's ex- 
 X)erience. After praise for deliverances from past 
 tribulations soon follow fresh tribulations, and 
 therefore the need of prayer anew. Have mercy 
 —rather, ' be gracious unto me ' [\j.j.?nj. thou that 
 liftest me up — thou, and thou alone ; not merely 
 atone particidar time, but constantly, from the 
 gates of death — from afHictions Mhich threaten 
 to shut one up in the fast-barred prison-house of 
 death. 14. That I may show forth all thy 
 praise— a reason why thou shouldest hear me— 
 namely, that I may have fresh cause for praising 
 thee, all thy praise— all the causes for praise: 
 all thy excellency, in the gates of the daughter 
 of Zion— contrasted with "the gates of death," v 
 13. Within Jerusalem, the daughter of Zion. 
 Cities are poetically represented as virgins, Isa. 
 xxxvii. 22. I wili rejoice— or, continuing the 
 "that" from the previous clause 'that I 
 
 may rejoice in thy salvation.' So the Syriac and 
 Arabic. The Chaldaic, LXX., and Vulgate sup- 
 i)orfc the English version. 
 
 122 
 
 15. The heathen are sunk down. In strong 
 faith he takes his petition as granted. 16. The 
 Lord is known (by) the judgment (which) he 
 executeth. The Hebrew ex])resses joyful abrupt- 
 ness. 'The Lord maketh Himself known: He is 
 executing judgment.' the wicked is snared in 
 the work of his own hands— i. e., in the snare 
 which he hath laid for others. "The wicked" — 
 Hebrew, singular, 'the wicked one'. The singular 
 is the more remarkable as the i)lural succeeds 
 next verse, "The wicked." See 2 Thess. ii. 8; Eev. 
 xix. 20. Higgaion— i. e., meditation [f^'.^y from 
 njn, to meditate]. Found also, Ps. xix. 14 ; xcii. 3 ; 
 Lara. iii. 61. It is an appro] )riate call to reflection 
 here, where he expresses the assurance of (Tod's 
 vindication of His retributive justice in snaring 
 tlie wicked foes of His people in their own snare. 
 The Selah fitly follows, imi)lying a pause in the 
 music, to give time for meditation. 
 
 17. The wicked shall be turned into hell 
 The Hebrew for "hell" is emphatical [n^hx*^''?, the 
 n being expressive of locality]. The same God 
 who "lifts up" the godly "from the gates of 
 death," shall "turn the wdcked (from this world, 
 where they ai-e in pi'osperity) into hell" (sheol) : 
 their own place, (and) all the nations that for- 
 get God. Not distinct from the wicked, for there 
 is no "and" in the Hebrew. "The wicked" — 
 namely, "all the nations that forget God." Not 
 mere ignorance, such as that of the heathen, is 
 meant; but icilfid ignoring of God, the Judge and 
 Avenger of guilt. All such as apostatize from the 
 true faith, searing conscience as with a hot iron 
 (1 Tim. iv. 1, 2). The characteristic of the anti- 
 christiau apostasy in the last days, of which the 
 symptoms already are seen in the professing 
 Church and in the world. The wicked who forget 
 (j^od shall be ynit away from His remembrance for 
 ever. 18. For the needy shall not alway be 
 forgotten— whereas the wicked shall be put out of 
 remembrance "for ever and ever" (vv. 5, 17). 
 The needy righteous, though now seemingly over- 
 looked in respect to temporal prosperity, shall not 
 ' always ' be so. 
 
 19. Arise, 0 Lord; let not man prevail. 
 "Man;" lit, wealc, mortal man from ti*:N, to 
 
 he weak]. That weak man should seem the strong 
 one, and the power of God seem in abeyance, is 
 such a glaring anomaly as to require the Lord to 
 
Complaint to God 
 20 Put Hhem in fear, 0 Lord 
 
 PSALM X. 
 
 against viufOflly oppressors. 
 
 Selali. 
 
 8 
 
 rut "^tiiem in iea,r, \j jjuiti^ , 
 
 That the nations may know themselves to he hut men. 
 
 PSALM X. 
 
 WHY standest thou afar off, 0 Lord? 
 Why hidest thou thyself m times of trouble ? 
 ^The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: 
 Let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. 
 For the wicked boasteth of his ^ heart's desire, 
 And ^blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth. 
 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God . 
 God is not in all his thoughts. 
 
 ' P8< Ti, 13- 
 
 PSALM 1). 
 
 1 In the 
 
 p ide of 
 the wicked 
 he doth 
 persecute, 
 
 2 soul's 
 
 3 Or, the 
 covetous 
 blesseth 
 himself h9 
 abhorre h 
 tlie Lord. 
 
 "arise" and put things in their true relations, 
 the heathen— 'the nations.' 20. Put them in 
 fear— lit., Put fear into them. So the Clialdaic. 
 Also one reading Even the other reading 
 
 [n7.r), as n often takes the place of admits the 
 s.ime rendering; but the latter, which is our 
 Masoretic text, meaus usually 'a legislator,' or 
 'ruler.' So the LXX., Vulgate, Syriac, and 
 Arabic. Jerome and Au(/ustbte understand Anti- 
 christ to be meant. Or, Satan (1 Tim. i. 20). 
 'Put (another, and an awful) master over them,' 
 since they will not have the Lord to rule over 
 them (Luke xix. 14; John v. 48). Of. Ps. cix. 6, 
 "Set thou a wicked man over him, and let Satan 
 stand at his right hand." that the nations may 
 know themselves to he hut men— Hebrew, 'to be 
 but xoeak, mortal man,' as in v. 19. The singular 
 emi)hatically marks that, however numerous, 
 wealthy, and warlike the (lod opposed nations be, 
 the nature remains the same : they are but dying 
 man, not God ! 
 
 PSALM X.— This Psalm differs from those which 
 precede and follow, in liaving no sujjerscription. 
 The design of the author was that the two Psalms 
 ix. and x. should form two parts of one whole, 
 with one common su])erscription. So Psalms i, 
 and ii., xlii. and xliii. are related. That both 
 ahke come from David, appears from tlieir mutual 
 resemblance. This psalm is designed for ' God's 
 people in all seasons of distress' {Kinchi). The 
 Hebrew alphabetical arrangement shows that tlie 
 reference is fjeneral, not individual. 
 
 Vv. 1-18.— Complaint to God at/ainst unnodhj 
 oppressors {vo. 1-11); prayer that Jehorah will con- 
 fate those boasting of imjmnity in sin {vv. 12-15) ; 
 assurance that H e, as King for ever, has heard, and 
 vjill vindicate the oppressed humble (vv. 16-18). 
 
 1. Why standest thou afar off?— as though 
 thou wert an indilferent spectator to the oppres- 
 sion suffered by thy people. " Whv " is not the 
 question of unbelief, but the complaint of faith, 
 }>ased on the conviction that God's righteousness 
 cannot allow such an anomaly to continue, hidest 
 thou (thyself) -or ' coverest thou [thine eyes).' 
 Tlicre is no Hebrew for thyself. Of. Lev. xx. 4; 
 1 Sam. xii. 3, marg. in times of trouble— 
 'in respect to seasons, in trouble' or 'straits.' 
 David alludes, in contrast, to Ps. ix. 9, "The Lord 
 will be a refuge (a high jjlace) in times oj trouble." 
 Why does a state of things continue which seems 
 to contradict tliat character of the Lord ? 2. The 
 wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor. 
 So Lam. iv. 19 uses the same Hebrew verb with 
 the accusative [P^Tl • lit., to be hot, to burn 
 (Ps. xxxvii, 1; xxxix. 3; Isa. xxx. 27); implying 
 the active heat in fire, not passive, as in the thing 
 burnt. Elsewhere, when it means to be hot in 
 pe^rsecuting any one, ' after' [inN] follows. There- 
 123 
 
 fore, with the LXX., Vulgate, Arabic, Syriac, it may 
 be translated, ' Because of the pride of the wicked 
 the i)Oor is inflamed' — viz., with indignation. 
 The (Jhaldaic favours the English version, let them 
 he taken in the devices that they have imagined. 
 It is the wicked" who are to be taken in their 
 own devices (cf. Ps. vii. 16). Most explain ' The 
 poor are taken in the devices which the wich-d 
 have imagined.' So the LXX. and Vulgate. More- 
 over, the psalm is descriptive down to v. 12, whei e 
 hrst the j^f'^/^/o^^s- begin. Still a parentJiefical peti- 
 tion here is the natural outburst of the Psalmist's 
 feeling, and the connection with Psalm ix. 16 is 
 decisive for the English version. So tl»e Chaldaic, 
 Arabic, and Syriac. 3. For the wicked boasteth 
 of his heart's desire. The Hebrew for "heart's" 
 is rather 'soul's' [iti'Dj]. Hengstenberg objects 
 to the English version, that the Hebrew verb [^.'?n] 
 is generally used actirely, and therefore translates, 
 'The wicked extols the desire of his soul.' The 
 "of," or 'upon,' in the Hebrew ]hv\, favours the 
 English version. The wicked congratulates himself 
 upon his success in gratifying his desire by oppress- 
 ing the godly. So the Hebrew is used, Ps. xliv. 8; 
 compare Phil. iii. 19, "whose glory is in their 
 shame." Instead of glorying in the Lord, he 
 glories in his own bad lusts, and his success ia 
 them (Hab. i. 11). and blesseth the covetous, 
 (whom) the Lord abhorreth. He blesses those 
 who, like himself, covet, and who seize upon what 
 they covet by force or fraud. The Hebrew 
 for covetous expresses one loho rnakes gain by fair 
 means or foul [or. 8-10; cf. Heb. ii. 9). The paral- 
 lelism favours the English version, rather than 
 Hengstenberg' s translation, 'He who makes gain 
 blesses (the Lord for his ill-gotten gain, in doing 
 which he) despises the Lord ;' or Maurer's trans- 
 lation, ' curses (or renounces), desi^ises the Lord ;' 
 or Venema's translation, 'the covetous blesses 
 himself,' &c. " He blesseth the covetous" (includ- 
 ing /wmse/// cf. Zech. xi. 5) is parallel to "the 
 wicked boasteth of his soul's desire ;" for covetous- 
 ness is his soul's desire. In the last clause, as 
 "whom "is not in the Hebrew, we may make 
 "the Lord" the object of the verb, not the sub- 
 ject, 'he contemneth the Lord.' V. 13 ("Wherefore 
 doth the wicked contemn God?") confirms this. 
 The same Hebrew word is used in both verses 
 4. The wicked, through the pride of his 
 countenance (lit., the height of his nose) will not 
 seek (after God). So "seek the Lord" is used, 
 Ps. xxxiv. 4; Ixxvii. 2. The omission of "God," 
 which is not in the Hebrew, is due to the con- 
 densed style of the psalm. Cf. Jer. xiii. 17; Hos. 
 vii. 14. Idengstenberg, with the gra])hic brevity of 
 the original, translates, 'The wicked, in the height 
 of his pride, (saith) He (God) doth not require it; 
 God is not, (are) all hii purposes.' The 13th verse 
 
David prayetU 
 
 PSALM X. 
 
 for remedy. 
 
 5 His ways are always grievous ; 
 
 "Thy judgments are far above out of his sight: 
 
 As for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. 
 G He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved : 
 
 For / shall * never he in adversity. 
 
 7 His mouth is full of cursing and ^ deceit and fraud ; 
 Under his tongue is mischief and ^vanity. 
 
 8 He sitteth in the lurking-places of the villages : 
 In the secret places doth he murder the innocent: 
 His eyes ^are privily set against the poor. 
 
 9 He lieth in wait ^secretly as a lion in his den : 
 He lieth in wait to catch the poor : 
 
 He doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net. 
 10 ^He croucheth, and humbleth himself, 
 That the poor may fall ^^by his strong ones. 
 
 Pro. 24. 7. 
 Isa. 5. 12, 
 * unto gene- 
 ration and 
 generation. 
 
 5 deceits. 
 
 6 Or. 
 iniquity. 
 
 1 hide them- 
 selves. 
 
 8 in the 
 secret 
 places. 
 
 9 He 
 breaketh 
 himself 
 
 10 (. r, into 
 h=s strong 
 parts. 
 
 agrees with this—" He batli said iu his heart, Thou 
 wilt not require it," The same Hebrew as is here 
 translated " seek " [Ji*'"]!]. Here the fact is repre- 
 sented ; in V. 13 the lawlessness of it, and the need 
 of putting it down. In Ps, ix. 12, by the same 
 Hebrew verb is expressed the truth, that though 
 the ungodly deny God's taking cognizance of sin, 
 yet that God, in His good time, ' maketh inquisi- 
 tion for bloods.' Not that the wicked denied God 
 in so many words (see v. 11), but all their "de- 
 vices" (the same Hebrew standing for "thoughts" 
 here as stood for "devices," v. 2 [nhDm]) and acts 
 were a virtual denial of His being and cliaracter, as 
 the Judge who requires or takes cognizance of sin 
 (Tit. i. 16). 5. His ways are always grievous [=i'?'rr:, 
 from h^n, to grieve^. His ways grieve those under 
 his power. It is better, however, to translate, ' His 
 ways are always ^?-osperoMs;' lit, ' enduring,' as the 
 Hebrew, Job xx. 21, note. [So ^■•n means strength.] 
 The remaining clauses of the verse accord; for 
 they take out of his way the two obstacles to 
 prosperity,— (1.) The "judgments" of God; (2.) 
 The attacks of "enemies." thy judgments are 
 far above out of Ms sight— ZiY., 'a height are thy 
 judgments away from him.' They are so distant 
 in space as not to reach him, so that he continues 
 to prosper; or, the time of thy judgments coming 
 upon him is far removed {vv. 1, 11). The reference 
 is not here to the sinner's own thought of God 
 being far off', but to the fact of God's judgnnents 
 not immediately overtaking him. The 'height' 
 refers to God's being raised far aJ.ove the earth, 
 so as not to seem to take cognizance of sin here 
 below, as for all Ms enemies, he puflfeth at 
 them— He dissipates them with a mere puff of 
 His breath (Isa. xl. 24). 6. I shall not be moved 
 — from my present prosperity, for (I shall) never 
 (be) in adversity— , 'as being from generation 
 to generation ["ini ~hh] one who (am) not (and never 
 have been) in adversity.' The wicked man is re- 
 garded as an ideal person, who lives on from gener- 
 ation to generatio7i m the same course of successful 
 villany. 7. His mouth is full of cursing. The 
 sinner's guilt towards his neighbour, wherein he 
 is confirmed by prosperity, is set forth in respect 
 to his words first ; vv. 8-10 pass on to his deeds. 
 His 'cursings' are such as he utters upon himself 
 in perjury, in order that he may get possession of 
 his neighbour's goods. Cf. Ps. lix. 12, where, as 
 here, cursing is connected with lying or deceit. 
 and fraud, Gesenius translates [^ri], 'oppression.' 
 The usual meaning is as the English version. The 
 Hebrew root ["ij.in] means 'middle;' i.e., something 
 124 
 
 hidden in the middle of the heart: the tongue 
 speaking one thing, whilst the heartthinks another. 
 The LXX, read ' bitterness' [nhia] instead of "de" 
 ceit" [ninnp], under Ms tongue. The metaphor 
 is from serpents, whose venom is hidden in little 
 bags under the teeth, and from thence is pressed 
 out at will (Ps, cxl. 3). Instead of saying, ''upon 
 the tongue,' the Psalmist says ^''under" it, to imi)ly 
 that the prosperous sin ner has a whole storehouse 
 of evil under his tongue," from which, as need 
 may i-equire, he takes a part, to X^ywpon his tongue 
 in speaking. Hence the sinner's mouth is said to 
 be '''full of cursing." mischief and vanity ['^ny 
 y}'^'^ — 'sorrow and mischief.' The former means 
 literally, lahour, then the hardship flowing from it: 
 so sorrow in general. The latter means vanity, or 
 mischievous iniquity, which, in the view of Scrip- 
 ture, is the height of vanity. His mouth is like a 
 magazine of sorrow and mischief (Job xx. 12; Song 
 iv. 11). 8. He sitteth in the lurking-places of 
 the villages— ready to waylay, kill, and plunder 
 the peaceable villagers. Here the ideal smner is 
 represented in a further stage of wickedness. Ms 
 eyes are privily set — Hebrew, 'his eyes hide them- 
 selves,^ or ^hide (his lurking-place, or snare).' De 
 Burgh explains it of the half -closing of the eyes in 
 order to see more distinctly, and ivatch narrowly. 
 It is translated, Prov. i. H, 18, "to lay wait for." 
 against the poor [n^'pn]. In v. 14 the plural oc- 
 curs [with the n changed into N, which shows that 
 this vowel is a radical]. The Hebrew for " poor " 
 is compounded of two roots, ' to be weak ' [n^n], 
 and ' to be sorrowful,^ or ' afflicted ' [n>52] (Ps, cix, 
 16; Ezek. xiii. 22). [Thus the pointing must be T^^?hr\^ ] 
 Poverty and weakness are combined in the idea : so 
 in V. 10 the word is used of "the poor," in con- 
 trast to the ^'strong ones." Compare Hab. iii. 14. 
 9. He lieth in wait secretly— Hebrew, 'in the 
 secret places.' as a lion in Ms den ... he doth 
 catch the poor, when he draweth him into Ms 
 net. From the image of a lion David passes to 
 that of a hunter casting his noose over the unsus- 
 pecting prey, which he ' draws into his net ' (Ps. 
 XXXV. 7). The ungodly unite the cutming of the 
 hunter with the violence of the lion. What hope, 
 then, can there be for the poor, if the Lord do not 
 interpose? 10. He croucheth. So the Hebrew Keri 
 reads [nDi;! without "and." But the Ketib, or 
 text, reads the copula [nsT., from nsn, the same as 
 pi], 'And he bows himself down.' This marks 
 his cunning, implied in the last clause (?'. 9), wit!i 
 which this clause is connected by 'and.' As the 
 
He professeth 
 
 PSALM X. 
 
 his confidence. 
 
 ] 1 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten : 
 
 He hideth his face ; he will never see it. 
 1 2 Arise, 0 Lord; 0 God, lift up thine hand: — forget not the humble. 
 1 o Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God ? 
 
 He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it. 
 
 14 Thou hast seen it; 
 
 For thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: 
 The poor ^^committeth himself unto thee; 
 Thou art the helper of the fatherless. 
 
 1 5 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man : 
 Seek out his wickedness till thou find none. 
 
 16 *The Lord is King for ever and ever: 
 The heathen are perished out of his land. 
 
 1 7 Lord, thou hast heard the desire of ^ the humble : 
 
 Thou wilt prepare their heart, — ^Hhou wilt cause thine ear to hear; 
 
 net lies low, not to be seen by the victim, so the 
 wicked can assume a lowly character in order to 
 deceive his intended prey, the poor (Ps. Ivii. 6). 
 that the poor may fall by Ms strong ones. The 
 wicked man is an ideal person, and " his strong 
 ones" are his individual representatives. These 
 stand in contrast to "the poor" {lit, 'those at 
 once afflicted and weak,' note, v. 8). Gesenius 
 takes "his strong ones" to mean his strong limbs, 
 teeth, &c. ; thus the image of the lion is retained. 
 But David had dropped this image for that of a 
 hunter with his "net "(v. 9). 11. He liatli said 
 in Ms heart, God hath forgotten— God (saith he 
 in his heart, if not with his lips) forgets alike my 
 sins and the sufferings of my victims, he hideth 
 his face — so as not to see wrong, he will never 
 see it— He pays no regard to it (the evil I do) ' for 
 ever.' So the Hebrew, Ezek. viii. 12 ; ix. 9. The 
 sinner's long impunity fosters his notion that God 
 takes no cognizance of wrong-doing on earth. This 
 constitutes an urgent claim for God's interposition 
 at once, and is the ground of the iJi'^'Yer that fol- 
 lows in V. 12. 
 
 12. Arise, 0 Lord. Here the second part of the 
 X)salm begins. The praijer that suggests itself to 
 the believer as the only resource in his perplexity 
 at the success of sinners and the depression of 
 the godly, lift up thine hand— to vindicate thy 
 l)eople, and to strike the ungodly (Mic. v. 9; Exod. 
 vii. 5; Isa. v. 2.5). The image is from one who 
 had his hand at rest in his bosom, in the fold of 
 the Oriental robe, and who lifts it out for action, 
 forget not— show the wicked it is not as they 
 say, "God hath forgotten" {v. 11). the humble- 
 rather, 'the afflicted' (see note, Ps. ix. 12). 13. 
 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? — 
 "Wherefore" dost thou ])ermitit? he hath said 
 in his heart, Thou wilt not require it— note, v. 4, 
 'God doth not require it.' 14. Thou hast seen it 
 —however much sinners flatter tlicuiselves, "Pic 
 will never see it." for thou beholdest mischief 
 and spite. From God's general character as the 
 all-seeing One, David, in faith, reasons that God 
 
 must see this particular case, mischief ['^pyj 
 
 lit., labour; and so the suffering of the afflicted 
 { 11 engsf.enfjerg) ; or else, the ' perverseness ' (Num. 
 xxiii. 21) of the wicked oppressors, as the English 
 version, "mischief." and spite [dj??]- lit., indigna- 
 tion; i. e., the spite of the vmked against the godly; 
 or else, the just indignation of the godly at the 
 oppression pcri)etrated; ^-o'-oca^io/i (note, v. 2; I 
 Sam. i. 0) (llengstenberg). to requite it with thy 
 hand— ^if., 'to \)\xt (or give) it in thy hand;' as we 
 say, 'to take a case in hand.' The Lord takes in 
 125 
 
 "Or, 
 
 afflicted. 
 i2cleaveth. 
 * Ps 2 >. 10. 
 
 Ps. 145. 13. 
 
 Ps. 116. 10. 
 
 Isa. 33. 22. 
 
 Jer. 10. ic. 
 
 Lam. 5. 19. 
 
 Dan. 4. 34. 
 
 Dan. 6. 26. 
 
 1 Tim. 1. 
 17. 
 
 ° 2Chr.33. 2, 
 
 1?. 
 
 establish. 
 d Ps. 102. 7. 
 Isa. 65. 24. 
 1 Pet. 3. 12. 
 
 hand the cause of His suffering people, and will, 
 in His own good time, redress their wrongs with 
 His all-powerful hand (Ps. Ivi. 8). Maurer, less 
 probably, takes it 'to imprint the sufferings of the 
 godly on thy hands, so as not to forget them' (Isa. 
 xlix. 16). the poor committeth himself unto thee 
 —lit. pTr], 'leaves (himself and his cause entrusted) 
 unto (lit., upon) thee.' 15. Break thou the arm 
 of the wicked — the instrument wherewith he oj)- 
 pressed the godly, and the evil (man) : seek out 
 his wickedness (till) thou find none— search it out 
 for judgment so completely that not one sinner, 
 and not one sin, shall remain that shall not be 
 'required' for punishment. Thus the heart-de- 
 lusion of the ungodly shall be for ever confuted 
 (v- 1.3), "Thou wilt not require it." Cf. Ps. xxxvii. 
 35, 3(5. The accents connect "and the evil man" 
 (as a nominative absolute) with the second clause, 
 'and (as for) the evil man, seek out his wicked- 
 ness (till) thou find none.' A piece of covert rail- 
 lery. It is true as thou (the ungodly man) sayest, 
 Thy sin shall not be found [v. 11), but not because 
 God will not find it out, but because it shall be so 
 completely extirpated from the earth that there 
 shall be no more left to find. This shall only be 
 accomplished when Christ shall "gather out of 
 His kingdom all things that offend, and them 
 which do iniquity" (Matt. xiii. 41). So Ps. ix. 6. 
 
 16. The third part ^wCi third strophe. The Lord 
 is King for ever and ever. Sense had suggested 
 the thought, that because of the prevailing might 
 and impunity of oppressors, the Lord has ceased 
 to reign on His high throne as righteous Governor, 
 Judge, and King over the earth, especially in rela- 
 tion to His people (Deut. xxxiii. 5 ; Num. xxiii. 
 21). Faith now shows David how impotent are 
 the rebels' efforts to setup in opposition a kingdom 
 of unrighteousness. Jehovah is, and ever will 
 abide, "King" alone, the heathen are perished 
 —all who, whether nominally of the elect nation 
 or not, are heathenish in heart and life (Ezek. xvi. 
 3; Jer. ix. 25 ; Ps. ix. 19). What was a 2^rai/er in 
 Ps. ix. 19, ''Let the heathen be judged," is here 
 taken as an accomplished fact in the confidence 
 of faith, "the heathen are perished." out of his 
 land— implying why the heathen are perished out 
 of the land (first, Canaan; then, ultimately, the 
 whole earth)— namely, because the laud is not 
 theirs, but Jehovah's. 17. Lord, thou hast heard 
 the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare 
 their heart. He had previously prayed, "forget 
 not the humble" {v. 12). Faith here takes for 
 granted that what it has asked believingly it 
 shall obtain effectually. "Thou hast heard . . . 
 the humble^'^ (cf. 1 Chr. xvii. 27, English version, and 
 
David encourageth 
 
 PSALM XI. 
 
 himself in God 
 
 18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, 
 
 That the man of the earth may no more oppress. 
 
 PSALM XL 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 IN the Lord put I my trust: 
 
 How say ye to ray soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain ? 
 
 2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, 
 
 They make ready their arrow upon the string, 
 
 That they may ^privily shoot at the upright in heart. 
 
 3 If the foundations be destroyed, — what can the righteous do ? 
 
 4 The '^LoRD is in his holy temple, — the Lord's ^throne is in heaven 
 His eyes '^behold, his eye-lids try, the children of men. 
 
 5 The Lord "^trieth the righteous; 
 
 But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. 
 
 mayg.) Not only the poiver to will, but also the 
 w'M^is due to God's prevenient grace (Phil. ii. 13). 
 God prepares the heart, so that His people ask only 
 such things as are pleasing to Him (Rom. viii. 26 ; 
 Prov. xvi. 1). He also, by prevenient grace, pre- 
 pai-es them for doing His will (2 Chr. xxix. 3(5: 
 XXX. 12). So they are established in resisting all 
 Satan's assaults, in the firm conviction of obtain- 
 iuL; from God the jiromised deliverance, [p in- 
 cludes both ideas — prepare and establish.] 18. To 
 judge the fatherless — to vindicate them from 
 wrong, that the man of the earth may no more 
 oppress. The Hebrew expresses confidence rather 
 thau desire (which would require the abbreviated 
 future). So " that the man of the earth" (lit., the 
 weak mortal [ti'i;'^! of the earth, as opposed to the 
 God of heaven) shall not con finue to terri ft/ [so the 
 Hebrew, yir]. In Isa. xlvii. 12, the same Hebrew 
 is translated '^prerail." 
 
 PSALM XL— Tr. 1-7. — The Psalmisfs reply, at 
 representing the persecuted saints, to temporizing 
 friends^ counsel to seek safely by flight (v. 1) ; the 
 sad facts on which they rest their counsel, the founda- 
 tions destroyed, the cause of the good seeming hope- 
 less, that of the bad triumphant [vv. 2, 3); faith 
 answers. The Lord reigyis, and will vindicate the just, 
 and punish the wicked [vv. 4-7). 
 
 1. how say ye to my soul, Flee. "How" 
 expresses wondering disapproval of such a coun- 
 sel, seeing that however desperate things may 
 look outwardly for the godly, so long as they 
 have "the Lord" Jehovah to "trust" in, there is 
 no cause for despair and flight. In the Lord put 
 I my trust: how then can ye give me such an 
 unbelieving counsel? to my soul— such a counsel 
 pierced into his inmost being. The flight counselled 
 is not a mere change of place, but a ceasing to stand 
 in defence of the truth— a spiritual yielding to the 
 enemy, as if the cause of God were past recovery. 
 David, so far as the act is concerned, did flee 
 during the persecutions of Saul and Absalom ; but 
 he did not flee from his spiritual position of believ- 
 injj confldence in the Lord, in the face of an uu- 
 believing world, as a bird to your mountain ?— 
 ( fiam. iii. 52.) Birds escape the dangers to which 
 they are exposed in the open plains, by fleeing^ to 
 the wooded mmmtains. In Palestine tlie mountains 
 {''your mountain") abound in caves (1 Sam, xiii. 
 (>), a natural hiding-place. So Matt. xxiv. 16. 
 That the address to the Psalmist, and his reply, do 
 not refer to him inflividualiy, but as re])resentative 
 of all the godly, appears from the transition from 
 the singiilar to the plural -How say ye to my soul 
 (sing.), Flee ye? (so the Ketib [ni:], for which the 
 126 
 
 Keri, in order to avoid the difficulty, substituted 
 the singular [ni:]. Moreover "to your mountain," 
 not "to thy mountain," confirms the Ketib.) The 
 same wish to substitute an easier reading led the 
 Chaldaic, Syraic, LXX., and Vulgate to get rid of 
 the plural your, by reading "Flee to the mountain 
 as a bird " ["liQi "lO? "in, for -ncjif Cf. Lot's 
 
 escape from Sodom ((ien. xix. .17), " Escape for thy 
 escape to the mountain.'' 2. For, lo. The 
 argument follows whereon the friends of the godly 
 justify their advice, " Flee"— namely, the prepara- 
 tions which "the wicked " have made against the 
 godly. Compare the counsel of the disciples (John 
 xi. 8) and of the Pharisees (Luke xiii. 31) to Jesus 
 to flee. Also tlie unbelieving suggestions of Job's 
 wife (Job ii. 9, 10). Also Paul's noble resistance 
 to the entreaties of friends who wished him to shun 
 the dangers before him (Acts xxi. 13). And Neh. 
 vi. 11. that they may privily shoot a,t— lit., 
 'shoot in the dark' (Ps. x. 8, 9). the upright in 
 heart — {2h n.ty;]. ' Uprightness ' or ' rectitude ' im- 
 plies reference to a spiritual standard by which 
 actions are tested, whether they be straight or 
 crooked. That rule is God's perfect law. Of, Isa. 
 xxviii. 17. 3. If the foundations be destroyed— 
 rather ['3], 'i^or' , , . 'are' — i. e. , the particular 
 malice of the wicked against the godly [v. 2) is no 
 marvel, 'For the foundations are destroyed' — viz., 
 truth, godliness, righteousness, which constitute 
 the basis of the social and theocratic fabric. When 
 right is set at nought, society is undermined, and 
 the righteous have no standing place, what can 
 the righteous do? pv^\-lit., "what has the 
 righteous ejected?" — i. e., the inability of the 
 righteous to remedy the moral dissolution is a fact 
 proved by sad experience. 
 
 4. The reply of the righteous. The Lord (is) 
 in his holy temple — i. e., in heaven. The holiness 
 of His abode shows His will to take cognizance of 
 all that is holy and unholy on earth, the Lord's 
 throne is in heaven. The majesty of His exalted 
 abode shows His power to do so. Cf, Ps. cii. 19, 
 20, " From heaven did the Lord behold the earth; to 
 hear the groaning of the prisoner." his eyes behold, 
 his eyelids try, the children of men. This 
 thought of faith keeps the godly from despair. His 
 piercing glance searches out every act, word, and 
 thought of the ungodly; their seeming impunity 
 is only temporary: at last they must pay the full 
 penalty of their wickedness. The LXX. and Vul- 
 gate read, ' His eyes behold the poor ' which 
 may have slipped out, after the similar word I'^'Pl 
 No Hebrew MS. supports this. 6. The Lord trietn 
 
Complaint that 
 
 PSALM XIT. 
 
 the godly cease. 
 
 Upon the wicked he shall rain ^snares, 
 
 Fire and brimstone, and ^an horrible tempest: 
 
 This shall be the portion of their cup. 
 
 For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; 
 
 * His countenance doth behold the upright. 
 
 PSALM XIL 
 
 To the chief Musician ' upon Shemiuith, A Psalm of DavicL 
 
 HELP, 2 Lord ; for the godly man ceaseth ; 
 For the faithful fail from among the children of men. 
 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: 
 With flattering lips, and with ^a double heart, do they speak. 
 The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips. 
 And the tongue that speaketh ^proud things; 
 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail ; 
 Our lips ^are our own: who is lord over us ? 
 
 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, 
 Now will I arise, saith the Lord; 
 
 * Or, quick 
 burning 
 coals. 
 
 3 < r. a 
 burning 
 tempest. 
 
 • Ps. 21. fi. 
 Ps. 33. 
 Ps. 34. 15. 
 
 Job 36. r. 
 
 1 Pet. 3. 12. 
 
 rSAXM 12. 
 
 1 Or. 
 upon the 
 eighth. 
 
 2 Or, Save. 
 
 3 an he:irt 
 and an 
 heart. 
 
 * great 
 
 things. 
 5 are with 
 
 us. 
 
 the righteous —in lo'-e; as the contrast to ''''hatetK'' 
 in the second clause requires. His testing the 
 righteous by trials is a proof of lore (Heb. xii. 6-12), 
 not hatred. His giving up the wicked to impunity 
 for a time, whilst it gives the o])portuuity of re- 
 pentance, is also a mark of judicial displeasure 
 because they have long seared their conscience 
 against His love and His chastisements. 6. Upon 
 the wicked he shall rain snares— a just retribu- 
 tion in kind upon those who laid " snares " for the 
 godly (Ps. ix. 15; x. 9; xxxviii. 12; Ixiv. 5; Job 
 xviii. 9; xxii. 10; Isa. xxiv. 17, 18;Prov. xxii. 5). 
 David had been urged to flee as a "bird" (y. 1) 
 from the snares of the wicked, but the snares were 
 destined to entangle, not him, but them, so that 
 they cannot escape. "He shall rain snares "im- 
 plies the multitude of judicial visitations whereby 
 all escape is cut off from the wicked; their first 
 thought when adversity overtakes them is to find 
 an escape. They shall be _tirst entangled in God's 
 snares, precluding escape ; and then shall be 
 scathed by the tempest of fire and brimstone, as 
 ( Jod rained upon Sodom and Gomorrha: a type of 
 the ever-burning lake of hell (Rev. xiv. 10; xxi. 
 8), as well as of the similar rain upon Gog, the last 
 invader of the restored Israel (Ezra xxxviii. 22; 
 cf. Job xviii. 15). The cities of the plain blasted 
 vutJi fire and briuisfone, and sunk in the inland 
 Dead Sea, were continually before the eyes of the 
 covenant people, a standing monument of (iod's 
 primitive justice, and a type of the doom of the 
 lost, lleference already occurred to tiiem and to 
 Lot, V. 1, note. 'Every divine act is a real predic- 
 tion of the future, and under like circumstances 
 must again take i)lace' {Ifengstenhery). and an 
 horrible tempest [map'?!, from eirr, to he anr/ry]— 
 'the wrath-wind.' It is translated "horror," 
 Vh. cxix. 53. Cf. Isa. xxx. H'-i, "The pile thereof 
 is Hre and much wood ; the breath of the Lord, like 
 a stream of V^rimstone, doth kindle it." 7. For 
 the righteous Lord loveth righteousness— (Jod 
 by His very nature cannot do otherwise than 
 favour the saints and punish sinners, his coun- 
 tenance doth behold the upright— with approba- 
 tion. Cf. Urn eyes behold" (v. 4; and Ps. xxxiv. 
 L5, 16). The Hebrew for "His" is plural [iG^jpl, 
 a hint of the plurality of persons in Elohim. Cf. 
 Gen. i. 26, "?/« . . . our . . . our." 
 
 PSALM XII. 7m-Upon Shemlnith— Note 
 on title, Ps. vi. 
 
 Vv. Complaint (hot the godly cease^ the 
 127 
 
 treacherous prevail {rv. 1, 2); prayer that Jehovah 
 will cut off the^e men of proud and false tongue {vv. 
 3, 4) ; H is reply, promising safety to the poor {v. 5) ; 
 confidence in H is words, though the wicked now walk 
 on every side {vv. 6-8). 
 
 1. Help, Lord— or, ' save.^ The abrupt cry, 
 without preface, imiilies the desperate ui-gency of 
 the danger. The absence of the object (not Help 
 me, but simply, "Help") implies that the cry is 
 not restricted to the Psalmist, but is common to 
 all the godly left, for the godly man ceaseth. 
 The ground for api)ealing to the Lord for help is, 
 the little flock of righteous is in danger of being 
 overwhelmed by the ungodly 'generation on every 
 side ' {vv. 7, 8). Micah had this psalm in view 
 when he wrote ch. vii. 2. 2. They speak vanity 
 — i. e., falsehood: speech that holds out hopes 
 doomed to disappointment: nothingness [f^l^:]. 
 every one with his neighbour— with the very 
 one to whom he is bound to be a friend, but whom 
 he cheats with hollow assurances of friendship. 
 This aggravates the offence, that it is against his 
 neighbour. St. Paul (Eph. iv. 25) refers to this, 
 " Putting away lying, speak every man truth tvith 
 his neighbour, for we are members one of another." 
 with flattering lips— lit., 'with a Up of smooth- 
 nesses.' and with a double heart— lit., an heart 
 and an heart; i. e., with duplicity. "A double- 
 minded man" [(5i'i//uxo?, Jas. i. 8] is one who has 
 faith on the surface, but underneath lies unbelief. 
 So 1 Chr. xii. 33, ' Ungodly professors have two 
 hearts, two lords, two ends, two ways' {Gocceius). 
 
 3. The Lord shall cut olf all flattering lips— the 
 expression of confident faith that the Lord will 
 hear the prayer with which the psalm begins, 
 " Help, Lord." For in order that our prayers may 
 be heard, we must believe that God will grant 
 them: as the Lord saith (Mark xi. 24), "What 
 things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that 
 ye receive them, and ye shall have them." and 
 the tongue that speaketh proud things— lit,, 
 big things; i. e., the tongue that boasts of its 
 power to deceive, as in Isa. xxviii. 15. 4. our 
 lips are our own — lit, , are ivith us; i. e. , are ever 
 at hand to effect what w^e please, who is Lord 
 over us? — who is there to prevent our doing what 
 we 1)1 case ? By our lips we can do what we will. 
 
 5. 77te Lord answers the complaint and prayer 
 of faith. For . . . for— Because of the oppression 
 of the poor, because of the sighing of the needy, 
 now will I arise, saith the Lord— lit., from . . . 
 
David complaineth 
 
 PSALM XIII. 
 
 of delay in help. 
 
 « Or. would 
 
 eisnaie 
 
 him. 
 " him : th;it 
 
 is, every 
 
 one of 
 
 them. 
 8 of the sons 
 
 of men. 
 
 I will set him in safety from him that ^pulfeth at Lim. 
 
 6 The words of the Lord are pure words : 
 
 As silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven tiuies. 
 
 7 Thou shalt keep them, 0 Lord, 
 
 Thou shalt preserve ^them from this generation for ever. 
 
 8 The wicked walk on every side, — when the vilest ^men are exalted. 
 
 PSALM XIIL 
 
 To the 1 chief Musician, A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 HOW long wilt thou forget me, 0 Lord ? for ever ? 
 " How long wilt thou hide thy face from me ? 
 
 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, 
 Hamng soitow in my heart daily ? 
 
 How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me ? 
 
 from [jP]. The distress and the sighing of His 
 people are the starting-point from which tlie 
 Divine action proceeds, now— eniphatical. Here- 
 tofore I kept silence, and did not interpose, but 
 NOW that my people sigh and cry from their 
 affliction, I speak and act. Compare Exod. ii. 
 23-25, where the two things which moved God, as 
 here, were Israel's oppression, and their cousecpient 
 sighing. I will set Mm in safety— as in a posses- 
 sion, wherein God installs His people, (from Mm 
 that) puflfeth at him— in contemptuous scorn. 
 Cf. Ps. X. 5, end. The Hebrew verb is the same 
 [-'r] ; but the particle following is different [here, 
 h: in Ps. X. 5, 3]. Hengdenherg translates, 'I will 
 set him in safety (who) sighs after iV — i. e., after 
 safety. I prefer the English version, or else Gejer's 
 translation, ' He (tlie once afflicted one being set in 
 safety) shall puft" at him' (the proud enemy). Thus 
 the enemy that puffed at others (ch. x. 5) shall be 
 paid in kind. 
 
 The believer's confidence in the Lord's promise. 
 6. The words of the Lord— His promise in v. 5. 
 The ulterior truth designed by the Spirit is not 
 restricted to this promise, but extends to all 
 God's words, whether of promise or threatening. 
 They all alike (are) pure words—?, e., without 
 mixture of error ; not like impure ore from 
 which the earth and di'oss must be removed, as 
 silver tried in a furnace of earth. Hengstenlerg, 
 with Abeu Ezra, translates, ' (They are) purified 
 silver of a lord of the earth;' not for common 
 use. The Lord's words to man's word are what a 
 X)rince's silver is to common silver. [^T!^*^ 
 The 3 is a radicals the last syllable in hvjz is 
 redu]jlicated. Instead of the y^N*? is substi- 
 
 tuted, ' of a lord of the earth :' the h marks 
 indefiniteness in the preceding noun. The form 
 '^'hv., from ^h.''^, to work, would not express a worh- 
 shop or " furnace," but an adjective. Xor can 
 y^ih denote the earth as the material of the fur- 
 nace: for nniN would be used to express that]. 
 The Chaldaic accords with the English version, 
 purified seven times— i. e., perfectly: seven being 
 tlie perfect number. Cf. Ps. xviii. 30. 7. Thou 
 shalt keep them, 0 Lord— viz., thy people in 
 safety from their persecutors, from tMs genera- 
 tion. The corruption was so universal (i'. 1) that 
 the ungodly represent the spirit of the age " from" 
 which the Lord would " preserve" His own chosen 
 few. Cf. Gal. i. 4; 1 John v. 19. 8. The wicked 
 walk on every side, when the vilest men are 
 exalted, Hengstenherg rightly objects to this ren- 
 dering, that the repetition of the complaint, 
 without mention of the believer's hope, would be 
 128 
 
 PSALM 13. 
 
 I Or, over- 
 seer. 
 
 <* Deut.3l.l7. 
 Job I '. 21. 
 Ps. 2i. 1. 
 Fs. 44. 21. 
 Ps. 88. 14. 
 Ps. 89. 4C. 
 
 a quite unsatisfactory conclusion. The first clause 
 implies the danger to which the godly are exposed 
 through the M icked ' walking on every side (Ps. 
 iii. 6). Their urgent need of help is a strong ground 
 for their confidently expecting it. The last clause 
 is explained by Hengstenherg as an enigmatic 
 summary of the psalm: "The wicked walk on 
 every side;" (but) depression (viz., that to which 
 the righteous have sunk) is as elevation to the sonx 
 of men. Their sufferings from the "wicked are a 
 token of their coming exaltation : the righteons 
 God will recompense them for their depression now 
 as ' sons of men,' weak and despised (2 Thess. i.5-10). 
 Rather translate, as it i^reserves the parallelism 
 between the first and last clauses, and requires no 
 ellipsis of hut, and takes 'sons of men' as referring 
 to the wicked, not to the righteous, which accords 
 better with usage, 'Their past elevation (shall 
 be) the depression to the sons of men' — viz., to 
 tlie u'icked mentioned in the first clause. They 
 exalted themselves as gods, above all objects of 
 M'orship (2 Thess. ii. 4); they shall therefore be 
 humbled below all things, and be viler than the 
 clay. So Ps. Ixxxii. 6, 7, "Ye are gods . . . but ye 
 shall die like men" {Cocceius}. 
 
 PSALM XIIL— Fr. l-Q.—T?ie believer's cry to 
 Jehovah, because of the enemy's exaltation; his daily 
 sorroto, whilst Jehovah seems to forget him {w. 1, 
 2); prayer for the light of deliverance from death 
 (vv. 3, 4); he is revived by the assurance of salva- 
 tion, so that he sings joyful thanksgivings {vv. 5, 6). 
 
 1. Eow long— four times repeated; implying 
 the protracted trials of the Psalmist. A feeling 
 bordering on despair must at times have tempted 
 David, after Saul's persecutions had continued 
 for years, and no hope of a termination appeared. 
 His experiences adapted him to speak a word in 
 season to those exj^osed to protracted and wear- 
 ing-out afflictions. Some have considered this 
 psalm as the complaint of the Israelite Church in 
 her bondage and darkness, praying for the coming of 
 Messiah as her deliverer. The four-fold cry, "How 
 long? " thus refers to the four-fold captivity of the 
 Jews, the Egyptian, the Babylonian, the Grecian, 
 and the Roman. 2. How long shall I take (lit., 
 put) counsel in my soul ?— when thou, the Coun- 
 sellor (Isa. ix. 6), couldest suggest one to ensure 
 immediate deliverance. Hopeless perplexity is 
 described, wherein the believer now thinks of one 
 plan, now of another, and hnally gives up all as 
 being all alike of no avail. Such was David s 
 state when, hunted "like a partridge upon the 
 mountains," he sought refuge at one time in the 
 caves and hills, at another among the Moabites, 
 at another among the Philistines; and at last, 
 brought to his wits' ends, he despondingly said, 
 "I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul" (1 
 
The unkenaUty 
 
 PSALM XIV. 
 
 of mans apodasr 
 
 Consider and hear Die, 0 Lord my God : 
 Lighten *mine eyes, '^leit I sleep the sleep (?/ death; 
 Lest mine enemy say, I liave prevailed against him ; 
 And those that trouble me rejoice when I am m.oved.' 
 
 But '^I have trusted in thy mercy; 
 My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. 
 
 I will sing unto the Lord, — because he hath dealt bountifully with me. 
 
 PSALM XIV. 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. 
 THE "fool hvath said in his heart, There is no God. 
 They are corrupt ; they have done abominable works ; 
 There is none that doeth good. 
 
 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of meUj 
 To see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 
 
 b F,zra 9. S. 
 
 fs. 18. 28. 
 
 Luke 2. 32. 
 
 Eev. n. 23. 
 " Ps 70. 5. 
 
 Jsa. 37. ?A. 
 Jer. -1. £9. 
 i:ph. b. V 
 d 2 Ccr. 2h. 
 12. 
 
 PSALM It. 
 " 1 Sam. 25* 
 25. 
 Ps. 10. 4. 
 Ps. 73. 3. 
 Fro. L 7« 
 22. 
 
 Luke 12. 20. 
 
 Sam. xxvii. 1), Kor was the outward affliction his 
 chief trouble : the most bitter drop in his cup was 
 the seeming indiliereuce of God to his pain, — the 
 '•hiding" of his heavenly Father's "face" from 
 him [v. 1). 
 
 3. Prayer follows complaint in the believer's 
 case. Instead of complaints against God to man, 
 the believer brings all to God ; instead of turning 
 from God, he makes sorrows a ground for turning 
 to God. Consider and hear me, 0 Lord. As 
 David had complained of four evils {vv. 1, 2), so he 
 begs four goods. To the 'Lord's forgetting'' and 
 ''hiding His face from him' [v. 1), he opposes, 
 " Consider [look upon me with favour) and hear 
 (answer) me " ['OT nD''3n]. To the ' taking coun- 
 sel^ and 'and having sorrow in the heart daily' 
 (''. 2), he opposes, "lighten mine eyes:" to his 
 "enemy" being ' exalted over" him (y. 2) he 
 opposes, "Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed 
 against him" {v. 4). lighten mine eyes, lest I 
 Elesp (the sleep of) death— a "perpetual sleep" 
 (Jer. li. 30, 57). Primarily literal death. The 
 failure of vital power betrayed itself in his lack- 
 lustre eyes. 'Enlighten my eyes' is tantamount 
 to, Restore to me the vital power well-nigh gone. 
 So Jonathan's " eyes were enlightened " (1 Sam. 
 xiv. 27, 29), when, after death's darkness was 
 veiling his eyes, he tasted the honey-comb and 
 revived. Cf. Ezra ix. 8. Secondarily, as the 
 withdrawal of the experience of God's favour was 
 the chief among David's trials, so the restoration 
 of it was the chief good that he longed for, including 
 all other goods. 4. Lest . . . those that trouble me 
 rejoice when I am moved- viz., from my faith 
 and steadfastness of walk with God (Luke xxii. 
 31). David pleads that the honour of God would 
 be compromised if the euemy should prevail, and 
 God's servant become tlie exulting jest of the 
 ungodly. An effectual i)lca with God (Dent, 
 xxxii. 27). 
 
 Joyful confidence follows as the fruit of prayer, 
 ivfd/.st he is still praying (Isa. Ixv. 24). 5, 6. But I have 
 trusted in thy mercy ["icn]; my heart shall 
 rejoice in thy salvation, liavid's 'rejoicing' in 
 the Lord's salvation, which he anticipates by faith, 
 stands in contrast to the enemy's rejoicing in his 
 anticipated fall, because he hath dealt bounti- 
 fully with me— the Hebrew ['^IQ^] commonly means 
 to rf^quite; here, to deal houndfully with him, 
 making uj) for his former adversity, as in Ps. cxix. 
 17; cxlii. 7; Zech. ix. 12; Isa. xL 2. The LXX., 
 Vulgate, the Ethiopic versions, and 'the Great 
 P'nglish Bible,' (so the Book of Common Prayer), 
 add, ' Yea, I will praise the nanie of the Lord 
 
 VOL. JIT. 129 
 
 Most Highest.' The addition is not in the Hebrew, 
 and is x^robably taken from Ps. vii., end. 
 
 PSALM XIV.— This ]>salm is probably altered 
 by David from his 53d Psalm, to tit it for the 
 liturgy of the sanctuary. Hence he omits what- 
 ever in Ps. liii. was more fitted for private than for 
 public use. Instead of the general name Elohim, 
 the Creator, he substitutes the special name 
 Jehovah, the Fultiller of His covenant with His 
 people. The "Maschil" instruction in the title 
 of Ps. liii. is omitted in Ps. xiv. Ps. liii. 
 is an instructive warning to the wicked. Ps. xiv. 
 is to comfort the righteous amidst abounding 
 wickedness. 
 
 Vv. 1-7. — The universality of man^ s apostasy {vv. 
 1-3); suicidal hUndness of the workers of iniquity; 
 great fear overtakes them; Jehovah, His poor 
 people! s refuge {vv. 4-6) ; prayer for Israel's joy fid 
 deliverance [v. 7). 
 
 1. The fool hath said— not mere'y, he is a 
 fool who saith the7'e is no God, but, tli3 whole 
 world is full of the fools who say so. [^3^, 
 from a root to wither: one of unthered intellect. 
 Contrast Ps. i. 3, the leaf of the godly "shall not 
 wither,''^ the same Hebrew root], hath said in his 
 heart. From the fountain-head of evil, tlie heart, the 
 evil passes to the understanding. Then comes its 
 manifestation in deeds. Scripture calls things by 
 their right names. Sin, however gilded over with 
 seeming sagacity and success, is according to the 
 Word of God "folly," and the worldly-wise sinner 
 a " fool." There is no God. Not many say this in 
 so many words; but it is the secret thouglit, 
 because it is the wish, of their " heart." They ?vre 
 corrupt, they have done abominable works. 
 Corruption of life flows necessarily from atheism 
 of the heart. Man is the same "corrupt" being 
 in all ages as he was before the flood (Gen. vi. 12). 
 there is none that doeth good. The LXX. and 
 Vidgate add, "No, not one;" so St. Paul quotes it, 
 Rom. iii. 10, 12. 2. The Lord looked {looks, 
 Ilengstenherg and Chaldaic) down from heaven 
 ... to see if there were any that did under- 
 stand. Jehovah is not, as unbelievers think, in differ- 
 ent about man's conduct. Nay, He is continually 
 taking strict note of all the thoughts, words, and 
 acts of His creatures. Appropriately CrOcZ^ (Heb- 
 rew, Elohim), whose existence the worldly ignore, 
 changes His name into "Jehovah " (the Englisli 
 version "the Lord"), the j)ersonal God, faithful to 
 His promises and to His threats. So far from 
 corrupt fools being, as man's self-love supposes, 
 an exceptional few, they constitute the masses 
 of the world, and even of the professing church. 
 
Prayer for Israel's 
 
 PSALM XIV. 
 
 joyful delimrance. 
 
 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 Lord. 
 
 5 There ^were they in great fear: 
 
 For God is in tlie generation of the righteous. 
 G Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, 
 
 Because the Lord is his refuge. 
 7 ^Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion ! 
 
 Those few who "understand" — i. e.,act on true 
 visdom, which is piety (Ps. cxi. 10; Dan, xii. 10), 
 form the exception ; the multitudes who are 
 " fools" and " corrupt," the rule, the children of 
 men. The Psalmist has in view Gen. xi. 5, where 
 similarly "The Lord came down to see the city 
 and the tower which the children of men hnilded 
 cf. also Gen. xviii. 21. and seek God— Elohim. 
 Gf, Deut, iv. 29; Jer. xxix. 13; 2 Ohr. xv. 2. 
 Elohim is from an old Hebrew root to worship 
 [hSniJ (Arabic, alaha), akin to a root to 
 be strong. The primary idea is that of stremiih, 
 so that Elohim expresses the Deity in His manifold 
 power, without reference to His personality and 
 moral attributes. The plural form indicates the 
 fulness and richness of the Divine powers, as 
 comprehending in Himself all those several per- 
 fections of might which the heathen afterwards 
 attributed to their numerous deities respectively, 
 Elohim expresses the Deity in the abstract. It is 
 more the philosophical, than the devotional term. 
 Jehovah is the revealed Elohim, the manifest, 
 only, personal, one. The name may be read 
 rather as Jahveli [^^'?-J, 'the Existing One.' 
 Elohim indicates the Creator; Jehovah, the 
 Eedeemer. Moses in the Pentateuch accurately 
 observes the theological difference of idea, in his 
 use of the names Jehovah and Elohim respectively 
 {Havernick). 3. They are all gone aside— the 
 condition bfj nature of all without exception : 
 " children of men" (''. 2). " The generation of the 
 righteous" (r. 5) also " v/ere by nature the children 
 of wrath, even as others" (Eph. ii. 3). Grace 
 makes the difference between them and the general 
 mass. The children of grace are comparatively 
 few (Matt. -vii. 14). He accumulates words to 
 express the wide prevalence of the corruption, 
 "all (lit., Uhe all:' the whole of humanity) . , , 
 together . , . there is none that doeth good, no, not 
 one." Their 'going aside' or "away" (from 
 God) stands in contrast to 'seeking the Lord.' 
 they are all together become filthy— ^i^., 'become 
 
 rancid' l^'X^, Job xv. 16]. St. Paul adds to his 
 quotation from this psalm, verses quoted from 
 various other parts of Scripture (Rom. iii. 13-18). 
 Hence transcribers have added the same words as 
 parts of this 14th Psalm in the margin of the 
 Vatican, the LXX., and in some of the Latin 
 versions, not perceiving that the apostle's qiiota- 
 tion was not limited to this psalm. 
 
 Suicidal blindness of the workers of iniquity in 
 tissailing the Lord's people, and so bringing destruc- 
 tion on themselves from the Lord. 
 
 4. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? 
 —expressing wonder at the monstroi^s folly of the 
 evil-doers. They are awfully blind to their own 
 interest. They are criminally, because wilfully, 
 without "knowledge" of (ilod, of themselves, of the 
 fatal results of their perversity, and of the blessed- 
 ness which follows righteousness, who eat up my 
 people as they eat bread. The Psalmist speaks 
 in the person of God, calling the people of the 
 
 6 Eccl. 7. 29. 
 Isa. 59. 8. 
 Rom 3. lO- 
 12. 
 
 1 stinking. 
 
 « Isa. 44. 19, 
 20. 
 
 2 they 
 feared a 
 fear. 
 
 3 Who will 
 give. 
 
 covenant "my people" (Ezek. xxxiv. 2, 3; Micah 
 iii. 3; Jer. x. 25). Both the heathen enemies and 
 the treacherous rulers of God's people are stig- 
 matized; their only care is their own selfish, 
 worldly interest. As one eating bread never 
 thinks he does any wrong thereby; so these who 
 prey upon the people of God are utterly without 
 compunction, reckless of the honour of God or the 
 welfare of His people (Prov, xxx, 14), and call 
 not upon the Lord— answering to their saying 
 in their heart, "There is no C^od" (/'. 1), and not 
 'seeking God' (v. 2), and having "gone aside" 
 from Him [v. 3). Heartless conduct towards man, 
 and disregard of God, go hand in hand. 5. There 
 — in the very place of their sin, their punishment 
 overtakes them. He points to them as though 
 present, were they in great fear— the propheti- 
 cal past for the future : imi)lying the certainty of 
 the coming event— /t^., 'they feared a fear.' Ps. 
 liii. 5 adds, " where no fear was." In the midst 
 of their prosperity, when nothing shall be farther 
 from their thoughts than calamity, overwhelming 
 fear shall surprise them, for God is in the genera- 
 tion of the righteous. The "for" expresses that 
 God's favour towards 'the righteous generation 
 in' which 'He dwells,' is the ground of the 
 terrible destruction wherewith He shall overwhelm 
 their oppressors. This v. and Ps. liii. 5 do not 
 refer to the groundless alarms to which the guilty 
 are given through conscience, as many explain, 
 quoting Lev. xxvi. 17, 36; and Prov. xxviii. 1; 
 but to the real terrors of judgment which shall 
 suddenly overtake them (Job. xv. 21; and 1 Thess, 
 V. 3). Psalm liii, 5 proves this by substituting 
 for " God is in the generation of the righteous," 
 "God hath scattered the bones of him that en- 
 campeth against thee," 6. Ye have shamed the 
 counsel of the poor— understand, to accord with 
 the first clause of v. 5, to which this clause is 
 parallel, therefore ye shall be put to shame your- 
 selves. This is elegantly left to be supplied: so 
 certain is the connection between the sin (which is 
 expressed) and its retribution in kind (which is to 
 be understood). Thus the clause tallies with Ps. liii. 
 5, "thou hast put them to shame." Also thus, 
 the "because" follows naturally, ye shall be put 
 to shame for shaming the God-relying counsel of 
 the poor in their trials, because the Lord (is) 
 his refuge— parallel to [v. 5) "God is in the 
 generation of the righteous." As " God"" (Elohim, 
 the mighty Deity) is "among the righteous," 
 therefore " the Lord (Jehovah, in covenant 
 relation with His people) is his (the godly poor 
 man's) refuge." 
 
 Closing prayer for IsraeVs salvation and conse- 
 quent thanksgiving. 
 
 7. Oh that the salvation of Israel were come 
 out of Zion— Zi^,, 'Who will give from Zion (the 
 Lord's sanctuary) the salvation of Israel?' (viz., 
 that promised in vv. 4-7, through the destruction 
 of Israel's foes). The mention of "Zion" is a 
 covert plea before God, that, as reigning there the 
 Theocratic Head of the kingdom, He cannot permit 
 
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 THE TABEHNACLE 
 
 Edw^Weller.F.R.G.: 
 
David describetJi 
 
 PSALM XV. 
 
 a citizen of Zion. 
 
 When the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, 
 Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. 
 
 PSALM XV. 
 
 A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 LORD, who shall ^ abide in thy tabernacle ? 
 Who shall dwell " in thy holy hill ? 
 
 2 He Hhat walketh uprightly,— and Svorketh righteousness, 
 And speaiketh the truth in his heart. 
 
 3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue,— nor doeth evil to his neighbour, 
 Nor ^taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. 
 
 4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; 
 But he honoureth them that fear the Lord. 
 
 He that '^sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. 
 
 PSALM l^;. 
 
 1 sojourn. 
 » Ps. 2. n. 
 
 Ps. 3. 4. 
 & Ps. 84. 11. 
 Isa. 33. 15, 
 16. 
 
 " Acts 10. 35. 
 Eotn 2. 10. 
 Eph. 2. 10. 
 Heb. 11. 33. 
 
 2 Or, receiv- 
 eth, or, 
 endureth. 
 
 d Josh. 9. 18- 
 20. 
 
 Judg.ll 35. 
 Eccl. 8. 2. 
 
 the enemy to triumph acrainst the covenant people, 
 when the Lord bringeth hack the captivity of 
 his people— not that this psalm was written after 
 the captivity. The phrase, 'bring back the cap- 
 tivity,^ is a Hebrew idiom for restoring from de- 
 pression, which is a figurative captivity (Ps. cxlii. 
 7; Isa. xlii. 7; xlix. 9). So Job xlii. 10, "The 
 Lord turned the captivity of Job." Job was never 
 literally a captive (Ezek. xvi. 53). The source of 
 the phrase is Deut. xxx. 3. Had the psalm been 
 WT^tteu during the captivity, the Psalmist could 
 not have looked for salvation out of Zion, for 
 the Shekinah symbol of God's presence had then 
 left Zion (Ezek. xi. 22). Nor can v. 7 be a late 
 addition, for it is found in Ps. liii. ; and the 
 intentional seven-fold use of the name of " God" 
 ("Lord"') requires it. Hengstenherg translates 
 [nusf 3W'2j, 'And (oh that) the Lord returned to 
 the captivity of His people.' The Hebrew [^lii'j is 
 ordinarily not transitive, 'bring back,' but in- 
 transitive, 'return.' The Chaldaic, LXX., Vul- 
 gate, Syriac, and Arabic, support the English 
 version. Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall 
 be glad. The joyful thanksgiving which shall 
 redound to God when He shall be pleased to save 
 His people, is made a ])lea that He should do so. 
 
 PSALM XV.— 1. Lord, who shall abide in thy 
 tabernacle ? The Lord's abode is represented by 
 the " tabernacle," wherein His wor.shi])pers had 
 communion with Him. In it they only 'so- 
 journed' Las tlie Hebrew literally means— "nj], 
 "a:s guests for a time with Him, the gracious 
 Host. Men are not by birth the rightful inmates 
 of it, but become so through grace. The regen- 
 erate '■abide in the Lord's tafjernacle;' i.e., they 
 dwell vnth Ood in ivtiinate communion (Eph. ii. 
 19), and as the blessed result, enjoy Gods sure 
 protection (cf. v. 5, "He shall never be moved"). 
 Tlie very name, "the tabernacle of the congrega- 
 tion" (Exod. xxxiii. 7), implies the place where 
 (Jodj hel/l communion ivith His people. Here the 
 tabernacle meant is not the Mosaic one, which was 
 then at Gibeon without the ark of the covenant 
 (1 Chr. xvi. 39), but the tabernacle prepared by 
 David for the ark on Zion (2 Sam. vi. 17; 1 Chr. 
 XV. 1; xvi. 1; 2 Chr. i. 4). In heaven His people 
 shall dv)ell with Him for ever. In the visiole 
 Church we have glimpses of His glory, and, by His 
 gracious invitation, sojourn in it as in a temporary 
 refuge. In the perfect Church above we shall 
 abide permanently, and see Him face to face. 
 Purity of heart is trie necessary qualification that 
 God requires for admission to both, Cf, Ps. v. 4 ; 
 xxiii. 6; xxvii, 5; Ixi, 4; and the parallel, xxiv. 3. 
 dwell In. As 'sojourn' {marg.) points to tem- 
 porary and imperfect communion with God in this 
 
 earthly "tabernacle," so "dwell" expresses the 
 perfect and abiding communion with Him in the 
 heavenly hill, thy holy hill. The fact that it is 
 God's hill, and therefore a holy hill, implies that 
 "without holiness" no man can dwell in it (Heb. 
 xii. 14). 
 
 2. He that walketh uprightly [n^Dn]- sincerely, 
 without guile or hypocrisy, in worshipping God, 
 and loving one's neighbour : the opposite of a 
 "double heart" (Ps. xii. 2). and worketh righ- 
 teousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. 
 As "walketh uprightly" referred to the general 
 character, so this clause refers to uprightness in 
 one's works and one's speech. The grace of God is 
 presupposed, as it is the only source whence a holy 
 walk can flow. The duties of the second table- - 
 viz., those which relate to one's neighbour— are 
 specified, because men have many ways of feigning 
 to discharge the duties of the first — viz., those 
 which relate to God. Hypocrites, by ritual ser- 
 vices, may feign faith, but their temper, works, 
 and words towards their fellow-men, betray their 
 hypocrisy. The righteousness towards man which 
 this psaim requires is shown to be such as flows 
 from faith working by love, by the expression, 
 "speaketh the truth in his heart.'''' Where the 
 heart speaks the language of love, there the grace 
 of the Spirit must have regenerated the man ; for 
 the natural man has not within purity, spiritu- 
 ality, and truth, however kindly he be in many 
 of iiis words and acts. 3. He that backbiteth 
 not with his tongue. The former verse de- 
 scribed what the godly man is, this verse describes 
 what he is not. backbiteth— the Hebrew [hi-^^ 
 from h^j^, the foot] is literally to go hither and 
 thither as tale-bearers. The Psalmist has in view 
 Lev. xix. 16, "Thou shalt not go up and down as 
 a tale-bearer " (see Hebrew), nor doeth evil to 
 his neighbour— 'to his /ne/icZ' {I J engstenbei-y'). 
 The idea is of our being all bound together in a 
 common spiritual and natural brotherhood, which 
 renders any violation of that neighbourly relation 
 peculiarly heinous. The same thought is marked 
 in the Hebrew by the i)lay on similar sounds [inrnS 
 nrg] : 'doeth what is the reverse of friendly to a 
 friend.' nor taketh up a reproach against his 
 neighbour — a distinct Hebrew word from the 
 former "neighbour" [^hipj. It is translated "kin," 
 Lev. xxi. 2, and implies propinquity, as the for- 
 mer [57!] imi)lies association, nor taketh up a 
 reproach. Peproacli is a burden which, if the 
 slandered had not taken up and laid upon his 
 neighbour, would have lain harmless. 4. In whose 
 eyes a vile person is contemned— "a vile person;" 
 
ihi'cid ill distrust of merit 
 
 PSALM XVI. 
 
 jleeth to God. 
 
 5 He Hliat piitteth not out his money to usury, 
 Nor taketli reward against the innocent. 
 He that doeth these things shall never be moved. 
 
 PSALM XVL 
 
 ^Michtam of David. 
 
 1 PRESERVE me, 0 God:— "for in thee do I put my trust. 
 
 2 0 my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord ; 
 My goodness extendeth not to thee ; 
 
 3 But to the saints that are in the earth, 
 
 And to the excellent, in whom Is all my delight. 
 
 « Ex. 22. 5. 
 Job 20. 18. 
 Eze. 18. 8, 
 9. 
 
 PSALM leT 
 1 Or. A 
 
 golden 
 
 Psalm. 
 « Ps. i). .0. 
 
 Ps. 22. 8. 
 
 Ps. 2>, 20. 
 
 Pi. H6. 6. 
 
 2 Cor. 1. 9. 
 
 2 Tim, 1.12. 
 
 'one rejected (by God)'[DN^?], in contrast to 
 " them that fear the Lord." So the same Hebrew 
 is translated, Jer. vi. 30, "Reprobate (rather, re- 
 jected) silver shall men call them, because the 
 J ord hath rejected them." but he honouretli 
 them that fear the Lord— and that are therefore 
 honoured by the Lord, in contrast to 'the rejected' 
 l)y God in the first clause. A man's disposition is 
 easily seen by his associates. The ri^>hteous man 
 instinctively shrinks from the unrighteous. Kot 
 all the wealth, learning, or power in the world can 
 recommend their possessor if unrighteous. On 
 the other hand, he is drawn towards those of a 
 congenial mind, in spite of every external disad- 
 vantage. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and 
 changeth not— not as the LXX., Vulgate, and 
 Syriac, 'He that sweareth to his neighbour'' (l)y a 
 different Hebrew pointing). Thus the manifest 
 reference to Lev. v. 4 would be broken, where also 
 the discourse is of an hasty oath. Hengstenherg 
 translates for "changeth not" 'exchanges 
 not' (the usual meaning of the Hebrew) : 'does not 
 substitute' something else in place of what he 
 had sworn, but keeps to his word, though to his 
 loss (Eccl. viii. 2, 4 ; Judg. xi, 35). A vow to God 
 of what was in itself sinful is better broken tlian 
 kept, which would be adding a second sin to the 
 original sin. But in all tliat is not sinful, even 
 though entailing hurt to one's self, an oath, if 
 freely tcd-en, must be faithfully kept. 5. He that 
 putteth not out his money to usury— Hebrew, 
 ' He that giveth not,' &c. The contrast is to "nor 
 taketh reward." The wrong giving and the wrong 
 taking stand opposed. The allusion is to Lev. 
 XXV. 37, "Thou shalt not gire him (thy brother) thy 
 money upoji usury." Tiie Mosaic rule referred to 
 money gii^en on loan to help a needy brother Is- 
 raelite: to make a gain of his misery would have 
 been a violation of the law of love. This law has 
 no reference to our modern lending of money on 
 interest, where tliis is done in no s])irit of greedi- 
 ness and ojopressiou. The Hebrew for usury ["^.v'?] 
 comes from a root to bite ["^Ji'^J, so that the usury 
 meant can only be such as grinds the pooi\ Op- 
 l)osed to giving for us\iry is the giving goritis, Prov^ 
 xxviii. 8. The believer is to be more disposed 
 to seek the benefit of his neighbour than seilisli 
 aggrandizement (Prov. iii. 27; Matt. v. 42). nor 
 taketh reward against the innocent— doth not let 
 his judgment as an umpire be warped by a bribe 
 from the rich against the innocent poor man (Deut. 
 xvi. 19; xxvii, 25). He that doeth these things 
 shall never be moved— he 'shall a'ride in the 
 Lord's tabernacle and holy hill' {v. 1 : 2 Pet. i. 10: 
 Ps. Iv. 22). 
 
 PSALM XVI. 7^z7Ze.-Michtam of David. Some 
 derive Michtam from Dn3, gold— ^Ae golden {i. e., ex- 
 cellent) psalm, as Pythagoras' verses were called 
 golden verses. This is scarcely borne out by the 
 Hebrew. Hengstenherg better explains it as 'a 
 132 
 
 secret:' a song conducting us into the depths of 
 the divine life, that 'secret of the Lord which is 
 with them that fear Him' [from nn^, to conceal]. 
 
 I. Declaration of trust, not in his own goodness, 
 much less in idols, but in Ood, as the only and blessed 
 portion {vv. 1-7). II. Certainty of everlasting salva- 
 tion to soul and flesh grounded on tliat trust {w. 
 8-11). 
 
 1. Preserve rae, 0 God— who am in imminent 
 danger, for in thee do I put my trust. Trust 
 in God is the strongest argument why God should 
 hear prayer iov deliverance (Ps. xxv. 20). 2 (0 
 my soul), thou hast said unto the Lord— (Lam. 
 iii. 24, 2.5. ) The LXX. , Vulgate, and Syriac read, ' I 
 have said ' [^-T^o^<, instead of moN]. The Hebrew 
 feminine second person singular verb can only be 
 explained by understanding "0 my soul." The 
 omission accords with the enigmatical style of the 
 psalm. The address is thus vividly dramatic. 
 The phrase, "my soul," accords with Davids 
 phraseology, 1 Sam. xxiv. 11. Cf. 2 Sam. xiii. 3(). 
 Having solemnly declared, "In thee do I put my 
 trust," David, in converse with his soul, raises 
 it to the settled feeling that it cannot despair 
 without coming into flagrant o] (position to itself 
 (Hengste7iberg). my goodness extendeth not to 
 
 thee. So the LXX. [twv dyadwu fxcv 6v y^jpemv 
 fc'x^'^] iiud Vulgate; lit., ' {is) not upon (i. e., is no 
 addition to) thee' It confers nothing upon 
 
 thee, for thou needest it not. Thy goodness alone 
 is the foundation of my hope; not any merit of 
 mine. Though God v. ants nothing from His crea- 
 tures, yet of His own accord He communicates 
 His goodness to them. Cf. Job xxxv. 7; vv. 5, 6, 
 8; Luke xvii. 10. {Rivetus.) Hengstenherg ex- 
 
 glains it, 'my good {i. e., the good which / receive, 
 s. cvi. 5) ; my salvation, in contrast to the sor- 
 rows of those that hasten after another god {v. 
 4 ; not the good which 1 do) is not beside (inde- 
 pendent of) thee'— solely depends on thee {v. 3), 
 in common with all the saints. "Thou art my 
 Lord" is the soul's response to Exod. xx. 2, "I 
 am the Lord thy God." 'My good {i. e., salvation, 
 inheritance, vn. 5, 6) is not beside thee' is the 
 souFs response to Exod. xx. 3, "Thou shalt have 
 no other gods before me" (lit., in addition to my 
 presence [^JQ ^r]. 3Ty presence is used for we, im- 
 plying God's ubiquity by His omnipresence; so 
 that wherever an idol beside God- Jehovah is set 
 up, it is in His presence). I prefer the Englisii 
 version. The reference to Exod. xx. still remains. 
 For in disclaiming a goodness independent of, or 
 adding anything to God, the Psalmist virtually re- 
 cognizes God as the sole source of goodness, and 
 rejects other gods (Ps. cxv. 1). The antithesis to 
 "their sorrows," in v. 4, is "mine inheritance," v. 
 5, not 'my good,' v. 2. 3. But to the saints that 
 are in the earth— in contrast to the Most High, 
 who is in the heaven of heavens. Christ Jesus, 
 the Antitype to David, is He to whom this psalm 
 
David showeth the 
 
 PSALM XVL 
 
 hope of his calling. 
 
 4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that ^ hasten after another god : 
 Their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, 
 
 Nor take up their names into my lips. 
 
 5 ^ The Lord is the portion ^ of mine inheritance and of my cup : 
 Thou maintainest my lot. 
 
 6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; 
 Yea, I have a goodly heritage. 
 
 7 I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel ; 
 My reins also instruct me in the night seasons. 
 
 is twice applied in the New Testament (Acts ii. 
 2>28^ xiii. 35-37). He claimed, as man., no good- 
 ness independent of God, or which could confer a 
 profit upon God which He had not before. Hence 
 when the young ruler called Him " Good Master," 
 He replied, "Why callest thou me good? There 
 is none good but one, that is God" (Matt. xix. 16, 
 17). His perfect goodness as man was of profit 
 ' to the saints in the earth ' — i. e. , to those whom 
 He sanctified, or consecrated as His own, by His 
 everlasting purpose of love, whereby also He sanc- 
 tified or consecrated Himself for their sakes (John 
 xvii. 19; Heb. ii. 10, 11, 14). It conferred no profit 
 on God, from whom all His goodness as the Son 
 of man was derived. The Hebrew particle for 'Ho 
 (the saints) " m expresses 'appertaining to.' The 
 term "saints" here exi:)resses not their holiness so 
 much as His consecration of them as a holy people 
 imto Himself : both the literal Israel (Deut. vii. 6 ; 
 Exod. xix. 6) and the spiritual (1 Pet. ii. 9). and 
 to the excellent — the princely. Not so much 
 "excellent" in themselves, as in respect to their 
 high calling of God. Christ's righteousness as 
 man was wrought for the sake of these, that they 
 might be " the righteousness of God in Him" (2 
 Cor. V. 21). In reference to David, the type, the 
 inspired words here have only a partial fulfilment. 
 David disclaims making his goodness a ground of 
 hope, since, however beneficial such goodness may 
 be to the saints, with whom he is one, it confers 
 nothing ujion God. in whom is all my delight— 
 my sympathies. In their fullest sense these words 
 find their fulfilment in Messiah alone (Prov. viii. 
 31, "My delights were with the sons of men :" also 
 Heb. ii. 14). 
 
 4. Their sorrows shall be multiplied that has- 
 ten after another god— in contrast to the "in- 
 heritance" and "pleasant places" {vp. 5, 0) which 
 belong to those who have "the Lord" for tlieir 
 " portion " (vt: 5, 6). The names in Hebrew for 
 idol-gods and for son'ows are similar— a bad omen 
 for those who choose such objects of trust 
 sorroivs; wz^^y, the idols being so called from the 
 troubles which befell their votaries (Isa. Ixv. 14). 
 The Hebrew for "hasten after another" [nnp intjij 
 is applied in Exod. xxii. 15 to ha>/lng a wife with 
 a dowry. 8o it represents figuratively the idola- 
 ters purchasing their idol paramours tcith costly 
 xacrifires. Whereas Jehovah, as the Husband, 
 took the initiative in purchasing Israel to Himself 
 out of tlie bondage of Egyi)t, the false gods gave 
 no token of love, or, indeed, of tlieir existence: the 
 first advance was made (Hos. viii. 9; Ezek, xvi. 
 33, 34) by tlieir infatuated votaries in buying them 
 at a dear cost. But a bought god could only bring 
 sr/rrow, not salvation, their drink offerings of 
 blood will I not offer. Not that thev literally 
 offered hlood; but he means. Their drink offerings 
 are as much my abhorrence (becau.se offered to 
 idols) as if they were not of wine, but of blood. 
 1'lie phrase is a]tpro]>riate, as wine is "the blood of 
 grapes " ((ien. xlix. J 1). nor take up their names 
 into my Ilpa— in obedience to the command, Exod. 
 
 2 Or, give 
 gifts to 
 another. 
 
 * i's. 73. 26. 
 Ps. 119. 57. 
 I's. 142. 5. 
 Deut. 32. 9. 
 Jer. 10. I*!. 
 Lam. 3. £4. 
 
 3 of my 
 part. 
 
 xxiii. 13 (cf. also Hos. ii. 17). 5. The Lord is the 
 portion of mine inheritance— (Lam. iii. 24.) The 
 image is from the tribe of Levi and Aaron the 
 high priest, to whom the Lord spake, Num. 
 xviii. 20, "Thou shalt have no inheritance in 
 their land ; neither shalt thou have any part 
 among them. / am thy part and thine inherit- 
 ance amon^ the children of Israel," &c. So the 
 true Israelites feel the Lord to be their inher- 
 itance, whether they have more or less of this 
 world's goods. Christ, the Antitype, in the fullest 
 sense, made 'the Lord His portion :' as the second 
 Adam, He resumed that standing of implicit trust 
 in Jehovah as His all, from which the first Adam 
 fell, beguiled by the illusory promises of another 
 inheritance held out by the father of lies, and 
 of my cup. Image from a sumptuous feast (Ps. 
 xxiii. 5). thou maintainest my lot [T]"'Z?"in] — thou 
 wilt not suffer any one to dispossess me of this my 
 lot. Not like earthly possessions, from which the 
 lawful owner is often dislodged. The Hebrew 
 means to prop one up, sustain, so as not to fall, as 
 Aaron and Hur propped u^) Moses' hands (Exod. 
 xvii. 12; cf. Ps. xli. 12; Ixiii. 8; cxxv. 3). Satan 
 cannot, by force or fraud, deprive the saints of 
 their lot, once they have obtained it — grace here 
 and glory hereafter (John x. 28, 29). 6. The lines 
 are fallen unto me — an image from the coi'ds 
 with which they used to measure and allot lands. 
 Heuce it means my allotment (Amos vii. 17; cf. on 
 ''''fallen unto me," Josh. xvi. 5). It ^S3] means 
 to be assigned unto (Num. xxxiv. 2). in pleasant 
 (places) [b^n>P33]. Boettcher denies that an adjec- 
 tive, not of local import, can, without addition", 
 refer to places. In Job xxxvi. 11 the same He- 
 brew, ' pleasures,' stands parallel to 'prosperity.' 
 So here translate, 'in delights,'' or pleasures. 
 
 7. I will bless the Lord, who hath given me 
 counsel— so as to know, and will to choose, the 
 "goodly heritage" (''. G) ; taking 'the Lord for 
 the portion of mine inheritance' 0'. 5). my reins 
 also instruct me in the night seasons. The 
 "reins" mean whatever is hidden within man 
 —the inmost thoughts and feelings (Ps. vii. 9). 
 The Heb. for "instruct" [~ip^] means, lit., to chas- 
 tise. God, by His Spirit, made the distressing 
 thoughts within the Psalmist's breast tend to his 
 subjecting his will to God's "counsel," and so to 
 his disciplinary an)endment. Aflliction, through 
 God's Word and (^od's Sjjirit sanctifying it, became 
 the Psalmist's instructor, in the night seasons— 
 lit., 'in the nights.' The plural expresses the 
 continued repetition of the instruction np/ht by 
 night. The Antitype, Christ, as the servant of Clod 
 for man's sake, received the Father's instruction 
 hy chastening in afflictions ''' morning by morning" 
 (Isa. 1. 4-6), so as to be our sympathizing high jjriest. 
 Cf., also, John xii. 49; the Sou was guided entirely 
 by the Father's " counsel" in the work of redemp- 
 tion. His whole life was one continued bowing of 
 His human will to the Father's (John iv. 34 ; vi. 38). 
 Night was the season of Christ's closest cominnnioa 
 with the Father (Murk i, 35 and vi. 47), and also 
 
David projesseth 
 
 PSALM XVII. 
 
 his integrity. 
 
 8 I have set the Lord always before me : 
 
 Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 
 
 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: 
 My flesh also shall "^rest in hope : 
 
 10 For ^thou wilt not leave '^my soul in hell; 
 
 Neither wilt thou suffer thine ^Holy One to see corruption. 
 
 11 Thou wilt show me the path of life: — in thy presence fulness of joy; 
 At thy right hand there ^ are pleasures for evermore. 
 
 PSALM XVIL 
 
 A Prayer of David. 
 1 HEAR Hhe right, 0 Lord, — attend unto my cry. 
 
 Give ear unto my prayer, that goeth ^ not out of feigned lips. 
 
 * dwell con- 
 fidently. 
 
 " I'S. 49. 15. 
 
 Acts 2. '17. 
 
 Acts 13.. 35. 
 <* Lev. 19. 2S. 
 
 Num. 6. 6. 
 
 • Dan. 9. 24. 
 Luke 1.35. 
 
 / Ps. 36. 8. 
 Acts 2. 2^. 
 
 PSALM 17. 
 
 1 justice. 
 
 2 without 
 lips of 
 deceit. 
 
 of His most poi,L;iiaut affliction in Gethsemane 
 (Luke xxii. 53). It is the season when the believer, 
 too, can, amidst the general stillness, commune 
 with his own soul, and receive the inward instruc- 
 tion designed by God to be drawn from afflictions 
 (Ps. iv. 4; ii. 10). 8. because he is at ray right 
 hand, I shall not be moved. ' It gives such an 
 undaunted heart when one has God always before 
 one's eyes, that even the cross and sullerings will 
 then be cheerfully encountered' [LutlLcr). I have set 
 the Lord always before me— as the grand object 
 before my mind's eye, to be contemplated, loved, 
 and worshipped ; the scope and I'ule of ray acts ; 
 the all-seeing Spectator of my ways; my Helper 
 and Saviour, whence I have no fears, but am con- 
 fident of deliverance. The Antitype alone realized 
 this perfectly (cf. Isa. 1. 7-9). In this His believing 
 members copy their Head (Isa. 1. 10). he is at ray 
 right hand— the position of one's defender (Ps. 
 Ixxiii, 23 ; cxxi. 5). Contrast ' Satan at the right 
 hand,' to assail and accuse, with Christ "at the 
 right hand of the poor," to defend and advocate 
 their cause (Ps. cix. 6, 31). It is im])ossible that 
 any real hurt can befall those who have the Lord 
 always at their right hand. 9. Therefore— because 
 the Lord is at my right hand, my heart is glad- 
 in the assurance of perfect deliverance, and my 
 glory rejoiceth— " my glory," i.e., my soul, the 
 most honourable part of man. Eather, ' my 
 tongue,'' as it is explained by the apostle, in accord- 
 ance with the LXX., Acts ii. 26. So Ps. xxx. 12, 
 marg. ; Ivii. 8 ; cviii. 1. The tongue is the glory of 
 man above the lirutes ; it is the muVs interpreter, 
 whence it derives its "glory." It is also the in- 
 strument of glorifying God, which is man's highest 
 glory. David not only exults internally, but 
 makes his tongue and flesh also partakers of his 
 joy. my flesh also shall rest in hope— rather, 
 'shall dwell [|5?f:'] in security,' or 'safety,' as the 
 Hebrew [n^59] is translated in Ps. iv. 8. The English 
 version, however, has a right idea; the Hebrew is 
 derived from a root to he confident [ni^ii]. Confi- 
 dence is akin to hoj)e. It is the Christian hope— 
 not vague, but sure ; God, its object, is true and 
 faithful. That the phrase, 'my flesh shall dwell 
 in confident security,' refers in the ulterior sense 
 to Messiah's body resting secure in the grave, ap- 
 pears from Isa. xxvi. 19; Actsii. 26. Hengstenhera 
 denies that "flesh" is used of the soidless hody, and 
 says it means only the living body. But the phrase 
 may probably be used in the case of Christ, as His 
 body, thougii the soul was severed from it at death, 
 yet remained like a living body, exempt from cor- 
 ruption. In the primary and imperfect sense in 
 which David, as the type, used the words, he may 
 have intended only to express his confident hope 
 of deliverance from his imminent dangers. Thus, 
 "the pains of hell" (Sheol or Hades)" are used of 
 134 
 
 the greatest straits, in Ps. cxvi. 3; or his hope that 
 he should not be given over to ruin (cf. tlie use of 
 hell, Matt. xi. 23); and that he, as a saint of (Jod, 
 should not see corruption, ox destr uction (as the same 
 Hebrew is translated, Ps. cvii. 20), or the pit (E/.ek. 
 xix. 4, Hebrew). But the Spirit, by him (1 Pet. i. 
 10-12), used language which has its full and mainly 
 designed accomi)lishment only in Christ's resurrec- 
 tion from tlie grave and ascension to heaven, and 
 in the resurrection and ascension of all believers 
 hereafter tlirough Him (Rom. viii. 19). 10. For 
 thou wilt not leave my soul in hell— not the place 
 of torment; nor, on the other hand, merely the grace, 
 which is not referred to till the next clause ; but 
 tlte unseen world of disembodied soids : the Hebrew 
 Sheol, the Greek Hades, neither wilt thou suffer 
 thine Holy One to see corruption. The authority 
 of SS. Paul and Peter (Acts ii. 25-27 ; xiii. ;i5-37) is 
 decisive for preferring the reading singular [li'Dn], 
 'thy Holy Owe,' to the plural [T^'C^], 'thy Holy 
 ones.' ' 156 MS. 2 pr. K.; 107 MS. 6 pr. 52 Edd. 
 K; LXX., Syriac, Ethiopic, Chaldaic, Vulgate, 
 Arabic, Jerome, Talmud, Babylonian, read singu- 
 lar, ^thy Holy One'' (De Burgh). Internal evidence 
 also favours the Keri, 'thy Holy One,' for the 
 singiilar is used throughout the Psalm, 'my soul, 
 my gXory, my flesh, me' {rv. 9-11). The Jews' op- 
 position to the Messianic interpretation probably 
 originated the plural. Contrast M ith God's Holy 
 One not seeing corruption (which, according to St. 
 Peter's reasoning, cannot apply in its main sense 
 to David, but only to the Divine Son of David) the 
 common lot of all others (Job xvii. 14; Ps. xlix. 
 7-9). Chasid, lit., ' one in God's favour ;' so God's 
 only-beloved Son, in whom all the fulness of God's 
 grace, or favour, dwells (John i. 14, 16). Kodesh is 
 the strict Hebrew for " holy." 11.' Thou wilt show 
 me the path of life— i. e. , the path to life ; Hebrew, 
 lives. As in v. 10 his deliverance was described 
 negatively— namely, from Hades and corruption— 
 so here positively, 'life, joy, pleasures for ever- 
 more.' in thy presence is fulness of joy— /i/,, 
 joy with thy countenance ["^"i^ rivV j ; as in Ps. xxi. 6, 
 " Thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy 
 countenance" (cf. Ps. iv. 6). at thy right hand— 
 ' through thy right hand' [firr:'?], as in Ps. xvii 7; 
 'thou that savest by thy right hand' [Hengstenberg). 
 So the Lord Jesus, to M'hom the reference is here, 
 was "fty the right hand of God exalted" (Acts ii. 
 3^3). The English version accords M'ith Ps. ex. 1. 
 So the Chaldaic, LXX. , Vulgate, and Arabic. The 
 light hand is the i)]ace of honour. As the Lord 
 our Head, so the Church, the body and the queen, 
 shall be at His right hand (Ps. xlv. 9; Matt. xxv. 
 33, 34). As He is now ' at the saint's right hand* 
 [v. 8), so shall the saint be "at His right hand" 
 
 ll G 1* t G I* 
 
 PSALM XVIL Vv. 1-15. — The grounds on ichich 
 
David profeii^eth 
 
 PSALM XVIL 
 
 his integrity. 
 
 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence ; 
 
 Let thine eyes behold the things that are equal. 
 
 Thou hast proved mine heart; — thou hast visited me in the night; 
 
 Thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing : 
 
 I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. 
 
 Concerning the works of men, 
 
 "By the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of ^the destroyer. 
 Hold up my goings in thy paths, — that my footsteps ^slip not. 
 
 ■ Fs. 119. G- 
 
 II. 
 
 Matt. 4. 4, 
 
 7. 10. 
 John 17.17. 
 I' ph. 6. 17. 
 1 Pet. 5. 8. 
 Rev. 9. 11. 
 be not 
 moved. 
 
 David rests his prayer— the righteousness of his 
 cause; his hearty mouth, and steps xcill hear God^s 
 testing (vv. 1-5) ; the prayer itself— that Jehovah will 
 keep him from his deadly foes; joyful anticipation of 
 awaking fully satisfied with Jehovah's likeness 
 {vv. 6-15). 
 
 1. Hear the right— Hebrew, ' Hear (wliat is) 
 righteous; ' i. e., hear me ou tLe ground of righ- 
 teousness. The ulterior reference is to Christ, 
 'the Just One,' appealing from the tribunal of 
 man to that of God, who will vindicate the 
 Just One's righteous cause. The primary refer- 
 ence is to David^ as the rei)resentatiye of all 
 believers. These, though claiming no justifying 
 righteousness, save that of Messiah, yet can 
 apx)eal to the Heart-Searcher to test their sin- 
 cerity of aim. This personal righteousness con- 
 sists in a life mainly striving after holiness (1 John 
 iii. 6, 9, 10), thougli deeply conscious of sinfulness 
 cleaving to it (Ps. xix. 13; cxliii. 2; 1 John i. 8). 
 It springs out of a sense of pardoned sin, which 
 pre-supposes the renouncing of self-righteousne.ss. 
 Righteousness of life is the offspring of rigliteous- 
 ness of faith. Without this sincere aim after righ- 
 teousness, prayer will not be accepted (Ps .Ixvi. 18; 
 John ix. 31 ; Job xxvii. 8, 9) ; with it, prayer ob- 
 tains all it asks (1 John iii. 22). give ear unto my 
 prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. Those 
 who, in praying, "regard iniquity in their heart," 
 pray from 'Hps of deceit' (Hebrew). Of. John i. 
 47, 48, concerning Nathauael (probably ijraying) 
 under the fig tree, " without guile ;" cf. also Rev. 
 xiv. 5. 2. Let my sentence come forth from thy 
 presence—?, e,, Let thy sentence, in vindication of 
 my righteous cause, come forth before the whole 
 M'orld, by delivering me from my enemies, let 
 thine eyes behold the things that are equal 
 [ans'^p]— lit., Tightnesses. The petitioner, conscious 
 of integrity, claims a favourable hearing only on the 
 ground of (Jod's regard to right. 3. Thou hast 
 proved . . . tried me— as pure gold tested by the 
 searching fire, and found to have no dross. The 
 Hebrew for tried is lit. ''melted me.' The pre- 
 terite tenses express the past reaching on to the 
 present: Thou hast proved me, and the result is 
 than findest notldng (against me in resx)ect to insin- 
 cerity), and shalt find notldng. in the night— the 
 time when esi)ecially good and evil thoughts in 
 the soul are wont to start up, there being nothing 
 outward to draw off the attention : ' when secrecy 
 and solitude promi)t the hypocrite to sin, and the 
 undisciplined imagination wanders abroad like a 
 bird of darkness after forbidden objects' {Home). 
 So Ps. xvi. 7. This psalm was probably an even- 
 song : cf. V. 15, " when I awake," the time of sleep 
 suggesting the thought of the last sleep, from 
 which the awaking sliall be at the resurrection. 
 I am purposed that my mouth shall not trans- 
 gress. The proving of the Jimrt by God, in tlio 
 beginning of the verse, has little connection with 
 iJie transgression of the mouth at the end. More- 
 over, can hardly, without addition, mean to 
 transgress. The only thing in question in the con- 
 text is, are the declarations of his mouth confirmed 
 by the hearty when proved by God? Not the mouthy 
 13i> 
 
 but the thought or lieart, was the chief ol)ject of 
 the Divine search. I therefore prefer, with Jleng- 
 stenherg, to translate, ' my mouth wersteps not my 
 thought i. €., my heart, as proved by thee, shows 
 that it does not differ from the statement of my 
 mouth, whereby I claimed to be righteous—?, e., 
 sincere before thee. ['n'^I, 'my thought,' is the 
 infinitive, used as a noun in the accusative, and 
 stands before the subject, my mouth," as it is the 
 thought that is the principal object of search.] The 
 question is not whether he thinks otherwise than 
 he speaks, but whether he speaks otherwise than he 
 ^/a'wjts.- therefore reject Gesenius' translation, 'thy 
 thoughts overstep not my mouth.' Cf. i\ 1, " my 
 prayer goeth not out of feigned lips. " 4. Concerning 
 the works of men— i. e., their ordinary actings, 
 which are naturally and essentially corrupt (Gen. 
 vi. 5; viii. 21; Ps. li. 5). David's language undesign- 
 edly coincides with that attributed to him in 1 Sam. 
 xxiv, 9, "Men's words." Where men's words or 
 acts are spoken of, unless some epithet mark tiiem 
 to be regenerate men, they are thought of only as 
 evil, so universal is ma.n's corruption. So Hos. 
 vi. 7. Cf. my note, Job xxiii. 12. tNor does David 
 except himself naturally from men's general cor- 
 ruption, but includes himself among them as by 
 nature prone to evil (cf. Ps. xviii. 23). Tliis consti- 
 tutes the difficulty of avoiding the paths of the 
 transgressor, that these are the paths of 7nen, and 
 believers are still men, and therefore apt to slip 
 naturally into such paths, by the word of thy lips. 
 It is only by the light of God's Word that the be- 
 liever can see the danger and guilt of the ways of 
 7nen, and the blessedness and holiness of the way 
 of God, so as to shun that, and to press onward in 
 this way (Ps. cxix. 9, 11). I— emphatical, in con- 
 trast to ' the wicked.' I have kept me from the 
 paths of the destroyer— /i^., ' I have observed (in 
 order that I might shun) the paths of the wanton 
 transgressor ' [yn.^, one who breaks through all re- 
 straints, from to break] (Hos. iv. 2). 5. Holdup 
 my goings in thy paths, (that) my footsteps slip 
 not— a beautiful supplement to v. 4, "I have 
 kept me from the paths of the destroyer"— viz. , a 
 prayer for perseverance in the ways of God. JNIy 
 liaving done so heretofore is solely of thy grace; 
 tlierefore " Hold up mj^ goings in thy paths" still. 
 Thus the Hebrew infinitive is for the imperative. 
 Ilengstenberg, (Jocccius, L. de Dieu, &c., take the 
 inlinitive for the preterite, 'ray steps hold fast 
 by thy paths, my feet slip not,'— a continuation of 
 the ])rotestatiou of his righteousness (vv. 1-5), on 
 which he grounds the following prayer for deliver- 
 ance from enemies. He had said that he 'kci>t 
 himself from the ])aths of the destroyer.' He next 
 declares what paths he chose — thy paths;" 
 hence his 'footsteps slipped not.' "Thy paths" 
 
 are parallel to "the word of thy lips," v. 4: "my 
 footsteps slip not" are iiarallel to ' I have kei)t me 
 from the paths of the wanton transgressor.' (Jf. 
 
 Job xxiii. 11 ["^pn with 3 never means to hold tip, 
 but to hold fast to or by (Ps. Ixiii. 8) (Ilengstenberg). 
 But Ps. Ixiii. 8 is susceptible of the English version ; 
 so Ps. xli. 12 and Exod. xvii. 12; so that this rule ia 
 
David prayeth 
 
 PSALM XVII. 
 
 against his enemies. 
 
 6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, 0 God : 
 Incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. 
 
 7 Show thy marvellous loving-kindness, 
 0 thou ^that savest by thy right hand 
 
 Them which put their trust in thee — from those that rise up against them. 
 
 8 Keep me as the apple of the eye.; — hide me under the shadow of thy wings, 
 
 9 From the wicked ^that oppress me. 
 
 From *^my deadly enemies, who compass me about. 
 
 10 They are inclosed in their own fat : — with their mouth they speak proudly. 
 
 11 They have now compassed us in our steps; 
 
 They have set their ej^es bowing down to the earth ; 
 
 1 2 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey. 
 
 And as it were a young lion ^lurking in secret places, 
 
 13 Arise, 0 Lord, ^disappoint him, cast him down: 
 Deliver my soul from the wicked, ^ which is thy sword: 
 
 14 From men which are thy hand, 0 Lord, 
 
 From men of the world, which have their portion in this life. 
 
 doubtful]. The English version is a natural ejacu- 
 lation, following up what might otherwise seem 
 too coufideut an assertion of his righteousness. So 
 theChaldaic, LXX., and Vulgate. " Thy paths," 
 and "the word of thy lips," are not the path of 
 justification by works, but the word of faith pro- 
 ducing works of righteousness sincere, though not 
 yet perfect. 
 
 6. I have called upon thee (and now call again), 
 for thou wilt hear me, O God : incline thine ear 
 unto me, and hear my speech. Here begins the 
 diief -prayer of the psalm., based on the Psalmist's 
 righteousness or sincerity, which was the subject 
 of the introductory section, v. 1-5 ; a second ground 
 for being heard afterwards follows — viz., the wick- 
 edness of his enemies, which called for God's ven- 
 geance. 7. Show thy marvellous loving-kindness 
 — 'Signalize thy loving-kindnesses.' The Hebrew 
 [n^?sri] is lit. , single out thy loving-kindnesses, so as 
 not to give them indiscriminately, as heretofore, 
 even to the wicked; but now restrict them to the 
 godly, so as to deliver these from their wicked foes. 
 Another Hebrew form f^^?n] more usually is em- 
 ployed to express the English version, ' make mar- 
 vellous.' But Gesenius regards the two words 
 akin in etymology and sense. 0 thou that savest 
 toy thy right hand them which put their trust (in 
 thee). God's character as the Saviour of believers 
 is a strong yjlea for confidently asking a favourable 
 answer to prayer, by thy right hand — implying 
 the irresistible ^0206r which God has at command 
 for the deliverance of His people, from those that 
 rise up (against them)— ratlier, ' from those that 
 rise up against <Aee,' just as tlie previous ellipsis 
 is supplied, 'Thou that savest them which put 
 their trust in thee.^ It is a strong plea for de- 
 liverance from his enemies, that they, in their pre- 
 sumption, rise tqo against God himself. 8. Keep 
 me as the apple of the eye. This prayer rests on 
 tlie past fact of history (Deut. xxxii. 10), 'The 
 Jjord ke]jt hira (Israel) as the apple of His eye.' 
 The piomise of Cod to Israel in prayer is found in 
 Zech. ii. 8, " He that toucheth you, toucheth the 
 api»le of His eye." The ap])le is the pupil, the 
 most tender part of the eye; lit., a little man, from 
 the image formed on the retina ; the part 
 
 most carefully giiarded from external attack, 
 hide me under the shadow of thy wings. Image 
 from a parent eagle (Deut. xxxii. 11) gathering her 
 young under her wing to protect them from foes. 
 The Lord Jesus woukl have so hidden Jerusalem, 
 
 but that she would not (Matt, xxiii. 37). 9. from 
 my deadly enemies—?;?'., 'my enemies in souV 
 Comi)are Ps. xli. 14. 10. Thej' are inclosed in their 
 own fat — lit., ' their fat they have closed up tliey 
 have wholly covered themselves with fat — i.?., with 
 spiritual callousness. Compare Judg. iii. 22; me- 
 taphorically of sxjiritual obesity and proud revolt 
 against God, the result of external posperity (Deut. 
 xxxii. 15; Jobxv. 27; Ps. Ixxiii. 7; cxix. 70). 11. 
 They have now compassed us in our steps. So 
 the Keri reads [i^unp]. But the harder reading of 
 the Chetib is less likely to be due to correctors 
 ['^innD], 'They have compassed me.' The change 
 of number from " our" (our steps) to 'me,' is due 
 to the speaker being the ideal representative of all 
 the godly. So the singular is resumed, v. 13, " my." 
 now. The present time was a crisis when the danger 
 had come to its height; therefore it was the tiiue 
 for God to interpose, they have set their eyes 
 bowing down to the earth— as those do -w ho lay 
 snares. The English version agrees with the He- 
 brew, and with v. 12, and Ps. x. 8-10. 12. Like as 
 a lion that is greedy of his v>rey— lit., 'the like- 
 ness of him (the ideal wicked man — i.e., all the 
 M'icked personified in one man) is as a lion which 
 is greedy to tear in pieces.' 
 
 13. Arise, 0 Lord, disappoint hira— lit,, 'antici- 
 pate his presence,' for it threatens me with destruc- 
 tion : be thou beforehand with him, so as to thwart 
 his designs which he comes in person to execute, 
 deliver my soul from the wicked, (which is) thy 
 sword. Compare Isa, x. 5 ; Hab. i. 12. This idea 
 of the ivicked being the sword of God for chastising 
 His people, hardly suits the context, as the ground 
 of the Psalmist's prayer throughout is not that he 
 had been suffering chastisement through the instru- 
 mentality of the wicked, but that his cause is alto- 
 gether a righteous one, and the enemy's a bad one. 
 Translate, 'deliver my soul from the wickeAthrowih 
 (or by) thy sword.' 14. From men (which are) 
 thy hand— rather (see note, r. 13), 'from men by 
 thy hand.' The Hebrew is mortal men [oripj. 
 from men of the world. The Hebrew expresses 
 the fleeting nature of " the world" on which the un- 
 godly laestow all their care (Ps. xlix. 1 ; 1 Cor. vii. 
 31) ; the same Hebrew expresses the shortness of 
 life, Ps. xxxix. 5; Ixxxix. 47 p^D, from to cease, 
 by transposition ; or else from hn, slippery. It 
 answers to the Greek aiwv, the age]. The accom- 
 panying word, 'mortal men,' shows the English 
 version to be right, and not Hengstenberg's trausla- 
 
Drmd praiseth God 
 
 PSALM XVIIL 
 
 for His manifold mercies. 
 
 And whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: 
 
 i^They are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their 
 babes. 
 
 As for me, will behold thy face in righteousness : 
 I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with '^thy likeness. 
 
 PSALM XVIIL 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who spfike unto 
 the Lord the words of "this song in the day tJictt the Lord delivered hiui fz'oiu the 
 hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul : And he said, 
 
 I *WILL love thee, 0 Lord, my strength. 
 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; 
 Islj God, ^my strength, '^in whom I will trust; 
 ]My buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 
 
 10 Or. their 
 children 
 are fuU. 
 
 " Job 19. 23, 
 27. 
 
 2 Cor. 3. 
 18. 
 
 1 John 3. 2. 
 d Phil. 3. 2 . 
 (ol. I. 15. 
 1 John 3. 2. 
 
 PSALM IS. 
 " 2 Sam. 2 •. 
 6 Ps. 144. I. 
 1 mj' rock. 
 
 Heb. 2. 3. 
 
 tion from the Arabic, ' from the men of contin- 
 uance'— i. e., whose prosperity has been long con- 
 tio ued. wMcli liave their portion in this life— in 
 contrast to Ps. xvi. 5, "The Lord is the portion of 
 mine inheritance and of my cup." Though the 
 thought which the Psalmist's argument requires 
 is not disparaging their present portion, but rather 
 putting it forward as so prosperous on eartli that 
 it calls for God's interposition to rectify such an 
 anomaly ; yet language is used which Idnts at the 
 explanation of the anomaly — viz. , their portion is in 
 this life, not in the world to come : they are mere 
 moi-tals o/this ivorld, (cf. Ps. Ixxiii.) whose belly 
 thou fillest with thy hid treasure— i. e., with rare 
 goods, they are full of children— , ' they have 
 children, the fulness;' i. e., not merely many 
 cliildren, but children strong, healthy, and pros- 
 l»erous (Ps. cxxvii. .3; cxxviii. 3, 4; Job xxi. 11). 
 and leave the rest of their substance to their 
 babes— "the rest of their substance," their sux)er- 
 jluity. 
 
 Joyful anticipation of future Uessedness as the 
 result of the prayer of faith. 15. As for me— in 
 contrast to my enemies for whom the Lord is 
 preparing destruction. I will behold thy face in 
 Tisi^teovisness—righteousness which was the ground 
 on which the Psalmist all along rested his prayer 
 (f'v. 1-4), and against which the unrighteousness of 
 his enemies seemed to prevail, shall at last triumph. 
 I shall enjoy thy favour as one whose righteousness 
 is vindicated before the world. The image is from 
 Oriental kings, who permit their face to be seen 
 only by those to whom they are propitious. Tire full 
 sen.se must refer to the coming actual vision of 
 Christ in glory, as the parallel passage, Ps. xvi. 
 11, proves. Compare also Ps. Ixv. 4. The Old 
 Testament saints must have had a glimpse of the 
 good things to come, reaching far above the 
 present world, in such plainly Gospel language 
 (Kev. xxii. 4; Matt. v. 8 ; 1 Cor. xiii. 12). I shall 
 be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness— 
 viz., when I awake from the sleep of death (Dan. 
 xii. 2), at the resurrection of the body, when the 
 .saints shall "bear the image of the heavenly"— 
 i. e., of Jehovah-Messiah (1 Cor. xv. 49; Phil iii. 
 20, 21 ; 1 John iii. 2). David had in view the 
 earnest given of this to Moses, who ' beheld the 
 similitude of the Lord apparently' (Num. xii. 8). 
 The unj'odly find their satisfying portion in being 
 full of ' children," who bear their likeness {n. 14), 
 and in whom thev have a kind of posthumous 
 exirstence: I, on the contrary, shall be satisfied 
 with thy likeness. ' Their belly is now filled with 
 thy hid treasure;' but 'I shall be filled' with 
 thyself. I shall behold thy face, not so much in 
 riches of this i)erishing "world" hi 14), as in 
 everla-sting "righteousness." Not that temj)oral 
 I>roaj)enty did not enter into David's anticipation: 
 i;J7 
 
 but it certainly is not to be restricted to it, even 
 from the Old Testament stand-point. The LXX., 
 the Arabic, and the Vulgate translate, 'I shall bo 
 satisfied, when thy glory shall have appeared'— 
 lit., 'when thy likeness is awakened.' Cf. Col. 
 lii. 4. The Hebrew accents are against this. 
 
 PSALM XVIIL— The time was the close of 
 David's life (2 Sam. xxii. andxxiii.) The varied 
 form in 2 Sam. xxii., which omits the words "to 
 the chief Musician," was subsequent to the form 
 here, which was for liturgical use in the sanctuary. 
 The psalm is 'a great Hallelujah, with which 
 David retires from the theatre of life,' praising 
 God for all past deliverances. Cf. with tlae title, 
 Moses' song, Deut. xxxi. 30; also Exod. xv. L 
 the servant of the Lord— a title of dignity, not 
 mere humility {v. 50). David was the first after 
 Moses and Joshua specially so called, having 'for 
 the good of his own generation served the will of 
 God (Acts xiii. 36, Greek), delivered . . . from 
 ... all his enemies, and . . . Saul. In the case 
 of Saul he was but a private man assailed bv a 
 powerful king: hence in vv. 4-19 he appears as 
 passive, drawn out of the floods of his strong 
 enemy's hostility by the Almighty. But in his 
 deliverance froni later enemies (vv. 28-45), he 
 appears as an active and triumphant warrior. 
 
 Vv. 1-50.— The theme (vv. 1-3); his earlier dis- 
 tresses, and deliverance, in ansiver to his cry, by the 
 Almighty (vv. 4-19); the ground of his being hear./, 
 his righteo^Lsness [vv. 20-27) ; the aid which God gave 
 him against foreign foes when he had become Mug, 
 and woidd still give [vv. 28-45) ; conclusion, renewed 
 praise for God's past grace, and His promised grace 
 to David's seed for ever {vv. 46-50). 
 
 1. I will love thee, 0 Lord— Hebrew, love with 
 intense affection [nn-i, to lore from the inmost 
 bowels: a word made by David, as no existing 
 term was strong enough to express his feeling 
 (Jer. xxxi. 20); orTrXayyviX^o^aL, from (nr\a.Yxya\ 
 The love of God experienced so richly by David 
 generated in him an intense reciprocal love 
 toward God. my strength— who suppliest me 
 with both external and internal strength. Com- 
 pare 1 Sam. XXX. 6, end. 2. my God, niy strength 
 —Hebrew, 'my strong rock' [mi], expressing 
 immovable firmness: implying the immutable faith- 
 fulness of God. Compare Ps. xxxi., derived from 
 Deut. xxxii. 4. See (4eu. xlix. 24; Isa. xxvi. 4, man/.; 
 m 2 Sam. xxii. 3, 47, ' my rock - God.' Distinct 
 from "my strength" [v. 1) [pyn] and my rock, im- 
 plying height and inaccessibility ['p^d] {v. 2). The 
 natural state of Palestine, abounding in rocks, 
 which David often betook himself to when fleeing 
 from Saul, suggested the figure, the horn of my 
 salvation— His power afifords me defence, just as 
 the beast whose chief strength lies in its horns 
 
Damd praiseth God 
 
 PSALM XVIII. 
 
 for His manifold mercies. 
 
 3 I will call upon tlie Lord, ^who is worthy to be praised: 
 So shall I be saved from mine enemies. 
 
 4 The ^sorrows of death compassed me, 
 
 And the floods of ^ungodly men made me afraid. 
 
 5 The ^ sorrows of hell compassed me about ; the snares of death prevented me. 
 
 6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God : 
 He heard my voice out of his temple, 
 
 And my cry came before him, even into his ears. 
 
 7 Then J' the earth shook and trembled ; 
 
 The foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, 
 Becaiise he was wroth. 
 
 8 There went up a smoke *out of his nostrils, 
 
 And fire out of his mouth devoured : — coals were kindled by it. 
 
 9 He ^ bowed the heavens also, and came down ; 
 And darkness was under his feet. 
 
 10 And ^*he rode upon a cherub, and did fly ; 
 Yea, ^he did fly uj^on the wings of the wind. 
 
 1 1 He made darkness his secret place ; 
 
 His -^'pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the 
 skies. 
 
 12 At the brightness that icas before him his thick clouds passed, 
 Hail sto?ies and coals of fire. 
 
 13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens, 
 
 d Neh. 9 6. 
 Ps. 65. 1-2. 
 Ps. 76. 4. 
 Rev. 4. 11. 
 Rev. 5. 12- 
 14. 
 
 • 2 Sam. 22.5. 
 Ps. 3. 
 Isa. IX 8. 
 Isa. 53. 3, 4. 
 Mat.t. 2C.3)-, 
 39. 
 
 Mark 14.3', 
 34. 
 
 2 Cor. 1. 9. 
 2 Belial. 
 8 Or, cords, 
 / Ps. 114. 4, 7. 
 
 Matt. 23. 2. 
 
 Acts 4. 31. 
 
 Acts 16. 25. 
 26. 
 4 by his. 
 " Isa. 64. 1. 
 
 Joel 3. 16. 
 
 Matt. 2J.':9. 
 
 Heb. 12. 20. 
 >>■ Ps. 99. 1. 
 i Ps. 101. 3. 
 J Ps. 97. 2. 
 
 depends on tliem for safety from its foes. 3. I 
 will call upon tlie Lord, who is worthy to be 
 
 praised ['^Snn]— lit., 'the praised Lord.' 
 
 F. 4-19. — The deliverances which David experi- 
 enced in ScmVs pjersecutiom. 
 
 4, 5. The sorrows . . . the sorrows— ratber, 
 ' the cords . . . the cords,' as the parallel word, 
 " the snares " [v. 5), requires, of death prevented— 
 surprised or overtook me. Death or hell {Hades) is 
 l)ictured as a hunter, from whose net-cords the 
 animal cannot escai^e. Cf. Acts ii. 2. the floods 
 of ungodly men— Hebrew, 'of Belial.' See Dent, 
 xiii. 13; 2 Sam. xxiii. 6; Matt. i. 11, marg. Said 
 is especially referred to: see v. 16, 17. Belial means 
 primarily ivorthless [from ''^3, not, and hv^, to he of 
 use^: so the wicked one. 6. In my distress I called 
 upon the Lord, and cried unto my God—" I cried" 
 implies a sense of more imminent danger, than " I 
 called." " God" implies not the mere cry of 
 nature, sucli as even the ungodly utter in pain, but 
 the cry of filial confidence to God as his Father, 
 he heard my voice out of his temple—?', e., out 
 of heaven. His exaltation there does not lift Him 
 above the reach of our cry, but enables Him the 
 more efiectually to ' come down ' for our relief (cf. 
 V. 9). 7. Then the earth shook and trembled 
 . . . because he was wroth— with my persecutors, 
 8. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils— 
 an expansion of v. 7, "He was wroth." The 
 imagery is from Deut. xxxii. 22; xxix. 20. The 
 nostrils are in Hebrew conception the seat of 
 anger, fire out of his mouth devoured— the j^re 
 and its accompanying smoke metaphorically ex- 
 press the heat of God's auger, coals were kindled 
 hy it— or 'from it'— i. e., from His mouth. The 
 " coals " in v. 12 are distinct from those here. Here 
 they mean the wrath of Jehovah kindled : there 
 they mean the lightnings which result from this 
 wrath. 9. He bowed the heavens also, and came 
 down. The wrath of which the kindling in heaven 
 has been described is now seen descending upon 
 the earth as a storm upon the wicked enemies of 
 David. He bowed the heavens also and came 
 138 
 
 down— (Isa. Ixiv. 1.) In a storm the clouds descend. 
 Faith sees in this sign God Himself, who had so 
 long seemed far off from His suffering servant, 
 drawing nigh for the confounding of all enemies, 
 and darkness was under his feet—' the Lord 
 approaches, marching npou the dark thunder-clouds' 
 [^^"^V] [Hengstenhery). 10. he rode upon a cherub 
 —see note, Ezek. i. 6. The cherubim are "the 
 chariot" of God (1 Chr. xxviii. 18); they probably 
 Tei>resent the riding powers ivhich are the adminis- 
 trators of His government and providence, both in 
 the natural and the morcd world. In the taber- 
 nacle, with their faces toward the ark, they guard 
 the covenant which it symbolized. Being the 
 two supporters of the ark on which the Divine 
 Shekinah glory rested between them (like the sup- 
 porters of a shield in heraldry), they occupied so 
 subordinate a ]3lace as to cause no risk of being 
 made objects of worship. The cherub combined 
 in itself the highest kinds of creaturely life. Thus 
 God here, ridi?ig upon the cherub, implies that He 
 comes in all His majesty as Lord of all creation. 
 11. He made darkness his secret place. This v. 
 expands {v. 9) "darkness was under His feet." 
 his pavilion round about him were dark Waters 
 and thick clouds. From these dark watery and 
 thick clouds broke forth the thunder, lightniug, 
 and hail which David proceeds to describe {rv. 
 12-14). See Job xxxvi. 29; Ps. xcvii. 2. thick 
 clouds— lit. , clouds of clouds [o'pr:^ "zv. The former 
 
 occurs only in the plural, and therefore stands for 
 the clouds of the entire heaven {Hengstenberg), the 
 upper and rarer clouds of the ether (Buxtorf). 
 The latter implies denser clouds, from n2v, to be 
 thick]. 12. At the brightness that was before 
 him his thick^ clouds passed— j. e., these were 
 dissipated on every side to make way for His 
 lightnings, hail stones and coals of fire. The 
 Lord uses the same weapons against David's 
 enemies as he had used against the Egyptians 
 (Exod. ix. 24; Ps. Ixxviii. 47, 48); and against the 
 Canaanites at Beth-horon (Josh. x. 11). 13. The 
 Lord also thundered . . . and the Highest gave 
 
David praiseth God 
 
 PSALM XVIII. 
 
 for manifold blessings. 
 
 U 
 
 15 
 
 And the Highest gave ^his voice; — hail stones and coals of fire. 
 Yea, 4ie sent out his arrows, and scattered them ; 
 And he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. 
 Then the channels of waters were seen, 
 And the foundations of the world were discovered 
 At thy rebuke, 0 Lord, — 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 large place; 
 He delivered me, because he delighted in me. 
 
 20 The ^LoRD rewarded me according to my righteousness; 
 According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. 
 
 21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, 
 
 And have not wickedly departed from my God. 
 
 22 For all his judgments were before me. 
 
 And I did not put away his statutes from me. 
 
 23 I was also upright ^before him, — and I kept myself from mine iniquity. 
 
 24 Therefore ^ hath the Lord recompensed me — axicording to my righteousness, 
 According to the cleanness of my hands '^in his eyesight. 
 
 25 With ^the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; 
 With an upright man thou wait show thyself upriglit ; 
 
 * Ps. 29. 3 
 ' >'um 24. 8. 
 Deut. 2.23, 
 
 42. 
 
 Job fi. 4. 
 Ps. 21. 12. 
 Ps. 77. 17. 
 Isa. 30 :iO. 
 Hab. .1 11. 
 '"Ps. 14{. 7, 
 
 5 Or, great 
 •waters. 
 
 " Ps. IIK 5. 
 ° 2 Sam 22. 
 2 . 
 
 Pro. 18. 10. 
 Isa. 49. 4. 
 Isa. 6-\ 11. 
 Matt. 6 4. 
 1 Cor. 3. 8. 
 
 6 with. 
 
 P Ruth 2.12. 
 
 1 Sam. 2 J. 
 23. 
 
 HJatt. 10.41. 
 42. 
 
 2 Ihes. 1.6, 
 
 r. 
 
 ' before 
 
 his eyes. 
 1 1 Ki. t<. 32. 
 
 his voice— drawn from Exod. ix. 23; Hebrew, 
 'the Lord gave voices and hail, and the fire ran 
 iiI>on the earth.' 14. and he shot out lightnings 
 — rather, 'and mucA lightnings.' [Not from 
 nm, to shoot arrows, Gen. xlix. 23]. and discom- 
 fited them. Cf. Exod. xiv. 24; xxiii. 27, Hebrew. 
 
 15. In the previous verses the enemy's overthrow 
 was described; in this and the following verses is 
 described the Psalmist's deliverance. Then the 
 channels of waters were seen— the channels 
 below had been hidden, in which I lay as it were 
 buried in " the floods" {v. 4), until the foundations 
 of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, 
 0 Lord. Cf. Ps. cxliv. 6, 7. 16. he drew me out 
 of many waters— like a second Moses, whose 
 name (meaning dravm out) is from the Hebrew ; used 
 here for "He drew me " [n'^'O, a word which occurs 
 nowhere else] (Exod. ii. 10). Moses was a type of 
 Israel and the Church : the waters typify hostile 
 ojjpression ; cf. v. 17, which exi)lains " many 
 waters" by "my strong enemy." Thus the his- 
 tory of Moses was 'a prophecy constantly realizing 
 itself anew under similar circumstances' {Heng- 
 stenherg). 17. He delivered me . . . for they 
 were too strong for me. The power of the enemy 
 overmatching believers is what necessitates the 
 Lord to i)ut forth His omnipotence in our behalf. 
 18. They prevented me— i. e., surinised me. in 
 the day of my calamity. Saul, with 3,000 men, 
 encamped at the mouth of the very cave in the 
 sides of which David and his handful of men 
 remained (1 Sam. xxiv. 3): it was then that David 
 called himself {v. 14) " a dead dog ... a flea." 19. 
 He delivered me, because he delighted in me— 
 on the ground of the righteousness in me, which 
 foriris the subject of the next part {vv. 20-27). 
 
 The section vv. 20-27 expands the last words of 
 V. 19, "He delighted iu me." Herein .sa^ra^ to is 
 set forth as inseparable from righteousness : every 
 one that hath the righteousness of a sincere walk 
 with Cod by faith has a sure warrant for salva- 
 tion ; none without this righteousness has a well- 
 grounded hope of it. 20. The Lord rewarded me 
 according to my righteousness. It was from no 
 J39 
 
 arbitrary favouritism, but on the eternal law of 
 His government, that God vindicated me. Cf. 
 Deut. xxviii. The charge of self-righteousness 
 cannot be brought against David; for the righ- 
 teousness which he claims is not that which is 
 free from infirmity (Ps. xix. 12, 13), but the righ- 
 teousness of sincere striving by faith after holiness, 
 as contrasted with wickedness and hypocrisv. 
 His aim, too, is, not to praise self, but to magnify 
 righteousness as the way to deliverance, in answer 
 to prayer. 21. For I , . . have not wickedly de- 
 parted from my God— 'I was not evil from 
 my God.' All wickedness is vile ingratitude in 
 departing from our (greatest Benefactor. David, 
 though he had in particular cases, through infir- 
 mity, grievously departed from God, yet had not 
 departed in the sense of entirely renouncing his 
 spiritual M'alk with God. 22. For all his judg- 
 ments were before me. So long as one keeps 
 these before his eyes, he is safe from utter apostasy 
 (Ps. cxix. 176). 23. I was also upright before 
 him— lit., with Him (Gen. xviL 1; Deut. xviii. 13). 
 See God's own testimony to David (1 Ki. xiv. 8), 
 "My servant David kept my commandments, and 
 followed me with all his heart, to do that only 
 which was right in mine eyes;" also xv. 5. and I 
 kept myself from mine iniquity—?, e., from the 
 iniquity to which I am liable. Herein he shows 
 himself as not perfectly righteous, but a believer 
 needing watchfulness and prayer to keep down his 
 natural corruption (cf. note, Ps. xvii. 4). See an 
 instance of his going to the verge of sin against his 
 enemy Saul, but shrinking back from it in time 
 (1 Sam. xxiv. 4-7; also xxvi. 23, 24, which compare 
 with V. 20 here). ' What he there hopes for on the 
 ground of his righteousness, that he here marks 
 as granted to him on the same ground ' {Hengsten- 
 herg). 24. Therefore hath the Lord recompensed 
 me according to my righteousness— reverting 
 to the same principle of God's dealings as was set 
 forth in v. 20: this principle he proceeds to set 
 forth in detail. 25. With the merciful thou wilt 
 show thyself mercifuL David brings forward his 
 case, not for self-glorification, but for the edifica- 
 
for manifold blessings. 
 
 26 With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure ; 
 
 And 'with the fro ward thou wilt ^show thyself fro ward. 
 
 27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; — but wilt bring down *high looks. 
 
 28 For Hhou 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 ^45 for God, "his way is perfect: — ^the w.ord of the Lord is tried; 
 He is a buckler to all those that trust in him. 
 
 31 For ^who is God save the Lord ? — or who is a rock save our God ? 
 
 32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, — and maketh my way perfect. 
 
 33 He maketh my feet like hinds' /^^^, — and setteth me upon my high places. 
 
 34 He teacheth my hands to war, 
 
 So that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. 
 
 tiou of the Church, to ilhistrate the universal 
 priuciple of God's dealings [Tpn]: benignant with 
 an upright man— ^i/;., 'with an upright Ae/'o [i?^] 
 thou wilt show thyself upright.' To tlie godly 
 alone belongs true hero-power. 26. and with the 
 frowa,rd thou wilt show thyself froward— not 
 tliat God is really so; but to the froward God 
 seems so. Cf. the words of the unpi'olitable 
 servant, " Lord, I knew thee, that thou art an 
 ha 'd man" (Matt. xxv. 24; and Luke xix. 21, 22). 
 What regarded by itself would seem perverse 
 ("froward"), becomes altogether right, and the 
 only thing worthy of the lioliness of God, when 
 viewed in relation to tlie sinner's perversity. God's 
 procedure towards men exactly accords with their 
 pi'ocedure towards Him. See Lev. xxvi. 23, 24; 
 also Deut. xxxii. throughout. 27. For thou wilt 
 save the afflicted people— those whom he had 
 before called ' merciful (benignant), upright, and 
 pure,' he now calls " the atllicted people,' for the 
 oj-dinary characteristic of the godly in this life is to 
 be afflicted (2 Tim. iii. 12). They are described as 
 a " people" — i. c, a class by themselves, as contra- 
 distinguished from unbelievers. As the godly ai-e 
 an afflicted people, so the ungodly are men of 
 high looks. 
 
 V. 28-45. Here follows the fourth section of the 
 psalm. The aid which God had given the Psalmist 
 a'jainst foreign enemies, after he had been established 
 on the throne, and which God would hereafter also 
 ■give. That the view of God's grace to David is 
 not restricted to the past, but extends to the 
 future, and to his posterity to all generations, is 
 proved by r. 50, "He showeth mercy to His 
 anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore." 
 How deep w'as the impression that God's promise 
 respecting the establishment of David's seed in the 
 kingdom for ever, had made on David's mind, is 
 seen in 2 Sam. vii. 9, 12, li 19, 25, 29; xxiii. 5. 
 Thus the psalm finds its full realization only in 
 Christ. 28. For thou wilt light my candle- 
 rather 'lamp,' The shining of the lamp is the 
 emblem of i^rosperity, as its extinction is that of 
 misfortune. See Job. xviii. 5, 6; xxi. 17. the 
 Lord my God will enlighten my darkness— as 
 He hath done in raising me from the degradation 
 in which I was during Saul's persecutions, to my 
 )resent high dignity. The past is a i)ledge of the 
 uture— viz., that He will cause His light to shine 
 upon me and my seed for ever, according to His 
 promise. Of. Job. xxix. :i; especially 2 Sam. xxi. 
 17, "The men of David sware unto him, Thou 
 shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou 
 quench not the light ot IsraeL" 29. For by thee 
 I have run through a troov— lit., 'in [3] thee.' 
 The godly man lives in God, and God lives iu him 
 
 (Gal. ii. 2()). 'In thee' means 'in thy strength.' 
 Invested with thy might, I can burst through a 
 troop of enemies, from yn, to run: others take 
 
 it forp■|^^, to break, or burst, 7narg.] Hengstenberg 
 agrees with the English version, and by my God 
 have I leaped over a wall— i. e., of a hostile 
 rampart. So St. Paul, Phil. iv. 13; 2 Cor. ii. 14. 
 30. (As for) God, his way (is) perfect. The Psalm- 
 ist goes on to describe the ways and the Word of 
 the God " by" (or in) whose strength he has just 
 said he could "run through a troop," &c. [v. 29.) 
 The Hebrew is ""the God;' which favours //e??r/- 
 stenberg\s construction— viz., 'the God' is iu 
 apposition to "my God" {v. 29), thus 'by my 
 God have I leaped over the wall ' — namely, ' the 
 God whose way is perfect.' Wonderfully different 
 from the idol-gods. Cf. 2 Sam. vii. 22. the word 
 of the Lord is tried— note, Ps. xii. 6. 31. For 
 who is God save the Lord? The force of the "for" 
 is, I 'trust in' Jehovah alone as "my buckler" 
 [v. 30), "/or who is God save Jehovah?" a rock 
 —V. 2, note. 32. (It is) God that girdeth me 
 with strength— rather, as r. 30 (note), in apiiosition 
 to " our God" at the end of v. 31 (for the Hebrew 
 here also has the ai'ticle) : " Who is a Eock save 
 our God?" — namely, Uhe God that girdeth me 
 with strength.' and maketh my way perfect- 
 God by His Spirit "maketh my way perfect," 
 even as " His way is perfect" (v. 30) — i. e., not that 
 the believer is absolutely perfect, but he sincerely 
 strives to imitate his heav^enly Father's perfections, 
 even as Christ afterwards taught, "Be ye there- 
 fore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven 
 is perfect" (Matt. v. 48). 33. He maketh my 
 feet like hinds' feet— In Egyptian paintings the 
 hind is the image of fleetness. Cf. 2 Sam. ii. 18; 
 also 1 Chr. xii. 8. David's fleetness here described 
 was not fleetness for flight, but expresses the 
 irresistible rapidity of his conquests. Cf. 2 Sam. 
 viii. throughout. Kot merely his personal achiev- 
 ments are set forth, but those which he effected 
 along with his army, and setteth me upon my 
 high places — i. e., upon the enemies' heights, 
 which he in faith calls his heights. The original 
 from which the expression is derived is Deut. 
 xxxii. 13 ; xxxiii. 29, " Thou shalt tread upon 
 their (the enemies') high places." Hab. iii. 19 is 
 drawn from the Psalmist's words here. 34. so [ 
 that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms— i 
 rather, ' . . . is bent ' or ' stretched ' [nnq?, from | 
 nnD, to descend; so to make to descend, to stretch, j 
 because in the stretching the cord is made to 
 descend]. Brass ^ (so the Hebrew for "steel " is 
 genei-ally rendered), or bronze, was anciently used | 
 for strengthening arms. The arms of the £gyp- j 
 
David praiseth God 
 
 PSALM XVIII. 
 
 for manifold blessings. 
 
 35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation : 
 And thy right liand hath holden me up, 
 
 And ^^thy gentleness hath made me great. 
 
 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 I might destroy them that hate me. 
 
 41 They cried, but there teas 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; 
 And thou hast made me the head of the heathen : 
 
 A pec^ple ichom 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. 
 
 tians, the great enemy of God's peoi)le, were so 
 strengthened. To stretch a bow of brass indicated 
 great strength. David attributes all his jjrowess 
 in battle not to himself, but to God alone. So 
 must we also, in our spiritual warfare, if we are 
 to be victorious. 35. Thou hast also given me 
 the shield of thy salvation. ''Salvation'' is here 
 termed "the shield" which God gives His people ; 
 in Eph. vi. 18 ''faith" is termed "the shield," 
 because faith appropriates the salvatipn of God, 
 and with it v/ards off "all the fiery darts of the 
 wicked." and thy gentleness hath made me 
 great [ni^r]— "thy gentleness ;" i. e., Gods conde- 
 scension, whereby He is lowly towards His peo- 
 ]ile who are lowly (Isa, Ixvi. 1, 2), and deals in 
 "gentleness" even whilst He corrects. 'The 
 Book of Common Prayer' beautifully translates 
 it, 'thy loving correction.' So the LXX. [h iraL- 
 ce'ia cov] translate, 'thy discipline.' So also the 
 Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic versions. Cf. as to 
 the gentleness of God's dealings with His people 
 when He afflicts them, Isa. xxvii. 8; xl. 11; Hos. xi. 
 1, 3, 4; Acts xiii. 18, marg. , ' He bore or fed them as a 
 nurse beareth orfeedeth her child ;'Deut. i. 31; xxxii. 
 10-12 ; Isa. Ixiii. 9; Heb. xii. 6-11 ; also 2 Cor. x. 1 ; 
 Matt. xi. 28 30. 36. Thou hast enlarged my steps 
 under me— clearing all hindrances out of my way. 
 I can move freely, and without constraint; not 
 driven to fastnesses and caves, as in the days of 
 Saul, that my feet (Hebrew, my ancles) did not 
 slip— viz., in my conflicts with foreign enemies. 
 37. I have pursued mine enemies. The action 
 is continued down to the present : ' I pursue' them 
 still. 38. I have wounded them, that they were 
 not able to rise— I have dashed them in pieces, 
 and do so still. 39. For thou hast girded me 
 with strength unto the battle. It might seem 
 as if David gave too military an air to the repre- 
 sentation, allowing too much scope to human 
 passions, and forgetting the mildness which be- 
 comes believers, from their likeness to their heav- 
 enly Father. But David is to be viewed, not as a 
 
 i»rivate individual, in which capacity he was ten- 
 ierly sensitive of even jeopardizing the lives of 
 men (1 Chr. xi. 10 19), but as the anointed of God, 
 called to the office of pursuing the obstinate foes 
 of God and His people with irresistible might. 
 141 
 
 12 ( r, with 
 
 thy me k- 
 
 ne.ss tliou 
 
 hast tnulti' 
 
 plied me. 
 1^ mine 
 
 ancles, 
 n caused 
 
 to bow. 
 ' Job 27. 9. 
 
 Job 35. 12, i 
 13. i 
 
 Pro. 1. -iK ! 
 
 Isa. 1. 15. 
 
 Jer. 11 II. 
 
 Jer, 14. 12. 
 
 Eze. 8. 18. 
 
 Mic. 3. 4. 
 15 at the 
 
 hearing of 
 
 the ear. 
 IS the sons 
 
 of the 
 
 stranger. 
 17 lie, or, 
 
 yield 
 
 feigned 
 
 obedience. 
 
 40. Thou hast also given me the necks of mine ! 
 enemies— e., Thou makest them to turn their | 
 back ('neck') to me in flight. The Psalmist has I 
 in view Exod. xxiii. 27, Hebrew. Cf. Josh. vii. 8. 
 
 41. They cried .... even unto the Lord— lit., 
 upon the Lord [hv]. They laid their cry, as a 
 burden, itpon the Lord; but not only did not their 
 false gods save them when they cried, but even 
 the true God rejected their prayer. The idols 
 coidd not, Jehovah vjould not, save them. Their 
 prayer was the cry of despairing terror, not of 
 childlike trust ; therefore God rejected it. David's 
 prayer was the cry of faith, therefore God heark- 
 ened to it. 42. I did cast them out as the dirt 
 in the streets— /^7., 'I did pour them out,' like 
 unclean water (Zeph. i. 17; Isa. x. 6; Zech. x. 5). 
 The grace of God is maOTified which gives such a 
 complete exaltation to David above his enemies, 
 once so haughty. 43. Thou hast delivered me 
 from the strivings of the people ; and thou hast 
 made me the head of the heathen. 'The peo- 
 ple's strivings ' are the intestine troubles caused by 
 Absalom in Israel {cf. Ps. xxxv. 1). His deliver- 
 ance from the strivings of domestic foes was the 
 preparation for the headship given him by con- 
 quest over the heathen. This fact is marked in 
 2 Sam. xxii, 44, "Thou hast kept me to be head of 
 the heathen." a people whom I have not known 
 shall serve me. Even distant peoples, with whom 
 David had been brought into no close connection, 
 voluntarily submitted to him (cf. 2 Sam. viii. 9-12). 
 But the language is framed so as mainly to point 
 beyond David to his Antitype, Messiah, in whom 
 alone the prophecy has its exhaustive fulfilment 
 (Ps. xxii. 30; Isa. Iv, 3-5). 44. As soon as they 
 hear of me, they shall obey me. Hengstenherg 
 says that in the Hebrew Niphal the only true 
 signification is, 'Who, through the hearing of the 
 ear, are heard to me' — i. e., are heard of by me. 
 But the Chaldaic, LXX., Vulgate, Syriac, and 
 Arabic support the English version. At the mere 
 report of my victorious prowess (as opposed to 
 seeing, Job xlii. 5), without waiting for my ap- 
 proach in person, they hearken, in obedient sub- ' 
 mission, the strangers shall submit themselves 
 unto me— Hebrew, 'the sons of the stranger feign 
 to me;' i. e., fawn upon me, pretending a goodwill 
 
The creatures PSALM XIX. ^how God's glory. 
 
 45 The ^strangers shall fade away, 
 
 And be afraid out of their close places. 
 
 46 The ^ Lord liveth; and blessed my Ptock ; 
 And let the God of my salvation be exalted. 
 
 47 It is God that ^^avengeth me, — and ^^subdueth the people under me. 
 
 48 He delivereth me from mine enemies; 
 
 Yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me : 
 Thou hast delivered me from the "^violent man. 
 
 49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, 0 Lord, among the heathen, 
 And sing praises unto thy name. 
 
 50 Great deliverance ^giveth he to his king; 
 And showeth mercy to his anointed, 
 
 To David, and to his seed for evermore. 
 
 PSALM XIX. 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of DaviJ. 
 
 1 THE "heavens declare the glory of God ; 
 And the firmament showeth his handywork. 
 
 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, — and night unto night showeth knowledge. 
 
 3 There is no speech nor language — ^ where their voice is not heard. 
 
 f Mic. 7. r. 
 * Jer. 0. 10. 
 
 18 giveth 
 avenge- 
 ments f ( r 
 me. 
 
 19 Or, de- 
 stroyeth. 
 
 « Ps. 59. I. 
 
 20 man of 
 violence. 
 
 21 (;r. 
 confess. 
 Roiu. 15. 0. 
 
 6 Ps. 144. 10. 
 
 PSALM 19. 
 
 * Isa. 40. 2'.'. 
 Eom. 1. 9. 
 
 1 without 
 their voice 
 heard, 
 or, with- 
 out the e 
 their voice 
 is heard. 
 
 and submission which they do not feel at heart. 
 [So the Hebrew, ti'ns, means (cf. Ps. Ixvi. 3, maiy., 
 'yield feigned obedience;' and Dent, xxxiii. 29; 
 also Ps. Ixxxi. 15)]. 45. The strangers shall . . . 
 be afraid out of their close places. [:nn combines 
 the notions of tremhlmg loith fear and moving out.'] 
 So Mic. vii. 17. 
 
 Vv, 46-50. Closing recapitulation of the whole 
 suhject.—^&. The Lord liveth; and blessed be my 
 Rock; and let the God of my salvation be ex- 
 alted. The threefold blessing answers to that in 
 Num. vi. 24-26 : an intimation of the Trinity. 
 With "the Lord liveth," cf. 1 Tim. vi. 16, "who 
 only hath immortality "—a tacit contrast to the 
 dead idols, which afford no safety to their votaries. 
 11 engstenherg translates, ' exalted la my salvation- 
 God ;' saying, that if it were a wish, the Hebrew 
 verb would have been the apocopated future. 47. 
 It is God . = . avengeth me— not private revenge. 
 It is the will of God that the saints should gl9ry in 
 the avenging of their cause, as the vindication of 
 the cause of God Himself (Luke xviii. 3. 7 ; Pev. 
 vi. 10, 11). 48. thou hast delivered me from the 
 violent man — an ideal representative of all his 
 cnejnies, Saul especially. 49. Therefore will I 
 give thanks unto thee, 0 Lord, among the hea- 
 then. The Hebrew for "give thanks" means 
 also 'to confess,' and is so quoted by St. Paul, 
 Pom. XV, 9. [riT, whence comes nnin, confession, 
 or praise.'] In praising men we may exceed the 
 truth ; in praising God we can never do so. Each 
 fresh p?mse we bring is only a confession of what 
 God is; for His excellencies always overpass our 
 praises. This passage and Deut. xxxii. 43, and Ps. 
 cxvii. 1, show that salvation is designed for the 
 heathen also. 'Since the heathen are interested 
 in that which Jehovah does by Israel, since they 
 also belong to the auditory in which His great 
 deeds are to be celebrated, then God must be their 
 God, as well as God of the Jews ' {Hengstenherg). 
 60. Great deliverance (Hebrew, salvation) giveth 
 he to his king. The plural indicates the fulness 
 of the salvation vouchsafed, and to his seed for 
 evermore— referring to the promise, 2 Sam. vii. 12, 
 13. The last promise is twice repeated in v. 16. 
 Of. also Ps. xxi. and Ixxxix. respecting the favours 
 of the Lord to the seed of David. In Ps. ii., xlv., 
 Ixxii., ex., Messiah exclusirdy is brought into view; 
 142 
 
 here He is presented before us only as a member of 
 David's seed. 
 
 PSALM XIX. Vv. 1-14.- The book of nature 
 {vv. 1-6), and that of Her elation {vv. 7-10), alike Itave 
 as their theme the glory of God. From Revelation 
 come the warning and reward, with which in view 
 David prays to he cleansed from secret faults, and 
 kepd from presumptuous sins, and that this psalm of 
 the mouth, and of the heart too, may he accepted by 
 his Redeemer (vv. 11-14). God's name is El, the 
 Creator, in the first part {vv. 1-6) ; Jehovah in the 
 second {vv. 7-14). His glory as Creator is but the 
 stepping-stone to introduce His still more lovely 
 perfections in Revelation, and so to lead us to pray 
 for acceptance with Him. 
 
 1 The heavens declare the glory of God. 
 David might have drawn his illustration of 
 God s glorious power from His works on earth ; 
 but he prefers the heavens, because these are un- 
 sullied by the sin which defiles this lower world; 
 also, because the light that shines from them 
 —the sun especially— enables us to see all the 
 other visible works of God. and the firmament 
 showeth his handywork. The Hel)rew for "firma- 
 ment" [rp.'^p] is only found once again in the 
 Psalms, and points back to the history of creation. 
 In Gen. i. 6 the word is first found, not meaning 
 as the LXX. translate it, and as the word "firma- 
 ment" itself expresses, a solid in accordance 
 with the false philosophy of the Greeks of Alexan- 
 dria in that day, but an 'expanse' [from PpJ], to 
 expand], 2. Day unto day uttereth speech. The 
 testimony of the heavenly luminaries is an un- 
 ceasing one, and is transmitted by each one day and 
 each one night to its successor continually. The 
 speech of the day is the echo of the speech or 
 testimony of the heavens. The Hebrew for " ut- 
 tereth" [^53] means to sputter forth, implying the 
 rich fulness of the testimony of eveiy day. and 
 night unto night showeth knowledge— i. e., the 
 knowledge of God's glory. 3. (There is) no speech 
 nor language (where) their voice is not heard— 
 i. e., although the nations are very diflfereut in 
 language, yet the heavens have a common speech 
 for instructing all alike. So Calvin. But thus 
 the Hebrew for "speech" ["iDt<] is taken in an- 
 other sense from that which it has in v. 2; and it 
 is not used elsewhere in the sense 'dialect,' or 
 
The excellency 
 
 PSALM XIX. 
 
 4 ^ Their line is gone out tlirough all the earth, 
 And their words to the end of the world. 
 
 In theni hath he set a tabernacle for the sun ; 
 
 5 Which /s^^as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber. 
 And rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 
 
 G His going forth ""is 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 2 law of the Lord is perfect, * converting the soul : 
 The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple 
 
 of God's la ic. 
 
 2 Or, 
 Their 
 ru'e, or, 
 dirLction. 
 Eom. 10.. 8. 
 
 & Eccl. 11. 7. 
 " Ecc!. 1. 5. 
 
 3 Or, 
 d'lctrine. 
 2'1'im. 3. 10, 
 
 17. 
 
 * Tr restor- 
 ing 
 
 "language;" and it destroys the parallelism. 
 Til eref ore translate, 'There is not speech, and there 
 are not words : their voice is not heard' [Hengsten- 
 her<j). This, in a negative form, expresses the 
 jtowerf Illness of the testimony which the heavens 
 give to the glory of God. They need no speech ; 
 for without it, in silent eloquence, they proclaim 
 His power and Godhead. 4. Their line is gone 
 out through all the earth. "Their line" is the 
 measuring line of the heavens, which determines the 
 limits and compass of the earth so far as they shall 
 reach (Isa. xxxiv. 17; Zech. i. 16). The whole 
 earthy then, is their compass, and throughout it 
 '■air they proclaim the Divine glory. Thus, as 
 in.\ 2, 3 express the unceasing praise of God which, 
 with silent eloquence, the heavens declare, so vv. 
 4-G express the unirersalihj of their praises. St. 
 Paul follows the free rendering of the LXX. {(I)d6y. 
 yo'i), 'Their sound went into all the earth.' In this 
 he, by the Holy Spirit, gives the virtual meaning 
 of the Hebrew a line], and their words to 
 the end of the world— 'the habitable orb ' [^3n]. 
 " Words" is literally 'concise speech;' the language 
 of signs; significant language [Prov. vi. 13, tlie 
 same Hebrew, ^.'ppj: very appropriate here as to 
 the silent voices of the heavens. In them hath 
 he set a tahernacle for the sun— not as though 
 the Psalmist's conception was that the sun has a 
 tabernacle" in which he reposes at night whilst 
 he IS unseen : v. 6 negatives this idea. Rather, 
 the tabernacle' of the sun means tJie place as- 
 signed to him in the heavens; as Venema remarks, 
 ' several luminaries are assigned tents, 
 
 which are stretched out when the luminaries are 
 visible; taken down when they are invisible. 
 These tents designate their station in the heavenly 
 plains. The sun is singled out from the other 
 luminaries as being the best analogue in the nat- 
 ural world to the ilhimiuator of the spiritual 
 world, the law, in its vivifying, purifying, gladden- 
 ing, and enlightening power; and also a type of 
 Mim who IS the perfect embodiment of the law— 
 t irist, "the Sun of righteousness " (Mai. iv. 2), for 
 whom God 'prepared a body' (Heb. x. 5) as His 
 tahn-nacle, wlien He, "the Word, was made flesh, 
 and dwelt [lit., tabernacled, e a Knvui are v] among us" 
 (John i. 14). ^The heavens are a great hierogly- 
 phic ot the Gospel . . . the same work, but written 
 in dillereut characters' {De Bunih). Rom. x 18 
 does not imply that v. 4 of this psalm is a direct 
 
 covert prophecy of the universality of His mani- 
 testation in the Gospel. 5. Which is as a bride- 
 \ ffoona • . . . and rejoiceth as a strong man — 
 Hebrew, a hero . The point of comparison is his 
 vigour and conscious pouter. 6. and there is 
 nothing hid from the heat thereof. " Heat " here 
 includes light, which is its accompaniment; for the 
 word hid" must primarily refer to light. There 
 143 
 
 IS nothing hid from its all-warming light, which is 
 the handmaid to life (cf. John i. 4, 8, 9), as to the 
 antitypical light. 
 
 The all-penetrating power of the sun {v. 6) forms 
 the natural transition to the spiritual Sun. The 
 section vv. 7-10 sets forth the glories of the law, 
 which emanates from the same God whose praises 
 the heavens declare {v>k 1-6). In the verses 7-9 
 twelve marks of praise are ascribed to the law, 
 forming six pairs, in which the second mark of 
 praise m each pair is related to the first as efect 
 to came ; accordingly, no copula precedes ' the 
 second, and the name of Jehovah occurs in the 
 first member alone. Thus, in v. 7, "Tiie law of 
 the Lord is perfect, (and hence) it converts the 
 soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, (and 
 hence) it makes wise the simple." In vv. 7, 8 the 
 effects are those which the law produces on the 
 soul and heart of man. In v. 10 the preciousness 
 and sweetness of the words of God are indicated 
 generally. 
 
 7. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting 
 the soul. How is this to be reconciled with St. 
 Paul s denial that spiritual life is to be had by the 
 law? (Gal 111. 21.) For the law [nnhn] cannot be 
 explained as meaning tJie Gospel. The solution is, 
 ihe law is viewed as in itself ''holy, and just, and 
 good (Rom. vii. 12); not in contrast to the Gospel 
 of grace, as St. Paul regards it, but as fulfilled in 
 the Gospel, which realizes its spirit in the con- 
 verted man. "Christ is the end of the law for 
 righteousness to every one that believeth" (Rom. 
 fi* ^''r^ ^® ^^^^^ perfect law is realized in 
 
 the God-man, Christ Jesus; then, through Him, 
 in His believing members (Rom. viii. 4). For 
 
 'converting" [nn^K-^], the marg. has 'restoring.' 
 This is better, as the law is regarded here in rela- 
 tion to believers, whereas St. Paul regards it in 
 relation to unbeliecers, to whom it has in itself no 
 converting power. The law of God is a reviving 
 cordial to believers; for it is the reflection of 
 the comforting attributes of Jehovah Himself, of 
 whom the behever saith, He restoreth my soul 
 (Ps. xxiii. 3). The expression "thy servant" {v. 
 11) implies that the Psalmist was at the time in a 
 state of grace. The same appears from?;. 14, "O 
 Lord my strength, and mi/ Redeemer." The law 
 which seems grievous and hard to those who have 
 not tlie Spirit, is in the eyes of the spiritually- 
 minded ' perfect"— i. e., the perfect expression of 
 Gods will, in contrast to the imperfect rules of 
 morality suggested by human reasonings, and 
 therefore it restores their soul. It is perfect itself 
 and also makes those perfect who are guided by it. 
 
 he Hebrew for law means a ' directory. ' So Luther 
 says, ihe law does nothing of this sort by itself; 
 but it becomes such through the sun's heat, v/hich 
 breaks forth through faith on the Word.' the 
 testimony of the Lord is sure. " Testimony " is a 
 term applied to the two tallies of the testimony 
 (Lxod. xxv. 16), the Decalogue. They were a 
 
The excellency 
 
 PSALM XIX. 
 
 of GoiVs laic. 
 
 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heiirt : 
 The commandment of the Lord is pure, enUghtening the eyes: 
 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever : 
 The judgments of the Lord are ^true and righteous altogetlier. 
 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much hue gold; 
 Sweeter also than honey, and ^the honeycomb. 
 Moreover by them is thy servant warned : 
 And'^m keeping of them there is great reward. 
 
 ^ Who can understand his errors ? — cleanse thou me from secret faults. 
 13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; ■ 
 Let them not have dominion over me : 
 Then shall I be upright, 
 
 And I shall be innocent from ^the great transgression. 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 6 truth. 
 
 6 the drop- 
 ping of 
 honey- 
 combs. 
 
 d Ps. 111. 165. 
 Pro. 11. 18. 
 Pro. i9. 1^. 
 Isa 3. 10. 
 Matt, 6. 18. 
 1 Tim. 4. 
 8. 
 
 Jas. 1. 25. 
 
 * Ps. 40. 12. 
 Job 6. 24. 
 Jer. 17. 9. 
 
 7 Or, much. 
 
 testimony/ to the Israelites, that they had taken 
 them as obligatory upon themselves (Kimchi). 
 They are also God's testimony concerning man's 
 duty. The terra points to the covenant relation of 
 God to His people, and to His promises, whereby 
 He is pledged to them. Castalio thus distinguishes 
 the different terms {vv. 7-9): — The "law," the pre- 
 ceptive part of Revelation; "the testimony" L^nj?], 
 the doctriiial ; the "statutes" [Dn.ipG], charges 
 given on particular occasions; the "commandment" 
 [niv^?], the general body of the Divine law ; the 
 "fear" of the Lord, religious reverence; the 
 "judgments" of the Lord [□''Q^TO], the civil stat- 
 utes, 7'ules for deciding questions of property, and 
 penal sanctions. All these have an enlarged appli- 
 cation under the Gospel. "Sure" implies the 
 certainty of the doctrine of God, as contrasted with 
 the shifting character of man's reasonings about 
 moral and Divine truth, making wise the simple. 
 The same characteristic is assigned to "all Scrip- 
 ture" in 2 Tim. iii. 15, "a6fe to make ivise unto 
 salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 
 The ungodly are altogether simpletons : even be- 
 lievers are in themselves "simple"—?, e., spirit- 
 ually inexperienced; easily misled— until 'the 
 entrance of God's words giveth light,' yea, 'under- 
 standing to the simple' (Ps. cxix. 130). 8. The 
 statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the 
 heart: the conimandment of the Lord is pure, 
 enlightening the eyes. For statutes translate 
 ' charges ' (see note, v. 7). Becanse they are 
 "right," they fill the believer with "rejoicing;" 
 for lie feels that he has in them a sure guide and a 
 "right "path, instead of being left to the wrong 
 workings of his own heart, the commandment of 
 the Lord is pure [nnn]— either lucid (Song vi. 10), 
 or else free from admixture of error; so it ' enligh- 
 tens the eyes :' it gives spiritual light (Eph. i. 18); 
 or it is in the sense of 1 Sam. xiv. 27 ; Ps. xiii. 3: 
 it gives life and joy, reviving the fainting spirit. 
 9, The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for 
 ever. "The fear of the Lord" is shown by the 
 ]iarallelism to mean the parts of God's law which 
 inspire reverential fear (as, for instance, those 
 which set forth the av>'ful majesty of God, His 
 justice, and wrath against sin), Cf. Deut. xvii. 18, 
 19; Exod. XX. 18; Deut. v. 23, 24. The law, in this 
 point of view, is "the fear of the Lord," just as God 
 Himself is called "the /ear of Isaac" (Gen. xxxi. 42, 
 53; Isa. viii. 1.3). The law is clean— e., pure, hal- 
 lowed ; requiring holy separation from all unclean- 
 ness (2 Cor. vii, 1) ; requiring purity and sincerity 
 in the worshijipers (JoJ 111! iv. 24; 1 Tim. ii. 8); ad- 
 mitting of no alloy of hypocrisy or impurity [nnincj. 
 The whole Old Testament law, in its substance 
 and spirit, is enduring for ever. Christ "came 
 144 
 
 not to destroy, but to fulfil " it. The enduring 
 character of the law is the result of its purity. 
 judgments of the Lord are true—?, e, the ordi- 
 nances of the law concerning the relative duties 
 of man and man (Exod. xxi. 1). These are based 
 on the eternal principles of truth. 10. More to he 
 desired . . . fine gold. The law, understood in its 
 spiritual, reviving, and joy-bestowing power (?;■'. 
 7, 8) through Christ, our Law-fulfiller, is tlius 
 precious. Ihe spiritual man has more plea&iue 
 in the precepts of the Lord than the carnal 
 have in gain, or the appetite, the honeycomb 
 — Hebrew, 'the dropping of lioneycombs ; ' the 
 choicest distillings from the honeycomb (Prov. 
 xvi. 24). 11. warned— lit., enlightened [in]?]; i. c., 
 illuminated in the right way, in cases of doubt, 
 danger, ignorance, or sin. in keeping of them— 
 in the very act of keeping them there is a present 
 great reward — not merely one in prospect: God 
 Himself is even now the believer's " exceeding 
 great reward" (Gen. xv. 1). Love to God, not a 
 hireling spirit, is the believer's animating prin- 
 ciple. The promise of reward from Clod refers to 
 such a kind of reward as no self-righteous hire- 
 ling would desire, and is at the same time such as 
 cheers the believer in his efforts, by the Spirit, to 
 l^lease God and to keep His law. reward— [npr] 
 —lit., the end: hence the reward which at last 
 shall come (Heb. x. 35). 
 
 12. his errors [niNM^", from n:e', to waw(7er]— all 
 failings and infirmities of the believer. The 
 Hebrew is used in Lev. iv. 2, 13, 22, 27, as to sins 
 of ignot^ance; not sins in general, or gross sins, but 
 sins which, by their unobserved fineness, escape 
 notice. " Errors " is further explained by the 
 parallel term "secret (faults)." Who can under- 
 stand them all? None save God. To Him the 
 believer cries. Cleanse thou me from secret faults. 
 Faults not discernible by the eye of man, as exist- 
 ing in the sphere of the spirit and the thoughts, 
 are clearly patent to the all-seeing eye of our Judge. 
 Hengstenberg translates, instead of "cleanse," Ac- 
 quit thou me. The Hebrew ['^iP.l] is jiroperly a 
 judicial terra, ' to pronounce innocent :' to clear of 
 guilt by justification. Perhaps both pardon or 
 acquittal and purification are intended (cf. v. 13). 
 13. presumptuous (sins). He does not say, Clean.-e 
 me from presumptuous sins, but keep me back 
 from them. These were not sins to which he 
 was readily prone, but he felt that the "errors" 
 and "secret faults," if not checked and 'cleansed,' 
 would lead on to the "presumptuous " or deliberate 
 sins, from which he therefore prays to be ' kept 
 back.' Others translate the Hebrew [onT, not 
 □^"iT, as the LXX. ctt aWoTpiwv], 'from the proud, ^ 
 as in Ps. Ixxxvi. 14 ; Mai. iv. 1. But the anti- 
 
The Church hlesseth 
 
 PSALM XX. 
 
 the King in His exploits. 
 
 * my rock. 
 / Isa. 44. 6. 
 I5a. 47. 4. 
 
 14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, 
 
 Be acceptable in thy sight, 0 Lord, ^my strength, and my -^redeemer. 
 
 PSALM XX. 
 
 To tlie cLief Musician, A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 THE Lord hear thee in the day of trouble ; 
 The "name of the God of J'acob ^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 heart, — and fulfil all thy counsel. 
 
 5 We will rejoice in thy salvation. 
 And in the name of our God we will set up our banners : 
 The Lord fulfil all thy petitions. 
 
 6 Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed : 
 
 thesis to the parallel words, "errors " and "secret 
 faults" — i.e., sins of m^rm?^2/— requires the Eng- 
 lish version, ''''presumptuous sins" — i.e., sins of 
 deliberation (Deut. xvii. 12; marg., Dan. v. 20). 
 An analogous distinction appears in the New 
 Testament between sins of negligence and sins of 
 wilful resistance of light, for Avhich there remain- 
 eth no more sacrifice (Heb. x. 26-31). Translate, 
 ' presumptuous ones,' referring still to sins. 
 dominion over me. Presumptuous sins are per- 
 sonified as tyrants striving to enslave God's ser- 
 vants. How beautifully the promise of God's 
 Word answers to the prayer here (Eom. vi. 14), 
 " Sin shall not have dominion over you" ! So 
 God did keep back from evil Abimelech ; also 
 David himself from taking vengeance on Nabal. 
 If David had prayed so in the case of Uriah and 
 Bathsheba, he would hav^e been kept from the 
 great sin of his life, from the great transgression 
 — even though I still have "errors" and "secret 
 faults " cleaving to me; " the great transgression " 
 is the climax of the "presumptuous sins" [v. 13)' 
 viz., entire fallinij away from God; 're- 
 bellion' (as the Hebrew is translated. Job xxxiv. 
 37), apostasy. The Hebrew for " innocent " 
 I'-l^p.?.] is a form of the same word as in v. 12 
 "Cleanse thou me," or ^ clear thou me;' 
 'then shall I be c^ear of the great transgression.' 
 then— i. e., if thou keepest me from i)resumptuous 
 sins, which are the forerunners of " the great 
 transgression." 14. Let the words of my mouth- 
 Let the prayer which is the main object of this 
 psalm, as well as the praises which form the 
 introduction to the prayer, find accej^tance with 
 thee. The Hebrew for "be acceptable" 
 
 is literally, 'be for pleasure' to thee. Hengstenberg 
 suggests that David uses a sacrificial term; perhaps 
 the very words which were spoken by the priests 
 at the presentation of the sacrifice (cf. Lev. xix. 
 5, 7; Isa. Ivi. 7). Sacrifice itself is the embodiment 
 of prayer. Hence the meta]jhor is natural (Eom. 
 xii. 1). 0 Lord, my strength— lit., my rock (Ps. 
 xviii. 2), denoting His immovable faithfulness to 
 H is promises. 
 
 P8ALM XX. — Israel's prayer for its anointed 
 king in battle. So the Church's prayer for her 
 Messiah's triumxjh. Ps. xx. and xxi. form a pair. 
 Vv. 1-9. — Prayer that the God of Jacob would Itelp 
 IsraeVs king in the coming conflict {vv. 1-4); assur- 
 ance that Jehovah will save His Anointed King and 
 people {vv. 5-8); summary prayer {v. 9). 
 
 1. hear thee— i, e., answer thee, the name— 
 the manifested power and faithfulness. God of 
 Jacob-j. e., of the God who saved Jacob in his 
 "day of trouble," (Gen. xxxii.) defend thee [3jtt'j 
 —lit.y ' exalt thee,' or ' set thee on a high and secure 
 voi^ III. 145 
 
 PSALM ko. 
 " Ex. 34. 6-7. 
 Ps. 9. 10. 
 Fro. 18. 10. 
 Isa. 60. 10. 
 
 1 set thee on 
 an high 
 place. 
 
 2 thy help. 
 
 3 support 
 thee. 
 
 4 turn to 
 ashes : or, 
 make fat. 
 1 Ki. 18. 38. 
 
 place,' (Ps. lix.) 2. help . . . out of Zion. The 
 
 help sought is on the ground of God's covenant 
 with His people, whereof the sanctuary on Zion is 
 the pledge. Zion is the destined seat of His throne 
 (Ps. ii. 6). 3. Remember. The word "remember" 
 [isr] alludes to the portion of the meat offering 
 (so minchoth,_ "offeriugs," here expresses) taken 
 for a 'memorial' unto the Lord [nn^iK], and burnt 
 by the priest in the fire, for a sweet savour, to put 
 God in remembrance of the offerer (Lev. ii. 9). The 
 offerings meant are the festive oblations presented 
 by the king in going forth to battle (cf. Acts x. 4). 
 Selah. The "Selah" implies here that between 
 this verse and the following one the olfering the 
 sacrifices intervened, during which there was a 
 solemn pause {Hengstenberg). accept p.^f'^;]"!!*., 
 make fat, and so to regard as an acceptable vic- 
 tim {Hengstenberg). Eather, from a root [J?:T!], 
 'ashes,' 'to reduce to ashes' by fire, as God did 
 in the case of acceptable sacrifices {Buxtorf). 
 (Cf. 1 Ki. xviii. 38; 1 Chr. xxi. 26). 4. Grant 
 thee. The gracious answer to this is joyfully ac- 
 knowledged, Ps. xxi. 2. The desire of Israel's 
 king was for Divine help in the battle with the 
 foes of God's people. So the antitypical King, 
 Messiah's own all-absorbing desire in His conflict 
 for us with Satan was, that man's "salvation" 
 {v. 5) might be accomplished. As to the fulfilment 
 of this His desire, see Isa. liii. 11; Luke xxii. 15. 
 5. We will rejoice. From prayer he passes to 
 the confident anticipation of faith. We shall he 
 given by thee occasion to rejoice &c. From the 
 form of the Hebrew [the appended n marking 
 the optative], as well as because the concluding 
 clause, "the Lord fulfil all thy petitions," is a 
 wish, Hengstenberg translates 'May we rejoice 
 over thy salvati9n, and . . , be lifted up.' But 
 the LXX., Arabic, Syriac, and Vulgate versions 
 support the English version, thy salvation — 
 the salvation which thou grantest to our king. 
 "Thy" is jjarallel to "our God." set up our 
 banners (Ps. Ix. 4)— as Moses, after the discom- 
 fiture of Amalek by Israel, built an altar, and 
 called the name of it Jehovah Nissi— i. e., 'Jeho- 
 vah my banner' (Exod. xvii. 15) ; or else as the LXX., 
 Vulgate, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions—' w e 
 shall be magnified,^ or 'set up.'' L^^An-i^ from ^nJ, ta 
 be great. The English version takes it from hn^ 
 a standard.'] (Cf. v. 8, end.) But the Chaldaic 
 supports the English version. The answer— in 
 the name of our God— beautifully corresponds to 
 the prayer, v. 1. "Name" implies God's manifes- 
 tation of Himself : here His faithfulness and power 
 in His people's behalf (/'. 7). 
 6. Now know I, The ijeople here speak as an 
 L 
 
A thanksgiving 
 
 PSALM XXI. 
 
 for victory. 
 
 He will bear him ^from his holy heaven 
 ^With the saving strength of his right hand. 
 
 7 Some t7nist in chariots, and some in horses ; 
 
 But we will * remember the name of the Lord our God. 
 
 8 They are bronght down and fallen ; — but we are risen, and stand upright. 
 
 9 Save, Lord: — let the King hear us when we call. 
 
 PSALM XXL 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 THE' king. shall joy in thy strength, 0 Lord; 
 And in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! 
 
 2 Thou hast given him "his heart's desire. 
 
 And hast not withliolden the request of his lips. Selah. 
 
 * from the 
 heaven of 
 his holi- 
 ness. 
 
 Isa. 67. 1.5. 
 Isa. 63. 15. 
 
 « by the 
 strength of 
 the salva- 
 tion of his 
 right hand. 
 Ps. 17. 7. 
 Ps. 18. 35. 
 
 & 2 Chr. 14, 
 
 n. 
 
 PSALM 21. 
 " John 11.42. 
 
 ideal person in the ^inijMJar. Probably ia the 
 temi^le this verse was sung as a solo; the next 
 verse, wherein the plural " we " occurs, was suug as 
 a chorus. From this point the discourse is no more 
 to the king, but of him.. The "now" confirms the 
 confident anticipation of faith individually, which 
 had been expressed in the plural "we" more gener- 
 ally, and with a concluding petition, in v. 5: Now 
 that God liath wrought in me the assurance of 
 faith, I not merely think, but M knoio'' that the 
 Lord saveth . . . hear him from . . . holy heaven— 
 lit., 'from the heaven of liis holiness.' The "holy 
 heaven" above corresponds to the lioly temple or 
 "sanctuary" (jy. 2) below. His Ao/«2e.ss secures His 
 faithfulness to His promises (cf. Ps. xi. 4). Anti- 
 tvpically, in the case of Messiah, the Father 
 
 heard" tlie Son when He prayed, "Glorify thy 
 Son ;" and in Gethsemaue ahd Calvary (John xvii. 
 1; Heb. V. 7). strength. The; Hebrew (r/f&Mro^A) 
 for " strength " is plural. ' With the saving powers 
 of His right hand :' implying the iulinitude of re- 
 sources that God's power "possesses. 
 
 7. Some (trust) in chariots— rather, omit " trust," 
 which is not in the Hebrew, and make the same 
 verb govern all the nouns in the sentence — ' Some 
 remember {i.e., glory in the remembrance of) 
 chariots, and some remember horses, but we will 
 remember the name of the Lord our God.' God 
 had forbidden the use of war-chariots and horses 
 to His people, lest they should trust in them, rather 
 than in Jehovah : such arms of flesh were the 
 arms of th« Gentile world ; the covenant fieople 
 were to rely on a far more miglity arm (Josh. xvii. 
 16; 2 Chr. xxxii. 8). So David met Goliath. 
 (1 Sam. xvii. 45); Solomon (1 Ki. x. 26) in this 
 disobeyed God (Deut. xvii. 16). The people's 
 prayer that God should "reme?«&er" all the 
 offerings of their king {v. 3) beautifully corre- 
 sponds to their resolution, "We will rememher 
 the name of tlie Lord." 8. They are brought 
 down and fallen. According to their objects of 
 confidence respectively, so is the i^ortiou of the 
 world and of the Church. Already faith sees the 
 triumph of the godly and the overthrow of their 
 enemies, we are risen — implying that previously 
 the godly were fallen, and their enemies had the 
 upper hand. Faith sees this anomaly reversed, 
 and the right order established. 9. Save, Lord. 
 The renewed prayer has relation to v. 6, "the Lord 
 saveth ;" "Save Lord," v. 9; "he will hear him," 
 V. 6; "let the king hear us," v. 9. As prayer led 
 to the confident anticipation of faith there, so the 
 anticipation of faith in God's promise there leads 
 to renewed prayer here. Thus the psalm closes 
 similarly to its beginning, "The Lord hear" {v. 1). 
 The article is emphatical, " Let the king hear us ;" 
 the true King, of whom David is the type and vice- 
 gerent, Jehovah Messiah, to whom the kingdom in 
 
 the fullest sense belongs (Ezek. xxi. 27). A powerful 
 plea for being heard. The heavenly King cannot 
 but liear us when we call, seeing that it is the honour 
 and interest of His own kingdom that are at stake 
 in our case. De Burgh, &c., follow LXX. and the 
 Vulgate, ' O T^ord, save the king : hear us when we 
 call.' But the accents are against this. Moreover, 
 " Save, Lord" is more impressive in its abruptness, 
 and the parallelism is not so good as the English 
 version. "Lord," in the first clause, is parallel to 
 "the King" in the second. There is no good 
 authority for altering the Hebrew third person, 
 "let the king bear us," into 'hear thou us.' The 
 third person in the English version beautifully 
 coi-responds to the third person in v. 1, " The 
 Lord hear tliee " (our earthly king) ; v. 9, 
 "let the (heavenly) king hear tts." when we 
 call (Deut. iv. 7). The Church prays God for 
 salvation through the mediation of King Mes- 
 siah. 
 
 PSALM XXL— This 21st forms a pair with the 
 20th Psalm. The blessings there prayed for "in 
 the day of trouble" are here triumphantly ac- 
 knowledged as ali-eady granted. Tnese bright 
 anticipations are based on God's promise to 
 David (2 Sam. vii. 16, 24-29; xxiii. 5-7) that 
 his house and throne should be for ever: ful- 
 filled in the Son of David (Ps. Ixxii. 5, 15, 17). Vv. 
 1-13. — Jehovah^ s strength bringing salvation^ at the 
 King's desire, is praised {w. 1, 2); the king's crown, 
 glory, and everlasting life derived through tru^t in 
 Jehovah {vv. 3-7); address to the king, anticipating 
 his triumph {vv. 8-12); closing prayer to God to exalt 
 Himself in His own strength, so as to give His people 
 cause for praise {v. 13). 
 
 1. in thy strength, 0 Lord, and in thy salva- 
 tion. It shall be the element in which his joy shall 
 have place. " Salvation " means here, in its refer- 
 ence to David primarily, and mainly to Messiah, 
 deliverance from all enemies and final triumph (cf. 
 "thy salvation," v. 5). 2. heart's desire . . . 
 request . . . lips. The silent desire of the heart 
 and the spoken request of the lij^s stand here in con- 
 trast. The heart must prompt the prayer of the 
 Hps, if prayer is to be effectual. The promise in 
 2 Sam. vii. 16, 24-29, was doubtless the answer to 
 David's prayer; which supposition accords with 
 the expressions of triumphant gratitude which 
 such marvellous grace elicited from him. His 
 "desire" here is plainly defined as one for 'sal- 
 vation, strength' {v. 1), continuance of dominion 
 {v. 4), 'glory, honour, and majesty,' in his pos- 
 terity {v. 5). This psalm assumes the fact of his 
 desire being granted, inasmuch as God had pro- 
 mised it, (2 Sam. vii.) The blessing, at once 
 temporal and spiritual, shall be finally realized in 
 Messiah's kingdom. Selah. The pause calls for 
 devout meditation on the grace of God. 
 
Confidence of 
 
 PSALM XXI. 
 
 tJip. Church ill God. 
 
 3 For thou pre ven test him with the blessings of goodness : 
 Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. 
 
 4 He asked life of thee, ^ and thou gavest it him, 
 Even length of da)'S for ever and ever. 
 
 5 His glory is great in thy salvation : 
 Honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him. 
 
 6 For thou hast ^ made him most blessed for ever : 
 
 Thou hast ^made him exceeding glad with thy countenance. 
 
 7 For the king trusteth '^in the Lord; 
 
 And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved. 
 
 8 Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies 
 Thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. 
 
 9 Thou shalt make them as '^a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: 
 The Lord shall sw^allow them up in his wrath, 
 
 And the fire shall devour them. 
 10 Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, 
 And their seed from among the children of men. 
 For they intended evil against thee ; 
 
 They imagined a mischievous device, — which they are not able to perform : 
 Therefore ^slialt thou make them turn their ^back, 
 
 When thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the 
 face of them. 
 Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength : 
 So will we sing ^ and praise thy power. 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 3. thou preventest — mrprisest him with bless- 
 ings even exceeding his reqiiest (cf. 2 Sam. vii. 
 18, 19). settest a crown. God's promise of the 
 everlasting continuance of the kingdom to David's 
 seed was in David's eyes a crowning of him anew, 
 with a crown of precious ness far exceeding all the 
 glory whicli he already enjoyed. He was not only 
 an " Abimelech," or kinxfs father, as distinguished 
 from an elective monarchy, but father of a royal 
 and everlasting seed. 4. life of thee ... for ever 
 and ever — in the person of liis seed (cf. 2 Sam. 
 vii. 1.3 ; also 16 ; Ps. Ixxxix. 4). 
 
 5. His glory— i, e., througJt the saving deliver- 
 ance which tliou dost vouchsafe to him. "Thy 
 salvation" is the element in which His glory 
 is great. His glory .... honour. The very 
 terms used in Heb. ii. 9 respecting Christ's 
 ascension and sitting at the Father's right hand. 
 6. For .... most blessed for ever— Hebrew, 
 ' thou settest him for blessings for ever.' The 
 plural implies the rich fulness of the blessings of 
 which David and liis seed should be the centre 
 (Gen. xii. 2). exceeding glad — Hebrew, 'thou 
 hast gladdened him with joy.' The peculiar 
 phrase, '^wifh [nii.] thy countenance," expresses 
 the fellowship which David had vjith the Lord's 
 gladdening countenance. The antitypical refer- 
 ence to Messiah's ascension is plain : for the same 
 language is used respecting His ascension in Ps- 
 xvi. 11, as exi)laiued in Acts ii. 28; and the 
 same Hebrew exi)resses ' presence ' there as is 
 translated "countenance" here. 7. This verse, 
 which speaks both of the king and of the Lord, 
 forms the transition from the address to God to 
 the address to the king. For the king trusteth in 
 the Lord. The ground of the confident anticipa- 
 tion concerning the everlasting glory of the king 
 is, that Jehovah is his trust, so that through the 
 mercy (or love) of the Most High he shall not be 
 moved. 
 
 8. Thine hand shall find out all thine ene- 
 mies. The people here in faitli declare to the 
 king the sure triumph which shall be his over 
 147 
 
 all foes of his kingdom, because of God's pro- 
 mise, (2 Sam. vii.) 9. a fiery oven—burning with 
 the heat of thy wrath at the day of the Lord, 
 which "shall burn as an oven" (Mai. iv. 1). 
 in the time of thine anger— Zii., 'm the time 
 of thy countenance ' (cf. Lam. iv. 16, _ marg. ) ; 
 the time of the' Lord's personal manifestation 
 or presence at His second coming [Trapovaia]. 
 That same "countenance" wherewith the king 
 and his people are "made exceeding glad," con- 
 sumes like hre his and their enemies (2 Thess. i. 
 7-10). 10. Their fruit . . . and their seed—" fruit" 
 — i. e., progeny (Ps. cxxvii. 3). 11. intended evil — 
 against Israel's king. Lit, They inclined, or bent 
 evil upon thee, to throw it down on thee, not 
 able— nay, their designs recoil on themselves. 12. 
 turn their back— ^i?;., ' thou shalt set them for 
 shoulder;^ i. e., make them to turn their back. 
 The Hebrew [d?.^] means, ' the back part of 
 both shoulder-blades '—the back (cf. note, Ps. 
 xviii. 40). Therefore— rather, 'For.' (when). . . 
 (thine arrows). So the Hebrew ellipsis is rightly 
 supplied, as appears from Ps. xi. 2. 
 
 13. Concluding pi-ayer and consequent thanksgiv- 
 ing. Be thou exalted— Let thyself be seen raised 
 with thine own strength for the deliverance of 
 us, thy people, and our king, sing and praise. 
 Thereby thou wilt give us cause to exalt thee 
 with our praises (Ps. xviii. 46). 
 
 PSALM XXIL 7^^<fe-Upon Aijeleth Shahar— 
 marg., 'the hind of the morning.' The hind, or 
 roe, is the enigmatical emblem of one perse- 
 cuted to death (Isa. xiii. 14). The hind is the 
 emblem of loveliness, Song ii. 9; and among 
 the Arabians, of innocence. The persecutors 
 are similarly designated by such terms as ' bulls, 
 lions, dogs ;' so that we naturally look for such 
 a designation of the persecuted one as shall 
 correspond. The unusual Hebrew, (-ja^wi/w, "my 
 strength " {v. 19), probably refers to the A i- 
 jeleth, ' hind,' which, void of strength itself, 
 seeks it from Jehovah. The addition 'of the 
 morning ' implies prosperity dawning after suffer- 
 
Damd's complaint 
 
 PSALM XXIL 
 
 in distress. 
 
 PSALM XXIL 
 
 To the chief Musician upon ^Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 MY °' God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? 
 
 Why art thou so far ^from helping me, and from ^the words of my roaring? 
 
 2 0 my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not ; 
 And in the night season, and ^ am not silent. 
 
 3 But thou art holy, — 0 thou 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 am a 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 Lord that he would deliver him : 
 Let him deliver him, ^seeing he delighted in him. 
 
 PSALM 22. 
 
 1 Or, the 
 hind of the 
 morning. 
 
 « Matt. 27.46. 
 
 2 from my 
 salvation. 
 
 6 Heb. 6. 7. 
 
 3 there is no 
 silence to 
 me. 
 
 " Ex. 15. 11. 
 d Isa. 53. 3. 
 ^ Matt. 27.39. 
 * open. 
 5 he rolled 
 
 himself on 
 
 the Lord. 
 « Or, if he 
 
 delight in 
 
 him. 
 
 ing, as in Messiah's case, note, v. 21. Vv. 1-31. — 
 The sufferer's complaint turned into thanksgiving 
 for the blessed result of His sufferings to the 
 Church, and to all nations. He complains that He 
 is forsaken and His continual a-y disregarded, though 
 the Holy One had never before confounded them that 
 trusted in Him [vv. 1-10) ; still He believes in spite of 
 adverse appearances, and prays {v. 11) ; His trouble, 
 His renewed prayer, "^e not far frommer ending in 
 assurance of being heard {w.' 12-21); blessed residt; 
 His praise among His brethren; the seed of Jacob 
 glorify God; His praise in the great congregation ; 
 the meeh satisfied; eternal life; all the ends of the 
 world converted: His righteousness declared to all 
 generations {vv. 22-31.) 
 
 1. My God, my God— the cry of Messiah on the 
 cross close upon the ninth hour, after the suijer- 
 natural darkness had lasted almost three hours from 
 the sixth hour. Instead of Sebachtani, of the 
 Chaldee Targum, the Hebrew has the form ' Haz- 
 abtani.^ Christ's faith laid hold of God as His 
 God, even when the Father withdrew His mani- 
 fested presence, on account of our sins, which were 
 imputed to Him. The answer to His question is 
 contained in Heb. v. 8, 9. The expressive repeti- 
 tion THRICE (?'. 1, 2) of the cry, " my God, " implies 
 that the Sufferer clung firmly to this truth, that 
 God was still His God, in spite of all appeai'ances 
 to the contrary. This was His antidote to despair, 
 and the pledge that God would yet interijose as 
 His Deliverer. The " why " implies conscious 
 innocence of having given in Himself Siwy ground 
 why God should forsake Him. Believers can in a 
 subordinate sense plead, amidst spiritual darkness, 
 that God is their God by covenant of promise, and 
 therefore cannot finally forsake them (Ps. cxxxviii. 
 8). so far from helping me. The holy sufferer 
 thrice dwells on God's seeming distance from Him 
 as His chief trial, here and in vv. 11 and 19. 
 words of my roaring— e., loud complaint. The 
 image is from the roaring of a wild beast in the 
 agony of a severe wound (cf. Heb, v. 7), beauti- 
 fully answering in contrast to the roaring (the 
 same Hebrew, shaag) of His lion-like foes (v. 13). 
 The more they roared for His destruction, the 
 more He cried to His God. 2. thou hearest 
 not— i. e., answerest not not silent. God's 
 silence only stimulates Him the more not to 
 be silent. So in the case of the woman of Canaan 
 (Matt. XV. 22, 23). 3. But thou art holy. He, in 
 unshaken faith, proclaims God's holiness at the 
 very time when God was seeming to disregard the 
 cry' of faith. Thou art holy, therefore will I trust 
 148 
 
 thee, though I cannot see or feel thy presence. 
 " Holy," as applied to God, primarily refers to the 
 infinite separation whereby He is lifted above the 
 weakness, and especially the sin of the creature. 
 Cf. Isa. vi. 1-3, 5. So the idea of unapproachable 
 majesty is closely allied to it (Isa, Ivii. 15). The 
 idea of purity is tlie secondary notion, connected 
 with which, here, is His truth or faithfulness to His 
 trusting people, inhabitest the praises of Israel 
 — i. e., sittest enthroned on them. The praises of 
 His people in the sanctuary are the throne on which 
 God sits (Ps. Ixxx. 1). IsraeVs peruses here take 
 the place of the cJierubim, between which rested 
 the Shekin ah -glory. 4. Our fathers trusted in 
 thee. Since God is the same unchanging Jehovah 
 at all times, in relation to His people, the sufferer 
 pleads in faith that, as God heli)ed the " fathers " 
 who of old trusted in Him, He cannot but help His 
 trusting child now. So may we, too, plead in our 
 distresses (Ps. xliv. 1). The deliverance of the 
 covenant people out of their Egyptian bondage 
 (Exod. xii. 26, 27) is especially alluded to ; also 
 "all the loving-kindnesses of the Lord toward the 
 house of Israel " on various occasions (Isa. Ixiii. 7). 
 were not confounded— e., were not put to the 
 shame of disappointment. He repeats thrice 
 "they trusted in thee," in order to mark the in- 
 separable connection between trust in God and 
 deliverance by God. 
 
 6. But I am a worm, and no man— (note Isa. 
 lii. 14), "But 7," in em])hatical contrast to all 
 the former servants of God, who 'trusted in God, 
 and were not confounded.' Whenever we feel our 
 worm-like nothingness, let us remember God's 
 encouragement (Isa. xli. 14). a reproach of men. 
 So Isa, liii. 3, where Hengstenbcrg translates, 'one 
 who ceases from among men ; ' no longer re- 
 garded as a man ; answering to the description 
 of Messiah here, "and no man." "A reproach 
 of men" — lit. (Adam), of the whole human race: 
 so abject is the sufferer's condition. 7. they 
 shoot out the \iv—lit., 'they shoot out with 
 their lips ' [itQO, to open, whence the LXX. and 
 the Vulgate take it, 'they spake with their 
 lips 'J. They open their lips wide, to pour forth 
 all insults (Isa. Ivii. 4), they shake the head 
 — a gesture implying that there is no hope for the 
 sufferer, at whom they contemptuously sneer 
 (Job xvi. 4 ; Ps. xliv. 14). 8. He trusted. The 
 Hebrew, "He trusted" {gol), is different from that 
 iwvv. 4, 5, and is literally, 'He rolled Himself and 
 His case on the Lord;' even as He was "cast upon 
 God from the womb " {v. 10). So Ps. Iv. 22. Heny- 
 
David's complaint 
 
 PSALM XXIL 
 
 in distress 
 
 9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb ; 
 
 Thou ^ didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. 
 
 10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: 
 Thou art my God from my mother's belly. 
 
 11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near; 
 For there is ^ none to help. 
 
 12 Many bulls have compassed me: 
 Strong hulls of Bashan have beset me round. 
 
 13 They ^gaped upon -^me with their mouths, 
 As di. ravening and a roaring lion. 
 
 14 I am poured out like water, — and all my bones are ^^out of joint: 
 My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 
 
 15 My ^strength is dried up like a potsherd; 
 And my tongue cleaveth to my jav/s; 
 And thou hast brought me into the dust of death. 
 
 stenberg makes it an imperative, 'commit (thy 
 way) unto the Lord,' say they, alluding ironically 
 to His life-motto. The English version is favoured 
 by the LXX., and Matt, xxvii. 43. deliver him— 
 a different Hebrew word from the former "deliver 
 him." The former " deliver " is the same as in v. 4 
 — lit., to cause to escape (Ps. Ixxi. 2); the latter is 
 to rescue {yephallteehu yatzileehu). So confident 
 are the mockers of the sufferer's destruction, 
 that they jeer at the bare thought of His de- 
 liverance being possible. "Trust in God" had 
 been the sufferer's motto, according to the in- 
 voluntary witness of His very mockers. It was 
 T)eautifully ordered that they should upbraid 
 Him with, not sins, but His piety, he de- 
 lighted in him. So the Father testitied at His 
 baptism (Matt. iii. 17; and Isa. xlii. 1). 9. thou 
 art he that took me. Here he asserts what he 
 had before implied— viz., that God has had the 
 same care for Him from his earliest being, and is as 
 truly His God as He was the God of the fathers 
 who trusted in Him [v. 4) ; and this is the ground of 
 the prayer in i\ 11, "Be not far from me." His 
 mockers had taunted Him, as if His present misery 
 sliowed the emptiuess of the saying, that God 
 " delighted in Him " [v. 8). He takes as a blessed 
 truth what they had spoken as an ironical sneer. 
 Thou hast delighted in me, for thou art He that 
 took me out of the v/omb — lit., 'Thou (art) my 
 breaking forth from [gocki) the womb :' the effect 
 being i:)ut for the author of it: thou are the author 
 of my going foi'th from the womb, make me 
 hope. The same Hebjew verb {maltkhi) as is 
 translated "trusted" in vv. 4, 5; to this He refers 
 back : translate, ' Thou didst make me (or (jive me 
 cause) to trust (even as "our fathers trusted in 
 thee" of old) when I was upon my mother's 
 breasts.' An infant cannot consciously trust in 
 God. What the sufferer pleads is, the abundant 
 cause for trust which God gave Him by loving care 
 from earliest infancy. Thus Messiah identifies 
 Himself with Israel, whose ideal representative 
 He was. Cf. Isa. xlix. 1-3. God took the nation 
 up from its political infancy (Ezek. xvi. ; Hos. xi. 
 1); and delivered it out of Egypt, even as He 
 delivered the Antityx>e, Messiah, out of the same 
 land (Matt. ii. 13-15). The 'trust' on Messiah's 
 part, as also on the part of all His i)eoi^le, is a 
 sure pledge of deliverance in the sorest troubles. 
 10. from the womb. The reference is to the pa- 
 rent receiving the child at birth (Gen. xxx, 8). 
 ' I fell as it were into thy lap, stretched out to 
 receive me at my birth, when otherwise 1 should 
 have died' {Hengstenherg). thou art my God— 
 i. e., tliou hast shown thyself to be "my God," by 
 acts of love, fzom my conception and birth, God 
 li'J 
 
 7 Or, keptef 
 me in 
 safety. 
 
 8 not a 
 helper. 
 
 9 opened 
 their 
 mouths 
 agaiust 
 me. 
 
 / Ps. 35. 21. 
 Job 16. 10, 
 Lam. 2. 16. 
 Lam. 3. 46. 
 Eze, 22. 27, 
 28. 
 
 1 Pet. 5. 8. 
 
 10 Or, 
 
 sundered. 
 s fro. 17. 22. 
 
 was His God "from the mother's belly;" God was 
 His Father from everlasting. The "my God" at 
 the close of the first part returns to the very point 
 with which He opened in v. 1. 
 
 11. Be not far from me. The neakness of the 
 trouble, which is all but sinking Him down, is 
 mournfully contrasted with God being far off". 
 With this verse He makes the transition from the 
 first part, and prepares for the second. It is not 
 as if trouble was only now di'awing near to Him ; 
 nay, it was actually upon Him — near to His inmost 
 being. In such a crisis, when God is most needed 
 to be very nigh, Messiah implores Him not to stand 
 afar off (cf. Ps, x. 1). 12. Many hulls— implying the 
 strength and violence of His enemies, whilst he 
 was as the gentle and weak ' hind' (title), strong 
 hulls of Bashan — a hilly region (afterwards Bata- 
 nea), east of Gilead, and north of Jordan, abound- 
 ing in rich pasture, wdience its cattle were famed. 
 The word meant richness of soil. Their fat condition 
 made them the more wanton; and the liberty which 
 they enjoyed, of ranging on hills and in forests, 
 gave them an untameable wildness, 13. a ravening 
 . . . lion— i. e., a tearing lion : one tearing his victim 
 in pieces, and "roaring" (note, v. 1) in exultation 
 over his prey (Amos iii. 4), 14. poured out like 
 water. As in vv. 12, 13 He described His troubles 
 from without, so here, and in v. 15, He describes 
 His troubles from within. To be " poured out like 
 water" is to be utterly dissolved as to strength. 
 The Israelites at Mizpeh poured out water iu 
 token of their utter powerlessness (1 Sam, vii. 6 ; 
 2 Sam. xiv. 14), my hones are out of joint- 
 through being distended on the cross ; lit., 'all my 
 bones have separated themselves' (from pharad) 
 from one another: they scarcely cohere together, 
 my heart is . . . melted— as is the case with one 
 ready to sink (Josh. vii. 5). like wax melting by 
 the fire (Ps. Ixviii. 2), so Messiah's heart melted 
 at the hot indignation of Jehovah against our 
 sins and Him who bare them. 15. My strength 
 is dried up — My vital power is like the moisture 
 speedily dried up in "a potsherd," or earthen 
 vessel exposed to heat. The drying up of the 
 vital juices of the body caused the excessive 
 thirst which Christ felt on the cross (John xix. 
 28), my tongue cleaveth to my jaws— or ' to my 
 palate' {Hengstenherg); the effect of the parched 
 state of his mouth (Lam. iv. 4). and thou hast 
 brought me into the dust of death— 'thou 
 hast brought me to belong to [*?] the dust of death' 
 - -i. e., the dust of the grave. Messiah traces all His 
 sufferings to God, and takes little account of inter- 
 mediate causes; thereby He was just in that posi- 
 tiou of faith which ensures ultimate deliverance. 
 
Damd prayeth 
 
 PSALM XXII. 
 
 in great distress. 
 
 16 For dogs have compassed me; 
 
 The assembly of the wicked have enclosed me : 
 They '^pierced my hands and my feet. 
 
 17 I may tell all my bones : — they look and stare upon me. 
 
 18 They *part my garments among them, — and cast lots upon my vesture. 
 
 19 But be not thou far from me, 0 Lord: 
 0 my strength, haste thee to help me. 
 
 20 Deliver my soul from the sword ; 
 
 i^My darling ^^from the power of the dog. 
 
 21 Save -^'me from the lion's mouth: 
 
 For thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. 
 
 * Zech. 12.10. 
 Luke 23.33. 
 John 19. 23. 
 
 37. 
 
 John 20. 27. 
 
 * Matt. 27.36. 
 Mark \b.2\. 
 Luke 23. 34. 
 John 19. 24. 
 
 limy only 
 
 one. 
 12 from the 
 
 hand. 
 j 2 Tim. 4. 17. 
 
 16. dogs have compassed me. "Dogs" are pecu- 
 liarly savage in the East ; they prowl about the 
 streets without any owner, and eagerly devour any 
 offal (of. V. 20). they pierced my hands and my feet. 
 So the LXX. {wpv\av\, Ethiopia, Arabic, Vulgate, 
 and Syriac translate pi?3 : either this is a com- 
 pound of n-13, pierced, and It*., a lion—i. e., 'they 
 pierced as a lion :' so the Chaldaic paraphrase, 
 ' Mordentes sicut leo ;' or else they read ii^o, from 
 to pierce; or the present reading is the par- 
 ticiple Kal, plural masculine in regimen, for nn^D, 
 from 113, pointed, nxi), piercing— lit. , (they are) 
 piercers of my hands. Eighteen passages were, 
 according to the Masorah, altered by the scribes. 
 This may have been one; for it is clear the 
 oldest versions read as the Euglish version; 
 and the translation, ' They enclosed (from the 
 previous sentence) my hands and my feet as a lion 
 is very clumsy. The singular for the plui-al is 
 awkward, where the comparison is to many wicked 
 surrounding the one Messiah; and lions do not 
 enclose or surround (nor could one lion do so), but 
 spring on their prey. Then the repetition of the 
 image of a lion so soon after, iu v.Vd, aud before, in 
 V. 21, renders its introduction in this verse un- 
 likely. Jerome, who declares he altered nothing 
 of the strict Hebrew, translates ' fixeruut,' ' they 
 fixed' to the cross. Aquila, a Jew, and a prose- 
 lyte, under Adrian, about 133 a.d., translates 
 n<rx'"^"-^i ' ^^^^y disfigured'' — a remarkable admission 
 from one who would have gladly opposed the 
 Christian exposition. The little Masora admits 
 that the same Hebrew, which in Isa. xxxviii, 13 
 means ' as a lion,' has a different meaning here (Ps. 
 xxii. 16). So many other particulars of Christ's 
 crucifixion are detailed, that the piercing of His 
 hands and feet was likely to be noticed]. 17. I 
 may tell all my bones— rather, not merely / may, 
 but '/ telV or ''count all my bones ;' answering to 
 the heartless act of the enemy, they look and 
 stare upon me [nt<-i, with 3, expresses looking with 
 delight at an object]— instead of turning away from 
 so cruel a spectacle. His emaciation, through 
 long watchings and sufferings, caused His naked 
 body on the cross to have the bones so protruding 
 as to be visible alike to Himself and to His insulting 
 enemies. So Job, the type (Job xxxiii. 21). The 
 details are too minutely descriijtive of Messiah, to 
 admit of // engstenberg^s view, that the whole psalm 
 was primarily written concerning the ideal of a 
 righteous sufferer, and only secondarily of Christ, 
 18. They part my garments, &c.— (Matt, xxvii. 35 ; 
 John xix. 23, 24). The "garments" [''ip, l/j-dTLa] 
 in the plural refer to the outer quadrangular wrap- 
 per (Num. XV. 38), which was divided into four 
 parts, a part for each of the four soldiers who 
 guarded Him on the cross. The " vesture" [^^''i^^ 
 Xi-Twv] was the inner tunic or vest, which, being 
 woven, could not be well divided, and was there- 
 150 
 
 fore cast lots for. The Hebrew for the outer gar- 
 ment means properly perfidy : it was man's faith- 
 lessness to God whicn necessitated his use of 
 garments to hide his shame. The dividing of 
 Messiah's garments was not merely for gain, but 
 in mockery of the sufferer, as if all was over with 
 Him now, and He and His kingdom lost for ever. 
 Those soldiers were, in spite of themselves, helping 
 to set up the kingdom of glory, based on His 
 sufferings. 19. be not thou far from me— resum- 
 ing the key-note of his prayer in vv. 1-11. 0 my 
 strength [^ni'r'i^]. The Hebrew is akin to the 
 Hebrew for 'hind' in the title [n^;^;], and that for 
 "My God, my God," v. 1 [''?^^]. haste thee to 
 help me — seeing that beside thee "there is none 
 to help." He resumes the words in v. II. 20. 
 my soul from the sword; my darling. "The 
 sword" was not literally drawn against Jesus, 
 but is a figure for the instrument of death (2 San». 
 xi. 24, 25); and as to Messiah (Zech. xiii. 7). "My 
 darling" is sliown by the parallelism to mean " my 
 soul." It is literally 'my only one' (yachid), 
 unique; even as Messiah was "the only-begotten 
 of the Father" (Zech. xii. 10 — the same He- 
 brew); and as the Church is described l)y Him, 
 " my undefiled is but ojce" (Song vi. 9). Its unique 
 preciou^ness is His plea why the Father should not 
 give it up to " the power {lit. , the band) of the dog." 
 Luther explains it, 'my lonely one' — i. e., my spirit 
 utterly deserted and left alone by every one (cf. 
 Ps, cxlii. 4, end). As above, in v. II, He had said, 
 "there is none to help," I prefer the English 
 version. So Ps. vii, 5. " The dog " is the Jewish 
 rabble; filthy and rabid, as "dogs" (Phil. iii. 2). 
 They are designated in the singular, " the dog," to 
 imply their union in evil. Hands (Hebrew) are 
 attributed to the dog-like rabble, as " the sword" 
 is attributed to the Roman governor and soldiery. 
 21. Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou 
 hast heard me. Horsley proposed a distinctive 
 pause between the prayer aud the answer. But 
 the Euglish version emphatically, by the abrupt 
 transition— the prayer gliding into the answer — 
 marks the inseparable closeness of prayer and 
 its answer. So Isa. Ixv. 24; Dan. ix. 21. The 
 '"lion" is Satan (2 Tim. iv. 17). "Thou hast 
 heard me" beautifully contrasts with the pre- 
 vious {t-h 2) "thou liearest not;" God making 
 the very words of His complaining to become the 
 words of His thanksgiving. The translation [c^?.]* 
 "unicorns," makes Scripture accountable for 
 Ctesias\ Aristotle^ s, and Pliny's account of a 
 monstrous one-horned animal. Deut. xxxiii. 17, 
 m-arg., shows that Scripture assigns horns, not 
 mereljr one horn, to the unicorn. Manasseh and 
 Ephraim were as the two horns springing from the 
 one head, Joseph, as the two horns on the great 
 Reem (cf. Job xxxix. 9). Some large species of the 
 urus or wild ox, is probably the reem of the Bible, 
 or else the buffalo. Co&sar mentions a gigantic ox in 
 
Datid praiseth 
 
 PSALM XXII. 
 
 Lord. 
 
 22 I will declare thy name unto *my brethren : 
 
 In the midst of the congregation will I praise thee, 
 
 23 Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; 
 All ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him ; 
 And fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. 
 
 24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; 
 Neither hath he hid his face from him ; 
 
 But when he cried unto him, he heard. 
 My praise shall he of thee in the great congregation : 
 I will pay my vows before them that fear him. 
 The ^meek shall eat and be satisfied : 
 
 They shall praise the Lord that seek him : — your heart '"shall live for ever. 
 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 is the Lord's ; — ^and he is the governor among the nations. 
 
 29 ^ All tliey that he fat upon earth shall eat and worship : 
 
 25 
 
 26 
 
 27 
 
 * John 20 17. 
 
 ' Lev. 7. lU 
 Isa. 2 >. (5. 
 Isa. ofi. 13, 
 John 6. 57. 
 
 '"John u. 61. 
 
 " Ps. 2. 8 
 I's. 72. 8, 11. 
 Ps. sc. 9. 
 Ps. 9f . 3. 
 Isa. 43. C. 
 Isa. ^h. 22. 
 I-a. 49. 6. 
 
 It a. 62. 10. 
 " Ps. -17. 7, 8. 
 
 Chad. -A. 
 
 Zech. 14. 9. 
 
 ilatt. t;. IJ. 
 
 Kev. il. 15. 
 P Ps. 45. 12, 
 
 Ps. 52 10.11. 
 
 theHercyniau forests {'Bell. Gall.' vi. 20), almost as 
 large as an elephant, and so fierce as to- spare 
 neither man nor beast, 
 
 22. The blessed results of His deliverance 
 (1), in regard to the spiritual Israel {v. 22-24), 
 I will declare tliy name — i. e., thy power, 
 faithfidness, and love, manifested in my de- 
 liverance, unto my brethren— the elect of Is- 
 rael, "of whom as concerning the flesh Christ 
 came " (Rom. ix, 5 ; Rev. vii, 1-8) : secondarily 
 the spiritual Israel. In v. 27 He passes to the 
 effect of Hh deliverance on all the Gentile 
 " nations " hereafter. Here He speaks of His 
 Israelite kinsmen, the believing remnant accord- 
 ing to the election of grace (Rom. xi. 5). ' He is 
 not ashamed to call' either "brethren" (Heb. ii, 
 11, 12): He previously called the ancestors of 
 Israel, "our fathers." in . . . the congregation will 
 I praise thee. "The congregation" of the elect 
 hereafter shall realize that high ideal of perfect 
 liturgy, of which the whole assembly of Israel 
 (Lev. xvi. 17) in past days was the type (Fs. 
 XXXV. 18; xl. 9; cf. note, v. 25). 
 
 23. Ye that fear the Lord, praise him. He 
 here addresses all Israel as about hereafter truly 
 to "fear the Lord." As leader of the Church's 
 praises. He calls forth thanksgivings in "the 
 great congregation" to come, and fear him. A 
 difi'erent Hebrew word is used for "fear" in the 
 close [(jur) from that in the first sentence, "Ye 
 that fear [yxrtty) the Lord." Be in aioe of Him: 
 in reference to the judgments on the ungodly 
 which shall call forth reverential awe toward 
 God on the part of the redeemed. This is proved 
 by Rev. xv. 4. 24. he hath not despised— in 
 beautiful contrast to v. 6, ' I am despised of the 
 people.' Though the people despised me. Cod 
 
 hath not despised the afflicted one.' nor ab- 
 horred — though I was as "a worm "(f. G). neither 
 . . . . hid his face from hiia — for ever, though 
 He did so for a time [vv. 1, 2; Pa. x, 1). 25. My 
 praise shall be of thee— Zi/l., ' My praise shall be 
 from thee,'' as the starting-point of i)raise and its 
 theme. In tlie great assembly, antitypical to that of 
 all the tribes assembled for worship in Jerusalem 
 at the great feasts (Dent. xvi. 10). "The congre- 
 gation " {i\ 22) is that of the Jewish and Gentile 
 elect. Here "the great congregation" seems to 
 be that of all Israel when the whole nation shall 
 turn to the Lord (Rom. xi. 26-32 ; 2 Cor. iii. 16). 
 Here He realizes sensibly what He had spoken in 
 faith, V. .3; His groanings no longer blending with 
 the "yiraises." I will pay my vows. At the 
 feast of weeks, and that of tabernacles, both 
 151 
 
 connected with the harvest (Deut. xvi. 10-15), 
 those who offered a "sacrifice of thanksgiving, ' 
 invited their neighbours to a feast, and at it 
 recounted the mercies of God to them. So- also 
 those who in distress had vowed certain sacri- 
 fices, on obtaining deliverance, invited to tlie 
 covenant feast the widow, the orphan, and tlie 
 poor (Deut. xvi, 11; xii. 18), and. there invited 
 them to praise God with them. 26. The meek 
 shall eat— viz., "the meek ''-(or 'the poor' af- 
 flicted ones, hanavim, in contrast to "the fat," 
 V. 29) w^ho shall be invited to the perpetual feast 
 of thanksgiving that the Messiah shall at last 
 give (Isa. xxv. 6-9). your heart shall live for 
 ever — not with a mere transient quickening. 
 Whoever has thoroughly eaten of the spiritual 
 feast of Christ shall need no other spiritual food, 
 but through it shall be nourished unto everlasting 
 life (John vi, 51). 
 
 27. All , , . shall remember, and turn unto the 
 Lord. He passes to the conversion of all the 
 Gentile nations, consequent on the conversion of 
 all Israel. They shall then "remember" Him 
 whom they have so long forgotten by apostasy, 
 and shall turn to Him. The first step to repent- 
 ance is that the sinner should recall to memory, 
 and ponder upon, his heavenly Father's love, and 
 his own wicked folly. So the prodigal in Luke x v. 
 17 (cf. Ps. cxix. 59; Ezek. xvi. 61-G3). ' The salvation 
 of the Lord is so great, that it awakens the whole 
 heathen world out of its stupid insensibility ' 
 {Heng stent erg). It is not merely the dt'liverance 
 vouchsafed to the holy sufferer, but also the salva- 
 tion vouchsafed to the world through Him, which 
 shall rouse the nations to " reiuember " God 
 (Zech. xii. 10). The word "remember" does not 
 imply knowledge of Messiah before, but their 
 being brought by the Spirit's testifying of Christ 
 to their hearts, to return to that God from whom 
 their forefathers apostatized, all kindreds— re- 
 ferring to the original promise to Abraham (Gen. 
 xii. 3 ; xxviii. 14). 28. the kingdom is the Lord's 
 —though for a time Satan, on account of man's 
 sin, usurps it as "prince of the world." Wliat 
 God really is. He must of necessity soon be 
 acknowledged to be. That consummation shall 
 be when Christ shall be manifested as "King of 
 kings and Lord of lords" (Rev. xix. 11-lG). 29. 
 All they that be fat — not only the poor and 
 "meek" of this world, but the WcA (as fattest" 
 is used, Ps. Ixxviii. 31 : an image from fat cattle, 
 Ezek. xxxiv, 20) shall " eat " of the spiritual feast 
 (cf. Song V, 1). The wealth of the rich cannot 
 buy the one inestimable viand, without which 
 
David's confidence 
 
 PSALM XXIIL 
 
 in God's grace. 
 
 ^AU they that go down to the dust shall bow before him : 
 And none can keep alive his own soul. 
 
 30 A seed shall serve him; 
 
 It shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation, 
 
 31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness 
 Unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this, 
 
 PSALM XXIIL 
 
 A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 THE Lord is ^my shepherd, — I shall not want, 
 
 2 He maketh me to lie down in ^gTeen pastures: 
 ^He leadeth me beside the ^ still waters. 
 
 3 He restoreth my soul : 
 
 He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for Ins name's sake. 
 
 tliey are spiritually destitute -the body and blood 
 of Christ, by faith made the food of the soul. On 
 the other hand, no degree of poverty, temporal 
 or spiritual, excludes any from it. All alike are 
 before God spiritually poor; to all alike God 
 ia Christ is spiritually "rich" (Rom. x. 12). 
 down to the dust— even as Christ was 'brought 
 into the dust of death' (?\ 15). Thev, too, 
 like their Lord, and " together "with their 
 Lord, shall be quickened at the resurrection 
 ultimately (Isa. xxvi. 19 ; John v. 25 ; 1 Cor. xv. 
 20-22). So spiritually now (Ps. cxliii. 7; cxix. 25). 
 shall bow before him. His meritorious obedience 
 and death shall be the ground of all, both 
 those flourishing on earth, and those sleeping 
 in the dust, being made to "bow before Him" 
 (Phil. ii. 6-11). none can keep alive— 'maketh 
 alive.' Implying that alike Christ as man, and 
 His spiritual " seed," owe their quickening out of 
 "the dust" to the power of God. Christ was 
 "put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the 
 Spirit" (1 Pet. iii. 18). The Father raised Him 
 with His right hand. Thus the connection with 
 the context is : Alike the rich who enjoy the ful- 
 ness of life, and the abject who lie dead in the dust, 
 shall bow before Him, even as all draw all life 
 from Him {v. 26, end); for 'none can quicken (so 
 tr inslate, as in Deut. xxxii. 30, "make alive") his 
 own soul." 30. A seed shall serve him— (Isa. 
 liii. 10). As He is the_ "seed" long promised, so 
 He has a "seed" which springs up from Him 
 spiritually. accounted to tha Lord. Though 
 Christ had no natural offspring, the "seed" just 
 mentioned 'shall be accounted (lit., declared: tiie 
 same Hebrew as "declare," v. 22) to the Lord for 
 a generation' by adoption (Ps. Ixxxvii. 5). 31. 
 declare his righteousness —2. e., God's faithfulness 
 to His promises in delivering Messiah, and saving 
 His seed. "They," the "seed" or "generation," 
 "shall come" — i. e., go forth on the theatre of the 
 iuorld {Hengstenberg). that shall be born — 'that 
 shall have been (then) born'— viz., in the next 
 generation (cf. Ps. cii. 18). that he hath done 
 this— viz., that God hath completed redemption 
 in the deliverance of Christ. That work was 
 consummated virtually when the light of the 
 Father's countenance returned upon Christ just 
 before His death. In allusion to this v., as He 
 began with "My God, my God, why hast thou 
 forsaken me?" {v. 1), so He ended with the very 
 word here used in the last v. of the psalm, " It is 
 finished," or 'done' (John xix. 30). The work 
 was done or finished actually at the resurrection, 
 when the Father declared Christ to be the Son of 
 God with power (Rom. i. 4). 
 
 PSALM XX.Ul.-The Lord's Shepherd-like care 
 for His people. The image {vv. 1, 2) ; the reality, 
 
 3 Isa. 26. 19. 
 
 PSALM 23. 
 » Ps. 7i). li. 
 Pa. 80. 1. 
 John lO.K. 
 Heb. 13. 20. 
 1 Pet. 2. 25. 
 Kev. r. ir. 
 
 1 pastures 
 of tender 
 grass. 
 
 6 Ps. 46. 4. 
 
 Eze. 34. 14. 
 Rev. 7. .7. 
 Eev. 21. 6. 
 
 2 waters of 
 quietness. 
 John 1 1. 27- 
 
 the spiritual history of ecenj redeemed one {vv. 3-6). 
 The 22d, 23d, and 24tli Psalms form a Trilogy: 
 Ps. xxii., Christ on the cross; Ps. xxiii., God the 
 Father's Shepherd-like care of Him, even in dying, 
 and His anticipation of heaven; Ps. xxiv., His 
 ascension there. So Christ's followers (John x. 2, 
 14; Heb. xiii. 20; 1 Pet. ii. 25; v. 4; cf. Gen. 
 xlviii. 15 ; xlix. 24, the first use of the image). 
 
 1. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not 
 want. The Hebrew is emphatic : ' I want no- 
 thing.' This implies a supply of every possible 
 want of body, soul, and spirit, in the Lord. Cf. 
 Isa. xl. 11 ; Ps. Ixxx. 1. All that Jehovah did 
 for His people in the Old Testament, He did 
 through the Mediating Angel of the covenant, 
 the Word, who subsequently was made flesh. In 
 Zech. xi. 7-11 this Angel of the Lord is spoken of 
 as the Shepherd of Israel. 2. in green pastures. 
 The Hebrew [^if*^] for "pastures" implies their 
 desirableness [from nix, to desire]. This, in the 
 application to the believer, marks the first stage in 
 his Spiritual history — viz., when first he comes 
 heavy laden to Christ, and finds rest to his soul 
 (Matt. xi. 28, 29). In v. 5 follows the actual feed- 
 ing, or feasting of the Lord's people, the still 
 waters — Hebrew, 'the waters of quietnesses;' 
 not violent torrents, which would terrify the 
 sheep with their roar, and sweep them away 
 with the current, but gently Jiowing ; or else, 
 wafers where manifold rest is enjoyed. Two means 
 of refreshment are specified, — the "green" grass, 
 on which they lie; and "the still waters," which 
 are " beside " them. Such a rest was enjoyed by 
 David "when the king sat in his house, and the 
 Lord had given him rest round about from all his 
 enemies" (2 Sam. vii. 1); not only from Saul, but 
 from the surrounding Gentile iiations (Ps. cxvi. 7). 
 In a sandy and rocky country like Palestine, where 
 the hot sun dries up the streams, water is the great 
 desideratum, and supplies the most expressive 
 image of refreshment. The Hebrew for, "He 
 leadeth me " [nahal) expresses gentle and gradual 
 leading, the gracious Shejiherd accommodating 
 Himself to the strength of the sheej) (Gen. xxxiii. 
 14; marg., xlviL 17), so that it includes the idea of 
 tending, &c. 
 
 Tlie second stage in the believer's S2nritual history, 
 his restoration when out of the way, and his sa fe 
 guidance through the darkest trials, and through 
 death itself. 3. He restoreth my soul— reviving 
 me when fainting (Ps. xix. 8), and overcome tem- 
 porarily by temptations. The good Shepherd not 
 only cares for the sound sheep, but also and esi>e- 
 cially for the sick. So Ezek. xxxiv. 16. paths ot 
 righteousness— "the way of the just" (Isa. xxvi. 
 7 ) ; that justification whereby He graciously ac- 
 
God's lordship 
 
 PSALM XXIV. 
 
 In th 
 
 U W01 
 
 dJ. 
 
 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 
 I will fear no evil : 
 
 For ^thou art with me ; — thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 
 
 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies : 
 Thou ^anointest my head with oil; — my cup runneth over. 
 
 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life ; 
 And I will dwell in the house of the Lord *for ever. 
 
 PSALM XXIV. 
 
 A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 THE "earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; 
 The world, and they that dwell therein : 
 
 " Ps. 46. 11. 
 
 Isa. 8, 9, 10. 
 Isa 43. 2. 
 Zech. 8. 2\ 
 Matt. 1. 23. 
 
 3 makest fat. 
 d 2 Cor. 5. 1. 
 
 4 to length 
 of days. 
 
 PSALM 24. 
 " Ex. 9. 29, 
 Deut. 10.14. 
 iChr. 29.11, 
 Job 41. H. 
 Fs. 50. 12. 
 
 counts believers righteous through faith, and 
 enables them to he righteous by His inworking 
 Spirit, for his name's sake— not for my merits, 
 for I have none ; but for "the praise of the glory 
 of His grace" (Eph. i. 6), and from regard to Bis 
 own manifested character (' name '). Cf. Exod. 
 xxxiv. 5-7. Messiah is to us the fullest manifesta- 
 tion of the name of God, for God's name is in Him 
 (Exod. xxiii. 21). "For His name's sake "is thus 
 equivalent now to "for Christ's sake." 4. tlie valley 
 of tlie shadow of death. The "shadow of death," 
 or the death-darkness, does not, as sometimes ex- 
 
 Blained, imply that it is a mere shadow, but is the 
 [ebrew idiom for the blackest darkness; hence, a 
 position surrounded by great perils and deaths (Ps. 
 xliv. 19; Job xxiv. 17): also death itself in its 
 gloomiest aspect (Job x. 21, 22). Both senses hold 
 good in this verse. In all dangers, and especially 
 in the last and most trying of all— the dying hour 
 — we have stronger reason than David to " fear no 
 evil." It is not his own fearlessness, but it is 
 God's saving care of him, even at a season when 
 that care might seem no longer available, which is 
 the object of David's praise. The "yea" expresses 
 ^ even' in such an extremity. The darkness de- 
 scribed is that of midnight, when the beasts are 
 abroad seeking their prey. The "valley" is men- 
 tioned on account of the wooded hills on either 
 side, the coverts of wild beasts, for thou art 
 "With me— present to faith, though not to sense, 
 thy rod and thy staff. The "rod" was used by 
 the owner in counting his sheep, which were said, 
 therefore, to 'pass mxler the rod' (Lev. xxvii. 32). 
 It cannot refer to the rod oj aifliction, for here "com- 
 fort," not chastening, is what is needed when pass- 
 ing through the darkness. He means. Thy making 
 me to pass under the rod, thereby acknowledging 
 me as thine, comforts me. How many in their 
 dying moments have felt strong consolation in 
 Christ's assurance, John x. 14, 28, 29 ! The rod is 
 the assurance which Jehovah gives His child by 
 His Spirit, that lie counts him as His own. The 
 " staff" is the emblem of support to the weak. So 
 Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 10. At the same time it is the 
 shepherd's instrument of warding off beasts hostile 
 to the sheep. So " David took his staff in his hand " 
 in going against Goliath (1 Sam. xvii. 40) ; and the 
 Lord is re])reseuted as 'lifting up His staff against' 
 Assyria in behalf of His people (Isa. x. 24). The 
 Word of God is at once a prop to support the child 
 of God, and a defence, against Satau and the powers 
 of darkness. 
 
 The third and crovming %ta,ge of the believer's his- 
 tory is the rich spiritual feast provided by G od in 
 heaven, of which even now a sweet foretaste is 
 given. 5. a table before me. The Hebrew for 
 "table" [nh'^;] is one spread with viands, in the 
 presence of mine enemies. They may look on and 
 envy, but such is my security in thee, that none of 
 
 them can deprive me of the rich table that thou 
 spreadest. So the rich man in hell beheld I.azarua 
 in Abraham's bosom, afar off' and separated from 
 him by an impassable gulf. Lazarus' joy only added 
 to the rich man's torment. God spreads a table of 
 temporal and spiritual viands for His people even 
 in the wilderness. The fulness of the feast is re- 
 served for the " house of God, eternal in the hea- 
 vens." Cf. as to the "pasture" provided by the 
 good Shepherd, John x. 9. ' my head with oil. The 
 head and person used to be anointed with refresh- 
 ing perfumes at a feast (Eccl. ix. 8). "The oil of 
 gladness " (Ps. xlv. 7) ; the joy which the Holy 
 Spirit imparts (Isa. li. 1, 3; 1 John ii. 20). Love 
 and brotherly unity are fragrant odours of this oil 
 (Ps. cxxxiii. 2). The manifestation of Christ's 
 'name' produces this oil of joy (Song i. 3). 6. 
 Surely goodness [T[^i^J— rather, 'only;' i. e., nothiiig 
 but goodness, shall follow me. As my enemies, 
 like wild beasts, follow me with evil intent, so 
 God follows me with good. Ordinarily men fol- 
 low after happiness, which still flees from them; 
 here blessedness of itself follows believers. ' Such 
 is the ardour of Divine grace, that it eagerly fol- 
 lows us, even when careless, nay, averse' [Gejer). 
 all the days of my life— the days of this transitory 
 life, in contrast to the life "for ever," wherein "l 
 shall not be, as here, a travelling x)ilgrim {followed, 
 indeed, by 'the goodness of God'), but a 'dweller 
 in the house of the Lord.' 
 
 PSALM XXIV.— This psalm refers primarily 
 to David's bringing the ark up to Ziou (2 Sam. vi. 
 1-15). This is the oldest of the Introit j)salms [i. e., 
 sung at tl)eTemple entrance). God's absolute owner- 
 ship of the world (as in Ps. xv.), introduces the 
 main subject. Zion's ancient doors typify heaven's 
 everlasting doors {vv. 1-10). God's ownership of the 
 vjorld, based on His creation of it {vv. 1, 2); who 
 alone may ascend and dwell with so holy a God in 
 His sanctuary? — The pure alone {vv. 3-6); at the 
 ark's entrance, the gates are called upon to exult at 
 the entering in of the Lord of glory {vv. 7-10). 
 
 1. The earth is the Lord's. God makes a pre- 
 liminary provision for the honour of His Divine 
 Majesty, which might seem somewhat compro- 
 mised by His manifesting His presence in a 
 tabernacle made with hands. So in Isa. Ixvi. 1, 
 introductory to His manifestation in the millen- 
 nial Zion. _ So at the dedication of Solomon's 
 temple (1 Ki. viii. 27), The Lord's absolute owner- 
 ship of the earth is utterly incompatible with the 
 worship of any outward or inward idols (1 Cor. x. 
 28), the world [^nn, the habitable world, 6ikov~ 
 jxevt] ; from bear fruit] is viewed in reference 
 
 to its inhabitants, as "the earth" has with it "the 
 fulness thereof — i. e., all that it contains ; all that 
 fills it. Cf. Isa. xlii. 10; Amos vi, 8 ['n-Kvpco/uLct], 
 The LXX. prefix to the psalm ' On the first day of 
 
The ckizens of 
 
 PSALM XXIV. 
 
 His spiritual kingdom. 
 
 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, — ^and established it upon the floods. 
 
 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ? 
 And who shall stand in his holy place ? 
 
 4 ^He that hath clean hands, and *a pure heart; 
 
 Who hath not lifted np his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 
 6 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, 
 And righteousness from the God of his salvation. 
 
 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, 
 That seek thy face, ^ 0 Jacob. Selah. 
 
 7 Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates ; 
 And be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors ; 
 *^And the King of glory shall come in. 
 
 The clean 
 of hands. 
 1 Tim. -i. 8. 
 Gen. 6. 5. 
 Pb. 51. 10. 
 Pa. 73. 1. 
 Pro. 20 9. 
 Jer. 4. It. 
 Matt. 5. 8. 
 Acts 16. 9. 
 Rev. 21. 1-4. 
 Or. OQcd 
 of Jacob. 
 Hag. 2. 7. 
 Mai. 3. 1. 
 1 C< r 2. 8. 
 
 the week' [t?/s /x<as tu)v aaftftdn-Mv]. It was sung 
 usually on that day. So the rabbins say: thus, 
 with unconscious propriety, the Jewish Church 
 connected it with our Christian Sabbath. Ciirist, 
 as the Instrumental Creator, is Proprietor of the 
 earth. In spite of Satan's temporary usurpation, 
 owing to Adam's forfeiture of man's inheritance, 
 Christ is Lord of the earth, and, as the Second 
 Adam, shall restore to man his rightful possession 
 (Ps. viil; Col. i. 16-19). 2. founded it upon the 
 seas— rather, ' above the seas . . . above the floods ' 
 (Gen. i. 9, 10; Job xxxviii. 8; 2 Pet. iii. 6). Thereby 
 He made it a dry and hahitahle tvorld. Note, last 
 clause, V. 1. It is the inhabited and replenished 
 earth that vv. 1, 2 refer to. The sense is not, He 
 hath founded it on suhteri-anean seas. " Founded " 
 refers to its creation; "established," to its contin- 
 uous preservation. 
 
 3. Wlio shall ascend?—?, e.. Who shall really and 
 spiritually ascend in worship into His earthly 
 house now, and into His heavenly house hereafter ? 
 (cf. Ps. XV. 1.) The question served to awaken 
 the worshippers to penetrate more deeply than the 
 outward pomp which attended the ascending of 
 the ark, and to consider seriously and personally 
 what are the inward requisites for true fellowship 
 with such an Almighty Sovereign in His house 
 here and hereafter, who shall stand 1—lit. , ' arise ' 
 or 'rise up' {quoom). *To stand' as a minister 
 attending at his sovereign's court is a different 
 word, hamad, (Ps. cxxxiv. 1; cxxxv. 2; 1 Ki. 
 xvii. 1); to "ascend," and to "stand" or 'rise up' 
 in the holy place of Jehovah, was the prerogative 
 of Jesus first, who hath ascended once, "now to 
 appear in the iiresence of God for us " (Heb. ix. 24). 
 By spiritual union with Him, we too shall ascend, 
 and stand or rise up with Him. So Ps. xv. 1. 
 As ascend implies the first entrance, so stand im- 
 plies permanent continuance in the presence of 
 God. The same Hebrew is used, Ps. i. 5, "The 
 ungodly shall not stand in the judgment." 
 
 4. Clean hands, and a pure heart. As it is a 
 kingdom of righteousness, the righteous alone shall 
 inherit it (Isa. xxxiii. 15, 16). The pure in heart 
 alone shall see Him who is purity itself (Matt. v. 
 8). Christ alone ascended by right of inherent 
 purity; we ascend by virtue of His imputed 
 rigliteousness. ISIone are accounted righteous 
 whose "hearts" are not ''^purified by faith" (Acts 
 XV. 9). Though no mere man hath the purity of 
 perfection, every believer hath the purity that 
 consists in singleness of eye— i e., a sincere aim to 
 purify himself as His Lord is pure (1 John iii. 3). 
 Outward cleanness of "hands" must be accom- 
 panied by inward purity of "heart." lifted up 
 his soul to vanity. As the Hebrew particle {le) is 
 different here from that {el) in Deut. xxiv. 15; Hos. 
 iv. 8, marg., and the verb {nasa) is the same as 
 (yissa) "receive," or take, in v. 5, translate, 'He who 
 hath not taken away his soul unto vanity' — i. e., 
 
 154 
 
 falsehood; answering to * (sworn) in deceit.^ The 
 idea is not that of lijting up the soul to an idol, 
 but taking and setting the heart on some object (cf. 
 Eev. xxii. 15). nor sworn. From the soul loving 
 falsehood, he passes to the tongue swearing in 
 deceit. There is a reference to Exod. xx. 7, "Thou 
 shaft not take (the same Hebrew as here) the name 
 of the Lord thy God in vain" — i. e., in support of a 
 lie (the same Hebrew, lashave, as that translated 
 ' ' to vanity " here). 6. He shall receive the blessing 
 — ' He shall take the blessing from the Lord,' even as 
 ' he hath not taken his soul unto vanity ' (note, v. 4). 
 A tacit refutation of the idea of inherent efficacy in 
 tlie benedictions, whether of the x»riest or the king 
 (2 Sam. vi. 18), independently of the religious state 
 of the persons, righteousness. "The blessing" 
 is parallel to "righteousness." It is a. blessed gift 
 of grace, not a debt due to the righteous. "The 
 God of his salvation" having first freely justified 
 him by Messiah's imputed righteousness, then 
 imparts to him the inherent righteousness of sanc- 
 tification, and finally shall bestow "the crown of 
 righteousness " (2 Tim. ii. 8), whereby righteousness 
 shall be made its own reward (Rev. xxii. 11, end). 
 6. the generation of them that seek— i. e., that 
 seek to be among the true sons of Jacob, a seeker 
 after God, and so a representative head of the 
 Church. As to the "face" of Jacob, whom true 
 Israelites look up to as a spiritual father, cf. Isa. 
 xxix. 22. But the parallelism of " seek Him" ar.d 
 " seek thy face, 0 Jacob," would hardly be theo- 
 logically correct. For seeking Jacob, a man, thougli 
 representing the Church, cannot stand on a similar 
 footing with seeking God. Pather, ' This is the 
 generation of them that reverence Him; they thnt 
 seek thy face, (0 God, are) Jacob'— i. e., wrestling 
 suppliants before God's ^ face''' (Gen. xxxii. 30; 
 Hos. xii. 4). The Hebrew for the former "seek" is 
 not the same as that for the latter. The first 
 (darash) means to diligently regard or reverence; 
 the latter (baguash) is to " seek." Others may be 
 descendants of Jacob after the flesh ; they alone 
 are his true sons who, like him, are reverent seek- 
 ers after God's face in the way of holiness (Rom. 
 ii. 28). Marg., ellipsis is harsh, 'that seek thy 
 face, (0 God of) Jacob:' though 2 MSS. of Kenni- 
 cott and the Syriac support it. The Arabic, Ethi- 
 oi)ic, and the LXX. read, 'that seek the face of the 
 God of Jacob.' The English version may be re- 
 tained with slight change — 'This is the generation 
 of them that reverently seek Him, that seek thy 
 face, (being the true) Jacob.' The sudden address 
 to God, "that seek thy face," gives emphasis to 
 the sentiment as declared before God Himself. 
 
 7. As the ark in the procession draws near the 
 gates of Zion, David calls on them to open to re- 
 ceive the King of Glory. Lift up your heads, O 
 ye gates— i. e.. Be elated with the high honour 
 which you have, in the entrance through you of 
 God's own ark. Not, as Grotius thinks, alluding 
 
David's confidence 
 
 PSALM XXV. 
 
 in prayef. 
 
 10 
 
 Who is this King of glory ? 
 The Lord strong and mighty, — the Lord miglity in battle. 
 
 Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates ; — even lift them up, ye everlasting doors ; 
 And the King of glory shall come in. 
 
 Who is this King of glory ? 
 The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah. 
 
 PSALM XXV. 
 
 A Psalm of David. 
 
 UNTO "thee, 0 Lord, do I lift up my soul. 
 0 my God, I ^ trust in thee : 
 
 Let me not be ashamed ; — let not mine enemies triiimplj over me. 
 
 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed : 
 
 Let them be ashamed which transgress witliout cause. 
 
 Show ''me thy ways, 0 Lord; — teach me thy paths. 
 
 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me : 
 
 For thou art the God of my salvation; — on thee do I wait all tlie day. 
 Remember, 0 Lord, ^ thy tender mercies and thy loving-kindnesses ; 
 For they have been ever of old. 
 
 PSAIJM 25. 
 * 1 Sam. 1.15. 
 
 Ps. 80. 4. 
 
 Pa. 143. 8. 
 
 Lam. 3. 41 ^ 
 6 Ps. -. 1. 
 
 Pa 18. 2. 
 
 f 8. i2. 04 
 Ps. 31. 1. 
 Ps. 34 8. 
 Ps. sr. 40. 
 
 Ps. ri. 1. 
 
 Isa. 26. 3, 4. 
 
 Ifia. 28. IC. 
 
 Rom. 10.1 2v 
 
 1 Pet. 2. (!, 
 " Ex. 33. W 
 
 Ps. 5. 8. 
 
 Ps. 27. 11. 
 
 Ps. 86. 11. 
 
 Pa. 119. 27, 
 
 Ps. 143. 8. 
 
 Pro. 8. 20. 
 1 thy 
 
 bowels. 
 
 to a kind of portcullis [/caxctpjoa/cTai] which is 
 opened by being lifted up ; for the exx)ression is, 
 Lift up your heads, which is evidently a poetical 
 personification. The ark was accompanied with 
 the presence of JehoA'ah Himself. Its settlement 
 marked a new era in God's relations to His people 
 (1 Sam. vi. 1, 21 ; 2 Sam. vi. 2). His presence, 
 symbolized by the ark, ensures their safety (Num. 
 X. 35, 36). 
 
 8. Who is this King of glory ? The question is 
 put in order to lead the people seriously to ask it, 
 aud so to ponder upon the true answer. The Lord 
 strong and mighty — therefore, one who can and 
 will save His people, and punish His and their 
 enemies. So David experienced Him in the battle 
 with Goliath (1 Sam. xvii. 45, 47). 
 
 9. Lift up your heads. The repetition of 
 V. 7 is to bring out with greater emijhasis the 
 might of the Lord as "the Lord of hosts." 
 10. The Lord of hosts— rather, as 'Jehovah' 
 (Hebrew for "the Lord") is not usually made to 
 
 [ govern the genitive in this way, 'Jehovah (the 
 God) of hosts.' As an intensification of the idea 
 
 I in the corresponding r. 8, we must there take 
 "the Lord mighty in battle" as referring to His 
 Almighty power on earth; but here "The Lord of 
 hosts," as referring to His Almighty Lordship over 
 
 j both the material starry hosts, and the spiritual 
 
 1 hosts of angels in heaven. Sabennism, or the wor- 
 ship of ' the hosts {sabaoth) of heaven '—the sun, 
 moon, and stars— must give place to Jehovah, the 
 Lord of Sabaoth. 
 
 The concluding verse confirms the opening verse. 
 His being Lord of the earth is established by His 
 most glorious attribute of power, His Lordship 
 over the heavens. 
 
 PSALM XXV. Vv. 1.02.— Prayer for deliver- 
 ance frorm enemies, grounded on God' s faithfulness to 
 IJis trusting people (w. 1-5) ; appeal to God to 
 remember not sins, but Jlis own mercies [vv. 6, 7) ; 
 the spirit required in those to whom God grants 
 guidance and mercy— viz., meekness and observance 
 of His covenant [vv. 8-10) ; as David has not kept it, 
 he cries to J ehovah for Jlis own name's sake to for- 
 gir.e hl% great iniquity [v. 11); Jehovah blesses those 
 who fear Him, and reveals to them His covenant 
 {rv. 12-14); again David urges the greatness of Jus 
 troubles, requiring {as in vv. 1-5), that God should 
 not confound His trusting people {vv. 15-21); con- 
 cluding identification of his cause with Israel's {v. 
 
 22). Tlie alx>liabetical acrostic arrangement gives 
 symmetrical form to psalms loosely connected in 
 structure. 
 
 r^t] 1. I lift up my souL The perfection of 
 
 prayer is its being a lifting up of the soul to God. We 
 are for the time raised above self and the world, 
 and "sit together (with Christ) in heavenly 
 places" (Eph. ii. 6). The idea is included of setting 
 the ivhole heart on God as the chief good, and the 
 source of every good. Of. marg., Deut. xxiv. 15. 
 [3] 2. 1 trust in thee — and in none besides ; answer- 
 ing to " I lift \\\) my soul unto thee" {v. 1). let me 
 not he ashamed— as if I were one deserving to be 
 put to shame as not trusting in thee — a hypocrite 
 and a worldling, p] 3. let none ... be ashamed— 
 a prayer based on a fundamental principle of God's 
 dealings. He has common cause with all that 
 wait on the Lord ; such cannot consistently with 
 God's honour be put to shame. The Chaldaic, 
 LXX., Vulgate, Arabic, and Syriac translate as 
 futures, 'all that wait on thee shall not be 
 ashamed;' thus David lays down the general prin- 
 ciple on which he founds the confidence ot his 
 particular prayer. which transgress without 
 cause— viz., mine enemies {v. 2). The Hebrew for 
 "transgress" {ha-bogedim) is to deal treacherously. 
 The treacherous transgression meant is that against 
 one's neighbour. All the Israelites were, as all 
 professing Christians are now, joined together in 
 the brotherly covenant. To be even wanting in 
 the love to our neighbour which is enjoined, is a 
 treacherous transgression. Cf. Ps. xli. 9; Hos. vi, 
 7. "Without cause" {reequ)—lit., 'empty' (Ps. 
 Ixix. 4), 'without provocation.' [n] 4. Show me 
 thy ways — viz., the ways of salvation" ixom all 
 dangers and temptations. David has in mind the 
 prayer of Moses (Exod. xxxiii. 1.3). teach me — 
 by thy Spirit, (n] 5. Lead me in thy truth— Xea(Z 
 me, so as that 1 may experience thy faithfulness to 
 thy promises (John xvii. 17). So the phrase, 'the 
 truth of God ' means in Ps. xxx. 9 ; Ixxi. 22. " Lead 
 me," as a father would his infant child when 
 making the first attemjit to walk (Hos. xi. 3; 
 Deut. i. .31, 32; x. 12). 
 
 [1] 6. thy tender mercies— Hebrew, 'thy bowels' 
 (Col. iii. 12). and thy loving-kindnesses. God can- 
 not renounce His own essential loving-kindness 
 (especially to His trusting children, such as the 
 Psalmist). His character is not a newly acquired 
 one, but has existed 'from eternity' (Ps. ciii. 17). 
 
Damots prayer 
 
 PSALM XXV. 
 
 for help in affliction. 
 
 7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; 
 ^According to thy mercy remember thou me 
 
 For thy goodness' sake, 0 Lord. 
 
 8 Good and upright is the Lord : 
 Therefore will he teach sinners in the way. 
 
 9 The meek will he guide in judgment; 
 And the meek will he teach his way. 
 
 10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth 
 Unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. 
 
 11 For Hhy name's sake, 0 Lord, pardon mine iniquity; — ^for it is gi*eat. 
 
 12 What man is he that feareth the Lord ? 
 
 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 Lord is with them that fear him; 
 ^ And he will show them his covenant. 
 
 15 Mine •''eyes are ever toward the Lord ; 
 For he shall ^ pluck my feet out of the net. 
 
 16 Turn ^tliee unto me, and have mercy upon me; 
 For I am desolate and afflicted. 
 
 17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged : 
 0 bring thou me out of my distresses. 
 
 David pleads, Thou canst not now for the first time 
 cease to be what thou hast always been, [n] 7. Re- 
 member not the sins of my youth— a necessary 
 consequence of the previous "Remember, O Lord, 
 thy tender mercies" (v. 6); because God 'remem- 
 bers,' and can never forget, His eternally gracious 
 character. Therefore, He ' remembers not the 
 sins,' nor even the aggravated "transgressions," of 
 His people, who cast themselves on ' His tender 
 mercies.' In "youth," especially, the passions 
 are strong (2 Tim. ii. 22). according to thy mercy 
 remember thou me. The Hebrew {chesed) for 
 "mercy" is translated "loving-kindness," v. C. 
 Translate it so here. 
 
 [d] 8. Good— hemgnaiit (cf. "thy goodness," v. 7). 
 upright is the Lord. Based on Deut. xxxii. 4. 
 "Upright" imi3lies that God's character accords 
 with the most perfect rule of right (unlike the 
 heathen idea of deity); "therefore" He cannot 
 but be faithful to His promises {vv. 5, 6) ; and teach 
 His people the right way of salvation (Ps. xxxii. 
 8). But' it is such "sinners" (chattaim) as do not 
 persevere in sin, but flee to the grace of God for 
 pardon ; not hardened frcms;!7'essors [peshahim), 
 nor those persisting in daring impiety {reshalum). 
 [-'] 9. The meek, &c. The repetition of " the meek" 
 implies emphatically ivho alone are the "sinners" 
 {v. 8) whom God saves— viz., those humbled and 
 saddened on account of their sins. 'He guides 
 them in judgment' or 'righteousness,' justifying 
 them in the face of their enemies— both fc'atan, 
 their invisible adversary, and all who visibly op- 
 pose them (Zech. iii. 1-5). 'He teaches them His 
 way;' the way vrhereby He orders their deliver- 
 ance from their enemies {v. 4; Jer. x. 23; Acts 
 viii. 31 ; I Cor. x. 13). [=] 10. the paths of the 
 Lord are mercy and truth. Sins of infirmity, such 
 as still beset penitent " sinners," do not exclude 
 from the continued benefits of the covenant, when 
 we confess and seek forgiveness for them in the 
 appointed way, and forsake them. Therefore, in v. 
 11, the Psalmist hastens to confess his sins. Those 
 "keep His covenant" who believe HLs promises and 
 keep His commandments— who remember both 
 what God hath promised to them, and what they 
 have promised to God (Hos. xiv. 9). [^] 11. For thy 
 name's sake (note, Ps. xxiii. 3)— For the sake of 
 
 d Ps. 51. 1. 
 
 Ps. 109. 2R. 
 • Ps. 31. 3. 
 
 Ps. 79. 9. 
 
 Ps. 109. 21. 
 
 Ps. 143. 11. 
 / Rom. 6. 20. 
 f Ps. 37. 23. 
 
 2 shall lodge 
 in good- 
 ness. 
 
 Pro. 19. 2,^. 
 ft Ps. 37.11,22, 
 2). 
 
 i Pro. 3. 32. 
 John 7. 17. 
 John 15.15. 
 2 Cor. 4 2- 
 6. 
 
 3 Or, and his 
 covenant 
 to make 
 them 
 know it. 
 
 3 Ps. 141. 8. 
 
 4 bring forth. 
 ^ Ps. 69. 16. 
 
 Ps. 86. 16. 
 
 thy manijested character. God's attributes, to which 
 David refers, are given in vv. 7-10, goodness, up- 
 ri ihtness, mercy, and truth, for it is great. The 
 very greatness of my sin creates the greater need 
 for thy mercy; the more dangerous is the wound, 
 the more the compassionate Physician is moved to 
 apply the proper remedy for the cure. Cf. 2 Sam. 
 xxiv. 10 ; Isa. Iv. 7, note ; Rom. v. 20. 
 
 [iz] 12. him shall he teach. Jehovah, by His 
 Spirit, will teach him effectually the path which 
 he must choose in order to be saved. A choice 
 must be made between the ways of God and the \ 
 ways of unbelief (Josh. xxiv. 15). [:] 13. shall dwell - 
 at ease {lun)—lit., 'shall pass the night in good;' 
 i. e., shall abide permanently in good (Job xvii. 2, i 
 English version, cf. marg.; Prov. xix. 23). I prefer 
 restricting the term to his passing the night of this 
 present life (E,om, xiii. 12) — the times of dark- 
 ness and the dying hour — in peace (Ps. xxiii. 4). 
 his seed shall inherit the earth— as was pro- 
 mised to Abraham (Gen. xii. and xv.); and sub- 
 sequently to Israel, and to all the godly, in the [ 
 New Testament, in the fullest sense (Matt. v. 5). [ 
 The ungodly, with all their seed, shall be ui)rooted I 
 out of the earth, [d] 14. The secret of the Lord. ^ 
 "The secret;" the Hebrew (,socZ) is often used of f 
 a privy council met for deliberation (Job xxix. 4) : 
 here it means the familiar intimacy of Jehovah |, 
 (Prov. iii. 32; John XV. 15). his covenant. The ; 
 way in which, especially, God shows His 'familiar 
 intimacy' with his people, is by communicating to 
 them by His Spirit inwardly the covenant of sal- 
 vation not to be known by carnal reason (Isa. 
 liv. 13; John vi. 45; vii. 17; Rev. ii. 17). 
 
 [r] 15. Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord- 
 resuming the plea in vv. 1, 2 (cf. Ps. cxxiii. 1, 2). 
 feet out of the net — laid for me by my enemies (Ps. 
 ix. 15). [2] 16. Turn thee unto me ... for I am 
 desolate — ^zY., 'solitary' (Ps. Ixiiii. 6). David, 
 though a king, with large armies, felt himself as 
 one alone, having no hel^) save in God. [i'] 17. The 
 troubles of my heart. "The troubles 
 'straitn esses' {tzaroth), standing in emphatical con- 
 trast to "enlarged." His many troubles drive 
 him to the only One who can bring him out of 
 them all. As the first clause of v. 17 answers to 
 the last clause of v. 16, so also the last clause of 
 
David's confidence 
 
 PSALM XXVL 
 
 in his integrity. 
 
 18 Look ^upon mine affliction and my pain; — and forgive all my sins. ' 
 
 19 Consider mine enemies, for they are many; 
 And they hate me with ^ cruel hatred. 
 
 20 0 keep my soul, and deliver me : 
 
 Let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. 
 
 21 '"Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; — for I wait on thee. 
 
 22 Redeem "Israel, 0 God, out of all his troubles. 
 
 PSALM XXVL 
 
 A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 JUDGE ^me, 0 Lord; — for I have walked in mine integrity: 
 have trusted also in the Lord; — therefore I shall not slide. 
 
 2 Examine me, 0 Lord, and prove me ; — try my reins and my heart. 
 
 3 For thy loving-kindness is before mine eyes; 
 And I have walked in thy truth. 
 
 4 I 'have not sat with vain persons, 
 Neither will I go in with dissemblers. 
 
 V. 17 answers to the first clause of v. 16. [ij 18. 
 I forgive all my sins (wasa)— lit., ' bear all my sins ; ' 
 j talce them away by the atoning Victim hearing 
 I them on Him (Isa. liii. 4, 12). Cf. the types, Lev. 
 \ X. 17; xvi. 22; Num. v. 31. "Sin " is the deadly 
 I root of all the " affliction" and "pain" in the world. 
 I In praying that sin may be taken away, we cut 
 I the root of all our misery. 19. Consider— the 
 < same Hebrew as in v. 18, "Look upon." Whilst 
 
 • (j-od holes upon His own people with compassion 
 I for their "affliction," and with "forgiveness" for 
 ! their "sins," He "looks upon" their "enemies" 
 
 with wrathful jealousy for His own houour and for 
 I His people's safety (Exod, xiv. 24). cruel hatred. 
 ; The Hebrew (c/tama-s) "cruel" expresses v?oZ(?wce 
 , and injustice { v. 3, end). The number and the violent 
 I injustice of the believer's enemies are strong reasons 
 I with God for interposing, both thj:ough regard to 
 1 His people and through His hatred of injustice, 
 
 [^] 20. 0 keep my eouI— (Ps. xxii. 20.) Another 
 
 • effectual plea, the preciousness in God's sight of 
 his " soul," which is endangered. I put ray trust 
 
 I In thee— resuming at the close the plea in the 
 i beginning {vv. 1, 2). [n] 21. integrity— e., not 
 that a man's own "integrity" saves him; but it 
 is the evidence of God's grace in him, and is 
 pleasing to God, so that we may be sure God will 
 "preserve" such a one. GocTs part is expressed 
 in Ps. xh 11, "Let thy loving-kindness and thy 
 truth continually /)?-esert'e me." 
 
 22. Redeem Israel, 0 God— concluding sum- 
 mary. Davids cause was the cause of "'Israel,''^ 
 and is the cause of the whole Church. As her 
 representative, he gives an insjjired directory as 
 to the spirit and the words to be used by be- 
 lievers when they pray in trouble. " Redeem "— 
 i. e., ransom, deliver by paying a price {padah: 
 d-TroXvTpovu). There can be no redemi)tion for 
 all Israel until "there shall come out of Zion 
 the Deliverer," who "shall turn away ungod- 
 liness from Jacob" (Tsa. lix. 20). Note that 
 ' Jehovah ' is the title of God throughout 
 the psalm: 'Elohim' is the title in this last 
 verse. Thus it is marked that 'Jehovah,' the 
 (iod of the covenant, is also 'Elohim,' the Mighty 
 Creator and Preserver, who is able, as He is 
 vnlling, to keep His promises, and to "redeem" 
 His i)eople. 
 
 P.SALM XXVL Vv. \-\2.-David's appeal to 
 God for deliverance on the ground of his integrity 
 , and trust {v. 1); his heart, if examined, will prove 
 this - his v)alk in God's truth, shunning the had; 
 his love to God's house, whither he goes in innocency 
 157 
 
 1 2 Sam. 16. 
 12. 
 
 Ps. 119. 132, 
 153. 
 
 5 hatred of 
 violence. 
 
 "'Ps. 7. 8. 
 
 Pro. 11. 3. 
 "Ps. 51. 18, 
 19. 
 
 Ps. 130. 8. 
 
 Ps. 137. 6, 6. 
 
 PSALM 267 
 " Ps. 7. 8. 
 
 6 Ps. 25. 2. 
 Ps. 28. 7. 
 Ps. 31. 14. 
 Pro. 29. 25. 
 
 " Ps. 1. 1. 
 Jer. 15. 17. 
 1 Cor. 15. 
 33. 
 
 {vv. 2-8) ; prayer thai his soul may not he gathered 
 with sinners in doom, as his walk and theirs are so 
 diverse (vv. 9-11) ; confident that his standing is sure, 
 he blesses Jehovah {v. 12). As in Ps. xxv. he 
 pleaded the Lord's mercy, so in Ps. xxvi. his 
 judicial righteousness, which must distinguish the 
 godly from the ungodly in their respective lots. 
 
 1. Judge me, 0 Lord .... therefore I shall 
 not slide. As the second and third clauses of 
 the verse correspond, so the first and fourth. 
 As, then, the first clause is a j)rayer, " Judge 
 me," resting on the petitioner's "integrity" 
 towards his fellow -men (the second table of 
 the law), so the fourth clause ought to be 
 translated, 'let me not slide,' resting on the 
 petitioner's ' trust in the Lord ' (the first table) 
 (Ps. xviii. 36; xxxvii. 31): "Judge me, 0 Lord, 
 for I have walked in mine (habitual) integrity." 
 'Let me not slide,' for "I have trusted in the 
 Lord." The latter prayer is answered at v. 12, 
 "My foot standeth in an even place"— e., hath 
 a sure footing. The former is answered virtually 
 in the thanksgiving, "in the congregations will I 
 bless the Lord." "Judge me" is, in the case of 
 one of blameless "integrity," equivalent to "vin- 
 dicate my cause." " Redeem me " from my 
 troubles and foes {v. 11). Only Messiah coulci 
 use such a prayer in the full sense : in a limited 
 sense His people can use it, as sincere in their 
 trust towards God, and in their endeavoui^s to 
 walk blamelessly towards men. 
 
 2. Development {vv. 2-8) of "I have walked in 
 mine integrity," and "I have trusted in the Lord," 
 V. 1. His ability to stand the Lord's testing exam- 
 ination {v. 2); his morality and avoidance of contact 
 with sin and sinners {vv. 3-5); hispiety {vv. 6-8). The 
 name of Jehovah ("Lord") occurs three times. 
 2. prove me— (Ps. xvii. 3.) try my reins. J/e72g- 
 stenberg translates, 'My heart and my reins hare 
 been purified.' [So the Hebrew text, riDTii;, the 
 participle. The Hebrew marg. reads as the Eng- 
 lish version, nQ"ii*]. The image is from trying 
 metal by fire (Ps. Ixvi. 10). The "reins" here ex- 
 press the feelings; the "heart," tlie thoughts. 
 
 3. "before mine eyes— rather understand, '(has 
 been) before mine eyes,' as the spring of my out- 
 ward aversion from sin and sinners {vv. 4, 5). 
 walked in thy truth— I have, in ray whole walk, 
 rested in thy truth— i. e., thy faithfulness to thy 
 promises (Ps. xxv. 5, note). 4. vain persons—/", e., 
 deceitful persons. He who keeps before his eyes 
 the "'truth'" of God {v. 3) cannot have pleasure in 
 
Datid sustaineth 
 
 PSALM XXVIL 
 
 his faith. 
 
 5 I have hated the congregation of evil-doers; 
 And will not sit with the wicked. 
 
 6 I Vill wash mine hands in innocency : 
 So will I compass thine altar, 0 Lord ; 
 
 7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, 
 And tell of all thy wondrous works. 
 
 8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house. 
 And the place ^ where thine honour dwelleth. 
 
 9 ^Q-ather not my soul with sinners, — nor my life with ^bloody men. 
 
 10 In whose hands is mischief, — and their right hand is *full of bribes. 
 
 11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: 
 Redeem me, and be merciful unto me. 
 
 12 My foot standeth in an even place: 
 
 In the congregations will I bless the Lord. 
 
 PSALM XXVII. 
 
 A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 THE Lord ig my light and my salvation ; — whom shall I fear ? 
 The Lord is the strengtli of my life; — of whom shall I be afraid ? 
 
 untruth, neither will I go— into the same meetiug 
 or association (Gen. xiix. 6). 6. congregation of 
 evil-doers — L their meetings for mischief. What 
 Giod forbids is not all intercourse with them, whicii 
 is unavoidable, but association with them in evil 
 (1 Cor. V. 9, 10; 2 Cor. vi. 14-18). 6. wash . . . . 
 hands— in allusion to Dent. xxi. G, where is de- 
 scribed the custom of washing the hands over a 
 slain heifer, with a V'^testation of innocence in 
 the case of an uncertain murder. So Pilate used 
 this symbolical action to clear himself of guilt 
 of murder in the case of Christ (Matt, xxvii. 24). 
 The "hands" are specified as being the instru- 
 ments of action (cf. Ps. Ixxiii. 13; Job ix. 30). 
 When Aaron and the ]>nests went into the taber- 
 nacle to minister, they washed their hands and 
 their feet. So the Jews, in later times, washed 
 their hands before praying (cf. Isa. i. 15, 16; 1 
 Tim. ii. 8). compass thine altar ~ alluding to 
 the iirocession of the choristers, singing as they 
 moved round the altar : so in \i. 7 there follows, 
 "that I may publish with the voice of thanks- 
 giving." Cf. LXX., Ps. xxvii. 6, 'I went round 
 and sacrificed' [eKu^Xwo-a koL edvcra]. Thus David's 
 associating with the sacred procession circling 
 round the altar is a beautiful contrast to those 
 sitting in the same circle "with vain persons " (r. 
 4). Hengstenherg explains "encompass" in the 
 sense of being strongly attached to. So Cocceius, 
 'lam constantly about thy altar; I never leave 
 it' in heart, if not in person. Our altar is Christ 
 (Heb. xiii. 10). The former is the more common 
 meaning [330]. It is not so much the outward 
 worship as the inward trust and gratitude {v. 7) 
 which he resolves ever to continue, and to ex])ress 
 l)efore the Church in God's ap]3ointed way, through 
 the blood of atonement. 7. That I may '. . . won- 
 drous works— in having so marvellously delivered 
 me. So Israel made known God's wonders wrought 
 in her deliverance at the Red Sea (Exod. xiv. and 
 XV.), and shall again do so on the occasion of a 
 still greater and a final deliverance (Isa. Ixiii. 7). 
 He whose heart is so full of God's goodness that 
 his lips cannot but proclaim it, is in the fittest 
 frame for fresh manifestations of God's grace being 
 vouchsafed, which in turn shall call forth fresh 
 praises. 8. I have loved. He ends this first part 
 {vv. 2-8) with love to God, as he began it {v. 3; Ps, 
 xxvii. 4). the place . . . honour dwelleth— the 
 tabernacle where the Shechinah cloud of 'glory' 
 
 was manifested (Exod. xL 34, 35; Num. ix. 1.5, 
 ]G). The place of the ark of the covenant, which 
 recently David had brought to Zion, was spiritu- 
 ally the centre of devotion to all godly Israelites. 
 Cf. 2 Sam. xv. 25. 
 
 9. Second part of the main body. As the 
 former part expanded, ' I have walked in mine 
 integrity : I have trusted in the Lord,' so this 
 second part expands, 'Judge me, 0 Lord ... let 
 me not slide' {v. 1). Gather . . . sinners— in- 
 volve me not in one common destruction with 
 them [^w^?, to collect, with a view of taking away], 
 (Jer. viii. 1.3, marg.) As "I have hated the con- 
 gregation of evil- doers" [v. 5), and have sought the 
 society of thy true worshippers {vv. 6, 7), do not 
 "gather" me in the doomed company of the 
 wicked (Ps. xxviii. 3), but 'let my soul he bound 
 in the bundle of life with the Lord my God ' ( 1 
 Sam. XXV. 29). There is a reference to Gen. xviii. 
 23. 10. In whose hands {r\m]—lit., 'thought (of 
 evil)'; scheming evil (Ps. vii. 3). bribes— (Ps. xv. 
 5.) 11. walk in mine integrity— resuming the 
 theme, v. 1, His rectitude stands in contrast to 
 the "mischief" and "bribes" of the "sinners" 
 {ov. 9, 10). redeem . . . merciful. Prayer for 
 redemption and mercy must be offered with a sin- 
 cere desire to act in integrity,'' or else it is 
 rejected. 12. My foot . . . even place— not in a 
 slippery i)lace. By faith he already sees the an- 
 swer to his prayer {v. 1), 'let me not slide,' note 
 (Isa. xl. 4; xlii. 16: Ps. xxvii. 11, w,arg., ' a way of 
 plainness;' cxliii. 10). in the congregations— in 
 the public assemblies of the Church met for wor- 
 ship [D^^npo]. 
 
 PSALM XXVIL— The deliverance which results 
 from waiting on the Lord. Vv. 1-14. — David's 
 fearless confidence amidst dangers, because J ehovah 
 is his salvation. Dwelling by faith in God's temple, 
 he secure, and will sing triumphant praises {vv. 1- 
 6) ; prayer that God will not hide His face, but make 
 the path of deliverance plain {vv. 7-12); conclusion 
 sets forth the main thought {vv. 13, 14). 
 
 1. whom shall I fear? With the Lord on 
 his side, all the powers of men, or even Satan, 
 are as nothing against Him. As in the for- 
 mer y)salm, so in this, David writes under the 
 pressure of trouble. Trust in the Lord was his 
 preservative there (Ps. xxvi. 1) against sliding of 
 Lis feet. Here he speaks with triumphant confi- 
 
Davids s prayer that God 
 
 PSALM XXVII. 
 
 would not hide his face. 
 
 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, 
 
 ^ Came upon me to eat np my flesh, — they stumbled and fell. 
 
 3 Though an host should encamp against me, — my heart shall not fear ; 
 Though war should rise against me, — in this will I be confident. 
 
 4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, — that will I seek after ; 
 That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, 
 To behold ^the beauty of the Lord, — and to enquire in his temple. 
 
 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 me : 
 Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices ^of joy; 
 
 I will sing, yea, I wall sing praises unto the Lord. 
 
 7 Hear, 0 Lord, when I cry with my voice : 
 Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 
 
 8 * When thou saidst, Seek ye my face ; 
 
 My heart said unto thee, Thy face. Lord, will I seek. 
 
 9 Hide not thy face far from me ; — put not thy servant away in anger : 
 Thou hast been my help; leave me not, 
 
 Neither forsake me, 0 God of my salvation. 
 
 PSALM 27. 
 
 1 approach- 
 ed against 
 me. 
 
 2 Or, the 
 delight. 
 Ps. 31. 20. 
 Ps. 32. 6, 7. 
 Ps. 77. 2. 
 Ps. 83. 3. 
 Ps. 91. 1. 
 Ps. 119. 114. 
 Ps. 138. 7. 
 Pro. 18. 10. 
 Isa. 4. 6. 
 Isa. 23. 20. 
 Matt. 23.37. 
 Col. 3. 3. 
 
 3 of shout- 
 ing. 
 
 4 Or. My 
 heart said 
 unto thee. 
 Let my 
 face seek 
 thy face. 
 
 denee, " whom shall I fear?" — indiguaatly putting 
 away from him fear as unworthy of one who has 
 the Lord for his "light" amidst the darkness of 
 surrounding trials (Mic. vii. 8, 9; Isa. 1. 10). 
 the Lord . . . life— guarding it from the attacks 
 of all enemies (Isa. xii. 2; xxvi. 1, 3, 4; of. Neli. 
 vi. 9). 2. When . . . came ... to eat up my 
 flesh, they stumbled. The Hebrew order is 
 emphatical, ' When the wicked came near upon me 
 i to eat my flesh (like savage beasts), mine enemies 
 I against me (lit., to me [h]), themselves [non] 
 stumbled and fell.' Themselves it was that fell, 
 j not (as they had expected) /, though, doubtless, 
 I had not the Lord been with me, I should Lave 
 :l fallen. 3. in this will I be confident— "in this" 
 ' —i. e., even in such a seemingly hoi3eless position 
 I, (cf. the same phrase, Job i. 22). "I will be 
 ' confident," answering to "my heart shall not fear." 
 i1 4. One thing . . . that I may dwell in— not 
 i: literal 'dwelling,' but spiritual (Ps. xv. 1; xxiii. 
 
 6; John xiv. 23; Eev. iii. 12). To have a perpetual 
 ' enjoyment of God's realized grace and presence (John 
 1 viiL 35). All other blessings are included in this, 
 I so that this " one thing" is, and shall always be, 
 ; the Psalmist's ruling desire. The tabernacle, and 
 1 subsequently the temple, symbolized the union 
 between God and His true worshippers, dwelling 
 ' in spirit with Him there, to behold the beauty— 
 or (to answer to the parallel, "to behold," &c.) 
 to searchingly meditate thereon [np.n]— (viz., on 
 His beauty : His beautiful grace, wisdom, and 
 love, exxjerimentally seen by His people, Ps. xc. 
 17: "the goodness of the Lord," v. 13) in His sanc- 
 tuary [Hengstenherg). The Hebrew, "to be- 
 liold tlie beauty of the Lord," is lit, 'to behold in 
 ]t' [."!|n with 3] an idiom expressing the delight 
 which gazing continually ijiio it gives. Cf. Jas. 
 i. 25. In the literal sense, not even the priests 
 d/tj)elt always in the sanctuary. What follows as the 
 result of ' dwelling in the house of the Lord ' is 
 figurative [v. 5)— "In the time of trouble ... He 
 shall hide me ... in the secret of His tabernacle ;" 
 therefore the dwelling in the house of the Lord must 
 be figurative too. The being hidden by Ood in a 
 secret place of safety, or sanctuary, is the result of 
 8])iritual abiding in and with Him. 5. For in the 
 time of trouble— the reason why the one thing 
 159 
 
 which he desires is to dwell spiritually in the 
 house of the Lord {v. 4), for this includes all 
 other things, and among them safety from all 
 evil, in the secret of— in the innermost shrine, 
 the surest asylum, shall He hide me (1 Ki. ii. 28). 
 So He hid Moses in the secret of His tabernacle, 
 when the people would have stoned him (Num. 
 xiv. 10). The term " tabernacle " proves that the 
 psalm was written before the time of Solomon, 
 when the temple was built. Cf. Ps. xxxi. 20. 6. 
 And now — "And now"— i. e., seeing that it is so 
 —seeing that I am safe under the hiding of God 
 [v. 5; Ps. iii. 3). sacrifices of joy— jubilee offer- 
 ings accompanied with shoutings of joy for deliver- 
 ance [nrnn] (Num. xxiii. 2l)~lit., 'sacrifices of 
 shouting;' or else, 'of the clang' of trumpets; 
 alluding to the sounding of the trumpets over the 
 burnt offerings and peace offerings in the solemn 
 days of gladness (Num. x. 10; Ps. Ixxxi. 3; Ixxxix. 
 l()j. If there be reference to the custom here, David 
 must be speaking not merely as an individual, but 
 as the representative of Israel. For the trumpets 
 were not used at private offerings. At the public 
 thank offerings the music was accomijanied with 
 joyous shoutings, " Hosauna ! " 
 
 7. Transition from triumphant confidence to 
 mournful supplication. Descending in thought 
 from heaven to earth, he Aavidly realizes his press- 
 ing dangers, and so cries to the Lord not to forsake 
 him. 8. my heart said unto thee— rather, 'my 
 heart saith unto thee' {i. e., is continually, with 
 silent speech, reminding thee of thine own gracious 
 exhortation), " Seek ye my face (virtually con- 
 tained in Deut. iv. 29) ; Thy face. Lord, will I 
 seek." David, in the spirit of faith, ai)proi")riates 
 to himself the. general exhortation of God, "Seek 
 [plural) my face;" "Thy face, Lord, will (or 
 do) I seek" [singidar). To seek the jace of a king 
 involves the idea of seeking his favour and protec- 
 tion, answering to v. 4 (Ps. xxiv. 6; Pro v. xxix. 
 26, cf. marg.; 2 Sam. xxi. 1, marg.; Hos. v. IG). 
 9- Hide not thy face — in contrast to the finding 
 God's "face" in spirit, which is promised to them 
 that "seek" it {v. 8). put not thy servant away- 
 the j)lea of the prayer: since I am thy servant,* 
 put me 'not away' from thee, which is the por- 
 tion, not of thy servants, but of the wicked (John 
 xii. 26; Matt. xxv. 41). thou hast been my help 
 
Damd's prayer 
 
 PSALM XXVIII. 
 
 against his enemies. 
 
 10 When my father and ^my mother forsake me, 
 Then the Lord ^will take me up. 
 
 1 1 Teach me thy way, 0 Lord, 
 
 And lead me in ^a plain path, because of ''mine enemies. 
 
 12 Deliver me not over unto the wiU of mine enemies : 
 For ''false witnesses are risen up against me, 
 
 And such as breathe out cruelty. 
 
 13 / had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord 
 
 in the land of the living. 
 
 14 Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, 
 
 And he shall strengthen thine heart : — wait, I say, on the Lord. 
 
 PSALM XXVIII. 
 
 A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 UNTO thee will I cry, 0 Lord my rock; be not silent Ho me : 
 
 Lest, //thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. 
 
 2 Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry unto thee. 
 When I lift up my hands ^ toward thy holy oracle. 
 
 ^ Isa. 49. 15, 
 John 9. 3.'). 
 John 16. 32. 
 2 Tim. 4. 
 18. 
 
 * win gather 
 me. 
 
 Isa. 40. 11, 
 « a way of 
 
 plainne-s. 
 1 those 
 
 whic'i 
 
 observe 
 
 me, 
 " Ex, 20, 6. 
 
 1 Sam. 22.9. 
 
 Matt. 20.59. 
 
 PSALM 28, 
 
 1 from me. 
 
 2 Or, toward 
 the oracle 
 of 'hy 
 sanctuary. 
 
 — Hebrew, 'thou hast been and art (always) 
 [n'':n] my help.' 0 God of my salvation— He- 
 brew, 'My salvation-God;' not only a Saviour, 
 but salvation itself to me. 10. When . . . forsake 
 me—" when," or ' since' p?]. David's father and 
 mother forsook him at all events at their death : 
 even in their lifetime, being forced into exile with 
 him (1 Sam. xxii. 1-3), they were unable to help or 
 shelter him; possibly — such is the seltishness of man 
 in misfortunes— they even blamed him as the cause 
 of his and their trials, take me up — as a child 
 taken up from the street, and brought home, after 
 having been deserted by its parents who disown 
 it ['Q^Dt^j, Cf. Judg. xix. 21; Josh. xx. 4— the 
 elders shall "to/L'e" the manslayer "iw^o" the 
 city unto them." Cf. Christ's f/a^/ienX'? Jerusalem's 
 children unto Him, "even as a hen f/athereth her 
 chickens under her wings " (Matt, xxiii. 37). The 
 same Hebrew is translated (Ps. xxvi. 9) ^'gather 
 my soul :" so here, if we may unite the three'ideas, 
 the Lord will take me up, take me in, and finally 
 gather me with his saints. 11. tliy way — i. e., the 
 way of safety, as opposed to the dangers now sur- 
 rounding David, a plain path— a straight and 
 even " path," as contrasted with the dangerous and 
 slippery path which he had to tread owing to his 
 enemies [Ps. xxv, 4; xxvi. 12, "an even place" 
 —lit., 'a path of straightness'—'\'\Ti^'''n]. mine 
 enemies ["rp, from iitJ']— 'those who watch me 
 narrowly,^ so as to find an opportunity to injure 
 me (Ps, V. 8, note). 12. the will (lit., the soul) of 
 mine enemies — implying that mischief is the 
 essence of their soul, such as breathe out 
 cruelty— ' those whose (every) breath is cruelty' 
 (Prov, vi. 19, Hebrew; Acts ix. 1). 
 
 13, 14. Conclusion,— summing up the psalm. 
 The goodness of the Lord is the antidote to fear 
 amidst troubles; only let us wait on the Lord, 
 and He will strengthen us. 13. (I had fainted), 
 unless . . . land of the living— i. e., in this life 
 (Ezek. xxvi. 20). His heart is too full of con- 
 fidence in God actually to utter the language of 
 desijair, " I had fainted:" he therefore leaves it to 
 be understood. On "see (experience) the good- 
 ness of the Lord " cf. Ps. xxv. 7 ; xxxi. 19 ; Zech. 
 ix. 17: cf. V. 4, "the beauty of the Lord." He 
 not merely hoped, but believed" to see it. Even 
 on earth the believer has a good hope, and is 
 blessed in his portion, though accompanied with 
 trials (1 Tim. iv. 8 ; Mark x. 29, 30). 14. be of 
 IGO 
 
 good courage — 'act with vigour;' "be strong" 
 [pjn] : the address of David's faith to David's 
 fears. So David addresses his fainting soul in 
 Ps, xlii, and xliii. Lest, however, he should seem 
 to say that he could at will become strong of 
 himself, he adds, he shall strengthen— (Ps. xxxi. 
 24.) He does not mention the Lord by name; he 
 takes it as an axiom that none save the One can 
 give strength. 
 
 PSALM XXYlll.— David's prayer to God not 
 to he silent at his cry {v. 1) ; nor to let him share the 
 lot of the xvicked, who speak peace but plot mischief 
 {vv. 2-5) ; assured of being heard, he blesses the Lord 
 {vv. 6-8) ; application to the Lord's people, whose 
 representative he is {v. 9). In the kindred psalm 
 the oppressed godly man speaks ; in our psalm the 
 oppressed godly king {v. 8). The time is probably 
 that of Absalom's rebellion (cf. v. 3). 
 
 1. my rock. "My rock" implies God's im- 
 movable faithfulness, (Ps. xviii. 2; xix. 14, marg.) 
 be not silent to me: lest if thou be silent. 
 Two distinct Hebrew words are used for "be 
 silent" The first means to be deaf, and 
 
 so dumb; expressing that God heard not his 
 
 f)rayers, and so gave him no answer. The second 
 HK'n], to be still and silent. " To me . . . to me " — 
 lit., from me: implying distance on the part of God 
 from the petitioner (Ps. xxii. 1), as contrasted with 
 His drawing nigh to answer iirayer. If thou 
 continue silent and distant, I am undone. Still 
 he does not give up hope in the Lord, and say, 'I 
 shall go down to the pit,' but I shall " become 
 LIKE THEM that go dowu iuto the pit"— i. e., the 
 dead (Isa, xiv, 15, 19). The thanksgiving in Ps. 
 XXX. 3, "0 Lord . . . thou hast kept me alive, that I 
 should not go down to the pit,'' beautifully contrasts 
 with this prayer amidst trembling. 2. Hear . . . 
 my supplications . . . holy oracle — so the mo^t 
 holy place of tlie tabernacle or temple was called 
 (1 ki. vi. 16-19) [1^31, from n?^, to speak], because 
 God thence spake responses when consulted by 
 the people, at first through Moses, afterwards 
 through the high priest (Exod, xxv, 22; Num. 
 vii. 89) : Moses " heard the voice of One speaking 
 unto him from off the mercy-seat that was upon 
 the ark of testimony, from between the two 
 cherubims." The lifting up of hands was the 
 attitude of prayer (Exod." ix. 29 ; 1 Tim. ii. 8). It 
 symbolized the lifting up of the heart to God. 
 I)avid lifted up his hands to the oracle, as it 
 
David exhorteth to 
 
 PSALM XXIX. 
 
 praise God. 
 
 3 Draw me not away with the wicked, and with tlie workers of iniquity, 
 Which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts. 
 
 4 Give "them according to their deeds, 
 
 And according to the wickedness of their endeavours : 
 
 Give them 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 he the Lord, — because he hath heard the voice of my supx^lications. 
 
 7 The Lord is *my strength and my 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 Lord is ^ their strength. 
 
 And he is the * saving strength of his anointed. 
 
 9 Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance : 
 ^ Feed them also, and lift them up for ever. 
 
 PSALM XXIX. 
 
 A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 GIVE unto the Lord, 0 ^ye mighty, 
 Give unto the Lord glory and strength. 
 
 " Ps. 5. 10. 
 Ps. 59. 12. 
 Ps. C9. 22, 
 24. 
 
 Jer. 18. 21, 
 23. 
 
 2 Tim. 4. 14. 
 
 Rev. 18. 6. 
 6 Ps 18. 2. 
 
 Ps. 19. 14. 
 
 Ps. 46. 1. 
 
 Isa 12. 2. 
 
 Isa. 45. 2*. 
 
 Eph. 6. 10. 
 « Ps. 13. 5. 
 
 Ps. 22. 4. 
 
 Ps. 56. 3, 4. 
 
 3 Or. his 
 strength. 
 
 4 strength 
 of sal- 
 vations, 
 
 5 Or, rule. 
 
 PSALM 29. 
 1 ye sons 
 of the 
 mighty. 
 
 contained the ark of the covenant, the visible 
 symbol of God's presence. God graciously con- 
 descended to man's natui'al craving after the 
 visible, by this seen type of Him who is, as God, 
 unseen, but who has in the incarnate Sou of God 
 manifested Himself in the most perfect way to 
 us Christians. As the wliole tabernacle was "the 
 tabernacle of the congregation " or ' meeting ' 
 [ipiD '7^^] (Exod, xxxiiL 7), where God met His 
 
 Eeople; so the inmost part of it, or the most 
 oly place, was Kis audience chamber. 
 3. Draw me not— the ' siipplication ' which in 
 r?'. 1, 2, he had entreated God to "hear;" sub- 
 stantially the same as Ps. xxvi. 9. "Draw me 
 not " is an image from a net, into which all kinds 
 of fishes are indiscriminately drawn. Consign me 
 not to the same common destruction with the 
 wicked (Job xxi. 33 ; xxiv, 22 ; Ezek. xxxii. 2 ; 
 Ps. x. 9). It is impossible that the righteous God 
 should "destroy the righteous with the wicked" 
 (Gen. xviii. 23). A very different drawing is de- 
 scribed here from that (in Hos. xi. 4) wherewith 
 God drew" the Israelites ivith bands of love." 
 and with the . . . speak peace . . . but mischief 
 is In their hearts— intestine foes and hypocritical 
 dissemblers, like Absalom and his party; not 
 open enemies (2 Sam. xv, 7, 8). There is a play 
 of like sounds in the Hebrew "neighbour" and 
 " mischief " [nv"i D~i"'i?r]], implying how utterly 
 they perverted the most sacred ties, making their 
 very mighbours objects of mischief (cf. Ps. xv, 3), 
 4. Give them. "Them:" the wicked, enemies. 
 God repays men in kind, making their sin their 
 jmnishment, and the mischief which they jjlotted 
 for others to recoil on themselves (Matt, vii. 2; 
 cf. the case of Haman, Esth, vii. 10). 5. Because 
 they regard not , . . the operation of his hands— 
 His righteous judgments on the ungodly : answer- 
 ing to "give them after the work (or operation: 
 the same Hebrew as is translated " operation" here 
 [ng'pc]) of their hands," Thus is marked the 
 correspondence between their sin and its punish- 
 ment. They regard not the v^ork of the LordJs 
 hands, therefore they shall receive as their due 
 the work of their own hands. Not to have regard 
 to God's judgments is the sure way to incur them; 
 VOL. IIL IGl 
 
 for once that a man loses sight of them, he has 
 no fear or scruple in rushing into sin (Job xxxiv. 
 27; Ps. xcii. 5, 6: Isa, v. 12). The "because," 
 &C.J implies that David is only praying for that 
 which the Lord's justice binds Him to do to 
 his (David's) ungodly enemies. 
 
 6. Assurance follows prayer in God's appointed 
 order. Blessed be the Lord, because he hath 
 heard. The thanksgiving is in the very words of 
 his prayer {v. 2), marking the inseparable connec- 
 tion of prayer and its answer. 7. my heart 
 trusted in him, and I am helped. He anticipates 
 his deliverance as already accomplished, because 
 of the assurance of faith which Jehovah had 
 given him in answer to prayer. Therefore he 
 joyfully praises Him. 8. their strength. "The 
 Lord," whom he had called " my strength " {v. 7), 
 he now calls 'HJieir strength ;" so wholly identified 
 is his cause witli that of his people, he is the 
 saving strength— the strength of saving de- 
 liverances. In saving his anointed king, God 
 saves the people over whom He has anointed 
 him (Ps. xviii, 50; cf. v. 9), 
 
 9, Concluding prayer that the Lord will con- 
 tinue "for ever" the salvation which He hath 
 conferred on His people, thy people . . . thine 
 inheritance— Israel (Deut, ix, 29), feed them— 
 (Isa. xl, 11.) lift them up. David often prays 
 for the fulfilment of God's grand promise in 2 
 Sam. vii. 16, 29, 'Lift up' — i. e., exalt to 
 honour (Esth. iii. 1); set on high, far above the 
 reach of their enemies, 
 
 PSALM XXIX.— The voice of Jehovah is so 
 all-powerful, that, however weak the Church be, 
 and however strong her foes, He will give her 
 "strength" and "j^eace," Vv.l-W. — Call to the 
 sons of the mighty to glorify Jehovah^s might {w. 
 1, 2); His glorious might detailed; their glorification 
 of Him in His temple {vv. 3-9); His peopMs assur- 
 ance that however high the flood of foes arises, the 
 Lord sits above it, and will give His people peace 
 {vv. 10, 11). The "seven thunders" in Rev. x, 3, 
 4, answer to the seven-fold "voice of Jehovah" 
 here, 
 
 1, Give glory and strength. Recognize that 
 Jehovah hath both glory and strength, and 
 glorify Him accordingly. The design in vv, 19 
 
The mighty 'power 
 
 PSALM XXIX. 
 
 of God. 
 
 Give unto the Lord ^the glory due unto his name; 
 Worship the Lord ^in the beauty of hob'ness. 
 
 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters : 
 The God of glory thundereth : — the Lord is upon ^many waters. 
 The voice of the Lord is ^ powerful ; 
 The voice of the Lord is ^full of raajesty. 
 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars ; 
 Yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. 
 He maketh them also to skip like a calf ; 
 Lebanon and "Sirion like a young unicorn. 
 The voice of the Lord ^divideth the flames of fire. 
 The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness ; 
 The Lord shaketh the wilderness of ^Kadesh. 
 
 s the honour 
 of his 
 name. 
 Ps. 97. 9, 
 Ps. 1 13. 3. 
 
 3 Or. in his 
 glorious 
 sanctuary. 
 
 -* Or. gTc at. 
 
 * in power. 
 « in . 
 
 majesty. 
 " Deut. 4 48. 
 ^ cuf.eth 
 
 out. 
 
 Ex 19. 18. 
 
 * Num.l.'?.28. 
 
 is to awaken us to realize vividly the .truth, 
 that the Lord hath in perfection "glory and 
 strength ;" from which follows the grand inference, 
 "The Lord will give strength unto His people" 
 (?'. 11; cf. Ps. xcvi 7, 8), based on the primary 
 passage, Deut. xxxii. 3. "Glory" [ninsj— lit., 
 gravity, weight (cf. "weight of glory," 2 Cor. iv. 17). 
 0 ye mighty— Hebrew, 'sons of the mighty' pps 
 uhi(\. The' sons of Elim,' or ' Elohim,' are plainly 
 here the angels (Job xxxviii. 7). Seeing that the 
 heavenly beings ascribe glory and strength to the 
 Loi'd, the children of God on earth may be en- 
 couraged, by the proofs which He gives of His 
 majestic might, to fear no adverse i^ower which 
 can withstand His interposition in their behalf. 
 The plural form, 'Elohim,' implies that though 
 God is one, yet He hath an infinite fulness of attri- 
 butes; in contrast to the heathen idols, to each of 
 which only some one attribute was assigned. So 
 Ps. Ixxxix. 7, where only besides the phrase occurs. 
 Elim is the abbreviated-form of El Elim [n'hii hi<] 
 (cf. Deut. X. 17). Thia-vjew is confii-med by Isa. 
 vi. 1-3, where the serap/mn similarly ascribe the 
 glory which fills the whole earth to the Lord. 
 Also Ps. ciii. 20, " Bless the Lord, ye His angels, 
 that excel in strengthJ^ Others take it kings and 
 mighty men of the earth, as in Ps. Ixxxii. 6. But 
 {v. 9) " in His temple (i. e.. His heavenly sanctuary) 
 doth every one speak of His glory" favours the 
 opinion that angels are meant by 'sons of the 
 mighty.' In Ps. xcvi. 7 it is "Give unto the Lord 
 glory and strength, ye kindreds of the people." 
 Thus the reasoning is 'a fortiori.' If angels who 
 excel in might ascribe glorious strength to God, 
 the Church on earth has no reason to doubt His 
 power of saving her from the most mighty assail- 
 ants. The mighty ones of heaven are tacitly con- 
 trasted with the miglity ones of earth (cf. note, v. 5). 
 2. glory due unto Ms name— viz., the glory which 
 is His due because of His name; i. e., His mani- 
 fested attributes. His power, wisdom, and goodness, 
 beauty of holiness [i^np niina] ; or as marg., after 
 tke LXX. [Iv ccvXTi ky'ia ccurov], Vulgatc, Syriac, and 
 Arabic, 'in (His)'glorious sanctuary.' So Ps. xcvi. 
 0 ; 1 Chr. xvi. 29 ; 2 Chr. xx. 21. In Ps. ex. 3 the 
 plural is used, "in the beauties of holiness." Heng- 
 stenberg, &c., less probably, translate, 'in holy 
 attire;' for in v. 9, "in His ^ew^fe doth every one 
 speak of His glory," is the response to the exhor- 
 tation here, "worship the Lord in the beauty of 
 holiness" — i. e., in His glorious sanctuary. 
 
 3. One, singled out of many grounds, why the 
 sons of God in heaven and those on earth should 
 "give, unto the Lord glory and strength" {vv. 1, 2) 
 — viz.. His sublime Majesty awfully revealed in 
 the thunder-storm. The voice, &c. The godly re- 
 IC2 
 
 cognize 'the voice of Jehovah' in the thunder- 
 peal (Job xxxvii. 4). Even the ungodly, who will 
 not recognize His voice in the calmer phenomena 
 of nature, are constrained, in spite of themselves, 
 to admit His powerful presence in the terrible 
 crash which accompanies the lightning - flash. 
 The "waters," and many waters," upon which 
 the voice of Jehovah is, refer to the clouds, or 
 "waters which are above the firmament" (Gen. i. 
 7). So Ps. xviii. 11 ; Jer. x. 13. God of glory— 
 referring back to v. 1, "give unto tlie Lord glory," 
 the ground for which is here set forth. 4. The voice 
 . . . powerful . . . majesty— Hebrew, ' is in power,' 
 'is in majestyJ* The in\y\ implies that 'power' 
 and "majesty" are attributes in which Jehovah is 
 essentially and inseparably invested. 5. The voice 
 . . . the cedars. "The cedars" are specified, being 
 the stateliest of trees; among them those of 
 Lebanon were pre-eminent. As the voice of Je- 
 hovah can instantly break these, so can it break 
 the mightiest of the Church's foes (vv, 10, 11), who 
 are often symbolized by cedars (Ezek. xvii. 3, 4, 
 22-24). 6. He maketh them, &c.— "He maketh 
 them" (viz., the cedars^ v. 5) to move to and fro, 
 with the hills on whicn they stand, by reason of 
 the earthquake. Sirion — "Sirion," tlie Sidonian 
 name of Hermon, as 'Shenir' was its Amorite 
 name, unicorn— rather, 'buffalo' (Ps. xxii. 21, 
 note), or else 'wild ox,' the reem. 7. divideth — 
 Hebrew, heweth; i. e., heweth asunder all oppon- 
 ents with the forked lightnings {v. 5) {Gejer, Heng- 
 stenberg). "0 arm of the Lord . . . that hath cut 
 [3ifn, the same verb as here] Rahab" (Tsa. li. 9; 
 Hos. vi. 5). The Chaldaic, LXX. , Vulgate, Arabic, 
 and Syriac support the English version. As Jeho- 
 vah's voice calls forth, so it cleaves through the 
 lightning flame : the thunder pealing through the 
 lightning. The brevity of the verse corresponds to 
 the rapidity of the lightning. 8. shaketh the 
 wilderness. The wilderness expresses the idea of 
 vastness and terror, such as Israel experienced it 
 (Deut. i. 19), "that great and terrible wilderness," 
 viii. 15; xxxii. 10, "the waste, howling wilder- 
 ness." Like the rdlls, the wilderness symbolizes 
 the power of the world distressing the Church. 
 'The voice of Jehovah' shaking it, or making it 
 to quiver, implies how every power which now 
 afflicts God's people shall, at His will, be over- 
 thrown when He cometh to shake the earth and 
 heaven (Heb. xii. 26, 27 ; Hag. ii. 6 ; Joel iii. 16 ; 
 Isa. ii. 19, end), wilderness of Kadesh— the north- 
 ern portion of the terror - abounding Arabian 
 desert, touching the south of Palestine. As " Leb- 
 anon" marks the north boundary of the Holy 
 Land, so^" the wilderness of Kadesh" marks the 
 south. It is called also "the wilderness of Zin" 
 (Num. xxxiii. 36), near Mount Hor, and the land 
 of Edom (Num. xx. 1, 16, 22, 23; xxi. 4). K-adesh 
 
DatldHs thanksgiving 
 
 PSALM XXX. 
 
 for deliverance. 
 
 9 The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds ^ to calve, 
 And discovereth the forests : 
 
 And in his temple ^doth every one speak of his glory. 
 
 10 The Lord '^sitteth upon the flood ;— -yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever. 
 
 11 '^The Lord will give strength unto his people; 
 The Lord will bless his people with peace, 
 
 PSALM XXX. 
 
 A Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David. 
 
 1 I WILL extol thee, 0 Lord; for thou hast lifted me up. 
 And hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. 
 
 2 0 Lord my God, I cried unto thee,— and thou hast healed me. 
 
 Or, to be 
 in pain, 
 and so 
 bring 
 forth. 
 ' Or every 
 whit of it 
 uttereth, 
 etc. 
 
 Gen. 6. 17. 
 Job 38. 8, 
 25. 
 
 f Ps. 28. 8. 
 Ps. 68. 35. 
 Isa. 40. 20. 
 
 31. 
 
 was a city on the uttermost border of Edom. The 
 hill and the wilderness, north and south alike, 
 tremble to their very centre at the voice of 
 Jehovah. What, then, have His people to fear, 
 come the danger from whatever quarter, and in 
 what form it will ? 9. hinds to calve. The thunder 
 strikes such terror into them that they prema- 
 turely bring forth. So in the case of Pnineas' 
 wife (1 Sam. iv. 19 ; cf. as to the hinds, Job xxxix. 
 1, 3). discoveretli — 'uncovers,' or ''strips the 
 forests' of branches, hark, and leaves; or else, of 
 their wild beasts, which leave the open pasture 
 glades, to hide in their dens through fear. The 
 contrast between the stately "forests" and the 
 timid "hinds" implies that in the thunder-storm 
 neither the greatest objects can escape Jehovah's 
 power by their greatness, nor the smaller by their 
 smallness. in his temple, &c.— ' in His (heavenly) 
 temple (cf. Ps. xviiL 6; xi. 4) all the celestial beings 
 there (lit., all of it—i. e., whatever there is in it of 
 celestial being) say " glory." ' Thus, the call made 
 to the angelic 'sons of the mighty' {vv. 1, 2), to 
 'give glory' to Jehovah, 'in the glorious sanc- 
 tuary' (jiiarg.), is here responded to by their 
 'saying every one in His temple, "glory"' (cf. 
 Isa. vi. 1-3). 
 
 10. The conclusion applies to the case of God's 
 
 Jeople the lesson of confidence in the power of 
 ehovah their God, to be derived from the body 
 of the psalm. The Lord sitteth, &c. Chaldaic 
 paraphrase, ' The Loi'd sat in judgment in the 
 generation of the flood.' Cf. the Vulgate [Dominus 
 diluvium inhabitare facit], and LXX. [/cupios t6v 
 KUTaKXua-fxdi/ Ka-roiKiei]. Moreover, the Hebrew 
 [SnnJ for "the flood" is exclusively applied to the 
 Noachian deluge. Therefore, with Gejer, Heng- 
 stenberg, and Muis, translate, ' The Lord sat (so sit, 
 Ps. ix. 4, 7, 8; Joel iii. 12) at [h] the flood (as the 
 King and Judge, vindicating His people, and 
 destroying the ungodly foe; whence follows the 
 triumphant inference), ayid therefore the Lord will 
 sit King for ever.' The Hebrew article, too, i)oints 
 to a particular flood. As God delivered His people 
 at the flood, so will He now. God's people have 
 no cause to fear, as having so Almighty and all-just 
 a (;rod on their side. Their foes now are what 
 "the flood" was then (Isa. xxviii. 2; lix. 19; Jer. 
 xlvi. 7, 8, xlvii. 2). "The voice of the Lord is 
 ui)on the (flgurative) waters" now, as it was upon 
 the literal w aters then, and as it is upon the watery 
 clouds in every thunder-storm even still {v. 3). If 
 the English version be retained, still take " the 
 flood" as primarily the Noachian deluge. "The 
 Lord sitteth upon the fiood,''^ restraining it from 
 overwhelming His people, as in the days of Noah, 
 sitteth king. He hath for ever the power of com- 
 manding all the elements, being their King. 11. give 
 strength, &;c.— answering to v. 1, "give unto the 
 Lord . . . strength;^' i. e.,the strength which belongs 
 
 m 
 
 to Him pre-eminently and inherently, as it belongs 
 to no creature. Since "strength" is peculiarly 
 His, He " will give strength to His people." bless 
 his people. According to the first and last bene- 
 dictions of the three-fold Mosaic blessing—" the 
 Lord bless thee . . . and give thee peace.' 
 
 PSALM XXX.— The aedication of the house of 
 David— viz., the site of the future temple which 
 Solomon built. The Hebrew, chanukath, means 
 the consecration of a new building. When David, 
 after the plague sent for numbering the people, 
 offered sacrifices upon the altar of burnt onermg, 
 the Lord, by fire from heaven, consecrated the 
 place as "the house of God" (2 Sam. xxiv. 16-25; 
 1 Chr. xxi 18-30). Heretofore, Gibeon had been 
 the place of the altar ; but henceforth the floor of 
 Araunah, by the direction of the prophet Gad, 
 was "the house of God," even before the temple 
 was built on it. Cf. 1 Chr. xxii. 1, 2, with Gen. 
 xxviii. 17-19. Pride through prosperity, and a 
 sudden and severe, but temporary reverse, appear 
 alike in the psalm and in the history. Not the 
 act, but the motive, was the sin, cf. Exod. xxx. 12 
 with 2 Sam. xxiv. 3, 15; v. 6 here. The deliver- 
 ance resulted from David's prayer; cf. vv. 8-10 
 with 1 Chr. xxi. 17, 18; the '^'sackcloth," 1 Chr. 
 xxi. 16, accords with v. 11. On the terms 'Psalm 
 and Song' piDp and Ti?, a joyful "song"] see 
 introductions to the Psalms and to the Poetical 
 books. Dathe, in Rogers, better translates the 
 title, ' A Psalm of David, a Song at the dedication 
 of the house' (viz., of God; as "the house" em- 
 phatically means) : for " the house," in Hebrew, 
 cannot be construed with " of David" on account 
 of the article being prefixed. So the Chaldaic para- 
 I)hrase. Vv. 1-12.— David's thanksgiving for de- 
 liverance from the verge of the pit {vv. 1-3) ; call to 
 the saints to give thanks for God's holiness, the 
 source^ of the grace which turns the weeping of the 
 night into the joy of the morning {iw. 4, 5) ; pros- 
 perity had caused overweening confidence; so God 
 hid His face and trouble ensued, which drove David 
 to prayer {vv. 8-10) ; so God turned mourning to 
 dancing and thaiiksgiving (vv. 11-12.) 
 
 1. I will extol . . . lifted me up. David will exalt 
 the Lord, because the Lord has exalted him. The 
 Hebrew ['"^^'7] is properly to draw one up as out of 
 a pit or well (cf. w. 3-9). David had well-nigh 
 "gone down to the pit." hast not made, &c. 
 The calamity was of so short duration that, though 
 severe, it afforded but little occasion for malicious 
 exultation to David's foes, David had declined 
 the alternative offered him, to flee before his ene- 
 mies for three months (2 Sam. xxiv. 13). 2. O 
 Lord. The invocation of ' Jehovah ' in the open- 
 ing of each of the three first verses marks their 
 close mutual relation, thou hast healed me— 
 thou hast removed my spiritual malady [my pride, 
 which brought on me chastisement), and the con- 
 
Exhortation to 
 
 PSALM XXX. 
 
 praise God. 
 
 3 0 Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave : 
 Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. 
 
 4 Sing unto the Lord, 0 ye saints of his. 
 
 And give thanks ^ at the remembrance of his holiness. 
 
 5 For ^liis anger endureth hut a moment; — "in his favour is life : 
 Weeping may endure ^for a night, — but *joy cometh in the morning. 
 
 6 And in my prosperity I said, — I shall never be moved. 
 
 7 Lord, by thy favour thou hast ^made my mountain to stand strong : 
 Thou * didst hide thy face, — and I was troubled. 
 
 8 I cried to thee, 0 Lord; — and unto the Lord I made supplication. 
 
 9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit ? 
 *^ Shall the dust praise thee ? — shall it declare thy truth ? 
 
 10 Hear, 0 Lord, and have mercy upon me : — Lord, be thou my helper. 
 
 1 1 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. 
 0 Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. 
 
 sequent plague which so reduced my people. Cf. 
 vv. 10, 11; 1 Chr. xxi. 14-27; Isa. i. 5, 6; vi. 10; 2 
 Chr. xxxvi. 16, marg. 3. thou hast brought up, 
 
 &c. — Hebrew, Sheol; Greek, Hades, the unseen 
 world. David, through overwhelming grief at the 
 calamity which his sinful pride had brought upon 
 the people, had been (2 Sam. xxiv. 10, 14, 17) as it 
 were dead, though still living (cf. 2 Cor. i. 10; 
 Ps. vi. 6, 7). kept me alive, &c. This is the reading 
 of the Keri, or Hebrew margin [^^l^p, an infinitive 
 with suffix — an objectionable form; cf. 'ri"n in v. 10]; 
 but the Hebrew text is better [^niV'P], ' thou hast 
 brought me alive /rom among those who go down to 
 the pit.' Cf. Ps. xxviii. 1. So also the Syriac, 
 Ethiopic, Vulgate, LXX., and Arabic. 
 
 4. David's particular case ?s a sample of the 
 universal character of God's gracious dealings with 
 all His people; he therefore calls on 'all the saints 
 of God' to join with him in praises (Ps. xcvii. 12). 
 give thanks ... his holiness— ^i^. , 'confess (for 
 wlien we give thanks to God, we can never exceed 
 the truth ; we are always only confessing what God 
 actually is) to the memorial of His holiness.' The 
 holy name of God is what God calls His '* me- 
 morial" (Exod. iii. 15; Hos. xii. 5). His manifes- 
 tation in act of His attributes of power, wisdom, and 
 love to His saints, is to be had by them in everlast- 
 ing remembrance (Isa. xxvi. 8; Ps. cxxxv. 13). 
 "Holiness" is impressed on His "memorial," in 
 that the latter is elevated infinitely above all 
 created beings, and is by them to be regarded with 
 humble adoration. Cf. note, Ps. xxii. .3. His 
 forbearing compassion and grace flow from His 
 "holiness," which is raised far above human pas- 
 sions (cf. Hos. xi. 9). 5. his anger, &c. God's 
 'holy memorial,' Qr ever-memorable holy name, 
 {v. 4), in its forgiving mercy, is here set forth — lit., 
 'for (there is but) a moment in His anger.' Cf. 
 God's description of His everlasting kindness to 
 Israel, after His momentary anger (Isa. liv. 7-10). 
 life—after the sorrowful "moment," through " His 
 anger," there comes again "life through His 
 favour"— life in its fullest sense, salvation, joy, 
 and blessedness, (cf. v. 3, last clause; Ps. xvi. 11; 
 xxxiv. 12; xxxvi. 9). weeping, &c.— lit., 'in the 
 evening, Weeping (turns in to) pass the niqht,'' (cf. 
 Jer. xiv. 8, end). "Weeping " is personified as a 
 Jodger who, 'at evening,' turns in to 'tarry for 
 the night' [j^V;]. Joy (cometh), &c. "Weeping" 
 gives place to "joy," a new and better guest. So the 
 chastisement inflicted by God on David for his I 
 
 PSALM 30, 
 
 1 Or, to the 
 memorial. 
 
 2 there is 
 but a 
 moment 
 in bis 
 anger. 
 
 « Ps. 63. 3. 
 
 3 in the 
 evening. 
 
 4 singing. 
 8 settled 
 
 strength 
 
 for my 
 
 mountain. 
 6 Ps. 104. 29. 
 " Ps. 115. 17. 
 
 Isa. 38. 18. 
 6 That is. 
 
 mytoDgue, 
 
 or, my 
 
 soul. 
 
 pride in numbering the people lasted only from 
 morning till evening (2 Sam. xxiv. 15). 
 
 6. Here follows the body of the psalm, the de- 
 tailed description of the distress which he had 
 brought on himself by his elation through pros- 
 perity, and of the grace of God which so wonder- 
 fully restored him. in my prosperity, &c. This 
 was the secret language of my heart, though 
 unuttered by my lips. "In my prosperity" — i. e., 
 because of its generating carnal security, and lead- 
 ing me to pride myself on the numbers of my 
 peoiDle, rather than on God (Prov. i. 32; Deut. 
 viii. 10-14; xxxii. 15; Hos. xiii. 6). 7. hy thy 
 favour, &c. — " by thy favour " (not because of my 
 merits), answering to "in His favour is life" [v. 
 5) — lit., 'thou hast established strength for my 
 mountain ;' thou hast made my affairs and king- 
 dom stand secure as a mountain : cf. for " moun- 
 tain" as an image of unshaken firmness, Isa. ii. 
 2; Ps. Ixxvi. 4, especially applicable to David's 
 dominion, the central seat of which was on Mount 
 Zion (cf. 2 Sam. 5, 8, 9, 12; Neh. iii. 25; Mic. iv. 
 8). I was troubled— ' confounded ;' referring to 
 the stupifying effect on David of the sudden stroke 
 whereby God so thinned Israel's numbers, on which 
 David had so prided himself. 
 
 8. Here begins the humble prayer which the sore 
 chastisement led David to ofler. I cried, fee- 
 having none else to flee to, and desiring none else. 
 I made supplication (iJ^AcAa?i?ian)— 'I supplicated 
 FOR GRACE,' as distinguished from a claim on the 
 ground of merits. 9. What profit, &c. ?— (cf. v. 3.) 
 God would lose the grateful homage of praise which 
 David rendered to Him on earth. Therefore it can- 
 not be that God will reject His servant's prayer (Ps. 
 vi.5). shall the duBt,&c.? SoHezekiah(l!?a.xxxvili 
 18, 19). God cannot cast aside His truth whereby 
 He promises to forgive fully His people's sius 
 upon their repentance. 1 Chr. xxi. 14-17 shows 
 how acutely David felt his people's sufierings; so 
 much so that he cried to the angel with the sword 
 drawn over Jerusalem, "I it is that have sinned. . . 
 Let thine hand, I pray thee, 0 Lord my God, be on 
 me . . . but not on thy people, that they should be 
 plagued." 11. Thou hast turned, &c.— (cf. v. 5.) 
 sackcloth — the robe symbolical of humble peni- 
 tence, which David and the elders had assumed 
 under God's visitation on the people, because of 
 David's pride in numbering them ; an undesigned 
 coincidence with 1 Chr. xxi. 16, "David and the 
 elders of Israel .... clothed in sackcloth, fell 
 upon their faces." 
 
 12. Conclusion, (my) glory may sing, &c. Sq 
 
David's confidence 
 
 PSALM XXXI. 
 
 in God. 
 
 PSALM XXXL 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 IN tliee, 0 Lord, do I put my trust ; 
 
 Let me never be ashamed: — deliver me in thy righteousness. 
 
 2 Bow "down thine ear to me; — deliver me speedily: 
 
 Be thou ^ my strong rock, — for an house of defence to save me. 
 
 3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; 
 
 Therefore *for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. 
 
 4 Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me; 
 For thou art my strength. 
 
 5 Into ^ thine hand I commit my spirit : 
 
 Thou hast redeemed me, 0 Lord '^God of truth. 
 
 6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities : — but I trust in the Lord. 
 
 7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: 
 For thou hast considered my trouble ; 
 Thou hast ^ known my soul in adversities ; 
 
 8 And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy : 
 •''Thou hast set my feet in a large room. 
 
 the LXX., as the English version, understand 
 "my" to "glory"— z. e., 'my tongue.' (cf. Ps. xvi. 
 9, note). I think "glory" is all that is glorious 
 in me and in thy saints. David had called 
 on the 'saints of the Lord' to "sing unto the 
 Lord" (y. 4). He here resumes the thought, and 
 by putting "glory" absolutely, implies that the 
 soul and tongue, 7iot of hitnself only, but also of the 
 saints, should glorify God by singing unto Him. 
 As in V. 9 David had made it his plea for deliver- 
 ance, that if not saved from the pit, he could not 
 praise the Lord, so now he makes the praise of the 
 Lord to be the object of the deliverance by this 
 time granted to him. 
 
 PSALM XXXL Vv. 1-24.— Prayer for deliver- 
 ance, on the plea of Jehovah^ s righteousness {v. 1) ; 
 David's confidence because of Jehovah's character 
 tsioards His people {ov. 2-8) ; his distress (yv. 9-13) ; 
 Aj.s bringing it before God {vv. 14-18) ; assurance of 
 Jehovah's saving goodness to His people {vv. 19-21). 
 Concluding summary: his experience of God ap- 
 plied to the saints, that they, too, may love the Lord, 
 as the Saviour of believers and the Punisher of the 
 j/rovd {vv. 22-24). Jer. xx. 10 quotes v. 13; Christ, 
 on the cross (Luke xxiii. 46), quoted v. 5. He is 
 the antitypical David. 
 
 1. In tliee . . . trust— one ground on which he 
 rests his prayer, let me, Sec— his trust in Jehovah, 
 thy righteousness— a second plea for being heard, 
 ' tlie righteousness of God,' which makes it impos- 
 sible tJiat the righteous can perish, and the un- 
 righteous finally prosper. 
 
 2. The first strophe. The Psalmist's prayer, 
 with confidence of being heard because of the Lord's 
 character tov)ards Bis trusting people. Bow down, 
 &c. — as a majestic Father stooping down His ear 
 for His little child to speak into it all his fears and 
 needs. This verse contains the prayer, v. 3 its 
 basis, strong rock . . . house of defence, &c.— 
 lit., 'a rock of strength ... an hoiise of muni- 
 tions,' or 'mountain-tops' {metzudoth), such as 
 David often resorted to when fleeing from Saul 
 (cf. Isa. xxxiii. 10). 3, 4. thy name's sake, &c.— 
 or (as the LXX., Vulgate, and Arabic), continuing 
 the ground on which the prayer {v. 2) rests, trans- 
 late, 'And for thy name's sake (for the sake of thy 
 manifested attributes — for instance, thy righteous- 
 ness, V. 1 ; Ps. xxiii. 3), thou wilt lead me and guide 
 me, tJuM vjilt pull me out of the net.' The Chal- 
 
 PSALM 31. 
 " Ps. 71. 2. 
 
 Ps. 86. 1. 
 
 Ps. 130. 2. 
 
 Pro. 22. 17. 
 I to me for 
 
 a rock of 
 
 strength. 
 6 Josh. 7. 9. 
 
 Ps. 23. 2. 3. 
 
 Ps. 79. 9. 
 
 Ps. 25. 11. 
 
 Jer. 14. 7. 
 
 Eze. 36. 21, 
 22. 
 
 " Luke 23.46. 
 
 Acts 7. 69. 
 
 2 Tim. 1.12. 
 d Deut. 32. 4. 
 
 2 Tim. 2.13. 
 
 Tit. 1. 2. 
 
 Heb. 6. 18. 
 * John 10.27. 
 / Ps. 18. .9. 
 
 daic and Syriac support the English version. 5. 
 Into, &c. — Christ's dying words (Luke xxiii. 46). 
 redeemed. In its application to the Saviour, the 
 expression "redeemed" refers to the Father's 
 having delivered the Son from Satan, death, and the 
 grave, in Christ's resurrection. In its application 
 to David, the type, it implies his assurance oj 
 deliverance is so strong tliat he speaks of it as 
 already accomplished. In its application to be- 
 lievers in general, the word bears the strict sense 
 ' ransom ' or deliver by ijaying a price (1 Pet. 
 
 i. 18). God's character as the "God of truth," 
 faithful to His revealed promise to save His be- 
 lieving people, is the guarantee for the everlasting 
 security of them who commit their spirit to Him 
 (cf. 1 Pet. iv. 19). 6. lying vanities— ^Ae idols, 
 literal or spiritual, in which the worldly trust, and 
 which prove lying vanities, disappointing the 
 hopes of their votaries (Jon. ii. 8). hut I trust — 
 "in the Lord," who is the "God of truth" {v. 5), 
 keeping all His promises, "I" in the Hebrew is 
 emphatical. However others may observe lying 
 vanities, ''I, for my part, trust in Jehovah.' The 
 LXX., Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic read, ' Thou 
 hatest lying vanities.' But the English version 
 reading suits better the contrast between the first 
 and second clauses of this verse. So the Chal- 
 daic reads. Cf. also Ps. xvi. 4 ; xxvi. 4, 5. As 
 ' idols ' of every kind are things of vanity or no- 
 nothingness [□''?3n'\, so 'Jehovah' (meaning in 
 Hebrew, real essential being— the great " I am ") is 
 pure and self-derived entity and truth (cf. Deut. 
 xxxii. 21). '"''Lying vanities " form the antithesis 
 to the "God of truth," v. 5. 7- 1 will . . . rejoice in 
 thy mercy. With the eye of faith he sees God 
 already having regard to his "trouble," and there- 
 fore rejoices in God's mercy, as if it already had 
 granted him deliverance, thou ... in adversi- 
 ties— i. e., thou hast known my soul in adversities 
 in such a way as to save it out of them. So the 
 LXX., Ethiopic, Vulgate, and Arabic. But the 
 Chaldaic and Syriac translate, 'thou hast known 
 the adversities of my soid;' lit. , ' thou hast known in 
 respect to' them. So the Hebrew p vy^^ in Job 
 XXXV, 15, where see my note, Cf. Ps. xxv. 17, 8. 
 hast not shut me up (1 Sam. xxiii, 12, marg.)— 
 an undesigned coincidence between the language 
 of David here and in the independently written 
 history, a large room— (cf. Ps. xviii. 19.) 
 
David's prayer 
 
 PSALM XXXI. 
 
 in his calamity. 
 
 9 Have mercy upon me, 0 Lord, for I am in trouble : 
 
 Mine eye is consumed with grief, — yea, my soul and my belly. 
 10 For my life is spent with grief,--and my years with sighing : 
 
 My strength faileth because of mine iniquity,— and my bopes.are ,eoivsumed. 
 Ill 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. 
 
 12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: — ^^I am like ^ a broken vessel. 
 
 13 For I have heard the slander of many: — fear ^was on every side: 
 While they Hook counsel together against me. 
 
 They devised to take away my life 
 
 14 But I trusted in thee, 0 Lord:-^I said. Thou art my God. 
 
 15 My times are in thy hand: 
 
 Deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, 
 And from them that persecute me. 
 
 16 Make Hhy face to shine upon thy servant : — save me for thy mercies' sjtl^e. 
 
 17 Let *me not be ashamed, 0 Lord; for I have called upon thee: 
 Let the wicked be ashamed, — and ^ let them be silent in the grave. 
 Let Hhe lying lips be put to silence ; 
 
 Which speak ^grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the 
 righteous. 
 
 Oh ^^how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that 
 fear thee ; 
 
 18 
 
 19 
 
 ' Ps. 88. 8. 
 
 2 a vessel 
 that per- 
 isheth. 
 
 * Jer. 6. 25. 
 Jer. 20. 3. 
 Lara. -i. 22. 
 
 » Matt. 27. 1. 
 j Num. 6. -lb. 
 
 Ps. 4. 6. 
 
 Ps. 67. 1. 
 
 Ps. 80. 3. 7, 
 V.K 
 
 Dan. P. 17. 
 
 * Ps. 25. 2. 
 
 3 Or, let 
 them be 
 cut off for 
 the grave. 
 
 ' Ps. 12. 3. 
 Ps. 69. 12. 
 Isa. 54. 17. 
 Rev. 21. 8. 
 Kev. 2-'. 15. 
 
 * a hard 
 thing. 
 Ps. 3G. 7- 
 
 10. 
 
 Isa. 04. 4. 
 Lam. 3. 23- 
 25. 
 
 1 Cor. 2. 9. 
 
 9. The second strophe. His . distress, ^and his 
 commission of it to the Lord in i)rayer. I am in 
 trouble— 'I am in straits.' mine eye ... grief— 
 'agitation' (bekaham), caused by enemies, and 
 acting on the health so as to dull the expression 
 of the eye. Cf. note, Ps. vi. 7. my belly— i. e., 
 my body. The intestinal organs are affected by 
 excessive vexation, 10. For my life . . . grief— 
 (Jer. XX. 18.) my strength . . . iniquity. The 
 Psalmist's infirmities an(f , occasional grievous 
 transgressions, through neglect of v^'atchfulness, 
 brought on him chastisemeuit from the Lord, exe- 
 cuted by his enemies (Ps. xxxviii. 4). Though, in 
 relation to the Lord, he f<^lt that his sin justly 
 incurred the punishment, yet, in relation to them 
 whose whole course was estranged from God, he 
 could justly claim God's interposition in his behalf, 
 on the ground of God's righteousness, since the 
 general tenor of his life was that of a sincere servant 
 of God. bones .... consumed— i. e., lose their 
 strength. 11. a reproach among (Hebrew, ntin, 
 from, on the part of) all mine enemies. The re- 
 proach arose from mine enemies, my neighbours. 
 It is peculiarly painful when we are so utterly re- 
 pudiated by general oi)inion that our very neigh- 
 bours and friends, from whom we expect kindness 
 and sympathy in our sorrow, join in the common 
 cry against us. and a fear to mine acquaintance. 
 Such was Jesus' case at His crucifixion (Ps. 
 xxxviii. 1 1 ; Luke xxiii. 49). they ... see me 
 without fled — not only will none keep company 
 with me under the same roof, but every one flees 
 from me, if I come near them 'in the streets.' 12. 
 forgotten ... out of mind. So Deut. xxxi. 21, 
 "forgotten out of the mouths." as . . dead— 
 (Ps. Ixxxviii. 4, 5; Eccl. ix. 5.) a broken vessel— 
 for which no one cares, since it can never be made 
 whole again, therefore thrown away as worthless. 
 Cf. Rom. ix. 22 ; Ps. ii. 9 ; Jer. xviii. 4 ; xlviii. 38 ; 
 Hos. viii. 8. 13. I have heard the slander, &c. — 
 (Ps. ii. 2.) From slander in words, they proceeded 
 to persecution in acts. By reproaches they alien- 
 ated public sympathy from him, thereby paving 
 166 
 
 the way for impunity in their plot against his 
 life. 
 
 14. Thou art my God— notwithstanding the 
 "slander" of mine adversaries, that God has for- 
 saken me (cf. Ps. xxii. 1, 8-10). 'There is nothing 
 more difficult than, when we see our faith despised 
 by the whole w^orld, to direct our language to God 
 alone, and to say with a clear consc.ieaice that He 
 is Q\\r God' {Calvin). 15. My times . . . thy hand. 
 Cf. on "my times," 1 Chr. xxix. 30j Dan. ii. 21. 
 Christ, the great representative man, continually 
 realized the sense of his times, with all their trials 
 and their comforts, being absolutely at the disposal 
 of God, who can, at His sovereign and all-wise 
 will, in a moment change joy into sorrow, or sorrow 
 into joy. " Mine hour," He said, on one occasion, 
 "is not yet come;" nor could His enemies touch 
 Him until the hour appointed by the Father (John 
 ii. 4; vii. 6, 8, 30; viii. 20; cf. marg. and text; 1 Ki. 
 viii. 59). 16. thy face . . . shine . . . servant— the 
 Mosaic blessing (Num. vi. 25; cf. Ps. iv. 6). The 
 words "thy servant " imply an argument why God 
 should hear his prayer; for God cannot but be 
 gracious to His own servant. 17. Let me . . . O 
 Lord; for I have called upon thee— resuming 
 the prayer {v. 1) in a reverse order of the clauses; 
 the 'calling upon' Jehovah here is the outward 
 expression of the "trust" there, let the wicked 
 . . . grave — Hebrew, sheol, the unseen world. The 
 wicked, who call riot upon God, shall, in just retri- 
 bution, be consigned to the silent grave, wherein 
 they can no longer call upon Him. Not the 
 righteous, who call upon Him, but the wicked, who 
 do not (Ps. liii. 4), shall be ashamed. They now 
 "slander" noisily; but soon that shall be put out 
 of their power, in 'the noiseless region of the 
 dead' (cf. next verse). 18. Let the l3ang lips . . . 
 grievous things— or 'hard things,' as the Hebrew 
 is translated, Ps. xciv. 4 [pn»] ; properly, what is 
 hardened by age : so here, reckless speeches flowing 
 from hardened wantonness in lying. 
 
 19. TJie third division. The assurance of the 
 Lord's goodness to His people. Oh how great . . . 
 
Blessedness consistetk 
 
 PSALM XXXII. 
 
 in forgiteness of sin. 
 
 Which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men ! 
 
 20 Thou ''shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man ; 
 "Thou shalt keep them secretly in a paviHon from the strife of tongues.. 
 
 21 Blessed be the Lord; 
 
 For he hath showed me his marvellous kindness in a ^strong city.. 
 
 22 For I said in my haste, — I am cut off from before thine eyes : 
 Nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications 
 When I cried unto thee. 
 
 23 0 love the Lord, all ye his saints : 
 For the Lord ^preserveth the faithful. 
 And plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. 
 
 24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, 
 All ye that hope in the Lord. 
 
 PSALM XXXIL 
 
 A Psalm of David, ^Mascliil.' 
 1 BLESSED is he whose transgression is forgiven, 
 Whose sin is covered. 
 
 " Ps. 27. 5. 
 Ps. 32. 7. 
 J '8. 64. 2. 
 Ps. 91. I. 
 4. 
 
 « Job 5. 21. 
 5 Or, 
 
 fenced 
 
 city. 
 
 1 Sara 23. 
 7, 13. 
 
 Jer. 1. 18. 
 P 1 Pet. 1. 5. 
 
 P6ALM ,32. 
 1 Or, giving 
 
 instruc- 
 tion. 
 " Ps. 5. 2. 
 
 Isa. 1. 18. 
 
 Isa. 43. 25. 
 
 Isa. 44 22. 
 
 Acts 13. 38. 
 
 Eom. 4. 6. 
 
 hast laid up— "laiA iip,^" as a treasure stored up 
 lonj,' ago, and ready to be brought forth for the 
 service of the Lord's people, according as the 
 occasion shall require (Ps. xxvii. 13; xxxvL 7, 8). 
 wrought . . . before the sons of men ! The words, 
 ' wrought (openly) before the sons of men^ stand in 
 beautiful contrast to "thy goodness, which thou 
 hast laid up'''' as a hidden hoai-d. The Hebrew 
 accents forbid the connection,, "them that trust in 
 thee before the sons of men^ Such a phrase never 
 occurs, and is inappropriate; for it is only (lod 
 who knows them that really trust in Him: it is 
 not they,, but He, who manifests, by special inter- 
 jtositions before cdl men, and who shall fully mani- 
 fest at the final judgment who are His trusting 
 yieople (2 Tim. ii. 19). He will in due time make 
 known, m the presence of all men, alike friends and 
 foes, how great is the goodness which He works 
 for His people, (cf. 2 Chr. xxxii. 21-23; Dan. iii. 
 26-28; vi. ) 20. Thou shalt hide . . . pride of man— 
 (Ps. xxyiL 5;: xxxii. 7.) Gesenius translates, 'from 
 the conspiracies of man' from D?^, to bind 
 
 together}.. Some of the rabbins (taking the He- 
 brew from the same root, ' to exalt one's self) 
 translate as the English version: so?'. 18 (a different 
 Hebrew word), 'which- speak p^'oudhj ;'' and again 
 V. 2.3, which recapitulates what has gone befoie, 
 " the proud doer," has the same Hebrew (Isa. xl. 4, 
 " the rough xjlaces" — i. e., those rugged and high). 
 As the Hebrew implies elation and knotted pro- 
 tuberances, we may coml)ine the senses, ' from the 
 proud conspiracies (the Hebrew is plural) of man,' 
 answering to "the sti'ifeof tongues in the parallel 
 clause ; and to v. K^, " they took counsel together 
 against me ... to take away my life." "The 
 slander of many," in the same verse, corresponds to 
 "the strife of tongues" here, thou ... a pavilion 
 —a spiritual ]javilion, tlie favour and protection of 
 Jehovah. Tlie "pavilion" is exjjlained by the 
 parallel, "the secret of thy presence" (cf. Ps. xci. 
 1). The Lord's xteojjle are His " hidden ones" (Ps. 
 Ixxxiii. 3). None have access to an Eastern king's 
 pavilion, in "the inner court," save those whom 
 ne X)leases to admit (cf. Esther iv. 11). Thus, to 
 be 'kept secretly' in the pavilion of Jehovah, is 
 equivalent to perfect security, strife of tongues — 
 (Ps. Iv. 9, 21). 21. strong city. Jehovah Himself, 
 with His almightyprotection, is the "strong city" 
 (Ps. xlvi. 1, 11). Thus this last verse of the third 
 strophe corresponds to the first verse of the first 
 i'trophe, V. 2 (cf. Jer. i. 18). 
 
 1C7 
 
 22. The conclusion recapitulates David's experi- 
 ence, with a view to strengthen all the saints 
 in faith and love. For I said. Translate as not 
 connected with v. 21, but as the conclusion of the 
 whole psalm, ' / truly, for my part (so the Hebrew), 
 had said.' in my haste— in the agitated haMe of 
 despondency: so the Hebrew expresses (I Sami. 
 xxiii. 26). I am cut oflF, &c.— as one cut off from 
 hope, and already in the grave, beyond the reach 
 of God's delivering mercy. 
 
 23. 0 love . . . saints. From God, David turns to 
 his fellow-saints, (for) the Lord preserveth the 
 faithful. Jehovah's faithfulness to the faithful is 
 the ground of their " love plentifully " — lit., super- 
 abundantly. 24 Be of good courage .... hope 
 inthe Lordv The Hebrew, "hope" [W], expresses 
 intent waiting far ~R\m (Ps. xxxiii, 20; Isa. xlii. 4; 
 cf. Matt, xii. 21, waiting trust, and expectation: 
 Gen. viii. 10), Man's part, "Be of good courage," 
 and God's park, " He shall strengthen your heart," 
 here meet in unison, as in Phil, ii, 12, 13, 
 
 PSALM. XXXIL- 7'Ae Title, "Maschil," is ex- 
 plained by the Hebrew cognate verb {v. 8), "I will 
 instruct thee" f^^^3^K]. Cf, Ps. xlxii. 7, "with 
 understanding" (the same Hebrew), Prov. xxi. 11; 
 especially Ps. liii,, where, as here, the title is 
 ex])lained in the psalm itself. This is the first 
 psalm in which this title is found. It is found 
 before twelve other psalms. Whilst all the Psalms, 
 as all Scripture, contain instruction (2 Tim, iii 16), 
 these psalms are so inscribed in order to draw 
 attention to this as their special design, even in 
 cases where this design is notai)parent at first sight. 
 
 The definiteness of the language implies that 
 some particular sin is referred to by David, which 
 God had forgiven him. The view seems, there- 
 fore, correct which supposes the sin to have been 
 the adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of 
 Ux'iah. Not a mere infirmity, but a wilful 
 "iniquity," and a series of "transgressions," are 
 spoken of in v. 5 (cf, 1 Ki, xv. 5). A whole year,, 
 according to 2 Sam. xi., passed in sin before David 
 repented. Hence, according to vv. 3, 4, a long 
 period of mental darkness and anguish ensued, 
 wherein his " bones waxed old through his roaring 
 all the day long," and 'day and night the Lords 
 liand was heavy upon him.' Nathan's mission 
 to him was not the first movement in his penitence 
 (2 Sam, xii.), but brought to a crisis and an actual 
 confession of sin the repentance which had becu 
 
Misery of Damd 
 
 PSALM XXXIL 
 
 till forgiven. 
 
 2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord ^imputeth not iniquity, 
 And ''in whose spirit there is no guile. 
 
 3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old 
 Through my roaring all the day long : 
 
 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. 
 said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; 
 
 And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. 
 
 6 For Hhis shall every one that is godly pray -^unto thee 
 2 In a time when thou mayest be found : 
 
 Surely in the floods of great waters — they shall not come nigh unto him. 
 
 slowly and painfully working in him for some time 
 before. Then, as here {v. 5), confession was followed 
 by instantaneous forgiveness : there was an im- 
 mediate transition from agonizing fears [v. 4) to 
 complete pardon (2 Sam. xii. 13): "David said 
 unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. 
 And. Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath 
 put away thy sin; thou shalt not die." Ps. li. 4, 
 11, refers to the same sin, and shows a state of 
 mind in which there was a long-continued struggle 
 between fear of final casting away and hope of 
 forgiveness. 
 
 Vv. 1-11. Blessedness of him ivhose sin is covered 
 (vv.l, 2); misery of Darid till forgiven {w. 3, 4); 
 instant forgiveness followed confession {v. 5); thus 
 others are led to pray in an accejytable time, as he 
 has been compassed with songs of deliverance {vv. G, 
 7) ; instruction drawn from the history— we should 
 he led by God's love, not have to be curbed like the 
 brute {vv. 8, 9) ; sorrow awaits the wicked, joy the 
 righteous {vv. 10, 11). 
 
 1. Blessed .... transgression . . . covered— 
 "forgiven" — lit., borne; alhidint? prophetically to 
 Messiah, the Sin-bearer (Isa. liii.), of whom the 
 scapegoat was a type. " Covered" — viz., by God, 
 not by the sinner himself (Ps. Ixxxv. 5^). The 
 sinner must discover his sin by confession, if he 
 desires God to cover it with forgiveness {v. 5; 
 Prov. xxviii. 13). Upon the sinner's repentance 
 his sin is covered from vengeance. This was the 
 symbolical meaning of the mercy-seat or covering 
 of the ark. It hid from the sight of God the 
 tables of the law, which was the handwriting of 
 our sins (Col. ii. 14). Christ is the Antitype to the 
 mercy-seat (Eom. iii. 25), " whom God hath set 
 forth to be a propitiation {lit. , a propitiatory : 
 iXacTTripiov) through faith in His blood." The 
 image is that of something covered out of sight. 
 The Hebrew [hdd] is different from the ordinary 
 one for to 'cover,' or "make reconciliation for 
 iniquity" (Dan. ix. 24) ["152]. The three expres- 
 sions, "transgression" [vk*.?, wilful and rebellious 
 sin], "sin" [HNiDn, sins oi infirmity], and "iniquity" 
 [p?;, perversity, moral crookedness], are drawn 
 from the cardinal passage on the forgiving charac- 
 ter of God (Exod. xxxiv. 7), " forgiving iniquity and 
 transgression and sin" (cf. note, Ps. xix. 13). The 
 three may also be distinguished thus,— "transgres- 
 sion" is sin of commission ; " sin " is deviation from 
 the mark or standard— God's Word; "iniquity," 
 all that is opposed to equity and righteousness. 
 2. Blessed . . . imputetli not iniquity.. Cf. on 
 the phrase 'impute {i. e., set down to the trans- 
 gressor's account his) iniquity,' 2 Sam. xix. 19. 
 8t. Paul (Rom. iv. 1-8) quotes this passage as 
 proving the doctrine of man's justification before 
 Cod by faith, and not by works: to him that 
 believetli, his faith is imputed for righteousness, 
 
 6 Lev. ir. 4. 
 Eom 6. 13. 
 2 Cor. 5. 19. 
 " John 1. 47. 
 2 Cor. 1. 12. 
 iPet. 2. 1,2. 
 Rev. 14. 6. 
 d Fro. 23. 13. 
 Isa. 65. 24. 
 Luke 15.18. 
 iJohn 1.9. 
 ' 1 Tim. 1.16. 
 / Isa. 55. 6. 
 
 John 7. 34. 
 2 in a time 
 of finding. 
 
 and the Lord imputes not his iniquity to him for 
 the sake of the merits and blood-shedding of the 
 atoning Saviour, in whom he puts his faith (2 Cor. 
 V. 19). and . . . guile. The "guile" meant is 
 sliown by the contrast, "I acknowledged my sin," 
 "mine iniquity have I not hid." It consists in 
 hiding one's sin, and keeping silence {v. 3) as to it 
 before God, through pride, love of sin and self, and 
 want of faith towards God. Guile denies, or else 
 extenuates, and seeks apologies for one's sin, and 
 so is incompatible with the bestowal of pardon, 
 and the consequent blessedness of experienced 
 forgiveness. Such was the case with Saul, whose 
 case contrasts with David's, as to the sin, the 
 penitence, and the result respectively, (1 Sam. xiii. 
 9-14; XV. 9 30 ; 2 Sam. xi. and xii.) 
 
 3. Here begins the main body of the psalm, de- 
 tailing from his own case ilte urounds why the 
 guilelessly -confessing and consequently forgiven sinner 
 is to be regarded as ' ' blessed " ( vv. 1,2). I kept silence 
 (in contrast to v. 5) . . . waxed old. When I tried 
 to stifle the voice of conscience, and would not 
 confess my guilt, my bodily frame was so affected 
 by the torments of conscience, which would not 
 be stilled, that it became powerless as that of an 
 old man (Prov. xvii. 22). His "silence" does not 
 imply that he did not pray at all, but that he did 
 not guilelessly {v. 2) "confess" his special "trans- 
 gression." through my roaring. The "silence" 
 as to his sin stands in contrast to his "roaring" 
 {lit., that of a lio7i) or loud moans, because he found 
 no ease of mind or body, through the stings of 
 conscience acting on his frame. 4. thy hand was 
 heavy— (1 Sam. v. 6, 11; Job xiii. 21.) my moisture, 
 &c.— rather, 'my (vital) moisture was changed 
 (from vigour to utter prostration, cf. Dan. vii. 28; 
 X. 8, 18), (as if) through the drought of summer' 
 (Ps. cii. 4). Or we may omit '(as if),' and take 
 "the drought of summer" to be a poetical phrase 
 for ' the heavy hand of God,' iu the form of a 
 tormenting conscience. 
 
 6. my sin— (2 Sam. xii. 13.) nothid— or "covered;" 
 the same Hebrew as in v. 1. He only has his sins 
 covered wlio does not himself cover them {Hengsten- 
 berg). I will confess my transgressions— in con- 
 trast to his former "guile" {v. 2) and "keeping 
 silence" {v. 3). iniquity of niy sin— (Prov. xxviii. 
 L3. ) He designedly repeats the same three terms, 
 'transgressions, iniquity, sin,' as in vv. 1, 2, to 
 imply tliat his experience confirms the general 
 truth stated at the outset— viz., the blessedness of 
 guileless confession of all sin, and of its consequent 
 forgiveness. 
 
 6. For this ... a time ... be found— whilst 
 the day of grace lasts (Deut. iv. 29; Isa. Iv. G). 
 " For this "—because in my case forgiveness im- 
 mediately followed confession. My experience 
 encourages all to confess heartily their sin, as the 
 sure means of finding in God a hiding-place {v. 7) 
 from trouble, surely. The Hebrew [pn] means 
 
The righteous 
 
 PSALM XXXIIL 
 
 called to praise God. 
 
 7 Thou ^art my hiding-place; — thou shalt preserve me from trouble; 
 Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. 
 
 8 I will '^instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: 
 ^ I will guide thee with mine eye. 
 
 9 Be ye not as the horse, — or as the mule, which have no understanding; 
 Whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle. 
 
 Lest they come near unto thee. 
 
 10 Many * sorrows shall be to the wicked: 
 
 But -^he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about. 
 
 11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: 
 And shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart. 
 
 PSALM XXXIIL 
 
 1 EE JOICE in the Lord, 0 ye righteous ; 
 For praise is comely for the upright. 
 
 Ps. 9. 9. 
 Ps. 27. 5. 
 Ps. 31. 20, 
 Ps. 119. 114. 
 P». 143. 9- 
 Jer. 36. 26. 
 Col. 3. 3. 
 Isa. 48. 17. 
 I will coun- 
 sel thee, 
 mine eye 
 shall be 
 upon thee. 
 Pa. 25. 9, 10. 
 Pro. 1:^. il. 
 Rom 2. 9. 
 Ps. 34. 8. 
 Ps. 84. 12, 
 Pro. 16. 20. 
 Jer. 17. 7. 
 
 "only" (Isa. xxviii 19); this and nothing e?se shall 
 be the result ; or, in tlie floods— i. e., in overwhelm- 
 ing judgments for sin, which destroy all others, as 
 the flood did in Noah's days, they shall not come 
 nigh laXm—only : he alone who ingenuously con- 
 fesses his sin shall not be reached by the floods of 
 wrath (Ps. xxix. 10; xviii. 16). 7 Thou . . . 
 trouble. There is a play on similar sounds in the 
 Hebrew mitzar, titzreeni, imiilyiug that trouble 
 ceases to be trouble when God is our preserver. 
 Shalt compass, &c. A whole crowd of troubles 
 encompassed him when through his sin God was 
 estranged from him; but now, instead, a circle of 
 joyous songs encompass him through the favour 
 of God. The Hebrew for songs {ramte) is the same 
 as is translated "shout for joy," v. 11 (Job xxxviii. 
 7; 2 Sam. xxii. 1). 
 
 8. From addressing God he turns to his fellow- 
 believer, whosoever hath fallen into sin, and gives 
 counsel to him whilst still in the same state of sin 
 uncoufessed in which he himself once was. In v. 
 6 he had already alkided to the case of fallen be- 
 lievers who come with their sin in faith to God. 
 He here commences avowedly to give that spirit- 
 ual ''instruction'' which, as "Maschil," the title, 
 implies, was a leading object of the psalm. Many 
 think that God here speaks, the language being 
 similar to that which God uses, Jer. xxiv. 6; Deut. 
 xi. 12; Ps. xxxiv. 15; Luke xxii. 61. But the 
 former view is confirmed by the parallel (Ps. li. 
 13, 15): "Then (when restored myself) will I teach 
 transgressors thy icays, &c." The use of the singular, 
 "thee," is in order to individualize the apX)lication 
 to each impressively, the way — the way of re])ent- 
 ance and faith, whence results forgiveness. I will 
 guide . . . eye— ^<7., Fatzah 'ale.ka, 'I will consult (or 
 take counsel) orer thee with mine eye.' The eye is 
 the organ by which tender care is expressed (cf. Jer. 
 xl. 4, Hebrew). David speaks here not merely as 
 a man, l)ut as the mouthinece of God the Holy 
 Ghost, who alone, in the fullest sense, 'consults' 
 for the spiritual guidance and instruction of His 
 peoi)le with ever-watchful eye. 9. Be ye not, &c. 
 Here is a specimen of the counsel which was pro- 
 mised in V. 8. mouth ... hit and bridle. So 
 the Arabic Ethiopic, Vulgate, and LXX. translate 
 [np], "mouth." So the same Hebrew is translated, 
 Ps. ciii. 5. But the Chaldaic version and Ileng- 
 ste.nherg translate, according to the ordinary sense 
 of the Hebrew elsewhere, ' w^hose ornaments are 
 bit and bridle '(cf. Prov. xxvi. 3). The word is 
 thus used sarcastically, lest they come, &c. So 
 the Chaldaic. The Hebrew is abrupt; lit., 'not 
 to come near to thee,' which Grotius, Muls, Gejer, 
 &c., explain, became (unless they be bound with 
 169 
 
 bit and bridle) they will not come near thee ;' ' be- 
 cause they do not come near thee to render a 
 willing obedience.' So the LXX., Vulgate, Ethi- 
 opic, and Arabic. This sense suits the scope of 
 the context, which is to recommend a spontaneous, 
 as opposed to a forced obedience to QoA— 21. volun- 
 tary seeking of God in prayer (v. 6). In the English 
 version the sense is, 'lest they come near to bite 
 thee,' as vSennacherib and Gog are rei)resented, 
 Isa. xxxvii. 29; Ezek. xxxviii. 4. The "to thee" 
 refers to the same x)erson as in v. 8, "thee .... 
 thee . . . thou . . . thee," from which there is a 
 transition to the plural, v. 9, "ye." The ideal per- 
 son 'instructed' by David in the Spirit is ex- 
 horted not to render it necessary for God to use 
 the same force with him which he uses with his 
 beast. If men will not serve God willingly, they 
 must serve His ijurposes in spite of themselves 
 (Prov. xvi. 4; Isa. xxx. 28; xxxvii. 29; Jas. iii. 3). 
 ' The great waters shall not come nigh nnto him' 
 who voluntarily ''comes near'' unto God: they shall 
 come nigh unto him who does not. The bit and 
 bridle were figuratively put into David's mouth, 
 because for a time he would not, with guileless 
 and hearty confession, come to the Lord {vv. 3, 4). 
 
 10, 11. The conclusion. The sorrows awaiting 
 the wicked, and the joy awaiting the righteous. 
 Many sorrows (shall be) to the wicked. "The 
 wicked " here are not only the open transgressors, 
 but all the unbelieving, as contrasted witli he . . . 
 trusteth— i, e., the habitually believing. 11. Be 
 glad . . . righteous -not absolutely "righteous," 
 for vv. 1, 2, 5, 6 make it characteristic of them, 
 not that they have no 'transgression, sin, and 
 iniquity,' but that 'the Lord doth not imjoute sin to 
 them,' upon their sincere confession and repent- 
 ance, and that they 'jiray unto the Lord whilst 
 He may be found.' shout, &c. — answering to 
 "songs of (lit,, shouts of joy, because of) deliver- 
 ance" (v. 7). 
 
 PSALM XXXIIL Vv. l-22.-Call to the righ- 
 teous to praise God with a new song (vv. 1-3); ground 
 of praise: the truth, rii/hteousness, grace, and crea- 
 tive, all-sustaining poiver of God (vv. 4-11); blessed- 
 ness of the elect, whose God is the Lord, who delivers 
 their soul, whereas physical strength cannot save 
 {vv. 12-19) ; believers, remembering His power and 
 love, testify their joyful trust in Him, and pray for 
 His consequent mercy (rv. 20-22). This psalm forms, 
 with Psalm xxxii.,"a pair. Moved by God's par- 
 don of his grievous sin, he proceeds to praise God's 
 truth and power. 
 
 1. Rejoice ... ye righteous— all who 'fear the 
 Lord, hope in His mercy, and trust in Hia 
 holy name' (vv. 18, 21). praise is comely, &c.— 
 
God is to he 
 
 PSALM XXXIII. 
 
 praised for His power. 
 
 2 Praise the Lord with harp : 
 
 Sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. 
 
 3 Sing "unto him a new song; 
 Play skilfully with a loud noise. 
 
 4 For the word of the Lord is right ; 
 And all his works are done in truth. 
 
 5 He loveth righteousness and judgment : 
 
 The earth is full of the ^ goodness of the Lord. 
 
 6 By the ^word of the Lord were the heavens made ; 
 And all the host of them by '^the breath of his mouth. 
 
 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heapi 
 He layeth up the depth in storehouses. 
 
 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord : 
 
 Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him : 
 
 9 For ^he spake, and it was done; — he commanded, and it stood fast. 
 10 The Lord ^bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: 
 
 He maketh the devices of the people of none effect. 
 
 "comely," i.e., hecoming. "The upright " are 
 represented especially by Israel, "the nation 
 whose God is the Lord, aud the peoi)le whom 
 He hath chosen for His own inheritance" (?\ 12; 
 Exod. xix. 5; Num. xxiii. 10). "Upright;" i. e. 
 conformed to the law of God, the standard of 
 right. Israel, in its normal idea, is called Jesh- 
 urun (Dent, xxxiii. 5, 26)— i. e., 'the upright one,' 
 from Jasher, Hebrew, upright. To "rejoice in the 
 Lord " is to make Him the element and the central 
 object of our joy. 2. Praise ... harp. Thevoiceis 
 felt inadequate to do justice to the glory of God : 
 the aid of instruments is enlisted, the psaltery 
 (and) an instrument of ten strings— rather, as 
 the old versions all translate, one instrument only 
 is meant, 'with the lyre often strings'' [liti'i? h^)X 
 Josephiis says the strings were twelve. But some 
 lyres may have had but ten. The Hebrew for 
 lyre originally meant a leather bottle. From its 
 shape, the lyre was so called [Greek, vu(3\a]. 
 It was played with the lingers, not with the 
 quill (cf, Ps. xcii. 3; cxliv. 9). 3. Sing ... a 
 new song— the song of redemption from all foes, 
 and from the great adversary, especially at the 
 crowning consummation (Ps. xl. 3 ; xcvi. 1 ; 
 xcviii. 1; Rev. v. 9, "They sung a new song 
 . . . Thou art worthy . . . for thou wast slain, 
 and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out 
 of every kindred," &c. ; xiv. I, 3; Isa. xlii. 9, 10). 
 Whilst the song of redemption is of ancient date, 
 it is ever neiv to the heart of the believer (1 John 
 ii. 7, 8). play skilfully. The same Hebrew (heetlbu 
 naggeen) is used by Saul, 1 Sam. xvi. ] 7, " Provide 
 me now a man that can play well"— lit., 'do good 
 to play.' Said's words impressed themselves on 
 David's memory. An undesigned coincidence, and 
 a proof of genuineness. 
 
 4. The first part {vv. 4-16) of the main body ; 
 reasons why God is so to be praised [v. 1)— viz., for 
 His truth, righteousness, creating, sustaining, and 
 all-controlling power. Foremost stands His truth, 
 or faithfulness to His promises. The Scripture 
 promises existing in David's day were, even then, 
 the comfort of the people of God. 
 
 4. the word . . . right— rather, "upright," as 
 the Hebrew is translated in v. 1. "The word of tho 
 Lord " is His promise to His people (Ps. cv. 42). 
 and all Ms works are done in truth— or ' faithful- 
 ness.' "His works" answer in parallelism to 
 His "word," His word and His tyorA,v« coincide. 
 What He promises He performs (Num. xxiii. 19). 
 His works are the result of His word i,v. 9). 6. 
 170 
 
 PSALM 33. 
 " Ps. 93 1. 
 
 Ps. 98. 1. 
 
 Ps. 144. 9. 
 
 Ps. 149. I. 
 
 Isa. 42 10. 
 
 Eph. 5. 19. 
 
 Col. 3. 16. 
 
 Kev. 5. 9. 
 
 Rev. 14. 3. 
 » Or, 
 
 mercy. 
 
 John 1. 1- 
 3. 
 
 Heb. 11. 3. 
 
 2 Pet. 3. 5. 
 " Gen. 2. T. 
 
 Job 2fi. 13. 
 
 Ps. 10 J. 30. 
 d Gen. 1. 3. 
 
 Ps. 148. 6. 
 2 maketh 
 
 frustrate. 
 
 He . . . righteousness— the Church's ground of 
 assurance that the Lord will not let the unrigh- 
 teousness of her enemies prevail (Hab. i. 13). the 
 earth is full, &c. If the goodness of God so richly 
 manifests itself in the world of nature, how much 
 more will it be exhibited toward His people, the 
 special objects of His clioice. 
 
 6. As heretofore David has dwelt on Jehovah's 
 faithfulness, righteousness, and goodness, as prov- 
 ing that He is willing to help his people, so now 
 David turns to the proofs that Jehovah is also abh'. 
 to save them. As "tlie m?'/7<." snjjplied the Psalmist 
 with illustrations of Jehovali's gooilness, so "the 
 heavens" afiord the ])roof of Jehovah's jwwer, (Ps. 
 viii. and xix.) By the word of the Lord ... all 
 the host of them, &c. "The host of them" is 
 the heavenly bodies — the sun, moon, and stars 
 (Gen. ii. 1). The mere "breath of His mouth," as 
 contrasted with man's laborious efforts before he 
 can achieve his puny works, was enough to call 
 myriads of beautiful and orderly worlds into being 
 (cf. Isa. xi. 4; Job xxxiii. 4; Ps. civ. 30). The 
 Divine Word aud the Divine Spirit co-operated 
 at creation (Gen. i. 2, 3). 7. He gathereth ... as 
 an heap— a daily-recurring wonder. God gather- 
 eth the fluid mass as one would gather a solid 
 heap, and prevents the waters spreading over the 
 earth further than they did at the first. There is 
 an allusion to Exod. xv. 8, " With the blast of 
 thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, 
 the floods stood upright as an heapf and at the 
 beginning (Gen. i. 9, 10). Cf. Josh. iii. 13. The 
 ordinary checking of the waters is as real a 
 proof of God's omnipotence as the miraculous 
 restraining of them at the Bed Sea. The LXX., 
 Chaldaic, Arabic, Vulgate, Etliiopic, and Syriac 
 versions read [not 13, as the English version, but 
 IK':] a bottle, for a "heap." Ps. Ixxviii. 13 con- 
 firms the English version reading, he layeth up, 
 &c. — "the depth," or 'the billows.' These are 
 deposited by God in the deep caverns of the sea 
 as securely as treasures laid up in a safe store. 
 8. Let . . . fear the Lord. Since God is the omni- 
 potent Creator {vv. 6, 8), how madly self-destroying 
 are they who oppose themselves to His people, aud 
 so virtually to God Himself! 9. he spake .... 
 done-(Gen. i. 6, 7, 9, 11, 14 ,15, 24, 29, 30, "And 
 God said . . . and it was so.") he commanded, &c. 
 At His word the thing spoken became an existing 
 fact, (Ps. cxix. 90, marg.) 
 
 10. counsel of the heathen— Hebrew, the nations; 
 viz., their couusel against the Lord's people (Ps. ii. 
 
Damd praiseth 
 
 PSALM XXXIV. 
 
 the Lord. 
 
 11 The 'counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, 
 The thoughts of his heart ^to all generations. 
 
 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; 
 
 And the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. 
 
 13 The -^LoRD looketh from heaven ; — he beholdeth all the sons of men. 
 
 14 From the place of his habitation 
 
 He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. 
 
 15 He ^fashioneth their hearts alike; — ''he considereth all their works. 
 
 16 There is no king saved by the multitude of an host : 
 A mighty man is not delivered by much strength. 
 
 17 An horse is a vajn thing for safety: 
 
 Neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. 
 
 18 Behold, Hhe eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, 
 Upon them that hope in his mercy ; 
 
 19 To deliver their soul from death,— and to keep them alive in famine, 
 
 20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord he is our help and our shield, 
 
 21 For our heart shall rejoice in him ; 
 Because we have trusted in his holy name. 
 
 22 Let thy mercy, 0 Lord, be upon us,— according as we hope in thee. 
 
 PSALM XXXIV. 
 
 A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before ^ Abimelech ; M'ho 
 drove him away, and he departed. 
 
 1 I WILL bless the Lord at all times : 
 His praise shall continually he in my mouth. 
 
 1-4). the devices of the people— Hebrew, 'the 
 peoples.' 11. The counsel . . , standeth for ever 
 
 — even as the earth at His bidding " stood fast" (v, 
 9). Omnipotent as His work of creation proves 
 Him to be, it is easy for Him to " bring to nought 
 the counsel of the heathen " against Israel and 
 Israel's king, and "the devices" of the Anti- 
 christian ' peoples ' against the spiritual Israel, 
 the Chnrch {v. 10). But His own plans for His 
 glory and the good of His people are "for ever," 
 and can never be frustrated. What cause, then, 
 hath Israel for fear? the thoughts (machshaboth). 
 The same Hebrew stands for God's "thoughts" 
 here, as stood for the people's "devices," v. 10, 
 marking, by the irony of contrast between Him and 
 them, the futility of their devices. 
 
 12. Second half of the main body {iw. 12-19) ; the 
 blessedness of the elect people whose God is the Lord ; 
 in Him they have a strength which multitudes of 
 men and horses could not give. Blessed is the 
 nation— the central thought of the psalm. Israel 
 primarily is the nation ; then all the elect, the 
 people . . . his own inheritance (Exod. xix. 5; 
 Deut. vii. 6; Amos iii. 2)— spiritually the Church 
 (1 Pet. ii. 9). 
 
 13. The Lord looketh— not as an idle spectator, 
 but as a sovereign Judge, taking cognizance of every- 
 thing. 15. He fashioneth their hearts, &c. The 
 heart is 'the workshop of thought' {1^ enf/stenberg). 
 As God is the Fashioner of the hearts oif all alike. 
 He both accurately seeth into, and hath under His 
 control, the "devices" of the people (Ps. xciv. 9; 
 V. 10). Their " works," which result from their 
 thoughts, will not be allowed to proceed so far as 
 really to hurt His peoi)le. We have therefore 
 nothing to fear if we have God for our friend. He 
 is " the God of the spirits of all flesh" (Num. xvi. 
 22; xxvii, 16; Prov. xxi. 1). 16. no king . . . 
 multitude of an host— or, ' by the greatness of (his 
 warlike) miv/t^.' a mighty man— a t^arrior. 17. 
 An horse, &c. War-horses and chariots were for- 
 bidden to Israel (Deut. xvii. IG) ; hence, in respect 
 
 • Job 21. 13. 
 Pro. 19. 21. 
 Isa. 14. 24, 
 27. 
 
 Isa. 46. 10, 
 Lam. 3. 37. 
 Eze. : 8. 10. 
 Eph. 1. 11, 
 
 5 to genera- 
 tion and 
 genera- 
 tion. 
 
 / 2Chr. 16.9. 
 Job 28. 2-1. 
 Ps. 11. 4. 
 Ps. 14. 2. 
 Pro. 15. 3. 
 
 ^ Pro. 22, 2. 
 Ecd. 7. 29. 
 Isa. 64. 8. 
 Acts 17. 23. 
 Job 11. 11, 
 Job 34. 21. 
 Jer. 32. 19. 
 Hos. 7. 2, 
 1 Cor. 4. 5. 
 
 ' Job ^. 7, 
 Ps. 34. li. 
 Ps. 147. II, 
 1 Pet. 3. 12. 
 
 PSALM 34. 
 1 Or, Achish, 
 lSam.21.13. 
 
 to this arm of strength, Israel might seem at a 
 disadvantage in her conflict with the world-power. 
 Moreover, in other resources she was not a match 
 for her powerful enemies; but as everything 
 depends on the power of God, and nothing is 
 effected by mere earthly strength, Israel, so long 
 as she has the Lord for her God, has everything to 
 hope and nothing to fear (cf. Prov. xxi, 31). 18. 
 the eye . . . fear him (Ps. xxxiv, 15)— "upon 
 the righteous." 19. to deliver . . . death. What 
 worldly ' strength' cannot do— viz., "deliver" its 
 
 f assessor {vv. 16, 17) "from death," is done for 
 srael, who is destitute of worldly strength, by the 
 love and omnipotence of Jehovah. 
 
 20. Conclusion. Believers testify their joy and 
 trust in the Lord as their 'help and shield,' 
 and pray that Jehovah's "mercy" maybe upon 
 them, according as their "hope" is in Him. Our 
 soul waiteth— intent ex])ectation, as the He- 
 brew implies. So Israel's forefather, Jacob, on his 
 death-bed (Gen. xlix. 18). 21. his holy name. 
 His holiness is the centre and source of His attri- 
 butes — and His grace, truth, and faithfulness, 22. 
 Let . . . according, &c. Cf. Matt. ix. 29, Jesus' 
 words to the two blind men at Jericho, "Accord- 
 ing to your faith be it unto you," 
 
 PSALM XXXIV.— A thanksgiving of David^for 
 deliverance on the occasion of his changing his 
 behaviour;' or, as Hengstenberg translates tlieTiTLE, 
 'when he concealed his intellect' — i. e,, feigned 
 himself mad " before Abimelech, who drove him 
 away, and he departed." Cf. 1 Sam. xxi. 13, 14, 
 " He changed his behaviour before them, and feigned 
 himself mad . . . and scrabbled on the doors of 
 the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his 
 beard. Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye 
 see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye 
 brought him to me?" The general name Abime- 
 lech— i. e,, father of a king (Gen. xx, andxxvi.), 
 implying an hereditary monarch, stands here for 
 " Achisn." The aly)habetical acrostic arrangement 
 appears in the Hebrew. Vv, 1-^— David resolves 
 
PSALM XXXIV. 
 
 They are blessed 
 
 2 My soul shall make her "boast in the Lord : 
 The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 
 
 3 0 magnify the Lord with me, — and let us exalt his name together. 
 
 4 I ^sought the Lord, and he heard me, 
 And delivered me from all my fears. 
 
 5 2 They looked unto him, and were lightened; 
 And their faces were not ashamed. 
 
 6 The ''poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, 
 And ^saved him out of all his troubles. 
 
 7 The * angel of the Lord -^encampeth round about them that fear him, 
 And delivereth them. 
 
 8 0 taste and see that the Lord is good : 
 Blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 
 
 9 0 fear the Lord, ye his saints : — for there is ^no want to them that fear him. 
 
 10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: 
 
 But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. 
 
 1 1 Come, ye children, hearken unto me ; — I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 
 
 who trust in God. 
 
 * Jer. 9. 24. 
 
 1 Cor. 1. 31. 
 
 2 Cor. 10.17. 
 6 Ps. 18. 6. 
 
 Ps. 22. 2t. 
 
 Ps. 76. 1. 
 
 Jon. 2. 2. 
 
 Matt. 7. 7. 
 
 Luke 11.9. 
 2 Or. They 
 
 flowed. 
 " Ps. 3. 4. 
 
 Ps. 40. 17. 
 d Gen. 4?. 16. 
 
 2 Sam. 22.1. 
 « 2 Ki. 19. 3.5. 
 
 Dan. 6. 22. 
 
 Heb. 1. 14. 
 / Gen. 32. 1. 
 
 2 Ki. 6. 17. 
 
 Zech. 9. 8. 
 » Gen 48. 15. 
 
 Phil. 4. 19. 
 
 to praise Jehovah at all times, and invites the godly 
 to join [vv. 1-3); the grounds of his praise — Jehovah 
 has delivered him when he pr'ayed, and always sup- 
 2)lies the wants of them that fear Him (vv. 4-10); 
 David invites all to learn from him, as a father, the 
 fear of Jehovah [v. 11); it consists in keeping the 
 ton;jue from evil, doing good, and pursuing peace; 
 it results in His watching over us, and giving life to 
 the righteous, however many be their present afflic- 
 tions; whereas evil shall slay sinners {vv. 12-21) ; con- 
 clusion {v. 22); Jehovah redeems His trusting 
 serva7its. 
 
 [a] 1. I will ... all times— not only for the 
 ordinary blessings of His Providence, but for the 
 special deliverance in the imminent danger at 
 Achish's court. Cf. the title. Special mercies call 
 for never-ceasing thankfulness. David composed 
 this psalm in a season of quiet, as its tone shows. 
 The remembrance of the deliverance, though some- 
 time past, awakens in him lively gratitude. Now 
 that he is in prosperity, he makes it a ground-work 
 on which to build an enduring monument of 
 thanksgiving and encouragement to believers in all 
 ages. [2] 2. My soul . . . the Lord— (Jer. ix. 23, 
 24.) the humble, &c.— because they feel his cause 
 and theirs to be one. His deliverance is a pledge 
 of theirs, [j] 3. magnify the Lord, &c.— assign to 
 Him the greatness which really belongs to Him 
 (Ps. Ixix. 30). Joint praise is one sweet fruit of 
 the conimuuiou of saints (Ps. xxx. 4). 
 
 [i] 4. Reason of his determination to bless the 
 Lord at all times." I sought . . . . all my 
 fears— i e., from all the objects of ray fear 
 (Isa. Ixvi. 4). [n] 5. They .... lightened. In 
 their times of darkness they were brightened with 
 the light of His countenance, so that serenity 
 was restored to their countenance (Ps. iv. 6; 
 Num. vi. 26). By the word "they" are meant 
 "the humble" [v. 2), whose representative the 
 Psalmist is; hence he naturally passes from the 
 singular "I" {v. 4, wherein his own personal 
 experience is stated) to the plural "they" {v. 5); 
 his case is only an exemplihcation of the general 
 ])rinciple which holds good to all the humble godly, 
 not ashamed. They were not put to the shame 
 of disappointment by the refusal of their prayer. 
 The Hebrew negative here used [^^, like the Greek 
 fiv] is subjective, and emphatically rejects the 
 thought of the faces of the humble being put to 
 shame, [t] 6. this poor man, &c. As in vv. 
 4, 5, he passed from his own individual case to the 
 general case of all "the humble" {vv. 2, 6), who by 
 172 
 
 looking to the Lord were lightened, so here he 
 returns to the particular case— viz., himself. Cf. 
 Sampson's sore need, prayer, and relief (Judg. xv. 
 19). The Hebrew for " poor man " ['^v] is akin to 
 that for "the humble" He is their repre- 
 
 sentative alike in afHctiou and in humility, [nj 7. 
 The angel of the Lord— the Divine Word, "the 
 angel of God's presence" (Isa. Ixiii. 9). He is the 
 Lord and Caj^tain (Josh. v. 14; 1 Ki. xxii. 19; 
 Rev. xix. 11, 14) of the liost of angels who encamp 
 round the Lord's people (Ps. xci. 11, 12; 2 Ki. vi. 
 17). So Jacob (to whom David refers here), when 
 afraid of Esau's violence on his return from Meso- 
 potamia, saw the double encampment of angels 
 (as the name of the place, Mahanaim, means) be- 
 tween which two-fold host his own encampment 
 lay. We may infer that the Divine Angel of 
 Jehorah was at the head of both hosts, from com- 
 paring Gen. xxviii. 15. "Behold / am with thee." 
 with xxxii. 2, 30, "Tins is God's host . . . Jacob 
 called the name of the place Feniel, for I have seen 
 God face to face." 
 
 [id] 8. 0 taste, &c. The sumptuous feast is ready, 
 will you not taste it for yourselves? (Isa. Iv. 1; 
 Luke xiv. 16, 17). Mere hearing about the feast 
 will not stand instead of tasting it (1 Pet. ii. 3). 
 Instead of brooding over theoretical objections, 
 "Come and see," as Philip said in answer to 
 Nathanael's objection (John i. 46). On tasting and 
 seeing you will experience how " good " the Lord 
 is. h] 9. fear the Lord— not with slavish fear, nor 
 in the spirit of bondage, but with filial "trust.' 
 The phrase, them that fear him, in v. 9, is 
 qualified by the parallel, " the man that trusteth in 
 Him" {v. 8). [3] 10. The young lions. "The young 
 lions" are the symbol of powerful oppressors of the 
 humble saints (Job. iv. 10, 11; Ps. Ivii. 4; Ezek. 
 xxxviii. 13; xix. 2, 3). they that seek, &c.— (Ps. 
 Ixxxiv. 11; Matt, vi, 32, 3.3.) The limitation is 
 implied in v. 19, that "many are the afflictions of 
 the righteous." They have the promise of "an 
 h\mdred-fo\d now in this time, houses, and brethren, 
 and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, 
 with persecutiom, and in the world to come eternal 
 life" (Mark x. 30; 1 Tim. iv. 8). 
 
 [^7] 11. Introduction to the second strophe: invita- 
 tion to all to €71 joy the blessedness which the fear of th e 
 Lord brings with it. Come, ye children. He ad- 
 dresses the young especially, as a father would his 
 "children" (Prov. i. 8). I wUl . . . fear of the 
 Lord — not so much what the fear of the Lord con- 
 sists in, as what are the strong reasons why you 
 
The privileges 
 
 PSALM XXXIV. 
 
 of the righteous. 
 
 12 What ^man is he that desireth life, 
 
 A7id loveth many days, that he may see good ? 
 
 13 Keep thy tongiie from evil, — and thy lips from ^speaking guile. 
 
 14 Depart from evil, and do good; — seek peace, and pursue it. 
 
 15 The -^'eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, 
 And his ears are open unto their cry. 
 
 16 The *face of the Lord is against them that do evil, 
 ^To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 
 
 17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth. 
 And delivereth them out of all their troubles. 
 
 18 The Lord is nigh ^unto them that are of a broken heart; 
 And saveth *such as be of a contrite spirit. 
 
 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous : 
 But the Lord delivereth him out of them all. 
 
 20 He keepeth all his bones : — ™not one of them is broken, 
 
 21 Evil "shall slay the wicked; 
 
 And they that hate the righteous ^ shall be desolate. 
 
 22 The Lord "redeemeth the soul of his servants; 
 
 And none of them that trust in him shall be desolate. 
 
 should walk in it — viz., the blessed results which 
 flow from it — life, good, and deliverance (Ps. xxxii. 
 8; Prov. xiv. 26, 27, "The fear of the Lord is a 
 fountain of life"). \P] 12. What man . . . desireth 
 life ... see good? Who is there that does not 
 desire " life " in its fullest enjoyment? The Psalm- 
 ist proceeds to describe the sure and only means 
 for attaining it. The word "good," in the second 
 clause, explains what is meant by the parallel 
 "life" in the first clause. "Days" of 'seeing 
 good' are life in its highest sense. [3] 13. Keep 
 thy tongue. This verse refers to words. [D] 14. 
 Depart ... do. This verse refers to deeds, 
 seek peace, and pursue it— i, e., inoffensive- 
 ness towards thy neighbour, and harmony with 
 him. Not only "seek" it, but if it seem to 
 flee from thee, still press eagerly after it, not 
 giving up the pursuit, through impatience or 
 resentment, because of the continued malice 
 of adversaries. So Israel as to Sihon (Deut. 
 ii. 26). Cf. Heb. xii. 14; Rom. xii. 18; 2 Cor. xiii. 
 II; Zech. viii. 19. Duties towards our neighbour 
 are made prominent in " the fear of the Lord ;" for 
 they are wliat the hypocrite can least feign: the 
 sincere discharge of them leads to a considerable 
 amount of hapjtiness even in this life. 1 Pet, iii. 
 10-12 quotes vv. L3-L5 as holding good in Chris- 
 tian times, as much as under the Old Testament. 
 "The fear of the Lord," not fear of man, must 
 be the animating motive. 
 
 [y] 15. the righteous. "The righteous" here 
 ausvver to "them that fear Him," and "that 
 hope in His mercy" (Ps. xxxiii. 18). So that 
 by the righteous not absolute righteousness is 
 meant, but the righteousness of faith, sincerity, 
 justice, and godliness. \p} 16. The face of the 
 Lord is against. The Hebrew of the Eng- 
 lish version "against" is simply 'upon' [3], The 
 face of the Lord is fixed on thein (Jer. xxi. 10). 
 The object of His fixing His gaze on them is to 
 cut off, &c. (Prov. x. 7). M 17. (The righteous) 
 cry— answering to v, 15, "his ears are open 
 unto their cry " — i, e., the cry of "the righteous" 
 spoken of in the first clause, [p] 18. The Lord is 
 nigh, &o. Though He " dwells in the high and 
 holy yjlace," yet He stoops down so as to be "nigh" 
 those "of a contrite and humble spirit" (Isa. Ivii. 
 15; Ixi. 1; Luke iv. 18; Ps. li. 17; cxlvii. .3.) [t] 19. 
 Many are the afflictions, &c.— (uv. 6, 17.) Such I 
 
 " 1 Pet. 3. 
 
 10. 
 
 «■ 1 Pet. 2. 2', 
 j Job 36. 7. 
 
 * Lev. 17. 10. 
 Jer. 44. )1. 
 Amos 9. 4, 
 
 I Pro. 10. 7. 
 3 to the 
 
 broken of 
 
 heart. 
 
 * contrite of 
 spirit. 
 
 "'Dan. 6. 22- 
 24. 
 
 John 19. 3o, 
 " Ps. 94, 23, 
 
 Isa. 3. 11. 
 5 Or, 
 
 shall be 
 
 guilty. 
 ° 2 Sam. 4. 9. 
 
 Ps. 71. 23. 
 
 Ps. 103. 4. 
 
 Lam. 3. 58, 
 
 was the case with Job. The many afflictions of the 
 righteous show at once how imperfect man's righ- 
 teousness is, which needs such corrective disci- 
 pline, and how great is the grace of God in not 
 only delivering His people out of afflictions, but 
 even turning their troubles into instruments of 
 mercy; for by the many chastisements which their 
 much sin still adhering to their old nature renders 
 necessary, they are sanctified (1 Pet. i. 6, 7; Heb, 
 xii. 5-12). [k'] 20. He keepeth ... is broken. 
 God, even if He permits calamity to befall the 
 godly, will overrule the seeming evil to everlasting 
 good. Their 'whole body' [oXokX^qov n-d o-to^ua, 
 the body in its perfect integrity of parts, 1 Thess. v. 
 xxiii,], as well as their 'soul and spirit,' shall be 
 preserved unto the coming of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ." Cf. Matt. x. 30, "The very hairs of 
 your head are all numbered." The literal fulfil- 
 ment belongs to the great Antitype, Messiah, the 
 true Paschal Lamb, of whom it was written from 
 the beginning, " A bone of Him shall not be bro- 
 ken" (John xix. 36; Exod. xii. 46; Num. ix. 12), 
 [nj 21. Evil shall slay the wicked. As the He- 
 brew [np^] is the same as in v. 19, to which this 
 verse refers, translate, as there, '"affliction shall 
 slay the wicked,' whereas 'the Lord delivereth 
 the righteous out of all their afflictions.'' they . . . 
 desolate— or 'shall be (made to appear by the 
 treatment which they shall receive) guilty;] cf. 
 marg.; also marg. and text, Ps. v. 10; Hos. xiii. 1, 
 
 Conclusion and summary. 22. The Lord re- 
 deemeth . . . shall be desolate— or 'shall be 
 (made to appear in their treatment) guilty.' He 
 saves them from being really hurt; 'yvliether by 
 temporal or by spiritual and eternal evil. 
 
 PSALM XXXV.— The starting-point of the 
 psalm appears in 1 Sam. xxiv. 15: David, after 
 sparing Saul in Engedi, says, " The Lord be judge 
 between me and thee . . . and plead my cause" 
 (cf. V. 1). The antitypical David, in John xiii. 25, 
 appropriates v. 19. He alone could plead perfect 
 righteousness, love, meekness, and prayerfulness 
 in His distress through the monstrous ingratitude 
 of His foes. For a striking coincidence between 
 Ps. xxxiv. and xxxv., cf. Ps. xxxiv. 37 with 
 XXXV. 5, 6), Complaint, prayer, and promise of 
 thanksgiving occurs in each of the three strophes 
 of the psalm, vv. 1-10; vv. 11-18; vv. 19-28. Through- 
 out He apYjeals from the malice of His foes to the 
 retributive justice of God to vindicate His cause. 
 
David pray eth for 
 
 PSALM XXXV. 
 
 his own safety. 
 
 PSALM XXXV. 
 
 A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 PLEAD my cause, 0 Lord, with them that strive with me : 
 Fight against them that fight against me. 
 
 2 Take hold of shield and buckler, — and stand up for mine help. 
 
 3 Draw out also the spear, 
 
 And stop the way against them that persecute me : 
 Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. 
 
 4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: 
 Let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt. 
 
 5 Let them be as chaff before the wind : 
 And let the angel of the Lord chase them. 
 
 6 Let their way be Mark and slippery: 
 
 And let the angel of the Lord persecute them. 
 
 7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, 
 Which without cause they have digged for my soul. 
 
 8 Let "destruction come upon him ^at unawares; 
 And ^let his net that he hath hid catch himself: 
 Into that very destruction let him fall. 
 
 9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: 
 It ^shall rejoice in his salvation. 
 
 10 All my bones shall say, — Lord, ^who is like unto thee, 
 . Which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him. 
 Yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him ? 
 
 1. Plead . . . strive with me— rather, as the 
 Hebrew {ribah yerihay) is the same, ' i^lead my 
 cause. . . with them that jo/ecw/ with me.' Thus 
 the retributive justice of God is marked, which 
 pays men in their own coin, and punishes men in 
 kind. They plead wdth me as if they had justice 
 on their side ; but do thou plead with them, and 
 show theiu, by the issue, tliat the right is on my 
 side. So the enemies of Messiali, the Antitype, 
 proceeded against Him by a judicial process (Isa. 
 liii. 8). fight, &c. As " plead " imi)lies a contest of 
 ricfht, so "fight," a contest of might. Tlie Hebrew 
 {lehham) for "fight" is literally to eat or consume 
 (cf. Num. xxiv. 8). 2. shield and buckler. The He- 
 brew means ' the small shield ' [p.??] and the ' large 
 shield' respectively (cf. Ps. v. 12, note; 1 KL 
 X, 16, 17). God promises, in Deut. xxxiL 41, 42, 
 that 'if He whet His glitteriug sword, aud His 
 hand take hold on judgment, He will i*ender ven- 
 geance to His enemies.' stand up for mine help— 
 'as mine help.' In this verse he calls on God to 
 take hold of defensive weapons, to shield, not God, 
 but the petitioner. In v. 3 offensive weapons also. 
 3. Draw out also the spear— viz., from thy ar- 
 moury, and stop (the way)— interpose thyself 
 between me aud my persecutors ; Ut. , ' set a barrier' 
 against them. David, as a warrior, uses martial 
 images, my soul (or life), I am thy salvation— not 
 merely my Saviour, but my salvation, embodying 
 in thyself all salvation. Contrast Acts xvi. 30, 
 "What must / do to be saved?" Make me, by 
 actual deliverance of my endangered soul, to feel 
 that thou hast spoken the word which works its 
 own effect, "I am thy salvation." The realized 
 "salvation," not an audible saying, is what he 
 prays for from God. 4:. Let them,' &c.— repeated 
 at the close, v. 26. 5. Let them be as chaff— (Ps. 
 i. 4.) angel, &c. The same Divine Angel who 
 "encampeth round about them that fear Him" 
 (Ps. xxxiv. 7). For "chase" translate [docheh) 
 pushing'' them, so as to fall never to rise (Ps. 
 174 
 
 XXX vi. 12; cxviii. 13); or so as to have no resting- 
 place, whereas the chaff at last rests on something 
 to which it adheres. 6. way be dark and slippery, 
 image from one upon a dark and slippery j)ath, 
 which retards his flight, and makes his destruction 
 inevitable, let the angel, &c. — " the angel of the 
 Lord," the Divine Word, who saves His people, 
 pursues with vengeance His and their adversaries. 
 7. they hid for me their net in a pit. Their 
 having laid for the petitioner a pit-net, justifies 
 the prayer, and ensures its fulfilment, that they 
 should be caught in their own trap {v. 8). The 
 pit-net was a pit covered over by the hunter with 
 a net and with twigs, to ensure the fall and cap- 
 ture of a wild beast. 
 
 8. Let destruction . . . unawares— even as he 
 had tried to take by surprise and to destroy the 
 righteous. The ungodly is put before us as an 
 ideal pei'son in the sin;/ular, the representative of 
 all the God-opposed ones of every age. This anti- 
 christian faction has some particular individuals 
 who more especially embody its ungodliness, as 
 Haman, who sought to destroy all the Jews; 
 Antiochus Epiphanes, the fanatical persecutor in 
 Old Testament times; Judas, "the son of perdi- 
 tion;" and above all, Antichrist of the latter days, 
 who is also called (2 Thess. ii. 3) "the son of per- 
 dition." and let . . . himself— v. 7, first clause, 
 into that, &c.— (Ps. xxxvi. 12.) 9. my soul shall 
 be joyful. In anticipation of the gracious answer 
 to his prayer, aud in order to give additional 
 weight to his entreaty, he vows a soul-felt thanks- 
 giving to the Lord, it shall rejoice in his salva- 
 tion— w^ienever Jehovah shall have said to my 
 soul, in accordance with my prayer {v. 3), " I am 
 thy salvation." 10. All my bones. Sec— ' my 
 whole body,' preserved by thy goodness (cf. Ps. 
 xxxiv, 20), as distinguished from "my soul" {y. 9), 
 shall break forth into praises of thee (Ps. li. 8). 
 "Who is like unto thee?" was the language of 
 Israel's thanksgiving after the deliverance at the 
 Ked Sea (Exod. xv. 11). 
 
He complaineth of his PSALM XXXV. enemies' wrongful dealing. 
 
 11 ^False witnesses did rise up: 
 
 *They laid to my charge things that I knew not. 
 
 12 'They rewarded me evil for good, — to the ^spoiling of my soul. 
 
 13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: 
 I ^humbled my soul with fasting; 
 
 And my prayer returned into mine own bosom. 
 
 14 I ''behaved myself ^as though he had been my friend or brother: 
 I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother. 
 
 15 But in mine ^adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: 
 Yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and 1 knew it 
 
 not ; 
 
 Ihey did tear me, and ceased not: 
 
 16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their 
 
 teeth. 
 
 17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on ? 
 
 Rescue my soul from their destructions, — "^^my darling from the lions. 
 
 18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation : 
 
 8 Witnesses 
 of wron?. 
 Matt. 26.,:9 
 
 4 they 
 asked 
 me. 
 
 " 1 Sam. 19, 
 4, 5. 
 
 Pro. 17. 13. 
 Jer. 18. 20. 
 John 10. .'?2. 
 6 depriving. 
 
 6 Or. 
 afflicted. 
 
 7 walked. 
 
 8 as a friend, 
 as a 
 brother 
 
 to me. 
 
 9 halting, 
 i** my only 
 
 one. 
 
 11. The second strophe, in which the sufferer 
 complains of the malice of his enemies {vv. 11-16), 
 in order to move the compassion of God to inter- 
 y)ose in his hehalf; in which event, as before, he 
 vows thank sg.ving, w'ith the additional feature 
 that it is in the great congregation (v. 18). 11. False 
 witnesses . . . they laid to my charge, &c. The 
 chief and antitypical reference is to the Messiah. 
 The Hebrew {yisliealuni) for "they laid to my 
 charge," &c., is, tliei/ enquired of mealout what I 
 knov) not of ; so the enemies of Christ tried hy 
 questioning to get from him some ground of accusa- 
 tion : the chief priests (Mark xiv. 55-61), the Phari- 
 sees (xii. 1.3; Luke xi. 53, 54), Herod (xxiii. 9), 
 the high X)riest (John xviii. 19), Pilate (xviii. 33). 
 12. They . . . the spoiling of my sonl— lit. , ' (to) 
 the bereavement of my soul ;' they bereaved me of 
 all the consolations and necessaries whereby life 
 is sustained ; I have been left as one alone in the 
 world, bereft of everything. 13. when they were 
 sick ... I humbled afflicted ' (cf. Isa. Iviii. 3-6). 
 As if their sickness was m7j own, I chastened my 
 spirit with outward exercises of penitence. Times 
 of sickness should be times of humiliation for 
 sin, which is the original cause of all sickness. 
 IS'oue ever realized tliis perfect union with the 
 sufferings and sins of man as did Jesus, who 
 " Himself took our infirmities and bare our sick- 
 nesses" (Matt, viii 17). He esi)ecially returned 
 good for evil, weeping over the city which was 
 about to be His murderer, and praying for them 
 who did the awful deed (Luke xix. 41-44; xxiii. 
 34); whereas His enemies 'rewarded Him evil for 
 good' (John X. 32; xv. 25). my prayer returned 
 . . , bosom. .Since my compassion can be of no 
 . avail to my enemies, through their wicked perver- 
 sity, at least it shall be of avail to me witn God, 
 who shall be stirred uj) thereby to interpose in my 
 behalf {Muis). (Isa. xlix. 4, 5.) My prayers and 
 fastings returned to me without having any effect 
 in melting them, like a present sent to an ungrate- 
 ful t>erson, which, instead of receiving it with 
 p-atitude, he sends back to the giver {Hammond). 
 The fold of the garment, at the 'bosom' or la]), 
 was used as the receptacle for any gift or payment 
 (cf. Isa. Ixv. 6, 7, " 1 will measure their work into 
 their bosom;" Jer. xxxii. 18; Ps. Ixxix. 12; Eccl. 
 vii. 9). The i>hrase is best illustrated by Matt, 
 x. 13; Luke x. G, after directing the disciples in 
 their mission to pray on entering a house, ' Peace 
 be to this house, Jesus adds, " if the son of peace 
 be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it 
 shall turn to you again." 14. I behaved myself— 
 175 
 
 lit, '1 walked,' or 'went along.' as though . . . 
 or brother, Cf. David's lamentation for his enemy, 
 Saul, when slain (2 Sam. i. 17-27). I bowed down 
 heavily— Hebrew, 'in unsightly appearance;' %. e., 
 with all the outward marks of mourning, black and 
 soiled clothing, ashes, unwashed face, &c. 15. in 
 mine adversity they rejoiced— lit., 'in my halting' 
 (Ps. xxxviii. 17); i. e., in my bodily weakness. In 
 their sickness He made their pain His pain ; but 
 now in His sickness they make His pain their joy. 
 the abjects gathered . . . and I knew it not— 
 they flock together in crovi ds to insult the lonely 
 and afflicted one. So at the crucifixion of Christ, 
 if ew^rs^enfterr/ translates, 'the abjects whoml knew 
 not' — lit., ' the smitten men,' those who, from their 
 low condition, were not among my recognized ac- 
 quaintances (Job XXX. 1-14). But the sufferer had 
 treated these, his pei-secutors, not only as persons 
 v)hom He knew, but as though they were His 
 'friends and brothers' (v. 14). I therefore prefer, 
 ' And I knew noV why they ^gathered themselves to- 
 gether against me.'' I was conscious of no cause for 
 
 i-l ^l. -1 J 1 1 ^ 1.*. J T 1 T 1 J ' i 1 
 
 their deadly hatred ; nay, 1 knew i had given them 
 every cause for the contrary feeling. Thus, this 
 clause, " I knew not," answers to v. 11, " things 
 that 1 knew not," and v. 19, ''without cause;' also 
 V. 7. they did tear me. The image is from the 
 tearing of a garment. I therefore prefer the 
 LXX. and Vulgate rendering for "abjects" 
 /uria-rtye?, flagella], ^ t?ie scourges,' or 'smiters,' 
 which translation accords best with the verb 
 'tear.' Cf. Jer. xviii. 18; Job v. 2, the scourge of 
 the tongue.' 16. With hjrpocritical mockers in 
 feasts— rather, ' with hypocritical (or profane) 
 mockers /or a ca^e' [JirD]; such as sell their tongue 
 to raillery for the sake of a paltry 'cake' (not a 
 dainty cake, but the ordinary ashes-haked cake oj 
 bread uSed in the East), ingratiating themselves 
 with some leader of the persecution by ribald 
 scoffs at the godly sufferer. It is not refined wit 
 that is meant, but bitter scoffs of the lowest, 
 hounded on by the master from whom they receive 
 their morsel, they gnashed, &c.— with vehement 
 fury (Ps. XXX vii. 12; Acts vii. 54). 
 
 17. Lord, how long wilt thou look on ?— without 
 interposing for me. rescue . . . destructions— or 
 ' desolations.' His soul is in a mournful, danger- 
 ous place, surrounded by their devastations [Heng- 
 slenherg). my darling from the lions— (note, Ps. 
 xxii. 2().) My soul, of unique preciousness, rescue 
 thou from lion-like adversaries (Ps. xxii. 21 ; x. 9). 
 18. 1 wiU give thee thanks. This promised thanks- 
 
The griewus date 
 
 PSALM XXXVI. 
 
 of the wicked. 
 
 I will praise thee among much people. 
 
 19 Let not them that are mine enemies ^^wrongfully rejoice over me; 
 Neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause. 
 
 20 For they speak not peace ; 
 
 But they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land. 
 
 21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, 
 And said, Aha, aha ! our eye hath seen it. 
 
 22 This thou hast ^ seen, 0 Lord : 
 
 Keep not silence : 0 Lord, be not far from me. 
 
 23 Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, 
 Even unto my cause, my God and my Lord. 
 
 24 Judge me, 0 Lord my God, ^according to thy righteousness; 
 And let them not rejoice over me. 
 
 25 Let ^them not say in their hearts, ^^Ah ! so would w^e have it : 
 Let them not say. We have swallowed him up. 
 
 26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together 
 That rejoice at mine hurt : 
 
 Let them be clothed with shame and dishonour 
 That magnify themsehes against me. 
 
 27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, — that favour ^^my righteous cause; 
 Yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified. 
 
 Which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. 
 
 28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness 
 And of thy praise all the day long. 
 
 PSALM XXXVL 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord. 
 1 THE ""transgression of the wicked saith within my heart. 
 That ^ there is no fear of God before his eyes. 
 
 11 stron?. 
 
 Isa. 25. 3. 
 
 falsely. 
 
 Ps. ;-8. 19. 
 / Ex. 3. 7. 
 
 Acts 7. 34. 
 " Ps. 7. 8. 
 
 Ps. 18. 20- 
 
 24. 
 
 Ps. 26. 1. 
 Ps. 43. 1. 
 2Thes.l. 6. 
 1 Pet. 2. 23. 
 1^ Ps. 40. 16. 
 Ps. 68. 3. 
 Ps. 132. 9, 
 16. 
 Ps. 142. 7. 
 Isa. 66 10, 
 11, 
 
 John 16.52. 
 Rom. 12. 15. 
 1 Cor. 12. 22. 
 
 i^Ah. ah. 
 our soul. 
 
 i^my righ- 
 teousness. 
 Pro. 8. 18. 
 
 PSALM S6. 
 " Pro. 20. 11. 
 
 Matt. 7. IC. 
 ^ Gen. 20. 11. 
 
 Pro. 8. 13. 
 
 Pro. 16. 6. 
 
 Eccl 12. 13, 
 
 Rom. 3, 18. 
 
 Ps. 112, 1. 
 
 giving at the close of the middle strophe answers 
 to the similar one at the close of the first strophe 
 {vv. 9, 10). The distinction is, that the thanks- 
 giving there is that of the soul apart and indi- 
 vidually; whereas here it is "wi the great congre- 
 gation . . . among much people." 
 
 19, Here begins the third strophe: prayer 
 founded on the representations just made [vv. 
 19-28). Let not them . . . wrongfully— or ' falsely,' 
 with lying accusations, neither let them wink 
 . , . . liate me without a cause— let them not 
 evince their joy at my hurt by winking at one 
 another with the eye. It is striking that the same 
 Greek word [^mpeav] is used in John xv. 25 (" they 
 hated me without a cause") of men's hatred of 
 Christ, as is used in Rom. iii. 24 of His free love 
 to them ("being justified freely by His grace"). 
 As gratuitous as was their hatred, so gratuitous 
 was His love. He had given men every cause to 
 love, yet they hated Him. They had given Him 
 every cause to hate, yet He loved them. 20. speak 
 not peace— as my peaceable attitude towards them 
 and all men would have dictated as right. This 
 verse, 20, and 21, give the reason for the prayer in 
 ?;. 19, 'Let them not rejoice over me,' for their 
 whole spirit is perverse and malicious. 21, our eye 
 hath seen it— viz., the destruction of the godly 
 sufi'erer, which we long desired to see {v. 25). 
 
 22, This thou hast seen, 0 Lord— {Ps. x. 14; 
 Exod. iii, 7,) Jehovah's seeing it stands in beauti- 
 ful contrast to their boast {v. 21), "our eye hath 
 seen it." keep not silence— refuse not to answer 
 my prayer (Pa, xxvii. 1). be not far from me— 
 i. e., from helping me (Ps. x, 1). 23. awake, fee- 
 awake to vindicate my right and plead my cause 
 (Ps. ix. 4; xviii. 2). 24, let, &c.— (v. 19.) 25. Ah! so 
 176 
 
 would we haveit-Z«7., 'Ah! our soul;'?, e., 'our 
 wish,' on which we have set our whole soul (Pro v. 
 xiii. 4), is realized. 26. clothed with shame— (Ps 
 cix, 18, 29.) 27. Let them shout for joy . . . my 
 righteous cause— or 'that wish my justification' 
 (lit., 'righteousness'). 'Vvish my justification' 
 stands in contrast to "rejoice at mine hurt " {v. 26), 
 Give thou them occasion for joyful thanksgivings 
 by justifying me. Let the Lord be magnified . . . 
 prosperity of his servant — 'the peace (the 
 irmt ol the -^VQvioM^ justification, Ptom, v. 1) of His 
 servant.' The conferring of justification and peace 
 on him will, according to his plea, call forth praises 
 of God on the part of his fellow-believers, whose 
 cause is identified with his. 28. thy righteous- 
 ness—which is the ground of ' my righteousness,' 
 or justification {v. 27). The Lord's inherent and 
 infinite righteousness is magnified by His people s 
 justification on the ground of His righteousness 
 imputed to them (Isa. xlii. 21 ; xlv, 24, 25). and 
 of thy praise all the day long. In this third 
 promise of thanksgiving, as distinguished from the 
 former two {vv. 9 and 18), there is the additional 
 element of continuous and unceasing praise. 
 
 PSALM XXXVL Title.—Ho the chief Musi- 
 cian, A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, 
 "The servant of the Lord" occurs nowhere else 
 in a title, save in Psalm xviii. It relates to the 
 subject of the psalm: the dignity of David as tiie 
 Divinely-commissioned "servant of the Lord ' 
 gives authority to his words, for he speaks them 
 not as his own, but as God's, whose Spirit moves 
 him (2 Sara, xxiii. 1), Vv. 1-12. The transgression 
 of the wicked fills David's heart with pain [vv. 1-4) ; 
 his consolation in God's infinite m^rcy, faithfulness, 
 righteousness^ and loving -kindness ; herein the chil- 
 
Excellency of 
 
 PSALM XXXVI. 
 
 God^s mercy. 
 
 2 For he flattereth himself iu his own eyes, 
 
 1 Until his iniquity be found to be hateful. 
 
 3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit : 
 He hath left off to be wise, and to do good. 
 
 4 He 'deviseth ^ mischief upon his bed ; , . -i 
 He setteth himself ^in a way that is not good;— he abhorreth not evil. 
 
 5 Thy 'mercy, 0 Lord, is in the heavens; 
 And thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. 
 
 6 Thy righteousness is like Hhe great mountains; 
 •'^"Thy judgments are a great deep : 
 
 0 Lord, ^thou preservest man and beast. 
 
 dren of men, by trusting, find shelter, satisfaction, 
 light, and life {w. 5-9) ; consequent prayer lor God; s 
 continued loving -kindness : its answer in the over- 
 throw of the proud workers of iniquity (m 10-12). 
 
 1. The transgression . . .. saith within my heart. 
 "The transgression of the wicked " is personified. 
 The Psalmist, in hit inmost heart, painfully feels 
 that " the ti-ansgression of the wicked " speaks as 
 th e wicked man^s oracle. The Hebrew for ' ' saith 
 [D{<:J is always used of an inspired utterance 
 (Prov. XXX. 1 ; 2 Sam. xxiii. 1 ; Num. xxiv. 3). 
 Translate, therefore, 'speaketh as his oracle. 
 The wicked man does not say so by word of 
 mouth; but his transgression, which he hugs 
 to himself as his own [the Hebrew h implies 
 how entirely transgre^ion belongs to him], palpably 
 speaks as the only utterance which he regards as 
 oracular. Thus the contrast to the parallel second 
 clause is, Transgression is their Divine oracle, for 
 the fear of God they have not before their eyes. 
 "Within my heart" expresses the Psalmists 
 heartfelt emotion, in contrast to the wicked man's 
 daring apathy, marked by the parallel "before his 
 eyes.'^ Not only has he no fear of God m his 
 heart, but even in directing his conduct outwardly, 
 he sets no fear of Him before his eyes. There is a 
 contrast also to ' (the inspired psalm) of [h] David, 
 the servant of the Lord.^ The wicked is the ser- 
 vant of his oum transgression, which is the only 
 inspired utterance that he regards ; but the inspira- 
 tion is that of Satan, the spirit of evil (2 Thess. 
 ii. 9). The description applies to the man of 
 sin, the final incarnation of ' the mystery of trans- 
 gression' or 'iniquity,' which has been long at 
 work (2 Thess. ii. 3-10). He shall "sit in the 
 temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 
 Cf. also ' the mouth of the little horn speaking 
 great things,' Dan. vii. 8: the king who 'shall 
 exalt and magnify himself above every god, and 
 shall speak marvellous things against the God of 
 gods ' (Dan. xi. 36). The wicked listen to thesug- 
 gestions of sin as the Word of God. The LX^m 
 Vulgate, Ethiopic, Arabic, Syriac, and one Mb. of 
 Kennicott, and two of De Rossi, read 'in his heart 
 [13^], for ' in my heart ' {'^% So Ps. xiv. 1, "The 
 fool hath said in his heart, There is no God ;" also 
 Ps. X. 6, 11. Also, 'in his hearV here, corresponds 
 to "before his eyes," and "of his mouth " {v. 3). But 
 the difficulty of the English version reading makes 
 it less likely to be an interpolation. ' His heart 
 is a natural correction of transcribers, (that there 
 is) no fear, &c. Omit "that;" see the preceding note. 
 2. For he flattereth ... be found to be hateful— 
 rather, 'in respect to [^] the finding of his sin, 
 (and) in respect to ]^'\ the hating of it.' Cf. on the 
 phrase 'finding of sin,' Gen. xliv. 16: Num. xxxii. 
 '23. By self-flatteries he stifles all thoughts of 
 God's justice finding out his sin and punishing it 
 as its hateful character demands. His skill and 
 VOL. IU. 177 
 
 1 to And his" 
 iniquity to 
 hate. 
 
 " Mic. 2. 1. 
 
 2 Or. van ty. 
 d Isa. 15. 2. 
 
 • I's. 67. 10. 
 Ps. 10 ■. 4. 
 
 3 the moun- 
 tains of 
 God. 
 
 / Job 11. 8. 
 
 Rom. 11.33. 
 y Job 7. 20. 
 
 success in evading temporal punishment leads him 
 to the self -deluding notion that he will escape 
 eternal punishment. This estimate is made in 
 his own eyes;" for he judges only " after the sight 
 of his eyes" (Isa. xi. 3), since "there is no fear ot 
 God before his eyes" (v. 1). Cf. Deut. xxix. 19, 
 on which this passage rests, "Lest . . . when he 
 heareth the words of this curse, that he bless him- 
 self in his heart, saying, / shall have peace, though I 
 walk in the imagination of mine heart.''^ 3. He hath 
 left oflf— instead of leaving off the self-destroying 
 folly of sin (Isa. i. 16; Jer. iv. 22; Ps. xiv. 1, 2). 
 4. He deviseth ... his bed— even there, where 
 one lies down for sleep, he cannot be quiet from 
 restless plans of evil, in a way that is not good ; 
 he abhorreth not evil. His positive sins now 
 from his negative disobedience to God's direct 
 precepts. Our safety against great sips js to set 
 ourselves 'in a good way,' and to "abhor that 
 which is evil." Cf. Rom. xii. 9. 
 
 5. The second strophe. The consolation which 
 the pious have in God's inexhaustible mercy, 
 faithfulness, righteousness, and loving-kindness. 
 Thy mercy . . . the heavens— rising far above the 
 haughty impiety of the wicked, who try, like the 
 Babel-builders, to raise the edifice of their pride 
 to "reach unto heaven" (Gen. xi. 4; Ps. Ixxiii. 9; 
 cf. Ps. Ivii. 10). Like the Divine pillar of cloud 
 and fire, the goodness of Jehovah so rises aloft 
 above the earth as to be "m the heavens." God s 
 goodness and faithfulness to His people are infi- 
 nitely above the reach of human malice to counter- 
 act. Therefore the Lord's people are inviolably 
 safe, in spite of all the arrogant, restless, and 
 God-despising enmity of their foes. 6. Thy righ- 
 teousness . . . the great mountains — 'the 
 mountains of God.' The righteousness of God is 
 that whereby He recompenses every man accord- 
 ing to his works, awarding salvation to the 
 righteous, and destruction to the wicked. This 
 stands immovable as the mountains, which no 
 earthly xjower can shake and displace. This 
 "righteousness" is an additional guarantee of 
 security to His trusting people, besides His 
 "mercy" and His "faithfulness" (v. 5). An- 
 other feature of the comparison is the 'great- 
 ness' and height of the mountains. Standing 
 prominent, and towering above the surrounding 
 country, the mountains direct the beholders 
 thoughts naturally to the pre-eminent greatness of 
 God, raised so infinitely above every creature.^ 
 Therefore they are called 'the mountains of God -J 
 just as the cedars, the stateliest among the trees, 
 are called 'the cedars of God,' (Ps. Ixxx. 10, marg.) 
 thy judgments are a great deep— (Job xi. 7, 8; Rom. 
 xi.33). His "judgments " are His judicial dealings iu 
 the moral government of the world, whereby He con- 
 founds the wicked and vindicates the good at last. 
 His providence wonderfully co-operates with Hia 
 "righteousness" for this end (Isa. xxviii. 29). 
 The idea is that of an ocean, immeasurable in vast- 
 It 
 
DaT id persuadetJi 
 
 PSALM XXXVII. 
 
 to trust in God. 
 
 7 How * excellent is thy loving-kindness, 0 God ! 
 
 Therefore the children of men ^put their trust under the shadow of thy 
 wings. 
 
 8 They shall be ^abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; 
 And thou shalt make them drink of Hhe river of thy pleasures. 
 
 9 For -^'with thee is the fountain of life : — in thy light shall we see light. 
 
 10 0 ^continue thy loving-kindness unto them that know thee; 
 And thy righteousness to the upright in heart, 
 
 11 Let not the foot of pride come against me, 
 And let not the hand of the wicked remove me. 
 
 12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen : 
 
 They are cast down, and shall not be able to rise. 
 
 PSALM XXXVII. 
 
 A Psalm of David. 
 1 FRET not thyself because of evil-doers. 
 
 Neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity : 
 
 < precious. 
 
 Fs. 31. 
 
 Euth 2. 12. 
 
 Fs. ir 8. 
 
 Ps. 57. 1. 
 
 Luke 13.-4, 
 s watered. 
 ' Job 20. 17. 
 
 Rev. 22. 1. 
 i Isa. 12 3. 
 
 Jar. 2. 13. 
 
 Jer. 17. 13. 
 
 Jer. 18. It. 
 15. 
 
 Zech. 1^ t. 
 John 4. lO, 
 14. 
 
 John 7. 37- 
 39. 
 
 Eev. 21. 0. 
 8 draw out 
 at length. 
 
 vdss as well as depth. The same Hebrew {tehom) 
 is used of the flood m Koah's days ((^eu. vii. 11), 
 "the great deep,'' or a^njss. preservest man and 
 beast. The preservation of the. 'beasts' implies 
 that He who cares for the humblest of His crea- 
 tures will much more care for His immortal crea- 
 ture, man, especially for // is saints (Matt. x. 29-31). 
 The reference to the flood may here still be sus- 
 tained (cf. Ps. xxix. 10 ; xxxii. 6). God then 
 showed His 'preserving' love for the beasts as well 
 as for man. Shall not He whose glory it is that 
 He 'preserves man and beast' now preserve 
 His own people from their malicious foes? 7. 
 How excellent ... 0 God !— Hebrew, yaquar, 
 'how precious,'' &c. ; like some costly treasure. 
 David has here "God" (Elohim) instead of 'Lord,' 
 or Jehovah, because the contrast is between God 
 and man in general. How infinite is the interval 
 between God and man! Yet the "loving-kind- 
 ness" (Hebrew, chasdeka, goodness) of God bridges 
 over the gulf, and enables frail man to have in God 
 a never-failing shelter, (Ps. viii.) the children of 
 men . . . shadow of thy wings, "The children 
 of men" is the generic term for mankind. The 
 class meant is the godly. "The shadow," in hot 
 regions, is the natural term for protection. "Thy 
 wings " is a figure from a mother-bird sheltering, 
 with zealous solicitude, her young brood under her 
 feathers (Deut. xxxii. 11; Matt, xxiii. 37; Ps. xvii. 
 8). 8. They shall be abundantly satisfied, fee- 
 lit., They shall he watered; or, as the Chaldaic, 
 Syriac, Vulgate, Ethiopic, and LXX., They shall 
 he made drunk with. The Arabic has saturated 
 with. Those filled with the Spirit seemed like 
 persons elated with wine (Acts ii. 13-17 ; Eph. v. 
 18). The fatness of God's house is its rich spiritual 
 provision of Divine ordinances for the refreshment 
 of His people. These dwell with Him in spirit 
 already in His heavenly sanctuary, sustained by 
 tlie Divine Householder with richest viands. 
 Hereafter they shall in person feed upon the fruit 
 of the tree of life, in the midst of the paradise of 
 God, and drink of the "pure river of water of life, 
 clear as crystal, i)roceeding out of the throne of 
 God and of the Lamb" (Pvev. xxii. 1, 2; ii. 7; Ps. xvi. 
 11; cf. Gen. ii. 10, to which the allusion is here ; Job 
 XX. 17; John iv. 13, 14 ; Ezek, xlvii. 1 ; Zech. xiv. 8). 
 9. For with thee is the fountain of life. No won- 
 der that in thy house, and in thy presence, there 
 are abundant streams, and a full 'river of plea- 
 sures' for thy peoiile to 'drink of,' for "with thee 
 is the fountain of life " itself, including the fulness 
 178 
 
 of happiness, without which existence is deatl), 
 not life (Ps. xvi, 11; Deut. xxx. 20). No n)a]ice 
 of foes can rob of life and blessedness those who 
 have access to God, "the Fountain" of both (cf. 
 Ps. xxiii. 5). in thy light, &c. "Light" is a 
 figure for 'salvation' (Ps. xxvii. 1). Through the 
 salvation which is wholly in thee (Ps. xxxv. 3), 
 we shall see salvation (Job xxix. 3). 
 
 Having depicted the malice of the wicked foe, 
 and the fulness of life which the godly have iu 
 God, he grounds on the contrast the prayer follow- 
 ing, that God would save His people and himself 
 from the proud enemy, and confidently antici^^ates 
 the downfall of the latter, 10, 0 continue thy lov- 
 ing-kindness . , . that know thee— lit. , ' draw out at 
 length ["^J^'p] thy loving-kindness ' (cf. Ps, Ixxxv, 5, 
 the same Hebrew). They alone ^^know'' God who 
 love Him, and keep His commandments (1 John ii. 
 3; iv. 8; cf. Jer. xxii. 16; Tit. i. 16). thy righ- 
 teousness, &c,— note, V. 6. It is 'a righteous 
 thing with God' to award "rest" to "the upright 
 in heart" who are now "troubled," and "tribula- 
 tion" to their troublers (2 Thess, i. 5-7). 11. Let 
 not the foot of pride . . . against me — so as 
 suddenly to tread me down. " Gome upon " im- 
 plies a surprise, as one taken in a net (Ps, 
 xxxv. 7, 8). The wicked foes are represented as 
 " pride " itself embodied. Gf. Jer. li. 31,23. let 
 not the hand . . . remove me — from my land, , 
 which is thy land. David had been forced to 
 flee before Saul and Absalom successively (2 Ki. 
 xxi, 8). Or rather, as in Ps, xi. 1, note, the 
 removing is not one of mere j^osition, but ' let 
 not the wicked supplant me from my firm 
 spiritual standing.' As the foot treads down, so 
 tixQhand 'removes,' 12. There . . . of iniquity 
 fallen, &c. In spirit he, by faith, sees his foes 
 already vanquished by the power of prayer, though 
 to the world they seemed in the height of their 
 prosperity. He points to them "there," as if be- 
 fore the eye. Cf. Ps, xviii. 38; Prov. xxiv, 16, 
 which marks, as here, the contrast between the falls 
 of the godly and of the wicked: "A just man 
 falletli seven times, and riseth up again ; but the 
 wicked shall fall into mischief (are destroyed 
 finally). 
 
 PSALM XXXVIL Vv. 1-40.— The theme is, 
 
 God loill aioard the righteous and the unrighteous 
 their respective deserts in due time; fret not, then, 
 against, hut trust in the Lord, and do good {vr. 1, 
 2). The alphabetical arrangement in the Hebrew 
 connects the loosely-joined sententious sayings; 
 
David persuadeth 
 
 PSALM XXXVII. 
 
 to trust in God. 
 
 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, 
 And wither as the green herb. 
 
 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good ; 
 
 So shalt thou dwell in the land, and Werily thou shalt be fed. 
 
 4 Delight "thyself also in the Lord; 
 
 And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 
 
 5 '^Commit thy way unto the Lord ; 
 
 Trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass : 
 
 6 And ^he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, 
 And thy judgment as the noon-day. 
 
 7 ^ Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him : 
 
 Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way. 
 Because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. 
 
 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath : 
 Fret '^not thyself in anywise to do evil. 
 
 these probably were the model copied by Solomon 
 in his Book of Proverbs. David's experience 
 qualified him for solving the difficulty, Why do 
 ungodly men like Saul, Nabal, and Absalom, 
 seemingly prosper? 
 
 [X] 1. Fret (Hebrew, tithchar) not thyself be- 
 cause of evil-doers— lit. , ' Infiame not thyself in 
 relation to evil-doers.' Anger is often compared 
 to a fire (Deut. xxxii. 22 ; Ps. Ixxix. 5 : Pro v. 
 xxiy. 1, 19, is plainly copied from this ; cf. iii. 31 ; 
 xxiii. 17). The godly are tempted to be angry 
 at the sight of the wicked prospering, and to 
 think they have just cause for anger. David's 
 own feeling was such, when he was a destitute 
 exile, though serving (iod, and Nabal a man of 
 wealth, though an ungrateful churl (1 Sam. xxv. 
 4-34). David's anger was naturally stirred up, and 
 he would have avenged himself, instead of leaving 
 his cause in the Lord's hand, had not God, of His 
 mercy, spoken, by Abigail, the advice which kept 
 him from meeting evil with evil. The precept 
 here, ' Inflame not thyself,' answers to " Oease from 
 an^rer," v. 8, and the promise to "the meek," v. 
 11. 2. For they .... like the grass. 'The 
 multitude of hypocrites flourishes and covers the 
 world so completely, that they alone seem almost 
 to exist, as the green grass covers the earth. But, 
 in God's sight, what are they? Hay that must 
 presently be made ; and the higher the grass, the 
 nearer it is to the scythe and the haycock : just as 
 the higher and farther the wicked sjiread and rise 
 aloft, the nearer are they to destruction. Where- 
 fore, then, shouldst thou be angry, when their 
 wickedness and prosperity are of so short-lived a 
 nature?' {Luther.) [3] 3. Trust In the Lord, and 
 do good— the right course, when seeing the pros- 
 perity of the ungodly, instead of giving way to the 
 temptation to anger and envy [v. 1). so shalt . . . 
 the land— r?'. 27, 29, fulfilled m part in the pos- 
 session of Canaan by Israel; partly, also, by the 
 promise even of "the life that now is," which is 
 appended to "godliness" (1 Tim. iv. 8); mainly 
 in the "inheritance of the earth" hereafter promised 
 to the righteous {vv. 9, 11, 22, 34), after ''the wicked" 
 shall have been " mt o^" (Prov. ii. 21 ; x, .30; 2 Pet. 
 iii. 13). verily [n3iDj<] thou shalt he fed— is 
 rather, as the parallelism favours, 'tliou shalt 
 feed on truth; ' the opi)osite of " feeding on ashes" 
 (Isa, xliv. 20), and " feeding on wind" (Hos. xii. 1). 
 The truth fed on by the believer is the truth of Ood, 
 His faithfulness, in which the believer has great 
 joy. L. de Dieu takes it, 'feed in security' or 
 'stablencss ' {rna/rff., and Isa. xxxiii. G). 4. Delight 
 thyself also in the Lord— a promine in the very 
 terms of the j/rtcept. In resting heartily in the 
 
 PSALM 3r. 
 
 1 in truth, 
 or, stable- 
 ness. 
 
 " Isa. 58. 14. 
 
 2 EoU thy 
 way upon 
 the Lord. 
 Pro 16. 3. 
 Matt. 6. 23, 
 Luke 12.2^. 
 1 Pet. 5. 7. 
 
 & Mic. 7. 9. 
 
 3 Be silent 
 to the 
 
 LOKD, 
 
 " Ps. 73. 3. 
 Pro. 16. 33. 
 Eph. 4. 2C. 
 
 Lord, thou shalt have supreme delight thereby. 
 So BacorHs well-known saying, 'It is heaven on 
 earth for a man's mind to move in charity, to rest 
 in Providence, and to turn on the poles of truth' 
 (cf. V. 11, latter clause; Isa. Iviii. 14; Job. xxii. 20; 
 xxvii. 10). he shall give, &c.— (Ps. xx. 5; xxi. 2.) 
 [j] 5. Commit thy way unto the Lord— Hebrew, 
 gol, ' roll thy way upon Jehovah.' The image is of 
 one rolling off from his own shoulders a burden 
 which he is not able to bear, upon the shoulders 
 of another, who is able to bear it (1 Pet. v. 7; Ps. 
 Iv. 22: also xxii. 10). As a "way" cannot be 
 rolled as a burden, it must here mean thy doina, 
 thy midertakinys, as ex]ilaiued in mary., Prov. xvi. 
 3, 'Poll thy works upon the Lord.' and he shall 
 hring it to pass— what thou desirest to be done, 
 but canst not do thyself. 6. And he shall bring 
 forth thy righteousness, &c. Afflictions which 
 are now the portion of the godly (2 Tim. iii. 12) 
 seem to cast a slur on their righteousness; but in 
 " the manifestation of the sons of God " (Rom. viii. 
 19) the Lord will judge— i e., vindicate the justice 
 of their cause, as He did typically in the case of 
 Job at the last (Job xi. 17; Isa. Iviii. 8; Mic. vii. 9). 
 So Christ, the Head of the Church, after having 
 been forsaken of God, as though His righteous 
 cause was lost, whilst He hung amidst darkness 
 on the cross, was "justified" [i. e., had His righ- 
 teousness vindicated) at His resurrection and as- 
 cension (Rom. i. 3, 4; 1 Tim. iii. 16; 1 Pet. iii. 
 18). 
 
 hj 7. Rest in the Lord— Hebrew, do7n; ' Be still 
 (silent) TO ['?] the Lord'— i. e., with an eye to the 
 Lord, who will speak more effectually than thou 
 canst. Be still or silent is opposed to passionate 
 self-defence (?;. 8), and anger at the prosperity of 
 wicked enemies. Cf. Ps. xxxviii. 3-15, ynai-g. and 
 wait patiently for him h^- answering to the 
 parallel 'Be still to the Lord;' wait for Him to 
 anstver in thy stead, and to vindicate thy cause, 
 fret not thyself because of him who prospereth, 
 &c.— in/lame not thyself with anger at him who 
 prospers though devising wicked things. Thus 
 the last verse of the introduction reverts to the 
 same point as the first verse. 
 
 [Hj 8. fret not thyself. . . to do evil. The Hebrew 
 [Titi;] is, 'inflame not thyself . . . only for evil'— 
 i, e., which can have 7io other result but eril. To 
 meet evil with evil is only to aggravate the mis- 
 chief, and add fuel to the flame. It is to take the 
 cause out of the hands of God, the true Rectifier 
 of the world's anomalies ; thereby thou forteitest 
 His favour, ranking thyself among the "evil- 
 I doers." 9. For evil-doers shall be cut o£f— 
 
The happy state 
 
 PSALM XXXVII. 
 
 of the godly. 
 
 9 For evil-doers shall be cut off: 
 
 But those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. 
 10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: 
 
 Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. 
 But the meek shall inherit the earth ; 
 And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 
 
 The wicked ^plotteth against the just, 
 And gnasheth upon him with his teeth. 
 
 13 The Lord shall laugh at him; — ^for he seeth that "^his day is coming. 
 
 14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, 
 To cast down the poor and needy, 
 And to slay ^such as be of upright conversation. 
 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, 
 And their bows shall be broken. 
 
 A * little that a righteous man hath 
 Is better than the riches of many wicked. 
 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken ; 
 But the Lord upholdeth the righteous. 
 
 The Lord -Hinoweth the days of the upright ; 
 And their inheritance shall be ^for ever. 
 19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time ; 
 And ^in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 18 
 
 < Or, 
 
 practiseth. 
 Dan. 8. 2, 4. 
 
 12. 
 Mic. 2. 1. 
 ^ 1 Sam. 26. 
 
 10. 
 
 Jer. 60. 27. 
 Eze. 26. 29. 
 Dan. 6. 26. 
 
 * the upright 
 of way. 
 Pro. 3. 33. 
 Pro. 13. 25. 
 Pro. IS. 16. 
 Pro. 16. 8. 
 Eccl. 2. 26. 
 Eccl. 4. 6. 
 Matt. 6. 11. 
 
 1 Tim. 6. 6. 
 
 / Ps. 1. 6. 
 Ps. 31. 7. 
 M^tt,6. 32. 
 
 2 Tim. 2.19. 
 » P«. 16. 1. 
 
 Ps. 60. 21. 
 
 * Job 5. 20. 
 Ps. 33. 19. 
 Pro. 10. 3. 
 
 therefore beware lest by anger and revenge thou 
 takest thy portion with them. David resisted 
 the temptation once and again in Saul's case, 
 those that wait upon the Lord, &c,— (Ps. xxv. 13. ) 
 So David, by waiting upon the Lord, instead of 
 avenging himself on Saul, was promoted to the 
 kingdom at Saul's death. [i] 10. For yet . . . 
 (shall) not (be): yea, thou . . . and it (shall) 
 not (be) — the place that now knoweth him shall 
 know him no more. The Hebrew ellipsis vividly 
 sets before the eye the utter extinction of sinners : 
 "the wicked not ... his place not" (Job vii. 10; 
 XX. 9). 11. But the meek . . . abundance of 
 peace. On "the meek," cf. Ps. ix. 12, note, 'the 
 humble.' Being men of peace now, they shall be 
 the fit administrators in the coming kingdom of 
 the Prince of Peace upon earth (Isa. ii. 4; ix. 6; 
 Hos. ii 18; Zech. ix. 10). As this blessed consum- 
 mation is not to be until first the " evil-doers shall 
 be cut off" (v. 9), "and the wicked shall not be" 
 {v. 10), it cannot be until the winding up of this 
 dispensation by Messiah's glorious appearing; for 
 up to the harvest,^ or end of this age, the tares and 
 the wheat remain intermingled (Matt. xiii. 30, 
 39-43) ; not till then takes place the excision of the 
 wicked, succeeded by the reign of the righteous in 
 that same "kingdom," the earth, "out of" which 
 " the Son of Man shall send forth His angels (to) 
 gather all things that offend, and them which do 
 iniquity." Cf. vv. 35-37. 
 
 [1] 12. The wicked plotteth, &c. David admits 
 that the present power and malice of the w'i eked 
 might at first sight seem to negative his inspired 
 assertion, that the meek shall inherit the very 
 earth where the wicked are now so powerful. He 
 answers the objection in v. 13. 13. The Lord 
 shall laugh at him— rather, ' The Lord laughs at 
 him' (Ps. ii. 4), " Laugh " implies the deep con- 
 trast there is between the lofty pretensions and 
 seeming greatness of the wicked on the one hand, 
 and their real irnpotence and speedy dissolution 
 on the other. Man judges only by the present 
 outward look of things, for he seeth— viz., his 
 day of destruction (Ps. cxxxvii. 7; Ezek. vii. 7). 
 Ln] 14, 15. The wicked . . . sword . . . Their 
 
 sword . . . heart— (Ps. vii. 15, 16; Matt. xxvi. 
 52; Rev. xiii. 10.) 
 
 [to] 16. A little that a righteous man hath (is) 
 better than the riches of many wicked— 77/ e 
 
 little that one righteous man hath is better than 
 the laborious accumulations of many wicked men. 
 The Hebrew for " riches " [jion] implies an accu- 
 mulation with toil and turmoil. Cognate Hebrew 
 words are used in Ps. xxxix. 6, " surely they are 
 disquieted in vain; he heapeth up riches, and 
 knoweth not," &c. ; and Prov. xv. 16, " Better is 
 little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure 
 and trouble therewith :" cf. xvi 8. Turmoil signifi- 
 cantly designates riches scraped together and 
 held fast only by noise and disquietude. 17. For 
 the arms ... be broken. The wicked man's 
 arm, the instrument of executing his schemes, 
 when once broken, can neither injure the godly 
 nor save himself (Ps. x. 15). This is why {v. 16) 
 the " little" property of one "righteous man" " is 
 better than the ridhes of many wicked." Not that 
 the wicked, whilst possessing riches, are always 
 inwardly unhappy; but to the eye of faith the 
 utter wreck of their fortune is near: their past 
 prosperity will only intensify their everlasting 
 misery. 
 
 ['] 18, 19. The Lord knoweth, &c.— in contrast 
 to V. 13, " The Lord . . . seeth that his {the toicked 
 man's) day {of destruction) is coming." " The Lord 
 knoweth" (i. e., taketh account of) implies Jeho- 
 vah's special providence; also His love, recognizing 
 them as His own, ordering the length of their 
 earthly "days" (cf. Ps. cxix. 84), and the most 
 minute events affecting their welfare in each day 
 (Rom. viii. 28; Ps. xxxi. 15), and finally giving 
 them length of days for ever and ever (Exod. ii. 
 25, marg.; Ps. i. 6). He cares for them "in the 
 days of famine " (v. 19), as in the days of plenty. 
 So He cared for Jeremiah during the famine caused 
 by the siege (Jer. xxx\rii. 21 : Ps. xxxiii. 19). 
 Where it is for their good, He -prolongeth (their) 
 days." as in Hezekiah's case (Isa. xxxviii. 5; cf. 
 Exod. xxiii. 26, end). Whenever they die, it is not 
 prematurely ; but the years of the wicked shall be 
 
The happy state 
 
 PSALM XXXVII. 
 
 of the godly. 
 
 20 But the wicked shall perish, 
 
 And the enemies of the Lord shall be as ®the fat of lambs : 
 They shall consume ; into smoke shall they consume away. 
 
 21 The wicked bono we th, and payeth not again : 
 But the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth. 
 
 22 For ^siich as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; 
 And they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. 
 
 23 The •'steps of a good man are ^ordered by the Lord; 
 And he delighteth in his way. 
 
 24 Though *he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down : 
 For the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. 
 
 25 I have been young, and now am old ; 
 
 Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, — nor his seed begging bread. 
 
 26 He is ^ever merciful, and lendeth; — and his seed is blessed. 
 
 27 Depart from evil, and do good ; — and dwell for evermore. 
 
 2a For the Lord 4oveth judgment, — and forsaketh not his saints; 
 
 They are preserved for ever : — but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. 
 
 29 The righteous shall inherit the land, — and dwell therein for ever. 
 
 30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, 
 
 • the pre- 
 ciousnesa 
 of Iambs. 
 Deut. 33.14, 
 
 16. 
 
 i Ps. 32. 1. 
 
 Ps. 128. 1. 
 
 Pro. 3. 33. 
 J 1 Sarn. 2. 9. 
 
 Job 23. 11. 
 
 Pa. 17. 6. 
 
 Ps. 85. 13. 
 
 Ps. 119. 133. 
 
 Ps. 121. 3. 
 
 Pro. 16. 9. 
 
 Jer. 10. 23. 
 1 Or, estab- 
 lished. 
 
 Ps. 40. 2. 
 
 Pro. 4. 26. 
 
 * Mic. 7. 8. 
 2 Cor. 4. 9. 
 
 8 all the 
 
 day. 
 ' Ps. 11. r. 
 
 shortened (Prov. x. 27). When He removes His 
 people early, as in Abijah's case fl Ki. xiv. 13; 
 Isa. Ivii. 1), it is in order to "take them " away 
 from the evil to come." Whether their earthly 
 days be long or short, in heaven "their inherit- 
 ance shall be for ever." Cf. 1 Pet. i. 4. [3] 20. But 
 the wicked shall ... fat of lambs— not, as 
 Oesenius translates, 'as the beauty of the meadows^ 
 (karim) — i. e., the grass; cf. v. 2. The Hebrew 
 ["'fVj "fat" is lit., the preciousness. But there 
 is an evident allusion here, as elsewhere in Scrip- 
 ture, to the burnt sacrifices ; such are the wicked, 
 consumed by the tire of God's wrath against sin, 
 and passing away as "smoke." Cf. Isa. xxxiv. 6. 
 As the fatness of the lambs only makes them the 
 titter for sacrifice, so the more sumptuous the 
 wicked are, the more speedily and miserably shall 
 they perish (cf. Jas. v, 5 ; Mark ix. 49). into smoke, 
 &c.— carrying on the image of the sacrifice, the 
 victim being burnt into smoke and ashes, [h] 21. 
 The wicked borroweth . . . the righteous showeth 
 mercy, and giveth— not so much a representation 
 of what the wicked and the righteous respectively 
 are vnlUng, or not willing, through injustice, to do, 
 as of what they respectively are able, or unable, 
 through poverty, to do. The "for" in v. 22 pre- 
 sumes that it is of ability and inability, not of 
 willingness and unwillingness, that v. 21 speaks. So, 
 too, V. 26, "He (the righteous man) is ever merciful, 
 and lendeth; and his seed is blessed." The ground 
 passage is Deut. xv. 6, " The Lord thy God blesseth 
 thee ; and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but 
 thou shalt not borrow; " also Deut. xxviii. 12, 44, in 
 contrast to the curse. 22. For such ... in- 
 herit the earth ; and they that ... cut off— the 
 ground of the penniless destitution of "the 
 wicked," and of the abundance possessed by "the 
 righteous," whereby he can "give" as his "mercy" 
 prompts him (v. 21). 
 [D] 23. The steps of a (good) man. The Hebrew 
 for 'a man' is literally a hero, a valiant man. 
 So "valiant for the truth," Jer. ix. .3. Cf. with 
 the sentiment, 1 Sam. ii. 9. he delighteth in his 
 way — therefore it cannot but prosper, as in 
 Josex)h's case (Gen. xxxix. 2-6, 21-23 ; Prov. xvi. 
 7). 24. Though he fall ... for the Lord . . . 
 with his hand— in answer to the objection that 
 one sees the godly often low in the world; granted 
 —but the Lord will not let him remain so. Je- I 
 181 
 
 hovah takes him by the hand, and raises him again 
 (Job V. 19; Prov. xxiv. 16; Mic. vii. 8). So 
 spiritually, whatever falls the believer may have 
 tnrough his own weakness and corruption, and 
 Satan's subtlety, the Lord ' having begun a good 
 work' in him, "will perform it until the day of 
 Jesus Christ" (Phil. i. 6). A beautiful type of 
 this is Christ's stretching forth His hand to catch 
 and save Peter from sinking in the waves (Matt, 
 xiv. 31 ; also Luke xxii. 31-34 ; cf. 1 Sam. xxiii. 16). 
 [:] 25. I have been young . . . righteous forsaken 
 —i. e., forsaken utterly (cf. v. 28). He comprises 
 all ages in the ideal character that speaks as a 
 father would address his children, nor his seed 
 begging bread— i. e., continuously. Temporarily 
 David had in his destitution begged sustenance 
 from the rich Nabal. The very object of the psalm 
 is to counteract the temptation to fretfulness at 
 the temporary wants of the godly. But, alike in 
 the Old and the New Testaments, the godly are 
 exempt from permanent abandonment as to the 
 needs even of this life. He who commands us to 
 pray, Give us this day our daily bread, will not 
 mock His children by withholding that which He 
 Himself has encouraged them to ask, with the 
 implied promise that He will grant it. He does not 
 raise hopes only to disappoint them. They who 
 make heaven their end will not be allowed to want 
 any necessary on the way (Matt. vi. 33 ; Ps. Ixxxiv. 
 11 ; Rom. viii. 28, 32). 26. He is ^ever merciful, 
 and lendeth — 'all the day' (Hebrew, for "ever"). 
 He hath at once the will and the power to be 
 liberal (cf. v. 21), 
 
 [D] 27. Depart . . . for evermore — e, and so 
 shalt thou dwell for evermore. A promise similar 
 to vv. 3, 11. So the fifth commandment, "that 
 thy days may be long in the land which the Lord 
 thy God giveth thee." 28. For the Lord loveth 
 judgment. On account of His essential justice 
 ("judgment") the Lord cannot 'forsake' finally 
 His saints {v. 2,5). they are preserved for ever— 
 (John X. 28, 29; xvii. 11; 1 Pet. i. 5.) 29. The 
 righteous . . . dwell therein for ever— (v. 27, last 
 clause, note.) The full realization of the promise 
 shall be in the 'new heavens and the new earth, 
 wherein shall dwell righteousness' (2 Pet. iii. 13; 
 Rev. xxi. 1-6). 
 
 Ls] 30, 31. The mouth . . . and his tongue . . . 
 Judgment. The law ... his heart . . . shall slide. 
 As previously he has mentioned the consolations 
 
The short-lhed prosperity 
 
 PSALM XXXVII. 
 
 of the wicked. 
 
 And his tongue talketh of judgment. 
 
 The law of his God is in his heart ;— none of his ^ steps shall slide. 
 The wicked watcheth the righteous —and seeketh to slay him. 
 The Lord will not leave him in his hand. 
 Nor "^condemn him when he is judged. 
 Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, 
 And he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: 
 When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it, 
 
 I have seen the wicked in great power, 
 And spreading himself like ^"a green bay tree. 
 
 36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not; 
 Yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. 
 
 37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright : 
 For ^the end of that man is peace. 
 
 38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: 
 The end of the wicked shall be cut off. 
 
 39 But ^the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord; 
 
 31 
 
 32 
 33 
 
 34 
 
 35 
 
 I » Or, goings. 
 
 "*Ps. 109. 31. 
 
 10 Or, a 
 green tree 
 that grow- 
 eth in his 
 own soil. 
 
 " Job 1. 1. 
 Job 42. 12. 
 Isa. 32. 17. 
 Isa 57. 2. 
 Luke 2. 25- 
 29. 
 
 Acts 7. 59- 
 
 ot" the godly, so now, lest any should approi)nate 
 these without beinp; the kind of person for whom 
 they were intended, he proceeds to describe the 
 character of the godly. He does so in the three- 
 fold aspect presented in the decalogue : the words 
 of the "mouth" and "tongue;" the actions, or 
 "steps :" between these two, the heart, the centre 
 of all. speaketh wisdom {j/ehgeh)— lit, meditates 
 wisdom. His utterances are wisely considered before- 
 hand. "Wisdom" of speechand goodnessoi speech, 
 in the Scripture view, are one, even as sin and folly 
 are one (Matt. xii. 35). As the first clause is 
 'righteousness' towards one's neighbour, and the 
 second piety towards "6W"and His "Zat(;,"so 
 the third, "none of his steps shall slide," is one's 
 duty towards one^s self. He shall never become an 
 utter backslider in his personal outward w^alk, nor 
 shall he want "wisdom (of speech) towards them 
 that are without" (Col. iv. 5, 6), because "the 
 law of his God is in his heart," according to Dent, 
 vi. 6. The Holy Spirit writes it in his heart (Heb. 
 viii. 10). This was the secret of Messiah's holiness 
 of word and deed (Ps. xl. 8). In proportion as 
 the believer has "the law of God within his 
 heart" he, too, will be holy (Ps. i. 2, 3; cxix. 11). 
 [1'] 32, 33. The wicked— (Luke xi. 53, 54; Ps. x. 
 8. ) Tlie Lord will not leave, &c. The question at 
 issue between the wicked and the righteous is as 
 a suit at law, wherein God is judge. God will not 
 give the issue against the godly— lit., {will not) 
 class him tvith the ivicked ' {yarshihenu) (Ps. cix. 
 7, marg.; 31). When the Christians were exiled 
 under the Emperor Adrian, Tertullian comforted 
 them by sayiug, ' If we are condemned by the 
 world, we are acquitted by God.' [p] 34. Wait on 
 the Lord— returning to the truth in w 7. and 
 keep his way— the w^ay which His Word pre- 
 scribes, when the wicked . . shalt see it. As 
 now thou hast to take the truth of God's Word 
 on faith, so hereafter shalt thou know it by sight 
 (Ps. Iviii. 10 ; Isa. Ixvi. 24). So the Israelites saw 
 the Egyptians dead u])on the sea-shore (Exod. 
 xiv. 30). 
 
 [-1] 35. I have . . . great power—' in fc/rmiddble 
 power' [I'ny] (cf. Job v. 3). spreading . . . green 
 bay tree— rather, ' as a green (tree) that groweth in 
 his own soil ;^ indigenous; one not yet transplanted, 
 and therefore flourishing with the vigour of its 
 native soil [nni^^]. A native Israelite, with all the 
 privileges, temporal and spiritual, of such ; not a 
 foreigner ; yet all the while a wicked man. The 
 possessions of an indigenous Israelite could not be 
 
 alienated : he was free from oppression by usury ; 
 his children could not want, since the nearest 
 relative was always bound to help them. Such 
 a one seemed the farthest removed from ruin, 
 guarded as he was with privileges. 36, he passed 
 . . . was not. One could scarcely believe one's 
 eyes, that such a flourishing sinner could so 
 quickly and so utterly perish. Such was the 
 fate of Saul. \p} 37, 38. Mark . . . (man) ... for 
 the end of (that) man (is) peace. As there is no 
 Hebrew for "that" before "man" [not but 
 most critics translate (cf. v. 11, "the meek 
 . . . abundance of peace "), For there is an here- 
 after (i. e., a blessed future) to the man of peace 
 (contrast v. 38), including not only the future after 
 death, but often, as in Job's case (Job xlii.), a pro- 
 longation of his days even here, after intermediate 
 trials; whereas "deceitful men shall not live out 
 half their days " (Ps. Iv. 23). The Hebrew [nnn.i<] 
 for "end" means "the latter end" (Job xlii. 12), 
 'the flnal issue ' or ' reward.' So Prov. xxiii. 18, 
 "For surely there is an end {marg., reward), and 
 thine expectation shall not be cut ofl'." The 
 Syriac, Vulgate, LXX., Ethiopic, and Arabic 
 translate, 'For there is something that remains {a 
 good end, Syriac) to the man of peace.' Probably 
 in this general expression, 'something that re- 
 mains ' is included, as in the term " residue " 
 (Ezek. xxiii. 25), the promise of posterity to the 
 godly, as in Job's case (Job xhi. 12, 13; Ps. cix. 
 13; Dan. xi. 4; Jer. xxxi. 17). However, in v. 23, 
 "a man" is used for 'a good man ;' i. e., a man such 
 as has been described; and the good term for "man " 
 {ish) is used. Moreover, the Chaldaic supports 
 the English version. The version in the ' Church 
 of England Prayer Book' is Bishop CoverdaWs — 
 ' Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that 
 is right, for that shall bring a man peace at the 
 last ' — lit. , for ' (it is) i-)eace to a man at the last.^ 
 But the emphatical 'that' or 'it' (?. e., such a 
 course) would then have been in the Hebrew^ 
 From the parallel (Prov. xxiv, 14, 20), based on 
 this passage of David's psalms, I prefer the Eng- 
 lish version, but take "end" as Hhe ultimate 
 reward.^ Thus the parallelism to v. 38 is main- 
 tained, ' The idtimate reward appertaining to [^] 
 (such) a man is peace ; but ' the ultimate expecta- 
 tion of the wicked (the only reward, as their end., 
 which they look to: acharith) is cut ofiF.' Peace 
 contrasts in parallelism to cut off. [i] 39, 40. The 
 Hebrew copula []] before the last letter of the 
 
David's prayer 
 
 PSALM XXXVIII. 
 
 in affliction. 
 
 He is their ^ strength in the time of trouble. 
 40 And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them : 
 He shall deliver them from ^ the wicked, 
 And save them, '"because they trust in him. 
 
 PSALM XXXVIIL 
 
 A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance. 
 
 1 0 Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath : 
 Neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. 
 
 2 For thine arrows stick fast in me, — and thy hand pressetli me sore. 
 
 3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; 
 Neither is there any ^rest in my bones because of my sin. 
 
 4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head ; 
 As an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 
 
 5 M}^ wounds stink and are corrupt — because of my foolishness. 
 
 6 I am ^troubled; I am bowed down greatly; 
 I go mourning all the day long. 
 
 7 For my loins are filled with a "loathsome disease; 
 And there is no soundness in my flesh. 
 
 8 I am feeble and sore broken : 
 
 I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart'. 
 
 9 Lord, all my desire is before thee ; — and my groaning is not hid from thee. 
 10 My heart ''panteth, my strength faileth me : 
 
 As for the light of mine eyes, it also ^is gone from me. 
 
 P Ts. 9. 9. 
 
 Fs. 46. 1. 
 
 Ps. 91. 15. 
 
 Isa. 33. 2. 
 
 Col. 1. 11. 
 
 ] Tim. 4. 17. 
 9 Fs 17. 13. 
 
 Ps 27. 2. 
 
 lJohn2.13, 
 14. 
 
 1 John 5. 18. 
 1 Chr. 5. 20. 
 Ps. 22. 4, 
 
 5. 
 
 Dan. 3. 17. 
 Dan. 6. 23. 
 
 PSALM 38. 
 
 1 peace, or, 
 health. 
 
 2 wearied. 
 
 * 2 Chr. 21.18. 
 19. 
 
 Job 7. 5. 
 Job 30. ]8. 
 Ps. 41. 8. 
 Acts 12. 23. 
 ^ Ps. 42. 1. 
 Ps. 119. 81, 
 83. 
 
 3 is not with 
 me. 
 
 alphabet connects this strophe with all that pre- 
 cedes, as its summary. 
 
 PSALM XXXVIII. The Title.— k Psalm of 
 David, to bring to remembrance — L e., to bring 
 to God's remembrance the seemingly forgotten 
 suppliant. That it supposes sorrowful supplication, 
 appears from its being the title also of Ps. Ixx., 
 wiiich is characterized by the same tone. Akin to 
 this phrase is the term "memorial" or remem- 
 hrance offer inij ['"TJim] (Lev. ii. 2, 9, 16; cf. Ps. 
 cxli. 2 ; Ptev. yiii, 4 ; Acts x. 4 ; Isa. xliii. 26 ; Ixii, 
 6, mar^.), designed to bring God to remember His 
 people (His Word graciously stooping to our human 
 conceptions). The memorial offering was that part 
 of the meat ofifenng which was burned with frank- 
 incense ujion the altar, and of which the sweet 
 smell ascended to heaven (Gen. viii. 21). Vv. 1-22. 
 — lie deprecates JehovaNs hot displeasure (v. 1); 
 his three-fold plea, his suffering in flesh [vv. 2-8) ; his 
 outward assaults hy enemies^ and desertion hy friends 
 {n\ 9-12) ; his patience, sorrow for sin, and hope in 
 Jehovah, as his resource against those who render 
 evil for good {vv. 13-20) ; concluding prayer {vv. 21, 
 22). 
 
 1. 0 Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath— 
 
 against "mine iniquity" {v. 18). The fact that 
 there is no suffering without "sin," and that 
 affliction is the expression of God's "wrath" 
 against our sin, gives the peculiar sting to the 
 believer's pain. His sins now rise before him with 
 a blackness such as he never saw in them in yjast 
 times of ease. His enemies seem as so many 
 executioners of God's judicial displeasure. The 
 fiutfering which the believer could have patiently 
 borne otherwise, when viewed in this light, pros- 
 trates him alike in body and soul. 
 
 2. The plea of His prayer ; he is now arrived at 
 such a crisis of anguish, and restlessness of body 
 and mind, that God cannot but interpose to save 
 from destruction His jjraying child. For thine 
 arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth 
 me sore. The same Hebrew {nachath) is trans- 
 lated differently in the two clauses. The common 
 
 183 
 
 idea in both is downward pressure. Cf. as to the 
 "arrows" — i. e., the chastisements of sin sent by 
 God — Job. vi. 4 ; Dent, xxxii. 23. As to the heavy 
 pressure of God's hand, cf. Ps. xxxii. 4; xxxix. 
 10. 
 
 3. neither is there any rest {shalom; peace or 
 soundness) in my bones, because of my sin. He 
 recognizes in his suffering the exj)ression of God's 
 anger at his sin. The imagery is repeated in Is?, 
 i. 6, 6. 4. For mine iniquities are gone over 
 mine head — like waves ov^er a drowning man (Ps. 
 xlii. 7; cxxiv. 4, 5; cf. xl. 12). as an heavy bur- 
 den they are too heavy for me. But they are 
 not "too heavy" for Messiah, who, as the Sin- 
 bearer Himself, gives rest to the heavy laden (Matt, 
 xi. 28; Isa. liii. 4, 6, 11). 5. My wounds . . . are 
 corrupt {na7naquu)— lit., melt away, because oi 
 my foolishness — perverse sin. The sinner is a 
 fool, and errs not merely against God, but against 
 his own soul (Ps. xiv. 1 ; Ixix. 5 ; Prov. viii. 36). 
 6. I am troubled — Hebrew {\ivah), mCaveethi — 
 lit., '/ am made to ivrifhe;' 1 am in contortions. 
 In Isa. xxi. 3 it is translated, "I was bowed down " 
 —viz., with xtain. 7. For my loins are filled 
 with a loathsome disease {niqueleh)— lit., ivith 
 vileness; 'ignominy' {Jerome)— i. e., with such a 
 loathsome disease as exposes me to mockings. 
 So the LXX., Vulgate, Ethiopic, and Arabic. 
 But the Chaldaic, ' with burning,'' as the He- 
 brew often means (cf. Ps. cii. 3). But the loins are 
 not the seat of burning fever usually. Hengsten- 
 berg translates, ' are ftdl of the driexV — i.e., are 
 quite dried up, instead of being ^^full of fat," as 
 "the loins" are in the healthy (Job. xv. 27). The 
 English version is simplest. 8. I have roared by 
 reason of the disquietness of my heart. The 
 bodily cry of tlie sufferer is the outward voice of 
 his s])iritual and inward anguish. 
 
 9. Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my 
 groaning is not hid from thee— thine omni- 
 science knows that I do not exaggerate my 
 wretchedness in order to move thy com])assion. 
 10. My heart panteth— palpitates, as for the 
 
David's prayer 
 
 PSALM XXXVIIL 
 
 in affliction. 
 
 11 My lovers and my friends * stand aloof from my *sore, 
 And ^my kinsmen stand afar off. 
 
 12 They also that seek after my life lay snares /or me; 
 And they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things. 
 And imagine deceits all the day long. 
 
 13 But I, as a deaf man, heard not; 
 
 And / was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. 
 
 14 Thus I was as a man that heareth not, 
 And in whose mouth are no reproofs. 
 
 15 For ^in thee, 0 Lord, '^do I hope: — thou wilt '^hear, 0 Lord my God. 
 
 16 For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me : 
 When my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me. 
 
 17 For I am ready ^to halt, — and my sorrow is continually before me. 
 
 18 For I will '^declare mine iniquity; — I will be * sorry for my sin. 
 
 19 But mine enemies ^are lively, and they are strong; 
 And they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. 
 
 20 They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries ; 
 •''Because I follow the thing that good is. 
 
 21 Forsake me not, 0 Lord : — 0 my God, be not far from me. 
 
 22 Make haste ^^to help me, — 0 Lord ^my salvation. 
 
 light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me— 
 
 lit., they also [are) not with me. The light of mine 
 eyes — nay, mine eyes themselves — are not with me 
 (Ps. xiii. 3, note; 1 Sam. xiv. 27, 29). The lack- 
 lustre eye betrays the failure of the vital power. 
 
 11. My lovers and my friends stand aloof 
 from my sore— /^7., 'stand over against my stroke.'' 
 At the very time when my affliction would have 
 required them to stand nearer and more steadily 
 by me than ever, they are afraid of the danger 
 that they would incur by seenjing to take part 
 with me. While the enemies are near, the friends 
 are far. So in the case of Messiah (Matt. xxvi. 
 56; xxvii. 55; Luke xxiii. 49; John xvi. 32). 12. 
 They also that seek after my life lay snarea 
 for me. Malice in deed, and they that seek my 
 hurt speak mischievous things. Malice in word. 
 and imagine deceits all the day long. Malice 
 in thought. 
 
 13. Not only the severity of his affliction, but 
 also, as he here shows, his manner of hearing it — 
 viz. , silently and patiently— is a plea for deliver- 
 ance. But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I 
 was as a dumb man that openeth not his 
 mouth. Instead of impatient self-justification, 
 whereby men take away the vindication of their 
 cause out of the hand of the Eighteous Judge, he 
 committed his cause to God {vv. 9, 15). His ene- 
 mies would give no candid hearing to the quiet 
 representation of his right; to speak in angry 
 excitement, under such circumstances, would not 
 persuade them, and would only injure his own 
 epirit. So when Shimei cursed David in his flight 
 from Absalom, and when Abishai wished to kill 
 the curser, the king replied, "So let him curse, 
 because the Lord hath said unto him. Curse David. 
 Who shall then say. Wherefore hast thou done 
 so?" So the antitypical David, Messiah (Isa. xlii. 
 2; liii. 7). 14. Thus I was as a man ... in 
 whose mouth are no reproofs— or, 'no contra- 
 dictions.' So when the children of Belial despised 
 Saul, saying, "How shall this man save us? he 
 held hispeace^^ — lit., ' he was as though he had been 
 deaf (1 Sam. x. 27). Above all, Messiah was silent 
 when reproached before the high priest (Matt, 
 xxvi. 62, 63), and before Pilate (John xix. 9). 15. 
 For in thee, 0 Lord, do I hope— the ground of 
 bis ]»atience. thou wilt hear, 0 Lord my God— 
 ' thou wilt answer f I must therefore not forestall 
 
 * Luke 10.31. 
 « stroke. 
 
 » Or. my 
 neigh- 
 bours. 
 
 « Or, thee 
 do I wait 
 for. 
 
 " Jer. 1 '. 8. 
 Jer. 50. 7. 
 
 f Or. 
 answer. 
 
 8 for 
 halting. 
 Ps. 35. 15. 
 
 i Ps. ■^2. 5. 
 Pro. 2=!. 13. 
 
 • 2 Cor. r. 9. 
 
 9 being 
 living, are 
 strong. 
 
 / ) John 3. 12. 
 
 10 for my 
 help. 
 
 ' Ex. 15. 2. 
 laa. 12. 2. 
 
 thee. 16. For I said, (Hear me) lest (otherwise) 
 they should rejoice over me— or, 'For I speak 
 (thus to thee ; as stated in v. 15), lest,' &c. when 
 my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves 
 against me— i e., when any misfortune befalls me 
 (Ps. XXXV. 26). 17. For I am ready to halt— 
 perpetually I am all but so disabled as not to 
 stand upright and walk any more. So Ps. xxxv. 
 15, marg. I may well fear lest mine enemies 
 "magnify themselves against me" [v. 16). my 
 sorrow is continually before me— my pain is my 
 inseparable companion. 18. For I will declare 
 mine iniquity; I "will be sorry for my sin. The 
 bitterest drop in his cup of suffering is that he feels 
 his suflering is not undeserved ; affliction brings 
 to his vivid remembrance sins which he lost sight 
 of in prosperity. 19. But mine enemies are 
 lively, and they are strong. Whilst the suflFerer 
 is like one dead, through want of strength, his 
 enemies are full of life and strength, and they 
 that hate me wrongfully are multiplied— (Ps. 
 xxxv. 19.) Especially true of Messiah (John xv. 
 25). 20. They also that render evil for good 
 are mine adversaries ; because I follow the thing 
 that good is— The more "I follow" that which is 
 for their good, as well as the good of all men, the 
 more they hate me (Ps. xxxv. 12). What ought to 
 melt their hearts into love, only hardens them in 
 hatred. Cf. on the word "follow," &c., Heb. xii. 
 14 ; also Rom. xii. 18, 21 ; xiv. 19 ; Ps. xxxiv, 14, 
 " Seek peace, and pursue it" — viz., even though 
 it Jiee from, you. 
 
 Conclusion, summing up the prayer, Save me 
 speedily, forsaken as I am by man. 21, 22. 0 my 
 God, be not far from me. Make haste to help 
 me, 0 Lord, my salvation. The same voice as in 
 Ps. xxii. 19. Cf. also Ps. xxxv. 3. 
 
 PSALM XXXIX. -As Psalm xxxvii. is the 
 subsequent, calm meditation on the right demean- 
 our of the believer when persecuted by flourishing 
 sinners, s: Psalm xxxix. represents the agitation 
 of spirit to which he is tempted in the heat of 
 the conflict. Vv. l-\3.— David had resolved to 
 keep his tongue bridled while the wicked are before 
 him; but the fire, compressed for a time, at last 
 broke out in impatient murmurings because God 
 had made his life but an handbreadth (vv. 1-6) ; 
 return to believing hope {vfK 7-13) ; he acknowledges 
 that his sin is the catise of his suffering : as it is God's 
 
Damd!s care 
 
 PSALM XXXIX. 
 
 of his thoughts. 
 
 PSALM XXXIX. 
 
 To the chief Musician, even to " Jeduthun, A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 I SAID, I will *take heed to my ways, — that I sin not with my tongue : 
 I will keep ^my mouth with a bridle, — Vhile the wicked is before me. 
 
 2 I was dumb with silence ; — I held my peace, even from good ; 
 And my sorrow was ^ stirred. 
 
 3 My heart was hot within me; — while I was musing ''the fire burned: 
 Then spake I with my tongue, 
 
 4 Lord, make me to know mine end. 
 And the measure of my days, what it is; 
 That I may know ^ how frail I am. 
 
 5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth. 
 And *mine age is as nothing before thee: 
 
 Verily every man *at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. 
 
 6 Surely every man walketh in ^a vain show: 
 Surely they are disquieted in vain : 
 
 He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. 
 
 PSALM 39. 
 " lChr.16^1. 
 * 1 Ki. 2. 4 
 
 2Ki. 10. 31. 
 
 Pro. 4. 26, 
 27. 
 
 Heb. ?. 1. 
 
 1 a bridle, or, 
 nrnzzle for 
 my mouth. 
 
 Col. 4. 5. 
 
 2 troubled. 
 d Jer. 20. 9. 
 
 Eze. X 14. 
 
 3 Or. what 
 time I have 
 here. 
 
 Ps. 89. 47. 
 Ps. 90. 4. 
 2 Pet. 3. 8. 
 
 4 settled. 
 
 ^ an image. 
 
 doing ^ he will he dumb as to murmuring, whilst he 
 cries more than ever, begging, with tears, that God 
 vnll comfort him during his short sojourn on earth. 
 Title. —To the chief Musician, (even) to Jeduthun. 
 Here, and Ps. Ixxvii., and 1 Chr. xvi. 38, Jedithun 
 in the Hebrew [' for but usually Jedwthun. 
 The sons of Jeduthun had as their special oflSce 
 to " prophesy with the harp, to give thanks, and 
 to praise the Lord" (1 Chr. xxv. 1, 3). We must 
 not, then, with Geseniu^, explain here and Ps. Ixii. 
 and Ixxvii., title, 'upon an instrument,' or 'ac- 
 cording to a melody invented by Jeduthun.' 
 
 1. I said— I prescribed it to myself as a fixed 
 law. I will take heed to my ways — an expression 
 of David, found also in his charge to Solomon (1 
 Ki. ii, 4), The "ways" are one's whole course of 
 acting and speaking, that I sin not with my 
 tongue — by impatient murmuring against God, 
 and by doubting as to His righteousness and good- 
 ness in respect to me. In spite of his resolution 
 here, he fell into this sin subsequently [vv. 4, 5). 
 I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the 
 wicked Is before me— Hebrew, ' whilst still [n'li^?] 
 the wicked is before me;' whilst as yet the wicked 
 are not cut off, as Saul ultimately was, and as all 
 the ungodly hereafter shall be (Ps. xxxvii. 12, 35, 
 36). The sense is not, 'I will keep my mouth from 
 impatient speech, so as not to give my wicked 
 enemies occasion to triumph over my misfortune, 
 and over religion as an unreality, because of my 
 inconsistency' (v. 8; Ps. xxxviii. 16; xxxv. 26). 
 For he might have murmured, without doing so in 
 their presence. But here ' still,' or 'as yet,' marks 
 that what he fears is, ''lest whilst the wicked is yet 
 flourishing continually ''before him' (Ps. xxxvii. 35), 
 lie be betrayed thereby into impatient murmurings 
 against God. 2. I held my peace, (even) from 
 good — even from pleading before God with war- 
 rantable arguments. I said nothing as to the 
 goodness of my cause, in the conflict which mine 
 enemies had raised against me. Gejer takes it, Re- 
 moved far from all joy. So the Hebrew [pj 
 usually means, after verbs of silence, separation, 
 or distance from; not refraining from speaking 
 something. Ps xxviii. 1, note, 'Be not silent from 
 me;' i. e., removed from me. So Hengstenberg 
 translates, 'not for good' — lit., apart from good; 
 expressing tlie evil results of his forced silence 
 ne/jatively. and my sorrow was stirred — expresses 
 the same positively. But see v. 9 in favour of the 
 
 English version. 3. My heart was hot within 
 me; while I was musing the fire burned: then 
 spake I with my tongue— (cf. Jer. xx. 9.) On 
 "musing," cf. note, Ps. v. 1, 'meditation.' The 
 subject of his meditative musing was his sufferings 
 from the wicked. David was unable longer to 
 repress the pent-up fire from breaking forth into 
 hasty and fretful words. So Job at first, under 
 his trials, " sinned not with his lips, nor charged 
 God foolishly." At last "Job opened his mouth 
 and cursed his day " (Job i. 22 ; ii. 10 ; iii. 1). 4. Lord, 
 make me to know mine end, and the measure of 
 my days, what it is. Not a pious prayer such as 
 Ps. xc. 12, or as Ps. cxix. 84, but an impatient de- 
 mand to know when his life, which is co-extensive 
 (in his view) with his suffering, is to end. This 
 he follows up, in vv. 5, 6, with lamentations on the 
 shortness of life, a hardship aggravated, as he im- 
 patiently represents it, by the withholding of all 
 solid happiness from man during that short term. 
 This was the strain of Job's complainings also (Job 
 vi. 8-11; vii. 1-7; xiv. 1; xvi. 22). that I may 
 know how frail I B.m—lit., 'how failing I am' 
 ['^npl : Job xiv. 6, 'Turn from him, that he may 
 cease,^ marg. (the same Hebrew as here). The ob- 
 jections to the English version are, — the sense 
 requires not a pious prayer that he may be taught 
 his frailty, so as spiritually to profit by it. He 
 needed not to be taught that, for he knew it too 
 well, as he bitterly describes it in v. 5. Translate, 
 therefore, 'Let me know what ceasing I (am to 
 have);' when am I to cease from suffering and 
 from life together? 5. and mine age (note, 'the 
 world' — same Hebrew as "age" — Ps. xvii. 14) is 
 as nothing before thee — 'is as non-existence ' 
 (^Hengstenberg). "Before thee:" this appointment 
 proceeds from thee, verily every man at his best 
 state is altogether vanity — Hebrew, ''only all 
 vanity is every man constituted ' Constituted 
 (by the Creator) answers to the previous "thou 
 hast made," and "before thee;" i. e., by thine ap- 
 pointment. All men are constituted as only an 
 all of vanity. Selah — giving time for a pause (as 
 Selah means) to meditate over the mournful 
 nothingness of life. 6. Surely every man walketh 
 in a vain show— Hebrew, 'only as a shadow walk- 
 eth man ' (or ' as an unreal image ') [the 2 mai-ks 
 that this is his essential character— in an image] 
 (Ps. cxliv. 4; Job xiv. 2). surely they are dis- 
 quieted la vatn—what they so restlessly strive 
 
^he hremty and 
 
 PSALM XXXIX. 
 
 vanity of lift 
 
 1 And now, Lord, what wait I for ?— my hope is in thee. 
 
 8 DeHver me from all my transgressions : 
 Make me not the reproach of the foolish. 
 
 9 I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; — because thou didst it. 
 
 10 Remove thy stroke away from me :^ 
 
 I am consumed by the ^blow of thine hand. 
 
 11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, 
 Thou makest ''his beauty to consume away like a moth : 
 Surely every man is vanity. Selah. 
 
 12 Hear my prayer, 0 Lord, and give ear unto my cry; 
 Hold not thy peace at my tears : 
 
 •'^iPor I am a stranger with thee, — and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. 
 
 13 ^Oh spare me, that I may recover strength, 
 Before I go hence, and '^be no more. 
 
 6 conflict. 
 ^ tbat which 
 
 is to be 
 
 desired in 
 
 him to 
 
 melt away. 
 / Lev. 25. 2 :. 
 
 1 Chr.-2!J.1>. 
 Ps. 119. 19. 
 
 2 Cor. 5. 6. 
 1 Pet. 1. 17. 
 1 Pet. 2. 11. 
 
 f Job 10. 20, 
 21. 
 
 Job 14. 5, 
 6. 
 
 Job 14. 10- 
 
 12. 
 
 after is vain. The Hebrew for "disquieted" (ye- 
 hemayun) is 'they make a hustle'' about a thing 
 (cf. Liike X. 41), he heapeth up riches, and knoweth 
 not who shall gather them— i e., who shall enjoy 
 them. The former verb [i?^] expresses the reap- 
 ing, binding in sheaves, and heaping in the field; 
 the latter [qpK] expresses the removing from the 
 field, and laying tip in harm. Cf. the case of the 
 rich fool (Luke xii. 17-20). 
 
 7. And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope 
 is in thee. Here the true spiritual man resumes 
 the ascendancy, after the temporary outbreak of 
 impatience emanating from the old Adam. The 
 flame of true love is easily re-kindled. The "now " 
 draws the inference from what precedes. 'Since 
 thou, 0 Lord, hast constituted life so transitory, 
 and at the same time so miserable M'hilst it lasts.' 
 The question "what wait I for?" implies that man 
 must Jiave some hope. Then follows the answer- 
 not what nature would suggest, nor what we 
 might have expectetl after liis unbelieving com- 
 plaints. Faith breaks forth from the mists of 
 sense, which had shrouded him, and saith, "my 
 hope is in thee." 8. Deliver me from all my 
 transgressions— alike from their guilt, power, and 
 penalty ; especially from being delivered up to 
 mine enemies (cf. next clause), make me not the 
 reproach of the foolish. This is the "stroke" of 
 God which he dreads {v. 10). He hath 'the wicked 
 still before him' {v. 1, note), but his language 
 shows that he now feels his "transgressions" to be 
 the true cause of his sufierings, not any harshness 
 or unrighteousness in God, such as he had hereto- 
 fore complained of. 9. I was dumb, I opened not 
 ray mouth ; because thou didst it. The sense is 
 *I am become dumb (as to complaints against 
 God); I open not my mouth; because thou hast 
 done it.' Not that David ceases to speah inp^'ayer 
 for deliverance from enemies, but he no longer opens 
 his mouth i%eomplai7its against God. His silence, 
 in the latter respect, is not the constrained one 
 which he had at first vainly attempted [vv. I, 2), 
 wherein he kept from utterance the then prevalent 
 promptings or his impatience, but the reverent 
 silence of one who justified God in His dealings, 
 and therefore instinctively repressed the ebulli- 
 tions of the old man, whilst he gave free vent to 
 right prayers. This justifies the English version 
 (v. 2), "I held my peace, (even) from .^oofZ" (words). 
 *Tiiou hast done it' is a sufficient justification of 
 whatever affliction the believer suffers. Our God 
 and loving Father can do nothing unwise, unrigh- 
 teous, or unkind to His children. So Aaron "held 
 his peace" when fire from the Lord slew his sons, 
 Nadab and Abihu (Lev. x. 1-3). So Job (xl. 4, 5) 
 renounced his previous impatience: "Behold, I 
 
 am vile: what shall I answer thee? I will lay 
 mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken ; 
 but I will not answer : yea, twice ; but I will pro- 
 ceed no further." So David, when cursed by 
 Shimei, said, " So let him curse, because the Lord 
 hath said unto him, Curse David" (2 Sam. xvi. 10). 
 
 10. Remove thy stroke— (mnri;., Ps. xxxviii, 11.) 
 
 11. When thou with rebukes "dost correct man. 
 God's word of 'rebuke' is equivalent to punish- 
 ment in act; for His Word effects His will, thou 
 makest his beauty to consume away like a moth— 
 i. e., like as a moth consumes a garment, however 
 beautiful heretofore, so that it is fit neither for 
 ornament or use, so God makes to consume (lit., 
 dissolves) man's beauty {rhamiulo)—lit., 'all that 
 is desirable in or about him.' surely every man 
 is vanity — Hebrew [ak). 'only [i. e., nothing but) 
 vanity is every man.' He uses the same plea as 
 in V. 5, end, but in a different spirit. There it was 
 a complaint a/jainst God, here it is a humble appeal 
 to move His compassion. The same words mean a 
 very different thing, according to the spirit in 
 which they are spoken. 12. Hear my prayer, 0 
 Lord . . . hold not thy peace at my tears— the 
 petition. The ground on Mhich it rests follows, 
 for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, 
 as all my fathers were. Tears move us instinc- 
 tively to speak to the weeping one : much more do 
 they move the compassion of Jehovah ; as when 
 "the Lord saw "the widow of Nain in tears, "He 
 had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep 
 not." Ci. also John xx. 13. God puts His yjeople's 
 tears in His bottle, and writes them in His book 
 (Ps. Ivi. 8), and will at last wix)e them all away 
 (Isa. XXV. 8). The Psalmist's absolute dependence, 
 as man, like his fathers before him, on the com- 
 passion of God, on whose earth he lives as a mere 
 ' stranger and sojourner,' is his plea that his prayer 
 may be heard. So Abraham to the sons of Heth 
 (Gen. xxiii. 4). Cf. Gen. xlvii. 9 as to Jacob. God 
 declared to Israel, "The land is mine, for ye are 
 strangers and sojourners with we" (Lev. xxv. 33), 
 to which David refers here. Jehovah was Lord of 
 the manor, and the Israelites were but sojourners, 
 permitted to stay with Him and enjoy the fruits, 
 which were His, so long only as He pleased. 
 There is an undesigned coincidence between the 
 words attributed to David in the history in a 
 different connection (1 Chr. xxix. 15), and his words 
 here in the psalm. 13. 0 spare mB—lit., 'look 
 away from me;' 'turn away (thy angry look) from 
 me' ["■p^'Ci that I may recover strength 
 [:i'23]— Zi^., 'that I may exhilarate (my countenance)' 
 {Hengstenherg). 'That I may recover my bright 
 look,' Avhen thou hast 'turned away from me' thy 
 stern look. Job was before the Psalmist's mind 
 
The benefit of 
 
 PSALM XL. 
 
 trust in God. 
 
 PSALM XL. 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. 
 
 I 1 WAITED patiently for the Lord; 
 And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 
 
 He brought me up also out of ^an horrible pit, — out of the miry clay, 
 
 And set my feet upon a rock, — and established my goings. 
 
 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, — -eten praise unto our God : 
 
 Many shall see it, and fear, — and shall trust in the Lord. 
 
 Blessed "'is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, 
 
 And respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 
 
 ^Many, 0 Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, 
 '^And thy thoughts which are to us-ward : 
 ^They cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee : 
 
 If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. 
 
 (Job vii. 19 ; x. 20, 21 ; also xiv. 6). ■before I go 
 hence, and be no more— (Job vii. 8, 21.) 
 
 PSALM XL. Vv. 1-17. — Messiah's new song 
 of thanksgiving for redemption accomplished in 
 His resurrection (Heb. x. 6-8). He represents 
 Himself as the end of all the typical sacriiices, 
 according to the volume of Scripture : doing 
 God's will perfectly, yet encompassed with man's 
 innumerable iniquities. Praise for past deliver- 
 ances [vv. 1-3) ; blessed is he who makes the Lord 
 his trmt, seeing that God^s works and thoughts 
 toward us are so wonderful {vv. 4, 5) ; he cometh to 
 do God's will, having God's laio in his heart, which 
 is the end of all saa'ifices {w. 6-8) ; he preaches 
 God's righteousness in the great congregation (vv. 
 9, 10) ; prayer for deliverance from countless foes in 
 His work [vv. 11-17). Psalm Ixx. repeats the latter 
 part. 
 
 1. I waited patiently for the Lord— Hebrew, 
 'waiting I waited,' implying continuous, patient, 
 and unwearied waiting on and for the Lord. 2. 
 Ee brought me up also out of an horrible pit— 
 lit, 'from a deep of roaring' The Hebrew [nsp 
 shaon, from a root, nNiK*', to roar like waves'] is 
 the same as in Isa. xvii. 12, "like the rushing 
 of mighty waters." As water does not 'roar' in 
 a "pit," we must understand, not a cistern, but 
 a vast deep cavity, into which roaring waters rush. 
 The "pit" is used of Sheol or Hades, Ps. xxviii. 
 1 ; cf. the XJarallel, Ps. Ixix. 2 ; Ps. xviii. 4, 16. 
 What shows that not a cistern i)it, but a deep 
 of roaring waters, is meant, is that "a rock" 
 stands in suitable contrast to the latter, but 
 would not do so to the former. Wa.steness, misery, 
 want, and howling sounds are all suggested by the 
 Hebrew word (cf. Deut. xxxii. 10). Messiah, in 
 His sufferings for us, had to bear the thunders of 
 the Divine justice against our sins, the horror of 
 the maledictory sentence of the law, the mockings 
 of men, and the bowlings of insulting demons, 
 out of the miry clay— tlie mud at the bottom of 
 the deep roaring waters (Ps. Ixix. 2). So Jeremiah, 
 the type, " sunk in the mire" at the bottom of the 
 dungeon of Malchiah, until he was drawn up and 
 taken out by Ebed-melech. and set my feet upon 
 a rock, and established my goings. " A rock" is 
 the image of security (Ps. xviii. 2, .33). Christ is 
 our Pi,ock, as the Father was His rock in the days 
 of His flesh. 3. And he hath put a new song 
 in my mouth — lit., 'He hath given a new song,' 
 &c. The theme of 'the new song,' though one in 
 essential substance, has many particular variations. 
 lledemi)tion is its theme. The song is led by 
 Christ, the Prince-leader of our salvation, and is 
 taken ujj by all the redeemed in common (Rev. i 
 
 5, 6; v. 9, 10). His deliverance from the grave, 
 and our consequent deliverance through Him, form 
 its subject, praise unto our God — ''our," not 
 merely ' my God : ' for " many" shall form the choir 
 which Messiah leads, many shall see it, and 
 fear, and shall trust in the Lord. See ^nd fear, in 
 the Hebrew, form a play on similar sounds 
 
 The ' sight' of God's deliverance of Christ, 
 first from sin and death, and then of Christ's 
 peoj^le through Him, their Saviour, shall create 
 reverent "fear" in many (Ps. lii. 4; cxxx. 4; Jer. 
 xxxiii. 9). That fear shall not be slavish dread, 
 but fear of offending One who showed His ab- 
 horrence of sin, and redeemed us from it at such 
 an awful cost, even the sacrifice of His only-be- 
 gotten Son ; therefore "trust" in Him is insepar- 
 ably joined to it. The deep internal connection of 
 seeing and fearing God in Christ is marked by tlie 
 paronomasia. 4. The inference from the gracious 
 deliverance vouchsafed by the Lord to Him (as 
 the Sufferer in confident faith foresees it will be). 
 Blessed is that man that . . . respecteth not the 
 proud — lit., 'turneth not himself to' them. So 
 Job xxxvi. 21, "regard not (Hebrew, 'turn not 
 thyself to') iniquity." Doth not go over to the same 
 party as "the proud," the opposite to those "that 
 make the Lord their trust." The latter are " poor 
 in spirit" and humble; and feeling their own 
 nothingness, make the Lord their sole confidence, 
 nor such as turn aside to lies— i e., such as 
 through self-conceit deviate from God, the true 
 object of trust, to all vain confidences (Kom. i. 
 21-23, 25). All else that man leans upon, beside 
 the living God, belies him with deceitful hopes — 
 idols (Jer. xvi. 9) and all creaturely dependencies 
 (Ps. Ixii. 9). 
 
 5. From his own deliverance he passes to those 
 vouchsafed to the people of God, not only to Israel 
 of old (2 Sam. vii. 22-24), but also to the spiritual 
 Israel, through the ' wonderfid work' of redemp- 
 tion, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward— 
 thy loving thoughts (Isa. Ixiii. 7; Jer. xxix. 11). 
 Contrast the thoughts of the wicked (Ps. Ivi. 5). 
 they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee— 
 rather, as the LXX., Vulgate, Arabic, Ethiopic, 
 and Syriac, ' there is nothing to be compared to 
 thee' [^"^t* X^v understand i before ll^v]. Cf. 
 Exod. XV. 11;' 2 Sam. vii. 22; Ps. Ixxxix. 6.' Thus 
 the Lord and His wonderful works for His people 
 are contrasted v^ith the "lies," or lying objects of 
 trust, whose works are fatal disappointment to 
 their votaries. The English version is good sense 
 — ' there is no ordering them unto thee;' i. e., one 
 cannot so recount them before thee as to praise 
 
Obedience the 
 
 PSALM XL. 
 
 best sacrifice. 
 
 6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire ; 
 Mine ears hast thou '^opened: 
 
 Burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. 
 
 7 Then said I, Lo, I come : — in the volume of the book it is *^ written of me, 
 
 8 I * delight to do'thy will, 0 my God :— yea, thy law is ^ within my heart. 
 
 9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation : 
 Lo, I have not refrained my lips, 0 Lord, •''thou knowest. 
 
 ♦ digged. 
 
 Ex. 21. 6. 
 <' Luke 24.44. 
 " John 4. 34. 
 
 Rom. 7. 22. 
 s in the 
 
 midst of 
 
 my bowels. 
 / Ps. 139. 2. 
 
 thee adequately. So the Chaldaic. Ps. cxxxix. 
 17, 18 is then parallel—" How precious are thy 
 thoughls unto me, O God ! How great is the sum 
 of them ! If I should count them, they are more 
 in number than the sand." 6. The second half of 
 the first part. vv. 6-10. The petitioner testifies that 
 he doeth God's will from the heart, not merely in 
 external forms. Sacrifice and offering thou didst 
 not desire. The Hebrew Zebach and Minchah 
 are respectively the bloody and the unbloody offer- 
 ings. The natural man vainly tries to compound 
 for obedience with sacrifice. Obedience of heart 
 and act, the moral duty, is the main thing, and is 
 the end for which the positive ordinance was in- 
 stituted. Where the sacrifice was the expression 
 of faith and obedience, there it was accepted; 
 otherwise it was valueless before God (cf. Ps. 1. 5, 
 8-14; li. 16, 17; Hos. vi. 65 1 Sam. xv. 22; Jer. vii. 
 22-24). In regard to expiation, what God desired 
 was not the blood of bulls and goats, but the 
 sacrifice which alone could put away sin— viz., 
 that of "Christ, who through the eternal Spirit 
 offered Himselj without spot to God" (Heb. ix. 13, 
 14; X. 4-10). mine ears hast thou opened— Zii., 
 'thou hast digged.^ The sense is, thou hast made 
 me willingly obedient; as in the passage of Jeremiah 
 just quoted, and in Isa. 1. 5, where also, as here, 
 Messiah is the speaker— "The Lord God hath 
 opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious." As 
 the way in which he testified his obedience was by 
 the assumption of a human body, the LXX. ver- 
 sion, which Heb. x. 5-10 gives inspired sanction to, 
 translate, 'a body thou hast prepared me' — lit., 
 \fitted for me"* \KaTi]pTi<TU) fioi]. See my note there. 
 The apostle brings out the deep sense latent in 
 the psalm. The ear is the member of the body 
 which symbolizes obedience. Hence the boring of 
 a bond-servant's ear was the token whereby he 
 signified his desire still to remain his master's 
 servant, when he might be free (Exod. xxi. 6; 
 Deut. XV. 17). So the Divine Word testified His 
 desire to become the Father's servant by volun- 
 tarily assuming a human body, in order to offer 
 the one only expiatory sacrifice which the Father 
 desired, and of which all other 'sacrifices' were 
 but shadowy types, having in themselves nothing 
 acceptable to God. God opened Messiah's internal 
 ear—i. e., framed Him as the sinless man, willing 
 to offer such a wonderful proof of obedience, 
 burnt offering and sin offering— here joined, be- 
 cause they had this in common, that neither were 
 partaken of by the offerer. 7. Then (az)— when 
 sacrifices and offerings, such as the Mosaic law 
 prescribed, were proved not to be what God de- 
 sired for the expiation of sin, or even for the per- 
 fect fulfilment of the law of obedience. Then, 
 " when the fulness of the time was come" (Gal. iv. 
 4). The Son was from eternity willing, but at His 
 advent He openly showed His willingness in act. 
 On His marvellous willingness, even unto death, cf. 
 Mark x. 32-34 ; Luke ix. 51. said I, Lo, I come. 
 Christ's voluntary coming into our fallen world is 
 the most perfect exhibition of the obedience to God's 
 will which was expressed in the words [v. 6), "Mine 
 ears hast thou oi)ened." Cf. also v. 8. in the 
 volume {bimegillath, roll ; from galal) of the book 
 188 
 
 it Is written of me. "The volume of the book" 
 is the roll of the Scripture, which contained the 
 Pentateuch. It was written from the earliest 
 time on prepared skins or parchment, which, when 
 not in use, was rolled round a wooden cylinder. 
 The absence of the article in the Hebrew is no 
 objection to the Pentateuch being meant; for tlie 
 phrase was understood by all Israelites as refer- 
 ring to the one grand statute-book, the magna 
 charta of their constitution, the Pentateuch, with- 
 out the article being neeaed. The Hebrew for 
 " book" [t.^cj implies a complete account of events ; 
 from saphar, to count. It marks that the sacred 
 writings form one whole. Like the term Scripture 
 [Fpacpri or ypa<f>ai], it is peculiarly applied to the 
 inspired writings. The Hebrew for "of me" is 
 literally 'upon,' or 'concerning [hv] me.' Luke 
 xxiv. 44 ; John v. 45, "Moses wrote of me." Heng- 
 stenberg translates, 'it is prescribed to me,'' as the 
 Hebrew, 2 Ki. xxii. 13 ; Josh. i. 7 ; 1 Ki. ii. 3. 
 Even so, the sense is not materially altered. 'I, 
 Messiah, come to fulfil all that the will of God, 
 expressed in the Pentateuch by predictions, pro- 
 mises, and types, has prescribed tome.'' What was 
 written 0/ Messiah before His coming, was virtu- 
 ally written to Him as His rule, since He came to 
 fulfil the law. The LXX., Vulgate, Chaldaic, 
 Syriac, and Ethiopic support the English version. 
 8. I delight to do thy will— (John iv. 34 ; vi. 38 ; 
 xvii. 4.) As the Son saith, "1 delight" to do the 
 Father's will, so the Father saith of the Son (Isa. 
 xlii. 1), "Behold my servant . . . mine elect, in 
 whom my soul delighteth." yea, thy law is within 
 my heart {mee'ai)—lit., 'in the midst of my 
 bowels,' or 'inward parts.' None but Christ 
 realized this perfectly. Old Testament believers, 
 in some measure, had the law in their heart (Ps. 
 xxxvii. 31 ; Deut. vi. 6; xxvii. 3; Pro v. iii. 3; vii. 
 3); yet the fulness of the Spirit, whereby the law 
 was written in the hearts of God's people (Jer. 
 xxxi. 33), was reserved for the times 01 the Gospel 
 of Jesus, in whose heart first, as man, the law was 
 perfectly written (Matt. v. 17 ; Rom. x. 4). Christ 
 alone fully reconciles the opposites (which would 
 be, as applied to a mere man like David, self-con- 
 tradictions) — 'delighting to do God's will,' and 
 having 'the law within His heart,' and yet encom- 
 passed with ' innumerable iniquities ' (not His 
 own, but ours, laid on Him by imputation). In a 
 le3s strict sense, the seeming opposites hold good 
 of the believer : Rom. vii. 22, 23, "I delight in the 
 law of God after the inward man: but I see an- 
 other law in my members warring against the law 
 of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the 
 law of sin'' 9. I have preached righteousness in 
 the great congregation. From the fulfilling of 
 God's will in deeds he passes to words. The He- 
 brew for "preached" [i^s] means to announce 
 good tidings, new and unheard before, as " Gospel'^ 
 means. So the LXX. translate here [evrjyyeXia-d- 
 firiv], and the Ethiopic. So in Isa. xl. 9; Ixi. 1. 
 The Syriac, Arabic, and Vulgate read, ' thy righ- 
 teousness.' The LXX., in most MSS., read, 'my 
 righteousness,' The believer's righteousness is not 
 his own, but Christ's imputed to him. The "righ- 
 
Prayer for deliterance 
 
 PSALM XL. 
 
 from countless foes. 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 10 I ^have not hid thy righteousness within my heart ; 
 I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation : 
 I have not concealed thy loving-kindness and thy truth from the great 
 congregation. 
 
 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, 0 Lord : 
 ^ Let thy loving-kindness and thy truth continually preserve me. 
 For innumerable evils have compassed me about : 
 *Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, 
 So that I am not able to look up : 
 They are more than the hairs of mine head; 
 Therefore my heart ^faileth me. 
 
 13 Be pleased, 0 Lord, to deUver me : — 0 Lord, make haste to help me. 
 
 14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together 
 That seek after my soul to destroy it ; 
 
 Let them be driven backward and put to shame — that wish me evil. 
 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame 
 That say unto me, Aha, aha ! 
 
 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee : 
 Let such as love thy salvation say continually. The Lord be magnified. 
 17 But I am •'poor and needy; — yet *the Lord thinketh upon me: 
 
 Thou art my help and my deliverer; — make ^no tarrying, 0 my God. 
 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 f Acts 20. 20. 
 Rom. 1. 16, 
 17. 
 
 Kom. 3. '.2- 
 2i. 
 
 Eom. 10. 3. 
 Phil. 3. 9. 
 h Ps. 23. 6. 
 Ps. 43. 3. 
 Ps. 57. 3. 
 Ps. 6!. 7. 
 Ps. 85. 10. 
 Heb. 5. 7. 
 
 • Ps. 38. 4. 
 Isa. 53. 6. 
 Luke 18.13; 
 
 14. 
 
 1 Pet. 3. 18. 
 6 forsaketh. 
 j Ps. 34. 6. 
 
 Ps. 39. 33. 
 Isa. 41. 17. 
 Matt. 8. 20. 
 
 2 Cor. 8. 9. 
 
 * Neh. 5. 19. 
 Jon. 1. 6. 
 
 1 Pet. 5. 7. 
 I Rev. 22. 20. 
 
 teonsness" of God is especially "declared" in 
 redemption (Dan. ix. 24; Rom. iii. 25, 26). The 
 law of God, violated by man, is therein vindicated 
 and magnitied by the Son of man (Isa. xlii. 21). 
 In relation to David, the type, "the righteousness 
 of God " consisted in God's having given to him, 
 as having a righteous cause, and to his enemies, 
 as havin* an unrighteous cause, their respective 
 dues. Messiah, David's Antitype, declares that 
 He not merely had the la,w of God within his heart 
 {v. 8), but that He proclaimed with His lips "righ- 
 teousness " in gren^mZ as the essence of that law; 
 then, in v, 10, he proceeds to appropriate that 
 "righteousness" as altogether and peculiarly 
 God's: 'Thy righteousness / hide not in my lieart,^ 
 in qualification of tlie previous, "thy law is within 
 my heart " (v. 8). Though within my heart, as its 
 inner seat, I do not hide it from outward mani- 
 festation to others. 10. I have not concealed thy 
 loving-kindness and thy truth from the great 
 congregation (Ps. xxii. 22, 25 ; xxxv. 18) — i. e., 
 from the fully-perfected congregation of the re- 
 deemed. Christ, by His ministers, declares the 
 salvation which has been purchased by Himself 
 unto the glory of the Father, to all who have been, 
 are, and shall be gathered into the Church. He 
 finally shall lead the praises of the Church per- 
 fected. This last He speaks of as if it were 
 alrecbdy accomplished, so certain is its fulfilment. 
 
 Second part. Prayer for deliverance, resting 
 upon the foundation laid in the first part. 11. 
 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, 
 0 Lord— even as / have not withheld (the Hebrew 
 verb, thikla, here is the same as in v. 9, "re- 
 frained") my lips from thy jjraises. The measure 
 of further "mercies" is proportional to the degree 
 of thankfulness for mercies already vouchsafed, 
 let thy loving-kindness and thy truth continu- 
 ally preserve me— even as "I have not concealed 
 thy loving-kindness and thy truth from the great 
 congregation " {v. 10). 12. For innumerable evils 
 have compassed me about : mine iniquities have 
 taken hold upon me— the aggregate of both the 
 sins of the whole world and their penal conse- 
 quences (Isa. UiL 4-6; Mark xv. 28; 2 Cor. v. 21). 
 Not only was He " compassed " all «i(ies with 
 countless "evils," but the mass of "iniquities" 
 189 
 
 was laid upon His head, so that I am not able 
 to look up — mine eye-sight fails me through 
 anguish (Ps. xxxviii. 10; Job xvi. 16). In the 
 parallelism, the first of this verse's four clauses 
 answers to the third, and the second to the fourth. 
 13, 14. Be pleased, 0 Lord, to deliver me . . . Let 
 them be ashamed and confounded together that 
 seek after my soul ... 15, 16. Let them be 
 desolate for a reward of their shame . . . Let all 
 those that seek thee rejoice ... let such as love 
 thy salvation say continually, The Lord be mag- 
 nified. There are here two pairs, with the same 
 petitions, in reverse order respectively. Vv. 13, 
 14, 'Deliver me . . shame them that seek after 
 my soul ;' w. 14, 15, ' Shame them ... let all those 
 that seek thee rejoice, and magnify thee for thy 
 salvation.' These iietitions constitute the main 
 body of the second part, and are introduced by 
 vv. 11, 12, and concluded by v. 17. "Those that 
 seek thee''' form a beautiful contrast to "them 
 that see^ after my soid.'' "Let them be desolate 
 for a reward of their shame"— i. e., for a reward 
 oj the shame with which they tried to load me. As 
 their conduct to me is a shame, so let shame and 
 desolation be their "reward" (cf. Ps. Ixx. 3). The 
 
 Hebrew hv] of "for a reward "is idiomatic, 
 meaning on account of. L. de Dieu, after LXX., 
 Vulgate, and Syriac, explains " shame" to be pas- 
 sive, not active— iAfi shame with which they are 
 overwhelmed, 'Let them bear (i. e., be desolated 
 with) their shame forthwith' (lit,, upon the heel, 
 as the Latin 'e vestigio'). I prefer the former 
 view, that say unto me, Aha, aha!— (Ps. xxii. 
 7, 8; xxxv. 21, 22.) Let all those that seek thee 
 rejoice . . . say continually, The Lord be magni- 
 fied— (Ps. xxxv. 27.) 17. But I am poor and 
 needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me— and 
 therefore will care for me (1 Pet. v. 7), and supply 
 my needs out of the riches of His grace. Cf. v. 
 5, "thy thouqhts which are to us-ward." make 
 no tarrying, 0 my God— (Ps. Ixx. 5.) God tarries 
 not a moment beyond the right time for interpos- 
 ing in His people's behalf (Hab. ii. 3 ; 2 Pet. iiL 9 ; 
 Luke xii. 45). 
 
 PSALM XLL Vv. X-Vi.— Ground of the Sufferer's 
 hope of deliverance, lie who is merciful to the 
 
God^s care 
 
 PSALM XLI. 
 
 of the poor. 
 
 PSALM XLL 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 BLESSED he that considereth ^ the poor : 
 The Lord will deliver him ^in time of trouble. 
 
 2 The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive ; 
 A nd he shall be blessed upon the earth : 
 
 And ^thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies, 
 
 3 The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: 
 Thou wilt * make all his bed in his sickness. 
 
 4 I said, Lord, be merciful unto me : 
 
 ''Heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee. 
 
 5 Mine enemies speak evil of me, — When shall he die, and his name perish ? 
 
 6 And if he come to see rm, he '^speaketh vanity : 
 
 His heart gathereth iniquity to itself ; — when he goeth abroad, he telleth it. 
 
 7 All that hate me whisper together against me : 
 Against me do they devise ^my hurt. 
 
 8 An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him : 
 And now that he lieth he shall rise up no more. 
 
 PSALM 41. 
 " Pro. 14. 21, 
 Mark 10.21. 
 Heb. 13. 16, 
 
 1 Or. the 
 weak, or, 
 sick. 
 
 2 in the day 
 of evil. 
 
 3 Or, do not 
 thou de- 
 liver. 
 
 Ps. 21. 12. 
 
 4 turn. 
 
 & Ps. 6. 2. 
 " Ps. 12. 2, 
 
 Pro. 26. 20. 
 
 Mic. 7. 5-7. 
 
 Luke 11.53, 
 64. 
 
 Luke 20. CO- 
 23. 
 
 6 evil to me. 
 * A thing of 
 Belial. 
 
 afflkled, shall ohtain mercy, lohen afflicted himself 
 {vv. 1-3) ; such is the case oj David 7iow, afflicted hy 
 enemies {vv. 4-9); so he prays for mercy ^^in his 
 integrity" and is assured of triumph before God^s 
 face for ever [vv. 10-12) ; Doxology {v. 13) ; the 
 Messianic interpretation is established by Christ 
 Mimself (John xiii. 18; of. v. 9). 
 1. Blessed is he that considereth the poor— 
 
 lit., 'that acts wisely toward the poor' ['7^3'»i'a] ; 
 i. e., who has a wise consideration and fellow- 
 feeling for their sorrows. To show mercy to our 
 fellowmen in suflFering is real wisdom; hardness 
 and unkindness is folly, as well as sin. This is 
 the ground on which David confidently expects 
 from God deliverance for himself, and a requital 
 of their own hard-heartedness upon his enemies. 
 Contrast vv. 5-9, their conduct towards him when 
 in distress, with 7iis conduct towards them when 
 they were so (Ps. xxxv. 13, 14). On this fact, 
 and the principle that ' with the merciful God 
 will show Himself merciful' {vv. 1-3; Ps. xviii, 
 25), David bases his confident prayer here. 
 ' When they were sick, I was merciful to them ; 
 now that I am sick, through their wearing malice, 
 show thou mercy to me, especially since they 
 show the opposite spirit to me in my suffering.' 
 The Hebrew for " the poor" [y^] implies one sick, 
 weak, or poorly off. 2. thou wilt not deliver him 
 unto the will of his enemies— viz., those enemies 
 {vi\ 5, 6) who ' come to gaze ' at his pain, eager 
 for his death. God will disappoint their malice 
 by raising him up {v. 10) contrary to all expecta- 
 tion. 3. The Lord will strengthen him upon 
 the bed of languishing— The Lord will sustain 
 him by supplying strength, consolation, patience, 
 &c. thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. 
 "Make"— lit., turn. The image is that of a most 
 tender nurse turning the bed of the patient, in 
 order that he may lie the more easily. The idea 
 meant is, God will mitigate the trial of the merci- 
 ful man in various ways, and change his position 
 of pain into one of tranquillity. The " bed" means 
 the state of the suflFerer. All his bed" means, 
 as often soerer as he is afflicted; and howsoever great 
 may be his affliction, (:;od completely assuages it. 
 
 Here tlie sufibrer, who can claim the promise of 
 inercy to the merciful {vr. 1-3), pleads before God 
 his distressed state, and tlie malice of his enemies, 
 as a ground for the in-omise being fulfilled now. 
 
 m 
 
 4. I said, Lord, be merciful unto me. The "I" 
 
 is emphatical in the Hebrew— 2. What I "said" 
 in general of the mercy promised in distress to 
 those who are merciful to others in their distress, 
 applies to me : it is / who thereby claim thy pro- 
 mise, "Lord, be merciful unto me." heal my 
 soul, for I have sinned against thee. David, 
 tlie type, rightly regards sufferings as designed by 
 God to bring sins to remembrance, that the sufferer 
 may confess his guiltiness, and seek healing of 
 soul, as the necessary preliminary to temporal 
 healing. The sufferings of the Antitype, Christ, 
 were the penalty of our sins, which He appropriated 
 as our Sin-bearer, 5. Mine enemies speak evil of 
 me, When shall he die, and his name perish? 
 Their malicious si)eeches affected his bodily health, 
 so that they hoped for his speedy death. 6. And 
 if he come to see me. "He"— e., the wicked 
 enemy, he speaketh vanity— e., he hypocriti- 
 cally professes love, his heart gathereth ini- 
 quity to itself. Or, as Hengstenberg, ' (As for) his 
 heart (all the time that his lips are hypocritically 
 professing to me love), he is gathering mischief 
 (i. e., matter for malicious calumnies against me) 
 to himself.' when he goeth abroad, he telleth 
 it — when he has gone out from me, he spreads 
 abroad the mischievous calumnies which he has 
 concocted at heart whilst with me. Cf. the exit 
 of the traitor Judas from the holy supper, the 
 divinely apjiointed pledge of love, to perpetrate 
 the foul treachery against his Lord (John xiii. 30), 
 " He then having received the sop, went immedi- 
 ately out.'' 7. All that hate me whisper together 
 against me. Cf. the last two clauses of v. 6, note. 
 8. An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto 
 TaXm—lit., 'a v)ord' or 'thing of Belial is poured 
 upon him.' Cf, as to Messiah, the Antitype, " We 
 did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and 
 afflicted'" (Isa. liii, 4), They insinuate that his 
 sickness is a judgment on him for his ungodliness. 
 It was the feeling that all suffering is the general 
 expression of God's displeasure against sin, which 
 gave peculiar poignancv to this assault, and even 
 affected his bodily health. So " a thing of Belial," 
 in Ps. ci. 3, stands f or " a t^/ci'6<i thing ; " cf . also 
 Ps. xviii. 4, marg. "Belial" means worthlessness. 
 Hammond takes it, ' a shocking calumny is fastened 
 on him.' and now that he lieth he shall rise 
 up no more. The enemies exult in their success 
 in calumniating him: by laying on their calumnies 
 
David longs to serve 
 
 PSALM XLII. 
 
 God in the temple. 
 
 7 the man 
 of my 
 peace. 
 Jer. 20. 10. 
 
 d Deut. 32.15. 
 Obad. r. 
 John V.l'^. 
 
 8 magnified. 
 ' Job 36. 7, 
 
 Fs. 34. 15. 
 Acts 2. 28. 
 
 9 Yea, ^mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, 
 
 ^ Which did eat of my bread, — hath ^lifted up his heel against me. 
 
 10 But thou, 0 Lord, be merciful unto me, 
 And raise me up, that I may requite them. 
 
 1 1 By this I know that thou favourest me, 
 Because mine enemy doth not triumph over me. 
 
 12 And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, 
 Aud ^settest me before thy face for ever. 
 
 13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel — from everlasting, and to everlasting. 
 Amen, and Amen. 
 
 PSALMS XLIL, XLIIL 
 
 To the chief Musician, ^ Mascliil, for the sons of Korah. 
 XLIL AS the hart ^panteth after the water brooks. 
 So panteth my soul after thee, 0 God. 
 
 thick, some stick. So, to their joy, he is brought 
 low, never, as they hope, to rise up any more, 9. 
 Yea, mine own familiar friend— ^(i., 'the man of 
 ! my peace ; ' he who saluted me with the kiss of 
 
 5?eace, as Judas did (Matt. xxvi. 49; cf. the type, 
 Ter. XX. 10). in whom I trusted, wMcli did eat 
 of my bread, hatli lifted up his heel against me. 
 Christ, in appropriating this to Himself, omits the 
 clause, "in whom I trusted," as applying rather to 
 David, the type, than to Himself. The phrase, 
 "did eat of my bread," is taken from the practice 
 of kings admitting honoured subjects to eat at their 
 table (2 Sam. ix. 11 ; xix. 33). Its awful realization 
 was when Judas was admitted to eat of the Lord's 
 supper. The lifting of the heel is an image from a 
 horse kicking at his master; cf. Acts ix. 5, end. 
 Ahitbophel, "David's counsellor" (2 Sam. xv. 12), 
 who deserted to Absalom, typifies Judas, as David 
 does Christ. Ahithophel's and Judas' end, as their 
 course, was alike (2 Sam. xvii. 23; Matt, xxvii. 5). 
 
 10. The prayer based on the foregoing represen- 
 tation begins the fourth strophe. But thou, 0 Lord, 
 be merciful unto me — resumed from v. 4, in 
 contrast to their unmercifulness {vv. 4-9). and raise 
 me up— disappointing their malicious hope, "he 
 shall rise up no more " [v. 8). that I may requite 
 them — not in personal revenge, but in vindication 
 of the honour of God, insulted in my person. True 
 typically of David (2 Sam. xix. 21-23; 1 Ki. ii. 8, 
 9, 37, 46, In his personal character David strictly 
 abstained from revenge (1 Sam. xxiv. and xxvi. ; 
 Ps. vii. 4; cf. Matt. v. ,39, 40; Prov. xx. 22). So 
 Christ, the Antitype (Luke xix. 27), as representing 
 the honour of God, and vindicating the cause of 
 His righteousness (2 Thess. i. 8), 11. Conhdent 
 anticipation of his prayer being heard, since the 
 cause and honour of God are at stake in his person. 
 By this I know that thou favourest me, because 
 mine enemy doth not triumph over me^lU., 
 ' doth not shout in triumph over me,' By faith he 
 treats the internal assurance of deliverance as if 
 it were an already-accomplished fact, and as the 
 token whereby he knows God's favour towards 
 him. 12. And as for me— in contrast to the 
 doomed "enemy" {v. 11). thou upholdest me in 
 mine integrity— i. e., on account of mine integrity; 
 on account of my i)ossessing that very character 
 w hich brings with it, as a matter of jjrace, not debt, 
 mercy from God {w. 1-3; Ps. xviii. 20-27). As 
 applied to the type, David, the "integrity " claimed 
 here is that of sincerity of aim after perfection, not 
 absolute perfection. For in v. 4 he pleads, "I have 
 sinned against thee." In the case of the Antitype, 
 Christ, the "integrity" is aKsolute; and the sins 
 not personal, but vicariously borne by imputation, 
 and aettest me before thy face for ever— as an 
 191 
 
 PSALM i2. 
 
 1 Or. A 
 Psalm 
 givii g ia- 
 structioa 
 of the 
 sons. 
 
 2 brayeth. 
 
 object of thy continual regard, watching over me 
 now (Ps. xxxiv. 15), and at last admitting me to 
 "behold thy face in righteousness" (Ps. xvi. 11; 
 xvii. 15; cf. also Ps. Ixxx, 3, 7, 19). To stand 
 continually before a king is to be his ministering 
 servant (1 Ki, x. 8). To minister before God is the 
 final end for which He saves His people, and this, 
 too, is their greatest happiness (Rev. xxii. 4). 
 
 13. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from 
 everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen. 
 Doxology, closing the first of the five books into 
 which the Psalter is divided. Each of the five 
 ends similarly, with a benediction in prose (Ps. 
 Ixxii. 18, 19; Ixxxix. 52; cvi. 48; cl. 6). At the 
 end of the whole 150 psalms, he gives praise in 
 thirteen Hallelujahs, as Eahhi Kimclii notes. It is 
 possible that David himself so closed his collection, 
 for he has nearly the same benediction, 1 Chr. xvi. 
 36. If not, at least it was from him that Ezra 
 (supposing that he arranged the Psalms as they now 
 stand) drew the Doxology with which he closed the 
 collection, just as the closing verses respecting 
 Moses' death were appended subsequently to the 
 Pentateuch of Moses. 
 
 PSALM XLIL— Psalms xlii. and xliii. form 
 one pair, and therefore have but one title, as 
 Psalms i. and ii. Vv. I II. — The Psalmist's pant- 
 ing after restoration to the sanctuary, from which he 
 has been excluded by God's judicial wrath: his tears 
 flow whilst his foes iavnt him with his being de- 
 serted by God. His past frequenting of God's house 
 with the thronging worshippers sadly contrasts with 
 his present exclusion. He rouses his cast-down soul 
 to hope in God {vv. 1-5) ; his depression returns; but 
 he looks for the loving -kindness of the Lord, and so 
 has the song of praise and prayer with him still, and 
 anticipates that he shall yet praise God as the health 
 of his countenance {vv. 6-11). 
 
 On Maschil see note on the title, Ps. xxxii. 
 The term implies the instruction designed not for 
 the individual Psalmist alone, but for the godly 
 in general, that they may be taught how to 
 behave wisely, especially under exclusion from 
 sT)iritual privileges and means of grace, for the 
 sons of Korah. The Hebrew expressing "for" 
 [7], or belonging to, marks the author or authors. 
 In the psalms written by the sons of Korah, 
 the name 'Elohim,' or God, is the favourite 
 one; whereas in the Psalms of David, whicli 
 compose the first book, Jehovah, or "the Lord," 
 is the prevalent name. The Korahites, or Kor- 
 hites, are mentioned as late as the time of 
 Jehoshaphat, as singers, so that their psalms seem 
 to have oeen productions of various ages. Still, 
 though the authorship of Psalm xlii, belongs to the 
 
David^s trust 
 
 PSALM XLII. 
 
 in God. 
 
 i2 My "soul thirsteth for God, for Hhe living God : 
 When shall I come and appear before God ? 
 
 3 My tears have been my meat day and night. 
 
 While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God ? 
 
 4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me : 
 
 For I had gone with the multitude; '^I went with them to the house of 
 God, 
 
 With the voice of joy and praise, — with a multitude that kept holyday. 
 
 5 Why art thou ^ cast down, 0 my soul ? 
 And why art thou disquieted in me ? 
 
 *^Hope thou in God; for I shall yet Upraise him 
 ^For the help of his countenance. 
 
 John 7. 37. 
 1 Ihes. 1. 9. 
 Isa. 30. 29. 
 bowed 
 d«wn. 
 Ps. 66. 3. 
 11. 
 
 Isa. 50. 10. 
 Lam. 3. 24. 
 Eom. 4. 18- 
 20. 
 
 Or. g've 
 thar.ks. 
 Or, his 
 presence is 
 salvation. 
 
 sons of Korah, it is David who speaks throughout; 
 and the occasion is plainly the time when he was 
 fleeing from Absalom, and was on the other side 
 of Jordan, as v. 6 implies. They regarded him as 
 head of their choral school. Cf. 2 Isam. xv. 24 on 
 the Levites' faithfulness to him. The Korahites 
 were appointed by him to lead the temple music 
 (cf. 2 Ohr. XX. 19 with 1 Chr. vi. 16, 22, 32; Num. 
 xxvi. 11). 
 
 1. As the hart panteth. The Hebrew verb is 
 feminine. The female is therefore meant — viz., 
 'the hind.' Her weakness aggravates her thirst, 
 after tlie water brooks— lit,, 'wjoo/i' them [S?] : the 
 desire hangs over, and rests upon its object, after 
 thee, 0 God— a different Hebrew preposition [^k], 
 Howards thee,' appropriately used oi David's de- 
 sire directed towards the sanctuary, where God 
 was wont to manifest Himself, but from which 
 the royal exile was now excluded. The hind is 
 supposed to be in a thirsty land where no water 
 is, just as David was without access to the chan- 
 nels of spiritual water at Jerusalem (Ps. Ixiii. 1 ; 
 cf. Joel i. 20). Under the Old Testament, though 
 access to God was not wholly denied away from 
 Jerusalem, yet the temple services were ordinarily 
 the chief means of devotion. Israel's church life 
 concentrated itself there, and the religious life of 
 the individual Israelite was greatly quickened by 
 the public communion in it; so that exclusion 
 from it was felt as a virtual excommunication. 2. 
 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God. 
 It is not a mere dead idol I thirst for, but the God 
 who has life in Himself, and imparts life to His 
 people (u. 8), " the God of my life." when shall I 
 conie. To be separated from such a God, even for 
 a time, seems the height of misery. Oh when 
 shall this terrible separation come to an end ? and 
 appear before God?— viz., in His sanctuary (cf. v. 4 ; 
 Ps. xliii. 3, 4); lit.^ 'appear before the faces of 
 God : ' the regular phrase (Exod. xxiii. 15, 17 ; 
 xxxiv. 24; Deut. xxxi. 11). There is included in 
 this the idea of restoration to God's favour, from 
 the manifestation of which he had been excluded 
 during his exile. Cf. Ps. xli. 12, "Thou . . . set- 
 test me before thy face for ever ;" Gen. iv. 14, 16, 
 *' Cain went out from the presence of the Lord " 
 (perhaps the cherubim at the east of Eden, the 
 symbol of God's presence). 3. My tears have been 
 my meat day and night— I cannot eat with sad- 
 ness. Instead of " meat," or food, tears are my 
 continual portion, as in Ps. Ixxx. 5 (cf. Ps. cii. 4 ; 
 Job iii. 24; 1 Sam. i. 7). while they continually 
 (lit., all the day) say unto me, Where is thy God ? 
 —What part hast thou in Him, seeing He casts 
 thee aM'ay from His sanctuary? (v. 10.) Though 
 this cavil of his enemies was not always sounding 
 in his bodily ears, yet it rang continually in the 
 ear of his soul ; for it found m his despondency, 
 and his self-accusing conscience, a true echo (2 
 192 
 
 Sam. XV. 25, 26). His exclusion from the sanc- 
 tuary he felt peculiarly painful, because it seemed 
 the mark of God's torath. Cf. Shimei's words, 
 " The Lord hath returned upon thee all the 
 blood of the house of Saul," &c. (2 Sam. xvi. 8; 
 also Ps. iii. 2; Ixxi. 11; cxv. 2). 4. When 1 
 remember these (things), I pour out my soul 
 in me: for I had gone with the multitude— 
 rather, 'I will purposely remember these things, 
 and will pour out my soul in (lit., upon, or with) 
 me.' For there is no proper contrast between 
 remembering the scornful question of the enemy (as 
 "these things" mean in the English version) and 
 the going with the multitude to the house of God. 
 "These things" mean his former happiness in being 
 privileged to take part in the ivorship of the sanc- 
 tuary (Ps. Iv. 14), in contrast to his present 
 exclusion from it. ' I will remember thee ' {v. 6) 
 thus explains 'I will remember these things' here. 
 The futures (and these with the paragogic n, which 
 expresses a deliberate effort, or striving) imply re- 
 peated and intentional recalling to the mind, and 
 pouring out of the soul. He purposely aggravates 
 his pain. In deep sorrow one s tendency is to call 
 up the remembrance of better times now gone, and 
 so to increase one's pain by brooding over the con- 
 trast (cf. Ps. Ixxvii. 3). With the phrase, "I pour 
 out my soul in (Hebrew, upon) me," cf. Job xxx. 
 16 ; Ps. xxii. 14. It implies, / will give loose rein to 
 all my sorrow. The use of the 'upon' [h^] ex- 
 presses that the soul is the ruling principle in man 
 {Koester in Hengstenherg). ( Jer. viii. 18, marg. ) I 
 went with them to the house of God— properly, 
 'I advanced with the solemn step of religious pro- 
 cessionists.' The Hebrew verb, eddaddeem, is 
 found elsewhere only in Hezekiah's prayer (Isa. 
 xxxviii. 15), "I shall go softly all my years." For 
 '^with them," translate, 'advanced before them' 
 as their leader ; I moved, with measured step, 
 heading them in procession to the house of God. 
 Cf. 2 Sam. vi. 5, 6. 14, 15. with the voice of joy 
 and praise — with such processional psalms as 
 were customary in going up to the sanctuary: 
 called ' songs of degrees,' or ' pilgrim songs,' (Ps. 
 cxx.-cxxxiv.) 
 
 6. Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul? and 
 why art thou disquieted in me ? He is affected 
 in a double manner: (1.) by dejection (Hebrew, 
 'bowed down'); (2.) by tumultuous, noisy restless- 
 ness {tehemi)— lit, disquiet like that of the roaring 
 sea (Ps. xlvi. 3 ; Jer. v. 22). His spiritual self 
 debates with his flesh in its unbelieving despond- 
 ency, hope thou in God — the remedy against the 
 weakness of the flesh, for I shaU yet praise 
 him (for) the help of his countenance. Faith 
 assures him that God will "help" him with "His 
 countenance/' and so will give him cause for 
 "praise." There is no "for" in the Hebrew: 
 1 the relation in which David will praise "Him" is 
 
David's trust 
 
 PSALM XLII. 
 
 in God. 
 
 6 0 my God, my soul is cast down within me : 
 Therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, 
 And of the Hermonites, from ^the hill Mizar. 
 
 7 Deep *calleth unto deep at the noise of thy water-spouts: 
 All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. 
 
 8 Yet the Lord will command his loving-kindness in the day-time, 
 And ^iu the night his song shall be with me. 
 
 And my prayer unto the God of my life. 
 
 in respect to "the help of (or rather, as the same 
 Hebrew is translated in v. 11, the health — lit., 
 plural, healths; saving healths; the manifold sal- 
 vation emanating from) His countenance." Salvo,' 
 tian is ascribed to 'the countenance of God,' as in 
 the Mosaic blessing, "The Lord make His face 
 shine upon thee . . . the Lord lift up His coun- 
 tenance upon thee, and give thee peace" (Num. vi. 
 25, 26). The countenance of God is turned to- 
 wards His servants, to bless them (Ps. xxxL 16; 
 xliv. 3). The LXX., Vulgate, and Syriac read, 
 'The health of my countenance, and my God,' 
 substituting 'my' for His, adding ^and,^ and join- 
 ing to this verse the words, "my God," of v. 6. 
 Thus they make this verse exactly the same as v. 
 1 1, and Ps. xKii. 5. But the Hebrew poets intro- 
 duce variations in repeating similar sentiments 
 (Ps. xxiv. 7, 9; xHx. 12, 20; Ivi. 4, 11 ; lix. 9, 17; 
 of. V. 2, "the living God," with v. 8, "the God of 
 my life;" u 9 with Ps. xliii 2). Moreover, the 
 address, "O my God" {v. 6), is needed to escape 
 the abruptness which would ensue by joining it 
 to V. 5, end. Above all, there is a beautiful 
 corresi)ondence between *^ His countenance" here 
 and " my countenance," v. 11. The health, or sal- 
 vation, goes forth from God^s loving countenance 
 upon the afflicted countenance of the Psalmist. 
 The light of God's countenance illuminates 
 the darkness of his countenance (H engstenherg). 
 Cf. 1 Sam. XXX. 6, as beautifully in undesigned 
 coincidence with the character of David as it 
 a;)pear3 in this psalm — "David was greatly dis- 
 tressed . . . but David encouraged himself in the 
 Lord his God." 
 
 The sixth verse is a prefatory summarv to the 
 following strophe of five verses {vv. 1 11). V. 7 
 is an expansion of the thought, " my soul is cast 
 down ;" vv. 8-10 expands 'I will remember thee.' 
 
 6. 0 my God, my soul is cast down within me. 
 David here follows out his own call to his soul to 
 'hope in God' {v. 5). Jonah evidently based his 
 prayer (ch. ii. 7) on the prayer of David : " When 
 my soul fainted within me I remembered the 
 Lord : and my prayer came in unto thee, into 
 thine holy temple." The great Antitype, Messiah, 
 in Matt. xxvi. 38 ("My soul is exceeding sorrow- 
 ful" — lit. , surrounded with sorrow; and John xii. 
 27, "Now is my soul trovfjled ' ), used the very words 
 wherewith the LXX. translate vv. 4. 5 [Trepi'XuTros 
 cI T] ^vYv fjiov [v. 5) ; and v. 6, v xl/uxn i^ov ei-ap- 
 o-xp-n- oo the Greek in Matt. xxvi. 38 and John 
 xii. 27]. therefore will I remember thee. It is his 
 consolation that he can still remember God, and His 
 past grace to him, even though he is excluded from 
 the temple of God. Whilst he ' remembers this ' 
 his exclusion {v. 4) with bitter pain, he can also 
 'remember God' to his soul's consolation. The 
 remycmbrance of the Lord counterbalances the re- 
 'rmmhrance, of the removal of past privileges, from 
 the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from 
 the hill Mizar. Translate, ' (from the land) of the 
 Hermons'— i. e., from the region beyond Jordan, 
 Hermon, in Ps. Ixxxix. 12, represents the trans- 
 jordanic region, as Tabor represented the Canaan- 
 ite side of Jordan. Not that David was exactly 
 VOL. III. 193 
 
 « Or. the 
 1 tile hill. 
 
 * Job 10. 174 
 
 Jeh 4. .0. 
 
 Eze. 7. 2S. 
 / Lev. :5.2I. 
 
 Deut. 38. 8. 
 
 J S. 44 4. 
 
 Ps. 133. 3. 
 f Ps. 32 7. 
 
 at Hermon, but he was in the transjordanic region 
 wherein 'the Hermons ' —i. e., Hermon and its 
 fellow-mountains — were; viz., at Mahanaim, north 
 of the Jabbok, upon the borders of Gad and 
 Manasseh (2 Sara. xvii. 24, 27; 1 Ki. ii. 8). The 
 transjordanic region was regarded as in a measure 
 separate from the Holy Land proper, as the trans- 
 action between Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh 
 on one side, and the rest of Israel on the other 
 shows (Josh. xxii. 1-29). The reference in "Mizar" 
 is to its meaning little. The name is regarded by 
 David as ominous of the locality where he is 
 exiled. The greatest of earthly elevations is but 
 little when compared with the moral elevation of 
 the Lord's hill of Zion (Ps. Ixviii. 15, 16). The 
 
 Greatest 'hide their diminished heads' before 
 ehovah (Ps. cxiv. 4, 6; Isa. ii. 2). 
 7. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy 
 "water-spouts — expansion of the first clause of v. 
 6, " My soul is cast down within me." One flood 
 of suffering invites another flood to pour itself on 
 the sufl"erer. "Thy water -spouts — lit, 'thy 
 water-channels' (2 Sam. v. 8). The imagery is 
 from the flood (cf. Ps. xxix. 10; xxxii. 6); again, as 
 then, "the windows of heaven" are opened (Gen. 
 vii. 11), the deluging cataract pours down by the 
 appointed courses with an awful roar. The "at" 
 ['?] expresses the cause of the rapid succession of 
 billows — viz., thy having let loose the roaring 
 cataracts (Job. xxxviii. 25, 26). all thy waves 
 and thy billows are gone over me. "Waves" — 
 lit., 'breakers.' This can only refer to the sea. 
 Therefore the view of Maurer, &c., is incorrect— 
 viz., that the imagery is drawn from the mountain- 
 Roods, in the hilly region beyond Jordan, where 
 David in exile was. Jon. 2, 3, 5 draws his language 
 from David here. 8. Yet the Lord will command 
 his loving kindness in the day-time, and in the 
 night his song shall be with me— in beautiful 
 contrast to v. 3, " My tears have been my meat 
 day and night." The two clauses mutually com- 
 plement one another, — " The Lord will command 
 his loving-kindness in the day-time (and so, since 
 experienced loving-kindness generates praise in 
 the recipient, his song shall be with me in the 
 day-time), and in the night His song shall be 
 with me" (even as He will command His loving- 
 kindness to be with me in the night). Cf. Ps. xcii. 
 1, 2. "By day and by night" God gives me His 
 consoling grace to counteract "my tears day and 
 night ;" so I am enabled by Him (such is the mean- 
 ing of "//is song") to exchange my tears for so)7gs 
 o/'29raMe both day and night. So Jobxxxv. 10, "God 
 my maker . . . giveth songs in the night." As a sample 
 of such a song, cf. Ps. xl. 3. So Paul and Silas in 
 the i)rison "sang praises unto God at midnight" 
 (Acts xvi. 25). and my prayer unto the God of 
 my life. Prayer follows naturally praise for lov- 
 ing-kindness received. W^e are likely then to pray 
 for further blessings most successfully when we 
 acknowledge most gratefully those already received. 
 The prayer itself is given in vv. 9, 10. He calls CJod 
 ' the God of his lire,' as being that character of 
 God which he prays now to be manifested in liis 
 behalf, since sorrow has brought him well-nigh 
 0 
 
David's trust 
 
 PSALM XLIIL 
 
 in God, 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast '^thou forgotten me ? 
 Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy ? 
 As with a ^ sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; 
 While they say daily unto me, Where is thy God ? 
 
 Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul ? 
 And why art thou disquieted within me ? 
 Hope thou in God ; for I shall yet praise him, 
 Who is the health of my countenance, and my God. 
 XLIIL JUDGE "me, 0 God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation 
 0 deliver me ^from the deceitful and unjust man. 
 
 2 For thou art the God of ^my strength : why dost thou cast me off ? 
 Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy ? 
 
 3 0 send out thy light and thy truth : — let them lead me ; 
 
 Let them bring me unto ^ thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. 
 
 4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, — unto God ^my exceeding joy: 
 Yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, — 0 God, my God. 
 
 5 Why art ^ thou oast down, 0 my soul ? 
 And why art thou disquieted within me ? 
 Hope in God; for I shall yet praise him, 
 
 Who is the health of my countenance, and my God. 
 
 unto death. It answers to " My soul thirsteth for 
 the Uvinu God " {v. 2). 9. I will say unto God my 
 rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? Not despair; 
 ior faith {v. 8) has triumphed by this time; but the 
 appeal of trust (Ps. xxii. 1). Thou canst not possi- 
 bly forget me any longer: for thou art God, 
 my Rock" — I. e., my strong " Deliverer," the God of 
 my strength (Ps. xviii. 2) ; especially seeing that " I 
 remember thee" {v. 6). why go I mourning toe- 
 cause of the oppression of the enemy?— (Ps. xliii. 
 2). 10. (As) with a sword in my toones, mine 
 enemies reproach me^lU., 'in slaughter;' i.e., 
 it is like a slaur/hter C^'a sword," the instrument of 
 slaughter', Ezek. xxi. 28) "in my bones," that 
 "mine enemies reproach me." Reproaches are to 
 David's soul what the sioord or slaughter is to the 
 body (Luke ii. 35). The "bones" express the 
 inmost part, while they say daily unto me, 
 Where is thy God ? For, v. 3, " continually," there 
 is here substituted "daily." Their "reproach" 
 \vas that his present situation refuted his preten- 
 sion to a filial relation to God as his God. What 
 gave this reproach its sting was, it found an echo 
 in the breast of the sufferer. His suffering seemed 
 to be the expression of God's displeasure at his 
 sins. He therefore prays God to take away this 
 reproach by delivering him from his present situa- 
 tion. 
 
 11. Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul? . . . 
 for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of 
 my countenance, and my God. See note, v. 5, 
 "the help" or "the saving health of i/^is coun- 
 tenance" IS " the health of my countenance." TJie 
 sufferer's countenance, once downcast with gi"ief, is 
 now brightened by the Lord lifting up the light of 
 His countenance upon him. He therefore adds 
 •what was not in v. 5— viz., "and my God." Thus 
 lie closes with a triumph over the despondency into 
 which he had been cast by his enemies. 
 
 PSALM XLIIL— 1. Judge me— vindicate me. 
 plead my cause against an ungodly nation. The 
 Hebrew often means 'a nation not loving'' or 
 'mercifuV [Tpn ; but in Ps. iv. 3 it is rendered 
 as the English version here. 2. For thou art the 
 God of my strength — Zi^. , 'my fortress - God ; ' 
 i. e., my protecting (iod; in Ps. xlii. 9, "God, my 
 rock.''' Gf. Ps. xxvii. 1; xxxi. 4; xxxvii. .39. why 
 eo I mourning becausa of the oppression of the 
 
 enemy ?—(Ps. xlii. 9.) The contrast between God's 
 relation to him as Yvis jortress-God, and the sufferer's 
 present mourning, is the ground of his prayer for 
 rectifying such an anomaly, by delivering him, 
 3. 0 send out thy \ighX,- thy favour, dispelling 
 my sadness (Ps. xxvii. 1; xxxvi. 9; Ivii. 3; end; 
 Exod. XV. 13). thy truth— faithfulness in ful- 
 filling thy promises, let them bring me unto thy 
 holy hill, and to thy tatoernacles— or 'dwellings' 
 — viz., the "curtains" within which the ark of 
 Jehovah " dwelt" at this time on "the holy hill " of 
 Zion (2 Sam. vii. 2). 4. Then will I go unto tha 
 altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy— lit., 
 ' the joy of my exultation,' or of my leaping for glad- 
 ness ['^^^]. Cf. Ps. xlii. 8. 
 
 5. I shall yet praise him— referring back to 
 V. 4, "upon the harp will I praise thee." What 
 he had prayed for he already anticipates, in the 
 confidence of faith. 
 
 PSALM XLIV. Vv. 1-26.— The Church's prayer 
 for help against heathen foes. She reminds Him of 
 His past benefits, in driving the heathen out before 
 His people [cv. 1-3); her confidence that God her 
 King, and her boast, will again enable her to triumph 
 {vv. 4-8); sad contrast of her present low state (vv. 
 9-16); there is no reason that this contrast shoidd 
 last, for the people have not forgotten God's covenant 
 {vv. 17-22); she therefore prays God to awake to her 
 help {vv. 23-26). Ps. Ix. is close akin to this psalm ; 
 as Ps. Ixiii. is to Ps. xlii. Ps. Ix., title, shows that 
 David was now striving with ^ Aram of the two 
 floods (Naharaim) and Aram-zobah, when Joab 
 returned and smote of Edom in the valley of salt 
 12,000 men.' Whilst David was warring with 
 Arabia, and on the Euphrates with the Syrians, 
 and had suffered a heavy loss in battle, Edom 
 invaded Israel's land, stripped of its defenders. 
 Cf. 2 Sam. viii. 13; 1 Chr. xviii. 12; 1 Ki. xi. 15, 
 16. Israel's slain lay unbiiried till Joab returned 
 from smiting Edom, along with Abishai. The 
 scattering of Israel among the heathen {v. 11) was 
 but partial, enough to gratify Edom's desire to 
 falsify the prophecy, "The elder shall serve the 
 younger" (1 Ki. viii. 46; Amos i. 6, 9; Joel iii. 19). 
 The time of the Babylonian captivity is disproved 
 by vv. 17-22; for only under David could Israel 
 plead faithfulness to God's covenant. They had 
 no " armies " in the Babylonish which they speak 
 
The complaint 
 
 PSALM XLIV. 
 
 of t/ie C/iurc/i. 
 
 PSALM XLIV. 
 
 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil. 
 
 1 WE have heard with our ears, 0 God, — our fathers have told us. 
 What work thou didst in their days, — in the times of old. 
 
 2 How "thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, 
 And plantedst them ; 
 
 How thou didst afflict the people, — and cast them out. 
 
 3 For ^ they got not the land in possession by their own sword. 
 Neither did their own arm save them ; 
 
 But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, 
 Because '^thou hadst a favour unto them. 
 
 4 Thou '^art my King, 0 God :'• — command deliverances for Jacob. 
 
 5 Through thee * will we push down our enemies ; 
 
 Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. 
 
 6 For -^1 will not trust in my bow, — neither shall my sword save me. 
 
 7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies, 
 And hast put them to shame that hated us. 
 
 8 In ^God we boast all the day long, — and praise thy name for ever. Selah. 
 
 9 But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame ; 
 And goest not forth with our armies. 
 
 10 Thou makest us to ''turn back from the enemy; 
 And they which hate us spoil for themselves. 
 
 of in i\ 9. The Holy Spirit, however, indites 
 language (as v. 22) suited to the Church when 
 oppressed by the world in all later ages. 
 
 1. We have heard with our ears, 0 God 
 . . . what work thou didst in their days— 
 in sad contrast to the work of Israel's deso- 
 lation which we now see with our eyes (cf. Ps. 
 xlviii, 8). God's past "work" of driving out the 
 heathen from Canaan before His people makes His 
 Xjresent non-interposition, whilst the heathen drive 
 out Israelites, to appear an anomaly. This forms 
 the ground of prayer that He will again do as in 
 the days of old. Compare the similar plea of 
 Gideon ( Judg. vi. 13 ; 2 Chr. xx. 7 ; Hab. iii. 2). 
 our fathers have told us— (Exod. x. 2.) in the 
 times of old— in contrast to our times of national 
 depression. 2. (How) thou didst drive out the 
 heathen with thy hand— ^i^., 'Thou . . . (that is 
 to say) thy hand,' in contrast to "their own sword" 
 and "their own arm " (r. 3). and plantedst them 
 — the elect people. Cf. the same image, Exod. xv. 
 17; Ps. Ixxx. 8. how thou didst afflict the 
 people, and cast them out — rather, 'and spread 
 them (the Israelites) abroad.' The Hebrew [n^^'] 
 is generally used of branches shooting forth and 
 spreading out (Jer. xvii. 8; Ps. Ixxx. 11- Ezek. 
 xvii. 6, 7). Thus in the four clauses, the first and 
 the third correspond in parallelism, and refer to the 
 hjiathen; the second and the fourth correspond, and 
 refer to the elect people. 3. For they got not the 
 land in possession by their own sword— (Josh, 
 xxiv. 12.) and the light of thy countenance- 
 like the bright sun dispelling the darkness (Ps. 
 xliii. 3 ; Num. vi. 25, 20, the Mosaic blessing), 
 because thou hadst a favour unto them— the 
 fountain of Israel's and the Church's glorious 
 privileges, God's gratuitous and sovereign favour 
 (Eph. i. 4-7). 
 
 The second, strophe. Vv. 4-8. — The Church's 
 trust in her King and God that she shall, through 
 (ilod, triumph over her enemies. 4. Thou art my 
 King, 0 God— ^i^., 'Thou art He (that is) my 
 Kin^.' Thou art the One that pre-eminently hast 
 kingly authority and irresistible might, and so art 
 
 rSALM 44. 
 " Ex. 15. 17. 
 Ex. 34. II. 
 Deut. 7. 1. 
 Josh. 10.^2. 
 Josh. 11.23. 
 Josh. 21.43. 
 Neh. 9. 22- 
 27. 
 
 Ps. 78. 55. 
 
 Ps. 80. 8 
 
 Ps. 105. 41. 
 
 Ps.135.11,12. 
 6 Deut. 8. 17 
 
 Joih. 24. 12, 
 " reut. 4. 37. 
 d Ps. 74. 12. 
 * Dan. 8. 4. 
 / Ps. 33. 16. 
 
 Hos, 1. 7. 
 f Ps. 34. 2. 
 
 Isa. 45. 25. 
 
 Jer. 9. 24. 
 
 John 8. 41. 
 
 1 Cor. 1. 20- 
 31. 
 
 Rom. 2. 17. 
 h Lev. 23. 17. 
 Deut. 2S.25. 
 Josh. 7. 8, 
 12. 
 
 able to save us (Ps. ixxiv. 12). command deliver- 
 ances — salvations. A command from thee is 
 enough instantly to ensure manifold salvation, 
 according to the several exigencies (Ps. cxlvii. 15 ; 
 cvii. 20; Matt. viii. 8, 9). 5. Through thee will 
 we push down our enemies. Faith speaks, tri- 
 umphing over sense. In spite of the calamities 
 surrounding the Church [vv. 9-16), she still hopes 
 joyfully and confidently in her Lord (Hab. iii. 17, 
 18 ; 2 Cor. iv. 8, 9, 16). The image in " push down " 
 is from those animals whose strength is in their 
 horns (Deut. xxxiii. 17; 1 Ki. xxii. 11). through thy 
 name— God's manifestation, in acts of poAver and 
 grace, in behalf of His people (Ps. xx. 1 ; xxiii. 3). 
 6, 7. For I will not trust in my bow, neither 
 shall my sword save me. But thou hast saved 
 us from our enemies, and hast put them to 
 shame that hated us— rather, 'Thou savest (and 
 wilt save) us from our enemies, and puttest (and 
 \vill put) them to shame that hate us.' As v. 3, in 
 similar words, " they f/o^ not the land in iwssession 
 by their own sword," &c., described the past sal- 
 vation of Israel as wholly due to God, so this verse 
 ascribes her present and future confidence of salva- 
 tion wholly to Him. 8. In God we boast— He 
 is the object in whom our praises terminate. The 
 Hebrew generally means to praise or cele- 
 
 brate in praises, and praise thy name for ever 
 — lit., ' and confess thy name,' &c. 
 
 Third strophe. The sad contrast which Israel's 
 present afJiiction presents to God's past deliverances 
 of His Church, and to her consequent trust in Him. 
 9. "But— lit., ' Also ' : there is some such ellip- 
 sis as this— We are " all the day long " {v. 8) expect- 
 ing deliverance; but not only hast thou not 
 delivered us, but 'also thou hast cast us off.' 
 and goest not forth with our armies. Contrast 
 2 Sam. v, 24, where the Lord gives a response to 
 David on the latter consulting the Divine oracle, 
 " The Lord shall go out before thee, to smite the 
 host of the Philistines." 10. and they which hate 
 us spoil for themselves— i. e., to their heart's 
 content, with unrestrained wantonness and sel- 
 
The Church professing 
 
 PSALM XLIV. 
 
 her integrity. 
 
 11 Thou hast given us Mike sheep appointed for meat; 
 And hast * scattered us among the heathen. 
 
 12 Thou -^ sellest thy people ^for nought, 
 
 And dost not increase thy wealth hy their price. 
 
 13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, 
 
 A scorn and a derision to them that are round about us. 
 
 14 Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, 
 A shaking of the head among the people. 
 
 15 My confusion is continually before me, 
 And the shame of my face hath covered me, 
 
 16 For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; 
 *By reason of the enemy and avenger. 
 
 All Hhis is come upon us; — yet have we not forgotten thee, 
 Neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. 
 Our heart is not turned back, 
 Neither have our ^ steps declined from thy way; 
 Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, 
 And covered us with the shadow of death. 
 
 17 
 
 18 
 
 19 
 
 1 as sheep 
 
 of meat. 
 i Deut. 4. 27. 
 
 Deut.^x. 4. 
 
 2 Ki. 17. 6. 
 
 Ps. 60 1. 
 
 Isa. 11. 11, 
 12. 
 
 Jer. 32. 37. 
 Eze. 3«. 1'. 
 Luke 21. 2i. 
 
 1 Isa. f'2. 3, 4. 
 
 2 without 
 riches. 
 
 k Fs. 8. 2. 
 ' Dan. 9. 13. 
 8 Or. 
 
 goings. 
 **Ps. 74.13,14. 
 
 Isa. 34. \■^. 
 
 Isa. 35. 7. 
 
 Eze. .9. 3. 
 
 Rev. 12. 9. 
 
 ilev. 13. 2. 
 
 fishness (1 Sam. xiv. 48; xxiii. 1). 11. Thou hast 
 given us like sheep appointed for meat— to be 
 devoured as a prey. 12. Thou sellest thy people 
 for nought— Thou boldest thy people as of so 
 little worth, that thou art ready to part with them, 
 not to gain aught by doing so, but merely for the 
 sake of getting rid of them, as of a worthless slave, 
 at any sacrifice. God, in giving up His people to 
 the foe, did not receive in lieu of His people the 
 allegiance of the heathen, and dost not increase 
 thy wealth by their price— thou makest no gain 
 by alienating them from thee. Cf. Jer. xv. 13. On 
 the contrary, in redeeming or delivering His nation 
 from Babylon, God saith (Isa. xliii. 3), " I gave 
 Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for 
 thee : " I sacrificed mighty heathen nations in 
 order to save the Jews. God is said to sell His 
 people because their affliction by the heathen is 
 not due to chance, but to the all-ordering will of 
 God. 13, 14. Thou makest us a reproach ... a 
 byword among the heathen— as Moses foretold 
 (Deut. xxviii. 37), "Thou shalt become a proverb 
 and a byword among all nations, whither the Lord 
 shall lead thee." The nation once " the blessed of 
 the Lord," and " in whom all nations of the earth 
 were to be blessed," is become a "byword," mas- 
 hal — lit., a similitude; so that 'a Jew ' is another 
 name for one miserable and contemptible. a 
 shaking of the head— in scorn (Ps. xxii, 7). 15, 
 16. My confusion is continually before me . . . 
 For the voice of him that reproacheth and blas- 
 phemeth— (Jer. iii. 25; Ps. Ixix. 7.) The ravages 
 of the Edomite in the Holy Land, continually be- 
 fore the eyes of Israel at the time which the psalm 
 commemorates, covered the face of the people of 
 God with shame and "confusion." Not merely 
 was there violence, but 'blasphemy' in the wan- 
 ton attack. The feeling of the heathen, and 
 especially of Edom, on account of the old grudge, 
 was that of religious, as well as civil, hatred of 
 Israel. Thus Amalek attacked Israel after the 
 exodus from Egypt, because of Israel's claim to be 
 the people of God; the war was a religious war 
 (Exod. xvii. 16, marg.) : ' Because the hand of Ama- 
 lek is against the throne of the Lord, therefore the 
 Lord hath war with Amalek from generation to 
 generation.' Cf. Ps. Ixviii. 16, where the high hills 
 of heathendom are represented as envying the 
 Lord's hill, Zion. This explains why the guilt of 
 the heathen foe is regarded by the Lord's prophets 
 as so deadly, and why so terrible a penalty was 
 
 laid upon them. In the ulterior sense, all the foes 
 who reproach and blaspheme God in the person of 
 His people are meant, by reason of the enemy 
 and avenger. Satan is the great "enemy and 
 avenger" (Ps. viii. 2, note), who acts through the 
 countless opponents of the Church in all ages, 
 from Amalek and Edom to Antiochus Epiphanes, 
 and thence to the last Antichrist. 
 
 The fourth strophe. — The Church pleads her 
 faithfulness to God's covenant as the ground for 
 expecting deliverance from the present anomalies. 
 17. All this is come upon us; yet have we not 
 forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in 
 thy covenant — though our calamities tempted iis 
 so to do. As in MaL iii. 14, some said, "It is vain to 
 serve God; and what profit is it, that we have 
 kept His ordinances, and that we have walked 
 mournfully before the Lord of hosts?" The He- 
 brew for "covenant" [nn|] is from a root 'to 
 cut' [nn3, or "ina], because the sacrifice was cut 
 up in making it, and the contracting parties passed 
 between the parts (Gen. xv. 10, 17; Jer. xxxiv. 18, 
 19). 18. Our heart is not turned back, neither 
 have our steps declined from thy way. Apos- 
 tasy begins at the heart, then passes to the steps. 
 Cf. on this v., Ps. cxix. 157. The Church's profes- 
 sion of faithfulness to God's covenant is true only 
 in the main. She is conscious of smaller infringe- 
 ments of it, which justify temporary chastisements. 
 But what she urges is, that the permanent continu- 
 ance of the heathen's triumph would be inconsis- 
 tent with God's faithfulness to His believing people. 
 Cf. V. 23, "cast us not off for ever," and v. 26, 
 "Arise . . . for thy mercies' sake," not for our merits. 
 19. Though thou hast sore broken us in the 
 place of dragons— i. e., jackals, which frequent 
 the wilderness (Isa. xiii. 22; xxxiv. 13; xliii. 20). 
 The jackals represent the persecutors who ravage 
 the people of God, regarded as sheep (v. 22). The 
 mournful cry of the jackal in the desert is well 
 known. The desert, or "place of dragons," sym- 
 bolizes Israel's sunken state, and covered us 
 with the shadow of death— i. e., with the thickest 
 and gloomiest darkness. Hengstenherg translates 
 ['3] instead of " though" that, connected with v, 18, 
 ' Our heart is not turned back, that thou wast 
 thereby led to break us sorely;' their faithfulness 
 to God being thus represented, not merely as 
 I existing in the time of, and notwithstanding their 
 
The majesty 
 
 PSx\LM XLV. 
 
 of Christ's kingdi 
 
 om. 
 
 20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, 
 Or stretched out our hands to a strange god; 
 
 21 Shall "not God search this out ?— for ''he knoweth the secrets of the heart 
 
 22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long ; 
 We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. 
 
 23 Awake, why sleepest thou, 0 Lord?— arise, cast us not off for ever. 
 
 24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face. 
 
 And forgettest our affliction and our oppression ? 
 
 25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust ;— our belly cleaveth unto the earth 
 
 26 Arise ''for our help,— and redeem us for thy mercies' sake. 
 
 PSALM XLV. 
 
 To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, ^Maschil, A 
 
 SoDg of loves. ' 
 
 1 MY heart ^is inditing a good matter: 
 I speak of the things which I have made touching the King; 
 My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. ' 
 
 " Job 1. 14. 
 
 Ps. lag. 1. 
 Jer. 17. 10. 
 » Josh. 22. ii2, 
 23. 
 
 1 Sam. 16.7. 
 1 Chr. 2 .9. 
 Eccl. 12. 14, 
 John 2. 25. 
 Acts 1. 2L 
 Eom. 2. 16. 
 1 Cor. 4. 5. 
 Heb. 4. 12. 
 Kev. 2. t\ 
 4 a help for 
 us. 
 
 PSALM 45. 
 
 1 Or, of in. 
 struction. 
 
 2 boileth, or, 
 bubbleth 
 up. 
 
 sufferings, but before them. 20, 21. If we have 
 forgotten the name of our God . . . shall not 
 God search this out? They confirm the truth of 
 their assertion {vv. 17, 18), that they have not for- 
 gotten God, by declaring themselves conscious that 
 God will search out every such apostasy falsely 
 abjured. 22. Yea, for thy sake we are killed 
 all the day long; we are counted as sheep for 
 the slaughter. So far are we from having ' for- 
 gotten thee and the covenant of our God ' (m 17, 
 20), that we are continually persecuted just because 
 we are so faithful to thee. St. Paul's quotation of 
 tnis verse (Rom. viii. 36) proves that the ulterior 
 application reaches beyond the immediate occasion, 
 and that the Spirit designed it for those in all ages 
 who are exposed by their faithfulness to persecu- 
 tion (2 Tim. iil 12). 
 
 23. Fifth strophe. Vv. 23-26. -Prayer that God 
 would anse for His people's help. Awake, why 
 sleepest thou, 0 Lord? T^he answer is given, Ps. 
 cxxi. 4. Cf. also Matt. viii. 25. The "forever" 
 here is emphatical. In v. 9 the Church had said, 
 
 thou hast cast off ; " here she cries, though our 
 shortcomings have brought on us temporary casting 
 away, let it not be "/or ever.'' The Church's prayer 
 herein rests on God's promise in 1 Sam. xii. 22. 
 Ct. Jer. xxxi. 37; Rom. xi. 1. 25. For our soul is 
 bowed down to the dust; our belly cleaveth 
 unto the earth-(Ps. cxix. 25.) Here their plea 
 IS their miseries; in the next verse God's " mercies." 
 26. Arise for our help— (Ps. Ixiii, 7.) redeem us 
 for thy mercies' sake— not for our merits. This 
 sliows the profession of faithfulness (v. 17) is only 
 tn the main, not absolute. 
 
 PSALM XLV.- A praise-song to the King on 
 ±118 marriage. Solomon, the type, suggests much 
 ot the imagery, but the inapplicability of the rest 
 to him (as the warlike character of the King, vo 
 6-0) shows that Messiah alone is the ultimate 
 reference. Heb. i. 7-9 decides this. Only on the 
 view that the marriage is that of King Messiah, 
 the antitype of warlike David and of peaceful 
 holomon, to Israel and His Church, can the ad- 
 mission of an Epithalamium into the Canon be 
 accounted for. Moreover, He is described as 
 Divine {vv. 6, 7). Vv. I -17. -Excellence of the 
 rsalmists theme, of which he is full {v. 1); ad- 
 dress praising the King, his grace, might, triumph 
 oh-er foes in behalf of truth; perpetuity and riqji- 
 t'.omness of His sceptre; His anointimf of God; 
 the, myrrh, d-c, sent from various kings' palaces • 
 nu consorts and t/ie Queen-bride pre-eminent {vv. 
 197 
 
 2-9); address to the Queen to give up all else for 
 Him, so will He desire her beauty; she appears in 
 her father's house, whence He takes her home {vv. 
 10-12); the procession, her beauty, the virgins with 
 her; the princes' posterity; the people's perpetual 
 praises of the King {vv. 13-17). 
 
 The Title.— Ho the chief Musician. The psalm 
 was designed for the choral service of the tem- 
 ple. This certainly it never would have been 
 if it had been a mere literal love-song. Upon 
 Shoshannim— occurring also in the titles of Ps. 
 Ixix. and Ixxx. " Upon " expresses the object 
 g/ the psalm. In Ps. Ix. the singular occurs, 
 Shushan. It means 'lilies '— i. e., beautiful virgins. 
 But lest it should be misunderstood m a mere 
 earthly sense, there is added for the sons of Korah 
 —the authors of the psalm; as "for" [^] implies. 
 They were servants of the sanctuary'; and all 
 their other psalms are spiritual. Therefore the 
 lily-like virgins (cf. vv. 9, 14) meant must be 
 those possessing spiritual beauty. Maschil — 
 implying that the psalm is of an edifying char- 
 acter (cf. vv. 10-12). As the words 'upon 
 "lies are quahfied by "for the sons of Korah," 
 so Maschil," or instruction, qualifies the ifourth 
 designation, "a Song of loves ;'^ or rather, ' a song 
 of the loved ones,' since it is spiritually didactic 
 m aim, not an earthly, but a heavenly love is its 
 object. ' The loved ones ' can be those only of an 
 heavenly Bridegroom. As Jedidoth ('loves') ex- 
 I)resses the objects of Messiah's love, so Solomon 
 was called Jedidiah, ' beloved of the Lord' (2 Sam. 
 xii. 24, 25). Cf. J edid- Jehovah, Deut. xxxiii. 12. 
 Many brides literally would be immoral. The 
 Messianic interpretation solves the difficulty (cf. 
 Song vi. 8, 9). Israel the Queen-bride, by virtue 
 of the everlasting covenant, stands first. With 
 her as fellows, yet yielding her tlie precedency, 
 are the Gentile nations converted, the daughter of 
 Tyre, &c. 
 
 1. My heart is inditing a good matter— Hebrew, 
 •bubbleth up' like a fountain full to bursting 
 forth. The believer is so full of Christ that ho 
 cannot contain himself; his mouth must speak out 
 of the abundance of his heart (Job xxxii. 18; 2 Cor. 
 y. 14; Acts iv. 20; xviii. 5), "A good matter;" or, 
 a good word.' I speak of the things which I 
 have made touching the king. Otherwnse-^i«., 
 'I (am) speaking my works to the king;' i. e., let 
 all that f do be consecrated to the king. The 
 Hebrew for "touching" ^\ implies appertaining 
 
The majesty 
 
 PSALM XLV. 
 
 of Christ's kingdom. 
 
 2 Thou art fairer than the children of men ; 
 Grace is poured into thy lips : 
 
 Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. 
 
 3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, 0 Most Mighty, 
 With thy glory and thy majesty. 
 
 4 And in thy majesty ^ride prosperously, 
 Because of truth and meekness and righteousness ; 
 And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. 
 
 5 Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies ; 
 Whereby the people fall under thee. 
 
 6 Thy "throne, 0 God, is for ever and ever : 
 The ^ sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. 
 
 or belonging to; so in honour of. Hengstenherg 
 objects to taking 'my works' as *my poem,' as 
 the signification is, without proof. But the English 
 version seems to me to maintain the parallelism 
 better, and accords with the LXX., Vulgate, Ara- 
 bic, Syriac, Ethiopic, and Chaldaic— ' ^ly heart is 
 bubbling full to overflowing with a good word : I 
 speak the things which I have made to the honour 
 of the king: my tongue is the pen of a quick 
 writer.' So Ezra was called "a ready scribe in 
 the law of Moses" (Ezra vii. 6). 
 
 2. Thou art fairer than the children of men. 
 The Hebrew is a peculiarly intensive form [n^p^?;, 
 for p"-?^ "'ET'.] ; lit., ' Thou art heautifulness beautijul ' 
 — i. e., thou art perfectly beautiful — viz., with 
 spiritual beauty, as the following clause implies, 
 grace is poured into thy lips— by the Holy Ghost. 
 So the Queen of Sheba to Solomon, the type (1 Ki. 
 X. 8). Of the Antitype Luke (iv. 22) writes with 
 reference to this (Ps. xlv. 2), "All bare Him wit- 
 ness, and wondered at the gracious words which 
 
 1 proceeded out of His mouth." It was in reading 
 "sa. Ixi. 1 that He manifested that He was the 
 Anointed One. This inward beauty, beaming 
 foi'th in His outward expression, tones, gestures, 
 and deeds, formed the ground of the Divine and 
 everlasting blessing which follows, therefore God 
 hath blessed thee for ever— (cf. vv. 7, 17.) The 
 blessing consists in a supreme, world-wide, and 
 everlasting dominion. 
 
 3. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, 0 (Most) 
 Mighty — in order that thou mayest, by destroying 
 thine enemies (cf. the type, 1 Sam. xxv. 13), take 
 the kingdom to thyself which is thine own (cf. 
 Eev. xi. 15, 17). The last event before "the mar- 
 riage of the Lamb" is. He that is "Faithful and 
 True ... in righteousness doth judge and make 
 war : and out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, 
 that with it He should smite the nations ; and He 
 hath on His vesture ... a name written, King 
 
 OF KINGS AND LoRD OF LORDS " (cf. EeV. xix. 7, 
 
 11-21 ; XX. 4-6 ; xxi. 8, 9). with thy glory and thy 
 majesty — in apposition to ' (Gird thyself) with thy 
 sword (upon thy thigh).' His destroying sword 
 is the instrument wherewith His glory and His 
 majesty vindicate and manifest themselves. Cf. 
 Ps. xxi. 5; and the type, Solomon, 1 Chr. xxix. 
 25. The imperative "gird" is God's inspired 
 Word— sure to bring to pass that which it com- 
 mands. The future naturally follows, — "thy right 
 hand shall teach thee terrible things" (v. 4). His 
 'glory and majesty' answers to His Godhead; His 
 might as a Hero (which the Hebrew, gibbor, "O 
 Most Mighty," may be rendered) answers to His 
 causing 'the people to fall under Him' {v. 5). Cf. 
 Ps. ex. 5. The two are combined in Isa. ix. 6, 
 where He is called "the mighty {or hero) God." 
 4. And in thy majesty ride prosperously, because 
 of truth and meekness (and) righteousness. 
 
 3 prosper 
 
 thou, ride 
 
 thou. 
 
 Rev. 6. 2. 
 * Ps, 89.29,36. 
 37. 
 
 Ps. 93. 2. 
 
 Ps. 146. 13. 
 
 Isa. 9. 6, 7. 
 
 Dan. 2. 44. 
 
 Luke 1. 32. 
 33. 
 
 Heb. 1. 8. 
 «> Ps 72. J. 
 2 Sam. 23. 
 3. 4. 
 
 "Thy majesty" is repeated from v. 3, as being the 
 pledge of a prosperous issue. The image in "ride" 
 IS that of kings going to battle in a chariot (1 Ki. 
 xxii. 34, 35). ' Prosperously ''—lit. , ' prosper thou ' 
 (cf . Isa. liii. 10 ; marg. , Isa. hi. 13). because of—' on 
 account of ;' in behalf of. meekness— lit., humility, 
 whence spring meekness and genllcncss (Ps. xviii. 
 35). It IS joined by a hyphen (Makkeph) to 
 "righteousness." Therefore, instead of the Eng- 
 lish version, "meekness and righteousness," trans- 
 late, 'meekness-righteousness' — i.e., righteousness 
 manifesting itself in meekness. [Stier truly remarks, 
 in support of this translation, that niDr, instead of 
 the common niDV , implies that the connection be- 
 tween the nouns "meekness" and "righteous- 
 ness "is a kind of semi-construct state.] (Zei)h. 
 ii. 3.) Messiah Himself, the embodiment of 
 'truth and meekness-righteousness,' rides on x)ros- 
 perously in behalf of, as the Champion for, the 
 'truth and meekness-righteousness' which are at 
 stake in the cause of His people (cf. Ps. Ixxii. 
 2, 4 ; Isa. xi. 4). So here tliere follow terrors of 
 judgment, and thy right hand shall teach thee 
 terrible things. It alone (without need of any 
 other instructor) will make thee to witness its 
 tremendous exploits. 5. Thine arrows are sharp 
 in the heart of the king's enemies ; whereby the 
 people fall under thee. The Hebrew order is, 
 ' Thine arrows are sharp, peoples fall under thee, 
 in the heart of the king's enemies.' Messiah's 
 arrow^s of conviction pierced the hearts of His 
 enemies on Pentecost, when Peter preached. 
 " They were pWc^ec^ {KaTei/vyiio-au) in their heart, 
 and said, . . . Men and brethren, what shall we 
 do?" Also cf. Acts ix. 5, 6; Heb. iv. 12; Eph. vi. 
 17. Again, it was so when Christianity triumjihed 
 over heathenism, under Constantine, at Rome, j 
 the mistress of the world. But here it is the I 
 sword and arrows of judgment; for it is just when 
 the marriage of the Bride and the Lamb is aboiit 
 to take place. Rev. xix. shows us that wrath is 
 to be executed on the foe just before the marriage 
 of the heavenly Bridegroom with the Church. 
 The ^'terrible things" of r. 4 confirm this view. 
 So also in Rev. vi. 2. Cf. Rev. xix. 11. So Dent, 
 xxxii. 23, 41, 42. The result of 'peoples fallirig 
 under Him' — i. e., under His arrows— is implied 
 in V. 43. 
 
 6. The victory having been won, and the ene- 
 mies destroyed, Messiah's throne is contemplated 
 in the first clause as to its perpetuity; in the next 
 clause, as to its internal character: the latter being 
 the caw.se, the former the effect. Thy throne, 0 
 God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy 
 kingdom is a right sceptre. The perpetuity of 
 Messiah's kingdom results from its righteousness. 
 So Isa. ix. 7. As in v. 3 Messiah is addressed, 
 ' 0 mighty One,' or 'Hero,' so here He is addressed, 
 "0 God.'" Perfect manhood and Godliead are 
 
Tlie majesty 
 
 PSALM XLV. 
 
 of Christ's kingdom. 
 
 10 
 
 Thou ''lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: 
 Therefore ^God, ^thy God, hath anointed thee 
 With the oil of gladness aljove thy fellows. 
 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, 
 Out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. 
 Kings daughters icere among thy honourable women : 
 Upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. 
 Hearken, 0 daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear ; 
 
 = Ps. 33. 5. 
 
 Ps. 99. 4. 
 
 Matt. 3. 1"). 
 
 Heb. 1.9. 
 
 Heb. 7. 2G 
 < Or. O God 
 
 Lev. 8. 12. 
 
 Ts. 89. 20. 
 d Isa. 61. 1. 
 
 John 20.17. 
 
 implied as combiued in His person. All the old 
 translators concur with the inspired authority of 
 the Epistle to the Hebrews (i. 8) in taking ' Elo- 
 him,' the Hebrew for "God," in the vocative, "0 
 God," as the English version does. Opponents 
 evade the truth by translating, ' thy God- throne ' 
 — I. e. , thy throne committed to thee by God ; but 
 thus they would introduce the anomaly of a con- 
 struct state interrupted by a suffix. Lev. xxvi. 
 42 is not a case in point, as "Jacob" is a proper 
 name, incapable of a suffix; whereas Elolilm is 
 capable of one. Gesenius vacillates between this 
 and 'thy throne is God's (throne).' But no good 
 instance can be shown in which the subject just 
 before named in the construct state repeats itself 
 in thought at the same time as part of the predi- 
 cate. 'Thy throne is God' would give no sense. 
 Korean Messiah be called 'Elohim' in the same 
 limited sense as earthly rulers are called so 
 (Ps. Ixxxii. 6); for they bore the name of God as 
 being His earthly vicegerents, having a Jiiiite 
 dominion ; but lest this limitation should be ap- 
 plied to Messiah, it is declared that His throne, as 
 'Elohim,' is "for ever and ever;" and in this 
 perpetuity of His kingdom the promises of per- 
 petuity to David's throne find their fulfilment (2 
 Sam. vii. 13, 16 ; Ps. Ixxii. 5 ; Ixxxix. 4, 36, 37 ; 
 cxxxii. 12 ; Isa. ix. 7). On ' the sceptre of His 
 kingdom' being "a right sceptre," cf. Isa. xi. 3, 4, 
 "With righteousness shall He judge the poor, and 
 reprove with equity for the meek of the earth ;" 
 Ps. Ixvii. 'a straight sceptre,' the emblem 
 
 of undeviating justice : the ensign of all kingdoms, 
 but belonging fully to Messiah's alone. 
 
 7. From praising the King the Psalmist passes 
 to the royal marriage. The Second Part. Thou 
 lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness— 
 the connecting link between this second part and 
 the first (cf. the close of v. 6, "the sceptre of thy 
 kingdom is a rigid sceptre"), therefore God, thy 
 God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness 
 above thy fellows. Righteousness is Messiah's title 
 to the throne, as "therefore" implies. He is raised 
 'above all His fellows' [i. e., fellow - kings), as 
 " King of kings and Lord of lords" (Rev. xix. 
 16). Cf. the type (1 Ki. iii. 11-13), Solomon, 
 " There shall not he any among the kings like unto 
 thee all thy days.^^ His kingdom is not based on 
 mere might, but on having fulfilled all righteous- 
 ness in His humiliation. " Wherefore God also 
 hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name 
 which is above every name^^ (Phil. ii. 9). Instead 
 of "God, thy God," translate, 'O God, thy God 
 hath anointed thee.' This is confirmed by the 
 obvious design to make the 'Elohim,' or "0 God," 
 at the beginning of the second part correspond to 
 the ' Elohim ' or " 0 God," at the end of the first 
 part {v. 6). ^ So Aquila and Jerome, 'Epistles/ 104. 
 The anointing with the oil of gladness is an image 
 from the cnstom of anointing on joyful occasions. 
 The 'oil of joy' wherewith the Messiah is here 
 represented as about to be anointed is on a two- 
 fohl gi-ound: first, as the tlien triumphant King 
 who was once the "Man of sorrows" [vv. 3-r)). 
 It was for this "joy set before Him" that "He 
 
 endured the cross, despising the shame" (Heb. xii. 
 2) ; so He is the One whom the Lord anointed as- 
 the only suitable Preacher of "good tidings unto 
 the meek," the Giver unto them of "the oil of 
 JOY for mourning" (Isa. Ixi, 1. 3). Secondly, and 
 inseparably connected with tlie former, " the oil 
 of gladness " shall be that which shall be His "in 
 the day of His espousals, in the day of the glad- 
 ness of His heart" (Song iii. 11). It is impossible 
 to conceive, in the non-Messianic interpretation, 
 how the possession of a numerous harem should be 
 the consequence of 'loving rigliteousness.' 8. All 
 thy garments (smell) of myrrh, and aloes, (and) 
 cassia. Cassia is 'a bark like cinnamon, but less 
 aromatic : so called from its being peeZer^ ojf^ [n'u"J.'p, 
 from Pi'pJ {Gesenius). The attire of the bridegroo:)i 
 in Eastern custom is richly perfiimed. out of 
 the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee 
 glad. It is significant that the perfumes come 
 from the same palaces of kings (frequently decor- 
 ated with ivory, 1 Ki. xxii. 39; Amos iii. 15) out 
 of which the " kings' daughters" come {v. 9). Tlie 
 "gladness" of the King manifests itself in the 
 perfumed garments {lit., 'myrrh, and aloes, (and) 
 cassia (are) all thy garments so sweetly do they 
 smell as to seem to be made wholly of them). The 
 quarter whence His "gladness" comes is "out of 
 the ivory palaces," whence come the "kings' 
 daughters." Their graces (symbolized by these 
 perfumes) become His gladness (cf. Phil, iv, IS). 
 The neck of the bride herself is called a "tower of 
 ivory " (Song vii. 4). The typical high priest was 
 anointed Avith a precious compound oil exclusively 
 api)iopriated to him. 9. Kings' daughters were 
 among thy honourable women : upon thy right 
 hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. Tho 
 "kings' daughters''' are the Gentile peoples, which 
 their respective kings govern as fathers to their 
 peoples. These shall 'fall down and serve' Mes- 
 siah (Ps. Ixxii, 8-11 ; cf. Ps. xlvii. 8, 9, with Gen. 
 xxii. 18; Gal. iii. 8, 9, 16, 18). The kings' daugh- 
 ters are the secondary consorts; the queen is the 
 consort of first rank — viz., the Church of Israel, 
 converted and re-united to her heavenly Bride- 
 groom, and exalted to be the mother-church of 
 Christendom. The Gentile nations shall be the 
 first-fruits of the restoration of literal and spiritual 
 Israel. The Gentile converts, \\\)on the re-union, 
 shall be children of the restored wife (Hos, ii, 
 18-20; Isa. liv, ; Ixii. 2-7; Pom. xi. 11-.S.S) 
 "Honourable" {precious, glorious) as ai'* tlie 
 other consorts, the "kings' daughters," the first 
 place of honour, 'at the right hand of the King,' 
 IS given to the queen. She is called by an un- 
 usual Hebrew term instead of the ordinary 
 ns^D], to designate a consort of tlie first rank. It 
 is found elsewhere only in Neh. ii. 6; Dan. v. 2, .3. 
 Reference to the "gold of Oi4iir"is ai)pro])riatc, 
 as David had amassed much of it for the temple, 
 and Solomon had imi)orted large quantities (1 Chr. 
 xxix. 4; 1 Ki. ix. 28). 
 
 10. A ddress to tlie Bride. Hearken, O daugh- 
 ter, and consider, and incline thine ear ; forget 
 
lie duty 
 
 PSALM XLV. 
 
 of the Church. 
 
 
 • Gen 2. 24. 
 
 
 Gen. 12. 1. 
 
 
 Deut.21.13. 
 
 
 Deut. 33. 9. 
 
 
 Matt. 10.37. 
 
 
 / Ps. 9 '>. 6. 
 
 
 Isa 54. 5. 
 
 
 * thy face. 
 
 
 Isa. 19. 23. 
 
 
 Isa. 60. 1, 2, 
 
 
 3. 
 
 lee. 
 
 " Kev. 19. r. 
 
 
 8. 
 
 
 * 1 Pet. 2. 9. 
 
 
 HeT. 1. 6. 
 
 
 Kev. 5. 10. 
 
 
 Eev. ao. 6. 
 
 ^Forget also thine own people, and thy fathers house; 
 So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty : 
 ^For he is thy Lord ; and worship thou him. 
 
 12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift ; 
 E'een the rich among the people shall entreat ^thy favour. 
 
 13 The ^King's daughter is all glorious within; 
 Her clothing is of wrought gold. 
 
 14 She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework 
 
 11 
 
 15 With gladness and rejoicing shall they he brought : 
 They shall enter into the King's palace. 
 
 16 Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, 
 *Whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. 
 
 also thine own people, and thy father's house. 
 
 A foreign princess, espoused by a great king, if 
 she wished to please her lord, would divest herself 
 of the customs of her native land, and conform to 
 the language, manners, dress, and tastes of her 
 husband and his people. So the queen-consort, 
 Israel, is called on to abandon the ancient Jewish 
 ritualism, in order to become wholly Christ's ; not 
 that she is to forget the spirit of the law, which is 
 indeed the Gospel expressed in hieroglyph ical 
 types. The legal ceremonial and circumcision, in 
 the letter, is 'her father's house,' which now she is 
 to leave for her Bridegroom's better home. How 
 far the future temple service (Ezek. xl.-xlvii.) is 
 literal or figurative we know not yet, but we are 
 sure it will have a spirituality which Judaism now 
 has not (Rom. ii. 28, 29). We do not easily divest 
 ourselves of the prejudices of childhood. But the 
 parents are to be left for the consort (Gen. ii. 24) ; 
 and all things are to be left for Christ (Matt. x. 
 37). Israel's present carnal Judaism is the great 
 obstacle to her becoming Christ's. "Forget sig- 
 nificantly reminds Israel of the oi-iginal call of God 
 to Abraham (Gen. xii. 1), "Get thee out of thy 
 country, and from thy kindred, and frmn thy 
 father's h<mse." This call is now given afresh to 
 Israel, as it was to their forefathers (cf. Isa. li. 1). 
 At the same time, it is not her heavenly Father 
 whom she is told to "forget," but her "father's 
 house;'^ for God, the heavenly King, is her Father, 
 whence she is called "the King's daughter" {v. 13); 
 but it is her earthly parentage, in whom Israel 
 boasted herself, and therefore had rejected Mes- 
 siah (cf. Matt. iii. 9 ; John viii. 33, 39). She must 
 cease to trust in the earthly father, and trust only 
 in the heavenly Father, King, and Bridegroom. 
 11. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty : 
 for he is thy Lord— Hebrew, 'And let the King (be 
 given, by thy devotion to Him, occasion to) desire thy 
 beauty, for He is thy Lord ' (1 Pet. iii. 5, 6). and 
 worship thou Mm— (cf. 1 Sam. xxv. 41.) Abigail, 
 when called to be David's wife, "bowed herself on 
 her face to the earth " (I Ki. i. 16, 31). 12. And the 
 daughter of Tyre (shall he there) with a gift— as 
 the consequence of thy entire self-surrender to the 
 King. It is only when Israel, the literal and the 
 si)iritual, occupies her true position, giving herself 
 up wholly to the Lord, that she will be entreated 
 by tlie people of the world to receive them into 
 lier communion, "The daughter of Tyre" is 
 Tyre herself, with her people, personified (cf. 2 Ki. 
 xix. 21). So Israel here is called "daughter" 
 (v. 10). Instead of ''shall be there,^^ supply the 
 ellipsis from the latter clause : ' the daughter of 
 Tyre, with a gift {shall entreat thy favour), even 
 the rich among tlie peoplCj shall entreat thy 
 favour. "The rich" are in apposition with 
 "Tyre." She in particular is selected as being the 
 200 
 
 richest city oi the old world, (Isa. xxiii. ; Ezek. xxvii.) 
 The Hebrew for to " entreat thy favour" is liter- 
 ally to make weak, or soften the countenance [n^n 
 d^;q]; to entreat so beseechingly that the other 
 cannot show himself hard. The entreaty is that 
 the Gentile suppliant may be received into the 
 kingdom of God (Isa. xliv. 5; Ix. 6-14: Ps. Ixxii. 
 10). When Israel gives herself to the Lord, Mes- 
 siah shall become "the Desire of all nations" in 
 the fullest sense (Hag. ii. 7 ; cf. Ps. Ixxxvii. 4). 
 Then " Tyre's merchandise and her hire shall be 
 holiness to the Lord" (Isa. xxiiL 18). 
 
 13. The address to the Bride-elect (vv. 10-12) has 
 now met a cordial response in her heart ; so the 
 procession moves from her father's house into the 
 palace of the King. The King's daughter is all 
 glorious within— i. e., in the interior of the Kind's 
 palace, "within" which she stands on His right 
 hand; not, as some explain it, her glory is an injier 
 spiritual glory. The Hebrew expresses a local 
 interior (Lev. x. 18; 1 Ki. vi. 18). At the same 
 time, her mwer communion with her Lord within His 
 palace is the cause of her outward glory. That 
 the same Israel is called the King's bride, and yet 
 "the King's daughter^^ shows the spiritual nature 
 of the psalm. She is the daughter of the Heavenly 
 King in one point of view, and at the same time 
 His Bride in another (Jas. i. 18). So the double 
 relation is combined. Rev. xxi 7, 9, "my son 
 . . . the bride, the Lamb's wife.'' 14. She shall 
 be brought unto the King In raiment of needle- 
 work. As the King was described in v. 8 in His 
 coming for the Bride, so she is here described in 
 her being escorted to the king, so as to be brought 
 "into the palace"" {v. 15). " Brought " impUes the 
 providential and gracious instrumentalities by 
 which Israel shall be finally brought to Messiah, 
 her Lord, and to her own land; see Isa. xviii. 7; 
 Ixvi, 20; the Gentiles aiding Israel in her return 
 (Zeph. iii 10; Isa. xlix. 22). Cf. Song i. 4, "The 
 King hath brought me into His chambers." the 
 virgins her companions that follow her shall 
 he brought unto thee. " Her companions " imply 
 their essential equality with her; they "follow 
 her" as the first among equals. They shall be 
 " brought," through her instrumentality, into 
 living union, like herself (cf. v. 14), with the Lord 
 Christ. 
 
 16. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy chil- 
 dren, whom thou mayest make princes in all 
 the earth. A princely and spiritual progeny shall 
 be the fruit of this spiritual union (Isa. xlix. 20, 
 21 ; liv. 1). The allusion is to the custom of wish- 
 ing to a newly-married pair a numerous and miglity 
 offspring (Gen. xxiv. 60; Ruth iv. 11, 12). Tlie 
 distinguished forefathers, David and Solomon, 
 shall be eclipsed by their more glorious sons (Isa. 
 
The Church's PSALM XLVI. confidence in God. 
 
 17 
 
 I ^ will make thy name to be remembered in all generations : 
 Therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever. 
 
 PSALM XLVL 
 
 To the chief Musician ^for the sons of Korah, A Song upon "Alamoth. 
 
 GOD is our refuge and strength, — a very present help in trouble. 
 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, 
 And though the mountains be carried into ^the midst of the sea; 
 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, 
 Though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof Selah. 
 
 There is ^a river, the streams whereof shall make glad '^the city of God, 
 The holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. 
 
 « Amos 9. 12. 
 Msl. 1. lu 
 
 PSALM 46. 
 
 1 Or. of. 
 
 « 1 Chr.lo.a). 
 
 2 the heart 
 of the 
 seas. 
 
 ^ Fs. 23. 2. 
 
 Isa. f'. 7. 
 
 RCT 22. 1, 
 « 2 Chr. 6. 6. 
 
 Fs. 4H. 1. 
 
 Fs. 87. X 
 
 Isa. 60. II. 
 
 Ix. 17). The "children" are spiritual children. 
 Solomon had divided Israel into twelve depart- 
 ments, with an officer over each (1 Ki. iv. 7). 
 David, too, had made his sons princes under him, 
 (2 Sam. viii. 18, marq.) So also Rehoboam (2 Chr. 
 xi. 23). As the fathers of the King did in their 
 limited land, so will the King do in all the earth 
 (cf. Ps. Ixxii. 11). Instead of the tvfoWe patriarchs, 
 your boast heretofore, shall be the twelve apostles, 
 " sitting upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve 
 tribes of Israel" (Matt. xix. 28); along with them 
 I others "reigning under King Messiah "on the 
 ] earth" (Rev. v. 10). 17. I will make tliy name 
 to be remembered in all generations— primarily 
 fulfilled by this psalm, which for little under 3,000 
 years has kept the faithful in joyful remembrance 
 of what Messiah has done for His Church, is doing, 
 j and will do finally at the coming " marriage of the 
 Jjamb." Secondarily, the Psalmist speaks as re- 
 vsresentative of the evangelists, apostles, and all 
 by whom Messiah has been, is, and shall be made 
 known to the world, therefore shall the people 
 praise thee for ever and ever— viz., because of 
 Messiah's glorious work of grace so promulgated. 
 
 PSALM XLVL Vv. \-\\.—The Church's se- 
 curity, because God is in her, amidst the world's 
 conmlsions : as shown in the sudden overthrow of 
 Sennacherib's invading hosts (cf. vv. 8-10), which 
 hitherto had swept on irresistibly. Two coinci- 
 dences with history occur: in v. 4, "<Ae city of 
 (iod," iust as Isa. xxxvi. 1 informs us that all 
 "the defenced cities of Judah" sa,\e Jerusalem, 
 the mother city, had fallen before Sennacherib; 
 also in v. 10, " Know that I am God ... I will be 
 exalted in the earth," is God's reply to Hezekiah's 
 prayer, " 0 Lord our God, save us . . . that all 
 the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou 
 art the Lord." 
 
 Title.— A song upon Alamoth [niiC7i?]— i. e., after 
 the virgin-tnanner—si. soprano tone or key in music, 
 like the voice of virgins (1 Chr. xv. 20). Or else 
 an instrument played on by virgins, like the old 
 English instrumeut the 'virginal.' 
 
 1. God is our refuge and strength, a very pre- 
 sent help in trouble— "present;" lit., 'found' 
 hy experience to be so. 2. Therefore will not we 
 fear, though the earth be removed— ^i^., 'in the 
 earth being changed.' Compare Ps. cii. 26. The 
 change of the earth means nere great revolutions 
 through which its form, as the seat of political king- 
 doms, is altered (cf. v. 6). The instrumental cause 
 of this change is the lust of conquest, which impels 
 great states like a raging sea (cf. v. 6. "the heathen 
 raged " ), " with the s welling thereof ' — i. e. , through 
 their haughty pride— to disturb the existing order. 
 The great first cause is the Lord, who uses the 
 world-powers, like Assyria, as " the (unconscious) 
 rod of His anger " (Isa. x. 5, 7). It is when Jeho- 
 vah "utters His voice, the earth melts" io. G; cf. 
 201 
 
 Hag. ii. 21, 22). The Assyrian had just before 
 " removed the hounds of the people, and robbed their 
 treasures, and put down the inhabitants like a 
 valiant man. and as one gathereth eggs . . . gathered 
 all the eartK' (Isa. x. 13, 14). and though the moun- 
 tains be carried into the midst of the sea.— lit. ^ 
 'into the heart of the sea.' The language must be 
 understood figuratively. Hengstenherg translates, 
 'and though the mountains shake in the heart 
 of the sea.' The antithesis {v. 5) favours this. 
 ' The mountains shake in the heart of the sea ' (ex- 
 plained V. 6, "the kingdoms were moved "), but "she 
 (the city of God) shall not he moved " (v. 5). The 
 ''^ mountains''^ axe empires raised on high (Ps. xxx. 
 7; Rev. viii. 8). This is the very image in the 
 parallel history (Isa. xxxvii. 24), "By thy servants 
 thou hast said. By the multitude of my chariots 
 am I come up to the height of the mountains (the 
 earth-kingdoms enumerated, vv. 11-13; Isa. x. 9), 
 to the sides of Lebanon, and I will cut down the 
 tall cedars thereof" (viz., of Zion, represented, be- 
 cause of its cedar- constructed palaces, under the 
 image of cedar -abounding Mount Lebanon). 3. 
 (Though) the waters thereof roar, and be 
 troubled, though the mountains shake with the 
 swelling thereof. What a beautiful contrast there 
 is between the roaring waters here and the still 
 " river, the streams whereof make glad the city of 
 God ! " (v. 4.) Overwhelming waters represent in- 
 vading hosts (Isa. viii. 7, 8.; xvii. 12). The "sea" 
 {v. 2) is the world, never still, "like a troubled sea 
 when it cannot rest," through selfishness, pride, 
 and ambition (Isa. Ivii. 20). In this sea are the 
 mountain-like world-emjnres {v. 2). Cf, Isa. xxvii. 
 1, "the dragon that is in the sea;'' Dan. vii. 2, 3, 
 " the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great 
 sea, and four great beasts (the four great empires) 
 came up from the sea" (Rev. xvii. 15). "The 
 swelling " of the sea is the haughty elation of spirit 
 which keeps the world in ceaseless agitation. So 
 "the stout heart" (Hebrew, 'the greatness of the 
 heart') of the King of Assyria, "and the glory 
 of his high looks " is specially marked for punish- 
 ment (Isa. X. 12, 13; cf. Ps. Ixxxix. 9). 
 
 4. There is a river, the streams whereof shall 
 make glad the city of God. Jerusalem possessed no 
 literal " river," but had spiritually the river of God's 
 grace. The " waters of Shiloah (the brook Siloah), 
 that go softly," suggested the image (Isa. viii. 6). 
 The "river'* in Paradise parting and becoming 
 " four heads " (Gen. ii. 10) is the original ground of 
 the imagery. The "river" is first mentioned as a 
 whole; then follow its particular "streams," re- 
 presenting God's manifold ways of grace to His 
 Church. Cf. Ps. xxxvi. 8; Ezek. xlvii. ; Zech. 
 xiv. 8 ; John iv. 14 ; Rev. xxii. 1. " The city of 
 God" is represented by Jerusalem, which had been 
 threatened by the heathen world-power under 
 Sennacherib, the holy place of the tabernaclea 
 
The Church's 
 
 confidence in God. 
 
 5 God is ^in the midst of lier; — she shall not be moved: 
 God shall help her, ^and that right early. 
 
 6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved : 
 He uttered his voice, the earth melted. 
 
 7 The Lord of hosts is with us;— the God of Jacob is *our refuge. Selah. 
 
 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, 
 What desolations he hath made in the earth. 
 
 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth ; 
 He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder ; 
 He burnetii the chariot in the fire. 
 
 10 Be still, and know that I am God : 
 
 I will be exalted among the heathen, — I will be exalted in the carlli. 
 
 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; — the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 
 
 of the Most High. The city is here described as 
 "the holy place" where are "the tabernacles of 
 the Most High," the temple (Ps. Ixv. 4), the sym- 
 bol of "the high and holy place" where (jlod 
 dwells above (Isa. Ivii. 15). 'Happy those who 
 have passed out of the territory of the sea into 
 that of the river ' [Hengstenberg). 5. God is in the 
 midst of her— (Lev. xxvi. 12; Deut. xxiii. 14.) 
 But this is especially true of the New Testament 
 Church, which is the " habitation of God through 
 the Spirit" (Eph. ii. 22; 2 Cor. vi. IG). And it 
 shall be fully realized at Israel's restoration, when 
 Zion is told to shout for joy, " for great is the Holy 
 One of Israel in the midst of thee " (Isa. xii. 6). she 
 shall not he moved— "though ike earth be removed" 
 {v. 2). God shall help her, and that right early- 
 Hebrew, ' at the appearing or turning of the morn- 
 ing,'' from a Hebrew root to turn one's self for the 
 purpose of coming {H<>.ngstenherg). So Exod. xiv. 
 24 27; Ps. xxx. 5 is exactly parallel,— " Weeping may 
 endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning " 
 (Ps. xlix. 14). Affliction may pass a night with the 
 Lord's people ; but with the morning dawn Jeho- 
 vah dislodges it from its resting-place, and gives 
 in its stead abiding salvation. On the previous 
 night the cause of the city of God seemed desper- 
 ate, and that of the Assyrian invader all out 
 triumphant; but "when they (the Jews) arose 
 early in the morning, behold, they (the Assyrians) 
 were all dead corpses " (Isa. xxxvii. 36) ; for the 
 angel of the Lord had smitten in the camp of the 
 Assyrians "an hundred and four score and five 
 thousand" (Isa. xvii, 14). 6. The heathen raged, 
 the kingdoms were moved — (Isa. xvii. 12.) 
 Hengstenberg, instead of "raged," translates 'roar;' 
 to which, in striking contrast, follows— he uttered 
 his voice, the earth melted— at His voice the 
 earthly kingdoms are " dissolved " with fear, or 
 " melt " by His judgments, as contrasted with their 
 previous roaring (Ps. Ixxv. 3; Amos ix. 5). The 
 raging of the heathen nations is ordained by Jeho- 
 vah; He is the first c^use of the shaking of the 
 kingdoms by world - conquerors. 'Though the 
 Lord should let the people roar. His people must 
 not tremble, as it stands unalterably fast that He 
 can help them' {Hengstenberg). (Hag. ii. 21, 22.) 
 On His voice, cf. Ps. Ixviii. 33. 7. The Lord of 
 hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. 
 So Isa. vii. 14; viii. 10. The Church's security 
 against the blustering heathen world, when it 
 threatens her, is the truth which dooms the former 
 to destruction — viz., Jehovah is Immanuel, God 
 with us." Though the name of God most pre- 
 valent in the psalms of the sons of Koran is 
 'Elohim,' yet here Jetiovah ("the Lord") is 
 ai)propriatfc;ly used, as the works of God specified 
 are those wrought in behalf of Israel, to whom 
 God's covenant relation is marked by 'Jehovah.' 
 202 
 
 d Deut 23.14. 
 Isa. 12. 6. 
 Eze. 43. 7. 
 Hos. 11. 9. 
 Joel 2. 27. 
 Zeph. 3 16. 
 Zech. 2. 5. 
 
 10. 11. 
 Zech. 8. 3. 
 Eev. 21. 2. 
 
 3. 
 
 3 when the 
 morning 
 appeareth. 
 
 * an high 
 place for 
 us. 
 
 The name, the title "Lord of Hosts,''' reminds us 
 of the infinite resources which He has at command. 
 " God of Jacob" reminds us of His covenant relation 
 to the descendants, literal and si)iritual, of Jacob, 
 or Israel, 'the prince with God.' Thus His love 
 and faithfulness, as well as His power, are engaged 
 for His people against their adversaries, our 
 refuge [d^Vk'D]— a differeut Hebrew term from that 
 in V. 1 {machaseh). Therefore translate, 'our for- 
 tress' — lit., high place. Selah. The pause calls 
 for solemn meditation on the foregoing strophe. 
 
 8. Come, behold the works of the Lord— invita- 
 tion to all, without distinction, to see the proof of the 
 Lord's might in the ovei-throw of the great world- 
 powers, what desolations he hath made in the 
 earth — what a desolating overthrow He hath 
 wrought of those who held the world under their 
 tyranny, and especially threatened to destroy the 
 people of God. Cf., in the prophetical anticipation 
 of the downfall of Assyria, " the wliole earth is at 
 I'est, and is quiet" (Isa. xiv. 7). 9. He maketh 
 wars to cease unto the end of the earth. When 
 He has destroyed the ambitious world-powers 
 which caused wars, then peace ensues " uuto the 
 end of the earth." Cf. Isa. xiv. 4-7. he breaketh 
 the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he 
 burneth the chariot in the fire— viz., the boiu, the 
 spear, and the chariot of the hostile world-power 
 (Ps. Ixxvi. 3). The overthrow of Sennacherib, 
 and the consequent quiet, is an earnest of 
 the final triumph of the Prince of Peace, and 
 of the previous destruction of all who now dis- 
 turb the earth (Isa. ii. 4 ; Hos. ii. 18 ; Zech. ix. 
 10).. 10. Be still, and know that I am God. His 
 miraculous interposition for His people proved that 
 Jehovah, oi Israel is Elohim,— e., God. The tran- 
 sition is most impressive, the covenant people first 
 speaking triumphantly of God among themselves 
 {vv. 1-7), then calling on the heathen to behold Hjs 
 works {vv. 8, 9), and now God Himself command- 
 ing the heathen troul)lers of His people, " Be 
 still,"— 2. e., Desistixom your mad attempt to figlit 
 against Omnipotence arrayed on the side of God's 
 people. This word He shall at last speak, not 
 merely as a counsel, but as a command, carrying 
 with it the effect, the ungodly being for ever ren- 
 dered incapable of disturbing the kingdom of God. 
 I will be exalted among the heathen. Jehovah's 
 words here correspond to Hezekiah's prayer (Isa. 
 xxxvii. 20). Cf. introduction. The result iu 
 Hezekiah's time accordingly was (2 Chr. xxxii. 2.i) 
 " Many brought gifts unto the Lord to Jerusalem, 
 and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah ; so that 
 he was magnified in the sight of all nations from 
 thenceforth." An earnest of the more world-wide 
 result of God's visible interposition for His peoi)le 
 in the last days. 11. The Lord of hosts is with 
 us, &c. — repeated from the close of the second 
 
An exhortation 
 
 PSALM XLVIL 
 
 to the nations. 
 
 PSALM XLVIL 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psalm ' for the sons of Korah. 
 
 1 0 CLAP your hands, all ye people ; 
 Shout unto God with the voice of triumph : 
 
 2 For the Lord most high is "terrible ; 
 He is * a great King over all the earth. 
 
 3 He ''shall subdue the people under us, — and the nations under our feet. 
 
 4 He shall choose our ^inheritance for us, 
 
 The excellency of Jacob, whom he loved. Selah. 
 
 5 God *is gone up with a shout, — the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. 
 
 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises ; — sing praises unto our King, sing praises. 
 
 7 For ^ God is the King of all the earth : 
 Sing ^ye praises ^with understanding. 
 
 8 God reigneth over the heathen : 
 
 God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. 
 
 9 ^ The princes of the people are gathered together, 
 Exen the people of the God of Abraham ; 
 
 For the shields of the earth belong unto God : — he is greatly exalted. 
 
 PSALM 47. 
 
 1 Or. of. 
 
 " Deut. 7. 21. 
 
 J!<eh. 1. 5. 
 b ilaL 1. 14. 
 " Ps. l**. 47. 
 d 1 Pet 1. 4. 
 * Ps. 68. 24. 
 
 Acts 1. 9. 
 / Zech. 14. 9. 
 » 1 Cor. 14 16. 
 
 2 Or, evt ry 
 one that 
 hath un- 
 derstand- 
 ing. 
 
 3 Or. The 
 voluntary 
 of the 
 people are 
 gathered 
 unto the 
 people of 
 the God of 
 Abraham, 
 
 strophe {v. 7), and virtually equivalent to v. 1, 
 " God is our refuge and strength." So that the 
 Psalm closes as it began. 
 
 PSALM XLVIL— Call to the nations to join 
 Israel in thanksgiving for deliverance. Vv. 1-9. — 
 The victory (vv. 1-4); the kingdom of God estab- 
 lished over the earth, beginning with the people of 
 the God of Abraham [vv. 5-9). The occasion was 
 Jehoshaphat's bloodless victory over Moab, Am- 
 nion, Edom, and the Arabians, who combined to 
 drive Judah out of their "inheritance" (v. 4; 2 
 Chr. XX. 11; Ps. Ixxxiii. 3-12). The Title ascribes 
 the psalm to "the sons of Korah," just as, in 2 
 Chr. XX. 19, the Korahites are in front of the 
 Jews' army " to praise the Lord God of Israel with 
 a loud voice on high." So v. 5 corresponds to 2 
 Chr. XX. 26. Perhaps this Psalm xlvii. was sung 
 in the valley of Berachah (i.e., blessing); Ps. 
 xlviii. in the temple-service on their return. As 
 Jehoshaphat was " in the forefront " of the return- 
 ing people (2 Chr. xx. 27), so "Jehovah with the 
 sound of a trumpet went up " to His earthly tera- 
 
 1)le (v. 5). So " the fear of God was on all the 
 :iDgdoms" (cf. vv. 8, 9, with 2 Chr. xx. 28, 29). 
 
 1. 0 clap your hands, all ye people— for joy. 
 Hebrew, 'peoples' (Tsa. Iv. 12). shout unto 
 God with the voice of triumph. The heart's 
 exultation towards Jehovah is to be expressed 
 with the hands and the voice. 2. For the Lord 
 most high is terrible— the ground of exulta- 
 tion, viz., Jehovah's interposition for His people 
 with terrible judgments on their enemies (Ps. 
 Ixviii. 35). he is a great King over all the earth. 
 The destruction of Israel's last foes shall be the 
 preliminary to His manifestation as " King over 
 all the earth." Every previous triumph of God's 
 people is an earnest of the final one. 3. He shall 
 subdue the people under us, and the nations 
 under our feet— i. e., the nations who league to- 
 gether against us, as distinguished from the 
 ' peoples' [v. 1) whom Israel calls to join in praise 
 for the deliverance. The original jiassage is 
 Deut. xxxii. 43; cf. Ps. xviii. 38, 47, 49. Not a 
 work of grace, whereby men's prejudices are over- 
 come, and their hearts won to the Lord, is here 
 spoken of, but a work of judgment on adversaries 
 (Isa. Ix. 14, 15; Ixii. 10-12; Ixiii. 1-4). 4. He shall 
 choose our Inheritance for us, the excellency of 
 Jacob, whom he loved — i. e.. He shall choose it anew 
 for* us, by recovering it from the usuiijing enemy 
 
 (2 Chr. XX. 11). Cf. on the "inheritance," Isa. Iviii. 
 14; Deut. iv. 38. "The excellency of Jacob" is 
 explanatory of " our inheritance ;" 'a land which 
 God had espied for them,' flowing with milk 
 and honey, which is the glorj^ of all lands 
 (Ezek. XX. 6), the possession of which Israel might 
 well be proud, on account of the grace shown by 
 God in giving it (Nah. ii. 2; Amos vi. 8). " Whom 
 he loved" implies that God's everlasting love is 
 the ground of His choosing their inheritance for them 
 (Ps. Ixxviii. 68 ; Mai. i. 2). 
 
 5. Second strophe. God is gone up with a shout, 
 the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. See the 
 opening remarks. After He had gone forth to fight 
 for Israel He is represented as returning to His holy 
 seat, the temple on Zion, amidst the music-accom- 
 panied thanksgivings of His people. The result is, 
 the princes of the people and the heathen own 
 that the God of Abraham " reigneth" over all the 
 earth (?;. 2, 8, 9). Not only by Christ's ascension 
 He hath a spiritual reign over the earth, but also 
 He is to return as he ascended (Ps. Ixviii. 18 ; Acts 
 i. 11), and to reign on Zion over His own people, 
 and thence over the whole earth (Dan. vii. 13, 14 ; 
 Jer. iii. 17). 7. For God is the King of all the 
 earth— and shall be manifested as such after His 
 final interposition for Israel (Zech. xiv. 1-9). sing ye 
 praises with understanding— (1 Cor. xiv. 15, 16.) 
 Or, as the Hebrew ' Maschil,' is usually trans- 
 lated instruction, we may translate, 'Sing ye praises 
 with ec?i/^ca^^■o?^'— spiritual ' wisdom.' Cf. Col. iii. 
 16. 9. The princes of the people are gathered 
 together, (even) the people of the God of Abraham 
 —rather, as Ai-abic, ' The ])rinces of the peoples 
 (plural) are gathered together to the people (singu- 
 lar) of the God of Abraham.' The heathen princes 
 flock together to be received among the people of 
 Jehovah, Thus the prophecy of Jacob concerning 
 Messiah {Shiloh) shall come to pass fully : " Unto 
 Him shall the gathering of the people be" (Gen. 
 xlix. 10 ; Ps. Ixxxvii. 4 ; Isa. Ix. 3-8). The designa- 
 tion, "God of Abraham," is appropriately used, 
 as it was to Abraham the promise was made, "In 
 thee" — "in thy seed shall all the nations of tlie 
 earth be blessed " (Gen. xii. 3 ; xxii. 18). The 
 LXX. reading, which the Vulgate follows, is, 
 ' WITH the God of Abraham,' for ''the people of the 
 God of Abraham " [dv, for dv\. The text is 
 better, for the shields of the earth belong unto 
 God. The princes are metaphorically called 
 
The privileges 
 
 PSALM XLVIII. 
 
 of the Church, 
 
 PSALM XLVin. 
 
 A Song and Psalm ^ for the sons of Korah. 
 
 1 GREAT is the Lord, and greatly to be praised 
 
 In the city of our God, in the mountain "of his holiness. 
 
 2 Beautiful *for situation, *^the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, 
 "^On the sides of the north, *the city of the great King. 
 
 3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge. 
 
 4 For, lo, -^the kings were assembled, — they passed by together. 
 
 5 They saw it, and so they marvelled ; — they were troubled, and hasted away. 
 
 6 Fear took hold upon them there, — and pain, as of a woman in travail. 
 
 7 Thou ^breakest the ships of Tarshish — with an east wind. 
 
 8 As we have heard, so have we seen 
 
 In the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God : 
 God '^will establish it for ever. Selah. 
 
 " shields," as being the protectors of their people, 
 (Hos. iv, 18, marg.) 
 
 PSALM XLVIIL Vv. 1-14— Praise-song after 
 deliverance. Jerusalem's special relation to God, 
 the (/round of it {vv. 1-3); the assembled hostile kings 
 6Viitten by the same omnipotent Ood who smote the 
 ships of Tarshish; thus Godi's people saw what they 
 had heard of in past ages, that He establishes His 
 city for ever (vv. 4-8); joyful thanks for the deliver- 
 ance which will bring God praise unto the ends of 
 the earth {vv. 9-11); call to all to survey how unim- 
 paired Zion is, that they may transmit the story to 
 the generation following {vv. 12-14). This psalm 
 was sung "in the midst of God's temple" {v. 9); cf. 
 2 Chr. XX. 27, and Ps. xlvii. Jehoshaphat is spe- 
 cially alluded to m v. 7; cf. 1 Ki. xxii. 48, 49 ; 2 
 Chr. XX. 35-37. The ungodly alliance was as great 
 a danger from within, as the hostile invasion from 
 without. The Psalmist represents both alike 
 averted by the grace of God. 
 
 Title.— A. Song and Psalm— or, 'a psalm-song.' 
 The mizmor, or psalm, is the general term for a 
 song of high art and graceful speech, accompanied 
 with well-executed music. The Shir, or song of joy, 
 is the particular species. 
 
 1. Great is the Lord . . . in the city of our God, in 
 the mountain of his holiness. Zion was "the moun- 
 tain "whereon God's "holiness" was enthroned, 
 as being the site of the temple, the spiritual centre 
 of the city of God. 2. Beautiful for situation— 
 rather, 'in its elevation'' In so far only as 
 
 the physical height is a symbol of the spiritual does 
 the Psalmist value it. Cf. Ps. Ixviii. 16, wherein 
 "the hill which God desireth to dwell in" is 
 preferred to all the "high hills" of heathendom. 
 Cf. Isa. ii. 2; Ezek. xl. 2, where the ideal "very 
 high mountain (in the land of Israel), with the 
 frame of a city on the south," is beheld in vision 
 (Rev. xxi. 10; Matt. y. 14). the joy of tlie whole 
 earth. Lam. ii. 15 refers to this psalm. In the 
 eyes of the spiritual, such is Jerusalem regarded, 
 because of its precious and sacred associations, in 
 which all the earth is interested (Ezek. xvi. 15). 
 Cf. as to Jerusalem's future glory and permanency, 
 Isa. xxxiii. 20. is mount Zion, on the sides of the 
 north. ' He speaks not as a geographer, but as a 
 divine' (Hengstenberg). "The sides of the north " 
 literally mean the inner and farthest recesses, where- 
 at both sides " meet; so the farthest hollows on the 
 sides of mount MoriaJi, on which the temple was 
 built, north of mount Zion (Isa. xiv. 13, note). The 
 city was built, in its greater part, in these hollows 
 and hill sides. Theuppercity,Zion,-wsis north of Zion 
 strictly so called; the lower city, Acra, was north 
 of this and of Moriah. Thus all the parts of "the 
 
 city of the great King," south and north alike, are 
 "the joy of the whole earth." The northern parts 
 of the city, though lower in height than Zion, yet 
 were distinguished by their lofty towers and for- 
 tifications. But Hengstenberg takes "the sides 
 of the north" in apposition to "mount Zion" — 
 Zion, tJie true seat of Deity. The heathen thought 
 'the extreme north' to be the seat where the 
 gods held their assembly, the mountain of the 
 gods (Isa. xiv. 13, 14, notes). ' What tJie heathen 
 dreamed of, that mount Zion was in reality— its 
 foundation on earth, its top in heaven. The far- 
 thest north stands in contrast to the mountains of 
 Israel' (Ezek. xxxviii. 6, 15 ; xxxix. 2). The con- 
 trast of "the great King" to "the kings" of the 
 earth {v. 4) favours this similar contrast of His 
 seat at Jerusalem to the imaginary seat of the 
 heathen gods in the extreme north. 3. God is 
 known in her palaces for a refuse— lit., 'a high 
 place,' as in Ps. xlvL 7, 11. God is known by ex- 
 perience to be siich a fiigh place, or defence, to her 
 palaces (Prov. xviii. 10). 
 
 4. For, lo, the kings were assembled, they 
 passed by together— 'they passed utterly and 
 altogether away.' The object of their assembling 
 is given in the parallel (Ps. Ixxxiii. 3-8, 12), "They 
 have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and 
 consulted against thy hidden ones. They have 
 said. Come, and let us cut them off from being a 
 nation, &c. ... they are confederate against Thee 
 (0 God). . . . who said, Let us take to ourselves 
 the houses of God in possession." The forcible 
 brevity implies how rapidly they vanished away. 
 5. They saw it, and so they marvelled ; they were 
 troubled, and hasted away. No sooner had they 
 come within sight of the city than they were 
 panic-stricken. The " so emphatically sets the 
 thing before one's eyes. "They marvelled," or 
 were stupified with the involuntary sense of God's 
 fortress-like protection over His people, which the 
 mere sight of the city-heights inspired. Their 
 hasty flight was like that of the Syrians (2 Ki. vii. 
 15). 6. pain as of a woman in travail— at once 
 sudden and violent (1 Thess. v. 3). 7. Thou 
 breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east 
 wind— implying God's omnipotence; just as with 
 thy blast thou breakest the largest vessels (such 
 as sail to distant Tarshish, or Tartessus, in Spain, 
 Isa. ii. 16), so dost thou, with equal ease and 
 rapidity, scatter to the winds the most mighty 
 foes. On this, see the opening remarks, "The 
 ships of Tarshish " can hardly mean hostile ships 
 of war, since Jerusalem is inland. [Gejer says 
 that nvj|* is elsewhere used of merchantmen, not 
 war- vessels. J 8. As we have heard, bo have we 
 
A II classes called to 
 
 PSALM XLIX. 
 
 hear the lesson of wisdom. 
 
 9 We have thought of thy loving-kiiidness, 0 God, 
 In the midst of thy temple. 
 
 10 According to Hhy name, 0 God, 
 
 So is thy praise unto the ends of the earth : 
 Thy right hand is full of righteousness. 
 
 11 Let mount Zion rejoice. 
 
 Let the daughters of Judah be glad, — because of thy judgments. 
 
 12 Walk about Zion, and go round about her: — tell the towers thereof. 
 
 13 2 Mark ye well her bulwarks, ^ consider her palaces; 
 That ye may tell it to the generation following. 
 
 14 For Hhis God is our God for ever and ever : 
 He will be our guide even unto death. 
 
 PSALM XLIX. 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psalm 'for the sons of Korah, 
 
 1 HEAE this, all i/e people ; 
 
 Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world : 
 
 2 Both low and high, — rich and poor, together. 
 
 seen in the city of the Lord of hosts . . . God will 
 establisli it for ever — or ' establisheth it,' &c. 
 That which we have heard from our fathers (Ps. 
 xliv. 1, &c.)— viz., that thou wilt never fail thy 
 people— w^e now have seen by experience (Job xlii. 
 5) ourselves, in the deliverance by God of His own 
 city. Others explain, 'As we have heard 
 J ahazieVs prophecy (2 Chr. xx. 14). V. 10 (where 
 see note) establishes rather the former view. The 
 declaration, ' God establishes it for ever' is not at 
 variance with the fact that God has allowed Jeru- 
 sale n to be overthrown by Rome ; for it is- of the 
 faithful Jerusalem that the promise holds good — 
 both the spiritual Jerusalem, the Church, and the 
 literal Jerusalem that is to be, when Israel shall 
 have turned to the Lord (2 Cor. iii. 16 ; Gal. iv. 
 25, 26; Isa. ii. 2; liv. 10, 11; Ix. 14, 15, 19). 
 
 9. The second part : separated from the first by 
 the " Selah " (v. 8). We have thought of thy lov- 
 ing-kindness, 0 God, in the midst of thy temple 
 — We revive the remembrance of it in the public 
 congregation. The psalm was sung as a thanks- 
 giving in the temple. "Thy loving-kindness" — 
 viz., this act of thy grace; thy recent deliverance 
 of us from our enemies. 10. According to thy 
 name ... so is thy praise unto the ends of the 
 earth — As thy manifested character (Ps. xx. 1) is 
 one of inhnite majesty, power, and goodness, so is 
 thy jjraise incapable of being adequately set forth ; 
 but so far as it is known, so far it is praised 
 •"unto the ends of the earth ;" yea, *ov€r pv] the 
 ends of the earth' (cf. v. 14, note). Hengstenberg 
 takes it, ' As thou hast formerly, by thy deeds, 
 obtained for thyself, far and wide, a glorious 
 name, so hast thou now again filled the whole 
 earth with thy xjraise.' So above {v. 8); cf. 2 Chr. 
 XX. 29 in confirmation, thy right hand is full of 
 righteousness — viz. , full of that righteousness 
 whereby thou dost vindicate thy people's righ- 
 teous cause (Ps. xxxv. 28, note). 11. Let mount 
 Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, 
 because of thy judgments— on our foes. " The 
 daughters of Judah " are the other cities of Judah, 
 as distinguished from the mother city, Jerusalem 
 and "Zion" (Josh. xv. 45). 12. tell the towers 
 thereof— number them, to see that not one is want- 
 ing, and that the enemies' formidable invasion has 
 not in the least impaired them. 13. Mark ye well 
 her bulwarks, consider her palaces. The "bul- 
 warks " indicate the outer circuit of the city : the 
 205 
 
 < Ex. 3. 13, 
 
 \6. 
 
 Ex. 34, 6, 
 7 
 
 Deut.2«.6?. 
 Josh. 7. 9, 
 Ps. 113. 3. 
 I s. 138. 2, 
 4. 
 
 Mai 1. II, 
 
 2 Set your 
 heart to 
 her bul- 
 warks. 
 
 3 Or, raise 
 up. 
 
 J Ps. 16. ?. 
 Ps. 31. 14. 
 Ps. 73. 21, 
 26. 
 
 Isa. 25. 9. 
 Lam. 3. 24. 
 
 PSALM i9. 
 1 Or. of. 
 
 ' ' palaces " the interior. ' ' Consi der ' ' — lit. , dlv ide ; 
 i. e., accurately contemplate, one by one: parallel to 
 "tell." that ye may tell it to the generation 
 following — in order that they may glorify the God 
 who wrought such a deliverance for His people, 
 and regard it as a pledge of future deliverances in 
 times of danger. 14. For this God— who hath 
 wrought such a deliverance for us. he will be 
 our guide even unto death— lit., ""upon (or above) 
 
 death' [niD Sr]. So the Syriac. 'He will guide 
 us to the point whereat death shall not overcome 
 us, but we shall overcome it' (Cocceius and L. de 
 Dieu). Pw5e^ 'He will guide us oi;er death.' The 
 
 food Shepherd's care will not cease at death ; nay, 
 le will be ours for ever (cf. v. 10). I prefer this, 
 as answering to the parallel, "for ever and ever." 
 Cf. Rom. viii. 37, 38; 1 Cor. xv. 57; Heb. ii. 14, 15. 
 In the primary sense Israel shall never be extin- 
 guished finally ; in the spiritual sense the Church 
 shall be victor over death. The LXX., Vulgate, 
 Etliiopic, and Arabic read it, 'to eternity' [nhD^i?]. 
 Compare for the present Hebrew text, Ps. Ixviii. 
 20 ; xlix. 15 ; Hab. i. 12. The context is not con- 
 cerning guidance up to death, but deliverance from 
 it, and from destruction when imminent. 
 
 PSALM XLIX.— The enigma solved, why the 
 ungodly prosper whilst the godly are persecuted. 
 So Ps. xxxvii. and Ixxiii. Vv. 1-20. — All classes 
 called to hear the heaven-inspired lesson of ^^wis- 
 dom^^ {vv. 1-4); the thesis {vv. 5, 6) ; the grounding 
 of it; the sinner's wealth ahall pass from him, and 
 no ransom can redeem him, whereas God shall 
 redeem the godly {vv. 7-15) ; conclusion : the tem- 
 porary honour of him who lacks ''^understanding'''' 
 can make him no better than the beasts thai perish 
 [vv. 19, 20). 
 
 1. Hear this, all ye people— (cf. Deut. xxxii. 
 1; Ps. 1. 1; Mic. i. 2; 1 Ki. xxii. 28.) How 
 important to all is the question, seeing that if 
 the difficulty could not be harmonized with 
 the righteousness of God's government of the 
 world, all fear of God would be at an end ! all ye 
 inhabitants of the world. The Hebrew for 
 "world" [■'^'5] expresses transitoriness [by trans- 
 position from '^iri, to cease]. Thus the opening 
 sentence hints at the solution in the transitoriness 
 of worldly wealth. 2. Both low and high— lit., 
 sons of an ordinary man [07^], and sons of a distin- 
 
The sinner s wealth 
 
 PSALM XLIX. 
 
 My mouth shall speak of wisdom ; 
 
 And the meditation of my heart shall he of understanding. 
 
 I will incline mine ear to a parable ; 
 
 I will open my dark saying upon the harp. 
 
 Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, 
 When the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about ? 
 They that "trust in their wealth, 
 And boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; 
 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, 
 Nor ^give to God a ransom for him : 
 
 9 That he should still '^live for ever, — and not ^see corruption. 
 10 For he seeth that wise men die. 
 
 Likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, 
 And leave their wealth to others. 
 
 shall pass from him. 
 
 
 o Job 31 24. 
 
 
 Ps. 62. 7. 
 
 
 Ps. 62. 10. 
 
 
 Pro. 10. 15. 
 
 
 Pro. 23. 5. 
 
 
 Mark 10.24. 
 
 
 1 Tim. 6.17. 
 
 
 6 Malt. 16.26. 
 
 
 Matt. 20.28. 
 
 
 1 Tim. 2. 6. 
 
 
 1 Pet. 1. IS. 
 
 
 ° Job 36. 18. 
 
 
 <i Ps. 89. 48. 
 
 ever ;) 
 
 Pro. 10. 2. 
 
 Pro. 11. 4. 
 
 
 Eccl. 8. 8. 
 
 
 Zech. 1. 5. 
 
 
 Luke 16.22. 
 
 
 Heb 9. 27. 
 
 
 * Ps. 69. 48. 
 
 guished man {^"v^]. The Psalmist's monitions will 
 warn the rich [vv. 6, 7, 17) and console the poor 
 { v. 15, 16). 3. My moutli shall speak of wisdom- 
 suggested hy the Divine Spirit of " wisdom " (Pro v. 
 viii ; 1 Cor. ii. 13). The Sou of God is the embodi- 
 ment of this Musdom (Col. ii. 3). 4. I will incline 
 mine ear to a parable— or 'similitude' 
 a seutentiously expressed truth. "I will incline 
 mine ear to " it implies that the wisdom which he 
 is about to impart is not of his own acquisition (2 
 Sam. xxiii. 2), but one imparted to him by revela- 
 tion. I will open my dark saying— em^wa, or 
 hard questio7i; a discourse having a deep sense 
 \P7^1i (1 Ki. X. 1). Connected with the par- 
 able" also in Ps. Ixxviii. 2, "I will open," i.e., 
 hiing forth openbj, with the mouth, from the trea- 
 sure chambers of the heart, (Amos. viii. 5, marg.) 
 
 The thesis {vv. 5, 6). 5. Wherefore should I 
 fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my 
 heels shall compass me about — rather 'when 
 the iniquity of my treacherous foes ' (or supplanters, 
 ((len. XXV. 26; xxvii. 36) compasses me about) 
 i^l?.?. is a verbal adjective, from ^pjy, to supplant 
 or treacherously assail\ So the Arabic and Syriac. 
 The English version would be bad sense : for the 
 Psalmist could not say that he had no reason to 
 fear 'when the iniquity of his heels,' — i. e., clinging 
 to him, and ready to trip him up—' compassed him 
 about.' What he means to say is, Why should the 
 godly (say myself) be overwhelmed with fear in 
 adversity when their treacherous foes ('treaders 
 down,' Hengstenherg) compass them on every side? 
 6. They that trust in their wealth, and boast 
 themselves in the multitude of their riches. 
 This sentence is not joined with v. 7, as in the 
 English version, but is in apposition with "my 
 treacherous foes," v. 5— namely, "They that trust 
 in their wealth," &c. 
 
 7-9. — The godly has no cause for overwhelm- 
 ing fear because of the power of the ungodly ; nor 
 has the ungodly reason to boast over the godly 
 because of his own worldly greatness. This might 
 be so if the ungodly could ensure eternal life by 
 his wealth, so as to enjoy it for ever. But the fact 
 is, he can redeem neither his brother nor himself 
 from death, over which God is the Master. He 
 must therefore be in constant fear, not knowing 
 how soon he must lose his life and wealth together. 
 Therefore it is he, not the godly, who has reason 
 for fear. 7, None of them can by any means re- 
 deem his brother— a brother in riches and ungod- 
 liness (Gen. xlix. 5). In the Hebrew order, 'A 
 brotlier can no one redeeming redeem.' The doubled 
 expression 'redeeming redeem' emphasizes the 
 2J6 
 
 idea of redemption as the chief concern, the 
 standard of value by which all things, wealth in- 
 cluded, are to be tested, whether they who have 
 them ought to boast over those who have them 
 not, or the latter fear the former on account of 
 them, nor give to God a ransom for him— 
 Hebrew, ''His {own) atonement' — viz., the atone- 
 ment for the rich man himself. As the former clause 
 saith. None can redeem his brother, so this clause 
 saith, The rich man cannot even give to God a ran- 
 som for himself. The " their " in v. 8, " the redemp- 
 tion of their soul," combines both the brother and 
 the rich man himself. " Ransom " — lit., the covering 
 (in Gen. vi. 14, the pitch upon the ark) wherewitli 
 sin is covered out of sight, and so atoned (Ps. xxxii. 
 1). [nQ3 — Nowhere else in the Psalms; but the very 
 in Ps. Ixv. 3, " Purge away. "] Exod. xxi. 30 lays 
 down cases where a ransom might be paid to men, 
 so as to escape a penalty; but to G'oc^ no ransom 
 for a soul once forfeited can be paid which will 
 exempt the giver from death. 8. (For the redemp- 
 tion of their soul is precious. It is too costly a 
 price for any man to pay it. " The precious blood 
 of Christ " alone was of sufficient value in the eyes 
 of God to effect such a ransoming (1 Pet. i. 18, 19). 
 and it ceaseth for ever) — ' the English Book of Com- 
 mon Prayer,' "so that he must let that alone for 
 ever." " It faileth forever." That (ransom money) 
 can never be acquired wherewith one can be re- 
 deemed from death {Maurer). 9. That he should 
 still live for ever, and not see corruption— con- 
 nected with V. 8. There ceaseth for ever the possi- 
 bility of the ungodly rich man acquiring such a 
 ransom, " that he should still live for ever," &c. 
 
 10-12.— The universality of death might show 
 the ungodly rich man that God may call him away 
 at any moment. T\i&ix iyiward thought is that their 
 possessions are immortal ; but however men may 
 dream of immortality and abiding honour, they, in 
 common with the brutes, must die. 10. For he seeth 
 (that) wise men die, likewise the fool . . . and 
 leave their wealth to others. The " for " gives the 
 reason why the ungodly rich man ought to see it 
 futile to think of ' ransoming ' himself, so as not 
 to "see corruption " {vv. 7-9). I prefer to take "see" 
 as in V, 9, "see corruption," and to omit "that," 
 which is not in the Hebrew. Thus : There is no 
 ransom wherewith any man can redeem himself, 
 so that he 'shall not see corruption' {w. 7-9): for 
 (or, nay Heb., Ki) he shall see it (corruption) ! 
 ^' Wise men die," &c. So L. de Dieu. likewise the 
 fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their 
 wealth to others. When even wise men {i. e., the 
 godly wise) die, what possible hope can there be to 
 the rich fool that he shall retain at once his life 
 
V/orldly prosperity 
 
 PSALM XLIX. 
 
 not to be admired. 
 
 1 1 Their inward thought />•, that their houses shail continue for ever. 
 And their dwelling-places ^to all generations: 
 
 They call their lands after their own names, 
 
 12 Nevertheless man in honour abideth not : 
 He is like the beasts that perish, 
 
 13 This their way 25 their folly : 
 
 Yet their posterity ^ approve their sayings. Selah. 
 
 14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; — death shall feed on them; 
 And the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning ; 
 And their * beauty shall consume ^in the grave from their dwelling. 
 
 15 But God ^wdll redeem my soul from the power of the grave ; 
 For he shall receive me. Selah. 
 
 16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, 
 When the glory of his house is increased ; 
 
 and his wealth for ever? The root idea of " fool," 
 kesil, is fleshy, fat, so stupid, and so spiritually 
 senseless (Isa. vi. 10). The words, too, for the de- 
 cease of the godly wise and of the rich fool are 
 designedly distinct. Wise men " die ;" but foolish 
 and brutish sinners perish." Death to the former 
 is the inevitable termination of life; but one peace- 
 ful in the dying, and glorious in the issue in ever- 
 lasting life after death. Death to the latter is per- 
 ishing, the penal judgment of an olfended God, and 
 issuing in everlasting death. The ungodly, with 
 all their hos^sted ma?iUness, are really ""brutish;" 
 creatures of brute force and animal appetite; 
 not men in the likeness of God, spiritual in might 
 and heavenly in their tastes. Hence, in Daniel and 
 Kevelation the world kingdoms are represented, 
 not under human, but under beast forms. Man 
 attains his true dignity only in union with God. 
 11. Their inward thought (is, that) their houses 
 (shall continue) for ever— Z;^., 'Their inward is '— 
 i. e. their whole imvard man (cf. Ps. v. 9 ; Ixiv. 
 6) is engrossed with the one all-absorbing anxiety, 
 that their houses may continue for ever, as if they 
 themselves were never to die (cf. Ps. Iv. 19). Cf. 
 the rich "fool" (Luke xii. 16-21), who said to his 
 soul, "Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for 
 many years,^^ &c. "But God said. Thou fool, this 
 night thy soul shall be required of thee; then 
 whose shall those things be which thou hast pro- 
 vided?" Cf. V. 10, end. Their all-absorbing wish 
 that their houses may continue goes u^jon the 
 tacit assumption that they themselves, of course, 
 are not soon to die. The real question is not 
 the permanency of their divellinf/-piaces, but of 
 themselves, they call their lands'after their own 
 names— 'they call' (with admiration) 'their 
 own names upan their lands ' (Isa. xliv. 5). The 
 Hebrew verb [quareu) implies to celebrate the name. 
 It refers to the immortality which they try to give 
 themselves through calling their lands by their 
 own names. So Cain built the first city, and called 
 it after the name of his son Enoch (Gen. iv. 17). So 
 Absalom, in the absence of a son, "reared up for 
 himself a pillar," which " he called after his own 
 name." The Psalmist implies the irony, that soon 
 nothing else will be left of them but their name at- 
 tached to some place for a time. This can be of no 
 service to them. The Hebrew plural for "lands" 
 occurs nowhere else [n'lQix]: it implies their in- 
 satiable greed in joining house to house, and laying 
 ' field to field' (Isa. v. 8). 12. Nevertheless, man 
 being in honour abideth not. However man may 
 acquire wealth and a name for himself {v. 11), he 
 doth not abide in possession of them, for he dies. 
 The Hebrew for man is the generic one, Adam de 
 signedly according with Adamoth, the "lands" 
 
 2 to genera- 
 tion and 
 generation. 
 
 8 delight in 
 their 
 mouth. 
 
 / Dan. 7. 22. 
 Mai. 4. 3. 
 
 4 Or. 
 strength. 
 
 6 Or, the 
 grave 
 bein? an 
 habitation 
 to every 
 one of 
 them. 
 
 ' Hos. 13. It. 
 
 called by man's name (v. 11), The ungodly man, 
 with all his wealth, is but a man, and one doomed 
 to die, and to suffer the jiidgment of God. The He- 
 brew {yalin) for abideth is literally to 'sojourn for 
 a night,' implying the sudden destruction of the 
 wicked as in a night, and the "dominion of the 
 upright over them in the morning " {v. 14). He is 
 like the beasts that perish— which sport about 
 whilst alive, without a thought of their speedy 
 death (Eccl. iii. 19 ; ix. 12). 
 
 13. This their way (is) their folly— "their 
 way," whereby they virtually think themselves 
 immortal, and therefore desire their houses to con- 
 tinue for ever, wise as they regard it, "is their 
 folly," as the event shows. Or " way " may be 
 taken as their portion, their lot, as in Ps. i. 6 ; 
 xxxvii. 5; then translate, 'This (is) their way, 
 (their fate, so there is) folly to them' — i. e., they 
 are by the event convicted of folly, yet their 
 posterity approve their sayings— Zi^. , 'delight in 
 their mouth;' i.e., in their maxims of living, 
 especially in their boastful speeches, promising 
 themselves immortality, and "calling their lands 
 after their own names." They have "a mouth 
 speaking great things" (Dan. vii. 8; cf. Ps. Ixxiii 
 8). 14. Like sheep they are laid in the grave — 
 (so V. 12, 20.) and the upright shall have do- 
 minion over them in the morning— after the 
 ungodly have been suddenly swept away in the 
 night (note, v. 12 ; also note, Ps. xlvi. 5). As Sen- 
 nacherib's host was destroyed in the night, and 
 God's people triumphed in the morning. Cf. Job 
 xxvii. 20. The antitypical fulfilment shall be at 
 the resurrection morni7ig, when the " saints shall pos- 
 sess the kingdom" (Dan. vii. 22), and they "shall 
 tread down the wicked" as " ashes under the soles 
 of their feet " (Mai. iv. 3; Rev. ii. 26; xx. 4). and 
 their beauty shall consume in the grave from 
 their dwelling— Zi^., 'their beauty (is) for the con- 
 sumption of the grave (being dislodged), from their 
 dwelling '—viz., from those magnificent abodes 
 which they had hoped to occupy continually. 15, 
 But God will redeem my soul from the power 
 of the grave— in contrast to the wicked, on whom 
 'death shall feed' eternally. ''Bnt"— lit., 'only' 
 [TiK], in contrast to v. 7, "None of them can by any 
 means redeem his brother;" God, who alone csbn do 
 it, will do it for me. The Spirit in David (1 Pet. 
 i. 11, 12) hints at the gnawing worm of the wicked 
 that never dieth {v. 14; Mark ix. 44, 46, 48). Con- 
 trast V. 15, the resurrection (Hos. xiii. 15 ; Job xix. 
 25-27). for he shall receive me— (Ps. Ixxiii. 24.) 
 
 16. The conclusion {vv. 16-20). Be not thou 
 afraid when one is made rich— resuming v. 5, 
 " Wherefore should I fear," &c. when the glory 
 Of his house is increased -by the possession of 
 
The majesty of 
 
 PSALM L. 
 
 God in the Church, 
 
 17 For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away; 
 His glory shall not descend after him : 
 
 18 Though 6 while he lived he blessed his soul: 
 
 And men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. 
 
 19 7 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; — they shall never see light. 
 
 20 Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, 
 Is like the bea^sts that perish, 
 
 PSAL^I L. 
 
 A Psalm 1 of Asaph. 
 
 1 THE mighty "God, eten the Lord, hath spoken. 
 
 And called the earth, from the rising of the sun unto the going down 
 thereof. 
 
 2 Out ^of Zion, the perfection of beauty, — God hath shined. 
 
 3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence : 
 A fire shall devour iDefore him, 
 
 And it shall be very tempestuous round about him. 
 
 « in his 
 
 life. 
 7 The soul 
 
 shall (40. 
 
 PSALM 0. 
 1 Or. for. 
 « Gen. J7. I. 
 Josh. 22.22. 
 Neh 9. 6. 
 .'.2. 
 
 Ps. 14.5. 3. 6. 
 Isi. p. 6. 
 
 Jer. 10. fl. 
 Jer. 32. 18, 
 19. 
 
 b Ps. 68. 24. 
 Isa. 12. 6. 
 Ifa. 26. 21. 
 Hos 6. 16. 
 Hab. 2. 20. 
 Heb. 12. 22. 
 
 wealth. 17. For when he dieth he shall carry 
 nothing away. Speedily coming, death shall put 
 an end to all his present power of persecuting the 
 godly. 18. Though while he lived he blessed 
 Eis soul— as the rich fool congratulated himself on 
 his own happiness, and blessed his soul (Luke xiL 
 19; cf. note, v. 11). and (men) will praise thee, 
 when thou doest well to thyself— a sudden 
 transition to a direct address to the rich man : ' and 
 (though) men praise thee because thou treatest 
 thyself well' — because thou grudgest thyself 
 no self-indulgence or luxury (Isa. v. 22). The 
 apodosis follows in w 19, ' (Yet) he shall go to the 
 generation of his fathers.' Hengstenberg, instead of 
 *' though," translates ki, * for he blessed his soul 
 while he lived,' making his blessing his soul in this 
 life and enjoying the praises of men for his self- 
 indulgent luxury the reason why God will not 
 allow his "glory" to "descend after him" {v. 17; 
 cf. Luke xvL 25): God cannot allow men to make a 
 paradise of this sinful world, and yet also to inherit 
 the paradise hereafter. 19. He— or, ^it (the soul) 
 shall go,' for the Hebrew verb is feminine. Heng- 
 stenberg takes it second person, ' thou shalt go,' 
 &c. ; but then there must be supposed a sudden 
 transition to the third person again, " to the genera- 
 tion of HIS fathers." I therefore prefer the third 
 person. The generation of his fathers are those that 
 are fathers not merely of flesh and blood, but in 
 wickedness, they shall never see light— neither 
 the light of the sun that enlightens our world, nor 
 that of the better sun that gladdens the beatified 
 saints (Rev. xxi. 23)- 20. Slightly varied from v. 
 12, as is usual in Hebrew poetry. Man that is in 
 honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts 
 that perish. The summary of the whole is, the 
 man that lacks spiritual understanding, however 
 great for a time may be his earthly honour, perishes 
 soon in the midst of all, like the irrational beast 
 {v. 10, note). 
 
 PS ALM L. — As formerly at the giving of the law 
 on Sinai, so now at the filial consummation of the 
 Gospel, Jehovah aj^pears in glory. His judging as 
 King on Zion, and thence over the whole earth, is set 
 forth, Vy, 1-23, — He, after a long silence, summons 
 all to witness His righteousness in judging, and 
 f/athering His saints who have covenanted loith Him 
 by sacrifice {vv. 1-16); expostulation with Israel for 
 formalism; His effectual invitation to them to call 
 upon Him in trouble {vv, 7-15) ; judgment on trans- 
 gressors wJlo take God's covenant in their mouth, 
 whilst rejecting God's commands, presuming on 
 JJis silence {:vv,lQ-2l); concluding summary: Warn- 
 
 ning to forgetters of God : tJianksgiving, and a right 
 conversation, the way to salvation (vv. 22, 23). 
 
 Title— Taalm of Asaph— The warning against 
 sacrificial formalism appropriately is given by a 
 Levite, one of the class whose duty it was to attend 
 to the outward rite. Heman, Asaph, and Etiiau 
 were chief musicians of David (1 Chr. xv. 17, 19). 
 Asaph is called "the seer" (2 Chr. xxix. 30). The 
 Psalms bearing his name, Ixxiii. to Ixxxiii., are 
 similar in style. 
 
 1. The mighty God, (even) the Lord — El, 
 Elohim, Jehovah: a climax, each successive 
 name rising in sublimity above the precediug. 
 Not only mighty (singular), equivalent to Moah, 
 but as Elohim (plural), having all the fulness 
 and infinitude of Deity; not only so, but also 
 Jehovah, self- existent, unchanging, faithful to 
 His covenant with His people, hath spoken 
 — or 'speaks.' What he speaks follows (vv. 5, 
 7-23). and called the earth, from the rising 
 of the sun unto the going down thereof. Not 
 Israel alone, but the whole earth is concerned in 
 the issue of the scene. At the same time, the 
 saints, Israel, and the wicked are the prominent 
 persons affected by the judgment, the nations in 
 general subsequently {yi\ 5, 7, 16, 23). The whole 
 earth is called on to witness God's coming manifes- 
 tation (Deut. iv. 26). For the display of God's 
 righteousness in reproving, afflicting, and then 
 converting and vindicating Israel, and taking ven- 
 geance on the wicked (the Antichristian con- 
 federacy), eventuates in the conversion of the 
 Gentile nations throughout the earth. 2. Out of 
 Zion, the perfection of beauty (Ps. xlviii. 2), God 
 hath shined— in contrast to Deut. xxxiii. 2, " The 
 Lord came from Sinai (not the perfection of beauty, 
 but rugged andgloomy) ; He shined forth from Mouut 
 Paran." The Lord at His second advent shall not 
 come with the "fiery law\" speaking terror to His 
 saints, but to be "glorified and "admired" in 
 them (2 Thess. i. 10). Zion shall be the place of 
 His throne, whence He shall judge and reign (Ps. 
 ii. 6). The theocracy on earth shall then be realized 
 with a glory of which its temporary continuance in 
 the Holy Land was but a faint shadow (Ezek. xliii. 
 7), pur Go4 ehall come, "Our God" con- 
 tains the reason why He shall come — viz., because 
 He is the God of His waiting people (Heb. ix, 28). 
 and ghall not keep silence. The ungodly think 
 that, because He now keeps silence, He will never 
 come and speak tjie sentence of doom upon trans- 
 gressors ; therefore they go on in their course of 
 wickedness (v, 21 J, The godly, too, have their 
 
The pleasure of 
 
 PSALM L. 
 
 God not In ceremonies. 
 
 4 He shall call to the heavens from above, 
 
 And to the earth, that he may judge his people. 
 
 5 Gather ^my saints together unto me ; 
 
 Those *that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. 
 
 6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness ; 
 For God is judge himself. Selah. 
 
 7 Hear, 0 my people, and I will speak ; 
 
 0 Israel, and I will testify against thee : — I am God, even, thy God. 
 
 8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices 
 
 Or thy burnt ofierings, to have been continually before me. 
 
 9 1-^ will take no bullock out of thy house. 
 Nor he-goats out of thy folds : 
 
 10 For every beast of the forest is mine, 
 
 And the cattle upon a thousand hills. 
 Ill know all the fowls of the mountains ; 
 
 And the wild beasts of the field are ^mine. 
 
 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee : 
 
 For the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. 
 
 1 3 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, — or drink the blood of goats ? 
 
 Micah C. 1, 
 2. 
 
 Deut. 4. 36. 
 Deut. 30. 19. 
 Deut. 31. 28. 
 d Deut. 33. 3. 
 Ps. 97. 10. 
 Isa. 13. 3. 
 1 Cor. C. 2. 
 3. 
 
 1 Thes. 3. 
 13. 
 
 • Ex. 24. 7. 
 I?a. 59. 20, 
 21. 
 
 Mat. 23. 28. 
 Heb. 8. 6. 
 Heb. 9. 10, 
 23. 
 
 Heb. 13. 20. 
 / Isa. 43. 23, 
 24. 
 
 Micah 6. 6. 
 Acts 17. 25. 
 2 with me. 
 
 patieuce sorely tried by God's seeming slowness in 
 fulfilling His promise of vindicating His people 
 openly by word and deed: let tliem remember 
 *'the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at 
 the end it shall speak and not lie ; though it tarry, 
 wait for it, because it will surely come, it wall 
 not tarry " (Hab. ii. 3). a fire shall devour before 
 him— an accompaniment of the second advent (2 
 Thess. i. 8, 9; Heb. x. 27; 2 Pet. iii. 7, 10). So at 
 Sinai (Exod. xix. 16; xx. 18; xxiv. 17). and it shall 
 toe very tempestuous round about him. Fire and 
 storm are symbols of God's anger (1 Ki. xix. 11, 12; 
 Ezek. xiii. 11 ; Heb. xii. 29). 4. He shall call to 
 the heavens from above, and to the earth, that 
 he may judge his people. He desires all His 
 creatures, above and below, to witness His open 
 vindication of His righteousness in executing 
 judgment for His people (Deut. xxxii. 1). 5. Gather 
 my saints together unto m.%—l%t., 'my pious ones,' 
 the objects of grace; Hebrew, chasidai. All Israel 
 was termed so, by its national calling to be godly, 
 as the object of God's grace. The ulterior reference 
 is to the spiritual Israel, and their gathering to the 
 Lord. So Matt. xxiv. 31 ; also 1 Thess. iv. 17; 2 
 Thess. ii. 1. those that have made a covenant 
 with me by sacrifice — viz., by the only true 
 sacrifice, "the blood of the everlasting covenant" 
 (Heb. xiii. 20), the Antitype to all the sacrifices of 
 the law, which could never take away sin and 
 make the comer perfect in the sight of God (Heb. 
 ix. 12-14; X. 1-14). 6. And the heavens shall 
 declare his righteousness. The vindication of 
 " His righteousness " to His own glory is the final 
 end of the "covenant" of redemption, and of the 
 judgment about to be executed in behalf of His 
 elect at the second advent. The saints, His people 
 who are accepted of God on the ground of the 
 covenant by sacrifice, are distinguished from Israel, 
 who is reproved {vv. 7, 8) for formal sacrifices. 
 
 His expostulation with Israel for formalism in legal 
 services, and His effectual call to thankfulness, obedi- 
 ence, and prayer in trouble, with the promise of 
 deliverance [w. 7-15). 7. Hear, 0 my people, and 
 I will speak— no longer 'keeping silence' [v. 3). 
 0 Israel, and I will testify against thee— as in 
 Deut. xxxi. 26, 28; Neh. ix. 29, "Thou testifiedst 
 against them, that thou mightest bring them again 
 unto thy law. This shall be the object of Grod's 
 final i)leading with them, just before their conver- 
 sion, after sore "trouble" (v. 15; Dan. xii. 1). The 
 VOL. III. 209 
 
 Hebrew signifies to pi^otest imploringly, and with 
 the solemnity of an oath [2 -I'v]. I am God, even 
 thy God. The preface to the Decalogue (Exod. 
 XX. 2). I, who am God of every creature, am in a 
 pre-eminent sense thy God : a tender appeal, which 
 prepares the way for the address which at last 
 will touch the heart of Israel, long a wanderer 
 from the Lord. 8. I will not reprove thee for 
 thy sacrifices. Here God implies that Israel 
 brought the sacrifices regularly enough ; but what 
 He complains of is the lack of inward service. In 
 vv. 9-12 God ijroceeds to show the grounds on 
 which He esteemed the mere outward sacrifices as 
 so secondary in importance. If He needed them, 
 He would not need to ajjply to men, for all creation 
 is His. In v. 13 it is added that God's spiritual 
 nature shows that "the flesh of bulls" could not 
 give Him satisfaction, or thy burnt offerings, 
 (to have been) continually before me— rather, as 
 LXX. and Vulgate, ' thy burnt offerings are con- 
 tinually before me.' The Hebrew for 'burnt 
 oflEering' [nVn?J, is literally an ascending, because 
 the holocaust or burnt offering was raised up upon 
 the altar, and wholly burnt there, and so ascended 
 as smoUe to heaven. 9. I will take no bullock— a 
 young ox ; the stage next after that of a calf. 10. 
 For every beast of the forest is mine— (Gen. i. 
 24.) and the cattle upon a thousand hills. 
 Hengstenberg translates, ' the cattle upon the hills 
 of the thousand' — i. e., where they go by thousands. 
 11. I know all the fowls. Knowledge and owner- 
 ship go together ; Omniscience is inseparably linked 
 with Omnipotence and universal dominion, and 
 the wild beasts of the field are mine— ^«7., 'are 
 with me;' i. e., are at once in my mind and at my 
 disposal. 12. If I were hungry, I would not tell 
 thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness 
 thereof. Yet the Lord Almighty condescends to 
 deal with us as if He could receive a benefit at our 
 hands. Cf. Luke xix. 31, where the disciples are 
 directed to tell the owner of the ass-colt, "The 
 Lord hath need of him." This is His grace 
 to us, that whilst we offer our all to Him, it is not 
 Him l3ut ourselves whom we benefit (Acts xvii. 25). 
 13. wm I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the 
 blood of goats? The answer is in John iv. 24; 
 and yet the Godhead made itself for a time subject 
 to the conditions of the flesh, in the person of the 
 incarnate God (Luke xxiv. ,39-43), 
 p 
 
God's pleasure in 
 
 PSALM L. 
 
 sincerity of obedience. 
 
 Offer ^unto God thanksgiving ;— and pay thy vows unto the Most High 
 And ''call upon me in the day of trouble ; 
 I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify ^me. 
 
 But unto the wicked God saith, 
 ^Vhat hast thou to do to declare my statutes, 
 Or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth ? 
 Seeing •'thou hatest instruction, — and castest my words behind thee. 
 18 When .thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst ^with hinfi, 
 
 And ^hast been partaker -with a(;iulterers. 
 19* Thou givest thy mouth to evil, — and thy tongue frameth deceit. 
 
 20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother ; 
 Thou slanderest thine own mother's son. 
 
 21 These things hast thou done, 'and I kept silence ; 
 
 "^Thou .thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself : 
 But I will reprove thoe, and set them in order before thine eyes. 
 
 17 
 
 0 Ho8. 14. 2. 
 Heb. 13. 5. 
 
 * Job. 22. 27. 
 Z&ch. 13. 9. 
 
 1 Ps. 22. 23. 
 
 Mat. 5. 16. 
 John 15. 3. 
 ) Pro. 1. r. 
 
 28. 29. 
 Rom. 2. 21. 
 2 Thes. 2, 
 
 10-12. 
 
 * Rom. 1. 32. 
 ' thy portion 
 
 was with 
 adulterers. 
 
 * thou 
 sendest. 
 
 ' Ecci. 8. 1'. 
 "' Rom. 2. 4. 
 
 14, 15. — The true sacrifices, as contrasted witli 
 the false: the duty is stated in v. 14; the blessed 
 result in v. 15. 14. Offer unto God thanksgiving— 
 lit., 'praise' or 'confession' of all that God is in 
 himself, and is to us. Praise is mentioned as one 
 species of inward worship performed by the heart, 
 and as a specimen of all such worship, as con- 
 trasted with external worship not so accompanied, 
 and pay thy vows unto the Most High— not only 
 by " thanksgiving," but in all other ways of loving 
 obedience of heart and life, render to (Jod all that 
 thou hast bound thyself to as His servant and His 
 child (Ps. cxvi. 17, 18 ; Job xxii. 27 ; Eccl. v. 4, 5). 
 Outward vows are to be faithfully paid to God, 
 not that He needs aught from us, but for the ful- 
 filment of our promise, which, if we keep to our 
 fellow-men, much more ought we to keep to God. 
 The chief vow which God urges on Israel to fulfil 
 is that which they made of obedience at Sinai, — 
 "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do" 
 (Exod. xix. 8). The context, which dwells on 
 the uselessness of mere ritualism, makes it likely 
 that the "vows" meant are faith, love, and obedi- 
 ence. 15. And call upon me in the day of trouble. 
 — a gracious promise consequent on the heart 
 "thanksgiving" and 'payment' of Israel's moral 
 as well as ceremonial, " vows." If first thou givest 
 heartfelt thanks, and art faithful to thy vows of 
 obedience {v. 15), then thou mayest "call upon me 
 in the day of trouble," and I will deliver thee, and 
 thou Shalt (have fresh occasion to) glorify me. 
 So obedience and thanksgiving, rendered in the 
 first instance by Jehoshaphat (2 Chr. xx. 19-30), 
 issued in immediate "deliverance," in answer to 
 the " call" of faith " in the day of trouble." The 
 absence of the conjunction and marks the immedi- 
 ate effect of belieying, obedient, and thankful 
 prayer (cf. Isa. Ixv. 24). So Israel, in her last and 
 greatest tribulation, shall experience the Lord in 
 her present help, after she has turned humbly to 
 Him (Dan. xii. 1 ; Zech. xii. 10-14 ; xiii. 1-9 ; xiv. 1-5). 
 
 Judgment on the wicked who take God's cove- 
 nant in their mouth, but flagrantly violate it by 
 absence of natural affection and offences of heart, 
 hand, and tongue against their neighbours, espe- 
 cially against the godly, presuming on God's pre- 
 sent silence. 16, 17. But unto the wicked God 
 saith, What hast thou to do to declare my 
 statutes, or that thou shouldest take my cove- 
 nant in thy mouth? (Exod. xxiii. 13.) Seeing 
 thou hatest instruction— (Isa, i. 15,) Hypocrites 
 make mention of God's covenant only to display 
 their religious knowlerlge, as if they were able to 
 teach others, and to judge their neighbours (Rom. 
 ii. lS-24). The law was given not to be spoken 
 
 about, but to be done (Horn. ii. 13). This is the 
 rank soil out of which Antichrist, the last breaker 
 of the " covenant," shall spring (Dan, ix. 27 ; xi. 
 30-32). ' Such as do wickedly against the covenant 
 shall he corrupt by flatteries ' (see 1 Mace. i. 30). 
 So St. Paul describes the features of professors in 
 the last days, when they are ripe for Antichrist's 
 manifestation (2 Tim. iii. 1-5). 17. Seeing thou 
 hatest instruction — whereas "instruction in 
 righteousness" is the very object of Gods 
 "statutes" and " covenant," which thou 'takest 
 in thy mouth,' and professest to " declare" {v. 10 ; 
 Ps. xix. 7-9 ; 2 Tim. iii. IG). To " hate reproof," 
 is, according to the wise man, " brutish." 18. 
 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst 
 with him — thou dost actively, and with com- 
 placency, acquiesce in his proceedings (Rom. i. 32); 
 like the inhabitants of Sodom and those of Gibeah 
 (Hos. vii. 3). 19. Thou givest thy mouth to evil- 
 Hebrew, 'Thou sendest;' i. e,. Thou givest loose 
 rein to thy mouth in regard to evil. 20. Thou 
 sittest and speakest against thy brother. " Sit- 
 test " implies deliberate purpose ; taking thy seat 
 habitually with slanderers (Ps. i. 1) : the climax of 
 sin. thou slanderest thine own mother's son - 
 Hebrew, thou givest a blow (viz., with the tongue) 
 to, &c. This is preferable to the LXX. [a-/ca. oaXov] ; 
 and 6rftse7iiMS translates, 'thou puttest a stumbling- 
 block' in his way, laying a snare for him. For 
 the commandments of the second table of the 
 decalogue are referred to, v. 18 — theft and adultery, 
 in breach of the 7th and 8th ; false witness and 
 slander, in violation of the 9th {v. 19, 20). 21. These 
 things hast thou done, and I kept silence. But 
 " our God shall come, and . . . not keep silence " {v. 3). 
 Thou didst mistake my "silence" of long-suffering 
 for "silence" of consent or connivance at thy sin 
 (Isa. hai. 11 ; Eccl. viii. 11, 12; Ps. Iv. 19). But 
 the long-suffering " goodness of God (was designed 
 not to harden thee in the notion of impunity, but) 
 leadeth thee to repentance" (Rom. ii. 4). thou 
 thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as 
 thyself— 2. e., ' consenting with' {v. 18), or 'taking 
 pleasure in ' sinners as such, but I will reprove 
 thee— not in mere words, but in deed [v. 22). and 
 set them in order before thine eyes. Thou hast 
 fancied, from my silence, I take no account of thy 
 sins ; but I will set them in full array before thine 
 eyes ; so that thou canst no longer blindfold con- 
 science, but must own them, and be condemned 
 out of thine own mouth. 
 
 Epilogue, or summary in conclusion. In v. 22 
 the threat against forgetters of God ; in v. 23 the 
 promise ttt those wha will praise Him and walk 
 aright. 
 
David prayeth 
 
 PSALM LI. 
 
 for remission of sins. 
 
 22 
 
 23 
 
 Now consider this, ye that forget God, 
 Lest I tear you in pieces, and there he none to deliver. 
 
 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me : 
 And to him ^that ordereth his conversation aright 
 Will I show the salvation of God. 
 
 PSALM LL 
 
 To "the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto 
 him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. 
 
 HAVE mercy upon me, 0 God,— according to thy loving-kindness ; 
 According unto the multitude of thy tender mercies 
 ^Blot out my transgressions. 
 
 Wash *^me throughly from mine iniquity, — and cleanse me from my sin. 
 
 6 that di?- 
 poseth hia 
 way. 
 
 PSALM 61. 
 » 2 Sa. 12. 1. 
 f Col 2. 14. 
 " Eze. 36. 26. 
 Zech. 11. 1. 
 1 Cor. 6. 11. 
 Heb. 9 14. 
 Heb. 10. 21, 
 22. 
 
 1 John 1. 7. 
 Rev. 1 6. 
 Rev. 7. 14. 
 
 22. Now consider this—" this," i.e., all that has 
 gone before, of warning against hypocrites and 
 ungodly professors, ye that forget God— alike the 
 openly wicked and the hollow formalists, lest I 
 tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver- 
 as a ravenous beast lets none rescue from him his 
 prey. 
 
 23. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me— or 
 'shall glorify me.' Henpstenberg, from 15 (see 
 note), and also from the parallel clause in this 
 vei-se, " I will show the salvation of God," takes 
 the sense, 'shall have occasion given him to glorify 
 me.' "Offereth praise"— ^/C, as in r. 14 ' mcri- 
 Jiceth praise' or 'confession' [nXiH nn)] (Heb. xiii. 
 15 ; Hos. xiv. 2). This first clause is a compendi- 
 ous summary of vv. 14, 15. to him that ordereth 
 his conversation aright— 'his way' (contrast 
 Ps. cxxv. 5). will I show the salvation of God- 
 contrasted with 'tearing in pieces' (i\ 22) those 
 who violate God's covenant by transgressions 
 agrinst their neighbour (v. 17-20). 
 
 PSALM LI. — Ps. xxxii. was written after, this 
 Ps. li before David's adultery with Batlisheba 
 and murder of Uriah. As there he invites all 
 to share with him the blessing of experienced 
 forgiveness by heartily confessing sin, so here he 
 seeks it, and promises, in the event of receiving it, 
 to teach other transgressors the way of peace. Vv. 
 1-19. — Prayer resting on confession of actual and 
 original sin {vv. 1-6); purification sought, atid the 
 gift of the Spirit {vv. 7-12) ; thanksgiving promised, 
 and the conversion of sinners through his testimony, 
 when he shall he restored to the joy of God; praise 
 and contrition God loves more than sacrifice; these 
 he and the people will offer when God sluiLl do good 
 to Zion and her king {vv. 1.3-19). 
 
 Title. — To the chief Musician. Marvellous 
 that the highest personage in the kingdom 
 should thus publicly proclaim His heinous sin 
 and subsequent penitence ! So grateful had grace 
 made him for pardon, that he desired to make 
 his case (however natural inclination might 
 shrink from it) an instructive lesson to all the 
 people of God whom he had offended by his 
 sin. His penitential psalm, sung in the public 
 service of the temple, would proclaim far and 
 wide the path to pardon for the worst sinners. A 
 Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came 
 unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. 
 Instead of "after," translate [ik'N?] 'according as.' 
 It is not here a particle of tirne ; for Nathan's 
 coming to David was about a year subsequent 
 tf) David's connection with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 
 xii. 14, 15). The use of the same verb and 
 preposition ]^ in both clauses implies that 
 tlie connection between David's going to Bath- 
 slieba and Nathan's going to David is that in- 
 Beparable connection which there is between ain 
 2U 
 
 and its condemnation. Translate the verbs alike : 
 ' When Nathan the prophet Itad gone unto him, 
 after he Aac^ gone unto Bathsheba.' Especially in 
 the case of the godly, sin is followed by chastise- 
 ment, not only because of God's anger, but chietly 
 because of Gods love (cf. Lev. x. 3: Amos iii. 2; 
 1 Pet. iv. 17). 
 
 1. Have mercy upon me, 0 God. He does not 
 venture to call Him '???,2/ God;' but he appeals to 
 God in respect to His own attributes, according 
 to thy loving-kindness ; according unto the mul- 
 titude of thy tender mercies blot out my trans- 
 gressions. " The multitude of thy tender mercies " 
 is needed because of the multitude of my sins (Isa. 
 Iv. 7, marg.; Ps. cxxx. 7). His sin, in the case of 
 XJriah and Bathsheba, presents itself now before 
 his awakened conscience as not merely one sin, 
 but an accumulation of sins; therefore he uses the 
 I)lural : his many acts of adultery with Bath- 
 sheba, his shedding the blood of Uriah, and of 
 those who perished with him, his impenitence and 
 hypocrisy for nearly a year, and the occasion 
 which he had given for the enemies of God to 
 blaspheme against all religion. " Blot out," here 
 and V. 9, is an image from erasing a debt out of an 
 account-book. Our sins are debts entered into the 
 book of God's remembrance against the judgment, 
 and can be blotted out only by that Saviour who 
 'blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that 
 was against us, which was contrary to us, and 
 took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross' (Col. 
 ii. 14; Isa. xliii. 25; xliv. 22). David's expression 
 refers to Nathan's declaration, 2 Sam. xii. 13, 
 "The Lord also hath away (lit., caused to pass 
 [T3yn]) thy sin." Though I^iathan had thus an- 
 nounced an immediate and full pardon to David 
 on his brief confession of sin, yet the penitent was 
 not able at once to approx»riate it. The greater 
 had been the grace conferred on him, the deeijer 
 was his fall, and the harder did he find it to 
 reach a state of peace. The promise of pardon 
 only kept him from despair ; but before he could 
 attain to joyful assurame, he had to pass 
 through deep waters of self-loathing because of 
 his enormous sin. Not that God's grace did not 
 hold out immediate peace, but that his faith, 
 impaired by the consciousness of sin, was slow 
 to lay hold of it. 2. Wash me throughly from 
 mine iniquity— (cf. v. 7.) The Hebrew verb for 
 "wash "is usually employed as to clothes [0^2; 
 but ynn of the person] : thus (Num. xix. 8) the 
 clothes of him who burnt the heifer, in order to 
 n)ake the ashes for the water of separation, were 
 to be washed (the same Hebrew), and the person 
 bathed. Wash me as one would wash a filthy gar- 
 ment (Isa. Ixiv. 6). The Hebrew for "throughly" 
 is literally 'multiply,' and stands first as the em- 
 phatic word of the seutenceu U£. laa. Iv. 7, 
 
David pray eth 
 
 PSALM LI. 
 
 for remission of sins. 
 
 3 For '^I acknowledge my transgressions r — and my sin is ever before me. 
 
 4 Against Hhee, thee only, have I sinned, — and done this eviWin thy sight ; 
 ^that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, 
 
 And be clear when thou judgest. 
 
 5 Behold, wasshapen in iniquity; 
 And in sin did my mother ^ conceive me. 
 
 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts ; 
 
 And in the hidden joar^ thou shalt make me to. know wisdom. 
 
 d Ps. 32. 6. 
 
 • G6n. :9. 9. 
 Lev. 6. 19. 
 
 / Luke 15. 21. 
 f Eom. 3. 4. 
 
 * Job 14. 4. 
 John 3. G. 
 Eom. 6. 12. 
 Eph. 2. 3. 
 
 1 warm me. 
 
 * multiply to pardon'— i. c, "abundantly pardon." 
 In vv. 1, 2 he uses the three terms, 'transgres- 
 sions, iniquity, sin,' to mark the manifold charac- 
 ter or his sin. As my sins are manifold, so 'mani- 
 foldly wash me.' The blood of Christ, applied by 
 the grace of God, is the water which is to wash out 
 the stain (E-ev. i. 5; 1 John L 7). 
 
 3. Giving the ground on which his prayer [vv. 
 1, 2) rests — viz., I acknowledge my transgres- 
 sions. They who acknowledge their sin are in a 
 receptive state for God's grace. So in the parallel 
 psalm (Ps. xxxii. 5). David had confessed his sin 
 (2 Sam. xii. 13; cf. Prov. xxviii. 13). Not that 
 confession is the efficient cause of forgiveness : 
 the grace of God, through the atoning blood of 
 Christ, is the only meritorious cause, and my 
 sin is ever before me— I can never lose sight of 
 it. 4. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, 
 and done this evil in thy sight. So in 2 Sam. 
 xii. 9, 13, the sin, though externally against Uriah, 
 is represented as having its chief malignity in 
 being against "the commandment of the Lord, to 
 do evil in His sight;" and David's confession is, "I 
 have sinned against the Lord." That we are not to 
 think that the sins which he confesses are merely 
 against the first table of the law, ai)pears from v. 14, 
 "Deliver me from hlood-giultiness." What makes 
 an offence against our fellow-man a sin is, that it is 
 against one who bears the image of God, and for 
 whom God hath provided a redemption ; and so is 
 against God Himself (cf. Gen. ix. 6). The more 
 vivid the sense of sin is, the more the penitent will 
 feel the malignity of sin (even of that against one's 
 neighbour) to lie in this, that it is against the holy 
 and loving God, our Father, to whom we owe such 
 a deep debt of gratitude. So when the godly 
 Joseph was tempted to adultery by Potiphar's 
 wife, he did think of the offence against his master 
 as the chief thing, but said, "How can I do this 
 great wickedness, and sin against God 'f Though 
 l)rimarily David had been guilty of the two foulest 
 crimes against his fellow-man, yet now that he sees 
 sin in its essence, not merely in its accidents, he 
 loses sight of all else save his sin against God — the 
 God who had raised him from a sheeiifold to the 
 throne of God's own people. 'I do not regard 
 whethermen, byway of flattery, extenuate my guilt; 
 I feel thee to be my judge ; conscience drags me 
 to thy tribunal' {Calvin). Hope also enters into the 
 thought that David's sin has been against God; 
 for, this being so, it rests with God alone to grant 
 forgiveness. He need not therefore despair because 
 he can make no reparation to the injured Uriah, now 
 long deceased, nor can ask forgiveness from him. 
 that thou mightest (or mayest) he justified when 
 thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 
 David recognizes the mystery that God permits 
 sin in order that {]VJ27 must be so translated] His 
 may he manifested in judging the 
 
 sinner, as it was through Nathan in David case, and 
 thus that His holy name may be glorified at the 
 same time that His children are brought through 
 chastisement to penitence and salvation. St. Paul-so 
 takes this passage (Rom. iii. 4); for otherwise there 
 212 
 
 would have been no semblance for the blasphemous 
 allegation which he refutes, that man's unrigh- 
 teousness" is not punishable because it is the oc- 
 casion of " commending" or bringing to light " the 
 righteousness of God." The sinner's guilt is none 
 the less because God's righteousness is thereby 
 magnified in His judicial dealing with it. Nay, it 
 is the greater, in that, whereas he might be a con- 
 scious and willing instrument of God's glory, he 
 perversely, by sin, makes himself an unconscious 
 instrument of glorifying and justifying God in his 
 own condemnation. The sin is wholly of man, 
 wilfully led by his own lust (Jas. i. 13-15). Its 
 manifestations are overruled by God for His own 
 glory (1 Sam. xxvi. 19; 2 Sam. xvi. 10; xxiv. 1; 
 Rom. ix. 17, 18) and for the ultimate salvation of 
 the sinner if a believer, or for leaving him with- 
 out excuse if a reprobate (Prov. xvi. 4). When 
 the penitent is led to justify God, as King Reho- 
 boam and the Israelite princes humbled them- 
 selves under God's chastisement through Shishak, 
 saying, "the Lord is righteous" (2 Chr. xii. 6), 
 then he withdraws the rod, the end designed having 
 been attained. 5. Behold, I was shapen — Heb. 
 cholaUi; lit., brought forth amidst labour pains, in 
 iniquity. In Adam the whole human race fell, so 
 .that his sin was propagated by generation ; for as 
 the punishment affects all his race, even those who 
 have not followed him in actual sin (Rom. v. 12-14), 
 as infants, so must his sin (Job xiv. 4). This is 
 what is termed original or birth-sin — an hereditary 
 taint, whereby from our birth we are inclined to 
 evil. ' In every person born into this world, it 
 deserveth God's wrath and damnation.' "Ini- 
 quity" [pr] is always used of imputable guilt." 
 Cf. Gen. V. 3, contrasted with "Adam begat a son 
 in his own likeness, after his image;" whereas 
 "in the day that God created man, in the likeness 
 of God made He him." Cf. Gen. viii. 21 ; Eph. 
 ii. 3. and in sin did my mother conceive me— not 
 referring to the sin of his mother, but of himself; I 
 had the germ of sin from my birth, and even from 
 my very conception (Ps. Iviii. 3). 6. Behold. The 
 repetition of this exclamation (cf. v. 5) implies the 
 close connection of vv. 5 and 6,— ''My very nature, 
 as that of all mankind, is fainted with sin; but thou 
 desirest sincere righteousness: therefore there is 
 urgent need that thou, who alone canst, shouldst im- 
 part righteousness, and its first beginning, the 
 pardon of sin.' thou desirest truth in the inward 
 parts —" ^ru^/i," i.e., true righteousness, as op- 
 posed to self-deceit and hypocrisy, of which he 
 was guilty all the time (nearly a year) that he 
 continued living in sin, though not giving up the 
 outward profession of a worshipper of God (J osh. 
 xxiv. 14; 1 Ki. ii. 4; John iii. 21). and in the 
 hidden part— the hidden depths of the heart, 
 which, in the natural man, however outwardly 
 wise, are replete with folly. Cf. the contrast of 
 "inwardly ' and "outwardly," Rom. iL 28, 29. 
 thou Shalt make me to know wisdom— true wis- 
 dom; i.e., piety, internally wrought by the Holy 
 Spirit, so as to act on my whole spirit and life 
 (cf. Job xxxviii. 36> Virtually a prayer in the 
 
David pray eth 
 
 PSALM LI. 
 
 for sanctijication. 
 
 7 Purge me with hj^sop, and I shall be clean ; 
 Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 
 
 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness ; 
 
 That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 
 
 9 Hide thy face from my sins, — and blot out all mine iniquities. 
 
 10 Create * in me a clean heart, 0 God ; 
 And renew ^ a right spirit within me. 
 
 11 Cast me not away •'from thy presence ; 
 And take not thy *Holy Spirit from me. 
 
 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation ; 
 And uphold me with thy 'free Spirit : 
 
 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways ; 
 And sinners shall be converted unto thee. 
 
 form of a confident anticipation. As thou desirest 
 true righteousness, and I neither have it naturally 
 nor can acquire it of myself, ' thou shalt give ' it, 
 I trust and pray. So all the succeeding future 
 tenses are optative (cf. v. 10, 12). 
 
 7. Prayer for forgiveness and for the Spirit. 
 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. A 
 man ceremonially unclean (for instance, one who 
 has touched a corpse) was 'purged' by the 
 sprinkling of watei*, with ashes of the red heifer in 
 it, from a bunch of hyssop (Num. xix. 18). Also a 
 cured leper was cleansed with water and blood 
 sprinkled from hyssop (Lev. xiv. 4-7). This 
 snadowed forth the antitypical " blood of sprink- 
 ling" of Messiah, whereby the uncleanness of the 
 soul is purged (Heb. ix. 13, 14, 19 ; xii. 24). As the 
 cedar was the emblem of loftiness, so the hyssop of 
 lowliness, and so of the Divine condescension (I Ki. 
 iv. 33; Ps. xviii. 35). The extremes of Divine 
 majesty and lowly condescension meet in God's 
 pardon and justification of sinners (Isa. Ixvi. 1, 2). 
 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness ; that the 
 hones which thou hast broken may rejoice— viz. , 
 by my receiving from thy Spirit the inward assur- 
 ance of that forgiveness of which Nathan has given 
 me the outward. David's bones ivere broken figura- 
 tively, by the accusations of conscience, and the 
 law's condemnation of him, because of his sin, 
 Literally, too, in a sense, his bones were broken — 
 that is, his bodily strength was much enfeebled by 
 the inward agitation of his mind (Ps. vi. 2 : xxxviii. 
 3). 
 
 9. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all 
 mine iniquities— viz., from thy book of remem- 
 brance, so as never to rise in judgment against 
 me (v. 1). 
 
 10-12. — Prayer for the Spirit fittingly follows 
 his prayers for purification, complete forgiveness, 
 and the joy of assurance. For the joyful sense of 
 forgiveness is "joy in the Holy Ghost" (Pvom. xiv. 
 17). The gift of the Holy Spirit follows upon for- 
 giveness of sin (Acts ii. 38); and so in the three 
 verses Heisalluded to,— "aright spirit. . . thy Holy 
 'Spirit . . . tliy free Spirit." 10. Create in me a cleaii 
 heart, 0 God ; and renew a right spirit within me. 
 No less an Almighty power than that which 
 ' created ' [nhii] the world is needed to " create" 
 in fallen man "a clean heart." Eph. ii. 10; Ezek. 
 xxxvi. 26, contains God's promise corresponding 
 to this prayer. The Hebrew (naJcon) for "right" 
 is rather a heart ' steadfast ' in the path of righ- 
 teousness, marff. David's fault had been want of 
 that steadfastness whereby he should have resisted 
 "temj)tation." Cf. Ps. Ixxviii. 37. He formerly 
 had this holy fixity of spirit ; he now prays that it 
 may be renewed. 11. Cast me not away from thy 
 presence ; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. 
 As Cain was * hid from the face of God' (Gen. iv. 
 213 
 
 » Prov. 20. 9 
 
 Jer. 13. 27. 
 
 Jer. 32. 39. 
 
 Eze. II. 19. 
 
 Eze. 18. 31. 
 
 Acts 15. 9. 
 
 Eph. 2. 10. 
 » Or, a con- 
 
 staDt 
 
 spirit. 
 i Gen. 4. 14. 
 * Eze. 36. 27. 
 
 Rom. 8. 9. 
 
 Eph. 4. 30. 
 ' Rom. 8. 15. 
 
 2 Cor. 3. ir. 
 
 Gal. 4. 6, r. 
 
 14), and as Israel was 'cast from His presence* 
 at last (2 Ki. xiii. 23), God's Spirit had not ceased 
 to strive with him (Gen. vi. 3). He confesses that 
 he deserves to be ' cast off,' as having turned 
 from his righteousness (Ezek. xxxiii. 13-18). The 
 awful end of Saul is before him. "The Spirit of 
 the Lord departed from Saul" at the same time 
 that "the Spirit of the Lord came upon David" 
 (1 Sam. xvL 1, 13, 14). Now David has " grieved 
 the Holy Spirit of God" (Eph. iv. 30) ; but he has 
 not entirely lost Him, nor apostatized, though, had 
 not mercy interposed, he must inevitably have done 
 so (Heb. vi. 4-0), as Saul. 12. Restore unto me 
 the joy of thy salvation— answering to v. 8 : the 
 joy which thy salvation imparts in the experience 
 of the forgiveness of sin, and of the possession of 
 the Holy Spirit, and uphold me with (thy) free 
 Spirit. There is no "thy" in the original transla- 
 tion ; therefore translate, ' Uphold me with a ready 
 {Gesenius, spontaneous) spirit.' The Hebrew [nnn:] 
 expresses one who has a living impulse to good ; an 
 instinctive constraint towards it. A spirit of spon- 
 taneous alacrity is illustrated by the parallel 
 ''''joy of thy salvation." He desires to walls in the 
 spirit of liberty, in the freedom which the Holy 
 Spirit imparts (Ps. ex. 3 ; Exod. xxxv. 5 ; 2 Chr. 
 xxix. 31, of a free heart-," Eom. viii. 2-15; Ps. 
 cxix. 45; John viii. 34-36). The preceding context 
 has the several clauses in the form of addresses to 
 God. Do not therefore translate, 'may a willing 
 spirit uphold me,' 
 
 13-19. —He promises spiritual sacrifices of praise, 
 and efforts for the conversion of other transgres- 
 sors, as the fruit of his being restored to the joy of 
 salvation. For though works do not justify, the 
 justified man is sure to work. God works in the 
 evidences of faith. So in Ps. liv. 6, 7, but esi)ecially 
 in the parallel psalm, he passes from his own 
 blessedness in experienced pardon to 'teach- 
 ing others God's way' of peace,— viz., God par- 
 doning all who heartily confess their sins (Ps. 
 xxxii. 8, 9). As here, in Ps, li,, he promises to do 
 so, so in Ps. xxxii. he fulfils his promise. This 
 portion falls into three divisions : — 1. He states 
 positively how he will evince his gratitude to God 
 [vn. 13-15). 2. He renounces false thanksgivings, 
 as opposed to the true ones which he offers— viz., a 
 contrite heart {vv. 16, 17). 3. He passes from indivi- 
 dual thanksgivings to those of Zion, or the whole 
 Church. 13. Then will I teach transgressors thy 
 ways ; and sinners shall be converted unto thee, 
 —when my prayer shall have been heard. Even 
 already, in some degree, his prayer was heard. 
 For the wish to bring sinners to God evinces a 
 state of heart no longer estranged from God's sal- 
 vation, and from concern for His honour. "Thy 
 ways" are ways whereby sinners are to go— the 
 ways of conversion, as. the parallel clause proves. 
 
David prayeth 
 
 PSALM LI. 
 
 for the Church. 
 
 14 Deliver me from ^ blood-guiltiness, 0 God, tliou God of my sal- 
 
 vation ; 
 
 A nd my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 
 
 15 0 Lord, open thou my lips ; 
 
 And my mouth shall show forth thy praise. 
 
 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice, ^else would I give it ; 
 Thou "Melightest not in burnt offering. 
 
 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit : 
 
 A broken and a contrite heart, 0 God, thou wilt not despise. 
 
 18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion : 
 Build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 
 
 19 Then shalt thou be pleased with "the sacrifices of righteousness, 
 With burnt offering, and whole burnt offering : 
 
 Then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar. 
 
 14. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness— lit. , bloods, 
 X)lural ; viz., the guilt of having shed Uriah's filood, 
 aud that of others with him (2 Sam. xi. 15-17 ; xii. 
 9, 10). This denunciation rested as a heavy weight 
 on his conscience. He prays, not so much for 
 deliverance from the temporal punishment, as 
 from the guilt. Cf, Gen. iv. 10; ix. 5, 6. Sal- 
 vation from sin and death eternal is what he needs ; 
 therefore he addresses God. thou God of my salva- 
 tion ; and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy 
 righteousness— exultingly {Vs. xxxv. 28). God's 
 "righteousness" is that attribute whereby God 
 gives to each what is right, as, for instance, to the 
 penitent forgiveness. The ground on which it is 
 righteous that God should forgive the penitent, is 
 the atonement and righteousness of Christ, less 
 clearly shadowed forth in the Old Testament, but 
 revealed fully in the New Testament (1 John i. 9; 
 ii. 1). " Thy praise," iu v. 15, corresponds to "thy 
 righteousness" in this v. 14. 15. 0 Lord, open thou 
 my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy 
 praise. God opem the sinner's lips by pardoning 
 his sin, which heretofore had closed tliem from 
 offering filial prayer and praise (Ps. xl. 2, 3). Great 
 mercy experienced produces great praise (Mark v. 
 19). Even the believer needs to offer this prayer 
 (Eph. vi. 19). 16-19.— The proclamation of 'the 
 praise of God,' in having pardoned him {v. 15), is 
 the most acceptable thankoffering that he can give. 
 16. For thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I 
 give it. Animal sacrifice had no intrinsic value, 
 but only such as its reference to the only propiti- 
 atory sacrifice gave it. What God really prized 
 was the spiritual thankoffering of the heart full of 
 love, faith, and gratitude. It was usual, in a vow, 
 to offer sacrifices to the Lord with hurnt offerings, 
 the symbol of the offerer's self- dedication anew to 
 the Lord. Whilst many, like Saul, put off God 
 with external "sacrifices" as a substitute for obe- 
 dience (1 Sara. XV. 21, 22), David promises to God 
 that which God chiefly required,— the sacrifice of a 
 " broken and a contrite heart" (Ps. 1. 8, 14). This 
 passage is one among many in the Old Testament 
 (Jer. vii. 22; Hos. vi. 6; Mic. vi. 6-8) which proves 
 that the spiritual worshippers under the Law- 
 looked beyond the temporary sacrifices as not able 
 to " make him that did the service XDerfect as per- 
 taining to the conscience" (Heb. ix. 9). 17. The 
 sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. The plural, 
 " sacrifices," is used to mark the fulness and suffi- 
 ciency of penitence and faith, not because of any 
 intrinsic merit in these graces, but on account of 
 the naerit of the Divine Object of faith, the great 
 Bacrifice to be offered in due time. This the New 
 Testament teaches us, whether David always com- 
 prolieuded it or not (Ps. xxxiv. 18; cxlvii 3). 
 
 The faith of the Old Testament worshippers was 
 implicit ; ours is explicit, a broken and a contrite 
 heart, O God, thou will not despise. Though joy, 
 because of pardon, reigns in the forgiven believer, 
 yet a tender and chastened feeling, because of tlie 
 grievous sin so graciously forgiven, abides. 
 
 18, 19.— From the individual tnanksgiving he 
 passes to that of the whole people of God, whicli 
 will result from his restoration to God's favour ; 
 for the well-being of the people is inseparably 
 bound up with that of the prince, as the numbering 
 of the people by David, and the consequent plague 
 on the people show. Do good in thy good pleasure 
 unto Zion : build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 
 Jerusalem in Hebrew is in the dual number — viz. , 
 the Upper and Zoiwer Jerusalem. The walls and 
 city of Jerusalem were then being "built (by 
 David) even from Millo round about;" whilst 
 " Joab repaired the rest of the city" (1 Chr. xi. 8). 
 David, after the threat of God by Nathan, that 
 the sword should never dejiart from his house, 
 feared lest his sin, in which Joab was an accom- 
 plice, should impede the work of the completion 
 of the city, in which also J oab was associated with 
 him. This is the connection of the prayer here 
 with the general subject. His prayer was heard, 
 and the completion of "the wall round about" 
 was effected by Solomon (1 Ki. iii. 1 ; ix. 15). 
 There is doubtless also a figurative sense proved 
 by the parallel " do good," and by the analogy of 
 what David sought for himself — viz., salvation. 
 Thus huild the walls is equivalent to establish in 
 temporal and spiritual prosperity Zion, thy people. 
 Cf. the phrase, Isa. Ix. 10 ; Zech. vi. 15 ; Rev. xx. 
 10-12; also Ps. Ixxxix. 40. These two verses have 
 been made the pretext for transferring this psalm 
 to a date after the captivity, when the walls of 
 Jerusalem were prostrate. But the Psalmist does 
 not say ' build them again,'' but ^ build them.' 19. 
 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of 
 righteousness— sacrifices offered in righteousness 
 (Ps. iv. 5); not such as are vain (Isa. 1.13), the 
 offerers being tainted with unpardoned sin (Lev. 
 xxvi. 31). As in v. 16, heartless sacrifices are re- 
 jected, so here in ?'. 19, hearty sacrifices are pro- 
 mised as acceptable to Jehovah, with burnt 
 offering, and whole burnt offering— (Deut. xxxiii. 
 10.) The whole burnt offering more emphati- 
 cally than the " burnt offering,'^ marks why this 
 offering in particular is promised — viz., because the 
 whole was burnt, the offerer retaining no part 
 (1 Sara. vii. 9) ; thus there is implied entire self- 
 surrender to God, the soul burning with love, and 
 spending itself wholly to His glory, then shall 
 they oft'er bullocks upon thine altar— ii^., 'then 
 shall bullocks ascend thine altar.' 
 
Malice of 
 
 PSALM LII. 
 
 the wicked reproeed* 
 
 PSALM LIL 
 
 To the chief Musician, Maschil, A PscClm of David, "when Doc^ the Edotnite came and 
 told Savil, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech. 
 
 1 WHY boastest thou thyself in mischief, 0 ^mighty man ? 
 The goodness of God endureth continually. 
 
 2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; — '^iike a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 
 
 3 Thou lovest evil more than good ; 
 
 And lying ^rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. 
 
 4 Thou lovest all-devouring words, — ^ 0 thou deceitful tongue. 
 
 5 God shall likewise ^ destroy thee for ever : 
 
 He shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place. 
 And ^ root thee out of the land of the living. Selah, 
 
 6 The ^righteous also shall see, and fear, — and '^shall laugh at him : 
 
 7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength ; 
 But Hmsted in the abundance of his riches. 
 
 And strengthened himself in his ^wickedness. 
 
 8 But I am ^ like a green olive tree in the house of God : 
 
 PSALM ^2. 
 <* 1 Sam. i:2.9, 
 6' 1 Sam. 2r.7. 
 
 " Ps. 60. 19. 
 d Ps. 59. 7. 
 
 Ps. 64. 3. 
 ' Jer. 9. 4. 
 
 1 Or. and 
 the de- 
 ceitful 
 tonKue. 
 
 2 be it thee 
 d )wn. 
 
 / Pro. 2. 22. 
 f Job 22. 19. 
 
 Ps. sr. 3 J. 
 
 Mai. 1. 5. 
 * Ps, 58. 10. 
 i Ps. 49. 6. 
 
 8 Or. sub- 
 stance. 
 
 i Ps. 92. 13. 
 Jer. 11. 10. 
 
 PSALM LII. Title— Wken Doeg the Edomite 
 came and told Saul . . . David is come to . . . 
 AMmelecli. David had just heard that Saul, on 
 Doeg's information, caused eighty-five priests to 
 be killed. It was virtually a 'boast' {v. 1) and 
 threat of Saul that similar would be the fate of 
 all who should aid David. To this David replies, 
 V. 1, " Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O 
 mighty man?" Saul (not Doeg) represents tlie 
 ideal wicked one, against whom this psalm is 
 directed, Doeg told the fact, upon Saul s solemn 
 charge to his servants. It was Saul who put the 
 " lying " {vv. 3, 4) construction of high treason on 
 it against David and the innocent priests (1 Sam, 
 xxii. 9, 10, 17, 22). The Hebrew, gihhor, ' mighty 
 man,' or ' hero,' is frequently applied by David to 
 Saul (2 Sam. i. 19) ; a term inapplicable to the 
 herdsman Doeg. Saul it was who " trusted in the 
 abundance of his riches " {v. 7) as means against 
 David (1 Sam. xxii. 7-9). The epithet, "the 
 Edomite " reminds us of Edom, the representative 
 of the world's enmity to God's people. Maschil — 
 Instruction. The case of David and Saul illus- 
 trates the eternal principle that the triumx)h of 
 might with wrong is short : cf. vv. 6, 7, 9. Saul 
 and his sons were 'rooted out of the land of the 
 living,' a type of the doom of the last Antichrist. 
 
 1-9. — Tlie theme: the mighty marHs wickedness 
 {w, 1, 2) ; his hoastinq is vain, seeing that God, in 
 goodness to His people, will destroy the destroyer {vv. 
 4, 5), to the edification of the righteous {vn. 6, 7); 
 but David; trusting in the Lord, and therefore 
 flourishing, shall praise Him for ever {vv. 8, 9). 
 
 1. boastest . . . thyself in mischief— the bane, 
 the goodness {chesed; benignity) of God— the 
 antidote. The hero-like energy of the mighty 
 man (cf. 7, " strengthened himself in his wicked- 
 ness ") cannot stand for a moment before the mighty 
 God (El, V. 5). continually— lit., the whole 'day. 
 2. Thy tongue — the organ of thy inner man. like 
 a sharp razor. Saul's charge of high treason 
 against David was the instrument used to cut off 
 Abimelech and the priests. So the charge of 
 treason to Caesar was the pretext for cutting off 
 Messiah (Luke xxiii. 2; John xix. 12). 3. Thou 
 lovest evil more than good , . . lying . . . than 
 . . . righteousness— or justice: in direct defiance 
 of Dent. xvi. 20, marg. Selah. The pause marks 
 the close of the strophe. 
 
 As the first strophe {vv. 1-3) showed the foe's 
 character, bo this second his punishment in kind. 
 215 
 
 4. Thou lovest all devouring words, 0 . . . de- 
 ceitful tongue— resumed from vv. 2, 3, to mark 
 the inner and invariable eonnection between sin 
 and its penalty. 5. God Shall likewise. Punish- 
 ment is the necessary consequence of guilt (Ezek. 
 xvi. 43). destroy {nathatz; as buildings) . . . take 
 thee away (as burning coals; chafhah) . . . pluck 
 out of (dispossess of ; nasach) thy dwelling . . root 
 out — as trees : Sharash. Such was Saul's doom, 
 (1 Sam. xxxi.) The LXX. and Vulgate translate, 
 for out of thy dwelling place, ' out of the taber- 
 nacle' (cTKr/i/w/xaTos). The Chaldaic Targum, 
 ' He will cause thee to depart from inhabiting the 
 tabernacle' or place of the Shechinah. The He- 
 brew, Ohel, usually means the tabei'nacle of the 
 ark {Ahen Ezra). Thus the last Antichrist in the 
 temple of God is prefigured by Saul ; even as the 
 priests of the sanctuary were profanely killed by 
 Saul (2 Thess. ii. 4 ; Dan. xi. 44, 45). 
 
 Joy of the. righteous at God's manifestation in 
 judgment upon the wicked. 6. The righteous also 
 shall see— (Mai. i. 4, 5 ; Isa. Ixvi. 24 : cf. Exod, 
 xiv. 30, 31.) and fear— not slavish dread, but 
 reverential childlike fear in seeing God's terrible 
 judgments on sinners. There is a play on like 
 sounds in Hebrew, ireu, yirau, "see . . .fear." 
 shall laugh at him — not in a spirit of personal 
 revenge ; for David showed the opposite spirit over 
 Saul when fallen (2 Sam. i. 19-27: cf. Job xxxi. 29 j 
 Prov. xxiv, 17). But joy over God^s enemy pros- 
 trated ; joy at the vindication of God's righteous- 
 ness, which seemed in abeyance whilst the mighty 
 transgressor flourished. Pharaoh's i^roud resistance 
 of Jehovah was just subject of holy laughter to 
 the godly who saw him and his hosts corpses at 
 the Red Sea. 7. made not God his strength ; 
 but . . . riches, and . . . wickedness— (1 Tim. 
 vi. 17; Luke xii. 21 ; Ps. Ixii. 10.) Cf., as to Saul, 
 notes on title above. 
 
 The 'continual endurance of God's goodness' 
 (»'. 1) to the godly is set forth, in contrast to the 
 doom of the ungodly just described. Not only is 
 the proud sinner destroyed, but the oppressed 
 saint saved. 8. But I am like a green olive tree 
 — in contrast to the once mighty sinner, ' plucked 
 out of his dwelling, and rooted out of the land of 
 the living' (?;. 5). in the house of God— where 
 in spirit the righteous dwell in continual com- 
 munion with Him (Ps. xv. 1 ; xxiii. 6; xxvii, 4, 5 ; 
 xxxvi. 8). Contrast the temporary occupation of 
 the temple by Antichrist (note, v. 5), and now by 
 
a natural man. 
 
 The corruption of PSALM LIII. 
 
 I tnist in the mercy of God for ever and ever. 
 9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it : 
 
 And I will wait on thy name; — for ^it is good before thy saints. 
 
 PSALM LIIL 
 
 To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 THE "fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. 
 Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity : 
 * There is none that doeth good. 
 
 2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, 
 To see if there were any that did understand, that did "^seek God. 
 
 3 Every ^one of them is gone back; — they are altogether become filthy : 
 Ther'e is none that doeth good, no, not one. 
 
 4 Have the workers of iniquity ^ no knowledge ? 
 
 Who eat up my people as they eat bread : — they have not called upon God. 
 
 5 There ^ were they in great fear, where no fear was : 
 
 For God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee : 
 Thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them. 
 
 6 ^Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion ! 
 When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, 
 Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. 
 
 hypocrites and slave-like formalists (John viii. 
 34, 35). like a green olive tree. So the cedar 
 and palm (Ps. xcii. 12), implying uprightness, as 
 the green olive implies abundance of grace, peace, 
 and prosperity. The oil-olive typifies the unction 
 of the Holy Spirit. Cf. Zech. iv. 11, 12; Exod. 
 XXX. 23-33. I trust in the mercy of God for ever 
 and ever— and therefore shall never be confounded. 
 ' Spes confisa Deo, nuuquam confusa recedit.' 9. I 
 will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done 
 (it). Faith anticipates in hope the deliverance as 
 already accomplished, and praises God beforehand 
 for it (2 Chr. xx. 19-22). and I will wait on thy 
 name— in all my troubles hereafter, making thee in 
 thy manifested power, goodness, and wisdom, my 
 hope. Cf. on God's name, Ps. xx. 1. For (it is) 
 good before thy saints. It is ''good'' to the edifica- 
 tion of the "saints" to see my hopeful trust in thy 
 name amidst troubles. It encourages them to 
 'exercise the same trust in trial' {De Burgh). 
 Eather, as the parallel Ps. liv. 6 proves, connect, 
 'I will wait on thy name (for it — thy name — is 
 good) before thy saints.' I will let my waiting on 
 thy gracious name be seen before thy saints for 
 their edification. 
 
 PSALM LIII.— The alterations made in this 
 revised version by David of Ps. xiv. are to sub- 
 stitute rare, elevated, and forcible forms for 
 commoner terms. The title upon Mahalath is an 
 enigmatical description of the subject : ' Upon sick- 
 ness,' Cf. title, Ps. Ixxxviii., where it is connected 
 with "Leannoth," concerning the trihidalion. The 
 sichiess here in Ps. liii. is man's spiritual malady. 
 Maschil. The ' instruction' aimed at is to bring 
 reckless man (i'. 2) to spiritual understanding. In 
 Ps. xiv. Elohim is thrice used, Jehovah four times ; 
 in Ps. liii. Elohim is used throughout, marking 
 the more clearly the seven-fold introduction of 
 " God." In V. 1, " abominable iniquity," the stronger 
 term Cavel), is substituted for 'abominable ivorks.' 
 In V. 3," Every one of them is gone back" [kullo sag : 
 I'tJS— lit., all of it is gone back] stands instead of 
 "They are all gone aside" {hakkol sar). In v. 5 
 there is added to "There were they in great fear" 
 (Ps. xiv. 5), in order to heighten the force, "where 
 no fear was:" where, humanly speaking, nothing 
 was to be feared as likely to disturb their carnad 
 216 
 
 * Ps. 54. 6. 
 Ps. 73. 26, 
 
 28. 
 
 PSALM 53. 
 " Ps. 10. 4. 
 Ps. 14. 1. 
 
 Ps. 92. 6. 
 
 Matt. 5. 2. 
 
 Luke 12.20. 
 6 Rom. 3. 10. 
 " Ps. 33. 13. 
 d 2 Chr. 15. 2. 
 
 2 Chr. 19. 3. 
 
 • Eccl. 7. 29. 
 / Ps. 94. 8. 
 
 Isa. 27. 11. 
 Jer. 4. 22. 
 Matt. 23.17. 
 
 1 they feared 
 a fear 
 Lev. 20. 17. 
 Ps. 14. 5. 
 Pro. 28. 1. 
 
 2 Who will 
 give salva- 
 tions, etc. 
 Ps. 14. 7. 
 
 security: as Belshazzar (Dan. v.; Job xv. 21; 1 
 Thess. y. 3). And instead of "for God is in the 
 generation of the righteous," — "for God hath , 
 scattered the bones of him that encampeth against 
 thee:" of thy besieger (c^ona^): an emphatic and 
 
 f)oetical picture of the utter destruction of the 
 oes of God's people, the consequence of God's 
 being "in the generation of the righteous." God 
 raises the siege which sinners continually lay to 
 saints, by shattering the besiegers, and scattering 
 their bones, once the seat of their strength, on the 
 battle-field. For "^/e have shamed t?ie counsel of the 
 poor, because Jehovah is his refuge," there, is here, 
 ' thou hast shamed (them),because Godhath despised 
 the7n:' tiie positive rejection of the wicked is sub- 
 stituted for the less strong thought, the "refuge" 
 which the afflicted " righteous" have in "Jehovah." 
 This psalm is an instructive warning (Maschil) to 
 the wicked, as Ps. xiv. is for the comfort of the 
 righteous when casb down by the prevalence of 
 surrounding corruption. Cf. Gen. vi. 5, 14, "All 
 flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth ; " the 
 same Hebrew root as in v. 1, " corrupt " {hishchithu). 
 Cf. St. Paul's quotation of this psalm, Rom. iii. 
 9-12, to show that all are "under sin." In v.. 6 
 'the salvations' (yeshu'oth, plural) is emphatically 
 substituted for "salvation {yeshu'ath, singular), 
 (Ps. xiv.) Ps. liii. is an appropriate sequel to Ps. 
 lii., which anticipates in faith the downfall of the 
 boastful enemy. Under his overwhelming oppres- 
 sion, and the universal corruption, God again, as 
 in Noah's days, "looks down from heaven " on the 
 consummated iniquity, preparatory to judgment. 
 Cf. as to the man of sm, the wicked one, under 
 whom iniquity, heretofore in " mystery," shall "be 
 revealed " (2 Thess. ii. 3-12). As he shall have 
 "scattered the bones" of the literal and the 
 spiritual Israel (Ezek. xxxvii.; Ps. cxli. 7) "at the 
 grave's mouth," so shall the bones of his hosts 
 be, in righteous retribution, " scattered " (Ezek. 
 xxxix. 10-21). The closing verse (v. 6), plainly 
 points to the restoration of Israel, nationally and 
 spiritually, when "the Redeemer shall come to 
 Zion, and unto them that turn from ungodliness 
 in Jacob " (Isa. lix. 20). The highest fulfilment will 
 be when Redemption shall be finally consummated 
 in the Church triumphant taking the place of the 
 Church militant. 
 
David prayeth 
 
 PSALM LIV. 
 
 for salvation. 
 
 PSALM LIV. 
 
 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David, " when the Ziphims 
 came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us ? 
 
 1 SAVE me, 0 God, by thy name,— and judge me by thy strength. 
 
 2 Hear my prayer, 0 God ;— give ear to the words of my mouth. 
 
 3 For strangers are risen up against me, — and oppressors seek after my soul : 
 They have not set God before them. Selah. 
 
 4 Behold, God is mine helper : 
 
 ^The Lord is with them that uphold my soul. 
 
 5 He shaU reward evil unto ^mine enemies : — cut them *^off in thy truth. 
 
 I will freely sacrifice unto thee : 
 I will praise thy name, 0 Lord, for it is '^good. 
 For he hath delivered me out of all trouble ; 
 And mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies. 
 
 PSALM 64. 
 « 1 Sa. 23. 19. 
 
 1 Sa. 26. 1. 
 t> 1 Ch. 12. 18, 
 
 Ps. 118. r. 
 
 Isa. 41. 10. 
 
 Isa. 50. 7-9. 
 
 Eom. 8. 31. 
 
 Heb. 13. 6. 
 1 those thab 
 
 observe 
 
 me. 
 " Ps. 89. 49. 
 
 Ps. 143. l- 
 12. 
 
 d Ps. 62. 9. 
 Ps. 92. 1. 
 Ps. 117. 1. 
 
 PSALM LIV. 1-7. — Prayer for deliverance 
 from godless oppressors (m 1-3) ; confident anti- 
 cipation of it, and promise of thanksgiving for it 
 [w. 4-7). 
 
 q^itle. — on Neginoth— (see note on title, Ps. iv. ) 
 The singular, Neginah, denotes not a particular 
 stringed instrument, but the music on such instru- 
 ments ; the plural, Neginoth, is the music formed 
 Iru numerous notes running into one another, not 
 various instruments [Delitzsch). Doth not David 
 hide himself with us ? Twice the Ziphites informed 
 Saul of David's hiding in their country, (1 Sam. 
 xxiil 19, and 1 Sam. xxvi.) The former is the 
 occasion referred to here, for the words are the 
 same— "jDo^/i not David hide himself with us in 
 strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, 
 which is on the south of Jeshimon ?" The Hebrew 
 participle implies a state continuing, — Is he not 
 hiding with us? implying Saul's earnest seeking 
 after David, and the Ziphites' surprise that Saul 
 should be still ignorant that David was hiding 
 among them. The Ziphites, by this treachery to 
 their countryman, acted as "strangers," and there- 
 fore are so called {v. 3) ; tMs term therefore forms 
 no objection to the title. 
 
 1. Save me, 0 God, by thy name. From men, 
 who are all against him, David turns to God, his 
 only Saviour. Thus the general name, ' Elohim,' 
 is appropriate here, as the God of creating and 
 preserving poioer. and judge me by thy strength 
 —the cry of one who asks for help as a matter of 
 justice: not merely "save me," but vindicate my 
 right; do me justice (Ps. vii. 8 ; xxvi. 1). So Christ, 
 the Eighteous One, David's Antitype, alone could 
 pray, in the fullest sense (Heb. iv. 15; vii. 26; 1 
 Pet. ii. 22, 23). So also the Church prays in Luke 
 xviii. 3 (Greek), 'i>o me justice on mine adversary.' 
 3. For strangers are risen up against me. The 
 Ziphites, who ought, by the ties of country, to have 
 been David's friends, acted as hostile strangers 
 (Isa. XXV. 5), and tried to betray him. So in 
 Ps. cxx. 5 the Psalmist says. "Woe is me . . . 
 that I dwell in the tents oi Kedar;" not that 
 he was dwelling among those heathen people, but, 
 figuratively, his countrymen, among whom he 
 dwelt, behaved as unkiodly to him as if they 
 were hostile heathen. Stumbling at the difti- 
 culty that the ZiY)hites— countrymen of David's 
 (.Josh. XV. 24; 1 Chr. iv. 16)— are called "stran- 
 gers," some reject the title; others, as the Chal- 
 daic, change the Hebrew for "strangers" [on^ 
 into oni] into ' the proud,' copying the parallel 
 (Ps. Ixxxvi. 14), which is designedly varied, op- 
 pressors. The Hebrew ('arifzim) implies the 
 strong and violent, they have not set God before 
 
 m 
 
 them (Ps. Iv. 19)— they act as if God did not 
 see or hear. 
 
 4. Behold. He already, with the eye of faith, 
 sees God advancing as his "helper," though to 
 the eye of sense nothing presented itself but de- 
 struction on every side, the Lord is with them 
 that uphold my soul— in opposition to the "op- 
 pressors," who "seek after my soul" (v. 4). Cf. 
 the phrase with Ps. cxviii. 7. David supposes 
 two parties— his opponents and his helpers : the 
 Lord constituted the latter party (Ps. Iv. 18, 
 " there were many with me "). He does not mean 
 that he had otJier helpers besides the Lord (cf. the 
 phrase, Judg. xi. 35). 5. He shall reward evil 
 unto mine enemies. So the Keri reads l^'^'^] ; but 
 the Ketib better, 'the evil shall return [jIK'!)] 
 unto mine enemies' (Ps. vii. 16). 'The evil' is 
 that which the Psalmist's adversaries wished to 
 inflict. "Mine enemies" [shorerai) — lit., tho^e 
 who watch me; insidious liers in wait for my halt- 
 ing (Ps. V. 8, note), cut them off in thy truth. 
 The imperative expresses the certainty, and carries 
 with it the operative power of the Word of God, 
 which works by its own intrinsic efficacy. The 
 truth of God ensures the destruction of the wicked, 
 as necessary both for the fulfilment of God's pro- 
 mise to save the righteous, and for the vindication 
 of God's justice in repaying wickedness at last, 
 though He, in long-sufitering, give a lengthened 
 time for repentance. 6. I will freely sacrifice 
 unto thee. "Freely"— 'with a freewill ofler- 
 ifg ' ['^?"75] (Exod. XXV. 2 ; xxxv. 29), distinguished 
 from an offering which one was bound to pay, as 
 ordained by the law, or as having vowed it in 
 trouble (Lev. vii. 15, 16). It answers in parallel- 
 ism to "I wiW praise thy name." for it is good — 
 viz., to "praise thy name" (Ps. lii. 9, note; xcii. 
 1). 7. For he hath delivered me out of all 
 trouble. In faith he sees the deliverance already 
 accomplished, and 'praises' God by anticipation 
 for it {v. 6). and mine eye hath seen his desire 
 upon mine enemies— not that he would feast his 
 eyes on the sufferings of his foes, out of private 
 revenge, but he rejoices in the vindication of God's 
 justice. 
 
 PSALM LV. l-'^.— Introduction {v. 1); prayer 
 grounded on his desperate condition [vv. 2-8); such 
 is the wickedness in the city that his own intimate 
 acquaintance turned against him {vv. 9-15); his 
 confidence in the unchanging God, who will afflict 
 the covenant-breakers, and not let the righteous be 
 moved {vv. 16-22); closing recapitulation {v. 23). 
 Absalom's rebellious occupation of the city, and 
 Ahithophel's treachery, are the groundwork (2 
 Sam. XV. 12 J Ps. xli. 9). The details find their 
 
PSALM LV. 
 
 of his fearful case. 
 
 PSALM LV. 
 
 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David. 
 GIVE ear to my prayer, 0 God ; 
 And liide not thyself from my supplication. 
 Attend unto me, and hear me : 
 I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise ; 
 
 Because of the voice of the enemy, — because of the oppression of the wicked : 
 
 For they "cast iniquity upon me, — and in wrath they hate me. 
 
 My * heart is sore pained within me ; 
 
 And the terrors of death are fallen upon me. 
 
 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me. 
 
 And horror hath ^overwhelmed me. 
 
 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove ! 
 
 For then would I fly away, and be at rest. 
 
 Lo, then %ould I wander far off, — and remain in the wilderness. Selah. 
 I would hasten my escape — from the windy storm and tempest. 
 
 2 Destroy, 0 Lord, and divide their tongues : 
 For I have seen violence and strife in the city. 
 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof ; 
 Mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. 
 Wickedness is in the midst thereof ; 
 Deceit and guile depart not from her streets. 
 
 PSALM 65. 
 
 " Ps. 27. 12. 
 Ps. 36. 11. 
 2 Sam. 15.3. 
 2 Sam. 16. 
 7. a 
 
 2 Sam. 19. 
 10. 
 
 Matt. 26.59. 
 6 Ps. 6. 3. 
 Ps. 69. 20. 
 Pa. fc8. 3. 
 Ps. 102. 3-5. 
 
 Ps. no. 3. 
 
 Mat, 26. 37, 
 38. 
 
 Mark 14.33, 
 34. 
 
 John 12. 27. 
 2C!or. 1. 8- 
 10. 
 
 1 covered 
 me. 
 
 2 Swallow 
 up. 
 
 iSam. 27.1, 
 
 1 Sam. 16. 
 14. 
 
 2 Sam 17. 
 21. 22. 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 7 
 
 8 
 9 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 fullest realization in Messiah's trials, and in those 
 of His people under Antichrist. 
 
 Neginotli— see note on title, Ps. liv. 
 
 1. hide not thyself from my supplication -i. e. , 
 do not i:)urposely ignore it. See on the phrase 
 Deut. xxii. 3 ; Isa. Iviii. 7; Ps. x. 1 ; Lam. iii. 8, 
 44. 2. Development of the prayer generally set 
 forth in the introduction ; two strophes {rv. 2-8, 
 and w. 9-15). I mourn in my complaint 
 Ut, 'I wander about;' or, as Hengstenherg says the 
 Hiphil conjugation must be translated, ' I let my 
 thoughts M'ander about' — i. e,,T give my sad thoughts 
 free course. "In my complaint" {hesichi)—\\t. , 
 anxious thought, or simply meditation, (1 Sam. L 16, 
 marg.) and make a noise— Hebrew, ahimah {v. 
 17), "cry aloud;" to moan in perturbation of mind. 
 The verb in the Hebrew, kal, means ' to throw into 
 perturbation.' 3, Because of the voice of the 
 enemy— reproaching {v. 12) and cutting me like ' a 
 drawn sword,' whilst outwardly uttering 'smooth' 
 things {v. 21). for they cast iniquity upon me— 
 i. e., an iniquitous device (Ps. xli. 7). 4. My heart 
 is sore pained within me— lit., is agitated, the 
 terrors of death are fallen upon me— as the 
 enemy threatens my life. 5, 6. Fearfulness and 
 tremtoling are come upon me . . . And I said, Oh 
 that I had wings like a dove! for then would 
 I fly away, and be at rest. Referred to by Jer. 
 ix. 2. The " dove " is specified not so much for its 
 swiftness, as on account of i<s defenceless innocence. 
 See note on title of Ps. Ivi. The wings of the 
 eagle are given to the Church of God, wherewith 
 to flee from her foe (Exod. xix. 4; Rev. xii. 14). 
 "Be at rest" (eshkonah); 'dwell secure.' 7. Lo, 
 (then) would I wander far oS—lit, 'be distant 
 m fleeing.' and remain— Hebrew, lodge, or pass 
 the night, in the wilderness— far from human 
 society, which, though ordinarily desirable, has now 
 become so corrupted that a solitary waste is pre- 
 ferable to it. 8. I would hasten my escape— not 
 only would I gladly go, but / would hasten my 
 escape (Hengstenherg). from the windy storm- 
 as the dove flies from the storm to her place of rest 
 and refuge (Isa. xxxii. 2). JDrusiua and Maurer 
 
 take the Hebrew for 'from' [JD] comparatively: 
 it is repeated in the Hebrew before tempest : ' I 
 would hasten my escape swifter than the windy 
 storm . . . than the tempest.' This is more 
 poetical. The wind is often the emblem of haste in 
 Scripture (Job xxx. 15; Ps. civ. 3). 
 
 9. Destroy, 0 Lord— lit., devour, viz., the ene- 
 mies; not, as the English version, their tongues; cf. 
 "they," V. 10, and v. 15, " Let them go down quick 
 (i. e., alive) into hell." The allusion is to Korah 
 and his comjjany. So Num. xvi. 32, "The earth 
 opened her mouth, and swallowed them up [the same 
 Hebrew verb, and their houses, and all the 
 men that appertained unto Korah." divide their 
 tongues — i e., make them disunited, among them- 
 selves who league together to destroy the righteous. 
 The ' divided tongues ' are the organs of divided 
 minds. The allusion is to Gen. xi. 1, " The whole 
 earth was of one language (Hebrew, lip) and of one 
 speech" (Hebrew, words); v. 7, the Lord said, 
 ''Let us go down, and there confound their 
 language, that they may not understand one 
 another's speech;" v. 9, " Therefore is the name of 
 it called Babel; because the Lord did there con- 
 found the language of all the earth ;" cf. also Gen. 
 X. 25. Thus David means. Do again in behalf of 
 thy cause against the wicked the same thing as in 
 the days of old. for I have seen violence and 
 strife in the city — therefore there is need for thy 
 ' destroying' judgments upon them. "The city" 
 is an ideal one, to represent the world given up to 
 the prince of this world, Cain built the first 
 earthly city, (Gen. iv.) Contrast "the city of God " 
 coming down from heaven (Rev. xxi. 10, 11 ; Heb. 
 xi. 10, 16; xii. 22; xiil 14). 10. Day and night 
 they go about it— at all times, upon the walls 
 thereof ... in the midst of it— in all the space 
 of the city, alike in the exterior circumference and 
 in the interior area. "They "—viz. ,violence and strife 
 —"go about it" [v. 9), as warriors stalking round 
 its ramparts. 11. Wickedness is in the midst 
 thereof— in contrast to deceit and guile depart 
 not from her streets {7nee-rechobah)—ia,ther ' from 
 
David's confidence in 
 
 PSALM LV. 
 
 God's preserving care. 
 
 12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; 
 Then I could have borne it : 
 
 Neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me ; 
 Then I would have hid myself from him : 
 
 1 3 But it was thou, ^a man mine equal, — my guide, and mine acquaintance. 
 
 14 *We took sweet counsel together, 
 
 And walked into the house of God in company. 
 
 15 Let death seize upon them, — aiid let them *go down quick into ^hell : 
 For wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them. 
 
 16 As for me, I will call upon God ; — and the Lord shall save me. 
 
 17 Evening, -^'and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud ; 
 And he shall hear my voice. 
 
 18 He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me ; 
 For there ^were many with me. 
 
 19 God shall hear, and afflict them. — ^even he that abideth of old. Selah. 
 
 ' a man ac- 
 cord! rig to 
 my rank. 
 
 d 2 Sa. 16. 12. 
 Mic. 7. 6. 
 
 * Who 
 sweetened 
 counsel. 
 
 ' Nu. 16. 30. 
 6 Or. the 
 
 grave. 
 / Dan. 6. 10. 
 
 Luke 18. 1. 
 
 Acts 3. 1. 
 
 Acts 10. 3. 
 
 1 Thes. 6. 
 17. 
 
 f 2 Ch. 32. 7, 
 
 * Deut. 33.27, 
 
 its market-places,^ which were bejore tke gates. 
 Thus there is the same contrast here as in v. 10, 
 but in reverse order, between the interior and the 
 exterior. In the market-place, where justice was 
 professedly administered, "deceit and guile" pre- 
 vailed; they 'departed not' at any time; there 
 was no intermission or abatement. Also in com- 
 mercial transactions in the market deceit and fraud 
 abounded. 
 
 12. For. In proof of the depth and universality 
 of the corruption in the city, he instances the 
 treacherous conduct of his own professing friend 
 (Jer. ix. 4). it was not an enemy that reproached 
 me; then I could have borne it — for I could not 
 expect anything better from such, and I might 
 still find consolation from it in the sympathy of 
 friends (Ps. xli. 9). then I would have Md my- 
 self from him. It is generally easy to get out of 
 the way of au avowed enemy; but how can one 
 be on his guard against a treacherous friend? 13. 
 But it was thou, a man mine equal— ^i;., 'a 
 man according to my rank' or 'estimation.' 
 Friendship binds only equals ; these it unites in 
 tlie closest bonds. The LXX and Muis take it 
 'one like-minded' (Phil. ii. 20). my guide— my 
 counsellor ; as Ahithophel was to David (1 Sam. xv. 
 12; xvi. 23). mine acquaintance — whom I ac- 
 quainted with my secret feelings ; as Jesus did 
 towards Judas, along with the rest of the twelve 
 (John XV. 15). 14. We took sweet counsel to- 
 gether— Zi^., 'We who together made secret inti- 
 macy to sweeten.' Cf. Ps. Ixiv. 2. The secret 
 counsel (Hebrew, sod) together stands in contrast 
 to the public fellowship in devotion, and walked 
 unto the house of God in company (ragesh)— 
 rather, 'in the tumultuous crowd,' viz., of those mov- 
 ing up and down in the outer courts of the tem])le, 
 in contrast to the still and solitary " counsel" (He- 
 brew, sod). Cf. Ps. xlii, 4. 15. Let death seize upon 
 them. So the Keri reads— 'Let death deceive 
 upon them,'— i. e., take them by surprise [H}? Vl^ 
 from mi, to deceive]. But' the phrase, 'deceive 
 upon' [bv] is without example; and this reading 
 has arisen from a desire to make the parallelism 
 between the first and second clauses more exact. 
 Read, therefore, as the Ketib or Hebrew text, 
 '(Let) desolations (come) upon them.' 
 
 and let them go down quick into hell— "quick," 
 not meaning fast, but living, as Korah and his 
 company ; cf. v. 9, note, and ?>. 23 ; a sudden destruc- 
 tion in the midst of life and strength, for wicked- 
 ness Is in their dwellings. So wicked are they 
 that wherever they set their foot, they leave the 
 defiling traces of their wickedness (Muis). 
 
 219 
 
 lG-21. — Third strophe. His confident hope, 
 resting upon the grounds stated in the previous 
 prayer. 16, 17. As for me . . . Evening, and 
 morning, and at noon, will I pray (asichah, from 
 siach) — lit. J 'meditate;' meditative i)rayer. The 
 Hebrews, in counting their day, began it with the 
 evening. This and morning and mid-day form the 
 three turning points of the whole day ; so that he 
 who wished to consecrate the whole day to God 
 (Luke xviii. 1; 1 Thess. v. 17) would naturally 
 connect these three with stated prayer (Dan. vi. 
 10 ; Acts X. 9). Evening and morning prayers were 
 at least as old as the evening and morning sacri- 
 fice; and this passage implies that the custom 
 which we know x^revailed subseqiiently, of the 
 three- fold time of prayer, was probably in existence 
 in David's time, and cry aloud— vehement ear- 
 nestness like that of Jesus in the days of his flesh 
 (Heb. V. 7), not irreverent shouting like that of 
 Baal's priests (1 Ki. xviii. 26, 28; Eccl. v. 2, 3; 
 Matt. vi. 7), causes God to "hear." 18. He hath 
 delivered my soul in peace. David in faith anti- 
 cipates the deliverance as already past. Hebrew 
 ipadah), 'He hath redeemed' "in peace" — i.e., 
 thereby imparting to me peace (Rom. v. 1). from 
 the toattle that was against me— Hebrew, ' from 
 the battle (that was) to me' — viz., that which I had 
 to fight. The "peace" previously mentioned stands 
 in contrast to " the battle." for there were many 
 with me— for tJie enemies were in great numbers 
 {herabhim) ; so lit., the Hebrew, in or by [2], is used, 
 Ps. Ixviii. 4; Hos. xiii. 9, with me— i. e., about 
 me. The "for" implies the reason why God 
 interposed to deliver him— viz., because of the 
 general principle that God ministers relief when 
 His peoi)le are come to an extremity. So Cocceius, 
 Hengstenherg, Sec. I prefer, with Muis, Though 
 those that did 'battle against me' were many, 
 yet there are more 'with me,' for the Lord of 
 Hosts is with me; and He is in Himself infinitely 
 more than all my foes (Ps. xxxiv. 7). As Elisha 
 answered his servant, when the latter was terrified 
 at the sight of the Syrian host and chariots com- 
 I)assing Dothan, the city in which he and his 
 master were—" Fear not; for they that be with us 
 are more than they that be with them . . . And the 
 Lord opened the eyes of the young man . . .and, 
 behold, the mountain was full of horses and cha- 
 riots of fire roundabout Elisha" (2 Ki. vi. 15-17; 
 Ps. Ivii. 3, 4). 19. God shall hear and afflict 
 them. The Hebrew may also be '(5od shall hear 
 and answer them-,' y a' aneem. As God hears and 
 answers the godly according to his godliness {v. 17); 
 so will He answer the enemies according to their 
 "voice" of "iniquity" and ' reproach ' (m 3, 12; 
 Ps. xxxviii. 15; cf. Ps. xviii. 25, 26). But 1 Ki. 
 
David complaineth 
 
 PSALM LVL 
 
 of his enemies. 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 ^Because they have no changes, — therefore they fear not God. 
 20 He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him ; 
 7 He hath broken his covenant. 
 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, 
 But war was in his heart : 
 
 His words were softer than oil, — yet were they drawn swords. 
 
 Cast thy ^burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee : 
 ^ He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. 
 23 But thou, 0 God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction : 
 9 Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days ; 
 But I will trust in thee. 
 
 PSALM LVL 
 
 To the chief Musician upon Jonath-elem-rechokim, ^Michtam of David, when 
 the Philistines took him in Gath. 
 
 1 BE merciful unto me, 0 God ; for man would swallow me up : 
 
 He fighting daily oppresseth me. 
 
 « Or. With 
 whom also 
 there are 
 no change^ 
 yet they 
 fear not 
 God. 
 
 7 he hath 
 profaned. 
 
 8 Or, gift. 
 
 < Ps. 37. 24. 
 » men of 
 
 bloods and 
 
 deceit. 
 10 shall not 
 
 half the r 
 
 days. 
 
 PSALM 56. 
 
 1 Or, A 
 golden 
 Psalm of 
 David. 
 
 viii. 35 justifies the English version, " aftlict them." 
 So the LXX., Vulgate, and Syriac, 'humble them.' 
 even lie that abideth of old— Hebrew, 'He who 
 sitteth (enthroned) of old,' as the King and Judge 
 (Ps. XXIX. 10; Ixxiv. 12; Deut. xxxiii. 27; Hab. i. 
 12). Contrast with " He that abideth of old," Ps. 
 xlix. 12. The interpositions of God against the 
 men of Babel, against Korah, and against Sodom 
 {vv. 9, 15), whereby of old He showed Himself to 
 be King and Judge, are a pledge of His power 
 and readiness still to " afflict " the ungodly 
 enemy. 
 
 Because they have no changes— lit., ' to whom 
 there are no changes to them.' therefore they fear 
 not God. Because they for a long time have unin- 
 terrupted prosperity, they think they are to be like 
 God, ' abiding ' for ever, and so they do not fear 
 Him (Ps. xlix. 11 ; 1. 21 ; Amos vi. 1 ; Zeph. i. 12 ; 
 Prov. i. 32). Gejer, Maurer, &c., take it, 'for 
 there are no changes to them' for the better— i. e., 
 they do not repent; but the Hebrew for " changes" 
 is generally used of temporal changes for the worse 
 (chaliphoth), whence it is joined with war in Job 
 X. 17, not of mental or vioral changes ; nor would 
 the plural be used if the sense referred to their 
 repentance. Vicissitudes is the proper sense. 
 Hengstenberg takes it here and in Job x. 17; xiv. 
 14, in a military sense— changes of guards, or re- 
 lieving of trooi)S : ' they to whom there are no dis- 
 charges (or changes from their post), and who fear 
 not God ;' i. e. , who incessantly serve sin. So in 
 w. 10, 11 "violence and strife" are represented as 
 patrolling ' the walls day and night ' like warriors. 
 Thus V. 19 is a compendium of vv. 9-11. I prefer 
 the English version (cf. 2 Pet. iii. 4). 20. He hath 
 put forth his hands against such as he at peace 
 with him. The treacherous friend {vv. 12, 13) is 
 here spoken of. The singular, "he," refers to 
 some one individual, he hath broken his cove- 
 nant—Hebrew, 'he hath profaned' it. In the 
 case of Antichrist, He shall first "confirm the 
 covenant with many" (Dan. ix. 27), and then 
 "He shall have indignation against the holy cove- 
 nant" (Dan. xi. 30). 21. The words of his mouth 
 were smoother than butter. So the Chaldaic. 
 The parallelism also favours this — " smoother than 
 butter," answering to "softer than oil." [The 
 reading thus will be niKDnn,] But the present 
 reading [nNonn] is literally, 'smooth are the but- 
 ter-masses (i. e., t?ie sweetnesses) of his mouth.' 
 
 22. The Psalmist s confidence in the Lord sug- 
 gests the encouraging self- exhortation to cast his 
 220 
 
 burden upon the Lord. His spiritual and higher 
 nature addresses his lower and weaker nature (Ps. 
 xxvii. 14; xlii. 5, 11). The relation of this verse 
 to vv. 16-21 shows that "cast thy burden upon the 
 Lord" is primarily addressed to himself; second- 
 arily, it belongs to all God's children when in 
 distress, as the Psalmist is their representative. 
 The Hebrew [yehabka) iov "burden "is literally, 
 'thy gift," the portion assigned thee. The LXX. 
 and Syriac translate, 'thy anxiety;' Kimchi, "thy 
 burden," as the word is used in Arabic (cf. 1 Pet. 
 V. 7). The words and he shall sustain thee 
 favour the sense, not thy burden of distress, but 
 thy maintenance given hy God, (Gen. xlv. 11; 
 xlviii. 15, end ; Ps. xxiii. 5). The believer casts 
 the provision of this gift upon Him to whom he 
 daily saith, ^'Give us this day our daily bread." 
 he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved 
 —finally from their confidence in the Lord, nor 
 to be perpetually agitated by trials (Ps. cxxi. 3). 
 23. bloody and deceitful men shall not live out 
 half their da.ys— lit. j ' men of bloods and of deceit 
 shall not halve their days' (Ps. cii. 23; Prov. x. 
 27). but I will trust in thee— and therefore shall 
 be delivered (Ps. lii. 8). 
 
 PSALM LVL 1-13.— David entreats for deliver- 
 ance from his many and virulent enemies {vv. 1, 
 2) ; his trust amidst fears {vv. 3, 4) ; his foes' evil 
 thoughts and wresting of his words {vv. 5, 6) ; God 
 cannot let them escape, for He cares for His child's 
 tears {vv. 7, 8) ; his over/lowing joy at the assurance 
 of being heard {vv. 9-11) ; /te pi'omises thanksgiving 
 {vv. 12, 13). 
 
 I'itle. — To the chief Musician upon Jonatfc- 
 eleni-rechokim, Hengstenberg translates, ' con- 
 cerning the dumb dove among strangers.' The 
 reason why David calls himself the ' dove of 
 dumbness ' appears from Ps. xxxviii. 13. The 
 dove represents defenceless innocence. Ps. Iv. 
 6, 7, 'I would wander far off' there {archiqu) an- 
 swers to ' strangers ' here {rechoquim) and ' wan- 
 derings.' The addition, Michtam, implies a song 
 of deep mystical import : v. 9 implies he has a 
 secret revelation from God. The second part of 
 the title explains the first, when the Philistines 
 took him in Gath. They are the ' far-off strangers' 
 among whom he was sojourning. David, when in 
 their power at the time that he fled to Achish, 
 king of Gath, from Saul, is the 'dumb dove' (cf. 
 1 Sam. xxi. 13, 14). Saul's ' wresting his words ' 
 into treason is referred to, v. 5 ; Saul's vain at- 
 tempt to escape the foretold judgment, by iniquitous 
 persecution is referred to, v. 7. In rs. xxxiv. 
 
David professeth his 
 
 PSALM LVI. 
 
 confidence in God, 
 
 2 2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up : 
 
 For they he many that fight against me, 0 thou Most High. 
 
 3 What time I am* afraid, I will trust in thee. 
 
 4 In God I will praise his word : — in God I have put my trust ; 
 
 will not fear what flesh can do unto me. 
 
 5 Every day they wrest my words : 
 
 All their thoughts are against me for evil. 
 
 6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves. 
 They mark my ^ steps, when they wait for my soul. 
 
 7 Shall they escape by iniquity ? 
 
 In thine anger cast down the people, 0 God. 
 
 8 Thou tellest ^my wanderings : 
 
 Put thou my tears into thy bottle : — ^are they not in thy book ? 
 
 9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back : 
 This I know; for ^God is for me. 
 
 10 In God will I praise his word; — in the Lord will I praise his word. 
 
 11 In God have I put my trust : 
 
 I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. 
 
 2 Mine 
 
 observers. 
 " Heb. 13.5.6. 
 6 Job 14 16. 
 
 Fs 37. 32. 
 
 Ps. 67. 6. 
 
 Pa. 89. 61. 
 
 Jer. 20. 10. 
 
 LukeiO. 20. 
 * 1 Sam. 19. 
 18. 
 
 1 Sam. 22. 
 15. 
 
 1 Sam. 27. 1 
 Ps. 105. 13, 
 
 14. 
 Ps. 121. 8. 
 Isa. 63. 9. 
 Heb. 11. 8, 
 
 13. 
 
 A Mai. 3. 16. 
 
 Matt. 10.30. 
 
 Eev. 20. 12. 
 « Rom. 8. 31. 
 
 David returns thanks for the deliverance which 
 he here prays for. 
 
 1. Be merciful—' Be gracious unto me ' []T(]. for 
 man would swallow me ni^—Ut., 'panteth after 
 me,' like a wild beast thirsting for my blood [v. 2; 
 Ps. Ivii. 3). So the verb is used in Ps. cxix. 131. 
 "Man" — Hebrew, enosh, ^weak man;' marking 
 the puny impotence of the attempt : weak man 
 presumptuously setting himself up against the 
 Almighty GocTs purpose to defend His people. 
 The singular marks this contrast between mail 
 and God. he fighting daily oppresseth me— or, 
 ' he (as) an eater [cnh] daily oppresseth me.' In 
 Ps. XXXV. 1 ("Fight against them that fight against 
 me") there occurs the same Hebrew word. The 
 image is carried on of a wild beast panting after 
 his ijrey, and desiring, as an eater, to swallow it 
 up. 2. Mine enemies— ' my watchers ;' 'those 
 who lie in wait for me' (Ps. v. 8). for they be 
 many that fight against me. The same Hebrew 
 as inv. I: '(they be) many that would eat me.' 
 0 thou Most High. So the Chaldaic and Muis, 
 ' 0 thou who from heaven dost behold all things, 
 and art all-powerful on high' — lit., height. Most 
 versions, and Hengstenherg, &c., take it concerning 
 the enemy, adverbially : ' they . . . fight against 
 me loftily.^ So the Hebrew in Ps. Ixxiii. 8 (cf. 
 Mic. il 3, 'haughtily'). Be Burgh's assertion 
 that the word is never an epithet of the Deity is 
 disproved by Ps. xcii. 8, ' Thou, Lord, art height 
 [niiD] for evermore.' Also Mic. vi. 6. 1 therefore 
 prefer the English version. 3. What time I am 
 afraid, I wiU trust in thee — Zi^., 'what day.' 
 As 'man daily oppresseth me' (o. 1), so 'every 
 day, when 1 am afraid, I trust in thee.' The 
 Psalmist's /ear (m J, 2) here gives place to confi- 
 dent hope. 4. In God I will praise his word— 
 i. e., trusting "in God, I will praise His word." 
 So V. 10 expands this clause. Maurer understands 
 even in before " His word," thus—' In God I trust, 
 (even in) His word.' Cf. Ps. xliv. 8. I prefer the 
 JOnglish version. "His word" here is His word 
 of promise (Ps. xxxiii. 4 ; cxix. 25). in God I have 
 put my trust ; I will not fear what flesh can do 
 unto me— repeated in 11, with the slight altera- 
 tion of "man" into "flesh'' (Isa. xxxi. 3; xl. 6). 
 Man is but weak/es/t; perishing like 'the grass;' 
 what real hurt, then, can he do to one trusting in, 
 aud therefore protected by God? (Ps. cxviii. 6; 
 Heb. xiii, 6.) 
 
 221 
 
 5. Every day they wrest my words. " Wrest " — 
 lit., vex my protestations of innocence. Saul and 
 mine enemies, instead of regarding in the true 
 light, and ceasing to persecute me, distort and 
 misrepresent as feigned words, and insist that I 
 am plotting treason. 6. They gather themselves 
 together. So the Hebrew [nu] is rendered, Ps. 
 lix. 3; Isa. liv. 15. Cf. Ps. xxxi. 13. they hide 
 themselves — lying in wait for me. [The Masor- 
 etic text substitutes the Kal , i^'ier, for the Hiphil, 
 irer.] when they wait for my soul— i. e., for my 
 life. "Wait for" — lit., expect, hope for. 
 
 7. Shall they escape by iniquity?— ^i^., 'upon 
 (the ground of) their iniquity (there is) to them 
 (the hope of) escape' (cf. Isa. xxviii. 15). Such 
 was Saul's vain hope of averting, by the persecu- 
 tion of David, God s sentence that he should lose 
 his throne, in thine anger cast down the people 
 — 'the peoples' who plot with Saul against me. 
 So the parallel, Ps. vii. 6. 8 Thou tellest my wan- 
 derings— i e., Thou takest note of my movements 
 in 'my flight' from my home and country, put 
 thou my tears into thy bottle— i. e. , receive them 
 as it were in a lachrymatory, or bottle for receiv- 
 ing tears, that thou mayest treasure them up as 
 precious in thy sight, and as calling for an ami)le 
 compensation to me in joy hereafter (Ps. cxxvi. 5 ; 
 Isa. Ixi. 7). His tears were shed because of his flight 
 or banishment. There is a play upon similar 
 sounds, to mark this connection in the Hebrew 
 for "my wanderings" and "thy bottle" [n': 
 are they not in thy book ?— thy " book of remem- 
 brance" (Mai. iii. 16). 
 
 9-11. — The turning point ofthepsalm. The Psalm- 
 ist is noy^ assured of being heai^d. 9. When I cry 
 unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back. 
 "Then" points to the sure connection between 
 the coming deliverance from his enemies and the 
 prayer which precedes it. In the day {that) I cry 
 (so the Hebrew is), as I do now to tliee, then mine 
 enemies are sure to turn back, this I know ; for 
 God (is) for me— ^i^., 'for God (is) tome,:' 1 have 
 Him on my side (Ps. Ixxiii. 25; cxxiv. 1, 2). 10. 
 In God will I praise (his) word ; in the Lord will 
 I praise (his) word. The first clause of v. 4 is 
 herein exi)anded. The words, 'in God ... in 
 Jehovah (the Lord)' form an ascending climax, 
 implying joyful assurance. The change of expres- 
 sion from JJis word" (v. 4) to "word" absolutely 
 is not undesigned. The word here seems not 
 
David's cry 
 
 PSALM LVII. 
 
 To the chief Musician, 
 
 PSALM LVIL 
 
 Al-taschith, Michtam of David, " when he fled from 
 Saul in the cave. 
 
 for merely. 
 
 12 Thy vows are upon me, 0 God : — I will render praises unto thee. 
 
 13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death : 
 Wilt not thou ddiver my feet from falling, 
 
 That I may walk before God in the light of the living? 
 
 BE merciful unto me, 0 God, be merciful unto me ; 
 For my soul trusteth in thee : 
 
 Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, 
 
 * Until these calamities be overpast. 
 
 I will cry unto God most high ; 
 
 Unto God *^that performeth all things for me. 
 
 He *^shall send from heaven, and save me 
 
 ^From the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. 
 
 God shall ^send forth his mercy and his truth. 
 
 My soul is among lions ; — and I lie even among them that are set on fire 
 Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, 
 And ^ their tongue a sharp sword. 
 
 meroly His outward word, but Himself, revealed 
 as llie. Word to the Psalmist's heart, il. In God 
 liave I put my trust : I will not be afraid what 
 man can do unto me— (cf. note, v. 4.) 
 
 12. Thy vows are upon me, O God. David re- 
 gards his deliverance as already accomplished, and 
 therefore considers his vows, which had been 
 taken in the event of deliverance, as now due. I 
 will render praises unto thee— I will pay thee 
 thank offerings, or eucharistical sacrifices (Jer. 
 xxxiii. 11). 13. For thou hast delivered my soul 
 from death : wilt not thou deliver my feet from 
 falling — through the assault of mine enemies. The 
 interrogation strongly confirms the entreaty (cf. 
 V. 8, end; also Gen. xiii. 9). that I may walk 
 before God in the light of the living 1—i. e. , amongst 
 the living (Job xxxiii. 30; in Ps. xxvii. 13, "in 
 the land of the living;" cxvi. 9). "Before God;" 
 i. e., in a way pleasing to God, and under His 
 gracious guidance and care (Gen. xvii. 1, 18 j Ps. 
 xxxvi. 9; cf. Isa. ix. 2; John xii. 35). 
 
 PSALM LVII. \-\\.—Gry for mercy; joyful 
 anticipation of deliverance from enemies {vv. 1-4) ; 
 praise for it, and for the foes' entanglement in 
 their own pitfall, as if this were already accom- 
 jolished {w. 5-11) ; Hope predominates from the 
 first. 
 
 Al-taschith— 'destroy not,' This title is found 
 also in the titles of Ps, Iviii,, lix,, and Ixxv. It is 
 the maxim uppermost in David's heart when he 
 wrote amidst persecutions, and one which em- 
 bodies the spirit of the psalm. Drawn from Deut. 
 ix, 26. He used the same " destroy not " in 2 Sam. 
 xxvL 9, to Abishai, forbidding him to slay Saul. 
 He could only say to God " destroy not," when he 
 himself " destroyed not " his enemy. Michtam 
 of David — i. e., ^secret of David.' No jiower save 
 that of God could have so revealed the secret of 
 the Lord's purpose of delivering his servant, that 
 the latter already breaks forth into praises of God. 
 when he fled from Saul in the cave. The history 
 mentions David's stay in two difi"erent caves, — 1 
 Sam. xxii. 1, "the cave of Adullam," where many 
 flocked to him ; 1 Sam, xxiv. 1, the cave of En- 
 gedL The care was a symbol of his gloomy posi- 
 tion, Heb. xi. 38. As Ps. Ivi. refers to his deliv- 
 erance at the court of the Philistine king Achish, 
 ao this 57th r)8alra to his subsequent stay in the 
 cave of Adullam, 1 Sam. xxi. 10-15 ; xxii. X. 
 222 
 
 1. Be merciful (gracious) unto me, 0 God, be 
 merciful unto me. The repetition implies the 
 intense earnestness of the petitioner and tl-e 
 greatness of the danger, for my soul trusteth in 
 thee. He grounds his prayer on this -threatened 
 on all sides by the world, he puts his whole trust 
 in God (cf. Ps. Ivi. 1, 2). His "soul" was the 
 object of the enemy's assault. Cf, David's words 
 to Saul at the cave of Engedi, 1 Sam. xxiv. 11. 
 yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my 
 refuge— (Ps. xvii. 8; xxxvi. 7; cxxi. 5, 6.) until 
 these calamities be overpast. The same Hebrew 
 is translated "very wickedness," Ps. v. 9 [min], 
 mischievous devices, wicled mischievousnesses. 2. I 
 will cry unto God. The cry to God naturally 
 follow-s soul-trust in God (v. 1). most high—' The 
 Most High' will lift us on high when, being sunken 
 low, we "cry" to Him. Formidable enemies are 
 nothingness when 'the Most High' is on our side. 
 Cf. David's committal of his cause to the Lord at 
 Engedi (1 Sam. xxiv. 13-16). unto God that per- 
 fo meth all things for me. God's favours already 
 received are a pledge that He will complete His 
 work of love ^upon me.' The beginning is 
 the earnest of the completion. His Word is a 
 guarantee for the performance of "all things" that 
 I need (cf. v. 3; Ps. Ivi. 4; 1 Sam. ii. 9; iii. 12; 
 xxiii. 17 ; xxiv. 21 ; Ps. cxxxviii. 8 ; Job x. 3, 8 ; 
 xiv. 15; Phil i. 6; Isa. xxvi. 12). 3. He shall 
 send from heaven. What "He shall send" fol- 
 lows in the next clause, his mercy and his truth 
 — (cf. Ps. xviii. 16; xliiL 3; cxliv. 7). "From 
 heaven," my only, and my sure source of hope, as 
 contrasted with the earth, where all is dark and 
 dreary to me. and save me from the reproach of 
 him that would swallow me up— (Ps. Ivi. 1, 2.) 
 Calumnies, misrepresentations, and reproaches, 
 were the stinging weapon wherewith Saul and 
 his party assailed David (Ps. Iv. 12, 21; Ivi. 5; 
 cf. here v. 4, end), Selah— a solemn pause, show- 
 ing how deeply the enemy's reproaclies affected 
 him, 4. My soul is among lions ; and I lie even 
 among them that are set on fire. The point in 
 common between the two images— "lions," and 
 "them that are set on fire," firebrands— is the 
 dreadful fury of both. Instead of "I lie," trans- 
 late, with the Chaldaic, 'I toill lie' [nn??'^ ; tlie 
 n expresses striving, or direction of the desire]. 
 
David reproveth 
 
 PSALM LVIII. 
 
 wiched judges. 
 
 
 A I Ch. 29. 11. 
 
 
 Ps. Vl. 13. 
 
 
 rs. 103. 5. 
 
 
 Isa. 2. 11, 
 
 
 17. 
 
 
 Isa. 12. 4. 
 
 
 Isa. 37. 2). 
 
 
 Matt. 6. 9, 
 
 
 10. 
 
 
 < Ps. 7.16, 16. 
 
 
 Ps. 9 15. 
 
 
 Ps. 35. 7. 8. 
 
 
 Ps. 140. 6. 
 
 
 j P«. 108. 1. 
 
 
 « Or, pre- 
 
 
 pared. 
 
 
 fc Judg. 5. 12. 
 
 
 ' Ps. 36. 6. 
 
 
 Ps. 108. 4. 
 
 
 PSALM 58. 
 
 
 1 Or. De- 
 
 
 stroy not. 
 
 
 A golden 
 
 
 Psalm of 
 
 
 David. 
 
 my soul is bowed down 
 Selah. 
 
 5 Be ^'tliou exalted, 0 God, above tbe heavens 
 Let thy glory be above all the earth. 
 
 6 They Miave prepared a net for my steps ;- 
 They have digged a pit before me, 
 Into the midst whereof they are fallen tkemsehes, 
 
 7 My heart is ^ fixed, 0 God, my heart is fixed; 
 I will sing and give praise. 
 
 8 Awake ^up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp; 
 I myself v^AW awake early. 
 
 9 I will praise thee, 0 Lord, among the people ; 
 I will sing unto thee among the nations : 
 
 10 For Hhy mercy is great unto the heavens. 
 And thy truth unto the clouds. 
 
 1 1 Be thou exalted, 0 God, above the heavens : 
 Let thy glory be above all the earth. 
 
 PSALM LVIIL 
 
 To the chief Musician, i Al-taschith, Michtam of David. 
 1 DO ye indeed speak righteousness, 0 congregation ? 
 Do ye judge uprightly, 0 ye sons of men ? 
 
 David would not probably pass from confidence 
 {wK 3, 4) to complaint here. What he means is. 
 Though my soul is among lions (Ps. xvii. 12) I 
 ■R-illingly, as it is thy will, will lie down among 
 I these tirebrand-enemies, even the sons of men, 
 whose teeth are spears and arrows— (Prov. xxx. 
 ' 14.) and their tongue a sharp sword— (cf. v. 3; 
 Ps. Iv. 21 ; lix. 7; Ixiv. 3.) 
 
 6. Be thou exalted, 0 God, above the heavens; 
 let thy glory be above all the earth— praise for 
 the deliverance anticipated, in the strong assur- 
 ance of faith. Let men see (not merely a prayer, 
 but a prophecy, that men shall see it, and therefore 
 sliall praise God) and declare that thou art raised 
 above the heavens, and therefore art far above all 
 the jiuny i)Owers of the ea7-th that oppose thee 
 and thy people. In vv. 9, 10 God's mercy and 
 j truth are "praised" among the people of the 
 earth, and are represented as reaching "unto fJie 
 I heavens :" here God and His glory are declared to 
 be lifted above both the heavens and the earth. 
 
 6. They have prepared a net for my steps ; my 
 soul is bowed down— rather, as the Hebrew verb 
 is transitive, and the enemies are the subject in 
 the other verbs of the sentence, ''they bowed 
 down my soul.' they have digged a pit before 
 me, into the midst whereof they are fallen 
 themselves — the theme of the praise in v. 5; 
 namely, that with all their preparing of the net 
 for the Psalmist, their bowing down his soul, and 
 digging a pit, all their laborious malice has ended 
 in their falling into their own pit; such is the 
 righteous retribution of God ! 
 
 7-10. —Determination to praise God. 7. My heart 
 Is fixed, 0 God, my heart is fixed— lit., prepared, 
 established. The repetition em])hasizes the stead- 
 fastness of his confidence of deliverance and the 
 fixity of his resolution to praise (cf. Ps, cxii. 7, 8). 
 8. Awake up, my glory— e., my soul (Ps. xvi. 9 ; 
 Gen. xlix. 6). awake, psaltery and harp. These 
 had slept in silence till David received the assur- 
 ance of deliverance. I myself will awake early— 
 lit., more poetically, 'I will stir up the morning 
 dawn.' I will waken it up, not it me. T will 
 anticipate the sun in rising to bless God : imply- 
 ing zf-al and unwenried earnestness in the Lonl's 
 service (Ps, Ixiii. I; Ixxviii. 34; Mark i. 35. 9. I 
 Will pral49 th^e, 0 Lord, among the people- 
 s' 
 
 'the peoples' (cf. Ps. xviii. 49). 10. For thy 
 mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth 
 unto the qloud5-(Ps. xxxvi. 5; ciii. 11.) Tiiose 
 things which we wish to glorify, we extol to the 
 skies, as the expression is. As God 'sends forth 
 His mercy and His truth ' from heaven to earth, so 
 the recipients extol the greatness of His mercy 
 and His truth unto the heavens. The greatness of 
 God's mercy is as high as the heavens are above 
 the earth. 
 
 11. Be thou exalted, 0 God, above the heavens, 
 
 &c. The conclusion of the second strophe reverts 
 to the same praise for deliverance as its commence- 
 ment. The rei)etition of praise is the sure path to 
 the Divine help. 
 
 PSALM LVIII. l-ll. — Perversity of the un- 
 righteous judges {vv. 1-5) ; prayer for their over- 
 throw ; anticipation of it to the joy of the righteous 
 {vv. 6-10) ; God's retributive justice vindicated {v. 
 11), The unjust judgments are the persecutions 
 by Saul and his party, under the mask of just 
 judgments for treason (1 Sam. xxiv. 12-15 ; 
 xxvi. 10). 
 
 On the title, Al-taschith, Michtam, which connects 
 it with Ps. Ivii. and lix., see the note on Ps. Ivii. 
 
 1. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O con- 
 gregation ? The Hebrew for " congregation " 
 from nh^, to hind together sheaves. Gen. xxxvii. 
 7] seems to be used in the title to Ps. Ivi, for 
 ' dumbness '—our English 'tongue-^ied' So Henq- 
 stenberg translates here, 'Are ye indeed dumb- 
 ness (itself) as regards your speaking righteous- 
 ness?' (Deut. i. 16, 17.) So a kindred Hebrew 
 word in Ps. xxxviii. 13, " dumb." The mention 
 of deafness in vv. 4, 5 corresponds with the men- 
 tion of dumbness here. These unjust judges 
 are dumb when they should speak, deaf when 
 they should hear. Others, on account of the 
 Hebrew accents, construe the sentence, '/is) 
 indeed justice dumbness ? Speak ye out.' But 
 the English version suits the parallelism best, 
 " O congregation " (from the Hebrew to tie 
 together) answering to " O ye sons of men." He 
 first appeals to their own consciences (w. 1, 2) ; 
 then, perceiving that it is vain to address himself 
 to them, so deaf are they to every appeal, he turns 
 away and speaks o/them, {v. 3, &c.) The "indeed" 
 
The nature 
 
 PSALM LVIII. 
 
 of the tmcked. 
 
 2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; 
 
 "Ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth. 
 
 3 The wicked *are estranged from the womh; 
 
 They go astray ^as soon as they be born, speaking Hes. 
 
 4 Their poison is ^like the poison of a serpent: 
 They are like the deaf * adder that stoppeth her ear; 
 
 5 Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, 
 ^ Charming never so wisely. 
 
 6 Break *^ their teeth, 0 God, in their mouth ; 
 Break out the great teeth of the young lions, 0 Lord, 
 
 7 Let them melt away as waters which run continually : 
 
 When he bendeth his how to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces. 
 
 8 As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away ; 
 
 Like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun. 
 
 implies sorrowful and iudignant surprise at such 
 a monstrous anomaly, that judges should speak 
 unrighteoumess. You profess to be speaking righ- 
 teousness in your misconstruction of my words 
 (Ps. Ivi. 5; Ivii. 3) and deeds, as if I were guilty of 
 treason; but I appeal to your consciences, is it 
 indeed so? 0 ye sons of men? Ye are but frail 
 'children of Adam,' and have therefore to give 
 account to the infinitely higher Judge [vv. 6, 11). 
 In 1 Sam. xxvi. 19 David, by an undesigned coin- 
 cidence, similarly draws a contrast between the 
 Lord Jehovah and the children of men. "If the 
 Lord have stirred thee up against me, let Him 
 accept an offering ; but if they be the children of 
 men, cursed be they before the Lord ; for they have 
 driven me out this day from abiding in the inher- 
 itance of the Lord." 2. Yea, in heart ye work 
 wickedness — Hebrew, 'wickednesses.' "Yea," or 
 also. In V. 1 he implied that they had not done 
 what they ought to have done : he here says, 
 they have also done what they ought not to have 
 done, ye weigh the violence of your hands in 
 the earth. Scales and weights symbolize the 
 administration of justice (Job xxxi. 6). ' What 
 ye weigh out is violence, not justice.' The wicked- 
 ness of the hands stands in contrast to working 
 wickedness in heart (cf. Mic. ii. 1) in the previous 
 clause. 
 
 3. The wicked are estranged from the womb. 
 
 From his own personal enemies David passes 
 to the innate corruption of the wicked in gen- 
 eral. He does not mean that the wicked alone 
 are thus innately corrupt; but he traces their 
 hardened malignity to the original and universal 
 birth-sin (Ps. li. 5), which, in their case, has not 
 been counteracted by grace; whereas in the godly 
 it has been checked, and is daily being more and 
 more subdued. 4. Their poison. Tlie Hebrew 
 {chamath) means primarily burning heat, as poisou 
 inflames the system (Jas. iii. 7, 8). they are like 
 the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear. The 
 "adder" \}T}^], or 'asp,' as elsewhere the Hebrew 
 is translated, [do-Trts, in LXX.] It is the 'haje 
 naja ' or co6ra of Egypt, according to Cuvier. The 
 lieariug of all the serpent tribes is imperfect, as 
 all are destitute of a tympanic cavity, and of ex- 
 ternal openings to the ear. "The deaf adder" is 
 not a particular species. The point of the rebuke 
 is, the yethen, or "adder" here in question, could 
 hear in some degree, but would not ; just as the 
 unrighteous judges, or persecutors of David, could 
 hear with their outward ears such appeals as he 
 makes in vv. 1, 2, but would not. The charmer 
 usually could charm the serpent by shrill sounds, 
 either of his voice or of the flute, the serpent's 
 comparative deafness rendering it the more amen- 
 224 
 
 able to those sounds which it could hear. But 
 exceptional cases occurred of a "deaf adder" 
 which was deaf ov\y in the sense that it refused to 
 hear, or to be acted on. Also Jer. viii. 17; cf. 
 Eccl. X. 11. Smith's 'Dictionary of the Bible,' 
 Appendix, suggests that the Hebrew, pethen, 
 comes from a root, to expand the neck 
 Greek, 'ttiiQcov ; Arabic, Bcetan]. The Italian 
 Marsi and the Libyan Psylli were expert in snake- 
 taming. Boldness and kindness were probably 
 their art. The words " Break their teeth," in v. 6, 
 are by some referred to the trick of taking out the 
 poison fangs of the serpents ; but it refers rather to 
 the teeth of the lions. 5. Which will not hearken 
 to the voice of charmers— the voice of those 
 whispering in a low, sweet, and soothing tone, 
 charming never so wisely— a different Hebrew 
 word from that for "charmers"— ZzY., 'binding (by 
 a spell).' Saul could hear ; for that his conscience 
 was not dead ai)pears from his more than once 
 expressing his conviction that David would suc- 
 ceed to the throne (1 Sam. xxiv. 20, 21 ; xxvi. 21, 
 25) ; yet he continued to resist conscience, as well 
 as David's protestations of his innocence of trea- 
 son, and Jonathan's intercession. 
 
 G-8.— Petition founded on the foregoing descrip- 
 tion of the malignity of the foe; confident antici- 
 pation of the answer [vv. 9, 10). 6. Break their 
 teeth, 0 God. The Hebrew order brings God into 
 prominence as the Psalmist's only resource against 
 the "sons of men" {v. 1). 'God, break their 
 teeth ! ' Image from ravenous lions, which tear their 
 prey with their teeth (cf. Ps. iii. 7). break out the 
 great teeth— 'the eye-teeth,' which in lions are 
 most formidable ; the tusks. 7. Let them melt 
 away as waters which run continually— Hebrew, 
 '(which) flow away for themselves.' The words 
 'for themselves' are ironical. This is all that they 
 shall gain for themselves— \\z. , that they shall flow 
 away, (when) he bendeth (his bow to shoot) his 
 arrows, let them be as cut in pieces— e., let the 
 arrows which the enemy aims be as if they were 
 cut, headless, and pointless (cf. Ps. xxxvii. 15). 
 8. As a snail which melteth, let (every one 
 of them) pass away. Gesenius takes it, 'As a 
 snail which passes away into melting' — 'which 
 walks dissolution:' which, moistening the way 
 with its secretion, the farther it goes the more it 
 melts away, until it is utterly consumed ; but the 
 parallelism, and the balance of the corresponding 
 first and second clauses, favour the English ver- 
 sion, (like) the untimely birth (an abortion) of 
 a woman, (that) they may not see the sun—lit., 
 the wicked die an untimely death. Job iiL 16 is 
 before the Psalmist's mind. 
 
 Confident anticipation of the answer to his 
 
D at id prays 
 
 PSALM LIX. 
 
 for delherance. 
 
 9 Before your pots can feel the thorns, 
 
 He shall take them away ^as with a whirlwind, ^botli living, and in his 
 wrath. 
 
 10 The ^ righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance : 
 He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. 
 
 11 So that a man shall say, ^Verily there is ^a reward for the righteous: 
 Verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth. 
 
 PSALM LIX. 
 
 To the chief Musician, ^ Altaschith, Mich tain of David, ° when Saul sent, and 
 they watched the house to kill him. 
 
 1 DELIVER me from mine enemies, 0 my God ; 
 2 Defend me from them that rise up against me. 
 
 2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, — and save me from bloody men. 
 
 3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul : — the mighty are gathered against me ; 
 Not for my transgression, nor for my sin, 0 Lord. 
 
 4 They run and prepare themselves without my fault : 
 Awake ^to help me, and behold. 
 
 5 Thou therefore, 0 Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, 
 
 * Prov. 10.25. 
 
 6 as living 
 as wrath. 
 
 / Ps. 62. r>. 
 
 Ps. 64. 10. 
 
 Ps. 6S. 1-3. 
 
 Ps. 107. 42, 
 » Ptom. 2. 6- 
 11. 
 
 7 fruit of 
 the, etc. 
 
 FSALM 59. 
 
 1 Of, De- 
 stroy noi, 
 A golden 
 Psalm of 
 David. 
 
 " 1 Sam. 19. 
 11. 
 
 2 set me on 
 bigh. 
 
 3 to meet 
 me. 
 
 prayer, 9. Before your pots can feel the tliorns, 
 he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both 
 living, and in (his) wrath. He here, as in vv. 1, 2, 
 
 at first addresses the wicked directly ("your"), 
 but then turns awaj^ from them and speaks of 
 *'them." A proverbial phrase. Before y owe pots' 
 contents can feel the heat of the thorns burning 
 underneath, He will, with a whirlwind, take them 
 (the wicked) away, be the pots' contents, or fiesh, 
 raw (living) (Hebrew, chai), or be it sodden (not as 
 the English version, "and in His wrath")— lit., 
 alowlng (Hebrew, ckaron). As the thorns quickly 
 blaze and heat the pot (Ps. cxviii. 12 ; Eccl. vii. 6), 
 the phrase expresses (/reat rapidity. The pots' 
 contents answer to the plans of the wicked against 
 the godly. Before your plans have come to matu- 
 rity, ripe or uuripe ('raw or sodden'), God will 
 with a whirlwind carry you away from all your 
 piojects (Job xxvii. 21). Rosenmiiller translates, 
 * He shall, with a whirlwind, take them {tlte 
 thorns) away, whether green (not yet reached by 
 the fire) or burning.' It often happens to those 
 who travel in a desert that, when they wish to get 
 ready food, their fire is put out by a sudden tem- 
 pest, and all their preparations are destroyed— an 
 image of the sudden overthrow of all the plans of 
 the wicked before they are matured. 10. The 
 righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the ven- 
 geance— (Ps. lii. 6 ; cvii. 42.) God's vindication of 
 His righteousness shall fill the righteous with joy. 
 he shall wash his feet in the blood of the 
 wicked — ngiiratively ; not that the righteous 
 avenge themselves (1 Sam. xxiv. 12), but they 
 identify themselves with God in His triumph 
 over the ungodly (Rev. xix. 14, 15 ; Ps. Ixviii. 2.3). 
 
 H. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a 
 reward for the righteous. "Verily "—lit., only ; 
 it is not otherwise than so. ' There is fruit to the 
 righteous :' though for a time piety seems fruitless, 
 it is not really so. verily he is a God that judg- 
 eth in the earth. In the Hebrew ''judgeth" is 
 ]ilural, in contrast to the unjust judges, "the sons 
 of men {v. 1). God exercises on earth the righ- 
 teous judgment which they withhold. 
 
 PSALM LIX 1-17.— Two divisions. Prayer for 
 tJi/i over throve of the wicked and the deliverance of 
 the Psalmvit {vv. 1-5 and w. 11-13); separated in 
 ea,ch division by a " Selah," from confident hope 
 Tf-Htiag on the prayer {vv. 6-10 and vv. 14-17). The 
 f;ame simile be^ns the second strophe of the first 
 division and the second strophe of the second 
 7QL. Jit 225 
 
 division, v. 6 and v. 14 ; marking their mutual 
 relation. 
 
 On the title, Al-taschith, see note on title 
 of Ps. Ivii. when Saul sent, and they watched 
 the house to ' kill him— (1 Sam. xix. 11, &c.) 
 David escaped through the warning of Michal, 
 David's wife, who let David down through a 
 window, so that he escaped, and put an image 
 and a goat's hair bolster in the bed, where she 
 said that David lay sick. This was the beginning 
 act in his long wanderings to escape from Saul, 
 and therefore formed a fit subject for a psalm. 
 
 1. Deliver me . . . defend me from them that rise 
 up against me— (Ps. xvii. 7, end) "Defend"— 
 Hebrew, tesagheeni ;■ set me on high {niarg., Ps. 
 XX. 1). 2. and save me from bloody men— such as 
 Saul, who seeks to shed my life-blood. 3. For, lo, 
 they lie in wait for my soul— (1 Sam. xix. 11.) 
 the mighty — 'the strong;' the same Hebrew as 
 in vv. 9, 17. are gathered against me. So iu 
 David's psalm, Ivi. 6. not for my transgression, 
 nor for my sin, 0 Lord. He appeals to the all- 
 knowing Jehovah to establish his innocence, since 
 the earthly king will not believe his protestatious. 
 Cf. 1 Sam. xxiv. 11. The transgression which he 
 denies is in relation to the king : the sin which he 
 denies is in relation to God ; not that he denies 
 absolutely his sinfulness — nay, elsewhere he une- 
 quivocally confesses it ; but he denies the sinful- 
 ness before God of which he was accused in respect 
 to Saul. Cf. Ps. vii. 3-5. 4. They run and pre- 
 pare themselves without my fault— " They run " 
 as armed warriors rushing to the assault (Ps. xviii. 
 29). The Hebrew for " prepare themselves " [p] 
 means also 'they establish themselves;' they make 
 firm their footing, like forces assailiug a city (Job 
 XXX. 14). awake to help me— /t7., 'to meet me' 
 with help "Awake," as though God had been 
 asleep in regard to the Psalmisvs safety (Ps. xliv. 
 23). and behold— their wicked violence and my 
 great danger. 5. Thou therefore, 0 Lord God of 
 hosts, the God of Israel. These names of God 
 are so many pleas for obtaining the Divine help. 
 Lord, or Jehovah, is the most profound and far- 
 reaching of the Divine names. God, or Elohlm, 
 implies His Deity and His being the Creator. The 
 epithet "of hosts" (Sabaoth) implies the boundless 
 resources wliich He has at command for His people's 
 
 food. Then this glorious God is "the God of 
 sraeL" He has the peojde of His covenant under 
 Q 
 
I 
 
 David expresseth PSALM LIX. his trust in God. 
 
 Awake to visit all the heathen : 
 Benot merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah. 
 
 6 They return at evening : . 
 They make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. 
 
 7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth swords are in their lips : 
 For who, ^say they, doth hear? 
 
 8 But thou, 0 Lord, shalt laugh at them ; 
 Thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. 
 
 9 Because o/'^his strength will I wait upon thee : 
 For God is *my defence. 
 
 10 The God of my mercy shall prevent me : 
 God shall let me see my desire upon ^mine enemies. 
 
 1 1 Slay them not, lest my people forget : 
 Scatter them by thy power; 
 And bring them down, 0 Lord our shield. 
 
 His special protection. The same plea implied in 
 tlie designation "the God of Israel" is expressed 
 in 13, — " let them know that <Jod ruleth in Jacob 
 unto the ends of the earth." Cf. Jer. xxxv. 17, 
 and xxxyiii. 17, which derive this accumulation of 
 names from the passage here. Cf. David's words, 
 2 Sam. vii. 27. awake to visit all the heathen. 
 The primary objects of the judgment prayed for 
 are not " the heathen," but the wicked transgres- 
 sors, or ' men of i)erHdy ' [njia] {v. 3 ; Ps. xxv. 3). 
 But since God, as the Judge of all the earth, is about 
 to visit in judyment all the heathen, much more will 
 He judge those in Israel who perfidiously transgress 
 against the law of brotherly love and justice (Ps. 
 xxv. 3). The thought that God's judgment ex- 
 tends to "all the heathen" assures the believer 
 that he need not be frightened by the number of his 
 adversaries, who, after all, are but few compared 
 with the hosts of heaven. There is an ulterior 
 reference to the final retribution which shall visit 
 "all the heathen" ox rather Hhe nations^ leagued 
 with Antichrist against Messiah ^nd His people. 
 
 6. They return at evening : they make a noise 
 like a dog, and go round about the city. Here 
 liopeful anticipation succeeds to prayer. David's 
 enemies in character resembled unclean dogs at- 
 tacking him (Ps. xxii. 16-20) ; therefore their por- 
 tion, he foresees, shall be that of dogs, which in 
 Eastern cities wander up and down without any 
 owner, half starved and ravenous, ready to eat 
 offal or any filthy food, for want of sustenance. 
 The prayer that this may be their punishment, in 
 order to accord with their sin, follows in similar 
 words in v. 14, ' they return at evening,' after 
 having throughout the day in vain sought for food: 
 "they make a noise" or JlowI through hunger, 
 " and go round about the city" seeking food (v, J 5). 
 7. Behold, they belch out with their mouth— a 
 torrent of false charges and calumnies (Ps. xciv. 4). 
 swords are in their lips— (Ps. Iv. 21, end.) for 
 who, (say they), doth hear?— (Ps. x. 11-13; Ixxiii. 
 11.) Heretofore God's long-suffering with them 
 gave a handle to this cavil, instead of leading 
 them, as His mercy designed, to repentance. 8. 
 But thou, 0 Lord, shalt laugh at them— (Ps. ii. 4.) 
 thou Shalt have all the heathen in derision— 
 (cf. note, ?'. .5.) 9. Because of his strength will I 
 wait upon thee— lit,., « I will keep watch to thee,' 
 alluding to the title, "when Saul sent, and they 
 watched the house to kill him." David sets his 
 watching before God against their watching to kill 
 him. "Jlis strength "—that of "the mighty" 
 enemy {v. 3). The singxilar alludes to Saul as re- 
 l)resentative of the wicked, who are spoken of in 
 the i^revious verses. Our needs, and the strength 
 
 of our enemy, are our plea for calling to our side 
 'God's strength^ {v. 17). The old versions read 
 ' my strength ' [nr], instead of " his strength " 
 [Vrr]. The latter being the more difficult reading, 
 is less likely to be an interpolation. Thus, too, 
 "O my strength," God {v. 17), forms a beautiful 
 oi)position to his (the enemy's) strength" here. 
 Slight changes are usually made in repetitions (cf. 
 Ps. xlii. 5, 11). That T7. 17 alludes to v. 9 appears 
 from the repetition of for God is my defence— 
 ' my high place ' (misgab, answering to sagab, ' set 
 me on high^ — English version, defend — v. 1). 
 / / engstenberg translsLtea 'his (the enemy's) strength 
 I will reserve to God,' being unable to cope with it 
 myself. But thus the allusion to the same Hebrew 
 in the title would be lost. Cf. also Ps. cxxx. 6 
 ["inK'l. The Hebrew implies careful keeping and 
 watching, so as not to lose (Eccl. iii. 6). 10. The 
 God of my mercy. So the Keri reads. But the 
 Ketib has ' My God shall prevent me with His 
 mercy' — lit., 'shall anticipate in giving me His 
 grace ' (Ps. xxi. 3). The Keri was copied from v. 
 17, end. God shall let me see my desire upon 
 mine enemies— (Ps. liv. 7, end.) 
 
 11-13. — First part of the second main division — 
 the prayer. 11. Slay them not, lest my people 
 forget — Slay not the race, whilst thou consvmest 
 {i\ 13) the individuals hostile to the Lord's anointed. 
 Let the race survive as a lasting monument of 
 God's righteous judgments on transgressors (1 Sam. 
 ii. 36 ; 2 Sam. iii. 29). Such has been the doom of 
 the Jewish nation for their rejection of Messiah. 
 Whilst hundreds of thousands have been destroyed, 
 the race has been kept from extinction as a monu- 
 ment of the wrath of God. " My people" are the 
 professing people of God, who are warned by the 
 fate of Israel (Rom. xi. 20, 21) of the fatal effects 
 of unbelief, scatter them by thy power. The 
 Jews, scattered in all lands, are the living witnesses 
 to God's power and punitive justice, like their 
 prototype Cain, ' fugitives and vagabonds in the 
 earth,' bearing the brand of the murder of the 
 Holy One whithersoever they go (Gen. iv. 12-15). 
 Cf. Ps. cix. 10-15. " Thy power" stands in con- 
 trast to the power of the godless enemies who 
 thought themselves invincible. "Scatter them" 
 stands in contrast to their having "gathered" 
 themselves together against the Psalmist {v. 3). 
 bring them down— from their high place of pride, 
 arising out of prosperity. 0 Lord our shield. Our 
 implies that David's cause is that of the whole 
 Church. Hence in v. 5 he calls upon the God of 
 Israel. The cause of righteousness was at stake 
 in his person, and would have suffered injury if 
 
David complaining to 
 
 PSALM LX. 
 
 God of former judgments. 
 
 12 Far the ''sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be 
 
 taken in their pride ; 
 And for cursing and lying which they speak. 
 
 13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not he; 
 And let them 'know that God ruleth in Jacob 
 
 Unto the ends of the earth. Selah. 
 
 14 And at evening let them return; 
 
 And let them make a noise like a dog, — and go round about the city. 
 
 15 Let them wander up and down ^for meat, 
 ^And grudge if they be not satisfied. 
 
 16 But I will sing of thy power; 
 
 Yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: 
 
 For thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. 
 
 17 Unto thee, 0 my strength, will I sing: 
 
 For God is my defence, and the God of my mercy. 
 
 PSALM LX. 
 
 To the chief Musician upon Shushan-eduth, ^Michtam of David, to teach ; »when he 
 strove with Aram-naharaim, and with Aram-zobah, when Joab returned, and 
 smote of Edom in the valley of Salt twelve thousand. 
 
 1 0 GOD, thou hast cast us off, thou hast ^scattered us. 
 Thou hast been displeased; 0 turn thyself to us again. 
 
 d Ps. 64. 7. 8. 
 Pa. V9. 12. 
 Ps. 102. 3. 4. 
 Ps. 140.9.10. 
 Prov. 12.13. 
 Prov. 18. 7. 
 Matt. 12.3 , 
 37. 
 
 Matt. 27.20, 
 6t. 
 
 • 1 Sam. 17. 
 46, 47. 
 1 Ki 18. 36, 
 37. 
 
 Ps. 46 li\il. 
 
 6 to eat. 
 
 7 Or. if they 
 be n( t sat- 
 isfied, then 
 they will 
 stay all 
 night. 
 
 PSALM 60. 
 
 1 Or, A 
 golden 
 Psalm. 
 
 « 2 Sam. 8. 3. 
 
 2 broken. 
 
 Saul had prevailed. 12. (For) the sin of their 
 mouth (and) the words of their lips let them 
 even be taken in their pride. So Muis. But 
 Hengstmherg, 'The word of their lips (is) the sin 
 of their mouth.' As many as their words are, so 
 many are their sins. I prefer the English version. 
 For their threats, calumnies, and blasphemies, let 
 them be entangled inextricably in the net of their 
 own pride as their punishment. Saul's pride would 
 not brook that David's exploits should be spoken of 
 as above his: hence began his bitter enmity against 
 David, which proved his own ruin (1 Sam. xviii. 
 S ; xix. 8-10). and for cursing. Cursing recoils on 
 the curser. and Ijang- such as Saul's charge 
 against David, that the latter sought his life. Cf. 
 Ps. V. 9; x. 7. which they speak— lit., narrate. 
 13. Consume them in wrath. Such was Saul's 
 fate, and such that of the Jews who opposed 
 David's antitype, Messiah. Such shall be the 
 doom of Antichrist's followers in the last days, 
 and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto 
 the ends of the earth. The Hebrew accents re- 
 quire the sense, 'let them know unto the ends of 
 the earth that God ruleth in Jacob.' So David 
 said in his conflict with Goliath (1 Sam. xvii. 4-6, 
 end). So in the punishment of Antichrist's hosts 
 the recognition of God's rule in Israel shall be 
 forced on the world (Isa. Ixvi. 15-18, 23, 24). 
 
 14-17.— Second part of the second division. 
 David's anticipation of the enemy's doom, and of 
 his own joyful thanksgivings, because of tlie pre- 
 vious prayer. 14, 15. And at evening let them 
 return ; and let them make a noise like a dog . . . 
 Let them wander up and down for meat, and 
 grudge if they be not satisfied. What was an 
 afssertion in v. 6 appears here as a sentence of doom, 
 "let them," &c. Their sin was restless greediness 
 and insatiable cruelty, whereby they came tumultu- 
 011 sly besieging David's house "at evening" (1 Sam. 
 xix. 11) ; so let their punishment be to " wander 
 up and down." In hell men's restless passions 
 Khali be their never-resting scourges (Rev. xiv. 11). 
 'J'lie Hebrew for "grudge" (vaycdinu) is better 
 translated thus, ^when they have not been satis- 
 fied, then let them stay all the niyht,^ or, * certainly 
 io often, Di<] let them not be satistied, and let 
 227 
 
 them pass all night so.' In contrast to "the 
 morning" {v. 16), wJiich is associated with salva- 
 tion (Ps. xc. 14 ; cxliii. 8 ; 2 Sam. xxiii. 4), stands 
 ' to pass the ni:>ht ' overtaken by the darkness of 
 misery, hungering without aught to allay the 
 hunger-pang. Cf. also i\ 614, "They return at 
 evening. 16. But I will sing of thy power; yea . , . 
 thy mercy in the morning. As the darkness of 
 flight belongs to the ungodly, so the light of morn- 
 ing to the godly (1 Thess. v. 4, 5), in the day 
 of my trouble — 'my straitness.' 17. Unto 
 thee, 0 my strength— in oi)position to the enemy's 
 ''strength'^ {v. 9). " Thy power," or ''strength'''— 
 the Hebrew is the same {v. 16) — is "m?/ strength." 
 There is an elegant play on similar sounds in the 
 Hebrew for ' I will v/ait upon thee' — Azammeerah 
 (v. 9), and "1 will sing " — Eslimorah. 'As on account 
 of Saul's strength my watching was directed to 
 thee, so now, on account of thy strength vouchsafed 
 to me, my singing of praises also shall be directed 
 to thee alone' (Gejer). 
 
 PSALM LX.— See introduction to Ps. xliv., the 
 sister psalm. Three strophes, four verses in each. 
 1-12. — The covenant people's affliction; the full heal- 
 ing of the breach anticipated, already healed in 
 part [iw. 1-4) ; confidence, grounded on God's Word 
 assuring Israel of possession of Canaan and triumph 
 over the heathen {vv. 5-8) ; conquest of Edom, against 
 vjhich he v)as marching, anticipated, through God's 
 help {vv. 9-12). 
 
 Title. —V]poii Shushan-eduth— i, e., 'upon the 
 lily of testimony.' The lily expresses loveliness 
 (note on Ps. xlv., title). God's promise of Canaan 
 to Israel {v. 6), is the lovely testimony of which 
 assurance was already given in a partial deliver- 
 ance {vv. 4, 5). Michtam — 'secret,' (cf. note on 
 title, Ps. xvi.) to teach. It is a national psalm to 
 be taught to the people (Deut, xxxi. 19). Ps. xliv. 
 was sung by the sons of Korah in the midst of 
 Edom's invasion of Israel during David's absence 
 at the Euphrates. Our psalm was composed by 
 David subsequently, when victory had been gained 
 in part, when he strove with Aram-naharaim- 
 ' when he had beaten down Aram (Syria) of the 
 two floods' {Hengstenberg). So the Hebrew, Jer. 
 iv. 7. Cf. the history, 2 Sam. viii. and x. ; 1 Chr. 
 
David comforteth himself PSALM LX. in God's promises. 
 
 Thou hast made the earth to tremble ; thou hast broken it : 
 
 Heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh. 
 
 Thou hast showed thy people hard things : 
 
 Thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment. 
 
 Thou ^hast given a banner to them that fear thee, 
 
 That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah, 
 
 That '^thy beloved may be delivered, 
 Save with thy right hand, and hear me, 
 God hath '^spoken in his holiness; 
 I will rejoice, I will divide ^Shechera, 
 And mete out the ^ valley of Succoth. 
 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine ; 
 
 Ephraim ^also is the strength of mine head; — '^Judah is my lawgiver; 
 
 xviii. and with Aram-zobah— the Syrians of Zo- 
 bah, the region between the Orontes and the 
 Euphrates (2 Sara. x. 6, 8) under King Hadadezer, 
 or Hadarezer, wlio came to help his vassals, the 
 Syrians (Aram) of Mesopotamia (the region be- 
 tween the Tigris and Euphrates) (2 Sam. x. 16, 
 19). When Joab returned. This he did not do 
 till he had, at the head of the main army, fully 
 conquered the Syrians; so tliat Hengstenhergs 
 translation must be adopted, ' when he had beaten 
 down^ or ''laid v)aste Aram-naharaim and Aram- 
 zobah.' V. 4 alludes to this victory, and to that 
 over Edom in the valley of Salt, as the token that 
 the expedition for occupying Edom, in revenge for 
 his invasion of Israel, would succeed, and smote 
 of Edom in the valley of Salt. Here also was the 
 scene of Amaziah's victory over Edom long subse- 
 quently (2 Ki. xiv. 7; 2 Chr. xxv. 11, 12)-the 
 l)lain at the sonth end of the Dead Sea, where 
 terminates the Ghor, or valley of the Jordan. 
 The Khasm Usdum (a mount of rock-salt) is in 
 its north-west corner. David as king, Joab as 
 commander-in-chief, and Abishai, under Joab, 
 smote Edom (cf. 2 Sam. viii. 13, x. 10, with 1 Chr. 
 xviii. 12). twelve thousand. Instead, we find 
 18,000 mentioned both in 2 Sara. viii. 13 and 1 Chr. 
 xviii. 12. Yarchi and Kimchi explain by suppos- 
 ing that Abishai first slew 6,000, and afterwards 
 Joab 12,000, when he returned from smiting Syria. 
 
 1. 0 God, thou hast cast us off— (Ps. xliii. 2; 
 xliv. 9). thou hast scattered us— lit., 'thou hast 
 made a breach in us;' a Davidic phrase (2 Sam. v. 
 20; vi. 8; cf. Judg. xxi. 15; Job xvi. 14). The 
 reference here is to the losses sustained already in 
 the war with the Syrians, and especially through 
 the invasion of Edom. 0 turn thyself to us again 
 — rather present, 'thou turnest to us again in 
 compassion.' So the LXX., Vulgate, Ethiopic, and 
 Arabic versions. As vv. 2, 3 expand the first x^art 
 of the verse, as to the effects of God's displeasure, 
 so V. 4 expands this clause concerning God's now 
 returning to comfort His people; lit., 'thou cansest 
 (our former prosperity) to return to us.'' 2. Thou 
 hast made the earth to tremble— an image for 
 
 Eolitical convulsion and rending of the nation, 
 eal the breaches thereof. The healing already 
 has begun {vv. 1,4): j^erfect it now. 3. thou hast 
 made us to drink the wine of astonishment 
 —judgments stupifying and confounding, as wine 
 intoxicates the brain (Jer. xiii. 12, 13; 1 Ki. xxii. 
 27). "Bread of affliction . . . water of affliction " (Ps. 
 Ixxv. 8 ; Isa. li. 17-22). As drunkenness prostrates 
 the bodily powers, so were we in a state of helpless 
 misery. 4. Thou hast given a banner to them 
 that fear thee, that it may be displayed because 
 of the truth— (Ps. xx. 5.) Thou hast given us by 
 the recent victory, after our prostrate condition, a 
 banner of triumph to lift up (so the Hebrew), be- 
 
 cause of thy faithfulness to thy promise. "The 
 truth" here answers to God's "holiness" (?'. 6). 
 Cf. Rom. XV. 8. So long as soldiers see their ban- 
 ner uplifted, they flock round it with confidence. 
 But when it is j)rostrate, their spirits and hopes 
 fall. The "banner" is a pledge of safety, and a 
 rallying point to those who fight under it. 
 
 5. That thy beloved may be delivered, save 
 with thy right hand— prayer for the completion 
 of the deliverance already begun. Cod's grace, 
 heretofore vouchsafed, ought not to slacken, but 
 to quickei: our prayers, and hear me. So the 
 Keri, or Hebrew margin, to accord with the follow- 
 ing singulars " I . . . I." But the Hebrew text, 'hear 
 ws.' The singulars following really denote plurality 
 —i. e., the whole people. The original passage of 
 "thy beloved" is Deut. xxxiii. 12, "The beloved 
 of the Lord," Benjamin, the representative of the 
 whole people. "Save with thy right hand" per- 
 haps refers to the meaning of Benjamin, " son of 
 my right hand.^' Cf. the name given by David to 
 Solomon, " Jedidiah," beloved of Jah (2 Sam. xii. 
 25). 6. God hath spoken in his holiness— allud- 
 ing to God's promise that His people should possess 
 Canaan (Gen. xlix. ; Deut. xxxiii.), and vanquish 
 their foes (Num. xxiv. 17-19). So the title, 'the 
 lily of the testimony' (Shushan-eduth), refers to 
 God's lovely promises to Israel in the law. " In His 
 holiness" means 'in His character as the Holy 
 One,' infinitely raised above deceit or change (Ps. 
 Ixxxix. 35; Num. xxiii. 19). I will rejoice- at 
 His sure promises. The people personified speaks : 
 so in vv. 10, 12, the plural follows :us. .. our. I will 
 divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Suc- 
 coth — i. e., the whole of Canaan, alike the region 
 east of Jordan, represented by Succoth, as also 
 that west of Jordan, represented by Sechem, is my 
 inalienable possession according to God's assigna- 
 tion. Therefore the Edomite invaders cannot oust 
 me from it. Jacob's successive settlement at Suc- 
 coth and Shechem, on his return from the same 
 Mesopotamia whence the Israelite host was now 
 returned, typified this occupancy of the whole 
 land by his posterity (Gen. xxxiii. 17, 18). On the 
 reference to the division of the land in the word 
 "I w^ill divide," cf. Josh. xiii. 7; xviii. 8. 7, 
 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine. The 
 very language of Jacob is referred to in Gen. xlviii. 
 5, "Ephraim and Manasseh . . . are mine, as Eeu- 
 ben and Simeon they shall be mine." Gilead ai.d 
 Manasseh are connected with Succoth, as compris- 
 ing all the region east of Jordon. Ephraim also 
 is the strength of mine head— i. e., is the fortress 
 which protects my head, the most vital part (Ps. 
 xxvii. 1; Ixviii. 21). Ephraim and Judah were 
 the chief tribes of the nation west of Jordan. 
 Ephraim was eminent for its power and riches 
 (Gen. xlviii. 19; Deut. xxxiii 17). Judah is my 
 
David fleeth 
 
 PSALM LXI. 
 
 to God. 
 
 8 Moab is my washpot; — over ^Edom will I cast out my shoe: 
 Philistia, ^ triumph thou because of me. 
 
 9 Who will bring me into the ^strong city ?— who will lead me into Edom 
 
 10 Wilt not thou, 0 God, which hadst cast us off? 
 
 And thou, 0 God, which didst not go out with our armies ? 
 
 11 Give us help from trouble :— for vain is the ^help of man. 
 
 12 Through God we shall do valiantly: 
 
 For he it is that shall tread down our enemies. 
 
 PSALM LXI. 
 
 To the chief Musician upon Neginah, A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 ^ HEAR my cry, 0 God ;— attend unto my prayer. 
 
 2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is over- 
 
 whelmed : 
 
 Lead me to tlie Rock that is higher than L 
 
 3 For thou hast been a shelter for me,— and ''a strong tower from the enemy 
 
 4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever ; 
 
 I will Hrust in the covert of thy wings. Selah. 
 
 5 For thou, 0 God, hast heard my vows : 
 
 Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name. 
 
 t Gen. 25. 23. 
 
 Gen. 21. 40. 
 
 Num.24. 18. 
 
 2 Sam. 8.14. 
 
 iChr. 18.13. 
 3 Or, tri- 
 umph thou 
 
 over me 
 
 [ironi- 
 
 callyj. 
 
 2 Sam. 5.17. 
 
 2 Sam. 8. 1. 
 
 2 Sam. 21. 
 
 15. 22. 
 
 Ps. 108. 9. 
 10. 
 * city of 
 
 strength. 
 
 2 Sam. 11. 1. 
 8 salvation 
 
 PSALM 61. 
 " Ps. IS. 2. 
 
 Prov. 18.10. 
 1 Or, make 
 my refuge. 
 
 lawgiver— as being Israel's ruling tribe. The 
 reference is to Gen. xlix. 10, "The sceptre shall 
 not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from be- 
 tween his feet." 8. Moab is my washpot— or 
 washing-tub : expressing the ignominious subjec- 
 tion to which David reduced Moab (2 Sam. viii. 2). 
 To wash the feet is the office of a slave (John xiii. 
 8). over Edom will I cast out my shoe. The 
 person who is about to wash his feet casts his 
 shoe to a slave (Matt. iii. 11; Acts xiii. 25). Trans- 
 late/ (not over) Edom' {Hengstenberg). Or else 
 the idea of casting the shoe in contempt upon. Edom 
 expresses at once the taking possession victoriously 
 of the Edomite land, and the treading upon the 
 
 firide of Edom, wherewith he had trodden the 
 sraelite land as an invader. So v. 12; 2 Sam. viii. 
 14 The casting of the shoe was a symbol of 
 transference of j^ossession (Ruth iv. 7; Josh. x. 24). 
 So J/wk I prefer this. PhiUstia. Moab, Edom, 
 Phihstia, are mentioned in geographical order, 
 begmning at the east, thence along the south to the 
 west of the Holy Land, triumph thou because of 
 me— raise a shout of joy /or me, acknowledging me 
 as your kin^ (Ps. xli. 11); in order to avert your 
 destruction by me. In Ps. cviii. 9, " over Pliilistia 
 will 1 triumph." PhiliStia's rejoicinc/ in the tri- 
 umph of Israel's king is "with trembling," (Ps. ii. 
 11; xvm. 44, marg.) Philistia, who had once tri- 
 umphed over Israel's fall beneath herself, must 
 now reluctantlj^ join in Israel's triumph over her- 
 self (2 Sam. viii. 1, 14; 1 Chr. viii. 13). At the 
 same time there is the covert implication that 
 Israel s triumph will prove ultimately for Philis- 
 tia s good ; for Israel will at last be a blessing to 
 the Gentile world. 
 
 9-12.— Anticipation of, and prayer for, success in 
 the expedition against Edom. 9. Who will bring 
 me into the strong city?-' the city of strength' 
 (Ps xxxi. 21): Petra, or Sela, the rock-built city 
 of Idumea (2 Ki. xiv. 7). 10. Wilt not thou, 0 
 God— because of thy promise {v. 6). which hadst 
 cast us oflF, and thou, 0 God, which didst not 
 go out with our armies ?- quoted from Ps. xliv 
 .f. Paith believes the final fulfilment of the pro- 
 mise, in spite of contrary appearances for a time 
 11. vain is the help of man. "Vain"— i. e 
 'deceptive,' disappointing. 12. Through God we 
 shall do valiantly-according to Balaam's pro- 
 lyl '^;^v ^Nura. xxiv. 18). he . . . shall tread down 
 229 
 
 our enemies-fuililled against Edom (2 Sam. viii. 
 14; Ps. xhv. 5). 
 
 PSALM LXI. 1-8.— Two strophes separated by 
 Selah. Prayer in extreme distress; confidence of 
 safety under God's wings {vv. 1-4) ; ground of con- 
 fidence, viz., God has promised him an abiding 
 throne (2 Sam. vii. ); let mercy and truth preserve him, 
 that so he may sing praise for ever {vv. 5-8). The 
 occasion was probably (cf. v. 2) when he was be- 
 yond Jordan in Absalom's rebellion. 
 
 Title.— Hvon Neginah — Hebrew, JSTeginath; a 
 diflerent form from Neginoth, Ps. iv. and'vi., titles. 
 The construct form requires the sense to be 'on 
 David's instrumental music' Cf. Hab. iii. 19, 
 A '^^^ ^^^^-^ singer on my stringed instruments.'' 
 Also Amos vi. 5, 'invent instruments of music like 
 parid. At the same time the "of David " implies 
 its authorship by him. 
 
 1. Hear my cry, 0 God. 2. From the end of the 
 earth— remote from the place where, in Jerusalem, 
 God manifests his presence. David being an exile 
 from the Lord's land, felt himself as it were 
 banished to "the end of the earth." when my 
 heart is overwhelmed (Ps. cii., title; cvii. 5; Ixxvii. 
 S)—lit., 'is covered, 'viz., with faintness and gloom! 
 lead me to the Rock that is higher than I— ^oo 
 high for me to ascend by my natural powers 3 
 For thou hast been a shelter for me— and always 
 art so. and a strong tower from the enemy— Hi., 
 'from the face of the enemy ' (Prov. xviii 10) 4' 
 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever.* So 
 sure is he, by faith, of his prayer being answered 
 that he, even in his distant exile, confidently 
 asserts his permanent dwelling in the Lord's 
 tabernacle (Ps. xxvii. 4). To abide in it is to have 
 continual communion with Him. Oa the " for 
 ever," cf. Ps. xxi. 4, wherein he remembers God':? 
 promise in 2 Sain. vii. I will trust in the covert 
 of thy wings -(Ps. xxxvi. 7.) 
 
 , of his confidence— viz., tlie pro- 
 
 phetical Word of God (2 Sam. vii.), which guar- 
 antees to him eternal dominion. 5. For thou 
 0 God, hast heard my vows-i e., my prayers 
 mixed with vows of thanksgiving. His prayers 
 were what drew forth the promise of God by 
 Aauhan (2 Sam. vii. ; Ps. xxi. 2-4). thou hast given 
 Y^) heritage of those that fear thy name. 
 
 Ihe heritage " is explained in v. 6- the prolmr/a- 
 tion of the hmg s life, and the abiding kingdom of hii 
 
DavicCs confidence 
 
 PSALM LXIL 
 
 in God, 
 
 6 2 Thou wilt prolong the king's life ; 
 And his years ^as many generations. 
 
 7 He shall * abide before God for ever : 
 
 0 prepare *^ mercy and truth, which may preserve him. 
 
 8 So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, 
 That I may daily perform my vows. 
 
 PSALM LXIL 
 
 To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 TRULY ^my soul ^waiteth upon God : 
 From him cometh my salvation. 
 
 2 He only is my rock and my salvation ; 
 
 He is my ^ defence ; I shall not be greatly moved. 
 
 3 How long will ye imagine mischief against a man ? 
 Ye shall be slain all of you : 
 
 As a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence. 
 
 4 They only consult to cast him down from his excellency : 
 
 posterity over Canaan, the land that belongs to the 
 Israelites, whose feature of distinction from the 
 Gentiles is, that they fear thy name. This gives 
 the king confident (hope even in exile. 6. Thou 
 wilt prolong the king's life— though now my days 
 seem near their end. ' Thou wilt add days to the 
 days of the king' (Isa. xxxviii. 5; Ps. xxi. 4). He 
 says "the kings" for my, because the promises 
 belonged not merely to him as an individual, but 
 as king and bead of a royal line. Ms years as 
 many generations — lit., 'as generation and gener- 
 ation.' David lived iu the person of his royal 
 posterity for "many generations." But it is in 
 Christ, the seed of David, that the promise finds 
 its perfect fulfilment. He lives "after the power 
 of an endless life" (Heb. vii. 16). 7. He shall 
 abide before God for ever— Zif., 'he shall sit,' viz., 
 upon the throne. Sitting is the symbol of reigning 
 (Jer. xiii. 13). "Before God" — i.e., under His 
 perpetually protecting grace (2 Sam, vii. 29). 0 
 prepare mercy and truth— Hebrew, ' appoint' &c. 
 " Mercy and truth" are God's ministers appointed 
 by Him and sent (Ps. xliii. 3; Ivii. 3) to preserve 
 the Lord's anointed king and people. 8. So— as 
 an acknowledgment of thy goodness, will I sing 
 praise . . . that I may daily perform my vows. 
 Praise is the soul and spirit of every acceptable 
 vow. 
 
 PSALM LXIL 1-12.— Three strophes, marked 
 by Selah at vv. 4 and 8. Each begins with " Only ;" 
 (i\ 1, marg.; vv. 5, 9). By waiting upon God only 
 he finds repose and salvation, whilst his foes' only 
 aim is to cast him down from his dignity {vv. 1-4). 
 // e urges therefore himself and others to wait only 
 upon God {vv. 5-8) ; warning against trust in man, 
 much less in oppression or richer; for power be- 
 longeth unto God; also mercy cmd righteous retribu- 
 tion {vv. 9-12). The time was during Absalom's 
 rebellion, when the rebels sought to cast down the 
 king, because they could not bear his kingly and 
 spiritual eminence {v. 5; Ps. iii. and iv.) 
 
 To the chief Musician— for the public liturgy of 
 the temple, which it would not have been if the 
 experiences were merely individual, to Jeduthun 
 — note on title, Ps. xxxix. ; lit., 'over Jeduthun' 
 — i. e., over the choir of JedutJiun— J eduthxin him- 
 self being the president under David (1 Chr. xxv. 
 1-3). 
 
 1. Truly— rath er, ' Only. ' my soul waiteth upon 
 
 God— Hebrew, ' Only to God is my soul silence ' 
 {dumiyah) ; i. e., it is only by turning to God that 
 my soul tinds repose from the tumultuous agitation 
 which prevails in it, so long as it looks for help 
 230 
 
 « Thon Shalt 
 add days 
 to the 
 days of 
 the king 
 
 8 as genera 
 tion and 
 generation. 
 
 * Ps. 41. li. 
 Isa. 9. 6, 7. 
 Luke 1. 33. 
 Heb 1. 21, 
 
 26. 
 
 Heb. 9. 24. 
 " Gen. 24. 27. 
 Gen 32. 10. 
 Ps. 43. 3. 
 
 PSALM 627 
 ' Or, oi ly. 
 
 * is silent, 
 s high 
 
 place. 
 
 to any other quarter. Ps. xlii. 5 expresses the 
 opposite state, (cf. xxii. 2, marg.) In v. 5 he con- 
 firms his practice in v. 1, by urging his soul to per- 
 severe in it. He proceeds to give the ground of 
 his thus resting on the Lord— viz., from Him 
 cometh my salvation. 2. He only Is my rock 
 and my salvation , . . my defence— or 'high 
 place.' The accumulated names of God as the 
 "only" Saviour are so many shields to ward off 
 Satan's fiery darts. The name Elohim is used for 
 God throughout, as the general name forms the 
 most suitable contrast to all that is human and 
 earthly. I shall not be greatly moved— (Ps. xxxvii. 
 24.) I may meet slight stumbles, but I shall not 
 be greatly and finally moved from my solid footing. 
 Temptations and afflictions move somewhat for a 
 time, but the believer at last can say with Paul, 
 "None of these things move me" (Acts xx. 24). 
 So in V. 6, where he regards the trifling shakes as 
 exceptions not worth noticing, he says — "I shall 
 not be moved." 3. How long -will ye imagine 
 mischief against a man ? The LXX. and Vulgate 
 translate, 'do ye make an attack upon a man?' 
 [nnin, from nnn, the Pohel conjunction.] So Ge- 
 senius from the Arabic ' to h'eak,' 'to break in upon.' 
 ye shall be slain all of you— in contrast to "a 
 man." Almost all conspire against the one David 
 (Ps. ii. 2, 3). [The reading of the eastern Jews and 
 Jacob Ben Naphthali is ''nv3ri. That of the 
 Western Jews and Aaroji Ben Asher (a.d. 1037) is 
 ininn. The latter is our text. The former is 
 the usual form; for which Hengstenberg thinks 
 the latter form stands, the rare Pihel, in which 
 the absent dagesh is compensated for by the 
 lengthened vowel.] Hengstenberg translates 
 actively, 'all of you murder him (a man).' So 
 the ancient versions. But the English version 
 accords best with our text, which is Pual or pas- 
 sive, as a bowing wall (shall ye be)— an image 
 of the ultimate end of the ungodly (Ezek. xiii. 13, 
 14; Isa. XXX. 13). This confirms the English 
 version, "ye shall he slain,''' rather than ' all of you 
 slay him,' which would make David to be the 
 bowing wall, (as) a tottering fence— or ' a fence 
 violently struck' (Ps. cxviii. 13). 4. They only 
 consult to cast him down from his excellency— 
 whence arises his need to ' wait only upon God,' 
 his 'only rock' {v. 2). "His excellency" is 
 his high dignity as king (Gen. xlix. 3). The ex- 
 pression "cast down" or 'thrust down' is the 
 very one, by undesigned coincidence, recorded iu 
 1 Sam. XV. 14, marg., as used by David, they de- 
 
PSALM LXII. 
 
 belong to God. 
 
 They delight in lies : 
 
 "They bless with their mouth, but they curse * inwardly. Selah. 
 
 5 My soul, wait thou only upon God ; — for my expectation in from him. 
 
 6 He only is my rock and my salvation : 
 He is my defence ; I shall not be moved. 
 
 7 In God is my salvation and my glory : 
 
 The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. 
 
 8 Tnist in him at all times; ye people, — pour ^out your heart before him : 
 God is a refuge for us. Selah. 
 
 9 Surely men of low degree are vanity, 
 And men of high degree are a lie : 
 
 To be laid in the balance, — they are ^ 3Xiog^\\\Qr lighter than vanity. 
 
 10 Trust not in '^oppression, — and become not vain in robbery: 
 '^If riches increase, set not your heart upon them. 
 
 1 1 God hath spoken once ; — twice have I heard this, 
 That ^ power helongeth unto God. 
 
 12 Also unto thee, 0 Lord, helongeth mercy: 
 
 For Hhou renderest to every man according to his work. 
 
 light in lies— instead of abhorring them, as all good 
 men do (cf. Ps. iv. 2; Ixiii. 10). they bless with 
 their mouth— /if., 'with Ms mouth'; i.e., each 
 one of them with his mouth, but they curse 
 inwardly. Hypocrisy was a chief instrument with 
 Absalom for attaining his ends (cf. 2 Sam. xv. 
 7-9). 
 
 5-8. — From the enemy he turns to God, urging 
 his own soul, as well as others, to wait only iipon 
 him. 5, 6. My soul, wait thou only upon God ; for 
 &c. . . . He only is my rock, &c.— almost identical 
 with V. 1, 2, showing that the contemplation of the 
 •wickedness of our foes should only hr'vog us back 
 afresh to God. "Wait thou upon God"— /«7., 'be 
 silent to God :' so Ps. xxxvii. 7 ; Hebrew, ' be 
 silent to the Lord.' Only in Him, not in men of 
 the world (' u. 9, 10), can we find rest from our 
 agitations. The exhortation here, after the asser- 
 tion that his soul was 'resting silently upon God' 
 (v. 1), shows how we need to keep ourselves resting 
 on Him by continually stirring ourselves up to 
 I)rayer. for my expectation is from him— "my 
 expectation" of "salvation" [v. 1), I shall not 
 be moved— however much my enemies 'consult 
 to cast me down.' 7. In God (is) my salvation— 
 lit., 'upon God (depends) my salvation,' (Ps. vii. 
 10, marg.) 8. Trust in him at all times— not 
 merely in prosperity, or in minor trials, but in all 
 times, even the most trying, ye people, pour out 
 your heart before him— as a vessel completely 
 emijtiedof its contents (1 Sam. i. 15: Lam. ii. 19: 
 Ps. cxlii. 2; 1 Pet. v. 7). 
 
 9-12— Warning against trust in any one or 
 anything save God, to whom alone belong x)ower, 
 mercy, and retributive justice. 9. Surely men of 
 low degree are vanity, and men of high degree 
 are a lie— lit., ' Only vanity are the sons of mew in 
 general [oik], a lie are the sons of (even) tJie dis- 
 tinguished man^ [K''i*](Ps. iv. 2; xxxix. 5, 11, end; 
 cxxxvi. 3, 4). The reference is to y. 9; it is in re- 
 lation to trv^stworthiness for one's main hope that 
 they are "a lie" — that is, disappointing to the ex- 
 pectations; God alone is our ultimate " trust" and 
 " refuge " (v. 8 ; Ps. xl. 4). He who trusts in God is 
 *like a spring of water, whose waters lie not' 
 
 Imarg., Isa. xl. 11). to be laid in the balance, they 
 are) ailtogether (lighter) than vanity— ' in the 
 )alance (thoy are) for going up; i. e., they must go 
 j up, as being of no weight : they all to a man (are) 
 I of vanity (nothing)' (Isa. xl. 15, 17; xli. 24). So 
 Belahazzar in Dan. v. 27. 10. Trust not in op- 
 1 231 
 
 " Ps. 28. 3. 
 Ps. 56. 21 
 Luke 20. 20. 
 
 * in the'r 
 iuward 
 p-jrts. 
 
 >> 1 Sam. 1. 
 !>. 
 
 Ps. 42. 4. 
 
 Fs. 112. 2. 
 
 Isa. 26. 16. 
 
 Lam. 2. 19. 
 
 1 hil. 2. r. 
 5 Or, alike. 
 « Isa. i6. 4. 
 d Mark 8. 33. 
 37. 
 
 Mark 10.23. 
 Luke 12.15. 
 1 Tim. 6. 17. 
 « Or. 
 strenglh. 
 Jer. 17. II. 
 
 * 1 Pet. 1 i:. 
 
 pression, and become not vain in robbery. Next 
 after trust in men comes trust in wrong, whereby 
 the world tries to prop up its tottering greatness. 
 Lit, 'become not nothing in robbery '—i. e, in gain 
 acquired by robbery. 'Whoever puts his trust 
 in what is nothing will become nothing himself ' 
 {Flengstenherg). In the case of such the insecurity 
 which attaches to all earthly things is aggravated 
 by their lying under the curse of God. if riches 
 increase {yanuh) — lit., 'sprout up' of their ouni 
 accord, as distinguished from riches acquired by 
 "oppression" and "robbery." So " the ground of 
 the ricli man (in the parable, Luke xii. 15, 16) 
 brought forth plentifully." set not your heart 
 upon them— (1 Tim. vi. 17-) 11. God hath spoken 
 once; twice have I heard this— i. e., more than 
 once. Again and again, iu His providential 
 government of the world, and in His revealed 
 Word, God repeats the lesson, if only man will 
 hear it (Job xxxiii. 14). that power helongeth 
 unto God— as contrasted with 'men of low degree 
 and high degree' when made objects of trust (v. 9) ; 
 this is the ground of the precept, v. 8, "Trust iu 
 Him at all times." 12. Also unto thee, 0 Lord, 
 helongeth mercy. His ^ow;er {v. 11) wovild terrify 
 us, were it not that His mercy comforts us. As 
 His power assures us tliat He can, so His mercy or 
 grace assures us that He will save His j)eople. for 
 thou renderest to every man according to his work. 
 God's mercy is not an indiscriminate indulgence to- 
 wards all alike, but a discriminating mercy : a mercy 
 which is altogether just and consonant with the 
 character of the righteous God ; for it is right that 
 He should render mercy to the merciful (Matt. v. 
 7) and vengeance to the unmerciful oppressors [v. 
 3, 4 ; Rom. ii. 6 ; and Rev. xxii. 12 refer to this). 
 
 PSALM LXIIL 1-11.— Two divisions; each be- 
 gins with his soul-thirst for God in his exile 
 from holy ordinances {vv. 1-3, vv. 6-8); in each 
 follows his hope for the future; in vv. 4, 5, hope of 
 nis OWN blessedness; in vv. 9, 10, hope of the 
 destruction of his foes; concluding summary (v. 11) 
 answering to title. 
 
 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilder- 
 ness of Judah— not referring, as the marginal 
 references (1 Sam. xxii. and xxiii.) imply, to 
 David's flight from Saul; for the mention m v. 11 
 that David was "king" forbids this; but to his 
 flight from Absalom to "the wilderness of Judah " 
 (2 Sam. xv. 23, 28; xvi. 2; xvii. 16), "the plains of 
 the wilderness." This wilderness (cf. Matt. iii. L) 
 
David's thirst for 
 
 PSALM LXIII. 
 
 God's service. 
 
 PSALM LXIIL 
 
 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. 
 
 1 0 GOD, *thou art my God ; early Vill I seek thee : 
 My soul thirsteth for thoe, my flesh longeth for thee 
 In a dry and ^ thirsty land, where no water is ; 
 
 2 To gee thy ix)wer and thy glory, 
 
 So as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. 
 
 3 Because thy loving-kindness is better than life. 
 My lips shall praise thee. 
 
 4 Thus will I bless thee while I live : — I will lift up my hands in thy name. 
 
 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with ^ marrow and fatness ; 
 And my mouth shall praise t/iee with joyful lips ; 
 
 6 When I remember thee upon my bed. 
 And meditate on thee in the night watches. 
 
 7 Because thou hast been my help, 
 
 Therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. 
 
 8 My soul foUoweth hard after thee : — thy right hand upholdeth me. 
 
 lay east of Judah and south of Benjamin, and 
 stretched from near Jericho on the north, to the 
 south-west end of the Dead Sea and the moun- 
 tains of Edom on the south. Cf. Hebrew, v. 1, 
 "thirsty" (Jiayeephim), with 2 Sam. xvi. 2, 14; 
 xvii. 2. In Ps. xlii. he was beyond Jordan; in 
 this psalm he is in the wilderness on the near 
 side of Jordan. 
 
 1. 0 God, thou art my God. Faith enabled 
 David to appropriate God as his, even in the 
 greatest affliction (Ps. iii. 7). my soul thirsteth 
 for thee, my flesh longeth for thee— who alone 
 canst satisfy the thirst of an immortal "soul." 
 The vehemence of the souFs desire affects the 
 '''flesh;" the body is affected by strong emotion 
 (Ps. Ixxxiv. 2). in a dry and thirsty land— /i^., 
 ' a iveary laud,' the epithets that apply to him- 
 self, 'dry and weai'v,' being transferred to the 
 "land" (2 Sam. xvi. 14). 2. To see thy power 
 and thy glory, so (as) I have seen thee in the 
 sanctuary— Z«7. , ' so in the sanctu9,ry I have beheld 
 thee, that I may see thy power and thy glory.' Thus 
 " to see," or ' that I may see thy power,' follows 
 " my soul thirsteth for thee," &c. ; ' so in the sanc- 
 tuary I have beheld thee,' is a parenthesis. What 
 I 'thirst for' is, " to see thy power and thy glory," 
 as once I saw it. The abruptness of the interrupted 
 clauses accords wdth his excitement. The "so" is 
 beautifully forcible ; so lovable and so fully satis- 
 fying to thy people did I formerly behold thee, 
 my soul therefore now thirsts for thee (cf. Ps. 
 xxvii. 4, 13). David's desire in this psalm, and in 
 the parallel psalm, xlii., is to be restored to the 
 visible sanctuary (cf. Ps. xliii. 3 with 2 Sam. xv. 25). 
 
 3. Because thy loving-kindness (is) better than 
 life. This gives the reason w^hy he so eagerly 
 thirsts after God, and after the ordinances of the 
 sanctuary — viz., because in the land of the people 
 of the covenant, God's " loving-kindness " is fully 
 revealed ; and that lo^dng-kindness is better than 
 Urcs (so the Hebrew)— i. e., better than life and all 
 /(/e's earthly blesmigs. What I desire is not so 
 much my restoration to the good things of life, of 
 which 1 have been deprived, as restoration to 
 spiritual ordinances, my lips shall ptaise thee 
 — after that thou hast in thy loving - kindness 
 restored me to external communion with thee and 
 the Church in thy sanctuary. " Praise "—^i^. , 'to 
 still' or ' soothe by {^nise.' 
 
 4. Thus will I hl-6s^ thee while I live— lit., in 
 my lives— i. e. , on my restoration to the good things 
 
 2:32 
 
 of life, as well as to what T prize far more— thy 
 loving-kindness revealed in thy sanctuary — I will 
 bless thee with all that I hare and all that I asm. 
 The 'lives' here refer to the 'lives' in v. 3. I 
 will lift up my hands in thy name (Ps. xxviii. 
 2)— viz., praising thee for thy character of power 
 and love rettealed in my behalf. God's name is 
 God's reveJation of Himself (Ps. xx. 1, 5). 6. My 
 soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fat> 
 ness— I shall enjoy a spiritual feast of good things, 
 when I shall have been restored (cf. Ps. xxiii. 5; 
 Isa. XXV. 6). 
 
 6-10. — Second strophe. His hearty desire after 
 God even now in his banishment, whence follows 
 the confident hope of the destruction of his ene- 
 mies who banished him. 6. When I remember 
 thee upon my bed, (and) meditate on thee in 
 the night watches. Thus the English version 
 connects this verse with v. 5. But the division of 
 the strophes renders the following translation 
 preferable, which, moreover, obviates the need of 
 supplying "and:" 'Whenever I remember thee 
 upon my bed, I meditate on thee in the night 
 watches.' The remembrance of thee on my bed 
 so engrosses me that I cannot draw my mind off 
 the thought, so as to fall into the obliviousness of 
 sleep ; I often meditate on thee through the whole 
 night watches. So Ps. cxix. 55, 148 ; Ps. i. 2. The 
 Hebrew is beds, probably alluding to the fact that 
 in his unsettled life in exile, he seldom slejjt for 
 many nights in the same bed, but through fear of 
 adversaries slept in different places. There were 
 three night watches : the first (Lam. ii. 19); the 
 middle {J iidg. vii. 19); the third or morning watch 
 (Exod. xiv. '24; 1 Sam. ii. 11). In the New Testa- 
 ment the Poman usage of four prevails. 7. Be- 
 cause thou hast been my help. This gives the 
 reason why he cannot divest himself of continual 
 meditation on God. therefore in the shadow of 
 thy wings will I rejoice— a favourite phrase of 
 David's (Ps. Ixi. 4; xvii. 8; xci. 4). 8. My soul 
 foUoweth hard after thee. Hos. vi. 3 tells us the 
 blessed effect of this — "Then shall we know, if we 
 follow on to know the Lord." Or translate as 
 Hengstenberg, ' my soul cleaves to thee ' (as Jacob 
 did to the angel with whom he wrestled for the 
 blessing); and then follows, in the beautiful rela- 
 tion' between the soul and its God, thy right 
 hand upholdeth me— as it upheld Peter from 
 sinking into the waters (Matt. xiv. 30, 31 ; cf. Pa. 
 xviii. 35; Ix. 5). 
 
for delixerance. 
 
 David prays PSALM LXIV. 
 
 9 But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, 
 Shall go into the lower parts of the earth. 
 
 10 ^They shall fall by the sword ; — they shall be a portion for foxes. 
 
 11 But the king shall rejoice in God ; 
 Every one '^that sweareth by him shall glory : 
 But the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped. 
 
 PSALM LXIV. 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, 
 
 1 HEAR my voice, 0 God, in my prayer : 
 Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. 
 
 2 Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked ; 
 From the insurrection of the workers of iniquity : 
 
 3 Who whet their tongue like a sword, 
 And bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words ; 
 
 4 That they may shoot in secret at the perfect : 
 Suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not. 
 
 5 They encourage themselves i7i an evil ^matter : 
 They commune ^of laying snares privily; — they say, Who shall see them ? 
 
 6 They search out iniquities ^they accomplish ^a diligent search : 
 Both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep. 
 
 9. But those (that) seek my soul to destroy it, 
 shall go into the lower parts of the earth. 
 
 Hengstenherfi, for the parallelism, translates, 'But 
 they (shall he) for destruction (who) seek my soul; 
 they shall go into the lower parts of the earth' — 
 as Korah and his rebel company did of old (Ps. 
 Iv. 15; Num. xvi. 31-35) — lit., (shall be) ''ior sudden 
 destruction.' 'To seek the soul' needs no such 
 addition as in the English version (2 Sam. xvi. 11). 
 Moreover, the analogy of v. 10 favours the distinct 
 declaration of the enemies' destruction, in each of 
 the two halves of the verse. 10. They shall fall 
 by the sword -lit, 'They shall pour out (the ad- 
 versary like water) upon the hands of the sword.' 
 The phrase is impersonal: "they" is the French 
 on, 'The adversary shall be poured out' — i.e., 
 :/i'-en over '• to the power of the sword.' they shall 
 be a portion for foxes— or 'jackals,' which prey 
 upon unburied carcases. Cf. for the fulfilment of 
 David's exj)ectation as to the rebels. 2 Sam. xviii. 
 7, 8, 14, 17. 
 
 11. But the king shall rejoice in God. It is 
 
 that he is God's anointed king which forms the 
 ground of his hope. Therefore he says "the king" 
 instead of /. every one that sweareth by him — 
 i. e., by the king, as the token of loyalty (Gen. 
 xlii. 1.5, 10). shall glory— shall triumph in the 
 success vouchsafed by God to the king's cause, 
 but the mouth of them that speak lies— the 
 rebels (Ps. Ixii. 4). shall be stopped— silenced in 
 death {vv. 9, 10). 
 
 PSALM LXIV. 1-10. —Two strophes. He 
 prays for preservcttion from the secret counsels of 
 the wicked {vv. 1-5); the completion of laying their 
 plots foreruns their sudden destruction, God turning 
 their malice upon themselves, so that all discern God's 
 doing, and the righteous are glad in Him {vv, 6-10). 
 The slanders of tongue apply to the Sauline 
 persecution. But the truth is general: all the 
 plots of the ungodly, including the last Antichrist, 
 shall utterly fail, when seeming on the verge of 
 success. 
 
 1. Hear my voice, 0 God, in my prayer— He- 
 brew, 'in my meditating'— my plaintive, medi- 
 tative prayer ["n^b-^J. 2. Hide me from the secret 
 counsel of the wicked— 'from the divan of the 
 malicious;' from the secret sesjsion together of 
 233 
 
 8 Ther 
 shall make 
 him run 
 out like 
 water by 
 the band3 
 of the 
 swcrd. 
 
 d Deut. 6. 13. 
 Isa. 19. 18. 
 Isa. 45. 23. 
 Isa. 66. 16. 
 Zeph. 1. 5. 
 Heb. 6. 13. 
 
 PSALM 64. 
 
 1 Or, speech. 
 
 2 to hide 
 snares. 
 
 3 Or. we are 
 consumed 
 by that 
 which they 
 have 
 
 throughly 
 searched. 
 
 4 a search 
 searched. 
 
 those who x>lot mischief against me. Cf. with 
 vv, 1, 2, Ps. Iv. 2-4; Ixxxiii. 3. from the insur- 
 rection of the workers of iniquity {meerigshath) 
 —'from the tumult of,' &c. 3. Who whet their 
 tongue like a sword— (Ps. Ivii. 4; lix. 7.) Not 
 mere common slanders; but those which aim at 
 the destruction of the slandered person, as was 
 the case in the slanders directed by Saul and his 
 faction against David. 4. That they may shoot 
 in secret at the perfect— like night murderers 
 waylaying the unwary traveller (Ps. x. 8, 9). 
 suddenly do they shoot at him— when he least 
 suspects danger, and fear not— God and His 
 coming judgment; cf. v. 9 on the contrary (Ps. Iv, 
 19). 5. They encourage themselves in an evil 
 matter — lit, 'They confirm for themselves an evil 
 matter' or 'word.' they commune— each one 
 proi)osing his plan in the secret council, they say. 
 Who shall see t'heva.l—lit., 'Who shall see con- 
 cerning them?' — viz., concerning the "snares" 
 which they 'lay privily.' They fiatter themselves 
 (iod takes no cognizance of, because He does not 
 immediately punish, their plots (Ps. x. 11-13; 
 lix. 7). 
 
 6-10. — When all the plot is ripe, then ensues 
 sudden destruction of the wicked plotters. 6. 
 They search out iniquities— They make it their 
 study to search out the most consummate plans of 
 villany. they accomplish a diligent search. So 
 the ancient versions read [iQR]. But the MSS. 
 generally read, 'we have accomplished (it) [i3nr], 
 (our) plan (lit., search) is searched out.' These are 
 the words of the plotters. So Ps. ii. 3. Muis and 
 Buxtorf accord with the English version, and 
 regard the Hebrew as an anomalous form for the 
 third person plural. The accumulation of similar 
 words implies that they leave no stone unturned 
 to search out the most likely scheme. Hengsten- 
 berg takes it intransitively, 'we are ready ' — lit., 
 perfected [the same as iJiDn]. I prefer the transi- 
 tive sense, both the inward thought of every 
 one of them, and the heart is deep— implying 
 the profound cleverness of their plan, and the 
 difficulty of the righteous, against whom they 
 devise it searching it out and so baffiing it (Jer. 
 xvii. 9). Both their inward plot (as opposed to 
 
'The infinite power 
 
 PSALM LXV. 
 
 and goodness of God. 
 
 7 But God shall shoot at them v>ith au arrow ; 
 Suddenly ^ shall they be wounded. 
 
 8 So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves : 
 All that see them shall flee away. 
 
 9 And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God ; 
 For they shall wisely consider of his doing. 
 
 10 The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him; 
 And all the upright in heart shall glory. 
 
 PSALM LXV. 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psahn and Song of David. 
 
 1 PRAISE iwaiteth for thee, 0 God, in Zion : 
 And unto thee shall the vow be performed. 
 
 2 0 thou "that hearest prayer, — *unto thee shall all flesh come. 
 
 3 ^Liiquities prevail against me : 
 
 As for our transgressions, thou shalt 'Spurge them away. 
 
 6 their 
 wound 
 shall be. 
 
 PSALM 66. 
 I is silejt. 
 ■ 1 Ki. \K 29. 
 
 2 Chr.33.13. 
 
 Ps. 66. 19. 
 
 Isa. 45. 11. 
 
 Isa. 65. 2(. 
 
 Jer. 29. 12, 
 13. 
 
 Luke 11. 9, 
 10. 
 
 Acts 10. 31. 
 * John 12. 32. 
 a Words, or. 
 
 Matter-; of 
 
 iniquities. 
 " Heb. 9. 14. 
 
 1 John 1. 7. 
 
 what is seen on the outside), and the heart which 
 originates it, are an unfathomable deep. 
 
 7. But God shall shoot at them with an ar- 
 row—even as 'they shoot at the godly' {v. 4). 
 Retribution in kind. At the very moment when 
 their well-concerted and deep plan is ripe for 
 accomplishment. The "arrow" of God is the 
 righteous recompense for their " arrows" (v. 3; Ps. 
 vii. 13). The "suddenly" of the vengeance corre- 
 sponds to the "suddenly" of their sin {v. 4). They 
 'suddenly shot at' the godly, so shall they 
 'suddenly be wounded.' shall they he wounded 
 — lit, 'is THEIR wound.' When they are think- 
 ing only of wounding the godly, lo ! they are 
 wounded themselves. 8. So they shall make 
 their own tongue to fall upon themselves. So 
 Muis. Their tongue, which they designed to be 
 the instrument of my destruction, proves the cause 
 of their own. Such was the case with Ahithophel, 
 David's traitorous counsellor. When his counsel 
 for David's destruction was not followed, he went 
 and hanged himself (2 Sam. xvii. 23). Hengsten- 
 &e7y/ translates, 'and they fall together (lit., a^icZ 
 there they bring them to fall): their tongue comes 
 upon themselves.' Thus 'they bring them (the 
 adversaries) to fall' is used impersonally (like the 
 French on) for ' they (the adversaries) are brought 
 to fall ' (cf. note, Ps. Ixiii. 10). The English version 
 is simpler. The" "it" or "itself," which in the 
 Hebrew comes after the verb is no objection ; for 
 the relative with its antecedent is often put em- 
 phatically for the antecedent alone; 'and they 
 make itself (viz., that which iDresently shall be 
 named) to fall upon themselves (namely), their 
 own tongue.' The putting of the tongue last by 
 itself brings it into forcible i^romineuce. all that 
 see them shall flee away— lest they should be 
 involved in the iDunishment. So "all Israel that 
 were round about tJiem (Korah's company) fled at 
 the cry of them ; for they said, Lest the earth 
 swallow us up also" (Num. xvi. 34; cf. Jer. li. 6). 
 What a just retribution for their saying "Who 
 shall see them" ! {v. 5.) Not only shall some, but all 
 shall see them and flee away at the sight. The 
 salutary effect of GocPs judgment upon the com- 
 panions of the punished transgressors. 9. And all 
 men shall fear— (Ps. xl. 3.) The salutary effect 
 upon men in general. In striking contrast to the 
 previous 'suddenly they shoot, and fear 720^' the 
 judgment of God (v. 4). Now all fear it. for they 
 shall wisely consider of his doing— (Ps. Iviii. 11.) 
 They shall obtain an insight into the just ways of 
 God by this judgment. 10. The righteous shall 
 231 
 
 be glad in the Lord. 7'he salutary effect upon the 
 righteous (Fs. Hi. 6-9; Iviii. 10). 
 
 PSALM LXV. 1-13. —Three strophes. God 
 gives occasion for praise in Zion by hearing prayer, 
 purging away transgression, and satisfying wit?i 
 the goodness of His hou.se {vv. 1-4) ; as Ood of the 
 whole world. He displays His terrors in answer 
 to His people^s cry, and stilleth the waves and 
 tumults, to the uttermost parts of the earth, for thtm 
 ( vv. 5-8) ; as God of nature. He so fertilizes the earth 
 that the year is crowned with blessing, and the valleys 
 sing {vv. 9-13). The "sing" in v. 13, the conclusion, 
 answers to song in the title. God's harvest-bless- 
 ings— a pledge of His universal care of His xjeojile 
 —is the primary subject. The ulterior reference 
 is to the blessedness of the millennial earth and of 
 God's people. 
 
 1. Praise waiteth for thee ... in Zion— lit., 
 'for thee (there is) the silence (of) praise,' &c. 
 'Silence-praise' — i. e., the praise which produces 
 still repose of the soul on her God (cf. note, Ps. 
 xlii. 1, 5). God is ever giving new causes for 
 praise. Praise, with calm reposing on God, ef- 
 fectually allays the agitation which distresses 
 the soul so long as it looks in trouble else- 
 where than to God (Ps. xlii. 5; cxxxi. 2). Zion 
 was the only legitimate place of worship (Ps. 
 cxxxii. 14). its antitype now is the spiritual city, 
 or Church of Christ, and unto thee shall the 
 vow he performed. The Vulgate, Arabic, and 
 many MSS. add 'in Jerusalem,' which suits the 
 parallelism. 2. 0 thou that hearest prayer, unto 
 thee shall all flesh come. " Flesh " implies the 
 idea of weakness and need (cf. Ps. Ivi. 4). God has 
 an infinite fulness for all. Even His dumb creatures 
 unconsciously, yet really, wait upon Him for the 
 satisfying of their wants (Ps. civ. 27; Job xxxviii. 
 41). As yet all men do not come to Him to supply 
 their needs, though the offer is to all (Matt. xi. 28; 
 Rev. xxii. 17). But hereafter 'all nations and 
 tongues shall come and see His glory ' — ' the salva- 
 tion of our God ' ( Isa. Ixvi. 18 ; lii. 10). 3. Iniquities 
 prevail against me— lit., 'matters of iniquities,' 
 (Ps. cv. 27, marg.) Even in thanksgivings the 
 people of God must remember their sins. They 
 here virtually say, We are unworthy to approach 
 thee in prayer : our iniquities are such that we 
 cannot avert or endure their consequences (Ps. 
 xxxviii. 4; xh 12; cxxx. 3, 4), when, lo! thou of 
 thyself dost come forward to save us. as for our 
 transgressions.thou shalt purge them away. The 
 Hebrew implies, 'thou shalt cover them with the 
 atonement' The greatness of our sin magni- 
 
Tlie infinite power 
 
 PSALM LXV. 
 
 ani goodness of God. 
 
 4 Blessed ^is the man whom thou ^choosest, 
 
 And causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts : 
 We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, 
 Even of thy holy temple. 
 
 5 By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, 
 0 God of our salvation ; 
 
 Who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, 
 And of them that are afar off upon the sea : 
 
 6 Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains ; 
 Being girded with power : 
 
 7 Which -^'stilleth the noise of the seas. 
 
 The noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people. 
 
 8 They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are ^afraid at thy tokens : 
 
 Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening ^to rejoice. 
 
 9 Thou visitest the earth, and ^waterest it : 
 
 Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water : 
 Thou preparest them corn, — when thou hast so provided for it. 
 10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly ; 
 
 <t Ps. 33. 12. 
 • Ps. ♦ 3. 
 
 Ps. 78. 70. 
 71. 
 
 Ps. 106. 4, 6. 
 Ps. 135. 4. 
 Eph. 1. 4. 
 2 Thes. 2. 
 13. 
 
 / Ps. 89. 9. 
 
 Jon. 1. 4. 
 
 Matt. 8. 26. 
 ^ Ex. 16. 14. 
 
 Josh. 2. 6, 
 
 11. 
 
 Hab. 3. 3. 
 Acts 6. 38. 
 39. 
 
 3 Or. to sing. 
 
 4 Or, after 
 thou had-t 
 made it to 
 desire rain. 
 
 fies the riches of thy grace (Rom. v. 20). The 
 transition from the singular, "me," to the plural, 
 "our," shows that in the former clause the whole 
 people speak as one man. 4. Blessed is the man 
 whom thou choosest, and causest to approach 
 unto thee. So Ps. xxxiii. 12 as to the blessedness 
 of the nation chosen by the Lord ; here the refer- 
 ence is to the individual man. Blessed is the man 
 whom thou admittest into communion with thee. 
 The tern pie- worship, wherein God admitted the 
 covenant people into His immediate presence, was 
 the visible pledge of this spiritual 'communion 
 (Deut. iv. 7). that he may dwell in thy courts 
 — (Ps. XV. 1; Ixxxiv. 4.) DwelV shows that 
 the blessing belongs to the spiritual worshippers, 
 who by faith, with sacrifices of prayer and praise, 
 are continually, in heart, even when not in body, 
 dwelling in the house of God (Ps. xxvii. 4 ; xxxvi, 
 8; Exod. xix. 4. 6). we shall be satisfied with 
 the goodness of thy house — image from a rich 
 feast provided by a munificent lord. So Ps. Ixiii. 
 5. Both the spiritual good things of God's house 
 and the temporal blessings He gives to all the 
 members of His family (Eph. ii. 19 ; iii. 15). even 
 of thy holy temple. The lioliness of the temple is 
 the ground of the bestowal of such ample bless- 
 ings (Ps. xlvi. 4, end). See notes on Ps. v. in 
 explanation of the term "temple" applied to 
 the tabernacle before the erection of Solomon's 
 temple. 
 
 5-8.— The manifestations of God's power to the 
 uttermost parts of tlie earth are a ground of con- 
 fidence to His praying people. 5. (By) terrible 
 things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, 0 
 God of our salvation— i. e., Thou, in accordance 
 with that righteousness whereby thou dost give 
 every one his due (Deut. xxxii. 4), answerest our 
 prayers in trouble, by vouchsafing to us marvel- 
 lous deliverances, terribly displaying thy power 
 against thy people's foes, as in Egypt, and at the 
 Red Sea, and in Canaan. Cf. Deut. x. 21 and 
 David's own i)hrase, 2 Sam. vii. 23, "(aod went . . . 
 t) do for you great things and terrible.''^ who art 
 the confidence of all the ends of the earth, 
 (iod's display of His terrible power in behalf of 
 His people will ultimately have the effect of so 
 impressing all nations that they will join them- 
 selves to the Lord (Isa. IxvL 16, 18, 23). God is 
 in Hhnftelf potentially "the confidence of all the 
 ends of the earth." Hereafter he will be recog- 
 ni7.cd by all to Ije so (Ps. xxii. 27, 28), of which 
 the Queen of Sheba's coming to Solomon "from 
 235 
 
 the uttermost parts of the earth " is a type (Matt, 
 xii. 42). and of them that are afar off upon the 
 sea — dwelling in distant maritime regions and 
 islands. 6. Which by his strength setteth fast 
 the mountains ; being girded with power. His 
 omnipotence is shown in His giving the mountains 
 their unshaken security. "Mountains" are also 
 the symbols of the elevated powers of the earth, 
 kingdoms and dynasties (cf. end ot v. 1 ; Ps. xlvi. 
 3 ; Jer. li. 25). 7. Which stilleth the noise of the 
 seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult 
 of the people. The sea is the emblem of the 
 world-power (Ps, xlvi. 2; Ixxxix. 9; Dan. vii. 2). 
 In Jer. v. 22-24, as here, the stilling of the sea is 
 joined with the harvest blessings, as manifesting 
 the power of God, and calling for fear and thanks- 
 givings on our part. God stilled Pharaoh's ocean- 
 like rage against Israel; as also the Assyrian Sen- 
 nacherib's against Jerusalem. 8. They also that 
 dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy 
 tokens— for instance, thy thunders (cf. r. 5), the 
 tokens or evidences of God's power and majesty, 
 well calculated to inspire the beholders with 
 reverential awe. thou makest the outgoings 
 of the morning and evening to rejoice— so that 
 thou dost inspire with joy and love as well as 
 with fear. " The outgoings of the morning and 
 evening " are the ea^t and the west— the points in 
 the sky from which the morning and evening go 
 out— i. e., the dwellers iu the east and in the west ; 
 answering to the parallel, 'They that dwell in tho 
 uttermost parts.' 
 
 9-12. — God's power manifested in bestowing tlie 
 blessings of harvest. 9. Thou visitest the eartlt, 
 and waterest it— /j^., 'Tliou makest it to run' op 
 'overflow' [Pihel of piti']. Like a munificent 
 
 friend visiting one in need, and leaving behind a 
 generous token of remembrance (Joel ii. 14). thou 
 greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which 
 is full of water — the fountain of fertilizing raiu 
 from above, whicb God has at command, and 
 which never, like earthly springs, runs dry (Deut. 
 xi. 11, 12). So spiritually, Ps. xxxvi. 8; Jer. ii. 
 13. thou preparest them corn— like a provident 
 householder. "Them"— i. e., the inhabitants of 
 "the earth." when thou hast so provided for it 
 ~i. e., for the earth; lit., 'for so thou preparest it' 
 — viz., the earth— for yielding fruit. The farmer 
 does but a small part, and could do nothing but 
 through the providential care of the Master-Cul- 
 tivator, God (v. 10). 10. Thou waterest the ridges 
 
A II the earth 
 
 PSALM LXVI. 
 
 inmted to praise God, 
 
 ^Thoirsettlest the furrows thereof ; 
 
 ^Thou makest it soft with showers ; — thou blessest the springing thereof: 
 
 11 Thou crownest ^the year with thy goodness ; 
 And thy paths drop fatness. 
 
 12 They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness ; 
 And the little hills ^rejoice on every side. 
 
 13 The pastures are clothed with flocks ; 
 
 The valleys also are covered over with corn ; 
 They shout for joy, they also sing. 
 
 PSALM LXVL 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Song or Psalm. 
 
 1 MAKE a joyful noise unto God, ^all ye lands : 
 
 2 Sing forth the honour of his name ; — make his praise glorious. 
 
 3 Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works I 
 "Through the greatness of thy power 
 
 Shall thine enemies ^submit themselves unto thee. 
 
 4 All *the earth shall worship thee, 
 
 And shall sing unto thee ; they shall sing to thy name. Selah. 
 
 5 Come '^and see the works of God : 
 
 He is terrible in his doing toward the children of men. 
 
 6 He '^turned the sea into dry land : — they ^went through the flood on foot : 
 There did we rejoice in him. 
 
 5 Or. thou 
 causest 
 rain to 
 descend 
 into the 
 furrows 
 thereof. 
 
 * thou dis- 
 solvest it. 
 
 7 the year of 
 thy good- 
 ness. 
 
 / Ps. 104. 3. 
 
 8 are girded 
 with joy. 
 
 FSALM 66. 
 
 1 all the 
 earth. 
 
 » Ps. 18. 44. 
 
 2 lie. or, 
 yield 
 feigned 
 obedience. 
 
 6 Ps. 67. 3. 
 " Pa. 46. 8. 
 
 Ps. £2. 4-6. 
 d Ex. 14. 21. 
 Ps. 106. 8- 
 10. 
 
 * Josh. 3. 14. 
 
 thereof abundantly; thou settlest the furrows 
 thereof— ZzY. , ' Thou waterest the furrows thereoi, 
 (so) levelling its clods' or ridges— viz., with the copi- 
 ous rains— which makes them to settle or come down. 
 So the Hebrew. 11. Thou crownest the year 
 with thy goodness— rather, 'Thou crownest [i. e., 
 adornest with thy benetits, Ps. ciii. 4) the year of 
 thy goodness;' i. e., the year or season granted to 
 us by thy goodness, and thy paths drop fatness — 
 wheresoever thou dost visit {v. 9), rich abundance 
 (Ps. Ixiii. 5) accomj^anies thy steps. 12. They 
 drop (upon) the pastures of the wilderness (Job 
 xxxviii. 26, 27) — rather, 'The pastures of the wil- 
 derness drop,' \iz., fatness {v. 11). and the little 
 hills rejoice on every side — the Hebrew more 
 poetically, as v. 13, 'And the little hills gird them- 
 selves with joy.' 
 
 13. Conclusion and summary. The pastures 
 are clothed with flocks. So the Hebrew is trans- 
 lated "pastures" in Isa. xxx. 23, though elsewhere 
 it means "flocks," or 'lambs' [i?]. the valleys 
 also are covered over with corn {ya'atphu)— 
 rather, 'are clothing themselves with corn.' The 
 crops were, at the time of this psalm, promising 
 abundance, but were not yet matured and reaped 
 {Hengstenhery). they shout for joy, they also 
 sing — (cf. note, v. 12.) Poetically expressing the 
 joy which the sight of them inspires into men. 
 
 PSALM LXVI. 1-20.— Thanksgiving for de- 
 liverance. All the earth is inmted to praise God 
 for the marvels wrought for His people (m 1-4) ; 
 the marvels, especially His turning the sea into dry 
 land {vv. 5-7) ; ground of praise, in that He brought 
 His people into a wealthy place {vv. 8-12); payment 
 of the Psalmist's vows made in trouble {vv. 13, 14); 
 invitation to all to hear what God has done for his 
 soul, since he prayed in sincerity and purity {vv. 16- 
 20). There is a general reference to the deliver- 
 ance from Sennacherib. Ps. xlvi. specially com- 
 memorates it (cf. v. 8 there with v. 5 here). 
 
 1. All ye lands— Hebrew, 'all the earth.' 2. 
 Sing forth the honour {glory) of his name— i. e., 
 ' the glory which belongs to Him because of His 
 230 
 
 power and goodness manifested in His acts (Ps. 
 xxix. 1, 2). make his praise glorious— Hebrew, 
 'make His hymn a glory;' i. e., praise JJim with 
 a glorious hymn. 3. Through the greatness of 
 thy power shall thine enemies submit them- 
 selves unto thee— lit., 'feign (submission) to thee' 
 (Ps. xviii. 44; Ixxxi. 15). God's terrible deeds 
 constrain all, if they will not render a willing 
 obedience, at least to render a reluctant one. 
 So Pharaoh (Exod. viii. 8-15, 25, 29). Even the 
 wicked must at last glorify God, in spite of them- 
 selves (Prov. xvi. 4). 4. All the earth shall wor- 
 ship thee— (Ps. xxii. 27.) 
 
 5. Come and see the works of God. Ps, xlvi. 8 
 was probably written shortly before (cf. introduc- 
 tory remarks). The Church at all times appeals to 
 the world, "Come and see," as Jesus said to the 
 two disciples of John the Baptist, and Philip to 
 Nathanael (John i. 39, 46). God's marvels are to 
 be seen by all, and seeing them is the first step to- 
 wards believing in their Divine Author (Ps. Ixv. 
 5-8). he is terrible in his doing toward (Hebrew, 
 upon) the children of men. Men are the objects 
 upon whom His doings are wrought. 6. He turned 
 the sea into dry land— both the waters of the Red 
 Sea and those of the Jordan. This drying up of 
 seas of obstacles which oppose His people's course 
 is continually being acted over again, and will be 
 so especially at the final deliverance of Israel. 
 The drying up of the Eed Sea again is expressly 
 foretold in the case of Israel's restoration (Isa. xi. 
 11, 15). So also in the case of all His elect (Isa. 
 xliii. 2). they went through the flood on foot- 
 Hebrew, 'they go,' &c. This shows that the 
 deliverance at the Eed Sea is virtually repeated 
 from age to age in behalf of the Church, there 
 did we rejoice in him — Hebrew, ' will we rejoice,' 
 &c. Past deliverances are pledges of those to 
 come ; so that the latter are described in figures 
 borrowed from the former (Zech. x. 11). The 
 Euphrates in Isa. xi. and the Nile in Zech. x. are 
 substituted for the little Jordan, to show that the 
 deliverance at the Jordan is to be repeated on a 
 
Datid voweth religions 
 
 PSALM LXVL 
 
 service to God. 
 
 7 He ruleth by his power for ever ; — ^liis eyes behold the nations: 
 Let not the rebeUious exalt themselves. Selah. 
 
 8 0 bless our God, ye people, 
 
 And make the voice of his praise to be heard : 
 
 9 Which ^ holdeth our soul in life, 
 
 And suffereth not our feet to be moved. 
 
 10 For thou, 0 God, hast proved us: — ^thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. 
 
 1 1 Thou broughtest us into the net ; 
 Thou laidst affliction upon our loins, 
 
 12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads : 
 "VVe went through fire and through water ; 
 
 But thou broughtest us out into a ^ wealthy place. 
 
 13 I will go into thy house with burnt offerings ; 
 will pay thee my vows, 
 
 14 Which my lips have ^uttered. 
 
 And my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. 
 
 15 I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of ^fatlings, with the incense of rams : 
 I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah. 
 
 16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, 
 
 And I will declare what he hath done for my soul. 
 
 17 I cried unto him with my mouth, — and he was extolled with my tongne. 
 
 18 If regard iniquity in my heart, — the Lord will not hear me : 
 
 19 But verily God hath heard me ; 
 
 f Pa. 11. 4. 
 
 Ps. 3.^. 13. 
 2 Chr. 16. 
 
 3 ptitteth. 
 Dan. 5. 23, 
 Acts 17. ^8. 
 
 f Zech. 1 9. 
 1 1 et. 1. 6. 
 I'rov. 17. 3. 
 Isa. ^8. 10. 
 
 4 moist. 
 
 Ps. 107, 35, 
 37. 
 
 Isa. 35. 6, 7, 
 h Ps. 2.. 25. 
 Ps. 116. 14, 
 1*. 
 
 Eccl. 5. 4, 
 Jon. 2. 9. 
 
 5 opened. 
 Judg. 1:.35, 
 
 6 marrow. 
 
 i Job 11. 14. 
 Job 27. 9. 
 Prov. 1 .291 
 Prov. 28. 9, 
 Isa. 1. 15. 
 John 9. 31. 
 Jas. 4. 3. 
 
 larger scale. 7. Ms eyes behold the nations— 
 'His eyes look forth among the people.' From 
 his heavenly watch-tower He beholds all the 
 enemy's proud and malicious eflfbrts against His 
 Church, let not the rebellious exalt themselves. 
 The "rebellious" are the apostate antichristian 
 faction, and all who obey not the Gospel. I warn 
 them against a contest with Omnipotence: they 
 cannot elude His eye nor resist his power, where- 
 by he ruleth for ever (cf. the same advice, Isa. 
 xxv'ii. 4, 5). The Hebrew is, ' let them not exalt 
 (themselves) for themselves^ What they intend to 
 their own elevation shall turn out to their own 
 shanie. So in the Hebrew, Ps. Iviii. 7. 
 
 8-12.— The sore trouble out of which God 
 brought His people into a wealthy place ; praise to 
 God accordingly. 8, 9. 0 bless our God . . . 
 Which holdeth (Hebrew^ putteth) our soul in life 
 •— i. e., restores us to life from our political death as a 
 nation. The same image is used of Israel's future 
 revivification iu Ezek. xxxvii. (cf. Ps. xxx. 3). and 
 sulfereth not our feet to be moved— (Ps. xv. 5, 
 end; Iv. 22; cxxi. 3.) 10, For thou, 0 God, 
 hast proved us— thou hast tested the steadfast- 
 ness of our faith, hope, and patience in the furnace 
 of trial, thou hast tried us, as silver is tried— (I 
 Pet.i. 7; Zech. xiii. 9; Mai. iii. 3; Isa. xlviii. 10.) 
 Chastisement presupposes sin, to remove which is 
 the design of trials. Therefore the profession of 
 innocence, in u. 18, is only relative, not absolute. 
 He is sincere in aim; his integrity is genuine, 
 though at times he falls into sins of infirmity 
 which call for chastisement (Isa. i. 25). 11. thou 
 laidst affliction upon our loins— lit., a heavy bur- 
 den; so the pressure of affliction. The loins are 
 the seat of strength (Ps. Ixix. 23). The image is 
 from beasts of burden. 12. Thou hast caused 
 men to ride over our heads— as horses which are 
 guided by the head, though it is upon the back 
 that the rider sits. "Men ' — lit., mean men [tt'i^b^j: 
 the meaner the master the more degraded is the 
 servant (Isa. li. 2.J). we went through fire and 
 through water— i. e., through extreme dangers of 
 an opposite kind. Yet God was still with His 
 237 
 
 peojile even there (Isa. xliii. 2), but thou 
 broughtest us out into a wealthy place— iwto 
 abundance ; lit., a ' well- watered place.' In Ps, 
 xxiii. 5 the same Hebrew means '(my cup) is 
 running over.' 
 
 13-15. — The payment of the Psalmist's vows 
 made in trouble. 13. I will pay thee my vows. 
 He speaks as personifying the elect nation. The 
 outward vows represent the inward devotion and 
 gratitude. 14. Which my lips have uttered— lit., 
 have opened; i. e., vehemently uttered when in pain- 
 15. with the incense of rams — i. e., their burned 
 fat. I will offer bullocks — ?<7., 'I will make/ 
 hence, 'I will set in order.' 
 
 16-20. — Invitation to all to hear what God hath 
 done for the Psalmist's soul. 16. Come and hear, 
 all ye that fear God — answering to "come and 
 see" {v. 5). As the former exhortation constrains 
 men to fear God, by the thought of His 'terrible 
 doings,'' so this invites them by the consideration 
 of His grace in having saved the speaker's souL 
 The former was addressed to those who had not 
 heretofore feared God. This is addressed to them 
 who already 'fear Him.' So the woman of 
 Samaria (John iv. 29). So Jesus desired the cured 
 demoniac (Mark v. 19; Ps. cxvi. 12-14). and I will, 
 declare what he hath done for my soul. God 
 had 'put the soul of his people in life,' restoring 
 them from their dead state {v. 9). 17. 1 cried unto 
 him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my 
 tongue— 'an extolling (of Him was) under my 
 tongue,' implying fulness of praise (Ps. x. 7). A 
 store of praise being conceived as under the tongue, 
 whence a portion might be taken on all occasions. 
 The sense is, 'scarcely had 1 cried unto Him 
 when, by delivering me, He gave me abundant 
 reason to extol Him' (Ps. xxxiv. 6). 18. If I re- 
 gard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear 
 me — rather, 'If I had regarded iniquity in my 
 heart, the Lord would not have heard me ' (Job. 
 XXXV. 12, 13; Isa. i. 15; lix. 2, 3; John ix. 31 ; I 
 John iii. 22). Integrity of aim, with purity as to 
 secret or open sin and habitual hypocrisy, not ab- 
 solute sinlessness, is meant. 19! But verily God 
 
A prayer for 
 
 PSALMS LXVIL, LXVIII. 
 
 God's kingdom. 
 
 He hath attended to the voice of my prayer. 
 20 Blessed he God, which hath not turned away my prayer, 
 Kor his mercy from me. 
 
 PSALM LXVIL 
 
 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song. 
 
 1 GOD be merciful unto us, and bless us ; 
 And "cause his face to shine ^upon us. Selah. 
 
 2 That ^thy way may be known upon earth, 
 '^Thy saving health among all nations. 
 
 3 Let "^the people praise thee, 0 God ; — let all the people praise thee. 
 
 4 0 let the nations be glad, and sing for joy : 
 For *thou shalt judge the people righteously, 
 And ^govern the nations upon earth. Selah. 
 
 5 Let the people praise thee, 0 God ; — let all the people praise thee. 
 
 6 Then ^ shall the earth yield her increase ; 
 And God, even our own God, shall bless us. 
 
 7 God shall bless us ; — and ^all the ends of the earth shall fear him. 
 
 PSALM LXVIIL 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David. 
 1 LET God arise, let his enemies be scattered : 
 Let them also that hate him flee ^ before him. 
 
 PSA.LM 6T. 
 ° Num. 6. 25. 
 Ps. 4. 6. 
 Pa. 31. 16. 
 Ps. 119. 135. 
 2 Cor 4. 6. 
 
 1 with us. 
 
 * Acts 13 iO. 
 
 Acts 18. 25. 
 
 Acts!i2 4. 
 " Luke 2. 30. 
 
 Tit. 2. U. 
 d Ps. 66. 4. 
 
 Isa. 21. 15. 
 16. 
 
 ' Ps. 96. 10. 
 Ps. 98. 9. 
 
 2 leai. 
 
 / Lev 26. 4. 
 Ps 85. 12. 
 Isa. 1. 19. 
 
 30. 
 
 Isa. 23. 24. 
 Ezek. 34. 27. 
 1 Cor. 3. 6-9. 
 « Ps. 2'. 27. 
 
 PSALM 68. 
 1 from his 
 face. 
 
 hath heard me — which proves that no such hin- 
 drance to my deliverance as arises from hypocrisy 
 or wilful and habitual sin existed in my case. 
 
 Conclusion. 20. Blessed be God, which hath 
 not turned away my prayer— viz. , from Himself. 
 nor his mercy from me. The hearing of our 
 prayers is due, not to our merits, but to God's 
 " mercy " [MuU). 
 
 PSALM LXVII. l-l.— Prayer for God's merctj 
 upon God's people, that so H is way may he known 
 to all nations; also that His righteous reign may 
 come upon earth to the joy of the nations {vv. 1-4) ; 
 as the residt of the praises of all peoples, the earth 
 shall yield her increase, and God shall bless us 
 {vv. 5-7). " Elohim" is used throughout, as a])pro- 
 priate to the recognition of the God of the whole 
 earth by all. 
 
 1. God be merciful unto us, and bless us ; and 
 cause his face to shine upon us— lit., ' with us ;' 
 implying His presence with us as our source of 
 blessedness. The allusion is to the Mosaic bless- 
 ing, Num. vi. 24-26 (cf. Ps. iv. 6; xxxi. 16). 
 Accordingly the Psalmist here speaks of God, 
 and not tiU the 2d verse speaks to God. Cf. 
 also the manifold blessing, Deut. xxviii. 1-14. 
 
 2. That thy way may be known upon earth. 
 " Thy way" — i. e., thy dealing in grace, as explained 
 in the parallel, "thy saving health" (Acts xviii. 25). 
 His ways of saving and blessing us, sinners though 
 we be (Ps. xxv. 10 ; ciii. 7). thy saving health 
 among all nations. Thus the original promise to 
 Abraham's seed, Israel and Messiah, at last shall 
 be fulfilled (Gen. xxii. 18 ; xxvi. 4 ; Isa. Ix. 3). 
 
 3. Let the people praise thee, O God ; let all the 
 people praise thee— a prophetical prayer. The 
 manifested blessedness of Israel in her Lord shall 
 attract all nations to the same Saviour (Isa. ii. 2-4). 
 
 4. O let the nations be glad, and sing for joy : for 
 thou Shalt judge the people righteously, and 
 govern, &c.— lit., guide (Isa. Iviii. 11). " Righ- 
 teously "—lit., in evenness ; i. e., equity (Ps. xlv. 6). 
 
 5-7.— When all the peoples praise God, then the 
 earth itself shall be delivered from the curse. 
 6. Then shall the earth yield her Increase— lit., 
 *AaiA yielded:' the prox)hetical preterite. The 
 238 
 
 future is to the eye of inspiration as sure as the 
 already past. The blessing in Lev. xxvi. 4 shall 
 then be realized : primarily referring to the Holy 
 Land ; ultimately to the whole earth. So also 
 Ps. Ixv. 5, 9-13. and God, even our own God, shall 
 bless us. Israel's own God, and the God of the 
 Church, shall go on blessing us. 7. God shall bless 
 us ; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him— 
 (Ps. xxii. 27.) The conclusion sums up the psalm : 
 God's blessing on the literal and the spiritual 
 Israel shall be the forerunner of the conversion of 
 the world. 
 
 PSALM LXVIIL 1-35.— When God arises, His 
 enemies are scattered like smoke, whilst the righteous 
 joyfully extol Jah, the Father of the fatherless 
 (rv. 1-6) ; Gods doings for His people when He led 
 them through the wilderness {vv. 7-10) ; His victorious 
 doings for them from their entrance into Canaan to 
 the setting up of the ark in Zion {vv. 11-14) ; His 
 choice of Zion as H is hill for ever, in the face of the 
 hostile world-hills; in it He reigns with countless 
 chariots, subduing His people's enemies {vv. 15-18) ; 
 He is blessed daily {v. 19) ; He is the God of His 
 people's salvation from the wicked {vv. 20-23) ; the 
 triumphal procession {vv. 24-27) ; anticipation of the 
 conversion of the heathen to the God of Israel 
 {vv. 28-31) ; cdl kingdoms called to praise {vv. 32-35). 
 The occasion was probably when, at the close of 
 the war with Ammon, the ark (2 Sam. xi. 11) was 
 brought back in triumph to Zion (cf. vv. ], 24 with 
 Num. X. 35). Shortly after the capture of Rabbah 
 (2 Sam. xii. 26-31), David marked the peace now 
 secured by naming his son Solomon, ' prince of 
 peace.' Deborah's triumphal song is the model. 
 Cf . vv. 7, 8 with Judg. iv. 14 ; v. 4 ; and v. 18 with 
 Judg. V. 12. 
 
 1. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered : 
 let them also that hate him flee before him— 
 
 taken from the formula which Moses used when- 
 ever the ark set forward (Num. x. 35), just as 
 Ps. Ixvii. is based on the Mosaic blessing (Num. 
 VI. 25). The Chaldaic, LXX., Vulgate, Syriac, 
 Arabic, and Ethiopic support the English ver- 
 sion ; but Hengstenberg, 'God arises, and (m 
 consequence) His enemies are scattered . . . they 
 
Ej'Jiorfation to 
 
 PSALM LXVIII. 
 
 praise God. 
 
 2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away : 
 As wax melteth before the fire, 
 
 So let the wicked perish at the presence of God. 
 
 3 But let the righteous be glad : — let them rejoice before God ; 
 Yea, let them ^ exceedingly rejoice. 
 
 4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name : 
 
 Extol him that rideth ^upon the heavens by his name JAH, 
 And rejoice before him. 
 
 5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows. 
 Is God in his holy habitation. 
 
 6 God "sctteth the solitary ^in families: 
 
 He bringeth out those which are bound with chains : 
 But the rebellious dwell in a dry land. 
 
 . . . Jlee . . . He drives them away . . . the 
 wicked per'ish; the righteous are glad ... re- 
 joice.' The English version, on the victory just 
 granted, builds the general prayer for the future. 
 Instead of Jehovah, David uses the more general 
 name, Elohim, save in vv. 4, 16, 18, 20. For 
 it is in His general relation to the whole world, 
 brought to the knowledge of Him as God of Israel, 
 that the Psalmist views God, lest they should 
 regard Jehovah as God of Israel only in the sense 
 that He is one of the many national gods which 
 the nations severally had. David designates Him 
 Elohim, which expresses His Deity as Creator and 
 Preserver of the world. At the same time, v. 18 
 shows that he understands Jehovah before Elohim, 
 even though he does not express it. God seems 
 quiescent for a time, whilst the enemy seems to 
 triumph, and His people suflFer; but let God once 
 arise, the enemies must be scattered. 2. As smoke 
 is driven away ... as wax melteth before the 
 fire. The smoke disappears before the wir,d, the 
 wax before the fire. How galling to the pride of 
 the seemingly mighty foes to learn that they have 
 '^l^ more stability tlian the driven smoke or the 
 irii^lting wax ! On the contrary, Messiah and His 
 people, who once seemed 'like wax' (Ps. xxii. 14), 
 shall at last be "as the sun when he goeth forth 
 in his miglit," wliereas all the Lord's enemies shall 
 perish. Cf. .Judg. v. 31, Deborah's song. 3. But 
 let the righteous be glad: let them rejoice be- 
 fore God — lit., ' at or before the face of God, as in 
 the contrasted sentence, v. 1 ; Hebrew, ' let them 
 that hate Him fiee//-om Lefore Itis face.^ Destruc- 
 tion goes forth from before God's face when He is 
 angry ; joy dwells before His face when He is pro- 
 
 fiitious. The righteous are here represented by 
 srael ; all the godly, the true Israel spiritually, 
 are included, exceedingly rejoice — ^zV., 'exult 
 with gladness.' 
 
 4. Sing . , , extol him that rideth upon the 
 heavens. The Hebrew, ' extol ' ['?!?d], means also 
 'make a way for;' raise up a road for. SotheLXX., 
 Vulgate, and Arabic. Though the Pilpel conjuga- 
 tion in Prov. iv. 8, and Exod. ix. 17 the Hitlipael, 
 occur in the sense extol; yet in Kal no instance 
 occurs of this sense. Moreover, the sense, ' make 
 a way for Him,' accords with Isa. Ivii. 14 ; Ixii. 10, 
 and especially Isa. xl. 3. The sense ultimately is 
 the saiiie; for the preparing of the way before 
 Jah, whereby He comes to us in the wilder- 
 ness of trials, is mainly to extol Him, and joyfully 
 attribute to Him His glory. So in the case of 
 Jehoshaphat's enemies (2 (Jhr. xx. 19-22; Ps. 1. 
 15-23). In Isa. xl. 3 the preparing the way is 
 different— viz., by repentance. Then, instead of 
 " upon the heavens," many translate 'that rideth 
 forward in the deserts' [n'l^np, which the LXX. 
 translate, ' upon the Western regions,' from ^ly, the 
 2^ 
 
 » rejoice 
 with glad- 
 ness. 
 Ps. 21. 1. 
 Ps. 43. 4. 
 
 1 Pet. 1 8. 
 
 3 Or. 
 through 
 the de- 
 serts ; in 
 JAH i% 
 his name. 
 Excd. 6. 3. 
 
 » 1 Sam. 2. 5 
 Ps. 107. 10. 
 Gal. 4. 27. 
 
 * in a house. 
 
 evening. Some then explain that hereby it is fore- 
 told that Christ would transfer His Church to- 
 wards the Western nations. But it is rather from 
 a desert (Isa. xl. 3; cf. Luke iii. 4)], i. e., as 
 the ark formerly led the people in the desert, so 
 now again God rideth forward for the help of His 
 people, leading them safely through the deserts of 
 conflict and trial. There is an allusion to the wil- 
 der ness journey also in v. 7. The Chaldaic, however, 
 supports the English version, ''extol Him . . . the 
 heavens." So v. 33 ; also Deut. xxxiii. 26, which is 
 exactly parallel. by his name JAR— lit., ' in 
 Jab (is) His name.' The concentrated essence of 
 all that is expressed by 'Jehovah,' first used in 
 Moses' song, Exod xv. 2, Hebrew. 5. A father of 
 the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, (is) 
 God. God's compassionate love to the distressed 
 in i)articular, as widows and orphans (cf. Ps. cxlvi. 
 7-9 ; Deut. x. 18), is the ground of the triumphant 
 deliverances which He vouchsafes to His people 
 (as in the recent war with Ammon), and to His 
 Church, represented as "a widow" (Luke xviii. 
 3, 7). Cf. Hos. xiv. 3. God is a" judge," to vindi- 
 dicate His people's cause (Ps. liv. 1), not like tJiS 
 imjust judge in Luke xviii. 1, &c. in his holy 
 habitation — the seat of holiness, righteousness, 
 and faithfulness, contrasted with this earth, the 
 seat of selhshness and unrighteousness (Ps. xi. 4 ; 
 xxii. 3). 6. God setteth the solitary— i. e., those 
 destitute of human help (Ps. xxv. 16). in families 
 — Hebrew, ' in a home.' [The n final expresses 
 motion to a place.] The outcast Israel shall be 
 restored hereafter to their home. So Israel, after the 
 long homeless wandering in the wilderness, was 
 at last set in a home by God {v. 10). So the 
 Christian Church, which had long been perse- 
 cuted, and dwelt solitarily, obtained a permanent 
 settlement under Constantino, he bringeth out 
 those which are bound with chains [m-iK'iD, an- 
 swering to DniE'p, ties or bonds]— {Isa.. Ixi. 1.) Or 
 else, He bringeth out those which are bound to jyros- 
 perities [from "i^?, to be rigJit and congruous ; cf. 
 marg., Eccl. ii. 6]; plural — i. e., to all kinds of 
 prosperity. So Ps. Ixvi. 12, "thou broughtest us 
 out into a wealthy [well-watered] place," in contrast 
 with which stands here, but (lit., only: it is never 
 otherwise) the rebellious (cf. Ps. Ixvi. 7) dwell in a 
 dry land. Contrast v. 9. The "rebellious" are 
 tlie stiff-necked enemies of the Lord and His 
 Church ; not only the heathen (Exod. xvii. 14, 16), 
 but also the Jews, when they said of Messiah, 
 " We will not have this man to reign over us . . . we 
 have no king but Cajsar" (Luke xix. 14; John 
 xix. 15). 
 
 7-10.— God's doings for His people in the wilder- 
 ness; His giving them the law at Sinai ; His sue- 
 taining and reviving them until He led them into 
 
Oo^s care 
 
 PSALM LXVIII. 
 
 0/7^/5 Church, 
 
 7 0 God, ^wlien thou wentest forth before thy people, 
 When thou didst march through the wilderness ; Selah : 
 
 8 l^he earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God : 
 Eioen Sinai itself was moted at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 
 
 9 Thou, 0 God, didst ^send a plentiful rain, 
 
 Whereby thou didst ^ confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary. 
 
 10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein : 
 
 Thou, ^0 God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor. 
 
 11 The Lord gave the word; 
 
 Great was the ^company of those that published it, 
 
 12 Kings of armies ^did flee apace ; 
 
 And she that tarried at home divided the spoil. 
 
 13 Though ^ye have lien among the pots. 
 
 Yet ''shall ye he as the wings of a dove covered with silver. 
 And her feathers with yellow gold. 
 
 14 When the Almighty scattered kings ^in it, — it was white as snow in Salmon. 
 
 the land of promise, 7, 8. 0 God, when thou 
 wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst 
 march through the wilderness . . . The earth 
 shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence 
 of God: even Sinai itself was moved— lit., 'this 
 Sinai' (pointing to it), derived from Deborah's song, 
 Judg. V. 4, 5 ; which agaiu rests on Deut, xxxiii. 
 2 ; Exod. xix. 16. God, as it were, ' marched' at 
 the head of the people * to search out a resting- 
 place for them' (Num. x, 33 ; Deut. i. 3^^). Israel's 
 hosts were led on against the Canaanites by the 
 Lord as the commander-in-chief, going before them 
 in a pillar of cloud by day, and by night in a pillar 
 of fire (Exod. xiii. 21 ; cf, Deut. xxxii. 10). The 
 Psalmist begins with the giving of the Law on 
 Sinai, and passes over the previous miracles, be- 
 cause it was at Sinai that the COVSnauii between 
 "God and Israel was formally ratified (Deut. xxxiii. 
 ■2-5). The manifestation of Himself there was a 
 proof of His special love to Israel (Deut. iv. 33). 
 9. Thou, 0 God, didst send a plentiful rain, 
 whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, 
 when it was weary. Though no mention is made 
 in the history of rain., there is of a dense cloudy 
 which implies it. "Plentiful rain" — lit, rain of 
 liberalities; i. e., most abundant rain; a most im- 
 portant boon to God's inheritance or people (Ps. 
 xxviii. 9 ; xciv. 5) thirsting for water in the 
 desert- But as the water for drink is elsewhere 
 represented as coming from the rock, the rain of 
 manna and quails is the rain of gifts implied- Cf. 
 Ps. Ixxviii. 23, 24, 27, 28; Exod. xvi. 4. The 
 Hebrew is used generally of free-will gifts (Ps. liv. 
 6) [nnn;]. Cf. "showers of blessing," Ezek. 
 xxxiv. 26. The ulterior reference is to the out- 
 pouring of the Holy Spirit (Deut. xxxii 2 ; Isa, 
 xliv. 3; xlv. 8; Heb. vL 7). As v. 8 shows His 
 terrible power, so v. 9 His grace. The Hebrew for 
 "send" is literally to shake out, to wave hack and 
 forwards, so as to cause the rain of gracious gifts to 
 fall on the whole people, and not merely on one 
 favoured section. The "thou " in the Hebrew is 
 emphatic : ' thine inheritance, even when it was 
 wearied (i. e., worn out), thou didst confirm' or 
 ^fortify if Thou who alone couldst strengthen 
 one worn out, didst so for thy people. 10. Thy 
 congregation hath dwelt therein— viz., in the 
 promised land, the object for which they marched 
 through the wilderness. So v. 14, "in it." So 
 "it," Isa. viii. 21. The Hebrew for "congregation " 
 [n^^n], or host, is used in this sense by David first, 
 2 Sam. xxiii. 11, 13; the usual sense is life or 
 animal, thou, 0 God, hast prepared of thy good- 
 2J0 
 
 ness for the poor. Supply 'a Jiome.^ Cf. v. 6, 
 marg. "The poor " are the once homeless Israel- 
 ites in the wilderness. 
 
 11-14. — God's doings for His people from the 
 time of their entrance into Canaan till the setting 
 up of the sanctuary in Zion. 11. The Lord gave 
 the word — which ensured victory to Israel, great 
 was the company of those that published it. 
 Translate as Hebrew (hammbassroth), ' great is the 
 company of the female-heralds of the good news ' — 
 viz., the procession of 'damsels ' who celebrate in 
 song and dance the victory (Exod. xv. 20, 21 ; 1 
 Sam. xviii. 6, 7 ; Judg. v. 12; xi. 34 ; especially v. 25, 
 below, which explains it). All the separate choirs 
 united on such occasions. 12. nings of armies 
 dil See apace— lit., did flee, flee; I. g,, in most 
 hasty flight, and she that tarried at home 
 divided the spoil. Whereas in Deborah's song 
 the mother and wise ladies of Sisera, in their 
 home, awaited his return in triumph, that they 
 might get 'a prey of divers colours of needle-work 
 . . . meet for the necks of them that take the spoil' 
 (Judg. V. 30), it was the Israelite women tarrying at 
 home (Tit. ii. 5) who got their share of the spoil. 
 The ulterior reference is to Israel, regarded as the 
 Church of God, dwelling again peacefully at home 
 after the flight of the kings (Judg. v. 31 ; viii. 28). 
 Also the Christian Church dwelling in her Fa- 
 ther's home (y. 6, marg.) after the overthrow of 
 her enemies. 13. Though ye have lien (i. e., lain) 
 among the pots — in the places where pots or cal- 
 drons are set over the fire— places where ye have 
 been blackened by the sullying smoke. An image 
 to express their degradation in Egypt (cf. Lam. iv. 
 8). in Ezek. xl. 43, the only other place where 
 the Hebrew occurs [D^ngty], it means the hooks and 
 irons, or two hearthstones, on which the flesh was 
 suspended for roasting. Hengstenherg translates, 
 'When ye rest between the boundaries,' or 'in the 
 sheepfolds' (Judg. v. 16), denoting a state of 
 peaceful rest. I prefer the English version, which 
 forms a beautiful contrast to what follows, (yet 
 shall ye be as) the wings of a dove covered with 
 silver, and her feathers with yellow gold— allud- 
 ing to the golden colour at one time and silver at 
 another reflected from the outspread wings of 
 doves, according to the direction in which the 
 sunshine is seen to fall on them, 14. When the 
 Almighty scattered kings in it — in the land. 
 God, as "the Almighty" (see note, Ps. xci. 1), alone 
 could thus scatter mighty kings, as Cushan, Jabin, 
 Agag. it was (white) as snow in Salmon. The 
 brightness of j^rosperity, after the gloom of the 
 
God to be praised 
 
 PSALM LXVIII. 
 
 for his great works. 
 
 15 The hill of God is as the hill of Bashaii ; 
 Au high hill, as the hill of Bashan. 
 
 16 Why leap ye, ye high hills? 
 
 This is the hill which God desireth to dwell in ; 
 Yea, the Lord will dwell in it for ever. 
 
 17 The ^ chariots of God are twenty thousand, '^^even thousands of angels : 
 The Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. 
 
 18 Thou ^hast ascended on high, — '^thou hast led captivity captive : 
 *Thou hast received gifts ^^for men ; 
 
 conflict, was like the glittering white snow which 
 covers dark Salmon, with its black forests (Judg. 
 ix. 48). "Salmon" means shady ^ dark. It was a 
 high mountain near the Jordan (Ps. li. 7 ; Mark 
 ix. 8; cf. Matt. xvii. 2). 
 
 15-19 — God has chosen Zion whereon to dwell 
 for ever, with His countless chariots, in spite of 
 all the resistance of the heathen. This He has 
 shown by the victory just given to His people ; 
 therefore, blessed be the Lord. 15. The hill of 
 God (is as) the hill of Bashan ; an high hill, (as) 
 the hill of Bashan. So Zion is called "the hill 
 of the Lord," Ps. xxiv. 3 ; but it is not likely that 
 the greatness of Zion should be illustrated by the 
 physical height of the hill of God-opposed Bashan, 
 a representative of the world-hills. Rather, a 
 hill of God (a Hebraism for a great hill), an high 
 hill, (is) the hill of Bashan. But high as it is, 
 mount Zion, being the habitation of God, is, in a 
 moral point of view, intiuitely higher (Isa. ii. 2 ; 
 viii. 6-8). The world's physical greatness must 
 yield to the Church's spiritual grandeur. The 
 "hill of God" is here an emblem of the luorld- 
 kingdoms., which (Ps. Ixv. 6) are great only by the 
 grace of God. A great hill reminds us of the 
 creative power of God. Hence 'the hill of Elo- 
 him ' (the general name of God as the Creator)^ 
 stands in contrast to the hill which [v. 16) 'the Lord' 
 (Jehovah) will dwell in for ever. It lay in the 
 north of the region east of Jordan, or the land of 
 Hermon, the kingdom of Og, the most formidable 
 enemy whom Israel encountered on their march 
 to Canaan. 'The hill of Basan is the high snow- 
 summit of Anti-Lebanon, or Hermon, the extreme 
 limit of Basan. There was a peculiar propriety, 
 from its position on the boundary between Judea 
 and the heathen world, in employing it as a sym- 
 bol of the world's might {v. 22; Ps. xlii. 6; Ixxxix. 
 12)' [Hengstenherg). The original name of Her- 
 mon was Sion; i. e., lofty (Deut. iv. 48); allied in 
 sound to Zion, which suggested the contrast here 
 between tlie world-hills and the Lord's hill. 16. 
 Why leap ye, ye high hills?— viz., with envious 
 desire of destroying the hill which God loves, and 
 of setting yourselves up above it \y^~\ ; the same as 
 "'i^, to leap with joy or pride]. But /erome ti-ans- 
 lates, 'Why do ye look with suspicion?^ In Arabic 
 it means to watch against, to lag snares. I prefer, 
 therefore, with Cocceius, Maurer, &c., ' Why do 
 ye watch with hostile, envious intent?' [So the 
 Greek, Tnpelv, truparripelv, Luke vi. 7.] The 
 LXX. translate, 'suspect.' The Chaldaic sup- 
 I»orts the English version. "High hills"— 
 'mountains-summits;' i. e., not merely one hill, 
 but mountain ranges. The "why," as in Ps. ii. 1, 
 l>oints to the suicidal folly of the enmity of the 
 world-kingdoms, this is the hill which God de- 
 sireth to dwell In ; yea, the Lord will dwell in 
 it for ever. The yea indicates the inseparable 
 connection between God's desire or choice of Zion 
 and His constant inhabitation there, which last 
 fact ensures Zion's eternal safety against her foes. 
 17. The chariots of God are twenty thousand 
 VOL. III. 241 
 
 / Deut 33. 2. 
 
 Heb. 12. 22. 
 Or, eveu 
 
 many 
 
 thousands. 
 g Acts 1. 9. 
 
 Eph. 4. 8. 
 'I Judg. 6. 12. 
 i Acts 2. 4. 
 
 11 in the 
 man. 
 
 (rather, two myriads. Gen, xxxii. 2, marg.), (even) 
 thousands of angels— what avail, then, the foes 
 war-xhariots against Zion? The strength of the 
 Syrians in the war shortly before lay mainly in 
 chariots ; but the Lord, with His unseen myriads 
 of angel-chariots, had enabled David to slay the 
 men of seven hundred Syrian chariots (2 Sam. x. 
 18; cf. 2 Ki. vi. 16, 17). The chariots are put for 
 those who rode in them. To show the infinite 
 security of God's people, the myriad is doubled 
 — two myriads.' Perhaps there is allusion to 
 the two wings of an army, ten thousand in 
 each, (even) thousands of angels. The Hebrew 
 is literally vigorous ones, or happy ones. 
 So LXX. [By transposition for Or else 
 
 [from to second} implying that angels have a 
 dignity next after that of God ; ' chief princes ' 
 (Dan. X. 13; cf. 2 Chr. xxviii. 7; Esth. x. 3; Heb. 
 xii. 22). Hengstenherg translates, from the same 
 Hebrew root, to repeat, ' thousands repeated ' — 
 lit, 'thousands of duplication.' Their numbers 
 are doubled, so that a perpetually fresh succession 
 of hosts advances {cL Dan. vii. 10, "thousand 
 thousands"); answering to the Hioo myriads 'in 
 the former clause, the Lord (is) among them, 
 (as) in Sinai, in the holy (place). Deut xxxiii. 
 2, 3 is here referred to, Sinai and Zion resemble 
 one another in this, that the Lord is on the latter, 
 as he was in the former, encompassed with count- 
 less angels (Gal. iii. 19; Heb, ii. 2; Acts vii. 53). 
 De Dieu and Hengstenherg translate, ' Sinai is in 
 the sanctuary' (viz., of Zion). Zion does not yield 
 recedence even to Sinai, for Zion includes even 
 iuai in it; for all the angels who once ministered 
 at the giving of the law on Sinai are continually 
 dwelling in Zion : the cherubim are their visible 
 representatives. Moreover, the two tables of 
 commandments were placed within the ark ; and 
 in the ulterior reference to the spiritual Zion the 
 law of Sinai is fultilled in the Gospel. Sinai has 
 its antitypical counterpart in the sermon on tlie 
 mount ; and the ascension amidst angels, and 
 consequent outpouriug of the Spirit's gifts, are 
 the analogue to the angelic chariots at Sinai and 
 the giving of the old law. 18. Thou hast ascended 
 on high, thou hast led captivity captive. After 
 thy descent on earth to give victory to thy people 
 (in the wars with Syria and with Ammon), thoii, 
 hast ascended to heaven, to maintain there also 
 their interests (cf, Ps. vii. 7, note ; xlvii. 5). The 
 presence of the Lord in Zion, the earthly type of 
 the heavenly mount, has been manifested by this 
 victory. '^'Led captivity captive" is from De- 
 borah's song (Judg. V, 12). The abstract, captivitg, 
 for the concrete, captives (cf. marg., 2 Chr. xxviii, 
 17), is emphatical : Thou hast led captive captivity 
 itselj, expressing the utter prostration of the foes. 
 Some make it, 'Thou hast led captive those who 
 had made others captive'— i. e., the foes who had 
 oppressed thy people {Oenehrard). Antitypically, 
 Christ has triumplicd over, and bound everlast- 
 ingly, Satan, sin, and death, which once en- 
 thralled man (Col. ii. 15: 1 Cor. xv. 54). thou 
 K 
 
God to he ^praised 
 
 PSALM LXVIII. 
 
 for his great ucorh 
 
 YQ2i,for Hhe rebellions also, ^ that the Lord God might dwell among them. 
 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, 
 Even the God of our salvation. Selah. 
 
 Be that is our God is the God of salvation ; 
 And ^unto God the Lord belong the issues from death. 
 But God shall wound the head of his enemies, 
 
 And the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses. 
 The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan ; 
 I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea : 
 
 23 That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, 
 And the tong-ue of thy dogs in the same. 
 
 24 They have seen thy goings, 0 God; 
 
 Even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary. 
 
 25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; 
 Among them were the damsels playing with timbrels. 
 
 19 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 i Ptov. 1. 22. 
 Isa 65. 7. 
 Matt. 9. 13. 
 Luke 24.47. 
 Acts 2. ^3, 
 36. 
 
 Acts 9. 17. 
 
 1 Cor. 6. 9- 
 11. 
 
 \ Tim 1. 13. 
 
 Tit. 3. 37. 
 * 2 Chr. 6. 18. 
 
 Ps 78. 60. 
 
 Isa. 57. 15. 
 
 Eze 48. 35. 
 ' Deut. 32.30. 
 
 2 Cor. 1. 10. 
 Eev. 1. 18. 
 
 12 Or. red. 
 
 hast received gifts for men:— rather [3], 'among 
 men.' In Eph. iv. 8 it is quoted, 'He gave 
 gifts unto (a few MSS. read among) men,' which 
 briugs out the sense more fully. The giving, 
 which follows as a consequence, pre-supposes the 
 receiving. The gifts" in respect to David's time, 
 were those given to Israel by God, who had sub- 
 jugated the foe to His people (2 Sam. viii. 2, 6). 
 The 'among men,' in David's case, means gifts 
 received among, i. e.,from, the subjugated enemies, 
 in the antitypical sense, the gifts won by Christ's 
 victory over the powers of evil are distributed to 
 His people, just as David distributed among his 
 people the gifts received among the subject enemies. 
 The "men stand in contrast to 'God on high.' 
 yea, (for) the rebellious also, that the Lord God 
 might dwell (among them). The word "rebel- 
 lious," which explains the previous "men," shows 
 that ' among men ' is not gifts to be distributed 
 among David's people, but gifts received among 
 David's enemies just vanquished, God being the 
 real conqueror and receiver, David only the in- 
 strument. In Gospel application, the human ene- 
 mies subdued by grace are one with those unto 
 whom the gifts are given, the rebellious being con- 
 verted into the obedient. The "rebellious" iu 
 David's case are the refractory Ammonites, who 
 had persisted in opposition, even after God had 
 plainly shown that He was on Israel's sida The 
 words "among them" are not iu the Hebrew. 
 Translate, 'yea, among the rebellious also, that 
 the Lord God might dwell' — viz., among His 
 people on Zion (corresponding to which, autitypi- 
 cally, is God now dwelling in His Church, the 
 temple of the Holy Ghost, 2 Cor. vi. 16), as v. 16 
 shows, 'yea, the Lord will dwell {in Zion) for 
 ever.' Contrast "the rebellious dwell in a dry 
 land" [v. 6). The rebellious are not here re- 
 garded as objects of grace, but of punishment 
 (Ps. Ixvi. 7). 
 
 19. Blessed (be) the Lord, (who) daily loadeth 
 us (with benefits, even) the God of our salvation. 
 From the particular benefit the Psalmist rises to 
 the universal, praising God as the Saviour of His 
 Church. "Loadeth" may refer to a burden of 
 calamities, not benefits. 'Blessed be the Lord 
 daily : (when) He layeth burdens on us, (yet) He 
 is the God of our salvation.' The Hebrew accent 
 upon us distinguishes that clause from the follow- 
 ing. Tlie God who wounds is the same who also 
 heals the w^ound (1 Sam. ii. 6). So in v. 20, He 
 who intiicts death also bestows " the issues from 
 death." So JJe pieu. The Chaldaic takes it, 
 'He loadeth us with precept upon precept.' Cf. 
 " My burden is light " (Matt. xi. SO). Hengstenberg 
 translates, 'Men lay burdens on us; the Lord is 
 242 
 
 our Salvation.' 1 prefer this, as forming the sub- 
 ject of the strophe which it introduces. 
 
 20-23. — God helps His people against their wicked 
 enemies. 20. He that is our God—?!, e., the God of 
 Israel, is the God of salvation— lit. , of salvations. 
 The plural expresses that, however numerous be the 
 evils threatening our destruction, God has at com- 
 mand countless means of deliverance, and unto 
 God the Lord (belong) the issues from death — 
 lit., "the issues" appertaining to [*?] death; i.e., 
 the power to give His people's enemy up to death, 
 and so to save His people from the death which 
 the enemy threatened (Ps. xlviii. 14; Rev. i 18). 
 21. But God shall wound the head of his enemies, 
 — (Ps. ex. 6.) 22. The Lord said, I will bring 
 again from Bashan ; I will bring (my people) 
 again from the depths of the sea— Le,, I will 
 restore Israel from dangers as great as the conflict 
 with Og of Bashan (Num. xxi. 3^^), aud as the pas- 
 sage through the Eed Sea (Exod. xiv. 22). " The 
 depths of the sea " is a proverb for imminent 
 risks; Isa. xlix. 12; li. 11, 15; xi. 11-15 confirm 
 the English version. Hengstenberg translates, ' I 
 will bring back (the enemies just named, v. 21; 
 and again in the following v. 23 ; also v. 30) out of 
 Basan,' whither the enemy had come on their 
 return home after a successful invasion of the 
 Holy Land: just as David slew the Edomites, 
 w^hen, after invading Israel, they had reached the 
 valley of Salt, the boundary of their own laud. 
 .Maurer, taking this view, makes the sea mean the 
 Mediterranean on the west, as Basan is on the 
 east. Amos ix. 3 then explains the language. 
 But it is plainly Israel that is brought "from the 
 depths of the sea " by ' the God of salvation, her 
 God, unto whom belong the issues of death' {v. 
 19). 23. That thy foot may be dipped— lit., that 
 thou mayest dash about : the same Hebrew as in 
 V. 21, "wound" or 'dash in pieces.' and the 
 tongue of thy dogs in the same— /. e., may be 
 dipped in the same; lit., 'that the tongue of thy 
 dogs (may get) from thine enemies, from it.' Cr. 
 the case of Ahab's and Jezebel's blood licked up 
 by dogs (1 Ki. xxii. 38 ; 2 Ki. ix. 35, 36). 
 
 24-27. — The joyous procession in celebration of 
 the victory. 24. They have seen. The crowding 
 spectators have seen, as distinguished from those 
 forming the procession, thy goings — i. e., the 
 procession in honour of thee, in the sanctuary 
 — {vv. 29, 35. ) The procession was in the temple. 
 25. The singers went before, the players on 
 instruments followed after— because in intelli- 
 gent worship the Word itself has precedency of its 
 ornamental accompaniments (1 Cor. xiv. 15). A 
 rule as to sacred music ; the music is not to drown 
 
God to be praised 
 
 PSALM LXVIIL 
 
 for his great works. 
 
 26 Bless ye God in the congregations, 
 
 Even the Lord, ^^from the fountain of Israel. 
 
 27 There is little Benjamin with their ruler, 
 The princes of Judah '^^and their council, 
 
 The princes of Zebulun, and the princes of NaphtalL 
 
 28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength : 
 Strengthen, 0 God, that which thou hast wrought for us. 
 
 29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem 
 Shall '"kings bring presents unto thee. 
 
 30 Rebuke ^^the company of spearmen, 
 
 The multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, 
 Till every one submit himself with pieces of silver : 
 1^ Scatter thou the people that delight in war. 
 
 the words and sense, but to be subordinate and 
 subservient to them. 26. Bless ye God in the 
 congregations, (even) tlie Lord, from the fountain 
 of Israel—?, e., from the heart, not merely with 
 the lips. Or rather, ye who "are come forth out 
 of the waters {i.e., the parent stock) of JudaW'' 
 (Isa. xlviii. 1 ; li. 1; Pro v. v. 18; Hos. xiii. 15). 
 ^ 27. There is little Benjamin (with) their ruler, 
 * the princes of Judah (and) their council, the 
 princes of Zebulun, (and) the princes of Naphtali. 
 The four tribes here mentioned are representa- 
 tives of the whole: Benjamin and Judah on the 
 extreme south, Zebulun and Naphtali on the ex- 
 treme north. The first judges, Othniel and Ehud, 
 belonged to Judah and Benjamiu respectively. 
 Zebulun and Naphtali were foremost in the de- 
 liverance wrought under Deborah and Barak (Judg. 
 V. 18). Saul was from Benjamin, and David from 
 Judah. "There "— i. e., in the procession. Benja- 
 min is called "little" in reference to his place 
 among the sons of Jacob (Gen. xliii 33; also 1 
 Sam. ix. 21). The tribe had been reduced to a 
 very small number in the affair of Gibeah (Judg. 
 XX. 46-48). "(With) their ruler." Hengstenberg 
 translates, 'Benjamin who rules over them''— the 
 enemies [v. 23). That even the little Benjamin 
 should be ruler over the heathen, magnifies the 
 grace of God (1 Sam. xiv. 47, 48). Benjamin would 
 not be likely to lead the Y)rocession; so that we 
 cannot translate 'as their leader.' Nor does the 
 Hebrew imply the rule which the head of a tribe 
 exercised (as the English version), but to have the 
 mastery over, the princes of Judah (and) their 
 council. The Hebrew [na;-]] means 'their ston- 
 ing:' there is no "and:" 'the princes of Judah, 
 the stoning of them'— i. e., of the enemy {v. 23); 
 for instance, David, who by a stone destroyed 
 Goliath, the representative of the world-power. 
 This accords with the preceding, "their ruler" — 
 i. e., who gains the mastery over them (the enemy) 
 {Henrjstenher(j). Or, taking the English version 
 -with qualification, 'the princes of Judah their 
 council' — i. e., the stones or principal persons of 
 the tribe (Gen. xlix. 24). So the LXX. [/jyejuoVev]. 
 Or, 'the princes of Judah (and) t\xQ\r company :^ 
 the Hebrew originally meaning a collection of 
 stones; in Arabic, a company. So Kimchi and 
 Gesenius. I prefer Hengstenberg' s view. The 
 same tribes are prominent in the iNew Testament, 
 as foremost in the battle of the Church against 
 the world. Paul, the "least" of the apostles 
 (1 Cor. XV. 8-10), was by origin Saul of Benjamin 
 (Phil. iii. 5). Christ, "the Lion of the tribe of 
 Judah," James and John, the brothers, the other 
 James, Thaddeus, and Simon were from Judah, 
 and the other apostles were from Naphthalim and 
 Zabulon, or Galilee (Matt. iv. 13). 
 2!8-31, -The glorious deliverances vouchsafed to 
 243 
 
 13 Or, ye 
 that are 
 of the 
 fountain. 
 Deut. 33.2S. 
 Isa. 48. I. 
 
 14 Or, with 
 their 
 company. 
 
 ^ Isa. 60. 16. 
 
 15 Or, the 
 beasts of 
 the reeds. 
 Jer. 51. 32. 
 
 16 Or. he 
 scatter- 
 eth. 
 
 His jjeople, by God dwelling in Ziou, give an 
 earnest of the future subjugation of the whole 
 world under Him. 28. Thy God hath commanded 
 thy strength— i. e., hath by His eternal decree, 
 made known by Moses, ajipointed and given it 
 (Ps. xlii. 8). strengthen, 0 God, that which 
 thou hast wrought for us— let thy strength be 
 manifested in working for us tins (emphatic in the 
 Hebrew) which we cannot work for ourselves (Isa. 
 xxvi. 12; Ps. cxxxviii. 8; Phil. ii. 13). See God's 
 promise, Deut. xxxiii, 25. As in the former 
 clause he addresses the elect people, so in the latter 
 he addresses God. 29. Because of thy temple at 
 Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee— 
 rather, as the LXX., Chaldaic, and most ver- 
 sions, 'From thy tem^jle:' connected with the 
 previous v. 28, "strengthen, O God, that which 
 thou hast wrought for us." Show thy power from 
 thy palace hanging over Jerusalem (so the Hebrew 
 for " at "), as the protecting guardian of the city : 
 so shall kings bring presents unto thee (2 Chr. 
 xxxii. 23; Isa. Ix. 3). So v. 35, "thou art terrible 
 out of thy holy places:" cf. Ps. ex. 2. On the 
 'over,' see v. 34. The tabernacle on Zion was 
 called "the temple " or palace of God even earlier 
 than David's time (1 Sam. iii. 3; 1 Chr. xxix. 1). 
 The temple of Solomon was the continuation of 
 the tabernacle (Ps. v. 7; xlviii. 9). The Hebrew 
 for " ])resents " is only found elsewhere in Ps. 
 Ixxvi. 11; Isa. xviii. 7.] 30. Rebuke the com- 
 pany of spearmen— lit., of the reed; i.e., of 
 the men armed with the reec^-like spear. But 
 perhaps, as Egypt is mentioned next verse, and in 
 this verse "bulls" are used figuratively, it is better 
 to translate, ' Rebuke (the prophetical word 
 bringing to pass that which it foretells) the beast of 
 the reeds' [chayyath quaneh); i.e., the king of 
 Egypt, often represented as a crocodile in the 
 Nile. So Augustus, after the conquest of Antony 
 and Cleopatra, depicted Egypt (Isa. xix. 6). So 
 Ezek. xxix. 3. Or, the 'beast of the reeds' is the 
 hippopotamus, or behemoth, represented in J ob xl. 
 21 as " lying in the covert of the reed and fens," 
 the second natural representative of Egypt, the 
 multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the 
 people— ^i^., 'the multitude of the strong ones' 
 (Ps. xxii. 12). Powerful kings are the hulls, and 
 their subjects tlie calves, (till every one) submit 
 himself with pieces of silver— i e., bring silver as 
 tribute, in token of submission and allegiance. Cf. 
 V. 18, ' Thou hast received gifts among men ' (Isa. 
 Ix. 9). scatter thou the people that delight in 
 war. So the LXX., Syriac, and Arabic, [ni?.] 
 Rather, 'He scattereth the people,' &c. So the 
 Chaldaic. The sudden change from the impera- 
 tive to the indicative is not unusual in poetry. 
 Wars shall cease under Messiah's coming reign 
 (Isa. il 4; Hos. ii. 18; Zech. ix. 10). 31. Princes 
 
i 
 
 David complaineth 
 
 PSALM LXIX. 
 
 of his afflictions. 
 
 31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; 
 
 Ethiopia ''shall soon stretch out her hands unto God. 
 
 32 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; 
 
 0 sing praises unto the Lord ; Selah : 
 
 83 To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; 
 Lo, he doth ^^send out his voice, and that a mighty voice. 
 
 34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: 
 His excellency is over Israel, 
 
 And his strength is in the clouds. 
 
 35 0 God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: 
 
 The God of Israel is he ^that giveth strength and power unto his people. 
 Blessed be God. 
 
 PSALM LXIX. 
 
 To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 SAVE me, 0 God ;— for the waters are come in unto my soul. 
 
 2 I sink in ^deep mire, where there is no standing; 
 
 1 am come into ^deep waters, where the floods overflow me. 
 
 3 I am weary of my crying ; my throat is dried : 
 Mine eyes fail while I wait for my God. 
 
 4 They that "hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine 
 
 head : 
 
 " Ps. 72. 8. 
 
 Isa. l\ 19. 
 
 Tsa. 60. 6, 7. 
 
 Isa. 66. 19. 
 o Isa. 45. 11, 
 
 Zeph. 3, 10. 
 
 Acts 8. 27. 
 
 28. 
 
 17 give. 
 
 18 Ur, 
 heavens. 
 
 P Isa. 41. 40. 
 Isa. 45. 2». 
 Zech. 10.12. 
 John 15. 5. 
 Eph. 6. 10. 
 1 Pet. 5, 10. 
 Pbil. 4. 13. 
 
 PSALM C9. 
 
 1 the mire 
 of depth. 
 Isa 38. 17. 
 
 2 depth of 
 waters. 
 Ps. 88. 6. 
 Eze. 27. 26. 
 
 34. 
 
 " John 15.25. 
 
 — Hebrew, liashmanim, rich nobles; whence tlie 
 Maccabees took their name, Asmoneam. Egypt, 
 Ethiopia — representatives of the might of the 
 world in David's days, before the rise of the 
 Asiatic world-empires. Cush or Ethiopia, by its 
 distance, represents the most distant lauds, shall 
 soon stretch out her hands unto Ctod—Ut., ' shall 
 hasten with her hands (stretched out) towards 
 God,' either in the attitude of prayer or present- 
 ing gifts (Isa. xlv. 14; Zeph. iii. 10; Ps. Ixxii. 10). 
 An earnest of this was given in the conversion of 
 the eunuch of the Ethiopian queen Canduce, and 
 in the ancient Egyptian church at Alexandria, 
 where Athanasius was bishop. 
 
 32-35. — All the kingdoms of the earth are ex- 
 horted to praise the God of Israel (Ps. Ixvi, 1). 
 32, 33. Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth 
 ... To him that rideth upon the heaven of 
 heavens (which -were) of old. God's riding upon 
 the highest heavens (Deut. x. 14; 1 Ki. viii. 27) is 
 the ground on which {v. 32) David exhorts all to 
 sing His praises. He alludes to Deut. xxxiii. 26. 
 lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty 
 voice— (Ps. xxix. 3.) 34. Ascribe ye strength 
 unto God— (Ps. xxix. 1.) his excellency (Hebrew 
 His height: His elevated majesty) is over Israel 
 —even as the temple stood over Jerusalem {v. 29, 
 note). God, hovering oyer His people, protects 
 them (Isa. xxxi. 5). "His excellency" — lit.y His 
 height, and his strength is in the clouds— 
 whence He makes His thunders to issue. ' His- 
 tory aud nature alike manifest His glory' {Htng- 
 stenherg). 35. 0 God, thou art terrible out of 
 thy holy places— cf, note, vv. 28, 29. The holy 
 places or sanctuaries of God are here represented as 
 manifold, in reference to the many x)arts of the 
 temple ; also imx>lying the omnii)resence of God as 
 the Helper of His people. He has a heavenly 
 and an earthly sanctuary ; eveu when His people 
 could not be at Jerusalem, He was with them 
 (Ezek. xi. 16). So He is now in all places where 
 His people meet in His name. His "terrible" 
 might is exercised for the destruction of His peo- 
 ples enemies, the God of Israel is he that 
 giveth strength . , . unto his people— (Ps. xxix. 
 11: Isa. xl. 29-31.) It is because He is " the God 
 244 
 
 of Israel,''^ i.e.. His people, that He gives them 
 strength. 
 
 PSALM LXIX. 1-36. — The sufferer's misery 
 and cry to God {vv. 1-4); God knows that the reproach 
 which he suffers, as if sinful and foolish, he incurs 
 through zeal for God's glory {w. 5-12); he renews 
 prayer for deliverance {vv. 13-18); again he appeals 
 to God's knowledge of his reproach from foes [vv. 19- 
 21); their doom [vv. 22-28); poor and sorroioful 
 himself, he is sure the salvation of God will set him 
 up on high {v. 29); so he resolves to praise God; 
 the humble pious shall be glad at the Lords having 
 heard the poor {vv. 30-33); heaven and earth are 
 invited to praise God for saving Zion, that His people 
 may dwell there {vv. 34-36). This psalm and Ps. 
 
 xxii. are the psalms most of all applied to Christ 
 in the Kew Testament (John xv. 25, cf. v. 4; John 
 ii. 17, cf. V. 9; also Rom. xv, 3, Matt, xxvii. 34, 
 48, with V. 21; Acts i. 20, cf. v. 25; also Matt. 
 
 xxiii. 38). The two characteristics of this psalm, 
 which is 'one great martyr image,' are— (1.) The 
 fulness of detail of the judgments on the sufferer's 
 foes ; (2.) The prominence of the fact that he suffers 
 for the sake of God {Hengstenberg). With the 
 curses on the reprobate, vv. 22-28, cf. David in 1 
 Sam. xxvi. 19 ; 2 Sam. iii. 29. 
 
 Title.— TJvon Shoshannim— i. e., upon the lilies; 
 an emblem for the servants of God {v. 36), and tlie 
 lovely consolations and salvation from the Lord 
 which are theirs, (cf. note on title, Ps. xlv.) There 
 is a play on similar sounds, "Shoshannim" and, 
 V. 1, Hoshieeni, "save me," giving a key to the 
 former enigmatic term. 
 
 1. Save me, 0 God; for the waters are come 
 in unto my soul— like another type, Jonah (Jon. 
 ii. 5). 2. I sink in deep mire (Ps. xl, 2.)— lit., 
 the mire of the deep; not that of a pit, but of the 
 deep sea. Like Jeremiah, the type, in the dungeon 
 of Malchiah (Jer. xxxviii. 6). 3. mine eyes fail, 
 while I wait for my God— as one's vision fails 
 when it is kept long fixed in one direction in the 
 distance, and strained in the vain hope that the 
 desired object will come in view (Ps. cxix. 82; 
 Lani. iv. 17; Ps. xl. 12). 4. They that hate me 
 without a cause are more than the hairs of 
 mine head. In Ps. xl. 12 it is " mine iniquities." 
 
David prayeth 
 
 PSALM LXIX. 
 
 for deliverance. 
 
 They that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty : 
 Then I restored that which I took not away. 
 
 0 God, thou knowest my foolishness ; 
 And my ^sins are not hid from thee. 
 
 Let not them that wait on thee, 0 Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for 
 my sake ; 
 
 Let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, 0 God of Israel. 
 
 7 Because for thy sake I have borne reproach ; — shame hath covered my face. 
 
 8 I *am become a stranger unto my brethren. 
 And an alien unto my mother s children. 
 
 9 For "^the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; 
 
 ^And the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. 
 
 10 When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach. 
 
 1 1 I made sackcloth also my garment; — and became a proverb to them. 
 
 12 They that sit in the gate speak against me; 
 And-^I was the song of the * drunkards. 
 
 13 But as for me, my prayer 25 unto thee, 0 Lord, ^in an acceptable time: 
 
 6 
 
 3 guiltiness. 
 6 Isa. 53. 3. 
 
 John I. 11. 
 John 7. 5. 
 " 1 Ki. 19. 10. 
 Mark 11.15- 
 17. 
 
 John 2. 17. 
 d Rora. 15. 3. 
 • Deut. 2S.37. 
 
 1 Ki. 9. 7. 
 Jer. 24. 9. 
 
 / Job. 17. 6. 
 Job 30. 9 
 Lam 3. 14, 
 63. 
 
 4 drinkers of 
 strong 
 drink. 
 
 9 Isa. 49. 8. 
 Isa. 55. 6. 
 
 2 Cor. 6. 2. 
 
 they that would destroy me, being mine ene- 
 mies wrongfully, are mighty— (Ps. xxxv. 19; 
 xxxviii. 19.) then I restored that which I took 
 not away — (Ps. xxxv. 11, marg.) A proverbial 
 phrase for, ' I am treated as guilty of wrougs 
 which I have never done.' The "then" means, 
 what I have not taken away, I am then afterwards 
 held accountable for. So in 2 Sam. xvi. 8, Shimei 
 charged David with Saul's sins, "The Lord hath 
 returned upon thee all the blood of the house of 
 Saul." 
 
 5-12. — He appeals in support of his prayer to 
 God's knowledge that he suffers reproach and 
 estrangement, as if he were foolish and sinful, for 
 the sake of God, and through zeal for His glory. 
 5. 0 God, thou knowest my foolishness— i. e. , 
 in the Scripture sense, sin: thou knowest the sin 
 imputed to me falsely by my adversaries— viz., 
 that I am a ' wine-bibber, mad, and have a devil ' 
 (Matt. xi. 19; John x. 20). The subordinate sense 
 may also be implied, Thou knowest how I bear, as 
 the sinner's substitute, the sin of the world laid on 
 me: as vv. 6, 7, 19 imply. Of. Ps. xxxviii. 3-5; 
 xl. 12. and my sins — trespasses; things done amiss; 
 negligences [nc»N]. 6. Let not them that wait on 
 thee, 0 Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my 
 sake — If I be put to shame who am representative 
 of all that wait on thee, they also will be put to 
 shame, and will feel that waiting on thee is of no 
 avail (Ps. xxv, .3). let not those that seek thee 
 be confounded for my sake, 0 God of Israel. As 
 the title " Lord God of Hosts" implies His infinite 
 power, so "God of Israel," His will to prevent 
 such a confounding of " them that wait upon Him." 
 7. Because for thy sake I have borne reproach, 
 "For THY sake" beautifully answers to "for my 
 sake" {v. 6). As Messiah suffers for the sake of 
 God's will, so he prays that God for his sake will 
 not suffer those who like himself w ait upon God to 
 wait in vain, which they would do if God should 
 finally reject his prayer (cf. Jer. xv. 15). shame 
 hath covered my face. So Messiah (Matt, xxvii. 
 67; Isa. 1. G). 'Keproach is more bitter to an 
 honourable man than a hundred deaths : for many 
 will be ready to suffer death who cannot bear 
 reproach' {Calvin). 8. I am become a stranger 
 unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mo- 
 ther's children— (Ps. xxxi. 11; xxxviii. 11; xxvii. 
 10, note.) So David was treated by his brother 
 with rudeness (1 Sam. xvii. 28). As to Messiah's 
 estrangement on the part of both the Jews, His 
 brethren nationally, and His immediate kinsmen, 
 
 cf. John i. 11 ; vii. 5. 9. For the zeal of thine 
 house hath eaten me up — consumes me like a 
 flame with its very intensity (Ps. cxix. 139). The 
 expansion of " for thy sake" {v. 7): cf. John ii. 17 
 as a specimen of Messiah's zeal for the honour of 
 the house of God. and the reproaches of them 
 that reproached thee are fallen upon me— in 
 consequence of my glowing " zeal" for thine hon- 
 our, the reproaches aimed at thee fall upon me. 
 This clause is quoted in Rom. xv. 3, to show that 
 ' Christ pleased not himself.' 
 
 10-12. — His zeal for the Lord has drawn upon him 
 the reproach of the ungodly. 10. When I wept, 
 (and chastened) my soul with fasting, that was 
 to my reproach— rather, without ellipsis, ' When I 
 wept away my soul in fasting, even that was to my 
 reproach ;' or, 'And I wept in fasting of my soul, 
 and it was (a source of) reproaches to me.' The 
 fasting and weeping are similarly joined by David 
 in the history (2 Sam. xii. 16, 21). Messiah's 
 fasting and weeping here are for the sin of the 
 people whose cause He advocates before God, and 
 lor the judgment coming in consequence upon 
 them. This His gracious mourning for them (Ps. 
 xxxv. 13), which should have moved them to 
 repentance, was made by them matter for profane 
 scoffing. 11. and I became a proverb to them 
 — (Ps. xliv. 1.3, J4.) 12. They that sit in the gate 
 speak against me — lit., ^ 8\)esik with premeditation 
 [n>B': Ps. Iv. 2, 17, note] against me;' think upon 
 me,' with a view to witticisms at my expense, as 
 a M'eak enthusiast or hypocrite. The gates were 
 tlie usual place of concourse, of law proceedings, 
 and of transacting business. Thus not only I (was) 
 the song of the drunkards (or, lit., 'and the 
 strains of those drinking strong drink (shecar) 
 speak against me;' cf. Job xxx. 9; Isa. v. 11, 12; 
 Lam. iii. 14, 63), but even those engaged in more 
 serious business deliberately think and speak against 
 me. 
 
 13-18.— The prayer for deliverance renewed from 
 vv. 1, 5, more fully on the basis already laid down 
 —viz., that it was for the sake of God he had been 
 brought into trouble. 13. But as for me— em- 
 phatical, as in Ps. xxxv. 13 ; xli. 12. my prayer 
 is unto thee, 0 Lord, in an acceptable time— 
 lit., 'in a time of grace,' or of thy 'good pleasure:' 
 explained in Isa. xlix. 8 as a " day of salvation ;" 
 and in Isa. Ixi. 2, "the acceptable year of the 
 Lord" is contrasted with "the day of vengeance of 
 our God." It is a limited time, that judged by 
 God to be best fitted for effecting His purposes of 
 
Damd prayeth 
 
 PSALM LXIX. 
 
 for deliverance. 
 
 0 God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation, 
 
 14 Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink : 
 Let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters. 
 
 15 Let not the waterflood overflow me, — neither let the deep swallow me up^ 
 And let not the pit shut her mouth upon me. 
 
 1 6 Hear me, 0 Lord ; for thy loving-kindness is good : 
 Turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, 
 
 17 And hide not thy face from thy servant; 
 For I am in trouble : ^hear me speedily. 
 
 18 Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: 
 Deliver me, because of mine enemies. 
 
 19 Thou hast known ^'my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: 
 Mine adversaries are all before thee. 
 
 20 Reproach hath broken my heart, — and ^ I am full of heaviness : 
 And I looked for some ^ to take pity, but there was none ; 
 And for comforters, but I found none. 
 
 21 They gave me also gall for my meat; 
 And -^in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink, 
 
 22 Let their table become a snare before them : 
 And that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap. 
 
 23 Let ^' their eyes be darkened, that they see not; 
 
 grace by Messiah— the present dispensation. Mes- 
 siah's prayers for Himself were never mistimed: 
 they were exactly at the time when the Father's 
 good pleasure would have them to be; and so they 
 are still for His people, in the multitude of thy 
 mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation— 
 i. e., in accordance with thy truth (thy faithfulness 
 to thy promises in prophecy) which ai)points salva- 
 tion 'for thy people (Ps. Ixxi. 2). 14. Deliver me 
 out of the mire . . . from them that hate me, 
 and out of the deep waters— (Ps. xviii. 4 ; cxliv. 
 7.) 15. let not the pit shut her mouth upon me— 
 Hebrew, beer, 'the well' (Ps. xl. 2, a different 
 Hebrew word, bor, ' pit'). 16. thy loving-kindness 
 is good— pre-eminent, extraordinary, the multi- 
 tude of thy tender mercies -(cf. v. 13.) 17. hear 
 me speedily— /i^,, 'make haste! hear me.' The 
 abruptness marks the vehemence of desire. 
 18. Draw nigh unto my soul— which is in im- 
 minent danger {i\ 1). Cf. Ps. xxii. 11. deliver 
 me, hecause of mine enemies— (Ps. xiii. 4.) 
 
 19-21.— Again he appeals to God's knowledge of 
 his reproach and suffering from his foes, as the 
 ground on which he rests the following prayer for 
 judgment on them. 19. Thou hast known my re- 
 proach, &c.— therefore thou canst not but remove 
 all this from me. mine adversaries are all before 
 thee— therefore thou canst not but take righteous 
 vengeance on them {vv. 23-29). 20. Reproach hath 
 broken my heart. Probably the Saviour died of 
 a broken heart. Cruciiixion would not by itself 
 have killed Him in so short a time. The peri- 
 cardium or sac was burst, and the extravasated 
 blood was separated into the crassamentum and 
 the serum. So on the spear being driven into the 
 side of the Saviour, blood and water flowed out. 
 Thus the rending of " the veil," whereby the Hply 
 of holies was thrown open, answ^ers to the breaking 
 of "His flesh" (Heb, x. 20), whereby we can enter 
 the heavenly holiest place. Again, the breaking of 
 bread in the Lord's Supper answers to the breaking 
 of His heart. The intensity of the mental agony 
 which broke His heart is revealed in the bloody 
 sweat in Gethsemane, and in the agonized cry on 
 the cross, " Eli, Eli, Lama Sabacthani." and I am 
 full of heaviness— Ztf., '1 am sick' (Ps. vi. 2). 
 21. They gave me also gall for my meat ; and in my 
 thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. His bitter 
 
 5 make halite 
 to hear me. 
 Ps. 70. 1. 
 Job 7. 21. 
 h Ps. 22. 6. 
 Isa. 63. 3. 
 Heb. 12. 2. 
 
 1 Pet. 2. 23. 
 < Ps. 42. 6. 
 
 Matt. 26.37. 
 38, 
 
 John 12.27. 
 * to lament 
 trith me. 
 Ps. 142. 4. 
 d Matt. 27. 34, 
 48. 
 
 Mark 15.23. 
 Ltike 23.36. 
 John 19. 2X 
 Deut. 28.65. 
 67. 
 
 Isa. 21. 3, 4. 
 Jer. 30. 6. 
 Dan. 5. 6. 
 John 12. 39. 
 Rom. 11.10. 
 
 2 Cor. 3. 14. 
 
 sufferings might have been expected to soften 
 even His enemies, who had caused those suffer- 
 ings ; but instead of cordials, they gave him gall 
 and vinegar. Twice vinegar was offered to the 
 Saviour on the cross — first vinegar mixed with 
 gall (Matt, xxvii. 34), and myrrh (Mark xv. 23); 
 but when he had tasted it, He would not drink it; 
 for He would not meet His sufferings in a state of 
 stupefaction, which is the effect of myrrh. A» 
 given to criminals, it was a, kindness ; as given to 
 the righteous Sin-bearer, it was an insult. Next, 
 in order to fulfil this scripture, He cried " I thirst," 
 and vinegar was given Him to drink (John xix. 28; 
 Matt, xxvii. 4S). 
 
 22-28.— The just doom pronounced upon the 
 enemy. 22. Let their table become a snare be- 
 fore them. Here Christ, the antitype and the real 
 speaker, assumes the character of Judge^ The 
 Jews' table was their high religious privileges (Ps, 
 xxiii. 5), which, through their resting on them as 
 ends, instead of as means, proved their deadly 
 snare. The passover-table and the sacrificial 
 tables were abrogated by His death. Rom. xi. 9, 
 10 quotes vv. 22, 23 as fulfilled in the fate of the 
 Jews. 'All the blessings of life become fraught 
 with death to the reprobate' {Calvin), and (that 
 which should have besn) for (their) welfare (let it 
 become) a trap. The Chaldaic translates, 'let 
 their sacrifices be to them a stumblingblock. This 
 is probable, for the Hebrew of 'for their peace' 
 or "w^elfare" is plural — lishelomim, 'offerings 
 which appertain to their peace,^ ^ sacrificial peace 
 offerings^ The mention in the context of " their 
 table " accords with this view ; for in peace offer- 
 ings the sacrificers feasted on the flesh of the vic- 
 tims after the fat had been burnt before the Lord, 
 and the breast and shoulder given to the priests. 
 It betokened the enjoyment of communion wuth 
 God at the "table of the Lord," on which their sacri- 
 ficial meats were served (Mai. i. 7, 12), in the gifts 
 which he bestowed, of which a choice portion was 
 given to Him and to His servants. The Jews' 
 "table" became, by their perversely reiecting the 
 One only sacrifice, and adhering to tne typical 
 sacrifices when these had lost their meaning, their 
 table, not the table of Jehovah; and so their trap 
 causing them to incur rejection by God. 23. Let 
 their eyes be darkened, that they see not— just 
 
Damd praiseth 
 
 PSALM LXIX. 
 
 God with thanksghing. 
 
 And make their loins continually to shake. 
 
 24 Pour out thine indignation upon them, 
 
 And let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. 
 
 25 Let Hheir habitation be desolate; — and ^ let none dwell in their tents. 
 
 26 For they persecute ^him whom thou hast smitten; 
 
 And they talk to the grief of ^ those whom thou hast wounded. 
 
 27 Add iniquity unto their iniquity ; 
 
 "*And let them not come into thy righteousness. 
 
 28 Let them ''be blotted out of the book of the living,- 
 *'And not be written with the righteous, 
 
 29 But I am poor and sorrowful : 
 
 Let thy salvation, 0 God, set me up on high. 
 
 30 I will praise the name of God with a song. 
 And will magnify him with thanksgiving. 
 
 31 This also shall please the Lord better than an ox 
 Or bullock that hath horns and hoofs. 
 
 32 The ^1 humble shall see this, and be glad: 
 And your heart shall live that seek God. 
 
 33 For the Lord heareth the poor, — and despiseth not his prisoners. 
 
 34 Let the heaven and earth praise him. 
 
 The seas, and every thing that ^^moveth therein. 
 
 7 their 
 
 palace. 
 
 Isa 6. 1. 
 
 Isa. 6. II. 
 « let there 
 
 not be a 
 
 dweller. 
 
 Acts 1. 20. 
 ' Isa. 53. 4. 
 
 9 thy 
 wounded. 
 
 10 Or. pun- 
 ishment 
 of ini- 
 quity. 
 
 2 Tim. 4.14. 
 "'Eom. 9. 31, 
 " Ex. 32. 32. 
 
 Phil. 4. 3. 
 
 Eev. 3. 6. 
 
 Rev. 13. 8. 
 0 Eze. 1. 39. 
 
 Luke 10.20. 
 
 Heb. 12 23. 
 
 11 Or, meek, 
 or, afflict- 
 ed. 
 
 12 creepeth. 
 
 retribntion, seeing that they tuowW not see, but 
 loved darkness rather than light (John xii. 37, 40 ; 
 ix. 39 ; iii. 19). They who will not see the truth at 
 last cannot see it, So the Jews when they rejected 
 Messiah (Rom. xi. 8, 10). and make their loins 
 continually to shake. Take away the strength of 
 their loins (the seat of physical power), so that 
 their steps shall totter. Let them have nether 
 eyes to see, nor strength to perform anything. 25. 
 Let their habitation be desolate. Their temple 
 was no longer to be the temple of the Lord, but 
 their own habitation. So Christ quotes it, Matt, 
 xxiii. 38, " Behold, your (the Jews') house is left 
 unto you desolate." See Dr. Brown\ note— 
 
 * deserted of its divine inhabitant^ What is said of 
 Judas (Acts L 20) applies to Judah and Jerusalem, 
 whom he represented. 26. For they persecute 
 him whom thou hast smitten . . . they talk to 
 the grief of those whom thou hast wounded— 
 
 * in respect to the pain of thy (mortally) pierced 
 ones.' 'They talk exultingly and derisively of 
 the pain of thy wounded ones' — "the slain of 
 the Lord" (Isa. Ixvi. 16; Jer. XXV. 33). Messiah 
 refers to Hiynself first, then to His peoYjle (Isa. liii. 
 4, 10, "Him . . . smitfen of God''^). The Jews, in- 
 stead of being moved to compassion by the sad 
 spectacle of Jesus' sufferings, clamoured for His 
 crucifixion. They exulted when they ought to 
 have wept, and persecuted when they ought to 
 have ministered sympathy to the sufferer (cf. Ps. 
 xli. 8, 9). 27. Add iniquity (i. e., its penalty) unto 
 their iniquity. Attach the due punishment to 
 their iniquity, (Ps. xxxi. 10; xl. 12; Jer. xviii. 23; 
 Lam, iv. 6, marc/.) The spirit in David announces 
 the doom of the reprobates (Rom. ii. 5). and let 
 them not come into thy righteousness — that 
 righteousness which is the gift of thy grace to the 
 I^enitent believer (Ps. xxiv. 5; cxxxii. 9; Rom. x. 
 3 ; Phil. iii. 9). 28. Let them be blotted out of the 
 book of the living. All the Israelites who came up 
 out of Egypt were put down in a muster-roll of the 
 living, called "the writing of the house of Israel" 
 (Ezek xiii. 9) and "the book of life." Those who 
 had died were excluded when the names were 
 written out afresh each year. They were thereby 
 consigned to oblivion (Prov. x. 7). Hence the 
 book of life was used as an image for God's book of 
 
 247 
 
 predestination to eternal life (Ps. cxxxix. 16 ; Exod. 
 xxxii. 32 ; Ps, Ixxxvii. 6 ; Dan. xii. 1 ; Phil. iv. 3 ; 
 Rev. xvii. 8 ; xiii. 8 ; xxi. 27 ; Luke x. 20). The 
 book of life, m the human point of vieiv, has names 
 written in it w^ho have a name to live, but are 
 dead, being in it only by external call, or in their 
 own estimation, and in that of others. But in the 
 Divine 2)oint of view it contains only those who are 
 elected iinally to life. The former may be blotted 
 out, as was Judas (Re^. iii, 5; Matt, xiii, 12 ; xxv. 
 29; vii, 23; Exod. xxxii. 33; but the latter 
 never (Rev. xx. 12, 15; John x. 28, 29; Acts xiii. 
 48). 
 
 Hope succeeds to prayer. 29. But I am poor 
 and sorrowful : let thy salvation, 0 God, set me 
 
 up on high— or rather, ' thy salvation sliall set me 
 upon high.' So the LXX., Vulgate, Arabic, Syriac, 
 and Ethiopic. But the Chaldaic as the Eng- 
 lish version. His very misery, combined with 
 his having committed his cause to God, gives him 
 the confident anticipation that he shall be set up 
 on high ; whereas his enemies shall be brought low. 
 This is the ground of Messiah's exaltation (Phil. ii. 
 6-9). The praise follows more naturally {v. 30) in 
 this view than in the English version. 
 
 30-.33. — He resolves, because of the anticipation 
 of glorification {v. 29), to praise God, and hopes 
 that his deliverance will cause gladness to the 
 humble saints. 31. This also shall please the 
 Lord better than an ox (or) bullock that hath 
 horns and hoofs— i. e., having divided hoofs, the 
 mark of clean animals (Lev. xi. 3, 4). 'Better 
 than any victim, however perfect.' Mere material 
 offerings cannot jjlease God, who is a Spirit, in 
 themselves, but only in so far as they are expres- 
 sions of sincere faith and love. 32. The humble 
 shall see (this), and be glad— i. e., shall see God's 
 deliverance of One afflicted still more severely than 
 themselves, and so shall joyfully anticipate their 
 own. and your heart shall live that seek God — 
 (Ps. xxii. 26, note.) Grief "wounds" and deadens 
 the heart (Ps. cix. 22); joy "revives the spirit" 
 (Gen. xlv. 27). 33. For the Lord heareth . . . and 
 despiseth not his prisoners— i. e., those in the 
 bonds of trial for His sake {v. 7) or by His appoint- 
 ment [v. 26) ; cf. Ps. xxii. 24, " for," as my case 
 shows. 
 
A prayer 
 
 PSALMS LXX., LXXL 
 
 for deliverance. 
 
 35 For ^God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah; 
 That they may dwell there, and have it in possession. 
 
 36 The seed also of his servants shall inherit it; 
 And they that love his name shall dwell therein. 
 
 PSALM LXX. 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance. 
 
 1 MAKE haste, 0 God, to deliver me ; — ^make haste ^ to help me, 0 Lord. 
 
 2 Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul : 
 
 Let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt. 
 
 3 Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha! 
 
 4 Let '^all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: 
 
 And let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified. 
 
 5 But *I am poor and needy; — make haste unto me, 0 God : 
 
 Thou art my help and my deliverer; — 0 Lord, make no '^tarrying. 
 
 PSALM LXXL 
 
 1 IN thee, 0 Lord, do I put my trust; — let me never be put to confusion. 
 
 2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape : 
 Incline thine ear unto me, and save me. 
 
 3 ^Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: 
 Thou hast given commandment to save me; 
 
 For thou art my rock and my fortress. 
 
 4 Deliver me, 0 my God, out of the hand of the wicked ; 
 Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. 
 
 34-36. — Call to heaven and earth to praise God, 
 since the sufferers deliverance is a i)Iedge that 
 God will save Zion, literal and spiritual ; and His 
 servants shall inherit it. 35. For God will save 
 Zioa, and will build tlie cities of Judah— in the 
 primary sense. God will repair the mischiefs done 
 ia Saul's days (Ps. li. 18, note). In the ulterior 
 sense Zion, now long desolate, shall be rebuilt and 
 restored at Messiah's second coming, that they 
 may dwell there — viz., 'the humble and poor,' 
 as David (^r?'. 32, 33, 36). In contrast to y. 25, " let 
 none dwell in their (the wicked men's) tents." 
 36. The seed also of his servants shall inherit it; 
 and they that love his name shall dwell therein— 
 (Isa. Ixv. 9.) 
 
 PSALM LXX. — As the next psalm is without 
 a title, it is probable that the two together form 
 a pair with one title. As Ps. Ixx. reproduces, 
 with variations, the close of Ps. xl., so Ps. Ixxi., 
 in its beginning, is taken from Ps. xxxi. Ps. Ixix., 
 Ixx., and Ixxi. form a connected trilogy: the 
 theme is the suffering Righteous One. Elohim (God) 
 is twice substituted for Jehovah (Loe,i>) in vv. 1-4, 
 and for Adonai (Lord in small type) in v. 5, and 
 Jehovah for Elohim in v. 5. 
 
 On the title, to bring to remembrance, cf. note 
 on title, Ps. xxxviii. A psalm designed to put 
 God in remembrance of the Righteous Sufferer and 
 His people. Hence this psalm contains just the 
 complaining and supplicatory part of Ps. xl., and 
 omits the thanksgiving and praising portion of it. 
 When God seems to forget us, we must not forget 
 to ' put Him in remembrance,' (Isa. xliii. 26 ; Ixii. 
 6, marg.) Ps. xl. contained in combination thanks 
 and supplications. For the benefit of those who 
 had not as yet received assurance of God's favour, 
 David gives the second part of Ps. xl., in an inde- 
 pendent form, as a prayer. That it is a fragment 
 IS indicated by its consisting of five verses — the 
 number implying incompleteness. The names of 
 God similarly occur just five times. In w. 1 and 
 5 there is an ascending climax from Elohim to 
 248 
 
 Jehovah— Q. consolatory thought to the godly in 
 affliction, that He who hath infinite Godhead is 
 peculiarly the covenant-keeping Lord (Jehovah) of 
 His people. 
 
 PSALM LXXL 1-24.— Introduction, from Ps. 
 xxxi. Prayer for deliverance on the ground oj 
 God's righteousness {w. 1-3) ; as God has mani- 
 fested His grace to tlie sufferer from youth {vv. 4-8), 
 he trusts that God will not cast him off' in old age 
 [vv. 9-13) ; hope and praise resting on prayer {v. 14); 
 resolution to go in the strength and righteousness 
 of the Lord alone [vv. 15-21). Promise of thanks 
 for deliverance. The sufiFering Messiah and His 
 people are the theme. Vv. 9, 18, the prayer not 
 to be cast off in old age applies to Israel, the 
 ancient people, whom Messiah represents. Him- 
 self never reached old age. Isa. xlvi. 3, 4, is 
 Jehovah's answer to Israel's prayer, (cf. Ps. cxxix. 
 1, &c.) She is still, in her old age, invisibly up- 
 held by Jehovah for ultimate deliverance. The 
 first person, " I . . . me," implies designed conso- 
 lation to the individual believer in trials and old 
 age. 
 
 1. let me never be put to confusion— by being 
 disappointed in my hope of deliverance from thee. 
 3. Be thou my strong habitation— (Ps. xc. 1.) In 
 Ps. xxxi. 2 it is "my strong rock,"" designedly 
 varied by the author, as often elsewhere, when 
 he repeats former psalms, whereunto I may con- 
 tinually resort— in every need, thou hast given 
 commandment to save me (note, Ps. xliv. 4; 
 Ixviii. 28) — the basis of the prayer— God's authori- 
 tative and efficacious Word of promise. 
 
 4- 13. — Expansion of the introductory prayer and 
 its ground. 4. Deliver me, 0 my God, out of the 
 hand of the wicked— (cf. title, Ps. xviii.) out of 
 the hand — ' the grasp ' [mikaph) ; a different He- 
 brew word from the previous "hand" (mi-yad). 
 of the . . . cruel man— jirimarily, 'sour.* Jleng- 
 stenberg translates, ' the abandoned but Gesenius 
 translates, 'the violent man.' 
 
 5- 8,— The prayer in v, 4 is followed, first, by the 
 
A prayer 
 
 PSALM LXXL 
 
 /or delkerance 
 
 0 For thou art ^my hope, 0 Lord God : — thou art my trust from my youth. 
 
 6 By ^thee have I been holden up from the womb: 
 Thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: 
 My praise shall be continually of thee. 
 
 7 I "'am as a wonder unto many: — but thou art my strong refuge. 
 
 8 Let my mouth be filled with thy praise — and with thy honour all the day. 
 
 9 Cast me not off in the time of old age ; 
 Forsake me not when my strength faileth. 
 
 10 For mine enemies speak against me; 
 
 And they that ^lay wait for my soul ^take counsel together, 
 
 11 Saying, God hath forsaken him: 
 
 Persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him. 
 
 12 0-^ God, be not far from me: — 0 my God, ^make haste for my help. 
 
 13 Let ^them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; 
 Let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt. 
 
 14 But I will liope continually, — and will yet praise thee more and more. 
 
 1 5 My ' mouth shall show forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day ; 
 For I •'know not the numbers thereof. 
 
 16 1 will go in ^ the strength of the Lord God : 
 
 I will make mention of thy righteousness, eveii of thine only. 
 
 * Jer. 17. 7. 
 Rom. 15.13. 
 
 ' Ps. 2i. 9. 
 
 Prov. 8. 17. 
 
 Isa. 46. 3. 
 
 Jer, 3, 4. 
 d Isa. 8. 18. 
 
 Zech. 3. 8. 
 
 1 Cor. 4. 9. 
 2 watch, or, 
 
 observe. 
 
 * 2 Sam. 17. 1. 
 Matt. 27. L 
 
 / Ps. 22. 11. 
 
 Pa. 35. 22. 
 
 Ps. 38. 21. 
 9 Ps. 70. 1. 
 h Ps. 35. 4. 
 
 Ps. 40. 14. 
 
 Ps. 70. 2. 
 »■ Ps. 35. 28. 
 i Ps. 40. 5. 
 k Zech. 10.12. 
 
 Eph. 3. 16. 
 
 Eph. 6. 10. 
 
 2 Tim. 2. 1. 
 
 basis on which it rests [vv. 5-8) ; then by an ex- 
 panded form of it {vv. 9-13). 5. For thou art my 
 hope— ?, e., my object of hope (Ps. xh 4), 0 Lord 
 God — Adoni Jehovah, implying a fulness of power, 
 dominion, and unchangeable faithfidness, which fits 
 Him for bein^ his constant trust, my trust from 
 my youth. He does not hereby commend his own 
 trust or faith, but the God in whom he had put 
 his trust, and whose trustworthiness he had ex- 
 perienced from youth [lit., plural, the various 
 stages of youth). 6. By thee have I been holden 
 up from the womb— (Ps. xxii. 9, 10.) thou art 
 he that took me out of my mother's bowels— 
 lit, 'thou hast been 7ni/ going forth out of my 
 mother's bowels i. e. , the Author of my going 
 forth. Ps. xxii. 9 establishes the English version 
 against the LXX. [(r/ceTrao-T???], 'Protector,' 'Bene- 
 factor ' {Gesenius, from an Arabic root), my praise 
 shall be continually of thee— (Ps. xxii. 25; xliv. 
 8.) 7. I am as a wonder unto many— because of 
 my great sufferings (Deut. xxviii. 46; Isa. lii. 14, 
 "Many were astonished at thee (Messiah); His 
 visage was so marred more than any man "). So 
 also Messiah's people (1 Cor. iv. 9). but thou art 
 my strong refuge — great as are my afflictions, 
 
 greater is thy power of deliverance ; therefore I 
 ave good hope {v. 14). 8. Let my mouth be 
 filled with thy praise and with thy honour all 
 the day— i e., Let my mouth be still given, by thy 
 now delivering me, fresh cause to praise thee as here- 
 tofore {i\ 6, end). The answer follows in v. 15,- 
 "My mouth shall show forth thy righteousness 
 (or faithfulness to thy word, which is thy glory; 
 answering to "thy honour" here) and thy salva- 
 tion (answering to "thy praise," the salvation 
 vouchsafed being the theme of the praise) all the 
 day." 
 
 9. Cast me not oflf in the time of old age- 
 since thou hast been my support, and therefore 
 " my trust from my youth " {v. 5), I confidently 
 ask thee not to cast me off in my old age. My 
 very weakness, through years, is a strong plea 
 with thee for vouchsafing thy strength. God 
 answers this prayer of the individual believer, of 
 the Church, and of the literal Israel (primarily 
 meant there) in Isa. xlvi. 3, 4. 'The remnant of 
 Israel ' in the last days (the nation's old age) shall 
 be 'delivered' by her God. 10, 11, For mine 
 
 enemies speak against me . . . God hath for- 
 saken him : persecute and take him. The un- 
 godly persecute the saints most when they think, 
 because of the sufferings of the latter, that they 
 are given up by God (Ps. iii. 2; xli. 7, 8). So 
 Ahithophel spake as to David when fleeing from 
 Absalom (2 Sam. xvii. 2). for there is none to 
 deliver him— (Ps. vii. 2.) 12. 0 God, be not far 
 from me— (Ps. xxii. 11.) 0 my God, make haste 
 for my help— (Ps. xl. 13.) 13. Let them be con- 
 founded and consumed that are adversaries to 
 my soul. "Adversaries " in Hebrew is the plural 
 of Satan, which means the adversainj, (Ps. cix. 6, 
 marg. ) On this verse, cf . Ps. xxxv. 4, 26 ; xl. 14. 
 
 14. Here hope succeeds to prayer. The hope is 
 summarily stated in v. 14 ; and then in vv. 15-21 is 
 exxjressed, in a developed form, confident deter- 
 mination to go in the strength of the Lord God. 
 But I will hope continually— I will never cast 
 away my hope in thee {v. 5). and will yet praise 
 thee more and more— ^2^., 'I will add upon all 
 thy praise ;' I will add over and above the praise 
 wherewith I have been heretofore wont to praise 
 thee. The past causes for praise which thou hast 
 given me are the assurance that thou wilt give me 
 fresh occasions for praise. 15. My mouth shall 
 show forth thy righteousness and thy salvation 
 all the day. Here he gets from God the assur- 
 ance of what he had prayed for {v. 8), " Let my 
 mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy 
 honour all the day ;" whence it appears that here 
 the subject of "praise" is God's graciously- vouch- 
 safed "salvation;" and God's "honour" is God's 
 "righteousness," or faithfulness to His promises. 
 for I know not the numbers thereof— thy favours 
 are innumerable (Ps. xl. 5; cxxxix. 17, 18; xxxvi. 6). 
 16. I will go in the strength of the Lord God— 
 lit., 'strengths,' plural. 'I will go (in the discharge 
 of x)nblic and private duties alike, Num. xxvii. 17 ; 
 Deut. xxviii. 6; I will go out and come in), rely- 
 ing solely on the manifold strength of the Lord 
 Jehovah (Kimchi). The LXX. and the ancient 
 versions translate, 'I will enter into the powers 
 [Hebrew, the mightinesses, miDJ] of the Lord 
 (Adonai) Jehovah;' i. e., I will entirely cling to, 
 and enter into Jehovah's manifold strength as a 
 sure citadel {Menochius). Or as IlengstenJ/erg, not 
 so well, 'I will go forward with the great deeds 
 
t)ari<fs prayer 
 
 PSALM LXXII. 
 
 for Solomon. 
 
 17 0 God, thou hast taught me from my youth : 
 And hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. 
 
 18 Now also ^when I am old and grey-headed, — 0 God, forsake me not, 
 Until I have showed *thy strength unto this generation, 
 
 And thy power to every one that is to come. 
 
 19 Thy 'righteousness also, 0 God, is very high, 
 
 Who hast done great things: — ™0 God, who is like unto thee ! 
 
 20 Thm, which hast showed me great and sore troubles, ^shalt quicken me 
 
 again. 
 
 And shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earths 
 
 21 Thou shalt increase my greatness, — and comfort me on every side. 
 
 22 I will also praise thee ^with the psaltery, — even thy truth, 0 my God: 
 Unto thee will I sing with the harp, — 0 thou ^Holy One of Israel. 
 
 23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; 
 And ^my soul, which thou hast redeemed. 
 
 24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: 
 
 For they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek 
 my hurt. 
 
 PSALM LXXIL 
 
 A Psalm ^ for Solomon. 
 1 GIVE the king thy judgments, 0 God, 
 And thy righteousness unto the king's son. 
 
 (the hero-like exploits) of the Lord, praising them, 
 or making them knoicm.'' I prefer the English ver- 
 sion, with which cf. Eph. vi. 10; Ps. Ixxiii. 26. 
 
 17. 0 God, thou hast taught me from my youth— 
 viz., to praise thee (cf. the second clause, and v. 
 
 18, second clause), God's power, exercised con- 
 tinually in the sufferer's behalf, gave him cause 
 for praise; and God's Spirit taught his heart 
 hitherto how to praise aright. 18. Now also when 
 I am old and grey-headed, 0 God, forsake me 
 not — Hebrew, 'And even unto old age and hoar 
 hairs ;' to which Isa. xlvi. 3, 4 refers. He repeats 
 the prayer of v. 9, with the beautiful variation 
 which brings into view God^s strength as support- 
 ing the petitioner's failing strength — "forsake me not 
 when MY strength faileth" [v. 9). forsake me not, 
 until I have showed thy strength — lit. , ' thy 
 arm,' not my arm (Ps. xliv. 3). unto this genera- 
 tion, and thy power to every one that is to come 
 — (Ps. xxii. 31.) 19. Thy righteousness also, 0 
 God, is very high— ^2^., 'is even to the height' (Ps. 
 xxxvi. 5 ; Ivii 5, 10). 0 God, who is like unto thee ! 
 Exod. XV. 11 is the fundamental passage. Cf. 
 David's own words., 2 Sam. vii. 22— an undesigned 
 coincidence. 20. (Thou), which hast showed me 
 great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, 
 and Shalt bring me up again. So the Keri and 
 the ancient versions, the LXX., Vulgate, Ethi- 
 opic, Arabic, and Syriac ; but the Chetib reads, 
 'us ... us ... us ;' and so the Chaldaic Tar- 
 gum. The Keri evidently changed the us into me, 
 to make it accord with the first person singular 
 going before. The transition to 'us' from "I" 
 and "me" heretofore, shows that the applica- 
 tion of the xjsalm is not limited to the individual 
 sufferer, but extends to the whole Church, and 
 also to the literal Israel, in affliction. Messiah, 
 the son of David, represents the whole people. 
 •Quicken us'— i. e., revive us after we have been 
 as it were dead with calamities (Hos. vi. 1, 2; 
 Deut. xxxii. 39). again . . . again— Zzt, 'shalt 
 return and quicken us . . . shalt return and bring 
 lis.' from the depths of the earth— 'from the 
 abysses (the deep floods) of the earth.' The de- 
 
 250 
 
 liverance of godly Noah from the overflowing 
 deluge is a pledge of the deliverance of all God's 
 people out of the floods which threaten them (Ps. 
 xxix. 10; xxxii. 6; xxxvi. 6). 21. Thou shalt 
 increase my greatness— even to a greater height 
 than it attained before. The LXX., Vulgate, 
 Ethiopic, and Arabic translate, 'thy' instead of 
 "my." So Hengstenberg xin&Qx^tdinAs it, 'Thou 
 shalt multij^ly my great deeds' — i.e., the great 
 deeds wrought by thee for me. Cf. v. 19, end ; Ps. 
 cxlv. 3 ; xL 5 ; and David's words, 2 Sam. vii. 23, 
 " God went ... to do for you great things." But 
 the Chaldaic and Syriac support the English ver- 
 sion. So the greatness of the Antitype, Messiah, 
 was increased sdiev His sufferings (Luke xxiv. 26; 
 Phil. ii. 8, 9). and comfort me on every side— Zi^., 
 'Thou shalt surround . . . thou shalt comfort me.' 
 The old versions and the most weighty authorities 
 translate [shDn], ' Thou wilt turn thyself (to me 
 and) comfort me.' 
 
 22-24.— Promise of thanks for the deliverance 
 anticipated by faith. 22. I will also praise thee 
 —rather, '/ aZ^o will praise thee.' Even as thou 
 increasest my greatness, / also, on my part, will 
 praise thee. 0 thou Holy One of Israel— (Ps. xxii. 
 3. ) 23. My lips shall greatly rejoice . . . and my 
 soul, which thou hast redeemed— (Ps. xxxiv. 22.) 
 Vain is the praise of the lips, if the soul does not 
 join in concert. 24. My tongue also shall talk 
 of thy righteousness— Hebrew, ' shall meditatively 
 talk ' (Ps. XXX v. 28). 
 
 PSALM LXXIL 1-20. — God grants righteous- 
 ness to His king in answer to prayer; whence righ- 
 teousness and peace resnilt among the people {vv. 1-5); 
 his reign of righteousness and peace reviving the 
 world, as the showers do the grass, shall extend 
 throughout the earth {vv. 6-10); the reason why all 
 kings serve Him is because He saves the souls of the 
 needy, when they cry, from violence and deceit {vv. 
 11-15); blessings shall abotmd on earth under Him, 
 and His name be blessed by all nations for ever {vv. 
 16, 17); Doxology concluding Books 1. (Ps. i.-xli.) 
 and II. (Ps. xlii.-lxxii). 
 
 The Tit'e— Tor Solomon— rather 'Of'[h] Solo- 
 
David's prayer 
 
 PSALM LXXII. 
 
 for Solomon^ 
 
 2 He shall "judge thy people with righteousness, 
 
 And thy poor tvith judgment. 
 8 The iQOuntains shall bring peace to the people. 
 
 And the little hills, by righteousness. 
 
 4 He shall judge the poor of the people, 
 He shall save the children of the needy, 
 And shall break in pieces the oppressor. 
 
 5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, 
 Throughout all generations. 
 
 6 He ^ shall come down like rain upon the mown grass ; 
 As showers that water the earth. 
 
 7 In his days shall the righteous flourish ; 
 
 And '^abundance of peace ^so long as the moon endureth, 
 
 8 He ^ shall have dominion also from sea to sea, 
 And from the river unto the ends of the earth. 
 
 9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him ; 
 And his enemies shall lick the dust. 
 
 10 The ^ kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents : 
 The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. 
 
 mon, indicating him as the author. Solomon's 
 authorship is confirmed by the objective character 
 of the x)salm— a feature observable in the other 
 writings of Solomon, as contrasted with the sub- 
 jective feeling which characterizes the psalms of 
 David. The relations of Solomon's time form the 
 groundwork of the psalm, delineating Messiah's 
 autitypical reign. The Nile, the Mediterranean, 
 and the Euphrates were then the bounds of Israel 
 (1 Ki. iv. 21 ; 2 Chr. ix. 26), as promised in Gen. 
 XV. 18; Deut. xi. 24 From these starting-points 
 Messiah is to reign to the end of the earth {v. 8 ; 
 Isa. ix. 5, 6; xi.; Zech. ix. 10; Mic. v. 4). The 
 fundamental passage is Niim. xxiv. 19. The Chal- 
 daic, the Midrash Tehillim, Yarchi, Kimchi, and 
 most ancient Jewish writers, apply the psalm to 
 Messiah. 
 
 1. Give tlie king thy judgments, 0 God— i. e., 
 
 legal sentences or decisions emanating from God (cf. 
 Deut. i. 17; 2 Chr. xix. 6; Prov. viii. 15). The 
 essence of all justice lies in the conformity of the 
 earthly judge to the decisions of the heavenly Lord 
 of Justice; this is so when there rests ui:)on the 
 former ' the Spirit of the Lord, the spirit of wis- 
 dom and understanding, the spirit oi knowledge 
 and of the fear of the Lord' [Hengstenberg). The 
 prayer "Give" is that of confident anticipation 
 (J as. i. 6). Therefore the future of certainty follows, 
 " He shall judge . . . with righteousness" {v. 2). Solo- 
 mon obtained the gift of the spirit of right judg- 
 ment in measure, as the answer to his prayer at 
 Gibeon, for 'an understanding heart to judge 
 God's people,' 1 Ki. iii. 9, 28, "the wisdom of God 
 was in him to do judgment." The antitypical 
 King Messiah received the gift without measure 
 (Isa. xi, ; John iii. .S4). 2. He shall judge . . . thy 
 poor with judgment— the afflicted ones among the 
 peoi)le of God. 3. The mountains shall bring peace 
 to the people. " Shall bring"— lit., shall lift up, in 
 the sen.se publish, or proclaim (Isa. xl. 9; Iii. 7, 8). 
 " The mountains," as the prominent feature, re- 
 present the whole country ; everywhere shall "peace" 
 Ijrevail (Joel iii. 18). " Peace" is the characteristic 
 of Messiah's coming reign (Isa. ii. 4; ix. 5, 6; xi. 9; 
 Ixv. 25; Mic. iv. 3; Zech. ix. 10). and the little 
 hills, by righteousness— " and the little hills 
 shall bring peace obtained) by righteousness " (Ps. 
 XXXV. 11; Isa. xlv. 8). Peace shall not be the 
 product of a compromise with falsehood and wrong, 
 hut the result of righteousness (cf. Lev. xxvi. 3-6, 
 251 
 
 » 1 Ki. 35. 10. 
 
 Ps. 75. 6, r. 
 
 Isa. 11. 2. 
 
 Isa. 32. 1. 
 
 Jer. 33. 15. 
 
 Eev. 19. 11. 
 6 Deut. 32. 2. 
 
 2 Sa. 23. 4. 
 
 Isa. 5. 6. 
 
 Isa. 44. 3. 5. 
 
 Eze. 34. 23, 
 26. 
 
 Hos. 6. 3. 
 " Isa. 2. 4. 
 
 Dan. 2. 44. 
 
 Luke 1. 33. 
 a till there 
 
 be no 
 
 moon. 
 d Ex. 23 .31. 
 
 1 Ki. 4. 21, 
 24. 
 
 Ps. 2. 8. 
 
 Zech. 9. 10. 
 I « Isa. 49. 7. 
 
 the ]>romise under the law). The -avimQ Solomon, 
 meaning peaceful, is alluded to here (cf. 2 Ki. v. 4). 
 4. He shall judge the poor- He shall vindicate 
 the cause of the afflicted. This verse expands v. 2, 
 and introduces v. 5. Isa. xi. 4 is drawn from this 
 passage. Contrast Isa. i. 17, 23. the children of 
 the needy. The "needy" is an ideal person; and 
 all who are needy are regarded as his " children." 
 
 5. They shall fear thee as long as the sun and 
 moon endure— lit., ''with the sun and before (in 
 the presence of) the moon.' The pious fear of God 
 shall be the consequence of the righteous rule, sal- 
 vation, and destruction of oppressive foes, described 
 in v. 4, as accompanying Messiah's reign. The 
 fear of God, eternally continuing as the result of 
 His dominion, implies necessarily the eternity of 
 His dominion itself (cf. v. 17; Ps. Ixxxix. 36, 38). 
 Though the sun and moon are to pass away in their 
 present form, yet it is at a most remote time; and 
 probably they will pass into new and brighter 
 forms (Ps. cii. 26; 2 Pet. iii. 12, 13). 
 
 6. He shall come down like rain upon the 
 mown grass. So David foretold that Messiah 
 would revive the world, as the rain refreshes the 
 grass (2 Sam. xxiii. 5). 7. In his days shall the 
 righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so 
 long as the moon endureth— Hebrew, 'till the 
 moon is no more' {'ad belt). 
 
 8-10. — Vv. 6, 7 repeat in substance vv. \-5—the 
 showers of righteousness and peace under Messiah 
 shall bless the earth; this is followed by the con- 
 sequent extension of His dominion universally [vv. 
 8-10). 8. He shall have dominion also from sea to 
 sea— (Num. xxiv. 10.) Whereas Israel was in its 
 utmost limits bounded by the lied Sea, the Sea 
 of the Philistines or the Mediterranean, and the 
 Euphrates (Exod. xxiii. 31), Messiah's dominion 
 is to be "from (one) sea to (the) sea,'' most remote, 
 and from the river unto the ends of the earth. 
 Zech. ix. 10 quotes this verse (cf. Ps. ii. 8). 9. 
 They that dwell in the wilderness— <Ae beasts 
 (Ps. Ixxiv. 14; Isa. xxxiv. 14) [Hengstenberg). 
 Rather, the wandering peoples of the desert, such as 
 the Arabs, and the Chaldeans (Isa. xxiii. 13). 
 shall bow before him; and his enemies shall 
 lick the dust. A token of abject submission to 
 Oriental kings was to kiss and even lick the dust, 
 as L. Piso did [Valerian, 'Max.' viii. 1. 6; Isa, 
 xlix. 23). 10. The kings of Tarshish and of the 
 isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba 
 
David's prayer 
 
 PSALM LXXII. 
 
 for Solomov.. 
 
 11 Yea all kings shall fall down before him ; — all nations shall serve him. 
 
 12 For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth ; 
 The poor also, and kim that hath no helper. 
 
 13 He shall spare the poor and needy, 
 And shall save the souls of the needy. 
 
 14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence : 
 And precious shall their blood be in his sight. 
 
 15 And he shall live, and to him ^ shall be given of the gold of Sheba : 
 •^Prayer also shall be made for him continually; 
 
 And daily shall he be praised. 
 
 16 There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the moun- 
 
 tains ; 
 
 The fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon : 
 
 And ^t/iey of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. 
 
 17 His name * shall endure for ever : 
 
 and Seba— the kings of the wealthy and distant 
 west, and of the south. The historical basis which 
 suggested the prophecy is in 1 Ki. iv. 21, ' Solo- 
 mon reigned over all the kingdoms from the river 
 of the Philistines; and unto the border of Egypt 
 thep brought presents, and served Solomon all the 
 days of his life.' Also 1 Ki. x. 10, 24, 23. Cf. Ps. 
 Ixviii. 29 ; xlv. 12 ; Isa. Ix. 6-9. The visit of the 
 Queen of Sheba to Solomon with a large present is 
 made the tymcal pictm-e of the spontaneous sub- 
 jection of all nations hereafter to King Messiah. 
 " Bring presents" — lit., 'give gifts in return,^ or by 
 way of recompense : to 'render tributary presents' 
 (2 Ki. iii. 4; xvii. 3); in gratitude, when the con- 
 queror becomes reconciled to the conquered, and 
 shows kindness to them. The thanksoflering to 
 Messiah of the converted heathen nations shall be 
 in return for His favours experienced {vv. 12-lG). 
 "The isles" are all the maritime regions, repre- 
 senting the distant Gentiles in general. Thus Isa. 
 xlii. 4, "the isles" \b explained in Matt. xii. 21; 
 " the Gentiles.''^ " Sheba is a region the same as 
 Yemen in Arabia Felix; "Seba," in Ethiopia (Isa. 
 xliii. 3; xlv. 14). Subsequently this island, which 
 lay between the Astaboras, the Atbara, the most 
 northern tributary of the Nile, and the Astapus, 
 the ' blue river,' the eastern of its two great 
 confluents, was called Meroe, from the Egyptian 
 Meru, an ' island.' Shebek, or Sahaco, founded the 
 Ethiopian dynasty, which for a time ruled Egypt 
 itself. Seba, too, represents a Cushite settlement 
 on the Persian Gulf. 
 
 11-15.— All kings shall serve Him, because He is 
 the Saviour of the needy. ' True love conquers ; 
 men feel it at last, weep bitterly, and fall down at 
 its knees like children' {Hengstenberg). 
 
 12. For he shall deliver the needy when he 
 crieth. Cf. Job. xxix. 12. He will not suffer 
 might to trample down right, or the weaker to be 
 the prey of the strong. This wins all hearts to 
 Him. 13. He shall spare the poor— i e.. He will 
 not allow them to be oppressed. Messiah is the 
 poor man's king, like the Father (Ps. Ixviii. 5). 
 and shall save the souls of the needy. The right 
 of saving them was established at His first coming 
 (Matt. i. 21 ; V. 3). That right shall be manifested 
 m full exercise at His second coming (Heb. ix. 28). 
 14. He shall redeem their soul from deceit— or 
 o])pression {"^Q. x. 7, note; Iv. 11). and precious 
 shall their blood be in his sight— He shall value 
 their lives so dearly as to use His infinite resources 
 to shield them from hurt (Ps. cxvi. 15; 1 Sam. 
 xxvi. 21), 
 
 13, he shall live, and t6 him shall be given of 
 the geld of Sheba. The formula of loyal devotion 
 is, Long live the king! (2 Sam. xvi. 16, marg.) Fre- 
 
 3 one shali 
 give. 
 
 / Ps. 45. 4. 
 Matt. 6. 10, 
 Watt. 21. 9. 
 John 16. 2;. 
 2t. 
 
 1 Cor. 1. 2, 
 3. 
 
 2 Cor. 13.14. 
 iThes. H.n. 
 2 Tim. 4.2i. 
 Heb. 10. 19. 
 
 22. 
 
 f 1 Ki, 4. 20. 
 Isa. 44. 4, 5. 
 Jer. 33. 22. 
 
 4 shall be, 
 Ps. 89. 36. 
 
 quent changes of the reigning monarch is an evil 
 (Prov. xxviii. 2). This evil shall never be under 
 Messiah ; for He shall reign for ever and ever (1 Ki. 
 i. 31; Isa. ix. 7; liii. 8-10). and to him shall be given 
 of the gold of Sheba— ^47,, '(one) shall give him,' 
 impersonally. He shall have given to Him. I^ot 
 2J& Hengstenberg, ^ [the needy) shall live, and shall 
 give the king of the gold,' &c. For the king is the 
 subiect throughout. Nor as Maurer, 'the king 
 shall live, and shall give to the needy of the gold,' 
 &c. For V. 10 shows that the king is the receiver, 
 not the giver of the gold, prayer also shall be 
 made for him continually. As intercessions are 
 made for an earthly king, as Solomon (Ps. xx. ; 
 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2), and as in v. 1 a prayer is offered 
 that God's judgments may be given to the king; 
 so prayer is continually o^ereA for Messiah, that 
 He may come clothed with all the grace and glory 
 foretold. This praying for Him is not derogatory, 
 but honouring to Christ. The prayer is concerning, 
 on account of the Vulgate and LXX., ire^'i], 
 
 Him, that His kingdom may be set up and con- 
 tinue, and that His glory may perpetually increase. 
 As the subjects pray for a beneficent monarch, so, 
 analogically, the Divine King, Messiah's people, 
 mutatis mutandis, pray concerning Him, and for 
 His kingdom. So they shall bless Him with Ho- 
 sannas at His coming again (Matt, xxiii. 39). So 
 the gifts of gold offered to Him [v. 10) are to be 
 understood analogically, with allusion to earthly 
 usages, rather than in the mere letter. 
 
 16, 17.— Blessings shall abound on earth in con- 
 sequence of His reign: all nations shall bless Him, 
 and His name shall endure for ever. 16. There 
 shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon 
 the top of the mountains— i e.. Though there 
 were but an handful, such shall be the fertility 
 then, it shall yield a most abundant produce [nDD : 
 akin to the Chaldee dq, part of a hand (Dan. v. 5, 
 24). But Hengstenberg, &c,, after Rabbi Solomon, 
 translates it 'abundauce,' from the Chaldee np?, 
 to spread; so diffusion: cf, Jer. 1. 11, e'lG, to grow fat]. 
 The typical historical basis of v. 16 is given in 1 
 Ki. iv. 20. the fruit thereof shall shake like 
 Lebanon — waving with its cedar trees. The 
 mountains, by their prominence, catch the eye 
 first in the landscape; waving with corn, they 
 resemble Lebanon, which waves with trees, and 
 they of the city shall flourish like grass of the 
 earth (Job v. 25)— i. e., there shall be an abundant 
 poprdation, a sign of joyous prosperity (Isa, jclix, 
 20; Zeoh. x, 8), Not only in the country shall 
 there be abundant produce, but in the cities there 
 shall be an abundant population (Prov, xiv, 28). 
 17. His name shall endure f^r ever: Ms namg 
 
Short prosperity 
 
 PSALM LXXIII. 
 
 of the wicked. 
 
 ^His name shall be continued as long as the sun : 
 
 And ^men shall be blessed in him : — 'all nations shall call him blessed. 
 
 18 Blessed he the Lord God, the God of Israel, 
 Who only doeth wondrous things. 
 
 19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever : 
 
 And let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen. 
 
 20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. 
 
 PSALM LXXIIL 
 
 A Psalm ^ of Asaph. 
 
 1 TRULY 2 God is good to Israel, — eten to such as are ^of a clean heart. 
 
 2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone ; 
 My steps had well nigh slipped. 
 
 3 For I was envious at the ioo\ish, -^when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 
 
 4 For there are no bands in their death; — but their strength is ^firm. 
 
 5 They are not ^in trouble as other men ; 
 Neither are they plagued ^like other men. 
 
 & shall be as 
 a son to 
 continue 
 his father's 
 name for 
 ever. 
 
 Gen. 12, 3. 
 Jer 4. 2. 
 » Isa. 45. 23, 
 24. 
 
 Luke 1. 48. 
 
 PSALM 73. 
 
 1 Or. for. 
 
 2 Or, Yet. 
 
 3 clean of 
 heart. 
 
 4 fat. 
 
 5 in the 
 trouble of 
 other men. 
 
 6 with. 
 
 Shall be continued as long as the sun. See 
 
 marg., Hebrew, yinnin, 'shall produce prosperity' 
 J. e., shall renovate itself by new deeds, which 
 are as it were its progeny reproducing itself. 
 ' Shall propagate,' gaining, generation after genera- 
 tion, a fresh accession of offspring. The English 
 version follows [yinnon) the Keri (Hebrew margin), 
 ' shall be continued,' or ' propagated. ' It is a mere 
 substitution for the bold image of the text (Pusey). 
 The "name "of Messiah is the manifestation of 
 Him in deeds (Isa. ix. 5, 6 ; Ps. cii. 12). and men 
 shall be blessed in him—* and men shall bless 
 themselves by Him ' (the Hithpahel : yithbarku, 
 Hengstenbery)—i. e., 'shall wish themselves as 
 blessed as He is' (Isa. Ixv. 16; Gen. xlviii. 20; 
 xxii. 18; xxvi. 4). all nations shall call him 
 blessed— a different Hebrew word {ashar) from 
 the previous 'blessed;' translate 'happy.' 
 
 18-20. — Doxology concluding this whole division of 
 psalms, i. — Ixxii., comprising the 1st and 2d Books. 
 A shorter Doxology closes the 1st Book (Ps. xli. 
 14). 19. let the whole earth be filled with his 
 glory— let thine own promise, O Lord, come to 
 pass (Num. xiv. 21). 20. The prayers of David 
 . . . are ended— not implying that all the previous 
 psalms are prayers, or that David composed them 
 all, but that most have the nature of i)rayers, and 
 that David was the principal author. 
 
 PSALM LXXIII. 1-28.— God is always good to 
 the true Israel {v. 1); contrary appearances once 
 shook his faith : the ungodly prosper in life and in 
 dying, so they are proud, as if God knew not their 
 wickedness {vv. 2-11); his mental conflict {vv. 12-16); 
 his victory over doubt when he went into the sanctu- 
 ary, and understood their end {vv. 17-20); he con- 
 demns his beast-like folly : his confidence in God, his 
 pre^sent Guide and future Glorifier {vv. 21-24); his 
 satisfaction with God, his grand Portion, contrasted 
 with the destruction of all who go from God {tw. 
 25-28). Whereas in Ps. xxxv'ii. the Psalmist 
 teaches in calm faith the same lesson, this psalm 
 depicts the conflict itself before calm faith was 
 attained. Cf. Jer. xi. 18-20; xii. 1-6. 
 
 Title.— A Psalm of Asaph— David's chief Musi- 
 cian. 
 
 1. Truly God is good to Israel — Hebrew-, 
 'Only' [-]{<]. 'God is only good,' not, as unbelief 
 arising from oiir judging by some outward appear- 
 ances^ also evil in some respects and instances. 
 God^is never otherwise than just and good (Lam. 
 iii. 25). God's goodness to His people exemplifies 
 His absolute and universal goodness. Awaking, 
 253 
 
 as if out of a reverie in which he had been agitated 
 with confiicting thoughts, the Psalmist begins 
 abruptly with stating the conclusion to which 
 better thoughts in the sanctuary {v. 17) had led 
 him. (even) to such as are of a clean heart. 
 This limits the meaning of " Israel," in the former 
 and parallel clause, to the true Israelites in whom 
 there is no guile {v. 13; Ps. xxiy. 6, note; John i. 
 47). Those who are Israelites in nothing but ap- 
 pearance are classed with the heathen. 
 
 2. But as for me, my feet were almost gone. 
 The "as for me" is emphatic. I say this not 
 without personal experience of the difficulties 
 which assail one's faith ; nay, I was so shaken by 
 temptations to doubt as to the righteousness and 
 goodness of God, because of the prosperity of the 
 wicked and the trials of the godly, that I had 
 almost given up faith altogether, my steps had 
 •well nigh slipped — lit., 'were well nigh spilt' or 
 "poured out" (Ps. xxii. 14). 3. For I was en- 
 vious at the foolish — Hebrew, 'the foolishly 
 insolent' or 'haughty' [from hhn, to boast fool- 
 ishly] (Ps. V. 5; Ixxv. 5). Though the world re- 
 putes thena wise, their boasting in their fleeting 
 and unsatisfying prosperity convicts them as 
 'fools.' 4. For (there are) no bands in their 
 death — or ' even up to [h : note, Isa. vii. 15] 
 their death. The same Hebrew occurs in Isa. 
 Iviii. 6. Bands, which tie one, are a figure of 
 pains : as another similar Hebrew word is used, 
 marg., Ps. xviii. 5, " the cords of hell com- 
 passed me about." The wicked^ thought the 
 Psalmist, have no pains to enchain them either 
 during life or in dying. Passion and impa- 
 tience in the Psalmist's mind here exaggerated, 
 as is usual, the real fact. God i*eally suspends 
 death - bringing circumstances over the wicked 
 (Job xxi. 17, Hebrew; Ps. xi. 6; cf. the phrase. 
 Acts ii, 24). In vv. 17-20 the Psalmist describes 
 himself as at last learning from God that the 
 wicked are not, as he thought from a superficial 
 view, exempt from the sudden death-stroke, but 
 their strength is firm— (Job xxi. 7.) 5. They are 
 not in trouble (as other) men— Hebrew, 'They 
 are not in the trouble of (other) mortals' (Hebrew, 
 Enosh); jjoor, dyinji: man in his frailty, neither 
 are they plagued like other men— Hebrew, Adam: 
 the whole human race. A strange anomaly, that 
 the wicked, the very persons to whom the rule, 
 "Man that is born of woman is full of trouble" 
 (Job xiv. 1), ought to be applied with greatest 
 severity, should be apparently the only exception 
 
1 
 
 Short prosperit 
 
 PSALM LXXIIL 
 
 of the wicked. 
 
 6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain ; 
 Violence coveretli them as a garment. 
 
 7 Their eyes stand out with fatness : 
 ^They have more than heart could wish. 
 
 8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression : 
 They ^ speak loftily. 
 
 9 They set their mouth ''against the heavens ; 
 And their tongue walketh through the earth. 
 
 10 Therefore his people return hither ; 
 
 And waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. 
 And they say, '^How doth God know ? 
 And is there knowledge in the Most High ? 
 
 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world ; 
 They increase in riches. 
 
 13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain. 
 And Vashed my hands in innocency. 
 
 14 For all the day long have I been plagued, — and ^chastened every morning. 
 
 15 If I say, I will speak thus ; 
 
 Behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. 
 
 16 When -^I thought to know this, — ^it was too painful for me. 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 " Eccl 8. 11. 
 
 7 they pass 
 the 
 
 thoughts 
 
 of the 
 
 heart. 
 6 2 Pet. 2. 18. 
 
 Jude 16. 
 " Rev. 13. 6. 
 <i Job 22. 13. 
 
 Ps. 94. 7. 
 ' Job 21. 15. 
 
 Job 34. 9. 
 
 Job 35. 3. 
 
 Ps. 24, 4. 
 
 Ps. 26. 6. 
 
 Heb. 10. 19- 
 22. 
 
 Jas. 4. 8. 
 
 8 my chas- 
 tisement 
 was. 
 
 / Jiccl. 8. ir. 
 
 9 it was 
 labour in 
 mine eyes. 
 
 to it. 6. Therefore pride compasseth them 
 about as a chain — as a neck-ornament. A stiff, 
 uplifted neck is the emblem of pride (Ps. Ixxv. 5 ; 
 Isa. iii. 16). " Therefore "—i e. , because of this 
 their impunity and exemption from the ordinary 
 ills of life. 7. Their eyes stand out with fatness. 
 They are so pampered with rich living that their 
 very eyes stand out with the fatness of their 
 bodies (Job xv. 27). The external obesity reflects 
 the inward self-indulging carnality (Ps. xvii. 10). 
 Contrasted with sunken eyes, which mark dejection 
 and sorrow, they have more than heart could 
 wish — lit, 'they exceed (pass beyond) the ima- 
 ginations of their heart.' I prefer this translation 
 to Hengstenherg''s, ' The thoughts of their heart 
 flow over,' like a river which cannot be confined 
 within its own boundaries. 8. They are corrupt 
 — Hebrew [p'D], ' they make to melt,^ either them- 
 selves by their sin {Mariana) or others by their 
 oppression {Gejer); 'they melt the minds of the 
 godly,' by their cruel and haughty words {Muis). 
 L. de Dieu, whom Hengstenherg follows, takes it, 
 'They scoff,' from the Chaldaic and Syriac sense 
 [|7;75], I prefer, on account of the parallel clause 
 which follows, to take it either q& L. de Dieu or 
 as Gejer. Thus, ' they melt ' others, corresponds 
 to " opj)ressiou " in the parallel clause. and 
 speak wickedly concerning oppression: they 
 speak loftily — rather, punctuate and translate, 
 'and speak in malice (so the Hebrew); they speak 
 oppression from on high' (so Hebrew): i. e., from, 
 the height to which they in their pride have lifted 
 themselves, they speak oppressive w^ords (Isa. lix. 
 13). 9. They set their mouth against the heavens. 
 With their blasphemies they even reach up to 
 heaven itself, denying the providence and moral 
 government of God Himself. The same Hebrew 
 [3] stands for "against" and "through;" trans- 
 late, 'm the heavens . . . in the earth.' So the 
 Beast (Rev. xiii. 6). and their tongue walketh 
 through the earth— they go up and down, ever 
 restless, like their master, Satan (Job i. 7 ; ii. 2), 
 seeking for matter of foul-mouthed censure alike 
 in things above and below. 10. Therefore his 
 people return hither. In consequence of the 
 prosperity attending the wicked, Jehovah's peo- 
 ple {v. 1) forsake Him, and take part with the 
 wicked, and waters of a full cup are wrung 
 out to them. So the Hebrew (Lev. i. 15; v, 9). 
 254 
 
 Maurer translates, ' are sucked up by them ' (cf. 
 Ps. Ixxv. 8; li. 17). Here it is in a good sense. 
 Those who leave Jehovah, to join the wicked, 
 have a full abundance of all things like a brim- 
 ming cup (Job XV. 16). 11. And they say, How 
 doth God know?— (Ps. x. 11; Job xxii. 13.) The 
 apostates, finding that not only not punishment, 
 but even prosperity, ensues upon their apostasy, 
 soon deny God's providence altogether. 
 
 12-16.— The mental conflict which resulted in 
 the Psalmist's mind from the anomalous prosper- 
 ity of sinners. 12. Behold, these (are) the un- 
 godly, who prosper in the world— rather, 'and 
 (yet) they j^rosper (or are tranquilly secure) per- 
 petually'' [dVii;]. The Chaldaic favours the Eng- 
 lish version ; but the Hebrew is against it. 
 Behold, these are the ungodly, against whom 
 God's Word denounces shame and misery. And 
 yet they prosper perpetually. Impatience exag- 
 gerates. 13. Verily I have cleansed my heart in 
 vain— referring to v. 1, " such as are of a clean 
 heart." and washed my hands in innocency— 
 (Ps. xxvi. 6.) Not absolute, but relative sincerity 
 in religion (Prov. xx. 9). Understand "in vain" 
 to this clause. Mai. iii. 14 breathes the same 
 impatient and unbelieving spirit. 14. For all the 
 day long have I been plagued— in contrast to v. 
 5, "neither are they plagued like other men." 
 and chastened every morning— 'my chastening 
 (visited me anew) every morning.' 15. If I say, I 
 will speak thus ; behold, I should offend against 
 the generation of thy children. Here a voice 
 within urges him to shrink from openly recom- 
 mending ungodliness. It is sad to indulge in such 
 hard thoughts of God's goodness and justice at all; 
 but to preach or recount them publicly (as the He- 
 brew for speak means) would be utter treachery 
 to the people and the cause of God. "If ... E 
 will speak [ncD] thus," as those ungodly apostates 
 {v. 11), ' I should deal treacherously towards the 
 generation,' &c. (cf. Job xv. 4). The treacherous 
 dealing towards the children of God, the true 
 Israel {v. 1; Ps. xiv. 5; Deut. xiv, 1), consists in 
 uttering sentiments subversive of their prayers 
 and hopes, and calculated to encourage the wicked 
 rather than the righteous. 16. When I thought to 
 know this—' When I meditated in order to know 
 this,' with all the powers of my reason, it was 
 
Short prosperity 
 
 PSALM LXXIII. 
 
 of the wicked. 
 
 17 Until went into tlie sanctuary of God ; — then understood I their end. 
 
 18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places : 
 Thou castedst them down into destruction. 
 
 19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment ! 
 They are utterly consumed with terrors. 
 
 20 As a dream when one awaketh ; 
 
 So, 0 Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. 
 
 21 Thus my heart was grieved,— and I was pricked in my reins.* 
 
 22 So foolish was I, and ignorant :— I was as a beast before thee. 
 
 23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee : 
 Thou hast holden me by my right hand. 
 
 24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, 
 And ^afterward receive me to glory. 
 
 " Ps. 27. 4. 
 Ps. 77. 13. 
 Ps. 119. 12 J, 
 130. 
 
 10 I knew 
 not. 
 
 11 with thee. 
 '» Ps. ic. 7. 
 
 Ps. 25. 9. 
 Ps. 143. 8- 
 10. 
 
 Prov. 3. 5, 
 6. 
 
 Isa. 58. 8. 
 » John 14. 3. 
 2 Cor. 6. 1. 
 2 Tim. 4. 8. 
 
 too painful for me. Human speculation and re- 
 search can in this accomplish nothing. The thing 
 remains after all a painful perplexity: not so 
 much the fact of the exalted state of the godless, 
 and the depression of the godly, as the perplexity 
 thereby suggested concerniug God's righteousness, 
 causes the pain. 
 
 17-20.— The victory which he gained over his 
 doubts in the sanctuary when he understood the 
 end of the godless. 17. Until I went into the 
 sanctuary of God; (then) understood I their 
 end. The sanctuary was the appointed place 
 of meeting between God and His people : then 
 God manifested His glory and goodness to His 
 people (Ps. Ixxvii. 13; Ixiii. 2). When true 
 Israelites were unable to be there in body, they 
 still in spirit turned thither with the feet of the 
 heart. So the Psalmist obtained that spiritual 
 'understanding' and insight into God's ways 
 which is unattainable by mere reason. He "under- 
 stood their end" {vv. 18-20; Ps. Iv. 23; xlix. 11-14- 
 xxxvii. 20, 22, 35, 36, 38). The end is what settles 
 the whole difficulty. He has in mind Deut. xxxii. 
 29. Cf. Dan. xii. 9, 10, which refers to the same 
 passage. There is a retribution to the wicked even 
 m this life. The seeming exceptions confirm the 
 rule. Even the heathen recognized it. ' Raro ante- 
 cedentem scelestum Deseruit pede Poena claudo' 
 (Horace, ' Carm.,' iii., 2-31). 'The exceptions are 
 designed to perplex those who do not go into the 
 sanctuary of God' {Henystenhenj). The full vindi- 
 cation of God's righteousness remains for, and 
 proves the moral necessity of, the final judgment. 
 18. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places 
 -Hebrew, ' only: ' Thou didst put them only in 
 slippery places' (cf. Ps. xxxv. 6), so as to be 
 dashed down in a moment, thou castedst them 
 down into destruction '(so as to become) 
 desolations' or ruins {v. 19). So the Hebrew, mash- 
 shuoth, is translated in the only other passage where 
 It occurs (Ps. Ixxiv. 3). 19. How are they brought 
 into desolation, as in a moment !— as Pharaoh at 
 the Red Sea, Sodom and Gomorrha, and Sen- 
 nacherib's host before Jerusalem, they are utterly 
 consumed with terrors-^i^., 'they cease, they are 
 consumed with terrors,' terrible and terror-inspir- 
 ing judgments (Job xviii. 11; Ezek. xxvi. 21) 
 20. As a dream when one awaketh— as a dream 
 (is despised) upon one's awaking (Job xx, 8). so, 
 O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise 
 their image— so when thou arisest vp {haHr, a 
 different Hebrew word from that in the first 
 clause meehaquitz — Ve. Ixxviii. 65: whilst the 
 ungodly prospered, God seemed as one asleep to 
 the requirements of justice), thou shalt show thy 
 contempt for their imaginary prosperity, by 
 destroying both it and them. Of. the same figure 
 concerning Sennacherib's dream of irresistible 
 255 
 
 might dissipated by the morning dawn (Isa. xxix. 
 7, 8 ; also Ps. xxxix. 6). [Thus -i>i?3 stands for 
 n^rn?, when thou risest uj)]. Hengstenherg takes 
 the Hebrew, as in Hos. xi. 19, with the LXX., Vul- 
 gate, Syriac, and Arabic, ' in the city,' the world- 
 city, the scene of their evanescent grandeur, now 
 made that of their contemptuous overthrow (Job 
 xxxiv. 26). Maurer takes it actively, ' when thou 
 awakenest them ' out of their dream of prosperity ; 
 for a "dream" and "their image," or imaginary 
 prosperity, correspond ; so, ' when thou awakenest 
 them corresponds to 'when one awaketh: I prefer 
 this view; for it is not God, but they who awake 
 to the reality by His awakening them. The Chal- 
 daic takes it ' on the day of judgment, when they 
 shall be awakened from their tombs: 
 
 21-24— He condemns his past beast-like folly 
 and expresses his assurance of God's presence and 
 guidance, notwithstanding his folly. 21. Thus my 
 heart was grieved-lit., ' was soured ' or embittered. 
 and I was pricked in my reins— with self-inflicted 
 pain, the result of too subtle reasonings of intel- 
 lect; instead of only waiting for the end, and 
 meanwhile simply believing that all must be just 
 and good which comes from God. 22. So foolish 
 'l>i-"tish;' i. e., stupid (Ps. xlix. 
 10, 12; Prov. xxx. 2). and ignorant— Hebrew 
 and I knew not.' I was as a beast before thee-- 
 with thee," as in v, 23 : Hebrew, plural, ' as 
 beasts, behemoth' (Job xl. 15); as one having all 
 mat is beast-like and irratiomd in conduct. The 
 Psalmist had murmured and doubted 'before 
 God, in beautiful contrast to which stands God's 
 grace [v. 23-26). 
 
 23. Nevertheless I am continually with thee. 
 
 The same Hebrew, Hmmak, which in v. 22 is 
 translated in the English version, ''before thee." 
 It IS not the Psalmist who has been continually 
 faithful to God, but God has continually been with 
 him, notwithstanding his perverse doubts and 
 murmurings. Though I acted as a beast with thee, 
 1 have been treated by thee as one always with 
 thee, instead of being given up to associate with 
 the godless, to whom I for a time virtually joined 
 myself in sentiments, thou hast holden me by 
 my right hand -as Jesus upheld Peter when sink- 
 ing (Matt. xiv. 31). Cf. also as to Jehovah's hold- 
 ing Cyrus' right hand (Isa. xlv. 1) ; and especially 
 Jsraels (Isa.. xli. 13; Hos. ii. 3). 24. Thou shalt 
 guide me with thy counsel. The Psalmist, after 
 experiencing God's gracious deliverance from his 
 doubts, expresses here his confidence of God's 
 shepherd-like guidance. So He guided Israel with 
 the doud oyer the ark of the covenant (Num. x. 
 33; Ps. evil. 7). He guides His people even in 
 temporal affairs (Ezra viii. 21 ; Ps. xxxii. 8). and 
 afterward receive me (to) glory-or ' (with) glory ' 
 
The desolation of 
 
 PSALM LXXIV. 
 
 the sanctuary. 
 
 25 
 
 26 
 
 27 
 
 28 
 
 Whom -^'have I in heaven but thee / 
 
 And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. 
 
 My * flesh and my heart faileth : 
 
 But God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. 
 
 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish : 
 Tliou hast destroyed all them that go awhoring from thee. 
 But it is good for me to ^draw near to God : 
 
 I have put my trust in the Lord God, — that I may declare all thy works. 
 PSALM LXXIV. 
 
 ^ Maschil of Asaph. 
 0 GOD, why hast thou cast us off for ever ? 
 Why doth thine anger smoke against "the sheep of thy pasture? 
 Remember thy congregation, w-hich thou hast urchased of old ; 
 The ^rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; 
 This mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt. 
 Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations, 
 
 S Isa. 26. 8, 9. 
 Hab. 3. 1^ 
 1«. 
 
 Matt. 10.37. 
 
 Phil. 3. 8. 
 ^ Ps. 84. 2. 
 12 rock. 
 ' Heb. 10. 22, 
 
 PSALM 74. 
 
 1 Or. A 
 Psalm for 
 Asaph to 
 give in- 
 struction. 
 
 » Ps. 95. 7. 
 Ps. 100. 3. 
 Jer. 23. 1. 
 Eze. 34. 8, 
 31. 
 
 2 Or, tribe. 
 Deut. 32. 9. 
 Jer. 10. 16. 
 
 Thou wilt at length bring me to glory ; even as, on 
 the contrary, those wicked men who now enjoy 
 
 Srosperity, thou wilt at length bring down to 
 estrnction. 
 
 25-28. — His joy in God as his portion, in contrast 
 to the final destruction of all who go from God. 
 25. Whom have I in heaven (but thee)? and 
 (there is) none upon earth that I desire besides 
 thee — in juxtaposition with thee. " But thee," 
 or " besides thee," has to be supplied in the first 
 from the second clause. Thou art my supreme 
 good (Song V. 10). The context implies, ' Whom 
 have I that I desire in juxtaposition with thee ' as 
 a Saviour ? 26. My flesh and my heart faileth : 
 but God is the strength of my heart— Hebrew, 
 ' the rock of my heart ;' i. e. hypothetically, 
 ' whensoever my heart (regarded as the seat of life) 
 and my flesh fail, God is the rock of my heart' 
 (Ps. xviii. 1, 2 ; Job xix. 25-27). and my portion 
 for ever— (Lam. iii. 24. ) 
 
 27. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall 
 perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go 
 awhoring from thee. All spiritual estrangement 
 from God, whether by idolatry or covetousuess, is 
 ' whoredom' (Lev. xx. 6; Num. xiv. 33). 28. But 
 (it is) good for me to draw near to God— Z^^., ' But 
 I . . . nearness to God is good for me,' as opposed 
 to " they that are far from thee " (t\ 27 ; Jas. iv. 8 ; 
 Zeph. iii. 2). " It is good," for it brings with it 
 salvation, as contrasted with the destruction of 
 those far from God. I have put my trust in the 
 Lord God, that I may declare all thy works—?, e., 
 that, being preserved by thee, I may have thereby 
 occasion given me to "declare all thy works" of 
 deliverance. 
 
 PSALM LXXIV. l-'^. — Complaint that God 
 casts off His people ; prayer that H e will remember 
 Zion, His inheritance purchased of old {vv. 1, 2) ; 
 His people^ s misery : the foe has destroyed God's 
 sanctuary and synagogues, and no signs of His 
 presence in the land remain {vv. 3-9) ; how long shall 
 the foe blaspheme thy name ? pluck thy hand from 
 thy bosom [vv. 10, 11) ; God's past interpositions, at 
 the Red Sea and in the wilderness, and His ride 
 over day and night, are ground for hope {w. 12-17) ; 
 remember the enemy's reproach and thy covenant : 
 plead thine own cause {vv. 18-23). The Chaldean 
 destruction of the sanctuary is the one referred to 
 (cf. V. 8 with Jer. Hi. 13, 17). Cf. the analogous 
 reproach ' of the Assyrian against the Lord {v. 10 
 with 2 Ki. xix. 4). Cf. Ps. Ixxix. and Lamenta- 
 tions. The Psalmist was ijerhaps one of the few 
 Israelites left by the Chaldeans in the land. 
 
 256 
 
 Title. — Asaph — a seer and chief musician of 
 David's time, author of Ps. 1., Ixxiii., Ixxviii. (2 
 Chr. xxix. 30; Neh. xii. 46). But the circum- 
 stances of this psalm require a late date, therefore 
 one of 'the sons of Asaph' {i.e., the family of 
 singers bearing Asaph's name as their founder) is 
 meant (cf. 2 Chr. xxxv. 15 ; xx. 14 ; Ezra ii. 41 ; 
 iii. 10; Neh. vii. 44; xi. 22). All the sacred songs 
 of the family were called ' songs of Asaph." The 
 often-recurring "for ever" is a Maschil, or instruc- 
 tion, to believers not to give up hope though the 
 foes' desolations seem " for ever." 
 
 1. 0 God why hast thou cast us off for ever ? 
 — (Ps. xliii. 2; xliv. 23; xiii. 1; Lam. v. 20.) 
 Our weak faith is apt to think, in severe visita- 
 tions of God, that He has "cast us off for ever." 
 The object is to show us how, by prayer, we 
 may overcome these thoughts, why doth thine 
 anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture ? 
 Smoke is the accompaniment of fire; and God's 
 anger is a consuming fire, (Ps. xviii. 8; Ixxx. 4, 
 marg.) The fundamental passage is Deut. xxix. 
 20. Israel is 'the sheep of the Lord's pasture' 
 (cf. Ps. Ixxix. 13), as having received from Him 
 Canaan (Hos. xiii. 6; Jer. xxv. 36, 38). Israel 
 now, during the captivity, was driven away from 
 her rich pasture there. 2. Remember thy con- 
 gregation, which thou hast purchased of old. 
 A strong plea for present deliverance is here 
 urged — viz., God's grace of old, which had elected 
 His people, and "purchased," or made them His- 
 ow^n, by delivering them from Egypt (Isa. xliii. 3, 
 note), the rod of thine inheritance— lit., the rod 
 with which the inheritance is measured; then the 
 inheritance itself (Ezek. xl. 3). The fundamental 
 passage is Deut. xxxii. 9, "The Lord's portion is 
 His people ; Jacob is the lot (Hebrew, cord) of His 
 inheritance." Not the tribal rod; for the 'tribe' 
 would not stand for the whole people. Isa. Ixiii. 
 17 is j)lural, "the tribes of thine inheritance" (Jer. 
 X. 16; li. 19). 
 
 3-9.— The enemy has destroyed God's sanctuary 
 and synagogues, and there are no tokens of God's 
 presence in the laud. 3. Lift up thy feet unto 
 the perpetual desolations— 'ruins' (Ps. Ixxiii. 18, 
 note). They seem eternal, because all human hope 
 of restoration has been cut off. "Lift up thy 
 feet," in order to come not slowly, but swiftly and 
 majestically, in the sight of all, to restore what 
 must otherwise be 'eternal ruins,' or "perpetual 
 desolations." Cf. the same phrase, marg., Gen. 
 xxix. 1. In the case of God it has a more exalted 
 meaning : ' Lift up thyself ' in thy might (Ps. vii 
 
The desolation of 
 
 PSALM LXXIV. 
 
 the sanctuary. 
 
 E'cen all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary. 
 
 4 Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations ; 
 ^ They set up their ensigns /or signs. 
 
 5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees. 
 
 6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and 
 
 hammers. 
 
 7 ^They have cast fire into thy sanctuary; 
 
 They have defiled bi/ casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the 
 ground. 
 
 8 They ""said in their hearts, Let us * destroy them together : 
 They have burnt up all the synagogues of God in the land. 
 
 9 We see not our signs : ^ there is no more any prophet : 
 Neither is there among us any that knoweth how long. 
 
 * Dan. 6. 27. 
 Jer. 6. 1. 
 JMatt. 24.15. 
 Luke 21.20. 
 
 3 They have 
 sent thy 
 sanctuary 
 into the 
 fire. 
 
 Esth. 3. P. 
 Ps. 83. 4, 
 Ps. 137. 7. 
 
 * break. 
 
 d 1 Sam, 3. 1. 
 Amos 8. 11, 
 12. 
 
 Mic. 3. (?. 
 
 6 ; xciv. 2). (even) all (that) the eiiemy hath 
 done wickedly in the sanctuary. 'The enemy 
 hath destroyed everything (hath done all evils) in 
 the sa.nctua,Ty' {Hengstenbery). 4. Thine enemies 
 roar in the midst of thy congregations— Hebrew, 
 'congregation,' singular. "The tabeknacle of 
 THE CONGREGATION SO Called, not because it was 
 the place of assemUy for the people, but because 
 it was the sacred ^fece of meeting between God and 
 His people. The Hebrew is the same as here 
 [tpid] (Exod. xxxiii. 7; cf. xxix. 42, 43). The 
 name was transferred, as here, to the temple— 
 'places of assembly' (Lam. ii. 6, Hebrew). In 
 i\ 8 here it is plural, in the sense "synagogues;" 
 so called because the people met together there 
 for public worship. Many MSS. read the plural, 
 as tne English version here, in v. 4, which Heng- 
 stenherg supports, on the gi'ound of the feminine 
 sufl&x m V. 6. The sense is the same, the plural 
 still referring to the temple, as Ps. Ixviii. 35, "thy 
 holy places." As early as Samuel's time there 
 were meetings for psalmody and worship on fixed 
 days (1 Sam. ix. 12; x. 5; xix. 20-24), Similar 
 meetings in Elisha's time, conducted by the pro- 
 phets, are implied in 2 Ki. iv. 23, Probably in 
 the kingdom of the ten tribes they were used by 
 Elijah and Elisha as means for counteracting the 
 calf -worship at Bethel. Cf. also Ps, cvii, 32, "the 
 congregation of the people ... the assembly of 
 the elders." These meetings were the forerunners 
 of the synagogues, which prevailed in New Testa- 
 ment times. However, Hengstenberg takes " the 
 synagogues of God" {v, 8) to refer to the temple 
 alone, with all its apartments. The Hebrew is 
 mohadee—he thinks too lofty a word to be used of 
 any other place than the temple— the only place 
 in the land where God put His name (Deut. xii, 5, 
 11). The scene is graphically set before the eyes : 
 * The enemies roar (cf. Lam, ii, 7) • • • set up their 
 ensigns . . . cast fire in the sanctuary,' &c. they 
 set up their ensigns for signs— i. e,, the signs of 
 their being conquerors and masters of the temple 
 — their military standards. 'Where formerly 
 everything testified of the dominion of God, now 
 everything testifies of the dominion of the heathen,' 
 In sad contrast they say in v. 9, "We see not our 
 signs.^^ 5. (A man) was famous according as he 
 had lifted up axes upon the thick trees. For- 
 merly 'a man was known (so the Hebrew) for lifting 
 up axes' to build the temple; 'but now they 
 break down,' &c. {v. 6). The ancient versions 
 rather favour the following translation: '(The 
 enemy) is known (makes himself conspicuous) as 
 one lifting up axes upon a thicket of wood.' I 
 prefer this. The enemies destroy the wood of the 
 sanctuary with the same indifference as if they 
 were cutting down trees in a forest. 6. But now 
 — (see note, last verse.) Translate, *And now,' 
 VOL. III. 257 
 
 without opposition, thereof— of the temple (?'. 4, 
 note), axes—' hatchets :' a different Hebrew word 
 {kasshil) from the Hebrew of the "axes" (guar- 
 dummoth), v, 5, Before burning the temple— a 
 month after the capture of the city— the Baby- 
 lonians removed all its precious metals (Jer. lii. 
 12-17 ; 2 Ki, XXV, 13 ; 2 Chr. xxxvi.. 18). They 
 could not do this without destroying the walls 
 overlaid with gold, (1 Ki. vi. and vii,) So here 
 they break down the carved work — (cf. 1 Ki. 
 vi. 29.) In the Maccabean times there was no 
 such destruction of the walls, but merely the tem- 
 i:)le was polluted with heathen worship. 7. they 
 have defiled . . . the dwelling place of thy name 
 to the ground— (Lam. ii, 2,) 8. They said in their 
 hearts, Let us destroy them together— lit, 'Let 
 us oppress them' {ninam, from yanah, to rage ; to 
 destroy in a rage), they have burnt up all the 
 synagogues of God in the land— (see note, v. 4.) 
 Synagogues, in the latter sense, did not exist 
 before the Babylonian captivity ; but there are 
 meant here the houses of sacred meeting, where 
 the law of God was read, probably with prayer. 
 Cf. 2 Chr, xvii< 7-9, where it is written that Jeho- 
 shaphat sent princes and Levites to teach the book 
 of the law "throughout all the cities of Judah." 
 But see Hengstenberg'' s view (note, v. 4, "thy con- 
 gregations"), that the temple alone, the sole place 
 of revelation of God, is meant. In all the copious 
 accounts of the profanation of the temple and 
 Holy Land by Antiochus, there is no mention of 
 the destruction of "synagogues." 9. V/e see not 
 our signs— the signs or tokens of God's dominion 
 in Israel, The enemy's signs have supplanted 
 them (v. 4, end.) Cf. Dan. xi, 31 of a subsequent 
 destruction, to which also the psalm is propheti- 
 cally api)licable. The ordinary "signs" of Israel 
 being God's peculiar people are the passover 
 (Exod, xii. 13), the Sabbath (Exod. xxxi. 13), the 
 temple, the altar, the sacrifices ; the extraor- 
 dinary ones are God's miracles wrought in His 
 people's behalf (Ps. Ixxviii. 43). there is no more 
 any prophet. Amos viii. 11. 12; Ezek. vii. 26 
 were thus fulfilled (cf, 1 Sam. xxviii. 6, 15). How 
 is it that this is here said, whereas there were at, 
 or after the Babylonian captivity, Jeremiah, 
 Ezekiel, Daniel, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi ? 
 Probably at the time the prophets were ordered to 
 be silent, as in Ezek. iii, 26; xxiv, 27. Lam. ii. 9 
 is exactly parallel. Though Jeremiah survived 
 the destruction of Jerusalem, his prophetical office 
 terminated with it. Ezekiel was not in the Holy 
 Land, but at the Chebar: Daniel in Babylon; 
 Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi long after. The 
 absence of any prophet was a worse want than 
 that of a military leader, neither is there among 
 us any that knoweth how long. Jeremiah 
 had foretold "how long" it would be till the 
 
The Psalmist calletk 
 
 PSALM LXXIV. 
 
 on God for help. 
 
 10 
 
 0 God, how long shall the adversary reproach ? 
 Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever ? 
 Why withdrawest thou thy hand, eyen thy right hand ? 
 Pluck it out of thy bosom. 
 
 For ^God is my King of old, — working salvation in the midst of the earth. 
 Thou didst ^ divide the sea by ^hy strength : 
 ■^Thou brakest the heads of the ^dragons in the waters. 
 
 14 Thou breakest the heads of leyia.than in pieces, 
 
 A nd gavest him ^to be meat ^to the people inhabiting the wilderness. 
 
 15 Thou didst cleave the fountaii> and the flood; 
 ^Thou driedst up ^mighty rivers. 
 
 16 The day is thine, the night ajso is thine : 
 Thou hast prepared the light and the sun. 
 Thou hast ^ set all the borders of the earth : 
 Thou hast ^made summer and winter. 
 
 Remember ^this, that the enemy hath reproached, 0 Lord, 
 And that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name. 
 
 17 
 
 18 
 
 ' Ps. 44. 4. 
 s break. 
 / Isa. 51. 9. 
 
 * Or, whales. 
 " Num. 14. <J. 
 
 Ps. 72. 9. 
 » Ex. ir. 5, 6. 
 Num. 20.11, 
 Josh. 3. 13. 
 Ps. 105. 41. 
 Isa. 11. 16. 
 Isa. 44. 2r. 
 Isa. 48. 21. 
 Hab. 3. 9. 
 Rev. 16. 12. 
 
 7 rivers of 
 strength. 
 
 j Acts 17. 23. 
 
 8 made 
 them. 
 Gen. 8. 22. 
 
 * E«v, 16. 19, 
 
 Babylonian captivity should end ; but at the first 
 the blow so stunned the people that none could 
 take the comfort of it by a^^propriating faith. 
 The stroke was designed to be felt sorely : first, 
 in order to produce deep penitence ; then at last 
 the au^el of Jehovah interceded — " 0 Lord of 
 hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on 
 Jerusalem" (Zech. i, 12). 
 
 10, 11.— Renewal of the prayer from v. 1, 2. 10. 
 0 God, how long ... for ever— (Ps. xiii. 2.) shall 
 the enemy blaspheme thy name ? The prophet, 
 in his zeal and piety, is more concerned for the 
 dishonour done to God's name than for the suffer- 
 ing of himself and his people. 11. Why with- 
 drawest thou . . . thy right hand ?— the symbol of 
 God's might. Why dost than remain an inactive 
 spectator of our wrongs ? (Prov xix. 24 ; Lam. ii. 
 o is parallel), pluck it out of thy bosom— nxther, 
 ' (drawing it) out of the interior of thy bosom, make 
 a complete end (of them) ' [n|^5], as in Ps. lix. 13). 
 
 12-17. — God's past miraculous interpositions 
 encourage hope in prayer. 12. For God is my king 
 of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth 
 —rather 'of the land '—Palestine. As King and 
 therefore Guardian oi Israel from of old time, He 
 cannot utterly forsake His own people. The past 
 is a guarantee for the future. The present parti- 
 ciple implies that God's usual character is that He 
 is working salvation." The phrase, "in the 
 midst of the land," implies that His working is so 
 entirely in the centre or heart of the land as 
 thence to extend to the whole circumference or 
 extremities (Exod. viii. 22 ; Isa. x. 23). It also 
 implies, 'in the midst of all: openly in the sight 
 of air {Mu'is). 13. Thou . . . thou. The seven- 
 fold repetition of the emphatic "thou" stand in 
 majestic contrast to the powerless '/.' Human 
 feebleness sinks into the arms of Divine Omni- 
 potence, and feels safe. Thou didst divide the 
 sea . . . thou breakest the heads of the dragons 
 in the waters. "The sea" is the Red Sea (Ps. 
 Ixvi. 6). The " dragons " (Hebrew, tannin), or 
 crocodiles, poetically represent the ruling powers 
 of Egypt, Pharaoh and his princes (Ezek. xxix. 
 3-5), even as the crocodile is monarch in the 
 waters of the Nile. Cf. also, in the same con- 
 nection, Isa. li. 9, 10 ; also Job. xxvi. 12, 13. 14. 
 Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and 
 gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the 
 wilderness. The plural " heads " is put for the sin^ 
 gular, his monstrous head being equal in size to 
 many heads. Ou "leviathan" cf. note, Job xli. 
 
 The term is a general one for the Saurian and 
 Cetacean tribes. The King of Egypt, as having 
 not only the Nile river, but also an empire extend- 
 ing to both the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, is 
 described by the double term {tannin, v. 13, and 
 leviathan). When Pharaoh aud His host were 
 overthrown in the Red Sea, their bodies being 
 cast on shore, along with all their trappings, be- 
 came spoil to the Israelites — the people then 
 " dwelling in the wilderness " (cf. the phrase, 
 Num. xiv. 9, "the people of the land . . . are bread 
 for us ). Hengstenherg refers the phrase to the 
 Icthyophagi, ov people inhabiting the wilderness dit 
 the Red Sea, whom the God of nature fed with 
 the fish, and also the larger monsters of the deep, 
 whales, &c., cast on the shore, as their ordinary 
 food (Diodorus, B. iii., p. 110, 122; AgatharcideSy 
 ch. 20). 3hds refers to the wild birds and beasts 
 called " the people inhabiting the wilderness ;" as 
 (Prov. XXX. 25, 26) to them God " gave " the car- 
 cases of the Egyptians as "meat." Ps. Ixxii. 9 
 favours this. But the scope of the context shows 
 that it is the beneMs conferred on Israel which 
 are here recounted.. 15. Thou didst cleave the 
 fountain and the flood — Thou didst cause the 
 water of the fountain to break forth by cleaving 
 — referring to Exod. xvii. 5,6; Num. xx. 11; 
 Job xxviii. 10. thou driedst up mighty rivers 
 —as the Jordan (Josh. iii. 13). Not easily dried 
 up: never so by the sun. The Chaldaic adds to 
 the Jordan Arnon and Jabbok. Num. xxi. 14 im- 
 plies that some miracle was wrought at Arnon 
 similar to that at the Jordan (cf. Deut. ii. 36, 37). 
 The " book of the wars of the Lord" may have had 
 some such tradition from which the Chaldeans 
 derived it. 16. The day is thine. Not only the 
 sea and the waters, but the day and the light are 
 at thy sovereign control. Not only in history, but 
 also in creation and in providence, God reigns, thou 
 hast prepared the light and the sun. Science 
 confirms revelation that light and the light-bearing 
 body are distinct (Gen. i. 3, 14-16). Maor is literally 
 a luminary or light-bearing body (Gen. i. 14). 
 Shemesh is the solar stream of light from it (cf. 
 Josh, X. 12, which is explained by this considera- 
 tion). 17. Thou hast set all the borders of the 
 earth — its boundaries towards the sea (Job. 
 xxxviii. 8, &c. ; Ps. xxiv. 2). 
 
 18-23. —The prayer {v. 1,2) resumed and expanded. 
 18. Remember this— answering to vv. 2, J 0. the fool- 
 ish people— (Ps. xxxix. 8.) The self-wise and proud 
 enemies are in God's eyes hut fools; sin is the acme 
 
The prophet 
 
 PSALM LXXV. 
 
 praiseth God. 
 
 19 0 
 
 deliver not the soul ^of thy turtle-dove unto the multitude of the 
 wicked: 
 
 Forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever. 
 
 20 Have "^respect unto the covenant : 
 
 For the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. 
 
 21 0 let not the oppressed return ashamed: 
 Let the poor and needy praise thy name. 
 
 22 Arise, 0 God, plead thine own cause : 
 
 Remember how the foolish man ""reproacheth thee daily. 
 
 23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies : 
 
 The tumult of those that rise up against thee ^increaseth continually. 
 
 PSALM LXXV. 
 
 To the chief Musician, i Al-taschith, A Psalm or Song ''of Asaph. 
 
 1 UNTO thee, 0 God, do we give thanks, — unto thee do we give thanks : 
 For that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare. 
 
 2 When I shall ^ receive the congregation — I will judge uprightly. 
 
 f Ps. 68. 13. 
 
 Song 2. 14. 
 
 Song 4. 1. 
 
 Song 6. 9. 
 
 Isa. 60. 8. 
 
 Matt. 10.16. 
 "'Gen. 17. 7. 
 
 Lev. 2G. 44. 
 
 Ps. f9. 28. 
 
 Ps. 36. 39. 
 
 Ps. 103. 8. 
 
 Jer. 33. 21. 
 " Ps. 9. 18. 
 " Isa. 37. 23. 
 9 ascendeth. 
 
 Jonah. 1. 2. 
 
 PSALM 75. 
 
 1 Or, de- 
 stroy not. 
 
 2 Or. for. 
 
 3 Or, take a 
 set time. 
 
 of foolishness. 19. 0 deliver not the soul of thy 
 turtle-dove unto the multitude (of the wicked)— 
 rather ' unto the wild beast ' [n:n^, for which the 
 LXX., Vulgate, Arabic, and Ethiopic read n>n^, 
 'unto^^e wild beasts;^ which would obviate the 
 need of supplying words [of the field, or similar 
 words), as the present construct form requires]. 
 The Chaldaic paraphrases, ' to peoples resembling 
 a wild beast' (cf. Ps. Ixviii. 10, note), whence 
 Kimchi takes it in the sense " congregation." But 
 *wild beast' forms the natural contrast to "thy 
 turtle-dove." The strongest argument for the Eng- 
 lish version is that it takes the same Hebrew word in 
 both clauses in a similar sense — "the multitude (of 
 the M'icked) " — "the congregation.^'' But the same 
 word may be used designedly to mark the contrast 
 between the wild-beast '-like foe and the turtle-dove- 
 like 'congregation of God's poor.' forget not the 
 congregation of thy poor for ever— even though 
 chastisement for a time be needed by us. Hengsten- 
 lerg translates, ' the life of thy poor.' Maurer xaosX 
 approaches to the English version, so as to retain the 
 same sense for th« same v/ord iu the two clauses, 
 and also to avoid the need of supplying to the 
 construct Hebrew form the words "of the wicked." 
 Deliver not thy turtle-dove to the greedy host (cf. 
 Ps. xxviL 12 ; xli, 2), lachayath nephesh— lit. , to the 
 host of greed or desire ; i. e., to the host that de- 
 sires it; ' the host of thy poor forget not for ever.' 
 20. Have respect unto the covenant— the strongest 
 I)lea in prayer to remind God of His covenant and 
 promises to His people (Ps. cvi. 45). for the dark 
 places of the earth are full of the habitations of 
 cruelty— t. e. , the earth on which there are ' dark- 
 nesses ' (such as there are in Hades or Sheol, Ps. 
 Ixxxviii. 6) is full of the habitations of cruelty (cf. 
 Ps. cxliii. 3, end. Lam. iii. .3, 6). 21. O let not the 
 oppressed return ashamed— i. e., comeback from 
 thee disappointed in their hope, their prayer not 
 being heard, let the poor . . . praise thy name 
 — give them cause for praise by saving them. 22. 
 O God, plead thine own cause. Our cause is 
 thy cause. For the enemy reproacheth not merely 
 us, but thee, and that daily. 23- the voice of 
 thine enemies, their clamour, &c. (cf. v. 4). the 
 tumult of those that rise up against thee In- 
 creaseth— Hebrew, 'ascendeth '(Gen. iv. 10; xviii. 
 21 : xix. 1.3 ; Jon. i. 2). 
 
 PSALM LXXV. I-IO.— God: 8 people thank him 
 for the anticipated salvation {v. 1); His answer, / 
 will fix a time for judging the world in righteousness, 
 even as I bear up the tottering earth {vv. 2, 3); 
 259 
 
 Israel warns the foolish foes to cease exalting their 
 neck, for her exaltation comes not from the east, 
 west, or south, but from God the .fudge [vv. 4-8); 
 her resolve to praise her God for ever for her antici- 
 pated deliverance from the wicked (vv. Q, 10). 
 Sennacherib's invasion in Hezekiah's reign is prob- 
 ably referred to (Ps. xlvi. and Ixxvi.); cf. vv. 2, 3 
 here, the people's assurance of God's help, with 
 Isa. xxxvii. 21-35. The north is omitted in the 
 quarters whence help should come [v. 6), because 
 from it, by 'the entering iu of Hamath,' the As- 
 syrian invader came. 
 
 The Title. — Al-taschith — i. e., destroy not (note 
 on title, Ps. Ivii.), shows that this psalm, though 
 couched in the form of thanksgiving for the victory 
 anticipated in faith, is really a prayer for deliver- 
 ance (2 Chr. XX. 19-22). Hence in Ps. IxxvL, which 
 is the twin-psalm to this, the words "Al-taschith" 
 are omitted ; for there the victory actually gained 
 is celebrated. 
 
 1. Unto thee, 0 Crod, do we give thanks . . . 
 do we give thanks. The repetition imx)lies de- 
 light in the work, for (that) thy name [i. e., thy- 
 self manifested in saving power, Ps. xx. 1) is near 
 (to deliver us; Deut. iv. 7; Isa. xxx. 27; Ps. cxix. 
 151 ; cxlv. 18) thy wondrous works (not only thy 
 past marvellous interpositions for Israel, but also 
 thy interposition now promised to us, Isa. xxxvii. 
 21-35) declare. Perhaps it is better to translate 
 (as God's " wondrous M'orks " are in the Psalms more 
 usually the object than the subject of the verb 
 declare or narrate), ' thy. name is near ; they 
 (impersonally: i. e., thy wondrous works have been 
 declared unto us; or else, the prophets) have de- 
 clared thy wondrous works.' 
 
 2. When I shall receive the congregation, I 
 will judge uprightly— the reply of Jehovah to 
 the thanksgiving prayer of His people. The ab- 
 ruptness of the introduction of the new Speaker, 
 God, marks how immediate is His response to His 
 people's believing prayer, even " while they are 
 yet speaking " (Isa. Ixv. 24). Herein is set forth in 
 detail the subject cf the Church's praise in v. 1 — 
 viz., God's " name is near." ' You may be thus full 
 of thanksgivings,' God replies, ' for when I shall,' 
 &c. ' When I shall have taken under my charge 
 the congregation of my people, I will judge their 
 enemies.' So Clirist comes again to take the 
 elect Church to Himself, and shall at that time 
 judge her enemies (Rev. xi. 12, 15, 17; xix. 7). 
 The English version takes the Hebrew in the 
 sense in which the word is translated iu Ps. Ixxiv. 
 4, 'congregation.' But the context and the paral- 
 
The prophet promiseth 
 
 PSALM LXXV. 
 
 to execute justice. 
 
 3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: 
 I "bear up the pillars of it. Selah. 
 
 4 I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly ; 
 And to the wicked, Lift not up the horn. 
 
 5 Lift not up your horn on high : — speak 7iot with a stiff neck. 
 
 6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, 
 Nor from the west, nor from the * south. 
 
 7 But God is the judge : — ^he putteth down one, and setteth up another. 
 
 8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red ; 
 It is full of mixture ; and he poureth out of the same : 
 
 But the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, 
 and drink them. 
 
 9 But I will declare for ever I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 
 10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off ; 
 
 But the horns of the righteous shall be exalted. 
 
 " 1 Sam. 2. 8. 
 
 2 Sam. 5. 2. 
 
 Heb, 1, 3. 
 * desert. 
 & 1 Sam. 2. r. 
 
 1 Sam. 
 23. 2<. 
 
 1 Sam. 
 
 2 Sam. 3.17. 
 18. 
 
 2 Sam. 6. 2. 
 2 Sam. 6.21. 
 Fs. 113. 7.8. 
 Jer. 2^ 4,8. 
 Dan. 2. 21. 
 Luke 1. 52. 
 John 15. 16. 
 Eom. 11.15. 
 Gal. 1. 15. 
 
 lels, Ps. cii. 13 (the same Hebrew [IJJIO], " the set 
 time,^' for the Lord to arise and have mercy on 
 Zion), and all the ancient versions, the LXX., 
 Syriac, Chaldaic, &c., favour the translation, (see 
 marg.) 'When (or for, Hengstenherg) I shall get 
 (imi)lying earnest desire for it) the set time,' &c. 
 (cf. Dan. viii. 19; xi. 27, 35; xii. 8, 12, 13; Hab. ii. 
 3). "The times and seasons which the Father 
 hath put in His own power;" the time for " re- 
 storing again the kingdom to Israel " (Acts i. 6, 7), 
 when the measure of the enemy's iniquity shall be 
 full, and "the times of the Gentiles fulfilled" 
 (Luke xxi. 24). God does nothing precipitately or 
 prematurely, yet in due time " He will avenge His 
 own elect, though He bear long with them" (Luke 
 xviii. 7). Cf. the heathen sentiment, ' Sera tamen 
 tacitis poena venit pedibus;' also Valerius Maxi- 
 mus, 'Tardidatem pcenoe gravitate compensat.' 
 When the chastisement of His Church is com- 
 pleted, He then punishes finally and irretrievably 
 the enemy (Isa, x. 12). This and other phrases in 
 the psalm show that, besides the present reference 
 to Hezekiah's and Sennacherib's times, there was 
 designed by the Spirit an ulterior reference to the 
 Lord's final coming to glorify His saints, and to 
 judge His and their enemies. I will judge up- 
 rightly—taking the kingdom out of the hands of 
 those who have abused their trust, and not judged 
 uprightly (Ps. 1. ; Iviii. 1). 3. The earth and all 
 the inhabitants thereof are dissolved — figura- 
 tively describing the political disorganization of 
 the kingdoms by the Assyrian conqueror. So Ps. 
 xlvi. 2, 6, 7 uses the same figure of tlie same event, 
 ultimately to be fulfilled before Christ's coming 
 (Luke xxi. 25-27; Isa. xxiv. 19-23). I bear up the 
 pillars of it—' I have w-eighed the pillars of it ' 
 {Hengstenherg). The Hebrew [jsn] means literally 
 to loeigh by exact weight and measure, and so to 
 consolidate and to compact firmly : ag God did at 
 creation (Job xxxviii. 4, 5-7; xxviii, 25; Isa. xl. 5, 
 21). I, who called forth the world into its beauti- 
 ful order at creation from the previous chaos, can 
 and will also bring it back to order from its present 
 disorganization. 
 
 4-8. — In reliance on God's promise {vv. 2, 3), Israel 
 warns the haughty foe no more to lift up the neck 
 in pride, for Israel's Helper, God, has a cup of 
 wrath which her enemy must drink, 4. I said 
 unto the fools, Deal not foolishly— Hebrew, 
 laholelim tahollu, ' the insolent (vain glorious) . . . 
 insolently' (vain-gloriously) (Ps. v. 5, note; Ixxiii, 
 3). Lift not up the horn— to strike furiously in 
 the pride of your strength. The image is froni 
 beasts whose strength is in their horn. Cf, the 
 same symbol of the world-powers (Dan. vii. 7); 
 260 
 
 Rev. xiii. 1). The original passage is Deut. xxxiii. 
 17; cf. 1 Sam. ii. 1, 10). 5. speak (not) with a stilf 
 neck — as the Assyrian did, Isa. xxxvii. 26; cf. 23, 
 "Against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and 
 lifted up thine eyes on high?" Or construe, 
 ' speak not stiffs or ' wanton tilings with the neck 
 (proudly lifted up).' The Hebrew accusative and 
 the parallels (Ps. xxxi. 18; xciv. 4; 1 Sam. ii. 3) 
 favour this translation. The neck uplifted is the 
 emblem of overweening pride (Job xv. 26). 6. 
 For promotion cometh neither from the east, 
 nor from the west, nor ftom the south— He- 
 brew, 7nidbar; the desert — viz., that south of 
 Palestine. But the LXX., Chaldaic, Syriac, &c., 
 take the Hebrew for "promotion" [n^rjt] as mean- 
 ing 'mountains,' and join it with 'the desert.' 
 So Hengstenherg, ' For neither from the east, nor 
 from the west, nor from the desert of the mountains 
 (the southern desert, in which were the three 
 mountains, Horeb, Sinai, and the modern St. 
 Catharine, Deut. xi. 24; Josh. i. 4); but God is 
 Judge:' supply thus to v. 6, 'the decision where- 
 by the foe shall be put down, and we set up, 
 cometh neither from the east,' &c. The present 
 construct Hebrew form of 'the desert' in the 
 Masoretic text requires this translation. But 
 several MSS. read the absolute form as the English 
 version, which obviates the need of ellipsis : this is 
 confirmed by the cognate forms of the same 
 Hebrew [harim], in vv. 4, 5, 'lift up' {tarimu), and 
 V. 7, "setteth up" {yarim). 'Lifting up,' or pro- 
 motion, ' comes neither from the east, the west, 
 nor the south' (the quarter to which Judah at this 
 very time was looking for help from Egypt, Isa. 
 XXX vi. 4-6); but God is the Judge: he putteth 
 down one, and setteth (lifteth) up another— (1 
 Sam. ii. 7-) Promotion or lifting up is last in the 
 Hebrew sentence, in order to mark it as the em- 
 phatic word. 8. For in the hand of the Lord 
 there is a cup, and the wine is red— or else 
 'fermenting.* '(The cup) is foaming with wine' 
 {Hengstenherg). it is full of mixture— i. e., the 
 cup is full of wine mixGd with spices, which 
 increase its intoxicating power (Isa. v. 22; Song 
 viii. 2 ; Prov. xxiii. 30), The image expresses the 
 stupifying effects of God's judgments (Ps. Ix. 3; 
 Jer. xiii, 12), hut the dregs thereof, all the 
 wicked, . , shall wring them put. "But"— 
 only; i, e,, they can do nothing else but (they can- 
 not help themselves, but must) drain out the whole 
 cup of w^-ath to the dregs, 
 
 9, 10, — The people resolve to praise for ever the 
 God of Jacob, for the anticipated cutting off of the 
 wicked, and exaltation of the righteous. 9. I will 
 d^Qlare— Yi?,, the righteous judgments of God {vv. 
 
God's majesty 
 
 PSALM LXXVL 
 
 in the church. 
 
 PSALM LXXVL 
 
 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song ^ of Asaph. 
 IN Judah is God known ; — his name is great in Israel. 
 In Salem also is his tabernacle,-—and his dwelling place in Zion. 
 There "brake he the arrows of the bow, 
 The shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah. 
 
 Thou art more glorious and excellent — than * the mountains of prey. 
 The '^stout-hearted are spoiled, '^they have slept their sleep; 
 And none of the men of might have found their hands. 
 
 6 At Hhy rebuke, 0 God of Jacob, 
 
 Both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep. 
 
 7 Thou, even thou, art to be feared : 
 
 And who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry ? 
 
 8 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; 
 The earth feared, and was still, 
 
 9 When God arose to judgment, — to save all the meek of the earth. Selah. 
 
 PSALM 76, 
 1 Or. for. 
 * 2Chr.H.12. 
 13. 
 
 2 Chr. 20.2o. 
 2Chr. 32.21. 
 Ps. 46. 9. 
 Isa. 37. 35. 
 36. 
 
 Eze. 39. 9. 
 6 Jer. 4. 7. 
 Eze. 38. 12. 
 Dan. 7. 4. 8, 
 17. 
 
 " Isa. 46. 1?. 
 d Ps. 13. 3. 
 
 Jer. 51. 39. 
 ' Ex. 15. 1. 
 
 Nah. 2. 13» 
 
 Zech. 12. 4. 
 / Job 41. 10. 
 
 Nah. 1. 6. 
 
 7, 8). 10. All the horns of the wicked also will I 
 cut off— i. €>., I will announce as being cut off. The 
 prophets are often said to do that which they 
 announce as done, God being the real Doer (Jer. i, 
 10). The elfect of the Church's praises and prayers 
 will be, the horns of the wicked shall be cut ofF» 
 but the horns of the righteous sliall be exalted. 
 
 PSALM LXXVL 1-12.- At Zion, God's divell- 
 ing, He brake the world-power'' s weapons {vv. 1-.3); 
 He is mightier than the mountain-like plundering 
 nations, for He has cast the stoid- hearted into a dead 
 sleep, and stilled the earth; His anger therefore is 
 most to be feared: mail's anger He constrains to 
 praise Him {vi\ 4-10) ; Jehovah's people ought 
 therefore to pay their vow to Him, and. the sur- 
 rounding heathen to bring presents {w. 11, 12). See 
 introduction to Ps. Ixxv., written before Senna- 
 cherib's overthrow, as this psalm after it. The 
 overthrow was at Jerusalem (cf. v. 3 M^ith Isa. 
 xxxvii.), by God's direct interposition (m 3, 6, 8). 
 V. 12 refers to the "cutting off" of the hostile 
 " princes," Rabshakeh, &c., not merely their being 
 driven away. 
 
 1. In Judah is God known— i. has been made 
 known by his wondrous acts, his name is great 
 in Israel. "Israel" is explained by the parallel 
 term Judah, which inherited all the privileges 
 of God's covenant, now that the Kingdom of the 
 Ten Tribes had ceased to exist. "His name "is 
 His manifestation of Himself in action. His 
 overthrow of Sennacherib's host before Jeru- 
 salem was a glorious manifestatation of Himself, 
 as the God of Omnipotence, and of grace to His 
 people. 2. In Salem also is his tabernacle. His 
 temple took the place of the "tabernacle" which 
 bad originally stood on Zion in David's time, 
 Jerusalem is the enlarged form of the name 
 "Salem"— i. e., peace (Gen. xiv. 18). The Tar- 
 gum of Onkelos and Josephus identifies them. 
 The name of the king of Salem, Melchizedek, is 
 equivalent to '' Adonizedek' {Lord of righteous- 
 ness), king of Jerusalem (Josh. x. 3), Such seems 
 to have been the common name of the kings of 
 the Jebusites, In Gen, xxxviii. 18 the transla- 
 tion ought to be, 'Jacob csivne in safety ' (cf. Gen. 
 xxviii. 21 ; xxxi, .3, 13). ' Wherever the Lord 
 dwells, security and peace are there' (Ps. xlvi. 4, 5) 
 (Hengstenberg). Jerusalem means literally the pos- 
 session of peace [dW K'r.^], or better [as there would 
 need to be a doubling of the same letter, thus Ej*], 
 the foundation [n^] or city of peace. 3. There. 
 Hengstenberg translates, ' Hence,' from this place, 
 2ul 
 
 so that they are broken in falling /rom it. brako 
 he the arrows of the bow— lit., 'the flames' or 
 
 the lightnings of the bow,' poetically for the 
 glittering swift arroivs, (Dent, xxxii, 41, and Nah. 
 Ill, 3, relating to the Assyrians, as here; cf. Ps. 
 Ixxviii. 48, marg.) the shield, and the sword, 
 and the battle. "The battle," placed last, indi- 
 cates that not merely was the enemy defeated, but 
 at one stroke the whole war was put an end to. 
 ihe parallel, Ps. xlvi. 9, illustrates this. Not as 
 some translate, ' the accoutrernents of battle.' 
 
 4-10.— The Lord is mightier than all the mighty 
 conquerors of the earth; for he has caused the 
 stout-hearted to sleep in death, and so has stilled 
 the agitation of the earth. 4. Thou art more 
 glorious and excellent than the mountains of 
 prey— ^•. e., than the great plundering world-king- 
 doms. Cf. Ps, xlvL 2, 3; Nah, ii. 11, Nineveh, 
 
 the dwelling of the lions, &c. ;" Nah, iii, 1. So in 
 Ps. Ixviii, 16, the world-kingdoms are compared to 
 towering "hills " (Songiv. 8), 5. The stout-hearted 
 are spoiled— (Job xii. 17, 19.) They who thought 
 to make a spoil of Jerusalem are spoiled them- 
 selves (Ezek. xxxviii, 12, 13; xxxix. 4), they 
 have slept their sleep— the death-sleep (Ps. xiii 
 3; Jer, li, 39, 57; esi)ecially Nah, iii. 18; 2 Ki. 
 xix. 35). and none of the men of might have 
 found their hands contemptuously said of these 
 self- vaunting "men of might," Whereas they sought 
 to turn their hands against the holy city, they 
 could not find their hands; for death had para- 
 lyzed them. 6. At thy rebuke . . . both the 
 chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep. 
 The chariot seems asleep, its rattling having 
 ceased. 'The poet describes the scene as if we 
 were walking through the camp, which such a 
 short while ago was so full of life, but is now silent 
 as death ' ( Tholuck). 
 
 8. Thou didst cause judgment to be heard 
 from heaven; the earth feared, and was stilL 
 The agitations of the earth, caused by the inva- 
 sions of the world-power, ceased {v. 3 ; Ps, xlvi, 6, 
 9. 10), Also Isa, xiv, 7, as to the consequences of 
 the fall of Babylon, the successor of Assyria, "The 
 whole earth is at rest, and is quiet," "The 
 earth" stands opposed to "heaven." The earth, 
 m respect to its tumultuous elements, is through 
 fear reduced to silence by the word of Divine 
 power spoken from heaven. 9. When God arose 
 to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. 
 The meek so saved are not only Judah and Jeru- 
 salem, but also the Gentile nations, which, by 
 fellowship in suffering, through the world -power 'a 
 
Complaint under 
 
 PSALM LXXVIL 
 
 10 Surely ^the wrath of man shall praise thee : 
 The remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. 
 
 11 Vow, '^and pay unto the Lord your God : 
 
 *Let all that be round about him bring presents ^unto him that ought to 
 be feared. 
 
 12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes: 
 He ^ is terrible to the kings of the earth. 
 
 PSALM LXXVIL 
 
 To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm ^ of Asaph. 
 
 1 I CRIED unto God with my voice. 
 
 Even unto God with my voice ; and he gave ear unto me. 
 
 2 In "the day of my trouble I ^sought the Lord: 
 2 My sore ran in the night, and ceased not : 
 My soul refused to be comforted. 
 
 * Gen. 37. 18. 
 
 20. 
 
 Gen, 60. 20. 
 Ex. 9. Ifl. 
 Ex. 18. 11. 
 Dan. 3. 19. 
 Acts 4. 26, 
 28. 
 
 Rev. 11. 18. 
 Eccl. 5. 4. 
 
 1 Ps. 68. 29. 
 Ps. 89. 7. 
 
 2 to the fear. 
 i Ps. 68. 35. 
 
 I'SAIJVI 77. 
 1 Or, for. 
 " Ps. 50. 15. 
 >> Isa. 26. 9. 
 ^ my hand 
 
 oppression, had common cause with the elect na- 
 tion. So, in the ulterior fulfilment at Christ's 
 coming again, the elect Judeo-Gentile Church and 
 Israel's elect remnant shall be saved, by His spe- 
 cial interposition, from the last and worst assault 
 of the adversary (cf. Matt, v. 5; Ps. xxii. 26; Rev, 
 xiv. 4, 5). 
 
 10. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee. 
 
 Praise results to thee from thy having tamed the 
 rebellious fury of the Assyrian enemy. Even the 
 wicked, in spite of themselves, are constrained to 
 subserve thy glory (Exod, ix. 16; xviii. 11). So 
 in the case of Gog, the last foe of Israel (Ezek. 
 xxxviii. 16; cf. Pro v. xvi. 4; Kom. ix. 17). the 
 remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain— so that 
 whatever anger remains in the enemy can no more 
 break out against thy people. Thus, when Sen- 
 nacherib, after his hasty retreat to his own land, 
 vented his fury on any of the Jews whom he could 
 find there (Tobit i. 17, 18), he was at last re- 
 strained by God, being put to death by his sons 
 (2 Ki. xix. 37). But the Hebrew {tachgor) com- 
 monly means to gird (Judg. xviii. 11; 1 Ki. xx. 
 11), though the cognate Arabic word favours the 
 English version, and the Mishna and Rabbi 
 Solomon. ' The first part is the anger of man, 
 provoking God and oppressing His people; the 
 " remaincler," or second pai^t of it, is that which 
 is left for God, wherewith He girds Himself, mani- 
 festing Himself gloriously before the eyes of all' 
 [Hammoml). (Isa. lix. 17.) The wrath of the 
 enemies must, even to its last remnants (Ps. Ixxv. 
 8), serve thee as a weapon wherewith thou girdest 
 thyself to accomplish their destruction {Hengsten- 
 herg). Those left of the enemy who vented their 
 wrath against thee, thou girdest thyself with, mak- 
 ing them to acknowledge and praise thy power 
 [Mavrer). Cf. v. 11; Isa. xlix. 18. Probably it is 
 meant that God girds Himself with the praise to 
 which the wrath of the enemy, even to its last rem- 
 nant, is constrained to minister both in the case of 
 reprobates and in that of those at last brought 
 to ' submit themselves to Him' (Ps.lxviii. 30). 
 
 11, 12. — God's people should pay their vows to 
 Him ; the surrounding heathen should bring their 
 gifts to Him who is so terrible to the rebellious. 
 11. Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God— i, e., 
 
 5 ay that which ye have vowed (Deut. xxiii. 21, 22). 
 'he expression, " your God," shows that this is 
 addressed to the people of God. let all that be 
 round about him bring presents unto him that 
 ought to be feared— the Gentile nations dwelling 
 round about Israel (Kimchi), The Hebrew accent 
 forbids our joining, as Hengstenberg does, "all 
 that be round about " to "vow," So Ps, Ixviii, 29 ; 
 2 Chr, xxxii. 22, 23, expressly says that 'the Lord 
 262 
 
 guided Hezekiah and Jerusalem on everv side, and 
 many brought gifts unto the Lord to J erusalem ; 
 so that he (Hezekiah) was magnified in the sight 
 of all nations from thenceforth.' Hengstenberg, 
 from Num. ii. 2, takes, "all that be round about 
 Him " to be the Israelites, in tlie midst o/ whom the 
 Lord is often said to dwell, which is not said of the 
 heathen. But when the Gentiles submit them- 
 selves and turn to the Lord, they, too, shall be 
 " round about him," Jerusalem being the religious 
 centre of the earth. Ps. Ixviii. 29, 30 confirms this ; 
 cf. Rev. iv. 4 ; vii. 17, of the redeemed round 
 about the Lamb. 12. He shall cut off {yihetzor)— 
 lit, as a vine-dresser; with which strikingly 
 accords Rev. xiv. 18, 19. the spirit of princes— 
 
 1. e., their breath (Ps. civ. 29). 
 
 PSALM LXXVIL 1-20.— Complaint under deser- 
 tion by God ; past deliverances remembered, aggra- 
 vate present pain {rv. 1-3); cause of grief, God holds 
 His eyes sleepless even at night ; he can scarcely speak 
 for grief, and can only ask. Will the Lord cast of 
 for ever? {w. 4-9;) faith rises above infirmity; he 
 calls to mind God's past wonders, as the deliverance 
 at the Red Sea, and His leading Israel like a flock : 
 the remembrance no longer aggravates his pain, hut 
 assures of deliverance {w. 10-20). Hab. iii. seems 
 derived from this psalm in part. So this psalm 
 cannot be later than Josiah's reign, when Habak- 
 kuk lived. The carrying away of the Ten tribes, 
 and the prospect of Judah sharing a like fate, was 
 probably the cause of the Psalmist's grief. Hence 
 he alludes to the deliverance out of Egyi)tiaa 
 bondage, now that a like bondage existed in part, 
 and was in part impending. 
 
 On the Title, Jeduthun, see note on title, Ps. 
 xxxix. and Ixii. 
 
 1. I cried unto God with my voice . . . and 
 he gave ear unto me. He anticipates the 
 result at the beginning, giving at one glance 
 a view of the whole psalm. The Hebrew is 
 literally ' My voice to God ! and I wull cry 
 [the n final implies effort] . . . and by hearing 
 unto me.' As the first verse is joined with the 
 second and third in the strophe, and does not 
 stand by itself as an introduction, it is perhaps 
 better to translate, ' My voice (shall be directed) to 
 God, and I will cry . . . and may He hear me!' 
 
 2. I sought the Lord— rather, 'I seek the Lord.' 
 my sore ran in the night, and ceased not— rather 
 (yctdi niggrah), 'my hand was stretched out,' or, 
 better, 'hangs open;' lit., flowed out. So Sym- 
 machu.% Jerome, Arabic, and Ethiopic. The phrase 
 ' flowed out' implies Vcieweak and powerless relaxa- 
 tion of the body indicated by the open hand (2 Sam. 
 xiv. 14) ; on " ceased not," cf. Lam. iii. 49 ; ii. 18. 
 my soul refused to be comforted— like Jacob on 
 
Go3!s great 
 
 PSALM LXXVII. 
 
 and gracious world 
 
 3 I remembered God, and was troubled : 
 
 I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah. 
 
 4 Thou boldest mine eyes waking: — I am so troubled that I cannot speak. 
 
 5 I '^have considered the days of old, — the years of ancient times. 
 
 6 I call to remembrance my song in the night : 
 
 I commune with mine own heart ; — and my spirit made diligent search. 
 
 7 Will the Lord cast off for ever ? — and will he be favourable no more ? 
 
 8 Is '^his mercy clean gone for ever ? 
 Doth his ^promise fail ^for evermore ? 
 
 9 Hath God -^'forgotten to be gracious? 
 Hath he in anger shut up liis tender mercies ? Selah. 
 And I said, This is ^my infirmity: 
 
 But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. 
 
 I '^will remember the works of the Lord : 
 Surely I will remember thy wonders of old. 
 12 I will meditate also of all thy work, — and talk of thy doings. 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 hearing of tbe death of Joseph (Gen. xxxvii, 35 ; Jer. 
 
 xxxi. 15).. From v.. 15 we see that the Psalmist had 
 before his eye& the second loss of " Jossph" to 
 Israel or " Jacob," in the carrying away of the Ten 
 tribes. 3. I remembered God, and was troubled— 
 rather, ' I will remember God, and will moan.'' 
 Kote, Ps. Iv. 2, 'Make a noise' (the same Hebrew), 
 He resolves to remember God, and the deliverances 
 formerly vouchsafed, though he knows this will 
 only aggravate his pain in the present calamity 
 (Ps. xlii, 4), I complained, and my spirit was 
 overwhelmed— rather, ' I will meditate {medita- 
 tively pray, asichah), and my spirit is over- 
 whelmed,'— i, e., I desire to pray with meditation, 
 but my powers of meditativ-e prayer fail (cf . v,. 4,. 
 end). 
 
 4-6. — His sleepless nights, and his inability to. 
 speak, are attributed to the remembrauce of the 
 sad contrast which God's present desertion of His 
 people forms to His former deliverances of them. 
 4. Thou boldest mine eyes ■wa.Mng—lU., 'Thou 
 boldest the watches [niiD^', which diflfers from the 
 form in Psalm Ixiii. 6, by only the K prefixed in 
 the latter] of mine eyes ;' cf. v. 2, and the parallel. 
 Lam. ii. 19. I am so troubled that I cannot 
 speak. The seeming contradiction here to v. 1, 
 where he resolves to cry aloud to God, is explained 
 by the fact that sorrow causes sufferers at one 
 time to break forth in loud cries, at other times to 
 be stupified so as not to be able to relieve their 
 l)ain by giving it vent in words and tears. 5. I 
 have considered the days of old— alluding to Deut. 
 
 xxxii. 7, 6. I call to remembrance — resuming 
 V. 3. my song in the night— my former song of 
 thanksgiving for grace experienced, sung in the 
 still night, the season for meditation (note, Ps. 
 xhi. 8; xcii, 2; Jobxxxv. 10). In sad contrast to 
 • my hand hangs open in the night' (note, v. 2), and 
 to the "waking" nights which God now sends 
 upon him {v. 4). The remembrance of the happy 
 past aggi-avates the pain of the comfortless 
 present. 
 
 7-9.— The contrast of the past with the sad 
 present suggests the question. Has God, as appear- 
 ances would imply, completely cast off His people 
 for ever ? He feels such a supposition at variance 
 with the known faithfulness of God. 8. doth hia 
 promise faU for evermore ?— doth he cease to give 
 His people a promise to encourage hope? It is 
 true, the written law could never fail, and they 
 had it still. But the Psalmist and his people 
 desired a special promise under the national 
 calamity which had befallen the Ten tribes, and 
 
 which threatened the remaining one— Judah. 
 Such a promise (lod by Isaiah gave to Hezekiah 
 when threatened by Sennacherib. But now there 
 is nonoi Of. Ps. Ixxiv. 9. 9. Hath God forgotten 
 to be gracious? — though he has so emphatically 
 called Himself " The Lord God, merciful and gra- 
 cious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and 
 truth " (Exod. xxxi v. 6 j Ps. ciii. 8). Cf. Israel's 
 similar appeal in Isa. Ixiii. 11-15, in the day of her 
 turning to God. 
 
 10-12. — This is the transition point to hope. 
 The recalling of past deliverances vouchsafed by 
 God, which had hitherto only aggravated the 
 Psalmist's despondency, here suggests firm faith. 
 10. And I said. This is my infirmity— i. e., my 
 affliction anointed by God ; lit. , my sickness 
 {challothi) (Jer. x. 19 ; Ps. xxxix. 9). (but I will 
 remember) the years of the right hand of the 
 Most High. The words italicised in the English 
 version are supplied from v. 11. Instead of yield- 
 ing to despair, because of my affliction, I will re- 
 member the many years wherein formerly God 
 manifested His grace and power in His people's 
 behalf. Hengstenherg takes the whole verse, ' it is 
 my sickness . . . the years of the right hand of 
 the Most High.' These years of affliction are only 
 the years which the right hand of the Most High 
 has brought in ; therefore they are to be borne 
 patiently. So 1 Pet. v. 6, 'the miohty hand of 
 God' — i e., His afflicting hand. I prefer the 
 English version, as there is an allusion to v. 5, ' I 
 consider the j/ears of ancient times'— viz., when 
 He interposed in His people's behalf. The el- 
 hpsis is natural, since he had already spoken of 
 considering the years of God's former grace {v. 5), 
 Then the consideration of them only added to His 
 present pain by the contrast ; but now the con- 
 sideration suggests hope and trust. The abrupt- 
 ness of the exclamatory clause standing without 
 a verb, implies the sudden transition from de- 
 spondency to believing, ^ • The years of the right 
 hand of the Most High." The mere mention of 
 them is enough. Faith supplies the ellipsis. The 
 Chaldaic, LXX., Vulgate, Ethiopic, and Arabic 
 take the Hebrew, shenoth, for "years," as 'change :' 
 ' there is a change of the right hand of the Most 
 High.' He is no longer, as formerly, ready to help 
 us, But the same Hebrew in v. 5 establishes the 
 sense, "years." 
 
 11, I will remember the works of the Lord— 
 the true way to regaining hope and f9,ith. 12. I 
 will meditate also of all thy work— singular. 
 The whole series of God's ^cts of grace ^nd mijjht 
 
God's great 
 
 PSALM LXXVII. 
 
 and gracious works. 
 
 14 
 
 15 
 
 13 Thy Svay, 0 God, is in the sanctuary : 
 Who is so great a God as our God ? 
 Thou art the God that doest wonders : 
 Thou hast declared thy strength among the people. 
 Thou hast with thi7ie arm redeemed thy people, 
 The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. 
 
 16 The ■^'waters saw thee, 0 God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: 
 The depths also were troubled. 
 
 17 *The clouds poured out water; — the skies sent out a sound : 
 Thine arrows also went abroad. 
 
 18 The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven : 
 
 The lightnings lightened the world : — the earth trembled and shook. 
 
 19 Thy ^way is in the sea, — and thy path in the great waters, 
 ^And thy footsteps are not known. 
 
 20 Thou '"^leddest thy people like a flock — by the hand of Moses and Aaron. 
 
 in behalf of His people are reg^irded as one great 
 work. 
 
 13-15. — The deeds of the Lord give the Psalmist 
 and his people hope. 13. Thy way, 0 God—?*, e., 
 Thy course of action, is in the sanctuary— iu the 
 heavenly holy place (Hab. ii. 20; Ps. xi, 4; xviii. 
 6; xxix. 2 {ynarg.), 9). Thy way is in heaven, 
 exalted far above our ways (Isa. Iv. 9). As the 
 people, and even the Levites and the priests them- 
 selves, except at times, were not permitted to see 
 the sacred things in the inner sanctuary (Lev. xvi. 
 2; Num. iv. 15, 20) {Aimworih). Thy way is un- 
 derstood rightly in tliy Churcli, but not among the 
 people of the world (Belgian version) (Ps. Ixxiii. 
 17). Or, tliy way is always holy, though we do 
 not always comprehend it ; and at present thy 
 dealings may seem hard towards us. ' Thy way 
 is in holiness ' — i. e., thy doing rests upon holiness : 
 is holy, and elevated far above all that is crea- 
 turely, much less sinful. This is favoured by the 
 passage, which may have been before the Psalm- 
 ist's mind, Exod. xv. 11, "Who is like thee, glori- 
 ous in holiness . . . doing wonders!" (cf. Ps. xxii. 
 3; but Ps. Ixxiii. 17 favours the English version), 
 who is so great a God as our God? — (Exod. 
 XV. 11 ; Deut. iii. 24.) 'He does not hereby recog- 
 nize the existence of other gods, but pours con- 
 tempt upon the foolishness of the world for not 
 being more careful to cultivate the friendship of 
 the One God whose glory is so manifest' (Calvin). 
 
 14. thou hast declared thy strength among the 
 people— Hebrew, ' peoples ' (Exod. ix. 16 ; xv. 14). 
 
 15. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy 
 people— (Exod. vi. 6.) the sons of Jacob and 
 Joseph. Joseph is mentioned, as the head of the 
 Ten tribes was Ephraim, descended from Joseph 
 (Ps. Ixxviii. 67; Ixxx. 1). The recent loss of the 
 Ten tribes — "the house of Joseph" (Zech. x. 6) — 
 to the covenant people weighed heavily on the 
 Psalmist's mind ; so God's special favour to J oseph, 
 in redeeming his house out of Egypt, suggests the 
 hope of their restoration from their present bond- 
 age — a hope even still remaining to be realized. 
 A special possession in Canaan belonged, by Jacob's 
 original gift, to Joseph (Gen. xlviii. 22). He w^as 
 the preserver, under God, of Israel's other sons 
 and their households ; and was thus as it were 
 their second father in Egypt (Gen. 1, 21) (Muis). 
 Gen. xlix. 24 says of Joseph, "from thence is the 
 shepherd, the stone of Israel." Selah. This note 
 invites us to enjoy the calm tranquillity of soul 
 that depends on God for redemption. 
 
 16-18. — The deliverance of Israel at the Eed 
 Sea. 16. The waters saw thee, 0 God . . . they 
 ttrere afraid— (Ps. cxiv. 3; Hab. iii. 8-10), 17. 
 264 
 
 The clouds poured out water. So the English 
 version rightly; not as marg., passively, the 
 skies sent out a sound — viz.. thunder, thine 
 arrows also went abroad— God s arrow-like light- 
 nings {v. 18; Hab. iii. 11; Ps. xviii. 14). The 
 thunder-storm here described, though it did not 
 accompany the passage of Israel through the Red 
 Sea, yet is implied in the account (Exod. xiv. 24) 
 of the destruction of their Egyptian enemies 
 immediately after. So it forms part of the en- 
 couragement under the present trial. 18. The 
 voice of thy thunder was in the heaven (bagal- 
 gal)— lit, 'in the wheel;' in the sphere; implying 
 the phenomenal rotation of the visible heaven 
 around the earth. The LXX., Chaldaic, Vulgate, 
 and Ethiopic translate, ' was in a wheel ' (as the 
 same Hebrew means in Ps. Ixxxiii. 13; Ezek. x. 
 13)— i. e., was in a whirl; whirled round, or rolled 
 about, with rapid peals in succession. 
 
 19, 20.— Conclusion. 19. Thy way (is) in the 
 sea. The general inference from the particular 
 case of the redemption of Israel at the E.ed Sea, as 
 above, in v. 13. So Nah. i. 3. God's way is one 
 open to Him alone: for He to whom is possible 
 what is impossible to man (/'. 14) can make a path 
 through even the pathless waters (Isa. li. 10, 15; 
 Ixiii. 11, 12, which seems to have in view this 
 passage; Hab. iii. 15). This encourages His people 
 to hope for deliverance even now, in their deep 
 waters of trial (Isa. xliii. 2). and thy path. So 
 the Keri reading; but the Hebrew text, Ketib, 
 'thy paths^—i. e., thy many ways of leading thy 
 people in difficulties, and thy footsteps are not 
 known — even as at the Red Sea no traces were 
 left of the steps whereby thou didst lead Israel 
 through the Red Sea, the waters having returned 
 (Exod. xiv. 26-28). So all God's ways (Rom. xi. 
 33). 20. Thou leddest thy people like a flock by tho 
 hand of Moses and Aaron— (Hos. xii. 13 ; Isa. Ixiii. 
 11, 12; Mic. vi. 4). 
 
 PSALM LXXVIIL 1-72. -God's address, 
 through Asaph, to Israel to hear His law and His 
 parabolic instruction. His past dealings with 
 Israel are a parable of spiritual lessons for all 
 ages, as illustrating His eternal principle of gov- 
 ernment. Cf. Matt. xiii. 35. Christ, the Highest 
 Teacher, is Antitype to Asaph. Join v, 3 with v, 
 4, ' The things which we have heard we will not 
 hide ; nay, we will make them (the historic facts) 
 enigmatic means of instruction.' When Israel 
 shall give ear to the antitypical Asaph, they shall 
 understand, and show forth to ''the generation to 
 come," God's praises in His various dealings with 
 them. Iniroduction [rv. 1-4) ; God appointed a law 
 to keep Israel from imitating their fathers' rebellion 
 
A n exhortation 
 
 PSALM LXXVIII. 
 
 to learn God's laic. 
 
 PSALM LXXVIIL 
 
 iMaschil of Asaph. 
 
 1 GIVE ''ear, 0 my people, to my law : 
 Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 
 
 2 I ^will open my mouth in a parable : — I will utter dark sayings of old : 
 
 3 AVhich Ve have heard and known, — and our fathers have told us. 
 
 4 We "^will not hide them from their children, 
 
 * Showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, 
 And his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. 
 
 5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, — and appointed a law in Israel, 
 Which he commanded our fathers. 
 
 That they should make them known to their children ; 
 
 6 That f the generation to come might know them, 
 Even the children which should be born. 
 
 Who should arise and declare them to their children : 
 
 hi Moses' time {vv. 5-8) ; Israel proved false to the 
 law under Ephraim {vv. 0-11), like their fathei^s, 
 whose unbelief under Moses is described in contrast 
 to God's marvellous works in their behalf [vv. 12-40) ; 
 Israel under the Judges tempted God, and forgat 
 His judgments wrought for them in Egypt, as well 
 as His pAanting them in Canaan [vv. 41-55) ; there- 
 fore He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, and gave 
 them over to the sword {vv. 56-64); but now He 
 awakes as one out of sleep, and desti'oys their foes, 
 and restores the ark, but not to its former place, 
 Shiloh, in Ephraim. Zion henceforth is His sanc- 
 tuary and David His chosen king. Let all there- 
 fore serve without revolting as heretofore {vv. 65-72). 
 The design is to warn Ephraim against incurring 
 a fresh judgment by rebelling against God's ap- 
 pointment, which transferred the prerogative of 
 Ephraim, for its sins, to Judah. On Ephraim's 
 haughty, rebellious spirit, cf. Judg. viii. 1 ; xii. 1 ; 
 2 Sam. XX. 2. The Psalmist delicately avoids 
 wounding the sensitiveness of Ephraim, by not 
 naming revolt as a likely event. He leaves the 
 apijlication to themselves. The references to the 
 Pentateuch as the sacred book of the nation attest 
 its genuineness. Also, cf. v. 64 with Job xxvii. 
 15. 
 
 The Title. — Maschil of Asaph — instruction by 
 Asaph, the musician contemj)orary with David. 
 
 1. Give ear, 0 my people, to my law. God's 
 word by His prophet is not merely doctrine, but 
 God's LAW ( Torah), which ' His people,' as such, at 
 once from love and from reverential fear, are bound 
 to obey (Isa. i. 10 ; li. 4). 2. I will open my mouth 
 in a parable {mashal) — a similitude (see note, Ps, 
 xlix. 4). I will utter— lit., sputter out (cf. Ps. 
 xix. 2, note) ; I will give vent to. The Spirit, after 
 being pent up, eager for utterance, breaks forth 
 like a gushing fountain, dark sayings — enigmas. 
 The historical events which he details were enig- 
 matical veils of religious truth, or instruction 
 {Maschil, in t\iBtitle~) hidden beneath, which under 
 the Spirit he unfolds. Cf. the same use of sacred 
 history in 1 Cor. x. 6; Gal. iv. 24. of old— He- 
 brew, 'from of old' (Ps. Ixxvii. 5, 11). The past 
 time of the Mosaic period. 
 
 3, 4. Which we have heard. . . . We will not 
 hide. See introductory remarks. Translate, 
 ' What we have heard, &c., we will not hide (omit 
 them) from their children,' &c. There is a change 
 from the singular, in vv. 1, 2, to the plural, in vv. 'S, 
 4, which shows that v. 3 is not to be immediately 
 connected in sense with v. 2, but with v. 4. In vb. 
 1, 2 God is speaking by the Psalmist. In 3 the 
 Psalmist enlists the symjtathy of the pious among 
 
 his hearers by taking them in with himself— as 
 much as to say, God by my mouth has invited all 
 to give ear to the deep truth wrapped up in the 
 histories of old. Come, then, let us not hide, but 
 show them to others, and specially to the genera- 
 tion to come (Exod. x. 2 ; Ps. xliv. 1 ; 2 Sam. v ii. 
 22 ; Dent, xxxii. 7). Traditions of the fathers are 
 valuable as a testimony to facts, and in corrobora- 
 tion of and subordination to Scripture ; but not to 
 be raised to a level with, much less raised above, 
 the written Word. The Psalmist draws his facts 
 from Scripture ; at the same time he recognizes 
 that he is surrounded with family traditions which 
 verify independently the statements of the sacred 
 volume. 4. We will not hide them from their 
 children — /. e., from our children, who are in truth 
 our father's children. Our fathers transmitted tc 
 us these truths, not for our sakes only, but for dis- 
 tant posterity, shov/ing to the generation to 
 come the praises of the Lord. The plural praises 
 implies the rich fulness of praise which is the 
 Lord's due because of His deeds, and his wonder^ 
 ful works — which called for the people's grateful 
 obedience, and which wei'C their great condem- 
 nation when they disobeyed Him. 
 
 5-8. — God's appointment for Israel in the time of 
 the Judges. God gave His law — the summary of 
 His ordinances and deeds — in order that they and 
 their posterity might trust and obey Him, and not 
 rebel, as their fathers did in the wilderness. 5. 
 For he established- ^7., 'erected 'raised up' (cf. 
 note, V. 6). a testimony in Jacob, and appointed 
 a law in Israel — viz., the Pentateuch, containing 
 not only God's laws, but the record of God's deeds, 
 which contain instruction in duty, and warning 
 (cf. vv. 7, 10, 11). which he commanded our 
 fathers, that they should make them known to 
 their children— not merely by a formal teaching, 
 but by speaking from the heart to their children's 
 heart (Exod. xiii. 14; Deut. iv. 9, 23; vi. 6, 7). 
 "Our fathers" are the Israelites of Moses' time. 
 6. That the generation to come might know (them) 
 —i. (?., the generation in the time of the Judges, 
 even the children . . . (who) should arise and 
 declare them— not 'who should spiking upf but, 
 omitting " who" of the English version, ' that they 
 should rise up and declare' (them— iAe law and 
 the testimony) to their children. The Hebrew 
 verb is the same as is translated in v. 5, "He 
 established'"— ^raised up a testimony.' As 
 God has raised up> the testimony, so those for 
 whorn He raised it up should rise up and declare 
 it. There is no co\m\si. {and) between 'that they 
 might know . . . that they should arise ' to mark 
 
The goodness 
 
 PSALM LXXVITL 
 
 of God to Israel. 
 
 7 That they might set their hope in God, 
 
 And not forget the works of God, — but keep his commandments : 
 
 8 And might not be as their fathers, — a stubborn and rebellious generation ; 
 A generation '^that set not their heart aright, 
 
 And whose spirit was' not stedfast with God. 
 
 9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and ^carrying bows, 
 Turned back in the day of battle. 
 
 10 They kept not the covenant of God,— and refused to walk in his law; 
 
 1 1 And ^forgat his works, — and his wonders that he had showed them. 
 
 12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers,, 
 In the land of Egypt, ^in the field of Zoan. 
 
 13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; 
 And he made the waters to stand as an heap. 
 
 14 In the day-time also he led them with a cloud. 
 And all the night with a light of fire. 
 
 15 He ^ clave the rocks in the wilderness. 
 
 And gave them drink as out of the great depths. 
 
 16 He brought -^streams also out of the rock. 
 And caused waters to run down like rivers. 
 
 2 that pre- 
 pared not 
 tlieir heart. 
 2Chr. r.'.M. 
 2 Chr. 19. 3. 
 2Chr. 20.33. 
 
 8 throwing 
 
 forth. 
 « Ps. 106. 13. 
 21. 
 
 Isa. 17. 10. 
 
 Jer. 2. 32. 
 ^ Gen. 32. 3. 
 
 Num.13.22. 
 
 Isa. 19. 11. 
 
 Eze. 30. 14. 
 » Ex. 17. 6. 
 
 Num.20.11. 
 
 Ps. 105. 41. 
 
 Isa. 41. 18. 
 
 Isa. 43. 20. 
 
 John 7. 37. 
 38. 
 
 1 Cor. 10. 4. 
 
 3 Deut. 9. 21. 
 
 how closely connected are real knowing and rising 
 up to declare one's spiritual knowledge to others, 
 especially to one's own children (Mark. v. 19). 
 ' Whatever a man feels to be of vital importance 
 he endeavours to set it before his family^ {Henq- 
 stenherg). 7. That they might set their hope in 
 God. "They"— viz., the second generation, that 
 which in the period of the Judges succeeded the 
 Mosaic one, which was the first {vv. 5, 6). and 
 not forget the -works of God, but keep his com- 
 mandments— (Deut. iv. 40; xxxi. 11; xxxiii. 9.) 
 8. And might not be as their fathers (of Moses' 
 days), a stubborn and rebellious generation. So 
 Moses reproached his contenii)oraries (Deut. ix. 6, 
 7 ; xxxi. 27). The image is that of a refractory 
 sou (Deut. xxi. 18 ; xxxii. 5). a generation that set 
 not their heart aright -that did not set steadily 
 their heart in the right way. Hengstenherg trans- 
 lates, ' a generation that does not jprejoare its heart.' 
 So marg., and Job xi. 13; 1 Sam. vii. 3. I prefer 
 the English version, as agreeing with v. 37. 
 
 9-11.— The Israelites failed to realize the high 
 destination which was the very object for which 
 God called them into national existence. 9. The 
 children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying 
 bows, turned back in the day of battle— j. e., like 
 soldiers who, though armed, turn their back in 
 battle ; so the children of Ephraim (i. e., all Israel, 
 represented by Ephraim, the ruling tribe during 
 the period of the Judges) failed, when put to the 
 test, to realize their noble destination of God. As 
 here they are compared to the dastardly bowmen, 
 so in V. 57, to "a deceitful bow," which will not 
 do its proper work. Bowmen formed the main 
 body of the Hebrew army. The unfaithfulness of 
 Israel, described here, is that in the period of the 
 Judges ; and the consequent punishment is stated 
 to have been their defeat, and the capture of the 
 ark by the enemy {im. 41, 42, 56-60), followed by 
 the rejection of Shiloh, and the election of Judah 
 as the place of God's sanctuary {vv. 67-69). 10. 
 They kept not the covenant of God— in oppo- 
 sition to V. 7, 'that they might keep His com- 
 mandments.' 11. And forgat his works— in oppo- 
 sition to V. 7, " and not forget the works of God." 
 and his wonders. " His works and His wonders " 
 are those done m Egyi)t and in the wilderness, 
 that He had showed them— through their fathers, 
 as the representatives of the Israel of all ages. 
 
 12-40.— The unbelief of the Israelite fathers is 
 206 
 
 detailed as a sad contrast to God's marvels wrought 
 in their behalf; the object is in order that the sous 
 might see in their fathers' unbelief a vivid picture 
 of their own (v. 41 and following verses). 
 
 12-16.— God's doings for the fathers, in order to 
 draw them to loving obedience, set forth in histori- 
 cal sequence. 12. Marvellous things did he in , . . 
 Egypt. First come the wonders wrought in Egypt 
 only briefly alluded to here, because in vv. 43-55 he 
 means to take them up at greater length, in the 
 field of Zoan. Zoan, or Tanis, was a royal city of 
 Lower Egypt, on the east of the Tauitic branch of 
 the Nile. The Egyptian name is Ha-awar, ' the 
 abode of departure. ' Zoan means ' a place of 
 departure' []V], he moved tents]. Num. xiii. 22 con- 
 nects its building with the building of Hebron, 
 which was under the rule of the Palestinian 
 Anakim. The shepherd kings were probably of 
 this race. These made themselves masters of 
 Lower Egypt ; and their king, Salatis, built Zoan, 
 or Avaris, about the time of Abraham. Zoan was 
 the capital of the shepherd Pharaoh, who oppressed 
 Israel; and hence "the field of [i. e., the nome, 
 or region round) Zoan" was the scene of God's 
 miracles in behalf of Israel. 13. He divided the 
 sea . . . he made the waters to stand as an 
 heap— (from Exod. xv. 8; cf. Ps. xxxiii. 7.) 15, 
 16. He clave the rocks in the wilderness ... He 
 brought streams also out of the rock. The plural 
 " rocks," and the quotation in v. 16 (first clause) 
 of Num. XX. 8, "streams," only being substituted 
 f9r the prosaic ' water,' show that the two occa- 
 sions of miraculously supplying water are joined 
 here— that at Rephidim, Exod. xvii. 6, and that at 
 Kadesh, Num. xx. V. 15 refers to both ; v. 16 to 
 the one at Kadesh, as the greater of the two. Only 
 on this second occasion, at Kadesh, is the Hebrew 
 for "rock" used both in Num. xx. 8 and here in 
 V. 16 [p!r.y]. On the first occasion, that at Rephidim, 
 the Hebrew translated in the English version, 
 " rock," is rather ' a stone ' [nif]. It is the general 
 term, and might be applied to both occasions. 
 " He clave" {yihaquang) alludes to a very difterent 
 cleaving or breaking wp— viz., that of "the foun- 
 tains of the great deep" (Gen. vii. 11), the same 
 Hebrew verb. Then the cleaving was in wrath ; 
 now it is in grax^e. and gave (them) drink as 
 (out of) the great depths. Here again the great 
 flood is alluded to. Some MSS. read in [3] for as 
 
God's wrath PSALM LXXVIII. against the disobedient. 
 
 17 And they sinned yet more against him 
 
 By ^provoking the Most High in the wilderness. 
 
 18 And they tempted God in their heart, — by asking meat for their lust. 
 
 19 Yea, 'they spake against God; 
 
 They said, Can God ^furnish a table in the wilderness ? 
 
 20 Behold, ^he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out. 
 And the streams overflowed ; 
 
 Can he give bread also ? — can he provide flesh for his people ? 
 
 21 Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth: 
 So a fire was kindled against Jacob, 
 
 And anger also came up against Israel ; 
 
 22 Because they ^believed not in God, — and trusted not in his salvation, 
 
 23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, 
 ^And opened the doors of heaven, 
 
 * Deut. 9. «. 
 Ps. 95. 8, 10. 
 Ps. 100. 13, 
 32. 
 
 Heb. 3. 16. 
 ' Num. 11. 4. 
 
 2Chr. 32.19. 
 
 Horn. 9. 20. 
 < order. 
 "'Ex. 17. 6. 
 
 Num. 20.11. 
 " Heb. 3. 10. 
 
 Jude 5. 
 " Gen. 7. 11. 
 
 Deut. 28.12, 
 
 2 Ki. 7. 2, 
 19. 
 
 Mai. 8. 10. 
 
 Great in Hebrew is singular ; depths, plural. 
 The plural is distributive — ' the depths, each one of 
 them great.' Cf. Ps. xviii. 15 (14) ; Ixviii. 30. 
 'Calves (every one) submitting himself (Gejer). 
 The plural denotes the flood absolutely, the 
 mundane sea (cf. behemoth); as but 07ie flood is 
 meant, the Hebrew adjective is singular [Henysten- 
 berg). From Mount Serbal, along the valley of 
 Firan, there still runs a perennial stream. Euse- 
 him mentions the place as E,ephidim, ' a locality in 
 the desert, close to Horeb, into which the waters 
 flowed from the smitten rock, and the place was 
 called the Temptation.' St. Paul (1 Cor. x. 4) 
 says— "they drank of that spiritual rock that fol- 
 lowed therrC — viz. , the perennial stream from Reijhi- 
 dim. It accompanied them until they reached 
 higher land, thirty-eight or thirty-nine years after- 
 wards at Kadesh, when again they needed a 
 miraculous supply, as the water could not rise 
 above its source. The wadys, or valleys, all bear 
 traces of being the beds of streams which originally 
 flowed in them. The grass which would spring on 
 the banks would feed their cattle during their 
 journey. So Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria in 
 the third century, held. Previously to the miracle 
 the people had no water. Weeks after it Moses 
 cast the dust of the golden calf into "the brook 
 that descended out of the Mount." The valley 
 beneath Serbal, torn by convulsions, attests the 
 miracle. The Sinai, with the convent on it, shows 
 no such trace. Horeb means an isolated mountain. 
 Serbal alone, of the Sinaitic range, answers to this 
 condition. Moreover, it lies at "the back-side of 
 the desert" (Exod. iii, 1). It was regarded as the 
 Mount of God by the ancient Church, until 
 Justinian erected St. Catharine's monastery upon 
 the mountain, twenty miles off, which is now 
 regarded as the scene of the giving of the law. 
 Zebeir, a rock spur at the foot of Serbal, is the 
 same as the Arabic Ayzehir — i. e., 'the mount in 
 which God spake to Moses.' The rocks around 
 still bear numerous written inscriptions in the 
 ancient Hebrew characters ; but the language is 
 the old Arabic, such as occurs in inscriptions at 
 Yemen and in South Arabia. The Rev. C. Forster, 
 who has deciphered the inscriptions, remarks that 
 it is a proof of their genuineness that, unlike the 
 monuments of other nations, they almost all record, 
 not Israel's glory, but her rebellion and chastise- 
 ment ; no i)eople would have recorded their own 
 shame, except under the overruling of God. 
 No t)agan or Egyptian idolatrous symbol occurs, 
 as the cat, the crocodile, or Isis and Osiris. The 
 liieroglyphical style of symbols (as the ostrich, the 
 representative of Israel) which occur on the rocks, 
 was such as Moses would be familiar with from 
 bis early training in the wisdom of Egypt. Forster 
 
 (' Sinai Photographed' ) reads thus one inscription : 
 Smiting the rock like a great river— depart, 
 passing forth the waters. Moses, their shepherd, a 
 meek and lowly man, to the thirsty gives water to 
 drink.' 
 
 17-20. — Israel's ungrateful return to God. 17. 
 And they sinned yet more against Mm — rather, 
 ^ But^ &c. They went on sinning as they did just 
 before the first sending of water miraculously, 
 tempting God, and saying, " Is the Lord among us, 
 or not?" (Exod. xvii. 2, 7). As then it was on 
 account of drink, so afterwards it was for meat. The 
 very same phrase is used of contumacious Pharaoh 
 (Exod- ix. 34, "he sinned yet more"). They now 
 had fallen to a level with even him, provoking 
 the Most High— (Deut, ix. 22, 23.) in the -wilder- 
 ness— ^i^., in the arid land; alluding to God's 
 having given them water even there, which aggra- 
 vated their sin (Deut. ix. 7, 24 ; xxxi. 27). 18. And 
 they tempted God— they presumptuously and mur- 
 muringly demanded what they ought to have be- 
 sought God for in suppliant faith. They put God 
 to the proof, intending to forsake His service if 
 He should not give what they required ; whereas 
 they ought to have believed that He could, and 
 that He would, give a supply for all their needs in 
 His own good time (Exod. "xvii. 7; Deut. vi. 16). 
 in their heart— the fountain whence flow evil 
 words and deeds (Matt. xii. 34, 35). by asking 
 meat for their lust — for their appetite; their 
 animal soul ; not the desire merely for what is 
 necessary (Deut. xii. 20). The emphasis is on 
 " asking;''^ not on " for their lust." Their sin lay 
 not in what they desired, but in the way in which 
 they desired it {Hengstenher(f). 19, 20. Can God 
 furnish a table in the wilderness ? Behold, he 
 smote the rock , . , can he give bread also ? can 
 he provide flesh for his people? The Psalmist 
 connects the double demand and temi)tingof God, — 
 the one in Exod. xvi., followed by the giving of the 
 quails and the manna, which preceded the giving 
 of water; the other in Num. xi., as to the quails' 
 flesh alone ; just as in vv. 15, 16 he blended in one 
 the two occasions of giving water. The Psalmist 
 expresses what they would have said if they had 
 spoken out all their thoughts, of which what they 
 did say gave a sad sample (cf, vv. 25, 27). 
 
 21-31. — God's vengeance on them for their un- 
 believing perversity. 21. Therefore the Lord 
 heard this, and was wroth : so a fire was kindled 
 against Jacob. The fire is that of the Divine 
 wrath {vv. 30, 31 ; Num. xi. 10, 33, 34 ; Ps. xviii. 
 8), rather than the literal Are in Num. xi. 1. 
 22. Because they believed not in God— (Num. 
 xiv. 11. ) and trusted not in his salvation— (Exod. 
 xiv, 13.) 23. and opened the doors of heaven— 
 (Gen, vii. 11.) There is an allusion here to the 
 
God*s wrath against 
 
 PSALM LXXVIII. 
 
 tJie disobedient. 
 
 24 And ^had rained down manna upon them to eat. 
 And had given them of the corn of heaven. 
 
 25 ^ Man did eat angels' food: — lie sent them meat to the fall. 
 
 26 He caused an east wind ^to blow in the heaven ; 
 And by his power he brought in the south wind. 
 
 27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust. 
 
 And ^featliered fowls like as the sand of the sea; 
 
 28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, 
 Round about their habitations. 
 
 29 So they did eat, and were well filled : — for he gave them their own desire : 
 
 30 They were not estranged from their lust : 
 But while their meat was yet in their mouths, 
 
 31 The wrath of God came upon them, — and slew the fattest of them. 
 And ^ smote down the ^chosen men of Israel. 
 
 32 For all this they sinned still, — and believed not for his wondrous works. 
 
 33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity. 
 And their years in trouble. 
 
 When ^he slew them, then they sought him; 
 And they returned and enquired early after God: 
 And they remembered that God was their Rock, 
 And the high God their Redeemer. 
 
 34 
 
 35 
 
 P Deut. 8. 3, 
 Neh. 9. 15, 
 20. 
 
 Ps. 68. 9. 
 Ps. 105. 40. 
 John. 6. 31. 
 1 Cor. 11. 3. 
 
 5 Or, Eveiy 
 one did 
 eat the 
 bread of 
 the 
 
 mighty. 
 
 6 to go. 
 
 7 fowl of 
 wing. 
 
 8 made to 
 bow. 
 
 9 Or. young 
 men. 
 
 1 Num. 21. 7 
 Judg. 4. 3. 
 Judg. 6. 6. 
 7. 
 
 Judg. 10. lo- 
 ll. 
 
 Ho3. 5. 15. 
 
 flood, as in v. 15, note. 24. And had rained down 
 manna— (Exod. xvi. 4, 14.) the corn of heaven— 
 
 ''the bread of heaven" (Ps. cv. 40), instead of 
 bread made of earthly corn. 25. Man — rather, 
 as Exod. xvi. 6, " every man." Not one of 
 them was left without it. did eat angels' food — 
 ' the food of the mighty ones ' (Ps. ciii. 20). So 
 the LXX., Vulgate, and Chaldaic, with the Eng- 
 lish version— i. e., not as if angels ate food, but 
 ' food from the habitation of the angels,^ as the 
 Chaldaic expresses it. Schnurrer, less probably, 
 takes it, the food of noUes — i. e., lordly, delicate 
 food, to the full— the murmuring Israelites' own 
 expression (Exod. xvi. 3.) 26. He caused an east 
 wind to blow in the heaven— (Num. xi. 31.) 
 "There went forth a wind from the Lord where 
 "from the Lord" answers to " in the heaven" 
 here, and by his power— is parallel, he brought 
 in the south wind. The east and the south winds, 
 blowing in succession, collected and swept before 
 them the fowls, 27. He rained flesh— the same 
 expression as in 24, of the manna. Of. Exod. 
 xvi. 3; Num. xi. 31, 32. feathered fowls. Forster 
 identities Kibroth-Hattaavah witli Mount Sarbut. 
 A multitude of graves are found there. There are 
 also vast numbers of the Hebrew salu, the Sinaitic 
 nuham, which he considers to be not the qimil, 
 but the red-legged crane-like goose, which migrates 
 to India, and then northward. It is seven feet from 
 its beak to its tail. The words "two cubits high 
 upon the face of the earth," express the height of 
 each bird. He translates thus the inscription, 
 ' devouring flesh ravenously, drinking wine 
 greedily, dancing, shouting, they play. Cf. 1 Cor. x. 
 7 ; Exod. xxxii. 6. But these crane-like geese 
 would not be palatable flesh ; and the Arabic salwa 
 means round and, plump. Quails, after a long 
 flight, fly low, and are easily caught ; and to this 
 their low flight, when exhausted, the " two cubits 
 above the face of the ground " may refer. 28. And 
 he let it fall in the midst of their camp— (Exod. 
 xvi. 13.) round about— (Num. xi. 31.) 29. So 
 they did eat, and were well filled— to repletion 
 (Num. xi. 18-20.) for he gave them their own 
 desire— 'lust' (Num. xi. 4). 
 
 30. They were not estranged from their lust. 
 They had not yet been parted from the object of 
 their lust. It had not yet become "loathsome" 
 
 m 
 
 (Num. xi. 20) to them, while their meat was 
 yet in their mouths— (Num. xi. 33, 34, 'Kibroth- 
 hattaavah — i. e., the graves of lust.) The destroying 
 plague began from their surfeit even to loathing. 
 Wtiilst their lust was being gratified, they were 
 preparing a scourge for themselves. Forster, 
 inscription 28, ' Sinai Photographed,' thus deci- 
 Ijhers it — 'Heplete with food, obstreperous, they 
 cram, surfeited; vomit, clamouring the people; 
 drinking water to reijletion ; weeping for their 
 dead, cry aloud with downcast eyes the tribes (or 
 Hebrews).' Cf. 1 Cor. x. 6, 7- 31. The wrath of God 
 . . . slew the fattest of them— (Isa. x. 16 ; Judg. iii. 
 29, mary.) smote down the chosen men— 'pros- 
 trated (made to bow) the young men.' Health 
 and youth could not stand before God's stroke. 
 
 32-40.— The rebellious nature of Israel under the 
 Judges is especially shown in their persevering in 
 sin and unbelief, even in spite of God's severe judg- 
 ments ; therefore he sent destroying visitations. 
 These brought them to God for a time; but their 
 repentance was only on the surface; their heart 
 w^as not stedfast in His covenant. 32. For all 
 this they sinned still— yet more; viz., after tlie 
 return of the spies, and believed not for his 
 wondrous works, "For"- i e., notwithstanding 
 them; they would not be brought by them to 
 believe {v. 22; Num. xiv. 11). 33. Therefore 
 their days did he consume in vanity— m utter 
 nothingness. All their journeyings were profitless 
 fatigue; inasmuch as they wei'e not allowed by 
 God to enter the good land for Avhich they had 
 left Egyi^t; the judicial consequence of their 
 unbelief upon hearing the report of the spies, 
 and their years in trouble— 'in perturbation.' 
 So the Hebrew commentators. Cf. the same He- 
 brew [behalah). Lev. xxvi. 16, ^^tej-ror." Precipi- 
 tate coyisternation is the idea. Hengstenberg takes 
 the "terror" to refer to the extraordinary tokens 
 of God's wrath by which they were hurried ofl" the 
 earth (cf. v. 34). 
 
 34. When he slew them. The destroying judg- 
 ments are those inflicted between the sending of the 
 spies and the death of Moses, they . . . enquired 
 early after God (Num. xiv. 39, 40; xxi. 7)— they 
 sedidously sought His favour. Persons anxious 
 about an object get up early to secure it. God ' sent 
 His servants the prophets to Israel rising up enrly^ 
 
Gods wrath against 
 
 PSALM LXXVIIL 
 
 the disobedient. 
 
 36 Nevertheless they did ""flatter him with their mouth. 
 And they lied unto him with their tongues. 
 
 37 For their heart was not right with him, 
 Neither were they stedfast in his covenant. 
 
 38 But he, being *full of compassion, forgave their iniquity. 
 And destroyed them not ; 
 Yea, many a time Humed he his anger away. 
 And did not stir up all his wrath. 
 
 39 For he remembered ""that they icere but flesh; 
 ^'A wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. 
 
 40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness^ 
 And grieve him in the desert ! 
 
 41 Yea, they turned back, and tempted God, 
 And limited the Holy One of Israel. 
 
 42 They remembered not his hand, 
 Nor the day when he delivered them ^^from the enemy °. 
 
 43 How he had ^-wrought his signs in Egypt, 
 And his wonders in the field of Zoan : 
 
 44 And had turned their rivers into blood ; 
 And their floods, that they could not drink. 
 
 45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them ; 
 And frogs, which destroyed tliem. 
 
 46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar. 
 And their labour unto the locust. 
 
 47 He destroyed their vines with hail^ 
 And their sycamore trees with frost. 
 
 48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, 
 
 (Jer. vii. 25). Cf* Christ's own example (Mark i. 35). 
 86. Nevertheless they did fiattei* him with their 
 mouth— (Ezek. xxxiii. 31.) The repentance pro- 
 duced only by suffering is not heartfelt, and lasts 
 merely whilst the suffering lasts. 37. For their 
 heart was not right with him— (cf. v. 8.) To have 
 a 'heart right with God' we must pray as Ps. li. 
 10. neither were they stedfast in his covenant 
 — cf. Jer. xxxiv. 8, 11 as an instance how 'ease 
 recants vows made in jiain as recreant and void.' 
 33, 39. But he, being full of compassion, forgave 
 their iniquity— (Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7.) and destroyed 
 them not— at once, as their rebellion merited, and 
 as God threatened (Exod. xxxii. 10; Num. xiv. 12; 
 xvi. 21). 39. For he remembered that they were 
 but flesh— (Ps. ciii. 14-16.) The frailty of man's 
 life moves the merciful God to abate some of the 
 strict severity which our sins deserve. This is 
 the ground of Job's appeal, Job x, 20, 21. 
 
 40-55.— The Israelites in the time of the Judges 
 tempted God by forgetting His judgments in 
 Egypt in Israel's behalf, which are here detailed, 
 as also His love in bringing Israel into Canaan. 
 40. How oft did they provoke . . . and grieve 
 him in the desert!— Ps. (xcv. 9, 10: Isa. Ixiii. 
 10.) "They vexed His Holy Spirit," Eph. iv. 30; 
 Ezek. xvi. 4.3, 'thou hast fretted me.' 41. Yea, 
 they turned back, and tempted God— Hebrew 
 idiom, 'They tempted God anew.'' The rebellion 
 of Israel in the time of the Judges in Canaan was 
 a new provoking of God, as their fathers had jjro- 
 voked Him before "in the wilderness" (v. 40). 
 and limited the Holy One of Israel. The very 
 title of God reproves their unbelieving perversity ; 
 the God whose sanctity had been proved by so 
 many miracles before Israel (Ps. Ixxi. 22). " Li- 
 mited"— circiimscribed Him with bounds, virtually 
 Baying that there are some things which He cannot 
 do; up to a certain point He has power, but after 
 
 Fs. lOG. 12, 
 13. 
 
 Isa. 29. 13. 
 Eze. 3"?. 31. 
 Hos. 1. 11, 
 » Ex, 3». 6. 
 Neh. 9. ir. 
 Ps. 86. 1.5. 
 Jer. 32. ir. 
 t 1 Ki. 21. 29. 
 Isa. 48. 9. 
 Eze. ?3, 10, 
 II. 
 
 Mic. r. 18. 
 Eom, 2. 4. 
 2 Pet. 3. 9, 
 " Gen. 6, 3. 
 Ps. 103. Il- 
 ls. 
 
 J ohn 3. 6. 
 Jas. 4. IK 
 " Job 7. 7. 16. 
 Jas. 4. 14. 
 
 10 Or, rebel 
 against 
 him. 
 
 Eph. 4. 30, 
 Heb. 3. 16, 
 
 11 Or, from 
 affliction, 
 
 12 set. 
 
 13 killed. 
 1* ( r, great 
 
 hail stones. 
 15 He shut 
 up. 
 
 that He has not [from nin, to mark vfithasign: as 
 the letter Tav, Ezek, ix, 4; Kum, xxxiv, 7, 8]. 
 Cf, V. 20, above, as an instance of their fathers 
 limitiny God, Hengstenherg takes the Hebrew in 
 the sense to ' brand ' with dishonour. The LXX., 
 'they exasperated,' I prefer the English version. 
 43, How he had wrought his signs in Egypt — 
 reverting to v. 12— " Marvellous things did He . . . 
 in . . . Egypt." Here the marvels of God in Egypt 
 are set forth in fuller detail, in order to show by 
 the sad contrast the wickedness of the sons : for it 
 M^as for their sakes, as much as for their fathers, 
 that those marvels were wrought; so that God had 
 the strongest claims upon their loving obedience 
 (cf, Exod, X, 1, 2; Ps. cv. 27). 44. And had 
 turned their rivers into blood— the first plague. 
 " Ptivers"— i. e., the different canals of the Silo 
 (Exod. vii. 19). and their floods- 'streams.' that 
 they could not drink— (Exod, vii, 18, 20.) 45, He 
 sent divers sorts of flies . . . which devoured 
 them— Hebrew, yl ro6— lit,, mixture; then dirt., 
 flies — i, e,, vermin; or, as Maurer thinks, from their 
 mixed colour, grayish. The d.og flies are mainly 
 meant, which gorge themselves with blood and 
 flesh, and cause bloody and painful boils. The 
 English version, with which cf, marg. Exod. viii. 
 21, takes it, a mixture of flies; flies of various 
 kinds. The meanness of the instrument used as a 
 scourge marked the contempt with which God 
 repressed their j)ride. and frogs. In Exodus these 
 precede the flies. 46. He gave also their increase 
 unto the caterpillar— Hebrew, chasil; a term 
 applied to the locust; here every kind of devourin<^ 
 insect. 47, He destroyed their vines with hail. 
 The vine was anciently cultivated in Egypt (Exod. 
 ix, 23, 25 ; Ps, cv, 33). and their sycamore trees 
 with ftost— or, as marr/.,' hail stones,' 48. He gave 
 up their cattle also to the hail. From the de- 
 struction sent upon the vegetable world he passes 
 
God's wrath against 
 
 PSALM LXXVIII. 
 
 the disobedient. 
 
 And their flocks to ^^hot thunderbolts. 
 
 49 He cast upon them the "^fierceness of his anger, 
 Wrath, and indignation, and trouble, 
 
 By sending evil angels among them. 
 
 50 He made a way to his anger ; — he spared not their soul from death. 
 But gave their ^^life over to the pestilence ; 
 
 51 And smote all the first-born in Egypt; 
 
 The chief of their strength in the tabernacles of ^Ham ; 
 
 52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, 
 And guided them in the wilderness like a flock. 
 
 53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not : 
 But the sea ^^overwhelmed their enemies. 
 
 54 And he brought them to the border of his ^sanctuary, 
 Even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased. 
 
 55 He cast out the heathen also before them, 
 And divided them an inheritance by line. 
 
 And made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents. 
 
 56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, 
 And kept not his testimonies ; 
 
 57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: 
 They were turned aside ^ like a deceitful bow. 
 
 58 For they provoked him to anger with their ^ high places, 
 And moved him to jealousy with their graven images. 
 
 to that of the cattle; and so vv. 49-51 reaches man 
 himself, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts— 
 ' lightning-tlames ;' Exod. ix. 23, 24, 'the fire ran 
 along the ground . . . fire mingled with the hail.' 
 
 49. He cast upon them the fierceness of his 
 anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble- 
 comprising all the plagues not specially mentioned: 
 the gnats, the ^Aree days'* darkness, &c. by send- 
 ing evil angels among them— angels of the evil 
 class (Job ii. 4-7; 1 Ki. 22, 23). Or, angels which, 
 though themselves good, are the executioners of 
 punishment on the evil. Especially " the destroy- 
 ing angel of the Lord," who smote the first-born, 
 and who is represented in Exodus as in closest 
 communion with Jehovah {v. 51 ; Exod. xii. 13, 23, 
 29; Heb. xi, 28). One seems to have been the 
 angel of Jehovah, the others formed His retinue 
 (2 Sam. xxiv. 16, 17; 2 Ki. xix. 35). 'Godsends 
 good angels to punish wicked men, and employs 
 bad angels to chastise good men ' {Hengstenherg). 
 
 50. He made a way to his anger— He did not 
 restrain it, but made a clear way for it — lit, 
 ' weighed a way : ' implying that God, in punishing 
 the Egyptians so severely, did nothing but what 
 was just and equitable, when weighed in the bal- 
 ance of right (Prov. iv. 26). gave their life over 
 to the pestilence. All the old versions, the Chal- 
 daic, Vulgate, LXX. , Ethiopic, Syriac, and Arabic 
 take it, ' gave their animals to the pestilence.' So 
 marg., 'gave their beasts to the murrain' [n*n] 
 (Exod. ix. 3, 6), the fifth plague. However, the 
 parallel clause, "he spared not their sozil from 
 death" confirms the English version; also v. 51. 
 Though in Exodus, pestilence is not expressly men- 
 tioned as the cause of the death of the first-born, 
 yet there is nothing there inconsistent with this ; 
 nay, Exod. ix. 15 implies it. 51. the chief of 
 their strength— the first-fruits of their strength ; 
 poetically for the first-horn (Gen. xlix. 3; Deut. xxi. 
 17; Ps. cv. 36; cf. Exod. xii. 29). the tabernacles 
 of Ham — whose true offspring Egypt was, as well 
 in blood as in wickedness (Gen. ix. 22; x. 6). 52. 
 But made his own people to go forth like sheep— 
 (Exod. xii. 37; xv. 22.) and guided them in the 
 wilderness— which began on this side of the Red 
 
 270 
 
 16 Or. light- 
 nings. 
 '"Job 20. 23. 
 
 Ps. 11. 6. 
 
 Isa. 42. 25. 
 
 Lam, 4. 11. 
 
 Zeph. 3. 8. 
 
 Rom. 2. 8. 
 n He 
 
 weighed 
 
 a path. 
 
 18 Or. their 
 beasts 
 
 to the 
 murrain. 
 * Gen. 9. 2 '. 
 Gen. 10. 6. 
 Ps. 105. 23. 
 Ps. 106. 22. 
 
 19 covered. 
 y Ex. 15. 17. 
 
 Dan. 9. 16- 
 20. 
 
 ' Eze. 20. 27. 
 » Hos. 7. IC. 
 ^ Lev. 20. 3i». 
 
 Num. 33. 5?. 
 
 Deut. 12. 2. 
 
 Eze. liO. 28, 
 29. 
 
 Sea (Exod. xiv. 3). 53. And he led them on 
 safely, so that they feared not— i e., so that they 
 had no cause to fear. Not Israel's fearlessness of 
 faith, but God's grace in removing all grounds of 
 fear, is the subject of praise (Exod. xiv. 13). 54. 
 And he brought them to the border of his 
 sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his 
 right hand had purchased— Zion, the spiritual 
 centre of the Holy Land. Though it was not got 
 possession of by Israel till David's time, it was 
 viewed as destined to be theirs, and by God's gift 
 theirs from the first. Cf. Exod. xv. 13, 17, which 
 passage is verbally referred to here, "Thou shalt 
 bring them in . . . the mountain of thine inheri- 
 tance ... in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy 
 hands have established." It was hallowed by 
 Abraham's offering of Isaac upon it, (Gen, xxii.) 
 Not all Canaan is meant, as in Deut. iii. 25: but 
 Mount Zion (Ps. Ixxiv. 2; Ixviii. 16). The Psal- 
 mist's object is to give prominence to Zion above 
 Shiloh, that so Israel's northern tribes might not, 
 as in former instances, prove rebellious against the 
 will of the Lord. 55. He cast out the heathen 
 also before them (the Israelites), and divided 
 them (the heathen) an inheritance by line. 
 He caused them (the heathen — i. e., their terri- 
 tory) to fall as an inheritance by the measuring 
 line (Num. xxxiv. 2; Ps. cv. 11, marg.; xvi. 6; 
 Josh. xiii. 7). 
 
 56-64. — Israel's unfaithfulness in the time of the 
 Judges caused God to forsake the tabernacle of 
 Shiloh, and brought down other sore judgments. 
 56. Yet they tempted and provoked the most 
 high God— (Judg. ii. 7-13.) and kept not his testi- 
 monies— (Deut. vi. 16, 17.) 57. But turned back, and 
 dealt unfaithfully like their fathers— (v. 8.) they 
 were turned aside like a deceitful bow— a bow 
 which disappoints the trust placed in it (Hos. vii. 
 16) ; so the similar image of unfaithfulness in 
 V. 9, bowmen, who ' turn back in the day of 
 battle. ' For a time they promised well, and theu 
 drew back. 58. For they provoked him to anger 
 with their high places, and moved him to jealousy 
 with their graven images— (Deut. xxxiL 16, 21' 
 Judg. ii. 12, 20.) 
 
God chooses 
 
 PSALM LXXVIII. 
 
 J udali and DarAd. 
 
 59 
 GO 
 
 ^V^len God heard this, he was wroth, — and greatly abhorred Israel: 
 So '^that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, 
 The tent which he placed among men ; 
 Gl And 'delivered his ^ strength into captivity, 
 And his glory into the enemy's hand. 
 
 62 He gave his people over also unto the sword; 
 And was wroth with his inheritance. 
 
 63 The fire consumed their young men ; 
 
 And their maidens were not given to marriage. 
 
 64 Their priests fell by the sword; — and their ^widows made no lamentation. 
 
 65 Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, 
 And ^'like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine. 
 And he smote his enemies in the hinder part ; 
 He put them to a perpetual reproach. 
 
 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, 
 And chose not the tribe of Ephraim ; 
 
 68 But chose the tribe of Judah, — the mount Zion which he loved. 
 
 69 And he ^ built his sanctuary like palaces, 
 
 66 
 
 67 
 
 " Gen. 18. 20. 
 21. 
 
 Ps. 11. 4. 
 
 Ps. 14. 2-5. 
 Heb. 4. IX 
 d Josh. 18. 1. 
 1 Sam. 1. 3. 
 
 1 Sara. 4.11. 
 Jer. r. 12. 
 Jer. 26. 6. 
 
 • Judg. 18.30. 
 / 1 Sam. 4.1?. 
 lSam.5.1,2. 
 
 2 Chr. 6. 41. 
 Ps. 132. 8. 
 
 20 praised. 
 " 1 Sam. 4.19, 
 20. 
 
 Job 2r. 15. 
 
 Eze. 24. 2?. 
 1 Isa. 42. 13. 
 i 1 Ki. 6. 1. 
 
 1 Ki. 9. 8. 
 
 2 Chr. 3. 4. 
 
 59. When God heard this, he was wroth. So in 
 
 V. 21, concerning their fathers. They were faith- 
 less like their fathers ; therefore their punishment 
 was the same. 60. So that he forsook the taber- 
 nacle of Shiloh — meaning a place of rest or pros- 
 perity. It w^as on a hill north of Bethel, and be- 
 longed to the Ephraimites (Josh, xviii, 1; 1 Sam. 
 iv. 3). He forsook the only place which He had 
 selected on earth as peculiarly His dwelling place i 
 The tabernacle was at Shiloh during the whole 
 period of the Judges. The removal of the ark by 
 the Philistines was a demonsti'ation in act that 
 God had forsaken the place. The ark was never 
 restored to Shiloh ; and the holy tabernacle was 
 removed from it, first to Nob (1 Sam. xxi. 1, 2 ; xxii. 
 19), and after the destruction of Nob by Saul, to 
 Gibeon (1 Ki. iii, 4; cf. Jer. vii. 12, 14; xxvi. 6). 
 the tent which he placed — lit., made to dwell; 
 Hebrew, shikkeen, cognate to shekinah, the cloud 
 that marked God's dvjelling in the sanctuary 
 (Deut. xii. 11). Men may erect the framework, 
 but God alone makes the true and spiritual taber- 
 nacle to dwell among men (Josh, xviii. 1 ; xxii. 19 ; 
 Ezek. xi. 22, 23; Exod. xxv. 28). 61. And de- 
 livered his strength into captivity. '*His 
 strength" — i. e., the ark of the covenant; the pledge 
 of God's strengthening His peoijle, and delivering 
 them from their enemies. God, dwelling above 
 it in the shekinah cloud, thence was wont to hear 
 
 {)rayer and help His people. When once that was 
 ost, all Israel's true strength (viz., the strength 
 of the Lord exercised in their behalf) was gone 
 (Ps. cxxxii. 8, "the ark of thy strength;" 1 Chr. 
 xvi. 11). and his glory into the enemy's hand 
 Where the Lord gives strength, there He also 
 
 fives glory; the ark was the pledge of both to 
 srael (Ps. xxix. 1; xcvi. 6, 7). When the 
 ark was taken, the "glory" was departed (1 Sam. 
 iv. 21, 22). The ark and sanctuary were "the 
 beauty of Israel" (Lam. ii. 1). 62. He gave his 
 people over also unto the sword— (1 Sam. iv. 10.) 
 Thirty thousand Israelites fell. 63. The fire con- 
 sumed their young men— figurative; "the fire" 
 of battle (Num. xxi. 28). and their maidens were 
 not given to marriage — because there were 
 scarcely any young men left (Jer. vii. 34; xvi. 9); 
 lit., ' were not praised' in nuptial song. The LXX. 
 and Vulgate, by a different punctuation [iSVin, 
 instead of iV'^inj translate, ' their maidens did not 
 lament them ;' their own sufferings so pressed on 
 them that none thought of the dead Cv, 64, end). 
 371 
 
 64. Their priests fell toy the sword — as Hophni 
 and Phinehas (1 Sam. iv. 11, 17). and their widows 
 made no lamentation— through terror at the 
 general calamity. So Phinehas' wife, on hearing of 
 his death and the capture of the ark of God, said, 
 " The glory is departed from Israel," and died her- 
 self, leaving her husband's corpse without the 
 ordinary (Gen. xxiiL 2) solemn lamentations (1 
 Sam. iv. 22). 
 
 65-72. — Now Jehovah awakes as one out of sleep, 
 and destroys His people's enemies, and restores 
 the ark ; but Shiloh of Ephraim is now no more 
 His resting-place, but Zion, and David is His 
 chosen king. The inference is tacitly left to be 
 drawn, — Let not Ephraim and Israel resist like 
 their fathers, but joyfully give in their adhesion 
 to God's appointment. 65. Then the Lord awaked 
 as one out of sleep. He had seemed, so far as 
 His people's cause was concerned, like one sleep- 
 ing (Ps. xliv. 23). Now he arose (in the days of 
 Samuel, Saul, and David) to deliver them from 
 their enemies (1 Sam. v., vi., vii. 10-14). like a 
 mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine— 
 whose natural strength is stimulated by wine, so 
 that he shouts as a warrior under its gladdening 
 influences (Ps. civ. 15). 66. And he smote his 
 enemies in the hinder part— literally fulfilled on 
 the Philistines by the " emerods in their secret 
 parts" (1 Sam. v. 9). Hengstenberg takes it as in 
 Ps. ix. 3, 'He smote them hack'' — i. e., so as to 
 flee back, he put them to a perpetual reproach. 
 The Philistines went down step by step, till they 
 were annihilated as a nation. 
 
 67. Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph 
 {vv. 59, 60)— "the tabernacle of Shiloh." and 
 chose not the tribe of Ephraim— which under the 
 Judges had been the ruling tribe. The rejection 
 refers only to their previous precedency, and the 
 presence of the sanctuary among them. As part 
 of the nation, Ephraim shared in the common 
 privilege of the whole people of God. 68. But 
 chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion— to be 
 at once the seat of the sanctuary and of ths 
 monarchy {vv. 69-71). 69. And he built his sanc- 
 tuary like high (palaces) — rather ' like the 
 heights,' viz., of heaven: standing in antithe- 
 tical correspondence to "the earth'''' {Gesen'ms.) 
 Hengstenberg takes it, ' like the high {mountains) ; 
 for the Hebrew {ramim) is the common term 
 applied to a mountain, whence Ramah is used of 
 high-lying places ; but it is never applied to 
 
The desolation 
 
 PSALM LXXIX. 
 
 of J er usaltm. 
 
 Like the earth which he hath established for ever. 
 
 70 He chose David also his servant, — and took him from the sheepfolds: 
 
 71 22 From following the ewes great with young 
 
 He brought him -^ to feed Jacob his people, — and Israel his inheritance. 
 
 72 So he fed them according to the ^integrity of his heart; 
 And guided them by the skilfulness of his hands. 
 
 PSALM LXXIX. 
 
 A Psalm ^ of Asaph. 
 
 1 0 GOD, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; 
 
 Thy holy temple have they defiled;— "they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. 
 
 2 The ^dead bodies of thy servants have they given 
 To be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, 
 
 The fleshof thy saints — unto the beasts of the earth. 
 
 3 Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem ; 
 ^And there was none to bury them. 
 
 4 We are become a reproach to our neighbours, 
 
 A scorn and derision to them that are round about us. 
 
 5 How long, Lord ? wilt thou be angry for ever ? 
 
 21 founded. 
 
 22 From 
 afier. 
 
 Gen. 33. IX 
 i 2 Sam. 5. 2. 
 1 Chr. 11. 2. 
 Eze. 34. 23. 
 24. 
 
 Mic. 5. 2-4. 
 Zech. 11. 4. 
 Matt. 2. 6. 
 John 15- 
 17. 
 
 1 Pet. 5. 2. 
 1 Ki. 9. 4. 
 Ps. r.i. 2. 
 
 PSALM 79. 
 1 Or, for. 
 ° 2 Ki. 2-.. 9. 
 
 Jer 26. 18. 
 
 Mic. X 12. 
 & Jer. 7. 33. 
 
 Jer. 11. 1«. 
 
 Rev. 11. 9. 
 
 heaven; nor is the sanctuary at Zion compared 
 usually to heaven, but to high hills (cf. Ps. Ixviii. 
 15, 16). like the earth whicli he hath established 
 for ever. As the comparison to the heigh ts of heaven 
 marks Zion's glory and spiritual excellency, so the 
 comparison to " the earth which he hath established 
 for ever" (cf. Ps. civ. 5; Eccl. i. 4) marks her stability; 
 not like the sanctuary of Gilgal, Shiloh, and Nob, 
 which did not abide permanently. In Zion "the 
 Lord will dwell for ever" (Ps. Ixviii. 16; cxxxii. 
 14; 1 Ki. viii. 13). The fulness of the promise of 
 eternal jiermanence belongs to the spiritual Zion. 
 The temple on Zion was overthrown by Nebuchad- 
 nezzar, and again by Titus ; but against the true 
 temple built on Christ "the gates of hell shall 
 never prevail" (Matt. xvi. 18; Eev. xxi. 10-26). 
 The height of Zion is only to be discerned by the 
 eye of faith. To the eye of sense many world-hills 
 seem higher. 70, 71. He chose David also his ser- 
 vant, and took him from the sheepfolds— from 
 following the ewes great with young. So the LXX. , 
 Vulgate, and Ethiopic. 'The suckling sheep,' the 
 Syriac, Chaldaic, and Arabic versions, he brought 
 him to feed Jacob— , ' to feed in Jacob ; ' ' to tend 
 as a shepherd among the people of Jacob.' The true 
 shepherd feels especial care for the tender sheep, 
 and those with young he does not overdrive them 
 {Gen. xxxiii. 13, 14). Such to his people was King 
 David designed to be (2 Sam. vii. 8). The Psalmist 
 appeals to the Israelites to show loving loyalty to 
 such a shepherd-like king. David, alas ! was not 
 always the shepherd, but once "took the poor 
 man's lamb" (2 Sam. xii. 4-9). The antitypical 
 David always "feeds His flock like a shepherd, 
 gathers the lambs with His arm, carries them in 
 His bosom, and gently leads those that are with 
 young" (Isa. xl. 11). 72. So he fed them accord- 
 ing to the integrity of his heart— (1 Ki. ix. 4.) 
 "He" — i. € , not God, but Dand, who, as a shep- 
 herd kin^, realized God's design, by ruling Israel 
 not merely for his ow^n, but for the people's good. 
 Let rulers remember that they are made for the 
 state, not the state for them, and guided them 
 by the skilfulness of his hands— circumspectly 
 guarding against his sheep suffering assault or 
 neglect. The shepherd, with rod and staff in 
 hand, guides the sheep (Ps. xxiii. 4); so David 
 exhibited his skill, not only by counsel, but in exe- 
 cution by the hands. 
 PSALM LXXIX. 1-13.— The complaint: the 
 272 
 
 heathen have seized God's land, desecrated the temple, 
 and laid Jerusaleiii in ruins; the dead bodies of the 
 saints are given to the fowls and beasts ; the survi- 
 vors are an object of reproach {vv. 1-4). The 
 PRAYER [vv. 5-8) : appeal to the glory of God's name 
 as at stake {vv. 9-12) ; concluding promises of per- 
 petual praise (v. 13). Jer. x. 25 quotes v. Q: 1 Mace, 
 vii. 16, 17 quotes v. 2; a proof that the reference is 
 not to Judah's suflerings under Antiochus Epi- 
 phanes. The Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem 
 is referred to here and Ps. Ixxiv. The destruction 
 of the sanctuary is iirominent there; here its 
 "defilement" {v. 1) is alluded to, including its 
 destruction. 
 
 Cf Asaph. The singers of the Asaph school looked 
 upon themselves as the mouthpiece of Asaph, by 
 which he, though long dead, yet spake. Hence the 
 psalms with this title have a mutual resemblance. 
 
 1-4. — First strophe : the complaint. 1. the heathen 
 —'the Gentile nations.' have come into thine 
 inheritance— the Holy Land. Thine honour is 
 therefore at stake, to rectify this monstrous 
 anomaly, affecting us thy people. Cf. the same 
 plea, Isa. Ixiii. 18, 19. thy holy temple have they 
 defiled. The heathen would never have been 
 permitted to defile it, had not Israel herself first 
 defiled it: this rendered necessary God's just retri- 
 bution on them in kind, Ezek. v. 11," Because thou 
 hast defiled my sanctuary;" xxiii. 38; xxiv. 21, 
 "Behold / will profane my sanctuary, the excel- 
 lency of your strength." Ps. Ixxiv. 7 is ]iarallel. 
 2, 3. The dead bodies of thy servants have they 
 given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven . . . 
 and there was none to bury them. Cf. 2 Chr. 
 xxxvi. 17 for the historical picture of one of the 
 fulfilments of the poetical picture here set forth. 
 The description reaches prophetically beyond the 
 destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon, to that by 
 the Roman Titus, and still further to that yet to 
 come, (Zech. xiii. andxiv.) Cf. also Rev. xi. 9, "And 
 they of the people, and kindreds, and tongues, and 
 nations . . . three days and an half, and shall not 
 suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves." Cf., 
 in reference to the same times, v. 1 with Dan. xL 
 31, "and they (Antichrist and his followers) shall 
 pollute the sanctuary oi streugiYi.^' 4. We are be- 
 come a reproach to our neighbours— (Ps. xliv. 
 13.) 
 
 5-8. —Second strophe: the prayer. 5. How long, 
 Lord? wilt thou be angry— (Ps. Ixxiv. 10.) Thine 
 
A prayer 
 
 PSALM LXXIX. 
 
 for delherance. 
 
 Sliall thy jealousy burn like fire ? 
 
 6 Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have *not known thee, 
 And upon the kingdoms that have ^ not called upon thy name : 
 
 7 For they have devoured Jacolx, — ^and laid waste his dwelling place. 
 
 8 0 ^remember not against us ^former iniquities: 
 
 Let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us ; — for we are brought very low. 
 
 9 Help us, 0 God of our salvation, — for the glory of thy name ; 
 And deliver us, and purge away our sins, — '^for thy name's sake. 
 
 10 Wherefore should the heathen say. Where is their God ? 
 Let him be known among the heathen in our sight 
 
 By the ^ revenging of the blood of thy servants lohicli is shed.. 
 
 1 1 Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee ; 
 
 «* Deut. 29.20. 
 
 Eze. 3<i. 5. 
 
 Zeph. 3. 8. 
 « Isa. 45. 4. 
 
 2 Thes. 1, 8, 
 
 / Ps. 53. 4. 
 f Isa. 43. 25. 
 Isa. 44. 22. 
 
 Isa. 61. 9. 
 
 2 Or, the 
 iniquities 
 of them 
 that were 
 before us. 
 
 ^ Jer. 14. 7. 
 vengeance. 
 
 anger against thy people, though justly merited, 
 should now at length turn from them upon their and 
 thy foes. Though judgment must heg'in at the house 
 of God (1 Pet. iv. 17), yet it is not designed to make 
 an utter end of them : that is the doom of the God- 
 opposed peoples against whom the hand of the 
 Lord must at last be turned. Now that thy 
 people are turning to thee in prayer,, it is the time 
 for thee to^ turn to them in mercy, and ta turn 
 against their enemies in judgment, forever. God's 
 anger will burn for ever against the ungodly ; but 
 against believers, "when they incur punishment, 
 His wrath burns hotly indeed, but not eternally 
 (Deut. xxxii. 36, 43 ; Ezek xxxviii. 19-23). sHall 
 thy jealousy burn like fire? " Jealousy" exists 
 only where love is. God's relation to Israel was 
 that of a loving husband (Isa. liv. 5; Jer, iii. 14; 
 Ps. Ixxviii, 58; cf. also Deut. xxix. 20). 6, Pour 
 out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not 
 known' thee — even as they have "shed" or 
 ^poured out ' (the same Hebrew) the blood of thy 
 people like water round about Jerusalem (v. 3). 
 Cf. also f. 10. The nations to be judged are not 
 all the heathen, but those only which rise up 
 against Israel.. So it shall be in the judgment to 
 be inflicted on those kings and peoples who shall 
 be seduced by Antichrist to join in "the battle of 
 that great day of God Almighty" (Rev. xvi. 14; 
 Zeph. iii. 8). not called upon thy name. To 
 ' call upon the name of God,' in Scripture concep- 
 tion, is, from one's experimental knowledge of His 
 attributes, His love, power, and faithfulness, to 
 apply loeartily to Him for salvation. 7. For they 
 have devoiired Jacob, and laid waste. In the 
 Hebrew "devoured" is singular; whereas "laid 
 waste" is plural. The singular implies that the 
 enemies of Israel, though many, are animated by 
 the one spirit of enmity against God and His 
 people ; just as, on the other hand, the members of 
 the Church, though many, form one body animated 
 by one spirit. The several ' nations ' and " king- 
 doms " {v. 6) served under Babylon against Jerusa- 
 lem. So in the last days it shall be under Anti- 
 christ (Rev. xvii. 12, 13,. 15-17). Through ignorance 
 of the design of the singular, most of the old 
 versions and some MSS. have altered the singular 
 into plural. Jeremiah, in quoting it, has done so 
 (Jer. X. 25). The sacred writers, under the Spirit, 
 often vary the Scriptures which they quote. This 
 is a proof that the psalm is the original, not Jere- 
 miah. It is usual with the latter to borrow from 
 the older Scriptures. So Jer. x. 24 quotes Ps. 
 vi. 1. Moreover, in Jeremiah the words occur 
 without connection with the context. Here they 
 are the prayer flowing out of the previous com- 
 Ijlaint (the word "pour" referring back to v. 3, 
 "shed' or ''poured their blood')^ and Jeremiah 
 has expanded " devoured Jacob" into " they have 
 eaten up Jacob, and devoured him,, and consumed 
 him." Though parts of Jeremiali's proijheciea 
 VOL. 111. 273 
 
 represent the destruction of Jerusalem as still 
 future, yet there are other passages, as this verse, 
 w^hich were added subsequently to the destruction, 
 when the whole collection of his prophecies as- 
 sumed their j^resent form, and laid waste his 
 dwelling place. The Chaldaic translates, ' the house 
 of his sanctuary.' As in v. 13 the people of God are 
 termed "the sheep of God's pasture," translate, 
 ' they have laid waste His pasture^ keeping up the 
 image. 8. 0 remember not against us former 
 iniquities — rather, 'the iniquities of our fore- 
 fatliersJ Lev. xxvi. 45 confirms this : after threat- 
 ening in V. 39, "In the iniquities of their fathers 
 shall they jjine away," God proceeds to promise, 
 "If they shall confess their iniquity, and the 
 iniquity of their fathers ... I will for their sakes 
 remember the covenant of their ancestors.'''' The 
 J ews now plead this promise, after they have experi- 
 enced the fulfilment of the threat (cf. Lam. v. 7). 
 The children, when innocent, are not punished for 
 the guilt of their fathers, but for personal guilt : 
 the entail of guilt might be cut off by repentance 
 and faith ; but the guilty children, inheriting the 
 sinful dispositions of their fathers,- sought not the 
 Spirit of God to create them anew, but followed 
 their fathers' steps, and exceeded them in sin, 
 hardening themselves the more in proporti9n as 
 the long-sufTering of God delayed to execute judg- 
 ment. Thus the accumulated guilt of fathers and 
 sons fell in vengeance on the last generation. 
 ' They (here) acknowledge an obstinacy of long 
 standing,, in which they have hardened themselves 
 against God. Sacred history testifies that the 
 punishment of the captivity was postponed till 
 God had proved that their wickedness was incur 
 able' {Calvin). (Isa. Ixiv. 9.) let thy tender 
 mercies speedily prevent us— i. e. , come speedily 
 and unexpectedly, taking us by a joyful surprise 
 (Ps. xxi. 3, note). 
 
 9- 12, — Third stroph e. 9. purge away our sins— 
 or 'pardon' them (Ps, Ixv, 3.) for the glory of 
 thy name ... for thy name's sake— ?. e., for the 
 sake of thy glory set forth in former manifesta- 
 tions of thy power and goodness (Ps. xxiii. 3 ; 
 xxix. 1, 2). Let the heathen :see that this glory 
 was justly ascribed to thee.. 10. Wherefore should 
 the heathen say, Where is their God? The 
 Psalmist here has in mind Deut. xxxii. 12; espe- 
 cially Joel ii. 17, which is here repeated verbatim, — 
 i. e.. What has become of His much-celebrated om- 
 nipotence and unfailing love to His people ? (Deut. 
 ix. 28.) let him be known among the heathen in 
 our sight (by) the revenging of the blood of thy 
 servants which is shed— rather, ' let there be known 
 among the heathen in our sight (Deut, vi, 22) the 
 revenging^ of the blood of thy servants which is 
 shed.' The Psalmist has? in mind Deut. xxxii. 43. 
 11. Let the sighing of the prisoner come before 
 fnQQ—lU., ' into thy sight,' even as the sighing of 
 Israel in the Egyptian bondage "came up unto 
 
Prayer for help 
 
 PSALM LXXX. 
 
 for oppressed Israel. 
 
 * According to the greatness of *thy power 
 ^Preserve thou those that are appointed to die; 
 
 12 And render unto our neighbours seven-fold into their bosom 
 Their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, 0 Lord. 
 
 13 So we thy people, and sheep of thy pasture, will give ,thee thanks 
 
 for ever : 
 
 We will show forth thy praise ^to all generations. 
 
 PSALM h^Tl. 
 
 To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimreduth, A Psalm 'of Asaph. 
 
 1 GIVE ear, 0 Shepherd of Israel, — thou that leadest Joseph like a flock ; 
 "Thou that dwellest between the cherubim, ^shine forth. 
 
 2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh 
 Stir up thy strength, and ^come and save us. 
 
 3 Turn ^us again, 0 God, 
 
 And cause thy face to shine ; and we shall be saved. 
 
 * Num. 11.17. 
 
 * thine arm. 
 
 * reserve the 
 children of 
 death. 
 
 3 Isa. 43. 21. 
 
 6 to geiiera- 
 tion ati<l 
 generation. 
 
 PSALM 60. 
 
 1 Or, for. 
 
 " Ex. 25. 20. 
 
 1 Sam. 4. 4. 
 
 Pa. 99. 1. 
 
 Eze. 10. 4. 
 0 Deut. 33. 2. 
 
 2 come for 
 salvation 
 tons. 
 
 " L|im. 5. 21. 
 
 God by reason of the bondage." Now again the 
 people are as it were a "prisoner." according 
 to the greatness of thy power— ^lY., 'of tliine 
 arm ' (Ps. lixiv, 11). preserve thou those that are 
 appointed to 6ie—lit., ' the children of the dying 
 a Hebrew idiom (Ps. Ixxii. 4), " the children of the 
 needy ;" i. e., the needy. Cf. with this clause Num. 
 xiv. 19, " according unto the greatness of thy 
 mercy " (Deut. iii. 24). The answer to the prayer 
 appears in the prophetical anticipation in Ps. cii. 
 19, 20, " He hath looked down from the height of 
 His sanctuary ... to loose those that are appoirded 
 to death,""— lit., 'the children, if dying.' 12. And 
 render unto our neighbours seven-fold into their 
 bosom— (Isa. Ixv. 6, 7.) The fold of the garment 
 at the lap was the receptacle wherein they used to 
 receive whatever was presented. Thus Luke vi. 
 38. Whatever men give to others, good or bad, 
 God gives back into their own bosom, their 
 reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee— 
 saying, " Where is their God?" {v. 10.) 
 
 Conclusion. 13. So we thy people, and sheep of 
 thy pasture— (Ps. Ixxiv. I.) will give thee thanks 
 for ever : we will show forth thy praise to all 
 generations. Upon the confident anticipation of 
 God's answering the foregoing prayer, there is 
 here made a vow of perpetual praise to God (Ps. 
 xliv. 8). 
 
 PSALM LXXX. \-\%— Prayer for Mlp for op- 
 pressed Israel {vv. 1-3) ; complaint: their oppression 
 {vv. 4-7) ; Israel, the vine brought out of Egypt, 
 planted and tended hy God, is now a prey to beasts 
 {vv. 8-13) ; prayer that God would visit in mercy this 
 vine (vv. 14-19). Three times (like the Mosaic 
 blessing. Num. vi. 24-26), at the turning points of 
 the psalm, the fundamental prayer recurs, "Turn 
 us again," &c. [vv. 3, 7, 19), wherein "God," "God 
 of hosts," "0 Jehovah, God of hosts," form an 
 ascending climax. The captivity of the Ten tribes 
 in Assyria is the subject; Judah here and Ps. 
 Ixxvii. offers prayer in sympathy for her sister. 
 So the LXX. prefix 'concerning the Assyrian.^ 
 
 The Title, To the chief musician (not in Ps. Ixxiv. 
 and Ixxix.), shows the psalm was for the temple 
 service ; therefore the reference cannot be to the 
 Chaldean invasion, which overthrew the temple 
 and Jerusalem. The vine, though much destroyed, 
 appears still standing in the Holy Land. The 
 prayer, "Turn us again," or bring us bach, implies 
 that many were now exiles. "Joseph" {v. 1) re- 
 presents the Ten tribes, not Judah (Ps. Ixxviil 
 67 ; Amos vi. 6 ; Obad. 8). Benjamin, in v. 2, can- 
 not represent Judah : excepting the Benjamites 
 inhabiting one side of Jerusalem, Benjamin was 
 joined to Joseph (Num. ii. 17, 24; x. 21, 24; 2 Sam. 
 274 
 
 xix. 16, 20 ; 1 Sam. xxii. 7). Only a portion of 
 Benjamin remained with Judah at the severance 
 (1 Ki. xii. 2, 17 ; xi. 13, 32, 36; xii. 20). Simeon 
 was amalgamated with Judah (Josh. xix. 1 ; Gen. 
 xlix. 7) rather than Benjamin, upon Shoshannim 
 — i. e., lilies {titles, Ps. xlv., Ix., and Ixix). The 
 'lilies' express that which is lovely; the lovely 
 salvation of the Lord. Cf. the thrice-repeated {vv. 
 3, 6, 19) "we shall be saved;" and in v. 2, '"''save 
 us." eduth [nnr] — a testimony (Ps. Ixxviii. 5; 
 Ixxxi. 5) or law. Thus, in respect to the previous 
 "Shoshannim," it expresses 'a law which points 
 out to the godly in trouble the way of obtaining 
 salvation' or 'deliverance.' Cf. Ps. Ixxviii. L 
 
 1. Give ear, 0 Shepherd of Israel— (Ps. xxiii. 1.) 
 Jacob, a shepherd himself, first employs the 
 image (Gen. xlviii. 15; xlix. 24), "the She^jherd . . . 
 of Israel." thou that leadest Joseph like a flock- 
 ordinarily : now that, alas ! Joseph (i e., the Ten 
 tribes) is a captive exile, thy Shepherd-like care 
 is sorely needed, thou that dwellest between the 
 cherubims— sitting thereon as upon thy throne. 
 In the former clause God's loving tare as His 
 people! s shepherd, here His omnipotence, is made 
 the ground of expecting deliverance. His sitting 
 on the cherubim in the temple represents His 
 absolute supremacy over the ruling powers and 
 administrators of the world, which are represented 
 by the cherubim (Ps. xviii. 10). shine forth- 
 manifesting thy power, faithfulness, and love in 
 behalf of thy people. So at Sinai (Deut. xxxiii. 
 2), the earnest of His future epiphany in glory 
 (Ps. 1. 2 ; Tit. ii. 13). The bright Shechinah cloud 
 was the symbol of His manifestation as present 
 among His people. 2. Before Ephraim and Ben- 
 jamin and Manasseh— i. e., advancing at their 
 head, as formerly thou didst advance in the pillar 
 of cloud and of tire before Israel marching through 
 the wilderness. In Num. ii. 17-24 Ephraim., 
 Manasseh, and Benjamin are represented as 
 occupying the foremost place after the ark. There- 
 fore they are joined here, stir up thy strength — 
 which now seems to slumber (Ps. Ixxviii. 65). 
 and come and save us — Hebrew, ' come for salva- 
 tion to us.' 3. Turn us again — i. e., reverse our 
 captivity (Ps. cxxvi. 1, 4.) Bring us back from 
 exile. This is especially the sense of the Hebrew 
 Hiphil conjugation. Cf. Gen. xxviii. 15, where 
 the words of God to the type, Jacob, about to go 
 to exile beyond Euphrates, and afterwards to be 
 restored to Canaan, shadow forth the history of 
 the past, the present, and the yet future of Israel, — 
 " I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places 
 whither thou goest, and will bring thee again (the 
 
Prayer for Tielp 
 
 PSALM LXXX. 
 
 for oppressed Israel. 
 
 4 0 Lord God of hosts, 
 
 How long 3 wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people ? 
 
 5 Thou feedest them with the bread of tears ; 
 And givest them tears to drink in great measure. 
 
 6 Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours; 
 And our enemies laugh among themselves. 
 
 7 Turn '^us again, 0 God of hosts. 
 
 And cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. 
 
 8 Thou hast brought * a vine out of Egypt : 
 Thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. 
 
 9 Thou preparedst room before it. 
 
 And didst cause it to take deep root, — ^and it filled the land. 
 
 10 The hills were covered with the shadow of it, 
 
 And the boughs thereof were like *the goodly cedars. 
 
 11 She sent out her boughs unto the sea, — and her branches ^ unto the river. 
 
 12 Why hast thou then ^broken down her hedges, 
 
 So that all they which pass by the way do pluck her ? 
 
 3 wilt thoa 
 smoke. 
 
 d 1 Ki. 18. 37. 
 
 Jer. 31. IS. 
 
 Luke 1. 16. 
 * Isa. 6. 1 7, 
 
 Jer. 2. 21. 
 
 Eze. 15. 6. 
 
 Eze. 17. 6. 
 
 Eze. 19. 10. 
 
 Matt. 21.33- 
 41. 
 
 John 15. 1- 
 s. 
 
 4 the cedars 
 of God. 
 
 / Ex. 23. 31. 
 
 Ps. 72. 8. 
 " Ps. 89. 40, 
 41. 
 
 Isa. 5. 5. 
 Nah. 2. 2. 
 
 same Hebrew as here) into this land ; for I will 
 not leave thee until I have done that which I have 
 spoken to thee of," Cf. especially Jer. xii. 15 ; 
 xvi. 15; XXX. 3. and cause thy face to shine- 
 in fulfilment of the Mosaic blessing (Num. vi. 25 ; 
 Ps, xxxi. 16). 
 
 4. 0 Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be 
 angry?— ' dost thou smoke?' Cf. Ps. xviii. 8 ; 
 Ixxiv. 1 ; Deut. xxix. 20. Smoke is the attendant 
 of fire; the consuming fire of God's vengeance. 
 Smoke was the symbol of prayer, and of the burnt 
 offeriDg which expressed self-dedication (Ps. cxli. 
 2 ; Rev. v. 8 ; viii. 3, 4 ; Isa. vi. 4). The smoke of 
 prayer should smother the fire of God's wrath 
 (Lev. xvi. 13). But now, alas ! God opposes the 
 smoke of His anger to the smoke of prayer 
 {Hengstenberg). The title Lord — Hebrew, Je- 
 hovah — expresses His covenant relation to Israel 
 as His people's "Shepherd" (v. 1). "God of 
 hosts" expresses the infinitude of His resources, 
 His omnipotence as the God that dwells between 
 the cherubims [v. 1). 5. Thou feedest them with 
 the bread of tears— making tears their bread 
 (Ps. xlii. 3). and givest them tears to drink in 
 great measure — rather, as the parallelism requires, 
 ' thou makest them to drink out of a measure of 
 (t. e., containing) tears.' The "measure" was one 
 for measuring liqtdds, the third (as the Hebrew 
 means) of a larger measure. A sad contrast to 
 the ordinary treatment which the " Shepherd of 
 Israel" gives to His flock (Ps. xxiiL 5), "Thou 
 preparest a table before me in the presence of mine 
 enemies . . . my cup runneth over." Now, tears 
 are Israel's both meat and drink. 6. Thou makest 
 us a strife unto our neighbours— i. e., an object of 
 strife to the petty tribes on Israel's borders, so 
 that they quarrel about the spoils which they have 
 taken from us, availing themselves of the oppor- 
 tunity afforded by the more powerful nations, 
 Assyria and Egypt, which oppress us. and our 
 enemies laugh among themselves— i. e. , make us 
 their laughing-stock. 7. Cf. v. 3, 19. 'Let us 
 learn, whenever the anger of God blazes forth, 
 even in the midst of the flames, to cast our griefs 
 into the bosom of God, who wonderfully revives 
 His Church from destruction' (Calvin). 
 
 8-13.— Main division: first half. 8. Thou hast 
 brought a vine out of Egypt : thou hast cast out 
 the heathen, and planted it. The foundation of 
 this image is laid in Gen. xlix. 22, where "Joseph," 
 who is before the Psalmist's mind {v. 1), is said to 
 be "a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches 
 run over the wall." Isa. v. 1-7 represents Israel 
 275 
 
 as the vineyard of the Lord (cf. Hos. xiv. 7). The 
 plea is, What thou hast once planted, thou canst 
 not forsake, much less destroy. Cf. God's promise 
 (Isa. xxvii. 2, 3). InExod. xii. 37; xv. 17, 22, is de- 
 scribed the bringing of the vine out of Egypt (Ps. 
 Ixxviii. 52), and the casting out of the heathen (Ps. 
 Ixxviii. 55). Ps. xliv. 2 contains the same image of 
 planting (Exod. xxiii. 28 ; xxxiii. 2). 9. Thou pre- 
 paredst (room) before it— 'Thou hast cleared 
 out a place before it.' It answers to Isa. v. 2, 
 "He gathered out the stones thereof " {i. e., of the 
 vineyard), and refers to the dislodging of the 
 original inhabitants to make way for Israel, 
 and didst cause it to take deep root— rather, 
 as Hebrew, 'it struck its roots' {Hengstenberg). 
 10. The hills were covered with the shadow of 
 it. " The hills " are the mountains on the south of 
 Canaan, the hill country of Judah, in its southern- 
 most part; originally the hill country of the 
 Amorites, which first met those entering Canaan 
 from the south as a stone barrier. So in Ps. Ixxv. 
 7, marg., 'the desert' is put for the south boun- 
 dary, and the boughs thereof (were like) the 
 goodly cedars— Hebrew, 'the cedars of God.' 
 Translate the whole clause, 'and with its boughs 
 the goodly cedars (were covered).' The English 
 version would be an unnatural comparison, as the 
 houghs of the vine could hardly be compared to the 
 tall and goodly cedars. The sense is', the whole 
 land— north, south, east, and west — was occupied 
 by the people of Israel. As " the hills " mark the 
 sow^Aem boundary of the Holy Land: so 'the cedars 
 of God' — i. e., "the goodly cedars' of Lebanon — 
 mark the northern boundary (Ps. xxix. 5; xcii. 12; 
 civ. 16). So Lebanon on the north, and "the 
 wilderness" of Kadesh on the south, are contrasted 
 in Ps. xxix. 11. She sent out her boughs unto 
 the sea, and her branches unto the river. 
 "The sea" is the Mediterranean, the western 
 boundary of the Holy Land; "the river" is the 
 Euphrates, the eastern boundary. The Psalmist 
 has in view the original promise to Jacob (Gen. 
 xxviii. 14). Cf. Deut. xi. 24, " Every place whereon 
 the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours, 
 from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, 
 the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea 
 shall your coast be;" also Josh. i. 4. 12. Why 
 hast thou then broken down her hedges, so 
 that all they which pass by the way do pluck 
 her?— i. e., pluck off not merely the fruit, but the 
 " branches ' and " boughs," whose luxuriance he 
 had just described in v. 11. The answer to the 
 question is given in the threat, and the reason 
 
An exhortation 
 
 PSALM LXXXI. 
 
 to praise God, 
 
 
 '» Ps. 90. 15. 
 
 
 Joel 2. 14. 
 
 
 Zech. 1. 12, 
 
 
 1". 17. 
 
 
 Mai. 3. 7. 
 
 
 Acts 15. 16. 
 
 
 i Isa. 63. 16. 
 
 
 } Isa. 49. 6. 
 
 
 * Ps. 89. 21. 
 
 
 Ps. 110. 1. 
 
 
 Isa. 53. h. 
 
 
 Dan. 7. 13. 
 
 
 * Ex. 4. 22. 
 
 
 Ps. 110. 1. 
 
 
 Dan. 7. 13, 
 
 
 14. 
 
 
 John 5. 21- 
 
 
 2X 
 
 Num. 6.2i. 
 
 
 Ps. 27. 4. 9. 
 
 
 Ps. 31. 16. 
 
 
 Ps. 44. 3, 
 
 
 PSALM SI. 
 1 Or, fc r. 
 
 13 The boar out of the wood doth waste it. 
 
 And the wild beast of the field doth devour it. 
 
 14 Return, ^we beseech thee, 0 God of hosts: ^ 
 
 *Look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine-; 
 
 15 And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted. 
 And the branch i^a^ thou madest strong -^'for thyself. 
 
 16 /if is burnt with fire ; It is cut down : 
 
 They perish at the rebuke of thy countenance. 
 
 17 Let *thy hand be upon the ^Man of thy right hand, 
 Upon the Son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. 
 
 18 So will not we go baclc from thee : 
 Quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. 
 
 19 Turn us again, 0 Lord God of hosts, 
 
 €ause ™thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. 
 
 PSALM LXXXL 
 
 To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm lof Asaph. 
 1 SING ciioud unto God our strength : 
 Make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. 
 
 assigned by Jehovah in Isa. v. 4, 5. Cf. also Ps. 
 Ixxxix. 40, 41. Pul, Tiglath-pileser, Shalmaneser, 
 and Sennacherib were those who did " pluck " 
 Israel. 13. The boar out of the wood doth waste 
 it, and the wild bea^t of the field doth devour it. 
 As "bulls," in Es. Ixviii. 30, symbolize Gentile 
 enemies; the "dragon" or crocodile (Ezek. xxix. 
 3), Pharaoh; the "eagle" (Ezek. xvii. 3), Nebu- 
 chadnezzer ; so here the " boar" and " wild beast " 
 represent the King of Assyria and his subject 
 nations respectively. 
 
 14-19. — Second half of the main division. 14. 
 Return, we beseech thee, 0 God of hosts — (cf. 
 ?'. 7.) The beginning of the second half is marked 
 by "0 God of hosts;" but the close of the first half 
 has not "Turn us again," &c., because the whole 
 main division is bound together by the continued 
 image of the vine. It is only when God first 
 turns again towards us that we turn towards 
 Him, by virtue of His turning us (cf. Lam. v. 
 21). look down from heaven— (Isa Ixiii, 15.) 
 15. And the vineyard which tby right hand 
 hath planted— i. e., (from v. 14 supply) 'and 
 visit the vineyard which,' [thus conies 
 from 1''^, to set]. So jSwxior/f translates, 'the seat 
 or 'place.' Cf. Exod. xv. 17, "Thou shalt plant 
 them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the 
 place, 0 Lord, which thou hast made for thee to 
 dwell in; in the sanctuary, 0 Lord, which thy 
 hands have established.^^ Hengstenberg tra>nsla.tes, 
 instead of the vineyard, 'and maintain [from 
 that which thy right hand hath planted.' and the 
 branch (cf. Zech. iii. 8) that thou madest strong 
 for thyself (Isa. xliv. 14; xlix. 5)— rather, as the 
 Hebrew [p] (for the passage Gen. xlix. 22 does 
 not necessarily support the English version here), 
 ' and the Son whom thou madest strong for thy- 
 self (cf. V. 17). The "Son" is the spiritual vine, 
 Israel (Hos. xi. 1, Israel . . . my son"). Thus the 
 poet passes from tlie figure to the thing signified 
 (cf. also V. 17). TheHebrew is literally, ' and upon 
 the Son.' 'Visit ujxc^i the Son' means, 'come 
 upon him with a visitation of mercy.' In Heng- 
 stenberg's it is, 'spread thy maintaining protection 
 over him.' The Chaldaic paraphrase refers it to 
 Messiah, ' and this for the sake of King Messiah, 
 whom thou hast confirmed.' 16. they perish at the 
 rebuke of thy countenance. " They"— i.e., the chil- 
 dren of Israel. "At"— lit., from before the rebuke 
 of thy countenance (Ps. Ixxvi. 7). 17. Let thy 
 276 
 
 hand be upon the Man of thy light hand. 
 
 " Benjamin" means ' son of the right hand:' as in 
 V. 2, so here the Psalmist prays that God would lay 
 His hand up9n Benjamin to strengthen him (Dan. 
 X. 18; Rev. i. 17). Benjamin here represents all 
 Israel now prostrate, and needing to f)e strength- 
 ened by the Lord. Jacob, "his father, loved 
 Benjamin," so also his Heavenly Father ; whence 
 Moses (Deut. xxxiii. 12) said of Benjamin, 'the 
 beloved of the Lord (Benjamin) shall dwell by 
 Him (the Lord), and tne Lord shall cover him all 
 the dav long.' Njpw the Psalmist prays the Lord 
 to fulfil this promise of covering and strengthening 
 him. The antitypical Israel, i. e., Messiah, is 
 ultimately referred to, of whom God said, "mine 
 arm shall strengthen him" (Ps. Ixxxix. 21). Once, 
 like Benjamin, He was Benoni, Son of my sorrow 
 (Gen. XXXV. 18, marg.); but as Jacob, his father, 
 calledhim subsequently Benjamin, ' son.of the right 
 hand;' so Messiah, once "a man of sorrows" (Isa. 
 liii. 3), was " exalted by the right hand of the Father 
 to be a Prince and Saviour" (Acts v. 31). upon 
 the Son of man whom thou madest strong for 
 thyself—" the branch that thou madest strong for 
 thyself" {v. 15); primarily Israel, antitypically 
 Messiah, the Son of Man, "the branch" (Zech. 
 iii. 8 ; vi. 12). 18. So will not w6 go back from 
 thee. No longer can Israel say as in Ps. xliv. 18. 
 But they promise not to " go back" from the Lord 
 any more, if only the Lord will first quicken them; 
 i. e., give them new life, quicken us, and we 
 will call upon thy name (Ps. Ixxi. 20). God 
 must first breathe into us the spirit of adoption, 
 before we can call on Him as our Eather (Pom. 
 viii. 15). 
 
 PSALM LXXXL 1-16.— L Invitation to keep 
 joyfully the passover feast {vv. 1-3), for it is a testi- 
 mony to the fact that God delivered Israel out of 
 Egyptian bondage (vv. 4-7). II. God urges Israel 
 therefore to serve Him alone : but Israel would not 
 hearken: therefore He gave her up to her own lusts 
 {vv. 8-12) ; now He promises, if she will walk in His 
 ways. He will subdue, her foes, and nourish her with 
 good {vv. 13-16). The Church speaks in vv. 1-5; 
 the Lord in vv. 6-14; the Church again in vv. 15, 16. 
 V. 8 here answers to Ps. 1. 7, another of Asaph's 
 psalms. 
 
 On the Title, upon Gittith, cf. note, title, Ps. viii. 
 
 1. Sing aloud unto God our strength. He has 
 in past times manifested His " strength " in deliver- 
 ing us out of adversity [w. 5-7, 10), aad will now 
 
An exhortation 
 
 PSALM LXXXI. 
 
 to praise God. 
 
 2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel^ 
 The pleasant harp with the psaltery. 
 
 3 Blow "up the trumpet in the new moon, 
 
 In the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. 
 
 4 For *this was a statute for Israel,^ — and a law of the God of Jacob. 
 
 5 This he ordained in ^ Joseph /^?r a testimony, 
 When he went out ^through the land of Egypt ; 
 Where I heard a language that I understood not. 
 
 6 I removed his shoulder from the burden : his hands ^ were delivered from 
 
 the *pots. 
 
 7 Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee ; 
 I answered thee in the secret place of thunder : 
 
 I proved thee at the waters of ^Meribah. Selah. 
 
 again do so, if we hearken to Him, "our refuge 
 and strength, a very present Help in trouble" 
 (m. 14-16; Ps. xlvi. 1). 2. Take a psalm— 'mwe 
 the psalm.' and bring hither the timbrel— ^i^., 
 *give' it. Or else, 'cause it to give forth its 
 sound ' (Maurer). with the psaltery — or ' lyre ; ' 
 Hebrew, Nabel (note, Ps. xxxiil 2). 3. Blow up 
 the trumpet in the new moon— i. e,, on the first 
 of the month, in order to prepare for the celebra- 
 tion of the passover on the 14th of the month 
 J^isan (Maurer). But Hengstenherg better trans- 
 lates, 'Blow the horn in the month^ — i e., the first 
 and chief month of the year ; that in which the 
 passover occurred (Exod. xii 1, 2, "This month 
 shall be unto you the beginning of months : it shall 
 be the first month of the year to you ;" Lev. xxiii. 
 5; Abib, Exod. xiii. 4; Deut. xvi. 1). The Hebrew 
 throughout the Pentateuch means the month, not 
 the iiew moon In the later Scriptures some- 
 
 times the month stands for the festival peculiar 
 to the month ; otherwise it signifies month, in 
 the time appointed. The Hebrew [np.?, from 
 ne'S, fai or full] is rather, ^at tlie full moon,^ as it 
 ought to be translated also in Prov. viL 20. The 
 contents of the psalm shows that it was composed 
 exclusively for the passover [vv. 5, 6, 7, 10). The 
 horn — the instrument here (not the trumpets 
 named in Num. x. 10, blown in the beginnings of 
 months)— is only one among many instruments; 
 whilst the sound of drums for the new moons was 
 the characteristic ceremony. Music and singing 
 formed an important part in the celebration of the 
 passover (2 Ohr. xxx. 21). on our solemn feast 
 day. The passover was the most solemn feast of 
 Israel, celebrating, as it did, the fundamental 
 event in their history— their deliverance out of 
 Egyi)t by God. 
 
 4. For this was a statute for Israel, and a law 
 of the God of Jacob. "This "— i. e., the observance 
 of the "solemn feast day." "A law"— 'a 
 judgment:' so 'a right appertaining to [^] the God 
 of Jacob.' God, by having delivered Israel, Las 
 acquired a right to Israel's joyful obedience to the 
 ordinance of the passover. Israel should i)ay to 
 God that which is His due, on the ground of the 
 mercies received. 
 
 5-7.— The deliverance described on which God's 
 claim on Israel aud Israel's duty are founded 
 6. This he ordained in Joseph — Hebrew, Jeho- 
 seph, as Jehonadab is used for Jonadah. Poetry 
 loves full and sonorous forms. "Joseph " etands 
 for Israel, because during the nation's stay in 
 Egypt they owed their ix)sition in Goshen, ^ind, 
 indeed, their original preservation from de?,th by 
 famine, humanly speaking, to Joseph; so much so 
 that when he was dead, and a new king, who 
 knew him not, arose, Israel's state was changed 
 
 « Num. 10. 1. 
 iChr. 15.24. 
 
 1 Chr. 10. 6. 
 
 2 Chr. 5. 12, 
 2 Chr. 13.12. 
 Ps. 98. 6. 
 
 «> Lev. 23. 24. 
 
 Num.10.10. 
 " Ps. 80. 1. 
 
 Amos 6. 6. 
 
 2 Or. 
 against. 
 
 3 passed 
 away. 
 
 4 Or. 
 baskets. 
 
 5 Or, strife. 
 
 utterly for the worse (Exod. i. 8). Cf. Jacob's 
 blessing on him, Gen. xlix. 2d for a testimony — 
 i. e., as an ordinance testifying the fact of the 
 deliverance, when he went out through thq 
 land of Egypt — i. e., when the people of "Joseph," 
 or Israel, went out over, or across [so the HebreAv, 
 hv], the land of Egypt. ^ Went out of Egypt ' is 
 the regular phrase in the Pentateuch to express 
 that deliverance which the passover commemor- 
 ated (Exod. xii. 41, 51; xxxiv. 18; Num. xxii. 5; 
 Deut. ix. 7). The word 'over,' or 'across,' ex- 
 presses the Israelite march being not a stealing 
 away at one point of exit, but across the open 
 country, in the sight of their panic-struck tyrants 
 (Num. xxxiii. 3, "The children of Israel went out 
 imth an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians ;'' 
 Exod. xiv. 8). The reference to these passages of 
 the Pentateuch, here and in v. 10, confirms this ex- 
 planation rather than that of Maurer and marg. — 
 ' When He (God) went out against (as the Hebrew 
 is translated, Ezek. v. 8) the land of Egypt.' Cf. 
 Exod. xL 4 There is nowhere in the psalm a 
 reference to the destruction of the Egyptian first- 
 born, but solely to Israel's deliverance out of Egyj)t. 
 where I heard a language that I understood not. 
 "I" — i.e., Israel, in whose person the Psalmist 
 speaks (Ps. cxiv. 1). To dwell among and serve 
 a people alien to the Israelites in sentiments, 
 and in the language which expresses the inward 
 thoughts, was peculiarly galling, and rendered 
 Israel's exodus out of Egypt an object of intense 
 desire. Cf. Deut. xxviiL 49; Isa. xxxiii, 19, iu 
 proof of the hardship that the strangeness of the 
 language spoken by Israel's oppressors was felt to 
 be. 6. I removed his shoulder from the burden. 
 " I " is tlie Lord, in whose person the Psalmist 
 now speaks, as he had before spoken in the person 
 of Israel. These rapid transitions were not felt 
 abrupt, so continually did the Psalmist and the 
 godly among the people realize the presence of 
 God. Cf. with this verse Exod. vi. 6, 7. his 
 hands were delivered from the pots. So the 
 Hebrew iu 1 Sam. ii. 14. But it is better to trans- 
 late, the hurden-haskets, used for carrying clay, 
 bricks, &c. In the East, especially in ancient 
 times, the great works were mainly done by labour 
 of hands, not by machinery. Baskets have been 
 found in the sepulchral vaults at Thebes, as drawn 
 and described hy Rosellini (Exod. v. 6-12; 2 Chr. 
 xvi. 6). 7. Thou calledst in trouble, and I de- 
 livered thee; I answered thee in the secret 
 place of thunder — ie., 'in the thunder-cloud' 
 (Ps. Ixxvii. 17, 18; xviiL 11-1.3; Hab. iii. 4, 
 "There (in the lightning-fiash wherein the Lord 
 envelop Himself) was the hiding of His power"), 
 God, by manifestations of His lightning-like 
 power, issuing from His secret place, answered 
 His people's cry for help. All the plagues of 
 
God exhorting 
 
 PSALM LXXXI. 
 
 to obedience. 
 
 8 Hear, 0 my people, and I will testify unto thee : 
 0 Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me ; 
 
 9 There shall no strange god be in thee ; 
 Neither shalt thou worship any strange god. 
 
 10 I am the Lord thy God, — which brought thee out of the land of Egypt : 
 ^Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. 
 
 1 1 But my people would not hearken to my voice ; 
 And Israel would none of me. 
 So *I gave them up ®unto their own hearts' lust: 
 And they walked in their own counsels. 
 
 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me. 
 And Israel had walked in my ways ! 
 14 1 should soon have subdued their enemies, 
 And turned my hand against their adversaries. 
 
 The haters of the Lord should have ^submitted themselves unto him : 
 But their time should have endured for ever. 
 He should have fed them also ^with the finest of the wheat: 
 And with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee. 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 Egypt were so many ' answers.' So in Exod. xiv. 
 24. 8o again at Sinai (Exod. xix. 18, 19 ; xx. 18). 
 Cf. vv. 8, 10, which plainly refer to the Lord's voice 
 out of the thunders and lightnings (Exod. xx. 2, 
 "I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee 
 out of the land of Egypt "). I proved thee at tlie 
 ■waters of Meribah. This sudden introduction of 
 a reference to their sin prepares the way for the 
 complaint of God against His people, which follows 
 His appeal to them in the second part, and forms 
 the link between the first and the second parts 
 (Exod. xvii. 7). This first act of the people's re- 
 bellion and unbelief, whereby "they tempted the 
 Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us or not ? " so 
 soon after the glorious deliverance by God, once 
 for all, "proved" (cf. Exod. xv. 25; xvi. 4) them — 
 i. e. , tested them, by showing alike God's patience 
 and their provocations. 
 
 8. Hear, 0 ray people, and I will testify unto 
 thee — answering to Ps. 1. 7. The fact that ye are 
 "m?/ people," called into being, redeemed, and 
 sustained by me, is the strongest reason why ye 
 should "hear." 0 Israel, if thou wilt hearken 
 unto me— thou shalt he blessed {vv. 13-16). An 
 ellipsis often occurs after "if" (cf. Exod. xxxii. 
 32 ; Luke xix. 42), 9. There shall no strange god 
 be in thee—?, e., 'let no strange god be in thee,' 
 or amoncf you. There is a reference in this verse 
 and V. 10 to Exod. xx. 2, 3. 10. I am the 
 Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the 
 land of Egypt — the strongest motive for obeying 
 the command in v. 9, to have no strange god ; for 
 none else save Jehovah was Israel's Deliverer (cf. 
 Deut. xxxii. 12). Open thy mouth wide, and I 
 will fill it— i.e., I will satisfy abundantly all thy 
 desires, for I am rich for all thy needs {vv. 14-16; 
 Rom. x. 12 ; Phil. iv. 19). You nave no necessity 
 to apply to any strange god, for you have all 
 things in me (Gen. xv. 1 ; Ps. xvi. 5). 11, 12. 
 But my people would not hearken to my voice ; 
 and Israel would none of me. So I gave them 
 up unto their own hearts' lust. "Lust," or 
 'obstinacy.' The same Hebrew word [nnnr, from 
 "n^, to contemplate fixedly ; but Gesenius takes it 
 from "yy^, to twist, or make firm] occurs in Deut. 
 xxix. 19, "I shall have peace, though I walk in 
 the imagination {marg. , stubbornness) of mine heart " 
 (Jer. iii. 17; cf. Prov. i. 30, 31; Pom. i. 24; 2 
 Thess. ii. 10, 11). The worst judgment that could 
 fall on any man, is that he should be given up to 
 
 'his own lust.' "Israel would none of me" — lit., 
 did not acquiesce {abah) or consent to me. Israel 
 reversed God's command, Deut. xiii. 6-8^ "Thou 
 shalt not consent unto him" who would entice 
 thee after a strange god; for she consented to 
 the enticer, and 'would not consent unto God.* 
 and they walked in their own counsels — (Jer. 
 vii. 24; Isa. Ixv. 2.) 
 
 13-16. — God still yearns over them, in spite of 
 their perversity and its penal consequence, waiting 
 to be gracious. 13. Oh that my people had heark- 
 ened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways ! 
 — or rather, ' Oh that my people would hearken 
 unto me, and Israel would walk in my ways, 
 as they do not!' [So means; akin to the nega- 
 tive, vh] (Isa xlviii. 18). "My ways," in contrast 
 to "their own counsels," fatal to themselves {v. 
 12). 14. I should soon have subdued their ene- 
 mies, and turned my hand against their adver- 
 saries—in punishment, just as I "turned" it 
 against Egypt in behalf of Israel {vv. 6, 7). 15. 
 The haters of the Lord should have submitted 
 themselves unto him — Hebrew {yekachashu), 
 ' should have yielded (or rather, should yield) obe- 
 dience (though) feigned iinto him' (Israel). The 
 original passage referred to here is Deut. xxxiii. 
 29, "Thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee;'' 
 marg., shall be subdued unto thee, (Ps. xviii. 44, 
 marg., and Ixvi. 3, marg.) "The haters of the 
 Lord," God implies, 'are no friends of mine, 
 though I allow them now to triumph over thee. 
 It is because thou hast forsaken me I let them 
 oppress thee. If thou wouldst return to me, 
 thine enemies, who are also mine, would, in spite 
 of themselves, be forced to submit to thee.' In 
 order to give prominence to the thought so cal- 
 culated to win back Israel to God, that her ene- 
 mies are God's enemies, He uses the full form — 
 "the haters of the Lord," instead of ''my haters.' 
 but their time should have endured for ever - 
 the time of the Israelites (2 Sam. vii. 24). 16. He 
 should have fed them also with the finest of 
 the wheat — Hebrew, with the fat of wheat, from 
 Deut. xxxii. 14, "the fat of kidneys of wheat;" 
 i. e., the finest and best wheat, and with honey 
 out of the rock should I have satisfied thee— 
 (from Deut. xxxii. 13.) Not honey prepared by 
 bees in crevices of the rocks, but a poetical figure 
 (Job xxix. 6) for the sweetest dainties supplied by 
 God's special interposition out of the most unlikely 
 
An exhortation 
 
 PSALM LXXXII. 
 
 for judges. 
 
 PSALM LXXXII. 
 
 A Psalin lof Asaph. 
 GOD "standeth in the congregation of the mighty; 
 He judgeth among ^the gods. 
 How long will ye judge unjustly, 
 And accept *^the persons of the wicked ? Selah. 
 
 ^Defend the poor and fatherless; — do justice to the afflicted and needy. 
 Deliver the poor and needy : — ^rid them out of the hand of the wicked. 
 
 They know not, neither will they understand ; 
 They walk on in darkness : 
 
 *^A11 the foundations of the earth are ^out of course. 
 
 I ^have said, Ye are gods; — and all of you are children of the Most High 
 
 PSALM 82. 
 
 1 (Jr. for. 
 
 " Ex. 18. 21. 
 
 2 Cl)r. 19. 6. 
 
 Eccl. 5. 8, 
 i> Ex. 21. f. 
 " Deut. 1. ir. 
 
 Ps. 58. 1, 2. 
 
 Mic. 3. 1-3, 
 9-12. 
 
 2 Judge, 
 d Ps. 11. 
 
 Ps. 75. 3. 
 
 Eccl. 3. 16. 
 8 moved. 
 * Ex. 22. 9. 
 
 John 10. 34. 
 
 places; like the common figure, "a land flowing 
 with milk and honey." 
 
 _ PSALM LXXXII. 1-8.— Coc^ stands as Judge 
 in the congregation rvhere princes, His representa- 
 tives, preside {v. 1) ; He repr-oves them for partiality 
 to the wicked, and urges them to right the afflicted 
 {i^. 2-4) ; hut they will not understand {v. 5) ; there- 
 fore sentence is passed upon them, the more terrible 
 as they were once gods," as JSis representatives 
 {Wr 6, 7) ; prayer for the judgment {v. 8). The 
 "congregation" is Israel; and now,, professing 
 Christendom. Elohim — "gods"— is a term not 
 for heathen potentates, but for God's vicegerents 
 in His visible kingdom. The ground of His 
 judgment is their responsibility as persons "unto 
 whom the w^ord of God came " (John x. 34, 35). 
 None else could be called "children of the Most 
 High" {v. 6; Isa. i. 17; iii. 13-15; Jer. xxii. 3; 
 Mic. iii. 1-4; especially Deut. i. 16, 17; also 2 Chr. 
 xix. 5-10). God's representatives bear His name 
 (Exod. xxii. 28). Israel's throne was ' the throne of 
 Jehovah' (1 Chr. xxix. 23), Thus there was de- 
 signed to be in the people reverence for rulers and 
 judges as God's vicegerents, and in the judges a 
 sense of solemn responsibility, so as to act as 
 would God the Supreme Judge (Job xxxiv. 19). 
 But the judges thought only of the rights, not of 
 the duties of their divine office. Asaph, the Seer, 
 shows them what the eye of sense could not see— 
 '^God standing as Judge in the congregation,' 
 which is His, not theirs, and " judging among" the 
 judges, or "gods" (cf. Exod. iv. 16; vii. 1). 
 
 1. God standeth in the congregation of the 
 mighty— 'staudeth up;' cometh forward, as Isa. 
 iii. 13, 14, "The Lord standeth up [the same 
 Hebrew verb as here, to plead, and standeth 
 to judge the people," &c. Similarly the 50th 
 Psalm, which is also of Asaph's composition, 
 begins with the appearing of God for judgment, 
 in the congregation of the mighty — rather, 'in 
 the congregation of God' [h^]; El answering to 
 Elohim, "the gods," which follow. It is because 
 the congregation is His specially (Ps. Ixxiv. 2, 
 "."^hy congregation which thou hast purchased 
 of old") that God can suffer no unrighteous- 
 ness or abuse of power on the part of those 
 wlio are His representatives, bearing His name 
 (Elohim, "the gods") as His vicegerents in His 
 congregation. The "congregation" [n-jv] is His 
 professing Church and people; not the college of the 
 Judges, he judgeth among the gods. He pro- 
 ceeds (w. 2-7) to set forth how God judgeth, and 
 will at His appearing judge ' the gods,' Elohim, 
 or judges who bear His name. V. 6 shows that it 
 is not angels who are meant. 2. How long will ye 
 Judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the 
 wicked? — i, c, show partiality to the wicked 
 279 
 
 because of their wealth, or go into the ox^posite 
 extreme of partiality to the poor because of his 
 poverty (Exod. xxiii. 3). The original passage 
 here referred to is Lev. xix. 15 ; Deut. i. 17. Cf. 
 the parallel (Ps. Iviii. 1). Selah. A pause to give 
 time for serious meditation on the rebuke which 
 precedes, as in Ps. iv. 4. 3. Defend the poor and 
 fatherless — lit., 'Judge,' &c., in contrast to dis- 
 missing unheard those who appeal to them for 
 justice, as the unjust judge for a length of time 
 dismissed the widow who came unto him con- 
 tinually, saying, "Avenge me of mine adversary " 
 (Luke xviii. 3 ; cf. Isa. i. 17)- Every prince, saith 
 Luther, should get these three verses, yea, tlie 
 whole jisalm, painted upon the walls of his room, 
 upon his bed, over his table,, and even upon his 
 clothes. For here they will find what high, 
 princely virtue their situation demands ; so that 
 assuredly worldly supremacy, next to the office of 
 the ministry, is the highest service of God, and 
 the most profitable duty upon earth. 4. Deliver 
 the poor and needy ; rid them out of the hand of 
 the wicked— (Job xxix. 12.) 
 
 5-7.-5. They know not, neither will they under- 
 stand. Practical ignorance begets intellectual 
 (John vii. 17). They who do not what good they 
 know are righteously doomed to lose all moral 
 perception of what is right (Jas. iv. 17; Matt, 
 xiii. 12). they walk on in darkness— m spite of 
 God's continued long-suffering and monitions {vi\ 
 2-4: cf. Prov. ii. 13). all the foundations of the 
 earth are out of course. The whole fabric of 
 society must necessarily totter when those who 
 ought to be the pillars — the "princes," and 'judges,' 
 whose especial duty it is "to- know judgment 
 (Mic. iii. 1)— are perverted and "walk on in dark- 
 ness." Here not merely Israel, but the whole of 
 Christendom, and the so-called civilized earth is 
 contemplated. The question may well be asked 
 at such a crisis (Ps. xi. 3), " If the foundations be 
 destroyed, what can the righteous do?" The 
 answer is in Ps. Ixxv. 3, "The earth and all the 
 inhabitants thereof are dissolved: / bear up the 
 pillars thereof." God assures us that when utter 
 dissolution seems imminent. He will interpose, 
 manifesting Himself as Lord and Judge, to cast 
 out the ungodly, and fix the earth on its only true 
 foundation — righteousness. Ps. Ixxv. 2, note, 
 ' When the appointed season comes, I will judge 
 righteously.' There shall be a social and moral 
 earthquake preceding the advent of the Pvestorer 
 of all things (Acts iii. 21 ; Isa. xxiv. 1, 5, 19, 20, 21). 
 6. I have said, Ye are^. s^ods ; and all of you are 
 children of the Most Hfeh. Princes and judges are 
 "gods " {Elohim), on the ground that "unto them 
 the Word of God came" (John x. 35), constituting 
 them such. Even here, when God is about to 
 pass sentence on them, He begins with recognizing 
 
Prayer for God's 
 
 PSALM LXXXIII. 
 
 open interposition. 
 
 7 But -^ye shall die like men, — and fall like one of the princes. 
 
 8 Arise, 0 God, judge the earth : — ^^for thou shalt inherit all nations. 
 
 PSALM LXXXIIL 
 
 A Song or Psalm Vof Asaplu 
 
 1 KEEP not thou silence, 0 God : 
 
 Hold not thy peace, and be not still, 0 God. 
 
 2 For, lo, "thine enemies make a tumult ; 
 
 And they that hate thee have lifted up the head. 
 
 3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, 
 And consulted * against thy hidden ones. 
 
 4 They have said. Come, and '^let us cut them off from 'being a nation; 
 That the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. 
 
 5 For they have consulted together with one ^ consent : 
 They are confederate against thee : 
 
 / Job 21. 32. 
 
 Ps. 49. 1?, 
 
 Eze. 31. 14. 
 " Ps. 2. 8. 
 
 Ps. 22. 28. 
 
 Rev. 11. 15. 
 
 PSALM 83. 
 
 1 Or, for. 
 
 * 2 Ki. 10. 28. 
 Ps. 2. 1. 
 Ps. 74. 4. 
 Isa. sr. 29. 
 Jer. 1. 19. 
 Matt. 27.24. 
 
 & Ps. 27. 5. 
 Col. 3. 3. 
 
 * 2 Sam. 10.6. 
 2 Chr. 20. 1. 
 
 2 heart. 
 
 their divineljr-appointed dignity on which they 
 presumed, as if giving them absolute power to do 
 as they pleased, right or wrong; forgetting that 
 high office has its duties as well as its dignities. 
 Sonship is closely allied to kingship and judgeship. 
 These combined dignities, which by all others 
 have been abused, shall be realized in their 
 grandest ideal by the coming King, Judge, and 
 Sou of the Most High (Ps. ii. 6, 7, 10-12). 7. But 
 ye shall die like men— like any ordinary man ; 
 Hebrew, ^Adam' (Ps. ix. 20). The gods or great 
 men had virtually forgotten that they are liable 
 to die like othifr men (Ps. xlix. 11). God tells 
 them, your god-like station wherewith God has 
 invested you will not exempt you from the penalty 
 of your abuse of it. an4 fall like one of the 
 princes— i. e., be cut off hy God's judgment by a 
 violent death. [So '^ai, "perish" by God's judg- 
 ment, Exod. xix. 21; Jer. xxxix. 18.] You shall 
 no more escape than other wicked princes who fell 
 by the judgment of God (1 Ki. xxii. 17-34). So 
 even a heathen satirist, Juvenal, remarks — 'Ad 
 
 fenerum Cereris sine coede et sanguine pauci 
 )escendunt reges, and sicca morte tyranni ' — Few 
 kings descend to Ceres' son-in-law (Pluto, the heathen 
 god of the world of death) without slaughter and 
 blood, and tyrants hy a natural death. 
 
 8. Arise, b God, judge the earth : for thGu shalt 
 inherit all nations— ' Lift up thyself, O God.' 
 Prayer for the accomplishment of the prophetical 
 intimation in the body of the psalm. It is the 
 prayer often elsewhere offered by the oppressed 
 Church for the Lord's advent to judge the earth 
 and rid it of its oppressors (Ps. vii. 7, 8; ix. 19; x. 
 12; cf. Ivi. 7; Iviii. 1, 9-11; lix. 5; Isa. iii. 13; 
 Eev. vi. 10). It shall be especially appro- 
 priate iu the 'abounding iniquity' (Matt. xxiv. 
 12) of the last days. 
 
 PSALM LXXXIIL IAS.— Prayer for God's open 
 i?iterposition [v. 1); since .God's foes tumultuously 
 assail Israel in a vast confederacy of ten nations, 
 Edom, A mmon, and Moab being the centre {vv. 2-8) ; 
 prayer, grounded on God's past deliverances from 
 Midian and Jabin, that He will send His fiery anger 
 on the foe, in order that all may know that Jehovah is 
 most high over all the earth [vv. 9-18). This is the 
 earliest psalm of the series concerning the over- 
 throw of the confederacy which assailed Jehosha- 
 phat. It is a thanksgiving by anticipation for the 
 victory. So the title is, A Song (shir) or Psalm of 
 Asaph ; probably by " Jahaziel the son of Zecha- 
 riah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son 
 of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph," 
 upon whom " came the Spirit of the Lord in the 
 midst of the congregation" (2 Chr. xx. 14). The 
 280 
 
 47th Psalm was sung on the battle-field after the 
 victory (Ps. xlviii.), subsequently in the temple. 
 This " praise-song" was sung by "the Levites, 
 Kohathites, and Korhites, with a loud voice on 
 high" (2 Chr. xx. 18, 19). The object of the in- 
 vaders was to root Israel out of his inheritance. 
 Cf. 2 Chr. XX. 7-11 with vv. 3-5, 12, here. They 
 joined craft with force {v. 3). Marching southward, 
 round the Dead Sea, instead of entering from the 
 east, they let no tidings reach Jehoshapbat till he 
 heard a great multitude was within his territory 
 at Engedi (2 Chr. xx. 2). 
 
 1. Keep not thou silence, 0 God— even as we do 
 ' not keep silence ' from words of prayer (Isa. Ixii. 
 6, 7), so 'do not thou keep silence' from the word 
 of command for our deliverance. Our case would 
 be desperate indeed, if, when "thine enemies make 
 a tumuW [v. 2), thou wert to keep silence (cf. Ps. 
 xxviii. 1, note). 
 
 2. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult. God's 
 people rightly remind their Father that the in- 
 vaders are not merely their enemies, but His; 
 therefore His honour is at stake in delivering 
 them— an all-prevailing plea. The foes are a type 
 of the Gentile peoples, the followers of Antichrist, 
 of whom Ps. ii. saith, 'Why do the heathen 
 tumultuously assemble? (marg.) . . . the kings of 
 the earth . . . and the rulers take counsel together 
 against the Lord and against His Anointed?' 
 they that hate thee— the real ground of their 
 hatred against thy people (Ps. Ixxxi. 15.) have 
 lifted up the head— proudly and as oppressors ; as 
 Midian once did, until God by Gideon subdued 
 th em, "so that they lifted up their heads no more " 
 (Judg. \'iii. '28). 3. They have taken crafty 
 counsel against thy people— They combine craft 
 with violence, and consulted against thy hidden 
 ones— thy people, whom God 'in the time of 
 trouble hides (as His peculiar treasure, Mai. iii. 17) 
 in His pavilion, in the secret of His tabernacle ' 
 (Ps. xxvii. 5: cf. also Ps. xxxi. 20) ; especially true 
 of Christians, whose "life is hid with Christ in 
 God " (Col. iii. 3). 4. They have said, Come, and 
 let us cut them off— let us extirpate them. Cf. 
 2 Chr. XX. 1, 10, 11 for the coincidence with the 
 history. So Haman plotted to root out all the 
 Jews (Esth. iii. 6, 9), &c. 
 
 5-8.— Enumeration of the conspiring peoples. 
 5. For they have consulted together with one 
 consent— Hebrew, 'with the heart unanimously' 
 (Ps. Ixiv. 5, 6), implying the hearty zeal with 
 which they entered into the plot, they are con- 
 federate against thee— 'they have cut' or 
 'formed a covenant against thee.' Contrast Ps. 1. 
 5, "those that have made (cut) a covenant with 
 
Prayer against 
 
 PSALM LXXXIII. 
 
 Israel's enemies. 
 
 6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites ; 
 Of Moab, aud the Hagarenes; 
 
 7 Gebal, and Ammou, and Amalek; 
 
 The Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; 
 
 8 Assur also is joined with them : 
 
 ^ They have holpen the children of Lot. Selah. 
 
 9 Do unto them as unto the *^Midianites; 
 
 As to ^Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison; 
 
 10 Which perished at En-dor: — they became as dung for the earth. 
 
 1 1 Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb ; 
 Yea, all their princes as Zebah and as Zalmunna ; 
 
 12 Who said. Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession. 
 
 13 0 my God, make them like a wheel; 
 As the ^ stubble before the wind. 
 
 14 As the fire burneth a wood, 
 
 And as the flame settetli the mountains on fire; 
 
 me by sacrifice," 6. The tabernacles of Edom, and 
 the Ishmaelites ; of Moab, and the Hagarenes. 
 
 As the Edomites were not a wandering people, 
 ' tents ' are to be understood here as referring to 
 their camp tents whilst engaged in the invasion of 
 Israel, Edom, Moab, aud Ammoa were the ring- 
 leaders ; and arouad them respectively are grouped 
 those allies whom they had induced to join in the 
 expedition. This view accounts for the otherwise 
 unaccountable separation of Moab and Ammon, 
 which are elsewhere always joined together. With 
 Edom are associated the ishmaelites, because Edom 
 dwelt in the desert of Arabia, between tbe Dead 
 Sea and the Elanitic gulf of the Red Sea, What 
 aggravated the conduct of Edom, Ammon, and 
 Moab was, that this was the ungrateful return 
 they made for the forbearance of Israel ; for the 
 Israelites, when they came out of Egypt by God's 
 command, had turned from those peoples aud 
 destroyed them not, because of their original tie 
 of kindred through Jacob with Esau or Edom, 
 and through Abrahana with the children of Lot 
 (2 Chr, XX, 10, 11). The Hagarenes were a wan- 
 dering Arab tribe east of Jordan, descended from 
 Hagar, which in Saul's days was dispossessed of 
 its country by the Reubenites under God, to whom 
 the latter cried in the battle (1 Chr. v. 10, 19, 22). 
 The Hagarenes moved to the neighbourhood of 
 Moab, and are therefore mentioned here as the 
 ally of Moab, which latter people held the region 
 east of the Dead Sea as far as to the river Arnon. 
 7. Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek. Gebal was 
 an Idumean clan, on the right of Ammon, as 
 Amalek was on the left of Ammon, and extended 
 thence to the region between Idumea and Egypt, 
 Ammon held the region between the Arnon and 
 the Jabbok. So in Judg, iii. 13, Eglon, the king of 
 Moab, had Ammon and Amalek as his allies in 
 smiting Israel, the Philistines with the inhabi- 
 tants of T3rre. To the seven nations who consti- 
 tuted the main body, three more nations joined 
 themselves— the Philistines, dwelling south and 
 west of Canaan ; Tyre, though not warlike but 
 mercantile, always ready to embrace an opi^or- 
 tunity of gain (Ezek. xxvii. and xxviii. 2-24). So 
 in Amos i, 6-10, the Philistines, the Tyrians, and 
 Edomites appear combined against Israel. Cf. 
 J oel iii. 4-6, where Tyre's greed of gain a] tpears in 
 her trading in Jewish captives as slaves obtained 
 from the Philistines ; the acquisition of Jewish 
 slaves would be one of her objects in joining the 
 invasion. 8. Assur also is joined with them: 
 they have holpen the children of hot—lit, 'they 
 (i. e., not merely Assur, but all the nations just 
 named) are an arm to the sons of Lot ' (Isa. xxxiii. 
 281 
 
 ' they have 
 been an 
 arm to the 
 children 
 of Lot. 
 Gen. 19. 3r. 
 Isa. :-3. 2. 
 
 ^ Num. i\. r, 
 8. 
 
 Judg. r. 22. 
 
 Isa. 9, 4, 
 
 Isa. 10. 2f?. 
 • Judg. 4.15. 
 / Ex. 15. 17, 
 
 Job 13. 25. 
 
 Job 21. 18, 
 
 Ps. 35. 5. 
 
 Ps. 68. 1. 
 
 Isa. 40. 24, 
 
 Isa. 41. 2. 
 
 Matt. 3. 1", 
 
 I 2] ). Assyria stands last, as being farthest off, and 
 engaged only indirectly and partially in the con- 
 federacy. The psalm must have been written 
 before Assyria became a world-empire and mis- 
 tress of western Asia, The Asshurim were, in 
 part at least, akin to the Arabs, as descendants 
 of Abraham (Gen. xxv, 3, 18), and so take part in 
 this movement of the Arab tribes. They on the 
 far east stand in contrast to the Tyrians and Phil- 
 istines on the west. "The children of Lot" are 
 mentioned last, as the i)rime movers and instigators 
 of the conspiracy. 
 
 9, Do unto them as unto the Midianites— over- 
 thrown by mutual destruction, Gideon leading three 
 himdred of Israel (Judg, vii, 22 : cf. on a different 
 occasion 1 Sam. xiv, 20), This was the very way 
 whereby God destroyed Jehoshaphat's foes in 
 answer to the prayer here (2 Chr, xx, 22, 23). The 
 utter discomfiture of Midian is made by the pro- 
 phets the earnest of the final overthrow of the last 
 enemies of God and His people (note, Isa, ix. 4, 5 ; 
 Hab. iii. 7 ; Isa. x. 26). as to Sisera, as to Jabin, 
 at the brook of Kison— (Judg. iv. 7, 13, 15, 24; 
 V. 21.) 10, Which perished at En-dor: they be- 
 came as dung for the earth. En-dor is not men- 
 tioned in Judges as the scene of the overthrow of 
 Midian. The Psalmist had other sources of infor- 
 mation besides that book. In Josh. xvii. 11 En-dor 
 is mentioned with Taanach and Megiddo in the 
 region of Mannasseh, It is an undesigned coinci- 
 dence, and therefore a mark of truth, that Taa- 
 nach and Megiddo waters are mentioned as the 
 scene of the " battle" (Judg. v.-lS). En-dor, which 
 was near, would naturally be the scene of many 
 'perishing.' 11. Make their nobles like Oreb 
 and like Zeeb ; yea, all their princes as Zebah and 
 as Zalmunna, Oreb and Zeeb were the prince- 
 generals of Midian (Judg. vii. 25). Zebah and 
 Zalmunna were their kings (Judg, viii, 5, 10, 12, 
 18, 21), 12, Who said, Let us take to ourselves 
 the houses of God in possession— i. e., Canaan 
 given by God Himself to Israel. Herein lay their 
 main guilt. Jehoshaphat in 2 Chr. xx. 11 says, 
 "Behold , . . how they reward us, to come to cast 
 us out of THY ijossession, which thou hast given 
 us to inherit." 
 
 13-18. — Second part of the second main division. 
 Prayer inspired by God for the extinction of the foe 
 by the fiery storm of God. 13. 0 my God, make 
 them like a wheel— rather, ' like a thing whirled 
 round as a wheel,'' or like a whirlwind : parallel to 
 "the stubble before the wind," Cf, note, Ps. 
 Ixxvii. 18 ; Isa. xvii, 13, ' they shall be chased 
 like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.^ 14. as 
 the flame setteth the mountains on fire— i. e.. 
 
The blessedness of 
 
 PSALM LXXXIV. 
 
 dwellmg in GodJs house. 
 
 15 So persecute them with thy tempest, 
 And make them afraid with thy storm. 
 
 16 Fill their faces with shame; — that they may seek thy name, 0 Lord. 
 
 17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; 
 Yea, let them be put to shame, and perish : 
 
 18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, 
 Art the Most High over all the earth. 
 
 PSALM LXXXIV. 
 
 To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm ^for the sons of Korah. 
 
 1 HOW "amiable are thy tabernacles, 0 Lord of hosts ! 
 
 2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord } 
 My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. 
 
 3 ^ Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, 
 
 And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,^ 
 Even thine altars, 0 Lord of hosts, — my King, and my God. 
 
 Betteth on fire the wood and stubble on the moun- 
 tains. 15. make them afraid with thy storm. 
 The same Hebrew verb {iebahaleem) as in v. 17 is 
 translated, " let them ... be troubled." 'Put 
 them in consternation.' 16. Fill their faces with 
 shame — expanded in v. 17, "Let them be con- 
 founded" &c. ; "yea, let them be put to shame." 
 that they may seek thy name, 0 Lord— expanded 
 in V. 18, "That (men) may know that thou . . . 
 Jehovah ... art the Most High," &c. " Thy 
 name " is " Thee " in thy glorious manifestation of 
 thy attributes, thy power, wisdom, and love to 
 thy people, exercised for the subjugation of their 
 enemies. Not the conversion of the enemy who 
 are past hope, but their forced submission, like 
 that of Pharaoh, is here contemplated (Ps. lix. 
 13). 17. Let them be . . . troubled for ever— the 
 same Hebrew as for ' make afraid ' {v. 15). ' Let 
 them be put to consternation forever.' 18. That 
 (men) may know — rather, ' let them know ' to their 
 cost, that thou whose name alone is JEHOVAH, 
 art the Most High over all the earth— ^27., ' that 
 thou, thy name, O Jehovah, art Most High,' &c. 
 * Thou, thy name,' means, thou, in respect to thy 
 manifestation of thyself in deeds. The gods of the 
 heathen have no deeds to ' produce,' manifesting 
 their unseen godhead (Isa. xli. 21-24, 26) ; in this 
 God-Jehovah stands alone. Cf. Isa. xxxvii. 16, 
 20 ; 1 Sam. xvii. 46. 
 
 PSALM LXXXIV. — Meditation on the 
 blessedness of dwelling in God's house {vv. 1-7); 
 prayer on the ground that Jehovah giveth grace and 
 glory to them that trust in Him {vv. 8-12). The sons 
 of Korah sang this psalm, as from the soul of 
 David. Cf. title with v. 9. They reminded him 
 of the foundation of his hope, communion with 
 God remainiug to him though now fleeing from 
 Absalom (cf. vv. 1-4, 6, 9, 10; Ps. xlii., xliii., Ixiii. 
 Ps, xlii. and xliii. are Korahite Elohim psalms, 
 this is a Korahite Jehovah psalm. 
 
 To the chief Musician upon Gittith— (see Ps. 
 viii., title, note.) It directs the chief Musician 
 that the psalm should be sung after the manner, or 
 •according to the harp of Gath.' This harp of 
 Gath was used for psalms of a pleasant and joyful 
 character. For it was usual to vary the instru- 
 ment according to the strain of each psalm. 
 
 1-4.— 1. How amiable are thy tabernacles- 
 Hebrew, ' How (much) loved (by me),' V. 2 expands 
 this thought (cf. Ps. xxvii. 4). The special reason 
 of his love to the Lord's house here is, because in 
 it there is refuge from all troubles (cf. v. 3 and Ps. 
 xxvii. 5). The plural " tabernacles " is used in 
 reference to the different apartments of the one 
 
 PSALM 84. 
 
 1 Or, of. 
 
 " Ps. 26. 8. 
 Ps. 27. 4. 
 Ps. 48. 1, 2. 
 Ps. 87. 2, 3. 
 Heb. 9. 23. 
 24. 
 
 Rev. 21. 2, 
 3. 22, 23. 
 
 2 Or. As the 
 sparrow 
 findetb a 
 hou'se, 
 and the 
 swallow a 
 nest f(.r 
 her.?elf, so 
 findeth my 
 soul thine 
 altars. 
 
 tabernacle (Ps. xliii. 3; Ixviii. 35)^ "Thy holy 
 places." 2. My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth 
 for the courts of the Lord. "Courts" is a poeti- 
 cal plural for the one court, to which the general 
 worshippers (as distinguished from the priests) 
 had access ; or the space before the sanctuary (Ps. 
 Ixv. 4; xcii. 13; Isa. i. 12). The court is longed for 
 by David as the meeting place of the congregation, 
 the scene of the communion of saints, my heart 
 and my flesh crieth out for the living God. 
 IJ engstenhery trsiUBlsiteB the Hebrew [pn], ^rejoice 
 (shout exulting for joy) to the living God.' Bnt 
 the word is used of the bereft parent crying out for 
 the children whom she has lost. So here the 
 parallelism to " longeth . . . fainteth for" requires 
 crieth out for the Lord's courts as for a thing once 
 enjoyed, and whose absence now is bitterly missed. 
 The combination, 'my soul, my heart, my flesh' 
 indicates the intense longing desire of the whole 
 man (Ps, Ixiii. 1). "The living God" alone can 
 satisfy the aspirations of an immortal soul (Ps. 
 xlii. 2). 3. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, 
 and the swallow a nest for herself, where she 
 may lay her young, (even) thine altars, 0 Lord 
 of hosts. The common view, that David envied 
 the sparrow and swallow who made their nests in 
 the tabernacle, is most unlikely; for a bird build- 
 ing its nest there would be in no enviable or safe 
 position ; and would be so least of all at the 
 "■altars'' of God. There is an abbreviated com- 
 parison : what the house is to the sparrow, and 
 her nest ta the swallow, that thine altars are to 
 my soul, and therefore 'my soul, heart, and flesh' 
 long for them. Hengstenberg takes this verse as 
 indicating that David had found them spiritually; 
 the Psalmist means by "the sparrow" and "the 
 swallow " [ini, from ^Tl_^ spontaneous motion], his 
 own w^ah helpless soul, Ps. xi. 1, "How say ye to 
 my soul. Flee as a bird to your mountain ? " Also 
 Ps. Iv. 6; title, Ps. Ivi., ' the dumb- dove of distant 
 places' {Hengstenberg): and in 1 Sam. xxvi. 20, a 
 hunted "partridge in the mountains." Like a little 
 bird which, after a long defenceless wandering, has 
 found a house (Matt, viiL 20) in which it may 
 dwell securely, a nest to which it may entrust 
 confidently "its young," its dearest possession, 
 thus have I, a poor wanderer, found safety in thy 
 house, 0 Lord, the true nest of my soul ! ' If 1 
 had not found this beautiful house of God, I rnust 
 have been for ever flying about, out of the right 
 way. I should have been like a lonely bird on the 
 house top, like an owl in the desert (Ps. cii. C), 
 like a solitary turtle-dove (Ps. Ixxiv. 19)' {Arndt), 
 
Ike blessedness of 
 
 PSALM LXXXIV. 
 
 dwelling in God s house. 
 
 4t Blessed are they that dwell in thy house : 
 They will be still praising thee. Selah. 
 
 5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee ; 
 In whose heart are the ways of them. 
 
 6 Who passing through the valley ^of Baca make it a well ; 
 The rain also ^filleth the pools. 
 
 7 They go ^from strength to strength ; 
 
 Every one of them in Zion ^appeareth before God. 
 
 8 0 Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer. 
 
 Give ear, 0 God of Jacob. Selah. . 
 
 8 Or. of 
 mulberry 
 
 trees 
 
 make him 
 a well, etc. 
 2 Sam.. 5.2.'. 
 * covereth. 
 
 5 Or. from 
 compaBy 
 to com- 
 p.my. 
 
 6 Deut. n.lS. 
 
 But the idea is, that just because David has long 
 ago found God's house to be all this spiritually to 
 his soul, he is the more eager for access again to 
 the literal tabernacle, and to the communion with 
 God and with the saints there. The plural 
 "altars" refers to the two altars, the one of burnt 
 offering and the other of incense offering (Num. 
 iii. 31): these altars were the central points of the 
 whole tabernacle, in relation to God; for only 
 through sacrifice and intercession can the sinner 
 draw nigh to God with the assurance of peace and 
 salvation from Him. my king, and my God— 
 (Fs. V. 2.) It is because God is the Psalmist's king 
 and Im God, that he is sure that the "Lord of 
 Hosts" {v. 1) will employ His infinite resources to 
 shelter His servant, who dwells by faith in God's 
 house, as the bird rests securely in its nest. 4. 
 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house— hav- 
 ing access to it both literally and spiritually (v. 4 ; 
 Ps. xxvii. 4). they will be stiU praising thee. 
 Even though they be for the time in suffering or 
 exile (as I now am), they will yet he given hy God 
 occasion to praise Him, as in Ps. 1. 15, 23 [Heng- 
 stenberg). Or, 'they are (and will be) still praising 
 thee,' as I now no longer have the privilege of 
 doing publicly, being an exile [Maurer). I prefer 
 the latter view, as more consonant to the implied 
 privation of access to the public praises of the 
 sanctuary, which is the burden of David's com- 
 plaint in V. 2. 
 
 5-1.— Second part of the First strophe. The 
 rich consolation in God which belongs to believers, 
 like David, even in trouble. 5. Blessed is the 
 man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart 
 (are) the ways (of them). Two conditions of 
 blessedness, — (1.) To have one's strength in God, 
 and God as one's strength ; to make no creaturely 
 good, such as power, riches, cleverness, honours, 
 our dependence. (2.) To have in one's heart God's 
 sui-e ways— ^i^., 'in w^hose heart (are) embanked 
 ways,' 'made roads,' 'streets;' i. e., the safe and 
 secured ways of the Lord [h^hpD, from hho, to raise; 
 the raised causeways']. Though such a one is not 
 permitted in body to go on the highways leading 
 up to the city and temple of J erusalem, yet he hath 
 in his heart the highways leading to the spiritual 
 temple— i. e., to secret communion with God. Cf. 
 Ezek. xi. 16. Man's natural heart is a pathless wil- 
 derness; the Holy Spirit opens out in it the highways 
 to God of repentance and faith. Cf. Ps. 1. 23, 
 Hebrew, ' to him that prepareth a way will I show 
 the salvation of God' (Pro v. xvi. 17; Tsa. xl. 3, 4). 
 As V. 12, " blessed is the man that trusteth in 
 thee," answers to v. 5, " Blessed is the man whose 
 strength is in thee," so v. 11, "them that walk 
 uprightly" [i. e., in the uprightness of faith, Hab. 
 iL 4) corresponds to ' in whose heart are (God's 
 sure) highways.' 6. Who passing through the 
 valley of Baca make it a well. "The valley of 
 Baca" — i. e,, tlie vale of tears. A valley is an em- 
 blem of a sunken condition, such as was David's 
 when suddenly cast down from the height of pros- 
 283 
 
 perity by the rebellion of his son Absalom. The 
 old translators generally translate as if it were 
 n33], 'the valley of tt?eei>iw(/.' The Hebrew form, 
 however, usually means a mulberry tree (2 Sam, v. 
 23, 24, and marg., here). Celsus, in his "Sacred 
 Botany," takes it a balsam shrub. The berry when 
 
 gressed yields a juice like a tear-drop, whence it 
 erives its name : the Latin bacca, a berry, may be 
 akin to Baca. Still 'the valley of the Baca tree' 
 will mean 'the valley of the tear- tree' or 'shrub.' 
 But the probable sense is ' the valley of weeping ' 
 [K standing instead of n at the end]. Some think 
 that the Baca grows only in dry places, and that 
 the valley of Baca means a dry and parched 
 valley; but there is no proof that this Baca tree 
 grows only in dry places. The antithesis, how- 
 ever, to "make it a well" implies that the valley 
 of Baca is regarded as a dry place spiritually. 
 The only waters in it are the water of tears and 
 weeping. Ps. xxiii. 4 is the original passage: 
 "Yea, though I walk through the valley of tne 
 shadow of death," &c. (cf. Ps. cxxvi. 5). Burk- 
 hardt (ii., p. 977) mentions a Wady-Beka, or valley 
 of loeeping. David passed through stich a valley 
 of tears when, in his flight from Absalom, "he 
 went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet, and wept 
 as he went up, and had his head covered; and he 
 went barefoot, and all the people that was with 
 him . . . went up, weeping as they went up " (2 
 Sam. XV. 30). As the valley of weeping symbolizes 
 dejection, so a "well" symbolizes ever-flowing 
 salvation and comfort (cf. John iv. 14 ; also Isa. 
 xii. 3). the rain also fiUeth the pools— rather, as 
 the Hebrew, 'the early (or autumnal) rain [nnia] 
 covereth it [n^pi] with blessings ' [nioga], which the 
 English version confounds with [n'on3],jpoo/5, whose 
 waters are increased with the blessing of rains. 
 Some of the Eabbins, however, favour the English 
 version, ' not only the wells, but even the pools are 
 full of waters.' Jerome translates, 'the Teacher 
 (as the Hebrew is translated, Isa. xxx. 20) shall 
 cover it with blessings;' similarly the LXX., 'the 
 Legislator will give blessings.' Hengstenberg 
 makes ' the Teacher' to be David, who not only 
 had his strength in the Lord, and the ways of 
 faith in his own heart, but also taught them to 
 others (Ps. Ixii. 8). But Joel ii. 23 justifies the 
 translation, 'the early rain;' the parallelism 
 favours it. 7. They go from strength to strength 
 — from one degree of strength to another. Not as 
 marg., 'from company to company.' every one of 
 them in Zion appeareth before God— after all 
 their conflicts and sufferings are past (Rev. vii. 14, 
 15). Meanwhile, David sighs for restored access to 
 the earthly tabernacle (Ps. xliii. 3), wherein the 
 worshippers "appeared" or presented themselves, 
 especially at the three great annual feasts, before 
 God (Deut. xvi. 16). Zech. xiv. 16 represents the 
 millennial appearing before God of Israel and the 
 nations in the flesh. 
 
 8-12. — The prayer follows the meditation. 8. 
 give ear, 0 God of Jacob. This title implies a 
 
Prayer for the 
 
 PSALM LXXXV. 
 
 continuance of mercies. 
 
 9 Behold, ^0 God our shield, — and look upon the face of thine anointed. 
 
 10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. 
 
 ® I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God,. 
 Than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 
 
 1 1 For the Lord God is a sun and shield : 
 The Lord will give grace and glory : 
 
 No good thing will he withhold — from them that walk uprightly. 
 
 12 0 Lord of hosts, — blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. 
 
 PSALM LXXXV. 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psalm ' for the sons of Korah, 
 
 1 LORD, thou hast been ^ favourable unto thy land : 
 Thou hast "brought back the captivity of Jacob. 
 
 2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people. 
 Thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. 
 
 3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath : 
 
 ^Thou hast turned thyself horn the fierceness of thine anger. 
 
 4 Turn us, 0 God of our salvation, 
 
 And cause thine anger toward us to cease. 
 
 plea for being heard, on the ground of God's cove- 
 nanted grace to the people of Jacob. 9. Behold, O 
 God our sMeld. In the Hebrew, "our shield" 
 stands tirst for emphasis: all our hope of being 
 shielded from the foe rests on thee: "behold," 
 therefore, all the circumstances of our case. David 
 uses the plural "our," not my^ to imply that Ms 
 people^s safety is involved in his. and look upon 
 the face of thine anointed— (cf. Ps. cxxxii. 10; 
 xliii. 5). In looking upon the face of God's 
 Anointed Son, the Father becomes "our shield" 
 from Satan and all evil. 10. For a day in thy 
 courts is better than a thousand— i. e., better 
 tlian a thousand elsewhere spent; viz., in the 
 pleasures of sin and of the world (cf. Heb. xi. 24-26). 
 
 1 had rather be a doorkeeper (or 'stop at the 
 threshold') in the house of my God— i.e., If I 
 cannot have a higher place, I feel the humblest 
 
 glace in the kingdom of God higher than the 
 ighest in the world, than to dwell in the tents 
 of wickedness. The habitations of the wucked, 
 however stable and princely they look, are but 
 shifting " tents ; " whereas ' the tabernacle ' of God, 
 though externally made but of curtains as a tent, 
 is nevertheless abiding as "the house of God" (cf. 
 
 2 Cor. V. 1). " The tents of wickedness," as 
 represented by the dwellings of Absalom and the 
 seemingly successful rebels, were furnished with 
 every outward attraction, yet David feels the 
 lowest place of poverty and exile, with God's favour, 
 infinitely preferable (cf. Ps. iv. 7). 11. For the 
 Lord God is a sun and shield. This assigns the 
 reason why the favour of the Lord with poverty 
 and exile is preferable to riches and home without 
 God. For the Lord God (Jehovah Elohim) is a sim 
 to enlighten (Ps. xxvii. 1 ; Isa. Ix. 19, 20; Mai. iv. 
 2; Rev. xxi. 23), and a.s7«>^rf to protect on all sides. 
 Faith has already laid hold of the answer to the 
 prayer in v. 9, "Behold, 0 God our shield.'" the 
 Lord will give grace and glory— "grace" now, 
 and "glory" hereafter: as in Christ's case the 
 sufferings come first, accompanied with "grace" 
 to bear them, the " glory " afterwards and abid- 
 ingly. On the contrary, the "glory" of the 
 wicked man's house may now seem "increased," 
 but " his glory shall not descend after him" when 
 he dieth (Ps. xlix. 16, 17). no good thing will he 
 withhold from them that walk uprightly— in 
 the uprightness of faith (Hab. ii. 4); in sincerity 
 toward God and integrity toward man (Ps. xv. 2). 
 
 284 
 
 " Gen. 15. 1. 
 Dewt. 33,29. 
 Pa. 98. 1. 
 
 8 I would 
 choose 
 rather to 
 sit at the 
 threshold. 
 Jas. 2. 3. 
 
 PSALM 85. 
 
 1 Or. of. 
 
 2 Or, well 
 pleased. 
 Ps. 77. 7. 
 
 « Ezral. 11. 
 Ps. 14. 7. 
 Jer. 30. IS. 
 Eze. 39. 25. 
 Joel 3. 1. 
 
 3 Or, thou 
 hast turn- 
 ed thine 
 anger froni 
 waxing 
 hot. 
 
 PSALM LXXXV. 1-12. — Israel's deliierance 
 from sin and punishment anticipated hy faith in 
 God's promises [vv. 1-3); prayer based upon this 
 {vv. 4-7) ; God's answer of peace to His people's 
 prayer of faith {w. 8-13). The psalm is designed 
 for times when by disobedience the people for- 
 feited the ' peace ' and abundance promised in Lev, 
 xxvi. 3-13 (cf. V. 12 here). The resemblance of v. 
 4 to Ps. Ixxx. 3, 7, 19, inclines me to thmk that 
 our psalm embodies the believing prayers of Judah, 
 as yet in her land, anticipating the time when the 
 captive Ten tribes shall be restored, and God's anger 
 against the whole nation shall be removed. The 
 fulfilment is mainly still future. The results an- 
 ticipated to both the literal and the spiritual 
 Israel are so vast {vv. 10-13) as to api)ly in their 
 fulness only to Messianic times. 
 
 1. Lord . . . thou hast brought back the cap- 
 tivity of Jacob— rather, 'thou hast turned again 
 the captivity of Jacob :' thou hast reversed his state 
 of distress (cf. note, Job xlii. 10; Ps. xiv. 7). This 
 verb [dy^] occurs at vv. 3, 4, 6, 8 ; and is characteristic 
 of the psalm (cf. Ps. Ixxx. 3. 7, 19). 2. Thou hast 
 forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast 
 covered all their sin. "Cover" [np3] is the ex- 
 pression for "atone" — t. e., to hide out of God's 
 view our sin by the reconciliation effected through 
 the blood of Jesus (Ps. xxxii. 1, note). The coats 
 of skin used to cover Adam's nakedness after the 
 fall, and provided by God, prefigures this atone- 
 ment covering by Christ. They who will not have 
 their sin covered by Messiah's blood shall in vain 
 call to the mountains, "Cover iis" (Hos. x. 8 
 — the same Hebrew verb ; Rev. vi. 16). 3. thou 
 hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine 
 anger. The original passage on which this verse 
 rests is Exod. xxxii. 12. 
 
 4. Turn us, 0 God of our salvation, and cause 
 thine anger toward us to cease. This prayer, 
 "Turn us . . . cause thine anger . . . to cease," 
 after the suppliants have j ust said, "Thou hast taken 
 away all thy wrath ; thou hast turned thyself from 
 the fierceness of thine anger," ma,y seem strange; 
 but faith explains it. It is just because of faith's 
 strong anticipation of the desired issue, as if it had 
 already come to pass (so certain is it), that it is 
 stirred up the more intensely to pray for that 
 which the spirit of prophecy in the Psalmist 
 reveals as an already accomplished fact. 5. Wilt 
 
The Psalmist' s confidence PSALM LXXXV. 
 
 in God's goodness. 
 
 5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ev/dv ? 
 
 Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations ? 
 
 6 Wilt thou not * revive us again, — that thy people may rejoice in thee ? 
 
 7 Show us thy mercy, 0 Lord, — and grant us thy salvation. 
 
 8 I ^will hear what God the Lord will speak : 
 
 For ^he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints; 
 But let them not turn ^ again to folly. 
 
 9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him ; 
 That glory may dwell in our land. 
 
 10 Mercy and truth are met together; 
 ^Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 
 
 1 1 Truth ^ shall spring out of the earth ; 
 
 And righteousness shall look down from heaven. 
 
 12 Yea, Hhe Lord shall give that which is good ; 
 And our land shall yield her increase. 
 
 thou draw out thine anger to all generations?— 
 
 whereas ordinarily "thine anger endureth but a 
 moment" (Ps. xxx. 5; cf. Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7). 6. 
 Wilt thou not revive us again ?— Hebrew (the 
 same verb as in v. 4. "turn us"), ' Wilt thou not 
 turn (and) revive us? (Ps. Ixxi. 20; Ixxx. 18; Deut. 
 xxxii. .39; Hos. vi. 2.) The "thou" is emphatical, 
 in the Hebrew "turn" is intransitive, ' return.' 
 Thou must return if we are to be quickened. 
 Thy return is the indispensa,ble condition of our 
 vivification. that thy people may rejoice in thee 
 — (Ps. v. 11 ; xl. 16.) Joy in the Lord is one of the 
 first fruits of life in the Lord (Acts ii. 46 ; viii, 39 ; 
 xvi. 34; Gal. v. 22; Kom. v. ll). Holy joy is a 
 source of "strength" (Neh. viii. 10). 
 
 8-13.— God's answer of peace to the prayer of 
 faith.— 8. 1 will hear what God the Lord will speak. 
 The Church here declares the joy with which she 
 prepares to hear the answer to her prayer in v. 4. 
 "God the Lord" — lit., Uhe God-Jehovah' (cf. Ps. 
 Ixviii, 20, " He that is our God (lit., the God to us) 
 is the God of salvation "). for he will speak peace 
 unto his people, and to his saints. The Church 
 in faith already anticipates the answer of peace 
 from God. "Peace" spiritually has come "on 
 earth " at Christ's first advent (Luke ii. 14). ' Christ 
 died sufficiently for all: efficiently for the elect' 
 (Bishop Davejiant, 'De morte Christi'), "His 
 saints." Peace temporally and literally, as well 
 as spiritually, is to come on earth at His second 
 advent, to Israel in their own land, and to all 
 nations (Zech. ix. 10). but let them not turn 
 again to folly. The redemption of Jesus is de- 
 signed to " save men from their sins," not that 
 they may continue in their sins (Matt. i. 21 ; Rom. 
 vi. 1, 2). They who turn again to folly, which all 
 sin is, shall X)erish in their smful folly, and " their 
 latter end ia worse with them than the beginning ;" 
 "the dog is turned to his own vomit again, and 
 the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the 
 mire" (2 Pet. iL 20-22). In the case of the 
 spiritual Israel, as well as the literal Israel of the 
 last days, the "everlasting covenant" of God ia 
 such as to ensure, as well the complete ' cover- 
 ing' of "all their sin" (?;. 2), as also "that they 
 shall not depart from their God" any more (Jer. 
 xxxii. 38-40; also xxxL 31-37). God's words, which 
 effect their own command in the case of the elect, 
 " But let them not turn again to folly" (Ps. Ixxx. 
 18) is i^arallel, the two psalms having a close 
 relation. " So will not we go back from thee: 
 quicken us, and we will call upon tliy name," 
 9. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear 
 him ; that glory may dwell in our land — the 
 answer to the prayer in v. 7, " grant us thy salva- 
 
 !» Ps. 80. 19. 
 
 Ps. 138. 7. 
 
 Isa. 67. 15. 
 
 Hos. 6. 2. 
 
 Hab. 3. 2. 
 " Hab. 2. 1. 
 
 Hab. 12. 25. 
 d Ps. 29. 11. 
 
 Isa. 67. 19. 
 
 Zech. 9. 10. 
 
 John 14. 27. 
 * 2 Pet. 2. 20. 
 / Mic. 7. 20. 
 
 John 1. 17 
 f Isa. 32. 17. 
 
 Luke 2. 14, 
 A Isa. 45. 8, 
 
 2 Cor, 5, H- 
 21. 
 
 i Jas. 1. 17. 
 
 tion," The bringing near II is salvation (Isa. xlvi. 
 13) issues in "glory " dwelling in the land of Israel. 
 As the cloud of glory dwelt on the tabernacle, so " I, 
 saith the Lord, will be the glory in the midst of 
 her" (Zech, ii, 5), As Messiah is the ""^ Light to 
 lighten the Gentiles," so He is the glory of His 
 people Israel" (Luke ii, 32), "The word made 
 flesn" once " dwelt among" the Jews, and those 
 who believed " beheld His glory, the glory as of the 
 only begotten of the Father, full of grace and 
 truth" (John i, 14). But then His glory was 
 veiled under His humiliation, and was only to be 
 discerned by faith; but hereafter His glory fully 
 revealed shall dwell in Israel (Ezek. xliii. 7), In 
 the words, "that glory may dwell in our land," 
 there is allusion to the shechinah, which comes from 
 a Hebrew root ]^'^']to dwell, (Hab. ii. 14; Isa. xi. 
 10, mai-g.) 10. Mercy and truth are met together, 
 "Mercy" from God for the pardon of our sin is 
 shown, in the redemption wrought by Messiah for 
 Israel literal and spiritual, to harmonize with the 
 "truth" of God — i, e,, with His faithfulness alike 
 to His threatening against sin and to His promise 
 of salvation notwithstanding to lost man. For 
 Christ hath suffered the threatened penalty; there- 
 fore Christ's people receive the promised mercy, 
 righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 
 The demands of God's righteousness against man 
 were met by the Saviour's meritorious death as 
 man for man; so "peace" to man is reconciled 
 with the unimpaired glory of God's righteousness. 
 The meeting audthe kissing oi each other (w, 10, 11) 
 imply that there had been in appearance a separa- 
 tion of these attributes respectively, which now 
 are showed to harmonize (Isa. xlii. 21); so that 
 every true Israelite can say, "In the Lord have I 
 righteousness and strength, . . , in the Lord shall 
 all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory " 
 (Isa. xlv. 24, 25). 11. Truth shall spring out of 
 the earth; and' righteousness shall look down 
 from heaven. Truth shall then spring spontane- 
 ously out of the earth, where heretofore all had 
 been untruth — i. e., unfaithfulness to God. High- 
 teousness shall look down from heaven, nieeting 
 Truth with approving smiles ; and both shall take 
 up their abode with men (Isa. xlv. 8; Ps, Ixxii, 3). 
 12. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good, 
 and our land shall yield her increase. It is by 
 the gift of the Lord's grace that the Holy Land, 
 long desolate, shall once more "yield her increase" 
 (Ps. Ixvii 6). "The ear^A" generally shall in a 
 great measure be delivered from the effects of her 
 fall; and this, in connection with His 'causing 
 His face to shine ujjon ' Israel first, and through 
 her "upon all nations "—Messiah, the "Judge** 
 
The goodness 
 
 PSALM LXXXVL 
 
 and power of God. 
 
 13 Righteousness shall go before him, 
 And shall set us in the way of his steps. 
 
 10 
 
 PSALM LXXXVL 
 
 ^ A Prayer of David, 
 
 BOW down tliine ear, 0 Lord, hear me ; — for I am poor and needy. 
 Preserve my soul, for I am ^holy : 
 0 thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. 
 Be merciful unto me, 0 Lord: — for I cry unto thee ^ daily. 
 Bejoice the soul of thy servant : • 
 For unto thee, 0 Lord, do I lift up my soul. 
 
 For '^thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; 
 And plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. 
 Give ear, 0 Lord, unto my prayer; 
 And attend to the voice of my supplications. 
 
 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee : — for thou wilt answer me. 
 
 Among * the gods there is none like unto thee, 0 Lord ; 
 Neither are there any works like unto thy works. 
 
 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, 
 
 0 Lord ; 
 And shall glorify thy name. 
 
 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things : — '^thou art God alone. 
 
 and King "governing" the earth (Ps, Ixvii. 1, 2, 
 46; cf. Isa. Iv. 13). 13. Righteousness shall go 
 before him, and shall set (us) in the way of his 
 steps — rather, 'and shall set in the (righteous) 
 way His steps ' (Isa. xi. 3-5) &c. ; or else, ' Righteous- 
 ness shall go before Him, and shall set its steps in 
 the way' (so the Chaldaic, Vulgate, LXX., and 
 Arabic) — i.e., shall freely pursue its way. Con- 
 trast the opposite state (Isa. lix. 14). 
 
 PSALM LXXXVI. \-Yl.— God's grace to His 
 trusting people their ground of expecting deliverance 
 (vv. 1-5) ; Bis omnipotence to help, so that all nations 
 shall at last worship Him (vv. 6-10) ; God's special 
 mercy to the suppliant in saving his soul from hell, 
 tor which he will praise God for ever {vv. 11-13); 
 special prayer for deliverance from proud assailants 
 [vv. 14-17). The occasion was probably Absalom's 
 revolt. 
 
 Title.— K Prayer of David. The psalm is through- 
 out a prayer, not meditation, (cf. title, Ps. xc.) 
 
 1. Bow down thine ear, 0 Lord, hear me; for 
 I am poor and needy — or, 'afflicted and wretched,' 
 Man's needs are a prima Jacie claim on God's 
 pity. Our misery moves His mercy. 2. Pre- 
 serve my soul, for I am holy— (cf. v. 16, end.) 
 " Holy " — rather, 'pious' [Tpn. So the LXX., 
 b<rio^] ; as the parallelism favours, ' save thy 
 servant that trusteth in thee;' gracious, and ' godly.' 
 So the same Hebrew is translated, Ps. iv. 3. 
 The Vulgate and Ethiopic favour the English 
 version sanctus'). In the full sense, "for I am 
 holy" can only apply to the Antitypical David, 
 Messiah, "the Holy One of God" (Ps. xvi. 10; 
 Acts ii. 27; Mark L 24). The term belongs to 
 Him not so much as being God, the infinitely 
 Holy One ["A710?], as it applies to Him as the 
 faultlessly pious [octlo^] Son of man, ever ' trust- 
 ing' in the Father. Thrice in the three verses 
 {vv. 2-4) He speaks of His "soul :" "Preserve my 
 soul . . . Hejoice the soul of thy servant . . . unto 
 thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul." So at His 
 agony in Gethsemane, "MysoMHs exceeding sor- 
 rowful, even unto death." The earnest prayers 
 liere answer to His "strong crying and tears unto 
 Him that was able to save Him from death" 
 
 (Heb. V. 7). 3. Be merciful unto me, O Lord. 
 
 Tlie chief ground of hope, not merely my misery, 
 but God's mercy (cf. v. 15). 4. Rejoice the soul of 
 thy servant : for unto thee, 0 Lord, do I lift up 
 my soul— quoted from Ps. xxv. 1. The small 
 print is used in the English version "Lord "for 
 the Hebrew 'Adonai' (seven times in this psalm), 
 not exclusively applied to God. Lord in capitals 
 stands for Jehovah, the exclusive name of God 
 (four times in this psalm). 
 
 5. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to for- 
 give. God's forgiving character is one manifesta- 
 tion of His universal goodness. 
 
 6-10. — From speaking of God's willingness, the 
 Psalmist passes to God's omnipotent power to 
 help. 6. attend to the voice of my supplications 
 — ' deprecations ' [^niMnn]. The Psalmist forms a 
 peculiar Hebrew word, feminine plural, not found 
 elsewhere, to convey more impressively the idea 
 of suppliant weakness. 7. In the day of my 
 trouble I will call upon thee : for thou wilt an- 
 swer me. His assurance of being 'answered' is 
 the ground of David's 'calling upon' God in 
 trouble. 
 
 8, 9. — The foundation of his assurance of being 
 'answered' {v. 7) David now states — viz., God's 
 almighty power alaove all that are called gods ; so 
 that "all nations whom thou hast made shall 
 come and worship before thee." 8. Among the 
 gods there is none like unto thee. Exod. xv. 11 
 is the original (cf. v. 10). neither (are there any 
 works) like unto thy works— (Deut. iii. 24: cf. 
 2 Sam. vii. 22). 9. All nations whom thou hast 
 made shall come and worship before thee, O 
 Lord. Even the heathen nations were made by 
 God, and therefore must at last worship Him 
 that made them, and see that their idols are false 
 gods (Zeph. ii. 11 ; Zech. xiv. 9). The creature 
 must necessarily at a future period return to obe- 
 dience to its Creator {Hengstenberg). So in Ps. 
 XX. 27, 28, the ground for anticipating that 'all 
 the ends of the world shall remember, and turn 
 unto the Lord ' is, ' for the kingdom is the Lord's, 
 and He is the Governor among the nations.' 10. 
 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things : 
 
David imploreth 
 
 PSALM LXXXVI. 
 
 God's aid. 
 
 11 Teach me thy way. 0 Lord; — I will walk m thy truth: 
 Unite my heart to fear thy name, 
 
 12 I will praise thee, 0 Lord my God, with all my heart; 
 And I will glorify thy name for evermore. 
 
 13 For great is thy mercy toward me; 
 
 And thou hast * delivered my soul from the lowest *lielL 
 
 14 0 God, the proud are risen against me, 
 
 And the assemblies of ^violent mm have sought after my soul, 
 And have not set thee before them. 
 
 15 But ^ thou, 0 Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, 
 Long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. 
 
 16 0 turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; 
 
 Give thy strength unto thy servant, — and save the son of thine handmaid. 
 
 17 Show me a token for good ; 
 
 That tliey which hate me may see it, and be ashamed ; 
 Because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me. 
 
 thou art God alone. God's wondrous doings shall 
 in the last days constrain the heathen to worship 
 the great and glorious God {v. 9); especially the 
 wonders which He will do in oehalf of Israel 
 against Antichrist and the confederate nations. 
 Hence Ps. Ixxii., which foretells His coming king- 
 dom over all the earth, adds {vv. 18, 19), "Blessed 
 be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only 
 doetJi wondrous things . . . and let the whole earth 
 be tilled with His glory," (Isa. xxiv. and xxv.) 
 The hammer of the greatness of God will break 
 the rock of the hearts of the heathen {Hengsten- 
 l>erg). 
 
 11-13. — The Psalmist's prayer and praise because 
 of the mercy of God in having delivered his soul 
 from the lowest hell, which is the special ground 
 for the personal prayer which follows {vv. 14-17). 
 11. Teacli me thy way, 0 Lord— quoted from Ps. 
 xxvii. 11. God's "way" is God's safe guidance of 
 His people ; the way of salvation , whereby He leads 
 them. I will walk in thy truth— i. e., in the con- 
 tinual remembrance of thy truth, or thy faithful- 
 ness to thy promises. This also is a quotation 
 (Ps. xxv. 5 ; xxvi. 3). unite my heart to fear thy 
 name — in reverential, gratitude for thy special grace 
 to my soul [vv. 12, 13). The fear of God's name is 
 already in his heart : he prays that it may so fill 
 his heart as to unite him loholly to the Lord in 
 reverential love. 12. I will praise thee, 0 Lord 
 my God, with all my heart— as contrasted with " a 
 double heart," Ps. xii. 2, and Jas. iv. 8, "double- 
 minded." This is the connection of the prayer [v. 
 II) with the praise in vv. 12, 13- " Unite my heart 
 to fear thy name" — make my will one with thine, 
 that I may not have a heart divided between the 
 fear and love of thee, and the fear and love of the 
 world, but may be led, by thy special mercy to my 
 soul [v. 13), to 'praise thee with all my heart.' 
 13. For great is thy mercy toward me ; and thou 
 hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell- 
 quoted in part from Ps. Ivi. 12, 13. "Mercy"— 
 thy goodness or 'grace' to me [ipn], the same 
 Hebrew of which the adjective, "1 am holy,''^ or 
 ' pious,' or ' godly,' occurs in v. 2. The grace that 
 is in the godly is the result of God's grace toward 
 them. As both Ps. xxxiv. and Ivi., in the titles, 
 show that they were composed concerning the 
 narrow escape which God vouchsafed to David 
 out of W\Q imminent danger of death {^^ the lowest 
 hell ") to which he was exposed when he was with 
 Achish the Philistine king at Gath, 1 prefer con- 
 sidering this to be the sjjecial deliverance from 
 death (as "hell," or Sheol, or Hades, often means) 
 intended here, not David's deliverance from Saul 
 
 (cf. Ps. xxxiv. 4, 6, 17, 22) ; but this reference cannot 
 exhaust the strong language here. The full force 
 of the words applies to the Head of the Church, 
 ' the firstborn from the dead ' — Messiah, who 
 praises the Father for having raised His body from 
 the grave and His soul from the unseen abode of 
 diseuibodied spirits— Hades ; as He also said by 
 anticipation (Ps. xvi. 9). The redeemed shall, at 
 the resurrection of the just, sing the same thanks- 
 giving perfectly. Meanwhile every one who hath 
 the earnest of the Spirit sings it, though not per- 
 fectly, yet at least sincerely, and with the prayer- 
 ful desire to have his " heart " so ' united ' to God 
 in reverential gratitude, as to be able to "praise" 
 the Lord as his God 'with all his heart' (vv. 11, 
 12). 
 
 14-17. — The special prayer of the psalm after the 
 preparatory grounding. 14. 0 God, the proud are 
 risen against me, and the assemblies of violent 
 men have sought after my soul— quoted mainly 
 from Ps. liv. 3. Instead of "strangers" there 
 "the proud" stand here [nnj. , for on;.] ; and instead 
 of 'oppressors,' or "violent men" (the Hebrew is 
 the same in both psalms), there is here Hhe 
 assembly (the Hebrew is singular) of violent 
 men.' Cf. Ps. xxii. 16. and have not set thee 
 before them. So Ps. liv. 3. 15. But thou, 0 
 Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, 
 long-suflFering, and plenteous in mercy and truth 
 — quoted mainly from Exod. xxxiv. 6. Here the 
 Psalmist reverts to the same ground of hope as in 
 v. 5 — God's character as "plenteous in mercy unto 
 all that call upon " Him ; not unto the impenitent. 
 
 16. give thy strength unto thy servant, and save 
 the son of thine handmaid. As the servant's 
 duty is to serve his master, so the master's part is 
 to defend the servant. The phrase "the son of 
 thine handmaid" points to the Antitype, Messiah, 
 the Son of that meek servant of God who said 
 (Luke i. 38) "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord," 
 
 17. Show me a token for good— do something so 
 decisive in my favour as plainly to indicate that 
 thou art on my side. It is not a miraculous sign 
 that he craves, but an act of deliverance, that 
 they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed 
 — being disappointed in their hope of my destruc- 
 tion. 
 
 PSALM LXXXVIL 1-7.- Zionis the city lored and 
 founded by God (vv. 1-3) ; it is the spiritual birthplace 
 of the nations {vv. 4-7). Thrice in vv. 4-6 it is stated 
 that such and such a one " was born in her" {there); 
 in V. 7 the chorus of converted nations joyfully 
 sing that the springs of their spiritual life flow 
 from her. The occasion was probably Jerusalem's 
 
Tlie nature and 
 
 PSALM LXXXVII. 
 
 glory of the church. 
 
 PSALM LXXXVIL 
 
 A Psalm or Song ^ for the sons of Korah. 
 
 1 HIS foundation is in the holy mountains. 
 
 2 The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 
 
 3 Glorious ''things are spoken of thee, 0 city of God. Selah. 
 
 4 I will make mention of ^Rahab and Babylon to them that know me : 
 Behold Phili&tia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; — this man was born there. 
 
 5 And of Zion it shall be said^ 
 
 This and that man was born in her : 
 
 And *the Highest himself shall establish her. 
 
 6 The ^LoRD shall count, when "^he writeth up the people, 
 That this man was born there. Selah. 
 
 PSALM 87. 
 1 Or. of. 
 ° Isa. 60. 1. 
 
 1 Pet. 4. 14. 
 
 Luke 2. 32. 
 a Or. Egypt. 
 
 Ps. 89. 10. 
 
 Tsa. 51. 9. 
 6 Eze. 48. 36. 
 
 Matt. 16.18. 
 " Ps. 22. 30. 
 
 Ps. 87. 6, 
 
 GaL 3. 26- 
 29. 
 
 d Isa. 4. 3. 
 Jer. 3. 19, 
 Eze. 1 '. 9. 
 
 triumph,, under Hezekiah, over Sennacherib. 
 "Babylon" and Egypt ("Rahab:" cf. Isa. xxx. 7; 
 li. 9 ; Ps. Ixxxix. 10) were in power. After Nebu- 
 chadnezzar's defeat of Egypt at Carchemish Egypt 
 was no longer so. Thia Korahite- Jehovah psalm 
 is akin to the Korahite-Elohim psalm, xlvi. Zion 
 alone was granted the favour, above the other cities 
 of Judah, that it alone escaped the Assyrian yoke 
 [v. 2; Isa. xxxvii. 38). Tlie conversion of the 
 nations was an anticipation suggested by 2 Chr. 
 xxxii. 2^ (cf. Ps. Ixxvi. 11). The nations specified 
 were those threatened by Assyria, — Egypt, Ethi- 
 opia (which, under Tirhakah, made a diversion 
 in favour of Jerusalem), Babylon, the rising rival 
 of Assyria, which sent presents to Hezekiah 
 (Isa. xxxix. 1, 2), Philistia, and Tyre (Isa. xiv. 29. 
 XX. 1). 
 
 1. His foundation is in the holy mountains. 
 
 '^His foundation "—e. e., the city of God (y, 3), 
 founded by Him [nniD^, the same as niD^, a feminine 
 termination being giv^u to suit Zio7i] (cf. the 
 parallel, Isa. xiv. 32). Cf. Isa. liv. 11, 14 as to 
 God's future 'laying of Zion's foundations with 
 sapphires,' and ' establishing her in righteousness ' 
 (cf. V. 5 here). Spiritually, Zion was 'founded' 
 when it was chosen as the seat of the sanctuary, 
 its true foundation. The plural, "mountains," 
 is used because Zion is one part of a mountain 
 range. It gave sanctity to the whole range. 
 The sanctity of the mountains implies their 
 separation from other hills as sacred to God, 
 and as being therefore inviolably secure, so long 
 as the people, by faithfulness, had God among 
 them (cf. Ps. Ixviii. 16). 2. The Lord loveth the 
 gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of 
 Jacob— (Ps. Ixxyiii. 68). "The gates" are speci- 
 fied because it is against them that the enemy 
 directs his first assault. When they are safe 
 the city is safe. They symbolize a compact 
 kingdom (Isa. Ix. 18; Matt. xvi. 18). 3. Glorious 
 things are spoken of thee, 0 city of God— by God, 
 by man, among Israel, among the heathen ( H eng- 
 stenberc/). Ps. xlvi. and xlviii. are samples. The 
 ground of her "glory" isb ecause she is 'the city 
 of God.' Once that He departed, Ichabod was 
 her state — 'the glory was departed.' 
 
 4. I will make mention of Rahah and Babylon 
 to them that know me — rather, as the sense re- 
 quires, and as the Hebrew [^] often means (He- 
 brew, Exod. xxi, 2), 'I will make mention of 
 Kahab and Babylon as persons that know me.' 
 I count them among my true worshippers. God 
 is the speaker. The Israel of God were before 
 this time at a low ebb. The Ten tribes had been 
 carried away, and Judah alone remained. How 
 eagerly, then, would the mind of those who be- 
 lieved in the original promise to Abraham, that 
 288 
 
 his seed should be multiplied 'as the stars of the 
 heaven, and as the sand upon the sea-shore' (Gen. 
 xxii. 17) be stirred up to hope by the glorious 
 events under Hezekiah ! The accession of the 
 heathen would compensate for the loss of the Ten 
 tribes, behold Philistia, and T3n:e, with Ethiopia. 
 Here the Psalmist speaks in the Spirit of God, as 
 God Himself spake the first clause. Evidently 
 parallel is Isa. xix. 21, 23, 24. Babylon is here 
 substituted for Assyria, because of its friendly 
 attitude and presents to Hezekiah after the fall of 
 Sennacherib's host, (Isa. xxxix.) this man was 
 born there. Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia (Gush) 
 shall be born spiritually "there '—i. e., in Jeru- 
 salem, the mother-city of regenerated mankind — 
 their birth ])lace into the heavenly kingdom. 
 "This man" is Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia j9er- 
 sonified as an ideal man. Tyre had already helped 
 Solomon in the rearing of the temple of God— a 
 type of her ultimate fellowship in the Gospel 
 kingdom, of which the Canaanite or Syro-Pheni- 
 cian woman (Mark vii. 26), in Jesus' time on earth, 
 was a first-fruit. The Ethiopian eunuch of Queen 
 Candace, converted by Philip the deacon, was the 
 first-fruit and pledge of the ultimate conversion of 
 Ethiopia. The progress of the Gospel in Abys- 
 sinia in the present day is a further sign. "The 
 need of spiritual new birth, which is so fully set 
 forth in the New Testament, is intimated also in 
 the Old Testament (cf . Ps. li. 5, 10 ; xxii. 31 ; Isa. 
 Ixvi. 8). 5. And of Zion it shall be said, This and 
 that man was born in her : and the Highest him- 
 self shall establish her. Again Zion's chief glory 
 is set forth — viz. , that it is chosen by God to be 
 the spiritual birthj^lace of the woi'ld. "This and 
 that man"— e., each and every man that is spirit- 
 ually born derives his birth from her (Gal. iii. 26, 
 "Jerusalem which is above ... is the mother of 
 us all"). As the former {v. 4) refers to nations 
 born anew, so this {v. 5) refers to individuals. Her 
 greatness is not transitory like that of the world- 
 cities. "The Highest Himself," and none else; 
 not frail man (Ps. xlvii. 2). 6. The Lord shall 
 count, when he writeth up the people— rather, 
 as Hebrew, 'the peoples.' that this (man) was 
 born there— rather, ' that this people (taken from 
 the previous peoples) was born there.' ' When He 
 writeth up the peoples' means 'in the noting of 
 them down' in the roll of citizens. When 'num- 
 bering ' the spiritual citizens of the heavenly city, 
 the Lord, the presiding Judge, in assigning the 
 reason why He counts each nation as in the list, 
 declares. This people was born there — i. e., in Jeru- 
 salem. The same image of a citizen -roll axipears, 
 Jer. xvii, 13; Ezek. xiii. 9; Luke x, 20. Small and 
 insignificant as the roll now is, the heavenly citi- 
 zens shall at last be a "great multitude which no 
 man can number " (Rev. vii. 9). 
 
A prayer containing 
 
 PSALM LXXXVIII. 
 
 a grietom complaint. 
 
 7 As well the singers as the players on instruments shall he there: 
 All my springs are in thee. 
 
 PSALM LXXXVIIL 
 
 A Song or Psalm ^for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, 
 - Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite. 
 
 1 0 LORD God of my salvation, — I have cried day and night before thee. 
 
 2 Let my prayer come before thee : — incline thine ear unto my cry; 
 
 3 For my soul is full of troubles, — and my life "draweth nigh unto the grave. 
 
 PSALM 88. 
 
 1 Or. of. 
 
 2 Or. A 
 Psalm of 
 Heman 
 the Ezra- 
 bite, giving 
 instruc- 
 tion. 
 
 1 Ki. 4. 31. 
 * Ps. 107. 18. 
 
 7. As ■well the singers as the players on instru- 
 ments shall be there— 'the players on pipes' or 
 ' flutes ' [^."T^n, from : so Gesemus\ (1 Ki. i. 40, 
 the Piel conjugation); but Hengstenherg takes it 
 'dancers' [from h>^r\^ as in Judg. xxi. 21, 23]. 
 Singers and dancers headed every great proces- 
 sion. The redeemed heathen, like Israel under 
 Moses and Miriam's leading after the deliverance 
 at the Red Sea (Exod. xv. 20, 21), sing a joyous 
 thanksgiving to the Lord, in praise of Him and 
 His Zion (2 Sam. vi. 16; Ps. cxlix. 3; cl. 4, 
 " Praise Him with the timbrel and dance "). " all 
 my springs are in thee." This clause is to be read 
 with inverted commas, as forming the burden of 
 the thansgiving song of "the singers" and "the 
 players." They all alike, as new-born citizens of 
 Zion, praise it as the site of the fountain of their 
 salvation. There they drank the soul-quickeniug 
 waters of life that flow from God (Ps. xxxvi. 8; 
 xlvi. 4; Ixxxiv. 6; Isa. xii ,3). So in Ezek. xlvii. 
 1, 8, 9, the holy waters are seen to "issue out from 
 under the threshold of the house (the renewed 
 temple at Jerusalem), eastward . . . and go down 
 into the desert,and go into the sea," &c. The desert 
 and the Dead Sea are here the emblems of the 
 spiritually barren and dead heathen world; and 
 the waters that flow into them, so as to give fer- 
 tility and life, represent the Gospel, emanating on 
 every side from Zion, its seat and centre. "Are 
 in thee"— i. e., in Zion (Isa. xlv. 14). 
 
 PSALM LXXXVIIL l-m— Invocation {vv.l,1); 
 ground of the prayer, the suppliant's misery even 
 unto death (vv. 3-9) ; God^s honour involved in his 
 deliverance from death, for the grave is no scene for 
 declaring God's praises {vv. 10-12) ; his sufferings un- 
 relieved as yet by any dawn of light {vv. 13-18). 
 Except the ray of hope {v. 1), " 0 Lord God of my 
 salvation,^' the whole breathes gloom throughout. 
 As this is without parallel in the psalms, it seems 
 likely that this psalm is but the first part of 
 the whole, consisting of Ps. Ixxxviii. and Ixxxix. 
 The Title, in its first part, belongs to both. A 
 Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief 
 Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth. Its second 
 part, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite, answers to 
 Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite, the short title of 
 Ps. Ixxxix. "A song" {shir) is always used of joy, 
 and here can only refer to Ps. Ixxxix., not Ixxxviii. 
 Ps. Ixxxix. 1 alludes to the title, Ps. Ixxxviii., "I 
 will SING of the mercies of the Lord," which joyous 
 vein runs through the first thirty-seven verses, 
 which i)raise God's grace for the promised per- 
 petuity of David's kingdom. The closing lament 
 over the fallen state of David's throne answers to 
 Ps. Ixxxviii. throughout. In Ps. Ixxxviii. Messiah, 
 the antitypical Israel (Isa. xlix. 1-3; Hos. xi. 1: cf. 
 Matt. iL 15), complainSj in his day of agony, as in 
 Ps. xxii. In Ps. Ixxxix. Israel gives thanks for 
 God's covenant, once for all, with David and his 
 seed Messiah, and urges that, having punished her 
 sins, He would now remember His covenant of 
 love. The time was when the "anointed" of 
 David's throne (probably Josiah) had hi^ 'erown 
 VOL. III. 289 
 
 profaned on the ground' {i\ 39), not being able to 
 " stand in the battle " {v. 43) ; and his son Jehoahaz, 
 after reigning three months, in his twenty-third 
 year, was carried to Egypt by Pharaoh-Necho 
 (2 Chr. XXXV. 20-25; xxxvi. 1-4 : cf. Ps. Ixxxix. 45). 
 Still the temple was standing, as the title entrust- 
 ing it " to the chief Musician " for public use in 
 the liturgy implies ; Josiah had just before caused 
 a religious revival. 
 
 A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah — 
 rather, as usual ; i. e,, composed hy the sons of 
 Korah. to the chief Musician upon Mahalath 
 Leannoth — an enigmatical intimation of the sub- 
 I ject, 'concerning the sickness of affliction'' — viz., 
 j the nation's disorganization (Isa. i. 5) — from the 
 I Hebrew, ^anah, to afflict (cf. v. 15; Ps. xc. 15; 
 I cii, 23 ; cxix. 75). Praise-songs are the comfort of 
 I the afflicted. The "Maschil," or instruction de- 
 j signed, is that mourners should pour out their 
 griefs before God. Cf. Ps. xiv. and liii., titles. 
 "Heman the Ezrahite" (the special title of Ps. 
 Ixxxviii.), and "Ethan the Ezrahite" (the special 
 title of Ps. Ixxxix.), cannot be the authors; for 
 Heman and Ethan are not termed " sons of 
 Korah;" but Heman, a Levite, was of "the sons 
 of the Kohathites," and was the grandchild of 
 Samuel (1 Chr. vi. 33), whose spirit of prophecy 
 he, as being "the king's seer in the words of 
 God" (1 Chr. xxv. 5), inherited by God's gift. 
 Ethan was a Levite, of the sons of Merari (1 Chr. 
 vi. 44). These two, with Asaph, a Levite of the 
 sons of Gershom, son of Levi (1 Chr. vi. 39-43), 
 were set by David " over the service of song 
 in the house of the Lord, after that the ark had 
 rest" (1 Chr. vi. 31-3.3, 44). The Hebrew W "of" 
 before the names of "Heman" and "Ethan" in 
 the titles express, as usual, authorship; but in this 
 case authorship attributed to them hy way of 
 honour — that is to say, the real authors, the sons of 
 Korah, j)ut their compositions into the mouths of 
 those two musicians of the time of David, whose 
 names are so often mentioned next after that of 
 Asaph. Ethan is Jeduthun — i. e., tlie praiseman 
 (1 Chr. xvi. 41; xxv. 1-7). " Ezrahite "—i. c, son 
 of Zerah (1 Chr. iL 6), Though a Levite by birth, 
 he was reckoned in the family of Zerah, of Judah, 
 as dwelling among them. 
 
 1. O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day 
 (and) night before thee. So Messiah speaks also 
 in Ps. xxii. 2. So also the Church, God's "own 
 elect . . . cry day and night unto Him" (Luke 
 xviii. 7). Calvin remarks on the opening invoca- 
 tion, "O Lord God of my salvation/' 'In thus 
 addressing God He lays bridle and bit on the ex- 
 cess of his pain : He shuts the door of despair.' 
 The words "before thee" are most significant, 'All 
 men alike complain in their grief ; but this is 
 far from pouring out their groans in the pre- 
 sence of God; nay, they must seek some hid- 
 ing-place where they may murmur against 
 God. It is a rare virtue to place God before 
 us, and to direct to Him our prayers.' 3. my 
 life draweth nigh unto the grave — Hebrew, 
 V 
 
I 
 
 A 'prayer containing 
 
 PSALM LXXXVIII. 
 
 a grievous complaint. 
 
 4 I am ^counted with them that go down into thie pit : 
 I am as a man that hath no strength : 
 
 5 Free among the dead, — like the slain that lie in the grave, 
 
 Wl*om thou rememberest no more : — and they are cut off ^from thy hand. 
 
 6 Them hast laid me in the lowest pit, — in darkness, in the deeps. 
 
 7 Thy ^wrath lieth hard upon me, 
 
 And thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah,. 
 
 8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me.; 
 Thou hast made me an abomination unto them ; 
 
 / am shut up, and I cannot come forth. 
 
 9 Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction : 
 Lord, I have called daily upon thee, 
 
 I have stretched out my hands unto thee. 
 10 Wilt thou show wonders to the dead ? 
 Shall the dead arise and praise thee ? Selah. 
 
 * Ex. 2\ 20. 
 Job 17. 1. 
 Pa. ^. 1. 
 Ps. 30. 9. 
 Ps. 143. 7. 
 Isa, .S8. 17, 
 
 18. 
 
 Jon. 2. 6. 
 2 Cor. 1. 9. 
 « Or. by thy 
 hand. 
 
 • Job 6. 4. 
 Job 10. 16. 
 Ps. 38. 1. 
 Ps. 90. 7. 
 Ps. 102. 10. 
 J ohn 3. 36. 
 Eom. 2. 6. 
 
 1 Pet. 2. 24. 
 Eev. 6. 16. 
 
 'unto Sheol ;^ distinct from the Hebrew which 
 is rendered "grave" properly invv. 5, 11. 
 
 Cf. with this verse Ps. cvii. ,18. 4. I am counted 
 with them that go down into the pit— I am 
 reckoned among them as one, of them (Ps. xxviii. 
 1). I am as a man that hath no strength— j. e., 
 as a dead man ; for the dead ' have no strength ' 
 (Ps. xxxi. 12). 5. Fyee among the dead -i.e., 
 severed from thy service. Cf. as to the slave at 
 death, Job iii. 19, ' there the servant is free from 
 his master.' As God's service is the highest hap- 
 piness, so to be "free" from it is the worst of 
 evils. A servant sometimes prefers to freedom 
 the service of even an earthljr master who is kind 
 (Deut. XV. 16), Much more is liberty from God, 
 our heavenly Master, to be deprecated (Ps. Ixxxvi. 
 16; Matt. xi. 29, 30; 1 John v. 3). When king 
 Uzziah was stricken with leprosy for his presump- 
 tion, he was by God, his Master, deprived of 
 authority over his fellow-servants, and was cut 
 off from the house of the Lord," losing thereby his 
 place in the house where all the servants of the 
 Lord dwell. Thenceforth " he dwelt in a several 
 house" as a leper (2 Chr. xxvL 21), counted dead, 
 and struck off from the number of God's servants. 
 The Hebrew for "a several house" [n^B'pn, a cog- 
 nate form to the Hebrew here for " free "] is liter- 
 ally ' a house of freedom.^ Thus, too, the following 
 clauses are strictly parallel : "Whom thou remem- 
 berest no more, and they are cut off from thy 
 hand;'' with which cf. 2 Chr. xxvi. 21. like the 
 slain— the suppliant is threatened with a violent 
 death, which accords with "cut off from thy 
 hand"— from -thy saving hand (Ps. xxxi. 22). 
 Death, in Old Testament times, was not as yet so 
 entirely robbed of its terrors as it now is under the 
 Gospel (2 Tim, i. 10). The severance of the soul 
 from the body seemed a severance from the active 
 service of God, and an exile to a " land of the 
 shadow of death, without any order, and where 
 the light is as darkness" (Job x, 22). Hence, 
 though often clear hopes are expressed (Ps. xvi. 
 9-11 ; xvii. 15 ; Ixxiii. 24), at other times gloom 
 prevails. Messiah especially, inasmuch as He hare 
 to the uttermoei the penalty for our sin, felt for the 
 time, as man, death in its darkest aspect of seem- 
 ing severance from God and from his sustaining 
 hand. 6. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in 
 darkness— rather, ^' in dark places," as in Ps. 
 Ixxiv. 20 ; cxliii. 3 ; Lam. iii, 6, in the deeps 
 — of Sheol or Hades, 'the lower parts of the 
 earth' (Ps, Ixiii, 9; Ixxxvi, 13); "the lowest hell," 
 Cf, Ezek, xxvi. 20, 7, Thy wrath lieth hard upon 
 me— as a heavy burden (Ps. xxxviii. 3, 4). thou 
 hast afflicted (me) with all thy waves. Selah— 
 290 
 
 the tumultuous billows of trouble and pain (Ps. 
 xlii. 7). The word " afflicted" in the Hebrew pre- 
 cedes the " Selah," which is appended in order to 
 draw attention to the word "afflicted" {'Innitlm), 
 which explains the title " Le-annoth," See intro- 
 ductory remarks : hence " me " also is left to be 
 supplied, 8. Thou hast put away mine acquaint- 
 ance far from me. So Job xix. 13 ; Ps. xxviL 10 ; 
 xxxi. 11 ; xxxviii. 11 ; Ixix. 8. Prophetical of 
 Messiah disbelieved by His own brethren, and in 
 His betrayal and crucifixion forsaken by all his 
 disciples (John i. 11; vii. 5; xvi. 32). thou hast 
 made me an abomination unto them— ^i^., 'abo- 
 minations,' as if 1 were one great mass of abomina- 
 tions (Gen. xlvi. 34; xliii, 32), As Israel was an 
 abomination to tlie Egyptians, so Messiah, the 
 antitypical Israel, was to the world. I am shut 
 up, and I cannot come forth— (Lam, iii, 7,) Also 
 cf, the words of Jeremiah, the type, "I am shut up ; 
 I cannot go into the house of the Lord." Messiah 
 was God the Father's prisoner for man's imputed 
 sins. He could not come forth, because for our 
 sakes He would not. Hengstenherg makes it, I 
 am shut up by public reproach, which keeps me in 
 the house like a prisoner ; I stir not from the door ; 
 as Job xxxi. 34. I prefer understanding the refer- 
 ence more generally. Christ was so shut up to 
 suffering, abandonment, and death that there was 
 no escape for Him consistent with man's salvation, 
 9, Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction- 
 lit., faiyth or pineth away (Ps. vi. 7; Ixix. 3). 
 Lord, I have called daily upon thee, I have 
 stretched out my hands unto thee, with the eye, 
 the mouth, and the hands, the suppliant pleads. 
 The whole man must pray in order to be heard by 
 God. 
 
 10-12. — Appeal to God's regard to His own 
 honour as involved in delivering the suppliant ; 
 for it is to the living that God shows His wonders, 
 and it is from the living that God receives praises 
 with the perfect powers of the entire man, body 
 and soul united. 10. Wilt thou show wonders to 
 the dead ? shall the dead arise and praise thee ? 
 ' Death is here contemplated as it is in itself, apart 
 from anything to mitigate or counteract its terrors 
 — what it would he had redemption not been; what it 
 was to the Redeemer's soul' {De Burijh). So far 
 from this being an argument against the resurrec- 
 tion, it is Messiah's own most powerful plea for it — 
 that otherwise man would be deprived of salvation, 
 and God of the praise which the Eedeemed shall give 
 for it throughout eternity. Thou canst not show 
 wonders to the dead, as such ; for " God is not the 
 God of the dead, but of the living" (Matt. xxii. 32). 
 Or even if thou wert to show tny wonders, it is 
 
A prayer con tawing 
 
 PSALM LXXXVIII. 
 
 a grievous complaint. 
 
 11 Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave ? 
 Or thy faithfulness in destruction ? 
 
 12 Shall '^thy wonders be known in the dark ? 
 
 *And thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness ? 
 
 13 But unto thee have I cried, 0 Lord; 
 And in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. 
 
 Lord, why castest thou off my soul ? 
 Why hidest thou thy face from me ? 
 I am afflicted and ready to die from mi/ youth up : 
 While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. 
 
 16 Thy * fierce wrath goeth over me; — thy terrors have cut me off. 
 
 17 They came round about me ^ daily like water; 
 They compassed me about together. 
 
 18 Lover ^and friend hast thou put far from me. 
 And mine acquaintance into darkness. 
 
 15 
 
 <* Job 10. 21, 
 
 ISA. 8. 2. 
 
 Matt. 8. 12. 
 « Ps. 31. 1?. 
 
 Eccl. 2. 16. 
 
 Eccl. 8. 10. 
 
 Eccl. 9. 5. 
 / Job 6. 4. 
 
 Job 7. 11. 
 
 Ps. 22.14.15. 
 
 Isa. 53. 8. 
 
 Dan. 9. 2^^ 
 
 John 12 27. 
 
 Luke 22. 44. 
 * burnings. 
 6 Or. all Iho 
 
 day. 
 f Job 19. 13. 
 
 Ps. 31. 11. 
 
 only by their rising to life again that they can duly 
 praise thee for them. Our hopes of immortality 
 in Scripture are not, as in heathen philosophy, 
 made to depend on the indestructibility of the 
 soul, but on the resurrection of the body, and the 
 union of body and soul at the Lord's coming (Ps. 
 xlix. 14, 15 ; xvi. 10, 11 ; Job xix. 25). Not till the 
 light of the Gospel shone is the conscious blessed- 
 ness of the intermediate state, except by hints, 
 brought to light (Isa. IviL 2 ; Luke xvi 22-31 ; 
 xxiii. 43 ; 2 Cor. v. 6-8 ; Phil. i. 23). The Hebrew 
 for "the dead" is Bephaim [CJ'^{s^] (Gen. xiv. 5) — 
 lit., a giant race of Canaan, whose name was 
 applied in poetry to the departed spirits, which 
 fear and imagination invested with gigantic pro- 
 portions. Cf, 1 Sam. xxviii. 13, where the witch 
 of Endor says, " I saw gods ascending out of the 
 earth" {H^ngstenherg). Gesenius derives it from a 
 root, 'powerless' [nag], which applies better here; 
 the point is, the dead have not the requisite powers 
 wherewdth to praise thee. However, the former 
 view is recommended by the consideration that 
 it is unlikely the same word should have two 
 derivations and two significations in no way con- 
 nected. The traces of the aboriginal giants of 
 Canaan, the Pv^phaim, Emim, Zuzim, and Zam- 
 zummim (Deut ii. 11, 20; iii. 11, 13; Josh. xii. 4), 
 are still extant in the massive architecture found : 
 solid walls four feet thick ; squared stones, one on 
 the other without cement ; the roofs consisting of 
 enormous slabs of black basaltic rock; the doors, 
 eighteen inches thick, were secured by ponderous 
 bars, the recesses for which are still to be seen. 
 
 11, Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the 
 grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?— i. e., 
 in the place o/ destruction , the region of the dead. 
 It is by delivering man, in the person of Christ, 
 the first-fruits, from the grave, not by leaving him 
 in the grave, the penalty of sin. that God means to 
 " declare his loving-kojidness '' to man. It is not 
 by leaving man in the "destruction" which sin 
 and death produce, that God will declare His 
 " faithfulness" to His promises which have flowed 
 out of His "loving-kindness;" for instance, His 
 promise that the woman's seed should bruise the 
 serpent's head (Gen. iil 15; and Hos. xiii. 14). 
 
 12. Shall thy wonders be known in the dark ?— 
 Shall thy wonderful light, life, and salvation be 
 known in the dark tomb? No ; they can only be 
 fully known by thy raising up thy people out of it 
 and thy righteousness in the land of forgetful- 
 ness ? Cf. note on Isa. xxxviii. 18, 19. Messiah's 
 plea for his own resurrection and for that of His 
 members is, that as, in relation to the visible 
 earth, man seems forgotten in the grave, so the 
 
 291 
 
 " righteousness" of God requires Him to vindicate 
 man's cause, now rendered a just one through His 
 vicarious law-fulfiller, against Satan the usurper 
 and oppressor, by manifestly rescuing man from 
 the region where he seems to be forgotten. Cf. v. 5, 
 "whom thou rememberest no more;" Ps. xxxL 
 12; EccL viii. 10; ix. 5. 
 
 13-18.— Prayer succeeded by deep lamentation. 
 13. 'BwX— notwithstanding these considerations, which 
 would naturally create hope of relief, I cry in vain, 
 and in the morning shall my prayer prevent 
 thee. " In the morning" implies the never- 
 ceasing earnestness with which he prayed, even 
 rising up early for the purpose (Ps. v. 3 ; Ivii. 8 ; 
 Mark i 35). "Prevent"— i. e., surprise: a con- 
 descension to human conceptions ; like a client 
 knocking at his patron's door so early as to sur- 
 prise or anticipate him before he is ready. It is 
 God who really prevents or anticipates His people 
 with prevenient grace (Ps. xxi. 3 ; Isa. Ixv. 1, 24). 
 
 14, Lord, why castest thou off my soul? why 
 hidest thou thy face from me ?— Messiah's cry on 
 the cross (Ps. xxii. 1). Our sins were the cause ; 
 the time of deliverance was not yet, because not 
 yet had the penalty been fully paid. ' Although 
 these lamentations at first sight express pain with- 
 out consolation, they nevertheless contain tacit 
 I)rayers. For he does not proudly contend with 
 God, but mournfully desires some remedy to his 
 calamities' {Calvin). 15. I am afflicted and ready 
 to die from my youth up. So Israel from the days 
 of her youth as a nation (Ps. cxxix. 1 ; Hos. ii. 15 ; 
 xi. 1). As Israel's existence in her youth in Eoypt 
 was threatened by Pharaoh, so the antitype, Mes- 
 siah, born in a stable, was threatened by Herod's 
 malice, and throughout life was "a man of sorrows 
 and acquainted with griefs." When a great afflic- 
 tion befals us, we cannot regard it as standing 
 alone ; we look vcpon it as the last step of a ladder, 
 which we begin to ascend as soon as we come into 
 the world. So in the (German) funeral hymn — 'In 
 every year from tender youth, I have learned how 
 hard's the road to heaven ' {Hengstenherg). while 
 I suffer thy terrors — 'horrors of stupefaction' 
 (Gesenius). 16. thy terrors have cut me oflF— the 
 same Hebrew [tzimmthuthuni) as in Lev. xxv. 23, 
 where God saith. "the land shall not be sold Jor 
 cutting off [marg.), for the land is mine. Yet thy 
 terrors are so utterly cutting me of, who am thy 
 property, that there can be no redemption of it, 
 unless thou dost speedily interpose. The Hebrew 
 form of ' cut off ' is reduplicated here to intensify 
 the force. 17. They came round about me daUy 
 like water. "They," i. e., "thy terrors" (v. 16). 
 they compassed me about together— all at ond 
 
The Psalmist 
 
 PSALM LXXXIX. 
 
 praiseth God. 
 
 PSALM LXXXIX. 
 
 ^Maschil of "Ethan the Ezrahite. 
 
 1 I WILL sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever : 
 
 With my month will I make known thy faithfulness ^to all generations. 
 
 2 Por I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever : 
 
 Thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. 
 
 3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, 
 I have * sworn unto David my servant, 
 
 4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, 
 
 And build up thy throne Ho all generations. Selah. 
 
 5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, 0 Lord ; 
 Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. 
 
 6 For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord ? 
 
 Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord ? 
 
 7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, 
 
 time. 18. Lover and friend hast thou put far 
 from me, and mine acoLuaintance into darkness— 
 lit., 'mine acquaintances . . . darkness;' i. e., in- 
 stead of acquaintances, there is only a gloomy 
 blank, the darkness of Hades. The parallelism is 
 thus better than in Hengstenherg^s view, ' mine 
 acqiiaintances (are) the place of darkness;' for 
 which he quotes Job xvii. 14. 
 
 PSALM LXXXIX. 1-52. — T^Ae covenant o} pro- 
 mise with David, and with Messiah, the antitype to 
 David's seed, Solomon; God's promise of perpetuitu 
 [w. 1-37) ; the existing state a sad contrast to this 
 Ivv. 38-45) ; prayer to God to remove the contrast 
 (w. 46-51). The Jewish commentators generally, 
 as Solomon and Aben Ezra, refer the psalm to 
 Messiah. 
 
 1. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for 
 ever. The speaker is Israel, " The mercies of the 
 Lord" are {v. 49) "thy former loving-kindnesses 
 which thou swarest unto David in thy truth;" 
 "the sure mercies of David" (Isa. Iv. 3). with 
 my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to 
 all generations. God's faithfulness to His cove- 
 nant is made the prominent topic of praise (cf. vv. 
 2, 5, 8, 24, 33), and forms the ground of the closing 
 prayer. It is strong faith which praises God for 
 His mercy and faithfulness as enduring for ever, at 
 a time when, to oiitward appearance, both have 
 ceased towards His people. _ The Psalmist resolves 
 to praise Jehovah's ' mercies and faithfulness ' 
 for ever, because he is convinced they will 
 stand the test. 2. For I have said, Mercy shall 
 be built up for ever — as a building ever progress- 
 ing to completion, in contrast to one left unfinished 
 and falling into ruins. thy faithfulness shalt 
 thou establish in the very heavens— in order to 
 be like the heavens, eternal (cf. vv. 36, 37; Ps. 
 Ixxii. 5 ; cxix. 89). 3, 4. I have made a covenant 
 with my chosen, I have sworn unto David, my 
 servant. Thy seed will I establish for ever. The 
 ground of my confidence that thy mercy and 
 faithfulness shall be for ever to David's seed and 
 
 Eeople is thy covenant and oath of promise to 
 im in 2 Sam. vii. 10, 12-16, 19, 24, 25, 29, 
 *' Thou didst say (supply) I have made a cove- 
 nant with my chosen." This covenant of God 
 with David is the central axis round which 
 this psalm revolves (see notes, Ps. xviii. 28-47). 
 In vv. 19-37 the Psalmist sets forth more fully 
 this promise, and build up thy throne to all 
 generations. Inseparably dependent on this 
 promise is the promise {v. 2), "Mercy shall be 
 built up for ever" (cf. also 2 Sam. vii. 13). The 
 literal building of the house pf God, in purpose by 
 
 David, in fact by David's son, Solomon, was 
 closely connected with God's figurative building 
 up of David's house and throne for ever. 
 
 5-18.— Inasmuch as the value of a promise de- 
 pends on the power and the faithfulness of the pro- 
 miser, the Psalmist sets forth these attributes as 
 especially belonging to God {vv. 5-14), and infers 
 hence the blessedness of the people who are the 
 objects of His promises {vv. 15-18). This whole part 
 consists of fourteen verses — the general introduc- 
 tion in three verses {vv. 5-7) ; the body of the sub- 
 ject in seven {w. 8-14) ; and the conchision {vv. 15- 
 18), four verses. The three of the introduction 
 and the four of the conclusion together make seren, 
 the same sacred number as the body of this di- 
 vision. 5-7. — God's wonderful might and faithful- 
 ness are reverently extolled even by the mighty 
 angels in the heavens. 5. And the heavens shall 
 praise thy wonders, 0 Lord ; thy faithfulness also 
 in the congregation of the saints. "The heavens " 
 are in contrast with the earth. How almighty 
 must God be, seeing that not only men on earth, 
 but mighty angels in heaven, "praise" Him. The 
 "wonders" are God's acts of omnipotent strength 
 {v. 8). "The saints" are here the angels, God's 
 "holy ones," as the parallel, "the heavens," 
 prove, (cf. Ps. xxix. 1, 2, &c.) In Deut. xxxiii. 2 
 "saints" similarly mean angels— viz., those by 
 whose ministry the law was given (Acts vii. 53). 
 If "the congregation " of Goas people on earth 
 praising God, notwithstanding all its weakness, 
 glorified God, how much more so the congregation of 
 angelic worshippers ! How sure must be the pro- 
 mise of such a God as v. 6 shows. 6. For who in 
 the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? 
 "The heaven" — lit., the cloud; so in v. 37. The 
 reason why the angels thus praise God is because 
 of his incomparable superiority to them, who 
 among the sons of the mighty can be likened 
 unto the Lord? "The sons of the mighty" is the 
 same phrase for angels, as in David's Psalm, upon 
 which this portion is based, (Ps. xxix. 1, marg.) 
 The thrice repetition of Jehovah ("the Lord") in 
 vv. 5, 6 is perhaps designed. 7. God— Hebrew, El, 
 ' the mighty one,' an appropriate designation here 
 where the subject is His formidable strength, is 
 greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints 
 — rather [tiD?!, ' in the secret counsel of the saints;' 
 i. e., the holy angels, as in i». 6. God admits them. 
 to His intimate confidence (Job i 6: ii. 1). Yet 
 there always remains an unapproacuable superi- 
 ority of God above them, owing to which Hci ^evet 
 ceases to be the object of their reverential feai 
 (Job iv« iSi XV, 15). The fecretg. qt re^lemptio^ 
 
The wonderful 
 
 PSALM LXXXIX. 
 
 power of God. 
 
 And to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. 
 
 8 0 Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee ? 
 Or to tliy faithfulness round about thee ? 
 
 9 Thou ^rulest the raging of the sea : 
 
 When the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them. 
 
 10 Thou *hast broken ^Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; 
 Thou hast scattered thine enemies *with thy strong arm. 
 
 11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: 
 
 As for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them. 
 
 12 The north and the south thou hast created them: 
 
 Tabor and ^Hermon shall rejoice in thy name. 
 
 13 Thou hast ^a mighty arm : 
 
 Strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand. 
 
 14 Justice and judgment are the ^habitation of thy throne: 
 Mercy and truth shall go before thy face. 
 
 15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful ^ sound : 
 They shall walk, 0 Lord, in the light of thy countenance. 
 
 16 In thy name shall they rejoice all the day; 
 And in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. 
 
 17 For thou art the glory of their strength ; 
 And in thy favour our horn shall be exalted. 
 
 are only revealed to augels through the Church 
 (Eph. iii. 10 ; 1 Pet. L 12). and to be had in rev- 
 erence of all them that are about him — His 
 ministering angels above; distinct from those 
 "round about Him" oii earth (Ps. Ixxvi. 11). 
 
 8-14 — The might and the truth or faithfulness of 
 God. First, God's might over the sea, the symbol 
 of the pov)er of the v)orld, by which Israel was op- 
 pressed ; and next, at v. 11, God's might on earth. 8. 
 0 Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto 
 thee?— /i^., 'who, as thou, is a strong Jah?' the 
 emphatic concentration of the name Jehovah. 
 ' The sinrit impressed with a sense of God feels 
 the need of repeating frequently that name in 
 which His being is comprehended ;' so v. 6 {Heng- 
 stenherg). or to thy faithfulness round about 
 thee?— as a girdle (Isa. xi. 5); cleaving closer 
 ''round about Him' than even the augels "that 
 are about Him " [v. 7). 9. Thou rulest the raging 
 of the sea — lit. , ' the swelling pride of the sea ' (Ps. 
 xlvi. 3). The emblem of the raging of haughty 
 nations (Ps. Ixv. 7). when the waves thereof 
 arise, thou stillest them— (Mark iv. 39.) 10. Thou 
 hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain. 
 From the literal sea the Psalmist jjasses to the 
 figurative sea of the nations (Dan. vii. 2, 3). 
 Egypt stands first, as being the first great world- 
 power that opposed the people of God. Her being 
 crushed at the Red Sea makes the transition 
 natural. She is called /?a/ia6, ' haughtiness,' just 
 as a siniilar term, 'swelling pride,' had been used 
 of the literal sea in v. Oof English version (begeeuth), 
 "the raging of the sea." The clause, " as one that 
 is slain " expresses the corpse-like helplessness 
 to which Egypt, once so haughty, was reduced by 
 God's stroke (Ps. Ixxxviii. 5; Isa. xiv. 19 {Assi/ria). 
 11. The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine : 
 as for the world, and the fulness thereof (cf. Ps. 
 xxiv. ] , 2), thou hast founded them. " The earth " 
 stands in contrast to "the heavens;" "the world" 
 ["^^D] or ' habitable land ' is opposed to " the 
 sea" {v. 9). 12. The north and the south thou 
 hast created them— i, c., the earth in all its extent. 
 Tabor and Hermon-i. e., the west (represented by 
 Tabor), and the east (Hcrmon, east of the Jordan), as 
 th-e north and the south precede (Ps. xlii. 6). shall 
 rejoice. Their very existence and majestic ap- 
 293 
 
 d Job 38. 11, 
 
 Ps. 65. r. 
 
 Ps. 66. 5. 
 
 Ps. 93. 3. 
 
 Ps. lOr. 25. 
 
 Nah. 1. 4. 
 
 Matt. 8. 26. 
 
 Matt. 14.32. 
 « Ps. 87. 4. 
 
 Isa. 30. 7. 
 
 Isa. 61. 9. 
 3 Or. Egypt. 
 * with the 
 
 arm of thj 
 
 strength. 
 / Josh. 19.22. 
 
 Judg. 4. 6. 
 f Josh. 12. 1. 
 
 5 an arm 
 with 
 might. 
 
 6 Or, estab- 
 lishment. 
 Deut. 32. 4. 
 Ps. 97. 2. 
 Jer 12. 1. 
 
 h Num. 10.10. 
 Num. 23.21. 
 
 pearance is a matter-of-fact hymn of praise to their 
 Creator. In thy name— i. e. , on account of the mani- 
 festation of thy glorious character and power on 
 them (cf. V. 16). 14. Justice and judgment are 
 the habitation of thy throne— rather, 'are the 
 firm basis (lit., the pi^epared place, ground) [p^P, 
 from to prepare securely or firmhj] of thy 
 throne.' mercy and truth shall go before thy 
 face— (Ps. Ixxxv. 13.) 
 
 15-18. — The blessedness of the people who have as 
 their God such an omnipotent, just, and faithful 
 God. 15. Blessed is the people that know the 
 joyful sound— viz., of the trumpets sounded iu 
 token of joy at the great festivals, and chiefly on 
 the first day of the seventh month, the feast of 
 trumpets (Lev. xxiii. 24), and on extraordinary 
 occasions, especially after the yearly atonement, 
 on the day of jubilee, the tenth day of the seventh 
 month of the fiftieth year, proclaiming liberty to 
 bondmen, and restoration of their inheritance to 
 them that had forfeited it (Lev. xxv. 8-10). As the 
 jubilee joy did not come till after the atonement, 
 so no Gospel joy and liberty are ours till first we 
 know Chiist as our atonement. " In the day of 
 the people's gladness " they blew the trumpets 
 over their sacrifices, "that they might be to them 
 for a memorial before their (iod" (Num. x. 10). 
 David and Israel brought up the ark of the Lord 
 to Zion " with shouting, and with the sound of the 
 trumpet" (2 Sam. vi. 15). In Num. xxiii. 21 
 Balaam makes it the distinguishing glory of Israel, 
 "The Lord his God is with him, and the shout of 
 a king is among them," (cf. Ps. xcviii. 6; xxvii. 6, 
 marg. ) they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of 
 thy countenance— the hapx:)y effect of 'knowing' 
 as God's people, "the joyful sound" of God's 
 praises (Ps. iv. 6; xliv. 3). 16. In thy name shall 
 they rejoice all the day. "In thy name"— i. e., 
 in thy gracious and glorious self, as manifested 
 to them {v. 12). in thy righteousness — one 
 excellent manifestation of "thy name;" i.e., of 
 thy revealed self, yhall they be exalted. He 
 who would be exalted must rest on the ''high 
 right hand' of Jehovah {v. 13), and " in His favour" 
 (v. 17; Ps. xxvii. 6). 17. For thou art the glory 
 of their strength— (Jer. ix. 23, 24 ; 1 Cor. i. 31.) 
 "Their strength" lies in this, that ''strong is thy 
 
GodJs favour to 
 
 PSALM LXXXIX. 
 
 the kingdom of DatiO, 
 
 18 For ^the Lord is our defence; — and the Holy 'One of Israel is our King. 
 
 19 Then thou spakest in vision to thy Holy One, 
 And saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; 
 I have exalted one chosen out of the people. 
 
 20 I have found David my servant ; — with my holy oil h^fcve I anointed him : 
 
 21 With whom my hand shall be established; 
 Mine arm also shall strengthen him. 
 
 22 The enemy shall not exact upon him ; 
 Nor the son of wickedness afflict him. 
 
 23 And I will beat down his foes before his face, 
 And plague them that hate him. 
 
 24 But ^ my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with liim ; 
 And in my name shall his horn be exalted. 
 
 f Or, our 
 shie d is 
 of the 
 Lord, 
 and onr 
 king i3 of 
 the Holy 
 One of 
 Israel. 
 Gen. 15. 1. 
 Ps. 47. 9. 
 Ps. 84. 11, 
 
 < Isa. 1. 4. 
 Isa. 12. 6, 
 Isa. 29. 19. 
 Hos. 1^. 10. 
 
 i Ps. 61. r. 
 
 hand " {v. 13). and in thy favour our horn shall 
 be exalted. So the Masoretic Keri [diip], taken 
 from V. 24 Read with the Hebrew text [nnn], 
 'Thou exaltest our horn.' 18. For the Lord is 
 our defence ; and the Holy One of Israel is our 
 King — rather, as the Hebrew, and the main argu- 
 ment reauire, "for our shield (a figurative name 
 for our hincf) is the Lord's''— i. e., belongs to the 
 Lord. So Ps. xlvii. 9, note. ' And our king is of 
 (i. e., belongs to) the Holy One of Israel.' He is 
 the chosen one of Jehovah, who is owr God. Our 
 confidence is grounded upon this, God cannot but 
 guard him who as our king is our shield, seeing 
 that, as being Jehovah's anointed one, he belongs 
 
 to J EHOVAH. 
 
 19-37. — Development of the original promise to 
 David, already alluded to in vi\ 3, 4 as the central 
 ground of the psalm. First in vv. 19-29 God is 
 represented as having promised perpetual deliver- 
 ance from foes to David, and so to David's people : 
 also peculiar sonship, universal dominion, and per- 
 petuity of his seed and throne. Then the objection 
 is met, that this promise may become void through 
 the unfaithfiiluess of the seed of the anointed: 
 nay, the promise is unconditional ; sins will indeed 
 entail chastisements, but will not cause utter 
 withdrawal of the Lord's loving-kindness and 
 faithfulness {vv. 30-37). 19. Then thou spakest 
 in Vision. "Then" — viz., when thou didst make 
 that covenant which was revealed by "vision" 
 (the very same word as in 2 Sam. vii. 17) to 
 Nathan, and imparted by Nathan to David (2 
 Sam. vii. 5-16). to thy Holy One. So the ma- 
 jority of MSS. and the Masora. "Thy holy one" 
 is David, to whom really the vision given to Nathan 
 concerning him was addressed. Hence the fact 
 that God uses the third person speaking of David 
 does not prevent that the words should be con- 
 sidered as addressed to David himself. But all 
 the old versions, and many MSS. collated by 
 Kennicott and De Rossi, which Hengstenberg fol- 
 lows, read 'thy holy ones'* [inserting the Hebrew 
 letter The covenant was intended not only 
 for David, but for the people also, God's 'holy 
 ones,' even as He is ''the Holy One of Israel" (2 
 Sam. vii. 10). It is the people who complain that 
 God's covenant is failing, and therefore pray Him 
 to keep His promise. £>civid is nowhere addressed 
 throughout. The revelation through Nathan in 
 vv. 19, 20 here goes back to what had taken place 
 long ago, the first choice of David by Samuel, and 
 in v. 22 the promise for the fu^ture resting upon the 
 original choice. So in the original passage (2 Sam. 
 vii. 8, 12, 13). Thus the sense' of God's address to 
 his earthly 'congregation of holy ones' (as before 
 He is spoken of in relation toi His heavenly ' con- 
 gregation of holy ones,' vv. 5, 7) is, 'I have for 
 your sakes laid help on a mighty hero' (2 Sam. 
 
 xvii. 10), viz., David, my "chosen" one. The 
 objection to this reading is that in 2 Sam. vii. 8, 
 from which the verse here is derived, the address 
 is to David^ not to the people. Moreover, in w. 
 3, 4, which IS the epitome of this whole section 
 concerning the covenant, David is directly ad- 
 dressed by God, " I have sworn unto David my 
 servant," " thy seed will I establish for ever," &c. 
 In either case, whether the address be to 'the 
 holy ones,' the ' nation holy ' by consecration to 
 God (Exod. xix. 6; Isa. Ixii. 12), or to David, who 
 was holy similarly by consecration, and who was 
 the nation's representative, Messiah, " the Holy 
 One of God,^^ is antitypically meant : He alone is 
 holy in the fullest sense : in relation to Him God 
 saith I have laid help upon one that is mighty 
 — (Isa. ix. 6). David, the youthful champion that 
 slew Goliath the giant, is the type of the Mighty 
 One, Messiah, the slayer of Satan. I have exalted 
 one chosen out of the people. So the English 
 version rightly. Hengstenberg wrongly, 'a young 
 man.' This verse plainly corresponds to v. 3, " I 
 have made a covenant with my chosen [the same 
 Hebrew as here, nna], I have sworn unto David." 
 The ground of the perpetuity of the covenant is 
 God's original and sovereign choice. 20. I have 
 found David my servant— answering also to v. 3, 
 " I have sworn unto David my servant." Cf. 1 
 Sam. xvi. 1, 12, which shows how irrespective of 
 outward recommendations God acts in His choice. 
 God finds us first before we choose Him (Isa. Ixv. 
 1). Messiah antitypically is meant, the Redeemer 
 found by the love of God from eternity: " I have 
 found a ransom" (or atonement) (Job xxxiii. 24). 
 So Christ Himself (Heb. ix. 11, 12) ''found 
 [hvpcLfxevo^'] eternal redemption for us." The 
 elevation of David the type from among the 
 people {v. 19) was not an 'act at random, but in 
 accordance with a foreordained Divine choice, 
 with my holy oil have I anointed him— the oil 
 was the symbol of the Spirit imparted to him at 
 his anointing by Samuel (1 Sam. xvi. 13). Messiah 
 was " anointed " from the womb, and at His bap- 
 tism with the Spirit without measure (Luke i. 3."); 
 iv. 18 ; Matt. i. 20 ; iii. 16 ; John i. 14, 16 ; iii. 34). 21. 
 With whom my hand shall be established— i. e. , 
 shall be surely ready to help him in all his needs 
 (cf. vv. 24, 37; 1 Sam. xviii. 12, 14; 2 Sam. v. 10). 
 Cf. as to Benjamin, Ps. Ixxx. 17, "Let thy hand be 
 upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of 
 man whom thou madest strong for thyself.^' 22. 
 The enemy shall not exact upon him — like an 
 oppressive creditor exacting upon his debtor, who 
 is at his mercy. Maurer, after the Chaldaic 
 paraphrase, takes it * shall not deceive— i. e., 
 unexpectedly overwhelm [n"'?'^] him.' nor the son 
 of wickedness afflict him— (2 Sam. vii. 10.) 24. 
 in my name shall his horn be exalted— (cf. v 
 
God^sfatour to 
 
 PSALM LXXXIX. 
 
 the kingdom of Datid. 
 
 25 I will set his hand also in the sea, — and his right hand in the rivers. 
 
 26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art *my Father, 
 My God, and the Rock of my salvation. 
 
 27 Also I will make him ^my first-born. 
 Higher than the kings of the earth. 
 
 28 My '"mercy will I keep for him for evermore, 
 And my covenant shall stand fast with him. 
 
 29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, 
 "And his throne "as the days of heaven. 
 
 30 If ^his children forsake ^my law, — ^and walk not in my Judgments; 
 
 31 If they ^break my statutes, — and keep not my commandments; 
 
 32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, 
 And their iniquity with stripes. 
 
 33 Nevertheless my loving-kindness ^will I not utterly take from him, 
 Nor suffer my faithfulness ^^to fail. 
 
 34 My covenant will I not break, 
 
 Nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. 
 
 35 Once have I sworn ^by my holiness — ^^that I will not lie unto David. 
 
 36 His *seed shall endure for ever, — and his throne as the sun before me. 
 
 2 8am. 7.11. 
 
 John 5. 17. 
 ' Ps. 2. 7. 
 
 Col. 1. 16. 
 "*l8a, 66. 3. 
 " Isa. 9. 7. 
 
 Jer. 33. 17. 
 
 Dan. 7. 14. 
 
 Rev. 22. 1. 
 " Deut. 11.21. 
 P 2 Sam. 7.14. 
 
 1 Chr. 28.9. 
 
 Ps. 132. 12. 
 9 Jer. 9. 13. 
 
 8 profane my 
 statutes. 
 
 9 I win not 
 make void 
 from him. 
 
 10 to lie. 
 Amos 4. 2. 
 
 11 if I lie. 
 
 » 2 Sam. 7. 16. 
 Luke 1. 33. 
 John 12.34. 
 
 17.) The people^ s exaltation hangs upon the ex- 
 altation of their king and representative ; his exalta- 
 tion depends upon the manifestation of God's love, 
 wisdom, and power (constituting the name whereby 
 God is known) in his behalf. 25. I will set his 
 hand also in the sea— i. e., I will make him with 
 liis hand to take possession of all the region 
 extending to the sea. and his right hand in the 
 rivers — " the rivers " generally, not merely the Nile 
 and the Euphrates. The original promise to 
 David, and still earlier to Abraham's seed (Gen. 
 XV. 18), is " Unto thy seed have I given this land, 
 from the river of E^ypt unto the great river, the 
 river Euphrates." So "Solomon reigned over all 
 kingdoms from the river unto the land of the 
 Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt" (2 
 Chr, ix. 26). The antitypical promise to Messiah 
 extends much further (Ps. Ixxii. 8), "He shall 
 have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the 
 river unto the ends of the earth" (cf. v. 27). 26. 
 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my Father, my 
 God— (2 Sam. vii. 14; cf. Jer. iii. 4.) 27. Also I 
 will make him my first-born. Israel is in a 
 lower sense "God's son, even His first-born" 
 (Exod. iv. 22). David and Solomon, typically 
 were each His first-horn or first-begotten. Christ, 
 in the highest sense, is the first-hegotten and the 
 only-hegotten of the Father (Ps. ii. 7; Col. i. 15, 18). 
 " The first-born of every creature" {begotten of His 
 Father before all worlds, ^icquq Creed)— "the 
 first-born from the dead." Priority and superlative 
 dignity are implied (cf. Heb. i. 6). higher than 
 the kings of the earth— (Ps. Ixxii. 11.) It is only 
 in a typical sense such language can apply to David 
 (1 Chr. xiv. 17). It is by union with Messiah that 
 Israel can attain to her original destination (Deut. 
 xxviii. 1), "The Lord thy God will set thee on 
 high above all nations of the earth" (cf. Num. 
 xxiv. 7). 28. My mercy will I keep for him for 
 evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast 
 with him— (v. 34; Isa. Iv. 3.) 29. His seed also 
 will I make to endure for ever. The anointed 
 one alone was heretofore spoken of; here first his 
 seed comes into notice (2 Sam. vii, 16, 19). The 
 antitypical seed of Messiah is His believing people, 
 wl<o shall endure for ever (Ps. xxii. 30 ; 1 John ii. 
 17). and his throne as the days of heaven— 
 everlasting (cf. v. 37, and Ps. Ixxii. 4, 7, 17 ; Deut, 
 xi. 21). 
 
 30-37. - Answer to the objection, that the cove- I 
 29j 
 
 nant has become void through the unfaithfulness 
 of the house and people of David; nay, according 
 to the original promise, the covenant did indeed 
 threaten chastisement for sin, but engaged never 
 utterly to cast off the children of the Anointed 
 One. 30-33. If his children forsake my law, 
 and walk not in my judgments ; . . . Then will I 
 visit their transgression with the rod, and their 
 iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless my loving- 
 kindness will I not utterly take from him— (2 
 Sam. vii. 14). The sins of the objects of the cove- 
 nant are put in the strangest modes of expression, 
 to show that, whilst there is nothing arbitrary, 
 yet that the covenant is unconditional. "The 
 rod of men and the stripes of the children of 
 men " (2 Sam. vii. 14) are sach punishments as 
 all are subject to, since all are sinners. Espe- 
 cially the objects of God's electing grace are 
 chastised with the rod, that they may escape 
 final wrath, and become partakers of His holi- 
 ness (Prov. xxiii. 13, 14; Heb. xii. 3-11). Those 
 members of David's house who were disobedient 
 suffered destroying judgments; yet grace still 
 remained to the family in the person of Messiali, 
 the Son of David. Observe that the expression in 
 V. 33 is, " I will not utterly take my loving-kind- 
 ness from HIM "—not ' from them ' as individual 
 transgressors, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. 
 The unfaithfulness of man cannot alter the faith- 
 fulness of God (cf. Rom. iii. 3). 34. My covenant 
 will I not break — lit., profane, inasmuch as the 
 covenant was a holy one (cf. v. 35). Whatever the 
 lioly God promises is holy. Thoiigh- </iei/ profane it 
 {marg., v. 31), yet will not I. nor alter the thing 
 that is gone out of my lips. Seeing that I have 
 commanded my people, "That which is gone out 
 of thy lips, thou shalt keep and perform" (Deut. 
 xxiii. 23), much more will I the Unchangeable 
 Jehovah do so. ' God demands on the part of His 
 people truth and fidelity towards Himself, only on 
 the ground of His own truth and fidelity towards 
 them' (Hengstenberg). 35. Once have I sworn— 
 not as Hengstenberg, following the Syriac, and as 
 Ps. xxvii, 4, 'one thing,' &c, : if I have sworn any- 
 thing unto him, I have sworn this. The LXX., 
 Vulgate, Ethiopic, Arabic, and Chaldaic support 
 the English version, by my holiness— (Ps. Ix. G.) 
 To profane the covenant would be to profane my 
 own holiness, my essential attribute. 36. and his 
 throne as the sun before me. His throne shall 
 
The complaint 
 
 PSALM LXXXIX. 
 
 of the church. 
 
 37 It * shall be established for ever as the moon. 
 And as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah. 
 
 38 But thou hast cast off and abhorred, 
 Thou hast been wroth with thine anointed. 
 
 39 Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant; 
 "^Thou hast profaned his crown hy casting it to the ground. 
 
 40 Thou hast broken down all his hedges ; 
 Thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin. 
 
 41 All that pa^ss by the way spoil him : 
 He is ^ a reproach to his neighbours. 
 
 42 Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries ; 
 Thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice. 
 
 43 Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, 
 And hast not made him to stand in the battle. 
 
 44 Thou ^ hast made his glory to cease, 
 And cast his throne down to the ground. 
 
 45 The days of his youth hast thou shortened : 
 Thou hast covered him with shame. Selah. 
 
 endure for ever, as being always in my presence, 
 and under the protection of my face shining upon 
 it. 37. It shall be established for ever as the 
 moon— (Ps. Ixxii. 5, 7.) and (as) a faithful wit- 
 ness in heaven— ZzY., 'in the cloud' or 'sky' {v. 
 6) : not the rainbow: nor the moon, as Hengstenherg: 
 but God is witness to and attests li is own oath {v. 
 35). Translate, 'and the witness in the sky is 
 faithful.' So Job xvi. 19, " Beh-old, my witness is 
 in heaven, and my record is on high" — viz., God. 
 So the Arabic. 
 
 38-45. — The people of the covenant contrast the 
 sad state of things actually with what the cove- 
 nant seemed to promise. Similarly in Ps. xliv. 9. 
 
 38. But thou hast cast off . . . thine anointed. 
 The suppliant fears, from existing appearances, 
 that the prostrate state of David's house and 
 people is not a mere chastisement with "the rod " 
 (v. 32), but a final destruction. Still the fact that 
 he brings the case before God, and makes it the 
 ground of prayer (vy. 46-51), as also of praises in 
 the majority of the psalms {vv. 1-37), snow that, 
 because of God's unchangeable faithfulness, he still 
 cherishes hope, and keeps fast hold of faith. 
 
 39. Thou hast made void the covenant of thy 
 servant — in contrast to v. 34, "My covenant will 
 I not break" [it??]. The Hebrew verb for " made 
 void" occurs only here and Lam. ii. 7. thou 
 hast profaned his crown by casting it to the 
 ground— the crown of the king {like that of the 
 high priest, on which was inscribed " holiness to 
 the Lord ") (Exod. xxviii. 36) was a sacred thing, 
 and therefore to cast it in the dust was to pro- 
 fane it. Cf. also V. 44 ; contrast v. 36. 40. Thou 
 hast broken down all his hedges. The king, as 
 the personification of the State, and its representa- 
 tive, is hereby described as a vineyard hedged in 
 by God's special care. But now 'all his hedges are 
 broken down.' So the Israelite State is repre- 
 sented, Isa. V. ; also Ps. Ixxx. 12. thou hast 
 brought his strongholds to ruin— or ' his fortifi- 
 cations,' the king here being regarded as a city 
 once fortified on all sides. So Job xvi. 14. Thou 
 leavest him now defenceless. 41. All that pass by 
 the way spoil him— also from Ps. Ixxx. 12. The 
 Assyrians, and subsequently the Babylonians on 
 the north side, and the Egyptians on the south, 
 whilst contending with one another for the supre- 
 macy, passed through the Holy Land, back and 
 forward, and made it their spoil, he is a re- 
 proach to his neighbours -viz., to the adjoining 
 natious, Edom, Moab, Amnion, Syria, aud the 
 
 ' Jer. 31. 35. 
 » Ps. 74. r. 
 Ps. 143. 3. 
 Isa. 25. 12. 
 Isa. 43. 28. 
 Lam. 5. l-J. 
 " Deut. 28.37. 
 Neh. 5. 9. 
 Ps. 74. 10. 
 Ps.,79. 4. 
 Jer. 24. 9. 
 Jer. 28. 18. 
 Jer. 42. IS. 
 Jer. 44. 8. 
 Lam. 5. 1. 
 Eze. 5. 14. 
 Dan. 9. If). 
 "'1 Sam. 4.21. 
 1 Ki. 12. 16, 
 20. 
 
 1 Ki. 14. 25. 
 Lam. 4. 1. 
 12 bright- 
 ness. 
 
 Philistines. Once they feared, and paid tribute 
 to David and Solomon (2 Sam. viii. 2-14 ; 1 Ki. iv. 
 21; v.); now they despise the people of the cove- 
 nant in their fallen state (Ps. Ixxx. 6). 42. Thou 
 hast set up the right hand of his adversaries ; 
 thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice— in con- 
 trast to thy promise, vv. 22, 23, " The enemy shall 
 not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness 
 afflict him. And I will beat down his foes before 
 his face, and plague them that hate him;" &v,d 
 2 Sam. vii. 10, end. But even here there is the 
 faith which must at last bring deliverance, implied 
 in the fact that the suppliant looks beyond the 
 " adversaries" and " enemies" to the Lord, as the 
 first cause, who uses the adversaries as His instru- 
 ment. 43. Thou hast also turned the edge of his 
 BWOTd— lit., the 'roc^["ii3:] of his sword;' i. e., the 
 strength of his sword, which would have remained 
 unyielding as a rock, if the rock of his salvation had 
 still been with him (cf. 2 Sam. i. 22, end). 44. Thou 
 hast made his glory to cea,8e— lit. , ' his splendour : * 
 ' thou hast made him to cease from his splendour.* 
 and cast his throne down to the ground. Ttiis 
 and the previous clause apply to the time when 
 the Jewisn monarchy was much impaired, and the 
 Kings of Judah were vassals at will to Egypt and 
 Babylon by turns, just before the capture of 
 Jerusalem. Perhaps the date was after good King 
 J osiah had been overcome and slain by Pharaoh- 
 Necho at Megiddo (2 Chr. xxxv. 22-25) ; and 
 Jehoahaz his son was only allowed to retain the 
 kingdom three months, and was then dethroned 
 by the King of Egypt, and carried to Egypt; and 
 Judea was mulcted in an hundred talents of silver 
 and a talent of gold ; and Eliakim, or Jehoiakim, 
 Josiah's brother, was raised to the throne (2 Chr. 
 xxxvi. 1-4). 45. The days of his youth hast thou 
 shortened — exactly applying to Jehoahaz' youth 
 (twenty-three years in ascending the throne) and 
 short continuing reign. However, though there be 
 allusion to this, the main reference is to the short- 
 ening of the promised perpetual youth of David's 
 dynasty and house. One meaning of the Hebrew for 
 " chosen," in v. 19, is a 'young man.' Instead of 
 having the vigour of youth, he is prematurely old 
 in strength. It is in Messiah that the house of 
 David "shall return to the days of his youth" (Job 
 xxxiii. 25 ; Ezek. xvi. 60 ; Hos. ii. 15). 
 
 46-51. — The suppliant here turns from lamenta- 
 tion to prayer, that the Lord would remove the 
 present prostration of David's house and people, 
 as being apparently so at variance with His cove- 
 
The prayer of the 
 
 PSALM XC. 
 
 church to he remembered. 
 
 46 How loDg, Lord ? wilt thou hide thyself for ever ? 
 Shall thy wrath burn like fire ? ^ 
 
 47 Remember ^how short my time is : 
 Wherefore hast thou made all men in vain ? 
 
 48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death ? 
 
 Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave ? Selah. 
 
 49 Lord/ where are thy former loving-kindnesses, 
 Which thou swarest unto David ^in thy truth ? 
 
 50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants ; 
 
 Ho w I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people ; 
 
 51 Wlierewith thine enemies have reproached, 0 Lord; 
 Wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed. 
 
 52 Blessed be the Lord for evermore. Amen, and Amen. 
 
 PSALM XC. 
 
 1 A Prayer of Moses the man of God. 
 
 1 LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place ^in all generations. 
 
 2 Before the "mountains were brought forth. 
 
 nant and promise. 46. How long, Lord ? — How long 
 wilt thou permit thy elect people to be so down- 
 trodden ? The cry of the afflicted Church in all 
 ages (Rev. vi, 10), aud of her intercessor (Zech. i. 
 12). will thou hide thyself for ever ? shall thy 
 wrath burn like fire?— (cf. Ps. Ixxix. 5.) 47. Re- 
 member how short my time is — in beautiful 
 contrast to "How long . . . for ever?" {v. 46;) 
 lit. , ' Remember I, what (is my) life ' or existence. 
 Cf. Ps. xxxix. 5, 'mine age is as non-existence 
 before thee.' Wilt thou be long angry, and my 
 lifetime so short ? Cf. Job's similar plea, Job vii. 
 6, 7; xiv. 1-3. The remembrance of man's short- 
 lived frailty has been often a consideration with 
 our compassionate God, that He should not pro- 
 long His anger towards us (Ps. Ixxviii. 39). God 
 is too loving to fill up with sufferings His people's 
 short si)an. wherefore hast thou made all men in 
 vain ? They will have been made in vain, so far 
 as well-being in this life is concerned, if thou 
 shouldst give them iip to unceasing misery here. 
 In relation to Israel, which is the main reference, 
 the sense is. If God's covenant with David's house 
 and people were to fail, the blessings to the world 
 at large, which depend on the covenant with 
 David, would not be realized, and man would have 
 been created in vain. Therefore, it was necessary, 
 for the honour of Him that makes nothing in vain, 
 that they should be realized in Messiah, the Son 
 of David, in part at His first coming, more fully at 
 His second coming. 48. What man is he that 
 liveth, and shall not see death ? shall he deliver 
 his soul from the hand of the grave?—' the hand 
 (i. e., the power) of Sheol,' or Hades. My life is 
 short {v. 47), and I cannot, any more than other 
 men, deliver myself from the stroke of death ; 
 therefore. Lord, come to my help speedily, ere I 
 die. Faith tells us that both the literal and the 
 spiritual Israel shall rise again— the former from 
 national and religious, the latter from physical 
 death, (Ezek. xxxvii.) 49. Lord, where are thy for- 
 mer loving-kindnesses ? Faith here rallies, by an 
 appeal to God's former stipulations of loving-kind- 
 ness to David, which in part he had carried into 
 effect in David's lifetime— a pledge of His faith- 
 fulness to the rest of His promise. 50 Remember, 
 Lord, the reproach of thy servants; how I do 
 bear in my bosom (the reproaci. of) all the mighty 
 people. 80 the Chaldaic. But it is better to sup- 
 pose no ellipsis — 'how I do bear in my bosom all 
 the mmiy peoples i. e., that I bear the burden of 
 hostile multitiides {invaders) in the midst of my land. 
 
 " Job r. 7. 
 
 Jc.b. 10. 9. 
 Job. 14. 1. 
 Ps. 39. 5. 
 Ps. 119. 84. 
 V Fs. 54. 5. 
 
 PSALM 90. 
 
 1 Or. A 
 Prayer, 
 being a 
 Psalm of 
 Moses. 
 Deut. 33. 1. 
 
 2 in genera- 
 tion and 
 generation, 
 Deut. 33.27. 
 Ps. 89. 1. 
 Eze. 11. 16. 
 
 " Job 28. 29. 
 Job 38. 4-6. 
 Prov. 8. 25. 
 
 Shortly before the final invasion by Nebuchad- 
 nezzar, "the Lord sent against him (Jehoiakim) 
 bands of the Chaldees . . . Syrians . . . Moabites, 
 and 0 . . children of Ammon, and sent them 
 against Judah to destroy it " (2 Ki. xxiv. 2). This 
 seems to fix the date of this psalm to the third 
 year of Jehoiakim's reign, about 607 B.C. Cf. Ps. 
 Ixxix. 1 ; cf. note, v. 44. In the days of Anti- 
 christ, Israel restored shall suffer similarly from 
 the conspiracy of peoples invading her land, and 
 shall complain to God. 51. Wherewith thine 
 enemies have reproached, 0 Lord . . . the foot- 
 steps of thine anointed. "Thine" is emphatic : 
 in reproaching him, they virtually reproach thee ; 
 for he is " thine anointed." " The footsteps " are 
 virtually, they reproach Jiim wherever he goes. 
 
 52. Blessed be the Lord for evermore. Amen, 
 and Amen— Doxology closing the third book of 
 psalms. The first book contains the Davidic 
 Jehovah psalms. The second book, the Eloliim 
 psalms of the singers of David, the sons of Korah, 
 Ps. xlii.'-xlix. ; Asaph, Ps. 1. ; then his own Elo- 
 him psalms. The third book, the J ehovah psalms 
 of his singers, Asaph, Ps. Ixxiii.-lxxxiii. ; the sons 
 of Korah, Ps. Ixxxiv.-lxxxix. TheEIohim psalras 
 are designedly enclosed on both sides by the 
 Jehovah psalms {Hengstenherg). 
 
 PSALM XC. 1-17.—^ meditation : the Lord 
 our dwelling-place, the counterpoise to our transitory 
 life : death, the wages of sin (vv. 1-10); prayer: as 
 men so little know the connection of our dying fra'dty 
 with God's mighty anger against our sins, God 
 teach us it so that we may apply our hearts to the 
 wisdom which shrinks from sin {vv. 11, 12); return 
 from thy wrath as the people turn to thee ; com- 
 fort us according to the shortn s of life wherein 
 thou hast afflicted us {vv. 13-17). 
 
 Title. —the man of God— imx lies that Moses' 
 high character and office are a guarantee for the 
 inspired authority of the psalm. His word is to 
 be reverently heeded, as tne Word of God Him- 
 self. It is a title applied also to David, Elijah, 
 and Elisha in the Old Testament, and to Timothy 
 in the New Testament. Cf. Deut. xxxiii. 1 ; Josh, 
 xiv. 6. The time of the psalm was probably (rv. 
 13-15) toward the close of the forty years' wander- 
 ing in the desert. The people, after long chastise- 
 ment, beg mercy. God answered them in the 
 triumphs miraculously vouchsafed at their en- 
 trance into Canaan. Here, as in Gen. ii. and iii., 
 death is set forth as the result of sin. The limita- 
 tion of life to seventy or eighty vears accords with 
 
The frailly 
 
 PSALM XC. 
 
 of human life. 
 
 Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, 
 Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. 
 
 Thou turnest man to destruction ; 
 And say est, ^Return, ye children of men. 
 
 For '^a thousand years in thy sight are hut as yesterday ^when it is past, 
 And as a watch in the night. 
 
 Thou carriest them away as with a flood ; — they are as a sleep : 
 In the morning they ^are like grass which *groweth up. 
 In Hhe morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; 
 In the evening it is cut down, and withereth. 
 
 Gen. 3. 19. 
 Eccl. 12. 7. 
 Heb. 13. 8. 
 2 Pet. 3. 8. 
 Or, when 
 he hath 
 passed 
 them. 
 Isa. 40. 6. 
 Or, ia 
 changed. 
 Job. 1 . 2. 
 Ps. 92. 7. 
 
 the fact, that most of the generation that perished 
 in the wilderness were from twenty to forty years 
 of age in leaving Eygpt, and forty more years in 
 the wilderness — i. m all, seventy or eighty years 
 at death. Moses, the leader whom the prophets 
 followed, gave also the first movement to psalm 
 poetry, (Deut. xxxii. and xxxiii.) 
 
 1-5. — The First division of the First part: 
 meditation. The transitoriness of life points us to 
 Jehovah as our only permanent abode. 1. Lord, 
 thou liast been our dwelling place in all genera- 
 tions. This verse contains the theme: vv. 2-5, the 
 ground on which it rests. Nowhere else is the 
 term " dwelling place" [p»io] applied to God, save 
 here and Ps. xci. 9, and Deut. xxxiii. 27: cf. Isa. 
 iv. 6. How naturally was the image suggested by 
 the sense of the value of a fixed habitation, which 
 the homeless condition of the Israelites would 
 force upon them in the wilderness ! 2. Before the 
 mountains were brought forth, or ever thou 
 hadst formed the earth and the world, even 
 from everlasting to everlasting thou (art) God. 
 As man's weakness is connected with his mortality, 
 so God's omnipotence follows necessarily from His 
 eternity. "The mountains," by their majestic 
 height and unshaken stability, give the impression 
 of antiquity and unchangeabl'eness. Cf. Gen. xlix. 
 26, "the everlasting hills;" Deut. xxxiii. 15; Hab. 
 iiu 6. "The earth" is this globe below, in contrast 
 to the heavens above. "The world" ['^SJ?] is the 
 habitable earth, the fruit-bearing earth, as con- 
 trasted with the sea (Ps. xxiv. I, note). The earth 
 was created on the second day; the habitable earth 
 or 'dry land' [the prose Hebrew term, nK^iP] on the 
 third day (Gen. i. 6-13; Ps. civ. 5-9). God was not 
 merely before the mountains, the earth, and the 
 world, but He was their Creator. His eternity 
 implies His omnipotent Creatorship ; for the things 
 which came into being after Him could not ori- 
 ginate themselves. So in Isa. xliv. 6, from the 
 eternity of Jehovah, His being the only God is 
 deduced, " I am the First, and I am the Last, and 
 beside me there is no God." thou (art) God- 
 rather, 'thou (art) 0 Ood.' The context requires 
 us to understand that what is predicated of God is, 
 that He is "from everlasting to everlasting," 
 whence follows His omnipotence; in contrast to 
 man's mortality, whence follows his weakness. 
 
 3. Thou turnest man to destruction— Zi^., to 
 the state of being crushed to pieces Gen. iii. 
 
 19 is alluded to here, as the next words prove, and 
 sayest, Return, ye children of men— i. e. , return 
 to your original state. "Unto dust shalt thou 
 return'' (Ps. civ. 29; ciii. 14; Eccl. xii. 7). To 
 explain "return" as referring to a return to life 
 would not suit the connection, which has reference 
 only to man's speedy mortality. 4. For a thousand 
 years in thy sight are but as yesterday when 
 it is past, and as a watch in the night. The 
 " For " introduces the reason which establishes the 
 speedy mortality of man, alleged in v. 3. To us, 
 298 
 
 men a life of seventy years in prospect seems of 
 immense length. But let us view this the natural 
 term of life with the eyes of God : let us regard time 
 not as those who belong merely to time, but, as God, 
 from the standpoint of eternity, then how short, 
 how soon gone does such a brief span seem! "i^or 
 (not to say seventy or eighty years, even) a thousand 
 years in thy sight are but as yesterday!" God 
 sees our life in its true brevity, such as one day, 
 and that day just past, is to man. Nay, it is but 
 as the night watch, which to those w^ho are asleep 
 appears as but a moment. The day, divided as it 
 is into times of varied occupation, seems compara- 
 tively long; but the night watch passes whilst we 
 are unconscious. The night was anciently divided 
 into three watches. The middle watch is mentioned 
 in Judg. vii. 19 ; the morning watch in Exod. xiv. 
 24; which proves this division of the night to be 
 as old as Moses. It is not the eternal years oj God 
 that are directly brought forward in contrast to 
 show the shortness of man's life; but the latter is 
 shown by contrasting long life as it appears in 
 man's eyes, and as it appears in the eyes of God : 
 though no doubt it is because God is eternal that 
 even a thousand years (which are so much beyond 
 man's span) appear so short to Him. 'As to a 
 very rich man a thousand sovereigns are as one 
 penny, so to the eternal God a thousand years are 
 as one day' [Bengel). So 2 Pet. iii. 8. 5. Thou 
 carriest them away as with a flood— as one is 
 unexpectedly and irresistibly swept away with a 
 flood, the product of a storm of rain (cf. Isa. xxv. 
 4). Hebrew, 'a rain torrent against a wall,' 
 sweeping it away. Probably the deluge was in the 
 Psalmist's mind : as the deluge swept every living 
 thing away, so one generation after another is 
 carried away, they are as a sleep. There is a 
 play upon sounds in the Hebrew of sleep and years 
 {v. 4), Sheenah Shanah [rtj^f n^^]. 'Sleep ceases 
 ere we can perceive it or mark it ; for before we 
 are aware that we have slept, sleep is gone and 
 ended.' So is our life: ' before we are rightly con- 
 scious of being alive, we cease to live' (L^ither). 
 (Ps. Ixxiii. 20, "As a dream when one awaketh.") 
 in the morning they are like grass which groweth 
 up ['^^^]—lit., 'to glide through,' as plants sprout 
 up through the soil. The marg.tsikes it, 'is changed,' 
 as in Ps. cii. 26. So Hengstenberg translates, ' in 
 the morning it vanishes like grass.' The ' it ' is the 
 tigurativ^e "sleep"— i. e., man. But thus a second 
 image is heaped upon the first, which seems not so 
 likely. In Job xiv. 7 the verb is translated 
 " sprout again." Moreover, in v. 6, it would cause 
 complete confusion to translate 'is vanished,' or 
 'changed.' 6. In the morning it flourisheth, and 
 groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and 
 withereth. The contrast is between the morning 
 state of the grass and the evening state. The " it" 
 is the figurative grass— i. e., man (Job xiv. 2; Ps. 
 ciii. 15, 16). 
 
 7-10. Death is the wages of sin, and the effect of 
 
of human life. 
 
 The frailty PSALM XC. 
 
 7 For we are consumed by thine anger. 
 And by thy wrath are we troubled. 
 
 8 Thou -^hast set our iniquities before thee, 
 Our ^secret sins in the light of thy countenance. 
 
 9 For all our days are ^passed away in thy wrath ; 
 We spend our years ^as a tale that is told. 
 
 10 7 The days of our years are threescore years and ten ; 
 And if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, 
 Yet is their strength labour and sorrow ; 
 
 For it is soon cut off, and we fly away. 
 
 11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger ? 
 Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. 
 
 God's wrath against sin. 7. For we are consumed 
 by thine anger, and by tby wrath are we troubled. 
 
 The sad fact of man's speedy mortality {v. 6) is 
 traced up to its still sadder cause, man's own sin, 
 bringing upon him necessarily God's wrath. So 
 God had threatened, as Moses' own book of Gene- 
 sis (ii. 17) states, "In the day that thou eatest 
 thereof, thou shalt surely die" (Rom. v. 12). The 
 wrath of God eats away our life, until after a little 
 while it is completely consumed. The terrible 
 judgments by which those who rebelled against 
 the Lord in Moses' time were annihilated (as Korah, 
 in Num. xvi. ) are only an image of the common lot 
 of humanity; there happened then, visibly and 
 impressively, what is always going on secretly and 
 unobservedly {Hengstenberg). are we troubled — 
 i. e., stricken with terror before that universal lot 
 of death which consumes us (Ps. civ. 29; Ixxviii. 
 33). Contrast the millennial state, " They shall 
 not . . . bring forth for trouble; for they are the 
 seed of the blessed of the Lord " (Isa, Ixv. 13). 8. 
 Thou hast set our Iniquities before thee, our 
 secret sins in the light of thy countenance— in 
 contrast to overlooking sin, either from want of 
 power to notice, or want of will to punish it : as 
 some would represent God as conniving at, or 
 passing by sin, because He is too loving to keep 
 His word of threatening against transgressors ( Jer. 
 xvi. 17; Heb. iv. 13). The wrath of God (v. 7) is 
 the result of man's guilt. Men have only them- 
 selves to blame in that they are the prey of death. 
 Our sad life and speedy death would be inexpli- 
 cable, and would generate in us hard thoughts of 
 God, if it were not that revelation tells us " the 
 wages of sin is death " (Eom. vi. 23). The singular 
 is a better supported reading than the plural, ' our 
 secret (sin) ' — not sins. So deep-seated is man's 
 corruption that there are depths of sin in us 
 explored by God alone. Even a believer, though 
 not conscious of sin, yet dares not to acquit him- 
 self as if he were free from it before God, but 
 recognizes the truth that " He that judgeth is the 
 Lord;" therefore the believer judges "nothing 
 before the time, until the Lord come, who both will 
 bring to light the hidden things of darkness and 
 will make manifest the counsels of the hearts " (1 
 Cor. iv. 4, 5). Cf. Ps. xix. 12. light— lit., 'the 
 luminary [TiNp : is light simply. Gen. i.] of thy 
 countenance:' for God's countenance is as one of 
 the brightest luminaries in the heavens, shedding 
 light on sa as to reveal all that has been concealed. 
 9. For all our days are passed away in [i. e., 
 because of) thy wrath — lit. , incline, or turn away 
 (Jer. vi. 4). we spend our years as a tale (that 
 is told)— rather, ' as a meditation ; ' [n^n] : or 
 rather, as in Ezek. ii. 10, and Job xxxvii. 2, utter- 
 ance aloud is implied; 'a musing ;' 'a thought half- 
 uttered;' a transient ejaculation; in soliloquy, the 
 thinker aloud, after a broken utterance, soon retir- 
 
 m 
 
 / Fs. 50. 21. 
 
 Jer. 16. ir. 
 f fs. 19. U. 
 
 Heb. 4. 12. 
 * turned 
 
 away. 
 « Or, as a 
 
 mpdita- 
 
 tion. 
 ? Aa for 
 
 the days 
 
 of our 
 
 years, in 
 
 them are 
 
 seventy 
 
 years. 
 
 ing again to m«ntal meditation. 10. The days of 
 our years are threescore years and ten. The 
 
 Hebrew emphatically puts into prominence, by 
 itself, in the nominative absolute, which raises 
 expectation, the clause, ' (As for) the days of our 
 years . . . (there are) in them threescore years 
 and ten.' Thus the contrast is marked between 
 the apparently numerous days of life and their 
 short sum at the end. Many as are our " days," 
 in looking forward to them, they are but days ; 
 and the years which they contain, when looked 
 back upon, with a boundless eternity before us, 
 will seem only as so many days, and if by reason 
 of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their 
 strength labour and sorrow— i e., if one be 
 possessed of an unusually strong constitution, and 
 thereby his years reach fourscore. The Hebrew 
 for the second "strength " [°|'7^] is different from 
 that for the first "strength : " it means rsdher pride; 
 that on which they pride themselves, their dis- 
 tinguishing boast. Translate, ' yet is their matter 
 of pride labour and vanity.' Hengstenberg translates 
 for "sorrow" ''wickedness' — viz., what one 
 suffers from the wickedness of others ; as Abel 
 from Cain. 'Their pride is only suffering and 
 wickedness.' Cf. Gen. xlvii. 9, Jacob's words to 
 Pharaoh, "Few and' evil have the days of the years 
 of my life been ;" and Gen. v. 29, Lamech's speech. 
 The assertion here refers not to the period beyond 
 seventy years, as some take it, but to life as a whole 
 under such favourable conditions of strength and 
 longevity : even so it is but hardship and vanity. 
 for it is soon cut off— like grass mown. So the 
 Hebrew [t.i, from n.i, to shear], Ps. lxxii..6. But 
 Gesenius translates, ' it (the whole matter) passes 
 away' [from mj. Hengstenberg takes the verb 
 impersonally, 'there is the being driven away:' 
 ' we are driven away.' 
 
 11, 12. — The Second part. First dirision. The 
 mysterious relation of death to sin, as its wages, is 
 little, if at all, known by man; therefore the 
 Psalmist prays, God so teach us it as to lead us 
 to wisdom of the heart. 11. Who knoweth the 
 power of thine anger?— Who knows aright thy 
 powerful anger, as manifested in the brevity of 
 our existence, and the power that death is per- 
 mitted to have over us? In this sad lament over 
 man's insensibility, in not perceiving in this his 
 short-lived and miserable state the expression of 
 God's just wrath against man's sin, there is in- 
 volved the desire that God would take away man's 
 insensibility; the corresponding prayer follows in 
 V. 12. even according to thy fear, (so is) thy 
 wrath— according to thy dreadfuluess, so is thy 
 wrath against sin. Rather omit so is (not in the 
 Hebrew), and translate, ' Who knoweth . . . 
 thine anger, and thy wrath in proportion to thy 
 fear?'—i. e., in proportion to what reverential fear 
 of thee requires. So " thy fear " is used (Ps. v. 7). 
 
The security 
 
 PSALM XCL 
 
 of the godly. 
 
 12 So teach us to number our days, 
 
 That we may ^ apply our hearts unto wisdom. 
 
 13 Return, 0 Lord, how long? 
 
 And let it repent Hhee concerning thy servants. 
 
 14 0 satisfy us early with thy mercy; 
 
 That we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 
 
 15 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, 
 And the years icherein we have seen evil. 
 
 16 Let Hhy work appear unto thy servants, — and thy glory unto their children. 
 
 17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: 
 And ^establish thou the work of our hands upon us; 
 Yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. 
 
 PSALM XCI. 
 
 1 HE that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High 
 Shall 1 abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 
 
 12. So teach us to number our days. The 
 
 same Hebrew is used for "teach " here as is used for 
 " kuoweth," V. 11. Translate, ' How to number our 
 days, so make us to know.' The "so" marks 
 the infinite importance of this knowledge, which 
 is to be learnt only from God, not by natural 
 ability. The object for which he wishes God to 
 ' make us men know how to number our days ' is 
 in order that we may ' know the power of God's 
 anger,' as caused by our sin, and manifested in 
 our short-lived and miserable existence {v. 11), and 
 so— that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom 
 — lit., 'that we may make to come to us a wise 
 heart,' or 'that we may make wisdom to come 
 (into) our heart.' The "wisdom" meant is that 
 which flows from a right consideration of the 
 brevity of life, and our guiltiness as the cause of 
 God's anger against us; and consists in "fearing 
 God" and "departing from evil" (Job xxviii. 28). 
 The sentiment in this, psalm of Moses is in beauti- 
 ful and undesigned coincidence with Moses' his- 
 torical hook (Deut. xxxii. 19). Cf. also Deut. iv. 6. 
 By such "wisdom" the way is prepared for God 
 to grant the following prayer, that He would 
 return and gladden us with His mercy. 
 
 13-17. — The Second division of the Second part. 
 Prayer for God's mercy as the source to us of joy, 
 and of the establishment of our work. 13. Re- 
 turn—from the wrath which now lies upon us. 
 SoExod. xxxii. 12. liovr long 1— how long vfiltthoM 
 be angry with us? and let it repent thee con- 
 cerning thy servants. Parallel to the Pentateuch, 
 "The Lord shall repent Himself for His servants;" 
 on which rests Ps. cxxxv. 14. God is said to re- 
 pent when, having first vindicated His justice in 
 imnishing sin. He then gives the sinner joy instead 
 of sadness. The language is phenomenal, and 
 relates to thinj^s as they appear to us. God is the 
 same unchanging God of justice and of love alike 
 when He comforts as when He punishes. 14. 0 
 satisfy us early with thy mercy. " Early "—lit. , 
 in the morning, as in Ps. xlvi. 5. 15. Make us glad ac- 
 cording to the days . . . the years wherein we have 
 seen evil. A peculiar Hebrew form of termination 
 for "days" occui-s here, as also in Deut. xxxii. 
 7, and in both places in connection with years" 
 [nhn'Ti'iD^y : the connection suggested the pecu- 
 liar ending! ; an undesigned coincidence and proof 
 of Moses' authorship of this psalm. ' In propor- 
 tion as thou hast for many days and years afflicted 
 us, so for many days and years gladden us.' God 
 does infinitely better for His people. "For your 
 shame ye shall have double" (Isa. Ixi. 7). 16. Let 
 thy work appear unto thy servants — thy work 
 
 1^ Ps. 39. 4. 
 Eph. 5. 15- 
 17, 
 
 8 cause to 
 come. 
 
 i Ex. 32. 14. 
 
 Deut. 32.36. 
 
 Ps. 106. 45. 
 
 Ps. 136. 11. 
 
 Hos. 11. 8. 
 J Num. 14.15- 
 24. 
 
 Ps. 44. 1. 
 
 Hab. 3. 2. 
 fc Isa. 26. 12. 
 
 2The3.2.15, 
 17. 
 
 2 Thes. 3. 3. 
 
 PSA.LM 91. 
 1 lodge. 
 
 of saving and gladdening us (?'. 15 ; Ps. xcii. 4; 
 Hab. iii. 2). and thy glory unto their children— 
 thy glorious power as the source of joyful deliver- 
 ance. 17. And let the beauty o* *he Lord our God 
 be upon us— (see note, Ps. xxvix. 4) — His beautiful 
 dealing towaixls His people in grace, wisdom, and 
 love, and establish thou the work of our hands 
 upon us— give success to all that we undertake 
 in our temporal and spiritual concerns (cf. Deut. 
 xxiv. 19). The words, " upon us," imply that 
 the blessing upon our work must come from 
 above. 
 
 PSALM XCI. Kimchi says the older Rabbis 
 ascribed this psalm to Moses. Israel's exemption 
 from the Egyptian plagues answers to the psalm. 
 Thus it properly follows Moses,' Ps. xc. The 
 ulterior reference is to Christ. Satan in the temp- 
 tation applies, vv. 11, 12, to Him, without our Lord 
 contradicting. At His first advent, as antitype to 
 Israel, God's Son delivered out of Egypt (Matt. ii. 
 15; Hos. xL 1), God's special providence watched 
 over His manhood, guarding Him from plague, 
 accident, and Satan's plots, until His appointed 
 time. At His second advent, Israel, one with 
 Him, shall be delivered from the seven last 
 Egyptian-like plagues inflicted on the hostile 
 world-powers (Rev. xvi.), the kingdom of the 
 beast. The elect of the spiritual Israel also shall 
 be safe "in the time of trouble" (Dan. xii. 1-3; 
 Rev. vii.) under the wing of the Almighty {v. 1). 
 So generally, God's people at all times are under a 
 special providence, even as to all the outward ills 
 of life, so that nothing can really and lastingly 
 hurt them. 1-16.— The theme {ov. 1, 2); its de- 
 velopment {vv. 3-16). The Psalmist alternates the 
 first and second persons, at one time expressing 
 confidence from the soul of the believer when in 
 danger; at another, speaking in his own person to 
 encourage him. The thou is used when he acts as 
 teacher; the / when as scholar. Christ, who 
 learned obedience by suffering (Heb. v. 8), be- 
 comes in turn the Teacher of the Church (Isa. 1. 4). 
 
 1. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the 
 Most High shall abide under the shadow of the 
 Almighty — (Ps. xxvii. 5, " in the secret (the 
 covert) of His tabernacle shall He hide me ;" 
 xxxi. 20.) The names of God, expressing the attri- 
 butes of infinite power and majesty, indicate the 
 ground of the Psalmist's confidence of safety 
 in Him {v. 2). "The Most High " — Hebrew, 
 Heljon [uv//io-Tos]— is an epithet appropriated 
 peculiarly to God as above the highest princi- 
 palities, and is joined with other names of God, as 
 M Heljon,"' The Almighty " {.LXX-j-Trai/To/cpaTtop]— 
 
The safety 
 
 PSALM XCI. 
 
 of the godly. 
 
 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress : 
 My God ; in him will I trust. 
 
 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, 
 And from the noisome pestilence. 
 
 4 He "shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou 
 
 trust : 
 
 His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 
 
 5 Thou ^ shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; 
 Nor for the arrow that flieth by day ; 
 
 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness ; 
 Nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon-day. 
 
 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand ; 
 But it shall not come nigh thee. 
 
 8 Only '^with thine eyes slialt thou behold 
 And see the reward of the wicked. 
 
 9 Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge, 
 Eten the Most High, thy habitation ; 
 
 10 There ''shall no evil befall thee. 
 
 Neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 
 
 " Ruth 2. 12. 
 Ps. 17. 8. 
 Ps. 67. 8. 
 Ps. 61. 4. 
 Matt. 2 .37. 
 
 6 Job 5. 19, 
 Ps. 3. 6. 
 Ps, 27. 1-3. 
 Ps. 46, 2, 
 Ps, 112, 7, 
 Prov, 3, 2\ 
 Isa. 43. 2. 
 Matt. 8, 2f< 
 Heb. 13. 6, 
 
 " Ps, 37. 34. 
 Ps. 58. 10, 
 Ps, 92. 11, 
 Mai. 1. 5. 
 
 d Ps. 121. 7. 
 Prov, 1. 33. 
 Prov, 3, 25, 
 26. 
 
 Prov. 12.21. 
 2 Thes. 3. 3. 
 2 Pet. 2. 9. 
 
 Hebrew, Shaddai [""^s*', from nnK', in Arabic, to he 
 strong; in Hebrew, to waste, destroy. The plural ex- 
 presses excellence [Gesenius). Or else from ii*', the 
 relative, and sufficient; He who is all-sufficient, 
 the source of all suflRciency to His creatures, and 
 having all sufficiency in Himself, independently of 
 them — axiTapKY)^. His nature is. " Ipsa suis con- 
 tenta opibus, nihil indiga nostri ]. It is applied 
 to God alone, and not to angel or man. None can 
 hurt him who is under the safeguard of the personal 
 God, Almighty, and Most High shall abide— 
 Hebrew, 'pass the night;'' abide in the f^ar^- time 
 of trouble, the shadow— i, e. , the protection (Ps, 
 xxxvi. 7; xvii. 8). Christ is to us the "man" — 
 " the shadow of a great rock in a weary land " 
 (Isa, xxxii, 1). 2. I will sa,y— continually, my 
 refuge and my fortress— (Ps, xviii, 2,) 
 
 3. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare 
 of the fowler. "Thee" — CAri6"^ primarily, and 
 secondarily, Israel literal and Israel spiritual. 
 The believer is the figurative bird: Satan is "the 
 fowler." God is the Deliverer of His Christ ; then 
 God in Christ is the Deliverer of Christ's people (Ps, 
 cxxiv. 7; 2 Tim. ii. 26). and from the noisome 
 pestilence, Ilengstenlerg translates, 'from the 
 I^estilence of wickednesses;' i. e., from the pestilen- 
 tial ruin which the mass of wickednesses threatens. 
 The connection with "the fowler," Satan, and the 
 image carried on in vv. 4, 5, of God like a mother- 
 bird (Deut. xxxii. 11) covering her young with her 
 "feathers," and under her "wings," from the 
 " arrow," x>rove that all attacks of evil, whether 
 physical or spiritual evil, are meant by 'the de- 
 structive pestilence.^ The LXX., Vulgate, Ethi- 
 opic, and Arabic, with slight variations, make it, 
 ' from the persecuting worcU^ They take the simi- 
 lar Hebrew for word instead of pestilence [197, 
 instead of "innj. 4. under his wings shalt thou 
 trust— (Ps. xxxvi. 7; Ixi, 4; Paith ii. 12,) his 
 truth shall he thy shield and huckler— (Ps. v. 12, 
 note.) 6. Thou Shalt not be afraid for the terror 
 ni^ht ; nor for the arrow that flieth by day. In 
 this verse the attacks meant are those of human 
 enemies, whether by a surprise at night or an open 
 ftssftult in the day. In v. 6 the attacks are those 
 of Divinely-sent sicknesses. The arrow is the 
 enemy. Ps, Iviii. 7 ; Prov. iii. 23-26 is plainly par- 
 allel, and probably is drawn from this psalm (cf. 
 w. U. 12 here; Job xv. 21 : xxi. 9; Song iii. 8). 
 301 
 
 6. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in dark- 
 ness. The pestilence both to the imagination 
 appears, and actually is, of a more aggravated 
 virulence in the night ; for the sun light and 
 heat has a sanitary effect. The death - stroke 
 which fell on the Egyptian first-born at night 
 passed over the Israelites without doing any hurt, 
 because they were under the protecting blood- 
 mark of God's covenant, nor for the destruction 
 that wasteth at noon-day— a still more destructive 
 plague than the previously mentioned "pestil- 
 ence " of an ordinary kind : the same Hebrew is 
 found in Deut. xxxii. 24 [^^i^.]. 7. A thousand 
 shall fall at thy side— at thy left side; in con- 
 trast to ten thousand at thy right hand— (cf. Ps. 
 xxvii. 3; xxxii, 6,) but it shall not come nigh 
 thee. Whilst destruction prostrates thousands of 
 the godless on every side, it never even comes 
 near the godly. 8. Only with thine eyes shalt thou 
 behold and see the reward of the wicked. Thou 
 shalt have no further contact with the destruction 
 than as a spectator unhiirt by it. So the Israel- 
 ites "saw; the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore " 
 (Exod. xiv, 31 ). So hereafter, at the overthrow of the 
 antichristian host, "they (the converted nations 
 and Israel) shall go forth and look upon the car- 
 cases of the men that have transgressed against 
 me; for their worm shall not die," &c. (Isa. Ixvi, 
 24), 9, Because thou hast made the Lord, (which 
 is) my refuge, (even) the Most High, thy habitation 
 — rather, as the Hebrew has the order, 'Because 
 thou, O Lord, (art) my refuge, thou hast made the 
 Most High thy habitation' (cf, Ps. xc, 1). In the first 
 clause the person being taught by the Psalmist 
 responds to his exhortation, using the first person 
 "my," as in 2, "I . . . my." In the second 
 clause the Psalmist resumes the character of 
 teacher, addressing the learner with " thou 
 . . . thy." See on this change of person the intro- 
 ductory remarks. The close of this first part of 
 the psalm is marked by the repetition of the same 
 thought as at the close of the introduction [v. 2). 
 
 Christ responds to the inspired Word, which 
 guarantees His preservation by the Father from 
 the foe. The reason is, " because thou. Lord, art 
 my refuge;" to which the Church replies, "thou 
 hast made the Most High thy habitation." 10. 
 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any 
 plague come nigh thy dwelling— as was the case 
 with Israel when the Egyptian fii'st-born were 
 
Exhortations to 
 
 PSALM XCIL 
 
 praise God, 
 
 11 For *he shall give his angels charge over thee. 
 To keep thee in all thy ways. 
 
 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, 
 Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 
 
 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and ^ adder; 
 
 The young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 
 
 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him : 
 I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 
 
 15 He ^shall call upon me, and I wiU answer him : 
 
 ^1 will he with him in trouble ; — I will deliver him, and ^honour him. 
 
 16 With 2 long life will I satisfy him, — and show him my salvation. 
 
 PSALM XCIL 
 
 A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day. 
 
 1 IT is a good thing to give thanks unto the LoRD^ 
 And to sing praises unto thy name, 0 Most High : 
 
 2 To show forth thy loving-kindness in the morning. 
 And thy faithfulness ^ every night. 
 
 • Ps. 34. r. 
 
 Ps. 71. 3. 
 Matt. 4. 6. 
 Luke 4. 10. 
 Heb. 1. 14. 
 / Job. 5. 23. 
 Ps. 37. 2U 
 
 * Or. asp. 
 
 " Job 22. 27. 
 Ps. 60. 15. 
 Isa. 68. 9. 
 Jer. 29. 12, 
 13. 
 
 Jer. 33. 3. 
 Heb. 5. 7. 
 
 ft Ps. 43. 2, 
 » 1 Sam. 2.30, 
 3 length of 
 days. 
 Prov. 3. 2. 
 
 PSALM 92. 
 1 in the 
 nights. 
 
 smitten (Exod. xii. 23-30). 11. For lie shall give 
 Ms angels charge over— lit., 'in respect to' [^]— 
 thee, to keep thee in all thy ways — not that 
 Scripture sanctions the notion of guardian angels 
 attached to individuals. It is the whole angelic 
 host, whose commission is to " minister for them 
 who shall be heirs of salvation" (Heb. i. 14; cf. 
 Gen. xxviii. 12; John i. 51 ; Ps. xxxiv. 7; Ixxi. 3). 
 12. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest 
 thou dash thy foot against a stone— viz., a stone 
 of stumbling, or a danger such as meets the man of 
 God in his course through life, ivithout his seeking 
 it, or running rashly and presumptuously into it. 
 So the passage derived from this one, Prov. iii. 23, 
 '''Then (if thou keep the fear of the Lord, which is 
 wisdom) shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy 
 foot shall not stumble." The tempter suppressed 
 this important qualification of the promise; Satan 
 also omitted "in all thy ways." If the believer 
 goes out of his way to brave a danger uncalled by 
 duty, he cannot look for God's protection (Matt, 
 iv. 6). He is "tempting the Lord"— i. e., 7ieed- 
 lessly testing God's power and faithfulness, as 
 Israel "tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord 
 among us or not ?" (Exod. xvii. 7.) " All Christ's 
 ways," as man (who is i^rimarily meant here), 
 were those of implicit rev€7-ent faith, and filial 
 dependence on God; therefore in His case "all 
 His ways" are tantamount to all right ways ; and 
 so God's angels always kept Him "in all His 
 ways." 13. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and 
 adder; the young lion and the dragon shalt 
 thou trample under feet. The lion represents the 
 openly violent foes of the godly: the adder and 
 serpent the crafty liers in wait. Satan can at one 
 time be the " roaring lion," at another the subtle 
 dragon and suddenly stinging adder. Allusion 
 is here made to "that great and terrible wilder- 
 ness wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions" 
 (Deut. viii. 15). God enabled His servants, Sam- 
 son, David, and Daniel, to gain victories over 
 literal lions (Judg. xiv. 5; 1 Sam. xvii. 34, 35; 
 Dan. vi. 23), a type of the spiritual victory 
 which the saints are given over lion-like de- 
 mons and human enemies (2 Tim. ii. 17: Exod. 
 iv. 3, 4). 
 
 14. Because he hath set his love upon me— 
 
 or 'cleaves to me with longing affection and de- 
 light' [pB'n— Deut. X. 15; Gen. xxxiv. 8]. Here, 
 and to the end of the psalm, God speaks. 16. 
 With long life will I satisfy Uim — Ut., 'with 
 
 303 
 
 length of days.' The promise belongs to Christ 
 aud Christ's people in its ulterior sense. Ps. xxi. 
 4, " He (the anointed King) asked life of thee (not 
 only for Himself, as man, but for His people also), 
 and thou gavest it Him, even length of days for 
 ever and ever" (John v. 26; x. 28). The earthly 
 long life granted to many, as Abraham, Job, 
 David, who "died in a good old age, and full of 
 years " (Gen. xxv. 8), is a type of the future eternal 
 life &f body and soul united (Job xlii. 17 ; 1 Chr. 
 xxiii. 1 ; cf. Prov. iii. 2). The temporal Old Tes- 
 tament blessing of a full age typifies the spiritual 
 and heavenly New Testament blessing (Exod. xx. 
 12; Deut. V. 16), and show him my salvation— 
 (Ps. 1. 23.) 
 
 PSALM XCIL 1-15.— Introduction ; the privilege 
 of joraising Jehovah early and late for His works 
 (vv. 1-4) ; His greatness in destroying the wicked 
 [vv. 5-7). Centre of the psalm : God is most high 
 for evermore, even when sinners seem high, and 
 saints low [v. 8) ; Destruction of the wicked— salva- 
 tion of the righteous (vv. 9-15) ; cf. Ps. xxxvii., 
 xlix., Ixxiii. Here doubts arising from the 
 prosperity of sinners are overcome by leading 
 us into the midst of God's praises in the sanc- 
 tuary {v. 3), 
 
 Title.— A Psalm or Song {a song of joyful praise) 
 for the sabbath day. As Ps. Ixxxi. was intended 
 for use at the Passover, so this psalm is for the 
 "holy convocation" on "the Sabbath" (Lev. 
 xxiii. 3). On it the Church is to ' rest from her own 
 works,' and to 'triumph in the Lord's work ' (v. 4) 
 in saving her and destroying her foes. Yarchi and 
 the Talmudic Quodshim explain the title, ' A 
 psalm-song for the future age (the age of Messiah), 
 all of which will be sabbath.' Christ's redeeming 
 work will be the grand theme of the coming sab- 
 batical age, (Heb. iv. 9, marg.) 
 
 1. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the 
 Lord — It is good to praise Him who is all good 
 (Ps. cxlvii. 1). 2. To show forth thy loving-kind- 
 ness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every 
 night— Hebrew, 'in the nights.' Morning and 
 nights comprehend the whole day (Gen. i. 5). 
 Praise to God is to be never-ceasing (Ps. v. 3 ; 
 xvi. 7 ; xxxiv. 1). The times of morning and even- 
 ing sacrifice on the Sabbath day are especially 
 alluded to, when the psalm was intended to be 
 sung in the public service of the sanctuary {v. 3). 
 The Lord's "loving-kindness" and "faithfulness" 
 are the attributes of Jehovah, which guarantee the 
 
God's judgments 
 
 PSALM XCII. 
 
 on the wicked. 
 
 3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery ; 
 2 Upon the harp with ^a solemn sound. 
 
 4 For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: 
 I will triumph in the works of thy hands. 
 
 5 0 Lord, how great are thy works ! — and thy "thoughts are very deep. 
 
 6 A ^brutish man knoweth not; — neither doth a fool understand this. 
 
 7 When '^the wicked spring as the grass, 
 
 And when all the workers of iniquity do flourish ; 
 It is that they shall be destroyed for ever : 
 
 8 But thou. Lord, art most high for evermore. 
 
 9 For, lo, thine enemies, 0 Lord, — for, lo, thine enemies shall perish ; 
 All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. 
 
 10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn : 
 I shall be anointed with fresh oil. 
 
 11 Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies. 
 
 And mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me. 
 
 salvation of His people. 3. Upon an instrument 
 of ten strings, and upon the psaltery ; upon the 
 harp. " Psaltery," or /i/re — Hebrew, 7?a6c/. "The 
 harp" — Hebrew, kinnor, or guitar. See note, Ps. 
 xxxiii, 2. with a solemn sound — Hebrew, ' upon 
 Higgaion.^ Cf. marg., Ps. ix. 16, note. 'With 
 (upon) musing' {Hengstenherg). The praise rests 
 upon musing meditation, accompanied with the 
 harp. 4. For thou, Lord, hast made me glad 
 through thy work : I will triumph in the works 
 of thy hands. The singular "work" is God's 
 doing viewed as one whole (Ps. xc. 16). The plural 
 " works," or ' actings ' (a different Hebrew word 
 from that for "work"), are the particular details 
 of God's one work. The ' work of God' here is one 
 no less marvellous than that of creation, which 
 was the original ground of hallowing the Sabbath 
 (see title of this psalm) — namely, the final redemp- 
 tion of His people. 
 
 5-7. — Gods great work in destroying the wicked. 
 5. 0 Lord, how great are thy works! and thy 
 thoughts are very deep. The ' works of Jehovah,' 
 which are pronounced "great," are His doings for 
 the deliverance of His j^eople through the destruc- 
 tion of " the wicked," their enemies. The deptW 
 of God's "thoughts " consists in their inexhaustible 
 riches of wisdom and goodness, not perceived by 
 the ungodly at all, and comprehended only in part 
 by believers (v. 6; Ps. xl. 5; Job xi. 8; Rom. xi. 
 33, " 0 the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom 
 and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are His 
 judgments, and His ways past finding out;" also 
 Isa. xxviii. 29). The depth of God's thoughts ap- 
 pears in this, that where the unrighteous seem to 
 triumpli, and the cause of the godly to be lost, 
 the deliverance of the righteous and the destruc- 
 tion of the ungodly are unexpectedly brought 
 about in vindication of the righteousness of 
 God. 
 
 6. A brutish man knoweth not ; neither doth 
 a fool understand this— (Ps. xlix. 10, 11 ; Ixxiii. 
 22.) God designedly leaves darkness enough in 
 His ways to test the faith of His people, and to 
 confound the wilfully blind, stupid, and "brutish." 
 "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear 
 him" (Ps. XXV. 14). What "this" is which the 
 brutish know not, and only believers know, is set 
 forth in v. 7. 7. When the wicked spring as the 
 grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do 
 flourish ; it is that they shall he destroyed for 
 ever— i. e., their flourishing is only 'that they 
 may be destroyed for ever.' The deliverance of 
 the godly is involved in the extermination of the 
 wicked- The wicked "spring" up quickly, and 
 ' flourinh as the grass,' and are as speedily withered. 
 303 
 
 2 Or, upon 
 the =oleran 
 sound with 
 the harp. 
 
 3 Higgaion. 
 Ps. 9. 16. 
 
 *» Ps. 139. 17. 
 
 Isa. 28. 29. 
 
 Isa. 55. 8, 9. 
 
 Jer. 23. 20. 
 
 Rom. 11.33. 
 «> Ps. 32. 9. 
 
 Ps. 73. 22. 
 
 Ps. 94. 8, 
 
 Prov. 3«.32. 
 
 Isa. 1. 3. 
 
 Jer. 10. 14. 
 
 1 Cor. 2. 11. 
 " Job 21. 7. 
 
 Jer. 12. 1. 
 
 Mai. 3. 1'.. 
 
 On the contrary, "the righteous .^owmA like the 
 palm tree," or "like a cedar in Lebanon" {v. 12). 
 feeing "planted in the house of the Lord, they 
 shall flourish in the courts of our God" {v. 13). 
 
 Here is the central pivot of the psalm. 
 8. But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore— 
 lit., 'art height,^ &c. ; the abstract used for the 
 concrete, to imply that the essence of all that is 
 high is concentrated in Jehovah. When God and 
 the cause of holiness seem low, God is really never 
 higher than then ; for out of seeming weakness 
 He perfects the greatest strength. When the 
 wicked seem high, they are then on the verge of 
 being cast down for ever. The believer who can 
 realize this will not despair at the time of his own 
 depression, and of the seeming exaltation of the 
 wicked. If we can feel 'Jehovah most high for 
 evermore,' we can well be unruffled, however low 
 we lie. 
 
 9-15. — Facts wherein God manifests himself as 
 highness itself for evermore. 9. For, lo, thine 
 enemies, 0 Lord, for, lo, thine enemies shall 
 perish. " For" introduces the facts on which the 
 Psalmist grounds the truth {v. 8) that the Lord 
 is "most high for evermore." The "lo" points to 
 them as obvious and patent, all the workers of 
 iniquity shall he scattered— lit., separated [n^Q] 
 from the Lord's people, as the chaff is separated 
 from the wheat by the wind previously to being 
 burnt, Cf, also Job iv. 11. The Chaldaic trans- 
 lates, ' shall be scattered in the age to come, and 
 separated from the congi-egation of the just' (Ps. 
 i. 4, 5 ; Matt. iii. 12 ; xiii. 30). 
 
 10. But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn 
 of an unicorn— the buffalo, or the wild ox ; 
 Hebrew, Reem: i. e., thou exaltest me to strength 
 and dignity. I shall be anointed with fresh oil— 
 the emblem of gladness ; an image from the practice 
 of anointing the head with rich unguents at a feast. 
 The " I" here in the person of the Psalmist repre- 
 sents all the godly. Their elevation follows neces- 
 sarily upon the ruin of the ungodly {v. 9). Because 
 their Lord is "most high for evermore" {v. 8), 
 they are 'exalted' on high by Him. He who is 
 height itself, makes them high. Israel, as the re- 
 presentative people of God, has the same height 
 predicated of her, and under the same image of the 
 Keem's horns (Num. xxiii. 22 ; xxiv. 8 ; Deut. 
 xxxiii. 17). The wicked now ' lift up their horn 
 on high but it shall soon be abased to the dust 
 (Ps. Ixxv. 4, 5, 10). 11. Mine eye also shall see 
 (my desire) on mine enemies, (and) mine ears 
 shall hear (my desire) of the wicked that rise up 
 against me-(Ps. xci. 8.) The words introduced 
 in the English version, " my desire," imply a desire 
 
The majesty 
 
 PSALM XCIII. 
 
 of Christ's kingdom. 
 
 12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; 
 He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 
 
 13 Those that be ^planted in the house of the Lord 
 Shall flourish in the courts of our God. 
 
 14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; 
 They shall be fat and * flourishing ; 
 
 15 To show that the Lord is upright : 
 
 ^ He is my rock, and ^ there is no unrighteousness in him. 
 
 PSALM XCIIL 
 
 1 THE "Lord reigneth; *he is clothed with majesty; 
 
 The Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself : 
 The world also is established, that it cannot be moved. 
 
 2 Thy throne is established ^of old : — thou art from everlasting. 
 
 3 The floods have lifted up, 0 Lord, — the floods have lifted up their voice 
 
 Ps. 52. 8. 
 Song 7. 7. 
 Isa. 55. l\ 
 Isa. 65. 22. 
 Hos. 14. 5. 
 
 * Isa. 60. 21. 
 
 * green. 
 Eze. 47. 12. 
 
 / Deut. 32. 4. 
 " Rom. 9. 14. 
 
 PSALM 93. 
 " Isa. 52. 7. 
 
 Rev. 19. 6. 
 6 Job 40. 10. 
 
 Ps. 104. 1. 
 
 Isa. 69. 17. 
 
 Isa. 63. 1. 
 " Prov. 8. 22. 
 1 from then. 
 
 for vengeance in the Psalmist which is not in the 
 original— ' Mine eye also shall look upon mine 
 enemies (those who lie in wait for me [iiki*]), and 
 mine ears shall hear of those that rise against me 
 (namely) evil-doers;' L e., shall see and hear how 
 the Lord recomijenses their evil on themselves. 
 12. The righteous shall flourish like the palm 
 tree— in contrast to "the wicked," who 'spring 
 as the grass, and do flourish' for a brief space, 
 soon to be "destroyed for ever" (''. 7). The psalm, 
 as it refers to the Church primarily, has here an 
 allusion to the tabernacle, the holy place of 
 meeting between God and His assembled people 
 {o. 13). The holy candlestick in the sanctuary, 
 the symbol of the Church, had the form of a tree 
 lo'tth flowers and fruit, to denote the beauty, the 
 ever-fresh joy, and the fruitfulness of the people of 
 God. Figures pf flowers were upon the curtains 
 of the tabernacle ; and the interior wall of Solo- 
 mon's temple was decorated with carved palms 
 and opening blossoms {marg., 1 Ki. vi. 29), along with 
 cherubic figures, he shall grow like a cedar in 
 liQhdi'n.on— upright, and ever retaining its fresh ver- 
 dure. So, spiritually, believers. 13. Those that 
 be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish 
 in the courts of our God— They in spirit always 
 dwell in the sanctuary of God's presence, of which 
 the outward sanctuary is the visible pledge. The 
 house of God is to believers what a rich soil is to 
 natural trees (Isa. v. 1). The Church, with its 
 ordinances, is ' a vineyard in a very fruitful hill.' 
 Cf. Ps. i. 3. 14. They shall still bring forth fruit 
 in old age— (Isa. xlvi. 4.) they shall be fat and 
 flourishing— ' full of sap and green.' 15. To show 
 that the Lord is upright : (he is) my rock, and 
 (there is) no unrighteousness in him— akin to 
 Deut. xxxii. 4. " My rock " expresses God's 
 fast faithfulness to Bis ivord. It in the second 
 clause answers to "Jehovah" in the first, which 
 name expresses unchanging faithfulness to His pro- 
 mises {ctv. 2). God''s 2iprightness, or straightforward, 
 right dealing with His people, remains unchanged, 
 even thougli for a time His people may seem to be 
 forsaken. 
 
 PSALM XCIII. 1-5.— Jehovah's coming in His 
 kingdom is the Church's consolation when the world- 
 power threatens {vv. 1, 2); the world's mighty, roaring 
 floods must yield to Jehovah's supreme might [vv. 3, 
 4); His testimonies as to His people' s safety are sure: 
 the foe shall never desecrate His house {v. 5). The 
 similar phrases, Ps. xcii. 8, and the same words 
 repeated, Ps. xcii. 9, cf. v. 3 here, show the two 
 psalms form a pair. The time was probably when 
 Assyria threatened Jerusalem, (notes, Ps. xlvi.) 
 
 1, 2. The Lord reigneth— i. e., the Lord has be- 
 ame king~(Pa. xcvi. 10 ; xcvii. 1 ; xcix. 1. ) The I 
 304 
 
 formula proclaimed at the accession of earthly 
 sovereigns (2 Sam. xv. 10; 1 Ki. i. 11, 13; marg., 
 2 Ki. ix. 13, "Jehu reigneth"). The reference 
 is not to the ordinary and constant government 
 of God, but to His assuming a new and glorious 
 kingdom. The arrogant proclamation of the 
 world-power was virtually 'the Assyrian reigneth;' 
 the overthrow of him was God's counter-proclama- 
 tion, "The Lord (Jehovah) reigneth." The anti- 
 typical sense is, the world-powers under Antichrist, 
 energized by Satan (Rev. xvi. 14; xvii. 12-14, 17), 
 shall make one last desperate stroke, seemingly 
 for the moment successful, for the dominion of the 
 earth, in defiance of the Lord, (2 Thess. ii. ) But 
 Christ will take His great power and reign as 
 " King of kings and Lord of lords," having over- 
 thrown utterly the antichristian enemy (Isa. xxiv. 
 2:3; Obad. 21 ; Zech. xiv. 9; Rev. xi. 15, 17; xix. 6). 
 the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith 
 he hath girded himself. The expression "girded 
 Himself," not ' He is girded,' refers to a future 
 revelation of His might and majesty. Cf. Isa. li. 
 9. For "is clothed" translate, 'He hath clothed 
 Himself. . . He hath girded Himself (Ps. xlv. 3) 
 with strength.' The majestic might wherewith 
 the Lord arrays Himself is the antidote to the 
 proud strength of the God-opposed world, the 
 world also is established— in righteousness, -with 
 the kingdom of God on it, as the consequence of 
 the Lord's coming in His kingdom : whereas the 
 world had been disordered, and all its foundations 
 of righteousness put ' out of course ' (Ps. Ixxxii. 5) 
 by the usurping powers of this i)resent world- 
 course (Ps. xlvi. 2-6). He will manifest in reno- 
 vating and re-establishing the world, so that it 
 cannot be moved, the same omnipotence which 
 He exercised in creating it (Ps. civ. 5, referring 
 to creation). Here and in Ps. xcvi. 10 the refer- 
 ence is to the re-establishment of the world now 
 disorganized by sin ; the allusion to creation and 
 the new creation is appropriate iu this psalm, 
 which, with the former psalm, was designed for 
 the Sabbath day. The Babylonian Talmud states 
 that it was the Jews' custom to sing it on the 
 sixth day of the week ; so the LXX. prefix the 
 heading, ' For the day before the Sabbath, when the 
 earth was established.' 2. Thy throne is estab- 
 lished of old: thou art from everlasting. God's 
 throne, from everlasting and to everlasting, is set 
 over against the modern ' throne of iniquitv ' (Ps. 
 xciv. 20), erected by the godless rebels, which shall 
 come to speedy overthrow. of old [t^d] — lit, 
 * from then,' "from that time" (Isa. xliv. 8; xlv. 
 21; xlviiL 3, 5, 7; Prov. viii. 22; Isa. xli. 4; xliv. 
 6; Rev. i. 17). 
 3. The floods have lifted up, 0 Lord, the floods 
 
The propJiet 
 
 PSALM XCIV 
 
 calling for justice. 
 
 The floods lift up their waves. 
 
 4 The Lord on high is mightier than the lioise of many waters, 
 Yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. 
 
 5 Thy testimonies are very sure : 
 
 Holiness becometh thine house, 0 Lord, ^for ever. 
 
 PSALM XCIV. 
 
 1 0 LORD "^God, to whom vengeance belongeth; 
 
 0 God, to whom vengeance belongeth, ^show thyself. 
 
 2 Lift up thyself, thou "Judge of the earth : — render a reward to the proud. 
 
 3 Lord, ^how long shall the wicked, — how long shall the wicked triumph ? 
 
 2 to length 
 of days. 
 
 KSALM 91. 
 
 1 God of 
 revenges. 
 Dent. S2.:i5. 
 Nah. 1. 2. 
 
 3 shine forth. 
 " Gen. 18. 26. 
 
 Ps. 60. P. 
 John 5. 22, 
 23. 
 
 2 Cor. 5. 10. 
 6 Job ;.0. 5. 
 
 have lifted up their voice. "The floods" are 
 here the seas, the emblem of the tumultuous mass 
 of the world-powers (Ps. xlvi. 2, 3). the floods 
 lift up their waves— , ' their breakers : ' waves 
 da-shed into collision with waves [^"y}., from a He- 
 brew root, to dash to pieces, no"!]. 4. The Lord 
 on high is mightier than the noise of many- 
 waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea 
 — IM., ' more thau the voices of many waters, (yea 
 than) of the mighty waves of the sea: mighty iu 
 the height (or on Jdgji) is Jehovah' (cf. Ps. Ixxvi. 
 4). Jehovah's voice in the thunder is the outward 
 indication of His power and majesty. As the 
 thunder is louder than the loudest roar of the sea, 
 so the Lord is in might far above not only the 
 roaring sea, but also the blustering world-pov/ers 
 who oppose His cause and His people, (cf. Ps. 
 XXIX. ) The Church may hear in tlie thunder 
 which terrifies the world God's voice of assurance 
 to her (Ps. Ixxxix. 9). 
 
 5. Thy testimonies are very sure— i. e,, thy 
 promises to thy people in thy Word are surely to he 
 depended upon (Ps. xix. 7). The sureness of His 
 testimony of salvation to His people follows neces- 
 sarily from His majesty and might, which are far 
 superior to all opposition of blustering enemies, as 
 described in vv. 1-4 (Rev. xix. 9; xxi. 5; xxii. 6). 
 holiness becometh thine house ... for ever. It is 
 hecoming that thou shouldest keep from violation and 
 defilement by the enemy the sanctity of thine own house 
 (Ps. Ixxiv. 7; Ixxix. 1). The leading thought of 
 the psalm is not what we should do towards God 
 (a.s if it were, thy house should be kept holy by us), 
 but what IJe should do for the Church: this is 
 what she pleads before Him, in order to have 
 assurance of His safeguard amidst the blustering 
 assaults of the world. So Ps. xcii. similarly closes 
 with the Church's confident hope from God. The 
 "for ever" (lit., Jor length of days) here, compared 
 with Hebrew, Ps. xxiii. 6, accords with this view. 
 Also the parallel first clause confirms it. God has 
 provided for the sacro-sanctity of His house. If 
 because of His people's sins He suffered the Chal- 
 dees to destroy the first temple, He raised in its 
 stead the second. The second for the lifeless for- 
 malism of the people, which ended in the awful sin 
 of crucifying the Lord of glory, was destroyed, only 
 to give lilace to the more glorious spiritual temple 
 of the Holy Ghost, the Christian Church. 'The 
 ivorld did not destroy it, but God Himself took 
 down the poor i)rovisional building, when the 
 proper one was completed' {Hengstenherg). And 
 though its state in the last times before Christ's 
 second advent shall be low indeed, yet it shall rise 
 again with far greater glory than ever, because 
 God's faithfulness is engaged for its sanctity. 
 
 PSALM XCIV. l-'^.— Prayer for Jehovah's ap- 
 pearing as Judge to execute vengeance on the jjroud 
 {ov. 1,2); ground of the prayer, the secmAng im- 
 jrunity of tfi£ wicked in violent deeds and words [w. 
 3-7) ; refutation of tlieir imagination that God does 
 VOL. III. 30J 
 
 not see {vv. 8-11); blessedness of those tvho, not mis- 
 judging God's longsuff 'ering with the wicked oppres- 
 sors, profit by chastening, being taught by God out oj 
 His law; at last they shall have rest, and the wicked 
 be cast into the pit {vv. 12-15) ; the Churches confi- 
 dence in Jehovah, when ready to slip through the 
 enemy'' s persecution {vv. 16-19) ; Jehovah will not 
 let the throne of iniquity prevail, but will save 
 His people, and bring upon sinners their own ini- 
 quity {vv. 20-23). The series of psalms, xci.-c, 
 have the common theme, the Lord's manifestation 
 for His people's comfort, and their foes' confusion. 
 Eepetitious of phrases are frequent {vr>. 1, 3, 23: cf, 
 Ps. xciii. 3). They probably belong to the time when 
 Assyria, having carried away the Ten tribes, was 
 threatening Judah. Their anticipation of Jeho- 
 vah's manifestation for His people was realized 
 in the overthrow of Sennacherib at Jerusalem. 
 The ulterior reference is to Antichrist's overthrow 
 by the Lord's Epiphany, 
 
 1. O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth 
 , . . show thyself— rather, as in Ps. 1. 2; Ixxx. 
 1, shine forth;''' make thine Epiphany. So the 
 Chaldaic and Syriac also, like the English ver- 
 sion, takes it imperatively. But the LXX., Vul- 
 gate, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions take it in 
 the past or present tense, as Ps. 1. 2 ; Deut. 
 xxxiii. 2. Hengstenherg prefers this, 'The God 
 of vengeance . . . shines forth.' The Psalmist 
 begins with the exi)ression of confidence in the 
 appearance of God for help, 'The God of ven- 
 geance shines ' {y. 1). On the ground of this there 
 rises the following prayer. But the prayer in v. 2 
 seems to me abrupt if taken by itself, and more 
 easy if taken as the continuation of a previous 
 prayer in v. 1. However, the Hebrew form here 
 is not the same as the imperative form in Ps. Ixxx. 1. 
 [Here it is v'^^n, instead of np^Q'm]. Also Ps. xciii., 
 xcvii., xcix. begin with the preterite, "The Lord 
 reigneth." The confident expectation of the speedy 
 coming of the Lord to reign is the distinguishing 
 feature of these psalms. This is the Psalmist's 
 starting point. The twice-uttered 'O God of ven- 
 geances'' (Hebrew), and the plural, imply vehe- 
 ment eav'iestuess. 'There is in God a whole 
 fulness of vengeance for His injured Church ' 
 {Hengstenberg). Cf. Deut. xxxii. 35, to which this 
 verse alludes. That God's righteousness binds 
 Him to give, in "vengeance," "tribulation to 
 them that trouble" His people, and "rest" unto 
 the latter from all their troubles, is the ground on 
 which the Church's hope of His appearing rests 
 (2 Thess. i. 6-8). 2. Lift up thyself, thou Judge of 
 the earth— (Ps. vii. 6.) Set thyself on high on the 
 throne of judgment. Thou art really "judge of 
 the earth ;" manifest thy power as such, render 
 a reward to the proud— (Ps. xxviii. 4.) "The 
 Xjroud" are the haughty and seemingly triumphant 
 persecutors of the godly. 
 
 3, 4. Lord, how long shall the wicked . . . 
 triumph? (How long) shall they utter (and) 
 
The prophet teacheth 
 
 PSALM XCIV. 
 
 God's providence. 
 
 4 How long shall they utter and speak hard things ? 
 And all the workers of iniquity boast themselves ? 
 
 5 They break in pieces thy people, 0 Lord, — and afflict thine heritage : 
 
 6 They slay the widow and the stranger, — and murder the fatherless. 
 
 7 Yet they say, The Lord shall not see. 
 Neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. 
 
 8 Understand, ye brutish among the people : 
 And ye fools, when will ye be wise ? 
 
 9 He '^that planted the ear, shall he not hear? 
 He that formed the eye, shall he not see ? 
 
 10 He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct ? 
 He that ^teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know ? 
 
 11 The -^LoRD knoweth the thoughts of man, — that they are vanity. 
 
 12 Blessed ^is the man whom thou chastenest, 0 Lord, 
 And teachest him out of thy law ; 
 
 speak hard things?— rather, an assertion without 
 an ellipsis, or a question— ' They spntter, they 
 speak wanton things' (Ps. Ixxv. 5; xxxi. 18; Jiule 
 15). all the workers of iniquity boast them- 
 selves ? The Hebrew // ithpael implies impassioned 
 speaking. 5. They break in pieces thy people, 0 
 Lord— a sample of the deeds of "the workers of 
 iniquity," as v. 4 is a sample of their words, and 
 afflict thine heritg^ge — as Pharaoh did to Israel 
 in Egypt (Gen. xv. 13; Exod. i. 12). 6. They slay 
 the widow and the stranger, and murder the 
 fatherless. As the heathen enemies did not 
 usually make th.e widow and the fatherless the 
 chief objects of their rage, perhaps under the 
 image of " the widow " the widowed Church, in the 
 absence visibly of the Heavenly Bridegroom, is 
 meant (Luke xviii. 3-8); "the stranger" expresses 
 the relation in which the saint stands to this 
 world (Ps. xxxix. 12); "the fatherless," the or- 
 phaned state of the disciples on the departure of 
 their Lord, (John xiv. 18, marg.) However, the 
 Assyrians, probably, like the Oha,ldeans, "slew 
 with the sword, and had no compassion upon 
 young man or maiden, old man or him that stooi^ed 
 for age" (2 Chr. xxxvi. 17); so that the literal 
 meaning may also hold good. God, as being the 
 "Father of the fatherless, and Judge of the 
 widows" (Ps, Ixviii. 5: cf. Deut. x. 18), will be 
 moved to compassion by such wrongs inflicted on 
 the defenceless, so as to interpose in behalf of His 
 elect. No appeal could be more effectual with the 
 righteous and merciful God than this. 7.. Yet 
 they say, The Lord shall not see, neither . . . the 
 God of Jacob regard It — (Ps. x. 11, 13; lix, 7; 
 Ixxiii. 11.) 
 
 8. Understand, ye brutish among the people. 
 
 The Psalmist turns from the infidel oppressors 
 who uttered the eavil against God (v. 7) to those 
 "among the people" of God by profession who 
 give ear to and secretly sympathize with it. Men 
 become "brutish" by severance from God; for it 
 is only by union with Him that man, made in the 
 image of God, attains His true ideal (Ps. Ixxiii. 22 ; 
 xcii. 6). and ye fools, when will ye be wise? 
 '*The world by wisdom knew not God" (1 Cor. i. 
 21). Therefore, "if any man eeemeth to be wise 
 in this world, let him become a fool that he may 
 be wise " (1 Cor. iii. 18). The worldly pique them- 
 selves on an intelligence superior to superstitious 
 prejudices in ignoring God ; yet this is the very 
 acme of folly. 9. He that planted the ear, shall 
 he not hear ? he that formed the eye, shall he 
 not see?— Can He give these faculties toothers^ 
 and yet all the while not possess tliem Himself? 
 Nay, He must and does hear the infidel's scoff, 
 and His people's sighs and groans. 10. He that 
 
 
 • Ps. 31. 19. 
 
 
 Ps. 69. 7, 12. 
 
 
 Ps. 64. 3, 4. 
 
 
 Ps. 73. 8. 9. 
 
 
 Ps. 140. 3. 
 
 
 Jude 15. 
 
 
 d Ex. 4. 11. 
 
 
 Prov. i0.12. 
 
 
 • Job 36. 11 
 
 
 Isa. 2. 3. 
 
 
 Isa. 28. 23. 
 
 
 Iga. 54. 1^?. 
 
 
 John 6. 45. 
 
 
 / 1 Cor. 1. 21. 
 
 
 1 Cor. 3. 20. 
 
 
 f Job 5. 17. 
 
 
 Prov. 3. 11. 
 
 
 1 Cor. 11.32. 
 
 
 Heb. 12. 5. 
 
 Chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? 
 
 He who admonishes the heatlien through His law 
 written on the conscience (though they have not 
 the revealed law), and through the in ward thoughts 
 reproving them for sin (Rom. i. 20; ii. 14, 15), shall 
 not He punish? The Hebrew [id;] for "chas- 
 tiseth" means to admonish (here by the voice of 
 conscience witnessing for God even in the heathen 
 breast), as the parallelism to 'teacheth know- 
 ledge' proves. So the same Hebrew is used in r. 
 12; also in Ps. ii. 10, "be instructed, ye judges of 
 the earth." From the admonitory influence which 
 God exercises on the consciences of the people and 
 the lieathen, there follows necessarily the conclu- 
 sion that He 'sees' and 'punishes' their evil 
 deeds against the godly. Translate, 'shall not 
 He punish?' The sense is not, shall not He who 
 formerly punished the heathen, punish them also 
 now ? The Hebrew verbs are distinct, and there is 
 no ' formerly ' or ' now ' to sustain such a sense, 
 he that teacheth man knowledge, (shall not he 
 know) ? It is to God that men owe whatever 
 knowledge they have. Shall not, then. He know 
 what they know and think ? The latter clause is 
 rightly supplied in the English version. 11. The 
 Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are 
 vanity. "The thoughts" or 'schemes' of men 
 against His people God not only 'knows,' but 
 'knows that they will prove vanity' — i. e., abor- 
 tive. But the sense rather is, "they " [nnn, the 
 masculine], not "the thoughts," but 'mew.' (as 
 the Hebrew for " man " is) are vanity. In opposi- 
 tion to the scoff that God does not "see" or knov), 
 the Psalmist declares that God, as being 'Je- 
 hovah,' the self-existing Being, wliereas 'men 
 are vanity ' or nothingness, must and * does know 
 the thoughts ' or ' schemes of men ' (of. Ps. xl. 17 ; 
 xxxix. 5, 11; Ixii. 9). Translate, 'Jehovah know- 
 eth the devices of men, seeing that they (men) are 
 vanity.' So the Syriac. Seeing that men possess 
 all their knowledge only by God's gratuitous gift, 
 Jehovah, the self-existent source of intelligence, 
 must know their thoughts. 
 
 12-15. — Blessedness of those who receive aright 
 God's monitions, 12. Blessed is the man whom 
 thou chastenest, 0 'Lord— lit, ' Oh the blessednesses 
 of the man whom thou dost admonish!' (as in v. 10, 
 note.) Those who give themselves up to the 
 Lord^s monitions are contrasted with the "brutish 
 among the people," who listen to the infidel and 
 heathenish scoffs (v, 7), "The Lord shall not see." 
 and teachest him out of thy \2JW—thy revealed 
 '* law ;" a teaching raised in point of clearness, f iil- 
 ne'=!3, and blessedness far above the natural law 
 wriUen on the conscience alluded to (y. 10) in the 
 
Re showeth the 
 
 PSALM XCIV. 
 
 blessedness of affliction. 
 
 13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, 
 Until the pit be digged for the wicked. 
 
 14 For '^the Lord will not cast off his people, 
 Neither will he forsake his inheritance : 
 
 15 But judgment shall return unto righteousness; 
 And all the upright in heart ^ shall follow it. 
 
 16 Who will rise up for me against the evil-doers ? 
 Or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity ? 
 
 17 Unless the Lord had been my help 
 My soul had * almost dwelt in silence. 
 
 18 When I said, My foot slippeth ; — thy mercy, 0 Lord, held me up. 
 
 19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me — thy comforts delight my soul. 
 
 20 Shall Hhe throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, 
 Which ^'frameth mischief by a law ? 
 
 21 They * gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous. 
 And 'condemn the innocent blood. 
 
 case of the heathen, 'He that admonishes the 
 heathen . . . He that teacheth man knowledge.' 
 For the fall, man's innate corruption, and sinful 
 practice have greatly perverted even conscience, so 
 that it only partially now witnesses for God and 
 His law. The revealed "law" is the fountain 
 out of which the Holy Spirit draws the waters of 
 life for man's spiritual teaching. The use of it re- 
 ferred to here (see v. 13) is to comfort God's people 
 by its sure promises of "rest " to them, when the 
 pit of destruction shall swallow the wicked, (Lev. 
 xxvi. ; Deut. xxxii.) 13. That thou mayest give 
 him rest from the days of adversity— j. e., That 
 thou mayest give him rest of mind, so as to be free 
 from fear in the days of adversity. The promises 
 in God's "law"(y. 12) remove all distress, mur- 
 muring, and despondency from the godly in times 
 when the cause of the ungodly seems to triumph 
 (Ps. cxii. 8 ; xlix. 5, note : Luke xxi. 9, 19). until 
 the pit he dug for the wicked. The phrase, "the 
 wicked" here explains who are " the heathen" 
 meant in v. 10. The godly can well aflbrd to be 
 tranquil and patient until the day of righteous 
 retributions. Ps. xxxvii. 31-34 is exactly parallel, 
 'The law of God in the heart ' of the godly man, 
 keeping him from slipping, so that he " waits on 
 the Lord " until the day of recompenses, when the 
 present depression of the godly and elevation of 
 the ungodly shall be for ever reversed (cf. 2 Tliess. 
 i 4-10); w^here " rest " refers to the consummation 
 of the " rest " spoken of here— the mental and par- 
 tial rest of the godly here being hereafter about to 
 be perfected in complete rest alike outward and 
 inward. 14. For — introducing the ground of the 
 blessedness of those who, being taught by the 
 Lord, have inward rest even in adversity, the 
 Lord will not cast off his people— /or eve>\ "though 
 He forsake them for a time [v. 5; Judg. vi. 13; 
 Isa. ii. C) in righteous chastisement for their for- 
 saking Him (Deut. xxxii. 15). 15. But judgment 
 shall return unto righteousness— ^. e., unto that 
 which is r'u/hteous. At length just judgment, which 
 seems now to have forsaken tlie earth (Isa. lix. 14, 
 15), shall return (cf. Isa. xlii. 4). and all the up- 
 right in heart shall follow it. The righteous shall 
 accompany justice in its return to earth with joy 
 of heart, and, as in a triumphant procession, wel- 
 come its ascendancy {De Bargli). As they in 
 heart follow it now, longing for its re-establish- 
 ment on earth, so on its return they shall accom- 
 pany it with exultation of heart (cf. Isa. xiv. 12; Ix. 
 21). Messiah, the embodiment of "righteous- 
 ness," shall bring it with Him at His coming, (Isa. 
 xi.) The Chaldaic exjjlains, ' And after him all the 
 upright in heart shall heredeemed (ai. Rom. viii. 23). 
 307 
 
 ^ Djut. 1. 6. 
 IS m. 12.22. 
 
 1 Ki. 6. 13. 
 Jer. ol. 3 •. 
 Jer. 33. 25, 
 
 26. 
 
 Rom. 11. 2. 
 3 shall ba 
 after it. 
 i Or, 
 
 quickly. 
 »■ l?am.2:.ir. 
 Ps. 52. 1. 
 Ps. 82. 1. 
 Amo5 6. 3. 
 
 2 Cor. 6. 11. 
 j Ps. 58. 2. 
 
 Isa. 10. 1. 
 <: Matt. 27. 1. 
 ' Ex. 23. 7. 
 Prov. 17.1'. 
 
 16. Who will rise up for me against the evil 
 doers ? The answer is contained in v. 17. Who 
 else save Jehovah ? or who will stand up for me 
 against the workers of iniquity ?— (Ps. xxxv. 1 ; 
 Zech. iii. 1-5.) Especially at His visible coming 
 again, Christ will "stand up " for His people (Job. 
 xix. 25; Dan. xii. 1). 17. Unless the Lord had 
 been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in si- 
 lence — my soul was within a little of having had 
 silence for its habitation, being given over to the 
 stillness of death (Ps. xxxi. 17 ; cxv. 17). 18. 
 When I said, My foot slippeth ; thy mercy, 0 Lord, 
 held me up. Here he explains ?\ 17. The occa- 
 sion of thy "help" was when I was almost giving 
 way to despair and apostasy. The spiritual slip- 
 ping of the foot and the upholding mercy of the 
 Lord are vividly typified by Peter's foot sinking 
 through unbelieving fear of the boisterous winds 
 and waves, until Jesus stretched forth His hand 
 and caught him (Matt. xiv. 30, 31 : cf. Ps. Ixvi. 9). 
 The trial here is inward, and the mercy vouch- 
 safed inward (cf. v. 19). The outward deliverance 
 is yet future. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts 
 within me, thy comforts delight my soul. " My 
 thoughts " are literally, ' my distracting and per- 
 plexed thoughts' rcsi'^: explained by Mercator as 
 the principal hough in the top of a tree which is tossed 
 to and fro by the wind: compounded of T^, chief, and 
 a leafy bough. Gesenius takes it from csri?*, 
 in Job iv. 13, with "i inserted]. One who is brought 
 to an extremity bordering on despair is distracted 
 with conflicting thoughts how to find a way of 
 escape. This was my state, says the Psalmist, 
 when thou didst ' intensely delight ' my soul 
 with the comfort of thy relief. The Hebrew for 
 "delight" is reduplicated to express intense de- 
 light. 
 
 20-23-— God will not suffer enthroned iniquity to 
 prevail, but will visit the wicked according to 
 their iniquity, and will be the refuge of His people. 
 
 20. Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship 
 with thee — lit., 'be bound together' or 'joined 
 (in covenant) with thee.' " Iniquity 
 'miseries.' The throne that causes wicked destruc- 
 tions. "The seat of violence " (Amos vi. 3). Cf. Ps. 
 cxxv. 3, marg. Wilt thou sufier it to prevail, as if 
 thou, the source of all dominions, wert in covenant 
 with it ? which frameth mischief hy a law 1—lit. , 
 ' upon statute.' The statute rule upon which their 
 proceedings are based is mischievousness. But the 
 Syriac and Arabic translate, ''against thy law' 
 [so often means]. " Mischief "—^if., suffering. 
 
 21. They gather themselves together— 'they 
 
An exliortation 
 
 PSALM XCV. 
 
 22 But the Lord is my defence ; — and my God is the rock of my refuge. 
 
 23 And '"he shall bring upon them their own iniquity. 
 And shall cut them off" in their own wickedness; 
 Yea, the Lord our God shall cut them off. 
 
 PSALM XCV. 
 
 1 0 COME, let us sing unto the Lord ; 
 
 Let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation. 
 
 2 Let us ^come before his presence with thanksgiving, 
 And make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. 
 
 3 For the Lord is a great God, — and a great King above all gods. 
 
 4 2 In his hand are the deep places of the earth; 
 ^ The strength of the hills is his also. 
 
 5 '^The sea is his, and he made it; — and his hands formed the dry land. 
 
 6 0 come, let us worship and bow down ; 
 Let "us kneel before the Lord our ^ Maker. 
 
 7 For he is our God ; 
 
 And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. 
 ^To-day if ye will hear his voice, 
 
 rush in troops.'' 22. But tlie Lord is my defence— 
 lit.^ 'bii^h tower.' 23. And he shall bring upon 
 tiiem tlieir own iniquity— (Pro v. v. 22: Jer. ii. 
 19.) 
 
 PSALM XCV. \-\\.— Joyfully praise Jehovah 
 our Saviour, as sole Lord of land and sea, and kneel 
 before Him {vv. 1-6); v)arning against hardenitu/ the 
 heart now in the day of grace, lest, as in the unbeliev- 
 ing Israelites^ case, no entrance should be allowed 
 into God's rest {vv. 7-11). Hebrews iii. and iv. con- 
 firm the Messianic interpretation. " Saying in 
 David," designates the Book of Psalms mi general; 
 not meaning that this particular psalm is David's 
 composition, " Rest " is anticipated through Jeho- 
 vah's interposition against the Assyrian, just as 
 Joshua had been enabled to obtain the rest in 
 Canaan. As in his time many had failed to obtain 
 it through unbelief, so in Hezekiah's day, judg- 
 ments consumed the "sinners inZion," so that their 
 eyes did not " see Jerusalem a quiet habitation " 
 secured to God's people after Sennacherib's over- 
 throw (Isa. xxxiii, 14, 20, 21, 24). The ulterior 
 "rest" meant is the heavenly (Heb. iv. 9). 
 
 1. O come, let us sing unto the Lord— He- 
 brew, 'let us sing lotid songs of joy. Not merely 
 loud utterances of the voice are meant : the 
 negative expression of the same exhortation, 
 " Harden not your heart" {v. 8), implies that here 
 also voices from the hea7't are meant, the Rock of 
 our salvation— the unchangeable and sure founda- 
 tion of our trust (Ps. xviii. 2; xciv. 22). 2. Let us 
 come before his presence with thanksgiving— 
 lit., 'anticipate His face:' expressing earnest haste 
 and zeal (Ps. xxi. 3, note; Ixxix. 8; Ixxxviii. 13). 
 
 3. For the Lord is a great God, and a great 
 King above all gods— not that the heathen gods 
 are realities (Ps. xcvi. 4, 5). The expression is 
 adapted to the contrast drawn to the heathen view 
 of Jehovah as a petty god inferior to their own 
 gods. In vv. 4, 5 the idol gods are virtually denied 
 not only superiority, but even existence. For the 
 Lord has as his own alike the heights and the 
 depths of the earth, the sea, and the land, so that 
 nothing is left for them; and, as they have nothing, 
 they must themselves be nothing. 4. In his hand 
 are the deep places of the earth— the places 
 which have to be searched; the hidden deeps, as 
 contrasted with those that meet the eye (Job 
 xxxviii. 16; Jer. xxxi, 37). the strength of the 
 hills is his also— rather, 'the heights of the hills.' | 
 
 Prov 2. 22. 
 
 PSALM 96. 
 
 1 prevent his 
 face. 
 
 2 In whose. 
 Or. the 
 he gilts of 
 the hi. Is 
 are his. 
 
 * Who-e the 
 
 sea is. 
 "» 1 Ki. 8. 64. 
 
 2 Cbr. 6. 13. 
 
 Ezra 9. 6. 
 
 Dan. 6. 10. 
 
 Acts 7. 20. 
 
 Acts 20. 36, 
 
 Acts 21. 6. 
 
 1 Cor. 6. 23. 
 
 Eph. 3. 14. 
 b Job 35. 10. 
 
 Isa. 64. 5. 
 1 John 1. 3. 
 ! « Heb. 3. 1 
 
 The Hebrew [nicr'in, from cp;, to pant with weari- 
 ness] is a. vtoetical expression for the heights which 
 can be only reached by a toilsome ascent : in con- 
 trast to "the deep places of the earth." Or else 
 the reference is to the wealth of the hills, obtained 
 only by labour (Gesenius), corresponding to the 
 former, " the deep places of the earth," explained 
 as referring to the mines (Mendelssohn). Go where 
 man may, with all liis toil and searching in the 
 heights or in the depths of the earth, he cannot 
 find a place beyond the range of God's dominion. 
 5. The sea is his, and he made it— lit., 'Whose 
 is the sea.' Not only does He own both land and 
 sea [vv. 4, 5), but " He made " them. 
 
 6.— The central verse, and turning point of the 
 psalm. It embodies in summary and intensifies 
 the thought of the first strophe {vv. 1-5). 6. 0 
 come, let us worship and bow down; let us 
 kneel before the Lord our Maker. Here to the 
 utterance of the voice, and the hastening with the 
 feet into God's presence {w. 1, 2), there is added 
 the bending of the knee. This attitude is only 
 introduced as the natural and instinctive expres- 
 sion of the loving reverence of the " heart " {v. 8). 
 The bowed person and the bended knee are the token 
 of humility, unreserved surrender, and self-dedi- 
 cating obedience. Jehovah is termed by Israel 
 ''our Maker," as being the Creator alike of the 
 individuals of the ijeople as men, as also of the 
 people as a nation. Deut. xxxii. 6 is the original 
 passage—" Is not He thy Father . . . hath He not 
 made thee, und established thee?" (cf. Isa. xliv. 
 1, 2). 
 
 7-11. — Warning against hardening the heart, and 
 so forfeiting the Lord's promised rest, like the 
 unbelieving Israelities in the wilderness. 7. For 
 he is our God. The "For" introduces the agree- 
 ment, justifying the preceding assertion that "the 
 Lord" is "our Maker." and we are the people 
 of his pasture— (Ps. Ixxiv. 1.) and the sheep of 
 his hand— the sheep which He counts as His own, 
 even as sheep, when being counted, "pass under 
 the hands of him that telleth them" (Jer. xxxiii. 
 13). The phrase also implies the guidance and 
 protection which the Lord vouchsafes with His 
 hand to His people (Ps. xxiii, 3, 4). 
 
 To-day if ye will hear his voice. By saying 
 "to-day," God " linaiteth a certain day" (Heb. iv. 
 7). To-day, not to-morrow. Supply the conse- 
 quent member of the sentence after the " if," &c 
 
An exhortation 
 
 PSALM XCVI. 
 
 to praise God. 
 
 8 Harden not your heart, ^as in the ^provocation, 
 And as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 
 
 9 When your fathers tempted me, — proved me, and saw my work. 
 
 10 Forty * years long was I grieved with this generation, 
 And said, It is a people that do err in their heart, 
 And they have not known my ways : 
 
 11 Unto whom ^ l sware in my wrath, 
 
 ^ That they should not enter into my rest. 
 
 PSALM XCVL 
 
 1 0 SING unto the Lord a new song ;— -sing unto the LoRD, all the earth. 
 
 2 Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; 
 Show forth his salvation from day to day. 
 
 *' If ye will hear His voice," you will be in blessed 
 reality what you are by calling and name, "the 
 people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand." 
 So an ellipsis has to be supplied after "if" (Ps. 
 Ixxxi. 8). The LXX., Vulgate, Ethiopia, Arabic, 
 and Syriac versions connect the clause with the 
 following verse, ' To-day if (or wkoi) ye hear His 
 voice, harden not your heart.' But Exod. xxiii. 
 21, 22 is the fundamental passage on which this 
 here rests, "Beware of him, and obep his voice, 
 provoke him not (the angel of the Lord, who will 
 lead you into Canaan) . . . But if thou shalt indeed 
 obey His voice, and do all that I speak; then I will 
 be an enemy unto thine enemies." This passage is 
 against connecting the closing clause of v. 7, with 
 the following clause, v. 8. Also the parallel, Ps. 
 Ixxxi. 8, " Hear, 0 my people ... 0 Israel, i/thou 
 wilt hearken unto me (it shall go well with thee)," 
 Also the change of person is against the connection, 
 " To-day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your 
 heart, as in the provocation . . . when your fathers 
 tempted me." Also the Hebrew accents. Also the 
 Hebrew means not mere hearing (as it is taken in 
 the connection with v. 8), but giving ear to or 
 listening to something so as to obeT/. The "For," 
 iu the beginning of the verse, too, accords with the 
 former view, Inasnntch as He is our God, listen to 
 His voice, that so it may go w^eU with you. 8. as 
 in the provocation, and as in tlie day of temp- 
 tation in the wilderness— Hebrew, ' as Meribah, 
 as the day of Massah.' Whilst the names of those 
 places are intended, allusion also is made to the 
 meaning of those names, as in the English version. 
 Merihah expresses rebellious Israel's ^chiding'' and 
 striving with the Lord; Massah, Israel's temj'jting 
 Him by saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?" 
 Tlie allusion is to Exod. xvii. 1-7, where both 
 names are given; not to Num. xx. 2-13, where the 
 name Meribah alone occurs. 9. When your 
 fathers tempted me, proved me— rather, ' Where,' 
 'at which place' (in Massah Meribah). [So the 
 Hebrew is used in Ps. Ixxxiv. 3, iji'N]. and saw 
 my work— Hebrew [c^], ' they also saw my work ;* 
 i. e., even though thev saw my miraculous working 
 in behalf of Israel, they temy)ted me. This 
 aggravates their guilt, that in the face of all the 
 manifestations of my power, they still believed not, 
 nor trusted me, but kept requiring fresh proofs 
 from me that I am the God of Israel. Num. xiv. 
 22 proves this sense. 10. Forty years long was 
 I grteved with this generation. For such a long 
 period did Israel act in such a way that God could 
 only look upon them with displeasure, "This 
 generation " is the whole generation which died in 
 the wilderness, excepting Joshua and Caleb (Deut, 
 i. .35; ii. 14). and said, It is a people that do 
 err In their heart -lit., 'a people of erring heart 
 309 
 
 Ex. 17. 2, r. 
 Num. 11. 2>. 
 Num.'^O.l.l. 
 Deut. 1. 34. 
 Deut. 6. m, 
 Heb. 3. 8. 
 15. 
 
 6 conten- 
 tion. 
 
 • Heb. 3. 10. 
 
 / Num.1 1. i3 
 
 28, 30. 
 
 Deut. 1. 34. 
 
 35. 
 
 Heb. 4. 3. 
 6 if t!iey 
 eater. 
 
 (are) these.' and they have not known my ways 
 
 — though they have seen with their outward eyes 
 my ways {i. e., my miraculous working in behalf of 
 Israel, guiding, guarding, and sustaining them), 
 they have not spiritually "known" or understood, 
 the lesson to be learnt from them so as to believe 
 and obey me (cf. Deut. xxix. 3, 4). 11. Unto 
 whom I sware in my wrath, that they should 
 not enter into my rest— lit., 'irthey shall enter 
 into my rest ; ' a formula of swearing an emphatical 
 negative. The very formula used in Num. xiv. 
 23, marg.; v. 30; Deut. i. 35, "my rest," is "the 
 rest and the inheritance (in Canaan) which the 
 Lord their God gave " (Deut. xii. 9). 
 
 PSALM XCVL 1-13.— Call to the earth losing 
 a nev) song to Jehovah {vv. 1-3); He is in majesty, 
 strength, and beauty, worthy of this [vv. 4-6) ; triple 
 call to give Him glory and worship [vv. 7-9); all who 
 have heard that Jehovah has assumed the kingdom 
 are to tell it to the heathen; so shall the world be 
 established in righteousness, and all nature shall 
 rejoice before the coming Judge [vv. 10-13); the 
 thrice-repeated "give" [vv. 7, 8) answers to the 
 thrice-repeated " sing " [vv. 1, 2); Messiah's coming 
 to set up God's kingdom on earth was a theme 
 calculated to comfort Judah when threatened by 
 the Assyrian world-power. This psalm is a later 
 expansion of David's psalm, delivered to Asaph, to 
 thank the Lord on the setting up of the ark in the 
 tabernacle iu Zion (1 Chr. xvi, 23-33: cf. with v. 
 10, Isa. lii. 7; with v. 1, Isa. xlii, 10; with v. 3, Isa. 
 Ix. 6; Ixvi. 18, 19). The LXX., Vulgate, Ethiopic, 
 Arabic, and Syriac, attribute the psalm to David. 
 
 1. 0 sing unto the Lord a new song— (Ps. 
 xxxiii. 3.) A new song, as being for a new benefit 
 never received before. sing unto the Lord, 
 all the earth, Isa, xlii, 10 is an expansion of 1 
 Chr, xvi, 23, from which also this Psalm xcvi, is 
 taken. This psalm, and Ps. xcviii., which begins 
 with the same words, like the second part of 
 Isaiah (fromch. xl.), points to the future glorious 
 kingdom of Messiah, reigning in Jerusalem over 
 the whole C entile world, as well as over Israel. 
 The germ of the same bright hope appears in 
 David's psalm, in 1 Chr. xvi., but not so fully 
 developed as in this series of psalms, and in the 
 probably contemporary prophet Isaiah. The fullest 
 development ai)pears in Rev. v, 9, 10, "They sung 
 a new song," &c.: "Thou wast slain, and hast 
 redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kin- 
 dred, and tongue, and people, and nation" "and 
 we shall reign on the earth," Yarchi observes 
 that wherever "a nevi- song" is mentioned, it is to 
 be understood of Messianic times (cf, v. 13), 2. 
 show forth his salvation from day to day— (cf. 
 with this verse and v. 10, Isa, lii, 7, 10 end.) The 
 Hebrew is properly, ''publish the good tidings;' 
 
An exhortatio7i 
 
 PSALM XCVI. 
 
 to praise God. 
 
 3 Declare his glory among the heathen, — his wonders among all people. 
 
 4 For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised ; 
 He is to be feared above all gods. 
 
 5 For "all the gods of the nations are idols; 
 *But the Lord made the heavens. 
 
 6 Honour and majesty are before him : 
 Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 
 
 7 Give ^unto the Lord, 0 ye kindreds of the people, 
 Give unto the Lord glory and strength. 
 
 8 Give unto the Lord the glory '^due unto his name: 
 Bring an offering, and come into his courts. 
 
 9 0 worship the Lord ^in the beauty of holiness: 
 Fear before him, all the earth. 
 
 10 Say among the heathen that Lord reigneth: 
 
 The world also shall be established that it shall not be moved : 
 He shall ^ judge the people righteously. 
 
 11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad ; 
 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. 
 
 12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein ; 
 
 * herald the Gospel of his salvation : ' a word found 
 also in the latter portion of Isaiah. "From day to 
 day" expresses that it is an abiding salvation, and 
 therefore continually to be praised. 3. Declare 
 his glory among the heathen, his wonders among 
 all people — Hebrew, peoples (Isa. ii. 3). The con- 
 verted Jews and heathen are to declare His glori- 
 ous and wonderful salvation among those that are 
 unconverted (Isa. Ix. 6; Ixvi. 18, 19: cf. xl. 5). 4. 
 For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised 
 — (Ps. xlviii. 1.) The "For" justifies the attribu- 
 tion of "glory" and "wonders" to Him in v. 3. 
 he is to he feared ahove all gods— (Ps. xcv. 3.) 
 At this time the might of the world-power was at 
 its height, and threatened destruction to the small 
 state of Judea. But faith assured the people of 
 God that their Jehovah is superior to all the vain 
 gods of the world ; and prophecy comforted them 
 with the prospect that the heathen themselves at 
 last will recognize Jehovah alone. 5. For all the 
 gods of the nations are idols— Zi^., ' are vanities ' or 
 ^nullities'' [o''?''?.«<], 'things of nought' (Job xiii. 
 4 ; 1 Cor. viii, 4; Isa. xli. 24). Isaiah carries on 
 his controversy against heathendom, on the sup- 
 position that the idols have no existence, except 
 the images. Still demons are in the background 
 lying hidden behind the foreground of idols. The 
 worship of idols is virtually a worship of devils (1 
 Cor. x. 19-21). Idolatry as a system is under the 
 influence of the rulers of the darkness of this 
 world-course, hut the Lord made the heavens. 
 So in Ps. xcv. 4 the Lord's exclusive deity is made 
 to rest on His having created the earth. 6. Honour 
 and majesty are before him -as His inseparable 
 attendants "in His presence." strength and 
 beauty are in his sanctuary. "Strength and 
 gladness are in His place'''' (1 Chr. xvi. 27). The 
 gladness in the worshipx^ers (cf. Acts ii. 46) was the 
 effect of the contemplation of His " beauty." The 
 "strength" is the power obtained by prayer in His 
 sanctuary. The "beauty" is the glory of God's 
 presence. So v. 7, " glory and strength," are paral- 
 lel to "strength and beauty" here. The " sanc- 
 tuary" is wherever the Lord is: "His place " in 
 1 Chr. xvi. Originally the Old Testament temple 
 of stone; then tlie temple of Christ's body, in 
 whom dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead 
 bodily" (Col. ii. 9; John ii. 21); then the temple 
 of the Holy Ghost, the Churoh (1 Cor. vi. 19); 
 then hereafter the restored temple in millennial 
 310 
 
 PSALM 93. 
 " Isa. 41. 24. 
 
 I?a. 44. 10. 
 
 Jer. 10. 11. 
 
 Hab. 2. 18, 
 19, iO. 
 
 Acts. 19. 26. 
 
 1 Cor. 8. 4. 
 
 iCor. 10.19. 
 b Gen. 1. 1. 
 
 Isa. 42. 6. 
 
 Isa. 44. 24. 
 
 Jer. 10. 11. 
 <= Ps. 2 ). 1. 
 
 Ps. 68. 3.'. 
 .S4. 
 
 Luke 2. 11. 
 
 1 of bis 
 name. 
 
 2 Or. in the 
 glorious 
 sanctuary 
 
 d Rev. 11. 15. 
 
 Rev. 19. c. 
 * John 5. 22. 
 
 Jerusalem (Ezek. xl.-xlvii.) ; then the "Lord God 
 Almighty and the Lamb, the temijle" in the final 
 and perfect state (Rev. xxi. 22), 
 
 7-9. — Triple call to give unto the Lord glory, 
 strength, and worship. So in David's psalm, Ps. 
 xxix. 1, 2. 7. Give unto the Lord, 0 ye kindreds 
 of the people. In Ps. xxix. it is, " 0 ye sons oj the 
 mighty''^ — i.e., angels. He whom all the angels 
 praise as their Lord is in the fulness of time to be 
 praised by all the inhabitants of the earth: then 
 shall the petition be fulfilled, "Thy will be done 
 (by all men) on earth as it is (by all angels) in 
 heaven." 'The difterence betweefn heaven and 
 earth can only be temporary. The manifestation 
 of the Lord's holy arm must remove that difference 
 in His own time ' (Hengstenberg). 8. bring an 
 offering— as earthly subjects "bring gifts" to a 
 sovereign in token of allegiance (2 Sam. viii. 2 ; Ps. 
 Ixviii. 29; Ixxii. 10; Ixxvi. 11). and come into 
 his courts — (Ps. xciL 13. ) 9. O worship the Lord 
 in the beauty of holiness— or, 'in the glorious 
 sanctuary.' See Ps. xxix. 2, note; v. 6 above, 
 'beauty (is) in His sanctuary.' fear before him 
 all the earth. Reverential awe is the efiect pro- 
 duced instinctively on even those who have no 
 cause for slavish fear, in contemplating the ap- 
 proaching glory of God (Dan. viii. 27; x. 8; Isa. 
 vi. 5). 
 
 10-12,— The announcement that the Lord reign- 
 eth, to be proclaimed by those who have heard it, 
 to those heathen who have not. 10. Say among 
 the heathen that the Lord reigneth : the world 
 also shall be established that it shall not be 
 moved— (Ps. xciii. 1, note.) The open assuming of 
 the kingdom by the Lord shall establish unmov- 
 ably the earth, which has been shaken to its 
 foundation by man's sin (Ps. Ixx v. 3 ; Isa. xxi v. 5). 
 Peace shall universally supersede the present state 
 of disorder (Isa. ii. 4). he shall judge the people 
 righteously. In Ps. xciii. the establishment of the 
 earth is the consequence of the majestic strength of 
 the Lord. Here it is the consequence of His judging 
 righteously. The two need to be combined. ' It is 
 only the righteous omnipotence, and the omnipo- 
 tent righteousness of God that can produce such 
 efiects ' {Hengstenberg). As to the Lord's coming 
 kingdom, cf. Isa. xxiv. 23 ; lii. 7, end ; also Isa. ix. 
 6, 7; xi.; Ps. Ixxii. This verse expands 1 Chr. 
 xvi. 30, 31. 
 
 11, 12. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the 
 
The majesty 
 
 PSALM XCVIL 
 
 of Gods kingdom. 
 
 13 Then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord; 
 For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth : 
 ■''He shall judge the world with righteousness. 
 And the people with his truth. 
 
 PSALM xcvn. 
 
 1 THE Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; 
 Let the ^multitude of isles be glad thereof. 
 
 2 Clouds and darkness are round about him : 
 Righteousness and judgment are the ^ habitation of his throne. 
 
 3 A fire goeth before him, — and burneth up his enemies round about. 
 
 4 His lightnings enlightened the world : — the earth saw, and trembled. 
 
 5 The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, 
 At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 
 
 6 The heavens declare his righteousness, — and all the people see his glory. 
 
 / Ps. 67. 4. 
 Eev. 19. 11. 
 
 FSALM 97. 
 
 1 many, or, 
 great isles. 
 Isa. CO. 9. 
 
 2 Or, estab- 
 lishment. 
 
 " Ex. 20. 21, 
 Ex. 2i. 16. 
 Deut. 4. 11, 
 
 1 Ki. 8. 10, 
 12. 
 
 Ps. 18. 11, 
 12. 
 
 Ps. 77. 19. 
 Dan. 7. 10. 
 Hab. 3. 5. 
 
 eartli be glad ; let the sea roar . . . Let the field 
 be joyful ... all the trees of the wood re- 
 joice. The earth stands in contrast to the heavens 
 on one liand, and the sea on the other. The field 
 is opposed to the wood. The physical world shall 
 unconsciously express joyous sympathy with the 
 moral world, both alike being "delivered from the 
 bondage of corruption" (Rom. 21, 23; 2 Pet. 
 iii. 13; Isa. xliv. 23; Iv. 12, 13). 
 
 13. Before the Lord; for he cometh, for he 
 cometh to judge the earth. The repetition, " for 
 He cometh," expresses the certainty of His coming, 
 and His people's joyful anticipation of it. This is 
 the exjjansion of the single "He cometh,?' 1 Chr. 
 xvi. 33. he shall judge . . . the people with his 
 truth. The truth of the coming Judge stands in con- 
 trast to the falsity which has heretofore prevailed 
 on earth. He comes to "judge "— i e., to vindicate 
 His people's cause, and the cause of "righteous- 
 cess. ' Therefore His people look forward to His 
 coming with joy (Luke xviii. 1-8). 
 
 PSALM XCVII. 1-12.— Jehovah's coming with 
 consuming judgments on the idolatrous world- 
 powers. Such was Assyria, that threatened Judah. 
 JehovaKs vengeance on His enemies [vv. 1-3) ; the 
 trembling produced by the sight of Bis glory on the 
 earth, the skies, and all people {vv. 4-6) ; how angels, 
 and how Judah shall receive Him at His coming to 
 confound the idols {vv. 7-9) ; how the saints who love 
 Him ought to hate evil and rejoice in His holiness, 
 through which gladness is in store for them {vv. 10-12). 
 The psalm leans upon David's psalms, xviii., xxx., 
 xxxiil, xxxiv., xxxvii. As it is made up of 
 quotations from the older Scriptures, so its grand 
 subject, Messiah, shall combine, at His coming 
 again as the Sun of righteousness, all the scat- 
 tered rays of sacred i)rophecy, i>salmody,. and 
 history. 
 
 1. The Lord reigneth— the same abrupt pro- 
 clamation of Jehovah's anticipated assumption 
 of the Kingdom appears throughout this series 
 of psalms (Ps. xciii. 1 ; xcvi. 10). The abrupt- 
 ness marks that it will take the earth by sur- 
 prise. His saints break out into joyous thanks- 
 giving for it (Isa. xxv. 9 : cf. Rev. xi. 17). let 
 the earth rejoice— (Ps. xcvi. 11.) let the mul- 
 titude of isles be glad thereof— (cf Ps. Ixxii. 10 ; 
 and the probably contemxjorary prophet, Isa. xlii. 
 10, 12; Ix. 9.) The "isles" include all maritime 
 regions. The earth and isles which are to rejoice 
 at the Lord's coming are distinct from the God- 
 opposed ' enemies ' {v. 3), who are to be ' burnt 
 up' by the " fire" that " goeth before him." They 
 are the heathen nations of the whole earth who 
 have taken no part with Antichrist, and who shall 
 be converted by the word of the Lord going forth 
 311 
 
 with power from Jerusalem (Isa. ii. 1-4). The 
 blessing awaiting the people of Abraham is not 
 merely for themselves, but that through them 
 "all families of the earth may be blessed" (Gen. 
 xii. 2, 3). 
 
 2. Clouds and darkness are round about him— 
 drawn from David's psalm, xviii. 9, 11, which in its 
 turn rests on Exod. xix. 16, 18; Deut. v. 22. 
 The clouds, darkness, and lightnings, the awful 
 accompaniments of Jehovah's manifestation at the 
 giving of the Law on Sinai, are the type and presage 
 of the same accompaniments on a grander and more 
 awful scale at the final consummation of the Law 
 and the Gospel at the Lord's second coming (Ps. 1. 
 3 ; 2 Thess. i. 7-9). The dark clouds ominously in- 
 timate the lightnings of wrath which break forth 
 against the idolaters {vv. 3, 7). righteousness and 
 judgment are the habitation of his throne. 
 Translate, ' the firm basis (the prepared ground) of 
 His throne;' from Ps. Ixxxix. 14, Righteousness 
 implies judgments on the transgressors of what is 
 right, and salvation to the people of God who up- 
 hold it. 3. A fire goeth before him, and burneth 
 up his enemies round about— (Ps. xviii. 8, 12. ) 
 
 4. His lightnings enlightened the world : the 
 earth saw, and trembled— drawn from Ps. Ixxvii. 
 18. The bare sight of thee caused the earth to 
 tremble (Ps. Ixxvii. 16). 5. The hills melted like 
 wax at the presence of the Lord— (Mic. i. 4.) 
 Inhere the words are applied to the judgment of 
 God about to fall on the people of the covenant: 
 here it is applied to the judgment on the God- 
 opposed world. The fact that 'judgment has 
 begun at the house of God' is a token that judg- 
 ments of a far more destructive kind will overtake 
 'the (openly) ungodly and sinners' (1 Pet. iv. 17). 
 " The hills " symbolize the heights of man's self- 
 exalting pride of intellect, wealth, and power, at 
 the presence of the Lord of the whole earth — 
 (Mic. iv. 13.) 
 
 6. The heavens declare his righteousness— from 
 Asaph's psalm, I. 6 ; in both cases connected with 
 God s ai)pearing as Judge. His righteousness is 
 manifested in giving men severally their due : to 
 His people salvation, to His and their enemies 
 destruction. The heavens, or skies, declared His 
 righteousness when " the Lord rained upon Sodom 
 and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from tlie 
 Lord out of heaven " (Gen. xix. 24). and all the 
 people see his glory— (Isa. xl. 5.) "His glory" 
 refers to His manifestation in judgment on the one 
 hand, and in grace on the other. 
 
 7-12. — How the angels and how Judah shall re- 
 ceive Him when He shall come to confound the 
 idols ; and how the saints ought to hate evil, and 
 rejoice in His holy name as the source of light to 
 
God hath done 
 
 PSALM XCVIII. 
 
 marvellous things. 
 
 7 Confounded ''be all they that serve graven images, 
 
 That boast themselves of idols : — '^worship him, all ye gods. 
 
 8 Zion heard, and was glad ; 
 
 And the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, 0 Lord. 
 
 9 For thou, Lord, art '^high above all the earth: 
 Thou art exalted far above all gods. 
 
 10 Ye that love the Lord, *hate evil : 
 He -^'preserveth the souls of his saints; 
 
 ^He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. 
 
 1 1 Light is sown for the righteous, — and gladness for the upright in heart. 
 
 12 Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; 
 
 And give thanks ^at the remembrance of his holiness. 
 
 PSALM XCVIIL 
 A Psalm. 
 
 1 0 SING unto the Lord a new song ; 
 For he hath done marvellous things : 
 
 "His right hand, and his holy arm, — -hath gotten him the victory. 
 
 * Ex. 20. 4. 
 Lev. 26. 1, 
 Isa. 37. 18. 
 19. 
 
 Isa. 41. 20, 
 
 Jer. 10. 14, 
 ° Heb. 1. 6. 
 d Eph. 1. 1, 
 ' Pa. 101. 3. 
 
 Fro. 13. 
 
 Amos 5. 1=;. 
 
 Rom. r. 15, 
 24, 
 
 Rem. 12. 0. 
 / 1 Sam. 2. 9. 
 
 I'ro. 2. 8. 
 f Dan. 3, 28, 
 
 Dan. fi, 22. 
 3 Or, to the 
 
 memorial. 
 
 FSALM 98, 
 « Isa. 59. 16, 
 I=!a, 63, 5, 
 
 them at the last. 7. Confounded be all they that 
 serve graven images, that boast themselves of 
 idols. "Idols" — lit., things of nought, nullities; 
 Hebrew, Elilim. Isa. xlii. 17 is parallel ; xliy. 9. 
 worship him, all ye gods— not the false gods, 
 as Hengstenberg takes it, quoting Exod. xii. 12 ; 
 Num. xxxiii. 4 ; Isa. xix. 1, as if it were a spirited 
 poetical pei-sotiification by which the idols are told 
 to acknowledge Jehovah to be above them. The 
 inspired authority of Heb. i. 6 (' When He hringeth 
 again (viz., at Christ's second advent, war^.) the 
 First-begotten into the world, He saith, And let 
 all the angels of God worship Him'), confirming 
 the translation of the LXX., Vulgate, Ethiopic, 
 Arabic, and Syriac versions, decides that the 
 angels are meant here by ' Elohim.' So the 
 mighty rulers of the earth and judges are called 
 Elohim in Ps. Ixxxii. 1, 6 ; Exod. xxii. 28. The 
 connection is, if real principalities, such as are the 
 angels, are required by God to " worship" Messiah 
 as "the brightness of the Father's glory" at His 
 manifestation, much more must false gods give 
 place to Him, the universal Lord. Of. 1 Tim. iii. 
 IG, " seen of angels." God desigued that Messiah 
 at His first advent should be gazed at with adoring 
 love by heavenly intelligences (Eph. iii. 10; 2Thess. 
 i. 9, 10 ; 1 Pet. iii. 22) ; and especially at His 
 second advent shall all powers recognize His Lord- 
 ship (1 Cor. XV. 24, 25; Phil. ii. 9). 
 
 8. Zion heard, and was glad . . . because of thy 
 judgments— (?'. 3.) Whilst the worshippers of 
 idols are confounded {v. 7), Zion rejoices at God's 
 righteous judgments (Rev. xv. 3, 4). This verse 
 rests upon Ps. xlviii. 11. What there was an 
 exhortation (so Isa. xl. 9), is here an asserted fact — 
 'Zion rejoices.' 'Zion hears^ it — viz., that the 
 Lord judges, as He did of old iu the case of 
 Jehoshaphat, whose name (meaning Jehovah 
 judgeth) was so gloriously verified by the fact, 
 and the daughters of Judah rejoiced— j. e., the 
 remaining cities of Judah, as distinguished from 
 Zion, the capital. 9. For thou. Lord, art high 
 above all the earth— taken from Ps. Ixxxiii. 18. 
 thou art exalted far above all gods— (cf. Ps. xlvii. 
 9, end.) Hengstenberg remarks that the Psalmist's 
 significant allusions to the three psalms, Ps. xlvii., 
 xlviii., and Ixxxiii., confirm the reference of those 
 psalms to the deliverance under Jehoshaphat. 
 
 10. Ye that love the Lord, hate evil— (Ps. xxxiv. 
 13, 14; Rom. xii. 9; 2 Tim. ii. 19.) he preserveth 
 the souls of his saints—an incentive that we 
 should " hate evil." In sinte of the seeming pros- 
 
 perity of the godless, it is the soul of the saint 
 alone which is finally preserved. 11. Light is 
 sown for the righteous— Ps. cxii. 4, " Unto the 
 upright there ariseth [nnt, rises as the sun; which the 
 LXX., Vulgate, Chaldaic, Syriac, and Arabic ver- 
 sions read here also, but needlessly, as poets love 
 variety, light in the darkness]." Therefore the de- 
 signedly similar sounding Hebrew here for 
 "is sown" medLn^, is scattered abroad in rich pro- 
 fusion, as th« sun sows abroad his beams. Though 
 "darkness" is round about the Lord to the un- 
 righteous {v. 2), yet "Light is sown for the 
 righteous." 12. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous 
 — (Ps. xxxii. 11.) and give thanks at the remem- 
 brance of his holiness— 'and give thanks (lit., 
 confess) to the memorial of His holiness ' (Ps. xxx. 
 4, note). 
 
 PSALM XCVIII. 1-9.— Introduction. Prav<e 
 Jehovah in a new song ; for He has done marvels, 
 showing before the heathen His righteousness in he- 
 half of Israel, whereby all tJie earth sees His salva- 
 tion {vv. 1-3). This praise is to be rendered with 
 psalms and instrumental music [vv. 4-6) ; and this 
 by the world's inhabitants, before Jehovah, who is 
 coming to judge in equity (7-9). 
 
 A Psalm— J/fzmor (cf. Ps. iii. title, note). This 
 is the only psalm which has this word without 
 addition. It must therefore be here not in the 
 general sense, but the special — viz., the lyrical 
 song accompanying the prophetical psalm, xcvii. 
 Cf. the Hebrew cognate forms in v. 5. 
 
 1-3. — The subject-matter of praise. 1. 0 sing 
 unto the Lord a new song— from Ps. xcvi. 1. 
 The theme is the same as that of Ps. xcvi. and 
 xcvii. — viz., the coming of the Lord to the earth 
 as the victorious Saviour, King, and Judge. 
 The stand-point is ideal — viz., the anticipated 
 time of the manifested salvation and kingdom 
 of Jehovah-Messiah, when first the "wew? song" 
 will be fully appropriate, his right hand, and 
 his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory— 
 (Isa. Iii. 10; lix. 16; Ixiii. 5, which have a j^artial 
 realization in Messiah's first advent, and tbeir 
 complete realization in His second.) 'The arm of 
 the Lord ' is put in contradistinction to ordinary 
 means, as the instrument whereby He brings 
 perfect salvation to Zion, literal and spiritual. 
 'Ordinary means, although they do not derogate 
 from the power of God, in some measure, like a 
 veil, hide His face' {Calvin). Cf. Isa. xl. 10; li. 9. 
 The epithet "holy" implies the awful and infinite 
 elevation by which His power is lifted above all 
 
The kingdom of God 
 
 PSALM XCIX. 
 
 in 
 
 Zion. 
 
 2 The *LoRD hath made known his salvation : 
 
 '^His righteousness hath he ^openly showed in the sight of the heathen. 
 
 3 He hath '^remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel : 
 ^All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 
 
 4 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth : 
 Make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. 
 
 5 Sing unto the Lord with the harp ; 
 With the harp, and the voice of a psalm. 
 
 6 With trumpets and sound of cornet 
 
 Make a joj'ful noise before the Lord, the King. 
 
 7 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof ; 
 The world, and they that dwell therein. 
 
 8 Let the floods clap their hands: 
 
 9 Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord : 
 For he cometli to judge the earth : 
 
 With righteousness shall he judge the world, — and the people with equity. 
 
 PSALM XCIX. 
 
 1 THE Lord reigneth ; — let the people tremble : 
 He sitteth between the cherubim; — let the earth ^be moved. 
 
 ^ Isa. 45. 21. 
 
 Isa. 49. 6. 
 
 Isa. 52. 10. 
 
 Matt. 28.1'). 
 
 Mark 16.15. 
 
 Luke 2. 30. 
 
 Luke 3. 6. 
 
 Rom. 10.18. 
 
 Tit. 2. 13. 
 " Isa. 62. 2. 
 
 Rom. 3. 25, 
 I Or. re- 
 vealed. 
 
 Lev. 26. 42. 
 
 Deut. 4. 31. 
 
 Mic. r. 20. 
 
 Luke 1. 54. 
 * Isa. 49. 6. 
 
 Isa. 52. 10. 
 
 Lnke 3. 6. 
 
 Acts l'<. 47. 
 
 Acts 28. 28. 
 
 I SALM 9J. 
 I stagger. 
 
 Isa. 1!>. 11. 
 
 Isa. 21. 19. 
 
 creature - powers. 2, 3. The Lord hath made 
 known his salvation ... all the ends of the earth 
 have seen the salvation of our God— ( Isa. lii. 10. ) 
 his righteousness (Ps. xcvii. 6)— correspoading to 
 His "truth" or faithfulness {v. 3; Rom. xv. 8, 9). 
 Salvation to His people is the effect of His righ- 
 teousness (cf. Isa. xlv. 17, 24, 25). 3. He hath 
 remembered his mercy and his truth toward the 
 house of Israel— (Isa. Ixiii. 7.) So the Virgin's 
 song, Luke i. 54, 55, 72. The salvation of our 
 God is first to be manifested to Israel, and through 
 Israel to all the ends of the earth. So it was in 
 the case of the elect Church at Messiah's first 
 coming (Luke xxiv. 47). So it shall be in the case 
 of the world-wide Church, of which Zion shall be 
 the centre, at His second coming (Isa. ii. 2, 3). 
 
 4-G. — Hoiv Jehovah is to be praised by all the 
 earth— viz., with all means in men's power — vocal 
 and instrumental music. 4. Make a joyful noise 
 unto the Lord, all the earth— (Ps. Ixvi. 1, written 
 in the time of Hezekiali.) Jehovah here is substi- 
 tuted for Elohim there. Also Ps. xlvii. 1, 2. make 
 a loud noise, and rejoice— lit., ' break forth and be 
 jubilant.' A favourite expression in the probably 
 contemporary prophet Isaiah (Isa. xiv. 7 ; xliv. 23 ; 
 xlix. 13; liv. 1). Isaiah, however, may have at a 
 later date drawn this expression, as well as others, 
 from this group of psalms, which, from their simi- 
 larity to Ps. xlvii. and xlviii., seem to belong to 
 the same period — viz., the reign of Jehoshaphat, 
 when the Lord gave such a blow to the confederate 
 world-powers — a time in which praise-so7igs were 
 the precursors of victory. 5. Sing — (Ps. xlvii. 6.) 
 "With , . . the voice of a psalm— or, as the He- 
 brew is cognate to that for "sing," 'with the voice 
 of a song ' (Isa. li. 3, " the voice oi melody " or so7i;/) : 
 the same Hebrew as here [nngij, cognate to miz- 
 mor, "a psalm" or song, in the title. 6. before the 
 Lord, the King — before Him who has now taken 
 visibly to Him His X)ower and kingdom over the 
 whole earth (Isa. vi. 5; Ps. xcvii. 1; Rev. xi. 15, 
 
 7-9. — As in the preceding strophe the intensity of 
 the joy at the Lord's coming is set forth, so in this 
 strophe its extent. All the world and its inliabitants 
 are to be joyful together. 7. Let the sea roar, and 
 the fulness thereof— (Ps. xcvi. 11, end.) The sea, 
 in .solemn, measured roar, is to i)eal its deep-toned 
 welcome to its Lord, the world, and they that 
 
 ai3 
 
 dwell therein— (Ps. xxiv. 1.) 8. Let the floods 
 clap their hands. Clapping of hands was the 
 customarv mode of expressing joy at the accession 
 of a king (2 Ki. xi. 12 ; Ps. xlvii. 1 ; Isa. Iv. 12). 
 Man's modes of praise are here attributed to dumb 
 nature, because mau is the conscious interi)reter 
 and high priest of the unconscious worship of 
 nature. 9. for he cometh to judge the earth— the 
 cause for joy. The Lord, by His righteous rule as 
 King and J udge, will bring the earth from under 
 tlie misery of the curse into a state of peace, joy, 
 and blessedness, (Ps. xcvi. 13; Isa. xi.) 
 
 PSALM XCIX. 1-9.— Jehovah, whose coming 
 in Ps. xcviii. was anticiyiated, appears here as 
 reigning. The people tremble before Him, enthroned 
 in a way antitypical to His enthronement between 
 the cherubim {v. 1). Jehovah^s manifested greatness 
 in Zion calls forth her praises, so that she exhorts 
 the nations to praise His name as holy [vv. 2-5). 
 A dmonition to Israel, from past history, to appre- 
 ciate her privileged nearness to Jehovah, and to flee 
 the sins which incurred vengeance, and keep His 
 word, as Moses, Aaron, and Samuel did, and so 
 were heard in prayer : thus she will be ready for the 
 holy Lord's coming [vv. G-9). The substance is, 
 ' The kingdom of God is at hand ; be ready for it ' 
 (cf. Matt. iii. 2; Isa. xl. 3-5). Vv. 1, 5 imply the 
 temple was still standing, therefore it was before 
 the Babylonian captivity. 
 
 1. The Lord reigneth— (Ps. xciii. 1 ; xcvi. 10 ; 
 xcvii. 1.) let the people tremble— rather, 'the 
 j)eoples tremble.' The Hebrew pictures are pro- 
 phetical. If the sense were optative the abbre- 
 viated Hebrew future would have been used. 
 Cf. Ps. xcvi. 9, end. The Church now trembles 
 before the haughty and threatening world-powers ; 
 but she may take comfort. Her King is coming 
 to reign: then it will be the world's turn to 
 tremble, he sitteth between the cherubim — 
 (Ps. Ixxx. 1.) He who, seated over the ark of the 
 covenant, between the cherubim (2 Sam. vi. 2), 
 signifies thereby His peculiar presence in Israel 
 and in the Church, the sytiritual Israel, is now 
 assuming His kingdom visibly over "the whole 
 earth" (Ps. xcvii. 5, end). This prospect consoles 
 His people now in their times of fear (2 Ki. xix. 15). 
 It is not God's constant dominion as the Omnipo- 
 tent One, but His beginning to reign in manifested 
 power, which causes the ' peoples' (so the Hebrew) 
 
The kingdom of God 
 
 PSALM XCIX. 
 
 in Zioji. 
 
 2 The Lord is great in Zion ; — and he is high above all people. 
 
 3 Let them praise "thy great and terrible name ; — -for it is holy. 
 
 4 The ^king's strength also loveth judgment : — thou dost establish equity, 
 Thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob. 
 
 5 Exalt ye the Lord our God, — and worship at '^his footstool ; 
 For 2 he is holy. 
 
 6 Moses and Aaron among his priests, 
 
 And Samuel among them that call upon his name; 
 They called upon the Lord, and he answered them. 
 
 7 He ^ spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: 
 
 They kept his testimonies, — and the ordinance that he gave them. 
 
 to " tremble. " The Hebrew for " tremble " signifies 
 also 'to be angry' [n^] (note, Ps. iv. 4: of. Epb. 
 iv. 26; Rev. xi. 17, 18, ''Thou hast taken to thee 
 thy great power, and hast reigned. And the 
 nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and 
 the time of the dead, that they should be judged "). 
 How puny and despicable is man's anger, standing 
 side by side with the wrath of the A lmighty ! and 
 how soon it is changed into trembling ! let the 
 earth De moved — rather, 'the earth is moved.' 
 
 2-5. — Jehovah's greatness in Zion calls forth her 
 praises and exhortations to all to exalt Him, for 
 He is holy. 2. The Lord is great in Zion— (Ps. 
 xlviii. 1.) It is not His greatness in general which 
 is the theme of praise, but His greatness as Zion's 
 King manifested in Jerusalem, as 'high above all 
 the peoples ' (so the Hebrew). 3. Let them (viz., 
 ' all the peoples ') praise thy great and terrible 
 nsime— prophetical of what shall be ; therefore put 
 imperatively, because the Word of God effects, by 
 its inherent power, what it foretells. The lyric 
 accompaniment of frhis is Ps. c. The Lord's mar- 
 vellous interposition for Israel shall be at last the 
 theme of praise to all the nations, because these 
 shall enjoy the blessedness resulting to them from 
 God's restored favour to His ancient people (Rom. 
 xi. 12, 15; Ps. xcviii. 3, 4). On "thy great and 
 terrible name" — thy manifestation of thyself in great 
 and terrible deeds — cf. Deut. xxviii. 58; x. 17. 
 (for) it (is) holy. Hengstenherg translates, 'for 
 holy is i/e.' But all the ancient versions support 
 the English version — lit., 'thy great and terrible 
 name, (holy it !) ' That which immediately precedes 
 cannot but be the subject, where no other subject 
 is expressed in the Hebrew ; and the variation from 
 '"'He is holy," v. 5, is no greater than that in v. 9, 
 " the Lord our God is holy." In fact, "thy name" 
 is equivalent to 'thyself in thy manifestation. 
 4. The king's strength also loveth judgment. 
 The English version omits ' and,' which is in the 
 Hebrew, and which requires rather the construc- 
 tion of this verse, as dependent on v. 3 — 'And [let 
 them praise) the King's strength also {ivhich) loveth 
 justice.' Here what is included in God's 'great 
 name' is set forth in detail — viz., that His omni- 
 potent strength (Ps. xxix. 1 ; xciii. 1) loves to exert 
 itself for just judgment, and so to vindicate the 
 cause of His oppressed people against their worldly 
 oppressors (Ps. xxxiii. 5 ; xxxvii. 28 ; Ixxv. 2 ; 
 xcvi. 10). thou executest judgment and righ- 
 teousness in Jacob. David was the type (2 Sam. 
 viii. 15). 5. Exalt ye the Lord our God— (Ps. xxxiv. 
 3.) and worship at his footstool— the ark of the 
 covenant, which Jehovah, sitting upon the cheru- 
 bim, as it were touched with His feet (1 Cor. 
 xxviii. 2; Ps. cxxxii. 7; Lam. ii. 1). Not as the 
 LXX., Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic versions, 
 * worship His footstool,^ which, unless taken figura- 
 tively (as Isa. xlv. 14, where Zion is said to be 
 worshipped), gives seeming countenance to that 
 M'hich God in the second commandment so sternly 
 314 
 
 " Deut. 2s,58. 
 
 Rev. 15. 4. 
 «> Job 35. 6. 
 
 Jer. 23. 5. 
 
 * Gen. 1=!. 2-«. 
 Deut. . 2. 4. 
 
 <i Ps. 132. 7. 
 
 Isa. 60. 1. 
 2 Or, it i» 
 
 holy. 
 
 Lev. 19. 2. 
 
 • Ex. 19. 9. 
 Ex. 33. 9. 
 Num. 12. 5. 
 
 forbids — the bowing down to any image or crea- 
 ture. But translate either as the Chaldaic Tar- 
 gum explains the Hebrew [h], 'in His sanctuary,' 
 and as the Vulgate and Ethiopic take it in v. 9, 
 'in His holy mount;' or as the LXX. take it in v. 
 9, 'towards His holy mount.' iSo here in v. 5, 
 ' worship towards His footstool,' as it was the 
 custom to turn towards the temple in prayer. So 
 the similar Hebrew [^^^], Ps. v. 7; cxxxviii. 2; 
 1 Ki. viii. 44 ; Dan. vi. 10. (far) he (is) holy. So 
 the LXX., Ethio'pic, Chaldaic, and Syriac. " He" 
 here corresponds to ' His name ' (v. 3), " the Lord 
 our God" {v. 9), which sets aside the Vulgate 
 translation ' it is holy,' quoted by Rome in support 
 of her veneration of, and bowing down before, 
 images. Cf. Ps. xcvi. 9 ; xcvii. 7 ; Lev. xix. 2. 
 
 6-9. — Admonition to Israel, literal and spiritual, 
 to be instructed by past history, that if she wouhl 
 be ready for Jehovah's coming kingdom, and for en- 
 joying the near communion with God which Moses, 
 Aaron, and Samuel enjoyed, she must, like them, 
 keep God's testimonies, and avoid the sins and 
 consequent punishment of tliose for whom Moses, 
 Aaron, and Samuel interceded. 6. Moses and 
 Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among 
 them that call upon his name ; they called upon 
 the Lord, and he answered them. The necessary 
 condition of sharing in the coming kingdom of the 
 Lord is now calling upon the Lord in faith ; for, as 
 iu Moses', Aaron's, and Samuel's case, so always 
 calling is the way to obtain a hearing, Aaron 
 alone was spriest in the Levitical sense; but the 
 Hebrew, coheen, is sometimes used in a wider 
 sense for chief rulers (2 Sam. viii. 18, Hebrew j. 
 All three performed priestly duties (Moses and 
 Samuel by Divine special call), and all had the 
 spiritual essence of the priestly office (the king-priest- 
 hood), inner communion with God, as manifested 
 by their free access to the throne of grace, and by 
 their power of intercessory prayer (Exod. xix. 6). 
 Moses acted as a priest in ratifying the covenant, 
 and in dedicating the tabernacle, and during the 
 seven days of the consecration of the ordinary 
 Aaronic priests. Cf. Exod. xxiv. 6-8 ; xxix. ; Lev. 
 viii. 1-11; Num. vii. 1. The words "among His 
 priests " are explained by the following words, 
 containing the essence of the priestly office— viz., 
 " among them that call upon His name." Moses 
 did so, and was answered (Exod. xxxii. 31, 32-34 ; 
 xiv. 15 ; XV. 25 ; Ps. cvi. 23) ; and Samuel (1 Sam. 
 vii. 9, 10). 7. He spake unto them in the cloudy 
 pillar — both to Moses (Exod. xxxiii. 9; Deut. 
 xxxi. 15) and to Aaron (Num. xii. 5). God spake 
 to Samuel, not in the same appearance, but sub- 
 stantially in the same way ; t\iQ pillar of cloud, being 
 the original form, is thus used oi divine revelation in 
 general, whatever be the form, they kept his testi- 
 monies (cf. Ps. xciii. 5), and the ordinance (that) 
 he gave them. So the Chaldaic, Vulgate, LXX., 
 Ethiopic, Syriac, and Arabic versions. Henysten- 
 
Exhortation to 
 
 PSALM C. 
 
 praise God cheerfully. 
 
 8 Thou answeredst them, 0 Lord our God : 
 ■^Thou wast a God that forgavest them, 
 
 Though ^thou tookest vengeance of their inventions. 
 
 9 Exalt the Lord our God, — and worship at hia holy hill ; 
 For the Lord our God is holy. 
 
 PSALM a 
 
 A Psalm of ^ praise* 
 
 1 MAKE a jo3rful noise unto the Lord, ^all ye lands. 
 
 2 Serve the Lord with gladness ; — come before his presence with singing. 
 
 3 Know ye that the Lord he is God : 
 
 It '^is he that hath made us, ^and not we ourselves: 
 ^ We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 
 
 berg translates, * And he gave the law to them,' 
 answering to " He spake unto them in the cloudy 
 pillar" (Exod. XV. 25; XXV. 22), just as "they 
 called upon the Lord" is a repetition of " among 
 them that call upon His name" {v. 6). Faithfulness 
 as to the revelations which we have is thus repre- 
 sented as the condition of receiving new revela- 
 tions (Matt. xiii. 12). Moses obtained the law as a 
 reward for faithfully following the Lord's ordi- 
 nances. So, had not Aaron been distinguished 
 from Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, by observance 
 in general of the Lord's x^rece]its, he would have 
 jterished for the same sin as they (Num. xii, 5). 
 bamuel, in answer to prayer, was instructed hoAv 
 to proceed respecting the people's desire for a 
 king (1 Sam. viii. 6), &c. ; and respecting the rejec- 
 tion of Saul (1 Sam. xv. 11). Participation in the 
 new covenant is closely connected with faithful- 
 ness to the old. To teach this, and so prepare for 
 the Lord's first coming, w^as John the Baptist's 
 mission (Luke i. 16, 17). Mai. iv. 4-6, compared 
 with Matt. xvii. 11, implies that there shall be 
 some similar mission before the Lord's second 
 coming to reign, the subject here (Rev xi. 3-12, 15). 
 8. Thou answeredst them, 0 Lord our God : thou 
 wast a God that forgavest them, though thou 
 tookest vengeance of their inventions. The two 
 first clauses resume i'. 6, end, 'He answered them ;' 
 ■'Thou answeredst" Moses, Aaron, and Samuel 
 when interceding for the people's sin, and "for- 
 gavest them" — i. e., not their oivn sins (for there is 
 not in Scrixjture mention made of special forgive- 
 ness of great X)rovocations of God on the part of 
 these three), but the sins of the people, whose re- 
 presentatives they were ; ' though thou tookest 
 vengeance of their (the people's) iniquities ' {all that 
 is of man's own devising, contrary to law and justice. 
 Cf. the similar Hebrew term applied in Eccl. vii. 
 29, "they have sought out many inventions "). Thus 
 there is an implied warning, though God be a 
 prayer-hearing God, yet not even the intercession 
 of a Moses, Aaron, and Samuel shall avail to pre- 
 vent the wicked being punished at the Lord's 
 coming to judge and reign : they shall have only 
 their own souls saved. Cf. the exactly same 
 declaration as to the intercessions of " Noah, 
 Daniel, and Job " (Ezek. xiv. 14, 16, 18, 20). The 
 special sins of the people (not mere sins of in- 
 firmity, as those of Moses, Aaron, and Samuel), 
 which God Y->unished on the guilty, though He for- 
 gave the elect nation, are mentioned in Num. xiv. 
 20-23 ; Exod. xxxii. 13, 14, 31, 33. The Hebrew 
 [n^'7''hv] for inventions is the same as is translated 
 ' (abominable) works,' Ps. xiii. 1, explained by 
 the similar Hebrew l^^M], " (abominable) iniquity,'' 
 Ps. liii. 1. It never means mere inadvertencies. 
 'A forgiving God wast thou to them for their 
 315 
 
 / Num. 14.20. 
 
 Jer. 46. 2H. 
 
 Zeph. 3. 7. 
 f Deut. 9. 23. 
 
 PSALM KiO. 
 
 1 Or, thanks- 
 givirg. 
 
 2 all the 
 earth. 
 
 " Job 10. 8- 
 
 Eccl. 12. 1 
 Eph. 2. 10. 
 
 3 Or, and his 
 we are. 
 
 b Eze. 34. 30. 
 
 inftrmities, and an avenging God for their iniquities' 
 {Hengstenberg). 'Moses and Aaron's infirmities 
 were the result of the people's iniquities ' (Deut. 
 
 1. 37 ; iii. 26 ; iv. 21). Samuel's only blemish was 
 the misconduct of his sons. On God's character 
 as forgiving, and yet avenging sin, cf. Exod. xxxiv. 
 7, to which there is allusion here (Ps. xcv. 11). 
 9. Exalt the Lord our God— appropriating Him as 
 our God in His forgiving character, rather than 
 knowing Him only as a God ' taking vengeance ' oq 
 iniquities {v. 8). and worship at his holy hill— 
 (note, V. 5.) for the Lord our God is holy— in- 
 finitely raised above creaturely weaknesses ; there- 
 fore to be obediently revered, as well as loved. 
 
 PSALM C. 1-5. — Invitation to praise {v. 1) ; 
 ground of it: serve Jehovah, for He hath made us, 
 and adopted us as His people hy redemption [vv. 
 
 2, 3). Bless Him, for His mercy and truth lad 
 for ever {vv. 4, 5). 
 
 ^ Title, A Psalm of praise— rather {le-thodah), ' of 
 thanksgiving,' to accord with the same Hebrew 
 noun and verb, v. 4, "thanksgiving ... be thank- 
 ful" — lit., confession; for thanksgiving, in God's 
 case, is simply confessing His infinite excellencies. 
 The x^raise in His case can never exceed the real- 
 ity. This psalm closes the Messianic series, Ps. 
 xci. -c, with exhorting the heathen to submit joy- 
 fully to Jehovah as their Maker and redeeming 
 Shepherd. The title implies that this psalm is the 
 lyrical " thanksgiving" for the manifestation of 
 Himself as the coming King, which is set forth in 
 Ps. xcix. 
 
 1. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye 
 lands — Hebrew, 'all the earth' (Ps. xcviii. 4; 
 Ixvi. 1). The "joyful noise" is the shout of 
 acclamation with which a king is greeted at his 
 accession to the throne. So at Solomon's accession 
 (1 Ki. i. 39, 40). So at Messiah's coming visibly to 
 reign (Ps. ii. 6, 8, 11, 12). 2. Serve the Lord with 
 gladness— (Ps. ii. 11.) There, where rebels are 
 concerned, the expression is, "Serve the Lord 
 zvith fear ;" here, where willing subjects are invited, 
 it is, " Serve the Lord with gladness." " Serve," 
 therefore, means, not merely worship, but submit 
 yourselves to Him as your King, as opposed to 
 rebelling and 'setting themselves against Him' 
 (Ps. ii. 1-3). Cf. "serve "in the same sense, Ps. 
 Ixxii. 11. 3. Know ye that the Lord he (is) God 
 —Hebrew, 'Jehovah is Elohim;' as contra-distin- 
 guished from all whom the heathen called ' gods ' 
 (cf. Ps. xlvi. 10, based on Deut. vii. 9). The 
 destruction of Sennacherib, in Ps. xlvi., is a tyi:>e 
 cf the coming overthrow of the antichristian 
 faction, the result of which will l>e the recognition 
 of Jehovah by all nations, (it is) he (that) hatli 
 made us, and not we ourselves: (we are) his 
 people, and the sheep of his pasture. These are 
 the two grounds for our recognizing Jehovah as 
 
Davids s ww 
 
 PSALM CI. 
 
 of godliness. 
 
 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, — aiid into his courts with praise : 
 Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 
 
 5 For the Lord is good ; his mercy is everlasting ; 
 And his truth endureth *to all generations. 
 
 PSALM CL 
 
 A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 I WILL sing of mercy and judgment : — unto thee, 0 Lord, will I sing. 
 
 2 I will "behave myself wisely in a perfect way. 
 
 0 when wilt thou come unto me ? 
 
 1 will ^walk within my house with a perfect heart. 
 
 3 I will set no ^wicked thing before mine eyes: 
 
 I bate the work of them '^that turn aside; — it shall not cleave to me. 
 
 4 A froward heart shall depart from me : — I will not '^know a wicked person. 
 
 * to genera- 
 tion and 
 generation. 
 
 PSALM 101. 
 »lSam.l8.14. 
 
 'i Sam. 8.15. 
 6 1 Ki. 9. 4. 
 
 1 Ki. 11. 4. 
 
 1 Tim. 3. 4, 
 
 6. 
 
 1 thing of 
 Belial. 
 
 • Jo h. 2\ 6. 
 iSam.l-^.-O. 
 
 <i Matt. 7. 2J- 
 
 1 Cor. 5. 11. 
 
 2 Tim. 2. IS). 
 
 God; first, that 'He hath made iis ;' secoudly, that 
 'we are His people and His slieep' — viz., by His 
 having redeemed us (Acts xx. 28). The same two- 
 fold ground appears in Ps. xcv. 6, 7. "Not we 
 ourselves" is added to mark how altogether of 
 God's grace, not of our working even in part, our 
 creation and our redemption alike are (Eph. ii. 
 8-10 ; Ps. xcviii. 1). Contrast Pharaoh's vaunt 
 (Ezek. xxix. 3). " Made us," as ai)phed to the 
 Israelites, the literal and the spiritnal, includes 
 adoption by grace, as well as creation. The result 
 of His making Its (in this sense) is, "we are His 
 people, and the sheep of His pasture." Cf. 1 Sam. 
 xii. 6, marg. ; Deiit. xxvi. 18 ; xxxii. 6 ; Isa. xxix. 
 23 ; xliii. 7. The Chaldaic and Jerome substitute 
 the bad Hebrew marginal {Keri) reading for 
 N^], ' And His we are' for ^not we ourselves.' The 
 LXX. and the other old versions, with the English 
 version, support the Hebrew text {Chetih), which 
 suits the sense better. 4. Enter into his gates 
 with thanksgiving, (and) into Ms courts with 
 praise— (Ps. xcii. 13 ; xcvi. 8.) About to be reahzed 
 under the coming reign of Messiah at Jerusalem 
 (Isa. Ivi. 5-7 ; Ix. 10, 11 ; Ixvi. 18, 23 ; Zech. xiy. 
 16). ' The nations of the earth praise the Lord in 
 loud harmonious chorus in the same sanctuary in 
 which now only the weak song of yjraise of a single 
 little nation is heard ; ' from month to month and 
 from Sabbath to Sabbath all flesh come to worship 
 before Jehovah — all the inhabitants of the earth 
 every Sabbath — which, if literally interpreted, con- 
 tains an absurdity' {Hengstenherg). But because 
 minute details are not to be pressed, it does not 
 follow that the whole of the express statements as 
 to the manifested glory of the Lord at Jerusalem, 
 and the homage of the Gentiles there, are to be 
 evaporated into a figure. 5. For the Lord is good 
 —as is shown by the salvation which He has im- 
 parted to His people, and in them at the same 
 time to the whole world {Hengstenherg) (Ps. xxv. 
 8 ; xxxiv. 8 ; Ixxxvi. 5). his mercy . . . and his 
 truth (endureth) to all generations — (Isa. liv, 
 8-10.) These are two features of His goodness. 
 
 PSALM CI. 1-8. — Resolution to sing of JehovaNs 
 mercy and justice {v. 1) ; also to behave in a perfect 
 way \vv. 2-4) ; to choose believing servants, and to cut 
 off the wicked doers from, the city oj the Lord {vv. 5- 
 8). This psalm is the first of the trilogy, Ps. ci.-ciii. 
 The thanksgiving song here resolved uon {v. 1) is 
 given in Ps. ciii. (cf. there vv. 1, 2, 6, 8, 11, 17, 18). 
 The hint of distress and the prayer for deliverance 
 (v. 2) is developed in Ps. ciL The substance of the 
 triple whole is. David saith. If only my children 
 (and so all believers) remain in Jehovah's ways 
 (Ps. ci. 2-8), they may call upon Him in trouble 
 (Ps. cii., and they shall have reason given them to 
 bless Him (Ps. ciii.) Ps. ciii. 17, 18 embodies 
 
 the main thought of Ps. ci. (cf. Ps. xviii. 20-27 ; 
 xxi.) 
 
 1. I will sing of mercy and judgment— viz. , 
 the mercy and just faithfidness of Jehovah to His 
 promises, (given to me and my family througli 
 Nathan, 2 Sam. vii.) The Psalmist carries into 
 efiect his purpose of singino- of them, not in this 
 psalm, but in Ps. ciii., the last of the trilogy (Ps. 
 Ixxxix. 1 ; Judg. v. 3). will I sing— a different 
 Hebrew word [idt] from " I will sing " \y'^\ 
 Translate, ' will I chant a psalm of praise.^ 
 
 2-4. — How the kin^ means to behave in his private 
 life, so as not to forfeit J ehovah's promised mercy 
 and faithfulness. 2. 1 will behave myself wisely in 
 a perfect way. The history (1 Sam. xviii. 14, 15), 
 by an undesigned coincidence which verifies the 
 genuinensss of both passages, uses almost the same 
 words of David's behaviour — "David behaved him- 
 self wisely in all his ways." To 'behave wisely' 
 is the result of meditating upon the testimonies of 
 the Lord (Ps. cxix. 99), and stands in contrast to 
 the sinful stupidity of the godless (Ps. xiv. 1, 2). 
 David sets forth his own xjractice, or at least a/w. 
 [The Hebrew n, in the future, implies effort]. "Per- 
 fect "or " upright " is a favourite word of David's 
 (Ps. xviii. 23, 25; xv. 2; xxxvii. 37; Ixiv. 4). Gods 
 words to Abraham are before his mind here (Gen. 
 xvii. 1). O when wilt thou come unto me?— to 
 bless and deliver me in my trouble, according to 
 thy promise in Exod. xx. 24, "In aU places where 
 I record my name I will come unto thee, and I Avill 
 bless thee;" for in Zion, which has now become 
 "the city of the Lord" (v. 8) by the presence of 
 the ark oi thy covenant, thou hast erected a ''re- 
 cord of thy name.' This abruptly-inserted prayer 
 is the prelude of Ps. cii., which expands it. " Let 
 my cry come unto thee" (Ps. cii. 1) answers to 
 "when wilt thou come unto me?" here. The 
 coming of the Lord to the sufferer is inseparalily 
 joined with the coming of the sufferer's cry to Him. 
 The ark had already come, as the phrase (v. 8), 
 "the city of the Lord," proves; therefore the 
 prayer here cannot be for coming. I will walk 
 within my house with a perfect heart— with an 
 upright or blamel-ess heart (Ps. Ixxviii. 72; 1 Ki. 
 iii. 14; ix. 4; xi. 4; Prov. xx. 7). within my house 
 — in my private life, as distinguished from David's 
 public conduct in "the city of the Lord" {v. 8). 3. 
 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes 
 —lit., 'no thing of Belial' (Ps. xli., note). I hate 
 the work of them that turn aside — apostates 
 [D'tpp, the same as O'l???, Hos. v. 2, "revolters "1, 
 (Ps. xl. 4, end), it shall not cleave to me— (Dent, 
 xiii. 17.) 4. A froward heart shall depart from 
 me— (Ps. xviii. 26.) So Solomon, David's son, 
 writes in Prov. xi. 20 ; xvii. 20. I will not know 
 a wicked (person)— rather as the parallel clause 
 
The prophets complaint 
 
 PSALM CII. 
 
 In affliction. 
 
 5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off : 
 *Him that hath an high look and a proud- heart will not I suffer. 
 
 6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell 
 
 with me : 
 
 He that walketh ^in a perfect way, he shall serve me. 
 
 7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: 
 He that telleth lies ^ shall not tarry in my sight. 
 
 8 I will ^ early destroy all the wicked of the land ; 
 
 That I may cut off all '^wicked doers from the city of the Loed. 
 
 PSALM cn. 
 
 A Prayer of the afflicted, wlien he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint 
 
 before the Lord. 
 
 1 HEAR my prayer, 0 Lord, — and let my cry come unto thee. 
 
 2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble ; 
 
 Incline thine ear unto me : — in the day when I call answer me speedily. 
 
 3 For '^my days are consumed ^like smoke. 
 
 • Ps. 10. 24. 
 
 Ps. I'S. 27. 
 
 Fs. 13«. 6. 
 
 Pro. 6. 17. 
 
 Dan. 4. 37. 
 
 Luke If. 14. 
 / Ps. 15. 4. 
 
 Ps. 34. 15. 
 
 Ps. lit). 63. 
 
 Rom. 11. 4, 
 2 Or. perfect 
 
 in the way. 
 8 shall not 
 
 be estab- 
 lished, 
 f Jer. 21. 12. 
 h Hos. !•. 3. 
 
 PSALM 102. 
 " Jas. 4. W. 
 1 Or, into 
 smoke. 
 
 requires, 'I will not know a wicked thing'' (Ps. 
 xxxiv. 16; lii. 3). So far he has sjjoken only of 
 mn: not until the second part of the strophe does 
 he pass on to sinners. 
 
 5-8. — How the king will act in his public capa- 
 city. He will not endure slander or pride. He 
 will take only the faithful to dwell with him as 
 servants, and will banish the deceitful from his 
 presence, and will cut off the wicked doers. 5. 
 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will 
 I cut oflF. David knew, by bitter experience in 
 Saul's days, the cruel effects of slander. In Pro v. 
 XXX. 10 the same Hebrew occurs, him that hath 
 an high look and a proud heart will not I sufifer— 
 (Prov. xxi. 4. ) Pride and slander go together ; 
 for the depreciating of others is with a view to 
 exalt self. 6. Mine eyes shall be upon the faith- 
 ful of the land, that they may dwell with me— as 
 servants and counsellors, he that walketh in a 
 perfect way, he shall serve me— even as I myself 
 make it my aim to " walk in a perfect (upright, 
 sincere) way" (v. 2). 7. He that worketh deceit 
 shaU not dwell within my house— even as " I 
 walk within my house with a perfect heart." 
 " Within the king's house,' his private life, stands 
 in contrast to "the city of the Lord" {v. 8), the 
 public administi ation. he that telleth lies shall 
 not tarry in my sight — Hebrew, ' shall not he 
 established,'' &c. : cf. Prov. xii. 3. Should a lying 
 servant get into my employment, he shall not be 
 let to stay in it (1 Ki. ii. 5). 8. I will early de- 
 stroy all the wicked of the land. " Early "—^lY. , 
 'every morning' (Ps. Ixxiii. 14). It refers to the 
 never-flagging zeal of the king, renewed every 
 morning, in extirpating the wicked (Jer. xxi. 12), 
 The morning was the customary time of trials 
 and judgment, that I may cut oflF all wicked 
 doers from the city of the Lord. It is because 
 the city in which T rule is the city of the Lord, 
 Zion (Ps. cii. 13; xlvi. 4; xlviii. 1, 8; Ixxxvii. 3), 
 that I am under a solemn obligation to cut off all 
 who are unworthy of such a citizenship. 
 
 PSALM CII. 1-28.— //ear my cry, for my 
 trouble needs immediate relief {vv. 1-5); / am like a 
 lonely bird, and my being cast down, after having 
 been lifted up, aggravates my pain (vv. 6-10); con- 
 solation found in God's abiding character : lie will 
 arise and have mercy on Zion, vjhose representative 
 David is {vv. 11-14); the coming generation shall 
 j/raise II im for loosing tJoe prisoners, and the people 
 shxill be gathered at Jerusalem to serve Jehovah {vv. 
 18-22); powerless, and with shortened days, David 
 taken refuge in the eternal (Jod {vv. ^-'2^); Jehovah's 
 
 seed shall be established at last, whatever trials they 
 now endure {v. 28). On the sense of the whole 
 trilogy, cf. notes on title, Ps. ci. A prescient 
 misgiving as to his children's misconduct (cf. 2 
 Sam. xxiii. 5) led David to anticipate the coming 
 distress of Zion. The Holy Spirit has made the 
 words to apply exactly to Israel's present disper- 
 sion, her coming prayerful return to God, her 
 restoration, and the consequent conversion of the 
 Gentiles; both connected with Jehovah's coming 
 in glory. The Babylonian captivity (resulting from 
 the ajjostasy of David's line) and the restoration 
 are the type. The suffering rinhteousness pictured 
 applies to David's Antitype, Messiah, for whose 
 sake, as Abraham's seed, the promises to Israel 
 shall be fulfilled by God's mercy upon Zion at 
 last. 
 
 Title.— A. prayer— (cf. note on title of Ps. xc.) 
 The Hebrew, Tephillah, means here a supplicatory 
 prayer of the afllicted for help (cf. the correspond- 
 ing vv. 17, 20). when he is overwhelmed— (Ps, 
 Ixi. 2.) and poureth out his complaint (Ps. Ixii. 
 8)— unbosoming all one's cares, sorrows, and fears 
 (Ps. Iv. 2). before the Lord— corresponding to 
 " before thee" in the conclusion. 
 
 1. Hear my prayer— explained by "my cry," 
 which follows (cf. Ps. iv. \ ; xvii. 1). let my cry 
 come unto thee— answering to Ps. ci. 2, " 0 when 
 wilt thou come unto me?" (cf. Ps. xviii. 6.) So 
 'Israel's cry came up unto God by reason of the 
 bondage' in Egypt (Exod. ii. 23). So it shall be 
 in the last days {vv. 17, 20). 2. Hide not thy face 
 from me— (Ps. xxvii. 9; xiii. 1.) So the Father 
 on Calvary hid His face from the Son of David, 
 in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine 
 ear unto me. So the punctuation ought to be; to 
 answer to in the day when I call answer me 
 speedily — lit., 'hasten, answer me'(Ps. xxxi. 2). 
 David puts into the mouth of his suffering seed 
 language already employed by himself in his own 
 trouble. God's having already answered this cry 
 (as he hints by using the same words) is an en- 
 coura<|ement to all whom David instructs, to 
 cherish hope if they cast themselves on God in the 
 same way. 
 
 3. For my days are consumed like smoke— or, 
 as Hebrew— lit., ' in {into) smoke.' The very same 
 expression which David in Ps. xxxvii. 20 had used 
 of "the enemies of the Lord:" "they shall con- 
 sume into smoke" (cf. Ps. Ixviii. 2). Hereby the 
 ideal sufferer virtually comi)lains that the lot of 
 the wicked befalls him, though being righteous, 
 (Ps. ci.) The low state of depression of the throne 
 
The prophet's complaint 
 
 PSALM CII. 
 
 in affliction. 
 
 And * my bones are burned as an hearth. 
 
 4 My heart is smitten, and withered hke grass ; 
 So that I forget to eat my bread. 
 
 5 By reason of the voice of my groaning — my bones cleave to my ^skin. 
 
 6 I am Hke ''a peh'can of the wilderness; — I am like an owl of the desert. 
 
 7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house-top. 
 
 8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day ; 
 
 And they that are mad against me '^are sworn against me. 
 
 9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, — and mingled my drink with weeping, 
 
 10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: 
 For "^thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down. 
 
 1 1 My days are like a shadow that declineth ; and ■''I am withered like grass. 
 
 12 But thou, 0 Lord, shalt ^endure for ever. 
 
 Jobco. 30. 
 F8. 22. li. 
 15. 
 
 Pa. 31. 10. 
 Pa. 38, 3. 
 Lam. 1. 13. 
 Lam. 3. 4. 
 Or. flesh. 
 Isa. 34. 11. 
 Zeph. 2. H. 
 : Acts 23. 12. 
 Ps. 30. r. 
 Ps. 73. 18. 
 Ps. 147. 6. 
 2 Cor. 4. 9. 
 Jas. 1. 10. 
 1 Tim. 6.1". 
 
 and the people is herein shadowed forth, and my 
 bones are burned as an hearth— rather, ' as a 
 firebrand;' 'as a thing burning.' So the Hebrew, 
 Lev. vi. 9, marg.; Isa. xxxiii. 14. Pain rages 
 like a burning in the innermost parts of my frame 
 (Jer. XX. 9). 4. My heart— the seat of vital power, 
 is smitten, and withered like grass— when smit- 
 ten by the sun (Ps. cxxi. 6), or else when broken 
 by any injury to the stem, so that I forget to 
 eat my bread— rather, as Hebrew [oj, 'for I for- 
 
 fet to eat my bread:' assigning the cause of the 
 eart or vital power becoming withered — viz., 
 because my deep distress makes me to loath my 
 food, the usual strengthener of mail's heart (Ps. 
 civ. 15; cvii. 18; 1 Sam. i. 7; xx. 34). 5. By reason 
 of the voice of my groaning. What is here said 
 of the complaining sufferer is in ?'. 20 said of Zion, 
 whom he represents, as being her king (cf. Ps. xxxi. 
 10 ; xxxii. 3). my bones cleave to my skin— (cf. 
 Job xix. 20, note.) Translate, 'my bones cleave 
 to my Jiesh : ' as all the old versions have it. I am 
 so weak and relaxed that my bones hang on the 
 flesh, void of all their agility and power: contrast 
 Isa. Iviii. 11 ; Ixvi. 14. Cf. as to the tongue cleav- 
 ing to the jaws, Job xxix. 10; Ps. xxii. 15; cxxxvii. 
 6 [Gejer). In Lam. iv. 8, "their shin cleaveth 
 to their bones:" the Hebrew for "skin" is differ- 
 ent. Muis takes it as meaning, I am so emaciated 
 that the flesh is consumed awaj% and I am but 
 skin and bone (Ps. xxii. 17). But if this M^ere the 
 sense, why is 'flesh' mentioned as still on him, 
 and not leather " skin ?" 
 
 6. I am like a pelican of the wilderness— (Tsa, 
 xxxiv. 11, marg.) Expressive of his misery. I am 
 like an owl of the desert— or, as the Syriac and 
 Arabic, ' in a ruin : ' among the ruins of a house. 
 This expresses hi^loneliness, surrounded by enemies, 
 and without any to befriend and save him, 7. I 
 watch— (Ps. Ixxvii, 4.) and am as a sparrow 
 alone upon the house-top— like the little bird 
 sitting all alone, having lost its mate and its 
 young, and uttering its plaintive note on the 
 house-top (Ps, xxxviii. 11). 8. Mine enemies 
 reproach me— (Ps. xlii. 10.) they that are mad 
 against me— (Acts xxvi. 11; Luke vi. 11.) Thus 
 David was a type of Messiah, and his haters a type 
 of those \yho "were filled with madness" against 
 Jesus. Lit., ' my mad ones ; ' my enemies who are 
 mad against me. The same Hebrew p^^hriD] is 
 translated 'foolish,' Ps. v. 5; Ixxv. 4—i.e.,the 
 madly vain-glorious; so here, those boasting them- 
 selves madly against me. The root primarily means 
 to praise. Hence the LXX., Vulgate, Ethiopic, 
 Syriac, and Arabic versions translate, 'those who 
 praised me (in my prosperity).' But the Chaldaic 
 favours the English version, are sworn against 
 me. So the Ethiopic, LXX., Vulgate, and Arabic. 
 But the Syriac and Chaldaic favour rather ' swear 
 318 
 
 by me.' The Hebrews do not use 'swear by me^ 
 as the Hebrew is here for ' swear agaimt me.' 
 The sense is, my mad enemies make me the formula 
 of a curse (Num. v. 21). If they wish to curse any 
 one, or to imprecate a curse on tliemselves in attes- 
 tation of a statement, they say, May such a one, or 
 may I, be such a wretched being as David ! (Jer. 
 xxix. 22; xlii. 18; Isa. Ixv. 15; Ps. xliv, 14.) 9. 
 For I have eaten ashes like bread. The "For" 
 introduces the ground iipou which his enemies 
 reproach him (?'. 8) — viz., his great misery, not- 
 withstanding his piety. The enemies sneer at 
 religion itself in the person of its suffering repre- 
 sentative. "Ashes' represent mourning; they 
 were cast upon the head in sorrow, whilst the 
 mourner lay upon them : not that he literally ate 
 them (2 Sam. xiii. 19 ; Job ii. 8). Jerusalem is thus 
 represented sitting upon the ground (Isa. iii. 26; 
 Ps. xliv. 25; Jer, vi, 26; Lam. iii. 16). The phrase 
 is poetical, like Ps. xlii. 3 (cf. Ps. Ixxx, 5), So the 
 parallel clause, and mingled my drink with 
 weeping — I do not intermit shedding tears even 
 whilst I eat. As drinkers mingle water with their 
 wine, so my tears fall into the cuf» out of M'hich I 
 drink. 10. Because of thine indignation and 
 thy wrath— (Ps. xxxviii. 1-3.) for thou hast 
 lifted me up, and cast me down— as a storm 
 lifts UYJ an object only to dash it down and break 
 it (Job xxvii. 21 ; Isa. xxii, 17, 18), So thou hast 
 elevated me only to make my fall the more griev- 
 ous (Ps. XXX. 7). 
 
 11-14. — In contrast to his own frailty, the 
 Psalmist finds that consolation in God's abiding 
 character which assures him that God will arise 
 and have mercy on Zion, whose representative he 
 is. 11. My days are like a shadow that declineth 
 —i. e., which is on the point of vanishing, as the 
 shadows at evening (Ps. cix, 23; cxliv. 4.) Or else 
 'like a shadow inclined and lengthened out from 
 the sun.' The decline of day is marked by the 
 lengthening shadows (Jer. vi. 4; Judg, xix, 8, 
 marg.; Ps. Ixii. 4), {Muis and Gejer.) and I am 
 withered like grass — resuming v. 4, " my heart is 
 withered like grass : " which proves that this verse 
 belongs to the second or following strophe, not to 
 the former one. Moreover, the "and/," in the 
 Hebrew, stands in designed contrast to "But 
 thou,'''' V. 12. The destruction which threatens 
 is not that general one which affects man's transi- 
 tory being, but that affecting David's line, and Zion, 
 whose cause is identified with his. 
 
 12. But thou, 0 Lord, shalt endure for ever — 
 Hebrew, 'shalt sit for ever' (cf. v. 26, "tboii 
 shalt stand ; " Hebrew, not a mere enduring, but a 
 SITTING AS A KING: cf. Ps. xxix. 10; ix. 7. Lam. 
 V, 19 is drawn from this. However near to de- 
 struction the house of David may seem, yet as 
 Jehovah has promised its permanence, the abiding 
 
The prophet's comfort 
 
 PSALM CIL 
 
 in the mercy of God. 
 
 And thy remembranee unto all generations. 
 
 13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion : 
 
 For the time to favour her, yea, the set '^time, is come. 
 
 14 For thy ^servants take pleasure in her stones. 
 And favour the dust thereof. 
 
 15 So the heathen shall ^fear the name of the Lord, 
 And all the kings of the earth thy glory. 
 
 16 When the Lord shall build up Zion, — he ^shall appear in his glory. 
 
 17 He ^will regard the prayer of the destitute, 
 And not despise their prayer. 
 
 18 This shall be '"written for the generation to come : 
 
 And "the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. 
 
 19 For he hath ''looked down from the height of his sanctuary; 
 From heaven did the Lord behold the earth ; 
 
 20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner; 
 
 To loose ^ those that are appointed to death ; 
 
 21 To declare the name of the Lord in Zion, — and his praise in Jerusalem; 
 
 permanence of God's own throne ensures the per- 
 maneneeof David's seed. This contidence received 
 its first realization in the seed of David, Messiah's 
 first advent, notwithstanding the seeming ruin of 
 David's line at the Babylonian captivity ; but the 
 full realization shall be at His second advent to 
 reign in glory over Zion. and thy remembrance — 
 thy memorial, (Ps. xxx. 4, niarg.) Thy recorded 
 manifestation of thyself in mighty deeds in behalf 
 ■X of thy people. Thou caust never disown thy 
 character as it has always been, unto all genera- 
 tions— (Ps, cxxxv, 13.) 13. Thou Shalt arise- 
 when Zion and David's line are brought to their 
 lowest depression (Ps. xii. 5; Ixviii. 1). and have 
 mercy upon Zion — at the intercession of the 
 angel of the covenant (Zech. i. 12). Cf. David's 
 prayer at the close of another psalm of depression 
 (Ps. li. 18). for the time to favour her, yea, 
 the set time, is come— (Isa. xl. 2, marg.) "Her 
 appointed time is accomplished." The " set time" 
 is when "the times of the Gentiles shall be ful- 
 filled" (Luke xxi. 24; Eom. xi. 25); when "that 
 determined shall be poured upon the desolate" 
 (Dan. ix. 27); when the " time, times, and an half " 
 shall be complete, and when "He shall have 
 accomplished to scatter the jxtwer of the holy 
 people" (Dan. xii. 7). Against the reference to 
 the Babylonian captivity, when its seventy years 
 were closed, the objection lies that it is when" Zion 
 has reached the deepest point of her misery, Jeho- 
 vah interposes for her, which is not true of her 
 deliverance from Babylon ; for her greatest misery 
 was at the beginning, rather than at the close of 
 the seventy years. However, as a typical fulfil- 
 ment it may be referred to; but the ulterior 
 fulttiment is plainly future. l4. For thy servants 
 take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust 
 thereof— (Ps. Ixxix. 1.) So Syriac, ' love the dust,' 
 &c. Or else, 'pity (mourn over) tlie dust,' &c. So 
 the LXX., Vulgate, Ethiopic, Chaldaic, and Ara- 
 bic versions. The stones and the dust of Zio/i are 
 referred to as the materials for restoring the city 
 of God (Ps. Ixix. .35), Cf. in the restoration after 
 the return from Babylon, Neh. iv. 2. The " For" 
 gives another reason why God will arise and have 
 mercy upon Zion, besides the one in v. 13 {the 
 appointed time having come)— viz., the love and 
 yearning sorrow which Nis servants have for her 
 even when in ruins (cf. Isa. Ixvi. 10). 
 
 15. So— as the blessed result of the Lord's having 
 mercy upon Zion. the heathen shall fear the 
 name of the Lord -the strongest plea to urge an 
 appeal to the Lord's own glory, as involved in the 
 319 
 
 Isa. 40. 2. 
 Dan. 9. 2. 
 Dan. 12. 9. 
 Gal. 4. 4. 
 
 • Dan. 9. 2. 
 j 1 Ki. 8. 43. 
 
 * Isa. 60. 1, 
 ' Neh. 2. 8. 
 
 Jer. 29. H- 
 14. 
 
 Dan. 9. 3- 
 21. 
 
 "* Rom, 15. 4. 
 
 iCor. 10.11. 
 " Ps. 22. 31. 
 
 Isa. 43. 21. 
 " Deut. 26.15. 
 
 Ps. 14. 2. 
 
 Ps. 33. 13, 
 11. 
 
 3 the chil- 
 dren of 
 death. 
 
 restoration of Zion (Ps. Ixviii. 29-32; Isa. lix. 19, 
 20). All the teuses in vv. 16, 17 are preterites- 
 faith and prophecy regarding the event as sure as 
 if it were actually come to pass. 16. When the 
 Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his 
 glory. The restoration of Zion in more than her 
 ancient glory is inseparably joined to the appear- 
 ing of the Lord in His glory. The Hebrew for 
 " appear " expresses His visible and personal mani- 
 festation (Gen. xlviii. 3; Exod. iii. 16; Lev.ix. 4) [^^^T13. 
 Cf. Tit, ii. 13, eTTtf/jayeia TJ/s 86^)]<s tov fxeyaXov 0eou]. 
 
 17. He will regard the prayer of the destitute 
 
 —the confident anticipation of the answer to v. 1, 
 The restoration of Zion shall be the result of the 
 earnest prayers of Jehovah's people in their dis- 
 tress (cf. V, 20; Isa. Ixii. 6, 7). So the restoration 
 from Babylon was the fruit of the prayers of 
 Nehemiah (i. 4-11), Daniel (ix.), and other servants 
 of God. " Destitute " ["ii?"!^, probably a form coined 
 by the Psalmist ; akin to "iw, hare: cf. Ps. cxxxvii. 
 7, tnarg.'\—one utterly naked of all human help. 
 and not despise their prayer— (Ps. xxii. 5; 
 Ixix. 33.) 
 
 18-27.— The generation to come shall praise the 
 Lord for having loosed the groaning prisoners: the 
 peoples shall be gathered together to serve the 
 Lord at Jerusalem {vv. 18-22), Bein^ vidthout 
 strength, I take refuge in the eternal God {vv. 
 23-27). 18. This shall be written for the gener- 
 ation to come— (Pom. xv. 4.) "This"— viz., the 
 restoration of Zion— shall be consigned to writing, 
 for the record of the fact (Exod. xvii. 14 ; Dent, 
 xxxi. 10, 21 : especially Ps. xxii. 30 ; xlviii. 13 ; 
 Ixxviii. 4). and the people which shall be created 
 — in the time of the future generation (Ps. xxii. 
 31) spiritually born by regeneration, (Isa. xliii. 1, 7, 
 15 ; Ixv. 18 ; Eph. ii. 10 ; Col. iii, 10 ; Ezek. xxxvii.) 
 19. For he hath looked down from the height 
 of his sanctuary — the prophetical preterite. lu 
 the appointed time he will look down so as to have 
 respect to the groans and cries of His people {v. 20 ; 
 Ps, xrv. 2; Deut, xxvi. 15; Isa. Ixiii. 15; Zech. ii. 
 13 ; Ps, xviii, 16). 20. To hear the groaning of 
 the prisoner. So Exod, ii, 23-25 ; Ps, xii. 5. to 
 loose those that are appointed to death— 
 'the children of death ;' i. e., those on the verge of 
 death, or actually dead as a nation; as Israel is 
 described in Ezek. xxxvii.: cf. note, Ps. Ixxix. 11, 
 drawn from the passage here, 21. To declare the 
 name of the Lord in Zion— (Ps. xxvi, 7.) That 
 both Israel and the Gentile nations convert* d 
 through her 'may declare' or make known "the 
 
j The prophet* s comfort in 
 
 the eternity of God. 
 
 22 When ^the people are gathered togethei^ 
 And the kingdoms to serve the Lord. 
 
 23 He ^weakened my strength in the way; — ^he shortened my days. 
 
 24 I said, 0 my God, take me not away in the midst of my days ; 
 ^Thy years are throughout all generations. 
 
 25 Of ' old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth; 
 And the heavens are the work of thy hands. 
 
 26 They * shall perish, but thou shalt ^endure; 
 Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment : 
 
 As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed : 
 
 27 But Hhou art the same, — and thy years shall have no end. 
 
 28 The children of thy servants shall continue. 
 And their seed shall be established before thee. 
 
 name of the Lord ;" correspondios; to v. 15. in the 
 second strophe. 22. Wlien the people are 
 gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve 
 the Lord— Hebrew, * the peoples ' {v. 15 ; Ps. xxii. 
 27; Ixviii. .30-32; Isa. xlv. 14; Rev. xi. 15). 
 
 23-27. — The renewed comjilaint is made the 
 stepping-stone to confidence resting on the en- 
 during nature of God. 23. He weakened my 
 strength in the way. So the marginal Keri reads 
 [to]. But the Ketib, or Hebrew text, being the 
 more difficult, is less likely to be the correctional 
 reading, 'He weakened Jm strength' [in3]— j. e., 
 the strength of my posterity, and so of Zion, whose 
 cause my posterity represents. So the LXX. [j(rx<^«s 
 avTov]. "In the way" — i.e., in the pathway 
 marked out for David's line and for Israel, through 
 the intervening wilderness of trials, to the glorious 
 consummation of Messiah's coming reign. Cf. v. 
 24, "in the midst of my days." The allusion is to 
 Exod. xviii. 8, " Moses told his father-in-law all 
 the travail that had come upon them by the way 
 (viz., through the wilderness), and how the Lord 
 delivered them." Also Num. xxi. 4, end. he 
 shortened my days -reverting tovy. 3, 11, in order 
 that upon that dark background he may set in 
 bright relief God's enduring eternity and faithful- 
 ness as the basis of assurance, vv. 25-27; as 
 previously in vv. 11, 12. The shortening of the 
 days is not actual, but seeming on the verge of 
 coming to pass; when God out of His own eternal 
 years (y. 24) "renews" the sufferer's "youth like 
 the eagle's " (Ps. ciii. 5). 24. 0 my God, take 
 me not away — lit., ^ cause me not to ascend^ 
 "like smoke" that vanisheth {v. 3; Gen. xix. 28; 
 Jer. xlviii. 15, " Moab is gone up"), in the midst 
 of my days— the doom of the wicked (Ps. Iv. 23). 
 As the Psalmist declared his separation from them 
 in their course in Ps. ci., he implies that on this 
 ground he trusts he will not be involved in their 
 doom. Isi'ael's plea will be on the ground of the 
 antitypical David's righteousness, thy years are 
 throughout all generations. The basis of his 
 confidence is, God's years never fail: therefore His 
 people's days, though seemingly all but shortened 
 and cut off, cannot really be so; for God, retaining, 
 as He ever does, His power and His good-will to 
 His own, must arise and deliver them. God's 
 abiding years are contrasted with their shortened 
 days. Here the same ground of assurance is 
 resumed as in vv. 11-13. 
 
 25-27.— The imperishable and unchanging nature 
 of God is illustrated by contrasting it with the 
 most enduring of material things, the earth and the 
 heavens: imperishable as these are relatively to 
 other material things, yet even they shall perish 
 and be changed ; but God never so. In the close 
 of V. 27, "thy years shall have no end," the 
 Psalmist reverts to v. 24, "thy years (are) through- 
 
 p Hos. 1, 11. 
 
 HOS. 3. 6. 
 
 * afflicted. 
 « Fs. !0. 2. 
 
 Hab. 1. 1\ 
 Kev. 1. 4. 
 Gen. 1. 1. 
 Gen. 2. 1. 
 Jer. 32. 17. 
 Heb. 1. 10. 
 
 * Isa. G6. 22. 
 Kom. 8. 20. 
 2 Pet. 3. 7. 
 
 * stand. 
 
 t Mai. 3. 6. 
 Heb. 13. IS. 
 Jas. 1. 17. 
 
 out all generations," the truth which he illustrates 
 by contrast in the intervening clauses {vv. 25, 26). 
 25. Of old— lit., before, hast thou laid the foun- 
 dation of the earth; and the heavens, &c. The 
 creation of the heavens and the earth by God is 
 here introduced as the ground on which he rests 
 the statement {v. 26), that "They shall perish . . . 
 and be changed." What God has made, that He can 
 destroy : heaven and earth, as being things created, 
 shall pass away; but the Lord who created them 
 shall remain. Cf. Heb. i. 10-12, which applies to 
 Messiah what is here said of Jehovah (Heb. xii. 
 26-28). 26. They shall perish, but thou shalt 
 endure -/ii., 'thou shalt stand :^ in v. 12 it was 
 literally, ' thou shalt sit ' (enthroned for ever). Every 
 attitude that expresses abiding permanence is used, 
 yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment 
 — easily laid aside. Isa. li. 6 is drawn from this. 
 "All of them : " heaven and earth, and all that they 
 contain, as a vesture shalt thou change them, 
 and they shall be changed. The parallel term, 
 "perish," implies that the "change "is to be a 
 radical one. God, who hath created all things out 
 of nothing, shall change them when they no longer 
 fulfil their destination. The Hebrew [D^n], means 
 literally, 'glide by,' 'pass away.' New heavens and 
 a new earth shall linally succeed (Isa. Ixv. 17; 
 Ixvi. 22; Matt. xix. 28). This is not the thought 
 prominent here, but the prior destruction of both 
 (Job xiv. 12); the ulterior event being for the time 
 secondary (Matt. v. 18; xxiv. 35; Luke xxi. 33; 
 Isa. liv. 10 ; and above all, 2 Pet. iii. 7, 10, 11 ; Rev. 
 xxi. 5). The comparison to a change of vesture 
 hints at the coming new earth and heavens sub- 
 stituted for the old. 27. But thou art the same. 
 So the LXX. and Chaldaic, and Heb. i. 12 quoting 
 it. The Hebrew is strictly, 'but thou art He.' 
 Deut. xxxii. 39 is referred to. The Syriac trans- 
 lates, 'thou art as thou art.' Arabic, 'thou art 
 thyself^ [ii'i^], the imperishable One, as contrasted 
 with the heavens and earth, which perish, not- 
 withstanding their seeming stability: answering 
 to the parallel, thy years shall have no end: 
 and V. 24, end: cf. Isa. xliii. 10. Still God's 
 immutahility of character to His people (Mai. 
 iii. 6 ; Heb. xiii. 8) is involved in His imperish- 
 ableness. 
 
 28.— Concluding summary, and issue. 28. The 
 children of thy servants shall continue— 
 
 'shall dwell ' or 'inhabit ' their own land, the land 
 of Jehovah. Ps. xxxvii. 27, 29; Ixix. 35, 36, are 
 strikingly parallel. Dv)ell is the opposite of 
 wandering about without home (Fs. Ixviii. 6). 77/.?/ 
 servants are the Israelite nation (called "Jacob" 
 and " Judah" in Isa. Ixv. 9), which, from its fore- 
 fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with whom 
 God made the covenant, was the servant of God. 
 and their seed. The children and the seed are the 
 
Exhortation to 
 
 PSALM cm. 
 
 bless God, 
 
 PSALM CIIL 
 
 A Psalm of David!. 
 
 1 BLESS the Lord, 0 my soul ; 
 
 And all that is within me, bless his holy name. 
 
 2 Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, — and forget not all his benefits: 
 
 3 Who "forgiveth all thine iniquities ;— who healeth ^ali thy diseases; 
 
 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction ; 
 
 Who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies ; 
 
 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things ; 
 So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. 
 
 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are op- 
 pressed. 
 
 genuine children for Israel, the seed that shall be 
 i spiritually born (Ps. xxii. 30, 31 ; Isa. Ixvi. 8, 9). 
 shall be established before thee— (Gen. xvii, 1; 
 Ps. Ixxxix. 37: especially Ps. ci. 7, marg.) Liars 
 shall not he established before the coming Son of 
 David ; the seed of His servants shall be estab- 
 lished before Him (cf. Zeph. iii. 13). 
 
 PSALM CIII. 1-22. — Bless Jehovah, my soul, jor 
 having saved body, soul, and life, and satisfying me 
 with good things {vv. 1-5) ; He is the righteous Be- 
 deemer of His oppressed people from Moses'' days 
 doumward. Even oppressions he overrules to His 
 I peoples good, chastising us less than our si^is deserve 
 {vv. 6-10) ; God's mercy illustrated by the height of 
 the heavens, the distance between east and west, and 
 a father's pity for weak children {vv. 11-14); His 
 everlasting mercy to His oum is our only refuge from 
 our mortality {vv. 15-18); His kingdom rules over 
 j all: let all, therefore, praise Him, especially the 
 Psalmist {vv. 19-22). This is the praise-song of 
 J ehovah's mercy and judgment which David pro- 
 mised at the beginning of the trilogy (Ps. ci, 1). 
 David's ideal successor, and then Jehovah's people, 
 whom he represents, is the speaker. 
 
 1, 2. Bless the Lord, 0 my soul . . . Bless the 
 Lord, 0 my soul— with the "Bless the Lord, 0 
 my soul," V. 22, these two form the thrice-repeated 
 blessing from the soul to the Lord : answering 
 to the thrice - repeated blessing from the Lord 
 to the soul in the Mosaic formula, Num. vi, 
 24-26. and all that is within me — Hebrew, 
 plural, ^all my inward parts ' (Ps. v. 9): the heart, 
 ] the feelings, the understanding ; in contrast to 
 I what is outward, the lips, with which even the 
 thankless 'seem to thank God (cf. Ps. Ixii. 
 ; 4). A II my heart is contrasted with a divided or 
 I half-heart (cf, Ps. Ixxxvi. 11, 12). Deut. vi. 5 is 
 the original, his holy name — Himself in His 
 manifestation of His character as the holy and 
 adorable One (Ps. xxii. 3), 2. and forget not all 
 his benefits- a hint to David's seed that they, 
 j too, should not (as the human heart is apt to do) 
 forget all God's benefits. So Deut. vi. 12; viii, 11, 
 14, The very prosperity which is the gift of 
 (iod is too often the occasion of the heart being 
 lifted up so as to forget the Giver (Deut. xxxii. 15). 
 The HebreM' for "benefits" generally means 
 ' retribution ' or * reward,' as in v. 10 (Ps. vii. 4). 
 The only claim that we have to God's benefits is 
 His own grace and our great v^retchedness, which 
 moves His infinite compassion. In Ps, xiii. 6; 
 cxix. 17; 2 Chr. xxxii, 25, tiie Hebrew is used as 
 here of the bountiful dealings or benefits which God 
 gives in accordance with His own goodness : they 
 are due to His compassionate nature, not to our 
 merits. "All His benefits" beautifully corre- 
 spond to 'all that is in me,' which is called on to 
 bless him proportionally. 3. Who forgiveth all 
 VOL. III. 321 
 
 PSALM 103. 
 " Ps. 32. 6. 
 Ps. 61. 1. 
 Ps. 130. 8. 
 Isa. 33. 24. 
 Isa. 43. "iXu 
 Matt. 9. 2. 
 Mark 2. 6. 
 Luke 7. 47. 
 Eph. 1. 7. 
 
 ^ Ex. 15. 26. 
 Ps. 30. 2. 
 Ps. 38. 1. 
 Ps. 41. 3. 
 Ps. 107. 17. 
 Isa. 53. 6. 
 Jer. 17. 14. 
 
 thine iniquities — according to David's prayer, 
 trusting in God's gracious character (Ps. xxv. 11 ; 
 li. 9; Ixxxvi. 5). This shall be Israel's experi- 
 ence when she shall turn to the Lord. To this the 
 ulterior reference is (Ps. cxxx. 8 ; Jer. 1. 20). who 
 healeth all thy diseases. The maladies of the body, 
 including all earthly sufferings (Deut. xxix. 22; 
 Exod. XV. 26), are associated with the soul's sick- 
 nesses, "iniquities." Christ came as the Healer 
 of both. By removing sin, the cause, He will 
 finally remove sickness aud suffering, the effect 
 (Isa. xxxiii. 24). He gave an earnest of this in 
 combining His forgiveness of the paralytic with 
 His cure of his body (Mark ii. 5, 10 ; Matt. ix. 2, 
 6 : cf. also Luke vii. 47, aud the quotation of Isa. 
 liii. 4, with a significant alteration in Matt. viii. 
 17). 4. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction— 
 or 'the pit;' to which David rei)resented himself, 
 in the person of his seed and his nation, Israel, in 
 the latter days as verging (Ps. cii. 11, 23: cf. Ixviii. 
 20; Ixxxviii, 3). who crowneth thee— (Ps. Ixv. 11.) 
 with loving-kindness and tender mercies— (Ps, 
 xxv. 6; xl. 11.) 5. Who satisfieth thy mouth. 
 The Hebrew for " mouth " [■^MP.J is the same as in 
 Ps. xxxii. 9, where see note. The LXX., Vulgate, 
 Ethiopic, and Arabic translate, ' thy desire ;' 
 Syriac, ' thy body.' The usual meaning is * beauty ' 
 or ' ornament ' (Ezek. vii. 20). So the soul, the glory 
 of the man (Ps. Ivii. 8), is said here to be satis- 
 fied, or fully filled by God with good things ; or 
 rather, as the Syriac version, the body, whose "youth 
 is renewed like the eagle's," is meant. The body is 
 man's outward beauty, as the soul is the inward. In 
 contrast stands his previous weakened and withered 
 appearance of body, in Ps. cii. 3-5. However, in 
 favour of the soul being meant {Hengstenberg), 
 cf. Ps. cvii. 9, " He satisfieth the longing soul, and 
 filleth the hungry soul with goodness ;" Ps. Ixiii. 5 ; 
 also Isa. Iviii. 11. so that thy youth is renewed 
 like the eagle's— i. e. , as the eagle casts her feathers 
 and becomes bald like young ones, and then is 
 covered with new feathers. Other birds also 
 moult. But the eagle is selected as the emblem of 
 vigour : whence the Greek proverb, ' The eagle's old 
 age is as good as the lark s youth.' Hengstenberg 
 thinks the latter point alone is referred to, not the 
 moulting, and translates, 'thy youth is renewed 
 like (i. e., so as to be as strong as) the eagle.' So 
 in Isa. xl. 31 : cf. Lam. v. 21. Scripture knows 
 nothing of the fable which subsequently sprang up 
 of the eagle renewing its youth in old age. 
 
 6-10. — From praising God's favour in perpetually 
 renewing the vigour of David's line, when seem- 
 ingly on the point of extinction, the Psalmist passes 
 to His benefits to Israel literal and spiritual, 
 whose interests are inseparably bound up with the 
 line of David culminating in Messiah. 6. The 
 Lord executeth righteousness ... for aD that are 
 
 Y 
 
EscJiortation to 
 
 PSALM cm. 
 
 hless God. 
 
 7 He made known his ways unto Moses, — his acts unto the children of Israel. 
 
 8 The '^LoRD is merciful and gracious, 
 Slow to anger, and ^plenteous in mercy. 
 
 9 He "^will not always chide ; — neither will he keep his anger for .ever. 
 
 10 He *hath not dealt with us after our sins, 
 Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 
 
 11 For ^as1;he heaven is high above the earth, 
 
 So great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 
 
 1 2 As far as the east is from the west. 
 
 So far hath he ^removed our transgressions from us. 
 
 13 Like ^as a father pitieth his children. 
 So the Lord pitieth them that fear him. 
 
 14 For he knoweth our fraqae; — he remembereth that we are dust. 
 
 15 As for man, his days are as grass; 
 
 As a flower of the field, so he flourish eth : 
 
 16 For the wind passeth over it, and ^ it is gone ; 
 And the place thereof shall know it no more. 
 
 1 7 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them 
 
 that fear him, 
 And his righteousness '^unto children's children; 
 
 " Ex. 34. 6. 
 Num. 14.18. 
 Deut. 5. 10. 
 Neh. 9. 17. 
 Jer. 32. 18. 
 
 1 great of 
 mercy, 
 laa. 67. 16. 
 Jer. 3. 5. 
 Mic. 7. 1^\ 
 
 ' Ps. 130. 3. 
 Ezra 9. 1'?. 
 
 2 accord ii g 
 to the 
 height 
 
 of the 
 
 heaven. 
 / Isa. 43. 25. 
 
 Eph. 1. 7. 
 f Num.ll.li 
 
 Deut. 8. 5. 
 
 Isa, 63. 15, 
 16. 
 
 Mai. 3. ir. 
 
 3 it is not. 
 hx. 20. 6. 
 
 oppressed — i. e. , for all // is oppressed people (cf . r. 
 7 ; Ps. Ixviii. 5, " A father ot the fatherless, and a 
 judge of the widows;" viz., the orphaned and hus- 
 baudless Israel and the Church, when their Lord 
 seems removed in the day of trouble). 7. He made 
 known his ways unto Moses— in actual deeds of 
 guidance and deliverance, not in mere words. So 
 in Ps. XXV. 4. Exod. xxxiii. 13 is the fundamental 
 passage. When Moses, as representative of Israel, 
 jirayed, "Show me now thy way" — i. e., manifest 
 thy power in guiding safely me and the nation 
 God promised, "My presence shall go (with thee), 
 and I will give thee rest." his acts unto . . . Israel 
 — His marvellous and mighty deeds (Isa. ix. 11; 
 Ixxviii. 11; Exod. xxxiv. 10). 8. The Lord is mer- 
 ciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous 
 in mercy — from Exod. :i;xxiv. 6, 7 ; repeated in Ps. 
 Ixxxvi. 15, and elsewhere, which shows ;how deep 
 an impression was made on Israel by this comfort- 
 ing truth. This .alone ought to have kept the 
 people for ever from the worship of the heathen 
 gods of terror and cruelty. 9. He will not always 
 chide— chastise (cf. Isa. Ivii. 16). neither will he 
 keep (his anger) for ever. The same ellipsis of 
 " His anger " occurs in Lev. xix. 18 ; Jer. iii. 5. He 
 does keep or ' reserve [wrath] for Hk enemies-^ but 
 not for His people. ,10. He hath not dealt with us 
 after our sins— as He threatened in Lev. xxvi. 23, 
 24. He -executes His threat upon wilful and 
 Lardened transgressors; but "with us" who 
 "fear Him" {or. 11, 13, 17) ' He doth not deal 
 after {i. e., according to) our sins.' 
 
 11-22. — 11. For as the heaven is high above the 
 earth, (so) great is his mercy toward them that 
 fear him— e., is infinite (Ps. xxxvi. 5; Ivii. 10). 
 " Fear " is here filial reverence towards God on the 
 ground of His infinite holiness. This calls forth 
 childlike and unreserved.obedience to His revealed 
 will. The Psalmist is speaking of what God is to 
 His own people, not to mankind in general. 13. 
 As far as the east is from the west, (so) far hath 
 he removed our transgressions from us— entirely 
 acquitting us of their guilt and penalty (Mic. vii. 
 18, 19). 13, 14. Like as a father pitieth (his) chU- 
 dren, (so) the Lord pitieth . . . For he knoweth our 
 frame. The misery of our state, which might 
 seem to shut us out from One so infinitely perfect, 
 is the very inducement to God to show ^therly 
 ^pity towards ua (Ps. Ixxviii. 38, 39: Ixxxix. 47). 
 . 322 
 
 our frame — our natural constitution. The same 
 Hebrew {yitzreenu) is used here as in Gen. ii. 7; 
 therefore the allusion is to that passage, 'The 
 Lord God framed (English version, formed) man of 
 the dusV He, as being our Framer, knoweth our 
 frame, he i?eni©mbereth that we are dust. The 
 Hebrew {zakur) is passive or reflexive, 'He is 
 mindful,'' &c. 
 
 15-18. — Our grass-like frailty and mortality 
 would cause us to despair, but that we have sure 
 hope in Jehovah's everlasting mercy to those that 
 fear Him, as well those of the latest generation as 
 those of the earliest. Cf. Moses' words, Ps. xc. 1-5, 
 from which this passage is derived. Cf. a similar 
 contrast between man's grass-like frailty and God's 
 eternal loord, Isa. xl. 6-8. Here it is God's ever- 
 lasting mercy. 15. As for man, his days are as 
 grass. "Man" — lit., mortal and miserable man; 
 Hebrew, enosh, from a root, anash to be des- 
 
 perately diseased (Buxtorf). Set'b so named his 
 son (Gen. iv. 26), from the humanly-incurable 
 misery into which man had fallen by sm. So Ps. 
 viii. 4 (see note there) ; xxxvii. 2. as the flower 
 of the field, so he flourisheth. His flourishing or 
 vitality is of as short duration (Ps. xc. 5,6; Job 
 xiv. 1, 2). 16. For the wind passeth over it, and 
 it is gone — the scorching east wind (Gen. xli. 6, 
 23; Jon. iv. 8). and the place thereof— viz., of 
 the flower, shall know it no more— (Job. vii. 10 ; 
 XX. 9). 17. ©ut the mercy of the Lord is from ever- 
 lasting to everlasting upon them that fear him. 
 " Upon them" — i. e., protecting them from above, 
 and coming upon them in blessings. Thrice the 
 words of limitation, "them that fear him," are 
 repeated as a warning against transgressors pre- 
 sumptuously taking to themselves tbis promise, 
 which does not belong to them [vv. 11, 1.3, 17). 
 and his righteousness unto children's children — 
 (Exod. XX. 6.) God's righteousness consists not in 
 His rewarding us according to our strict merits, 
 but in His showing faithfulness to His own char- 
 acter and to His promises {v. 18) to them that 
 sincerely seek Him. Alike to the fathers of Israel 
 {v. 7) and .to the remotest children (Luke i. 72-74; 
 Acts ii. 39). The ultimate ground of God's being 
 righteous in showing mercy is the law-fulfilling 
 righteousness of Messiah. 18. To such as keep his 
 covenant. Deut. vii. 9, 11 is referred to here, and 
 in Ps. XXV. 10. and to those that rememljer his 
 
God^s majesty 
 
 PSALM CIV. 
 
 and power. 
 
 18 To *such as keep his covenant, 
 
 And to those that remember his commandments to do them. 
 
 19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens ; 
 And •'his kingdom ruleth over all. 
 
 20 Bless the Lord, ye his angels, ^that excel in strength. 
 
 That *do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. 
 
 21 Bless ye the Lord, all ye ^his hosts; 
 
 Ye '"ministers of his, that do his pleasure. 
 
 22 Bless the Lord, all his works — in all places of his dominion : 
 Bless the Lord, 0 my soul. 
 
 PSALM CIV. 
 
 1 BLESS the Lord, 0 my soul. 
 
 0 Lord my God, thou art very great ; 
 Thou art clothed with honour and majesty: 
 
 2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment ; 
 Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain ; 
 
 3 Who "layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters ; 
 
 commandments— (cf. "forget not," v. 2.) He "re- 
 membereth " us {v. 14) when we "remember" 
 Him, " His benefits," and "His commandments." 
 
 19-22.— Jehovah's kingdom ruleth over all, there- 
 fore let all praise Him, angels and men alike, 
 especially the Psalmist's soul. 19. The Lord hatli 
 prepared Ms throne in the heavens— (Ps. ix. 4, 7 ; 
 Heb. i. 11.) God's throne is infinitely above all 
 earthly thrones, and his kingdom ruleth over all. 
 All the God-forgetting world-powers shall have 
 at length to acknowledge this (Ps. ii. ; xlvii. 2), 
 as Nebuchadnezzar was obliged to do (Dan. iv. 25, 
 34, 35). 20. Bless the Lord, ye his angels— (Ps. 
 xxix. 1, 2). The angels' praises of God ought to 
 stir up us men, still more favoured than angels, to 
 praise Him. that excel in strength— ' that are 
 mighty heroes in strength ' (gihree l-oach). hearken- 
 ing unto the voice of his word— obeying it (Deut. 
 xxvi. 17). This distinguishes the angelic hosts 
 from the unintelligent starry "hosts" {v. 21) 21. 
 Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts . . . that do his 
 pleasure. The sun, moon, stars, and iJanets do His 
 pleasure (Ps. xix. 1) unconsciously; the "angels" 
 consciously, and with instinctive love, " hearken 
 unto the voice of His word" {v. 20). Both to- 
 gether constitute the Lord's " hosts " (Ps. xxiv. 
 10). 22. bless the Lord, 0 my soul. Thou w^ho hast 
 received so many and so great proofs of God's 
 favour canst not be silent when all the rest of 
 God's creatures praise Him. The psalm closes as 
 it began {v. 1). 
 
 PSALM CIV. Theme: Bless Jehovah for 
 
 His works, which reflect His majesty {v. 1); His 
 creation of light, the heavens, the earth ; separation 
 of water and land [vv. 6-9) ; watering the ground hy 
 fountains {vv. 10-12) ; the hills by rain, to nourish man 
 and beast, to produce trees to shelter the birds {vv. 
 13-17) ; from the hilly refuges of the wild goats {v. 18), 
 the Psalmist passes to the sun, moon, and night, and 
 their uses to the beasts and to w,an {vv. 19-23) ; the 
 wide sea embosoms countless beings, small and great, 
 and offwds a transit to ships for iiitercourse between 
 distant lands {vv. 24-26) ; all vjait upon God Jor food. 
 When He takes away their breath they die; when 
 He sends His Spirit the earth is renewed {vv. 27-30) ; 
 i/ie mm is, Jehovah's glory shall be forever; when 
 eartKs high hills fulfil not their purpose. His mere 
 touch consumes them; the Psalmist therefore will 
 ever be glad in Him, whereas sinners shall be con- 
 siimM {vv. 31-35). The praise of God in nature is 
 the means : the end is to assure the Church in I 
 323 
 
 < Ex. 19. 5. 
 
 Ex. 24. 8. 
 
 Deut. r. 9. 
 
 2Chr. 34.31. 
 
 Heb. 8. 6. 
 } Ps. 4r. 2. 
 
 Dan. 4. 2"!. 
 
 Eph. 1. 21. 
 
 Phil. 2. !>. 
 
 1 Pet. 3. 2?. 
 * mighty in 
 
 strength, 
 fc Matt. 6. 10. 
 ' Gen. 32. 2. 
 
 Neh. 9. 6. 
 
 Ps. 68. ir. 
 
 Ps. 104. 4. 
 
 Dan. r. 9. 
 
 Matt. 13.14. 
 
 Heb. 1. 6, 
 
 Eev. 22. 8. 
 
 PSALM 104. 
 » Amos 9. 6. 
 
 trouble from the heathen world-power, that how- 
 ever sinners now seem to have the upper hand, 
 they shall at last be consumed out of tlie earth. 
 The first and second days' work of creation (Gen. 
 i.) is given, vv. 2-5 ; the third day's work, vv. 6-18 ; 
 the fourth, vv. 19-23; the fifth, vv. 24-26; the close 
 of the sixth and the beginning of the seventh are 
 alluded to, v. 31. Jehovah, who cares for the 
 lowest of His creatures, will surely care for His 
 endangered Church (Matt. vi. 25-33). This trilogy 
 Ps. civ.-cvi. is appended to David's trilogy Ps. 
 ci.-ciii. This 104th Psalm celebrates God's works 
 in nature ; Ps. cv. and cvi. His deeds in history. 
 
 1.— The theme. 1. 0 Lord, my God— /^raeZ's God. 
 The Psalmist speaks as representative of the 
 elect nation and of the Church, thou art very- 
 great —proved by what follows. It is developed 
 throughout the psalm, thou art clothed with 
 honour and majesty. This royal apparel of 
 glory wherewith thou didst clothe thyself at 
 creation, thou dost still wear in the continued 
 preservation of the world. The same creative 
 power and beneficence preserve, as originally 
 called into being, the world. This the Psalmist 
 proceeds to show ; and hence infers {v. 35) that 
 God will similarly clothe Himself for the final 
 salvation of Israel and the Church (Ps. xciii. 1 ; 
 Isa. li. 9). 
 
 2-5.— The works of the first and second days of 
 creation, 2. Who coverest thyself with Ught as 
 with a garment. The general glory put on by 
 God as a garment at creation is here transferred to 
 one department— viz., the calling forth of light, 
 with which creation began. The light meant is 
 not that " light which no man can approach unto " 
 (1 Tim. vi. 16), but that which was first unfolded 
 at creation, and which daily illuminates us (Gen. 
 i. 3). The Hebrew participles imply continued 
 action. God perpetuates in His daily providence 
 the work which He originated at creation, who 
 stretchest out the heavens like a curtain— ^jXe 
 the covering spread over a tent, as the tabernacle. 
 God did so on the second day by His word with 
 the same ease with which one stretches out a tent- 
 curtain (Isa. liv. 2; xl. 22). 3. Who layeth the 
 beams of his chambers in the waters— rather, 
 ' Who layeth the beams of His upper chambers 
 with waters.' The waters above are the materials 
 Old of which the glorious structure is reared. 
 Similarly, in the main, the Chaldaic and Vulgate. 
 Cf. Gen. i. 7, * God made the expanse (the vaulted 
 
God's majesty 
 
 PSALM CIV. 
 
 and power. 
 
 ^Who maketh the clouds liis chariot; 
 
 Who walketh upon the wings of the wind; 
 
 Who ^maketh his angels spirits; — his ministers a flaming fire; 
 
 ^ Who laid the foundations of the earth, 
 
 That it should not be removed for ever. 
 
 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment : 
 The waters stood above the mountains. 
 
 At thy rebuke they fled; — at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away. 
 ^They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys 
 "^Unto the place which thou hast founded for them. 
 
 i> Isa. l». 1. 
 " Heb. 1. r. 
 
 1 He hath 
 founded 
 the ear h 
 upon her 
 bases. 
 
 2 Or, Tiie 
 mountains 
 ascend. the 
 valleys 
 descend. 
 
 «* Job 38. 10. 
 
 sky : the English version, the firmament), and 
 divided the waters which w^ere under the expanse 
 from the waters which were above the expanse.' 
 To construct out of the movable waters a firm 
 palace, the cloudy heaven, 'strong as a molten 
 dass' (Job xxxvii. 18), is a magnificent work of 
 Divine omnipotence. The citadel of cloud gets the 
 name of the upper chamber of God, as being the 
 upper part of the fabric of the world. The under 
 one is the earth {v. 5) {Hengstenbery). It is not 
 the upper chamber of God, where he dwells above 
 the waters, hidden from view, that is meant ; 
 for the context is not concerning the hidden, but 
 the manifested glory of God. So in v. 13 it is from 
 the same upper chambers of watery cloud that He 
 watereth with ram the hills, who maketh the 
 clouds Ms chariot — driving them at will, as a king 
 does his chariot, wlio walketh upon the wings of 
 the wind— (Ps. xviii. 10.) God directs at jjleasure 
 the winged winds. The winds are mentioned 
 naturally in connection with the clouds wdiich they 
 drive before them as fleet steeds. 4. Who maketh 
 his angels spirits ; his ministers a flaming fire— 
 
 (Heb. i. 7.) [o ttolmv tous d.yye\ov^ Autov irveu- 
 fjLctTa Kal Toi/s XeiTuvpyov? avrov Trupos cp\6ya.^ 
 The Greek article accompanies "angels" and 
 "ministers," and so marks them as the subjects ; 
 and "spirits," and a ' tlarae of fire,' as predicates, 
 or attributes predicated respectively of the former. 
 So also here the subjects, " angels " and " minis- 
 ters," are marked by being placed in the Hebrew 
 ti7'st, and the attributes predicated of them, 
 "spirits," or rather ' winds,' and "a flaming fire," 
 second. God maketh His angelic messengers the 
 directing powers acting by the winds and the flaming 
 lightning^ when these are required for His purpose. 
 Jlengstenberg, after Muis, argues that the context is 
 concerning the visible glory of God, as manifested 
 in the material creation, in connection with Gen. i., 
 the second day's work of creation, not concerning 
 immaterial and invisible beings. _ Cf. also the 
 parallel passages, Ps. cv. 32 ; cxlviii. 8, " fire . . . 
 and stormy wind fulfilling his word." He there- 
 fore translates, ' He maketh winds His angels, and 
 flaming fire His servants.' But if this were the 
 construction, Paul would have said, 'Who maketh 
 flaming fire His minister/ not ' His ministers ' 
 (plural). Besides, Heb. i. 7 decides that it is 
 of angels the Psalmist speaks. The connection 
 in which the angels, who are ordinarily invisible, 
 are introduced here among the material objects of 
 nature is probably this : the Psalmist is speaking 
 of God's visible chariot of clouds, and naturally 
 introduces His spiritual ministers, the angels, who 
 act through the winds and the lightning flame, 
 which are His manifest retinue in His mighty 
 operations of nature. The wiyids and the flaming 
 lightning ./ire are modes of the manifestation of 
 God's spiritual ministers, the angels. As God 
 Himself is said, in v. 3. to ' walk upon the wings 
 of the wind,' so angels, His retinue, manifest their 
 agency as His attendant ministers in wind and fire. 
 Thus angels were with Him in the tempest and 
 
 m 
 
 lightning at Sinai (Deut. xxxiii. 2). At the coming 
 judgment "a fiery stream" is represented as 
 'issuing from before Him,' and " thousand thou- 
 sands " of angels as ' ministering unto Him ' (Dan. 
 vii. 10). So in Judg. xiii. 20, "the angel of the 
 Lord ascended in the fiame." Cf. Ps. ciii. 20, 21. 
 5. Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it 
 should not be removed for ever. What is denied 
 is not the earth's motion, but the possibility of its 
 being disturbed from the place in the universe 
 which God has assigned it. What is here said of 
 His laying the foundations of the earth, answers to 
 what was said of the heavens, r. 3. It is still the 
 work of the second day of creation that is referred 
 to. As the upper jiart of the world-frame, the 
 sky, is firmly constructed, though it has only 
 water for its beams, so the lower xjart, the earth, is 
 firmly founded by God's omnipotence, though it 
 rest ui3on nothing to support it. Lit., 'Who 
 founded the earth upon its foundations?' Its 
 foundations are the gravity or attraction of its 
 particles towards the centre, and the spherical 
 figure. God hangs the earth in mid-air, resting on 
 its own foundations. Thus the Bible anticipated 
 Newton's great discovery. Job xxvi. 7, 'He 
 hangeth the earth upon nothing also Job xxvi. 
 8 ; xxxviii. 4-6. 
 
 6-9. — The removal of the water from the earth 
 on the third day of creation. 6. Thou coveredst 
 it with the deep as with a garment. " It," the 
 earth. In the Hebrew the suffix is masculine, 
 whereas '| earth," in v. 5, is feminine; therefore 
 the word is of common gender : or else translate, 
 ' The flood like a garment . . . thou didst spread 
 it (the flood) like a covering ' over the earth, the 
 waters stood above the mountains— before the 
 separation of water and dry land. Thus the flood 
 subsequently brought back the earth to its original 
 state (Gen. vii. 19, 20). 7. At thy rebuke they 
 fled. The water was removed from off the earth on 
 the third day of creation. The deep stood, as 
 it were, in an attitude of opposition to God's will, 
 that His glory, as the God of order, should be 
 manifested in the orderly distribution of the ele- 
 ments of this beautiful earth. God, by a rebuke, 
 compels them to recede into their own place (Gen. 
 i. 9), just as Jesus "rebuked the wind, and said 
 unto the sea. Peace, be still " (Mark iv. 39). at the 
 voice of thy thunder- i. e., thy thunder-like voice, 
 they hasted away— for fear. 8. They go up by 
 the mountains; they go down by the valleys. 
 The waters, tumultuously excited by God's "re- 
 buke," after having been brought down by it, 
 again ' go up to the mountains,' whence they had 
 been dislodged ; but being unable to keep them- 
 selves there, ' they go down to the valleys,' until 
 they at length settle down in the place assigned to 
 them by God. Cf. Ps. cvii. 26; Gen. i. 9, God 
 said, " Let the waters under the heaven be 
 gathered together unto one place, and let the dry 
 land appear, and it was so." The appearing of the 
 dry land, not its formation, was the work of the 
 third day. unto the place which thou hast 
 
God's majesty 
 
 PSALM CIV. 
 
 and power. 
 
 9 Thou 'hast set a bound that they may not pass over; 
 •^That they turn not again to cover the earth. 
 
 10 ^He sendeth the springs into the valleys, — which *run among the hills. 
 
 1 1 They give drink to every beast of the field ; 
 The wild asses ^quench their thirst. 
 
 12 By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation. 
 Which ^sing among the branches. 
 
 13 He watereth the hills from his chambers: 
 
 The earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. 
 
 14 He ^ cause th the grass to grow for the cattle, 
 And herb for the service of man : 
 
 That he may bring forth '*food out of the earth; 
 
 15 And ^wine that maketh glad the heart of man, 
 And "oil to make his face to shine, 
 
 And bread tchich strengtheneth man's heart. 
 
 16 The ^ trees of the Lord are full of sap; 
 
 The cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; 
 
 ' Job 2 ). in. 
 
 / Gen. !>. 11. 
 
 3 Who send- 
 eth. 
 
 * wa k. 
 
 5 break. 
 
 8 give a 
 voice. 
 
 0 Gen. I. iO, 
 .30. 
 
 Ps. 147. 8. 
 Job 28. 5. 
 « Judg. 9. 13 
 Ps. 23. 5 
 
 7 to make his 
 face shiiie 
 with oil, 
 or, more 
 than oil. 
 
 8 That is. 
 large 
 trees. 
 
 } Num. 24. 
 
 founded for them. God, as the Master-Builder, 
 Jounded the deep bed of the sea as the receptacle 
 tot the waters and their countless inhabitants [vv. 
 5, 25 ; Ps. cii. 25). 9. Thou hast set a bound that 
 they may not pass over— (Job xxvi. 10 ; xxxviii. 
 8, 11.) The flood was a temporary exception, 
 which, according to the sure word of God, is never 
 to be repeated (Gen. ix. 11, 15; Jer. v. 22). 
 
 10, 11. He sendeth the springs into the valleys 
 . . . They give drink to every beast of the field— 
 lit., '' river-valleys^ valleys forming the beds 
 
 of streams. Besides driving away the hostile sea- 
 floods, God waters the dry land for the noui-ish- 
 ment of His creatures. I'he creation of the 
 vegetable world belongs to the third day (Gen. i. 
 11, 12). Here the Psalmist brings forward the 
 necessary element to the development of vegeta- 
 tion (Gen. ii. 5). 'The beasts of the field ' are the 
 wild animals, as distinguished from " the cattle " 
 {v. 14), domestic animals, quench their thirst — 
 lit., break, &c. As we use the phrase, ' break one's 
 fast.' 12. By them shall the fowls of the heaven 
 have their habitation—" fowl of the air " (Gen. i. 
 80 ; ii. 19). The fowls of the heaven and the 
 bea.sts of the field have this in common, that no 
 one cares for them. The (iod who cares for the 
 otherwise uncared for beasts and birds will much 
 more care for His own people (Matt. vi. 2G). 
 
 13-17.— Continuation of the descrii)tion of God's 
 care of His creatures by watering the dry land ; as 
 He waters the lower places or valleys by means of 
 fountains or sprinf/s (v. 10), so the high ground or 
 hills by rain, which makes the grass to grow for 
 cattle, and corn and wine for man, and supplies 
 with sap the trees wherein the birds build their 
 nests. 13. He watereth the hills— /z7. (tlie same 
 Hel)rew as in r. 11), 'He giveth drink to the hills.' 
 Even inanimate nature and the earth are nourished 
 by Him. So this two-fold watering is mentioned in 
 Gen. xlix. 25, " The Almighty shall bless thee with 
 blessings of heaven ahore, blessings of the deep that 
 lieth under." The hills are the region of rain, as 
 the rain-clouds rest on their summits: cf. Deut. 
 xi. 11, ''The land is a land of hills and valleys, 
 and drinketh water of the rain of heaven," as 
 distinguished from Egypt watered by the Nile, 
 from his chambers— ' from His uirper chambers^ 
 (v. 3, note), the earth is satisfied with the fruit 
 of thy works -i. e., the earth is richly nourished 
 with the rain whicli is the produce of the waters 
 whereof God's upx>er chambers (His works," cf. 
 r. 24) are constructed by Him {v. 3, note). 14. He 
 oattaetb the grass to grow for the cattle, and 
 
 herb for the service of man -^i^., ' for the ministry 
 of man.' But the Hebrew [nnupp] means labour 
 in V. 23, and usually. Therefore translate, 'and 
 herb {i. e., vegetables, and especially corn) for the 
 cultivation of man.' "The grass" grows " for the 
 cattle/' spontaneously ; corn and vegetables for man 
 grow only through his laborious cultivation ; yet 
 still by the gift and creative power of God (Geu. 
 ii. 5, end ; iii. 18, 19, 23 ; iv. 2). that he may bring 
 forth food out of the earth—" food " or " bread " 
 as the same Hebrew is translated, v. 15 (Job 
 xxviii. 5). 15. And wine (that) maketh glad the 
 heart of man— through God's watering, from His 
 upper chambers, the vine from which it is pro- 
 duced. "Man" — Hebrew, enosh; frail and dying 
 man. God graciously provides for the weakness of 
 man^s mortal frame "wine" SiS a, gladdener, when 
 used in that moderation with which all God's gifts 
 are to be received (Judg. ix. 13; Prov. xxxi. 6, 7). 
 (and) oil to make his face to shine. The three 
 chief x^roducts of Canaan, the necessaries and 
 comforts of life there, were corn, wine, and oil. 
 Translate and punctuate as Bdtlcher, so as to form 
 three pairs of parallel clauses, 'He causeth the 
 grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the 
 service (or else culture) of man . . , that He may 
 bring forth bread [food ) out of the earth, and wine 
 that maketh glad the heart of man . . . that lie 
 may make his face shine with oil, and bread shall 
 strengthen man's heart. ' H enystenberg^ unnaturally 
 takes the "oil " to be figurative, the oil of gladness 
 (Ps. xlv. 7), which the "wine" difl'uses over the 
 face. So others, 'and wine maketh glad the heart 
 of man more than oil ' [the Hebrew particle, 
 He argues that it was not the face, but the head 
 that used to be anointed (Ps. xxiii. 5; Matt, vi, 
 17). Bread and wine are so joined in Ps. iv. 7; 
 Gen. xiv. 18; xxvii. 28. But it is not likely that 
 mention of the olive, which was put to such varied 
 uses, should be omitted, especially when the 
 Psalmist is speaking of the joy of the feast. The 
 oil perfume, though poured upon the liead on such 
 occasions, diffused a glow of pleasure over the face 
 by the fragrance. Judg. ix. 9, 12 confirms the 
 view that the oil is literal, and bread (whicli) 
 strengtheneth man's heart— (Gen. xviii. 5.) Al- 
 ready "bread" was mentioned in v. 15; here its 
 strengthening property is noticed as distinguished 
 from the gladdening effects of wine and oil, which 
 are more of luxuries than necessaries. 16. The 
 trees of the Lord are full of sap— ZiY., 'are 
 satisfied;' viz., with rain from the Lord's upper 
 chambers; as in v. 13 (tho same Hebrew), 
 
 the 
 
The wonderful 
 
 PSALM CIV. 
 
 providence of God. 
 
 1 7 Where the birds make their nests : 
 
 As for the stork, the fir trees are her house. 
 
 18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats. 
 And the rocks for *the conies. 
 
 19 He ' appointed the moon for seasons ' — ^the sun "^knoweth his going down . 
 
 20 Thou "makest darkness, and it is night: 
 Wherein ^all the beasts of the forest do creep /or^A. 
 
 2 1 The " young lions roar after their prey, — and seek their meat from God. 
 
 22 The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, 
 And lay them down in their dens. 
 
 23 Man goeth forth unto ^his work and to his labour until the evening. 
 
 24 0 ^LoRD, how manifold are thy works ! 
 
 In wisdom hast thou made them all : — the earth is full of thy riches ; 
 
 25 So is this great and wide sea. 
 
 Wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. 
 
 26 There go the ships; 
 
 There is that ^leviathan, whom thou hast ^'^made to play therein. 
 
 27 These wait *all upon thee. 
 
 earth is satisfied witk the fruit of thy works ;' cf. 
 note. "The trees of the Lord " (for instance, "the 
 cedars of Lebanon") are those which by their great- 
 ness proclaim loudly the Divine source from 
 M'hich their vigour is supplied. Cf. Num. xxiv. 6 
 (whence the phrase is derived), "The trees of 
 lign-aloes (spice trees) which the Lord hath 
 l)lanted;" Ps. xxxvi. 6, marff., "The mountains of 
 God" — viz., those which, by their stupendous 
 height, most loudly proclaim the creative power of 
 their Maker, (Ps. Ixxx. 10, marg.) 17. Where the 
 birds make their nests: (as for) the stork, the 
 fir trees (are) her house— both the smaller 
 "birds" and the larger, as "the stork." Not 
 only;' the springs' are beneficial to the birds 
 (v. 12), but the rain also, by "satisfying" or filling 
 the trees with sap (?'. 16). 
 
 18. The high hills (are) a refuge for the wild 
 goats, (and) the rocks for the conies. This verse 
 is the transition clause to the second half of the 
 psalm. "The high hills" stand in contrast to 
 "the hills" in general (/'. 13), and is parallel to 
 "the rocks." On " the conies," cf. Prov. xxx. 26. It 
 is mentioned also in Lev. ii. 5, and Deut. xiv. 7. The 
 Hebrew [jok', from a root 'to hide:' so the South 
 Arabic name of it, thofun] answers, according to 
 Walter Drake {Smith's, 'Dictionary of the Bible'), to 
 the Hyrax Syriacus, a gregarious animal of the 
 pachydermatous kind — gray or brown on the 
 back, and white on the belly; scarcely the size of 
 a cat, having long hair, short tail, and round ears. 
 It is very common on the ridges of Lebanon. 
 Bochart understands it of mountain mice of a 
 larger kind, like the marmot. 
 
 I'd-^O.— Second main division. 19. He appointed 
 the moon for seasons— ' appointed times' (cf. 
 Gen. i. 14). The moon is mentioned before the 
 sun, as the evening or night is mentioned in Geu. i. 
 before the morning or day. The Hebrews in 
 reckoning began the day from evening. The first 
 divisions of time were marked by the moon, 
 the sun knoweth his going down. The sun ob- 
 serves the exact times of his rising and setting by 
 God's appointment (Job xxxviii. 12, "caused the 
 day-spring to know his place"). The moon's ap- 
 parent variations are greater than the sun's. The 
 sun never remains above the horizon beyond its 
 time; for otherwise a part of God's creatures would 
 be deprived of their time for getting their food {vv. 
 20-22). 20, 21. Thou makest darkness . . . wherein 
 all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. The 
 326 
 
 young lions , . . seek their meat from God— who 
 
 is the Provider alike of their proper prey and of 
 the darkness wherein they can get it (Job xxxviii. 
 39). 22, 23. The sun ariseth, they . . lay them 
 down in their dens. Man goeth forth unto his 
 work . . . until the evening. As God cares for 
 the beasts by appointing the night as their season 
 for getting sustenance, so much more does He care 
 for man, and shows his care by causing the night 
 to be followed by the day, wherein man goeth forth 
 to his daily labour. 
 
 24-26.— From the sun and moon, the highest of 
 the visible manifestations of God's omnipotence 
 and love, the transition is made to the deepest — 
 viz., the sea. The work of the AftJi day of creation 
 is here alluded to; but the Psalmist refers not so 
 much to the formation of the fishes and the birds 
 on that day as he does to the preparation of the 
 sea for its countless inhabitants, and for man's use 
 in navigation. He already has treated of God's 
 care of birds. 24. 0 Lord, how manifold are thy 
 works!— thy manifold arrangements for the well- 
 being of thy creatures, according to their several 
 needs and organizations: each finds his sphere of 
 existence and his means of subsistence. th« earth 
 is full of thy riches— Zi^., ' thy possessions ;' these 
 thou keepest not to thyself, but blessest thy crea- 
 tures with. 25. (So is) this great and wide sea 
 — rather, supjjly the ellipsis, ' This the sea (is an 
 instance of thy works made in wisdom, v. 24), 
 great and wide (on) both hands' (so the Hebrew, 
 yadaim); extending widely on both sides, where- 
 in (are) things creeping innumerable, both small 
 and great beasts— (Gen. i. 21; Ps. Ixix. 34.) 26. 
 There go the ships— as living beings : personifica- 
 tion (Gen. xlix. 13). This points out what a 
 gracious provision for man the sea has been made 
 by (iod. there is that leviathan, whom thou 
 hast made to play therein— the ship-like repre- 
 sentative of the animal kingdom in the sea (cf. 
 note, Ps. Ixxiv. 14); as the ships represent man's 
 interests. He plays therein with unrestricted 
 liberty, as in his vast element (Job xl. 20). 
 
 27-30. — All God's creatures obtain from Him 
 their food in due season. They die at God's 
 pleasure: and when God sends forth His Spirit 
 the earth is renewed again, as it was after the 
 destruction by the deluge, (Gen. viii. and ix.) 27. 
 These wait all upon thee — not merely the sea 
 animals, but all the animals previously named, in- 
 cluding man {vv. 14, 15, 23, 26). This is proved by 
 
God's glory 
 
 PSALM CIV. 
 
 is eternal. 
 
 That thou, mayest give them their meat in due season. 
 
 28 That thou: givest them they gathei : 
 Thou open est thine hand, they are filled witb good. 
 
 29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled : 
 Thou *'takest; away their breath, they die, and return, to tlieir dust, 
 
 30 Thou ^sendest forth thy spirit, they are created ; 
 And thon renewest the face of the earth. 
 
 81 The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever i 
 The Lord shall rejoice in his works. 
 
 32 He looketh on the earth, and it ^trembleth;. 
 He toucheth the hills, and they smoke. 
 
 33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live; 
 I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 
 
 34 My meditation of him shall be sweet : — I will be glad in the Lord^ 
 
 35 Let ^the sinners be consumed out of the earth, 
 And let the wicked be no more. 
 
 Bless thou the Lord, 0 my soul. Praise ye the Lord. 
 
 V. 30: cf. also the i^arallel,^ Job xxxiv. 14, 15. The 
 distinctness of this strophe- from the preceding 
 shows- that ' these all ' is not to be restricted to 
 the sea animals {vv. 25, 26: cf. Ps. cxlvii. 9; cxxxvk 
 25). that thou mayest give them their meat in 
 due season— (Ps.. cxlv. 15.) Each animal has its 
 "due season." or appropriate time of getting its 
 food. Nothing is hap-hazard in God's ways (Eccl. 
 iii. 1). 28. That thou givest them they gather- 
 as tlie Israelites "gathered" {picked up from the 
 earth [cip.'^]) the manna. The Hebrew word is 
 rare, but recurs frequently in the account of the 
 manna sent from heaven (Exod. xvi. 4, 5, 16), 
 which shows that our psalm refers to that passage. 
 All the sustenance which the lower animals and 
 man partake of is really^ " bread of (from) 
 heaven" (Ps. cv, 40; Deut. viii. 3). 29- Thou 
 hidest thy face— i, e., dost withdraw thy loving 
 care and presence, they are troubled— (Ps. xc. 7.) 
 So, spiritually, when God hides His face from His 
 ])eople, instantly " they are troubled" (Ps. xxx. 7). 
 thou takest away their breath — lit., 'thou 
 gatherest in- their breath' to thyself, as "the God 
 of the spirits of all flesh" (Num. xvi. 22); "the 
 Father of spirits" (Heb. xii. 9; Gen. i. 2; ii. 7; 
 Eccl. xii. 7). they die— as at the flood, to which 
 the allusion here is (Gen. vii. 21, 22). and return 
 to their dust— (Gen, iii. 19.) 30. Thou sendest 
 forth thy spirit, they are created. So in the 
 conaing revival of Israel from her long-continued 
 national and spiritual death (Isa. xxxii. 15 ; Ezek. 
 xxxvii. 9; Ps, cii. 18, "The people which shall 
 be created shall X'raise the Lord"), and thou 
 renewest the face of the earth— by peopling it 
 again with man, and restoring the animal and 
 vegetable creation. The phrase shows an allusion 
 to Gen. vii. 4. The restoration after the extraor- 
 dinary catastrophe of the flood, and, on a smaller 
 scale, every spring after the ordinary desolation of 
 winter, are a pledge of the future perfect " regen- 
 eration " of the earth, when God shall fulfil His 
 word, " Behold, I make all things new" (Matt, 
 xix. 28; Pvev, xxi. 5), Meanwhile it assures tlie 
 (Jhurch and the individual believer that, however 
 God may cause trouble by hiding his face for a 
 time. He will send forth His spirit and create 
 anew what He had suffered to die, 
 
 31-34.-31. The glory of the Lord shall endure 
 for ever : the Lord shall rejoice in his works— as 
 He did when creation was completed (Gen i. 31), 
 As God is glorified, and therefore rejoices in His 
 ' manifold works ' for the preservation of all His 
 creatures {vv. 13, 24; Ps, xix. 1), so shall He give 
 
 ♦J07 
 
 « Job A. 14, 
 15. 
 
 Ps. 146. 4. 
 Feci. 12. 7. 
 Acts 17. 25. 
 "Job 26. 13, 
 Ps. 33. 6. 
 l a. 32. 1". 
 Eze, 37. 9. 
 Eph. 2. 1. 
 Tit. 3. 5. 
 
 11 shaU be. 
 " Ps. 77. 16. 
 
 Ps. 97. 4. 
 Ps. 114. 7, 
 Isa. 64, 2. 
 Jer, 4. 23. 
 Jer. 5. 22. 
 Amos 8. 8, 
 Hab. 3. 10. 
 Pro. 2. 22, 
 
 12 HaUelu- 
 jah. 
 
 cause that He may be glorified by delivering them. 
 32, He looketh on the earth, and it treinbleth; 
 he toucheth the hills^and they smoke— the ground 
 of the confidence in v. 31, that God will glorify 
 Himself in delivering His people; viz,, His abso- 
 lute j)ower to humble all the mountain-like world- 
 kingdoms (Ps. Ixviii.. 16) which oppose themselves 
 to His purpose of finally saving His people. Should 
 " the earth" venture to deviate from His appoint- 
 ment, a single look from Him makes it to 
 'tremble,' Should "the hills" exalt themselves 
 proudly, God need but touch them and they smoke. 
 Lilce children who tremble at the stern look of a 
 father, so at the promulgation of the law at Sinai, 
 when God showed signs of His severe justice, both 
 "the earth shook" and the people (Ps. Ixviii. 8; 
 Hab.. iii, 5,. 10 ; Judg, v. 5). The smoking was a 
 sign of fear, Exod, xix. 18, " Mount Sinai was 
 altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended 
 upon it in fire: and the s7noke thereof ascended as 
 the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount 
 quaked greatly " (Ps, cxliv, 5; Deut, xxxii. 22), 
 
 33. I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live. 
 The thought of God's glory, which ensures the 
 Church's everlasting safety, determines the 
 Psalmist (as representative of Israel literal and 
 spiritual) to praise the Lord so long as his life gives 
 him the opportunity of praise (Ps. Ixiii. 4), before 
 death prevents him praising God on earth (Ps. vi. 
 5 ; Ixxxviii, 10). 34. My meditation of him shall 
 be sweet— henceforward, seeing that I have such 
 good hope drawn from the glory of the Lord which 
 ensures the final deliverance of Israel and the 
 Church (notes, vi\ 30, 31), The context and the 
 parallelism to I will be glad in the Lord confirm 
 the English version, rather than Hengstenherg, 
 'My meditation shall be acceptable to Him.'' "I 
 will be glad in the Lord," because of His glory 
 manifested in my behalf, even as He rejoices in 
 His works {v. 31). 
 
 35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the 
 earth, and let the wicked be no more —alluding to 
 Num, xiv. 35, The same doom which befell the 
 rebeLjIsraelites in the wilderness shall befall tlie 
 heathen or Gentile apostates who "set themselves 
 together against tne Lord, and against His 
 Anointed" (Ps. ii, 1, 2). Thus the true scope of 
 the psalm appears the deliverance of the godly 
 at last out of all their present troubles from 
 tlie ungodly. The trembling of the earth and the 
 smoking of the high hills {v. 32) at the look and 
 toucJi of Jehovah is here expressed in the plaiu 
 sense, the ungodly shall be destroyed, and the 
 
Exltortation 
 
 PSALM CV. 
 
 to praise God. 
 
 PSALM CY. 
 
 0 "GIVE thanks unto the Lord; — call upon his name: 
 Make known his deeds among the people. 
 
 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him : — talk ye of all his wondrous works. 
 Glory ye in his holy name : 
 Let the heart of them rejoiee that seek the Lord. 
 Seek the Lord, and his strength;— ^ seek his face eyermore. 
 Remember '^his marvellous works that he hath done; 
 His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth ; 
 0 ye seed of Abraham his servant, — ye children of Jacob his chosen. 
 He is the Lord our God : — '^his judgments are in all the earth. 
 He hath * remembered his covenant for ever, 
 
 PSALM 105. 
 » l( hr. 18, r, 
 
 2>. 
 
 1 Chr. 25. 3. 
 iChr. 23.13. 
 20. 
 
 Isa. 12. 4, 
 * Ps. 27. 8. 
 ' Dettt. 7. 18. 
 lo. 
 
 Deut. 8. 2. 
 
 Deut. i2. 7. 
 
 Ps. 77. 11. 
 
 Ts. 103. 2. 
 
 Isa. 43. 18. 
 <^ Isa. 2i. 9, 
 ' Luke 1. 72. 
 
 ffodly saved by that Lord whose might and whose 
 love have been set forth throughout the psalm. 
 The imperative, '•' Let the sinners be consumed," 
 is the ])roT)lietiG word which carries with it its 
 own fulfilmeut. Praise ye the Lord— Hebrew, 
 ' Hallelujah ;' here first occurring. Not found in 
 David's psalms. 
 
 PSALM CV. 1-45. — Gods holiness and power 
 manifested in His past judgments to the seed of 
 Abraham is their gronnd of hope and thanksgiving 
 [vv. ; God remembers His covenant with A bra- 
 ham, Isaac, and Jacob for ever, whereby, when they 
 were few in Canaan, He promised it as their inherit- 
 ance {vv. 8-12) ; so He saved them amidst dangers 
 [vv. 13-15); He overruled the famine to Joseph^ s 
 promotion from a ])rison to rule Egypt : so Israel 
 came there (vv. 16-23) ; then they xvere dealt subtilly 
 rvith; but Jehovah multiplied them the more they 
 were afflicted : by Moses and Aaron, with miracles. 
 He delivered them {vv. 24-28) ; the plagues on 
 Egypt {vv. 29-38); God guided and sustained Is- 
 rael in the wilderness {vv. 39-42) ; He gave tliem tlie 
 heathen'' s lands that they might heep His laws {vr. 
 43-45). Ps. civ. consoles Israel in affliction by His 
 manifestation of power and love in nature; Ps. 
 cv. in history. The promise singled out is that 
 assuring Israel of possessing Canaan. The deliv- 
 erance out of Egypt suggested to the Jews— prob- 
 ably now in their Babylonian captivity — that 
 God would similarly deliver them out of Babylon. 
 The promise of Canaan to their forefathers, when 
 few and strangers there, gave hope that (^od 
 would restore their covenanted possession. V. 23 
 links Ps. cv. with Ps. cvi. 22. The last verse — 
 stating God's design in giving Canaan, that Israel 
 might keep His laws— is the starting point to Ps. 
 cvi. (cf. Ps. cvi. 3.) Tlie first fifteen verses ai-e 
 from Davids psalm, 1 Chr. xvi. 8-22. There they 
 are a thanksgiving for the rest in Canaan which 
 God gave, the sign of which was the bringing up 
 of the ark to Zion. Here they are the ground of 
 hope of restoration to Canaan (Ps. xcvi., intro- 
 duction). 
 
 1. Call upon his name— Call upon Him accord- 
 ing to His glory manifested in history. After 
 the example of Abraham, who, as often as God 
 manifested His attributes in interposing mightily 
 in his behalf, called upon the Lord's name in 
 solemn worship (Gen. xii. 8; xiii. 4). make 
 known his deeds among the people -Hebrew, 
 'the peoples' (Ps. xviii. 49). "His deeds" are 
 His wonders whereby He hath "made Himself 
 a glorious name" (Isa. Ixiii. 14; Ps. ciii. 7). 3. 
 Glory ye in his holy name — (Ps. xxxiv. 2.) God's 
 " holy name" guarantees the deliverance of Israel 
 out of her present troubles, and is therefore men- 
 tioned as what ought to be the object of Israel's 
 glorying: whereas the world glory " lu chariots and 
 
 m 
 
 in horses " (Ps. xx. 7). let the beart of them 
 rejoice that seek the Lord— i. e., that trust in 
 Him (Ps. Ixix. 6), even in the sorest distresses, 
 such as the Jews were suffering in Babylon. See 
 introductory notes (cf. Ps. xxxiii. 21). 4. Seek 
 the Lord, and his strength. Translate, 'Consult 
 the Lord,' &c. The Hebrew [an-j] is different 
 from " seek " in the next clause of this verse, and 
 in the latter clause of last verse. Here it is 
 'enquire of,' or ' a^k of with word; but [K'fis] 
 " seek" in the other two cases means to seek with 
 sedulous effort, rather than with words or interro- 
 gation. In David's time, when the psalm was hrst 
 composed, it referred to enquiries of God at the ark 
 of the covenant (I Sam, xiv. 18, 19), 'the ark of 
 Jehovah's strength' (Ps. cxxxii. 8; Ixxviii. 61). 
 Here in Ps. cv., in the Babylonian captivity, its 
 reference (1 Chr. xvi. 11) is to consulting God, so as 
 to prove His strength, wliether it will not help you 
 even now as in days of old (Ps. Ixxviii. 34). seek 
 his face evermore— seek to have His face shining 
 on you, as it shone upon Israel formerly (notes, 
 Ps. xxiv. 6 ; xxvii. 8). /Seek his favour and j^resence, 
 5. Remember his marvellous works that he hath 
 done— (Ps. Ixxvii. 11 ; Ixxviii. 4, 11, 12). and the 
 judgments of his mouth. As " His marvellous 
 works" are the miracles v/rought in Egypt, so 
 " the judgments of His mouth " are the laws and 
 statutes given at Sinai {Aben Ezra). Rather, as 
 the parallelism between the two clauses requires, 
 "the judgments of His mouth" are God's judicial 
 decisions which He spake, and afterwards executed 
 against the Egyptians in behalf of Israel (Gen. xv. 
 14; Exod. iii. 20). His Word is sure. He always 
 keeps His Y^romise of judging or vindicating tlie 
 cause of His elect against the adversary (cf. Ps. cxix. 
 13). 6. O ye seed of Abraham his servant— the 
 ground of hope to the afflicted Jews: they are 
 'the seed of Abraham, God's servant' or client 
 {v. 42), and are therefore heirs of God's promises 
 to Abraham and Jacob (Rom. ix. 4). ye children 
 of Jacob his chosen. The parallelism favours the 
 Hebrewreadingof our MS., whereby "His chosen" 
 is genitive singular, and agrees with "Jacob." 
 But the present Hebrew text has the plural agree- 
 ing with " ve children : " v. 43 accords with this 
 (cf. Isa. xliii. 20). 7. He is the Lord our God. 
 Translate, 'He, Jehovah, is our God.' He, as 
 being 'Jehovah,' the unchangeable fulfiller of His 
 promises to His people (ExocL vi. 3-6), is still " our 
 God," and will not therefore finally forsake us, 
 low though our present condition be; just as He 
 finally delivered our forefathers out of Egypt, after 
 He had suffered them to endure hard bondage for 
 a time, his judgments are in all the earth - 
 therefore the world-power cannot finally prevail 
 against Jehovah's people (Ps. xciv. 2). 
 8-12.— He hath remembered his covenant for 
 
The story of 
 
 PSx\LM CV. 
 
 Israel's rebellioii. 
 
 The word which he commanded to a thousand generations : 
 9 Which ^ covenant he made with Abraham, — and his oath unto Isaac ; 
 
 10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law. 
 And to Israel for an everlasting covenant; 
 
 11 Saying, ^Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, 
 ^The lot of your inheritance : 
 
 12 When'' they were but a few men in number; 
 Yea, very few, ^and strangers in it. 
 
 13 When they went from one nation to another. 
 From one kingdom to another people, 
 
 14 He •'suffered no man to do them wrong; 
 Yea, *he reproved kings for their sakes; 
 
 15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, — and do my prophets no harm. 
 
 16 Moreover ^he called for a famine upon the land : 
 He brake the whole staff of bread. 
 
 17 He "sent a man before them, emu Joseph, — who "was sold for a servant ; 
 
 / Gen. 17. 2. 
 
 Gen. 26. 3. 
 
 Heb. 6. ir. 
 " Gen. 15. 18. 
 I the cord, 
 ft Gen. 31. 30. 
 
 Deut. 7. 7. 
 • Gen. 17. 8. 
 
 Heb. 11. 9. 
 
 Gen. 35. 5. 
 fc Gea. 12. 17, 
 ' Gen. 41. 54. 
 
 Gen. 42. 5, 
 6. 
 
 2Ki. 8. 1. 
 
 Amos 3. 6. 
 
 Matt, 8. 8. 
 
 Eev. 6. 8. 
 
 Lev. 26. 26, 
 " Gen.45. 5. 
 " Gen. 37. 2^. 
 
 ever, the word which he commanded— or 'or- 
 dained' as an unalterable "law" (v. 10): cf. Ps. 
 Ixviii. 28). His " cov^enant" is (as the parallel word 
 explains) His " word" of promise that Israel should 
 be His chosen people, and should possess Canaan 
 (vv. 11, 42). to a thousand generations- a verbal 
 allusion to Deut, vii. 9 : cf. Exod, xx. 6, Connect 
 this clause, not with "which He commanded," 
 but with "He hath remembered" — i. e,, He hath 
 remembered, and will remember to all generations 
 His promise (cf. Luke i. 72, 73). 9, Which (cove- 
 nant) he made with Abraham, and his oath unto 
 Isaac — (Gen. xxvi. 3.) In this verse and v. 10 He 
 views the covenant in relation to those who 
 received it (Deut. xxix. 13). In v. 11 He specifies 
 its contents. On His covenanted icord, cf. Hag. ii. 
 5. 10. And confirmed the same unto Jacob for 
 a law, and to Israel for an everlasting cove- 
 nant— 'that it might retain ijerennial vigour, like 
 .some solemnly-proclaimed decree ' ( Venema). Gen. 
 xxviii. 13; xxxv. 12, are alluded to. 11. Saying, 
 Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the 
 lot of your inheritance. The "thee" refers to 
 each one of the three patriarchs to whom severally 
 the promise was addressed: the "your" refers to 
 all three collectively. All the wonders and judg- 
 ments specified have as their end the fulfilment of 
 this one j)ronjise, as most calculated to give hope 
 to the Jews then in Babylon, exiled from Canaan. 
 See introductory notes; also Ps. Ixxviii. 55. 12. 
 When they were but a few men in number; yea, 
 very few, and strangers in it. Bad as is our 
 position as exiles in Babylon (the Psalmist implies), 
 it is not worse than that of our forefathers at their 
 first stay in Canaan, "very few, and strangers." 
 They could of themselves do nothing to bring to 
 pass the jirophecy of their obtaining Canaan; but 
 God, who gave the promise, fulfilled it : for " there 
 is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by 
 few" (1 Sam. xiv. 0). The allusion is to Jacob's 
 words: "Among the Canaanites and the Peiiz- 
 zites, I being few in number, they shall gather 
 themselves together against me and slay me." 
 "Yea, very few ''—lit., 'as a few:' like fevmess 
 if self {Wd. i. 9). 
 
 13-15,— 13. When they went from one nation to 
 another — and so from one danger to another; now 
 in Egypt, now in Syria, now in C^,naan, again 
 among the Philistines. "They"— viz., the patri- 
 archs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with their 
 families; not the Israelites in the wilderness and 
 Canaan. Though few in numbers, and homeless 
 wanderers, they were shielded by God from de- 
 struction, and at last, in the person of their seed, 
 were settled in possession of Canaan. 1^ He 
 329 
 
 suffered no man to do them wrong; yea, he re- 
 proved kings for their sakes— Pharaoh of Egypt 
 (Gen. xii. 17) for Abraham's sake ; Abimelech of 
 Gerar for Isaac's sake (Gen. xx. 3, &c.), to whom 
 chiefly the allusion is. 15. (Saying), Touch not 
 mine anointed— a verbal allusion to Gen. xxvi. 
 11. " Mine anointed " is (Hebrew) plural, and is ex- 
 plained by " prophets " in the next clause, and 
 do my prophets no harm. The anointing is the 
 sign of the communication of the Sjiirit. " Mine 
 anointed " are therefore those vessels of honour 
 whom God fills with His Spirit: the consecrated 
 bearers of God's revelation, " in whom the Spirit of 
 God is," as Pharaoh said of Joseph (Gen. xli. 38). 
 As the three classes, propJitts, priests, and kings, 
 used in later times to be anointed, so the patriarclis, 
 to whom God revealed Himself, bare all three offices 
 combined, and so are termed "mine anointed." So 
 it shall be again in the last days (Isa. liv. 13 ; Joel 
 ii. 28, 29; Zech. iv. 14, "the two anointed ones;" 
 Eev. i. 6, kings and pjiests unto God and His 
 (Christ's) Father"). In Gen. xx. 7, Isaac is termed 
 by God "a prophet." Abraham received com- 
 munications from God in the two forms usual in 
 prophecy, vision and dream, (Gen. xv.) So Isaac 
 at Beersheba; Jacob at Bethel, Mahanaim, and 
 Jabbok. The world durst not touch the anointed 
 ones of Jehovah with impunity. 
 
 16-23. — The circumstances leading to the bring- 
 ing of the heirs of the promise into Egyi)t. The 
 Providence of God, so far from allowing the pro- 
 mise to come to nought through this, overruled it 
 to become the very means of accomplishing it 
 (Gen. xlv. 5, end; 1. 20, "As for you, ye thought 
 evil against me, but God meant it unto good"). 16. 
 Moreover he called for a famine (cf. Hag. i. 
 11) — as a master calls for a servant ready to do his 
 bidding. On the contrary, God says, Ezek. xxxvi. 
 29, " I will call for the corn, and will increase it, 
 and lay no famine upon you. Cf. the centurion's 
 words as to sickness being Christ's servant, ready 
 to come or go at His call (Matt, viii. 8, 9). upon 
 the land— Canaan, as well as Egypt, (Gen. x\u 54, 
 .55 ; xlii. ) he brake the whole staff of bread — 
 (Gen. xli. 56.) As a staff supports one's body, so 
 bread sustains and 'strengthens' life (Ps. civ. 15, 
 end; Lev. xxvi. 26; Isa. iii. 1; Ezek. iv. 16). 17. 
 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who 
 was sold for a servant. As Israel in Egypt is 
 adduced to console the Jews in Babylon, so Joseph, 
 who served the cause of his brethren as ruler in 
 Egypt, suggests for their comfort the thought of 
 his counterpart, Daniel, who was carried captive in 
 the fourth year of Jehoiakim, and afterwards was 
 made " ruler over the whole xjrovinoe of Babylon" 
 
I 
 
 The protidence 
 
 PSALM CV. 
 
 of God. 
 
 -^he was laid in iron: 
 
 ■the word of the LoED tried him. 
 
 18 Whose ^feet they hurt with fetters :- 
 
 19 Until the time that his word came :- 
 
 20 The king sent and loosed him ; 
 
 Even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. 
 
 21 He made him lord of his house, — and ruler of all his ^substance; 
 
 22 To bind his princes at his pleasure, — and teach his senators wisdom. 
 
 23 Israel ^also came into Egypt; — and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. 
 
 24 And ''he increased his people greatly, 
 
 And made them stronger than their enemies. 
 
 25 He turned their heart to hate his people. 
 To deal subtilly with his servants. 
 
 26 He sent Moses his servant, — and Aaron whom * he had chosen. 
 
 27 They showed *his signs among them, — and wonders in the land of Ham. 
 
 28 He sent darkness, and made it dark; 
 And 'they rebelled not against his word. 
 
 P Gen. 40. l\ 
 
 Acts IQ.'H. 
 
 2 his soul 
 came into 
 iron. 
 
 Ps. 107. 10. 
 
 3 possession. 
 9 Gen. 4'^. 6. 
 
 Ex. 1. r. 
 Deut. 26. 5. 
 Acts 7. 17. 
 
 * Ex. 3. 10. 
 Ex. 4. 12, 
 
 14. 
 
 Num. 16. 6. 
 Num. 17. 6. 
 
 * words of 
 his signs. 
 Jer. 3:'. 20. 
 
 t Ps. 99. 7. 
 
 (Dan. ii. 48). The interpretation of a dream was 
 in the case of both the ground of promotion. 
 Daniel's power suggested well-grounded hope of 
 deliverance to his brethren the exiles. 18. Whose 
 feet they hurt with fetters : he was laid in iron 
 —lit, ' his soul came into iron :' implying that the 
 soul of the captive suffers still more than his body. 
 Joseph was doubtless fettered, as was the custom 
 (cf. Gen. xxxix. 20, 22; xl. 3). Joseph's miserable 
 bondage before his release and promotion suggests 
 hope to the Jewish captives " sitting in darkness 
 and the shadow of death, being bound in affliction 
 and iron" (Ps. cvii. 10). As tlie Hebrew verb, 
 ' came into,' is feminine, and the "iron " is mascu- 
 line, the translation retained in the ' Book of 
 Common Prayer,' from the older English versions, 
 'the iron entered into his soul 'must be wrong. 
 19. Until the time that his word came— i. e., 
 came to pass (Judg. xiii. 12, 17; 1 Sam. ix. 6). "The 
 word" of Joseph is that by which he interpreted 
 to Pharaoh's servants their dreams in prison (Gen. 
 xli. 11-20). An interval of two years elapsed before 
 Pharaoh's dreams, and their being interpreted by- 
 Joseph, occasioned his release and elevation; but 
 as the verification of his interpretation of the 
 dreams of Pharaoh's butler and baker is connected 
 immediately with his elevation, no notice is taken 
 of the interval between, the word of the Lord 
 tried him. "The word" which the Psalmist has 
 just before termed " his (Joseph's) word " is here 
 more strictly termed " the word of the Lord.'' So 
 Joseph answered Pharaoh, "It is not in me: God 
 shall give Pharaoh an auswer of peace," (Gen. xli. 
 16; also xxv.) This "word of the Lord" [the 
 LXX.,To \dyLov Tov KvpLov] was subserving the 
 word of Jehovah's covenanted promise to give Israel 
 Canaan at last {vv. 11, 42), the fulfilment of which 
 required Israel's previous stay in Egypt, "Tried 
 him" — i. e., tested and proved him : he did not fail 
 under the test, as Hezekiah failed (2 Chr. xxxii. 31). 
 He was proved (by God's acknowledging him in 
 enabling him to interpret heaven-sent dreams), to 
 be free from the imputation of Potiphar's wife 
 previously, and from all deception in his interpre- 
 tation of the dreams, and so to be a stedfast 
 servant, owned by God in all trials (Ps. xii. 6 ; 
 xviii. 30). The image is from "gold tried in the 
 fire" (1 Pet. i. 7). 
 
 20-22. The king . . . made him lord of his 
 house ... To bind his princes at his pleasure — 
 not that Joseph literally bound them ; but he had 
 absolute power over them, even as they (for 
 instance, Potiphar) had had power to "bind," 
 i. e., imprison and 'fetter,' liim. The allusion is 
 shown to be to v. 18, by the recurrence of the same 
 word " soul." " At his pleasure" — lit., at his soul. 
 330 
 
 Gen. xli. 40, 41, 44, Pharaoh said unto JoseT)h, 
 " according unto thy word shall all ray people be 
 ruled {lit, all my people shall kiss thy mouth) . . . 
 without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot 
 in all the land of Egypt." Cf. tl>e same power 
 attributed to all the Lord's saints in Ps. cxlix. 8. 
 and teach his senators wisdom — viz., wisdom 
 in state affairs. It was on this very ground, viz., 
 Joseph's wisdom, that Pharaoh exalted him (Gen. 
 xli. 39). 
 
 23. Israel also came into Egsrpt. The patriarch 
 brought with him all his house, the whole amount- 
 ing to " threescore and ten" (Gen. xlvi. 1-27). 
 This verse stands midway in the psalm as the 
 prominent fact. Jacob's coming down to Egypt 
 was the last link in the chain of providential 
 events, beginning with the famine {vv. 16-22). 
 and Jacob sojourned — never was a naturalized 
 citizen (Gen. xlvil 4). in the land of Ham— 
 (Ps. Ixxviii. 51). The land of accursed Ham 
 could be but a jjlace of temporary sojourn to the 
 elect people. 
 
 24. And he increased his people greatly, and 
 made them stronger than their enemies— (Exod. 
 i. 7, 9, " Behold (said the new Pharaoh to his 
 people), the people of the children of Israel are 
 more and mightier than we.") 
 
 25. He turned their heart to hate his people. 
 God judicially dealt with them according to their 
 perversity, in order that they might afford the 
 opportunity for displaying His glorious power in 
 behalf of His people. God controls men's free 
 acts (1 Sam. x. 9, mar (7. ; Exod. iv. 21 ; vii. 3 ; ix. 
 16 ; Prov. xvi. 4). It was God who " brought 
 forth " Pharaoh and his chariots in pursuit of 
 Israel (Isa. xliii. 17 ; Ps. li. 4, note), to deal 
 subtilly with his servants. Carnal wisdom is 
 devilish policy (Exod. i. 10; Acts vii. 19). God 
 "taketh the wise in their own craftiness" (Job v. 
 13). Contrast this state-craft of Pharaoh with 
 Joseph's heaven-taught wisdom {v. 22). 26. He sent 
 Moses . . . and Aaron whom he had chosen. 
 God's sovereign choice made them the fit instru- 
 ments for His purpose (Ps. Ixxviii. 70). 27. They 
 showed his signs — lit. , ' the things (Hebrew, words) 
 of His signs ; ' i. e. , the whole series of His signs, 
 (Ps. Ixxviii. 43 : cf. the same Hebraism, Ps. Ixv. 
 3, marg. ; cxlv. 5, marg.) " Signs" are the tokens 
 of His power. 28. He sent darkness, and made it 
 dark. The second last i)lague is only alluded to 
 (Exod. X. 22, 23). The "darkness" is mainly 
 figurative. Hence there follows, as the result of 
 the "darkness" which comprises the whole series 
 of ten plagues, and they rebelled not against his 
 word — any longer, as heretofore. This result did 
 not follow the " darkness " in the limited sense of 
 
The protidence 
 
 PSALM CV. 
 
 of God. 
 
 29 He turned their waters into blood, — and slew their fish. 
 
 30 Their land brought forth frogs in abundance 
 In the chambers of their kings. 
 
 31 He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, — and lice in all their coasts. 
 
 32 ^ He gave them hail for rain, — and flaming fire in their land. 
 
 33 He smote their vines also and their fig trees, 
 And brake the trees of their coasts. 
 
 34 He spake, and the locusts came. 
 
 And caterpillars, and that without number, 
 
 35 And did eat up all the herbs in their land, 
 And devoured the fruit of their ground. 
 
 36 He smote also all the first-born in their land, 
 ^The chief of all their strength. 
 
 37 He brought them forth also with silver and gold ; 
 
 And there was not one feeble person among their tribes. 
 
 38 Egypt was glad when they departed; 
 For the fear of them fell upon them. 
 
 39 He ^spread a cloud for a covering, — and fire to give light in the night. 
 
 40 The '^people asked, and he brought quails, 
 And satisfied them with the bread of heaven. 
 
 41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; 
 They ran in the dry places like a river. 
 
 42 For he remembered ^his holy promise, — and Abraham his servant. 
 
 43 And he brought forth his people with joy, 
 And his chosen with ^gladness; 
 
 the one ijlague ; but it did follow the whole ten, 
 including the last— the destruction of the first- 
 born. Cf. vv. 36-38. So "I create darkness" is 
 used figuratively, Isa. xlv. 7; 1. 3; Jer. xiii. 16; 
 Amos V. 8. The darkness here stands at the be- 
 ginning (not in the historical order that the 
 jjarticular plague of darkness stood), to mark how 
 G'ocfs wrath hung over Egypt as a dark cloud 
 during all the plagues. Upon God's sending each 
 of the plagues, the Egyptians professed themselves 
 ready to give up their rebellion against God's 
 " word " (" Let my people Israel go, that they may 
 serve me") ; but not until the whole series was 
 complete did they give up their rebellion. The 
 other reading, plural, ' His words,' refers to His 
 command, often repeated, to let Israel go. 
 
 29-38.— The three plagues omitted out of the ten 
 are the murrain oj the cattle and the boils, the Jiflh 
 aud the sixth, and the darkness, the ninth; the same 
 which are omitted in the parallel psalm, Ixxviii. 
 29-31. He . . . slew their fish. Their land brought 
 forth frogs . . . flies, and lice in all their coasts. 
 He took away their favourite food, " fish," and 
 sent odious " frogs," both in and out of the water ; 
 and besides, upon their land, " flies" {the dog-Jly) ; 
 " and lice" (or gnats) everywhere. Cf. Ps. Ixxviii. 
 44 ; Exod. vii. 18-21 ; viii. 3, 4. 
 
 32-35. — Transition from plagues on animals to 
 those on the vegetable world. 32. He gave them 
 hail for rain, and flaming fire ... He smote their 
 vines . . . the locusts came, and caterpillars 
 . . . And did eat up all the herbs in their land. 
 Thus all the food of the i)eox)le was destroyed. 
 Instead of the fertilizing showers which He ' gives' 
 to His people (Lev. xxvi. 4), He gives Israel's foes 
 " hail and flaming fire" (Ps. Ixxviii. 48). " Cater- 
 pillars,"— 'the licker up' [pi?:.], devourers : the 
 hairy-winged locust (Exod. x. 5). 
 
 36-38.— God's wrathful visitation passes from the 
 food of man to man himself. Hence the ninth 
 plagite, which interrupts thisi»rogression, isomitted. 
 He smote all the first-born— (Ps. Ixxviii. 51 ; v. 33.) 
 331 
 
 * He Rave 
 their rain 
 liaiL 
 
 " Gen. 49. 3. 
 
 Deut. 21.17. 
 " Ex. 13. 21. 
 
 Ex. 14. 24. 
 
 Num. 9. 15, 
 22. 
 
 Neh. 9. 12. 
 Ps. 78. 14. 
 Isa. 4. 5. 
 1 Cor. 10. 1 
 Col. 10. 1, 
 Ex. 16. 12. 
 13. 
 
 Num. 11. 4, 
 6, 31, 33. 
 
 Ps. 78. 8, 
 26, 28. 
 
 * Ex. 17. 6. 
 Num. 20.11. 
 Neb. 9. 15. 
 Isa. 48. 21. 
 1 Cor. 10. 4. 
 
 y Gen. 12. 7. 
 Gen. 13. 14, 
 17. 
 
 Gen. 15. 14. 
 Ex. 2 24. 
 Luke 1. 54, 
 65. 73. 
 
 6 singing. 
 
 37. He brought them forth also with silver and 
 gold — presented to them by the Egyptians as an 
 acknowledgment due for their labours in their 
 bondage ; not obtained fraudulently, but by the 
 Lord's sp3cial ajjpoiutment (Exod. iii. 21, 22 ; xi. 
 2, 3). It was not through sense of justice in the 
 Egyptians, but in fear, and in order to hasten their 
 departure. Cf. Exod. xii. 35, 36 ; Gen. xv. 14. 
 and there was not one feeble person among their 
 tribes [bty'isj— ' not one stumbler,' unfit for the 
 march through lassitude (Exod. xiii. 18). " The 
 children of Israel went up harnessed (or, as 
 Ilengstenherg, strong) out of the land of Egypt" 
 (Isa. V. 27). 38. Egypt was glad when they de- 
 parted; for the fear of them fell upon them-- 
 (Exod. xi. 1; xii. 3^3.) On "the fear of them," 
 cf. Deut. xi. 25; Exod. xv. 16. 
 
 39-45.- 39. He spread a cloud for a covering— or 
 protection during their marches. Whilst they were 
 encamped, the cloud rested over the tabernacle (Num. 
 X. 34). "The cloud of the Lord was upon (i. e., 
 over) them by day, when they went out of the camp. " 
 The cloud afforded a grateful shade over the con- 
 gregation against the sun. Cf., spiritually and 
 metaphorically, Isa. iv. 5, 6. and fire to give light 
 in the night— (Neh. ix. 12; Num. ix. 16; Exod. 
 xiii. 21; Ps. Ixxviii. 14.) 40. he brought quails, 
 and satisfied them with the bread of heaven— 
 (Ps. Ixxviii. 18, 22-27, "the corn of heaven . . . 
 angel's food;" Exod. xvi. 4.) On "satisfied," or 
 filled them to repletion, cf. Exod. xvi. 3, 8, 12. 
 41. He opened the rock, and the waters gushed 
 out ; they ran in the dry places like a river— (Ps. 
 Ixxviii. 16, 20.) 42. For he remembered his holy 
 promise— the ground of His wonderful acts of 
 long-suffering tenderness. (and) Abraham his 
 servant — rather, connected with "i)romise;" 
 'His holy promise to Abraham ' (Gen. xv, 14-18). 
 His promise is that engaging the possession of 
 Canaan to Abraham's seed, vv. 8, 9, ll. Exod. ii. 
 24 is alluded to. 43. And he brought forth his 
 people . . . with gladness— /if., 'with a shout of 
 
Aji exhortation 
 
 PSALM CVI. 
 
 to praise Goa. 
 
 44 And ^gave them the lands of the heathen : 
 And they inherited the labour of the people ; 
 
 45 That "they might observe his statutes, — and keep his laws. 
 
 Praise ye the Lord. 
 
 PSALM CVL 
 
 1 PRAISE ^ye the Lord. — 0 give thanks unto the Lord; for he is "good 
 For his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 2 Who ^can utter the mighty acts of the Lord ? 
 Who can show forth all his praise ? 
 
 3 Blessed are they that "^keep judgment, 
 
 And he that '^doeth righteousness at *all times. 
 
 4 Remember me, 0 Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people : 
 0 visit me with thy salvation ; 
 
 5 That I may see the good of thy chosen, 
 
 That I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, 
 That I may glory with thine inheritance. 
 
 ' Dent. 6. 10. 
 
 Josh. 13. r. 
 
 Josh. 21.43. 
 
 Ps. 44. 2. 
 
 Ps. 78. 55. 
 
 Ps. 80. 8. 
 
 Dent. 4. 1. 
 
 Deut. 6. 21. 
 ' Hallelu- 
 jah. 
 
 I'SALM 100. 
 I Hallelu- 
 jah. 
 " Isa. 6.}. 7. 
 
 Matt. 19.ir. 
 0 Ps. 40. 5. 
 " Jer. 22. 15, 
 
 16. 
 
 Matt. 22.37. 
 d Ps. 15. 2. 
 * Acts 24. 10. 
 
 Gal. C. 9. 
 
 ovatiou' [n^n]. 44. And gave them the lands of 
 the heathen— (Ps. Ixxviii. 55.) and they inherited 
 the labour of the people — Hebrew, x)€oples ; viz, , 
 the fruits of their labour, their ecru and vineyard 
 (Deut. vi. 10, 11). 45. That they might observe 
 his statutes (Deut. iv. 1, 40; Ps. Ixxviii. 7.) 
 Thus the two-fold reason for God's loviu'? dealings 
 with Israel was — 1. Faithfulness to His covenant 
 on Hi^ part; 2, That they on their j^art might 
 obey Him. Obedience on the part of Abraham in 
 'keeping the way of the Lord' appears in Gen. 
 xviii. 19, as an object of the covenant made by 
 God with him (Gen. xviii, 19). Disobedience on 
 the Jews' part, the Psalmist implies, is the cause 
 of their existing captivity in Babylon, and also of 
 tlieir forfeiture of the covenanted possession of 
 Canaan. What ground of hope then remains ? It 
 is the purpose of the third psalm in the trilogy, 
 Ps. cvii,. to solve this difficulty. 
 
 PSALM CVI. 1-48.— C'a/^ to thanksgiving for 
 God's mercy to His people — viz., such as ahoays do 
 righteousness. Israel, though rememhering her un- 
 righteousness, prays God to visit her with the 
 gratuitous salvation which He gives to His people 
 (w. 1-5) ; confession of the nation^s sins in Egypt, 
 entailing punishment (vv. 6-12) ; in the tvilderness [vv. 
 13-33); a)id in Canaan, where their covsiimmated sin 
 led to the oppressive rule of the heathen {vv. 34-43) ; 
 hut as God often heretofore regarded their affliction 
 and cry, and remembered for them His covenant, 
 so now He has begun to make them pitied by their 
 captors . therefore they resume the prayer of vv. 4, 
 5, that God will gather them from among the heathen 
 to thank His holy name for ever {vv. 44-48). The 
 time is before the close of the captivity in Babylon, 
 answering to the time of Daniel's prayer, at the 
 beginning of the Medo-Persian dynasty (Dan. ix., 
 to which our psalm is the lyrical echo, Hcngsten- 
 herg.) The 'Hallelnjah' at the beginning, and 
 also at the close, marks this psalm third of the 
 trilogy, Ps. civ.-cvi. This psalm solves the diffi- 
 culty in the way of Israel's restoration (Ps. cv. 45) 
 — viz., that in order to regain Canaan according to 
 God's covenant, they ought to have kex)t Gods laws. 
 Their unfaithfulness seems to deprive them of the 
 help which nature (Ps, civ.) and history (Ps. cv.) 
 assures them of. Here God's grace, pledged in 
 JIvi covenant of old, is shown to outweigh their sins : 
 now that they repent and seek His grace. He will 
 restore them to the praise of His grace for ever. 
 The Spirit overruled the words (1 Chr. xvi. 34-36) 
 which in David's time applied to the captive Jews 
 
 whom the invading Edomites had taken (Ps. Ix., 
 title), to suit the nation in the Babylonian captivity, 
 and still more in its present dispersion. 
 
 1-5. Praise ye the Lord— Hebrew, 'Hallelujah.' 
 This connects our ])salm with Ps. cv. 45. 0 give 
 thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his 
 mercy endureth for ever. The call to praise in , 
 Ps. cv. 1, 2, 5 was on the ground of the Lord's 
 ' deeds, His wondrous works, and the judgments 
 of His mouth ;' here it is on the ground of His 
 goodness and "mercj'." 2. Who can utter the | 
 mighty acts of the Lord? who can show forth | 
 all his praise? The higher Jehovah is raised 
 above our powers of adequately praising Him, the 
 more earnestly ought we to give Him the best 
 praise we can (Ps. xl, 5 ; Ixxi. 15). 3. Blessed are 
 they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righ- 
 teousness at all times — resuming from Ps. cv. 45 
 the condition attached to the Lord's promise of 
 blessing, (cf. Ps. ciii. 18; ci.) The same condition 
 is recognized in Daniel's corresponding confession 
 of sin about the same time, Dan. ix. 4, "O Lord, 
 the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant 
 and mercy to them that lore him, and to them that 
 keep His commandments.^' 4. Remember me, O 
 Lord, with the favour (that thou bearest unto) 
 thy people. The Psalmist, as representative of 
 Israel, does not allow himself to be deterred by 
 the consciousness of not having fulfilled the con- 
 dition {v. 3) from seeking participation in the 
 ''^ mercy'' of the Lord, which he had just praised 
 {v. 1). God's "favour," not Israel's deserts, is his 
 plea. Remember me" is Israel's cry; for God 
 seemed to have forgotten her. God's favour belongs 
 to God's people by the right of His promise, and 
 carries with it salvation ; therefore she adds, 0 
 visit me with thy salvation ; 5. That I may see 
 the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the 
 gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with 
 thine inheritance. The plea here is, notwith- 
 standing all our past rebellion and perversity, we 
 still are "thy chosen," "thy nation," and "thine 
 inheritance" (Isa. xliii. 20; xlv. 4). This was 
 Moses' plea in interceding for them when they had 
 made the molten calf (Deut. ix. 29). "Nation" 
 (Hebrew, Goi) is a term usually applied to the 
 Gentile nations: but is sometimes (as Zeph. ii. 9) 
 applied to Israel, when the usual Hebrew, Am, for 
 the elect people, has preceded. If the term be 
 intentional here, the meaning may be, Though we 
 are to be classed with the nations by our sins, yet 
 we are "thy nation." 
 
The story of 
 
 PSALM CVI. 
 
 TsraeVs rehelUon. 
 
 6 We -^have sinned with our fathers, 
 
 We have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. 
 
 7 Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt ; 
 They remembered not the multitude of thy mercies ; 
 But provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea. 
 
 8 Nevertheless he saved them ^for his name's sake, 
 That he might make his mighty power to be known. 
 
 9 He ^rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up : 
 
 So ^he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness. 
 
 10 And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, 
 And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. 
 
 11 And the waters covered their enemies; — there was not one of them left. 
 
 12 Then believed they his words; — they sang his praise. 
 
 13 ^ They soon forgat his works; — they waited not for his counsel ; 
 
 14 But ^lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, — and tempted God in the desert. 
 
 15 And he gave them their request; — but sent leanness into their soul. 
 
 16 They ^ envied Moses also in the camp, — and Aaron the saint of the Lord. 
 
 / Lev. 26. 40. 
 
 1 Kl 8. 47. 
 
 Dan. 9. 5. 
 0 I's. 143. 11. 
 
 Jer. 11. 7. 
 
 Eze. 20. 14. 
 A Ex. 14. n. 
 
 Nah. 1, 4. 
 < Lsa. 63. 11. 
 
 2 they made 
 haste, tbey 
 forgat. 
 Ex. 15. 24. 
 Ex. 16. 2. 
 Ex. 17. 2. 
 
 1 Cor 10. 6. 
 
 3 lusted a 
 lust. 
 
 Num. 11. 4, 
 33. 
 
 } Isa. 10. 16. 
 k Num. 16. 1. 
 
 6-12,-6. We have sinned with our fathers, we 
 have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. 
 
 The same three verbs occur in the same order and 
 connection in the prayer of Solomon at the dedi- 
 cation of the temple (1 Ki. viii. 47), from which 
 our psalm derived this formula; also in the con- 
 temporaneous prayer, Dan, ix. 5. The words, 
 " with our fathers," express that the Jews in the 
 Psalmist's day, with their fathers, formed too;ether 
 one corrupt mass. They followed their fathers, 
 and so partook in their guilt. The terms, "sinned 
 . . . committed iniquity . . . done wickedly," form 
 a climax — Hebrew, Chata, Aren, Beshanr/: sinful 
 error, iniquity, impious wickedness (Ps. i, 1). 7. 
 Our fathers understood not thy wonders in 
 Egypt. They understood them not because they 
 did not t(72S^' to understand them. The fault was 
 in the will, which blinded the understanding. In 
 vv. 7-33 the sins of the fathers of Israel— the genera- 
 tion of Moses' time— are detailed. Cf. Ps. Ixxviii. 
 8, 12. Tiie sins of Israel in Canaan and their own 
 sins are detailed in vv. 34-4.3. they reraemhered 
 not the multitude of thy mercies— (Ps. Ixxviii. 
 11, 42.) but provoked (him) at the sea— by dis- 
 trust and murmuring (Exod. xiv. 11, 12), They 
 were fresh from having witnessed the gracious 
 God's miraculous judgments on Egypt for tlieir 
 deliverance, yet they still distrusted His power 
 and His love — a sin on the part of His peox>le 
 which most of all ' provokes ' God. (even) at the 
 Red sea. "The sea . , . the Red sea" is the 
 phrase (Exod, xv. 4) in the son^ of Moses at the 
 scene of Israel's deliverance. Close to the scene, 
 and just after the act of their deliverance, they 
 rebelled again, as they did before it (Exod, xv. 
 22-24), 8. Nevertheless he saved them for his 
 name's sake— (Ezek, xx. 14.) The Father's name 
 is in the Son ; "for His name's sake" is therefore 
 for the Sorts sake (Exod. xxiii. 21), 9. He rebuked 
 the Red sea— (note, Ps, civ. 7.) so he led them 
 through the depths, as through the wilderness 
 — with no less safety than through the wilderness 
 (Tsa, Ixiii, 13). 12. Then believed they his words— 
 (Exod, xiv, 31.) they sang his praise— (E.xod. xv. 
 1.) This verse is not designed to praise Israel, 
 but God, who constrained, by His overwhelming 
 display of grace, even so unbelieving a people 
 mom-entarllij to ' believe ' whilst in immediate view 
 of His wonders, a faith which tbey immediately 
 after lost (?;. 13; cf. v. 24). 
 
 13-22,— Three transgressions of Israel in the 
 wilderness are detailed, rising in gradation of 
 moral guilt, without res])ect to time :— 1. Their 
 833 
 
 unbelieving impatience in demanding flesh {vv. 
 13-15) ; 2. Their joining Dathan and Abiram in the 
 envious attack on Moses and Aaron, the conse- 
 crated servants of Jehovah {cv. 16-18); 3. Their 
 direct affront to God Himself in forming a golden 
 calf for worship. The sins of Israel in the wilder- 
 ness are dwelt on at greatest length, because it was 
 by them that the then existing generation forfeited 
 Canaan, implying to their posterity, now captive 
 in Babylon, that their exclusion from Canaau was 
 due to the same cause, 13. They soon forgat his 
 works— Hebrew, 'they hasted, they forgat.' _ The 
 verbs, unconnected by a conjunction, imply impa- 
 tient eagerness to get rid of the debt of gratitude 
 to God, which they felt a burden, by dismissing it 
 with all haste froiu their memories (Exod. xxxii, 
 8, "They have turned aside quickly [hastily) out 
 of the way"). On "His works," cf, Deut. xi, 3, 4. 
 they waited not for his counsel. They waited not 
 for the development of God's counsel, or plan for 
 their deliverance (long before deterrnined, and 
 already beginning to be executed), at His own time 
 and in His own way. 14, But lusted exceedingly 
 in the wilderness— , 'lusted a lust,' quoted 
 from Num, xi. 4, marg.; also 34, "He called the 
 name of that place Kibroth-Hattaavah {tlie graves 
 of lust), because there they buried the people that 
 lusted." Previously there had been on their part 
 impatience as to the necessaries of life ; here it was 
 positive lusting (Ps, Ixxviii. 18), which brought 
 down a heavy judgment. 15. And he gave them 
 their request ;" but sent leanness into their soul. 
 For "but" translate, 'and (thus, even in doing so) 
 sent leanness into their soul.' The punishment 
 was inflicted at the very time that their request 
 was granted (cf. Ps. Ixxviii. 29, 30). Their soul 
 is the animal soul which craves for food (Num. xi. 
 6; Ps. cvii. 18). This animal soul got its wish, 
 and with it and in it its own punishment. Wast- 
 ing sickness, ending in death, ensued. 
 
 16. They envied Moses also in the camp. 
 "Two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, 
 famous in the congregation, men of renown (with 
 Korah, Dathan, and Abiram), gathered themselves 
 together against Moses and against Aaron" (Num, 
 xvi. 3) ; and on the morrow, after the destruction 
 of the rebels, "all the congregation of the children 
 of Israel murmured against Moses and against 
 Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the 
 Lord " (Num. xvi. 41). and Aaron the saint of the 
 Lord. By the term "saint," not so much his per- 
 sonal holiness as his offi,cial consecration unto the 
 Lord is meant (Exod, xxviii, 3 ; Num, xvL 5, 7, 
 
The story of 
 
 PSALM CVI. 
 
 TsraeVs rebellion. 
 
 17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, 
 And covered the company of Abiram. 
 
 18 And a fire was kindled in their company; 
 The flame burned up the wicked. 
 
 19 They ^made a calf in Horeb, — and worshipped the molten image. 
 
 20 Thus ""they changed their glory 
 
 Into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass. 
 
 21 They forgat God their Saviour, — which had done great things in Egypt; 
 
 22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham, — and terrible things by the Red sea. 
 
 23 Therefore "he said that he would destroy them, 
 
 Had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, 
 To turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them. 
 
 ' Ex. 32. 4. 
 
 Deut. 9. 12. 
 IR. 21. 
 
 Neh. 0. 
 
 1 Cor. 10. r. 
 
 Ps. 89. 17. 
 
 Jer. 2. 11. 
 
 Rom. 1. 2?. 
 " Ex. 32. 10. 
 
 Deut. 9. 19. 
 
 Deut. 10.10. 
 
 Eze. 20. 1\ 
 " ix. 32. 14. 
 
 Eze. 13. 5. 
 
 Eze. 22. 30. 
 
 *' To-raorrow the Lord will show . . , who is holy,^^ 
 &c.) The fundamental idea of "holy " is separa- 
 tion from ordinary uses and dedication to the Lord. 
 Hence it is applied to things as well as persons 
 (Num. xvi. 37). 17, 18. The earth opened and 
 swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company 
 of Ahiram. And a fire was kindled in their com- 
 pany; the flame burnt up the wicked. The two- 
 fold punishment is alluded to — 1. In v. 17, of the 
 non-Levitical rebels, the Reubenites, Dathan, 
 Abiram, and their followers (Num. xxvi. 10; 
 Deut. xi. 6). These were swallowed up by the 
 earth (Num. xvi. 32, 33), where Korah himself is 
 not included among 'all the men that appertained 
 unto Korah,' and that were then swallowed up. 
 2. In V. 18, the punishment of (Num. xvi. 35 ; xxvi. 
 10) the Levitical two hundred and fifty rebels, 
 with Korah at their head. These were punished 
 by fire, even as they had sinned by fire, in offering 
 incense (Num. xvi. 17-19). So Aaron's sons had 
 sinned by offering strange fire, and were therefore 
 consumed by fire (Lev. x. 1, 2). 
 
 19. They made a calf in Horeb. It awfully 
 aggravated their sin that its scene was "in Horeb," 
 where God had just before so marvellously re- 
 vealed His glory and righteousness in the giving 
 of the law. From indirectly rejecting God in the 
 person of His ministers [v. 16), they pass to directly 
 rejecting God Himself and His plain command. 
 Exod. XX. 4, 5 forbids not only the worshipping of 
 any other god besides God, but also the maldng of 
 an image even of the true God. Their idol is 
 called ' a calf " in contempt. They meant it for a 
 bull or ox (Exod. xxxii. 4). It was at once an 
 imitation of one aspect of the divinely-appointed 
 cherubim and of the Egyptian idol Apis — the 
 sacred bull. They had been guilty of idolatry in 
 Egypt (Josh. xxiv. 14). Jeroboam seems to have 
 imported the idol-calves from the same land (1 
 Ki. xi. 40 ; xii. 28). Wilkinson fixes on the sacred 
 bull Mnevis as the prototype of the golden calf, 
 and the offerings, dancings, and rejoicings of Israel 
 to have been imitations of the ceremonial in honour 
 of Mnevis ('Ancient Egypt'). 20. Thus they 
 changed their glory into the similitude of an ox 
 that eateth grass. There may be an allusion to 
 the Egyptian usage of bringing a bottle of hay 
 when they consulted Apis {Godwyn, 'Moses and 
 Aaron,' iv. 5). Jehovah seems to have been the 
 ostensible object of worship, under the form of the 
 cherub-like calf ; for Aaron says, Exod. xxxii. 4, 
 5, "These be tliy gods, O Israel, which brought 
 thee up out of the land of Egypt . ^ . To-morrow 
 is a feast to the Lord (Jehovah)." The approxi- 
 mation to Egypt's idols was the more perverse 
 when it was so recently that 'ui)ou their gods 
 the Lord executed judgments' (Num. xxxiii. 4). 
 "Their glory," which distinguished them above 
 other nations, was that Jehovah was peculiarlj'^ 
 their God (Deut. iv. 7; x. 21, "He is thy praise 
 334 
 
 Rom. i. 23 ; Jer. ii. 10-13). God signified His pres- 
 ence with Israel by the Shechinah cloud of glory 
 over the cherubim in the sanctuary. Though they 
 meant to worship Jehovah under the symbol of 
 the calf, yet, as any "similitude" is incompatible 
 with His essence as Spirit (Deut. iv. 15-17; John 
 iv. 24), they really gave up Him (1 Ki. xiv. 9), and 
 were therefore given up oy Him. 21, 22. They 
 forgat God their Saviour, which had done . . . 
 Wondrous works in the land of Ham— (Ps. cv. 23, 
 27. ) Here this strophe at its close reverts to what 
 formed its beginning, v. 1,3. 
 
 23. Therefore he said that he would destroy 
 them (and this would have come to pass), had not 
 Moses his chosen stood before him in tne breach, 
 to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy 
 them. The length of this verse, as compared with 
 the verses before and after it, im])lies its designed 
 prominence as the central point of the psalm, 
 separating the two former from the two latter 
 strophes. "He said " — viz., to Moses (Deut. ix. 8, 
 18). With God saying is doing ; but His purf)Ose, 
 whilst it speaks wrath against sin, takes into 
 account the mediation of Him of whom all human 
 intercessors (as Moses) are the type, and to whose 
 intercession they owe whatever efficacy there is in 
 their intercessions (Exod. xxxii. 11-14; Deut. ix. 
 18, 19). Moses his chosen— servant (Ps. cv. 26). 
 stood before him in the breach- as a warrior 
 covers with his body the breach in the wall of 
 a besieged fortress, and so bears all the brunt of 
 the adversary's wrath. Our great Intercessor 
 similarly bore the whole weight of the Divine 
 wrath laid on Him for us (Isa. lix. 16, 17). Cf. the 
 same image, Ezek. xiii. 5; xxii. 30, where see notes, 
 to turn away his wrath. The phrase is from 
 Num. XXV. 11. Cf. Ps. Ixxviii. 38. Moses' weapon 
 in defending his people from wrath was interces- 
 sory prayer. God looked upon the people as re- i 
 presented by him. His purpose of wrath, whilst , 
 it was real, was subject to the -qualification vir- | 
 tually implied in Exod. xxxii. 10. When therefore \ 
 Moses did not, 'let God alone,' but interceded, 
 God withdrew His purpose of wrath. The fact j 
 that the nation, in the very beginning of its his- 
 tory, owed its deliverance from destruction to one 
 man's mediation, showed how deeply-seated was 
 their sin, and how little hope there could be now 
 of salvation for them save in the mercy of God. 
 
 24-33.— 1. The people's distrust of the Lord's 
 word as to Canaan after hearing the spies' report 
 {vv. 24-27). 2. The sin of the new generation in 
 joining themselves to Baal-Peor, andPhinehas' zeal 
 {vv, 28-31). 3. The offence at Meribah {yv. 32, 33). 
 Thus there are seven transgressions specified in all. 
 One in Egypt in the first strophe ; m the wilder- 
 ness, three in the second and three in the third 
 strophe. These sevm transgressions stand in sad 
 contrast to the seven miracles of God in the people's 
 behalf in Ps. cv. Cf. Deut. xxxii. 6, "Do ye thus 
 
Th^ story of 
 
 PSALM CVI. 
 
 Israel's rebellion. 
 
 24 Yea, they despised "^the pleasant land; 
 
 25 But murmured in their tents, 
 And hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord. 
 
 26 Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, 
 To overthrow them in the wilderness : 
 
 27 5 To overthrow their seed also among the nations. 
 And to scatter them in the lands. 
 
 28 They ^joined themselves also unto Baal-peor, 
 And ate the sacrifices of the dead. 
 
 29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions ; 
 And the plague brake in upon them. 
 
 30 Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment : 
 And so the plague was stayed. 
 
 31 And that was counted unto him for righteousness 
 Unto all generations for evermore 
 
 32 They angered him also at the waters of strife, 
 
 ^ So that it went ill with Moses for their sakes : 
 
 33 Because they provoked his spirit. 
 
 So that he * spake unadvisedly with his lips. 
 
 they ^ believed not his word ; 
 
 * a land of 
 
 desire. 
 
 Deut. 8. r. 
 
 Jer. 3. 19. 
 
 Eze. 20. 6. 
 P Num.14.11. 
 
 Deut. 1. 32. 
 
 Heb. 3. 12, 
 18. 19. 
 
 Heb. 4. 2. 
 
 Jude 5. 
 5 to make 
 
 them fall. 
 
 Lev. 26. 33. 
 4 Num. 25. 2, 
 3. 
 
 Num. 31.16. 
 
 Deut. 4. 3, 
 
 Deut. 32.17. 
 
 Hos. 9. 10. 
 
 Rev. 2. 14. 
 »• Deut. 1. 37. 
 
 Deut. 3. 26. 
 » Num. 20.10. 
 
 Jas. 3. 2. 
 
 requite the Lord?" Cf, Num. xiv. 22, where their 
 'tempting God ten times' stands in ungrateful 
 contrast to His ten times interposing for them by 
 judgments on the Egyptians. 24. Yea, they de- 
 spised the pleasant land— (Num. xiv. 31.) Cf. on 
 the "pleasant land," or 'the land of beauty' 
 [Hengstmherg), Exod. iii. 8 ; Deut. xi. 11-15 : cf. Jer. 
 liL 19; Ezek. xx. 6; Dan. viiL 9. Their sin was 
 punished by the destruction of that generation 
 (Num. xiv. 28). they believed not his word— in 
 striking contrast to r. 12, "Then believed they 
 His words." So short iu duration was their faith. 
 They believed the evil report of the faithless spies 
 (Ps. Ixxviii. 22, 32) rather than the word of the 
 faithful God who had promised to give them the 
 land. So according to their unbelief it was done 
 unto them (Heb. iii. 18). They forfeited the 
 good land into which belief would have brought 
 them. 26. Therefore he lifted up his hand 
 against them — rather, ''to them,' in swearing. 
 Lifting up the hand was the solemn gesture in 
 taking an oath, (Num. xiv. 30, marg.) to over- 
 throw them in the wilderness — 'to make 
 them fall' &c. Alluding to Num. xiv. 29, " Your 
 carcases sfiall fall in this vnlderness . . . from 
 twenty years old and upward." 27. To overthrow 
 their seed also among the nations. God's purpose 
 to "make their seed to fall among the nations" 
 (Hebrew: cf. note, v. 26) was not expressed at this 
 time (Num. xiv. 31-33), but was implied in the sen- 
 tence then pronounced upon the fathers, as the chil- 
 dren were about to follow in their steps. It was 
 expressed on another occasion, Lev. xxvi. .38 ; Deut. 
 iv. 25; xxviii. 32. ''In the wilderness" is paral- 
 lel to "among the nations " — viz., the Gentile 
 nations (Hebrew, goim). ' The wilderness was not 
 more destructive for the fathers than residence 
 among the heathen shall be for their children' 
 (Hengstenherg). Cf.Ezek. xx. 35, "I will bring you 
 into the vnlderness of the jieople." and to scatter 
 them in the lands— (Lev, xxvi, 33.) 
 
 28-30.— 28. They joined themselves also unto 
 Baal-peor— ^j^., 'they yoked [im] themselves to 
 Baal-peor,' having cast off the easy yoke of the Lord. 
 See ISum. xxv. 2, 3, 5. Baal-peor— 'the Lord 
 (or possessor) of reor,' the mountain on which the 
 Moabite idol, Chemosh, was worshipped, and at 
 the foot of which Israel was then encamped (Num. 
 xxiii. 28). The name occurs only in connection 
 with that locality and that circumstance, JUld 
 335 
 
 ate the sacrifices of the dead— i. e., the sacrifices 
 of lifeless idols, as contrasted wath the living 
 God (Jer. x. 3-10; Ps. cxv. 4-7; 1 Cor. xii. 2). 29. 
 Thus they provoked him to anger with their in- 
 ventions — (Ps. Ixxviii. 58. ) and (as the conse- 
 quence) the plague brake in upon them— (Num. 
 xxv. 8.) 30. Then stood up Phinehas and executed 
 judgment : and so the plague was stayed (Num. 
 xxv. 8)— as Aaron on another occasion (Num. xvi. 
 48) stood between the living and the dead, and the 
 plague was stayed. Others translate, with the 
 Syriac and Chaldaic, Sprayed.' This is the mean- 
 ing of the Hithpael of the Hebrew verb [^^2^], but 
 the Pihel (which is here) means to judge; the LXX. 
 translate, 'made propitiation.' The objection that 
 judicial authority and legal right were wanting in 
 Phinehas' act is not true. " The judges of Israel ' 
 were commanded by Moses, according to Jehovah's 
 will, " Slay ye every one his men that were joined 
 unto Baal-peor." Moses, they, and the portion of 
 the congregation which had not joined Baal-peor, 
 were " weeping before the door of the tabernacle," 
 thus showing the ivill, whilst they lacked the power 
 or the courage to execute the judicial sentence 
 passed. Phinehas boldly stepped forward to "exe- 
 cute the judgment," when others failed to do so. 
 31. And that was counted unto him for righ- 
 teousness unto all generations for evermore— 
 (Num. xxv. 10-13.) That was counted to his credit 
 as a righteous act, to be rewarded by God with His 
 "covenant of peace. . . even the covenant of an 
 everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for 
 His God, and made an atonement for the children 
 of Israel." No act of man could be counted as 
 righteousness, justifying him before God^ unto 
 eternal life. Phinehas already was justified by 
 faith. Now his good work obtains from God, who 
 recompenses all men according to their works, a 
 reward of grace — viz., the continual priesthood, 
 in contrast to other descendants of Aaron, from 
 whom it passed away. So in the times of this 
 psalm, Ezekiel the priest and Daniel the prophet 
 (Ezek. xiv. 14, 20) had boldly come forward in 
 behalf of the cause of God and the elect people. 
 
 32. They angered him also at the waters of 
 strife-(Num. xx. 3-12; Deut. i. 37; iii. 26; Ps. 
 xcv. 8. ) so that it went ill with Moses for their 
 sakes. Their unbelief was the occasion of impa- 
 tience and defect in Moses' faith. He was chas- 
 tised by QXQlusiou from Canaan. 33' BecxusQ 
 
The story of 
 
 PSALM CVI. 
 
 34 They *did not destroy the nations, 
 Concerning ^whom the Lord commanded them ; 
 
 35 But ^were mingled among the heathen, — and learned their worliS. 
 
 36 And ^they served their idols: — which were a snare unto them. 
 
 37 Yea, ^ they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, 
 
 38 And shed innocent blood, 
 
 Enen the blood of their sons and of their daughters, 
 Whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan ; 
 And ^ the land was polluted with blood. 
 
 39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, 
 And went awhoring with their own inventions. 
 
 40 Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, 
 Lisomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance. 
 
 41 And ^he gave them into the hand of the heathen ; 
 And they that hated them ruled over them. 
 
 42 Their enemies also oppressed them, 
 
 And they were brought into subjection under their hand, 
 
 43 Many times did he deliver them ; 
 
 But they provoked him with their counsel, 
 And were ^ brought low for their iniquity. 
 
 TaraeVe rebellion. 
 
 \ t Judg. 1. 21. 
 
 « Deut. 7. 2. 
 
 Judg. 2. 2. 
 
 
 " Judg. 3. 5, 
 
 
 Isa. 2. 6. 
 
 
 1 Cor. 5. 6. ] 
 
 
 "'Ex. 23. 33. 1 
 
 
 Deut. 7. 16. 
 
 
 Judg. 2. 12. 
 
 
 2 Ki. 17. 8- 
 
 
 11. 
 
 
 2 Chr. 33. 2. 
 
 
 Deut. 12. A 
 
 
 3 . 
 
 Deut. 18.10. 
 
 
 2 Ki. 16. 3. 
 
 
 Jer. 7. 31. 
 
 
 Isa. 67. 6. 
 
 
 Eze. 16. 20. 
 
 
 y Num. 36.3"!. 
 
 
 * Judg. 2. 14. 
 
 
 Neh. 9. 27. 
 
 
 * Or, im- 
 
 
 poverishcl. 
 
 
 or. weake Li- 
 
 
 ed. 
 
 they provoked his (God's) spirit, so that he 
 (Moses) spake unadvisedly with his lips. Tlie 
 Hebrew "provoked" means, 'to rebel against,' 
 and is elsewhere used of reheUion against the Lord 
 {vv. 7, 43). ''^ His spirit" therefore here means not 
 Moses' spirit, but Ood's Spirit (Ps. Ixxviii. 17, 56). 
 It answers to Ps. cvii. 11, They rebelled against 
 the words of God." Thus "rebelled " (the Hebrew 
 j [nan] for "prov^oked") refers to Moses' very 
 expression in Num. xx, 10, "Hear now, ye rebels" 
 I [anon]. Cf. Isa. Ixiii. 10, 11, " they rebelled and 
 I vexed His Holy Spirit" (Eph. iv. 30). Tliis event 
 I at Meribah is put after the idolatry of Baal-peor 
 I {vv. 28-31), though chronologically preceding it. It 
 forms the climax of the proof of their corruption, 
 that Moses, the holy leader of the people, must 
 die on account of it, since he was Detrayed by 
 their rebellion against the Spirit of the Lord 
 into uttering words of hasty and irreverent im- 
 petuosity. 
 
 34-43. — From the fathers in the wilderness the 
 Psalmist turns to the sons in Canaan. In the for- 
 mer half of the decade their sins are mentioned; in 
 the second half the judgments of God upon them for 
 their sins. 34. They did not destroy the nations 
 — from want of faith, holy zeal, and whole-hearted 
 energy; not from want of inclination because of 
 compassion (Judg. i. 21, 27-33). concerning whom 
 the Lord commanded them— (Exod. xxiii. 32, 33; 
 xxxiv. 11-15; Judg. ii. 1-5). 35. But were mingled 
 among the heathen, and learned their works- 
 cot withstanding Joshua's warning (Josh, xxiii. 12, 
 13). Intermarriages with the heathen, as God 
 forewarned them (Deut. vii. 3, 4), and as after- 
 wards happened in Solomon's case, occasioned 
 their being seduced to idolatry (Judg. iii. 5-7). 36. 
 And they served their idols : which were a snare 
 unto them— (Exod. xxiii. 33; Judg. viii. 27.) The 
 image is from birds caught in " a snare" to their 
 destruction. Idolatry was Israel's snare or cause 
 of destruction. So the term is used, Exod. x. 7. 
 37. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their 
 daughters unto devils. Deut. xxxii. 17 is the 
 only other place where the Hebrew term for 
 "devils" occurs, or rather 'demons' (as there is 
 but one devil; and the bad spirits under him are 
 demons, plural), ' They sacriticed unto Shedim, 
 (which were) no gods, gods which they knew not.' 
 The /Shedim ansv/ers by contrast to Mohim, the 
 
 I 
 
 true God. Gesenius considers it as equivalent to 
 Baalim, 'lords,' from the Arabic ^SVmc/, 'to rule.' 
 Cf. Judg. ii. 11, 12; 1 Cor. viii. 5, "god's many 
 and Zor(Z5 many." However, the sense, "devils," 
 or rather ''demons^ (LXX.) is sustained by Lev. 
 xvii. 7; 2 Chr. xi. 15; 1 Cor. x. 20; Eev. ix. 2(i. 
 The root then is Shadad or Shud, to destroy, 
 
 appropriate to the idol Moloch, whose cruel wor- 
 ship consisted in human sacritices. Destroying 
 demons, fatal to the worshippers (cf. v. 38). 38. 
 And shed innocent hlood — m defiance of Deut. } 
 xix. 10, even the blood of their sons and of their j 
 daughters— the very abomination which showed 
 the desjjerate corruption of the Canaanite, and 
 which caused God to cast them out before Israel 
 (Deut. xii. 31 ; xviii. 10). and the land was pol- 
 luted with blood— forbidden in Num. xxxv. 33. 
 Every precaution was taken in God's law to im- 
 press the conscience with a horror of bloodshed: so 
 utterly alien is Jehovah's w'orship to that of Mo- 
 loch. 39. Thus were they defiled with their own 
 works, and went awhoring with their own In- 
 ventions. S}nritual fornication alienates the heart 
 from God, and joins it to any idol (Lev, xvii. 7; 
 Num. XV. 39), 40, Therefore was the wrath of 
 the Lord kindled against his people, insomuch 
 that he abhorred his own inheritance— i e., 
 Israel ; as the parallel, " His people," shows, Deut. 
 ix. 29 (cf. Ps. Ixxviii. 59, 62), 41, And he gave 
 them into the hand of the heathen — (Judg, ii. 
 14. ) and they that hated them ruled over them 
 —according to God's prophetical threat, Lev. xxvi, 
 17. 42. and they were brought into subjection 
 under their hand. On the phrase, cf, Judg. iii. 30, 
 Their existing captivity in Babylon was the sad 
 consummation. 43. Many times did he deliver 
 them— during the period of the Judges and Kings 
 (Judg. ii. 16; Neh. ix. 26-37). but they provoked 
 him with their counsel— with their corrupt and 
 perverse i)lan8, and were brought low for their 
 iniquity — the crowning of their punishment, their 
 being led away into captivity. So Lev. xxvi. 39 had 
 foretold, "They that are left of you shall pino 
 away in their iniquity in your enemies' land ' (cf. 
 Ezek, xxxiii, 10), which was written in the Baby- 
 lonian land of their captivity. 
 
 44-48. — Conclusion. The fact of God's having 
 already begun to show mercy to the .Jewish cap- 
 tives in Babylon {vv. 44-46} is tlie ground on which 
 
An exhortation 
 
 PSALM CVII. 
 
 to praise God. 
 
 44 Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, — when "he heard their cry : 
 
 45 And *he remembered for them his covenant, 
 
 And repented *^ according to the multitude of his mercies. 
 
 46 He made them also to be pitied of all those that earned them, captives. 
 
 47 Save us, 0 Lord our God, — and gather us ^ from among the heathen, 
 To give thanks ^ unto thy holy name, — and to triumph in thy praise. 
 
 4S Blessed he the Lord God of Israel — from everlasting to everlasting : 
 And let all the people say, Amen. — " Praise ye the Lord^ 
 
 PSALM CVIL 
 
 1 0 GIVE thanks unto the Lord, for "^he is good';- 
 For his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, 
 
 " JudMO.lO. 
 
 6 Lev. 2fi. 41. 
 2 Ki. 13. 23. 
 Ps. 105. 6. 
 Liike 1. 71. 
 
 * Lam. 3. 3>. 
 <I Ezra 9. 9. 
 
 Jer. 42. 12. 
 
 • Jer. 32, 37. 
 
 41. 
 
 Eze. 3ft. 24. 
 Lukel. 74. 
 / 2 Cor. 5. 15. 
 
 7 HaUelu- 
 jah. 
 
 PSALM 107. 
 « Matt. 19.17. 
 
 the praj^er is resumed from vv. 4, 5, in v. 47. Tbat 
 I'V. 44-46 refer to the captivity, and not to earlier 
 times, is clear, because the Psalmist would other- 
 wise be merely repeating the first clause of v. 43 ; 
 whereas it is after he has said they were finally 
 brought low for their iniquity." Also v. 46 dis- 
 tinctly speaks of their being "carried captives," 
 which can only refer to the Babyloniau captivity 
 (Ps. cxxxvii. 3). The reference also is plain to Lev. 
 xxvL 32-39 and 1 Ki. viiL 46, which, pro^thetically 
 allude to that captivity. 44. Nevertheless he re- 
 garded their affliction— ^i^, ' He regarded (i. e.. He 
 was not regardless) in their affliction ' (Exod. ii. 2.5 ; 
 iv. 31). 45. And he remembered for them his 
 covenant— according to His promise (Lev. xxvi. 
 41, 42). and repented according to the multi- 
 tude of his mercies — as was promised in Deut. 
 xxxii. 36 (cf. Isa. Ixiii. 7). The Hebrew text reads 
 singular, 'mercy' (cf. v. 7); to agree with which 
 the Masorites altered 'mercy' here iuto "mer- 
 cies." It is the fulness of GoiFs mercy, not the 
 manifold manifestations of it, which are here meant 
 (Num. xiv. 19). 48. He made them also to be 
 pitied of all those that carried them captives— 
 according to Solomon's pra.yer, 1 Ki. viii. 50. This 
 improved feeling towards the Jews through God's 
 innuence appears in Dan. i. 9 ; as Joseph similarly 
 had his captivity improved by God's favour (Gen. 
 xxxix. 21). So Evil-merodach, king of Babylon, 
 treated kindly Jehoiachio, king of Judah ('2 Ki. 
 XXV. 27). 47. Save us, O Lord our God, and 
 gather us from among the heathen. God's 
 mercy having begun the deliverance of the 
 peojjle in spite of their sins, encourages the re- 
 ronewal of i)rayer for its completion. The prayer 
 rests on the promise, Deut. xxx. 3, which is here 
 alluded to verbally. The prayer was answered in 
 the return of the great hodg of the i)eop]e in the 
 hrst year of Cyrus— an event which evidently had 
 not yet taken i)lace when this psalm was written, for 
 no reference here occurs to a return, as there does 
 in Ps. cvii. 3. That psalm gires thanks for it, as 
 this lOotli Psalm promised God in the event of the 
 j)rayer being granted, to give thanks unto thy 
 holy name, and to triumph in thy praise— (1 
 Chr, xvi. 3-3, 36). (Jod^s praise is tlie praise 
 which He procures for Himself by His glorious 
 deeds in behalf of His people (Ps. xlviii. 10: 
 cv. 3). 
 
 48. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel . . . and 
 let all the people say. Amen. Ilengstenberg trans- 
 lates, as in 1 Chr. xvi. 30, "And all the peoyjle say. 
 Amen." The people strike in, affirming the thanks- 
 giving. This verse in his view is part of thepsalm, 
 not a mere doxology appended to the fourth 
 hook of Psalms ; for it is not likely the response of 
 the people would form the close of a book. Also, 
 this conclusion of praise corresponds to the praiae- 
 VOL. II L 337 
 
 beginning of the psalm {v. 1). It also accords with 
 the conclusion of Ps. civ. Also this doxology 
 differs from those at the end of Book I., Ps. xlii. ; 
 Book n., Ps. Ixxii. ; Book III., Ps. Ixxxix ; as 
 " hallelujah" is there wanting and the "Amen " 
 is doubled. And the hallelujah at the close here 
 corresi)Ouds to that at the beginning. This doxo- 
 logy, thus, which was a part of the psalm, was 
 made also by the compiler to answer the second 
 jiurpose of closing the 4th Book. It moreover 
 closes the collection, Ps. ci.-cvi., comi)rising 
 David's trilogy, Ps. ci.-ciii., and the trilogy of 
 the cajitivity, Ps. civ.-cvi. 
 
 PSALM CVIL Thank Jehovah [v. 1); for 
 
 He hath redeemed Israel from tJie east, west, north, 
 and south {vv. 2, 3) ; like men wandering hungry 
 and tldrsty in a wilderness, and at last led to a city 
 oj /labitation (vv. 4-9) ; as men found in a prison, then 
 released from bonds {vv. 10-16) ; as men brought to 
 death's door by sickness, then, npoji praying, healed 
 by Jehovah's word {w. 17-22); as men threatened 
 with destruction by a storm at sea, then saved by 
 Jehovah {vv. 23-'32). The order in all these cases is 
 the trouble, the prayer, the deliverance, and the 
 thanksg:iving. But in vv. 33-42 Israel declares in 
 thanksgiving, Jehovah is turning the rivers of the 
 world's prosperity into a wilderness, and the Churxh's 
 wilderness into a standing water {vv. 33-35) ; her 
 change to prosperity in the city, the lands, and the 
 cattle {vv. 36-39) ; contempt poured on the tvorld- 
 princes, and the poor set on high, so that the righteous 
 rejoice, and the oppressor stops his mouth {vv. 40-42) ; 
 the wise will obser ve and bless Jehovah for His loving- 
 kindness (?;. 43). The occasion {v. 32) was at an 
 " assembly of the people and elders," a national 
 feast at which thank offerings were presented 
 {v. 22) : probably the feast of tabernacles celebrated 
 after the return from Babylon, 536 B.C., when 
 sacriffces were offered on the newly raised altar 
 (Ezra iii. 1-0). No mention of the temple occurs 
 in our psalm ; for its foundation was not laid till 
 the next year (535 B.C., Ezra iii. 4, 8-13). Vv. 2, 
 11 show that the primary reference is not to the 
 deliverances vouchsafed by God to men in general, 
 but that to Israel from captivity. Not Elohim 
 (God in His relation to the world), but Jehovah 
 (His covenant name to Israel) is He to whom those 
 in trouble cry {vv. 6, 13, 19, 28). What was prayed 
 for in Ps. cvi. 47, with the promise of thanks- 
 giving in the event of God hearing, is here 
 thanked for. 
 
 1-3. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is 
 good ; for his mercy endureth for ever— from Ps. 
 cvi. 1. The Psalmist i)uts into restored Israel's 
 mouth the same thanksgiving as she had offered 
 in the anticipation of faith and hope towards the 
 close of the captivity, (Ps. cvi.) 
 
 2. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whoia 
 
The manifold 
 
 PSALM CVII. 
 
 promdence of God. 
 
 Whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; 
 
 3 And * gathered them out of the lands. 
 From the east, and from the west, 
 From the north, and ^from the south. 
 
 4 They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; 
 They found no city to dwell in. 
 
 5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. 
 
 6 Then '^they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, 
 And he delivered them out of their distresses. 
 
 7 And he led them forth by the right way. 
 That they might go to a city of habitation. 
 
 8 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, 
 And for his wonderful works to the children of men ! 
 
 9 For ^he satisfieth the longing soul. 
 
 And fiUeth the hungry soul with goodness. 
 
 10 Such as sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, 
 Being -^howndi in affliction and iron; 
 
 11 Because they ^rebelled against the words of God, 
 
 6 Ps. ion. 47. 
 
 Isa. 43. 5. 
 
 Isa. ■19. 12. 
 
 Jer. 29. 14. 
 
 Jer. 31. 8. 
 
 Eze. 39. 27. 
 1 from the 
 
 sea. 
 <•• Ps. 60. 15. 
 
 Isa. 41. 17, 
 18. 
 
 Jer. 29. 12- 
 14. 
 
 Hos. 5. 15. 
 d Ezra 8. 21. 
 
 Isa. 63. 12. 
 • Ps. 34. 10. • 
 
 Ps, 84. 11. 
 
 Isa 55. 1. 
 
 Matt.. 5. 6. 
 
 Luke I. 53. 
 / Job 36. 8. 
 0 Lam. 3. 42. 
 
 he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy. 
 
 The Jews and Israel restored are "the redeemed of 
 the Lord " (Isa. Ixii. 12 ; Ixiii. 4 ; cf. xxxv. 10, 
 "The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come 
 to Zion with sougs," &c. ; lix. 20 : cf. Rom. xL 
 20). Hengstenberg translates, instead of " the 
 enemy," ' trouble,'' as the Hebrew [is] is translated, 
 vv. 6, 13 ; and Ps. cvi. 44). But the parallel, Ps. 
 cvi. lO, contirras the rendering here, though the 
 Hebrew term for " enemy " is different there 
 Ps. xliv. 10 and Ixxiv. 10 translate the same 
 Hebrew as here, enemy. Vv. 39-42 also support 
 the English version. 3. And gathered them out 
 of the lands, from the east, and from the -w^est, 
 from the north, and from the south. " South " — 
 lit., the sea; viz., the Red Sea, if the south be 
 meant. But it is more probable, from the usage of 
 the expression, ' the sea,' that the Mediterranean 
 is meant, south-west of the Holy Land towards 
 Africa. The Psalmist contents himself with 
 naming the places according to the nuviher of the 
 quarters of heaven, without exactly naming each 
 quarter. The omission of the south, and the 
 substitution of ' the sea,' on which the exiles 
 returned from Egypt and other lands (Dent, 
 xxviii. 68), is occasioned by the fact that there is 
 nothinf^ southward of Judea but a wilderness. Cf. 
 similarly the omission of one of the four quarters, 
 Ps. Ixxv. 6; so also Isa. xlix. 12, which, with its jux- 
 taposition of the north and the sea, was evidently 
 before the mind of the Psalmist: "Behold these 
 shall come from far ; and lo, these from the north, 
 and from the west (lit., the sea), and these from the 
 land of Sinim." Cf. also the enumeration of the 
 four quarters of heaven, Isa. xliii. 5, 6 ; Ivi. 8. 
 The gathering of Israel at the return from Babylon 
 was not so world-wide as is here described. There- 
 fore there must be an ulterior gathering of all 
 Israel from her present world-wide dispersion in- 
 tended. 
 
 1-9.— 4, They wandered in the wilderness in a 
 solitary way —lit. , in a desert of a way; in that which 
 is a mere desert {Jeshimon), so far as a way is con- 
 cerned : a desert in its waylessness. Cf. v. 40 : cf. 
 Dent, xxxii. 10 ; Ps. Ixviii. 7. The allusion is to 
 (jJod's original guidance of His people through the 
 wilderness : a type of His future i-estoration of 
 them through all difficulties, they found no city 
 to dwell in — as contrasted with Jerusalem, the 
 city of God, which, as being the sacred metropolis 
 in a national and religious, though not in a local 
 
 and literal sense, the whole people dwelt in. Cf. 
 Ps. ci. 8. 5. Hungry and thirsty, their soul 
 fainted in them. Ps. exxxvii. describes the 
 hungering and thirsting of the true sons and 
 daughters of Zion for the holy city. Literal 
 hunger and thirst they did not experience in 
 Babylon, if we may judge from the fact that those 
 whose souls had no panting after the spiritual 
 privileges of the Holy Laud preferred remaining 
 where they were. 6. Then they cried unto the 
 Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out 
 of their distresses— (Ps. cvi. 44 ; 1. 15.) Troubles 
 are like the dogs that drive the wandering sheep 
 back to the flock and to the Shepherd. 7. And he 
 led them forth by the right way, that they might 
 go to a city of habitation— contrasted with their 
 previous state, v. 4, " they found no city to dwell 
 in." The way is one not known before to the 
 people of God (Isa. xlii. 16) ; but God, in answer 
 to their prayer, ' teaches them the good way 
 wherein they should walk ' (1 Ki viii. 36, 38) ; and 
 reveals to those who seek Him ' a right way for 
 them, and for their little ones, and for all their 
 substance ' (Ezra viii. 21). The true Israel's cry is, 
 " cause me to know the way wherein I should 
 walk ; for I lift up my soul unto thee" (Ps. cxliii. 
 8). 8. Oh that (men) would praise the Lord (for) 
 his goodness, and (for) his wonderful works to 
 the children of men!— rather, 'These (who have 
 been led by the Lord to a city of habitation) should 
 praise before the Lord His goodness, and before the 
 children of men His wonderful works.' Thus the 
 Hebrew M is translated alike before both datives, 
 " the Lord," and " the children of men," Cf. the 
 use of the Hebrew particle, Prov. iv. 3. 9. For he 
 satisfieth the longing soul— " longing;" lit., rwn- 
 ning to and fro in quest of something. Cf. Isa. 
 xxix. 8. God satisfieth the longings of His people 
 (Ps. ciii. 5 ; civ. 13, 16). 
 
 10-16.— 10. Such as sit in darkness, and in the 
 shadow of death — L e., in a dark and terrible 
 prison : an image of the extreme misery of Israel 
 (Isa. ix. 1 ; xlii. 7 ; xlix. 9). So also " the shadow 
 of death " — i. e., the thickest gloom (Ps. xxiii. 
 4). being bound in affliction and iron— i. e., with 
 the iron bonds of affliction ; figurative of affliction 
 which as it were binds one down so as to admit 
 of no release. Cf. v. 41; Ps. cv. 18, marg. ; Job 
 xxxvi. 8. The verb to the nominative in this verse 
 follows in V. 15. ' These should praise the Lord,' 
 &c. 11. Because they rebeUed against the words 
 
The manifold 
 
 PSALM CVII. 
 
 providence of God. 
 
 And contemned ^the counsel of the Most High : 
 
 12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labour: 
 They fell down, and there was none Ho help. 
 
 13 Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, 
 A7id he saved them out of their distresses. 
 
 14 He •'brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, 
 And brake their bands in sunder. 
 
 15 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, 
 And for his wonderful works to the children of men ! 
 
 16 For he hath ^ broken the gates of brass, — and cut the bars of iron in sunder. 
 
 17 Fools, ^because of their transgression 
 And because of their iniquities, are afflicted : 
 
 18 Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; 
 And they draw near unto the gates of death. 
 
 19 Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, 
 And he saveth them out of their distresses. 
 
 20 He ''^sent his word, and healed them, 
 And delivered them from their destructions. 
 
 21 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, 
 And for his wonderful works to the children of men ! 
 
 22 And "let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving. 
 And declare his works with ^ rejoicing. 
 
 23 Tliey that go down to the sea in ships, — that do business in great waters ; 
 
 24 These see the works of the Lord, — and his wonders in the deep. 
 
 25 For he commandeth, and ^raiseth the stormy wind. 
 Which lifteth up the waves thereof. 
 
 26 They mount up to the heaven, — they go down again to the depths; 
 ''Their soul is melted because of trouble. 
 
 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, 
 And "^are at their wit's end. 
 
 28 Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, 
 And he bringeth them out of their distresses. 
 
 'I 1 Sam. 2. 5. 
 2 Chr.2>.l.>. 
 2 Chr.33.10. 
 Ps. 73. 24. 
 Ps. 113. r. 
 Ps. 119. 24. 
 Pro. 1. 25. 
 Isa. 5. 19. 
 Jer. 44. 16. 
 Luke 7. 30. 
 Acts 20. 27. 
 
 1 Isa. 63. 5. 
 } Ps. 68. 6, 
 
 Ps. 146. 7. 
 
 Acts 12. 7. 
 
 Acts 16. 26. 
 fc Isa. 45. 2. 
 ' Ps. 14. 1. 
 
 Pro. 1. 22. 
 
 Pro. 7. 22. 
 
 Lam. 3. 39. 
 "'Num. 21.8. 
 
 2 Ki. 20. 4. 
 
 Job 33. 23- 
 20. 
 
 Ps. 147. 15. 
 18. 
 
 Matt. 8. 8. 
 " Lev. 7. 12. 
 Ps. 50, 14. 
 Ps. 116. 17. 
 Heb. 13. 15. 
 
 2 singing. 
 
 ^ maketh to 
 
 stand. 
 
 Jon. 1. 4. 
 ° Ps. 22. 14. 
 
 Isa. 13. 7. 
 
 Nah. 2. 10. 
 ■4 all their 
 
 wisdom is 
 
 swallowed 
 
 up. 
 
 of God. There is in the Hebrew a play upon 
 similar sounds— i/mrw Imree. God's words are 
 those spoken in the Law and by the prophets. 
 and contemned the counsel of tlie Most High — 
 another play upon like sounds in the Hebrew, 
 Hatmth Naatzu. His counsel is that which He 
 gave them for their good (Prov. i. 25 ; 2 Ki. xvii. 
 13, 14). Some even went so far as to sneer at 
 God's counsel for destroying the impenitent, and 
 saving only the godly in the day of visitation (Isa, 
 V. 19 : cf. Ps. cvi, 13 ; Luke vii, .30). 12. Therefore 
 he brought down their heart with labour. Their 
 heart had been proud and rebellious. The Lord 
 brought it dovm hy affliction, they fell down, and 
 there was none to help— whereas heretofore they 
 bad been full of self-confidence in their own 
 powers. 16, For he hath broken the gates of 
 brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder. Isa. 
 xlv. 2 puts this very language into the mouth of 
 Jehovah concerning Cyrus, the conqueror of Baby- 
 lon and the deliverer of the Jews, "I will , . . open 
 before him the two-leaved gates ... I will break 
 in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder 
 the bars of iron." Cf. metaphorically, Ps. cxvi. 16. 
 
 17-22. — 17. Fools— smnm-, in Bible diction ; iorsin 
 is suicidal foUy. because of their transgression— 
 lit., 'because of the way of their transgression.' 
 are aflaicted. God brings their inward folly to 
 outward view by punishment. 18. Their soul ab- 
 horreth all manner of meat— through sickness 
 (Job xxxiii. 20 ; Ps. ciii. 3). and they draw near 
 unto the gates of death— (Job xxxiii. 22; Ps. 
 Ixxxviii. 3.) 20. He sent his word, and healed 
 
 them. " His word " is His swift and omnipotent 
 instrument sent forth to do His bidding. So the 
 centurion's faith viewed the word of Jesus (Matt, 
 viii. 8 : cf. Ps. cxlvii, 15, 18). and delivered them 
 from their destructions— lit., from their pits; v. 18, 
 "the gates of death." Cf. Lam. iv, 20; Isa. 
 xxxviii, 10; Ps. ciii. 4. The Psalmist probably 
 had in view Job xxxiii. 28. 22. And let them 
 sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving. This was 
 done at the first feast of tabernacles, after the 
 restoration from Babylon (Ezra iii. 4, 5). See 
 introductory notes ; cf. Ps. 1. 14. 
 
 23-32.-23, 24. They that go down to the sea in 
 ships, that do business in great waters; These 
 see the works of the Lord — another image of 
 Israel's distressed condition during the captivity. 
 The sea is an image of the restless agitation of the 
 world-powers on which Israel, both the literal and 
 the spiritual, are cast (Ps. xciii. 3; xlvi. 2, 3). The 
 ship is the spiritual Church of Christ, which is 
 safe through His presence in it, however tempest- 
 tossed (Dan. vii. 2 ; Mark iv. 37-39). 24. These see 
 the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the 
 deep — viz., the deliverances which He imparts to 
 His own people from the waves of the world's 
 oppression {vv. 25-30). 25. For he commandeth, 
 and raiseth the stormy wind — He speaks the 
 word, and instantly the stormy wind arises (Ps, 
 cv. 31). which lifteth up the waves thereof— or, 
 'His waves;' the waves of God (Ps. xlii. 7). 26, 
 They mount up to the heaven, they go down 
 again to the depths— (Ps. civ. 8.) Depths, or 
 'floods.' 28. Then they cry unto the Lord iu 
 
The manifold 
 
 PSALM CVII. 
 
 pro'cidance of QoJ. 
 
 31 
 
 33 
 
 34 
 
 29 He ^maketh the storm a calm, — so that the waves thereof are still. 
 
 30 Then are they glad because they be quiet ; 
 So he bringeth them unto their desired haven. 
 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, 
 And./br his wonderful works to the children of men ! 
 Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the peoplej. 
 And praise him in the assembly of the elders. 
 
 He ^turneth rivers into a wilderness, 
 And the water-springs into dry ground ; 
 A ^fruitful land into ^barrenness. 
 For the wickedness of them that dwell therein. 
 
 35 He *turneth the wilderness into a standing water. 
 And dry ground into water-springs. 
 
 36 And there he maketh the hungry 'to dwell,. 
 That they may prepare a city for habitation ; 
 
 37 And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, 
 Which may yield fruits of increase. 
 
 He "^blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly. 
 And suffereth not their cattle to decrease. 
 Again, they are ''minished and brought low 
 Through oppression, affliction, and sorrow. 
 He ^'poureth contempt upon princes. 
 
 And cause th them to wander in the ^wilderness, where there is no way. 
 Yet ^setteth he the poor on high ^from affliction, 
 
 38 
 
 39 
 
 40 
 
 41 
 
 Ps. 65. r. 
 
 lea. 50. 2. 
 Jon. 1. 16. 
 M^tt. 8. 36. 
 « 1 Ki. 17. 1. 
 Isa. 13. 19. 
 Isa. 34. 9. 
 10. 
 
 Isa. 42. 15. 
 
 Eze. 30. 1.'. 
 
 Joel 1. 20. 
 
 Nah. 1. 4. 
 ' Uen. 13. 10. 
 
 Gen. 14. 3. 
 
 Gen. 19. 26. 
 ^ saltness. 
 
 Eze. 47. 11. 
 * Isa. 41. 18. 
 « Acts 17. 2C. 
 " Gen. 12. 2. 
 
 Gen. 17. ifi. 
 " 2 Ki. 10. 32. 
 
 Josh. 10.21- 
 26. 
 
 Job 12. 21. 
 
 « Or. void 
 
 place. 
 " 1 Sam. 2. 8. 
 
 2 Sam. 7. 8. 
 
 Job 8. 7. 
 7 Or. after. 
 
 their trouble. If anything outward could drive a 
 man to pray, it is a storm at sea. 29, He maketh 
 the storm a calm— (Matt. viii. 26.) Metapliori- 
 cally, as here, Ps. Ixxxix. 9. so that the waves 
 thereof are still— rather, ' so that their waves (the 
 waves which threaten those going on sea in ships) 
 are stilh' " The waves," in v. 25, are said to be the 
 Lord's waves, because He rules them. Here the 
 waves are called the waves of His people, as they 
 toss them up and down. What a comfort to know 
 all the waves of the Lord's x)eople are waves of the 
 Lord: they are absolutely at His control, and 
 cannot engulf His Church. 30. so he bringeth 
 them unto their desired haven— Hebrew, mechoz, 
 from a root, to look for : the scope or haven which 
 they look for. 32. Let them exalt him also in 
 the congregation of the people — at the public 
 assembly for the worship of God, after the restora- 
 tion from Babylon (Ezra iii. 1). and praise him 
 in the assembly of the elders (Ezra i. 5, "the 
 chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin") — the 
 leaders of the people in secular and in religious 
 matters. 
 
 33-42. — Response of the people to the exhorta- 
 tion to "praise the Lord for His goodness," vv. 31, 
 32. 33. He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and 
 the water-springs into dry ground— in contrast 
 to V. 35, "He turneth the wilderness into a stand- 
 ing water, and dry ground into water- sprin gs " — 
 i. e., the once fruitful Babylon is drained of its 
 
 Erosperity, and the heretofore desolate land of the 
 lOrd is rendered fruitful- So Isa. xliv. 23, 27; 
 L 2; xxi. 1, where Babylon is called "the desert 
 of the sea" (notes, Jer. 1. 38; li. 33). The se<x 
 represents the restless mass oi the world-power's 
 people; the water- sprinrts and rivers represent their 
 sources of prosperity (Num. xxiv. 6, 7; Dent. viii. 
 15; Isa. XXXV. 7, to which the latter clause alludes). 
 34. A fruitful land into barrenness, for the 
 wickedness of them that dwell therein. As 
 "the plain of Jordan . . . well watered every 
 where, before the Ix)rd destroyed Sodom and 
 Gk)morrah, even as the garden of the Lord " (GJcn. 
 xiii 10) was turned, by Good's judgment for "the 
 
 wickedness" of its inhabitants into " brimstone, and 
 salt, and burning, that it is not sown nor beareth, 
 nor any grass groweth therein " (Deut. xxix. 2;3), 
 so Babylon the great was soon to be like Sodom 
 and (Jomorrah (Isa. xiii. 19). Cf. Ezek. xlvii. 8, 
 9 on the reverse change— the healing of the waters. 
 
 35. He turneth the wilderness into a standing 
 water — alluding to the water which the Lord sent 
 to the people in the wilderness : a type of the 
 deliverance out of Babylon, and of the change of 
 Canaan from its past desolation to productiveness 
 at the i^eople's return. Forster argues, from the 
 physical character of the Wady Firan at Serbat, 
 that it is the only place where the "water-springs" 
 run like an overiiowiug river. It is the only spot 
 in the Sinaitic region where corn could grow. 36. 
 And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that 
 they may prepare a city for habitation— resum- 
 ing the sentiment and words, vr. 4, 7. 37. And 
 sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may 
 yield fruits of increase— (Ps. Ixv. 9-12.) The 
 psalm was written at the feast of tabernacles, 
 when the harvest and the vintage had been 
 gathered in. 38. He blesseth them also, so that 
 they are multiplied greatly, and suflFereth not 
 their cattle to decrease— (Deut. xxx. 16.) Cf. the 
 reverse treatment by God for sin. Lev. xxvi. 22. 
 39. Again, they are minished and brought low 
 through oppression — rather, referring to the same 
 past events as vv. 33, 34 (cf. 2 Ki. x. 32), ''And (or 
 so, the Psalmist again throwing himself into the 
 past^ and from that standpoint viewing as present 
 before his eyes Israel's humiliation) they are min- 
 ished and brought low,' &g. The frequent recall- 
 ing of their past humiliation awakens the deeper 
 consciousness of the debt of gratitude which they 
 owe to God for their present prosperity. 40. He 
 poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth 
 them to wander in the wilderness, (where there 
 is) no way — applying to the Jews' past misery the 
 very words of Job xii. 21, 24. The ' wandering in 
 a wilderness where there is no way' denotes help- 
 less perplexity. 41. Yet setteth he the poor on 
 high from afaiction— viz., the Jews, oace afliicted. 
 
David encourageik himself 
 
 PSALM CVIII. 
 
 to praise God. 
 
 And maketh him families like a flock. 
 
 42 The ^righteous shall see it, and rejoice; 
 And all * iniquity shall stop her mouth, 
 
 43 Whoso °'is wise, and will observe these things, 
 
 Even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. 
 
 PSALM CVIIL 
 
 A Song or Psalm of David. 
 
 1 0 GOD, my heart is fixed ; 
 
 I will sing and give praise, — even with my glory. 
 
 2 Awake, psaltery and harp ; — I myself will awake early. 
 
 3 I will praise thee, 0 Lord, among the people : 
 
 And I will sing praises unto thee among the nation^. 
 
 4 For thy "mercy is great above the heavens, 
 And thy truth reacheth unto the ^clouds. 
 
 0 Be Hhou exalted, 0 God, above the heavens; 
 And thy glory above all the earth ; 
 
 6 That thy beloved may be delivered : 
 Save with thy right hand, and answer me. 
 
 7 God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, 
 
 I will divide Shechem, — and mete out the valley of Succoth. 
 
 8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; 
 
 Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; — Judah ^is my lawgiver; 
 
 9 Moab is my washpot ; — over Edom will I cast out my shoe; 
 Over Philistia will I triumph. 
 
 now raised vj^ on high by their restoration from 
 Babylon, and maketh him families like a flock 
 — i. e., numerous as the sheep of a large flock (Job 
 xxL 11; Ps. Ixxviii. 52). 42. The righteous shall 
 see it, and rejoice. By "the righteous" are 
 meant the Israelites, by calling the righteous 
 nation (Isa. li. 1 ; xxvL 2). and all iniquity 
 shall stop her mouth — quoted from Job v. 16. 
 " Iniquity " is the abstract personification of the 
 heathen powers — Babylon and her ally, Edom, 
 and the Philistines — who had insulted over pros- 
 trate Judah (Zech. i. 15; Obad. 11-15). Trodden 
 down themselves now, they shall 'shut their 
 moiith,' wherewith they so long had upbraided 
 God and His people. 
 
 43.— Conclusion. Whoso Is wise, and will oh- 
 serve these things, even they shall understand 
 the loving-kindness of the Lord. It is sinful 
 folly to be inobservant of, and therefore ungrateful 
 for, the Lord's 'loving-kindnesses ' (the Hebrew is 
 plural). To be gratefully observant of the Lord's 
 dealings with His people, as set forth in tliis x>salm, 
 is true wisdom: its reward is in consonance, 
 'even they [all such implied in the " w7to.50 ") shall 
 understand the lovini^'-kindnesses of the Lord.' 
 The godly wise are pp.id in kind : their godly wis- 
 dom (and therefore their happiness) is increased 
 (Hos. vi. 3; Matt. xiii. 12). 
 
 PSALM CVITI. 1-13.— David, representing the 
 Church, stirs himself up to praise God for Bis 
 mere?/ and truth (vv, 1-4); doxology {v, 5); prayer 
 for deliverance of God's beloved on the ground of His 
 Word promising Israel victory over the heathen 
 {vv. 6-9); assurance that through God Israel shall 
 succeed in her expedition against Edom {vv. 10-13). 
 This psalm is a variation of Ps. Ix. 5-12 and Ivii, 
 7-11. The trilogy, Ps. cviii.-cx., representing Is- 
 rael's and her King's triumph over all foes, would 
 console the Jews during the Babylonian captivity, 
 and on their return whilst still weak. 
 
 That David is the author is clear from the title, 
 Jthe authenticity of which appears from its being 
 
 y Job 22. 19. 
 Ps. 52. 6. 
 Ps. 58. 10. 
 11. 
 
 Isa. 66. 10. 
 11. 14. 
 ' Job 5. 1(5. 
 
 Ps. 63. 11. 
 
 Ps. 112. 10. 
 
 Fro. 10. 11. 
 
 Rom. 3. 19. 
 " Ps. 28. 6. 
 
 Ps. 64. 9. 
 
 Isa. 5. 12. 
 
 Jer. 9. 12. 
 
 Dan. 12. 10 
 
 Hos. 14. 9. 
 
 PSALM 108. 
 » Num. 14.18. 
 
 Deut. r. 9. 
 
 Ps. 36. 6. 
 
 Ps. 100. 5. 
 
 Mie. 7. is- 
 iO. 
 
 1 Or, skies. 
 * iChr. 29.10, 
 13. 
 
 Ps. 8. 1. 
 
 Ps. 21. 13. 
 
 Ps. 57. 5. 
 
 Ps. 148. 13. 
 " Gen. 49. 10. 
 
 part of the metrical composition of the psalm, as 
 just shown. The title and v. 1 are verbally con- 
 nected. A Song or Psalm of David (Hebrew, Shir, 
 Mizmor) and I will sing and give praise— or, 'and 
 chant a psalm ' (' ashirah raazammrah '). 
 
 1. O God, my heart is fixed. The second "my 
 heart is fixed," in Ps. Ivii., is here omitted. What 
 was the language of believing hope when he was a 
 fugitive from Saul in the cave of Adullam, is here 
 that of praise for past deliverance. Edom is no 
 longer, as in Ps. Ix., restricted to literal Edom, 
 but typifies the foes of God's people. I will 
 sing . . . even with my glory— even with my soul, 
 not only with my mouth (Ps. xxx. 12; ciii. 1). In 
 Ps. Ivii. 8 it is, "Awake up my glory." The He- 
 brew has no "with;" therefore it may be, 'even 
 my glory (will sing).' My glory is not the ohject 
 of praise — viz., Jeho' oli (Ps. cvi. 20) {Maurer), but, 
 as the English version, the instrument of praise, as 
 the parallelism to " my heart'''' proves. 
 
 4. For thy mercy is great above the heavens- 
 Hebrew, '/rom above the heavens ' In Ps. 
 Ivii. 10 it is ". . . unto the heavens." Not only 
 doth God's mercy reach ahcwe the heavens, but it 
 comes down from above the heavens to us, the 
 lowest of all. and thy truth reacheth unto the 
 clouds. Hammond translates, 'unto the ether' — 
 viz., where the heavenly bodies are. 
 
 6-9. Prayer for deliverance follows, founded upon 
 the promises of God to Israel which are recited. 
 6. That thy beloved may be delivered : save. The 
 Hebrew, 'thy beloved ones' {Divdeica), alludes to 
 David's name, meaning beloved. He and his people 
 are beloved of God, and it is God's glory to save 
 His beloved ones, and answer me. The Hebrew 
 text in Ps. Ix. 5 reads 'us,' which is the prob- 
 able reading, as ' us ' would naturally be used 
 as a designed variation by David ; and transcribers 
 would alter it to conform it to our passage, ' Hear,' 
 or "answer me." It is Israel that speaks. 9. over 
 Philistia will I triumph. In Ps. Ix. 8 it is, "Philis- 
 tia, triumj^h thou because of me " (see note there), 
 
David complains 
 
 PSALM CIX. 
 
 of his enemies. 
 
 10 Who '^will bring me into the strong city ? — who will lead me into Edom ? 
 
 11 Wilt not thou, 0 God, who hast cast us off? 
 
 And wilt not thou, 0 God, go forth with our hosts ? 
 
 12 Give us help from trouble : — for ^vain is the help of man. 
 
 13 Through God we shall do valiantly: 
 
 For he ^ it is that shall tread down our enemies. 
 
 PSALM CIX. 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, 
 
 1 HOLD "not thy peace, 0 God of my praise; 
 
 2 For the mouth of the wicked and the ^ mouth of the deceitful ^are 
 
 opened against me : 
 They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. 
 
 3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred ; 
 And fought against me without ^a cause. 
 
 4 For my love they are my adversaries: — but I git^e myself unto prayer. 
 
 5 And ''they have rewarded me evil for good, — and hatred for my love. 
 
 6 Set thou a wicked man over him ; 
 
 d Ps. 60. 9. 
 
 * L-a. 30. 3. 
 
 / Isa. 25. 10. 
 Isa. 63. 1-4 
 Lam. 1. 15. 
 Mai. 4. 3. 
 
 PSALM 109. 
 " Ps. 83. 1, 
 
 1 mouth of 
 deceit. 
 
 2 have 
 opened 
 them- 
 selves. 
 
 6 iSam. 19.4, 
 5. 
 
 Ps. 69. 4. 
 John 15. 25. 
 " Gen. 44. 4. 
 Ps. 35. 12. 
 Ps. 38. 20. 
 Pro, 17 13. 
 
 10-13. —There follows Israel's confident hope of 
 God's help as alone trustworthy, on the ground of 
 His promises and her i^rayer. 11. and wilt not 
 thou, 0 God, go forth with our hosts? As tlie 
 omission of " thou " is the only variation in the 
 Hebrew from Ps. Ix. 10, translate as there, ' Wilt 
 not (thou,) O God, who hadst cast us off, and 
 (thou,) 0 God, who didst not go out with our 
 armies V 
 
 PSALM CIX. Prayer for God's inter- 
 
 position^ grounded on the enemy's wickedness {vv. 
 1-5) ; let condemnation fall on him {Satan being his 
 accuser) as to his days and his children {vv. 6-10) ; 
 let evil fall on his property through the extortioner 
 and the stranger, and his memory be cut off from the 
 earth {vv. 11-15); and this because of God's justice, 
 which pays like with like, cursing and mercilessness 
 to him who loved both {vv. 16-20) ; deliver the needy, 
 seeing that Jiis need is so great {vv. 21-25) ; believing 
 anticipation of, and praise for, deliverance {vv. 26-31). 
 David first, then ail the Israel of God when per- 
 secuted and falsely accused by Satan, is meant by 
 the ideal person in the psalm— righteous himself, 
 but condemned by an unrighteous judgment to 
 death {vv. 16, 20, 31). Cf. the parallel, Zech. iii. 
 1-7. Ultimately Messiah is meant, in whom 
 David's line culminated (cf. v. 31 with Ps. ex. 1, 5). 
 Acts i. 20 quotes' v. 8 of Judas, Messiah's betrayer. 
 Ps. cviii. -ex. form a trilogy. In Ps. cix. Jehovah's 
 Anointed anticipates His enemy's condemnation 
 and His own deliverance. In Ps. ex. Messiah's 
 Divine and Kingly glory is set forth after His 
 deliverance. Cf. Ps. Ixix., Ixx., and Ixxi. The 
 imprecations are such as faith in the avenging 
 justice of God, and a lively anticipation of its exe- 
 cution, suggest. None uttered more terrible woes 
 than the loving Son of David (Matt, xxiii. 13-35, 
 37), just before His tender appeal to Jerusalem. 
 So His woe on Judas, the antitype to the adver- 
 sary (cf. V. 8 with Acts i. 20). 
 
 Title.— A. Psalm of David. The genuineness of 
 this title is shown by the corresponding title of the 
 two psalms between which our psalm stands, and 
 with which it is connected. The brevity of the 
 first verse would be without a parallel if the title 
 were set aside. 
 
 1-10.— 1. Hold not thy peace, 0 God of my praise 
 • — (cf. V. 30.) Thou hast heretofore given me con- 
 tinual reason to praise thee; do not now withhold 
 thy w^ord of power in my behalf (cf. Ps. xxviii. 1 ; 
 XXXV. 22), that I may again have cause to praise 
 thee (cf. Deut. x. 21; Ps. xxii. 3; xliv. 8; Jer. xvii. 
 342 
 
 14). As the enemy's "mouth" and "tongue" 
 "speak against me" {v. 2) for my destruction, so 
 "hold not thy peace, or withhold not thy word, 
 for my salvation. 2. For the mouth of the wicked 
 and the mouth of the deceitful are opened 
 against me. But the Hebrew veib is active [nnc]^ 
 and therefore the translation must be, 'They (mine 
 adversaries) open the mouth of the wicked (such 
 a mouth as the w'icked opens), and the mouth of 
 deceit against me.' The mouth of the wicked 
 seeks the destruction of the godly. The mouth of 
 deceit makes treachery and false accusation its 
 means. To this latter refers the next clause, 
 they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. 
 The circumstances attending Messiah's condem- 
 nation answer to this description (Matt. xxvi. 59, 
 "The chief priests, and elders . . . sought false 
 witness against Jesus, to put Him to death"). 3. 
 They compassed me about also with words of 
 hatred — with malicious charges. and fought 
 against me— with their tongues as the weapons of 
 conflict (Ps. Iv. 21; Ivii. 4). without a cause- 
 gratuitous hatred, where love was to be looked 
 for, considering His love to them. Just as, on the 
 contrary, where hatred was (humanly speaking) 
 to be looked for on His part towards hating and 
 hateful man, love was manifested (Ps. xxxv. 7; 
 Ixix. 4). So John xv. 25, "They hated me with- 
 out a cause'' — lit., gratuitously [dwpedv]; as, on 
 the contrary, Pom. iii. 24, "Being justified /ree^y" 
 — lit., gratuitously, or without a cause on our part 
 [Swpedi/] — "by His grace." As gratuitous as was 
 His love, so gratuitous was their hatred. 4. For 
 my love they are my adversaries, but I (give 
 myself unto) prayer—' but I (am wholly engrossed 
 in) prayer.' This is my sole resource against them, 
 the one thing which is my being— my life-breath. 
 Cf. John vii, 32-53; viii. 1. After His enemies 
 had plotted His destruction, as He knew by His 
 omniscience. He retired to the mount of Olives 
 for prayer. So His type, David, on the same 
 mount, when he went weeping and with his head 
 covered, was wholly prayer (2 Sam. xv. 30). On 
 the phrase, see Ps. cxx. 7, "I (am for) peace" — / 
 peace; i. e.,1 am wholly engaged in seeking peace. 
 Peace is my very being and element, as here prayer. 
 5. And they have rewarded me evil for good, 
 and hatred for my love— (Ps. xxxv. 7, 12; 
 xxxviii. 20.) 
 
 6. Set thou a wicked man over him— as his 
 
 superior, armed with judicial authority to execute 
 God's judgment on him. A just retribution for 
 
David devoteth 
 
 PSALM CIX. 
 
 his enemies. 
 
 And let ^ Satan stand at his right hand. 
 
 7 When he shall be judged, let him * be condemned ; 
 And ''let his prayer become sin. 
 
 8 Let his days be few; — and ^let another take his ^office. 
 
 9 Let his children be fatherless, — and his wife a widow. 
 10 Let his children be continually ^vagabonds, and beg : 
 
 Let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places. 
 
 his own past abuse of judicial power ("his office," 
 V. 8) in oppressing the humble. So Pilate, who 
 condemned the Just One, Messiah, was himself 
 forced to go to Rome to answer the accusations of 
 the Samaritans against him before the Roman 
 emperor (a.d. 36). Emebius (H. E., ii. 7) says 
 that soon afterwards, ' wearied with misfortunes,' 
 he killed himself. However, as "a wicked man" 
 stands in parallelism to " Satan," the former must 
 mean the ideal wicked man, Satan's representative, 
 instigated and energized by Satan, w^ho is himself 
 called "the wicked one" (1 John ii. 13, 14; iii. 12; 
 V. 18), who "sinneth from the beginning," and 
 makes others to sin (1 John iii. 8). Thus "a 
 wicked man " will include in its particular appli- 
 cation Doeg and Ahithophel in David's time, and 
 Pilate, the Jewish nation, and especially Judas (to 
 whom the psalm refers, according to Acts i. 20), in 
 relation to the judicial murder of Messiah. Satan 
 was "set over" Judas, in that he drove the traitor, 
 after having caused the Lord's murder, to murder 
 himself. Lastly, "the man of sin, that wicked " 
 one (2 Thess. ii. 3, 8), shal], after his tormenting 
 oppression of the Church, be himself cast alive 
 into a lake of fire, to be tonnented by Satan, " set 
 over" him. and let Satan stand at Ms right 
 hand. Cf, especially Zech. iii. 1, ' Satan standing 
 at the right hand of Joshua the high priest, to 
 resist him,' but ' rebuked ' by Jehovah. " Satan " 
 has there the Hebrew article, ''the adversary.' 
 The accuser stood usually at the right hand of the 
 accused, to urge against him every plea, and to 
 Ijress for his punishment. A very different Being, 
 even the Lord, our "Advocate" (1 John ii. 1), 
 stands 'at the right hand' of the godly poor man, 
 "to save him" from the adversaries "that con- 
 demn his soul " {v. 31 : cf. Ps. ex. 5). The right- 
 Jiaiid side, being the place for energetic action, is 
 the appropriate XJOsition for one to occupy who 
 resolutely hinders (Job xxx. 12) or helps another. 
 The Hebrew Hi^'f ], Satan, means an adversary who 
 accuses another in a court oj justice— the very idea 
 in the Greek [^vt'iclko's] (1 Pet. v. 8)— or opposes 
 another in any and every way. So "Devil " [otd- 
 /3o\os] means a slanderous accuser (cf. Rev. xii. 9, 
 10; XX. 2, 3; "the enemy and the avenger," Ps. 
 viii. 2; xliv. 16; "the miglity," who holds men 
 * captive,' but who shall have ' his ])rey,' the 
 Lord's people, ' taken from ' him, Isa, xlix. 24, 25). 
 In Job i. 6, 12; ii. 1, the proper name "Satan" is 
 used for the first time. It has the Hebrew article 
 there, which shows that the word was an appel- 
 lative before it became a proi)er name. Ilengsten- 
 herq argues that, because there is no Hebrew 
 article here, the word is appellative — 'an adver- 
 sary'— not a proper name — " Satan." But the 
 word, from being an appellative in Job's time, had 
 become a proper name in David's time ; as also we 
 find it without the Hebrew article in 1 Chr. xxi, 1. 
 The Hebrew term 'adversary' occurs most fre- 
 quently in this psalm, so that there is no doubt 
 the Holy Sjurit had in view, besides the human 
 adversaries, the wicked spirit - adversary who 
 lurks behind them— "the prince of this M^orld." 
 The revelation concerning Satan in Scripture is 
 gradual. In the Pentateuch he appears only in his 
 343 
 
 3 Or, an 
 
 adversary. 
 < go out 
 guilty, or, 
 wicked, 
 d Fro. 28. 0. 
 * Acts 1. 20. 
 5 Or, charge. 
 / Ex. 22. 24. 
 f Gea. 4. 
 
 grovelling animal form as "the serpent." Heng- 
 stenherg thinks ''Azazel,^ the marg., Lev. xvi. 8, 
 for ' the scape- goat,' to refer to the evil spirit ; but 
 this is improbable : more likely is the translatioii 
 there in Smith's ' Dictionary of the Bible ' (' Day of 
 Atonement,' S. Clark), 'for complete sending away.' 
 In Job he appears in a higher form, but altogether 
 at God's control, and only alloiced, for Gods pur- 
 poses, outwardly to afldict Job. The dualistic 
 notion of the Persians — that Ormuzd, the good 
 Being, and Ahriman, the evil one, divide the uni- 
 verse between them— is thus directly opposed by 
 Scripture. In the very times when Persia ruled 
 the Jews it is uttei'ly negatived by the account, 
 Zech. iii. 1, &c. The full revelation of "the strong 
 man armed" was withheld until New Testament 
 times, when 'the stronger man' who 'spoileth' 
 him was manifested. Then he is unfolded in his 
 terrible power, as "the prince of the power of the 
 air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of 
 disobedience" (Eph. ii. 2; "the tempter," Matt, 
 iv. 3, 5, 10). 7. When he shall he judged, let hira 
 he condemned— ^^7., 'let him go forth (from the 
 trial pronounced) guilty,' even as he condemned 
 me " without a cause" {v. 3). and let his prayer 
 hecome sin— i e., be imputed to him as sin. This 
 is consonant to the Word and will of God. Prayer 
 without faith and repentance is sin (Isa. i. 15; Ps. 
 Ixvi. 18; Prov. xxviii. 9; xv. 29). God punishes 
 the'wicked by the wicked. Even unjust decisions, 
 in spite of the wicked opponents of God, are over- 
 ruled to subserve His purposes. 8. Let his days 
 he few— even as he plotted to shorten my days ; 
 lit., 'be fewnesses.' The wish accords with the 
 divinely-appointed fact (Ps. lv. 23). let another 
 take his office — Hebrew, ' his office as visitor ' or 
 overseer [ir^p?]; the same Hebrew root as that for 
 ' Set over him a wicked man' {v. 6). As he, when 
 overseer, abused his trust to condemn the guiltless, 
 so set over him a wicked overseer to condemn him. 
 Acts i. 20 applies it to Judas' apostleship — "his 
 bishoprick [office of oversight, eTrio-KOTrr?] let an- 
 other take." 9. Let his children he fatherless, 
 and his wife a widow. There is a regular jjro- 
 gression. Ha\'ing abused his office for wickedness, 
 he has a wicked man set over him, v. 6; he is con- 
 demned, V. 7 ; sentence is executed against his 
 life, and another takes his office, v. 8 ; and now, in 
 vv. 9, 10, the penalty descends upon his children, 
 and, vv. 11-15, his projjerty and his memory are 
 visited. 10. Let his children he continually 
 vagabonds— (Ps. lix. 11, 15.) and beg- in con- 
 trast to the provision for the righteous (Ps. xxxvii. 
 2,')). let them seek (their bread) also out of 
 their desolate places — where only starvation 
 stares them in the face, amidst the ruins of what 
 were once their richly-supplied mansions. Maurer 
 translates, '/ar from [so ]^ is sometimes used] 
 their own desolated homes,' which the parallel 
 favours, for it represents them as not near their 
 own original homes, but "continually vagabonds.'" 
 11-20.— God's visitation on the wicked man's 
 property {vv. 11, 12); on his name and memorial 
 (vv. 13-15). The inspired prophetic prayer rests on 
 the principle that Divine justice is an all-consum- 
 ing tire (Heb. xii. 29), wliich does not rest until it 
 
David devotetk 
 
 PSALM CIX. 
 
 his enemies. 
 
 1 1 Let * the extortioner catch all that he hath ; 
 And let the stranger spoil his labour. 
 
 12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him; 
 
 Neither let there be any to favour his fatherless cliildren. 
 
 13 Let *his posterity be cut off ; 
 
 And in the generation following let their ■'name be blotted out. 
 
 14 Let *the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the Lord; 
 And let not the sin of his mother ^be blotted out. 
 
 15 Let them be before the Lord continually, 
 
 That he may ™cut off the memory of them from the earth. 
 
 16 Because that he remembered not to show mercy, 
 But persecuted the poor and needy man, 
 
 That he might even slay the broken in heart 
 
 17 As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him; 
 
 As he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him. 
 
 18 As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment. 
 
 So let it come ^into his bowels like water, — and like oil into his bones. 
 
 19 Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, 
 And for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually. 
 
 20 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the Lord, 
 And of them that speak evil against my soul. 
 
 2 1 But do thou for me, 0 God the Lord, for thy name's sake : 
 
 * Job 5. 5. 
 
 Job 1 \ (?. 
 Job 2 18- 
 20. 
 
 i 1 Sam. 2. 31. 
 33. 
 
 lSam.3. 13. 
 2 Ki. 10. K', 
 11. 
 
 Job 18. 19. 
 Ps. 37. 2n 
 Isa. 14. 20, 
 12. 
 
 Jer. 22. CO. 
 > Deut. 9. u. 
 Deut. 26.19. 
 Deut. 29.20. 
 Ito. 10. 7. 
 
 * Ex. 20. 5. 
 Lev. 26. 3 ). 
 2 Sam. 3. 20. 
 2Sam. :1. 1. 
 Matt. 23.31. 
 
 ' Neh. 4. 6. 
 
 Jer. 18. 23. 
 "'Job 18. ir. 
 6 within 
 
 him. 
 
 Num. 5. 2^.'. 
 
 has utterly extirpated the hardened transgressor. 
 11. and let the stranger spoil Ms labour— <Ae 
 fruit of "his labour:" instead of his own family 
 and kindred enjoying it. 12. Let there be none 
 to extend mercy unto him— as a creditor does to 
 a debtor ; or an almsgiver does to the poor (Ps. 
 xxxvii. 21). " Extend,"— i. e., 'continue;' "draw 
 ont at full length" (Ps. xxxvi. 10; Ixxxv. 5). 13. 
 Let his posterity be cut off. Hengstenberg trans- 
 lates, 'let his futurity be cut off.' So Ps. xxxvii. 
 38, "the eyid of the wicked shall be cut off." The 
 Hebrew [n^in^^^J is the same as here : see note 
 there. His futurity ov last end—i. e., all that is left 
 of him — will include any surviving posterity, and 
 in the generation following— after it has existed in 
 the first generation amidst starvation and desolation 
 (?'. 10). let their name be blotted out— alluding to 
 the curse, Deut. xxix. 20, end. Cf. v. 14, ' the sin of 
 his mother not being blotted out' there, is the 
 cause of his and his family's ' name being blotted 
 out ' here (Ps. ix. 6). 14. Let the iniquity of his 
 fathers be remembered with the Lord— i. e., 
 "before the Lord" [v. 15). The visiting of the 
 fathers' sin on the children, who follow their fathers^ 
 sin, accords with Exod. xx. 5. 15. That he may 
 cut off the memory of them from the earth. 
 The second denunciation of the same blotting out 
 of the remembrance of the wicked (their existence, 
 as well as their fame) from the earth {v. 13; Ps. 
 xxxiv. 16); not to be fully realized till Christ shall 
 come in glory (Matt. xiii. 40-43). 16. Because that 
 he remembered not to show mercy. How just a 
 retaliation it is from Jehovah on the wicked, that 
 'He cuts off the memory [remembrance: the same 
 Hebrew root as here) of them' (v. 15). As 'he 
 remembered not to show mercy,' " the iniquity of 
 his fathers sliall be remembered with the Lord " [v. 
 14). but persecuted the poor and needy man— 
 the innocent sufferer, who speaks throughout the 
 
 gsalm. The sight of his misery only whetted the 
 lood-thirstiness of his cruel enemies (Ps. Ixix. 
 26; xxxv. 15). 17. As he loved cursing, so let 
 it come unto him— (cf. w. 20, 28.) Divine justice 
 repays men in their own coin (Ezek. xxxv. 6). 
 Cf. the proverb quoted as the motto of Southey^s 
 ' Kehama' — ' Curses, like young fowls, come home 
 344 
 
 in the evening to roost' (cf. Ps. xxxv. 8). Heny- 
 stenberg reasons that the future, with Van conyer- 
 sive, never is, and cannot be used as an optative, 
 but must be of that tense and mood which im- 
 mediately precede. Thus he translates, * and he 
 loved cursing, and it comes upon him; and he had 
 no pleasure in blessing, and therefore it is far from 
 him.' So also v. 18, ' And he puts on cursing like 
 a garment, and therefore it comes like a garment 
 into his inwards,' &c. Still, as the optative pre- 
 cedes and follows these verses, probably there is 
 to be supplied, 'So let it be' after the positive 
 assertion. Shimei was such a curser of David, and 
 had the curse at last brought home to himself 
 (2 Sam. xvi. 5, 7, 10, 12). 18. so let it come into 
 his bowels like water— alluding to ' the water 
 that causeth the curse,' which was given to women 
 accused of adultery, and thoroughly pervaded the 
 system, making the belly to swell and the thigh to 
 rot, if they were guilty (Num. v. 22, 24, 27). and 
 like oil into his bones. The oil with which one 
 anoints the body for curing pain in the bones 
 penetrates, in its subtle efficacy, even into them. 
 19. Let it be unto him as the garment which 
 covereth him. As "the garment" expresses the 
 external effects of the curse upon the wicked man's 
 family and his x>foperty, so the water and the oil 
 its internal effects on himself, in his inmost frame 
 and being, and for a girdle wherewith he is 
 girded continually. Muis translates, as the pro- 
 noun is feminine, whereas the girdle is masculine, 
 ' and after the manner of a girdle, let him be 
 always girded with ?7' — vvz.,toith the curse. The 
 
 {loint of comparison to the garment and the girdle 
 lere is, the closeness with which the curse adheres 
 to him, and its permanent continuance. Cf. a 
 similar use of the "girdle," Isa. xi. 5; Jer. xiii. 1, 
 11. 20. Let this be the reward of mine adver- 
 saries from the Lord, and of them that speak 
 evil against my soul— i.e., of them that falsely 
 accuse me, to take away my life (vv. 16, 31). On 
 "mine adversaries," cf. v. 4. This is the con- 
 eluding summary of the strophe (cf. Isa. xvii. 14 ; 
 liv. 17). 
 
 21-31.— 21. But do thou for me, O God the Lord, 
 for thy name's sake. Supply to ' do thou for thy 
 
The kingdom and PSALM CX. 'priesthood 
 
 Because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. 
 
 22 For I am poor and needy, — and my heart is wounded within me. 
 
 23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth : 
 I am tossed up and down as the locust. 
 
 24 My "knees are weak through fastings — and my flesh faileth of fatness. 
 
 25 I became also a reproach unto them : 
 
 When they looked upon me ''they shaked their heads. 
 
 26 Help me, 0 Lord my God : — 0 save me according to thy mercy ; 
 
 27 That ^they may know that this is thy hand; 
 That thou. Lord, hast done it. 
 
 28 Let them curse, ^but bless thou : 
 
 When they arise, let them be ashamed ; — but let thy ''servant rejoice. 
 
 29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, 
 
 And let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle. 
 
 30 I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth ; 
 Yea, I will praise him among the multitude. 
 
 31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor. 
 To save him ^from those that condemn his soul, 
 
 PSALM CX. 
 
 A Psalm of David, 
 
 1 THE "Lord said unto my Lord, 
 Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 
 
 name's sake' what is suitable to tay 7iame—i.e., 
 what is suitable to thy manifested character of 
 faithfulness to thy people. Cf. Ps. cxix. 124; Jer. 
 xiv. 7, " do thou it (what is suitable to thy name) 
 for thy name's sake." because thy mercy is good, 
 deliver thou me. "Deliver me" explains the 
 parallel "do thou." "Thy mercy" explains "thy 
 name," or manifested character (cf. Ps. Ixix. 16). 
 22. For I am poor and needy— (Ps. xl. 17.) and 
 my heart is wounded within me— with grief (r. 
 16, end ; Ps. Iv. 4). 23. I am gone like the shadow 
 when it declineth— (Ps. cii. 11, note.) I am 
 tossed up and down as the locust— or, 'I am 
 swept away (cast out) as the locust.' The wind 
 irresistibly sweeps away the hordes of locusts, so 
 as to leave not one behind (Exod. x. 19; Joel 
 ii. 20; Nah. iii. 17). 24. My knees are weak 
 through fasting — not fasting from want of appe- 
 tite, but the fasting which is practised by men 
 overwhelmed with severe sufferings {Hengstenherg). 
 (Ps. XXXV. 13; Ixix. 10.) and my flesh faileth of 
 fatness— or, 'my flesh c/eceirgs jrom want of oil; ^ 
 i. e., the absence of the anointing oil makes my flesh 
 unlike what it should be; it is not shining, as in its 
 proi)er state. 8o the phrase. Matt. vi.'l6, "they 
 disfigure tlieir faces"— lit., they make their faces 
 unseen [dffiuui'C^ouarL tu irp jcruyTra iuTcov] ; i. e., not 
 shining with oil. The Hebrew means oil, 
 
 not fatness: so in v. 18. The contrast to "fasting" 
 favours the rendering which refers to non-anointing 
 with "oil" (cf. 2 ISam. xiv. 2; xii. 20; Matt. vi. 16, 
 17; Mic. vi. 15) { Hengstenherg). So the Arabic and 
 Ethiopic, the LXX., Vulgate, and Syriac. But the 
 Ohaldaic supports the English version (Ps, xxii. 
 15; Job. xvi. 8). 25. I became also a reproach 
 unto them— (Ps. xxii. 6, 7; xxxi. 11.) Hebrew, 
 'and I ' emphatically: /, who ought to have been 
 an oh>ject of sympathy in my misery, was made an 
 object of rr-proach. when they looked upon me 
 they shaked their heads— as though it was all over 
 with mo : and I and my cause were irretrievably 
 ruined (Ps. xxii. 7; Matt, xxvii. 39). 26, 27. Help 
 me, 0 Lord . . . That they may know that this 
 la thy hand— "that this" work of delivering me 
 "is" the doing of 'thine hand' (Ps. lix. 13). 28. 
 
 of Christ. 
 
 " Fs. 22. 14, 
 
 1'8. 36. 13, 
 14. 
 
 Ps. 69. 10. 
 
 Matt, 4. 2. 
 
 2 Cor. 11.27. 
 
 Heb. 12. 12. 
 " Job 16. 4. 
 
 I-sa. 37. 22. 
 
 Matt. 2r.39, 
 P Job 3;. 7. 
 9 Num. 22. 12. 
 
 Num.23. 2^ 
 
 2Sam. 15.11, 
 
 12. 
 
 '• I.«a. 65. 14. 
 
 Jer. 31. 7. 
 
 Jaa. 5. 13. 
 7 from the 
 
 judges of 
 
 his aoul. 
 
 PSALM 110. 
 » Ps. 45. 6. 
 
 Matt. 22.44. 
 
 Mark 12.3tK 
 
 Luke 20. 42. 
 
 Acts 2. 34> 
 
 iCor. 15.25. 
 
 Heb. 1. 13. 
 
 1 I'et. 3. 22. 
 
 when they arise— viz., against me (Ps. xxvii. 12; 
 liv. 3.) let them be ashamed; hut let thy ser- 
 vant rejoice— (Isa. Ixv. 13, 14). 29. Let mine 
 adversaries be clothed with shame— (Ps. Ixxi, 
 13). and let them cover themselves with their 
 own confusion, as with a mantle (vv. 18, 19)— 
 ' with a long mantle ' reaching to the ankles. 
 'Let them cover themselves with shame from 
 head to foot.' 30. I will greatly praise the Lord 
 with my mouth. The conclusion is Y)raise (Ps. 
 vii. 17; Ixix. 30). yea, I will praise him among 
 the multitude— (Ps. xxii. 22.) 
 
 31. For he shall stand at the right hand of 
 the poor, to save him from those that condemn 
 his soul. So counteracting "Satan," who also 
 stands at the poor sufferer's right hand to accuse 
 and destroy him {v. 6; Zech. iii. 1-5). This is the 
 imrpose, in relation to us, for which Jesus sits at 
 the right hand of the Father, to be our Advocate 
 (1 John ii. 1; Ps. xvi. 8; ex. 5; cxxi. 5). 
 
 PSALM CX. 1-7. — The Son^ oj David sits at 
 Jehovah's right hand shoiving His might ; therefore 
 He will subdue His foes under His rod or sceptre 
 {vv. 1, 2) ; Messiahs people offer themselves to Him 
 in holy beauty, in the day of His power, as the 
 king''s youth-dew out of the womb of the morniuf/ 
 {v. 3) ; His everlasting priesthood after the order of 
 Melchizedek is the gy'ound of His subduing His foes, 
 and attaching to Him His people, who share His 
 victory {t\ 4) ; Messiah, in Jehovahs strength, 
 destroys the God-opposed kings in the day of His 
 vn-ath {vv. 5, 7). In vv. 1, 6, 7, the beginning and 
 the close, David speaks of Messiah ; in the middle 
 he speaks to Him. The ark and the seat of | 
 government were now in Zion. David's victory 
 over Edom (Ps. cviii. 10), Ammon, and Syria 
 typify Messiah's final victory over all His and our 
 foes. The world-wide dominion promised to 
 Abraham, and then to David's seed (2 Sam. vii.), 
 can only be realized by Messiah at Jehovah's right 
 hand, wielding God's omnipotence, having with 
 Him a peojjle in holy garb of beauty, devoted with 
 free-will to Him. Psalm cix. " testified beforehand 
 the sufferings of Christ ;" this Psalm ex. " the glory 
 that should follow" (1 Pet. i. 11}. 
 
The kingdom and 
 
 PSALM ex. 
 
 priesthood of Christ. 
 
 2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion : 
 Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 
 
 3 Thy * people shall be willing in the day of thy power, 
 
 6 Judg. 5. 2. 
 Ps. 22. 27. 
 Acts. 2. 41. 
 Rom. n. 2, 
 
 The attribution of the psalm to David in the title 
 accords with Christ's quotation of it as David^s 
 (Matt. xxii. 41-46; xxvi. 64; Mark xii. 35-37 ; Luke 
 XX. 41-44; Acts ii. 33, 34; vii. 55, 56; 1 Pet. iii. 22; 
 Rom. viii. 34; Eph. i. 20-22; Phil. ii. 9-11; Heb. i. 
 3, 13, 14 ; viii. 1 ; x. 12, 13 ; 1 Cor. xv. 24-28). 
 
 1. The Lord said unto my Lord. ' Jehovah said 
 tinto Adonai,' or "my Lord," — i. e., the Lord of 
 David, not in his merely personal capacity, but as 
 representative of Israel, literal and spiritual. It is 
 because he addresses Him as Israel's and the 
 Church's Lord, that Clirist in the three Gospels 
 quotes it. " David calls Him Lord,^' not ' His 
 Lord.' The Hebrew [dk:] for "said" is always 
 used of a Divine revelation — ' oracularlj' spake ;' 
 ' spake by inspiration.' Note, Ps. xxxvi. 1 : cf. 
 David's claim to inspiration, 2 Sam. xxiii. 1, 2. 
 Sit thou at my right hand. Dan. vii. 13, 14 is the 
 oldest comment on this. Cf. the Lord's reference 
 to both Ps. ex. 1 and Dan. vii. 13, 14, in Matt. xxvi. 
 64 and xxviii. 18. The throne is the heavenly 
 throne, according to Acts ii. 34 ; Eph. i. 20-22 ; 
 Heb. i. 13, 14. The "right Laud" is the place of 
 vower (Exod. xv. 6). It is not merely a post of 
 honour, but a seat on the throne as SJiarer in the 
 Divine rtower, that is spoken of ; for the conquest of 
 all Messiah's enemies is represented as the conse- 
 quence of this sitting at the right hand of Jehovah, 
 invested with His power over all heaven and 
 earth (Ps. ix. 7; xxix. 10; ii. 4; xi. 4; ciii. 19; 
 1 Ki. ii. 19). In Ps. xlv. 9, 'the queen (tlie 
 Church) stands upon the right hand of the king,' 
 reigning m Him and with Him. In Gen. xli. 40-44 
 Joseph is represented wielding, as vicegerent, the 
 royal power of Pharaoh, yet as second to him on 
 the throne. Messiah, the Antitype, in relation to 
 the Father, is equal to Him on the throne as touch- 
 ing His Godhead, inferior only as touching His 
 manhood. Cf. Zech. xiii. 7, "the man that is my 
 fellow." Messiah's people shall share His throne 
 on His right hand in an analogous way to that in 
 which He shares the Father's throne (Matt. xix. 
 28 ; XX. 21-23 ; Luke xxii. 28-30 ; 1 Cor. vi. 2, 3 ; 
 Rev. ii. 26; iii. 21). The sitting implies settled 
 dominion, as of one having an established sov- 
 ereignty. Cf. Ps. xxix. 10. The seat is in contrast 
 to the footstool, which He makes His enemies to 
 become. The phrase, to stand at the right hand 
 of one — viz., for the xjurpose of saving him— is quite 
 distinct {v. 5 ; Ps. cix. 31 ; xvi. 8 ; cxxi. 5). 
 Stephen, in dying, saw the Lord Jesus " standing 
 on the right hand of God ; " probably standing up 
 to receive the martyr's spirit, until I make thine 
 enemies thy footstool— not whilst 1 am making. 
 But ' Sit until the time when I shall make them thy 
 footstool,' So the same Hebrew [nr] is used, 1 Sam. 
 i. 22. So Heb. x. 13 takes it, ' this man ... sat 
 down on the right hand of God ; from henceforth 
 expecting till [ews] His enemies be made His foot- 
 stool ' [De Burgh). However, the sitting on the 
 throne, I think, from 1 Cor. xv. 24-28, includes 
 both the time of the unobserved gradual subduing 
 of many of His enemies, even now whilst He reigns 
 xmseen, and also the time of the consummating and 
 manifested subjugation of them all at His coming 
 to reign visibly. Though His reign on earth shall 
 then openly begin. He shall, as God, no less than 
 now, continue to sit on His heavenly throne, which 
 he mounted at His ascension. Acts ii. 31-35 goes 
 upon the supposition that His sitting on His in- 
 visible throne now is for the purpose of making 
 His foes His footstool. Other passages show that 
 346 
 
 the consummation of their overthrow shall begin 
 just before the millennial visible reign, and be 
 completed at its close, (Rev. xix., xx., and xxi.) 
 The Hebrew, until, often marks a process con- 
 tinued up to a certain point (Gen. iii. 19). Messiah 
 does not even now «ii inactive, but reigns (Ps. 
 xxix. 10) ; though the fulness of His power is to be 
 manifested at the millennium. 2. The Lord shall 
 send the rod of thy strength out of Zion— i. e., 
 thy strong rod. Not a sceptre, but a rod of 
 slaughter and punishment [n^ia] (Jer. xlviii. 17 ; 
 Ezek. xix. 11, 12, 14 ; Isa. ix. 4 ; x. 5, 15 ; xiv. 5 ; 
 Ezek. vii. 11). The rod, like the sharp two-edged 
 sword out of His mouth (Rev. i. 16), called "the 
 rod of His mouth" (Isa. xi. 4), symbolizes not gov- 
 ernment, but victory (over) and i>unishment of re- 
 sisting enemies (Ps. ii. 9 ; Rev. ii. 27). The rod of 
 Moses, wherewith he was empowered to inflict the 
 plagues on Egypt, is a type of the rod of judgment 
 in Messiah's hand (Isa. x. 26). out of Zion -the 
 ancient seat of David's royal line, which culminated 
 in Messiah ; the centre from which went forth the 
 Gospel Law at the beginning of our dispensation, 
 and from which it shall go forth with greater 
 power in the last days (Ps. ii. 6 ; Isa. ii. 3, 4 ; Mic. 
 iv. 2, 3; Luke i. 32, 33). rule thou— not 'reign,' 
 but ' lord it over^ [nnij. The imperative expresses 
 a gratulatory prophecy, in the midst of thine 
 enemies — not merely in some corner of them. Christ 
 rules on every side now, however enemies rage and 
 oppose His Kingdom and His people round about. 
 Or rather, the phrase refers to His future reign, 
 and is an idiom for ' (Thou shalt rule) openly as 
 Supreme Lord over them;'' their opjiosition then 
 having been constrained to cease. 
 
 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of 
 thy power. The King, Messiah, has not only 
 "enemies," but a " peoijle " peculiarly His own, 
 who are also His warriors. ' In seasons of danger 
 all subjects are also warriors : he is a bad servant 
 who dares to stand still when he sees the general 
 advancing' {Hengstenherg). The Hebrew [man?] 
 is 'thy people of (or, are) free-will gifts.' 'A 
 people of free-will gifts ' is a people freely conse- 
 crating themselves to the Lord. So Ps. Ixviii. 9, 
 " a plentiful rain " — lit., a rain of liberalities. The 
 image is from the free-will offerings in the temple 
 (Exod, XXV. 2; xxxv. 29; xxxvi. 3; 1 Chr. xxix. 
 14, 17). The parallel passage which David had in 
 mind was Judg. v. 2, 9, " when the people willingly 
 offered themselves" — viz., as soldiers for the war in 
 the cause of the Lord and Israel. So 2 Chr. xvii. 16. 
 So here it is for the battle of God Almighty that 
 willing soldiers offer themselves to serve under 
 Messiah against the enemy, both in the present 
 " good fight of faith " (1 Tim. vi. 12), and in the 
 final and decisive conflict (Rev. xix. 14 ; xvi. 14 : 
 cf. Isa. Ixvi. 20 ; Rom. xii. 1). The ground of 
 their thus giving themselves as free-will offerings 
 follows in V. 4 — viz., the mediating priesthood of 
 Messiah. They unreservedly, in the present time 
 of warfare, are moved by "the power" of God's 
 Spirit (2 Tim. i. 7 ; Acts i, 8 ; Luke xxiv, 49) to 
 dedicate themselves to God through their High 
 Priest. " The day of " Messiah's " power " is the 
 day when He shall manifest openly that "power" 
 which He now wields unobserved by the worldly. 
 Rev, xi. 17, " thou hast taken to thee thy great 
 power, and reigned." It answers to ' the rod 
 of His strength ' sent out of Zion, v. 2 : cf . also 
 2 Pet. i. 16. The Hebrew [h^r] is the s?me for 
 
The kingdom and 
 
 PSALM ex. 
 
 priesthood of Christ. 
 
 *^In the beauties of holiness 
 
 ^From the womb of the morning: — thou hast the dew of thy youtli. 
 
 The Lord hath sworn, and "^will not repent, 
 *Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedok. 
 Tlie Lord at thy right hand 
 Shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. 
 He shall judge among the heathen, 
 He shall fill the places with the dead bodies; 
 He shall wound the heads over ^many countries. 
 
 A Cts 2. 41, 
 
 1 Or, more 
 than the 
 womb of 
 the mor- 
 ning : thou 
 Shalt have, 
 etc. 
 
 d Num. 2.3.19. 
 
 ' Heb. 5. 6. 
 
 / Ps. 16. 8. 
 
 ■2 Or, great. 
 
 "power" here, and "valiantly," Ps. cviii. 13 and 
 Num. xxiv. 18. in the beauties of holiness from 
 the womb of the morning : thou hast the dew of 
 thy youth. So the accents require the clauses to 
 be joined. The English version reading is more 
 probable than that which alters a Hebrew letter — 
 ' on the mountains of holiness.' " In the beauties 
 of holiness " is a poetical phrase for ' in holy gar- 
 ments,' such as those worn by the high priest on 
 the great day of atonement (Lev. xvi. 4). Ps. 
 xxix. 2 is not parallel ; for there the singular is 
 used, "in the beauty of holiness" — i.e., 'in the 
 beautiful sanctuary.' But here the plural (Rev. 
 xix. 14) is parallel in sense, and refers to the same 
 coming event. Though now, too, Messiah's people 
 wear as their priestly garb the beauties of holiness 
 unseen by the world, then their king-priesthood 
 and its beauties shall be manifested. Cf. Col. iiL 
 10 ; 1 Pet. iii. 4, with Isa. Ixi, 10. David, at the 
 bringing in of the ark to Zion, wore sacerdotal gar- 
 ments (2 Sam. vi.), thereby typifying the heavenly 
 garments of Messiah and His army at the future 
 restoring again of the kingdom to Israel (Acts i. 
 6). from the womb of the morning : thou hast 
 the dew of thy youth— ^j;., ' out of the womb of 
 the morning, heaven to thee (is) thy youth dew;' 
 i. e., thy ever-youthful soldiery (Isa. xl. 30, 31). 
 Messiah's warriors, clothed in holy attire as the 
 'royal priesthood' (Exod. xix. 6; 1 Pet. ii. 5, 9; Eev. 
 i 6), resemble the dew in their beauty, vigour, and 
 countless numbers. The dew of Messiah is similarly 
 associated with Christ's coming, and the resurrec- 
 tion of the saints with Him (Isa. xxvi. 19). On the 
 attribution of a womb to the morning-heaven, cf. 
 Job xxxviii. 8, 28, 29. "The remnant of Jacob," 
 in Mic. V. 7, is called "a dew from the Lord," in 
 respect to its numbers and fresh vigour. It shall 
 fall, overwhelming the enemies, "as the dew 
 falleth on the ground " (2 Sam. xvii. 12). The dew 
 comes xjure from heaven, even as Messiah's people 
 are 'born from above,^ (John iii. 3, marg.) The 
 dew glistening in the mornmg light, after the night 
 has passed, symbolizes the spiritual seed sprung 
 from Messiah, " the days^jring from on high," who 
 has dispelled the darkness of heathendom and the 
 moonlight of the Mosaic dispensation (cf. Hos. vi. 
 3). Others translate, 'the dew of thy birth,' re- 
 ferring it to Messiah's own jnire sinless conception. 
 The Syriac and the LXX. apijly it to Messiah, with 
 some variation of reading. But this verse evi- 
 dently refers to ' His people,' as the jjarallelism of 
 the second clause to the first shows. The ground 
 of their willing spirit, beauty of attire, and ever- 
 fresh youthfulness, is stated in v. 4 as due to the 
 everlasting priesthood of their King. 
 
 4. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, 
 Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Mel- 
 chizedek — who in Zion ("Salem," Heb. vii. 1) united 
 the i)riestly with the kingly office. David could 
 bring judgment on his people, but could not effect 
 an atonement and reconciliation (2 Sam. xxiv. 17). 
 He was not a priest. The Son of David, our ever- 
 continuing Priest (as contrasted with the Aaronic 
 priests, ever needing, through death, renewal) puts 
 347 
 
 away the sin of His peoi^le (God's hand having been 
 against Him instead of against us), so that they 
 wear the holy garment of His perfectly imputed 
 righteousness, and shall be finally sanctified wholly. 
 God Himself " swears " irrevocably (Num. xxiii. 19) 
 for our assurance, that this everlasting Priest is of 
 His own appointment. The final victory of Mes- 
 siah's people over the world and Satan is therefore 
 certain. The oath of God did not accompany 
 the Aaronic priesthood, as it does our Melchizedek- 
 like Priest, who "is made not after the law of 
 a carnal commandment, but after the power of au 
 endless life" (see notes, Heb. vii. 1-3, 16-28). 
 "After the order of Melchizedek" is explained, 
 Heb. vii. 15, " after the similitude of Melchize- 
 dek." The oath of covenant on the part of the 
 Father to the Son is for the comfort of Messiah's 
 people. Uzziah's punishment for his usurpation 
 of the functions of priest shows that David cannot 
 be the King-Priest here described (2 Chr. xxvi. 16- 
 21). The extraordinary oath of God shows that the 
 Kin§--Priesthood here is something unparalleled. 
 David died, but this Melchizedek-like Priest lives 
 for ever. Zech. vi. 9-15, especially 13, similarly 
 describes Messiah — "He shall sit and rule upon 
 His throne, and He shall be a Priest upon His 
 throne." 
 
 5. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike 
 through kings in the day of his wrath — the 
 
 description of the final and decisive blow inflicted 
 by Messiah and His hosts on the enemies. David, 
 as representative of Israel, addresses Messiah: 
 'the Lord (Adonai) at thy (Messiah's) right 
 hand ' resumes v. 1 (cf. Ps. cix. 31). His sitting at 
 the right hand of Jehovah now ensures that 'the 
 Lord (Hebrew, Adonai) shall stand at His 
 (Messiah's) right hand,' as His Almighty Ally, in 
 striking through hostile kings in the coming day o) 
 his wrath. As in Ps. cix. 31 He stood at the right 
 hand, and helped the seed of David when poor 
 {i. e., Christ in His humiliation), so here, in His 
 exaltation. He stands at Messiah's right hand, and 
 by Him smites through kings. I prefer in this 
 interpretation, which is Hengstenberg^s, to read 
 Jehovah for Adonai; for Jehovah, in v. 1, repre- 
 sented God the Father, and Adonai, God the ^on. 
 If we retain Adonai, Messiah seems to be meant 
 by it, as in r. 1, He is represented at the right 
 hand of God the Father; and He is the subject of 
 the verbs, "judge . . . fill,' &c. in vv. 6, 7. Adonai 
 Messiah at God's right hand (cf. v. 1) strikes through 
 kings, &c. Eighteen MSS. and one edition of Ken- 
 nicott read Jehovah for Adonai [Rogers). " The day 
 of His wrath " is ' the day of His power ' (?^. 3 ; Ps. 
 ii. 5, 12: cf. Ps. Ixviii. 21-23; ii. 9; xviii. 38; Rev. 
 vi. 17; xi. 18). 6. He shall judge among the 
 heathen. " He "—viz., Messiah. "The heathen " 
 are the nations and peoples confederate against 
 Him. he shall fill (the places) with the dead 
 bodies — rather supi)ly the ellipsis from the end 
 of the verse with ' the earth,' instead of "the 
 places." he shall wound the heads over many 
 countries— Hebrew, singular, 'He shall wound 
 the head (of his enemies) upon the wide earth,' in 
 
God to he praised 
 
 PSALM CXI. 
 
 fo7' his great works. 
 
 7 He ^shall drink of the brook in the way : 
 Therefore ^ shall he lift up the head. 
 
 PSALM CXL 
 
 1 PRAISE ^ye the Lord. — I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, 
 In the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. 
 
 2 The "works of the Lord are great, 
 
 Sought out of all them tliat have pleasure therein. 
 
 contrast to Messiah, who 'shall lift up t?te head' 
 {v. 7). The head must be taken, not tiguratively 
 for a leader or prince, but in its literal sense, as in 
 V. 7; so in v. 6. So Ps. Ixviii. 21. In Josh. x. 24 
 Joshua made the «aptaine put their feet upon 
 the necks of the kings (cf. v. 1, and Hab. iii. 
 i3, 14, where, however, " head " seems to be 
 used in the figurative sense. The singular may 
 possibly hint at there being one Antichrist over 
 the many confederate peoples who oppose 
 Messiah. So explain ' He shall wound the head 
 of him who is over many countries of the earth ' 
 {Rev. xiii. 14; xvi. 14; xvii. 12-14; xix. J9-21). 7. 
 He shall drink of the brook in the way: there- 
 fore shall he lift up the head. He shall be like 
 an ardent warrior who, in pursuing the enemy 
 ("in the way"), does not turn in to any place of 
 entertainment to refresh himself, but contents 
 himself with water, which he hastily drinks from 
 any brook or pool properly a valley in the 
 
 channel of which rain forms a pool]. The point is 
 His hasty refreshment amidst His untiring zeal 
 for the honour of God. The allusion is not 
 specially (as Hengstenherg thinks) to Samson's 
 being refreshed by the water produced by 
 God at Lehi (Judg. xv. 15-19); for there is no 
 mention there of "a brook," but 'a well.' The 
 emphatic "therefore" that follows implies that 
 this clause is the ground of the following "He 
 shall lift vip the head" (cf. Ps. xxvii. 6). Christ's 
 zeal appears in Heb. x. 5-7: cf. Ps. xl. 6; Luke 
 xxii. 15 ; ix. 51 ; Isa. 1. 7. At the same time, it is 
 His zeal against the foes of God at His coming in 
 -glory that is the prominent thouglit, as the general 
 scope of the psalm is His glorification. Thus Isa. 
 lix. 17-19 is strictly parallel, "He put on . . . ven- 
 geance . . . and was clad with zeal as a cloak . . . 
 He will repay, fury . . . recompeuce to His ene- 
 mies . . . So (answeringto the "therefore," ^c, here) 
 shall they fear the name of the Lord from the 
 west, and His glory from the rising of the sun," 
 David, pursuing after the Amalekites, and pressing 
 on over the brook Besor, where 200 of his men stayed 
 behind through faintness, is a general type (1 Sam. 
 XXX. 9, 10). Gideon's 300 men, who, in their 
 eagerness of faith, bowed not the knees to drink 
 (Judg. vii. 5, 6) is another. Samson, revived with 
 water by the Lord at Lehi, is another (Judg. 
 XV. 17-19), There is no one scripture to 
 establish the sense given by the Fathers, "He 
 shall drink of the brook" or suffering, though 
 it is true that His exaltation is founded on His 
 sufferings (Phil. ii. 7-10; 1 Pet. i. 11; Luke xxiv, 
 26; Isa. liii. 12). To drink of the hrooTc invari- 
 ably means refrefihment, as Elijah was refreshed at 
 the brook Oherith (1 Ki. xvii. 6: cf. Ps. xlii. 1). 
 Matt. XX. 22 has the image of a cup of suffering ; 
 but that is not a hrook. Evidently His refresh- 
 ment by God amidst His zeal against God's foes is 
 the ground of exaltation implied in " therefore 
 shall he lift up the head." This latter phrase 
 hints by contrast at His previous humiliation (Ps. 
 cix. 22-25). Contrast with His lifting up the 
 ■head in triumph hereafter, John xix. "Jesus 
 ^48 
 
 " Judg. 7. 5, 
 6. 
 
 Job 21, 20. 
 Isa, 61. 1. 
 Joba 3. 3t. 
 A Isa. 63. 12. 
 
 PSA.LM in. 
 1 HUlelu- 
 
 jah. 
 " Job. 3S. 1, 
 
 bowed His head, and gave up the ghost." The 
 stooping of the head to " drink, in the first clause, 
 may hint at this, though the fact that this is not 
 expressed, but simply " He shall drink,'" shows 
 that not humiliation, but refreshment amidst 
 ardent zeal, is the primary sentiment. 
 
 PSALM CXL This psalm is the first of the 
 trilo^, Ps. cxi.-cxiii. AH three strengthen God's 
 people in trouble by praising Him. Ps. cxi. praises 
 Him for past deliverances, a pledge of future ones. 
 Psalm cxii., as the God of righteousness M'ho 
 maketh light to arise to the upright, iu darkness, 
 Ps. cxiii., as the Raiser of the poor out of the 
 dust to set him with princes. The Hallelujah at 
 the beginning and end of Ps, cxiii, marks it as 
 third of the trilogy s Ps, cxi. and cxii, have it only 
 at the beginning. So in the trilogy, Ps. civ.-cvi. 
 V. 6 is the turning point of the Ps,, hinting at 
 the sad inversion of the relations between Israel 
 and the heathen ; God's people, to whom by a mighty 
 interposition He had given the " heritage " of 
 Canaan, now in it serving the heathen. The 
 Hallelujah marks the time of the captivity: then first 
 (Ps. civ. 35) that phrase occurs. To the joy at tlie 
 Jews' restoration from Babylon (celebrated in Ps. 
 cvii,) succeeded dejection a,t their low state com- 
 pared with their prosperity before the captivity. 
 They did not see that the foretold glory of Israel 
 was to be restored only under Messiah, This 
 psalm calls to praise God for His works of redeeming 
 lore, as the remedy against despondency [vv. 1-4); 
 His supplying meat in the wilderness (v. 5) suggests 
 faith that He will supply His people, now com- 
 paratively, destitute on their return. Hvi giving 
 the heritage of the heathen {v. 6) assures Israel that 
 God's verity, which stands fast for ever [vv. 7, 8), 
 engages Him yet to subject the now dominant 
 world-power to the kingdom of God, As He sent 
 redemption out of Egypt, and lately out of Babylon, 
 so His covenant is for ever, and His name Holy {v. 
 9) ; so that our loisdom is to fear, obey, and praise \ 
 Him for ever [v. 10). 
 
 1. Praise ye the Lord— Hallelujah, the key-note 
 of the psalm, a stirring up of the Lord's peojtle 
 to praise Him. The title; for the following word 
 in the Hebrew begins with the first letter 
 of the alphabet, which shows that it is the first 
 word of the verse, the arrangement of the whole 
 psalm being ali)habetical. I will praise the 
 Lord with my whole heart— (Ps. Ixxxvi. 12.] Iu 
 Ps. cix, 30 it is, " I will praise the Lord with my 
 mouth." Both must go together to constitute 
 perfect praise, in the assembly of the upright, I 
 and in the congregation— Zi^,, in the secret or con- 
 fidential assembly- [iid], the communion of the 
 pious, as distinguished from the general 'congre- 
 gation [n^r] of the peoples' (Ps, vii, 7: cf. note, 
 Ps. XXV. 14), 2. The works of the Lord are great 
 — (Deut. iv, 34; Eev. xv, 3,) sought out of aU 
 them that have pleasure therein. So the Syriac, 
 Chaldaic, and Jerome. [Dri\SDn, from the verbal 
 adjective s??- This is rare : for the adjective in the 
 construct state ought to retain its tzere : as in Ps. 
 XXXV. 27; xl. 14, -ij.cnj. "Sought out "implies that 
 
Tlie security 
 
 PSALM CXII. 
 
 of the godly. 
 
 ]0 
 
 His work is honourable and glorious; 
 
 And his righteousness endureth for ever. 
 
 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered : 
 
 The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion. 
 
 He hath given ^meat unto them that fear him: 
 
 He will ever be mindful of his covenant. 
 
 He hath showed his people the power of his works, 
 
 That he may give them the heritage of the heathen. 
 
 The works of his hands are verity and judgment ; 
 
 ^AU his commandments are sure. 
 
 They ^ stand fast for ever and ever, 
 
 And are '^done in truth and uprightness. 
 
 He sent redemption unto his people : 
 
 He hath commanded his covenant for ever : — holy and reverend is his name. 
 The ''fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: 
 *A good understanding have all they ^that do his commandments: 
 His ^ praise endureth for ever. 
 
 PSALM CXIL 
 
 1 PRAISE ye the Lord. — Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, 
 That delighteth greatly in his commandments. 
 
 ' prey. 
 
 0 Pfi. 19. 7. 
 Ps. 105. 8. 
 
 8 are estab- 
 lished. 
 
 * P8. 19. 9. 
 Ps. 119. 127, 
 
 12^. 
 
 Eom. 7. 12, 
 
 Kev. l\ 3. 
 d Deut. 4. 6. 
 
 Job 28. 28. 
 
 Pro. 1. 7 
 
 Pro. 9. ifl. 
 
 Eccl. 12. 13. 
 4 Or. good 
 
 success. 
 
 * that do 
 tViem. 
 Matt. 25.?1, 
 
 23. 
 
 John 5. 44.. 
 Johnl i. 43. 
 Rom. 2. 7. 
 
 20. 
 
 1 Cor. 4. .-). 
 
 2 Cor. 4. 17. 
 1 Pet. 1. 7. 
 
 the godly make them the object of diligent seeking 
 and finding by prayer, and of profit and comfort 
 by meditation (Ps. cxliii. 5 ; cxix. 45, 94, 155 ; i. 2). 
 The godly find " the secret of the Lord " by seek- 
 ing, and have pleasure in it when found. But 
 Cre^'er, from Bucer, translates, ' sought out according 
 to all their (the saints' : v. 1) desires ' [the regular 
 form from the noun ygn] : such as to satisfy all the 
 desires of the saints (cf. 1 Ki. ix. 11). So Henrj- 
 stenherg. 3. His work is honourable and glori- 
 ous— ^zY,, 'is honour and majesty,' as in Ps. civ. 1. 
 4. He hath made his wonderful works to be re- 
 membered— i. e,, such as to be worthj?^ of remem- 
 brance, the Lord is gracious, and full of com- 
 passion — (Exod. xxxiv. 6.) 5. He hath given 
 meat unto them that fear him. "Meat" [o^??]— 
 lit., booty or spoil: the spoil (Exod. xii. 36) brought 
 by Israel out of Egypt, as God had engaged by 
 "covenant" to Abraham, Gen. xv. 14, "They 
 shall come out with great substance''^ {Kimchi). 
 Rather the manna and quails, which to the hungry 
 people were like a booty thrown in their way. 
 The word is used for "meat" in general, in Prov. 
 xxxi. 15 ; Mai. iii. 10. he will ever be mindful 
 of his covenant— the inference which faith ought 
 ever to draw for the future from His past supply- 
 ing of meat to His people. 6. He hath showed 
 his people the power of his works, that he may 
 give them the heritage of the heathen— rather, 
 'by (lit., for ['?]) giving them,'&c.; viz., Canaan. 
 7. The works of his hands are verity and judgment 
 —{v. 2 ; Rev. xv. 3). all his commandments are 
 sure— (cf. note, Ps. xix. 8.) "Statutes"— the same 
 Hebrew as here : piqmulaiv. Lit.^ ' all His charges. ' 
 These, with their accompanying promises, may be 
 surely relied on, seeing that His " works are" seen 
 to be all "verity and justice." 8. They stand fast 
 (lit., are firmly supjjorted) for ever and ever- 
 referring to " His commandments " or charges (v. 7). 
 (and are) done in truth and uprightness -refer- 
 ring to His " works " {v. 7). 9. He sent redemption 
 unto his people— out of Egypt: the ty])e of the 
 redemption or ransoming with the price (so the 
 Hebrew Lrrn?]) of Christ's blood (Luke i. G8; Eph. 
 i. 7), and of the final redemption of Israel, literal 
 and spiritual (Isa. xxxv. 10; 1 Cor. L 30; Eom. 
 
 viii. 23). he hath commanded his covenant for 
 ever— ' He hath appointed' or ' ordained His 
 covenant for ever' {v. 5. end: cf. Ps. xlii. 8; 
 cr-ixxiii. 3; Deut. xxviii. 8). 
 
 10. — Conclusion from what has gone before: 
 seeing that the works of the Lord for His peoi)Ie 
 are glorious and wonderful (vv. 3, 4), and seeing 
 that " He giveth meat unto them that fear him, ' 
 and seeing that " His commandments are all sure," 
 and "His covenant" with His people is for ever, 
 so that obedience is certain to bring the promised 
 blessing {v. 5), it follows that the fear of the Lord 
 is the beginning of wisdom— (Prov. i. 7; ix. 10; 
 Job xxviii. 28; Deut. iv. G.) The short-sighted 
 wisdom of this world regards the fear of God as a 
 secondary consideration, and selfish gains and 
 honours as the primary object of life. But far- 
 seeing faith looks beyond the present to the end. 
 The "fear of the Lord" is child-like reverential 
 fear of Him whose "name is holy and reverend" 
 (v. 9: cf. Deut. xxviii. 58). This "fear" calls forth 
 love and "delight in His commandments" (Ps. 
 cxii. 1). a good understanding have all they 
 that do (his commandments)— (Prov. iii. 4 ; xiii, 14, 
 15.) "The /car of the Lord," in the first clause, is 
 explained by ^ doing (His commandments)' (v. 7) 
 in the second. That fear which is only emotional, 
 and not operative, nor manifested in active obedience, 
 is not true "fear of the Lord." his praise en- 
 dureth for ever. The praise oj the Lord: corre- 
 sponding to " Praise ye the Lord " at the beginning. 
 His ever-enduring glory, which merits His people s 
 praise, shows that His "fear is the beginning of 
 wisdom;" whereas the world's wisdom soon comes 
 to nought (1 Cor. i. 19, 20; ii. C). 
 
 PSALM CXTL— As in Ps. cxi.. God's past inter- 
 positions were set forth to encourage the Jews 
 still to obey God, so in Ps. cxii. God is shown as 
 tlie Rewarder of His faithful people. This psalm 
 is an inspired commentary on Ps. cxi, 10 (cf. vv. 
 3, 4, 8). 
 
 1. Praise ye the Lord— 'Hallelujah.' Ps. cxi. 
 begins with the same heading. The Hebrew 
 alphabetical arrangement commences at the next 
 clause [of which K is the first letter], and eo 
 marks the beginning of v. 1. Blessed is the 
 man that fearetli the Lord, that delishteth 
 
I 
 
 The security 
 
 PSALM CXII. 
 
 of the godly. 
 
 His seed shall be mighty upon earth : 
 The generation of the upright shall be blessed. 
 Wealth "and riches shall he in his hause; 
 And his righteousness endureth for ever. 
 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness : 
 He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteou?, 
 A *good man showeth favour, and lendeth: 
 He will guide his affairs with ^ discretion. 
 Surely he shall not be moved for ever : 
 The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 
 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings : 
 His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. 
 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, 
 Until he see his desire upon his enemies. 
 He '^hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; 
 
 His righteousness endureth for ever ; — his horn shall be exalted with honour. 
 
 PSALM 112. 
 ' Pro. 3. 16. 
 
 Pro. 15. 6. 
 
 Isa. 33. 6. 
 
 Matt. 6. 33. 
 
 2 Cor. 6. 10. 
 * Pro. 2. 20. 
 
 Pro. 12. 2. 
 
 Luke 6. 35. 
 
 Luke 23. 50. 
 
 Acts 11. 24. 
 1 judgment. 
 
 Eph, 5. 15. 
 
 Col. 4. 5. 
 " Luke 11.41. 
 
 Acts 4. 36. 
 
 Acts 20. 35. 
 
 Rom. 12.1?. 
 
 2 Cor. 8. t». 
 
 2 Cor. 9. 9. 
 
 1 Tim. 6.18. 
 
 greatly in Ms commandments — defining what 
 constitutes the true "fear of the Lord," which 
 was termed "the beginning of wisdom," Ps. cxi. 
 10. He who hath this true "fear" delights (Ps. 
 cxi. 2) not merely in the theory, but in the prac- 
 tice of all 'the Lord's commandments.' Such 
 fear, so far from being a 'hard' service, is the only 
 "blessed" one (Jer, xxxii. 39). Cf. the Gospel 
 commandments, 1 John iii. 23, 24; v. 3. True 
 obedience is not task-work, as formalists regard 
 religion, but a "delight" (Ps. i, 2). Worldly de- 
 lights, which made piety irksome, are supplanted 
 by the new-born delight in and taste for the will 
 and ways of God (Ps. xix. 7, 10). 
 
 2. His seed shall be mighty upon earth— lit., 
 'a warrior upon earth:' upon that very earth 
 whereon wicked men have boasted of their ' war- 
 like might' for mischief (Ps. lii. 1). the genera- 
 tion of the upright— answering to "his seed" in 
 parallelism, shall be blessed — explaining the 
 parallel, "shall be mighty upon earth." This is 
 but partially realized now : it shall be fully so in 
 the millennial age, when Israel, the model people, 
 as "the righteous nation" (Isa. xxvi. 2 ; Num. xxiii. 
 10), and all "the meek, shall inherit the earth," 
 and the ungodly men of might shall be dispossessed 
 (Ps. xxxvii. 9-13). 3. Wealth and riches shall 
 toe in his house— 'a treasure in the heavens that 
 faileth not' (Luke xii. 33). So even here on earth 
 already in part (Matt. vi. 33). and his righteous- 
 ness endureth for ever— (v. 9; Ps. cxi. 3.) "His 
 righteousness," wholly derived from God (Isa. xlv. 
 24; liv. 17), "endureth for ever," to be rewarded 
 by God. 4. Unto the upright there ariseth light 
 in the darkness— (Ps. xcvii. 11.) Here the Psalm- 
 ist holds out hope to the downcast people in their 
 distress after their return from Babylon. Cf. Esth. 
 viii. 16; Ps. cvii. 10-14: contrast Job xxx. 26; 
 Lam. iii. 2. (he is) gracious, and full of com- 
 passion, and righteous— attributes usually applied 
 to God, but here said of " ^ Ae upright. " The children 
 of God, knowing in their own experience that God 
 our Father is 'gracious, full of compassion, and 
 righteous,' seek themselves to be the same tow- ards 
 their fellowmen from instinctive imitation of Him 
 (Matt. v. 45, 48 ; Eph. v. 1, 2; Luke vi. 36). 5. A 
 good man showeth favour, and lendeth— an ex- 
 pansion of V. 4. "Showeth favour" — a grace 
 answering to " gracious," v. 4. Hengstenherg 
 takes it, 'Happy is the man (who) showeth grace."' 
 So "good," or 'weir is used in Isa. iii. 10; Jer. 
 xliv. 17. The parallel, v. 1, "Blessed is the man," 
 &c., favours this. So the Chaldaic Targum. 
 Moreover, in Hebrew, in such constructions as the 
 350 
 
 English version, the substantive does not usually 
 come after the adjective. Also, in the preceding 
 V. 4, "Unto the upright there ariseth light" — 
 i. e., prosperity : cf. Isa. Iviii. 7, "Deal thy bread 
 to the hungry, and . . . bring the poor that are 
 cast out to thy house . . . then shall thy light 
 rise in obscurity," &c. (Prov. xiv. 21, end ; Ps. 
 xxxvii. 21, 26). he will guide his affairs with 
 discretion— Hebrew, with judgment; i. e. , justice, 
 answering to "righteous," v. 4 (Ps. xxv. 9; 
 Ezek. xxxiv. 16). The root meaning of the He- 
 brew, "guide" ['?5r'5, from '?oJ, is to measure, to 
 sustain with due measure (Neh. ix. 21 : Ps. Iv. 22). 
 So the Chaldaic and Syriac, The LXX. [olkovo- 
 ixv<yei\, Vulgate, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions 
 translate, ' shall regulate. ' Eather, he will sustain 
 his interests with justice in relation to his fellow- 
 men. Whilst cherishing his own interests, he 
 remembers what is right to his neighbours. 6. 
 Surely he shall not toe moved for ever— as op- 
 posed to the i^rosperity of the unrighteous, which 
 is speedily overturned for ever (Ps. xv. 5 ; 2 Pet. i. 
 10 : cf. also Ps. xxxvii. 24, 31). 7. He shall not toe 
 afraid of evil tidings — because, whatever evil 
 may befall, God can and will overrule it to good 
 (Rom. viii. 28). his heart is fixed— established 
 fearlessly. So Moses, with the Red Sea before 
 and the Egyptian foes behind (Exod. xiv. 13); 
 Jehoshaphat before the Ammonite horde of in- 
 vaders (2 Chr. XX. 12, 15, 17) ; Asa before Zerah, 
 the Ethiopian's "thousand thousand and three 
 hundred chariots" (2 Chr. xiv. 9-12). Contrast 
 with the persecuted David's fearless trust Saul's 
 panic-stricken feeling at the Philistine invasion, 
 insomuch that he repaired for help to a witch. 
 How bold were the three youths in prospect of 
 Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace! How fearless 
 Stephen before the council ! Basilius could say, 
 in answer to the threats of Cesar Valens, 'such 
 bug-bears should be set before children,' Athan- 
 asius said of Julian, his persecutor, 'He is a mist 
 that will soon disappear.*^ 8. His heart is estab- 
 lished — lit. , ' surely-supported : ' the same Hebrew 
 (samuh) as is applied to 'all God's commandments,' 
 Ps, cxi, 7. The firmness of God's commandments, 
 with their appended promises, gives firmness to 
 the believer's heart, he shall not toe afraid, until 
 he see (his desire) upon his enemies— (Ps. liv, 7.) 
 Faith (which is the negative of fear) continues 
 until sight comes, and hope gives place to the 
 desire accomphshed, 9. He hath dispersed, ho 
 hath given to the poor- (Prov, xi. 24; 2 Cor, ix. 
 9.) his righteousness endureth for ever— i. e., 
 his charity (which is only giving that which is due 
 
exhortation to 
 
 PSALM CXIII. 
 
 praise God. 
 
 10 The "^wicked shall see it, and be grieved ; 
 He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: 
 The desire of the wicked shall perish. 
 
 PSALM CXIIL 
 
 PRAISE lye the Lord. 
 Praise, 0 ye servants of the Lord, — praise the name of the Lord. 
 Blessed "be the name of the Lord — from this time forth and for evermore. 
 From ^the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's 
 
 name is to be praised. 
 The Lord is high above all nations, — and his glory above the heavens. 
 
 Who is like unto the Lord our God, — who ^dwelleth on high. 
 Who ^humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in 
 the earth ! 
 
 7 He '^raiseth up the poor out of the dust. 
 And lifteth the needy out of the dunghill ; 
 
 8 That he may ^set him with princes, — even with the princes of his people. 
 
 9 He -^maketh the barren woman ^to keep house. 
 
 And to be a joyful mother of children. — Praise ye the Lord^ 
 
 <* Luke 13.28. 
 
 PSALM 113. 
 
 1 HaUelu- 
 jah. 
 
 " Dan. 2. 20. 
 6 Isa. 59. 19. 
 Mai. 1. 11. 
 
 2 exalteth 
 himself to 
 dweU. 
 
 " Job 4. 18. 
 
 Job 15. 15. 
 
 Isa. 67. 15. 
 d 1 Sam. 2. 8. 
 
 Isa. 26. 19. 
 
 Dan. 12. 2. 
 
 Acts 2. 31. 
 
 1 Pet. 3. 21, 
 22. 
 
 • Job 36. r. 
 
 / iSam. 2. 5. 
 Gal. 4. 27. 
 
 3 to dwell in 
 an house. 
 
 to each— to the poor the supply which they need, 
 and which it is riyht for their richer brethren to 
 give) endureth }or ever, as a fruit of faith, and to 
 be rewarded of God's grace (Heb. vi. 10). So in 
 the oldest MSS. (Matt. vi. 1), the reading for 
 " alms " is righteoumess [cLKaiofrdvi)]. Ms horn 
 shall be exalted with honour — in spite of his 
 enemies' attempt to put him to shame (Ps. Ixxv. 
 4, 10, notes ; xcii. 10). 
 
 10. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved 
 Contrast the rejoicing of the righteous at the sight, 
 Ps. cvii. 42. he shall g^nash with his teeth — in 
 impotent spite (Ps. xxxvii. 12). and melt away— 
 ' as wax before the hre ' (Ps. Ixviii. 2). the desire 
 of the wicked shall perish—the object of their 
 desire (Pro v. x. 28 ; Job viii. 13). 
 
 PSALM CXIII. This psalm praises Jehovah as 
 the Eaiser of the poor out of the dust: Israel 
 after the captivity primarily, and ultimately after 
 their present dispersion {vv. 1-9); praise Jehovah 
 from this time forth from the rising to the setting of 
 the sun [vv. 1-3); His high majesty : yet His stooping 
 to things in heaven and earth [v. 4-6); He sets the 
 poor with princes, and giveth the barren children 
 {vv. 7-9). 
 
 1. Praise ye the Lord— Hallelujah. 0 ye serv- 
 ants of the Lord— "the upright . . . that fear 
 Him . . . His people" (Ps. cxi. 1, 5, 6; xxxiv. 
 22; Ixix. 36); "Israel His servant" (Ps. cxxxvi. 
 22; Ezrav. 11; Neh. i. 10). Praise is one leading 
 service which the Lord's "servants" owe Him. 
 2. Blessed be the name of the Lord -i. e., the 
 Lord as He hath manifested Himself in His glori- 
 ous deeds ^ for His people. ' The world which 
 forms a God according to its own fancies has a 
 nameless God' {Hengstenherg). from this time 
 forth and for evermore. The Psalmist takes 
 for granted as already accomplished the deliver- 
 ance and exaltation of the Lord's people, and 
 praises the Lord for it, and for the causes of praise 
 which faith assures him the Lord will give "for 
 evermore." Israel shall especially say so "from 
 the time" that the Lord shall restore her. To that 
 time prophetically the allusion is. 3. From the 
 rising of the sun unto the going down of the same 
 the Lord's name is to be praised— i. e. , is worthy 
 of praise (Ps. xviii. 3), and shall be praised. At 
 Messiah's second coming (Ps. 1. 1) Israel and the 
 Gentiles "shall fear the name of the Lord from 
 the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun " 
 (Isa. lix. 19; Mai. i. 11). 
 
 351 
 
 4-6.-4. The Lord is high above all nations. 
 
 The Gentile nations are now high, and haughtily 
 oppress Israel. But Jehovah is high above them, 
 for He is the " Great King over all the earth" (Ps. 
 xlvii. 2). (and) his glory above the heavens— 
 (". 6; Ps. viii. 1; cxlviii. 13.) The heavens declare 
 His glory (Ps. xix. 1) ; the heavenly beings ascribe 
 all glory (Ps. xxix. 1; ciii. 20, 21) and holiness to 
 Him, (Isa. vi. 1, &c.) 
 
 5, 6. Who (is) like unto the Lord our God, who 
 dwelleth on high? Who humbleth (himself) to 
 behold (the things that are) in heaven, and in 
 the earth? — lit., 'who exalteth Himself sitting, 
 who humbleth Himself beholding,^ &c. Who maketh 
 Himself so sublimely exalted in His sitting or 
 dwelling, and yet humbleth Himself to behold the 
 things not only in heaven (which would be great 
 condescension in Him who is so lofty), but also in 
 the earth. So Isa. Ivii. 15. Hengstenherg connects 
 ' Who is like unto the Lord our God in heaven and 
 in the earth?' (cf. Deut. iii. 24; Ps. Ixxiii. 25.) 
 But V. 4, "His glory above the heavens'''' confinns 
 the English version. All things are low beneath 
 God, even the things in heaven. 
 
 7. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and 
 lifteth the needy out of the dunghill. This 
 prostration in the dust has been for long Israel's 
 state (Ps. xliv. 25). But the Lord Mdll raise her up 
 (Ps. cvii. 41): cf. Hannah's song (1 Sam. ii. 8). 8. 
 That he may set him with princes— (Job xxxvi. 
 7.) 9. He maketh the barren woman to keep 
 house, (and to be) a Joyful mother of children— 
 ' Who maketh the barren woman to dwell (in) the 
 house;' the LXX., Syriac, Ethiopic, Arabic, and 
 Vulgate, " A house" is often put for children (Ps. 
 cxv. 10, 12: cf. Ps. Ixviii. 6, marg.; Exod. i. 21, 
 " He made them (the midwives) houses''). Fruitful 
 women, as Leah and Rachel, are said to build 
 the house of Israel" (Ruth iv. 11). Hengstenherg 
 translates, ' He maketh the barren woman of the 
 house {i.e., the mistress) to dwell like a joyful 
 mother of children.' The Hebrew seems in the 
 construct form [n7i[3.i?.], ' barren woman o/<Ae Aoiwe,' 
 and the accents favour Hengstenberg. But the old 
 versions all take it in the absolute state, as the 
 English version, which I prefer if the absolute form 
 be legitimate (cf. 1 Sam. ii. 5). Hannah in the 
 spirit regarded herself (once barren, afterwards 
 fruitful) as the type of Israel (literal and spiritual), 
 and from her own exaltation from depression 
 anticipates the same for her people. Penianah is 
 
Exhortation to 
 
 PSALM CXIV. 
 
 fear God, 
 
 PSALM cxiv: 
 
 1 WHEN Israel went out of Egypt, 
 
 The house of Jacob from a people of strange language; 
 
 2 Judah was his sanctuary, — and Israel his dominion. 
 
 3 The sea saw it, and fled : — Jordan was driven back. 
 
 4 The "mountains skipped like rams, — and the little hills like lambs. 
 
 5 What ailed thee, 0 thou sea, that thou fleddest ? 
 Thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back ? 
 
 6 Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; — and ye little hills, like lambs ? 
 
 7 Tremble, thou, earth, at the presence of the Lord, 
 At the presence of the God of Jacob-; 
 
 8 Which Hurned the rock into a standing water, 
 The flint into a fountain of waters. 
 
 PSALM 114. 
 " Judg. M. 6. 
 Ps. 29. 6. 
 Ps. 6«. J 6 
 Jer. 4. 23, 
 
 ii'ic. 1. 3, 4. 
 Nah. 1. 5. 
 Hab. 3. P. 
 2 Pet. 3. 7, 
 11. 
 
 Rev. 20. 11. 
 f Ex. 17. 6. 
 Kuin.20.11. 
 Ps. 78. 1 . 
 16. 
 
 Ps. 10.-. 41. 
 Ps. 107. 35. 
 
 a type of the world. Israel (as also the Church), 
 once desolate and having but a little flock, shall 
 have more children in the last days than the once 
 haughty and numerous power that oppressed her 
 (Isa. liv. 1-3). iSo the Chaldaic paraphrases this 
 verse, ' who places the Church of Israel, which is 
 like a barren woman sitting sad for the members 
 of her house, so as to be freciuented vvith crowds 
 like a joyful mother.' So the Virgin Mary sang, 
 when the Holy Ghost came upon her, and the 
 jwwer of the highest overshadowed her so that she 
 conceived the Saviour. God jaits down the mighty 
 and exalts the lowly (Luke i. 40-55). This trilogy, 
 Ps» cxi.-cxiii., is followed by the tetralogy, Ps. 
 cxiv.-cxvii. Combining themj we have an heptade, 
 and prefixing the Davidic trilogy, a decade. The 
 Hallelujah, we have seen, occurs four times in the 
 trilogy. It occurs thrice in the tetralogy (at the end 
 of Ps. cxv., cx\a., and cxvii.); in all seven times. 
 
 The 113th Psalm, with the five following Ps., 
 cxiv.-cxviii., forms the greater Hallel (as the Jews 
 called it), or grand hymn of praise, especially sung 
 at the Passover feasts. Bxixtorf^ in his ' Chaldaic 
 Lexicon', pp. 613, 614, observes— ' The whole is 
 divided into two parts. The former contains Ps. 
 cxiii. and cxiv. ; the latter, Ps. cxv.-cxviii. The 
 Jews usually recite the former at the Passover, 
 before they sit to table, and take food ; the latter, 
 after they have taken food, and have drunk the 
 foQrth and last cup, having added another blessing 
 which they call the hlessing of the song, also that 
 solemn formula, Blessed he He who createth the fruit 
 of the vine. So they close the Passover supper. 
 The antiquity of this usage appears from its men- 
 tion in the Talmud in Pesachim, fol. 117, col. 1, &c. 
 Cf. Lightfoot, 'Temple Service,' ch. 13, who shows 
 that the former part of the Hallel was recited 
 or sung after the second of the four cups drunk at 
 the feast. Thus the latter part of the Hallel was 
 probably the " hymn " sung by Christ and 
 His disciples at the last Passover supper (Matt, 
 xxvi. 30). 
 
 PSALM CXIV. 1-8.— Jehovah owned Israel as 
 His after her departure from Egypt, hy driving hack 
 the lied Sea a/nd the J or dan; the mountains also were 
 moved {vo. 1-4) ; personification : the sea asked why it 
 fled ? the answer {vv. 5-9). God's past mighty deeds 
 for His Church rebuke her unbelieving fears when 
 the world-power.sasa sea threaten her destruction. 
 
 1. Wlien Israel went out of Egypt, the house 
 of Jacob from a people of strange language— 
 even as now they were recently delivered from 
 the Babylonians (aliens in language), to whom, 
 according to Moses' prophecy (Dent, xxviii, 49), 
 they had been captives. It enhances the joy of 
 Israel's deliverance out of Egypt to remember 
 how alien in thought, of which "language" is 
 352 
 
 the index, was the T)coi>le from under bondage 
 to whom she was delivered (cf. Ps. Ixxxi. 5). 2. 
 Judah -was his sanctuary. *' Was " in Hebrew is 
 feminine, whereas Judah is masculine. Judah is 
 therefore here personified as a virgin (Tsa. xxii. 4), 
 "the daughter of my people" (Ps. xlv. 12). As 
 the description of God as "the holy One" denotes 
 His separation far above every created being (Ps. 
 xxii. 3), so the choice of Judah as "His sanctuary " 
 or holy dicelli7ig denoiQS the elect nation's separa- 
 tion from the world and consecration as "holy unto 
 the Lord her God" (Dent. vii. 6; Exod. xix. 5, 0). 
 God by acts of deliverance manifested His choice 
 of the people before He in words declared it at 
 Sinai. Judah here is made to represent the 
 nation, as being, from the time of the carrying away 
 of the Ten tribes, the surviving heir of the ancient 
 promises belouging to it (Ps. Ixxvi, 1). Moreover, 
 Judah from David's time was the seat of the royal 
 family and of the national worship (Ps. Ixxviii. 
 68-71). It the more strikingly, because undesign- 
 edly, shows the sense of God's continual presence 
 which was realized by the Psalmist, tnat the 
 " His " is introduced, though God had not been 
 named before; as if every believer would instinc- 
 tively know who was meant, and needed not to 
 hear'the name of God specified. Cf. Ps. Ixxxvii. 
 1: also Mary Magdalene's address to the supposed 
 gardener, speaking of "Him" with whom her 
 heart was full, as if everybody must know that it 
 was Christ whom she meant (John xx. 15). and 
 Israel his dominion— lit., His dominions. The 
 plural expresses excellency. 
 
 3. The sea saw (it) and fled— (Exod. xiv. 21.) 
 Jordan was driven back— (Josh. iii. 13-16. ) The sea 
 and. the rivers are the emblem of the overwhelming 
 world-powers (notes, Ps. xciii. ; cvii. 23-30). 4. 
 The mountains (viz., Sinai) skipped like rams, 
 and the little hills like lambs— (Ps. xxix. 6). The 
 fact alluded to is Exod. xix. 18 (cf. Ps. Ixviii. 8; 
 Judg. V. 4). The mountains symbolize the world- 
 kingdoms. Mount Sinai's quaking in past time 
 presages the coming convulsion and removal of 
 every lofty power that ox)poses the kingdom of 
 God (Ps. Ixxvi. 4; Zech. iv. 7). 
 
 5, 6. What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou 
 fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven 
 back? Ye mountains, that ye skipped like 
 rams ? — rather in the present tense, which 
 vividly sets the scene before our eyes, ' What 
 aileth thee, 0 thou Sea, that thou dosljlee.? Thou 
 Jordan, that thou art diiven back? Ye moun 
 tains, that ye skip like rams,' &c. 
 
 7, 8.-7. Tremble, thou earth, at the precence ot 
 the Lord The Psaliai&t hereby answers his own 
 question {v. 5: of. Ps. xcvii. 4, 5). 8. Which 
 toraed the rock into a standing water, the flint 
 
The mmty 
 
 PSALM CXV. 
 
 of idoh. 
 
 PSALM CXV. 
 
 1 NOT "unto lis, 0 Lord, not unto us, 
 
 But unto thy name give glory, — for thy mercy, and for thy truth^s sake. 
 
 2 Wherefore should the heathen say,— ^Where ^is now their God ? 
 
 3 But "^our God is in the heavens: 
 
 He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased 
 
 4 Their idols are silver and gold, — the work of men's hands. 
 
 5 They have mouths, but they speak not; — eyes have they, but they see not ; 
 G They have ears, but they hear not; — noses have they, but they smell not; 
 
 7 They have hands, but they handle not ; 
 Feet have they, but they walk not; 
 Neither speak they through their throat. 
 
 8 They Hhat make them are like unto them ; 
 So is every one that trusteth in them. 
 
 9 0 Israel, trust thou in the Lord : — ^^-^he is their help and their shield. 
 10 0 ^ house of Aaron, trust in the Lokd:— ^he is their help and their shield. 
 
 PSALM 115. 
 " Isa. 48. ji. 
 
 £ze. 36. 3 .'. 
 & Ps. 42. 3. 10. 
 
 Ps. 70. 10. 
 
 Joel. 2. 17. 
 « lChr.l6.2o\ 
 
 Ps. 135, C. 
 
 Dan. 4. 3,'.. 
 «i Deut. 4. 2«. 
 
 Ps. 135, 15, 
 16. 
 
 Isa. 40. 19. 
 20. 
 
 Jer. 10. 3. 
 
 Hos. ^i. 6. 
 « Ps. 135. 18. 
 
 Jon. 2. 8. 
 
 Hab. 2. IS. 
 / Ps. 33. 20. 
 
 Pro. 30. 6. 
 f Mai. 2. 7. 
 
 into a fountain of waters— (Exod. xvii. 6 ; Num. 
 XX. 11; Deut. viii. 15; xxxiL 13.) 
 
 PSALM CXV. 1-ia — Jelwvah, vindicate the 
 glory of thy name, at stake in thy people's misery 
 {v. 1); let not the heathen taunt u-s. Where is their 
 God? for our God is in heaven, and doth what He 
 vnlls ; hut the idols are vanity, as are their makers 
 and their worshippers (it. 2-8) ; Israel should trust 
 in Jehovah as their shield, who blesses them that fear 
 Him {vv. 9-15); as heaven is the Lord's, so the earth 
 He hath given to -men; He will not suffer His people 
 to he cast into the silent grave by their foes, but will be 
 the subject of their earthly praises {vv. 16-18). The 
 time was after the captivity, whea God had shown 
 Himself "mindful" of His peox)le {v. 12), a pledge 
 that He would still bless them. "The house of 
 Aaron " {v. 10), the priests, were then the main 
 leaders of the people. 
 
 1. Not unto us, 0 Lord . . . but unto thy 
 name give glory- Israel implies, though not 
 directly, yet virtually, We ask for thy succour, 
 not for any merit in us, which we are sensible 
 does not exist, but for the glory of thy name, 
 which is at stake in our preservation. So Daniel 
 pleads, Dan. ix. 18 (cf. Ps. Ixxix. 9, 10; and 
 God's reply, Isa. xliii. 22-25; xlviii. 11, "For 
 mine own sake . . . will I do it : for how should 
 my name be polluted?" Ezek. xxvi. 32). As His 
 * mercy and truth ' called forth His glorious mani- 
 festation of Himself in past acts (which manifesta- 
 tion constitutes His name) ; so these attributes 
 are now appealed to as the ground for nev.^ acts in 
 vindication of His name or manifestation as me7xl- 
 ful and true. He has mercy on His people, and is 
 ever true to His promises to them. 
 
 2-8.-2. Wherefore should the heathen say, 
 Where is now their God?— from Ps. Ixxix. 10. 
 The sneer of the heathen at the seeming inability 
 of Israel's God to help her, is sure to bring God to 
 her help, though for a time He has hidden His 
 power. The contrast which follows between the 
 omnipotence of God to do what He wills, and the 
 helplessness of the idols, ensures the same result, 
 if only Israel will trust in the Lord {vv. 9-11). 
 3. But our God is in the heavens. The " our" is 
 empliatical. The heathen do not know the infinite 
 distance that separates our God from their idols 
 (Ps. ii. 4 ; xi. 4 ; ciii. 19). He is v/ith heavenly 
 majesty raised far above the earth, v/hicb is the 
 home of the idols. These idols are the devices 
 of earthly men, and therefore subject to earthly 
 ftowerlessness. he hath done whatsoever he hath 
 pleased —wliereas the idols cannot do what they 
 
 VOL. Ill, 353 
 
 will; nay, cannot even wish or will anything, being 
 but idols. God (cf. Gen. xviii, 14) can effect, as 
 soon as He wills, whatsoever He willeth. It w^as 
 not from want of power, but because of His good- 
 ness, wisdom, and justice, that He heretofore suf- 
 fered Is r'ael to be aiflicted. In His own good time, 
 and according to the good pleasure of His will, He 
 will restore Israel (Ejjh. i. 5 ; Acts i. 6, 7). So as 
 to the spiritual Israel in affliction. 
 
 4, 5. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of 
 men's hands. They have mouths, hut they speak 
 not ; eyes have they, hut they see not. Drawn 
 from Deut. iv. 28. The Hebrew for "idols" ex- 
 presses literally 'pains,' expressing the sorrows 
 which they bring upon their worshippers [nn'Si'i;] : 
 cf. Ps. xvi. 4. Our psalm is the standard one con- 
 cerning idols, in contrast with Jehovah ; as Isa. 
 xliv. 9-20, and Jer. x. 3-16 are the leading passages 
 in the prophets on the same subject. The more 
 intelligent heathen regarded idols as only symbols 
 of their gods. But the Psalmist views the thing 
 in the reality, not according to the conceptions of 
 the idolaters, which were corruj)t fancies : the 
 heathen gods had no existence beyond the images 
 (Ps. xcv. 3 ; xcvi. 5). 6. They have ears, but they 
 hear not. Contrast with this and v. 5 the descrip- 
 tion of our God, Ps. xciv. 9. 7. They have hands, 
 but they handle not; feet have they, hut they 
 walk not; neither speak they through their 
 throat — lit., 'neither do they utter (even) a whis- 
 per ' [n^~i], or 'mutter through their throat.' 8. 
 They that make them are like unto them. Deut. 
 vii. 25, 26 first laid down this great principle, 
 "Thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is 
 on them (the idols) . . . Neither shalt thou bring 
 an abomination into thine house, lest thou he a 
 cursed thing like it." No people or individuals rise 
 in character higher than their gods. Each man is 
 as his god is. The servant of the all-gracious God 
 partakes of the Divine nature (2 Pet. i. 4), His 
 holiness and righteousness (Eph. iv. 24 ; Heb. xii, 
 10; 1 John iii. 2), being changed more and more into 
 the same glorious image (2 Cor. iii. 18), The ser- 
 vant of corrupt gods, whether material images or 
 the idols of self, carnal imaginations, and pride 
 of intellect, becomes debased like his idol. Vv. 
 4-12 are almost verbally repeated in Ps. cxxxv. 
 15-19. 
 
 9. 0 Israel, trust thou in the Lord : he is their 
 help and their shield -(Ps. xxxiii. 20.) "Their 
 help" — viz., the help of the Israelites. From speak- 
 ing to them, he i)as8es to speaking of them. 10. 0 
 house of Aaron, trust in the Lord. " The miuistera 
 
 2. A 
 
4 
 
 Profession oj PSALM CXVL love to God, 
 
 1 1 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the LoED : 
 He is their help and their shield. 
 
 12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: h« will ^ bless W5; , 
 He will bless the house of Israel ; — he will bless the house of Aaron : , 
 
 13 He Svill bless them that fear the Lord, — both small ^and great. 
 
 14 The Lord shall increase you more and more, — you and your children. 
 
 15 Ye ar^-^ blessed of the Lord * which made heaven and earth. 
 
 16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's; 
 But the earth hath he given to the children of men. 
 
 17 The dead praise not the Lord, — neitlier any that go down into silence. 
 
 18 But ^we will bless the Lord — from this tune forth and for evermore. 
 Praise the Lord. 
 
 PSALM CXVL 
 
 1 I LOVE the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my sup- 
 plications. 
 
 Eph. 1. 3. 
 » Lev. 26. 3. 
 Deut. 11.2r. 
 Deut. 28. 1. 
 Ps. 24. 4. 
 Ps. 29. 11. 
 Ps. 112. 1. 
 Ps. 128. 14. 
 Pro. 10. 6. 
 Matt. 3. 1(5, 
 17. 
 
 Matt. 4. 2. 
 
 Luke 1. 50. 
 
 Acts 13. 20 
 
 Col. 3. 11. 
 1 With. 
 3 Gen. 14. 19. 
 
 Gen. 1. 1. 
 
 Ps. 96. 5. 
 I Ps. 145. 2. 
 
 Dan. 2. 20. 
 
 of the sanctuary, as bein» the spiritual guides of 
 the people, should lead tlie way in trusting in the 
 Lord. 11. Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the 
 Lord. Reverential and filial fear of the Lord is 
 close akin to trust in Him. The phrase, " Ye that 
 fear the Lord," comprises all the true "seed of 
 Jacob" (Ps. xxii. 23), "both small and great" [v. 
 13) ; the laity, as distinguished from the house of 
 Aaron," the priests. Thus v. 9 is Israel in general ; 
 V. 10, the priests; v. 11, the laity. Cf. Ps.. cxviii. 3; 
 cxxxv. 20. 
 
 12. The Lord hath heen mindful of us— by re- 
 leasing us from the Babylonian captivity. This 
 group of psalms evidently alludes to some recent 
 deliverance (Ps. cxvi. 17, 18: cf. Ps. cvii., intro- 
 ductory notes), he will Mess the house of Israel ; 
 he will bless the house of Aaron. This and v. 13 
 is the three-fold response and acknowledgment of 
 blessing, answering to the three-fold call to Israel 
 collectively, the hoKse of Aaron, and them that fear 
 the Lord, to trust in Him, and so obtain the bless- 
 ing {vv. 9-11). 13. He will bless them that fear the 
 Lord, (both) small and great -(Jer. xxxi. 34.) 14. 
 The Lord shall increase you more and more, you 
 and your children— (Deut. i. 11.) The Hebrew is 
 literally, ' The Lord shall at/rZ upon you, upon you 
 citid 11J3011 youF cliildi'Gn.' l^liGrs is cId illusion "to 
 the name Joseph, the same Hebrew, Gen. xxx. 24, 
 "she called his name Joseph (i.e., adding), and 
 said, the Lord shall add to me another son." To 
 this Joab alludes, 2 Sam. xxiv. 3 (Isa. xxvi. 15). 
 The words, "you and your children," imply that 
 tlie increase was to begin at that time, just after 
 the return from Babylon ; but that the full increase 
 is reserved for the days of Israel's final glory with 
 Messiah (Isa. Ixvi. 7-13). 15. Ye are blessed of the 
 Lord which made heaven and earth— alluding to 
 Melchizedek's blessing upon Abraham, the first 
 father of Israel, the heir of Abraham's blessing, 
 " Blessed he Abram of the most high God, pos- 
 sessor of heaven and earth" (Gen. xiv. 19). As 
 being the ' Maker of heaven and earth,' He is 
 infinitely rich in power to make His people 
 "blessed," however many be their troubles, and 
 however strong their enemies. On the contrary, 
 " The gods that have not made the heavens 
 and the earth, even they shall perish from the 
 earth, and from under these heavens " (Jer. x. 11). 
 
 16. The heaven, (even) the heavens, are the 
 Lord's ; but the earth hath he given to the chil- 
 dren of men. Though He owns earth and heaven 
 alike (Ps. Ixxxix. 11), He has given, in His good- 
 ness, the earth to be man's heritage, wherein God 
 lavishes upon man His blessings, and expects 
 mau's praises (Gen. i. 28; ix. 1). God will not 
 354 
 
 allow His loving purpose to be frustrated by 
 letting His elect people among "the children of 
 men " to be extirpated fl'om the €arth by their 
 enemies. Cf. Hab. i. 14-17— Hebrew, ' the heavens, 
 heavens ;' the latter without the article : perhaps 
 the former point to the visible heavens ; the latter, 
 the general name for all that is above the earth. 
 
 17. The dead praise not the Lord, neither any 
 that go down into silence— not denying that God 
 can receive praise from disembodied souls, but 
 that the dead can praise God on earth. God will • 
 not allow His elect nation (or its spiritual antitype 
 the Church) to be consigned to the 'silent' (Ps. 
 xciv. 17) grave ; for then He would be robbed of 
 the praise on earth which His people alone give 
 Him. 18. But we will bless the Lord from this 
 time forth and for evermore— i. e., tve shall have 
 the opportunity still given us by Him to bless Him 
 from this time and for ever (Ps. cxviii. 17). These 
 two verses contain the plea why Jehovah should 
 and must deliver His people from extinction. Cf. 
 Ps. vi. 5: XXX. 9: Ixxxviii. 10-12; Isa. xxxviii. 
 
 18, 19. 
 
 PSALM CXVI. \-\Q.—The Psalmisfs love to 
 Jehovah, and resolution to call upon Him all his life, 
 for having heard his prayer {w. 1, 2); the deliverance 
 
 {vv, 3-6)5 'f^OlV I JlCtVC TCSt^ tJlOU heist (lcl')VCTC(Ji 'Ytty 
 
 soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my jeet 
 from falling: I will walk before thee [vv. 7-9); as I 
 believed, so Jehovah gave to me: lohat return shall I 
 make to Him? [vv. 10-12); / will accept salvation 
 and pay my vows because His saints^ lives are pre. i- 
 ous before Him {vv. 13-15); henceforth I am thy 
 servant, and as thou hast loosed my bonds I will op-r 
 thank-sacrifices in the Lords house publicly {vv. 16- 
 19). Ps. cxvii. is the conclusion to this psalm. The 
 Chaldee forms, as the suffix in v. 12, and the forms 
 in vv. 14, 15, negdah,^ in the presence,' hammavthah, 
 'the death,' indicate the time of the captivity. 
 The plural 'saints' {v. 15) shows that the Psalmist 
 represents the nation just delivered from extinction, 
 and her 'bonds loosed' {v. 16; cf. Ps. cvii. 14). 
 The place of the altar set up by Jeshua and Zerub- 
 babel, even before the building of the temple, was 
 called "the house of the Lord" {v. 19; Ezra. ii. 
 68; iii. 8). This psalm was sung after public 
 worship had been set up; cf. vv. 13, 14, 17-19; a 
 little later than Ps. cvii., where cf, introduction. 
 
 1, I love the Lord, because he hath heard 
 my voice- (Ps. xviii. 1.) The connection of the 
 two psalms appears also by comparing v. 3, 
 " The sorrows of death compassed me," with 
 Ps. xviii. 4, from which it is taken. This first 
 verse contains in brief the substance of the 
 psalm. God's love to the Psalmist (or to thQ 
 
Profession of 
 
 PSALM CXVI. 
 
 love to God. 
 
 2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, 
 Therefore will I call upon him ^as long as I live. 
 
 3 The sorrows of death compassed me, 
 
 And the pains of hell ^gat hold upon me : — I found trouble and sorrow. 
 
 4 Then called I upon the name of the Lord ; 
 0 Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. 
 
 5 Gracious is the Lord, and ''righteous ; — yea, our God is merciful. 
 
 6 The Lord preserveth the simple : — I was brought low, and he helped me. 
 
 7 Return unto thy *rest, 0 my soul ; 
 
 For the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. 
 
 8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, 
 Mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. 
 
 9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. 
 
 PSALM ll*>, 
 
 1 in my d;iys. 
 
 2 found me. 
 <» Ezra 0. li. 
 
 Neh. 8. 
 
 Ps. 11. 7. 
 Ps. 14. 5. 
 Ps. 119. 17. 
 Pa. 145. 4. 
 Jer. 12. 1. 
 I^m. 1. 18. 
 Rev. 16. 5. 
 6 Ps. 95. 11. 
 Jer. 6. 16. 
 Jer. 30. 10. 
 Matt. 11.29. 
 Heb. 4.8-10. 
 
 people whom he represents) calls forth love on his 
 
 eirt; and so supplies the motive of obedience to 
 eut. vi. 5, "Thou shalt love (the same Hebrew as 
 here) the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and 
 with all thy soul^ and with all thy might," 2. 
 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me— 
 answering to the second clause of v. 1, " because 
 He hath heard my voice, and my supplications." 
 therefore will I call upon him as long as I live 
 — answering to the first clause of v. 1. The sure 
 proof of ' loving the Lord ' is ' calling upon Him 
 all our days,' both with prayers in time of trouble 
 (y<7. 3, 4) and with thaifksgivings for salvation 
 vouchsafed to us {vi\ 13-19)— lU., "in my days." 
 So Isa. xxxix. 8. 
 
 3. The sorrows of death compassed me— lit, 
 * the cords ' or ' bands of death ' (note, Ps. xviii. 5). 
 and the pains of hell {Sheol, the unseen world 
 of departed spirits) gat hold upon me: I found 
 trouble and sorrow. 4. Then called I upon the 
 name of the Lord. Drawn from Ps. xviii. 4-6. 
 David intended his personal experience for the 
 good of his posterity, and through them for the 
 good of the elect nation, whose representative he 
 was. David was the great model to his people in 
 their times of distress. Jerubbabel (Hag. ii. 23; 
 Zech. iv.) was, on the return from Babylon, the 
 representative of the royal line of David. How 
 natural it was tliat he and his nation should, by 
 adopting David's words here, associate themselves 
 with that o;reat Head of the kingdom of old. " I 
 found trouble and sorrow" im^jlies that not merely 
 did sorrows find me, but I often unthinkingly 
 threw myself in their way. God's grace can remedy 
 even the evils that we bring on ourselves. " I 
 called upon the name of the Lord " is stronger than 
 'I called upon the Lord;' I appealed to God\s 
 manifestation of His power and grace in past 
 deliverances, and made these my plea for expect- 
 ing help from Him now again. 5. Gracious is the 
 Lord, and righteous ; yea, our God is merciful. 
 By delivering me and my people, He has shown 
 Himself to be truly all that the law defined Him 
 to be (Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7). 6. The Lord preserveth 
 the simple— viz., those easily overtaken by in- 
 juries, who know not how to escape from diffi- 
 culties, owing to their want of worldly cleverness; 
 whereas men of the world abound in expedients 
 for securing themselves, and have no scruple in 
 usin^ all means whatever, lawful or unlawful. This 
 child-like helplessness of simplicity, though not a 
 positive merit (1 Cor. xiv. 20), is far preferable to 
 the unscrupulous wisdom of the selfish world: for 
 it is a state in which, emptied of self-wisdom, 
 believers are ready to look for and receive God's 
 wisdom and tirovidential leadings. It is illustrated 
 by the parallel clause, I was brought low— i. e., 
 berefi of all human counsel and strength, the state 
 of "the simple." So Hezekiah, Isa, xxxviii, 14 
 355 
 
 (cf. Ps. cxlii. 6). and he helped me [mni]. The 
 Hebrew, Jehoshiang, alludes to the significant 
 name Joshua,, the high priest of the restored exiles 
 (Zech. iii. 1-9), 7. Return, unto thy rest [lime- 
 nuchaiki), 0 my soul. As the dove, when "she 
 found no rest for the sole of her foot, returned unto 
 Noah {the comforter) into the ark" (Gen. viii. 9), 
 Israel, according to God's prophetical threat (Dent, 
 xxviii. 65), "among the nations " where she was a 
 captive, had "no ease, neither had the sole of her 
 foot rest ; but the Lord gave her there a troubling 
 heart, and failing of eyes, and sorraw of mind, 
 and her life hung in doubt before her" (Deut. 
 xxviii. 65, 66). But now God has provided her a 
 rest again, and a happy home in the Holy Land; 
 therefore she exhorts herself to enjoy the land of 
 rest so graciously provided. Cf., spiritually, Ps. 
 xxiii. 2, " the still waters," ' the waters of quiet- 
 nesses,'' or ^rest of a manifold kind:' the same 
 Hebrew (only plural) as is here for "rest " (singu- 
 lar) (Jer. vi. 16 ; Matt. xi. 29). The soul had been 
 heretofore restless (cf. Gen. iv. 12, 14); but now 
 the altar of God had been already erected, and the 
 foundation of the temple was either laid or imme- 
 diately about to be so: so that every needful 
 refreshment was in course of being provided for 
 the restored wanderers, for the Lord hath dealt 
 bountifully with thee (cf. Ps. xiii. 6, note, where 
 the Hebrew verb, gamal, is the same) — 'hath 
 requited ' or ' made up richly to thee for all thy past 
 sufferings.' Not to be fully realized till the final 
 conversion and restoration of Israel (Isa. Ixi. 7; 
 Zech. ix. 12). 8. For thou hast delivered my 
 soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my 
 feet from falling— alluding to Deut. xxviii. 65, 
 66, quoted above in v. 7. God has now delivered her 
 from the failing of eyes, doubt of life, and restless- 
 ness of feet, threatened and executed against her 
 for apostasy. The fulness of this deliverance is 
 yet future, and was fulfilled only in type by the 
 restoration from Babylon. 9. I will walk before 
 the Lord in the land of the living. This verse 
 and V. 8 are drawn from Ps. Ivi. 13, " Thou hast 
 delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou 
 deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk 
 before God in the light of the living?" What was 
 then uttered as in part an acknowledgment of 
 deliverance, in part a prayer, is here wholly a 
 grateful acknowledgment of a perfected dieliver- 
 ance of the life, the eyes, and the feet. Instead 
 of "in the light,''' we have here "in the land 
 (Hebrew, lands: cf. 2 Chr. xi. 23) of the living" 
 (Ps. xxvii. 13). The promises in Isa. xxx. 19, 
 "Thou shalt weep no more;" Jer. xxxi. 16, arc 
 here spoken of as fulfilled, and as calling forth the 
 gratitude of the delivered people. The lands of 
 Canaan, "the pleasant land" (Dan. viii. 9), are in 
 one aspect "the land of the living." All the 
 restored exiles who had been permitted to " enter 
 
Exhortation to 
 
 PSALM CXVII. 
 
 praise God. 
 
 10 r^believed, therefore have I spoken: — I was greatly afflicted. 
 Ill said in my haste, — "'AH men are liars. 
 
 12 What shall I render unto the Lord /or all his benefits toward me ? 
 
 13 I will take the cup of salvation, — and call upon the name of the Lord. 
 
 14 I ^will pay my vows unto the Lord — now in the presence of all his people. 
 
 15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. 
 
 16 0 Lord, truly I am thy servant; 
 
 I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid ; 
 Thou hast loosed my bonds. 
 
 17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, 
 And will call upon the name of the Lord. 
 
 18 I will pay my vows unto the Lord — now in the presence of all his peoj)le, 
 
 19 In the courts of the Lord's house, — in the midst of thee, 0 Jerusalem. 
 Praise ye the Lord. 
 
 PSALM CXVIL 
 0 PRAISE the Lord, all ye nations: — praise him, "all ye people. 
 
 2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us : 
 And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.- 
 
 -Praise ye the Lord. 
 
 2 Cor. 4. v.. 
 <t 2 Ki. i. 10, 
 
 Jer. 9. 4. 6. 
 Rom. 3. 4. 
 * Ps. 22. 2.'). 
 Ps. 56. 12. 
 Ps. 63. 13, 
 15. 
 
 Jon. 1. 16. 
 Jon. 2. 9. 
 Nah. 1. 1.. 
 / lSam.26.2». 
 Job 6. 26. 
 Ps. 72. 14, 
 Luke 10. £2. 
 Rev. 1. 18. 
 Rev. 14. 13. 
 
 PSALM 117. 
 " Ps. 148. 11. 
 14. 
 
 Ps. 150. e. 
 Rev. 6. 9. 
 Rev. 7.9,i\ 
 
 into the land of Israel " were " written in the book 
 of the living" (Ps. Ixix. 28), "in the writing of the 
 house of Israel" (Ezek. xiii. 9). In a higher sense 
 the words are fulfilled in those who shall partake 
 of the resurrection to eternal life, in the land where 
 " God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes " 
 (Rev. XX. 6; xxi. 4). That this {v. 8) was not fully 
 realized at the return from Babylon appears from 
 the weeping of the ancient men at the remem- 
 brance of the former tem^jle, when the foundation 
 of the second temple was being laid (Ezra iii. 12, 13). 
 
 10. I believed, therefore have I spoken. As 
 the former strophe was occupied with the deliver- 
 ance, so this is taken up with the thanksgiving for 
 it. "I believed," as Abraham did (Gen. xv. 6; 
 Ps. xxvii. 13); not that the Psalmist boasts of his 
 faith, but mentions it in order to glorify the Lord, 
 who had given him according to his faith. " There- 
 fore have I spoken " (2 Cor. iv. 13). What he spake 
 is not expressed, but implied in v. 11. Whilst 
 distrusting " men," he doubtless spake out his 
 hearty trust in God. Confession with the mouth 
 must attest the belief of the heart ; otherwise one's 
 faith is very dubious (Rom. x. 9, 10). I was 
 greatly afflicted. It was affliction that called his 
 faith and confession into exercise. 11. I said in 
 my haste— i e., in my trepidation . . . my con- 
 sternation, caused by my 'great affliction' (Ps. 
 xxxi. 22). The relation between the Hebrew, " I 
 said" here, and "I have spoken," in v. 10, is 
 
 that the latter [in^l rarely has the words spoken 
 folloioing immediately {Gesenius): which disproves 
 Maurer's translation, 'I believed, though 1 was 
 saying, 'I am greatly afflicted.' The Hebrew 
 particle ['p] is here used {v. 10) in the sense 
 
 therefore," instead of the usual 'because:' so 
 " for " is used as wherefore, Luke vii. 47: 2 Cor. iv. 
 13 decides it. All men are liars— i. e., disappoint 
 the hopes of those who trust in them (Ps. cviii. 12 ; 
 Ixii. 9; cxlvi, 3). But as the ''speaking^ was 
 prompted by 'believing' (v. 11), this negative 
 expression of distrust of man was accompanied by 
 his positive expression of trust in God, who never 
 -disappoints (Ps. cxviii. 8). "Therefore have I 
 spoken " probably refers to his believing prayer to 
 God which accompanied his expression of distrust 
 in " men " as helpers. So Mariana. 
 
 12. What shall I render unto the Lord for all 
 his benefits toward me ? This presupposes that 
 his believing 3.iid hia consequent speaking were fol- 
 3^ 
 
 lowed by deliverance granted by God. 13. I will 
 take the cup of salvation, and caU upon the 
 name of the Lord — Hebrew, ' the cup of salvations;^ 
 the manifold and full solvation vouchsafed to me. 
 I will accept the cup or portion (cf. Ps. xvi. 5; xxiii. 5) 
 assigned to me by the Lord, which is one of abun- 
 dant salvation (cf. in a bad sense the same figure, 
 Ps. xi. 6 ; Ixxv. 8). Not as Mendelssohn, ' the cup 
 full of wine used at sacrilices of thanksgiving' (cf. 
 Lukexxii. 17, 20; 1 Cor. x. 16). For the Hebrew 
 for [i<^^] take never means to drink; and there is 
 no proof that wine was offered with sacrificial 
 feasts of thankofferings (Lev. iii. and vii. 11-14). 
 14. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the 
 presence of all his people. "Now" or 'yea' 
 [nj], stirring himself up to promise hearty and 
 public thanksgiving. 15. Precious in the sight of 
 the Lord is the death of his saints— the ground 
 of the Psalmist's obligation to thanksgiving; 
 viz., the Lord's zealous care for His people's lives, 
 as most precious in His sight, that they shall not 
 be given to death (Ps. Ixxii. 14). 16. 0 Lord, truly 
 I am thy servant — ' 0 Lord, / pray thee, (accept 
 
 fraciously my thanksgiving), for I am thy servant.' 
 'he Hebrew [n|N;] expresses prayer rather than 
 affirmation. He prays for permission to express 
 
 Eublicly his gratitude, as a special favour which God 
 estows on "His servants" whom He delivers, 
 and the son of thine handmaid— (Ps. Ixxxvi. 16.) 
 Here the language is overruled by the Spirit to 
 typify Messiah, the antitypical Israel, the ser- 
 vant oi Jehovah" (Isa. xlii. l),and at the same time 
 the Divine Son of the Virgin, who said (Luke i. 
 38), "Behold the handmaid of the I^ord;" and v. 
 48, "He hath regarded the low estate of His 
 handmaiden." As being thy servant, I have a 
 claim on thy protecting grace, and thou hast 
 vouchsafed it. thou hast loosed my bonds. So 
 concerning Messiah at His resurrection, St. Peter 
 saith, " Whom God hath raised up, having loosed 
 the pains of death." Israel, loosed from the Baby- 
 lonian captivity, is the type. 18. I will pay my 
 vows, &c. — (cf. V. 14.) 19. In the courts of the 
 Lord's house— (cf. introductory notes.) 
 PSALM CXVIL— Cf. introduction to Ps. cxvi. 
 1. 0 praise the Lord, all ye nations — Israel's 
 call to the Gentiles to praise Jehovah for His 
 mercy and His truth displayed to her, as set 
 forth in Ps. cxvL (cf. Ps. xlvii. 1; Ixvii. 1-3; 
 xcviii. 3, 4). 2. For Ms merciful kindness is 
 
Exhortation to 
 
 PSALM CXVIII. 
 
 praise God. 
 
 PSALM CXVIIL 
 
 1 0 *GIVE thanks unto the Lord; for ke is good : 
 Because his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 2 Let ^Israel now sa)^ — that his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 3 Let the house of Aaron now say, — that his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 4 Let them now that fear the Lord say,— that his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 5 I called upon the Lord ^ in distress : 
 
 llie Lord answered me, andj '^set me in a large place. 
 
 6 The Lord is ^on my side; — I will not fear: what can man do unto me ? 
 
 7 The Lord taketh my part with them that help me : 
 Therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. ^ 
 
 8 It Us better to trust in the LoRb than to put confidence in man : 
 
 9 Jt^is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. 
 10 All nations compassed me about : 
 
 But m the name of the Lord will I Mesfcroy them. 
 
 PSALM 113. 
 * iChr. 16. 8. 
 6 Ps. 115. 9. 
 
 1 out of 
 distress. 
 
 " Ps. 18. 19. 
 
 2 for me. 
 Ps. 27. 1. 
 Isa. 51. 12. 
 Eom. 8. 31. 
 Heb. 13. 6. 
 
 d Ps. 64. 4. 
 ' Ps. 62. 8. 
 
 Isa. 2. 22. 
 
 Ira. 30. 1. 
 
 Jer. ir. 6, 7. 
 / Ps, 146. 3. 
 
 Isa. 3t>. 6. 7. 
 
 Eze. 29. 7. 
 8 cut them 
 
 off. 
 
 great toward us : and the trnth of the Lord en- 
 dureth for ever— the two attributes mentionerl by 
 St. Paul in Rom. xv. 8-12 as tliose which Jesus 
 Christ came to manifest, so that the Gentiles might 
 " rejoice with His people," the Jews, because of tlie 
 universal blessing through the latter. 'Jesus 
 Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the 
 truth of God (His faithfulness to His*wor(l) to con- 
 firm the promises made unto the fathers, and that 
 the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy.' 
 
 PSALM CXVIII. l-'29.— Exhortation to Israel, 
 the home of Aaron, and them that fear Jehovah, 1o 
 praise Him (vv. 1-4), for He has heard His peoples 
 cry in tr&uble, and delivered them; the Psalmist, 
 as their representative, expresses confidence that, as 
 God already helped His servant, so He will enable 
 him to destroy the nations encompassing him [vv. 
 5-14) ; the Lord!s right hand doeth valiantly, so 
 that the righteous can, with the voice of joy, say 
 confidently, I shall not die, but live; for though 
 chastened sorely, I have not been given over to death 
 \vv. l.j-18) ; open the gates of righteousness for the 
 righteous to enter; praise for salvation; the once- 
 rejected stone becomes the head of the corner; re- 
 joicing in the day of the Lord: prayer for prosperity; 
 salutation of Him that cometh in the name of the 
 Lord; sacrifices and praise to Jehovah, ivho hath 
 showed Ihjhtto His people {vv. 19-29). The Psalm- 
 ist speaks as representative of the peoyjle just 
 delivered by .Jehovah from Babylon. It was prob- 
 ably sung at the feast of tabernacles, celebrated for 
 seven days, after the restoration of the c*<?/-walla 
 and gate.-i, 445 b. c. (Neh. iii.); not the feast in .53f) 
 B. a (Ezra iii. 4), the year before the foundation of 
 the temple. The law was read each day in the 
 street before the water-r/afe. The peoi)le with 
 X»alm-branches made booths on their roofs and in 
 their courts and those of the temple. There was 
 "great gladness" (Neh. viii. 1, 14-18). All this cor- 
 responds to our i)3alm (cf. vv. 15, 19,20). These verses 
 imply that " the gate of the Lord," the temr)le-gate, 
 was already set up, not merely the foundation of 
 the temple laid, as Hengstenberg thinks. V. 24 
 points to some great festal day. Also v. 25 was the 
 usual cry at the feast of tabernacles (Bvxtorf, 
 'Lexicon Chaldaic,' 992). The Hosanna of the 
 palm-bearing multitude which greeted Jesus at 
 His entry into Jerusalem corresponds. Also cf. v. 
 
 with Matt. xxi. 9. The stone rejected by the 
 builders, now "become the head stone of the cor- 
 ner" {v. 22), is the foundation-stone of the temple 
 laid by Zerubbabel. Cf. vo. 10-12, as to enconi])ass- 
 ing adversaries in building, with Ezra iv. IS, 24. 
 The stone laid by Zerubbabel kept its place in 
 
 spite of mountain-like adversaries (Zech. iv. 6, 7), 
 by "the Lord's doing" {v. 23). The formula, v. 1, 
 was used in dedicating the first temple, 2 Chr. v. 
 13; vii. 3; also at the second, Ezra iii. 10, 11, 
 where the same division occurs as here — the 
 priests, or "house of Aaron," they that feared 
 the Lord (of whom the Levites were leaders), and 
 the people {vv. 1-4; Ps. cxv. 9-11). The formula, 
 v. 1, was probably also used at the feast of taber- 
 nacles after the temple was built (Ps. cvi. 1; 
 cvii. 1 ; cxxxvi. 1, 26). 
 
 1. O give thanks unto the Lord ; for he is good : 
 because his mercy endureth for ever— a formula 
 first used by David at the setting up of the ark 
 in Zion (1 Chr. xvi. 8, 34). 2-4. Let Israel . . the 
 house of Aaron . . . them now that fear the Lord, 
 say, &c. The same division as in Ps. cxv. 9-11, 
 where see note. Cf. Ps. c. 4, 5. 
 
 5-14.— At the beginning {v. 5) and at the close of 
 this division {vv. 13, 14) the salvation already re- 
 ceived is described. In the intervening seven 
 verses there is the confident expectation that the 
 deliverance will be completed, and Israel made 
 conqueror over all her foes. 5. I called upon the 
 Lord in distress : the Lord answered me, (and set 
 me) in a large place. Omit "and set me "—words 
 not in the Hebrew. 'I called upon the Lord in a 
 narrow place (straits) ; the Lord answered me in a 
 wide place ' (Ps. iv. 1, Hebrew ; xviii. 19 ; xxxi. 8). 
 The reference is to the deliverance of the people 
 from their captivity, and setting them at large, 
 both literally and in a spiritual sense also. 6. 
 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what 
 can man do unto me? Drawn from David's 
 words, Ps. Ivi. 4, 9, 11. 7. The Lord taketh my 
 part with them that help me — from David's 
 psalm, liv. 4. therefore shaU I see (my desire) 
 upon them that hate me— (Ps. liv. 7.) David's 
 contest with his persecutor, Saul, is a sample of 
 the similar conflict which the Church has always 
 had to maintain with the world. 8, 9. It is better 
 to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in 
 man ... in princes— from Ps. Ixii. 8, 9 ; cxlvi. 3. 
 It was marvellous faith on the part of the returned 
 remnant of Jews, poor and disorganized, to feel 
 such confidence in the Lord alone, in the face of 
 hostile "princes" wielding the whole might of the 
 world. 10. All nations compassed me about : but , 
 in the name of the Lord will I destroy them. 
 ^'AU nations"— that were near Judah : a sample 
 of all the heathen world-powers, all more or less 
 hostile to the Church. " In the name of the Lord " 
 — i. c, in dependence on Him in His grace and 
 pouter manifested on His peojJe's side agaiu.s}; 
 
The Psalmist's 
 
 PSALM CXVIII. 
 
 trust in God. 
 
 11 They ^compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: 
 But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. 
 
 12 They compassed me about '^like bees : 
 They are quenched ^as the fire of thorns: 
 
 For in the name of the Lord I will ^destroy them. 
 
 13 Thou hast thrust sore at me, that I might fall: 
 But the IjORD helped me. 
 
 14 The •^LoRD is my strength and song, — and is become my salvation, 
 
 15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous 
 The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. 
 
 16 The ^"right hand of the Lord is exalted ; 
 The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. 
 
 17 I 'shall not die, but live, — and "'declare the works of the Lord. 
 
 lSam.?3.26. 
 1 Chr.l9.10. 
 Fs. 22, 12, 
 
 16. 
 Ps. S8. 17. 
 Teut. 1. 44. 
 Ps. 83. 14. 
 
 15. 
 
 Eccl. 7. 6. 
 Kah. 1. 10. 
 cut down. 
 Ex. 15. 2. 
 Isa. 12. 2. 
 Ex. 15. 6. 
 Ps. 6. 5. 
 Hab. 1. 12. 
 Ps. 73. 2P. 
 
 their fjodless enemies (Ps. xxxiii. 21; lii. 9; liv. 1). 
 "But" ['3], in the Hebrew, comes after "in the 
 name of the Lord." He^igetenherg therefore trans- 
 lates, '(it is) that,' The English version "but," or 
 'but truly,' accords well with the Hebrew, and 
 suits the sense best. "Destroy" lit. , cir- 
 
 camcifie . in Ps. xc. 6, simply to cut down. Not 
 until Messianic times was and is this confident 
 anticipation of Israel's and the Church's triumph 
 over heathendom to be realized. The heathen are 
 regarded as the uncircumcised, whom Israel will de- 
 stroy, the image for which is a forced circumcision. 
 The same image is used spiritually. Gal. v, 12, "I 
 would they were cut off" altogether— -not merely in 
 the /o?-esA7?i— " who trouble you " (Phil, iii. 2). 
 ' The concision ' is opposed to the true circumcision 
 (Ps. Iviii. 7 : cf, 1 Sam. xviii. 25 ; 2 Sam. iii. 14 
 where David in practical irony cuts off a hundred 
 foreskins of the uncircumcised Philistines whom 
 he had slain). 12. They compassed me about 
 like bees — in thick aud hostile swarms (Deut. i, 
 44). they are quenched as the fire of thorns — 
 which burns up in a blaze with a loud crackling, 
 soon to be extinguished. "They are quenched" — 
 faith regards the victory as. already gained. The 
 wicked are often compared to scratching and 
 worthless briers and thorue, "whose end is to be 
 burned " (Eccl, vii. 6; Isa. xxvii. 4; xxxiii. 12; 
 Nah. i. 10; Heb, vi, 8; 2 Sam. xxiii. 6). The 
 swarming enemies that compassed Israel on every 
 side were probably the Samaritans — 'the adver- 
 saries of Judah and Benjamin ' in Zerubbabel's 
 and Joshua's building of the temi^le (Ezra iv. 
 1-10) ; and especially, about ninety years later, the 
 Arabians, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, led on by 
 Sanballat, Geshem, and Tobiah, who tried to pre- 
 vent the building of the walls and the setting up 
 of "the gates" (cf. v. 19, below) of Jerusalem, (Neh. 
 iii. and iv. 1-8; vi.) The ulterior reference is to 
 the extinction of all the enemies of Israel and of 
 the Church, who either now oppose, or shall here- 
 after oppose, the completion of the city and the 
 temple of God (Rev. xi, 1, 2 ; xxi. 10-27). 13. Thou 
 hast thrust sore at me, that I might fall : but 
 the Lord helped me. " Thou," the enemy. God's 
 deliverance of His people, in spite of sore opposi- 
 tion of the eneiny in time past, is a pledge of 
 assurance that He will finally deliver His people. 
 14. The Lord is my strength and song, and is 
 become my salvation. Like Isa. xii. 2, drawn from 
 Moses' song, Exod. xv. 2, the first of the Church's 
 f lianksgiving songs, and the basis of subsequent ones 
 (Rev. XV. 3), Jehovah's "salvation" experienced 
 is the ground on which rests the abiding appro- 
 priation of Him as the believer's " Strength and 
 Song." Salvation perfected was especially asso- 
 ciated with the feast of tabernacles, the occasion 
 when this psalm was sung, dloaanna was the 
 358 
 
 usual cry (v. 25). The Hallel was sung, and water 
 from the i)Ool of Siloam was poured out upon the 
 altar, whence it was conducted by pipes into the 
 Cedron (cf. note, Isa. xii. 3). When the singers 
 reached the iirst verse of Ps. cxviiL all the com- 
 pany shook their lulabs, or bunches of branches 
 tied together ; also at the 25th and at the 29th 
 verses. They used to dwell during the feast in 
 booths or huts (AS'McraA), as distinguished from the 
 tent^ of skin or cloth (Ohel), the term used of the 
 sacred tabernacle. 15, The voice of rejoicing and 
 salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous 
 — (Isa. xii. 3.) Joy was the distinguishing charac- 
 teristic of the feast of tabernacles. The booths 
 and lulabs had a gay effect by day ; the flambeaux, 
 the music, and the joyous gatherings in the temple, 
 had a still more joyous effect by night. The pro- 
 verb in Succah (v. 1) is, 'He who lias never seen 
 the rejoicing at the pouring out of the water of 
 Siloam has never seen rejoicing in His life.' It 
 was a thanksgiving for the rest (cf. Ps. cxvi. 7) of 
 the Israelites in the promised land after their rest- 
 less sojourn in tabernacles in the wilderness. As 
 God rested on the seventh day, so Israel's rest was 
 celebrated on the fifteenth of the seventh month. 
 It was also a thanksgiving for the ingathered har- 
 vest, as the passover in the first month, Abib, was 
 marked by offering the first sheaf of barley, aud 
 Pentecost, fifty days after, by waving the flrst 
 loaves of the year before the altar. The feast was 
 appropriately connected with the dedication of the 
 first temple, and the erection of the altar of the 
 second temple, the culminating point of the 
 nation's rest and settlement, religious and civil, in 
 the promised land (1 Ki. viii. 2, 65 ; Ezra iii. 2-4), 
 and finally at the completion of the city wall, and 
 setting up of the temple doors (Neh. vii. 1; viii.14-18). 
 Zech. xiv. 15 shows us that in the millennial Jeru- 
 salem there shall be, 'from year to year,' a goiug 
 up of all the nations to Jerusalem (by delegates) 
 ' to keep the feast of tabernacles,' and ' to worship 
 the King, the Lord of hosts.' This certainly has 
 not yet been fulhUed. Cf. Hos. xii. 9. "The 
 righteous" are Israel, literal and spiritual (Isa. 
 xxvi. 2). "The voice of salvation" is the voice 
 that celebrates the salvation already wrought for 
 Israel, the right hand of the Lord doeth val- 
 iantly. If ' we do valiantly ' (Ps. cviii, 13), it is 
 'through God,' who "doeth valiantly" for us (Ps. 
 Ix. 12). 16. The right hand of the Lord is exalted. 
 Exod. XV. 6 contii^ms the English version, "is ex- 
 alted," in preference to ' exalts ' {Hengstenberg, 
 quoting Ps, xxxvii. 34). The second clause— the 
 right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly— is the 
 result of the first. 
 
 17. I shall not die, but live, and declare the 
 works of the Lord, "Death" threatened Israel 
 (Ps. cxvi. 15), but the Lord, by His glorious 
 
The kingdom of 
 
 PSALM CXVIII. 
 
 Christ typified^ 
 
 18 The Lord hath "chastened me sore. 
 
 But he hath not given me over unto death. 
 
 19 Open ^to me the gates of righteousness: 
 
 I will go in to them, and I will praise the Lord : 
 
 20 This ^gate of the Lord, — ^ into which the righteous shall enter. 
 
 2 1 I will praise thee : for thou hast heard me, — ^and art become my salvation. 
 
 22 The stone icliich the builders refused is become the head stone of the 
 
 corner. 
 
 23 ^This is the Lord's doing 
 
 24 This is 'the day which the Lord hath made; 
 We will rejoice and be glad in it. 
 
 25 Save now, I beseech thee, 0 Lord : 
 0 Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. 
 
 26 Blessed '"'he he that cometh in the name of the Lord : 
 
 it ^is marvellous in our eyes. 
 
 " 2 Cor. 6. 9. 
 "Isa. 23. 2. 
 " Ps. 2t. 7. 
 « Isa. 35. 8. 
 
 Kev. 22. 14. 
 '■ Matt. 21.42. 
 
 Mark 12.10. 
 
 Acts 4. 11. 
 
 Eph. 2. 20. 
 5 This is 
 
 from the 
 
 Lord. 
 * Job 5. 9. 
 t 2 Cor. 6. 2, 
 " Zech. 4. 7. 
 
 Matt. 21. 9. 
 
 Mark 11. 9. 
 
 Luke 19. 38. 
 
 " works " in her behalf, delivered her, and gave 
 her a theme to celebrate or " declare " (cf. Ps. Ixxi. 
 20 ; Hab. i. 12). 18. The Lord hath chastened me 
 sore: but he hath not given me over unto 
 death. The chastisement was by the Chaldeans 
 (cf. Hab. i. 12). 
 
 19-28.— 19. Open to me the gates of righteous- 
 ness— (Isa. xxvi. 2.) "The gates" are those of 
 the temple, or of Jerusalem, the holy city, just re- 
 stored -Nvith the walls and gates, (Neh. iii. and viii.) 
 The type of the millennial Jerusalem, whose walls 
 are salvation, and whose gates are praise (Isa. Ix. 
 10, 18); aud again the type of the heavenly Jeru- 
 salem's gates of pearl and wall of jasper (Rev. xxi. 
 10-13, 18, 21). If the^?'5i feast of tabernacles under 
 Joshua and Zerubbabel (535 B. c.) be the occasion 
 when this psalm was sung, then the gates referred to 
 will be those of the pro' isiomil sanctuary or taber- 
 nacle which was perhaps raised before the founda- 
 tion of the temple was laid in connection with 
 the altar on the site of the old sanctuary (Ezra 
 iii. 1-4), but refer rather to the second, when the 
 temple doors were set up (Neh. vii. 1 ; viii. 14-18). 
 "Righteousness " is connected with them on the 
 ground of the justification or acceptance of Israel 
 through the coming Antitype or the sacrifices 
 offered on the great day of atonement, the tenth of 
 the seventh month, five days before the feast of 
 tabernacles. 20. This (supply, is the) gate of the 
 Lord, into which the righteous shall enter— to 
 "praise the Lord" {v. 19). Christ, "the King of 
 glory," first comes in through the "everlasting 
 doors "of the heavenly city, to make the way for us 
 also to enter (Ps. xxiv. 7). Cf. the 'Te Deum' 
 hymn of Ambrose, ' When thouliadst overcome the 
 sharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of 
 heaven to all believers.' 21. I will praise thee : for 
 thou hast heard me— (Ps. cxvi. 1.) and art be- 
 come my salvation— (i'. 14; Exod. xv. 2.) 22, The 
 stone which the builders refused is become the 
 head stone of the corner. "The stone" is the 
 foundation-stone of the temple laid by Zerubbabel, 
 an earnest of the whole temple, in building which 
 the adversaries of Judah thwarted him, but he 
 was enabled 'by the Spirit of the Lord' to 
 "bring forth the head stone thereof, with shout- 
 ings. . . Grace, grace, unto it" (Zech. iii. 9; iv. 6, 7: 
 cf. Ezra iii. 10-13; iv. 1-9). Messiah is the anti- 
 typical "stone," the "foundation" laid by the 
 Father for the spiritual temple, the Church (Tsa. 
 xxviii. 16; Eph. ii. 20); rejected by men, but 
 jirecious to them that believe (1 Pet. ii. 6, 7);. 
 first foretold by Jacob, Gen. xlix. 24, "the stone 
 of Israel." 23. This is the Lord's doing ; it is mar- 
 vellous in our eyes. Israel may be the stone in. 
 
 the primary and typical sense (cf. Jer. li. 26 ; 
 cxiii. 7, 8, notes). The elevation of Iskael fi 
 359 
 
 Ps. 
 
 om 
 
 its low state like a stone on the ground to its 
 future eminence (Ps. cxiii. 7, 8) is symbolized by 
 the foundation-stone of the temple, the corner- 
 stone (the point where all the building is joined, 
 and wherein it rests) "despised" in its " day of 
 small things" (Zech. iv. 10), but ultimately exceed- 
 ing in its glory the former temple (Hag. ii. 9). Its 
 antitype i& Messiah (Zech. x. 4; Matt. xxi. 42; 
 Acts iv. 11), the "stone cut out of the mountain 
 without hands," overlooked at first, but ultimately 
 about to "break in pieces and consume all the 
 kingdoms " represented by the world-power image 
 (Dau. ii. 31-35, 44, 45), and to " fill the whole 
 earth" (cf. on "the Lord's doing," Zech. iv. G). 
 The stone, in the sense of filling the whole earth, 
 may refer to the Church, the body and fulness of 
 Christ, who fiUeth all with all (Eph. i. 23, Greek) ; 
 24. This is the day (which) the Lord hath made; 
 we will rejoice and be glad in it— viz., the day of 
 the feast of tabernacles, a rest to Israel through 
 God's gift, answering to the original Sabbath rest 
 which God appointed to commemorate the rest from 
 creation, the type of the future "day of the Lord" 
 (Rev. i. 10), vhen Israel's and the regenerated 
 world's rest shall be, and when the autitypical 
 feast of tabernacles shall celebrate the rest 
 from past unrest then first enjoyed (cf. Isa. xxv. 
 9). 25. Save now, I beseech thee, 0 Lord : O 
 Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity 
 [iii np'^nn] — " Hosanna," the formula used at the 
 feast of tabernacles. Such was probably the praj/er 
 of Nehemiah (as the languar/e was already before in 
 part used by him,, Neh. i. li) at the feast of taber- 
 nacles (Neh. viii. 14), &c. It was afterwards the 
 cry of the palm-bearing multitude on the Sunday 
 before Christ's last i)assover and crucifixion, and 
 shall be the cry of repenting Israel again, when 
 the spiritual harvest-home shall be celebrated at 
 the Lord's coming to reign with His completed 
 elect ones, and the antitypical feast of tabernacles 
 shall be celebrated (cf. Rev. vii. 9: cf. vv. 1-8, 10, &c. ), 
 the antitype to the palm-Sunday hosannas which 
 greeted Messiah. On " now, I beseech thee," cf. Ps. 
 cxvi. 16). 26. Blessed be he that cometh in the 
 name of the Lord— the cry of the rnultitude when 
 Christ rode as a King into His capital, Jerusalem. 
 (Matt. xxi. 9). Bat this was not the final fulfil- 
 ment of the prophecy in this verse ; for in Matt, 
 xxiii. 39 Christ tells the Jews, "Ye shall not see 
 me henceforth till ye shall say. Blessed is He 
 that cometh in the name of the Lord." He that 
 cometh in the name of the Lord is, in the primary 
 and typical sense, Zerubbabel coming as repre- 
 sentative of the Lord's cause in building the 
 temple, and Nehemiah the same in building the 
 wall of Jerusalem, &c. The shoutings, "Grace, 
 grace unto it" (Zech. iv. 7) answers to we have 
 
Prayers, praises, and 
 
 PSALM CXIX. 
 
 professions of obedience. 
 
 We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. 
 
 27 God is the Lord, which hath showed us "light : 
 
 Bind the saerifiee with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. 
 
 28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee : 
 ^ Thou art my God, I will exalt thee. 
 
 29 Ogive thanksunto the Lord ; for he is good : — ^forhis mQToyenduretk forever. 
 
 PSALM CXIX, 
 
 ALEPH. 
 
 1 BLESSED a7'e the ^ un defiled in the way, 
 Who "walk in the law of the Lord. 
 
 2 Blessed ai^e they that keep his testimonies, 
 A?id that *seek him with the whole heart. 
 
 3 They '^also do no iniquity : — they walk in his vv^ays. 
 
 4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently, 
 
 5 0 "^that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes ! 
 C Then ^ shall I not be ashamed, 
 
 When I have respect unto all thy commandments. 
 
 Eath. 8. 18. 
 Mic. 7. 9. 
 1 Pet. 2. 9. 
 Ex. 15. 2. 
 l a. 2 >. 1. 
 
 PSALM llJi 
 
 I Or, per- 
 fect, or, 
 sincere. 
 
 <» Pa. 12«. 1. 
 
 6 Deut. 4. 29. 
 
 " Rom. 7. 1\ 
 
 17. 
 
 1 John 3. 9. 
 
 1 John 5. IS. 
 -i Jer. 31. 33. 
 
 Rom. 7. 22- 
 24. 
 
 2 Cor. 3. r>. 
 2 Thes. 3. 5. 
 Heb. 13. 21. 
 
 * Job 22. 26. 
 1 John 2.28. 
 
 blessed you out of the house of the Lord 
 
 here. In the aiititynical and ulterior sense Christ 
 explains it of Himself coming as the manifestation 
 of the Father s glory, and bearing His name (Exod. 
 xxiii. 21). Hengstenherg translates, as a Hebrew 
 accent connects the words, ' Blessed in the name 
 of the Lord is he who cometh.' I prefer the 
 English version. 27. God is the Lord, which hath 
 showed us light—?', e., prosperity amidst the night 
 of our adversity; alluding to the pillar of fire which 
 shone by night for Israel (Exod. xiii. 21; xiv. 20; 
 Neh. ix. 12). bind the sacrifice with cords. " The 
 sacrifice" — lit., the feast, hence here the festive vic- 
 tim (Exod. xxiii. 18 ; 2 Chr. xxx. 22). At the feast 
 of tabernacles especially there were many sacri- 
 ficial victims offered him (xxix. 13). Josephns' 'An- 
 tiquities,' viii. 14, 1, calls it ' a feast pre-eminently 
 holy and gi-eat.' The sense is, since God is Jeho- 
 vah, the faithful unchangeable fulfiller of His 
 
 Sromises to His people, as he has now shown 
 [imself, let us testify our gratitude by sacrifices, 
 even unto the horns (or horn-like extremities 
 in which the altar culminates) of the altar — on 
 which the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled. 
 28. thou art my God, I will exalt thee— (Exod. 
 XV. 2. ) 29. 0 give thanks unto the Lord ; for he is 
 good: for his mercy endureth for ever. The 
 psalm ends as it begun. What we have sung with 
 pleasure we love to repeat, and dwell on again and 
 again. This psalm ends the great HaUel, Ps. 
 cxiii.-cxviii., which was sung at all the feasts, 
 especially at the passover and feast of tabernacles. 
 It seems to have been the hymn sung by Jesus 
 and His disciples at the last passover (Matt. xxvi. 
 30). 
 
 PSALM CXIX. The connection of the sacred 
 aphorisms of this psalm is their common reference 
 to the W ord of God, the grand theme of the whole. 
 Tlie only two verses [vo. 122 and 132) in which it is 
 not named, contain an indirect reference to it, 
 "good" and "thy name" being both elsewhere 
 continually associated with God's Word. The 
 I)salm is a suitable sermon after the Hallel, to urge 
 the people to regard God's Word as the palladium 
 of their national and individual salvation. Ezra, 
 the restorer of the national polity, was probably 
 the author of the present form of the psalm 
 (Pvjief/). Israel is the real speaker whom the 
 Psalmist represents. Israel's calling was to testify 
 for the Word of tnith before the heathen world- 
 powers {w. 23, 46). V. 87 refei-s to the national 
 
 calamities which would have " consumed " Israel 
 but for the elect's sak^. V. 52 refers to God s 
 ancient "judgments" in her behalf, which comfort 
 the believing remnant. The professions of zeal for 
 God's law are covert exhortations to Israel. 
 "Reproach" and "affliction" caused by tlie 
 "proud" still rest on her; but a "quickening" of 
 national life has begun. The sufferer prays to be 
 raised from the dust {vv. 17, 25, 26, 32, 39, 40, GO, 
 51, C5, 87, 93). The tone is that of 'soft, quiet, 
 melancholy, comforted by God' (FJcngstenberg). 
 The features suit the Jews' position just after their 
 return from Babylon. The alphabetical arrange- 
 ment stands instead of a closer connection of the 
 parts. To each of the twenty-two Hebrew letters 
 there are assigned eight verses, each beginning 
 with the same Hebrew letter. 
 
 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who 
 walk in the law of the Lord— (Ps. i. 1, 2.) This 
 119th Psalm is as it were an inspired sermon on 
 this text, which contains its substance ia epitome. 
 
 2. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies. 
 Eight terms are used for the Word of God in this 
 psalm, all of which occur in this first stanza. 
 Tlie law~~t\\Q testimonies — precepts— conamandmenls 
 —judgments (these five occur in the 19th Psalm) — 
 statutes [pn, a difterent Hebrew word from that 
 ipiquudee) for statutes in Ps. xix.] — ways— righteous- 
 ness. This 119th Psalm is based upon David's 
 19th Psalm, that seek him with the whole heart. 
 Therefore the psalmist declares, v. 10, " With vfiy 
 uihole heart have I sought thee." Not with a 
 divided heart, as the "double-minded" (Jas. iv. 8), 
 
 3. They also do no iniquity— wilfully and habit- 
 ually (1 John iii. 9). they walk in his ways- 
 after the Spirit, not after the flesh (Rom. viii. 1). 
 
 4. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts 
 diligently — as a most precious dexjosit committed 
 to us. Translate wholly : see note, v. 8. 5. O that 
 my ways were directed — 'confirmed,' {Heng- 
 stenherg: of. Ps. Ixxviii. 37; li. 10, marg.) Pre- 
 pared, directed aright, and made stcdfast [i^ii;], 
 (2 Chr. xxvii. 6, cf. marg ) Remenibering human 
 frailty and instability, and knowing that m m 
 cannot of himself obey God's law, the Psalmist 
 prays for the Divine power to regulate aright and 
 establish his ways. 6. Then shall I not be 
 ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy 
 commandments. I sliall not be with ehame dis- 
 appointed in my hope of salvation when I have 
 respect not merely to some, or even many, but to 
 
Prayers, praises, and 
 
 PSALM CXIX. 
 
 professiovs of obedience. 
 
 7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, 
 
 When I shall have learned ^thy righteous judgments. 
 
 8 I will keep thy statutes : — 0 forsake me not utterly. 
 
 a BETH. 
 
 9 
 
 Wherewithal shall ^ a young man cleanse his way ? 
 By taking heed thereto according to thy word. 
 
 10 With my whole heart have I ^sought thee: 
 
 0 let me not wander from thy commandments. 
 
 11 Thy '^word have I hid in mine heart, — that I might not sin against thee. 
 
 12 Blessed art thou, 0 Lord : — Heach me thy statutes. 
 
 13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. 
 
 14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, — as much as in all riches, 
 
 15 I will ■' meditate in thy precepts, — and have respect unto thy wa^^s. 
 
 16 I will delight myself in thy statutes : — I will not forget thy word. 
 
 : GIMEL. 
 
 17 Deal bountifully with thy servant, may live. 
 And keep thy word. 
 
 18 ^Open thou mine eyes, — that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. 
 
 2 judgments 
 of thy 
 righteous- 
 ness. 
 
 / Pro. 1. 4. 
 10. 
 
 Fro. 4. 1. 
 10-17. 
 
 Fro. 5. 7, 
 
 Fro. 6. 20. 
 
 Eccl. 11. 9. 
 
 Eccl. 12. 1. 
 
 Luke 1% 13. 
 
 2 Tim. 2. 22. 
 
 Tit. 2. 4-6. 
 f 1 Sam. 7. 3. 
 
 2Chr. 15.15. 
 
 Fs. 78. 37. 
 
 Jer. 3. 10. 
 
 H( s. 10. 2. 
 
 Zeph. 1. 5. 
 ft Luke 2. 19. 
 i Ps. 25. 4. 
 3 Ps. 1. 2. 
 
 3 Reveal. 
 Eph. 1. 17. 
 
 ALL thy commandments. One single lust spared 
 or cherished is incompatible with salvation (Jas. 
 ii. 10, 11). 7. I will praise thee with upright- 
 ness of heart (i. e. , sincerity : as opiwsed to formal 
 Up i^ercice), when I shall have learned thy righ- 
 teous judgments— when I shall have been taught 
 by thee the laws of thy righteousness. To i)raise 
 God aright, we must leam by the Divine Spirit's 
 teaching the holiness of God, reflected in His 
 word and laws (vr. 12, 26 ; John vi. 45). 8. I will 
 keep thy statutes: 0 forsake me not utterly. 
 
 The same Hebrew as is translated "dili- 
 
 gently" in 7'. 4, 'Thou hast commanded us to 
 keep tliy precepts wholly:^ I wish to keej) them 
 wholly : in order that I may do so, do thou 'for- 
 sake me not wholly.'' The believer may seem 
 almost forsaken ; but he is never wholly forsaken 
 (Ps. xxxvii. 24, 28). 
 
 9. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his 
 way? The lusts of young men are naturally 
 strong, and prone to bring defilement on the soiil 
 (cf. Pro v. i. 4; xx. 11). By taking heed (thereto) 
 according to thy word. "Thereto" — viz., to 
 " his way " (cf, Ps. xvii. 4). 10. With my whole 
 heart have I sought thee. So all Judab, under 
 Asa, " entered into a covenant to seek the Lord 
 (;!od of their fathers with all their heart, and with 
 all their soul . . . and sought Him with their whole 
 desire" (2 Chr. xv. 12, 15). 0 let me not wander 
 from thy commandments— as the penalty of ray 
 wanderings : God adds, 'iniquity unto the iniquity' 
 of the reprobate (Ps. Ixix. 27). Forsake me not 
 when heartily seekincf thee; but help me by thy 
 grace. Thus Israel pleads, Isa. Ixiii. 17, " 0 Lord, 
 why hast thou made us to err from thy ways," 11. 
 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might 
 not sin against thee — the sure preservative 
 against falling (Ps. xxxvii. .31). So the Virgin 
 Mary (Luke' ii, 19, 51 ; Prov, vii. 1). He is sure to 
 slip who lets the Word of God, the antidote to sin, 
 slip from his heart. 12. Blessed art thou, O Lord: 
 teach me thy statutes. Thou hast taught me to 
 know and praise thee as " Blessed :" go on teaching 
 me 3til). Tlion who hast so rich a supply of grace, 
 as the Blessed One, supply me with teaching out of 
 it. 13. With ray lips have I declared all the 
 Judgments of thy mouth— (Deut. vi, 6, 7. ) Though 
 1 have " bid thy Word in mine heart" (v. 11), yet I 
 ^1 
 
 do not confine it th«re, but give utterance to it 
 "with my lips." "Declared" — lit,, enumerated 
 {Sipharti) in detail. This I do as well to be myself 
 the more familiar with them, as also in order to 
 teach them to others. As I teach them to others, 
 so do thou "teach" them to "me" {v. 12), 14. I 
 have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as 
 (much as) in all riches. "The way of thy testi- 
 monies " is that way which is prescribed by them. 
 The Hebrew ^v] may be better translated, ' as 
 being above all riches (cf. Ps, iv. 7; xix. 10). 15, I 
 will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect 
 unto thy ways— those pleasing to thee [Hengsten- 
 berg). Thy ways whereby thou dost punish the 
 world, chastise the Church, and prepare thy way 
 for coming to us (Cocceius). "1 will meditate" 
 with delighted admiration, having drawn ofi" my 
 mind from all other thoughts to consider this one 
 alone, the nature and object of each of thy precepts. 
 He mentions his diligence in studying God's law, 
 not for boasting, bnt to stir up others by his 
 example. 16, I will delight myself in thy 
 statutes— (Ps, i, 2,) 
 
 17. Deal bountifully— /?)'., 'reward;' viz., not as 
 a matter of debt, but of grace, according to thy 
 promise to them that seek thee. Already the Lord 
 had "dealt bountifully with" the Psalmist (Ps. 
 cxvi, 7) : he prays Him to continue to do so, that 
 I may live, and keep thy word. He seeks life, not 
 for gratification of the flesh, but that he may serve 
 the Lord in keeping His Word. As Saint Paul, 
 " to me to live is Christ " (Piiil, i. 21, 22, 24). The 
 preservation of Israel's national life is primarily 
 meant. Cf, rv. 25, 77. Already he had expressed 
 confldence of it (Ps. cxviii, 17) ; now he prays for 
 it. Confidence should be tempered with humblo 
 prayer. 18. Open thou mine eyes, that I may be- 
 hold wondrous things out of thy law. The wonders 
 of the law, not only its deep mysteries, but its 
 practical truths, proceed " out of " it only to the 
 spiritually-enlightened. "Open" — Hebrew, gal; 
 lit,, take the veil from off mine eyes. Believers be- 
 hold the wonders of God's law ' with open (lit,, un- 
 veiled) face ' [dvaKeKoKvixfxevM Trpoo-ci'Trw]. But Israel 
 has still the ' veil upon her heart in the reading of 
 the Old Testament. ' But when she shall turn to 
 the Lord, the veil shall be taken away ' (2 Cor. iii. 
 14-18). 'The God of our Lord Jesua Christ, the 
 
Prayers, praises, and 
 
 PSALM CXIX. 
 
 professions of obedience. 
 
 19 I ^am a stranger in the earth: — hide not thy commandments from me. 
 
 20 My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at 
 
 all times. 
 
 21 Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, 
 Which do err from thy commandments. 
 
 22 Remove from me reproach and contempt; — for I have kept thy testimonies. 
 
 23 Princes also did sit aiid speak against me : 
 But thy servant did meditate in thy statutes. 
 
 24 Thy testimonies also are my delight, and * my counsellors* 
 
 -I DALETH. 
 
 25 My soul cleaveth unto the dust : 
 ^Quicken thou me according to thy word. 
 
 26 I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me : 
 
 Teach me thy statutes. 
 
 27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts : 
 So shall I talk of thy wondrous works. 
 
 28 My soul ^melteth for heaviness: 
 
 Strengthen thou me according unto thy word. 
 
 Father of glory,' must ' give the spirit of wisdom 
 and revelation,' in order that we may kuow Diviiie 
 truth. ' As the eye cauuot behold the sun without 
 the light of the sun, so the human miud cannot 
 Tinderstand the wonders of God save by the light 
 of C od ' {Muis). (2 Cor. i v. 4, 6 ; 2 Pet. i. 20. ) 19. 
 I am a stranger in the earth : hide not thy com- 
 mandments from me. As a stranger on earth I 
 know not what things I ought to do, what to 
 avoid : teach me both by revealing thy command- 
 ments. This earth is not the believer's home, but 
 his lodging. As strangers must expect many in- 
 conveniences, do thou, who carest for the stranger, 
 take me up (Gejer). The way of Cod's " command- 
 ments " is the way to the heavenly city, where 
 Cod's people shall not be 'strangers,' but children 
 in their Father's home. " Hide not " the way 
 from me. Even in the earthly Canaan true Israel- 
 ites felt themselves, as their fathers before them 
 (Heb. xi. 13), to be ' strangers and sojourners ' 
 ( I Chr. xxix. 15 ; Ps. xxxix. 12). Much more so 
 Christians (1 Pet. ii. 11). 20. My soul breaketh 
 for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments 
 at all times. " Breaketh" implies a heart full of 
 desire, even to breaking. God's "judgments " are 
 His judicial deeds in behalf of His people against 
 their foes. The Lord's people long for a repetition 
 of these, now that they ai'e low in the dust (cf. 
 next verse and i. 25). 21. Thou hast rebuked the 
 proud (that are) cursed, which do err from thy 
 commandments — a samijle of the "judgments" 
 longed for [v. 20). God rebuked, by acts of ven- 
 geance, the "proud" Pharaoh, who 'exalted him- 
 self against God's people ' (Exod. ix. 17) : God then 
 showed that " in the thing wherein they dealt 
 
 Eroudly He was above them" (Exod. xviii, 11), 
 ord rebuke them in act again, and vindicate thy 
 people ! Those are under the curse who " err from 
 God's commandments " (Deut. xxvii. 26 ; Gal. iii. 
 10). 22. Remove from me reproach and con- 
 tempt — Hebrew, gal ; ' roll away from me re- 
 roach ' — viz. , such as Israel bare from the 
 eathen, as though God disowned them, when 
 they were jait under the power of the uncircum- 
 cised. The allusion is to Josh. v. 9, where, after 
 the people had ceased to be uncircumcised, " the 
 Lord said . . . This day have I rolled away the re- 
 Ijroach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name 
 of the place is called Gilgal" (i.e., rolliyig; the 
 same Hebrew root as here). The renewal of cir- 
 cumcision practically announced that God then 
 
 * Gen. 47. 9. 
 iClir. 29.15. 
 Ps. 39. 12. 
 
 2 Cor. b. 6. 
 Heb. 11. 13, 
 16. 
 
 1 Pet. 2. 11. 
 
 * men of ray 
 counsel. 
 
 ' Ps. 71. 20. 
 
 Ps. 80. 18. 
 
 Ver. 37. 
 
 Ps. 143. 11. 
 "'1 Ki. 8. 3C. 
 
 Ps. 25. 4, 8, 
 9. 
 
 Ps. 27. 11. 
 Ps. 86. 11. 
 Ver. 107. 
 Ver. 149. 
 Ver. IMi. 
 Ver. 159. 
 Ps. H3. S- 
 10 
 
 5 droppeth. 
 
 renewed the covenant with Israel, for I have 
 kept thy testimonies. "Theprond . . . err from 
 thy commandments" {v. 21), and therefore "re- 
 l)roach" me for " keeping thy testimonies," and in i 
 " contempt " jeer Israel as disowned by God with j 
 all her (i e., the godly remnant's) keeping them, i 
 Do thou by "thy jud-anents " {v. 20) 'rebuke' 
 {v. 21) them, and so roll away their "reproach" 
 from me (Ps. xxxix. 8). It concerns God's honour 
 to vindicate those who keep God's testimonies, 
 lest they and others be discouraged from keeping 
 of them. 23. Princes also did sit (and) speak 
 against me : (but) thy servant did meditate in 
 thy statutes— (^;. IGl.) The shield of the Israel of 
 Cod against the slanders of this world's great 
 men is loving meditation in Cod's Word. Not 
 only in private, but 'sitting' in deliberate "coun- 
 sel" publicly (Ps. i. 1), the world-princes speak 
 against God's ]ieople. But these are not thus to 
 be deterred from going on in obedience to God's 
 statutes, especially in the case of Jesus (Acts iv. 
 5-7, 25-27). 24. Thy testimonies also (are) my 
 delight, (and) my counsellors {vv. 17, 92) — m 
 opposition to the 'princes sitting' in council ngsiiuat 
 me [v. 23). King Alphonsus, when asked who 
 were the best counsellors, replied, the dead, mean- 
 ing books ; for they, without flattery, teach pure 
 truth. With better reason David calls God's 
 laws his counsellors {Muis). 
 
 25. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken 
 thou me according to thy word. The first clause 
 is from Ps. xliv. 25 : cf. xxii. 15 ; Isa. xxvi. 10. 
 T?ie dust is the place of the afflicted, the wounded, 
 and the dead. ' Quicken me' — viz., to life, peace, 
 and joy. 26. I have declared my ways, and thou 
 heardest me— viz., in my i)rayer under affliction 
 (Ps. cxviii. 5, 21). " My ways " are here, my whole 
 case (Ps. xxxvii. 5). He means not a bare mention, 
 but a confidential and decided committal of him- 
 self and all his concerns to God, as a sick man 
 does to his physician, a client to his advocate 
 (Gejer). teach me thy statutes — that by my 
 obedience to them I may testify my gratitude. 
 27. Make me to understand the way of thy pre- 
 cepts : so shall I talk of thy wondrous works— 
 (Ps. cxlv. 5, 6.) Make me so to appreciate them 
 tuith heart and mind [v. 18), that my tongue may 
 celebrate thy wondrous works, which are thy out- 
 ward expression of them in acts. 28. My soul 
 melteth for heaviness— owing to my sufl'erings, 
 notwithstanding my adherence to thy Word. I 
 
Prayers, praises, and 
 
 PSALM CXIX. 
 
 professions of obedience. 
 
 29 Remove "from me the way of lying : — and "grant me thy law graciously. 
 
 30 I have chosen the way of truth ; 
 Thy judgments have I laid before me. 
 
 31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies: — 0 Lord, put me not to shame» 
 
 32 I will run the way of thy commandments. 
 When thou shalt ^enlarge my heart. 
 
 n HE. 
 
 33 Teach me, 0 Lord, the way of thy statutes. 
 And I shall keep it ^unto the end. 
 
 34 Give ""me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; 
 Yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. 
 
 35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; 
 For therein do I delight. 
 
 36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, — and not to ""covetousness. 
 
 37 ^Turn away mine eyes from 'beholding vanity; 
 And quicken thou me in thy way. 
 
 38 Stablish ^thy word unto thy servant, — who is devoted to thy fear. 
 
 39 Turn away my reproach which I fear; — for thy judgments are good. 
 
 " fro. 30. 8. 
 Isa. 44. 20. 
 Jer. 16. 19. 
 Eph. 4. 22- 
 
 25. 
 
 1 John 1. 8 
 
 1 John 2. 4 
 ° Heb. 8. 10. 
 P 1 Ki. 4. 29. 
 
 Isa. 60. 5. 
 
 2 Cor. 6. 11, 
 9 Matt. 10.22. 
 
 Rev. 2. 26. 
 »• Pro. 2. 6. 
 
 Jas. 1. 5. 
 * Eze. 33. 31. 
 
 Mark. 7. 21. 
 
 Luke 12. 15. 
 
 1 Tim. 6.10. 
 
 Heb. 13. 5. 
 6 Make to 
 
 pass. 
 
 Isa. 33. 15. 
 t Jub 31. 1. 
 
 " 2 Sam. I:l5. 
 
 " Melteth " — lit. (dalphah), droppefh. Cf. Job 
 xvi. 20, the same Hebrew. 29. Remove from me 
 the way of lying; and grant me tliy law gra- 
 ciously. "The way of lying " is every unfaifhfulness 
 to the covenant— i. e,, to "thy law" (which in the 
 parallel clause stands in contrast). Thy law is 
 truth (vv. 149, 151 ; John xvii. 17) ; apostasy from 
 it is lyhig: cf. v. 30, "the way of truth." grant 
 me thy law graciously — grant me as a gift of grace 
 the knowledge of thy lav; (v. 27). 30. I have 
 chosen the way of truth ; thy judgments have I 
 laid (before me) — / have laid them dow}i as the 
 rule of my conduct. " The way of truth "—the 
 way of faithfulness [hiidn]. 31. I have stuck unto 
 thy testimonies : 0 Lord, put me not to shame- 
 disappoint not my hope. Though " my soul 
 cleaveth unto the dust " (?', 25), it cleaveth still 
 faster to "thy testimonies," so that no business, 
 pleasure, or peril can sever me from them. 
 32. I will run the way of thy commandments, 
 when thou shalt enlarge my heart— when thou 
 shalt have completely delivered me out of my 
 straits, " and set me in a large place" (Ps. cxvi. 3 ; 
 cxviii. 5), and so made my heart enlarged with 
 joy, (v. 45, marg.) Enlargement of heart comprises 
 the expansion produced by Ivoe (2 Cor. vi. 11) ; also 
 by increased wisdom (1 Ki. iv. 29) ; also by delight 
 (in contrast to the contraction of heart which grief 
 produces) (Isa. Ix. 5; Ps. iv. 1; xviii. 36). "I 
 will run," not slowly, but with alacrity and speed, 
 through the wide race-course of thy command- 
 ments ; not stationary, but straining every nerve 
 to reach the goal of perfection (1 Cor. ix. 24 ; 
 Gal. v. 7 ; Phil. ii. 16 ; iii. 12-14). Like the sun 
 (Ps. xix. 6). 
 
 33. Teach me, 0 Lord, the way of thy statutes, 
 and I shall keep it (unto) the end. So v. 112 
 
 rightly supplies the ellipsis. 34. Give me under- 
 standing—a frequent prayer of the godly {v. 73). 
 The Lord alone giveth it (Prov. ii. 6 ; Jas. i. 5). 
 I shall observe it with my whole heart. He 
 feels this a feature of religion which cannot be too 
 often dwelt on (v. 10). As v. 33, "unto the end," 
 expresses never ceasing as to time^ so this verse as 
 to earnrstness. 35. Make me to go in the path of 
 thy commandments; for therein do I delight. 
 Thou who hast given me the will, give me the 
 power to perform. Do not forsake one who by thy 
 aid has already embraced thy Word. 36. Incline 
 my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to 
 
 covetousness. Love to Cod and love to gain 
 cannot dwell together in the same heart. The one 
 will be sure to siipiilant the other (Matt. vi. 24; 
 1 John ii. 15; 1 Tim. vi. 17; Ezek. xxxiii. 31). 
 " Cares, and riches, and i^leasures of this life" 
 choke the seed of the Word, so that no fruit is 
 brought to perfection (Luke viii. 14). God, in 
 judicial retribution, gives \x\) the covetous (includ- 
 ing all who make self or the world their idol) to 
 their own covetousness (Rom. i. 24). 37. Turn 
 away mine eyes from beholding vanity— (Isa. 
 xxxiii. 15, end.) Hengstenherg for " vanity" trans- 
 lates ' deceit :' all the worldly idols in which happi- 
 ness and peace are sought apart from God, — power, 
 wealth (Prov. xxiii. 5), pleasure, self-righteousness, 
 man's praise or help, &c. (Ps. xxxi. 6; xl. 4; Ixii. 
 9). Earthly goods appeal to the eye (so in Eve's 
 case, Gen. iii. 6) and create " the lust of the eyes." 
 May I see them as though I saw them not. The 
 Hebrew proverb says, ' The eyes and the heart are 
 the negotiating agents of sin ' (Num. xv. 39, 
 ''''Seek not after your own lieart, and your own eyes, 
 after which ye use to go a whoring;" Job xxxi. 1, 
 7; 1 John ii. 16 ; 2 Sam. xi. 2; Prov. iv. 25). Our 
 safety is in avoiding to look at temptation (Matt. 
 V. 28, 29 ; vi. 22, 23; Prov. xxiii. 31). Looking begets 
 lor.ing. Vain things seen beget lust, the parent of sin. 
 quicken thou me in thy way— I am naturally 
 dead to heavenly things, do thou give me spiritual 
 life more and more {vv. 17, 25, 40, 50). Vanity or 
 sin is death : sx)irituality is life. 38. Stablish thy 
 word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy 
 fear— or, 'thy Word which belongs to thy fearers;^ 
 viz., to them who fear thee [Hengstenherg). I 
 prefer the English version (cf. v. 76, 173 ; 2 Sam. 
 vii. 25). Give the additional grace which thou 
 promisest to one who uses the grace already given, 
 and with reverential "fear" asks from his heart 
 for more (Muis). Also "stablish thy word^^ ojf 
 promise respecting the ultimate permanence of David^s 
 seed and kingdom (1 Ki. ii. 4 ; viii. 25). 39. Turn 
 away my reproach which I fear. The reproach 
 of the enemy makes the suppliant fear that he may 
 come to a bad end at last (cf. Job iii. 25; ix. 28). 
 Or, 'let not my sin and its chastisement turn to 
 the reproach of the truth, and occasion blasphemy 
 against God (Gocceius), on the mrt of the enemy, 
 who will lay the blame on tliy judgments and 
 statutes, and the jirofcssion of thy worship 
 {Jiiietits). for thy judgments are good— not 
 
Prayers, praises, and 
 
 PSALM CXIX. 
 
 professions of obedience. 
 
 40 Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: 
 Quicken me in thy righteousness. 
 
 1 VAU. 
 
 41 Let thy mercies come also unto me, 0 Lord, 
 Even thy salvation, according to thy word. 
 
 42 So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me ; 
 For I trust in thy word. 
 
 43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth ; 
 For I have hoped in thy judgments. 
 
 44 So shall I keep thy law continually — for ever and ever. 
 
 45 And I will walk ^at liberty: — ^for I seek thy precepts. 
 
 46 I ^will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, — and will not be ashamed. 
 
 47 And I will delight myself in thy commandments, — which I have loved. 
 
 48 My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; 
 And I will meditate in thy statutes. 
 
 7 ZAIN. 
 
 49 Remember the word unto thy servant, 
 Upon which thou hast caused me to hope. 
 
 50 This is my "'comfort in my affliction : — for thy word hath quickened me. 
 
 destructive, but savingly corrective to thy people. 
 40. Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: 
 quicken me in thy righteousness— acconZm^ to 
 thy ri'jhteousness, whereby thou savest them who 
 trust in thee. 'The longing after God's command- 
 ments is the distinguishing mai-k of the godly and 
 the pledge of salvation.' {Hengstenhcrg.) 
 
 41, 42. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O 
 Lord, (even) thy salvation, according to thy 
 word. So shall I have wherewith to answer 
 him that reproacheth me. The gift of this "sal- 
 vation," through thy tender "mercies" (Luke i. 
 78), will be the best matter-of-fact reply to them 
 who "reproach" me because of my seeming rejec- 
 tion from thy favour {vv. 39, 42). for I trust in 
 thy word— (Ps. xxv. 2; xxvi. 1.) 43. And take 
 not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth- 
 take not from me, by withholding thy saving 
 deliverance ("salvation," v. 41), the ability to give 
 a true "answer" (?;. 42) to "him that reproacheth 
 me." The loord of truth, or the true answer to the 
 enemy, is to be able by facts to show that God 
 keeps His promise of helping His children in dis- 
 tress. ' Not merely do not take it out of my heart, 
 but not even out of my mouth: grant that what I 
 truly believe I may freely also confess ' {Rivetvs). for 
 I have hoped in thy judgments— i have rested my 
 hope in thee, amidst my trials, that thou wilt by 
 tfLy judgments vindicate my cause, as thou hast 
 ever done to them who trust in thee. 44. So shall 
 I keep thy law. " So "—in gratitude for thy good- 
 ness, continually for ever and ever. The ac- 
 cumulation of words expresses the intensity of his 
 resolution. 45. And I will walk at liberty: for 
 I seek thy precepts— Hebrew, * I will walk at 
 large:'' the same Hebrew root ["D^] as in v. 32, 
 "when thou shalt enlarge my Ps. cxviii. 
 
 5, "in a large Y)lace;" opposed to "a strait place," 
 the straits in which the Psalmist was before. This 
 is only realized fully uuder the Gospel " law of 
 liberty " by those whom " the Son maketh free," 
 and who, instead of "the spirit of bondage," have 
 received "the spirit of adoption," and instead of 
 "the spirit of fear," have that "of power, and of 
 love, and of a sound mind" (2 Tim. i. 7; Rom. viii. 
 15 ; John viii. 3G • Jas. i. 25). Those who walk on 
 the king's guarded highway need not fear hurt. 
 
 Now that I have been brought out of my straits, I 
 need not turn to bypaths, but will walk in the 
 broad path of thy law, which, though it seem 
 narrow aud thorny to the flesh, yet is suarge place, 
 easy and sure to the spirit and the regenerate 
 conscience. 46. I will speak of thy testimonies 
 also before kings, and will not be ashamed— 
 ( Ps. cxxxviii. 1. ) So Paul before King Agrippa and 
 Festus (Acts xxvi. 1, 2). Of. Jesus forewarning, 
 Matt. x. 18, 19. Instead of being asliamed, 
 Christ's followers glory to suSer shame for His 
 name (Acts v. 41). It is not they, but their adver- 
 saries, that shall be put to shame (Acts iv. 14; vi. 
 10; 1 Pet. iii. 16). 47. And I will delight myself 
 in thy commandments, which I have loved. 
 Here he expresses his personal delight in [v. 16) 
 the private study of God's word, as in v. 46 he had 
 expressed his public profession of faith in it. 48. 
 My hands also v/ill I lift up unto thy command- 
 ments, which I have loved. The lifting up of the 
 hands is the outward expression of the lifting up of 
 tlie heart to them (Ps. xxviii. 2). I will pray with 
 uplifted hands for grace to fulfil them. Also I will 
 bless the Lord Jor them with uplifted hands (Ps. 
 cxxxiv. 2). Also I will swear unth uplifted hands, 
 as Abraham did (Gen, xiv. 22), to keep them. 
 Also / will lift up my hands to perform thy com- 
 mandments : I will set about it as a matter of the 
 utmost weight (Gen. xli. 44; Heb. xii. 12, "lift 
 up the hands that hang down"— i. e., act strenu- 
 ously as Christians). G^ejer takes it, ' like a starving 
 beggar lifting his hands to receive food, I will eagerly 
 lay hold of thy commandments.' 
 
 49. Remember the word unto thy servant, upon 
 which thou hast caused me to hope— (vv. 38, 76, 74, 
 81, 147.) Hengstenherg translates, ^ Because [a.^ the 
 Hebrew is translated, 2 Sam. iii. 30 [29]) thou hast 
 caused me to hope.' He objects to the English 
 version that a different collocation of the Hebrew 
 preposition and relative would thus be required [not 
 1*^^. ^V, but "vhv Generally in the Hebrew 
 
 idiom there is an ellipsis if the Hebrew preposition 
 be placed before the relative, as Gen. xxi. 17 ; xliv. 
 iv. ; Hag. i. 11, " Upon [that) which the ground 
 bringeth forth." But the old versions. Chaldaic, 
 Syraic, Arabic, LXX., Vulgate, and Etniopic sup- 
 port the English version. 60. This is my csmfort 
 
Prayers, praises, and 
 
 PSALM CXIX. 
 
 professions of obedience. 
 
 51 The proud have had me greatly ^in derision; 
 Yet have I not ^declined from thy law. 
 
 52 I remembered thy judgments of old, 0 Lord ; 
 And have comforted myself. 
 
 53 Horror hath taken hold upon me 
 Because of the wicked that forsake thy law. 
 
 54 Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. 
 
 55 I have remembered thy name, 0 Lord, in the night. 
 And have kept thy law. 
 
 56 This I had, — because I kept thy precepts. 
 
 n CHETH. 
 
 57 Thou ^art my portion, 0 Lord : 
 
 I have said that I would keep thy words. 
 
 58 I entreated thy ^ favour with my whole heart : 
 Be merciful unto me according to thy word. 
 
 59 I "^thought on my ways, — and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. 
 
 I * Ps. 123. 3,4. 
 Jer. 20. 7. 
 Luke i6. 14, 
 
 Luke 23. 35. 
 y Job 2!. 11. 
 Ps. 44. 18. 
 Isa. 38. 3. 
 Isa. "!2. 4. 
 Acts 20. 'i2, 
 24. 
 
 Heb. 12. 1. 
 " Ezra 9.. 3. 
 " Ps. 63. 6. 
 b Ps. 16. 5. 
 
 Jer. 10. 111. 
 
 Lam. 3. 21- 
 9 face. 
 
 Job 11. 19. 
 " Lam. 3. 40. 
 
 Joel 2. 13. 
 
 Luke 1.-). 17 
 
 in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened 
 
 me — thy word of promise of salvation has given 
 me life, when I was giving way to despair. Vv. 
 65, 93 show that the quickeniyig had already begun. 
 51. The proud have had me greatly in derision 
 (Jer. XX. 7) ; yet have I not declined from thy law 
 — (?'. 157.) So the faithful remnant protest, Ps 
 xliv. 18. " The proud " — viz., those who in 
 haughty self-conceit "err from thy command 
 ments ' {v. 21 ; Ps. x. 4). David, the model to our 
 Psalmist, declined not from God's law in the 
 main scope of his life, according to inspired testi 
 mony (1 Ki. xiv. 8; xv. 5). The heathen mocked 
 at the seemingly visionary expectation of Israel 
 that God would raise her up from the dust to an 
 eminent kingdom [v. 42). But Israel did not let 
 herself be turned aside from God's law by the sug- 
 gestions of carnal sense and reason, however out- 
 ward appearances might discourage all hope. 52. 
 
 I remembered thy judgments of old, and have 
 
 comforted myself. God's past judicial vindica- 
 tions of His people by mighty deliverances gives 
 Israel sure hope for the future, however dis- 
 couraging be her present state. "Of old"— He- 
 brew, ''from (of) old.' Thou hast always had the 
 same principle of dealing with the godly and the 
 ungodly respectively, and shalt ever have the same. 
 63. Horror hath taken hold upon me because 
 of the wicked that forsake thy law. So Ezra, 
 after the return from Babylon, when he heard that 
 "the holy seed had mingled themselves with " the 
 heathen people (Ezra ix, 2, 3), "rent his garment 
 and his mantle, and plucked off the hair of his 
 head and of his beard, and sat dov/n astonied;" 
 and with him "every one that trembled at the 
 words of the God of Israel, because of the trans- 
 gression of those," &c, "Horror" [nDP^l]— lit., 
 hurning, found only in Ps. xi. 6; Lam. v. 10. 
 Burning indignation against the impiety of the 
 transgressors, and zeal for the honour of God, who 
 is insulted thereby (y. 139; Ps. Ixix. 9). The 
 "judgments" of the Lord gave him seasonable 
 'comfort' under such feelings {v. 52). Compare 
 the holy "anger" of Jesus at the Pharisees, ac- 
 companied with "grief for the hardness of their 
 hearts" in turning His very miracles into grounds 
 of hatred and accusation (Mark iii. 5). Anger, or 
 even hot indignation, is not sinful, but consonant 
 to the will of God, when not self, but the glory of 
 God, is the object, and when grief for the wretched 
 self-destroyers accompanies it (Phil. iii. 18, 19). 
 54. Thy statutes have been my songs in the house 
 of my pilgrimage. As the sojourner in a strange 
 305 
 
 land sings the loved songs of his home and father- 
 land, and is cheered by them, so the child of God 
 and heir of heaven,^ who is but "a stranger in the 
 earth " (?;. 19), beguiles the weariness and sorrows 
 of life with continually thinking and speaking of 
 his Father's words. Laws were in some ancient 
 Greek states put in verse, that they might be the 
 more readily remembered. God's commandments, 
 with their accompanying promises, are ever in the 
 believer's memory, and "give songs in the night" 
 of his adversity (Job v. 10; Acts xvi. 25; Ps. cxlix. 
 5). 55. I have remembered thy name, 0 Lord, in 
 the night, and have kept thy law— (Ps. Ixiii. 6; 
 xlii. 8.) At night especially our sorrows press 
 painfully upon the mind. The remembrance of the 
 Lord's '^'name" — i. His manifestation of Him- 
 self in acts as His people's Deliverer — is at such 
 seasons most consolatory. Of the time that others 
 give to sleep, I gladly take a part to comfort my- 
 self with the remembrance of thy glorious name. 
 56. This I had, because I kept thy precepts— 
 "this " good I have had as my reward (viz., that 
 thy statutes are "my songs in my pilgrimage," and 
 that "I remember thy name" as my comfort "in 
 the night") "because I have (so ardently) kept 
 thy i^recepts." The Pabbis say, The reward of 
 the precei)t is the precept; and ithe precept draws 
 on the precept. Whosoever keeps one precept is 
 gratuitously rewarded by God with grace to keep 
 another and a harder one. Just as, on the con- 
 trary, sin is the penalty of sin ; and one sin draws 
 on another {Muis) (Ps. xix. 11). Hengstenberg 
 translates, 'This I have (and in it the hope of 
 salvation, Deut. vi. 25), that I keep thy precepts.' 
 
 67. (Thou art) my portion, 0 Lord : I have said 
 (mentally, as my fixed resolve) that I would keep 
 thy words— (Ps. xvi. 5; Ixxiii. 26; Lam. iii. 24; 
 Jer. X. 1(3.) Let the unbelieving world choose 
 worldly goods as their portion. I choose the Lord 
 and His words as mine. 58. I entreated thy favour 
 (lit., thy face, Ps. xlv. 12, marg.; Dan. ix. 13, marg.) 
 with my whole heart. The Hebrew expresses 
 great earnestness and humility in supplication, be 
 merciful unto me according to thy word of pro- 
 mise (Exod. xxxiii. 19). 59. I thought on my 
 ways — the first step towards repentance, as in the 
 case of the prodigal (Luke xv. 17, 18); also that to 
 which the Lord urges the Church at Ephesus 
 (Rev. ii. 5). and turned my feet unto thy testi- 
 monies whereinsoever they had turned aside 
 from them. There is a constant tendency to de- 
 viation even in the believer. God's Word is the 
 rule whereby to detect deviations, and at once to 
 
*rayers, praises, 
 
 and 
 
 PSALM CXIX. 
 
 professions of obedience. 
 
 60 I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments. 
 
 61 The bands of the wicked have robbed me: 
 But I have not forgotten thy law. 
 
 62 At ^ midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee 
 Because of thy righteous judgments. 
 
 63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee, 
 And of them that keep thy precepts. 
 
 64 The ^earth, 0 Lord, is full of thy mercy: — teach me thy statutes. 
 
 D TETH. 
 
 65 Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, 0 Lord, 
 According unto thy word. 
 
 66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge : 
 For I have believed thy commandments. 
 
 6'^ Before -^I was afflicted I went astray; — but now have I kept thy word. 
 
 68 Thou art ^good, and doest good: — teach me thy statutes. 
 
 69 The proud have forged a lie against me : 
 
 But I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart. 
 
 70 Their ^ heart is as fat as grease ; — but I delight in thy law. 
 11 It Us good for me that I have been afflicted; 
 
 That I might learn thy statutes. 
 72 The ^ law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. 
 
 »o Or. com- 
 panies. 
 Ps. 42, 8. 
 Mark 1. 35. 
 Acts 16. 25. 
 
 • Ps. 33. 5. 
 Ps. 101. 13. 
 Ps. 145. 9. 
 
 / Deut. 32.15. 
 
 Jer. 31. IS. 
 
 Hos. 2. 6, r. 
 
 Hos. 5. 15. 
 
 Hos. 6, 1. 
 
 Heb. 12. 11. 
 
 Rev. 3. 19. 
 f Ex. 33. 18, 
 19. 
 
 Ex. 34. 6. 
 
 Ps. 86. 5. 
 
 Ps. 106. 1. 
 
 Ps. 107. 1. 
 
 Ps. 145. 7,9. 
 
 Matt. 5. 45. 
 
 Matt. 19.17. 
 '* Job 13. 4. 
 i Acts 28. 2T. 
 
 j Heb. 12. 10. 
 
 * Ps. 19. 10. 
 Pro. 8. 10. 
 
 rectify them. 60. I made haste— like Zaccheus 
 (Liike xix. 5, 6), at the Lord's call, and delayed not 
 — like Felix, Acts xxiv. 25; and the Athenians, 
 Acts xvii. 32). I "delayed not" — lit., I did not 
 stand questioning [from the interrogation, no], 
 hithmahmahti. In good impulses wrought in us 
 by the Spirit, we must at once act, or else the flesh 
 will supplant the spirit. Strike whilst the iron is 
 hot, or it will wax colder and harder than ever. 
 The dilatoriness of the old nature is such that we 
 move with tortoise pace in good things, with the 
 hare's pace in bad. He expresses positively and 
 negatively his promptitude, to imply his yielding 
 himself up to good impulses and resisting the bad! 
 The national reference is the punishment of the 
 Jews by the captivity led them to repentance. 
 This psalm and Lamentations express this feeling. 
 61. The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but 
 I have not forgotten thy law. So Kimdii takes 
 the verb from a Chaldee root to rob [or from 
 1?, a spoil. Gen. xlix. 27]. But Gesenlus takes 
 it, ' surround ' [i.\u, from "VW, to repeat]. Buxtorf 
 supports the English version, Hengstenherq, for 
 " bands," i. e., companies, translates, " tlie snares." 
 [But in that sense it would not be '!?3ri, but ""h^ri, as 
 in Isa. V 18; Prov. v. 22 (Mercer)]. 62. At mid- 
 night I will rise to give thanks unto thee because 
 of thy righteous judgments— (v. 55; Acts xvi. 25.) 
 Midnight is often tlie time of God's judgments 
 for His people on their foes; as in the case of 
 the Egyptians (Exod. xi. 4; xii. 29). Israel at 
 midnight remembers this deliverance, and rises to 
 
 five thanks. Cf. Job. xxxiv. 20 with xxxv. 10; 
 iuke xii. 20. I thank thee not merely lying on my 
 bed, but rising up for the purpose out of my bed. 
 ' Cares of this world, impatience of w^rongs, a bad 
 conscience, keep awake the ungodly and disturb 
 their sleep ' (Bivetus) ; but what I awake for is to 
 give thanks to thee. 63. I am a companion of 
 all them that fear thee, and of them that keep 
 thy precepts. 'A man is known by his com- 
 panions' (Amos iil 3; Mai. iii. 16, 17). 64. The 
 earth, 0 Lord, is full of thy mercy : teach me thy 
 statutes— (v, 12. ) As thou fillest the earth with 
 thy mercy, so give me a share of it by teaching me 
 3ij6 
 
 thy statutes. I can make no progress in }>iety 
 unless thou teachest me. Of all thy many mer- 
 cies, this is the one which I desire earnestly above 
 all the rest. 
 
 65. Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, 0 
 Lord, according unto thy word. The answer to v. 
 17. Already the Lord had dealt well with Israel 
 in releasing her from the Babylonian captivity. 
 She prays that He may crown the work which 
 He has begun, by raising her from her sunken 
 state. 66. Teach me good judgment and know- 
 ledge. "Judgment" [taham] — lit., taste. So ex- 
 perimental understanding (Ps. xxxiv. 8). On "good," 
 cf. Ps. xxvii. 13 ; xxxi. 19. for I have believed thy 
 commandments— in both their threats and their 
 promises. 67. Before I was afflicted I went 
 astray; but now have I kept thy word. The 
 affliction of Israel in her captivity (Ps. cxvi. 10) 
 produced a salutary effect u^wn her {vv. 71, 75; 
 Jer. xxxi. 18, 19; Heb. xii. 11). 68. Thou art 
 good, and doest good. To be good and to do good 
 are God's grand characteristics (Acts xiv. 17). So 
 Jesus, Acts X. 38. 69. The proud have forged a 
 lie against me (vv. 21, 51, notes; Job. xiii. 4)— 
 such an accusation as that laid by the Samaritan 
 adversaries of Judah before King Ahasuerus, that 
 the Jews had rebellion and sedition as their aim in 
 building the city (Ezra iv. 11-16). but I will keep 
 thy precepts with my whole heart— the only safe- 
 guard against the evil consequences of the slander. 
 70. Their heart is as fat as grease— as obese as 
 fat (Deut. xxxii. 15): a mind reprobate [incapable 
 of judging and appreciating, vovv aooKt/iov, Kom. i. 
 28J (Ps. xvii. 10; Ixxiii. 7) — stupid and insensible 
 as to spiritual things (Isa. vi. 10; Acts xxviii. 27). 
 Contrasted with " good judgment " —^i^., 'good- 
 ness of taste ;' a perception capable of discriminat- 
 ing and relishing things sacred. 71. It is good for 
 me that I have been afflicted— {Heb. xii. 10; John 
 XV. 2 ; Job V. 6 : cf. vv. 67, 75). Thrice he blesses 
 God for affliction as a great beneflt. 72. The law 
 of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands 
 of gold and silver— (?;. 127 ; Ps. xix. 10.) Babbi 
 Joseph alleged this verse as his plea for not going, 
 when tempted with the promise of great gain, to a 
 place where there was no synagogue (Muis). 
 
prayers, praises, and 
 
 PSALM CXIX. 
 
 2Jrof€ssions of obedience. 
 
 •> JOD. 
 
 73 Thy ^ hands have made me and fashioned me : 
 
 Give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments. 
 
 74 They ""that fear thee will be glad when they see me; 
 Because I have hoped in thy word. 
 
 75 I know, 0 Lord, that thy judgments are right, 
 And ^ that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. 
 
 76 Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, 
 According to thy word unto thy servant. 
 
 77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: 
 For thy law is my delight. 
 
 78 Let the proud ''be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without 
 
 cause : 
 
 But I will meditate in thy precepts. 
 
 79 Let those that fear thee turn unto me, 
 And those that have known thy testimonies. 
 
 80 Let my heart be ^ sound in thy statutes, — that I be not ashamed. 
 
 3 CAPH. 
 
 81 My ^soul fainteth for thy salvation; — but I hope in thy word. 
 
 82 Mine ^eyes fail for thy word, — saying, When wilt thou comfort me? 
 
 83 For * I am become like a bottle in the smoke ; 
 Yet do I not forget thy statutes. 
 
 84 How ^ many are the days of thy servant ? 
 
 ^'When wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me? 
 
 ' Job 10. 8. 
 
 Pa. 100. 3. 
 
 Ps. 138. 8. 
 
 Ps. 139. 14. 
 '"Ps. 3». 2. 
 
 Mai. 3. 1*5. 
 
 11 righteous- 
 ness. 
 
 Gen. IS. 25. 
 Rom. 3. 4. 
 " Ps. 25. 10. 
 Ps. 89. BO- 
 SS. 
 
 Heb. 12. 10. 
 Rev. 3. 19. 
 
 12 to comfort 
 me. 
 
 ° Ps. 25. 3. 
 P 2Chr.lnir. 
 
 Pro. 4. 23. 
 
 John 1. 47. 
 9 Ps. 42. 1. 
 
 Ps. 73. 26. 
 
 Ps. 84. 2. 
 
 Song 5. 8. 
 
 Deut. 2<.32. 
 
 Ps. CO. 3. 
 
 Isa. 38. 11. 
 * Job 30. SO. 
 t Ps. 39. 4. 
 
 Ps. 89. 47, 
 48. 
 " Ps. 7. 6. 
 
 Kev. 6. 10. 
 
 73. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me. 
 
 Israel saith this, in conformity with what Moses 
 said to her, Deut. xxxii. 6 (cf. Deut. xxxii. 15; 
 Isa. xliv. 2). give me understanding, that I may 
 learn thy commandments. 'Whatever I am or 
 can is thine; I cannot therefore teach myself; do 
 thou teach me ' {Cocceius). The gift of understand- 
 ing in the will and Word of God is the crowning gift 
 without which one's natural birth would be a 
 curse, instead of a blessing. 74. They that fear 
 thee will be glad when they see me ; because I 
 have hoped in thy word. Other tried and tempted 
 believers will be confirmed in their hope by my 
 case, when they shall see me delivered from all 
 my trials, and raised to eminence and peace (Ps. 
 xxxiv. 2; lii. 6). 75. I know, 0 Lord, that thy 
 judgments are right (lit. , righteousness), and that 
 thou in faithfulness hast afiaicted me. God is 
 faithful to His word even in afflicting His people 
 (Deut. xxxii. 4). His faithfulness is shown in not 
 suffering them to be tempted above that they are 
 able to bear, but with the temptation making a 
 way to escape (1 Cor. x. 1.3). He afflicts them not 
 in consuming anger, but for their salvation (1 Cor. 
 xi. 32 ; 1 Pet. iv. 19). This is the sure sign of re- 
 pentance, that the chastised people of God are 
 " humbled," and "accept the punishment of their 
 iniquity " (Lev. xxvi. 41, end). 76. Let, I pray 
 thee, thy merciful kindness he for my comfort, 
 according to thy word unto thy servant. Let 
 mercy and grace mitigate, and finally deliver me 
 from, my affliction, which I confess is justly 
 merited. 77. Let thy tender mercies come unto 
 me, that I may live : for thy law is my delight— 
 (w;. 17, 24.) This latter is the vindication of my 
 spiritual life; therefore I confidently ask for thy 
 tender mercy to preserve me in physical arid 
 spiritual life, that I may still delight myself in thy 
 law, as it already is my delight. 78. Let the proud 
 be ashamed (be disappointed in their hope of 
 destroying me) ; for they dealt perversely with 
 367 
 
 me without a caJuse : (but) I will meditate in thy 
 precepts. They falsely accused me of perversity, 
 and wanted to turn me from the right way ; but I 
 will only the more earnestly meditate in thy pre- 
 cepts. 79. Let those that fear thee turn unto me, 
 and those that have known thy testimonies— (cf. 
 V. 63.) "Those that have known"— participle in 
 Hebrew, those knowing. So the Masoretic reading 
 is; but the Hebrew text (Ketib) reads, 'And let 
 them know thy testimonies,' with which my causa 
 is identified. Let good men act towards me as 
 the friends of godly, though afflicted. Job acted 
 towards him in the end. Though heretofore per- 
 plexed, and not knowing what to think because 
 of my trials, let them see that thou art on my side ; 
 so let them join themselves to me as to one whose 
 case gives a sure hope to the godly in their times 
 of distress. Israel's and the Church's distress is a 
 stumblingblock to many ; but that shall cease 
 when God shall openly vindicate her cause and 
 bless her. 80. Let my heart be sound in thy 
 statutes, that I be not ashamed. Put to the 
 shame of disappointment in my hope of salvation. 
 "Sound" — Hebrew {thamim), perfect. Integrity 
 and sincerity are implied ; having no lurking self- 
 deceit or hypocrisy (Gen. xvii. 1). 
 
 81. My soul fainteth for thy salvation— pin etli 
 for it {v. 123 ; Ps. Ixxxiv. 2). (but) I hope in thy 
 word. Though sorely tempted, I do not give up 
 my hope. 82. Mine eyes fail for thy word, say- 
 ing. When wilt thou comfort me. " Fail for thy 
 word" — viz., for the fulfilment of thy proynise of 
 deliverance (Ps. Ixix. 3; Job xxxi. 16). 83. For I 
 am become like a bottle in the smoke— my skin 
 is become parched and shrivelled like an eastern 
 wine bottle, made of skin dried in the smoke (Ps. 
 cii. 3, 4 ; xxxii. 4 ; Prov. xvii. 22 ; Job xxx. 30). 
 ' The Church's constancy and piety are greatest in 
 persecution' {Cocceius). 84. How many are the 
 days of thy servant ? when wilt thou execute 
 judgment on them that persecute me? The 
 
Prayers, praises, and 
 
 PSALM CXIX. 
 
 professions of obedience. 
 
 85 The ^ proud have digged pits for me, — which are not after thy law. 
 
 86 All thy commandments are faithful: 
 
 They persecute me ^ wrongfully ; help thou me. 
 
 87 They had almost consumed me upon earth : — but I forsook not thy precepts. 
 
 88 Quicken me after thy loving-kindness ; 
 
 So shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth. 
 
 h LAMED. 
 
 89 For ^ever, 0 Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. 
 
 90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations : 
 
 Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. 
 
 91 They continue this day according to thine ^ordinances: 
 For all are thy servants. 
 
 92 Unless ^ thy law had been my delights, 
 
 I should then have perished in mine affliction. 
 
 93 I will never forget thy precepts : — for with them thou hast quickened me. 
 
 94 I am "thine, save me; — for I have sought thy precepts, 
 
 95 The wicked have waited for me to destroy me : 
 But I will consider thy testimonies. 
 
 96 I ^have seen an end of all perfection: 
 But thy commandment is exceeding broad. 
 
 D MEM. 
 
 97 0 how love I thy law ! — ^ it is my meditation all the day. 
 
 98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me ^ wiser than mine enemies ; 
 For they are ever with me. 
 
 " Ps, r?6. ?. 
 13 faitbful- 
 
 ness. 
 
 I s. 7. 1-5. 
 
 rs. 36. 10. 
 
 Ps. 38. 19. 
 ' Matt. 5. 1^ 
 
 Matt. 24.3}. 
 
 1 Pet. 1. 25. 
 
 2 Pet. 3. 13. 
 1* to genera- 
 tion and 
 generation. 
 
 15 standeth. 
 y Gen. 8. A2. 
 
 Ps. 148. 5. 6. 
 
 Isa. 48. 13. 
 
 Jer. 33. 25. 
 * Rom. 15. 4. 
 " Ps. 86. 2. 
 
 Hos. 2. 7, 
 16. 
 
 Acts 27. 23. 
 6 I.<^a. 40. 8. 
 
 Malt. 5. 1^ 
 
 Matt. 24.3j. 
 ' Ps. 1. 2. 
 
 Pro. 2. in. 
 
 fro. 18. 1. 
 d Deut. 4. 6. 
 8. 
 
 Isa. 48. 17. 
 
 16 it is ever 
 with me. 
 
 shortness of human life is made the plea for asking 
 that God would vindicate His justice by speedy 
 judgments on the Church's persecuting foe (Ps. 
 xxxix. 4, 13). Job uses the same plea (Job vii. 6-21; 
 ix. 25; xvi. 22). 85. The proud (m 21, 78, notes) 
 liave digged pits for me, wMcli {who— viz., the 
 proud: not the pits) are not after thy law. 
 Treachery is especially opposed to God's law. 86. 
 All thy commandments are faithful — lit. , faithful- 
 ness [v. 75); have attached to them promises to the 
 obedient which shall surely be fulfilled. 87. They 
 had almost consumed me upon earth: but I 
 forsook not thy precepts— or, 'in the (Holy) 
 land.^ Israel was now but a small remnant in it, 
 even as the Canaanite remnant was formerly (2 
 Chr, viii. 8) (Hengstenberg). 88. Quicken me after 
 thy loving-kindness; so shall I keep the testi- 
 mony of thy mouth. God must give His people 
 8]iiritual life, in order that thev may be able "to 
 wiU and to do " His word (Phil."'ii. 13). 
 
 89. For ever, 0 Lord, thy word is settled in 
 heaven. The Hebrew accent, Athnacfi, recom- 
 mends rather the division of the verse into two 
 members, "For ever (thou art), O Lord: thy word 
 is settled in heaven." Thus the first clause of this 
 verse answers to the first of v. 90, " Thy faithful- 
 ness is unto all generations ;" as the second answers 
 to the second of v. 90, "thou hast established the 
 earth (answering to "in heaven'''' here), and it 
 abideth." "Thy word is settled in heaven "— i e., 
 is as unchangeable as the heaven itself is by thy 
 appointment (Ps. Ixxxix. 2). It is there ^)erfect]y 
 known and established, whereas all earthly things 
 are liable to fluctuation and revolution. 90. Thy 
 faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast 
 established the earth, and it abideth— by the 
 power of "thy Word," which "is settled in heaven." 
 Thy Word at creation spake the earth into existence 
 (Ps. xxxiii. 9), the same Word maintains and causes 
 it to abide. Though "one generation passeth 
 away, and another cometh," yet, "the earth abideth 
 
 for ever " (Eccl, i. 4), 91. They continue this day 
 according to thine ordinances: for all are thy 
 servants. Muis translates, ' They continue (stand) 
 this day /or thy judgments' — i.e., for the 
 purpose of executing them, as obedient " servants." 
 As the Psalmist often throughout the psalm looks 
 for the judgments of God to vindicate Israel's and 
 his cause against the enemy, this interpretation 
 seems preferable. 92. Unless thy law had been 
 my delights, I should then have perished in mine 
 affliction. "Thy law" — viz., its consolations and 
 promises (cf. v. 24). 93. I will never forget thy 
 precepts: for with them thou hast quickened 
 me-— with the hopes which they suggest (v. 50, note. ) 
 94. I (am) thine, save me ; for I have sought thy 
 precepts— I belong to thee, and give myself up 
 wholly to thee (lit., / to thee), to thy Word, and thy 
 will; save me therefore. 95. The wicked have 
 waited for me to destroy me— (Ps. Ivi. 6. ) (but) 
 I will consider thy testimonies — as Daniel was 
 not turned aside from praying thrice a day by 
 the plot of his enemies for his destruction. 96. I 
 have seen an end of all perfection: but thy 
 commandment is exceeding broad— as conti asted 
 with the narrow boundaries of human standards 
 of i)erfection. I have seen no human thing so 
 complete that it did not in some point come short : 
 thy commandment alone is infinite and unchange- 
 able. There is no bound to its perfection. It de- 
 scribes the whole state of the Church and the 
 w^orld, past, present, and to come, and all that is 
 to be believed and to be done for salvation. 
 
 97. 0 how love I thy law ! it is my meditation 
 all the day— (Ps. i. 2. ) He says so, not to praise 
 his own devotion, but the excellence of God's law, 
 as worthy of all love and continual meditation. 
 98. Thou through thy commandments hast made 
 me wiser than mine enemies— (Deut. iv. 6-8.) 
 With all their worldly shrewdness (Luke xvi. 8) 
 opposed to my simplicity (Ps. cxvi. 6), they are 
 destitute of the wisdom wherewith thou hast made 
 
Prayers, praises, and 
 
 PSALM CXIX. 
 
 professions of obedience. 
 
 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers : 
 " For thy testimonies are my meditation. 
 
 100 I understand more than the ancients, — because I keep thy precepts. 
 
 101 I have ^refrained my feet from every evil way, 
 That I might keep thy word. 
 
 102 I have not departed from thy judgments: — for thou hast tauglit me. 
 
 103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! 
 Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 
 
 104 Through thy precepts I get understanding : 
 Therefore I hate every false vray. 
 
 3 Nu::. 
 
 105 Thy word is a ^^lamp unto my feet, — and a light unto my path. 
 
 106 I * have sworn, and I v/ill perform it, 
 That I will keep thy righteous judgments. 
 
 107 I am afflicted very much : — quicken me, 0 Lord, according unto thy word. 
 
 108 Accept, I beseech thee, ^'the free-will ofterings of my mouth, 0 Lord, 
 And teach me thy judgments. 
 
 109 My ^soul is continually in my hand : — yet do I not forget thy law. 
 
 110 The wicked have laid a snare for me : — yet I erred not from thy precepts. 
 
 ' 2Tim. 3.ir,. 
 / 1 Ki. 12. 0, 
 ir,. 
 
 Job 12. 12. 
 
 Job 15. y, 
 
 10. 
 
 Job 28. 28. 
 
 Job 32. r. 
 '■> I ro. 1. 15. 
 
 Isa. 53. 6. 
 
 Isa. 55. 7. 
 
 Jer. 2. -Je. 
 
 2 Uor. 7. 1. 
 
 Tit. 2. 11. 
 
 1 Fet. 2. 1. 
 
 E's. 19. 10. 
 
 1 ro. 8. 11. 
 '7 palate. 
 13 Or. 
 
 candle. 
 
 Fro. 6. 23. 
 »■ Neh. 10. 29. 
 ; Hus. 11. 2. 
 
 Heb. 13. 15. 
 
 Judg. 12. 3. 
 
 Job 13. 14. 
 
 me wise ; so I am proved " wiser than " they, for 
 they (thy commaudmeats) are ever witli me - 
 securing my superiority to mine enemies in the 
 wisdom which maketh wise unto salvation (2 Tim. 
 iii. 15-17). 99. I have more understanding than 
 all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my medi- 
 tation. By the teaching of "thy testimonies," 
 which are " my meditation," " I have more under- 
 standing than . . . my teachers," v.'ho neglect the 
 law of God to devote their attention to politics, 
 science, economics, &c. 100. I understand more 
 than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. 
 Obedience is the key to the true knowledge of 
 Cod and the highest things (John vii. 17). The 
 ancients or elders, by reason of lengthened ex]veri- 
 ence and observation, were, in the East, before the 
 days of many books, considered the repositories of 
 knowledge. Their knowledge is natural ; mine is 
 revealed, and therefore far exceeds theirs. ' An- 
 tiquity is no help against stupidity, where it does not 
 accord with the commandments of God' (Luther). 
 Cf. Job xxxii. 7-9. The three classes — " mine ene- 
 mies . . my teachers . . . the ancients" — though wise 
 in their own eyes and those of the M'^orld, are all my 
 inferiors in wisdom, because my wisdom is that of 
 God's Word, loved and practised. The Bible does 
 not startle men with declared anticipations of dis- 
 coveries in physics cot yet made by men of science ; 
 but the reverent man of science finds in it his 
 newe.st discovery sufficiently provided for by tacit 
 anticipation. The Bible is the true history of the 
 world, past, present, and to come. 101. I have 
 refrained my feet from every evil way, that I 
 might keep thy word. My object in refraining 
 from all evil is not merely to escaj)e i)unishment, 
 nor for the sake of vain-glory before others, but 
 ' in order that I may keep thy Word'— viz., from 
 a sincere desire to obey. 102. I have not departed 
 from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me 
 —inwardly by the Spirit, without which all other 
 teaching is inefl'ectual. Thou teachest me the way 
 wherein I should walk, and boldest up my goings 
 in it, so as not to stumble in it, or wander from it 
 (Ho3 xi. 3; Isa. liv. 13; Jer. xxxi. 34). 103. How 
 s^n^eet are thy words unto my taste ! yea, sweeter 
 than honey to my mouth— (Ps. xix. 10.) The 
 spiritual 'palate' (so the Hebrew for taste) dis- 
 criminates what is sweet and wholesome to the 
 tiwte of the sanctihed soul (cf. Job xiL 11 ; xxxiv 3j. 
 VOL. iiL 369 
 
 104. Through thy precepts I get understanding : 
 therefore I hate every false way— (cf. v. 29.) I 
 get understanding not only in the mysteries of 
 faith, but in the discreet guidance of the affairs of 
 life. On the contrary, one of the greatest of 
 heathen philosophers, Cicero, writes to Octavius, 
 'Alas me! I never have been wise, and have been 
 formerly esteemed that which I was not.' "I hate 
 every false way," both in myself, lest I should mis- 
 lead others, and in others, lest they should mislead 
 me {Iiiretu.s). 
 
 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a 
 light unto my path. The Word is "a lamp" to 
 us, a "light that shiueth in a daik j)lace until the 
 day dawn " (2 Pet. i. 19 ; Prov. vi. 23). The lamp 
 is not the sun, but is our i)recious guide as to all 
 that we should do, believe, hojie, and love, until 
 " the Sun of Righteousness " shall arise. We could 
 not, with our present weakness, bear the dazzling 
 etTulgence of His glory ;, but the day is coming 
 when His peo})le shall be made like Him, and 
 shall see Him as He isv 106. I have sworn, and I 
 will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous 
 judgments. So the Jews, after their return from 
 Babylon, ' entered into a curse and into an oath to 
 walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the 
 servant of God, and observe and do all the com- 
 mandments of the Lord our God, and His judg- 
 ments and His statutes.' This was a repetition of 
 their solemn promise at Siiiai (Exod. xix. 8; xxiv. 
 3, 7). The sworn promi.se of God's people to keep 
 God's judgments is in dependence on the promised 
 help of God's Spirit (Ezek. xi. 19, 20 ; 2 Cor. 3, 5). 
 107. I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O 
 Lord, according unto thy word. Life was promised 
 on the condition of obedience (Lev. xviii. 5 ; Deut. 
 vi. 24). 108. Accept, I beseech thee, the free-will 
 offerings of my mouth — my i)rayers and ])raises 
 (Ps. 1. 14; Hos. xiv. 2, "the calves of our lips;"' 
 "the sacHfice of praise to God . . . the fruit of 
 our lips," Heb. xiii. 15), 109. My soul is contin- 
 ually in my hand : yet do I not forget thy law— 
 i. <?., my life is in continual danger : like those who 
 carry anything precious in their hand, where it is 
 not safe, and might easily fall out, or be taken 
 away (Judg. xii. 3. " I put my life in my hands ;" 
 1 Sam. XIX. 5; Job xiii. 14). 110. Tlie wicked 
 have laid a snare for me : yet I erred not from 
 thy precepts— a commentary on v. 109. lu 
 2 B 
 
Prayers, praises, and 
 
 PSALM CXIX. 
 
 professions of obedience. 
 
 111 Thy Hestimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: 
 For they are the rejoicing of my heart. 
 
 112 I have inclined mine keart ^^to perform thy statutes alway. 
 Even unto the end. 
 
 D SAMECH. 
 
 113 I hate vain thoughts: — but thy law do I love. 
 
 114 Thou "'ar^ my hiding place and my shield:— I hope in thy word. 
 
 115 Depart ^from me, ye evil-doers: 
 
 For I will keep the commandments of my God. 
 
 116 Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: 
 And let me not ^be ashamed of my hope. 
 
 117 Hold ^thou me up, and I shall be safe : 
 
 And I will have respect unto thy statutes continually. 
 
 118 Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: 
 For their deceit is falsehood. 
 
 119 Thou ^^puttest away all the wicked of the earth ^like dross: 
 Therefore I love thy testimonies. 
 
 120 My ' flesh trembleth for fear of thee; — and I am afraid of thy judgments. 
 
 V AIN, 
 
 121 I have done judgment and justice : — leave me not to mine oppressors. 
 
 122 Be ^surety for thy servant for good: — let not the proud oppress me. - 
 
 123 Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, — and for the word of thy righteousness. 
 
 V. 10 he prayed God ' not to let him wander from 
 (Jod's conimandnients :' and in v. 21 described the 
 proud as those ' who do err from God's command- 
 ments.' Here he professes that the fruit of his 
 prayer [v. 10) is, that ' he does not err (in the main 
 scope of his life) from them,' XII. Thy testimonies 
 have I taken as an heritage for ever— a still 
 better heritage than even the litei-al Canaan flow- 
 ing with milk and honey (Deut. xxxiii. 4). for they 
 are the rejoicing of my heart— (vr. 77, 92, 174.) 
 112. I have inclined mine heart to perform thy 
 statutes alway, even unto the end — (r. 33.) 
 
 113. I hate vain thoughts : but thy law do I 
 love. " Vain thoughts " (as the antithesis to " thy 
 law" shows) are all thoughts opposed to God's 
 law, whether subtle speculations, which are in- 
 comi)atible with the simj)licity of revealed truth, 
 or carnal and worldly lusts forbidden by the 
 written Word. Gesenius takes the Hebrew [D'si?p], 
 ' men of divided minds ' ( Jas. i. 8) — Greek, ' a 
 double- soul ed man.' It may be translated ^divided 
 thoufjhts,^ as in 1 Ki. xviii. 21, marg. The English 
 version is supported by the Hebrew (Job iv. 13 ; 
 XX. 2). The literal meaning is branches ; so thoughts, 
 the offshoots of the mind. 114. Thou art my 
 hiding place and my shield : I hope in thy word— 
 (Ps. xxxii. 7.) 115. Depart from me, ye evil- 
 doers : for I will keep the commandments of my 
 God— (Ps. vi. 8.) Depart from me, for you can 
 neither destroy me nor seduce me, since I will keep 
 the commandments of my God. 116, Uphold me 
 according unto thy word, that I may live— Do not 
 let me either be destroyed or seduced by the "evil- 
 doers " [v. 115). and let me not be ashamed {i. e., 
 disappointed) of my hope — of salvation (Ps. xxv. 
 2, 3; Rom. v. 5; ix. 33). 117. Hold thou me up, 
 and I shall be safe (cf. Deut. xxxiii. 27, the assur- 
 ance which the believer receives), and I will have 
 respect unto thy statutes continually. Cf. Ps. 
 xvii. 5 on the first clause, and v. 112 on the second. 
 118. Thou hast trodden down all them that err from 
 thy statutes— (v. 21.) for their deceit (is] false- 
 hood—their crafty deceit, wherewith they think to 
 
 I Deut. 33. 4. 
 Ps. 16. 5. 
 Isa. 54. 17. 
 Acts 2 18. 
 Col. 1. 12, 
 Heb. 9. 15. 
 
 19 to do. 
 
 "' Ps. 32. r. 
 
 Ps. 91. 1. 
 
 Isa. 32. 2. 
 " Fs. 6. 8. 
 
 Ps. 139. 19. 
 
 Matt. 7. 23. 
 
 Matt. 2 '..41. 
 " Ps. 25. 2. 
 
 Eom. 5. 5. 
 
 Kom. 9. 32. 
 
 Rom. 10.11. 
 P Ps. ir. 5. 
 
 Ps. 71. 6. 
 
 John 10. 28. 
 
 Rom. 14. 4. 
 
 20 causest to 
 cease. 
 
 « Jfr. 6. 30. 
 
 Eze. 22. IS. 
 
 Mai. 3, 2. 
 
 Matt. 3. 12. 
 »■ Hab. 3. IG. 
 * Gen. 43. 9. 
 
 Isa. 38. 14. 
 
 Heb. 7. 22. 
 
 crush the godly, shall prove false to them, and 
 shall be bafiied. The deceivers shall find to their 
 ruin that it is themselves, not the godly, much 
 less God, that they have deceived (Isa. xxix. 14). 
 119. Thou puttest away all the wicked of the 
 earth (like) dross— (Ezek. xxii. 18, 19.) This shaU 
 be fully realized at the Lord's second coming, by 
 the flaming fire which shall separate the dross (the 
 wicked) from the pure metg.1 (the godly) (Isa. i. 2o ; 
 Mai. iii. 2, 3). therefore I love thy testimonies— 
 because these are what through faith shall be the 
 seed of life in the godly, saving him from the 
 coming judgments which shall cause the wicked to 
 cease (Hebrew, hishhatta) as dross (1 Pet. i. 23). The 
 same word which is the seed of life in believers 
 shall be the condemnation of unbelievers in the 
 last day. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee 
 — (1 Chr. xiii. 12; Ezek. xxvii, 35: especially 
 Hab, iii. 2, 16). 'Joyful hope goes hand in hand 
 with fear' {Hengstenberg). If God's past judg- 
 ments cause trembling even to the godly, who shall 
 be untouched by any such judgments, how much 
 more ought they to strike terror into tlie guilty? 
 
 121. I have done judgment and justice : leave 
 me not to mine oppressors. As I have done no 
 injustice to others, so leave me not to be the 
 victim of injustice. Not that he was absolutely 
 free from unrighteousness, but he was so in respect 
 to his enemies and their charges. In the main 
 drift of his life he was just. 122, Be surety for 
 thy servant for good : let not the proud oppress 
 me — Be my guarantee. Lit, the Hebrew means to 
 interchange, the surety taking the place of his 
 friend (Job xvii. 3, note ; Isa. xxxviii. 14). See 
 note, Jer. xxx. 21. The Psalmist regards the con- 
 test of his enemies with Israel and himself as a 
 judicial trial, in which his cause was at issue ; and 
 he desires the Lord to make Himself responsible 
 for him. Messiah alone realizes this. Cf. Zech. 
 iii. 1-5; Heb. vii. 22; ix. 11-15. On "the proud," 
 cf. V. 21 ; "for good," Deut. vi. 24 ; x. 13 ; xxx. 9. 
 123. Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the 
 word of thy righteousness— i. e., for the fulfilment 
 
Prayers, j^rmses, and 
 
 PSALM CXIX. 
 
 professions of obedience. 
 
 124 Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy. 
 And teach me thy statutes. 
 
 125 I am thy servant ; give me understanding, 
 That I may know thy testimonies. 
 
 126 It is time for thee, Lord, to work;— /or they have made void thy law. 
 
 127 Therefore 'I love thy commandments above gold, — yea, above fine gold. 
 
 128 Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; 
 And I hate every false way. 
 
 S PE. 
 
 129 Thy testimonies are wonderful : — therefore doth my soul keep them. 
 
 130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; 
 It "giveth understanding unto the simple. 
 
 131 I opened my mouth, and panted : — for I longed for thy commandments. 
 
 132 Look ^'thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, 
 ^^As thou usest to do unto those that love thy name. 
 
 « I'S. 19. 10. 
 
 Fro. 3. I3r 
 18. 
 
 Pro. 8. 11. 
 Pro. 16. 16. 
 Matt. 13.45, 
 40. 
 
 Eph. 3. 8. 
 
 " Ps. 19. r. 
 
 Pro. 1. 4. 
 
 2 Pet. 1. 19. 
 " Ex. 4. 31. 
 
 1 Sam. 1.11. 
 
 2Sam.l6.12. 
 
 Ps. 106. 4, 
 
 Isa. 63. 7-9. 
 21 according 
 
 to the 
 
 custom 
 
 toward 
 
 those, e'c. 
 
 of * thy Word,' which promises " salvation," a 
 promise which "thy righteousness" ensures the 
 fulfilment of. Cf. also r. 121, which gives an addi- 
 tional reason why God's righteousness was engaged 
 in his behalf— viz., t\\e justice of his cause against 
 his oppressors. Three things ought to be found in 
 ' a promise, according to theologians — 1. Truth, so as 
 j to promise sincerely ; 2. Faithfulness, to keep the 
 > promise; 3. Justice, or righteousness, to give to him 
 to whom you have promised his right or due, on 
 the ground of the promise (J^ui.?). "Fail for" — 
 i. e., faintingly long for. 124. Deal "wltli thy ser- 
 vant according unto thy mercy— (Ps. cix. 21.) 
 and teach me thy statutes— his chief prayer: 
 therefore often repeated (cf. v. 12). 125. I am thy 
 servant— (Ps. cxvi. 16.) give me understanding, 
 tliat I may know thy testimonies— the only re- 
 ward of my service, which I ask as a matter of 
 grace, not debt. 126. It is time for thee, Lord, to 
 work ; (for) they have made void thy law. " To 
 work;" or, lit., 'to do (it)' — viz., to vindicate thy 
 servant by saving him from his oppressors (vr. 121- 
 123). 8o ' do ' is used absolutely, Ps. xxii. 31 ; lii. 
 9; Isa. xliv. 2.3. Here the heathen are charged 
 with breaking God's law — viz., by oppressing Israel, 
 in violation of God's law of righteousness and love 
 written on the conscience in some degree, however 
 in part effaced by degeneracy. The same charge 
 against the inhabitants of the earth is brought in 
 Isa. xxiv. 5. This is the ground of the universal 
 judgment, and of the condemnation of the guilty 
 in all places and ages (Rom. ii. 12-16). The Book 
 of Job, which concerns one not of Abraham's race, 
 yet regulated by the fear of God and the princiides 
 of righteousness, i^reserved by tradition among 
 some of the Gentiles, shows that the law of God, 
 even in the Old Testament, was not altogether 
 confined to the elect nation. 127. Therefore I love 
 thy commandments above gold, yea, above fine 
 gold— (Ps. xix. 10.) " Therefore "—viz., because of 
 the excellencies of thy law, as detailed already. 
 128. Therefore I esteem all (thy) precepts (con- 
 cerning) all (things to be) right; (and) I hate 
 every false way. We must not choose those pre- 
 cepts which suit our inclinatior)s, whilst we set 
 aside others which oppose our lusts, but 'esteem 
 ALL God's precepts concerning all things ' the 
 obligatory rule of our hearts and lives. Some 
 'Compound for sins they are inclined to, 
 By damning those they have no mind to.' 
 
 But Jesus lays down the universality of the obli- 
 gation to obey every "jot " and "tittle " of the law 
 (Matt. v. 17-19), and the danger of ' breaking one 
 of the least commandments.' I wish for the aboli- 
 311 
 
 tion of no commandment of God, but rather the 
 abolition of my sin, which the commandment cou- 
 denms (JRivetus). 
 
 129. Thy testimonies are wonderful : therefore 
 doth my soul keep them — " wonderful" in resiject 
 to their Author, God, their subject matter, truth 
 without any mixture of error, and their end, sal- 
 vation for lost man. Though commonplace in the 
 blinded view of worldly men, yet to him who 
 ' keeps ' them, they are wonderful in the revela- 
 tions which they give of glorious and everlasting 
 truths never fathomed before (Isa. Ixiv. 3, 4 ; 
 1 Cor. ii. 7-10). 130. The entrance of thy words 
 giveth light — like the sun's beam entering through 
 an aperture into a dark room. So "the Lord 
 opened the heart of Lydia" to attend savingly to 
 the Word ; then the light gained an " entrance " 
 into her soul. What then are we to think of those 
 who deny the people of God free access to the 
 Word of God ? The Hebrew is literally ' the open- 
 ing of thy Word' — i. e., the opening of the eyes of 
 the soul caused by thy Word (entering). The Chal- 
 daic somewhat similarly, ' The impression of thy 
 Word.' The allusion is thus to the f/Hm (meaning 
 light). What the Urim and Thummim were to 
 the consulting worshipper, that thy Word is to 
 me, giving me a response on all questions of faith 
 and duty. So the LXX. uses here the term [dv- 
 \wo-is] by which they ordinarily ex])ress the Urim. 
 The Arabic, LXX., and Vulgate take ' the opening 
 of thy Word' to mean, 'the opening of it by ex- 
 planation^ or ' manifestation.'' So Hengstenberg, 
 ' The explanation of the sense of the Word, im- 
 parted by God through His Spirit : to the natural 
 man the doors of the Word of God are shut.' I 
 prefer the former, which is much the same as the 
 English version, it giveth understanding unto the 
 simple — (Ps, xix. 7,) There is a play on similar 
 sounds in the Hebrew between "entrance" and 
 "simple" — Peethachim, Pethaiim. 131. I opened 
 my mouth, and panted : for I longed for thy com- 
 mandments— (^7, 20,) Cf, Job xxix. 28 ; Ps. xlii, 1. 
 As one fainting pants for air, and one thirsty for 
 water, so thy commandments are the only thing 
 which can satisfy my longings. 132. Look thou 
 upon me, and he merciful unto me— thy mere look 
 is able to heal me, as thou usest to do unto 
 those that love thy name. It is no new thing 
 with thee, but thy wont in the case of all the 
 godly, as they can joyfully testify. "As thou 
 usest to do"— 'according to the judgment' or 
 'right (which thou dost exercise — Hebrew, Kem- 
 ishpat) towards tho.se that love thy name.' But 
 tlie English version is justified by Gen. xl. 13, 
 
Prayers, praises, and 
 
 PSALM CXIX. 
 
 professions of obedience. 
 
 133 
 
 134 
 
 Order my steps iu thy word : 
 
 And let not ^any iniquity have dominion over me. 
 Deliver ^me from the oppression of man : — so will I keep thy i")recepts. 
 
 135 Make ^thy face to shine upon thy servant ; 
 And teach me thy statutes. 
 
 136 Rivers ^of waters run down mine eyes, 
 Because they keep not thy law. 
 
 1' TZADDI. 
 
 137 Righteous ^art thou, 0 Lord, and upright are thy judgments. 
 
 138 Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very 
 
 23faithful. 
 
 139 My zeal hath -^consumed me; 
 
 Because mine enemies have Ibrgotten thy words. 
 
 140 Thy word is very ^^pure : — therefore thy servant loveth it. 
 141 
 142 
 
 I am ^ small and despised ; — yet do not I forget thy precepts. 
 
 Thy righteousness is ain everlasting righteousness, 
 And thy law is Hhe truth. 
 
 143 Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me; 
 Yet thy commandments are my delights. 
 
 144 The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlastings 
 Give me understanding, and I shall live. 
 
 "after the former manner when," &c. ; Exqd. xxi. 
 9; 2 Ki. xi, 14 ; Ezra iii. 4, "according to tlie cus- 
 torn.'" The Ohaldaic Targum also supports it 
 against 'judgment' or right, which I/engstenberg 
 maintains, observing, 'Those who love the name 
 of God (God in His historical glory) have a right 
 to the manifestations of His grace, a right resting 
 npon the nature of God as it is revealed in His 
 Word.' 133. Order my steps in thy word: and let 
 not any iniquity have dominion over me. The 
 parallelism of the latter clause, to "order my steps 
 in thy Word," shows, that what he prays against 
 is the dominion of iniquity or evil desire ; not, as 
 Hengst enter g, arguing from the first clause of v. 
 184, the dominion of avy iniquitous man. The 
 Syriac supports the latter. But the Ohaldaic, 
 LXX., Vulgate, Ethiopic, and Arabic support the 
 English version. "Order" — Hebrew, establish 
 firmly, so that all my motions, external and inter- 
 nal, may be " according to thy Word." This sets 
 aside all eclectic worship, affected revelations in- 
 dependent of the Word, and wandering desires of 
 the mind {(rejer). With the latter clause of the 
 verse, cf. John viii. 34 ; Eom. vi. IG, 20 ; 2 Pet. ii. 
 19. 134. Deliver me from the oppression of man. 
 Froni prayer against the oppression of "iniquity" 
 [v. 133) he naturally passes to prayer for deliver- 
 ance from the oiipression of iniquitous men (Luke 
 i. 74). so will I keep thy precepts— unimpeded by 
 their opposition, which thwnrts me now. 135. 
 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant. Prayer 
 for the return of God's full favour to His people 
 Israel (Ps. Ixxx. 3, 7; Num. vi. 25). 136. Rivers 
 of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep 
 not thy law— (Lam. iii. 48; Jer. ix. 1; xiii. 17.) 
 Hengstenherg translates, literally, 'Mine eyes come 
 down (dissolved in) waterbrooks. ' So the Arabic 
 and Ethiojtic. The English version understands, 
 'fi'om' befoi-e " mine eyes." So the Syriac. Ezek. 
 ix. 4. God is pleased with the zeal which His ser- 
 vants show for His honour, as insulted by the 
 transgressors not keeping His law. ludifierence 
 as to this argues a want of true love for God. 
 Zeal should be tempered with tenderness of spirit. 
 Indignation at the transgressors should be joined 
 with grief and tears for them (Phil. iii. 18). 
 372 
 
 137. Righteous art thou, 0 Lord, and up- 
 right are thy judgments — (Deut. xxxii. 4.) 
 The " righteous " is singular, "judgments " plural 
 — i.e., thy judgments are each one righieou^i. 
 When the chastened sinner justifies (xod in 
 His imnitive dealings, he is in the lit frame for 
 receiving deliverance (Neh. ix. 33; Dan. ix. 7). 
 
 138. Thy testimonies (that) thou hast com- 
 manded (are) righteous and very faithful— an ex- 
 planation of the preceding verse; lit., 'thou hast 
 commanded thy testimonies (so as to be) righteous- 
 ness and j ait] I fulness altogetlier.' They are fait I' - 
 fulness itself as concerns the fulfilment of the 
 liromises attached to them {v. 86; Ps. xciii. 5). 
 
 139. My zeal hath consumed me-(Ps. Ixix. 9.) 
 because mine enemies have forgotten thy words 
 — not from defect of memory, but wilfully acting 
 as if they had no remembrance of them. This 
 afflicts and consumes me more than the evils 
 which I suffer from them. ' Who in our days 
 tortures himself about publicevils and sins?' {Muis.) 
 
 140. Thy word is very pure -lit., purified, like 
 gold or silver refined of all dross by the fire (Ps. 
 xii. 6; xviii. 30). The purer and more iirecious 
 is the object beloved (in the estimation of the 
 worldly), the more burning is the indignation 
 felt at any slight put upon it. 141. I am small 
 and despised; (yet) do not I forget thy pre- 
 cepts. This makes me great before God, though 
 small before the world (1 Cor. i. 27; Luke i. 15). 
 142. Thy righteousness is an everlasting righ- 
 teousness — Thy standard of righteousness is an 
 abiding one: though now the enemy seem to ])re- 
 vail against thy righteousness, yet it " endureth for 
 ever." and thy law is the truth. It cannot, there- 
 fore, prove false to its promises to them who trust 
 iu it (Ps. xix. 9; John xvii. 17). 143. Trouble and 
 anguish have taken hold ou me— (Ps. cxvi. 3— 
 Hebrew, ^ found me;' Exod. xviii. 8.) Like dogs 
 tracking out a wild beast hiding or fleeing. 144. 
 The righteousness of thy testimonies is ever- 
 lasting— (v. 142.) give me understanding, and I 
 shall live— (u?;. 34, 73, 169.) "Thy testimonies" 
 do not disappoint tlie hopes of those who rest on the 
 l)roniises attached to them; therefore, spiritually 
 to undei'Stand theui brings with it life. 
 
Prayers, praises, and 
 
 PSALM CXIX. 
 
 professions of obedience. 
 
 p Korii. 
 
 145 I cried with my whole heart; hear me, 0 Lor.D: 
 I will keep ^A\j statutes. 
 
 146 I cried unto thee; save me, — ^''aiid I shall keep thy testi monies. 
 
 147 I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried : — I hoped in thy \yord. 
 
 148 Mine '^eyes prevent the night watches, 
 That I might meditate in thy word. 
 
 149 Hear my voice, according unto thy loving-kindness : 
 
 0 Lord, quicken me according to thy judgm.enti 
 
 150 They draw nigh that follow after mischief: — they are far from tliy law. 
 
 151 Thou ar^ ''near, 0 Lord; — and all thy commandments are truth. 
 
 152 Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded 
 
 tbem for -^ ever. 
 
 1 RESir. 
 
 153 Consider^mine affliction, and deliver rne;— for I do not forget thy law. 
 
 154 Plead '^my cause, and deliver me:— quicken me according to thy word. 
 
 155 Salvation ^is far from the wicked :— for they seek not thy statutes. 
 
 156 Great ai^e thy tender mercies, 0 Lord : 
 Quicken me according to thy judgments. 
 
 157 Many are my persecutors and mine enemies ; 
 Yet do I not decline from thy testimonies. 
 
 1 beheld the transgressors, and was grieved ; 
 
 Because they kept not thy word. 
 
 Consider how I love thy precepts : 
 Quicken me, 0 Lord, according to thy loving-kindness. 
 ^^Thy word, e's ixyiQfrom the beginning : 
 And every one of thy righteous judgments endureth fur ever. 
 
 158 
 
 159 
 
 160 
 
 57 Or, that I 
 may keep. 
 
 Ju.'g. lO.lr,,- 
 1.0. 
 
 Matt. 1. 21. 
 Ti'. ?. 14. 
 Tit. 3. 4. 
 I's. 63. 1, 6. 
 Ps. 139. 17, 
 18. 
 
 Lam. 2. IP, 
 
 Luke 6. IL". 
 " Deuc. 4. 7. 
 
 Ps. 46. 1. 
 
 Ps. 75. 1. 
 
 Ps. 139. 2. 
 
 Ps. 145. IS. 
 
 JMatt. l-.'.23. 
 / Luke ^1. S3. 
 » Ex. 3. 7. 
 
 Neb. 9. 32. 
 
 Ps. B. 13. 
 
 Ps. 13. 3. 
 
 Ps. 25. 19. 
 
 Lam. 2. 20. 
 
 Lam. 5. 1. 
 ft 1 Sam. 24.15, 
 
 Ps. 35. 1. 
 
 Mic. 7. 9. 
 ' Job 5. 4. 
 
 Ps. 73. 27. 
 
 Isa. 40. 12. 
 
 Isa. 57. l'\ 
 
 F ph. 2. 17. 
 
 28 Or, Man}'. 
 
 29 The begin- 
 nirg of thy 
 word is 
 true. 
 
 145. I cried with my whole heart; hear me, 0 
 Lord, I will keep thy statutes— (?;. 10.) 146. I cried 
 unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testi- 
 monies. The realization of onr salvation as an 
 experienced fact is the strongest motive to keeping 
 (j'od's testimonies. 147. I prevented the dawning 
 of the morning, and cried : I hoped in thy word 
 — (note, Ps. Ixxxviii. 13; f. 74.) "1 prevented" 
 —i.e., anticipated^ (Ps. xcv. 2, marg.) llengsfen- 
 berg supplies " thee :" I anticipated thee in the 
 morning dawn. 143. Mine eyes prevent the night 
 watches— Mine eyes are already awake before tlie 
 night-watches are ?>a.s< {Maurer). 'The night 
 watches find me awake whcu they co?/?,e' [11 mg- 
 stanberg). The latter accords best with the words, 
 Ps. Ixiii. G; Ixxvii. 4; Lam. ii. 19). Wilbei'jorce 
 used to say, ' I find most time for business, and do 
 it best, when I have most properly observed my 
 l)rivate devotions.' 149. Hear my voice, accord- 
 ing unto thy loving-kindness : 0 Lord, quicken me 
 according to thy judgment— j. e., thy just principle 
 of judicial dealing with the godly and the ungodly 
 according to their respective characters [iv. 156, 
 175). 150. They draw nigh that follow after mis- 
 chief: they are far from thy law. The more they 
 draw nigh me for mischief— lit., premeditated 
 wickedness [he]]— the further they are from thy 
 law. 151. Thou art near, 0 Lord ; and all thy com- 
 mandments (are) truth— (v. 142.) My enemies 
 draw near {i\ 150), l)ut thou art far nearer to me 
 than they (Ps. cxlv. 18; Jer, xxiii. 23). The 
 second clause gives the reason why He is near to 
 His Y»eoj)le, — viz., because lie has promised it in 
 connection with obedience to " His command- 
 ments." "All thy commandments," with the 
 threats and promises attached to them, are truth 
 u73 
 
 itself. 152. Concerning thy testimonies, I have 
 known of old that thou hast founded them for 
 ever— unchangeable and c-barnal (Luke xxi, 33). 
 
 153. Consider mine aihiction, and deliver me ; 
 for I do not forget thy, la-W— (Lam. v. 1.) 154. 
 Plead my_ cause— (Ps. xxxv. 1.) ISo David in re- 
 spect to his enemy, Saul (I Sam. xxiv. 15). Israel 
 at last shall confidently anticipate the Lord's 
 I>leading her cause (Mic. vii. 9). 155. Salvation is 
 ifar from the wicked— even as "they are far from 
 thy law " (v. 150; Job v. 4). 156. quicken me ac- 
 coi-ding to thy judgments — (r. 149, note.) 157. 
 yet do I not decline from thy testimonies— (??. 51 ;, 
 Ps. xliv. 18.) 158. I beheld the transgressors 
 — lit., the treacherous transgressors (note, Ps. 
 XXV. 3) ; unfaithful to their covenanted duty 
 to their neighbour, as well as to God, and 
 was grieved (u. 136; Ezra ix. 4)— not so much 
 for the injury which they did to me, as for the dis- 
 honour to thee. 159. Consider how I love thy 
 precepts. Translate (the Hebrew being the same 
 as in V. 158), 'Behold how I love thy precepts,' as 
 is evinced in that when ' I beheld the trans- 
 gressors I was grieved.' He begs to God to be- 
 hold this, not as meritorious of grace, but as a 
 distinctive mark of a godly man. He casts him- 
 self on the mere grace of God in the next clause, 
 quicken me, 0 Lord, according to thy loving-kind- 
 ness— (r. 88.) 160. Thy word is true (from) the 
 beginning- lit. , ' the heginning^ of thy Word is truths' 
 in antithesis to the enduring for erer,''^ in tlie 
 future, in the next clause. So the Chaldaic, LXX., 
 Vulgate, Arabic, and Syriac versions. Thy word 
 has always been true " from the beginning :" and 
 so also every one of thy righteous judgments (en- 
 dureth) for ever. "I'rom the beginning" implies 
 
4 
 
 Prayers, praises , and PSALM CXIX. professions 
 
 tr SCHIN. 
 
 161 Princes -^have persecuted me without a cause : 
 But my heart standeth in awe of thy word. 
 
 162 I rejoice at thy word, — as one that findeth great spoil. 
 
 163 I hate and abhor lying : — but thy law do I love. 
 
 164 Seven times a day do I praise thee — because of thy righteous judgments. 
 
 165 Great *peace have they which love thy law: 
 And ^^nothing shall offend them. 
 
 166 Lord, I have hope for thy salvation, — and done thy commandments. 
 
 167 My soul hath kept thy testimonies; — and I love them exceedingly. 
 
 168 I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: 
 * For all my ways are before thee. 
 
 n TAU. 
 
 169 Let my cry come near before thee, 0 Lord : 
 Give me understanding according to thy word. 
 
 170 Let my supplication come before thee: 
 Deliver me according to thy word. 
 
 171 My lips shall utter praise, — when tliou hast taught me thy statutes. 
 
 172 My tongue shall speak of thy word : 
 For all thy commandments are righteousness. 
 
 173 Let thine hand help me: — ^for have chosen thy precepts. 
 
 i)ositivcly from the time iv ken first it came to the 
 knowlechje oj man; and by implication, //w/i. erer- 
 lasting, as it shall be unto everlastinij ( "for ever"). 
 As ill V. 159 he sought quickening on the ground of 
 God s "loving-kindness,'' so here on the ground of 
 His truth.'" Cocceius and Henystenberg take it, 
 'The sum of thy Word is true,' as in ISum. xxvi, 
 2; xxxi. 26. But the antithesis noticed above in 
 the English vei-sion is thus lost; and the old ver- 
 sions support the English version. Also, if it were 
 'the sunn,' the jilural ought to follow— viz., 'of 
 thy loords,'' not ^'word.^^ 
 
 161. Princes have persecuted me without a cause 
 —as Saul did David (1 Sam. xxiv. II, 14; xxvi. 18). 
 Virtually Saul and his party were trying to drive 
 David to transgress God s Word, but my heart 
 standeth in awe of thy word— I was more "in 
 awe of thy word," lest 1 should iu any way trans- 
 gress, than I was iu awe of the " ijrinces " who per- 
 secuted me. Not slavish, but reverential fear. It 
 was accompanied with faith and hope {vv. 120, 147), 
 such as Josiah felt, his " heart being tender, so 
 that he humbled himself before the Lord," when 
 tlie words of God's book of promises and threaten- 
 ings were read to him (2 Ki. xxii. 10, 11, 19). He 
 wiio fears God's Word need not fear the word of 
 man (Tsa. viii. 12, 13 ; Matt. x. 28 ; 1 Pet. iii. 14, 
 15; Lake xii. 5). 162. I rejoiceat thy word, as one 
 that findeth great spoil. As the man who found the 
 treasure hid in the field " ior joy thereof went and 
 sold all that he had, and bought that field" (Matt, 
 xiii. 44). 163. I hate and abhor lying— all that is 
 false, deceitful, or self-deceiving (being contrary to 
 thy law) in doctrine and in practice : all the world's 
 vanities and cheats (note, v. 29). but thy law do I 
 love — asbeiugthe truth, withoutmixture of "lyiug" 
 or error. "Thy law" is the antithesis to "lying." 
 164. Seven times a day do I praise thee because 
 of thy righteous judgments. " ^S'ere^i times," the 
 number for pei^fection. Here he says he praises God 
 continually by day ; in vv. 147, 148 by night. God's 
 former judgments on the enemy for His people are 
 a pledge that He will again interpose for them: 
 therefore the Psalmist praises God "because of 
 His righteous judgments." 165. Great peace have 
 
 } lSam.2i.23. 
 1 Sam. 24.11. 
 lSam.26.1«. 
 Johnl'i. 23. 
 k Fro. 3. 2. 
 Isa. 3 . 17. 
 Isa. 57. 21. 
 John 14. 27. 
 Gal. 5. 22. 
 Gal. 6. l'i. 
 Phil. 4. 7. 
 20 they shall 
 have no 
 stumbli' g- 
 block. 
 Malt. 11.-6. 
 
 1 Cor. 2. C- 
 16. 
 
 2 Cor. 3. 12- 
 
 ' Job 34. 
 Ps. 44. 10, 
 24. 
 
 Fs. 90. 8. 
 fro. t,. 21. 
 Jer. 2i. 2t. 
 Heb. 4. 13. 
 i;ev. 2. 23. 
 "'Josh. 24.22. 
 Pro. 1. 23. 
 ] Luke 0.12. 
 
 they which love thy law— (Piov. iii. 2, 17; If^a. 
 xxxii. 17). However the waves of trouble beat ou 
 them from without like a sea-washed lighthouse, 
 all is " peace" within (Isa. xxvi. 3). They take all | 
 that God does with them in good part, having I 
 peace in Him (Christ) (John xvi. 33). and nothing '[ 
 shall offend them— Hebrew, ' they shall have no 
 stumblinghlock.^ 1 John ii. 10, "There is none 
 occasion of stumbling in him" (who "abides in the ■ 
 light" which makes him to see and avoid such ; 
 stumblingblocks). Wealth, tribulation, tempta- 
 tions, which are the occasion to mauy of fallii 
 (Isa. viii. 14, 15; Ezek. iii. 20; vii. 19; xiv. 3, 4, 7 ', 
 are not so to him. 166. Lord, I have hoped for thy • 
 salvation, and done thy commandments— (r. 174.) | 
 So Jacob on his death-bed (Gen. xlix. 18). 167, 
 168. My soul hath kept thy testimonies ... for 
 all my ways are before thee— they are all knowu 
 to thee, and thou wilt recompense me accordingly. 
 In all my ways I remember that thine eye is upon 
 me, and therefore I do everything as in thy i)re- 
 sence (Pro v. v. 21; Gen. xvii. 1; Ps. Ixxiii. 23). 
 
 169, 170. Let my cry come near before thee, 0 
 Lord: give me understanding according to thy 
 word. Let my supplication come before thee: 
 deliver me according to thy word— of promise (yt'. 
 25, 65, 107). The first cry is for inward under- ' 
 standing, the second supplication is for outward 
 deliverance. The deliveratice follows as the conse- 
 quence of obtaining understanding (Ps. xc. 12-15). 
 On the words "cry" and "supplication," cf. Ps. 
 vi. 9; xvii. 1). 171. My lips shall utter praise — 
 lit, ' shall pour forth praises as from a bubbling, 
 overflowing fountain ' (Ps. xix. 2, note; Ixxviii. 2). 
 when thou hast taught me thy statutes. Not till 
 thou hast taught me can I utter forth aright thy 
 praise (Ps. li. 15). 172. My tongue shall speak of 
 thy word — lit, ' shall answer thy Word ;' respond to 
 thy Word with praise. Every expression of praise i 
 to God and His Word is a response or acknowledg- 
 ment corresponding to the perfections of Him 
 whom we praise (Ps. cxlvii. 7). 173. Let thine 
 hand help me : for I have chosen thy precepts— 
 as my chief portion, in preference to worldly gains 
 or pleasures. Like Joshua (Josh. xxiv. and 
 
David in distress PSALM CXX. cries to the Lord. 
 
 174 I have longed for thy salvation, 0 Lord; — and thy law is my delight. 
 
 175 Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee ; — and let thy judgments help me. 
 
 176 1 have gone astray like a lost sheep : seek thy servant; 
 For I do not forget thy commandments. 
 
 PSALM CXX. 
 
 A Song of degrees. 
 
 1 IN my distress I cried unto the Lord, — and he heard me. 
 
 O T)pli'vp'r mv <5nnl O TjOTiT* "from Ivmo" Itit? nnd Trnm a fiPCPltill 1 t,OT\0"no 
 
 3 ^ What shall be given unto thee ? 
 
 Or what shall be ^done unto thee, thou false tongue ? . 
 
 4 ^ Sharp arrows of the mighty, — with coals of juniper. 
 
 5 Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, 
 That I dwell in the tents of Kedar ! 
 
 PSALM 120. 
 
 1 Or. What 
 shall the 
 deceitful 
 tongue 
 give unto 
 thee? or, 
 what shall 
 it profit 
 thee? 
 
 2 added. 
 
 3 Or, It is as 
 the sharp 
 arrows of 
 the mighty 
 man, with 
 c i&ls of 
 juniper 
 
 Marv, who "chose the good part" (Luke x. 42). 
 174. i have longed for thy salvation— 131, 166.) 
 and thy law is my deUght— (vr. 16, 24, 47, 77 ; Ps. 
 i 2.) 175. Let my soul live, and it shall praise 
 thee; and let thy judgments help me (wr. 149, 
 156)— /S'are my natural and my spirituallife, which 
 my adversaries assail, that so I may praise thee ; 
 also, hdp me by inflicting judgments on my adver- 
 saries. 176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep : 
 seek thy servant ; for I do not forget thy com- 
 mandments—Though I have for a time wandered 
 from God like a lost sheep, yet, being a believer, I 
 do not iitterly forget thy commandment. Note 
 that even the believer, when lost for a time, much 
 more the sinner, who has never been converted 
 (Luke XV. 4), is unable to recover himself (cf. Jer. 1. 
 6). The distinguishing feature of the believer is, he 
 knows to whom to look for restoration after tem- 
 porary straying. See the Lord's beautiful promise 
 m answer to Israel's prayer of penitence, which 
 God Himself shall at last inspire (Ezek. xxxiv. 
 12, 16). 
 
 PSALM CXX.— The first of the fifteen "Songs 
 of degrees." 
 
 The LXX., not probably, tra!islate, 'Songs of 
 the steps' [-roir/ kvafta%n.u}v\ — viz., sung on the 
 fifteen steps between the court of the women 
 and that of the men [mSron : in Ps. cxxi., 
 rn'^PG^]. They all have a general, not an indi- 
 
 and the spiritual, whom God's providence ever 
 guards (Ps. cxxiv. 1; cxxv. 5; cxxviii. 6; cxxx. 8; 
 cxxxi. 8). The state of things in many of these 
 jjsalms answers to that after the Babylonian cap- 
 tivity, when the building of the temple was inter- 
 rupted by the Samaritans. The "sanctuary," in 
 Ps. cxxxiv,, is the altar erected at the return 
 from Babylon (536 B.C.), for the daily sacrifices 
 (5.35 B.C., Ezra iii. 2-4, 8). The teniple begun 
 under Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the 
 high priest, through the Samaritan opposition, 
 was not completed till 515 B.C., with the help of 
 the i)rophets Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra vi. 14). 
 The Hebrew for " degrees " is the regular term for 
 'going up' to Jerusalem, which was regarded as 
 on a moral elevation above all other places. Liter- 
 ally, 'A song for the ascendings" — viz., the stated 
 annual journeys of successive pilgrims to the Jeru- 
 salem great feasts (cf. Ps. cxxii, 1, 4: Exod, xxxiv. 
 24; 1 Ki. xii. 27, 28). The simple style, the brevity, 
 and transitions formed by retaining a word from 
 the previous verse, are apx>ropriate to pilgrim-song 
 poetry. Ps, cxxii. is the oldest, being composed 
 r)y David to supi)ly the northern Israelites with 
 a pilgrim-song in their journeys to Zion, whither 
 Asajm had warned them to repair, now that the 
 375 
 
 ark was transferred from Shiloh thither (Ps. 
 Ixxviii. 67-69). Solomon wrote Ps. cxxvii., round 
 which, as a centre, a third j>oet, on tlie return 
 from Babylon, grouped with David's four psalms 
 ten other psalms, seven on one side and seven ou 
 the other. 
 
 hi.— Israel in distress cries to the Lord, and anti- 
 cipates that the foes' slanders shall recoil upoii and 
 burn themselves as hot coals {vv. 1-4); Israel's lament 
 over the perpetual war in which she is forced to dwell 
 by peace-hating foes {vv,. 5, 6). The Samaritans, 
 when rejected as brethren in rebuilding the temple, 
 hy slanders interrupted the work till the reign of 
 Darius, King of Persia, when their lying charges of 
 treason were foiled and the temple rebuilt, (Ezra 
 iv., v., and vi.) 
 
 1. In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he 
 heard me. The Lord's deliverance of Israel out 
 of Babylon, already accomplished, in answer to 
 her prayer (cf. Dan. ix.), is made the ground on 
 which the prayer of faith (Jas. i. 6) for the com- 
 l^letion of the nation's establishment in Jerusalem 
 rests. 2. Deliver ray soul (Ps. cxvi. 4), 0 Lord, 
 from lying lips— from the Samaritans, who, by 
 lying slanders, sought to destroy Israel's national 
 life ("soul"), by preventing the erection of the 
 temple, the religious and political centre of the 
 theocratic nation, (and) from a deceitful tongue— 
 lit., a deceit- tongne, a tongiie all deceit (Ps. cxix. 69; 
 
 xxxi. 18). Cf. -y. 7, ' I peace ;' / am wholly for peace. 
 3. What shall he given unto thee ? or what 
 
 shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue I—lit. , 
 'What shall {fie, the Lord) gire unto thee? and 
 what shall He add unto thee ? ' &c. There is a 
 reference to the common oath, " God do so to thee 
 and more also" (1 Sam. iii. 17). From addressing 
 the Lord the Psalmist turns to the slanderers. 
 They had thoiight to gain by their slanders. All 
 the gain that the Lord will 'give' them, and add 
 in giving — i. e., give them again and again— is. He 
 will make their slanders recoil on themselves to 
 their ruin (cf. v. 4). 4. Sharp arrows of the 
 mighty, with coals of juniper. The "sharp ar- 
 rows of the mighty" are those that are "sharp in 
 the heart of the King's enemies " (Ps. xlv. 5). The 
 arrows of "the mighty" {lit., the hero or warrior) 
 God, going forth to war with His foes (Deut. 
 
 xxxii. 42; Ps. vii. 13), For "juniper" translate 
 [onh], ' the broom,' or genista, which the Arabs 
 regard as the best wood-fuel. As their slanders 
 pierced like "sharp arrows" (cf, Ps, Ivii. 4), and 
 iDurnt like a red-hot coal ; so by the law of retri- 
 bution in kind, God will give them " sharp arrows" 
 and 'hot coals' (Ps. cxl. 10; also xviii. 12, 13), 
 
 5. Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech, that I 
 dwell in the tents of Kedar! "Mesech"- /. e., 
 
The safety 
 
 PSALM CXXI. 
 
 tif the godhjt 
 
 6 My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace. 
 
 7 I am y'or peace . but when I speak,— they are for war, 
 
 PSALM CXXL 
 
 A Song of degrees. 
 
 WILL lift up mine eyes unto tlie hills,-^from whence Cometh my help. 
 My help cometh from the Lord, — which made heaven and earth. 
 He "will not suffer thy foot to be moved : 
 He ^that keepeth thee will not slumber. 
 
 Behold, he that keepeth Israel — shall neither slumber nor sleep. 
 The Lord is thy keeper ; — the Lord is thy sifade upon thy right hand. 
 The ""sun shall not smite thee by day, — ^^nor the moon by niglit. 
 
 < Or, a tarn 
 of peace. 
 
 PSALM l*2l. 
 
 1 Or. Shall I 
 lift tin 
 n.mQ eyea 
 to the 
 hills? 
 whence 
 shouid my 
 help come? 
 
 » 1 Sam. 2. 9. 
 
 6 Isa. 27. 3.' 
 Isa. 49. 10, 
 llev. 7. 16, 
 
 the MoscLi, in the regions of Iberia, Armenia, and 
 Colchis, " Kedar " is a x)eople of Arabia. As the 
 Psalmist and hia people could not be at once in 
 two places so widely ajjart, the sense can only be 
 figurative, I dwell among people lawless and 
 fierce as those of Mesech or Kedar. He explains 
 it so in V. 6 — "him (the foe) that hateth peace." 
 Mcs<2ch \\ih9 the chief vassal of Gog, the ideal re- 
 Ijresentative of the ijeathen barbarian world. The 
 Arabs, and so the Kcdareues, love strife, like 
 their first father, Ishmael, of whom the Angel of 
 the Lord prophesied, "He wall be a wild man • 
 his hand will be against every man, and every 
 man's hand against him" (Gen. xvi, 12). 6. My 
 soul iiatli long dwelt with him that hateth peace, 
 "Long" — i. e., too long. It expresses weariness of 
 a long - continued trial. " Dwelt the Hebrew 
 adds, 'for itself — i. e., to its sorrow 'hath dwelt,' 
 &a 7. 1 (am for) peace : hut when I speak, they 
 are for war — Hebrew, 'I peace;' my very nature 
 is peace. So Ps. cix. 4, 'I prayer.' But when I 
 
 speak to recommend peace they breathe only war. 
 They -wrest my words of peace m 
 
 luto occasion for 
 
 PSALM CXXI.— The pilgrims' even-song as 
 they caught the first sight of the hills {v. 1) round 
 Jerusalem. In Ps. cxxii. they reach a further 
 stage— viz., the gates of Jerusalem, in vi\ 1, 2 
 Israel speaks; in vv. 3-8 she is addressed by the 
 Spirit in the Psalmist. Thrice Jehovah is called 
 " He that keepeth Israel." Also in the conclusion 
 thrice it is said "the Lord shall keep." The He- 
 brew for "keep" {shamar) alludes to Samaria — 
 the Psalmist thus making that dreaded name sug- 
 gest confidence. The 'sliding foot' symbolizes 
 danger; the "shade," protection; the s«?i-sti'oke 
 and the inoou-stroke, the trial; Israel's 'going out 
 and coming in,' the u)idertaJ:ing in hand— the re- 
 building of the temple. 
 
 A Song of degrees. The Hebrew here is not, as- 
 iu the other psalm titles, of, but '/or [h] ascents,' 
 implying the object for which these psalms were 
 suDg— viz., yearly goings up to the great feasts at 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 1. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from 
 whence cometh my help. The hills to which the 
 pilgrim looks as the quarter whence help is to 
 come, are those seen in the distance surrounding 
 Zion (Ps. cxxv. 2; Ixviii. 16), the Lord's chosen 
 seat on earth. Cf. Ps. xxiv. 3; xxv. 1; Lam. iii. 
 41 ; Ps. cxxiii, 1 ; cxli. 8. It is not the hills that 
 give the help (Jer. iii. 23, note), but the Lord, 
 whose seat is on Zion among them (Ps. iii. 4 ; xiv. 
 7; XX. 2; xliii. 3; Ixxxvii. 1, 2; jSxod. xv. 17). 
 Ilengstenberg thinks that the Hebrew [VW^], 
 
 whence," is always interrogative; and that the 
 question does not express doubt, but gives occa.sion 
 to the joyful answer in v. 2, 'Whence cometh 
 sny help? My help (cometh) from the Lord,' as in 
 376 
 
 Ps, cxx, 3, 4} xxiv, 3, 4, But Josh. ii. 4 favours 
 the English version, 2. My help cometh from the 
 Lord, which made heaven and earth— and who 
 baa at eoramsnd, therefore, isexhaustible mearjg 
 of help for His people (Ps. cxv, 15), They who 
 have such a Helper need never despair, however 
 dark n^v seem their circumstances, 
 
 3. He Mil not Suffer thy foot to be moved : he 
 that keepeth tliee will not sluml)er. The He- 
 brew negative [^n] is here suhjective, expressing the 
 hope of the speaker — '/ trust He will not staffer tliy 
 foot to be moved, (and that) He that keepeth thee 
 will not slumber.' 4. Behold, he that keepeth 
 Israel shall aeither slnm^her nor sleep. The 
 terms in which the pilgrims committed themselves 
 to Jehovah's care before going to rest the last 
 evening of their journey. The Hebrew negative 
 [nh] is here different from that in v. 3, and is oh- 
 jective, asserting as a fact about to be manifested 
 before the world (what in v. 3 was a hope) that 
 "He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber 
 nor slecvi." The "behold" points to a i)atei!t 
 fact. If man's conceptions were not so gr(>s3, it 
 would not ha'-e been needful to remind us that 
 'Jehovah slum) ei-s not.' This whole i)salm is a 
 Gomnieutary ou God's promise to Jacob (Gen. xx viii. 
 15), the i^eprcsentative of all Israel, his posterity — 
 " Behold, / am with thee, and tuill keep thee in all 
 places whither thou goest." A slip is easily made 
 in a hilly country like Canaan, and is often at- 
 tended with danger; so it forms the image in v. 3 
 of sudden falls, temporal and spiritual. From 
 suoh falls the pilgrim believer trusts to be 'kept.^ 
 None of Israel's enemies, it is true (Isa. v. 27), 
 "slumber nor sleep;" but what fear should that 
 cause us, seeing that Israel's Keeper 'neitlier 
 slumbers nor sleeps.' Henystenlerg reverses the 
 translations — 'shall neitlier sleep [o^i] nor (even) 
 slumber' (fall asleep) [jli'^J. Usage ha,rdly supports 
 him. Buxtorf favours the English version. 5. 
 The Lord is thy keeper ; the Lord is thy shade. 
 " Thy shade," thy protecting shelter : a natural 
 image to pilgrims suffering imder the sun's intense 
 heat in the East. Cf. N xim. xiv. 9, marg. upon 
 thy right hand— the position best adapted for 
 defending the person. As the adversary stands 
 at the right hand of him whom he would destroy 
 (Ps. cix.'6; Zech. iii. 1), so the Lord 'is upon the 
 right hand ' to save (Ps. xvi. 8 ; cix. 31). He will 
 assist Israel now in building the temple in spite of 
 the Samaritan interruptions. The contemporary, 
 Zech. iii., has the same image in reference to the 
 same event as this psalm, (notes, Ps. cxx.) 6. The 
 sun shall not smite thee by day— with heat, 
 nor the moon by night— with cold. The moon, as 
 'ruling the night' (Gen. i. 16), has all the influ- 
 ences associated with night attributed to it. Cf. 
 the W01U.S of Jacob, to whom vv. 4, 5 allude (Gen. 
 xxxi. 40 ; Jer. xxxvi. 30). Moreover, the moon 
 
t)aM's ^oy 
 
 PSALM CXXII. 
 
 for the church 
 
 7 The Lord shall preserve thee fram all evil: — ^he shall preserve thy soul. 
 
 8 The Lord shall ^preserve thy going out, and thy coming in^ 
 From this time forth, and even for evermore. 
 
 PSALM CXXIL 
 
 A Song of degrees of David, 
 
 1 1 Was glad when they said unto me^ 
 "Let us go into the house of the Lord. 
 
 2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, 0 Jerusalem. 
 
 3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact ^together: 
 
 4 Wliither Hhe tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto '^the testimony of 
 
 Israel, 
 
 To give thanks unto the name of the Lord. 
 
 5 For there ^arc set thrones of judgment, — 'the thrones of the house of David. 
 
 6 Pray ^for the peace of Jerusalem — they shall prosper that love thee. 
 
 Jobs. 19, 
 Matt. 6. 13 
 Rom. 8. 28, 
 35-39. 
 * Deut. 2P. 0. 
 Pi O. 2. 8. 
 Fro. 3. 6. 
 
 FSALM li!-', 
 
 Isa. 2. 3. 
 
 Zech. 8. 21. 
 6 2 Sara. 6. 9. 
 
 Epli. 2. 21. 
 = Deut. 16.10. 
 
 Es. 10. 34. 
 1 do sit. 
 
 Uent. ir. 8. 
 
 2 Cbr. I'J. 8. 
 « Isa. 62. 6. 
 
 Jer. 51. 50. 
 
 has a most hurtful effect on those who sleep uader 
 its beams. Dav or night, no real and lasting hnrt 
 shall befall God's peoT)le. 7, 8. The Lord shall 
 preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve 
 thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out, 
 and thy coming in. The thrice-repeated "shall 
 preserve," or '^eep thee,' attests the greatness of 
 man's unbelief, which needs so frequent assur- 
 ances. The 'going out and the coming in ' express 
 the leii'mniwt and the completion of undertakings. 
 Drawn from Deut. xxviii. 6. from this time 
 forth, and even for evermore — cf. the Lord 
 Christ's promises to the spiritual Israel, Matt, 
 xxviii. 20. 
 
 PSALM CXXIL— As Ps. cxxi. was sung in 
 sight of Jerusalem's distant hills, so this psalm at 
 the gates, when the pilgrims halted to form the 
 procession to the sanctuary. 1-9. Introduction 
 {'•17. 1,2); excellency of Jerusalem^ the civil and re- 
 liyious capital of all Israel {vv. 3-5) ; prayers for its 
 peace, as involving the interests of the whole 
 national brotherhood, and of the house of God {rv. 
 6-9). Cf. V. 'S with 2 Sam. v. 9, 11. 
 
 The internal evidence of the psalm confirms the 
 title, which assigns it to David as the author. Kis 
 design was to conciliate the Ten northern tribes, 
 which had been slower in recognizing him as king, 
 to Jerusalem, the newly-constituted capital and 
 religious centre of the nation. The ark, 'the heart 
 of the Israelite religion' (Hengstenherr/), had been 
 just brought up to Zion by David (2 Sam. vi. 1.''). 
 Traces of ijilgrim procession to it appear iu Ps. 
 xlii. 4 ; Iv. 14. 
 
 1. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us 
 go into the house of the Lord. Each one is glad 
 at the other saying so. Isa. ii. 3 refers to this. 
 What in early times the pilgrim Israelites used to 
 say, that in Messianic days shall the heathen 
 nations say to one another. 2. Our feet shall 
 stand within thy gates, 0 Jerusalem. So it is in 
 this translation, which regulates the tense by that 
 of the previous, " Let us go," or ' We will go.' But 
 it may be in the Preterite, having regard to the 
 tense, "I was glad." 'Our feet have taken their 
 stand (or hayve been standing) within thy gates, 0 
 Jerusalem' In which view the pilgrims are 
 regarded as halting within the gates of the holy 
 city. A somewhat long stay had to be made at the 
 gates until all the pilgrims had come up, and the 
 procession to the sanctu;iry was arranged. Cf. Ps. 
 xlii. 4, "I went (in solemn procession, Hebrew) 
 with them (the multitude) to the house of God, 
 with the voice of joy and praise (wldch words 
 show the songs were sung to the Lord during 
 tliese i)rocession3), with a multitude that kept 
 holyday." 
 
 377 
 
 3. Jerusalem is builded as a eity that is 
 compact together— the admiring language of the 
 pilgrims. The article in the Hebrew favours the 
 translation, 'Jerusalem, the builded one (the well^ 
 built one {Junius and Tremellius) t so Dan. iv, 30, 
 " Babylon that I have built — i. e., made into a well' 
 built city, for it had stood a long while before), as 
 a city that is compact together! ' (that realizes the 
 idea of such a city, 1 Chr. xi. 8; 2 Sam. v. 9). The 
 reference is to the junction together of the lower 
 city and tlie fortress by the ' walls,' and to the 
 ' palaces,' wherewith he adorned the whole (cf. v. 
 7). In all this David sees (here, n 3) a token of God's 
 favour towards Jerusalem (2 Sam. v. 9, 12). 4. 
 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, 
 unto the testimony of Israel. Muis, Bishop 
 Nome, Hengstenherg, &c., take it '(according to) the 
 testimony for [i. e., the ordinance of the Lord's 
 will revealed to) Israel' — viz., the law that all the 
 males should thrice a year, at the great festivals, 
 appear before the Lord (Exod. xxiii. 14-17; Deut. 
 xvi. 16). On "the testimony," cf. Ps. xix. 7; 
 Ixxviii. 5; Ixxxi. 5. However, the English ver- 
 sion is favoured by the fact that the tabernacle, 
 and especially the ark, is often called " the testi- 
 mony" (Exod. xvi. 34; xxv. 16), as the two tables 
 of the testimony were deposited in it (Exod. xxxii. 
 15 ; Heb. ix. 4). The tabernacle or the ark apper- 
 tained to [so the h means] Israel as her peculiar 
 glory, to give thanks unto the name of the 
 Lord — unto the Lord in His revealed attributes (Ps. 
 liv. 6). 5. For there are set thrones of judgment, 
 the thrones of the house of David. The ' ' For " 
 im])lies that its promotion to be the religious 
 metropolis is due to its being the civil capital of 
 the nation (2 Sam. v. 9; vi. 16). For it had been 
 ordained (Deut. xvii. 8, 9) that the place for jadg- 
 metits should be the place which the Lord should 
 choose for the sanctuary. The plural, " thrones of 
 judgment," refers to the bench of judges,\\ho derived 
 their authority from the king (cf. Isa. xxxii. 1). 
 Antitypically in the kingdom to come (cf. Matt, 
 xix. 28). "The house of David" had superseded 
 that of Saul (2 Sam. iii. ]). God by Nathan had 
 promised the throne not only to David, but to his 
 house for ever. This is a favourite subject with 
 David in prayer and praise (2 Sam. vii. 11-13, 19, 
 25; Ps. xxi. 4; xviii. 50). 
 
 6. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall 
 prosper that love thee— or, 'let thein prosper that 
 love thee.' Resting on the excellency of Jerusalem 
 (vv. 3-5), there follows the mutual exhortation of 
 the pilgrims to pray for it, and then the prayer 
 itself. Jerusalem means a peaceful possession: to 
 this the allusion is. In the Hebrew, the frequent 
 alliteration of the similar-sounding words ("peace" 
 
I 
 
 Ooc^s deliverance 
 
 PSALMS CXXIII., CXXIV. 
 
 oj the Church. 
 
 7 Peace •'"be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. 
 
 8 For my ^ brethren and companions' sakes, 
 I will now say, Peace be within thee. 
 
 9 Because of the house of the Lord our God — I will seek thy good. 
 
 PSALM CXXIIL 
 
 A Song of degrees. 
 
 1 UNTO thee lift up mine eyes, — 0 thou ''that dwellest in the heavens. 
 
 2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the liand of their masters, 
 And as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; 
 
 So our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, 
 Until that he have mercy upon us. 
 
 3 Have mercy upon us, 0 Lord, have mercy upon us : 
 For we are exceedingly filled with contempt. 
 
 5 Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease. 
 And with the contempt of the proud. 
 
 PSALM CXXIV. 
 
 A Song of degrees of David. 
 1 IF it had, not been the Lord who was "on our side. 
 Now may Israel say ; 
 
 / iChr. 12.18. 
 
 Isi. 9. 7. 
 
 John 11.27. 
 " Fs. 16. 3. 
 
 I'S. 119. 6X 
 
 Eph. 4. 4-tf. 
 
 Jas. a.l i.l^. 
 
 PSALM 123. 
 
 * Ps. 25. 15. 
 Ps. U\. 1. 
 Ps. 141. 8. 
 Luke 19. 13. 
 
 ^ Ps. 2. 4. 
 Ps. 11. 4. 
 Ps. 113 
 Isa. 67 15. 
 
 PSALM 121, 
 
 * Cen. 15. 1. 
 <^en. 28. 15. 
 Num. 11.9. 
 Josh. 1. 5. 
 Ps. 37. 28. 
 Isa. 41. 10, 
 
 17. 
 
 Rom. 8. 31. 
 Heb. 13. 5. 
 
 "prosper" "prosperity") with one another, and 
 with " Jeru-salem," is designed to endear the 
 mother city to the nation. So Ps. Ixxvi. 2. It is 
 characteristic of the true Israelite to wish peace to 
 the seat of the sanctuary. Cf. David's similar 
 priiyer, Ps. li. 18. 7. Peace be within thy walls 
 — thy external circumference, prosperity (or secure 
 tranqn ill ity ) within thy palaces — th y stately i n terior 
 buildings; symbolizing Jerusalem's external and 
 internal state respectively (Ps. xlviii. 13). 8. For 
 my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now 
 say, Peace be within thee. For the sake of all the 
 people of the covenant who form one brotherhood, 
 and whose welfare is wrapped up in Jerusalem's, 
 I will wish her peace. As the heart is to the body, 
 such was Jerusalem, the sanctuary {v. 9) and the 
 centre of justice {i\ 5) to the nation. 9. Because 
 of the house of the Lord our God I will seek 
 thy good — (cf. Neh. ii. 10.) The psalm reverts to 
 that with which it began, "the house of the Lord" 
 (i\ 1; Ps, xxvii. 4). Intercessory prayer is the 
 best way of promoting the welfare of Israel and 
 of the Church. 
 
 PSALM CXXIIL— 1-4. The Psahnises looking 
 up to God is like that oJ servants patiently looking 
 for mercy from their master (vv. 1, 2) ; prayer for 
 mercy, based on the scorning of the foe {vv. 3, 4) — 
 viz., Israel's foes after her return from Babylon— 
 Moab, Ammon, Arabia (Neh. ii. 19), and especially 
 Samaria, favoured by the ruling world-power, 
 Persia, whilst Israel, with all her high claims as 
 the people of God, was poor and low (Neh. i, 3). 
 The Psalmist is rei)resentative of Israel (cf. "I," 
 V. 1, wdth "us," V. 3). 
 
 1. Unto thee lift I up mine eyes (Ps. cxxi. 1 : 
 cf. at this very time, Neh, i. 4 ; ii. 4), 0 thou that 
 dwellest in the heavens. Being exalted "in the 
 Leavens" infinitely above the greatest earthly foes, 
 the God of Israel and of the Church can give her 
 complete salvation, however unable she may feel 
 herself to resist her haughty adversarv. 2. Behold, 
 as the eyes of servants (look) unto "the hand of 
 their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto 
 the hand of her mistress— "uuto the hand" luhich 
 strikes them. Servants, when beaten, have none to 
 look to, save those by whom they are beaten, in 
 the hope of persuading them to withdraw the 
 punishing hand. The succeeding clause— until that 
 378 
 
 he have mercy upon us— supports this interpreta- 
 tion. The U7itir' implies that He was now 
 withholding His mercy or grace, and that they 
 wait until its return. If their looking was for 
 direction (as servants in the East look fixedly at 
 their masters for their commands, which are often 
 conveyed by gestures of tlie hand, rather than by 
 the voice), the expression would have been ' until 
 that He give us direction.^ The tongue or eye 
 intimates commands; but the hand is used for 
 correction (cf. Isa. ix. 13). The prayer for "mercy" 
 in r. 3 is that of one under the Lord's chastising 
 hand. Cf. Gen. xvi. 6-9, respecting 'the hand of 
 the mistress.' The term for " mistress " implies a 
 despotic one [nn"i3-i]. The "until" expresses per- 
 severance in prayers (Luke xviii. 1-7), continuance 
 in hope, and resignation of our will, whereby we 
 refrain from dictating to God at all, but patiently 
 wait the time and way determined before by God 
 {Gejer). 
 
 3. Have mercy upon us, 0 Lord— or, 'be gra- 
 cious unto us.' 4. Our soul is exceedingly filled 
 with the scorning of those that are at ease. 
 
 The Hebrew article before " scorning" is demons- 
 trative, 'with that scorning,' then a comma 
 interposing — ' (with the scorning, namely) of 
 those at ease:' for the article does not usually 
 precede a noun in the construct state, and with 
 the contempt of [^ — lit., belonging to, as their 
 peculiar characteristic] the proud. So the He- 
 brew text, [which is to be pointed D?v^^^], But the 
 Masorites read [ci'v ^x-;] in opposition to the paral- 
 lelism, instead of "the proud" in one Hebrew 
 word, 'the proud ones of the oppressors.' 
 
 PSALM CXXIV. 1-8.— Israel declares how in- 
 evitably she must have been swallowed up if the Lord 
 liad not been on our side {vv. 1-5) ; she blesses Him 
 for escape from the snare. His name being her sole 
 help {vv. 6-8). 
 
 David was the author, as the title declares. The 
 occasion in liis reign when Israel was in extreme 
 jeopardy, was in the Aramaic or Syrian and Edora- 
 ite war, (Ps. xliv. and Ix.) The mild air of the 
 psalms after the captivity does not appear in this 
 psalm, but somewhat of David's impetuosity. 
 
 1. If (it had not been) the Lord who was on 
 our side (Ps. Ivi. 9, end)— If it had been any one 
 
The security 
 
 PSALM CXXV. 
 
 of believers. 
 
 0 Fs. 2. 1, 2. 
 Ps. 2i. 12, 
 13. 
 
 ' Nuin.16.30. 
 Ps. 35. 25. 
 Ps. 67. 9. 
 Fro. 1. 12. 
 Jer. 51. 34. 
 Jon. 1. 17. 
 Ps. IR. 4. 
 Ps. 42. 7. 
 Ps. 69. 15. 
 Isa. 8. 7, 8. 
 Isa. 28. 2. 
 Isa. 59. 1!). 
 Dan. 9. 26. 
 Rev. 12. 15. 
 Rev. 17. 1, 
 15. 
 
 2 If had not been the Lord who was on our side, 
 When * men rose np against us : 
 
 3 Then they had swallowed us up quick, 
 When their wrath was kindled against us: 
 
 4 Then '^the waters had overwhelmed us, — the stream had gone over our soul : 
 
 5 Then the proud waters had gone over our soul. 
 
 6 Blessed be the Lord, — who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. 
 
 7 Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers : 
 The snare is broken, and we are escaped. 
 
 8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, — who made heaven and earth. 
 
 PSALM CXXV. 
 
 A Song of degrees. 
 
 1 THEY that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, 
 Which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. 
 
 2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, 
 
 So the Lord is round about his people from henceforth, even for ever. 
 
 3 For the rod of ^ the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous ; 
 Lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. 
 
 else who undertook to help ns, such was the power 
 of the enemy and so imminent was our peril, 
 nothing could have saved us from destruction. 2. 
 If (it had not been) the Lord who was on our 
 side. The repetition (cf. v. 1) marks that the 
 Lord's interposition had been more than once, 
 when men rose up against us. However many 
 and powerful be men, the believer, who has the 
 Lord on his side, need not fear what man (a creature 
 of earth) can do unto him (Ps. Ivi. 11). 3. Then 
 they had swallowed us up quick— i. e., alwe, as 
 in Ps. Iv. 15; Prov. i. 12. They thought to 
 swallow us up; but it is themselves who shall be 
 swallowed up in their native earth : as Korah and 
 his company were swallowed up alive (Num. xvi. 
 32, 33). David used a similar Hebrew term and 
 thought in Ps. Ivi. 2; Ivii. 3. 4. Then the waters 
 had overwhelmed us. So in David's psalm, xviii. 16; 
 Ps. cxliv. 7. the stream had gone over our soul— 
 rather, 'the flood,' as in Ps. xviii. 4: cf. Ps. Ixix. 2. 
 5. Then the proud waters had gone over our 
 soul. The term " proud" implies that the waters 
 are figurative— viz., haughty enemies (Ps. Ixxxix. 
 9). 
 
 6. Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us 
 as a prey to their teeth— as wild beasts thirst 
 for the blood of their prey. 7 Our soul is escaped 
 as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers— (Ps. 
 xci. 3.) the snare is broken, and we are escaped. 
 The bird is shut out from escape, unless the snare 
 be broken (cf. Ps. xxv 15). 8. Our help is in the 
 name (i. e., the manifested grace and might) of the 
 Lord, who made heaven and earth— (Ps. cxxi. 2 : 
 cf. xxxiii. 22.) 
 
 PSALM CXXV.— This 125th psalm forms a pair 
 with Ps. cxxvi. V. 1 may be regarded as the 
 introduction to both. 1-5.— The security oj be- 
 liei'ers in Jehomh is like that of Zion, which abideth 
 for ever : as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so 
 Jehomh surrounds His people: the heathen rod now 
 upon Israel shall not always be so, lest the righteous 
 be tempted to iniquity [vv. 1-3); prayer therefore 
 that Jehovah may do good to the good in Israel, 
 whereas they who turn aside shall be given up to 
 t/uiir crookedness {vo. 4, 5). This psalm, with Ps. 
 cxxvi. and David's psalm, cxxiv., form a trilogy. 
 Opjtressed by heathen abominations in her land 
 (y. 3), Israel comforts herself with realizing God's 
 Almightv i»rotection, suggested by the natural fea- 
 tures of her home. Some of her people had turned 
 
 PSALM 125, 
 
 1 wicked- i 
 
 ness. I 
 
 Pro. 2.'. 8. j 
 
 Isa. 14, 6. I 
 
 1 aside {v. 5: cf. Neh. vi. 12, 13; xiii.), but the | 
 majority stood faithful. ' 
 
 1. They that trust in the Lord shall be as i 
 mount Zion, which cannot be removed, (but) | 
 abideth for ever— lit., ' sitteth for ever.' It is | 
 strong faith which draws from the visible world ' 
 (which usually draws the heart from unseen , 
 realities) supports for itself. Zion, the seen moun- | 
 tain, and the external seat of the Church, by its | 
 solid firmness typifies the immovable spiritual I 
 Zion— viz., "them that trust in the Lord," the I 
 members constituting the spiritual Church. The ! 
 emphasis is not on their firmness of " trust," but 
 on the object of their trust, " the Lord." They who 
 have Jehovah for their object of trust can no more 
 be moved by the attacks of man than the material 
 mount Zion (Ps. xlvi. 5). The privilege is restricted 
 to those of Israel who "trust in the Lord," "the 
 righteous" [v. 3), "the upright " {v. 4), as contrasted 
 "with "such as turn aside unto their crooked 
 ways." Even in the Old Testament there was a 
 separation between the visible and the invisible 
 Church (Rom. ix. 6). 2. (As) the mountains (are) 
 round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round 
 about his people, from henceforth even for ever 
 — (Zech. ii. 5. ) ' Jerusalem is upon the mountain- 
 range shut in by the two valleys Jehoshaphat and 
 Hinnom. All the surrounding hills are higher. 
 In the east, the mount of Olives ; on the south, the 
 so-called hill of evil counsel, ascending from the 
 valley of Hinnom. On the west the ground rises 
 gently to the border of the great Wady ; while in 
 the north the bend of a ridge which adjoins the 
 mount of Olives limits the view to a distance of 
 about one and a half miles ' (Robinson). 3. For the 
 rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot 
 of the righteous. " The rod"— i e., the sceptre of 
 the wicked world-power (at this time Persia) shall 
 not always remain upon the Holy Land, which is 
 " the lot of the righteous." Messiah's sce])tre shall 
 at last break the heathen sceptre (Ps. ii. 9; xlv. 6). 
 So the godless heathen power is called "the throne 
 of iniquity " (Ps. xciv. 20). " The righteous " is 
 the term for Israel regarded in respect to its high 
 calling as holy unto the Lord. Those who are 
 Israelites only in name are j)ut out of view, as not 
 being really of the Israel without guile, lest the 
 righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity— 
 lest, if the dominion of the ungodly were allowed 
 always to oppress the righteous, the faith and 
 
Church's thanksgiving 
 
 PSALM CXXVI. 
 
 for delixerance. 
 
 Bo good, 0 Lord, unto those that be good,, 
 And to them that are upright in their hearts. 
 As for such as turn aside unto their crooked " ways, 
 The Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity v 
 But peace ^ shall be upon Israel 
 
 PSALM CXXVL 
 
 A Song of degrees. 
 
 WHEN the Lord ^turned again the captivity of Zion, 
 "We were like them that dream. 
 
 Then ^ was our mouth filled with laughter, — and our tongue with singin^ 
 Then said they among the heatlien, 
 The Lord ^hath done great things for them. 
 The Lord hath done great things for us ; — ichereof we are glad. 
 Turn again our captivity, 0 Lord, — as the streams in the south. 
 
 patience of these latter might fail. The temi)ta- 
 tion mii^lit, if too long protracted, overcome the 
 saiuts (cf. Asaph's temptation, Ps. Ixxiii. 13). 
 Therefore God, in pity for human frailty, ceases to 
 contend (Tsa. Ivii. 16). " Put forth the hands " is 
 a phrase for kelp'mff or relieving ihemsdce.s hy pre- 
 sumptuous and unlawful means (cf. Gen. iii. 22). 
 
 4. Do good, 0 Lord, unto (those that be) good. 
 The confident trust expressed in vv. 1-3 is the 
 ground on which rests the prayer here. There ia 
 an inseparable connection between feei^r/ "good" 
 and receiving "good." and to (them that are) 
 upright in their hearts— not merely in outward 
 conduct. The true "Israel" {v. 5), "such as are 
 of a clean heart " (Ps. Ixxiii. 1 : cf. Ps. vii. 10). The 
 law was not mere letter, but spirit, even in the Old 
 Testament; it is under the New Testament that 
 the spirit of the law is hrougJd fully to light. Thus 
 the law commanded, Deut. vi. 5, "Thou shalt love 
 the Lord thy God with all thine heart,'" &c. And 
 the tenth commandment concerned the iuAvard 
 man, "Thou shalt not covet," thereby detecting 
 "lust" (Rom. vii. 7). The Psalmist repudiates 
 the notion that mere descent from Abraham, and 
 circumcision, can make any one of the elect nation 
 accepted before God (cf. John Baptist's teaching, 
 Matt. iii. 9 ; and Rom. ii. 28, 29). 5. As for such 
 as turn aside (Job xxiii. 11; Isa. xxx. 11) unto 
 their crooked ways— (Prov. ii. 15.) The revealed 
 word is the Divine Kind's highway. A walk 
 according to one's own lust is a fatal byimth 
 (Mai. ii. 8). So Israel's setting up of the golden 
 calf (Deut. ix. 16). Such walks are called '"' their 
 crooked ways" rniVDVil^p : the doubling of the 
 
 ways" im'T'p?p_p 
 radicals intensifies the signification, "their tortuous 
 crookednesses "], for these are the devisings of the 
 sinner's own corrupt heart (Pro v. xiv. 12). the 
 Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of 
 iniquity. As those of " crooked ways " have 
 associated themselves in heart and conduct with 
 evil-doers, so, in spite of their outward profession 
 on which they trusted, they shall be associated 
 with them in punishment. The Lord w^ill make 
 them to go with the open transgressors, giving them 
 up to the unrestricted working of their own sin 
 (cf. Ps. xxvi. 9; xxviii. ,3). The change from the 
 second i>erson [v. 4) to the third expresses a turn- 
 ing away from, and putting to a distance, the 
 godless hypocrites, (hut) peace (shall he) upon 
 Israel — all her trials shall be over (Ps. cxxviiL 6). 
 " Upon" the true " Israel," after the inconsistent 
 bearers of the name shall have been removed. So 
 "upon " the siiiritual Israel (Gal. vi. 16). 
 
 PSALM CXXVI. l-G.- Thanksgiving for the 
 deliverance out of Babylon already vouchsafed to 
 33i) 
 
 Zion, to her joy, so that the heathen spoke of the grea t 
 things which the Lord had done for her (wv. 1-3) ; 
 Lord complete the deliverance by not letting the work 
 he interrupted. Faith anticipates that the work of 
 rebtdlding the temple, now carried on with tears 
 because of the Samaritan foe (E^ra iii.-vi.), ivill be 
 com,pleted with joy (vv. 4-6) ; cf. Ps. cxxv., introduc- 
 tion. The psalm is for the comfort and guidance 
 of the Church in all times of trial, when joyful 
 hopes raised by dsliyerance? are threatened with 
 disappointment. Favours already received are lo 
 be the ground of prayer and believing hope that 
 God will crown His goodness by new acts of grace. 
 
 1. When the Lord turned again the captivity 
 of Zion — i. e.. When He restored her to pros- 
 I)erity. So the idiomatic phrase is used, Ps. liii. 6, 
 a psalm of David, ages before the return from the 
 Babylonian captivity; which, however, is doubtless 
 the particular event here alluded to under the 
 general phrase. Cf. Job xlii. 10; Ps. xiv, 7; Hos. 
 vi. 11. IJ engstmberg tra.r)s\a.tes, ' When the Lord 
 turned to the returning of Zion' — i. e., turned in 
 mercy to them when they returned in penitence to Him 
 (Deut. xxx. 2, 3, 9, 10; iv. 30; Isa. x. 21, 22; lix. 20 ; 
 Neh. i. 8, 9). The Hebrew [nn^?'] occurs only here. 
 It may either be from the root, to lead cap'ice 
 [n3*z'] ; and then it is the same as the similar word 
 [j-nna', or nuti'] "captivity," -y. 4; So the English 
 version. Or else it is from the root, to return 
 — lit., ''turned the returning.^ So I prefer, on 
 account of the different forms in v. 1 and v. 4. 
 The sense is much the same — * When God gave 
 them a complete returning.^ we were like them 
 that dream — we could scarcely believe our eyes 
 that our deliverance was a reality. Cf. Isa. xxix. 
 7, 8, the same image in a different application. 
 Great joy seems too good to be true. So Jacob felt 
 on hearing of Joseph's being alive, and moreover 
 governor of Egypt (Gen xiv. 26: cf. Acts xii. 9; 
 Luke xxiv. 11). 2. Then was our mouth filled 
 with laughter, and our tongue with singing— as 
 Job's, notwithstanding his suffering for a time, 
 was destined at last to be (Job viii. 21). The 
 future forms, in the Hebrew here, 'Then shall our 
 mouth be filled . . . then shall they say,' &c., are 
 used in allusion to the future in Job ; or else, as 
 De Burgh thinks, tJiey refer to the fulfilment, yet 
 future and in the last days, then said they among 
 the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for 
 them— from .Joel ii. 21. 3. The Lord hath done 
 great things for us ; (whereof) we are glad. And 
 certainly what they say is true : we acknowledge 
 and are glad of the great benefits which the Lord 
 hath conferred on us. 
 
 4. Turn again our captivity, 0 Lord, as the 
 
The mrtue of 
 
 PSALM CXXVII. 
 
 God^s blessing. 
 
 They ''that sow in tears — ^shall reap in ^ joy. 
 
 He that goeth forth and weepeth, — bearing '^precious seed, 
 
 Sliall doubtless come again with rejoicing, — bringing his sheaves with him. 
 
 PSALM CXXVIL 
 
 A Song of degrees ^ for Solomon. 
 EXCEPT the Lord build the house, — they labour in vain ^that build it : 
 Except the Lord keep the city, — the watchman waketh but in vain. 
 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, 
 To "eat the bread of sorrows : — -for so he giveth his beloved sleep. 
 
 * Jer. 31. 9. 
 Joel 2. 17. 
 
 3 Or, singing. 
 
 4 Or. seed 
 basket. 
 
 PSALM 127. 
 
 1 Or. of. 
 
 2 that are 
 buildeiS of 
 it in it. 
 
 " Gen. 3. 17. 
 Eccl. 6. 7. 
 
 streams in the soutli. The prayer is offered in 
 this verse. The hope based on it is expressed in 
 vv. 5, 6. Reverse our present depression, by bring- 
 ing again prosperity to us : as the rain-streams 
 io the Ncgeh or dry Southern district of Canaan, 
 when they return, gladden the parched country, 
 which, from the want of springs, is entirely de- 
 pendent on the rain-formed torrents. When these 
 are dried up (Job vi, 15-20), sadness is the prevail- 
 ing aspect of the whole rep;!on (cf. Josh. xv. 19 ; 
 Ps. Ixviii. 9). 5. They that sow in tears shall 
 reap in joy. The sovnng answers to the humble 
 •beginnings of the second temple, " the day of small 
 things " (Zech. iv. 10). The poor sower at times 
 meets with trials in sowing which move him even 
 to tears, as he knoAvs his all depends on the ven- 
 ture, and that produce is uncertain. But the joy- 
 ful harvest compensates liim for all his toils. He 
 had sown in anxiety, through the disajjpearance of 
 the rain-streams ; but these re-appear, so he joyfully 
 reaps an abundant crop. What sometimes happens 
 in the sowing and reaping of the natural crop, 
 always comes to pass in the spiritual world. 
 Believers who sow the seed of any good work in 
 tears, through discouragements, are sure, by the 
 Lord's turning again the blessing to them, to reap 
 in joy. Cf. Ezra vi. 16, 22 for the fulfilment in the 
 case of the re,storeil Jews and their often inter- 
 rui)ted work of building the temple. Cf. Prov. 
 xxi. 1, which seems to have been in the view of 
 our Psalmist (?». 4 : cf. also Neh. viii. 9-17 ; xii. 42, 
 43 : cf. Jer. xxxi. 9, 14, 17 as to the future aspect 
 of the psalm — viz., the final restoration of Israel). 
 
 6. Ee that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing 
 precious seed, shall doubtless come again v/ith 
 rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him— (cf. 
 Jas. v, 7, 8, 2 Cor. ix. 6; Gal. vi. 8, 9.) The ori- 
 gmal is very forcible—' He goeth, going and weep- 
 ing, bearing the draught of seed, {i. e., seed to be 
 dravm out by him from the seed basket : cf. Amos 
 ix, 13, marg.) Coming, he shall come with re- 
 joicing (or joijous cr/j), bearing his sheaves.' The 
 repetitions express, As the pain was of long con- 
 tinuance, so much more shall be the joy. The 
 Psalmist intimates ' a perpetual truth by the repe- 
 tition ; for there is no end of the weeping until we 
 are laid in the grave, although a little while is 
 given to rest' {Luther). The English version takes 
 the Hebrew [^P.^] as in Job xxviii. 18, ' i^rice ' — 
 
 7. e., what drav:s the scale to it as weightier and 
 more precious, or what is drawn away because of 
 its value. 
 
 PSALM CXXVIT. 1-.5. -Except God gives the 
 blessing, man's works cannot have a prosperous 
 issue. The building of the house and the keeping of 
 the city ran only he ensured through the Lord {vv. 1, 
 2); so children are a blessing from him {vv. 3-5). 
 
 The title "for" or 'o/ Solomon,' attributing the 
 authorship to that wise monarcli, accords with in- 
 ternal evidence. It has no trace of the sadness 
 which pervades the songs of degrees without 
 titles. The individual comes here into prominence, 
 whereas those songs speak more of the nation and 
 331 
 
 Church in general. Calvin remarks, The theme 
 suits Solomon, who chiefly occu])ied the domestic 
 civic territory. Tlie main thought corresponds 
 with Solomon's proverb, x. 22. V. 2 accords with 
 Solomon's experience as ' beloved of the Lord,' 
 Jedidiah (2 Sam, xii. 25). Riches, honour, long life, 
 and wisdom were promised him in ' sleep,' without 
 toil on his part (1 Ki, iii. 5-13; iv. 20, 25). Cf. the 
 antitypical reign of the Prince of Peace, Mic, iv. 
 4 ; Zech. iii. 10 ; ix. 10; Ps. Ixxii. 3. 
 
 1. Except the Lord build the house, they labour 
 in vain that build it— lit., 'its builders labour in 
 vain m if The juxtaposition of the house and the 
 city in this verse shows that literal building of a 
 house is meant. Perhaps Solomon was at the time 
 engaged in building his own house, as also the 
 house of God, (1 Ki. vi. and vii.) except the Lord 
 keep the city, the watchman walcetli (but) in 
 vain. From the building of the house, the Psalmist 
 passes to the security of its occupants, and of the 
 whole city, which consists of houses and their 
 dwellers. Night watches (cf. Ps. cxxx, 6; cii, 7; 
 Prov. viii. 34) patrol the well-ordered city, for the 
 sake of securing it against enemies, robbers, dis- 
 turbances, and fires, as well as announcing the 
 houi s (Isa. XX. 11, 12) ; but all these precautions 
 must be accompanied with a looking up to God for 
 a blessing on the means, or else there is no real 
 blessing or safety. 2, It is vain for you to rise 
 up early, to sit iip late, to eat the bread of sor- 
 rows. Here he turns round to those spoken of in 
 r. 1, and by a spirited apostrophe addresses 
 worldly men. "To sit up late" — viz.. toiling; 
 answering to "rise up early" for toil. Cf. Isa. v. 
 11 ; also Solomon's proverb, xxxi. 15, as to the Cod- 
 fearing good wife. But the sitting is rather in con- 
 trast to the rising up to toil : it expresses resting, as 
 opposed to toiling. So Ps. cxxxix. 2 ; Lam. iii. 03 ; 
 Dent. vi. 7. Sitting at work was unusual in the 
 less artificial modes of life which prevailed in 
 Israel, as compared v/ith our European and 
 modern ways. The Hebrew is, ' It is vain for you 
 being in the morning to rise, and beiug late to sit.' 
 So the Syriac version, ' early to rise, and late to 
 sit.' Translate, therefore, 'and to be late in 
 sitting' down — i.e., resting. So Gejer. "The 
 bread of sorrows" is bread eaten amidst hard 
 labours, "in the sw^eat of the brow" (Gen. iii. 17, 
 19). (for) so he giveth his beloved sleep. "So" 
 means, aurecahly to that, as in Job ix. 35. So 
 many good things as ye seek to secure by cease- 
 less toil and care, God gives to those whom 
 He loves, and who love Him, as it were in sleep 
 (as He gave them to Solomon, 1 Ki. iii. 5-13) 
 — i.e., without "sorrows" or exceeding toil 
 (Matt. vi. 25, S4). So IJengstenherg. In this 
 translation, what God gives to His beloved 
 ones (Ps. ix. 5) is not, as the English version, 
 "sleep," but the ga,in which others vainly seek by 
 mere labour, without dei)endence on God's bless 
 ing. This, in the main, is the right view, as the 
 context proves. But the absence of 'in' (in 
 the Hebrew) before " sleep," and the ancient ver- 
 
The fear of the 
 
 PSALM CXXVIII. 
 
 Lord brings blessings. 
 
 6 Gen. 1. 28. 
 Gen. 15. 4. 
 5. 
 
 Gen. 24. 60. 
 Gen. 30. 1, 
 2. 
 
 Gen. 33. 5. 
 P3. 12S. 3. 4. 
 " Deut. 2s. 4. 
 
 3 hath filled 
 bis quiver 
 with them. 
 
 4 Or. shall 
 subdue, or, 
 destroy. 
 
 3 Lo, ^cliildren are an heritage of the Lord: 
 And '^the fruit of the womb is his reward. 
 
 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man ; — so are children of the youth. 
 
 5 Happy is the man that ^ hath his quiver full of them : 
 They shall not be ashamed, 
 
 But they ^ shall speak with the enemies in the gate. 
 
 PSALM CXXVIIL 
 
 A Song of degrees. 
 
 1 BLESSED is every one that feareth the Lord ; — that walketh in liis ways, 
 
 2 For "thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands : 
 Happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 
 
 3 Thy *wife shall be ^as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: 
 Thy children like olive plants round about thy table. 
 
 4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. 
 
 5 The *Lord shall bless thee out of Zion : 
 
 And thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. 
 
 sions, support the English version, only explain it— 
 Whilst the godless are late in sitting down— i e., 
 resting, and M'ith all their toil fail to realize lasting 
 wealth because they seek it independently of God ; 
 on the contrary, God gives to His beloved ones 
 sleep undisturbed by cares, and with the sleep the 
 blessincf of wealth in a way they know not how. The 
 latter is to be understood as implied, though not 
 expressed. Cf. Mark iv. 27. _ It is not industry 
 that is discouraged, but anxious labour without 
 believing dependence on God, as contrasted with 
 that labour which, when its day's work is past, 
 leaves the result with God, and so can resign it- 
 self to balmy sleep, ' tired nature's kind restorer,' 
 the gift of God to His beloved ones especially. 
 The sleep of 'the sluggard' is not commended 
 here, or elsewhere in Scripture. Cf. Pro v. vi. 9, 
 10 ; xxxi. 15-27. 
 
 3-5. — 3. Lo — calling attention to a leading in- 
 stance of the j)rinciple that all deDends on God's 
 blessing— viz., children, cliildren are an heritage 
 of the Lord — Gen. xxxiii. 5; xlviii. 9; Josh. xxiv. 
 4. As fathers bequeath inheritances to their 
 children (Prov. xix. 14), so God gives to His be- 
 loved sons children as their "heritage." First, he 
 gives a house, security, and comjjetent means {vv. 1, 
 2) ; then children to enjoy them with and after 
 their parents, and the fruit of the womb is his 
 reward— (Gen. xxx. 2 ; Deut. vii. 13.) " Reward," 
 or hire, refers to Gen. xxx. 18, where Leah calls 
 her son Issachar—i. e., a hire, or reward— because 
 she regarded him as the reward given her by God 
 for her disinterestedness in giving her maiden to 
 her husband. 4. As arrows are in the hand of a 
 mighty man; so are children of the youth—?, e.. 
 sons begotten in youth, when the father is in full 
 strength (Gen. xlix. 3: cf. Isa. liv. 6). "Children 
 of the youth " come then to the height of their 
 manhood when the parents are declining in 
 strength and need i)rotection. They are like 
 arrows —a defence against tlie enemies of their 
 parents. Tlie Cliinese proverb says, 'When a sou 
 is born into a family, a bow and arrow are flung up 
 at the gate'— i e., a new protector is given to the 
 family. 5. Happy is the man that hath his quiver 
 full of them : they shall not be ashamed, but 
 they shall speak with the enemies in the gate— 
 they shall not suffer the shame of defeat, but 
 shall prevail, through the advocacy of their sons, 
 when they have a lawsuit with adversaries in the 
 gate— i.e., the place of justice. The transition 
 from "arrows" and a "quiver" to a court of jus- 
 tice ("the gate," the place of concourse and of 
 
 PSALM 128. 
 " Isa. 3. 10. 
 i> Pro. 5. IS. 
 " Eze. 19. 10. 
 
 d Ps. 52. 8. 
 • Ps. 131. 3. 
 
 judicial proceedings: cf. Ps. Ixix. 12) implies that, 
 whether in war or in trials at law, the energies of 
 sons jjrove a strong defence to aged parents. Con- 
 trast Job V. 4, 'His children are crushed in the 
 gate,' the once prosperous but wicked parent 
 being dead. Others, as marg., translate 
 'for they shall deA^ro?/ their enemies in the gate.' 
 Cf. 2 Chr. xxii. 10 ; Ps. xviii, 47, where the same 
 Hebrew is translated, 'subdueth,' or ' destroyeth,' 
 niarg. This keeps up the ima^e of war, im])lied 
 by the "arrows. But the English version is the 
 more common sense of the Hebrew. Cf. with the 
 description of public and private blessing through 
 dependence on the Lord, JDeut. xxviii. 4-8. 
 
 PSALM CXXVIIL 1-6. —The fear of God brings 
 blessedness. Israel, returned from Babylon, and 
 suffering through the Samaritan foes, is hereby 
 comforted. The community, not merely the indi- 
 vidual fearer of God, as in Ps. cxxvii., is referred to 
 (cf. vv. 5, 6; Lam. iii. 1). 
 
 1. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord ; 
 that walketh in his ways. The true way to show 
 we 'fear the Lord' is by 'walking in His ways.' 
 Those alone are entitled to the promised 'blessed- 
 ness' who, by obedience,evidencetherealityof their 
 faith and reverential fear towards God. 2. For thou 
 Shalt eat the labour of thine hands (Isa. iii. 10)— 
 instead of 'a nation which thou knowestnot eating 
 up the fruit of thy land, and all thy labours,'' 
 (Deut. xxviii. 33). happy shalt thou be, and it 
 shall be well with thee— from Deut. xxxiii. 29; 
 lit, 'oh thy happinesses! and good (is) to thee.' 
 Cf. the contemporary prophecy, Zech. viii. 10-13. 
 3. Thy wife (shall be) as a fruitful vine by the 
 sides of thine house— or, 'in the inner parts' 
 {Hengstenberg, note, Ps. xlviii. 2) : the most com- 
 fortable and secure place "of thine house." The 
 idea is that of a happy home, as contrasted with 
 Israel's past homeless state. Cf. the phrase, 1 
 Sam. xxiv. 3 ; also Tit. ii. 3. A numerous and 
 flourishing posterity is hereby promised to the 
 seemingly decaying Israel (cf. Zech. viii. 5). thy 
 children like olive plants round about thy table. 
 The oZire represents peace, fatness, joy, and flour- 
 ishing prosperity (Ps. Iii. 8 ; Jer. xi. 16). 
 
 4. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed 
 that feareth the Lord. " Behold" calls attention, 
 as we are all too little observant of God's righteous 
 and gracious ways. 5. The Lord shall bless thee 
 out of Zion — His seat, whence, out of His ' sanc- 
 tuary 'there, He distributes abroad His benefits 
 (Ps. XX. 2). and thou shalt see the good of Jeru- 
 salem all the days of thy Hie — lit., imperative 
 
God's goodness in 
 
 PSALMS CXXIX., CXXX. 
 
 sating Israel. 
 
 6 Yea, thou shalt^'see thy children's children. 
 And peace upon Israel. 
 
 PSALM CXXIX. 
 
 A Song of degrees. 
 
 1 MANY ^a time have they afflicted me from "my youth. 
 May Israel now say : 
 
 2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth ; 
 Yet they have not prevailed against me. 
 
 3 The ''plowers plowed upon my back; — they made long their furrows. 
 
 4 The Lord '^is righteous: — he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked. 
 
 5 Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion : 
 
 6 Let them be as "^the grass upon the house-tops. 
 Which withereth afore it groweth up ; 
 
 7 Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand, 
 Nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom. 
 
 8 Neither do they which go by say, *The blessing of the Lord ^^upon you 
 We bless you in the name of the Lord. 
 
 1 
 
 PSALM CXXX. 
 
 A Song of degrees. 
 OUT "of the depths have I cried unto thee, 0 Lord. 
 
 / Gen. 50. 23. 
 Job 42. 16. 
 
 PSALM 129. 
 1 Or. Much. 
 <• Jer. 2. 2. 
 
 Eze. 23. 3. 
 
 Hos. 2. 15. 
 
 Hos. 11. 1. 
 ^ Isa. 51. 23. 
 
 Heb. 11. 36. 
 * Ezra 9. 16. 
 Neh. 9. 33. 
 Lam. 1. 18. 
 Lam. 3. 22. 
 Dan. 9. r. 
 2 Thes. 1.6. 
 Ps. 37. 2. 
 Ps. 92. r. 
 Jer. ir. 5, 
 e. 
 
 ' Euth 2. 4. 
 Ps. 118. 26. 
 
 PSALM 130. 
 « Ps. 18. 4. 
 Ps. 25. 16. 
 Ps. 40. 2. 
 Lam. 3. 55. 
 Jon. 2. 2. 
 
 see; implying the certainty of the promise. So the 
 imperative, Ps. xxxvii. 27. Jerusalem is the 
 centre of national and spiritual life and light to the 
 whole land. Its prosperity involves that of the 
 nation (Ps. cxxii. 1-3, 6). 6. Yea, thou shalt see 
 thy children's children — like Job (xlii. 16) and 
 Joseph (Gen. 1. 2,3.) Cf. Zech, viii. 4. On the 
 contrary, in times of national distress, men die 
 early, peace upon Israel— (Ps. cxxv, 5.) 
 
 PSALM CXXIX. IS. — Though many and deep 
 liave been IsraeV-s afflictions, the righteous Lord hath 
 cut the cords of the wicked ( v**. 1-4) ; past deliverances 
 give anticipation of the doom of Zion's haters {vv. 
 5-8). The Jews herein, after their return from 
 Babylon, express their hope of complete re-estab- 
 lishment. 
 
 1. Many a time have they aflaicted me from 
 my youth — from the time of Israel's national 
 youth in Egypt (Hos. ii. 15 ; Jer. ii. 2 ; xxii. 21 ; 
 Ezek. xxiii. 3). may Israel now say— (Ps. cxxiv. 
 1. ) 2. Many a time have they afflicted me from 
 my youth ; yet they have not prevailed against 
 me. The repetition connects the repeated afflic- 
 tions of God's people by the enemy with their 
 invariable deliverance. 3. The plowers plowed 
 upon my hack; they made long their furrows. 
 The stripes laid on Israel's back are compared to 
 the furrows made by the plow. Cf. the image, 1 
 Sam. xiv. 14, The autitypical Israel saith, " I gave 
 my back to the smiters " ( I sa. 1. 6). How just the 
 retribution in kind, that as Israel caused her King 
 to have His back plowed by the smiters, so " Zion " 
 was, for Israel's sin, "plowed as a field" (Mic. iii. 
 12), under the Poraan Titus. 4. The Lord is righ- 
 teous : he hath cut asunder the cords of the 
 wicked. The righteousness of God is His people's 
 ground of hoping deliverance. Israel's true stand- 
 ing is on the righteousness of faith : then at once, 
 when she recognizes this, the righteousness of (iod, 
 which is inseparably connected with His faithful- 
 ness to His promises to Israel's fathers, binds Him 
 to deliver lier (Ptom. x. .3, 4). This shall be so in 
 the latter days, (Rom. ii.) "The cords of the 
 wicked" are those with which Israel's enemies had 
 bound her. Instead of their cords (cf. "the rod 
 of the wicked," Ps. cxxv. 3) remaining on Israel, 
 3S3 
 
 Jehovah-Messiah's cords shall bind the hostile 
 confederate world-powers themselves. They can- 
 not "break" those "bands asunder," nor "cast" 
 those "cords from" them (Ps. ii. 3). 
 
 5. Let them all be confounded and turned back 
 that hate Zion— (Ps. xxxv. 4.) Faith anticipates 
 future triumphs over the enemy from those vouch- 
 safed in times past. The Spirit of prophecy an- 
 nounces, through the Psalmist, the sinners' doom 
 according to God's decree, in the form of an 
 imprecation ; not the language of personal revenge, 
 but of holy zeal for God and for His people. 6. 
 Let them be as the grass upon the house-tops, 
 which withereth afore it groweth up— (Ps. xxxvii. 
 2; Isa. xxxvii. 27.) Grass, on the flat roofs in 
 Eastern houses, readily takes root, but having no 
 depth of soil, speedily withers— 'afore it is 
 drawn forth.' It is better to take the Hebrew of 
 "groweth up" [t^^^], 'before (one) draiveth forth 
 the reaping hook' {Buxtorf) ; or ' before (one) pull- 
 eth it uj)^ {Hengstenherg). Cf. Hebrew, Ruth iv. 
 7. So Job xxxiv. 20, "taken away without hand.'^ 
 So Dan. ii. 34. Thus the image expresses the cut- 
 ting off of the wicked suddenly by the visitation of 
 God, before their removal in the ordinary course of 
 nature. 7, 8. Wherewith the mower filleth not 
 his hand, nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom. 
 The mower takes the stalks into his hand to cut 
 them; the binder takes the sheaf into his bosom 
 to bind it. Neither do they which go by say, The 
 blessing of the Lord be upon you — as it was 
 customary in God-fearing Isi'ael for those who 
 passed by reapers of a harvest to say to them. So 
 Ruth ii. 4. 
 
 PSALM CXXX. l-8.-0w< of deep distress Is- 
 rael cries to J ehorah, casting herself on God's merry 
 not to 7nark her iniquity {vv. 1-4) ; site waits for it 
 more than they who wait for morning, so she 
 may hope in Jehovah, who shall redeem her {vv. 5-8). 
 The spiritual Israel ought so to wait on Jehovah 
 as the only way to peace and deliverance from 
 trial. The occasion is the same as that of the 
 other songs of degrees, or pilgrim songs — viz., the 
 low state of the Jews after the return from Baby- 
 lon. 
 
 1. Out of the depths have I cried unto thee. 
 
I 
 
 Datid professin g 
 
 PSALM CXXXI. 
 
 his humility. 
 
 2 Lord, hear my voice ; 
 
 Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. 
 
 3 If ^thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, — 0 Lord, who shall stand? 
 
 4 But there is ^forgiveness with thee, — that thou *^mayest be feared. 
 
 5 I Svait for the Lord, my soul doth wait,— and in his word do I hope. 
 
 6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning; 
 ^/ say, more than they that watch for the morning. 
 
 7 Let Israel hope in the Lord : 
 
 For ^ with the Lord there is mercy, — and with him is plenteous redemption. 
 
 8 And ^he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. 
 
 PSALM CXXXI. 
 
 A Song of degrees of David. 
 
 1 LOPvD, my heart is not hauglity, — nor mine eyes lofty : 
 "Neither do I ^exercise myself in great matters, 
 Or in things too " high for me. 
 
 J( b 9. 2, 3, 
 Rom. 3. 20. 
 
 " Ex. 34. r. 
 Eph. 1. r. 
 
 d 1 Ki. 8. 40. 
 
 Jer. 33. 8. 9. 
 
 Htb. 12. 28. 
 ' Isa. 26. 8. 
 1 Or, which 
 
 watch unto 
 
 the mora- 
 
 ing. 
 / 1 a. 5'\ 7. 
 " Watt. 1. A. 
 
 PSALM 131. 
 » Eoin. 12.16. 
 
 1 walk. 
 
 2 won(ler.'"ul. 
 Job 42. 3. 
 
 0 Lord— Hebrew, JfAo'-a/i. Like Jonah, "out of 
 the belly of hell" (Jon. ii. 2). Intense sorrow is 
 often compared to deep waters or a jnt (Ps. xl. 2 ; 
 Ixix. 2, 14; Isa. li. 10). 2. Lord, hear my voice; 
 let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my 
 supplications (Ps. xxviii. 2)— Hebrew, Adouai. 
 As Jehovah marks His unchangeable faithfulness 
 to His promises of delivering His people, so A donai 
 His Lordship over all hindrances in the way of His 
 delivering them. 
 
 3. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, 
 0 Lord, who shall stand? "Mark"— i.e., take 
 strict account of iniquities (Job x. 14; xiv. 16; Ps. 
 xc. 8). " Stand " is a legal term for, he justified (cf. 
 Ps. cxliii. 2). To fall—i. e., to be condemned— is 
 the opposite term (cf. note, Ps. i. 5 ; xviii. 38 ; xx. 8). 
 If thou, Jah (the concentrated essence of all that 
 Jehovah implies), shouldest mark mine iniquities, 
 which are the cause of my sutferings, then I should 
 have no hope of deliverance. "0 Lord (Adonai), 
 who should stand?" But thou v/ill not mark them. 
 4. But— rather, in the usual sense of the Hebrew 
 ['^], For'^ (see note, v. 3, for the ellipsis), which 
 requires /or, not hut, to follow here, there is for- 
 giveness' with thee, that thou mayest be feared. 
 The knowledge of God's character as, "forgiving 
 iniquity and transgression and sin " (Exod. xxxiv. 
 7), gives the hope of acceptance with Him, and de- 
 liverance from sin's penalty. So men who by the 
 Spirit are taught what God is, are instinctively led 
 to come and reverently worship Him with the 
 'fear,' not of trembling slaves, but of loving sons. 
 A hai sh God (such as the devil pictures God to 
 the unregenerate) would either be shunned alto- 
 gether, or be worshipped only in order that He 
 might not hurt us (as th.e heathen M'orship their 
 
 fods). But the sense of God's forgiveness leads 
 lis children lovingly to reverence Him, and to 
 shrink with fear from all that would offend Him 
 {1 Ki. viii. 39, 40). 
 
 5. I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait. 
 The Lord will wait, that He may be gracious 
 unto them that wait for Him (Isa. xxx. 18; Ps. 
 xxvii. 14). and in his word do I hope — i. e., in 
 His word of promise (Ps. cxix. 74, 81, 82, 114, 
 147). We must not only hope, but wait patiently 
 the Lord's time of realizing our hope. On 
 the other hand, we must not only wait, but 
 blend believing hope with our waiting— not wait in 
 apathy, much less wait as those tired of hoping, 
 and so ceasing to hope (Hab. ii. 3). 6. My soul 
 (waiteth) for the Lord more than they that watch 
 for the morning; (I say more than) they |hat 
 watch for the morning—' more than watchmen,' 
 384 
 
 who, keeping watch all night, look forward with 
 eagerness for the close of their ^^atching at the 
 dawn. The Lord's coming to the relief of the dis- 
 tressed is as morning light dispelling the darkness 
 of night (Ps, xxx. 5). The clouble repetition of 
 " my soul doth wait" (vv. 5, 6), and of "more than 
 they that watch for the morning," implies the 
 yearning eagerness of longing desire (cf. Isa. xxi. 
 11, 12). 
 
 7. Let Israel hope in the Lord: for -eith the 
 Lord (there is) mercy, and with him (is) plen- 
 teous redemption— (Ps. Ixxxvi. 5, 15.) Israel, 
 who in w. 1-6 addressed the Loi'd, and described 
 herself as waiting eagerly for Him, here addresses 
 herself with encouragements to persevere hoping 
 in Him, since with Him there is plenteous redemp- 
 tion for His people (note, Ps. xxv. 22; cxi. 9). lie- 
 demption implies that the "forgiveness" {o. 4) is 
 not one given at the cost of God's justice, and by 
 His conniving at sin, but one effected by a ransom 
 even the jjrice of Messiah's blood, about to be shed 
 in due time (1 Pet. i. 18, 19). 8. And he shall re- 
 deem Israel from all his iniquities. He Mrst 
 redeems from 'iniquity' the cawse, and then from 
 punishment, the cowset/wence (Ps. ciii. 3, 4; Matt, 
 i. 21). 
 
 PSALM CXXXI. 1-3.— Jehovah's people should 
 not he amhitious of high things, hut quieted as a 
 loeaned child, and in this spirit hope in Him alone 
 and for ever. -Childlike humility and faith accord 
 with David the author's character. He taught 
 Solomon the same (1 Ki. iii. 7; 1 Chr. xxii. 5; 
 xxix. i). 
 
 1. Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine 
 eyes lofty — cf. the parallels in David's psalms, 
 xviii. 27; cL 5. The invocation of Jehovah im- 
 plies, Thou art one who, though so "high" 
 thyself, "yet hast respect unto the lowly; but 
 the proud thou knowest afar off" (Ps. cxxxviii. 
 6). I do not debar myself from thy grace by a 
 haughty spirit and lofty looks. Prosperity gener- 
 ates this spirit (Deut. xxxii. 15). So in the case 
 of Uzziah, 2 Chr. xxvi. 16; and Hezekiah, 2 Chr. 
 xxxii. 25. Pride has its seat in the heart, and 
 betrays itself in the eyes, neither do I exercise 
 myself in great matters, or in things too high 
 for me — lit, ' neither do I walk in great matters ;' 
 i. e., in an ambitious course of life (Ps. i. 1). "Too 
 high" — lit, 'too wonderful for me;' above my 
 sphere and ray powers (Ps. cxxxix. 6). Job had 
 once done so; but when taught by afiliction he 
 ceased to 'utter things too wonderful for him. 
 which he knew not ' (Job xlii. 3). The true way 
 to be great is (as the Lord told Baruch, Jer. xiv. 
 
David's care 
 
 PSALM CXXXII 
 
 for the ark. 
 
 2 Surely I have behaved and quieted ^myself, ^as a child that is weaned of 
 
 his mother: 
 My soul is even as a weaned child. 
 
 3 Let Israel hope in the Lord — '^from henceforth and for ever. 
 
 PSALM cxxxn. 
 
 A Song of degrees. 
 
 1 LORD, remember David, — and all his afflictions : 
 
 2 How he sware unto the Lord, — a?id vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob; 
 
 3 Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, 
 Nor go up into my bed ; 
 
 4 I will not give sleep to mine eyes, — or slumber to mine eyelids, 
 
 5 Until I find out a place for the Lord, 
 
 ^An habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. 
 
 6 Lo, we heard of it ^at Ephratah.; 
 
 ■''my soul. 
 Luke.il. la. 
 John 11. 1. 
 
 6 Matt. 18. 3. 
 Mark 10.15, 
 ICor. 14.20. 
 
 * from now. 
 Ps. 115. 18, 
 Isa. 2G. 4. 
 
 PSALM 132. 
 
 " Gen. 21. 33. 
 Euth 3. 18. 
 Pro. 6. 4. 
 
 1 habita- 
 tions. 
 
 f> Josh. 18. 1. 
 Euth 1. 2. 
 lSam.17.12, 
 Mic. 5. 2. 
 
 5) not to * seek great things for ourselves ' now. 
 2. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself— 
 lit., 'I have composed a,nd quieted rny soul.' Heng- 
 stenherg takes it, ' I have smoothed,'' &c., as in Isa. 
 xxviii. 25, removing all false elevations (Isa. xl. 4). 
 [So rrc^ primarily means, but in the Pihel to com- 
 pose or dispose.} The quieting of his soul refers to 
 his stilling the motions of pride. " Surely," in 
 Hebrew, a solemn asseveration {im lo). as a child 
 that is weaned of his mother— as one still a 
 child, though weaned (Isa. xi. 8; xxviii. 9), having 
 all the hnmility of such a little one (Matt, xviii. 3, 
 4). [^tjK "hj-;] "Of his mother"— rather, ^ upon his 
 mother;' i. e., in his mother's bosom (of. 1 Cor. 
 xiv. 2f)). Children among the Hebrews were often 
 not weaned till three years old. my soul is even 
 as a vreaned child— 'as a weaned child is my 
 soul in for, upon) me.'' The point of comparison is, 
 The child, though i7i his mothers bosom, yet no 
 longer seeks the mother's milk ; so ray soul in me 
 no longer seeks eagerly its natural thoughts of 
 haughtiness and high aims. 3. Let Israel hope 
 In the Lord from henceforth and for ever. Hope 
 in the Lord is the antidote of haughty tlioughts 
 and overweening aims by one's own hand. Ps. 
 cxxx. 7 is coined from this. If Israel wishes to 
 be great "from henceforth and for ever," she must 
 leave herself in the Lord's hands, and wait for the 
 Lo-d's time and way to magnify her. 
 ^ P8ALM CXXXII. 1-18.-David's zeal for build- 
 ing Jehovah's house is the plea that Jehovali 
 should remember him and his race now in afflic- 
 tion (vv. 1-5) ; his zeal appeared in his bringing tiie 
 ark of God's strenjrth from the fields of the wood 
 (the forest town, Kirjath-jearim) to Zion. At its 
 dedication he prayed that Jehovah might make 
 Zion His rest, and that His priests might be 
 clothed with righteousness, and His saints have 
 cause for joy (uv. 6-9) ; Jehovah, in answer to 
 Israel's prayer in affliction, promises for David's 
 sake to quicken David's royal line to life again 
 {vv. 1(^-12) ; for He hath chosen Zion, and, echoing 
 David's prayer, will make it His rest for ever, and 
 clothe her priests with salvation, and make Iser 
 saints shout for joy, and make David's crown to 
 flourish, whilst his foes shall be clothed with 
 shame {vv. 13-18). Like the other anonymous 
 pilgrim-songs, it belongs to the fx^riod of the return 
 from Babylon, when David's kingdom and race 
 were dejjressed, (cf. Ps. Ixxxix.) 
 
 1. Lord, remember David, (and) all his alSic- 
 tions— from the prayer of Solomon at tlie conse- 
 cration of the temi>le, 2 Chr. vi. 42, " 0 Lord 
 God, turn not away the face of thine anointed 
 (cf. V. 10 here); remember the mercies (Hebrew, 
 VOL. IIL 385 
 
 the pious deeds; as in 2 Chr. xxxv, 26, marg.) 
 of David thy servant." David's affliction at the 
 time was concerning the sacred tabernacle which 
 was without the ark of the covenant, a body 
 without a soul. The ark, the symbol of the 
 Lord Himself, was in Kirjath-jearim almost for- 
 gotten, and without any order of worship (Ps. 
 Ixxviii. 60, 61 ; 1 Chr. xiii. 3). Cf. 1 Chr. xxii. 14. 
 He earoestly desired to have the ark of God in his 
 capital, yet feared lest God's wrath against Israel 
 might not yet have passed away; especially so 
 when tlie Lord 'made a breach upon Uzzali' for 
 his presumption (2 Sam. vi. 7, 9). At last his eager 
 wish prevailed over fear. He brought up the ark 
 to Zion. Then a new desire took possession of 
 him, to raise a temple of stone for the ark. Though 
 God denied his wish until Solomon's reign, He 
 was so ijleased with David's zeal for the house of 
 God, that He gave him a i)romise of perpetuity to 
 his own house and kingdom. Now the people and 
 tlie posterity of David plead this promise at a 
 time when God seemed to forget it and the pious 
 earnestness of David. As primarily it was the 
 plea of the depressed. Jews after the return from 
 Babylon, so ultimately it shall be the plea of the 
 Jews after their long-continued dispersion, when 
 the Lord shall by ITis spirit turn them to Himself. 
 
 2. the mighty God of Jacob— from Gen. xlix. 24. 
 
 3. Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of 
 my house, nor go up into my bed— not literally, 
 but virtually : I will come into my house as though 
 I did not come into it, and go up into my bed as 
 though I did not go into it. 1 shall regard myself 
 as without a home and bed, giving myself no 
 settled rest until I find a resting place for the ark 
 of Jehovah (2 Sam. vi. ; and vii. 2: cf. 1 Cor. vii. 
 29, 30). On account of this his restless state, he 
 calls his "house" a " tabernacle ' or tent. Beds 
 were generally placed on an ascent at the 
 end of the chamber, and were approached by 
 several steps. 
 
 6. Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah— David's 
 words after he had so far attained his wish, that 
 the ark had been brought up to Zion. When we 
 were at Epljratah (the old name for Bethlehem) — 
 i. e., in David's youth, we knew of the ark only by 
 hearsay (Job xlii. 5; Ps. xviii. 44) : it was neglected 
 and never visited. Gesenius takes "Ephratah" as 
 Ephraim, in which tribe Shiloh was situated, the 
 original seat of the ark; so in Judg. xii. 5, the 
 Heorew, Ephrailii, denotes an Ephraimite. But 
 that is an abbreviation which can hardly have place 
 here. " We heard of it in Ephratah" could hardly 
 mean ' we heard that it was in Ephratah.' Rather, 
 it is, 'we, being in Ephratah, heard of it' as a 
 matter of mere hearsay. When it was in Shiloh it 
 2o 
 
Psalm at the removing 
 
 PSALM CXXXII. 
 
 of the ark. 
 
 '^We found it '^in the fields of the wood. 
 
 7 We will go into his tabernacles; — we will worship at his footstool. 
 
 8 Arise, *0 Lord, into thy rest; — thou, and the ark of thy strength. 
 
 9 Let thy priests^ be clothed with righteousness; 
 And let thy saints shout for joy. 
 
 10 For thy servant David's sake — turn not away the face of thine anointed. 
 
 11 The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David ; he will not turn from it; 
 ^Of the fruit of '^thy body will I set upon thy throne. 
 If thy children will keep my covenauc and my testimony that I shall 
 
 teach them, 
 
 Their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore. 
 For the Lord hath chosen Zion ; — he hath desired it for his habitation. 
 This is my rest for ever : — here will I dwell ; for I have desired it. 
 I vrill ^abundantly bless her provision : — I will satisfy her poor with bread. 
 I '^will also clothe her priests with salvation ; 
 *And her saints shall shout aloud for joy. 
 There ^ will I make the horn of David to bud : 
 I have ordained a ^ lamp for mine anointed. 
 
 12 
 
 " 1 Sam. r. 1. 
 
 1 Chr. 5. 
 ' Num.l0..?5. 
 
 2 Chr. 6. 41. 
 Ps. 68. 5. 
 
 / Job 29. 14. 
 
 Ps. 93. 1. 
 
 Isa. 61. 10. 
 
 Rom. 13.1}. 
 
 Rev. 1 >. 8. 
 " 2 Sam. r.i2. 
 
 1 Ki. 8. 25. 
 
 2 Chr. 6. 10. 
 Luke 1. 69. 
 Acts 2. 30. 
 
 2 thy belly. 
 2 Or, surely. 
 1^ 2 Chr. 6. 41. 
 < Hos. 11. 12. 
 J Ps. 92. 10. 
 
 Ps. 148. 14. 
 
 Eze. 29.21. 
 
 Luke 1. 69. 
 ■t ' r. candl*^. 
 
 was not a mere matter of hearsay, and lost sight of, 
 but it was the religious centre of the nation openly, 
 we found it in tlie fields of the wood— i. e., in 
 Kinath-jearim [city of the woods), on the confines 
 of Judah and Benjamin, where the ark was placed 
 after its restoration by the Philistines. "We 
 found it " implies that it was virtually lost to 
 Israel during the twenty years whilst it was in 
 the suburbs of the solitary forest-town, Kirjath- 
 jearim (1 Sam. vi. 21; vii. 1; 2 Sam. vi. 3, 4). 
 Maurer translates, 'in the tields of Jaar^ an 
 abbreviation for Kirjath-jearim ; as Hermon is put 
 for Baal-Hermon (Deut. iii. 9; Judg. iii. 3), Sheba 
 for Beer-Sheba (Josh. xix. 2). 7. We will go into 
 his tabernacles ; we will worship • at his foot- 
 stool—the language of David and the people at the 
 dedication of the ark on Zion. The ark is " His 
 footstool" (Ps. xcix. 5). Cf. Heb. x. 25 as to our 
 duty, corresponding to the people's mutual exhor- 
 tation here. Also Isa. ii. 3. 8, 9. Arise, O Lord, 
 into thy rest ; thou, and the ark of thy strength. 
 Let thy priests . . . thy saints shout for joy 
 (like vv. 1, 10)— from Solomon's prayer at the dedi- 
 cation of the temple (2 Chr. vi. 41). 'The ark of 
 the Lord's strength ' (cf. Ps. Ixxviii. 61) is the ark, 
 the symbol of the strength which " the mighty 
 God of Jacob" [v. 2) puts forth in behalf of His 
 people. ' For the ark was not a dead ghost, but 
 really showed that God was nigh to His Church' 
 (Calvin). Cf. the words of Moses when the ark set 
 forward, and when it rested, wherein the Lord is 
 identified in action with the ark. His symbol (Num. 
 X. 35, 36). 9. be clothed with righteousness— 
 " with salvation " in the corresponding v. 16, and in 
 Solomon's prayer in dedicating the temple. The 
 " righteousness " with which the priests are 
 clothed is that of their justification by God (cf. 
 Isa. Ixi. 10), which involves with it necessarily 
 their "salvation" (cf. Ps. xxiv. 5). 
 
 10. For thy servant David's sake turn not 
 away the face of thine anointed— (cf. v. 1 above ; 
 2 Chr. yi. 42). "Thine anointed" is David, as 
 the original words of Solomon and the parallelism 
 here prove (cf. v. 17; Ps. Ixxxiv. 9). Again and 
 again we find that '■for David's sake' the Lord 
 spared Judah's kings, and reserved to them a 
 kingdom (1 Ki. xi. 12, 13; xv. 4; 2 Ki. viii. 19). It 
 was not merely for the sake of David, but for the 
 sake of God's covenant with him and his seed 
 (especially the Divine Son of David), and for the 
 sake of God's honour involved therein (y, 11 ; 1 Ki. 
 viii. 24-26). 
 
 3S6 
 
 11. The Lord hath sworn in truth (2 Sam. vii. 
 28) unto David. To doubt after such an oath 
 would be to blasphemously insult God (Ps. Ixxxix. 
 3, 4, 35, 36). Of the fruit of thy body will I set 
 upon thy throne. Its fullest realization is in 
 Messiah (Luke i. 32, 33,69; Acts ii. 30,31). 12. 
 If thy children will keep my covenant and my 
 testimony that I shall teach them, their children 
 shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore. 
 This condition, which David's descendants had not 
 kei>t, explains why the state of David's race and 
 peojjle was now, as a matter of fact, so different 
 from what the Lord's gracious i)romise had con- 
 templated. Still, though the non-fulfilment of the 
 condition caused a suspension, it did not abrogate 
 for ever the promise. When the condition shall 
 be fulfilled through the repentance and obedience 
 of Israel, the promise resumes its uu abated force. 
 So 2 Sam. vii. 14, 15. The teaching of the Lord's 
 testimony here is that internally imparted by God's 
 Holy Spirit (Ps. cxliii. 10 ; xeiv. 12 ; and Ps. cxix. 
 throughout). God alone can give the will and the 
 power to keep His covenant. 
 
 13. For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath 
 desired it for his habitation. As Zion's welfare 
 is inseparably associated with David's throne, 
 Jehovah's choice of Zion as His seat involves as a 
 consequence the restoration of David's race and 
 kingdom, through which He shall then impart 
 salvation to His people (Ps. xlviii. 1, 2). 14. 
 This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; 
 for I have desired it— (Ps. Ixviii. 16.) The 
 Lord's answer is exactly consonant to the prayer, 
 V. 8, "Arise, 0 Lord,, into thy rest.'' 15. I 
 will abundantly bless her provision: I will 
 satisfy her poor with bread— (Ps. cxlvii. 14; Isa. 
 xxxiii. 16, 20. ) 16. I will also clothe her priests 
 with salvation — (v. 9, "with righteousness:" 
 cf. Ps. cxlix. 4). and her saints shall shout 
 aloud for joy— viz., at their salvation (Isa. Ixi. 10). 
 How immediately and how fully doth God's 
 answer echo His people's prayer! [v. 9.) 17. There 
 will I make the horn of David to bud. "There" 
 — viz., in Zion I will make David's race to rise 
 from depression to eminence in kingly dignity (cf. 
 Ezek. xxix. 21), Luke i. 69 ai)plies the prophecy 
 to Messiah. A horn is the symbol of strength 
 (Ps. Ixxv. 4, note). I have ordained a lamp for 
 mine anointed — I will cause the light of prosperity 
 to shine again upon his race, after the darkness 
 that has enveloped them, for the sake of David 
 mine anointed. Cf. the same image, Ps. xviii. 28. 
 
The blessedness of 
 
 PSALM CXXXIII. 
 
 unity among brethren. 
 
 18 His enemies will I clothe with shame : 
 But upon himself shall his crown flourish. 
 
 PSALM CXXXIIL 
 
 A Song of degrees of David. 
 
 1 BEHOLD, how good and how pleasant it is for '^brethren to dwell 
 
 together in unity! 
 
 2 It is like ''the precious ointment upon the head, 
 That ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard ; 
 That went down to the skirts of his garments ; 
 
 3 As the dew of ^Hermon, 
 
 And as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion : 
 
 For there the Lord commanded the blessing, — even life for evermore. 
 
 PSALM 133. 
 * Gen. 13. 8. 
 
 1 Cor. 1. 10. 
 
 Heb. 13. 1. 
 1 even to- 
 gether. 
 6 Ex. 30. 25. 
 
 Ps. 141. 5. 
 
 Pro. 27. 9. 
 
 Song 1. 3. 
 
 John 12. 3. 
 " Deut. 3. 8.9. 
 
 Deut. 4. 48. 
 
 Josh. 13.11. 
 
 Lev. 25. 21. 
 
 1 eut. 23. 8. 
 
 Ps. 42. 8. 
 
 Especially 1 Ki. xi. 36, " Unto his (Solomon's) sou 
 wi 11 I give one tribe, that David my servant may 
 have a light (Hebrew, lamp) alway before me in 
 Jerusalem" (1 KL xv. 4; 2 Chr. xxi. 7). 18. His 
 enemies will I clotlie with shame— with dis- 
 ' appointment in their hope of glorying over his 
 downfall, but upon himself shall his crown 
 flourish — in contrast to Ps. Ixxxix. 39. David 
 shall reign in the person of his seed, the Son of 
 David, Messiah. 
 
 PSALM CXXXIII. 1-3. - The goodness and 
 pleasantness of brethren dwelling together in unity. 
 
 Behold " accords with the reference being to a 
 meeting of the national brotherhood at the great 
 festivals. So the comparison to the priesthood {v. 
 2). Zion, in v. 3, is marked as the place of meeting. 
 As in Ps. cxxii. David strengthened the peoples 
 love for Jerusalem, so in this psalm he glorifies the 
 communion of saints now restored at Zion, after 
 t its long intermission during the ark's twenty years' 
 stay out of mind at Kirjath-jearim. 
 
 1. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is 
 for brethren to dwell together in unity! The 
 children of Israel, being all children of God, not 
 1 only by creation, but also by national adoption, 
 I were all "brethren." Tlie great festivals were 
 I designed to be occasions for realizing this brother- 
 ; hood and communion of saints. They had been 
 1 for twenty years susjiended whilst the ark was 
 , at Kirjath-jearim. Jsovv, under David, they were 
 ' J being renewed at Zion, whither the ark had been 
 I removed. So all the members of the spiritual 
 I Israel— the Church. What they are by calling, 
 j and in the idea, they ought also to })e in feeling 
 j and in fact, meeting in brotherly fellowship as all 
 I j children of God by faith in Christ Jesus (Gal. iii. 
 j j 26 ; Jleb. xiii. 1). When occasions of dispute 
 : arise, they should say, as Abraham said to Lot, 
 I i Gen. xiii. 8, " Let there be no strife, I pray thee, 
 I between me and thee . . . for we be brethren." 
 I "Together" — Hebrew, ^ also together;' i.e., how 
 
 I j good it is that those who are brothers by blood or 
 I religious ties should a/.so dwell in unity! 2. It is 
 
 I I like the precious ointment upon the head, that 
 ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard; 
 that went down to the skirts of his garments. 
 
 ' The 'holy anointing oil' consisted of olive oil 
 I mixed with four principal si)ice3 — myrrh, svveet 
 
 cinnamon, sweet calamis, and cassia (Exod. xxx. 
 ' ; 23-25). The high X'riest Aaron's head was anointed 
 ' ■ with the holy oil poured upon it (Exod, xxix. 7 ; 
 ^ Lev. viii. 12; xxi. 10), and Howing down upon the 
 
 beard. In this copious effusion on the head his 
 
 anointing differed from that of the i)riests, who 
 I were merely streaked with oil upon their fore- 
 i heads. The Psalmist calls it " precious," in refer- 
 1 ence to the spiritual grace of love (the first fruit of 
 
 the Spirit, Gal. v. 22), of which it is the image. 
 337 
 
 The Holy Spirit is the precious ointment with 
 which, in its infinite plenitude, Messiah Mas 
 "anointed" (Dan. ix. 24; Acts x. 38; John iii. 
 34). The holy ointment streams down from our 
 antitypical High Priest in measure upon all His 
 believing members, even to the very lowest of 
 them who, like the woman with the issue of blood, 
 in faith touch the hem of His garment (Matt. ix. 
 20). As they "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" 
 (Rom. xiii. 14), so He puts them on as His orna- 
 ment, and imparts to them of His xn-ecious Spirit 
 (John i. 16). Hengstenberg, however, with the 
 Arabic version, takes it, '(even) Aaron's heard 
 that flowed down to the opening at the neck of his 
 garment.^ But the ointment, not Aaron's beard, is 
 plainly the object in the image ; and the Chaldaic, 
 LXX. , Vulgate, Ethiopic, and Syriac versions take 
 it as the English version. 
 
 3. As the dew of Hermon, (and as the dew) that 
 descended upon the mountains of Zion. As " the 
 ])recious ointment" {v. 2) sets forth " how good'" is 
 brotherly unity (?'. 1), so "the dew" sets forth 
 "how pleasant" it is. The Hebrew is literally, 
 ' As the dew of Hermon that descended upon the 
 mountains of Zion.' " The dew of Hermon" is an 
 image of "pleasant" or lovely dew. Locally, Her- 
 mon, in the distant East, was so far from Zion, in 
 the West, that the dew of the former could not 
 literally (lescend upon the latter. Brotherly unity 
 resembles a " pleasant " dew (such as Hermon has) 
 which descends u})on Zion, where this unity is so 
 beautifully exemplified {Hengstenherg). for there 
 the Lord commanded the blessing. "Blessing" 
 is a servant at God's "command" (Lev. xxv. 21 ; 
 Ps. xiii. 8). He does command its presence on 
 Zion, the representative seat of the kingdom of 
 God, when the people of God are joined "there" 
 in holy brotherhood and " unity." He does not 
 command its presence in the world, and in the 
 region of natural corruption, outside of the king- 
 dom of grace, (even) life for evermore. "The 
 dew " is the symbol of ever-fresh youth and resur- 
 rection — immortality descending from heaven at 
 Christ's second coming (Ps. ex. 3 ; Isa. xxvi. 19). 
 
 PSALM CXXXIV. 1-2.— Call to Jehovah's .'ser- 
 vants, who stand by night in the sanctuary, to bless 
 Jehovah (vv. 1-2); their blessing in reply {v. 3). In 
 vv. 1, 2 the pilgrims arriving in the afternoon 
 address Jehovah s servants, the priests assembled 
 at the evening sacrifice in the Lord's house, and 
 ask them to bless Him in their and the people's 
 name, and to pray. In v. 3 the priests in reply 
 bless the people as rei)resented by the pilgrims. 
 When we bless God, He immediately blesses us. 
 Cf. the interchange of blessing between man and 
 the Most High, Gen. xiv. 19, 20. This psalm is 
 the epilogue to the collection of pilgrim-songs, in 
 all fifteen. 
 
Exhortations to 
 
 PSALMS CXXXIV., CXXXV. 
 
 praise God. 
 
 PSALM CXXXIV. 
 
 A Song of degrees. 
 
 BEHOLD, bless ye the Lord,— all ye servants of tlie Lord, 
 ''Which by night stand iu the house of the Lord. 
 Lift ^up your hands '^in the sanctuary, — and bless the' Lord. 
 
 The ' Lord that made heaven and earth — bless '^thee out -of Zioii. 
 
 PSALM CXXXV. 
 
 PEAISE ye the Lord. 
 Praise ye the name of the Lord ;-=~praise him, 0 ye servants of the Lord. 
 Ye "that stand in the house of the Lord, 
 Li the courts of the house of our God, 
 ■Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good : 
 Sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant. 
 
 For *the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself; 
 And Israel for his peculiar treasure. 
 
 For I know that the Lord great, — and that our Lord is above all gods. 
 Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth. 
 In the seas, and all deep places. 
 
 PSA.LM 134 
 " Lev. 8. 35. 
 
 1 Chr. a. 33. 
 
 Pa. loO. 6. 
 
 Luke 2. 37. 
 
 Rev. 7. 15. 
 6 Ps. 28. 2. 
 
 Ps. 6X 4. 
 
 I s. 141. 2. 
 
 Lam. 2. 19. 
 
 Lam. 3. 41. 
 
 1 Tim. 2. 8. 
 I Or. in 
 
 holiness. 
 " Ps. 124. 8. 
 
 Ps. 128. 5. 
 
 PSALM 13.3. 
 " lChr.lG.S7. 
 42. 
 
 IClir. 23.30. 
 Luke 2. 37. 
 t> Ex. 19. .5. 
 Deut. IS-J: 
 Deut. 10.15. 
 lSam.12.22. 
 Ps. 33. 12. 
 
 1. Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of 
 the Lord, which toy night stand in the house of 
 the Lord. "Behold" vividly realizes the scene 
 before the eyes. The ^)We5^5 alone, not also the 
 Levites, had power to pronounce the bleasing {ik 3). 
 To " bless the Lord" is to praise and glorify Him. 
 The people, represented l>y the pilgrims, are not 
 hereby reminding the priests to fulfil the duty of 
 their office ; but are desiring the priests to offer 
 their {the j^eoples) blessings and thanksgivings to 
 the Lord, which are virtually prapers for help ; 
 for they bless the Lord as One who has saved them 
 in times past, and who therefore can and will 
 save them now. " By night " does not imply that 
 the priests stood all night serving the Lord ; nor 
 does 1 Chr. ix. 33 prove that even the Levite 
 singers were engaged throughout the night ; though 
 watches were kept by night iu the temple : the 
 reference is to the evening sacrifice with which 
 the service of the priests terminated. Gf. Pa. 
 xcii. 2. 2. Lift up your hands. The gesture 
 signified elevation of the heart in prayer (Ps. 
 xxviii. 2). in the sanctuary. The Chaldaic Tar- 
 gum has, 'with holiness;' the Syriac, 'to holi- 
 ness;' the LXX., Vulgate, Ethiopic, and Arabic, 
 ^ towards the sanctuary.' Ps. xxviii. 2 favours 
 the last. 
 
 3. The Lord that made heaven and earth— and 
 who, therefore, has infinite resources at command: 
 the counterpoise to the feebleness of the people of 
 God at this time (Ps. cxxi. 2 ; cxxiv. 8). toless 
 thee out of Sion. "Thee"— i. e., the people (Ps. 
 cxxviii. 5). The Lord blesses thee in return for thy 
 blessing the Lord {vv. 1, 2). The reference is to 
 the Mosaic blessing pronounced by the priests 
 alone (ISTum. vi. 24). So the whole collection of 
 pilgrim-songs closes with the blessing of the Lord 
 on the people : a fit conclusion. 
 
 PSALM CXXXV. 1-2L — Call to po-aise, as 
 J ehovah hath chosen Israel for His treasure {vv. 1-4) ; 
 His omnipotence to do what He will in the heaven, the 
 earth, the seas, and the air {vv. 5-7) ; His loonders in 
 Egypt v)roughtfor Israel, and His gift ofSihon's and 
 Og's lands to His people {vv. 8-12) ; a 2')ledge that He 
 will again vindicate His afflicted servants {vv. 13, 14) ; 
 vjhat a contrast of wcalcness the idols present {vv. 15- 
 18) ; concluding call to all to bless Jehovah (vv. 19- 
 21). As Ps. cxv. belongs to the time when the 
 second tcmT)le's foundation was laid ; and Ps. 
 383 
 
 cxxxiv. when the building was interrupted; so 
 this psalm was perhaps written when Nehemiah 
 went to Jerusalem and built the walls amidst the 
 opposition of Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah 
 the Ammonite, with the Arabians and Ashdodites, 
 For the reference to God's past deliverances of 
 Israel {vv. 8-11) im])lies that God's people now 
 again needed deliverance from foes. V. 1 refers 
 to Ps. cxxxiv. 1, 2; and v. '21 to Ps. cxxxiv. 3, 
 Vr. 15-18 are drawn from Ps. cxv. 4-S; vv. 19-21 
 from Ps. cxv, 9-12, 
 
 1. Praise ye the Lord — ' Hallelujah.' The 
 theme of the psalm, with which it opens and 
 closes. Praise him, 0 ye servants of the Lord 
 — not only the priests, as in Ps. cxxxiv. 1, but 
 the Levites and all Israel {vv. 19, 20). 2. Ye 
 that stand in the house of the Lord— the priests 
 and Levites. in the courts of the house of our 
 God— the people in general (Ps, xcii. 13; Luke ii. 
 37). 3. sing praises unto his name; for it is 
 pleasant — or 'lovely;' i.e., His name (i.e.. 
 Himself in His manifested attributes) is lovely. 
 The Hebrew {na'im) is the same as is translated 
 "the beauty {no'am) of the Lord," Ps. xc. 17, 
 where see note. Others, not so well, translate, 
 "for it is pleasant " to sing praises unto His name : 
 as Ps. cxlviL i. 
 
 4. For the Lord hath chosen Jacoto unto himgelf. 
 and Israel for his peculiar treasure— (Exod. xix. 
 5.) The "For" introduces the reason for the call 
 to praise. Israel, above all people, has reason to 
 praise Him. "The Lord" — Hebrew, 'Jah;' the 
 concentrated essence of Jehovah. "His i)eculiar 
 treasure" [n!i?itp ; the Greek TrepiSvaiov : not pro- 
 perty in general, but that which is rare, unique, 
 prized among one's choicest treasures, and kept 
 apart from the rest : happily descriptive of 
 the Lord's people. Tit. ii. 14]. Mai. iii. 17, 
 "my jewels" — marg., my special treasure. Cf. 
 Isa. Ixii. 3. 5. For I know— from the proofs that 
 He has given in the experience of His people 
 individually and nationally, as also in the v.-orks 
 of nature {vv. 6-12). that the Lord is great, and 
 that our Lord is atoove all gods— (Ps. xcv. 3; 
 xcvii. 9.) 6. Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that 
 did he in heaven, and in earth— from Ps. cxv. 3. 
 7. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends 
 of the eartli (i. e., from the extreme kori?,on): he 
 
Exliortations to 
 
 PSALM CXXXV. 
 
 'praise God. 
 
 7 He *^causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: 
 ^He maketh lightnings for the rain : 
 
 He bringeth the wind out of his ^ treasuries. 
 
 8 Who smote the first-born of Egypt, — ^ both of man and beast. 
 
 9 Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, 0 Egypt, 
 Upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants. 
 
 10 Who^ smote great nations, — and slew miglity kings; 
 
 11 Sihon king of the Amorites, — and Og king of Bashan,. 
 And ^all the kingdoms of Canaan : 
 
 12 And gave their land /or an heritag^e, — an heritage ^unto Israel his people. 
 
 13 Thy ^name, 0 Lord, endureth for ever; 
 
 And thy memorial, 0 Lord, ^throughout all generations. . 
 
 14 For -^'the Lord will judge his people, 
 
 And he will repent himself concerning his servants., 
 
 15 The idols of the heathen silver and gold, — the work of men's hands. 
 
 16 They have mouths, but they speak not; — eyes have they, but they see not; 
 
 17 They have ears, but they hear not; 
 Neither is there any breath in their mouths. 
 
 18 They that make them are like unto them: 
 So is every one that trusteth in. them.- 
 
 19 Bless the Lord, 0 house of Israel : — bless the Lord, 0 house of Aaron : 
 
 20 Bless the Lord, 0 house of Levi : — ye that fear the Lord, bless the Lord. 
 
 21 Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, — which dwelleth at Jerusalem. 
 Praise ye the Lord. 
 
 PSALM CXXXTL 
 
 1 0 GIVE thanks unto the Lord; for /le is good: 
 For his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 ' * Gen. 2. 6. 
 Gen. 51. 5, 
 6. 
 
 1 Ki. 18. 1, 
 41-45. 
 Job 5.. 10. 
 Ps. 148. 8. 
 
 Jer; 10. 13. 
 
 Jer. 51. 16. 
 
 Zech. 10. 1. 
 d Job 28. 25. 
 
 Job. 38. 24. 
 
 Zech. 10. 1. 
 * Job 38. 22. 
 
 Jon. 1. 4. 
 
 John 3. 8. 
 
 1 from man 
 uuto beast. 
 
 / ^"um. 21.24. 
 Ps. 44. 2, 3. 
 Ps. 136. 17, 
 22. 
 
 f Josh. 12. 7. 
 
 Gen. 17. 8. 
 » Ex. 3. 15. 
 
 Ex. 34. 5-7. 
 
 Ps. 8, 1, 9. 
 
 Ps. 72. 17. 
 
 Ps. 102. 12, 
 il. 
 
 Hos. 12. 5. 
 Matt. 6. 9, 
 1^ 
 
 2 to genera- 
 tion and 
 generation. 
 
 j Iteut.32.;e. 
 
 maketh lightnings for {i. e., to be accompanied 
 with) the rain : he bringeth the wind out of his 
 treasuries— from Jer. x. 13; li. 16. The earth, to 
 its farthest limits, is under His control; and we 
 see the clouds brought by His winds from every 
 quarter, however remote. 
 
 8. Who smote the first-born of Egypt, both of 
 man and beast. From general acts of God's 
 Hower He passes to s]>ecial, and from those done in 
 the heavens to those doae in the kingdoms of the 
 earth. 9. Who sent tokens and wonders into the 
 midst of thee, 0 Egypt. The phrase is moulded 
 after Ps. cxvi. 19. The allusion is to the 5>lagues 
 sent before that on the first-born {v. 8). Cf. Exod. 
 XV. 7, "thou santeHt forth thy wrath," &c. 10, 11. 
 Who smote . . . Sihon king of the Amorites, and 
 Og king of Bashan — the first of tlie subdued 
 kings, and among the most powerful (Amos ii. 
 9, 10). and all the kingdoms of Canaan— tiiirty- 
 one in number (Josh. xii. 7-24). 
 
 13. Thy name, 0 Lord, endureth for ever. The 
 Psalmist breaks off the enumeration, as exceeding 
 his iiower, with this sudden exclamation, Thy 
 name, 0 Lord, is rendered ever-enduring by tliy 
 deeds in behalf of thy people. Wilt thou not 
 again manifest its glory in their behalf? 14. For 
 the Lord will judge his people ... he will repent 
 himself concerning his servants — from Deut. 
 xxxii. 33. Cf. Moses' prayer, Ps. xo. 13. The 
 connection is, turning from addressing the Lord to 
 his fellow-men, the Psalmist implies, I said with 
 truth, tl)at 'the Lord's name will endure for ever' 
 {v. 13) ; for though now the memorial of the Lord's 
 character, as the former Deliverer of His peo])le, 
 seems well-nigh obliterated by our present miseries, 
 yet at length the Ixud will repent of chastising us 
 further, and will vindicate our cause. Cf. Ps. ix. 
 4; X. 18 ; liv. 1. ' Pi,epenting,' when attributed to 
 380 
 
 the Lord, refers to His outivard change of treat- 
 ment of men. His essential principle and righteous 
 will knows no change or repenting (Num. xxiii. 
 19). 
 
 15. The idols of the heathen are silvar and 
 gold, the work of men's hands — so far are they 
 from being able to vxoi:lz for men any such wonders 
 as were wrought at pleasure by Jehovah for His 
 people {;oo. G, 9). Vv. 15-18 are from Ps. cxv. 4-8, 
 where see notes. 17. neither is there any breath 
 in their mouths. So far are they from speaking, 
 that they have not even the breath in their mouths 
 wduch dumb animals have. This verse varies from 
 the corresponding one in Ps. cxv. 7, which shows 
 how independent was the inspiration of the author 
 of this psalm, even where he used his predecessor's 
 materials. 18. Tlicy that make them are like 
 unto them. A peoi)le never rise above the level 
 of their gods, whicli are to them their better 
 nature. Cf. note, Ps. cxv. 8. 
 
 19, 20. Bless the Lord, 0 house of Israel ... 0 
 house of Aaron ... 0 house of Levi : ye that fear 
 the Lord— (Ps. cxv. 9-11.) But here the "house of 
 Levi " is specially mentioned, which it is not there. 
 Cf. Ps. cxviii. 2-4. 21. Blessed be the Lord out of 
 Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem— (Ps. Ixxvi. 2.) 
 As in Ps. cxxxiv. 3, 'The Lord blessed Israel out 
 of Zion,' so here conversely, by a happy inter- 
 change, 'the Lord is blessed out of 'Zion' by the 
 people. The praise proceeds from the same quarter 
 from which the blessing issues. 
 
 PSALM CXXXVL 1-26.— The repetition "for 
 His mercy endureth for ever" is the pervading idea. 
 His mercy is not a mere tiling of the past, but 
 endures to all times. Here and in Ps. cxxxv. 
 liope of deliverance for God's now dejiressed people 
 is grounded on the Lord's infinite power displayed 
 in nature, and iu Israel's past history. Ps. cxxxv. 
 
I 
 
 EccJiortation to 
 
 PSALM CXXXVI. 
 
 praise God, 
 
 2 0 give thanks unto "the God of gods : — for his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 3 0 give thanks to the ''Lord of lords : — for his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 4 To him who alone doeth great wonders : — for his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 5 To '^him that by wisdom made the heavens: 
 For his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters : 
 For his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 7 To ^him that made great lights : — for his mercy endureth for ever: 
 
 8 The sun Ho rule by day: — ^for his mercy endureth for ever: 
 
 9 The moon and stars to rule by night : — for his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 10 To him that smote Egypt in their first-born: 
 For his mercy endureth for ever : 
 
 11 And -^brought out Israel from among them : 
 For his mercy endureth for ever : 
 
 12 With a strong hand, and with a stretched-out arm: 
 For his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 13 To ^him which divided the Red sea into parts: 
 For his mercy endureth for ever : 
 
 14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: 
 For his mercy endureth for ever : 
 
 15 But 2 overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: 
 For his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 IG To ''him which led his people through the wilderness: 
 For his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 17 To him which smote great kings: — for his mercy endureth for ever: 
 
 18 And ^slew famous kings: — for his mercy endureth for ever: 
 
 19 Sihon •'king of the Amorites : — for his mercy endureth for ever : 
 
 20 And Og the king of Bashan : — for his mercy endureth for ever: 
 
 PSALM l-ic. 
 ° Ex. \\ 11. 
 
 Deut. 10.17. 
 
 Josh. 22.22. 
 
 2 Chr. •>. 6. 
 
 Dan. 2. 47. 
 6 1 Tim, 6. 15. 
 
 Kev. 17. 14. 
 
 Rev. 19. 1(5. 
 
 * Gen, 1. 1. 
 Pro. 3. 19. 
 Jer. 51, 1.5. 
 
 d Job 26. 7. 
 Isa. 40, 22, 
 
 Jer. 10. 12. 
 Zech. 12. 1. 
 2 Pet. 3. 6- 
 7. 
 
 • Gen. 1. H- 
 
 19. 
 
 Deut. 4. 19. 
 Ps. 74, 16. 
 17, 
 
 1 for the 
 rulings by 
 day. 
 
 / Ex. 12. 51. 
 Ex. 13, 3. 
 17. 
 
 1 Sam. 12.6- 
 8. 
 
 0 Ex. 14. 21. 
 Heb. 11. 23. 
 
 2 shakedoff. 
 h Deut. 8. IS, 
 
 1 Deut. 29. 7. 
 i Num. 21.21. 
 
 19, 20 implies that all joined in the chorus 
 closing each verse here, rather than sang in alter- 
 nate parts. 
 
 1. 0 give thanks unto tlie Lord ; for he is good : 
 for his mercy endureth for ever— "His mercy" 
 specially to His people. He excels all, not merely 
 in power, but also in goodness. 2. 0 give thanks 
 unto the God of gods ... 0 give thanks to the 
 Lord of lords— from Deut. x. 17. The thrice- 
 repeated "O give thanks" points to the Trinity, 
 and also to the tlirice-repeated Mosaic blessing 
 (Num. vi. 24-26) 
 
 4-9. — His M'Onders in nature, 4. To him who 
 alone doeth great wonders— (Ps. Ixxii. 18.) 5. To 
 him that by wisdom made the heavens — (Prov, 
 iii. 19; Jer, x, 12; li. 15.) Not merely power, but 
 wisdom infinite was needed for the marvellous 
 contrivances aiid adaptations of means to ends 
 throughout the beautifully ordered system [Jcosmos) 
 of the universe, 6. To him that stretched out the 
 earth above the waters — not immediately over, 
 but raised out of and above them. He sunk the 
 bed of the sea, that the land might be corre- 
 spondingly elevated and the sea restrained by the 
 shore (of, Ps. xxiv. 2, uote), 7-9. To him that made 
 great lights . . . The sun to rule by day , . . The 
 moon and stars to rule by night— i, e., in relation 
 to this earth and the wants of man. tlie sun is the 
 predominant light by day, the moon and stars by 
 night. When the sun is seen the moon and stars 
 disappear, and vice versa (Gen. i, 14-16). 
 
 10-15,— His wonders wrought for Israel, 10, To 
 him that smote Egypt in their first-born— i, e,, in 
 resi)ect to, or in the person of, their first-born. 11, 
 12. And brought out Israel , . . With a strong hand, 
 and with a stretched-out arm— from Exod. vi, 6 ; 
 xiii. 8. 13. To him which divided the Red sea into 
 parts- 'into divisions^ (Exod. xiv. 22, "The 
 
 Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east 
 wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, 
 and the waters were divided "), The ' divisions ' 
 were the two parts of the one division —the one on 
 the right hand, the other on the left. The Rabbins 
 fancied from this passage that the lied Sea was 
 divided into as many divisions as there were tribes — 
 viz,, t\velve,in order that each tribe should have its 
 own way open before it. But Exod. xiv. disproves 
 this. At the same time the language implies that He 
 divided it most widely, so that they passed abreast, 
 not merely by twos or threes, but by thousands 
 (Gejer). A north-east wind striking the sea at Ayun 
 Mousa would sweep the whole breadth of the sea 
 for sixteen or eighteen miles in front. This is just 
 what the Mosaic narrative requires. Almost three 
 millions, with flocks and herds, had to cross the 
 sea in one night. The Wady Mousa (the valley of 
 Moses) or Tawarik (i. e., the valley of nocturnal tra- 
 vellers: cf, Exod. xii. 31-42) presents the only level 
 and open space along the Egyptian shore or west 
 side, and is eighteen miles between the extreme 
 points, Baal-zeijhon and Migdol, Along the whole 
 line of eighteen miles at once the Israelite army 
 entered the dry channel. Not one needless hour 
 M^as lost in reaching the opposite side. To have 
 crossed in one night was impossible, except by 
 entering by thousands, or even tens of thousands, 
 simultaneously and abreast. Opposite are the 
 Ayun Mousa— i. e., wells of Moses [C. Forster). 
 
 16. To him which led his people through the 
 wilderness (Exod. xiii. 18; Deut. viii, 15) — all 
 enhancing the wonder of His leading Israel safe 
 through. 17-20. To him which smote great 
 kings . . . Sihon . . . And Og— (Ps. cxxxv. 11.) The 
 Psalmist specifies these kings because the mercy of 
 the Lord is here his theme. The gift of the king- 
 doms of Sihon and Og to Israel was the fruit of 
 
The Jews constancy 
 
 PSALM CXXXVII. 
 
 in captitity. 
 
 21 And *gave their land for an heritage: — for his mercy endareth for ever: 
 
 22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant : — for his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 23 Who ^remembered us in our low estate: 
 For his mercy endureth for ever : 
 
 24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies : — for his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 25 Who "^giveth food to all flesh : — for his mercy endureth for ever. 
 
 26 0 give thanks unto the God of heaven : — for his mercy endareth for ever. 
 
 PSALM CXXXVIL 
 
 1 BY "the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down; 
 Yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. 
 
 2 We hanged our ^ harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 
 
 3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us ^ a song ; 
 And they that ^wasted us required of us mirth, 
 
 Saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. 
 
 4 How shall we sing the Lord's song in a ^strange land ? 
 
 5 If I forget thee, 0 Jerusalem, — ^let my right hand forget her cunning. 
 
 6 If I do not remember thee, let *^my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; 
 If I prefer not Jerusalem above *my chief joy. 
 
 * Josh. 12. 1. 
 ' (ien. 8. 1. 
 
 Deut. 32.36. 
 Ps. 102. 17. 
 Ps. 106. 43- 
 
 46. 
 Isa. 63. 9. 
 Ezek. 16. .3. 
 Luke 1. 4ft. 
 Ps. lot. 27. 
 Ps. 147. 9. 
 
 PSALM 137. 
 Ezek. 1. 1. 
 Dat). 8. 2. 
 b Lam. .<). 15. 
 
 1 the wordi 
 of a song. 
 
 2 laid us on 
 heaps. 
 
 3 land of a 
 stranger. 
 Ezek. i. tc. 
 
 * the head 
 of my joy. 
 
 pure liberality and mercy, withmit any promise; 
 whereas the gift of the Canaanite land was the 
 fruit of His truth and faithfulness to His promises 
 ( J/mw). 
 
 23. Who remembered us in our low estate— viz. , 
 
 in Babylon, from which He has lately delivered us 
 (Ps. cxv, 12; cxiii. 7). 24. And hath redeemed us 
 from our enemies— ^i^., 'hath broken us {i. e., by 
 breaking off our yoke, hath redeemed us) from our 
 enemies ' (Gen. xxvii. 40 ; Exod. xxxii. 2) 
 
 25. Who giveth food to all flesh— even to the 
 meanest of animals. How much more will He 
 give all that is needful to His elect people? The 
 same argument is developed in Ps. civ. 
 
 26. 0 give thanks unto the God of heaven— the 
 Omnipotent God (Matt. vi. 9). 
 
 PSALM CXXXVII. 1-9.— IsraeVs sad state in 
 Babylon; her inahilily to sing Zion's sonr/s in a 
 strange land; her indelible remembrance of Jeru- 
 salem (vv. 1-6); Edom's doom for her spite against 
 J erusalem in Iter calamity; Babylon! s doom in kind 
 {vv. 7-9.) As Ps. cxxxv., cxxxvi., gave hope of 
 Israel's deliverance^ so this psalm, the third of the 
 trilogy, is of judgment upon Israel's enemies. The 
 two are combined by the contemporary Zechariah. 
 The second siege of Babylon, under Darius Hystas- 
 pes, fulfilled the prophecy, laid low its walls, and 
 croke its hundred gates. It never recovered. In 
 the same year, the sixth of Darius, the temple's 
 building was completed (Ezra vi. 16). 
 
 1. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down 
 — the rivers Euphrates, Tigris, Chaboras, Euloeus 
 (or Ulai, Dan. viii. 2), and their offshoot canals. 
 The exile colony, we know from Ezekiel, resided 
 near the Chaboras, or Chebar (F^zek. i. 1). The Jews 
 generally had their places of prayer by the river- 
 side (Acts xvi. 13), probably for the sake of the 
 water for ablution before their prayers. They who 
 are pensive and sad love the side of streams,as being 
 by tneir murmuring sound congenial to melancholy. 
 Babylonia was one net of canal-works, and would 
 therefore abound in "willows" (cf. v. 2). The Jews 
 saw in Babylonia's river-streams an image of their 
 floods of tears (Lam. ii. 18 ; iii. 48). yea, we wept, 
 when we remembered Zion— as the seat of the 
 temple of Jehovah, the spiritual capital of the 
 Holy Land. 2. We hanged our harps upon the 
 willows in the midst thereof —in the midst of the 
 land of Babylon. We no longer could use our 
 391 
 
 harps, which are the accompaniment of joyous 
 song (Gen. xxxi. 27; 2 Sam. vi. a). For we were 
 away from Zion, where God reveals His presence, 
 and therefore away from all joy (Job xxx. 81 ; Isa. 
 xxiv. 8; Rev. xviii. 22). 3. For there they that 
 carried us away captive required of us a song— 
 lit.,_ 'words of a song' — a joyous song (Hebrew, 
 Shir). However well-meaning might be the re- 
 quest, it sounded to the Jews like bitter irony to 
 ask them to associate joyful singing with exile 
 from the Zion of their natural and spiritual 
 affections. Their conquerors desired them to 
 reconcile themselves to their lot, to dismiss Zion 
 from their memory, and to feel at home in Babylon. 
 So the King of Assyria tried to make the thought 
 of deportation not so distasteful (Isa. xxxvi. 17). 
 and they that wasted us required of us mirth, 
 (saying,) Sing us one of the songs of Zion — ' one of 
 the joyous songs' wont to be sung at the great feasts 
 "of Zion." " They that wasted us." The Chaldaic 
 Targum translates, ' our depredators ' [ir^^Vin, from 
 hhi^^ to spoil, n being substituted for ^ in the Chal- 
 daic idiom, which the Hebrews acquired in exile. 
 Otherwise, from '^^n, to make in heaps (cf. Ps. Ixxix. 
 1 ). So Buxtorf. But Gesenius, from "7^^, to wail ; 
 those who make tis to wail]. This active sense is 
 favoured by the parallel, "they that carried us 
 a\Aay captive," rather than, as Hengstenberg, the 
 passive, 'And (they required) of us, the plundered 
 ones, mirth.' The words "they that carried us 
 away cai^tive," and "they that wasted us," imply 
 that they were asking what their own wrongful 
 treatment of the Jews rendered it impossible for 
 the latter to give. 
 
 4. How shall we sing the Lord's song in a 
 strange land? To do so would be virtually to 
 renounce Zion, our native city and spiritual home. 
 How can we sing the joyful song of the Lord in the 
 land of the stranger, where we ought rather to 
 weep? 5. If I forget thee, 0 Jerusalem, let my 
 right hand forget (her cunning)— let my right 
 hand no longer i)erform its function of playing the 
 harp (cf. Ps. Ixxvi. 5, close; Job xxxi, 22). A fit 
 retribution— that my right hand should be de- 
 prived altogether of power to play, if, forgetting 
 thee, Jerusalem, it should play thy joyful songs 
 wliilst I am in exile from thee. 6. If I do not 
 remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the 
 
David's confidence 
 
 PSALM CXXXVIII. 
 
 in God. 
 
 7 Remember, 0 Lord, '^the children of Edom — in the day of Jerusalem ; 
 Who said, ^Rase it, — rase it, even to the foundation thereof. 
 
 8 0 daughter of Babylon, ^who art to be ^destroyed ; 
 
 Happy shall he he ^that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. 
 
 9 Wd.-p'gy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy httle ones against the stones. 
 
 PSALM CXXXVIIL 
 
 A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 I WILL praise thee with my whole heart :. 
 Before "the gods will I sing praise unto thee. 
 
 2 I will worship ^toward thy holy temple, 
 
 And praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth : 
 For thou hast magnified "^thy word above all thy name. 
 
 3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me^ 
 And '^strengtlienedst me with strength in my soul. 
 
 d Lara. A. 22. 
 
 5 Make bare. 
 * Isa. 13. 1, 
 
 6 wasted. 
 
 7 thatre- 
 compen"3- 
 eth Unto 
 thee thy 
 deed which 
 thou did t 
 to us. 
 Jer. 50. 15. 
 
 8 the rock. 
 
 PSALM 138. 
 * Ps. 119. 40. 
 6 1 Ki. 8. 29. 
 " Isa. 42, 21. 
 d Zech. 10. 12, 
 2 Cor. 12. 9. 
 
 roof of my mouth— a fib retribution . . , that it 
 should be struck speechless, as haviug abused 
 speech to sing joyous strains in forgetfiilness of 
 Zion (Ezek. iii. 3G ; Job xxix. 10). if I prefer not 
 Jerusalem above my chief joy — lit, 'if I make 
 not Jerusalem to ascend above the head of my joy ' 
 (cf. Isa. ii. 2). 
 
 7. Remember, 0 Lord, the children of Edom in 
 the day of Jerusalem. So the LXX., Syriac, 
 Arabic, Ethiojiic, Vulgate— ^. e., 'Eemember the 
 malice of the childxen of Edom ia the day when 
 Jerusalem was being overthrown.' So " the day " 
 is used for ilte day of destruction (Ps. xxxvii. 13; 
 Job xviii. 20; Obad. 11, 12). Hrngsienhero trans- 
 lates, 'Ivemember, O Lord, to (i. e., against) the 
 children of Edom the day of Jerusalem.' I prefer 
 the English version for the antithesis. The "re- 
 member" here corresponds to the "remember," v. 
 6. As I remember Jerusalem, so, Lord, do thou 
 remember Edom. I remember Zion loith love; do 
 thou remember Edom in anger (Ezek. xxv. 12; 
 XXXV. 5; Lam. iv. 21, 22; Jer. xlix. 7-22). who 
 said, Rase it, rase it, (even) to the foundation 
 thereof — lit, ' Lay it bare, lay it bare,' (Hab. iii. 
 13, marg.) Pull down all the buildings, to the 
 foundation. AVhat aggravated their hatred was 
 that Edom was nearly connected with Israel. The 
 Lord hath remembered Edom to its utter extinction, 
 so that now not a trace of it is left. 'The Psalm- 
 ist only prays for that which the Lord had often 
 declared was to be done, and which was grounded 
 on His eternal retributive righteousness' [Heiuj- 
 stenherg). Cf. Jer. 1, 15, 29. So as to the mystical 
 Babylon (Pvcv. xviii. G). 8. 0 daughter of Baby- 
 lon, who art to be destroyed— Z^Y., 'who art 
 destroyed,; ' i. e., who art surely doomed to destruc- 
 tion (cf. the same idiom, Ps. xviii. 3). Orosius 
 said, ' It seemed almost incredible to mortals that 
 l^abylon could have been built by human toil, or 
 that it could be destroyed by Inmian valour.' 
 Yet so it came to pass, because God had said it. 
 " Daughter of Babylon " (cf. 2 Ki. xix. 21). Cities 
 are often represented as virgins, iiappy (shall he 
 be) that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us— 
 lit, 'that shall repay to thee thy deed which thou 
 didst to us ' (cf. Jer. xlviii. 10). 9, Happy shall he 
 be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against 
 the stones— (Isa. xiii. 16; 2 Ki. viii. 12.) Prideaux, 
 'Connection' B. iii., says, 'The Babylonians, to 
 make their provisions last the longer, agreed to cut 
 olf all unnecessary mouths : drawing all the women 
 and children togctlser, they strangled them.' 
 
 PSALM CXXXVIIL l-8.-Uavid loill praise 
 God with his whole heart, for the Lord's ivomlerful 
 promise exceeding all His earlier deeds, and such as 
 the heathen gods had never fulJiUed to their votaries: 
 392 
 
 this was in answer to prayer [rv. 1-3). All Icings shall 
 praise Jehovah, for, though high, Her espects the lowly 
 {vv. 4-6); therefore David is assured that Jehovah 
 will revive in trouble, save, and perfect him. {vv. 7, 8). 
 
 A Psalm of David. This is one of the many 
 lisalms of David called forth by the promise of the 
 perpetuity of his house and his throne, given by 
 (iod through the prophet Nathan, (2 Sam. vii. : cf. 
 Ps. xviii., xxi., Ixi., ci., ciii., ex., Ixxii.) 
 
 1. I will praise thee with my whole heart. 
 Ps. xviii. 49; ci. 1 ascribes praise to God lor 
 the same gracious promise, (2 Sam. vii.) .The 
 largeness of the benefit called for the praise of 
 the " whole heart," not merely partial pi-aise. 
 before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. 
 He virtually challenges the heathen so-called 
 "gods" to verify, if they could, their claim 
 to divinity, by showing any boon like this which 
 they had ever bestowed (cf. Isa. xliii. 9; xli. 
 20-21). A'imcAi explains "gods" as 'the judges 'and 
 'magistrates.' So Chaldaic Targum, Syriac, 'be- 
 fore kings' (cf. V. 4, "All the kings of the earth;" 
 Ps. cxix. 46). So Ps. Ixxxii. 1, 6, " gods see 
 notes there (Exod. xxi. 6; xxiL 28). Tlie I^XX., 
 Vulgate, Arabic, and Ethiopic translate, 'before 
 the angels.^ The mention in v. 2 of God's "holy 
 temple" is thought by Hammond to confirm tliis, 
 as the cherubim in it answers to the angels here. 
 The angels are present as witnesses of men's wor- 
 ship in the house of God. Cf. EccL v. 6; 1 Cor. 
 xi. 10; Eph. iii. 10; 1 Pet. i. 12. The English 
 version gives good sense : Hengstenherg supports it. 
 Otherwise, 'before judges,' or 'rulers' seems the 
 most probable rendering. But the English version 
 is favoured by 2 Sam. vii. 22, 23, which, in a simi- 
 larly triumphant tone, declares, in connection 
 vvith God's promise to David, the superiority of 
 Jehovah to the heathen gods (cf. Ps. cxxxv. 5). 
 2. I will worship toward thy holy temple (Ps. v. 
 7), and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness 
 and for thy truth— (Ps. xxv. 10.) The ijroini?e 
 guarantees the loving-kindness ; the truth of the 
 Lord fulfils it (2 Sam. vii. 28). for thou hast mag- 
 nified thy word above all thy name— thou hast 
 bestowed the promise of perpetuity to my house 
 and my kingdom, which rises in grandeur and good- 
 ness above all thy past manifestations of thyself in 
 behalf of thy people (2 Sam. vii. 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 
 21, 22, 24-26, 29: v. 29 especially, "For thy Words 
 sake . . . hast thou done all those (77-m< things ;" 
 V. 26, "And let thy name be magnified for ever" — 
 an undesigned coincidence of language between 
 the history and the psalm). In Messiah alone the 
 greatness of the j)romise finds, and shall hereafter 
 more fully find, its realization for Israel and tlie 
 v.hole world. 3. In the day when I cried thcu 
 
The all-seeing 
 
 PSALM CXXXIX. 
 
 providence of God. 
 
 4 All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, 0 Lord, 
 "VVlien they hear the words of thy mouth. 
 
 5 Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord : 
 For great is the glory of the Lord. 
 
 G Though the Lord he high, yet ^hath he respect unto the lowly: 
 But the proud he knoweth afar off. 
 
 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me ; 
 
 Thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, 
 And thy right hand shall save me. 
 
 8 The ^LoRD will perfect that which concernetli me: 
 Thy mercy, 0 Lord, endureth for ever : 
 Forsake not the works of thine own hands. 
 
 PSALM CXXXIX. 
 
 To the chief Musiciaui. A Psalm of David,. 
 
 1 0 LOPtD, "thou hast searched me, and known me. 
 
 2 Thou ^knowest my down-sitting and mine up-rising. 
 
 " 1 i^am. 2. 7, 
 
 8. 
 
 Pa. 51, 17. 
 P3. 113. 5, G. 
 Pro. 3. 34. 
 Isa. 57. 15. 
 Isa. 66. 2. 
 Luke 1. 51, 
 53. 
 
 Luke 14. 11, 
 Jas. 4. (!. 
 1 Pet. 5. 5. 
 Job 13. 15. 
 Job 19. 25, 
 26. 
 
 Ps. 23. 3. 
 f Ps. 57. 2. 
 Phil. 1. 6. 
 
 PSALM 139. 
 ^ Jer. 12. 3. 
 
 Rev. 2. 23. 
 f 2 Ki. 13. 27. 
 
 answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with, 
 streiigtli in my soul. Tiie promise in 2 Sam. vii. 
 was the answer to Da^nd's prayer, Ps. xxi. 2, 4; 
 Ixi. 5. His prayer was that liis life might endure 
 in the person of his seed. In Messiah "his name 
 shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued 
 as long as the sun" (Ps. Ixxii. 17). As the first 
 clause states tlie Jact, so the second the manner 
 how. ''' Strengthenedst me " — lit., 'thou madest 
 me proud! [^-n], not with the "pride" that 
 "goeth before destruction," or the "haughty 
 s])irit" that goeth "before a fall," but through tlie 
 strengtli of God, in which alone he glories (Ps. 
 xviii. 20; Jer. ix. 2.3. 24). 
 
 4. All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, 0 
 Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth- 
 when they see the marvellous agreement between 
 the fulfilment and the promise of God, (2 Sam. vii.) 
 Under Messiah, in the latter days, "all kings shall 
 fall down before Him, all nations shall serve Him" 
 (Ps. Ixxii. 10, 11; cii. 15, 22; Ixviii. 29, 31). 5. 
 Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord: for 
 great is the glory of the Lord. Maurer translates, 
 'they shall sing of the ways of the Lord' — i. e., 
 they shall praise His gracious and glorious deal- 
 ings. So Syriac. But "sing in" [3] is not 'sing 
 of.' The English version is right. 'They shall 
 walk in the ways of the Lord, and, walking in 
 them, shall sing that ['2] (Hengstenberg) great is 
 the glory of the Lord ;' or else, " shall sing," prais- 
 ing the Lord, Jar (English version) great," &c. 
 
 6. Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect 
 unto the lowly. The loving condescension of the 
 high God, in having respect to tlie lowly and needy 
 (as I, David, was raised from a sheepfold, and 
 from outlawry, to be King of God's people, Ps. 
 cxiii. 4-8), attracts all to Him ; especially the ele- 
 vation of the antitypical David, Messiah, from the 
 humiliation of His first coming to the manifested 
 glory and majesty of His second coming, shall 
 cause "all kin^s" to "jiraise" Him. Ilengsten- 
 herg makes God s height the ground on account of 
 which He raises the lowly, and brings down the 
 proud. For the Lord is high, and therefore He 
 hath respect unto the lowly.' "But the contrast be- 
 tween "high" and " lovt^ly " favours the English 
 version. Lowliness of mind, as well as oi position, 
 is implied in "the lowly," as the antithesis to "the 
 proud " requires, but the proud he knoweth afar 
 off. " The proud " are the haughty world-powers, 
 the foes of David, and in the ulterior sense the 
 foes of the Divine Son of David (cf. v. 7, "the 
 
 wrath of mine enemies ;" Prov. iii. 34 ; Jas. iv. 6 ; 
 1 Pet. V. 5; Ps. xviii. 27). The lowly whom the 
 world eyes from afar, and supposes God has for- 
 gotten, (jod regaixls with tender favour, because 
 tliey rest all. their hopes in Him, and not in them- 
 selves; whereas those p)^'oud because of their 
 worldly greatness He thoroughly knows, but 
 knows only so as to put them to a distance, say- 
 ing, "Depart from me, ye cursed" (cf. Luke xvi. 
 26, " between us and you there is a great gulf 
 fixed;" Matt. xxv. 41; Ps. Ixxiii. '27). They put 
 God far from them (Jer. xii. 2), therefore, in just 
 retribution, God "knoweth" them only to put 
 them "afar off." 
 
 7. Though I T7alk in the midst of trouble, thou 
 wilt revive me— (Ps. xxiii. 3, 4.) So as to the 
 three youtlis in the fiery furnace, their persecutor, 
 Nebuchadnezzar, said, " Lo, I see four men loose, 
 walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no 
 hurt ; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of 
 God." Also Ps. XXX. 3, and Ps. Ixxi. 20. and 
 thy right hand shall save me— (Ps. xvii. 13 ; Ix. 5.) 
 8. The Lord will perfeet that which concernetli 
 me. The fact that the work of salvation, begun 
 in us, is the work of God, is a token of assurance 
 that He "will perfect" it (Ps. Ivii. 2; Isa. xxvi. 
 12; Phil. i. G). thy mercy, 0 Lord, endureth for 
 ever— (Ps. ciii. 17 ; 2 Sam. vii. 13, 2(5.) forsake 
 not the works of thine own hands — leave not 
 incomplete the work of salvation for myself, my 
 seed, and through it for ]uy nation, and for the 
 whole world. God had begun the work by de- 
 livering David from his enemies, and raising him 
 to the throne. 
 
 PSALM CXXXIX. Jehovah, thou thor- 
 
 oughly knowest me wherever 1 am [vv. 1-12); for 
 thou hast formed me from the woinb, and hast ever 
 precious thoughts towards me {vv. 13-iS). / have no 
 fellowship with sinners, thou knowest ; therefore keep 
 me in the way everlasting (vv. 19-24). Cf. v. 21 
 here with Ps. cxxxviii. 8; "afar ofi'," v. 2, with 
 Ps. cxxxviii. 6; v. 10 here with v. 7 there. David 
 intimates that if we would have the everlasting bless- 
 ing, we must not forfeit it by fellowship with wicked- 
 ness {vv. 21-24). God's omniscience and omnipresence 
 assure God's people He will cover them in the darkest 
 hour, even as Be formed them in the womb {vv. 
 11-18). 
 
 1. 0 Lord, thou hast searched me, and known 
 
 (me). There is no "me" after "known" in the 
 Hebrew; therefore it is better to take the object 
 after "known" in a wider sense. The omission 
 
Th4} all-seeing 
 
 PSALM CXXXIX. 
 
 pro'cidence qf God, 
 
 Thou ''uoderstandest my thought afar off. 
 
 3 Thou ^compassest my path and my lying down. 
 And art acquainted witk all my ways. 
 
 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, 
 
 But, lo, 0 Lord, thou knowesfc it altogether. 
 T) Thou hast beset me behind and before, — and laid thine hand upon me, 
 C Such knowledge is too wonderful for me ; 
 
 It is high, I cannot attain unto it. 
 
 7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? 
 
 Or whither shall I flee from thy presence ? 
 
 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: 
 
 * If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 
 
 9 If I take ^ the wings of the morning, 
 
 A nd dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea ; 
 
 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, — and thy right liand shall hold me. 
 
 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; 
 Even the night shall be light about me. 
 
 12 Yea, the darkness ^liideth not from thee: 
 
 is intentional, that the believins heart of all who 
 use this psalra may supply the ellipsis. Thou hast 
 known and knowest all that concerns the matter in 
 question, as well whether I and mine are guilty or 
 innocent (Ps. xliv. 21); also my exact circumstances, 
 my needs, my sorrows, and the precise time when 
 to relieve me. 2. Thou knowest my down-sitting 
 and mine up-rising— " my down-sittiug," to rest 
 after work, and "mine up-rising," to go to work (Ps. 
 cxxvii. 2). thou understandest my thought afar 
 off —whether I am at rest or at work, thou knowest 
 how I think and feel, as well as how I act and 
 si)eak. The clause " afar off" expresses that the 
 wide distance between heaven, God's especial 
 dwelling, and earth, our dwellitig, does not in the 
 least prevent, as unbelievers avowedly, or else 
 unconsciously fancy, God's knowing the minutest 
 thought of men here below. Cf. the same phrase, 
 Ps, cxxxviii. 6 ; Jer. xxiii. 23, 24. Cf. the Epicu- 
 rean notion falsely attributed to Job xxii. 12-14 : 
 see notes. 3. Thou compassest my path and my 
 lying down, and art acquainted [art familiar) 
 with all my ways. "Thou compassest" [rri\, from 
 "1!, a circle, or crown\ (cf. 2 Sam. xxii. 40). The 
 Hebrew usually meansto ventilate, ov sift thoroughly, 
 as corn is winnowed. So the Arabic, LXX. [e^ix- 
 vLacras, thou Jiast investigated],Yi\lga,te ; Jer. iv. 11; 
 li. 2. God can separate the chaff from the wheat 
 in men's innermost characters. " My lying down " 
 — lit., my couch. Thou siftest all that I feel or do, 
 whether on my couch or on the way (cf. v. 1). 4. 
 For (there is) not a word in (i. e., tliat rises to) my 
 tongue, (but), lo, 0 Lord, thou knowest it alto- 
 gether. ' Without God none can speak out -his 
 thoughts (Prov. xvi. 1), therefore God knows them 
 before they are uttered ' [Cocceius). 5. Thou hast 
 beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand 
 upon me — Thou art omnipresent as well as omni- 
 scient. Behind, before, and from above— from every 
 side I am in thine hand, whether for punishment 
 or for help. 6. Such knowledge is too wonderful 
 for me ; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. He 
 bursts out into praises of the wonderful vastness 
 of the infinite knowledge of God, transcending 
 man's finite powers of comprehension (Rom. xi. 
 33). The knowledge that man needs for his sahxi- 
 Hon, on the contrary, is 'not hidden (the same 
 Hebrew as here is translated wonderful) from him, 
 neither is it far off' (cf. Deut. xxx. 11-14; with 
 which cf. also v. 8 below ; Prov. xxx. 18). 
 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or 
 30i 
 
 whither shall I flee from thy presence ? If I had 
 
 reason to fear judicial vengeance, because of my 
 sin, where could I hide myself? (Amos ix. 2.) 
 Jonah experienced this to his cost (Jon, i. 3, &c. ; 
 Jer. xxiii, 24). God's Spirit is His unseen but 
 felt power and presence operating everywhere (Ps. 
 civ. 30 ; xxxiii. G). 8. If I ascend up into heaven, 
 thou art there : if I make my bed in hell (Sheol, 
 Hades — the unseen world of spirits departed this 
 life), behold, thou art there— cf. on the latter 
 clause, Isa. xiv. 11. 9, 10. If I take the wings 
 of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost 
 parts of the sea — a poetic phrase to express the 
 instantaneous rapidity with which the rays of 
 the morning dawn dart from east to west of the 
 horizon: 'If in a moment I were borne from the 
 east to the extreme maritime regions of the west.' 
 Ps. Iv. 6-8 shows that the reason for flight would 
 be, not a desire to be far from God, but to escape 
 from enemies, shall thy hand lead me, and thy 
 right hand shall hold me— viz., as a Friend, an 
 Almighty Upholder and Guide (cf. Ps. Ixxiii. 24; 
 xxiii. 3; V. 8; xxvii. 11; especially v. 24, "Lead 
 me in the way everlasting," and the sister psalm, 
 cxxxviii. 7, "Thou shalt stretch forth thine hand 
 against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right 
 hand shall save me"). Thus vv. 7, 8, where he 
 speaks of fleeing /ro?ri God, belong not to the train 
 of thought here, which is consolatory. V 9 ex- 
 presses the furthermost point in breadth, as v. 8 
 the greatest height and the greatest depth. In no 
 locality in the universe is God not present. 11. If 
 I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me ; even 
 the night shall be light about me. "Cover"— 
 lit., bruise, or overwhelm., as in Gen. iii. 15 
 Job ix. 17. So the LXX. and Vulgate here, 
 'shall tread down.' The darkness and night are 
 not here regarded as a friendly cloak to hide the 
 Psalmist as a guilty fugitive from the presence 
 and the avenging hand of God (Job xxxiv. 22; Jer. 
 xxiii. 24) ; but as an overwhelming mist of gloom, 
 in which his enemies can effect their jilots against 
 him (Isa. 1, 10). The "darkness"and "the night" 
 here are parallel to "trouble" in Ps. cxxxviii. 7, 
 "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou 
 wilt revive me." The reviving there ansv:ers to 
 light about me" here. "Surely" — lit., only; 
 nothing but. If nothing else can, at least surely 
 the darkness shall crush me. 12. Yea, the dark- 
 ness hideth not from thee. Hengstenberg, in 
 conformity with vv. 9, 10— where v. 9 is the ante- 
 
The all-seeing 
 
 PSALM CXXXIX. 
 
 promdence of God. 
 
 But the night shineth as the day : 
 
 2 The darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 
 
 13 For thou hast possessed my reins : 
 
 Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. 
 
 14 I will praise thee ; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made : 
 Marvellous are thy works; — and that my soul knoweth ^ right well. 
 
 15 My ^substance was not hid from thee, — when I was made in secret. 
 And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 
 
 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; 
 And in thy book ^all my members were written, 
 
 ^ Which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. 
 
 17 How precious ^also are thy thoughts unto me, 0 God ! 
 How great is the sum of them ! 
 
 cedent condition, v. 10 the consequent— translates 
 the second clause of v. 11 parenthetically, '(then 
 at night was the light about me — viz., for my pro- 
 tection),' and makes the consequent begin, not at 
 the second clause, v. 11, but at v. 12, ^ Even the 
 darkness hideth not from (or darkens not before) 
 tliee,' so that thou couldest not see through it. the 
 darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 
 The Hebrew is expressively terse — ' as the dark- 
 ness so the light.' 
 
 13. For thou {emphatical) hast possessed my 
 reins. The " For " implies, it is do wonder that 
 nothing appertaining to me is hiddeu from thee, 
 seeing that it is thou who ownest my reins (the 
 hiddeu seat of my feelings — properly, tlte kidneys), 
 by the right of creation (we Christians may add, 
 and of redemption). So the LXX., Vulgate, Ethi- 
 opic, and Chaldaic. So the Hebrew usually means. 
 The Syriac and Arabic, from a secondary meaning, 
 acquire in any way, as by creation, translate, 
 'Thou hast formed my reins.' But it is better to 
 adhere, with the English version, to the ordinary 
 sense of the Hebrew, Kanah (cf. Prov. viii. 22). 
 thou hast covered me in my mother's womb— a 
 place dark as night. As thou hast protected me 
 in the dark womb at the first, so there is no night- 
 d irkness [vv. 11, 12) that can so overwhelm me as 
 to be beyond the reach of thy light and life-giving 
 protection. The kindred psalm, cxl. 7, which uses 
 the Hebrew, Sakak, in the same sense, establishes 
 the English version. "Thou hast covered me:" 
 not as iMaurer, from Job x. 11, 'Thou hast woven 
 me' — i. e., artfully elaborated the several parts of 
 my body, as a weaver does a web. So the Chal- 
 daic Targum, ' Thou hast founded me.' The 
 covering consists in God's oversight of the germ of 
 life, impotent in itself (Job x. 11, 12; Ps. xxii. 9). 
 
 14. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and 
 wonderfully made— an argument why we should 
 not, on the one hand, give way to sin, as if we 
 could escape God's cognizance; and on the other 
 hand yield to despair, as if (:ilod's power could not 
 deliver us from the darkness of our trials (Job x. 
 9-11). "Fearfully" — the same Hebrew word 
 {noraoth) and the same idea of God's infinite 
 power, being such as to inspire reverential fear, 
 occurs in Ps. Ixv. 5; 2 Sam. vii. 23. Cocceius 
 translates, 'I am fearfully separated'' [distinguished, 
 H engstenherg)— viz. , from ungodly men. In the 
 ulterior sense designed by the Spirit, I am separ- 
 ated from all those who are dead in the old Adam, 
 in a way calculated to make me tremblingly yet 
 trustingly adore God. [The roots, n'^'Q, to wonder, 
 and hSd, to separate, are distinct; and the latter is 
 here used. Cf. note, Ps. iv. 3. But these roots 
 sometimes interchange their forms, and the paral- 
 lelism and context favour the English version.] 
 
 15. My substance was not hid from thee, when 
 
 395 
 
 3 as is the 
 darkness 
 so is the 
 light. 
 
 * greatly. 
 
 6 Or. 
 strength, 
 or, body. 
 
 « allofthfm. 
 
 ^ Or. what 
 days they 
 should be 
 fashioned. 
 
 » Ps. 40. 6. 
 Pro. 8. 31. 
 lea. r)5. 8. d. 
 Jer. 29. 11. 
 
 I was made in secret. "My substance" — 
 lit, my strength (Deut. viii. 17; Job xxx. 21). 
 So my bones and sinews, the seat of strength (Job 
 x. 11). The English version acx;ords with the 
 Chaldaic Targum. The LXX. and Vulgate trans- 
 late, 'my hone.' and curiously wrought [nonj— 
 lit., 'interwoven of variously- coloured threads;' 
 embroidered : a beautiful figure for the compli- 
 cated and elaborately-contrived texture of the 
 human body. " The lowest parts of the earth " (or 
 Sheol, or Hades, Ps. Ixiii. 9) are used here as a 
 figure for the dark " womb " {v. 13) : cf. Isa. xlv. 
 19. Nowhere in Scripture is man spoken of as 
 having pre-existed in Sheol. Therefore there 
 must be here an abbreviated comparison of the 
 earth, out of which we came, to the dark womb : 
 cf. Job i. 21. 16. Thine eyes did see my sub- 
 stance, yet being unperfect — the as yet un- 
 shaped 'embryonic substance;' Z«7., 'something roll- 
 ed together ; ' a c/oayfc;— Hebrew, golem, anenilryo 
 as yet not unfolded, and in thy book all (my mem- 
 bers) were "written, (which) in continuance were 
 fashioned, when (as yet there was) none of them. 
 The English version supplies the ellipses with 
 "ray members," implied in " my substance," just 
 spoken of. "Thy book" is the book of God's 
 fore-ordering purpose. The same holds good in 
 the case of the body of Christ, the Church, chosen 
 in Him before the foundation of the world; for 
 " we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of 
 His bones " (Eph. v. 30 ; i. 4). The development 
 of this eternal purpose in time is gradual, the 
 members being formed in union with the one 
 Head and the one Body successively by the 
 Spirit of God, the Author of spiritual as well as 
 of natural life. The Chaldaic Targum supplies 
 the ellipsis with 'days:' 'In the book of thy 
 memory were written all my days.' In the book 
 of God's predestination (Mai. iii. IG; Ps. Ivi. 8), 
 as distinguished from the actual execution, were 
 written all my days, both their number (Job. xiv. 
 5), and what events were to befall me in them, 
 " (which) in continuance were fashioned " — lit.^ 
 ' (which in) days were fashioned ;' i. e., not all in 
 one day, but in successive development. Two 
 hundred and seventy-three days generally pass 
 in the gestation. Hengstenbcrg translates, ' In 
 thy book were they all written (namely), the 
 days (which) were formed' — i. e., divinely pre- 
 destined to be. The English version gives the 
 more natural sense to the Hebrew, yatmr, " fash- 
 ioned : " members, not days, can be said to be 
 formed or fashioned, when (as yet there was) 
 none of them— (Rom. ix. 11.) 17. How precious 
 also are thy thoughts unto me, 0 God!— (the same 
 Hebrew, Ps. xxxvi. 7; xxxi. 19.) How cold and 
 poor are our warmest thoughts towards God ! 
 How unspeakably loving and gloriously rich are 
 
David prayeth 
 
 PSALM CXL. 
 
 for deliver an 
 
 18 If I should count them, — they are more in number than the sand : 
 Wlien I awake, I am still with thee. 
 
 19 Surely thou wilt '^slay the wicked, 0 God : 
 Depart from me therefore, ye bloody men... 
 
 20 For they * speak against thee wickedly. 
 And thine enemies take t/ii/ name in vain. 
 
 21 Do not I hate them, 0 Lord, that hate thee ? 
 
 And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee ? 
 
 22 I hate them with perfect hatred ; — I count them mine enemies. 
 
 23 Search -^me, 0 God, and know my heart; — try me, and know, my thoughts ; 
 
 24 And see if there be any ^wicked way in me, 
 And '' lead me in the way everlasting. 
 
 PSALM CXL. 
 
 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 DELIVER me, 0 Lord, from the evil man : 
 Preserve me from the ' violent man ; 
 
 2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart : 
 Continually are they gathered together for war. 
 
 3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent;. 
 
 His thou^jhts towards iis ! Gf. Eph. i. 18, "the 
 riches of the ^lory of His inheritance iu the saints." 
 
 18. If I should count them, they are more in num- 
 ber than the sand— " which cannot be measured 
 nor numbered" (Hos. i. 10). when I awake, I am 
 still with thee. Thy tlionghts of loving kindness 
 are so countless that they are constantly in my 
 mind : as they are my last meditation before I fall 
 asleep, so they are my first when I awake, whether 
 during the night or in the morning (Prov. vi. 22; 
 also Isa. xxvi. 9: cf. Ps. xvi. 7; Ixiii. 6). 
 
 19. Surely [Dx]—?i^,, 'If ;' elliptical : //o????/ than 
 wilt slay the wicked, 0 God, I shall still more 
 praise thee. Cf. the 'if,' Ps. Ixxxi. 8. depart 
 from me therefore, ye bloody men. He shows 
 how utteidy averse he is to sin, and to wicked 
 association; implying that there is not in him this 
 bar in the way of receiving the promised blessing 
 from God, See introduction. This prepares the 
 way for the confident prayer, vv. 23, 24 (Ps. cxix. 
 115). Shimei had cursed David as a 'man of 
 bloods' (so the Hebrew here and 2 Sam. xvi. 7). 
 David here renounces all sympathy with bloody 
 men. The bloodshed iu which he had taken 
 l)art was forced on him in self-defence, not in 
 aggressive warfare. 20. For they speak against 
 thee wickedly —Zi^., 'for wickedness.' "They 
 speak against thee." So the Syriac. Gf. Ps. x. 4-7 ; 
 V. 4, 5. The parallelism of the next clause favours, 
 ' they speak of thee {making thy name a 2^'>'€text) 
 for wickedness.' Gf. Ps. 1. 16; Phil. i. 18; iii. 18, 
 
 19. So the Ghaldaic, ' they swear in thy name 
 falselJ^' The argument of the Psalmist accords 
 with this : 'I have no sympathy with such as make 
 niy name a cloak for wickedness. If I had, 1 
 should forfeit thy promised loving-kindness. ' (and) 
 thine enemies take (thy name) in vain—/, e., use it 
 for the confirmation of a lie, in violation of the Thii'd 
 Gommandment (Exod. xx. 7; Ps. xxiv. 4). 21. 
 Do not I hate them, 0 Lord, that hate thee ? One 
 cannot at once love the Lord and love His enemies 
 (Ps. cxix. 158). Jehoshaphat's alliance with God- 
 hating Ahab was the only blot on his otherwise 
 consistent character (2 Ghr. xix. 2 ; Prov. xxix. 27). 
 23, 24. Search me, 0 God, and know my heart ; 
 try me, and know my thoughts ; And see if (there 
 be any) wicked way in me, and lead me in the 
 way everlasting. David, conscious of his integrity 
 
 306 
 
 in his walk with God, asks that the Lord shall 
 prove him, that so he may have a well-grounded 
 hope of the iiromised blessing. " Wicked way "— 
 lit., ' way of pain' (Ps. xvi. 4). It stands in opposi- 
 tion to "the way everlasting," the way whicli 
 leads to everlasting blessedness : answering to 
 ' the mercy of the Lord enduring for ever ' (Ps. 
 cxxxviii. 8). The Hebrew [dKJ?] may also mean, as 
 in Isa. xlviii. 5,.'any way of an idoU "Way" is 
 often used of a system of worship. Gf. Amos viii. 
 14, "The manner" or 'way of Beersheba' (Acts 
 xix. 9, 23). The way of idolatry, in however re- 
 fined a form, proves to be a ivaij oj pain, and shuts 
 out from tJte way everlasting promised to David in 
 Messiah his seed (1 John v. 21). 
 
 PSALM GXL. Prayer to Jehovah; wicked- 
 
 ness of the foe from whom David prays deliverance 
 {vv. 1-5) ; the distress laid before Jehovah {w. 6-8) ; 
 doom of the evil-speaking Joe {vv. 9-11) ; confidence 
 that Jehovah will deliver and give cause for thanks- 
 giving to the righteous {vv. 12, 13). As in Ps. 
 cxxxviii. David set before his seed God's promise 
 as the anchor of hope (2 Sam. vii.); and in Ps. 
 cxxxix. God's omniscience as our consolation iu 
 danger and motive for shunning evil ; so in this 
 psalm he sets forth the danger from caluniuious 
 enemies, and our only safety in Jehovah, our 
 strength. Gf. Ps. xviii. ; 2 Sam. xxiii. 6, 7. 
 
 The title attests David's authorship, which the 
 similarity between this psalm and David's other 
 psalms confirms. 
 
 1. Deliver me . . . preserve me (the same Hebrew 
 word as in David's psalm, xii. 7) from the violent 
 man — Hebrew, 'from the man of violences:^ the 
 ideal representative of all enemies of David and 
 his race. Gf. David's similar language in another 
 psalm, xviii. 48, marg., and 2 Sam. xxii. 49. Such 
 a one was Saul, David's most powerful and imre- 
 lentiug enemy, the type of all enemies of David's 
 race, and of the Divine Son of David. Gf. Ps. lii. 
 2. continually are they gathered together (for) 
 war — Hebrew, ivars; not mere personal disputes, 
 but wars in the proper sense. On "they are 
 gathered together," or, ' they gather themselves,' 
 cf. the Davidic psalms, Ivi. 6 ; lix. 3. 3. They have 
 sharpened their tongues like a serpent— not that 
 a serpent sharpens its tongue : the point of com- 
 parison is to the venom of a serj^ent. So the next 
 
David layeth /as 
 
 PSALM CXLI. 
 
 suit before God. 
 
 
 " Ps. 10. 4-12. 
 
 
 Fa. 17. £-13, 
 
 
 Ps. 35. 7. 
 
 
 Ps. 36. 11. 
 
 
 Pro. 29. 5, 
 
 
 Jer. 18. '22. 
 
 
 Luke 11.53, 
 
 oil 
 
 Selah. 
 
 54. 
 
 
 Luke 2). 21), 
 
 
 2;i. 
 2 Or, let 
 
 
 them not 
 
 
 be exaltecL 
 
 
 Dent. 32.27. 
 
 
 3 a man of 
 
 I. 
 
 tongue, or. 
 
 
 an evil 
 
 
 speaker, a 
 
 
 wicked 
 
 
 man of 
 
 
 violence. 
 
 
 be estab- 
 
 
 lished in 
 
 
 the earth : 
 
 
 let him 
 
 
 be hunted 
 
 
 to his ovtr- 
 
 
 throw. 
 
 
 !> 1 Ki. 8. 45, 
 
 
 49. 
 
 
 Ps. 9. 4. 
 
 
 Ps. 10. 17, 
 
 
 18. 
 
 
 Ps. 102. 17. 
 
 
 
 
 Jer. 22. 16. 
 
 Adders' poison is under their lips. Selah. 
 
 4 Keep me, 0 Lord, from the hands of the wicked,; 
 Preserve me from the violent man ; 
 
 Who have purposed to overthrow my goings. 
 
 5 The ''proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; 
 
 They have spread a net by the way-side ; — they have set gins for me. 
 
 6 I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God : 
 Hear the voice of my supplications, 0 Lord. 
 
 7 0 God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, 
 Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle, 
 
 8 Grant not, 0 Lord, the desires of the wicked : 
 
 Further not his wicked device, — '^lest they exalt themselves. Selal 
 
 9 As for the head of those that compass me about. 
 Let the mischief of their own lips cover them. 
 
 10 Let burning coals fall upon them : — let them be cast into the fire; 
 hito deep pits, that they rise not up again. 
 
 11 Let not ^an evil speaker be estabhshed in the earth : 
 Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him. 
 
 12 I know that ^the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, 
 And the right of the poor. 
 
 13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name; 
 Tlie upright shall dwell in thy presence. 
 
 PSALM CXLL 
 
 A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 LOPiI), I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; 
 Give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. 
 
 clause, "adclers'^c>e-5072,"&c. : cf. David's psalm, Iviii. 
 4. They have sharpeued their tongues to give as 
 deadly a wouud as a serpeut gives. So David's 
 psalm, Ixiv. 3. Adders' poison is under their 
 lips. Sslaii— rather, 'asps.' The Hebrew term, 
 Ha.kshub, occurs only here. "Under their lips," 
 cf. Ps. X. 7. 
 
 4. Keep me, 0 Lord, from the hands of the 
 wicked ; preserve me from the violent man— (cf. 
 Ps. Ixxi. 4. ) The " Selah " at the end of last verse 
 marks that the second division of the first strophe 
 begins liere. This second division begins with 
 much the same prayer as the first {v. 1). who 
 have purposed to overthrow my goings — (Ps. 
 cxviii. i;j ; also Ivi. 13.) 5. The proud. The same 
 "proud" enemies as in Ps. cxxxviii. G. have hid 
 a snare . , . cords ... a net . . . gins for me. 
 A favourite image with David (Ps. xxxi. 4 ; Ivii. 
 6 ; Ixiv. 5 ; cxlii. 3). He multiplies terms of a 
 synonymous kind, to express that ei^ery sort of plot 
 andnnnre to which he had been exposed will recur 
 again to his seed. He, at the same time, points to 
 the Lord as the sure Deliverer from them all. 
 
 6. I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God— from 
 Ps. xxxi. 14. hear the voice of my supplications, 
 0 Lord— from Ps. xxviii. 2. 6. 7. 0 God the Lord, 
 the strength of my salvation— (Ps. Ixii. 1, 11, 
 marg.) Powerless as to saving myself, I have my 
 salvation-strength in thee, thou hast covered 
 my head in the day of battle— (Ps. v. 11, marg.) 
 " Battle" —lit., ''armature,'' arms. The head is 
 specified, as the part where a wound would be 
 most deadly.^ Cf. Ps. Ix. 7; 1 Sam. xxviii, 2, 
 where a king's body-guard is called the. keeper of 
 his head. 8. Grant not, 0 Lord, the desires of the 
 wicked— against mc and my race (Ps. xxvii. 12). 
 further not his wicked device. Tiie Hebrew im- 
 plies deliberate jiurpose, malice pi'epense (zeviamo) 
 (Ps. xxxi. 13, end: xxxvii. 12). (lest) they exalt 
 397 
 
 , 'they will exalt themselves;* 
 Cf. Ps. Ixvi. 7, end j Dcut. xxxii. 
 
 themselves— ^ii. 
 viz., otherwise. 
 27. 
 
 9. As for the head of those that compas.^ me 
 about (viz., to destroy me), let the mischief cf 
 their own lips Cover them. A very different 
 covering from that wherewith God 'has covered the 
 Psalmist's head in the day of battle ' {v. 7). It is in 
 order to make this contrast between their covering 
 of head and his that "the head of those," &c., is 
 placed first in the nominative absolute. "The 
 mischief of their own lips " is the mischief which 
 they seek to do me by their calumnies. Cf. Ps. 
 
 vii. 16. 10. Let burning coals fall upon them— 
 (Ps. xviii. 12, 13 ; cxx. 4. ) let them be cast into 
 the fire— rather, ' Let Him (Jehovah) cast them 
 into the fire.' into deep pits. So the Hebrew 
 commentators. But Gesensivs takes it [mibqnl, 
 ' water - floods,' in consonance with a kindred 
 Arabic form. Waters are often mentioned with 
 fire in respect to soi'c trials (Ps. Ixvi. 12 ; Isa, xHii. 
 2). 11. Let not an evil speaker be established in 
 the earth (cf. Ps. ci. 7, and contrast cii. 28) : 
 evil shall hunt the violent man— Zi(t., 'Let not 
 a man of the tongue be established in the earth : 
 a man of violence (and) evil, He (Jehovah) shall 
 hunt him.' Cf. note, v. 10; Ps. xxxv. G, "Let 
 the angel of the Lord jiersecute them." So the 
 accents require.- But the English version is 
 otherwise better, 'A man of violence, evil shall 
 hunt him,' to overtJirow [him] — lit, to ' over- 
 throwings.' 
 
 12. I know that the Lord will maintain the 
 cause of the . . . poor— (Ps. ix. 4.) Solomon 
 adoi)ted the same phrase from his father (1 Ki. 
 
 viii. 45). 13. the upright shall dwell in thy 
 presence— (Ps, xvi. 11 ; Ixi. 7.) 
 
 PSALM CXLI. David begs Jehorah i.o 
 
 hasten to hear his cry^ the spiritual incense ivhich he 
 
Datid layeth his 
 
 PSALM CXLI. 
 
 suit before God. 
 
 2 Let my prayer be ^set forth before thee as incense, 
 And the Hfting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. 
 
 3 Set a watch, 0 Lord, before my mouth ; — keep the door of my lips. 
 
 4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing. 
 
 To practise wicked works with men that work iniquity : 
 And let me not eat of their dainties. 
 
 5 ^ Let tlie righteous smite me ; it shall be a kindness ; 
 And let him reprove me ; 
 
 It shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head : 
 
 PSALM in. 
 
 1 direc'ed. 
 
 2 Or, Let the 
 righ'eous 
 smite n e 
 kindly.and 
 reprove 
 me: let not 
 their pie- 
 cious oil 
 bre»k my 
 head, etc. 
 
 offers morning and evening , he fears the dainties 
 of the ungodhj, and prays against murmuring at 
 sinners' prosperity and his own adversity, and against 
 the inclination to join them [rv. 1-4). Beasons for 
 resisting such a temptation; the rejn-oofs of the righ- 
 teous are true kindness; such are God's chastise- 
 merits. He will pray in the calamities of the wicked. 
 When their judi/es are overtliroion, they will hear his 
 words, for they are sweet ; hut now Israel's hones lie 
 scattered at the grave's mouth {vv. 5-7). He looks to 
 Jehovah to keep him from sinners' snares, and that 
 they viay fall into them theinselves {vt\ 8-10), V. 
 7 siiows that the reference is national, not merely 
 individual. David shows his seed how to set grace 
 against the temptation which would arise in seeing 
 the godless heathen prosper, and the elect nation 
 depressed. This prophetic legacy answers to 
 David's last words, (2 Sam. xxiii.) 
 
 j The close connection which this psalm has with 
 the Psalms of David confirms the title, which 
 
 I ascribes it to him. 
 
 1. Lord, I cry unto thee— (Ps. xvii. G.) make 
 haste unto me— (Ps. xxii. 19; Ixx. 5; Ixxi. 12.) 
 The urgency of the petition im])lies how 
 imminent is the danger which threatens to 
 overwhelm him unless immediate succour be 
 given, give ear unto my voice— (Ps. cxl. 6.) 
 2. Let my prayer be set forth ('be directed,' the 
 LXX., Chaldaic, Vulgate, Ethiopic. In Ps. cxl. 
 11 the same Hebrew means 'be established') 
 before thee as incense. Incense, with its sweet 
 perfume, is the symbol of prayer accepted hefore 
 God (Pev. y. 8; viii. 3, 4: cf. Mai. i. 11). The 
 time of offering the incense, morning and evening 
 (Exod. XXX. 7, 8), was the chosen time for prayer 
 (Luke i. 10), and the lifting up of my hands 
 as the evening sacrifice — or rather,' ??ifa^ offering :' 
 Hebrew, mincha. Tlie hurnt offering was regarded 
 as having the prominent place in the morning 
 sacrifice, the meat ofiering being only an appendage, 
 so that the whole was named from the burnt 
 offering; whilst in the evening sacrifice the meat 
 offering was regarded as having the chief place (cf. 
 2 Ki. xvi. 15: cf. Exod. xxix. 39-41). As incense 
 represents prayer, so the meat offering symbolizes 
 good works, according to Hengstenherg. Eather, 
 from the parallelism here, tlie evening offering sym- 
 bolizes the lifting up of the heart with the hands 
 (Lam. iii. 41; Ps. Ixiii. 4; Ixxxvi. 4; 1 Tim. ii. 8) 
 to God, the necessary condition of God's acceptance 
 of prayer: the incense expresses the sweetness of 
 such heartfelt prayer to Him (Gen. viii. 21). 
 Possibly this psalm was written in the evening, as 
 the morning sacrifice is not mentioned [Kimchi). 
 (Dan. ix. 21 ; Acts iii. 1.) The time of the evening 
 sacrihce was most especially "the hour of prayer," 
 doubtless with a prospective reference designed by 
 the Spirit to the time of Christ's sacrifice — viz., 
 at the ninth hour. 1 Ki. xviii. 36, "at the time 
 of the offering of the evening sacrifice [mincha) : " 
 so Ezra ix. 4, 5. 
 
 3, 4. Set a watch, 0 Lord, before my mouth 
 . . . Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to 
 
 practise wicked works— (cf. Ps. cxix. .30.) God, 
 in judicial retribution, gives up the froward to 
 their evil inclinations. The heart is the fountain 
 of evil. We need to pray God not to 'lead ua 
 into temptation,' by judicial rei)robation (Jas. i. 
 13, 14 ; Matt. vi. 13). In r. 3 he prays for i>reser- 
 vation from sin of tongue; in v. 4, from sin of deed. 
 Ps. xxxix. 1, 2 is a commentaj-y on v. 3. He feels 
 tempted by his own trials, and by the prosperity 
 of the enemy, to utter impatient complaints against 
 God, and even to apostatize to the practices of tlie 
 wicked (cf. Ps. xxxvii. 49, 73): this, therefore, he 
 prays against. In vv. 5-7 he calls to remembrance 
 the reasons which should keep him from such 
 murmurings, and from ioining the wicked in their 
 practices— viz., that the faithful reproofs and 
 chastisements administered by righteous men (the 
 instruments of the righteous (ilod) are far prefer- 
 able to the dainties of the wicked ; and that the 
 overthrow of the rulers of the wicfeed is coming, 
 though now Israel's bones lie scattered at the 
 grave's mouth, keep the door of my lips— (Mic. 
 vii. 5.) 4. To practise wicked works with men 
 that work iniquity. Unless the inclination of the 
 will be resisted in time, it goes on to ''''practise 
 wicked works." and let me not eat of their 
 dainties— let me not be allured into joining them 
 in sin, through their seeming jirosjjerity in and 
 by it. As here their prosperity is represented 
 under the image of delicious dainties, so in Ps, 
 Ixxiii. 10, under the image of " waters of a full cup 
 wrung out to them" (cf. Prov. xxiii. 6). 
 
 5. Let the righteous smite me ; (it shall be) a 
 kindness. It is real kindness on the part of God 
 to cause me to be smitten by the i-ighteous, and 
 not to let me be ' inclined to practise' wickedness 
 with the workers of iniquity [v. 4), allured by their 
 prosperity. I had rather be associated by God 
 with the righteous, when they sinite me, than with 
 the wicked, though they offer me dainties. Heng- 
 stenherg makes God to be meant by "the Righ- 
 teous : " as some take Isa. xxiv. 16. But there is 
 no article here, which is against this view; and 
 the antithesis is better as explained above, and 
 let him reprove me ; (it shall be) an excellent 
 oil (lit. , an oil for thejiead) (which) shall not break 
 my head — Mhereas 'the dainties' of the wicked 
 [v. 4) would ultimately cause my head (the vital 
 
 {)art which shall be bruised in the old serpent and 
 lis seed. Gen. iii. 15) to be fatally broken (Ps. 
 Ixviii. 21; ex. 6; Hab. iii. 13). Hengstenherg, 
 Maurer, &c., translate the Hebrew verb [^?^], re- 
 fuseth: 'oil for the head my head refuseth not.' 
 But Pagnini^ Buxtorf and Cocceius agree in the 
 main with the English version, 'shall not cause 
 my head to be weighed down,'' in contrast, the head 
 being lifted up (Ps. iii, 3) {Cocceius). The Lord is 
 the lifter up of the head of His people ; He breaks 
 the head of the ungodly. Their own prosperity 
 prepares them for being thus broken, I prefer the 
 stronger sense, break fatally, or else break with grief, 
 as in Num. xxxii. 7, 9, marg. (cf. the same Hebrew, 
 Ps. xxxiii. 10). The "break my head" stands in 
 
He prayeth to he kept from 
 
 PSALM CXLI. 
 
 the snares of his enemies. 
 
 For yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities. 
 
 6 When their judges are overthrown in stony places, 
 They shall hear my words; for they are sweet. 
 
 7 Our bones are scattered "at the grave's mouth, 
 
 As when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth. 
 
 8 But ^mine eyes are unto thee, 0 God the Lord : 
 In thee is my trust ; ^ leave not my soul destitute. 
 
 9 Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, 
 And the gins of the workers of iniquity. 
 
 10 Let "^the wicked fall into their own nets, — whilst that I withal 
 
 escape. 
 
 2 Crr. 1. 9. 
 Vs. 26. 15. 
 m ike n(,t 
 my soul 
 bare. 
 
 Esth. 7. 10. 
 Pd. 7. 15. 
 Ps. 35. 8. 
 Ps. 37. II. 
 Ps. 64. 7. 8. 
 Fro. 11. 8. 
 pass over. 
 
 autithesis to "smite me." Though the righteous 
 smite me, their smiting does not break my head: 
 nay, it is rather as a jmrne oil (lit., oil for the head) 
 to anoint my head with gladness (of. Prov. xxvii. 
 6 ; Eccl. vii. 5). So far from wounding fatally, it 
 heals one's spiritual sore, and gives festive joy: of. 
 the image of anointing the head before a feast, for 
 the Lord^s feast of good things to His people, 
 including joy in the midst of trials (Ps. iv. 7; xlii. 
 
 8) , as opposed to the " dainties " of the wicked (v. 
 4; Ps. xxiii. 5; xlv. 7; civ. 15; Matt. vi. 17). 
 Contrast with this Divine "oil" of joy the wicked 
 men's 'words softer than oil,' which are yet 
 " drawn swords " (Ps. Iv. 21). The i^romise to 
 which this cycle of Ps. cxxxviii.-cxlv. refers is 2 
 Sam. vii. There, in vv. 14, 15, the Lord declares 
 that when David's seed offend He will chasten 
 them with the rod of men; but His mercy shall not 
 wholly depart from them : so also Ps. Ixxxix. 30-34. 
 This promise is the ground of the prayer here, 
 for yet my prayer also shall be in their cala- 
 mities — i. e., " for," flourishing as the ungodly are 
 now, and abounding in "dainties" which tempt 
 one to join them, "yet" the time will come when 
 they shall be ' in calamities,' and " my prayer shall 
 be" for them "in their calamities." V. 6 is paral- 
 lel; the overthrowing of their judges answering to 
 "their calamities" here, and "my words" (of 
 invitation to worship the Lord), which "are sweet," 
 answering to " my prayer" for them here. The type 
 David, like the autityije Messiah, prays for his 
 enemies (Ps. cix. 4, 5). Hengstenherg, taking Jeho- 
 vah to be meant by "the Righteous," and the 
 wicked to be the instruments emjjloyed by Him to 
 chastise David and his seed and his people, trans- 
 lates, 'still then {if they proceed in their wicked 
 actions, so as to overstep the due measui^e of 
 chastisement of the Lord's people; or, &s Maurer 
 takes it, if Jehovah shall go on to chastise me more 
 severely) I shall jtray against their wickedness.' 
 I prefer the English version on account of the 
 parallelism to v. 6. 6. When their judges are 
 overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my 
 words ; for they are sweet— Hebrew, 'their judges 
 
 I (i. e., leaders and i)riuces) are (doomed to be) 
 overthrown in the hands of (/. e., given uj) to be 
 thrown down from : or hands may mean, as in 
 Judg. xi. 26; Ps. cxl. 5, the sides of: dashed down 
 aiainst the sides of) a rock : then they shall hear 
 my words,' &c. So Jezebel was thrown down 
 (2 Ki. ix. 33). " Sweet " is the same Hebrew word 
 {nahemu) as was used for the "dainties" of the 
 wicked : to imply that the true sweetness is with 
 the godly, not with the wicked. Dashing down a 
 precipice was a common punishment among the 
 Jews (2 Chr. xxv. 12; Luke iv. 29; cf. Ps. cxxxvii. 
 
 9) . The lords of the godless world-power who 
 rebel against the Divine Son of David shall ulti- 
 mately be ' dashed in pieces like a potter's vessel' 
 (Ps. ii. 9) ; where also, in v. 10, the unbelieving 
 "judges" are warned to listen to the 'sweet 
 words ' of the inspired Teacher ere it be too late. 
 
 m 
 
 Ps. cxxxviii. 4, in the same cycle of psalms, foretells 
 the conversion of the world-kings as the effect of 
 the final exaltation of the Son of David, and of the 
 overthrow of the antichristian confederates. The 
 ''sweet words ^ oi the inspired Teacher s "mouth" 
 are those whereby he invites them to submit to 
 the Lord's Anointed and to " praise Him." These 
 words they now despise; but taught by a severe 
 lesson, they shall at last prize them dearly. 
 
 7. Our bones are scattered at the grave's 
 mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth (wood) 
 upon the earth. The trunk of the tree remains 
 fast in the earth, and the chips are scattered far 
 and wide by the hewer; so are our bones scattered 
 (Eccl. X. 9). In this translation the scattered and 
 lifeless state of the godly now (v. 7) stands in con- 
 trast to the coming overthrow of the ungodly (v. 6), 
 and consequent exaltation of the godly; and it forms 
 the ground of the prayer in v. 8, "But mine eyes 
 are unto thee," &c. However, as there is no 
 "wood" in the Hebrew, the translation perhaps 
 ought to be as the Chaldaic, Arabic, and Syriac (and 
 the LXX. in the main) support, 'as when one 
 cutteth and cleaveth (making furrows by i)lough- 
 ing) in the earth, (so) our bones are scattered at 
 the mouth of hades (sheol : the unseen world).' 
 Cf. on the last phrase, implying, we are on the 
 point of extinction, Isa. v. 14. The image of the 
 scattering of the bones of Israel and David's seed, 
 as the earth is cast on one side and the other by 
 the plough, suggests the germ of hope of Israel's 
 resurrection; even as ploughing is for the sake of 
 the new and flourishing crop. This prox)hetical 
 germ is taken up by Isa. xxvi. 19, and most fully 
 expanded in the remarkable prophecy of Ezek. 
 xxxvii. This hopeful view of this verse accords 
 with the anticipation of the enemy's overthrow 
 {v. 6: cf. 2 Cor. i. 9). As Israel's bones are now 
 "scattered," so in the age to come God shall have 
 ' scattered the bones of him (the enemy) that 
 encamped against her' (Ps. liii. 5). 
 
 8. But mine eyes are unto thee, 0 God— in tho 
 midst of our scattered and almost extinct state 
 [v. 7: cf. Ps. xxv. 15; 2 Chr. xx. 12). leave not 
 my soul destitute— Hebrew [te'ar), make not my 
 soul bare ; or, by an image from pouring out blood 
 (in which is the life or soul), as the same Hebrew 
 is used in Isa. liii. 12; xxxii. 15, "Do vot pour out 
 my soul " to destruction ; cf. the same image 2 
 Sam. xiv. 14. The Hebrew is used for emptying a 
 vessel in Gen. xxiv. 20; 2 Chr. xxiv. 11. My 
 soul is that of the people, whose life was bound 
 up with that of their Anointed King, and 
 that of David's seed (Lam, iv. 20). 9. Keep me 
 from the snares— ^i^., ' keep me from the hands 
 of the snare' (L e., the power ; as in Isa. xlvii. 14). 
 10. Let the wicked fall into their own nets— (Ps. 
 cxl. 9, 10; vii. 15.) whilst that I withal escape 
 —lit, 'pass over.' " Withal "—i. e. , at the same 
 time, or in the meantime [ini]. Maurer translates, 
 'until that I in all my parts [i.e., whoUy) shall 
 have escaped : ' so Job x. 8. 
 
David shows prayer 
 
 PSALM CXLIL 
 
 is his comfort. 
 
 PSALM CXLIL 
 
 ^ Mascliil of David ; A Prayer "when he was in the cave. 
 
 1 I CPvIED unto the Lord with my voice ; 
 
 With my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. 
 
 2 I poured out my complaint before him; — I showed before him my trouble. 
 
 3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, — then thou knewest my path. 
 Li the way wherein I walked — have they privily laid a snare for me. 
 
 4^1 looked on my right hand, and beheld, 
 But thei'e was no man that would know me : 
 Refuge ^failed me; — *no man cared for my soul. 
 
 5 I cried unto thee, 0 Lord : 
 
 I said. Thou ai't my refuge and ^ my portion in the land of the living. 
 
 6 Attend unto my cry ; for I am brought very low: 
 
 Deliver me from my persecutors ; — for they are stronger than L 
 
 7 Bring my soul out of prison, — that I may praise thy name : 
 
 PSA.LMH2. 
 
 1 Or. A 
 Fealm 
 of David, 
 giving ia- 
 slruction. 
 
 " ISam. 22.1. 
 Heb. 11. 38. 
 
 2 Or. Look 
 on the 
 right hand, 
 an 1 see. 
 
 3 perished 
 from me. 
 
 * CO man 
 
 sought 
 
 after my 
 
 soul, 
 f Ps. 27. 13. 
 
 Pd. 56. 1 !. 
 
 Lam. 3. -.4. 
 
 PSALM CXLII. 1-7. - The Psalmist\s over- 
 v)h(dmed state (vv. 1-4) ; he promises praise to God 
 in the event of his deliverance, in which the righteous 
 will sf/mpafhize {vv. 5-7). 
 
 Maschil — i. e., Instruction (Ps. xxxii., Introduc- 
 tiou). The geueral instruction from the particular 
 experience of David appears in v. 6, the conclusion. 
 A Prayer when he was in the cave— (cf. Ps. Ivii., 
 Introduction.) The Hebrew for "Praver," Te- 
 phillah, implies, not prayer in general, but ' sup- 
 plicatory prayer.' The mention of "the cave" 
 includes in the thought, not merely the particular 
 fact of David's being in the cave of Adullam, when 
 he fled from Saul ; but also that the psalm is suited 
 to the people of God when they are in tJte cave-like 
 darkness of trials and persecutions. Cf. Introduc- 
 tion, Ps. Ivii, — ^....'^ • .■--•>. — 
 
 1. I cried unto the Lord with ray voice. 
 Hilary saith, ' Even the silent and spiritual 
 expectation of every believer is a cry to God.' 
 But the prayer of the heart is not confined 
 there ; it tluds utterance aloud Mdth the voice. 
 What David did himself (Ps. iii. 4), he would 
 have his posterity and all believers in their 
 trouble to do. with my voice unto the Lord 
 did I make my supplication— (Ps. xxx. 8.) 2. I 
 poured out my complaint before him— (Ps. cii., 
 Title; Ixii. 8 ; Isa. xxvi. 16.) 3. When my spirit 
 was overwhelmed within me, then thou knew- 
 est my path— (Ps. cxliii. 4; cii., Title; Ixxvii, 3.) 
 V/hat urged him to 'cry' with " sux)plication," 
 ' pouring out his complaint before ' God, was 
 his deep depression of spirit, caused by his 
 perilous position, as well as his conviction that 
 God 'knew his path' at the very time when 
 ''there was no man that would know him" {v. 
 4). Observe the beautiful opposition between 
 
 Thou knewest" and "no man would know 
 me " (Ps. i. 6 ; xxxi. 7). So as to Israel in the 
 wilderness, " He kuoweth thy walking through 
 this great wilderness " (Deut. ii. 7). When I am 
 utterly at a loss to know whither to turn, my 
 consolation is that my sufferings and jierils are 
 not unknown to thee, in the way wherein I 
 walked have they privily laid a snare for me— 
 (Ps. cxl. 5; cxli. 9.) Hengstenherg, from Ps. cxliii. 
 8, translates, ' In the way wherein / should ivalk.^ 
 But here he speaks of his way, or path in life, as 
 a fact ; in Ps. cxliii. 8 he desires God to show him 
 what it ought to he, in order to avoid falling into 
 the enemies' snares. 4. I looked on (my) right 
 hand, and beheld, but (there was) no man that 
 would know me. So the Chaldaic, LXX., Vul- 
 gate, Arabic, and Syriac. Hengstenherg, after 
 400 
 
 Muis, &c., takes the Hebrew as imperative, 
 ' Look on the right hand, and see ; ' an api^eal to 
 God, who already 'knew his path' [v. 3), to take 
 that cognizance of his helplessness which will 
 lead the Divine Helper to interpose in his behalf. 
 The Lord is His peojile's shade on their right 
 hand'' (Ps. cxxi. 5). Their extremity is His op- 
 
 Eortunity : they implicitly trust in Him as their 
 'eliverer at their right hand (the post of defence 
 and the hand for action) in extremities (Ps. xxii. 
 8 ; xvi. 8 ; cix. 31). but there was no man that 
 would know me -(Ps. xxxviii. 11 ; xxxi. 11 ; Ixix. 
 8; Ixxxviii. 8, 18 ; Job xix. 13, 14). When 'no 
 man would know me,' then ' tliou knewest ' me. 
 refuge failed me — 'perished;' i.e., 'from 
 me ' ( Jer. xxv. 35 ; Amos ii. 14). But " thou hast 
 been my refuge in the day of my trouble " (Ps. 
 lix. 16). no man cared for my soul— lit., sought 
 after it, viz., for good. So the verb is used, Deut. 
 xi. 12, marg.; Prov. xxix. 10. 
 
 5. I cried unto thee, 0 Lord. Tlie second 
 strophe resumes the same 'crv' as the beginning 
 of the first. I said, Thou art my refuge (and) 
 my portion in the land of the living— I have 
 none ou earth to depend upon save thee. Cf. " the 
 land of the living," Ps. lii. 5; xxvii. 13, "My 
 refuge," a different Hebrew word [n^n^, from a 
 root to hope\ from that in v. 4 [manos), 'my 
 hope;' 'my confidence.' On "my portion," cf. 
 Ps. xvi. 5 ; Ixxiii. 26 ; Lam. iii. 24. 6. Attend unto 
 mycry— (Ps. xvii. 1; Ixi. 1). for I am brought 
 very low — ' attenuated,' ' poor' (Ps. Ixxix, 8 ; cxvi. 
 6). The primary passage is Judg. vi. 6, "greatly 
 impoverished." The ultimate reference of the 
 psalm is to Israel in her low state in the latter 
 days. Her cry to the Lord in her distress will 
 bring Him to her help, deliver me from my 
 persecutors (Ps. vii. 1) ; for they are stronger 
 than I. But they are not stronger than thou. 
 Thou canst make us ' stronger than our enemies ' 
 (Ps. cv. 24). He who is ' stronger than the strong 
 man' (Luke xi. 22), Israel's oppressor, and whose 
 very ' weakness is stronger than men' (1 Cor. i. 
 25), shall 'ransom' her 'from him that ^\^3 
 stronger than' she (Jer. xxxi. 11; Ps. xviii. 17). 
 7. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise 
 thy name— answering to "bring my soul out of 
 trouble" (Ps. cxliii. 11 ; xxv. 17). The Lord will 
 hear this prayer, for "The Lord looseth the 
 prisoners " (Ps. cxlvi. 7). The prison is an image 
 of 'overwhelming trouhW and "affliction" {vv. 
 2, 3 ; Ps. cvii. 10). Joseph is the type of Israel 
 in trouble. As he was brought out of i)rison to 
 sit among princes, so shall Israel be (Ps. cv. 17- 
 
he prays J or 
 
 PSALM CXLIII. 
 
 favour in judgment. 
 
 Fs. 7. 6. r. 
 Pb. ii. U, 
 27. 
 
 Ps. 107. 41. 
 42. 
 
 Ps. Vt. fi. 
 Ps. 116. 7. 
 Ps. 119. 17 
 Jas. 5. 11. 
 
 The *^ righteous shall compass me about; 
 For *^thou shalt deal bountifully with me. 
 
 PSALM CXLIII. 
 
 A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 Hear my prayer, 0 Lord, — give ear to my supplications : 
 In thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. 
 
 2 And "enter not into judgment with thy servant : 
 For ^in thy sight shall no man living be justified. 
 
 3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul ; 
 
 He hath smitten my life down to the ground ; 
 He hath made me to dwell in darkness, 
 As those that have been long dead. 
 
 4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me ; 
 My heart within me is desolate. 
 
 5 I remember the days of old ; — I meditate on all thy works ; 
 I muse on the work of thy hands. 
 
 PSAJ.M 1!3. 
 * Job 14. 3. 
 
 Ps. 130. 3. 
 > Ex. 34. 7. 
 
 Job 4. 17. 
 
 Job 9. 2. 3. 
 
 Job 15. 14. 
 
 Job 23. 4. 
 
 Eccl. 7. 20. 
 
 Ptora. 3. 20. 
 
 Gal. 2. la. 
 
 1 John 1.10. 
 
 22). Hengstenhen-g, with the Chaldaic Targum, 
 takes it, 'that men may pra.isethy name.' Rather, 
 'that my soul may jiraise thy name.' So the 
 Ethiopia, and apparently the LXX., Syriac, and 
 Arabic support the English version, the righ- 
 teous shall compass me about — * forming a 
 crown ;' so the Hebrew. Cf. Ps. v. 12, marg. 
 The righteous shall Hock round me to congratu- 
 late me, and to exult in my deliverance as involv- 
 ing their own, seeing that my cause and theirs is 
 identified (Ps. xxii. 22.) Cf. his anticipation of 
 the same sympathy of the righteous (Ps. xl. 
 16; XXXV. 27). for thou shalt deal {i.e., when 
 thou shalt have dealt) bountifully -wltli me — lit, 
 'when thou shalt have recompensed (Tigmol) 
 upon me;' i. e., shalt have dealt with me gra- 
 3iously in answer to my prayer. 
 
 PSALM CXLIII. \-\%— Introductory prayer 
 [w. 1, 2) for an answer according to God's faitliful- 
 ness. Deprecating judgment, he complains of his 
 distress (w. 3-6); the object oj his prayer, and the 
 ground of hope {vv. 7-12). The phrase, "servant of 
 the Lord " (vv. 2, 12) connects this psalm with 2 
 Sam. vii. David's design was to suggest to the 
 Israel of God the means of reviving their fainting 
 spirits in depression. 
 
 1. Hear ray prayer, 0 Lord . . . thy faithful- 
 ness answer me, and in thy righteousness. He 
 urges his double cry on the two-fold ground of 
 God's rignteousness and God's • faithfulness. His 
 "righteousness" is just that principle whereby 
 He gives to each that which it is consonant to 
 the Divine character to give — salvation to the 
 righteous (i. e., to those justified in the righ- 
 teousness of God through faith working by love, 
 in spite of many infirmities, v. 2); to the unrigh- 
 teous destruction. His righteousness" also 
 binds Him to vindicate His praying people when 
 they are in suffering. "Faithfulness" presup- 
 poses the promise to which God is faithful— viz., 
 2 Sam. vii. Similarly, in Ps. xxxvi. 5, 6, God's 
 righteousness and faithfulness arc spoken of to- 
 gether. 2. And enter not into judgment with thy 
 servant -for my many shortcomings. This shows 
 that the "righteousness" of God, in accordance 
 with which in v. 1 the Psalmist prays for a favour- 
 able answer, is not the righteousness by which the 
 judge exacts strictly all that is due by the sinner. 
 David here deprecates such a strict judgment, as 
 feeling hinnself unable to "answer Him one of a 
 thousand " charges God could bring against him 
 (Job ix. 2, 3; xiv. 3, 4; xv. 14; xxv. 4; Ps. cxxx. 
 vou HL 401 
 
 3; xix. 12). God enters into strict judgment with 
 all (Matt. V. 26 ; xviii. 27, 34) who are not His true 
 servants ; but He never will enter into judgment 
 with His believing and obedient servants; for He 
 has entered into judgment with the Lord, their 
 righteousness and surety, who answers for them : 
 therefore He will not demand an account a second 
 time. He chastens them, but will not give thcra 
 over unto death, for in thy sight shall no man 
 living be justified (Rom. iii. 20)—" no man living," 
 not even the believer; for He too needs daily 
 foi'giveness and cleansing away of soils, though 
 he has been once for all washed in the spiritual 
 bath of regeneration upon his believing unto life 
 (John xiii. 10). In thy sight, who search est into 
 the heart, and " art of purer eyes than to behold 
 evil " (Hab. i. 13). 3. For the enemy hath perse- 
 cuted my soul, "Fc^r" introduces the reason 
 urged for granting his request — viz., the violence 
 of the godless enemy, which must bring God to the 
 sufferer's side, in, spite of the many shortcomings 
 of the latter. The Psalmist has presented no such 
 bar to his deliverance as that mentioned in Ps. vii. 
 4, 5. he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as 
 those that have been long dead— (Lam. iii. 6 ; Ps. 
 vii. 5, end; Ixxxviii. 6.) Hengstenberg translates, 
 'in dark places,' and 'like one eternally dead.' 
 So the Syriac. The LXX. translate the Hebrew 
 literally, 'those dead of an age,' or 'of eternity,' 
 [cos veKpou<s &iu)vo9 : dVii?] (cf. Ps. Ixxxviii. 5). No 
 inference* is warranted from this that David re- 
 garded the dead as about eternally to remain so, 
 even if we adopt Hengstenberg^ s and the Syriac 
 translation. All that such expressions mean is, 
 the dead have no return to life on this earth in the 
 present order of things. It is their "long home" 
 (Eccl. xii. 5). David clearly looked for a future life 
 and the resurrection (Ps. xvi. 10, 11 ; xvii. 15). 4. 
 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me 
 — (Ps. cxlii. 3 ; Ixxvii. 3.) my heart v/ithin me is 
 desolate. "Within me''— lit, 'in the midst of 
 me;' imi)lying how deeply the feeling had pene- 
 trated. "Is desolate," or rather, 'is stupiiied,' in 
 a similar sense to that of the Hebrew (Isa. lix. 16; 
 Ixiii. 5 ; Dan. viii. 27). So the Chadaic. The LXX. , 
 Vulgate, Arabic, and Syriac, 'is agitated.' 5. I 
 remember the days of old ; I meditate on all thy 
 works; I muse on the work of thy hands— viz., 
 thy work in mightily delivering thy ijeople from 
 their oppressors. The remembrance of past de- 
 liverances only increases the pain of the i)resent 
 giving up of the Lord's servant to the persecutor 
 2d 
 
David hlesseth God 
 
 PSALM CXLIV. 
 
 for his mercy. 
 
 6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee : 
 
 My soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah. 
 
 7 Hear me speedily, 0 Lord ; — my spirit faileth : 
 Hide not thy face from me, 
 
 ^ Lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit. 
 
 8 Cause me to hear thy loving-kindness in the morning ; 
 For in thee do I trust : 
 
 Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk ; 
 For I lift up my Soul unto thee. 
 
 9 Deliver me, 0 Lord, from mine enemies: — I ^flee unto thee to hide me. 
 
 10 Teach ""me to do thy will ; — for thou art my God : 
 
 ^ Thy spirit is good ; lead me into the land of uprightness. 
 
 1 1 Quicken me, 0 Lord, for thy name's sake : 
 
 For thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble. 
 
 12 And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, 
 
 And destroy all them that afflict my soul : — for I am thy servant. 
 
 PSALM CXLIV. 
 
 A Psalm of David. 
 
 1 BLESSED be the Lord ^ my strength, 
 Which '^teacheth my hands ^to war, and my fingers to fight: 
 
 1 Or. for I 
 
 am become 
 
 like, etc. 
 * hide me 
 
 with thee. 
 " Pa. 25. 4. 
 
 Ps. l.m 21. 
 
 Mic. 4. 2. 
 
 Matt. 28.20. 
 
 Col. 1. 9,10. 
 
 1 Thes. 4. 1, 
 2, 
 
 Heb. 13. 21. 
 
 1 John 2.27. 
 d John 11.2ii. 
 
 John 16. IS- 
 IS. 
 
 Rom. 5. 5. 
 Gal. 5. 22, 
 23. 
 
 Eph. 4. 30. 
 
 2 Tim. 1.14. 
 
 PSALM 144. 
 
 1 my rock. 
 
 " 2Sam.22.3n. 
 
 2 to the war. 
 etc. 
 
 (". 3; Ps. Ixxvii. 4-7: cf. Ps. xcii. 5). 6. I stretch 
 forth my hands unto thee (Ps. Ixxxviii. 9) : my 
 soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land— as a 
 
 parched land thirsting for the refreshing rain. 
 " Thirsty" — lit. , fainting or lanf/uisJdng (Ps. Ixiii. 1). 
 
 7. Hear me speedily, 0 Lord ; my spirit faileth. 
 
 Hear me;" translate as the same Hebrew is 
 translated in v. 1, ^answer me speedily' (Ps. cii. 
 2; Ixix. 17). "Faileth" — ^ is exhausted,' or "cow- 
 sumed by the blow of thine hand" (Ps. xxxix. 10). 
 hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto 
 them that go down into the pit— like those in the 
 grave, who are beyond hope of relief as regards the 
 present order of things on earth (Ps. xxviii. 1 ; 
 Ixxxviii. 4). 8. Cause me to hear thy loving- 
 kindness in the morning ; for in thee do I trust- 
 cause me to knoio it by actually delivering me. So 
 ^ make me to hear joy,' &c. — i. e., to know it by 
 experience (Ps. li. 8). " In the morning" is figura- 
 tive for speedily, seasonably, and maturely. The 
 morning is associated with salvation, as the favour- 
 able season for granting it (Ps. lix. 16; xlvi. 5, 
 viarg. ; xc. 14 ; 2 Sam. xxiii. 4). cause me to 
 know the way wherein I should walk ; for I lift 
 up my soul unto thee (Ps. xxv. 1, 2 ; Ixxxvi. 4) — 
 "the way wherein I should walk" in order to 
 escape from my persecutors, who "privily lay a 
 snare for me in my way" (Ps. cxlii. 3). "Thou 
 knowest my path," though / know not the right 
 way (Ps. V. 8 ; xxv. 4, 5). 9. Deliver me, 0 Lord, 
 from mine enemies : I flee unto thee to hide me 
 (Ps. cxlii. 6; lix. l)~lit., 'to thee I hide myself;' 
 i. e.,1 go to thee, to hide myself with thee (Ps. 
 xxvii. 5; xxxi. 20). God will hide those who hide 
 themselves with Him. 10. Teach me to do thy 
 will (Ps. xl. 9) ; for thou art my God : thy spirit 
 is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. 
 The parallelism to the two former clauses is better 
 kept up in the English version, which divides the 
 latter half of the verse into tivo clauses, than by 
 making one clause, as He7igstenherg translates, 
 ' Let thy spirit, the good, lead me upon a plain 
 land.' Palpably the fourth clause answers to the 
 first, as the third answers to the second. The 
 whole is a prayer for spiritual guidance, the 
 necessary condition for receiving the temporal as 
 well as the spiritual deliverance which David 
 402 
 
 prays for himself, his seed, and the elect nation. 
 In other psalms similarly we have prayers for de- 
 liverance from calamities joined with prayers for 
 spiritual teaching, so as to walk in tne ways of 
 holiness (Ps. Ixxxvi. 11; cxxxix. 23, 24; xxv. 4, 
 5; xxvii. 11; xxvi. 12). 'An even place' is an 
 image for stedfastness spiritualljr, as distinguished 
 from a land or footing beset with difl&culties and 
 pitfalls. 11. Quicken me, 0 Lord, for thy name's 
 sake — for the sake of thine own glory, that thou 
 mayest show thyself to be the God of loving-kind- 
 ness and power which thou art esteemed to be. 
 Cf. Ps. xxiii. 3; xxv. 11; xxxi. 3, on the words, 
 "for thy name's sake," with "quicken me" (cf. 
 Ps. cxxxviii. 7). for thy righteousness' sake bring 
 my soul out of trouble. Thy righteousness is 
 concerned to vindicate my righteous cause, and to 
 fulfil thy promises (v. 1). "Bring my soul out of 
 prison,'" Ps. cxlii. 7, corresponds. Ps.xxv. 15; xxxiv. 
 17. 12. And of thy mercy cut ofi" mine enemies 
 (Ps. xviii. 40; xxxi. 15; liv. 5)— according to the 
 promise, Deut. vii. 24. for I am thy servant. 
 Not boasting of his own service, but commending 
 the electing grace of God, to which he ascribes the 
 whole credit of his being among the servants of 
 God, A frequent plea of David (v. 2 ; 2 Sam. vii. ; 
 Ps. cxvi 16). 
 
 PSALM CXLIV. l-l^.— Blessed be Jehovah, my 
 strength^ in subduing my enemies [vv. 1, 2). How 
 marvellous that thou shouldest regard frail man! 
 {vv. 2, 4). Bow thy heavem and come down to save 
 me {vv. 5-8). / will praise thee already for salvation 
 anticipated by faith {vv. 9, 10). Rid me from strange 
 children who speak vanity, that our children may be 
 as vigorous plants and as polished stones {vv. 11, 12) ; 
 that abundant stores may be ours, and no complain- 
 ings {vv. 13, 14); Epiphonema: Happy are they 
 whose God is Jehovah {v. 15). David herein applies 
 much of the 18th psalm in a new relation. The 
 grateful review there of God's mercies to himself 
 is in the first part here applied to the edification 
 of his seed and nation. This is the transition 
 psalm from the Prayer-psalms cxxxviii. -cxlv. to 
 the concluding Praise-psalm cxlv. Cf vv. 9, 10. 
 
 1. Blessed be the Lord my strength— Hebrew, 
 my rock; from Ps. xviii. 2, 31, 46. which teach- 
 eth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight— 
 
David blessetk God 
 
 PSx\LM CXLIV. 
 
 for /its mercy. 
 
 2 ^ My goodness, and my fortress ; — my high tower, and my deliverer ; 
 My shield, and he in whom I trust ; — who subdueth my people under me. 
 
 3 Lord, *what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him ! 
 Or the son of man, that thou makest account of him ! 
 
 4 Man is like to vanity : — his days are as a shadow that passeth away. 
 
 5 Bow '^thy heavens, 0 Lord, and come down : 
 Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. 
 
 6 Cast forth lightning, and scatter them : 
 Shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them. 
 
 7 Send thine *hand from above ; — '^rid me, and deliver me out of great waterS; 
 From the hand of * strange children; 
 
 8 Whose mouth speaketh vanity, 
 
 And their right hand is a right hand of falsehood. 
 
 9 I will ^ sing a new song unto thee, 0 God : 
 Upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will 
 
 unto thee. 
 
 10 It is he that giveth ^salvation unto kings : 
 
 WTio delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword. 
 
 I sing praises 
 
 3 Or. My 
 
 mercy. 
 6 Job r. ir. 
 
 Job 15. 14. 
 
 Ps. 8. 4. 
 
 Heb. 2. c. 
 " Ps. 18. 9. 
 
 Isa. 04. 1. 
 
 * hands. 
 Ps. 69. 1. 
 Ps. 93. 3. 4. 
 Eev. 12. 15, 
 
 16. 
 
 Rev. ir. 15. 
 
 • Ps. 33. 2. 3. 
 Ps. 40. 3. 
 Ps. 98. 1. 
 Ps. 149. 1. 
 Mai. 2. 11. 
 Eev. 5. 9, 
 
 10. 
 
 Eev. 14. 3. 
 / Ps. 33. 2. 
 5 Or, victory. 
 
 from Psalm xviii. 34. It is not merely David, 
 but David's seed and the elect nation that say 
 so. In vv. 1, 2 David sets forth God's relations 
 to him; and on this and God's condescension he 
 grounds the prayer [v. 5) that God would deliver 
 him and his seed, according to the promise in 2 
 Sam. vii, 2. My goodness — rather, ' my loving- 
 kindness,' who art loving-kindness itself to me — 
 Hebrew, Chasdi (Ps. lix. 17, "the God of my 
 mercy"), my fortress; my higli tower, and my 
 deliverer; my shield, and He in whom I trust 
 —from Ps. xviii. 2, where, as in this verse, the 
 predicates of God are seven. What God has been 
 in the past to David, He still is : this gives a sure 
 hope of deliverance to Israel in the future, who 
 subdueth my people under me— from Ps. xviii. 43 ; 
 2 Sam. xxii. 44. " My people" include not merely 
 Israel, but also all the heathen to he subdued 
 under the Son of Da vid in due time, of which sub- 
 jugation Solomon's wide dominion is the earnest. 
 From not understanding " my," and from wishing 
 to harmonize this verse with Ps. xviii. 47, "sub- 
 dueth the peoT)le under me," many MSS. read, 
 with the Arabic, Chaldaic, and Syriac [d'Q?, for 
 'the peoples.' But the LXX. support the 
 English version reading: the very difficulty of it 
 shows it is not an interpolation. The "strange 
 children " {v. 7), now the enemies of David, shall 
 be either won to willing subjection, or else shall be 
 crashed under the triumphant Messiah, (Ps. ii.) 
 The Spirit Vjv David spake things, the deep signi- 
 ficance of which reached further than even he 
 understood (1 Pet. i. 11, 12). 3. Lord, what is 
 man, that thou takest knowledge (i. e., notice) of 
 liim ! or the son of man, (Hebrew, EmMh, mortal 
 man : note, Ps. viii. 4) that thou makest account 
 Of him ! — from Ps. viii. 4. David is lost in adoring 
 wonder at the grace which lavishes such loving- 
 kindness on one so frail and insignificant. So 
 2 Sam. vii. 18, 19 ; Isa. Iv. 8. 4. Man is like to 
 vanity (Hebrew, Hehel, a vapour): his days are as 
 a shadow that passeth away— (Ps. Ixii. 9 ; xxxix. 
 5, G; cii. 11; ciii. 15.) There is nothing in frail 
 and dying man to merit the favour of one so 
 glorious and infinitely great as is Jehovah. 
 
 5. Bow thy heavens, 0 Lord, and come down— 
 from Ps. xviii. 9 : cf. Isa. Ixiv. 1 ; borrowed from 
 the same source. What Jehovah has shown Him- 
 self towards David during his persecution by Saul, 
 he now ])rays Him to i)rove Himself again to him, 
 to his seed, and to Israel, touch the mountains, 
 403 
 
 and they shall smoke. "The mountains" sym- 
 bolize God-opposed world-kingdoms, which at the 
 mere touch of God smoke : the token of fear and 
 the prelude of being consumed by the coming fire 
 of His wrath (Ps. civ. 32, note). 6. Cast forth 
 lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine 
 arrows, and destroy them — (Ps. xviii. 13, 14.) 
 'All God's acts are prophecies' {Henystenbern) — 
 i. e., God's manifestations of Himself in His past 
 dealings are a sure earnest of God's future dealings, 
 in consonance with His unchangeable character. 
 "Them," — i. e., the "strange children" {vv. 7, 11); 
 the heathen enemies. 7. Send {extend) thine hand 
 from above ; rid me, and deliver me out of great 
 waters— (Ps. xviii. 16.) The Hebrew for ''rid me" 
 [ni*p] is literally to hurst open; so to free one con- 
 fined. This is a rare usage, and adopted to har- 
 monize with the elevated poetic style of the psalm, 
 from the hand of strange children— ' the sons of 
 the stranger' (Ps. xviii. 44, 45; liv. 3); aliens in 
 blood and in religion ; enemies of God and of Israel. 
 8. Whose mouth speaketh vanity (Hebrew, Shave ; 
 distinct from Hehel, v. 4, ' a vapour '), and their 
 right hand is a right hand of falsehood— (Ps. xii. 
 2; xli. 6.) The rigid hand is lifted up in taking 
 an oath : the sense is, They swear to falsehood 
 ( Yarchi). The parallelism favours this ; or else 
 Hengstenherg's explanation, 'their right hand,' 
 professedly given in token of friendship (2 Ki. x. 
 15), is really given in falsehood : as " Joab took 
 Amasa , . . with the right hand to kiss him," and 
 then stabbed him (2 Sam. xx. 9). 
 
 9. I will sing a new song unto thee, 0 God: 
 upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten 
 strings will I sing praises unto thee— (Ps. xxxiii. 
 2,3.) Cf. introduction. The "new song" is this 
 psalm of thanksgiving, in which praise prepon- 
 derates for the new manifestation of mercies already 
 anticii>ated by faith, in accordance with the promise 
 in 2 Sam. vii. to David's seed and to Israel, The 
 thanksgiving which bursts forth in the second 
 strox»he, after the prayer for deliverance, finds its 
 culmination in Ps. cxlv. 10. It is he that giveth 
 salvation unto kings: who delivereth (the same 
 Hebrew as in v. 7 is translated "rid") David his 
 servant from the hurtful sword— (Ps. xviii, 50; 
 xxxiii. IG.) The present tense, " delivereth," im- 
 plies that the deliverance is a continued one, and 
 guarantees the future redemption of David's seed 
 and nation by the Lord, as' it ensured the />a,s< 
 deUverance of David himself. David calls himself 
 
I 
 
 Datid praiseth God 
 
 PSALM CXLV. 
 
 for his goodness. 
 
 15 
 
 11 Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children. 
 Whose mouth speaketh vanity, 
 And their right hand is a right hand of falsehood : 
 
 12 That our sons may he as plants — grown up in their youtli; 
 That our daughters may be as corner-stones, 
 ^ Polished after the similitude of a palace ; 
 
 3 That our garners may be full, — affording "all manner of store; 
 That our sheep may bring forth thousands 
 And ten thousands in our streets ; 
 That our oxen onay be ^strong to labour ; 
 That there be ^no breaking in, nor going out; 
 That there be no complaining in our streets. 
 
 Happy ^''is that people that is in such a case ; 
 Yea, happy is that, people whose God is the LciiD. 
 
 PSALM CXLV. 
 
 David's Psalm of praise. 
 1 I WILL extol thee, my God, 0 King ; 
 And I wdll bless thy name for ever and ever. 
 
 felicity is rent.' 'No going out' means no loss. 
 that tJiere be no complaining in our streets—lit., 
 no cry ; viz., over hreacli or loss (Isa. xxiv. 11). 
 
 15. Happy (is that) people that is in such a 
 case ; (yea), happy (is that) people whose God (is) 
 the Lord. This is tLe Epiphoneiiia. This blessed 
 consummation is what Moses predicates of Israel 
 when she shall realize her high calling of God in 
 the last days. In the very last words of his last 
 speech, after warnings and promises, he ends with 
 " Happy art thou, 0 Israel: who is like unto thee, 
 0 people saved by the Lord " (Deut. xxxiii. 29). 
 The people who are so circumstanced are happy, 
 and the source of their happiness is the Lord 
 
 * cut. 
 
 7 from kind 
 to kind. 
 
 8 able to 
 bear bur- 
 dens, or. 
 lo^iden 
 with flesh. 
 
 f Lev. 26. 17. 
 Deut. 27. 7. 
 25. 
 
 Judg. 5. 8. 
 Judg. 6.3-G. 
 lSam.13.17- 
 23. 
 
 Jer. 13. 17- 
 IS). 
 
 Jer. 14. IS. 
 Zech. 8. 3- 
 6. 
 
 Deut. 33.29. 
 Ps. 33. 12. 
 Ps. 65. 4. 
 Ps. 89. 15. 
 Ps. 146. 5. 
 
 " His (the Lord's) servant," to express the ground 
 of his past and liis anticipated deliverances. This 
 l)hrase links this psalm to Ps. cxliii, 2, 12. On 
 'the sword,' cf. Ps. xxii. 20. Against "the hurt- 
 ful sword" of the great adversary God gives His 
 servants " the sword of the Spirit." 
 
 11. Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of 
 strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, 
 and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood. 
 This second strophe begins with resuming the 
 prayer, vv. 7, 8. 12. That our sons may be as 
 plants grown up in their j^'outh —' growing up 
 vigorously in their times of youth' (Ps. cxxviii. 3). 
 Deliverance from the enemy is a necessary pre- 
 liminary to having a vigorous population. In 
 times of oi-)pression by a foreign enemy pale and 
 sickly children abound, that our daughters may 
 be as corner-stones, polished after the similitude 
 of a palace. Female figures wei-e used instead of 
 columns in supporting buildings, called by the 
 Ptomans Carj^atides. This usage, if it existed in 
 David's time and country, would iDcautifulIy illus- 
 trate this verse. The Hebrew for " corner-stones" 
 is used of 'the corners of an altar,' Zech. ix. 15 
 l'^'')]]' They were those stones which, as occupy- 
 ing so prominent a ])lace in the building as the 
 corner, were made lofty, graceful, and elegant 
 (Eph. ii. 20). H engstenherg explains it 'projectures ;' 
 the shining and tapering jioiuts of a beautiful 
 palace ; its graceful pinnacles. 13. That our gar- 
 ners may be full, affording all manner of store — 
 lit., from one kind to another. 14. That our oxen 
 may be strong to labour— ^^Y., ' strong to bear bur- 
 dens ' (Muis, from Kimchi] (1 Cbr. xii. 40). Heavily 
 laden oxen imply that there is a rich produce for 
 them to bear. The Hebrew for oxen implies 
 trained oxen {^^^^ ixom fi^n:, to learn\ Its meaning 
 is also a leader. It is applied to the dukes of Edom 
 (Gen xxxvi. ), and after the captivity, by Zechariah, 
 to governors (Zech. ix. 7 ; xii. 5, 6). But there is 
 no ground for the forced translation of Maurer, &c., 
 ' that our leaders may be erecV (a sense of the 
 adjective unsanctioned by the Hebrew). 'Yoke 
 oxen' are naturally named after "sheep." that 
 there be no breaking in, nor going out— no irrup- 
 tion into the folds, no going out of cattle or sheep, 
 carried away by the plunderer. Hengstenherg 
 translates, ' no breach ' (Judg. xxi. 15 ; 2 Sam. vi. 
 8). '.No misfortune whereby the entireness of our 
 404 
 
 whom they have as their God. In the theocracy 
 upon earth which Israel constituted, God promised 
 all temj)oral mercies on the condition of obedience. 
 These temporal blessings were the external sign of 
 God's favour to them, and therefore of the far 
 higher spiritual benefits which, walking in faith 
 and obedience, they were partakers of: for the 
 prominence of temporal rewards or punishments, 
 as the sanctions of the Mosaic law, could never 
 have been designed to teach that earthly blessings 
 are the all which God w^ould have His people to 
 seek as the fruits of faith. Heb. xL 10, 14-16 
 teaches that the patriarchs looked for far higher 
 blessings : the Law, which succeeded, cannot have 
 been a step backwards, as if it were designed to 
 teach Israel to cease to look for thy heavenly 
 promises, and to look only for the earthly ones. 
 
 PSALM CXLV. 1-21.— An alphabetically-acros- 
 tic psalm of thanksgiving of David's house and 
 Israel, literal and spiritual, when their troubles 
 shall have ended. The LXX. interpolate after v. 
 13 a verse beginning with an omitted Hebrew 
 letter pj, ' Faithful is the Lord in all His words, 
 and holy in all His works.' The Chaldaic rejects 
 it. 
 
 David's Psalm of praise [n^nn, tehillah]. The 
 Hebrew here occurs in no other title. Its recur- 
 rence in the last verse of this psalm proves the 
 originality of the title. The plural, Tehillim, 
 ' psalms,' is applied to the whole collection. Te- 
 hillah here corresponds designedly in sound to 
 Tephillah, in Ps. cxlii., title, and cxliii. 1. The 
 Prayer-psalms {Tephillah) are sure to be followed 
 by the Praise-psalms (Tehillah). 
 
 1. I will extol thee, my God, 0 K1ng--(Ps. xxx. 
 
Vatid praisetli God 
 
 PSALM CXLV. 
 
 for his good lie 
 
 'SS. 
 
 2 Every day will I bless thee ; — and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. 
 
 3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised , 
 ^And his greatness is unsearchable. 
 
 4 One generation shall praise thy worl^ to another, 
 And shall declare thy mighty acts. 
 
 5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, 
 And of thy wondrous ^ works. 
 
 6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: 
 And I will ^declare thy greatness. 
 
 7 They shall abundantly Gutter the memory of thy great goodness, 
 And shall sing of thy righteousness. 
 
 8 The "Lord is gracious, and full of compassion ; 
 Slow to anger, and ^ of great mercy. 
 
 9 The Lord ^is good to all; — and his tender mercies are over all his works. 
 
 10 All Hhy works shall praise thee, 0 Lord; — and thy srants shall bless thee. 
 
 11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, — and talk of thy power; 
 
 12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, 
 And the glorious majesty of his kingdom.,. 
 
 13 Thy kingdom. «5 ^an everlasting kingdom, 
 
 And thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. , 
 U The Lord upholdeth all that fall. 
 
 And raiseth up all those that be bowed down. 
 
 PSALM nr.. 
 
 1 and of his 
 greatness- 
 there is no 
 Si.'arch. 
 Job 5. 9. 
 Job 9. 10. 
 Eom. 11.33 
 
 2 things, or, 
 words. 
 
 3 declare it. 
 * boil up. 
 
 Ps. 45. 1. 
 " Ex. 34. 6. 
 
 5 great in 
 mercy. 
 
 6 Ps. 100. 5. 
 Nah. 1. r. 
 Matt. 5. 45. 
 Acts 14. 17. 
 
 " Ps. 19. 1. 
 6 a kingdom 
 
 of ali ages. 
 
 Isa. 9. 7. 
 
 Dan. 2. 44. 
 
 Dan. 7. 14. 
 
 Mic. 4. 7. 
 
 1 Tim. 6.15, 
 16. 
 
 1.) The address, "0 King," on the part of the 
 earthly king, is a recognition of God as the only 
 true King. All other kings are but His vice- 
 gerents. By Him kings do rule (Ps. cxliv. 10 : 
 cf. Ps. XX. 9 ; xxiv. 8, 10 ; xxix. 10). and I will 
 bless tliy name for ever and ever— (Ps. xxxiv. 1, ) 
 I, the representative of the race of David, to 
 whom thou hast promised everlasting continu- 
 ance, will, in the person of my seed, bless thee 
 *'for ever and ever." Cf. the promise in 2 Sam. 
 vii., and Ps. cxxxviii. 8. Thy ever-enduring 
 mercy will call forth my and my seed's ever- 
 continuiug praise. 2. Every day will I bless thee 
 — (Ps. Ixviii. 19.) and I will praise tliy name 
 for ever and ever -(Ps. Ixix. 30.) 3, Great is tlie 
 Lord, and greatly to be praised. Ps. xlviii. 1 
 is drawn from this by the sons of Korah. This 
 verse begins the detailed description of what is 
 comprehended in 'the name of the Loi'd ' {v. 2). 
 and Ms greatness is unsearchable— (Job v. 9; 
 xi 7 ; Rom. xi. 33.) His unsearchable greatness 
 is only equalled by His unsearchable goodness, as 
 manifested under the Gospel in " the unsearch- 
 able riches of Christ " (Eph. iii. 8). 4. One gen- 
 eration shall praise thy works to another, and 
 shall declare thy mighty acts. God's "works" 
 are His glorious manifestations of mercy and 
 righteousness. 6. I will speak of the glorious 
 honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous 
 works — Ut.^ 'the honour of the glory of thy ma- 
 jesty, and the matters (or words : of. Ps. cv. 27, 
 marg.) of thy wonders.' David's heart so over- 
 flows with gratitude that he feels words inadequate 
 to express his exuberant feelings: therefore he 
 heaps word upon word to set forth in some measure 
 the matchless glory and majesty of God. Cf. a 
 similar accumulation, Ps. xviii. 2; Ixii. 7. 6. 
 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible 
 acts ; and I will declare thy greatness. The Keri 
 reads thus, in the singular ; but the Ketib reads 
 the plural, 'thy great deeds ; ' which answers better 
 to the parallel, " thy terrible acts." The thought 
 in V. 3 is resumed here. 7. They shall abundantly 
 utter the memory of thy great goodness, and 
 shall sing (lit., with loud eulogies) of thy righteous- 
 ness. "Abundantly utter"— ^ii. 'sputter forth,' 
 405 
 
 as from a bubbling, overflowing fountain : implying 
 the inexhaustible fulness of the theme which calls 
 forth from men unceasing a^ud glorious praises 
 (note, Ps. xix. 2). The "goodness " is not here His 
 loving-kindness towards us, but God's own essential 
 goodness [y^'c], whence the former flows (Ps. cxix. 
 68). 
 
 8. The Lord is gracious, and f ull of compassion ; 
 slow to anger, and of great mercy— (Ps. ciii. 8.) 
 But the Hebrew here for " great " is dili'erent from 
 that in Ps. ciii. 8 [3"iJ, plenteous j marg., ^ great oi 
 mercy J ' and is the same as the Hebrew in v. 3 
 ['■n-^J, which refers to God's own inherent great- 
 ness. Thus it is implied that the greatness of 
 God's love is commensurate with His own infinite 
 greatness. 9. The Lord is good to all— much more 
 to His own people, who appreciate and ever praise 
 His goodness, and his tender mercies are ever 
 all his works. How much more over His childreii ? 
 (Ps. ciii. 13.) If He has a compassionate regard 
 for His creatures, the works of His hands in the 
 kingdom of natm^e, and 'feedetli the young ravens 
 which cry ' (Ps. cxlvii. 9), He surely v/ill ' not for- 
 sake the works of His own hands ' (Ps. cxxxviii. 
 8) in the kingdom of grace, of which David's en- 
 during seed, Messiah, is the head. 10. All thy 
 works shall praise thee, 0 Lord — either con- 
 sciously with the voice, or in silent eloquence by 
 tlieir very being (Ps. xix. 1-3 ; ciii. 22). 11. They 
 shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom— mani- 
 fested only in part now on earth, but hereafter to 
 be fully revealed when Messiah shall take His 
 great i)Ower and reign (Ps. ciii. 19 ; Eev. xi. 15, 17). 
 12. To make known to the sons of men his mighty 
 acts. From the address to God in the second jier- 
 son, "thy " [v. 11), the Psalmist passes to the third 
 person, " His," as he herein turns to the world to 
 exhort its inhabitants to celebrate Him. 13. Thy 
 kingdom is an everlasting kingdom— /«7.., ' a king- 
 dom of all eternities' {ov ages). When the now 
 haughty kingdoms of this world sha,ll have passed 
 away, the kingdom of Messiah, the Son of David, 
 shall endure. So Dan. ii, 44 ; iv. 34. 
 
 14. The Lord upholdeth all that fall— viz., the 
 godly when they faU (Ps. xxxvii. 17, 24). and 
 
God only is worthy 
 
 PSALM CXLVI. 
 
 to be trusted. 
 
 15 The eyes of all ^wait upon thee; 
 
 And thou givest them their meat in due season. 
 
 16 Thou openest thine hand, — and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. 
 
 1 7 The Lord is righteous in all his ways, — and ^ holy in all his works. 
 
 18 The ^LoRD is nigh unto all them that call upon him 
 To all that call upon him * in truth. 
 
 19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him : 
 He also will hear their cry, and will save them. 
 
 20 The Lord ^preserveth all them that love him : 
 But all the wicked will he destroy. 
 
 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: 
 
 And let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever. 
 
 PSALM CXLVI. 
 
 1 PRAISE ^ye the Lord. — Praise the Lord, 0 my soul 
 
 2 While I live will I praise the Lord ; 
 
 I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. 
 
 3 Put "not your trust in princes, 
 
 Nor in the son of man, in whom there is no ^ help. 
 
 4 His ^ breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth ; 
 In that very day '^his thoughts perish. 
 
 raiseth up all (those that be) bowed down. Psalm 
 cxivi. 8 borrows this verse. 15. The eyes of all 
 wait upon thee ; and thou givest them their meat 
 in due season. Psalm civ. 27 borrows this. He 
 who feeds all His creatures by His providence 
 will never allow His elect to wait on Him for sus- 
 tenance for body and soul in vain. 16. Thou 
 openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of 
 every living thing (Ps. civ. 28) — lit, ' Thou 
 satisfiest every living thing with their desire' 
 [jn*^] : cf. V. 19. The original passage is Deut. 
 xxxiii. 23. The blessing, in its special fulness, 
 belongs to the people of God alone : in a wider 
 sense, all now in some degree enjoy the promis- 
 cuous scatterings of His bounty, whereby ' He 
 gives us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, 
 tilling our hearts with food and gladness' (Acts 
 xiv. 17). 17. The Lord is righteous in all his 
 ways, and holy in all his works. The Hebrew 
 for "holy," chasid [ayios], is not that which ex- 
 presses God's hallowed and unapproachable sanctity, 
 Kadosh. Chasid, as applied to God, expresses 
 goodness, and clement benignity, in giving and for- 
 giving [oo-ios]. It is applied to the Father's "Holy 
 One" (Ps. xvi. 10). As applied to man, it means 
 pious, including also a loving spirit towards man. 
 The LXX., Arabic, and Vulgate translate as the 
 English version, "holy;" but the Chaldaic and 
 Syriac, 'merciful.' Righteousness and loving-kind- 
 ness are often combined in descriptions of the Lord 
 in His relations to men, 
 
 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call 
 upon him— (Deut. iv. 7 ; Ps. xxiv. 6, 18 ; Jas. iv. 
 8.) to all that call upon him in truth— not in 
 hypocrisy and formalism. An anticipation of 
 (lospel spirituality (John iv. 24). 19. He will 
 fulfil the desire of them that fear him {v. 16; 
 Ps. xxxiv, 15)— when it is expedient for them, and 
 conformable to the wall and Word of God. God 
 hears His people as truly when He withholds what 
 is for their hurt as when He grants what is for 
 their good. The physician knows better than the 
 patient what is for the good of the suflferer. he 
 also will hear their cry, and will save them— (Ps. 
 xxxvii. 40.) 20. The Lord preserveth all them 
 that love him. In v. 19 it was "them that fear 
 Him;" therefore the fear meant is not slavish, 
 406 
 
 7 Or, look 
 unto thee. 
 
 8 Or, merci- 
 ful, or, 
 bountiful. 
 
 d Deut. 4. 7. 
 1 Ki. 18. 27, 
 23. 
 
 John 14. 23. 
 Jas. 4. 8. 
 " Ps. 3. 18. 
 Isa. 1.16,16. 
 Jer. 29. 12, 
 
 13. 
 
 Hos. 7. 14. 
 
 Matt. 6. 5. 
 
 John 4. 24. 
 / 1 John 6.14. 
 f 1 Pet. 1. 6. 
 
 PSALM 146. 
 
 1 HaUelu- 
 jah. 
 
 " Isa. 2. 22. 
 
 2 Or, salva- 
 tion. 
 
 ^ Eccl. 12. 7. 
 1 Cor. 2. 6. 
 
 but that of children, who at the same time love 
 God. 
 
 PSALM CXLVI. l-m—Call to praise. Folly 
 oj trusting in dying man ; the happiness of making 
 the God of Jacob our help {nv. 1-5); His gracious 
 attributes; as Zion's God, He shall reign for ever 
 (vv. 6-10). The Hallelujah marks the date after 
 the Babylonian captivity. The LXX., Vulgate, 
 Ethiopic, Syj'iac, and Arabic, attribute the psalm 
 to Haggai and Zechariah. It probably was sung 
 at the dedication of the second temple {Hengsten- 
 herg). I prefer, as it, like Ps. cxlvi.-cl., begins and 
 ends with Hallelujah (Praise ye the Lord), to join 
 it with them, as sung at the consecration of the 
 walls under Nehemiah. 
 
 1. Praise ye the Lord (Hallelujah). Praise the 
 Lord, 0 my soul— from Ps. civ. 1, 35. 2. While 
 I live will I praise the Lord; I will sing 
 praises unto my God while I have any being 
 — (Ps. civ. .33.) 3. Put not your trust in princes, 
 (nor) in the son of man, in whom there is 
 no help — rather, ' no salvation ' (Jeshuhah, a 
 different Hebrew word from that for "help," 
 V. 5, heezer). This verse is drawn from Ps. 
 cxviii. 8, 9. The " princes " meant are the rulers 
 of the God-opposed world-power. The Jews 
 had found dependence on Pharaoh no safeguard 
 against Nebuchadnezzar when Jerusalem was 
 besieged by the latter. Again the princes of the 
 Medo- Persian world-power had been quickly 
 turned away from helping them by the slander of 
 their Samaritan enemies, after their return from 
 Babylon. " The king's heart is in the hand of the 
 Lord " (Prov. xxi. 1). If we make God our friend 
 and our confidence. He can make the world-powers 
 also to befriend us (Ps. Ixxv. 6, 7; Isa. ii. 22). 4. 
 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his 
 earth (from Ps. civ. 29: cf. Gen. iii. 19; Eccl. 
 xii. 7), in that very day his thoughts perish. 
 The Chaldaic translates, ' his machinations perish.' 
 The perishing nature of the class of beings to 
 which princes belong shows how little "trust" is 
 to be placed in them {v. 3). However elated be 
 their thoughts now, these shall all soon come to 
 nothing (1 Cor. ii. 6 ; iii. 20). The Hebrew for 
 'thoughts " means— * shinings,' 'polishings,' 
 implying how elaborately fabricated were his plans 
 
Exhortation to 
 
 PSALM CXLVII. 
 
 praise God. 
 
 5 Happy ^is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, 
 Wliose hope is in the Lord his God ; 
 
 6 Which *made heaven and earth, — the sea, and all that therein is; 
 Which -^keepeth truth for ever; 
 
 7 \Vhich executeth judgment for the oppressed ; 
 
 Which giveth food to the hungry. — The Lord looseth the prisoners : 
 
 8 The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind : 
 The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down : 
 The Lord loveth the righteous : 
 
 9 The Lord preserve th the strangers ; — he relieveth the fatherless and widow : 
 But the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. 
 
 10 The Lord shall reign for ever, — eveti thy God, 0 Zion, unto all generations. 
 Praise ye the Lord. 
 
 PSALM CXLVII. 
 
 1 PRAISE ye the Lord : — for it is good to sing- praises unto our God ; 
 For it is pleasant ; arid praise is comely. 
 
 2 The Lord doth build up Jerusalem : 
 
 " He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. 
 
 3 He ^healeth the broken in heart, — and bindeth up their ^wounds. 
 
 4 He '^telleth the number of the stars ; — he calleth them all by their names. 
 How can he brin 
 
 ^ Ps. 33, 12. 
 
 Ps. 84. 12. 
 
 Fs. 144. lo. 
 
 Jer. 17. 7, 
 ^ Rev, 14. 7. 
 / Deut, 7. 9. 
 
 Dan. 9. 4. 
 
 Mie. 7. 20. 
 
 John 10. 35. 
 
 Tit. 1. 2. 
 
 Heb. 6. 18. 
 
 PSALM 147. 
 Deut. 30. 3, 
 Isa. 11. 11, 
 12. 
 
 Isa. 27. 13. 
 Isa. 66. 8. 
 Jer. 32. 37. 
 Eze. 36. 24. 
 Eze. 38. 8. 
 Eph. 2. 12- 
 19, 
 
 ^ Isa. Gl, 1. 
 
 Luke 4. 18. 
 1 griefs. 
 " Gen. 15, 5. 
 
 Isa, 40, 26, 
 
 [niiiP?'?, from n^>, to shine]. 
 "help" or salvation to others who cannot save 
 himself ? Death suddenly snaps asunder his web 
 of projects, and therefore ends all the hope that 
 was placed in him, 
 
 5. Happy is lie that hath the God of Jacob for 
 bis help— instead of ' trusting in princes, in whom 
 there is no help' {v. 3: cf, Ps. cxviii, 7; cxliv. 15). 
 Lit., ' in his help.' Cf. Deut. xxxiii. 26, " the God 
 of Jeshurun rideth upon the heaven in thy hdp.^' 
 The very name of God here ['^i^, El] expresses 
 strength, in contradistinction to human impotence. 
 
 6. Which made heaven and earth, the sea, and 
 all that therein is. Here he sets forth the proofs 
 of the strength of God implied in His name El; 
 answering to the first clause oi v. 5, " Happy is 
 he that hath the God of Jacob for his help:" for in 
 having Him he hath the Almighty Maker of all 
 things, which keepeth truth for ever. God 
 therefore hath the will, as well as the strength, to 
 help that happy man. Such a one has God's truth 
 pledged to him, as it is to all believers (Ps. Ixxxv. 
 10). 7. Which executeth judgment for the op- 
 pressed (Ps, ciii. 6)—?. e., for His own people when 
 oppressed, which giveth food to the hungry- 
 CPs, xxxvii. 19; cvii. 5, 9,) the Lord looseth the 
 prisoners. Ps. cxlii. 7 is the prayer, "Bring my 
 soul out of jjrison :" this is the answer (Ps. cvii. 10, 
 14). 8. The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind 
 (Tsa. XXXV, 5)— both the literally and the spirit- 
 ually blind: those ignorant of the way of salvation 
 (Deut, xxviii. 29 ; Isa. lix. 10 ; Job xii. 25). the 
 Lord raiseth them that are bowed down— from 
 Ps. cxlv. 14. 9. The Lord preserveth the strangers ; 
 he relieveth the fatherless and widow— (Ps, Ixviii, 
 5, 6,) Therefore he will preserve those who are 
 not strangers, but His own people, when in danger, 
 and will relieve (or stahlish; raise up) His widowed 
 (Luke xviii. 3. 7) and orphan-like (John xiv. 18, 
 marg.) Church, but the way of the wicked he 
 turneth upside down — he makes their fate the 
 very oxjposite of what their own "thoughts" 
 devised it (v. 4 ; Pro v. xix. 21) : instead of happi- 
 ness, which they thought to attain by perverse 
 ways, their end is misery. 10. The Lord shall reign 
 for ever, (even) thy God, 0 Zion, unto all genera- 
 tions—from Exod. XV 18; Rev. xL 15. In contrast 
 
 407 
 
 to the transitory kingdoms of the world. They 
 who have such an everlasting kingdom awaiting 
 them in the end, can afford to bear trials patiently, 
 not yielding to despair on the way. 
 
 PSALM CXLVII.— The four psalms (and prob- 
 ably the ]3receding psalm, cxlvi,), cxlvii,-cl,, form 
 one whole. All (Ps, cxlvi, -cl.) are severally marked 
 by 'Hallelujah' at the beginning and end. All 
 alike are joyous thanksgivings, without any of the 
 lamentations which appear in the other jisalms of 
 the period after the return from Babylon. All 
 combine the praises of God in nature with the 
 praise of His grace to His people. All refer to a 
 great salvation wrought for Israel. This cycle of 
 psalms was probably designed for the dedication 
 of the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah. The 
 "gates" are mentioned, Ps, cxlvii. 13. Cf. Neh. 
 xii. 27-43. The post-exile psalms heretofore, whilst 
 Jerusalem lay unprotected, are tinged with sad- 
 ness ; but now joy predominates (cf, Neh, vi, 15, 
 16 ; xii, 43 ; Ps, cxlix. 6-9). The Levites' prayer 
 (Neh, ix, 6) accords with Ps, cxlvi, 6. Cf, Ps, 
 cxlvii. 19 ; Neh. ix. 13, 14 ; x. 29. The same in- 
 struments were used in dedicating the walls as 
 appear in this psalm-cycle (cf. Ps. cxlvii. 7 and cl. 
 3-5 with Neh. xii. 27, 35, 41). 
 
 1. Praise ye the Lord— Hallelujah, for it is 
 good to sing praises unto our God— from Ps. xcii. 
 1. for it is pleasant— from Ps. cxxxv. 3. (and) 
 praise is comely— from Ps. xxxiii. 1. 
 
 2. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem. The 
 city was built up by Nehemiah first (Neh. ii, 5), and 
 afterwards the walls, which completed the work 
 (v, 13 ; Neh, iii, and vi. 15). he gathereth together 
 the outcasts of Israel — in consonance with the 
 promise, Deut. xxx. 3; Isa. xi. 12; Ivi. 8. The 
 full gathering of Israel's outcasts is yet future (Ps. 
 cvii. 3). 3. He healeth the broken in heart, and 
 bindeth up their wounds — (Ps. xxxiv. 18; ciii. 3; 
 Isa. Ixi. 1; Ivii. 15, 18,. 19.) The Lord Jesus ful- 
 fils this promise spiritually (Luke iv. 18). The 
 "wounds" of the spiritual Israel are now being 
 bound up by the great Healer. Hereafter, also, 
 the literal Israel shall have both its temporal, or 
 national, and its spiritual wounds healed up. by 
 Messiah, its King. 4. He telleth (or, lit., deter- 
 mines) the number of the stars ; he calleth them 
 
God's care 
 
 PSALM CXLVIL 
 
 over all his creatures. 
 
 5 Great ^is our Lord, and of great power: — -his understanding is infinite. 
 
 6 The ^LoRD lifteth up the meek : 
 
 He casteth the wicked down to the ground. 
 
 7 Sing unto the Lord with ^thanksgiving; 
 ^ Sing praise upon the harp unto our God: 
 
 8 Who '^coveretli the heaven with clouds, — who prepareth rain for the earth, 
 Who maketli grass to grow upon the mountains. 
 
 9 He ^giveth to the beast his food, — -and to the young ravens which cr}^ 
 
 10 He ^delighteth not in tlie strength of the horse; 
 He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. 
 
 11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, 
 In those that hope in his mercy. 
 
 1 2 Praise the Lord, 0 Jerusalem ; — praise thy God, 0 Zion . 
 
 13 For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; 
 He hath blessed thy children wdthin thee 
 
 H ^ He maketh peace in thy borders. 
 
 And filleth thee with ^the finest of the wheat. 
 
 15 He 'sendeth forth his commandment upo7i eartlv: 
 His word runneth very swiftly. 
 
 16 He giveth snow like wool : — he scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. 
 
 all by their names. From earth the Psalmist 
 turns to heaven ; for the most glorious manifesta- 
 tions of God's power are there: it therefore tills 
 the believer's soul with the more hearty apprecia- 
 tion of the excellency of the Uod whom He ijraises 
 as his God, to think that the same God who 
 ' calleth all the stars by their names ' (knowing the 
 characteristics of each, as being formed and upheld 
 by Himself) is the God of rcdeiupticoa, who ' calleth 
 his own ' people individually ' by name,' as being 
 peculiarly His {Vlxod. xxxiii. 12; John x. 3; Rev. 
 li. 17 ; iii. 12), To nvnnher the stars is beyond the 
 powers of man's intellect (Gen. xv. 5, where the 
 countless number of the stars is alluded to, for the 
 purpose of comforting Abraham with the hope of 
 a similarly numerous offspring, literal and spirit- 
 ual), much less to name them, which implies an 
 intimate acquaintance with the pjeculiar properties 
 of each. So Isaiah, xl. 2<5, 27, uses the same en- 
 couragomeut, "Behold" He ""bringeth out their 
 host by number: He calleth them all by names by 
 the greatness of His might, for that He is strong 
 in power, not one faileth. Why say est thou, O 
 Jacob . . My way is hid from the Lord?" &c. 
 5. Great is oiir Lord, and of great power: his 
 understanding is infinite— ^j;;., 'there is no num- 
 ber,' i. e., measure, 'of his uaderstanding' (Isa. 
 xl. 28); therefore His wisd&m has infinite resources 
 wh.ereby to save His peoi:!le in all dangers (Rom. 
 xi. 26 36). 6. The Lord lifteth up the meek : he 
 casteth the wicked down to the ground— parallel 
 to Ps. 0x1 vi. 8, 9. Another proof of the connectian 
 of Ps. cxlvi. with this cycle oi psalms. 
 
 7. Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving— ^2^., 
 'answer;' i. e., 'sing ye responsively ' (Ezra iii. 11) 
 {De Burgh). Rather, 'respond unto the Lord with 
 thanksgiving' — i. e., let your thanksgiving be the 
 corresponding return to His graciously bestowed 
 salvation. So Ps. cxix. 172, "Si3eak of thy word" 
 —Hebrew, resriond to. 8. Who eovereth the 
 heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the 
 earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the 
 niountains. The gloomy-looking "clouds" are 
 the harbingers of the refreshing "rain;" 'the 
 rugged mountains' are made by God to attract the 
 clouds, and so to bring down rain, so that thereby 
 the grass grows (Ps. civ. 13) on the mountain-sides. 
 So affliction is overruled to be a blessing to God's 
 people. 9. He siveth to the beast his food (Ps. 
 
 civ. 14. 27, 28), and to the young ravens which cry 
 
 —(Job xxxviii. 41.) The ravens, with their hoarse 
 cry, are unconsciously appealing to their Maker 
 and Preserver for their necessary food. They de- 
 Ijend not on the regular fruits of the earth, but on 
 precarious subsistence (Luke xii. 24 ; Ps. civ. 21 ; 
 cxlv. 15). 10, 11. He delighteth not in the 
 strength of the horse ; he taketh not pleasure in 
 the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleaure in 
 them that fear him, in those that hope in his 
 mercy— (Ps. xxxiii. 16-18.) Mere animal strength 
 is the admiration of the world. Cavalry, chariots, 
 and strong infantry are what earthly men rely on 
 (Ps. XX. 7) ; but the Loi-d's pleasure is in them that 
 combine reverent fear with believing hope towards 
 Him. It is "to them that have no might He in- 
 creaseth strength" (Isa. xl. 29). Those who cast 
 away all self-conhdence, and have recourse to God 
 alone, are the especial objects of God's delight. 
 
 12, 13. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem . For 
 he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates. The 
 walls of Jerusalem had just beeu built, and the 
 gates set up, under JS'ehemiah. This was the 
 crowning of the secure re-establishment of the city 
 and nation. This cycle of jjsalms was sung at the 
 dedication of the walls (Neh. iii.; xii. 27-43). Of. 
 Ecclesiasticus xlix. 13, which seems to have had 
 this passage in view, 'Nehemas, whose renown is 
 great, who raised up for us the walls that were 
 fallen down, and set up the gates and the bars, 
 and raised up our ruins again.' he hath blessed 
 thy children within thee. Internal prosperity 
 follows external security, which the building of 
 the walls and setting up of the gates ensured. 14. 
 He maketh peace in thy borders (Isa. Ix. 17, 18),. 
 and fidleth thee with the finest of the wheat— 
 lit, 'with the fat of wheat' (Ps. Ixxxi. 16). Thus 
 God was now fulfilling His promise in Ps. cxxxii. 
 15. 15. He sendeth forth his commandment (upon) 
 earth: his word runneth very swiftly. Gods 
 Word is a servant which He sends forth upon 
 earth to execute His will. It carries into effect 
 His decree with instantaneous swiftness. So the 
 centurion, by faith, attributed the same efficacy to 
 Jesus' word. According to his faith so it was done 
 unto him (Matt. viii. 9, 13 ; Ps. cvii. 20; Job xxxvii. 
 12). IG, 17. He giveth snow like wool : he scat- 
 tereth the hoar-frost like ashes. He casteth 
 forth his ice like morsels : who can stand befora 
 
All creatures called upon 
 
 1 7 lie casteth forth his ice like morsels : — who can stand before his cold ? 
 
 18 He sendeth out his word, and melteth them : 
 
 He causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. 
 
 19 He showeth ^his word unto Jacob, 
 
 His ''^statutes and his judgments unto Israel. 
 
 20 He " hath not dealt so with any nation : 
 
 And as for his judgments, they have not known them. 
 Praise ye the Lord, 
 
 PSALM CXLVIIL 
 
 1 PPvAISE lye the Lord. 
 
 Praise ye the Lord from the heavens : — praise him in the heights, 
 
 2 Praise ye him, all his " angels : — praise ye him, all his hosts, 
 
 3 Praise ye him, sun and moon : — praise him, all ye stars of light. 
 
 4 Praise him ^ye heavens of heavens. 
 
 And ye waters that be above the heavens. 
 
 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord : 
 For '^he commanded, and they were created. 
 
 6 He "^hath also stablished them for ever and ever: 
 He hath made a decree which shall not pass. 
 
 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, — ^ye dragons, and all deeps: 
 
 8 Fire, and hail ; snow, and vapour; — .stormy wind fulfilling his word : 
 
 his cold? God giveth forth the widely extending 
 and intensely chilling snow, hoar-frost, and ice, 
 with as much ease as a man would scatter a few- 
 locks of "wool," or a handful of "ashes" (cf. Exod. 
 ix. 8, 10), or throw some "morsels" of bread to 
 animals. The things to which the snow, hoar-frost, 
 and ice are thus compared bear some resemblance 
 to these. The snow, frost, and cold are also sym- 
 bolical of the chill winter of Israel's adversity. 
 She, by bitter experience, could testify, "who 
 can stand before His cold?" 18. He sendeth out 
 Ms word, and melteth them : he causeth his wind 
 to blow, (and) the waters flow— a warm wind, 
 which causes a thaw. So God mercifully caused 
 the spring of mercy to Israel now to succeed to 
 the icy winter of past trouble. Cf. notes, Ps. cvii., 
 respecting the same happy change described under 
 figures. 
 
 19, 20, He showeth his word unto Jacob, his 
 statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath 
 not dealt so with any nation: and as for his 
 Judgments, they have not known them. The 
 
 same reference to God's 'statutes and judgments' 
 occurs in the parallel history, Neh. ix. 13, 14 ; x. 
 ^— the distinguishing glory of Israel. The revela- 
 tion of God to her at ISinai raised her above all 
 peoples as the only one who knew the will of the 
 one true God (Deut. xxxiii. 2-4; iv. 32-34; Eom. 
 iii. 1, 2). This conclusion assigns the ground of 
 God's return in mercy to Israel— viz.. His original 
 choice of her as the repository of His truth. 
 . P.SALxM CXLVIIL 1-14. -Praise for God's hav- 
 ing raised Israel to national stability from depres- 
 sion. All things are called upon to praise— the 
 heavens, angelic and material ; the earth, its deeps 
 and heights; men, great and small. 
 
 1. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens— de- 
 noting the place whence the praise is to issue: 
 answering to v. 7, "Praise the Lord from the 
 earth:] 2. Praise ye him . , , all his hosts— 
 (rs. ciii. 20, 21.) The sun^ moon, and stars are 
 material, the angels,, the immaterial portion 
 ?r His hosts." The former unconsciously praise 
 Ood by their very being. The Psalmist's call to 
 them to praise God does not imply that they 
 ftre conscious of his caU, hut merely expresses His 
 
 ^ his wofds, 
 L'eut, 2. 
 Deut. 33. 2' 
 4, 
 
 Mai. 4. 4. 
 
 Horn. 3. 2, 
 2 Tim. 3. 15" 
 17. 
 
 " Deut. 4. 32. 
 Pro. 29. 18, 
 Isa. 5. 47. 
 Matt. H. '3. 
 Acts 14. Ifi, 
 Acts i6, 17, 
 18. 
 
 Rom. 3. 1, 
 2, 
 
 Eph. 2. 12. 
 1 Pet. 2. 8. 
 
 PSALM 148. 
 1 HaUelu- 
 
 jah. 
 " Dan. 7. 10. 
 
 Heb. 1. 7. 
 6 1 Ki. 8. 27. 
 ' Heb. 11. 3. 
 <i Jer. 33. 25. 
 " Isa. 43. 20. 
 
 satisfaction that God is praised by them. 4. Praise 
 him, ye heavens of heavens — the highest heavens : 
 as "holy of holies " is in Hebrew idiom the super- 
 lative, "the most holy place" (1 Ki. viii. 27; Deut. 
 X. 14). Cf. the parallel history, Neh. ix. 6. So 2 
 Cor. xii. 2 alludes to a gradation in the height of 
 the several heavens — "the third heaven." The 
 angels, the stars, and the clouds [vv. 2-4) imply 
 successive regions above, and ye waters that (be) 
 above the heavens— the clouds, the lowest heavens, 
 in contrast to the "heavens of heavens," the 
 hhjhest (Gen. i. 7; Ps. civ. 3). Those called to 
 praise the Lord are six, answering to the number 
 of verses in the first half strophe. 5, 6. for he 
 commanded, and they were created. He hath 
 also stablished them for ever and ever. Herein 
 are stated the grounds of praise. He stablishes 
 the things which he creates, so that they never 
 can free themselves from entire subserviency to 
 His will. There can be no change but by His 
 appointment, he hath made a decree which 
 shall not pass. So respecting the sea (Job xxxviii. 
 10, 11), and respecting the extent of man's life (Job 
 xiv. 5). llengstenberg translates, 'He gave them 
 a law which they never transgress.' But the 
 verb 'transgress' or "pass" is singular, which 
 favours the English version. H engstenherg takes 
 the singular as referring to each 2^oiTt of creation, 
 or to all the parts regarded as one whole (cf. Ps. 
 civ. 9; Jer. v. 22). The "decree" is the order or 
 .sphere and law of being prescribed to all created 
 things, which order does not pass or change so long 
 as God wills it, nor until they have fulfilled the 
 purpose assigned to them. The stars must pur- 
 sue their course; the upper and lower waters must 
 remain distinct. 
 
 7. Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons 
 — sea-monsters, tanjiinim (Ps, Ixxiv. 13). They are 
 specially named because by their monstrous size 
 they attest the infinite greatness of God's creative 
 power. " From the earth," the sphere whence the 
 
 E raise is to emanate: answering to v. 1, "from the 
 eavens," 8, Fire— lightning, vapour— the result 
 of fire and water together. Hengstenherg tranS' 
 lates, 'smoke;' the dark smoke contrasting with 
 the white snow (Ps. cxix. 83; Gen. xix. 28), 
 
Call to praise God 
 
 PSALM CXLIX. 
 
 for his love to the church. 
 
 9 Mountains, ^ and all hills; — fruitful trees, and all eedars : 
 
 10 Beasts, and all cattle; — creeping things, and ^flying fowl : 
 
 11 Kings of the earth, and ^all people ; — princes, and all judges of the earth : 
 
 12 Both young men and maidens; — old men, and children: 
 
 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord: 
 
 For ^^his name alone is ^excellent , — his glory is above the earth and heaven. 
 
 14 He also exalteth the horn of his people, — the praise of all his saints; 
 Even of the children of Israel, ^ a people near unto him. 
 
 Praise ye the Lord. 
 
 PSALM CXLIX. 
 
 1 PRAISE ^ye the Lord. — ""Sing unto the Lord a new song, 
 And his praise in the congregation of saints. 
 
 2 Let Israel rejoice in ''him that made him : 
 
 Let the children of Zion be joyful in their ^ King. 
 
 3 Let them praise his name ^ in the dance : 
 
 Let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. 
 
 4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people : 
 He will beautify the meek with salvation. 
 
 5 Let the saints be joyful in glory : 
 Let them sing aloud upon their beds. 
 
 / Isa. 49. 13. 
 2 birds of 
 
 wing. 
 " Acts 17. 23. 
 
 fcODg 5. 9. 
 
 Isa. (•. 3. 
 
 Isa. 12. 4. 
 
 Zech. 9. 17. 
 
 Phil. 2. 9. 
 
 Phil. 3. 8. 
 8 exalted, 
 i Eph. 2. 17. 
 
 1 Pet. 2. 9. 
 
 PSALM li9. 
 
 1 Hallelu- 
 jah. 
 
 Isa. 42. 10. 
 6 Job 86. 10. 
 
 Acts 16. 25. 
 " Isa. 52. 7. 
 
 Zech. 9. 9. 
 
 Matt. 21. 5. 
 
 Eev. 19. 6. 
 
 2 Or. with 
 the pipe. 
 
 << Pro. 11. viO. 
 Zeph. 3. 17. 
 
 Stormy wind fulfilling Ms word— (Ps. cxlvii. 15.) 
 However the stormy wind, with its wild impetii- 
 osity, may seem reckless of all law, it still is 
 executing the word and will of God no less than 
 the angels, who "do His commandments, hearken- 
 ing unto the voice of His word " (Ps. ciii. 20). 9. 
 Mountains, and all hills ; fruitful trees, and all 
 cedars. Objects are selected eminent in their 
 kind. The cedars, because of their majestic height, 
 are called "the cedars of God:" they proclaim His 
 creative power, (Ps. Ixxx. 10, marg.) 11. Kings of 
 the earth — the earthly representatives of God's 
 all- ruling power, and all people. Even the 
 humble, as well as the great, set forth God's glory. 
 12. Both young men and maidens; old men and 
 children. The preservation of the old so long, 
 and the vigour of the young, are living proofs of 
 God's power and love: so both old and young 
 sliould praise the Lord. 
 
 13. Let them praise the name of the Lord— 
 "them," all those enumerated above, both in 
 heaven and on earth, for his name alone is 
 excellent— (Ps. viii. 1 ; Isa. xii. 4.) " Excellent"— 
 lit., exalted, his glory is above the earth and 
 heaven— (Ps. cxiii. 4.) 14. He also exalteth the 
 horn of his people— which before was "defiled in 
 the dust" (Job xvi. 15: Ps. xcii. 10; Ixxv, 10). As 
 ' His name is exalted {v. 13), so ' He also exalteth 
 His people.' the praise of all his saints— in 
 apposition to "He exalteth the horn of His 
 people" — i. e., ivhich thing affords to all His saints 
 material for praising Him {Ainsworth) : or in 
 doing which He eaxdteth the praise (glory) of all His 
 saints {Gejer). Hengstenberg, ' He lifted up the 
 renown of all His saints, which till now had been 
 covered with shame.' I prefer taking it. He is the 
 praise— i. e., the glory of His saints, which furnishes 
 a motive to them that they should praise Him (cf. 
 Ps. cxlix. 9). The clauses preceding and succeed- 
 ing this all refer to their being honoured in having 
 Him for ticeir God, especially near to them, and in 
 their being exalted by Him. a people near unto 
 him. So the spiritual Israel (Eph. ii. 13, 17). Cf. 
 the literal Israel's nearness to God, as priests unto 
 Him, permitted to approach Him (Lev. x. 3; Ezek. 
 xlii. 13 ; Deut, iv. 7; Exod. xix. 6 ; Num. xvi. 10 : 
 Ps. cxlvii. 19, 20). 
 
 m 
 
 PSALM CXLIX, \-9.—Call to Israel to praise 
 God for salvation, with music and dances [vv. 1-5); 
 anticipation of victory over the God-opposed nations, 
 and of the Lord's judgment along with His saints 
 ivv. 6-9). 
 
 1. Sing unto the Lord a new song, (and) his 
 praise in the congregation of saints— answering 
 to Ps. cxlviii. 14, "the praise of all his saints." 
 As He is the source of "praise," i.e., glory, to 
 them, so they give praise, i. e., glory, to Him. 
 This marks the close connection of the two 
 psalms. On the "new song," cf. Isa. xlii. 10; 
 Ps. cxliv, 9. 2, Let Israel rejoice in him that 
 made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in 
 their king. This, therefore, refers to the coming 
 time, when Christ shall be manifested as Zion's 
 King; the antitype to Jesus' first entrance as a 
 King on the ass' colt into His capital, Jerusalem 
 (Matt. xxi. 5; Zech. ix. 9). 3, Let them praise 
 his name in the dance. So the LXX., Chaldaic, 
 Arabic, Vulgate, Ethiopic. Gejer, &c., take it as 
 marg., 'with the pipe.' The Hebrew admits of 
 either translation here and Ps. cl. 4. I prefer 
 the English version. Pthythmical movements, 
 accompanied with music, were usual on solemn 
 occasions of joy (Exod. xv. 20, 21 ; Ps. xxx, 11 ; 
 Jer. xxxi. 4, 13). 4. For the Lord taketh plea- 
 sure in his people— (Ps, cxlvii, 10, 11.) he will 
 beautify the meek with salvation — parallel to 
 Ps. cxlvii. 6. "The meek" are the literal Israel, 
 heretofore crushed down, primarily (with 'beauti- 
 fy," cf, Isa. lii, 1, "put on thy beautiful garments, 
 0 Jerusalem"); then, in the secondary sense, the 
 spiritual Israel, one of whose leading graces is 
 meekness (Matt, v. 5). 
 
 5. Let the saints he joyful in glory. The words 
 "in glory," express the state whereto God hath 
 exalted them (Ps. Ixxxv. 9 ; cxji. 9, end ; cxlviii. 
 14), on account of which they are now called on 
 to "be joyful." Heretofore, on the contrary, the 
 state of Israel had been one of " great affliction 
 and reproach" (Neh, i, 3 ; iv. 4 : contrast iv. 6 ; 
 vi, 16), let them sing aloud upon their beds— 
 whereon heretofore they have aflOiicted themselves 
 with grief for their shame (Hos, yii, 14). Now, 
 in their waking moments in the night, they sing 
 sonffs of joy to God (Job xxxv. 10 ; Ps. xlii. 8). 
 
Exhortation to 
 
 PSALM CL. 
 
 praise God. 
 
 6 Let the high praises of God be in their ^ mouth, 
 And a two-edged sword in their hand ; 
 
 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, 
 .4 wc^ punishments upon the people; 
 
 8 To bind their kings with chains, — and their nobles with fetters of iron; 
 
 9 To * execute upon them the judgment written : 
 
 This -^honour have all his saints. — Praise ye the Lord. 
 
 PSALM CL. 
 
 1 PRAISE lye the Lord. 
 
 Praise God in his sanctuary : — praise him in the firmament of his power. 
 
 2 Praise him for his mighty acts : 
 
 Praise him according to his excellent greatness. 
 
 3 Praise him with the sound of the ^trumpet : 
 Praise him with the psaltery and harp. 
 
 4 Praise him "with the timbrel and ^ dance: 
 
 Praise him with ^stringed instruments and organs. 
 
 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals : 
 
 Praise him upon the high-sounding cymbals. 
 
 6 Let ^ every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. 
 Praise ye the Lord. 
 
 " throat. 
 * Deut. 7, 1, 
 2. 
 
 Deut, 32,42. 
 Eev. ir. 14. 
 / Ps. 148. 14. 
 Kom. 16.20, 
 1 Cor. 6. 2, 
 3, 
 
 1 John. 5.4. 
 Kev. 3. 21. 
 
 PSALM 150. 
 
 1 HaUelu- 
 jah. 
 
 2 Or, cornet. 
 « Ex. 16. 20. 
 
 3 Or, pipe, 
 b Ps, 33. 2. 
 
 Ps. 92, 3. 
 Ps, 144, 9. 
 Isa, 38. 20. 
 Hab. 3, 19. 
 ^' Ps. 103. 22. 
 Ps, 146. 10. 
 Ps. 148. 7. 
 11. 
 
 Rev. 5. 13. 
 
 6. Let the higli praises of God (be) in their 
 mouth, "High praises of God" — i.e., praises ex- 
 tolling God on high (Ps. Ixvi. 17). and a two- 
 edged sword in their hand— such as Nehemiah 
 and his fellow- workmen had in one hand, whilst 
 with the other they wrought at building the wall 
 (Xeh, iv, 16-18). Even when they were giving 
 thanks, they still carried swords in their hands 
 (cf, Neh. xii. 31, which describes a procession to 
 the temple, in which perhaps they still bore their 
 swords ; but see note, v. 7). 7. To execute venge- 
 ance upon the heathen— as the Maccabees (ac- 
 cording to the prophetical anticipation here) 
 subsequently did upon Antiochus Epiphanes' liosts. 
 The fuller accomplishment of this scripture is in 
 the triumphs of the spiritual Israel, the Church, 
 by "the sword of the Sjjirit, the Word of God," 
 " sharper than any two-edged sw^ord " (Mark vi. 
 20 ; Acts xxiv. 25 ; 2 Cor. x. 4 ; Eph, vi. 17 ; Heb. 
 iv. 12). As it is written of the Captain of our 
 salvation (Rev. i. 16). The full accomplishment 
 shall be when He shall come again "in righteous- 
 ness to judge and to make war, and the armies in 
 heaven shall follow Him, and out of his mouth 
 goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite 
 the nations — viz., the antichristian hosts con- 
 federated against Him and his saints. 8. To bind 
 their kings with chains, and their nobles with 
 fetters of iron— just as Joseph, when exalted from 
 a dungeon to be lord of Egypt, next to the monarch 
 Pharaoh, could ' bind at his pleasure ' those who 
 had formerly bound him (Ps. cv. 22); so the saints 
 reigning next to Christ the King, shall rule those 
 who once bare rule over them, (Ps. ii.) Isa. Ix. 11, 
 shows that the earthly Jerusalem and Israel shall 
 bear the moral sux>remacy over the Gentile nations 
 (Isa. xlv. 14). Cf, the type. Josh. x. 23, 24. The 
 final and hexivenly Jerusalem shall be the city 
 into which "the kings of the earth do bring their 
 glory and honour" (Rev. xxi, 24). 9. To execute 
 upon them the judgment written— in Deut, xxxii, 
 41, 4.3, Cf. also Enoch's prophecy, Jude 14, 15, 
 where, as here, the saints are associated with the 
 Lord in "executing judgment." this honour have 
 all his saints— parallel to Ps. cxlviii. 14, "the 
 praise of aU His saints." "This honour "—viz., 
 411 
 
 the honour of sharing with the Lord in judging the 
 world (Dan. vii. 22 ; Luke xxii. 29, 30 ; Rev. iii. 21 ; 
 XX. 4)— this shall be the crowning of their glory. 
 
 PSALM CL. 1-6,— Three strophes of two verses 
 each. The first, where, and on what account, praise 
 is to be given ; the third, whei'ewith it is to be 
 given — with all that have voice or sound. A doxo- 
 logy of thirteen "Hallelujahs" to the whole col- 
 lection of Psalms. 
 
 1. Praise God in his sanctuary— in His temple 
 on earth : in contrast to praise him in the fir- 
 mament of his power — (Cf. Ps. Ixviii. 33, 34, 
 "His strength is in the clouds" — nmrg., 'hea- 
 vens,' His earthly sanctuary corresponds to the 
 heavenly "expanse" (so the Hebrew for "fir- 
 mament" means [ii''p^j), wherein especially He 
 displays His might and glory (Ps, xix. 1). 
 
 2. Praise him for his mighty acts— (Ps. cxlv. 5, 
 6. ) praise him according to his excellent great 
 ness— (Ps. cxlviii. 13.) 
 
 3. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet . . . 
 the psaltery and harp. The same instruments as 
 here and v. 5 are mentioned at the dedication of 
 the walls under Nehemiah (Neh. xii, 27, 35, "cym- 
 bals, psalteries . . . harps "). 4. Praise him with the 
 timbrel and dance— (Ps, cxlis;, 3.) The timbrel ac- 
 comi^anied the dance (Exod. xv, 20; Ps. Ixviii. 25). 
 organs— from tohlow'],xaX\ie,Y, 'pipes.' No- 
 where else is the pipe mentioned in the public 
 temple service. Here it is introduced only be- 
 cause the feast of dedicating the walls was one of 
 popular rejoicing. The instruments used in the 
 temple service being all given here, it is plain that 
 the interpretation whereby many find new instru- 
 ments in several of the titles is erroneous. 
 
 5. Praise him upon the loud cymbals . . . upon 
 the high-sounding cymbals— suited to loud praises 
 (Neh. xii. 27). 6. Living voices shall take up the 
 failing sounds of dead instruments, and as they 
 cease on earth, those of intelligent ransomed spirits 
 and holy angels, as with the sound of mighty 
 thunders, will prolong eternally the praise, say- 
 ing, "Alleluia! salvation, and glory, and honour, 
 and power, unto the Lord our God : . . . Alleluia ! 
 the Lord God omnipotent reign eth." Amen. 
 
THE BOOK OF 
 
 PEO VERBS. 
 
 1 rpHE "Proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; 
 
 2 X To know wisdom and instruction 
 To perceive the words of understanding; 
 
 3 To ^receive the instruction of wisdom, 
 Justice, and judgment, and ^equity; 
 
 4 To give subtilty to the simple, 
 
 To the young man knowledge and ^discretion. 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 CHAP. 1. 
 " 1 Ki. 4. 32. 
 
 Ch. 10. I, 
 b ch. 2. 1, 
 
 1 equities. 
 
 2 Or, ad- 
 visement. 
 
 CHAP. I. 1-33.— The Inscription; and the Pre- 
 face, stating the design of the hook— to give in- 
 struction in iDisdom {vv. 1-6). Key-note of the 
 whole: tlie fear of the Lord is the first step {v. 7). 
 Fatherly exhortation to the young to hear the in- 
 struction of godly parents, elders, and pastors {vo, 
 8, 9). Hot to be enticed by sinners, whose ways in 
 imrsuit of gain are deadly (vv. 10-19). Wisdom's 
 appeal {vv. 20-23). Fatal result of rejecting it, and 
 blessedness of those who hearken to it [vv. 24-33). 
 
 1. Tlie Proverbs of Solomon the son of David, 
 king of Israel. A similar heading appears at the 
 beginning of the three divisions of the book : here, 
 chs. X. 1; XXV. 1. He spake 3,000 proverbs (1 Ki. 
 iv. 32); and subsequently "set in order" the pres- 
 ent selection (chs. i.-xxiv. ; Eccl. xii. 9). Hezekiah 
 directed his pious " men " to supplement the col- 
 lection with an arranged series of proverbs of 
 Solomon not included in the collection made by 
 the royal author himself (ch. xxv. 1; of. Ecclesias- 
 ticus xlvii. 14, 17, concerning Solomon, "How 
 wise wast thou in thy youth, and as a flood filled 
 with understanding. The countries marvelled at 
 thee for thy songs, and proverbs, and parables, 
 and interpretations"). On the Hebrew for " pro- 
 verbs," mishlee— lit, similitudes, figurative and 
 sententious writings — cf. Introduction. The 
 words "Solomon the son of David, king of Is- 
 rael," are so many arguments why all should 
 attend to what follows. Kings'' commour)]ace 
 v/ords are eagerly caught at; how much more 
 ought all give heed to the woitls of the wisest of 
 men (1 Ki. iv. 29-34)— a king, the son of a king; 
 not only so, but also an inspired prophet, and the 
 son of a prophet— one whose wisdom the queen 
 from distant Sheba came to hear (1 Ki. x.), and 
 reigning over the elect nation of God ! 2. To know 
 wisdom — depending on v. 1. The proverbs of 
 Solomon are designed that all may by them know 
 wisdom, and instruction [idid]— from a Hebrew 
 root, yasar, to chastise or correct by discipline and 
 admonition (like Trai^eveiv, TraiSeia, "discipline in 
 righteousness," 2 Tim. iii. 15; cf. chs. xiii. 18, 24; 
 xxii. 15). "Wisdom" is the general term for the 
 knowledge that "maketh wise unto salvation" 
 (2 Tim. iii 15). In a more special sense, " wis- 
 dom" is knowledge of Divine truth in both the 
 head and the heart [noDn]— of. 1 Cor. xii. 8. 
 " Instruction" is the tutoring of one in the appli- 
 cation of the principles of piety to the daily prac- 
 tice. So Lyra and the Hebrew commentators in 
 Mercer explain, to perceive the words of un- 
 derstanding [mn]— whereby you may discreetly 
 discern between good and bad, the lawful and the 
 uinlawful, the useful and the hurtful, the true and 
 412 
 
 the false, and may know what you ought aud 
 what you ought not to do in every circumstance 
 {Cornelius a Lapide). " Understanding " [from a 
 root, bin or bun, akin to the particle beeyn, ' be- 
 tween,' to judge concerning differences, to distinguish 
 between, to consider internally with the mind — crwUvai 
 (Tvve(jL<s] differs from " wisdom," in that by wisdom 
 things are surely known;/ by "understanding," 
 things that difl[er are prudently discerned, and 
 a discriminating judgment is formed on them 
 after inward consideration. 3. To receive the 
 instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, 
 and equity— "wisdom" fej?'n]; a different Hebrew 
 word from that for "wisdom" in 2. It means 
 intelligence or prudence, circumspect consideration. 
 "Justice" {tzedequ) or righteousness is the p7-in- 
 ciple, and includes our duties both to God and 
 man. "Judgment" (mishpat) is the act of put- 
 ting into exercise j ustice towards men. "Equity" 
 {meesharim) — lit.. Tightnesses, uprightnesses, or 
 sincerity in both justice and judgment (ch. ii. 
 9). 4. To give subtilty to the simple, to the 
 young man knowledge and discretion. - "Sub- 
 tilty," shrewdne-is, not in the sense of worldly 
 cunning, but that knowledge which will 
 one on his guard against the subtle snares of 
 the world; as Jesus told His disci]iles, "Behold, 
 I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; 
 be ye thei-efore v/ise as serpents, aud harmless 
 as doves" (Matt. x. 16). The "simjjle" are the 
 inexperienced, those "who want understanding" 
 (chs. vii. 7; ix. 4; xiv. 15). The antithesis to 
 "subtilty" requires this sense, rather than the 
 good sense, as guilelessly simple and teachable 
 (Ps. xix. 7; cxvi. 6). Though it is true that the 
 guileless and childlike are the fittest for receiving 
 Divine truth (Matt. xi. 25). "To give" here 
 beautifully answers "to receive" {v. 3). Plato's 
 school bore the inscription over the doors, 'Let 
 no one not acquainted with geometry enter here.' 
 Solomon's invitation, on the contrary, is, ' Let the 
 simple and untutored enter here.' Whilst, in vv. 
 2, 3, all are welcome "to receive the instruction of 
 wisdom" {v. 2), "the young man" especially is 
 invited, as most needing it. The philosoplaers 
 excluded the young as unfit for their recondite 
 teachings. But the wisest of men stoops to the 
 humblest— a type of the infinitely Wise Teacher, 
 who embraced little children in His arms (Matt 
 xviii. 3, 4; xix. 14, 15). " Discretion"— lit, device^ 
 invention (as it is translated ch. viii. \2), medita- 
 tion, thoughtful prudence, whereby to avoid what 
 is wrong and choose what is right. "Know- 
 ledge" distinguishes between truth and falsehood. 
 "Discretion" [ni^ra], or thouglUful prudence., dis' 
 
'i^hortation 
 
 PROVERBS 1. 
 
 to fear God. 
 
 5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning ; 
 
 And a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels : 
 
 6 To understand a proverb, and ^the interpretation ; 
 The words of the wise, and their dark sayings. 
 
 7 The fear of the Lord is ^the beginning of knowledge : 
 But fools despise wisdom and instruction. 
 
 8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father. 
 And forsake not the law of thy mother : 
 
 9 For they shall he ^an ornament of grace unto thy head, 
 And chains about thy neck. 
 
 10 My son, if sinners entice thee, '^consent thou not. 
 
 tinguishes between what is honourable and what 
 is base, and chooses the former. 5. A "vyise (man) 
 will hear, and -will increase learning— (ch, ix. 9. ) 
 " Learning "—lit. , tluit which is received (Hebrew, 
 lequach). True wisdom is never stationary, but 
 always progressive ; because it secures the ground 
 behind it as a basis for further advances. The 
 Sciolist is "ever learuina:, and never able to come 
 to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim. iii. 7)._ 'He 
 who is nob adding, is wasting; he who is not 
 increasing knowledge, is losing from it,' [Rahbi 
 Hillel, ch. 1, 'Aboth.') These proverbs are de- 
 signed for not merely the " sini])le " {v. 4), but the 
 "wise" also, if only they be willing to hear, or 
 rather to obey; for this part of philosophy con- 
 sists in acting, in which he is most learned who 
 most obeys [Bayne) ; cf. John viii. 47. The wiser 
 one is, the swifter will he be to hoar, the slower 
 to speak (Jas. i. 19). and a man of understand- 
 ing 'shall attain unto mse counsels —" wise 
 counsels" [nh'^anr]— lit., in steering or guiding a 
 ship, from a Hebrew root, chebel, the cords with 
 which the sail is managed, by which the s]iip is 
 directed in its course by the c/iC»/;eZ — i.e., steersman 
 or commander. The wise man's counsels are such 
 j figurative cords for the guidance of himself and 
 . others in the house, the State, the Church, &c. 
 : Our life is a voyage. The "man of understand- 
 i iug" (Hebrew, nahon: from tlie same root as 
 I hinah, " understanding," v. 2, or discernment) — 
 I 'the man of discernment' — "shall attain unto" 
 I —lit., acquire and possess. 6. To understand a 
 j proverb, and the interpretation— connected in 
 i construction with v. 1, as are the other infinitives, 
 I V. 2, "To know;" v. 3, "To receive;" v. 4, "To 
 i give subtilty," &;c. "The interpretation" (He- 
 ] brew, Melit-.ah; cf. Introduction). As an inter- 
 I preter should express his meaning with elegance, 
 I the term comes to mean an elegant and eloquent 
 j speech: 9j pointed saying. Gesenius explains it 'a 
 saying that needs an interi)reter; an enigmatical 
 saying.' The Chaldaic and Vulgate translate as 
 the English version. In Hab. ii. 6 it occurs in 
 connection with tlic Hebrew here translated 
 "dark sayings" (chidatham) ; but there the Eng- 
 lish version translates tlie two together, "a taunt- 
 ing proverb" (perhaps the translation there more 
 literally would be the setting forth of enigmatic 
 sayings, making the application clear as an inte)-- 
 preter would). As "dark sayings" answer in 
 parallelism to "proverb," so "the words_ of the 
 wise" to "the interi)retatiou." The wise inter- 
 pret in plain words the obscurity of parabolic say- 
 ings, which are couched in this form by the Holy 
 Spirit, in order to stimulate reflection. In vv. 2, 3 
 is set forth wliat is to be learned ; in vv. 4, 5, by 
 whom; in v. G, from wlu>m, and from what kind of 
 sayings. 
 
 7. The fear of the Lord (is) the beginning of 
 knowledge— the grand summary of the whole 
 413 
 
 B. C. lOOO. 
 
 3 Or. an 
 eloquent 
 speech. 
 
 4 Oi'. the 
 priucipal 
 part, 
 
 5 an adding. 
 " Gen. 39. r. 
 
 Judg. It.l6 
 21. 
 
 2Sam.l3.!l 
 12. 
 
 Eph. 5. 11. 
 
 book (cf. Ps. cxi. 10, "The fear of the Lord is the 
 beginning of wisdom"). Solomon begins his lessons 
 on true wisdom by laying down the first principle 
 and basis of it, which is " the fear of the Lord." 
 This means reverent trust, love, and obedience 
 towards Him. Such reverent fear presupposes 
 the knowledge of how infinite in power, majesty, 
 and goodness God is. He who thus fears God 
 will fear to sin, lest he should displease God (cf. 
 Job xxviii. 28, which was before Solomon's eye in 
 this verse), (but) fools despise wisdom and in- 
 struction. "Fools" are those who "know not 
 God," and who are "wise to do evil, but to do 
 good have no knowledge " (Jer. iv. 22). The siim 
 and subject of the first nine chapters is primarily 
 the fear of the Lord the true knoivledge ; and sec- 
 ondarily, wisdom and instruction— i. e., disciplining 
 the life in consonance with the fear of the Lord, 
 from which these two spring. 
 
 8. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, 
 and forsake not the law of thy mother. Even 
 bad parents generally instruct their sons to do 
 right. But good parents, including under the 
 term pious preceptors, are chiefly meant (1 Sam. 
 x. 12). After the First Table of the Lav/, which 
 teaches "the fear of the Lord," Solomon subjoins 
 obedience to parents' counsels, the precept which 
 stands foremost in the Second Table. Piety to 
 one's parents comes next after piety towards God. 
 The best way of instruction for any one is that he 
 should receive the instruction of his parents from 
 childhood. The parents should pray, as did Ma- 
 noah, "How shall we order the child, and how- 
 shall we do unto him?" (Judg. xiii. 12.) It is right 
 that children should hear their jjarents' counsel, 
 as well because of the parents' love, as also from 
 a regard to the parents' greater knowledge by 
 reason of years. But " children are to obey their 
 parents" only " in the Lord"—?', e., only in so far 
 as the word of the earthly father does not run 
 counter to that of our heavenly Father. The 
 "mother" especially has a powerful influence in 
 moulding the character of the child in tender 
 years, whether for good or for evil. Hence the 
 mother's names are given in the Old Testament 
 histories of the kings: cf. (Lois and Eunice) 2 
 Tim. i. 5 ; iii. 14, 15 : (Lemuel's mother) ch. xxxi. 1. 
 9. For they (shall be) an ornament of grace unto 
 thy head, and chains about thy neck- "an orna- 
 ment" {livyath) -lit., an addition, an ornamental 
 accession. As the young are attracted by orna- 
 ments on the head and neck, the badges of distinc- 
 tion, so he tells them. This heavenly instruction 
 will grace both your head and your whole outward 
 bearing (cf. ch. iii. 22; Isa. Ixi. 10). As the crown 
 on the head, and the chains on the neck, are ever 
 liresent, and cannot easily be forgotten (cf. Jer. ii. 
 32), so the young are urged ever to be mindful of, 
 and glory in, this godly wisdom, which is their 
 brightest ornament. 
 
 10. My son, if sinners entice thee, consent 
 
of the contempt of scorners. 
 
 11 If they say, Come with us, — let us lay wait for blood, 
 Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause : 
 
 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave ; 
 And whole, * as those that go down into the pit : 
 
 13 We shall find all precious substance, 
 We shall fill our houses with spoil : 
 
 14 Cast in thy lot among us; — let us all have one purse: 
 
 15 My son, -^walk not thou in the way with them; 
 Refrain thy foot from their path : 
 
 16 For ^ their feet run to evil, — and make haste to shed blood: 
 
 17 (Surely in vain the net is spread ^in the sight of any bird:) 
 
 1 8 And they lay wait for their own blood ; ^ 
 They lurk privily for their oivn lives. 
 
 19 So ^'are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; 
 Which taketh away the life of the owners thereof. 
 
 20 ''Wisdom crieth without; — she uttereth her voice in the streets: 
 
 21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse. 
 In the openings of the gates : 
 
 thou not. So Joseph (Gen. xxxix. 7, &c; Ps. i. 1). 
 11. If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait 
 for blood— (v. 16 ; Jer. v. 26. ) let us lurk privily 
 for the innocent without cause— i. e., though we 
 have not been provoked or wronged, yet let us 
 assail and kill. Not that they would actually say 
 so, for this would rather be a dissuasive than an 
 inducement; but Solomon, by the Spirit, makes 
 them the mouthpiece of expressing their conduct 
 in its true light. He speaks the language which 
 their own conscience would use respecting their 
 conduct, if they would heed it. Maurer, after 
 Cornelius a Lapide, takes it, ' him that is in rain 
 innocent;^ i. e., that will not be saved by his piety 
 and innocence from our attack. The sense of the 
 same Hebrew, and the ironical contrast in v. 17 
 [33nj, favour this. See note there. 12. Let us 
 swallow them up alive as the grave ; and whole, 
 as those that go down into the pit— so as to 
 leave no clew to our being discovered, and no trace 
 to turn suspicion iipon us. They unwittingly use 
 language awfully significant of their own retribu- 
 tive doom, like that of Korah and his company 
 (Num. xvi. 30; Ps. Iv. 15). "Swallow" expresses 
 their insatiable greediness, like that of the grave 
 (ch. XXX. 15, 16). 13. We shall find all precious 
 substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil. 
 Not only shall we find large spoil, but we shall 
 get it in full possession, so as to till our houses 
 with it. 14. Cast in thy lot among us ; let us 
 all have one purse. You shall have your share 
 in the equal division of the booty by lot. We all 
 shall have one common purse and portion. The 
 Hebrews had an alliterating proverb, BeJcis, Behos, 
 Bekalias — i. e., in one^s purse, in one's cujys, in one's 
 awjer the man's true character betrays itself. 
 15. My son, walk not thou in the way with 
 them; refrain thy foot from their path. "Pe- 
 frain thy foot" expresses the natural propensity 
 of the old man, even in the godly, to that which is 
 evil (Ps. cxix. 101). Alike in private and in public 
 avoid having any community with their bad jjrin- 
 ciples and practices (Ps. i. 1; ch. xxii. 25; Isa, 
 viii. 11). 16. For their feet run to evil, and 
 make haste to shed blood. Isa. lix. 7 is drawn 
 from this. Cf. v. 18 for their retribution in kind. 
 17. (Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight 
 of any bird)— Hebrew, ' any master of a wing,' (cf. 
 marg.) In vain those sinners lay snares for as 
 many godly men as they can ; not one of these is 
 taken: but the sinners themselves are caught iu 
 414 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 d Jer. 6. 26. 
 
 • Ps. 28. 1. 
 
 / ch. 4. 14. 
 
 " Isa. 59. 7. 
 
 s in the 
 eyes of 
 every- 
 thing that 
 hath a 
 wing. 
 
 'i 2 Ki. 5. 20- 
 27. 
 
 Acta 8. 19. 
 lTim.6. 10. 
 2 Pet. 2. 3. 
 7 Wisdoms, 
 that is, 
 excellent 
 wisdom. 
 John 7. 37. 
 1 Cor. 1. 24. 
 Col. 2. 2, 3. 
 
 their own snare (cf. v. 11 with v. 18). The "in 
 vain " of Solomon here answers, in caustic irony, 
 to the 'in vain' (the English version, "without 
 cause"), V. 11, of the sinners' plotting. They say, 
 the godly are 'innocent in vain,^ but it is them- 
 selves who 'spread their net in vain.^ 18. And 
 they lay wait for their (own) blood ; they lurk 
 privily for their (own) lives. Whilst they fancy 
 that they are, with the certainty of success, ' lay- 
 ing wait for the blood ' of " the innocent " (v. 11), 
 it proves really to be their own blood that they, 
 with all their lying in wait, cause to be shed (Ps. 
 vii. 15, 16). Cf. the same retribution, "blood" 
 for "blood," Rev. xvi. 6. 19. So (are) the ways 
 of every one that is greedy of gain— ^i^., 'of 
 every one greedy of greed ;' of every one snatch- 
 ing at rapine. On " so are the ways" — i. e., such 
 is the portion at last— cf. Job viii. 13. 
 
 20. Wisdom crieth without— lit., wisdoms; i.e., 
 consummate wisdom. Maurer makes the Hebrew 
 not plural, but a form in the singular, as the Eng- 
 lish version. The plural form for a singular is a 
 similar usage to that whereby God is called " the 
 praises of Israel" — i.e., Israel's perfect object of 
 praise; and Ecclesiastes has " vanities " for utter 
 vanity. Wisdom is again personified and intro- 
 duced as appealing to all (ch. viii. 1, &c.): wisdom 
 is what Christ is made unto us by God (1 Cor. i. 
 30); "In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom" 
 (Col. ii. 3). What was in the views of godly 
 men, in Solomon's days, an abstraction, became 
 concrete when Christ was manifested on earth. 
 Still, "the wisdom of God" (Luke xi. 49), as "the 
 Word," dwelt with God from eternity (Johni. 1-3), 
 and Solomon, by the Spirit, sets this forth (ch. viii. 
 22-31). The manifold character of this Divine 
 wisdom (Isa. xi. 2, 3), and the multiplicity of the 
 messengers of this wisdom of God iu all ages of 
 the Church, accord with the plural form. After 
 laying the foundation in "the fear of the Lord" 
 (y. 7), and then showing who are to be hearkened 
 to, viz.,. godly parents [vv. 8, 9), then who are to 
 be shunned {vr. 10-19), Solomon now proceeds to 
 give the universal invitation of wisdom personi- 
 fied. The warning against ungodly associates 
 fitly precedes wisdom's invitation to piety (Ps. 
 xxxiv. 15; xxxvii. 27); just as Abraham was 
 called out of the idolatrous associations of Uz of 
 the Chaldees before he was taken into full cove- 
 nant and communion with God, ((^eu. xii.) 21. 
 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in 
 
Wisdom threateneth 
 
 PROVERBS 1. 
 
 her scorners. 
 
 In the city she uttereth her words, saying, 
 
 22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity ? 
 
 And the scorners delight in their scorning, — and fools hate knowledge ? 
 
 23 Turn you at my reproof: — behold, will pour out my Spirit unto you, 
 I will make known my words unto you. 
 
 24 Because have called, — and ye refused; 
 
 I have stretched out my hand, — and no man regarded: 
 
 25 But ye ^'have set at nought all my counsel, 
 And would none of my reproof : 
 
 26 I also will laugh at your calamity ; — I will mock when your fear cometh ; 
 
 27 When your fear cometh as desolation. 
 
 And your destruction cometh as a whirlwind ; 
 When distress and anguish cometh upon you. 
 
 28 Then ^shall they call upon me, — but I will not answer; 
 They shall seek me early,— but they shall not find me ; 
 
 29 For that they ™ hated knowledge. 
 
 And did not choose the fear of the Lord : 
 
 B. C. ICOO. 
 
 < Joel. 2. 23, 
 
 John 7. sr. 
 3 Isa. 66. 4. 
 
 Jer. 7. 13. 
 
 Zech. 7. lU 
 
 Luke 7. 30. 
 i Job 27. 9. 
 
 Isa. 1. 15. 
 
 Jer. 14. 12, 
 
 Eze. 8. 18. 
 
 Mic. 3. 4. 
 
 Zech. 7. 13. 
 
 Jas. 4. 3. 
 
 Job 21. 14. 
 15. 
 
 Ps. 50. 16. 
 17. 
 
 Isa. 27. u. 
 John 3. 20. 
 Acts 7. 51- 
 54. 
 
 the openings Of the gates— "the chief place of 
 concourse;" lit., "ia the head of the noisy places,' 
 'the tumultuoTis places' (Isa. li. 20). "In the 
 openings of the gates," where the people flocked 
 together for judicial proceedings, in the city — 
 though the gates be not 'open.' How unwearied 
 is wisdom in her solicitude for our salvation, cry- 
 ing aloud everywhere ! 22, How long, ye simple 
 ones, will ye love simplicity? Wisdom wislies, 
 by a startling address, to arouse the sinfully 
 simple ones out of their sleep of w-orldliness 
 and apathy as to serious things. The physi- 
 cian must use strong stimulants to make the 
 patient realize the greatness of his danger. How 
 long is it until you cease to play the part of 
 simpletons? You have been surely long enough 
 slumbering; it is now high time to awake 
 (Rom. xiii. 11 ; Eph. v. 14). and the scorners 
 delight in their scorning. The "scorners," who 
 turn serious admonitions into contemptuous jest- 
 ing, is a farther and more irreclaimable stage of 
 impiety than that of "the simple ones." They 
 form the third stage in the climax in Ps. i. 1 ; cf. 
 ch. xxix. 8 ; Isa. xxviii. 14, 15. There is a change 
 from the second to the third persons, from directly 
 addressinrj to speaking of them, whereby Wisdom 
 puts them to a greater distance from her, counting 
 them unworthy of direct address, and fools hate 
 knowledge? "Fools" [n^^p?]— lit., those crooked 
 and depraved, those of moral ohliquity, who are 
 incorrigible, and therefore not to be answered by 
 the wise (Prov. xvii. 10; xxvi. 4)— a distinct He- 
 brew word from that in v. 7 L^'^':.*:^!, which means 
 fools in general. 23, Turn you at my reproof- 
 to the God from whom ye have turned away, 
 behold, I will pour out [like a gushing, bubbling 
 stream, abundant, continuous, and clear {abhVah)] 
 my Spirit unto you— I will turn the floods of the 
 Spirit towards you, giving you the power, if ye 
 will avail yourselves of it, to be converted, and 
 leaving you without excuse if ye will not. Here 
 the Gospel outpouring of the Spirit is alluded to 
 (John vii. 38, Hi); iv. 14; Zech. xii. 10; Isa. xliv. 3). 
 However, as the parallel "my words" implies, it 
 13 the Spirit-inspired raessage and offer of <jrace 
 abundant that is meant, rather than the inward 
 working of the Spirit on the hearer's heart. I 
 Will make known my words unto you— "I will 
 make known" by "my Spirit" iny "words" of 
 Divine "wisdom and knowledge" (1 Cor. xii. 8; 
 Matt. xi. 27). 
 
 415 
 
 24. Because I have called, and ye refused; I 
 have stretched out my hand, and no man re- 
 garded. After God has called to grace in vain, He 
 now denounces wrath (Isa. Ixv. 12; Ixvi. 4). God 
 calls externally by His ministers, by His written 
 Word, and by His judgments, and inwardly by 
 His awakening appeals, and by the stings of con- 
 science. Cf. Luke xiii. 8, 9, the barren fig-tree ; 
 showing how God spares no means, gentle or 
 severe, of moving sinners to repentance : and it is 
 only when all have proved unavailing, through the 
 sinner's own perversity, that He at last ' cuts him 
 down.' Stretching out the hands is the gesture of 
 entreaty (Isa. Ixv. 2; Rom. x. 21). 25. But ye have 
 set at nought all my counsel, and would none of 
 my reproof. So "the Pharisees and lawyers re- 
 jected the comiscl of God against themselves" 
 (Luke vii. 30). Whether I gave counsel as to 
 doing good, or reproof as to shunning evil (ch. iv. 
 15), ye rejected my appeals (';. 25 ; ch. xv. 32), 
 
 26. I also will laugh at your calamity. Retribu- 
 tion in kind (Ps. ii. 4). God will at last laugh in 
 derision at those who now laugh to scorn His lov- 
 ing appeals. Cf. the rejoicing of the saints over 
 Babylon when she falls (Rev. xviii. 20). I will 
 mock when your fear cometh— even as ye ' de- 
 lighted in scorning' (r. 22; Deut. xxxii. 20-25). 
 
 27. When your fear cometh as desolation. Both 
 the feeling of fear, and good cause for fear (ch. x. 
 24). 28. Then shall they call upon me, but I will 
 not answer— (Job xxvii. 9.) God saith, it is true, 
 " Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord 
 shall be delivered" (Joel ii. 32). But here the call 
 of the wicked is rejected, because the day of grace 
 meant by Joel shall have been past. Their cry is 
 for deliverance from pain, not from sin (Jer. xi. 11 ; 
 Ezek. viii. 18 ; Mic. iii. 4 ; Zech. vii. 13, " As he 
 cried, and they would not hear ; so they cried, and 
 I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts ;" John 
 vii. 34). they shall seek me early— i e., diligently 
 and unceasingly, beginning from day-break. 29. 
 For that they hated knowledge, and did not 
 choose the fear of the Lord. Those who do not 
 choose the fear of the Lord are condemned no less 
 than those who hate it. Not to choose is virtually 
 to dislike, and ends in positive hatred (Matt. xii. 
 30). Men are free in choosing destruction, so that 
 the blame rests wholly on themselves (Acts xiii. 
 40, " Ye judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting 
 life"). It is the Spirit who moves any to "choose 
 the good part" (Luke x. 42). Many, when "the 
 fear of the Lord " is set before them, apply the 
 
The excellency and 
 
 PROVEUBS 11. 
 
 benefits of wisdom. 
 
 30 They would none of my counsel; — they despised all my rejjroof : 
 SI Therefore "shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, 
 
 And be filled with their own devices. 
 32 For the ^turning away of the simple shall slay them, 
 
 And the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 
 S3 But ^ whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, 
 
 And shall be quiet from fear of evil. 
 2 MY son, if thou wilt receive my words. 
 
 And hide my commandments with thee ; , 
 
 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom. 
 And apply thine heart to understanding; 
 
 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge. 
 
 And ^liftest up thy voice for understanding; 
 
 4 If "thou seekest her as silver, — and searchest for her as for hid treasures ; 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 " Isa. 3. 11. 
 8 Or, ease of 
 the simple. 
 " Ps. 25. 12, 
 13. 
 
 Isa. 45?. IS. 
 Matt. ir. 5. 
 John 10. 27- 
 29. 
 
 1 Pet. 1. 5. 
 
 CHAP. ?. 
 1 givest thy 
 
 voice. 
 * Ps. 19. 10. 
 
 ch. 3. 14, 15. 
 
 Malt. 13.44. 
 
 jireaclier's warning to otliers, not to themselves. 
 30. They would none Of my counsel ; they despised 
 all my reproof— (v. 25.) "Despised," rejected 
 with revilin:/ and cursmn. 31. Therefore shall they 
 eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled 
 with their own devices. Cf. Deut. xxxii. 32, 
 " Their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields 
 of Gomorrah : their grapes are grapes of gall, their 
 clusters are bitter." The sinner's sin is its own 
 punishment. Cf. Tsa. iii. 9-11, "Woe unto their 
 jsoul, for they have rewarded evil unto themselves 
 
 . . the righteous . . . shall eat the fruit of their 
 doings," &c. (Jer. vi. 19; Mic. vii. 13). Hell is not 
 an arbitrary punishment, like human penalties, 
 which have no necessary connection with the 
 crimes, but a natural development of sin by a law 
 of necessary consequence, as the fruit of a tree is 
 the natural development of the seed and the bud 
 (cf. also Isa. lix. 4; Gal vi. 8). On "filled with 
 their own devices" — i.e., filled even to loathing, 
 which is the final result of the pleasures of sin— cf. 
 Ps. Ixxviii. 29, " They did eat, and were well filled ; 
 for He gave them their own desire ; . . . but while 
 their meat M'as yet in their mouths, the wrath of 
 God came upon them." Men's own desires ful- 
 filled are made their sorest plague (Ps. cvi. 15). 
 32. For the turning away of the simple shall 
 slay them. The turning away from the monitions 
 of Wisdom (" Turn ye," v. 23) on the part of the 
 simple. Prosperity in the parallel clause corre- 
 sponds to "turning away" (from Divine wisdom), 
 as cause answers to effect. Cf. Zech. vii. 11, 
 "They refused to hearken, and pulled away the 
 shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should 
 not hear;" Num. xiv. 43, "Ye are turned away 
 from the Lord. " and the prosperity of fools shall 
 destroy them— (Ps. cvi. 15.) When Jeshuruu 
 waxed fat, he kicked (Deut. xxxii. 15). Thus the 
 objection is met that sinners often outwardly pros- 
 per now. Yes, replies Wisdom ; but that pros- 
 perity proves their very curse, and accelerates the 
 judgments of God. It is harder to bear prosperity 
 than adversity, for we endure the latter, but are 
 ai)t to be corrupted and blinded to our ruin by the 
 former. It is they who are "settled on their lees, 
 that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, 
 neither will he do evil" (Zeph. i. 12). 33. But 
 whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, 
 and shall be quiet from fear of evil— temporarily, 
 mentally, sidritnally, and eternally (Isa. xxvi. 3; 
 xxxiii. 15, 16 ; Jer. xxiii. 6 ; Deut. xxxiii. 12, 28). 
 
 CHAP. II. 1-22.— There are two leading pro- 
 positions—I. vv. 1-9, with three antecedent condi- 
 tions and two consequents: v. 1, "If; v. 3, "If ;" 
 V. 4, "If;" and V. 5, "Then;" v. 9, "Then." IL 
 vv. 10-22 with one antecedent and one consequent : 
 V. 10, "When;" v. 11 (then as the consequeuce), 
 416 
 
 " Discretion shall preserve thee," &c. ; with a three- 
 fold subordinate and dependent effect, " To deliver 
 thee," V. 12; "To deliver thee," v. 16; "That thou 
 may est walk in the way of good men," v. 20. 
 Wisdom invites the youth as a son to Jade in his 
 heart her commandments, the result of which will he, 
 he will understand the fear and the knowledge of the 
 Lord, and righteousness and every good path {vv. 
 1-9). She invites him to admit wisdom into his 
 heart, for when it is pleasant unto the soul, discre- 
 tion shall preserve him so as to deliver him from the 
 way of the evil man, and from th e strange vjoman, 
 whose paths lead unto the dead, and so as to make 
 him walk in the way of good men, who alone shall he 
 saved when the wicked shall he cut off {vv. 10-22). 
 
 1. My son, if thou wilt receive my words— as lie 
 that received the seed of the Word into the good 
 ground, hearing and understanding it, and bear- 
 ing fruit (Matt. xiii. 23). and hide my command- 
 ments with thee — treasure them up in thy heart, 
 as when the man found the treasure in the field he 
 hid it safely (Matt. xiii. 44) ; and as Mary "kept 
 all these things, and x>ondered them in her heart " 
 (Luke ii. 19, 61). The safeguard against sin (Ps. 
 cxix. 11). 2. So that thou incline thine ear unto 
 wisdom, (and) apply thine heart to understandiufr. 
 The ear is the avenue to the heart, unless men 
 stop the avenue, as the Jews did (Zech. vii. 11; 
 Acts vii. 57). "The hearing ear" is God's gift 
 (ch. XX. 12). Our part is to stir up the gift of 
 God by an active practical habit of attention. 
 The emperor Constantine stood hours to hear the 
 Word; and when asked to sit, replied, that 'he 
 thought it wicked to give negligent ears when the 
 truth handled was spoken of God,' {Eusehius, ' De 
 Vita Constant.,' L. iv.) 3. Yea, if thou criest after 
 knowledge, (and) liftest up thy voice for under- 
 standing. The summit of the ascending climax. 
 Solomon had said that the words of Wisdom are 
 to be received with the ear and with the heart, and 
 this with attentive and diligent application ; he 
 now stirs up the hearer to crown all by crying in 
 prayer for spiritual understanding, lifting up the 
 voice fervently. 4. If thou seekest her as silver, 
 and sea.rchest for her as (for) hid treasures— not 
 content with merely one look, or an ordinary search- 
 ing, but again and again seeking by every means. 
 Treasures anciently, when there were no banks, 
 were often hidden in the earth. True knowledge 
 lies deep as in a mine; and they alone will get the 
 precious ore who dig down into it, not grudging 
 time, delays, pains, expense. The same ima,ge 
 occurs John v. 39, " Search [kpewdTe] the Scrip- 
 tures." Not merely scrape the surface, and get 
 a few su])erficial scraps of knowledge, but dig deep, 
 and far, and wide. The " treasures " are ' hidden ' 
 by God, not in order to keep them back from us, 
 
The excellency and 
 
 PROVERBS JL 
 
 benejits of wisdom. 
 
 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, 
 
 And find the knowledge of God. 
 G For ^the Lord giveth wisdom : 
 
 Out of his mouth cometk knowledge and understanding. 
 
 7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous : 
 '^He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. 
 
 8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, 
 And preserveth the way of his saints. 
 
 9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, 
 And equity; yea, every good path. 
 
 10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, 
 And knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul ; 
 
 11 Discretion shall preserve thee, — ^understanding shall keep thee: 
 
 1 2 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, 
 From the man that speaketli fro ward things ; 
 
 13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, — to walk -^in the ways of darkness: 
 
 14 Who rejoice to do evil, — and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 6 1 Ki. 3. 9, 
 12. 
 
 1 Ki. 4. 2X 
 
 Dan. I. 17. 
 
 Dan. 2. 23. 
 
 Luke 21.1% 
 
 John 6. 45. 
 
 Jas. 1. 5. 
 ' Fs. 84. 11. 
 
 ch. £0. 5. 
 d I Sam. 2. 9. 
 
 Ps. 37. 23, 
 2t, 28. 31. 
 
 Jer. 32. 40, 
 
 41. 
 
 1 Pet. 1. 5. 
 « ch. 6. 22. 
 
 Eccl. 10. 10. 
 f John 3. 1 ). 
 
 Eph. 4. 18. 
 
 luc to stimulate our faith and patient persever- 
 ance in searching for them. The merchant was 
 " seeking goodly pearls " when he " found one 
 pearl of great price." And the man who (by God's 
 special grace), though not seeking, yet found the 
 "treasure hid in a held," when he had found it, 
 spared no cost or pains to make it his (Matt. xiii. 
 44, 45). It is Heavenly Wisdom that first "seeks 
 diligently till she finds" the sinner (Luke xv. 8), 
 before that he seeks her. 5. Then shalt thoii 
 understand the fear of the Lord, and find the 
 knowledge of God. "Then," the consequent of 
 the " if," v. l; "if,"r. 3 ; "if," v. 4. The fear (rev- 
 eient senuce) of the Lord is inseparable from 
 the true knowledge of the Lord. 6. For the Lord 
 giveth wisdom : out of his mouth (cometh) know- 
 ledge and understanding. Solomon knew this by 
 experience (1 Ki, iii. 9, 12; of. Jas. i. 5). The 
 " for" gives the reason why he who is anxious to 
 have wisdom should learn to know and worship 
 God. "The fear of the Lord" and "the know- 
 ledge of God is to be your final end." " For the 
 Lord giveth wisdom." Do not /ear lest you should 
 be disappointed if you search for heavenly "know- 
 ledge " with prayer [vv. 3, 4) ; for " the Lord giveth 
 wisdom " to them that ask (Matt. vii. 11). Do not, 
 on the other hand, be sdf- confident, as if you could 
 get it by your own efforts ; for it is the Lord who 
 gives it, as its Author, even as the Lord is the 
 object to whom all true wisdom tends, and in whom 
 it finds its centre (for " the fear of the Lord, v. 5, 
 is the beginning of knowledge," ch. i. 7). 7. He 
 layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous. " He 
 layeth up " as a " hid treasure," in order to call 
 forth sedulous ''searching" on our part {v. 4). 
 "Sound wisdom" [n;B>in]— lit., essence, real being; 
 hence essential, substantial— \. e. , real solid wisdom, 
 as contrasted with the vanities of worldly science, 
 gain, and pleasure, which are not substantial, 
 and have no stability, solidity, or permanence (cf. 
 cb. viii. 14). " The righteous "—Hebrew [onB^:], the 
 upright. It is not for all, but only for those who 
 lodh sincerity and upinghlness seek Him, that He 
 lays up sound and solid wisdom." (he is) a buck- 
 ler to them that walk uprightly— Hebrew [dd], 
 perfectly— i. e., with integrity (Ps. xv. 2 ; Ixxxiv. 11 ; 
 Isa. xxxiii. 15, 16). 8. He keepeth the paths of 
 Judgment— Hebrew, ' so as that ["?] He may keep 
 the paths of judgment' — i.e., that He may cause 
 the upright to keep the paths of judgment,— that 
 they may have a right judj^ment in all things. 
 This is the end for which He is a " buckler " to 
 voL..;iir. 417 
 
 them [y. 7). and preserveth the way of his saints. 
 
 This is the secret of their 'walking uprightly' 
 [v. 7), which they could not do of themselves. 
 "Saints" — Hebrew, chasidalv ; lit., the merciful 
 (those who have obtained mercy, and so are merci- 
 ful), the pious, the godly (Ps. xci. 11 ; xxxvii. 23, 21; 
 1 Sam. ii. 9, " He will keep the feet of his saints"). 
 9. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and 
 judgment, and equity; (yea), every good path— if 
 thou shalt duly seek wisdom. This is a second 
 consequent besides v. 5 to the antecedent "ifs," 
 vi\ 1, 3, 4. On these words see ch. i. 3. That only 
 is "sound wisdom" {v. 7) which leads us into 
 " every good path." 
 
 10-11. When wisdom entereth into thine heart, 
 and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; dis- 
 cretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall 
 keep thee. Verse 10 is the antecedent ; v. 11 the 
 consequent. The kind of " wisdom" to be sought 
 for diligently, as being the only effectual wisdom, is 
 not that which gains merely a momentary entrance, 
 but that which "enters" deeply "into the heart" 
 (Ps. cxix. 130), so as to become "pleasant to the 
 soul." When it is such, it not merely gives "every 
 good " {v. 9), but it " preserves " and " keeps" from 
 all evil (Ps. cxix. 11, 104). It is he who ^delights 
 in the law of the Lord ' that is kept safe from 
 ' walking in the counsel of the ungodly' (Ps. i. 1, 
 2). " Preserve thee" — lit., ^keep guard over thee.' 
 The Lord "keeps" His people "as the apple of 
 his eye " (Deut. xxxii. 10 ; Isa. xxvii. 3). 12. To 
 deliver thee from the way of the evil (man), 
 from the man that speaketh froward things 
 — things contrary to what is right. (Cf. with 
 instance of their froward speeches, ch. i. 11-14.) 
 13. Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk 
 in the ways of darkness Their love of darkness 
 rather than light is the reason wliy they " leave 
 the paths of uprightness," which are paths of light 
 (John iii. 19, 20 ; Job xxiv. 15 ; Isa. xxix. 15 ; Rom. 
 xiii. 12; Eph. v. 11). The destination to which 
 the ways of darkness tend is the "outer darkness ; 
 where there shall be weeping and gnashing of 
 teeth " (Matt. viii. 12). 14. Who rejoice to do evil, 
 (and) delight in the frowardness of the wicked— 
 (ch. X. 23 ; Isa. iii. 9; Jer. xi. 15, end.) Thus Ahab 
 "'sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of 
 the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up" (1 Ki. 
 xxi. 25). It is a just judgment of God to give iip 
 to their own delusion them "that have pleasure in 
 unrighteousness " (2 Thess. ii. 12). " Delight," ex- 
 ult, leap with joy at hearing of the frowardness of 
 other wicked men. So Rom. i. 32. But the, eud 
 2 k 
 
Wisdom promiseth 
 
 PROVERBS 11. 
 
 direction in good ways. 
 
 15 Whose ways are crooked, — and they froward in their paths: 
 
 16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, 
 
 Even from the stranger wJiich flattereth with her words; 
 
 17 Which ^forsaketh the guide of her youth. 
 And forgetteth the '^covenant of her God. 
 
 18 For her house inclineth unto death,— and her paths unto the dead. 
 
 19 None Hhat go unto her return again, 
 Neither take they hold of the paths of life. 
 
 20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men. 
 And keep the paths of the righteous. 
 
 21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, 
 And the perfect shall remain in it. 
 
 22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, 
 And the transgressors shall be ^rooted out of it. 
 
 B. C. lOCO. 
 
 0 ch. 6. 18. 
 Jer. 3. 4. 
 Mai. 2. 14. 
 Gen. 2. 2t. 
 Eze. 16. 8. 
 Eze. 59.60. 
 Mai. 2. 14. 
 
 1 Ps. 81. 12 
 Eccl. 7. 23. 
 Jer. 13. 23. 
 Hos. 4. 14. 
 Matt. 19.24. 
 Heb. 13. 4, 
 
 1 ch. 13. 20. 
 Heb. 6. 12. 
 
 2 Or, plucked 
 up. 
 
 is death. Their leap for joy, says Cornelius a La- 
 pide, is like that of those bitten with the tarantula 
 in Appulia, who leap, and leaping die. (Contrast Ps. 
 xl. 8, " I delight to do thy will, O my God.") The 
 godly grieve bitterly, like Peter, when they are 
 overtaken in a fault. 15. Whose w,?iys are crooked, 
 and (they) frcward in their paths.* Rather, as the 
 noun is feminine and the adjective masculine, 
 'Who are crooked in their ways.' Though once 
 tliey were in "the paths of uprightness" {v. 13), 
 they go aside into their " crooked " and " perverse " 
 ways (Ps. cxxv. 5). They are now frowardnesses 
 (i. e. , nothing hut froioardness, as Bayne explains 
 the Hebrew), so that none can walk with them, 
 and yet walk aright. 16. To deliver thee from the 
 strange woman, even from the stranger which 
 flattereth with her words— (like v. 12, which , has 
 the same formula.) " To deliver thee this verse 
 depends on v. 11, "Discretion . . . understand- 
 ing shall keep thee," so as " to deliver thee from 
 the strange woman." Twice Solomon uses a simi- 
 lar expression, "the strange woman, (even) the 
 stranger," to impress more forcibly on the young man 
 the fact that her person belonfjs to another, and so to 
 deter him from connection with her (cf. v. 17 ; ch. 
 V. 20). The literal and the spiritual adulteress and 
 temptress are both meant. The spiritual gives to 
 the world her person and her heart, which belong 
 by right to God. In this sense the foreign women 
 who subsequently drew aside Solomon himself, 
 were "strange women," not so much in respect to 
 their local distance from Israel, as in respect to 
 their being utterly alien to the loorship of God. 
 Lust and idolatry were the spiritual adultery into 
 which they entrapped the once wise king. How 
 striking that he should utter beforehand a warning 
 which he afterwards himself disregarded! (Neh. 
 xiii. 26, " Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by 
 these things? yet among many nations was there 
 no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and 
 God made him king over all Israel : nevertheless 
 even him did outlandish iwme?i cause to sin ;" 1 Ki. 
 xi. 1-4.) 17. Which forsaketh the guide of her 
 youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God— 
 (Mai. ii. .14, 15.) "The guide of her youth " is the 
 husband, first in the literal sense, then God in the 
 spiritual sense (Isa. liv. 5, 6; Jer. iii. 4, "My 
 father, thou art the guide of my youth 14, " I am 
 married unto you." Cf. in the literal sense Joel i. 
 8, "the husband of her youth"). The love of 
 youth— i. e., the first love— is especially intense (Jer. 
 ii. 2, "Thus saith the Lord, I remember thee, the 
 kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals " 
 -i e., the kindness and love which I showed to 
 thee then). This aggravates her guilt that, after 
 such fervent love experienced from her youth, she 
 yet has fors^keu her husband, and guide, and lord. 
 
 What faithfulness to him can the youth look for 
 on the part of the female tempter who has been 
 unfaithful to her natural friend and true lover? 
 " The covenant of her God" is the marriage cove- 
 nant primarily ; then, in the spiritual sense, the 
 covenant of the Law to the Jew (cf. 2 Chr. xv. 12 ; 
 Jer. xxxiv. 15), and the Gospel to Christians. Un- 
 faithfulness and apostasy are spiritual adultery. 
 18. For her house inclineth unto death, and her 
 paths unto the dead— (ch. vii. 27.) The "for" 
 expresses the greatness of the "deliverance" {v. 
 16), as indicated by the greatness of the danger. 
 It is not without good reason that I warn thee to 
 seek wisdom, " to deliver thee from the strange 
 woman," "/or her house inclineth unto death." 
 The Hebrew for house is masculine, and "in- 
 clineth " is feminine ; therefore the translation is, 
 lit., ''She (that is, her house) inclineth unto death.' 
 "The dead" — Hebrew, jRephaim, the dead: the 
 manes elsewhere, or ghosts and giants. On the 
 connection of these ideas, see Remarks, Job xxvi. 
 5. " Her Aowse," with its ' tapestry- covered bed' 
 (ch. vii. 16, 17, 18), seemed to promise nothing but 
 joy, love, and pleasure. But the house proves to 
 be a passage inclining downwards to death and 
 hell. 19. None that go unto her return again, 
 neither take they hold of the paths of life. Never 
 do they, save in the case of exceptional miracles 
 by omnipotent grace. Chrysostom saith * It is as 
 hard to restore a lustful person to chastity as it is 
 to restore a dead person to life.' (Hos. iv. 11, 
 "Whoredom, &a, take away the heart "— i. e., the 
 understanding.) 20. That thou mayest walk in 
 the way of good men, and keep the paths of the 
 righteous. This verse depends on v. 11, "Dis- 
 cretion . . . shall keep thee . . . that thou mayest 
 walk," &c. As "discretion and understanding" 
 " deliver from the way of the evil man " [v. 12), and 
 also " from the strauge woman" (''. 16), so they 
 preserve thee in thy duty, " that thou mayest walk 
 in the way of good men." As v. 12, &c., and 
 V. 16, &c., express the negative good of " dis- 
 cretion," so this 20th verse the positive good. 21. 
 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the 
 perfect shall remain in it— in contrast to the 
 faithless, who go "unto the dead" (vv. 18, 19). 
 The temporal rewards of piety in the Old Testa- 
 ment dispensation sliadow forth both the millen- 
 nial rewards of it here on earth in the coming age, 
 and also the eternal rewards in the final state (Ps. 
 XXV. 1.3 ; xxxvii. 9, 11). 22. But the wicked shall be 
 cut Qf£ from the earth, and the transgressors shall 
 be rooted out of it. Metaphor from trees. They 
 shall not only be cut off by the axe, but plucked 
 up by the roots (Matt. xv. 13, " Every plant which 
 my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be 
 rooted up "). 
 
An exJiortation 
 
 PROVERBS III. 
 
 to obedience. 
 
 3 MY son, forget not my law ; 
 
 "But let thine heart keep my commandments: 
 
 2 For length of days, and ^long life, — and peace, shall they add to thee. 
 
 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee : 
 
 Bind *them about thy neck; — write them upon the table of thine heart : 
 
 4 So *^shalt thou find favour and -good understanding 
 In the sight of God and man. 
 
 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart ; 
 And ^lean not unto thine own understanding. 
 
 6 In-^all thy ways acknowledge him, — and he shall ^direct thy paths. 
 
 CHAP. III. 1-35. — The youth is admonished to 
 keep God's law, which brings to the obedient long 
 life and peace; not to forsake mercy and truth, 
 which give favour in the sight of God and man. 
 Trust in the Lord, and not in self, so shall He direct 
 thee. Fea.r the Lord, and it shall be health to thee. 
 Honour Him with thy substance, so shall thy stores 
 be full [vv. 1-10). Bear chastisement from the Lard 
 patiently, and take it as a proof of His love {vv. 
 1-12). General felicitation of the man who findeth 
 wisdom: its preciousness, permanence, pleasantness; 
 its agency in the creation of all things by the Lord 
 {m. 11-20). Eesnmption of the opeuing admoni- 
 tion : Keep sound wisdom as life to the soul, grace 
 to the neck, safety to the feet in walking, the giver of 
 sleep uninterrtipted ly fears, since the Lord shall be 
 thy confidence. Instances of wisdom: Withhold 
 not good from the needy; strive not; envy not: for 
 the Lord curses the wicked, and blesses the just, 
 gives glory to the lowly v:ise, and shameful scorn as 
 the only promotion that awaits scornful fools (vv. 
 21-35). The address "my son" marks the divi- 
 sions [vv.'l, 10, 21). 
 
 1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine 
 heart keep my commandments. Solomon's advice 
 to the young, as that of a father to his son (ch. i. 8). 
 Forgeifulness of God's law is the fault of the heart, 
 not merely of the head. When the heart keeps 
 God's precepts as a precious treasure, the memory 
 does not easily forget tliem. 2. For length of 
 days, and long life, and peace, shall they add 
 to thee— (Dent, viii. 1 ; xxx. 16, 20 ; Ps. xxxiv. 
 12-14; "Godliness hath promise of the life that 
 now is, and of that which is to come, " 1 Tim. iv. 
 8; Ps. cxxxiii. 3.) Quarrelling, luxury, pleasure 
 and gain-seeking, and unbelieving cares, take 
 away that sobriety and peace of spirit which pro- 
 mote longevity. With all men's pains to prolong 
 life, they generally neglect the Lord, the true 
 Giver and Preserver of it (Job x. 12). The He- 
 brew of "long life" is plural — lit., 'years of 
 lives:' hinting at the twofold life, that here and 
 that hereafter, which is at the Lord's disposal. 
 "Peace" is the fruit of "love" to God's law" 
 (Ps. cxix. 165). 3. Let not mercy and truth for- 
 sake thee: bind them about thy neck; write 
 them upon the table of thine heart — never go 
 or be anywhere witliout these graces accompanying 
 thee. "Mercy" towards men; "truth," i. e., sin- 
 cerity, towards God. These two comprehend all 
 the duties we owe towards God and man. " Bind 
 them about thy neck," not merely as an ornament 
 (ch. i. 9; V. 22), but as something always near and 
 to be kept in view, like a chain hanging from the 
 neck (chs. vi. 21 ; vii. 3 ; Exod. vi. 8 ; xiii. 9, 16 ; 
 Deut. xi. 18), to which allusion is made here (Song 
 i 10; iv. 9; Ezek. xvi. 11, " Write them upon the 
 table of thine heart ;" cf. Jer. xvii. 1 ; 2 Cor. iii. 3). 
 The Spirit alone can enah>le us to "write them on 
 the table," i. e., the tablet, of the heart (Jer. xxxi. 
 $.3). 4. 30 Shalt thou find favour and good un- 
 Aersta^ding the sight of God and man. By 
 
 keeping "mercy and truth" {v. 3) thou shalt be 
 esteemed before God and man as one of " good 
 understanding," and so "shalt find favour in the 
 sight of God and man." The Hebrew recommends 
 the English version, though the parallelism would 
 strictly require, as "favour" is on the part of 
 God and man, that so the corresponding noun 
 should be also on the i)art of God and man; for 
 which reason Maurer translates ['?.9??] ' care, ' 
 'considerate attention,' instead of "good under- 
 standing;" others, 'good success.' But the Eng- 
 lish version accords best with the Hebrew ; more- 
 over, the parallelism is sufficiently maintained by 
 "good understanding" (on the part of "thee"), 
 answering to "favour" on the part of "God and 
 man," which results from it. With "find favour 
 ... in the sight of God" cf, Exod. xxxiii. 12, 17; 
 Luke i. 30, and especially Luke ii. 52, "Jesus (who 
 alone fully realized the picture here) increased in 
 wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and 
 man." 
 
 5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and 
 lean not unto thine own understanding— which 
 la,tter cannot preserve thee. Ho guards against 
 his recommendation of "good understanding" (a 
 different Hebrew term from that here, which is 
 binath) in f. 4 being perverted into a ground for 
 self-reliance. Begin with the Lord in the pursuit 
 whether of knowledge or wealth. Whilst you use 
 all exertions of head and hands, regard God as all- 
 sufficient for thee, as to obtaining every good and 
 averting every evil. "Best in Him," assured of 
 His gracious will and power to save and help thee 
 in all exigencies (Ps. xxxvii. 7). Casting every 
 burden on Him (Ps. Iv. 22 ; 1 Pet. v. 7). " Not of 
 double heart" (1 Chr. xii. 33; Jas. i. 8). Not 
 thrown into doubt or consternation by external 
 circumstances, so as to lose fearless trust in God. 
 To "lean" upon one's own understanding is to 
 lean on a broken reed, which will pierce the hand, 
 as Egypt proved when Israel leant on it (2 Ki. 
 xviii. 21 ; Ezek. xxix. 7 ; 2 Chr. xiv. 11, " We 
 rest on thee ;" Isa. x. 20, "The remnant of Israel 
 shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, 
 in truth"). Man's own understanding is not to be 
 trusted in, as being weakened and corrupted, at 
 the same time that it is puffed up with pride, ever 
 since the fall. Therefore it is written, Isa. xlvii. 
 10, "Thy wisdom and thy knowledge it hath per- 
 verted thee ;" Jer. x. 23, "The way of man is not 
 in himself." 6. In all thy ways acknowledge 
 him, and he shall direct thy paths. "Acknow- 
 ledge Him " by referring all thy ways to His will, 
 trusting in His power, wisdom, providence, good- 
 ness, righteousness, and feeling that without Him 
 you can do nothing. Have Him always before 
 your eyes (Ps. cxxxix. 2). Pray to Him, and con- 
 sult Him in everything you take in hand. Keep 
 His glory in view, as your end in all your ways ; 
 attribute all your blessings to Him alone, and to 
 Him give thanks for all. The promise follows the 
 
to patience. 
 
 An exhortation PROVERBS III. 
 
 7 Be ^not wise in thine own eyes: — fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 
 
 8 It shall be ^health to thy navel,. — and ^marrow to thy bones. 
 
 9 Honour ^ the Lord with thy substance, 
 And with the -first-fruits of all thine increase : 
 
 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, 
 
 And thy presses shall burst out with new wine. - 
 
 11 My son, ^despise not the chastening of the Lord; 
 Neither be weary of his correction : 
 
 12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth, 
 'Even as a father the son in whom he delightetli. 
 
 13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, 
 And ^tlie man that getteth understanding : 
 
 14 For "Hhe merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver. 
 
 precept. You will not be disappointed in your 
 confidence, whereby you consult flim in all things. 
 He will guide you to all holiness and all happi- 
 ness. 7. Be not wise in thine own eyes (Kom. 
 xii. IG): fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 
 Do not think so highly of thine own wisdom as to 
 think thou canst stand by it independently of the 
 wisdom of God (Tsa. v. 21; contrast Ps. cxxxi. 1; 
 1 Cor. viii. 1, 2; Gal. vi. 3; 1 Cor. iii. 18, "If any 
 man seemeth to be wise in this world, let him 
 become a fool, that he may be wise"). "Fear the 
 Lord:" the true antidote to "being wise in one's 
 own eyes" (cf. Rom. xi. 20, "Be not high-minded, 
 but /ear ;" cf. the apocryphal Ecclesiasticus xxv. 
 12j 13, ' The fear of the Lord is tlie beginning of 
 His love, and faith is the beginning of cleaving 
 unto Him: give me any plague but the plague of 
 the heart '). It is "by the fear of the Lord men 
 depart from evil " (ch. xvi. 6), as Job did (Job i. 1). 
 These two, fearing the Lord and departing from 
 evil, are the true way of obtaining the free gift of 
 salvation from Him. 8. It shall be health to thy 
 navel, and marrow to thy hones— "it," viz., the 
 obedient "fear of the Lord" just described (r. 7). 
 Plasters and emollient ointments are often applied 
 to the person for healing i)urposes. The navel is 
 the channel of supplying nutriment to the infant 
 in the womb. It also denotes the whole belly, 
 with the intestines near it as the softer parts of 
 the body. The hones, the harder part, follow. 
 The two together represent the whole frame. The 
 fear of the Lord nourishes alike the inner graces 
 and powers of the spiritual life and its outer 
 operations. " Marrow " — lit., moistening, in refer- 
 ence to the marrow, which is the vital moisture of 
 the bones (Job xxi. 24, end; contrast Ps. cii. 3; 
 ch. xvii. 22, end). 
 
 9. Honour the Lord with thy substance, and 
 with the . first-fruits of all thine increase — by 
 offering freely gifts for His service (Exod. xxiii. 
 19; Mai. iii, 7-10). This is another xmrt of the 
 worship of God, besides those just enumerated [w. 
 1, 5, 7). David v/ould not ' offer burnt offerings 
 unto the Lord his God of that which cost him 
 nothing' (2 Sam. xxiv. 24). Jehovah complains 
 of Israel's niggardliness towards Him as a proof of 
 want of love (Isa. xliii. 23). To have mercy on the 
 poor is to "honour" God (ch. xiv. 31). 10. So 
 shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy 
 presses shall burst out with new wine. So far 
 from l3ecoining jjoorer by giving to the Lord's 
 honour out of thy substance, it is thus that thou 
 shalt become abundantly enriched with all manner 
 of meat and drink. So, in Hezekiah's time, Aza- 
 riah, the high priest, said, " Since the people began 
 to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, 
 we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty, 
 and the . Lord hath blessed His people, and that 
 
 B c looo. 
 
 h Rom. 12. 16. 
 
 3 medicine. 
 
 4 watering, 
 or, moist- 
 ening. 
 
 i Ex. 2!. 19. 
 } Deut.2^. 8. 
 
 Job 0. 17. 
 
 Heb. 12. 5. 
 I Deut. 8. 5. 
 
 5 the man 
 that draw- 
 eth out 
 under- 
 standing. 
 Job 2?. 15. 
 
 which is left is this great store." So Haggai (i. 6, 9, 
 13; ii. 15-19). And the widow of Zarephath (1 Ki. 
 xvii. 10-16). 
 
 11. My son, despise not the chastening of the 
 Lord; neither be weary of his correction. As 
 
 heretofore Solomon had instructed the youth in 
 what he ought to do, so now in what he ought to 
 suffer. Religion consists not only in action, but 
 also in passive obedience. "Despise not" chast- 
 ening, as if it were useless and irksome. He 
 hereby anticipates a covert objection. If all the 
 favour in the sight of God and man, and the 
 health which have been attributed to the fearers 
 of the Lord [vv. 1-10) really be theirs, how is it 
 that we see them often so sorely afflicted ? The 
 reason is, the Lord sends these afflictions, not 
 for evil, but for good to His people. ' Chastise- 
 ment [jcoXao-is, or rather, punishment] is for the 
 sake of the sufferer; vengeance {Tiixiopia\ for the 
 satisfaction of him that inflicts it' [Aristotle, 
 'Rhetoric,' I., 10). The Lord does not even so 
 much pvnish, as chasten His child. Chastise- 
 ments are blessings in disguise (Job v. 17; Ps. 
 xciv. 12 ; Rev. iii. 19). " Neither be weary"— [ppn^ 
 from VP) « thorn.] Do not regaprd it as an annoy- 
 ing thorn. 'Two things are forbidden here. 1. Do 
 not despise (make light of) the Lord's chastening, 
 as if tliou couldest easily cast it off— in insensibility 
 to it, not recognizing the Lord's hand in it, and 
 not humbling thyself under it. 2. Do not, on the 
 contrary, through pusillanimity, be weary, and im- 
 patient, and desponding under the burden ' ( lliomas 
 Cartwriyht). Seneca ('Consol. ad Polyb.,' ch. 
 xxxvi.) says, 'Not to feel thy evils would be 
 inhuman, not to bear them, unmanly ' (Isa. ix. 9, 
 10, 13). 12. For whom the Lord loveth he cor- 
 recteth, even as a father the son in whom he 
 delighteth— (Deut. viii. 5. ) In Heb. xii. 6 this verse 
 is quoted with a slight alteration, designed by the 
 Spirit to bring out a somewhat varied aspect of 
 the same truth,— "Whom the Lord loveth He 
 cliasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He re- 
 ceivet/u" Scourgeth implies the kind of correction^ 
 as severe, even to drawing "blood" (Heb. xii. 4). 
 "Receiveth" (?. e., takes to Himself as His child 
 accepted and beloved) answers to "delighteth." 
 
 13. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, 
 and the man that getteth understanding. The 
 concluding inference from what went before, Since 
 the benefits of wisdom are so great, happy is he 
 who, whether by prayer, diligent application, or 
 chastening, attains to it. On "findeth," cf. Matt, 
 xiii, 44 ; note, oh. ii, 4, Solomon often returns to 
 the praises of wisdom, as being the main theme of 
 the book, " Getteth :" the Hebrew verb is lite, 
 rally to flow forth [piD]; hence, to make to flow ; ta 
 draw forth; to get, (cf. marg,)- So "bring forth," 
 (Ps. cxliv. 13; ch. viii, 35; marg.) 14. For tJld 
 
The excellency 
 
 PKOVERBS III. 
 
 of iclsdom. 
 
 And the gain thereof than fine gold. 
 
 15 She is more precious than rubies : 
 
 And all "the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. 
 
 16 Length ^of days is in her right hand; 
 And'm her left hand riches and honour. 
 
 17 Her ^ways are ways of pleasantness, — and all her paths a7'e peace. 
 
 18 She Is ^a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her; 
 And happy is emry one that retain eth her. 
 
 19 The ''Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth ; 
 By understanding hath he ^established the heavens. 
 
 20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, 
 And *the clouds drop down the dew. 
 
 21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes : 
 Keep sound wisdom and discretion : 
 
 22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, — and gfa€.e to thy neck,.. 
 
 23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely. 
 And thy foot shall not stumble. 
 
 merchandise of it is better than the merchan- 
 dise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine 
 
 gold. "The merchandise of it" is ichat it (wis- 
 dom) huys~th.Q gain which redoundsi from it— viz., 
 salcat'ion. Wisdom is itself an article of merchan- 
 dise "better than silver," because wisdom such as 
 Solomon means involves with it salvation and 
 eternal life (Job xxviii.. 13, &c. ; Matt. xvi. 26). 
 "The gain" — lit., the produce, as from lands: a 
 new image; as in v. 18 it is called a " free of life." 
 15. She is more precious than rubies : and all 
 the thinga thou canst desire are not to be 
 compared unto her. Arnold Booti, 'Animad- 
 versiones,' and Maurer, translate ' corals ' for 
 "rubies " (cf. Lam. iv. 7; Job xxviii. 18). " All the 
 things thou canst desire:" cf. "pleasant stones," 
 or stones of desire (Isa. liv. 12); cf. the "one pearl 
 of great pr-ice" (Matt. xiii. 46). 16. Length of days 
 is in her right hand (cf. note, v. 2); and in 
 her left hand riches and honour. Wisdom is 
 described as a royal virgin or queen, with both 
 hands full of gifts : in her right hand (the su])erior 
 hand) is length of life, the chief of earthly bless- 
 ings, and one which probably (though not ex- 
 pressly) (Jod promised to Solomon, himself in con- 
 nection with the gift of wisdom (1 Ki, iii. 12. 13). 
 True wisdom is the path to life, because it shuns 
 perils and averts them, and xjrovides advantages; 
 I controls the |>assions ; teaches prudence and tem- 
 perance ; and esi)ecially because eternal life is its 
 iiiial issue {CorneJAns a Laplde). 17. Her ways 
 are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are 
 peace. Both the way, and the end to which the 
 way leads, is peace. Though her ways are painful 
 to the flesh, they are " ijleasantuess " to the 
 spirit: not merely pleasant, but "pleasantness" 
 itself; not merely peaceable and ]jeaccful, but 
 "peace" itself. 'There are many ways in the 
 world j)leasant, but not safe; others safe, but not 
 pleasant.' 18. She is a tree of life to. them that 
 lay hold upon her. "Lay hold" {raarhazlquim) 
 — lit., lay hold v/dh a tenacious (jrasp, not to 
 be severed fi-om her: from a Hebrew root 
 'strong.' Comjare ch. xi, 30; xiii. 12; xv. 4, for 
 similar references to "the tree of life." Wis- 
 dom brings life to her possessors, as the tree 
 of life in Paradise would have done to our first 
 liarents, but that they forfeited it ((ieu. ii. 9; 
 lii. 22-24). Wisdom the saving knowledge 
 of God in Chri.st, or Christ Himself — restores 
 us to the life eternal which we lost in Adam. 
 The fruit of other trees api)eases hunger for a 
 time; this tree for ever. It saves not merely 
 421 
 
 B C 1000 
 
 " I'S. 03. 3. 
 
 Matt. 13.44. 
 
 Rom. 8. 18. 
 ° Ps. 21. 4. 
 
 Ps. 71. 9. 
 
 1 Tim. 4. S. 
 P Ps. 13.10,1!. 
 
 Ps. 63. 3, 5. 
 
 Matt. 11.29. 
 9 Gen. 2. 9. 
 
 ch. «. 27. 
 
 Jer. 10. 12. 
 
 Jer. 51. 15. 
 
 John 1. 3. 
 
 Heb. L 2. 
 6 Or, pre- 
 pared. 
 * Deut. 33. '8. 
 
 Job c6. 28, 
 
 ^ from death, but from disease (llev. xxii. 2, 14 ; ii. 
 7 ; Ezek. xlvii. 12). and happy is every one that 
 retaineth her. " Happy " is in the Hebrew shviii- 
 lar, but the participle is plural: lit., 'they that 
 retain lier are each one hap])y.' In one sense, it is 
 ive who la// hold upon (cf. 1 Tim. vi. 12) and retain 
 her in our close embrace (for it is not the careless 
 and superficial, but the earnest and persevering, 
 that reach heaven). But in another sense it is 
 she that lays hold of and retains us, if we be hers 
 (Phil. iii. 12, end; Isa. Ixv. 1), 
 
 19. The Lord by wisdom hath founded the 
 earth ; by understanding hath he established 
 the heavens, ' Do not marvel at my having said 
 that wisdom secures ail these blessings, length of 
 years, riches, &c.; for it has eti'ected far greater 
 things than these. It was by it, as one of His 
 Divine attributes, that God hath founded the 
 earth and the heavens ' {Cornelius a Lapide). 20, 
 By his knowledge the depths are broken up— 
 into rivers and streams for the refreshment of 
 man (Gen. i. 9, 10; Job xxxviii. 8-12; Ps. civ, 8-13; 
 ch. viii. 24-29). and the clouds drop down the 
 dew. As dew does not descend from the clouds, 
 but is formed near the ground, the Hebrew for 
 deAv is here used to express small or f/e7itle rain 
 (Job xxxvi. 27, 28); or else "the clouds" are used 
 here for the lower regions of the air, where the dew 
 is formed. Scripture describes the facts of nature 
 according to phenomena, not in scientific language, 
 which would unfit it for the majority. As the 
 first clause describes one instance of God's wis- 
 dom on earth, so the second describes one in the 
 heavens or air (Deut. xxxiii. 28). The dew in the 
 East is a most important boon for vegetation, iu 
 the absence of rain. 
 
 21. My son, let not them depart from thine 
 eyes : keep sound wisdom and discretion. On 
 these last woi*ds cf. chs. i. 4 - ii. 7, notes, Solomon 
 repeats similar monitions so frequently (cf, chs. 
 i. 8, 9; ii. 1; iii. 1) on account of men's spiritu d 
 apathy, in order to impress tliCm the more firmly 
 with the greatness, certainty, and importance of 
 these tniths. Keep them before thine eyes as a 
 perpetual ol)ject of delight and source of instruc- 
 tion. 22. So shall they be life unto thy soul, and 
 grace to thy neck. Wisdom reveals the righteous- 
 ness of God whereby the believer in Chi'ist lives 
 before (xod. Without this the man is dead in sins 
 (ifab. ii. 4; Eph, ii, 1), On "grace (like a grace- 
 ful chain) to thy neck" cf, ch. i. 9. 23, 24. Then 
 Shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy feet 
 shall not stumble — (Ps. xci. 11, 12; ch. x. 9. 
 
An exhortation 
 
 PROVERBS III. 
 
 to 
 
 24 
 
 When Hhou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid; 
 Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. 
 Be not afraid of sudden fear. 
 
 Neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. 
 For the Lord shall be thy confidence. 
 And shall keep .thy foot from being taken. 
 
 Withhold "not good from ^them to whom it is due, 
 When it is in the power of thine hand to do it. 
 
 Say ''not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to-morrow I will 
 
 give ; 
 
 When thou hast it by thee. 
 
 ® Devise not evil against thy neighbour, 
 Seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. 
 
 Strive "^not with a man without cause, — if he have done thee no harm. 
 
 31 Envy thou not ^the oppressor, — and choose none of his ways. 
 
 32 For the froward is abomination to the Lord : 
 But his secret is with the righteous. 
 
 25 
 
 26 
 
 27 
 
 28 
 
 29 
 30 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid; 
 yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be 
 sweet. Whether in motion or at rest, or at busi- 
 ness or at leisure, by day or by night, all shall go 
 well with thee, or at least shall ultimately end so 
 (Rom. viii. 28). The foot not stumbling means that 
 thou shalt not fall into the temptations which the 
 world, the flesh, and Satan present in one's way to 
 heaven. Thy sleep shall be sweet after a faithful 
 discharge of duty. Thou shalt not be afraid 
 through stings of conscience, or fear of enemies, or 
 because of anxious cares ; for confidence in the 
 Lord and a good conscience will banish all fears 
 {v. 26). 25, 26. Be not afraid of sudden fear, 
 neither of the desolation of the wicked (i. e., of 
 the desolation Avhicli the wicked plot against 
 thee), when it cometh. For the Lord shall 
 be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from 
 baing taken— viz., in the snares of Satan, the flesh, 
 the world, and thy oppressors (Eccl. vii. 26). " Be 
 not afraid " is at once a precept and a promise to 
 the godly. They shall have no cause to fear evil 
 tidings ; therefore it is their privilege that they are 
 not to fear them (Ps. cxii. 7 ; xci. 5). 
 
 27. Withhold not good from them to whom it is 
 due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. 
 Here Solomon passes from general recommenda- 
 tions of wisdom to particular jOTecepts of it. He 
 reverts to instances of " mercy ;and truth," which 
 he had recommended in v. 3. "From them to 
 whom it is due"— ^«7., 'from the owners thereof 
 (cf. ch. xyii. 8). On "in the p®wer of thine hand" 
 cf. Mic. ii. 1. He who is in need has a claim of 
 ownership upon our property by the law of love, 
 which is the law of God. The goods which we can 
 and ought to bestow are not ours, but the property 
 of the poor (cf. Rom. xiii. 8, " Owe no man any 
 thing, but to love one another "). Need makes the 
 poor the owner, and God makes thee the dispenser 
 of the goods vvhich thou hast, and which he needs : 
 60 such benefits are called "righteousness" — i. e., 
 a righteous debt or obligation (2 Cor. ix. 9 ; Matt, 
 vi. 1, "alms;" Greek, 'righteousness'). {Junius.) 
 The same principle applies in the case of the spirit- 
 ual knowledge which thou hast, and thy neighbour 
 h: 8 not, and which therefore he has a claim upon 
 thee for the supply of. None is bound ' beyond 
 his power yet when he has strained his charity 
 to the verge of, and even beyond, his ability, God 
 especially praises it (2 Cor. viii. 3, 12; Mark xii. 
 4.3, 44). 28, Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and 
 come again, and to-morrow I will give; when thou 
 hast it by thee. Publias b'yrus says, 'He gives 
 422 
 
 twice to one in need, who gives at once/ The good 
 Samaritan acted and gave to his neighbour in- 
 stantly (Luke X. 29-36). The Greeks had an adage, 
 ' A slow-paced favour is a favourless favour;' and 
 Seneca ('Benef.' i. 2), 'That is a thankless benefit 
 which has long stuck in the hands of the giver ;' 
 for ' be who has been slow in doing it, has for long 
 disincKned to do it.' Do not put off your needy 
 neighbour with fair words, much less with con- 
 temptuous ones (Jas. ii. 15, 16). Do not delay your 
 charity till "to-morrow," for perhaps to-morrow 
 will not be at your disposal, as to-day is. Some 
 hindrance may arise iu the meantime. Your 
 wealth may perish, or yourself, or your neighbour, 
 before to-morrow. You cause him to lose his time, 
 you protract his torture, and put him to the 
 shame of begging a second time. ' They who put 
 off their beneficence till they die are like the pigs, 
 which are never of use till they come to be slaugh- 
 tered ' [T. Cartwright). (Cf. £ccl. xi. 2, 6.) 
 
 29. Devise not evil against thy neighbour, see- 
 ing he dwelleth securely by thee. After having 
 praised beneficence, Solomon proceeds to forbid 
 malevolence, especially towards neighbours living 
 peaceably near. If you are to do positive good, 
 much more are you to refrain from devising and 
 doing evil to your neighbour. 30. Strive not with 
 a man without cause, if he have done thee no 
 harm. Solomon forbids all avoidable strifes and 
 disputes. Even if he have done thee harm, reprove 
 him for his fault, but still love him (Lev. xix. 17 ; 
 Matt, xviii. 15; Luke xvii. 3). 
 
 31. Envy thou not the oppressor— when he is in 
 prosperity (Ps. xxxvii. 1)— lit., the man of violence. 
 Even if one have 'done thee harm,' do not retali- 
 ate ; nor, on the other hand, envy his wickedly 
 gained prosperity, and choose none of his ways— 
 because success seems to attend them. Envy of 
 the prosperous easily leads to imitating his ways. 
 Solomon showed the godly man how to behave to- 
 wards God and his neighbour. Now it is shown 
 how he is to act towards himself. 32. For the 
 froward is abomination to the Lord: but his 
 secret is with the righteous — Hebrew, the up- 
 right (note, Ps, XXV. 14). His familiar intimacy 
 (Hebrew, Sod) is the privilege of the righteous. 
 They have the favour of their King (Job xxix. 
 4; John vii. 17; xy. 15; Gen. xviii. 17; Amos iii. 
 7). The " for " introduces the reason why the 
 froward oppressor should not be envied, much 
 less followed — viz., because their seeming pros- 
 perity is not from the Lord, and is not real or 
 substantial. He will make an awful example 
 
Eccliortation to 
 
 PROVERBS IV. 
 
 acquire wisdom. 
 
 33 The ^ curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: 
 But ^he blesseth the habitation of the just. 
 
 34 Surely ^he scorneth the scorners: — ^but he giveth grace unto the lowly. 
 
 35 The "wise shall inherit glory : — but shame ^® shall be the promotion of fools. 
 4 HEAR, " ye children, the instruction of a father, 
 
 And attend to know understanding. 
 
 2 For I give you good doctrine, — ^forsake ye not my law. 
 
 3 For I was my father's son, 
 
 ^Tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. 
 
 4 He Haught me also, and said unto me, 
 
 Let thine heart retain my words: — keep my commandments, and live. 
 
 5 Get wisdom, get understanding : 
 
 B c. 
 
 ^ Zech. 5. 4. 
 
 Mai. 2. 2. - 
 f Ps. 1. 3. 
 * Jas. 4. 6. 
 
 1 Pet. 5. r.. 
 
 Dan. 12. 2. 
 lOexalteth 
 
 the fools. 
 
 CHAP. 4. 
 " Ps. 34. II. 
 6 I Chr. 23. 1. 
 " 1 Chr. 28. 9. 
 
 Eph. 6. 4. 
 
 of them at last, and often does so even here (Ps. 
 xxxvii. 20; ch. xvi. 18). They are raised on 
 high only to be cast down with the heavier 
 fall. On the contrary, however outwardly afflicted 
 the upright may be, they enjoy the secret consola- 
 tions and friendship of God, (2 Cor. vii. 4, &c.) 
 Not His secret decrees (Job xv. 8; Jer. xxiii. 18; 
 Rom. xi. 34), but all that He reveals, and that is 
 for their good, is their privilege to know (Dent, 
 xxix. 29). The secret of true happiness from God 
 is theirs, by the Spirit's imparting to them "the 
 wisdom frcm above." 33. The curse of the Lord 
 is in the house of the wicked : but he blesseth the 
 habitation of the just— (Ps. xxxvii. 22, 35, 36.) 
 The house of the wicked, notwithstanding their 
 present prosperity, is tainted with a curse, like a 
 leper's bouse, which was therefore pulled down 
 (Lev. xiv. 45; Zech. v. 4; Mah ii. 2). " The habi- 
 tation" — lit., the cottage or shepherd's hut, such as 
 David was raised from (Hebrew, nevee), in contrast 
 to the house or grand mansion of the wiched. The 
 humble cottage of the godly is infinitely better 
 than the stately palace of the sinner ; for the Lord's , 
 curse is on the latter, but His blessing on the 
 former (Ps. Ixxxiv. 10). 34. Surely he scorneth 
 the scorners : hut he giveth grace unto the lowly; 
 Retribution in kind. "Surely" — lit., if, or since 
 [cx]; seeinj that (Job xiv. 5; Gejer). Or else, 
 ' As surely as He scorneth the scorners, so surely 
 doth He give grace to the lowly.' Jas. iv. 6; 1 
 Pet. V. 5, quote it, " God resisteth (Greek, setteth 
 himself in array cujainst) the proud, but giveth 
 grace unto the humble." The antithesis or contrast 
 between "scorneth" and "giveth grace" requires 
 that grace here should include externally manifested 
 favour (note, v. 4) in the sight of God and man, as 
 well as internal grace. "The scorners" through 
 pride set thtrnseUes in array against God (ch. i. 
 22) ; therefore God sets Himself in array against 
 them (Jas. iv. 6), and puts them at last to open 
 scorn. They scorn the lowly pious, saying. See 
 ■what good success results from their piety ! God 
 therefore, in turn, makes them an object of lasting 
 scorn (Ps. ii. 4) ; but He giveth grace inward and 
 spiritual now, and grace outward and manifested 
 at last to the lowly pious. Of them it may be 
 said as Sallust says of Cato, ' The less he sought 
 glory the more he obtained it.' 35. The wise shall 
 inherit (lit., sIkiM possess by inheritance, 1 Pet. i. 
 3, 4) glory: but shame shall be the promotion 
 of fools— lit., shame (is) exalting fools. When they 
 seem to be exalted, it is only that they may be at 
 last put to shame. All their good things will be 
 reversed. When glory shall be the promotion and 
 peculiar and permanent inheritance of tlie godly 
 wise, shame shall be the only promotion that un- 
 godly fools shall have. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 1-21. — The young are urged hy 
 Solomon, as he was urged l>y his father, to get wis- 
 423 
 
 dom as the principal thing, and as that tohich will 
 give glory to its possessors {iw. 1-9). The youth is 
 warned so to keep Wisdom, who is his preserver from 
 stumbling, as not to go in the way of evil men, whose 
 aim is mischief and violence, and ivhose way is dark- 
 ness,, as contrasted with the paths of the just, which 
 is as the shining light, ever growing in brightness {vv. 
 10-19). The youth is admonished to earnestly attend 
 to the words of wisdom, as being life to those that find 
 them ; and for this end to keep the heart, out oj 
 tohich are the issues of life, and to put away from 
 the lips all froivardness, and to look ivith the eyes 
 straight onward, so as not to turn to the right or left 
 from the heavenward path {vv. 20-27). 
 
 1. Hear, ye children, the instruction of a 
 father— a spiritual father— viz., me, Solomon. 
 "The instruction" — lit., discipline; disciplinary 
 instruction. (Hebrew, musar.) So drowsy are we 
 all that we need our attention to be continually 
 aroused. But it must be done lovingly, so that we 
 may feel our instructor to be at the same time " a 
 father" and friend. 2. Fori give you good doc- 
 traie, forsake ye not my law. It is "good," as 
 haiving God for its author, truths of everlasting 
 moment to us for its subject-matter, and our salva- 
 tion for its end. Solomon speaks as representative 
 of God, whose law is that which Solomon here com- 
 mands. 3. For I was my father's son, tender and 
 only (beloved) in the sight of my mother. My father 
 taught me as his true son, even as I teach you. I 
 obeyed him,, and it has been well with me ; do you 
 the same {Mercer). "Tender and only beloved" 
 exactly answers to David's words concerning him 
 (1 Chr. xxix. 1, "Solomon my son, whom alone 
 God hath chosen, is yet young and tender "). In pro- 
 portion as I was pre-eminently dear to my parents, 
 my father, from my tender years, "taught me" 
 {v. 4). It is the truest mark of love on the part of 
 the parent to teach the child in the ways of hea- 
 venly wisdom ; and to leave a child untaught is 
 virtually to act as if you hated him. "Only be- 
 loved " cannot mean that Solomon was David's 
 only son by Bathsheba, for other sons by her are 
 named in 1 Chr. iii. 5. So Isaac is called Abraham's 
 only son (Gen. xxii. 2, 12, 16), though at the time 
 he had Ishmael. " Only son " is used to express 
 one peculiarly beloved. So our word 'unique' for 
 a thing pre-eminent in its kind [and so the Greek, 
 ayaTTijTos]. The Masorites mention another reading, 
 ' among the sons {I'lbnee) of my mother,' for " in the 
 sight of {liphnee) my mother." All this he says to 
 show that it was with good reason he called his 
 teaching "good doctrines." 
 
 4. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let 
 thine heart retain my words: keep my command- 
 ments, and live— and as the blessed result thou 
 shalt have ^/(K in its highest sense, both for time 
 and eternity (chs. iii. 2 ; vii. 2). 5. Get wisdom, get 
 understanding. " Get "—Hebrew, acquire or buy, 
 
Exhortation to shun 
 
 PROVERBS IV. 
 
 the path of the wicked. 
 
 Forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. 
 
 6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee : 
 '^Love her, and she shall keep thee. 
 
 7 Wisdom ^is the principal thing; therefotfi get wisdom : 
 And with all thy getting get understanding. 
 
 8 Exalt *^her, and she shall promote thee ; 
 
 She shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. 
 
 9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace ; 
 
 crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. 
 
 10 Hear, 0 my son, and receive my sayings; 
 And the years of thy live shall be many. 
 
 1 1 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom ; — I have led thee in right paths. 
 
 12 When thou goest, ^thy steps shall not be straitened; 
 ''And when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 
 
 13 Take fast hold of instruction ; let her not go : — keep her ; for she is thy life. 
 
 14 Enter not into the path of the wicked,— and go not in tlie way of evil men. 
 
 15 Avoid it, pass not by it, — turn from it, and pass away. 
 
 16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; 
 
 And their sleep is taken away, uidess they cause some to fall. 
 
 B. C. 1000 
 
 d 2 TLess, 2. 
 10. 
 
 * Malt.l .44. 
 
 Luke 10.42. 
 / 1 Sam. 2. 0. 
 
 1 Ki. 6. 3- 
 13. 
 
 ch. 1% 4. 
 
 Dan. 12. 3. 
 1 ( )r. she 
 
 shall com- 
 pass thee 
 
 wiih a 
 
 crow a of 
 
 glory, 
 f Ps. 18. as. 
 
 Ps. 91. 11. 
 
 ch. 10. 9. 
 
 Jer. 31. 9. 
 
 John 11, 9, 
 10. 
 
 Rom. 9. 3?, 
 
 like a raercliant, sparing neither toil nor cost to 
 make thyself possessor of the one pearl of great 
 price. 6. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve 
 thee : love her, and she shall keep thee. If tliou 
 forsake her not, she will not forsake, but will pre- 
 serve thee. If thou wilt lovingly keep her, she 
 will keep thee. So Jerome (in Bridges) wrote to 
 a friend, 'Beg of the Lord now for me, who am 
 grey-headed, that I may have wisdom for my com- 
 pauion, of which it is written. Love her, and she 
 shall keep thee' (John viii. 30,.31; Col. i. 23; Heb. iii. 
 6, 14; contrast Matt. xiii. 20, 21). 7. Wisdom is the 
 principal thing ; (therefore) get wisdom: and with 
 all thy getting get understanding. The vrorld's 
 maxim, on the contrary, is, — Money is the principal 
 thing; therefore get money: and with all thy get- 
 ting get more. (' Quaeranda pecunia primum est, 
 Virtus post Nnmmos,' Jurenal. ) Contrast the wise 
 man's admonition (ch. xvi. 16). The will and heart 
 must be inclined by the Holy Spirit to it; other- 
 wise precepts are vain (ch, xvii. 16). ' You begin 
 to be wise when you begin to love and seek wis- 
 dom: as Seneca says, It is a great part of goodness 
 to wish to be good' — provided you do not content 
 yourself with idle wishes {Cornelius a Lapide). 
 "With all thy getting get understanding "—i, e., 
 amidst all thy acquisitions acquire this, without 
 which the others will be useless, and even hurtful 
 (Menochius). 8. Exalt her, and she shall promote 
 thee; she shall bring thee to honour, when thou 
 dost embrace her. Not only "get," "keep," and 
 " love " her ; but also " exalt her." We are apt to 
 think less of those things which we have, however 
 precious, after the novelty has worn off. Beware 
 of this feeling as to religion. Religion richly re- 
 pays in kind all that we can do to "embrace her," 
 She exalts them who exalt her (Ps. xxx. 1) ; and 
 gives them fresh reason for exalting her (Ps. xxxvii. 
 34; 1 Sam. ii. 30, "Them that honour me I will 
 honour"). 9. She sha.ll give to thine head an or- 
 nament of grace: a crown of glory shall she 
 deliver to thee— (ch. i. 9.) She will give thee "an 
 ornament of grace" in the Church militant on earth : 
 "a crown of glory" in the Church triumphant in 
 heaven (Ps, Ixxxiv, 11). 
 
 10. Hear, 0 my son, and receive my sayings; 
 and the years of thy life shall be many— reverting 
 to cli. iii, 2, 11. I have taught thee in the way 
 of wisdom ; I have led thee in right paths— I have 
 taught thee already in part, I will now teach tliee 
 424 
 
 more fully ; yea, I am teaching thee most faith- 
 fully [Gejer). "Right paths" are the only \vise 
 2)aths. 12. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be 
 straitened— by insurmountable obstacles in tliy 
 way — i.e., in thy course through life; in all thy 
 ordinary undertakings (Ps, xviii. 36). and wheii 
 thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. As 
 "goest" refers to the ordinary course, so "run- 
 nest " to extraordinary undertakings, wherein the 
 believer has to put forth more than common energy 
 (Ps. xviii. 29 ; Isa. xl, 31). 13. Take fast hold of 
 instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is 
 thy life— (ch, iii. 18, 22). Do not be like children, 
 who are much pleased with a new thing that they 
 have just seen, and then afterwards cease to value 
 it. Having received the heavenly doctrine with 
 joy, do not let it go, through impatience or weai i- 
 ness, or through carelessness (Matt, xiii. 19-22). 
 (Gejer.) Satan does his best to_ loosen our hold; 
 but we must use force, and strain every nerve to 
 ' hold that fast which we have, that no man take 
 our crown' (Matt. xi. 12; Phil. iii. 12, 13; Rev. 
 iii, 11), " She is thy life " of nature, of grace, and 
 of glory. Eternal death, or the prospect of it, 
 cannot be called life. Obedience to God's law is 
 life; everv departure from it is a step towards 
 death, 14. Enter not into the path of the wicked, 
 and go not in the way of evil men. "Enter not" 
 forbids the first step towards union with the 
 wicked in their ways, "Go not "forbids further 
 advance in the same evil alliance, if we have been 
 overcome temporarily by the deceitfulness of sin. 
 The Hebrew for "go not " is, lit. , to go straight- 
 forward ; also, to 2)ronounce happy. Perhaps Solo- 
 mon implies, Bo not go on (thePiel conjugation in- 
 tensifies the meaning, Do not plant firm thy stej)), 
 thinking thyself happy in following the ways of tlie 
 bad (^/liercer). There are three steps in gradation 
 —1. Not to enter into the path at all. 2, I^ot to 
 persevere (?;. 14). 3. To withdraw far from it and 
 avoid it {v. 15). 15, Avoid it, pass not by it, turn 
 from it, and pass away. He accumulates words 
 to imply the greatness of the danger, as well as 
 our natural tendency towards the path of evil. 
 Do not delay a moment, or dally with temptation, 
 but flee the least occasions of sin with the prompt- 
 ness with which Joseph fled from Potiphar's wife 
 (Gen, xxxix, 10), 16. For they sleep not, except 
 they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken 
 away, unless they cause (some) to fall. So the 
 
An exhortation 
 
 PROVERBS IV. 
 
 to sanctification. 
 
 For they eat the bread of wickedness, — and drink the wine of violence. 
 But Hhe path of the just Hs as the shining light. 
 That shineth more and more unto the perfect day. 
 The ^way of the wicked is as darkness; 
 They know not at what they stumble. 
 
 My son, attend to my words ; — incline thine ear unto my sayings : 
 Let them not depart from thine eyes; 
 Keep them in the midst of thine heart : 
 
 22 For they are life unto those that find them, — and ^ health to all their flesh, 
 
 23 Keep thy heart ^with all diligence; — for out of it are the issues of life. 
 
 24 Put away from thee * a fro ward mouth, — and perverse lips put far from thee. 
 
 B. C 1000, 
 
 1 Matt. 6, 14. 
 } 2 Sam. 23,4. 
 
 1 Sam, 2, 9, 
 
 2 medicine, 
 
 3 above all 
 keeping. 
 
 < fro vv 31 ti- 
 ll ess of 
 mouth, 
 and per- 
 versenesg 
 of lips. 
 1 Cor. 15.33. 
 
 Hebrew margin {Keri) reads, which v. 17 sup- 
 ports [i^Vki'p:]. But the Hebrew text [Ketih) reads, 
 ' unless they have fallen ' — i. e., done wicked deeds 
 [T^'ir?;] : the more difficult reading, and, so far, the 
 less likely to be a later correction. But the Chal- 
 daic and other old versions, as well as the sense, 
 favour the English version reading (Ps. xxxvi. 4). 
 It is the sinner's sport, food (v, 17), and sleep to sin. 
 The children of darkness make sin their element. 
 The children of light should learn similarly to give 
 themselves no sleep till they have done or devised 
 good (Ps. cxxxii. 4; ch. vi. 4). 17. For they eat 
 tlie Ijread of wickedness, and drink the wine of 
 violence — (,Tob xv. 16; xxxiv. 7.) Not merely 
 wickedness is their bread, and violence their wine 
 (cf. Ps. xlii. 3 ; liii. 4, " Who eat up my people as 
 they eat bread ;" cf. John iv. 34, " My meat is to 
 do the will of Him that sent me ;" Job xxiii. 12) ; 
 but also they get their livelihood, their bread and 
 wine, by wickedness and violence. No wonder, 
 then, that they cannot sleep except that they have 
 done mischief {v. 16; cf. ch. i. 12, 13; Amos ii. 8, 
 "They drink the wine of the condemned"). 18. 
 But the path of the just is as the shining light, 
 that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. 
 " As the shining light "—lit., as the lif/ht of splen- 
 dour— i. e., as the light of the (morning) sun. This 
 is_ another dissuasive against consorting with the 
 wicked (v. 14), the blessed contrast which the path 
 of the just forms to that of the wicked. Instead 
 of darkness {v. 19) and deeds of darkness, which 
 the wicked love, the just both have light them- 
 selves and shed light on all around, because they 
 have within theiu the light of God's Word and 
 God's Spirit (Phil. ii. 15; Matt. v. 14, 16; Eph. v. 
 8). " That shineth more and more unto the perfect 
 day" (2 Sam. xxiii. 4)— lit., going on and shining — 
 i.e., shining more and more. "Unto the perfect 
 day," or the estaJAished day—i. e., until the sun is 
 at the meridian height, and seems to stand still 
 there. The just shine with the light of heavenly 
 knowledge, joy, felicity, and purity (ch. xiii. 
 9; Job xxii. 28; Isa. Iviii. 10). Their light of 
 purity and blessedness is not a fitful gleam (Eccl. 
 vii. 6), but a steadily increasing liglit. They go 
 ou from strength to strength and glory to glory 
 (Ps. Ixxxiv. 7; 2 Cor. iii. 18; Isa. xl. 31 ; Iviii. 8), 
 until in absolute perfection they shall "shine forth 
 as the sun in the kingdom of their Father " (Matt, 
 xiii. 43). 19. The way of the wicked is as dark- 
 ness; they know not at what they stumble 
 — (I)eut. xxviii. 28, 2r).) They know not on what 
 peril they may stunuile and fall finally. They are 
 inpen:>otual danger, and know it not, because they 
 are in darkness (John xi. 9; xii. .35; cf. v. 12 as 
 to the godly, "Thou shalt not stumble"). The 
 converse of v. \^ holds good of them, The path 
 of the unjust is one becoming darker and darker, 
 until it ends in the blackness of darkness for ever. 
 They seem (to themselves) clear-sighted and wise; 
 425 
 
 yet they are in the gross darkness of ignorance, 
 error, and sin ; and they are in continual danger of 
 being dashed down to outer and everlasting dark- 
 ness. 
 
 20. My son, attend to my words ; incline thine 
 ear unto my sayings— a fresh call to serious atten- 
 tion, because of our tendency to spiritual torpor 
 (cf. V. 1). 21. Let them not depart from thine 
 eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 
 As the "ear" was mentioned in v. 20, so the 
 "eyes" and "heart" in this verse, as three 
 avenues for the entrance of knowledge into the 
 man. The eyes ought to be engaged in frequent 
 reading of God's Word, as boys often look to their 
 copy, and artists to their model. There may be 
 allusion to Exod. xiii. 16, " It shall be for frontlets 
 between thine eyes." "In the midst of thine 
 heart," not merely at the door of it ; like a trea- 
 sure hidden in the innermost chamber of a house 
 (chs. ii. 1 ; iii. 3, 21 ; Deut. vi. 6). 22. For they are 
 life unto those that find them, and health to all 
 their flesh — 'to all his flesh'— ie., to the 
 whole man of each one of "those that find them" 
 (chs. iii. 8, 18, 22; xvi. 24). 23. Keep thy heart 
 with all diligence. The Hebrew for "with" 
 is so translated, as in the English version, by the 
 LXX., Vulgate, Ethiopic, Arabic, and Syriac. It 
 is translated by Bayne, Gejer, Piscator, and 
 Maurer in a common sense of the Hebrew (cf. 
 marg.), ''More titan all things else requiring to be 
 kei)t diligently,' such as one's treasures, house, or 
 body, we ought to keep the heart, that it be not 
 tainted with error, or sink into vice ; for it is 
 prone to evil, and beset with adversaries on all 
 sides. Mercer, and seemingly the Chaldaic, t.'ike 
 it, ^ from all that is to be guarded against.' But 
 the Hebrew rnin occasionally means by or with (cf. 
 Job xix. 26, note — Lit., ''from my flesh,' as the 
 starting j^oint of vision, " I shall see God "). So 
 here, starting from (i.e., 'nntJi) all diligence, for 
 out of it are the issues of life. The heart is the 
 seat and fountain-head of all life. As the heart is 
 the centre of motion to the circulation of the 
 blood, which is the (animal) life (Lev. xvii. 11, 14), 
 so spiritually, as the seat of the desires and affec- 
 tions, it is designed to be the centre and fountain 
 of the heavenly life ; but by the fall it has be- 
 come the corrupt fountain " out of which proceed 
 evil thoughts " and all that is bad in word and 
 deed (Matt. xv. 19 ; cf. Matt. xii. 34, 35 with this 
 verse). 24. Put away from thee a fro ward mouth, 
 and perverse lips put far from thee— Hebrew, 
 ' frowarduess (cf. ch. ii. 15) of mouth and perversity 
 of lips.' ' Frowardness ' — lit., distortion; all 
 speech that departs from the law of purity, truth, 
 and love : filthy, false, unkind, boastful, and flat- 
 tering words: idle and unprolitable talk (Ps. ci. 4, 
 5). As tlie heart, so the mouth, is to be "kept 
 with all diligence ;" for there is the closest sym- 
 pathy between the heart and mouth. It is not 
 enough for the outward life to be pure, but the 
 
1 
 
 Exhortation to the 
 
 PROVEUBS V. 
 
 studif of wisdo7n. 
 
 25 Let thine eyes look right on, 
 
 And let thine eyelids look straight before thee. 
 
 26 Ponder the path of thy feet, — and ^let all thy ways be established. 
 
 27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: — ^remove thy foot from evil. 
 5 MY son, attend unto my wisdom, 
 
 And bow thine ear to my understanding; 
 
 2 That thou mayest regard discretion, 
 And that thy lips may ''keep knowledge. 
 
 3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honey-comb, 
 And her ^ mouth is smoother than oil : 
 
 4 But her end is ^bitter as wormwood, — sharp '^as a two-edged sword. 
 
 5 Her feet go down ^to death ; — her steps take hold on hell. 
 
 6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life. 
 
 Her wa3^s are moveable, that thou canst not know them. 
 
 7 Hear me now. therefore, 0 ye children. 
 And depart not from the words of my mouth. 
 
 B. C 1000 
 
 5 Or. aU 
 thy w lys 
 shall be 
 ordered 
 aright. 
 
 I Tsa. 1. 16. 
 Rom. 12. 9. 
 
 CHA.P. 6., 
 " Ps. 42. 2. 
 
 Ps. 71. 15. 
 
 Mai 2. 7. 
 1 palate. 
 
 Ps. 65. 21, 
 * ch. 9. 18, 
 
 ch 23. 27, 
 2S. 
 
 Eccl, r. 26. 
 Heb. 12. 15. 
 Heb 4 12. 
 d Heb 13 4. 
 
 speech mast be so also, for it is the index of the 
 mind. Next to the heart, the tongue is the most 
 ungovernable member (Jas. iii. 2-1.3). 25. Let 
 thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids 
 look straight before thee. Be straightforward in 
 thy aims and thy walk in life, making thy home 
 above, and its statutes thy aim ; just as the run- 
 ner in a race looks straight to the goal, and turns 
 not to the right hand or to the left {v. 27) ; or, as 
 an archer, look straight at the mark (cf. " Let us 
 run with patience the race ... set before iis, 
 looking nnto Jesus, the author and finisher of our 
 faith," Heb. xii. 1, 2). ' Do not do anything 
 rashly, but with premeditation. Cautiously look 
 to the way whereby thou art walking, that it be 
 the right way, and rightly trodden by thee ' {Gejer). 
 26. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy 
 ways be established. The object of the tempter 
 is to prevent your doing so (ch. v. 6). As the 
 luOY^L ponders [L e., weighs well) all thy goings, and 
 shall test them in the great day (1 Cor. iii. 13, 14), 
 thou shouldst do so thyself (ch. v. 21 ; cf. Gal. ii. 
 14, "Walk uprightly" {opdoiroSelv]; Eph. v. 15, 
 " Walk circumspectly" [lit., accurately— dKpi(Bu)^]). 
 How perverse, then, those worldlings are who 
 sneer at rehgious strictness as strait-laced Puri- 
 tanism ! "And let all thy ways be established " — 
 (Ps. cxix, 5.) Or a promise, 'And all thy ways 
 shall be established,' as the reward of pondering 
 well tliy 'path (ch. xvi, 12 ; 1 Chr, xxii. 13 ; cf. 
 2 Chr. xxiv. 20). 27. Turn not to the right hand 
 nor to the left— (y. 25.) The image is from the 
 king's highway (Num. xx. 17 ; Deut. ii. 27). God's 
 holy law is our heavenly King's highway. AVe 
 must not in the least turn aside from it into the 
 by-ways of superstitious will -worship on the 
 one hand, and unbelieving self-sufficiency on the 
 other (Deut. v. 32; xvii. 11, 20). The least de- 
 clension from the truth of God, doctrinal or 
 l)ractical, is sinful and dangerous (Matt. v. 19; 
 Jas. ii. 10). Cartvjright (in Bridges) says, 'It is as 
 if the royal way was hemmed in by the sea, and a 
 fall over either side were danger of drowning. 
 Some are too greedy, others too ascetic. Some 
 are too bold, others too diffident. Some neglect 
 the One Mediator, others seek more mediators 
 than one. Some flee the cross, others make one. 
 Some tamper with Popery, others, from dread of 
 it, hazard the loss of valuable truth.' 
 
 CHAP. V. 1-2:^.— Prefatory exhortation to the 
 study of wisdom. Warning against the love of strange 
 tvomen, ichose words are smooth, hut who at last 
 bring ruin on their followers {vo. 1-14). Exhortation 
 to the love of one's own wife alone; for the Lord pon- 
 42G 
 
 ders nien^s ways^ and the loicked shall he holden 
 with the cords of his own sins (vi\ 15-23). 
 
 1. My son, attend unto my wisdom . . . my 
 understanding— i. e., unto the words of wisdom 
 and understanding which I address to. thee. He 
 demands the youth's attention to a subject little 
 thought of by the lovers of pleasure. 2. That thou 
 mayest regard discretion, and (that) thy lips may 
 keep knowledge — that thy lips may have a discreet 
 and intelligent reply to give to the allurements of 
 l)leasure; as, for instance, to those of the "strange 
 woman" {v. 3; ch. i. 4; Ps. cxix. 100, 101). 
 
 3. For the lips of a strange woman (note, ch. ii. 
 16) drop (as) an honey-comb. "Thy lips," by 
 "keeping knowledge" {v. 2) of "the fear of the 
 Lord," and "the judgments of the Lord," which 
 are, in reality as well as appearance, "sweeter than 
 honey and the honey-comb " (Ps. xix. 10), will 
 counteract her " lips," which only in appearance 
 ' ' drop as an honey-comb. " her mouth is smoother 
 than oil— (Ps. Iv. 21,) which the oil of grace alone 
 can counteract. 4. But her end is bitter as worm- 
 wood — (Eccl. vii. 26.) The flesh promises every 
 delight, but it leaves bitter dregs {Mercer). The 
 strange woman's own end is bitter, and such must 
 be also that of her follower. When she falls, so 
 must he also, sharp as a two-edged sword— 
 therefore only to be foiled with "the Word of 
 God," which is " quick and powerful, and sharper 
 than any two-edged sword" (Heb. iv. 12). 5. Her 
 feet go down to death ; her steps take hold on 
 hell— in awful contrast to "taking hold of the 
 paths of life" (ch. ii. 19). Death of the body: 
 spiritual death here ; eternal death hereafter. 
 6. Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, 
 her ways are moveable, (that) thou canst not 
 know (them). " Lest " expresses this— Her aim and 
 tendency are towards death {v. 6), so that thou 
 canst not jionder the path of life (as I advised thee 
 to do, ch. iv. 26) : do not, therefore, flatter thyself 
 thou canst escape being dragged down with her 
 "to death," if thou dost keep company with her. 
 'Her ways are so moveable' — i.e., so versatile, 
 varied (ch. xxx. 18, 19), and lubricous, and baffling 
 all thy power of ' knowing them ' (cf. Ps. xxxv. 
 8, "at unawares;" Hebrew, 'which he knowetli 
 not of), that thou canst not escape destruction 
 with her, unless thou standest quite aloof from 
 her. Thou canst not touch pitch without being 
 soiled by it. 
 
 7. Hear me now therefore, 0 ye children, and 
 depart not from the words of my mouth. For it 
 
 will not be enough to hear, unless thou shalt ex- 
 press words by deeds {T. Cartwriyht). 8. Remove 
 
 I, 
 
ExJiortation to 
 
 PROVERBS V. 
 
 contentment and chastity. 
 
 8 Remove Hhy way far from her, — and come not nigh the door of her house ; 
 
 9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, — and thy years unto the cruel; 
 
 10 Lest strangers be filled with ^thy wealth, 
 And thy labours he in the house of a stranger; 
 
 1 1 And thou ^ mourn at the last, — when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, 
 
 12 And say. How have I hated instruction, — and my heart despised reproof: 
 
 13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers. 
 Nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me ! 
 
 14 I was almost in all evil — in the midst of the congregation and assembly. 
 
 15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, 
 And running waters out of thine own well. 
 
 16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, — a/z^? rivers of waters in the streets. 
 
 17 Let them be only thine own, — and not strangers' with thee. 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 ^ Matt. f^. 13. 
 
 Eph. h. 11. 
 / Gen. 38. 23, 
 26. 
 
 Jud. 16. 19, 
 21. 
 
 Neh. 13. 26. 
 Hos. 4. 13, 
 14. 
 
 2 thy 
 
 strength. 
 y Deut. 32.29. 
 
 Jer. 5. .31. 
 
 Eora. 6. 21. 
 
 Heb. 13. 4. 
 
 Rev. 21. 8. 
 
 thy way fax from her, and come not nigh the' door 
 of her house. Not only do not enter in, but do 
 not even come nigh her door. The nearer we 
 approach temi)tation, the more alluring it becomes, 
 and the weaker becomes our spiritual strength. 
 Our safety is in flight. "Flee fornication" — 
 "idolatry" — "youthful lusts" — "these things" 
 (tbe love of money), &c. (1 Cor. vi. 18; x. 14; 
 1 Tim. \a. 11 ; 2 Tim. ii. 22). As to the danger and 
 penalty of sins against the Seventh Commandment 
 cf. chs. ii. 18 ; Vix. 17 ; ix. 18 ; 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10; Rev. 
 xxi. 8. 9. Lest thou give thine honour unto 
 others. "Thine honour"— z. e., thy chastity and 
 purity. Maurer takes the Hebrew as it means in 
 Dan. X. 8, "comeliness;" marg., 'vigour' (cf. vv. 
 10, 11 ; ch. xxxi. 3). By the general term (mascu- 
 line) " others " is meant chiefly the adulteress and 
 the harlot, including all who are connected with 
 her (Gejer) ; and the idols, the worship of which 
 is spiritual adultery (1 Ki. xi. 3, 4). and thy 
 years unto the cruel— the adulteress, who ruins 
 both body and soul (chs. vi. .32 ; vii. 22, 23, 26, 27), 
 and all the cruel retinue who follow in her train, 
 and the incensed relatives (ch. vi. 33-35; Gen. 
 xxxiv. 25; xlix. 5, "instruments of cruelty are 
 in their habitations:" Simeon and Levi, the de- 
 stroyers of Shechem and his people, for his having 
 ravished Dinah); and worst of all, Satan, the 
 deadly enemy of man. 10. Lest strangers be 
 filled with thy wealth, and thy labours (be) in the 
 house of a stranger. " Strangers " mean the adul- 
 teress, her husband, and children, or else her fa- 
 vourites. For it is not thee that she wants, but 
 "thy wealth" and "thy labours" — i. e., thy hard 
 earnings (Ps. cxxvii. 2 ; Isa. Iviii. 3). Maurer 
 translates, ' And lest strangers (be filled) with (the 
 fruits of) thy labours in the house. ' Thus the ellip- 
 sis of " be " is avoided. But the Chaldaic, LXX., 
 Vul^te, Arabic, Syriac, and Ethiopic, all support 
 the English version. 11. And thou mourn at the 
 last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed. 
 "At the last"— viz., when the final consequences 
 of thy sin overtake thee : when all the powers of 
 thy body are consumed. 12. And say, How have 
 I hated instruction, and my heart despised re- 
 proof—reverting to ch. i. 20. The sinner shall at 
 last marvel at his own amazing folly in times jjast ; 
 but his remorse shall then be too late (ch. i. 28). 
 Hatred of having the truth told him, and a heart 
 and will despising reproof, he now sees were his 
 ruin. Oh that men would discern their truest 
 interest whilst the day of grace lasts ! After- 
 wisdom will only add to the bitterness of perdi- 
 tion. 13. And have not obeyed the voice of my 
 teachers, nor Inclined mine ear to them that in- 
 structed me ! " Teachers "—religious instructors, 
 I>areiits, ministers of the Word. 14. I was almost 
 in all evil in the midst of the congregation and ' 
 497 
 
 assembly. There was scarcely any sin that I did 
 not engage in ; and this, in the midst of the con- 
 gregation and assembly— i. e., openly, shamelessly, 
 in the assembly for worship, where of all places I 
 should have abstained from evil : like the Israelite 
 committing fornication with the Midiauite wo- 
 man in the sight of all the congregation (Num. 
 XXV. 6, 7 ; Ezek. viii. 5-16) ; and like Eli's sons 
 "at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation 
 (1 Sam. ii. 22). The "congregation" — Hebrew, 
 Quahal — means the whole body of worshippers, the 
 Church [e/c/cXrjo-t'a], without reference to a fixed jjlace 
 or appointed time of meeting. The "assembly" 
 — Hebrew, Heedah [nip] — means, on the contrary, 
 an appointed meeting of the congregation at a fl^ed 
 2place and time. Every assembly of persons meet- 
 ing together is Heedah. But a great consenting 
 assembly or body, consisting of the citizens of one 
 state as distinct from others, is Quahal. The 
 church and the congrenation is the best translation. 
 Lust makes men shameless and reckless as to all 
 sin. 
 
 15. Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and 
 running waters out of thine own well. As all desire 
 resembles thirst, to drink water means to gratify 
 desire, and the woman is compared to a well. Em- 
 brace thine own wife, and enjoy her love alone. 
 Enjoy only lawful pleasures. So the heavenly 
 spouse is called "a fountain sealed " (Song iv. 12; 
 contrast ch. xxiii. 27, "A whore is a deep ditch; 
 and a strange woman is a narrow pit"). To allay 
 thirst at poisonous and filthy waters would be 
 suicidal folly. In Eastern countries the two 
 sources of supply of water are wells of living water 
 and cisterns of rain water, covered over. The 
 appropriateness of the image appears from the 
 fact, that each house had its own cistern (2 Ki. 
 xviii. 31 ; cf. the same image, ch. ix. 17 ; Isa. 
 xlviii. 1 ; li. 1). As heretofore he had warned the 
 youth against the strange woman, so now he ex- 
 horts to faithfulness to the lawful wife. 16. Let 
 thy fountains be dispersed abroad, (and) rivers of 
 waters in the streets— i. e., by being faithful to 
 thine own wife thou shalt have an overflowing off- 
 spring from thee going forth into the streets to the 
 various honourable duties of life (Num. xxiv. 7). 
 As the wife is the well, so the children are the 
 waters from it. An abundant progeny is a special 
 gift from God (Ps. cxxvii. 3 ; cxxviii. 3). The pro- 
 mise here follows the precept in v. 15. The reward 
 is the result of obedience. The negative reading 
 rests on insufficient authority, " Let not thy foun- 
 tains be dispersed." As to children " in the 
 streets" cf. Zech. viii. 5. The union of one hus- 
 band to one wife tends to a numerous offspring ; 
 concubinage generally causes barrenness. 17. Let 
 them be only thine own, and not strangers' with 
 thee. Let thy children know thee alone as their 
 
Warning against 
 
 PKOVERBS VL 
 
 being a surety. 
 
 18 Let thy fountain be blessed: — and rejoice with ''the- wife of thy youth. 
 
 19 Let "-her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; 
 Let her breasts ^satisfy thee at all times; 
 
 And ^be thou ravished always with her love. 
 
 20 And why wilt thou, niy son, be ravished with, a strange woman, 
 And embrace the bosom of a stranger ? 
 
 21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord^ 
 And he pondereth all his goings. 
 His ^own iniquities shall take the wicked himself. 
 And he shall be holden with the cords of his ^ sins.. 
 He ^shall die without instruction; 
 And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray. 
 
 MY son, "^if thou be surety for thy friend, 
 2/ thou hast * stricken thy hand with a stranger,. 
 
 22 
 
 23 
 
 6 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 ^ Mai. 2 14. 
 «■ Soi'g2 9. 
 
 Song 4, 5. 
 
 Song 7. 3. 
 
 3 water 
 thee. 
 
 4 err thou 
 always in 
 her love. 
 
 J 2 Chr. 16.9. 
 Job 31. 4. 
 Ps. 9. 15. 
 
 5 sin. 
 
 I Job 4. 2t, 
 
 CHAP. 6. 
 ch. 21. 13. 
 
 6 Ezra 10. 19. 
 
 parent, and do thou know them as the childl-en of 
 thyself, and not of strangers. The child of an 
 adulteress or harlot, on the contrary, is the child 
 of many fathers. Maurer, &c., understands "thy 
 fountains " [v. 16) of the wife, not of the children. 
 Let thy wife be fruitful in giving birth to children. 
 So here. Let thy wife be for thyself alone, and not 
 common to thee with others. But the plural 
 " fountains " seems to refer rather to the children, 
 as the singular, "thy fountain" {v. 18), to the 
 wife. 18. Let thy fountain he blessed: and re- 
 joice with the wife of thy youth. The first clause 
 refers to verse 16, the second to verse 17. "Thy 
 fountain " is the womb of thy wife (Lev. xx. 18). 
 Be so faithful to thy wife that God shall bless thee 
 with a numerous offspring (Ps. cxxviii. 3, 4, "Thy 
 wife shall be as a fruitful vine,. &;o. Behold thus 
 shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. " 
 "Rejoice with," or "in the wife of thy youth," 
 stands in beautiful contrast to v. 11, " And thou 
 mourn at the last." Thou shalt have cause, when 
 old and towards the end of life, to rejoice on ac- 
 count of thy long union with the wife whom 
 thou didst wed in youth, tlie season of ardent love, 
 and by whom thou hast a numerous offspring (con- 
 trast ch. ii. 17, where cf. note, Mai. ii. 14). 19. (Let 
 her be as) the loving hind and pleasant roe— or 
 antelope ; chamois : from a Hebrew root to ascend 
 or climb rocks. Emblems of beauty, love, and 
 faithfulness (Song ii. 9; iv. 5; vii. 3). Let her be 
 the husband's chief delight, let her breasts sa- 
 tisfy thee at all times. " Satisfy "—^i^. , 'copi- 
 ously water;' i. e., satisfy thy (conjugal) thirst. 
 Bayne translates, ' inebriate ' Kp:]. and be thou 
 ravished always with her love— Zi^., 'err;' i.e., 
 \)Q transported out of thyself with her love. If 
 err, or be transported thou must, let it be with 
 tliine own wife's love, not with that of an harlot 
 or adulteress (cf. v. 20). 20. And why wilt thou, 
 my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and 
 embrace the bosom of a stranger ? When there 
 are so many advantages in conjugal love, and losses 
 in adulterous love, what madness, baseness, and 
 danger it is to seek the embraces of a harlot or 
 a<lulteress ! 21. For the ways of man are before 
 the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his 
 goings— (2 Chr. xvi. 9; Jer. xxxii. 19; Zech. iv. 
 10.) This answers by anticipation the objection 
 of the whoremonger,— I will act with such caution 
 and secrecy as to evade all the penalties of fornica- 
 tion and adultery. But this is impossible, " i^'or 
 the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord," 
 &c. As the argument in the first clause is from 
 the omniscience of God, so that in the second is from 
 His justice,—'"'' He pondereth " — i. e.. He weighs in 
 an even balance, and will reward accordingly "all 
 man's goiiiJ^s." 22. His own iniquities shall take 
 423 
 
 the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with 
 the cords of his sins— (Ps. ix. 15.) The adulterer 
 and fornicator flatters himself he can easily extri- 
 cate himself from the penalty, as well as from the 
 sin, to which he now gives way. But it is not 
 merely the cords of the punishment, but the cords 
 of his own sins, th^t hold him enchained against 
 the judgment of the last day : he shall then be 
 self-condemned. As sin is its own punishment, 
 escape from sin's punishment is impossible to the 
 unchanged sinner (Rev. xxii. 11). The licentious 
 flatter themselves that in old age, when the pas- 
 sions are less fiery, they will easily extricate them- 
 selves from the dominion of their lusts, and re- 
 pent and seek salvation. But Job xx. 11 declares 
 that the old sinner's " bones are full of the sins of 
 his youth, which shall lie down with him in the 
 dust." Augustine, after experience ('Confession,' 
 B. vi.), says, ' Whilst lust is being served, the habit 
 is formed; and whilst the habit is not being re- 
 sisted, necessity is formed.' 23. He shall die with- 
 out instruction — without the disciplinary instruction 
 (sa the Hebrew) which is the privilege of the chil- 
 dren of God (ch. iii. 11, 12), and therefore without 
 the saving "wisdom" and "knowledge" which 
 are its blessed fruits (Job iv. 21 ;. xxxvi. 12). This 
 is the just retribution in kind for his haviug "hated 
 instruction " {v. 12). God punishes sinners by giv- 
 ing them their own way. and in the greatness of 
 his folly he shall go astray. The same Hebrew 
 verb as in vo. 19, 20, was translated "be 
 ravished," marg., err. His erratic love, which 
 ravished him, shall be judicially made his punish- 
 ment by becoming everlasting error (ch. i. 31). 
 
 CHAP. VL 1-35. — Warning against suretiship 
 {vv. 1-5) ; against indolence, by the example of the ant 
 {vv. 6-11) ; against crafty mischievoiisness {w. 12-15) ; 
 against seven things hateftd to the Lord {vv. 16-19) ; 
 against intercourse with a ivhorish ivoman {vv. 24-25) ; 
 jyreiaced by an introductory setting forth of the bless- 
 edness of obeying the commandment, and what it can 
 do tor the young in going, sleeping, and waking {vv. 
 20-23). 
 
 1. r,Iy son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if 
 thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger— if 
 
 thou hast given thy promise, by giving the hand, 
 to be responsible for a stranger. The allusion is to 
 the custom of the surety putting his hand with a 
 quick movement and a clap into the hand of the 
 creditor. "Thy friend" is used in a wide sense,^ 
 as the parallel, "a stranger," shows. Kabvenaki 
 (in ' Poli. Synopsis ') thinks that " thy friend " is the 
 same as " a stranger." He who had been a pro- 
 fessed friend, after thou hast become surety for 
 him, becomes estranged from thee, owing to the 
 disagreements which often arise in such money 
 matters. As the same Hebrew particle [ *?] is be- 
 
t'/arning against 
 
 PROVERBS VI. 
 
 sloth/illness. 
 
 2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, 
 Thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. 
 
 3 Do this now, my son, and deUver thyself, 
 When thou art come into the hand of thy friend ; 
 Go, humble thyself, ^and make sure thy friend. 
 
 4 Give ^not sleep to thine eyes, — nor slumber to thine eyelids. 
 
 5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, 
 And as a bird from the hand of the fowler. 
 
 6 Go ^to the ant, thou sluggard; — consider her ways, and be wise: 
 
 7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 
 
 8 Pro"\ddeth her meat in the summer, — and gathereth her food in the harvest. 
 
 B. C. lOOO, 
 
 Or, so 
 Shalt 
 thou 
 prevail 
 with thy 
 friend. 
 Gen. 2!, 33. 
 Ruth 3. 18. 
 Ps. 132. 4. 
 Eccl. 9. 10. 
 Matt. 24.17. 
 Job 12. r. 
 ch. 1. 17. 
 
 fore both nouns for thy friend " — '/or (the English 
 version, loith) a stranger,' we cannot translate, 'If 
 thou be surety to a friend— /or a stranger' (as 
 Bayne), — nor '/or a friend— i^o a stranger ' (as 
 Mercer, Gejer; so Arabic, Cbaldaic, Vulgate, Sy- 
 riac, LXX. Cf. chs. xi. 15; xxii. 26). Next after 
 uncbastity, youths need to be warned against ruin- 
 ous improvidence and rashness in incurring obliga- 
 tions which tbey find it hard to fulfil consistently 
 with honesty and due regard to their own and 
 their families' interests (1 Thess. iv. 12 ; 1 Tim. y. 
 8). This precept does not forbid suretiship in 
 cases where charity and brotherly kindness dictate 
 it (cf. Gen. xlii. 37 ; xliii. 9). It only forbids such 
 suretiship as is without a dne regard to one's self, 
 to him for whom yon are surety, and to the other 
 party to m hom you make yourself bound. 2. Thou 
 art snared with the words of thy mouth— the 
 consequent of the antecedent supposition " If — if" 
 (v. 1). Bayne, Maurer, (t-c, carry on the "if" to 
 this verse, ' (If) thou art snared' — tlien the conse- 
 quent begins at v. 3, "Do this," &c. But the 
 English version needs no ellipsis to be supplied, 
 and is therefore better. Accordingly, the repeti- 
 tion of " my son" {v. 3) marks a fresh proposition 
 beginning there. After the act of suretiship fol- 
 lows the danger, "Thou art snared," &c. Thou 
 thoughtest mere "words " could not involve thee; 
 but "thou art taken." Heretofore thou wast free, 
 now thou art bound .fast. Careless youths think 
 the utterance of a few words and giving the hand 
 a light matter. But they forget what weight there 
 is in words and in pledging themselves. 3. Do this 
 now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art 
 come into the hand of thy friend. Lose not a 
 moment in seeking a remedy for the evil in which 
 thou hast involved thyself. Though he be a friend 
 into whose power thou hast fallen, still extricate 
 thyself from it if possible ; either by prevailing on 
 tJte. dehtor to release thee from thy promise of being 
 his surety, or by inducing tlie creditor or the judge 
 to release thee. V. 1 makes it likely that by 
 "thy friend" is meant the dehtor. go, humble 
 thyself- lit.,2>re.sew^ thyself to he trodden under foot, 
 like a slave before his master. As by suretiship 
 thou hast i)assed from under thine own i)Ower to be 
 under another, tlioii must act as slaves do (Ps. 
 Ixviii. 30). and make sure thy friend [ann]— lit., 
 ^ strenqfhen thy friend;' comfort with good words 
 the debtor, thy friend, that he may take the whole 
 liability on himself. Or else, prevail on him to do 
 80 (cf. wMrf/in). ^Solicit thy friend' (Syriac ver- 
 sion. Somewhat similarly the LXX. and Chaldaic). 
 " JJumhle thyself" on one hand, and on the other 
 *bear thyself stron// towards thy friend^ {Mercer, 
 who takes " thy friend " to mean t?ie creditor). The 
 Hebrew may also be plural, ' strengthen,' or ' mul- 
 tiply thy /ne^« ' viz., to act as intercessors. 
 4. Give not Bleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to 
 thine eyelids— before that thou hast released thy- 
 self from the obligation (cf. the phrase Ps. cxxxii. 
 
 4). 5. Deliver thyself as a roe (the emblem of 
 fleetness, 2 Sam. ii. 18; 1 Chr. xii. 8) from the 
 hand (of the hunter), and as a bird from the 
 hand of the fowler. As a bird has no small regard 
 for its freedom, but tries with its beak at every 
 chink to find a way of escape, so also do thou leave 
 no means untried. 
 
 6. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her 
 ways, and be wise. From the particular exhorta- 
 tion of the surety to sleei)less energy {v. 4), Solo- 
 mon passes to a general exhortation to industry. 
 God designs us to learn many a lesson from His 
 creatures in the natural world. There is in each 
 creature some spark of the Divine excellency tes- 
 tifying silently against our deficiencies. "Go to 
 the ant "as thy teacher. The ant does not bor- 
 row or beg, nor is it starved by neglecting to pro- 
 vide for its wants in time, but of its own accord 
 burns with zeal for toil, without any one urging it 
 {Gejer, from Basil). All the ants move on the 
 same path {Aristotle, 'Hist.,' ix. 48). The ants 
 that are without a load make way for those most 
 laden {Plutarch). The burden which would be too 
 difficult to carry they divide. The eldest go before 
 as the leaders, and the others follow {(Elian, in 
 'Poli. Synopsis'). They construct their houses 
 and cells under ground, and fill their stores with 
 grain, and hav'^e channels sunk to drain off the rain ; 
 and if their food becomes wet, they bring it out to 
 dry, and hide their food in cells protected from 
 the rain. Moreover, he does not bid us to consider 
 the ant's ways in order that we may be more 
 learned, but that we may " be wise." It is with a 
 view to practice that knowledge is here recom- 
 mended {Bochart). Kirhy and Spence ('Entomo- 
 logy,' p. 313, Ed. 7, London, 1856) doubt that the 
 ants store up their food against winter ; nor does 
 it necessarily follow from the statement here : it 
 simx)ly states, they provide their meat in summer, 
 and gather it in harvest. 7. Which having no guide, 
 overseer, or ruler— i e., no leader of any kind; 
 whereas bees and cranes have. It is the more 
 marvellous that the ants should have such order 
 in the absence of one head. It is therefore the 
 more inexcusable that men, who have so many to 
 urge them to work— parents, preceptors, the ex- 
 ample of the good efi'ects of energy, and the evil 
 effects of indolence — should ever be lazy. Idleness 
 is against nature. Guides, overseers, and rulers 
 should allow none under them to be indolent. 8. 
 Provideth her meat in the summer, (and) gather- 
 eth her food in the harvest. The heat of summer 
 does not prevent her toiling whilst the favourable 
 season for getting food lasts. The European ants 
 are dormant in winter, and therefore need no food. 
 But there may be some species of ants abroad 
 which have magazines for food. Their Hebrew 
 name, we-ma^aA, is perhaps from namal, 'to cut,' 
 like 'insect,' referring to the cut-off or thin ap- 
 pearance at the junction of the thorax and abdo- 
 men : or else the Arabic nemil, clever. The Arabs 
 
i 
 
 Warning against 
 
 PROVEEBS Vr. 
 
 frowardness. 
 
 9 How long wilt thou sleep, 0 sluggard ? 
 When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep ? 
 
 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,— a little folding of the hands to sleep 
 
 1 1 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, 
 And thy want as an armed man. 
 
 12 A naughty person, a wicked man, — walketh with a froward mouth. 
 
 13 He ^winketh with his eyes, — he speaketh with his feet; 
 He teacheth with his fingers ; 
 
 14 Frowardness is in his heart, -^"he devise th mischief continually; 
 He ^soweth discord. 
 
 15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; 
 Suddenly shall he ^be broken without remedy. 
 
 16 These six doth the Lord hate ; 
 
 B. C. loco, 
 
 * Job 15. 12. 
 
 Ps. 35. 19. 
 
 Ch. 10. 10. 
 / Ps. 36. 4. 
 
 Isa. 32. r. 
 
 I.=a. 57. 2^. 
 
 Eze. 11. 2. 
 
 Mic. 2. 1. 
 
 Matt. 26. 4. 
 2 casteth 
 
 forth. 
 0 2 Chr. 36. 
 16. 
 
 Ps. 50. 22. 
 
 Jer. 19. 11. 
 
 used to place an ant in a new-born infant's hand, 
 saying, May the boy turn out clever. She is a 
 tacit reproof to the indolent youth, who thinks 
 only of the present, and makes no provision for the 
 future, now in the summer-time of his life. Our 
 whole present life is the time for action ; the 
 future, for retribution, which shall be ushered in 
 by the judgment: the latter is the harvest (cf. 
 Matt. XXV. 3, 4). ' The ant has three apartments 
 —one, the general lodging of all; a second, for 
 storing food ; a third, the repository of the dead ' 
 (Plutarch). (Elian (v. 49 ; vi. 43) says, ' They bury 
 their dead, and so purify their dwelling; they hide 
 them in the follicles of the grains.' The LXX., 
 Arabic, Clemens Alexandrinus.Origen, and ^asi/ add 
 here, ' Or go to the bee, and learn how laborious 
 she is, and how^ she plies her august task ; the 
 fruit of whose toils both kings and private indivi- 
 duals enjoy healthfully. And she is desired and 
 renowned before all ; and thougli weak in strength, 
 is advanced through the honour she pays to 
 wisdom.' The Hebrew, Chaldaic, Vulgate, and 
 Syriac reject it. 9. How long wilt thou sleep (lit., 
 lie), 0 sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy 
 sleep ? The ant even at night, by moonlight, carries 
 corn to her store. God designed man to "go forth 
 unto his work, and to" his labour, until the even- 
 ing" (Ps. civ. 23). The Latin rule is, 'Septem 
 horas dormi, tres audi, accumbe duabas, Daque 
 decern studiis, expatiare duas ;' which allows but 
 seven hours for sleep. 10. Yet a little sleep, a 
 little slumber, a little folding of the hands to 
 sleep. This is an ironical imitation of what the 
 sluggard says when called on [v. 9) to awake out of 
 sleep. There is a descending gradation from deep 
 "sleep" to "slumber," and from this to 'folding 
 the hands ' over the breast, the attitude of one 
 composing himself to sleep. 11. So shall thy 
 poverty come as one that travelleth — who 
 actively and steadily advances nearer and nearer 
 his journey's end. So the Vulgate and the LXX. 
 make it a traveller bent on doing thee evil : a high- 
 wayman. So Gesenius. J/awrer makes it 'a patrol,' 
 a soldier unexpectedly coming upon thee ; to cor- 
 respond to "an armed man" whom thou canst not 
 repel. The English version is the best. The more 
 thou delayest and sleepest, the more poverty has- 
 tens to the. The Piel conjugation in the Hebrew 
 intensifies the signification, ' as one that travelleth 
 strenuously.'' and thy want as an armed man— 
 lit, 'a shielded man;' impetuous, and furnished 
 with arms of defence and offence, whereas thou 
 art unarmed and half asleep (cf. ch. xxiv. 34, 
 note). 
 
 12. A naughty person (lit., a man of Belial— i. e., 
 worthlessness), a wicked man, walketh with a fro- 
 ward mouth. After indolence, he subjoins the op- 
 posite fault, busybody— frowardness of heart and 
 430 
 
 mouth, which is often the effect of the former 
 ¥ or idleyiess is the mother of mischief. "Pride, 
 fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness" were 
 the source of Sodom's "iniquity" (Ezek. xvi. 49). 
 The "idle" are sure to be "tattlers and busy- 
 bodies, speaking things which they ought not " 
 (1 Tim. V. 13). He who is nobody in deeds is often 
 strong in words. He whose hands are idle has a 
 tongue anything but idle ; and he tries by words 
 suited to men's humours to win that favour which 
 he cannot by deeds [T. Cartwright). "Walketh' 
 \m\A\e^ progress in evil; as the tendency of all sin 
 is to grow more and more inveterate (cf. Jer. vi. 
 28, " Walking with slanders ;" and Ps. Ixxiii. 0). 
 The froward mouth refers to lying words for mis- 
 chief's sake (v. 14). 13. He' winketh with his 
 eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with 
 his fingers. He makes secret signs with all these 
 members; the mark of a deceitful and malignant 
 man (ch. x. 10; Ps. xxxv, 19, " Neither let them 
 wink with the eye that hate me "). When he dare 
 not speak openly, he expresses by a sign the 
 wicked deed that he wants to be done. Cf. on 
 "teacheth" — i.e., gives instructions to his tools 
 what is to be done— "with his fingers," Isa. Iviii. 
 9, " The putting forth of the finger, and speakinc^ 
 vanity." Besides his mouth, he lays himself out 
 wholly, by gesticulation with every member, to 
 impose. ' Thus we see the idle [apyov^] to be 
 over-busy [Trepiepyovs], and those who will not 
 move even their little finger to any good work, to 
 be very energetic in badness' [T. Cartwrighf). 
 14. Frowardness (is) in his heart, he deviseth 
 mischief continually; he soweth [lit, casteth 
 forth) discord— the Hebrew plural, ' froward- 
 nesses.' His heart is so full of them that he can- 
 not help giving vent to them by gestures and 
 w^ords (cf. the figure of a baker and his oven, Hos. 
 vii. 6). The Hebrew for " devisetli " [anin] is from 
 a root meaning to plow ; so that the metaphor is 
 the same as in "soweth." As the agriculturist 
 applies himself wholly to the plowing and sowing of 
 his land, so the froward gives himself wholly to 
 iniquity, seeking his harvest of gain or of enjoy- 
 ment of malignity in traducing and lying, or in 
 praising with words, whilst all the time traducing 
 by signs. ' If the godly, on the contrary, put their 
 hand to the plow of sin at times, yet they look 
 back, and do not sow the bad seed so as to dis- 
 seminate it far and wide' (T. Cartwright). 15. 
 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; 
 suddenly shall he be broken without remedy- 
 like a potter's vessel which, once broken, cannot 
 be mended (Ps. ii. 9 ; Kev, ii. 27). The word 
 " suddenly " shows thp vanity of the sinner's hope 
 that he shall have the time or the gift of repent' 
 ance (Job xxi. 17, J8; Ps. Ixxiii. 19). 
 le, These §Jx things dotji tjie Lord hate ; ye?i, 
 
SSetm things 
 
 PROVERBS VI. 
 
 hateful to God. 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 Yea, seven are an abomination ^unto him : 
 
 17 * A proud look, ''a lying tongue, — and hands Hhat shed innocent blood, 
 
 18 An •'heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, 
 *Feet that be swift in running to mischief, 
 
 19 A ^false witness that speaketh lies, 
 And he that soweth discord among brethren. 
 
 My "^son, keep thy father's commandment, 
 And forsake not the law of thy mother : 
 Bind them continually upon thine heart, 
 And tie them about thy neck. 
 
 22 AMien thou goest, it shall lead thee ; 
 When thou sleepest, it shall keep thee ; 
 
 And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. 
 
 23 For "the commandment is a ^lamp; and the law is light; 
 And reproofs of instruction ai-e the way of life : 
 
 24 To keep thee from the evil woman, 
 
 From the flattery ^of the tongue of a strange woman. 
 
 25 Lust ^not after her beauty in thine heart; 
 Neither let her take thee with her eyelids : 
 
 B. C. lOGO. 
 
 3 of his soul. 
 
 4 Haughty 
 eyes. 
 
 h- Fs. 5. 6. 
 
 Ps 120. 2. 
 
 ch. 12. 2?, 
 
 Hos. 4. 1. 
 
 John 8. 44. 
 i ch. 1. 11. 
 
 Isa. 1. 13. 
 
 Isa. 59. i-5. 
 
 Gen. 6. 5. 
 
 ch. 21. 8. 
 
 Isa. 59. r. 
 
 Kom. 3. 15. 
 i Ps. 27. 12. 
 ™ Eph. 6. 1. 
 " Ps. 19. 8. 
 
 5 Cr, candle. 
 
 6 Or. of the 
 strange 
 tongue. 
 
 " 2 Sam. 11.2- 
 5. 
 
 seven are an abomination unto Mm— lit., unto his 
 soul. The Ketib (Hebrew text) reads, ' abominable 
 things ;' but the Keri reads as the English version. 
 As to the phrase " six . . . and seven " to imply an 
 accumrdation, cf. note, Amos i. 3, Solomon passes 
 from the description of the fro ward man [vv. 12-15) 
 to setting forth the many sins which accumulate 
 themselves in him, and which bring on him sud- 
 den and irremedialDle calamity. He fixes on those 
 sins which are most prejudicial to one's neighbour ; 
 as it is of these that the context is S])eaking. 17. 
 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that 
 shed innocent blood. The " proud look , 
 'haughty eyes ' (Ps. xviii. 27; ci. 5; cxxxi. 1) — 
 etands first; as it is often characteristic of the idle 
 and froward (though such a one is utterly without 
 anything to be proud of, ch. xxvi. 16) ; and it 
 especially " soweth discord " {v. 19). Eph. iv. 2, on 
 the contrary, puts "lowliness" first, as being tlie 
 basis of all other graces. 18. An heart that de- 
 viseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in 
 running to mischief. The heart (not merely evil, 
 as all men's hearts are naturally, but) deliberately 
 and continually, of set purpose, devising wicked 
 rnia/jinations is set the middle of the seven 
 abominations, for it is the centre whence the rest 
 emanate. The ' feet swift to mischief expresses 
 the eagerness and unhesitating energy of the bad to 
 carry into effect the wickedness which their hea,rts 
 . devise. Though evil thoughts arise in the godly, 
 yet the feet, at the promjitings of conscience as it 
 were, refuse to carry out the bad suggestion of the 
 heart (cf. Isa. lix. 7). Contrast David's conduct 
 when Saul was in his power in the cave at Engedi 
 (1 Sam. xxiv. 5, "David's heart smote him, be- 
 cause he had cut off Saul's skirt"): so after the 
 numbering of tlie people (2 Sam. xxiv. 10). 19. A 
 false witness that speaketh lies— Zi^., ' blows out' 
 or ' breathes out lies ' {cf. Ps. x. 5, " He pufFeth at 
 them " — his enemies). False v/dness is a particular 
 manifestation of " a lying tongue " iv. 17). he that 
 soweth discord among brethren— by whisperings, 
 and slanders, and flatteries. Such are the results 
 of idleness [vv. 6-10; Ecclesiasticus xxxiii. 27, 
 ' Idleness teacheth much evil '). This clause marks 
 the connection of verses 16-19 with verses 12-15 (cf. 
 V. 14, " He soweth discord "). 
 
 20. My son, keep thy father's commandment, 
 and forsake not the law of thy mother. Grown 
 sons are apt to despise the mother. Solomon pre- 
 4;. I 
 
 faces his charge against whoredom with this gen- 
 eral exhortation, whereby he returns to the law of 
 God as that which parents should inculcate and 
 children obey. 21. Bind them continually upon 
 thine heart, and tie them about thy neck— (ch. 
 iii. 3.) 22. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; 
 when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee ; and when 
 thou awakest, it shall talk with thee— i.e., it 
 (the law of God, which every wise parent will in- 
 culcate on his child) shall be as a companion con- 
 versing with thee, and suggesting subject for 
 meditation, prayer, self-examination, and comfort. 
 It shall lead thee in thy path as a guide {v. 23 ; Ps. 
 Ixxiii. 24). " It shall keep thee " from Satan, and 
 bad thoughts, and bad dreams, and from all dan- 
 gers to the body (ch. iii. 23, 24 ; Ps. cxxi. 3-8). The 
 promise confirms the exhortation. 23. For the 
 commandment is a lamp ; and the law is light 
 — illuminating the soul, and guiding us into the 
 true path of faith and life (Ps. xix. 8 ; cxix. 105). 
 This gives the reason why he has said, The com- 
 mandment shall lead thee (v. 22). and reproofs 
 of instruction (disciplinary reproofs) are the way 
 of life. Reproofs coupled with disciplinary chas- 
 tening are needed, if we are to learn "the way of 
 life"(ch. iii. 11; Heb. xii. 5). 24. To keep thee 
 from the evil woman, from the flattery of the 
 tongue of a strange woman— lit. , /ro7/i the flattery 
 of the strange tongue, implying that the strange 
 woman (i. e., one who belongs not to thee) is all 
 tongue, and nothing substantial. A sample of 
 V. 22, "The commandment shall keep thee." 
 This one evil— viz., whoredom — is given as an in- 
 stance to show how the commandment can keep 
 us from all kinds of departure from God, which is 
 spiritual adultery. This one is singled out as one 
 to which the young are prone (and he is addressing 
 the young primarily), and as one which springs 
 from idleness {v. 6), "and as that by which so excel- 
 lent a saint as David, too, fell ; that none may be 
 too self-confident, but may know that our safety is 
 in keeping close to God and His law. 25. Lust not 
 after her beauty in thine heart. Not only the 
 outward act but the inward desire is sin (Matt. v. 
 28; cf. Exod. xx. 17). Suppress the first sugges- 
 tions and voluptuous emotions of the nesh. 
 neither let her take thee with her eyelids— with 
 the beauty of her eyelids, and their wanton mo- 
 tion, drawing thee aside from the right way. 
 Oriental females used to paint the eyelids to make 
 
Exliortation to sincere 
 
 PROVERBS VIL 
 
 familiarity with wisdom. 
 
 ■26 For ^by means of a wliorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread; 
 And the adulteress wijl ^hunt for the precious life. 
 
 27 Can a man take fire in his bosom,— and his clothes not be burnt ? 
 
 28 Can one go upon hot coals, — and his feet not be burnt ? 
 
 29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; 
 -Whosoever touch eth her shall not be innocent. 
 
 30 Men do not despise a thief, — if he steal to satisfy his soul when be isliungry: 
 
 31 But ^/he be found, ' he shall restore sevenfold; 
 He shall give all the substance of his house. 
 
 32 But whoso committeth adulter}^ with a woman lacketli ^understanding: 
 He that doeth it Mestroyeth his own soul. 
 
 33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; 
 And his reproach shall not be wiped away. 
 
 34 For jealousy is the rage of a man ; 
 
 Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 
 
 35 ^He will not regard any ransom ; 
 
 Neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts. 
 7 MY son, keep my words, — and lay up my commandments witli tliee. 
 2 Keep "my commandments, and live; 
 
 And ^my law as th^ apple of thine eye. 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 ^ Ch. 5. 8-10. 
 ch. 21. 17. 
 
 20. 
 
 ch. 23. r, 19. 
 Ch. 2 >. 3. 
 Luke 15.30. 
 
 7 the woman 
 of a man, 
 or, a man's 
 wife. 
 
 9 Gen. 39. 14. 
 Eze. If. IS. 
 Ex. 22. 1, 4. 
 
 8 heart. 
 
 * Job bl. 12. 
 Heb. 13. 4. 
 
 9 He wiU not 
 accept the 
 face of any 
 ransnm. 
 
 CHAP. 7. 
 " Lev. 18. 5. 
 
 ch. 4. 4. 
 
 Isa. 55. 3. 
 6 Deut. 32.10. 
 
 the eyes look more beautiful (2 Ki. ix. 30 ; Ezek. 
 xxiii. 40). 26. For by means of a whorish woman 
 (a man is brought) to a piece of bread — to his last 
 cake of bread— i.e., to indigence (ch. xxix. 3; cf. 
 1 Sam. ii. 36, " Every one that is left in thine house 
 shall come and crouch to him for ... a morsel of 
 bread, and shall say, Put me . . . into one of the 
 priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread"), 
 and the adulteress (lit. , the loije of a man. Lev. xx. 
 10) will hunt for the precious life— (cf. Ezek. xiii. 
 18, "Ye (women) hunt the souls of my people.") 
 Intercourse with the " whorish woman" — i. e., the 
 adulterous "wife of a man " is bought at the cost 
 of losi'Bg not only one's substance, but even one's 
 life— the life of nature, of grace, and of eternal bliss. 
 The detected adulterer was put to death. On 
 "precious," cf. Ps. xlix. 8. A dear purchase 
 (Matt. xvi. 26). 27. Can a man take fire in his 
 bosom {i. e., in tlie fold of his garment, across the 
 bosom or lap), and his clothes not be burnt ? Per- 
 haps thou art tempted to think thou shalt escape 
 detection, and therefore hurt. Nay, can one carry 
 fire in one's lap and not be burned ? The adulteress 
 or whore is a fire clasped in one's bosom. 28. Can 
 one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt ? 
 The whoremonger or adulterer treads upon the 
 coals of lust ; and he cannot therefore expect not 
 to be burned by the flame of conscience and of 
 judicial vengeance. Burning was often the penalty 
 of adultery (Gen. xxxviii. 24; cf. Job xxxi. 9-12, 
 " If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, 
 or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door; 
 Then, &c. For this is an heinous crime ; yea, it is 
 an iniquity (to be punished by) the judges. For it 
 is a Are that consumeth to destruction, and would 
 root out all my increase"). 29. So he that goeth 
 in to his neighbour's wife ; whosoever toucheth 
 her shall not be innocent— free from guilt and con- 
 sequent punishment (Num. v. 19 ; Job ix. 28). 
 30. (Men) do not despise a thief, if he steal to 
 satisfy his soul when he is hungry. Men do not 
 think a thief to be beneath judicial cognizance, 
 even though his theft may have had the excuse 
 that it was to satisfy his appetite when he was 
 hungry : how much more shall the adulterer not 
 escape who gratuitously, and without any necessity 
 of nature, violates his neighbour's wife ! 31. But 
 (if) he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he 
 shall give all the substance of his house. Exod. 
 432 
 
 xxii. 1-4 lyrescrihes five-fold, four-fold, Sind Iwo-fo d 
 restitution in the different cases of theft. " Seven- 
 fold," therefore, means plenary and perfect refctitu- 
 tion, seven being the number for perfection. Tiie 
 thief who robs through hunger has to make restitu- 
 tion to the last penny of his property. Still his 
 need causes pity to be felt for him, and his life is 
 si)ared. 32. (But) whoso committeth adultery 
 with a woman lacketh understanding—lit., heart. 
 he (that) doeth it destroyeth his own soul— rather, 
 as the collocation of the Hebrew requires, and as 
 the Chaldaic translates, ' The destroyer of (who- 
 soever would destroy) his own soul, he (emphatical) 
 doeth it ' — such an act. ' If thou desirest safety, 
 my son, do not thou such an act; let those do it 
 who rush on their own perdition ' [Junius). 33. 
 A wound and dishonour shall he get— from the 
 incensed husband, the laM^ and the general opinion 
 of society {vv. 34, 35). and his reproach shall not 
 be wiped away. Among men a perpetual brand of 
 infamy shall be stamped upon him. 'Corpus opes, 
 animum, famam, vim, lumina scortum Debilitat, 
 perdit, necat, aufert, eripit, orbat' (quoted in 
 Bridges). 34. For jealousy (is) {L e., generates) 
 the rage of a man (the husband); therefore he will 
 not spare in the day of vengeance— in the day 
 when he gets the opportunity of wreaking his ven- 
 geance. 35. He will not regard any ransom— i. e., 
 any sum,ho wever large, paid in expiation of th.y adul- 
 tery (Exod. xxi. 30). neither will he rest content, 
 though thou givest many gifts— to bribe the hus- 
 band not to j)rosecute the adulterer, or the judges 
 not to exact full punishment for the adultery. So 
 the Hebrew for "gifts" [nnb'] is used (Deut. xvi. 
 19 ; xxvii. 25 ; Ps. xv. 5). 
 
 CHAP. VII. 1-27.— Prefatory exhortation to 
 retaining firmly wisdom as the safeguard against the 
 strange ivoman [wx 1-5). Graphic picture of how she 
 entraps the unwary youth [vv. 6-23). Concluding 
 summary of warning against her [vv. 24-27). 
 
 1. My son . . , lay up my commandments 
 with thee— (ch. ii. 1.) 2. Keep my command- 
 ments, and live — and so thou shalt live (ch. 
 iv. 4). and my law as the apple of thine eye 
 —lit, 'the blackness of the eye' [pt5'>^^, from to 
 be black: others t^ke it as the diminutive of ish, a 
 man ; a little man being seen in the retina ; as k6(») 
 in Greek means both a virgin and the pupil of au 
 
Jh^ cunning of 
 
 PROVERBS VII. 
 
 a lewd woman. 
 
 3 Bind *^them upon thy fingers, — write them uj)on the table of thine heart. 
 
 4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister ; 
 And call understanding thy kinswoman : 
 
 5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, 
 From the stranger which flattereth with her words. 
 
 6 For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, 
 
 7 And beheld among the simple ones, 
 
 I discerned among ^the youths, a young man void of understanding, 
 
 8 Passing througk the street near, her corner; 
 And he went the way to her house, 
 
 9 In *the twilight, ^in the evening, — in the black and dark night; 
 10 And, behold, there met him a woman 
 
 With the •''attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. 
 
 B. c. \(m. 
 
 Deut. 6. 8. 
 Deut.11.18. 
 the sons. 
 ' ch. 6. 32. 
 ch. 9. 4. 
 Gen. 39. 11. 
 Job 24. 16. 
 Kom. 13.12- 
 14. 
 
 £ph. 5. 11. 
 
 12. 
 in the 
 evening of 
 the d.iy. 
 Gen. 38. 14, 
 
 15. 
 
 eye]. As God woiild have us to Iceep His laiD the 
 apple of our eye, so He keeps His people (Dent, 
 xxxii. 10), in ausvver to their prayer (Ps. xvii. 8), 
 as the apple ofHk eye (Zech. ii. 8). We guard the 
 eye as our most precious and tender member from 
 hurt, and prize it most dearly (cf. Gal. iv. 15). The 
 pupil is the most precious part of the eye, and care- 
 fully guarded by the eyebrows, eyelids, and eye- 
 lashes. As we guard the pupil of the eye from the 
 least mote, which is sufficient to hurt it, so God's law 
 is so tender and holy a thing that the least viola- 
 tion of it iu thought, word, or deed, is sin ; and we 
 are so to keep the law as to avoid any violation of 
 it. The law resembles the pupil of the eye also in 
 its being spiritually the organ of light, without 
 which we should be in utter darkness. 3. Bind 
 tiiem upon tliy fingers — as a precious ring, designed 
 to be before the eyes continually as a memorial of 
 one whom thou lovest. write them upon the 
 table of thine heart— (note, chs. iii. 3 ; vi. 21.) As 
 the fingers refer to having them before the eyes 
 ready to be carried into action, so the heart refers 
 to contemplation. 4. Say unto wisdom, Thou (art) 
 m/ sister; and call understanding (thy) kinswo- 
 man. Associate wisdom most closely with thee. 
 The same phrase occurs Job xvii. 14; Song iv. 9, 
 10, ''Thou naat ravished my heart, my sister, my 
 si)Ouse. . . . How fair is thy love, my sister," 
 &c. Since, 0 youth, thou delightest in the inti- 
 macy of the fairest maidens, lo ! here is by far the 
 loveliest one, wisdom [T. Cartwright). The Lord 
 Jesus alludes to this i)assage, Matt. xii. 49, 50, 
 " He stretched forth his hand toward His disciY)les, 
 and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 
 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father 
 which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and 
 sister, and mother." 5. That they may keep thee 
 from the strange woman . . . (which) flat- 
 tereth with her words— (ch. vi. 24.) It is not 
 human vvisdom, but only JJivine, that can secure 
 the young from lust ; such is human frailty, and 
 so powerful is temi)tation. 
 
 6. For at the window of my house I looked 
 through my casement— " the lattice" (Judg. v. 
 28), whence one could see what was going on in the 
 street, without being seen by the passer by. Glass 
 was not as yet used for windows. Job xxviii. 17 
 is translated by some glass, for "crystal." If this 
 be correct, it is the only mention of glass in the 
 Old Testament. TI)ough known, it seems to have 
 not been much used in Israel in early times. The 
 earliest extant specimen of transparent glass is a 
 bottle from the North-west Palace of Nimroud, 
 having on it the name of Sargon— i. e., older than 
 702 B.C. {Layard, 'Nineveh,' ii., 197, 508.) The 
 paraVjolic story here vividly rei^resents the silly 
 youth's iiiexjjerieuce, and the whore's cunning and i 
 flattery, whereby she eutrafis him to his ruin. The ' 
 
 VOL. IIT. 4^ 
 
 parent and the magistrate may hence learn to have 
 a vigilant eye on all that affects the well-being of 
 those under their chai^ge. 7. And beheld a,mong 
 the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, 
 a young man void of understanding— (ch. vi. 32.) 
 Hot blood, strong passions, combined with weak 
 judgment and inexperience, make the young a 
 ready prey to the seducer. 8. Passing through 
 the street near her corner— in violation of tl^e 
 precept, " Pass not by it, turn from it, and pass 
 away" (chs. iv. 15; v. 8). "Her corner" was in a 
 place where two streets met, and therefore wras 
 laid out to catch youths passing by from two or 
 more directions, and he went the way to her 
 house. "Went" — lit., moved leisurely and with 
 studied gait, with stately air and bearing 
 Judg. V. 4, "marchedst;" Ps. Ixviii. 7J, such as is 
 that of youths who wish to please women. Cir- 
 cumstances which give an occasion to sin are to be 
 noticed and avoided. They who love danger fall 
 into it. The youth (as v. 21 shows) did not go with 
 the intention of defiling himself with her, but to 
 flatter his own vanity by seeing and talking with 
 her, and hearing her flatteries. It is madness to 
 play vath Satan's edged tools. 9. In the twilight, 
 in the evening — (Hebrew, in the evening of the 
 day), in the black and dark night— ^^7., 'in the 
 blackness,' or 'pupil,' 'apple. of the eye' [v. 2), 
 ' of night.' It was at the close of day, W'heu, after 
 twilight is i»ast, "black and dark night" has set 
 in. Lust hates the light, being conscious of its 
 own guilt. Sin hides itself in kindred darkness 
 (Job xxiv. 15; John iii.- 20). The sinner thinks no 
 eye can see him iu the dark ; but God's eye is upon 
 him (Ps. cxxxix. 12), and God often employs 
 others, as Solomou here,.to witness and then ex- 
 I)Ose the sinner's shame^ 10. And, behold, there 
 met him a woman (with) the attire of an harlot, 
 and subtil of heart. How readily those meet who 
 are akin in feelings and aims ! As he seeks evil, 
 so it " meets " him by God's just appointment. 
 The woman had all the open maiks of an harlot : 
 the bare neck, and breasts half exposed, the minc- 
 ing tripi)ing gait, and thin dress, and other incen- 
 tives to excite admiration and lust : therefore the 
 youth was the more inexcusable in being caught 
 by such a one. She disclosed herself wholly to 
 him, excepther " heart." " Subtil" — lit., 'guarded' 
 (Hebrew, Netzurath, from Natzar). Though she 
 steals the heart of others, she herself by no means 
 loses her own ; nay, it is with it that she devises 
 so many subtleties: so in the midst of lust she 
 keeps it well guarded, and ready for all schemes 
 (ch. XXX. 18-20 ; Eccl. vii. 26, ^' I And (Solomon 
 spoke by bitter experience) more bitter than death 
 the woman whose heart is snares and nets "). 
 Though the whorish woman is inferior in intel- 
 lect to the man, yet she makes up for the defect, 
 ^2 F 
 
The cunning of 
 
 PROVERBS VII. 
 
 a lewd woman. 
 
 11 (She is loud and stubborn ^her feet abide not in lier house; 
 
 12 Now is she without, now in the streets, 
 And lieth in wait at every corner.) 
 
 13 So she caught hinj, and kissed him,' 
 
 And ^with an impudent face said unto him, 
 
 14 ^ I have peace offerings with me; — this day have I paid my vows: 
 
 15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, 
 Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. 
 
 16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry. 
 With carved works., with '^fine linen of Egypt. 
 
 17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 
 
 18 Come, :let us take our fill of love until the morning; 
 Let us solace ourselves with loves : 
 
 19 For the goodman is not at home, — he is gone a long journey : 
 
 20 He hath taken a bag of money ^with him. 
 And will conje home at ^the day appointed. 
 
 by canning, and by 5i,cting on raan's bad propien- 
 sities. 11, 12. (Parenthetical description of the 
 whorish woman's characteristics.) (She (is) loud 
 and stubborn ; her feet abide not in her house. 
 " Stubborn." The same word as is applied to 
 Israel represented as an untamed and refractory 
 heifer (Hos. iv. Id). Having cast off the wholesome 
 yoke of religions and social restraints, she is ready 
 for every sin. Instead of the soft {in d gentle voice 
 of feminine modesty, she is " load," and full of 
 words flowing from assurance. A modest woman 
 shrinks from undue i)ublicity, and is a " keeper at 
 home " (Tit. ii. 5), and industrious (ch. xxx-i. 10- 
 31); but she "wanders abont from house to 
 house" (1 Tim. v. 13); disliking home labour, she 
 resorts to places of amusement, the dance, &c. 
 Now (is she) without, now in the streets, and 
 lieth in wait at every corner)— where there is a 
 throng of passei-s to and fro. There is a gradation : 
 first, she is "without" — i. e., out of doors, at her 
 own door or near her house ; then she is "in the 
 streets," farther away from her own house ; then 
 "at every corner lying in wait." 13. So she 
 caught him, and kissed him— instead of waiting 
 for him to make the first advance, as is the course 
 of natural propriety. The Hebrew adage quaintly 
 says, ' The man seeks what he has lost ' — viz., the 
 rib taken from his side for the formation of wo- 
 man, (and) with an impudent face said unto him 
 —lit., 'she strengthened her face, and said.' She 
 now outdid even herself in impudence and im- 
 modesty. 14. (I have) peace offerings with me; 
 this day have I paid my vows— Zi7. , ' Peace offer- 
 ings (were) upon me.' it so happened that to-day 
 I have been paying my vows by offering thank 
 offerings, which were incumbent on me to offer, 
 for peace and prosperity vouchsafed to me. Cf. the 
 same phrase, Ps. Ivi. 12, " Thy vows (are) upon 
 we." How subtle is her device! She virtually 
 says, ' I have an abundant feast of choice meats 
 ready prepared ;' for the choicest and most perfect 
 victims were required for " peace offerings (Lev. 
 xxii. 21), and of these (not so in sin offerings or 
 holocausts) the greatest share was returned to 
 the offerer (Lev. ii. 3 ; vii. 30 ; xix. 6 ; xxii. 29, 30). 
 The indulgence of the palate prepares the way for 
 lust. She indirectly implies her piety. But it is 
 peace offerings or thank offerings, not offerings for 
 sin, that she mentions. The thought of sin must 
 not be suggested to the youth's conscience : that 
 would undo all her scheme. * Though I indulge 
 in amours, do not think I am averse to the worship 
 of God ; nay, I liberally offer to Him : He is now 
 therefore appeased, and will not mind venial 
 434 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 9 Gen. 18. 9. 
 1 Tim. 5. 
 13. 
 
 Tit. 2. 5. 
 
 3 she 
 strength- 
 ened her 
 face, a d 
 said. 
 
 * Peace 
 offerings 
 are upoa 
 me. 
 
 1 1 Ki. 10. 28. 
 Isa. 19. 9. 
 
 6 in his 
 band. 
 
 6 Or. the 
 new 
 • moon. 
 
 offences' {T. Cartivright). 15. Therefore came I 
 forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and 
 I have found thee. She speaks as if he were pre- 
 eminently and solely the object of her love. I 
 want nothing but thee: so dear art thou to me 
 that I did not send any one, but I am come in per- 
 son to seek thee. She adds, " thy face," to imply 
 that she is charmed by his beauty of face and i)er- 
 son. " I have found thee " is the language of one 
 congratulating herself on the happy Providence 
 which has thrown him in her way, as though God 
 Himself were the author of wickedness (cf. 1 Sam. 
 xxiii. 7; 2ech. xi. 5). Ig. I have decked my be4 
 with coverings of tapestry, with carved (works), 
 with fine linen of Egypt. The history (1 Ki x. 
 28) especially mentions that " Solomon had . . , 
 brought out of Egypt . . . linen yarn ; the king's 
 merchants received the linen yarn at a price." 
 " Carved works " means tapestry wrought in varie- 
 gated colours [Maurer). But the Hebrew for 
 ""carved (works)" is ordinarily used of carving 
 wood or stones, so that the reference will thus be 
 to the " carved " pillars of the bed. Hovyever, as 
 it comes between "tapestry" and " liuen," it 
 may refer to the tapestry, metaphorically said to 
 be carved, as resembling carved stones. 17. I have 
 perfumed ray bed. She appeals to every sense. 
 She allures his taste with meats ; his eye with the 
 sight of the richly ornamented tapestry and couch ; 
 his touch with the softness of the linen; his smell 
 with the perfiirnes of the bed : all to inflame his 
 passions. Luxury is tlie soft bed into which Satan 
 throws his dupes when he lulls them in the sleep 
 of death (Amos vi. 4). 18. Coi»e, let us take our 
 fill of love until the morning ; let us solace our- 
 selves with loves. The first clause marks the in- 
 satiable lust and abundance of the loves ; the 
 second, their sweetness. The Hebrew for " love " 
 {dodim) is distinct from that for " loves " [ahahim). 
 Let us take our fill of (or let us make ourselves 
 drunk with) blandishments ; let us exhilarate our- 
 selves with loves. 19. For the goodman (is) not at 
 home, he is gone a long journey. She thus re- 
 moves any fear that the youth may feel. Instead 
 of saying, ' my husband,' she contemptuously calls 
 him "^Ae goodman," as though he were unconnected 
 with her. 20. He hath taken a bag of money with 
 him— lit., in his hand. This shows he is gone a 
 long journe5^ and for some time, or he would not 
 need so much money, (and) will come home at the 
 day appointed— or else, at the day of the full moon. 
 Not till then; so you need have no fear [kqs 
 either from noj, to cover, when the moon is covered 
 
Eu:hortation from 
 
 PROVERBS VIII. 
 
 such wickedness. 
 
 21 With her much fair speech she caused him. ta yield,. 
 With the flattering of her hps she forced him. 
 
 22 He goeth after her^straightwaj^ — ^as an ox goeth ta the slaughter, 
 Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks ; 
 
 23 Till a dart strike through his liver ; — as a bird, hasteth to the snare. 
 And knoweth not that it is for his life. 
 
 24 Hearken unto me now therefore, 0 ye children,. 
 And attend to the words of my moutk 
 
 25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, — ^go not astray in her patlis :. 
 
 26 For she hath cast down many wousnded ; 
 
 Yea, *many ^xougmen have been slain by her. 
 
 27 Her house is the way to- hell, — going dawn to the chambers of death, 
 8 DOTH not "wisdom cry ? — and understanding pu.t forth her voice ^ 
 
 by the sun ; or from odd, to count ; hence, to fix or 
 appoint a time]. 21. With her much fair speech 
 she caused him to jdeld, with the flattering of 
 ■ her lips she forced him. " Her speech "—Hebrew, 
 lekach, ' talcing speech,' captivating speech.. Though 
 fear and conscience in him strove- against her, 
 "she caused him to yield . . . she forced him." 
 Observe the gradation of the verbs, the latter 
 being the climax. Oh that ministers of the 
 Lord had the same diligence and zeal in good as 
 Satan's emissaries have in evil ! 22. He goeth 
 after her straightway^ as an ox goeth to the 
 slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the 
 stocks. " Straightway " implies the youth's pre- 
 cipitancy, and his rash inconsiderateness as to the 
 grievousness of the sin and its penalty : " as the 
 ox goetb to the slaughter," full of alacrity, because 
 he fancies he is being led to the stall or to the pas- 
 turage. "As a fool to the correction of the 
 stocks "— , 'as the stocks,' or ' fetters (go) to 
 the correction of the fool ' or ' malefactor ;' as the 
 fetter or stocks wherewith he is punished follow 
 his foot. The youth sports with his fetters, or is 
 proud of them, and thinks they are put on him as 
 an ornament, or in play (Gejer). The same Hebrew 
 [Dt;3j;] is used for " tinkling ornaments " on the feet 
 of women (Isa. iii, 16-18), as here expresses fetters 
 ' or " stocks." Solomon implies the harlot's tinkling 
 ornaments on her feet provoked the youth 
 with their sound, calling his attention to her 
 gait and form. All the while he knows not that 
 the tinkling ornament on her feet will prove 
 his own fetter (Cornelius a Lapida). 'To love 
 one's fetters, though they be of gold, is the part of 
 a fool ' (Seneca). 23. Till a dart strike through 
 his liver ; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and 
 knoweth not that It (is) for his life. He knoweth 
 not that his following her is at the cost of the pre- 
 sent and eternal life. The " dart " of the husband, 
 the magistrate, Satan, and, above all, God (Job. 
 xvL 13), strikes the youth in body, in resources, in 
 reputation, and, worst of all, in soul. The "liver" 
 is mentioned as a vital part (Lam. ii. 11). 'It is 
 the seat of love ; where, therefore, the youth sinned 
 by love, there he is transfixed with pain' (Gejer). 
 
 24. Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye chil- 
 dren, and attend to the words of my mouth — 
 which, though pungent, are nevertheless faithful 
 and salutary : do not hearken to the " fair speech 
 and flattering lips" (ox 21) of the harlot. 25. Let 
 not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray 
 in her paths. Neither err in fieart (the first clause), 
 nor in movements (the second clause). Suppress 
 the thoughts, appetites, and first motions. " De- 
 cline" expresses the beginning of the sin; 'go 
 I astray,' its continuance.. 26. For she hath cast 
 ; down many wounded ; yea, many strong (men) 
 I have beejL slaiaby h.er nsSolomou, Ui^aQU sub* 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 f suddenly. 
 »• Jud. 16. 21. 
 
 2 Sam. 3. G, 
 
 8. 
 
 2 Sam. 12.9. 
 11. 
 
 1 Ki. 11.1,2. 
 Neh. 13. 2 . 
 1 Cor. 10. 8. 
 2Cor.l2.21. 
 
 CHAP. 8. 
 " ch. 9. 3. 
 Isa. 49. 1-6. 
 iCor. 1. 21. 
 Uol. 3. 
 
 sequently was (Neh. xiii. 25). So Samson and' 
 David previously. It is better to learn by the 
 awful example of others than by our own suffering. 
 Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will 
 learn in no other. "Many strong men," &c. — lit., 
 'all;' i.e., 'strong men of all kinds;' or 'all' 
 means vert/ many. Gejer,, Piscator, Maurer, d-c.,. 
 take it,^ 'all slain by her are numerous^ [as Ci'y 
 often means]. 27. Her house (is) the way to hell, 
 going down to the chambers of death— (chs. v. 5 j; 
 ix 18.) 
 
 CHAR VIII. l^^.— Wisdom herself, openly' 
 cries _ in all places, inviting men to lier (w.. 1-3).. 
 Her invitation: Unto you men I call; hear, and 
 you shall know right things,— truth, righteousness, 
 instruction superior to silver and gold, the fear of 
 the Lord, counsel, wisdom, strength; all to he had 
 by lovingly and early seeking me, — riches and 
 honour in the way of righteousness whereby I lead 
 (vv. 4-21). / am older than the world itself, and 
 loas by God where- He made it, and was His daily: 
 delight, and I in my turn delighted in the habitable 
 earth and in the sons of men (vv. 22-31). Concluding 
 application : Therefore hearken to me, watch daily 
 cut my gates to find me, that .so you may find Divine 
 life, and escape the death which results from hathig, 
 me (vv. 32-36). 
 
 1. Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding 
 put forth her voice?— (ch. i. 20, 21.) She crieth 
 by the written Word, by ministers, and by the 
 dealings of Providence. "Wisdom" is here per- 
 sonal Wisdom, the Son of God. For many per- 
 sonal predicates are attributed to Him: Tlius, 
 subsistence hy or with God, in v. 30 ; just as John 
 i. 1 saith, "The Word was with God," which can- 
 not be said of a mere attribute. Moreover, the 
 mode of subsistence imparted is generation (vv. 22, 
 24, 25). In V. 22 God is said to have possessed or 
 aaywirec? wisdom : not by creation, Ps. civ. 24; nor 
 by adoption, as Deut. xxxii. 6; Ps. Ixxiv. 2; but 
 by generation. The very same Hebrew verb is 
 used by Eve of her first-born, — gotten or possessed 
 by generation (Gen. iv. 1). Moreover, other attri- 
 butes are assigned to Wisdom, as if she were not 
 an attribute, but a person — "counsel," "strength," 
 &c. Also, she has the feelings of a person (v. 17, 
 " I love them that love me "). She does the acts 
 of a person. She enables kings to rule, and invests 
 them with authority (vv. 15, 16). She takes part- 
 in creation, as one brought up, or rather nursed, in 
 the bosom of the Father, as the Only-begotten of- 
 His love (John i. 18). She cries aloud as a person 
 (,?w. 1, 4), and her "lips" and "mouth" are men- 
 tioned (vv. 6, 7). She is the delight of the Father, 
 and she in turn delights in men (vv. 30, 31); an- 
 swering to the rapturous delight into which the 
 Father breaks forth concerning Messiah (Isa. xlii. 
 1;. Matt. iiL 17; xvii. 5;, Eph. i, 6). She builds 9^ 
 
The imitarion PROVEIIBS ¥111. 
 
 
 of Wisdom. 
 
 2 She standeth in the top of high places, 
 By the way in the places of the paths ; 
 
 3 She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, 
 At the coming in at the doors : 
 
 4 Unto you, 0 men, I call ; 
 
 And my voice is to the sons of man. 
 
 5 0 ye simple, understand wisdom ; 
 
 And, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. 
 ,0 Hear; for I will speak of ^excellent things; 
 
 And the opening of my lips shall he right things. 
 7 For my mouth shall speak ^ truth; 
 
 And wickedness is ^an abomination to my lips. 
 
 ^ •. 
 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 t> Pa. 49. 3. 
 
 Ch. 2. 6, r. 
 
 ch. 4. 2. 
 
 ch. 22. iO. 
 
 Col. 1. 26. 
 " Job S6. 4. 
 
 vUiiU X. If* 
 
 John 8. 1'. 
 Eom. 15. 8. 
 Rev. 3. 14. 
 1 the abomi- 
 nation 
 of my 
 
 house, prepares a feast, and sends forth her 
 maidens to invite tlie guests (ch. ix. 1-3). All 
 which admirably applies to Messiah, who builds 
 the Church, as His house, upon Himself the Rock 
 (Matt. xvi. 18; 1 Tim. iii. 15); and invites all to 
 the Gospel feast, (Isa. xxv. 6 : Iv. 1 ; Luke xiv. IG, 
 17, &c. ) He is Wisdom itself absolute, and as the 
 Archetype: from Him Wisdom imparted flows to 
 others. As such. He invites us to learn, wisdom 
 from Him who is its source. "Counsel" and 
 "sound wisdom" {v. 14) are in Him as attributes 
 are in their subject, and as effects are in their cause. 
 The parallel, ch. i. 20, 23, " I will pour out my 
 Spirit unto you" (cf. John vii. 38), conflrms the 
 personal view. The same truth is confirmed by 
 the reproof, ch. i. 24, "Because I have called, and 
 ye refused; I have stretched out the arm,"&c.; 
 compared with Christ's own words (Matt. xi. 
 28; xxiii. 37; Luke xvii. 42). So Christ is called 
 "the Wisdom of God," Luke xi. 49; compared 
 with Matt, xxiii. 34 (cf. Luke vii. 35; 1 Cor. i. 
 24 30, "Christ the Wisdom of God;" Col. ii. 
 3). As Wisdom here saith (u.' 23), "I was set 
 up," or 'anointed' [^npw] "from everlasting;" 
 so the Father saith of Messiah, "I have set" or 
 'anointed' (the same Hebrew, verb) "my King" 
 (Ps. ii, 6). As in v. 24 Wisdom is said to be 
 "brought forth" or hegotten by God before the 
 M^orld, and to have been hy Him in creating all 
 things [vv. 27-30), so Messiah is called the Son of 
 God (Ps. ii. 7; ch. xxx. 4), and is said to have been 
 loith God in the beginning, and to have made all 
 things (John i. 1-3; Col. i. 16; Heb. i. 2), and to 
 have been begotten before ecery creature (Col. i. 15, 
 17); and His goings forth are said, in Mic. v. 2, to 
 hare been from of old, from everlasting. 
 
 Wisdom and her invitations here stand in 
 contrast to the harlot and her lures, (eh. vii.) 
 The interrogation, "Doth not v/isdom cry?" 
 gives the greater force to the Divine remon- 
 strance with those who suffer themselves to be 
 seduced by the harlot's charms. Why do you 
 heed her flatteries, as though there were not 
 anotlier and an infinitely better damsel claim- 
 ing your love and allegiance? Instead of the 
 clandestine whisper of the adulteress in the dark, 
 as she flees the light in alluring her victims, 
 wisdom " puts forth her voice" openly in the day, 
 and in a style intelligible to every capacity, so 
 that .all are left without excuse if they reject 
 her, through preferring darkness to light. 2. She 
 standeth in the top of high places, by the way 
 in the places of the paths. "Standeth" implies 
 assiduous perseverance in her gracious calls to 
 men. Instead of taking her stand in dark places, 
 in a corner (ch. vii. 8), like the harlot (ch. vii. 9), 
 she standeth "in the top of high places," where 
 all going to and fro may hear. "By (Hebrew, 
 above) the way"— i.e., near the way whereby 
 436 
 
 I travellers pass, that she may direct them in their 
 journey. " In the places of the paths "—lit., ' the 
 house of paths;' i.e., where many paths meet 
 (Ezek. xxi. 21, "the i>arting of the way "—lit., the 
 mother of the way). 3. She erieth at the gates 
 (Hebrew, at the hand of the gates), at the entry 
 of the city, at the coming in at the doors. As 
 "the gates" refer to Uie dty ; so "the doors" to 
 the private house. Messiah preached alike on 
 the mount, and then in the plain,— in the country, 
 where many roads met ; then in the city gates, 
 the usual place of mercantile traffic and of judi- 
 cial proceedings ; then in the main street, at every 
 private door (Rev. iii. 20; cf. Luke xiv. 21,23). 
 Those who will go astray and be lost, do so in the 
 face of the plainest w^arniugs and invitations of 
 love. 
 
 4. Unto you, 0 men, I call; and my voice 
 (is) to the sons of man. "O men" (/^7iim)— He- 
 brew, men of high position— &o not tnink my call 
 beneath your dignity to accept. "Sous of man " 
 {Benee Adam)— men of the common sort {Vs. xlix. 
 2). 5. 0 ye simple, understand wisdom; and, 
 ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. 
 "Wisdom" [Cliakmah) in v. 1 is a different He- 
 brew word from that here [nOTiJ'], which is 
 translated in ch. i. 4 subtiity, and lias the double 
 signification of prudence and astuteness. Trans- 
 late here 'prudence.' The "simple" are those 
 liable to be led astray. The "fools" ^-re those 
 actually guilty of sinful folly and error (ch. xxvi. 
 12). Do not go on always in your folly : cease to 
 be of a spiritually unintelligent heart, and become 
 of an understanding heart. 6. Hear ; for I will 
 speak of excellent things— lit., ' ^^rmce^?/ things ' 
 [negidim]. Words that are as princes above all 
 other topics of discourse. [The Greek translators 
 have it vyefioviKu : the LXX. , ae/xva, auqust tilings. ] 
 and the opening of my lips (shall be) right things 
 — lit., rightnesses. Nothing perverse, futile, or of 
 human self-devising (ch. xxii. 20; 2 Tim. iii. IG; 
 cf. Matt. V. 2, Jesus ''opened His mouth, and 
 taught them :" implying the gravity and majesty 
 of One who never opened His mouth save to utter 
 words altogether right, true, and excellent). The 
 minister of Jesus should similarly well weigh His 
 words when he is about to speak to the people. 
 7. For my mouth (Hebrew, 2)alaie) shall speak 
 truth; and wickedness (is) an abomination to 
 my lips. "Speak"— ^ii;., 'meditate,' I will not 
 speak rashly, but with premeditation; implying 
 the meditative thoughtfulness and gravity of the 
 sijeaker's words. The antithetical contrast to 
 " truth " shows that " wickedness " refers here to 
 lying or error, which is the associate of impiety. 
 Everj' lie, even in jest, or though sanctioned by 
 the world's fashion, is " wickedness." Piety aoc 
 only speaks the truth, but does so from the lo'c 
 of the truth and haired of Jalsehood: not for t\xQ 
 
The nature and 
 
 PROVERBS VIII. 
 
 excellency of IVisdom. 
 
 8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness ; 
 
 There is Rothing^^froward or pervers^3 in them, 
 a ^heY are all plain to him that understandeth, , 
 
 And right to them that find knowledge. 
 
 10 Receive my instruction, and not silver; 
 And knowledge rather than choice gold. 
 
 1 1 For wisdom is better than rubies ; 
 
 And all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. 
 
 12 I wisdom dwell with ^prudence. 
 
 And find out knowledge of witty inventions. 
 
 13 The ^fear of the Lord is to hate evil : 
 
 Pride/and arrogancy, and the evil way, and ^the froward mouth, do I hate. 
 14 . Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom : 
 
 B, C. 1000. 
 
 wreathed. 
 ! Job 28. 13. 
 Fs. 19. 10. 
 Ps. 1 : 9. 127. 
 Matt. 10.2). 
 Phil. 3. 8, 
 9. 
 Or, 
 
 subtil ty. 
 ch. 16. 6. 
 1 Sam. 2. 3- 
 Ps. 5. 4. 
 ch. 6. 17, 
 Zedi. 8. 17. 
 1 Pet. 5. 5, 
 ch. 4. 24. 
 
 sake of gain or honour, or through fear of man. 
 8, All tlie words of my mouth (are) in righ- 
 teousness; (there is) nothing froward (lit., dis- 
 torted) or perverse in them. All that I promise 
 or threaten, enjoin or forbid, is characterized 
 by righteousness. There is nothing in my words 
 of the distorted representations of human self-will 
 and error (Ps. cxix. 172). 9. They (are) all plain 
 to him that understandeth, and right to them 
 that find knowledge— (Mic. ii. 7, "Do tot m.y 
 words do good to him that walketh uprightly ? ") 
 "Plaiu to him that understandeth" — viz., by 
 the teaching of the Spirit of God (John.vi. 45). 
 " Right "—i. e., having notliing doubtful or dis- 
 torted (y. 8) — " to them that find knowledge ' '— viz. , 
 after having long and conscientiously sought it 
 (ch. ii. 4). It is only to those whose aim is the 
 fleeting things of this v»'orld that some of my 
 words seem obscure and wrong. If aught in God's 
 Word does not seem to us right, it is because we, 
 BO far, have not found true knowledge. ' To those 
 who have blood-shot eyes, white seems red ' {Lyra). 
 He who would have the sealed book opened to 
 him must ask it of the Lamb who opens the Book 
 (Rev. v, 4-9). This refutes Rome, who would shut 
 the Book from the laity, as though it were too 
 difficult for them to understand. 10. Receive my 
 instruction, and not silver. Thou canst not 
 make as thy chief aim the acquisition of silver 
 and that of true wisdom at one and the same 
 time; for those aims mutually conflict, and each 
 claims the whole man (Matfc. vi. 24). To acce^jt 
 the one involves the rejection of the other as the 
 chief xjorticn. He who lives for money is void of 
 wisdom (Luke xii. 16, 20), and is called in Scrip- 
 ture a "fool." The phrase "and not" does not 
 imply an utter disregard to money, for we cannot 
 rightly avoid some attention to the business of 
 this workl ; but it is used to imply the compara- 
 tire worthlesmess of money when brought in com- 
 petition with heavenly wisdom. Cf. the same 
 phrase, and not, to imply not absolute Tejection, but 
 rejection comparatively (Gen. xxxii. 28; xlv. 8; 
 Exod xvl 8; Isa. xliii. 18; Jer. vii. 22; xvi. 14; 
 Matt. v. .39 ; ix. 13). and knowledge rather than 
 choice gold— than the most precious gold. 11. 
 For wisdom is better than rubies— (cf. notes, ch. 
 iii. 14, L5.) 
 
 12. I wisdom dwell with prudence— T am most 
 intimately associated with her. Cf. the phrase 
 "dwell with," in Isa. Ivii. 15; 1 Tim. vi, 16. 
 " Prudence " or ' subtilty ' in the good sense (He- 
 brew, hanruih). It is translated " wisdom " in v. 
 5— i. e., practical wisdom: not to enable one to 
 deceive (as the Vjad sense of the word expresses), 
 but to keep one from being deceived (cf. Matt. x. 
 16). It directs one where to advance, where to 
 Btop, where to yields where to oi)pose, when to be 
 437.. 
 
 silent, when to speak, what to follow, what to 
 shun, and how to be on our guard against the 
 subtilties of Satan, the world, and the flesh. The 
 world thinks the godly to be fools and unpractical. 
 But true wisdom dwells with prudence. Wher- 
 ever truly prudent counsels are adopted, they are 
 from her : Christ, the fountain of wisdom (Col. i. 
 19; ii. 3), can supply the wise with not only the 
 theoretical knowledge, but also the practical saga- 
 city needed for the conduct of life, and find out 
 knowledge of witty inventions— i. e. , I enable 
 my disciples to 'find out sagacious plans;' lit., 
 knowledge of consideratenesses, so as to order their 
 affairs and their course of life with cautious pru- 
 dence in consonance with the Word of God. 13. 
 The fear of the Lord (is) to hate evil. Here 
 Wisdom gives a sample of her blessed teachings. 
 They consist not in mere abstruse speculations, 
 but in practical inculcation of the fear of the Lord 
 (ch. ix. 10) as her fundamental principle, and its 
 consequence, the hatred of evil (ch. xvi. 6). He 
 who reverently fears God does not approve, ex- 
 cuse, or admit evil, but instinctively and earnestly 
 loathes it in everj^ form, and even shrinks from 
 the appearance of it (1 Thess. v. 22). The hatred 
 of evil includes the love of goodness. The godly 
 avoid evil and do good, not merely from habit, edu- 
 cation, the hope of reward, or the fear of punish- 
 ment, but from hatred of evil and love of good- 
 ness [T. Cartwright). pride, and arrogancy— 
 kindred Hebrew terms {Oeeah, Gaon), to express 
 Iiride of every kind and however manifested— 
 pride of heart, mouth, dress, or acts, and the 
 evil way, and the froward mouth. As pride is 
 mainly in the mind, so "the evil way" is in ac- 
 tion; "the froward mouth" in speaking- viz., it 
 speaks things at variance with the Word of God, 
 with truth, and with love. These all are speci- 
 mens of "evil" which "the fear of the Lord" 
 teaches us to " hate." For the sum of piety con- 
 sists in hating and loving the same things as God 
 hates and loves. "Pride" stands first, as being 
 most opposed to the fear of the Lord, which is 
 associated always with humility. The more we 
 fear the exalted majesty of God, the more we under- 
 stand our own feebleness, want, and misery 
 {Bayne). St. Paul, in raising the structure of 
 good works, lays 'lowliness' or humility as the 
 foundation and beginning of all (Eph. iv. 2, &c. ; 
 cf. Ecclesiasticus x. 12, 13, ' The beginning of 
 pride is when one departeth from God, and his 
 heart is turned away from his Maker : for pride is 
 the beginning of sin.' 14. Counsel (is) mine, and 
 sound wisdom. It is only with me that wisdom, 
 solid, salutary, and substantial, in all possible 
 contingencies, is to be found. Cf. note, ch. ii. 7, 
 on "sound wisdom" — not deceptive, unsubstan- 
 tial, and fleeting, like " the wisdom of this world " 
 
The nature and 
 
 PROVERBS VIII. 
 
 excellency of Wisdom. 
 
 I am understaiidimg ; ^I have strength. 
 
 15 By ^me kings reign, — and princes decree justice. 
 
 16 By me ijrinces rule, — and nobles, even all the jjiidges of the earth. 
 
 17 I -^'love them that love me ; — and ^ those that seek me early shall find me, 
 
 18 Riches ^and honour are vfith. me; — yea, durable riches and righteousness. 
 
 19 My ""fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; 
 And my revenue than choice silver. 
 
 20 I ^lead in the way of righteousness, 
 
 In the midst of the paths of judgment; 
 
 21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; 
 And I will fill their treasures. 
 
 B, C. K 00. 
 
 'I Eccl. 7. 19. 
 i Dan. 2. 21. 
 
 Dan. 7. 14, 
 
 Eom. 13. 1. 
 } 1 Sam. 2. SO. 
 
 John 14. 21. 
 
 Jas. 1. 5, 
 ' Matt. 6. S"?. 
 '"Job. 28. 1", 
 
 cli. 3. 14, 
 4 Or. walk. 
 
 Isa, 55, 2t. 
 
 Eev. 7. 17, 
 
 ■which is " foolishness with God " (1 Cor, iii, 19). 
 1 am understanding {i. e., I am the source of 
 it) ; I have strength. As in the former clause, 
 "counsel" and "sound wisdom" are said to be 
 hers, enabling her disciples to frame good plans ; 
 so she is "understanding" to her disciples, 
 enabling them to execute their good plans. As 
 to the strength which she has at command for 
 them, cf, Eccl, vii. 19, " Wisdom strengtheneth 
 the wise more than ten mighty men which are in 
 the city " (cf. Isa, xxxvi, 5). Also spiritually, 2 
 Tim, i. 7, "God hath not given us the spirit of 
 fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound 
 m,ind." 15. By me kings reign, and princes de- 
 cree justice— (Ps. xviii, 35 ; Dan, ii, 21 ; iv, 26- 
 37; Rom, xiii. 1.) If even "kings" owe their 
 authority, and their power of reigning wisely and 
 happily, to Wisdom, whose embodiment is Mes- 
 siah, the King of kings, much more may we, as 
 private individuals, depend on her for guidance in 
 all our concerns. "Princes" are the chief rulers 
 next to kings ; it is their office, in subordination 
 to kings, to enact laws and administer justice. 
 Whatever of sound justice there is in their legis- 
 lation and judicature is due to Divine Wisdom. 
 16. By me princes rule [Dn^*]— a different He- 
 brew word from that for "princes" [D'^pi] in v. 
 15. The "princes" {rozenim) in t\ 15 were those 
 so named from fineness of intellect (from Hebrew, 
 razah, to make fine) in deciding judicial causes, 
 framing laws, and acting as the king's privy coun- 
 sellors. The sarim or "princes" in v. 16 are the 
 jyrefects over lower departments of the palace and 
 kingdom. 17. I love them that love me ; and 
 those that seek me early shall find me. So the 
 Keri or Hebrew margin reads {Ohabai); but the 
 Ketib or text {Ohabeyah), 'I love them that love 
 Jier,' making it the Word of the Lord concerning 
 them that love Wisdom. In either case the Word 
 of God identifies loving her with loving God Him- 
 self. She cannot be a mere attribute, but a person 
 (if she be the speaker, as she is in the Keri read- 
 ing)— viz., the Divine Son of God (cf. Exod. xx. 6, 
 "Showing mercy unto thousands of them that 
 love me ). Wisdom had kindled the desire after 
 her with various j)romises; now she suggests the 
 mode in which she is to be obtained — viz, , by love, — 
 a mode most calculated to attract men to her. 
 Great as she is, she is not above thy love; nay, 
 she will reciprocate it. Thy love's labour shall 
 not be lost, when it is love that manifests its 
 reality (as the second clause saith) in "seeking 
 wisdom early" — i.e., rising up early, sedulously, 
 and diligently to seek her before all things else. 
 The harlot, worldly pleasure, seeks and is sought 
 diligently by her deluded votaries (ch, vii, 15), 
 Shjxll we not show the same, or rather more dili- 
 gence, in seeking until we find the heavenly Lover 
 of her loving people (Matt. vii. 7), All fancy that 
 they love God, But those who either do not seek 
 43S 
 
 God at all, or seek Him coldly, whilst they eagerly 
 seek the vanities of the world, make it plain that 
 they are led by the love of the world more than 
 by the love of God, Moreover, it is not meant 
 that we are the first to love and find God, not He 
 us, which would contradict Isa. Ixv, 1; Rom, v, 
 6-8 ; 1 John iv. 10-19 ; but the object is to remove 
 desponding doubts from the godly, and to assure 
 them that God loves them, and presents Himself 
 in the way, so as to be found by those who seek 
 Him (cf. Heb. xi. 6), " For if, when we were ene- 
 mies, we were reconciled to God by the death of 
 His Son, much more, being reconciled, w^e shall be 
 saved by his life" (Rom, v, 10). It is implied 
 that the love of God is the fountain and founda- 
 tion of the communication of all blessings, and 
 therefore of perfect blessedness {T. Cartwriyht). 
 18. Riches and honour are with me; (yea,) 
 durable riches and righteousness. "Riches," as 
 well the eternal and heavenly riches, as also tem- 
 poral riches so far as God sees it desirable to 
 add" them to those who "seek first the king- 
 dom of God, and His righteousness " (Matt, vi, 33). 
 "Durable" — lit., attaining old age, and so endur- 
 ing, strong: thus the same Hebrew word [ppr] is 
 applied to "the Ancient of days" — i. e., the Ever- 
 lasting One (Dan. vii. 9), "Righteousness" is 
 associated with these "durable riches," in con- 
 trast to the world's perishing riches, which being 
 ill-gotten are soon ill-gone. In Christ there are 
 for the believer at once "durable riches" and 
 "righteousness : " outside of Him there is neither 
 (Eph, iii, 8; 1 Cor. i, 30). 19. My fruit (is) better 
 than gold, yea, than fine gold, "My fruit" is 
 the benefit derived from me (ch. iii. 14). and my 
 revenue than choice silver— (Eccl. vii. 11, 12.) 
 
 20, I lead in the way of righteousness— He- 
 brew, ' I cause (my adherents) to walk in the way 
 of righteousness : ' not only to perceive the things 
 which are righteous, but also to fulfil them. ' Let 
 us therefore examine ourselves what is our feeling 
 towards righteousness, whether we prefer her to 
 riches' (7'. Cartivright). in the midst of the 
 paths of judgment — in the right mean between 
 the extremes on both sides, so as not to turn off 
 either to the right hand or to the left (ch. iv. 27). 
 
 21. That I may cause those that love me to 
 inherit substance. "Sabstance" what has 
 a real, solid, and permanent subsistence ; as con- 
 trasted with worldly riches and honour, which 
 are but shadows, though men think of them as if 
 they were the only things possessing solid subsis- 
 tence. The great "I am" (Exod, iii, 14) is the 
 only substantial reality to satisfy the disciples of 
 Wisdom, Gesenius and J/awrer translate, 'What 
 I may bestow on those that love me (or, may cause 
 those that lore me to inherit) there is to me' — i.e., 
 there is an abundant supply of it to me. But had 
 yeesh been meant as a verb {is), and not as a noun 
 {substance), it would have probably been placed 
 
The eternity 
 
 PROVERBS VIII. 
 
 of Wisdom. 
 
 22 The '^LoRD possessed me in the beginning of his way. 
 Before his works of old. 
 
 23 I "was set up from everlasting, 
 
 From the beginning, or ever the earth was. 
 
 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth'; 
 When there were no fountains abounding with water. 
 
 25 Before ^the mountains were settled, — before the hills was I brought forth: 
 
 26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the ^fields, 
 Nor ^the highest part of the dust of the world. 
 
 B, C. 1000. 
 
 ch. 3. 19. 
 
 Jolm 1. 1. 
 ' Geu 1. 25. 
 
 Ps. 2. 6. 
 
 Mic. 5. 2. 
 ' Job !5. 7. 
 ' Or, open 
 
 places. 
 ' Or, the 
 
 chi 'f part. 
 
 before the infinitive, and not last in the sentence, 
 as it is in the Hebrew order. The English version 
 takes the words in their natural order, and I will 
 fiU their treasures— implying the fulness of this 
 blessedness. 
 
 22. The Lord possessed me in the beginning 
 of his way, before his works of old. " Possessed 
 me" The LXX. translates 'created me' 
 
 UjiTKTe ixe]'. so the Chaldaic, Arabic, and Syriac. 
 This has been made an argument by Avians to 
 prove that Christ is but a creature. But the Vul- 
 gate supports the English version. The Christian 
 fathers generally understand this passage of the 
 humanity of Christ. The Lord created me, in 
 respect to my humanity e,, in His predestined 
 purpose), in the beginning of His way— i. e.,of His 
 work of creation: Christ's predestined humanity 
 was the meritorious cause, the archetype, and 
 final cause of all God's works. But the parallel 
 (John i. 1-3) makes it more likely that Christ is 
 here viewed, not in His predestined humanity, but 
 in His uncreated essence as the Word eternally 
 with God. "The Lord possessed me" — viz., by 
 the right of paternity, as the same Hebrew word, 
 "gotten" or "possessed," is used in Gen. iv. 1 — 
 '*I have gotten a man"— viz., by parentage. 
 This is confirmed by vv. 24, 25, "I 'was brought 
 forth" or "begotten;" and Ps. ii. 7, "Thou art 
 my Son, This day have I begotten thee.'" Mic. v. 
 2, "He shall come forth unto me, whose goings 
 forth have been from of old, from everlasting." 
 Paternity is expressed by the same Hebrew word, 
 Deut. xxxii. 6, "Is not He thy Father that hath 
 bought," or rather, 'possessed thee '—viz., by 
 spiritual as well as creative and national genera- 
 tion. The " beginning of God's way " is that time 
 when first God passed from His inscrutable way 
 to active operation. The first of " His ways" 
 (Isa. Iv. 8) was creation. The Word was with God 
 already, as "possessed" by the Father from 
 eternity^ and did not then first begin to be " in 
 the beginning" (Gen. i. 1; John i. 1) of creation. 
 Nay, He was Himself " the Beginning of the crea- 
 tion of God" (Rev. iii. 14). Indeed, as there is no 
 " in " before " the beginning of His way " in the 
 Hebrew, it is most likely that the Son is here 
 termed L^'^'f^^J the "beginning of His way," in 
 the same sense as in Rev. iii. 14 and Col. i. 15, 
 "the First-born of every creature" (see notes on 
 both passages)— viz., not as if He were the first 
 created, but the Beginner of all creation ; its origi- 
 nating instrument, prior to it. and possessing su- 
 perlative dignity above it; the Archetype from 
 everlasting of that creation which was in due time 
 to be created by Him. before his works of old. 
 "Before" {^"^^.^—Ut, '(in) priority to His works 
 from then^ (Ps. xciii. 2, marg,) The He- 
 
 brew for ^'before" or priority, is the same as is 
 translated '■^eternal''' in Deut. xxxiii. 27, "The 
 etern/d (iod," the God of antiquity or anteity. It 
 is exjdained in v. 23, "or (i, e,, before) ever the 
 earth was." 23. I was set •ap—lit., 'anointed;' 
 i, e., set apart, in the purposes of God, to be Lor4 
 4^9 
 
 and King of the world. The same Hebrew (Nisakti) 
 as iu Ps. ii. 6, "I have set {marg., anointed) my 
 King," &c. from everlasting (i/ee/io?am)— imply- 
 ing real eternity (Ps. xciii. 2, "Thou art from ever- 
 la.sting "). from the beginning, or ever the earth 
 was. "Or ever" — lit., 'from before the earth;' 
 from the time anterior to the earth's existence. 
 Wisdom is in this full description shown to be 
 ])rior to all existing things in every kind of prior- 
 ity—in that of time, order, dignity, and causation, 
 24. When (there were) no depths, I was brought 
 forth; when (there were) no fountains abound- 
 ing with water; "Brought forth" [from h^r\\ is 
 literally applied to birth parturition ; but it is 
 transferred also to the production of things in the 
 way that is after their kind (Job xxvi. 5 — if tlie 
 English version be correct there; Deut. xxxii. 
 18, "God that formed thee" — viz., by spiritual 
 generation). So Wisdom's origin is by eternal 
 generation. ' / am begotten, I was begotten, I hare 
 been begotten, and / shall be begotten,'' may properly 
 be said at every moment by the Divine Word, be- 
 cause all our times (past, present, and to come) 
 correspond successively to the instant of eter- 
 nity. The Son receives His being in the con- 
 tinuously single moments of God, and emanates 
 from the Father as brightness does from the 
 Sun (Wisd. of Solom. vii. 25, ' She is the breath 
 of the power of God, and a pure influence flow- 
 ing from the glory of the Almighty . . . She 
 is the brightness of the everlasting light, the 
 unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the 
 image of His goodness'). Moreover, we are not to 
 understand this passage as if Wisdom— i. e., the Sou 
 of God— passed by degrees from an imperfect to a 
 perfect state ; but as in the case of God to think, to 
 will, to speak, to do, is one and the same thing (all 
 signifying the eternal will of God), so in the genera- 
 tion of the Son, to be conceired, to be generated or be- 
 gotten, and to be brought forth, mean the same thing — 
 i. e., His eternal generation (Gejer). 25. Before the 
 mountains were settled, before the hills was I 
 brought forth. " Settled "—lit.,, sunk down, fixed 
 firmly in the earth, so as to give a secure settle- 
 ment to the earth above the waters. He mentions 
 the earth generally first; then its parts, the depths 
 and water under the earth, in v. 24; then the 
 mountains and hills. " I was brought forth " is 
 here repeated (cf. v. 24), to mark the more em- 
 phatically the often-doubted truth of the eternal 
 generation of the Son. 26. While as yet he had 
 not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the high- 
 est part of the dust of the world. " The fields " 
 —lit., the outside places {chutzoth; cf. Job v, 10, 
 marg.), the open, broad spaces of the earth; in 
 contrast to the previous " mountains " and " hills," 
 The Chaldaic, Vulgate, and Syriac take it the 
 rivers outside the dry land. The LXX. and the 
 Arabic, 'the uninhabited places' — lit., the outer 
 parts or extremities of the earth; in which case 
 " the earth," by contrast, must mean the inhabited 
 part of the earth — "the highest part of the dust 
 of the world," T prefer the English version, as 
 forming a gradation, the earth, the open fields, th<} 
 
Wisdom to be 
 
 PROVERBS VIIL 
 
 desired for its hlessednes!^ 
 
 27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there : 
 When he set compass upon the face of the deptli:: 
 
 28 When he established the clouds above, 
 
 When he strengthened the fountains of the deep : 
 
 29 When ^he gave to the sea his decree, 
 
 That the waters should not pass his commandment : 
 When ''he appointed the foundations of the earth : 
 
 30 Then *I was by him, as one brought up with him: 
 *And I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; 
 Rejoicing ^in the habitable part of his earth; 
 And ^my delights were with the sons of men. 
 
 Now therefore hearken unto me, 0 ye children : 
 For ^blessed are they that keep my ways. 
 Hear instruction, and be wise, — and refuse it not. 
 34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, 
 
 Watching daily at my gates, — waiting at the posts of my doors. 
 
 31 
 
 32 
 
 33 
 
 B, C. 10( 0. 
 
 Idghest part, consisting of the dusts (so the Hebrew) 
 of the habitable ivorld. The dust is the friable soil 
 on the surface of the earth ; and it is rightly asso- 
 ciated with 'the habitable world,^ &s the Hebrew 
 means ; for it was only after that, in the 
 course of geological changes, the superficial friable 
 soil or dust was produced that the earth became 
 'the habitable world' for vegetables, animals, 
 and man. Junius and Maurer lose this point, as 
 also the proper meaning of the Hebrew dust, by 
 referring the dust to the elementary material of 
 which the earth in general was made. 27. When 
 he prepared the heavens, I (was) there : when he 
 set a compass upon the face of the depth. " Pre- 
 pared," or ' fitted.' This refers to the happy adap- 
 tation of the form, figure, magnitude, and motion 
 of the heavens, to the conditions of their being, as 
 appointed by (^od. "I was there," already, from 
 everlasting, being "with God" {v. 30; John i. 1) ; 
 and I w'rought in creation as His instrument 
 (John i. 3). "A compass," or rather, 'a circle.' 
 "He set" a spherical or circular form "upon the 
 face of the depth," or sea, as well as the earth. 
 The spherical form of our globe is best seen at sea. 
 It is striking how the sacred writers, whilst not 
 rudely offending the conceptions of their age re- 
 specting cosmography, yet use language which har- 
 monizes with the later discoveries of science. 28. 
 When he established the clouds above. The 
 clouds in their constituents are thin and vapoury, 
 and w^ould soon disappear, but that the Lord 
 " established " them, when he strengthened the 
 fountains of the deep— He made them of greater 
 density, so as to sink down into their deep bed, 
 and not float above in the air, like the clouds ; and 
 strengthened the fountain-beds so that the deep 
 should not break forth, as he proceeds to describe 
 xn V. 29, 29. When he gave to the sea his decree, 
 that the waters should not pass his command- 
 ment— (Job xxxviii. 10, 11; Ps. civ. 9 ; Jer. v. 22.) 
 "Commandment" — lit., 'His mouth,' (cf. Num. 
 iii. 16, marg.) Miurer takes it 'the mouth,' or 
 'shore of the sea.' when he appointed the foun- 
 dations of the earth— when He made it as stable 
 as a building resting on solid foundations. The 
 earth's centre is its virtual foundation, as all bodies 
 and parts of the earth, by the centripetal force of 
 attraction, gravitate towards it. Job xxvi. 7 hints 
 at the true theory of the earth's foundation. 30. 
 Then I was hy him, (as) one brought up (with 
 him) — (John i. 1,2.) The expression "by Him" 
 implies the distinct personality of Wisdom, and that 
 it 18 not a mere attributive in God. The Chaldaic 
 440 
 
 paraphrases, 'I was nursed At His side' 
 answering to John i. 18, "the only begotten Son, 
 which is in the bosom of the Father :" never se- 
 parated from the Father; who seeth the Father 
 always; who seeth what the Father doeth, so that 
 He doeth the same Himself (with the same will 
 and x^ower) : in whom the Father is well pleased : 
 the Father willing it that we should come to Him 
 in the Son, and honour the Son as Himself (Coc- 
 ceius). (Cf. John v. 20.) The LXX. [ap^Ji6lovcTa 
 composing in harmony ; fitly forming and arrang- 
 ing all things], Vulgate, Arabic, and Syriac take it 
 actively, as in Num. xi. 12, "anursin" Father:" 
 'nourisher' [marg., Jer. xlvi. 25; Nah. iii. 8, 
 marg.) A " workman," as a cognate Hebrew word, 
 is taken in Song vii. 1. '1 was by Him as the 
 Artificer ' in the creation of all things. So Maurer. 
 I prefer the English version, with the Chaldaic 
 {Mercer and Buxtorf). and I was daily (his) de- 
 light, rejoicing always before him— (Matt. iii. 17; 
 Col. i. 13, marg.) The image is from children, 
 which, when playing in the sight of their nurses, 
 are their delight. The truth meant is, ' I was by 
 Him as the closest and the supreme object of the 
 Father's delight.' 31. Rejoicing in the habitable 
 part of his earth. Not only do I rejoice in the 
 presence of the Father, but also in the habitable 
 earth, and with the creatures of God. The Son 
 doeth all His works with joy, not as a task, but as 
 One in will and operation with the Father (John v. 
 17). and my delights (were) with the sons of 
 men— as the antitypical David, 'all whose delight' 
 is " in the saints that are in the earth, and the ex- 
 cellent" (Ps. xvi. 3). Christ " took not on Him the 
 nature of angels," but that of men (Heb. ii. 16). 
 Already, even before men were created. He re- 
 garded them as existing, because of the electing 
 purpose of God concerning His people, in whom is 
 His delight. Cf. similarly Heb. ii. 14, where " the 
 children" are so called in His electing purpose, 
 though not yet existing. 
 
 32. Epilogue, Peroration, or concluding sum- 
 mary. Now therefore hearken unto me— seeing 
 that such are my excellencies, for blessed (are 
 they that) keep my ways— Christ's own words 
 (Luke xi. 28). 33. Hear instruction— Hebrew, 
 disciplinary instruction : the first step to wisdom. 
 34. Blessed (is) the man that heareth me, watch- 
 ing daily at my gates— even as ' / cry at men's 
 gates ' {v. 3), either as a client waiting on his patron 
 or advocate early and late ; or a lover at the door 
 of the beloved one (Job xxxi. 9), which jjrobably is 
 the better view; as the watching at wisdom's 
 
The discipline and 
 
 PROVERBS IX. 
 
 doctrine of Wisdom. 
 
 35 For ^whoso findeth me findeth life, — and shall ^obtain favour of the Lord. 
 
 36 But he that sinneth against me ^wrongeth his own soul : 
 All they that hate me love death. 
 
 9 WISDOM hath " builded her house, — she hath hewn out her seven pillars ; 
 
 2 She hath killed 'her beasts; 
 
 She hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table: 
 
 3 She hath ^sent forth her maidens: 
 
 She crieth upon the highest places of the city, 
 
 4 ^Vhoso simple, let him turn in hither: 
 
 As for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, 
 
 5 Come, ^eat of my bread, — and drink of the -wine which I have mingled. 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 ' Phil. 3. 8, 
 9. 
 
 bring 
 forth. 
 ' Heb. 2. 3. 
 
 CHAP. 9. 
 ' Matt. 10.18. 
 
 Eph. 2. 20. 
 
 her killing. 
 ' Rom. 10.15. 
 ' ch. 6. 32. 
 i Isa. 65. 1, 
 
 gates forms the contrast to paying suit to the har- 
 lot, (ch. vii.) The priests used to wait at the doors 
 of the tabernacle for the blessing; and the people 
 used to watch at the temple gates for his return 
 from ministration (Exod. xxix. 42; Luke i. 10, 21). 
 Like diligent disciples of heavenly wisdom, we 
 must use all means and opportunities of progress, 
 being the first to enter, the last to leave her school 
 (of. Matt. vii. 7). 35. For whoso findeth me find- 
 eth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord. 
 "Findeth me," after long "watching daily at my 
 gates " {v. 34). It is God really who gives, though 
 we are said to find ; because we must seek with all 
 our energy, as if all depended on our earnestness. 
 " Life "—Hebrew, ' lives;' viz., that of the present 
 world and the world to come. He who seeks so as 
 to find, " shall obtain " — lit., shall draw forth [p'ls], 
 as in a continuous stream, a blessing heretofore 
 hidden, but now granted, at once precious and 
 abundant {Gejer)—\iz., the "favour of the Lord," 
 including in it ev^ery other blessing (cf. Deut. xxxiii. 
 23, " Nai^htali, satisfied with favour, and full with 
 the blessing of the Lord ;" Ps. v. 12, " With favour 
 wilt thou compass him (the righteous) as with a 
 shield ;" also especially Ps. cxlv. 16, 19). 36. But he 
 that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul : 
 all they that hate me love death. Not to love and 
 earnestly seek wisdom is to sin against her. To 
 disregard her is to hate her, and is virtually, though 
 unconsciouslyj to love death; for it is loving things 
 which, as being opy)Osed to wisdom, bring with 
 them death (cf. ch. xx. 2; Acts ix. 5, "It is hard 
 for thee (Saul) to kick against the pricks"). 
 
 CHAP. IX. 1-18. — Wisdom'' s preparations of 
 her home and her banquet for the guests whom she 
 invites hy her maidens {w. 1-3). I'o whom she gives 
 invitation, and to vjhat {w. 4-5). Necessary pre- 
 liminary to accepting it— viz., forsake the foolish, 
 lest ye become scorners, seeing that repi'oof is thrown 
 away upon a scorner, and is laid out to good account 
 by the wise alone [vv. 6-9). Wisdom's first principle 
 is the fear of the Lord, which issues in life for the 
 benefit of the wHse; whilst the fool's scorning shall fall 
 on himself [vv. 10-12). Folly, too, gives her clamorous 
 invitation in the high places, tempting passers by with 
 Ifce sweets of stolen waters, but not letting them know 
 that the iHsue is death and hell [vv. 13-18). 
 
 1. Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath 
 hewn out her seven pillars. As the latter i)art 
 of ch, viii. refers to Wisdom's work in the creation 
 of the world, so this chapter refers to her work in 
 restoring it. Solomon here reverts to the invita- 
 tion of wisdom at the beginning of ch. viii. The 
 Hebrew is plural. Wisdoms, (ch. i. 20, marg. ) The 
 plural expresses her excellence and dignity— ha.Ymg 
 also an allusion to the plural form of the name of 
 God, Elohim. Her " house " stands in contrast to 
 the house of the harlot (ch. vii. 8). The spiritual 
 and everlasting Church is her house (1 Tim. iii. 15; 
 Matt. xvi. 18; Eph. ii. 20-22; 1 Pet. ii. 5). Solo- 
 mon's temjjle, with its pillars (1 Ki. vi, and vii,) 
 441 
 
 was a type of it. Now the body of true believers, 
 having the Holy Spirit in their hearts, constitute her 
 house (1 Cor. iii. 17). The " house not made with 
 hands, eternal in the heavens," is the consumma- 
 tion (2 Cor. V. 1). In it a banquet {v. 2) is laid out 
 for all who will come (Ps. xxiii. 5; xxxvi. 8; 
 Isa. XXV. 6 ; Iv. 1, 2). ''''Her seven jiillars," in the 
 Hebrew are the pillars, not of her house, but of 
 herself. Seven is tlie number for perfection. They 
 are the manifold and complete stays whereon Wis- 
 dom rests ; especially the seven-fold grace of the 
 Holy Spirit, which is in Messiah without measure, 
 and whereby He establishes for ever His Church 
 (Isa. xi. 2, 3 ; Rev. i. 4). In so far as He imparts 
 his seven-fold Spiritto the ministers of His Church, 
 in that degree they become "pillars" (Gal. ii. 9). 
 2. She hath killed her beasts— Hebrew, immolated 
 her immolation; sacrificial language. All the 
 blessedness of the heavenly marriage supper of the 
 Lamb rests on His previous immolation (Rev. xix. 
 9 ; Matt. xxii. 2, 3; viii. 11; Luke xiv. 15, 16; 
 xxii. 30). Contrast the banquet of the " peace 
 otferi!)gs" of the harlot (ch. vii. 14). she hath 
 mingled her wine— viz., with spices and other 
 exhilarating ingredients, as was the custom in the 
 East (Song viii. 2). Not with water, which is the 
 emblem of degeneracy (Isa. i. 22). she hath also 
 furnished her table— the joys prepared in heaven 
 for them that love heavenly Wisdom. 3. She hath 
 sent forth her maidens : she crieth upon the high- 
 est places of the city — lit., 'upon the pinnacles of 
 the high places of the city.' "Her maidens" — 
 i. e., the ministers of the Word. As Wisdom is 
 represented under the image of a pure woman, so 
 the ministers of heavenly Wisdom are rejjresented 
 as pure maidens. The minister is to wait upon His 
 Lord, ' as the eyes of a maiden look unto the hand 
 of her mistress ' (Ps. cxxiii. 2 ; cf. 2 Cor. xi. 2 ; 
 Matt. XXV. 1). On the 'sending forth' {v. 3) cf. 
 Rom. X. 15. " She crieth upon the highest places," 
 that all may hear, and none be able to allege in 
 excuse that he had not heard the voice of Wisdom. 
 If the ministers of worldly Folly ' seat themselves 
 in the high places,' so as to attract all to their fatal 
 vanities, how much more should the ministers of 
 heavenly Wisdom proclaim the message of salva- 
 tion wherever they can be heard by the greatest 
 numbers. 4. Whoso is simple, let him turn in 
 hither : (as for) him that wanteth understanding, 
 she saith to him. The "simple" are those of 
 whose reformation there is hope ; for it is by bad 
 advice and their own inexperience that they are 
 misled, not by malice j)repense. They are not 
 hardened against holy things and holy persons, 
 like the "scorner" (v. 7). How marvellous is the 
 grace of God, that stoops from the height of His 
 infinite wisdom to offer mercy and knowledge to 
 the simple A foolish! All that He requires is, that 
 they give ear to Him. 6. Come, eat of my bread, 
 and drink of the wine (which) I have mingled. 
 The feast is not to see, but to enjoy {Bridges), 
 
The discipline and 
 
 PROVERBS IX. 
 
 doctrine of Wisdom. 
 
 6 Forsake the foolish, and live ; 
 
 And go in the way of understanding. 
 
 7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame ; 
 And he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot 
 
 8 Reprove ^not a scorner, — lest he hate thee: 
 •^Rebuke a wise man, — and he will love thee. 
 
 9 Give instruction to a wise man, — and he will be yet wiser: 
 Teach a just man, — ^and he will increase in learning. 
 
 10 The ^'fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom ; 
 And the knowledge of the Holy is understanding; 
 
 11 For ^by me thy days shall be multiplied, 
 And the years of thy life shall be increased. 
 
 12 If Hhou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself : 
 But if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it. 
 
 13 A foolish woman is clamorous; — she is simple, and knoweth nothing. 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 * Num. 14. f-. 
 10. 
 
 1 Ki. 22. 8. 
 Matt. 7. 6. 
 Matt. 15. 1 4. 
 Heb. 6. 4, 
 8. 
 
 / Ps. 141. 5. 
 Gal. 2. 11- 
 14. 
 
 f Matt. 13.12. 
 
 Job 28. 28. 
 < Ch. 10. 27. 
 i Job 22. 2, 
 3. 
 
 Job 36. 6. 
 7. 
 
 Isa. 28. :2. 
 
 ' The bread of wisdom ' is the bread of life. The 
 * wine mingled ' with aromatic spices is the exhil- 
 arating joy and comforts of the Gospel (Isa. Iv. 1 ; 
 Matt. xxvi. 29). 6. Forsake the foolish, and live ; 
 and go in the way of understanding. Forsake 
 the company and the ways of the foolish (the same 
 word is translated "simple," ch. i, 22), and so you 
 shall live J no longer the life of the beast that 
 perisheth, but that of a man (ch. iv. 4). " And go 
 in the way of understanding" — spiritual under- 
 standing. This explains the previous figure— 
 " eat of my bread," &c. {v. 5). 
 
 7. He that reproveth a scorner getteth to him- 
 self shame . . . a blot. The " foolish," or, Hebrew, 
 "simple," are in danger of becoming "scorners;" 
 whence the two classes appear together in ch. i. 
 22. Therefore the " simple must leave the com- 
 pany of simpletons, much more leave the company 
 of the " scorners," in order to " live" by 'going in 
 the way of understanding' [v. 6). This v. and v. 8 
 is a hint also to the inviting " maidens " [v. 3), i. e., 
 ministers, not to ' cast their pearls before swine, 
 lest they trample them under their feet, and turn 
 again and rend' the offerers (Matt. vii. G). "Get- 
 teth to himself shame . . . a blot" — viz., the blot 
 of abuse and reviling : so far is he from doing the 
 scorner any good, he gives occasion to the scorner 
 only to sin the worse. 8. Reprove not a scorner, 
 lest he hate thee. The " Gospel" is indeed to be 
 "preached unto every creature" (Mark xvi, 15), 
 and ministers are to " reprove, rebuke, exhort, 
 with all long-suffering" (2 Tim. iv. 2) ; and "they 
 that sin" are to be "rebuked before all, that 
 others may fear " (1 Tim. v. 20). So the Lord 
 Jesus, Stephen, and Paul reproved the perverse 
 Jews. But after the hearers of the message have 
 hardened themselves continually against it, and 
 resisted the Holy Ghost, then further admonition 
 would be lost labour, and would only bring 
 increased scorn upon the admonisher. Cf. 
 Paul's course in respect to the obdurate and blas- 
 pheming Jews (Acts xiii. 45, 46). '^Medicineis 
 not to be given where the case is desperate ' {Hip- 
 pocrates). If there were any possilDility of our 
 gaining over the scorner, it would be our duty to 
 brave the risk of liis hatred ; but if we are only 
 likely to stir up his badness, and bring injury to 
 ourselves, and exasperation of our tempers, with- 
 out benefit to him, we should abstain from reprov- 
 ing him. rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee 
 — (Ps. cxli. 5.) The world thinks him a fool who 
 takes reproof meekly. But he is wise who values 
 the bitter medicine that removes his spiritual sick- 
 ness. Hereby " the foolish " [v. 6) becomes " wuse " 
 and "just." 9. Give (instruction) to a wise 
 (man), and he will he yet wiser. On the ellipsis 
 442 
 
 of "instruction," or doctrine, to be supplied after 
 "give," cf. ch. iv. 2; Luke i. 77. Probably Solo- 
 mon intentionally omitted the noun after " give," 
 to leave the reader to sujjply reproof, instruction, 
 discipline, and all other means of improvement. 
 Nothing more marks the distinction between t7ie 
 scorner and the wise man than the effect of dis- 
 cipline on each: the scorner becomes worse, the 
 wise man better by it. teach a just (man), and 
 he will increase in learning. The ''just " in prac- 
 tice and in wall is the same as "the wise" in un- 
 derstanding and in theory. Just does not mean 
 absolute justness, but that of aim and tendency 
 (Matt. V. 48 ; Phil. iii. 12, 13). 10. The fear of the 
 Lord (is) the beginning of wisdom— repeated from 
 ch. i. 7. Having furnished her table. Wisdom 
 shows the viands first, the fear of the Lord, and 
 the knowledge of the Holy (is) understanding. 
 " The knowledge of the Holy" is the knowledge of 
 all that is inYolved in hallowing God's name ; know- 
 ing experimentally all that tends to our sanctifying 
 the Lord in our hearts and in life. The parallelism 
 to " The fear of the Lord" favours our taking the 
 Hebrew Kedoshim for 'the holy God," (ch. xxx. 
 3; note, Hos. xi. 12, marg.) The same plural is 
 used as the epithet of God in Josh. xxiv. 19. Its 
 plural form, like Elohim, implies the Trinity (cf. 
 Lev. xi. 44 ; xix. 2). 11. For by me thy days shall 
 be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be 
 increased. A cogent reason why we should take 
 the beginning step of wisdom ; viz., by fearing the 
 Lord (''. 10). As eating bread [v. 5) nourishes 
 natural life, so eating the spiritual bread of life 
 gives life in the highest and truest sense. 12. If 
 thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself : but 
 (if) thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear (it)— 
 (Gal. vi. 5.) It is not me. Wisdom, nor my 
 maidens {i. e., inviting ministers), that thou hurtest 
 by scorning, hwt thyself (ch. viii. 36 ; Luke vii. 30 ; 
 Job XXXV. 6-8). On the other hand, the benelit 
 will be all thine own if thou be spiritually " wise" 
 (Dan. xii. 3). Thou shalt not toil for vanity, as 
 those who amass earthly riches (Eccl. ii. 18,19; 
 iv. 8). 
 
 13. A foolish woman (is) clamorous ; (she ii) 
 simple, and knoweth nothing. As Wisdom was 
 personified as a woman, so is Folly— i. e., sin. As 
 Christ answers to Wisdom (ch. viii. 22-31), so 
 Antichrist answers to Folly, and is represented by 
 the " whore " sitting on the " seven mountains," as 
 the foolish woman sits "on a seat in the high 
 places of the city" {v. 14 ; Rev. xvii. 1-9), impudent, 
 wanton, alluring, corrupting, and ruining ever- 
 lastingly her victims. In proportion as "she 
 knoweth nothing" as she ought to know it, is she 
 " clamorous," Fools are often the loudest talkers. 
 
The Proverbs 
 
 PROVERBS X. 
 
 of Solomon. 
 
 14 For she sitteth at the door of her house, 
 On a seat in the high places of the city, 
 
 1 5 To call passengers who go right on their ways : 
 
 16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: 
 
 And as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, 
 
 17 Stolen * waters are sweet, — and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. 
 
 18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there ; 
 And that her guests are in the depths of hell. 
 
 10 THE Proverbs of Solomon. 
 A wise son maketh a glad father: 
 But a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother. 
 
 2 Treasures '^of wickedness profit nothing : 
 ^But righteousness delivereth from death. 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 * Gen. 3. 6. 
 Ch. 20. 17. 
 Rom. 7. 8. 
 Jas. 1. 14, 
 15. 
 
 2 of secre- 
 cies. 
 
 CHAP. 10. 
 " Ps. 4!'. 6. 
 
 Isa. 10. 2. 
 
 Zeph. 1. 3. 
 
 Zeph. 1. IS. 
 
 Luke 12.15. 
 19, 21. 
 
 Eom. 2. 5. 
 f> Dan. 4. 27. 
 
 So Satan is ever restless (Luke xi. 24), aud like a 
 roaring lion (1 Pet. v. 8). "She is simple," not 
 artless (of. ch. vii. 10, 12, 21), but utterly destitute of 
 true wisdom, answering to " she knoweth nothing." 
 Perhaps the sense is ^ seductive,^ which answers 
 better to the cunning of the foolish woman [ni^riQ 
 from nnp, to persuade or deceive]. However, the 
 words, she "knoweth nothing," justifies the Eng- 
 lish version, "simple." Knowing nothing salu- 
 tary, she can communicate nothing of the kind to 
 her adherents. Satan and Antichrist deceive 
 themselves as to their own good, and then de- 
 ceive others. 14. For she sitteth at the door 
 of her house, on a seat in the high places of 
 the city — even as Wisdom cries "in the top of 
 the high places . . . ui^on the highest places 
 of the city" {v. 3; ch. viii. 2), and 'at the com- 
 ing in at the doors.' The Hebrew for "seat" 
 means 'throne,' whereas in v. 3 it w^as 'pin- 
 nacles ;' probably with allusion to the ostenta- 
 tion and kingly pomp of Antichrist (cf. note, 
 13; Rev. xviii. 7, "I sit a queen;" 2 Thess. ii. 4, 
 " He, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, show- 
 ing himself that he is God "). 15. To call passen- 
 gers who go right on their ways— ZzY., 'who are 
 making right their ways.' Her chief aim is to se- 
 duce the godly, or those inclined to become so ; for 
 she is secure as to others, and therefore takes no 
 great trouble in their case. 16. Whoso is simple, 
 let him turn in hither: and as for him that 
 wanteth understanding, she saith to him. Folly 
 imitates the very words of Wisdom. She also does 
 not invite "the scorners " {vv. 7, 8), because she is 
 secure of them, but only the "simple "— i e., those 
 who are such in the judgment of the Holy Spirit. 
 Scripture expresses not what she said in outward 
 words (for she would not defeat her own design by 
 calling them simpletons), but what is the reality. 
 Whosoever turns in to her is a simpleton. Cart- 
 wright takes it that she calls the pious "simple." 
 V. 15 favours this. " Passengers who go right on 
 their ways "—i. e., who are going right onward in 
 the heavenly way. ' Oh what simpletons ye are 
 to despise the goods of the present life, to crucify 
 the flesh, and to incur the hatred of men for no 
 good reason ! Christ offers you poor things —I 
 will make you great aud happy.' 17. Stolen 
 waters are sweet, and bread (eaten) in secret is 
 pleasant — (cf. the answer to her lure, v. 18; 
 ch. XX. 17.) Wisdom sets forth 'her bread' 
 {v. 5) openly before all. But Folly invites to 
 bread surreptitiously eaten. Contrast with the 
 "stolen waters" of love, or of any heart lust, 
 ch. v. 15, "Drink waters out of thine own cis- 
 tern, aud running waters out of thine own well." 
 Our corruption is such that the very prohibi- 
 tion enhances the pleasure (Rom. iv. 15; xx. 
 443 
 
 7, 8). ('Nitinuu: in vetitum semper, cupimusque 
 negata,' Ovid.) The difficulty, the rareness, the 
 love of deceit, all whet the appetite for "stolen 
 waters." The saint resists the temptation. Cf. 
 the case of David desiring the waters of Bethlehem, 
 but refusing to take them when procured at the 
 risk of the lives of the three who broke through 
 the host of the Philistines (2 Sam. xxiii. 15-17). 
 Folly's "waters" stand in contrast to Wisdom's 
 spiced "wine" {vv. 2, 5). 18. But he knoweth 
 not that the dead (are) there; and that her 
 guests (are) in the depths of hell. "There," in 
 her house (ch. vii. 21-23, 26, 27). " He " is, ' whoso 
 turneth in ' to her {v. 16). " Her guests ''—lit. , ' her 
 invited ones.' 
 
 CHAP. X. — Here begins the second part of the 
 whole book, and extends to the 'close of ch. xxiv. 
 It differs from the first part, which forms a con- 
 nected Mashal or Parabolic commendation of wis- 
 dom, in its being a series of loosely connected 
 maxims, save that from ch. xxii. 17 to the end of 
 ch. xxiv. there is a more continuous and connected 
 Mashal enclosed between an introductory recom- 
 mendation of wisdom (ch. xxii. 17-21), and a clos- 
 ing brief collection of maxims (ch. xxiv. 23-34). 
 The first part is the porch leading into the interior 
 of the book, the Proverbs proper. As the first 
 part was addressed to the young, and was there- 
 fore in a more ornamental and flowing style, so 
 this second part is addressed to men, aud is there- 
 fore in a brief, business-like style, compressing a 
 great deal in a short compass, for the right conduct 
 of life. Vv. 1-32, weighty sentences, generally dis- 
 tichs— i. e., two sentences in one verse, mutually 
 illustrating one another. The general scope is the 
 blessedness here and hereafter of the ways of good- 
 ness, the misery of the ways of badness. 
 
 1. The Proverbs of Solomon. The same preface 
 as in ch. i. 1 ; thus it here marks the division. 
 A wise son maketh a glad father : but a foolish 
 son (is) the heaviness of his mother. ' And a glad 
 mother ' is to be supplied in the first clause ; 'and 
 of his father' is to be supplied in the second clause. 
 The father, however, is specially said to be glad- 
 dened by "a wise son," as he is of a more severe 
 nature, and not so likely to form a partial estimate, 
 andtherefore not so easily gladdened as the mother; 
 so that it is the stronger praise of the wise son to 
 say that not only the mother, but also the father, 
 is gladdened by him. On the other hand, the 
 mother is apt, through fondness, to ignore the 
 errors of her son, and even to encourage them by 
 indulgent connivance. The wise man admonishes 
 her that she is laying up " heaviness " in store for 
 herself. This verse is an admonition alike to 
 parents and to children. 2. Treasures of wicked- 
 ness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth 
 
Moral mrtues and 
 
 PROVERBS X. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 3 The '^LoRD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: 
 But he casteth away ^the substance of the wicked.^ 
 
 4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand : 
 But '^the hand of the diligent maketh rich. 
 
 5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son : 
 
 But he that sleepeth in harvest is a soa that causeth shame. 
 
 6 Blessings are upon the head of the just: 
 
 But Violence covereth the mouth of the wicked^ 
 
 7 The memory of the just is blessed : 
 But the name of the wicked shall rot. 
 
 8 The wise in heart will receive commandments : 
 But 2 a prating fool ^ shall fall. 
 
 9 He ^that walketh uprightly walketh surely : 
 But he that perverteth his ways shall be known. 
 
 B. C 1000 
 " Ps. 10. u. 
 
 1 Or, the 
 wicked 
 for 
 their 
 wicked- 
 ress. 
 
 d ch. 13. 4. 
 
 Ch. 21. 5. 
 * Esth. 7. 8. 
 / Ps. 0. \ 6. 
 
 Eccl. K 10, 
 
 2 a fool of 
 lips. 
 
 3 Or, 
 shall be 
 beaten. 
 
 f Ps. 23. ». 
 Isa. 3 . 1', 
 10. 
 
 from death. " Profit nothing"— viz., in the day of 
 wrath (ch. xi. 4) ; or at death, as the parallel clause 
 suggests. They did not profit the rich fool so as 
 to deliver him from the second death, which is 
 death indeed (Luke xii. 19, 20). All the profit 
 that Ahab got out of Naboth's vineyard was the 
 curse of God (1 Ki. xxi. 19-24), Judas' thirty 
 I)ieces of silver, gained by betraying the Lord, were 
 the source of despair and remorse, ending in suicide 
 and eternal perdition, Gehazi's two talents and 
 two changes of raiment, obtained by fraud from 
 Naaman, brought on him Naaman's leprosy (2 Ki. 
 V. 20-27). Righteousness flowing from faith (Jer. 
 xxiii. 6; Dan. ix. 24)— i. e., faith evidencing itself 
 in righteousness (Dan. iv. 27) — does deliver from 
 death eternal. Righteousness is the character- 
 istic of the truly "wise" (v. 1). This righ- 
 teousness includes mercy and liberality to others 
 {v. 4), and brings the Lord's mercy with it (Ps. 
 xli. 1, 2; cxii. 9; 2 Cor. ix. 9; Dan. iv. 27). 3. 
 The Lord will not suffer the soul of the 
 righteous to famish— (Ps. xxxvii. 25, 26.) Not 
 that the righteous are exempted from hunger- 
 ing with want at times. David was hungry (1 Sam. 
 xxi. 3) ; so was Paul and the apostles (1 Cor. iv. 
 11 ; 2 Cor. xi. 27), and the martyrs (Heb. xi. 37). 
 But if God suffer His people to want temporal 
 things for a time, it is that He may give them bet- 
 ter and eternal things in the end. Ordinarily, He 
 who fed Elijah by the ministration of ravens, at 
 the brook Cherith, does not let His people be 
 without food for the body (1 Ki. xvii. 4-6). but 
 he casteth away the substance of the wieked. 
 So the Chaldaic and Syriac, which the contrast to 
 the first clause favours. "Substance" [nin, from 
 nin, to be]. But others take it in the sense wrong- 
 doing [from ^"in, woe]—\.e., wrongly-gotten wealth 
 (Mercer). (Cf. Ps. Hi, 7, end, marg.) Maurer takes 
 it here, and in Mic. vii. 3, ' the desire,' answering 
 to " the soul," in the first member. The LXX. and 
 Arabic take it 'the life.' The English version is 
 best. 4. He becometh poor that dealeth with a 
 slack hand : but the hand of the diligent maketh 
 rich. "Dealeth"— i. e., doeth his work (cf. ch. 
 xii. 24, 27). "A slack hand "—Hebrew, a hand of 
 deceit or negligence, (Jer. xlviii. 10, marg.) "The 
 diligent " (Hebrew, charutzim, from charatz, to cut 
 short, or settle), those who are decisive in all things, 
 who economize their time and means; prompt in 
 movement. 5. He that gathereth in summer is a 
 wise son. A characteristic of the "wise son " who 
 *' maketh a glad father " [v. 1). The "summer" or 
 ** harvest " time (as the second clause explains it) 
 444 
 
 here represents the seasonable time for providing 
 for ourselves. The time of youth and manhood; 
 not deferring till old age. Also the time of health; 
 not putting off till the time of sickness, (but) he 
 that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth 
 shame— both to his parents and to himself at the 
 last. Wisdom is similarly opi)osed to causing 
 shame in chs. xiv, 35; xvii. 2. 6. Blessings are 
 upon the head of the just : but violence covereth 
 the mouth of the wicked— (cf. v. II.) All pray for 
 blessings to descend on the head of the just; and 
 they do so descend. But the pencdty of the " vio- 
 lence " of the wicked (viz., the accumulated curses 
 of God and of man) ' covereth their mouth,' so 
 that, coi^ered with shame, they have iiothing to say in 
 answer to their enemies, whom they have brought 
 on themselves by their violence (Ps, cvii. 42, "All 
 iniquity shall stop her mouth ;" cf. Ps. Ixix. 7 ; xliv. 
 15 ; Mic. vii. 10). Haman's face was covered 
 before his execution (Esth. vii. 8). 7. The memory 
 of the just is blessed : but the name of the wicked 
 shall rot— (cf. v. 6, note; Ps. cxii. 6.) 'Whoso- 
 ever,' says RahU Isaac, 'makes mention of the 
 just, and does not bless him; or of the wicked, and 
 does not curse him, transgresses the affirmative 
 precept here.' The Hebrews use this formula con- 
 cerning their dead. The name, i. e., the memory, 
 of the wicked shall be treated as a rotten and 
 loathsome thing (Ps. ix. 5, 6 ; Eccl. viii. 10). 8. 
 The wise in heart will receive commandments— 
 viz., those of God, and of the servants of God, as 
 to the right regulation of his heart and life (ch. ix. 
 9). but a prating fool shall fall— one who per- 
 tinaciously defends his folly, ami who can speak 
 nothing save what betrays his folly— ^i^., ' a fool of 
 lips.' The fool's lips, which are his prominent 
 characteristic, are opposed to the wise man's heart, 
 which is his characteristic. The fool is void of 
 heart—i. e., understaading ; therefore, in his self- 
 sufficiency, he will not hear the commandments of 
 God and of His servants; whereas the wise man, 
 conscious of his own weakness, gladly hears the 
 instructions of others. 9. He that walketh up- 
 rightly walketh surely. "Uprightly," "in in- 
 tegrity" or 'sincerity,' as David did (1 Ki. ix. 4). 
 " Walketh surely ;" safe from the reality and froin 
 the apprehension of danger. Hypocrites are in 
 continual danger, and are in fear, of their secret 
 wickedness becoming " known," but he that per- 
 verteth his ways shall be knowij. He that take-s 
 tortuous, crooked ways, like a fox, to prevent 
 himself from being tracked out, shall, with all his 
 pains, be detected. However studiously he con- 
 ceals his ways, he and they siiall brought to 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 10 He that winketh with the eye cause th sorrow : 
 But a prating fool * shall fall. 
 
 11 The ''mouth of a righteous man is a well of life : 
 But * violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. 
 
 12 Hatred stirreth up strifes:— but ■'love covereth all sins. 
 
 13 In the *lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: 
 But a rod is for the back of him that is void of ^ understanding, 
 
 14 Wise men lay up knowledge : 
 
 But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction. 
 
 15 The ^rich man's wealth is his strong city : 
 The destruction of the poor is their poverty. 
 
 16 The labour of the righteous tendeth to life : 
 The fruit of the wicked to sin. 
 
 light for punishment (^h. xiv. 33 ; Ezek. xix, 7). 
 With (lod to know sin (and He does know all 
 things) is to punish it. The ungodly fancy the 
 straightforward path the path of danger, and that 
 by a crooked course they shall be safe; but the 
 case is just the reverse. Maurer, after Rabhi Sa- 
 lomon, takes it, 'shall be made to know' by pun- 
 ishment (Judg. viii. 16). 10. He that winketh 
 ■with the eye causeth sorrow. " Winketh "—viz. , 
 with malicious intent (eh. vi. 13, note). Feigning 
 kindliness to his neighbour, but all the while giv- 
 ing a secret hint or sign to his accomplices to cheat 
 or rob him. hut a prating fool shall fall— He- 
 brew, ' a fool in lips' (cf. v. 8). The connection of 
 the clauses is, To speak feignedly, and to speak 
 rashly, are both alike dangerous : to do the former 
 hurts others, to do the latter hurts one's self. 
 When we avoid cunning and feigned speaking, we 
 are not to run into the opyjosite extreme of prating 
 foUy. 11. The mouth of a righteous man is a well 
 of life. He speaks words which issue in life (in 
 the highest sense) to himself and to others, hut 
 violence covereth the mouth of the wicked— 
 (note, V. 6.) Whereas the righteous man's words 
 issue in life, the wicked man's own violence 
 of words issues in silencing his mouth in death 
 (Ps. cvii. 42). His violence (ordinarily covert) had 
 been as a stagnant " well " ' covered ' over (cf. y. 
 10, note), which sent forth its deadly streams in 
 overt words and acts at every opfjortunity. Now 
 it shall cover his own mouth. It is striking how 
 often Solomon dwells upon sins of the tongue ; no 
 member is so hard to control; none more surely 
 indicates the man. 12. Hatred stirreth up strifes: 
 but love covereth all sins. "Stirreth up"— ^zY., 
 as one iifting v.p a spear which before had been at 
 rest. So the Hebrew [i^ir] in 2 Sam. xxiii. 18. 
 So hatred disturbs the existing quiet by railings ; 
 stirs up dormant quarrels on mere suspicions and 
 trillea, and by unfavourable constructions put on 
 everything, even upon acts of kindness. As natred 
 V)y (juarrels exposes the faults of others, so ' love 
 covers ' them ; except in so far as brothei'ly cor- 
 rection requires their exposure. The reference is 
 not to the covering of our sins before God, but the 
 covering of our fellow-men's sins in respect to 
 others. Love condones, yea, takes no notice of a 
 friend's errors. The disagreements which " hatred 
 stirreth up," love allays ; and the offences which 
 are usually the causes of quarrel, it sees as though 
 it saw them not, and excuses them (1 Cor. xiii. 
 4-7). It gives to men the forgiveness which it daily 
 craves from Gofl. It condones past offences, covers 
 prcscntj and j^uards against future ones [Gejer). 
 (1 Pet. IV. 8, note.) To abuae this i)receijt into a 
 445 
 
 B. C 1000. 
 
 shall be 
 
 beaten. 
 f>' I's. sr. 30. 
 
 Eph. 4. 29. 
 »■ Pa. 107. 42. 
 
 Eccl. 10. 12. 
 14. 
 
 Matt. 12.31. 
 
 Ja>. 3. 5. 8. 
 
 1 Cor. 13. 4. 
 
 Jas. 5. 20. 
 
 1 Pet. 4. 8. 
 
 Luke 4. 22. 
 6 heart. 
 I Job 31. 21. 
 
 ch. 18. 11. 
 
 Luke 12. 19. 
 
 1 Tim. f;.ir. 
 
 warrant for silencing all faithful reproofs of sin in 
 others would be to ascribe to charity the office of 
 a procuress {T. Cartwright). Lev. xix. 17, 18, 
 plainly tells us in the same context, "Thou shalt 
 not go up and down as a tale-bearer . . . Thou 
 shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," and (as the 
 act of true love) "Thou shalt in any wise rebuke 
 thy neighbour, and not sutler sin upon him." 13. 
 In the lips of him that hath understanding wis- 
 dom is found : tout a rod is for the back of him 
 that is void of understanding. " Wisdom "— i. e. , 
 wise speech — brings no rod to the speaker: but 
 unwise speech brings "a rod" upon " him that is 
 void of understanding." " Wisdom," moreover, is 
 to be learnt from the wise speaker ; but you must 
 search for it until it "is found." The v;ise man's 
 words attest his wisdom ; the fool's stripes attest 
 his folly. He who will not be taught understand- 
 ing by words must be taught it by the "rod." 
 The wise man carries the ornament of his wisdom 
 in his ^^lipsf the fool shall bear the disgrace of 
 his folly on his " hackJ^ 14. Wise men lay up know- 
 ledge : but the mouth of the foolish is near de- 
 struction. After "the lips" [v. 13), the bringcrs 
 forth of knowledge, follows the mind or memory, 
 its storehouse. The wise lay it up in the mind, so 
 as to bring it forth at the seasonable time (not at 
 random, like fools, but) for the temporal and 
 spiritual benefit of themselves and others (Matt, 
 xii. 35; xiii. 52). By his spiritual knowledge he 
 wards off from liimself and others the destruction 
 which is the result of sin (Ps. cxix. 11). But the 
 "foolish" has always "near" and ready in his 
 mouth speech such as brings "destruction" on 
 himself as well as on others (ch. xii. 23). It is a 
 considerable part of wisdom to know when to 
 speak, and when to be silent. 15. The rich ma.n's 
 wealth is his strong city : the destruction of the 
 poor is their poverty— /. e., in the estimation of 
 the ricli and the poor respectively. Though the 
 feelings are distinct, the elated feeling of "the 
 rich," because he has " wealth," and the depressed 
 feeling of the poor, because he has none— yet both 
 alike are guilty of the same error; they over- 
 estimate wealth. The rich fancy that their 
 wealth, as their "strong city," will keep them 
 safe from all evil; and the poor are so overwhelmed 
 by poverty as to fear "destruction" by it. But 
 rich and poor forget that "the name of the Lord 
 is" the only " strong tower" (ch. xviii. 10-12; l^a. 
 xxvi. 1 ; Ps. lii. 5-7). 16. The labour of the righ- 
 teous tendeth to life : the fruit of the wicked to 
 sin. This contrasts with men's false view of riches 
 being a stronghold, and poverty " destruction " {v. 
 15)— the true view of what brings life and what 
 
Moral mrtues and 
 
 PROVERBS X. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 17 He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction : 
 Bat he that refuseth reproof ^erreth. 
 
 18 He that hideth hatred with lying lips, 
 And he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. 
 
 19 In "*the multitude of words there wanteth not sin; 
 But " he that refraineth his lips is wise. 
 
 20 The tongue of the just is as choice silver: 
 The heart of the wicked is little worth. 
 
 21 The lips of the righteous feed many: 
 But fools die for want ^ of wisdom. 
 
 22 The ''blessing of the Lord, it maketh ricli, 
 And he addeth no sorrow with it. 
 
 B C. 10.;0. 
 
 6 Or, causeth 
 to err. 
 
 "* Eccl. 5. 3. 
 
 J as. 3. 2. 
 « Ps. 39. 1. 
 
 Ch. 17. 27, 
 28. 
 
 Jas. 1. 19. 
 Jas. 3. 2. 
 
 7 of heart. 
 
 0 Gen. 12. 2. 
 Gen. 24. : 5. 
 Gen. if: 1 .'. 
 Deut. 8. 17. 
 IS. 
 
 1 Sana 2. 7. 
 8. 
 
 brings destruction. "The labour" or 'reward,' 
 answering in parallelism to " the fruit" — L e., the 
 revenue or produce from the wicked man's ways 
 (cf. Isa. xlix. 4). The words are fitly chosen: 
 "labour" in honest industry is the righteous man's 
 ordinary way of living. ' Revenue' not gained by 
 honest labour is frequently the wicked man's live- 
 lihood. The righteous man may or may not 
 acquire by labour a splendid livelihood ; but he 
 certainly receives from God the "life" of grace 
 here and of glory hereafter. On the other hand, 
 though the wicked have a large revenue, yet, as 
 they abuse it to " sin," the result is death, begun 
 here in the soul, and consummated in soul and body 
 hereafter, not only to themselves, but to others 
 also by their influence and examijle. 17. He (is iu) 
 the way of life that keepeth instruction : but lie 
 that refuseth reproof erreth— rather, as marg., 
 ' causeth to err ;' and then, for the sake of corre- 
 spondence, the parallel clause will be, 'The way 
 to life (is) he that keepeth disciplinary instruction ' 
 — i. e., he shows the way to life {Maurer). But the 
 Chaldaic takes it much as the English version, — 
 'The way of life keepeth disciplinary instruction, 
 and he that leaveth reproof erreth.' Gejer trans- 
 lates the first clause as the English version, or else 
 'The way of life (is) to keep (the Hebrew i^ar- 
 ticiple standing for the infinitive) disciplinary 
 instruction'— viz., the instruction that shows one's 
 errors in faith or life, whether on the part of God 
 by chastisements or on the part of ministers by 
 reproofs. To ' keep disciplinary instruction ' is to 
 admit it willingly into the ears, weigh it well in 
 the heart, and show approval of it by obedience. 
 The transitive sense is the more usual one of the 
 Hebrew in the latter clause, ' causeth others to 
 err,' as well as erring fatally himself. ' To refuse,' 
 or, \it.,Ueave reproof,' is to avoid all occasions where 
 iOne fears that one's sins will be laid bare— ser- 
 mons, the faithful reproofs of the godly ; andalso to 
 shrink from disciplinary chastisement, which God 
 lays on His believing people. 18. He that hideth 
 hatred (with) Isring lips, and lie that uttereth a 
 slander, is a fool— rather, as the verses generally 
 are distichs — i. e., comi)Osed of two parallel sen- 
 tences,—' He that fiideth (i.e., dissembleth) hatred 
 (is) of lying lips ; ' i. e,, he speaks falsely, in order 
 to hide his hatred, and to deceive his neighbour 
 (ch. xiL 6, and especially ch. xxvi. 24, "He that 
 hateth dissembleth with his lips ;" Lev. xix. 17). 
 The slanderer is "a fool," wise as he thinks him- 
 self, bepause he has no control over his evil- 
 speaking tongue, which shall at last cause his per- 
 dition. The antithetical contrast is between nim 
 that hideth hatred" and him that ^'uttereth a 
 slander;" also between him that is of "lying lips" 
 and a fool." Two faults are here censured, seem- 
 446 
 
 ingly opposite, but in reality often connected ; for 
 hatred is hidden in order that it may break out iu 
 slander. It is an abuse of the tongue when one 
 either flatters, whilst he ' hides hatred ' within, 
 or " slanders," with, hatred breakiug forth. 19. In 
 the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: 
 hut he that refraineth his lips is wise. "Ive- 
 fraineth," as with a bridle ; for we must by force 
 bridle our tongue as an untameable member (Jas. 
 iii. 2-8). People often speak scandal or uncharit- 
 ableness for want of anything else to say. Xeno- 
 crates, in ' Valerius Maximus,' says, ' I have been 
 sometimes sorry that I spoke; I never have been 
 sorry that I was silent,' 'We seldom return to 
 silence without injury to conscience' {Thomas a 
 Kempis, 'Imitation of Christ,' ch. i., 10). Not a 
 multitude of words spoken for edification is con- 
 demned, but a multitude of words on subjects 
 profane, unprofitable, not sufficiently known, un- 
 digested W'Ords, truth mixed with falsehood, evil 
 with good, words idle and unseasoned with the 
 salt of grace (cf. Ezek. xxxv. 13). 20. The tongue 
 of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the 
 wicked is little worth. " The tongue of the just " 
 is precious, because of the choice and valuable 
 words it utters. " The heart of the wicked " 
 stands in opi^osition to "the tongue of the just," 
 because the heart is the fountain of the speech 
 (Matt, xii, 34). The wicked man's heart, aud 
 therefore his speech, is to be despised as nothing 
 worth. 21. The lips of the righteous feed many : 
 but fools die for want of wisdom. " Feed " with 
 instruction, guidance, and consolation (Jer. iii, 15). 
 " But fools " not only do not spiritually feed 
 others, but themselves " die for want of wisdom." 
 "The lips of the righteous," full of wisdom, are 
 opposed to the fool's " want of wisdom" in heart, 
 and therefore in speech,. "Feed." is opposed to 
 "die." The righteous feed others, and there- 
 fore shall live eternally (Dan, xii, 3). 'Fools 
 want wisdom,' and therefore shall "die'* eter- 
 nally. 22. The blessing of the Lord, it maketh 
 rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it — 1 e. , 
 with His blessing (Ps. cxxvii. 2, note, 'So He 
 giveth (wealth) to His beloved in sleep'— i. e., 
 without anxiety on their part), " It " is emphati- 
 cal. "It," and it alone, is the true source of 
 wealth: industry aud skill are only means. The 
 blessing of the Lord (including His favour) teaches 
 not only how to obtain and how to keep, but also 
 how cheerfully to use riches (Eccl. ii. 24, 26 ; iii. 
 13 ; V. 17, 18). God addeth to the objects of His 
 blessing exemption from the "sorrow" — i.e., 
 anxiety, harass [^"^.V.] — such as the covetous ex- 
 perience. Solomon received. His riches by the spe' 
 cial "blessing " of the Lord, without even asking (1 
 I Kl iii. 13). So Isaac (Gen. xxvi. 12). 23. It is as 
 
Moral tirtues and 
 
 PROVERBS X. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 23 It is as sport to a fool to do mischief : 
 But a man of understanding hath wisdom. 
 
 24 The ^fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him : 
 But ^the desire of the righteous shall be granted. 
 
 25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no mora 
 But '"the righteous is an everlasting foundation, 
 
 26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes. 
 So is the sluggard to them that send him. 
 
 27 The fear of the Lord ^prolongeth days: 
 
 But *the years of the wicked shall be shortened. 
 
 28 The 4iope of the righteous shall be gladness: 
 But the ^expectation of the wicked shall perish. 
 
 29 The way of the Lord is ^strength to the upright: 
 '^But destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. 
 
 30 The righteous shall never be removed : 
 But the wicked shall not inhabit the earth. 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 P Job 15. 21. 
 « Matt. 5 6. 
 1 John 5. 
 
 14. 
 
 Ps. 15. 5. 
 
 Matt. 7. 24. 
 
 Malt. 16.18. 
 
 Eph. 2. 25. 
 
 1 Tim. 6.19. 
 8 addeth. 
 * Eccl. r. 17. 
 « Ps. 16. 9. 
 
 Ps. 72.24,2> 
 
 Rom. 5. 2. 
 
 Rom. 12.12. 
 
 Rom. 15 13. 
 
 2The3.2.16. 
 
 1 John 3. 2. 
 » Job 8. 13. 
 " Zech. 10.12. 
 
 PMl. 4. 13. 
 
 Isa. 40. 31. 
 
 Ps. 1. 6. 
 
 sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of under- 
 standing hath wisdom— as his " sport." What he 
 knows by uudei'stauding ought to be done, that by 
 wisdom he does. " Wisdom" dictates to him to do 
 just the reverse of the fool: to be serious in avoid- 
 ing occasions of siu, iu warning others against it, 
 and in hating it sternly. So the parallelism re- 
 quires the sense to be. " Mischief" — lit. (Hebrew, 
 zinimah), premeditated and heinous wickedness, as 
 iu Judg. XX. 6. Instead of penitential tears, such 
 as the godly shed, foolish sinners regard sin as 
 " sport," which they openly delight and glory in 
 (chs. xjv. 9; XV. 21; Isa. iii. 9). The good man's 
 play, recreation, and delight, is to do good : so the 
 Model Man, Messiah (John iv. 34). 24. The fear 
 of the wicked, it shall come upon him : but the 
 desire of the righteous shall be granted— 
 ' ((Jod) will grant,' The wicked and the righteous 
 respectively shall receive the reward of their 
 course; the wicked what (through the instinct of 
 conscience) he fears ; the righteous what he wislies 
 for (through faith and well-grounded ho])e, Rom. 
 ii. 6). Though the wicked "sport" [o. 23) in doing 
 mischief, yet soon the feeling of sport flees, and 
 there comes in its ijlace fear, througn the stings of 
 conscience. Their fear does not drive them to 
 I)rayer ; so their fear x>rove3 to be well grounded, 
 for the apprehended destruction comes upon them. 
 On the other hand, the righteous, having a good 
 conscience through faith, have no continuous tear, 
 but a well-grounded desire and hope : and believ- 
 ing prayer ensures the fulfilment of their desire 
 (Ps. cxlv, 19; 1 John v, 14, 15; iii. 22, 23). 25. 
 As the whirlwind passeth, so (is) the wicked no 
 (more)— as raxjidly as the whirlwind passes. No 
 wind is more violent or less la.sting. So the 
 wicked, the more violent and mischievous they are, 
 the more quickly they fall (of. cli. i. 27). but the 
 righteous (is) an everlasting foundation. He be- 
 comes like the foundation on which he rests, the 
 everlastin^^ God (Matt. vii. 24, 2o; Ps. xv, 5, end). 
 He is solid, immovable, always consistent, and 
 his hapjuness well-founded and eternal {Maimon- 
 ides). The righteous is the foundation of the 
 world ; the world stands for the sake of the righ- 
 tecu.s. 
 
 26. As vinegar (is hurtful) to the teeth, and as 
 smoke to the eyes, so (is) the sluggard (hurtful) 
 to them that send him. The sluggard, as a mes- 
 senger, causes detriment to his euii)loyer by either 
 447 
 
 not executing his commission at all, or else execut- 
 ing it badly, 37. The fear of the Lord prolongeth 
 days— viz., the days of the righteous, beyond the 
 term of life assigned to others (note, cn. ix. 11), 
 The days of the righteous, by virtue of God's gift 
 of eternal life, shall be for ever, but the years of 
 the wicked shall be shortened — (Ps. Iv. 23. ) 
 Though the sinner's days sometimes seem 'pro- 
 longed,' they are at best but a ' shadow, because he 
 feareth not before God.' In estimating length of 
 years, we need to take into the account the eternal 
 years v/hich are before us (Eccl. viii. 12, 13). 28. 
 The hope of the righteous (shall be) gladness— 
 i.e., shall have a glad and joyful issue. Though 
 they have many blessings now, their chief portion 
 is in hope " (Rom. viii, 24). but the expectation 
 of the wicked shall perish — i e., shall be disap- 
 pointed, and so shall bring not "gladness," but 
 eternal mourning. 29. The way of the Lord 
 (is) strength to the upright— i, e,, The Lord's 
 apj)ointed way of holiness wherein the ux'i'ig^it 
 walk, (is) strength (lit, , a stronghold : Hebrew, 
 Mahoz) to the upright (lit., to uprightness-- 
 i.e., to the man of uprightness): because God 
 X)rotects aud ux)holds them in it, and gives 
 them strength to overcome all fears, misfor- 
 tunes, and temptations (Ps. xviii. 30). but de- 
 struction (shall be) to the workers of iniquity — 
 (Ps, i. G; xxxvii. 20;) viz., because they forsake 
 the way of the Lord." Mercer, Maurer, d-c, 
 take it, ' The way of the Lord is strength to the 
 uprigbt, but destruction to the workers of iniquity.' 
 The same Law of God which is salvation to the 
 godly is destruction to the ungodly (John v. 45; 
 2 Cor. ii. 16; Hos. xiv. 9, " The ways of the Lord 
 are right, and the just shall walk in them : buttlie 
 transgressors shall fall therein " ). But Gfjer 
 thinks the antithesis of the parallel clauses 
 is better marked in the English version. "The 
 way of the Lord" stands in opposition to ' the way 
 of the iniquitous,' understood; "strength," to 
 " destruction ;" "the upright," to " the workers of 
 iniquity " (ch. xxi. 15). 30. The righteous shall 
 never be removed — or disturbed from his strong 
 position of faith in (jod here, much less from his 
 coming " habitation " and blessed inheritance here- 
 after. 8o the antithesis to the succeeding clause 
 requires the sense (John v. 24; Ps, xxxvii. 11). 
 but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth— per- 
 manently ; iu contrast to the righteous meek, who 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XI. 
 
 their contrary mces. 
 
 31 The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom : 
 But the froward tongue shall be cut out. 
 
 32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable : 
 But the mouth of the wicked speaketk ^frowardness^ 
 
 11 A ^ FALSE balance is abomination to the Lord: 
 But 2 a just weight is his delight, 
 
 2 Wheti "pride oometh, then oometh shame : 
 But with the lowly is wisdom. 
 
 3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them : 
 
 But the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.. 
 
 4 Riches ^profit not in the day of wrath: 
 But *^ righteousness delivereth from death. 
 
 5 The righteousness of the perfect shall ^direct his way: 
 But the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness. 
 
 6 The ^righteousness of the upright shall deliver them : 
 But transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness. 
 
 7 When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish; 
 And the hope of unjust me?i perisheth. 
 
 B. C. 1 00. 
 
 9 froward- 
 
 CHAP. 11. 
 
 1 Balances 
 of deceit. 
 Lev. 19. 35. 
 Deut. 25.13 
 Hos. 12. 7. 
 Amos 8. 5. 
 Mic. 6. 6. 
 Mic. 6. 10, 
 
 11. 
 
 2 a p irfect 
 stone. 
 
 " Dan. 4. 30. 
 Luke 14. 
 11. 
 
 Luke 18.14. 
 b Eze 7. 19. 
 
 Zeph. 1. i8. 
 " Gen. 7. 1. 
 s rectify. 
 d 1 Tim. 4. 8. 
 * Ps. 7. 16. 
 
 Eccl. 10. 8. 
 
 sTiall inba])it the regenerated earth (ch. ii. 21 ; 
 Matt. V. 5). 31. The mouth of the just bringeth 
 forth [as fruit produced from a good tree, ; Ps. 
 xcii. 14 ; Matt. vii. 17J wisdom. It is not by one 
 or two good words that the righteousness of a man 
 is to be estimated, but by continual usage, when 
 one habitually cultivates purity of speech from 
 love of and zeal for the truth (7\ Cartwright) but 
 the froward tongue shall be cut out— as a corrupt 
 tree, which is bringing forth evil fruit, is hewu 
 down and cast into the fire (Matt, vii, 17, 19). As 
 "the mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom," 
 and therefore abideth for ever, so " the froward 
 tongue." inasmuch as it brings forth folly and sin, 
 "shall be cut off." 32. The lips of the righteous 
 know what is acceptable. "Know" — i. e., have 
 the power, through the Divine teaching of the 
 mind and heart, to speak what is acceptable to 
 God, and even to man— i. c, to speak spiritual 
 truth in the most acceptable form (Eccl. xii. 10, 
 11 ; Mai. ii, 7). but the mouth of the wicked 
 (speaketh) frowardness — not things acceptable to 
 God and man, but only froward things, even as he 
 knows nothing but frowardness. 
 
 CHAP. XI. 1-31.— 1. A false balance is abom- 
 ination to the Lord: but a just weight is his 
 delight. Under this prohibition of "a false bal- 
 ance " is forbidden all fraud, by whatsoever means 
 of deception it may be committed (ch. xx, 10, 23), 
 It is "abomination to the Lord," because it is 
 perpetrated under the semblance of justice. "A 
 just weight "—lit,, a perfect stone; for stones were 
 anciently used as weights (Lev. xix, 35, 36; Deut. 
 XXV. 13; Mic. vi. 11). 2. (V/hen) pride oometh, 
 then Cometh shame— a x>lay ujion like sounds in 
 Hebrew {zadon, kalon). There is no "when" in 
 the Hebrew implying the immediate attendance of 
 sJiame on pride (chs. xv. 33; xvi. 18: xviii. 12). 
 While the word of pride, " Is not this great Baby- 
 lon that I have built for the house of the kingdom 
 by the might of my jjower, and for the honour of 
 my majesty?" was yet in King Nebuchadnezzar's 
 mouth, there fell the voice from heaven, — The 
 kingdom is dejjarted from thee" (Dan. iv. 30,31). 
 but with the lowly is wisdom. Each of the two 
 clauses is to be supi>lied from the other. " With 
 the lowly is wisdom "—issuing iu honour, the ox>- 
 
 posite of "shame." "When" folly, which is the 
 opiiosite of "wisdom," and issues in "pride, com- 
 eth, then cometh shame," its inseparable follower. 
 Pride makes one to raise himself up against God, 
 and against one's neighbour (chs, xiii, 10; xxi. 24 ; 
 Deut. xvii. 12 ; xviii. 22). 3L The integrity of the 
 upright shall guide tYiera.— safely, by God's grace 
 (ch. iii. 6), through the midst of stumbling-blocks 
 and dangers, to the heavenly city of habitation 
 (Ps. cvii. 7). but the perverseness of transgres- 
 sors shall destroy them— in contrast to the safe 
 'guiding' of the upright by God, through their 
 integrity (ch, xv. 4). Men fancy that a crooked, 
 compromising, time-serving policy is the path of 
 safety. It is really the path to ' destruction.' 4. 
 Riches profit not in the day of wrath— the day 
 of God's judicial vengeance (Ezek. vii. 19; cf. on 
 this verse ch, x, 2). 5. The righteousness of the 
 perfect shall direct his way — safely to the de- 
 sired end. "The perfect "—i. e., tlie upright, the 
 sincere in aim (cf. v. 3). but the wicked shall fall 
 by his own wickedness— which is the opposite of 
 the 'direct way.' Instead of reaching the goal of 
 heaven safely, as "the perfect," he shall "fall" 
 for ever. 6. The righteousness of the upright 
 shall deliver them— from all fatal dangers, and 
 from everlasting death, but transgressors shall 
 be taken in (their own) naughtiness — wicked 
 schemes, which they prepare for others. (See note 
 on the same Hebrew word, ch. x. 3.) 7. When a 
 wicked man dieth, (his) expectation shall per- 
 ish; and the hope of unjust (men) perisheth. 
 Piohes, glory, impunity iu oppressing others, and 
 carnal pleasure, are the wicked man's object of 
 "hope," At death he is taken away from all 
 these hopelessly, and for ever. "The hope of 
 unjust (men)." [Thus the Hebrew, D'iiN, is from 
 j.i.N!, iniquity,'] But Gejer, Maurer, &c., take it 
 [from ]"in or p^<, resources, wealth, powers, Gen. xlix. 
 3; Hos. xii. 3], 'The hope of ric/ie.« perisheth ' (cf. 
 V. 4) : as in the former clause there is expressed 
 whose hope perisheth, but not what hope, so (ac- 
 cording to this view) in the latter clause is ex- 
 pressed what hope perisheth, not ivhose hope, 
 Geseniua supports the English version. So the 
 LXX, the Chaldaic, Syriac, x\rabic (cf. ch. x. 26], 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XL 
 
 their contrary 
 
 mces. 
 
 8 The righteous is delivered out of trouble, 
 And the wicked cometh in his stead. 
 
 9 An -''hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: 
 But through knowledge shall the just be delivered. 
 
 10 When ^it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth; 
 And when the wicked jrerish, there is shouting. 
 
 1 1 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted : 
 But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. 
 
 12 He that is *void of wisdom despise th his neighbour: 
 But a man of understanding holdeth his peace. 
 
 13 ^ A talebearer revealeth secrets: 
 
 But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter. 
 
 14 Where ^no counsel is, the people fall: 
 
 But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. 
 
 15 He that is surety for a stranger ^ shall smart for it; 
 And he that hateth ^suretishij) is sure. 
 
 16 A gracious woman retaineth honour; — and strong 77ien retain riches. 
 
 B. c. 
 
 / 1 Ki. 13. 18, 
 
 22. 
 
 Job 8. 13. 
 
 Job 34. 30. 
 
 Pa. 55. 12. 
 
 Matt. r. 15. 
 
 Acts 20. 30. 
 
 2 Cor. 11. 13. 
 
 2 Thes. 2. 8. 
 
 1 Tim. 4. 1. 
 f Esth. 8. 1.5. 
 * destitute 
 
 of heart. 
 
 6 He that 
 walketh, 
 bsing a 
 talebearer. 
 Lev. 19. 16. 
 
 '>■ 1 Ki. 12. 1. 
 « shall be 
 
 sore 
 
 broken. 
 
 7 those that 
 strike 
 hand?. 
 
 8. The righteous is delivered out of trouble, 
 and the wicked cometh in his stead— as hap- 
 pened in the case of Daniel and his persecutors 
 (Dan. vi. 24); and Haman (Esth. v. 14; vii. 8-10). 
 The wicked falls into the pit of destruction which 
 he digged for the righteous (Ps. vii. 15). 9. An 
 hypocrite (or else, a profane person ; Hebrew, 
 chnaeeph) with (his) mouth destroyeth his neigh- 
 Lour— i. e., tries to destroy him, by corruption (as 
 the Hebrew may mean), or by plotting destruction 
 against him secretly, whilst "with his mouth" 
 pretending to be his friend, but through know- 
 ledge shall the just be delivered. Through 
 spiritual knowledge, imparted by God, the just 
 is enabled to penetrate the hypocrite's schemes, 
 and to evade them : for heavenly illumination 
 teaches how "to refuse the evil, and choose the 
 good" (Isa. viii. 16). 10. When it goeth well 
 with the righteous, the city rejoiceth. Because 
 tlie well-being of the righteous in a State tends to 
 the well-being of the whole State : for the righ- 
 teous use their prosperity for the good of all around 
 them, and God, for their sake, blesses all with 
 whom they are allied (Gen. xxx. 27; cf. r. 11). 
 and when the wicked perish, there is shouting- 
 exultation at the deliverance from the vexations, 
 opijressions, and scandals caused by the wicked. 
 11. By the blessing of the upright the city is 
 exalted. This gives a reason why, "when it goeth 
 well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth." God 
 blesses the city for the sake of the righteous or 
 ujiright in it who intercede for it (1 Tim. ii. 2; 
 Jer. xxix. 7; Ezra vi. 10). but it is overthrown 
 by the mouth of the wicked— viz. , by their bad 
 counsels, false testimonies, blasphemies, calum- 
 nies (ch. xxix. 8). 12. He that is void of wisdom 
 (Hebrew, heart) despiseth his neighbour : but a 
 man of understanding holdeth his peace. It 
 aggravates the sin of 'despising' another, that he 
 is one's " neighbour " allied by creation, by com- 
 munity of civil and religious tics, and by the 
 prospect of the same eternity. "Despiseth," and 
 therefore assails vnt/i contemptuous taunts, "his 
 neighbour," when the latter has fallen inta mis- 
 fortune or error. The antithesis requires the 
 ellipsis to be thus supplied: 'But a man of un- 
 derstanding holdeth ms peace' — i.e., doth not 
 contemptuously taunt his neighbour. Mariana 
 connects the sense with v. 1.3 ; " He that is void of 
 VOL. m. 440 
 
 wisdom despiseth his neighbour" for the secret 
 that he knows TO his discredit, and speaks of it to 
 others; "but a man of understanding' holdeth his 
 peace " about it. 13. A talebearer [Hebrew, one 
 walking as a detractor, revealeth secrets. 
 
 The association of the verb walking with detractor, 
 lit., a merchant, is due to the fact that the de- 
 tractor goes about like a trafficker, carrying the 
 wares of scandal, gathered from various quarters, 
 and circulating them far and wide (Jer. vi. 28, 
 "Walking with slanders;" Lev. xix. IG, "Thou 
 shalt not 170 up and down as a talebearer among 
 thy people;" 1 Pet. ii. 1; Jas. iv. 11). In this 
 case it aggravates the offence that what the tale- 
 bearer circulates was a ' secret ' committed to him 
 in confidence, but he that is of a faithful spirit 
 concea,leth the matter — answering to "a man of 
 understanding holdeth his peace " {v. 12). " He 
 that is of a faithful spirit "—opposed to " a tale- 
 bearer;" one "faithful" to his promise of secrecy 
 given to his friend. 14. Where no counsel is, the 
 people fall : but in the multitude of counsellors 
 there is safety. '^' No counsel "—i. e., no 'vase 
 counsels ' (ch. i. 5). The multitude are apt to do 
 all things precipitately, and much need presiding 
 counsellors and counsel. It is a penalty inflicted 
 by God on a sinful State to give it j^rinces void of 
 counsel (Isa. iii. 4; cf. ch. xv. 22). Rehoboam 
 lost ten-twelfths of his kingdom by neglecting 
 good counsel, (1 Ki. xii.) 15. He that is surety for 
 a stranger shall smart for it (Hebrew, 'shall be 
 broken with a breakage,' like a potters vessel ; or 
 else, 'shall be evilly entreated with evil'), and 
 he that hateth suretiship is sure. It aggravates 
 the folly of reckless " suretiship " {lit., ' sureties ') 
 when it is "for a stranger," to whom one is in no 
 way bound by duty to run such a risk (cf. note, 
 ch. vi. 1). 16. A gracious woman retaineth 
 honour; and strong men retain riches. The 
 Hebrew for " strong men " [y")^] is usually taken 
 in a bad sense (Kimchi). As violent men retain 
 with a " strong" grasp their riches, so "a gracious 
 woman" retains with the same tenacity her 
 honour. What force effects for the strong, in 
 respect to what they value most, viz., riches, that 
 grace and virtue (chs. i. 9; iii. 4, 22) efi'ect for "a 
 gracious woman" in securing against every assailant 
 what she values most, viz., her "honour." Her 
 2(i 
 
1 
 
 Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XL 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 17 The 'merciful man doeth good to his own soul : , 
 But he that is cruel trou.bleth his own flesh. 
 
 18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work: 
 
 But •' to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward. 
 
 19 As righteousness tendeth to life; 
 
 So he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death. 
 
 20 They that are of a fro ward heart are abomination to the Lord: 
 But such as are upright in their way are his delight. 
 
 21 Though hand^om in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: 
 But the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. 
 
 22 As 2k jewel of gold in a swine's snout, 
 
 So is a fair woman which * is without discretion. 
 
 23 The desire of the righteous is only good : 
 But the expectation of the wicked is * wrath. 
 
 24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; 
 
 And there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. 
 
 B. C. 1 100. 
 
 < Ps. 41. 1. 
 Ps. Ii2. 4, 
 9. 
 
 Isa. 32. 7, 
 8. 
 
 Isa. 57. 1. 
 
 Isa. 58. 7. 
 
 Dan. 4. 27. 
 
 Matt, 5. 7. 
 
 Matt. 6. It. 
 
 Matt. 25.34. 
 
 Luke 6. 38. 
 
 2 Cor. 9. 6. 
 
 Phil. 4. 17. 
 } Hos. 10. 12. 
 
 Gal. 6. 8, 9. 
 
 Jas. 3. 18. 
 8 departeth 
 
 from. 
 * Rom. 2. 8. 
 
 Gal. 6. 8. 
 
 Jas. 3. 18. 
 
 grace is not merely the perishing grace of the body, 
 but the enduring grace of the soul (ch. xxxi. 30). 
 It is not by dress, worldly vanities, or admiration 
 of lovers that she obtains and retains "honour," 
 but by spiritual and internal graces. 17. The 
 merciful man doeth good to Ms own soul: but 
 (he that is) cruel troubleth his own flesh. The 
 merciful man in doing good to others does good to 
 himself. The harsh and uuinerciful in distressing 
 others causes ultimately distress to himself. Not 
 only do we not lose by mercy and liberality to 
 others, but we largely gain by the intrinsic effects 
 of mercy in its reflex action on the merciful, as 
 also by the special promise of God (Matt. v. 7). 
 The cruel spirit, when it has none else to vent its 
 cruelty on, punishes itself. The cruel man troub- 
 leth his own family also. 18. The wicked work- 
 eth a deceitful work: but to him that soweth 
 righteousness (shall be) a sure reward. The 
 reward of the wicked man's labour is deceitful 
 [i. e., is the very reverse of what he has calculated 
 on): that of the righteous man is sure. On "sow- 
 eth righteousness " cf. Hos. x. 12, " Sow to your- 
 selves in righteousness, reap in mercy;" Gal. vi. 8, 9; 
 Jas. iii. 18. The crop shall exactly correspond to 
 the seed, the reward to the work (ch. xxii. 8). 19. 
 As righteousness (tendeth) to life; so he that 
 pursueth evil (pursueth it) to his own death. 
 The Hebrew particle [|3] at the beginning of this 
 verse connects this verse with the preceding, 
 ' Thus then righteousness (tendeth) to life,' &c. 
 Maurer strangely takes it as a participial adjec- 
 tive, — ' He who is upright in righteousness.' " Pur- 
 sueth"— incessantly and eagerly pursueth, like 
 a hound after its prey [^~r^\ or a conqueror pur- 
 Buing the vanquished (Judg. iv, 16; 2 Sam. xx. 
 10). 20. They that are of a froward heart (are) 
 abomination to the Lord: but (such as are) up- 
 right in (their) way (are) his delight. "They 
 that are of a froward heart" — viz., those who are 
 s[)ecious before men, but who cherish selfish and 
 cunning schemes at heart. "Such as are upright 
 in their way " are the sincere in heart, who evince 
 their sincerity in their course of life : very differ- 
 ent from those who palliate their frowardness of 
 walk by pleading that they are well-disposed in 
 heart. 21- (Though) hand (join) in hand, the 
 wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed 
 of the righteous shall be delivered— from i)un- 
 ishment. Though the wicked conspire together, 
 450 
 
 and have many accomplices, joining right hand to 
 right hand, in pledge of mutual faith, and in token 
 of their engagement mutually to help one another 
 against all adversaries, yet they shall not escape 
 punishment. Mercer, De Dieu, and Maurer refer 
 the phrase to the succession of parents and children 
 —lit., hand to hand; i. e., not even by the succes- 
 sion of sons (the inheritance of guilt passing from 
 the hand of the father to the hand of the son) shall 
 the wicked escape punishment : neither himself 
 nor his posterity shall escapa Certainly the pa- 
 rallel clause, " the seed of the righteous," requires 
 in contrast reference to the seed of the wicked. 
 Probably both ideas are included, — ' Though the 
 wicked man has many accomplices, friends, succes- 
 sors, and posterity, as auxiliary hands, yet these 
 shall not shield him from punishment: he and 
 they shall be punished.' 22. (As) a jewel of gold 
 in a swine's snout, (so is) a fair woman (which 
 is) without discretion— without (lit., turning 
 aside from [nup]) taste" [orp], i. e., moral percep- 
 tion of what is pure and impure (Ps. cxix. 66). 
 Women used to wear golden rings, or "nose- 
 jewels" (Isa. iii. 21), in their noses. As the fair 
 form of the impure or godless woman is compared 
 to the "jewel of gold," so the impure woman her- 
 self to the filthy sow (2 Pet. ii. 22), in respect to 
 her impure life, filthy lusts {Bochart), insatiable- 
 ness, and stolidity. A sow, among the Egyptians, 
 is the hieroglyphic for a fool (Gejer). 23. The 
 desire of the righteous is only good. Their 
 chief object of desire is God and His favour. 
 They do not desire things unlawful. So the issue 
 of their desire is good. They obtain their wishes, 
 but the expectation of the wicked is wrath— 
 i. e., so far from issuing in the good which they 
 hoped for, it issues in the eternal "wrath" and 
 vengeance of God. They "desire" and devise 
 only such things as displease God — the event 
 therefore can only be "wrath;" whereas "the 
 desire of the righteous," being for "good," issues 
 in "good" to themselves. 24. There is that 
 scattereth, and yet increaseth; and (there is) 
 that withholdeth more than is meet, but (it 
 tendeth) to poverty. So far from the generous 
 disperser of his riches, for the glory of God and the 
 good of his neighbour, being really impoverished 
 by scattering, he positively "increaseth" in true 
 wealth by it. The metaphor is from sowing seed. 
 H§ who would reap largely must scatter the seed 
 
Moral tirtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XL 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 25 ^The liberal soul shall be made fat; 
 
 And ^he that watereth sliall be watered also himself. 
 
 26 He ""that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him : 
 But "'blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it 
 
 27 He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: 
 
 But he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him. 
 
 28 He ^that trusteth in his riches shall fall: 
 But ^the righteous shall flourish as a branch. 
 
 29 He that troubleth his own house ''shall inherit the wiudj 
 And the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart. 
 
 30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life ; 
 And he that ^^winneth souls is wise. 
 
 31 Behold, 'the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth j 
 Much more the wicked and the sinner. 
 
 far and wide, with no grudging hand (ch. xiii. 7). 
 They who "\\dthhold more than is meet" from 
 the Lord, get no true gain from all their toils and 
 all their riches, like the Jews in Haggai's time, 
 who had no prosperity till they made the house of 
 the Lord their chief object (Hag. i. 6, 9-11 ; ii. 15- 
 19; cf. Heb. xiii. 16). So far is the true wealth of 
 the withholder from being increased by withhold- 
 ing what is meet to be given for the glory of God 
 and the good of man, that he is at last deprived 
 even of that which he had (Matt. xiii. 12). The 
 Lord has a thousand ways of taking away from 
 the selfish steward of God's property the wealth 
 which he uses not for God's glory, viz., sickness, 
 fire, death certainly. 25. The liberal soul shall 
 be made fat; and he that watereth shall be 
 watered also himself. So far from growing lean 
 with liberality to others, "the liberal soul (lit,, 
 the soul of hlessing—i. e., the soul that blesses 
 others) shall be made fat." "Blessing" is often 
 used of kindness in words and in deeds towards 
 others (Gen. xxxiii. 11 ; 2 Ki. v. 15 ; 2 Cor. ix. 5-10). 
 " Bounty " (cuXoyta)— lit., blessing. As v. 24 refers 
 to external goods, so this 25th verse refers to both 
 the goods of the soul and those of the body. " He 
 that watereth"— ^ e., refreshes the souls of others 
 with spiritual refreshments, or their bodies with 
 the necessary supplies for their wants, shall re- 
 ceive a corresponding refreshment from God. He 
 shall receive new supplies wherewith to refresh 
 himself and others (Matt. v. 7). Tlie image is 
 from a seasonable shower refreshing the thirsty 
 earth (cf . Job xxix. 23 ; Ps. Ixxii. 6). 26. He that 
 withholdeth corn (in order to raise the price, and 
 sell at an exhorbitant profit), the people shall 
 curse him— (Amos viii. 5, 6.) but blessing (shall 
 be) (viz., implored by the peojjle) upon the head 
 of him that selleth (it)— at a moderate price (Job 
 xxix. 13). 27. He that diligently (lit., early in the 
 morning) seeketh good procureth favour. We 
 must not only do good, but do it seasonably whilst 
 the opijortunity j)resents itself, and diligently ; as 
 those who desire a thing effectually done get up 
 early, that they may have sufficient time, and 
 that they may do it with all the powers of their 
 mind and body {T. Cartvrright). Such a one 
 "procureth favour" with God and man. but he 
 that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him. 
 ''\ Seeketh mischief "—i. e., deliberately and con- 
 tinually. He that does not diligently seek good 
 is ai)t to fall step by step into the class of those 
 that "seek mischief." 28. He that trusteth in 
 Ma riches shall faU: but the righteous (viz., 
 inasmuch as they do not trust in riches) shall 
 451 
 
 B. C. 100\ 
 
 9 The soul 
 of bless- 
 ing 
 
 2 Cor. 9. G. 
 ' Matt. 5. 7. 
 '"Amos 8. 5. 
 " Job 29. 13. 
 ° Esth. 7. 10. 
 P Job 31. 24. 
 
 Mark 10.24. 
 
 Luke 12.21. 
 
 1 Tim. 6. 17. 
 « Jer. i7. 8. 
 
 Eccl. 5. 16. 
 
 10 taketh. 
 Dan. 12. 3. 
 1 Cor. 9. It). 
 Jas. 5. 20. 
 
 • Jer. 25. 29. 
 1 Pet. 4. 17. 
 
 flourish as a branch. "He that trusteth in his 
 riches " will be loath to part with them in giving 
 toothers {vv. 24-27). "As a branch" [n'^ra]. So 
 Gataker. Gejer translates, as the Hebrew com- 
 monly means, ' as a leaf,' viz., a verdant leaf (Ps. 
 i. 3; Jer. xvii. 8). 39. He that troubleth his 
 own house shall inherit the wind. "He that 
 troubleth his own house " — whether by extrava- 
 gance, or by quarrels, complaints, avaricious with- 
 holdmg of the sustenance and wages that are due, 
 &c. {v. 17, "He that is cruel troubleth his own 
 flesh;" ch. xv. 27, "He that is greedy of gain 
 troubleth his own house;" Ecclesiasticus iv. 30, 
 ' Be not as a lion in thy house, nor frantic among 
 thy servants'), "Shall inherit the wind" — i. e., 
 shall gain nothing but emptiness as the result of 
 all his trouble: like the wind, which makes a great 
 bluster, but has nothing solid in it, and passes 
 away (ch. x. 25; Eccl. i. 13, 14). and the fool 
 shall be servant to the wise of heart. He who 
 acts as a " fool" in the management of his house 
 and his property shall thereby be reduced to the 
 position of a "servant" to him who acts wisely in 
 the management of his house and property. 30. 
 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life ; and 
 he that winneth souls is wise— (Dan, xii. 3.) "The 
 fruit " which " the righteous " bring forth, viz,, in 
 benefiting the bodies and souls of others, is salu- 
 tary, like "the tree of life" (Gen. ii. 9; iii. 22; 
 ch. iii. 18). " He that winneth (lit., taketh) souls" 
 — like a successful fisherman, that he may bring 
 them to God and heaven (Luke v. 10) : by precept 
 and by example (1 Pet. iii. 1; 1 Cor. ix. 19-22; Jas. 
 V. 20). 31. Behold, the righteous shall be recom- 
 pensed in the earth : much more the wicked and 
 the sinner. " Recompensed" is here taken in the 
 primitive sense ; seeing that even the righteous 
 have to i)ay on earth (not in the future life) the 
 penalty of their occasional and exceptional delin- 
 quencies (Num. XX. 12, Moses and^ arow; 2 Sam. 
 xii. 14, David; xxiv. 12; 1 Ki. xiii. 21, the disobe- 
 dient prophet; cf. 1 Cor. xi. 30), committed through 
 infirmity and afterwards humbly deplored, how 
 much more shall "the wicked" {Rashang, im- 
 plying the restlessly wicked; from a root [tJ'l?'^] 
 to be disturbed; Isa. Ivii. 21), and "the sinner" 
 (Chotee — he ivho errs from the right way) be 
 punished. So 1 Pet. iv. 18, " If the righteous 
 scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and 
 the sinner appear?" (cf. Jer. xxv. 29). These 
 passages favour this view rather than the other 
 {Mariana's view), — ' Behold the piety of the 
 righteous, though irajjerfect, and though no more 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PEOVEEBS XIL 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 12 . WHOSO lovetb instruction loveth knowledge^: 
 But he that hateth reproof is brutish. 
 
 2 A good man obtaineth favour of the Lord : 
 But a man of wicked devices will he condemn. 
 
 3 A man shall not be established by wickedness : 
 But the root of the righteous shall not be moved. 
 
 4 A '^virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: 
 
 But she that maketh ashamed is as ^rottenness in his bones. 
 
 5 The thoughts of the righteous are riglit : 
 But the counsels of the wicked are deceit. 
 
 6 The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood ; 
 But the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. 
 
 7 The '^wicked are overthrown, and are not: 
 But the house -of the righteous shall stand. 
 
 8 A man shall be commended according to his wisdom : 
 '^But he that is ^ of a perverse heart shall be despised. 
 
 9 He that is despised, and hath a servant, 
 
 Is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread. 
 
 'than what is due from them, and therefore having 
 no claim to reward as a debt, is rewarded here ; 
 much more shall the imi^iety of the wicked receive 
 its retribution.' • 
 
 CHAP. XII. 1-28.— 1. Whoso loveth instruc- 
 tion (Hebrew, discipUnari/ instruction) Icveth 
 knowledge : but he that hateth reproof is brut- 
 ish— (ch. iii. 11, 12; Heb. xii. C.) The believer 
 'loveth disciplinary chastening,' not for its own 
 sake, but for the sake of that which is its effect — 
 viz., our being made partakers of God's holiness : 
 just as we love the physician who lances a fester- 
 ing sore, or the bitter medicine v/hich heals us 
 (Heb. xii. 10, 11). To hate " reproof," which is 
 designed for our good (Ps. cxli. 5), is to be like the 
 "brute," which looks not beyond the pain or the 
 pleasure of the present moment, and which kicks 
 or bites the person who oifers healing though 
 unpalatable drugs. 2, A good man obtaineth 
 favour of the Lord— lit., ''draws forth good will.' 
 On the verh cf. note, ch. iii. 13. but a man of 
 wicked devices will he condemn. Not only a 
 man of wicked deeds and words, but also a man 
 of wicked thoughts. 3. A man shall not be es- 
 tablished by wickedness. Thoiigh for a time 
 here on earth he may, by fraud or by force, obtain 
 and retain prosperity, yet it shall not be for long. 
 Not only shall he "not be established," but he 
 shall be utterly "rooted" out: as the antithesis 
 to the parallel clause implies, but the root of 
 the righteous shall not be moved— by any shock 
 whatever (ch, x. 25); as "trees of righteousness, 
 the planting of the Lord" (Isa. Ixi. 3). They 
 are "rooted" in the Lord by faith and love (Isa. 
 xxvii. 6 ; Jer. xvii. 8 ; Eph. iii. 17 ; Col. ii. 7). 4. 
 A virtuous (lit., strenuous ['r^n], as Euth is called, 
 Ruth iii. 11) woman is a crown to her husband 
 —"a crown," i.e., his chief ornament. "Her 
 husband"— lit, her lord (cf. ch. xxxi. 10, 23; 1 
 Cor. xi. 7). but she that maketh ashamed— by 
 want of strenuousness, virtue, and prudence, is as 
 rottenness in his bones— an incurable evil, affect- 
 ing the inmost and most vital powers of mind and 
 body; a plague in the privacy of home, as well as 
 in public life. A disease in the bones is hard to 
 cure. 5. The thoughts of the righteous (are) 
 .right (Hebrew, judgment ; i. e., consonant to jus- 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 CHAP. 12. 
 » ch. 31. 23. 
 
 1 Cor. 11. r. 
 t> ch. 11. 30. 
 * Esth. 9. 6. 
 
 Job 5. 3. 
 
 Job 11. 20. 
 
 Job 18. 15. 
 
 Job 27. 18. 
 
 Pa. 87. 10. 
 
 Ps. 73. 18. 
 
 Matt. 7.2t. 
 d lSam.13.13. 
 
 lSam.25.l7. 
 
 Ps. 132. 18. 
 
 ch. 1. 26. 
 
 ch. 3. 35. 
 
 ch. 5. 23. 
 
 Dan. 12. 2. 
 
 Mai. 2. 8, 
 9. 
 
 Matt. 27. 4, 
 6. 
 
 1 perverse 
 of heart. 
 
 tice): (but) the counsels of the wicked (are) de- 
 ceit. "The counsels," or 'the astute plans' (He- 
 brew, tachhuloth). 6. The words of the wicked 
 are to lie in wait for blood— (ch. i. 11, 18.) but 
 the mouth of the upright shall deliver them— 
 viz., the upriglit, from the lying in wait of the 
 wicked (ch. xi. 9). Or, as suits the antithesis, and 
 the expression "the mouth," "the upright," by 
 seasonable counsel of the mouth to those for whom 
 "the wicked" with their "words lie in wait," 
 shall deliver them from the snare. Such counsel 
 the wise Solomon gives, and through heeding it 
 many are delivered (ch. i. 10, 15). So Mercer, 
 Bayne, &c. However, "the mouth of the up- 
 right" may be their wise replies to the wicked, 
 who by "words" would ensnare them. Cf. Jesus' 
 replies to those who thought to catch Him in His 
 words (Luke xx. 1-41; cf. xi. 53, 54). 7. The 
 wicked are overthrown (Hebrew, Infinitive for 
 the Indicative present), and are not— (ch. x. 25.) 
 but the house of the righteous shall stand. 
 Even here on earth a blessing attends the family 
 or "house" of the righteous (cf. 2 Sam. vii. 11; 
 Exod. i. 21). Evil overtakes the wicked or his 
 " house " soon or late. 8. A man shall be com- 
 mended according to (lit., according to the mouth 
 of: a Hebrew idiom for in py'oportion to) his wis- 
 dom. God and His faithful people judge a man 
 not according to the ajjpareut success of an under- 
 taking, but according to its spiritual "wisdom." 
 Worldly men jiraise or condemn only according to 
 the apparent success or failure, but he that is of 
 a perverse heart shall be despised- by God; and 
 at last, man, when he is found out in his true char- 
 acter. 9. (He that is) despised, and hath a ser- 
 vant, is better than he that honoureth himself, 
 and lacketh bread. He who is low in pretensions, 
 through lowlinessof disposition, and through avoid- 
 ing ostentatious display, and who at the same time 
 "hath a servant," and therefore hath some means 
 of livelihood, is preferable to him who boasts 
 himself, making a great display, whilst all the 
 while not having the necessaries of life, througli 
 his wasting his money on pomp. The Hebrew 
 for "despised" {nicheleh) is distinct from that in 
 V. 8 (huz): here the reference is to low estimation 
 not through faultiness, but from absence of worldly 
 display: as David calls himself (1 Sam. xviii. 23) 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XII. 
 
 their contrary mces. 
 
 10 A ''righteous man regardeth the life of his beast : 
 But the 2 tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. 
 
 11 He -^that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread : 
 
 But he that foUoweth vain persons is void of understanding. 
 
 12 The wicked desireth ^the net of evil men: 
 But the ^root of the righteous yieldeth/rw/^. 
 
 13 *The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips : 
 ^But the just shall come out of trouble. 
 
 14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth ; 
 *And the recompence of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him, 
 
 15 The -'way of a fool is light in his own eyes: 
 But he that hearkeneth unto counsel 25. wise. . 
 
 16 A fool's wrath is -^presently known : 
 But a prudent maw covereth shame. . 
 
 "a poor man, and lightly esteemecV (the same 
 Hebrew as here) : in v. 8 the reference is to con- 
 tempt weU grounded, because of perversity. 10. A 
 rigliteous man regardeth the life of Ms beast. 
 God commands tender care even for brutes (Deut. 
 XXV. 4; Lev. xxii. 28). We are to give rest, re- 
 freshment, and medicine to the beast, according 
 as it requires it ; and are not to be cruel to it, 
 much less to man. but the tender mercies {lit. , 
 bowels) of the wicked are cruel — not only to 
 'beasts,' but, still worse, to men. "Cruel" is 
 s'm.ndar ; implying that each one oi their "tender 
 mercies" is cruel. Not only their cruelties, but 
 their very mercies are cruel : as Pharaoh when he 
 offered to let the people go, but without their herds ; 
 and the Jewish council and Gamaliel, when they 
 ordered the ay)0stles only to be "beaten" (Acts-v. 
 40), though iuuocent ; and as those who give alms 
 to the poor with contumely. 11. He that tilleth 
 his land shall be satisfied with bread. The occu- 
 pation must be an honest one, such as agriculture, 
 and one must labour diligently at it. One must 
 not put his sickle into his neighbour's harvest, 
 but he that followeth vain persons is void of 
 understanding. "Vain persons," i.e., idlers (2 
 Sam. vi. 2(:>): such as love vanity, shrink from 
 honest labour, delight in sleep, indolence, play, 
 and idle talk. We must withdraw from the 
 ! company of such (2 Thess. iii. 6, 11, 12). Being 
 : "void of understanding," they, as a necessary 
 i consequence, are void of "bread," as contrasted 
 with "He that tilleth his land," who therefore 
 "shall be satisfied with bread." 12. The wicked 
 desireth the net of evil (men) : but the root of 
 the righteous yieldeth (fruit). The wicked man 
 (Hebrew, raMliang, the restlessly wicked, the godless) 
 desireth to have the net of evil men {rang, the 
 evil, in general) ; viz., to have the cunning whereby 
 they ensnare victims ; or rather, to take in their 
 net evil men : tlie wicked seek to take advantage 
 of one another: so Gesenius. The godless are not 
 satisfied with the abundance that they have, but 
 thirst for more. The Hebrew for "net" pii^] 
 means also a fortress (Eccl. ix. 14). Maurer 
 therefore translates, ' The godless desireth the de- 
 fence of evil men (against the dangers which he 
 fears, ch. x. 24).' He thinks, by combinations 
 among the evil for mutual defence, to escape pun- 
 ishment. 'But the root {i. e., the firmly rooted 
 stability) of the righteous yields ii' — viz., defence 
 of itself, without need of confederacy with others. 
 The English version has the support of the Chal- 
 453 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 • Deut. 2.3. 4. 
 
 2 Or, bowels. 
 / Gen. 3. 19. 
 
 3 Or. the 
 fortress. 
 
 f Jer. 17. P. 
 
 4 The snare 
 of the 
 wicked is- 
 in the 
 transgres- 
 sion of 
 lips. 
 
 ft 2 Pet. 2. 9. 
 t Isa. 3. 10. 
 Matt. 10.4', 
 42. 
 
 2Thes. 1.6. 
 } Luke 18.11, 
 6 in that 
 
 diy. 
 
 daic Targum for "net ;" and virtually of the Syriac 
 for "yieldeth fruit" (Germinabit) : so De Wette, 
 Of. also V. 14, which confirms it. Thus, the righ- 
 teous yielding their own fruit, for the good of others 
 as w'ell as themselves, stand in contrast to the 
 toicked desiring to entrap in their net other evil men, 
 so as to gain their goods. The wicked seek their 
 good from without ; the righteous have it within, 
 their own root, deep and firmly sunk, supplying 
 it. 13. The wicked is snared by the transgres- 
 sion of (his) lips. The wicked thought to injure 
 others by his transgression of God's law with his 
 lips— viz., by false witness, calumnies, and lies; 
 but it is ordered by God's retributive justice that 
 it is himself who is snared in ruin thereby, but 
 the just shall come out of trouble— by avoiding 
 the " transgression of his lips ;" or if he has been 
 betrayed into it by his own infirmity, or shall 
 have been for a time snared by the lips of the 
 transgressor, he "shall come out of trouble" 
 through the grace of God. 14. A man shall be 
 satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth— 
 (cf. V. 12, end.) The good man himself derives the 
 most ample fruit from the good and kindly and 
 pious words of his own mouth. Not merely the 
 taught are instructed, ])ut the teacher is benefited 
 by his own profitable discourse, and the recom- 
 pence of a man's hands shall be rendered unto 
 him. If a man's good tvords bring, by the grace 
 of God, their own reward to the speaker, much 
 more the good works of "a man's hands" shall 
 bring to him their own recompence. He shall not 
 be "satisfied with good" who destroys by the 
 deeds of his "hands" what he teaches with the 
 words of " his mouth." 15. The way of a fool is 
 right in his own eyes— (ch. iii. 7 ; Job xxxii, 1 ; 
 Isa. V. 21 ; Luke xviii. 11.) but he that hearken- 
 eth unto counsel is wise. None is so wise as not 
 to need good counsel, especially in the concerns 
 of the soul. We have one Great " Counsellor," 
 Messiah, who is made unto us" wisdom" (Isa. ix. 
 6; 1 Cor. i. 80). Let us "hearken unto" Him 
 (ch. i. 33). 16. A fool's wrath is presently (He- 
 brew, in that very day; Hos. iv. 5) known : but a 
 prudent man covereth shame— viz., the shame or 
 insult put upon him by others. "Covereth," 
 with the mantle of patience and charity, instead 
 of exasperating himself, and losing self-control 
 like "a fool," by dwelling on the indignity of the 
 word or deed, and the worthlessness of the iu- 
 jurer. He does not publish the act, to the dis- 
 credit of the other, but consults for the repu- 
 tation of the other, lest he should add sin to 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XII. 
 
 their contrary vices, 
 
 11 He that speaketh truth showeth forth righteousness; 
 But a false witness deceit. 
 
 18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: 
 But the tongue of the wise is health. 
 
 19 The ^Hp of truth shall be established for ever: 
 But a lying tongue is but for a moment. 
 
 20 Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: 
 But to the counsellors of peace is joy. 
 
 21 There ^ shall no evil happen to the just : 
 But the wicked shall be filled with mischief, 
 
 22 Lying "^lips are abomination to the Lord : 
 But they that deal truly are his delight. 
 
 23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge : 
 
 But the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness. 
 
 24 The '^hand of the diligent shall bear rule ; 
 But the ^slothful shall be under tribute. 
 
 25 Heaviness in the heai-t of man maketh it stoop: 
 But ^a good word maketh it glad. 
 
 26 The righteous is more ^excellent than his neighbour 
 But the way of the wicked seduceth them. 
 
 the injury suffered. 17. (He that) speaketh [lit, 
 breath eth ; Hebrew, yaphiach) truth showeth 
 forth righteousness : "but a false witness deceit. 
 He who, with full breath, speaketh out the whole 
 truth without reserve, and without injustice, and 
 this habitually — whose very breath is truth — show- 
 eth forth what is righteous, doing injustice to none ; 
 like Messiah, "the Faithful and True Witness" 
 (Isa. Iv, 4 ; Rev. iii. 14). But a false witness sets 
 forth what does injustice to others by "deceit." 
 18. There is that speaketh [Hebrew, babbleth, 
 HQiDj like the piercings of a sword (Ps. Ivii. 4) : 
 but the tongue of the wise is health. Cf. with the 
 lirst clause the last clause of v. 17. The tongue of 
 the godly wise not only does not wound, but it 
 heals the wounds inflicted by the ungodly, by ex- 
 cusing and defending the innocent, and by making 
 up quarrels. It is not enough not to bring forth 
 bad fruit ; we must bring forth good fruit. 19. 
 The lip of truth shall be established for ever. 
 He whose lips speak truth shall be established for 
 ever in the favour of God and of man. but a 
 lying tongue is but for a moment— ^i^, , ' is whilst 
 I give a wink:' note, Jer. xlix. 19. Liars need 
 to have good memories. A lyin» tongue soon be- 
 trays itself. ' No lie reaches old age,' says So- 
 phocles. A lie is soon or late discovered, and 
 truth emerges. 20. Deceit is in the heart of 
 them that imagine evil. "Deceit," producing 
 sorroiv, is in the heart of them that devise "evil," 
 and therefore strife (the opposite of "peace"). 
 The opposite follows :— but to the counsellors of 
 peace is joy. But to the counsellors of good (the 
 opi)osite of "evil") and "peace," is candour (the 
 opposite of "deceit"), and therefore "joy." 21. 
 There shall no evil happen to the just : but the 
 wicked shall be filled with mischief. " No evil " 
 (lit., iniquity ; Hebi'ew, aven), whether of guilt or 
 of its punishment, 'shall happen,' so as lastingly 
 to hurt "the just (Ps. xci. 10). " But the wicked 
 shall be filled (cf. ch. i. .31) with" the 'iniquity' 
 and the punishment of their own "mischief." 
 One clause is to be sup])lied from the other. 22. 
 Lying lips are abomination to the Lord : but they 
 454 
 
 that deal truly are his delight. Not merely they 
 that speah truly, but "they that deal truly" are 
 God's "delight." Deeds of true dealing must con- 
 firm words of fair speaking. 23. A prudent man 
 concealeth knowledge— not that he grudges to 
 impart his knowledge to others, but he does not 
 obtrude it, nor make a display of it, nor babble 
 out all he knows, in order that he may be counted 
 wise. But he brings it forth in the fitting time 
 and place, but the heart of fools proclaimeth 
 foolishness. Trying to make a display of know- 
 ledge, it only betrays its foolishness. Fools, wise 
 in their own esteem, babble out everything at 
 random ; not wisdom, which they have not, but 
 foolishness, which they have. Proclaiming fool- 
 ishness is attributed to the fool's heart, not to liis 
 mouth; for a fool's heart is in his mouth. He 
 has no sense within. On the contrary, " The 
 mouth of the wise is in their heart" (Ecclus. xxi. 
 26). 24. The hand of the diligent shall bear rule : 
 but the slothful shall be under tribute. Dili- 
 gence shall seciTre the rule over others ; but sloth- 
 fnlness (lit., fraud; cf. Jer. xlviii, 10, marg. For 
 they who are slothful often use fraud to save 
 themselves the trouble of labour) brings one un- 
 der the rule of others. 25. Heaviness in the heart 
 of man maketh it stoop (the it is feminine, 
 though heart is masculine) : but a good word 
 maketh it glad. Messiah especially spake such 
 'good words' (Tsa. 1. 4; Ixi. 1-3; so also His ser- 
 vants, 2 Cor. i. 4). 26. The righteous is more ex- 
 cellent [Hebrew, more I'ichly abundant; yatheer: 
 akin to the Greek ovdap) than his neighbour- 
 though the world, judging by outward circum- 
 stances, thinks differently. Even the righteous 
 themselves are tempted by affliction at times to 
 be cast down as if there were no gain in piety, 
 and as if the ungodly fared better (Ps. Ixxiii. ; 
 Mai. iii. 14). but the way of the wicked se- 
 duceth them. If, then, "the righteous be more 
 excellent than his neighbour," how is it that men 
 do not follow their way? Because "the way of 
 the wicked," which is apparently more excellent, 
 or abundant in temporal advantages, seduceth 
 
Moral mrtues atid 
 
 PKOVERBS XIIL 
 
 their contrarv vices. 
 
 27 The slotlifiil man roasteth nat that which he took ia hunting : 
 But the substance of a diligent man is precious 
 
 28 In the way of righteousness ^is life ; 
 
 And in the pathway thereof there is no death. 
 13 A WISE son heareth his father's instruction" : 
 "But a scorner heareth not rebuke.. 
 
 2 A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth : 
 But the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence. 
 
 3 He *that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life : 
 
 But he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction^ 
 
 4 The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing : 
 But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. 
 
 5 A righteous man hateth *^ lying : 
 
 But a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh tO' shame; 
 
 6 Righteousness '^keepeth him that is upright in the way : 
 But wickedness overthroweth ^the sinner. 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 * Deut.30.l6. 
 Deut. 32.47. 
 Jer, 21. 8. 
 Eze. 18. 9, 
 20, 24. 
 
 Kom. 6. 22, 
 23. 
 
 Matt. 19.17. 
 Rom. 6. 21. 
 2 Cor. 4. 17. 
 Rev. 2. 7. 
 
 CHAP. 13. 
 
 1 Sam. 2.26. 
 
 ch. 9. 7, 8. 
 
 ch. 14. 6. 
 " Ps. 39. 1. 
 
 Jas. 3. 2. 
 « Col. 3. 9. 
 
 Rom. 12. 9. 
 d cli. 11. 3. 
 1 sin. 
 
 theai [Kimchi in Mercer). It "seducetli" with 
 false hopes, doomed to end in the destruc- 
 tion of those so seduced. The way of the 
 righteous, on the contrary, however differently 
 it may be regarded now, is really more ex- 
 cellent, and at last will be seen by all to be so.. 
 27. The slothful (man) roasteth not that which 
 lie took in hunting. The Hebrew for "roasteth" 
 nrivl does not occur in this sense elsev.?here. In 
 the Chaldee, in, which Dan. iii. 27 is written, it is 
 found in this sense. The slothful man doth not 
 take in hunting anything to roast; for hunting 
 would require labour, which he disli^'es. Jacob 
 acted the part of such a slothful man, who is also 
 a deceitful man [v. 24, note), when he roasted for 
 his father that which he had not taken in hunting, 
 and deceived him. Fuller ('Miscellanea') takes 
 the Hebrew from the kindred w^ord karakim, 
 ' lattice,' or enclosure-work within which the wild 
 beasts were caught (cf. the Hebrew, Song ii. 9). 
 The LXX. confirm this {ovk einrev^eTat, dvpav], 
 ' Shall not obtain prey in hunting.' So the Vul- 
 gate, Chaldaic, Syriac, Arabic. Ewald, from the 
 Arabic, suxtports the English version, but the 
 substance of a diligent man (is) precious—' but 
 precious substance (will be the portion) of a dili- 
 gent man.' Like a successful hunter, he by his 
 "diligent" labour ensures "precious substance," 
 which he both takes and permanently enjoys. 
 De Dieu takes the words in their Hebrew order, 
 thus— 'But the substance of a precious man is 
 (johr (as the Hebrew, clLaruiz, English version, 
 " diligent," may also mean). I prefer the English 
 version. 28. In the way of righteousness (is) life ; 
 and (in) the pathway (thereof there is) no death. 
 "The pathway:" two Hebrew nouns, as in the 
 English version, Derek nethihali; the path warj. 
 A narrow way trodden by the feet, as dis- 
 tinguished from tlie cart-road. [The Masoretes 
 read it without the dot, HD^n?, tlte trodden right 
 way, as distinguished from the devious ' crooked 
 ways into' which the wicked "turn aside" (Ps. 
 cxxv. 5). If the Mappik, or dot, be read, the 
 sense is, thevxiy of its path—\. e., the way of the 
 path of righteou^ne^ss}. The Chaldaic, LXX., Vul- 
 gate, Arabic, and Syriac, for "no" [^^, which is 
 used more in prohibitions than negations], read, 
 'The pathway is to [h\K\ death.' The difficulty 
 of tlie Hebrew al negative probably occasioned the 
 change. The difficult reading the" English version 
 riglitly prefers. Moreover, the trodden right way 
 45j 
 
 could not be used of the crooked way of sinners 
 leading to death, as this reading takes it. 
 
 CHAP. XIII. 1-25.-1. A wise son (heareth) 
 his father's instruction: hut a scorner heareth 
 not rebuke. A wise son shows his wisdom by 
 hearing his father's disciplinary instruction — 
 i. e., instruction, accoraiianied with chastisement 
 (Hebrew, musar). Had Eli administered such 
 discipline, and hia sons heeded it, their end would 
 have been very different (1 Sam. ii. 25). 2. A man 
 sliall eat good by the fruit of (his) mouth. He 
 shall enjoy the fruit of the good words which he 
 uses (ch. xii, 14). No wonder that the Holy 
 Spirit here labours so much for the reformation of 
 the tongue ; for the apostle also (Rom, iii. 13, &c.), 
 when giving an anatomy of human depravity in 
 the members of the body, dwells more on the 
 tongue than all the rest {CartwrigJd). but the 
 soul of the transgressors (shall eat) violence— 
 the transgressors who seek to inflict injury on others 
 shall sufier the fruit of injury in their own soul. 
 The sold of the transgressors (including all their 
 inv^ard man ) is opposed to the mouth of the good 
 man. They do not show by the mouth the evil 
 which is within their soul; but the good man's 
 mouth indicates the good heart within. Therefore 
 his mouth is mentioned, but their sold. 3. He 
 that keepeth his mouth (considering about what, 
 with whom, in what mmincr, place, and time, he 
 speaks, Gejer) keepeth his life: (but) he that 
 openeth wide his lips (rashly and inconsiderately 
 babbling out whatever enters his mind) shall 
 have destruction— (chs. x. 19 ; xii. 23.) "Keepeth" 
 — viz., as watchmen keep the city gates to prevent 
 the enemy entering (Ps. cxli. 3). We should keep 
 our mouth from uncharitable, idle, rash, hastj^ 
 and passionate words. "Keepeth his life," not 
 only of the body, but of the soul (Matt. xii. 32-37). 
 'Misfortune is the end of an unbridled mouth' 
 {Euripides). 4. The soul of the sluggard (Hebrew, 
 the soul of him, the sluggard) desireth, and (hath) 
 nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be 
 made fat— (ch. xi. 25.) The sluggard desires 
 abundance, and does nothing more : he makes no 
 diligent effort to effect his desire. When labour 
 is laid aside, the desires are let loose; but they 
 are restrained by doing work (cf. ch. x. 4). 5. A 
 righteous (man) hateth lying (not merely in others, 
 but in Idm'ielf : not merely abstains from it, ])ut 
 hateth it) : but a wicked (man) is loathsome, and 
 cometh to shame— Z^Y., 'maketh (himself) loatli- 
 some, and bringeth (himself) to shame.' 6. Eigh- 
 
Moral mrtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XIIL 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 7 There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing : 
 There is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches, 
 
 8 The ransom of a man's life are his riches : 
 But the poor heareth not rebuke. 
 
 9 The light of the righteous rejoice th : 
 
 But the ^lamp of the wicked shall be put out. 
 
 10 Only by pride eometh contention : 
 But with the well-advised is wisdom. 
 
 11 Wealth ^gotten by vanity shall be diminished-: 
 But he that gathereth ^ by labour shall increase. 
 
 12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: 
 
 But when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. 
 
 teousnesskeepeth (Mm that is) upright in the way 
 
 —of life and of safety. He needs no other defences, 
 but wickedness overthro weth the sinner— H ebre w, 
 ' sin :' the abstract for the concrete (cf. note, ch. 
 X. 29). '8iu'is the very element of the sinner. 
 He is the slave of sin, and gets sin's wages, death 
 (Rom. vi. 23). 7. There is that maketh himself 
 rich, yet (hath) nothing : (there is) that maketh 
 himself poor, yet (hath) great riches— parallel, 
 I think, to ch. xi. 24, "There is that scattereth, 
 and yet increaseth ; and there is that withholdeth 
 more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty." 
 There are rich men who, by not using their riches 
 to the glory of God and the good of man, have no 
 real good out of their riches : there are also those 
 who make themselves poor by spending to the 
 glory of God and the good of man ; yet they have 
 all that is really good in riches, anci are counted 
 rich by God (cf. Rev. ii. 9, "I know thy . . . 
 poverty (the church of Smyrna), but thou art 
 rich ;" Luke xii. 21 ; 1 Tim. vi. 18 ; Jas. ii. 5). 
 Such a I'ich widow before God was that one that 
 "of her penury" cast into the Lord's treasury 
 "all the living that she had " (Luke xxi. 4). On 
 the contrary, the church of Laodicea, "rich, and 
 increased with goods" in her own esteem, was in 
 God's esteem "wretched, and jmiserable, and 
 poor." Gejer, Grotius, cDc, explain it, ' There are 
 persons who make a show of beingrich, whilst all the 
 time they have nothing' (cf. note, ch. xii. 9, end): 
 poor and proud at once. 'And there are those 
 who feign themselves poor, whilst all the while 
 they have ample riches.' 8. The ransom of a 
 man's life (are) his riches : but the poor heareth 
 not rebuke. If the rich man's life is in danger, he 
 can often redeem himself by his riches (chs. x. 15 ; 
 xviii. 11); but the poor do not ever 'hear' threats 
 — i. e., the poor are not exposed to threats or envy 
 affecting the safety of their life. On such " re- 
 buke" cf. Isa. XXX. 17. The rich deliver them- 
 selves from danger : the poor arc free from it. If 
 riches have their advantage, so has poverty its 
 advantages. Juvenal says {Caniabit vacuus coram 
 latrone viator), ' The traveller who has nothing to 
 lose can sing in the highwayman's face.' The 
 godly poor, above all, shall 'hear no rebuke' in 
 tlie gr^at day of the Lord (Isa. xxv. 8; Job iii. 18). 
 9. The light of the righteous rejoiceth— joyfully 
 shines forth. " The light of the righteoils " is 
 that of their piety, joy, peace, and blessedness, 
 which, beginning here, is perfected in the life to 
 come (Matt. v. 16; Ps. xcvii. 11; cxii. 4; Prov. 
 iv. 18). It is like the sun, ever brightening from 
 morning to mid-day. but the lamp of the wicked 
 shall be put out. The little and faint spark of 
 pros]ierity which the wicked have now, shaU be 
 put out, as a " lamp " which soon goes out ; 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 candle. 
 * Job IS 28, 
 2?. 
 
 Job 20. 15, 
 
 19, 22. 
 Job 27. 16. 
 
 17. 
 
 Ch. 20. 21. 
 Eccl. 5. 4. 
 Jer. 17. 11. 
 3 with the 
 hand, 
 ch. 22. C9. 
 ch. 27. 23- 
 27. 
 Ps. 12«. 2. 
 
 whereas the righteous shine like the sunlight, 
 permanently and universally (Job xviii 5; xxi 17). 
 10. Only by pride cometh contention. The " only " 
 is joined by Maurer, Castalio, d-c, not to "pride," 
 which immediately follows, but to " cometh con- 
 tention "—lit,, will one give contention. Pride only 
 causeth contention. Thesre only cometh conten- 
 tion by pride. Pride conduces to nothing else 
 than to stir up the proud to contention. It 
 aggravates the sin of contentions so caused, that 
 they arise, not from sudden anger or provocation, 
 but from mere pride. The proud have not the 
 "wisdom" to take 'advice' from others (the 
 parallel clause supplies these words and ideas); 
 so, in intercourse with others, they "contend" 
 with all who do not yield to them. The English 
 version, however, joining "only" with the He- 
 brew word next in order, gives the more likely 
 connection. If it were not for pride there woul^ 
 be no contention, but pride prevents either party 
 confessing himself to be in the wrong ; so the 
 strife is begun and continued, but with the well 
 advised is wisdom. In ch. xL 2 it is "with the 
 lowly is wisdom." The " well advised " are those 
 who through lowliness are not too proud to take 
 advice, or to yield to the superior opinion of 
 another. As the " well advised " are opposed to 
 "pride"— i e., the jproud — so "wisdom is op- 
 posed to "contention." For "the wisdom that 
 is from above" is not only "pure," but also 
 ''peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated" 
 (Jas. iii 17). "Wisdom "is the cause of "lowli- 
 ness." 11, Wealth (gotten) by vanity shall be 
 diminished: but he that gathereth by labour 
 (Hebrew, with the hand) shall increase — , 
 ' wealth from (Hebrew, min) vanity' (chs. x. 2; 
 XX. 21). The "vanity" here answers to "a slack 
 (deceitful) hand," ch. x. 4, where cf. note, " He 
 becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand." 
 Thus it stands in opposition to "he that gathereth 
 with the hand" in the parallel clause. Wealth ill 
 gotten is soon gone; but wealth gotten by honest 
 labour remains sure. The " hand" here represents 
 all honourable ways of industry, and is opposed 
 to "vanity." [The Hebrew preposition is in 
 some MSS., ~\v, even unto the hand; in other 
 MSS., upon or under the hand — i.e., under 
 the diligent custody (1 Sam. xvii 22; 2 Chr. xii 10). 
 The sense unth or hy arises from the idea of de- 
 pendence upon: so the Hebrew is used, Gen. xxvii 
 40, "By (lit., upon) thy sword shalt thou live." 
 So here, 'He that gathereth depending upon la- 
 bour. '] He that gath ereth unth unwearied assiduity, 
 and by legitimate means, shall increase. 12. Hope 
 deferred maketh the heart sick : but (when) the 
 desire cometh, (it is) a tree of llfe-(ch. iii. 18.) 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PEOVERBS XIII. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 13 Whoso -^despise th the word shall be destroyed : 
 
 But he that feareth the commandment * shall be rewarded. 
 
 14 The ^law of the wise is a fountain of life. 
 To depart from ^the snares of death. 
 
 15 Good understanding giveth favour: 
 But the way of transgressors is hard. 
 
 16 Every ^prudent man dealeth with knowledge; 
 But a fool ^ layeth open his folly. 
 
 17 A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: 
 But ^a faithful ambassador is health. 
 
 18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction : 
 But •'he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured. 
 
 19 The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul : 
 But it is abomination to fools to depart from evil 
 
 20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise : 
 But a companion of fools ''shall be destroyed. 
 
 True wisdom admonishes us to set our hopes, uot 
 on the unsatisfying things of earth, but on that 
 which, though our hope be exercised with long 
 waiting, will not disappoint us in the end, but 
 will be as "the tree of life" in the midst of the 
 "Paradise of God" (Eev. ii. 7; Hab. ii. 3; Heb. 
 X. 37). • 13. Whoso aespiseth the word (viz., of 
 God) shall be destroyed: but he that feareth 
 the commandment shall be rewarded— Hebrew, 
 'shall be destroyed for himself [-^] : all he shall 
 get for himself is destruction. Or else, he shall be 
 destroyed for it—i. e., for despising it. The Chal- 
 daic, Syriac, and Arabic, translate, ' by it.' Maur- 
 tr translates, ' becometh liable to it'— viz., to the 
 unishment which is inflicted on its violators, 
 o Esau "despised (his) birthright," and be- 
 came liable to punishment accordingly (Gen. xxv. 
 34). So the despisers of the Lord's invitation 
 (Luke xiv. 18). Also the Jews who "despised 
 God's words, so that the wrath of the Lord arose 
 against His peoi)le, till (there was) no remedy " 
 (2 Chr. xxxvi. 16). "Shall be rewarded" {ye- 
 shvMam): not as marg., 'shall be in iieace' (for 
 in the Pual conjugation this Hebi-ew verb has not 
 usually this sense, but that of the English version). 
 14. The law of the wise (is) a fountain of life, to 
 depart from the snares of death. "The law of 
 the wise " w tlte law of God, which the wise follow, 
 and which they put forth from their "mouth " as 
 "a well of life," i)resent and eternal to others (ch. x. 
 11 ; Ps. xxxvi. 9). On "the snares of death," cf. Ps. 
 xviii. 5. 15. Good understanding giveth favour 
 —both with (K)d and man. but the way of trans- 
 gressors (is) hard— rugged; lit., rowih, as soil 
 unfit for cultivation (Deut. xxi. 4). The way of 
 transgressors is one which yields no fruit of favour 
 from God or good men to them; nor will it yield 
 the precious fruit of eternal life at last, which 
 "good understanding" {I <?,, doctrinal, experi- 
 mental, and practical knowledge of the trutli) 
 shall yield. 16. Every prudent (man) dealeth 
 with knowledge— acteth with judgment, not in- 
 considerately, but a fool layeth open his folly 
 — betrayeth it by .setting about his business 
 rashly, without knowledge or counsel, or regard 
 to the place, the time, or the j)ersons with whom 
 he has to do ; whereas the "prudent man" does 
 not say or do all things at once and together, and 
 in all places, but i^rudently has regard to what is 
 suitable to the ijlace, the time, and the persons 
 ( T. Cartwri(fkl). 17. A wicked messenger falleth 
 into mischief. A messenger who does not execute 
 457 
 
 B C uico. 
 
 / 2 (Jlir. 30. 
 
 1 . 
 
 * Or, shall 
 be in 
 peace. 
 I?a. 66. 2. 
 Mai. 3. 16, 
 
 f ch, 16. 2'. 
 't 2 Sam. 22.'). 
 
 eh. 15. 21. 
 
 ch. 16. 6, 17. 
 
 Ps. 18. 5. 
 
 Ps 116. 3. 
 < ch. 12. 2\ 
 
 * spreadeth. 
 
 6 an ambas- 
 sador of 
 faithful- 
 ness. 
 
 } ch. 15. z^. 
 ^ shall be 
 broken. 
 
 his 'embassy' 'faithfully,^ "falleth into" the 
 penalty of his faithlessness, but a faithful am- 
 bassador (is) health —alike to himself and to those 
 by whom he is sent. Bad rulers and their bad 
 ministers or agents are both accursed by God (cf. 
 1 Sam. xxii. 17, 18, with Ps. lii., title ; 2 Ki. i. 9-14). 
 18. Poverty and shame (shall be) to him that 
 refuseth instruction— disciplinary instruction, cor- 
 rection. 'Disciplinary instruction' is needed for 
 learning any honest trade or profession. He who 
 refuseth discipline excludes himself from a way of 
 livelihood, and involves himself in "poverty." 
 but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured 
 —before God, and often before men. " Regardeth," 
 mindfully and practically ; not merely bearing it 
 calmly, but profiting by it, and refraining from 
 the sins which were the cause of it. " Honoured," 
 stands in contrast to "shame" and to "poverty," 
 which is generally regarded with contempt. The 
 pious are not always enriched^ but they are sure, 
 either here or hereafter, to be "honoured." 19. 
 The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: 
 but (it is) abomination to fools to depart from 
 evil. Cf. V. 12, "When the desire cometh, it is a 
 tree of life." A canon of interpretation in Pro- 
 verbs is. In antithetical clauses an opposite member 
 is often suppressed in one clause, and has to be sup- 
 plied from the opposition of the other member in tJie 
 corresponding clause [Gataker). Thus, here, the 
 desire of the wise or good being accomplished by 
 their departing from evil is sweet to their soul ; 
 but as it is abomination to fools to depart from 
 evil, their desire being not accom,plished is not sweet, 
 nay, it ^''maketh the heart slck^^ {v. 12). Cf. Ps. 
 cxiv. 19, "The Lord will fulfil the desire of them 
 that fear Him," As the wise desire the ]tossession 
 of the true good, and by departing from evil attain 
 to it, so that it is "sweet to the soul;" so fools 
 desire the possession of what is good and " sweet 
 to the soul:" but as they will not depart from 
 evil, they fail in attaining to what is "sweet to 
 the soul," but shall have bitter and everlasting 
 grief. Just as if there were two patients, both de- 
 siring health ; the one avoiding forbidden foods, 
 and using the ]irescribed drugs, would recover 
 health, to his joy ; the other, disliking the reme- 
 dies, and indulging his appetite, would fail to re- 
 cover, and would die (Gcjer). The reason why 
 fools abominate to depart from evil is because 
 evil is sweet to them, and they lilce to indulge 
 their own passions and lusts. 20. He that walk- 
 eth (viz., continuously and habitually) with wise 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVEUBS XIV. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 21 Evil ^pursueth sinners:— but to the righteous good shall be repaid. 
 
 22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children; 
 And Hhe wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. 
 
 23 Much '''food is in the tillage of the poor: ^ 
 
 But there is that is destroyed for want of judgment. 
 
 24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son : 
 
 But he that loveth him chasten eth him betimes. 
 
 25 The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: 
 But the belly of the wicked shall want. 
 
 14 EVERY "wise woman buildeth her house : 
 But the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. 
 2 He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord i 
 ^But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him. 
 
 men shall be wise. So the Masoretic text reads 
 fDsn: _ T]Vinl. But the Chetib, or Hebrew text, reads 
 imperatively, 'Walk .... be wise' [nonx-'^'i^n, the 
 infinitive absolute, for the imperative], "bnt a com- 
 panion of fools shall be destroyed. ' But one 
 associating himself with and taking pleasure in 
 [nrn] fools.' Cf. chs. xxviii. 7, marg. (the literal 
 meaning of the Hebrew verb rahah, from which 
 "companion" comes, is to feed; boon-companions, 
 •who feed together); xxix. 3. "Destroyed" — lit, 
 ' shall be made evil,' and so ' shall be punished with 
 evil.' There is a play upon like Hebrew sounds in 
 "companion "and "destroyed," roheh and roang. 
 The Greek Theognis says, ' Thou shalt learn good 
 from the good ; but if thou wilt associate with the 
 bad, thou shalt lose even the mind thou hast' 
 [ecrOAwv /xei/ yap dir' eaQXa fxadiiaeai yu Se KaKOiai 
 ^vfiixLyQrii, cLTToXeL's kul tov eoirra v6ov\. Seneca 
 says, 'The road is long by precept; it is short 
 and effectual by example.' What one sees makes 
 more lasting impression than what one hears. As 
 bad air injures the strongest health, so association 
 with the bad hurts the best mind. 21. Evil pur- 
 sueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall 
 be repaid — or 'good shall repay the righteous.' 
 " Evil "— i e., the punishment of evil; not only the 
 reproach of conscience, but also the positive pen- 
 alty of evil from God, as a shadow follows a body, 
 or a hound its prey. Moreover, it is hinted that 
 evil is made by God its own punishment (Rev. 
 xxii. 11). On the other hand, "good" becomes its 
 own reward to the good, besides the positive re- 
 ward which God appoints (Isa. iii. 9-11). 22. A 
 good (man) leaveth an inheritance to his chil- 
 dren's children— e., presuming that the children 
 and grand-children taught by the good man fol- 
 low his steps, and the wealth of the sinner is 
 laid up for the just. This is one instance of the 
 principle in v. 21. The expression, "is laid up," 
 implies that there are hidden ways whereby God 
 sustains the godly, though they do not see it with 
 their eyes, nor can comprehend it with their mind 
 ( T. Cariwright). 23. Much food (is in) the tillage 
 of the poor — 'in the newly tilled land of the 
 jioor ; ' in the land which they have newly broken 
 up with arduous and honest labour, but there is 
 (that is) destroyed for want of judgment. By the 
 rule of interpretation by the contrast of opposites, 
 and by supplying the wanting member in one 
 clause from its opposite expressed in the other 
 clause, the sense is. But there is food (i. e., wealth) 
 Ytossessed by rich men, that is destroyed for w^nt 
 of honesty (lit., judgment or justice) in its acquisi- 
 tion and its employment. The poor man's (honest) 
 labour forms tlie contrast to the rich man's ' want 
 458 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 «= Gen. 4. 7. 
 
 Num. 32.23. 
 
 Ps. 32. 10. 
 
 Ps HO. 11. > 
 
 Acts 29. 4. 
 ' Job 27. 16. 
 
 Eccl. 2. 23. I 
 
 ch. 12. 11. I 
 " ch. 19. IS. [ 
 
 ch. 2 '. 15. 1 
 
 ch. 23, 13. 1 
 
 CHAP. 14. 
 " Ruth 4. 11. 
 ch. 24. 3. 
 4. 
 
 ch. 31. 10. 
 t> Job 12. 4. 
 
 of justice' in his acquisitions. ' The nety/?/ tilled , 
 land ' of the poor forms the contrast to the rich i 
 man's possessions held for some time. The "much > 
 food" of the poor, secured by honest labour, is ; 
 opposed to the 'food destroyed^ of the rich man, | 
 (ch. xvi. 8; Jer. xvii. 11 ; xxii. 13; Ezek. xxii. 29, 
 marg.) 24. He that spareth his rod hateth his 
 son— i. e., acts in such a way as one who ?iated the 
 boy and desired his ruin might be supposed to act. 
 "His rod," the rod which the jjarent is bound to 
 use. but he that loveth him chasteneth him 
 betimes— i. e., ear'ij, diligently, painstakingly, 
 whilst the boy is yet tender ; as soon as the cor- 
 ruption of the boy begins to sprout up. The tree 
 is to be bent whilst young. The punishment is to 
 follow the sin so soon as to prevent tiie habit of 
 sin being formed — lit., 'early seeks chastening 
 (discipline) for him^ {Gesenius, Mercer). Gejer 
 and Maurer take the Hebrew suffix, ' early seeks 
 namely, 'chastening.' 25. The righteous eat- 
 eth to the satisfying of his soul— (ch. x. 3,) by 
 the blessing and kind providence of God. The 
 little which the just have is, as it were, much, 
 because they are content with their lot, and re- 
 ceive all things from the hand of the Lord. The 
 Lord will always provide for them what is for 
 their true good, but the belly of the wicked 
 shall want. They are never satisfied, because 
 they do not measure their desires by nature, but 
 by their opinion, which is boundless (Mariana). 
 Also, the Lord shall punish them, either here or 
 hereafter, by giving them up to insatiable lust, 
 without the means of gratifying it. 
 
 CHAP. XTV. 1-35.-1. Every wise woman 
 buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it 
 down with her hands — lit, 'wise women (each 
 one) buildeth,' &c. Or else, 'the wisdom of 
 women . . . the folly,' &c. "Buildeth" — i.e., 
 adorns, establishes, and makes happy her house- 
 hold (Ruth iv. 1, "Rachel and Leah did build the 
 house of Israel"). Such a one is taught experi- 
 mentally by the Word of God how to bear herself 
 towards her husband, her children, and her serv- 
 ants. Hereby, and by the noble offspring which 
 God gives her, according to His promise, she 
 " buildeth her house." The foolish woman, by her 
 negligence, bad administration, self-indulgence, 
 and provocation of God's displeasure, "plucketh 
 down" her house. 2. He that walketh in his 
 uprightness feareth the Lord: but he that is 
 perverse in his ways despiseth him. Upright- 
 ness and piety are inseparable, as are also fro- 
 wardness and godlessness. Each man's religion 
 is to be estimated by its fruits in his life. He 
 " despiseth " God who despiseth His Word : such 
 a one shall be despised by God (1 Sam. ii. 30 ; 2 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XIV. 
 
 their contrary viceS' 
 
 3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride : 
 ''But the lips of the wise shall preserve them. 
 
 4 Where no oxen are, the crib is clean : 
 
 But much increase is by the strength of the ox. 
 
 5 A ^faithful witness will not lie : — but a false witness will utter lies. 
 
 6 A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not : 
 
 But * knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth. 
 
 7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, 
 
 When thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge. 
 
 8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way : 
 But the folly of fools is deceit. 
 
 9 Fools ^ make a mock at sin : — ^but among the righteous there is favour. 
 
 10 The heart knoweth ^his own bitterness; 
 
 And a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy. 
 
 Sam. xii. 9, 10 ; Mai. i. 6, 7 ; Num. xv. 30, 31). 
 3. In the moutli of the foolisli (is) a rod of pride : 
 but the lips of the wise shall preserve them— (cf. 
 Ps. xxxvi. 11, "The foot of pride.") The fool's 
 " rod of pride" is his tongue, wherewith he assails 
 and strikes others. But it recoils on himself. 
 The instrument of punishment is called a "rod," 
 not a sword, to imply the contumely with which 
 the proud shall be visited. The plural, "lips," in 
 the Hebrew is joined with the verb shujular. 
 The lips— i. e., each one of the lips— of the wise 
 preserveth them severally. 4, Where no oxen 
 are, the crib is clean— i. e., Where there is no 
 tillage of the ground (which in the East is effected 
 by oxen), there is no food. Where there is no 
 toil there can be no food wherewith to supply the 
 labourer. Tliere must be the labour of the oxen, 
 if their crib is to be full of food, but much 
 Increase is by the strength of the ox. As no 
 produce is to be expected if the land be untilled, 
 so where the strength of the ox is ])ut into 
 requisition, there is "much increase." 5. A faith- 
 ful witness will not lie : but a false witness will 
 utter lies. He who is accustomed to tell the 
 truth in private, you may depend upon it, will 
 tell the truth as a public witness. "Utter lies" 
 —lit., 'will breathe out lies again and again studi- 
 ously' {Mariana, T. Cartwright) (ch. vi. 19). 6. 
 A scorner seeketh wisdom, and (findeth it) not : 
 but knowledge (is) easy (Hebrew, an easy thing) 
 unto him that understandeth. The scorner 
 findeth it not, because he does not seek it dili- 
 gently and seriously, and with a desire for piety, 
 but as profane Esau sought the blessing: nor 
 does he seek it with the end in view that he may 
 obey the will of God (for if he did so, God would 
 teach him, John vii. 17), but in order to get the 
 sanction of (iod for gratifying his own desires 
 (Jer. xlii. 1-20 ; Ezek. xx. 1-4), and to amuse his 
 mind with the eloquence of God's ministers (Ezek. 
 xxxiii. 31, 32). Nor does he seek in the right 
 time, or the day of grace, but -only when dangers 
 are impending. He scorned the wisdom of the 
 godly when he might have had it; therefore, now 
 that he wants it, he shall not find it. Moreover, 
 he does not seek it by the right means, but with 
 self-confidence and x'ride. Heavenly knowledge 
 is easily found by him who seeks it with his whole 
 heart: it voluntarily X)resents itself to "him that 
 understandeth" (Dan. xii. 10). 7. Go from the 
 presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest 
 not (in him) the lips of knowledge. So Michaelis. 
 Manner, after L. de JJieu, translates, ' Go so as to 
 stand opposite a foolish man, and you will not per- 
 4.7J 
 
 B. C 1000 
 
 " Job 12. 4. 
 
 Ps. 123. S, 4. 
 
 ch. 12. 6. 
 
 Luke lM6. 
 
 Luke 16.14. 
 d Ex. 20. 16. 
 
 Ex. 23. 1. 
 * ch. 17. 24. 
 / Luke 12.20. 
 
 1 Cor. 3. 19. 
 
 2 Tim. 3. 
 13. 
 
 f ch. 1. 22. 
 ch. 10. 23. 
 ch 23. 18, 
 19. 
 
 Jude 18. 
 1 the bitter- 
 ness of his 
 soul. 
 
 ceive (discover) in him the lips of knowledge' — 
 i. e., any knowledge proceeding from his lips. 
 But the Hebrew particle, min, "from," implies 
 removal to a distance [ti^.p] (Gen. xxi. 16; Ps. xxxi. 
 22). Though the other sense is possible [e^ ei/ayrtae, 
 ex adverso], (Num. ii. 2, marg.) Avoid intimacy 
 with the ungodly fool, lest thou become polluted 
 thereby; also, lest the weak be unsettled by thy 
 example, and lest the wicked take occasion thence 
 of slumbering in their sins ; and lastly, lest time 
 be lost by it. 'The indication of piety and of 
 impiety is most readily and surely sought from 
 the use made of the tongue (Matt. xii. 37). The 
 proverb says, ' Speak, that I may see what you are' 
 {7\ Cartwright). 8. The wisdom of the prudent 
 (is) to understand his way— what he ought to do, 
 and how to behave: to do nothing rashly, but 
 with mature judgment; to understand what is 
 incumbent on him by his calling (1 Cor. vii. 17 ; 
 1 Thess. iv. 11); not to be wise in other people's 
 business and duties, and yet a fool in one's own ; 
 to begin with one's self, what sins most beset one, 
 what are our dangers, and how to meet them, 
 but the folly of fools (is) deceit. Their folly is 
 their cunningly devised deceits which they pride 
 themselves on as master-strokes of wisdom. The 
 wise man seeks by honest means— namely, by the 
 conscientious ordering of his life ; the fool seeks 
 by deceit. The fool's deceit is practised to gain 
 riches and power: this "c?ece?7" is opposed to 
 ^^understanding for whilst deceiving others, he 
 does not understand that all the while he is de- 
 ceiving himself. 9. Fools make a mock at sin— 
 (Prov. X. 23 ; ii. 14 ; Isa. iii. 9. ) The Hebrew may 
 be also translated, 'sin {i. e., when it brings its 
 punishment) makes a mock at fools,' even as 
 they mock at sin. but among the righteous 
 there is favour— the favour of God and of all 
 good men, inasmuch as they do not mock at sin, 
 but speak what is conformable to the will of God. 
 To complete the antithesis, the sense must be sup- 
 plied, Fools make a mock at sin (and so incur the 
 wrath of God) ; but (the righteous regard sin as a 
 serious offence, and one to be shunned; and there- 
 fore) among the righteous there is the favour of 
 God. 10. The heart knoweth his own bitter- 
 ness (Hebrew, the bitterness of his soul); and a 
 stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy— 
 (cf. V. 13.) None can enter so fully into our 
 bitterness or our joy as ourselves (1 Cor. 
 ii, 11). Eli could not enter into the "bitter- 
 ness of soul" of Hannah (1 Sam. i. 10, 13, 
 If)): nor Gehazi into that of the Shunammite 
 woman (2 Ki. iv. 27). Michal, though the wife of 
 
M oral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XIV. 
 
 their contrary vicesl 
 
 
 B C 1000 
 
 
 h .Tfih R 1 
 
 
 Job 15. 31. 
 
 
 Job 18 14 
 
 
 15. 
 
 
 ch. 3. 33. 
 
 
 ch. 12. 1. 
 
 
 cb. 21. 12. 
 
 
 Zech. 5. 4. 
 
 
 Matt. 7. lQ 
 
 
 27. 
 
 
 t ch. 12. 15. 
 
 
 ch. 16. 25. 
 
 
 Matt. 7. 13. 
 
 
 } Rom. f'. 21. 
 
 
 * Eccl. 2. 2. 
 
 
 i ch. 12. U 
 
 
 •"2 Cor. 1. 
 
 
 12. 
 
 
 Phil. 4. 7. 
 
 
 " ch. 22. 3. 
 
 11 The ^ house of the wicked shall be overthrown : 
 But the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish. 
 
 12 There *is a way which seemeth right unto a man; 
 But -^the end thereof are the ways of death. 
 
 13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; 
 And ^the end of that mirth is heaviness. 
 
 14 The backslider in heart shall be 'filled with his own. ways;, 
 And "^a good man shall be satisfied from himself. 
 
 15 The simple believeth every word: 
 
 But the prudent man looketh well to his going. 
 
 16 A ^wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: 
 But the fool rageth, and is confident. 
 
 17 He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly; 
 And a man of wicked devices is hated. 
 
 David's bosom, was "a stranger" to his "joy" 
 when "he danced before the Lord with all his 
 might," at the bringing up of the ark to Zion 
 (cf. 1 Sam. xviii. 13, 20, with 2 Sam. vi. 12-16). 
 This proverb teaches the individuality of each 
 soul in its innermost being, so that none save 
 He who searcheth the hearts can with thorough 
 sympathy enter into our joys and our sorrows, 
 
 11, The house of the wicked shall be over- 
 thrown: but the tabernacle of the upright 
 shall flourish. The abode of the wicked, though 
 a "Aowse," and though large, apparently flourish- 
 ing, and in their own opinion destined to" continue 
 for ever" (Ps. xlix. 11), "shall be overthrown:" 
 whereas " the tabernacle of the upright," though 
 apparently small, weak, and humble, "shall 
 flourish." Let us not be misled or x^erplexed by 
 the external prosperity of the godless, (Ps. xxxvii.) 
 
 12. There is away which seemeth right unto a 
 man; but the end thereof (are) the ways of death. 
 Good intentions are not a justification for wrong- 
 doing (2 Sam, vi. 6). We must search our ways 
 of life, our opinions, and practice, by the test oi 
 the Word of God. Judg. xvii. 6, &c, gives an 
 awful illustration of the end of "every man do- 
 ing that which is right in his own eyes," Cf. the 
 prohibition of this, Deut. xii. 8. 13. Even in 
 laughter the heart is sorrowful— (cf. v. 10.) The 
 Hebrew for "is sorrowful" [3Kp:] expresses griev- 
 ous and penetrating sorrow (Job ii. 13). The addi- 
 tion of " the heart " intensifies the sorrow (Gejer). 
 Whilst outwardly laughing, the man may have 
 'his own bitterness' within, which his "heart 
 knoweth." and the end of that mirth is heavi- 
 ness. And even though there be no 'sorrows of 
 heart at the time, yet the end of mere earthly joy, 
 however exuberant, is heaviness. Already the 
 wise king was beginning to experience wdiat he 
 more fully states in Eccl, ii. 2; vii. 6. Men's 
 very pleasures turn into their opposites. Seek not 
 worldly joys, which are neither solid nor lasting, 
 but seek the joys of the Spirit, which are unmixed 
 and everlasting. 14, The backslider in heart 
 (Ps. xliv. 18) shall be filled with his own ways— 
 (note ch. i. 31.) Not one who turns aside from the 
 right path of doctrine and practice through 
 thoughtlessness, and, as it were, only with the 
 feet, like one for the time intoxicated, but one 
 who knowingly and wilfully 'backslides in heart' 
 — i. e., with the understanding and will— such a 
 one shall get his All of his own ways, until he shall 
 nauseate and feel them his most terrible curse 
 (cf. Num. xi. 19, 20), and a good man (shall be 
 
 400 
 
 satisfied) from himself— 'from that which is in 
 himself.' His happiness is self-contained. Hav- 
 ing God within, he is satisfied already, indepen- 
 dently of other and external sources of hayipiness ; 
 and hereafter he shall be fully ' satisHed when he 
 shall awake with his Lord's likeness' (Ps. xvii, 15), 
 The ways of the godly man and his own regenerate 
 heart shall become the source of his happiness, as 
 the ways and the heart of the backslider shall be 
 his misery. 15. The simple believeth every word 
 — whether true or false, useful or injurious, 
 "Charity," indeed, "believeth all things" (1 Cor. 
 xiii. 7) ; but not things that are palpably untrue. 
 It is the truth which it readily believes. It believes 
 all that it can with a good conscience believe to the 
 credit of another, but not anything more. JdJ-pi- 
 cfiarmus sa,ys, ' The sinews and limbs of faith are 
 not rashly to believe' (Acts xvii. 11). but the pru- 
 dent (man) looketh well to his going— whether it 
 tends to grace and salvation, or to sin and perdi- 
 tion: he 'believeth not every word,' as, for in- 
 stance, the flattering words of seducers, who 
 commend to him false doctrine or licentious 
 practice (cf. Eph, v. 15). 16, A wise (man) fear- 
 eth, and departeth from evil — " feareth," lest he 
 may offend God, and, through distrust of himself, 
 keeps at the greatest distance from the contagion of 
 sin. but the fool rageth — against God, and against 
 those W'ho fear God and would recall him from 
 sin. He is impatient at being checked in his 
 course (so the Hebrew means in Deut. iii, 26 ; Ps. 
 Ixxviii, 21 ; cf. ch. xxii, 3). Cejer translates [as the 
 Hithpahel of "i?i?, to transgress], ' The fool makes 
 liimself to transgress ;^ 'sins of his own accord 
 and with prsmeditation.' But the English ver- 
 sion is the ordinary sense, and is confident— ia 
 contrast to the wise man's 'fear' of sin and dis- 
 trust of himself. 17. (He that is) soon angry 
 (Hebrew, curt, or short in his nostrils; he who lets 
 but a short interval elapse between his taking 
 offence and giving vent to it— the nostrils breath- 
 ing out indignation) dealeth foolishly (Eccl. vii. 
 9 ; cf . below, r. 29) ; and a man of wicked devices is 
 hated. A man who, when offended, rei)resses the 
 indications of his anger, all the while meditating 
 revenge^ and waiting for the opportunity when he 
 can wreak it. As " he that is soon angry dealeth 
 foolishly " as regards himself, so he that ' wick- 
 edly devises' revenge, whilst deferring the ex- 
 pression of his anger, bringeth on him the 
 'hatred' of others. Thus there is danger on 
 both sides, in hastiness, and in deferring anger 
 through malice. Tlie latter is the worst offence. 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XIV. 
 
 their contrary tices. 
 
 18 The simple inherit folly : — but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. 
 
 19 The evil bow before the good ; 
 
 And the wicked at the gates of the righteous. 
 
 20 The ^poor is hated even of his own neighbour: 
 But ^the rich /^«^^ many friends. 
 
 21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth : 
 
 ^^But he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he. 
 
 22 Do they not err that devise evil ? 
 
 But mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good. 
 
 23 In all labour there is profit : 
 
 But th^ talk of the lips tendeth only to penury. 
 
 24 Th« crown of the wise ^5 their riches; — hut the foolishness of fools is folly. 
 
 25 A true witness delivereth souls : — but a deceitful witness speaketh lies. 
 
 26 In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence; 
 And his children shall have a place of refuge. 
 
 The '^fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, 
 To depart from the snares of death. 
 
 In the multitude of people is the king's honour: 
 But in the want of people is the destruction of the prince. 
 
 2^ He '' that is slow to wrath is of great understanding : 
 But he that is ^ hasty of spirit exalteth foily. 
 
 B. C. lOOO. 
 
 27 
 
 28 
 
 " Job 6. 21, 
 
 23. 
 
 Job 19. 13, 
 1\. 
 
 Job '0. 10. 
 
 ch. 19. r. 
 
 2 many are 
 the lovers 
 of the 
 rich. 
 
 P Ps. 41. 1. 
 Ps. 112. 5, 
 9. 
 
 Eccl. 11. 1, 
 2. 
 
 Isa. 58. r. 
 Dan. 4. 27. 
 Matt. 25.34. 
 Luke G. SO, 
 
 Acts 20. 35. 
 « ch. 13. 11. 
 Rev. 21. 6. 
 ch. 15. 1^. 
 ch. 16. 32. 
 Matt. 11.20. 
 1 Cor. 13. 4, 
 5. 
 
 Jas. 1. 19. 
 
 3 short of 
 spirit. 
 
 18. The simple inherit folly. " Inherit," from the 
 contrast to ' crown themselves with,' must mean, 
 'The simple pertinacioudy hold, as their peculiar 
 inheritance, ictly^ — i. e., their foolish opinions and 
 bad practices, "but the prudent are crowned (or 
 crown themselves) with knowledge — ' as their 
 ornament now and their inheritance ' hereafter, 
 with all its blessed consequences. Even as the 
 simple encircle themselves with folly as their 
 'crown' of disgrace now, and their fatal 'inheri- 
 tance' hereafter. 19. The evil bow before the 
 good ; and the wicked at the gates of the righ- 
 teous. The evil shall be brought so low that they 
 shall bow before the good to ask their help, as 
 Joseph's wicked brethren were brought to "bow 
 themselves to him to the earth" (Gen. xliii. 26 ; 1. 
 18 ; cf. Esth. iii. 2 ; vi. 11 ; Rev. iii. 9). Clients 
 wait ' at the gates ' of those more powerful, to sue 
 their aid when they are going out, as beggars are 
 not admitted within (Esth. iv. 2). The evil shall 
 implore the intercession and help of the godly in 
 vam (Luke xvi. 24). 20. The poor is hated even 
 of his own neighbour. How inhuman to be the 
 less charitable, just in proportion as the poor, whom 
 God hath afflicted, need our charity! but the rich 
 hath many friends— ^i^,, ' But those who love the 
 rich are many.' It is not the man, but his riches 
 that they love. 21. He that despiseth his neigh- 
 bour sinneth— grievously. Whatever his neigh- 
 bour may be, sick, ignoble, ignorant, he must not 
 be despised; nay, 'mercy' is to be shown to him. 
 but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy (is) 
 he. The jjoor are a prey to injury, because they 
 dare not resist. "Mercy" is tlie opposite of 'de- 
 8x>ising' the afllicted poor. 22. Do they not err 
 that devise evil? but mercy and truth (shall 
 be) to them that devise good. Those wlio employ 
 the same energy in good as the bad exercise in 
 evil, shall have, as their reward, 'mercy and 
 truth'— i. e., the faithful fulfilment of God's pro- 
 mises of salvation, just as the devisers of evil, 
 on the contrary, shall be given up to 'error' 
 and its penalty— perdition. 23. Ill all labour 
 4ul 
 
 ( Hebrew, painful labour) there is profit : but the 
 talk of the lips (tendeth) only to penury. In all 
 honest labour there is profit, soon or late ; but no 
 profit, nay, rather 'penury,' results from empty 
 talk. Loud talkers are lazy workers. 24. The 
 crown of the wise (is) their riches ; (but) the 
 foolishness of fools (is) folly. Not riches, but 
 ''wisdom, gives a crown of glory" (ch. iv. 9). 
 "The prudent are crowned with knowledge,'' not 
 Y/^'tV^ches (ch. xiv. 18). Therefore the sense is, 
 W isdom (the opposite of ' folly '), being " the crown 
 of the wdse," constitutes their true 'riches,' and 
 results in the heavenly riches; "but the foolish- 
 ness of fools " is not " riches" to them, as ' the wise 
 mans crown' of wisdom is to him, but is and 
 continues "folly e., emptiness— neither an or- 
 namental 'crown' nor enriching wisdom. 25. A 
 true witness delivereth souls— ' delivers' inno- 
 cent souls that are calumniated and accused 
 before judges, but a deceitful (witness) speaketh 
 (Hebrew, breathes forth) lies— so as to destroy 
 innocent "souls." 26. In the fear of the Lord (is) 
 strong confidence; and his children shall have 
 a place of refuge. " His"- i. e., the Lord's chil- 
 dren (Ps. Ixxiii. 15). 27. The fear of the Lord 
 (is) a fountain of life, to depart from the snares 
 of death. " The law of the wise " is "the fear of 
 the Lord;" for of both the same things are 
 predicted (ch. xiii. 14). 28. In the multitude of 
 people (is) the king's honour : but in the want of 
 people (is) the destruction of the prince— (2 Sam. 
 xxiv. 14-17.) "The king" who would have a 'nu- 
 merous ' and contented " people " as his "honour," 
 must govern with equity and clemency, not with 
 tyranny and cruelty. He must also fear the Lord, 
 lest he bring down God's judgments on himself 
 and his people. 
 
 'Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey. 
 Whore wealth accumulates and men decay. 
 
 29. (He that is) slow to wrath (Is) of great under- 
 standing : but (he that is) hasty of spirit exalteth 
 folly-(v. 17.) "Exalteth folly," like one's banner 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XV. 
 
 their contrary vicesi 
 
 
 B. C. tOOO. 
 
 
 * Job 5. 2. 
 
 
 Ps. 112. 10. 
 
 
 Acta 7. 9. 
 
 
 Rom. 1. 29. 
 
 
 Jas. 4. 5. 
 
 
 * Job 31. 15, 
 
 
 16. 
 
 
 Matt. 25.40. 
 
 
 1 John 3.17. 
 
 
 " Job 31. 15. 
 
 
 ch. 22 2. 
 
 
 " Job 13. 15. 
 
 
 Job 19. 2 J. 
 
 
 Ps. 23. 4. 
 
 
 Ps. 37. 37. 
 
 
 2 Cor. 1. 9. 
 
 
 2 Cor. 6. R. 
 
 
 2 Tim. 4.1"^. 
 
 
 * to rations. 
 
 
 CHA.P. 15. 
 
 
 1 belcheth, 
 
 
 or, bub- 
 
 
 bleth. 
 
 30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh : 
 But ^envy the rottenness of the bones. 
 
 31 He Hhat oppresseth the poor reproacheth "his Maker: 
 But he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor. 
 
 32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness : 
 But ^ the righteous hath hope in his death. 
 
 33 Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding; 
 But that which is in the midst of fools is made known. 
 
 34 Righteousness exalteth a nation ; 
 But sin is a reproach *to any people. 
 
 35 The king's favour is toward a wise servant : 
 
 But his wrath is against him that causeth shame. 
 
 15 A SOFT answer turneth away wrath : 
 But grievous words stir up auger. 
 2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright : 
 But the mouth of fools ^poureth out foolishness. 
 
 lifted up so as to be seen by all ; and so is of small 
 understanding. The raising of the voice aloud 
 accompanies this raising up of folly. " He that is 
 slow to wrath" depresseth folly; and so "is of 
 great understanding." 30. A sound heart (is) the 
 life of the flesh : hut envy the rottenness of the 
 hones. A heart free from "envy," anger, and 
 every faulty affection towards one's neighbour, 
 relieves the body of a great source of very many 
 diseases; for it produces joy and peace, flowing 
 from a good conscience, and is atteuded with 
 the blessing of God. [Thus, is taken from 
 to make sound]. An active sense is also' in- 
 cluded in a 'sound mind,' both sound itself and 
 bringing soundness to others; which sense is im- 
 plied also in the Hebrew for "flesh" being plural, 
 — ' is life to the bodies of others.' Gejer, Maurer, 
 &c., take it, 'a sedate'' or ^tranquil Aear^' [from 
 no^, to remit or abate] — one free from all immo- 
 derate anger, hatred, and envy. So the Hebrew 
 is taken (Eccl. x. 4). In either case, " a sound," or 
 else a 'tranquil heart,' stands opposed to "envy;" 
 and "the life of the flesh" to "the rottenness 
 of the bones"— viz., that which eats away all its 
 marrow (chs. xii. 4 ; xvii. 22). 31. He that op- 
 presseth the poor reproacheth his Maker— who 
 hath made the poor as well as the rich (1 Sam. ii. 
 7 ; ch. xxii. 2, below ; Exod. iv. 11). The oppressor 
 of the poor, whether by word or deed, persuades 
 himself that God either will not, or cannot, vin- 
 dicate the poor, but he that honoureth him hath 
 mercy on the poor— i. e., he honoureth his Maker 
 whosoever hath mercy on the poor. It is not 
 enough merely not to oppress, we must also show 
 positive mercy, whereby we honour the Lord, who 
 hath commanded the poor to be relieved. 32. The 
 wicked is driven away in his wickedness— ' in 
 his evil' — i.e., when the penalty of his evil over- 
 takes him; as the expression, "in his death," in 
 the i^arallel opposite clause requires. " Driven 
 away" as the chaff, having nothing substantial in 
 liim (Ps. i. 4). but the righteous hath hope in 
 his death— sure hope of eternal life (Job xix. 26; 
 Ps. xxiii. 4 ; xxxvii. 37 ; Tit. i. 2). Also, when 
 death-like distresses come upon him. 33. Wis- 
 dom resteth in the heart of him that hath un- 
 derstanding—not merely superficially in the lips, 
 as in the case of those making a display, but in 
 tlie inmost recesses of "the heart." "Resteth" 
 implies the tranquil and modest spirit of the wise, 
 4j2 
 
 and the permanence of their keeping of wisdom ; 
 and especially that it is the fruit of the Spirit 
 from above descending and abiding on tliem 
 (Num. xi. 25, 26; Isa. xi. 2; 2 Ki. ii. 15. Contrast 
 Eccl. vii. 9). The wise does not draw forth his 
 wisdom from its resting-place within his heart at 
 random, but in proper place and time, as the occa- 
 sion may require, hut (that which is) in the 
 midst (in the inmost part) of fools is made known 
 — viz. , their folly, to be supplied from the contrary 
 to "wisdom" in the parallel clause, 'Exhibits 
 itself to be known.' Fools cannot long disguise 
 their folly ; it is sure to betray itself in unseason- 
 able speaking at random, without choice or judg- 
 ment (chs. X. 14 ; xii. 23 ; xiii. 16). The Hebrew 
 adage says, ' A vessel full of coins will make no 
 noise ; but if there be only one coin in it, it will 
 make a rattle.' The more learned one is, the 
 more modest he will be ; the more unlearned, the 
 more presumptuous and ostentatious. 34. Righ- 
 teousness exalteth a nation: hut sin (is) a 
 reproach to any people— Hebrew, 'to peoples,' 
 plural; whereas "a nation" is singular, implying 
 the paucity of the nations observing righteousness, 
 and the multitude of those that nationally sin. 
 The Hebrew for "reproach" [chesed) means also 
 mercy. Hence Gejer translates, ' Mercy is an ex- 
 piatory sacrifice for sin ;' " sin" being sometimes 
 used for sin offering (Exod. xxix. 14 ; Hos. iv. 8). 
 Not that mercy puts away sin before God, but be- 
 fore men, who are by mercy reconciled to those 
 who had before been unmerciful to them. But 
 the Chaldaic ('sin is the reproach of a people') 
 supports the English version. So in the main V ul- 
 gate ('sin makes peoples miserable '). The LXX., 
 Syriac, and Arabic ('sins diminish peoples'). In 
 Lev. XX. 17, cAesec? is used for "shameful wicked- 
 ness." 35. The king's favour (is) toward a wise 
 servant: but his wrath is (against) him that 
 causeth shame— (ch. x. 5.) 'He that causeth 
 shame,' by his want of wisdom (including skill 
 and diligence), ' is the object of his wrath. 
 
 CHAP. XV. 1-33.— A soft answer— like oil 
 soothing the pain of a wound (Ps. Iv. 21; Isa. i. 6). 
 but grievous words stir up anger— ^2^., 'make it to 
 ascend,' like a flame fanned by bellows ; the indica- 
 tion of anger rises up to the countenance. 2. The 
 tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright— in 
 the seasonable time, and proper place, and with 
 due regard to the character of the hearers; all 
 being adjusted to the balance of the sanctuary. 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XV. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 3 The ''eyes of the Lord are in every place, 
 Beholding the evil and the good. 
 
 4 ^ A wholesome tongue is a tree of life : 
 
 But perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. 
 
 5 A fool despiseth his father's instruction : 
 But he that regardetTi reproof is prudent. 
 
 G In the house of the righteous is much treasure : 
 But in the revenues of the wicked is trouble. 
 
 7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge : 
 But the heart of the foolish doetk not so. 
 
 8 The ^sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: 
 
 But the prayer of the upright is his delight. 
 
 9 The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord : 
 But he loveth him that ''followeth after righteousness. 
 
 10 ^Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way ; 
 And he that hateth reproof shall die. 
 
 11 Hell and destruction a)^e before the Lord : 
 
 How much more then ^the hearts of the children of men ? 
 
 but the moutli of fools poureth out [p'a:] fool- 
 isliness — babbleth it out at random, without 
 choice or digested order, confusedly, copioiisly, 
 with rapidity, and continuously, like a bubbling 
 fountain. 3. The eyes of the Lord are in every 
 place, beholding the evil and the good. He men- 
 tions "the evil" first, because they avowedly, or 
 else practically, deny God's providence (Jer. xvi. 
 17). 4. A wholesome tongue —sound in itself and 
 healthful to others, by its knowledge, prudence, 
 sincerity : speech framed according to the laws of 
 the heavenly pharmacopoeia, with the various 
 Scripture ingredients for healing soul-sickness, and 
 for strengthening those spiritually well (Gejer). 
 but perverseness therein (is) a breach in the 
 spirit. Deceit, error, reviling, filthy speaking, 
 and frivolity, not only do not heal the sick in soul, 
 but increase their spiritual malady, and corrupt 
 those whole, tainting their integrity, and affecting 
 them with various evils. 5. A fool despiseth his 
 father's instruction— whether through careless- 
 ness, sloth, or love of pleasure or gain. A father 
 is instanced as representative of monitors of every 
 kind, on account of his special authority, as also 
 because of the love which prompts a father's 
 'discii)linary instruction' (so the Hebrew). 6. In 
 the house of the righteous (Is) much treasure— 
 (Hebrew, chosen,) lit., strength, wealth; being re- 
 garded by men as their strength. Here it is wealth 
 secured!, pervnxmently to the righteous, in contrast 
 to the trouble that is in the revenues of the 
 wicked— i. e., the overthrow of their revenues, 
 which is speedily coming, and of which the germ 
 is therein already. 7. The lips of the wise dis- 
 perse knowledge— like good seed, wheresoever 
 they can, assiduously and watchfully availing 
 themselves of every opportunity to lead others to 
 know the Lord, but the heart of the foolish 
 (doeth) not so. Their ''hearV is faulty, and so 
 their hps cannot speak aright. Maurer translates 
 '(scattereth) not what is right' [|3 The 
 Chaldaic and Vulgate support the English version. 
 If their speak knowledge at times, it is hypo- 
 critically, for the heart within is void of true 
 knowledge. When the fountain-head is dry, how 
 can the channels flow with waters of life? "The 
 Lips of the wise disperse the knowledge" which he 
 4i>i 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 " 2 Chr 16.9. 
 Job 34. 21. 
 Ch 5. 21. 
 Jer. 10. 17. 
 Jer. 32. 19. 
 Zech. 4. 10. 
 Heb. 4. 13. 
 
 2 The heal- 
 ing of the 
 tongue. 
 
 6 Isa. 61 8. 
 
 Jer. 6. 20. 
 
 Jer. 7. 22. 
 
 Amos 5. 22. 
 " Luke 1?. 11. 
 d ch. 21. 21. 
 
 Isa. 51, 1, 
 
 r. 
 
 Hos. 6. 
 1 Tim. 6. 
 11. 
 
 3 Cr. In- 
 struction. 
 
 " John 2. 2!. 
 Acts 1. 24. 
 
 has first treasured in "the hearth Each clause 
 is to be filled up from the other ; they mutually 
 complement one another. 8. The sacrifice of the 
 wicked is an abomination to the Lord : but the 
 prayer of the upright is his delight. However 
 costly and solemn be the outward show of the 
 wicked man's ''''sacrifice,'" it not only is not the 
 Lord's "delight," as is the upright man's simple 
 prayer^'' but it is a positive "abomination." 
 The unbelieving please themselves with external 
 ceremonials, without piety of heart and life. The 
 godly offer real 'prayer; the ungodly offer an 
 empty sound. Outward "sacrifice" (with which 
 the wicked compound for obedience, 1 Sam. xv. 22) 
 is attributed to them; "prayer" to the upright. 
 
 9. The way of the wicked is an abomination unto 
 the Lord— not only his "sacrifice," or worship 
 towards God [v. 8), is an abomination to the Lord, 
 but his "way," or conduct in relation to his fellow- 
 man. So far are worldlings from having merit 
 before God, because of their fancied obedience to 
 the second table of the law (as is the common 
 notion), that even their way in the world is 
 abomination itself to Him. The tree must first 
 be good— i. e., the heart purified by faith— before 
 the fruit can be good, but he loveth him that 
 foUoweth after righteousness— not perfunctorily, 
 or occasionally, but straining every effort after 
 righteousness as the one grand object of pursuit. 
 
 10. Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh 
 the way— as it was to Ahab (1 Ki. xxii. 8; xxi. 20; 
 xviii. 17); and to Jehoiakim (Jer. xxxvi. 23). But 
 better is "correction," though "grievous," than 
 ' death ' eternal, which is the end of him who, 
 through 'hatred' of "reproof," "forsaketh the 
 way." (and) he that hateth reproof shall die. 
 From regarding "correction" as "grievous" at 
 first, he comes at last to positive and inveterate 
 ' hatred ' of it. 11. Hell and destruction (Hebrew, 
 Sheol and Ahaddon) (are) before the Lord. "De- 
 struction " — i. e., the place of destruction or damna- 
 tion; Gehenna, as distinguished from Sheol or 
 Hades, the unseen world of departed spirits iu 
 general. Though unseen by our eyes, those dark 
 abodes are plainly seen by God (v. 3 ; Job xxvi. 6 ; 
 cf. xxviii. 22). "The angel of the bottomless pit" 
 is called in Hebrew, "Abaddon ;"in Greek, "Apol- 
 lyon" (Rev. ix. 11). how much more then, the 
 
J 
 
 VToral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XV. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 12 A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him; 
 Neither will he go unto the wise. 
 
 13 A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance : 
 But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. 
 
 14 The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge : 
 But the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. 
 
 15 All the days of the afflicted are evil : 
 
 But he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast. 
 
 16 Better little with the fear of the Lord, 
 Than great treasure, and trouble therewith. 
 
 17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, 
 Than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. 
 
 18 A wrathful ^man stirreth up strife: 
 
 But he that is slow to anger ^'appeaseth strife. 
 
 19 The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: 
 But the way of the righteous * is made plain. 
 
 20 A wise son maketh a glad father : 
 
 But a foolish man despiseth his mother. 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 / Pa. 37. 16. 
 Ch. 10. 22. 
 Ch. 16. 8. 
 ch. 2 \ 6. 
 Eccl. 2. 10, 
 11. 18. 
 Eccl. 4. 6. 
 
 1 Tim. 6. 6.' 
 * is raised 
 
 up as a 
 causey. 
 Isa. 35. 8. 
 9 2 Sam. 10. 
 
 43. 
 
 2 Sam. 20.1. 
 ch. 10. 12. 
 ch. 26. 21. 
 ch. 29. 22. 
 Jas. 3. 14, 
 
 16. 
 
 h Gen. 13. 8,9. 
 Jud. 8. 1. 
 1 Sam. 25, 
 21. 
 ch. 25. 15. 
 Eccl. 10. 4. 
 Matt. 5. 9. 
 Acts 6. 1-5. 
 
 hearts of the children of men? Let not 'forsakers 
 of the way ' {v. 10) think even their secret thoughts 
 can escape the eye of Cod. 12. A scorner loveth 
 not one that reproveth him; neither will he go 
 unto the wise— lest they should reprove him. He 
 is wise who waits not for the wise to come to him, 
 but goes to them. To shun faithful reprovers 
 is to prepare one's self to be a scorner. 13. A 
 merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance. 
 There is a sympathy between the body and the 
 mind, so that a happy mind is reflected in the 
 happy expression of countenance, but by sorrow 
 of the heart the spirit is broken — and therefore 
 the countenance (supplied from the parallel clause) 
 also wears an afilicted expression. 14. The heart 
 of him that hath understanding seeketh know- 
 ledge. "The heart," because such a one seeks it 
 not perfunctorily and casually, but with all the 
 heart, but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolish- 
 ness. "The mouth" so the Masoretic text 
 has it, adding, however, that in some copies it 
 is 'the countenance' — lit., countenances [\>3]. 
 ""Feedeth on foolishness" (vanity, worldly plea- 
 sure, idle, uncharitable, and unprofitable talk, 
 &c. ) as its sweetest morsel ; delights in it. 15. 
 All the days of the afflicted are evil. Of those 
 whose affliction causes them to lose a hopeful 
 "heart," as the opposite clause requires, cf. Neh. 
 ii. 2. but he that is of a merry heart (hath) a 
 continual feast — lit., a 'continual marriage feast' 
 (Judg. xiv. 10), or 'a convivial feast, where drink 
 is served up,' and which from beginning to end is 
 all enjoyment. Joy and contentment within dis- 
 pel outward sorrows, poverty, &c. (.Eccl. ix. 7). 
 16. Better (is) little with fear of the Lord, 
 than great treasure, and trouble therewith— the 
 usual acconiiianiment of "great treasure" (cf. chs. 
 xvi. 8; xvii. 1), Where the "fear of the Lord" 
 is, there is quiet; where it is not, there is "trou- 
 ble." Riches, so far from averting, bring trouble 
 in acquiring, defending, administering, and losing 
 them. So that the "little" is to be preferred that 
 is accompanied with the "fear of the Lord," both 
 for passing this life in quiet, free from envy, 
 snares, and cares, and also for obtaining eternal 
 
 life. 17. Better (is) a dinner (Hebrew, aruchah— 
 a traveller's dinner; food for a journey) of herbs 
 where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred 
 therewith. After the "fear of the Lord," in v. 16, 
 follows "love" towards, and on the part of, one's 
 neighbour. This shows the kind of "feast " which 
 the Holy Spirit commends [v. 15). 18. A wrathful 
 man stirreth up strife— even where there was 
 perfect harmony. He gives occasion to, and takes 
 up hastily any occasion given for strife. " Stirreth 
 up" (Hebrew, geerah) — lit., mixes, implying the 
 reciprocal idea of giving and taking offence, but 
 he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife— so 
 far is he from stirring it up. 19. The way of the 
 slothful (man is) as an hedge of thorns. It seems 
 to him as if a hedge of thorns was in his way, if 
 he has any work to do ; especially so when he is 
 urged to enter upon the way of the Lord's com- 
 mandments (ch. xxvi. 13). He sees difficulties 
 where all is plain to the willing and the resolute 
 (chs. XX. 4; xxii. 13). but the way of the righ- 
 teous is made plain— or 'is raised as a level cause- 
 way,' since he is the opposite of "slothful;" that 
 is, industrious; whereas "the slothful" is the 
 opposite of "righteous;" that is, unrighteous. 
 Righteousness takes difficulties out of the way, 
 and by frequent action forms the habit, like a 
 well-trodden and level path, so that 'they shall 
 have no stumbling-block' {marg., Ps. cxix, 165). 
 20. A wise son maketh a glad father (since he 
 honours his father) : but a foolish man despiseth 
 his mother — and so makes her sad (the opposite 
 of 'maketh glad'): this is supplied in ch. x. 1, — 
 "A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish 
 son (is) the heaviness of his mother." One par- 
 ticular in which children show themselves "wise" 
 or else "foolish," and so can gladden or else sadden 
 their parents, is by giving or withholding due 
 honour. "A foolish man " (Hebrew, Kesil Adam) ; 
 rather, as the adjective in Hebrew is not usually 
 placed before the noun, a fool tliat is a groum man. 
 No age or state exempts children from honouring 
 their parents. Grown young men are sometimes 
 apt to look with some contempt on their mothers, 
 because of the weakness of the feminine mind. 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVKRBS XV. 
 
 21 Folly is joy to him that is ^destitute of wisdom : 
 »But a man of understanding walketh uprightly. 
 
 22 Without counsel purposes are disappointed : 
 
 But in the multitude of counsellors they are estahlished. 
 
 23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth ; 
 
 And a word spoken ^in due season, how good is it ! 
 
 24 The -^way of life is above to the wise, 
 That he may depart from hell beneath. 
 
 25 The Lord will destroy the house of the proud : 
 But he will establish the border of the widow. 
 
 26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord : 
 But the words of the pure are ''pleasant words. 
 
 27 He ^ that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house : 
 But he that hateth gifts shall live. 
 
 28 The heart of the righteous 'studieth to answer: 
 
 But the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things. 
 
 29 The Lord is ""far from the wicked: 
 
 But he "beareth the prayer of the righteous. 
 
 30 The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart ; 
 And 2i good report maketh the bones fat. 
 
 their contrary mces. 
 
 B. (J. )0 >0. 
 
 6 void of 
 heart. 
 I.ph. 5. 15. 
 
 6 in his 
 season. 
 
 i I's. 16. 11. 
 Ps. 139. 24. 
 Jer. 21. 8. 
 f hil. 3. 20. 
 
 7 words of 
 pleasant- 
 ness. 
 
 * Josh. C. 13. 
 1 Sam. 8. 3 
 6. 
 
 ch. 1. 19. 
 ch. 11. 2'. 
 Isa. 5. 8. 
 Zecb. 5. 3. 
 4. 
 
 Hab. 2. 9- 
 11. 
 
 ' 1 l et. 3. IS. 
 "•Eph. 2. 12. 
 « Fs. 34. 15. 
 Ifi. 
 
 John 9. 31. 
 Eom. 8. 2f!. 
 1 Pet. 3. 12. 
 
 21. FoUy (is) Joy to {him that is) destitute of 
 wisdom— (cli. X. 23.) "Folly," L e., s'm. but a 
 man of understanding walketh uprightly— con- 
 formably to the will of God, the true standard of 
 right. The wicked being "destitute" of true 
 "wisdom," have "joy" in {». 15; of. Job xx. 12), 
 and therefore 'walk' in sin, which is crooked- 
 ness. The godly being men of understanding, 
 have "joy" in uprightness, and therefore 'walk' 
 on in it. They are deei)ly sorry when they have 
 been temporarily betrayed into sin (2 Cor. vii. 10, 
 11). 22. Without counsel (Hebrew, sori— lit., 
 secret co?/n.sfil) purposes are disappointed: but in 
 the multitude of (good) counsellors they are 
 (each) established. This is the force of the plural 
 noun with the verb singular. Of. with this v. ch. 
 xi. 14. 23. A man hath joy by the answer of his 
 mouth— by every wise and seasonable s})eech that 
 he utters in conversation, as the parallel clause 
 reciuires. and a word (spoken) in due season, 
 how good (is it)! It is as pre-eminently "good" 
 as it is rare (ch. xxv. 11). 24. The way of life 
 (is) above to the wise, that he may depart 
 from hell beneath. The way of the wise tends 
 upwards towards the heavenly life of the angels 
 (cf. Phil. iii. 20 ; Col. iii. 1). His aspirations and de- 
 sires are heavenwards. 'In proportion as each 
 thing in this machine of the world is more ele- 
 vated, the more noble and excellent it is, as heaven 
 excels the elements' (Rabbi Led). 25. The Lord 
 will destroy the house of the proud : but he will 
 establish the border of the widow— whom "the 
 proud" had driven from the border of her i)0s- 
 session. The moving of the landmark is si)ecially 
 forbidden (Deut. xix. 14). The proud, by oppres- 
 sion, build a strong " house," or family, which 
 they are confident will never be overthrown. 
 The widow (Hebrew, almanah, from alam, to be 
 dumb, or powerless against adversaries) seems 
 to the proud a prey that can offer no resistance. 
 But God will destroy the seemingly strong 
 "house" of the proud; and will protect not only 
 the hoiise, but even the extreme border" of the 
 widow. 20. The thoughts of the wicked are 
 an abomination to the Lord: but (the words) of 
 you m. 405 
 
 the pure (are) pleasant words— Hebrew, 'words 
 of pleasantness.' Each clause is to be supplied 
 from the other. "The thoughts of the wicked 
 (and therefore also their words flowing from their 
 thoughts) are an abomination to the Lord : but 
 (the thoughts, and therefore) the words of the pure 
 are pleasant words." According as the thoughts 
 are bad or good, so the words are abomination 
 or pleasantness before the Lord. It is a vain ex- 
 cuse for bad words to say, 'I meant no harm' (?'. 
 Cartwright). Cr^yer and il/at^rer translate, 'But 
 pleasant words (i. e., words breathing grace, and 
 not worldly vanity, ch. xvi. 2;j, 24) are pure {i. <?., 
 acceptable) words.' Thus, "pure," or 'clean,' be- 
 fore the Lord, is antithetical to "an abomination 
 to the Lord." I prefer the English version (cf. 
 Jas. iv. 8). 27. He that is greedy of gain troub- 
 leth his own house (by taking gifts as a judge, 
 Exod. xxiii. 8, and therefore s/ia/^t/ie) : but he tliat 
 hateth gifts shall live— and in the meantime 
 troubleth not his house— viz., by introducing au 
 element of evil ruinous to his house, as Achan's 
 secreting of the Babylonian garment and the gold 
 l^roved a " trouble" to his own house and to Israel, 
 and brought death on himself at last (Josh. vii. 
 21-25; vi. 18; cf. Gal. v. 12). Seeking to aggran- 
 dize himself and his house, he only troubles it and 
 ruins himself (Hab. ii. 10). It is not enough to 
 abstain from evil, we must ahsg 'hate' it (Ps. 
 xcvii. 10). 28. The heart of the righteous studi- 
 eth to answer (speaketh nothing without due 
 premeditation: doth not rashly 'pour out' what- 
 ever comes uppermost) : but the mouth of the 
 wicked poureth out evil things— in great copious- 
 ness, and without intermission. He " studieth " 
 not beforehand what "to answer." Speaking so 
 much, he cannot but speak "evil things" (ch. x. 
 19). Not his heart, as in the case of the righteous, 
 but his "mouth" takes the lead. 29. The Lord is 
 far from the wicked (i. e., far from 'hearing 
 their prayer'): but he heareth the prayer of the 
 righteous (Ps. xxxiv. 15, IG). 30. The light of the 
 eyes (the eyes of a great man regarding one with 
 favour, ch. xvi. 15; especially the "light of God'a 
 countenance " lifted up upon one, Ps. iv. 6 ; xxxvi, 
 2 H 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XVI.^ 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 8 Or, correc- 
 tion. 
 
 » Or. obey- 
 eth. 
 
 lOpossesseth 
 an heart. 
 
 3 1 The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. 
 
 32 He that refuseth ^ instruction despiseth his own soul : 
 But he tJiat ^heareth reproof ^^getteth understanding, 
 
 33 The fear, of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; 
 And bpfoye honour is humility. 
 
 16 THE ^ preparations of the heart in man, 
 
 And "the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord. 
 
 2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes: 
 But the ^LoRD weigheth the spirits. 
 
 3 ^Comuiit thy works unto the Lord, 
 And thy thoughts shall be established. 
 
 4 The '^LoRD hath made all things for himself; 
 *^ Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. 
 
 9) rejoiceth the heart : (and) a good report mak- 
 eth the bones fat — as it were, supplies them with 
 marrow ; affects with good the very ininost parts 
 of the frame, through the sympathy that there is 
 between the mind aud the body. Such is the 
 effect on the whole man of hearing effectually the 
 Gospel " good report," ov message of the King of 
 kings. 31. The ear that heareth the reproof of 
 life (the reproof that leads to life in the highest 
 sense) abideth among the wise— ZtY., ' passeth the 
 night' — i. e., abides continually: not even 
 
 at night doth such a one cease to associate with or 
 among the wise— lit., in the interior of the wise, in 
 the very midst of them. Abiding thiis in inti- 
 macy with them here, he shall be numbered among 
 them for ever hereafter. 32. He that refuseth 
 instruction [lit, discipline) despiseth his own 
 soul — (ch. viii. 36.) It is himself that he slights 
 whilst he slights disciplinary instruction, under- 
 standing—lit. , heart. 33. The fear of the Lord (is) 
 the instruction (Hebrew, the discipliiie) of wisdom 
 — 'the discipline' whereby "wisdom" is ac- 
 quired (Ps. cxi. 10). "The fear of the Lord is the 
 beginning of wisdom" (cf. ch. i. 7). _ Here the same 
 sentiment occurs, with the additional notion of 
 discipline or correction attached. Chastening, when 
 sanctified, generates "fear of the Lord," which 
 is the first step in true "wisdom." and before 
 honour is humility— not, humility is preferable to 
 honour; but" humility," under the Lord's discipline 
 or correction (as the parallel clause requires) goes 
 "before honour," just as "before destruction the 
 heart of man is haughty" (chs. xviii. 12; xxii. 4; 
 Zeph. ii. 3). Discipline is the necessary condition 
 of heavenly wisdom— thsit is, piety ; piety, though 
 requiring, on man's part, humility under discipline, 
 eventuates in honour. 
 
 CHAP. XVL 1-33.— 1. The preparations [lit., 
 the orderly disposings, as those of an army in 
 array ; or as the loaves of the showbread set in 
 order, Lev. xxiv. 6, 7 : from •^nr, to dispose] of the 
 heart in man, and the answer of the tongue (is) 
 from the Lord. The balance of the parallel oppo- 
 site clauses requires rather the translation, " The 
 preparations " or ' disposings of the heart (are) 
 in (or belonging to [h]) man ; but the answer of the 
 (praying) tongue (is) from the Lord.' Man may 
 lay out his plans, but God alone can give them 
 effect, in answer to the tongue of prayer [v. 9 ; ch. 
 xix. 21 ; 2 Cor. iii. 5). {Maurer. ) Mercer takes it. 
 Often what you dispose in the aptest order in 
 your heart, you cannot also express suitably with 
 the tongue. What one aptly speaks is from God. 
 Menochius takes it, Men often determine in heart 
 to say something, but God overrules their tongue 
 
 CHAP. 16. 
 
 1 Or. dispos- 
 ings. 
 
 Jer. 10. 23. 
 " Matt. 10.19. 
 6 1 Sam. 16. 7. 
 
 Dan. 5. 2r. 
 
 2 Roll. 
 Ps. 37. 5. 
 Matt. 6. 25. 
 
 " Isa. 43. r. 
 d Job 21. 30. 
 
 SO as to say something utterly different, as in 
 Baalim's case, (Num. xxiii.) So the Chaldaic, 
 Syriac, and Vulgate. The English version is 
 tenable. But the position of ' belonging to man,' 
 at the beginning of the first clause, answers to 
 "from the Lord," at the beginning of the second 
 clause, and supports the translation, 'Belonging 
 to each man [d?^^] (are) the disposings (or plans) 
 of the heart ; but from the Lord (is) the answer of 
 the tongue.' 2. All the ways of a man are clean 
 in his own eyes (v. 25 ; ch. xiv. 12) : but the Lord 
 weigheth the spirits. He alone is the Judge 
 whether a man's ways are as cleap as the man 
 himself thinks them (1 Cor. iy. 4, 5). We are apt 
 to be blind to our own faults, lynx-eyed to those 
 of others. The " God of the spirits of all flesh " 
 (Num. xvi. 22; xxvii. 16) weighs in the exact 
 balance of His judgment the inclinations, inten- 
 tions, 9,nd abilities of men, so that many of men's 
 ways, which look right to them^ are not so in His 
 holy eyes (chs. v. 21; xxi. 2; xxiv. 12; 1 Sam. xvi. 
 7). 3. Commit thy works unto the Lord (Ps. 
 xxxvii. 5; Iv. 22: lit., roll as a burden devolved 
 upon one stronger than thyself : Hebrew, gol), 
 and thy thoughts shall be established. Many 
 have no sense of the burden of sin. They are so 
 immersed in worldly things as to make no efforts 
 at all as to eternal things. This proverb glances 
 at both. Not the idle, but the worker— i. e., the 
 diligent user of means is blessed. Others again, 
 conscious of the difficulty, think to effect all by 
 their own "works." The true way is, "Work 
 out your own salvation with fear and trembling." 
 But remember at tKe same time, " it is God which 
 worketh in you both to will and to do of His good 
 good pleasure" (PhiL ii. 12, 13). So {mutatis 
 mutandis) in all the other undertakings and 
 duties of life. 4. The Lord hath made aU (things) 
 for himself ; yea, even the wicked for the day 
 of evij. So the Vulgate and Chaldaic similarly, 
 'All the works of God are for this purpose, that 
 they may obey Him,' His own glory is the end 
 of all God's doings in Providence and in grace. 
 His goodness, wisdom, power, and justice are 
 manifested alike in all His other works, as also 
 even in His reserving the wicked for the day of 
 
 final destruction. pn;rG^ is an unusual form to 
 express "for himself:" for there is the vowel 
 pathach in the first syllable, instead of the usual 
 sheva; and the af&x would ordinarily be lemahano. 
 The reason of the change is for the sake of em- 
 phasis. The he hajediah, or demonstrative, is for 
 this reason admitted, with affixes. The word 
 lamahan, 'in order that,' or 'on account of,' is 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XVI. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord : 
 Though hand }oin in hand, he shall not be ^ unpunished, 
 
 6 By * mercy and truth iniquity is purged ; 
 
 And by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. 
 
 7 When a man's ways ^ please the Lord, 
 
 He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him, 
 
 8 Better is a little with righteousness. 
 Than great revenues without right. 
 
 9 A man's heart deviseth his way : — ^^but the Lord directeth his steps. 
 
 10 * A divine sentence is in the lips of the king ; 
 His mouth transgresseth not in judgment. 
 
 11 A ^just weight and balance are the Lord's; 
 5 All the weights of the bag are his work. 
 
 B. C. li;00, 
 
 3 heldinno' 
 cent. 
 
 ' Dan. 4. 2T. 
 Mic. 7. 18, 
 20. 
 
 Luke U. 41. 
 
 John 15. 2. 
 
 Acts 15. 9. 
 
 1 Pet. 1. 22. 
 / Pa. 69. 31. 
 
 R jm. 8. 31. 
 
 Col. 1. 10. 
 f Jer. 10. 23. 
 
 4 Divina- 
 tion. 
 
 ft Lev. 19. 3S. 
 
 5 all the 
 stones. 
 
 compounded of le and mahan, or mahaneh, ' for 
 the business,' and with the affix here 'for His 
 business.' Or else, 'for His answer:* ta answer 
 His design. The word is a noun with an affix ; 
 for there is a He demonstrative understood 
 (as the pathach with dagesh forte shows), which 
 is usually prefixed to nouns. Also the affix 
 hu with the preceding tzere is usual in this class of 
 nouns. So Cocceius, from the root ™r, to ansiver]. 
 Even "the vessels of wrath fitted (by their own 
 perversity, not by His desire or will) to destruc- 
 tion" (Rom. ix. 22) shall show forth the glory of 
 God's justice on them, and the glory of His grace, 
 in the case of the saved, by the contrast. 'They 
 err greatly who allow God to do nothing but 
 what they can see the justice of. We do not 
 grudge kings their secrets, into which it would be 
 wanton pi-esumption for subjects to enquire. God, 
 foreknowing this wanton presumption of men, 
 adds a particle ('/or Himself,^ or, to answer His 
 own purpose), that He might guard the truth the 
 more strongly at the point where He foresaw it 
 would be most violently assailed' ( T. Cartwright). 
 Glassins, Maurer, &c., take it less probably, ' The 
 Lord hath made all things that thej' may answer 
 their own end ;' that the consequences may respec- 
 tively correspond to their own antecedents — 
 according to His just decree from the beginning — 
 the evil of the xmnishment corresponding to the 
 permitted evil of the fault. 5. Every one (that 
 is) proud in heart (is) an abomination to the 
 Lord: (though) hand (join) in hand, he shall not 
 be unpunished— (note, ch. xi. 21.) Though pride 
 may not appear outwardly in the " countenance " 
 (Ps. X. 4), nor in the 'look' or 'eves' {marg., ch. 
 vi. 17) J yet if it be in the heart, the Lord abomi- 
 nates it. The heart is the primary seat of pride. 
 Whatever resources, combinations, family con- 
 nections, and supporters, the proud may have, he 
 shall not escape punishment. Mercer takes it, 
 * From hand to hand expresses the consecutive 
 connection of causes through which the Lord 
 works : though the x>roud escape one occasion of 
 punishment, yet he is reserved for another, where- 
 in he shall x>ay at once the penalty of all his sins.' 
 6. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged (He- 
 brew, kaphnr) — 'is expiated' or 'atoned for.' By 
 mercy on God's part, iu devising and x>roinising 
 the atonement ; and by His truth, in keeping His 
 romise (Exod. xxxiv. 6; Ps. Ixxxv. 19; Ixxxix. 
 , 3). As the exj)ression is general here, there is 
 also meant, By mercy and truth on the part of 
 m^n, flowing from faith in God's mercy and truth 
 towards them, iniquity is shown to be purged. 
 Also, God deals in mercv to them as they deal 
 407 
 
 so to their fellow-men, (Dan. iv. 27; Prov. xiv. 21, 
 22), and by the fear of the Lord men depart 
 from evil. If the former clause be understood 
 of mercy and truth on the part of men, then this 
 clause declares the only principle from which 
 mercy and truth must flow, so as to be acceptable 
 to God— viz., true faith and filial fear towards 
 God. If the former clause mean (as I prefer, be- 
 cause of the Hebrew kaphar). By God's mercy 
 and truth men's iniquity is purged through faith, 
 then this clause expresses sanctification flowing 
 from justification. God of His mere grace purges 
 away our iniquity. Not that we may return to 
 it, or wallow in sin, but that we may turn from it, 
 and walk "in holiness and righteousness before 
 Him all the days of our life" (Luke i. 75). 7, 
 When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh 
 even his enemies to be at peace with him— so 
 far as is for the glory of God, and for our true 
 and eternal good. So Laban and Esau were 
 constrained to be at peace with Jacob (Gen, 
 xxxi. 24, 29, 44-55 ; xxvii. 41 ; xxxiii. 1-4). 8, 
 Better is a little with righteousness, than great 
 revenues without right— (ch. xv. 16.) "Better:" 
 for the tranquillity of conscience, for the present 
 enjoyment of this life, and for the life to come. 
 In ch. XV. 16 we are warned against gain without 
 religion ("the fear of the Lord") : in ch. xv. 17, 
 against gain without love to our neighbour: here, 
 against gain "without rigfU." 9. A man's heart 
 deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his 
 steps— (note, v. 1; Jer, x. 23.) In contrast to 
 man's anxious devising of his own way stands 
 the Lord's sovereign disposal oi his steps. 
 Though in one sense man's will is free, yet 
 in another he is overruled by God's all-ordering 
 providence. Man proposes, God disposes. Nay, 
 more ; God has at his control our very thoughts 
 (Exod. xxxiv. 24). Our wisdom is to " commit our 
 way unto the Lord when we set about anything 
 (Ps. xxxvii. 5, 23). 10. A divine sentence (is) in 
 the lips of the king. What a just and wise king 
 (one worthy of the high name and office) saith in 
 
 {)ronouncing judgment, is sound and veracious, 
 ike a divinely oracular sentence. God gives him 
 a kind of heaven-taught sagacity, (see an example, 
 1 Ki. iii. 16, &c.) This ought to be the aim of a 
 king, to be just, true, and firm in judgment, as if 
 he were speaking oracularly. 11. A just weight 
 (rather, scale — lit., the upright iron in scales which 
 the weigher holds in his hand, and in which the 
 tongue moves) and balance are the Lord's ; all 
 the weights (lit., stones) of the bag are his work. 
 Just weights are according to His will and ordi- 
 nance. Merchants were wont to carry weights in, 
 
their contrary vices. 
 
 Moral virtues and PROVERBS XVL 
 
 12 l6 is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness : 
 For the throne *is established by righteousness. 
 
 13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings ; 
 And they love him that speaketh right. 
 
 14 The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: 
 But a wise man will pacify it. 
 
 15 In the light of the king's countenance is life; 
 And his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain, 
 
 16 How much -^'better is it to get wisdom than gold ? 
 And to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver ? 
 
 17 The * highway of the upright is to depart from evil : 
 He that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. 
 
 IS Pride goeth before destruction, — and an haughty spirit before a fall 
 
 19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, 
 Than to divide the spoil with the proud. 
 
 20 ^He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good; 
 And whoso Hrusteth in the Lord, happy is he. 
 
 21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent; 
 
 And the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. 
 
 a hag for weighing their wares, (Deut, xxv. 13, &c.) 
 As they are instituted by Him who implants the 
 sense of justice in man, and the wisdom whereby 
 men contrived this method of testing honesty, 
 so they are approved by Him, and are jjleasing 
 to Him. So the heatlien poet Hesiod says,— 
 'God gave justice to men' [di/OpwTrots edcDKe 
 £Lr]u]. 12, (It is) an abomination to kings to 
 commit wickedness— viz., to such kings as desire 
 to do the duty of a king aright. Not only should 
 a king not commit, as a matter of fact, but he 
 should abominate wickedness on principle. This 
 is the only safeguard against ultimate transgres- 
 sion. 13. Righteous lips (are) tlie delight of 
 kings. Good kings delight in those who speak 
 only what is "righteous." This is the duty of all 
 in every station, but of kings especially, for the 
 sake of their subjects as well as for their own. 
 Their example acts powerfully on those under 
 them. 14. The v/rath of a king is as messengers 
 of death. The j)lural expresses manifold forms of 
 death which are at the king's command. His 
 wrath is fatal to him against whom he is incensed. 
 It is all the same as if he denounced death against 
 one. but a wise man will pacify it— whereas the 
 fool only exasperates it. 15. In the light of the 
 king's countenance (is) life— as there is in the 
 light of the sun beaming on the vegetable and 
 animal world, in contrast to the "death" that is 
 in his "wrath" {v. 14). This is fully true only of 
 the Sun of Righteousness (Ps. iv. 6 ; xliv. 3; Mai. 
 iv. 2). and his favour (is) as a cloud of the 
 latter rain (Hebrew, waZ^osA)— which brings the 
 vernal shower to the corn shortly before it ripens 
 (Deut, xi. 14 ; Jer. v. 24 ; Hos. vi, 3). The former 
 raui ii/oreh) watered the corn after the sowing, 
 17. He that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. 
 "Keepeth ;" viz., jealously, and watchfully guarded 
 against 'evil' (from the first clause of the verse). 
 13. Pride goeth before destruction. In eh. xi. 2 it 
 is " V/hen pride cometh, then comoth sAame." 
 and an haughty spirit before a fall. The 
 "haughty s])irit" (exalting one's self above one's 
 neighbours) in the latter clause is the fountain 
 whence springs the "pride" (viz., the outward 
 mauitestatioa of pride in acts) mentioned in the 
 463 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 * Ps. 93. 4. 
 Ch. t o. 18. 
 Cli. 2:-. 5. 
 ch. 23. II. 
 Rev. 19. It. 
 
 i Job 28. 13. 
 Ps. 119. 127. 
 Ch. 3. 15, 
 18. 
 
 ch. 4. r. 
 
 Ecci. r. 12. 
 
 Matt. I6.i9. 
 
 Luke 12.21. 
 
 * ch. 4. 24- 
 
 27. 
 Isa. 35. 8. 
 Acts 10. 35. 
 Act3 2>. 16. 
 Tit. 2. lo- 
 ll 
 « Or, He 
 th.it uti- 
 derstand- 
 eth a 
 matter. 
 
 ' l3». 30. IS. 
 JkT. 17. 7. 
 
 former clause. The Hebrews observe that this 
 verse stands exactly in the centre of the whole 
 book. It is a litting keystone to the whole, 19. 
 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the 
 lowly (ch, xxix. 23 ; Isa. Ivii. 15), than to divide 
 the spoil with the proud. Such a one is happier 
 in having the favour of God and man, immunity 
 from perils, and tranquillity of conscience. 
 Whereas the proud, who seek their own aggran- 
 dizement by oppressing their fellow-men, lose the 
 favour of these as well as of God, are in danger of 
 destruction at any moment, and have a guilty 
 conscience whenever they dare to reflect. 20. He 
 that handleth a matter wisely shall find good ; 
 and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he. 
 The Syriac, Chaldaic, and Vulgate translate, ' He 
 who intelligently attends to the Word of God, 
 not only to understand it, but also to obey it, as 
 contrasted with profane rashness or negligence in 
 respect to it. Thus " whoso trusteth in the Lord " 
 is strictly parallel (cf . ch. xiii. 13 ; Neh. viii. 13 ; 
 Dan. ix. 13). But the LXX. and Arabic support 
 the English version. Moreover, it is more usual 
 in Proverbs that each word in one clause should 
 not have its exact counterpart in the parallel 
 clause, but that it should be left to the shrewd- 
 ness of the reader or hearer to supply one clause 
 out of the other. Thus, "He that handleth a 
 matter {i e., his business) wisely" needs to be 
 supplemented by the additional thought to be 
 conjoined with it — viz., he must 'trust in the 
 Lord,' not merely depend on his own sagacity, if ho 
 is both to "find good" and be "happy." And vice 
 versa, "whoso trusteth in the Lord" must not fold 
 his hands in idleness, but 'handle wisely a 
 matter' {i. e., his business) if he is to be "happy," 
 and also to "find good." 21. The wise in heart 
 shall be called prudent (intelligent; Hebrew, 
 nahon) : and the sweetness of the lips increaseth 
 learning — as well for himself (inasmuch as in 
 teaching, one is taught one's self, and begins much 
 more exactly to know the subject under discus- 
 sion) as also for the hearer's good. ' The wise in 
 heart shall be called intelligent,' when 'the 
 sweetness of his lips increaseth the learning' of 
 those around him. As ho who is " wise in heurt" 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 22 Understanding is a well-spring of life unto him that hath it: 
 But the instruction of fools is folly. 
 
 23 The '"heart of the wise Heacheth his mouth. 
 And addeth learning to his lips. 
 
 24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, 
 Sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. 
 
 25 There "^is a way that seeraeth right unto a man 
 But the end thereof cere the ways of death. 
 
 26 ^He that laboureth, laboureth for himself; 
 For his mouth ^ crave th it of him. 
 
 27 ^^An ungodly man diggeth up evil; 
 And in his lips there is as a burning fire. 
 
 28 A froward man ^^soweth strife; 
 
 And a whisperer separateth chief friends, 
 
 29 A violent man enticeth his neighbour, 
 
 And leadeth him into the way that is not goo(i. 
 
 30 He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things ; 
 Moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass. 
 
 gets great honour to himself, so "sweetness of the 
 Ups" briugs great gain to the hearers. The end 
 of facility in speech, whereby one speaketh each 
 thing in its proper place and time (ch. xv. 2) is 
 not to glorify one & self, but to inform others of 
 what is their interest to know. He who will be 
 faithful in using the talent committed to him 
 shall be counted worthy to receive more. 22. Un- 
 derstanding is a well-spring of life unto him 
 that hath it — "a well-spring," whence flow 
 counsels, informations, consolations, tending to 
 spiritual life, but the instruction of fools is 
 folly— " instruction " (Hebrew, Twwsar) ; rather, 
 discipline or caatirjation. As "understanding" or 
 intelligence is its own reward to its possessors, so 
 "folly " is its own punishment to fools. Or, taking 
 the English version, All "the instruction (i. e,, the 
 wisdom) of fools is (nothing but) folly;" it is "a 
 well-spring " of folly, and therefore of death (the 
 opposite to "of life"). Water cannot rise above its 
 level. Kot only in serious concerns docs the wise 
 man's "understanding" well forth, but even in 
 his moments of relaxation. The fool's wisdom, 
 not only in ordinary concerns, but even in serious 
 ones; as, for instance, his efforts by way of "in- 
 struction" betray his "folly." 23. The" heart of 
 the wise teacheth (Hebrew, maketh intellvjent— 
 i. gives ])Ower of exjjression to) his mouth, and 
 addeth learning to his lips. Wisdom in the 
 heart suggests to the mouth mhat^ how, where, and 
 when one ought to speak. Each one is eloquent 
 enough in tiiat which he understands. During 
 speaking "the heart of the wise addeth learning 
 to his hps"—?, e., suggests ever fresh concei)tious 
 and learned thoughts to be uttered by the lips. 
 
 24. Pleasant words (are as) an honeycomb, 
 Eweet to the soul, and health to the bones. 
 "Pleasant words " arc " worc/s of the pure" (ch. 
 XV. 25). The " honeycomb " was used for me- 
 dicinal purj)oses, as well as for enjoyment. That 
 honey which flows from the comb of its own 
 accord, and not pressed out, is the most delicate, 
 precious, and palatable. The hones are, as it were, 
 the foundations of the body. The Ijody and the 
 mind sympathize. What is healthful to the soul 
 does good to the body at the same time (ch. xii. 4). 
 
 25. There is a way that seemeth right unto a 
 man; but the end thereof (are) the ways of 
 
 B. 0. 1000. 
 
 Fs. 37 30. 
 ch. 15. 28. 
 Cl). 22. ir, 
 18. 
 
 Matt. ^2.'^4. 
 Cnl. 3. IB. 
 
 I maketh 
 wise. 
 
 ^ ch. 12. 26. 
 ch. 14. 2. 
 Is i. 23. 15, 
 19. 
 
 John 7. 47. 
 49. 
 
 John 9. 40. 
 Acts 2C. 9. 
 
 8 The soul 
 of him 
 that 
 
 laboureth. 
 
 9 boweth 
 unto him. 
 
 10 A man of 
 Belial. 
 
 II send jth 
 forth. 
 
 death. The same maxim repeated from ch. xiv. 
 12, in a different connection (cf. Phil. iii. 1). Here 
 it is to warn us that not all words are truly 
 "pleasant words" which seem so to us {v. 24). 
 We must therefore willingly give ear to the 
 words of the wise, and not lean upon our own 
 judgment, 26. He that laboureth, laboureth 
 for himself— 'The soul of him that ]al)our- 
 eth, laboureth,' &c. for his mouth eraveth it 
 of him — lit,, 'is bowed,' or 'boweth itself unto 
 him,' as a suppliant craving food for its wants. 
 Or, more literally, ' boweth itself upon him '— i e., 
 imposes labour upon him. Solomon exhorts here 
 to ' la1)our,' which is man's appointed portion 
 (Gen. iii. 17-19; Eccl. vi. 7, " All the labour of 
 man is for his mouth"). Labour tends to the good 
 of him that laboureth, and supplies his ])ressing 
 needs (cf. ch. ix. 12). So in our spiritual needs 
 labour {i. e., diligence and earnestness) is the path 
 to the heavenly rest. The spiritual a]>petite 
 created by God the Holy Spirit ' craves ' laborious 
 diligence of the man, so as to obtain the free gift 
 of the bread of life. 27. An ungodly man diggeth 
 VLiP evil— i. e., diggeth a pit to entrap in evil his 
 victim (ch. xxvi. 27 ; Ps. cxix. 85 ; Job vi. 27), The 
 ungodly indeed 'labour' {v. 26), but it is only for 
 mischief, and in his lips (there is) as a burning 
 fire— malignant and calumnious speech wherewith 
 to injure others. 28. A froward man soweth (He- 
 brew, sendeth in) strife ; and a whisperer separ- 
 ateth chief friends. The Hebrew for "chief 
 
 friends " means a prince, a husband, a lead- 
 ing one among the most trusted intim,ate friends. 
 A whisi)erer, if listened to, separates between 
 
 {)eople and prince, between husband and wife, 
 )etween friend and friend. 29. A violent man 
 enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the 
 way (that is) not good. The violent man, when vio- 
 lence is not likely to succeed, resorts to enticement, 
 and stitches the fox's skin on the lion's skin, in 
 order to effect his violent purpose of destroying 
 " his neighbour" (cf. Ps. x. 4-10). As v. 28 s])oke 
 of pernicious separation, so this v. 29 speaks of 6m- 
 ful unions. 30. He shutteth his eyes to devise 
 froward things. Shutting the eyes is the sign of 
 profound meditation, the mind being drawn off 
 from external objects to internal meditation. 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XVII. 
 
 T 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 31 The hoary head is a crown of glory, 
 
 I/it be found in the way of righteousness. 
 
 32 ffe that is slow to anger is better than the mighty ; 
 ''And he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. 
 
 33 The lot is cast into the lap; 
 
 But the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. 
 
 17 BETTER is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, 
 Than an house fall of ^sacrifices with strife. 
 
 2 A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, 
 And shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren. 
 
 3 The '^fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; 
 But the Lord trieth the hearts. 
 
 4 A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips ; 
 And a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue. 
 
 5 Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker; 
 
 And ^he that is glad at calamities shall not be ^ unpunished. 
 
 Others explain the Hebrew here, He winketh his 
 eyes, to intimate to his accomplice a scheme for 
 entrapping some innocent person present (ch. vi. 
 13). moving his lips lie bringeth evil to pass. 
 " Moving his lips " — viz., in silent mental soliloquy 
 as he plans his scheme. Maurer, after the Vul- 
 gate, takes it, biting — i. e., compressing his lips in 
 inward meditation. So in sense the Syriac. 31. The 
 hoary head (is) a crown of glory, (if) it be found 
 in the way of righteousness— rather, as the Pro- 
 verbs generally consist of two parallel proposi- 
 tions, and there is no i/ in the Hebrew, "The hoary 
 head is a crown of glory" (ch. xx. 29) — viz., be- 
 cause age represents Him who is " The Ancient of 
 days ;" also, because of the mature experience 
 which old men who have improved their oppor- 
 tunities possess. "It is found in the way of 
 righteousness " (chs. iii. 16 ; iv. 22). The wicked 
 often do not live out half their days. Of course, it 
 is presupposed that "the hoary head" here (as 
 the first clause needs to be supplied from the second 
 clause) is one "found in the way of righteousness 
 otherwise it would be the badge of inveterate 
 shame, not "a crown of glory." 32. He that is 
 slow to anger is better than the mighty— than a 
 mighty hero. The very reverse of the estimate 
 formed by men of the slow to anger, and of mighty 
 heroes respectively, and he that ruleth his spirit 
 than he that taketh a city. For the war is a more 
 severe one which is waged with one's own pas- 
 sions than that which we wage with others. He 
 who conquers himself is of use to himself, and 
 injures none; whereas a mighty hero conquers 
 with much bloodshed. The mighty hero conquers 
 by the hand of others ; he tliat is slow to anger 
 conquers in himself, and by himself ; and conquers 
 not only men (as the mighty hero), but also "the 
 rulers of the darkness of this world " (Eph. vi. 12). 
 33. The lot is cast into the lap ; but the whole 
 disposing (lit., judgment) thereof is of the Lord. 
 Whatever happens to man by allotment is not 
 by chance, but by the Lord's appointment. The 
 lots were cast into the cloak, cap, urn, or whatever 
 else the judge or umpire bare in his lajj, and then 
 were drawn forth in order. They were used in di- 
 viding inheritances, in electing a king, and subse- 
 quently an apostle, in detecting the guilty one among 
 a multitude, &c. (Num. xxvi. 55; Josh. xiv. 2; Acts 
 i. 26 ; 1 Sam. x, 20; xiv. 41, 42.) The employment 
 of the term 'judgment' implies that it was only 
 in weightier cases that resort was had to judgment 
 470 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 " ch. 19. 11. 
 ch. 26. 28. 
 Eccl. 7. 9. 
 Bom. 12.21, 
 Jas. 1. 19. 
 20. 
 
 Rev. 3. 21. 
 
 CHAP. 17. 
 » Or. 
 
 good 
 
 cheer. 
 « Ps. 26. 2. 
 
 ch. 27. 21. 
 
 Jer. 17. 10. 
 
 Mai. 3. 3. 
 
 1 Pet. I. 7. 
 
 Rev 2. 23. 
 «• Job 31. 29. 
 
 ch. 24. 17. 
 
 Obad. 12. 
 2 held 
 
 innocent. 
 
 hy lot ; especially as God Himself was regarded as 
 the Arbiter in the judgment by lot. Hence it was 
 entered upon with great solemnity : in Josh. vii. 
 13, with a preparatory sanctifi cation of the people. 
 Eleazar used to preside on such occasions. Every- 
 thing is a wheel of Providence. The unparalleled 
 story of Joseph seems to be made up of nothing 
 else but chances and little contingencies, all tend- 
 ing to mighty ends. The sleepless night of Aha- 
 suerus (Esth. vi. 1) was overruled to save the Jews 
 from extinction (cf. Bridges). 
 
 CHAP. XVII. 1-28.— 1. Better is a dry morsel 
 —without butter or oil (Lev. vii. 10). than a 
 house full of sacrifices— victims, part of which 
 were offered in sacrifice and the rest feasted upon. 
 The choicest beasts were used in sacrifice, so that 
 their flesh would be of the best kind, with strife 
 — (ch. XV. 17.) 2. A wise servant shall have rule 
 over a son that causeth shame, and shall have 
 part of the inheritance among the brethren. The 
 value of wisdom is shown in that it supersedes even 
 birthrights, giving to the slave freedom, and even 
 rule over the freeborn, and making him a co-heir 
 of the family inheritance— on a par with the sons 
 (Ecclesiasticus, x. 25, 'Unto the servant that is 
 wise shall they that are free do service ;' cf. Gen. 
 XV. 3). 3. The fining pot (is) for silver, and the 
 furnace for gold : but the Lord trieth the hearts. 
 As men test and purify silver in the crucible 
 and gold in the furnace, so the Lord trieth the 
 hearts. Men can prove silver and gold, but not 
 hearts ; that is the work of the Lord alone, 4. A 
 wicked doer giveth heed to false lips ; (and) a liar 
 (lit., a lie) giveth ear to a naughty tongue— Ziit, , 
 ' to a tongue of perversities '—a tongue that speak- 
 eth nothing but what is perverse, to the grievous 
 injury of others. Malignity of action is generally 
 combined with falsehood. Not content with his 
 own inborn depravity, the "wicked doer" seeks 
 out helps to foment it, and so gives ear to those 
 who are more practised and ingenious in evil than 
 himself, in order to add mischief of tongue to 
 mischief of deed. 5. Whoso mocketh the poor 
 reproacheth his Maker (ch. xiv. 31) ; and he that 
 is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished. 
 So Tyrus is threatened, because she was glad at 
 Jerusalem's calamities, saying, "I shall be replen- 
 ished, now she is laid waste" (Ezek. xxvi. 2). And 
 Edom similarly (Obad. 12). He who " mocketh " 
 at a work, mocketh the workman. God especially 
 warns against insulting over the poor, because it 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PEOVERBS XVIL 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 6 Children's children are the crown of old men ; 
 And the glory of children are their fathers. 
 
 7 ^ Excellent speech becometh not a fool; 
 Much less do * lying lips a prince. 
 
 8 A gift is as ^a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it; 
 Whithersoever it turneth, it '^prospereth. 
 
 9 He that covereth a transgression^ seeketh love: 
 
 But he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends. 
 
 10 ^A reproof entereth more into a wise man 
 Than a. hundred stripes into a fool. 
 
 11 An evil man seeketh only rebellion; 
 
 Therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him„ - 
 
 12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man. 
 Bather than a fool in his folly. 
 
 13 Whoso^rewardeth evil for good, 
 Evil shall not depart from his house. 
 
 is inhuman, and it betrays a pride that forgets 
 one's own frailty and liability to calamity, to tread 
 upon those who are prostrated by God's afflicting 
 hand (Ps. cix. 16; Isa. xlvii 6). 6. Children's 
 children (are) the crown of old men ; and the 
 glory of children (are) their fathers— a reciprocal 
 ornament— the children to the fathers, and the 
 fathers to the children (Mai. iv. 6). "The crown," 
 the ornament, help, and delight of the old, by the 
 blessing of God, Good "fathers" are "the glory 
 of children ;" because men look kindly on the 
 children for the sake of the fathers ; because 
 through the instrumentality of the fathers the 
 children are often promoted to honours and 
 offices ; also, because of their counsels and prayers. 
 Epanimondas used to say that he regarded it as 
 the highest fruit of his honours that his parents 
 were spectators of them (3fercer). 7. Excellent 
 speech (a Up of excellency) becometh not a fool ; 
 much less do lying lips (a lip of lying) a prince. 
 "Excellent speech" — speech which is above the 
 ca|)acity, office, and experience of the sijeaker, in 
 this case " a fool"— speech whereby one v/ishes to 
 be eminent above all others, to be the only one to 
 speak and to be heard. Such speech, however ex- 
 cellent in itself it might chance to be, is incongru- 
 ous in a fool. It would do more harm than good. 
 On the contrary, in "a prince" [whose very He- 
 brew name, Nadib, expresses liberality, from Dnj 
 to be liberal^ to give freely] excellent speech is most 
 becoming his office and person: therefore the op- 
 posite kind of speech, 'a lip or lying,' or vanity, 
 in resj^ect to his x)romises, and catching at men's 
 apx^lause by specious but insincere words, would 
 be as utterly unbecoming in him, as " excellent 
 speech" ('a lin of excellency') would be unbecom- 
 ing in "a fool." 8. A gift (is as) a precious stone 
 (lit.y a stone of grace) in the eyes of him that hath 
 it ; whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth— lit. , 
 it acteth prudently, and so prosperomly. Solomon 
 states what is commonly the case, not what ought 
 to be. How selfish, how mercenary is man natu- 
 rally ! But the man of God is raised above a mer- 
 cenary spirit (cf. 1 Sam. xii. 3, Samuel ; Dan. v. 
 17, Daniel; Acts viii. 18-20, Peter and John). 
 The prosperity which attends bribery is a lure 
 set forth here in order that we may shun, not that 
 we may follow it. A gift, not to pervert justice, 
 but to conciliate the angry, ia right, as Jacob's 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 3 a lip of 
 
 excellency. 
 1 a lip of 
 
 lying. 
 
 5 a stone of 
 grace. 
 
 " Gen. 39. 21, 
 Gen. 41. 38. 
 Dan 6. 3. 
 
 6 Or, pro- 
 cureth. 
 Or, a re- 
 proof 
 aweth 
 more a 
 •wise man, 
 than to 
 strike a 
 fool an 
 hundred 
 times. 
 
 <i Jer. 18. 20. 
 Rom. 12.17. 
 1 Pet. 3. 9. 
 
 gift to Esau (ch. xviii. 16 ; Gen. xxxii. 20) ; and 
 Abigail's to David (1 Sam. xxv. 27). 9. He that 
 covereth a transgression seeketh love — (ch. 
 X. 12.) Promoteth love (cf. v. 19; ch. xi. 27). 
 We ought to 'cover' a fault when the glory of 
 God and the good of our neighbour and of the 
 commonweal do not require its publication, but 
 he that repeateth a- ma^tter separateth (very) 
 friends. ' ' Repeateth " — i, e. , reviveth the remem- 
 brance of some injury or cause of quarrel which 
 ought to be consigned to oblivion ; or repeats to 
 another some transgression which ought, for love's 
 sake, rather to have been ' covered ' (ch. xvi. 28). 
 10. A reproof entereth more into [descends into, 
 from nm] a wise man than an hundred stripes 
 into a fool— lit, 'than to strike a fool a hundred 
 times.' It is the height of folly to harden one's 
 self against the reproofs of God, and so to incur 
 His "hundred stripes." 'A generous horse is 
 ruled even by the shadow of the rod ; a lazy beast 
 cannot be stirred even by a spur' {Curtius, vii. 4). 
 Tender susceptibility to the monitions of our 
 Father, by His Word, His ministers, and His 
 Providential dealings, is the mark of a gracious 
 soul. 11. An evil (man) seeketh only rebellion 
 —so the LXX. and Arabic. But the Chaldaic 
 and Syriac take "rebellion" as the abstract for 
 the concrete, and make it nominativ^e. 'A rebel 
 seeketh only evil,' notwithstanding a "hundred 
 stripes " being inflicted on him {v. 10). therefore 
 a cruel messenger shall be sent against him — 
 the executioner of the king's wrath. So the King 
 of kings " casts upon " rebels against him " the 
 fierceness of His anger ... by sending evil angels 
 among them" (Ps. Ixxviii. 49). 12. Let a bear 
 robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than 
 (lit., and not; ch. viii. 10) a fool in his folly. 
 It would be safer to meet a she-bear, infuriated 
 by being robbed of her cubs (2 Sam. xvii. 8 ; Hos. 
 xiii. 8), than to encounter a fool hurried along by 
 the full raging tide of his folly. " Fool . . . folly," 
 include the idea Sinner . . . sin. The fiercest she- 
 bear can be tamed by human sagacity, but a fool and 
 sinner, as such, can be tamed by nothing short of 
 Omnipotence. The fool spurns "reproof" (v. 10), 
 and assails his faithful and kind reprover, aa 
 madmen attack their physician. 13. Whoso re- 
 wardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from 
 his house. Such a monstrous sin shall entail 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XVII. 
 
 their contrary mces. 
 
 14 The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water; 
 Therefore ^ leave off contention, before it be meddled with, 
 
 15 He that •^justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just^ 
 Even they both are abomination to the Lord. 
 
 16 Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom^ 
 Seeing he hath no heart to it ? 
 
 17 A friend loveth at all times, — and a brother is bom for adversity, 
 
 18 A man void of ^understanding striketh hands, 
 
 A )id becometh surety in the presence of his friend. 
 
 19 Pie loveth transgression that loveth strife: 
 
 And he that exalteth his gate seeketh destniction, 
 
 20 ^He that hath a froward heart findeth no good ; 
 
 And he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief, 
 
 21 He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow; 
 And the father of a fool hath no joy. 
 
 22 A meiiy heart doeth good ^^like a medicine : 
 But a broken spirit drieth the bones. 
 
 B. a vm. 
 
 • Ch. -20. 3. 
 Eccl. 7.8,9. 
 Matt. 6. 38- 
 
 41. 
 
 -Acta 6. 16. 
 Rom. 12.18, 
 J as. 3. 1!, 
 
 IK 
 
 1 I'hes. 4. 
 11. 
 
 5iT m 2.23, 
 24. 
 
 / Ex. 21, 7. 
 1 Ki. 21. 13- 
 laa. 5. 23. 
 EZQ. 21. 27, 
 2X 
 
 * heart. 
 
 » The fro- 
 ward of 
 lieart, 
 
 10 Or. 
 to a 
 
 medicine. 
 
 punishment not merely on the sinner himself, but 
 also on his posterity. 14. Tlie beginning of strife 
 (is as) when one letteth out water— as when, in 
 a dam or mound raised to oppose a flood or the 
 sea, there is ever so small an aperture, tbe water 
 passing through is sure to make it larger and 
 larger, until with one mighty volume of water 
 the whole embankment is swept away, there- 
 fore leave off contention, before it be meddled 
 with— leave off, instead of eagerly discussing 
 most minute offences, and devising means of 
 retaliation, with a pertinacious determination to 
 conquer. *It is easier to abstain from a contest 
 than to v/ithdraw from it' (Seneca). Oppose 
 beginnings. *The mother of mischief is no 
 bigger than a midge's wing.' Strife is compared 
 to the two most merciless elements, fire and 
 water. 15. He that justifieth the wicked, and 
 lie that condemneth the just, even they both 
 are) an abomination to the Lord— (Isa. v. 20, 23.) 
 ""e ought to be of one mind with God concerning 
 both "the wicked" and "the just " respectively 
 (2 Chr. xix. 2 ; 1 Ki. viii. 32). this v. shows tha"t 
 the term "justify" (Hebrew, matzeddik) is for- 
 ensic, to pronounce just one, even though not just 
 in himself; a key- word in tbe doctrinal Epistle to 
 the Romans: the opposite of 'condemn,' or pro- 
 nounce impious (mareshiang).' 16. Wherefore (is 
 there) a price {lit, this price: demonstratively) 
 in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing (he 
 hath) no heart (to it) ? Why has he in his power 
 the wealth and other means of obtaining wisdom, 
 when he has no heart for it? Wealth is given 
 to us by God in order that by its help we may 
 advance in piety and wisdom. Money will obtain 
 the help of teachers, both the living and the 
 dead— viz., good and pious books— and other 
 helps. Practical benevolence, in giving to the 
 Lord's needy people, is a means of increasing in 
 heavenly wisdom. But wealth without the heart, 
 or teachable, humble, Go<l-f earing mind, is of no 
 avail for acquiring wisdom. 17. A friend loveth 
 at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. 
 A true friend loves at all times ; but it is in ad- 
 versity especially that he becomes as a brother 
 born to you, or a brother by blood just born for the 
 emergency. It is when put in the fire that tbe 
 gold is proved. There ought to be no intervals 
 of forgetfulness or alienation in the true friend. 
 Ch. xviiL 24 goes still further than this verse : 
 472 
 
 it tells of " a friend that sticketh closer than » 
 brother." 18. A man void of understanding 
 striketh hands (in token of his engaging to be 
 responsible for another), (and) becometh surety 
 in the presence of his friend— implying habitual 
 rashne.ss in suretiship. ^'In the i)resence of his 
 friend" {Ma7i7'er, for "his friend," translates, 
 'another'); viz., in the presence of the creditor^ 
 Luther takes it. If you wish to help your friend, 
 be surety for him, but 7iot in his presence, which 
 will increase his negligence. The believer is 
 worse than a heathen, if he is not provident for 
 his own household (1 Tim. v. 8). So close is the 
 connection of prudence in the household with 
 prudence in religious concerns in general, that 
 the two generally stand or fall together. 19. H© 
 loveth transgression that loveth atrife— because 
 strife both is itself a transgression, and is the source 
 of many transgressions, (and) he that exalteth his 
 gate (i. e., his house: not as Mic. vii. 5 is quoted 
 for (he door of the mouth) seeketh destruction. To 
 love strife^ is the mark of one who 'exalts'' himself 
 (clu xiii. 10). Such a one 'loving transgression' is 
 virtually 'seeking destruction,' for destruction is 
 the issue of transgression. Where two angrily 
 contend, both are in fault. Imjjrecations, rash 
 appeals to God, suxjerciliousness, abuse, and im- 
 placable spite, are generally engendered, as the 
 strife proceeds, whichever may have been in the 
 right at first. 20. He that hath a froward heart 
 findeth no good— one whose " heart is deep" (Ps. 
 Ixiv. 6); one "with a double heart" (Ps. xii. 2). 
 The opposite to an open, sincere, upright heart 
 (ch. xi. 20). and he that hath a perverse (crafty) 
 tongue falleth into mischief— a tongue adapting 
 itself to those with whom it converses ; not only 
 discrepant from the heart, but from itself. 
 "Double-tongued" (1 Tim. iiL 8; Jas. iii. 9, 10). 
 The perverse think, by the subtlety which twists 
 itself into all shapes, to 'find good' and escape 
 "mischief." But the reverse ensues: it " lindeth 
 no good," and "falleth into mischief." 21. He 
 that begetteth a fool (doeth it) to his sorrow— 
 findeth afterwards that what he had regarded as a 
 joy is but a " sorraw,'' when the son betrays his fool- 
 ishness. Hence infer that we should be anxious 
 not so much for a numerous, as for a godly off- 
 spring (7'. Cartwright). 22. A merry heart doeth 
 good (like) a medicine— or else, 'make good (i. e., 
 effectual) medicine;' of. marg.: so Mercer. The 
 
Moral mrtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XVin. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 23 A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom 
 ^To pervert the ways of judgment. 
 
 2.4 Wisdom ^is before him that hath understanding: 
 But the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth. 
 
 25 A fooHsh son is a grief to his father, 
 And bitterness to her that bare him. 
 
 26 Also to punish the just is not good, — nor to strike princes for equity. 
 
 27 He Hhat hath knowledge spareth his words : 
 
 And 2i. man of understanding is of ^^an excellent spirit. 
 
 28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise ; 
 
 And he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding, 
 
 18 THROUGH ^desire a man, having separated himself, 
 Seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. 
 
 2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, 
 But that his heart may discover itself 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 " iCx. 23. 8. 
 ft Eccl. 2. 14. 
 < Jas. 1. J 9. 
 11 Or. a 
 
 cool 
 
 spirit. 
 
 CHAP. 18. 
 1 Or, He 
 that 
 
 separate'h 
 himself 
 seeketh 
 according 
 to his 
 desire, 
 ar.d in- 
 termed- 
 dleth in 
 every 
 business. 
 Jude 19. 
 
 Barae root as here [nn;,] occurs in Hos. v. 13, 
 "cure." Gesenius thinks the root-meaning to be 
 the removal of the lifjature of a wound. Quiet, 
 diet, and cheerfulness flowinj^ from a good con- 
 science, are the best medicines (chs. xv. 15; iii. 7, 
 8 ; iv. 22). 23. A wicked (man) (or jiidge) taketh 
 a gift out of the bosom (taken out of the giver's 
 bosom), to pervert the ways of judgment — to 
 
 {)ervert the due course of justice by quibbles and 
 oopholes of escape. The "bosom" implies the 
 secrecy of the offer of the bribe : a gift hidden in 
 the bosom (ch. xv. 27; Deut. xvi. 19). 24. Wis- 
 dom is before (Hebrew, in the face of) him that 
 hath understanding— is always before his face as 
 a friend, ready at hand {Gejer) (cf. the phrase, 
 Gen. xix. 13). Or, 'appears in his countenance' 
 composed, grave, and modest. The latter, which 
 is supported by the Vulgate, the LXX., and the 
 Chaldaic, is the xjrominent thought, as the parallel 
 second clause shows (cf. Ecclesiasticus xix. 29, 'A 
 man may be known by his look, and one that hath 
 understanding, by his countenance, when thou 
 maetest him '). but the eyes of a fool (are) in the 
 ends of the earth. The wandering "eyes" indi- 
 cate the unsettled mind, that seeks wisdom "in 
 the ends of the earth," and "findeth it not" (ch. 
 xiv. 6). As far as attaining wisdom is concerned, 
 his restless eyes show that it is all one as if they 
 were in the ends of the earth. He neglects the 
 "word of faith," which is "nigh" him (Rom. x. 
 8). The face of the man of understanding, on the 
 contrary, shows that wisdom is with him. 25. A 
 foolish son (is) a grief to his father, and bitter- 
 ness to her that bare him. The mother, as having 
 to a greater degree than the father spoiled her 
 son by indulgence, entails on herself " bitterness," 
 which is worse than " grief," the portion of the 
 father (T. Cartvrright). 26. Also to punish the 
 just is not good, (nor) to strike princes for (lit., 
 upon) equity. The "also" expresses. Besides 
 other evils, also to punish the just is not good 
 (ch. xix. 2). The LXX. and Manrer, instead of 
 "for equity," translate, ' transgresses equitv.' I 
 prefer the English version. With the Chaldaic, 
 Syriac, and Vulgate, " to strike " refers to 
 judicial inflictions. It is awful perversion of 
 right to punish those who deserve reward and 
 commendation. "Princes," or 'the noble:' He- 
 brew, nedihim. 27. He that hath knowledge 
 Bpareth his words : (and) a man of understand- 
 ing is of an excellent spirit. The Hebrew text, 
 
 Chetiby reads, [yj], from Dj'^, to be cold] 'and a 
 man of understanding is of a cool spirit :' not easily 
 breaking forth into passionate, or boasting, or bab- 
 bling words, but 'sparing his words.' The Eng- 
 lish version is the Hebrew marginal reading ["ip.^ 
 from ip;, to honour]. 28. Even a fool, when he 
 holdeth his peace, is counted wise ; (and) he that 
 shutteth his lips (is esteemed) a man of under- 
 standing. This confirms v. 27. Thus the objec- 
 tion is met. If I do not repay an injury with 
 words or blows, I shall be esteemed a fool. Nay, 
 thou shalt be esteemed by God, by angels, and by 
 saints, wise. 
 
 CHAP. XVin. 1-24. —1. Through desire 
 
 (through self-willed and self-seeking desire of 
 wisdom) a man, having separated himself (from 
 other men), seeketh (and) intermeddleth with 
 all wisdom— Hebrew, tushiyyah : lit., all that is 
 solid and stable : subsistence, essence, existence. The 
 Pharisees were such ; from the Hebrew, pharash, 
 ' to separate.' They trusted in themselves, and in 
 their own wisdom, despising others (Luke xviii. 
 9 ; xvi. 15 ; Jude 19). All heresy has more or less 
 originated in the self-conceit which leads men to 
 separate themselves from the congregation of the 
 Lord (Ezek. xiv. 7; Hos. ix. 10; Heb. x. 25). 
 Mavrer translates, ' He who separateth himself 
 seeketh after his desire.' The English version 
 equally suits the Hebrew, and the "seeketh "is 
 more expressive indehnitely taken. The two 
 evils censured are— (1.) That of those who think 
 that they are born for themselves, and ought to 
 live and die for themselves, and that others 
 ought to be ministers of their self-seeking desires. 
 (2.) That of those who intermeddle with what 
 does not concern them. The motive is "through 
 (his own) desire" of being esteemed singularly 
 learned, as v. 2 shows, not from sincere "delight 
 in understanding." His aim is singularity, 
 through self-seeking "desire" (Ps. x. 3; cxii. 10) 
 of raising himself to a separate elevation from 
 the common crowd, and of being thought versed 
 in all that can be known: so he "intermeddleth 
 with all wisdom." His restless appetite for 
 making himself peculiar and separate from others 
 is marked by the indefinite verb "seeketh," it 
 not being added what he seeketh, for he hardly 
 knows himself what, but certainly not peace, 
 charity, and humility : he foolishly affects a 
 monopoly of wisdom. 2. A fool hath no delight 
 
1 
 
 Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XVm. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 3 When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, 
 And with ignominy reproach. 
 
 4 The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, 
 "'And the well-spring of wisdom as a flowing brook, 
 
 5 It ^is not good to accept the person of the wicked,. 
 To overthrow the righteous in judgment. 
 
 6 A fool's lips enter into contention, — and his mouth calleth for strokes. 
 
 7 A fool's mouth is his destruction, — and his lips are the snare of his soul. 
 
 8 The words of a ^ talebearer are ^as wounds, 
 
 And they go down into the * innermost parts of the belly. 
 
 9 He also that is slothful in his work 
 
 Is brother to him that is a great waster. 
 
 10 The ^'name of the Lord is a strong tower: 
 The righteous runneth into it, and ^is safe. 
 
 11 The rich man's wealth is his strong city. 
 And as an high wall in his own conceit. 
 
 12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, 
 And before honour is humility. 
 
 13 He that ^answereth a matter before he heareth it, 
 It is folly and shame unto him. 
 
 14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity: 
 But a wounded spirit who can bear? 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 » P». 78. 2. 
 
 «> Lev. 19. 16. 
 Deut. 1. 17. 
 Deut. 16.19, 
 Job 13. 7. 
 8. 
 
 Job 34. 19. 
 Ch. 24. 23. 
 Ch. 2S. 21. 
 Matt. 22.16. 
 
 2 Or. 
 whisperer, 
 ch. 12. IS. 
 
 ch. 2 ;. 22. 
 
 3 Or. like 
 as when 
 men are 
 wounded. 
 
 4 chambers. 
 « 2 Sam. 22, 
 
 3, 51, 
 Pa, 18. 2. 
 Ps. 27. 1. 
 Ps. 61. 3, 4. 
 Ps. 91. 2. 
 Ps. 144. 2. 
 Isa. 26. 4. 
 
 5 is set 
 aloft. 
 
 6 re'urneth 
 a word. 
 John 7. 51. 
 
 in understanding (for its own sake), but that 
 his heart may discover itself. Display of 
 self is his aim. 3. When the wicked cometh, 
 then cometh (also) contempt. When the wicked 
 cometh among wise men, he cometh not to learn, 
 but to throw contempt on all persons and all 
 things, especially on the godly, and with igno- 
 miny reproach. The wicked cherishes contempt 
 in his mind; throws ignominy on others, in ges- 
 ture and act ; and casts reproach with words. All 
 three, by just retribution in kind, recoil on him- 
 self. 4. The words of a man's mouth (are as) 
 deep waters— i. e., a wise man's words, as the 
 parallel clause shows. The Hebrew is ish, a good 
 man ; not adam, the general term for man. His 
 words are deep: not merely on the surface for 
 display, like the fool's {vv. 1, 2). the well-spring 
 of wisdom — inexhaustible, ever-flowing, not soon 
 run dry, like the fool's shallow knowledge. There 
 is a depth in it not easily fathomed. 6. It is not 
 good to accept the person of the wicked— to 
 show partiality to them, so as — to overthrow 
 the righteous in judgment. 6. A fool's lips 
 enter into contention, and his mouth calleth 
 for strokes — by his contentiousness of mouth 
 he brings "strokes" on himself. 7. A fool's . . . 
 lips (are) the snare of his soul. He is ruined 
 by his own recklessness and wantonness of 
 speech. 8. The words of a talebearer are as 
 wounds — 'piercing' like a 'sword,' (ch. xii. 18; 
 cf. marg.) The participle in the Hebrew 
 stands for a noun, from onS, by metathesis for 
 □Sn to wound]. Or, 'as llandishments^ (from 
 the Hebrew, laham, to blandish). Maurer, 'As 
 delicate morsels,' from a root, laham, ' eagerly to 
 swallow.' (Cf. Ps.lv. 21.) They insinuate them- 
 selves under a smooth appearance, but— they go 
 down into the innermost parts of the belly. 
 The talebearer's story wounds at once him whom 
 he detracts and him before whom he utters the 
 detraction. Though the hearer may seem to make 
 474 
 
 light of it, yet the poison 'goes down' deeply, 
 and leaves in him a suspicion, distrust, dislike. 
 9. He also that is slothful (lit., remiss) in his 
 work is brother to him that is a great waster— 
 lit., 'him that is a lord of wasting;' i. e., who is 
 wholly given up to it. The slothful and the 
 wasteful are twin-brothers. The slothful wastes 
 his own property and that of others, ' Idleness is 
 the mother of hunger and the sister of theft.' 10. 
 The name of the Lord {i. e., the Lord Himself in 
 His manifested goodness and power) (is) a strong 
 tower (a tower of strength) : the righteous run- 
 neth into it (when calamity threatens), and is 
 safe — lit., 'and is set on high' above his enemies 
 (Ps. lix. 1 ; Ixix, 29). He shall there be safe as in 
 a high citadel (Isa. xxvi. 1). 11. The rich man's 
 wealth (is) his strong city (ch. x. 15), and as an 
 high wall in his own conceit— in contrast to the 
 righteous man's "strong tower," "the name of the 
 Lord," in which he is "set on high" in safety {v. 
 10). It is infinitely better to " trust in the living 
 God "than "in uncertain riches" (1 Tim. vi. 17). 
 12. Before destruction the heart of man is 
 haughty (ch. xvi. 18), and before honour is 
 humility (ch. xv. 33), Humility is the forerunner 
 of honour. High climbers are apt to fall, and 
 their fall is the heavier the higher they have 
 climbed, 13. He that answereth a matter before 
 he heareth (it) — i. e., before he undersiandeth what 
 the other hath said. So 'hear' means under- 
 stand, Deut. xxviii. 49. it (is) folly and shame 
 unto him— (Ecclesiasticus xi. 8, 'Answer not be- 
 fore thou hast heard the cause, neither interrupt 
 men in the midst of their talk,') Self-seeking and 
 self-importance are generally the cause of such 
 interruptions, 14. The spirit of a man will sus- 
 tain his infirmity (of body): but a wounded 
 spirit who can bear? It is the office of the 
 spirit, or mind, to govern the body, but not that of 
 the body to govern the mind: therefore, when the 
 body is under "infirmity," "the spirit sustains" 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XVIIL 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 15 The '^heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; 
 And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge. 
 
 16 A 'man's gift maketh room for him, 
 And bringeth him before great men. 
 
 17 He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; 
 But his neighbour cometh and searcheth him. 
 
 18 The lot causeth contentions to cease, 
 And parteth between the mighty. 
 
 19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city; 
 And their contentions are like the bars of a castle. 
 
 20 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth ; 
 And with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. 
 
 21 Death ^ and life are in the power of the tongue : 
 And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. 
 
 22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, 
 And obtaineth favour of the Lord. 
 
 23 The poor useth entreaties; — but the rich answereth ^roughly. 
 
 it; but if the spirit be afflicted, there is nothing 
 which can bear it up (ch. xv. 13). ' The spirit of 
 A true MAN ' (so the Hebrew, ish, means ; a manly 
 spirit) stands in contrast to "a broken spirit." 
 We ought not so to yield to calamity as to suffer 
 the "spirit" to be "broken," but we ought to 
 make "the name of the Lord" our "tower of 
 strength" (y. 10). 15. The heart {the understand- 
 ing combined with the will) of the prudent 
 getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise 
 seeketh knowledge. The docile ear follows the 
 docile heart. The ear is the sense which betokens 
 discipline, obeying the desire of the heart or un- 
 derstanding, by giving heed (Isa. 1. 4, end). 16. 
 A man's gift maketh room for him— maketh a 
 clear and wide way for him into the presence 
 of those to whom he desires access. " A man's " 
 (Hebrew, adam)— the gift of a man, however 
 humble and low. This is the way of the world, 
 not what ought to be. 17. (He that is) first in his 
 own cause (seemeth) just. The judge is pre- 
 engaged by the gifts or else the earnestness of 
 the first speaker, but his neighbour (the other 
 party in the suit) cometh and searcheth him— 
 i. e., seai'cheth his words and statement of the 
 case. The judge ought not precipitately to give 
 sentence until he has heard the other side in a 
 case. All rashness in decision without hearing 
 both sides of a question is to be avoided. So 
 before the bar of one's own estimation, a man that 
 is first in his own cause seemeth just, until his 
 neighbour cometh and searcheth him. Contrast 
 1 Cor. iv. 3-5. 18. The lot causeth contentions 
 to cease, and parteth between the mighty. 
 Many quarrel in lawsuits, not so much from the 
 love of having, as from unwillingness of either to 
 yield to the other. The lot was resorted to on 
 solemn occasions, to leave the decision with God, 
 the supreme Arbiter (note, ch. xvi. 33). "The 
 mighty" are those who are pertinacious as they 
 are powerful, and who can therefore do the great- 
 est injury to one another, unless they come to a 
 mutual agreement. 19. A brother offended [PK'pp 
 —offendeA hy the defection or transgression of his 
 brother; or else, having been deserted by his 
 brother] (is harder to be won than) a strong city. 
 Maurer avoids the ellipsis by translating, 'A 
 brother is more vehemently refractory (resists 
 more violently) than a strong city.' But the 
 475 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 d 1 Ki. 3. 9. 
 Ps. 119. 97, 
 104. 
 
 Luke 8. 8, 
 10. 
 
 Eph. 1. ir. 
 2 Tim. 3. 16. 
 Jas. 1 5. 
 • Gen. 32. 20. 
 Gen. 29. 2- 
 6. 
 
 Gen. 41. 14, 
 
 38-44. 
 
 Dan. 1. 17, 
 19. 20. 
 Dan. 6. 3. 
 / Matt. 12.37- 
 Rom. 10.14, 
 15. 
 
 2 Cor. 2. 16. 
 2 Cor. 11.15. 
 f Gen. 42. 7, 
 30. 
 Jas. 2 3. 
 
 nij)hal or passive conjugation more favours the Eng- 
 lish version. Tacitus, 'Hist.' iv. 15, 'The hatreds 
 of those nearest of kin are generally the fiercest.' 
 and (their) contentions (are) like the bars of a 
 castle — harder to be broken than those of humble 
 buildings. Brothers' quarrels preclude an avenue 
 to reconciliation. The closer the tie, the greater 
 the alienation when the tie has been snapt asun- 
 der. The greatest love, when wounded, turns to 
 the greatest hatred. A wrong from a brother 
 seems the more bitter as one thinks the highest 
 benefits due from a brother, and expects them. 
 It adds to the rancour that the mutual faults of 
 one another are better known by brothers. Plu- 
 tarch counts among 'impossibilities' a true and 
 solid reconciliation of offended brothers. But cf. 
 Luke xviii. 27. 20. A man's belly shall be satisfied 
 with the fruit of his mouth. Each one gets the 
 fruit, whether good or bad, of his words, according 
 as these are good or bad. Other fruits it is op- 
 tional with us to eat or not ; this fruit we must 
 unavoidably eat (ch. xiii. 2). 21. Death and life 
 (are) in the power of the tongue. "Death and 
 life," both of body and soul ; both of the speakers 
 and the hearers, and they that love it shall eat 
 the fruit thereof. They who delight in constantly 
 using it, whether for good or evil, shall experience 
 corresponding results (Jas. i. 19, 25; iii. 6, 8). 
 22, (Whoso) findeth a wife [i. e., one truly realiz- 
 ing what a wife ought to be) findeth a good 
 (thing). It was a "good" thing even in Paradise 
 (Gen. ii. 18), when man was in innocence: much 
 more it is so now that man is prone to lust, and 
 needs a meet helper. Rome therefore acts against 
 Revelation and nature in imjjosing compulsory 
 celibacy on many. " Findeth " implies the rarity 
 of the thing obtained (Eccl. vii. 27, 28), and the 
 need of circumspection in the search. Blind pas- 
 sion is not to make the selection at random. 
 Wise parents should be consulted : neglect of 
 doing so brought evil on Samson (Judg. xiv. 2, 3). 
 Above all, God is to be asked in prayer, (Gen. xxiv. 
 12-42, &c. ) and obtaineth favour of the Lord- 
 not by his own exertion or sagacity, but by the 
 favour of the Lord (ch. xix. 14). 23. The poor useth 
 entreaties; but the rich answereth roughly. 
 Poverty generates a feeling of helplessness and 
 humility : wealth generates self-sufficiency ; so 
 that the rich, thinking they need not the aid of 
 
Moral mrtues and 
 
 PKOVERBS XIX. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 19 
 
 24 A man ^ that hath friends must show himself friendly: 
 And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. 
 
 BETTER ''is the poor that walketh in his integrity, 
 Than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. 
 
 2 Also, that the ^soul he without knowledge, it is not good; 
 And he that hasteth with his feet sinneth. 
 
 3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way: 
 ''And his heart fretteth against the Lord. 
 
 4 Wealth maketh many friends : 
 
 But the poor is separated from his neighbour. 
 
 5 A *^false witness shall not be ^unpunished, 
 And he that speaketh lies shall not escape. 
 
 6 Many will entreat the favour of the prince : 
 
 And every man is a friend to ^him that giveth gifts. 
 
 7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him ; 
 
 How much more do his friends go far from him 1 
 
 He pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him. 
 
 the poor, give a rough answer to their entreaties. 
 24. A man (that hath) friends (associates) must 
 show himself friendly (social) : and there is a 
 friend (a loving friend) (that) sticketh closer 
 than a brother. Friendshijis must be cherished 
 by mutual intercourse and kindnesses, without 
 which their beginnings are soon dissolved. ' If 
 yon wish to be loved, love ' {Seneca). He who is 
 friendly will have friends. There is no feeling 
 which more exacts reciprocity than love. The 
 second clause enforces the first clause, that we 
 ought to show ourselves friendly ; for so we may 
 secure "a frieud (Hebrew, oheeb, a lover) that 
 sticketh closer than a brother" in our times of 
 "adversity" (ch. xvii. 17.) "Friends," in thehrst 
 clause, is in Hebrew, reehim, associates, compan- 
 ions ; not so strong as oheeb, 'a loving friend.^ 
 Christ alone realizes this super-excellent friend- 
 ship (Matt. xii. 50). 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 1-29.— 1. Better (is) the poor that 
 wallseth in his integrity, than (he that is) per- 
 verse in his lips, and is a fool. Honourable 
 poverty is preferable to ill-gotten _ or ill-used 
 wealth. The Hebrew for "fool" ["^^D?] implies 
 the fatness and crassitude which accompany 
 wealth. "The poor that walketh in his integrity " 
 also talketh in a manner free from 'perversity,' 
 and therefore is no "fool," but a wise man; and 
 conversely, by the law that each clause is to be 
 supplied from the other parallel clause, He that 
 is not poor but rich, and that is " pervei'se in his 
 lips," also "walketh" not " in integrity." The 
 poor, though men of integrity are despised : the 
 rich, though perverse, and therefore fools, are 
 esteemed wise, and their lot is desired. The 
 reverse is the true light in which to regard them 
 respectively. 2. Also, (that) the soul "be without 
 knowledge, (it is) not good. " The soul " is a 
 choice gift of God; but if it be "without know- 
 ledge" of piety, the right end of action, and the 
 right guide to that end, all other goods are not 
 good to it. Riches, honours, &c., do it more harm 
 than good. Without knowledge of God, His 
 works, and His will, to guide the soul, it becomes 
 brutish, and leads 'the feet' to "not good" but 
 ' sin,' as the second clause states, and he that 
 hasteth with Ms feet sinneth~or ' misseth his 
 aim ' (Hebrew, chotee) -the aim which he sought 
 by haste. ' Hasting with the feet ' is acting " with- 
 476 
 
 out knowledge," to which, in the first clause, it 
 corresponds. As "the soul" is the cause or 
 source of actions, so the "feet" are the instru- 
 ment of actions. As want of true " knowled^jse ' 
 in "the soul" is the cause, so 'hasting with the 
 feet' is tlie bad effect, ending in 'sin.' Ignorance 
 and precipitancy are close akm. The precipitate 
 know not the right thing, time, place, persons, or 
 means. 3. The foolishness of man perverteth his 
 y7ay : and his heart fretteth against the Lord. It 
 is his own sinful foolishness that leads him in a 
 )eryerse way, ending in calamity ; but instead of 
 aying the blame on himself, he frets against the 
 Lord as the author of his calamities. Just as if 
 one were, through carelessness, to stumble on a 
 stone, and were to blame it for his hurt (1 Pet. ii. 
 8). 4. V/ealth maketh (Hebrew, addeth) many 
 friends: but the poor is separated from his 
 neighbour— from him who once was, and who 
 ought still to be a friendly neighbour [v. 7.) The 
 majority estimate friendships hy their utility to 
 self. The rich ought to be less elated by their 
 having so many friends of such a kind, the y^oor 
 less dispirited by the want of them. Both ought 
 to seek the ' brother born for adversity,' and who 
 " sticketh closer than a (common) brother " (chs. 
 xvii. 17 ; xviii, 24). 5, A false witness . . . and 
 (he that) speaketh (Hebrew, hreatheth forth) lies 
 shall not escape. V. 9 repeats this. "False wit- 
 ness" is in laiblic: "lies" are also in private. 
 They stand on the same footing, and shall have 
 one doom. 6. Many will entreat the favour (He- 
 brew, the face, Dan. ix. 13, marg.) of the prince (or, 
 the liberal) : and every man (is) a friend to him 
 that giveth gifts — or, as the Hebrew makkeph or 
 hyphen requires, rather, ' Every friend (is) to a man 
 of gifts :' a man of gifts has all friends. ' Entreat 
 the face ' is an idiom for to move the countenance of 
 another to commiseration [from n^n, to he sick} : to 
 soften the countenance, and so to move him by 
 earnest and reverent prayers that he will be 
 ashamed to withhold the request. Men's selfish- 
 ness is herein stigmatized as in v. 4. 7. All the 
 brethren of the poor do hate him ; how much 
 more do his friends go far from him ? If the 
 nearest blood-relations treat him as if tl)ey ' hated 
 him,' " how much more " will those bound to him 
 by no consanguinity stand aloof from him! The 
 poor man's brethren think he will be a disgrace 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XIX. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 8 He that getteth ^wisdom loveth his own soul : 
 He that keepeth understanding shall find good. 
 
 9 A ^false witness shall not be unpunished. 
 And he that speaketh lies shall perish. 
 
 10 Delight is not seemly for a fool; 
 
 Much less ^ for a servant to have rule over princes. 
 
 11 The * discretion of a man deferreth his anger; 
 ^And it is his glory to pass over a transgression. 
 
 12 Tlie king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion* 
 But his favour is as dew upon the grass. 
 
 13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father: 
 
 And the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. 
 
 14 House ^and riches c^e the inheritance of fathers: 
 And ^a prudent wife is from the Lord. 
 
 15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; 
 And an idle soul shall suffer hunger. 
 
 16 He ■'that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; 
 But he that despiseth his ways sliall die. 
 
 B. 0. 1000. 
 
 ' an 
 heart. 
 
 • Dan. 6. 24. 
 / 2 Sam. 3.24, 
 
 25. 
 
 Eccl. 10. «. 
 
 * Or. 
 prudence. 
 Jas. 1. 19. 
 
 ' Gen. 60. 15- 
 
 21. 
 
 ch. 25. 21. 
 Matfc. 6. 44. 
 Matt. 18.21. 
 22. 
 
 Eom. 12. 19. 
 Eph. 4. 32. 
 2 Cor. 12. 
 14. 
 
 < Gen. 24. 7. 
 
 Gen. 28 1.4. 
 
 ch. 3. 6. 
 
 ch. 18. 22. 
 j Luke 10.28. 
 
 Luke 11.2^. 
 
 Horn. 2. 7. 
 
 and injury to themselves. So Jesu.s' brethren (Ps. 
 xxxviii. 11 ; John vii. 5; Mark iii, 21). The plural 
 verb is joined to the noun singular — His friends, 
 each one, go far from him. he pursueth (them 
 with) -words, (yet) they (are) wanting to (him). 
 He pursueth them eagerly (like a hunter) with 
 words, asking them, as they depart, why they are 
 deserting him : yet 'they (are) not' (Hebrew)— i. e., 
 they are wanting to him. Mariana, Gejer, and 
 Maurer take it, 'He pursueth after (the fnltilment 
 of the) words (of their past iiromises to him), and 
 these (promises) are not (made good ; they come to 
 nothing'). It is not usual for a verse to consist of 
 three clauses, as this does. The Vulgate joins 
 the third clause to the following verse, and tran- 
 slates, ' He who pursueth mere words shall have 
 nothing.' But thus the same difficulty recurs of 
 V. 8 having three clauses. 8. He that getteth 
 wisdom (/if., heart) loveth his own soul— (ch. viii. 
 35, 35.) 10. Delight is not seemly for a fool. 
 A life of luxurious delights sometimes makes wise 
 men into fools; but it makes fools into madmen, to 
 their own destruction. Recreation and pleasure 
 are seemly for a wise man, as a temporary re- 
 laxation ; but a " rod " of correction is what is 
 inost seemly for a fool (chs. x. 13 ; xxvi. 3). " De- 
 lijjht" would be prejudicial alike to the sinful fool 
 himself, and to others who might be temr)ted by 
 his seeming enjoyment to follow his bad ways, 
 much less for a servant (for one who is essentially 
 a mean slave in character) to have rule over 
 princas— over those who in nobility of mind, ex- 
 perience, and sagacity are essentially princes, 
 though depressed by the accidents of fortune. 
 "A servant" answers to "a fool" in the lirst 
 clause. He who is a slave of his own passious is 
 ill-fitted " to have rule over" those who, as being 
 not "fools," but wise, are better fitted to be 
 "princes" over, than subject to him (cf. Lam. v. 
 8). 11. The discretion of a man deferreth his 
 anger. Discretion maketh a man long suffering 
 and patient of wrongs. The Hebrew is ' prolong- 
 eth '— i. e., puts it off to a distant time, and (it is) 
 his glory to pass over a transgression— uot a dis- 
 grace, as the world regards any putting up with an 
 affront. It is wisdom to pass quickly by, folly to 
 rake up offensive filth. God is, of ail beings, the 
 moat long-suffering, and ' passes by ' the most 
 477 
 
 offences, though ultimately the impenitent must 
 pay the penalty of all (Amos vii. 8 ; Mic. vii. 18); 
 
 Anger and lust are like a fire, which if you en- 
 close, suffering it to have no emission, it perishes, 
 but give it the smallest vent, and it rages to the 
 consumption of all it reaches ' {Jeremy Taylor). 
 12. The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion— 
 therefore his subjects should beware of provoking 
 him. How much more ought men to fear the 
 wrath of the King of kings ; and to seek Him 
 whosefavour (is) as dew upon the grass— (Ps. Ixxii. 
 6; Hos. xiv. 5.) 13. the contentionB of a wife are 
 a continual dropping — through the roof of a house, 
 A man cannot escape from his wife, however con- 
 tentious she may be. " Continual " — lit., pushing; 
 i. e., one drop pushing on another continually. 
 The Illyrian proverb was, ' He who hath a smoky 
 house, a dropping roof, and a contentious wife, 
 hath no need to go abroad for war ; he has enough 
 of it in his own home ' {Poli Synopsis). How much 
 need, therefore, marrying men have to use care 
 and prayer in the choice of a good wife (cf. v. 14; 
 ch. xviii. 22). 14. House and riches (are) the in- 
 heritance of fathers— i. e., are to be obtained by 
 inheritance from them. They are among the in- 
 discriminate gifts of God's bounty, common to the 
 good and bad alike. But a prudent wife (/. e., one 
 of godly intelligence, pleasing disposition, and 
 sound wisdom in managing her household) is from 
 the Lord. " House and riches" are also from the 
 Lord, but indirectly. A good wije is God's special 
 and immediate gift ; it is more rare and less attain- 
 able by mere human sagacity. God alone knows 
 what a wife will prove to be. Men often mistake. 
 Let parents seek for their sons a wife of piety and 
 goodness, rather than large wealth: as on her char- 
 acter depends the well-being of the husband, the 
 children, and the household. Prayer to the Lord is 
 the way of obtaining such a wife. 16. Slothful- 
 ness casteth into a deep sleep. Moderate labour 
 sharpens the spirit ; idleness dulls it. and an idle 
 soul (Hebrew, remiss: asoM^ which soon remits its 
 efforts) shall suffer hunger— in just retribution. 
 So in one's spiritual concerns. 16. He that keep- 
 eth the commandment (viz., of God) keepeth his 
 own soul; (but) he that despiseth his ways (he 
 that is negligent in his ways) shall die. So the 
 Hebrew margin, or Keri, reads, YumutL But the 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XIX. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 17 He *that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; 
 And ^that which he hath given will he pay him again, 
 
 18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, 
 And let not thy soul spare ^for his crying. 
 
 19 A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: 
 
 For if thou deliver him, yet thou must ^do it again, 
 
 20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, 
 That thou may est be wise in thy latter end. 
 
 21 There ^are many devices in a man's heart ; 
 Nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. 
 
 22 The desire of a man is his kindness : — and a poor man is better than a liar. 
 ^3 The ""fear of the Lord tendeth to life ; 
 
 And he that hath it shall abide satisfied ; — ^lie shall not be visited with evil. 
 
 24 A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, 
 
 And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. 
 
 25 Smite a scorner, and the simple ^will beware ; 
 
 And reprove one that hath understanding, a7ic?he will understand knowledge. 
 
 B. C. 100O. 
 
 * ch. 14. 21 
 Eccl. 11. 1. 
 2 Cor. 9. n. 
 Heb 6. 10. 
 
 8 Or. his 
 deed. 
 
 « Or. to his 
 destruc- 
 tion ; or, to 
 cau«e him 
 to die. 
 
 7 add. 
 
 ' Gen. 3r. 19, 
 20. 
 
 Esth. 9. 25. 
 Job 23. 13. 
 Ps. 21. 11. 
 Eccl. 7. 20. 
 Isa. It. 26. 
 Heb. 6. 17. 
 '"I Tim. 4. 8. 
 
 8 will be 
 cunning. 
 Deut. 13.11. 
 
 Ketib, or Hebrew text, Yumath, ' shall be put to 
 death :' the more forcible reading. 17. He that 
 hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord- 
 making the Lord his debtor; for God regards 
 favours to His people as done to Himself (Matt. 
 XXV. 40). and that which he hath given (lit., His 
 benefit) will he pay him again. No surer Paymas- 
 ter is there than Jehovah; none pays with such 
 accumulated interest. 18. Chasten thy son while 
 there is hope — of his being reformed, before that 
 he becomes hardened in sin. Trees, whilst young, 
 are tender, and are the more easily bent, and let 
 not thy soul spare for his crying— Hebrew, Ifa- 
 mitho [from nnn, to clamour]. But Gejer, Grotius, 
 and Maurer take it [from the more ordinary nin], 
 ' But do not let thy soul rise to killing him.' Avoid 
 both extremes, either the withholding of chastise- 
 ment, or extreme severity in it. Cartwright takes 
 it, ' Let not thy soul spare him, to his destruction,'' 
 when he will be past " hope" (ch. xxiii. 13). You 
 have your choice, either that he should feel your 
 rod, or else the sword of avenging justice. 1 pre- 
 fer this as forming the best antithesis to the 
 I)arallel " while there is hope," (cf. marg.) 19. A 
 man of great wrath shall suflFer punishment. 
 So the Masoretic Keri reads ["^nj, great], instead 
 of the Hebrew text, Ketib a softened form of 
 "1"!!^, to roll, to rush], 'A man hasty in wrath.' 
 Maurer prefers the latter. The very difficulty of 
 the reading makes it less likely to originate from 
 transcribers. But Maurer^s explanation is doubt- 
 ful, for if thou deliver (him), yet thou must do it 
 again— as he is sure to relapse into his outbreaks 
 of wrath. 20. Hear counsel, and receive (with 
 due attention) instruction — Hebrew, musar, ' dis- 
 cipline.' that thou raayest be wise in thy latter 
 end— that, though thy past years have been spent 
 in sinful folly, thy after years may be spent more 
 wisely and happily, and so thy end maybe blessed. 
 It is sad when men old in years are senseless chil- 
 dren as to true wisdom (Eccl. x. 16). Wisdom is 
 not gotten save by persevering attendance and 
 patient seeking. 21. (There are) many devices in 
 a man's heart ; nevertheless the counsel of the 
 Lord, that shall stand. Man has " many devices," 
 tlirough his ignorance of the future. Many and 
 laboriously devised as they are, they often effect 
 nothing. But (;lod has owe "counsel," and that 
 eininle, not involved or complicate, and immut- 
 478 
 
 able. There is no succession of time or thought in 
 His decrees. His counsel shall stand- f e., un- 
 alterably be fulfilled (Jer. xliv. 28, 29). There is 
 what is termed a parallage, or need of supjJying 
 each clause from the parallel one : " There are 
 many devices in a man's heart (but they shall not 
 stand) ; but the counsel of the Lord (which is one; 
 as opposed to the many devices of man), that shall 
 stand." "That" is emphatical. That, that I say 
 alone, free from all mistake, imperfection, or want 
 of power, shall stand (Ps. cxv. 3). God being the 
 unchangeable One, will not change it : and no crea- 
 ture can suspend or prevent it. Of man's man v 
 devices that alone shall stand which God pleaseth 
 (Rom. ix. 19, end ; Dan. iv. 35). 22. The desire of a 
 man is his kindness : and a poor man is better than 
 a liar. ' A marCs kindness is what makes him desir- 
 able,^ and acceptable to all ; or, * A man's kind- 
 pess is a desirable adornment to him.' The parallel 
 clause accords with this, '*A poor man (who is 
 disposed to acts of kindness as far as his means 
 extend) is better than a liar"— i. e., than a rich 
 man who lyingly withholds the riches which he 
 hath, and with which he has promised to relieve 
 the afflicted poor. Though raised above the godly 
 poor by riches, he falls infinitely beneath them by 
 lying avarice. 23. The fear of the Lord (tendeth) 
 to life; and (he that hath it) shall abide (He- 
 brew, lin — lit. , shall pass the whole night; cf. Ps. iv. 
 7, 8) satisfied— abundantly filled with all really- 
 good things for the body and the soul (Deut. xxxiii. 
 12, 23, " Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full 
 with the blessing of the Lord ;" cf. Jer. xxxi. 14). 
 Such a one is relieved alike from indigence and 
 from restless desires (Phil. iv. 18, 19; Ps. xxxiv. 
 11). he shall not be visited with evil. As he is 
 exempt from the evil of guilt, so shall he be from 
 the evil of punishment. 24. A slothful (man) 
 hideth his hand in (his) bosom. So the LXX., 
 Syriac, and Arabic. Tne Hebrew, tzallachath, means 
 'a dish.' So Gfjer understands it here. Also 'a 
 caldron;' hence the cavity in the breast, which is 
 like the cavity of a dish, and will not so much 
 as bring it to his mouth again— to supply him- 
 self with food, much less put his hand to the plow 
 or spade. A thenoius, vi. 14, describes the slothful 
 man as waiting until the roasted and seasoned 
 thrushes fly into his mouth begging to be devoured. 
 25. Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware. 
 If you smite and severely chastise a scorner, you 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XX. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 26 He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, 
 Is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach, 
 
 27 Cease, my son, to "hear the instruction 
 
 That causeth to err from the words of knowledge. 
 
 28 ^An ungodly witness scorneth judgment; 
 
 And the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity. 
 
 29 Judgments are p.rej)ared for scoj^ners, — and stripes for the back of fools. 
 
 20 WINE "'is a mocker, strong drink is raging; 
 And whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. 
 
 2 The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion : 
 
 Whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul, 
 
 3 It is an ^honour for a man to cease from strife : 
 But every fool will be meddling. 
 
 4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the ^ cold ; 
 Therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing, 
 
 5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water : 
 But a man of understanding will draw it out. 
 
 6 Most ^men will proclaim every one his own ^ goodness: 
 But '^a faithful man who can find ? 
 
 7 The just man walketh in his integrity : — his children are blessed after him. 
 
 will do him no good; but you will produce this 
 good effect— viz., that the simple, who do not err 
 from malice prepense, will be on their guard 
 against a like sin and its consequent punishment, 
 and reprove one that hath understanding, (and) 
 lie will understand knowledge. Fe?'6aZ 'reproof ' 
 is sufficient to "one that hath understanding," in 
 order that he may " understand knowledge" — i. e., 
 become wjser and better: the docile need no 
 ' smiting.' The wiser one is, the more readily does 
 he accept correction. 26. that wasteth his 
 father (nis father's substance, by extravagance), 
 
 iand) chaseth away his mother (virtually chaseth 
 ler away, by making her own home unbearable to 
 her, by his disturbances, the weaker sex being the 
 more timid), (is) a son that causeth shame, and 
 bringeth reproach — alike on himself and his 
 parents. Those whom he ought to honour and 
 succour, he robs and insults. The injury must be 
 deep indeed when even a mother is estranged (Isa. 
 xlix. 15). How careful, therefore, ought parents 
 to be in educating their children ! 27 Cease, my 
 son, to hear the instruction (that causeth) to err 
 from the words of knowledge— for instance, "the 
 instruction " or discipline which heretics and se- 
 ducers offer, but which is no instruction. Thus, in 
 ch. xvi. 22, " the instruciion of fools " is stigma- 
 tized. 28. An ungodly witness (Hebrew, a witness 
 of Belial) Bcorneth judgment— justice. He has no 
 reverence for the sacred place of justice, but makes 
 it a jest, and the mouth of the wicked devoureth 
 iniquity— greedily and with delight, filling them- 
 selves wholly with it: 'drinking iniquity like 
 water ' (Job xv. 10). 29. Judgments are prepared 
 for scomers— even as they 'scorned judgment' 
 {v. 28.) Righteous retribution in kind. In vain 
 they promise to themselves imijunity for ever : 
 jvdfjments are prepared for them from of old. 
 
 CHAP. XX. l-.m-l. Wine is a mocker. Wine 
 makes those who drink it mockers of God and of 
 men. strong drink (Hebrew, Sheecar) is raging— 
 or tumvltuousJy clamorous. It makes its drinkers 
 80. Slheecar includes every strong drink besides 
 wine (cf. Lev. x. 9). and whosoever is de- 
 ceived thereby is not wise. ' When wine cornea 
 479 
 
 B. C. 1000 
 
 " Matt. 7. 15. 
 Mark 4. 24. 
 John 10. 5. 
 
 1 Tim. 4. 6. 
 Eph. 4. 14. 
 
 2 John 10. 
 * A witness 
 
 of Belial. 
 
 CHAP. 20. 
 « Gen. 9. 21. 
 Gen. 19. 31, 
 36. 
 
 1 Sam. 25. 
 36, 38. 
 2Sam.l1.13. 
 Isa. 28. r. 
 Hos. 4. 11. 
 «• Gen. 13. r. 
 
 1 Or. 
 winter. 
 
 " Matt. 6. 2. 
 
 2 Or, 
 bounty. 
 
 ^ Ps. 12. 1. 
 Eccl. 7. 28. 
 Jer. 6. 1. 
 Mic. 7. 2. 
 John 1. 47. 
 Luke 18. 8. 
 
 in, mind goes out.' It swallows up the reason, 
 dulls the mind, clouds the brain, stirs up the 
 
 gassions. 2. The fear of a king (the fear which a 
 ing excites) (is) as the ro.aring of a lion : (whoso) 
 provoketh him to anger sinneth (against) Ms 
 own soul — (Hab. ii. 10.) So Adonijah in provok- 
 ing King Solomon (1 Ki. ii. 23). How terrible the 
 consequences to one's self of provoking the King 
 of kings! (Ps, ii. 12.) 3. (It is) an honour for a 
 man to cease from strife. Chs. xvii. 14 and xix. 
 11 forbid beginning strife ; this verse bids us to 
 cease from it when it has been begun, which is 
 more difficult, and therefore more glorious. Men 
 think that to give up a strife once begun would 
 detract from their power, wealth, wisdom, or de- 
 termination. But it is really unseemly in a wise 
 and large-minded man (so the Hebrew, ish, means, 
 in contrast to "fool") to keep up strife, and is only 
 the part of narrow-minded men and petty women, 
 but every fool will be meddling— in strife (ch. xviL 
 14, end). 4. The sluggard will not plow by 
 reason of the cold— Hebrew, the winter. Disin- 
 clination is never in want of excuses. Small 
 difficulties are great to the lazy, (therefore) 
 shall he beg in harvest, and (have) nothing. 
 He who will not plow shall not reap. The 
 Hebrews say, ' He who hath not prepared on the 
 eve of the Sabbath shall not eat on the Sabbath.' 
 Religion now costs something, but the want of it 
 shall hereafter cost infinitely more. ' The shrink- 
 ing from the cold is the avoiding the cross' {Me- 
 lancthon), 5. Counsel in the heart of man (is 
 like) deep water (the cunning of men's heart is 
 like an unfathomable deep): but a man of under- 
 standing will draw it out— by the gift of discern- 
 ment of spirits, and by tact in eliciting what is 
 in the minds of other men. 6. Most men will 
 proclaim every one his own goodness— his own 
 beneficence to others, as the Pharisee did (Luke 
 xviii, 11). but a faithful man who can find?— a 
 man who in very deed performs the beneficence 
 which he professes. Few, in acts of so-called 
 charity, do them from sincere love to God and to 
 their neighbour, without reference to their own 
 gaiu or honour. 7. The Just (man) walketh ki 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XX. 
 
 8 A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment 
 Scattereth away all evil with his eyes. 
 
 9 Who ^can say, I have naade my heart clean, — I am pure from 
 
 10 ^Divers weights, and * divers measures. 
 
 Both of them are alike abomination to the Lord. 
 
 1 1 Even a child is -^known by his doings, 
 
 Whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. 
 
 12 The ^hearing ear, and the seeing eye, 
 The Loud hath made even both of them. 
 
 13 Love ''not sleep, lest thou come to poverty: 
 
 Open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. 
 
 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: 
 But when he is gone his way, then he boasteth. 
 
 15 There is gold, and a multitude of rubies : 
 
 But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. 
 
 16 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; 
 And take a pledge of him for a strange woman. 
 
 17 ^ Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; 
 
 But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with frravel. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 
 B. C lOCO 
 
 
 • 1 Ki. 8. 46. 
 
 
 2 Chr. e. 36. 
 
 my sin ? 
 
 Job 14. 4. 
 
 Job 15, It. 
 
 
 Job 26. 4. 
 
 
 Ps. 51. 6. 
 
 
 Eccl. r. 30. 
 
 
 1 Cor. 4. 4. 
 
 
 Jas. 3. 2. 
 
 
 1 John 1. 8. 
 
 
 3 A stoue 
 
 
 and a 
 
 
 stone. 
 
 
 * an ephah 
 
 
 and an 
 
 
 ephah. 
 
 
 / Ps. 61. 5. 
 
 
 Ps. 68. 3. 
 
 
 Matt 7. 16. 
 
 
 Luke 1. 1). 
 
 
 Luke 2. 4t>, 
 
 
 47. 
 
 
 " Ex. 4. 11. 
 
 
 Eom. 11.36. 
 
 
 Rom. 12.11. 
 
 
 2 Thes.3.10. 
 
 
 * Bread of 
 
 
 lying, or, 
 
 
 falsehood. 
 
 his integrity: his children (are) blessed after 
 him. So far is it from being the case, as many 
 suppose, that the just, by uprightness, stand in 
 their own light, and expose themselves and their 
 children to poverty. 8. A king that sitteth in 
 the throne of judgment (actively exercising judg- 
 ment, and giving himself up to his royal duties— 
 so Jehovah, Ps. ix. 4) scattereth away all evil 
 with his eyes. "Scattereth," or 'fauneth away,' 
 as the wind separates the chaff from the wheat 
 (Ps. i. 4 ; Matt. iii. 12; 2 Chr. xv. 16). " With bis 
 eves" — i. e., with his own eyes inspecting all 
 tilings, and not delegating his duty to deputies. 
 So the King of kings (Hab. i. 13 ; Ps. v. 5). 9. 
 Who can say (with truth), I have made ray heart 
 clean. Nay, we ought to say, "Create in me a 
 clean heart, O God" (Ps. li. 10.) I am pure from 
 my sin ? Contrast Job xv. 14 ; xxv. 4. In a 
 relative sense a man may say, by faith in the 
 Redeemer, * T am pure from the guilt of sin ' 
 (Ps. Ixxiii. 13). 10. Divers weights— Hebrew, ' a 
 stone and a stone'— i. e., one weight in buying; a 
 different one in selling, divers measures— He- 
 brew, 'an ephah and an ephah.' All injustice in 
 the common intercourse of life. 11. Even a child 
 is known by his doings, whether his work (be) 
 pure, and whether (it be) right. A child gives 
 indications of what kind of a man be is likely to 
 be— pure and upright, or the reverse. Pai*ents 
 ought to observe the sports, the gait, the words, 
 and the deeds of a boy, so as to discover for what 
 profession he is best fitted, to what virtues and to 
 what vices he is inclined. Little things often 
 indicate disposition. A judgment can the better 
 be formed of children, because they are seldom 
 hypocrites. 12. The hearing ear, and the seeing 
 eye, the Lord hath made even both of them— 
 therefore He surely sees and hears all things (Ps. 
 xciv. 9). "The hearing ear" is the ear which 
 reverently and eagerly heareth the Word of God, 
 of x)arents, and of preceptors (chs. xv. 31 ; xxv. 12): 
 the opposite to the stopped ear (Ps. Iviii. 4); the 
 heavT/ ear (Isa. vi. 10). "The seeing eye" is the 
 eye which eagerly and intelligently looks into the 
 works and Word of Go<l (ch. iii. 21 : Deut. xL 7L 
 4b0 
 
 We should consider the design for which God ha8 
 given us these two leading organs of sense, and 
 also remember that it is of God's grace alone that 
 we can use them aright. 13. Love not sleep. To 
 deep is a matter of necessity ; to love sleep is the 
 mark of indolence, open thine eyes. God has 
 given the e7je not to be always closed, but, after 
 necessary reiiose, to be opened to see and watch 
 (v. 12). 14. It is naught, it is naught (the ware 
 on sale is bad in quality and quantity), saith the 
 buyer. The repetition expresses superlatv-e 
 luorthlessness. The buyer says the same thing 
 over and over again, but when he is gone his 
 way, then he boasteth- -of what a clever bargain 
 he has made; what a good thing he has got at a 
 cheap price. We must not do as the world com- 
 monly does. 15. There is gold, and a multitude 
 of rubies: but the lips of knowledge (discreet 
 godly speech) (are) a precious jewel— far more 
 precious than either gold or rubies, however 
 abundant. 16. Take his garment that is surety 
 (for) a stranger— addressed to the creditor. Take 
 from the surety the amount that he has made 
 himself responsible for. The design is to show 
 graphically the risk of becoming surety for an- 
 other; if, as usually happens, the debtor fail to 
 pay, the surety must, in his stead, fall under the 
 power of the creditor, and take a pledge of him 
 for a strange woman— for whom he has gone 
 surety. The Chaldaic reads as the English ver- 
 sion, with the Keri [nn?], perhaps derived from 
 ch. xxvii. 1.3]. The parallel clause favours the 
 Ketib reading ' for strangers' [o*"i?3]. Gejer takes 
 the Keri reading neutrally 'for a strange bu.siness 
 — i. e. a debt oioed by a stranger. But the Ketib 
 is probably the true reading. So the Syriac, and 
 seemingly the Vulgate, 'pro extraneis.' 17. Bread 
 of deceit— ftreac? obtained by deceit (chs. iv. 17 ; 
 xxiii. 3). If the Keri reading, as in the English 
 version, V. 16, be taken, "bread of deceit" will 
 mean secret adultery, sweet at the time, but 
 deadly in the end: Nocet empta dolore volap- 
 tas' — Fatal is the pleasure bow/ht with pain (Job 
 XX. 12-10). but afterwards his mouth shall be 
 
their contrary vices. 
 
 18 Every purpose is established by counsel ; 
 And with good advice make war. 
 
 19 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets;- 
 Therefore meddle PiOt with him that ^flattereth with his lips. 
 
 20 Whoso *curseth his father or his mother, 
 
 His ^lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. 
 
 21 An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; 
 •'But the end thereof shall not be blessed. 
 
 22 Say *not tliou, I will recompense evil ; 
 
 But wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee. 
 
 23 Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord; 
 And ^a false balance is not good. 
 
 24 Man's ^goings are of the Lord; 
 
 How can a man then understand his own way ? 
 
 25 It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy. 
 And after vows to make enquiry. 
 
 26 A wise king scattereth the wicked, 
 And bringeth the wheel over them. 
 
 t filled with gravel. Grit often mixes with bread 
 baked in the ashes, according to the eastern cus- 
 tom (Lam. iii. 16). 18. and with good advice 
 make war— for victory is more often obtained by- 
 skill than by strength. First sit down and count 
 the cost, and prepare your plans (Luke xiv. 31, 32). 
 The Lord alone can establish purposes ' (1 Chr.xxix. 
 iS). 19. a talebearer— Hebrew, RoMl; a detrac- 
 t'}r; lit., a trafficker, who 'goeth about' offering 
 
 ! his wares of scandal, and 'revealing secrets,' to 
 the iirejudics of others, meddle not with him 
 that fiattereth with his lips— to elicit from thee 
 i what he may af terwards repeat to others. Though 
 there is need of "counsel" (/'. 19), yet it is not safe 
 ; to ask it from €very one, and to tell secrets to 
 every one; for many go about as "talebearers," 
 'revealing secrets' v,hich they have elicited by 
 * flattery.' 20. Whoso curseth his father ... his 
 lamp (the tem]^>orary prosperity which he may 
 have) shall be put out in obscure darkness— Zi^., 
 *in the obscurity of darkness;' i. e., in the most 
 extreme misery, the outer and everlasting dark- 
 ness. 21, An inheritance (may be) gotten hastily 
 [so the Keri reads, rip.U^rs ; of. ch. xxviii. 20] at 
 
 t the begin.ning ; but the" end thereof shall not 
 be blessed. The Ketib reads, 'An inheritance 
 abominated (viz., by the Lord) at the beginning' 
 (Hebrew, Meboo//.eleth. This is favoured by the 
 
 I antithetical contrast to ^^blessedi" in the parallel 
 clause. An inheritance, however goodly it looks, 
 
 j if it be cursed in its beginning, as being amassed 
 
 s by foul means, "shall not be blessed" in its 
 "end" (ch. xiii. 11). 'Bad gains are tantamount 
 to losses' {TIesiod) — \KUKa Kipoea la-' aTTiai]. 22. 
 
 Say not thou, I will recompense evil— for evil : I 
 will avenge myself. Rom. xii. 17, 19 alludes to 
 this, as also to ch. xxv. 21, 22. Deut. xxxii. 35, 
 41 is the fundamental passage in which God 
 claims ' vengeance and recompense' as His i)eculiar 
 prerogative (Jer. li. 5C). but wait on the Lord- 
 leaving thy cause in His hand. He is as able as 
 ' He is willing to right thy wrong. It is want of 
 patient trust in God which makes men impatient 
 to avenge themselves. Do not pray to God to 
 take vengeance on thy riersonal enemy, but to 
 defend thee. 24. Man's (Hebrew, Oeher: a mighty 
 ma,rCH) goings (are) of the Lord. Whatever suc- 
 cess attends miykty warriors, as Julius C«eaar, 
 VOL. III. 481 
 
 B. c. moo. 
 
 6 Or, en- 
 ticeth. 
 Rom. 16. 13. 
 
 < Ex. 21. 1-. 
 Lev. 20. 9. 
 Deut. 27.16. 
 M&tl. 15. 4. 
 Mark 7. 10. 
 1.3. 
 
 Rom. 3. 23. 
 Rom. 11.32. 
 
 7 Or. 
 candle. 
 
 J Job 2 . 10. 
 17. 
 
 ch. ?8. 8. 
 
 Zecli. 6. 4. 
 
 Hab. 2. 6. 
 * Deut. 32.^5. 
 
 Eom. 12.17, 
 
 1 Per. 9. 
 
 8 balances 
 of deceit 
 
 ' Jer. iO. 23. 
 Rom. 8. 26 
 
 2 Cor. 3. 5. 
 
 Alexander, Napoleon, &c., is entirely due to the 
 Lord, how can a man {Adam: man in general) 
 then understand his own way? As the former 
 clause attributes to the Lord exclusively the 
 ordering of great men's goings, in order to attain 
 success ; so this clause attributes to Him, to the 
 exclusion of man, the prescient understanding of 
 man's course. God directs natural actions by His 
 ordinary providence, spiritual actions by His 
 special providence, which foreordains from eter- 
 nity, awakens the sinner, removes obstacles, 
 suggests that state of life wherein He foresees that 
 the man will not fall away, but attain to glory. 
 However a man may understand his way in re- 
 spect to its beginning and aim, yet he understands 
 not the best means in doubtful cases, nor can he 
 ensure the issue. We ought therefore to call upon 
 God in all our undertakings, for His overruling 
 guidance, and not trust in our own sagacity. 25. 
 (It is) a snare (entailing guilt and y)enalties on 
 both body and soul) to tiic man (who) devouretli 
 (that which is) holy (dedicated to sacred uses), 
 and after vows to make enciuiry. " Devoureth " 
 — i. c, greedily appropriates to his own use. So 
 Ananias and Sapphira, after vowing, appropriated 
 a part of what they vowed, and sought means of 
 evading the vow, but perished in the attempt. 
 So Achan sought means of appropriating part 
 of the spoils which had been all "devoted" 
 as an "accursed thing," {marg., Josh. vi. 17, 18; 
 vii. 1; cf. MaL iii. 8 10; Deut. xxiii. 21; i^wvcu 
 XXX.) Many in Malachi's (i. 13, 14) days, after 
 vowing, sought to escape the cost by "sacriHciug 
 unto tiie Lord a corrupt thing." The old Hebrew 
 interpreters take the Hebrew for "devoureth" 
 {yalatz) as 'sjieaketh rashly.' It is a perilous 
 snare for a man to utter rashly a vow, and after- 
 wards to enquire whether he is able to pay his 
 vow, for tiie enquiry ought to have been made 
 before he vowed. The Vulgate supports the 
 English version. The LXX., Chaldaic, Syriac, 
 and Arabic translate, 'to vow,' or 'consecrate,' 
 which seems to take the other sense. 26. A wise 
 king scattereth the wicked— like chaff before the 
 wind {t>. 8). and bringeth the wheel over them 
 — the wheel of the threshing instrument, that he 
 may disperse them as stubble and chaff (Ps. 
 UxxiiL 13 ; Isa. xxviii. 27 ; xxv. 10 ; xlL 15 ; 2 Ki, 
 21 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XXI. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 27 The spirit of man is tlie ^candle of the Lord, 
 Searching all the inward parts of the belly. 
 
 28 Mercy and trath preserve the king ; — and his throne is upholden by mercy. 
 
 29 The glory of young men is their strength^ 
 And the beauty of old men is the grey head. 
 
 30 The blueness of a wound ^^cleanseth away evil: 
 So do stripes the inward parts of the belly. 
 
 THE king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water : 
 He turneth it whithersoever he will. 
 
 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: 
 '^But the Lord pondereth the hearts. 
 
 To ''do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. 
 
 ^ An high look, Bnd a proud heart, and ^ the plowing of the wicked, 25 sin. 
 
 The thoughts of tihe diligent tend only to plenteousness; 
 But of every owq tkat is hasty, only to want. 
 
 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue 
 Is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. 
 
 21 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 0 Or, lamp, 
 loiaa 
 
 purging 
 medicine 
 against 
 evil. 
 
 CHAP. 2'. 
 » 1 Sam. IP.r. 
 
 Jar. 17. 10. 
 
 John 2. 24. 
 
 Rev. 2. 23. 
 6 Hos. 6. 6. 
 
 1 Haughti- 
 ness of 
 eyes. 
 
 Ps. 10. 4. 
 laa. 2. 11, 
 
 ir. 
 
 Isa. 3. 16. 
 1 Pet. 5. 6. 
 
 2 ( r. the 
 light 
 of the 
 wicked. 
 
 xiii. 7; Amos i. 3). "Tribulation" is derived 
 from tribulum, a threshing instrument. 27. The 
 spirit of man is the candle of the Lord— a candle 
 or lamp lit by the Lord ; a light divinely given 
 to man. Conscience is this candle, searching all 
 the inward parts of the belly— searching and 
 discovering the inmost secrets of every man. 
 Conscience is 'God in man' — a witness for God, 
 acquitting or else condemning the man before 
 himself (Rom. ii. 14, 15). It needs to be lit up 
 by God's Word (ch. vi, 23). Let us see that we 
 be willing that our "inward parts" be all 
 searched by the light, and no secret sin spared 
 {John iii. 21; Acts xxiv. 16; xxiii. 1; 2 Cor. i. 
 12 ; 1 John iii. 20, 21). 28. Mercy (towards the 
 miserable and needy) and truth (in fulfilling 
 his word) preserve the king. 7'ruth is not to be 
 sacrificed to mercy, but both to be combined in 
 harmony. As he himself needs the mercy of 
 God, so must he show mercy towards others. 29. 
 The glory of young men (is) their strength (so 
 long as they rightly use it); and the beauty of 
 old men (is) the grey head— when it is found " in 
 the way of righteousness " (ch. xvi. 31). The 
 world and the Church need both: the strength of 
 young men for active service ; the experience of the 
 hoary-headed for counsel. 30. The blueness of a 
 wound {severe chastisement, of which hlueness of a 
 wounid is the sign) cleanseth away evil: so do 
 stripes the inward parts of the belly. The 
 "evil" lies deep in "the inward parts of the 
 belly;" therefore "stripes" are needed, which 
 are so severe as to produce livid marks of wounds 
 (cf. ch. xxvii. 6). To be " chastened of the Lord " 
 saves one from being "condemned with the 
 world" (1 Cor. xi. 32). Manasseh's Babylonian 
 "fetters" were the instruments of saving him 
 from the "everlasting chains" (Jude 6; 2 Chr. 
 xxxiii. 11-13). Pain is often the remedy of more 
 fatal pains. 
 
 CHAP. XXL 1-31. -The king's heart (is) in 
 the hand of the Lord, (as) the rivers of water : 
 he turneth it whithersoever he will— with as 
 nmch ease as gardeners turn waters for irrigation 
 into whatsoever channels they please. The Lord 
 has all men's hearts in his hands; hut kings a,ve 
 singled out, as to turn their hearts seems especially 
 difficult, because of their eminence and majesty, 
 and because they are borne along impulsively to 
 432 
 
 whatsoever they are inclined. So "the Lord 
 stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia " to 
 invite the Jews to rebuild the temple (Ezra i. 1-4). 
 He also turns the hearts of bad kings " to fulfil 
 His will " (Rev. xvii. 17). 2. Everyway of a man 
 is right in his own eyes : but the Lord pondereth 
 the hearts — the inward motives (ch. xvi, 2, note). 
 3. To do justice and judgment (is) more accept- 
 able to the Lord than sacrifice. Moral precepts 
 are the end, positive precepts are the means. 
 Both must be obeyed ; but the end is more im- 
 portant than the means. To substitute cere- 
 monial obedience for moral is rank hypocrisy 
 (1 Sam. XV. 22; Mic. vi. 7, 8). 4. An high look 
 {haughtiness of eyes; ch. vi. 17; Ps. ci. 4; Isa. ii. 
 11), and a proud heart {enlargement or swelling of 
 heart), (and) the plowing [15] of the wicked, (is) 
 sin. "The plowing of the wicked:" their 
 thoughts and occupations. The fallow -land of 
 pride which the wicked plow yields sin as its 
 fruit (Hos. X. 12; ch. x. 16, end ; Jer. iv. 3). The 
 Chaldaic, LXX., Vulgate, Arabic, and Syriac, 
 translate, 'the light (or lamp) of the wicked' (cf. 
 chs. xiii. 9 ; xxiv. 20 ; Job xxi. 17) : that in which 
 they glory, their worldly prosperity, beauty, 
 strength, children — all which are the basis of 
 their pride. The English version is supported 
 by the use of the same Hebrew {nir) in a similar 
 sense in ch. xiii. 23. In the English version the 
 truth is implied, that none should make the 
 difficulty of piety and the ease of sinning a plea 
 for sin : for in fact sinning is as laborious drudgery 
 as " plowing" is to the farmer (cf. Jer. ix. 15, end ; 
 Hab. ii. 13). 5. The thoughts of the diligent 
 (and the steady - persevering) (tend) only to 
 plenteousness ; but of every one (that is) hasty 
 (and therefore not perseveringly diligent), only to 
 want— (chs. x. 4; xiii. 4.) Lord Bacon advises 
 us ' not to measure despatch by the times of 
 sitting, but by the advancement of the business. 
 A wise man had it for a by-word, when he saw 
 men hasten to a conclusion. Stay a little, that we 
 may make an end the sooner. To choose time is 
 to save time.' " Let us run," not with haste, but 
 "with patience, the race that is set before us" 
 (Heb. xii. 1 ; cf. Matt. xiii. 5, 6, "forthwith," 20, 
 21 ; Rom. ii. 7). 6. The getting of treasures by a 
 lying tongue (by false witness, or by misrepre- 
 sentation in bargaining) (is) a vanity tossed to 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XXI. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 7 The robbery of the wicked shall ^destroy them; 
 Because they refuse to do judgment. 
 
 8 The way of man is froward and strange: 
 But as for the pure, his work is right. 
 
 9 It is better to dwell -in a corner of the house-top. 
 Than with * a brawling woman in ^ a wide house. 
 
 The ^soul of the wicked desire th evil: 
 His neighbour ^findeth no favour in his eyes. 
 
 When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise : 
 And when the wise is instructed, he receive th knowledge. 
 
 12 The '^righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked 
 But God overthroweth Hhe wicked for their wickedness. 
 
 13 Whoso ^ stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, 
 He also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. 
 
 14 A gift in secret pacifieth anger, 
 
 And a reward in the bosom strong wrath. 
 
 15 It is joy to the just to do judgment : 
 
 But destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. 
 
 B. C. 1 00. 
 
 3 saw 
 them, or, 
 dwell 
 with 
 them. 
 
 * a woman 
 of conten- 
 tions. 
 
 * an 
 house of 
 society. 
 
 " Ps. 36. 4. 
 Ps. 52. 23. 
 Mark 7. 21, 
 22. 
 
 1 Cor. 10. 6. 
 
 Jas. 4. 5. 
 
 1 John 2.16. 
 6 is not 
 
 favoured, 
 d 1 Cor. 10. 
 10. 
 
 * Rom. 2. 8. 
 / Ps. 58. 4. 
 
 Zech. r. II, 
 Matt. 7. 2. 
 Acts 7. 57. 
 
 and fro of them, tliat seek death — is as a vapour 
 tossed to and fro by the wind; and it is the act 
 " of them that " eventually, though unconsciously, 
 'are seeking death' eternal. The Hebrew for 
 "vanity" (hebel) means vapour (cf. Ps. Ixviii. 
 2). Those that seek treasures by lying are all 
 the time virtually seeking death (ch. xi. 27, end). 
 7. The robbery of {i. e., perpetrated by) the wicked 
 shall destroy them [or else shall make them to 
 fear: from n:: (Gejer): Maurer takes it from "i^J^ 
 as in Hab. i. 15, shall sweep them away as fishes 
 gathered in a net ; but Kimchi, in the sense shall 
 destroy them as with a saw] ; because they refuse 
 to do judgment. They sin not through ignorance 
 or precipitancy, but wilfully through wantonness. 
 Doing justice towards our neighbour is one test 
 of our sincerity of faith towai'ds God. 8. The 
 way of man (is) froward and strange— rather, 
 'The way of a man (that is) froward (is) also 
 strange.' The Hebrew, ish, expresses a man once 
 good : " froward " implies his perversity by hav- 
 ing left the good way. 'Is also strange' is the 
 predicate. He who is perverted from goodness 
 thereby becomes also alien to God and to the 
 congregation of "the pure." but (as for) the 
 pure, his work (is) right. So also marks the 
 predicate in ch, xxviii, 16. Thus the difficulty 
 is avoided of saying, "The way of man {ish, a good 
 man) is froward." Moreover, the balance of the 
 parallel clauses is better. The way of man that is 
 perverted, is also strange to, or alienated from, 
 God; but as for the pure, i. e,, the sincere, his 
 work is right, and so his way is one of near com- 
 munion with (iod (Matt. v. 8). 9. (It is) better to 
 dwell in a corner of the house-top (though ex- 
 posed there to wind, rain, heat, and cold), than 
 with a brawling woman (a woman of contentions) 
 in a wide house [a house of community : i.e., a 
 house shared with her). The flat roofs in Eastern 
 houses are often used as places of retreat for 
 meditation and prayer (Acts x. 9), 10. The soul 
 of the wicked desireth evil— eagerly. The noblest 
 part of man is in him wholly engrossed iu evil, 
 his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes— he 
 does not spare even his neighbour, however 
 friendly his neighbour may have shown himself. 
 
 His love of evil outweighs every other considera- 
 tion, such as love, friendship, gratitude. 11. 
 When the scorner is punished, the simple is 
 made wise— (note, ch, xix. 25.) and when the 
 wise is instructed, he receiveth (accepteth) 
 knowledge— he becometh wiser, 12. The righ- 
 teous (man) wisely considereth the house of the 
 wicked: (but God) overthroweth the wicked for 
 (their) wickedness, "The righteous wisely con- 
 sidereth " that though " the house of the wicked" 
 seems flourishing now, yet "the wicked" are 
 doomed to be overthrown "for their wickedness." 
 As it presents a difficulty tl)at a different subject 
 ("God") is supplied to "overthroweth" from 
 the subject to "considereth" ("the righteous 
 man"), 1 prefer to take "the righteous (man)" 
 as subject to both: then "overthroweth" is 
 used as "to destroy and to throw down" is used 
 in Jer, i, 10, of announcing God's purpose to over- 
 throw: 'The righteous considereth wisely as to 
 [h] the house of the wicked:' he pronounces their 
 coming overthrow for their wickedness,' not- 
 withstanding their seeming prosperity. So Asaph 
 wisely considered and i^ronounced respecting 
 them in Ps. Ixxiii, Maurer, less probably, com- 
 pares ch. xxiii, 11 and Job xxxiv, 17, and makes 
 'the righteous (God)' subject to both verbs. 
 13, Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the 
 poor (for mercy), he also shall cry himself, but 
 shall not be heard— (ch, i, 28.) Retribution in 
 kind (Jas. ii, 13), The unmerciful toward their 
 fellow-men shall cry in vain for mercy from God 
 (Matt, xviii. 30-35). 14. A gift in secret pacifieth 
 anger. Strong as is the passion of anger, it will 
 yield to the stronger passion, cupidity. The 
 secrecy implies guilty presents (ch. xvii. 23). Not 
 honourable gifts, such as Jacob's to pacify Esau 
 (Gen. xxxii. 20). 15, (It is) joy to the just to 
 do judgment: but destruction (shall be) to the 
 workers of iniquity— or else, to suit the paral- 
 lelism, ' but (it is) terror to the workers of iniquity 
 (to do judgment)'. The English version maybe 
 supplied thus (for often one clause has to be 
 supplied from the opposite) : ' It is joy to the 
 just to do judgment (justice), and ends in sal- 
 vation; "but" it is a grief "to the workers of 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVEEBS XXI. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 16 The man that waiidereth out of the way of understanding 
 Shall remain in the congregation of the dead. 
 
 17 He that loveth "pleasure shall be a poor man; 
 He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. 
 
 18 The ^wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous. 
 And the transgressor for the upright. 
 
 19 is better to dwell ^in the wilderness, 
 
 Tlian with a contentious and an angry woman. 
 
 20 There ^is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise: 
 But a foolish man spendeth it up. 
 
 21 He 'that followeth after righteousness and mercy 
 Findeth life, righteousness, and honour. 
 
 22 A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty. 
 
 And casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof. 
 
 23 Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue 
 Keepeth his soul from troubles. 
 
 24 Proud and haughty scorner is his name — ^who dealeth ^in proud wratli 
 
 25 The desire of the slothful killeth him ; — for his hands refuse to labour. 
 
 26 He coveteth greedily all the day long : 
 But the righteous giveth and spareth not. 
 
 27 The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination ; 
 
 How much more when he bringeth it '^with a wicked mind ? 
 
 28 A false witness shall perish : 
 
 But the man that hearcth speaketh constantly. 
 
 B. C. ICOO. 
 
 ' < r. 
 
 sport, 
 f Isa. 43. 3, 
 4. 
 
 Iga. 53. 4, 5. 
 Isa. SS. 8,9. 
 1 Pet. 3. 18. 
 
 8 in the 
 land 
 of the 
 desert. 
 
 'I Ps. 112 3. 
 ch. 10. i.2. 
 liccl. 5. !9. 
 Eccl. r. II. 
 Eccl. 10. li). 
 Matt. 6. 19, 
 20. 
 
 Matt 25. 3, 
 Luke 6. 45. 
 ' Isa. .1. 1. 
 Ho3. c. 3. 
 Ma' t. 5. 6. 
 Eora. 14.1!). 
 I Cor. 16. 
 68. 
 
 Phil. 3. 12. 
 1 Tim. 5. 1 5. 
 
 9 it) the 
 wrath of 
 rride. 
 
 10 in wicked- 
 r)e.>3. 
 
 n a witness 
 of lies. 
 
 iniquity," so tliafc they do it not, and therefore 
 the issue ' shall be destruction ' to them. 16. 
 The man that wandereth out of the way of 
 understanding e., true religion ; of. Jude II, 12; 
 2 Pet. ii. 20-22) shall remain in the congregation 
 of the dead— ^Ae lost (ch. ix. 18). "The dead," 
 Hebrew, rephaim: a term applied to the giant 
 rebels against God in Gen. vi. 4; note. Job xxvi. 
 5, 6 ; Isa. xiv. 9). 17. he that loveth wine and 
 oil— j. 6., unguents used to anoint the person at 
 banquets (Eccl. ix. 7-9). To use these is lawful, 
 to ' love ' them is inconsistent with the love of 
 God, which alone maketh truly "rich " (1 John ii. 
 15; 1 Cor. vii. 29). 18 The wicked (shall be) a 
 ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor 
 for the upright. The righteous are saved from 
 impending destruction, and the wicked come in 
 their room (ch. xi. 8; Josh. vii. 2 J). 19. Of. v. 9. 
 £0. There is treasure to b3 desired (valuable 
 store), and oil (a leading article of wealth in 
 Judea, Judg. ix. 9 ; Hos. ii. 22) in the dwelling 
 (lit., the cottage) of the wise. Though the godly 
 wise may have but a cottage, yet they have ample 
 store for their need, and they use it with prudent 
 economy, but a foolish man spendeth (swal- 
 low eth) it up— wastes in extravagance what he 
 ought to store up for future use. 21. He that 
 followeth after (with great zeal and earnestness) 
 righteousness and mercy findeth life (the gift of 
 Divine mercy), righteousness (its own reward, 
 Hos. X. 12; Matt. v. 6), and honour— tliough now 
 often xmt to dishonour by men (2 Cor. vi. 8 ; Rom. 
 ii. 7). 22. A wise (man) scaleth the city of the 
 mighty, and casteth down the strength of the 
 confidence thereof — (Eccl. vii. 19; ix. 14-16.) 
 Wisdom is more efficacious than might. 23. 
 Whoso keepeth his mouth— as the well-guarded 
 gates of the city. The "moubh" is the gate; 
 484 
 
 the "soul," the city (chs. xii. 13; xiii. 2, 3; Jas. 
 
 iii. 2). 24. Proud (and) haughty scorner (is) his 
 name who dealeth in proud wrath— /i^., 'in the 
 wrath of j)ride :' who gives loose rein to passion, 
 combined with pride, on the slightest or on no 
 provocation. So Haman was filled with proud 
 wrath because Mordecai did not bow to him 
 (Esth. iii. 5). The penalty of proud wrath is, 
 though such persons seem to themselves men of 
 high and right spirit, yet their true name shall at 
 last be known as "proud scorn ers " (of. Hab. ii. 
 5). So Pharaoh, Exod. v. 2; Sennacherib, 2 Ki 
 xviii. 35. Contrast Mai. iii. 2 v/ith 15. 25. The 
 desire of the slothful killeth him (with dis- 
 appointed hopes, ch. xiii. 12, ending in want of 
 all necessaries, ch. xx. 4) ; for his hands refuse 
 to labour. He is always only desiring : refusing 
 to do anything in the way of labour for the 
 attainment of his desire (ch. xiii. 4). 26. He (the 
 slothful, V. 25) coveteth greedily (lit., coveteth a 
 covetousness) all the daylong: but the righteous 
 giveth and spareth not. So far is the righteous 
 man from ' greedily coveting ' the goods of others, 
 like the slothful, that by honest industry (E})h. 
 
 iv. 28) he has his moderate desires abundantly 
 satisfied, and he giveth unsparingly to others of 
 his own property (Ps. xxxvii. 25, 2G). 27. The 
 sacrifice of the wicked is abomination (under 
 any circumstances ; ch. xv. 8) ; how much more 
 (when) he bringeth it with a wicked mind?— 
 harbouring some wicked purpose at the very 
 time. As Balak and Balaam offered their sacri- 
 fices with a view to induce God to curse His 
 people Israel (Num. xxiii. 1-3, 13) ; Absalom 
 (2 Sam. XV. 7-10) and Jezebel, as a cloak for 
 treachery (1 Ki. xxi. 9-12) ; the adulteress, to 
 lull her dupe (ch. vii. 14, 15). 28. A false wit- 
 ness shall perish: but the man that heareth 
 
Moral rirtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XXII. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 29 A wicked man harden eth his face : 
 
 But as for the upright, he ^^directeth liis way, 
 
 30 There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Loud. 
 
 31 The horse is prepared against the day of battle : 
 But safety is of the Lord. 
 
 22 A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riclies. 
 And ^loving favour rather than silver and gold. 
 
 2 The rich and poor meet together : 
 The Lord is the maker of tliem all. 
 
 3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself : 
 But the simple peiss on, and are punished, 
 
 4 By ^humihty, and the fear of the Lord, are riches, honour, and life, 
 
 5 Thonis and snares are in the way of the froward : 
 "He tliat doth keep his soul sliall be far from them. 
 
 B. C. ICOO. 
 
 12 Or, con- 
 sidereth. 
 
 13 Ur, 
 victory. 
 
 CHAP. 12. 
 
 1 Or, 
 favour is 
 better 
 than, 
 etc. 
 
 2 Or. 
 Ihe re- 
 ward of 
 humility, 
 etc. 
 
 " ch. 1.1. 3. 
 1 John 5. 
 
 Jude 20, 21. 
 
 (I e., who testifies only to what he himself has 
 lieard) speaketh constantly— j. e., shall continu- 
 ally have the power given hiin to be a wit- 
 ness. He shall not be put to silence as a liar 
 (ch. xix. 5, 9). Gejer takes "heareth" in the 
 sense, "the man that heareth" those things only 
 which ought to be lieard— viz., the command- 
 ments of God, among which is this one, Do not 
 bear false witness {Rabbi Salomon) ; the_ man 
 who is " swift to liear, slow to si)eiik " (Jas. i. 19), 
 who heareth such things as tend to edification, 
 charity, and clearing of the innocent. 29. A 
 wicked man hardeneth Ms face: but (as for) the 
 upright, lie directeth Ms way. " A wicked man 
 hardeneth his face " against admonition, so as to 
 persevere in the wrong way ; "but the upright," 
 if he be betrayed into an error, hardens not his 
 face against monition, but blushes with shame 
 and sorrow, and so "he directeth his" course iu 
 the right "way." The Keri (margin) reads, ^ con- 
 sidereth [j''?^] his way.^ The Ketib (text) reads, 
 '^■'^;] ^ directeth his ways:^ this is the better 
 uling. The wicked is not to be shamed out of 
 s wickedness. He pertinaciously and unblush- 
 -ny adheres to it (ch. vii. 13, marg.; Isa. iii, 9; 
 r. V. 3). 30. (Isa. viii. 9, 10; Acts v. 39; cf. the 
 is>ue of Ahithophel's wise counsel, 2 Sam. xvi. 
 xvii. 1-14, 23.) 31. The horse is prepared against 
 the day of battle: but safety (so the Chaldaic, 
 Syriac, Vulgate: but marg.^ &c., 'victory') (is) 
 of the Lord— (Ps. xx. 7; xxxiii. 7; Isa. xxxi. 1.) 
 External helps are to be used, but not to be 
 made the main dependence. The Lord alone is 
 the Saviour and Deliverer. 
 
 CHAP. XXII. 1-29.-1. A (good) name (cf. 
 Eccl. vii. 1) is rather to be chosen , . . (and) 
 loving favour rather than silver. Since "fa- 
 vour" by itself sufficiently exjjresses the kindly 
 feeling or esteem of others towards one, it is better 
 to translate as marg., 'Favour is better than 
 silver.' So the Chaldaic and Syriac ; but the 
 Vulgate, LXX., and Arabic support the English 
 version. C/uxrncter is better than riches, because 
 its foundation is better— viz., virtue; its acquisi- 
 tion harder, its compa.S3 wider, its utility greater, 
 its duration longer, its loss more fatal (clis. iv, 9 ; 
 xiii. 1.5). Cf. Jose])h, (icn. xxxix. 4, 21 ; Esther, 
 ii. 1.5. 2. The rich and poor meet together: 
 the Lord ia the Maker of them all. Though the 
 rich and the poor are unequal iu worldly means, 
 yet they are equal in respect to ere ition and cora- 
 moD Qatare. in spite of the conventional distinc- 
 485 
 
 tions of property and position, they meet on a 
 common footing in many things. They meet on 
 a level in respect to the common weaknesses 
 of humanity, sickness, and death. So in the house 
 of God (Jas, ii. 1-4). Neither could dispense with 
 the other. The rich need the labour of the poor ; 
 the poor the money and educated intelligence of 
 the rich. Therefore the poor are not to be de- 
 spised, nor the rich to be envied. To do so would 
 be to reproach God, who hatli made both as they 
 are (chs. xiv. 31 ; xxix. 13). llather, both are to 
 be bound together in mutual offices of kindness. 
 Men are to be estimated not by their riches or 
 their poverty, but by the "good name" and 
 "favour" which they deserve or not before God 
 and man {v. 1). 3. A prudent (man) foreseeth 
 the evil, and hideth himself (from it, until it has 
 passed by, Isa. iv. 6 ; xxvi. 20 ; xxxii, 2) : but 
 the simple pass on (apprehending nothing, and 
 therefore not getting out of the way of the evil), 
 and are punished— for their sinful inconsiderate- 
 ness or foolhardihood. If the simple see the evil, yet 
 they do not see it in its true magnitude. They 
 are so hurried away by their passions that they 
 recklessly pass on. The godly iirudent, through 
 spiritual instinct, guided by Scripture, along with 
 exi)erience, often foresee spiritual danger, and shun 
 it. It is true wisdom to flee from coming wrath. 
 So Noah, Heb. xi, 7. ' It is nature which teaches a 
 wise man in fear to hide himself. But grace and 
 faith teach him loliere. Where should the frighted 
 child hide his head but in the bosom of his loving 
 Father? where a Christian, but under the shadow 
 of the wings of Christ, his Saviour?' {Hooker's 
 'Hemedy against Fear.') 4. By (Hebrew, the end 
 or reward of) humility, (and) the fear of the Lord, 
 (are) riches, honour, and life— (Ps. xix. 11; cxii. 3; 
 Matt. vi. 33.) True "humility" is the inseparable 
 associate of "the fear of the Lord." The humble, 
 affected with a true sense of the Divine majesty, 
 cannot but feel their own vileness and nothing- 
 ness by the comparison, 6. Thorns and snares 
 (entanglements in sin, and consequent ])unishnient) 
 are in the way of the froward. He brings these 
 on himself by his perversity, and cannot extricate 
 himself from them. So Israel, Josh, xxiii. 13; 
 Judg, ii. 3. Sinners often encounter more bitter 
 pains on account of hell than the godly on account 
 of heaven: and as they lay snares for otliers(i*3. 
 xxxviii. 12 ; Ixiv. 5), so Satan for them (1 Tim. iii. 
 7 ; 2 Tim. ii, 26). he that doth keep his soul 
 (he who hath a watchful regard to his eternal 
 safety, 1 John v. 18) shall be far from them— 
 
I 
 
 Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XXII. 
 
 their contrary/ vices. 
 
 6 ^ Train up a child * in the way he should go ; 
 And wKen he is old, he will not depart from it. 
 
 7 The rich ruleth over the poor,— and the borrower is seyyant ^to the lender. 
 
 8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity : 
 ^And the rod of his anger shall fail. 
 
 9 ^He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; 
 For he giveth of his bread to the poor. 
 
 10 Cast out the scorn^r, and contention shall go out; 
 Yea, strife and reproach shall cease. 
 
 11 He that loveth pureness of heart, 
 
 ^ For the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend, 
 
 12 The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge ; 
 
 And he overthroweth ^the words of the transgressor, 
 
 13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, 
 I shall be slain in the streets. 
 
 B. C. lOCO. 
 
 8 Or. 
 Catechiae. 
 
 * in his 
 way. 
 
 8 to the 
 man that 
 lendeth. 
 
 « Or, and 
 with the 
 rod of his 
 anger he 
 shall be 
 consumed. 
 
 7 Good of 
 eye. 
 
 8 Or, and 
 hath 
 grace in 
 his lips. 
 
 9 Or, the 
 matters. 
 
 from the " thorns aud snares." 6. Train up (lit., 
 initiate: dedicate, as a house, Num. vii. 10, 11 ; or 
 temple, 1 Ki, viii. 63 : Hebrew, chanak) a child 
 in (Hebrew, according to) the way hp should go 
 (Hebrew, his way) ; and when he is old, he will 
 not depart from it. The child is to be initiated in 
 the way of life from the earliest dawn of intelli- 
 gence (2 Tim. i. 5 ; iii. 15 ; Deut. vi. 7). Children 
 understand more than they can express. As a 
 temple newly built, and not yet profaned, is 
 solemnly set apart to the Lord, so a child, by 
 X)ious training, is dedicated as a temple of the Holy 
 Uhost (cf. Hannah's dedication of Samuel, 1 
 Sam. i. 28). For "train up," the marg. is 'cate- 
 chize.' The Hebrew for 'catechism' was taken 
 from this verb, Sepher chinnuk {marg.., Gen. xiv. 
 14). In order to train a child aright we must ask 
 God, "How shall we order the child, and how shall 
 we do unto liim?"(Judg. xiiL 12.) "In"— Hebrew 
 
 [»Q hv\ ^upon the mouth of his way'— i. e., not as 
 
 Mercer and Maurer, 'in proportion to the capacity 
 of his understanding ;' but as the English version, 
 "in the way he should go ;" not in the way he 
 would go ; perhaj)S with the additional idea that 
 this is to be done ai the mouth or opening of his 
 way ; from the first opening of reason. The He- 
 brew is, however, often used simply for according to 
 (Gen. xliii. 7, marg.: Lev. xxvii. 18; Num. xxvi. 
 56). " From it " — i. e., from the training {Mercer) ; 
 from the way he shoidd go, in the English version. 
 Childhood is pliable ; maturity is hard and unim- 
 pressible. The seed sown in childhood may seem 
 lost for a time, but if it have been sown in faith, 
 it will develop itself "when he isold." Timothy, 
 taught in Scripture as a child, was not fully con- 
 verted till he was a man (1 Tim. i 2). The seed 
 is to be sown in youth ; the harvest is not to be 
 expected till manhood. 7. The rich ruleth over 
 the poor. Let it be the rule of order^ exercised 
 in kindness ; not of pride and oppression (Jas. iL 
 6). The capitalist often exercises an iron control 
 over his workmen, as if they were so many soulless 
 machines for producing wealth for himself, and 
 the borrower (is) servant to the lender. 'Sell 
 not your liberty to gratify your luxury' {Henry). 
 Avoid needless borrowing, by honourable and in- 
 dependent industry, 8. He that soweth iniquity 
 shall reap vanity— (Job iv. 8: Hos. x. 13.) Ac- 
 cording to each man's sowing ehall be his harvest, 
 and the rod of his anger shall fail— the rod 
 wherewith, in his insolent anger, he struck the 
 tx)or who were subject to him, shall fail (Isa. xiv. 
 480 
 
 5, 6). Gesenius, in accordance with Lam. iii, 1, 
 takes it. 'the rod of His (God's) anger is prepared' 
 — viz., lor him that soweth iniquity. Umbreit, 
 ' the rod of his anger {i. €., the rod of wrath 
 wherewith he shall be punished) is prepared.' The 
 Chaldaic and Vulgate, 'shall be consummated.' 
 The Syriac, 'shall be consumed,' which supports 
 the English version. 9. a bountiful eye— in con- 
 trast to an ' evil eye against one's poor brother ' 
 (Deut. XV. 9), as the Levite " looked on" the 
 wounded man, and yet "passed by on the other 
 side" (Luke x. 32). It is by looking upon our 
 brother's need that we are moved to pity and to 
 relieve him. shall be blessed— by God (2' Cor. ix, 
 6), by the poor (Job xxxi. 20), and by all good 
 men. for he giveth of his bread— not it all, but 
 a portion of it. The claims of our own families 
 are not to be forgotten. 10. Cast out the scorner 
 — from the family (as Hagar and Ishmael, Gen. 
 xxi. 9, 10 : ' Sarah saw the son of Hagar . . . mock- 
 mgr, wherefore she said, Cast out, &c. ), from the State, 
 and from the Church. He who scorns God and 
 man stirs up quarrels. To get rid of him is to 
 get rid of "strife" (Hebrew, din, judicial con- 
 tention). 11. He that loveth pureness of heart 
 (for) the grace of his lips (or as marg., and who 
 hath grace in his lips; or, whose lips are grace; i. e., 
 gracious (Eccl. x. 12; Ps. xiv. 2), the king (shall 
 be) his friend. Pureness of heart, free from the 
 foreign admixture of hypocrisy and self-seeking, 
 is the only solid foundation for grace in the lips. 
 De Dieu takes the second clause as part of the 
 predicate, ' Whosoever loveth pureness of heart, 
 his lips are gracious, and the king shall be his 
 friend!.' "The king" — viz., he who is a king 
 according to the true ideal of kingship, especially 
 the King of kings. The Vulgate supports the 
 English version. 12. The eyes of the Lord pre- 
 serve knowledge — viz. , that of the godly, practical, 
 and experimental knowledge of the truth. His 
 "eyes" regard with favour, so that He 'pre- 
 serves' those who have saving "knowledge' of 
 Himself. He takes care that it shall not be lost 
 to them. " Pureness of heart" is the avenue to it, 
 and brings with it the friendship of the great 
 King {v. 11.) and he overthroweth the words 
 of the transgressor. They hoped by lies and 
 flatteries to gain fiiends ; but God thwarts and 
 overthrows them and their words. 13. The sloth- 
 ful (man) saith, (There is) a lion without— in- 
 venting imaginary dangers to excuse his indolence 
 in staying at home, instead of going forth iato 
 active business, in the streets— indicating tlie 
 
Moral mrtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XXII. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 14 The mouth of strange -women is a deep pit: 
 
 He that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein. 
 
 15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; 
 
 But the rod of correction shall drive it far from him^ 
 
 16 He ^that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, 
 
 And he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want. 
 
 17 Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise. 
 And apply thine heart unto my knowledge : 
 
 18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee ; 
 They shall withal be fitted in thy lips. 
 
 19 That thy trust may be in the Lord, 
 
 I have made known to, thee this day, ^^ even to thee. 
 
 20 Have not I written to thee excellent things — m counsels and knowledge;: 
 
 21 That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth ; 
 
 *^ That thou mi^htest answer the words of truth ^^to them that send unto 
 thee? 
 
 22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor ; 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 Job 20. 19. 
 '10. 
 
 Job 31. IC, 
 
 21, 28. 
 
 Job 34. 23- 
 2S. 
 
 Fs. 12, 5. 
 Eccl. 6. 
 Isa. 3. 14, 
 1). 
 
 Amos 2. C- 
 8. 
 
 Amos 4.1,2. 
 Amos 5. li. 
 Jas. 2. 13. 
 
 i«in thy 
 bel y. 
 
 11 Or. trust 
 thou al-o. 
 
 " 1 Fet 3. 15. 
 
 12 Or, to 
 those that 
 send thee. 
 
 sillin^sa of Ijis excuse. Lions do not roam at large 
 "in the streets," but in wild forests. 14. The 
 mouth of strange -women (the flattering speeches 
 of the temptress, ch. vii. 11-21) (is) a deep pit- 
 such as wild beasts are caught in, from which 
 there is no escai^e. lie that is abhorred of the 
 Lord (on account of wilful resistance to the Holy 
 Ghost, and sin persevered in, Ps. vii. 11) shall 
 fall therein— (Eccl. vii. 26.) God punishes a long 
 course of wilful sin in rejection of the light by 
 another sin : the latter sin is the punishment of 
 the previous sin (Ps. Ixxxi. 11, 12; Rom, i. 28). 
 15. Foolishness (is) bound in (or to) the heart 
 of a child— not merely by slight threads, but as 
 it were by chains, so, that i* cannot easily be torn 
 from it. The Hebrew, kenhurah, expresses firm, 
 compact, and close embrace (Gen. xliv. ,30; 1 Sam. 
 xviii. 1). (but) (notwithstanding the intimacy of 
 the bond of union between foolishness and a 
 child's heart) the rod of correction (the rod which 
 is not used in blind passion, and immoderately, 
 but for the amendment of the child) shall drive 
 it far from him (chs. xiii. 24; xix. 18; xxiii. 1.3, 
 14 ; xxix. 1.5, 17). 3,6. He that oppresseth the 
 poor to increase his (riches, and) he that giveth 
 to the rich, (shall) surely (Hebrew, only; ale) 
 (come) to want. Both alike are seeking self : the 
 one by oppressing the poor, the other by giving to 
 the rich, hoping for something again (Luke vi. 
 X3-.35). The latter often comes to want and dis- 
 api)ointment in this world, and certainly shall be 
 without the true riches at the day of coming 
 recompense (Lukexiv. 12-14). J/awrer translates, 
 'He that oppresseth the poor shall' in the event 
 be found 'to increase the poor man's riches;' as 
 when the oppressive injury has been detected, his 
 proxjerty shall be restored to him, and he shall 
 receive more {Mercer); for thereby the poor is 
 stirred up to strain his energies the more {Maurer). 
 "He that giveth to the rich" (meanwhile op- 
 pressing the poor, so as to have what to give to 
 the "rich," Mercer) shall, in the event, be found 
 to have done so only to the impoverishment of the 
 rich man, as the rich man is thereby tempted to, 
 idleness and extravagance. 
 
 17. From this verse to ch- xxiv. 22 the con- 
 tinuous style is resumed from chs. L-x. This 
 is the third part of the book, or rather an 
 epilogue to the previous part (chs. xi.-xxii). 
 Bow down thine ear— the introductory exhorta- 
 tion, and hear the words of the wise . . . my 
 
 knowledge. Solomon represents himself as the 
 inspired mouthpiece of the godly wise of all ages. 
 18. For (it is) a pleasant thing if thou keep them 
 within thee (in thy breast ; cf. marg. ) ; they shall 
 withal be fitted in thy lips. Or supply 'if.' ' If 
 they shall be equally ["'^rr] fitted in {i. e., aptly ex- 
 pressed by) thy lips,' as they are kept within thy 
 heart. The sweetness or pleasantness of godly 
 "knowledge" is (L), if it be treasured in the in- 
 most heart (cli. ii. 10; Ps.. xix. 10; cxix. 103); (2.) 
 if it be haj^pily fitted with words of the lips (Ps. 
 cxix. 171 ; Matt. xii. 34, 35; Col. iii. 16). 19. That 
 thy trust may be in the Lord (the true end of 
 knowledge, v. 17, and of utterance, v. 18), I have 
 made known to thee this day, even to thee. The 
 repetition is for empliasis. To thee, to thy very 
 self, whosoever thou art that readest or hearest 
 (Gen. xxvii. 34). If heretofore thou hast not known 
 or attended to my words, I set them before thee 
 NOW. "This day" extends to each generation in 
 succession that reads this book (Ps. xcv. 7 ; Heb. 
 iii. 7, 15 ; iv. 7). Thou canst not plead the excuse 
 tliat thou hast never heard. 20. Have not I writ- 
 ten to thee excellent things in counsels and 
 knowledge. For the Keri {w^h^S], "excellent 
 things," the Ketib reads [Dhti'S^"], 'long ago' — lit.* 
 the day before yesterdfiy ; but this Hebrev/ word is 
 never used without 'yesterday' (temol) preceding. 
 Ch. viii. 6, "Excellent (p.riucely) things," corre- 
 sponds to, the English version : Hebrew, negidim. 
 Shalishim are properly a class of military principal 
 leaders. The Chaldaic, LXX., Vulgate, Syriac, 
 and Arabic translate, 'in a three-fold manner,' or 
 ' three times. ' ■' Counsels " refer to practical every- 
 day life; "knowledge," to theory. 21. That I 
 might make thee know the certainty of the words 
 of truth. The words of Scripture are (1.) certain, 
 and not at all ambiguous or equivocal (like the 
 heathen oracles) ; (2.) full of truth, and therefore 
 full of salutary power, that thou mightest answer 
 the words of truth to them that send unto thee ? 
 — to consult thee. One experimentally taught in 
 Scripture becomes a kind of oracle whom others 
 may consult in difficulties. But Gejer, after the 
 Vulgate, Chaldaic, and Syriac, translates, ' to them 
 that send thee' — viz., to thy superiors who send 
 thee on any mission. So the Hebrew (1 Sam. xxi. 
 2; 2 Sam. xxiv. 13; 1 Chr. xxi. 12). But the 
 Arabic supports the English version. 
 22. Rob not the poor, because he is poor— 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XXIII. 
 
 their contrary tlces. 
 
 Neither '^oppress the afflicted in the gate : 
 
 23 For the Lord will plead their cause, 
 
 And spoil the soul of those that spoiled them, 
 
 24 Make no friendship with an angry man ; 
 And with a furious man thou shalt not go ; 
 
 25 Lest thou learn his ways, — -and get a snare to thy soul. 
 
 26 Be not thou one of them that strike hands. 
 Or of them that are sureties for debts. 
 
 27 If thou hast nothing to pay, 
 
 Why should he take away tliy bed from under thee ? 
 
 28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. 
 
 29 Seest thou a man ^diligent in his business? 
 
 He shall stand before kings; — he shall not stand bef)re ^''mean men. 
 23 ! WHEN thou sittest to eat with a ruler, 
 Consider diligently what is before thee ; 
 
 2 And put a knife to thy throat, — if thou be a man given to appetite. 
 
 3 Be not desirous of his dainties ; — 'for they are deceitful meat, 
 
 4 Ljibour "not to be rich; — * cease from thine own wisdom. 
 
 5 ^Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not ? 
 For riches certainly make themselves wings; 
 They fly away as an eagle toward heaven. 
 
 B. 0. 1001. 
 
 d Ex. 23. 6. 
 
 Job 23. 12. 
 
 Mai. 3. 6. 
 13 Or. 
 
 bound. 
 
 Deut. 19.14, 
 • 1 Ki. 11. 28. 
 
 ch. 10. 4. 
 
 Ch. 12. 24. 
 
 Eccl. 9. 10. 
 
 Matt 23.21. 
 
 Rom. 12.11. 
 
 2 Tim. 4. 3. 
 '^obscure 
 
 men. 
 
 because you think he is unable to ward off 
 wroDg. Or, since he is poor, do not add to his 
 affliction, tlie afflicted in tlie gate— i.e., in the 
 place of justice. Those are the most grievous 
 injuries which ai'e inflicted under the pretext 
 of justice, when the very liarbour of refuge is 
 made the rock to shipwreck them (Mai. iii. 5; 
 Zech. vii. 10). Let the poverty of the poor and 
 the sanctity of the court of justice plead with 
 thee for them. 23. For the Lord will plead their 
 cause ( Jer. 1. 34), and spoil the soul of those that 
 spoiled them. Retribution in kind. Those who 
 deprived the poor of their means of living, the 
 Lord will deprive of life itself here and hereafter, 
 
 24. with a furious man (a possessor of fury) thou 
 Shalt not go— as an associate. 25. Lest thou . . . 
 get (receive) a snare to thy souL " Get " or ' re- 
 ceive ' ii'iiplies a voluntary incurring of risk of de- 
 struction sudden and inevitable. 26. debts— lit., 
 burdens. 27. why should he take away thy bed ?— 
 why should you involve yourself in such difficulties 
 as to put it in the creditor's power to take away 
 the very bed from under thee? (cf. ch, xx. 16.) 28. 
 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy 
 fathers have set. So spiritually, Bo not irreve- 
 rently displace the ancient landmarks of faith— 
 e.g., the Pauline test of a standing or falling 
 church, justification by faith only. Impatience of 
 restraint, self-willed independence of spirit, and 
 lawless resistance of the authority of Divine things 
 are characteristic of the last days (2 Tim. iii. 1-7 ; 
 iv. 3, 4). Eomish traditions are a removing of the 
 ancient landmarks which the Scripture has set 
 up. 29. Seest thou a man diligent in his busi- 
 ness ? he shall stand before kings— as Joseph, 
 Nchemiah, and Daniel did (Gen. xxxix. 3-6; xli. 
 42 ; Neh. i. II ; ii. 1 ; Dan. vi. 1-3 ; viii. 27). The 
 spiritually diligent shall stand before the Kingof 
 kings (cf. 1 Ki. x. 8 with Kev. vii. 15 ; xxii. 3, 4 ; 
 John xii, 20). 
 
 CliAP. XXin. 1-35.-1. When thou sittest to 
 eat with a ruler (taking up ch. xxii. 29, end), con- 
 sider diligently what (food or dainty) Is before 
 thee— so as not to eat greedily, or boldly and fami- 
 liarly, as if tliou wast at home. Phcator, &c., 
 take it, 'consider . . . who is before thee'— viz., 
 48» 
 
 CHAP. V!3. 
 " ch. 28. iO. 
 
 John 0. 27. 
 
 1 Tim. 6 8. 
 
 ch. 3, 6. 
 
 ch. 26. 12. 
 
 Rom. 11.25. 
 
 Rom. 12. le. 
 1 Wilt thou 
 
 cause 
 
 thine eyes 
 
 to fly 
 
 upon. 
 
 tlic king and his courtiers; thou shouldst bo 
 reverent, and on thy guard against giving offence. 
 In the most ancient times they sat at meals as we 
 do, not Jay on couches as in later times (Gen. xxxvii. 
 25; 1 Sam. xx. 5). At eating time one is tempted 
 to be off one's guard. 2. And put a knife to thy 
 throat, if thou (be) a man given to appetite— re- 
 strain thy gluttony as it were with a knife applied 
 to thy throat (cf. Ps. xxxix. 1). It is better to put 
 a knife to thy throat, so as to keep thyself in tear 
 the whole time of trie banquet, than by want of 
 self-restraint to fall into excess. 3. Be not desir- 
 ous of his dainties ; for they are deceitful meat. 
 Intimacy with an absolute king is a hazardous 
 privilege. His dainties may injure your body if 
 you are not on your guard. A hasty word of 
 undue familiarity and irreverent forwardness may 
 cost you your life, Ecclesiasticus ix. 13. ' Keep 
 thee far from the man that hath power to kill . . . 
 and if thou come unto him, make no fault, lest he 
 take away thy life ijreseutly ; remember that thou 
 goest in the midst of snares,' &c. 'His dainties 
 are deceitful meat,' because they do not atibrd the 
 solid delight which they promise: they delight at 
 first, but are really and finally hurtfid. They 
 please the a|)petite, but soon bite as a snake (ch, 
 XX. 1); leading him who indulges too freely in 
 them to betray his inmost thoughts, to his own 
 ruin. 4. Labour not to be rich (John vi, 27 ; Matt, 
 vi. 19); cease from thine own wisdom— from that 
 wisdom of thine whereby thou labourest to be 
 rich, as thy first aim. Solomon does not oppose 
 diligence, but anxiety, and the common notion that 
 it is true "wisdom" to make money tKe chief 
 object. 6. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that 
 which is not?— lit., Wilt thou cause thine eyes to 
 fiy upon? &c. (cf. 1 Sam. xv. 19, "/y uixm the 
 spoil "). So the Keri [hathahiph). But the Ketib 
 need not be changed (hatha/iuph). 'Will thiiie 
 eye fly upon that?'&c. (Maurer). But Geseni-us 
 translates even the Ketib as the English version. 
 " Which is not"— «, e,, which suddenly vanishes. 
 What the world designates as es\)cciaX\y trubsiance^ 
 God calls "that which is not," vvhicli has no solid 
 existence, for (riches) certainly make (lit.^ make, 
 make) themselves wings ; they fiy a^'ay as an 
 
Moral mrtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XXIIL 
 
 their contrary mces. 
 
 6 Eat Hhou not the bread of him that hath *^aii evil eye. 
 Neither desire thou his dainty meats ; 
 
 7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he : 
 
 Eat and drink, saith he to thee; — but his heart is not with thee. 
 
 8 The morsel which thou hast eaten sbalt thou vomit up. 
 And lose thy sweet words. 
 
 9 Speak *not in the ears of a fool; 
 
 For he will despise the wisdom of thy words. 
 
 10 Remove not the old ^landmark; 
 
 And enter not into the fields of the fatherless : 
 
 1 1 For their Redeemer is mighty ; — he shall plead their cause with thee. 
 
 12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, 
 
 And thine ears to the words of knowledge. 
 
 13 Withhold not correction from the child; 
 
 For 2/ thou beatest him vat\\ the rod, he shall not die. 
 
 14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, — and shalt ^deliver his soul from hell. 
 
 15 My son, if thine heart be wise, — my heart shall rejoice, ^even mine; 
 
 16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice — when thy lips speak right things. 
 
 17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: 
 
 But be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. 
 
 18 For '^surely there is an *end; — and thine expectation shall not be cut off. 
 
 19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, — and guide thine heart in the way. 
 
 B C. lOOO. 
 
 " Ps. 41.4. 
 ^ Dexit 16. 9. 
 
 Deut. 28.f 6. 
 
 Matt. 20.15. 
 
 Mark 7. 22; 
 ' ch. 9. 7. 8. 
 
 Ch. 26. 4. 6. 
 
 Isa. 36. 21. 
 
 Acts 13. 45, 
 46. 
 
 j Acts 2^ 28., 
 I Watt. 7. 6. 
 
 2 Or, 
 bound. 
 
 I / Ex. 22. n, 
 
 : 24. 
 
 I Deut. 27.1-. 
 j Job 31. 2!. 
 
 Fs. 12. 5. 
 
 Je?. 60; 34. 
 
 Jer. 51. 36.. 
 » 1 Cor. 5. 6. 
 
 1 Cor. 11.3?. 
 
 3 Cr, eve a 
 I will 
 rejoice. 
 Ps. 37. 37. 
 Jer. 2l>. 11 
 Luke 16. 5. 
 
 4 Cr, 
 reward. 
 
 eagle toward heaven. So the Keri (yahupJi) ; but 
 the Ketib (vehoph), 'As au eagle, arid as bird-^ oi 
 the heaven.' The eagle flies for tlie longest time 
 and to the greatest distance. So riches in flying 
 away. 6. an evil eye. Contrast " a bountiful 
 eye," ch. xxii. 9. An envious, grudging, illiberal 
 spirit (Matt. xx. 15). 7. For as lie tmnketh in his 
 heart (grudgingly; not as his kind speeches would 
 imply), so (is) he. " Thinketh the Hebrew [iv^'] 
 means primarily to divide; hence to decide, or 
 estimate; and the noun a measure. He estimates 
 his meats, and the cost of the entertainment, more 
 than he does you ; and is ill at ease if you eat much 
 of his food. Eat and drink, saith he . . . but his 
 heart is not with thee. He hospitably urges you 
 to eat, but if you do, he will dislike you the more. 
 8. The morsel (which) thou hast eaten shalt thou 
 vomit up. You will yet have reason to wish you 
 could give him back his food, when you discover 
 that it was so grudgingly given. Or, imperatively, 
 "With all speed return him the hospitality which 
 he gave, and for the future abstain from it in dis- 
 gust, and lose thy sweet words. Thou slialt lose 
 the good that thou thoughtest to have done by 
 "thy sweet words " interchanged with him at his 
 table. Thou shalt repent of having wasted thy 
 good words, like seed sown on a barren soil. 9. 
 Speak not (viz., wise words) in the ears of a fool 
 —such as trie miserly host just described (vv. G-8; 
 ch. ix. 8). 10, 11. enter not into the fields of the 
 fatherless (in order to ap])ropriatc their i)roperty, 
 as thinking they have none to defend them) ; For 
 their P.edeemer is mighty ; he shall plead their 
 cause with thee— (ch. xxii. 23.) So (Jer. xxxix. 
 10) the poor once oppressed by the rich, at the 
 capture of Jerusalem became possessors of tlie 
 land of their ojjpressors. Of. Israel's liedeemer, 
 Jer. 1. ti4 ; Mic. vii. 9. The Lord is the nearest of 
 kin to the godly and friendless T.oor (Matt. xii./iO), 
 and is therefore their rightful Gocl, or Kedeenier, 
 to recover tlieir lost inheritance (-f>ev. xxv. 2f)). 
 13. Withhold not correction firom the child: for 
 483 
 
 (if) thou beatest him with the rod (so that sin 
 becomes hateful to him), he shall not die— eter- 
 nally {v. 14, end). 14. Thou shalt beat him. The 
 " thou " is emphatical: thou, the parent, not lightly 
 delegating the x>ower of the rod to others. If we 
 would pray when we strike our children, it would 
 provoke to wrath neither God nor them— 'Lord, 
 do thou be pleased to strike in with every stroke, 
 that the rod of correction may be a rod of instruc- 
 tion ' {S'winnock in Bridges). 
 
 15. My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart 
 shall rejoice. Resumption of the appeal, ch. 
 xxii. 19. 'Lord, let thy blessing so accompjany 
 my endeavour, that all my sons may be Benaiahs 
 (the Lord's building), then they will be all Ab- 
 ners (their father's light) ; and that all my 
 daughters may be Bethiahs (Bethuels ? the 
 Lord's daughters), and then they will be all Abi- 
 gails (their father's joy)' {Swimiock in Bridaes). 
 16. Yea, my reins (the seat of the affections) shall 
 rejoice when thy lips speak right things. True 
 wisdom begins at the heart (v. 15) ; its crowning is 
 the lips' i)rofession and confession, to the glory of 
 (^od and the good of men. 17. Let not thine heart 
 envy sinners —in prosperity, so as to be tempted to 
 imitate their example (Ps. xxxvii. 1 ; Ixxiii. 3). 
 but (be thou) (or, let thine heart be: from the first 
 clause) in the fear of the Lord all the day long— 
 the antidote to envy of the prosperity of sinners. 
 "All the day long;" not by impulsive fits and 
 starts; not following piety only so long as it is 
 attended with worldly success, nor deserting it 
 when thou seest difficulties in the way, and when 
 ]>rosperity seems to attend the wicked. 18. For 
 surely there is an end— there is coming the wished- 
 for end, the reward of piety (ch. xxiv. 14, 2() ; Vs. 
 xxxvii. 37; contrast ch. v. 4). As many sinners 
 flourish outwardly, and many saints suffer ad- 
 versity, to the close of life, the main reward must 
 be beyond this life. 19. Hear thou ... be wiee, 
 and guide thine heart in the way. Do not turn 
 back or aside from the narrow way. The steps 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PEOVERBS XXIII. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 20 Be ^not among wine-bibbers; — among riotous eaters of ^ flesh; 
 
 21 For the drunkard and the ghitton shall come to poverty; 
 And drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags, 
 
 22 Hearken -^"unto thy father that begat thee, 
 And despise not thy mother when she is old.. 
 
 23 Buy ^'the truth, and sell it not; 
 
 Also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding; 
 
 24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice ; 
 
 And he that begetteth a wise cMld shall have joy of him. 
 
 25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, 
 And she that bare thee shall rejoice. 
 
 26 My son, give me thine heart, — and let thine eyes, observe my ways. 
 
 27 For a whore is a deep ditch; — and a strange woman is a narrow pit. 
 
 28 She also lieth in wait ^as/or a prey. 
 
 And increaseth the transgressors among men. 
 
 29 Who 4iath woe ? who hath sorrow ? 
 
 Who hath contentions ? who hath babbling ? 
 
 Who hath wounds without cause ? who hath redness of eyes ? 
 
 30 They that tarry long at the wine; — they that go to seek mixed wine. 
 
 31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, 
 
 When it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright : 
 82 At the last it biteth like a serpent, — and stingeth like ^an adder. 
 
 33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women. 
 And thine heart shall utter perverse things : 
 
 34 Yea, thou shalt be as: he that lieth down ^in the midst of the sea, 
 
 are — (1.) Hear; (2.) Be wise, as the doctrinal fruit 
 of hearing; (3.) Guide thine heart in the way, as 
 the practical fruit of both. 20. Be not . . . among 
 riotous eaters of flesh — lit, 'among those who 
 immoderately eat flesh for themselves' (Deut. xxi. 
 20). Maurer translates, 'among those who are 
 lavish of their body' — i. e., who give their body 
 up to carnal lusts. I prefer the English version 
 (cf. V. 21). 21. and drowsiness (the natural effect 
 of excess in eating and dinnking, i\ 21) shall clothe 
 (a man) with rags— (ch. xix. 15.) 22. and despise 
 not thy mother when she is old— as self-willed 
 sous are apt to do, because of the feebleness of her 
 sex and the inferiority of her authority to the 
 father's. 23. Buy the truth— (ch. iy. 5, 7, notes ; 
 Isa. Iv. I.) sell it not — part with it for no con- 
 sideration, money, pleasure, fame, ease; for it is 
 incomparably more precious than all things else, 
 being the one pearl of great price (Matt, xiii. 46). 
 instruction— Hebrew, discipline. 24. The father 
 of the righteous shall greatly rejoice— (v. 15.) 25. 
 Thy father . . . and she that hare thee (with 
 many pains) shall rejoice. There is no better way 
 in which thou canst repay the debt of gratitude 
 than by gladdening her and thy father by walking 
 in the truth. 26. My son, give me thine heart— 
 the centre and regulator of the head, the hands, 
 the feet, and let thine eyes observe my ways. 
 So the Keri [nni'iji, from natzar], and the ancient 
 versions, except Symmachus. But the Ketib, ' de- 
 light in my ways' [™.^-in, from ratzah]. 27. a 
 whore (is) a deep ditch .". . a narrow pit— where 
 the fall is great, and whence there is no escape. 
 28. She also lieth in wait as (for) a prey (or as 
 rapine itself : the abstract for the concrete : or a 
 plunderer), and increaseth the transgressors 
 
 I against God and their neighbour) among men— 
 )y enticing men, married and unmarried, into her 
 snares. The "also" implies that not only those 
 490 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 • Isa. 6. 22. 
 Isa. 22. 13. 
 Matt. 24.49. 
 Luke 15.11. 
 Luke 16.19. 
 Luke 21.34. 
 Rom. 13,13. 
 Eph. 5. 18. 
 1 Pet. 4. 3.4. 
 
 5 of their 
 flesh. 
 
 J Deut. 21 18. 
 21. 
 
 Deut. 27.16. 
 Mark 7. 10. 
 Eph. 0. 1. 
 
 * Job 28. 12, 
 
 19. 
 
 Matt. 13.44. 
 
 6 Or, as a 
 robber. 
 
 I 1 Ki. 20. 10. 
 ch. 20. 1. 
 Isa. 5, 11. 
 Nah. 1. 10. 
 Matt. 24.49. 
 50. 
 
 Eph. 6. 18. 
 
 7 Or. a 
 cocka- 
 trice. 
 
 8 in the 
 heart of 
 the sea. 
 
 who frequent her haunts are injured by her, but 
 she also uses all means to entrap those hitherto 
 safe. One whore alone can do immense mischief. 
 29. who hath sorrow ?— Hebrew, abot; an interjec- 
 tion of sorrow arising through want ; from abah, 
 to desire, babbling — Hebrew, siach; the bab- 
 bling mutter of drunkards, who hath wounds 
 without cause ?— needlessly incurred in drunken 
 quarrels; not wounds honourably received in 
 defending all that is sacred to man (1 KL xvi. 9, 
 10). who hath redness of eyes ?— suffusion of the 
 eyes with blood, Maurer and Gesenius make it 
 ' darkening of the eyes.' 30. They that tarry long 
 at the wine— (Isa. v. 11.) go to seek— implying 
 their eagerness in searching for choice wine and 
 for convivial meetings ; for solitude is disagreeable 
 to those addicted to drink, mixed wine— wine 
 mixed with strong spices. 31. Look not thou 
 upon the wine when it is red. Do not be caught 
 by its beautiful colour in the glass. Much sin 
 enters the soul through the avenue of the eye. 
 when it giveth his colour— lit., its eye; its sparkle, 
 (when) it moveth itself aright— when it exhibits 
 the appearance of sparkling motion through its 
 generous fiery nature. It looks all right in the 
 cup (Soug vii'. 9, " Wine . . . that goeth down 
 sweetly:" marg., straightly. Or omit "when," 
 which is not in the Hebrew). The wine enters the 
 mouth easily, and without anything to offend ; but 
 "at the last it biteth like a serpent" {v. 32). 32. 
 stingeth like an adder— Hebrew, tziphhoni; the 
 basilisk {Bochart) ; a viper {Maurer). 33. Thine 
 eyes shall behold {i.e., look out for) strange wo- 
 men. Lust is inflamed by wine (Gen. xix. 31-35; 
 Hos. iv. 18). and thine heart shall utter per- 
 verse things— (ch. ii. 12, 14, 16,) which shows the 
 connection between looking for intrigues with bad 
 women and speaking perverse things. 34. Yea, 
 thou Shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst 
 (the heart) of the sea— fancying himself secure as 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XXIV. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 Or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. 
 35 They "^have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; 
 
 They have beaten me, and felt it not: 
 
 "When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again. 
 24 BE not thou envious against evil men,— neither desire to be with them ; 
 
 2 For their heart studieth destruction,— and their lips talk of mischief. 
 
 3 Through wisdom is an house builded, 
 And by understanding it is established. 
 
 4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled 
 With all precious and pleasant riches. 
 
 5 A wise man '^is strong; — ^yea, a man of knowledge ^increaseth strength. 
 
 6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war : 
 And in multitude of counsellors there is safety. 
 
 7 Wisdom is too high for a fool : — he openeth not his mouth in the gate. 
 
 8 He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person, 
 
 9 The "thought of foolishness is sin : 
 
 And the scorner is an abomination to men. 
 
 10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, — thy strength is ^ small. 
 
 11 If ^thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, 
 And those that are ready to be slain ; 
 
 B. C. 1000. 
 
 '"ch. 27. 22. 
 
 Jer. 5. 3. 
 
 Jer. 3'. 18. 
 9 I knew it 
 
 not. 
 
 Eph. 4. 19. 
 " Deut. 29.19. 
 ch. 26. 11. 
 Isa, 56. 12. 
 
 1 Cor. 15.32- 
 34. 
 
 2 Pet. 2. 22. 
 
 CHAP. 24. 
 
 1 is in 
 strength, 
 ch. 21. 22. 
 Eccl. 9. 16. 
 
 2 strengtheu- 
 eth might. 
 
 " Gen. 6. 6. 
 Ps. 119. 113. 
 ch. 23. 7. 
 Isa. 65. 7. 
 Matt. 15 19. 
 Ac's 8. 22. 
 
 3 narrow. 
 
 b Isa. 58. C. 7. 
 1 JohnS.lo. 
 
 if he were it} the midst of the land; implying the 
 greatness of the danger ; also the restlessness of 
 mind and body, so that all things seem to swim 
 around one, as if he were being tossed on the sea. 
 or as lie that lieth upon tlie top of a mast — where 
 there is the greatest agitation. 35. They (my 
 boon companions, and others provoked by me in 
 my drunkenness, who inflicted my "wounds with- 
 out cause," V. 29; especially God's judgments and 
 God's reproofs, Jer. v. 3 ; ch. xvii. 10) have 
 stricken me, (shalt thou say, and) I was not sick ; 
 they have beaten me, and I felt it not. Insen- 
 sibility to correction is the spiritual mortifica- 
 tion which precedes death (Isa. i. 5). Habitual 
 drunkenness generates stubborn impenitence "past 
 feeling" (Eph. iv. 19 ; Deut. xxix. 19). when shall 
 I awake? — implying impatience of delay, that he 
 may as soon as possible return to drink again, 
 reckless of the stripes and wounds which he gets. 
 He scarcely awakes from one drunken fit when he 
 wants another. I will seek it yet again— (Isa. Ivi. 
 12.) 
 
 CHAP. XXIV. 1-34.— 1. evU men, neither 
 desire to be with them— i. e., to share in their 
 ways. Ch. xxiii. 17, 30-35 shows the evil results 
 of their ways, which ought to warn all how little 
 they are to be envied, much less imitated. 2. 
 For their heart studieth destruction — against 
 others, which recoils on themselves (ch. xi. 3, 5, 
 G ; Job V. 2). 3. Through wisdom is an house 
 builded. Do not, in seeing the prosperity of the 
 wicked {v. 1; Ps. xxxvii. 35; Ixxiii. 3, &c.), de- 
 ST)air of true prosperity for thy household ; for by 
 following godly "wisdom" thou and thine shall 
 be firmly secured in all that is for your good, 
 when the household built up by wickedness shall 
 fall (Jer. xxii. 13-16; Amos v. 11: Mic. iii. 10-12). 
 
 4. by knowledge— of God, and of our duty to 
 Him, to our neighbour, and to ourselves, all 
 precious and pleasant riches— the true riches 
 which fail not, first of the soul, ultimately of the 
 body and external condition (Luke xii. 33; xvi. 11). 
 
 5. A wise man (Hebrew, geber, a hero) is strong- 
 Hebrew, in in Htreai/th; i. e., invested with it. 
 Wiadom more than supplies the place of bodily 
 
 491 
 
 strength (ch. xxi. 22; Eccl. ix. 14-16). 6. thou 
 shalt make thy war — in accordance with thine 
 own desii^es (cf. ch. xi. 14; xx. 18, notes). 7. 
 Wisdom is too high for a fool— to attain unto. 
 The difficulty lies not in wisdom, which is easy 
 to the sincere, but in the fool's own unwillingness 
 and sloth (ch. xiv. 6). he openeth not (he dares 
 not, for want of wisdom, open) his mouth in the 
 gate — in the court of justice: loquacious and 
 babbling as he is elsewhere. 8. He that de- 
 viseth to do evil (inventing new oaths, frauds, 
 incentives to sin, Rom. i. 30) shall be called a 
 mischievous person— Hebrew, ' a master of mis- 
 chiefs ;' a ringleader among the bad (ch. xiv. 17). 
 9. The thought (Hebrew, zimmath; lit., evil or 
 mischievous counsel) of foolishness [i. e., of the 
 man of foolishness) (is) sin. The man of foolish- 
 ness — i. e., wickedness — deviseth in his counsel 
 nothing else save sin. and the scorner (is) an 
 abomination to men— a further step. Hard- 
 ened "foolishness" — i. e., wickedness— eventuaXly 
 forms the scorner, whose scorn of all things sacred 
 excites the disgust even of men of the world. 10. 
 (If) thou faint in the day of adversity (narrow- 
 ness), thy strength (is) small— Hebrew, narrow ; 
 the same root as " adversity." Thou needest to 
 have a large, not a narrow, measure of spiritual 
 strength to enable thee to bear up against the 
 pinching narrowness of adversity (cf, Jer. xii. 
 5). Even Job (iv. 3-5) fainted in the day ojf 
 adversity. If thy strength be small, go to Him 
 who "giveth power to the faint," and who " in- 
 creaseth strength to them that have no might" 
 (Isa. xl. 29). 11. If thou forbear to deliver 
 (them that are) drawn unto death, and (those 
 that are) ready to be (lit., wavering on the verge 
 of being) slain. The Hebrew order is, ' to deliver 
 &c., if thou forbear.' The duty is laid down first, 
 then the failure to discharge it; and the penal 
 consequent of this follows in v. 12, "Doth not 
 He that pondereth the heart consider it?" Ge- 
 senius takes the Hebrew particle [□:] " if " to be 
 used as a formula of oath, equivalent to ' Do not 
 (through indolence or cowardice) forbear to de- 
 liver,' &c. So the good Samaritan, Luke x. 30, 
 
Mo-ral virtues and 
 
 PROVEPwBS XXIV. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; 
 
 Doth not he that poudereth the heart consider it ?■ 
 
 And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it ? 
 
 And shall not he render to every man ^according to his works? 
 
 13 My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; 
 
 And the honey-comb, which is sweet *to thy taste : 
 
 14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: 
 When thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, 
 And thy expectation shall not be cut off. 
 
 15 Lay not wait, 0 wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; 
 Spoil not his resting place t 
 
 IG For "^a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again : 
 But the wicked shall fall into mischief. 
 
 17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, 
 
 And let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth ; 
 
 18 Lc;st the Lord see it, and ^it displease him, 
 And lie turn av/ay his wrath from him. 
 
 19 ^Fret not th5^self because of evil men, 
 Neither be thou envious at the wicked ; 
 
 20 For Hhere shall be no reward to the evil man; 
 The ^candle of the wicked shall be put out. 
 
 21 My son, -^fear thou the Lord and the king; 
 
 And meddle not with ^them that are given to changer 
 
 &c.; Exod. xxiii. 5; Esth. iii. 6-13; iv. 13, 14; 
 viii. 4-G; Obadiah, 1 Ki. xviii. 4. The Vul- 
 f^ate, CJialdaic, Syriac, and Arabic, and seemingly 
 the LXX., translate, 'Deliver them, &c. ; and do 
 not forbear (to deliver) those that are ready to be 
 slain.' Of course, those to be delivered are not 
 tliose justly condemned to death, but those 
 through misfortune or oppression threatened 
 with destruction. The excuse, " Am I my 
 brother's keeper?" was that of the murderer 
 Cain (Gen. iv. 9). Many stand on the same 
 footing, who say, We have enough to do with 
 our own business, without minding the business 
 of others. 12. If ['3, But if: For if\ thou sayest, 
 Behold, we knew it not {i e., the particulars of his 
 case ; or any way to deliver him) ; doth not he 
 that ponde'reth the heart (chs. xvi. 2; xxi. 2) 
 consider (it)?— whether thy excuse be a valid or 
 feigned one? whether thy reason for not delivering 
 thy neighbour was selfish love of personal ease 
 and safety, unconcern about others, fear of man, 
 or real ignorance and inability, and he that 
 keepeth thy soul— whereas thou hast no care to 
 keep the lives or souls of others. Gejer translates, 
 'He who ()bsn-r<'s tl)y soul,' and sees thy excuses 
 to be subterfuges, shall (not) he render to (every) 
 man according to his works ? — according to works 
 of charity (among other tests), either performed or 
 omitted (Matt. xxv. 31-4G). 13, 14. eat thou honey, 
 because it is good (a gracious invitation to partake 
 of the spiritual honey, Song v, 1 ; Ps. xix. 9, 10 ; 
 cxix. 103) : So shall the knowledge of wisdom be 
 unto thy soul— at once sweet and profitable, when 
 thou hast found it (Matt. xiii. 44, 46), then there 
 shall be a reward (or end: a reward at the end 
 of the work), and thy expectation shall not be 
 cut 0ff-(ch. xxiii. 18, marg.; 1 Tim. iv. 8.) 15. 
 Lay not wait, O wicked (man), against the dwell- 
 ing (Hebrew, the cottage; the humble dwelling) 
 of the righteous; spoil not his resting place— 
 a^^jsail him not either by secret fraud or open 
 
 violence. Scripture here assures the righteous 
 that God will defend him securely from both. 
 16. For a just man falleth seven (I e., ever so 
 many, ch. xxvi. 2o) times (into calamities), and 
 riseth up again— out of them all, by the help of 
 God (Job V. 19; Ps. xxxvii. 24; Mic. vii. 8). 
 Therefore the efforts of the wicked against them 
 (?'. 15) are lost labour, and vain. Some explain 
 'fair of sinning : but the Hebrew, "falleth" (na- 
 phal), is nowhere used for sinueth, but for falling 
 into trials (?;. 17). but the wicked shall fail 
 into mischief. Rather, 'shall fall in (even 
 one) calamity,' so as never to rise up again. 17. 
 thine enemy— so the Keri; but the Ketib, 'thine 
 enemies.' let not thine heart be glad (not only 
 do not openly rejoice, but do not even secretly in 
 thy heart be glad) when he stumbleth. Not only 
 are we not to exult in a more severe calamity, but 
 not even in a lighter one of an enemy. The 
 notion is false that the Old Testament does not 
 prescribe love of enemies. This is not inconsistent 
 with exulting over the overthrow of the public 
 enemies of God and the Church : as over Pharaoh 
 (Exod. XV.), and hereafter over mystic Babylon (Isa. 
 Ixvi. 24 ; Rev. xviii. 20). David did not exult at the 
 death of his personal enemy, Saul, but mourned (2 
 Sam. i. 17, &c. ; contrast Obad. 12. ) 18. Lest the Lord 
 . . . turn away his wrath from him— upon thee. 
 The Lord's turning away His wrath from him is 
 virtually to arm him with strength to punish thee 
 for exuitiuf^ in his calamity (Job xxxi. 29 ; Ezek. 
 xxv. 3; xxvi. 2). 19. Fret not thyself . . . neither 
 be thou envious at the wicked— (v. I ; ch. xxiii 
 17; Ps. xxxvii. 1, 7.) 20. For there shall be no 
 revi'ard to the evil (man)— contrast end of?-. 14. 
 the candle of the wicked shall be put out— (ch. 
 xiii. 9.) 
 
 21. fear thou the Lord and the king— the Lord 
 first, then the king, in so far as he is representa- 
 tive of («'od, and beais the delegated authority of 
 God (EccL viiL 2). meddle not with them that 
 
Moral virtues and 
 
 PROVERBS XXIV. 
 
 their contrary vices. 
 
 22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly ; 
 And who knoweth the ruin of them both ? 
 
 23 
 
 24 
 
 These things also belong to the wise. 
 It ^is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. 
 
 He '^that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; 
 Him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him : 
 
 25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, 
 And ^a good blessing shall come upon them. 
 
 26 Every man shall kiss his lips ^^that giveth a right answer. 
 
 27 Prepare thy work without, — and make it fit for thyself in the field ; 
 And afterwards build thine house. 
 
 28 Be Miot a witness against thy neighbour without cause; 
 And deceive not with thy lips. 
 
 29 Say-^'uot, I will do so to him as he hath done to me ; 
 I will render to the man according to his work. 
 
 30 I went by the field of the slothful, 
 
 And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding, 
 
 31 And, lo, ''■"it was all grown over with thorns, 
 And nettles had covered the face thereof, 
 And the stone wall thereof was broken down. 
 
 32 Then I saw, and considered it well; 
 
 I looked upon it, a?2c? received instruction. 
 
 B. C. 10 0, 
 
 » Deut. 1. 17. 
 2 Chr. 19. r. 
 ch. 18. 5. 
 John 7. 24. 
 Jas. 2. 4-0, 
 1 Pet. 1. ir. 
 Ex. 2 '. 6, 7. 
 ch. 17. 1). 
 Isa. 6. 23. 
 Jer.fl 13,14. 
 Eze. 13. 22, 
 
 9 a bl ssing 
 of good. 
 
 10 that 
 answereth 
 r ght 
 
 < Kph. 4. 25. 
 
 i cb. 25. 22. 
 ch. 25.21,22 
 Matt. 5. 3 ). 
 Eom. 12.17- 
 21. 
 
 Gen. 3. l\ 
 Job 31. 40. 
 Jer. 4 3. 
 Matt. 1^ 7. 
 2;. 
 
 11 set. my 
 heart. 
 
 are given to change— who are fond of innovations 
 in Church and State (Jer. ii. 35; Jude 8). 22. For 
 their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who 
 knoweth the ruin of them both?— the rniu of 
 both those who fear not the Lord and of tliose 
 who fear not the kiug shall come ia an hour they 
 know not (Ps. xxxv. 8). 
 
 23. Here begins a collection of maxims closing 
 the second part, chs. xi.-xxiv. These (things) also 
 (belong) to the wise— they are such sayings as 
 emanate from the wise. The "also" imx)iies that 
 iSolomon is the author of them as of the former 
 sayings. It is not good to have respect of persons 
 In judgment— (chs. xviii. 5; xxviii. 21.) To be 
 partial from regard to favour, riches, or rank. 24. 
 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous 
 — (ch. xvii. 1.5.) him shall the people curse. The 
 wicked, though they allow vices in themselves, yet 
 condemn them in others ; and the general conscience 
 of a people condemns unjust judges. 25. But to 
 them that rebuke (him) (the wicked) shall be 
 delight, and a good blessing (Hebrew, a blessing 
 ej good: a prayer for their prosperity ; in contrast 
 to "the "curse" of "the people," v. 24) shall come 
 upon them. Righteous judges, and others in 
 authority of any kind, who check tlie bad, have 
 the internal "delight" of their own approving 
 onscience, as also the blessing from witliout of 
 
 .0 public apyjroval. Gejer translates, 'the bless- 
 ing of (every) good'' man, in antithesis to the 
 "curse" of "the people" in general (cf. Job xxix. 
 13), 26. (Every man) shall kiss his lips (the sign 
 of love, 2 Sam. xv. 5) that giveth a right answer— 
 foh.s. XXV. 11 ; XV. 2^^; contrast ch. xviii. Ki) The 
 Hebrew admits of another sense, and with less 
 ellipsis : 'He that giveth a right answer shall kiss 
 lifjs;' i. A good answer is as good as a kiss. 
 The good answerer does a thing as grateful as a 
 friend does who kisses his friend. Jle removes 
 doubts and errors, vices and periJexities. As many 
 asare>ii.sword9,so many his kisses. 8o Gejer, Marcer, 
 &c. 27. Prepare thy work without, and make 
 It fit for thyself In the field; and Mterwarda 
 
 build thine house. Necessary things are to take 
 precedency of those which are for ornament and 
 elegance. Be content with a cottage, and labour 
 strenuously in the field at agriculture, until you 
 have made the necessary money for building a 
 more commodious and elegant house {Piscator, 
 Gejer, &c.); or, until you have made money 
 enough to marry, and heget and support eJiildren. 
 So ' build a house ' is used, Exod. i. 21; Ruth iv. 11 ; 
 2_Sam. vii. 27 {Fahhi Salomon). I prefer taking it 
 simply, First collect your materials, and make 
 yoiir preparations, and count the cost, and after- 
 wards, when all is ready, set about building; if 
 you do not so, you will have to stop very soon 
 after yon have begun, and be justly laughed at as 
 an improvident fool. So Solomon's temple ' was 
 built of stone made ready before it was brought 
 thither' (1 Ki. v. 18; vi. 7). So the spiritual 
 temple (Eph. ii. 21, 22), though prepared in its 
 rnaterials for ages past, with a marvellous com- 
 bination of agencies, is being now silently reared 
 without outward show (Luke xvii. 20, marg.) 
 Cf. Jesus' warning, Luke xiv. 28-30. 
 
 28. Be not a witness against thy neighbour 
 without cause— falsely, or even frivolously, witli- 
 out sure ground for thy accusation, and "deceive 
 (not) with thy lips. Do not wound him either by 
 false accusations or by insidious blandishments. 
 29. Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done 
 to me— (ch. xx. 22.) 
 
 30. Folly of the sluggard. 31. lo, it was all 
 grown over (lit., it ascended) with thorns. The 
 face of the field, which had been low, seemed to 
 have, as it were, ascended by reason of the thorns 
 which shot up, and the stone wall thereof was 
 broken down. The l)oundary walls were formed 
 of loose stones without cement, which, if not from 
 time to time repaired, would soon tumble down. 
 32, Then I saw, and considered it well (apjJied 
 my mind to it) . . . and received instruction ~(cf. 
 marg.) I took no superficial view, but considered 
 well what was the cause of the desolate state of 
 the field, and so I received instruction to avoid 
 
Of kings, and 
 
 PROVERBS XXV. 
 
 of moiding quarrels. 
 
 33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, — a little folding of the hands to sleep : 
 
 34 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth ; 
 And thy want as ^''^an armed man, 
 
 25 THESE are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah 
 king of Judah copied out. 
 
 2 It "'is the glory of God to conceal a thing : 
 
 But the honour of kings is ^to search out a matter. 
 
 3 The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, 
 And the heart of kings ^is unsearchable. 
 
 4 Take away the dross from the silver. 
 
 And there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. 
 
 5 Take away the wicked /rom before the king. 
 
 And his throne shall be established in righteousness. 
 
 6 ^Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, 
 And stand not in the place of great mett : 
 
 7 For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither, 
 
 Than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince 
 Whom thine eyes have seen. 
 
 8 Go '^not forth hastily to strive, 
 
 B. C. 1000, 
 
 12 a man of 
 shield. 
 
 CHAP. 25, 
 » Deut.29.29. 
 
 Job U. 7, 8. 
 
 Job :^8, 4. 
 
 Job 40. 2. 
 
 Job 42. 3. 
 
 Kom. 11.23. 
 6 1 Ki. 3.9,28. 
 
 1 Ki. 4. 29. 
 31. 
 
 Ezra 4. 16, 
 
 19. 
 
 Ezra 5. r. 
 Ezra 6, 1. 
 Job 29 16. 
 
 1 there 
 is no 
 
 searching. 
 
 2 Set not 
 out thy 
 glory. 
 
 " 2 Sam. 2 14. 
 
 2 Ki. 14. 8. 
 Matt. 5 
 
 25. 
 
 the culj)able sloth of its owner, as I should wish 
 to escape his fate. Though fools will not learn 
 from the wise, the wise may learn much from 
 fools. 33, 34. Cf, the same, ch. vi. 10, 11, So 
 shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; 
 and thy want as an armed man, 'At first 
 slowly, step by step, like a traveller, without 
 being felt, comes debt and diminution of one's 
 inheritance. But soon poverty attacks, like an 
 armed warrior, with a strong and irresistible 
 hand ; as the ancients rightly said, ' Necessity is 
 the strongest of things, therefore we must meet 
 the traveller, fortify ourselves against the armed 
 man (Bacon, in 'Poli Synopsis'). 
 
 CHAP. XXV. 1-28, -Here begins the third part 
 of the whole book : a selection from the three thou- 
 sand proverbs which Solomon spake (1 Ki. iv. 32 ; 
 Eccl. xii. 9), copied out nearly three hundred years 
 after by "the men of Hezekiah" (perhaps Isaiah 
 and Mieah, Shebnah and Joah, 2 Ki. xviii. 18). The 
 bringing forth of the Word of God from its ob- 
 scurity was a fitting accompaniment of the refor- 
 mation which that good king undertook (2 Chr. 
 xxxi. 21 ; cf. xxix. and xxx.), as in that effected by 
 Josiali subsequently. Frequent quotations from 
 this part in the New Testament stamp its canon- 
 icity (cf, vv. 5, 6, 7 with Luke xiv. 8-10; v. 22 with 
 Rom, xii. 20 ; ch. xxvi, 11 with 2 Pet. ii. 22 ; ch. 
 xxvii. 1 with Jas. iv, 13, 14 : cf. Introduction to 
 Proverbs), 1. These (are) also proverbs , . . the 
 men of Hezekiah . . . copied out. The "also" 
 implies Solomon's authorship of these, no less than 
 of the preceding proverbs. The Holy Spirit did 
 not appoint all Solomon's proverbs indiscrimin- 
 ately to be put into the canon for all ages, but a 
 selection suited for the ends of revelation. How 
 unwise is the indiscriminate x^iblication in bio- 
 graphies of all that good men have written or 
 spoken ! 
 
 2. (It is) the glory of God to conceal a thing— 
 
 to conceal His profound counsels and decrees 
 wherewith He governs all things (Rom. xi. 33). 
 He reveals enough of His blessed nature and 
 counsels for faith to rest upon, not to satisfy the 
 curiosity of irreverent self-conceit (Dent, xxix. 29). 
 He hath none to whom He is bound to render an 
 account of His ways. ' Hence appears the auda- 
 city of those who ijermit God to do nothing save 
 494 
 
 what falls under the comprehension of their petty 
 minds ; whereas He would not be God if His 
 counsels and works did not transcend human in- 
 telligence' {7\ Cartwright; Ps. Ixxvii, 19; xxxvi. 
 6), ' Rather stand on the shore and silently ad- 
 mire, than enter into the deep' (Leighton; 1 Pet, ii. 
 8). but the honour of kings is to search out a 
 matter — unlike God, who knows all things with- 
 out 'searching' (Ezek. iv. 15-19; v. 17; vi, 1), Con- 
 trast Job xi, 7-9, Kings must use all means to 
 search out a true policy, and to judge aright in 
 difficult cases; as Solomon did, 1 Ki. iii. 16-28; 
 cf. Job xxix, 16, Hence they were bound to write 
 out a copy of the law for their daily direction 
 (Deut, xvii. 18, 19). 3, The heaven for height . . 
 and the heart of kings is unsearchable. As 
 the height of heaven, and the depth of the earth, 
 so the heart of kings is unsearchable. Whereas 
 the king's honour is to search out many things ; 
 his own heart, or deeper counsels of state, cannot 
 be searched out by his subjects. The governed 
 must not 'speak evil of the things that they 
 understand not ' (2 Pet. ii, 10, 12 ; Jude 8, 10), 
 
 4, 5. the finer — the melter ; the goldsmith. 
 Take away the wicked (from) before the king. 
 Bad ministers and counsellors must be taken away 
 from the king if his throne is to ' be established in 
 righteousness;' just as the dross must be taken 
 from the gold, if a pure and shining vessel is to 
 come forth for the goldsmith. Impunity in evil 
 turns the moral silver itself into dross (Isa. i. 22), 
 
 6, Put not forth thyself in the presence of the 
 king. Do not magnify or glorify thyself before a 
 king (so the Hebrew), for kings like to shine alone 
 in their circle, and are impatient of others affect- 
 ing eminence beside them, and stand not in the 
 place of great men— taking a position which thou 
 hast no right to. 7. For better (it is) that it be 
 said unto thee, Come up hither (quoted in Luke 
 xiv. 8-10) than ... be put lower in the presence 
 of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.— i. e., 
 whom thou hast placed thyself unduly so near as 
 familiarly to see him. The nearer thou wast to 
 him (by thine arrogance) the greater the disgrace 
 of being put far from him, he looking on. Kings 
 in the East separate themselves far from even 
 those whom they admit into their presenca 
 
 8. Go not forth hastily to strive, lest (thou 
 
VJ avoiding quarrels 
 
 PROVERBS XXV. 
 
 and the causes thereof. 
 
 Lest thou hnow not what to do in the end thereof. 
 When thy neighbour hath put thee to shame. 
 9 Debate ^thy cause with thy neighbour himself. 
 And ^ discover not a secret to another ; 
 
 10 Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, 
 And thine infamy turn not away. 
 
 1 1 A word * fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. 
 
 12 As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold. 
 So is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear. 
 
 13 As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, 
 
 So is a faithful messenger to them that send him ; 
 For he refresheth the soul of his masters. 
 
 14 Whoso boasteth himself ^ of a false gift is /z^^ * clouds and wind without rain. 
 
 15 By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, 
 And a soft tongue breaketh the bone. 
 
 16 Hast thou found honey ? eat so much as is sufficient for thee. 
 Lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it. 
 
 17 ^Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; 
 Lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee. 
 
 18 A man that beareth -^false witness against his neighbour 
 Is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow. 
 
 B C. TOO. 
 
 i Matt. 5. 25. 
 Matt. 18. 15. 
 
 3 Ot. dia- 
 coTer not 
 the secret 
 of another. 
 
 4 spoken 
 upon his 
 wheels. 
 
 * in a 
 gift of 
 falsehood. 
 
 • Jude 12. 
 6 Or. Let 
 
 thy foot 
 
 be seldom 
 
 in thy 
 
 neigh- 
 bour's 
 
 house. 
 ^ full of 
 
 thee. 
 f Ps. 52. 2. 
 
 Ps. 56. 21. 
 
 Ps. 57. 4. 
 
 Ps. 120. 3, 
 4. 
 
 Jer. 9. 3, 8. 
 Jas. 3. 6. 
 
 know not) -what to do in the end— (cli. xvii. 14.) 
 Amaziah did not anticipate the shameful "end," 
 or he would not have gone forth hastily to 
 strive with Joash (2 Ki. xiv. 8-14). So Josiah 
 as to Pharaoh (2 Chr. xxxv. 20, 21-24). 9. De- 
 bate thy cause with thy neighbour (himself), 
 and discover not a secret to another. Even when 
 thy cause of debate is just, go and deal directly 
 with the princij)al, instead of 'discovering to an- 
 other' the offence which ought to be "a secret" 
 (Matt, xviii. 15). When third parties intervene, 
 the pride of the princiijal is roused not to yield. 
 So Abraham with Lot (Gen. xii. 6-9), and with 
 Abimelech (Gen. xxi. 25-32) ; Jepthah with the 
 King of Ammon (Judg. xi. 12-27). Do not blacken 
 your adversary's character to establish that you 
 are right in the quarrel. Mention only what is to 
 the point at issue ; not other things committed to 
 you as secrets, or which, however known, ought to 
 be kept secret. To tell one's own secrets is folly; 
 to tell our neighbour's secrets is treachery. Dis- 
 putants too often bring forward everything, how- 
 ever irrelevant. 10. Lest he that heareth (it) 
 (thee revealing thy neighbour's secret) put thee 
 to shame. The 'infamy' of a backbiter will 
 cleave to thy name, and secrets to thine own 
 "shame" will be disclosed in retaliation. 11. A 
 word fitly spoken— Hebrew, apoken upon its two 
 wheals; a word moving quickly on its wheels to 
 the end aimed at; the speaker commanding his 
 words with a happy adaptation to the circum- 
 stances and exigency, as a charioteer commands 
 his steeds. Gesenius takes it, ' A word spoken in 
 (according to) its due times:' time's revolution 
 being often compared to a revolving wheel. Maurer 
 accoimts for the dual, that the present time is the 
 turning point between two times, the past and the 
 future. The Hebrew for 'upon' [^p] may also 
 mean according to. (is like) apples of gold in pic- 
 tures of silver— apples of gold enclosed in settings 
 of silver ; the silver outside being figured with open 
 fillagree- work, through which the gold within shines 
 the more strikingly from its partial concealment 
 behind the .silver. Gejer takes it, literal golden 
 apples, or quinces, or citrons, attractive to the eye 
 495 
 
 by the colour, to the nose by the odour, to the 
 palate by the taste, served up in vessels of elabor- 
 ately figured silver {lit. , ' in figures of silver '). 12. 
 (As) an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine 
 gold, (so is) a wise reprover upon an obedient ear. 
 Wise and seasonable reproof is a precious jewel to 
 him who admits it. 13. As . . . snow in . . . 
 harvest, (so is) a faithful messenger . . . for he 
 refresheth the soul of his masters. As drink 
 cooled with snow refreshes the thirsty in harvest 
 heat, so a messenger that has faithfully executed 
 his commission relieves of anxiety the mind of the 
 master that has sent him (contrast ch. x. 26). 14. 
 Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift— raising 
 exijectations by promises which he never fulfills, 
 (is like) clouds and wind without rain. Clouds 
 and wind (the S. and W. winds) indicate rain. 
 If, notwithstanding, none comes, they deceive 
 hopes (1 Ki. xviii. 45). 15. By long forbearing is 
 a prince (whose anger is more violent and despotic) 
 persuaded— much more is a private individual, 
 a soft tongue breaketh the bone— breaketh a heart 
 hard as bone, (ch. xv. 1; Gen. xxxii. 4, &c.; Judg. 
 viii. 2, 3 ; 1 Sam. xxv. 24, &c. ) So Issachar 
 " crouching down " instead of kicking against the 
 "two burdens" (Gen. xlix. 14). 'It is a common 
 error that the shortest road to peace is to howl 
 with wolves, and give back curse for curse' {Cart- 
 wright). 16. Hast thou found honey? eat so 
 much as is sufl&cient for thee, lest thou be filled 
 therewith, and vomit it. Use lawful delights of 
 this world in moderation ; for immoderate use will 
 sicken thee spiritually (cf. the instance, v. 17). 
 ' Honey is to be tasted with the finger-end, not 
 with the hollow of the hand ' {Dionysius Milesius). 
 17. Withdraw (Hebrew, Make rare) thy foot from 
 thy neighbour's house ; lest he be weary of thee. 
 Do not make thyself too common, for things com- 
 mon are thought less of than things 'rare.' Do 
 not come at an unseasonable time, or to pry into 
 his family concerns, or to ask his help too often. 
 Not intimacy, but intrusiveness, is to be shunned. 
 ' How much better is God's friendship than man's ? 
 We are the more welcome to God the oftener we 
 come to Him ' {Cartwright). 18. a maul— a heavy 
 
1 
 
 PROVERBS XXVI. 
 
 Of amidhig 
 
 19 Confidence in an ^unfaithfiil man in time of trouble 
 Is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint. 
 
 2^ As he that talieth away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon 
 nitre, 
 
 ^ So is lie that singeth songs to an heavy heart. 
 
 21 If Hhine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; 
 And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink : 
 
 22 For thou slialt heap coals of fire upon his head, 
 ^ And the Lord shall reward thee. 
 
 23 ^Tlie north wind driveth away rain ; 
 
 So doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. 
 
 24 It is better to dwell in a corner of the house-top, 
 Than with a brawling woman and in a wide house. 
 
 2b As cold waters to a thirsty soul, — so is good news from a far country. 
 
 26 A righteous *man falling down before the wicked 
 Is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring. 
 
 27 It is not good to eat much honey; 
 
 So ^for men to search their own glory is not glory. 
 
 28 He tliat hath no rule over his own spirit 
 
 Is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. 
 
 26 AS snow in summer, and as rain in harvest ; 
 So honour is not seemly for a fool. 
 
 causes of quarrel. 
 
 " B. C. 700 
 
 " 2 Chr. 2 .20, 
 2i. 
 
 Job 6. H- 
 20. 
 
 Isa. 31. 1-3. 
 Isa. 36. 6. 
 Eze. 29. 7. 
 2 Tim. <. 
 16. 
 
 h Dan. 6. 18. 
 
 Horn. 12. 16. 
 < Matt. 6. 4i. 
 i 2 Sam. 16. 
 
 12. 
 0 Or. The 
 
 north 
 
 wind 
 
 bringeth 
 
 forth 
 
 rain: so 
 
 doth a 
 
 backbiting 
 
 tongue au 
 
 angry 
 
 counten- 
 ance. 
 
 J( b sr. 22. 
 fc Mic. 7. 8. 
 
 Matt. 26 69. 
 ' Ch. 27. 2. 
 
 Luke 14.11. 
 
 hammer or ra.ice used ia war (Jer. 1. 23, note; li. 
 20; Nah. ii. 1); lit., that which ftcatters in pieces 
 (cf. note, ch. xii. 18). 19. Confidence in an un- 
 faitMul man in time of trouble (is like) a broken 
 tooth— which has its place among the other teeth, 
 but which, when you want its help in mastication, 
 only gives yon pain instead of help. 20. (As) he 
 tliat taketh away a garment (an outer or upper 
 garment) in cold weather, (ani as) vinegar upon 
 nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heayy 
 heart. Nitre or natron (Hebrew, nether, fro'ii 
 naihar, to dissolve) is potash; this, mixed with oil, 
 was used as soap (Jer. ii. 22). Vinegar poured on 
 it causes it to effervesce and lose its force. As 
 the " nitre" takes ill the admixture of vinegar, as 
 opposed and alien to it, so joyous songs are incon- 
 gruous to an heavy heart (Ps. cxxxvii. 4 ; Dan. vi. 
 18). 21. If thine enemy be hungry, give him 
 bread. Quoted in E,om. xii. 29; Exod. xxiii. 4, 
 5; cf. Introduction to Poetical Books. 22. For 
 thou Shalt heap coals of fire upon his hsad— 
 melting him into sorrow, pain, and shame, at hav- 
 ing been thine enemy. Either he shall be like 
 wax melted by fire, or like clay hardened by it. In 
 either case, tlie Lord shall reward thee. Even if 
 thy lov^e fail to melt him, thy labour will not be 
 lost; it will redound to tliy good (cf. Ps. xxxv. 18; 
 Luke X. 5). 23. The north wind driveth away 
 rain ; so (doth) an angry countenance a backbit- 
 ing tongue. So Vulgate. The north wind usually 
 
 {>roduces fair weather (Job xxxvii. 22). The He- 
 )rew for "driveth away" {techo'eel) is, lit., to cause 
 to (/rieve, so to put to fiight But the Syriac and 
 Ohaldaic translate, as the Hebrew also means, to 
 give birth to (from the pain of childbirth): 'The 
 north wind bringeth forth, so (doth) a backbiting 
 tongue an angry countenance' — viz., on the part of 
 him so backi)itten towards the backbiter; also on 
 the part of thehearerof the secret slander towards 
 the object of the slander. The English version 
 
 fives an excellent idea: If you do not listen to, 
 ut frown on, the backbiter, you put him to 
 
 silence. The receiver of slanders gives impetus to, 
 and shares the guilt of, the slanderer (Rom. i. ,S2). 
 Backbiters would have no place if there were not 
 ears itching to hear their tales. 25. (As) cold 
 waters to (lit., upon; cf. Isa. xliv. 3) a thirsty 
 soul, so (is) good news from a far country— (cf. 
 V. 13.) Such were " the good tidings of great joy" 
 (Luke ii. 10) brought by the angels from heaven to 
 the shepherds. The exile hails with ra])ture the 
 good news from his distant country of permission 
 to return. Such is the effect of the Gospel mes- 
 sage when accepted by any sinner long exiled 
 from his Father's home. 26. A righteous man 
 falling down before the wicked (is as) a troubled 
 fountain. The righteous, in ceasing to reprove the 
 wicked through fear or favour, not only falls him- 
 self, bat injures others by his example. He who 
 had been before as a limpid fountain, or " well of 
 life" (ch. X. 11) for cleansing, refreshing, healing 
 others, now ceases to pour forth pure counsels. 
 Gejer takes it of the righteous falling by oppression 
 of the wicked. But the comparison to a corrupt 
 spring implies degeneracy rather than oppression. 
 27. (It is) not good to eat much honey {v. 16); 
 so (for men) to search their own glory (is not) 
 glory. Glory follows him that seeks it not. The 
 English version supplies " not " in the second 
 clause from the first, as often happens (cf. Ps. ix. 
 18). To be humble when glory unsought comes to 
 us, and to attribute all glory to God, is our wis- 
 dom. Cf. the awful warning (Acts xii. 23); also 
 Jesus' exam))le (John v. 30, 41, 44; xii. 43). 28. 
 He that (hath) no rule over his own spirit— (con- 
 trast eh. xvi. 32.) Rule over not only hastiness in 
 anger, but also over lusts, is implied. Prayerful, 
 watchful self-control is the wall of the city ; and 
 we should see that there is no breach made in it 
 by self-reliance or si>iritual indolence. 
 
 CHAP. XXVI. 1-28.— 1. As snow in summer, 
 and as rain in harvest (are unseasonable and 
 injurious to crops); so honour ... for a fool. God 
 so blessed the Holy Land that rain ia harvest 
 
 I 
 
Observations 
 
 PROVERBS XXVI. 
 
 about fools. 
 
 2 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, 
 So the curse causeless shall not come. 
 
 3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, — and a rod for the fool's back. 
 
 4 Answer "not a fool according to his folly, — lest thou also be like unto him. 
 
 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, — lest he be wise in ^ his own conceit. 
 
 6 He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool 
 Cutteth off the feet, and drinketh ^ damage. 
 
 7 The legs of the lame ^are not equal ; — so is a parable in the mouth of fools 
 
 8 *As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, 
 So is he that giveth honour to a fool. 
 
 9 xl5 a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, 
 So is & parable in the mouth of fools. 
 
 B. c. roo. 
 
 CHAP. 26. 
 " Isa. C6. 21. 
 Matt. 7. 0. 
 
 1 his own 
 eyes. 
 
 2 Or. 
 violence. 
 
 3 are 
 lifted up. 
 
 4 Or, As 
 he that 
 putteth 
 a pre 
 cious 
 stone in 
 an heip 
 of stones. 
 
 (June and July) was a thing unknown, save as a 
 miracle (1 Sam. xii. 17). Rain would have hin- 
 dered the gathering in of tlie fruits of the earth, 
 and the threshing which was done in the open air. 
 It is a great calamity when bad and foolish men 
 are appointed to posts of honour in Church and 
 State. 2. As tlie bird (or the sparrovj) by wan- 
 dering (or, is prone to wandering), as the swallow 
 by flying (or, is prone to flying), so the curse 
 causeless shall not come. 'As the bird wan- 
 dering, and the swallow flying' up and down, 
 never lights upon us, but quickly flies to the 
 winds, 'so the curse that is causeless' (?'. e.., for 
 which we have given no just cause) "shall not 
 come" to injure us. Balaam could not curse the 
 people whom God had blessed (Deut. xxiii. 5). 
 David was not hurt by Shimei's curse (2 Sam. xvi. 
 5-12) ; but was requited instead by God with good 
 (Ps. cix. 23). The Hebrew {deror) for "swallow" 
 means treedom, implying its free movements to 
 and fro. The Keri needlessly reads, 'shall come 
 to him^—i. e., shall recoil upon the curser [i?, for 
 ^^]. 3. A whip for the horse, a bridle for the 
 ass. So the Vulgate: but the Chaldaic, LXX., 
 Syriac, and Arabic translate, 'a spur for the ass.' 
 The Hebrew {netheg) commonly means a bridle; 
 and though we should say ordinarily, 'A whip for 
 the ass, a bridle for the horse,' yet in the style of 
 Proverbs one clause is to be supplied from the 
 ■vdier, A whip and a bridle for the horse and the 
 .s. As they need at one time the whip, at 
 liiother the bridle; so the "fool "needs "a rod 
 fur his back," to keep him from rushing into 
 sinful folly. Tlie ungodly are like " brute beasts " 
 (Ps. xxxii. 9; Jude 10; chs. x. 13; xix. 29). He 
 who will not heed words must heed strokes. 4. 
 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest 
 thou also be like unto him— by answering taunt 
 with taunt, angry sneer with sneer, folly with 
 folly. "Thou also," even thou, who by godly 
 wisdom art widely different, and raised far above 
 him. 6. Answer a fool according to his folly, 
 lest he be wise in his own conceit. The former 
 V. forbids to answer a fool foolishly : it is better 
 to be silent than so to answer him. If he be in a 
 frame plainly incapable of receiving a wise answer, 
 do not answer him at all (Isa. xxxvi. 21). But 
 where he needs to bo convicted of folly, lest he 
 
 §0 away with the notion of his own superior wis- 
 om, answer him so as to confute him. Unan- 
 swered words may be deemed unanswerable: 
 answer, then, not in folly, but to folly — the answer 
 which his folly requires. Cf. Jesus' silence and 
 His answer, in conformity with both precepts, . 
 Matt. xxvi. 62-64, before Caiaphas ; John xix. 
 9 11, before Pilate: Luke xxiii. 9, before Herod, 
 liegard to the dinereuce of times and circum- 
 voL. III. 497 
 
 stances harmonizes the seeming contrariety of 
 the two precepts. Discern the " time to keep 
 silence, and the time to speak" (Eccl. iii. 7). So 
 Jesus (Matt. xxi. 23-27 ; xxii. 46). Where it is 
 only thine own honour that is at stake, be silent 
 (as Moses meekly was when taunted by Aaron 
 and Miriam, Num. xii. 2-4) : when the glory of 
 God or the good of thy neighbour is involved, 
 speak. The reason added by Solomon draws the 
 distinction. Do not answer ivJmi thy answer xoill 
 make thee like the fool: answer thy silence loill 
 (ji'-e him a handle for self-conceit. 6. He that 
 sendeth a message by ... a fool cutteth off 
 the feet (of himself: i. e., deprives himself of the 
 power of motion and action ; thwarts himself, so 
 that he cannot succeed in his affairs), (and) drink- 
 eth damage - incurs an accumulation of damage 
 (cf. "drinketh," Job xv. 16; ch. iv. 17). The 
 "feet" represent a support, in Job xxix. 15. He 
 who sends a message by a fool deprives himself 
 of the support which a wise messenger w^ould 
 have afforded him. He deprives his message of 
 the support which it would have had if he had 
 gone on his own "feet." Not only so, but he 
 tills himself with damage, like a thirsty man 
 drinking poison eagerly, which he mistakes for 
 wholesome drink. As v. 4 taught not to answer 
 a Jool, so this v., not to address another through 
 a fool. What "damage" the hearers 'drink' 
 to whom the Gospel message is delivered by a 
 ministerial "fool!" (contrast 2 Cor. v. 20.) 7. 
 The legs of the lame are not equal from 
 n7n] — lit., rise up, or are elevated: one leg is 
 longer than the other; so a parable (a sententious 
 maxim) in the mouth of fools. The parable halts, 
 and is not consistent on all sides with itself, and 
 is still less so with the character of him who 
 speaks it. The parabolic style needs especial 
 acuteness: the fool has regard neither to the 
 time, nor place, nor sense, nor application, and 
 so misses the scope of the proverb which he 
 quotes (Ecclesiasticus xx. 20, 'A wise sentence 
 shall be rejected when it cometh out of a fool's 
 mouth, for he will not speak it in due season'). 
 8. As he that bindeth (hurleth, Maurer) a stone 
 in a sling, so (is) he that giveth honour to a 
 fool. The honour is thrown away that is given to 
 a fool. Ewald takes it as the English version, If 
 one hinds a stone in a sling, it becomes useless to 
 the slinger ; so honour attached to a fool. So the 
 LXX. The Vulgate gives the sense in the marg. 
 of the English version. But " a stone" can hardly 
 stand for a precious stone. The Chaldaic, Syriac, 
 and Arabic support the English version. 9. As a 
 thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, 
 80 lb a parable in the mouth of fools -as 1iq 
 2k 
 
I 
 
 Observations about sluggards PROVERBS XXVI. 
 
 and contentious busybodles. 
 
 10 ^The great God, that formed all things, 
 
 Both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors. 
 
 11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, — so a fool ^returneth to his folly. 
 
 12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit ? 
 There is more hope of a fool than of him. 
 
 13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way ; — a lion is in the streets. 
 14: As the door turneth upon his hinges, — so doth the slothful upon his bed. 
 
 15 The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom ; 
 
 ^It grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth. 
 
 16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit 
 Than seven men that can render a reason. 
 
 17 He that passeth by, a^^c? ^meddleth with strife belonging not to him, 
 Is like one tliat taketh a dog by the ears. 
 
 18 As a mad man, who casteth ^firebrands, arrows, and death, 
 
 19 So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour,— and saith, Am not I in sport ? 
 
 20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out; 
 
 So where there is no ^Halebearer, the strife ^2<5easeth. 
 
 21 ^5 coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; 
 So is a contentious man to kindle strife. 
 
 B. C 700. 
 
 * Or, A. 
 great 
 man 
 grieveth 
 all, and 
 he hireth 
 the fool, 
 he hireth 
 also 
 trans- 
 gressors. 
 
 6 Iterat- 
 eth his 
 folly. 
 
 I Or, 
 he is 
 weary. 
 
 8 Or, is 
 enraged. 
 
 9 flames, or, 
 sparks. 
 
 10 Without 
 wood. 
 
 II Or, whis- 
 perer. 
 
 12 is iilent. 
 
 knows not how to handle a thorn, and grasps it 
 as a stafif, whereas the sober take the precaution 
 of fencing themselves with iron in grasping it 
 (2 Sam. xxiii. 6, 7); so a sententious maxim is 
 hurtful to fools themselves, and to others, whilst 
 they improperly handle them, making it subserve 
 laughter and wantonness. 10. The great (God), 
 that formed all (things), both rewardeth the 
 fool and rewardeth transgressors— giving them 
 respectively their due punishment. J/aitm' takes 
 it, 'An archer (as the Hebrew, rah, means in Job 
 xvi. 13) wounding all, is both he who hires a fool 
 and he who hires those passing by ' indiscrimin- 
 ately. Gesenms takes it, ' The master (the master 
 artist) forms all things well; but if one (in that 
 position) hires a fool, he also hires transgressors.' 
 31 ercer, ' A great man (if he be a bad man) affects 
 all with pain, and gives hire to the fool, and gives 
 hire to transgressors ' to aid him in his tyranny. 
 The English version is simplest. H. As a dog 
 returneth to his vomit— quoted in 2 Pet. ii. 22, 
 and so stamped with inspired authority. As a 
 dog swallows again that which he has vomited, 
 (so) a fool returneth to his folly. A dog is 
 an unclean animal, and so is a fit image of the 
 fool, whose delight is in sin. Though the dog 
 has experienced the meat so unwholesome that 
 his stomach rejected it, yet, now that it has be- 
 come still more so by ex]iosure to sun and air, he 
 goes back to it ; so the fool. 12. Seest thou a 
 man wise in his own conceit? (there is) more 
 hope of a fool [kesil: here a dull man : negatively, 
 not positively and wilfully a fool) than of him. 
 Because there is some chance of one who is "a 
 fool " from natural infirmity receiving remedial 
 instruction, but no hope of a self- wise man doing 
 so. He who seems wise to himself is superlatively 
 unwise. Self-conceit is the bar to progress. 13. 
 (There is) a lion in the way. Energy soon puts 
 to flight such lions (ch. xxii. 18). 14. As the door 
 turneth upon his hinges, so (doth) the slothful 
 upon his bed. As the door moves round the 
 same centre, and cannot be separated from it. 
 It moves, indeed, but does not move forward. So 
 the slothful lies now on this side, now on that, 
 but will not be torn from his bed. 15. The sloth- 
 
 m 
 
 ful hideth his hand in his bosom ; it grieveth 
 him to bring it again to his mouth (note ch. 
 xix. 24). He won't take the slightest trouble for 
 the most necessary things. 16. The sluggard is 
 wiser in his own conceit than seven men [i. e., 
 than the totality of men; seven representing a com- 
 plete whole, V. 25) that can render a reason— i. e., 
 that show their wisdom in giving wise answers ; 
 than the whole range of wise men. The sluggard 
 thinks that he has found in his own indolent quiet 
 the sum of wisdom and happiness, and so that he 
 is wiser than all the wise who giye themselves so 
 much trouble in investigations and active employ- 
 ments. 17. He that passeth by, (and) raeddleth 
 with [or as the Hithpael of inJJ means (cf. marg.), 
 ' is in a transport of rage with '] strife (belonging) 
 not to him, (is like) one that taketh a dog by 
 the ears. Needless and uncalled for, and espe- 
 cially angry intermeddling with the quarrels of 
 others not only does no good, but brings mischief 
 on the meddler ; as if one caught a dog by the ears, 
 and so got himself bitten for his pains. On the 
 other hand, wise interposition as a mediator, for 
 the sake of peace, is altogether right. 18, 19. As 
 a mad (man), who casteth firebrands, arrows, 
 and death, so (is) the man (that) deceiveth his 
 neighbour, and saith. Am not I in sport? Cf. 
 2 Pet. ii. 13, "Sporting themselves with their 
 own deceivings." A lie in jest does mischief in 
 earnest. Such sport the believer feels is "not 
 convenient " (Eph. v. 4). It is the act of a "mad- 
 man " playing with deadly implements, with the 
 difference that the madman is not accountable ; 
 the jesting liar is (ch. x. 23). Much that the world 
 calls 'play' is deadly mischief (2 Sam. ii. 14). 20. 
 Where no wood is, (there) the fire goeth out; so 
 where (there is) no talebearer, the strife ceas- 
 eth (chs. xvi. 28; xviii. 8; xxii. 10). A "tale- 
 bearer," or ' whisperer,' secretly traduces his 
 neighbour, makes statements which either he or 
 some one else has invented, reveals what ought 
 not to be told, tells it to some one to whom 
 especially he ought not, and repeats words in a 
 different sense from that in which they were 
 originally spoken. 21. (As) coals (are) to burn- 
 ing coals, and wood to fire ; so (is) a contentious 
 
Observations on 
 
 PROVERBS XXVII. 
 
 self-love. 
 
 22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, 
 
 And they go down into the innermost parts of the belly, 
 
 23 Burning lips and a wicked heart 
 
 Are like a potsherd covered with silver dross. 
 
 24 He that hateth dissemble th with his lips. 
 And layeth up deceit within him ; 
 
 25 When he i^speaketh fair, believe him not: 
 For there are seven abominations in his heart. 
 
 2g iiJ Whose hatred is covered by deceit. 
 
 His wickedness shall be showed before the whole congregation, 
 
 27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein ; 
 
 And he that roUeth a stone, it will return upon him. 
 
 28 A lying tongue ^hateth those that are afflicted by it; 
 And a flattering mouth worketh ruin. 
 
 27 BOAST " not thyself of ^ to-morrow ; 
 
 For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. 
 
 2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth ; 
 A stranger, and not thine own lips. 
 
 3 A stone is ^ heavy, and the sand weighty; 
 But a fool's wrath is heavier than them both, 
 
 4 ^ Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; 
 But ^who is able to stand before *envy ? 
 
 5 Open "^rebuke is better than secret love. 
 
 B. C. 700. 
 
 18 ohambers. 
 
 14 Or. is 
 known. 
 
 15 maketh 
 his voice 
 gracious. 
 
 16 Or, 
 Hatred is 
 covered in 
 secret. 
 
 >> oh. 13. 6. 
 
 CHAP. 27. 
 " Luke 12.19. 
 2 Cor. 6. 2. 
 Jas. 4. 13. 
 
 1 to-morrow 
 day. 
 
 2 heavi- 
 ness. 
 
 3 Wrath is 
 cruelty, 
 and 
 anger 
 
 an over- 
 flowing. 
 ^ 1 John 3, 
 12. 
 
 4 Or. 
 jealousy. 
 
 " Lev. 1". ir. 
 oh. 28. 2 !. 
 Gal. 2. 11. 
 14. 
 
 man to kindle strife (chs. xv. 18 ; xxix. 22). 22. 
 (Xote, ch. xviii. 8.) 23. Burning lips (lips pro- 
 fessing buniiug love) and a wicked heart (under- 
 neath) (are like) a potsherd covered with silver 
 dross— a fragment of common earthenware covered 
 with silver full of dross. 24. He that hateth dis- 
 sembleth with [rather, as the Chaldaic and Vul- 
 gate, and as the Niphal voice requires, ' is known 
 by,' -ir:^] his lips, and layeth up deceit within 
 him. Translate as marg.. If you hear him speak- 
 ing for any length of time, his hatred will be 
 kmv)n, though he layeth up (studiously) deceit 
 within him, taking all pains to suppress its 
 manifestations. 25. When he speaketh fair, 
 (maketh his voice gracious) . . . (there are) seven 
 (i.e., the whole range of) abominations in his 
 heart— machinations of mischief. 26. (Whose) 
 hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall 
 be showed before the (whole) congregation. God 
 will so order it that his wickedness shall be ex- 
 posed before all, either now, or certainly at the 
 last judj^ment, when all 'covert hatred' shall be 
 disclosed. 27. Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall 
 therein (Ps. vii. 15, 10) ; and he that roUeth a 
 stone (with the intention of casting it on another), 
 it will return upon him. He who plots mischief 
 against another shall be overwhelmed by it him- 
 self. 28. A lying tongue hateth (those that are) 
 afflicted by it. 
 
 'Forgivonens to the injured doth belong; 
 He never pardons that hath done the wrong.' 
 
 So Amnon's hatred to Tamar after he had ruined 
 her (2 8am. xiii. .5-15). and a flattering mouth 
 worketh ruin (Ps. v. 9 ; x. 7-10). Satan's flatter- 
 ing lie, "Ye shall be as gods," worked ruin to 
 mankind at the first. So it has been ever since 
 (Gen. iii. 5 : clis. ii. 10 ; v. .3 ; vii. 5, 21). 
 CHAP. XXVn. 1-27.-1. Boast not thyself of 
 499 
 
 to-morrow (of what thou wilt do to-morrow) ; for 
 thou knowest not what a day may bring forth— 
 
 what event will happen on the morrow to pre- 
 vent thine intention. Events are called by the 
 Hebrews sons of time. Time brings them forth, as 
 the pregnant woman knows not whether her child 
 will be male or female, living or dead. 2. Let 
 another man praise thee ... a stranger, and 
 not thine own lips. Que might say as to v. 1, 
 Though I may not 'boast of to-morrow,' and of 
 what I shall do in it, surely I may boast of what 
 I have already done, Nay, thou shouldest not 
 boast of thine own doings at all, but leave it to 
 another, or even a stranger (who cannot be biased 
 in judgment by partiality), to praise thee. "A 
 stranger," if there were any reason to blame, 
 would not hesitate to do so. 3. A stone . . . the 
 sand ... a fool's wrath is heavier than them 
 both— both to himself and to others. Wrath is 
 madness, and the fool can set no bounds to it. 
 He has not a drop of the dews of the Spirit to 
 quench the flame. 4. Wrath (is) cruel [cruelty 
 itself), and anger (is) outrageous {overJiowi?ig, 
 like a torrent, unexpectedly, overwhelmingly, 
 powerfully, and dangerously, Nah. i. 8) ; but who 
 (is) able to stand before envy jealousij (ch. 
 vi. 34, 35). So the Chaldaic. The angry man 
 avows his anger ; the envious or jealous craftily 
 hides it till he gets his opportunity. The angry 
 may possibly be appeased in course of time; the 
 envious or jealous becomes only more exasperated. 
 Envy or jealousy penetrates more deeply, creeiis 
 slowly, and cannot be eradicated (Gejer). 5. Open 
 rebuke is better than secret love— is better than 
 tlie love which is hidden in the heart, and 
 does not perform the outward offices of love, 
 in aiding, amending, 'rebuking' a friend in 
 error, through fear of offending hira. "Open"— 
 i. e., outspoken; not necessarily public rebukg 
 
PROVERBS XXVII. 
 
 Of care to 
 
 6 Faithful are the *^wounds of a friend: 
 But the ^kisses of an enemy are ^deceitful. 
 
 7 The full soul ^loatheth an honey-comb : 
 
 But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. 
 
 8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest, 
 
 So is a man that wandereth from his place. 
 
 9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart; 
 
 So doth the sweetness of a man's friend ^by hearty counsel. 
 
 10 Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; 
 Neither go into tliy brother's house in the day of thy calamity : 
 For better is a neighbour that is near, than a brother far off. 
 
 11 My son, be wise, and" make my heart glad, 
 ^That I may answer him that reproacheth me. 
 
 12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: 
 But the simple pass on, and are punished. 
 
 13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, 
 And take a pledge of him for a strange woman. 
 
 14 He that blesseth his friend wit1i a loud voice, rising early in the morning, 
 It shall be counted a curse to him. 
 
 amid offences. 
 
 B. c. r. o 
 
 <* 2 Sam. 12.7. 
 
 Job 5.17.18. 
 
 rs. 111. 5. 
 
 Heb. 12. 10. 
 
 Eev. 3. 19. 
 ' 2Sam.20.9, 
 10. 
 
 Matt. 26.45?, 
 60. 
 8 Or, ear 
 
 nest, or, 
 
 frequent. 
 « treade h 
 
 ' under 
 
 foot. 
 / Gen. 4. 18. 
 
 Gen. 16. 6-8. 
 
 1 Sam. 22.5. 
 
 iSam. 2r.i. 
 
 1 Ki. 19. 9. 
 
 Neh. 6. U, 
 13. 
 
 ' from the 
 counsel 
 of the 
 soul. 
 
 I'S. UD. 42. 
 Ts. 127. 5. 
 
 (Matt, xviii. 15; ch. xxviii. 23). 6. Faithful 
 
 (marks of true kindness, aud for one's true good, 
 Ps. cxli. 5) are the wounds of (i. c, inflicted by) 
 a friend : but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. 
 So Jerome, the Vulgate, and Chaldaic ; but 
 Gescnius, as marg., ' frequent,' many : for the kisses 
 of an enemy, we need hardly be told, are deceitful. 
 But the warning- in the English version is needful, 
 as one might forget that kisses may be given, and 
 yet all the while be tokens not of love, bnt of 
 treachery. On the other hand, an enemy does not 
 always give many kisses: Judas gave only one. 
 But his kisses are always " deceitful "—lit., bland, 
 appeased [the Nix)hal, from "inu, to please, to pray\ 
 
 7. loatheth— , 'treadeth under foot' (Mic. v, 5, 
 6). but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is 
 sweet~(Job vi. 7; Luke xv. 10, 17.) So those 
 who are "full" of spiritual privileges often 
 "loathe" or make light of then, because of their 
 commonness, wliilst ' hungering souls ' relish as 
 sweet the Uospel feast, though they must first eat 
 the " bitter herbs " of self-renunciation and peni- 
 tence (Exod. xii. 8 ; Matt. v. 6). The elder brother, 
 the Jew, full of home i)rivileges murmured; the 
 younger brother, the hungry prodigal, keenly 
 enjoyed the fatted calf (Luke xv. 23-32). Good 
 ap])etite is one of the compensations of i^overty. 
 Israel, when fed ' to the full,' loathed " angel's 
 food" as "light bread" (Ps. Ixxviii. 25; Num. xi. 
 20). Fulness of bread begets bad appetite, especi- 
 ally in spiritual things (Luke vi, 25; Rev. iii. 17). 
 
 8. As a bird that wandereth from her nest, (so 
 is) a man that wandereth from his place. The 
 bird, by needless wanderings, is in danger of 
 losing her nest and her young: she is safe only 
 by keeping to her nest. So a man, leaving his 
 I)iace or sphere without the plain call of Provi- 
 dence (Gen. xii. 1-10; xlv. 17-20; xlvi.), is endan- 
 gering himself. Israel lost nothing by delay, and 
 "keeping the charge of the Lord, and not jour- 
 neying" when the cloud abode in the tabernacle 
 (JMum. ix. 17-23). The restless man carries the 
 root ©f discontent with him wherever he goes. 
 He who, when he meets any discomfort where he 
 is, or &ec3 any advantage elsewhere, leaves his 
 
 place, generally meets greater evils where he 
 goes, either temporally or spiritually, or both. 
 Tossing to and fro is the mark of disease: quiet 
 composure and contentment, of soundness (1 Cor. 
 vii. 24). Dinah was safe until she "went out to 
 see the daughtei-s of the land" (Gen. xxxiv. 1; 
 1 Tim. v. 13). 9. so (doth) the sweetness of a 
 man's friend by hearty counsel— ' by counsel of the 
 soul:' i. e., sincere counsel, especially in afMiction, 
 when the sufferer's judgment is clouded hy grief ; 
 whilst the faithful friend standing by has a clearer 
 perception of what ought to be done. 10. Thine 
 own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not ; 
 neither go into thy brother's house in the day of 
 thy calamity. A sincere friend is to be preferred 
 in adversity to a brother that is not a true friend 
 (ch. xviii. 24). Joseph found more kindness with 
 strangers than with his brethren. Jonathan's 
 friendship afforded David a sympathy which his 
 own brethren did not. Kehoboam's forsaking his 
 "father's friends" cost him the most of his king- 
 dom (1 Ki. xii. 6-8). Solomon remembered his 
 father's charge, "My son, know thou the God of 
 tJty fathers" (1 Chr. xxviii. 9; cf. Jacob's words, 
 Gen. xlviii. 15, 16). This is the Friend "better 
 than a brother," for He is ever near in love and 
 in presence, (for) better (is) a neighbour (that 
 is) near, than a brother far oflE. A neighbour 
 near in heart, as well as in locality, is better than 
 a brother as far off in love as he is in distance. 
 11. My son, be wise . . . that I may answer him 
 that reproacheth me— as though my son were a 
 fool, or one badly reared. Ungodly children are 
 a great 'reproach' before the world to their 
 parents. Such were Eli's sons to him (1 Sam. ii. 
 17, 23, 24). They disqualify a minister for useful- 
 ness (1 Tim. iii. 4, 5). 12. Note, ch. xxii. 3. 13. 
 Note, ch. XX. 16. 14. He that blesseth his friend 
 with a loud voice (with grandiloquent words and 
 loud emphasis), rising early in the morning, it 
 shall be counted a curse to him— it shall be 
 counted to the flatterer all the same as if be 
 cursed his friend (cf. ch. xxvi. 25). "Early in 
 the morning" irax^lies the affected assiduity of the 
 flatterer (ch. viiL 34; Jer. xxv. 3, 4). The exag- 
 
PROVERBS XXVII. 
 
 Observations of 
 
 15 A continual dropping iu a very rainy day and a contentious woman are 
 
 alike. 
 
 16 Wliosoever hideth her hideth the wind, 
 
 And the ointment of his right hsind, which bewrayeth itself. 
 
 17 Iron sharpeneth iron ; — ^so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. 
 
 18 Whoso 'Mceepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof; 
 So he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured. 
 
 19 As in water face answer eth to face, — so the heart of man to man. 
 
 20 Hell *and destruction are ^never full; 
 So the eyes of man are never satisfied. 
 
 21 As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold;. 
 So is a man to his praise. 
 
 22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, 
 Yet will not his foolishness depart from him. 
 
 23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks. 
 And ^look well to thy herds : 
 
 household care. 
 
 24 
 
 For riches are 
 generation ? 
 
 not for ever: and doth the crown endure ^^to every 
 
 B. c. foo. 
 
 Gen. 33. 4. 
 Deut. 20. 6. 
 1 Ki. 11. 28. 
 cli. 13. 24. 
 Cli. 2-'. 20. 
 1 Cor. 3. 8. 
 1 Cor. 9. 7, 
 13. 
 
 i ch. 30. 15, 
 16. 
 
 Hab. 2. 5. 
 
 8 not. 
 
 9 set thy 
 heart. 
 Ex. 7. 23. 
 ch. 10. 4. 
 ch. 12. 27. 
 ch. 13. 4, 
 ch. l\. 5. 
 Eom. 12.11. 
 
 lOstrci.-gth. 
 
 11 to genera- 
 tion and 
 genera- 
 tion. . 
 
 gerated praise and compliment engender sus- 
 picion of sinister motives. 15. Ch. xix. 13. 16. 
 Whosoever Mdeth her (striveth to hide or keep 
 her back) hideth the wind (which only howls the 
 more that it is pent up), and the ointment of his 
 right hand, (which) bewrayeth (itself). He does 
 the same as if he tried to hide the odorous oil 
 wherewith he has anointed his right hand, which 
 betrays itself (lit., cries out) by the smell. MoMrer 
 translates, 'And his right hand crieth out for 
 ointment'— viz., to heal the scratches which his 
 right hand gets from her in trying to hide or 
 restrain her. I prefer tlie English version. The 
 crylnrj out of the ointment evidently answers to 
 the clamour of "the contentious vi'onian." It is 
 as impossil)!c to stitie one as the other. She is as 
 closely joined to" her husband as the ointment to 
 the right hand on which it is. She bewrays her- 
 self by bawling, as the ointment does by its odour. 
 Beware of choosing a wife for her mere beauty or 
 wealth ; for if she be contentious, the evil is not 
 easily remedied. 17. Iron sharpeneth iron (Eccl. 
 X. 10); so a man sha.rpeneth the countenance of 
 his friend— i. c, sharpeneth themiwi of his friend, 
 80 that the countenance expresses it; by mutual 
 intercourse and instruction ; by the communion of 
 fiaints. The countenance brightens up in meeting 
 intelligent friends, who sharpen the intellect and 
 warm the heart (Job iv. 3, 4). So Jarchi Aben- 
 E.ra refers it to anger : ' So a man (by his passion) 
 sharpeneth the countenance (i. e., the anger) of 
 another' (cf. Job xvi. 9). I prefer the English 
 version. "I'he very siglit of a good man deliglits' 
 [Seneca). (Eccl. iv. 9-12.) 18. Whoso keepeth the 
 fig tree (from injury or theft) shall eat the fruit 
 thereof ; so he that waiteth on his master shall 
 be honoured -(John xii. 2(>.) If even he who 
 kc^jps a fig tree is rewarded with a share of its 
 fruits, surely he that has the more honourable 
 office of waiting on his master shall be honoured 
 by that master. 19. As in water face (answereth) 
 to face, so the heart of man to man. The same 
 face which you show to the water, it reflects back 
 to you : smile on it, it will smile on you; frown on 
 it, it will frown on you: so as your heart (ex- 
 hibited by manner, word, and deed) is to another, 
 his heart is toward you : if your heart be kind, 
 his is kind, and conversely. Thus your heart ia 
 601 
 
 a kind of mirror of your neighbour's : you can 
 judge of his by your own ; for your feeling be- 
 traying itself by word and manner, cannot fail to 
 produce similar feelings in him. 20. Hell and 
 destruction (note, ch. xv. 11) are never full; so 
 the eyes of man are never satisfied— (Eccl. i. 8; 
 iv. 8; ch. xxx. 16.) 21. (As) the fining pot (cruc- 
 ible) for silver (note, ch. xvii. 3) ... so is a 
 man to [according to ; Hebrew, lephi) his praise. 
 As fire shows the purity, or else impurity of silver, 
 so does praise show the virtue, or else the vanity 
 of the man, according as he is puffed up or humble 
 under it. The believer transfers the praise from 
 himself to God. The unbeliever, like Herod (Acts 
 xii.), takes it to himself to his own hurt. Gesenius 
 takes the " man " to be " the fining pot," or cruci- 
 ble, and " his praise " the metal to be tried by him. 
 ' What a crucible is to silver, that let a man be to 
 the mouth that praises him.' Let him examine the 
 ]iraise carefully, seeing the quantity of dross that 
 cleaves to the praises which others -bestow, by the 
 standard of his conscience and the Word of God 
 (cf. Rom. ii. 29; 2 Cor. x. 18). But men are gener- 
 ally the ' silver and gold ' to be tested (ch. xvii. 3 ; 
 
 1 Pet. i. 7) : "praise" is the crucible and the fur- 
 nace. 22. Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a 
 mortar among wheat with a pestle, (yet) will not 
 his foolishness depart from him— lit., yrom upon 
 him ;' like the husk upon a grain of wheat which 
 is hard to remove, so a fool's folly which cleaves 
 closely to him by nature and long habit (Jer. xiii. 
 23). The bruising in the mortar of trial fails to re- 
 form him. So Ahaz, 2 Chr. xxviii. 22; Judah, 
 Isa. i. 5, 6 ; ix. 1.3. The patience of the corrector 
 is only tried, without good to the corrected. 
 
 23. Be thou diligent to know the state (lit., the 
 face) of thy flocks. Shepherds so exactly knew the 
 face of their sheep that they called them by name 
 (John X. 3). Pastors of Christ's llock should "look 
 well " to them in person, and not think to discharge 
 their duty by de])uty. 24. For riches are not for 
 ever— therefore they are not to be depended on cO 
 the neglect of thy flocks. Israel's chief wealth was 
 herds and flocks ; so that great men did not think 
 them beneath inspection in person (Gen. xxx. 32- 
 42; xxxi. 38-40; xxxiii. 13; 1 Chr. xxvii. 29; and 
 
 2 Chi', xxvi. 10). and doth the crown (endure) to 
 evory generation? Honours, however great, ac- 
 
Of impiety 
 
 PROVERBS X^VIII. 
 
 and religious integrity^ 
 
 25 The hay appeareth, and the tender grass showeth itself, 
 And herbs of the mountains are gathered. 
 
 26 The lambs are for thy clothing, — and the goats are the price of the field, 
 
 27 And thou shalt ham goats' milk enough for thy food, 
 For the food of thy household, 
 
 And for the ^^maintenance for thy maidens. 
 
 28 THE wicked flee when no man pursueth : 
 But the righteous are bold as a lion. 
 
 2 For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof : 
 
 But ^by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be 
 prolonged. 
 
 3 A '"poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain ^ which 
 
 leaveth no food. 
 
 4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked : 
 *But such as keep the law contend with them. 
 
 5 Evil men understand not judgment : 
 
 But they '^that seek the Lord understand all things, 
 
 6 Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, 
 Than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich. 
 
 7 Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son : 
 
 But he that ^ is a companion of riotous men shameth his father. 
 
 B. c Too. 
 
 12 life. ' 
 
 CHAP. 2S. 
 
 1 Or, by men 
 of under- 
 standiDg 
 and wis- 
 dom shall 
 they like- 
 wise be 
 prolonged. 
 1 Ki. 11. 12. 
 
 " Matt. 18.28. 
 
 2 without 
 food. 
 
 * 1 Sam 15. 
 
 14, 24. 
 1 Ki. 18. 10. 
 1 Ki. 20. 41, 
 
 42. 
 
 Neh. 5. r. 
 Acts 15. 2. 
 Matt. 3. 7. 
 Matt. 14. ■}. 
 £ph. 6. 11. 
 1 Tim. 5.20. 
 « John 7. 17. 
 
 3 Or, feedeth 
 glu tons. 
 Eccl. 2. 26. 
 
 companying riches are not enduring; therefore in- 
 dustry must not be slackened, if thou wouldest 
 retain permanent respectability. 25. The hay ap- 
 peareth, and the tender grass showeth itself (after 
 the hay), and herbs of the mountains are gathered 
 — (Ps. cxlvii. 8.) You need have no great toil in 
 getting food for your flocks, for it grows spontane- 
 ously ; and the pastures are open to all. Not only 
 in the valleys, but also on "the mountains ;" only 
 you must gather it at the proper time. 26. The 
 lambs (are) for thy clothing— with their tieeces. 
 and the goats (are) the price of the field— you can 
 buy the field with the price got by selling them 
 (Ezek. xxvii. 21). You can more readily do with- 
 out the he-goats than without the sheep or the she- 
 goats. 27. goats' milk enough for thy food, &c. 
 The flocks and herds supplied all their needs in 
 those days, without superfluous luxuries. 
 
 CHAP. XXVIII. 1-28.— 1. The wicked flee 
 (singular noun with plural verb: they all fiee as one 
 man) when no man pursueth— through the stings 
 of conscience, so that " the sound of a shaken leaf 
 shall chase them" (Lev. xxvi. 17,36; Deut. xxviii. 
 7 ; Ps. liii. 5). but the righteous are (plural noun 
 with singular verb, tJiey are each individually) bold 
 as a lion— even when many men assail them, 
 through a good conscience and trust in the Lord 
 (Ps. cxxv. 1, 2). 2. For the transgression of a 
 land many (are) the princes thereof (there is a con- 
 stant succession of princes, 1 Ki. xvi. 21-28 ; 2 Ki. 
 XV. 8-30) : but by a man of understanding (and) 
 knowledge the state (thereof) shall be prolonged. 
 The Hebrew [j.?] hardly bears the sense "the 
 state;" it usually means 'so:' translate 'so (and 
 ill no other way, the prince's reign) shall be pro- 
 longed.' Frequent changes of princes are detri- 
 mental to the people, and cause disorders, tumults, 
 and oppression. " A man " stands collectively for 
 'men' — i.e., the people generally, answering to 
 " a land " in the parallel clause. If " a man " were 
 used for one man, whether a subject or the prince, 
 distinguished by " understanding," not the general 
 term adam, but the special term for an excellent 
 man, ish, would have been used. As by the 
 502 
 
 "transgression of a land " its princes are continu- 
 ally changed, so by the "understanding and 
 knowledge "—that is, the piety of the same (the 
 people of the "land") — each prince's reign "shall 
 be prolonged." So Gejer, Maurer, &c. 3. A poor 
 man {geber: a tyrant, a man of might) that op- 
 presseth the poor is like a sweeping rain, which 
 leaveth no food. Needy himself, he sweeps away 
 the little food left to the poor by richer oppressors. 
 There are no such hard tyrants as poor ones when 
 they get an opportunity of enriching themselves 
 at the expense of those poorer than themselves. 
 A sponge that is dry sucks strongly; that which is 
 well soaked ceases to suck. So the rich are more 
 merciful than poor oppressors. Kain ought to 
 fertilize the soil; but a sweeping rain carries 
 away, or else causes the seed to rot. The poor, 
 when elevated, ought to compassionate and relieve 
 those whose misery they know by experience. 
 When they do not so, they are the most merciless 
 of oppressors. 4. They that forsake the law 
 praise the wicked— naturally, as resembling them- 
 selves. By praises of the wicked one betrays 
 what kind of man he is himself (E,onx i. 32 ; Ps. 
 X. 3). but such as keep the law contend with 
 them-(Neh. xiii. 17; Eph. v. 11.) The truly 
 godly not only keep God's law, but " contend with 
 them " who do not, and ' plead for truth ' (Isa. lix. 
 4). 5. judgment— justice, they that seek the 
 Lord understand all (things)— (Deut. iv. 6 ; 1 Cor. 
 i. 15 ; 1 John ii. 20, 27. ) " All things " appertaining 
 to their duty and to their blessedness in this world 
 and in the world to come. 6. Better is the poor 
 that walketh in his uprightness (ch. xix. 1; v. 
 18) than (he that is) perverse (in his) ways (lit, 
 in two ways: dual) though he (be) rich— than one 
 perversely halting between ' two ways,' and acting 
 as if he could walk in the right and the wrong 
 way at once (1 Ki. xviii. 21; Matt. vi. 24). ' Woe 
 be to the sinner that goeth two ways ' (Ecclesiasti- 
 cus ii. 12). 7. Whoso keepeth the law is a wise 
 son [and gladdens his father): but he that is a com- 
 panion of riotous men shameth his father— being 
 an unwise son. Bad companionship is opposed to 
 
Of impiety 
 
 PROVERBS XXVIII. 
 
 and religious integrity. 
 
 8 He that by usury and * unjust gain increaseth his sub&tance^ 
 He shall gather it for him that v/ill pity the poor. 
 
 9 He '^that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, 
 *Even his prayer shall he abomination. 
 
 10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way. 
 He shall fall himself into his own pit : 
 
 ■^But the upright shall have good things in possession. 
 
 11 The rich man is wise ^in his own conceit; 
 
 But the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out. 
 
 12 AVhen righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory : 
 But when the wicked rise, a man is ^hidden. 
 
 13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: 
 
 But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. 
 
 14 Happy is the man that feareth alway : 
 
 But he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief. 
 
 15 As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; 
 
 So ^ is a wicked ruler over the poor people. 
 
 1ft The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: 
 But he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days. 
 
 17 A man that doeth violence to the blood of ar,y person 
 Shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him. 
 
 keeping the law. The law makes wise by illumiD- 
 ating the understanding (2 Tim. iii. 15, 16) and 
 guiding the will (Deut. xvii. 19; Ps. cxix. 9). Boon 
 companionship is the snare of youth, because of 
 the love of pleasure so common to the young 
 (Luke XV. 13 : cf. ch. xiii. 20). 8. Ch. xiii. 22, end ; 
 Eccl. ii. 26 ; J ob xxvii. 16, 17. usury and unjust 
 gain. " Usury," from a root to bite {neshek, from 
 nashak) : of a severer kind. " Unjust gain " — lit., 
 increase, multiplication of the principal (tharbith) : 
 of a milder kind, (Lev. xxv. 85, &c. ) 9. He that 
 turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even 
 his prayer shall he abomination— (Zech. vii. 11; 
 Acts vii. 57, on the first clause ; ch. xv, 8 ; Ps. cix. 
 7, on the last). He who will not hear does not 
 deserve to be heard. 10. Whoso causeth (or tries 
 to cause) the righteous to go astray in an evil 
 way, he shall fall himself into his own pit (ch. 
 XX vi. 27); but the upright (who do not let themselves 
 be seduced into "an evil way") shall have good 
 things in possession. Not only shall they not fall 
 into the pit laid for them, but shall have every 
 blessing. 11. The rich man is wise in his own 
 conceit; but the poor that hath understanding 
 searcheth him out. Parasites and his own vanity 
 may make the rich man mistake the flattery that he 
 receives as due to his wisdom, and not merely to 
 his riches. But the poor man who hath the 
 spiritual understanding which discriminates be- 
 tween the true and the false riches, ' searcheth 
 out ' his x>retensions to wisdom, and disproves 
 them (ch. xviii. 17 ; Job xxxii. 9; Ezek. xxviii. 2-4). 
 Naaman's servants 'searched him out' (2 Ki. v. 
 13); the blind man, the Pharisees (John ix. 30- 
 34). 12. When righteous men do rejoice (prosper), 
 there is great glory. All things are in great glory, 
 the worship of God, justice, order, joyful content- 
 ment, and peace flourish (Esth. viii. 15-17). but 
 when the wicked rise (are exalted), a man is hid- 
 den. Men hide themselves {v. 28; chs. xxix. 2; 
 xi. 10)— viz., through fear of oppression, instead of 
 the " glory " of a flourishing population. The 
 good especially, who are the true "glory" of a 
 state, are "hidden" "when the wicked rise" 
 503 
 
 B. c. m. 
 
 4 by 
 increase. 
 
 d Isa.l. 16,10. 
 Isa. 68. 7. 
 11. 
 
 Zech. 7. 11, 
 13. 
 
 2 Tim 4. 3. 
 * Ps. 66. 18. 
 Ps. 109. 7. 
 Luke 13.25, 
 27. 
 
 / Deut. 7. 12, 
 14. 
 
 Ps. 34. 9, 10. 
 Ps. 37. 11. 
 Matt. 6. 33. 
 Mark 10.30. 
 Luke 18. 29. 
 30. 
 
 Kom. 8 32. 
 1 Cor. 3. 22. 
 
 5 in his eyes. 
 
 6 Or, sought 
 for. 
 
 g Ex. 1. 14, 
 16. 
 
 1 Sam. 22. 
 17, 19. 
 Matt. 2. 10. 
 
 (1 Ki. xvii. 2, 3; xviii. 4; xix. 1-6). 13. He that 
 covereth his sins (by denying or extenuating them, 
 1 Sam. XV. 20, 21) shall not prosper. ' To hide a 
 sin with a lie is like a crust of leprosy drawn over 
 an ulcer ' { Jeremy Taylor). Many cover them 
 by laying? the blame on others (C4en. iii. 12, 13 ; 
 Ezek. xviii. 2). Many plead, ' I am not the only 
 one, or the first one who did it, and I shall not 
 be the last.' Contrast Acts xix. 18. but whoso 
 confesseth and forsaketh (them) (not returning 
 like a dog to his vomit, 2 Pet. ii. 22) shall have 
 mercy. The sincerity of the confession is proved 
 by a man's forsaking his sins (Job. xxxiv. 31, 32). 
 Tiien mercy is sure (Ps. xxxii. 5; 1 John i. 8-10). 
 14. Happy is the man that feareth alway— in 
 prosperity as well as adversity (ch. xiv. 10). 
 " Feareth " to offend God ; not slavish, but filial 
 fear; not linked with anxiety, doubt, or distrust 
 as to the reality of grace received (1 John iv. 18). 
 Reverential caution as to sin, joined with love to 
 God, ox)posed to the rashness and hardening of the 
 hei\rt whereby sinners make light of sin, and trust 
 in their own righteousness (Ezek. xxxiii. 13). but 
 he that hardeneth his heart (against the Lord's 
 precepts, threats, and promises, and the inward 
 motions of the Spirit, under a false notion as to the 
 patience and mercy of God) shall fall into mis- 
 chief. So Pharaoh, Exod. xiv. 5-8, 23-31. 15. a 
 ranging bear—" ranging" to and fro with hunger, 
 so is a wicked ruler over the poor people— whom 
 he knows he can oppress with impunity, as they 
 cannot resist. 16. The prince that wanteth un- 
 derstanding (is) also a great oppressor (and 
 therefore shall not prolong his days): (but) he that 
 hateth covetousness (and therefore does not op- 
 press his people with exactions) shall prolong his 
 days. So the Keri ; but the Ketib, ' they that 
 hate,' &c. 17. A man that doeth violence to (or 
 else, that is oppressed — burdened vAfh) the blood of 
 (any) person (Hebrew, a soul ; Jer. ii.' 34) shall flee 
 to the pit — lashed by the scourges of corrscience 
 Gen. ix. 4, 5). He shall, like Cain, wander to and 
 ro, until, wearied of life, he casts himself into dan- 
 gers, let no man stay him. This is an exception 
 
1 
 
 Of impiety 
 
 PROVERBS XXIX. 
 
 and religious integrity. 
 
 18 Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved : 
 
 But he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once. 
 
 19 He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: 
 
 But he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough. 
 
 20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: 
 
 But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be ^ innocent. 
 
 21 To have respect of persons is not good ; 
 
 For, for '^a piece of bread that man will transgress. 
 
 22 ^ He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, 
 
 And considereth not that poverty shall come upon him. 
 
 23 He that rebuketh a man, 
 
 Afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue. 
 
 24 Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression ; 
 The same is the companion of ^a destroyer. 
 
 25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife : 
 
 *But he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat. 
 
 26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool : 
 But whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. 
 
 27 He -^that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: 
 
 But he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse. 
 
 28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: 
 But when they perish, the righteous increase. 
 
 29 HE ^ that, being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, 
 Shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. 
 
 B C TOD. 
 
 f Or. un- 
 punished. 
 
 * l£ze. 13. 19. 
 Hos. 4. 18. 
 Mic. 3. 6. 
 Wic. 7. S. 
 Eom. 10. la 
 2 Pet. 2. 3. 
 
 8 Or. He that 
 bath an 
 evil eye 
 has^elb to 
 be rich. 
 
 » a man de- 
 stroying. 
 
 < Ps. 81. 12. 
 J( r. 17. 7,8. 
 1 Tim. 6. 6. 
 
 i Deut. 16. r, 
 1'). 
 
 Ps. 41. 1, 3. 
 ch. 19. 17. 
 cb. 2 . 9. 
 
 CHAP. 29. 
 1 A man of 
 reproofs. 
 Zech. 1. 3, 
 6. 
 
 Watt. 28.21- 
 25, 
 
 John 6. 70. 
 John I.-^.IO. 
 Acts 1. 18, 
 25. 
 
 to cIj. xxiv. 11, on the ground stated in Num. xxxv. 
 33, 34; Ps. cix. 7. Maurer translates, 'fearing 
 lest men apprehend hitn.' But the Hebrew nega- 
 tive, al, expresses best a prohibition. 18. he that 
 is perverse in his ways (cf. note, v. 6, 'in two 
 ways') shall fall at once— so as not to rise again. 
 There shall be no need of a second fall (1 Sam. 
 xxvi. 8). Gejer translates, ' shall fall in one of 
 them' — in one of the two ways. 19. Ch. xii. 11, 
 note. The follower of "vain persons," instead of 
 " plenty of bread," shall have "poverty enough." 
 20. A faithful (sincere and honest) man shall 
 abound with blessings— prayed in his behalf by 
 numbers; or, 'with the blessings of prosperity' 
 conferred by God. hut he that maketh haste to 
 be rich (and that is therefore unfaithful and dis- 
 honest) shall not he innocent— and shall not be 
 treated as such ; he shall not be 'unpunished with 
 curses from God. 21. To have respect of persons 
 is not good— (note, chs. xxiv. 23; xviii. 5.) for, 
 for a piece of bread that man will transgress. 
 The judge who at first was induced only by a great 
 price to transgress by favouring one side, through 
 the habit of sinning comes at last to do so for a 
 mere trifle. 22. He that hasteth to he rich {v. 20) 
 (hath) an evil eye— a grudging illiberal eye (ch. 
 xxiii. 6). and considereth hot (that instead of be- 
 coming really rich, the result of his haste to be rich 
 by all means, fair or foul, will be) that poverty 
 shall come upon him— (?;. 8; Job xxvii. 16, 17.) 
 Sometimes in this life " i)overty " comes by a sud- 
 den reverse on him who unduly "hasteth to be 
 rich ;" at all events at death he is stripped of all 
 his riclies, and everlasting " poverty " of all that 
 iis good becomes l is doom. 23. He that rebuketh 
 a man, afterwards [when tlie rebuked man shall 
 find that the rebuke was for his good. But the 
 Hebrew, ^DD.t*, commonly means *after me' — i.e., 
 after my example and precept. Others read '"m 
 504 
 
 Maurer thinks both to mean the same, adverbially] 
 shall find more favour than he that flattereth 
 with the tongue— not to the good, but to the in- 
 jury of the person so flattered. 24. Whoso robbeth 
 "his father . . . and saith, (It is) no transgression 
 (because I should succeed to the pro])erty at his 
 death, and my parents 'do not give me enough), 
 the same is the companion of a destroyer. Hav- 
 ing cast ofi all reverence for parents, and stealing 
 from those to whom he ought to give, he is on a 
 level with the most abandoned (Dent, xxi. 18-21). 
 25. He that is of a proud heart (Hebrew, soul; ch. 
 xxi. 4; aud therefore trusteth in himself) stirreth 
 up strife (ch. xiii. 10; and shall^be made lean 
 spirituall}'-, and often even in temj)oral goods): 
 but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall he 
 made fat— (ch. xvi. 20.) The fountain of pride is 
 trust in self and unbelief towards the Lord (v. 
 26); the fountain of humility is "trust in the 
 Lord." 26. He that trusteth in his own heart 
 (yielding to his own will and impulses, chs. iii. 5, 
 7; xxiii. 4; Hos. x. 13; and so walketh unwisely) 
 is a fool (and shall be destroyed): but whoso 
 walketh wisely (by trusting not in his own heart, 
 but in the Lord, v. 2o), he shall he delivered— 
 from all dangers. 27. He that giveth unto the 
 poor shall not lack (chs. xix. 17; xxii. 9; but 
 shall have many a blessing); but he that hideth 
 his eyes (from the poor in their distress ; cf. Isa. 
 Iviii. 7) shall have many a curse— not only from 
 men, but also from God (ch. xxi. 13). The natural 
 man fears that he will be in want by giving. The 
 reverse is the truth. Alfonso, Ki ng of Sicily, when 
 asked what he kept for himself, since he gave away 
 so much— '1 keep,' said he, ' wh.at I give ; the rest 
 I do not count mine.' 28. When the wicked rise, 
 men hide themselves— (note, v. 12; chs. xi. 10; 
 xxix. 2.) 
 
 CHAP. XXIX. 1-27.— 1. hardeneth Ma neck, 
 
Of public and 
 
 PEOVERBS XXIX. 
 
 private government. 
 
 2 When the righteous are ^'m authority, the people rejoice: 
 But when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. 
 
 3 Whoso "loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: 
 
 But he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance, 
 
 4 The king by judgment establisheth the land : 
 But ^he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it. 
 
 5 A man that flattereth his neighbour — spreadeth a net for his feet, 
 
 6 In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare: 
 But the righteous doth sing and rejoice. 
 
 7 The ^righteous considereth the cause of the poor: 
 But the wicked regardeth not to know it. 
 
 8 Scornful men * bring a city into a snare: 
 But wise men turn away wrath. 
 
 ^ If 2t, wise man contendeth with a foolish man, 
 Whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest. 
 
 10 ^The blood-thirsty hate the upright: — but the just seek his soul. 
 
 11 A fool uttereth all his mind: 
 
 But a wise maii keepeth it in till afterwards. 
 
 12 If a ruler hearken to lies, — all his servants a7'e wicked. 
 
 —with stiff neck, like cattle who try to toss off 
 the yoke, and will not be turned (Isa. xlviii. 4; 
 Jer. xvii. 2:i). shall suddenly be destroyed, and 
 tliat without remedy— like Eli's sons, often re- 
 proved, but in vain (1 Sam. _ii. 25) ; and Israel (2 
 Chr. xxxvi. 16; chs. vi. 15; i. 24-27; Matt, xviii. 
 15-17; Tit. iii. 10). 2. Ch. xi. 10; xxviii. 12, 28, 
 notes. 3. Whoso loveth wisdom (and therefore 
 shuns harlots and dissiiiation) rejoiceth his father 
 (by retaining and increasing his substance) : but 
 he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth 
 his substance— and therefore grieveth his father. 
 4. he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it— lit, 
 ' a man of oblations.^ Terumoth is elsewhere sacred 
 oblations. So here, ' a man who wishes oblations 
 to be offered him as if he were a priest ' (Rabbi 
 Salomon). (Ezek. xlv. 13.) 5. A man that flatter- 
 eth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet 
 —(chs. xxvi, 24, 25 ; xxviii. 2.3.) So far from acting 
 the pait of a friend, lie acts that of the great 
 enemy, who lays snares to destroy men (2 Tim. ii. 
 2o; Acts xxiv. 2-4, Tertullus). Even the godly are 
 tempted aside by flattery. Darius' flatterers en- 
 snared him into a ])lot for the ruin of his godly 
 favourite, Daniel (Dan. vi. 6, 7, 9, 14). 6. In the 
 transgression of an evil man (there is) a snare 
 (he brings ruin on himself by liis transgression) : 
 but the righteous doth sing and rejoice. Whilst 
 the evil man jjromises himself liberty, he is en- 
 snared in not only sin, but sin's consequence- 
 destruction and son-ow : the opposite to the 're- 
 joicing ' of the righteous (2 Fet. ii. 10, 20). "Sing " 
 exultingly, triumphing iu his deliverance by the 
 Lord. 7. The righteous considereth the cause of 
 the poor (Ps. xli. 1): (but) the wicked regardeth 
 not to know it. Though there is no gain, but 
 much trouble, attending the just and merciful 
 consideration of the cause of the poor, yet the righ- 
 teous take all pains about it. The wicked do not 
 care to know it ; or if tiicy know it, act as if they 
 knew it not. 8. Scornful men (who, when re- 
 proved for sin, not only do not repent, but scorn 
 at divine and human laws) bring a city into a 
 snare. Scorners are esiiecially dangerous in the 
 legislature, as they sneer at all warnings of danger I 
 605 
 
 B. c. rco. 
 
 2 Or, in. 
 creased. 
 
 " 1 Ki. 1. 48. 
 1 Ki. 2. 9, 
 1 Ki. 6. 7. 
 ch. 10. 1. 
 ch. 16. 2\ 
 ch. 23. 15. 
 16. 
 
 Piiil. 2. 22. 
 
 3 a man of 
 oblations, 
 
 f 2 Sam. 12. 
 1. 
 
 Jt'b 25. IC 
 Ps. 3'. 7. 
 Isa. 35. 3, 
 4. 
 
 Mhtt. 18.12. 
 
 IS. 
 
 Luke 22.32. 
 Gal. r>. L 
 
 4 Or. set 
 
 a city on 
 fire. 
 6 men of 
 blood. 
 
 caused to the State by innovations against the 
 divine law. Dangers are no longer light when 
 they are despised as light. "Bring into a snare" 
 [in^D^, from phach, 'a snare']; or, as inarg., 'set 
 on fire' [ivom phiach, a spark); or, 'blow violently 
 ui>on' (from naphach, to blow)— e., excite sedi- 
 tions in a city, but wise (men) turn away wrath— 
 the wrath of God, incurred by the city through 
 scornful men (Ezek. xxii. 30; Exod. xxxii. 10-14; 
 Ps. cvi. 23). 9. (If) a wise man contendeth with a 
 foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, (there 
 is) no rest— (Matt. xi. 17.) The wise man may 
 try all ways to gain the fool to piety, which is 
 wisdom ; but when the wise tries anger with him, 
 the fool becomes more angry; and when he tries 
 pleasantry, the fool misunderstands it. The fool 
 gives his wise admonisher "no rest." He has 
 always an excuse, accusation, or retort to give. 
 He misinterprets kindness as the result of fear or 
 stratagem, and becomes more insolent ; roughness 
 as the result of a wish to domineer harshly. 10. 
 The blood-thirsty hate the upright (as virtually, 
 and often verbally condemning their mode of liie, 
 1 John iii. 12, 13; John vii. 7; and therefore 
 "seek "to destroy them) : but the just seek his 
 soul — to save it, (Ps. cxlii. 4, marg.) 11. A fool 
 uttereth all his mind (Hebrew, spirit: he rashly 
 babbles out whatever is in his mind, without 
 regard to persons, place, or time, Judg. xvi. 17; 
 ch. xii. 23) : but a wise (man) keepeth it in till 
 afterwards— until a suitable time and place be 
 ])resented. Gejer translates, 'backwards ;' maketh 
 his feelings, when pressing forward for utterance, 
 to go back to their foi-mer recei)tacle. A fool's 
 words are in the very front of his mind, and the 
 gate is always open for their going forth ; the wise 
 man's words are iu the farther and interior recess 
 of his mind (ch. xiv. 33). 12. If a ruler hearken 
 to lies, all his servants (are) wicked -for they are 
 sure to imitate him. As is the master, so will be 
 his men. Rulers do as much injury by their bad 
 example as by their bad deeds. How j^iiarded 
 those in authority ought to be, considering their 
 responsibilities! Let servants, too, learn, in 
 choosing places, to have regard to piety more than 
 
Of public and 
 
 PROVERBS XXIX. 
 
 private government. 
 
 13 The poor and ^the deceitful man meet together; 
 ^The Lord lighteneth both their eyes. 
 
 14 The king that '^faithfully judgeth the poor. 
 His throne shall be established for ever. 
 
 15 The rod and reproof give wisdom : 
 
 But a child left to himself hrmgeth. his mother to shame. 
 
 16 Wlien the wicked are multiplied, transgression increasetli: 
 ^But the righteous shall see their fall. 
 
 17 Correct -^thy son, and he shall give thee rest; 
 Yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul. 
 
 18 Where ^ there is no vision, the people ^perish: 
 But ^he that keepeth the law, happy is he. 
 
 19 A servant will not be corrected by words; 
 For though he understand he will not answer. 
 
 20 Seest thou a man that is hasty ^in his words ? 
 There is more hope of a fool than of him. 
 
 21 He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child 
 Shall have him become his son at the length. 
 
 22 An angry man stirreth up strife, 
 
 And a furious man aboundeth in transgression. 
 
 to gain. 13. The poor and the deceitful man 
 
 (Hebrew, the usurer; the creditor, the LXX. and 
 Vulgate. The poor who is oppressed, and the 
 rich creditor who oppresses him) meet together ; 
 the Lord lighteneth hoth their eyes— i. e., gives 
 life to both alike (Ps. xiii. 4; cli. xxii. 2, note). 
 They both meet on the same footing in many 
 respects, and are mutually dependent on one 
 another, notwithstanding their accidental and 
 temporary differences in respect to wealth. They 
 ought not, therefore, to complain of one another, 
 but to walk as in the presence of God, and with 
 mutual kindness and good faith. Eeligion elevates 
 the poor, makes humble the rich (J as. i. 9, 10). 
 14. The king that faithfully judgeth (without 
 partiality to the rich, does justice to) the poor, his 
 throne shall he established for ever (chs. xx. 28 ; 
 XXV. 5). 15. The rod and reproof give wisdom 
 (ch. xxii. 15) : but a child left (to himself) bring- 
 eth his mother to shame. The mother, by her 
 weakness and over-indulgence, was most in fault, 
 and therefore shall bear the chief "shame" of her 
 sou's misconduct. 16. When the wicked are mul- 
 tiplied, transgression increaseth. The more 
 there are of the wicked, the bolder in transgression 
 they are, by reason of their mutual example and 
 solicitations to sin. What is done by most men, 
 however bad, is regarded as sanctioned by the 
 numbers, but the * righteous (need not be dis- 
 heartened by the flourishing prevalence of wicked- 
 ness, for they) shall see their fall (Ps. Iviii. 10 ; 
 lix. 10). 17. Correct thy son, and he shall give 
 thee rest (from all the anxieties which ungodly 
 children cause their parents) ; yea, he shall give 
 (not only rest, but also) delight unto thy soul— 
 which will richly compensate for the slight and 
 passing pain which thou hast had when correcting 
 him. 18. Where (there is) no vision, the people 
 perish. Where there is no setting forth of the 
 will of God, whether by special revelation, as 
 in old times (Ps. Ixxiv. 9; Lam. ii, 9; Ezek. vii. 
 26), or by the ordinary ministrations of God's 
 ministers and God's Word, as now, " the people 
 perish." The Hebrew verb [rnsj means 'are 
 506 
 
 dissipated;' also 'revolt,' 'become unbridled,' and 
 so perish. To this unbridled, and consequently 
 ruinous state, is opposed in the parallel clause, 
 "happy;" as "the law" stands in contrast to "no 
 vision." Such did the Jews become, instead of 
 their former happy state, when they rejected tlie 
 Word of the Lord; and consequently lost their 
 kingdom and place. The Hebrew means algo 'to 
 be made naked.' A people without God's Word 
 and God's favour is stripped naked of its comely 
 garments, and its defence against shame and injury 
 (2 Chr. xxviii. 19 ; Exod. xxxii. 25 ; Eph. vi. 14-17). 
 Those who take from the people the Word of God 
 hand them over naked to Satan for destruction, 
 but he (the people, and each individual in it) that 
 keepeth the law (not merely heareth it) happy is 
 he (Luke viii. 21). 19. A servant (a slave in 
 spirit, not a free son of God, enslaved to lust, who 
 does no duty from love, but only when driven by 
 fear, John viii. 34, 35; Eom. viii. 15> 1 John iv. 18) 
 will not be corrected by words (but only by 
 stri]3es, ch. xix. 29) ; for though he understand 
 (what you say), he will not answer— to your call, 
 by obeying your command. He does not in act 
 answer to your wishes. Contrast Job xiv. 15. 20. 
 a man . .\ hasty in his words {v. 11 ; ch. xviii. 
 13; Jas. i. 19)? there is more hope of a fool, &c. 
 Ch. xxvi. 12 says the same of a ' man wise in his 
 own conceit.' Self-sufficiency and loquacity are 
 close akin. 21. He that delicately bringeth up 
 his servant from a child shall have him be- 
 come (his) son at the length. Each should be 
 kept in his place. All are the worse of too much 
 license. "Give unto your servants that which is 
 just and equal," but no more (Col. iv. 1). 'Solo- 
 mon's servant,' Jeroboam, seems to have forgotten 
 his place through the indulgence given to him in 
 youth Wthe king, and so became a rebel (1 Ki. xi. 
 20-40; Ecclesiasticus xxxiii. 25). 'If thou set thy 
 servant to labour, thou shalt find rest ; but if thou 
 let him go idle, he shall seek libwty ; for idleness 
 teacheth much evil.' 22. Ch. xv. 18. a furious 
 man aboundeth in transgression — Hebrew, pa- 
 shang; daring and profane transgression, such as 
 
Agur^s confession 
 
 PROVERBS XXX. 
 
 of his faith. 
 
 23 A ^man's pride shall bring him low: 
 
 But honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. 
 
 24 Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul : 
 •'He heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not. 
 
 25 The ^fear of man bringeth a snare: 
 
 But whoso putteth his trust in the Lord ^ shall be safe. 
 
 26 Many seek the ruler's favour ; 
 
 But every man's judgment cometh from the Lord. 
 
 27 An unjust man is an abomination to the just; 
 
 And he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked. 
 
 30 THE words of Agur the son of Jakeh, emn the prophecy : 
 The man spake unto Ithiel, — even unto Ithiel and Ucal, 
 
 2 Surely "^l am more brutish than any man, 
 And have not the understanding of a man. 
 
 3 I neither learned wisdom, — nor ^ have the knowledge of the holy. 
 
 4 Who ^hath ascended up into heaven, or descended ? 
 *^Who hath gathered the wind in his fists ? 
 
 Who hath bound the waters in a garment ? 
 
 B. C. 700. 
 
 » Isa 2. 11, 
 12. 
 
 Matt. 23.12. 
 Luke 14.11. 
 Lxxke 18, 14. 
 Acts 12. 23. 
 Jas. 4. 6-10. 
 1 Pet. 5. 5. 
 ; Lev. 5. 1. 
 Judg. 17. 2. 
 Gen. 12. 12. 
 Ex. 32. 22. 
 lSam.16.24. 
 Matt. 10.28. 
 
 9 shall be 
 set on 
 high. 
 
 10 the face of 
 a ruler. 
 Ps. 20, 9, 
 
 CHAP, 30. 
 » Ps. 73. 22. 
 1 know. 
 6 John 3. 13. 
 c Job 38. 4. 
 
 passionate oaths, taking God's name in vain (ch. 
 xix. 3). 23, Chs, xv. 33; xvi, 18; xviii. 12; Luke 
 xiv. 11, 24. Whoso is partner with a thief hat- 
 eth (acts as if he hated) his own soul : he heareth 
 cursing, and bewrayeth it not. He bringeth de- 
 struction on himself ; for he ' heareth the voice of 
 swearing' (Lev, v. 1)— i. e., the public adjuration, 
 calling on any who could give information as to 
 the "thief," and yet withholdeth the testimony 
 which he could give if he liked. This verse also 
 forbids our hearing our neighbour curse or commit 
 any crime, and yet not rebuking him (Lev. xix, 
 17). 25. The fear of man hringeth a snare- 
 entrapping men in danger, guilt, and punishment. 
 The father of the faithful, through fear of man, 
 twice denied his wife. Gen. xii. and xx. So Isaac, 
 Gen. xxvi, 7. 'Be afraid of nothing more than the 
 detestable cowardice of a selfish and unbelieving 
 heart' {Venn). (John vii, 13 ; ix. 22; xii. 42, 43.) 
 but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall 
 be safe— Hebrew, shall he set on high (cf, marg., 
 ch. xviii. 10; Isa. xxxiii. 16). He who feareth 
 God always (ch. xxviii. 14), need never fear man. 
 26. Many seek the ruler's favour (lit., /ace; viz., 
 that he may give sentence in their favour) : but 
 (every) man's judgment (cometh) from the Lord, 
 Jehovah is the true and primary source of all de- 
 cisions : nothing happens save by His permission 
 (ch. xxi. 1). By Him, too, we sliall be ultimately 
 judged. Therefore commit thy cause to Him, 27. 
 An unjust man is an abomination to the just 
 (because the unjust is an abomination to the God 
 of the just, Ps. XV. 4); and (he that is) upright 
 In the way (is) abomination to the wicked. 
 Mutual enmity from the first has subsisted be- 
 tween the woman's seed and the seri^ent's seed 
 {v. 10; Gen. iii. 15; Ps, cxxxix, 21, 22> There is, 
 however, this difference : the upright abominate 
 the sin, but love the person of the sinner; the 
 wicked abominate alike the ways and the jjersons 
 of the upright. 
 
 CHAP, XXX, 1-.33.-1. Agur-a figurative 
 name, x>erhap3 ; the collector, from Hebrew, ar/ar, 
 to collect, son of Jakeh-akin to Hebrew, yikk- 
 hoA, 'obedience,' That Agur was inspired, ap- 
 pears from the expression, the prophecy— Hebrew, 
 massa; the oracle (cf, Smith's 'Dictionary of the 
 Bible ' for Jlifziy's strange theory and translation, 
 *8on of the queen of Massa' (Gen, xxv. 14; 1 Cbr, 
 
 i. 30 ; iv. 41-43. the man spake (Hebrew, neum, 
 spake by inspiration) unto Ithiel and Ucal— 
 Agur's disciples. The names, according to Ewald, 
 are symbolical, meaning ' God with me, and I am 
 strong ' (from yacol, he was strong), 
 
 2, Surely I (am) more brutish than any man, 
 and have not the understanding of a man, Agur 
 refers to the corruption and blindness of man's 
 nature, in divine things, as contrasted with the 
 knowledge of God which man possessed before the 
 fall, as also with the purity of the Word of God 
 {vv. 4-6). As one who, though otherwise keen- 
 sighted, is yet dazzled and dim-sighted if he tries 
 to look at the sun ; so he who is keen enough in 
 comprehending human things, is yet stupid and 
 brutish (Job xi. 12; Ps. xlix. 20; Jer. x. 14) in 
 respect to contemplating the mighty Creator, 
 His Son, and His works. Cf. a similar avowal of 
 natural incapacity on the part of Amos, when he 
 is proceeding to utter the inspired Word of the 
 Lord, Amos vii. 14, 15. 3. I neither learned 
 wisdom, nor have (know) the knowledge of the 
 holy — naturally. As in v. 2 he disclairued 
 original knowledge, so in this verse he disclaims 
 humanly acquired knowledge of the deep mys- 
 teries of God. A man must first "become a fool 
 that he may be wise" (1 Cor. iii. 18). So long as 
 he thinks he knows, he is unht to be a vessel of 
 the knowledge received from above (1 Cor. viii. 2; 
 Isa. vi. 5). "The holy" (note, ch. ix. 10), either 
 all that concerns the holy God, or the holy God ; 
 Kedoshim. Plural, as Elohim, 4. Nor is it any 
 wonder that I have not the knowledge of the 
 Holy; for— Who hath ascended up into heaven, 
 or descended ?— so as to understand what is being 
 done there, so as to tell mortals what he hath 
 seen. We Christians can tell of such a one (John 
 iii. 13), Though we have not ascended into 
 heaven, or descended into the depth; still, in all 
 that is vital to know, we have 'the word nigh ' to 
 us (Rom, X. 6-8; Deut. xxx. 12, 13.) who hath 
 gathered the wind in his fists ?— firmly grasped, 
 who hath bound the waters in a garment ?— (Isa. 
 xl. 12.) As Israel bound the dough in their clothes 
 (Exod. xii. 34). who hath established all the 
 ends of the earth?— the boundaries of land and 
 sea, and of the several distinct kingdoms. None 
 save God, Therefore He alone knoweth thoroughly 
 the deep mysteries of the universe, what (is) his 
 
The ttco points 
 
 PROVERBS XXX. 
 
 of A gur's prayer. 
 
 II 
 
 Who hath established all the ends of the earth ? 
 
 What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell ? 
 
 5 Every ^word of God is ^pure : 
 
 He ^is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 
 
 6 Add ^ thou not unto his words. 
 
 Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. 
 
 7 Two fMngs have I required of thee; — ^deny me tJiem not before I die : 
 
 8 Remove far from me vanity and lies; 
 Give me neither poverty nor riches ; 
 ^Feed me with food ^convenient for me: 
 
 9 Lest ''I be full, and ^deny thee, — and say. Who is the Lord ? 
 
 Or lest I be poor, and steal, — and take the name of my God in vain. 
 
 10 ^Accuse not a servant unto his master, 
 
 Lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. 
 
 1 1 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their 
 
 mother. 
 
 B. C. 700. 
 Ps. 12. e~ 
 Rotn. 7. 12. 
 purified. 
 Fa. 18. 30. 
 I 'S. 84. IL 
 Deut. 4. 2. 
 Deut. 12.33. 
 Ptev. 22 18. 
 withliold 
 not from 
 me. 
 
 Matt. c. U. 
 of my 
 allowance. 
 Deut. 8. 12. 
 Neh. 9. 26. 
 Hos. 13. 6. 
 belie 
 thee. 
 Hurt not 
 with thy 
 to gue. 
 
 name, and what (is) his son's name? The He- 
 brews designate a man by not only his own name, 
 but by his relations. In allusion to this usage, 
 but with a designed reference to the mystery of 
 the everlasting generation of the Son of (Jod, the 
 Spirit puts this question into Agur's mouth. Can 
 you tell His name (i. e., His nature) and His Son's? 
 (ch, viii. 22-31.) None can ; therefore, naturally, 
 none can "have the knowledge of the Holy" One 
 iv. 3 ; Matt. xi. 27 ; xvi. 17). The name of God, 
 and that of His Son, are here joined, as both alike 
 ineffable and incomprehensible. Co-existence and 
 omnipresence (by the ascent to heaven and de- 
 scent), creative and all-snstaining omnij)oteDce are 
 ascribed to both. The Son is rejireseuted as dis- 
 tinct from the Father in personality, yet one in 
 essence and operation. 
 
 5. Hence [v. 4) we must rest iu the divinely 
 revealed doctrine, w hich is pure and saving to all 
 who trust in its Almighty Giver and Object. 
 Every word of God (is) pure— lit., melted in the 
 fire like silver, so as to be purified of all dross of 
 human error, impurity, deceit, or superfluity. 
 The ¥/ord of God supplies the defect of human 
 understanding which Agur complained of {vv. 2-4). 
 lie is a shield— by His Word and His Spirit foil- 
 ing the thrusts of Satan (Matt. iv. 4, 7, 10). 6. 
 Add tiiou not unto his words — "above that 
 which is written" (1 Cor. iv. 6), with a view of 
 completing the divinely revealed doctrine with 
 human glosses. Rome, by adding to the written 
 Word, oral tradition and the Fathers, transgresses 
 this precept (Isa. viii. 20). 
 
 7-9. Two prayers, followed by single sentences, 
 ('•. 10, &c.) One prayer concerns the soul, the other 
 the body, deny me them not before I die- 
 when I shall exchange prayer for praise. Fervent 
 desire is implied. 8. Remove far from me vanity 
 and lies— a boon for the soul, "Vanity"— all 
 self-deceit. "Lies" — all deceiving of others, in- 
 cluding all sin. Vanity is all that is not what it 
 appears; the world's vain show, gain, pleasure, 
 idols, heresies (Ps. cxix. 37, note), give me 
 neither poverty nor riches— a boon for the body, 
 feed me with food convenient for me— Hebrew, 
 with Jood of my ration, or, allowance: with food 
 sufficient for my maintenance. The same as "our 
 daily bread" in the Lord's Prayer [o apro^ tj/xwv 
 b i'wiooaLo'i, Matt. vi. 11]. Like tne manna 
 gathered, 'a certain rate every day' — Hebrew, 
 
 the portion of a day in his day' (Exod. xvi. 4; cf. 
 
 2 Ki. XXV. 30; Neh. xii. 47; Luke xii. 42; 1 Tim. 
 vi. 8. 9. Lest I be full, and [i. e., lest when I be 
 full, I) deny (thee), and say, Who is the Lord ?— 
 
 what need have I to pray? I have ample sufficiency 
 iu my wealth. What have I to say to the Lord? 
 (Job xxi. 15; xxii. 17, 18; cf. Israel's case, Deut. 
 xxxii. 15; cf. Isa. lix. 13.) When filled with the 
 Lord's gifts, we are most apt to ignore the (jiver: 
 the result of which is, He at last takes back His 
 gifts from them who withhold from Him the glory 
 of them (PIos. ii. 5-9). We learn hence— (1.) How 
 depraved is man's nature, seeing that he so abuses 
 God's gifts; (2.) The cause why (^od often denies 
 riches to the godly; (3.) The folly of men in so 
 keenly pursuing what is so dangerous to them 
 (Mede). or lest I be poor, and steal, and take 
 the name of my God (in vain)— lit., sei^e on the 
 name of my God, either by perjury or irreverent 
 speaking, in complaint of God and His providence 
 (Exod. XX. 7). Poverty tempts to unlawful means 
 of supplying one's needs. Then theft is concealed by 
 perjury, to which there was the greater temptation 
 among the Jews, as the thief was put on his oath 
 as to whether he was guilty or not (Exod. xxii. 
 8-11 ; Lev. vi. 2). Hence tJieft and perjury are 
 often conjoined (Zech. v. 3, 4). Eegard to our 
 spii'itual and eternal interests ought to be the 
 regulator of our desii'es as to temporal things. 
 The prayer "Lead us not into temptation" 
 teaches us to avoid not only sins, but incentives 
 to sin. 10. Accuse not (lit.", attack not with the 
 tongue) a servant unto his master (for the serv- 
 ant, or slave, being already in an afflicted con- 
 dition, thou wouldest be adding affliction to 
 affliction), lest he (the slave) curse "thee, and thou 
 be found guilty —his curse involving thee in guilt 
 before God. So in the case of all that are afflicted, 
 the widow and the fatherless (Exod. xxii. 22-24). 
 But when conscience requires faithfulness in ex- 
 posing sin, there the servant's delinquency is to 
 be told to the master (Gen. xxi. 2-3). It is only 
 false or trivial charges that are censured. Love 
 enjoins silence where faithfulness does not require 
 us to accuse. 
 
 11-14. Four classes of odious offences, a 
 generation that curseth their father, and 
 doth not bless their mother— to whom chil- 
 dren owe so much, and whom they ought to 
 honour next to God. Ingratitude and contumacy. 
 No provocation of a parent excuses the child who 
 curses him,--a sin punished capitally, as was 
 
Four things hard 
 
 PHOVERBS XXX. 
 
 to be known. 
 
 12 There is a generation Hhat are pure in their own eyes. 
 And yet is not washed from their filthiness. 
 
 13 There is a generation, 0 how lofty are their eyes ! 
 And tlieir eyehds are lifted up. 
 
 14 There Hs a generation whose teeth are as swords, 
 And their jaw-teeth as knives, 
 
 *To devour the poor from off the earth, — and the needy from among men. 
 
 15 The horse-leach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. 
 Tliere are three things that are never satisfied, 
 
 Yea, four things say not, It is enough : 
 
 16 The 'grave ; and the barren womb ; — the earth that is not filled with water; 
 And the fire that saith not, It is enough. 
 
 17 The "^eye that mocketh at his father, — and despiseth to obey his mother, 
 The ravens of ^the valley shall pick it out, 
 
 And the young eagles shall eat it. 
 
 18 There be three things which are too wonderful for me, 
 Yea, four which I know not : 
 
 19 The way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent upon a rock. 
 The way of a ship in the ^ midst of the sea, 
 
 And the way of a man with a maid. 
 
 20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman ; 
 She eateth, and wipeth her mouth, 
 
 And saith, I have done no wickedness. 
 
 21 For three things tlie earth is disquieted, 
 And for four which it cannot bear : 
 
 B. C. TOO. 
 
 < Jud. 17. 5. 
 
 1 Sam. 15. 
 IX 
 
 Job 33. 9. 
 Ps. 36. 2. 
 Isa. 65. 5. 
 Jer. 2. 22. 
 Luke 11. 39^ 
 44. 
 
 Luke 16.15. 
 Luke IS. 1 1. 
 
 2 Tim. 3. 5. 
 Tit. 1.15.16. 
 1 John 1. 8. 
 
 i Job 2J. 17. 
 
 Ps. 10. 8. 
 
 Ps. 12. 6. 
 
 Ps. U. 4. 
 
 EccL 4. 1. 
 
 Isa. 12. 7. 
 
 Amos 2. 7. 
 
 Amos 4. 1. 
 
 Ames 8. 4. 
 
 Mic. 2. 1. 
 
 Mic. 3. 1. 
 
 Hab. 3. 14. 
 1 Wealth. 
 ' ch. 27. 29. 
 
 Hab. 2. 6. 
 '"Gen. 9. 22. 
 
 Lev. 20. 9. 
 
 8 ( r, the 
 brook. 
 
 9 heart. 
 
 blasphemy towards the Divine Father (Dent. xxi. 
 18-21). 12. (There is) a generation . . . pure in 
 their own eyes, and (yet) is not washed from 
 their filthiness— lit., excrement: what is "cast 
 out into the draught" (Matt. xv. 17) \tzoah, from 
 KJv, to (JO out]. Hypocrites and self-justifieis. 
 13. 0 how lofty are their eyes!— (ch. vi. 17; Ps- 
 cxxxi. 1.) 14. a generation whose teeth (areas) 
 swords ... to devour the poor — voracious rajiacity 
 seeking its gratification by calumny and violence, 
 at the cost of those most calculated to move com- 
 passion, the poor and needy. 
 
 15, 16. Four insatirvble things follow the four 
 detestable offences. The horse-leach hath two 
 daughters, (crying), Give, give. The horse-leach 
 is covetousness. The two words are, as it were, her 
 two daughters, which come forth out of her. The 
 gi-eediness of the covetous is described in v. 14. 
 Kot content with having once "devoured the 
 needy," tlicy again, a second time, return to drain 
 out all their substance, like the horse-leach. 
 There are three (things) . . . yea, four (things) 
 — (cf. Amos i. .3, on the Hebrew idiom, "three 
 yea, four.") 16. The grave {.nheol; cf. ch. xxvii. 
 20; the world of departed spirits, ever craving for 
 fresh comers from this world) . . . the barren 
 womb (cf. Rachel, Ccn. xxx. 1); the earth (that) 
 is not filled with water (that is always ready to 
 drink more rain) ; and the fire (that) saith not 
 (it is) enough— that is ready to consume any 
 amount of fuel that you pile on it. 17. The eye 
 (that) mocketh at (his) father, and despiseth to 
 obey (his) mother, the ravens of the valley 
 (which h»uild their nests in solitary valleys) shall 
 pick It out— he shall be put to a death of shamo, 
 and bis carcase become a i)rey to ravenous birds 
 (ch, XX. 20; Exod. xxi. 15-17). The eye especially 
 13 attacked by Ijirds of T>rey. 
 
 18, 19. Theire be three (things) . . . yea, four 
 which I know not : The way of an eagle in the 
 609 
 
 air, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way 
 of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way 
 of a man with a maid— as all these afford no clue 
 to their mode of action. "The way of a man {geher : 
 a mighty, or wanton man) with a maid," whom 
 he is trying to seduce, is so subtle that it bafiies 
 penetration. Inexperienced females must not 
 rely on their own wisdom and strength of resolu- 
 tion, as securing them from evil, wlien thej'^ iilace 
 themselves in positions of danger. The depths of 
 nature symbolize the depths of Satan and his 
 agents. The eagle flies upward, without turnings, 
 like other birds, and soars so high that the eye 
 cannot trace his "way." The serpent, though 
 without feet or wdngs, trails along the rock 
 whithersoever it will, leaving no impression of 
 its way. The ship, notwithstanding its bulk, 
 speedily traverses many miles, leaving no track 
 in the water. So the man who is passionately 
 bent on gratifying his lust after a virgin, adopts 
 varied devices which cannot be traced out fully 
 in detail. The movements of all four are light, 
 gliding, without noise, quick, and the mode un- 
 known to us. Thus the sense gives no sanction 
 to the Jews' use of this v. to deny that liahnah, 
 in Isa. vii. 14, means a vh'f/hi: if she were not so, 
 there would be no miracle in that passage. 20. 
 an adulterous woman . . . eateth, and wipeth 
 her mouth, and saith, I have done no wicked- 
 ness—like one who has eaten something, and 
 afterwards, having wiped his mouth, says he has 
 eaten nothing (cf. " bread eaten in secret," chs. ix. 
 17 ; XX. 17). Note the delicacy and i^ropriety of 
 Scripture language in indelicate acts. As the 
 "man" seducing the "maid" (v. 19) uses mar- 
 vellous and varied arts to deceive her, so here 
 the " adulterous woman " uses such artifices to 
 deceive the husband, and hide the ofieuce agaiust 
 him. 
 
 21. 22. For three (ttings) the earth is dis- 
 
Four things 
 
 PROVERBS XXX. 
 
 exceeding wise. 
 
 22 For "^a servant when he reigneth and a fool when he is filled with meat; 
 
 23 For an odious woman when she is married ; 
 And an handmaid that is heir to her mistress. 
 
 24 There be four things which are little upon th^ earth, 
 But they ar^ exceeding wise: 
 
 25 The ^ants are a people not strong, 
 
 Yet they prepare their meat in the summer; 
 
 26 The ^conies are but a feeble folk, — yet make they their houses in the rocks ; 
 
 27 llie locusts ^have no king, — yet go they forth all of them ^^by bands; 
 
 28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, — and is in kings' palaces. 
 
 29 There be three things which go well, — yea, four are comely in going: 
 
 30 A ^^lion, which is strongest among beasts, — and turneth not away for any; 
 
 31 A greyhound ; an he-goat also ; 
 
 And a king, against whom there is no rising up. 
 
 B. C. 700. 
 " Ch. 19. 10. 
 
 Ecci. 10. r. 
 
 10 wise, 
 made wise. 
 
 " ch. 6. 6. 
 P Lev. U. 5, 
 
 Ps. 104. 18. 
 « Ex. 10. 4. 
 
 Ps. 105. 34. 
 
 Joell. 4. 
 
 Rev. 9. 3. 
 
 11 gathered 
 together. 
 
 12 mighty- 
 old lion. 
 
 13 girt in the 
 loins, or, 
 horse. 
 
 quieted . , for a servant when lie reigneth 
 (ch. xix. 10) ; (and) a fool, when he is filled with 
 meat— i. e., when he is in prosperity, and his 
 appetites given loose rein to {v. 20). Both become 
 insolent by elevation, which they know not how 
 to use (cf. 1 Tim. iii. 6). 23. For an odious 
 (woman) when she is married— for by her bad 
 temper and ways she makes herself unbearable 
 to her husbanci, her domestics, and her neigh- 
 bours, Gartioright and Maurer explain : when a 
 man had two wives, the one beloved, the other 
 comparatively hated (cf. Deut. xxi. 15), if the 
 latter be made by her husband the beloved wife, 
 she is sure to behave imperiously, because of the 
 former contumely she bare. I prefer the English 
 version, and an handmaid ... heir to her mis- 
 tress — the lower sunk in grade she was before, 
 the more insolent she will be when she has got 
 a fortune. Gesenius, after the LXX., translates, 
 ' an handmaid, when she has expelled ; i. e., suc- 
 ceeded into the place of her mistress.' So the 
 Syriac. But the Vulgate and Chaldaic support 
 the English version. 
 
 24, 25. There be four (things) . . . little 
 upon the earth {i.e., among the smallest things 
 upon earth), but . . . exceeding wise— He- 
 brew, ' wise, made wise ;' endowed with natural 
 instinct for their preservation. 25. The ants— 
 (ch. vi. 6, &c., notes.) a people— (Joel i., vi.) 
 not strong— as compared with man, — whence the 
 Arabs have a proverb, ' Feebler than an ant ;' but 
 most strong in proportion to their own size, as 
 the large burdens which they carry show : whence 
 the other Arab proverb arises, ' Stronger than an 
 ant.' The Egyptians made the ant the hiero- 
 glyphic for knowledge; and the Arabs put one 
 in the hand of a boy at his birth, with the prayer, 
 ' May he turn out ingenious and skilful.' There- 
 fore none can excuse himself from labour, on the 
 ground of having a small and feeble body, they 
 prepare their meat in the summer. In Zayite it 
 is well authenticated that quantities of grain have 
 been removed from the threshing-floors to the 
 nests of ants. 26. The conies . . . feeble . . . 
 yet make they their houses in the rocks— not 
 the rabbit, which is not found in Bible lands, but 
 a gregarious pachydermatous animal (Hebrew, 
 shaphan), the hyrax Syriacus, about the size of a 
 rabbit, living in the clefts of the rocks. Not the 
 jerboa, as Bochart thinks, since this inhabits 
 sandy places, not stony rocks. An old male 
 shaphan or hyrax is set as sentry near their 
 holes ; if danger approach, he utters a whistle to 
 apprise his companions. This illustrates their 
 wisdom, here celebrated (cf. note, Ps. civ. 18), 
 87. The locusts have no king, yet go they 
 510 
 
 forth all o^ them by bands — lit., divided 
 i^IaiLrev) ; Joel ii. 7, 8; or, as the Chaldaic and 
 Syriac, 'collected together' [3Ji*'in]: from chatzatz, 
 a pebble, or means of calculation : all in their 
 bands as it were according to catalogue. Gejer 
 translates,' 'they go forth like archers,^ another 
 sense of the Hebrew. But the English version is 
 preferable. 28. The spider taketh hold with her 
 hands, and is in kings' palaces. The term here, 
 semamith [r.^Dniy], is different from that in Job viii. 
 14, haccahish. Probably a lizard is meant here. 
 [Modern Greek has the kindred name, aaixiafXLvQo^, 
 answering to the ancient AaKoXafBcoTiri : a species 
 of gecko; Latin, stellio.] On under surface of the 
 toes there is a lamellated structure by which they 
 can run over smooth surfaces noiselessly in an in- 
 verted position, as house flies on a ceiling. The 
 language, " taketh hold with her hands" (anterior 
 feet), accords with this. The wonderful and char- 
 acteristic work of the spider is to weave a web, not 
 to take hold with her hands. She is rather in the 
 cottages of the poor than " in kings' palaces," In 
 Lev. xi, 30 the Samaritan and Chaldaic versions 
 translate letaah, the Hebrew there for 'the lizard,' 
 by semamitha, the same word as here, The deriva- 
 tion confirms this, from shamam, to stupify; or 
 samam, poison. It catches flies ingeniously, and 
 often is fouud in chinks of walls and in the small 
 recesses of a ceiling. Cf. Augustine, 'Confess,,' 
 X. 35. It and the spider (as in the case of Eobert 
 Bruce of Scotland) alike teach us what great diffi- 
 culties can be overcome by skill, patience, and 
 perseverance, Kirby (' Bridgewater Treatise,' ii. 
 186) says, ' The spider's claws or spinning organs 
 serve both as hands and eyes to the animal.' 
 
 29, three (things) ... go well, . . . are comely 
 ingoing. As the former examples inculcated pru- 
 dence and skill, so the four following inculcate 
 stedfast and fearless progress in our right under- 
 takings. 30. A lion . . . turneth not away for any 
 —Hebrew, ' from the presence of any;' i. e., for fear 
 of any (cf. Job xxxix. 22). Aristotle, ' Histoire,' 
 ix. 44, says of the lion, ' It never flees nor trembles ; 
 but though it be forced to retire because of the 
 multitude, yet it retreats slowly, step by step, ' 31. 
 A greyhound — Hebrew, one girt in the loins. 
 Gesenius explains a ivar horse with its ornamental 
 trappings on the loins, such as are depicted in the 
 carvings at Persepolis, ' an accoutred chariot horse ' 
 {Martial, xiv. 86; Bochart, ' Hierozoica,' i. 103; 
 cf. Job xxxix. 19-25). The Chaldaic, Syriac, 
 Arabic, LXX., and Vulgate take it, ' a cock ;' not 
 pi-obably; as ' girt in the loins ' thus has no sense. 
 ICimchi supjiorts the English version, "a grey- 
 hound." having compressed loins. Maurer, 'ft 
 
Lemuel! s lesson 
 
 PROVERBS XXXL 
 
 of chastity and temperance. 
 
 32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, 
 
 Or if thou hast thought evil,— ""/ai/ thine hand upon thy mouth. 
 
 33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, 
 And the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood; 
 So the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife. 
 
 31 THE words of king Lemuel, — the ^prophecy that his mother taught him. 
 
 2 What, my son ? — and what, the son of my womb ? 
 And what, the son of my vows ? 
 
 3 Give not thy strength unto women. 
 
 Nor thy ways "^to that which destroyeth kings, 
 
 4 It ^is not for kings, 0 Lemuel, — it is not for kings to drink wine, 
 Nor for princes strong drink ; 
 
 5 Lest '^they drink, and forget the law, 
 
 And 2 pervert the judgment ^of any of the afflicted. 
 
 6 Give ^strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, 
 And wine unto those that be *of heavy hearts. 
 
 7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty ,^and remember his misery no more. 
 
 8 Open thy mouth for the dumb 
 
 In the cause of all ^such as are appointed to destruction. 
 
 B. 0. 700. 
 
 Eccl. 8. 3. 
 Mic. r. 16. 
 Eom. 3. 19. 
 
 CHAP. 31. 
 
 1 burden, 
 ch 30. 1. 
 Isa. 13. 1. 
 
 " Deut.l7.ir. 
 
 Neh. 13. 26. 
 
 ch. 7. 26. 
 
 Hos. 4. 11. 
 & Eccl. 10. 17. 
 " Hos. 4. 11. 
 
 2 alter. 
 
 3 of all the 
 sons of 
 aflaiction. 
 
 d Ps. lOt. 15. 
 
 4 bitter of 
 soul. 
 
 1 Sam. 1.10. 
 
 5 the sons of 
 destruc- 
 Jtion. 
 
 wrestler,' whose loins are girt up for tlie struggle, 
 and whose motion in advancing is the beau ideal 
 of grace, boldness, and firmness. Others, ' the 
 leopard,' somewhat similarly associated with the 
 lion and lie-goat in Dan. vii. and viii. The sense is 
 doubtful, an he-goat— the leader of the flock, a 
 king, against whom (there is) no rising up. Po- 
 cock, Geseniu.s, &c., translate the Hebrew, al-kiim, 
 from the Arabic, ' a king with whom is Ms people.^ 
 So the LXX., Syriac, and Chaldaic. But these 
 old versions doubtless read for * against whom,' or 
 ' with him ' [ley], ' his people ' [iQ^]: and though the 
 Arabic article is found in Hebrew, kum is not 
 found in the sense people. The authonty of the He- 
 brew commentators supports the English version. 
 
 32. If thou hast done foolishly (or, hast been 
 foolish) in lifting up thyself— through pride and 
 insolence. The following clause — if thou hast 
 thought evil— or hast devised evil, implies that 
 the action supposed is one begun, not completed, 
 (lay) thine hand upon thy mouth— (Job xxi. 5 ; 
 xl. 4.) Abstain from all excuse or defence of the 
 l>ast; and curb thyself in silence from speaking, 
 and still more from going on to do that evil 
 which thou tlioughtest. 33. Surely the churn- 
 ing of milk bringeth forth butter, and the 
 wringing of the nose . . . blood; so the 
 forcing of wrath . . . strife. As constant 
 and violent agitation of milk brings forth butter, 
 and the compression of the nose blood, wherein is 
 the life, so the agitation of wrath brings forth 
 strife. The wise way is (y. 32), " Lay thine hand 
 upon thy mouth," 
 
 CHAP. XXXI. 1-.31.— 1. The words of king 
 Lemuel— a figurative name for an ideal model king. 
 It means 'Devoted to God.' Ilitzig fancifully 
 makes Lemuel elder brother to Agur, and king of an 
 Arab tribe in Massa, on the borders of Palestine ; 
 and both descended from the .Simeonites, who 
 drove out the Amalekites from Mount Seir, under 
 Hezekiah (1 (Jhr. iv. 24, 38-43),— Lemuel being an 
 older form of Nemuel, or Jemuel, Simeon's eldest 
 son. his mother taught him— as Lois and Eunice 
 taught Timothy (2 Tim. i. 5; iii. 1.5, IG). 
 
 2. What, my son? and what, the son of my 
 womb (for whom I have borne such throes, and 
 whom, therefore, I so intensely love) ? and what. 
 The thrice - repeated interrogation implies the 
 511 
 
 strength of the mother's feelings : What am I to 
 say to thee ? With what precepts can I sufficiently 
 instruct thee, so that thou mayest be truly wise 
 and happy as a king? Words fail to express all I 
 feel in respect to thee, the son of my vows ?— the 
 son granted to my prayers, like Samuel ; and there- 
 fore, as thy name, Lemuel, implies (note, v. 1), con- 
 secrated to God (1 Sam. i. 11, 27, 28). A mother's 
 pleadings with her son are likely then to be most 
 effectual when she has first pleaded with God for 
 him. 3. Give not thy strength unto women . . . 
 which destroyeth kings— (ch. v. 9.) A snare to 
 kings especially, because their power gives them 
 impunity in lust. Solomon by this sin caused the 
 rending of his kingdom (1 Ki. xi. 11 : cf. Job xxxi. 
 9-12). 
 
 4, 5. (It is) not for kings ... to drink 
 wine. Let all intoxicating drink be put away 
 from kings. The reason follows: Lest they drink, 
 and forget the law— (cf. ch. xx. 1 ; Eccl. ii. 3.) 
 Kings do not need it in ordinary health, and their 
 abstinence from it sets a good examj^le in their 
 elevated position. This sanctions entire abstin- 
 ence in cases where a greater good is gained by it 
 than by the use of it. See the bad effects of drink- 
 ing in the case of Elah (1 Ki. xvi. 8, 9); Benhadad 
 (1 Ki. XX. 16); Belshazzar (Dan. v. 2-4; cf. Hos. 
 vii, 5; Isa. xxviii. 7; Ivi. 12; Eph. v. 18). Lest 
 they . . . pervert (lit,, cAowf/e) the judgment of 
 any of the afflicted -lit., of all the sons of affliction. 
 6. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to 
 perish, and . . . unto those ... of heavy hearts. 
 The use of wine is not as a continual beverage, 
 but as a cordial and restorative where stimulants 
 are needed (Judg. ix. 13; Luke x. .34; 1 Tim. v. 
 23). 7. Let him drink, and forget his poverty. 
 Cause him, by the wine v.diich thou givest him (not 
 in excess, but in moderation), to " forget " his sor- 
 row, instead of thyself by wine ' forgetting the 
 law ' {v. 5). 
 
 8. Open thy mouth for the dumb— 1 e., for those 
 who cannot defend themselves in the courts of 
 justice, in the cause of all such as are appointed 
 to destruction — lit.., 'the sons of passing away.' 
 Maurer, ' the sons of abandonment,' or orphanage — 
 i. e., sons left orphans by their deceased parents; 
 Hebrew, henee chaloph. Imitate God, who is pecu- 
 liarly the Patron of the widow and the orphan. 
 
of a good wife. 
 
 Prais e and properties PROVERBS XXXI. 
 
 9 Open thy mouth, 'judge righteously, 
 
 And ^ plead the cause of the poor and needy. 
 
 10 Who can find a virtuous woman ? — for her price is far above rubies. 
 
 11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, 
 So that he shall have no need of spoil. 
 
 12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. 
 
 13 She seeketh wool and flax, — and worketh willingly with her hands. 
 
 14 She is like the merchants' ships; — she bringeth her food from afar. 
 
 15 She ^riseth also while it is yet night, 
 
 And '^giveth meat to her household, — and a portion to her maidens. 
 
 16 She considereth a field, and ^buyeth it: 
 
 With tlie fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. 
 
 17 She girdeth her loins with strength, — and strengtheneth her arms. 
 
 18 ^She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: 
 Her candle goeth not out by night. 
 
 1 9 She layeth her hands to the spindle, — and her hands hold the distaff. 
 
 20 ^She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; 
 
 ■ Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 
 
 21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: 
 For all her household are clothed with ^scarlet. 
 
 10-31. The praises of a virtuous woman ; forming 
 a Hebrew acrostic. The twenty-two verses begin 
 with the several twenty-two letters of the Hebrew 
 alphabet consecutively. M. Hciiry calls it ' a 
 looking-glass for ladies.' Lemuel's "mother "(v. 
 1) suggested the model of a virtuous woman 
 —Hebrew, chail: brave, strenuous, good. WJio 
 can find?— it is a rare treasure (Eccl. vii. 28). 
 11. Tlie heart of her husband doth safely trust 
 in her— he can with implicit confidence leave to 
 her the management of his household concerns, 
 and devote himself to his public and weightier 
 duties. Conhdence reposed makes good wives the 
 more diligent in their duties. Husband and \\ ife 
 should each attend to their distinct spheres, so 
 that he shall have no need of spoil— he shall 
 have no need to go forth to war for spoil ; for his 
 wife shall supply all that ministers to home com- 
 forts and elegancies. 12. She will do him good 
 and not evil all the days of her life— not merely 
 the first mouth, and the first year, as too often hap- 
 pens, hut at all times, in sickness, adversity, and 
 old age. 13. She seeketh wool, &c.— she does not 
 wait until her husband procures for her, or forces 
 on her, these materials for work, as if she were 
 reluctant : for she worketh willingly with her 
 hands. Maurer translates darshah, ' she haud- 
 leth.' Even princely women in primitive days 
 did household work (Gen. xviii. 6; xxvii. 14). 
 14. She is like the merchants' ships ; she bring- 
 eth her food from afar— she, with the produce 
 of her industry, buyeth necessaries and comforts 
 for her household, as merchant ships barter goods 
 exported from home for foreign goods to be im- 
 ported. 15. She , . . giveth meat to her house- 
 hold, and a portion {thQir allowance ; ch. xxx. 8; 
 or rather, their task, or wo7^k for the day) to her 
 maidens. The standard here held before women 
 to aim towards is not that of a religious recluse, 
 in an unnatural state of monastic asceticism, imder 
 pretext of superior sanctity; but one diligent in 
 every household duty, economical and yet liberal, 
 faithful and loving as a wife and a mother, and 
 having the fear of the Lord the basis of all. 16. 
 She considereth (as to buying) a field, and buyeth 
 it. Not only sloth, but also rashness is forbidden. 
 The wise 'count the cost,' whether the article 
 on sale be worth the price, and whether they can 
 512 
 
 B. C. 1016. 
 
 • Lev. 19. 15. 
 
 Deut. 1. 16. 
 
 2 Sam. 8.16. 
 
 Jer. 6. 28. 
 
 Dan. 6. 27. 
 
 Zech. 7. 9. 
 
 John 7. 2». 
 / Job 29. 12. 
 
 Pro. 21. 13. 
 
 Isa. 1. 17. 
 
 Jer. 22. 16. 
 " Eom. 12.11. 
 
 Matt. 24.45* 
 
 Luke 12. 42. 
 « takeih. 
 
 7 She 
 tisteth. 
 
 8 She 
 spreadelh. 
 Jfs. 41. 1. 
 ch. 13, 17. 
 Eph. 4. 28. 
 Heb. 13. 16. 
 
 9 Or. doub e 
 garments. 
 
 afford it. So spiritually (Luke xiv. 28). She not 
 merely considers about things, but she does them, 
 not vacillating, with female inconstancy, with the 
 fruit of her hand she planteth (feminine) a vine- 
 yard. So the Keri (nathah). But the original 
 Ketib (natanf/) has the masculine verb. Her 
 husband planteth a vineyard by help of tlie means 
 which are the produce of her toil. She does not 
 plant it herself, as her sphere is within doors, 
 not outside. She seeks necessaries before lux- 
 uries. 17. She girdeth her loins with strength 
 — putting forth all her might to what she under- 
 takes. The loins were girded for active service 
 (Exod. xii. 11; 1 Ki. xviii. 46; Job xxxviii. 3). 
 and strengtheneth her arms— not merely touching 
 her work with the tips of her fingers, but using her 
 arms, and not shrinking from hard labour. 18. 
 She perceiveth (by happy experience ; lit., she 
 tasteth) that her merchandise is good— that s^uc- 
 cess attends her labours. The image of Eierchan- 
 dise is resumed from v. 14. Experience teaches 
 the happy fruits of industry. Therefore, as she 
 rises early, so she works even after nightfall by 
 candle light. 19. She layeth her hands to the 
 spindle — not as many women, whose hands are 
 oftener employed in decorating themselves before 
 tlie looking-glass, or in fashionable accomplish- 
 ments, than in wl}at ministers real good to their 
 households. 20. She stretcheth out her hand to 
 the poor. Her industry {v. 19) is not merely for 
 self, but "that she may have to give to liim that 
 needeth" (Eph. iv, 28). "Stretcheth out (or, 
 rather, openeth wide) her hand" is a phrase im- 
 plying prompt and liberal gifts : the opposite of 
 shutting the hand (Deut. xv. 7, 8). The end of in- 
 dustry is not to hoard, not to waste on unprofitable 
 trifles and self-indulgence, but to spend in relieving 
 the poor all that is above our personal and family 
 needs. As her industry shines forth in acquiring, 
 so her piety and charity in giving. How few there 
 are who make this the end of acquiring! "Her 
 hand . . . her hands :" the change of number 
 implies her readiness to help with one band or 
 with both hands, as the exigency may require. 
 21. She is not afraid of the snow (the cold of 
 winter) for her household: for all her household 
 (are) clothed with scarlet. So far is her family 
 from being without garments to keep out the cold. 
 
•aise and properties 
 
 PROVERBS XXXI. 
 
 of a good wife. 
 
 22 She maketh heiocli coverings of tapestry her clothing is silk and purple. 
 
 23 Her liusbaiid is known *in the gates. 
 
 When lie sittetli among the elders of the lani 
 
 24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it, 
 And delivereth girdles unto the merchant. 
 
 25 Strength and ^ honour are her clotliing ; 
 And she shall rejoice in time to come. 
 
 26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom ; 
 And in her tongue is the law of kindness. 
 
 27 She ^'looketh well to the ways of her household. 
 And eateth not the bread of idleness. 
 
 28 Her ^children arise up, and call her blessed; 
 Her husband also, and he praiseth her. 
 
 29 Many daughters ^^have done virtuously, — but thou excellest them all. 
 
 30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain : 
 
 But a woman that '"feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. 
 81 Give her of the fruit of her hands; 
 
 And let her own worlds praise her in the gates. 
 
 B. C. 1 01-. 
 
 i I eut. 10. i8. 
 
 Deut.21.1!). 
 
 Ruth 4. 1. 
 
 ch. 2. X. 
 
 1 Cor. II. 7. 
 i Job yo. It. 
 
 Bom. 13.11. 
 
 Eph. 4. 24. 
 
 1 Tim 2. ». 
 le. 
 
 * ch. 11. 1. 
 
 2 Thes. 3. c 
 12. 
 
 Tit. 2. 4, 5 
 ' 1 Ki. 2. 19. 
 Ps. lis. IC. 
 2 Tim. 3. 5 
 17. 
 
 10 Or, have 
 
 gotten 
 
 riches. 
 '"Ps. 112. 1. 
 
 tbat tliey bave even more costly garments {cf. v. 
 22). So the Syriac and Chaldaic read. HhQ scar- 
 let colour sugC'ests the idea of warmth as well as 
 beautj', in contrast to the cold snow. But the 
 Vulgate translates, as mar(j., ''double garments' 
 islitnaim, for shanim). So the LXX. [oicrau], 
 kena, a double garment, as good as two. 22. her 
 clotMng Is silk (or fine linen: sheesh) and purple. 
 She i^rovides for ornament, as well as for necessity : 
 at the same time she attends to the necessary com- 
 forts of her household before she thinks of her 
 own gratiKcation. This shows that the proliibitiou 
 of "costly array" (1 Tim. ii. 9; 1 Pet. iii. 3) is 
 levelled against dress being made the instrument 
 of pride and vanity. The wife here is one in high 
 position. Each is to dress according to her 
 station. 23. Her husband is known (is con- 
 spicuous; occupies through her indirect influence 
 a prominent position) in the gates (in the ])lace 
 of justice), when he sitteth among the elders 
 (the senators) of the land. His wife's diligence 
 and amiability at home enables him, with undis- 
 tracted mind, to attend to his public duties in 
 high positions in the State (eh. xii. 4). 24. She 
 . . . delivereth girdles unto the merchant— who 
 buy them from her to sell to foreigners. 25. 
 Strength (of mind) and honour (are) her clothing 
 —a still better clothing than the material clothing 
 which she makes for the body {vv. 21, 22). she 
 Bhall reJoic3 (or laugh) in time to come. She can 
 afford to laugh at fear, for she knows that she is 
 guarded beforehand against all casualties, by wise 
 precaution and a good conscience. 26. She open- 
 eth her mouth with wisdom— not talkative and 
 trifling, as most women, but thoughtf id and sensi- 
 ble in her words. As idleness is the source of 
 talkativeness (1 Tim. v. 13), so industry is its 
 antidote, in her tongue is the law of kindness 
 — beneticence and grace. "In:" lit., upon — i.e., 
 resting upon her tongue permanently. She 
 tempers wisdom with grace, both 67)iritual and 
 natural. Besides words of amiability, she speaks 
 of "the law of grace," the Word of God, the 
 VOL, III. 0X3 
 
 source of all true kindness. Godly women 
 should speak not merely of household matters, 
 but a'so of the grace of God, to all within their 
 sphere of influence (2 Tim. i. 5 ; iii. 15 ; 1 Sam. 
 ii. ; Esth. iv. 16; cf. Christ's example, Isa. 1. 4; 
 Luke iv. 22). 27. She looketh well to the ways 
 of her household --i. to her domestic affairs; 
 not going abroad, and busying herself about other 
 people's affairs, but minding her own household, 
 iiarrov.'ly observing their ways, whether they do 
 their duty faithfully, and in the fear of God or 
 not. the bread of idleness — the opposite of 
 "the bread of sorrows" or 'toils' (Ps. cxxvii. 2). 
 28. Her children arise up, and call her blessed. 
 When they reach mature age, they bless her for 
 her early training of them. " Arise up " is a 
 phrase for going into public. W^hen they were 
 children they were in privacy, their arising up 
 to go up into i^ublic life is the sign of their having 
 reached maturity. "Arise" also expresses one's 
 earnestly addressing himself to the discharge oj a 
 duly (Josh, xviii. 4). 
 
 29. Many daughters have done virtuously, 
 but thou excellest them all— Solomon's or the 
 S])irit's address of commendation to the gracious 
 woman just described. 30. Favour is deceitful- 
 Hebrew, is deceitfulness itself. "Favour;" i. e., 
 grace in manner and address. It soon perishes, 
 and gives no solid and lasting satisfaction, beauty 
 is vain — Hebiew, vanity;. It often ministers to 
 pride, indolence, lust, bad tem])er. At best it is 
 fleeting, a woman (that) feareth the Lord, she 
 shall be praised. Industry, i>ru(lence, and natural 
 amiability are nothing worth without the fear of 
 the Lord. Even heathen may have many do- 
 mestic virtues; but they have not the piety 
 which is understood as the root of all the virtues 
 of the woman just described, she— awci she 
 alone, is deserving of praise. 31. Give her of 
 the fruit of her hands — Solomon's address 
 to men in general : Give her the praises which 
 she 80 richly merita In the gates — in public 
 places. 
 
 21 
 
ECCLESI ASTES; 
 
 OR, THE PREACHER. 
 
 1 rriHE words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem. 
 
 2 X Vanity "of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; ^all is 
 
 3 vanity. What 'profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh 
 
 4 under the sun ? Oiie generation passeth away, and another generation 
 
 5 Cometh: '^but the earth abideth for ever. The ^sun also ariseth, and the 
 
 6 sun goeth down, and ^hasteth to his place where he arose. The -^wind 
 goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth 
 about continually; and the wind returneth again according to his cir- 
 
 7 cuits. AH ^the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full: unto the 
 
 B. C. 977. 
 
 CHAP. 1. 
 Ps. 39. 5. 
 
 * Eom. 8. 20. 
 " Ch. 3. 9. 
 
 Ps. 104. 6. 
 
 * Ps. 19. 5. 
 1 panteth. 
 / John 3. 8. 
 f Job 38. 10. 
 
 Ps. 104. 8. 
 
 CHAP. I. 1-18.— Introduction. 1. tlie Preacher 
 
 —and Convener of assemblies for the purpose. See 
 my Preface. 'Kolieleth' in Hebrew. It is the 
 staiiding form for calling or gathering together the 
 l)eopleof God (Dent. iv. 10; Exod. xxxv. 1; Lev. viii. 
 3) : a symbolical name for Solomon, and of Heav- 
 enly Wisdom speaking through and identified with 
 him. Cf. 1 Ki. viii, 1, "Solomon assembled the 
 elders of Israel," Wisdom in the Church, unlike 
 the wisdom of worldly philosophy, addressed itself 
 not merely to the privileged few, but to the whole 
 assembl5\ It pities and seeks the good of all, 
 instead of the glorification of self. There is thus 
 a coincidence with Solomon's words, Prov. i 20, 
 21; viii. 3, " IFiivio //i crieth without." — "Shecrieth 
 at the gates ;" i. e., the place of public concourse. 
 Wisdom is embodied in Christ, of whom Solomon 
 was the type, and who " would have gathered to- 
 gether" the children' of Jerusalem, as the true 
 Koheleth, if they had been willing to pei'mit Him 
 (Luke xi. 49, 50 ;.xiii. 34; Matt, xxiii, 34, 37). The 
 feminine form of Koheleth, and the feminine verb, 
 in ch. vii. 27, shows that Solomon is but the 
 representative of Heavenly Wisdom. Verse 12 
 shows that "king of Jerusalem" is in apposition, 
 not with "David,"' but "Preacher." of Jeru- 
 salem—rather in [a] Jerusalem, for it was merely 
 his metropolis, not his whole kingdom. 
 
 2. The theme proposed of the first part of his 
 discourse. Vanity of vanities— Hebraism for the 
 most utter vanity . So "holy of holies," Exod. xxvi. 
 33, 34; "servant of servants," Gen. ix. 25. The 
 repetition increases the force. Cf, Jacob's testi- 
 mony, Gen. xlvii. 9; Moses', Ps. xc, 10; David's, Ps, 
 xxxix. 4-6. In grand contrast to "vanity" stands 
 the name "Jehovah," or Jahve, the self- existing, 
 unchanging God, with whom frail man may have a 
 sure refuge, all — Hebrew, Hhe all,' all without 
 exception; viz., earthly things, vanity — not in 
 themselves, for God maketh nothing in vain (1 
 Tim, iv, 4, 5), but vain when put in the place of 
 (jod, and made the end instead of the means (Ps, 
 xxxix. 5, 6; Ixii. 9), when made the 'first' object, 
 instead of the secondary (Matt, vi, 33) : vain, also, 
 because of the "vanity" to which they are ' sub- 
 jected' by the fall (Rom. viii, 20). The word 
 vanity t^yQ] occurs in Ecclesiastes thirty-seven 
 times, and in all the rest of Scripture only thirty- 
 three times, which shows that one great eud of the 
 book is to teach the uusatisfactoriness of all earthly 
 things, and that on all sides here there abound 
 wants, sorrows, and fears, that so we may learu to 
 514 
 
 make the all-satisfying God our portion, and so 
 have the true enjoyment even of the goods of the 
 present life (cf, J as. iv. 14). 3. What profit hath 
 a man of all his labour- i. (!.,"What profit" as 
 to the chief good^ (Matt. xvi. 26,) Labour is pro- 
 fitable in it^ proper place (Gen. ii, 15; iii, 19; Prov. 
 xiv, 23), "A man"— Hebrew, laadam; lit., 'the 
 earthly one,' implying man's earthly frailty, un- 
 der the sun?— 1. e,, in this life, as opposed to the 
 future world. The phrase often recurs, but only 
 in Ecclesiastes, 4. (One) generation passeth 
 away, and (another) generation cometh: but the 
 earth abideth for ever. While the earth remains 
 the same, the generations of men are ever' 
 changing. What lasting profit, then, can there be 
 from the toils of one whose sojourn on earth, as au 
 individual, is so brief? The "for ever" is com- 
 parative, not absolute (Ps, cii. 26), a future of un- 
 measured length, whose limit we know not. The 
 contrast between the 2^e'''manence of the earth, 
 which, whilst doomed to the curse, precludes a 
 better state of things, and the n on -permanence of 
 man aggravates the sadness of the present state of 
 things (Gen, iii, 17-19), Like the fabled Sisyphus, 
 man is ever wearily labouring, and tl>€u haviu;^ 
 his labour undone in a moment, the sun .... 
 hasteth to his place where he arose— (Ps, xix, 5, 6.) 
 Panting is the Hebrew for "hastetli :" metaphor 
 from a runner (Ps, xix. 5); "rejoiceth as a 
 strong man " in a "race," It ai)plies rather to the 
 rid7ig sun, which seems laboriously and eagerly to 
 mount up to the meridian, than to the settin:,^ 
 sun; the accents, too, favour Mcnirer— 'And [that, 
 too, returning) to his place, where panting (Hebrew, 
 shoeeph) he riseth,' The sun running through a 
 long course only to return at last to the goal from 
 which it started, and thence, with fresh eagerness, 
 to start again on the same course, is one image o£ 
 life. With all our boasts of progress, we have not, 
 by mere earthly toils, reached any solid or abiding 
 good. There is motion, but it is motion in a cir- 
 cle. Each new generation advances to life with 
 fresh eagerness, like the sun at its rising. 6. ac- 
 cording to (Hebrew, ujyon) his circuits— i e., it 
 returns afresh to its former .circuits, hoM'cver 
 many be its previous veerings about. The north and 
 south winds are the two prevailing winds in Pales- 
 tine and Egypt. The circuits of the winds are here 
 made the symbol of man's existence, ever revolv- 
 ing in the circle of vanity, and unable to move 
 forward beyond it. As east and west are noticed as I 
 to the sun {v.. 5), so north and south as to the wind, : 
 7. All the rivers run into the sea . . . unto the ! 
 
There is no new 
 
 ECCLESIASTES I. 
 
 under the sun. 
 
 8 place from whence the rivers come, thither they ^ return again. All 
 ^things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: Hhe eye is not satisfied 
 
 9 with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. The •'thing that hath been, 
 it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be 
 
 10 done: and there is no new thiiig under the sun. Is there any thing 
 whereof it may be said, See, this is new ? it hath been already of old 
 
 11 time, which was before us. There is no remembrance of former things; 
 neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with 
 those that shall come after. 
 
 12, I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem ; and I gave my heart 
 
 13 to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done 
 under heaven : *this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man, ^to 
 be* exercised therewith. 
 
 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all 
 
 B. c. f.rr. 
 
 2 return to 
 go. 
 
 h ch. 3. 1. 
 i Ps. 63. 5. 
 
 Pro. 27. 20. 
 
 Pro. 30. 15. 
 
 Matt. 5. 6. 
 
 Rev. 1. 16. 
 i Gen. 8. 22. 
 
 ch. 3. 15. 
 
 Gen. 3. 19. 
 
 ch. 3. 10. 
 
 ch. 4. 4. 
 
 ch. 12. 12. 
 
 3 Or, to 
 afflict 
 them. 
 
 place from whence the rivers come, thither they 
 return— as is proved by the fact that —the sea is 
 not full. They return to their sources through the 
 medium of the clouds (Gen. ii. 6). By subter- 
 raneous cavities, and by evaporation forming rain- 
 clouds, the fountains and rivers are supplied from 
 the sea, into which they then flow back. The sun 
 lifts out of the sea as much water as flows into it, 
 which the winds carry as vapour to the dry land, 
 where the hills, with their cold summits, condense 
 it into rain, which having watered the earth, the 
 surplus finds its way to the rivers, and thence into 
 the sea again. The connection is : just as the sun, 
 wind, and rivers are ever shifting about, whilst 
 the cycle iu which they move is invariable, they 
 return to the point whence they set out ; so man 
 moves in the same circle, never moving forward 
 beyond vanity ; his old misery ever recurs (cf. 
 "there is no new thing," v. 9). 8. All things (are) 
 full of labour ; man cannot utter (it) — rather. 
 All i/;o>-</.s are wearied out, i.e., are inadeqiiate, as 
 also, 'man cannot express by words' the misery of 
 human vanity in this ceaseless, changeless cycle of 
 labour for that which satistieth not. "No new" 
 good can accrue from it {v. 9) ; for as the sun, &c., 
 so man's laborious works move in a changeless 
 cycle. The 'eye' and 'ear' are two of the task- 
 masters for which man toils. But these are never 
 'satisfied' (chs. iv. 8 ; vi. 7 ; Pro v. xxvii. 20). Nor 
 can they be so hereafter, for there will be nothing 
 'new.' Not so the chief good, Jesus Christ (John 
 iv. 1,3, 14; Rev. xxi. 5). As the first clause de- 
 scribes the vanity of earthly things as unutterable, 
 so the second proves the assertion by their pal- 
 pable inability to satisfy the soul. Debarim dab- 
 leer could hardly be used in different senses in the 
 same sentence, as in the English version. As it 
 means ' utter in words ' in the verb, it must mean 
 ' words ' (the original and predominant sense in this 
 book) in the case of the noun, not 'things.' 9. 
 that which is done— accomplished. The results 
 of doing are now what tbey shall be.in the present 
 order of things, no new (thing)— (Hebrew, 'no 
 new thing at alV as Num. xi. 6.) This is not 
 meant in a general sense ; but there is no new source 
 onuxxjpiness (the subject in question) which can be 
 devised : the same round of petty pleasures, cares, 
 business, study, wars, &c., being repeated over 
 and over again [Ilolden] As the old has been un- 
 satisfactory, it is a great evil that there is nothing 
 new. 'Man cannot escape out of the charmed 
 circle into which he was driven by the curse (Gen. 
 iii.), be his exertions what they may [Hemjstenherg). 
 With all the progress in the healing art, the doom, 
 "Thou shalt die " still holds good. These words are 
 not true of the works of God, for (iod ever pro- 
 duces something new; it is only children of Adam 
 515 
 
 who effect nothing new' {Luther). 10. old time 
 (Hebrew, ages), which was. The Hebrew plural 
 cannot be joined to the verb singidar. Therefore 
 translate, ' It hath been in the ages before ; cer- 
 tainly it hath been before us' (Holden). Or, as 
 Maurer, 'That which has been (done) before us (in 
 our presence, 1 Chr. xvi. 33), has been (done) already 
 in the old times.' 11. (There is) no remem- 
 brance of former (things) or persons. The reason 
 why some things are thought "new," which are 
 not really so, is the imperfect record that exists of 
 preceding ages among their successors, neither 
 shall there be (any) remembrance of (things) 
 (rather, of the persons) that are to come with 
 (those) that shall come after — i. e., with those 
 that live still later than the 'things (rather, tlie 
 persons or 'generations,' v. 4, with which this 
 verse is connected, the six intermediate verses 
 being merely illustrations of v. 4, Weiss') that are 
 to come ' (chs. ii. 16 ; iv. 16 ; ix. 5). 
 
 12. Eesumption of v. 1, the intermediate verses 
 being the introductory statement of his thesis. 
 Therefore, "the Preacher" (Koheleth) is repeated. 
 From this verse to ch. ii. 26, the Preacher shows 
 the vanity of earthly things from his own experi- 
 ence. I the Preacher was king— instead of ' am,' 
 because he is about to give the results of his past 
 experience during his long reign, in Jerusalem- 
 specified as opposed to David, who reigned both 
 iu Hebron and Jerusalem; whereas Solomon reigned 
 only in Jerusalem. "King of Israel in Jerusalem" 
 imijlies that he reigned over Israel and Judah 
 combined, whereas David, at Hebron, reigned only 
 over Judah, and not, until he was settled in Jeru- 
 salem, over both Israel and Judah. If ever man 
 liad the opportunity of testing whether earthly 
 things can alfbrd solid satisfaction, it was Solomon 
 —a king, and therefore having immense means at 
 his command; and in Jerusalem the centre of a 
 then wide and highly favoured kingdom, furnish- 
 ing a most ample field of philosophical observation, 
 (cf. ch. ii. 1, &c.) The Preacher begins with human 
 wisdom, for which he was famed even among 
 heathen nations (1 Ki. x. 8; Matt. xii. 42). 13. I 
 gave my heart to . . . search out by wisdom con- 
 cerning all (things) that are done under heaven. 
 "Search" implies a deep investigation into the 
 results gained by all the labours done under the sun. 
 this sore travail hath God given— ie., sore vexa- 
 tion, viz., the wisdom which consists in testing 
 thoroughly, &c. ; that of 'searching out all things 
 done under heaven.' Wisdom busied about merely 
 earthly things brings only pain, to be exer- 
 cised therewith— i. e., disciplined; lit, 'that they 
 may thereby chastise or humble themselves. 
 
 14. I have seen all the works (the actions and 
 businesses of men) that are done under the 
 
I 
 
 The tanity 
 
 ECOLESIASTES II. 
 
 of pleasures. 
 
 15 is vanity and vexation of spirit. That ^lohich is crooked cannot be made 
 straiglit; and ^tliat which is wanting cannot be numbered. 
 
 16 I communed with mine own lieart, saying, Lo, I am come to great 
 estate, and have gotten "^more wisdom than all they that have been 
 before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart ^had great experience of wisdom 
 
 17 and knowledge. And "I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know 
 
 18 madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. For 
 '^in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge 
 increaseth sorrrow. 
 
 2 I SAID "in mine heart; Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth; 
 
 2 therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, * this also is vanity. I said '^of 
 laughter. It is mad; and of mirth. What doeth it? 
 
 3 1 ''sought in mine heart Ho give myself unto wine, 3^et acquainting 
 mine heart with wisdom, and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what 
 
 B. C. 977. 
 
 ' Ch. 7. 13. 
 
 * defect. 
 
 1 Ki. 3. 12. 
 
 ch. 2. 9. 
 ® h id seen 
 
 much. 
 " ch. •>. 3. 
 » ch. \ >. 12. 
 
 1 Cor. 1. 20. 
 
 CHA-P. 2. 
 
 ° Luke 12. 9. 
 
 6 Isa. .-iO. 11. 
 
 " I'ro. 14. 13. 
 
 d ch. 1 17. 
 
 1 toidraw 
 my flesh 
 with wino. 
 
 sun ; and, behold, all (is) vanity. The reason is 
 here given why wise investigation into man's 
 "works" is only "sore travail" (''. 13)— viz., be- 
 canse all man's ways are vain [v. 18), and cannot 
 be mended [v. 15). vexation of [a pren'ing upon 
 the) spirit [nn mp"i]. Ilengstenherg translates 
 [from nrn, to feed; to busy one's self about], 'the 
 pursuit of wind,' as ch. v. 16; Hos. xii. 1, "Eith- 
 raim feecleth on wind;" Isa. xliv. 20; Prov. xv. 14. 
 So the LXX, [7rpoatf>6'Tts 'wuevnaTo^X ' a purpose of 
 wind;' an empty striving. Battlie Vnl.Ljate, Chal- 
 daic, and Syriac support the English version. 15. 
 (That which is) crooked cannot be made straight 
 — 'be bi'oughtinto position' (Hencjsten',erg). Tlie 
 imi^erfection in the arrangements of the world 
 result from the fall. All attempts to rectify this 
 imperfection witliout recognition of the fall of man 
 are vain. The dislocated state of all creaturely 
 things, subject as they are to vanity, is designed to 
 bring us, in despair of liettering them, to take refuge 
 in God. and that which is wanting (Dan. v. 27) 
 cannot be numbered— so as to make a complete 
 number: so equivalent to cannot be supplied 
 { Alaurer). Or rather, man's state is utterhj want- 
 ing ; and that which is wholly defective cannot be 
 numbered or calmlated. ' VViiere nothing is, noth- 
 ing can be counted ; human life consists entirely 
 of nulls' {Hengstenberg). 
 
 16. I communed with mine own heart— (Gen. 
 xxiv. 45. ) Lo, I am come to great estate, and have 
 gotten more wisdom— rather, ' 1 hare magnified 
 and gotten' (lit., added, increased), &c. than* all 
 (they) that have been before me in Jerusalem— 
 viz., the priests, judges, and two kings that pre- 
 ceded Solomon. Melchisedoc was one of the kings 
 of the ancient dynasty who is included in the 
 words, ' ' all that have been before me. " His earthly 
 wisdom exceeded that of all before Jesus Christ, 
 the antitypical Koheletli, or Gatherer oi men' 
 (Luke xiii. 34). and "Wisdom" incarnate (Matt, 
 xi. 19; xii. 42; 1 Ki. iii. 12; iv. 29-34; x. 2.3, 24). 
 The wisdom in which Solomon excelled all, by the 
 gift of God, was concerning earlhhj tlungs (?;. 13). It 
 is of this earthly wisdom and acuteness, viewed by 
 itself, that Solomon pronounces that its result is 
 only " sore travail." Brilliant as it was, so that it 
 attracted the notice of the heathen world, it yet 
 is classed only with the possession of worldly 
 goods. In the wisdom that is hearenly Solomon 
 was certainly not above Moses (Num. xii. 3, 6-8; 
 Dent, xxxiv. 10-12; Jas. i. 5 ; iii. 17). had . . . 
 experience -^i^., had seen (Jer. ii. 31). Contrast 
 with this glorying in worldly wisdom, Jer. ix. 2,3, 
 24. 17. I gave my heart to know wisdom . . . 
 madness and folly— i. e., their effects, the works 
 of human wisdom and folly respectively. As 
 516 
 
 tilings ai'c best understood by comparison with 
 their contraries, so Solomon tested the worth of 
 wisdom by comparing its results with those of 
 folly. "Madness" — lit., vaunting exfraragance, 
 (chs. ii. 12; vii. 2'), &c.) (/ioldm.) "Folly " is read 
 by the English version, with some MSS., instead 
 of the present Hebrew text, * prudence' [m'^pp, for 
 nh2\^ : but and d are often interchanged]. The 
 game Hebrew is used for the world's 'craft,' 
 falsely called prudence in Dan. viii. 25: it inay 
 mean so here. But I prefer the English version. 
 18. in much wisdom (is) much grief; and he 
 that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow 
 —not in general; for wisdom, &c., are most ex- 
 cellent in their place; but speculative knowledge 
 of mans tvays {vv. 13, 17), which, the furtlier 
 it goes, gives one the more pain to find how 
 "crooked" and "wanting" they are [v. 15; 
 ch xii 12) 
 
 CHAP, il.— 1. I said in mine heart. "I" (Heb., 
 ani) is emnhatical: / who had such ample oppor- 
 tunities of testing earthly goods, and who am now 
 giving the results of my experience. The addres-^ 
 to his own heart is alluded to in Jesus' parable of 
 the rich fool, who addresses his own soul (Luke 
 xii. 19). So "(It is) mad," or rather, 'Thou tart 
 mad,' answers to God's address to him, "Thou 
 fool" (Luke xii. 20). Cf. v. 19 here with ''whose 
 shall those things be which thou hast provided?' 
 and i\ 1 with '• be meri-y." I wUl prove thee with 
 mirth— joy flowing from possessions and pleasures, 
 enjoy pleasure— 'look into good;' my heart, 
 I will test whether thou canst find that solid good 
 in pleasure which was not in 'worldly wisdom.' 
 But this also proves to be " vanity." 2. laughter 
 —flowing froai sensual gratifications. (It is) 
 (rather. Thou art). Hengstenberg translates (lim- 
 shok besari), * to cherish: mad-i. e., when made 
 the chief good. It is harmless in its proper place ; 
 yea, the Preacher urges us to enjoy thankfully 
 present goods ('•. 24). What doeth it?-of what 
 avail is it in giving solid good? [v. 11.) 
 
 3-11. Illustration more at large of rv. 1, 2. I irst, 
 he tries mirth in its coarsest form, intoxication ol 
 the senses. 3. sought— after search into many 
 plans, to give myself unto wine —lit. , to draro my 
 flesh (body) to wine (including all banquetings). 
 'Image f roin a bound captive drawn aft^r a chanot 
 in triumph (Bom. vi. 16, 19; 1 Cor. xu. 2) ; or, one 
 ' allured ' (2 Pet. ii. 18, 19) ; or ' indulge my body 
 with wine.' yet acquainting mine heart with 
 wisdom— 'and my heart (still) was behaving, or 
 guiding itself, with wisdom ' [Gesenius). Cf. 
 9. ' I assayed :' so the Hebrew [nnl of " I sought 
 means. Solomon did not give loose to lust as a 
 mere sensualist; but, retaining iiis wisdom, he 
 
'Ihe tanity 
 
 EGCLESIASTES 11. 
 
 cf plea&ures. 
 
 which they should do under the 
 
 was tliat good for the sons of men 
 heaven ^ al] the days of their life. 
 
 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards; 
 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind 
 of fruits; I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that 
 bringeth forth trees; 1 got me servants and maidens, and had ^servants 
 born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle 
 above all that were in Jerusalem before me; I * gathered me also silver 
 and gold,, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces; I gat 
 me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, 
 as * musical instruments, and tliat of all sorts. So -^I was great, and 
 increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my 
 wisdom remained with me. And wliatsoever mine eyes desired I kept 
 not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart 
 rejoiced in all my labour: and ^ this was my portion of all my labour. 
 
 1 1 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the 
 labour that I had laboured to do; and, behold, all was vanity and vexa- 
 tion of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. 
 
 12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, '^and madness, and folly: for 
 what can the man do that cometh after the kina; ? ^even that which hath 
 
 10 
 
 B. C. 077. 
 
 2 the imm- 
 bei- of tLo 
 days of 
 their life. 
 
 3 sons of 
 my house. 
 
 » 1 Ki. 9. 2S. 
 
 1 Ki. 10. 10, 
 H. 21. 
 * mus cal 
 
 instrument 
 
 and inatni 
 
 ments. 
 / ch. 1. 16, 
 f ch. 5. 18. 
 
 ch 9. 9. 
 A ch. 1. 17. 
 
 ch. 7. 26. 
 6 Or, in 
 
 these 
 
 things 
 
 which 
 
 have b^en 
 
 already 
 
 d »rie. 
 
 tested, by personal trial, what solid good sensual 
 e'ljoyments can give. Such experiments in sinful 
 pleasures are forbidden by God (Num. xy. 39), 
 and entail His sure vengeance (cf. Prov. xxxi. 4. 5). 
 folly— viz., pleasures of the flesh, termed "mad" 
 {v. 2). all the days of their life. The shorter that 
 life lasts, the more important it is speedily to 
 know what is the true end and chief good of life 
 (see marg.^ and ch. vi. 12 ; Job xv. 20). 
 
 4. I made me great works . . . houses— not in- 
 cluding the temple, which he did not build for 
 himself, (1 Ki. vii. 1-8; ix. 1, 19; x. 18, &c.) Here 
 he passes from the experiment in the lasts of tlie 
 fiesli to the last of the eye and the pride of llfe^ thus 
 including " all that is in the wor Id" (1 John ii. IG). 
 vineyards -(Song viii. 11.) 5. gardens— Hebrew 
 {par dees), paradAse^-i, a. foreign word ; Sanscrit, ' a 
 place enclosed with a wall ;' Armenian and Arabic, 
 'a pleasure ground with tlovvers and shrubs near 
 the king's house or castle.' An eaithly paradise 
 can never make up for the want of the heavenly 
 (Rev. ii. 7). 6. pools— artificial, for irrigating the 
 soil ((ien. ii. 10; Neh. ii. 14; Isa. i. 30). Three 
 Buch reservoirs are still found, called Solomon s 
 cisterns, a mile and a half from Jerusalem. Hitter 
 says. The blessing which everywhere in the East 
 irrigation diffuses is seen peculiarly in the para- 
 disaic Etham, the narrow but lovely valley of 
 Wady Urtas. This was probably the garden of 
 Solomon, so rich in pools, aescribedin Canticles as 
 a i)leasnre garden with the noblest fruit trees, 
 the wood that bringeth forth trees— rather, ' the 
 grove that Jlourlsheth with trees' (Lowth). 7. I 
 . . . had servants born in my house- these were 
 esteemed more trustworthy servants than those 
 bought (Gen. xiv. 14; xv. 2, 3; xvii. 12, 1:^,27; 
 Jer. ii. 14), called sons of oms handmaid (Exod. 
 xxiii. 12 : cf. this among the items of wealth, (;ren. 
 xii. l(j; .Job i. 3). above all that were in Jeru- 
 salem before me— not only Saul and David, but 
 also the Jebusitc kings up to Molchisedec. 8. 
 (I Ki. X. 27 ; 2 (Jhr. i. 15 ; ix. 20). the peculiar 
 treasure [Hebrew, sefjaUatli, something of special 
 value; that which men lay by; k€iiiA\lvv\ of 
 kings and of the provinces— contributed by them 
 as tributary' to him (1 Ki. iv. 21, 24); a ]K)or sub- 
 stitute for the wisdom whose 'gain is better than 
 fine gold' (Prov. iii. 14, 15). singers— so David 
 <2 Saio. xix. 35). musical instruments ... or 
 617 
 
 all sorts— introduced at banquets (Isa, v. 12; 
 Amos vi. 5, 6); rather [nhiti*'; ^^t^''J, a princess and 
 princesses, from an Arabic root. One regular wife 
 or queen (Esth. i. 9), Pharaoh's daugliter (1 Ki. 
 iii. 1) ; other secondary wives, "princesses," dis- 
 tinct from the "concubines" (1 Ki. xi. 3; Ps. xiv. 
 10 ; Song vi. 8). ( Weiss, Gesenlus.) Had these been 
 omitted, the enumeration would be incomplete. 
 Hengsttnlicrg makes Solomon's wives and concu- 
 bines to be included in ' the delights (or caresses') 
 of the sons of men ;' and translates the last clause, 
 ' plenty of all sorts '—lit., multiivde and great mul- 
 titude, from the Arabic. 9. great - opulent (Gen. 
 xxiv, 35 ; Job i. 3 ; see 1 Ki. x. 2.3). also my wis- 
 dom remained— (y. 3) along with my other posses- 
 sions. We should therefore the more confidently 
 have exx)ected him to have a heart fully satisfied, 
 if earthly things could make one so. 10. my heart 
 rejoiced in all my labour— in procuring pleasures. 
 It cost me much labour in obtaining the material 
 of pleasure : 1 therefore gave myself up wholly to 
 the joy so obtained, this— evanescent "joy" was 
 my only ' ])ortion out of all niv lal)0ur ' (ciis. iii. 22; 
 V. 18; 1 Ki. X. 5). 11. Then"^! looked on all the 
 works that my hands had wrought, and on the 
 labour . . . and, behold, all (was) vanity . . . 
 and (there was) no profit under the sun— no 
 "profit" as to the chief good. " Wisdom " (worldly 
 common- sense, sagacity), which still "remained 
 with me " (r. 9), showed me tliat these could not 
 give solid hapi)iness. " Behold " marks the unex- 
 pectedness and startling nature of the fact. When 
 the joy ])alled on the taste, nothing remained but 
 the remembrance of labour without proht. 
 
 12. I turned myself to behold (the same He- 
 brew, uplianWu, as in v. 11, "I looked" on) wis- 
 dom, and madness, and folly. He had tried 
 (worldly) wisdom (ch. i. 12, 13), and folly (foolish 
 pleasure) {vr. 1-11); he now compares them (?;. 12), 
 and Hnds that whilst (worldly) wisdom excelleth 
 folly {r,v. 13, 14), yeb the one event, death and 
 oblivion, befall both (/f. 14-10), and that thus the 
 wealth acquired by the wise man's "labour" may 
 descend to a " fool," that hath not laboured (jw. 
 18, 19, 21); therefore all his labour is vauitv (i'". 
 22, 23). tor what (can) the man (do) that cometh 
 after the king? (even) that which hath been 
 already done— (ch. i. 9.) Parcntlietical. A future 
 invcatigutor can st/rike uotlangout "new," so as 
 
I 
 
 How Jar wisdom 
 
 ECCLESIASTES II. 
 
 excelleth folly. 
 
 13 been already done. Then I saw ^that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as 
 
 14 light excelleth darkness. The ^wise man's eyes are in his head; but the 
 fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that -^one event 
 happeneth to them all. 
 
 15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it ^happeneth 
 even to me ; and why was I then more wise ? Then I said in my heart, 
 
 16 that this also is vanity. For there is no remembrance of tlie wise more 
 than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now zs, in the days to come 
 shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man ? as the fool. 
 
 Therefore I hated life ; because the work that is wrought under the 
 sun is grievous unto me : for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Yea, I 
 hated all my labour which I had ^ taken under the sun; because should 
 leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether 
 he shall be a wise man or ^a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my 
 labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have showed myself wise 
 under the sun. This is also "Canity. Therefore I went about to cause 
 my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun. For 
 there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in 
 equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he ^ leave it 
 
 22 for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. For '^what hath 
 man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath 
 
 23 laboured under the sun ? For all his days are ''sorrows, and his travail 
 grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity. 
 
 24 Thei^e is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, 
 and that he ^^should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I 
 
 17 
 
 18 
 
 19 
 
 20 
 21 
 
 to draw a different conclusion from what I draw 
 by comparing "wisdom and madness," Grotius, 
 with less ellipsis, ' Who is the man who can come 
 after (compete with) the king in (knowing) the 
 things which are done?' None ever can have the 
 same means of testing what all earthly things can 
 do towards satisfying the soul — viz., worldly wis- 
 dom, science, riches, power, longevity, all com- 
 bined. Gejer translates, in accordance with vv. 18, 
 19, ' What is that man who shall come after the 
 king whom they have made?' — i. e., after one. 
 But Solomon was not made king by man. Heng- 
 stenherg also refers ' What will the man (do) who 
 cometh after the king?' to Rehoboam ; and makes 
 his iDerplexity as to the value of wisdom com])ared 
 with folly to be due . to his fear of a worth-less 
 successor inheriting all the results of his wisdom. 
 I prefer the sense in the English version. 13, 14. 
 wisdom excelleth folly ... as light excelleth 
 darkness . . . the fool walketh in darkness— 
 (Prov. xvii. 24.) The worlily "wise" man has 
 good sense in managing his affairs, sJc'dl and taste in 
 building and i)lanting, and keeps within safe and 
 respectahle bounds in pleasure, whilst the " fool" 
 is wanting in these respects ("darkness" — i. e., 
 fatal error, blind infatuation); yet one event — death, 
 happeneth to both (Job xxi. 26). 
 
 15. why was I then— so anxious to become — 
 more wise— (2 Chr. i. 10.) Then— since such is 
 the case— this also is vanity. " This "—viz. , pur- 
 suit of (worldly) wisdom. It can never hll the 
 place of the true wisdom (Job xxviii. 28; Jer. viii. 
 9). 16. (there is) no remembrance of the wise 
 more than of the fool -a great aim of the worldly 
 (Gen. xi. 4). The righteous alone attain it (Ps. 
 cxii. 0 ; Prov. x. 7)- for eyer-^no perpetual memo- 
 rial, seeing that which now (is) [in?] in the days 
 to come shall all he forgotten. Maurer, 'because 
 that in the days to come all things shall be now 
 long ago forgotten.' 
 
 17. Therefore I hated life. Disappointed in one 
 experiment after another, he is weary of life. The 
 .518 
 
 B. C. 977. 
 
 « that there 
 is an ex- 
 cellency 
 in wisdom 
 more than 
 in folly. 
 » Pro. 14. 8. 
 Pro. 17. 21. 
 ch. 8. 1. 
 1 John 2. 
 11. 
 
 J Ps. 19. 10. 
 Ps. 49. 10. 
 ch. 9. 2. 
 
 7 happeneth 
 to me, 
 even to 
 me. 
 
 8 laboured. 
 *: Ps. 49. 10. 
 ' 1 Ki. 11. 11. 
 
 1 Ki. 12. 1 !. 
 "'1 Tim.C. 10. 
 
 9 give. 
 n ch. 1. 3. 
 
 ch. 3. 9. 
 0 Job 5. 7. 
 Job 14. 1. 
 
 10 Or. 
 dt light Ills 
 senses, 
 ch. 8. 15. 
 
 backslider ought to have rather reasoned as tlito 
 prodigal (Hos. ii. 6, 7; Luke xv. 17, 18). the wo k 
 that is wrought under the sun (is) grievous unto 
 me— (Job X. 1.) 18, 19. I hated all my labour 
 . . . because I should leave it unto the man 
 that shaU be after me. And who knoweth 
 whether he shall be a wise (man) or a fool ? 
 One hope alone was left to the disappointeil 
 worldling, the ]ierpetuation of his name and 
 riches, laboriously gathered, through his suc- 
 cessor. For selfishness is mostly at the root oi 
 worldly jjarents' alleged providence for lihLi. 
 children. But now the remembrance of how li 
 himself, the piously reared child of David, hau 
 disregarded his father's dying charge (1 Chi 
 xxviii. 9), suggested the sad misgivings as t- 
 what Rehoboam, his son by an idolatrous Am 
 monitess, Naamah, should prove to be — a fort 
 boding too fully realized (1 Ki. xii.; xiv. 21-31). 
 
 20. I went about (I turned myself) to cause my 
 heart to despair of all the labour—/ gave v.j) 
 as desperate all hope of solid fruit from my labour. 
 
 21. For there is a man whose labour is in wis- 
 dom — suppose "there is a man," &c. and in 
 equity— rather, ' with success,' as the Hebrew 
 {kisliron) is rendered (ch. xi. 6), 'prosper,' though 
 marg. gives 'be right' {Hclden.) This also (is) 
 . . . a great evil— not in itself, for this is the 
 ordinary course of things, but "evil," as regards 
 the chief good, that one should have toiled so 
 fruitlessly. 22. Same sentiment as v. 21, inter- 
 rogatively. 23. The only fruit he has is, not only 
 sorrows in his days, but all his days are sorrow, 
 and his travail (not only has griefs connected 
 with it, but is itself) grief. 
 
 24. (There is) nothing better for a man, (than) 
 that he should eat. The Hebrew literally is ' It 
 is not good for man that he should eat,' &c., 'and 
 should make his soul see good.' According to 
 H olden and Weiss, ch. iii. 12, 22, differ from this 
 verse in the text and meaning : here he means, 
 ' It is not good that a man should feast himself, 
 
A season for 
 
 ECCLESIASTES III. 
 
 e'cery thing. 
 
 25 saw, that it was from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who else 
 
 26 can hasten hereunto, more than I ? For God giveth to a man that is 
 good ^Hn his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner 
 he giveth travail, to gather and to heap np, that he may give to. him that 
 is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit. 
 
 3 TO every thing there is a season, 
 
 And a time '^to every purpose under the heaven : 
 
 2 A time ^to be born, — and ^a time to die ; 
 
 A time to plant, — and a time to pluck up that which h planted;^ 
 
 3 A ^time to kill, — and a time to heal; 
 
 A time to break down, — and a time to- build up ; 
 
 and falsely make as though his soul were happy :' 
 he thus refers to a false pretending of happiness 
 acquired hy and for oize's self: iu chs. iii. 12, 22, 
 aud V. 18, 19, to real seeing, or finding pleasure 
 icken God gives it. There it is said to be good for. 
 a man to enjoy with satisfaction and thankfulness 
 the blessings which God gives ; here it is said not 
 to be good to take an unreal pleasure to one's self 
 by feasting, &c. I prefer the English version ; or 
 else, if the ellipsis be thought harsh, translate 
 interrogatively, as Hengstenherg, ' Is it not good for 
 man that he eat?' &c. It is not Epicurean self- 
 indulgence that is recommended^ as vv. 2, 3 oppose 
 this ; but a cheerful enjoyment of present goods, 
 whilst toiling "in his labour," as contrasted with 
 anxious labours in order to secure the greatest 
 gains of this life. This view accords with chs. iii; 
 12, 22; V. 18, 19. This also I saw— T ]ierceived 
 by experience that even this eating and drinking, 
 and cheerful enjoyment of God's present gifts, is 
 not to be taken at will, but comes only from the, 
 hand of God (Ps. iv. 6; Jas. i. 17). God alone can 
 make us capable of enjoyment, and deliver us 
 from the bonds of avarice. 25. who can eat, or 
 who else can hasten (hereunto), more than I ?— 
 Hebrew, yakush hutz inimmenni: Who can hasten 
 more than I, and beyond me? The Syriac, Arabic, 
 and LXX., read, ' without Him '— i. e., lolthout His 
 permission (cf. v. 24). " Hasten," eagerly pursue 
 such enjoyments. None can compete with me in 
 this. If I, then, with all my opportunities of en- 
 joyment, failed utterly to obtain solid pleasure, of 
 my oion making, apart from God {r. 24), who else 
 can ? God. mercifully spares His children the sad 
 experiment which Solomon made, by denying 
 tliem the goods which they often desire. He 
 gives them the fruits of Solomon's experience, 
 without their paying the dear price at which 
 Solomon bought it. Hengstenherg makes Solomon 
 to say that he has richly enjoyed this gift of God 
 — viz., the xjower to eat and drink and enjoy 
 present goods ; whereas the miser does not 
 ' hasten to eat, for his eye is looking to the 
 Tincertain future. I can by my experience (says 
 Solomon) attest that eating and hastening to 
 enjoy the present iu a cheerful, though not a 
 Re usual spirit, is the only good to be got from 
 life, by the gift of God. 26, For (God) giveth to 
 a man that (is) good in his sight wisdom . . . 
 and joy. True, literally, in the Jewish theocracy, 
 and in some measure iu all ages (Job xxvii. 16, 17 ; 
 Prov. xiii. 22; xxviii. 8). Though the retribution 
 be not so visible and immediate now as then, it is 
 no less real. Happiness even here is more truly 
 the portion of tne godly. God gives the godly 
 
 fower to enjoy what they have (v. 24 ; Ps. Ixxxiv. 
 I; Matt. v. 5; Mark x. 29, 30; Rom. viii. 28 ; 
 1 Tim. iv. 8). hut to the sinner he giveth 
 travail ... to heap up, that he (the sinner) 
 may give to (him that is) good before God— i e., 
 unconsciously and in sjnte of himself. The godly 
 510 
 
 B. C 977. 
 
 "before 
 him. 
 
 CHAP. 3. 
 " Ch. 8. 6. 
 1 to bear. 
 b Gen. 47. 2^ 
 
 Deut. 3. 23. 
 
 Job 7. 1. 
 
 John 7. 30, 
 « Gen. 9. 6. 
 
 Deu*. 32.29. 
 
 1 Sam. 2 6. 
 
 Hos. 6, ',2. 
 
 Solomon had satisfaction in his riches and wis- 
 dom, when God gave them, (2 Chr. i,) The back- 
 sliding Solomon had no. happiness when he 
 sought it in them apart from God, and the riches 
 which he heaped up became the i:)rey of Shishak, 
 (2 Chr. xii,) This also (this gathering and heap- 
 ing up of goods by sinners, without enjoying them) 
 (is) vanity and vexation of spirit— by God's righ- 
 teously retributive appointment. 
 
 CHAP. III.— 1. To everything . . . a season— 
 Heb., zeman; a determined time. Man has his ap- 
 pointed cycle of seasons and vicissitudes, as the sun, 
 wind, and' water (ch, i^ 5-7). a time to every pur- 
 pose—as there is a lixed " season " in God's ' pur- 
 poses ' [e. g.y He has fixed the "time" when man 
 is "to. be born," and "to die," r. 2), so there is a 
 la.wful "time" for man to carry out his 'pur- 
 poses'^ and inclinations (Hebrew, cheephctz; lit., 
 desire). God does not condemn, but approves of 
 the 'use' of earthly blessings [v. 12): it is the 
 'abuse' that He condemns — the making them the 
 chief end (1 Cor. vii. 31). The earth, without 
 human desires, love, taste, joy, sorrow, would be 
 a dreary waste, without water ; but, on the other 
 hand, the misplacing and excess of them, as of a 
 flood, need control. Reason and revelation are 
 given to control them. The season to everything 
 is not one fixed by blind fate, but by the gracious 
 God, who cares for His people. If they be in sor- 
 row, let them patiently and confidently wait His 
 time, which is the best time for succouring them 
 (cf. Ps. Ixxv. 2, marg., and note; cii. 13, "the 
 time to favour Zion . . . the set time is come;" 
 Isa, X. 12). Believers have the "desire" that the 
 kingdom of God should come at once, but God has 
 His own 'Hime:" their part is to wait patiently 
 for it (Acts i. G, 7). " 
 
 2. A time to be born — rather, as Hebrew, 
 laledeth, to hear. So the LXX. The time to 
 hear is the time of the Church's aud Israel's 
 gladness (Isa. liv. 1 ; Ixvi. 7, 8). Jesus refers to 
 this in John xvi, 21. Dying is opposed to hear- 
 ing, a time to die— (Ps, xxxi, 15,) Jesus al- 
 ludes to this, John vii. 8, 30, God, who permits 
 Israel to die at one time, will revive her again 
 (Deut. xxxii. 39; Ps. Ixviii, 20; Ixxi. 20; Ixxx. 
 18 ; Ixxxv. 6 ; Ezek. xxxvii. ; Hos. vi. 2 ; Hab. i. 
 12; iii. '2). to plant ... a time to pluck up. 
 A man can no more reverse the times and order of 
 'planting' and of 'digging up,' and transplant- 
 ing, than he can alter the times fixed for his 
 'birth' and 'death.' To try to "plant" out oj 
 season is vanity, however good in season; so to 
 make earthly things the (pixef end is vanity, how- 
 ever good they be in order and season. So God 
 has His time for planting and for plucking up 
 nations, especially Israel, and jjrofessing churches 
 (Ps, xliv. 2; Ixxx. 8, 12, 13; Jer. xviii. 7, 9; Amos 
 ix. 15; Matt. xv. 13; Rev, ji, 5, end). 3. A time to 
 Mil — viz., judicially, crimiuals; or, in wars of self- 
 defence: not in malice. Out of this time and 
 
A season 
 
 ECCLESIASTES III. 
 
 /or everything. 
 
 A time to weep, — and a time to laugh ; 
 A time to mourn, — and a time '^to dance; 
 
 A time to cast away stones, — and a time to gather stones together; 
 
 A time to embrace, — and a time ^to refrain from embracing; 
 
 A time to ^get, — and a time to lose ; 
 
 A time to keep, — and a time to cast away; 
 
 A time to rend, — and a time to sew ; 
 
 ^A time to keep silence, — and a time to speak; 
 
 A time to love, — and a time -^to hate ; 
 
 A time of war, — and a time of peace. 
 
 What ^profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth ? 
 
 I ^have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to 
 
 B. C. 077. 
 
 <* Ex. 16. 23. 
 
 2Sam.6.ie. 
 
 Ps. 110 3. 
 2 to be far 
 
 from. 
 
 Joel 2. 16. 
 
 1 Cor. 7. t, 
 8 Cr. seek. 
 ' Job 2. 13. 
 
 Arro^ 6. 13. 
 / 2 Chr. 19. 2. 
 
 Luke! 4. 2\ 
 If ch. I. 3. 
 * ch. 1. 13. 
 
 order, killing is murder. God had His times for 
 slaying Israel (Ps. Ixxviii. 31, 34; Jer. xii. 3). The 
 evil of the people must have been desperate when 
 God had to resort to such a terrible mode of treat- 
 ment, to heal. God has His times for "healing" 
 (literally, Isa. xxxviii. 5, 21 : figuratively, Deut. 
 xxxii. 39; Hos. vi. 1 : spiritually, Ps. cxlvii. 3; 
 Isa. Ivii. 19). To heal spiritually before the sin- 
 ner feels his wound would be out of time, and so 
 injurious. The Lord declares Himself to be the 
 Pliysician that heals Israel (Exod. xv. 26 ; Isa. vi. 
 10). a time to break down— cities, as Jerusalem, 
 by Nebuchadnezzar, to build up — as Jerusalem, 
 in the time of Zerubbabel; spiritually, Amos ix. 
 11; "the set time" (Ps. cii. 13-10). God has His 
 time for breaking down the protecting walls of 
 professing churches, and for building them up 
 (Ps. Ixxx. 12; Isa. v. 5; Jer. xxiv. 6; xxxi. 4; 
 xlii. 10; Ps. li. 18, in David's time, when the walls 
 of Jerusalem were staiuliug, cau be best explained 
 in a spiritual sense; Jer. i. 10; xviii. 7-9). 4. a 
 time to moura— viz., for the dead (Gen. xxiii. 2). 
 dance— as David before the ark (2 Sam. vi. 12-14; 
 Ps. XXX. 11; spiritually. Matt. ix. 15; Luke vi. 21; 
 XV. 25). The Pharisees, by requiring sadness out 
 oj tiine, erred seriously. The Church's temporary 
 sorrow shall be ultimately turned into joy (John 
 xvi. 20). Meanwhile, let us not force ourselves to 
 laughter unseasonably, forestalling God's time, 
 like the world, that gilds over its misery, and then 
 falls a victim to despair (Matt. ix. 15). 5. A time 
 to cast away stones - as out of a garden or vine- 
 yard (Isa. V. 2) : as not one stone was left upon 
 another of the great buildings of the temple, when 
 it had ceased to be the true house of God. Then 
 followed a time to gather— for building; figura- 
 tively, the Gentiles, once cast-away stones, were in 
 due time made parts of the spiritual building (Eph. 
 ii. 19, 20), and children of Abraham (Matt. iii. 9); 
 so the restored Jews hereafter (Ps. cii. 13, 14; 
 Zech. ix. 16). a time to embrace, and ... to 
 refrain from embraeing--(Joel ii. 16; 1 Cor. vii. 
 5, 6.) God has His time for embracing His peo- 
 I)le, and for rejecting them (Song ii. 6; viii. 3). 
 Contrast Prqv. v. 20. Habakkuk means hearty 
 emhrace. Cf. the image of a girdle round the 
 loins, to express hov.' God " caused the whole house 
 of Israel to cleave unto Him" (Jer. xiii. 11), 6. A 
 time to get— ^. /7., to gain honestly a livelihood 
 (Eph. iv. 23); Hebrew, seek, lose— when God 
 wills losses to us, then is our time to be content, 
 keep- not to give to the idle beggar (2 Thess. iii. 
 10). a time to cast away— in charity (Prov. xi. 
 24), or to T)art with the dearest object rather than 
 the soul (Mark ix. 43). To be careful is right in 
 its place, but not when it comes between us and 
 Jesus Christ (Luke x. 40-42). Hengstenberg ex- 
 plains "seek" of God's retributive righteousness 
 m Hetkhif) J lis persecuted 2^eople (v. 15). and "cast 
 away," His casting His sinning people from His 
 520 
 
 Eresence (2 Ki. xiii. 23; xvii. 18-20; Ps. Ixxi. 9; 
 >eut. xxix. 28; the general context). 7. A time to 
 rend— garments, in mourning (Joel ii. 13). Figur- 
 ative, nations, as Israel from Judah, already fore- 
 told in Solomon's time (1 Ki. xi. 30, 31), to be 
 'sewed' together hereafter (Ezek. xxxvii. 15, 22). 
 Jacob is the type of the people of God in all ages, 
 \vho need, like him, to be afflicted temporarily for 
 sin, that self may be mortified, and that so, in 
 God's good time, their rent may be repaired ever- 
 lastingly (Gen. xxxvii. 34; xlv. 27, 28). The very 
 time when God rent the temple-veil was that 
 wherein he w^as preparing to destroy "the veil 
 that is spread overall nations" (Isa, xxv. 7). a 
 time to keep silence (Amos v. 13)— in a national 
 calamity, or that of a friend (Job ii. 13) ; also not 
 to murmur under God's visitation (Lev. x. 3; Ps. 
 xxxix. 1, 2 9). a time to speak— when God opens 
 the door of utterance to His people (Acts xviii. 9 ; 
 1 Cor. xvi. 9; 2 Cor. ii. 12). 8. a time to hate— e-gr., 
 sin, lusts, any person or thing that comes between 
 us and Cod (Luke xiv. 20); i. e., to love God so 
 much more, as to seem in comT»arison to hate 
 ' father and mother,' when coming between us and 
 God. There is a time when God inclines the 
 world to love His people (Gen. xlv. 16-20), and a 
 time when the world is i)ermitted to hate them 
 (Exod. i. 8, and Ps. cv. 25). Cod again restores 
 His people to love (Exod. xi. 3 ; Ps. cvi. 4l> ; 1 Ki. 
 viii. 50 ; 2 Ki. xxv. 27 ; especially Dan. i. 9). So 
 hereafter (Isa. xlix. 23; Ix. 15, 16). time of war 
 . . . peace— (Luke xiv. 31.) "Peace," for which 
 the Church and the groaning creation cry and 
 sigh, forms the grand conclusion. The Lord will 
 give it fully in His time (Isa. liv. 10, 13; Iv. 12; 
 Ivii. 19; Ixvi. 12; Ezek. xxxvii. 26; Zech. ix. 10). 
 
 9. What profit hath he that worketh? But 
 these earthly jmrsuits, whilst lawful in their 
 season, are 'unprofitable' when made by man, 
 what God never intended them to be, the chief 
 good. Solomon had tried to create an artificial, 
 forced joy, at times when he ought rather to have 
 been serious : the result, therefore of his labour 
 to be happy out of God's order was disappoint- 
 ment. "A time to plant" {v. 2) refers to his 
 planting (ch. ii. 5); "laugh" (y. 4), to ch. ii. 1, 2; 
 his "mirth," "laughter," "build up," "gather 
 stones" {vv. 3, 5), to his "building" (ch. ii. 4); 
 "embrace," "love," to his "princesses" (note, ch. 
 ii. 8); "get" (perhaps also "gather," m 5, 6), to 
 his "gathering" (ch. ii. 8). All these were of no 
 "profit," because not in God's time and order of 
 bestowing happiness. All our wearying labours, 
 apart from Cod, are fruitless. Till His 1 lOur 
 comes, our labour attains not its consummation. 
 W^e must be unwearied in doing good {v. 12), and 
 sowing good seed (ch. xi. 1, 6), and watering the 
 seed with our prayers. 
 
 10. I have seen the travail . . . given to tho 
 soiia of men. Needless anxieties and toils, which 
 
The excellency 
 
 BCCLESIASTES III. 
 
 16 
 
 be exercised in it. He 'hath made ^y^ry thing beautiful in his time: 
 also he hath set tlie world in their heart; so that •'no man can find out 
 the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. I know that 
 there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his 
 life. And also ^that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the 
 good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. I know tliat whatsoever God 
 doeth, it shall be for ever: 'nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken 
 from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. That 
 which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; 
 and God requireth *that which is past. 
 
 And moreover '4 saw under the sun the place of judgment, that 
 
 B. C. 977. 
 
 Mark 7. 37. 
 Deut. 32. 4. 
 ch. 8. 17. 
 Bom. 11.33. 
 Deut. .S8,30. 
 ch. 2. 24. 
 Isa. 66. 21. 
 Jas. 1. 7. 
 ch 1 0 
 that which 
 is driven 
 away 
 eh, 5. 8. 
 
 men might avoid, if they would but trust in God, 
 and leave the disposal of events and the time iu 
 His hands, waiting on Him in patience, and with 
 believing prayer. 11. He hath made every thing 
 beautiful in his time— i.e.. in its proper season 
 (Ps. i. 8) ; opposed to worldlings, putting earthly 
 pursuits out of their proper time and place (note, v. 
 9). Or the train of thought is, God does every- 
 thing on a deliberate plan, not at random, as our 
 ignorance of the relation of each successive event 
 to the whole plan might tempt us to think. Many 
 things in chs. ii.-viii. seem to our tiuifce view evil 
 which are really good and beautiful, inasmuch as 
 they form indispensable links iu the vast chain, 
 and occur exactly at the right time, set the 
 world in their heart— given them capacities to 
 understand the loorld of nature as reflecting God's 
 wisdom in its beautiful order and times (Rom. i. 
 19, 20). "Every thing" answers to "world" in 
 the parallelism, so that — i. e., (Hebrew, mibbli, 
 asher) except that — iut in such a manner that 
 man only sees a portion, not the whole 'from be- 
 ginning to end'(ch. viii. 17; Job xxvi. 14; Rom. 
 xi. 33; Rev. xv. 4). Uenystcnberg translates the 
 Hebrew [n^^i?], 'eternity' for "world:" God 
 makes everything beautiful in His time ; but man 
 is unable to see it, notwithstanding that God hath 
 set eternity in man's heart. Fs. xc. 1-5 represents 
 man, in consciousness of his frailty, taking refuge 
 in God's eternity. Rom. i. 20 shows that God 
 hath set in man's intellect the intuition of God's 
 eternal x^qwer as manifested in His works of crea- 
 tion. It is man's privilege to discern something 
 eternal behind the fleeting present world, and to 
 cling to it. The Vulgate and Syriac support the 
 English version. Eternity is tlie usual sense in 
 Eccl. i. 4; ii. IG; iii. 14, in this very ch. ; ix. 6. 
 The root (//a^«m) 'to hide,' imjJies the duration 
 of time as hidden from man. This incapacity for 
 "finding out" (com])rehending) God's work is 
 chieiiy the fruit of the fall, The worldling ever 
 since, not knowing God's time and order, labours 
 in vain, because out of time and i)lace. As no 
 man knowcth beforehand the time ordained by 
 God, our \\ isdom is to cast our cares and ourselves 
 on the Lord, and to cease from profltless toils. 
 12. I know that (there is) no good in them. 
 Man can get no good in God^s imrlcs save by re- 
 joiciiifj in his share of them, allotted by God, and 
 doing (jood therewith. Ilengstenberg explains, 
 "There is no good in (i. c., for [a]) the som of men' 
 (v. 10), &c. fcJo the Hebrew particle is translated 
 in ch. iL 24. Joy is the antidote to worrying care 
 (Matt. vi. 34); to dare to trust joyfully in the 
 Lord is His gift (Gal. v. 22). To " do good" is to 
 go side by side with enjoying God's gifts, for thus 
 a good conscience and tlic favour of God are re- 
 tained, upon which true joy depends. Man cannot 
 fully comprehend God's works O'. 11), but he ought 
 joyfully to receive ("rejoice in") God's gifts, and 
 "do good" with them to himself and to otliers. 
 521 
 
 This is never out of season (Gal. vi. 9, 10). Not 
 sensual joy and self-indulgence (Phil. iv. 4 ; Jas. 
 iv. 16, 17). 13. And also that every man should 
 eat— ^i^, 'and also as to every man who eats,' &c., 
 'this is the gift of God' (u 22; chs. ii. 24, 26; v. 
 18). When received as God's gifts, and to God's 
 glory, the good things of life are enjoyed in their 
 due time and order (Acts ii. 46; 1 Cor. vii. 31 ; x. 
 31 ; 1 Tim. iv. 3, 4). The "also" imi)lies, not only 
 is it God's gift that any man's sufferings are re- 
 moved or averted, but also that in suffering, pres- 
 ent or feared, he should be cheerful. The heart 
 to enjoy God's gifts aright, is not natural to man, 
 but it also is the gift of God (ch. ii. 24, 26). 14. I 
 know- concerning God's part: answering to "I 
 know" (?;. 12) as regards man's part, whatsoever 
 God doeth, it shall be for ever (Ps. xlvi. 10; 
 xxxiii. 11; 1 Sam. iii. 12; 2 Sam. xxiii. 5; Ps. 
 Ixxxix. 34; Matt. xxiv. 35; Jas. i. 17)— as opposed 
 to man's perishing labours (ch. ii. 15 18). God's 
 l)lans cannot be altered by any creature's opposi- 
 tion ; but God is a Sovereign, and not the slave of 
 fate, and He takes into account His people's 
 prayers ; but our anxious workings are useless in 
 respect to them. Anything taken from it— op- 
 posed to man's 'crooked and wanting' works (chs. 
 i. 15; vii. 13). The event of man's labours de- 
 pends wholly on God's immutable purpose. Man's 
 l)art, therefore, is to do and enjoy every earthly 
 thing in its proper season {vt\ 12, 13), not setting 
 aside God's order; and not to undertake anything 
 depending on his own anxious elibrts for its ac- 
 complishment, but to commit all his ways to God, 
 who has ai)pointed the time and end (Ps. cxxvii. 
 1, 2; cxxiii. 1, 2; Rom. ix. 16; Eph. i. 11, end). 
 The mysterionsness and nnchangeableness of God's 
 purposes are designed to lead man to "fear before 
 Him." Man knows not the event of each act, 
 otherwise he would think himself independent of 
 God. 15. That which hath been is now. That 
 which hath been in the mind of God from eternity 
 is now realized in time. The constancy of (lod's 
 government is a consideration calculated to in- 
 spire equanimity, that which is to be hath 
 already been— iu the Divine counsels. Resump- 
 tion of ch. i. 9. Whatever changes there be, the 
 succession of events is ordered by God's "ever- 
 lasting" laws (f. 14), and returns in a flxed cycle. 
 God requireth that which is past. After many 
 changes, God's law requires the return of the same 
 cycle of events as in the past: lit., that wldch is 
 driven on. The LXX. and Syriac translate, 'God 
 requireth {i. e., avengeth) the persecuted [Hebrew, 
 man;' cf. "get," or "seek" («. 6). But the 
 Vulgate, and the parallel clauses, here support the 
 English version. Lam. v. 5 used the Hebrew as 
 tiie LXX. take it. So Hengstenberg. Matt. v. 10 
 corresponds. The transition to vo. 16, 17 is thus 
 easy, which it is not iu the English version. 
 
 16. the place Of judgment . . . wickedness was 
 there. Here a diiliculty is sugseatcd. If God 
 
God the 
 
 ECLESIASTES III. 
 
 judge of all. 
 
 wickedness was there ; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was 
 
 17 there. I said in mine heart, ^God shall judge the righteous and the 
 wicked : for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. 
 
 18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, ^that God 
 might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are 
 
 19 beasts. For ^that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even 
 one thing befalleth them : as. the one dieth, so dieth the^ other; yea, they 
 have all one breath : so that a man hath no^ pre-eminence above a beast : 
 
 20 for all vanity. All go unto one place; ^all are of the dust, and all 
 
 21 turn to dust again. Who knoweth the spirit ^of man that ^goeth 
 upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth ? 
 
 22 Wherefore I perceive that thei'e is nothing better, than that a man should 
 
 foreorders the succession of events, why are the 
 wicked allowed to deal unrighteously in the place 
 wdiere injustice oudit least oi all to be? — viz., "the 
 place of judgment, where judges give sentence as 
 representatives of God (2 Chr. xix. 6, 7 ; Deut. xi. 
 17; Ps. xciv. 20; cxxv. 3). 17. Solution. God 
 shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for 
 (there is) a time. There is a coming judgment in 
 which God will vindicate His righteous ways. 
 The sinner's 'Him6"of his unrighteous "work" 
 is short. God also has His "time" and "work" 
 of judgment; and, meanwhile, is overruling, for 
 good at last, what seems now dark. Man cannot 
 now "find out" the plan of God's ways {v. 11; Ps. 
 xcvii. 2). If judgment instantly followed every 
 sin, there would be no scope for free will, faith, 
 and the perseverance of saints in spite of difficul- 
 ties. The previous darkness will make the light 
 at last the more glorious, there (Job iii. 17-19) — 
 in eternity, in the presence of the Divine Judge, 
 opposed to the "there," in the human place of 
 judgment {v. 16); so '^from thence''^ (Gen. xlix. 24), 
 The Preacher points away from earth to heaven. 
 The judgment on the wicked in behalf of the just 
 may be looked for with the more confidence when 
 the wicked are in authority. For the seat of judi- 
 cial authority is God's; He cannot leave unpun- 
 ished its abuse. The greater persecution as saints 
 we endure from the ungodly iu power, the surer is 
 our coming deliverance (Ps. Iviii. 11; Ixxxii.); the 
 persecution is 'a manifest token' of it, because 
 God's justice binds Him to it (2 Thess. i. 5). 18. I 
 said in mine heart. The use of the same formula 
 here as in v. 17 shows that this is a second solu- 
 tion of the difficulty in v. 16, that wickedness is 
 permitted to be in the place of judgment, con- 
 cerning the estate of the sons of men, that God 
 might manifest them. The estate of fallen man 
 is so ordered (these wrongs are permitted) that 
 God might "manifest" — i. e., thereby pro re them. 
 Or else 'purify them;' Hebrew, Baram—Ut., to 
 separate; so to purge (Ezek. xx. 38 ; Dan. xi. 35 ; 
 xii. 10). ' That God might purge away their pride.' 
 Hengstenherg, in accordance with the Hebrew 
 accents, which separate " I said in mine heart " 
 from wdiat follows, translates '(these injustices 
 are permitted) for the sake o/[nn3"7 ^r] the sons of 
 men.' sons of men — rather, sons of Adam, a 
 phrase used for fallen men. The toleration of in- 
 justice until the judgment is designed to "mani- 
 fest " men's characters in their fallen state, to see 
 whether the oppressed will bear themselves aright 
 amidst their wrongs, knowing that the time is 
 short, and there is a coming judgment, and that 
 they might see that they themselves are beasts. 
 That they might see that their nature is frail and 
 mortal as that of the beasts (Job xxxvi. 8, 9). 
 Through the fall man became beastlike. To cure 
 him of his pride, he is subjected to the fate of the 
 622 
 
 B. O. 077 . 
 " Job 34. 11. 
 Rom. 2. 6. 
 
 5 (!r, that 
 they might 
 clear God, 
 and see, 
 etc. 
 
 P Ps 49. 12 
 « Gen. 3. 19. 
 
 6 of the sons 
 of man. 
 
 7 ascend- 
 ing. 
 
 ch. 12. 7. 
 Heb 9. 27. 
 
 beast, death. The oppressed righteous snare in 
 death; but the comparison to. ''beasts" applies 
 especially to the ungodly oppressors (Ps. xlix. 12, 
 20); they, too, need to be "manifested" (proved), 
 whether, considering that they must soon die as 
 the "beasts," and fearing the judgment to come, 
 they will repent (Dan. iv. 27). 19, For that which 
 befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts— ^i^., 
 ' For the sons of men ' (Adam) are haphazard, as 
 also the beast is haphazard,. regards liability 
 to death, excluding the future judgment, as the 
 sceptic oppressors do, man is on a level with the 
 beast. Life is " vanity " if regarded independently 
 of religion. Man is as powerless as the beast to 
 ward off any haphazard casualty. Apart from the 
 bond which unites him to God, w^ho breathed into 
 him His Spirit, raising him infinitely above the 
 beast (Gen. ii. 7), godless man is no better than 
 the beast; his lot irresistibly fixed from without, 
 he has no free self-determination. The flood, as a 
 type of all judgments, illustrates this : the mighty 
 men of renown died the same common death as 
 the meanest brute, they have all one breath- 
 one vitality, so that a man hath np pre-emin- 
 ence above 9- beast— in the point of view in which 
 he is here regarded — viz., as to liability to acci- 
 dent and death. But v. 21 points out the vast dif- 
 ference between them in respect to the future des- 
 tiny; also {v. 17), beasts have no "judgment" to 
 come. Cf. note, v. 11, 'He hath set eternity ^ in 
 their heart.' 21. Who knoweth. Not doubt of 
 the destination of man's spirit (ch, xii. 7). The 
 question expresses ' hoio fexo, by reason of the out- 
 ward mortality to which man is as liable as the 
 beast, comprehend the wide difference between 
 man and the beast ' (Isa. liii. 1). As man's spirit 
 is the breath of God, it cannot perish with the 
 body, but must at death return to Him who gave 
 it. That which belongs to the earth is given back to 
 the earth : so that which belongs to heaven returns 
 to heaven. The creation of man in the image of 
 God (Gen. i. 26, 27; ii. 7) involves the necessity of 
 an immortality of blessedness or misery. The He- 
 brew expresses the diflerence strongly, ' The spirit 
 of man that ascends, it belongeth to [S] on high; 
 but the spirit of the beast that descends, it be- 
 longeth to below, even to the earth.' Their des- 
 tination and proper element differ utterly ( Weiss). 
 Man's superiority does not lie on the surface, and 
 is hence not easily discerned ; the resemblance of 
 man to the beast in mortality forces itself on our 
 notice. The fact that man's pre-eminence is thus 
 hidden ought in itself to be sufficient to lead man 
 to humility, and to extinguish pride in him. 22. a 
 man should rejoice in his own works. Cf. v. 12 ; 
 ch. V. 18. Inculcating a thankful enjoyment of 
 God's gifts, and a cheerful discharge of man's 
 duties, founded on fear of God ; not as the sensu- 
 alist (ch. xi. 9); not as the anxious money-seeker 
 
Vanity is increased 
 
 ECCLESIASTES IV. 
 
 through oppression, <kc. 
 
 IS 
 
 his portion : for who shall bring 
 
 rejoice in his own works; for '"that 
 him to see what shall be after him ? 
 
 SO I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under 
 the sun : and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had 
 no comforter; and on the ^side of their oppressors there was power; but 
 they had no comforter. Wherefore "I praised the dead which are 
 already dead, more than the living which are yet alive. Yea, ^better is 
 he than both they which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil 
 work that is done under the sun. 
 
 Again, I considered all travail, and ^ every right work, that ^for this a 
 man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of 
 spirit. 
 
 The '^fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. 
 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands fall with 
 travail and vexation of spirit. 
 
 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. There is one alone, 
 
 8 and there is not a second; yea, he hath neitlier child nor brother: yet is 
 there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches ; 
 ^neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good ? 
 This is ako vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. 
 
 9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their 
 10 labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow : but woe to him i 
 
 B. C. 977. 
 ch. 2 10. 
 
 CHAP. 4. 
 
 1 hand. 
 
 " Job 3. 17. 
 
 ch. 2. 17. 
 6 Job 3. 11. 
 
 ch. 6. 3. 
 
 2 all the 
 righti,e?3 
 of work. 
 
 3 this is the 
 envy of a 
 man from 
 his neigh- 
 bour. 
 Fro. 6. 10. 
 Pro. 21. 33. 
 
 d Pro. 27. 20. 
 ch. 1. 8. 
 ch. 6. 10. 
 Hab. 2 6-9. 
 1 John 2. 
 16. 
 
 ^ Ps, 39. 6. 
 Isa. 44. 19, 
 20. 
 
 Luke 12.2'. 
 
 (chs. ii. 23, 26; v. 10-17; 1 Tim. vl 17). for that is 
 his portion — in the present life. If it were made 
 his main portion, it would be "vanity" (ch. ii. 1 ; 
 Luke xvL 25). for who shall bring him to see 
 what shaU be after him ?— (ch. vi. 12.) Not after 
 his death, but after his present condition, what 
 event of decisive influence on his fate shall happen 
 — our ignorance as to the future, which is God's 
 "time" {v. 11), should lead us to use the present 
 time in the best sense, and instead of distressing 
 ourselves with wearisome cares, to leave the future 
 to His infinite wisdom (Matt. vi. 20, 25, 31-34). 
 
 CHAP. IV. 1-16.— 1. So I returned— viz., to 
 the thouglit set forth in ch. iii. 10; Job xxxv. 9. 
 on the side of their oppressors (there was) power. 
 Maurer, not so well, ^violence.'' they had no 
 comforter. Twice said, to express continued suf- 
 fering without any to give comfort (Isa. liii. 7). 
 2. Wherefore I praised the dead which are already 
 dead, more than the living. A profane sentiment 
 if severed from its connection; but just in its 
 bearing on Solomon's scoi>e. If religion were not 
 taken into account (ch. iii, 17, 19), to die as soon as 
 possible would be desirable, so as not to suffer or 
 witness " opi^ressious and still more so, not to be 
 born at all (ch. vii. 1). Job (iii. 13, 20; xxi. 7), 
 David (Ps. Ixxiii. 3, &c.), Jeremiah (xii. 1; xx. 18), 
 Habakkuk (i. 13), all passed through the same per- 
 plexity, until they went into the sanctuary, and 
 looked beyond the present to the "judgment" 
 (Ps. Ixxiii. 17; Hab. ii. 20; iii. 17, 18). Then they 
 saw the need of delay, before completely punish- 
 ing tlie wicked, to give space for repentance, or 
 else for accumulation of wrath (Rom. ii. 15); and 
 before completely rewarding the godly, to give 
 room for faith and perseverance in tribulation 
 (Ps. xcii. 7-12). Earnests, however, are often even 
 now given, by partial judgments, of the future 
 complete one, to assure us, in spite of difhculties, 
 that God governs the earth. The aspect of life 
 here is merely from one stand-point— viz., in view 
 of the wrongs sufifered on earth. Cf. a different 
 asjject (chs, ix. 4; xi. 7), "God giveth songs in the 
 night" to His people (Job xxxv. 10 ; Ps. Ixxiii. 2). 
 Tiiey can enjoy even the present (ch. iii. 12, 13). 
 They look for the coming righteous judgment (ch. 
 
 iii. 17), and recognize in the permission of tem- 
 porary oppression the wholesome means of Divine 
 chastisement and probation of character. 3. who 
 hath not seen — nor experienced, 
 
 4. every right work ... for this a man is envied 
 — rather (as note, ch. ii. 21, "equity," prosperity), 
 prosperous. Prosperity, which men so much covet, 
 is the very source of iDrovoking oppression {v. 1) 
 and "envy," so far is it from constituting the 
 chief good. Hengstenherg translates skill, of his 
 neighbour. It aggravates the baseness of the 
 envy, that it is on the part of o?^e's oivn neighbour. 
 So the tenth commandment. This is also vanity. 
 Even success by skill brings no solid satisfaction. 
 
 5. Still the indolence which 'folds the fool's 
 hands together' is to be reprobated, because such 
 a one ruins himself —" eateth his own llesh" (Isa. 
 ix. 20 ; xlix. 26). 
 
 6. Better (is) an handful (with) quietness, than 
 both the hands full (with) travail. Hebrew, 
 ' one open hand {palm)fidl o/ quietness, than both 
 dosed hands (fists) full of (what seems wealth, but 
 which is really) travail.' " Quietness " (tranquil- 
 lity flowing from moderate labour) is the happy 
 mean between ruinous indolence on the one hand 
 {v. 5), and laborious acquisition of wealth, and with 
 it envy, on the other {v. 4; Prov. xv. 16, 17; xvi. 8). 
 
 7. I saw vanity— a vanity, described in v. 8. 
 8. There is one (alone) and (there is) not a second 
 —no partner. He might have one, but it is the 
 nemesis of his greatness that he has not. He 
 stands alone in the world, without object for his 
 avarice, and without friend to break his dreary 
 isolation, child — ' son or brother,' put for any 
 heir (Dent. xxv. 5, 10). neither is his eye satis- 
 fied— (ch. i. 8.) The miser would not be able to 
 give an account of his infatuation. 
 
 9. Two (are) better than one. Two — op- 
 posed to "one" (?'. 8). Ties of union, marriage, 
 friendship, religious communion, are better than 
 the selfish solitariness of the miser (Gen. ii. 18). 
 because they have a good reward— advantage 
 accrues from their efforts being conjoined. They 
 afford one another help, protection, and society. 
 The Talmud says, 'A man without a companion 
 is like a left hand without the right.' 10. if they 
 
Vanities in 
 
 ECCLESIASTES V. 
 
 Divine service} 
 
 that is alone when he falleth ; for he hath not another to help him up. 
 
 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be 
 
 12 warm alone ? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him ; 
 and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. 
 
 13 Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, ^who 
 
 14 will no more be admonished. For out of prison he cometh to reign; 
 
 15 whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor. I considered 
 all the living which walk under the sun, witli tlie second child that shall 
 
 16 stand up in his stead. There is no end of all the people, even of all that 
 have been before them : they also that come after shall not rejoice in 
 him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit. 
 
 5 KEEP "tliy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more 
 ready to hear ^than to give the sacrifice of fools : for they consider not 
 
 fall— if the one or other fall, as may happen to loth 
 —viz., into any distress of body, inind, or soul. 
 11. if two lie togetlier . . . they have heat— (1 Ki. 
 
 1. 4.) The image is taken from man and wife, but 
 applies universally to the ivarm sympathy derived 
 from social ties. So Christian ties (Luke xxiv. 32; 
 Acts xxviii. 15). Advantages accrue from fellow- 
 ship wliich a solitary life does not alford. He who 
 would have friends "must show himself friendly" 
 (Prov. xviii. 24). 12. if one prevail against him. 
 one— enemy. Rather, join "one" with "him." 
 *If (an enemy) prevail against him^ the one' — him 
 in liis because of his standing (done. 8o 
 the Vulgate. But the Syriac and LXX. favour 
 the English version, a threefold cord— proverbial 
 for a combination of many, e.g., husband, wife, 
 and children (Prov. xi. 14); so Christians (Col. ii. 
 
 2, 19). Chi-ist sent forth the seventy by pairs, not 
 singly (Luke x. 1), and promised, " Where tmo or 
 three are gathered togetlier in my name, there am 
 I in the midst of them" (Matt, xviii. 18 ; cf. 19). 
 Untwist the cord and the separate threads are 
 easily " broken." 
 
 13. Better (in respect to condition ; not moral 
 character) (is) a poor and a wise child than an old 
 and foolish king. The "threefold cord" of social 
 ties suggests the subject of civil government. In 
 this case, too, he concludes that kingly power con- 
 fers no lasting happiness. The "wise" child, 
 though a supposed case of Solomon, answers, in 
 the event foreseen by the Holy (J host, to Jero- 
 boam, then a poor but valiant youth, once a 
 "servant" of Solomon, and (1 Ki. xi. 2o-4U) ap- 
 
 1 pointed hy (^od, through the prophet Ahijah,to be 
 leir of the kingdom of the ten tribes about to be 
 rent from Pehoboam. The "old and foolish king" 
 answers to Solomon himself, M'ho had lost his 
 wisdom, when, in defiance of two warnings of God 
 (i Ki. iii. 14; ix. 2-9), he forsook God. who will 
 no more he admonished— knows not yet how to 
 take warning, (see mar<i.) God had by Ahijah 
 already intimated the judgment coming on Solo- 
 mon (1 Ki. xi. 11-1.3). 14. For out of prison he 
 (the poor and wise child) cometh to reign. Solo- 
 mon uses this phrase of a snpjiosed case— e. g., 
 J oseph raised from a dungeon to be lord of Egypt. 
 His words are at the same time so framed by the 
 Holy Ghost that they answer virtually to Jero- 
 boam, who lied, to escape a "prison" and death 
 from Solomon, to Shishakof Egypt (1 Ki. xi. 4()). 
 This unconscious presaging of his own doom, and 
 that of Rchoboam, constitutes the irony. David's 
 elevation from poverty and exile, under Saul 
 (wliich may have been before Solomon's mind), 
 had so f{>r their counterpart in that of Jeroboam, 
 v/hereas also (he that is) born in Ms kingdom 
 beccmoth poor - wliereas the old king (in the per- 
 son of his sou. "the second child," v. 15), who 
 
 came to the kingdom by birth (by hereditary right) 
 becometh poor, ^'o the Vulgate. 15. 1 considered 
 all the living— all the present generation of sub 
 jects. with the second child that shall stand up 
 in his stead— in relation to ("with") the second 
 youth" (the legitimate successor of " the old king," 
 as opposed to the "poor youth," the one first 
 spoken of, about to be raised from poverty to a 
 throne)—?, e., Ptchoboam. in his stead -the old 
 king's. 16. (There is) no end of all the people, 
 (even) of all that have been before them : they 
 also that come after shall not rejoice in him. 
 Notwithstanding that "all the people" ("all the 
 living which walk under the sun," v. 15) now wor- 
 ship the rising sun, the heir-apparent, I reflected 
 that 'there were no bounds (no stability; as even 
 in the days of so great a king as David, Absalom 
 and Sheba son of Bichri successively found it easy 
 to steal away the hearts of the people to rebel, 2 
 Sam. XV. 6; xx. 1), no check on the caprice and 
 love of innovation, "of all that have been before 
 them," i. e., the past generation; so "they also 
 that come after," i. e., the next generation, "shall 
 not rejoice in him," viz., Rehoboam.. The parallel, 
 " shall not rejoice," fixes the sense of ' no bounds,' no 
 permanent adhe7'ence,tho\\gh now men rejoice in him. 
 So JJe Dieu explains. The English version means, 
 There is no end to the number of all the people who, 
 before both kings, the old and the young one,'hdve 
 been ready to become tired of the reigning king, 
 and to court his successor. Hope and novelty 
 combine to recommend the successor — two power- 
 ful springs in human nature. 
 
 CHAP. V. 1-20.— 1. From vanity connected 
 with kings, he passes to vanities {v. 7) which may 
 be fallen into in serving the King of kings, even by 
 those who, convinced of the vanity of the creature, 
 wish to worshi}) the Creator. Keep thy foot. So 
 the Kcri. But the original Ketib, 'thy feet' (Ps. 
 cxix. 101). In going to worship, go with considerate, 
 circumspect, reverent feeling. Better not to go at 
 all, than to go in a wrong sjurit. The allusion is 
 to the taking ofi' of the shoes, or sandals, in enter- 
 ing a temple (Exod. iii. 5; Josh. v. 15), which passages 
 perhaps gave rise to the custom. Cf. Jacob's 
 words (Gen. xxviii. 10, 17), Surely the Lord is in 
 this place, &c. be more ready to hear (cf. Jas. 
 i. 19)— rather, 'To be ready (to draw nigh with 
 the desire) to hear (obey) (1 Sam. xv. 22) is 
 a better sacrifice than the oft'ering of fools ' 
 {Holden ; the Vulgate; Syriac). The order of 
 the v.ords and the Hebrew accents forbid the 
 English version, whereby " the sacrifice" governs 
 "of fools." "To give sacrilice" is an unusual 
 plirase (Pa. li. 16, 17; Prov. xxi. 3; Amos v. 
 '21-24). Tlic warning is against mere ceremonial 
 self-righteousness. Obedience is the spirit of the 
 law's requirements (Deut. x. 12). Solomon sorrow- 
 
\Varnings against 
 
 hasty TOWS. 
 
 2 tliat they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not tliine heart 
 be hasty to utter any Hhing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou 
 
 3 upon earth; therefore let thy words be few. For a dream comcth 
 through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multi- 
 
 4 tude of words. When '^thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay 
 it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: ^ pay that which thou hast vowed. 
 
 5 Better ^ is it that tliou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow 
 G and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin ; ^neither 
 
 say thou before the angel, that it was an error : wherefore should God be 
 
 7 angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands ? For in the 
 multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but 
 *fear thou God. 
 
 8 If thou *seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judg- 
 ment and justice in a province, marvel not ^at the matter: for ^he that 
 
 9 is higher than the highest regardeth ; and there be higher than they. More- 
 
 13. C. 077. 
 
 1 Oi, word, 
 " IT .. 1 ». ID. 
 
 JMatt. 0. 7. 
 <i Num.3f).2. 
 ^ Ps. CG. 13. 
 / Acts 5. 4. 
 
 ^ 1 Cor. 11.10. 
 iTim. 5. 21. 
 Dait.U'.12. 
 Fro. v!.i. ir. 
 1 ro. 21. 21. 
 ch. 1 . 13. 
 Heb. 12. 28. 
 
 1 Ch. . W 
 
 2 at the will, 
 or, pur- 
 pose. 
 
 } Fs. o". 11. 
 ['3. >S2. 1. 
 
 fully looks back on his own neglect of this (cf. 
 1 Ki. viii. 63 with xi. 4, 6). Positive precepts of 
 God must be kept, but Avill not stand instead of 
 obedience to His moral precepts. The law pro- 
 vided no sacrifice for xoltfal sin (Num. xv. 30, 31 ; 
 Heb. X. 2i3-29). "Fools" think to compound for 
 obedience by sacrifice. 2. Be not rasli witti thy 
 mouth -answering to the considerate reverence in- 
 dicated by the foot (" Keep thy foot," v. 1). This 
 verse illustrates 1, as to prayer in the hou?e of 
 God ("before God," Isa. i. 12); so vv. 4-6, as to 
 vows. The remedy to such vanities is living faith, 
 as is stated (?a 7), "Fear thou God." God is in 
 heaven— therefore He ought to be ax>proached 
 with carefully weighed words, by thee, a frail crea- 
 ture of "earth." let thy words be few— not 
 directed ai^ainst the earnest and frequent prayers 
 of true believers, but against the formal petitions 
 of those v/ho think to make up for the devotion 
 they lack liy the multitude of their words. So 
 the Pharisees (Mark xii. 40), and the heathen 
 
 iMatt. vi. 7, 8) ; as the antidote, Jesus gave the 
 jord's prayer; the beginning of whicli, "Our 
 Father which art in hearen" refers to this passage. 
 Whilst as our Father He is to be loved, He at the 
 same time, as being "in Jieaven," is to be reverently 
 feared in our approaches to Hiin. 3. For a dream 
 Cometh . . . business. As much " bu.^iiness," 
 engrossing the mind, gives l)iii;h to incohei-ent 
 "dreams," so many words, uttered inconsiderately 
 ia prayer, give birth to and betray "a fool's 
 speech" (ch. x. 14). (H olden and Jlenf/stenben/.) 
 But V. 7 implies that the "dream" is not a com- 
 parison, but the vain thowjhts of the fool (sinner) 
 (Ps. Ixxiii. 20 ), arising from multiplicity of 
 (worldly) "business." His "dream" is, that God 
 hears him for his much speaking (Matt. vi. 7), 
 independently of the frame of mind, "Fool's 
 voice" answers to "dream" in the parallel; it 
 comes by the many " words" flowing from tlie 
 fool's "dream." "Multitude of words" is itaralicl 
 to "multitude of Inisiness." 4. When thcu vowest 
 a vow (Deut. xxiii. 21 -2."^). Hasty words in prai/er 
 {vv. 2, 3) suggest the subject of hasty vows. A vow 
 should not be hastily made (as Jephtliah's and 
 Saul's, Jud. xi. 3.5; 1 8am. xiv. 24). When made, 
 it must be kept (Ps. Ixxvi. 11), even as God keeps 
 His word to us (cf. as to Israel Exod. xii. 41, 51; 
 Josh. xxi. 4T)). 5. (Deut. xxiii. 21, 2.3.) 6. SuflFer 
 not thy mouth, &c.— vow not with "thy mouth" a 
 vow (g. g,, fasting), v. hich thy Hesh (thy body, 
 marrj., ch. ii. 3) may tempt thee to break (Prov. 
 XX. 2,)). Ezek. xvi. 2S and xxiii. 20 prove that 
 "flesh" is used for carnal desires in the Old 
 Testament as well aa iu the New, which Uengstcn- 
 5:^ 
 
 herg denies, maintaining the sense 'Suffer not 
 thyself to be involved in guilt as respects thy whole 
 body, by the one small member the mouth' (Jas. 
 iii. 2, 5, 6). before the angel— the "messenger" 
 of God (Job xxxiii. 23); minister (Rev. i. 20); i. e., 
 the priest (Mai. ii. 7), " before" whom a breach of 
 a vow was to be confessed (Lev. v. 4, 5). We 
 Christians, in our vows [e. r/., ab bax)tism, the 
 Lord's supper, &c.) vow in the presence of Jesus 
 Christ, "the angel of the covenant" (Mai. iii. 1), 
 and of ministering angels as witnesses (1 Cor. xi. 
 10; 1 Tim. v. 21). that it was an error. Extenu- 
 ate not any breach of them as a slight error. The 
 distinction between sins of i'jncrance or lieedless- 
 ness, and sinning presiimptiiouslg or wilfully, is 
 alluded to here (cf. Num. xv. 27-31; Heb. x. 23- 
 2S). wherefore should God be angry? A broken 
 vow is not to be atoned for by a few fair spoken 
 words before a priest. Thy vow to give so much 
 of the fruits of the earth, and of thy cattle, when 
 not performed, will entail the destruction of the 
 whole work of thy hands -all thy crops and cattle. 
 7. For in the multitude of dreams . . . (there are) 
 . . . vanities, &c.— (Note, v. 3.) God's service, 
 which ought to be our chief good, becomes by 
 "dreams" (foolish fancies as to God's req'.iire- 
 ments of us in worship) and random " words," 
 positive "vanity." The remedy is, "Fear God" 
 (ch. xii. 13), then thou wilt si)eak and vow nothing 
 which thou dost not sincerely mean. 
 
 8. If thou seest the oppression of the poor, &c. 
 As in ch. iii. 10, so here the difficulty suggests 
 itself. If God is so exact in even i)unishing liasty 
 words [vv. 1-0), why does He allow gross injustice? 
 In the remote "provinces" (Hebrew, Medinah: 
 jurisdiction) the "poor" oftsn had to put them- 
 selves, for protection from the inroads of Philis- 
 tines, &c., under chieftains, who op]iressed them 
 even in Solomon's reign, and the exaction of the 
 tribute was often attended with oppression of the 
 poor (1 Ki. xii. 4). the matter— lit., the pleasure^ 
 or purpose (Isa. liii. 10). Marvel not at this dis- 
 pensation of God's will, as if He had abandoned the 
 world. Nay, there is coming a capital judgment 
 at last, and an eiuniest of it in partial imnishments , 
 of sinners meanwhile (ch. iii. 17). God cannot let 
 such things remain un]>unished: for He "hates" 
 robbery (Isa. Ixi. 8). for (he that is) higher, &c. 
 (Dan. vii. 18)— or translate, ' He that is high from 
 abore regardeth (watcheth) the high.' 1 
 
 prefer the English version on account of the He- 
 brew order of words (cf. Ps. Ixxxii. 1-8; xcvii. 9). 
 regardeth— (2 Chr. xvi. 9.) there be higher— 
 jdural -i. c., the three persons of the Godhead. 
 
Joy in riches 
 
 ECCLESIASTES V. 
 
 is the gift of God. 
 
 over the profit of the earth is for all : the king himself is served by the 
 field. 
 
 10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that 
 
 11 loveth abundance with increase. This is also vanity. When goods 
 increase, they are increased that eat them : and what good is there to the 
 
 12 owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their e5^es ? The sleep 
 of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the 
 abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. 
 
 13 There *is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches 
 
 14 kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by 
 evil travail ; and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. 
 
 15 As 4ie came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as 
 he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away 
 
 16 in his hand. And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, 
 so shall he go: and "Svhat profit hath he that ''hath laboured for the 
 
 17 wind ? All his days also he ^eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow 
 and wrath with his sickness. 
 
 18 Behold that which I have seen: ^it is good and comely for one to eat 
 and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under 
 the sun *all the days of his life, which God giveth him; for it is his 
 
 19 portion. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, 
 and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to 
 
 B. C. 977.' 
 *= ch. 6. 1. 
 ' Job 1. 21. 
 
 Ps 49. 17. 
 
 Luke 2.20. 
 
 1 Tim. 6. 7. 
 Sam. 12. 
 21. 
 
 ch. 1. 3 
 
 Jer. 2. 8. 
 
 Mark 8. 36. 
 " 2Chr. 6.10. 
 
 Ps. 90. 7. 
 
 Pro. 11. 29. 
 " Ps. 127. ?. 
 3 there is 
 
 a g^od 
 
 whic'i is 
 
 comely, 
 
 etc. 
 
 ch. 2. 2t. 
 ch. 3. 12, 13, 
 22. 
 ch 9. 7. 
 ch. 11. 9. 
 1 Tim. 6.17. 
 * the num- 
 ber of the 
 days. 
 
 The plural expresses the fulness of powers that 
 are in God. 9. the profit (produce) of the earth is 
 (ordained) for (the common good of) all : (even) the 
 king (himself) is served by (the fruits of) the 
 field. So in the case of Uzziah (2 Chr. xxvi. 10). 
 Therefore the common Lord of all, high and low, 
 will punish at last those who rob the "poor" of 
 their share in it (Prov. xxii. 22, 23 ; Amos viii. 4-7); 
 for it was designed to profit all, not merely a pri- 
 vileged few, who by oppression monopolized, wish- 
 ing to be " alone in the midst of the earth" (ch. iv. 
 8 ; Isa. V. 8). This obscure passage is interpreted 
 in many ways. The English version seems best; 
 only insert ' itself ' in the first clause, as in the 
 Hebrew [«*n]- The head cannot do without the foot, 
 nor can the king dispense with the poor labourer 
 that produces the crop for him from his field ; a 
 consideration that should check oppression. 
 
 10. Not only will God punish at last, but mean- 
 while, not be satisfied with silver— the oppressive 
 gainers of "silver" find no solid 'satisfaction' in 
 it. nor he that loveth abundance (Hamon— lit., 
 multitude, hustle; implying the turmoil which is 
 inseparable from wealth) "with increase— is not 
 satisfied with the gain that he makes. 11. When 
 goods increase, &c.— the rich man's dependents. 
 Either in the rich man's lifetime, or after his death, 
 all his accvimulations shall find their consumers. 
 ' Whoso gathers riches, gathers devourers' [Luther). 
 12. The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, &c. 
 Another argument against anxiety to gain riches. 
 "Sleep . . . sweet," answers to " quietness " (ch. 
 iv. 6); " eat little or much," to " abundance," "not 
 suffer . . . sleep," to " vexation of spirit. " Fears 
 for his wealth, and an over-loaded stomach with- 
 out 'labouring' (cf. ch. iv. 5), will not suffer the 
 rich oppressor to sleep. 
 
 13, 14. a sore evil, &c. Proofs of God's judg- 
 ments even in this world (Prov. xi. 31). The rich 
 oppressor's wealth provokes enemies, robbers, &c. 
 Then, after having kept it for an expected son, he 
 loses it beforehand by misfortune ("by evil tra- 
 vail "), and the son is born to be heir of poverty. 
 Ch. ii. 19, 21, 23 gives another aspect of tlie same 
 subject. 15, 16. nothing of (notwithstanding) Ms 
 lab our . . . this also (is) a sore evil. &c.— as in v. 13 
 52G 
 
 the uncertainty of wealth was dwelt on, and its vicis- 
 situdes ; so here the certainty of its being lost at 
 death is put forward as "a sore evil." Even sup- 
 Y)osing that he loses not his wealth before death, 
 then at least he must go stripped of it all (Ps. xlix. 
 17). laboured for . . . wind?— (Hos. xii. 1; 1 Cor. 
 ix. 26.) 17. eateth— appropriately put for 'livetli' 
 in general, as connected with vv. 11, 12, 18. in 
 darkness— opposed to 'light (joy) of countenance' 
 (ch. viii. 1 ; Prov. xvi. 15). He may be seated in 
 a well-lighted hall, but all is gloom in his heart. 
 The sun is darkened to him who is in mental 
 darkness. It shines onlv for the happy (ch. xii, 2 ; 
 Jer. iv. 23). (He hath) much sorrow and wrath— 
 fretfulness. with his sickness— Zi^., 'sorrow (is) 
 much, and his sickness (through vexation) find 
 wrath.' 
 
 18. Behold (that) which I have seen, &c.— in 
 
 contrast to self -tormenting avarice. He returns to 
 the sentiment in chs. ii. 24 ; iii. 12, 13, 22. The 
 Hebrew accent requires a stop at "seen," as in the 
 English version [also the pointing is not 
 the next clause is literal. '(It is) good 
 which (is also) comely (for one) to eat,' &c. 
 " Good " for the man himself ; " comely" in relation 
 to others, all the days of his life (lit. , the num- 
 ber of the days of his life) which God giveth— viz., 
 both the good of his labour and his life. 'The 
 number of the days of his life' is a phrase imply- 
 ing the briefness of life, and therefore the folly 
 of making earthly things, which are so soon ended, 
 one's portion, for it (is) his portion— legitimately. 
 It is the only good to be got of one's goods. Such 
 a one will use, not abuse, earthly things (1 Cor. 
 vii. 31). Opposed to the anxious life of the covet- 
 ous \vv. 10, 17). 19. Every man also to whom God 
 hath given riches, &c. As v. 18 refers to the 
 "labouring" man [v. 12), so v. 19 to the "rich" 
 man, who gets wealth, not by "oppression" [v. 8), 
 but by "God's gift." He is distinguished also 
 from the "rich" man (ch. vi. 2), in having received 
 by God's gift, not only "wealth," but also "power 
 to eat thereof," which that one has not. " Power" 
 —lit., dominion or rule (Hishlit, to make to rule) — 
 viz.. over one's own heart, so as not to be the 
 
The vanity of riches 
 
 ECCLESIASTES VI. 
 
 without use. 
 
 20 
 
 rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. ^For he shall not much 
 remember the days of his life; because ^God answereth him in the joy of 
 his heart. 
 
 THERE is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common 
 among men: a man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, 
 "so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet ^ God 
 giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it : this is 
 vanity, and it is an evil disease. If a man beget an hundred children, 
 and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul 
 be not filled with good, and ^also that he have no burial; I say, '^that an 
 untimely birth is better than he : for he cometh in with vanity, and 
 departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness. 
 Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath 
 more rest than the other. Yea, though he live a thousand years twice 
 told, yet hath he seen no good : do not all go to one place ? 
 
 All Hhe labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the ^appetite is not 
 filled. For what hath the wise more than the fool ? what hath the poor. 
 
 B. C. 977. 
 
 6 Or, Though 
 he give i ot 
 much, yet 
 he remem- 
 bereth,etc. 
 
 P Ex. 23. 2'.. 
 
 CHAP. 6. 
 " Judg. 18. 0. 
 Job 21. 10. 
 Ps. 17. 14. 
 Ps. 73. 7. 
 Luke .2. 19, 
 20. 
 
 6 Luke 12. 20. 
 " 2 Ki. 9. 35. 
 
 Isa 14. 13. 
 A Jobs. i6. 
 
 Ps. 5S. 8. 
 « Pro. 1 26. 
 
 1 Tim.6.6-8. 
 1 souL 
 
 slave of wealth, but its master, nsingit freely and 
 rightly. "To take his portion" limits him to the 
 lawful use of wealth, not keeping back from God 
 His portion, while enjoying liis own. this (is) the 
 ^ift of God— lit. , a gift hestoived freely and volun- 
 tarily of grace. 20. he shall not much remember. 
 He will not remember much (looking back with 
 disappointment, as the ungodly do, eh. ii. 11, on) 
 the days of his life. Life is long to the wretched, 
 short to the happy. He will not vex himself with 
 the remembrance of the unhappy days which he 
 has ijassed. Nor will he be anxious about the 
 future, but enjoys thankfully the present goods of 
 life, and waits for the better and eternal life. God 
 answereth him in the Joy of his heart. God 
 ansvjers his jjrayers in giving him *' power" to 
 enjoy his blessings. Gesenius and Vulgate trans- 
 late, Tor God (so) occupies him with joy,' &c., 
 that he thinks not much of the shortness and sor- 
 rows of life. " God answereth him in (giving 
 him) the joy of his heart." So to answer in, by, or 
 loith a thing, is to bestoiv it^ in Ps. Ixv. 5 ; Ixix. 13 ; 
 cxviii. 5. 
 
 CHAP. VI, 1-12.— 1. an €vil . . . common among 
 men— or else, more literally, great upon man, falls 
 heavily upon man. Wealth, which seems, on a 
 sui)erficial look, so great a good, often is found, on 
 closer examination, to be a great evil. 2. he want- 
 eth nothing for his soul— e., for his enjoyment, 
 yet God giveth him not power to eat— through 
 the avarice which enthrals him. This distin- 
 guishes him from the "rich" man in ch. v. 19. 
 "God hath given" distinguishes him also from the 
 man who got his wealth by " oppression " (ch. v. 8). 
 but a stranger eateth it— those not akin, nay, 
 even hostile to him (Lam. v. 2). He seems to 
 have it in his "power" to do as he will with his 
 wealth, but an unseen power gives him up to his 
 own avarice. God wills that he should toil for 
 "a stranger" (ch. ii. 20), who has found favour in 
 God's sight, an evil disease— as fatal to happiness 
 of the soul as a severe sickness is to the ease of 
 the body (Deut. xxviii. .59). 3. beget an hundred 
 (i. e., very many) children (thus not having a 
 "stranger" as his heir, v. 2), and live many 
 years, so that the days of his years be many 
 (the phrase hints that at best man's years are but 
 days, short and soon gone, Gen. xlvii. 9), and (yet) 
 his soul be not filled with good, &c. (2 Ki. ix. 20, 35); 
 . . . an untimely birth (an embryo) (is) better 
 than he— for, though it enjoys no good, it suffers 
 no evil (ru, 4, 5). In the East, to be without 
 527 
 
 burial is the greatest degradation. ' Better the 
 fruit that drops from the tree before it is ripe, 
 than that left to hang on till rotten' {Henry). 
 4. For he— rather, it, the "untimely birth." com- 
 eth in with vanity— to no purpose ; a type of the 
 driftless existence of him who maketh riches the 
 chief good, and his name shall be covered with 
 darkness — the name of the untimely embryo. 
 Translate, 'its name;' of the abortive: a type of 
 the unhonoured death and dark future beyond 
 the grave, of the avaricious. 5. Mins—yet it. hath 
 more rest than the other— than the toiling, 
 gloomy miser. The more unenviable is the state 
 of the embryo, the worse is the misery of the 
 covetous rich man. It has " rest " from suffering : 
 he has no rest. He is to be pitied, not envied. 
 6. Yea, though he live a thousand years twice 
 (?. e., not only almost a thousand years, like 
 Methuselah, but twice a thousand), yet hath he 
 seen no good. If the miser's length of "life" be 
 thought to raise him above the abortive, Solomon 
 answers, Long life, without enjoying real good, is 
 but lengthened misery, do not all go to one 
 place? Riches cannot exempt him from going 
 whither "all go." He must go there, where all 
 arrive alike stripped of earthly goods (1 Tim. vi. 7). 
 He has no good either in life, or death, or eter- 
 nity. 
 
 7. All the labour of man (is) for his mouth- 
 rather, 'of the man,' viz., the miser {w. 3-6). For 
 not all men labour for the mouth, i. e., for selfish 
 gratification. So the Hebrew, ha-adam. the 
 appetite — Hebrew, the soid. The insatiability 
 of the desire prevents that which is the only end 
 proposed in toils, viz., self-gratification. The 
 "man" thus gets no "good" out of his wealth 
 {v. 3). The marvel is that we should 'so much 
 harass ourselves for so small a thing, and one so 
 easily procured. Since all that one gains by 
 ceaseless toil has reference to food and raiment, 
 and since nature is content with little, this insati- 
 able desire of getting is mad and monstrous, God 
 has made our mouth very small; yet the desire of 
 gain is as vast as if our mouth was as large as a 
 whirlpool, and able to swallow the Jordan at a 
 draught ; or as if we had the mouth of Leviathan ' 
 (Cartwright). (1 Tim. vi. 9.) 8. For what hath 
 the wise more than the fool ? The " for " means 
 (in contrast to the insatiability of the miser). For 
 what else but this, viz., that 'his appetite is satis- 
 tied,' is the advantage which the wise man hath 
 above the fool ? What (other advantage but this, 
 
Several remedies 
 
 ECCLESIASTES VII. 
 
 against tanitij: 
 
 9 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 that knoweth to walk before tlie living ? Better is the sight of the eyes 
 ^tlian the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of 
 spirit. 
 
 That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is 
 man: neither Anay he contend with him that is mightier than he. 
 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the 
 better? For who knoweth wliat is good for man in this life, ^all the days 
 of his vain life which he spendeth as ^a shadow ? for '^who can tell a man 
 what shall be after him under the sun ? 
 
 A GOOD name is better than precious ointment; 
 And "the day of death than the day of one's birth. 
 
 It is better to go to the ^ house of mourning than to go to the house of 
 feasting: 
 
 B. C. 377. 
 
 2 ih!in the 
 walking of 
 the soul. 
 
 / Job 9. 32. 
 Isa. 45. 9. 
 Jer. 9. 19. 
 
 3 the num- 
 ber of the 
 days of the 
 life of his 
 vanity. 
 
 " Jaa. 4. 14. 
 A Ps S9. 6. 
 
 CHAP. 7. 
 ' Phil. 1. 23. 
 ' l\Iatt. s. 4. 
 
 i. c, what superiority, above him who knows not 
 how to walk upright) hath the godly poor who 
 knoweth to walk before the living ? i. e., to use and 
 enjoy life aright among and in the presence of the 
 living (ch. v. 18, 19), with a cheerful, thankful, 
 godlv " walk" (Ps. cxvi. 9). 9. Better is the sight 
 of the eyes, &c. Answer to v. 8, " What hath the 
 wise more than the fool ?" This is the advantage, 
 " Better is the sight of the eyes (the wise man's 
 godly enjoyment of present seen blessings) than 
 the (fool's) wandering (lit., ivalking, Ps. Ixxiii. 9) of 
 the desire;" I e., vague, insatiable desires for what 
 he has not [v. 7 ; Hebrews xiii. 5). It is better to 
 make the best of what we have before our eyes, 
 however small and humble it seem, than to wan- 
 der into the clouds with our desires (Luke xii. 29). 
 this is also vanity— i/m restless wandering of de- 
 sire, and not enjoying contentedly the present (1 
 Tim. vi. 6, 8). ^ ^ 
 
 10. Part II. here begins. Since man's toils are 
 vain, what is the chief good? {v. 12.) The answer 
 is contained in the rest of the book. That which 
 hath been (man's various plans for happiness in 
 earthly things apart from God) is named already 
 — not only has existed (c])S. i. 9; iii. 15), but has re- 
 ceived its just name, " vanity," long ago. man — 
 Hebrew, Adam, 'man of red dust,' as his Creator 
 appropriately named him from his frailty (Gen. v. 
 2; iii. 19). Man is of earth, and returns to earth 
 (1 Cor. XV. 47). neither may he contend. Pom. 
 ix. 20; 1 Cor. x. 22 alludes to this passage : "Are 
 we stronger than he?" Instead of restlessly con- 
 tending with our lot here, which is His appoint- 
 ment, and insatiably seeking riches, let us thank- 
 fully enjoy His mercies, and learn the lesson of 
 discipline and purification designed in our pres- 
 ent trials (ch. iii. 18). 11. many things that 
 increase vanity. The more wealth the more 
 vanity, what (is) man the better? "Seeing" 
 that man cannot escape from the "vanity," which 
 by God's "mighty" will is inherent in earthly 
 things, and cannot call in question God's wisdom 
 in these dispensations ("cannot contend with Him 
 that is mightier than he") "what is man the bet- 
 ter" of these vain things, as regards the chief 
 good? None whatevei*. The seeming advantage 
 of the rich over the j)oor vanishes on a closer 
 examination. 12. who knoweth what is good? 
 &c. The ungodly know not v/hat is really "good" 
 during life, nor "what shall be after them," i.e., 
 what will be the event of their undertakings ; or 
 what v/ill be their state and their circumstances 
 (chs. iii. 22 ; viii. 7), not merely after their death, 
 but an hour, a day, a year after the present. The 
 godly might be tempted to 'contend with God' 
 b). 10) as to His dispensations ; but they cannot 
 fully know the wise purposes served by them now 
 and hereafter. Their sufferings are more really 
 good for them than cloudless prosperity : sinners 
 62S 
 
 are being allowed to till up their measure of guilt. 
 Retribution in part vindicates God's ways even 
 now. The judgment shall make all clear. Inch, 
 vii. he states what is good, in answer to this verse. 
 The only true good is "the true riches " (Luke xvi. 
 11). all the days— Hebrew, 'the number of the 
 days of the life of his vanity.' The fact that his 
 days can be numbered implies their ftwness. Tiie 
 shorter and the more shadowy (1 Chr. xxix. 15) 
 our life is, the more important it is that we should 
 not hunt after shadowy vanities, who can tell? 
 If we could foresee that riches would always 
 abide with us, we miglit have an excuse in making 
 them our chief aim. But we know not how soon 
 they and ayc shall part ; therefore seek the true 
 riches, and enjoy whatever present earthly good 
 God gives. 
 
 CHAP. VIL Consolation to God's people 
 
 under suffering. — T lie sorrows oj the saints are better 
 than th.e joys of the worldly. 1. (See note, ch. vi. 
 12.) A good name— character; a godly mind and 
 life; not mere reputation with man, but what a 
 man is in the eyes of God, with whom the name 
 and reality are one thing (Isa. ix. 6). This alone 
 is "good," whilst all else is "vanity," when made 
 the chief end. is better than precious ointment 
 (Prov. xxii. 1)— used lavishly at costly banquets, 
 and peculiarly refreshing in the sultry East The 
 Hebrew for name and for ointment have a happy 
 paronomasia, Sheem^Shemen. So our phrase to be 
 in good odour. Contrast Exod. v. 21. "Ointment" 
 is fragrant only in the place where the person is 
 whose head and garment are scented, and only for 
 a time. The "name" given by God to His child 
 (Pev. iii. 12) is for ever, and in all lands. So in 
 the case of tlie woman who received an "everlasting 
 name " from Jesus Christ.in reward for her precious 
 ointment (Isa. Ivi. 5; Mark xiv. 3-9). Jesus Christ 
 Himself hath such a name as the Messiah— i. e., 
 the Anointed (Song i. 3). The word good, letter, 
 occurs in this chapter oftener than in any chapter 
 of the Old Testament, and the day of death . . , 
 birth. Not a general censure upon God for creat- 
 ing man, but, connected with the previous clause, 
 death is to him who hath a godly name "better" 
 than the day of liis birth — "far better," as Phil. i. 
 23 hath it. This is the consolation offered to 
 those mourning the death of godly friends (u. 2 ; 
 Isa. Ivii. 1, 2). Their "good name" still endures, 
 and shall be blessed on earth (Prov. x. 7; Ps. cxii. 
 6). Their day of death also teaches more instruc- 
 tive lessons than the day of their birth. The light 
 of life, says the Preacher, is sweet (ch. xi. 7), and 
 we hav« good reason to "eat and drink with 
 a merry heart " (ch. ix. 4, 7, 8). But this present 
 life is not to be our chief good : that is not to be 
 found till we change this vale of tears for the 
 realms of tearless joy (Rev. xiv. 13). 
 
 2- It Is better to go to tlie liouse of mourning; 
 
Several remedies 
 
 ECCLESIASTES VIL 
 
 against vanity. 
 
 For that is the end of all men ; — and the living will lay it to his heart. 
 
 3 ^ Sorrow is better than laughter : 
 ^For by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. 
 
 4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning : 
 But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. 
 
 5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, 
 Than for a man to hear the song of fools. 
 
 6 For as the " crackling of thorns under a pot, — so is the laughter of the fool. 
 This also is vanity. 
 
 7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; 
 "^And a gift destroy eth the heart. 
 
 8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; 
 A rid Hhe patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 
 
 9 Be -'not hasty in thy spirit to be angry : 
 For anger resteth in the bosom of fools. 
 
 10 Say not thou, WkdX is the cause that the former days were better than 
 
 these ? 
 
 For thou dost not enquire ^wisely concerning this. 
 
 1 1 Wisdom * is good with an inheritance ; 
 And by it there is profit to them that see the sun. 
 
 j &c. Proving that it is not a sensual enjoyment of 
 j earthly goods which is meant in chs. iii. 13; v. 18. 
 ( A thankfnl use of these is right, but frequent 
 I feasting Solomon had found dangerous to piety in 
 I his own case. So Job's fear (ch. i. 4, 5), 'The 
 house of feasting ' often shuts out thoughts of God 
 and eternity, the living will lay (it) to his heart 
 — (Ps. xc. 10-12.) The sight of the dead in the 
 house of mourning " causes " the living" to think 
 of their own "end." 3. Sorrow — such as arises 
 from serious thoughts of eternity. The Hebrew 
 Kahas is translated anger in v. 9. Here it is com- 
 mended ; there it is condemned. The anger wdiich 
 is felt against our ov.u sin (whence flows God's 
 anger) is good, for it is substantially repentance. 
 The anger which breaks forth against God and His 
 dealings is evil (Lam. iii. 39-42). is better than 
 laughter— reckless mirth (ch. ii. 2). by the sad- 
 ness of the countenance— (Ps. cxxvi. 5, 6; 2 Cor. 
 iv. 17; vi. 10; vii. 10; Heb. xii. 10, 11.) Heng- 
 stenherg translates, 'When the countenance looks 
 sad, tlie heart becomes merry.' So the Hebrew 
 for "good" {Yltab) is translated in ch. ix. 7, "a 
 merry heart." Sadness sits on the surface, whilst 
 joy reigns within. The world's happiness makes 
 the countenance radiant, but leaves the heart 
 sad. True joy is only there where the heart is 
 right ; sadness often conduces to this. But the 
 parallel clause supports tlie English version. 
 
 5. (It is) better to hear, ^•5c.—(Ps.cxli. 4,5.) Godly 
 reproof offends the flesh, but benefits the spirit. 
 Fools' songs " in th e house of mirth "i)lease the flesh, 
 but injure the soul. 6. as the crackling of thorns, 
 &c. The "crackling" answers to the loud merri- 
 ment of fools. It is the very tire consuming them 
 which produces the seeming merry noise (Joel ii. 5). 
 Their light soon goes out in the black darkness. 
 There is a paronomasia in the Hebrew Sirim 
 (thorns). Sir (pot). The wicked are often com- 
 pared to " thorns " (2 Sam. xxiii. G ; Nah. i. 10). 
 pried cow dung was the common fuel in Palestine; 
 its slowness in burning niakes the quickness of a 
 blazing tire of thonis the more graphic, as an image 
 of the sudden end of fools (Ps. cxviii. 12). 
 
 7. oppression maketh a wise man mad- -re- 
 curring to the idea, chs. iii. 16 ; v. 8. Its con- 
 nection with vi\ 4-0 is, the sight of "oppres- 
 Bion" pen;>etrated by "fools" might temi)t the 
 *'wi8e ' to cull in question God's dispensations, 
 VOL. 11 L 529 
 
 B. C. 977. 
 
 1 Or. 
 Anger. 
 Eom. 5.3,4. 
 2 Cor. 4. 17. 
 2 Cor. r. 10. 
 Heb. 12. 10, 
 11. 
 
 Jas. 1. 2, 4. 
 - sound. 
 d Ex. 23. S. 
 Deut. 16.19. 
 1 Sam. 8. 3. 
 1 Sam 12.3. 
 Pro. 17. 2J. 
 Isa. 1. 23. 
 Isa. 33. 15. 
 « Pro. It. 20. 
 / Pro. 16. 32. 
 Jas. 1. 10, 
 
 3 out of 
 
 wisdom. 
 
 4 Or. as 
 good as an 
 inheri- 
 tai ce,yea, 
 better too. 
 
 and imitate the folly {i. e,, 'madness') described, 
 vv. 5, 6 (Ps. Ixxiii. 2, 3, &c.; Prov, xxiii. 17). a 
 gift destroyeth the heart— e., the sight of bribery 
 in "places of judgment" (ch. iii. 16) might cause 
 the wise to lose their wisdom ("heart") (Job xii. 6). 
 Hengstenhcrg explains it, not so well, oppression 
 befools the oppressor, though once he was wise, 
 and a bribe destroys the understanding. Hence 
 the happiness of "fools" (r. 6) is so short: they 
 work their own ruin. But v. 8, latter clause, and 
 chs. iii. 16; v. 8, confirm the former explanation. 
 8, Better (is) the end of a thing— connected with 
 v.l. Let the "wise" w-ait for "the end"— i. e., 
 the final issue to the righteous and the wicked re- 
 spectively; and the "oppressions," which now (in 
 "the beginning") perplex their faith, will be 
 found by God's working to be overruled to their 
 good, the patient in spirit. " Tribulation work- 
 etli patience'^ (Rom. v. 3), which is infinitely better 
 than "the proud spirit" that prosperity might 
 have generated in them, as it has in fools (Ps. Ixxiii. 
 2, 3, 12-14, 17-26 ; Jas. i. 19 ; v. 11). 9. Be not hasty 
 —passionate with excitement, bursting out in com- 
 plaints against God, and impatient at adversity 
 befalling thee, as Job was (ch. v. 2; Ps. xxxvii. 1, 
 2, 8). Contrast Lam. iii. 24-27. anger resteth in 
 the bosom of fools. It is fools who give way to 
 anger or impatience and fretfulness at the sight 
 of the prosperity of the ungodly (Ps. xxxvii. 1, 8). 
 
 10. the former days were better than these. 
 Do not call in question God's ways in making thy 
 former days better tlian thy present, as Job did 
 (ch. xxix. 2-5); and the former days of the nation 
 better than the present state. Cf. Jude 16, "mur- 
 merers, complainers " (Mai. ii. 17; iii. 14, 15). thou 
 dost not enquire wisely— Hebrew, with loisdom. 
 Wisdom would teach thee that the sufferings of 
 God's people are designed to humble them in re- 
 membrance of sin, and that these sufferings are 
 disciplinary and only for a time, and will event- 
 uate in eternal glory to those who are exercised 
 thereby. The very putting of the question argues 
 that heavenly "wisdom" {marg.) is not, as much 
 as it ought, made the chief good with thee. 
 
 11. Wisdom (is) good, &c. Rather, 'Wisdom, as 
 compared with an inheritance, is good' — i. e,, is as 
 good as an inheritance, and (by it there is) profit. 
 ' Yea, (it is) better {more e-rcellcnt than an inlierit- 
 auce, Prov. iii, 14 : so Hebrew, yotheer^ means 
 
 2 M 
 
Several remedies 
 
 JICCLESJABTES VII. 
 
 against mnit^fl 
 
 12 For wisdom is a ^defeiic^, and money is a defence: 
 But the excellency of knowledge is, 
 
 That wisdom giveth life to them that have it. 
 
 13 Consider the work of God : 
 
 ^For who can make that straight which he hath made crooked ? 
 
 14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, — but in the day of adversity consider : 
 God also hath ^set the one over against the other, 
 
 To the end that man should find nothing after him. 
 
 15 All things have I seen in ,the days of my vanity: there is a just man 
 that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that pro- 
 
 ] 6 longeth his life in his wickedness. Be *not righteous over much,; -^'neither 
 17 make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself ? Be not 
 over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: ^why shouldest thou die 
 
 B. 0. m. 
 
 5 shadow. 
 Fro. 2. 11. 
 
 f Job 12. 14. 
 Job 34. 29. 
 cli. 1. 15. 
 Isa. 14. 27. 
 
 6 made, 
 ch. 8. 14. 
 
 < Pro. 25. 16. 
 Phil. 3. 6. 
 
 J Rom. 12. 3. 
 be deso- 
 late. 
 
 * Job 15. S2. 
 Ps. 55. 23. 
 Pro. 10. 27. 
 
 in ch. vi. 8, 11). to them that see the sun— i. e., 
 the lioing (ch. xi. 7; Job iii. 16; Es. ,xlix. 19). 12. 
 wisdom (is) a defence-^i^. , (To be) in {i. e., under) 
 the shadow (Isa. xxx. 2) of wisdom (is the same as 
 to be) in (under) the shadoin} of money; i. e,, wisdom 
 no less shields one from the ills of life than money 
 does. As heat is the great plague in the East, so 
 it expresses tribulation; and shadoio expresses 
 shelter from tribulation, the excellency of know- 
 ledge (is, that) wisdom giveth life to them 
 that have it. Or, as the Chaldaic, LXX., Syriac, 
 and Arabic, 'the excellency of the knowledge of 
 wisdom giveth life'— i. e., life in the highest sense, 
 here and hereafter (Prov. iii. 18; John xvii. 3; 
 2 Pet. i. 3). But the Hebrew accent supports the 
 English version. Wisdom (religion) cannot be 
 lost, as money can. It shields one in adversity, as 
 well as prosperity; money, only in prosperity. 
 The question in v. 10 implies a want of it. 
 
 13. Consider the work of Ood— consider that it 
 is impossible to alter His dispensations, for who 
 can make (that) straight? Man cannot amend 
 what God wills to be "wanting" and "adverse" 
 (ch. i. 15; Job xii. 14). Since no one c(iw, no one 
 should wish to alter what God ordains. If men in 
 adversity would "consider" it as "the work of 
 God," they would meekly, yea, thankfully, submit, 
 in the spirit of Ps. xxxix. 9; Lev. x. 3. 14. In 
 the day of prosperity {lit., good) he joyful— lit., 
 he in good, in the day of adversity consider. 
 Resumed from v. 13. "Consider," i. e., regard it 
 as "the work of God;" for God also hath set the 
 one ov$r against the other—' God has made (i7e6- 
 revj for ' set') this (adversity) also as well as the 
 other' (prosperity). "Adversity" is one of the 
 things which " God has made crooked,"^ind which 
 man cannot "make straight." He ought therefore 
 to be "patient" (v. 8). ' A bird caught in a snare, 
 the more it struggles to get free, the more tightly 
 it is bound. So, if one be held by God in the bonds 
 of affliction, there is nothing safer for him than 
 that he gives himself up wholly to the will of God, 
 iCartwright). to the end that man, &o. Halden 
 explains 'that man may not find anything (to 
 blame") after God' (i. e., after 'considering God's 
 work, V. 13). The Vulgate and Syriac, 'against 
 Him (cf, V. 10 ; Rom. iii. 4). Hengstenherg explains, 
 God causes evil days to alternate with good ones, 
 to the end that man should not find anything 
 which will come after him— i. e., in ordfir that he 
 may not be al?le to fathonqi anything which lies 
 beyond his present condition. So " after him," chs. 
 111. 22; VI. 12. These passages favour this latter 
 explanation. Unable to discover ought beyond his 
 present state, man is stripped of pride, and is driven 
 humbly to look up tp Gad and 'consider His work' 
 (y. 13, 14^ 
 
 15. AU things liave I seen, &c.— I have seen 
 
 strange things of all kinds. An objection en- 
 tertained by Solomon "in the days of his vanity" 
 (apostasy) (ch. viii. 14 ; Job xxi. 7). there is a 
 just (man) that perisheth. Temporal, not eternal 
 death (John x. 28). See note, v. 16; ''just" is 
 probably a self-justiciary, wicked . . . prolongeth 
 his life. See the antidote to the abuse of this 
 statement in ch. viii. 12. So Israel complained of 
 her adversity notwithstanding her righteousness in 
 Mai. ii. 17 ; iii. 13-15. 16. Be not righteous over 
 much— forbidding a self-made righteousness of out- 
 ward performances, in which man knows not his 
 sinfulness, and which would wrest salvation from 
 God, instead of receiving it as the gift of His 
 grace. It is a fanatical, proud, unloving (Isa. Iviii. 
 2, 3), Pharisaical righteousness, void of humble 
 faith towards God; for the "fear of God" is in 
 antithesis to it (v. 18 ; ch. .v. 3, 7 ; Matt. vi. 1-7). 
 Even the godly (Job xxxai. 1) need affliction to 
 teach them to unlearn it. There cannot be over 
 much of the righteousness which is by faith. But 
 there is over much of the righteousness that consists 
 in punctiliousness as to external ordinances, when 
 these are substituted for " the weightier matters 
 of the law, judgment, mercy, faith, and the love 
 of God " (Matt, xxiii. 23; Luke xi. 42); and when 
 they blind a man to his utter guiltiness, neither 
 make thyself over wise (Job xi. 12; Rom. xii. 3, 
 16)— presumptuously self sufficient, as if acquainted 
 with the whole of the Divine counsels, destroy 
 thyself— expose thyself to the wrath of God by 
 thy self-conceited wisdom ; hence to an untimely 
 death. The Pharisees in Christ's days brought on 
 themselves the destruction of their nation and the 
 temjile by their self-seeking righteousness and pre- 
 tentious wisdom (cf. Matt, xxiii. 16). "Destroy \ 
 thyself " answers to ' ' perislicth" (v. 15), " righteous 
 pvermuch," to "a just man." Therefore, in r. 15, 
 it is a self-justiciary, not a truly righteous man, 
 that "perisheth in his righteousness." 17. over 
 much wicked— so worded to answer to "righteous 
 over much." It does not imply that we may be 
 wicked a little. "Wicked" refers to "wicked 
 man" {v. 15); "die before thy time," to "prolong- 
 eth his life," antithetically. There may be a 
 wicked man spared to "live long" {v. 15), when 
 God chooses to use him as an instrument to execute 
 unconsciously God's purposes : but judgment will 
 come at last (ch. viii. 12, 13) ; and generally soon : 
 therefore. Be not so foolish (answering antitheti- 
 calljr to "over wise" v. 16) as to run to such excess 
 of riot that God w411 be provoked to cut off pre- 
 maturely thy day of grace (Rom. ii. 5). The pre- 
 cept is addressed to a sinner. Beware of aggra- 
 vating thy sin, so as to make thy case desperate 
 (cf. V. 20). "There is not- a just man upon earth, 
 that sinneth not." Whilst avoiding a self-suffi 
 cient righteousness, which often brings down God's 
 
The difficulty 
 
 ECCLESIASTES VII. 
 
 of wisdom. 
 
 18 ® before thy time ? It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this ; yea, 
 also from this withdraw not thine hand : for he that feareth God shall 
 come forth of them all. 
 
 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are 
 in the city. For Hkere is not a jus-t man upon earth, that doeth good, 
 and sinneth not. 
 
 Also ^take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy 
 22 servant curse thee: for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that 
 thou thyself likewise hast cursed others. 
 
 All this have I proved by wisdom : I said, I will be wise ; but it was 
 far from me. That which is far off, and "^exceeding deep, who can find 
 it out? ^^I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out 
 wisdom, and the reason of things, and to- know the wickedness of folly,, 
 even of foolishness and madness : and I find more bitter than death the 
 woman whose heart is snares and nets, a7id her hands as bands : ^"^ whoso 
 
 23 
 24 
 25 
 
 26 
 
 judgments (i\ 15, 16), beware of the opposite 
 extreme of utter laxity in practice. It is true all 
 are sinful (which the self -justiciaries do not realize, 
 else they would not complain in affliction as if 
 they were unjustly treated by God): but beware 
 of crossing the line which separates the truly 
 righteous, though subject to infirmity, from the 
 wicked, die before thy time ?— prematurely, be- 
 cause of wickedness. 18. take hold of tMs; yea, 
 also from this withdraw not thine hand— the 
 two opposite excesses {vv. 16, 17), fanatical, self- 
 wise righteousness and presumptuous foolhardy 
 wickedness. Matt, xxiii. 23 alludes to this, he 
 •that feareth God shall eome forth of them all— 
 shall escape all such extremes (Prov. iii. 7). 
 
 19. Wisdom— Hebrew^ " The wisdom,''' i. e., the 
 true wisdom, religion (2 Tim. iii. 15). strengthen- 
 eth the wise, &c.— i. e., able and valiant generals 
 (". 12; ch. ix. 13-18; Prov. xxi. 22; xxiv. 5). 
 These " watchmen wake in vain except the 
 Lord keep the city" (Ps. cxxvii. 1). This verse 
 returns to the idea in v. 11. True wisdom is 
 not only better than wealth, but also than phy- 
 sical strength. A consolation to sufferers. 20. 
 not a just man upon earth, &c.— referring to v. 
 16. Be not self-righteous, ''"j-ust^^ before God, be- 
 cause of thy self-imposed performances ; for 
 true "wisdom," or 'righteousness.' shows that 
 there is not a just man, &c. Also connected 
 with V. 19. Since there is none so just as to be 
 free from sin, the "wisdom" from on high is 
 needed to deliver us from sinning on either side 
 {vv. 16, 17), and so incurring the destroying judg- 
 ments of God. 21. take no heed unto all words. 
 As therefore thou, being far from perfectly "just" 
 thyself, hast much to be forgiven by God, do not 
 take too strict accouiit, as the self-righteous 
 do {v. 16; Luke xviii. 9, 11), and thereby shorten 
 their lives, of words spoken against thee by 
 others— /7., thy servant : thou art their "fellow- 
 servant" before God (Matt, xviii. 32-35). lest 
 thou hear thy servant curse thee— as Solomon's 
 father, David, heard Shimei curse him, but yet 
 did not in his affliction take strict account of it, 
 but committed himself to God, the truest " wis- 
 dom" in affliction when enemies mock us (2 Sam. 
 xvi. 5-13; Ps. xxxviii. 13-15.) Translate for "lest," 
 'that thou mayest not hear thy servant who curs- 
 eth thee.' The Preacher requires the greatest 
 I)roof of forbearance — viz., to hearone's own servant 
 cursing one without desiring vengeance. 22. thou 
 thyself likewise hast cursed others— (1 Ki. ii. 
 44.) Conscience reminds the believer oi the sins 
 of which his sufferings are designed as the chas- 
 tisement. Therefore, instead of cherishing a bitter 
 031 
 
 feeling against the agents who cause our sufferings, 
 we ought to regard them as the instruments in 
 the hands of the loving Father who corrects us; 
 then it becomes, by God's Spirit, easy to us to 
 love them and pray for them whilst they despite- 
 fully use us. 
 
 23. All this have I proved— resuming the "all" 
 in V. 15 ; vv. 15-22 is therefore the fruit of his 
 dearly bought experience in the days of his "van- 
 ity." I will he wise— I tried to "be wise" inde- 
 pendently of God. But true wisdom was then 
 "far from him," in spite of his human "wisdom," 
 which he retained by God's gift. So "over wise" 
 {v. 16). 24. That which is far off, &c. HengsteU' 
 berg translates, 'Far off is that, which is;' i. e., 
 wisdom's aim, absolute being. Wisdom is " ex- 
 ceeding deep" when sought independently of 
 ' fear of God ' [v. 18 ; Deut. xxx. 12, 13 ; Job xi, 
 7, 8; xxviii. 12-20; Eom. x. 6, 7)^ Hengstenherg 
 compares in his view, chs. iii. 11; viii. 17; Job xi, 
 8; Rom. xi. 33. The position of the Hebrew 
 words is against the English version. Practical 
 wisdom, or what man has to do, is no longer far 
 oft" (Deut. xxx. 11, 14). But the deeper under- 
 standing of God's providence and dealings on 
 earth is dark, through our indwelling sin. 25. I 
 applied mine heart to know, &c.— lit., / turned 
 myself and mine heart to. A phrase peculiar to 
 Ecclesiastes, and appropriate to the penitent 
 turning back to commune with his heart on his past 
 life. Or else, in Heng stent erg''s view, in contrast 
 to a superficial search into wisdom, the reason 
 (of things) [i\^\^n\—lit., the calculation or right 
 estimation of things : philosophy ; ratiocination 
 \\oyL(Tfx6^]. the wickedness of folly. He is now 
 a step further on the path of penitence than chs. 
 i. 17; ii. 12, w^here "folly'* is put without "wick- 
 edness" prefixed, even of foolishness (and) mad- 
 ness—rather, 'and the foolishness {i. e., the sinful 
 folly, answering to the wickedness in the parallel) 
 of madness, i. e., of man's mad pursuits. Or else, 
 as Hengstenherg translates, ' To know wickedness 
 as folly, and foolishness as madness.' 26. And I 
 find more hitter than death— (Prov. vii. 26, 27; 
 ix. 18.) "I find" that of all my sinful follies, 
 none has been so ruinous a snare in seducing me 
 from God as idolatrous women (1 Ki. xi. 3, 4; 
 Prov. V. 3, 4). As "God's favour is better than 
 life," she who seduces from God is "more bitter 
 than death." Hengstenberg allegorizes "the wo- 
 man" as an ideal personage, representing 'earthly, 
 sensual, devilish wisdom,' in contrast to 'the 
 wisdom from above' (Jas. iii. 15, 17), answering ta 
 Koheleth, the Assembling one, an ideal Female, 
 Hence, here only in the book Koheleth is cou^ 
 
True wisdom 
 
 ECCLESIASTES VIIL 
 
 is modest. 
 
 pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. 
 
 27 Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher, ^'^ counting one by one, to 
 
 28 find out the account; which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one 
 man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those 
 
 29 have I not found. Lo, this only have I found, ''that God hath made 
 man upright; but they have sought out many inventions. 
 
 8 WHO is as the wise man ? and who knoweth the interpretation of a 
 thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and ^the boldness of 
 his face shall be changed. 
 
 2 I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, "and that in regard of 
 
 3 the oath of God. Be not hasty to go out of liis sight : stand not in an 
 
 uected with the feminine verb {v. 27). Everywhere 
 else the Assembliug one is incarnate in the person 
 of Solomon in the masculine. The strange w oman 
 auswers to " philosophy and vain deceit after the 
 tradition of men " (Col. ii. 8; of. 1 Tim. vi. 20; 
 contrast Prov. ii. 16, 17 with Jer. iii. 4, 20). I prefer 
 the literal sense primarily; secondarily, the literal 
 harlot is in the wider application designed by the 
 Spirit to be representative of all that seduce from 
 God, the true Husband of the Chvrch, whether 
 worldly gain, pleasure, or wisdom so called. Cf. 
 Kev. ii. 20, the symbolical Jezebel, whoso pleas- 
 eth God— as Joseph (Gen. xxxix. 2, 3, 9). It is 
 God's grace alone that keeps any from falling. 27. 
 this liave I found— ^riz., what is stated in the 
 previous part of the book (cf. v. 23, "All this"), and 
 summed up in v. 29, "Lo, this only have I found" 
 (counting) one by one— by compariug one thing 
 with another; lit, '(putting) one thing to another' 
 (Alauref-). Or else, 'one by one: one after the 
 other.' To investigate a subject thoroughly we 
 should, like Solomon, take up only one part of it 
 at a time and thoroughly sift it, and then simi- 
 larly take up another part, and so consecutively 
 uutd we have thoroughly examined the whole, 
 account— a right estimate 28. my soul seek- 
 eth— rather, referring to his past experience, 
 ' Which my soul sought further, but I found 
 not,' answering to "I said I will be ^vise, 
 but it was far from me" {v. 23). one man — i. e., 
 worthy of the name "man," " upright:" not more 
 than one in a thousand of my courtiers (Job xxxiii. 
 23; Ps. xii. 1). Jesus Christ alone of men fully 
 realizes the perfect ideal of "man." "Chiefest 
 among ten thousand" (Song v, 10). No perfect 
 'woman' has ever existed, not even the Virgin 
 Mary. Solomon, in the word " thousand," alludes 
 to his 300 wives and 700 concubines (1 Ki. xi. 3). 
 Among these it was not likely that he should find 
 the fidelity which 07ie true wife pays to one hus- 
 bancL This verse is connected with v.26, which con- 
 demns the seducing woman, and is not therefore to 
 be taken as an universal and unqualified condem- 
 nation of the sex, as Prov, xii. 4, &c., prove. But 
 the thing which Solomon here speaks of his seeking 
 in vain is wisdom— i. e., the full knowledge of the 
 deep ways of God by investigation. Woman, as 
 "the weaker vessel," is receptive, rather than 
 originating in respect to wisdom. Woman's liigh 
 province is the family (1 Tim. ii. 11-15); not inde- 
 pendent research in the depths of the Divine ways. 
 No sacred writing by a woman is found in the 
 whole Bible. Let woman, conscious of her weak- 
 ness, learn modesty and submission to her spiritual 
 teachers, and those above her, and chiefly seek 
 strength for her duty from God. Spiritual up- 
 rightness is an indispensable qualification for a 
 right research after the wisdom in question. Solo- 
 mon disqualified himself for it so long as he 
 sinned with the strange women {v. 26). 29. Sum- 
 majy of Lis investigations, they have sought 
 532 
 
 out many inventions. Theoretical " inventions " 
 [ni:ni;^n]. Self- wise reasonings and speculations of 
 the natural intellect, drawing the heart away from 
 the true and heavenly wisdom (1 Tim. vi. 20, 
 "])i-ofane and vain babblings, and oppositions of 
 science falsely so called"). The ' only ' way of 
 accounting for the scarcity of even comparatively 
 upright, and therefore divinely wise men and 
 women, is that, whereas God made man upright, 
 they (men) have, &c. The only account to be 
 ' found ' of the origin of evil, the great mystery of 
 theology, is that given in Holy Writ (Gen. ii. 3). 
 Among man's "inventions" w^as the oue especially 
 referred to in v. 26, the bitter fruits of which Solo- 
 mon exijerienced — the breaking of God's primeval 
 marriage law, joining one man to one woman (Matt, 
 xix. 4, 5, 6). The " man " is singular — viz., Adam : 
 "they," plural, Adam, Eve, and their posterity, 
 
 CHAP, VIIL 1-17.— 1. Who is the wise manr 
 Praise of true wisdom continued, (ch. vii, 11, &e.) 
 "Who" is to be accounted "equal to the wise 
 man?" knoweth the interpretation— of God's 
 providences (e. g., ch, vii. 8, 13, 14), and God's 
 word (e. g., ch. vii. 29, note; Prov, i. 6). face to 
 shine— (ch. vii. 14; Stei)hen, Actsvi. 15.) A sunny 
 countenance, the reflection of a tranquil conscience 
 and serene mind. Communion with God gives it 
 (so Moses, Exod. xxxiv. 29, 30). and the boldness 
 —austerity, changed — into a benign exiDression 
 by true wisdom (religion) (Jas. iii. 17). O^r as 
 marg., strength (ch. vii. 19; Isa. xL 31; 2 Cor. iiL 
 18). The Hebrew for "boldness" [tj?], though 
 often used in a good sense, is found in a bad one 
 in Dan. viii. 23; Dent, xxviii. 50. 
 
 2. the king's commandment— Jehovah, pecu 
 liarly the King of Israel in the theocracy: vv. 3, 4, 
 prove it is not the earthly king who is meant (ch. 
 V. 8). in regard of the oath of God — i. e. , on 
 account of the obligation imposed upon thee by the 
 covenant w^hich God made with Abraham and 
 renewed with David; Solomon remembered Ps. 
 Ixxxix. 35, "I have si(X)rn," &c. (v. 36), and the 
 penalties if Davad's children should forsake it 
 {vv. 30-32), inflicted on Solomon himself; yet God 
 not "utterly" forsaking him, {vv. 33, 34; Deut. 
 xxix. 12-15, kc.) 3. Be not hasty. The Hebrew 
 (Niphal voice : tibbaheel) means literally, ' Be not 
 terror-struck, so as to go out of His sight.' The 
 Piel tebaheel, which some copies read, is more com- 
 monly used as 'Be hasty.' To be slavishly 'ter- 
 ror-struck' is characteristic of the sinner's feeling 
 toward God: he vainly tries, like Jonah (i. 3), in 
 hasty panic, to flee out of His sight (Ps. cxxxix. 
 7); opposed to the ' shining face' of fllialconfldence 
 {v. 1 ; John viii, 33-36; Rom. viii, 2; 1 John iv. 18). 
 stand not in an evil thing— persist not in it. 
 Hengstenberg explains as in Ps. i. 1, " nor standetli 
 in the way of sinners :" allow not thyself to be 
 seduced by suti'ering into the i)aths of sin, into 
 despair of God, and endeavours to work out thy 
 
Divine providence 
 
 ECCLESIASTES VIII. 
 
 to he ohserted. 
 
 4 evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him. Where the word of a 
 king is, there is power; and ^who may say unto him, What doest thou ? 
 
 5 AYhoso keepeth the commandment ^ shall feel no evil thing: and a wise 
 
 6 man's heart discerneth both time and judgment. Because '^to every 
 purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great 
 
 7 upon him. For '^he knoweth not that which shall be : for who can tell 
 him ^when it shall be ? 
 
 8 There ^is no man that hath power ^ over the spirit, to retain the spirit ; 
 neither hatk he power in the day of death: aud the7^e is no ^discharge in 
 that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. 
 
 9 All this have I seen, a.nd applied my heart unto every work that is 
 done under the sun: there is a time wherein ^one man ruleth over 
 
 10 another to his own hurt. And so I saw the wicked buried, who had 
 come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the 
 city where they had so done. This is also vanity. 
 
 B. C 977. 
 
 * Job .34. 18. 
 
 2 shaU 
 know, 
 cli. 3. 1. 
 
 d Pro. 24. 22. 
 ch. 0. 1?. 
 ch. 9. 1'. 
 ch. 10. If. 
 
 3 Or, how it 
 shHll be. 
 
 « Ps. 40. C. 
 
 Ps. f^9. 48; 
 / Job 14. 5. 
 
 4 Or, cast- 
 ing off 
 weapons. 
 
 'J 1 Snm. 18, 
 12. 
 
 deliveratice in thine own strength and way (Ps. 
 xxxvii. 8). Sin is an evil spot on which we should 
 not take our post. The reason follows :— It is 
 fatal by our impatience to make the Omnipotent 
 One our enemy, whatsoever plea^etii Mm. God 
 inflicts what punishment He pleases on persisting 
 sinners (Job xxiii. 13; Ps. cxv. 3). True of none save 
 God. 4. Whare the word of a (the) king (is, there 
 is) power. God's very "Word" is "power." So 
 the Gospel Word (Eom. i, 16; Heb. iv. 12). Maurer 
 translates (Baasher), ^Because that the word of 
 the King is powerful.' who may say unto him— 
 none is of higher authority, so as to call him to ac- 
 count (Job ix. 12; Isa. xlv. 9; Dan. iv. 32; Jon. 
 i. 14). Scripture does not ascribe such arbi- 
 trary power to earthly kings. 5. shall feel (ex- 
 
 Kerience) no evil thing — really and lastingly 
 urting him. Present trials shall i)rove ever- 
 lasting blessings (Kom. viii. 28). a wise man's 
 heart discerneth hoth time (ch. iii. 1-11) and 
 judgment. God's future "judgment" is con- 
 nected with the "time for every purpose," in ch. 
 iii. 17. The punishment of persisting or impatient 
 sinners (r. .3) suggests it. The wise man realizes 
 the fact, that as there is a fit "time" for every 
 purpose, so for tlie "judgment." This thought 
 cheers him in adversity (chs. vii. 14; viii. 1). 6. 
 Because to every purpose (Hebrew, cheephetz: 
 desire) there is time and judgment— because the 
 fooHsh sinner does not think of the right "times " 
 and the "judgment." But the repetition of the 
 same words as in v. 5 shows the connection of 
 this verse v/ith it. The wise discern the coming 
 time of God's jud^^ent and take courage; 'be- 
 cause to every desire' of the saint for the estab- 
 lishment of the kingdom of God and the downfall 
 of the present state of sin and sorrow, there is the 
 coming time of tlie just retribution; inasmuch 
 a.s'— 'because (not "therefore," as the English 
 version ; the same Hebrew, Ki, as before) man's 
 misery is great upon him ;' and without the hope 
 of such a time of retribution to come, the godly 
 would have nothing to sustain them in present 
 sufferings. Tlie second " because" introduces the 
 reason why there sliould be such a need for God's 
 righteous judgment in His own good time, viz. : — 
 man's great misery, in which the saint is a chief 
 sufiFerer. 7, For (Hebrew, Ki, as before : because) 
 he knoweth— an exemplification of man's "great 
 misei-y" {r. 6). The sinner, by neglecting times 
 (e. (7., "the accepted time, and the day oi salva- 
 tion " 2 Cor. vi. 2), is taken by surprise by the 
 judgment (chs. iii. 22 ; vi. 12 ; ix. 12). The godly 
 wise observe the due times of things (ch. iii. 1), 
 and so, looking for the judgment, are not taken by 
 533. 
 
 surx)rise, though not knowing the precise "when" 
 (1 Thess. V. 2-4); they "know the time" to all 
 saving purposes (Rom. xiii. 11). 
 
 8. no man . . . hath power over the spirit— 
 breath of life (ch. iii. 19), as tlie words following 
 require. This verse naturally follows the subject 
 of "time" and "judgment" {vi\ Q, 1),- _ no dis- 
 charge—alluding to the liability to military ser- 
 vice of all above twenty years old (Num. i. 3) ; yet 
 many were exempted (Deut. xx. 5-8). But in that 
 war (death) there is no exemption, neither shall 
 wickedness deliver, Sec— lit, its patrons or masters. 
 Wickedness can get money for the sinner, but 
 cannot deliver him from the death temporal and 
 eternal which is its penalty (Isa. xxviii. 15, 18). 
 The thought of the short-lived power of wicked 
 opi^ressors, aud the universality of death, which 
 ends all oppression— a consideration terrible to 
 the wicked — is the comfort of the saint in affliction. 
 
 9. (there is) a time wherein one man ruleth 
 over another to his own hurt. The tyrannical 
 'ruler hurts' not merely his subjects, but himself; 
 so Rehoboam (1 Ki. xii.): but the "time" of 
 "hurt" chiefly refers to eternal ruin, incurred by 
 "wickedness," at "the day of death" {v. 8), and 
 the ""time" of "judgment" {v. 6; Prov. viii. 36). 
 Hengstenherq explains, 'to the hurt of the ruled ' 
 (Prov. xxviii. 15, 16). The oppression which the 
 godly suffer would be a stumbling-block to faith 
 (ch. vii. 15) if looked at superficially. But Solo- 
 mon says, I applied my heart (understanding)," 
 i. e., looked deeply into the matter. 10. And so 
 (or, then) I saw the wicked— (Ezek. xxxii. 23, 24; 
 xxxix. 11 ; Luke xvi. 22.) The grave puts an end 
 to the temporary oppression exercised by the 
 wicked, who had come— to the grave, anci. 
 gone from the place of the holy — from the 
 place of judicature, where they sat as God's repre- 
 sentatives (Ps. Ixxxii. 1-6). Joab, by Solomon's 
 command, was sent to the grave from the "holy 
 place " in the temple, which was not a sanctuary to 
 murderers (Exod. xxi. 14; 1 Ki. ii. 28, 31). The 
 very word " bury" is used there. So the "Mdcked 
 rulers" [v. 9) and high priests, who condemned 
 Jesus, in God's time of judgment had to "go from 
 the place of the holy," the temple, to the grave. 
 "The x)lace of the holy" (the place of judicature, 
 and the temple, and the holy city and congrega- 
 tion) was not the rightful place of the wicked. 
 Therefore in God's due time they must go from it 
 for ever (cf. Isa. iv. 3; Hi. 1 ; xlix. 17). they were 
 forgotten— (Prov. x. 7; Ps. Ixxiii. 19, 20.) This 
 (is) also vanity. This rule of man over man, to the 
 hurt of the ruled; because it soon ends, and the 
 righteous are delivered for ever.. 
 
I 
 
 Mans ignorance 
 
 ECCLESIASTES VIII. 
 
 of futurity. 
 
 13 
 
 14 
 
 11 Because ^sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, there- 
 
 12 fore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though 
 ^a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely 
 I know that -^it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before 
 him : but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong 
 his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God. 
 
 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just 
 men, unto whom it ^happeneth according to the work of the wicked; 
 again, there be wicked men, to whom it happenetli according to the work 
 15 of the righteous. I said, that this also ^5 vanity. Then ^I commended 
 mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, 
 and to drink, and to be merry; for that shall abide with him of his 
 labour the days of his life, which ™God giveth him under the sun. 
 
 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business 
 that is done upon the earth : (for also there is that neither day nor night 
 seeth sleep with his eyes :) then I beheld all the work of God, that a 
 '^man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because 
 though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther, 
 though a wise man think to know it, ''yet shall he not be able to find it. 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 B. C. 977. 
 
 ^ Ps. 10. 6. 
 Ps. 50. 21. 
 Isa 26. 10. 
 Isa. 67. U. 
 Jer. 48. II. 
 Matt. 24.49. 
 60. 
 
 Eom. 2. 4,6. 
 « Isa. 65. 20. 
 
 Eom. 2. 5. 
 } Ps. 37. 11. 
 
 Pro. 1. 32. 
 
 Isa. 3. 10. 
 
 Matt. 25.31. 
 ^ Ps. 73. 14. 
 
 ch. 2. n. 
 
 ch. 7. 15. 
 
 ch. 9. L 
 ' ch. 3. 12. 
 
 Lev. 26. 5. 
 " Job 5. 9. 
 
 Ps. 73. 16. 
 
 Eom 11.33. 
 " Ps. 73. 16. 
 
 11. Because sentence against an evil work, &c. 
 
 The reason why the wicked persevere in sin : 
 Cod's delay in judgment (Matt. xxiv. 48-51 ; 2 Pet. 
 iii. 8, 9). 'They see not the smoke of the pit, 
 therefore they dread not the fire' (South). (Ps. 
 Iv. 19.) Joab's escape from the punishment of his 
 murder of Abner, so far from "leadin* him to 
 repentance," as it ought (Rom. ii. 4), led him to 
 the additional murder of Amasa. Hengstenberg, 
 on account of the Hebrew accents, translates, 
 ' Because a sentence is not pronounced, the work 
 of wickedness hasteneth.' But the balance of the 
 two parts of the verse is much better in the Eng- 
 lish version, which is, moreover, supported by the 
 ancient versions — the Chaldaic, LXX., Vulgate, 
 Arabic, and Syriac. Even the professing servants 
 of God are tempted by the long impunity and 
 jjrosperity, seemingly, of the wicked, to apostatize 
 from God, and to seek prosperity by the same evil 
 ways. 12. Though a sinner do evil an hundred 
 times, &c. He says this, lest the sinner should 
 abuse the statement (ch. vii. 15), "A wicked man 
 prolong eth his life." which fear before him— lit., 
 at His presence; reverently serve Him, realizing 
 His continual presence. 13. neither shall he 
 prolong— not a contradiction to v. 12. The ' pro- 
 longing' of his days there is only seeming, not 
 reed. Taking into account his eternal existence, 
 his present days, however seemingly long, are 
 really short. God's delay [v. 11) exists only in 
 man's short-sighted view. It gives scope to the 
 sinner to repent, or else to fill up his full measure 
 of guilt ; and so. in either case, tends to the final 
 vindication of God's ways. It gives exercise to 
 the faith, patience, and perseverance of saints, 
 which are as a shadow— (ch. vi. 12; Job viii. 9.) 
 
 14. there be just (men) &c. An objection is 
 here started (entertained by Solomon in his apos- 
 tasy), as in chs. iiL 16; vii. 15, to the truth of 
 retributive justice, from the fact of the just and 
 the wicked not now receiving always according to 
 their respective deserts; a cavil which would 
 seem the more weighty to men living under the 
 Mosaic covenant of temporal sanctions. The ob- 
 jector adds, as Solomon had said, that the world- 
 ling's pursuits are " vanity" [v. 10), " I say (not 
 'said') this also is vanity. Then I commend 
 mirth," &c. {Holden.) Vv. 14, 15, however, ought 
 rather to be explained as teaching a cheerful, 
 thankful use of God's gifts "under the sun" — i. e., 
 534 
 
 not making them the chief ^ood, as sensualists do, 
 which chs. ii. 2; vii. 2, forbid; but in "the fear of 
 God," as chs. iii. 12; v. 18; vii. 18; ix. 7, opposed 
 to the abstinence of the self-righteous ascetic (ch. 
 vii. 16), and of the miser (ch. v. 17). this also is 
 vanity. God has intended such vanity or imper- 
 fection and misery to inhere in things of this fallen 
 earth, in order that the godly may be disciplined 
 to walk by faith, serving God in spite of many 
 trials, not for the sake of earthly reward, as Satan 
 accused Job of (Job. L 9), but for love to Him who 
 is their final reward. Even they have much of 
 sin, and must therefore take their share of the 
 general misery of this vain life, with this difference, 
 as comijared with the ungodly, that even trials 
 work together for their final good. 15, than to >■ 
 eat, and to drink. There is no "better thing," as > 
 regards the things of this life, for the "just" man, 
 whose chief good is religion, than that he should 
 cheerfully enjoy the present gifts of God. for that ' 
 shall abide with him — " abide" — Hebrew, adhere; 
 not for ever, but it is the only sure good to be 
 enjoyed from earthly labours (equivalent to " of his ' 
 labour the days of his life"). Still, the language l 
 resembles the sceptical precept (1 Cor. xv. 32), j 
 introduced only to be refuted. But the " mirth" ; 
 commended is more probably that of the cheerful 
 saint, who, instead of fretting himself about seem- f 
 ing anomalies {v. 14), and discontentedly murmur- 
 ing in self -righteousness, as if he were treated j 
 unjustly, makes the best of present mercies. This 
 is the only abiding good from earthly toils (1 Tim. 
 vi. 6), 
 
 16, 17. When I applied mine heart to know 
 wisdom, &c.— When I applied myself to observe 
 man's toils after happiness (some of them so 
 incessant as not to allow sufficient time for 
 "sleep;" cf. Gen. xxxi. 40; Prov. vi. 4; Ps. cxxxii. 
 4), then {v. 17, the apodosis) I saw that "man" 
 cannot find out (the reason of) God's inscrutable 
 dealings with the "just" and with the "wicked" 
 here [v. 14; ch. iii. 11; Job. v. 9; Rom. xi. 33); his 
 duty is to acquiesce in them as good, because they 
 are God's, though he sees not all the reasons for 
 them (Ps. Ixxiii. 16). It is enough to know 'the 
 righteous are in God's hand' (cn. ix. 1). though 
 a wise (man) think to know (it), &c. Cf. "neither 
 make thyself overwise" (ch. vii. 16), speculating 
 above what is written. God has His wise and 
 just reasons for all that is done or permitted here, 
 
Death the 
 
 ECCLESIASTES IX. 
 
 lot of all. 
 
 9 FOR all this considered in my heart, even to declare all this, '"that 
 the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God : no 
 
 2 man knoweth either love or hatred hy all that is before them. All 
 ^things come alike to all : there is one event to the righteous, and to the 
 wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that 
 sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the 
 
 3 sinner ; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. This is an 
 evil among all thhigs that are done under the sun, that there is one event 
 unto all : yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and mad- 
 ness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 
 
 4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope : for a living dog 
 
 5 is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they shall die : but 
 '^the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward ; for 
 
 6 '^the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and 
 their envy, is now perished ; neither have they any more a portion for 
 ever in any thing that is done under the sun. 
 
 B. C. 977. 
 
 CHAP. 9. 
 1 I gave, or. 
 
 set to my 
 
 heart. 
 " Deut, 33. 3. 
 
 1 Sam. 2. 'J. 
 
 Job 6. 8. 
 
 Ps. 10. 11. 
 
 Pro. ic. 3. 
 " Job 21. 7. 
 
 Ps. 73. 3. 12, 
 13, 17. 
 
 Mai. 3. 15. 
 " Job 14. 21. 
 
 Ps. 6. 5. 
 
 Ps. 88. 10, 
 11. 
 
 Isa. 63. 16. 
 Job 7. 8. 
 Isa. 21 14. 
 
 but they are secret to us. ' If the works of Solo- 
 inon so struck with admiration the queen of Sheba 
 that "there was no more spirit in her' (1 Ki. x. 5), 
 much more the works of God, which exceed all our 
 intelligence, ought to fill us with admiration' 
 {Cartu;rlght). 
 
 CHAP. IX 1-18. — Temptation to unheliej, as 
 the like lot happens to good and bad. — Godly wisdom 
 the main thing. 1. For— connecting this chapter 
 with ch. viii. 14-17. What follows is mentioned 
 as an instance, to show that 'man cannot find out 
 the work of God.' all this— following not "for," 
 but "I considered." to declare all this— Hebrew 
 [mS^], 'even to purge all this.' I considered all 
 this in my heart, so as to make all this clear of the 
 obscuring soils of my former ignorance concerning 
 the Divine government: 'so as to elucidate all 
 this.' Heng.'itenherg translates, 'And (indeed) 
 thereby I fathomed all this.' By my exploring I 
 find, the righteous, &c,, (are) in the hand of God : 
 no man knoweth either (the) love or hatred (of 
 God in them) (by) all (that is) before them— 
 Hebrew, '(by) all (that is) before their face;' i. e., 
 by what is outwardly seen in His present dealings 
 (ch. viii. 14, 17 ; Mai. i. 2). None can tell by ex- 
 ternal things the love or hatred of God towards 
 himself and others. Xeither outward goods are a 
 sure sign of God's favour, nor are adverse circum- 
 stances a sure sign of His wrath {Mercer and Gro- 
 tins). This gives no countenance to the Popish 
 notion, that none can have the certainty of grace 
 and of their salvation. However, from- the sense 
 of the same words in v. 6, ' love and hatred ' may 
 be the feelings of men towards the righteous, where- 
 by they cause to the latter comfort or sorrow. 
 Translate. 'Even the love and hatred (exhibited 
 towards the righteous) are in God's hand' (Ps. 
 Ixxvi. 10 ; Prov. xvi. 7). No man knoweth all 
 that is before him. I prefer the former view. 2. 
 All things come alike to all — not universally ; 
 but as to death. He rejjeats the sentiment al- 
 ready imx)lied in chs. il 14; iii. 20; viii. 14. one 
 event to the righteous, and to the wicked— not 
 eternally ; but death is common to all. the good 
 — morally, the clean — ceremonially, to him 
 that sacrificeth, and to Mm that sacrificeth not 
 —alike to Josiah, who sacrificed to God, and to 
 Ahab, who made sacrifice to Him cease, he that 
 sweareth— rashly and falsely. Frivolous using of 
 God's holy name is a characteristic mark of the 
 
 Godless. 3. This is an evil among all things, &c. 
 fot only "there is one event unto all," but "also 
 the heart of the sons of men" makes this fact a 
 reason for 'madly' persisting in evil "while they 
 535 
 
 live, and after that (they go) to the dead." Sin is 
 "madness." madness (is) in their heart— mad 
 thoughts about God's government, because of the 
 adversity of the godly, tempt them to take wrong 
 courses to help themselves (Mai. iii. 13, 14). the 
 dead— (Prov. ii. 18; ix. 18.) 4. For to him that 
 is joined to all the living. So the Keri, some 
 MSS. of Kennicott axidi Rossius ; and LXX., Chal- 
 daic, Syriac, and Vulgate read [isn^J. But the 
 Ketib reads [ina^], 'Whc is there that is chosen?' 
 i. e.. Who is there exempted from the common lot 
 of death? Thus the "for" gives the reason for 
 the previous words, "after that they go to the 
 dead." hope. Join thus, " to all the living there is 
 hope." for a living dog, &C; This and vv. 5, 6, may 
 be the language of carnal reason, when tempted by 
 trials to doubt God's righteousness of dealing in 
 this world.' The voice of the spiritual nature 
 replies in v. 7. So the Psalmist was tempted by 
 sinners' prosperity to speak as "a beast" until he 
 went into the sanctuary. In a sense, it is true, 
 there is hope of repentance and salvation to the 
 living. The vilest, as long as they have life, have 
 hope; the noblest who die unconverted have none. 
 The state of the wicked "dead" is, in this last 
 view, described by Solomon, vv. 4-6 being the 
 commentary on the last words of v. 3, "after that 
 they (the evil) go to the dead." dog — metaphor 
 for the vilest persons (1 Sam. xxiv. 14). lion— the 
 noblest of animals (Prov. xxx. 30). &. For the 
 living know — and may thereby be led "so to 
 number their days that they may apply their 
 hearts to wisdom" (ch. vii. 1-4; Ps. xo. 12). but 
 the dead know not— i. e., so far as their bodily 
 senses and worldly affairs are concerned (Job xiv. 
 21 ; Isa. Ixiii. 16) : also, they know no door of re- 
 pentance open to them, such as is to all on earth, 
 neither have they ... a reward-— no advantage 
 from their worldly labours (chs. ii. 18-22 ; iv. 9). 
 for the memory of them is forgotten— not of the 
 righteous (Ps. cxii. 6 ; Mai. iii. 16), but the ivicked, 
 who, with all the pains to perpetuate their names 
 (Ps. xlix. 11), are soon "forgotten" (ch. viiL 10). 
 6. their love, . . . hatred, . . . envy, is now per- 
 ished — referring to v. 1, where see the note. Not 
 that these cease in a future world absolutely 
 (Ezek. xxxii. 27; Rev. xxii. 11); but, as the end 
 of this verse shows, relatively to persons and 
 things in this worUL Man's love and hatred can 
 no longer be exercised for good or evil in the same 
 way as here; but the fruits of them remain. 
 What he is found at death, he remains for ever. 
 "Envy," too, marks the wicked, as referred to, 
 since it was therewith that they assailed the righ- 
 
God's protidence 
 
 ECCLESIASTES IX. 
 
 ruletk over all. 
 
 7 Go thy way, *eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry 
 
 8 heart ; for God now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always 
 
 9 white; and let thy head lack no ointment. ^Livo joyfully with the wife 
 whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath 
 given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: -^for that thy 
 portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. 
 
 10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for t/iere is 
 no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither 
 thou goest. 
 
 11 I returned, ^and saw under the sun, that the race 25 not to the swift, 
 nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches 
 to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and 
 
 12 chance happeneth to them all. For ''man also knoweth not his time: as 
 the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught 
 in the snare; so are the sons of men \snared in an evil time, when it 
 falleth suddenly upon them. 
 
 teous (?'. 1, note), neitlier have they any more 
 a portion. Their " portion " was " in this life " 
 (Ps. xvii. 14); that they now 'cannot have any 
 more,' The whole (v2\ 4-6) may, however, not be 
 restricted to the wicked, but may be the language 
 of carnal reason as to all the good and the bad 
 alike (note, v. 4). 
 
 7. eat thy bread with joy. Here the voice of 
 the Spirit rebuts the voice of the flesh. Addressed 
 to the "righteous wise" spoken of in v. 1. Being 
 " in the hand of God," who now accepteth thy 
 works in His service, as He has previously ac- 
 cepted thy person (Gen. iv. 4), thou mayest ' eat, 
 &c., with a cheerful (not sensually " merry") heart' 
 (chs. iii. 13; v. 18; Acts ii. 46). Instead of giving 
 way to gloomy discontent, as if God made no 
 difference between the good and the bad in His 
 dealings {v. 1; Mai. ii. 17). God accepteth — lit., 
 Jiath pleasure in (ratzali) — thy works, and therefore 
 will in due time let thee see the differense which 
 He makes (in spite of present appearances to the 
 contrary) between the righteous and the wicked 
 (Mai. iii. 18); parallel is Ps. Ixxiii. 1— Hebrew, 
 ' God is only good (not also evil, as carnal reason 
 would suggest) to Israel, even to such as are of a 
 clean heart,' in spite of all appearances to the 
 contrary. 8. Let thy garments be always white — 
 in token of joy (Isa. Ixi. 3). Solomon was clad in 
 white ( Josephui 'Antiquities' viii. 7, 3) ; hence his 
 attire is compared to the " lilies^'' (Matt. vi. 29), typi- 
 cal of the spotless righteousness of Jesus Christ, 
 which the redeemed shall wear (Rev. vi. 11 ; iii. 4, 
 5, 18 ; vii. 9, 14). As angels, the fellow-servants of 
 the saints, appear in white (Mark xvi. 5); and Jesus' 
 own garment at the transfiguration (Matt. xvii. 2; 
 Luke ix. 29) was white; so the white garments 
 here express the continual and confident anticipa- 
 tion of glory which the people of God have. The 
 gloomy jjresent should never be let rob them of 
 the festive joyousness of spirit which faith gives, 
 let thy head lack no ointment (Ps. xxiii. 5)— 
 opposed to a gloomy exterior (2 Sam. xiv. 2; Ps. 
 xlv. 7; Matt. vi. 17); typical, also (ch. vii. 1; 
 Song i. 3). 9. Live joyfully (lit., see or enjoy life) 
 with the wife whom thou lovest— godly and true 
 love, opposed to the "snares" of the '•'thousand" 
 ooncubiues (ch. vii. 26, 28), "among" whom Solo- 
 mon could not find the true love which joins one 
 man to one woman (Pro v. v. 15, 18, 19; xviii. 22; 
 xix. 14). The wife here is regarded not so much 
 as the source, as the companion of the godly joy of 
 the husband. Turn away thine eye from present 
 vexations, and fix upon the glorious future, and 
 meanwhile enjoy cheerfully the little joys wiiich 
 
 God giveth thee in the midst of this vain life, all 
 the days of thy vanity. This phrase is twice 
 repeated, to imply that we ought not to seal up the 
 sources of enjoyment which God still opens to tis 
 in a life whicli is attended with so much of vanity 
 and sorrow by reason of the fall. 10. Whatsoever 
 (viz., in the service of God) thy hand findeth to 
 do. This qualifies v. 7-9. Earthly enjoyments 
 are to be secondary and subsidiary to the work of 
 God, which, if not done now, can never l>e done, 
 hand, &cc.—{marg., 1 Sam. x. 7.) with thy 
 might— diligence (Deut. vi. 5; marg., Jer. xlviii. 
 10). The accents require us to translate 'What- 
 soever thy hand findeth to do with thy might, do.' 
 There are op^iortunities for work now given 
 which if not used here can never recur in the 
 world to come, no work ... in the grave. 
 Jesus refers to this, John ix. 4; E,ev. xiv. 13. 
 ' The soul's play-day is Satan's work-day ; the 
 idler the man the busier the tempter.' {South). 
 
 11. the race (is) not to the swift (for they may 
 be hindered by a slight obstacle), nor the battle to 
 the strong — reverting to the sentiment, ch. viii. 
 17 ; we ought, therefore, not only to work Qod's 
 work 'with might' {v. 10), but also with the 
 feeling that the event is wholly 'in God's hand' 
 (y\ 1). race . . . not to the swift— (2 Sam. xviii. 22, 
 23; John xx. 4-6; Jer. xlvi. 6; spiritually, Zeph. 
 iii. 19; Rom. ix. 16.) nor . . . battle to . . . 
 strong— (1 Sam. xvii. 47; 2 Chr. xiv. 9, 11, 15; 
 XX. 15; Prov. xxi. 30, 31; Ps. xxxiii. 16.) bread - 
 livelihood, nor yet favour— of the great: or 
 popularity, chance — seemingly, really Providence. 
 But as man cannot 'find it out' (ch. iii. 11), he 
 needs 'with all might' to use opportunities. 
 Duties are ours ; events, God's (Ps. xxxi. 15, 
 "My times are in thy hand"). Chance is not a 
 power independent of God; but is that which 
 happens to man independently of his control. If 
 God be our friend, the powers arrayed against us, 
 however formidable they look, cannot destroy us. 
 If it depended on human strength, the people of 
 God could not withstand their foes. 12. knoweth 
 not his time— viz., of death (Isa. xiii. 22). Hence 
 the danger of delay in 'doing the work of God,' 
 as one knows not when his opportunity will end 
 (v. 10). evil net -fatal to them. The unexpected 
 suddenness of the capture is the point of compari- 
 son. So the second coming of Jesus Christ, " as a 
 snare" (Luke xxi. 35). evU time— as an *' evil net," 
 fatal to them. This comforts God's people when 
 afftieted by enemies. These foes, strong as they 
 seem now, shall suddenly be caught in the meshes 
 of destruction. 
 
Wisdom 
 
 ECCLESIASTES X. 
 
 better than strength. 
 
 13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto 
 
 14 me: there hcas a little city, and few men within it; and there came a 
 great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it. 
 
 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom 
 
 16 delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. Then 
 ^said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless Hhe poor man's 
 wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard, 
 
 17 The ™ words of wise meji are heard in quiet 
 More than the cry of him that ruleth among fools, 
 
 18 V/isdom is better than weapons of war; 
 But '^one sinner destroyeth much good. 
 
 10 DEAD ^ flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a 
 stinking savour : 
 
 So doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. 
 
 2 A wise ^ man's heart is at his right hand; — but a fool's heart at his left. 
 
 3 Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, 
 
 2 His wisdom faileth him, — ^and he saith to every one that he is a fool. 
 
 13. C. 977. 
 
 ^ 2 Sam. 20. 
 16 22. 
 
 I'ro. 21. 22. 
 
 Pro. 24. 5. 
 
 ch. 7. 19. 
 ^ Mark 6. 2. 
 "*Gen. 41. 14. 
 
 2 Sam. 20. 
 17. 
 
 Dan. 5. 10. 
 " Gen. 3. 6, 
 13-19. 
 
 Josh. 7. 1. 
 2Ki. 17. 21. 
 
 CHAP. 10. 
 
 1 Flies of 
 death. 
 
 " Matt. C. 33. 
 Ccil. 3. 1. 
 
 2 his heart. 
 6 Pro. 13. 16. 
 
 13. This wisdom have I seen— I have seen 
 wisdom exhibited in the way described in what 
 follows, it (seemed) great nnto me— inasmuch as 
 it sufficed to deliver a little city with few men in 
 it from the "great king" who " built great bulwarks 
 against it." The parable here represents the Israel 
 of God, poor indeed in worldly goods, but rich in 
 heavenly wisdom and might (Rev. ii. 9). Though 
 despised now, the true Church has in it Christ 
 (once Himself poor) as her wisdom, and therefore 
 the earnest of her final triumph and glory. 14, 15. 
 a little city, &c. So Abel, which the wisdom of 
 one woman saved from destruction by Joab, who 
 cast up a bank against it, when the rebel Sheba 
 was in it (2 Sam. xx. 15-22). bulwarks— military 
 works of besiegers. 15. a poor wise man. As to 
 the temporal advantages of true wisdom, though 
 it often saves others, it receives little reward from 
 the world, which admires none save the rich and 
 great, no man rememhered, &c.— (Gen. xl.23. ) 16. 
 Wisdom is better than strength— resuming the 
 sentiment in ch. vii. 19. the poor man's wisdom is 
 despised, and his words are not heard— per- 
 manently: though forced by necessity to hearken 
 to him for a time, they soon for;^ot him. His 
 I)Overty soon acted as a cloud, blinding the world 
 to his merits. So Paul (Acts, xxvii. 11). 
 
 17. The words of wise (men are) heard in 
 quiet. So the Lord Jesus did "not cry, nor lift 
 up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street" 
 (isa. xlii. 2). Unlike the world's monarchs, who 
 bluster when ought opposes their will. The " still 
 small voice" of God is best heard in stillness and 
 quiet. Cf. Ps. xxiii. 2, marg. If the poor be- 
 liever is to " cry," let it be unto the Lord (Ps. 
 xxxiv. 6), so shall he be delivered. Though gen- 
 erally the x>oor wise man is not heard {v. IG), yet 
 'the words of wise men, when heard in quiet 
 (when calmly given heed to, as in v. 15), are more 
 serviceable than,' &c. more than the cry of him 
 that, &c. Cf. ]Xaaman's bluster and his servants' 
 words heard in quiet (2 Ki. v. 11-1.3). ruleth among 
 fools — as the "great king" (r. 14). Solomon re- 
 verts to ' the rulers to their own hurt ' (ch. viii. 9). 
 18. one sinner, &c.— as Achan (Josh. vii. 1, 11, 12). 
 Though wisdom excels folly, and strengthens more 
 than M-eai»ons of war (?;. 16 ; ch. vii, 19), yet a 
 'little folly (equivalent to Hin) can destroy much 
 good,' both of the soul and of the outward condi- 
 tion ; both in himself (ch, x. 1 ; Jas. ii. 10) and in 
 others. He hereby warns the people of God not 
 to divest them.sel ves of that which is their strength 
 against their seemingly more powerful worldly 
 537 
 
 foes, by allowing any sinner among them. In ch. 
 X. 1, also, he shows how a little sin can mar great 
 good. "Wisdom" must, from the antithesis to 
 "sinner," mean religion. Thus, typically, the 
 "little city" may be applied to the Church (Luke 
 xii. 32; Heb. xii. 22); the great king to Satan, 
 " the prince of this world " (John xii. 31) ; the 
 despised poor but wise man, Jesus Christ (Isa. 
 liii. 2, 3; Mark vi. 3 ; 2 Cor. viii, 9; Eph. 1. 7, 8; 
 Col. ii. 3), 
 
 CHAP, X. 1-20.— 1, Dead flies— lit., files of 
 death, the ointment — a costly and precious oint- 
 ment. The more excellent is the ointment, the 
 sadder it is that so little a thing as dead flies 
 should be allowed to spoil it. Sin begins with 
 Utile things. Little inconsistencies, if not checked 
 at the beginning, undermine the whole character. 
 Following up ch. ix. 18, him that is in reputa- 
 tion—^, r/,, David (2 Sam. xii. 14) ; Solomon (1 Ki, 
 xi.); Jehoshaphat (2 Chr, xviii. ; xix. 2); Josiah (2 
 Chr, XXXV, 22), The more delicate the perfume, 
 the more easily spoiled is the ointment. Common 
 oil is not so liable to injury. So the higher a 
 man's religious character is, the more hurt is 
 caused by a sinful folly in him. Bad savour is 
 endurable in oil, but not in what professes to be, 
 and is compounded by the perfumer ("apothe- 
 cary") for fragrance. "Flies," being small in ap- 
 pearance, answer to "a little folly" (sin) (1 Cor, 
 V. 6; Gal, v, 9): also "Beelzebub," the parent of 
 sin, means prince ofjiies. " Ointment " answers to 
 "reputation" (ch. vii. 1; Gen. xxxiv. 30). to 
 send forth a stinking savour— ^j^,, 'cause to 
 stink (and) to putrefy;' i. e., cause to stink through 
 putrefaction. The verbs are singular, the noun 
 plural, implying that each of the flies causes the 
 stinking savour, 
 
 2. A wise man's heart (is) at his right hand— 
 (ch, ii, 14,) The right hand is more expert than 
 the left. The godly wise is more on his guard 
 than the foolish sinner, though at times he slip. 
 Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble with- 
 out one. His heart (the seat of the xoill, and so 
 the guide of the understanding) is in the right 
 jjlace. 3, toy the way — in his ordinary cowrse; in 
 his simplest acts (Prov, vi. 12-14), he saith to 
 every one (that) he is a fool— he "saith" virtually 
 "that he" himself is a fool: he betrays himself as 
 a fool. So the Chaldaic and LXX. But the Vul- 
 gate, 'He thinks that every one (else whom he 
 meets, especially the godly wise) is a fool.' In his 
 self-conceit, bethinks all fools but himself. The 
 English version suits the context best (Prov. xiii.lG). 
 
I 
 
 Observations on 
 
 ECCLESIASTES X. 
 
 wisdom and foUy, 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, ''leave not thy place ; 
 For '^yielding pacifieth great ofiences. 
 
 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun. 
 As an error which proceedeth ^from the ruler: 
 Folly is set * in great dignity, — and the rich sit in low place, 
 I have seen servants ^upon horses, 
 And princes walking as servants upon the earth. 
 
 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it ; 
 And whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him. 
 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith ; 
 And he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. 
 
 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to 
 more strength : 
 But wisdom ^ is profitable to direct. 
 
 Surely the serpent will bite ^ without enchantment ; 
 And ^a babbler is no better. 
 
 The words of a wise man's mouth are ^ gracious ; 
 But the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. 
 13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness 
 
 B. C. 977. 
 
 " Ch. 8. 3. 
 ^ 1 Sam. 25. 
 24. 
 
 Pro. 25. 15, 
 3 from 
 
 before. 
 ■4 in great 
 
 heights. 
 
 Esth. 3. 1. 
 • Fro. 19. 10. 
 
 Pro. 30. 22. 
 / Gen. 41. S3, 
 :.9. 
 
 Ex. 13. 19- 
 
 23. 
 
 1 Ki. 3. n. 
 1 dir. 12. 32. 
 Matt. 10. 6. 
 Acts 6. 1. 
 » Jer. 8. ir. 
 
 5 the master 
 of the 
 tongue. 
 
 6 grace. 
 
 4. If the spirit (anger) of the ruler, &c.— (Prov. 
 XV. 1.) yielding pacifieth. This explains leave 
 not thy place— do not, in a resisting spirit, with- 
 draw from thy post of duty. If this be true as 
 to our relation to an earthly ruler, how much 
 more so in our relation to the King of kings ! (ch. 
 viii. 3.) great ofifences. "Yielding (lit., sound- 
 ness) pacifieth " the irritated ruler, so as to pre- 
 vent his committing "great ofiences." So Jacob 
 overcame Esau (Gen. xxxii. and xxxiii.), and 
 David Saul, (1 Sam. xxvi.) 
 
 5. There is an evil ... as [or through: as 3 is 
 used in Ps. x. 4] an error (which) proceedeth 
 from (lit., from the face of) the ruler. Jerome, 
 on the authority of his Jewish assistant, ex- 
 plained the Ruler as God: not that God is cap- 
 able of "error," but men are tempted to think 
 so, because of the inequality of things in the 
 present state. Those who look only on the 
 present, and who do not by faith survey the 
 whole, and look on to the end, fancy that God 
 does not govern justly (ch. viii. 2, 3). But v. 4 
 applies to the earthly ruler; therefore, so also 
 should this verse. 6. the rich sit in low place 
 — not in mere wealth, but in wisdom, as the anti- 
 thesis to "folly" (for "foolish men") shows. [So 
 rich, "la^'r, is here used, as the similar Greek word 
 in Lukexii. 21: Jas. ii. 5; Rev. ii. 9.] Cf., as cases 
 in point, Mordecai and Haman (Esth. iii. 1, 2; vi. 
 6-11).. God's people Israel, who were designed to 
 be rish (Deut. xv. 4-6; xxviii. 11), 7. servants 
 upon horses — the world turned upside down; the 
 worthless exalted to dignity (Jer. xvii. 25 ; and vice 
 versa): David fleeing on foot from Jerusalem when 
 Absalom rebelled (2 Sam. xv. 30). 
 
 8. He that diggeth a pit, &e.— the wrong done 
 to others recoils on the perpetrators themselves 
 (ch. viii. 9); they fall into the pit which they dug 
 for others (Esth. vii. 10; Ps. vii. 15; Prov. xxvi. 
 27). Image from pitfalls laid for wild beasts; the 
 maker might readily fall into his own pit, as it was 
 covered with branches, a serpent shall bite him 
 — as when one is stung by a serpent lurking in the 
 stones of his neighbour's garden or vineyard wall 
 (Ps. Ixxx. 12), which he maliciously pulls down 
 (Amos. V. 19): cf. the prohibition (Deut. xix. 14; 
 xxvh. 17). 9. Whoso removeth stones— viz., of 
 an ancient building, or his neighbour's land- 
 marks, or from the quarry, he that cleaveth 
 wood shall toe endangered— by the splinters, 
 538 
 
 or by the head of the hatchet, flying back on 
 himself. Pithy aphorisms are common in the 
 East. The sense is : Deeds of violence endanger 
 the violent themselves. 
 
 10. If the iron he blunt— in 'cleaving wood' 
 {v. 9), answering to the 'fool set in dignity' (r. 6), 
 who wants sharpness, then must he put to more 
 strength — more force has then to be used in both 
 cases ; but force without judgment ' endangers' 
 one's self. The preference of rash to judicious 
 counsellors, which entailed the pushing of matters 
 by force, proved to be the " hurt" of Rehoboam, 
 (1 Ki. xii.) wisdom (is) profitable to direct— to a 
 prosperous issue. Instead of forcing matters by 
 main "strength" to one's own hurt (ch. ix. 16, 18). 
 True wisdom is the prerogative of the people of 
 God, which will at last prevail over the brute /orce 
 of their worldly oppressors. 
 
 11. without enchantment — if " enchantment" 
 is not used, and a babbler (a babbling calum- 
 niator) is no better. Therefore, as one may escape 
 a serpent by charms (Ps. Iviii. 4, 5), so one may 
 escape the sting of a calumniator by discretion (v. 
 12). [Holden.) Thus, "without enchantment" 
 answers to "not whet the edge" {v. 10), both 
 expressing, figuratively, want of judgment. Maurer 
 translates, ' There is no gain to the enchanter 
 from his enchantments, because the serpent bites 
 before he uses them. It is no use to a subject, 
 however expert with his tongue, afterwards to try 
 to appease the anger of his prince, when he has 
 not tried to do so at first. I prefer the former 
 view. The 'master of the tongue' is an evil 
 speaker, whose chief possession is his tongue (Ps. 
 cxl. 3, 11, mai-g., 'let not a man of tongue be 
 established in the earth '). As the serpent-brood 
 of Satan and the worldly "generation of vipers" 
 are ever ready to bite the godly, hence the need of 
 continual caution. Vv. 8-10, caution in acting ; from 
 the want of such godly caution the wicked, whilst 
 breaking their neighbour's hedge, are suddenly 
 'bitten' by the "serpent" out of it; v. 11, and 
 following verses, caution in speaking. 12. gracious 
 — lit., grace itself. So the Lord Jesus (Luke ii. 
 52). The disciple of Christ similarly by gracious 
 speech, like "enchantment," averts the sting of 
 the old serpent (Prov. xxii. 11; v. 11). lips of a 
 fool — whereas his thought was to swallow up 
 others with his malicious speech (Prov. x. 8, 14, 
 21, 32). 13. Illustrating folly and injuriousness 
 
Bxhortatiom to 
 
 ECCLESIASTES XL 
 
 he charitable. 
 
 And the end of ''his talk is miscliievous madness. 
 
 14 A fool also ^is full of words : 
 A man cannot tell what shall be ; 
 And what shall be after him, who can tell him ? 
 
 15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, 
 Because he knoweth not how to go to the city. 
 
 16 Woe Ho thee, 0 land, when thy king is a child, 
 And thy princes eat in the morning ! 
 
 17 Blessed art thou, 0 land, when thy king is the son of nobles. 
 And •'thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! 
 
 18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; 
 And through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through. 
 
 19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine ^maketh merry : 
 But money answereth all things. 
 
 20 Curse ^not the king, no not in thy thought; 
 And curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber : 
 For ^^a bird of the air shall carry the voice, 
 And that which hath wings shall tell the matter. 
 
 11 CAST thy bread ^upon the waters : 
 " For thou shalt find it after many days. 
 
 2 Give ^a portion Ho seven, — and also to eigbt; 
 
 For thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. 
 
 3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themsehes upon the earth : 
 
 of the fool's words ; last clause of v. 12. mischiev- 
 ous madness — "miscliievous" first to others, then 
 to himself, in just retribution. 14. full of words 
 (ch. V. 2) — boasting (as the context implies) of what 
 lie will do, how he will live in grandeur, a man 
 cannot tell what shall be— (ch. iii. 22: vi. 12; viii. 
 7; xi. 2; Prov. xxvii. 1.) If man, universally 
 (including the wise man), cannot foresee the future, 
 much less can the fool ; his ' many words' are 
 therefore futile. 15. The labour of the foolish 
 wearieth. They have no capacity for spiritual 
 things ; and merely earthly aims are wearying 
 vanity (Isa. Iv. 2; Hab. ii. 13). tnoweth not how 
 to go to the city. Proverb for ignorance of the 
 most ordinary matters {v. 3); spiritually, the heavenly 
 city (Ps. cvii. 7; Matt. vii. 13, 14). 
 
 16. king is a child — given to pleasures ; behaves 
 with childish levity. Not in years; for a nation 
 may be happy under a young prince, as Josiah ; but 
 as Rehoboam, who, though forty-one years old, is 
 called "young and tender-hearted," 2 Chr. xiii. 7. 
 eat in the morning — the usual time for dispensing 
 justice in the East (Jer. xxi. 12); here, given to 
 feasting. 17. son of nobles— not merely in blood, 
 but in virtue, the true nobility, in due season- 
 not until duty has first been attended to. for 
 strength — to refresh the body, not for revelry 
 (included in drunkenness). 18. By much sloth- 
 fulness— Hebrew, dual: By double slothfulness: or, 
 sloth with both hands, the building— lit. , the join- 
 ing of the rafters; viz., the kingdom, the edifice of 
 state (v. 16; Amos ix. 11). idleness of the hands 
 — (ch. iv. 5 ; Prov. vi 10. ) the house droppeth— 
 by neglect to repair the roof in time, the rain gets 
 through. 
 
 19. A feast (Hebrew, brea/l) is made for laugh- 
 ter. Their meals are taken, not for strength, but 
 for self-indulgent excess. Referring to u. J 8. In- 
 stead of repairing the breaches in the common- 
 wealth (the "building"), the princes 'make a 
 feast for laughter' [v. 16), and wine maketh their 
 life glad, but money answereth all (things)— i. e., 
 by haying money they can have what they wish; 
 all things are at the call of money, and it answers 
 all charges ; so they take bribes to support their 
 539 
 
 B. C. 677. 
 
 7 his mouth. 
 
 8 multi- 
 plieth 
 worda. 
 
 ^ Jas. 4. 14. 
 » Isa. 3. 4. 
 
 Isa. 5. 11. 
 3 Pro. 31. 4. 
 
 9 maketh 
 glad the 
 life. 
 
 Ps 104. 15. 
 I' Ex. 22. 28. 
 Acts 23. 5. 
 
 10 Or, con- 
 science. 
 
 " Figure 
 like. 
 
 Luke 10. '•0. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 1 upon the 
 face of the 
 waters. 
 « Deut. 15.10 
 Pro. 19. 17. 
 6 Luke 6. 30. 
 
 iTim. 6.18. 
 " Mic. 6. 6. 
 d Eph. 6. 16. 
 
 extravagance ; and hence arise the wrongs that are 
 perpetrated {vv. 5, 6; Isa. i. 23); e. g., the heavy 
 taxes, which were the occasion of Rehoboam losing 
 ten tribes. 20. thought— lit,, consciousness, rich 
 — the great. The language, as applied to earthly 
 princes knowing the "thought," is figurative. But 
 it literally holds good of the King of kings, whose 
 consciousness of every evil thought we should ever 
 realize, bed-chamber— the most secret place (2 
 Ki. vi. 12). bird of the air, &c.— proverbial (cf. 
 Luke xix. 40); in a way as marvellous and rajnd 
 as if birds, or some winged messenger, carried to 
 the king information of the curse so uttered. In 
 the East superhuman sagacity was attributed to 
 birds. 
 
 CHAP. XI. 1-10.— 1. bread— bread-corn. As in 
 
 the Lord's prayer, all things needful for the body 
 and soul. Solomon reverts to the sentiment in ch. 
 ix. 4. waters— image from the custom of sow- 
 ing seed by casting it from boats into the over- 
 flowing waters of the Nile, or in any marshy 
 ground. When the waters receded, the grain in 
 the alluvial soil sprang up (Isa. xxxii. 20). 
 "Waters" express multitudes; so v. 2; Rev. xvii. 
 15; also the seemingly hopeless character of the 
 recipients of the charity; but it shall prove at 
 last to have been not thrown away (Isa. xlix. 4). 
 Earthly seed is sometimes lost, but not so any 
 heavenly seed of good works, sown in faith and 
 love. 2. portion— of thy bread, to seven— the 
 perfect number, to eight— even to more than 
 seven; i. e., to many (so "waters," v. 1), nay, even 
 to 7-ery many in need (Job. v. 19). for thou know- 
 est not what evil — the day may be near when you 
 will need the help of those whom you have bound 
 to you by kindnesses (Luke xvi. 9). The very 
 argument which covetous men use against liber- 
 ality — viz., that bad times may come— the wise man 
 uses for it. The only gain which you can ensure 
 to yourself in the prospect of bad times, which may 
 rob you of all your earthly goodSj is that heavenly 
 gain which you make by now giving liberally to 
 the poor, and to the cause of God. 3. clouds- 
 answering to "evil" {v. 2); meaning. When the 
 times of evil are fully ripe, evil must come; and 
 
Death ought to he 
 
 ECCLESIASTES XL 
 
 remembered in life. 
 
 And if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, 
 In the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. 
 
 4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow ; 
 And he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. 
 
 5 As 'thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, 
 
 Nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with cliild ; 
 Even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. 
 
 6 In the morning sow thy seed, 
 
 And in the evening withhold not thine hand; 
 
 For thou knowest not whether ^ shall prosper, either this or that, 
 
 Or whether they both shall be alike good. 
 
 7 Truly the light is sweet, 
 
 And a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun : 
 
 8 But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all, 
 
 Yet let him remember the days of darkness ; for they shall be many. 
 All that cometh is vanity. 
 
 9 Rejoice, 0 young man, in thy youth. 
 
 And let. thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, 
 •^And walk in the ways of thine heart, — and in the sight of thine eyes: 
 But know thou, that for all these things ^God will bring thee into 
 judgment. 
 
 B. C. 977. 
 
 ® John 3. 8, 
 2 shaU be 
 
 right. 
 
 Num 15.3fl. 
 
 Num. 22.32. 
 
 Deut. £9.19. 
 
 Job 31. 7. 
 
 Ps. 81. 12. 
 
 Jer. 7. 24. 
 
 Jer. 23. 17. 
 
 Jer. 44. IG. 
 
 Acts 14. IG. 
 
 Eph. 2. 2, 3. 
 
 1 ret. 4. 3, 
 4. 
 
 " Ps. 50. 4, G. 
 Ch. 12. 14. 
 Acts 17. OO, 
 31. 
 
 Acts 2t. 25. 
 Eom. 2. 6. 
 Eom. 14.10. 
 
 1 Cor. 4, 5. 
 
 2 ("or. 5. 10. 
 2 Pet. 3. 7. 
 Heb. 9. 27. 
 Rev. -20. 12. 
 
 speculations about it beforehand, so as to prevent 
 one sowing seed of liberality, are vain, [v. 4). So 
 far from being a ground for not gi%ang, they are 
 the very ground for giving. " Clouds" and " rain" 
 represent the divine judgments (eh. xii. 2; Ps. 
 xviii. 11). When the measure of sin is "full," 
 and the clouds of divine wrath gather, the storm 
 will surely break forth. Forestall it by godly 
 liberality whilst you may (Matt. xxiv. 28). tree- 
 once that the storm uproots it, it lies either north- 
 ward or southward, according as it fell. So man's 
 character is unchangeable, whether for hell or 
 heaven, once that death overtakes him. Now is 
 his time for becoming a new man in faith and love. 
 The t7'ee represents the now overshadowing world- 
 power which, when once it hath fallen, cannot be 
 raised again by man's power, shall not sow. 
 Sow thy charity in faith, not yielding to despon- 
 dency and inactivity because of the threatening 
 aspect of the times. Towards the close of Solo- 
 mon's reign things wore a gloomy look, (I Ki. xL 
 9-40; xii.) The wind might no doubt blow away 
 the seed, and the clouds injure the crops; but 
 the result rests with God (ch. ix. 10). So in v. 1 
 man is told to ' cast his bread-corn' on the seem- 
 ingly unpromising "waters." The farmer would 
 get on badly who, instead of sowing and reaping, 
 spent his time in watching the wind and clouds. 
 5. thou knowest not . . . way of the spirit— how 
 the soul animates the body. Thus the transition 
 to the formation of the body "in the womb" is 
 more natural than if we translated it "wind." 
 Ch. i. 6; John iii. 8 evidently refers to this, "The 
 wind bloweth," &c. bones do grow. The pas- 
 sage, John iii. 3-7, again accords Vv'ith this (cf. Job 
 X. 8-12). knowest not the works of God. As 
 thou art no judge of what is the way of God's 
 ox)eration, as yet invisible to us, thy part is to 
 work that which He commands now, undeterred 
 by the threatening aspect of the political and 
 social "clouds." 6. morning . . . evening— early 
 and late; when young and when old; in sun- 
 shine and under clouds. sow thy seed — of 
 godly works (Hos. x. 12). prosper — (Isa. Iv. 
 10, 11.) both . . . alike— both the unpromising 
 and the promising sowing may bear good fruit 
 in others: certainly they shall to the faithful 
 sower. 
 
 r>40 
 
 7. light-of life (ch. vii. 11; Ps. xlix. 19). is 
 sweet. Life is enjoyable, especially to the godly. 
 No impatience because of present trials, and the 
 vanity of earthly goods, should make us forget 
 that life is a blessing and an opportunity for 
 doing and receiving good. 8. But if a man 
 live many years, (and) rejoice in them all. 
 So Vulgate, supplying 'and.' Pvather, as Chal- 
 daic, Syriac, and Arabic, translate, without el- 
 lipsis, Tor' ['3] or 'Yea, even if a man live 
 many years, let him (not tire of life, but) 
 rejoice in them all.' days of darkness. But 
 whilst man thankfully enjoys life, "let him re- 
 member" it will not last for ever. The 'many 
 days of darkness'— i. e., whilst the body and its 
 powers lie in the dark grave (Job. x. 21, 22); also 
 days of "evil" in this world {v. 2)— are coming; 
 therefore enjoy life, and sow the good seed whilst 
 life and good days last, which are not too long for 
 accomplishing life's duties. All that cometh — 
 
 i. e., All that followeth in the evil and dark days 
 is vain, as far as work for God is concerned (ch. 
 ix. 10). 
 
 9. Rejoice— not advice, but warning. So 1 Ki. 
 xxii. 15 is irony ; if thou dost rejoice {carnaUy, ch. 
 
 ii. 2 ; not moderately, as ch. v. 18), &;c., then know 
 thou, that for all these things God will bring thee 
 into judgment— (ch. iii. 17; xii. 14.) Hemjsien- 
 berg thinks in thy youth— in the days of thy 
 youth — distinct Hebrew words [nnS^], adolescence 
 or boyhood, and full-grown youth fnninn lit., the 
 choice age]. Thus Solomon marks the gradual 
 progress in self-indulgence to which the young 
 especially are prone : they see the roses, but do not 
 discover the thorns, until pierced by them. Ee- 
 ligion will cost self-denial, but the want of it 
 infinitely more. Hengstenbcrg takes the whole 
 literally, and not the first part ironically, as if it 
 were a dissuasion from ' rejoicing.' The parallels 
 {v. 8; chs. ii. 24; iii. 13; v. 18; ix. 7, favour this. 
 Not excess or self-indulgence, but a cheerful use 
 of God's gifts, as distinguished from a self-righ- 
 teous, gloomy asceticism, is in this view what is 
 inculcated. Contrast Col. ii. 23. But to "walk 
 in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight 
 of thine eyes" is expressly forbidden in Num. 
 XV. 39; Deut. xxix. 19. 1 therefore prefer the 
 
The Creator to 
 
 ECCLESIASTES XII. 
 
 he remembered. 
 
 10 Th'erefore remove ^sorrow from thj^ heart, 
 
 And '^put away evil from thy flesh : 
 
 For childhood and youth are vanity. 
 12 REMEMBER "now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, 
 
 'Wliile the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, 
 
 \vTien thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them ; 
 
 2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, 
 Nor the clouds return after the rain : 
 
 3 In the day when the keepers of ^the house shall tremble. 
 And the strong men shall bow themselves. 
 
 And ^the grinders cease, because they are few. 
 
 And ^ those that look out of the windows be darkened, 
 
 4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, 
 \Yhen the sound of the grinding is low, 
 And he shall rise up at the voice of the bird. 
 
 And all Hhe daughters of music shall be brought low; 
 
 5 Also when they shall be afraid of that tchich is high, 
 And fears shall be in the way, 
 
 And the -^almond tree shall flourish. 
 
 B. C. 977. 
 
 3 Or, anger. 
 2 Cor. 7. 1. 
 2 Tim. 2.22. 
 
 CHAP. ^ 
 " Gen. 39.?, 8. 
 
 1 Sam. 1.28. 
 Luke 1, 15. 
 
 & Ps. 71. 9. 
 Ps. 1C2. 23. 
 Zech. 8. 4. 
 
 2 Cor. 5. 1. 
 1 Or. the 
 
 grinders 
 fail, be- 
 cause the/ 
 grind 
 little. 
 
 " Gen. 27. 1. 
 
 d Mic. 7. 1. 
 
 « 2 Sam. 19. 
 35. 
 
 / Lev. 19. 32. 
 Jer. 1. 11. 
 
 former view. 10. sorrow— i. e., the lusts that 
 end ill "sorrow," opposed to "rejoice," and 
 '•heart cheer thee" \v. 9); i.e., "ilemove" all 
 "the ways of thiue heart:" "remove," &c., is 
 tlais opposed to " walk in," &c. {v. 9). The 
 Hebrew for "sorrow" or 'anger' \pV'^'\ expresses 
 any mental excitement, whether from anger (a ten- 
 dency of the young especially), jealousy, ambition, 
 &c. Remove these, and all the self-indulgences 
 that cause them, and retain the serene tranquillity 
 of a godly mind, flesli— the bodily organ by which 
 the sensual thoughts of the "heart" are embodied in 
 acts. 'The sight of the eyes' (?;. 9) ministers to 
 tlie lust of the "flesh." childliood— rather, hoij- 
 liood; the same Hebrew word as the first " youth" 
 in V. 9. are vanity. A motive for self-restraint ; 
 the time is coming when the vigour of youth, on 
 which thou reliest, will seem vain, except in so 
 far as it has been given to God (ch. xii. 1). youth 
 —Hebrew, Shakaruth; lit., tlie dawn of thy days. 
 
 CHAP. XTI. M4.-1. As ch. xi. 9, 10, showed 
 what youths are to shun, so this verse shows what 
 they are to follow. Creator. " Remember " that 
 thou art not thine own, but God's proi)erty ; for 
 He has created thee. Therefore serve Him with 
 thy 'air (Mark xii. 30), and with thy best days, 
 not with the dregs of them. The Hebrew is Cre- 
 ators, nhiral, implying the plurality of persons, as 
 in Gen. i. 20; so Hebrew, Makers (Isa. Hv. 5) ; or 
 else the fulness of majesty and glory that is in the 
 Divine nature. If the young man wishes truly 
 to "rejoice," he must continually "remember" 
 God. "Thy Creator" implies the reason why we 
 should "remember." KottorememberHim towhom 
 we owe our first being and continued preservation 
 v.ould be monstrous and unnatural, evil days 
 come not-i. e., before that (Prov. viii. 20) the evil 
 days come— viz., calamity and old age— when one 
 can no longer have bodily enjoyments as in youth, 
 and when he who hath not remembered God in 
 youth will not have God as his never-failing source 
 of enjoyment in the absence of all other joys, no 
 pleasure- of a sensual kind (2 .Sam. xix. 35). 
 Pleasure in God continues to the godly old. 2. be 
 not ^ darkened— i. e. before they be so. Illustrat- 
 ing "the evil days.'^ "Light," "sun," &c., express 
 'irrosperily ; 'darkness,' paiyi and calamitij (Isa. 
 XUL 10; xxx. 20). A joyless old age is herel>y de- 
 picted, clouds . . . after the rain. After raiu 
 541 
 
 sunshine (comfort) might be looked for, but only a 
 brief glimpse of it is given, and the gloomy clouds 
 (pains) return. The sense is, before that one trouble 
 shcdl follow upon another, as is the case in an old 
 age unillumined by idety. 3. keepers of the 
 house — viz., the hands and arms which protected 
 the body, as guards do a pcdace, are now palsied, 
 strong inen . . . IjOW— as Samson. Like suj)port- 
 ing pillars, the feet and knees (Song v. 15), the 
 strongest members (Ps. cxlvii. 10). grinders— the 
 molar teeth, cease— are idle, because they are 
 few — and therefore not sufficient for masticating 
 the food aright, the windows— the eyes, the 
 powers of vision, looking out from beneath the 
 eyelids, which open and shut like the casement of 
 a window. 4. doors — the lipis, which are closely 
 shut together as doors by old men in eating ; for if 
 they did not do so, the food would drop out. in 
 the streets— e., toward the street, 'the outer 
 doors.' Hengstenberg explains it, tlie ears, \\ hich in 
 old men are deaf, sound of the grinding is low 
 —the teeth being almost gone, and the lips "shut " 
 in eating, the sound of mastication is scarcely 
 heard. Hengstenberg explains — When the voice of 
 the mill (the mouth) becomes low, they are less 
 able to make themselves intelligible, the voice of 
 the bird— the cock. In the East all mostly rise 
 with the dav/n. But the old are glad to rise from 
 their sleepless couch or painful slumbers still 
 earlier — viz., when the cock crows, before davv'n. 
 The least noise awakens them, daughters of 
 music— the organs that produce and that enjoy 
 music : the voice and ear of the old man are in a 
 low state (2 Sam. xix. 35). 5. that v/hich is high 
 —the old are afraid of ascending a hill, fears . . . 
 in the way— even on the level hvfiway they are 
 full of fears of falling, &c. almond . . . flourish. 
 In the East the hair is mostly dark. Tlie tchite 
 head of the old among the dark-haired is like an 
 almond tree, with its white blossoms, among the 
 dark trees around {H olden). But the flower of 
 the almond is jnnk, not white. Maurer therefoi e 
 explains it : The almond tree flowers on a leafless 
 stock in winter (answering to old age, in which all 
 the powers are dormant), whilst the other trees a: e 
 fiowerless. Gesenius takes the Hebrew (yaneetz) 
 ior flourishes from a different root : 'The (toothjesa 
 old man) loathes (through M ant of aiijjctitc) even 
 (the sweet) almond.' But the verb is used of tiic 
 budding or blossoming pomegranate iu Song vi. 11. 
 
The Preacher^ s 
 
 ECCLESIASTES XII. 
 
 care to edify. 
 
 And the grasshopper shall be a burden, 
 
 And desire shall fail ; because man goeth to his long home ; 
 
 And the mourners go about the streets : 
 
 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, 
 
 Or the golden bowl be broken, 
 
 Or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, 
 
 Or the wheel broken at the cistern : 
 
 Then ^ shall the dust return to the earth as it was; 
 
 '^And the spirit shall return unto God *who gave it. 
 
 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher ; all is vanity. 
 
 And 2 moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the 
 people knowledge ; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in 
 
 B. C. 977. 
 
 f Gen. 3, 19. 
 Job 19. 26. 
 ch. 3. 20 
 Dan. 12. 2. 
 ch. 3. 21. 
 
 1 Gen. 2. r. 
 Num. 16.22. 
 Num, 27.16. 
 Isa. 57. 16. 
 Zech. 12. 1. 
 
 2 Or, the 
 more wise 
 the preach- 
 er was, etc. 
 
 The Hebrew for "almond" ["ip?^'] is from a root 
 [shaquad) to he wakeful, because it is the first 
 that tvakes up from the sleep of winter. So it 
 is the symbol of wakefulness in Jer. i. 11, 12. 
 Pliny ('Hist. Nat.' xvi. 25) says, 'The almond 
 is the first of all to blossom, in the month of 
 January.' Thus the sense is, 'the wakefulness 
 of old age sets iu.' grasshopper. The dry, 
 shrivelled, old man, his backbone sticking out, 
 his knees projecting forwards, his arms back- 
 wards, his head down, and the apophyses en- 
 larged, is like that insect. Hence arose the 
 fable that Tithonus, in very old age, was 
 changed into a grassliopper [Parkhurst, after Smith 
 and Bochart, in 'Poll Synojjsis '). 'The locust 
 laboriously raises itself to fly:' the old man about 
 to leave the body is like a locust when it is assum- 
 ing its winged form, and is about to fly {Maurer). 
 The locust is a symbol of the forces hostile to life, 
 which consume it iu old age [Hengstenberg), I pre- 
 fer the flrst view. Mercer's is, 'even the weight 
 of a grasshopper is a burden to the old.' But the 
 general scope is allegorical ; and as the " almond 
 tree " was used symbolically, so is the grasshopxjer 
 here, a burden— viz. , to himself, desire shall 
 fail— satisfaction shall be abolished. For desire 
 the Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, and LXX. have ' the 
 caper tree,' provocative of appetite and also of 
 lust; Hebrew, Abiyonah. man goeth to his long 
 home — whence "he shall return no more to his 
 house, neither shall his place (in this present life) 
 know him any more " (Job vii. 10). The symptoms 
 before described are the forerunners of this last 
 solemn event, mourners go about (i. e., will soon 
 go about) the streets (Amos v. 16) — hired for the 
 occasion (Matt, ix. 23), 6. Or ever {i. e., before 
 ever) the silver cord, &q.— connected with i\ 1, 
 ' Remember thy Creator before that the silver cord 
 of life is snapijed asunder.' be loosed. [So the 
 Keri reads pDl^.V But the Ketib has pUT., be re- 
 moved, viz., by God; or, as others point it, pnn;..] 
 or the golden bowl ... or the pitcher be 
 broken at the fountain. A double image, to 
 represent death, as in vv. 1-5 old age was symboli- 
 cally represented. (1.) A lamp of frail material, 
 but gilded over, often in the East hung from 
 roofs by a cord of silk and silver interwoven : as 
 the lamp is dashed down and broken when the 
 cord breaks; so man's life, as it were let down 
 from above, is snapped at death. "The golden 
 bowl" of the lamp answers to the skull, which, 
 from the vital preciousness of its contents, may be 
 called "golden;" "the silver cord "is the spinal 
 marrow, which is white and precious as silver, 
 and is attached to the brain. (2.) A fountain, 
 from which water is drawn by a pitcher let down 
 by a rope wound round a wheel; as when the 
 T>itcher and wheel are broken, water can no more 
 be drawn, so life ceases when the vital energies 
 542 
 
 are gone. The "fountain" may mean the right 
 ventricle of the heart ; the '* cistern," the left ; the 
 pitcher, the veins ; the wheel, the aorta, or great 
 artery (Smith.) The circulation of the blood, 
 whether known or not to Solomon, seems to be 
 implied in the language put by the Holy Ghost 
 into his mouth. Hengstenberg explains the pitcher 
 as the image of the individual life, the fountain the 
 image of the general life : God suj)plying the great 
 general treasure from which all individuals take 
 to themselves what is needful to their subsistence. 
 The wheel expresses life in its rapid motion (Jas. 
 iii. 6; lit,, the ''wheel of nature. ) This gloomy 
 picture of old age applies to those who have 
 not ' remembered their Creator in youth.' They 
 have none of the consolations of God, which 
 they might have obtained in youth: it is now 
 too late to seek them. A good old age is a 
 blessing to the godly (Gen. xv. 15; Job v, 26; 
 Prov. xvi. 31 ; xx. 29). 7. the dust— the dust- 
 formed body ; so called because formed from the 
 dust, and also because of its weakness and petti- 
 ness, and the spirit — surviving the body; imply- 
 ing its immortality, shall return unto God— not 
 as the Pantheists think, to be absorbed into the 
 Spirit of God, and thereby to lose its individual 
 existence. Being "created in the image of God," 
 and having the "breath of lives," so as to be a 
 "living soul," man partakes of the imperishable- 
 ness of God. The fact of the "judgment^" to 
 come [v. 14) disproves Pantheism. The Chaldaic 
 Targum paraphrases it, 'the spirit of thy soul 
 shall return to stand in judgment before the Lord 
 who gave it to thee.' This consideration is the 
 grand one by which the youth is urged [v. 1), 
 "Remember now thy Creator." This verse is 
 quoted by the advocates of Creationalism against 
 Traducianism ; for it shows that each soul owes 
 its origin to God directly, and not to the human 
 parents. 
 
 8-12. A summary of the first part. 13, 14. A 
 
 summary of the second, and the more important 
 part. The whole forms the epilogue, an epitome 
 of the book. Vanity of vanities. Resumption of 
 the sentiment with which the book began (ch. 
 i. 2; 1 John ii. 17). 
 
 9. because the Preacher was wise . . . yea, 
 he gave good heed — Hebrew, izzeen; lit., he 
 weighed, or else 'listened,' viz., to the voice of 
 the Spirit which spake by him (Ps. xlix. 4). 
 proverbs- 'parables' (1 Ki. iv. 32). The preacher 
 does not praise himself as "wise" in earthly wis- 
 dom, which Prov. xxvii. 2 would forbid. It is by 
 the Spirit's direction he claims, attention to his 
 words as not his own, but those of God, who had 
 inspired him [v. 11). The 'teaching the people' 
 seems to have been oral; the "proverbs," in vrrit- 
 ing. There must, then, have been auditories 
 assembled to hear the inspired wisdom of the 
 Preacher. (See the exj)lanation of 'Koheleth,' 
 
The fear of God 
 
 ECCLESIASTES XIL 
 
 the chief duty of man. 
 
 10 order many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find out ^acceptable 
 words; and that which ivas written was upright, even words of truth. 
 
 1 1 The words of the wise are as goads, :and as nails fastened by the masters 
 
 12 of assemblies, which .are given from one shepherd. And further, by 
 these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; 
 and much * study is a weariness of the flesh. 
 
 13 ^Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep 
 
 14 his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For -^'God shall 
 bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be 
 good, or whether it be -evil. 
 
 in the Introduction and ch. i.) 10. acceptable 
 words— , words of delight; viz., to the spir- 
 itually-minded (Ps. xix. 10). (that which was) 
 written (was) upright {lit, uprightness) (even) 
 words of truth — words corresponding at once 
 with the thought of the writer, and divinely 
 adapted to express the reality of the things 
 (Prov. viii. 6-10): unerring wisdom and truth. 
 "Acceptable" rneans a divinely suitable style; 
 "upright .... truth," correct sentiment. H. 
 words of the wise (those inspired with wisdom 
 from above) (are) as goads— piercing deeply into 
 the mind, evidently inspired words, as the end of 
 the verse proves, nails fastened — rather, ' and as 
 nails fastened' (lit., planted, the plural feminine is 
 treated as a masculine, and is joined with the 
 masculine), are 'the masters of collections,' or 
 ' participators in the collection,' thus joint-authors 
 of the collected canonical Scriptures, given from 
 one shepherd — viz., the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the 
 chief (Ezelf. xxxvii. 24) Shepherd (1 Pet. v. 2-4). 
 This assigns the reason of the goad-like power of 
 the inspired words of the several authors of Scrip- 
 ture—viz., because they come from the Lord of 
 all power. The ' associates in the collection ' were 
 'given' by Him, (Ei^h. iv. 11, "/Ve gave some . . . 
 pastors," &c.) The Word of God is the tender 
 grass that feeds the Lord's sheep. Though the 
 associated sacred writers are many, the Inspirer 
 of them all is "One"— tli£ loving Shepherd who 
 tends His Church (Gen. xlviii. 15). Nails are used 
 in a different symbolical sense (Isa. xxii. 23). 12. 
 my son. The Spirit admonishes us as a Father, 
 by these ... be admonished— by this book, and 
 by the rest of Scripture, of which it is a part. 
 Suffer thyself to be admonished (ch. iv. 13 ; Lzek. 
 iii 21). many books (there is) no end— of mere 
 
 human compositions, especially the literature of 
 the godless and the heathen world, ojjposed to 
 "by these." These inspired writings are the only 
 sure source of 'admonition.' much study — in 
 mere human books, wearies the body, without 
 solidly profiting the soul. Worldly learning does 
 not solve the enigma of human life; as to the 
 highest questions, it keeps even its thoughtful 
 votaries " ever learning, and never able to come to 
 the knowledge of the truth." The literature of 
 heathendom was a mere Sisyphus labour; it 
 brought no true gain to the 'God-descended spirit' 
 {Hengstenherg). Diodorus (i. 49) mentions the pre- 
 tentious inscription over the sacred library at 
 Thebes, 'Pharmacy of the soul.' 
 
 13. hear the conclusion— the conclusion of the 
 discourse: the grand inference of the whole book. 
 Fear God— the antidote to following creature-idols 
 and "vanities," whether self - righteousness (ch. 
 vii. 16, 18), or wicked ojipression and other evils 
 (ch. viii. 12, 13), or mad mirth (chs. ii, 2; vii. 2-5), 
 or self -mortifying avarice (ch. viii. 13, 17), and 
 gloomy murmuring ajid discontent, or youth spent 
 without God (chs. xi. 9; xii. 1). this (is) the 
 whole (duty) of man— lit., this is the whole man: 
 the full ideal of man, as originally contem- 
 plated, realized wholly by Jesus Christ alone; 
 and, through Him, by saints, now in part, here- 
 after perfectly (1 John iii. 22-24; Rey. xxii. 14). 
 Hengstenherg less spiritedly translates, 'This is 
 the duty of all men.' 14. For God shall bring 
 every work into judgment, with (lit., upon; i. e., 
 concerning) every secret thing— (2 Cor. v. 10; 
 cf. note, V. 7 above.) The future judgment is 
 the test of what is "vanity," what solid, as re- 
 gards the chief good, the grand subject of the 
 book. 
 
^ 
 
 THE 
 
 SONG OF SOLOMON. 
 
 1 rj^HE '"Song of songs, which is Solomon's. 
 
 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth : 
 For ^ thy love is better than wine. 
 Because of the savour of thy good ointments 
 
 Thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the ^virgins love thee. 
 
 Draw '^me, we ^will run after thee. 
 
 The King ^hath brought me into his chambers: 
 
 We will be glad and rejoice in thee; 
 
 We will remember thy love more than wine : — the upright love thee. 
 
 B. c. 101 
 
 CHAP. 1. 
 ■ 1 Ki 4. 32. 
 thy loves. 
 2 Cor. 11. 2. 
 Jer. 31. 3. 
 Phil. 3. 12. 
 Ps. 45. U. 
 Cr, they 
 love thee 
 uprightly. 
 
 CHAP. I. 1-17.— Canticle L— The Bkide 
 Searching for and Finding the King— Ch. 
 i. 2-ii. 7. 1. The Song of songs— the most 
 excellent of all soup;s, Hebrew idiom (Dent. 10. 14), 
 A foretaste on earth of the "new song" to be sun^ 
 in glory (Rev. v. 9). Solomon's—" King of Israel, 
 or " Jerusalem," is not added, as iu the opening of 
 Proverbs and Ecclcsiastes; not because Solomon 
 had not yet ascended the throne (Jioot/?/ Stuart), 
 but because his personality is hid under that of 
 Christ, the true Solomon (/. e.. Prince of Peace). 
 The earthly Solomon is not introduced, which 
 would break the consistency of the allegory. 
 Though tlie bride bears the chief part, the Song 
 throughout is not her's, but that of her " Solomon." 
 He animates her. He and she, the Head and the 
 members, form but one Christ. Aaron v>i'etigured 
 Him as priest; Moses, as ji'^'ophet; David, as a 
 su ferin;/ king; Solomon, as the triumphant prince 
 of peace. The camp in the wilderness represents 
 the Church in the world; the peaceful reign of 
 Solomon, after all enemies had been subdued, 
 represents the Church in heaven, of which joy the 
 Song gives a foretaste. 
 
 2. Let him — abruptly. She names liim not, as 
 is natural to one whose heart is full of some much- 
 desired friend : so Mary Magdalene at the Sepul- 
 chre, as if every one must know whom she means, 
 the One chief object of her desire (Ps. Ixxiii. 25 ; 
 JSIatt. xiii. 44-46). kiss— the token of peace from 
 the Prince of Peace (Luke xv. 20); "our Peace" 
 (Ps. Ixxxv. 10; Col. 1. 21). of his mouth— mark- 
 ing the tenderest affection. For a king to permit 
 his hands, or even garment, to be kissed, was 
 counted a great honour; but that he should him- 
 self kiss another with his mouth is the greatest 
 honour. Clod had in times past spoken by the 
 mouth of His prophets, who hath declared the 
 Church's betrothal; the bride now longs for 
 contact with the siveet mouth of the Brideg^'ooyn 
 Himself (Job xxiii. 12; Luke iv. 22). True of the 
 Church before the first advent, longing for "the 
 hope of Israel," "the desire of all nations." Also 
 the awakened soul longing for the kiss of reconcilia- 
 tion: and further, the kiss that is the token of the 
 marriage contract, and of friendship, such as Jesus 
 vouchsafes to His friends in its highest manifesta- 
 tion (John xiv. 21). thy love— Hebrew, loves; viz., 
 tokens of love, loving blandishments, wine — 
 which makes glad " the heavy heart" of one ready 
 to perish, so that he "remembers his misery no 
 more." So, in a "better" sense, Christ's love 
 (Hab. iii. 17, 18). He gives the same praise to the 
 544 
 
 bride's love, with the emphatic addition, "How 
 much" (ch. iv. 10). Wine was created by His 
 first miracle, and was the pledge given of His love 
 at the last supper. The spiritual wine is His 
 blood and His Spirit, the " new" and better wine 
 of the kingdom, which we can never drink to 
 "excess," as the other. 3. Because of— rather, 
 
 'As regards [^] the savour of thy ointments, ifc 
 
 is good ' {Maurer). In ch. iv. 10, 11, the Bride- 
 groom reciprocates the praise of the bride in 
 similar terms, thy name— Christ's manifested 
 character and office as the "Anointed" (Isa. ix. 6); 
 as 'the savour of ointments' is the graces that 
 surround His person. Eccl. vii. 1, in its fullest 
 sense, applies to Him. Ps. xlv. 7, 8. The holy 
 anointing oil of the High Priest, which it was 
 death for any one else to make (Exod. xxx. 23-38), 
 implies the exclusive preciousness of Messiali's 
 name as the only Saviour (Acts iv. 12); so Mary 
 brake tlie box of precious ointment over Hiiii, 
 approi^riately, the broken box typifying His body, 
 which, when broken, difi'used all grace: ^com- 
 pounded of various spices, &c. (Col. i. 19; ii. 9), 
 answering to His manifold fulness of Divine 
 grace, of sweet odour (Eph. v. 2). poured— (Isa. 
 liii. 12.) therefore — because of the manifes- 
 tation of God's character in Christ (1 John 
 iv. 9, 19). So the penitent woman (Luke vii. 
 37). virgins— the pure in heart (Eev. xiv. 4). 
 Hebrew, halamoth, from a root to hide: cf., 
 tliough the Hebrew is different, " thy hidden 
 ones" (Ps. Ixxxiii. 3). The "ointment" of the 
 Spirit "poured forth" produces the "love of 
 Christ" (Rom. v. 5). 4. Draw me— (1.) The cry 
 of ancient Israel for Messiah; e. g., Simeon, 
 Anna, &c. (2.) The cry of an awakened soul 
 for the drawing of the Spirit, after it has got a 
 glimpse of Christ's loveliness, and its own help- 
 lessness. " Draw me" — The Father draws (John 
 vi. 44). The Sou draws (Jer. xxxi. 3; John xii. 
 32). "Draw" here, and "Tell" {v. 7), reverently 
 qualify the word "kiss" {v. 2). me, we— no be- 
 liever desires to go to heaven alone (Johni. 41, 45). 
 We are converted as individuals; we follow Christ 
 as joined in a communion of saints. Individuality 
 and community meet in the bride, run — her 
 earnestness kindles as she prays (Isa. xl. 31). 
 after thee— not before (John x. 4). King . . . 
 brought me into— (Ps. xlv. 14, 15). He is the 
 anointed Priest [v. 3); King (v. 4). chambers. 
 Her prayer is answered even beyond her desires. 
 Not only is she permitted to run after Him, but is 
 
The ChurcKs 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG I. 
 
 love to Christ. 
 
 5 I am black, but comely, — 0 ye daughters of Jerusalem, 
 
 As the tents of Kedar, — as the curtains of Solomon. 
 C Look not upon me, because I am black, 
 
 Because the sun hath looked upon me : 
 
 My mother's children were angry with me; 
 
 They made me the keeper of the vineyards; 
 
 But mine own vineyard have I not kept. 
 ' 7 Tell me, 0 thou whom my soul loveth, — where thou feedest, 
 
 Wlierei-^thou makest thy flock to rest at noon : 
 
 For why should I be ^ as one that turneth aside 
 
 By the flocks of thy companions ? 
 
 5)rought into the inmost pavilion, where Eastern 
 :kings admitted none but the most intimate friends, 
 and did so by holding out the golden sceptre 
 (Esth. iv. 11). The erection of the templ« of 
 Solomon was the tirst bringing of the bride into 
 permanent, instead of migratory chambers of the 
 King. Christ's body on earth was the next 
 whereby believers are brought within the veil 
 (Eph. ii. 6). Entrance into the closet for prayer 
 is the first step. The earnest of the future 
 bringing into heaven (John xiv. 3). chambers 
 are the bride's also (Isa. xxvi. 20). There are 
 various chambers, plural (John xiv. 2). be glad 
 .and reioice—inward and outward rejoicing, in 
 thee— (Isa. Ixi. 10.) Not in our si^iritual frames 
 (Ps. XXX. 6, 7). remember — Hebrew, hjzkir ; 
 rather, commemorate with praises (Isa. Ixiii. 7). 
 The mere remembrance of spiritual joys is better 
 than the present enjoyment of carnal ones (Ps. iv. 
 6, 7). upright— lit.. Tightnesses. Maurer trans- 
 lates, ^ They rigidly {i. e., with good reason), love 
 thee.' Impersonally, "Thou art rightly loved.' 
 But the English version is better : abstract for con- 
 crete: Rightnesses, or those of uprightness and sin- 
 cerity answer to "the virgins," v. 3 (Ps. Iviii. 1). 
 So Nathan ael (John i. 47); Peter (John xxi. 17). 
 
 5. black ... as the tents of Kedar— from the 
 root Kadar, to be black (Ps. cxx. 5). She draws the 
 image from the black goat-skins with which the 
 Scenite AraJ,s ("KedSj*" was in Arabia Petrjsa) 
 cover their tents (contrasted with the splendid 
 state tent in which the King was awaiting His 
 bride, according to Eastern c\istom); typifying the 
 darkness -ef man's natural state. To feel this, and 
 yet also feel one's self in Jesus Christ— comely . . . 
 as the curtains of Solomon— marks the believer, 
 (Rom. vii. 18, &c.) " I ara chief :" so she says not 
 merely, 'I was,' but "I am;" still black in her- 
 self, but comely through His comeliness put upon 
 her. curtains— first, the hangings and veil in the 
 tenaple of Solomon ; then, also, the ^' fine linen 
 which is the righteousness of saints," the white 
 wedding garment jjrovided by Jesus Christ (Isa. 
 Ixi- 10; Matt. xxii. 11). Historically, the dark 
 tents of Kedar reijresent the original state of 
 Israel, a wandering tribe of the desert, until Ood 
 put His comeliness on her : then, in the New Testa- 
 ment, the Gentiles who, though once dark, yet were 
 among the earliest enquirers after Jesus Clirist 
 (Matt, ii.)— viz., the wise men from the East, 
 daughters of Jerusalem — professors, not primarily 
 the bride, or " the virgins," yet not enemies; 
 invited to Gospel blessings (ch. iii. 10, 11); so near 
 to Jesus Christ as not to be unlikely to find Him 
 (ch. v. 8); desirous to seek Him with her (eh. vi. 
 I 1). In ch. vii. 8, 9. the bride's Beloved becomes 
 their Belovei:! ; not, however, of all of them. They 
 are the heaihen nations about to be brought into 
 the Kingdom of God (fJengstenberg). (Ch. viii. 4; 
 cf. Luke xxiii. 27. ) 6. She feels as if her blackness 
 was 80 great as to be gazed at by aJL Loolt not upon 
 ^ oi . i!i 545 
 
 B. C 1014. 
 
 / Geo. 37. n. 
 
 Ps. 23 1-2. 
 
 Ps. 80. 1. 
 
 Isa. 41. 11. 
 
 Mic. 5. 4. 
 
 Johu 10.11, 
 
 27, 2^ 
 
 Key. 7. 17. 
 3 Or, as one 
 
 that is 
 
 Veiled. 
 
 2 Cor. 3. 14, 
 18. 
 
 me (too closely: contrast ch. ii. 14), because I (am 
 "black, because the sun— implying that Israel was 
 scorched "with God's anger, executed on her by 
 the world-powers, because of her unfaithfulness 
 before Messiah's coming. The blackness of Israel's 
 countenance, by reason of her bondage in the 
 brick-kilns of Egypt, is probably the primary 
 point (Ps. Ixviii. 13). Cf. subsequently the bondage 
 in Babylon (Lam.iv. 8). mother's children— (Matt, 
 x. .36). She is to forget "her own people and her 
 father's house" — i €., the woiidly connections of 
 her x^nregenerate state (Ps. xiv. 10). were angry 
 with me— they had maltreated her (Luke xv. 15, 
 16). Children of the same mother, but not the 
 same father (71/awrer.) (John viii. 41-44.) Satan is 
 the father of the ungodly; God is the Father of 
 the godly. Eve is our common mother. "False 
 brethren" (2 Cor. xi. 26). Those who profess to 
 have the Church as their mother, but who have 
 not God for their Father, keeper of the vine- 
 yards. Israel was reduced to bondage by the 
 world-powers for her apostasy from her Go(L As 
 she did not keep the high trust of being the 
 witness for God to th-e Gentiles, committed to her 
 by God, God gave her over to the Gentile jjowers 
 to be keeper of vineyards of a very different kind 
 to them— viz., to bear their cruel yoke, instead of 
 the Lord's blessed one. Vinedi-essing was a menial 
 and laborious work (Isa. Ixi. 5). They made her a 
 common keeper of viuej^ards, whereby the sun 
 looked upon, i. e., burnt her: thus she did "not 
 keep her own" vineyard, i. e., fair beauty. So the 
 world and the soul (Matt. xvi. 26). The believer 
 has to watch against the danger of neglecting self- 
 discipline (1 Cor. ix. 27). So he will be able, 
 instead of the self-reproach here, to say as ch. viii. 
 12. 7. my soul loveth-— more intense than "the 
 virgins" and "the upright love thee" {v. 3, 4; 
 Matt. xxii. 37). To cany out the design of the 
 allegory, the royal encampment is here reijresented 
 as moving from place to place, in search of green 
 pastures, under the SJiepherd King, (Ps. xxiii.) 
 The bride, having first enjoyed communion with 
 Him in the pavilion, is willing to follow Him into 
 labours and dangers; arising from all-absorbing 
 love (Luke xiv. 26); this distinguishes her from 
 the formalist (John x. 27). feedest— tendest thy 
 flock (Isa. xl. 11; Rev. vii. 17). No single type 
 expresses all the office of Jesus Christ; hence 
 arises the variety of diverse images used to ix>rtray 
 the manifold aspects of Him : these would be 
 quite incongruous if the song referred to the earthly 
 Solomon. Her intercourse with Him is peculiar. 
 She hears His voice, and addresses none but 
 Himself. Yet it is through a veil; she sees Him 
 not (Job xxiii. 8, 9). If we would be fed, we must 
 follow the Shepherd through the whole breadth of 
 His Word, and!^not stay on one B\yot alone, makest 
 ... to rest— distinct from "feedest:" periods of 
 rest are vouchsafed after labour (Isa. iv. 6). Com- 
 munion in private must go along with public 
 
The ChurcJis 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG I. 
 
 love to Christ. 
 
 8 If thou know not, — 0 tthou fairest among women. 
 Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, 
 And feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. 
 
 9 I have compared thee, ^0 my love, 
 
 To a company of horses in Pharaoh's -chariots. 
 
 10 Thy » cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, — thy neck with chains o/^o/c?. 
 
 11 We will make thee borders of gold, with studs of silver. 
 
 12 While the King sitteth at his table, 
 
 My spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. 
 
 13 A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; 
 He shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. 
 
 14 My beloved is unto me as a cluster of ^camphire 
 In the vineyards of En-gedi. 
 
 B. C. 1014. 
 
 " Ch. 2. 2. 
 Ch. 4. 1-r. 
 ch. 5. 2. 
 ch. 8. 4. 
 John 15.14, 
 
 * 1 Ki. 10. 28. 
 2 Chr. 1. 16. 
 Isa. 31. I. 
 
 < Gen. 24. 22, 
 47. 
 
 Isa. 3. 18. 
 
 21. 
 
 Eze. 16. 11. 
 
 * Or, 
 
 cypress, 
 ch. 4. 13. 
 
 one that turnetli aside 
 
 -i e., as a harlot— uoi His 
 
 following of Him. as 
 [n^y^] — rather, one veiled 
 true bride (Gren. xxxviii. 15, 16) {Gesenius); or as a 
 mourner with covered head (2 Sam. xv. 30) ( Weiss); 
 or as one unknown {Maurer). All imply estrange- 
 ment from the Bridegroom, thy companions. 
 She feels estranged even among Christ's true 
 servants — "thy companions" (Luke xxii. 28)— so 
 long as she has not Himself present. The opposite 
 spirit to 1 Cor. iii. 4. 
 
 8. If thou know not. She^ught to have known 
 (John xiv. 8, 9). The confession of her ignorance 
 and blackness leads Him to call her " fairest. " Her 
 jealousy of letting even "His companions" take 
 the place of Himself (y. 7) led her too far. He 
 directs her to follow them, as they follow Him (Heb. 
 vi. 12); to use ordinances and the ministrjr: where 
 they are He is (Jer. vi. 16). Indulging in isolation 
 is not the way to find Him. It was thus, literally, 
 that Zipporah found her bridegroom (Exod. iL 16). 
 The bride unhesitatingly asks the watchmen after- 
 wards (ch. iii. 3). feed thy .kids— (John xxi. 15.) 
 Christ is to be found in active ministrations as 
 ■well as in prayer (Pro v. xi. 15). shepherds' tents. 
 "The shepherds" are ministers in the sanctuary 
 (Ps. Ixxxiv. 1). 
 
 9. horses in Pharaoh's chariots— celebrated for 
 heauty, swiftness, and ardour, at the Red sea. 
 These qualities, which seem to belong to the un- 
 godly, really belong to the saint {Moody Stuart), 
 The allusion may be to the horses brought at a high 
 price by Solomon out of Egypt (2 Chr. i. 16, 17). 
 So the bride is redeemed out of spiritual Egypt by 
 the true Solomon, at an infinite price (Isa. li. 1; 1 
 Pet. i. 18, 19). But the deliverance from Pharaoh 
 at the Red sea accords wdth the allusion to the 
 tabernacle (ch. i. 5: iii. 6, 7): it rightly is put at 
 the beginning of the elder Church's call. The 
 ardour and beauty of the bride are the point of 
 comparison [v. 4, "run;" v. 5, "comely"). Also, 
 like Pharaoh's horses, she forms a great company 
 (Rev. xix. 7, 14). As Jesus Christ is both Shep- 
 herd and Conqueror, so believers are not only His 
 sheep, but also, as a Church militant now, His 
 chariots and horses (ch. vi. 4). So Elijah and 
 Elisha were (2 Ki. ii. 12). 10. rows of jewels— 
 (Ezek. xvi. 11.) Olearius says, Persian ladies 
 wear two or three rows of pearls round the head, 
 beginning on the forehead, and descending dow^u 
 to the cheeks and under the chin, so that their 
 faces seem to be set in pearls. The chains with 
 which God adorns the newly espoused bride are 
 God's ordinances (Prov. i. 8, 9). The hatids are 
 the instruments of action. The neck, or throat, 
 the organ of speech. The torim ("rows of jewels") 
 alludes to torah, "the law," as in Ezek. xvi. 11, 
 hedi, 'ornament,' alludes to heedah, 'a testimony.' 
 Contrast Pa. Ixxiii. 6, "Pride compasseth them 
 
 54Q 
 
 about as a chain." The comparison to the horses 
 (y. 9) implies the vital energy of the bride ; this 
 verse, her superadded graces (l Tim. ii. 9). 11. We 
 —the Trinity implied by the Holy Ghost, whether 
 it was so by the writer of the Song or not. ' The 
 Jews acknowledged God as king, and Messiah as 
 king, in interpreiting the Song, but did not know 
 that these two are one' [Leighton). make— not 
 merely give, borders of gold, with studs {i. e., 
 spots) of silver. Jesus Christ delights to give 
 more "to him that hath." He crowns His ovm 
 work in us (Isa. xxvi. 12). The "borders" here 
 answer to "rows" (the same Hebrew term in v. 
 10). But here the King-seems to give the finish to 
 her attire by adding a crown (borders, rows, or 
 circles of gold studded with silver spots; cf. Esth. 
 ii. 17). Both the royal and nuptial crown or chap- 
 let. The Hebrew [n^5] for "spouse" (ch. iv. 8) is 
 a perfected or croumed one. The crown is given at 
 once, upon conversion, in title, but in sensible 
 possession after w^ards (Ezek. xvi. 12; Rev. ii. 10). 
 
 12. at his table. It is the presence of the Sun 
 of Righteousness that draws out the believer's 
 odours of grace. It was the sight of Him at table 
 that caused the two women to bring forth their 
 ointments for Him. Historically fulfilled, Matt, 
 ii. 11; spiritually. Rev. iii. 20; and in church 
 worship. Matt, xviil 20; and at the Lord's Supper 
 especially: for here public commumon with ^ Him 
 at table amidst His friends is spoken of, as v. 4 
 refers to private communion; primarily in the 
 Israelite Church, and typically, Exod. xxiv. 9-U ; 
 the future perfect fulfilment. Rev. xix. 9. Tlie 
 allegory sui>poses the King to have stopped in His 
 movements, and to be seated with His friends on 
 the divan. What grace, that a table should be 
 prepared for us whilst still militant ! my spike- 
 nard—not boasting, but owning the Lord's grace 
 to and in her. The spikenard is a lowly herb, the 
 emblem of humility. She rejoices that He is well- 
 pleased with her graces. His own work (Phil. iv. 
 13, 18). 13. bundle of myrrh— implying abundant 
 preciousness. So the Greek for "precious " [TtV'/l, 
 lit., preciousness, 1 Pet. ii. 7. Even a little myrrh 
 was costly, much more a bundle. Sanctius takes 
 it of a scent-box filled with liquid myrrh; the 
 liquid obtained by incision gave the tree its chief 
 value, he— rather, it: it is the myrrh that lies 
 in the bosom, as the cluster of camphire is in 
 the vineyards (v. 14). all night— an undivided 
 heart (Eph. iii. 17: contrast Jer. iv. 14, Ezek. xvi. 
 15, 30). Yet, on account of the everlasting cove- 
 nant, God restores the adulteress, (Ezek. xvi. 
 60, 62 ; Hos. ii. 2, &c.) The " night " is the whole 
 present dispensation till the everlasting day 
 dawns (Rom. xiii. 12). Also, lit., night (Ps. cxix. 
 147); the night of a^iction (Ps. xlii. 8). 14. cluster 
 —Jesus Christ is o»e, yet manifold in His graces. 
 
Mutual lore of 
 
 SOLOMON'S" SONG IT. 
 
 Christ and His Church. 
 
 15 Behold, thou, art fair, ^my love ; 
 Behold, thoii art fair ; thou hast doves* eyes. 
 
 16 Behold, thous art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: — also our bed is green. 
 
 17 The beams of our house are cedar,— <3r?iG? our ^rafters of fir. 
 2 \ AM the rose of Sharon, — and the lily of the valleys. 
 
 2 As the lily among, thorns, — m is my love among the daughters. 
 
 3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, 
 So is my beloved among the sons. 
 
 sat down under his^sliadow with great delight,. 
 "And his fruit was sweet to my ^ taste. 
 
 4 He brought me to the ^banqueting house, 
 And bis banner over me icas love. 
 
 B. C. 1014. 
 
 i ch. 4. 1. 
 
 6 Or, my 
 com- 
 panioD. 
 
 6 Or, 
 galleries. 
 
 CHAP. 2. 
 
 1 I deUglited 
 and sat 
 down, etc. 
 
 " Rev. 22. 1. 
 
 2 palate. 
 
 3 house of 
 wine 
 
 of campMre— or, cypress. The hennah is meant, 
 whose odorous flowers grow ia clusters, of a colour 
 white and yellow softly blended : its bark is dark, 
 the foliage light-green. Women deck their per- 
 sons with them. The loveliness of Jesus Christ, 
 vineyards— appropriate in respect to Him who is 
 "the vine." The spikenard was for the banquet 
 {v. 12) ; the myrrh was in her bosom continually 
 (v. 13); the camphire is in the midst of natural 
 beauties, which, though lovely, are eclipsed by the 
 one cluster, Jesus Christ, pre-eminent above them 
 all. En-gedi— in South Palestine, near the Dead 
 Sea, famed for aromatic shrubs. 
 
 15. fair — He discerns beauty in her who liad 
 said, "I am black," because of the everlasting 
 cov3uant. doves' eyes — large and beautiful in the 
 doves of Syria. The prominent features of her 
 bea ity : gentleness, innocence, and constant love, 
 emblem of the Holy Ghost, who changes us to His 
 own likeness (Matt. iii. 16). Contrast the opposite 
 kind of eyes (Matt. xx. 15 ; 2 Pet. ii. 14). 
 
 16. Rejjly of thp. Bride, thou art fair, my be- 
 loved. She presumes to call Him beloved, be- 
 cause He called her so first. Thou callest me 
 "fair;" if I am so, it is not in myself, it is all from 
 thee (Ps. xc. 17) ; but thou art fair in thyself (Ps. 
 xlv. 2). pleasant (Prov. iii. 17)— towards thy 
 friends (2 Sam. i. 26). bed . . . green— the couch 
 of green grass on which the King and His bride 
 sit to "rest at noon." Thus her prayer in v. 7 is 
 here granted. She finds Him, as she desired, in a 
 green oasis in the desert, always found near 
 waters in the East (Ps. xxiii. 2; Isa. xli. 17-19). 
 The scene is a kiosk, or summer-house. Histori- 
 cally, the literal resting of the Babe of Bethlehem 
 and His parents on the (jre.en grass provided for 
 cattle, (Luke ii.) Typically, the meeting of Moses 
 and his destined bride, Zipporah, at the place of 
 watering the flocks, in the beginning of the Old 
 Testament Church's history. So in the "doves" 
 (v. 15) there may be an incidental allusion to the 
 off"ering. So in v. 17 the "cedar" and "fir" ceiling 
 refers to the temple (1 Ki. v. 6-10); type of the 
 heavenly temple (Kev. xxi. 22). 17. The beams of 
 our house (are) cedar— (see note, v. 16 ; but prx- 
 mo.rily the kiosk, Isa. xi. 10.) Cedar is pleasing to 
 the eye and smell, hard, and never eaten by 
 worms, flr— rather, cyjjress, which is hard, dur- 
 able, and fragrant, of a reddish hue {Gesenius). 
 The "rafters are the cross beams; the carveA 
 ceiling. [The Ketib is tDnn, transposed for charit, 
 from an Arabic root, carved. The Keri reads, 
 cnn, the ceiling, with its interstices, or little 
 square cavities formed by the crossing of the 
 beams.] Contrasted with the shifting "tents" {v. 
 5). //w house is "om7- house" (Ps. xcii. 13; Eph. 
 ii. 19; Heb. iii. 6). Perfect oneness of Him and 
 the bride (John xiv. 20; xvii. 21). There is the 
 shelter of a princely roof from the sun (Ps. cxxi 
 
 C47 
 
 6), without the confinement of walls, and amidst 
 rural beauties. The carved ceiling represents the 
 wondrous excellencies of His Divine nature. 
 
 CHAP. II. 1-17.-1. rose. If applied to Jesus 
 Christ, it, with the white lily (emblem of His low- 
 liness), answers to "white and ruddy" (ch. v. 
 10). But it is rather the meadow-saffron; the 
 Hebrew means radically a plant with a pungent 
 bulb, inapplicable to the rose, [n^^an, from pdh, 
 pungent, and Si?, a bulb : the Colchicum autum- 
 nale.] So the Syriac. It is of a white and violet 
 colour {Gesenius). But see note, Isa. xxxv. 1, for the 
 narcissus. It is rather the bride who thus speaks 
 of herself, as lowly though lovely, in contrast with 
 the lordly "aj)ple" or citron tree, the Bridegroom 
 {v. 3); so the "lily" is applied to her {v. 2). Sharon 
 — (Isa. xxxv. 1, 2.) In North Palestine, between 
 Mount Tabor and Lake Tiberias (1 Chr. v. 16). 
 The LXX. and Vulgate translate it 'a plain;' 
 though they err in this, the Hebrew Bible not 
 elsewhere favouring it, yet the parallelism to val- 
 leys shows that, in the proper name Sharon, there 
 is here a tacit reference to its meaning of lowli- 
 ness. Beauty, delicacy, and lowliness, are to be in 
 her as they were in Him (Matt. xi. 29). 
 
 2. As the lily among thorns, so (is) my love— 
 Jesv^ Christ to the Bride (Matt. x. 16). " Thorns," 
 i. e., the wicked (Ps. Ivii. 4). daughters— of men, 
 not of God; not "the virgins," answering in par- 
 allelism to "thorns." 'If thou art the lily of 
 Jesus Christ, take heed lest by impatience, rash 
 judgments, and pride, thou thyself become a 
 thorn ' [Luther). 
 
 3. Her reply, apple — generic term; including the 
 golden citron, pomegranate, and orange apple (Prov. 
 XXV. 11). He combines the shadow and fragrance 
 of the citron with the sweetness of the orange 
 and pomegranate fruit- The foliage is perpetual : 
 throughout the year a succession of blossoms, fruit, 
 and perfume, among the sons— parallel to "among 
 the daughters." He alone is ever fruitful among 
 the fruitless wild trees (Heb, i. 9). I sat .... 
 with delight— lit., / eagerly desired and sat (Ps. 
 xciv. 19; Eph. ii. 6; 1 Pet. i. 8). shadow— (Isa. 
 iv. 6.) Jesus Christ interposes the shadow of 
 His cross between the blazing rays of justice 
 and us sinners. Lam. iv. 20 is the type, fruit — 
 faith plucks it (Prov. iii. 18). Man lost the tree 
 of life, (Gen. iii.) Jesus Christ has regained it for 
 him : he eats it partly now (Ps. cxix. 103 ; John vi. 
 5.5, 57) ; fully hereafter (Rev. ii. 7) : not earned by 
 the sweat of his brow, or by his righteousness, 
 (Rom. X.) Cf. Hos. xiv. 6-9. Contrast the world- 
 ling's fruit (Luke xv, 16). 4. He brought me to 
 the banqueting house— Hebrew, 'house of wine.' 
 Historically fulfilled in the joy of Simeon and 
 Anna in the temple over the infant Saviour, 
 and that of Mary too (cf. Luke i. 53) ; typified, 
 Exod. xxiv. 9-11 ; also in the erection of the 
 
The hope 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG II. 
 
 of the Church. 
 
 5 Stay me with flagons, — '^comfort me with apples: — for I am sick of love. 
 
 6 His *left hand u under my head, — and his right hand doth embrace me. 
 
 7 charge you, 0 ye daughters of Jerusalem, 
 By the roes, and by the hinds of the field. 
 
 That ye stir not up, — nor awake mi/ love, — till he j^lease. 
 
 8 The ''voice of my beloved ! 
 
 Behold, he cometh — leaping upon the mountains, 
 Skipping upon the hills. 
 
 B. 0. 101 1. 
 
 * straw me 
 
 with 
 
 apples. 
 t> ch 8. 3. 
 5 I adjure 
 
 you. 
 
 ch. 3. 5. 
 
 ch. 8. 4. 
 " J ohn 10. ' 
 
 temple of Solomoii, the spiritual banqueting 
 house of Israel. 8piritually, the bride or beloved 
 is led {v. 4) first into the King's chambers, thence 
 is drawn after Him, in answer to her prayer ; is 
 next received on a grassy couch under a cedar 
 kiosk ; and at last in a 'banqueting hall,' such as 
 Josephus says Solomon had in his palace, 'vi^here- 
 in all the vessels were of gold.' The transition is 
 from holy retirement to ^^w/j^ic ordinances— the 
 tabernacle and temple in the Old Testament 
 Church, and in the New Testament Chui'ch wor- 
 ship and the Lord's Supper (Ps. xxxvi. 8). The 
 bride, as the Queen of Slieba, is given " all her 
 desire" (Ps. Ixiii. 5) : type of the heavenly feast 
 hereafter (Isa. xxv. 6, 9). his banner . . . love. 
 After having rescued us from the enemy, our vic- 
 torious "Captain" (Heb. ii. 10) seats us at the 
 banquet, under a banner inscribed with His name, 
 "love" (1 John iv. 8). His love conquered us to 
 Himself. This banner rallies round us the forces 
 of Omnipotence as our protection. It marks to 
 what country we belong — heaven, the abode of 
 love; and in what we most glory— the cross of 
 Jesus Christ, through which we triumph (Rom. 
 viii. 37). Cf. with "o/-er me," ^'underneath are 
 the everlasting arms " (Deut. xxxiii. 27), 5. flagons. 
 Maurer prefers the translation {ashishoth) 'dried 
 raisin .cakes,' from the Hebrew root (eesh) fire — viz., 
 dried by heat. But the 'house of ioi?ie^ (marrj., v. 
 4) favours "flagons" (so the Hebrew, 1 Chr. 
 xvi. 3; Hos. iii. 1): the "new wine" of the 
 kingdom, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, apples— 
 from the tree [v. 3) so sweet to her, the promises 
 of God: lit., 'straio me with apples:' let my bed 
 (the same Hebrew as "the bottom" of the bed or 
 chariot, ch. iii. 10) be strewn with apples, the 
 scent of which shall refresh me. sick of love— 
 the highest degree of sensible enjoyment that can 
 be attained here. It may be at an early or late 
 stage of experience. Paul (2 Cor. xii. 2-7). In the 
 last sickness of /. Welch he was overheard saying, 
 ' Lord, hold thine haud ; it is enough : thy servant 
 is a clay vessel, and can hold no more.' In most 
 cases this intensity of joy is reserved for the 
 heavenly banquet. Historically, Israel had it 
 w hen the Lord's glory filled the tabernacle, and 
 afterwards the temple, so that the priests could 
 not stand to minister. So the Christian Church 
 on Pentecost. The Bride addresses Christ mainly, 
 though in her rapture she uses the plural, "Stay 
 (ye) me," speaking generally. So far from asking 
 the withdrawal of the manifestations which had 
 overpowered her, she asks for more: so ' fainteth 
 for " (Ps. Ixxxiv. 2) : also Peter, on the mount of 
 transfiguration, "Let us make . . . not knowing 
 ivhat he said" (Luke ix. 33). 6. His left hand. 
 The "stay" she prayed for {v. 5) is granted (Deut. 
 xxxiii. 12, 27; Ps. xxxvii. 24: Isa. xli. 10). None 
 can pluck from that embrace (Jolm x. 28-30). His 
 hand keeps us from falling (Matt. xiv. 30, 31) : to 
 it we may commit ourselves (Ps. xxxi. 5). his 
 right hand. The "left" is the inferior hand, by 
 M'iiich the Lord less signally manifests His love 
 than by the right: the secret hand of ordinary/ 
 providence, as distinguished from that of mani- 
 548 
 
 Jested grace, the "right." They really go to- 
 gether, though sometimes they seem divided : here 
 both are felt at once. Theodoret takes the left 
 hand as i-eferring to jtidgment and wrath; the right 
 to honour and love. The hand of justice no longer 
 is lifted to smite, but is under the head of the 
 believer to support (Isa. xlii. 21). The hand of 
 Jesus Christ, pierced by justice for our sin, supports 
 us. The charge [v. 7) not to disturb the beloved 
 occurs thrice ; but the sentiment here, "His left 
 haud," &c., nowhere else fully; which accords 
 with the intensity of joy {v. 5) experienced in the 
 first love of Israel, the New Testament Church, 
 and the individual believer (Jer. ii. 2). In ch. 
 viii. 3 it is only conditional, ^'should embrace," 
 not "doth." 
 
 7. I Charge you . . . stir not up ... my love. 
 Not an oath " by the roes," but a solemn charge 
 to act as cautiously as the hunter would with the 
 wild roes, which are proverbially timorous. He 
 must advance with breathless circumspection if he 
 is to take them ; so he who would not lose Jesus 
 Christ and His Spirit, which is easily grieved and 
 withdrawn, must be tender of conscience and 
 watchful (Ezek. xvi. 43). In marg., title of Ps. 
 xxii., Jesus Christ is called the 'hind of the 
 morning,' hunted to death by the dogs, and rising 
 again at dawn (cf. vv. 8, 9, where He is repre- 
 sented as bounding on the hills). (Ps. xviii. 33). 
 Here He is resting, but with a repose easily broken 
 (Zeph. iii. 17). It is thought a gross rudeness in 
 the East to awaken one sleeping, especially a per- 
 son of rank, my love — in Hebrew, feminine for 
 masculine, the abstract for concrete, Jesus Christ 
 being the embodiment of love itself (chs. iii. 5; yiii. 
 4), where, as here, the context requires it to be 
 applied to Him, not her. She, too, is "love" (ch. 
 vii. 6), for His love calls forth her love. Presump- 
 tion in the convert is as grieving to the Spirit as 
 despair. The lovingness and pleasantness (Pro v. 
 V. 19) of the hind and roe is included in this 
 image of Jesus Christ. 
 
 Canticle IL— Ch. ii. 8— iii. 5.— John tre 
 Baptist's Ministry. 8. The voice— an exclama- 
 tion of joyful surprise, evidently after a long silence. 
 The restlessness of sin (v. 7) and the fickleness on her 
 part had disturbed His rest with her, which she 
 had professed not to wish disturbed 'till He should 
 please.' He left her, but in sovereign grace unex- 
 pectedly heralds His return. She awakes, and at 
 once recognizes His voice: her sleep is not so sinfully 
 deep as in ch. v. 2. leaping — bounding, as the roe 
 does, over the roughest obstacles ; as the Father 
 of the prodigal " had compassion and ran." upon 
 the hills— as the sunbeams glancing from hill to 
 hill. Historically, the coming of "the kingdom of 
 heaven" {the gospel disj^ensation), announced by 
 John Baptist, is meant : it primarily is the garden 
 or vineyard, the bride is called so in a secondary 
 sense. " The voice" of Jesus Christ is in direct, being 
 heard through "the friend of the Bridegroom 
 (John iii. 29), John the Baptist. Personally, He is 
 silent during John's ministration, who awoke the 
 lonoj slumbering Church with the cry, "Every hill 
 shall be made Ipw," in the spirit of Elias on the 
 
The calling 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG II. 
 
 of the Church, 
 
 9 My beloved is like a roe — or a young hart : 
 Behold, he ^standeth behind our wall, 
 
 He looketh forth at the windows, — ^showing himself through the lattice. 
 
 10 My beloved spake, — and said unto me, 
 
 Rise up, my love, — my fair one, and come away. 
 
 11 For, lo, the winter is past, — the rain is over and gone; 
 
 12 The flowers appear on the earth ; — the time of the singing of birds is come, 
 And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; 
 
 13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs. 
 
 And the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. 
 Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. 
 
 B. C 1014. 
 
 : 1 Cor. 13.12. 
 2 Cor. 3. 1.''. 
 18. 
 
 Iph 2. 14, 
 
 1.5. 
 Col. 2. 17. 
 flourish- 
 irg. 
 
 John 5. 30. 
 46. 
 
 John 12. 41. 
 1 Pet. 1. 10. 
 12. 
 
 rent mountains' (1 Ki. xix. 11; cf. Isa. lii. 7). Jesus 
 Christ is imiilied as coming with intense desire 
 (Luke xxii. 15), disregarding the mountain hin- 
 drances raised by man s sin. Solomon saw in the 
 restoration of God's favour to Israel, as shown in 
 the bringing up of the ark to Zion under David, and 
 especially in the erection of the temple, and the 
 uniting together in it of the ark and the brasen 
 altar of the tabernacle, so long se]>arated during 
 God's alienation from His people (2 Chr. i, 3-3; 
 iv., v., vi.), a type of the coming perfect union of 
 God and His people in Messiah, the antitypical ark 
 and temple. 9. he standeth — after having bounded 
 over the intervening space like a roe. He often 
 stands near when our unbelief hides Him from us 
 (Gen. xxviii. 16 ; Rev. iii. 19, 20). His usual way : 
 long promised and expected, sudden at last; so in 
 visiting the second temple (Mai. iii. 1) ; so at 
 Pentecost (Acts ii. ); so in visiting an individual 
 soul, Zaccheus (Luke xix. 5,6; John iii. 8). So 
 shall it be at His second coming (Matt. xxiv. 
 48, 50; 1 Thess. v. 2, 3). wall— over the cope of 
 which He is first seen. Next, lie looketh forth 
 at (lit., /?'om; Hebrew, ?/im) the windows — glanc- 
 ing suddenly and stealthily [Hebrew, Y'Vl?, to hud 
 or hloom forth, answering to the image [v. 12). So 
 Messiah, the rod of the stem of Jesse, sprouted 
 fortJi to the view of the believing Israelite behind 
 the wall of types.] English version, showing 
 himself through (Hebrew, rnin, from) the lattice. 
 Tlie reality here overrules the allegory. Strictly, 
 the Bridegroom was outside the wall in the ima^e, 
 but in the reality He is inside ; and from the win- 
 dows, and from the lattice of types. He glanced 
 forth to the view of the Israelite (cf. the phrase 
 with Gen. xxvi. 8 ; Prov. vii. 6). The prophecies, 
 types, &c., were lattice glimpses of Him to the 
 Old Testament Church, in spite of the wall of 
 separation which sin had raised (John viii. 50): 
 clearer glimpses v^ere given by John Baptist, 
 but not unclouded (John i. 26). The "wall pri- 
 marily is the legal 'fence' (Isa. v. 2, marg.) that 
 went round the Old Testament vineyard, the 
 Israelite Church— viz., its law, moral and cere- 
 monial, behind which believers got a glimpse 
 of Christ (Heb. x. 1). The legal wall of partition 
 was not to be removed until His death (Heb. x. 
 20). Even now He is only seen by filUt, through 
 the -windows of His Word, and the lattice of 
 ordinances and sacraments (John xiv. 21); not full 
 vision (I Cor. xiii. 12): an incentive to our looking 
 for His second coming (Isa. xxxiii. 17). 10, 11. 
 My beloved spake . . . come away. Loving 
 re-assurance given by Jesus Christ to the bride, 
 lest she should think that He had ceased to love 
 lier, on account of her unfaithfulness, which had 
 occasioned His temporary withdrawal. He allures 
 lier to brighter than worldly joys (Mic. ii. 10). 
 Messiah woos Israel to (jtospel hopes from her past 
 attachment to legalism. ><ot only does the saint 
 541i 
 
 wish to depart, to be with Him, but He still more 
 desires to have the saint with Him above (John 
 xvii. 24). Historically, the vineyard or garden of 
 the King, here first introduced, is "the kingdom 
 of heaven i^reached" by John Baptist, before whom 
 "the Law and the Prophets were," The type in 
 Solomon's days was the return of God to Israel in 
 favour, after His estrangement from them during 
 the latter period of the Judges, and during Saul's 
 reign. 11. the winter is past— the law of the 
 covenant of works (Matt. iv. 16). rain is over— 
 (I John ii. 8.) Then first the Gentile Church is 
 called "beloved, which was not beloved" (Rom. 
 ix. 25). So " the winter" of estrangement and sin 
 is "past" to the believer (Isa. xliv. 22; Jer. 1. 20; 2 
 Cor. V. 17). The rising "Sun of Righteousness" 
 dispels the "rain" (2 Sam. xxiii. 4; Ps. cxxvi. 5; 
 Mai. iv. 2). The winter in Palestine was past by 
 April, but all the showers were not over till May. 
 The time described heie is that which comes 
 directly after these last showers of winter. In the 
 highest sense the coming resurrection and deliver- 
 ance of the earth from the past curse is hei-e im- 
 plied (Rom. viii. 19). No more ' clouds' shall then 
 'return after the rain' (Eccl. xii. 2): 'the rainbow 
 round the throne' is the 'token' of this. 12. 
 flowers — tokens of anger past, and of grace come. 
 'The summoned bride is welcome,' say some 
 Fathers, 'to weave from them garlands of beauty, 
 wherewith she may adorn herself to meet the 
 King.' Historically, the flowers, &c., only give 
 promise; the fruit is not ripe yet: suitable to the 
 preaching of John Baptist, " The kingdom of 
 heaven is at hand;''' not yet fully come, the time 
 of . . . singing— the rejoicing at the advent of 
 J esus Christ. Gregory Nyssenm refers the voice of 
 the turtle dove to John Baptist. It with the olive 
 branch announced to Noah that "the rain was over 
 and gone" (Gen. viii. 11). So John Baptist, 
 spiritually. Its plaintive 'voice' answers to his 
 preaching of repentance now in the seasonable 
 "time" (Jer. viii. 6, 7; Luke iii. 8, 9). Vulgate 
 and LXX. translate (Hebrew, Zamir), 'The time 
 of pruning/ viz., spring (John xv. 2). So Gesenius. 
 The mention of the 'turtle's' cooing better accords 
 with our text. The turtle is migratory (Jer. viii. 
 7), and 'comes' early in May; emblem of love, 
 and so of the Holy Ghost. Love, too, shall be the 
 keynote of the " new so/? .7" hereafter (Isa. xxxv. 10; 
 Rey. i. 5; xiv. 3; xix. 6). In the individual 
 believer now, joy and love are here set forth in 
 their earlier manifestations (Mark iv. 28). 13. 
 putteth forth— rather, ripens; lit., makes red 
 [oig]: or else seas&ns. The unripe figs, which grow 
 in winter, begin to ripen in early spring, and in 
 June are fully matured (Winer), vines with, 
 the tender grape— rather, 'the vines in flower;^ 
 lit., a flower, in apposition with "vines" (Maurerj. 
 However, the Hebrew Semadar here may well be 
 taken, with the English version, as referring to the 
 
Mutual love of 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG II. 
 
 Christ and His Church 
 
 14 0 my dove, that art in ifche clefts of the rock^ 
 In the secret places of the stairs, 
 
 Let me see thy countenance,-^^' let me hear -thy voice ; 
 For sweet is thy voice, — and thy countenance 25 comely. 
 
 15 Take us-^the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: 
 For our vines have tender grapes. 
 
 16 My ^beloved is mine, and I am his: — ^he feedeth among the lilies. 
 
 17 Until ^the day break,— and the shadows flee away. 
 
 Turn, my beloved,— and be thou like ^a roe or a young hart 
 Upon the mountains ^of Bether. 
 
 first stage, when the grape is very small and 
 tender, the flower having jpist fallen. Boser is the 
 grape in a farther stage of growth: Hanab, the 
 ripe grape. The vine flowers were so sweet that 
 they were often put, when dried, into new wine to 
 give it flavour. Applicable to the flrst manifesta- 
 tions of Jesus Christ, "the true Vine," both to 
 the Church, and to individuals : as to Nathanael 
 under the fig tree (John i. 48). Arise, &c.— His 
 call, described by the bride, ends as it began {v. 
 10): it is a consistent whole; 'love' from first ^to 
 last, and come away— from all detilements (Isa. 
 lii. 1, 2; 2 Cor. vi. 17, 18). " Corne,",in the. close of 
 Eev. xxii. 17, as at His earlier manifestation (Matt, 
 xi. 28). 14. 0 my dove — here expressing endear- 
 ment: and the defenceless innocence of the 
 Church (Ps. Ixxiv. 19). Doves are noted for con- 
 stant attachment; emblen?s, also, in their soft, 
 plaintive note, of softened penitents (Isa. lix. 11): 
 other points of likeness are their beauty, typify- 
 ing the change in the converted (Ps. Ixviii. 13); 
 the dove-like spirit, breathed into the saint by the 
 Holy Ghost, whose emblem is the dove ; the 
 messages of peace from God to sinful men, as Noah's 
 dove, with the olive branch, intimated that the 
 flood of wrath was past ; timidity fleeing with fear 
 from sin and self to the cleft Rock ol Ages {marg., 
 Isa. xxvi. 4); gregarious, flocking tpgether to the 
 kingdom of Jesus Christ (Isa. \x. 8); harmless 
 simplicity (Matt. x. 16). that art ' in the clefts— 
 the refiige of doves from storm and heat (Jer. 
 xlviii. 28; contrast a different use of the "clefts" 
 by the wdcked Jer. xlix. 16). Gesenius translates 
 the Hebrew from a different root, 'the refuges.' 
 But see, for " clefts " (a different Hebrew term), 
 Exod. xxxiii. 18-23. It is only when we are in 
 Christ Jesus (Ps. xxvii. 5 ; Isa. xxxiii. 16) that our 
 'voice is sweet (in prayer, ch. iv. 3, 11 ; Matt. x. 
 20 ; Gal. iv. 6 : because it is H is voice in us ; also 
 in speaking of Him, Mai. iii. 16); and our coun- 
 tenance comely' (Exod. xxxiv. 29; 2 Cor. iii. 18), 
 Contrast the clefts in which the proud hide them- 
 selves (Jer. xlix. 16). stairs (Ezek. xxxviii. 20, 
 man/.) — a steep rock, broken into stairs or terraces. 
 It is in "secret places" and rugged scenes that 
 Jesus Christ woos the soul from the world to 
 Himself (Mic. ii. 10). So Jacob amidst the stones 
 of Bethel; Moses at Horeb; so Elijah (1 Ki. xix. 
 9-13); Jesus Christ with the three disciples on a 
 "high mountain apart," at the transfiguration; 
 John in Patmos, 'Of the eight beatitudes, five 
 have an afflicted condition for their subject. As 
 long as the waters are on the earth, we dwell in 
 the ark; but when the land is dry, the do.ve itself 
 will be tempted to wander' {Jeremy Taylor). 
 Jesus Christ does not invite her to leave the rock, 
 but in it (Himself), yet in holy freedom, to lay 
 aside the timorous spirit, look up boldly as 
 accepted in Him, pray, praise, and confess Him 
 (in contrast to her shrinking from being looked at, 
 ch. ]. 6); still, though trembling, the voice and 
 countenance of the soul in Jesus Christ are 
 650 
 
 B. c. iox>. 
 
 • ch. 8. 13. 
 / Ps. 80. 13. 
 
 Eze. 1^. 4, 
 ' Ch. 6. 3. 
 ch. 7. 10. 
 
 * ch. 4. 6. 
 Luke 1. r<». 
 2 Pet. 1. 19. 
 
 » ch. 8. 14. 
 ^ Or. of 
 
 division. 
 
 2 Sam. 2.29. 
 
 pleasant tp Him. The Church found no cleft in 
 the Sinaitic legal rock, though good in itself, 
 wherein to hide ; but in Jesus Christ stricken by 
 God for us, as the rock smitten by Moses, there is 
 a hiding-place (Isa. xxxii. 2). She praised Hia 
 "voice" (y. 8, 10): it is thus that ber voice also, 
 though tremulous, is " sweet" to Him here. 
 
 15. Transition to the vineyard, often formed in 
 "stairs" [v. 14), or terraces, in which, amidst the 
 vine leaves, foxes hid. foxes— generic term, 
 including jackals. They eat only grapes, not the 
 vine flowers ; but they need to be driven out in 
 before the grape is ripe. She had failed in 
 watchfulness before (ch. i. 6), now, when converted, 
 she is the more iealpus of syJjtle sins (Ps. cxxxix. 
 23.) In spiritual winter certain evils are frozen 
 up, as well as good ; in the spring of revivals these 
 start up unperceived,— crafty, false teachers, spir- 
 itual pride, uncharitableness, &c., (Ps. xix. 12; 
 Matt. xiii. 26; Heb- xii. 15.) 'Little' sins are 
 parents of the greatest (Eccl. x. 1 ; 1 Cor. v. 6). 
 Historically, John Baptist spared not the fox-like 
 Herod, who gave vine-like promise of fruit at 
 first (Mark ,vi. 20), at the cost of his life; nor 
 the viper-Sadducees, &c. ; nor the varied subtle 
 forms of sin (Luke iii. 7-14). Typically, in Solo- 
 mon's days, when Israel had revived from her 
 past religious and national deadness, there was 
 danger of her old sins creeping in again by 
 small beginnings, as indeed they did towards 
 the close of his reign, (1 Ki. xi.) 16. mine 
 . . . his— rather, 'is for me . . . for Him.^ Hos. 
 iii. 3, where, as here, there is the assurance 
 of indissoluble union, in spite of temporary 
 absence. Next verse, entreating Him to return, 
 shows that He has gone, perhaps through her 
 want of guarding against the 'little sins.' The 
 order of the clauses is reversed in ch. vi. 3, 
 when she is riper in faith : there she rests more 
 on her being His; here, on His being her^s; and no 
 doubt her sense of love to Him is a pledge that she 
 is His (John xiv. 21, 23): this is her consolation 
 in His withdrawal now. I am his — by creation 
 (Ps. c. 3), by redeniption (John xvii. 9, 10; 1 Cor. 
 vi. 19, 20). feedeth— as a " roe," or gazelle {v. 17). 
 among the lilies. Instinct is sure to lead him 
 back to His feeding ground, where the lilies 
 abound. So Jesus Christ, though now with- 
 dra\yn, the bride feels sure will return to His 
 favourite restin^place (ch. vii. 10). So hereafter 
 (Eev. xxi. 3). Ps. xlv., title, terms His lovely 
 brides 'lilies' (viz., the nations about to be 
 received into the kingdom of the heavenly Solo- 
 mon : cf. ch. iv. 5; vi. 2), pure and white, though 
 among thorns [v. 2). 17. day break . . . shadows 
 flee away. Night is the image of the present 
 world (Rom. xiii. 12), ' Behold men as if dwell- 
 ing in a subterranean cavern ' {Plato, ' Re- 
 public,' vii. 1). Until — i. e., Before that. Sec 
 break— rather, breathe: referring to the refreshing 
 breeze of dawn in the East ; or to the air of life, 
 which distinguishes morning from the death-like 
 
The Church's fight and 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG III. 
 
 victory in temptation. 
 
 3 BY "night on my bed — I sought him whom my soul loveth : 
 I sought him, but I found him not. 
 
 2 I will rise now, — and go about the city 
 In the streets, and in the broad ways^ 
 
 I will seek him whom my soul loveth : 
 I sought him, but I found him not. 
 
 3 The * watchmen that go about the city found' me : 
 
 To whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth t 
 
 4 It was but '^a little that I passed from them, 
 But I found- him whom my soul loveth : 
 
 I ''held him, — and would not let him go, 
 
 Until I had brought him — into my mother's house> 
 
 And into the chamber of her that conceived me. 
 
 B. c. ion. 
 
 CHA.P. 3." 
 
 Ps. 4. 4. 
 
 P8. 6. 6. 
 
 Ps. 22. 2. 
 
 Ps. 03. 6-8. 
 
 Ps. 77. 2-4. 
 
 Isa. 25. 9. 
 * ch. 5. 7. 
 
 Isa. 21. 6-8, 
 11, 12. 
 
 Eze. 3. 17. 
 
 Heb. 13. 17. 
 " Prov. 8. 17. 
 d Pro. 4. 13. 
 
 Eom. 8. 36, 
 39. 
 
 stillness of night. Maurer takes this verse of the 
 approach of night, when the breeze arises after the 
 heat of day (cf, marg.. Gen. iii. 8, with (:5en. xviii. 
 1), and the " shadows" are lost in night (Ps. cii..ll).- 
 tlius our life will be the day ; death, the night 
 (John ix. 4). So Sanctus. It was at night the 
 marriage feast took place (Gen. xxix. 23; Matt. 
 XXV. 3, 6). The English version better accords 
 with ch. iii, 1. ' By ni'jht' (Rom. xiii. 12). 
 turn— to me. Betlier — Mountains of Bithron, 
 separated from the rest of Israel by Jordan, not 
 far from Bethabara, where John baptized and 
 Jesus was first manifested. Rather, as marg., of 
 divisions, and LXX., mountains intersected with 
 deep valleys hard to pass over, separating the bride 
 and Jesus Christ. In cli. viii. 14 the mountains 
 are of spices, on which the roe feeds, not of separa- 
 tion ; for at His first coming He had to overpass 
 the gulf ma,de hy sin between Him and us (Zech. 
 iv. 6, 7); in His second, He will only have to come 
 down from the fragrant hills above, to take home 
 his prepared bride. Historically, in the ministry 
 of John Baptist, Christ's call to the bride was not, 
 as at a later period (ch. iv. 8), " Come with me," but 
 "come away" — viz., to meet me (v. 2, 10, 13). 
 Sitting in darkness (Matt. iv. 16), she 'waited,' 
 and 'looked' eagerly for Him, the 'great light' 
 Luke i. 79): at His rising, the "shadows" of the 
 aw (Col. ii. 16, 17) were to "flee away." So we 
 wait for the second coming, when means of grace, 
 so precious now, shall be superseded by the Sun of 
 righteousness (1 Cor. xiii. 10, 12). The Word is our 
 light until then (2 Pet. i. 19). 
 
 CHAP. HI. l-ll.-l. By mght-liL, 'By 
 nights.' Continuation of the longing for the dawn 
 of Messiah (Ps. cxxx. 6). The spiritual desertion 
 here (ch. ii. 17; iii. 5) is not due to indifference, as 
 in ch. V. 2-8. ' As nights and dews are better for 
 flowers than a continual sun, so Christ's absence 
 (at times) giveth sap to humility, and putteth an 
 edge on hunger, and furnisheth a fair field to faith 
 to put forth itself {Rutherford). Contrast ch. i. 
 13; Ps. XXX. 6, 7. on . . . bed— the secret of her 
 failure. So Israel's estrangement from God through 
 spiritual indolence (Isa. Ixiv. 7). I sought Mm — 
 no want of sincerity, but of diligence, which she 
 now makes up for by leaving her bed to seek Him 
 (Ps. xxii. 2). Four times she calls Jesus Christ 
 "Him whom my soul loveth," designating Him as 
 absent: language of desire: ' He loved me,' would 
 be language of present fruition (Rev. i. 5). In 
 questioning the watchmen she does not even name 
 ±lim, so full is her heart of Him. Having found 
 Him at dawn (for throughout 7/e is tho- morning), 
 she charges the daughters not to abridge, by 
 intrusion, the period of His stay. Cf. as to the 
 thoughtful seeking for Jesus Christ in the time of 
 John Baptist, in vain at first, but presently after 
 
 successful (Luke iii. 15-22).. I found him not— 
 Oh for siich honest dealings w-ith ourselves ! 
 (Prov. XXV. 14; Jude 12.) 2. I will rise now— 
 wholly awake for God (Luke xv. 18-20; Eph. v. 
 14). 'An honest resolution is often to (the doing 
 of) duty like a needle that draws the thread after 
 it' {Durham). Not a mere wish, that counts not 
 the cost— to leave her easy bed, and wander in the 
 dark night seeking Him (Prov. xiii. 4; Matt. xxi. 
 30; Luke xiv. 27-33). the city— Jerusalem, lite- 
 rally (Matt. iii. 5; John i. 19), and spiritually, 
 the Church here (Heb. xii. 22), in glory (Rev. 
 xxi. 2). broad ways— open spaces at the gates 
 of Eastern cities, where the public assembled 
 for business. So the assemblies of worshippers 
 (Prov. viii. 2, 3 ; Heb. x. 25). She had in her first 
 awakening-shrunk from them, seeking Jesus Christ 
 alone ; but she was desired to seek the footsteps of 
 the flock (ch. i. 8);. so now in her second trial she 
 goes forth to them of herself. ' The more the soul 
 grows in grace, and the less it leans on ordinances, 
 the more it prizes and profits by them' {Moody 
 Stuart), found him not — nothing short of Jesus 
 Christ can satisfy her (Job xxiii. 8-10; Ps. Ixiii. 
 1, 2). 3. watchmen— ministers (Isa. Ixii. 6; Jer. 
 vi. 17; Heb. xiii. 17); fit persons to consult (Isa. 
 xxi. 11). found me— the general ministry of 
 the Word ' finds ' individually souls in quest of 
 Jesus Christ (Acts xvi. 14); whereas formalists 
 remain imaff'ected. 4. (It was) but a little that 
 I passed from them. Jesus Christ is generally 
 "found" near the watchmen and means of grace; 
 but they are not Himself : the star that points 
 to Bethlehem is not the Sun that has risen 
 there ; she hastens past the guide-posts to the goal 
 {Moody Stuart). Not even angels could satisfy 
 Mary, instead of Jesus Christ (John xx. 11-16). 
 found him— (Matt. xiii. 44-46.) I held him, fee- 
 willing to be held; not willing, if not held (Rev. 
 iii. 11). 'As a little weeping child will hold its 
 mother fast, not because it is stronger than she, 
 but because her bowels constrain her not to leave 
 it ; so Jesus Christ, yearning over the believer, 
 cannot go, because He will not' {Durham). In 
 ch. i. 4 it is JJe who leads the bride into His 
 chambers; here it is she who leads Him into her 
 mother's. There are times when the grace of Jesus 
 Christ seems to draw us to Him ; and others when 
 we with strong cries draw Him to us and ours. 
 In the East one la)-ge apartment often serves for 
 the whole family; so the bride here speaks of her 
 mother's apartment and her own together. The 
 mention of the 'mother' excludes impropriety, 
 and imparts the idea of heavenly love, pure as a 
 sister's, whilst ardent as a bride's ; hence the 
 frequent title, 'my sister— spouse,' Our mother 
 after the Spirit is the Church, the new Jerusalem 
 (John iii. 5-8); for her we ought to pray continually, 
 
Lhe Church 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG III. 
 
 glorieth in Christ 
 
 II 
 
 5 I ^charge yon, 0 ye daughters of Jerusalem, 
 By the roes, and by the hinds of the field, 
 
 That ye stir not up, — nor awake my love, — till he please. 
 
 6 Who ^is this that cometh out of the wilderness — like pillars of smoke, 
 Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, 
 
 With all powders of the merchant ? 
 
 7 Behold his bed, which is Solomon's ; 
 
 Threescore valiant men are about it, — of the valiant of Israel. 
 
 8 They all hold swords, — being expert in war : 
 
 Every man hath his sword upon his thigh, — because of fear in the night. 
 
 9 King Solomon made himself ^ a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. 
 10 He made the pillars ^thereof silver, 
 
 The bottom thereof o/gold, — the covering of it of purple. 
 
 The midst thereof being paved with love, — for the daughters of Jerusalem. 
 
 B. C. 1014. 
 
 ' ch. 2. 7. 
 
 ch. 8. 4. 
 
 Mic. 4. 8. 
 f Deut. 8. 2, 
 
 ch. 8. 5. 
 
 Isa. 43. 19. 
 
 Jer. 2. 2. 
 
 Jer. 31. 2. 
 
 Eev. 12. 6, 
 14. 
 
 1 Or, a bed. 
 
 or, tlrone. 
 
 2 Sam. 23j;. 
 
 Rev. 3. 21. 
 
 Rev. 14. 6. 
 " I Tim. 3.15. 
 
 Rev. 3. 12. 
 
 also for the national Jerusalem (Isa. Ixii. 6, 7); also 
 for the human family, which is our mother and 
 kindred after the flesh : these our mother's chil- 
 dren have evil treated us (ch. i. 6). but, like our 
 Father, we are to return good for evil, and so bring 
 Jesus Christ home to them. 
 
 5. I charge you, &c.— so ch. ii. 7 ; but there it 
 was for the non-interruption of her own fellowship 
 with Jesus Christ that she was anxious ; here it is 
 for the not grieving of the Holy Ghost on the part 
 of the daughters of Jerusalem. Jealously avoid 
 levity, heedlessness, and offences, which would 
 mar the gracious work begun in others (Matt, 
 xviii. 7; Acts ii. 42, 43). 
 
 Canticle III.— Ch. iii. 6— v, 1.— The Bride- 
 groom WITH THE Bride.— Historically, the min- 
 istry of Jesus Christ on earth, typified by the 
 tabernacle with the Shekinah-cloud in the wil- 
 derness, and the temple reared by Solomon. 
 
 6. New scene {vv. 6-11). The friends of the 
 Bridegroom see a cortege approach : the palanquin 
 and guard. Who (is) this that cometh cut- 
 rather, up from; ascends from. The wilderness 
 was lower than Jerusalem, physically and morally. 
 The "?^?/iO is this?''' in Heorew is feminine, and 
 must refer to the Bride riding in the Bridegroom's 
 palanquin, pillars of smoke — from the perfumes 
 burned round Him and His bride. Image from 
 Israel and the tabernacle (answering to "His bed " 
 V. 7) marching through the desert with the pillar of 
 smoke by day and fire by night, and the pillars of 
 smoke ascending from the altars of incense and of 
 atonement; so Jesus Christ's righteousness, atone- 
 ment, and ever-living intercession. Balaam, the 
 last representative of patriarch ism, was required 
 to curse the Jewish Church, just as it afterwards 
 would not succumb to Christianity without a 
 struggle ; but he had to bless in language like that 
 here. Angels, too, joyfully ask the same question, 
 when Jesus Christ, with the tabernacle of His 
 body (answeringto His bed (v.7),John i. 14, "dwelt;" 
 Greek, tabernacled, John ii. 21) ascends into heaven 
 (Ps. xxiv. 8-10); also when they see His glorious 
 Bride with Him (Rev. vii. 13-17). Encouragement 
 to her : amidst the darkest trials {v. 1) she is still 
 on the road to glory (v. 11), in a palanquin "paved 
 with love" {v. 10). She is now in soul spiritually 
 'coming,' exhaling the sweet graces, faith, love, 
 joy, peace, prayer, and praise. The fire is lighted 
 within, the "smoke" is seen roithout (Acts i v. 13). 
 It is in the desert oi trial (vv. 1-3) she gets them. 
 She is the "merchant" buying from Jesus Christ 
 without money or price. Just as myrrh and 
 franldn cense are got, not in Egypt, but in the 
 Arabian sands, and the mountains of Palestine. 
 Hereafter she shall 'come' {vv. 6, 11), in a glorified 
 body too (Phil. iii. 21). Historically, Jesus Christ 
 
 returning from the wilderness full of the Holy 
 Ghost. The wilderness ex])resses the barrenness 
 and deadness of the unredeemed. The same, 
 "vrho is this?" &c,, as in Isa. Ixiii. 1, 5. 7. In v. 
 6 the wilderness character of the Church is por- 
 trayed ; in vv. 7, 8, its militant aspect. In vv. 9, 
 10, Jesus Christ is seen dwelling in believers, who 
 are His "chariot" and "body." In v. 11 the con- 
 summation in glory, bed— palanquin. His body, 
 guarded by a definite number of angels, ''^ three 
 6T0?-e," or sixty (Matt. xxvi. 53), from the wilder- 
 ness (Matt. iv. 1-11), and continually (Luke ii. 13; 
 Acts i. 10, 11); just as 600,000 of Israel guarded 
 the Lord's tabernacle (Num. ii. 17-32) — one for 
 every 10,000. In contrast to the 'bed of sloth' 
 (?'. 1). valiant— (Josh. v. 13, 14.) Angels guard- 
 ing His tomb used like words (Mark xvi. 6). of 
 Israel— true subjects, not mercenaries. 8. They 
 all hold swords — not actually grasping them, but 
 having them "girt on the thigh" ready for use, like 
 their Lord. So believers, too, are guarded by an- 
 gels (Heb. i. 14), and they themselves need "every 
 man"(Neh. iv. 18) to be armed (Eph. vi. 12, 17). 
 expert in war— (2 Cor. ii. 11.) because of fear in 
 the night. Arab marauders often turn a wedding 
 into mourning by a night attack. 8o the bridal 
 procession of saints in the ni^ht of this wilderngss 
 IS the chief object of Satan s assault. 9. made 
 himself a chariot — more elaborately made than 
 the "bed," or travelling litter (v. 7) [[vieN] : from 
 a Hebrew root [n>5], to elaborate [Ewald). So the 
 temple of "cedar of Lebanon," as compared with 
 the temporary tabernacle of sliittim-wood. Jesus 
 Christ's body is the antitype, 'made' by the 
 Father for Him (Heb. x. 5), the wood ansvrering 
 to His human nature, the gold His divine, the 
 two being but one Christ. 10. pillars— supporting 
 the canopy at the four corners : curtains at the 
 side protect the person within from the sun. 
 Pillars with silver sockets supported the veil that 
 enclosed the holy of holies : emblem of Jesus 
 Christ's strength, (1 Ki. vii. 21, marg.) " Silver" is 
 the emblem of His purity (Ps. xii. 6) ; so the saints 
 hereafter (Rev. iii. 12). the bottom— Hebrew, 
 rephidah, the hack, for resting or reclining, [avaic- 
 XivuTov, LXX.] The ' reclinatorium ' (Vulgate). 
 So the floor, and the mercy- seat, resting 
 place of God (Ps. cxxxii. 14) in the temple, 
 was gold (I Ki. vi. 30). The propitiatory [IXa- 
 GTvpiov] or mercy-seat; the lid of the ark between 
 the cherubim es])ecially was (xod's resting place or 
 reclinatory (Ps. Ixxx. 1). ''^ Bottom,''^ implies the 
 firm-based stability of the covenant. The gold^^ 
 its excellence, covering — Hebrew, werZ;a&. Mer- 
 cer translates S(?o«, as in Lev. xv, 9. Hereafter the 
 saints shall share His seat (Rev. iii. 21). But as 
 
rhe graces 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG IV. 
 
 of the Church. 
 
 11 Go forth, 0 ye daughters of Zion, — and behold king Solomon 
 
 With the crown wherewith his mother crowned him 
 
 In the ^ day of his espousals, — and ia the day of the gladness of his heart. 
 4 BEHOLI), "thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; 
 
 Thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks : 
 
 Thy hair is as ^a flock of goats,— 'that appear from mount Gilead, 
 
 2 Thy ^ teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, 
 Which came up from the washing ; 
 
 Whereof every one bear twins, — and none is barren among them. 
 
 3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, — and thy speech is comely : 
 
 C. 1014, 
 
 '» ReT. 11. 1 j. 
 
 Ps. l iO. 3. 
 Isa. 62. 5. 
 
 CHAP. 4. 
 ° ch. 1. 15. 
 
 ch. 6. 12. 
 
 Eze. 16. 14. 
 t> ch. 0. 5. 
 1 Or, that eat 
 
 of, etc. 
 « ch. 6. 6. 
 
 "bottom" expresses seat, it is not likely it would 
 be repeated. Rather, the Hebrew is used of the 
 veil or curtain, as it were riding on the pillars from 
 which it is suspended, as its chariot, purple — 
 the veil of the holiest, partly purple, and the 
 purple Tohe ^nt on Jesus Christ, accord with the 
 English version, "covering" (Exod. xxvi. 31, 32). 
 The purple blood of our King Messiah is the 
 covering which avails the Church for both justifi- 
 cation and sanctilication (Rom. vi. 3, 4). "Pur- 
 ple," including scarlet and crimson, is the emblem 
 of royalty, and of His blood; typified by the 
 passover lamb's blood, and the wine when the 
 twelve sat or reclined at the Lord's table, paved 
 witli love — tesselated, like Mosaic pavement, with 
 the various acts and promises of love of Father, 
 Son, and Holy Ghost (1 John iv. 8, 16), in contrast 
 with the tables of stone in the "midst" of the ark, 
 covered with the writings of stern command ; this 
 is all grace and love to believers, not only among 
 the Jews, but also from the Gentiles, who thereby 
 become the " daughters of Jerusalem." The Pct' C- 
 ment on which Pilate set his judgment-seat in 
 condemning Christ reminds us of the love where- 
 with, through the Saviour's condemnation, the 
 way is paved, for our justification. The exterior 
 silver and gold, cedar, purple, and guards, may 
 deter, but when the bride enters within, she rests 
 in a pavement of love. 11. Go fortli — (Matt. xxv. 
 (>.) daughters of Zion. Fully to be accomplished 
 at Christ's second coming. Earnests have been 
 given already : first in the Israelite Church, lat- 
 terly in the Christian Church, in every fresh 
 manifestation of His glory and His love to His 
 people, crown — nuptial (Ezek. xvi. 8-12: the 
 Hebrews wore costly crowns, or chaplets, at wed- 
 dings) and kingly (Rev. xix. 12). The crown of 
 thorns was once His nuptial chaplet. His blood 
 the wedding wine-cup. "His mother," that so 
 crowned Him, is the human race, for He is "the 
 Son of man,^'' not merely the Sou of Mary. The 
 same mother reconciled to Him (Matt. xii. 50), as 
 the Church, travails in birth for souls, which she 
 
 E resents to Him as a crown (Rev. iv. 10). Not 
 eing ashamed to call the children brethren (Heb. 
 ii. 11-14), He calls their mother IJis mother (Ps. 
 xxii. 9). l)eliold-(2 Thess. i. 10.) day of Ws 
 espousals— chiefly the final marriage, when the 
 number of the elect shall be complete (Rev. vi. 11). 
 gladness— (Ps. xlv. 15.) Moody Stuart observes 
 as to this Canticle (ch. iii. 6— v. 1), the centre 
 of the book, these peculiarities: (1.) The Jiride- 
 
 S'oom takes the chief part, whereas elsewhere the 
 ride is the chief speaker; (2.) Elsewhere He is 
 either "King" or "Solomon," here He is twice called 
 "king Solomon." The bride is six times here 
 called the " spouse," never so before or after ; also 
 " sister" four times; and, except in the first verse 
 of the next Canticle, nowhere etse; (3.) He and she 
 arc never scjiarate: no absence, no complaint, 
 which so abound elsewhere, occur in this Can- 
 ticle. 
 
 553 
 
 CHAP. IV. 1-16. -1. Behold, thou (art) fair. 
 Contrast with the bride's state by nature (Isa. i. 6) 
 her state by grace {vv. 1-7), ' perfect through His 
 comeliness put upon her' (Ezek. xvi. 14). The 
 praise of Jesus Christ, unlike that of the world, 
 hurts not, but edifies, as His, not ours, is the 
 glory (John v. 44). Seven features of beauty are 
 specified [vv. 1-5; "lips" and "speech" are but 
 one feature, v. 3), the number for perfection— 
 the eyes, hair, teeth, lips, temples, neck, breasts. 
 To each of these is attached a comparison from 
 nature. The resemblances consist not so much in 
 outward likeness, as in the combined sensations of 
 delight produced by contemplating these natural 
 objects, doves' eyes — the large melting eye of 
 the Syi-ian dove appears especially beautiful amidst 
 the foliage of its native groves; so the bride's 
 " eyes within her locks." Her locks are her veil, 
 the mark of her modesty, subjection, and pure 
 affection towards Christ, her Husband and Lord. 
 The dove was the only bird counted "clean" for 
 sacrifice. Once the heart was "the cage of every 
 unclean and hateful bird." Grace makes the 
 change, eyes— (Matt. vi. 22; Eph. i. 18; coutrast 
 Matt. V. 28; Eph. iv. 18.) Chaste and guileless 
 (Matt. X. 16, marg.; John i. 47). John Baptist, 
 historically, was the 'turtle dove' (ch. ii. 12), the 
 harbinger of si)ring and summer, with eye directed 
 to the coming Bridegroom. His Nazarite unshorn 
 hair answers to "locks" (John i. 29, 36). hair . . . 
 goats — the hair of goats in the East is fine like 
 silk. As long hair is her glory, and marks her 
 subjection to man, so the Nazarite's hair marked 
 his subjection and separation unto God (cf. Judg. 
 xvi. 17 with 2 Cor. vi. 17). Jesus Christ cares for 
 the minutest concerns of His saints, even to 'the 
 hairs of their head' (Matt. x. 30). appear from 
 — lit., Uhat lie doum from.' Lying along the 
 hill-side, they seem to hang from it ; a picture 
 of the bride's hanging tresses. Gilead — beyond 
 Jordan there stood the 'heaj^ of witness' (Gen. 
 xxxi. 48). 2. Thy teeth (are) like a flock .... 
 shorn. The Hebrew [m3ii,'j7] implies 'cut' or 
 "shorn," so as to be like one another. Cf. the 
 same Hebrew term in 1 Ki. vi. 25, " of one size." 
 So the point of comparison to teeth is their sym- 
 metry of form: as in 'come upi from the washing,' 
 the spotless whiteness; and in "twins," the exact 
 correspondence of the upp)er and under teeth ; and 
 in " none barren," none ivanting, none without 
 its fellow. Faith is the tooth with which Ave eat 
 the living bread. Contrast the teeth of sinners 
 (Prov. XXX. 14); also their end (Matt. xxv. .30). 
 Faith leads the fiock to the washing (1 Cor. vi. 11). 
 none . . . barren— (2 Pet. i. 8.) He who is be- 
 gotten of God begets instrumentally other sons of 
 God. 3. thread— like a delicate fillet. Kot thick 
 and white as the lci)er's lips (type of sin), which 
 were therefore to be 'covered ' as "unclean." scar- 
 let—the blood of Jesus Christ (typified by the live 
 coal from off the altar ap])lied to Isaiah's lips by 
 the scrai)h, Isa. vi. 5, 0) cleanses the leprosy and 
 
The graces 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG IV. 
 
 of the Church, 
 
 Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks. 
 
 4 Thy ^neck is like the tower of David — builded *for an armoury, 
 Whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, — all shields of mighty men. 
 
 5 Thy ^ two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, 
 Which feed among the lilies. 
 
 6 Until the day ^ break, and the shadows ffee away, 
 I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to> the hill of frankincense. 
 
 7 Thou ^ art all fair, my love ; — there is no spot in; thee. 
 
 8 Come with me from Lebanon, spouse, — with me from Lebanon : 
 Look from the top of Amana, — from the top of Shenir and *Hermon, 
 From the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.. 
 
 9 Thou hast ^ravished my heart, my sister, mi/ *spouse; 
 Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, 
 With one chain of thy neck. 
 
 10 How fair is thy love, my sister, mi/ spouse ! 
 
 unseals the lips (Heb. xiii. 15). Ealiab's scarlet 
 thread was a type af it. speech— uot a separate 
 feature from the lips (Col. iv. 6). Contrast "un- 
 circumcised lips," Exod. vi. 12, Midhar elsewhere 
 means a wilderness; here only speech, temples 
 —rather, the upper part of the cheek next the tern- 
 pies ; the seat of shamefacedness : so, "within 
 thy locks" {v. 1); no display (1 Cor, xi. 5, 6, 15). 
 Mark of true penitence (Ezek, xvi. 63). Contrast 
 Jer. iii. 3, "a whore's forehead;" Ezek. iii. 7, 
 "impudent:" Hebrew, stiff of forehead, pome- 
 granate— when cut, it displays in rows seeds pel- 
 lucid, like ciystal, tinged with red. Her modesty 
 is not on the surface, bat within, which Jesus 
 Christ can see into. 4. neck— stately : in beauti- 
 ful contrast to the blushing temples {v. 3); not 'stiff ' 
 (Acts vii. 51), as that of unbroken nature; nor 
 "stretched forth" wantonly (Isa. iii. 16), nor bur- 
 dened with uuforgiveu sin and the legal yoke 
 (Lam. i. 14), but erect in Gospel freedom (Isa. 
 Iii. 2). tower of David— probably on Zion. He 
 was a man of war, preparatory to the reign of 
 Solomon, the king of peace. So warfare, in the 
 case of Jesus Christ and His saints, precedes the 
 coming rest. Each soul won from Satan by Him 
 is a trophy gracing the bride (each hangs on Him, 
 Isa. xxii. 23, 24) ; also each victory of her faith. 
 As shields adorn a temple's walls (Ezek. xxvii. 11), 
 so necklaces hang on the bride's neck (Judg. v. 30). 
 5. Thy two breasts— an image of the nutritive 
 virtue in the Church. The bust is left open in 
 Eastern dress. The breastplate of the high priest 
 was rnade of "two" pieces, folded one on the other, 
 in which were the Urim and Thummim [lights and 
 perfection). ' Faith and love ' are the double breast- 
 plate (1 Thess. V. 8), answering to 'hearing the 
 Word' and 'keeping it,' in a similar connection 
 with breasts (Luke xi. 27, 28). like two young 
 roes. He reciprocates her praise (ch. ii. 9). Em- 
 blem of love and satisfaction (Prov. v. 19). feed — 
 (Ps. xxiii. 2.) among the lilies— shrinking from 
 thorns of strife, worldliness, and ungodliness. 
 Roes feed among, not on the lilies. Where these 
 grow there is moisture, producing green yjas- 
 turage. The lilies represent her white dress (Rev. 
 xix. 8), 
 
 6. the mountain of myrrh . . . the hill of 
 frankincense. Historically, the hill of frankincense 
 is Calvary, where, ' through the eternal Spirit He 
 offered Himself ;' the mountain of myrrh is His em- 
 balmment with the myrrh and aloes of Nicodemus 
 till the resurrection " day break." The 3d Canticle 
 occupies the one cloudless day of His presence on 
 earth, beginning from the night (ch. ii. 17), and 
 ending with the night of His departure (ch. iv. 6). 
 His promise is almost exactly in the words of lier ! 
 554 
 
 B. C. 1014. 
 2 Sam. 22. 
 
 61. 
 
 ch. r. 4. 
 • Neh. 3. 19. 
 / Pro. 5. 19. 
 
 ch. 7. 3. 
 2 breathe, 
 ch. 2. 17. 
 Luke ), 78. 
 Acts 3. 21. 
 2 Pet. 1. 19. 
 
 0 Eph. 6. 27. 
 Deut. 3. 9. 
 
 8 ( r, taken 
 away my 
 heart. 
 
 1 Isa. 54. 6. 
 2 Cor. 11. 2. 
 Rev. 21. 9. 
 
 prayer (ch. ii. 17)— the same Holy Ghost breathing 
 in Jesus Christ and His praying people — with the 
 difference that she then looked for His visible 
 coming. He now tells her that when He shall 
 have gone from sight, He still is to be met with 
 s[)iritually in prayer until the everlasting day- 
 break, when we shall see face to face. Typically, 
 as the chariot of the heavenly Solomon (ch. iii. 9) 
 would express His moving tabernacle in the wilder- 
 ness, so His getting Him to "the mountain of 
 myrrh and the hill of frankincense" expresses His 
 taking His abode in His temple on the holy hill of 
 Zion, where frankincense was offered until the 
 spiritual day-break at the first advent of Messiah. 
 7: Assurance that He is going from her in 
 love, not in displeasure (John xvi. 6, 7). all fair 
 — still stronger than ch. i. 15; v. i. no spot— our 
 privilege (Col. ii. 10); our duty (Jas. i. 27). 8. 
 Come with me from Lebanon— invitation to her 
 to leave the border mountains (the highest worldly 
 elevation) between the hostile lands north of 
 Palestine and the Promised Land (Ps. xlv. 10; 
 Phil, iii. 13). Amana— south of Anti-Libanus ; 
 the river Abana, or Amana, was near Damascus. 
 Shenir. The whole mountain was called Her- 
 mon; the part held by the Sidonians was calle^ 
 Sirion; the part held by the Amorites, *SAemV 
 (Deut. iii. 9). Infested by the devouring lion and 
 the stealthy and swift leopard (Ps. Ixxvi. 4, note). 
 Contrasted with the mountain of myrrh, &c. (v. 6; 
 Isa. ii. 2); the good land (Isa. xxxv. 9). with me — 
 twice repeated emphatically. The presence of 
 Jesus Christ makes up for the absence of all beside 
 (2 Cor. vi. 10). Moses was permitted to see 
 Canaan from Pisgah; Peter, James, and John 
 had a foretaste of glory on the mount of trans- 
 figuration. 9, sister . . . spouse— this title is 
 here first used, as he is soon about to institute the 
 Suijper, the pledge of the nuptial union. By the 
 term "sister," carnal ideas are excluded: the 
 ardour of a spouse's love is combined witn the 
 purity of a sister's (Mark iii, 35). one of thine 
 eyes— even one look is enough to secure His love 
 (Zech. xii. 10; Luke xxiii. 40-43). Not merely the 
 Church collectively, but each one member of it 
 (Luke XV. 7) is precious to His heart, chain- 
 necklace, answering to the " shields" hanging in the 
 tower of David [v. 4), Cf. the "ornament" (1 Pet. 
 iii. 4); " chains" (Prov. i. 9; iii. 22). 10. love- 
 Hebrew, loves; manifold tokens of thy love, much 
 better — answering to her " better than wine" (ch. 
 i. 2), but with increased force. An Amcebean 
 pastoral character pervades the Song, like the 
 classic Amcebean idylls and eclogues, wine — 
 the love of His saints is a more reviving cordial to 
 Him than wine; e. g.^ at the feast in Simon's 
 
Christ's love 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG V. 
 
 to the Church. 
 
 How much better is thy love than wine ! 
 
 And the smell of thine ointments than all spices ! 
 
 1 1 Thy lips, 0 my spouse, drop as the honey-comb : 
 ^ Honey and milk are under thy tongue; 
 
 And the smell of thy garments is *like the smell of Lebanon. 
 
 12 A ^garden * inclosed is my sister, my spouse; 
 A spring shut up, — a fountain sealed. 
 
 13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, — with pleasant fruits; 
 
 14 ^Camphire, with spikenard, — spikenard and saffron ; 
 Calamus and cinnamon, — with all trees of frankincense ; 
 Myrrh and aloes, — with all the chief spices : 
 
 15 A fountain of gardens, — a well of ""living waters, 
 And streams from Lebanon. 
 
 16 Awake, 0 north wind; and come, thou south; 
 
 Blow upon my garden, — that the ^spices thereof may flow out. 
 "Let my beloved come into his garden, — and eat his pleasant fruits. 
 5 I AM "come into my garden, — my sister, my spouse : 
 
 house, smell of . . . ointments than all spices- 
 answering to her praise (ch. i. 3), with increased 
 force. Fragrant, as being fruits oi His Spirit in us 
 (Gal. V. 22). 11. drop— always ready to fall, being 
 full of honey, though not always actually dropping 
 (ch. V. 13; Deut. xxxii. 2). honey-comb— (Pro v. 
 xvi. 24.) honey and milk (are) under thy tongue 
 —not always on, but uyider, the tongue, ready to 
 fall; not deceitful, as Ps. Iv. 21. Contrast her 
 former state, "adder's poison is under their lips" 
 (Ps. cxl. 3). " Honey and milk" were the glory of 
 the good land. The change is illustrated in the 
 penitent thief. Contrast Matt xxvii. 44 with 
 Luke xxiii. 39, &c. It was literally with ' one' eye, 
 a sidelong glance of love " better than wine," that 
 he. refreshed Jesus Christ {vv. 9, 10). "To-day 
 shalt thou be mitit me (cf. v. 8) in Paradise" [v. 12), 
 is the only joyous sentence of His seven utter- 
 ances on the cross, smell of . . . garments — 
 wliich are often perfumed in the East (Ps. xlv. 8). 
 The perfume comes from Him on us (Ps. cxxxiii. 2). 
 We draw nigh to God in the perfumed garment of 
 our elder brother (Gen. xxvii. 27; see Jude 23). 
 Lebanon— abounding in odoriferous trees. 12. 
 A garden inclosed. Here she is distinct from the 
 garden (ch. v. 1), yet identified with it [v. 16), as 
 being one wuth Him in His sufferings. Histori- 
 cally, the Paradise into which the soul of Jesus 
 Christ entered at death; and the tomb of Joseph, 
 in which His body was laid amidst "myrrh," &c. 
 ('\ 6), situated in a niccdy kept garden (cf. "gar- 
 dener," John XX. 15); " sealed with a stone (Matt, 
 xxvii. GO); in which it resembles 'wells' in the 
 East. It was in a garden of light Adam fell ; in a 
 garden of darkness, Gethsemane, and chiefly that 
 of the tomb, the second Adam retrieved us. 
 vSpiritually, the garden is the Gospel kingdt)m of 
 heaven. Here all is ripe: previously (ch. ii. 13) 
 it was "the tender grape." The garden is His, 
 though he calls the X)lants her's {v. 13), by his gift 
 (hsa. Ixi. 3, end), spring . . . fountain— Jesus 
 Christ (John iv. 10) sealed, whilst He was in the 
 sealed tomb: it poured forth its full tide on Pente- 
 cost. Still He is a sealed fountain, until the Holy 
 Ghost oy>en it to one (1 Cor. xii. 3). The Church 
 also is "a garden inclosed," (Ps. iv. 3; Isa. v. 1, 
 &c.) Contrast Ps. Ixxx. 9-12. So "a spring" (Isa. 
 xxvii. 3); 'sealed ' (2 Tim. ii. 19). As wives in the 
 East are secluded from public gaze, so believers 
 (Col. iii. 3). Contrast the open streams which 
 ''pass awav" (Job vi. 15-18; 2 Pet. ii. 17). 13. 
 orchard— Hebrew (Pardees), a paradise — i. e., a 
 pleasure-ground and orchard, pomegranates- 
 555 
 
 B. C. 10! 4. 
 
 j Pro. 24. 13. 
 U. 
 
 * Gen. 27. 27. 
 Hos, 14. 6, 
 7. 
 
 ' Isa. 68. 11. 
 
 Hos. 3. 3. 
 4 barred, 
 s Or. 
 
 cypress. 
 
 ch. 1. 14. 
 '"John 4. 10. 
 
 John 7. 38. 
 " GaL 6. 22. 
 " ch. 6. 1. 
 
 CHAP. 5. 
 " ch. 4. 16. 
 Isa. 5S. 11. 
 John 14.21- 
 23. 
 
 not only flowers, but fruit trees (John xv. 8). 
 camphire— not camphor (ch. i. 14); hennah, or 
 cypress blooms. 14. calamus — 'sweet cane,' an 
 ingredient in the " holy anointing oil" for the high 
 priest (Exod. xxx. 23; Jer. vi. 20). myrrh and 
 aloes— so Ps. xlv. 8. Ointments are associated 
 with His death, as well as with feasts (John xii. 
 7). The bride's ministry of " myrrh and aloes " is 
 recorded, John xix. 39. 15. A fountain of gar- 
 dens, a well of living waters— "of." This 
 pleasure-ground is not dependent on mere reser- 
 voirs; it has a fountain suffi,cient to water many 
 "gardens," {plur.) living — (Jer. iL 13; xvii, 
 8; John iv. 13, 14.) streams from Lebanon— 
 though the fountain is lowly, the source is lofty ; 
 fed by the perpetual snows of Lebanon, refresh- 
 ingly cool (Jer. xviii. 14), fertilizing the gardens of 
 Damascus. It springs upon earth ; its source is 
 heaven. It is now not "sealed," but oijen "streams" 
 (Rev. xxii. 17). 
 
 16. Awake — Arise. All beside is ready : one 
 thing alone is wanted — the breath of God. This 
 follows rightly after His death, (ch. vi. 12; Acts 
 ii.) It is His call to the Spirit to come (John xiv. 
 16); in John iii. 8 compared to "the wind :" quick- 
 ening (John vi, 63; Ezek. xxxvii. 9). Saints offer 
 the same prayer (Ps. Ixxxv. 6). The north wind 
 ' awakes,'' or arises strongly— viz., the Holy Ghost 
 as a reprover (John xvi. 8-11); the south wind 
 ' conies'" gently— viz., the Holy Ghost as the Com- 
 forter (John xiv. 16). The west wind brings rain 
 from the sea (1 Ki. xviii. 44, 45). The east wind 
 is tempestuous (Job xxvii. 21), and withering 
 (Gen. xii. 23). These, therefore, are not wanted ; 
 but first the north wind, clearing the air (Job 
 xxxvii. 22), and then the warm south wind (Job 
 xxxvii. 17); so the Holy Ghost first clearing away 
 mists of gloom, error, unbelief, sin, which inter- 
 cept the light of Jesus Christ, then infusing 
 spiritual warmth (2 Cor. iv. 6), causing the graces 
 to exhale their odour. Let my beloved, &c.— 7'he 
 hride^s reply. The fruit was now at length ripe; 
 the last passover, which He had so desired, is 
 come (Luke xxii. 7, 15-18), the only case in which 
 He took charge of the preparations, his — answer- 
 ing to Jesus Christ's "my." She owns that the 
 garden is His, and the fruits in her, which she 
 does not in false humility conceal (Ps. Ixvi. 16), 
 are His (John xv. 8). 
 
 CHAP. V. 1-16. — 1. Answer to her prayer, 
 whilst she is still speaking. I am come— already: 
 her prayer had been. ""Let my beloved cowe" &c. ; 
 The Beloved was tnere before she was aware. 
 
Qhrist awaketh 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG V. 
 
 the Church. 
 
 I have gathered my m5T.Th with my spice ; 
 I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey; 
 I have drunk my wine with my milk: 
 
 Eat, 0 ^friends; — drink, ^yea, drink abundantly, 0 beloved. 
 
 I sleep, but my heart waketh : 
 It is the voice of my beloved Hliat knocketh, saying, 
 Open to me, my sister, my love, — my dove, my un defiled : 
 For my head is filled with dew, — and my locks with the drops of the night. 
 I have put off my coat ; — how shall I put it on ? 
 I have washed my feet ; — how shall I defile them ? 
 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, 
 And my bowels were moved ^for him. 
 
 I rose up to open to my beloved; — and my hands dropped with myrrh, 
 And my fingers with ^ sweet-smelling mjTrh, upon the handles of the lock. 
 
 B. 0. 1014. 
 
 Luke 12. 4. 
 Luke 15. 7, 
 10. 
 
 John 3, 29. 
 John 16.14. 
 15. 
 
 Or, and be 
 drunken 
 with luvts. 
 r ro. 8. 4. 
 Eev. 3. 20. 
 Or, (as 
 some read) 
 in me. 
 passin?, or, 
 running 
 about. 
 
 Sister , . . spouse— as Adam's was created of his 
 fiesh, out of iiis opened side, there beiug none on 
 earth on a level with him; so the bride, out of the 
 pierced Saviour (Eph. v. 30-32). liave gathered 
 . . . myrrh. His course was already complete: 
 the myrrh, &c. (Matt. ii. 11; xxvi. 7-12; John xix. 
 39), emblems of the indwelling of the anointing 
 Holy Ghost, were already gathered. They accom- 
 panied the birth and the death of Jesus, spice — hal- 
 sam: aromatic spice, have eaten — answering to 
 her "eat" (ch. iv. IG). honey-comb— distinguished 
 here from liquid "honey" dropping from trees. The 
 last Supper, here set forth, is one of espousal, a 
 jiledge of the future marriage (ch. viii. 14; Rev. 
 xix. 9). Feasts often took place in gardens. In 
 the alDsence of sugar, then unknown, honey was 
 more widely used than with us. His eating honey 
 with milk indicates His true yet spotless human 
 nature, from infancy (Isa. vii. 15), and after His 
 resurrection (Luke xxiv. 42). my wine (John 
 xviii. 11)— a cup of wrath to Him, of mercy to us, 
 whereby God's Word and promises become to us 
 "honey" and "milk" (Fs. xix. 10; 1 Pet. ii. 2). 
 "My" answers to "His" (ch. iv. lo). The 
 "myrrh" (emblem, by its bitterness, of repent- 
 ance), honey and milk [incipient faith), _wiue 
 (strong faith), in reference to lielievers, imply 
 that He accepts all their graces, however various 
 in degree, eat. He desires to make us partakers 
 in His joy (Isa. Iv. 1, 2; John vi. 53-57). drink 
 abundantly— so as to be filled (Eph. v. 18; contrast 
 Hag. i. G). friends— (John xv. 15,) 
 
 Canticle IV.— Ch. v. 2— viii. 5.— From tiie 
 Agony of Gethsemane to the Conversion 
 OF Samaria. In respect to the Israelite Church, 
 this whole Second Division, from ch. v. 2 to ch. 
 viii. 14, sets forth the people's sin against the 
 heavenly Solomon, and the judgment with which 
 it is visited. Then the repentance and the re- 
 union brought about with the co-operation of the 
 very daughters to whom Jerusalem herself, the 
 mother, had previously brouglit salvation : the 
 consequent re-establishment of Zion as the centre 
 of the kingdom of God in the new and unchange- 
 able covenant of love. 2. I sleep, but my heart 
 waketh. . . (saying), Open to me. Sudden change 
 of scene from evening to midnight, from a betrothal 
 feast to cold repulse. He has gone from the feast 
 alone: night is come; He knocks at the door of 
 His espoused; she hears, but in sloth does not 
 sliake off half-conscious drowsiness: viz., the 
 discix)le3' torpor (Matt. xxvi. 40-43), 'the spirit 
 willing, the flesh weak' (cf. Kom. vii. 15-23). Not 
 total sleep. The lamp was burning beside the 
 slumherlng wise virgin, but wanted trimming 
 (Matt. XXV. 5-7). It is His voice that rouses her 
 (Jon. i. G; l\cv. iii. 20). Instead of bitter re- 
 55G 
 
 preaches, He addresses her by the most endearing 
 titles, " my sister, my love," '&c. Cf. His thought 
 of Peter after the denial (Mark xvi. 7). dew— 
 which falls heavily in summer nights in the East 
 (see Luke ix. 58). drops of the night— (Ps. xxii. 
 2; Luke xxii. 44.) His death is r\ot expressed, as 
 Unsuitable to the allegory, a song of love and joy. 
 V.A refers to the scene in the judgment hall of 
 Caiaphas, when Jesus Christ employed the cock- 
 crowing and look of love to awaken Peter's sleep- 
 ing conscience, so that his "bowels were moved 
 for" His Lord (Luke xxii. 61, G2); vv. 5, 6, to the 
 disciples with "myrrh," &c. (Luke xxiv. i. 5), 
 seeking Jesus Christ in the tomb, but finding Him 
 not, for He has "withdrawn Himself" (John vii. 
 34; xiii. 3,3); v. 7, to the trials by "watchmen" 
 extending through the whole night of His with- 
 drawal— i. e., from Gethsemane to the resurrection. 
 They took off the "veil" of Peter's disguise; also 
 literally the linen cloth was taken from the young 
 man, doubtless a disciple of Jesus (Mark xiv. 51). 
 V. 8 refers to the sympathy of friends (Luke xxiii. 
 27). undefiled— not polluted by spiritual adultery 
 (Rev. xiv. 4; Jas. iv. 4). 3. 1 have put off my coat 
 — trivial excuses (Luke xiv. 18). Dislike of the 
 trouble of rising : as in Luke xi. 7. coat — Hebrew, 
 Kutonetlt, rather, the inmost vest, worn both by 
 men and women, the most necessary garment, 
 next the skin, and only taken off l)efore going to 
 bed. how shall I put it on? Contrast God's 
 unwillingness to give Israel up even when sorely 
 provoked (Hos. xi. 8). The primary and typical 
 reference of this whole section is to Israel: cf. 
 the heading, washed my feet— before going to 
 rest, for they had been soiled, from the Eastern 
 custom of wearing sandals, not shoes. Sloth and 
 disponding distrust of God's power and will to 
 enable her to surmount all difficulties. 4. put in 
 his hand by the hole. A key in the East is 
 usually a piece of wood_ with pegs in it, corre- 
 sponding to small holes in a wooden bolt within, 
 and is put through a hole in the door, and thus 
 draws the bolt. So Jesus Christ "puts forth His 
 hand (viz.. His Spirit) by (Hebrew^, min, from; so 
 in ch. ii. 9) the hole ;" in " chastening" (Ps. xxxviii. 
 2 ; Rev. iii. 14-22, evidently drawn from this 
 passage), and other unexpected ways letting Him- 
 self in (Luke xxii. 61, 62). bowels . . . moved 
 for him— it is His, which are first troubled for 
 us, and which cause ours to be troubled for him 
 (Hos. xi. 8). 5. dropped with myrrh- the best 
 proof a bride could give her lover of welcome was 
 to anoint herself (the back of the hands especially, 
 as being the coolest y art of the body) profusely 
 with the lest pei fumes, the holy anointing oil of 
 the priests (Exod. xxx. 23; Fsth. ii. 12; Prov. 
 vii. 17); " svreet-smelliiig " is iu the HeLrew, 
 
A description of Christ SOLOMON'S SONG V. 
 
 hy his graces 
 
 6 I opened to my beloved ; 
 
 But my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone : 
 
 ]\Iy soul failed when he spake : 
 
 I sought him, but I could not find him; 
 
 I * called him, but he gave me no answer. 
 
 7 The -^'watchmen that went about the city found me. 
 They smote me, they wounded me; 
 
 The keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. 
 
 8 I charge you, 0 daughters of Jerusalem, 
 
 If ye find my beloved, — ^that ye tell him, that I am sick of lovo. 
 
 9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, 
 0 thou fairest among women ? 
 
 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, 
 That thou dost so charge us ? 
 
 10 My beloved is white and ruddy, — ^the ehiefest among ten thousand. 
 
 11 His head is as the most fine gold; 
 
 His locks are ^ bushy, and black as a raven : 
 
 rather, 'spontaneously exuding' from the tree, 
 and therefore the h>at. She designed also to 
 auoint Him, whose "head was lilled with the 
 drops of night" (Luke xxiv. 1). The rayrrh 
 typifies bitter repentance, the fruit of the Spirit's 
 unction (2 Cor. i, 21, 22). handles of the lock — 
 sius which closed the heart against Him. 6. 
 withdrawn. He knocked when she was sleeping ; 
 for to have left her then would have ended in the 
 death sleep; He withxlraws now that she is roused, 
 as she needs correction (Jer. ii. 17, 19), and can 
 appreciate and safely bear it now, v/hich she could 
 not then. ' The strong He'll strongly try' (1 Cor. x. 
 1.3). The admonition, Ps. xlv. 10, similarly hints 
 at a disturbance of the marriage relation between 
 Israel and her Lord, failed when "he spalce— 
 rather, because of liis speaking : at the remenibrance 
 of His tender words. The word is often inefficacious 
 at the time when it is preached ; but afterwards 
 in times of trial the Spirit of God recalls it to our 
 memory, and we long for the visitation of the 
 Lord iu grace, which we did not value enough at 
 the time. Let us take heed to the Wcirning iu 
 Luke xvii. 22. no answer— (Lam. iii. 44.) Weak 
 faith receives immediate comfort (Luke viii. 44) ; 
 strong faith is tried with delay (Matt. xv. 22). 7. 
 watchmen. Historically, the Jewish priests, &c. 
 (see note on v. 2); spiritually, ministers (Isa. Ixii. 
 6; Heb. xiii. 17), faithful in 'smiting' (Ps. cxli. 5), 
 but (as she leaves them, v. 8) too harsh ; or per- 
 hai)S, unfaithful; disliking her zeal wherewith 
 siie sought .Jesus Christ, first, with spiritual prayer, 
 'oi)ening ' her heart to Him, and then in charitable 
 works about the city;" miscalling it fanaticism 
 (Isa. Ixvi. .5), and taking away her veil (the 
 greatest indignity to an Eastern lady), as thoiigh 
 she were i)03itively immodest. She had before 
 sought Him by night in the streets, under strong 
 affection, and so, without rebuff from " the watch- 
 men," found Him immediately; but now, after 
 sinful neglect, she encounters pain and delay. 
 God forgives believers, but it is a serious thing to 
 draw on His forgiveness ; so the growing reserve of 
 God towards Israel ol)servable in Judges, as His 
 people repeat their demands on His grace. 8. 
 daughters of Jerusalem. She turns from the 
 unsymxjathizing watchmen to humbler Y)ersons, 
 not yet themselves knowing Him, but iu the way 
 towards it. The proud scribes answer to the 
 harsh "watchmen;' the despised disciples of the 
 lower and meaner class answer to " the daughters 
 of Jerusalem." So liistorically ; His secret friends 
 iu the night of His withdrawal (Luke xxiil 27, 
 557 
 
 ( B. C 1014.. 
 
 d Ps. 30. 7. 
 Isa. 8. 17. 
 Isa. 12. 1. 
 Isa. 50. 2. 
 Isa. 54. 6. 
 Hos. 5. 15. 
 Matt. 15.22, 
 
 Rev. 3. 19. 
 ' Lam. 3. 8, 
 / ch. 3. ^. 
 
 Isa. 6. 10. 
 
 Hos. 9. 7, 8. 
 
 Acts 20. '.;9, 
 30. 
 
 2 Cor 11. 
 13. 
 * what. 
 
 5 a standard- 
 bearer 
 
 6 Or, curled. 
 
 28). Enquirers may find ("{/" ye find") Jesus 
 Christ before she who has grieved His Spirit finds 
 Him again, tell— in intercessory prayer (Jas. v. 
 16). sick of love— from an opposite cause (ch. ii. 
 5) to that of excess of delight at His presence; 
 now excess of pain at His absence. 
 
 9. What (is) thy beloved more than (another) 
 beloved? Her own beauty, through the Lord's 
 comeliness put upon her, so that her 'renown 
 went forth among the heathen,' and her love- 
 sickness for Him, elicit now their enquiry (Matt. 
 V. 16): heretofore "other lords beside Him had 
 dominion over them;" thus they had seen "no 
 beauty in Him." 
 
 10. TVIy beloved is white and ruddy. The be- 
 liever is ' ready always to give an answer to 
 every man that asketh a reason of the hope that 
 is in him with meekness and fear' (1 Pet. iii. 15). 
 white and ruddy— health and beauty. So David, 
 i.e., beloved, Messiah's forefather after the flesh, 
 and type (1 Sam. xvii. 42). " The Lamb " is at 
 once His nuptial and sacrificial name, characterized 
 by white and red : white. His spotless manhood 
 (Rev. i. 14). The Hebrew {tzach) for white is pro- 
 perly illuminated by the sun, "white as the light " 
 (cf. Matt. xvii. 2); red^ in His blood-dyed garment, 
 as slain (Rev. v. 6 ; xix. 13). Angels are white, not 
 red ; the blood of martyrs does not enter heaven. 
 His alone is seen there (Isa. Ixiii. 1-3). ehiefest 
 {dagul) —lit., a standard-bearer ; i. e., as conspicuous 
 above all others as a standard-bearer is among hosts 
 (Ps. xlv. 7; Isa. xi. 10 ; Iv. 4; Heb. ii. 10; Jobxxxiii, 
 23 : cf. the tyi^e, 2 Sam. xviii. 3). The chief of sin- 
 ners needs the "ehiefest" of Saviours. Ps. xlv. 2; 
 Lam. iv. 7, the " Nazarites " being types of Him, 
 in that they "were purer than snow . . . v;hiter tha.n 
 milk . . . more ruddy in body than rubies." 11. 
 head ... gold— ^Ae Godhead of Jesus Christ, as 
 distinguished from His heel, i. e.. His manhood, 
 which was "bruised" by Satan; both together 
 being one Christ, "the head of every man." Also 
 His sovereignty; as Nebuchadnezzar, the supreme 
 king, was "the head of gold." The highest crea- 
 ture, comjiared with Hiui, is brass, iron, and clay. 
 He is Preciousness itself (Greek, 1 Pet. ii. 7). 
 Xivishy— curled, token of lieadshix>. In contrast 
 with her flowing locks (ch. iv. 1), the token of her 
 STibjection to Him. The Hebrew [D''^ri'?ri] means 
 {Manrer) {pendulous as) the branches of a palm., 
 which, when in leaf, resemble waving plumes of 
 feathers. So LXX. and Vulgate, and similarly 
 Arabic and Syriac, from Hebrew^ tulah, to hang. 
 
A description of Christ 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG V. 
 
 hi/ his graces^ 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 14 
 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 His ^eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, 
 
 Washed with milk, and ^ fitly set : 
 
 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, — as sweet flowers; 
 
 His lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh : 
 
 His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl ; 
 
 His belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires : 
 
 His legs are as pillars of marble — set upon sockets of fine gold ; 
 
 His countenance is as Lebanon, — excellent as the cedars : 
 
 ^ His mouth is most sweet ; — yea, ^ he is altogether lovely. 
 
 This is my beloved, — and this is my friend, — 0 daughters of Jerusalem. 
 
 B. C. l'^ 
 
 ch. I. ift. 
 
 T sitting iu 
 fulness, 
 thati ,fitl» 
 placed, and 
 set as a 
 precioui 
 stone in 
 the foi' of 
 a ring. 
 
 8 His palate. 
 Phil. 3. 8. 
 
 Cocceius, Mercer, Sec, take it as a frequentative, 
 from teel, a heap, and talal, to heap. Crisped 
 curls. This seems preferable, as the contrast is 
 between His crisped curls as a man, and her Jlow- 
 inff locks as 9, ■woma.n. black— implying youth: no 
 * grey hairs ' (Ps. cii. 27 ; ex. 3, 4 ; contrast Hos. 
 vii. 9). Jesus Christ was crucified in the prime 
 of vigour and manliness- In heaven, on the 
 other hand. His hair is ".white," He being the 
 Ancient of days (Dan. vii. 9). These contrasts 
 often concur in Him {v. 10), " white and ruddy ;" 
 here the "raven" {v. 12), the "dove," as both 
 with Noah in the ark, emblems of judgment and 
 mercy. 12. as the eyes of doves — rather, as 
 dores (Ps. Ixviii. 13). by the rivers of waters, 
 washed with milk — bathing in "the rivers;" com- 
 bining in their "silver" feathers the whiteness of 
 milk with the sparlding brir/htness of the water 
 trickling over them. So "the Spirit of God de- 
 scended like a dove^^ (Matt. iii. 16) upon Jesus, as 
 " He went up straightway out of the water." The 
 "milk" may allude to the white around the pupil 
 of the eye. The "waters" refer to His eye as the 
 fountain of tears of sympathy (Ezek. xvi. 5, 6). 
 Vivacity, purity, and love are the three features 
 ty pitied, fitly set— as a gem in a ring ; as the 
 l)recious stones in the high priest's breastplate. 
 So the Syriac. I'he Hebrew is sitting upon fulness; 
 i. e., the eyes not sunk in their sockets. Or we 
 may translate as the Vulgate, LXX., Ethiopic 
 and Arabic, ' (the doves) sitting at the fulness of 
 the stream,' by the full stream (cf. Rev. v. 6, "Lo, 
 a Lamb having seven eyes:" "seven," express- 
 ing /u/^ perfection; Zech. iii. 9; iv. 10). 13. cheeks 
 [vn^, from lachah, or luach, juicy, fresh, ver- 
 dant. It is in the cheeks that it is seen whether 
 the body is full of fresh vigour or not]— the seat of 
 beauty, according to the Hebrew meaning {Ge- 
 senius). Yet men smote and spat on them (Isa. 1. 
 G). bed— full, like the raised surface of the garden 
 bed'; fragrant with ointments, as beds with aro- 
 matic plants (lit., balsam), sweet flowers— rather, 
 ' terraces of aromatic herbs,' ' high raised parterres 
 (lit., towers, migdaloth) of sweet plants,' iu para- 
 lellism to "bed:" Hebrew, harugah, from a root, 
 harag, to ascend, implying elevation, lips— (Ps. 
 xlv. 2; John vii. 46.) lilies— red lilies. Soft and 
 gentle (1 Pet. ii. 22). How different lips were 
 man's towards Him! (Ps. xxii. 7.) dropping . . . 
 myrrh— viz.. His lips, just as the sweet dew-drops 
 which hang in the calix of the lily. 14. rings set 
 with . . . beryl — Hebrew, Tarshish ; so called 
 from the city Tartessus. It answers to the an- 
 cient chrysolite, gold in colour, our topaz, one 
 of the stones on the high x^i'iest's breastplate, 
 also in the foundation of New Jerusalem, (Rev. 
 xxi. ) ' Are as ' is plainly to be supplied. See in 
 V. 13 a similar ellipsis. Not as Moody Stuart, 
 'have gold rings.' The hands bent in are com- 
 pared to beautiful rings, in which beryl is set, as 
 the nails are in the fingers. Burrowes explains the 
 rings as cylinders used as signets, such as are 
 558 
 
 found in Nineveh, and which resemble fingers. 
 A ring is the token of sonship. A slave was not 
 allowed to wear a gold ring. He imparts His 
 sonship and freedom to us (Gal. iv. 7); also of 
 authority (Gen. xli. 42). He seals us in the name 
 of God with His signet (Rev. vii. 2-4 ; cf. below, 
 ch. viii. 6, where she desires to be herself a signet- 
 ring on His arms); so "graven on the palms," &c. — 
 i. e., on the signet-ring in His hand (Isa. xlix. 16; 
 contrast Hag. ii. 23 with Jer. xxii. 24). belly. 
 Moody Stuart translates 'body.' The Hebrew 
 [vrn] is elsewhere "bowels ;" viz.. His compassion 
 (Ps. xxii. 14 ; Isa. Ixiii. 15 ; Jer. xxxi. 20). bright — 
 lit., elaborately un-ought, so as to shine; so His "pre- 
 pared" body (Heb. x. 5; the "ivory palace " of the 
 king(Ps. xlv. 8); spotless, pure, as the bride's "neck 
 is as a tower of ivory" Teh. vii. 4). sapphires — 
 spangling in the girdle round Him (Dan. x. 5). 
 " To the pure all things are pure." As in statu- 
 ary to the artist, the partly undraped figure is 
 suggestive only of beauty, free from indelicacy, so 
 to the saint the personal excellencies of Jesus 
 Christ, typified under the ideal of the noblest 
 human form. As, however, the bride and bride- 
 groom are in public, the usual robes on the person, 
 richly ornamented, are pre-supposed (Isa. xi. 5). 
 Sapphires indicate His heavenly nature (so John 
 iii. 13, "is in heaven"), even in His humiliation, 
 overlying or cast "over" His ivory human body 
 (Exod. xxiv. 10). Sky-blue in colour, they imply 
 the height and depth of the love of Jesus Christ 
 (Eph. iii. 18). 15. pillars— strength and steadfast- 
 ness. Contrast man's "legs" (Eccl. xii. 3). Alhi- 
 sion to the temple pillars, Jachin (He shall estab- 
 lish) and Boaz [in it is strength) (1 Ki. v. 8, 9; vii 21), 
 the " cedars " of "Lebanon." Contrast man's legs, 
 in which there is no lasting strength (Ps. cxlvii. 
 10; Eccl. xii. 3). Jesus Christ's "legs" were not 
 broken on the cross, though the thieves' were : on 
 them rests the weight of our salvation, sockets 
 of fine gold — His sandals, answering to the bases 
 of the pillars ; " se^ up from everlasting. " From the 
 head [v.\l) to the feet, He is "of fine gold." He was 
 tried in the fire and found without alloy, coun- 
 tenance—rather. His aspect, including both mien 
 and stature (cf. marg., 2 Sam. xxiii. 21 with 1 Chr. 
 xi. 23). From the several parts she proceeds to 
 the general effect of the whole person of Jesus 
 Christ. Lebanon— so called from the white lime- 
 stone rocks. excellent— Hebrew, Bachur— lit., 
 choice; i. e.,fair and tall as the cedars of Lebanon, 
 (Ezek. xxxi. 3, &c.) Majesty is the prominent 
 thought (Ps. xxi. 5). Also the cedar's duration 
 (Heb. i. 11); greenness (Luke xxiii. 31); and refuge 
 afforded by it (Ezek. xvii. 22, 23). 16. His mouth 
 is most sweet — lit. , ' His palate is sweetnesses; yea, 
 all over lovelinesses;^ i. e.. He is the essence of these 
 qualities. "Mouth;" so ch. i. 2: not the same as 
 "lips" {v. 13); His breath (Isa xi. 4). "All 
 over" — all the beauties scattered among creatures 
 are transcendently concentrated in Him (Col. i. 
 19). my beloved— for I love Him. my friend— 
 
The Church's 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG VI. 
 
 faith in Christ. 
 
 6 WHITHER is thy beloved gone,— "0 thou fairest among women ? 
 Whither is thy beloved turned aside ? — that we may seek him with thee. 
 
 2 My beloved is gone down into his garden, 
 
 To the beds of spices, — to *feed in the gardens, — and to * gather lilies. 
 
 3 I'^am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine : — he feedeth .among the lilies. 
 
 4 Thou art beautiful, 0 my love, as Tirzah, 
 
 Comely as Jerusalem, ^ terrible as an army with banners. 
 
 5 Turn away thine eyes fi-om me, — ^for ^ they have overcome me: 
 Thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead : 
 
 6 Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing. 
 Whereof every one beareth twins, — and there is not one barren among them. 
 
 7 As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks. 
 
 8 There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines. 
 And virgins without number. 
 
 9 My dove, my undefiled is but one ; — she is the only one of her mother, 
 She is the choice one of her that bare her. 
 
 The daughters saw her, and blessed her ; 
 
 Yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. 
 
 B. C. 1014. 
 
 CHAP. 6. 
 
 * Ch. I. 8. 
 Ch. 2. 2. 
 ch. 5. 9. 
 
 «> Isa. 40. 11. 
 Eze. 34. 23. 
 Zeph 3. ir. 
 John 4. 34. 
 35. 
 
 Eev. r. ir. 
 " Isa. 56. 8. 
 
 John 10.16. 
 d ch. 2. 16. 
 
 ch. 7. 10. 
 
 Rev. 21. 2- 
 
 4. 
 
 • 2 Cor. 10 4. 
 1 Or. they 
 
 have 
 
 puffed me 
 tip. 
 / ch. 4. 1. 
 
 for He loves me (Pro v. xviiL 24). Holy boasting, 
 (Fs. xxxiv. ii; 1 Cor. i. 31.) 
 
 CHAP. VI. 1-13.— 1. WMtlier is thy beloved 
 gone ? Historically, at Jesus Christ's criicitixion 
 and burial, Joseph of Arimathea, and Nico- 
 I demus, and others, were led to openly join with 
 I His professed disciples. By speaking of Jesus 
 { Christ, the bride does good not only to her own 
 I soul, but to others (note, ch. i. 4). Cf. the hypo- 
 critical use of a similar enquiry after Christ by 
 Herod (Matt. ii. 8). 
 
 2. gone down. Jerusalem was on a hill (answer- 
 ing to its moral elevation), and the gardens were at a 
 little distance in the valleys below, beds of spices 
 I — (balsam) which He Himself calls the " mountain 
 of myrrh" (ch. iv. C) ; and again (ch. viii. 14), the 
 resting-place of His body amidst spices, and of His 
 soul in paradise, and now in heaven, where He 
 stands an High Priest for ever. Nowhere else in 
 the Song is there mention of mountains of spices, 
 feed in ... . gardens — i.e., in the churches, 
 though He may have withdrawn for a time 
 from the individual believer, gather lilies. She 
 implies an invitation to the daughters of Jerusa- 
 lem to enter His spiritual Church, and become 
 lilies, made white by His blood. He is gathering 
 some lilies now to plant on earth, others to 
 transjjlant into heaven (ch. v. 1 ; Gen. v. 24; Mark 
 iv. 29). 3. I (am) my beloved's, &c. In speaking 
 of Jesus Christ to others, she regains her own 
 assurance. Lit., 'I am for my beloved . . . for 
 me, ' implying appropriation and dedication to. 
 Reverse order from ch. ii. 16. She now, after the 
 season of darkness, grounds her conviction on His 
 love towards her, more than on her's towards Him 
 (Deut. xxxiii. 3). There, it was the young be- 
 liever concluding that she was His, from the 
 sensible assurance that He was her's. 
 
 4. Tirzah— meaning jdeasant, from the Hebrew 
 ratwJi (Heb, xiii. 21). The Church is "a city set 
 on an hill," "well-f^leasing" to God (Matt. v. 14). 
 The royal citv of one of the old Canaanite kings 
 {Jo.sh. xii. 24>; and after the revolt of Israel 
 the royal city of its kings, before Omri founded 
 Samaria (1 Ki. xvi. 8, 15). No ground for 
 assigning a later date than the time of Solomon 
 to the Song, as Tirzah was even in his time the 
 capital of the North (Israel), as Jerusalem was 
 of the South (Judah). Jerusalem— residence of 
 the kings of Judah, as Tirzah, of Israel (Ps. 
 xlviiL 1). Loveliness, security, unity, and loyalty; 
 
 also the union of I^ael and Judah in the Church 
 (Isa. xi. 13). terrible— awe-inspiring. Not only 
 armed as a city on the defensive, but as an army 
 on the offensive. Led on by the Church's 'Stan- 
 dard-bearer' (ch. V. 10, note), biinners (Ps. Ix. 
 4; Exod. xvii. 14, 15., marg.) — Jehovah-Nissi (2 
 Cor. X. 4). 5. Turn away thine eyes from me, 
 for they have overcome me— (ch. iv. 9 ; Gen. 
 xxxii. 28; Exod. xxxii. 9-14; Hos. xii. 4.) This is 
 the way "the army" {v. 4) "overcomes" not only 
 enemies, but Jesus Christ Himself, with eyes fixed 
 on Him (Ps. xxv. 15). Historically, vv. 3-5 repre- 
 sent the restoration of Jesus Christ to His Church 
 at the resurrection ; His sending her forth as an 
 army, with new powers (Mark xvi 15-18, 20); His 
 rehearsing the same instructions (cf. v. 6, note) as 
 when with them (Luke xxiv. 44). overcome — 
 lit. (Hebrew, rahah: Mrhihuni), they proudly or 
 strongly press upon me: they have taken me by 
 storm {Maurer). Cocceius (cf. marg.) takes it, 
 ' they have elated me,' so that I receive consola- 
 tion and glory from thy faith. 6, 7. Thy teeth 
 (are) as a flock of sheep, &c. Not vain repeti- 
 tion of ch. iv. 1, 2. The use of the same words 
 shows His love unchanged, after her temporary 
 unfaithfulness (Mai. iii. 6). 8. threescore— iude- 
 finite number, as ch. iii. 7. These are witnesses 
 of the espousals ; rulers of the earth contrasted 
 with the saints, who, though many, are but "one" 
 bride (Isa. Hi. 15 ; Luke xxii. 25, 26 ; John xvii. 
 21; 1 Cor. X. 17; notes, Ps. xlv. 9-15). The 
 one bride is contrasted with the many wives 
 whom Eastern kings had, in violation of the mar- 
 riage law (1 Ki. xi. 1-3). The spiritual interpre- 
 tation is shown herein to be the true sense of 
 Canticles. If the literal sense were meant, the 
 book would never have found a place in the 
 holy Canon. But the one bride is primarily 
 Israel. To her in due time the many queens 
 and concubines — the Gentile peoples — become 
 affiliated, so as to form one Church with her, 
 the bride of the Lanib. but one. Hollow 
 professors, like half-wives, have no part ia 
 the one bride, only one of her mother— viz., 
 "Jerusalem above" (Gal. iv. 26). The "little 
 sister" (ch. viii. 8) is not inconsistent with her 
 being "the only one;" for that sister is one with 
 herself (John x. 16). choice— (Eph. i. 4; 2 Thess. 
 ii. 13.) As she exalted Him above all others (ch. 
 V. 10), so he now her. daughters . . . blessed 
 her— (Isa. Ixi. 9.) So at the Church's appearance 
 
Christ's love to 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG VII. 
 
 the Church, 
 
 I 
 
 10, Who 2> she that looketh forth as the morning, 
 
 ^Fair as the moon, ^clear as the sun, 
 
 And terrible as an army with banners ? 
 Ill went down into the garden of nuts — to see the fruits of the valley, 
 
 And ^ to see whether the vine flourished, — and the pomegranates budded. 
 
 12 2 Or ever I was aware, — my soul ^made me like the chariots of Ammi-nadib. 
 
 13 Return, return, 0 Shulamite; — return, return, 
 That we may look upon thee. 
 
 "What will ye see in the Shulamite ? 
 As it were the company *of two armies. 
 7 HOW beautiful are thy feet with shoes, — 0 "^prince's daughter ! 
 The joints of thy thighs are like jewels, 
 
 B. c. ic it. 
 
 » Job 31. 2j. 
 Ch. T. 12. 
 
 2 I knew 
 not. 
 
 3 Or, set me 
 on the 
 chariots 
 of my will- 
 ing people. 
 
 4 Or, of iMa- 
 hanaim. 
 
 CHAP. r. 
 Ps. 4o. 13. 
 2 Cor. G. IS. 
 
 after Pentecost. 10. Who is she that looketh 
 forth — expressiuf; the admiration of the daughters. 
 Historically, Acts v. 24 39. as the morning— as 
 yet she is not come to the fulness of her liglit 
 (Prov. iv. 18). moon— shining in the night, by 
 light borrowed from the sim : so the lii'ide, in the 
 darkness of this world, reflects the light of the 
 Sun of righteousness (2 Cor. iii. 18). sun. Her 
 light of justification is loerfect, for it is His (1 John 
 iv. 17). The moon has less light, and has only one 
 half illuminated: so the bride's sanctiHcatiou is as 
 yet imperfect. Her future glory (Matt. xiii. 43) : 
 she "shall shine forth as the sun." terrible as 
 an army. The climax requires this to be applied 
 to the starry and angelic hosts, from which God 
 is called Loi'd of Sabaoth. Her final glory (Dan. 
 xii. 3; Rev. xii. 1). The Church Patriarchal an- 
 swers to "the morning;" the Levitical to "the 
 moon ;" the Evangelical to "the sun;" the Church 
 Triumphant to "the bannered army." 11. gar- 
 den of nuts. The bride's words ; for she every- 
 where is the narrator, and often soliloqxiises, 
 which He never does. The first garden (ch. ii. 
 11-13) was that of spring, full of fiowers, green 
 ligs, and tender grapes not yet ripe. The 
 second garden was that of autumn, with spices 
 (which are always connected with the per- 
 son of Jesus Christ), and nothing unripe, (ch. 
 iv. 13, &c.) The third here is that of "nuts," 
 from the i)revious autumn ; the end of winter, and 
 verge of spring: the Church in the upx)er room 
 (Acts i. 13, &c.), when one dispensation was just 
 closed, the other not yet begun ; the hard shell of 
 the old needing to be broken, and its inner sweet 
 kernel extracted {Origen) (Luke xxiv. 27, 32); 
 waiting for the Holy Ghost to usher in spiritual 
 spring. The walnut is meant, with a bitter outer 
 husk, a hard shell, and sweet kerneL So the 
 Word is distasteful to th6 careless; when awakened, 
 the sinner finds the letter hard, until the Holy 
 Ghost reveals the sweet inner spirit, fruits of 
 the valley. Maurer translates 'the blooming 
 products of the river'' (Hebrew, nachal)—i. e., the 
 plants growing on the margin of the river flowing 
 through the garden. She goes to watch the fiist 
 sproutings of the various plants. 12. Or ever I 
 was aware. Sudden outpouring of the Spirit on 
 Pentecost (Acts ii. 2), whilst the Church was 
 using the means, "all with one accord (praying: 
 Acts i. 14; ii. 1) in one place" answering to "the 
 garden" {v. 11; John iii. 8). Ammi-nadib— 
 sui)posed to be one proverbial for swift driving 
 CNum. i. 7). Similarly, ch. i. 9. B.3ither, my willing 
 people (Ps. ex. 3). A willing chariot bore a "will- 
 ing people." Or Ammi-nadib is the Prince of my 
 I)eople, Jesus Christ. His chariots are His glori- 
 ous angel- escort, which moves with the rapidity of 
 the winds and the flame. She is borne in a 
 moment into His presence (Eph. ii. 6J. 
 
 560 
 
 13. return, 0 Shulamite — entreaty of the 
 daughters of Jerusalem to her, in her chariot-like 
 flight from them (cf. 2 Sam. xix. 14). Shulamite 
 — new name applied to her now first. Feminine oi 
 Solomon, Prince of Peace : His bride, daughter oj 
 peace, accepting and proclaiming it (Isa. Iii. 7; 
 Eph. ii. 17). Historically, this name answers to 
 the time when, not without a divine design in it, 
 the young Church met in Solomon^s porch, the 
 symbol of peace (Acts iii. 11; v. 12). The entreaty, 
 "return, O Shulamite," answers to the people's 
 desire to keep Peter and John, after the lame man 
 was healed, when they were about to enter the 
 temple. Their reply attributing the glory not to 
 themselves, but to Jesus Clxrist, answers to the 
 bride's reply here. 
 
 What will ye see in the Shulamite ? &c. She 
 accepts the name Shulamite, as truly describing 
 her. But adds, that though "one" [v. 9), she is 
 nevertheless "two." Her glories are her Lord's, 
 beaming through her (Eph. v. 31, 32). _ The two 
 armies are the family of Jesus Christ in heaven, 
 and that on earth, joined and one with Him ; the 
 one militant, the other triumphant. Or Jesus 
 Christ and His ministering angels are one army, 
 the Church the other, both being one (John xvii. 
 21, 22). Allusion is made to Mahanaim (meaning, 
 two hosts), the scene of Jacob's victorious conflict 
 by prayer. Though she is peace, yet she has war- 
 fare here; the conflict between flesh and spirit 
 within, and that with foes without. Her strength, 
 as Jacob's at Mahanaim, is Jesus Christ and His 
 host, enlisted on her side by prayer : whence she 
 obtains those graces which raise the admiration of 
 the daughters of Jerusalem. 
 
 CHAP. VII 1-13.— 1. thy feet— rather, <7i.v<70- 
 ings (Ps. xvii. 5). There is evident allusion to this 
 in Isa. Iii. 7 — ''''How beautiful . . . are the /ee^ of 
 him . . . that ijublisheth peace'"'' (Shulamite, ch. 
 vi. 13). shoes— sandals are richly jewelled in the 
 East. She is evidently " upon the mountains," 
 whither she was wafted (ch. vi. 12), above the 
 daughters of Jerusalem, who therefore portray 
 her/ee^ first, daughter— of God the Father, with 
 whom Jesus Christ is one (Matt. v. 9): " children of 
 (the) God" of peace, answering to Shulamite (Ps. 
 xlv. 10-15; 2 Cor. vi. 18), as well as bride of Jesus 
 Christ, prince's daughter — therefore princely 
 herself, freely giving the word of life to others, 
 not sparing her "feet," as in ch. v. 3. To act on 
 the oflensive is defensive to ourselves, joints of 
 thy thighs (are) like jewels. Joints [pisn, from 
 chamaqu, to turn] — rather, the rounding; the full 
 graceful curve of the hips in the female figure; 
 like the rounding of a necklace (as the Hebrew for 
 "jewels," chalaim, means). Cf. with the English 
 version, Eph. iv. 1.3-16 ; Col. ii. 19. Or, applying it 
 to the girdle binding together the robes round the 
 
The graces 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG VIL 
 
 of the Church. 
 
 The work of the hands of a cunning workman : 
 
 2 Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not ^liquor: 
 Thy belly ^ is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies : 
 
 3 Thy *^two breasts are like two young roes that are twins: 
 
 4 Thy neck is as a tower of ivory ; 
 
 Tliine eyes like the fish-pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim : 
 Thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus : 
 
 5 Thine head upon thee is like ^ Carmel, 
 
 And the. hair of thine head i'ke purple : — the king is ^ held in the galleries. 
 
 6 How fair and how pleasant art thou, 0 love, for delights ! 
 
 7 This thy stature is like to a palm tree, 
 And thy breasts to clusters of grapes. 
 
 8 I said, I will go up to the palm tree, 
 
 I will take hold of the boughs thereof : 
 
 hips (Eph. vi. 14). cunning workman— (Ps. oxxxix. 
 I 14-16; Eph. ii. 10.) 2. navel— rather, girdle-clasp, 
 I called from the part of the person underneath. 
 M The "shoes" [v. 1) prove that dress is throughout 
 presupposed on all parts where it is usually worn. 
 I She is "a bride adorned for her hnsbaud;" the 
 "uncomely parts" being most adorned (1 Cor. xii. 
 I 23). a round goblet. The girdle-clasp was 
 ' adorned with red rubies resembling the "round 
 goblet" (crater or mixer) of spice-mixed wine (uot 
 ■"liquor") (ch. viii. 2; Isa. v. 22). The wine of the 
 • New Testament in His blood." The spiritual 
 exhilaration by it was mistaken for that caused by 
 new wine (Acts ii. 13-17). belly—?, e., theveMure 
 j on it. As in Ps. xlv. 13, 14, "clothing of wrought 
 I gold and raiment of needlework" compose the 
 ' brides attire, so golden-coloured "wheat" and 
 \ white "lilies" here. The ripe grain, in token of 
 harv^est joy, used to be decorated with lilies ; so 
 the accumulated spiritual food, the "bread of 
 life" produced from Jesus, tlie "corn of wheat" 
 falling into the ground and dying, and so bring- 
 ing forth much fruit, is free from chaff, and is 
 not fenced with thorns, but made attractive by 
 ! lilies set about it — i. e. (ch. ii. 2), believers, who 
 I iu common jiartake of it. Associated with the 
 exhilarating wine-cup (Zech. ix. 17), as here. 
 3. two breasts. The daughters of Jerusalem 
 describe her in the same terms as Jesus Christ 
 in ch. iv. 5. The testimonies of heaven and 
 earth coincide, two young roes .... twins- 
 faith and love. 4. neck .... tower of ivory. 
 In ch. iv. 4 Jesus Christ saith, "a tower of David 
 builded for an armoury." Strength and conquest 
 are the main thought in His description : here 
 stately beauty and polished whiteness: contrast 
 ch. i. 5. eyes . . . fish-pools -seen by Burck- 
 hardt, clesiT (Rev. xxii. ]), deep, quiet, and full; 
 reflecting the image of the heavenly Bridegroom, 
 in Heshbon— east of Jordan, residence of the 
 Amorite king Sihon (Num. xxi. 25, &c.), after- 
 wards held by Gad. Ba.th-ra.hhim— daughter of a 
 multitude; a crowded thoroughfare of Heshbon. 
 Her eyes (ch. iv. 1) are called by Jesus Christ 
 " doves' eyes," waiting on Him. But here, looked 
 on by the daughters of Jerusalem, they are com- 
 pared to a placid lake. .She is calm even amidst 
 the crowd (John xvi. 33). nose . . . tower of 
 Lebanon- a reorder fortress, watching the hostile 
 Damascus. Towards Jesus Christ, her face is full 
 of holy shame (ch. iv. 1, 3, notes); towards spir- 
 itual foes, like a watchtower (Hab. ii. 1), her 
 aspect is elevated, so that she looks not up from 
 earth to lieaven, but down from heaven to earth. 
 The " nose " implies discernment of s]jiritual 
 fragrance. Mininters, as standing prominent in 
 discerning and guarding against dangers from 
 VOL. III. 5t;X 
 
 B. 0 1014. 
 
 1 mixture. 
 6 Ps. 45. 10. 
 
 Ch. 5. 14. 
 
 Isa. 46. 3. 
 
 Jer. 1. 5. 
 
 Eom. 7. 4. 
 " ch. 4. 5. 
 d ] Ki. 10. 18, 
 22. 
 
 1 Ki. 22. 
 39. 
 Ps. 45. R. 
 Ps. 144. 12. 
 Cll. 5. 14. 
 
 2 Cr, 
 crimson. 
 
 3 bound. 
 
 the foe, lUiiy ansv/er to this feature. The nose 
 is also the Hebrew symbol of lofty indignation 
 against the wicked (Ps. xviii. 8). Sjnrituai saga- 
 city, i7idignation at sin and falsehood, and heavenly 
 elevation are implied. 5. head upon thee— the 
 liead-dress "ui)on" her. Carmel— signifying a 
 toell-cultirated field (Isa. xxxv. 2). In ch. v. 
 15 He is compared to majestic Lebanon ; she 
 here, to fruitful Carmel. On her head-dress 
 or crow^n. Cf. 2 Tim. iv. 8; 1 Pet. v. 4. Also 
 the souls won by her — her "crown of rejoic- 
 ing" (1 Thess. ii. 19, 20) at Christ's coming, a token 
 of her frultfulness. hair .... purple — royalty 
 (Rev. i. 6). As applied to hair, it expresses the 
 glossy splendour of black hair (Hebrew, dallah; 
 lit., pendulous hair), so much admired in the 
 East (ch. iv. 1). Whilst the King compares her 
 hair to the flowing hair of goats (the token of 
 her subjection), the daughters of Jerusalem com- 
 pare it to royal i)ur])le. the king — Hebrew, 
 melek, without the article here, as iu Ps. xlv. 1. 
 is held in the galleries— so ch. i. 17, marg. ; Rev. 
 xxi. 3, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with 
 men, and He will dwell with them," &c. Just as 
 the bride's hair is held bound by fillets, so "the 
 King," in seeing her beautiful locks, "is held bound 
 iu the galleries," which pass from chamber to cham- 
 ber, and in which He sees her. The "galleries" 
 are the ordinances and means of grace, in which 
 Christ and believers meet and walk together. 
 But Maurer translates [D'^ipn"}] here, 'flowing ring- 
 lets ;' with these, as with thongs (so Lee, from the 
 Arabic, translates it), "the King is held" bound 
 (ch. vi. 5). Contrast the snares in which the adul- 
 teress binds her victims (Eccl. vii. 26). Her purple 
 crown of martyrdom especially captivated the 
 King, appearing from His galleries (Acts vii. 55, 
 56). As Samson's strength was in His locks of 
 consecration. Here flrst the daughters see the 
 King themselves. 
 
 6. How fair . . . art thou, 0 love ! Nearer ad- 
 vance of the daughters to the Church (Acts ii. 47; 
 V. 13, end). Love to her is the flrst token of love 
 to Him (1 John v. 1, end), delights— fascinating 
 charms to them and to the King (?;. 5; Isa. Ixii. 4, 
 Hephzi-bah). Hereafter, too (Rev. xxi. 9). 7. 
 palm tree— (Ps. xcii. 12.) The sure sign of ivater 
 near (John vii. 38). clusters— not of dates, as 
 Moody /Stuart thinks. The i)arallelism {v. 8), 
 "clusters of the vine," shows it is here clusters of 
 grapes, as the English version. Vines were often 
 trained (termed ' wedded ') on other trees. 8. go 
 up to the palm tree . . . take hold of the boughs 
 thereof. The daughters are no longer content to 
 admire, but resolve to lay "hold ' of her fruits, 
 higli though these be. The palm stem is bai-e for I 
 a great height, and has its crown of fruit-ladeu 
 2o 
 
The ChurcJis 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG VIIL 
 
 love to Christ 
 
 Now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, 
 And the smell of thy nose like apples ; 
 9 And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine — 
 — For my beloved, that goeth down * sweetly, 
 Causing the lips ^of those that are asleep to speak. 
 
 10 I ^am my beloved's, — and ^ his desire is toward me. 
 
 1 1 Come, my beloved, let us go forth into tke field ; 
 Let us lodge in the villages. 
 
 12 Let us get up early to the vineyards ; — let us ^see if the vine flourish. 
 Whether the tender gTape '^.appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: 
 There will give thee my loves. 
 
 13 The ^mandrakes give a smell, 
 
 And at our gates ^are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old. 
 Which I have laid up for thee, 0 my beloved. 
 8 OH that thou wert as my brother. 
 That sucked the breasts of my .mother ! 
 When I should find thee without, I would kiss thee ; 
 Yea, ^ I should not be despised. 
 
 boughs at the summit. It is the symbol of tri- 
 umphaot joy. It was so used at Jesus' triumphant 
 entry into Jerusalem: so hereafter, at Christ's 
 coming again, of which the jjalm-bearing multi- 
 tude gave an earnest, now also thy breasts — 
 viz., those of restored and converted Israel (Isa. 
 Ixvi. 11). as clusters of the vine— Jesus Christ 
 (John XV. I), smell . . . nose— i.e., breath; the 
 Holy Ghost breathed into her nostrils by Him 
 whose " mo\ith is most sweet " (ch. v. 16). apples 
 — citrons, off the tree to which He is likened 
 (ch. ii. 3). 9. roof of thy mouth— thy voice 
 (Prov. XV. 23). best wine — the new wine of the 
 Gospel kingdom (Mark xiv. 25), poured out at 
 Pentecost. 
 
 for my beloved— (ch. iv. 10.) Here first the 
 daughters call him theirs, and become one with 
 the bride. The steps successively are — ch. i. 5, 
 where they misjudge her ; ch. iii. 11, where they 
 are called to go forth and behold King Solomon 
 with the crown of His espousals (which are going 
 on now, and will go on until the bride espoused 
 shall become the wife (Rev. xxi. 9) ; ch. v. 8, 
 where the possibility of their finding Him, before 
 she regained Him, is expressed; ch. v. 9, where 
 they are so struck with her love to the Beloved 
 that they ask after Him ; ch. vi. 1, where they 
 wish to ^seek Him with her;' ch. vii. 6, 9, where 
 they break forth into adm jration of her, and finally 
 make her Beloyed their Beloved, causing . . 
 asleep to speak — (Isa. xxxv. 6; Eph. v. 14.) 
 Jesus Christ's first miracle turned water into 
 'good wine kept until now,' just as the Gospel 
 revives those asleep and dying under the law 
 (Rom. vii.; viii. 1). 10. I am my beloved's. 
 Words of the daughters of Jerusalem and the 
 bride, now united into one (Acts iv. 32). They 
 are mentioned again distinctly, ch. viii. 4, as 
 fresh converts were being added from among en- 
 quirers, and these needed to be charged not to 
 grieve the Holy Siii'it. his desire is toward me 
 —strong assurance. He so desires us as to give us 
 sense of His desire towards us (1 John iv. 16)^ 11. 
 field— the country, "The field (of the Gospel 
 kingdom) is the world " (Matt. xiii. 38). Into this 
 world-wide field the Church, in "going forth" 
 according to her Lord's command (Mark xvi. 15), 
 begs her Lord's presence with her, according to 
 her Lord's promise, "Lo, I am with you alway" 
 CMatt. XX viii. 19, 20). "The tender grape" {v. 
 12), and " vines " occurred before (ch. ii. 13). But 
 tiere she prepares for Him all kinds of fruit, old 
 
 B. c. 1014. 
 
 * straightly. 
 6 Or. of the 
 
 ancient. 
 « ch. 2. 16. 
 
 ch. 6. 3. 
 
 Gal 2.20. 
 / Ps. 46. 11. 
 f ch. 6. 11. 
 
 2 Cor. 13. 5 
 6 open. 
 
 Fs. 43. 4. 
 
 Eze. 20. 40, 
 
 41. 
 
 Rom. 5. n. 
 » Gen. 30. 14, 
 j ch. 4. 16. 
 
 Matt. 13.52, 
 
 1 theyshould 
 not despise 
 me. 
 
 Luke 10.16. 
 
 and new ; also, she anticipates, in going forth to 
 seek them, communion with Him in "loves." 
 "Early" implies immediate earnestness, let us 
 lodge in the villages. "The villages" imply dis- 
 tance from Jerusalem. At Stephen's death the 
 disciples were scattered from Jerusalem through 
 Judea and Samaria, preaching the Word, (Acts 
 viii.) Jesus Christ was with them, confirming the 
 Word with miracles. They gathered the old 
 fruits of which Jesus Christ h^id sowed the seed 
 (John iv. 35), as well as new fruits, lodge— forsak- 
 ing home for Jesus Christ's sake (Matt. xix. 29). 
 12. Let us get up early— making the most of time 
 and opportunity (Gal. vi. 10). Assurance fosters 
 diligence, not indolence. 13. mandrakes— He- 
 brew, dudaim, from dud, or yadad, meaning to 
 love ; love-apf)les, supposed to exhilarate the 
 spirits and excite love. Only here au4 Gen. xxx. 
 14-16. Atropa mandragora of Linnaeus; its leaves 
 like lettuce, but dark green, flowers purple, root 
 forked, fruit of the size of an apple, ruddy and 
 sweet-smelling (.though many might think the 
 odour too strong), gathered in wheat-harvest, i.-'e., 
 in May {Mariti, ii. 195). gates— the entrance to 
 the kiosk or summer-house, all manner of 
 pleasant fruits, new and old . . . laid up for 
 thee. Love 'lays up' the best of everything for 
 the pleasure of the person beloved, thereby really, 
 though unconsciously, "laying up in store for 
 itself" (1 Tim. vi. 18, 19). 
 
 CHAP. VIIL 1-14.-1. Oh that thou (wert) as 
 my brother. He had been a brother already. 
 Why, then, this prayer here ? It refers to the 
 ,time after His r-esurrection, when the previous 
 outward intimacy with Him was no longer al- 
 lowed ; but it was implied that it should be 
 renewed at the second coming (John xx. 17) : for 
 this the Church here prays. Meanwhile she 
 enjoys inward spiritual communion with Him. I 
 would kiss thee. The last who ever "kissed" 
 Jesus Christ on earth was the traitor Judas. The 
 bride's return with the King to her mother's house 
 ^nsw«rs to Acts viii. 25, after the mission to 
 Samaria {Moody Stuart) (ch, vii. 11, 12), The rest 
 spoken of [v. 4) answei'S to Acts ix. 31. that 
 sucked . . . mother— a brother born of the same 
 mother : the closest tie. The bride, the Church, 
 desires no longer with alternations, now in a 
 chamber, now in a garden, now in a field, to enjoy 
 hasty glimpses of Christ, but continuously, and 
 without interruption, as it shall be in the coming 
 manifestation of Christ and of His saints in glory. 
 
The CkurcJis 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG VIII. 
 
 love to Christ. 
 
 2 I would lead thee, '^and bring thee into my mother's house, 
 Who would instruct me : 
 
 1 would cause thee to drink of ^ spiced wine 
 Of the juice of my pomegranate. 
 
 3 His '^left hand should be under my head, 
 And his right hand should embrace me. 
 
 4 '^I charge you, 0 daughters of Jerusalem, 
 
 2 That ye stir not up, nor awake mif love, until he please. 
 
 5 Who is this that cometh up from *the wilderness, 
 •''Leaning upon her beloved ? 
 
 I raised thee up under the apple tree : 
 Tliere thy mother brought thee forth ; 
 There she brought thee forth that bare thee. 
 
 He is the elder Brother of the Church by His in- 
 carnation (Matt. xii. 50; Heb. ii. 11, 12). In a 
 special sense the penitent Israelite Church is 
 meant, lohen she shall long for the Saviour who 
 has been found by "the daughters of Jerusalem," 
 the Gentiles who had learned Christianity lirst 
 from her. 2. bring thee into my motlier's house. 
 Her desire to bring Him into her home circle 
 (John i. 41). who would instruct me— rather, 
 'thou wouldest instruct me;' viz., how I might 
 best please thee (John xvi. Id). The heavenly 
 Bridegroom of Israel, literal and spiritual, shall 
 cause all her children in the day of His return to 
 Jerusalem in mercy to be ^''taugld of the Lord" 
 (Isa. liv. 13). Then also the Gentile nations (Isa. ii. 
 2, 3). Israel here sighs for His return and per- 
 manent abode in J oiisalem^ "her mother's house" 
 (Zech. xii. 10; cf. ch. 3v 4), which implies that 
 here the union that had subsisted between Israel 
 and the Lord is on the eve of being re-established, 
 spiced wine — seasoned with aromatic perfumes. 
 Jesus Christ ought to have our choicest gifts. 
 Spices are never introduced in the Song in His 
 absence, therefore the time of His return from 
 "the mountain of spices" {v. 14) is contemplated. 
 The cup of betrothal was given by Him at the last 
 Sux^per; the cup of marriage shall be presented by 
 her at His return (Matt. xxvL 29.) Till then the 
 believer often cannot feel towards, or speak of 
 Him, as he would wish. 3. left hand . . . nnder 
 my head . . . right hand should embrace me— (cf. 
 as to Israel, Deut. xxxii. 27.) The 'left and right 
 hand,' &c., occurred only once actually (ch. ii. 6),. 
 and here optatively. Oiily at His first manifesta- 
 tion did the Church x>alpably embrace Him : at 
 His second coming there shall be again sensible 
 communion with Him. 
 
 4. I charge you .... nor awake (my) love 
 until he please. This charge is that of restored 
 Israel to the converted Gentile nations, not to 
 interrupt the millennial rest of Christ with His 
 world-wide Church, tlie centre of which shall then 
 be Jerusalem. The ai)ostasy which shall precede, 
 aa also that which shall close, the millennium, 
 shows this charge not to be needless (Rev. xx. 
 4-9). The rest in v. 4, which is a spiritual realiza- 
 tion of the wish in v. 3 (1 Pet. i. 8), and the charge 
 not to disturb it, close the 1st, 2d, and 4th canti- 
 cles ; not the 3d, as the Bridegroom there takes 
 charge Himself; nor the 5th; for if re/)Ose formed 
 its close, we might mistake the present state for 
 our rest. The broken, longing close {v. 14), like 
 that of the whole Bible (Rev. xxii. 20), reminds us 
 we are to be waiting for a Saviour to come. On 
 "daughters of Jerusalem," see note, ch. vii. 10. 
 
 Canticle V.— Ch. viii. 5-14.— From the Call 
 OF TUE Gentiles to the Close of Revela- 
 
 503. 
 
 B. C. ion. 
 
 ch. 3. 4. 
 I> Vxo. 9. 2. 
 " Deut. 33.27- 
 
 ch. 2. 6. 
 
 Isa. 62. 4, 
 5. 
 
 2 Cor. 12. 9. 
 2 why 
 
 should 
 
 yc stir up, 
 
 or, why, 
 
 etc. 
 d ch. 2. 7. 
 
 ch. 3. 5. 
 « John 17.11. 
 / Ps. 63. 8. 
 
 5. Who is this that cometh up from the wil- 
 derness, leaning upon her beloved? — lit., con- 
 joined, or conjoining herself upon her Beloved, 
 as the kindred Arabic to the Hebrew, mithra- 
 pequeth, means. Words of the daughters of Jeru- 
 salem, i.e., the churches of Judea ; referring to the 
 period when Paul returned from Arabia ("the 
 wilderness"), whither he had gone after conver- 
 sion (Gal. i. 15-24) {Moody Stuart). The gender in 
 Hebrew, "Who is this?"r-s feminine. The ulte- 
 rior reference seems to me to be rather to restored 
 Israel, who shall come up from 'the wilderness 
 of the peoples,' leaning upon her beloved Lord, 
 wherein she has so long sojourned. The daugh- 
 ters of Jerusalem (the converted Gentiles) ask the 
 question, for they at first are slow to believe the 
 restoration of Israel as a nation to God's favour. 
 But afterwards they do (cf. Isa. Ixvi.. 20). 
 
 I raised thee . . . she . . . bare thee— (Acts 
 xxvi. 14-16.) The first words of Jesus Christ to 
 the bride since her going to the garden of nuts 
 (ch. vi. 9, 10) ; so His appearance to Paul is the 
 only one since His ascension : v. 13 is not an ad- 
 dress of Him as visible : her reply implies He is 
 not visible (1 Cor. xv> 8) (Moody Stuart). But the 
 Hebrew masculine pronoun suffixes show that 
 "thee" refers to Christ, and that therefore it is 
 the bride who is speaking of Him, not He of her. 
 Spiritually, the literal and the spiritual Israel was 
 found in the moral wilderness (Hos. xiii. 5) ; but 
 now she is "coming up from" it (Jer. ii. 2, 6), 
 especially in the last stage of her journey, her 
 conscious weakness casting itself the more wholly 
 on Jesus Christ (2 Cor. xii. 9). "Raised" (Eph. 
 iL 1, 7). But as the words are the bride's as to 
 Christ, "I raised " must mean, I, by my sin under 
 the apple tree in Eden, and consequent misery, 
 roused thy compassion, so that thou didst become 
 incarnate for my sake. Israel here speaks as re- 
 presentative of the whole of redeemed humanity. 
 The apple tree symbolized love. Israel restored 
 here reminds Christ of her having formerly sat 
 under Him, '^the apple tree" of love, and having 
 eaten of His fruit "with great delight" (ch. ii. 3); 
 "Thy mother" that "brought thee forth" is the 
 woman, the Church, of whom Christ is the pro- 
 mised "-Seed" (Gen. iii. 15; Rev. xii. 1, 2). 
 "There" is twice repeated, to mark emphatically 
 the immediate connection between the scene of 
 man's sin and the bringing forth from the love of 
 God the remedy — i. e., the incarnation of Christ 
 in the Virgin's womb (Mic. v. 3, note). The Old 
 Testament Church travailed in anxious waiting 
 for Christ (Mic. iv. 9, 10)i Found ruined under 
 the forbidden tree, restored under the shadow of 
 Jesus Christ crucified, "the green tree" (Lukc' 
 xxiii. 31), fruit- "bearing" by the cross (Isa. liii.. 
 11), Born again by the Holy Ghost "thera"' 
 
__i 
 
 The CImrcJis SOLOMON'S SONG VIII. love to Christ. 
 
 6 Set ^me as a seal upon tliine heart, — as a seal upon thine arm : 
 For ^ love is strong as death;— jealousy is ^ cruel as the grave : 
 The coals thereof are coals of fire, — ichich hath a most vehement flame. 
 
 7 Many waters cannot quench love, — neither can the floods drown it : 
 ^ If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, 
 It would utterly be contemned. 
 
 8 We ^ have a little sister, — and she hath no breasts : 
 What shall we do for our sister — in the day when she shall be spoken for ? 
 
 9 If she he a wall,— we will build upon her a palace of silver; 
 And if she he ^ a door, — we will inclose her with boards of cedar. 
 
 10 I ^ am a wall, — and my breasts like towers : 
 Then was I in his eyes as one that found * favour. 
 
 11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; 
 
 " Ex, 2S.9-12, 
 
 29, 30. 
 Isa. 49. IG. 
 Jer. 22. 24. 
 Hag. 2. 2 J. 
 2 Tim. 2. 
 
 19. 
 
 Phil. 3. 8. 
 
 3 hard. 
 
 i Pro. 6. 35. 
 j Ps 22. 27. 
 
 Eph. 2. 12. 
 
 Rev. 3. -0. 
 ' C ol. 2 r. 
 "'Eze. 16. r. 
 
 4 peace. 
 
 (Ezek. xvi. 3-6). In this verse her dependence, in 
 the similar verse, ch. iii. 6, &c. , His oynnipotence to 
 support her, are brought out. The reference back 
 rto the first part irax)lies her restoration to her 
 former union with the Bridegroom, riding in His 
 palanquin, as of old in the wilderness. 6. seal — 
 having her name or likeness engraven on it. His 
 holy priesthood also in heaven (Heb. iv. 14); "His 
 heart" there answering to "thine heaH" here, 
 and "two shoulders" to "arm." Cf. Jer. xxii. 24 
 with Hag. ii. 23. The Church is sealed by the 
 Holy Ghost (Eph. i. 13, 14). As in v. 5 she was 
 "leaning" on Him — i. e., her arm on His arm, her 
 head on His bosom — so she prays now that her 
 impression may be engraven both on His heart 
 and His arm, answering to His love and His poiver 
 (Ps. Ixxvii. 15; see Isa. Ixii. 3). The prayer of the 
 literal Zion here is answered in Isa. xlix. 16, 
 "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of 
 my hands." love is strong as death— (Rom. viii. 
 35-39.) This their love unto death flows from 
 His love unto death (John x. 15 ; xv. 13). jealousy 
 . . . the gTSive— zealous love, jealous of all that 
 would come between the soul and Jesus Christ 
 (Ps. cvi. 30, 31; Luke ix. 60; xiv. 26). cruel - 
 Hebrew, quasha : rather, unyielding, hard : as the 
 grave will not let go those whom it once holds 
 (John X. 28). a most vehement flame— lit., the 
 fire-flame of Jah or Jehovah (Isa. vi. 6). Nowhere 
 else is God's name found in the Song. The zeal 
 that burnt in Jesus Christ kindled in His followers 
 (Rom. XV. 30). 7. waters— in contrast with the 
 "coals of fire," which can be ordinarily quenched 
 wdth water [v. 6 ; 1 Ki. xviii. 33-38). Satan's water- 
 flood of persecutions (Acts. viii. I) cannot quench the 
 Cliurch's love (Heb. x. 34). Our many provocations 
 have not quenched His love (Rom. viii. 33-39). 
 if . . . give all the substance . . . contemned— 
 nothing short of Jesus Christ Himself, not even 
 heaven without Him, can satisfy the saint (Phil, 
 iii. 8). Satan offers the world, as to Jesus Christ, 
 so to the saint, in vain (iJohn ii. 15-17; v. 4). 
 Nothing but our love, in turn, can satisfy Him (1 
 Cor. xiii. 1-3). 
 
 8. We have a little sister— the Gentile Church 
 (Ezek. xvi. 48-53). "We," L e., the Hebrew 
 Church, which heretofore admitted Gentiles to 
 communion, only by becoming Judaic proselytes. 
 Now first idolatrous Gentiles are admitted directly 
 (Acts xi. 17-26). Generally, the saint's anxiety for 
 other souls (John iv. 28, 29). no breasts— neither 
 faith nor love as yet (note, ch. iv. 5), which "come 
 by hearing" of Him who first loved us. Not yet 
 fit to be His bride, and mother of a spiritual off- 
 spring, what we shall do for our sister— the chief 
 question in the early Church at the first council, 
 (Acts XV.) How shall "the elder brother" treat 
 the " younger," already received by the Father ? 
 
 (Luke XV. 25-32. ) Generally the first question of 
 every soul that has itself been brought to the 
 obedience of the heavenly King (Gal. vi. 10). in 
 the day when she shall be spoken for?— i. e., 
 when she shall be sought in marriage (Jud. xiv. 7), 
 viz., by Jesus Christ, the heavenly Bridegroom. 
 
 9. wall . . . door — the very terms employed as 
 to the Gentile question (Acts xiv. 27; Eph. ii. 14). 
 If she be a wall in Zion, founded on Jesus Christ 
 (1 Cor. iii. 11), we will not "withstand God" 
 (Acts XV. 8-11). But if so, we must not "build" 
 (Acts XV. 14-17) on her "wood, hay, stubble" (1 
 Cor. iii. 12), i. e., Jewish rites, &c.; but a "palace 
 of silver," i. e., all the highest privileges of church 
 communion (Gral. ii. 11-18; Eph. ii. 11-22). Image 
 from the splendid turrets " built" on the "walls" 
 of Jerusalem, and flanking the "door," or gate- 
 way. The Gentile Church is the " door," the type 
 of catholic accessibleness (1 Cor. xvi. 9) ; but it must 
 be not a mere thoroughfare, but furnished with a 
 wooden framework, so as not merely to admit, 
 but also to safely enclose. Cedar is fragrant, beau- 
 tiful, and enduring. 
 
 10. I (am) a wall, and my breasts like towers. 
 The Gentile Church's joy at its free admission to 
 Gospel privileges (Acts xv. 30, 31). She is one wall 
 in the spiritual temple of the Holy Ghost; the 
 Hebrew Church is the other: Jesus Christ, t^je 
 common foundation, joins them (Eph. ii. 11-22). 
 breasts . . . towers— alluding to the silver palace 
 which the bridal virgins proyjosed to build on her 
 {v. 9). "Breasts" of consolation (Isa. Ixvi. 11); 
 faith and love (1 Thess. v. 8): opposed to her i)re- 
 vious state, "no breasts " (v^ 8). Thus Ezek. xvi. 
 46, 61, was fulfilled, both Samaria and the Gentiles 
 being joined to the Jewish Gospel Church. But 
 the fulness of the accomplishment shall be when, 
 at Israel's restoration, all the Gentile nations, as 
 well as the Jews, shall suck and be satisfied with 
 the breasts of Jerusalem's consolations, and so, in 
 turn, shall themselves have breasts, becoming 
 spiritual mothers to their children, favour- 
 rather, 2)«'ace (cf. Rom. ix. 25, 26). The Gentile 
 Church, too, is become the Shulamite (ch. vi. 13), 
 or peace-enjoying bride of Solomon— i. e., Jesus 
 Christ, the Prince of Peace (Rom. v. 1; Eph. ii. 
 14). Reject not those whom God accepts (Acts xv. 
 8, 9). Rather, superadd to such every aid and 
 privilege (u 9). 11. Solomon had a vineyard. 
 The joint-church speaks of Jesus Christ's vine- 
 yard. It had been transferred from the J ews, who 
 had not rendered the fruits, to the Gentiles 
 (Matt. xxi. 33-43). Now Israel no more comjilaius 
 of herself, — " Mine own vineyard have I not kept 
 but "thou, 0 Solomon, must have a thousand" 
 [v. 12). at Baal-hamon— meaning the owner of a 
 midtitude: so Israel in Solomon's days (1 Ki. iv. 
 20); so Isa. v. 1, a very fruitful hill," abounding m 
 
The Church prayeth 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG VIIL 
 
 for Christ's coming* 
 
 He " let out the vineyard unto keepers ; 
 
 Every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand^^Vc^^ of silver. 
 
 12 My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: 
 Thou, 0 Solomon, 7nust have a thousand. 
 
 And those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred. 
 
 13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, 
 
 The companions hearken to thy voice: — ^ cause me to hear it. 
 
 14 ^Make haste, my beloved, 
 
 And ^be thou like to a roe or to a young hart 
 Upon the mountains of spices. 
 
 privileges, as. in numbers, he let out the vineyard 
 unto keepers— the Israelites (ch. i. 6, "They 
 made me the keeper of the vineyards" Matt. xxi. 
 33). every one for the fruit thereof was to hring 
 a thousand pieces— viz., silverlings^ or shekels. 
 The vineyard had 1,000 vines probably: a vine at a 
 silverling (Isa. vii. 23), referring to this passage. 
 12. My vineyard, which (is) mine, (is) before me. 
 "Mine" by grant of the true Solomon. Not 
 merely "let out to keepers," as in the Jewish 
 dispensation of ivories, but "mine" by grace. This 
 is "before me," i. e., in my power {Maurer). 
 thou, 0 Solomon, (must have) a thousand, and 
 those that keep the fruit thereof, two hundred. 
 But though no longer under constraint of " keep- 
 iog" the law as a mere letter and covenant of 
 works, love to Jesus Christ will constrain her the 
 more freely to render all to Solomon (1 Pet. ii. 16), 
 after having paid what justice and His will require 
 should be paid to others (1 Cor. vii, 29-31; ix. 14). 
 " Before me " may also mean ' I will never lose 
 sight of it' (contrast ch. i. 6) {Moody Stuart). 
 Siie will not keep it for herself, though so freely 
 given to her, but for His use and glory (1 Cor. xii. 
 7). The "two hundred" is thought by some to 
 mean a double tithe (two-tenths of the whole) paid 
 back by Jesus Christ as the reward of grace for 
 our surrender of all (the thousand) to Him (Heb. 
 vi. 10): then she and "those that keep" are the 
 same. But Jesus Christ pays hack not merely 
 two tithes, but His all, for our all (1 Cor. iii. 21-23). 
 
 13. 14. Conclusion. Thou that dwellest in the 
 gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice : 
 cause me to hear it— Jesus Christ's farewell 
 address to the bride, the spiritual Israel, before 
 parting from her at the Ascension, when about to 
 DC no longer visibly present, 1 am about to de- 
 part for a time ; let me meanwhile hear thy voice 
 of prayer and praise (ch, ii. 14; Ps. v. 3), "For what- 
 soever ye shall ask the Father in my name. He will 
 give it you" (John xvi. 2.3), "The gardens" are 
 
 B. C. 1014. 
 
 " Matt. 21.33. 
 
 Luke 20. 9. 
 ° Ps. 50. 15. 
 
 ch. 2. 14. 
 
 John 14.13. 
 14. 
 5 Flee 
 
 away. 
 
 Luke 19.12. 
 
 Rev. 22. 17, 
 20. 
 
 P ch. 2. 17. 
 
 the particular churches and congregations met for 
 worship, and forming parts of the universal Church. 
 "The companions" are the saints individually, 
 forming one general communion ; and the minis- 
 ters the vinedressers — e. g., Paul, &c. (Acts xv. 
 25, 26)— under her {vv. 11, 12): these ought to obey 
 her when she obeys Jesus Christ. Her voice, in 
 confession of sin, profession of faith, in prayer and 
 praiseSj to be heard continually by Jesus Christ, if 
 her voice before men is to be effective (ch. ii. 14, 
 end ; Acts xiii. 2, 3). 
 
 14. Make haste, my beloved. (See note, ch. ii. 
 17). As she began with longing for His first coming 
 (ch. i. 2), so she ends with praying for His second 
 coming (Ps. cxxx. 6; Hev. xxii. 20). Moody 
 Stuart makes the roe upon spices to be the musk- 
 deer. As there are four gardens, so four moun- 
 tains, which form not mere images, as Gilead, 
 Carinel, &c., but part of ijhe structure of the 
 Son^. (1.) Bether, or division (ch. ii. 17), God's 
 justice dividing us from God; (2.) Those "of the 
 leopards " (ch. iv. 8), sin, the world, and Satan ; 
 (3.) That "of myrrh and aloes" (ch. iv. 6, 14), the 
 sepulchre of Calvary; (4.) Those "of spices," 
 here parallel to "the hill of frankincense" (ch. 
 iv. G), where His soul had been for the three days 
 of His death ; and answering to heaven, where He 
 is a High Priest now, offering incense for us on the 
 fragrant mountain of His own finished work (Heb. 
 iv. 19; vii. 25; Rev. viii. 3, 4). Thus He surmounts 
 tlie other three mountains — God's justice, our sin, 
 and death. The mountain of spices is as much 
 greater than our sins as heaven is higher than 
 earth (Ps. ciii. 11). The abrupt unsatistied close, 
 with the yearning prayer for His visible coming, 
 shows that the marriage is future, and that to wait 
 eagerly for it is our true attitude (Tit. ii. 13 ; 2 Pet. 
 iii. 12). This verse is parallel to the disciples' 
 longing for the kingdom just before the Ascension — 
 " Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the 
 kingdom to Israel?" (Acts i. G.} 
 
I 
 
 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET 
 
 ISAIAH. 
 
 THE " vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, wliich he saw concerning Judah 
 and Jerusalem, in the ^ days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, 
 kings of Judah. 
 
 Hear, 0 heavens, and give ear, 0 earth : 
 For the Lord hath spoken, 
 I have nourished and brought up children, 
 And they have rebelled against me. 
 
 The ox knoweth his owner, — and the ass his maste/s crib : 
 But Israel '^doth not know, — my people doth not consider. 
 Ah sinful nation, — ^a people ^ laden with iniquity, 
 A "^seed of evil-doers, — children that are corrupters ! 
 They have forsaken the Lord, 
 
 They have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger. 
 They are ^ gone away backward. 
 
 B. C. 7C0. 
 
 CHAP. 1. 
 » Num. 12. 6. 
 Ps. 89. 19. 
 Jer. 23. 16. 
 
 1 Pet. 1. 11. 
 
 2 Pet. 1. 21. 
 ft 2 Ki. 16. 1. 
 
 " Jer. 9. 3, 6. 
 Rom. 1. 28. 
 2 Pet. 3. 5. 
 
 1 of heavi- 
 ness. 
 
 d ch. 57. 3. 4. 
 Matt. 3. 7. 
 
 2 alienated, 
 or, sepa- 
 r ited. 
 
 CHAP. T.— 1-31. 1. The vision of Isaiah. The 
 
 General Title or Programme applying to the 
 entire book: for the vision is spread over the 
 reigns of four kings, in the days of Uzziah, 
 Jotham, Ahaz, and HezeMah (2 Chr. xxxii. 32) 
 — Isaiah meaning, ' The Lord shall save:^ significant 
 of the subject of liis prophecies (cf. Introduction). 
 On "vision," see 1 Sam. ix. 9, and Introduc- 
 tion. Judah and Jerusalem. Other nations also 
 are the subjects of his prophecies, but only in 
 their relation to the Jews (chs. xiii. -xxiii. ) ; so also 
 the Ten tribes of Israel are introduced only in the 
 same relation (chs. vii.-ix). Jerusalem is particu- 
 larly specified, being the site of the temple, and 
 the centre of the theocracy, and the future throne 
 of Messiah (Ps. xlviii. 2, 3, 9). Jesus Christ is the 
 ' ' Lion of the tribe of Judah. " Uzziah— called also 
 Azariah (2 Ki. xiv. 21). The Old Testament pro- 
 phecies spiritually interpret the histories, as the 
 New Testament Epistles interpret the Gospels and 
 Acts. Study them together to see their spiritual 
 relations. The Pentateuch is the basis. The 
 Psalms, as well as the prophets, constitute the 
 inspired commentary on it. Isaiah prophesied for 
 only a few years before Uzziah's death ; but his 
 prophecies of that period (chs. i.-vi.) apply to 
 Jotham's reign also, in which he x)robably wrote 
 none; for ch. vii. enters immediately on Ahaz' 
 reign, after Uzziah, in ch. vi.; the prophecies under 
 Hezekiah follow next. 
 
 2. Hear, 0 heavens. The very words of Moses, 
 Deut. xxxii. 1 This implies that the law was the 
 charter and basis of all prophecy (ch. viii. 20). the 
 Lord hath s^o'ken— Jehovah : in Hebrew, the self- 
 existing and promise-fulfilling unchangeable One. 
 The Jews never pronounced this holy name, but 
 substituted Adonai. The English version Lord 
 in capitals marks the Hebrew Jehovah : though 
 Lord is rather equivalent to Adonai than Jeho- 
 vah. I have nourished . . . children (Exod. iv. 
 22), and they have rebelled against me— as sons 
 (Deut. xxi. 18) and as subjects, God being King in 
 the theocracy (ch, Ixiii. 10). and brought up— He- 
 brew, romamti; lit., elevated, viz., to peculiar pri- 
 5GG 
 
 vileges (Jer. ii. 6-8; Rom. ix. 4, 5). 3. The ox 
 knoweth his owner (Jer. viii. 7), and the ass 
 his master's crib— the stall where it is fed (Prov. 
 xiv. 4). Spiritually, the Word and ordinances. 
 The dumb brute teaches a lesson to man. It re- 
 cognizes man, its master; whereas man often dis- 
 owns his Lord, (but) Israel — the whole nation: 
 Judah as well as Israel in the restricted sense. 
 God regards His covenant i)eople in their designed 
 unity, doth not know — viz., his owner: as the 
 parallelism requires; i. e., does not recognize Him 
 as such (Exod. xix. 5, "a peculiar treasure unto me 
 above all people," answering to my people here). 
 This awful and stupid ingratitude reached its 
 height in the non-recognition of Christ by "His 
 own" (John i. 10, 11). doth not consider— attend 
 to his Master (ch. xli. 8), notwithstanding the 
 spiritTial food which He provides: answering to 
 C7-ib in the parallel clause (ch. xlix. 7). 4. Ah sin- 
 ful nation — Hebrew, goi: the term for the Gen- 
 tiles. Israel has now by sin become heathenized. 
 people — the peculiar designation of God's elect 
 nation (Hos. i. 10). That they should be laden 
 with iniquity is therefore the more monstrous. 
 Sin is an overwhelming load (Ps. xxxviii. 4; 
 Matt. xi. 28). a seed — another appellation of 
 God's elect (Gen. xii. 7; "a right seed," Jer. ii. 
 21; designed to be a "holy seed," ch, vi. 13), 
 but, awful to say, evil-doers, children— by adop- 
 tion (Hos. xi. 1), yet " evil-doers ;" not only so, but 
 corrupters of others (Gen. vi. 12): the climax. So 
 'a nation— people — seed — children' form an as- 
 cending climax. Corruptio optimi pessima— That 
 which ought to be best is, when corrupted, the 
 worst of all (Matt. vi. 23). they have provoked— 
 (Num. xiv. 11, 23; Deut. xxxi. 20; xxxii. 19.) 
 Pisca^or translates, despised— viz. , so as to provoke 
 (Prov. i. 30, 31). I prefer the English version, 
 ' They seemed to make it their set aim to provoke 
 God, who had adopted them as His children' (ch. 
 iii. 8; Ixv. 3). the Holy One of Israel— the 
 peculiar heinousness of their sin, that it was 
 against their God (Amos iii. 2). they are gong 
 away backward— lit., estranged (Ps. Iviii. 3), 
 
T he prophet exhorteth 
 
 ISAIAH 1. 
 
 to repentance. 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 Why ^should ye be stricken any more ? — ye will ^revolt more and more. 
 The whole head is sick, — and the whole heart faint. 
 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; 
 But wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores : 
 They have not been closed, n-either bound upy 
 Neither mollified with ^ointment. 
 
 Your ^country is desolate, — your cities are burnt with fire: 
 
 Your land, strangers devour it in your presence, 
 
 And it is desolate, ^as overthrown by strangers. 
 
 And the daughter of Zion is left — as a cottage in a vineyard. 
 
 As a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, — as a besieged city. 
 
 Except '^the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, 
 
 V/ e should have been as Sodoin, 
 
 A nd we should have been like unto Gomorrah. 
 
 Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of ^ Sodom; 
 Give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah : 
 To what purpose is the multitude of your ^ sacrifices unto me ? saith the 
 Lord: 
 
 I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, — and the fat of fed !)easts; 
 
 B. €. 760. 
 
 * ch. 9. 13. 
 Jer. 2. 30. 
 Jer. 5. 3. 
 Jer. C. 28. 
 Eze. 24. 13. 
 Heb. 12. 5, 
 
 8. 
 
 3 increase 
 
 revolt. 
 / Job 5. 18, 
 
 Ps. 38. 3. 
 
 Jer. 6. 14. 
 
 Jer. 8. 21. 
 22. 
 
 Matt. P. 12. 
 
 * Or, oil. 
 
 f Deut. 28.51. 
 
 5 as the 
 Gverlhrow 
 of stran- 
 gers. 
 
 h Eom. 9. 29, 
 
 f Ene. 16. 46. 
 
 ; Ps. :o. s. 
 
 5. Why [n^ '^r]— or, as Vulgate, On what part. 
 Image from a body covered all over with marks of 
 blows (Ps. xxxviii. 3). There is no part in which 
 you have not been smitten. But the LXX. 
 and Syriac support the English version, the 
 ■whole head is sick, &c.— not referring, as it is 
 commonly quoted, to their sins, much less to the 
 total deprarMy of human nature generally, but to 
 the universality of their punishment. However, 
 sin, the moral disease of the head, or intellect, and 
 the heart, is doubtless made its own punishment 
 (Prov. i. 31). "Sick"— lit., is in a state of sick- 
 ness (Gesenius). 'Has passed into sickness' 
 (Maurer). 6. From the sole of the foot eyen 
 unto the head (there is) no soundness in it— From 
 the lowest to the highest of the people: 'the an- 
 cient and honourable, the head; the prophet that 
 teacheth lies, the tail.' See Isa. ix. 13-16. He 
 first states their wretched condition^ obvious to all 
 [vv. 6-9) ; and then, not previously, their irreliuious 
 state, the cause of it. wounds- judicially inflicted 
 (Hos. v. 13). they have not been closed . . . 
 neither mollified with ointtnent. The art of medi- 
 cine in the East consists chiefly in external appli- 
 cations (Luke X. 34 ; Jas. v. 14). 7. Your country 
 is desolate, your cities (are) burnt with fire. 
 Judah had not in Uzziah's reign recovered from 
 the ravages of the Syrians in Joash's reign (2 Chr. 
 xxiv. 24), and of Israel in Amaziah's reign, (2 Chr. 
 XXV. 13, 23, &c.) Cf. Isaiah's contemporary, Amos 
 (iv. 6-11), where, as here [vv. 9, 10), Israel is com- 
 pared to "Sodom and Gomorrah," because of the 
 judgments on it by "fire," your land, stran- 
 gers devour it in your presence— before your eyes ; 
 without your being able to prevent them, and it 
 is desolate, &c.— lit. , there is desolation, such as is the 
 overthrow (to be looked for) /rom foreign invaders. 
 Dvitant foes are more merciless than neighbours to 
 a conquered country (Deut. xxix. 23). But the 
 description of Judah 's state politically and morally 
 is too strong to be limited to Isaiah's time. For 
 Uzziah and Jotham "did that which was right in 
 the sight of the Lord," a-nd Judah was prosperous. 
 The ulterior reference is to Messianic times, when 
 Judah "filled up the measure of their fathers' 
 sins "(Matt, xxiii. 32; 1 Thess. ii. 14-16), and so 
 I)rovoked God to bring upon them the " wrath to 
 the uttermost," in the destruction of Jerusalem 
 and the dispersion of the Jews by the Ptomans. 8. 
 567 
 
 the daughter of Zion — the city (Ps. ix. 14) Jeru- 
 salem and its inhabitants (2 Ki. xix. 21) ; dawjhter, 
 feminine singular being used as a neuter co^fcc^jVe 
 noun, comprehending all the sons (see below, marg. , 
 ch. xii. 6). [Maurer.) Metropolis or mo<Aer-city is 
 the corresponding term. The idea of youthful 
 beauty is included in daughter, is left— as a 
 remnant escaping the g6u6ral destruction, as a 
 Cottage— a Aw^, made to give temporary s/ieZ^er to 
 the care-taker of the vineyard, as a lodge — not per- 
 manent, as a besieged city [Netzurah) — rather, as 
 ' ' left " and v. 9 require, a city preserved — viz. , from 
 the desolation all round [Maurer). But the 
 LXX., Chaldaic, Arabic, and Syriac support the 
 English version. 9. Except the Lord of hosts had 
 left unto us, &c.— Jehovah of Sabaoth; i.e., God 
 of the angelic aiid" starry hosts (Ps. lix. 5; cxlvii. 
 4; cxlviii. 2). The latter were objects of idolatry, 
 called hence Sdbdisfn (2 Ki. xvii. 16). God is 
 above even them (! Chr. xvi. 26). 'The groves' 
 M'ere symbols of these starry hosts: it was their 
 worship of Sabaoth, instead of the Lord of Sabaoth, 
 which had caused the present desolation (2 Chr. 
 xxiv. 18). It needed no less a power than His to 
 preserve even ai very small remnant. Conde- 
 scending grace for the elect's sake, since He has 
 no need of us, seeing that He has countless hosts 
 to serve Him. we should have been (treated 
 judicially) as Sodom. We, as a State, are become 
 like Sodom in tnorals (as v.- 10 expressly declares). 
 It is well for us that God has not dealt with us 
 judicially, as He did with Sodom, according to 
 our condition morally. 
 
 10. Hear . . . ye rulers of Sodom— spiritually 
 (Gen. xix. ; Jer. xxiii. 14; Ezek. xvi. 46; Pev. xi. 8). 
 11. To what purpose is the multitude of your 
 sacrifices unto me ? God does not liei'c absolutely 
 disparage sacrifice, which is as old and universal 
 a:s sin (Gen. iii. 21 ; iv. 4), and sin is ailmost as old 
 as the world: bat sacrifice unaccompanied with 
 obedience of heart and life (1 Sa-m. xv. 22; Ps. 1. 
 9-l.S; li. 16-19; Hos. vi. 6). Positive: precepts are 
 onl5>' means; moral obedience is the end. Afore- 
 shadowing of the Gospel, when the One real sacri- 
 fice was to supersede all the shadowy ones, and 
 " bring in everlasting righteousness" (Ps. xl. 6, 7; 
 Dan. ix. 24-27; Heb. x. 1-14). I am full— to 
 satiety ; weary of the burnt offerings — burnt 
 whole, except the blood, which was sprinkled 
 about the alta^. the fat— not to be eaten by man, 
 
The prophet 
 
 ISAIAH 1. 
 
 promiseth grace. 
 
 And I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of ^ he-goats. 
 
 12 When ye come ^to appear before me, 
 
 Who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts ? 
 
 13 Bring no more vain oblations; — incense is an abomination unto me; 
 The new mcons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, 
 
 I cannot away with ; it is ^ iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 
 
 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: 
 They are a trouble unto me ; — I am weary to bear them. 
 And ^'when ye spread forth your hands, — I will hide mine eyes from you; 
 ' Yea, when ye ^make many prayers, — I will not hear : 
 Your hands are full of blood. 
 
 Wash ™you, make you clean ; 
 Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes ; 
 ^ Cease to do evil ; learn to do well ; — ''seek judgment, relieve the oppressed. 
 Judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 
 
 18 Come now, and ^let us reason together saith the LoRD: 
 Though your sins be as scarlet, ^they shall be as white as snow; 
 Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 
 
 19 If ''ye be willing and obedient, — ye shall eat the good of the land : . 
 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 B. C. 760. 
 
 6 great he- 
 goats. 
 
 7 to be seen. 
 Ex. 2X 17, 
 
 8 Or, grief. 
 Job 27. 9. 
 Pro. 1. 28. 
 
 ' 1 Tim. 2. 8. 
 
 9 multiply 
 prayer. 
 
 10 bloods. 
 ''^ Jer. 4. 14. 
 
 " Eom. 12. 9. 
 
 1 Pet. 3. 11. 
 " Mic. 6. 8. 
 " Or, 
 
 Tighten. 
 P 1 Sam. 12.7. 
 
 Jer. 2. 6. 
 
 Mic. 6. 2, 
 9 Ps, 61. 7. 
 
 Eev. 7. 14. 
 
 Deut. 2«. ]. 
 
 but burnt on the altar (Lev. hi. 4, 5, 11, 17). 12. 
 When ye come to appear before me— in the temple, 
 where the Shechinah, resting ou the ark, was the 
 symbol of God's presence (Exod. xxiii. 15; Ps. xlii. 
 2). who liath required this at your hand— as if 
 you were doing God a service by sucli hypocritical 
 offerings (Job xxxv. 7). God did require it (Exod. 
 xxiii. 17), but not in this spirit (Mic. vi. G, 7). to 
 tread my courts — areas, in which the worshippers 
 were. None but priests entered the temple itself. 
 13, Bring no more vain oblations — unbloody : 
 *' meat (old English sense, not Jiesli) offerings ;" i. e., 
 of flour, fruits, oil, &c. (Lev. ii. 1-13). Hebrew, 
 ' miuchah.' incense — put upon the sacrifices, 
 and burnt on the altar of incense. Type of prayer 
 (Ps. cxli. 2; Eev. viii. 3). the new moons— ob- 
 served as festivals (Num. x, 10; xxviii, 11-14), 
 with sacrifices and blowing of silver trumpets, 
 sabbaths — both the seventh day and the beginning 
 and closing days of the great feasts (Lev. xxiii, 24- 
 39). I cannot away with— oear. (it is) iniquity, 
 even the solemn meeting. Marnier translates, ' I 
 cannot hear iniquity and the solemn meeting' — 
 ?, e,, the meeting associated with iniquity; lit., the 
 closing day of the feasts, on which there was an 
 holy convocation: so the great days (Lev. xxiii. 
 38; John vii. 37) [nni'j?., from i^r, to close, or to 
 restrain, viz., from servile work], 14, your ap- 
 pointed feasts— the Sabbath, Passover, Pentecost, 
 Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles. 
 They alone were fixed to certain times of the year. 
 I am weary to bear them— (ch. xliii. 24.) 15. (Ps. 
 Ixvi, 18; Prov. xxviii. 9; Lam. iii, 43, 44.) when 
 ye spread forth your hands— in prayer (1 Ki. viii. 
 22), I will hide mine eyes from you . . . your 
 hands are full of blood— Hebrew, ' bloods,' pnt 
 for all heinous sins, persecution of God's servants 
 especially (Matt, xxiii. 35). It was the vocation of 
 the prophets to dispel the delusion, so contrary to 
 the law itself (Deut. x. 16), that outward ritualism 
 would satisfy God. It was the characteristic of 
 the Jews in Christ's time (to which there is an 
 Interior reference), that they " devoured widows' 
 houses, ^nd for a pretence made long prayers" 
 (Matt, xxiii. 14). 
 
 16. Wash you, make you clean. God saith to 
 the sinner. Wash you, &c., that he, finding his 
 inability to "make " himself "clean," may cry to 
 God, Wash me. Cleanse mo (Ps. li. 2. 7, 10). put 
 away the evil of your doings from befpye mine 
 
 eyes — not mere outward reformation before man's 
 eyes, who cannot, as God, see into the heart 
 (Jer. xxxii. 19). 17. seek judgment — justice, as 
 magistrates, instead of seeking bribes (Jer, xxii, 3, 
 10). judge (vindicate) the (cause of the) father- 
 less— (Ps. Ixviii. 5; Jas, i, 27.) 18. Come now. , . 
 let us reason together, God deigns to argue the 
 case with us, that all may see the just, nay, lov- 
 ing principle of His dealings with men (ch, xliii. 
 20). Though your sins be as scarlet— the colour 
 of Jesus Christ's robe when bearing onr "sins" 
 (Matt. XX vii. 28). So Rahab's thread, the type 
 (Josh ii. 18: cf. the "scarlet" used in cleansing 
 the leper. Lev. xiv, 4), The Eabbins say that 
 when the lot used to be taken, a scarlet fillet was 
 bound on the scapegoat's head, and after the 
 high priest had confessed his and the people's 
 sins over it, the fillet became widte; — the miracle 
 ceased, according to them, forty years before the 
 destruction of Jerusalem — i. e., exactly when 
 Jesus Christ was crucified — a remarkable admis- 
 sion of adversaries. The Hebrew [^jf, from 
 shanah, to repeat twice] for " scarlet " radically 
 means double-dyed: so the deep-fixed permanency 
 of sin in the heart, which no mere tears can wash 
 away, they shall be as white as snow— (Ps. li. 
 7.) Repentance is presupposed, before sins can 
 be made white as snow {vv. 19, 20) ; it, too, is God's 
 gift (Jer, xxxi. 18, end; Lam, v. 21; Acts v. 31). 
 though they be red— refers to "blood" (y. 15). 
 they shall be as wool — restored to its original 
 undyed whiteness. This verse shows that the 
 old fathers did not 'look only for transitory 
 promises ' (Article vii., ' Book of Common Prayer'), 
 For sins of ignorance, and such like, alone had 
 trespass offerings appointed for them; greater 
 guilt, therefore, needed a greater sacrifice, for 
 "without shedding of blood there was no remis- 
 sion ; " but none such was appointed, and yet 
 forgiveness was promised and expected ; there- 
 fore sj)iritual Jews must have looked for the One 
 Mediator of both the Old Testament and the New 
 Testament, though dimly understood. 
 
 19. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat 
 the good of the land. Temporal blessings in 
 *'the land of their possession " wero prominent in 
 the Old Testament promises, as suited to the 
 childhood of the Church (Exod. iii, 17), The New 
 Testament spiritual promises derive their imagery 
 from the former (Matt, v, 5). 
 
The wicked threatened 
 
 ISAIAH 1. 
 
 with destruction. 
 
 'I 
 
 20 But if ye refuse and rebel, — ye shall be devoured with the sword : 
 * For the mouth of the Lorb hath spoken it. 
 
 21 How is the faithful city become an harlot ! 
 
 It was full of judgment; — righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. 
 
 22 Thy silver is become dross, — thy wine mixed with Wtiter : 
 
 23 Thy * princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves : 
 Every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards : 
 They judge not the fatherless, 
 
 Neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. 
 
 24 Therefore saith the Lord, — the Lord of hosts, the mighty Onef of Israel, 
 Ah, ^I will ease me of mine adversaries, — and avenge me of mine enemies : 
 
 25 And I ^"will turn my hand upon thee, 
 
 And purely purge away thy dross, — and take away all thy tin : 
 
 26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, 
 And thy counsellors as at the beoinning : 
 
 Afterward thou shalt be called, — The city of righteousness. The faithful city. 
 
 27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and ^^her converts with righteous- 
 
 ness. 
 
 28 And the ^^destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall he 
 
 together, 
 
 And they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed. 
 
 20. the Lord hatli spoken it. Isaiah's prophe- 
 cies of temxjoral prosperity in the land in the 
 ev^ent of obedience, and vice versa, rest on the law 
 (Lev. xxvi. 3-33). God alters not His word (Num. 
 xxiii. 19). 
 
 21. How is the faithful city become an harlot ! 
 
 " Faithful " — as a wife (chs. liv. 5 ; Ixii. 5 ; Hos. ii. 
 19, 20). harlot— (Ezek. xvi. 28-35.) So the once 
 faithful " woman " becomes " the harlot " Babylon 
 in the New Testament (Rev. xii. 1-17 ; xvii. 1-6). 
 righteousness lodged in it (2 Pet. iii. 13) ; but 
 now murderers — murderous oppressors, as the 
 antithesis to righteousness requii'es (note, v. 15). 
 Blood- sheddiny, as the climax of sin, stands as 
 the summary of all kinds of sin which manifest 
 want of love to our fellow-man ; to hate is, in the 
 Bible view, to murder (1 John iii. 15). 22. Thy 
 silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with 
 water — Thy princes and people are degenerate in 
 solid v)orth ("silver," Jer. vi. 28, 30; Ezek. xxii. 
 18, 19), and in their use of the livinri Wwd ('the 
 undiluted wine,' Song vii. 9). mixed — mahid ; 
 lit., circumcised [Talmud). So the Arabic to 
 murder wine, for to dilute it. Like Moses, Deut. 
 X. 16, " Circumcise the foreskin of your hearts," 
 Isaiah glances at their tendency to rely on the 
 outward circumcision, without the inward spirit, 
 the true wine of the ordinance. 23. Thy princes 
 (are) . . . companions of thieves— by connivance 
 (Prov. xxix. 24). every one loveth gifts— (Ezek. 
 xxii. 12.) A nation's corruption begins M'ith its 
 rulers. 
 
 24. Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of 
 hosts — Adonai, Jehovah. the mighty One 
 of Israel — mighty to take vengeance, as be- 
 fore to save. Ah — Indignation. I will ease me 
 of mine adversaries — my long-tried patience will 
 find relief in at last punishing the guilty (Ezek. 
 V. 13). God's language condescends to human con- 
 ceptions, 25. I wUl turn my hand— not in wrath, 
 but in grace (Zech. xiii. 7). upon thee— as vv. 26, 
 27 show ; contrasted with the enemies, of whom 
 He will avenge Himself {v, 24), purely— lit., as 
 alkali purifies purge away thy dross . . . 
 
 tin — not thj/ sins, but the sinful persons (Jer. vi. 
 29); "enemies" (v, 24); degenerate princes (note, 
 V, 32)j intonningled with the elect " remnant " of 
 
 grace, and take away all thy tin — Hebrew, 
 bedil ; here the alloy of lead, tin, &c., separated 
 by smelting from the silver. The pious Bishop 
 Bedell took his motto from this. 26. I will re- 
 store thy judges as at the first — The early 
 and best days of Israel under Moses, Joshua, 
 Samuel, and the judges. As the degeneracy had 
 shown itself most in the magistrates [vv. 17-23), so, 
 at the " restoration," these shall be such as the 
 theocracy "at the first" had contemplated — viz., 
 after the Babylonish restoration in part and typi- 
 cally ; but fully and antitypically under Messiah 
 (chs. xxxii. 1 ; lii. 8 ; Jer. xxxiii. 7 ; Matt. xix. 
 28, " ye which have followed me, in the regenera- 
 tion, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne 
 of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, 
 judging the twelve tribes of Israel "). afterward 
 thou Shalt be called , . . The faithful city— no 
 longer " an harlot " (v. 21). 27. Zion shall be re- 
 deemed with judgment— temporally, civilly, and 
 morally; type of the spiritual ')'ede7n2Hio7i hy the 
 price of Jesus Christ's blood (1 Pet. i. 18, 19), the 
 foundation of "judgment" and "righteousness," 
 and so of pardon, and her converts with righ- 
 teousness. The judgment and righteousness are 
 God's first (ch. xlii. 21; Rom. iii. 26); so they be- 
 come man's when "converted" (Rom. viii. 3, 4) ; 
 typified in the display of God's "justice," then 
 exhibited in delivering his covenant people, 
 whereby justice or "righteousness" was pro- 
 duced in them, converts— so M aurer. But ma^-g. , 
 'they that return of her ' — viz., the remnant that 
 return from captivity. However, as Isaiah had 
 not yet expressly foretold the Babylonian cap- 
 tivity, the English version is better. 28. And the 
 destruction of the transgressors [~\?.p.]—lit. , the 
 breaking into shivers, as a potter's vessel (Rev. ii. 
 27). In announcing that "Zion shall be re- 
 deemed," this is not to give hope of escape to 
 apostate transgressors and rebels. Ministers 
 must so threaten the wicked as not to sadden 
 humble believers, and so to cheer believers as not 
 to strengthen the hands of sinners by letting them 
 take the promises to themselves. The prophets 
 hasten forward to the final extinction of the un- 
 godly (Ps. xxxvii. 20 ; Rev. xix. 20 ; xx. 15) ; of 
 which antecedent judgments are types. 29. they 
 
PropJiecy of 
 
 ISAIAH 11. 
 
 Christ's kingdom. 
 
 29 For they shall be ashamed of ^the oaks which ye have desired, 
 
 ^ And ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen. 
 
 30 Forye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, 
 And as a garden that hath no water. 
 
 31 And the strong shall be as tow, — ^^and the maker of it as a spark, 
 And they shall both burn together, — and none shall quench^/^^w2. 
 
 2 THE word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, 
 
 * That the mountain of the Lord's house-— shall ^ be established in the 
 
 top of the mountains. 
 And shall be exalted above the hills; — and all nations shall flow unto it. 
 
 3 And many people shall go and say. 
 
 Come ^ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, 
 To the house of the God of Jacob; 
 
 And he will teach us of his ways, — -and we will walk in his paths : 
 ^ For out of Zion shall go forth the law. 
 And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 
 
 4 And he ^shall judge among the nations, — and shall rebuke many people ; 
 And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, 
 
 B. C. 760. 
 
 Ch. 57. 5. 
 
 Eze. 6. W 
 
 Hos. 4. 13. 
 * ch. 65. 3. 
 
 ch. 66. 17. 
 
 Jer. 2. 20. 
 15 Or, and 
 
 his work 
 
 CHAf. 2. 
 
 Mic. 4. 1. 
 
 Acts 2. 17. 
 6 Ps. 68. 16. 
 
 Dan. 2. 35. 
 
 Eev. 14. 1. 
 1 Or, be pre- 
 pared. 
 " Zech. 8. 21. 
 d Luke 24.47. 
 
 John 4. 22. 
 « John 6. 22. 
 / Hos. 2. 18. 
 
 Joel 3. 10. 
 
 Mic. 4. 3. 
 
 Zech. 9. 10. 
 
 Shall toe ashamed (Eom. vi. 21) of the oaks. 
 
 Others translate {Eelim) elms; or else the terebinth 
 or turpentine trees. Groves were dedicated to idols. 
 Our Druids took their name from the Greek 
 for oaTcs. A sacred tree is often found in Assyrian 
 sculpture : the symbol of the starry hosts, Saba. 
 Hence the LXX., Syriac, and Arabic translate, 
 'the idols.' ye shall toe confounded for the gar- 
 dens—planted enclosures for idolatry ; the awful 
 counterpart of the garden of Eden. 30. ye shall toe 
 as an oak — ye shall be like the "oaks," the 
 object of your "desire" [v. 29). People become 
 like the gods they worship ; they never rise above 
 their level (Ps. cxxxv. 18). So men's sins become 
 their own scourges (Jer. ii. 19). whose leaf 
 fadeth. Contrast ch. vi. 13 as to the elect rem- 
 nant which 'shall survive. The leaf of the idol- 
 oak fades by a law of necessary consequence, 
 having no living sap or "water " from God. and 
 as a garden that hath no water. Righteous 
 retribution in kind is marked by the fact that 
 "garden" answers to "gardens" {v.- 29). 31. the 
 strong — powerful rulers (Amos ii. 9). shall toe as 
 tow, and the maker of it — rather, his work. 
 Piscator supports the English version, taking it 
 as a participle, pohel for a noun. So the LXX. , 
 Vulgate, Arabic, Syriac, Chaldaic, and Hebrew, 
 pohalo. as a spark. He shall be at once the 
 fuel, "tow," and the cause of the fire, by kind- 
 ling the first "spark." they shall tooth tourn 
 together — the wicked ruler and 'his work,' which 
 " is as a spark." 
 
 Remarks. — The prophet's name, Isaiah, which 
 means " the Lord shall save," is strikingly signifi- 
 cant of the substance of his prophecies. Salvation 
 for the chosen remnant, amidst judgments on the 
 apostate, is the grand theme which he sets forth. 
 The everlasting Law is the basis on which this, 
 the Evangelist among the prophets, rests his Gos- 
 pel-announcements. He appeals to "heaven and 
 earth " to stand aghast at the unnatural and mon- 
 strous perversity of Israel in that, though called 
 to the exalted privilege of being "children" 
 of God, they rebelled against the Father who 
 "nourished " and elevated them. The instinct of 
 the irrational " ox and ass " reproves the spiritual 
 dulness of man, the lower lord of creation. The 
 brute knows "its owner;" but man often turns 
 against the Almighty hand that feeds him. Above 
 570 
 
 all, such ingratitude is especially monstrous in the 
 case of the professing people of God. 
 
 CHAP. IL 1-22. — 1. The inscription. The 
 word — the revelation. 
 
 2. Same as Mic. iv. i. As the passage in Micah 
 is more connected with the preceding context than 
 it is here, Isaiah seems to have drawn it from 
 Micah, not vice versa, in the last days — i. e., 
 Messiah's ; especially the days yet to come, to 
 which all prophecy hastens, when "the house of 
 the God of Jacob," viz., at Jerusalem, shall be 
 the centre to which the converted nations shall 
 flock together (Ezek. xvii. 23 ; Luke ii. 31, .32 ; 
 Acts i. 6, 7), where 'the kingdom' of Israel is 
 regarded as certain, and the time alone uncertain 
 (Ps. Ixviii. 15, 16 ; Ixxii. 8, 11). the mountain of 
 the Lord's house shall toe estatolished in the top 
 of the mountains — the temple on mount Moriah : 
 type of the Gospel, beginning at Jerusalem, atfd, 
 like an object set on the highest hill, made so 
 conspicuous that all nations are attracted to it. 
 all nations shall flow unto it— as a broad stream 
 (ch. Ixvi. 12). 3. many people (peoples) shall go 
 and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the 
 mountain of the Lord. If the curse foretold against 
 Israel has been literally fulfilled, so shall the 
 promised blessing be literal. We Gentiles must 
 not, whilst giving them the curse, deny them their 
 peculiar blessing by spiritualizing it. he will 
 teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his 
 paths. The Holy Ghost shall be poured out for 
 a general conversion then, and the Jews shall be 
 the instruments whose ministry shall be blessed 
 in efl"eeting it (Jer. 1. 5 ; Zech. viii. 21, 23 ; Joel ii. 
 28). for out Of Zion shall go forth the law, and 
 the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Luke 
 xxiv. 47 is an earnest of the future relations of 
 Jerusalem to Christendom, (Eom. xi. 12, 15, "if 
 tlie fall of them be the riches of the world, and 
 the diminishing of them the riches of the Gen- 
 tiles, how much more their fulness ? . . . For if the 
 casting away of them be the reconciling of the 
 world, what shall the receiving of them be, but 
 life from the dead ? ") 4. he shall judge among 
 the nations— as a sovereign umpire and governor, 
 settling all controversies (cf. ch. xi. 4). and shall 
 retouke many people— argr^e, so as to convince 
 {Gesenius). (Job xxxii. 12 ; Hebrew% Hokiyach.) 
 Lowth translates, work conviction, they shall 
 
The terrible 
 
 ISAIAH 11. 
 
 day of the Lord, 
 
 And their spears into ^pruning-hooks: 
 Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, 
 Neither shall they learn war any more. 
 
 5 0 house of Jacob, — come ye, and let us ^walk in the light of the Lord. 
 
 6 Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, 
 Because they be replenished ^from the east. 
 
 And ^are soothsayers like the Philistines, 
 
 And they * please themselves in the children of strangers. 
 
 7 Their land also is full of silver and gold, 
 Neither is there any end of their treasures ; 
 
 Their land is also full of horses, — neither is there any end of their chariots : 
 
 8 Their land also is full of ^ idols ; — they worship the work of their own hands, 
 That which their own fingers have made : 
 
 9 And the mean man boweth down, — and the great man humbleth himself : 
 Therefore forgive them not. 
 
 10 Enter Hnto the rock, and hide thee in the dust, 
 For fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty. 
 
 1 1 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled. 
 
 And the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down. 
 And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. 
 
 12 For the day of the Lord of hosts 
 
 Shall he upon every one that is proud and lofty. 
 
 And upon every one that is lifted up, — and he shall be brought low: 
 
 13 And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, — that are high and lifted up, 
 And upon all the oaks of Bashan, 
 
 beat their swords into plowshares— in the East 
 resembling a short sword (cb, ix. 6;, 7 j Zech. ix. 
 10). 
 
 5. 0 house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk 
 in the light of the Lord. The connectiou is— As 
 Israel's high destiny is to be a blessing to all 
 nations (Gen. xii. 3), let Israel's children walk 
 worthy of it (Eph. v. 8, "walk as children of 
 light"). 6. Therefore [•'3]— rather, For: reasons 
 why there is the more need of the exhortation in 
 r. 5. thou— transition to Jehovah, Such rapid 
 transitions are natural when the mind is full of a 
 subject, hast forsaken thy people . . . because 
 they be replenished from the east— rather, filled; 
 viz., with the superstitions of the East, Syria, and 
 Chaldea. and are soothsayers— forbidden, Deut. 
 xviii. 10-14. like the Philistines— south-west of 
 Palestine, in antithesis to " the East." The Phil- 
 istines delighted in divinations (1 Sara. vi. 2). This 
 sin of dealing with familiar spirits reached its 
 height under Manasseh (2 Ki. xxi. 6), and shall be 
 a leading sin of the last days (Rev. xiii. 1.3; xxii. 
 L5), and they please themselves in the children 
 of strangers [pDB>, akin to p5D]— they join hands 
 with (Maurer); i. e., enter into alliances, matri- 
 monial and national, with heathen foreigners : for- 
 bidden, Exod. xxiii. 32; Neh. xiii. 23, &c. The 
 Hebrew means to have suffi,ciency {Buxtorf}. In- 
 stead of making God their all-sujicient satisfaction, 
 they please themselves with the corrupt ways of 
 foreign heathen. 7. Their land also is full of 
 silver and gold — forbidden to be heaped together, 
 Deut. xvii, 17. Solomon disobeyed (1 Ki. x. 21, 
 27). horses . . . chariots— forbidden, Deut. xvii. 
 16. Solomon disobeyed (1 Ki. x. 26). Horses 
 could be used effectively for war in the plains of 
 Egypt; not so in the hilly Judea. God designed 
 there should be as wide as possible a distinction 
 between Israel and the Egyptians. He would 
 have his people wholly dependent on Him, rather 
 than on the ordinary means of warfare (Ps, xx. 7). 
 571 
 
 Also, horses were connected with idolatry (2 Ki, 
 xxiii. 11): so the transition to "idols" {v. 8) is 
 natural. 8. Their land also is full of idols. The 
 repetition thrice {v. 7) of "their land is full " implies 
 how the fulness of material wealth tempts to the 
 fulness of idolatry, whether in the grosser form of 
 outward idols, or in the refined form of '^covetous- 
 ness, which is idolatry " (Col. iii. 5 ; Hos, viii. 4). 
 Not so much public idolatry, which was not sanc- 
 tioned in Uzziah's and Jotham's reign (see 2 Ki, 
 XV. 4, 35), as private. 9. the mean man — in rank ; 
 not morally base : opposed to the great man. The 
 former is in Hebrew Adam; the latter, ish. bow- 
 eth down— viz,, to idols. All ranks were idolaters, 
 therefore forgive them not— a threat expressed by 
 an imperative. Isaiah so identities himself with 
 God's will that he prays for that which he knows 
 God purposes. So Kev. xviii. 6, 
 
 10. Enter into the rock— poetical form of ex- 
 pressing that, such were their sins, they would be 
 obliged by God's judgments to seek a hiding-place 
 from his wrath (Rev. vi. 15, 16), hide thee in the 
 dust— in "caves of the earth" (Hebrew, dust), v. 
 19. for fear of the Lord— lit., from the face of the 
 terror of the Lord. 11. The lofty looks— lit,, the 
 eyes of pride (Ps. xviii, 27). shall be humbled— 
 by calamities, the Lord alone shall be exalted in 
 that day. God will so vindicate His honour "in 
 that day" of judgments, that none else "shall be 
 exalted" (Zech. xiv. 9). 
 
 12. For the day of the Lord of hosts (shall 
 be) upon every (one that is) proud. Man has 
 had many days. "The day of the Lord" shall 
 come at last, beginning with judgment— a never- 
 ending day, in which God shall be "all in all" 
 (1 Cor. XV. 28; 2 Pet. iii. 10). every — not 
 merely person, as the English version explains 
 it, but every thing on which the nation prided 
 itself. 13. And upon all the cedars of Lebanon 
 . , . oaks— image for haughty nobles and princes 
 (Amos ii. 9; Zech. xi. 1, 2: cf. Rev. xix. 18-21). 
 
Tke terrible 
 
 ISAIAH III. 
 
 day of the Lord, 
 
 1 4 And upon all the high mountains, — and upon all the hills that are lifted up, 
 
 15 And upon every high tower, — and upon every fenced wall, 
 
 16 And upon all the ships of Tarshish, — and upon all ^pleasant pictures. 
 
 17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, 
 And the haughtiness of men shall be made low; 
 And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day» 
 
 18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish. 
 
 19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, 
 And into the caves of ^ the earth, 
 
 For ^""fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, 
 When he ariseth ^to shake terribly the earth. 
 
 20 In that day a man shall cast ^ his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, 
 Which they made each one for himself to worship, 
 
 To the moles and to the bats ; 
 
 21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, — and into the tops of the ragged rocks, 
 For fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, 
 
 When he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. 
 
 22 Cease ''^ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; 
 For wherein is he to be accounted of? 
 
 3 FOR, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts. 
 Doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah 
 
 and upon all the oaks of Bashan— east of Jordan, 
 north of the river Jabbok, famous for fine oaks, 
 pasture, aud cattle. Perhaps in "oaks "there is 
 reference to their idolatry (ch. i. 29). 14. And upon 
 all the high mountains . . . hills— referring to the 
 "high places" on which sacrifices were unlawfully 
 offered, even in Uzziah's (Azariah's) reign (2 Ki. xv. 
 4). Also, places of strength, fastnesses in which they 
 trusted rather than in God. So v. 15. 15, tower 
 . . . wall. Towers were often made on the walls of 
 cities, fenced— strongly fortified. 16. And upon 
 all the ships of Tarshish— T'artessMs, in south-west 
 Spain, at the mouth of the Guadalquiver, neai- 
 Gibraltar. It includes the adjoining region. It 
 was a Phoenician colony : hence its connection with 
 Palestine and the Bible (2 Chr. ix. 21). The name 
 was also used in a wide sense for the farthest west, 
 as our West Indies (ch. Ixvd. 19 ; Ps. xlviii. 7 ; 
 Ixxii. 10). "Ships of Tarshish " became a phrase 
 for Hchly-laden and far-voyaging vessels. So our 
 'East Indiameu.' The judgment shall be on all 
 that minister to man's luxury (cf. Pev. xviii. 17- 
 19). and upon all pleasant pictures — ordered to be 
 destroyed (Num. xxxiii.52), because connected with 
 idolatry. Still to be seen on the walls of Nineveh's 
 palaces. It is remarkable that whereas all other 
 ancient civilized nations — Egypt, Assyria, Greece, 
 Pome — have left monximents in the fine arts, Judea, 
 whilst rising immeasurably above them in the pos- 
 session of ' the living oracles,' has left none of the 
 former. The fine arts, as in modern Pome, were 
 so often associated with polytheism, that God re- 
 quired His people in this, as in otlier respects, to 
 be separate from the nations (Deut. iv. 15-18). 
 Bat the Vulgate translation [nvpty] is perhaps 
 better, 'all that is beautiful to the sight;' not 
 only paintings, but all elaborately wrought orna- 
 ments. One comprehensive word (from a Hebrew 
 root, sakah, or sekah, to look at) for all that goes 
 before (cf. Pev. xviii. 12, 14, 16). 17. And the 
 loftiness of man shall be bowed down— repeated 
 from v. 11, for emphatic confirmation. 
 
 18. And the idols— Hebrew, ha-elilim; lit., vain 
 tilings, nothings (1 Cor. viii. 4). Fulfilled to the 
 letter. Before the Babylonian captivity the Jews 
 were most prone to idolatry ; in no instance ever 
 since. For the future fulfilment, see Zech. xiii. 2; 
 572 
 
 Rev. xiii. 15 ; xix. 20. Idolatry shall again be set 
 up, and then shall be utterly abolished. 19. And 
 they shall go into the holes of the rocks. Tlie 
 fulfilment answers exactly to the prophetical threat, 
 V. 10. they— the idol worshippers, and into the 
 caves— abounding in Judea, a hilly country ; hid- 
 ing-places in times of alarm (1 Sam. xiii. 6). for 
 fear of the Lord . . . when he ariseth to shake 
 terribly the earth— and the heavens also (Heb. xii. 
 26). Figure for severe and universal judgments. 
 
 20. In that day a man shall cast his idols . . . 
 to the moles — others translate mice. The sense is, 
 under ground, in darkness, and to the bats— un- 
 clean birds (Lev. xi. 19), living amidst tenantless 
 ruins, which shall result from ' the Lord terribly 
 shaking the eai'th ' (Pev. xi. 13). 
 
 22. The high ones [vv. 11, 13) on whom the people 
 trust, shall be ' brought low' (ch. iii. 2) ; therefcJre 
 cease ye from man— depend not on man instead of 
 on the Lord (Ps. cxlvi. 3-5). whose breath is in 
 his nostrils — and so liable to be taken from him at 
 any moment (Ps. civ. 29). 
 
 Bemarhs. — The kingdom of Christ is come 
 spiritually, but is not yet come visibly. It is 
 as yet only in the stage of the stone smiting the 
 image of the world-power. The time is yet to 
 come, termed here "the last days," wherein it 
 shall become " a great mountain, and shall fill the 
 whole earth." Jerusalem and its temple, which 
 is "the mountain of the Lord's house," shall be 
 the central seat of this glorious kingdom, which 
 shall be exalted above all earthly elevations. 
 Then shall the Lord's house at Jerusalem be "a 
 house of prayer for all nations," which it certainly 
 never yet has been. As to the means whereby 
 this consummation shall be brought about, Isaiah 
 here states that it shall be through "the Word of 
 the Lord going forth from Jerusalem." The pre- 
 sent Church, gathered by election from Jews and 
 Gentiles without distinction, is the fruit of the 
 gospel-preaching which has gone forth " among all 
 nations, beginning ai? Jerusalem." And the coin- 
 ing world-wide Church, comprising all kingdoms 
 of the earth as such, shall be the fruit of the 
 "Lord's restoring again the kingdom to Israel," 
 
 CHAP. HI. 1-26.— 1. For— continuation of ch. ii. 
 22. behold, the Lord {Adon), the Lord (Jehovah) 
 
ISAIAH III. 
 
 Calamities coming 
 
 " The stay and the staff, 
 
 The whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water, 
 
 2 The mighty man, and the man of war, 
 
 The judge, and the prophet, — and the prudent, and the ancient, 
 
 3 The captain of fifty, and ^ the honourable man, and the counsellor, 
 And the cunning artificer, and the ^eloquent orator. 
 
 4 And I will give ^children to be their princes, 
 And babes shall rule over them. 
 
 5 And the ^people shall be oppressed, every one by another. 
 And every one by his neighbour: 
 
 The child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient. 
 And the base against the honourable. 
 
 6 \\Tien a man shall take hold of his brother. 
 Of the house of his father, saying. 
 
 Thou hast clothing, be thou cur ruler, — and let this ruin he under thy hand 
 
 7 In that day shall ^ he swear, saying, — I will not be an ^ healer ; 
 For in my house is neither bread nor clothing : 
 
 ISldkQ me not a ruler of the people. 
 
 8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen ; 
 
 Because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, 
 To provoke the eyes of his glory. 
 
 9 The show of their countenance doth witness against them ; 
 
 upon Judah. 
 
 of hosts— therefore aUe to do as He says, doth — 
 present for future, so certain is the accomplish- 
 meut. take away from Jerusalem , . . the stay 
 . . . staff {mashheen, mashheenah) — the same 
 Hebrew word, the one masculine, the other femi- 
 nine, an Arabic idiom for all kinds of support. 
 What a change from the previous luxuries ! (ch. ii. 
 7.) Fulfilled iu the siege by Nebuchadnezzar, 
 and afterwards by Titus (Jer. xxxvii. 21; 
 xxxviii. 9). 2. The mighty man, and the 
 man of war — fulfilled under Nebuchadnezzar 
 (2 Ki. xxiv. 14). the prudent. The Hebrew 
 iquoseem) often means a soothsayer (Deut. xviii. 
 10-14): thus it will mean, the diviners, on whom 
 tliey rely, shall in that day fail. It is found in a 
 good sense, Prov. xvi. 10, "A divine sentence 
 (quesem) is in the lips of the king;" from which 
 passage the Jews interpret it a /jmf/ "'without" 
 whom Israel long has been (Hos. iii. 4). the 
 ancient— old and experienced (1 Ki. xiL 6-8). 3. 
 The captain of fifty— not only captains of thou- 
 sands, and centurions of a hundred, but even semi- 
 centurions of fifty, shall fail, the honourable — lit., 
 ofdif/nifed aspect the cunning artificer— skilful. 
 Fulfilled 2 Ki. xxiv. 14. The mechanic's business 
 will come to a stand-still in the siege and subse- 
 quent desolation of the State : artizans are no mean 
 " stay" among a nation's safeguards, the eloquent 
 orator — rather, as Vulgate, skilled in v)Mspering ; 
 i.e., incantation (Ps. Iviii. 5) Seech, viii, 
 
 19 below, and note on "prudent" {v. 2) above. 4. 
 And I will give children— in ability for governing : 
 antithesis to the "ancient" (see v. 12; Eccl. x, 16). 
 (to be) their princes, and babes shall rule over 
 them— "baljes" in warlike might: antithesis to 
 "the mighty" and "man of war." 5. the people 
 shall be oppressed, every one by another . . , 
 the child shall behave himself proudly against 
 the ancient. The anarchy resnlting under such 
 imbe:;ile rulers {o. 4); unjust exactions mutually; 
 the forms of respect violated (Lev. xix. 32). the 
 base— low-born. Comi)are the marks of "the last 
 days" (2 Tim. iii. 2), "men shall be lovers of their 
 ownselves . , . boasters, proud . . . disobedient to 
 parents . . . despisers of those that are good . . . 
 573 
 
 heady. . . highminded." 6. When a man shall take 
 hold of his brother, of the house of his father, 
 (sajdng), Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler. 
 
 Such will be the want of men of wealth and ability, 
 that they will "take hold of" (ch. iv. 1) the first 
 man whom they meet, having any property, to 
 make him "ruler." brother — one having no better 
 hereditary claim to be ruler than the "man" 
 supplicating him. Thou hast clothing— which 
 none of us has. Changes of raiment are wealth in 
 the East (2 Ki. v. 5). and (let) this ruin (be) under 
 thy hand — let our ruined aflairs be committed to 
 thee to retrieve. 7. In that day shall he swear- 
 lit., lift up; viz., his hand: the gesture nsed iu 
 solemn attestation. Or, Ins voice— i. e., ansiver: 
 so the Vulgate. I will not be an healer— of the 
 body politic, incurably diseased (ch. i. 6). for in 
 my house (is) neither bread nor clothing— so as 
 to relieve the people, and maintain a ruler's 
 dignity. A nation's state must be bad indeed 
 when none among men, naturally ambitious, is 
 willing to accept office. 
 
 8. For Jerusalem is ruined— reason given by 
 the i)rophct why all shrink from the government, 
 because their tongue and their doings (are) 
 against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his 
 glory — to provoke His "glorious" Majesty before 
 His "eyes" (cf. ch. xlix. 5, which are "purer 
 than to behold evil ;" Hab. i. 13). The Syriac, and 
 Lowth by a slight change of the Hebrew for 
 translate, ' the cloud of His glory,' the 
 Shechinah. 9. The show of their countenance. 
 The Hebrew means, ' that which may be known 
 by their countenances ' [nnan] (Gesenius). Maurer 
 translates, 'their respect for persons:' so the 
 Syriac and Chaldaic. But the parallel word 
 "declare" favours the other view. Kimchi, from 
 the Arabic, translates, their hardness (.Job xix. 3, 
 marfj.) or impudence of countenance (Jer. iii. 3). 
 They have lost not only the substance of virtue, 
 but its colour, doth witness against them— lit., 
 corresponds to them: their look answers to their 
 inner character (Hos. v. 5, note), they declare 
 their sin (Jude 13, "foaming out their own 
 shame ") — so far from making it a secret, ' glorying ' 
 
The oppression 
 
 ISAIAH III. 
 
 of the rulers. 
 
 And they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. 
 Woe unto their soul ! — for they have rewarded evil unto themselves. 
 10 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him; 
 For they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 
 Woe unto the wicked ! it shall be ill with him; 
 For the reward of his hands shall be ^ given him. 
 As for my people, children are their oppressors, 
 And women rule over them. 
 0 my people, ^ they which lead thee cause thee to err, 
 And destroy the way of thy paths. 
 
 13 The Lord standeth up to plead, — and standeth to judge the people. 
 
 14 The Lord will enter into judgment 
 
 With the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof : 
 For ye have ^ eaten up Hhe vineyard ; 
 The spoil of the poor is in your houses. 
 
 15 What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, 
 And grind the faces of the poor ? saith the Lord God of hosts. 
 
 Moreover the Lord saith. Because the daughters of Zion are haughty. 
 And walk with stretched forth necks, and ^wanton eyes. 
 Walking and ^^mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: 
 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab 
 The crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 in it (Pliil. iii. 19). they have rewarded evil unto 
 themselves. Cf. Prov. i. 31 ; viii. 36 ; Jer. ii. 19 ; 
 Eom. i. 27, '* receiving in themselves that recompence 
 of their error which was meet." 
 
 10. Say ye to the righteous, that (it shall be) 
 ■well (with him). The faithlessness of many is no 
 proof that all are faithless. Though nothing but 
 croaking of frogs is heard on the surface of the 
 pool, we are not to infer there are no fish beneath 
 (Bengel). See ch. i. 19, 20. for they shall eat the 
 fruit of their doings (Prov. i. 31)— in a good sense 
 (Gal. V. 22; vi. 8). Not salvation by works, but 
 by fruit-bearing faith (ch. xlv. 24 ; Jer. xxiii. 6). 
 At the same tmie, righteousness shall be its own 
 great reward. There is no arbitrary, but a natural 
 and necessary connection between the character which 
 is rewarded and the reward (Matt. v. 7). The 
 reward grows out of the character as naturally as 
 a fruit is developed from its own kind of tree. 
 The wicked man's work is not dignified, either in 
 the doing or in the judicial and natural result, 
 with the name fruit (Rom. vi. 21 ; Gal. v. 19, 22). 
 That honourable term is reserved for the doings of 
 the godly and their blessed results (Rev. xxii. 11, 
 14). 11. Woe unto the wicked, (it shall toe) ill 
 (with him)— antithesis to " well" {v. 10) : emphatic 
 ellipsis. The Hebrew is simply " ill ! " for the 
 reward of his hands shall toe given him. "Hands," 
 his conduct; hands being the instrument of acts 
 (Eccl. viii. 12, 13). 12. (As for) my people, chil- 
 dren (are) their oppressors, and women rule over 
 them— (see y. 4.) oppressors— lit., exactors; i.e., 
 exacting princes (ch, Ix. 17). They who ought to 
 be protectors are exactors : as unqualified for rule 
 as " children," as effeminate as " women." Perhaps 
 it is also implied that they were under the influ- 
 ence of their harem, the women of their court. 0 
 my people, they which lead thee cause thee to 
 err — Hebrew, they which call thee blessed {meash- 
 reJca); viz., the false prophets, who flatter the 
 people with promises of safety in sin: as the 
 political ^rulers,' are meant in the first clause, 
 and destroy the way of thy paths (Jer. vi. 16)— 
 the right way set forth in the law. "Destroy" — 
 Hebrew (Billeehu), swallow up; i. e., cause so utterly 
 to disappear that not a vestige of it is left. 13. 
 
 The Lord standeth up — no longer sitting in silence, 
 to plead—" by Are and by His sword," and con- 
 suming judgments, so as, however, to leave a rem- 
 nant. Indignant against a wicked people (ch. Ixvi. 
 16 ; Ezek. xx. 35). 14. The Lord will enter into 
 judgment with the ancients — hence they are 
 spoken of as " taken away" {vv. 1, 2). for ye have 
 eaten up the vineyard— the Jewish theocracy 
 (ch. V. 1-7; Ps. Ixxx. 9-13). eaten up — Hebrew 
 (bihhartem), burnt; viz., by 'oppressive exactions' 
 {v. 12). Type of the crowning guilt of the hus- 
 bandmen in the days of Jesus Christ, which is the 
 ulterior reference here (Matt. xxi. 34-41). the spoil 
 of the poor is in your houses— (Matt, xxiii. 14.) 
 15. What mean ye (that) ye toeat my people to 
 pieces ?— What right have ye to beat ? &c. (Ps. xciv, 
 5; Mic. iii. 2, 3.) grind — by exactions, so as to 
 leave them nothing, the faces of the poor. 
 " Faces," the persons, with the additional idea of it 
 being openly and palpably done. Presence is 
 expressed by \face.'' 
 
 16. Because the daughters of Zion are haughty. 
 Luxury had become great in Uzziah's prosperous 
 reign (2 Chr. xxvi. 5, 15). and walk with 
 stretched forth necks— necks proudly elevated 
 (Ps. Ixxv. 5). and wanton eyes— Hebrew [mesha- 
 ququeroth, from shaquar, to deceive), 'deceiving 
 with their eyes.' But Buxtorf and Mercer write it 
 mesaququeroth (from saquar, to wink and throw 
 wanton looks). Winking wantonly (Chaldaic, sequar^ 
 to gaze at): making the eyes to glance about— viz. ^ 
 wantonly (Prov. vi. 13). So the LXX., Vulgate, 
 Syriac, and Arabic. Lowth, after the Chaldaic, 
 'falsely setting oS" the eyes with paint.' Women's 
 eyelids in the East are often coloured with stibium, 
 or powder of lead, (note. Job xlii. 14; Jer. iv. 30, 
 marg.) mincing as they go — tripping with short 
 steps, tinkling with their feet— with their ankle- 
 rings on both feet, joined by small chains, which 
 sound as they walk, and compel them to take short 
 steps : sometimes little bells were attached {vv. 18, 
 20). 17. Therefore the Lord will smite with a 
 scato — Hebrew, sipach; cf. ch. v. 7, marg.; Lev, 
 xiii. 2, 6. Others take it, make bald— \iz., by 
 disease, or else by the enemy shaving off the hair, 
 as is done to slaves. The LXX., Arabic, Vulgate, 
 
Judgments bemuse of 
 
 ISAIAH IV. 
 
 the pride of women. 
 
 And the Lord will discover their secret parts. 
 In that day the Lord will take away 
 The bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, 
 And their cauls, and their round tires like the moon. 
 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers. 
 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the head-bands, 
 And the tablets, and the earrings, — the rings, and nose jewels, 
 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles. 
 And the wimples, and the crisping pins. 
 The glasses, and the fine linen, — and the hoods, and the veils. 
 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; 
 And instead of a girdle a reat — and instead of well-set hair baldness; 
 And instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth ; 
 And burning instead of beauty. 
 
 25 Thy men shall fall by the sword,— and thy ^^mighty in the war. 
 
 26 And her gates shall lament and mourn ; 
 
 And she, being ^''desolate, shall sit upon the ground. 
 4 AND in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, sayings 
 We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel .; 
 Only ^let us be called by thy name,— ^ to take away our "reproach. 
 
 IS 
 
 B. C. 
 
 11 make 
 naked. 
 
 12 Or, caps 
 of net- 
 work. 
 
 13 Or sweet 
 balla. 
 
 H Or. 
 spangled 
 oruaments. 
 
 15 houses of 
 breath, or, 
 perfume 
 boxes. 
 
 16 might. 
 
 17 cleansed, 
 or, emptied. 
 
 CHAP. 4. 
 
 1 let thy 
 name be 
 called 
 upon us. 
 
 2 Or, take 
 thou away. 
 
 « Luke 1. 25. 
 
 Syriac, and Chaldaic translate by terms meaning to 
 humble. To deprive a woman of her hair is to take 
 away "her glory given her for a covering''^ (1 Cor. 
 xi. 15). the Lord will discover their secret parts, 
 lie will cause them to suffer the greatest indignity 
 that can befall female captives — viz., to he stripped 
 naked, and have their persons exposed (oh. xlvii. 
 3: cf. with ch, xx. 4). 18. the bravery— ^Ae finery.. 
 tinkling— (see v. 16.) ^auls— Hebrew, shehisim, 
 net-worh for the head. Or else, from an Arabic 
 root, little suns, answering to the tires, or neck- 
 ornaments (Hebrew, saharonim). like the moon 
 — (Jiidg. viii. 21, marg.) The chumarah or crescent 
 is still worn in front of the head dress in western 
 Asia. 19. chains — Hebrew, hannetiphoth, from 
 natajjh, to drop : pendants hanging about the neck 
 and dropping on the breast. Or else pendant scent- 
 hottles, containing drops of pjerfume: so the Hebrew 
 commentators, mufflers— reiYs covering the face, 
 with apertures for the eyes, close above and loosely- 
 fiowing below. Hebrew, harhhaloth, from rahal, 
 to tremble. The word radically means tremidous, 
 referring to the changing effect of the spangles on 
 the veil. 20. bonnets— tiaras, or turbans, orna- 
 ments of the legs— the short ste2)pi'ng chains from 
 one foot to another, to give a measured gait; 
 attached to the "tinkling ornaments" {v. 16). 
 tablets— rather, houses of the breath, i. e., smelling- 
 boxers (Vulgate), earrings — rather, amulets sus- 
 pended from the neck or ears, with magic formulae 
 inscribed ; the root means to v^hisper or conjure 
 (Hebrew, lechashim, from lachash): cf. note, v. 3, 
 "the eloquent orator," and ch. ii, 6. 21. nose 
 jewels. The cartilage between the nostrils was 
 bored to receive them: they usually hung from 
 the left nostril. 22. The changeable suits of 
 apparel. Here begin entire articles of apparel. 
 Those before were single ornaments, changeable 
 — from a root, toputoff {machalatzoth, from clialatz): 
 not worn commonly; put on and off on special 
 occasions. 8o dress-clothes (Zech. iii. 4, "change 
 of raiment.") mantles— fuller tunics with sleeves, 
 worn over the common one, reaching down to the 
 feet. ^ wimples— i. e. , mufflers, or hoods. In Euth 
 iii. 15, veils : perhax^s here a broad cloalc, or shawl, 
 thrown over the head and body, crisping pins— 
 chariiim, akin to the Arabic kartah, a purse; rather, 
 money hags attached to the girdle (2 Ki. v. 23). 
 575 
 
 23. glasses — mirrors of polished metal (Exod. 
 xxxviii. 8). hoods {hatzniphoth, from tzanaph, to 
 wrap round) — mitres, or diadems for the head (ch. 
 Ixii. 3; Zech. iii. 5). veils— large enough to cover 
 the head and person. Distinct from the smaller 
 veils ("mufflers") above (Gen. xxiv. 65). Token 
 of woman's subjection (1 Cor. xi. 10). 24. instead 
 of sweet smell there shall be stink — aiising 
 frx)m ulcers (Zech, xiv. 12). instead of a girdle- 
 to gird up the loose eastern garments when the 
 person walked, a rent— the LXX., Arabic, and 
 Vulgate translate, a rope, an emblem of iwverty: 
 the poor have nothing else to gird up their clothes 
 with. But the Hebrew [nop^] favours the English 
 version (from naquaph, to rend or break), instead 
 of well-set hair (1 Pet, iii. 3, 4) baldness— (v. 
 17.) instead of a stomacher— a broad plaited 
 girdle, sackcloth— (2 Sam. iii. 31.) burning 
 instead of beauty— a siLit-burnt countenance, owing 
 to their hoods and veils being stripped off, whilst 
 they had to work as captives under a scorching 
 sun (Song i. 6). 25. Thy men— of Jerusalem. 26. 
 her gates shall lament. The place of concourse 
 personified is represented mourning for the loss of 
 those multitudes which once frequented it. she 
 being desolate shall sit upon the ground— the 
 very figure under which Judea was represented on 
 medals after the destruction by Titus; a female 
 sitting under a palm-tree in a posture of grief ; the 
 motto, Judea capta (Job ii. 13; Lam, ii. 10), where- 
 as here, primarily, the destruction by Nebuchad- 
 nezzar is alluded to, but ultimately that under 
 the Roman Titus, 
 
 Remarks. — When God takes away the earthly 
 stays of men, they have nothing to mil back upon 
 for help. Might, valour, and prudence avail only 
 so long as God is not against a nation These all 
 fail the moment when the Lord wills it, "JerU' 
 salem is ruined and Judah fallen, because their 
 tongue and their doings were against the Lord, to 
 
 Erovoke" Him before His "eyes." Herein we 
 ave a sample of God's principle of dealing with 
 nations and individuals. Shameless sin brings on 
 shameful punishment [v. 9). Evil recoils on the 
 evil-speaker and evil-doer as the only " reward " 
 of his pains. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 1-6.-1. In thatday-the calamitous 
 period described last chapter, seven women— put 
 
I 
 
 The blessings 
 
 ISAIAH IV. 
 
 of Christ's kingdom. 
 
 In that day shall ^ the branch of the Lord be ^ beautiful and glorious, 
 And ^ the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely 
 * For them that are escaped of Israel. 
 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, 
 And he that remainetli in Jerusalem, — shall be called holy, 
 Eveti every one that is written ^ among the living in Jerusalem : 
 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, 
 And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof 
 By the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. 
 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of mount Zion, 
 And upon her assemblies, 
 
 '^A cloud and smoke by day, — and the shining of a flaming fire by night: 
 For ^upon all the glory shall be'^a, defence. 
 
 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day-time from the heat, 
 And for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain. 
 
 B. C. 760. 
 
 6 ch. 11. 1. 
 ch. 60. 21. 
 Jer. 23, 5. 
 Jer. 33. 15. 
 Zech. 3. <». 
 
 2 beauty and 
 
 glory. 
 " Kom. 1.3,4. 
 * f r the 
 
 escaping of 
 
 Israel. 
 5 Or, to life. 
 <i Ex. 13. 21. 
 
 Deut. 1. 33. 
 
 1 Cor. 10. 1, 
 2. 
 
 « Or. above. 
 
 7 a coverii'R. 
 
 for an indefinite number. So many men would be 
 slain that there would be very many more women 
 than men; e.g., seven women, contrary to their 
 natural bashfulness, would fiue to (equivalent to 
 " take hold of," ch. iii. 6) one man to marry them. 
 We will eat our own bread— foregoing the claim of 
 maintenance, which the law (Exod, xxi. 10) gives 
 to wives, when a man has more than one. only 
 let us be called by thy name, to take away our 
 reproacli— of being unwedded and childless ; espe- 
 cially felt among the Jews, who were looking for 
 " the seed of the woman," Jesus Christ, described 
 in V.2; ch. liv. 1, 4; Luke i. 25. 
 
 2. In that day shall the branch of the Lord be 
 beautiful and glorious. In contrast to those on 
 whom vengeance falls, there is a manifestation of 
 Jesus Christ to the "escaped of Israel" in His 
 characteristic attributes, beauty and glorj/, typified 
 in Aaron's garments (Exod. xxviii. 2). Their 
 sanctification is promised as the fruit of their being 
 "written" in the book of life by sovereign love 
 [v. 3). The means of it are the "spirit of judg- 
 ment" and that of "burning" {i\ 4). Their " (Ze- 
 fence'''' by the special presence of Jesus Christ is 
 promised {vv, 5, 6). branch— ^Ae sprout o/ Jehovah, 
 Messiah, (Jer. xxiii. 5 ; xxxiii. 15 ; Zech. iii. 8 ; vi. 
 12; Luke i. 78, marg.) The parallel clause does 
 not, as Maurer objects (translating the produce of 
 the Lord— viz, of the Holy Land), oppose this ; for 
 "fruit of the earth " answers to "branch." He 
 shall not be a dry, but a fruit-bearing branch (ch. 
 xxvii. 6; Ezek. xxxiv. 23-27). the fruit of the 
 earth (shall be) excellent and comely for them 
 that are escaped of Israel. He is " of the earth " 
 in His birth and death, whilst He is also " of the 
 Lord " {JehovaJi) ( John xii. 24). His name, " the 
 Branch," chiefly regards His descent from David, 
 tvhen the family was low and reduced (Luke ii. 4, 7, 
 24) ^ a sprout, with more than David's glory, 
 springing as from a decayed tree (chs. xi. 1 ; liii. 2 ; 
 llev. xxii. 16). excellent — (Heb. i. 4; viii. 6.) 
 comely— (Song v, 15, 16; Ezek. xvi. 14.) escaped 
 of Israel — the elect remnant (Rom. xi. 5) : (1.) In 
 the return from Babylon; (2.) In the escape from 
 Jeinisalem's destruction under Titus; (3.) In the 
 still-future assault on Jerusalem, and deliverance 
 of 'the third part' — events mutually analogous, 
 like concentric circles, (Zech. xii. 2-10 ; xiii. 8, 9, 
 &c.'; xiv. 2; Ezek. xxxix. 23-29; Joel iii.) 3. (he 
 that is) left in Zion— answering to " the escaped of 
 Israel " {v. 2). shall be called— shall be (ch. ix. 6). 
 holy— (chs. Iii. 1; Ix. 21 ; Rev. xxi. 27.) everyone 
 that is written— in the book of life, autitypically 
 (Phil. iv. 3; Rev. iii. 5; xvii. 8). Primarily, in the 
 register kept of Israel's families and tribes, among 
 the living— not "blotted out" from the registry 
 576 
 
 as dead^ but written there as among the " escajjed 
 of Israel" (Dan. xii. 1 ; Ezek. xiii. 9). To the elect 
 of Israel, rather than the saved in general, the 
 special reference is here, (Joel iii. 17, " So shall 
 ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in 
 Zion, my holy mountain ; then shall Jerusalem be 
 holy," &c.) 4. When— i e. After that, the Lord 
 shall have washed away— (Zech. xiii. 1.) the filth 
 —moral (ch. i. 21-25). of the daughters of Zion— 
 the same as in ch. iii. 16. and shall have purged 
 —purified by judgments ; destroying the ungodly, 
 correcting and refining the godly, the blood— (ch. 
 
 i. 15, note.) by the spirit of judgment. Whatever 
 God does in the universe, He does by His Spirit, 
 "without the hand" of man (Job xxxiv. 20; Ps. 
 civ. 30). Here He is represented using His power 
 as Judge, and by the spirit of burning --(Matt, 
 iii. 11, 12.) The same Holy Ghost who sanctifies 
 believers by the fire of affliction (Mai. iii. 2, 3) 
 dooms unbelievers to the fire of perdition (1 Cor. 
 iii. 13-15). 5. the Lord will create — the 'new 
 creation' needs as much God's creative omnipo- 
 tence as the material creation (2 Cor. iv. 6 ; Eph. 
 
 ii. 10). So it shall be in the case of the Holy 
 Jerusalem to come (ch. Ixv. 17, 18, " Behold, I 
 create new heavens and a new earth . . . be ye 
 glad and rejoice for ever in that which I creatfe ; 
 for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and 
 her people a joy"), upon every dwelling-place 
 (Hebrew, melon, a prepared place ; a sure and fixed 
 seat, as opposed to a shifting tent) of mount Zion, 
 and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by 
 day. The pillar of cloud stood over the tabernacle, 
 as symbol of God's favour and presence (Exod. 
 xiii. 21, 22 ; Ps. xci. 1). Both on individual families 
 ("every dwelling") and on the general sacred 
 "assemblies" (Lev. xxiii. 2). The "cloud'' be- 
 came a "fire" by night, in order to be seen by the 
 Lord's people, for upon all the glory shall be a 
 defence — 'upon the glorious whole;' viz., the 
 Lord's i^eople and sanctuary. Or else, ' ujion 
 whatever the glory (the Shekinah spoken of in the 
 previous clause) shall rest, there shall be a de- 
 fence'— /i/., 'upon the whole the glory shall be 
 the defence' or covering. The symbol of His pre- 
 sence shall ensure also safety. So it was to Israel 
 against the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Exod. xiv. 
 19, 20). So it shall be to literal Jerusalem here- 
 after (Zech. ii. 5, "I, saith the Lord, will be unto 
 her a wall of fire round about, and will be the 
 glory in the midst of her"). Also to the Church, 
 the spiritual "Zion" (chs. xxxii. 18; xxxiii. 15-17; 
 Heb. xii. 22). 6. there shall be a tabernacle for 
 a shadow in the day-time from the heat, and for 
 a place of refuge— Christ's body (John i. 14). ' The 
 Word tabernacled [Greek for " dwelt," eo-K^/i/wo-eJ 
 
1~~ 
 
 ' The parahte 
 
 ISAIAH V. 
 
 of a Tineyard. 
 
 5 NOW will I sing to my well-beloved b. c. reo. 
 
 A song of my beloved touching ^ his vineyard. ^ chap. 5. 
 
 My well-beloved hath a vineyard— in ^ a very fruitful hill : \ ^^^^^ ^^^^^-^ 
 
 2 And he ^ fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, 
 
 the ion of 
 
 And planted it with the choicest vine, ^ oii. 
 
 And built a tower in the midst of it —and also ^ made a winepress therein : ' ^^^^^f"^^ 
 
 ^And he looked that it should bring forth grapes, about it. 
 
 And it brought forth wild grapes. ^ hewed. 
 
 3 And now, 0 inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, " ^' 
 
 among us' (John ii. 21; Heb. viii. 2, "the true 
 tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man"). 
 It is a " shadow fi-om the heat and " refuge from 
 the storm" of divine wrath against man's sins (ch, 
 XXV. 4). Heat and storms are violent in the East ; 
 so that a portable tent is a needful part of a 
 traveller's outfit. Swch shall be God's wrath here- 
 after, from which the " escaped of Israel " shall be 
 sheltered by Jesus Christ (chs. xxvi. 20, 21; xxxii. 
 2). covert — answering to " defence " {v. 5). The 
 Hebrew [Hen, cliupah, from chaphapli, to cover] 
 for defence in i\ 5 is ' covering.' The lid of the ark, 
 or mercy-seat, was named from a Hebrew word of 
 similar sound and sense, caporeth, from caphar : 
 the propitiatory for it, being sprinkled with blood 
 by the high priest once a year, on the day of atone- 
 ment, covered the people typically from wrath. 
 Jesus Christ is the time Mercy-seat, on whom the 
 Shekinah rested, the propitiatory [HTiGD, iXacmi- 
 piov], or atonement, beneath whom the law is kept, 
 as it was literally within the ark, and man is covered 
 from the storm. The redeemed Israel shall also 
 be, by union with Him, "a tabernacle" for God's 
 glory, which, unlike that in the wilderness, " shall 
 not be taken down " (ch. xxxiii. 20). 
 
 Remarks — In contrast to the consuming judg- 
 ments about to fall on the reprobate stand the 
 sparing, preserving, and ultimately sanctifying 
 mercies which are in store for the elect remnant, 
 "the escaped of Israel." Messiah, as "the Branch 
 of the Lord," in that day shall be to them "beauty 
 and glory." The means of sanctification are the 
 same in the Church as in the literal Israel. The 
 "fountain opened for uncleanness," the blood of 
 Jesus Christ, " washes away the filth " and guilt ol 
 all believers, and the Holy Spirit, by chastening 
 "judgments," convicts of sin, and hy the fire of 
 tri; Is purifies and refines them. It is infinitely 
 better now to pass through purifying fires than 
 hereafter to be doomed with the wicked to the 
 destroying fire for ever. 
 
 CHAP. V. 1-30. — Parable of Jehovah's 
 Vineyard. A new prophecy, entire in itself. 
 Probablj^ delivered about the same time as chs. 
 ii. and iii., in Uzziah's reign, Cf. vv. 15, 16 with 
 ch. ii. 17 ; and v. 1 with ch. iii. 14. However, 
 the close of the chapter alludes generally to the 
 still distant in vasion of Assyrians in a later reign 
 (cf. V. 26 with ch. vii. 18; and v. 25 with ch. ix. 
 12). When the time drew nigh, according to the 
 ordinary proijhetic usage, he handles the details 
 more particularly (chs. vii., viii.) — viz., the calami- 
 ties caused by the Syro-Israehtish invasion, and 
 subsequently by the Assyrians whom Ahaz in- 
 vited to his help. 
 
 1. Now wlU I sing to my well-beloved— to [^], 
 rather, concerning (Gesenius), for; i. e., in the 
 person of my beloved, as His representative 
 Witringa), Of for—i. e.., in honour of God, my 
 Beloved (Grotius), on whose account I aw jep,lou3 
 lest the laraelitea should transfer their affection 
 to another (Calvin), Isaiah gives a hint of tl:e 
 4istinctiou and yet unity of the Diviue Persons 
 VQu ni. 677 
 
 (cf. Re with /, vv. 2, 3). a song of my beloved- 
 inspired by Him. Cf, Deut. xxxi. 19, 21, "write 
 ye this song for you . . . that this song may be a 
 witness for me against the children of Israel;" 
 so Deut. xxxii. 1 is referred to in ch. i. 2. The 
 Pentateuch is the basis of prophecy, 'The 
 Beloved' is Jehovah, the Second Person, the 
 "Angel" of God the Father, uot merely in His 
 character as incarnate Messiah, but as God of the 
 Jews (Exod. xxiii. 20, 21 ; xxxii. 34 ; xxxiii. 14). 
 The phrase "my beloved," is drawn from Can- 
 ticles. Christ is the Beloved of the Father, and 
 the Beloved of the Church, the Bride (Matt. iii. 
 17 ; Song i. 13, 14). My well-beloved hath a 
 vineyard (ch. iii. 14; Ps. Ixxx. 8, &c.) — the 
 Jewish covenant people, separated from the na- 
 tions for His glory, as the object of His iieculiar 
 care (Matt. xx. 1 ; xxi. 33). Jesus Christ in the 
 "vineyard" of the New Testament Church is the 
 same as the Old Testament Angel of the Jewish 
 covenant, in a very fruitful hill— lit., a horn 
 (peak, as the Swiss shreckliorn) of the son of oil ; 
 poetically, for very fruitful. Suggestive of isola- 
 tion, security, and a 'Sunny aspect. Isaiah alludes 
 plainly to the Song of Soloiuon (Song vi. 3 ; viii. 
 11, 12) in the words His vineyard," and my 
 beloved." Other instances of like allusions occur 
 (cf. chs. xxvi. 20, Ixi. 10, with Song i. 4, iv. 10). 
 The transition from "branch" (ch. iv. 2) to "vine- 
 yard " here is not unnatural. 2. he fenced it— 
 digged and trenched the ground to prepare it for 
 planting the vines (Maurer). But Buxtorf as the 
 English version. God with His protection fenced 
 Israel from the inroads of neighbouring states, 
 and planted it with the choicest vine — Hebrew, 
 soreequ. It perhaps takes its name from Sorek, 
 mentioned in Judg. xvi. 4, not far from Eshcol, 
 which was famed for its gra])es. The name of 
 The Sorek grape appears still in Morocco, serhi. 
 The grapes had scarcely perceptible stones ; the 
 Persian kishmish or bedana, i. e., without seed 
 (Gen. xlix. 11). God planted holy patriarchs, 
 Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, and the 
 Judges in the land. The blame of the waldness of 
 The grapes cannot be laid on the seed from which 
 they spring, and built a tower— to watch the 
 vineyard against the depredations of man or beast, 
 and for the use of the owner (Matt. xxi. 33). , and 
 also made a winepress — including the wine-fat: 
 both hewn, for coolness, out of the rocky under- 
 soil of the vineyard. it brought forth wild 
 grapes. The Hebrew ['"^}, to putrefyX Beushim 
 expresses offensive putrefaciion, answering to the 
 corrupt state of the Jews. Fetid fruit of the. wild 
 vine [Maurer), instead of ' choicest ' grai^es. Of the 
 poisonous monkshood [Gesenius). The Arabs call 
 the fruit of the nightshade 'wolf-grapes' (Deut. 
 xxxii. 32, 33 ; 2 Ki. iv. 39-41). Jerome tries tq 
 specify the details of the parable: the 'fence,' 
 angels; and the law [Origen), the 'stones gathered 
 out,' idols; the "tower," the temple "in the midst" 
 of Judea ; the "winepress," the altar. 3. And 
 now, 0 inhabitants of Jerusalem . . . judge. 
 
God's judgments 
 
 ISAIAH V. 
 
 upon covetoiisness. 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 Judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. 
 What could have been done more to my vineyard, 
 That I have not done in it ? 
 
 Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, 
 Brought it forth wild grapes ? 
 
 And now go to ; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard : 
 
 I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up ; 
 
 A7id break down the wall thereof, and it shall be ^trodden down: 
 
 And I will lay it waste : — it shall not be pruned nor digged ; 
 
 But there shall come up briers and thorns : 
 
 I wiU also command the clouds — that they rain no rain upon it. 
 
 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, 
 
 And the men of Judah ^ his pleasant plant : 
 
 And he looked for judgment, but behold ^oppression; 
 
 For righteousness, but behold a cry. 
 
 Woe unto them that joia '' house to house, — that lay field to field. 
 Till there be no place, 
 
 That ^they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! 
 
 ^ In mine ears said the Lord of hosts, 
 
 ^ Of a truth many houses shall be desolate. 
 
 Even great and fair, without inhabitant. 
 
 Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one ''bath. 
 
 And the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah. 
 
 Woe ^ unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they 
 follow strong drink ; 
 
 may 
 
 B. C. 760. 
 
 " Ps. 60. 4. 
 Ps. 51. 4. 
 Jer. 2. 4. 
 Mic. 6. 2. 
 Matt. 21.401 
 41. 
 
 Mark 12. 9. 
 Luke 20.15^ 
 16. 
 
 Rom. 2. 5. 
 Rom. 3. 4. 
 
 * for a 
 treading. 
 
 6 plant of his 
 pleahurea. 
 
 6 a scab. 
 
 i Mic. 2. 2. 
 Matt. ■-;3.14. 
 Luke 12. 16. 
 
 ^ ye. 
 
 8 Or. This is 
 in mine 
 ears, saith 
 the 
 Lord. 
 
 9 if not. etc.- 
 
 * Lev. 27. 16. 
 Eze. 45. 11. 
 
 / Pro. 23. '.9. 
 30. 
 
 Eccl. 10. 1"^. 
 
 Appeal of God to themselves, as in eh. i. 18 ; Mic. 
 vi. 3. So Jesus Christ, in Matt. xxi. 40, 41, allud- 
 ing in the very form of expression to this, makes 
 tliem pass sentence on themselves, " When the 
 Lord of the vineyard cometh, what will He do 
 unto those husbandmen ? They say unto Him, 
 He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and 
 will let out His vineyard unto other husbandmen, 
 which shall render Him the fruits in their 
 seasons." God condemns sinners "out of their 
 own mouth " (Deut. xxxii. 6 ; Job xv. 6 ; Luke 
 xix. 22 ; Eom. iii. 4). "4. What could have 
 Ijeen done more to my vineyard. God has doi e 
 all that could be done for the salvation of sinners, 
 consistently with His justice and goodness. 
 Wherefore, when I looked that it should "bring 
 forth grapes, brought : it forth wild grapes? 
 The God of nature is, as it were, amazed at the 
 unnatural fruit of so well-cared a vineyard. 5. 
 now go to— i.e., attend to me come now, I 
 pray you. I will take away the hedge . . . [and) 
 break down the wall— it had botJi—a, proof ot the 
 care of the owner. But now it shall be "trodden 
 down by wild beasts (enemies) (Ps. Ixxx. 12, 13). 
 6. I will also command the clouds that they rain 
 no rain upon it. The parable is ]iartly dropped, 
 and Jehovah, as in v. 7, is implied to be the 
 Owner ; for He alone, not an oi'dinary husband- 
 man (Matt. xxi. 43 ; Luke xvii. 22), could give 
 s\ich a "command." no rain — antitypically, the 
 heaven-^ent teachings of the prophets (Amos viii. 
 11). Kot accomplished in the Babylonish cap- 
 tivity ; for Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Haggai, and 
 Zechaiiah prophesied during or after it ; but in 
 Gosp6li times. 7. Isaiah here applies the parable. 
 It is no mere human owner, nor a literal vine- 
 yard that is meant. For the vineyard of the 
 Lord of hosts (is) the house of Israel— His only 
 one (Exod. xix. 5 ; Amos iii. 2). and the men of 
 Judah his pleasant plant— 'the plant of his 
 delight ; ' just as the husbandman was at pains to 
 select the Sorek, or " choicest vine " {v. 2), so God's 
 078 
 
 election of the Jews, he looked for judgment— 
 justice, but behold oppression. The play upon 
 words is striking in the Hebrew. ' He looked for 
 mishpat, but behold mishpach' (bloodshed), for 
 righteousness, but behold a cry— for tsedaquah, 
 but behold tzehhaquah, the cry that attends 
 anarchy, covetousness, and dissipation {vv. 8, 11, 
 12). Compare the cry of the rabble by which jus- 
 tice was overborne in the case of Jesus Christ 
 (Matt, xxvii. 23, 24). 
 
 8-2.3. Six Distinct Woes against Crimes.— 
 8. Woe unto them that join house to house . . . 
 field to field— (Lev. xxv. 13-16; Mic. ii. 2.) .The 
 jubilee restoration of possessions was intended 
 fis a guard against avarice, till (there be) no 
 place— left for any one else, that they may be 
 placed — Hebrew, and ye be placed {hushahtem). in 
 the midst of the earth — the land. In righteous 
 retribution there was but a scanty few, one here 
 and one there, to be " left" by the enemy ' in the 
 midst of the land,' (ch. vii. 22, man/.) 9. Irony. 
 They shall get their wish, in the sense that the 
 survivors shall be ' alone in the midst of the land,' 
 for the land and the houses, how^ever 'many' 
 they be, shall be " without inhabitant." In mine 
 ears (said) the Lord of hosts. The Lord has 
 revealed it to me in secret, as in ch. xxii. 14. Of 
 a truth (Hebrew, ' If not,' may I not be Jehovah : 
 a solemn assertion) many houses shall be deso- 
 late — lit., a desolation; viz., on account of the 
 national sins, great and fair— houses. 10. ten 
 acres — lit., yokes, as much as one yoke of oxen 
 could plow in a day. shall yield one— only, 
 bath — of wine ; seven and a half gallons, the 
 seed of an homer shall yield an ephah. Eight 
 bushels of seed would yield only three pecks of 
 produce (Ezek. xlv. 11). The ephah and bath were 
 each one-tenth of an homer. 
 
 11. Second woe — against intemperance. Woe 
 unto them that rise up early in the morning 
 (that) they may follow strong drink— when it was 
 regarded especially shameful to drink (Acts ii. 
 
GocCs judgments 
 
 ISAIAH V. 
 
 upon impiety. 
 
 That continue until night, till wine inflame them ! 
 
 12 And ^the harp and the viol, the tabret and pipe, and wine, are in their 
 
 feasts : 
 
 But they ^regard not the work of the Lord, 
 Neither consider the operation of his hands. 
 
 13 Therefore 'my people are gone into captivity, ■'because they have no 
 
 knowledge ; 
 And their honourable men are famished, 
 And their multitude dried up with thirst. 
 
 14 Therefore hell hath enlarged nerself. 
 And opened her mouth without measure : 
 And their glory, and their multitude, 
 
 And their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it. 
 
 15 And the mean man shall be brought down, 
 And the mighty man shall be humbled, 
 And the eyes of the lofty shall be humlDled : 
 
 16 But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, 
 And ^^God, that is holy, shall be sanctified in righteousness. 
 Then shall the lambs feed after their manner. 
 And the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat. 
 
 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, 
 And sin as it were with a cart rope : 
 
 17 
 
 18 
 
 B. c. rco. 
 
 10 Or. pur- 
 sue them. 
 Pro. 20. 1. 
 Pro. 23. 32. 
 Amos 6. 5. 
 Job 34. 27. 
 H03. 4. 11. 
 
 i ch. 1. 7. 
 ch. 42. 22- 
 25. 
 Hos. 4. 6. 
 i ch. 1. 3. 
 Jer. 8. 1. 
 Hos. 4. 6. 
 Matt. 23.16- 
 27. 
 
 Luke 10.44. 
 John 3. 19, 
 20. 
 
 Rom. 1. 2S. 
 2 Pet. 3. 5. 
 
 11 their glory 
 are men of 
 famine. 
 
 12 the God 
 the holy, 
 or, the 
 holy God. 
 
 15 ; 1 Thess. v. 7). Banquets for revelry began 
 earlier than usual (Eccl. x. 16, 17). strong drink 
 — Hebrew, sechar, shekar, or sichar, implying in- 
 toxication, that continue until night — drinking 
 all day till evening. 12. And the harp— iri?i?ior. 
 Music was common at ancient feasts (ch. xxiv. 8, 
 9 ; Amos vL 5, 6). and the viol — an instrument 
 with twelve strings, nebel (Josephus, 'Antiqui- 
 ties,' viii. 10). the tabret — Hebrew, toph, fi-om 
 the use of which, in drowning the cries of children 
 sacrificed to Moloch, Tophet received its name. 
 Arabic, duf. A kettle-drum or tambourine, and 
 pipe — llute or flageolet, chalil, from a Hebrew root, 
 chalal, to bore tfirough; or else, to dance (cf. Job 
 xxi. 11-15). but they regard not the work of 
 the Lord — a frequent effect of feasting (Job i. 5; 
 P.S. xxviii. 5). the work . . . the operation of 
 his hands — in punishing the guilty {v. 19 ; ch. x. 
 12). 13. Therefore my people are gone into 
 captivity — the prophet sees the future as if it were 
 before his eyes, because (they have) no know- 
 ledge — because of their foolish recklessness and 
 v-llful ignorance as to God, His law, and His visi- 
 tations of Providence, chastisement, and grace 
 [v. 12; ch. i. 3; Hos. iv. 6, "My people are de- 
 stroyed for lack of knowledge ; because thou hast 
 rejected knowledge . . . thou hast for;:otten the 
 law of thy God ; " Luke xix. 44). their honour- 
 ourable men (are) famished — awful contrast to 
 their luxurious feasts {vv. 11, 12) ; Hebrew, ' their 
 glory (are) men {lit., mortals) of famine.' and 
 their multitude — nlebeians, in contradistinction 
 to the "honourable men" or nobles, dried up 
 with thirst— (Ps. cvii. 4, 5.) Contrast to their 
 drinking (?;. 11). In their deportation and exile 
 they shall hunger and thirst. 14. Therefore hell 
 — tile grave ; Hebrew, sheol ; Greek, hades, the 
 unseen world of sjnrits. Not here the place of 
 torment, hath enlarged herself. Poetically, it 
 is represented as enlarging itself immensely, in 
 order to receive the countless hosts of Jews which 
 should perish (Num. xvi. 30). their glory, and 
 their multitude— i. e., of the Jewish people, and 
 he that rejoiceth — tlie drunken reveller in Jeru- 
 salem, shall descend into it. 15. And the mean 
 man (IJebrew, adam) shaU be brought down, 
 579 
 
 and the mighty man {ish) shall be humbled 
 
 Cf. ch. ii. 9, 11, 17. All ranks, "mean" and 
 "mighty" alike: so "honourable" and "multi- 
 tude " {v. 13). 16. But the Lord of hosts shall be 
 exalted in judgment. God shall be " exalted " in 
 man's view, because of His manifestation of His 
 "justice" in punishing the guilty, and God, that 
 is holy, shall be sanctified in righteousness 
 — shall be reverenced and worshipped as holy, by 
 reason of His ' righteous ' dealings. 17. Then 
 shall the lambs feed after their manner-^Z;e<ia6- 
 ram; lit., according to their own word, i. e., at will. 
 Otherwise, as in their own pasture [Gesenius); so 
 the Hebrew, in Micah ii. 12, Hadabro, 'in the 
 midst of their fold,'' or eis,& pasture. The lambs of 
 the Scenite [tent-dioellers, Jer. xxxv. 7). Arab 
 shepherds in the neighbourhood shall roam at 
 large, the whole of J udea being so desolate as to 
 become a vast pasturage, and the waste places 
 of the fat ones shall strangers eat— the deserted 
 lands oithe rich (Ps. xxii. 29, "All they that be 
 fat "), then gone into captivity, "strangers," i. e., 
 uomade tribes, shall make their flocks to feed on. 
 Figuratively, "the lambs " are the pious; " the fat 
 ones," the impious. So tender discij)les of Jesus 
 Christ (John xxi. 15) are called ' ' lambs, " being meek, 
 harmless, poor, and persecuted. Cf. Ezek. xxxix. 
 18, where the failings are the rich and great (1 Cor. 
 i. 26, 27). The "strangers " are in this view the 
 "other sheep not of " the Jewish " fold " (John x, 
 
 16) , the Gentiles whom Jesus Christ shall " bring" 
 to be partakers of the rich privileges (Rom. xi. 
 
 17) which the Jews, the fat ones, fell from (Ezek, 
 xxxiv. 16, " I will destroy the fat and the strong"). 
 Thus "after their (own) manner" will express that 
 the Christian Church should worship God in 
 freedom, released from legal bondage (John iv. 
 23 ; Gal. v. 1). 
 
 18. Third Woe — against obstinate persever- 
 ance in sin, as if they wished to provoke divine 
 judgments. Woe unto them that draw iniquity 
 — guilt, incurring punishment. with cords of 
 vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope. 
 Rabbins say, ' An evil inclination is at first 
 like a fine hair-string, but the finishing like 
 a cart rope.* The antithesis is between th§ 
 
The executioners 
 
 ISAIAH V. 
 
 of God's judgments. 
 
 19 
 
 That ^say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see z^ 
 And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel 
 Draw niffh and 
 
 come, 
 
 that we may know it 
 
 20 Woe unto them ^^that call evil good, and good evil ; 
 That put darkness for light, and light for darkness ; 
 That put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter ! 
 
 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, 
 And prudent in their own sight ! 
 
 22 V/oe unto them that are mighty to drink wine. 
 And men of strength to mingle strong drink : 
 
 23 Which justify the wicked for reward, 
 
 And take away the righteousness of the righteous from him ! 
 
 24 Therefore as ^^the fire devoureth the stubble, 
 And the fiame consumeth the chaft", 
 
 So their root shall be as rottenness, — and their blossom shall go up as dust : 
 Because they have cast away the ^ law of the Lord of hosts, 
 And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 
 
 25 Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people. 
 
 And he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them : 
 And the hills did tremble. 
 
 And their carcases tcere ^^torn in the midst of the streets. 
 For all this his anger is not turned away, 
 But his hand is stretched out still. 
 2G And lie will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, 
 
 slender cords of sopliistry, like the spider's 
 web (oh. lix. 5 ; Job viii. 14), with which 
 one sin draws on another, until they at last bind 
 themselves with great guilt as with a cart-rope. 
 They strain every nerve in sin. vanity — wicked- 
 ness, sin — substantive, not a verb; they draw on 
 themselves "sin" and its pewaZi!?/ recklessly. 19. 
 That say, Let him mate speed, (and) hasten his 
 work — vengeance (v. 12). Language of defiance to 
 God. So Lamech's boast of impunity (Gen. iv. 
 23, 24: cf. Jer. xvii. 15; 2 Pet. iii. 3, 4). let the 
 counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and 
 come— God's threatened purpose to punish, that 
 we may know it. They deny all knowledge which 
 is matter of faith, and cannot be demonstrated to 
 the senses. 
 
 20. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good 
 evil. Fourth woe against those who confound the 
 distinctions of right and wrong. Cf. Eom. i. 28, 
 "even as they did not like [ouk- el,oKL}Ka<jav\ to retain 
 God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a 
 reprobate mind " Ya^oKiixov vovv'\: "reprobate," 
 Greek, indiscriminating ; in just retribution the 
 moral perception darkened, that put hitter for 
 sweet, and sweet for hitter. Sin is bitter (Jer. ii. 
 19; iv. 18; Acts viii. 23; Rom. iii. 14; Heb. xii. 
 15), though it seem sweet for a time (Prov. ix. 17, 
 18). Eeligion is sweet (Ps. cxix. 103). 
 
 21. Woe unto (them that are) wise in their own 
 eyes, and prudent in their own sight. Fifth woe 
 against those who were so " wise in their own eyes "as 
 to think they knew better than theprophet, andwlio 
 therefore rejected his warnings (ch. xxix. 14, 15). 
 
 22. 23. Woe unto (them that are) mighty to 
 drink wine . . . Which justify the wicked for re- 
 ward. Sixth woe against corrupt judges, who, 
 "mighty" in drinking "wine" (a boast still not 
 uncommon), if not in defending their country, ob- 
 tain the means of self-indulgence by taking bribes 
 ("reward"). The two verses are closely joined, 
 and men of strength to mingle strong drink— not 
 with toater. but spices, to make it intoxicating 
 (Prov. ix. 2, 5; Song viii. 2). 23. Which . . . 
 
 take away the righteousness of the righteous 
 from him — set aside the just claims of those 
 having a righteous cause. 24. Therefore, as 
 the fire devoureth the stubble — as the 
 tongue of fire devoureth (Acts ii. 3). and the 
 flaine consumeth the chaflf— rather, the withered 
 grass, or straw [^'^U, from chush, to hasten ; wliat- 
 ever hastily takes fire ; or from guashash, to collect ; 
 or formed from the sound] falleth [n^l', the Kal 
 of Rapliah, to fail] lefore the flame (Matt. iii. 12). 
 (so) their root shall be as rottenness, and their 
 blossom — entire decaj'': both the hidden source 
 and outward manifestation of prosperity perishiwg 
 (Job xviii. 16 ; Mai. iv. 1). because they have 
 cast away the law— in its spirit, whilst retaining 
 the letter. 25. Therefore is the anger of the Lord 
 kindled. Josiah and Huldah had this passage in 
 sioht in 2 Ki. xxii. 13, 17. The fundamental pas- 
 sage is Deut. xxix. 27. the hills -did tremble. 
 This probably fixes the date of this chapter, as it 
 refers to the earthquake in the days of Uz-:iah 
 (Amos i. 1 ; Zech. xiv. 5). The earth trembled as 
 if conscious of the presence of God (Jer. iv. 24; 
 Hab. iii. 6). and their carcases were torn 
 [nrnD5 is taken by the English version as Pahul, 
 from Kasach, to cut off or tear. But the pointing 
 is opposed, because the first letter has Patach with 
 Dagesh, not Scheva following. Also the verb 
 " were" (te/ii) is not usually put before the parti- 
 ciple Pahul, as it would be here in this view [Pis- 
 cator). There take the ^ as the particle like, as, and 
 suchah, dung]— rather, were as dung^Ps. Ixxxiii. 10). 
 So the LXX., Vulgate, Chaldaic, Arabic, and Syriac 
 (cf. Lam. iii. 45). For all this his anger is not 
 turned away, Osut his hand is stretched out 
 still. This burden of the prophet's strains, with 
 dirge-like monotony, is repeated at chs. ix. 12, 17, 
 21 ; X. 4. With all the past calamities, still heavier 
 judgments are impendmg; which he specifies in 
 the rest of the chapter, (Lev. xxvi. 14, &c.) 
 
 26. he will lift up an ensign to the nations from 
 far — to call together the hostile nations to execute 
 
ISAIAH VL 
 
 of God' s judgments. 
 
 And will hiss unto them from the end of the earth : 
 And, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly : 
 
 27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them ; 
 None shall slumber nor sleep ; 
 
 Neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, 
 Nor the latch et of their shoes be broken : 
 
 28 Whose arrows are sharp, — and all their bows bent, 
 Their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, 
 And their wheels like a whirlwind : 
 
 29 Their roaring shall he like a lion, — they shall roar like young lions ; 
 Yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey. 
 
 And shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it. 
 
 30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the :ea : 
 And if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, 
 
 ^^And the hght is darkened in the heavens thereof. 
 6 IN the year that '"king Uzziah died I saw also ^the Lord sitting upon 
 2 a throne, high and lifted up, and ^ his train filled the temple. Above it 
 
 B. C. 700, 
 
 1" Or, dis- 
 tress. 
 
 18 Or, when 
 it is light, 
 it shall be 
 dark in th 
 destruc- 
 tions 
 thereof. 
 
 CIIAP. G. 
 
 2 Ki, 15. 7". 
 6 1 Ki. '1% 19. 
 
 ch. ee. 1. 
 
 Eze. 10. 1. 
 
 Johnl2. 41. 
 
 Kev. 4. 2. 
 1 Or, the 
 
 skirts 
 
 thereof. 
 
 Eev. 15. 8. 
 
 his judgments on Judea (cbs. x. 5-7; xlv. 1). But 
 for mercy to it, in chs. xi. 12; xviii. 3. Even in 
 announcing judgments He uses the very language 
 which He employs to announce the subsequent 
 visitation of His people in everlasting mercy, and 
 will hiss unto them— (ch. vii. 18.) Bees were 
 drawn out of their hives by the sound of a flute, 
 or by hissing, or ivhistling. God will collect the 
 nations round Judea ' like bees ' (Deut. i. 44 ; Ps. 
 cxviii. 12). Yet afterwards Jehovah will 'hiss 
 for' His people to " gatlier them, for He hath re- 
 deemed them" (Zecli. x. 8). from the end of the 
 earth— the widely distant subject races of which 
 the Assyrian army was made up (ch. xxii. 6). The 
 ulterior fulfilment took place in the siege under 
 the Roman Titus. Cf. "end of the earth," Deut. 
 xxviii. 49, &c. So the pronoun is singular in the 
 Hebrew for "them," " their," "whose" (him, his, 
 &c.), vv. 26, 27, 2S, 29 ; referring to some particular 
 nation and person [Horsley). 27. None shall be 
 ■weary- with loug marches (Deut. xxv. 18). none 
 shall slumber — requiring little or no rest : so ener- 
 getic shall they be in their invasion, neither shall 
 the girdle of their loins be loosed— with which 
 the ancient loose robes used to be girded for 
 action : ever ready for march or battle, nor the 
 latchet of their shoes be broken. The soles were 
 attached to the feet, not by upper leather, as with 
 us, but by straps. >So securely clad that not even 
 a strap of their sandals gives way, so as to impede 
 tlieir march. 28. all their bows bent— ready for 
 battle, their horses' hoofs . . . flint. The an- 
 cients did not shoe their horses; hence the value 
 of hard hoofs for long marches, their wheels— 
 the wheels of their chariots. The Assyrian army 
 abounded in cavalry and chariots (chs. xxii. 6, 7 ; 
 xxxvi. 8). 29. Their roaring— their battle-cry. 30. 
 sorrow, and the light is darkened — otherwise, 
 distress and light {i. e., hope and fear) alternately 
 succeed (as usually occurs in an unsettled state of 
 things), and darkness arises in, &c. {Maurer). in 
 the heavens — lit., clouds; i.e., its sky is rather 
 'clouds' than sky [c^vH?., from to drop] 
 
 (Deut. xxxiii. 28). Otherwise, as marg., from the 
 same Hebrew root, in the sense to break or behead 
 (Hos. X. 2) ^ in its deMructiojis,'' or YwiwB. Horsley 
 takes 'sea, if one look unto the land,' as, anew 
 ima^e taken from mariners in a coasting vessel 
 (such as all ancient vessels were), looking for the 
 nearest la/ad, which the darkness of the storm 
 conceals: so tliat darkness and distress alone may 
 be said to be visible (ch. xiii. 10 ; Amos viii. 9). 
 581 
 
 Remarks. — Great privileges entail great respon- 
 sibilities. Where much has been given, there 
 much will be required. The Israelite Church was 
 sepai-ated from the rest of the world. No loving 
 pains were spared on the part of the Lord to 
 secure its well-being and its fruitfulness. To 
 Israel pertained the adoption, the Sliekinali-glory, 
 the covenants, the Law, the temple service, the 
 promises, and the fathers in whose seed, even 
 Christ, all families of the earth are to be blessed. 
 But Israel abused her high trust ; so God took 
 from her that which she only seemed to have. 
 The present Christian Church is called to still 
 higher privileges. Therefore still greater fruits 
 are reqiiired from her than were from Israel of 
 old. Does Christendom then produce fruits such 
 as ai'e acceptable in the eyes of the Lord of the 
 vineyard? There is doubtless an elect remnant 
 who bring forth the fruit of the Spirit in some 
 measure, and who are accordingly tlie object of 
 the Lord's delight. But if we try the vast ma- 
 jority of professing Christians by the tests herein 
 set forth, the conclusion must be respecting the 
 outward Church, " Thou art weighed in the 
 balances, and art found wanting." 
 
 CHAP. VI. 1-13.— Vision of Jehovah in His 
 Temple. Isaiah is outside, near the altar in front 
 of the temple. The doors are supposed to open, 
 and the veil hiding the Holy of holies to be with- 
 drawn, unfolding to his view a vision of God, re- 
 presented as an Eastern monarch, attended by 
 seraphim as His ministers of state (1 Ki. xxii. 19), 
 and with a robe and flowing train (a badge of dig- 
 nity in the East) which filled the temple. This 
 assertion that he had seen God was, according to 
 tradition, the pretext for sawing him asunder in 
 Manasseh's reign (Heb. xi. 37). Cf. Introduction. 
 Visions often occur in the other prophets : in 
 Isaiah there is only this one, and it marked by 
 characteristic clearness and simplicity. 
 
 1. In the year that king Uzziah died— either 
 literal death, or civil, when he ceased, as a leper, to 
 exercise his functions as king {Chaldaic). (2 Chr. 
 xxvi. 19-21.) 754 b..c. (Calmef). 758 (Comvion 
 Chronology). This is not the first beginning of 
 Isaiah's prophecies, but his inauguration to a 
 higher degree of the pi'ophetic office ; for v. 9, &c., 
 implies the tone of one who had already experience 
 of the people's obstinacy. I saw also the Lord-— 
 here Adonai; Jehovah in ?^ 5. Jesus Christ is 
 meant as speaking in v. 10, according to John xii. 
 41. Isaiah could only have ' seen ' the Son, not the 
 
A vision of 
 
 ISAIAH VI. 
 
 God's glory. 
 
 stood the seraphim : each one had six wings ; with twain he covered his 
 face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 
 And 2 one cried unto another, and said, 
 
 Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts : 
 
 2 The whole earth is full of his glory. 
 
 And the posts of the *door moved at the voice of him that cried, and 
 the house was filled with smoke. 
 
 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am ^undone; hecause I am man of 
 unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips : for 
 mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the 
 seraphim unto me, ^having a live coal in his hand, w/iick he had taken 
 with the tongs from ofl" '^the altar : and he ^ laid it upon my mouth, and 
 said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, 
 and thy sin purged. 
 
 divine essence (John i, 18). The words of t\ 10 are 
 attributed by St, Paul (Acts xxviii, 25, 26) to the 
 Holy Ghost. Thus the Trinity in unity is imx)lied ; 
 as also by the thrice " Holy " {v. 3). Isaiah men- 
 tions the robes, temple, and seraphim, but not the 
 form of God Himself. Whatever it was, it was 
 different from the usual Shekinah : that was on 
 the mercy-seat, this on a throne ; that a cloud and 
 tire, of this no form is specified; over that were 
 the cherubim, over this the seraphim ; that had no 
 clothing, this had a flowing robe and train, 2. 
 Above it (or. Above Him) stood — not necessarily the 
 posture of stmidinc/ ; rather, were in attmdance on 
 Him, hovering on expanded wings, the — not 
 in the Hebrew, seraphim [d^dtiJ*]— nowhere else 
 applied to God's attendant angels ; but to the fiery 
 flying (not winged, but rapidly moving) serpents 
 which bit the Israelites (Num. xxi. 6) : called so 
 from the poisonous inflammation caused by their 
 bites, Saraph is to burn ; implying the hurtling 
 zeal, dazzling brightness of appearance (2 Ki. ii. 11 ; 
 vi. 17 ; Ezek, i. 13 ; Matt, xxviii, 3), and serpent- 
 like rapidity of the seraphim in God's service. 
 Perhaps Satan's form as a serpent (Nachash) in his 
 appearance to man has some connection with his 
 original form as a seraph of light. The head of 
 the serpent was the symbol oCunsdom in Egypt 
 (cf, Num, xxi. 8; 2 Ki. xviii. 4), Satan has wis- 
 dom, but wisdom not sanctified by the flame of 
 devotion. The seraphim, with six wings and one 
 face, can hardly be identified with the cherubim, 
 which had four Avings (in the temple only tivo) and 
 four faces (Ezek. i. 5-12). But cf. Eev, iv. 8, ' The 
 four living creatures (Greek) had each of them .sex- 
 wings about him.' The " face " and " feet " imply 
 a human form; something of a serpentine form 
 (perhaps a basilisk head, as in the temples of 
 Thebes) may have been mixed with it: so the 
 cherub was compounded of various animal forms. 
 However, seraph may come from an Arabic root 
 akin to sarim, meaning prince: applied in Dan. x. 
 13 to Michael {Maurer) ; just as cherub comes from 
 a root (changing m into b) meaning noble, with 
 twain he covered his face, and with twain he 
 covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 
 Two wings alone of the six were kept ready for 
 instant flight in God's service ; two veiled their 
 faces as unworthy to look on the holy God, or piy 
 into His secret counsels which they fulfilled 
 (Exod. iii. 6; Job iv. 18; xv. 15; 1 Ki. xix. 13); 
 two covered their feet, or rather the whole of the 
 lower parts of their persons— a practice usual in 
 the presence of Eastern monarchs, in token of 
 reverence (cf. Ezek. i. 11, "two (wings) covered 
 their bodies"). Man's service a fortiori consists in 
 reverent waiting on, still more than in active ser- 
 582 
 
 vice for God. 3. one cried unto another . . . 
 Holy, holy, holy (is) the Lord of hosts— (Rev. iv, 
 8.) The Trinity is implied (see note on "Lord," 
 V. 1), God's holiness is the key-note of Isaiah's 
 whole prophecies, the whole earth (is) full of 
 his glory. The Hebrew more emphatically, the 
 fulness of the whole earth is Bis yloi'y (Ps. xxiv. 1 ; 
 Ixxii, 19). 
 
 4. the posts of the door moved at the voice— 
 
 the foundations of the thresholds {Maurer). The 
 lintel above resting on the jiosts (Mercer), the 
 house— the temple, was filled with smoke— the 
 shekinah cloud, the symbol of " the glory of the 
 Lord " (1 Ki, viii. 10 ; lEzek. x. 4). 
 
 5. Then said I, Woe (is) me ! for I am undone— 
 (Exod. xxxiii. 20.) The same efi'ect was produced 
 on others by the presence of God (Judg. vi. 22 ; 
 xiii. 22 ; Job xlii. 5, 6 ; Luke v. 8 ; Eev. i. 17). 
 because I am a man of unclean lips. Appropriate 
 to the context, which describes the antipnonal 
 praises of the lips, sung in alternate responses 
 (Exod. XV, 20, 21 ; v. 3) by the seraphim ; also ap- 
 propriate to the office to which Isaiah is now 
 specially being called— that of speaking as the pro- 
 j)het of God {v. 9). for mine eyes have seen the 
 King, the Lord of hosts— not strictly Jehovah 
 Himself (John i. 18; 1 Tim. vL 16), but the symbol 
 of His presence, the LORD— Hebrew, Jehovah. 
 6. Then flew one of the seraphim unto me. The 
 seraph had been i7i the temple, Isaiah outside of it, 
 having a live coal— lit,, a hot stone [ritzpah) used, 
 as in some countries in our days, to roast meat 
 with ; e. g., the meat of the sacrifices. Fire was a 
 symbol of purification, as it takes the dross out of 
 metals (Mai, iii. 2, 3). which he had taken with 
 the tongs from off the altar— of burnt offering, in 
 the court of the priests before the temple. The 
 fire on it was at first kindled by God (Lev. ix. 24), 
 and was kept continually burning. 7, he laid (it) 
 upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched 
 thy lips— (cf, note, v. 5,) The mouth was touched 
 because it was the jjart to be used by the prophet 
 when inaugurated. So ' tongues of fire ' rested on 
 the disciples (Acts ii, 3, 4) when they were being 
 set apart to speak in various languages of Jesus, 
 and thine iniquity is taken away — implying con- 
 scious unworthiness of acting as God's messenger, 
 and thy sin purged (tekupar) — lit, covered (cf. 
 note, ch. iv. 5, 6, "defence . . . covert"); i.e., 
 expiated, not by any physical effect of fire to 
 cleanse from sin, but in relation to the altar-sacri- 
 fices, of which Messiah, who here commissions 
 Isaiah, was in His death to be the antitype : it is 
 implied hereby that it is only by sacrifice sin can 
 be pardoned. 
 
 8. Whom shall I send, and who will go for us ? 
 
A remnant 
 
 ISAIAH VI. 
 
 shall he sated. 
 
 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, sa3ring, Whom shall I send, and 
 
 9 who will go for ^ us ? Then said I, ^ Here ara I ; send me. And he said, 
 
 Go, and tell this people, 
 ^ Hear ye indeed, but understand not ; 
 And see ye indeed, but perceive not. 
 10 Make the heart of this people fat. 
 
 And make their ears heavy, and shut tlieir eyes \ 
 Lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, 
 And understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. 
 
 Then said I, Lord, how long ? And he answered, 
 Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant. 
 And the houses without man, — and the land be utterly desolate,. 
 And the Lord have ^removed men far away, 
 And there he a great forsaking in the midst of the land. 
 13 But yet in it shall he a tenth, — ^^and it shall return, and shall be eaten : 
 As a teil tree, and as an oak, 
 
 ^Vhose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: 
 So the -^holy seed shall be the substance thereof. 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 B. C. 75S. 
 
 Gen. 1. 20. 
 
 8 behold me. 
 Watt. 4. 20. 
 
 9 Hear ye in 
 hearing, or, 
 without 
 ceasing, 
 etc. 
 
 Eom. 11. 8. 
 
 10 in seeing. 
 
 11 desolate 
 with 
 
 desolation. 
 « Deut. 28. G4. 
 
 12 Or, when 
 it is relum- 
 ed, and 
 hath been 
 browsed. 
 
 13 Or, stock, 
 or, stem. 
 
 / Rom. 11. 5. 
 
 The change of number indicates the Trinity (cf. 
 Gen. i. 26; xi, 7). Though not a sure argument for 
 the doctrine, for the plural may indicate merely 
 majesty, it accords with that truth, proved else- 
 where. Wliom . . . who — imi^lyin^ that/ei^? would 
 be willing to bear the self-denial which the de- 
 livering of such an unwelcome message to the 
 Jews would require on the part of the messenger, 
 (cf. 1 Chr. xxix. 5, "who then is willing to conse- 
 crate his service this day unto the Lord?") Here 
 am I — prompt zeal, now that he has been specially 
 qualified for it (r. 7: cf. 1 Sam. iii. 10, 11; Acts 
 ix. 6). 
 
 9. Hear ye indeed, but understand not— Hebrew, 
 In hearing, hear; L e., Though ye hear the prophet's 
 warnings again and again, ye are doomed, because 
 of your perverse will (John vii, 17), not to under- 
 stand. Light enough is given in Revelation to 
 guide those sincerely seeking to Tcnow, in order that 
 they may do, God's will ; darkness enough is left 
 to confound the wilfully blind (ch. xliii, 8). So in 
 Jesus' use of parables (Matt. xiii. 14). see ye in- 
 deed—Hebrew,, see in seeina ; ' though ye see again 
 and again,' yet, &c. 10. Make the heart of this 
 people fat (Ps. cxix. 70) — ' render them the 
 more hardened by thy warnings, that they may be 
 hurried along to destruction, to which they wil- 
 fully hasten ' (Maurer). This effect is the fruit, not 
 of the truth in itself, bat of the corrupt state of 
 their hearts, to which God here judicially gives 
 them over (ch. Ixiii. 17). Gesenius takes the im- 
 peratives as futures. ' Proclaim truths, the residt 
 of which proclamation will be their becoming the- 
 more hardened' (Rom. i. 28 ; Eph. iv. 18) ; but this 
 does not so well as the former set forth God as 
 designedly giving up sinners to judicial hardening 
 (Rom. xi. 8 ; 2 Thess. ii. 11), In the first member 
 of the sentence the order is, the heart, ears, eyes; 
 in the latter, the reverse order, the eyes, ears, 
 heart. It is from the heart that corruption flows 
 into the ears and eges (Mark. vii. 21, 22) ; but 
 through the eye» and ears healing reaches the heart 
 (Rom. X. 17) {BengeX). Jer. v. 21 ; Ezek, xii. 2 ; 
 Zech. vii. 11; Acts vii. 57; 2 Tim. iv. 4, "They 
 shall turn away their ears from the truth, and (as 
 the judicial and righteous retribution) shall be 
 turned unto fables.' In Matt. xiii. 15 the words 
 are quoted in the indicative, is waxed gross (so the 
 LXX.), not the imx)erative, make fat: God's word 
 as to the future is as certain as if it were already 
 fulfilled. To see with one's eyes will not convince a 
 583 
 
 will that is opposed to the truth. Cf. John xi. 45, 
 40 ; xii. 10,. 11. So far from being persuaded when 
 one rose from the dead (Luke xvi. 31), "the chief 
 priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also 
 to death." ' One must love divine things in order 
 to understand them' (Pascal), and convert, and 
 be healed— of their spiritual malady, sin (ch. i. 6 ; 
 Ps, ciii. 3 ; Jer. xvii. 14). 
 
 11. Lord, how long — will this wretched condi- 
 tion of the nation being hardened to its destruction 
 continue ? Until the cities be wasted without in- 
 habitant (ch. v. 9)— fulfilled primarily at the 
 Babylonish captivity, and more fully at the dis- 
 persion under the Roman Titus. 12. And the 
 Lord have removed men far away— (2 Ki. xxv. 
 21 . ) and there be a great forsaking— abandonment 
 of dwellings by their inhabitants (Jer. iv. 29, end). 
 13. yet in it (shall be) a tenth, and (it) shall 
 return, and shall be eaten— rather, 'and if in it 
 (the land) there still be a tenth,' it shall be again 
 given over to be consumed :' if even a tenth survive 
 the first destruction, it shall be destroyed by a 
 second (ch. v. 25, end ; Ezek. v. 1-5, 12) [Maurer 
 and Horsley). In the English version "return" 
 refers to the x^oor remnant left in the land at the 
 Babylonish cai)tivity (2 Ki. xxiv. 14 ; xxv. 12), and 
 to those who had fled to Moab and Edom (Jer. xl. 
 11, 12), and Bwh^eqwentXy returned when they heard 
 that the King of Babylon had left a remnant of 
 Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaiiah, 
 and suffered under further divine judgments, as 
 a teil tree, and as an oak— rather, terebinth, or 
 turpentine tree (ch. i. 29). whose substance is in 
 them, when they cast (their leaves), ' As a tere- 
 binth or oak in which, when they are cast down 
 (heshalleketh,Ji-om. shalak, to cast down) (not "cast 
 their lea.ves: " cf. Job xiv. 7), the trunk or stock 
 {matzizebeth, akin to the Syriac natzab, to plant) 
 remains, so the holy seed (Ezra ix. 2) sJiall be the 
 stock of that land" [Maurer after Foreriu^). But 
 matztzebeth [from ^T^, to stand erect] means com- 
 monly a pillar [Ger\. xxviii. 18; xxxv. 20); and it 
 may mean, as in the English version, When the 
 tree casts its lea.ves, and seems dead [Chcddaic), 
 yet it has its solid, pillar-like substance or 'sup- 
 port in its root. So trie holy seed shall be the 
 substance or support of Israel's vitality, giving 
 the assurance of her resurrection spiritually and 
 nationally. The seeds of vitality still exist in both 
 the land and the scattered people of Judea, wait- 
 ing for the returning spring of God's favour (Rom, 
 
I 
 
 Aliaz comforted 
 
 ISAIAH vn. 
 
 hy Isaiah. 
 
 AND it came to pass, in the days of Ahaz "the son of Jotham, the son 
 of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son 
 of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, 
 but could not prevail against it. And it was told the house of David, 
 saying, Syria ^ is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, 
 and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the 
 wind. 
 
 Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and 
 2 Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the ^conduit of the upper pool in 
 the ^highway of the fuller's field ; and say unto him, Take heed, and be 
 
 B. C. 742. 
 
 CHAP. 7. 
 2 Ki. 16. 6. 
 resteth on 
 Ephraim. 
 That is, 
 The rem- 
 nant shall 
 return, 
 ch. 36. 2. 
 Or, causey- 
 way. 
 
 xi. 5, 23-29). According to Isaiah, not all Israel, 
 but the elect remnant alone, is destined to salva- 
 tion. God shows unchangeable severity towards 
 sin, but covenant faithfulness in preserving a 
 remnant; and to it Isaiah bequeaths the pro- 
 phetic legacy of the second part of his book, 
 (chs. xl.-lxvi.) 
 
 Remarks. — He who would minister with life-like 
 earnestness to men, must tii'st go into the presence- 
 chamber of the King of kings. King Uzziah's 
 visitation with leprosy had just given the world an 
 awful intimation of the weakness of man in his 
 most prosperous state, and of the terrible conse- 
 quences of presumptuous sin against God. "Judg- 
 ment must begin at the house of God;" but if it 
 begin with the otherwise righteous when they 
 transgress, what a terrible doom must await the 
 hardened sinner? Lest, however, the prophet 
 should be discouraged in prosecuting the duties of 
 his office, he is favoured with a vision of the Lord 
 sitting upon His throne amidst attendant Sera- 
 phim. Earthly kings and patrons may die, but 
 the Lord above ever lives, as the Upholder of His 
 servants. In our services of God we should imi- 
 tate the hiTmility of the Seraphim, who marked 
 their sense of their own vast inferiority by veiling 
 their faces with two of their wings, the lower parts 
 of their persons with two of their wings, and with 
 the two remaining wings stood ready instantly to 
 fly at God's command. That minister serves God 
 best who is most in the attitude of waiting on the 
 Lord. 
 
 CHAP. VTI.-Chs. vii., viii., and ix. 1-7. Pre- 
 diction OF THE ILL SUCCESS OF THE SyKO-IsRAEL- 
 ITISH INVASION OF JUDAH— AHAZ' ALLIANCE WITH 
 
 Assyria, and its Fatal Results to Judea— 
 Yet the Certainty of Final Preservation, 
 AND OF THE CoMiNG OF MESSIAH. In the Assyrian 
 inscriptions the name of Eezin, king of Damascus, 
 is found among the tributaries of Tiglath-|)ileser, of 
 whose reign the annals of seventeen years have 
 been deciphered. For the historical facts in this 
 chapter cf. 2 Ki. xv. 37; xvi. 9. Eezin of Syria 
 and Pekah of Israel, as confederates, advanced 
 against Jerusalem. In the first campaign (2 Chr. 
 xxviii.) they " smote Ahaz with a great slaughter." 
 Their object was probably to unite the three 
 kingdoms against Assyria. Egypt seems to have 
 favoured the plan, so as to interpose these 
 confederate kingdoms between her own frontier 
 and Assyria (cf. v. 18, " Egypt," and 2 Ki. xvii. 4, 
 Hoshea's league with Egypt). Eezin and Pekah 
 may have perceived Ahaz' inclination towards 
 Assyria, rather than towards their own con- 
 federacy. Tliis and the old feud between Israel 
 and Judah (1 Ki. xii. 16) occasioned their invasion 
 of Judah. Ahaz, at the second inroad of his ene- 
 mies (cf. 2 Chr. xxviii., and 2 Ki. xv. 37, with 2 
 Ki. xvi. 5), smarting imder his former defeat, 
 ai>plied to Tigiath-pileser, in spite of Isaiah's 
 warning in this chapter that he should rather 
 rely on God. That king accordingly attacked 
 684 
 
 Damascus, and slew Eezin (2 Ki. xvi. 9), and 
 probably it was at the same time that he carried 
 away i)art of Israel captive (2 Ki. xv. 29), unless 
 there were two assaults on Pekah— that in 2 Ki. 
 XV. 29, the earlier, and that in which Tiglath helped 
 Ahaz, subsequent [G. V. Smith). x\haz was saved 
 at the sacritice of Judah's independence, and the 
 payment of a large tribute, which continued till 
 the overthrow of Sennacherib under Hezekiah (ch. 
 xxxvii.; 2 Ki. xvi. 8, 17, 18; 2 Chr. xxviii. 20). 
 Ahaz' reign began about 741 B.C., and Pekah was 
 slain in 738 ( Winer). 1. Ahaz. In the first years of 
 his reign the design of the two kings against Judah 
 was carried out, which was formed in Jotham's reign 
 (2 Ki. XV. 37). Syria— Hebrew, Aram (Gen. x. 22, 
 23), originally the whole region between the Eu- 
 phrates and the Mediterranean, including Assyria, 
 of which )Si/7'ia is an abbreviation ; here the regioa 
 round Damascus, and along mount Libanus. Jeru- 
 salem. An actual siege of it took place, but was 
 foiled (2 Ki. xvi. 5). 2. And it was told the house 
 of David (Ahaz and his household), saying, Syria 
 is confederate with Ephraim— i^,' oicamjjed iqwn 
 the territory of Ephraim {Maurer); or better, as 
 Eezin was encamped against Jerusalem, ''is sup- 
 ported hy'' [Lowth) Ephraim, whose land lay 
 between Syria and Judah. The LXX., Chaldaic, 
 Syriac, and Arabic give much the same sense as 
 the English version. Lit., ''rests upon Ephraim' 
 [nn], from ni:, akin to chanah, to conlide]. The 
 mention of "David" alludes, in sad contrast with 
 the present, to the time when David made Syria 
 subject to him (2 Sam. viii. 6). Ephraim- -tne 
 ten tribes. And his heart was moved, and tlic 
 heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are 
 moved with the wind — a simultaneous agitation 
 and alarm. 
 
 3. Go forth now to meet Aha,z— C7 o forth out of 
 the city, to the place where Ahaz was superintend- 
 ing the works for defence, and the cutting off of 
 the water supply fi'om the enemy, and the securing 
 of it to the city. So ch. xxii. 9; 2 Chr, xxxii. 4. 
 Shear-jasliuh — i. e., a remnant shall return (ch. vi. 
 
 13) . His very name (cf. v. 14; ch. viii. 3) was a 
 standing memorial to Ahaz and the Jews that the 
 nation should not, notwithstanding the general ca- 
 lamity {vv. 17-25; ch. viii. 6-8), be utterly destrovcd, 
 (chs. X., xxi., xxxii.) at the end of the conduit 
 of the upper pool— an aqueduct from the pool or 
 reservoir for the suj^ply of the city. At the foot 
 of Zion was fount Shiloah (ch. viii. 6; Neh. iii. 15; 
 John ix. 7), called also Gihon, on the west of Jeru- 
 salem (2 Chr. xxxii. 30, "Hezekiak also stopped 
 the upper water-course of Gihon, and brought it 
 straight down to the west side of the city of 
 David"). Two pools were supplied from it, the 
 Up2')er, or Old (ch. xxii. 11), or Kiwfs (Neh. ii. 
 
 14) , and the Loioer (ch. xxii. 9), which received 
 the superfluous waters of the upper. The upper 
 pool is still to be seen, about 700 yards from the 
 Jaffa gate. The highway leading to the fuller's 
 field, which was in a position near water, for tlie 
 
Ahaz comforted 
 
 ISAIAH VIL 
 
 hy Imiafi. 
 
 quiet; fear not, * neither be faint- hearted for the two tails of these 
 smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Kezin with Syria, and of tlie 
 5 son of Remaliah. Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Reraaliah, 
 8 have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, Let us go up against Judah, 
 and ^vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in 
 
 7 the midst of it, e'cen the son of Tabeal : thus saith the Lord God, 
 
 It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass. 
 
 8 For Hhe head of Syria is Damascus, — and the head of Damascus h Ptczin ; 
 And within threescore and five years 
 
 Shall Ephraim be broken, ^that it be not a people. 
 
 9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, 
 And the head of Samaria is Remaliah 's sod. 
 
 ''If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established. 
 
 ^ Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying, 
 Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God ; 
 ^Ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. 
 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord. 
 13 And he said, Hear j^e now, 0 house of David; 
 
 Is it a small thing for you to weary men, — but will ye weary my God also? 
 
 B. C. 742, 
 
 < let not tliy 
 heart be 
 tet'der. 
 Deut. 20. 3, 
 1 Sam. 17. .'2. 
 
 5 Or, waken. 
 " 2 Sam. 8. C. 
 
 6 from a 
 people. 
 Hos. 1. 6. 
 
 7 Or, Do ye 
 not be- 
 lieve? it is 
 because ye 
 are not 
 stable. 
 
 8 And the 
 Lord 
 added to 
 speak. 
 
 9 Or, make 
 thy peti- 
 tion deep. 
 
 purposes of washing, previous to drying and bleach- 
 ing the cloth, was probably alongside the aque- 
 duct. 4. Take heed, and be ctuiet; fear not— i. e., 
 ste that thou be quiet (not seeking Assyrian aid in 
 a fit of panic), neither be faint-hearted for the 
 two tails of these smoking firebrands— mere ends 
 of firebrands almost consumed themselves (about 
 soon to fall before the Assyrians, v. 8), therefore 
 harmless, smoking — as about to go out ; not 
 hlazing. the son of Remaliah — Pekah, an usurper, 
 having killed Pekahiah, the preceding king (2 Ki. 
 XV. 2.5). The Easterns exjjress contempt by desig- 
 nating one, not by his own name, but by the 
 father's, especially when the father is but little 
 known (1 Sam. xx. 27, 31). 6. Let us go up 
 against Judah, and vex it— throiu it into conster- 
 nation {G'e^enius) L^^^!'!??, from i'tp, to affect with 
 weariness]. Let us iveary it out with a long siege 
 {Mercer). So the same verb means in Prov. iii. 
 11. let us make a breach — rather, cleave it asun- 
 der. The Hebrew verb haquang, to divide in 
 two. Their scheme was to divide a large portion 
 of the territory between themselves, and set up 
 a vassal-king of their own over the rest, son 
 of Tabeal— unknown ; a Syrian sounding name, 
 perhaps favoured by a party in Jerusalem (ch. 
 viii. 6, 9, 12). 7. It shall not stand, neither shall 
 it come to pass— (ch. viii. 10; Prov. xxi. 30.) 8. 
 the head of Syria (is) Damascus, and the head 
 of Damascus (is) Rezin— i. e., in both Syria and 
 Israel the capital shall remain as it is: they shall 
 not conquer Judah, but eacli shall passess only his 
 own dominions, within threescore and five years 
 shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. 
 As these words l^reak the symmetry of the parallel- 
 ism in this verse, either they ought to bo placed 
 after "Kemaliah's son," in v. 9, or else they refer 
 to some older i)rophecy of Isaiah, or of Amos (as 
 the Jewish writers represent), parenthetically; to 
 which, in v. 9, the words "If ye will not believe, 
 surely ye shall not be established," correspond in 
 parallelism. One dei)ortation of Israel happened 
 within one or two years from this time, under 
 Tiglath-])ileser (2 Ki. xv. 29). Anotlier^^xn. the 
 reign of Jlosliea, imder Shalmaucser (2 Ki. xvii. 
 1-6), was about twenty years after. But the final 
 one, which utterly ' broke ' up Israel so as to be 
 not a peojjle," accompanied by colonization of 
 Samaria with foreigners, was under Esarhaddon, 
 who carried away Manasseh, king of Judah, also, 
 585 
 
 in the twenty-second year of his reign, sixty-five 
 years from the utterance of this prophecy (cf. Ezra 
 iv. 2, 3, 10, with 2 Ki. xvii. 24; 2 Ohr. xxxiii. 11) 
 (Usher). The event, though so far off, was enough 
 to assure the people of Judah that as God, the 
 Head of the theocracy, would ultimately interpose 
 to destroy the enemies of His people, so they might 
 rely on 'iiim now. 9. If ye will not believe, surely 
 ye shall not be established. There is a pai^ono- 
 masia, or play on the words in the Hebrew, 'If 
 ye will not confide, ye shall not abide'' — Tliaamhm, 
 Theeameenu. Ahaz brought distress on himself by 
 distrust in the Lord, and trust in Assyria. 
 
 11. Ask thee a sign of (lit., from with— Hehvew, 
 meehim; Chaldaic, /ro?>i the face of) the Lord thy 
 God — since thou dost not credit the prophet's 
 woixls. a sign — a miraciilous token, to assure thee 
 that God will fulfil His promise of saving Jerusa- 
 lem (ch. XXX vii. 30 ; xxxviii. 7, 8). ' Signs,' i. 
 miraculous facts then present or near at hand, 
 as pledges for the more distant future, are fre- 
 quent in Isaiah, ask it either in the depth 
 — lit., make deeji, ask it ; i. e., goto the depth of 
 the earth or of Hades (Vulgate), or, mount 
 high for it {lit.,m,ake high). So in Matt. xvi. 1. 
 Signs in heaven are contrasted with the signs on 
 earth and below it (raising the dead) which Jesus 
 Christ had wrought (cf. Pvom. x. G, 7). He offers 
 Ahaz the widest limits within which to make his 
 choice. 12. I will not ask, neither will I tempt 
 the Lord — hypocritical pretext of keeping the law 
 (Deut. vi. 16). "Tempt," i. e., God to theprooj, 
 as in Matt. iv. 7, by seeking His miraculous inter- 
 position without warrant. But here there was the 
 warrant of the prophet of God : to have asked a 
 sign when thus offered would not have been a 
 teiapting, but a trusting of God. Not to ask a 
 sign w.hen God offered one, in order to elicit ./VaVA 
 from him, was tempting, in addition to distrusting 
 Him. Ahaz' true reason for declining was his 
 resolve not to do God's will, but to negotiate with 
 Assyria, and persevere in his idolatry (2 Ki. xvi. 
 7, 8 ; iii. 4, 10). Men often excuse their distrust 
 in God, and trust in their own devices, by pro- 
 fessed reverence for God. Ahaz may have fancied 
 that though Jehovah was the God of Judea, 
 and could work a sign there, that was no proof 
 that the local god of Syria might not be more 
 powerful. Such was the common heathen notion 
 (ch. x. 10, 11 ; xxxvi. 18-20). 13. Hear ye now. 
 
I 
 
 The birth of 
 
 ISAIAH VII. 
 
 Immanuel foretold. 
 
 14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign ; 
 ^Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear *a son, 
 And shall call his name -^Immanuel. 
 
 15 Butter and honey shall he eat, 
 
 That he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. 
 
 16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, 
 The land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of ^ both her kings. 
 
 B. C. 742. 
 
 ^ Matt. 1. 23. 
 Luke 1, 31. 
 
 * ch. 9. 6. 
 
 10 Or, thou, 
 O virgin, 
 Shalt call. 
 
 / ch. 8. 8. 
 
 " 2 Ki. 15. SO. 
 
 0 house of David ; (is it) a small thing for you 
 to weary men, but will ye weary my God also ? 
 Is it not enough for you? (Num. xvi. 9.) The 
 alhision to " David " is in order to contrast Ms 
 trust in God with his degenerate descendant 
 Aliaz' distrust, weary — try the patience of. men 
 — the prophets. Isaiah as yet had given no out- 
 ward proof that he was from God ; but now God 
 has offered a sign, which Ahaz publicly rejects. 
 The sin is therefore now not merely against 
 "men," but o^ienly against "God." Isaiah's 
 manner therefore changes from mildness to bold 
 reproof. 14. Therefore the Lord himself shall 
 give you a sign— since thou wilt not ask a sign, 
 nay, rejectest the offer of one. you — for the sake 
 of the house of believing "David" (God remem- 
 bering His everlasting covenant with David), not 
 for unbelieving Ahaz' sake. God had guaranteed 
 the perpetuity of David's throne in the peison 
 of Messiah, David's seed (2 Sam. vii. 16 : cf. 
 Ethan's psalm, Ps. Ixxxix. 35-37 ; cxxxii. 11). 
 Ahaz should have believed in God's promise, 
 which made it impossible that the scheme of the 
 two invading kings to set aside David's line of 
 succession should succeed. Behold — arresting 
 attention to the extraordinary prophecy, a virgin 
 — from a root, to lie hid, virgins being closely 
 kept from men's gaze in their parents' custody in 
 the East. The Hebrew [nn^rn] and the LXX. 
 here, and Greek {h Tra^oeefos], Matt. i. 23, have the 
 article, the virgin, some definite one known to the 
 speaker and his hearers ; primarily, the woman, 
 then a virgin, about immediately to become the 
 prophet's second M'ife, and to bear a child, whose 
 attainment of the age of discrimination (about 
 three years) should be preceded by the deliver- 
 ance of Judah from its two invadei's. The term 
 ha^mah denotes a girl of marriageable age, but not 
 married, and therefore a virgin by implication. 
 Bethulah is the term more directly expressing vir- 
 ginity of a bride or betrothed wife (Joel i. 8). Its 
 fullest significancy is realized in the woman" 
 (Gen. iii. 15) whose ' seed should bruise the ser- 
 pent's head,' and deliver captive man (Jer. xxxi. 
 21, 22, "O virgin of Israel, turn again . . . for the 
 Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, A 
 woman shall compass a man ;" Mic. v. 3, " There- 
 fore will he give them up, until the time that she 
 which travaileth hath brought forth "). Language 
 is selected such as, whilst partially applicable to 
 the immediate event, receives its /ui^e-s^ and most 
 appropriate and exhaustive accomxjlishment in 
 Messianic events. The New Testament applica- 
 tion of such prophecies is not a strained 'accom- 
 modation;' rather the temporary fulfilment is an 
 adaptation of the far-reaching prophecy to the 
 present passing event, which foreshadows typically 
 the great central end of prophecy, Jesus Christ 
 (Rev. xix. 10). Evidently the wording is such as 
 to apply more fully to Jesiis Christ than to the 
 prophet's son. "Virgin" applies, in its simplest 
 sense, to the Virgin Mary, rather than to the 
 prophetess, who ceased to be a virgiji when she 
 "conceived." "Immanuel," God with us (John i. 
 14 ; Rev. xxi. 3), cannot in a strict sense apply to 
 Isaiah's son, but only to Him who is presently 
 686 
 
 called expressly (ch. ix. 6), ' the Child, the Son, 
 Wonderful (cf. ch. viii. 18), the mighty God.'' 
 The inspired authority of Matt. f. 23 decides the 
 Messianic reference ; for it cannot be a mere 
 'accommodation' of Scripture, since the Evan- 
 gelist saitb, " that it might be fulfilled which was 
 spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying. Behold, 
 a virgin," &c. Local and temporary features (as 
 vv. 15, 16) are added in every type : otherwise it 
 would be no type, but the thing itself. There 
 are resemblances to the great antitype sufficient 
 to be recognized by those who seek them— dissimi- 
 larities enough to confound those who do not 
 desire to discover them, shall conceive, and hear 
 (Hebrew, is with child, and beareth) a son, and 
 shall call his name Immanuel,— i. e., she shall. 
 So the Chaldaic, marg., and LXX., thou, 0 Virgin, 
 shalt call. [But then the Scheva would be 
 written under the n. The Hebrew verb is 
 feminine in termination.] Mothers often named 
 their children (Gen. iv. 1, 25; xix. 37; xxix. 
 32). In Matt. i. 23 the expression is strikingly 
 changed into "they shall call." When the pro- 
 phecy received its full accomplishment, no longer 
 is the name Immanuel restricted to the pro- 
 phetess^ view of His character in its partial 
 fulfilment in her son : all shall then call or regard 
 Him as peculiarly and most fitly characterized 
 by the descrij)tive wame " Immanuel " (1 Tim. iii. 
 16, "God was manifest in the flesh;" Col. ii. 9). 
 his name — not mere appellation, which neither 
 Isaiah's son nor Jesus Christ bore literally; but 
 what describes His manifested attributes; His 
 character (so ch. ix. 6). The name, in its proper 
 destination, was not arbitrary, but characteristic 
 of the individual. Sin destroyed the faculty of 
 perceiving the internal being ; hence the severante 
 now between the name and the character : in the 
 case of Jesus Christ, and many in Scripture, the 
 Holy Ghost has supplied this want [Olshausen). 
 15. Butter (Hebrew, Hemeah)—rsX\\er, Curdled 
 milk, the acid of which is grateful in the heat of the 
 East (Job XX. 17). and honey shall he eat — i. e., 
 he shall be fed with the usual food of children in 
 the East. The invasion by these two kings, though 
 it cause distress, shall not prevent his having the 
 ordinary nourishment of children up to the time of 
 the invasion ceasing. Honey is abundant in Pales- 
 tine (Judg. xiv. 8; 1 Sam. xiv. 25; Matt. iii. 4). 
 Physicians directed that the first food given to a 
 child shou.ld be honey, the next milk {Barnahas, 
 Epistle). Horsley takes this as implying the real 
 humanityof the Immanuel, Jesus Christ, about tobe 
 fed as other infants (Luke ii. 52). But vv. 15, 16 refer 
 mainly to the typical child of the prophetess. V. 
 22 shows that, besides the fitness of milk and honey 
 for children, a. state of distress of the inhabitants 
 is also implied, when, by reason of the invaders, 
 milk and honey, things produced spontaneoush/, 
 shall be the only abundant articles of food, that 
 he may know— rather (Hebrew, ledahto), with 
 Chaldaic, until He shall know. So the Hebrew ['^J 
 partiple is used in 2 Sam. xiii. 2. to refuse the evil, 
 and choose the good. At about three years of age 
 moral consciousness begins (cf. ch. viii. 4; Deut. 
 i. 39; Jon. iv. 11). 16. For before the child shall 
 
Judgments threatened 
 
 ISAIAH VII. 
 
 on Judah, 
 
 17 The ^LoRD shall bring upon thee, 
 
 And upon thy people, — and upon thy father's house, 
 
 Days that have not come, from the day that ^Ephraim departed from 
 
 Judah ; 
 Efien the king of Ass3Tia. 
 
 18 And it shall come to pass in that day, — that the Lord shall hiss for the fly 
 That is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, 
 
 And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria: 
 
 19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them 
 
 In the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, 
 And upon all thorns, and upon all bushes. 
 
 20 In the same day shall the Lord shave with -^"a razor that is hired, 
 Namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, 
 
 The head, and the hair of the feet : — and it shall also consume the beard. 
 
 21 And it shall come to pass in that day. 
 
 That a man shall nourish a yount? cow and two sheep ; 
 
 22 And it shall come to pass. 
 
 For the abundance of milk that they shall give, that he shall eat butter: 
 For butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land. 
 
 23 And it shall come to pass in that day, — that every place shall be. 
 
 B. C. 742. 
 
 " 2 Ki. 18. 19. 
 
 2 Chr.28.19. 
 
 2Chr. 33.11. 
 
 Neh. 9. 32. 
 
 ch. 8. 7. 8, 
 
 ch, 10. 5, e. 
 
 ch. 36. 37. 
 • 1 Ki. li. 16. 
 
 2Chr. 10. 16. 
 19. 
 
 11 Or. com- 
 mendab e 
 trees. 
 
 } 2 Ki. 16. 7. 
 2Chr. 28.20, 
 
 21. 
 ch. 10. 6. 
 Jer. 27. 6, 
 
 7. 
 
 Eze. 5. 1. 
 Eze. 29. 18, 
 20. 
 
 12 in the 
 midst of 
 the land. 
 
 know to refuse the evil (Hebrew, in respect to 
 the evil), and choose the good (Hebrew, in respect 
 to the good). The alarm as to the foe, and the 
 distress as to food {vv. 14, 15), shall last only till 
 the child grows to know good and evil: for, &c. 
 the land that thou abhorrest shall he forsaken 
 of both her kings— rather, desolate shall he the 
 land, before the face of whose two kings thou art 
 alarmed {De Dieu and Gesenius). the land— viz., 
 Syria and Samaria regarded as one, just two years 
 after this prophecy, lost both the kings, as it fore- 
 tells. Hoshea, the son of Elah, conspired against 
 Pekah, and slew him. Tiglath-pileser, king of 
 Assyria, slew Rezin (2 Ki. xv. 30; xvi. 9). 
 Horsley takes it, 'the land (Judah and Samaria) 
 of (the former of) which thou art the plague (lit., 
 thorn; Hebrew, quatz or quotz) shall be forsaken,' 
 &c, : a prediction thus that Judah and Israel 
 (appropriately regarded as one "land") should 
 cease to be kingdoms (Luke ii. 1 ; Gen. xlix. 10) 
 before Immanuel came. But the term of three 
 years, defined by the interval from the tyi)ical 
 child s birth to his conscious ability to know good 
 and evil, marks rather the time of Judah's com- 
 parative distress, until it should be completely 
 delivered by the death of tlie two invading kings. 
 The Hebrew, too, [ifj^] hardly bears the meaning 
 tliorn ['pp]. 
 
 17-25.- Fatal Consequences of Ahaz' As- 
 syrian Policy. Though temporary deliverance 
 (chs. viL 16; viii. 4) was to be given then, and final 
 deliverance through Messiah, sore punishment 
 shall follow the former. After subduing Syria and 
 Israel, the Assyrians shall encounter Egypt (2 Ki. 
 xxiii. 20), and Judah shall be the battle-field of 
 both (?;. 18), and be made tributary to that very 
 Assyria (2 Ki. xvi. 7, 8), now about to be called in 
 by Ahaz the king of Judah as an ally. Cf. 2 Chr. 
 xxviii. 20, "Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came 
 unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened 
 him not," Egyjjt, too, should prove a fatal ally, 
 (chs. xxxyi. 6; xxxi. 1, &c.) 18. the Lord shall 
 hiss— whistle to bring bees to settle (note, ch. v. 
 26). for the fly — found in numbers about the 
 arms of the Nile, and the canals from it (chs. xix. 
 5-7; xxiii. 3), here called "rivers." Hence arose 
 tlie plague of flies (Exod. viii. 21), Figurative for 
 numerous and trcmblesome foes from the remotest 
 587 
 
 Earts of Egypt — e. g.^ Pharaoh-necho, who slew 
 ang Josiah at Megiddo, when the latter went 
 against him, because the Egyptian king was going 
 up against the King of Assyria (2 Ki. xxiii. 29, 30). 
 and for the bee (Deut. i. 44; Ps. cxviil 12)— as 
 numerous in Assyria as the Jly in marshy Egypt, 
 Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, and Nebuchadnezzar 
 fultilled this prediction. 19. they . . . shall rest- 
 image of flies and hees kejtt up. all of them in the 
 desolate valleys— the enemy shall overspread the 
 land everywhere, even in "desolate valleys." and 
 upon all thorns, and upon all bushes — wild, 
 contrasted with " bushes " which were valued and 
 objects of care (see marg., nahalolim, 'commend- 
 able trees:' from halal, to praise). So Chaldaic, 
 'houses of praise.' There shall be no place of 
 escape ; for the enemy shall come down upon the 
 houses of the poor, as well as the palaces of the 
 great. 20. In the same day shall the Lord shave 
 with a razor. The Assyrians are to be God's 
 instrument of devastating Judea, just as a razor 
 sweeps away all hair before it (ch. x. 5, 20). hired 
 —alluding to Ahaz' hiring (2 Ki. xvi. 7, 8) Tiglath, 
 pileser against Syria and Israel. Cf. Ezek. v. 1- 
 &c. ; xxix, 19, 20. (namely), by them beyond the 
 river — viz., tlie Euphrates, the eastern boundary 
 of Jewish geographical knowledge (Ps. Ixxii. 8); 
 the river which Abram crossed. Gesenius trans- 
 lates, ' with a razor hi7'ed in tlie parts beyond the 
 riner.^ the head . . . feet— the whole body, includ- 
 ing the most honoured parts, it shall also con- 
 sume the beard. To cut the "beard" is the 
 greatest indignity to an Eastern (ch. 1. 6 ; 2 Sam. 
 X. 4, 5 ; Ezek. v. 1). 
 
 21-25.— The coming Desolate State of the 
 Land owing to the Assykians and Egyptians. 
 21. in that day ... a man shall nourish— i. e., own. 
 a young cow— a heifer giving milk, and two sheep 
 —a few sheep, or she-goats yielding milk. Agri- 
 cidture shall cease, and the land become one great 
 pasturage. 22. for the abundance of milk (that) 
 they sliall give — by reason of the wide range of 
 land lying desolate over which the cows and slieep 
 (including goats) may range, that he shall eat 
 butter— thick milk, or cream, honey — (note, v. 15. ) 
 Food of spontaneous growth will be the resource 
 of the few inhabitants left. Honey shall be 
 abundant, as the bees will find the wild flowers 
 
Prophecy against 
 
 ISAIAH VIII. 
 
 Syria and Israel. 
 
 Where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverhngs. 
 It shall even be ^for briers and thorns. 
 24 With arrows and with bows shall me7i come tliither; 
 Because all the land shall become briers and thorns. 
 And 071 all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, 
 There shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: 
 But it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, 
 And for the treading of lesser cattle. 
 
 MOREOVER the Lord said unto me, Take tnee a great roll, and write 
 in it with a man's pen concerning ^Mahar-shalal-hash-baz. And I took 
 unto me faithful witnesses to record, '^Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the 
 
 25 
 
 abounding everywhere. 23. where there were a 
 thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it 
 shall (even) be for briers and thorns— where up 
 to that time there was so valuable a vineyard as to 
 have in it 1,000 vines, worth a silverliug {shekel, 
 about 2s. 3d. ; a large price) each, there shall be 
 only briers (Song viii. 11). Vineyards are estimated 
 by the number of the vines and the goodness of 
 the kind of viue. Judea admits of a high state of 
 cultivation, and requires it in order to be produc- 
 tive: its present barrenness is due to neglect. 24. 
 With arrows and with bows shall (men) come 
 thither. It shall become a vast hunting-ground, 
 abounding in wild beasts (cf. Jer. xlix. 19). 25. 
 And (on) all hills that shall be— rather, that 
 tcere once, digged— in order to plant and rear vines 
 (ch. V. 6). there shall not come thither the fear 
 of (viz., those who fear) briers and thorns— i e., 
 none shall come who fear thorns, seeing that thorns 
 shall abound on all sides (Maurer). Otherwise, 
 'thoushalt not come for fear oi briers and thorns.' 
 but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, 
 and for the treading of lesser cattle— only cattle 
 shall be able to penetrate the briery ground, lesser 
 cattle— sheei3 and goats. However, the English 
 version of the whole verse gives a good sense. Men 
 in time of invasion take refuge in the hills (Jer. iii. 
 23). On them, therefore, alone there should be 
 uo fear of thorns coming, but they should be ht 
 pasture whereon to send forth oxen and lesser 
 cattle. This implies a wretched state, when the 
 plains shall be deserted through fear, and the hills 
 alone be cultivated by the few who escape. So 
 Calvin. Grotius explains it, there shoiild be no 
 thorn hedges to prevent the cattle going in and 
 treading down the hill-sides, where once there were 
 fenced vineyards. I prefer the English version in 
 Calvin^s explanation. Cf. vv. 23, 24, which contain 
 the antithesis, "all the laud shall become briers 
 and thorns," whereas "on all the hills there shall 
 not come briers and thorns." The "thorns" can- 
 not well mean a thorn hedge, but must mean a sign 
 of desolation in this verse, as in the two former 
 verses. 
 
 Remarks. — When the enemies of the Lard's 
 people conspire together for their destruction, the 
 counsel of the wicked "shall not stand, neither 
 shall it come to pass." The ungodly persecutors, 
 in their " fierce anger," are but as ' tails of smoking 
 firebrands.' So far shall they be from consuming 
 the saints, as they attempt, that they shall them- 
 selves be consumed, and go out in utter darkness. 
 The duty of God's servants in times of trial is 
 not to give way to 'fear and faint-heartedness,' 
 but in 'quiet' self-possession to believe in the 
 promises of the Loixl: so shall tiles'- "be estab- 
 lished." Trust in man, and distrust towards God, 
 are the great hindrances to our peace of mind and 
 to our solid security. God, with exceeding long- 
 suffering, holds out incentives to stimulate faith, 
 as He offered a sign to Ahaz, who was slow to 
 588 
 
 believe His goodness. He saith to us also, "Ask, 
 and it shall be given you." It is not humility, 
 but carnality and unbelief, which cause men to be 
 so slow in accepting so gracious an offer. Ahaz 
 refused the offer of God, saying, "I will not ask, 
 neither will I tempt the Lord." Yet presently 
 afterwards this same man had no scruple to use 
 Jehovah's brazen altar to divine with, and to 
 substitute for the altar of God, in the worship of 
 God, an altar formed from an idolatrous pattern 
 which he had seen at Damascus. What vile 
 hypocrisy it is to make the letter of some Scriptui'e 
 passage the pretext for flagrantly violating its 
 sx^irit, and to mask our perverse self-will, crooked 
 devices, unbelief, and will-worship, with the plea 
 of sanctimonious regard for the honour of God. 
 
 CHAP. VIII.— Chs. viii. and ix. 7. The first 
 seven verses of ch. ix. belong to this section. Ch. 
 viii. continues the subject of ch. vii., but at a later 
 period (cf. ch. viii. 4 with ch. vii. 16), implying 
 that the interval till the accomplishment is shorter 
 now than then. The tone of ch. viii. 17, 21, 22 
 expresses calamity more immediate and afflictive 
 than ch. vii. 4, 15, 22. 1. the Lord said unto me, 
 Take thee a great roll— suitable for letters large 
 enough to be read by all. roll — Hebrew, Gillayon; 
 according to the Chaldaic and others, a tablet of 
 wood, metal, or stone (ch. xxx. 8); a difierent 
 Hebrew word, luach, 'a table,' or tablet: some- 
 times coated with wax, upon which characters 
 were traced with a pointed instrument or iipn 
 stylus: skins and papyrus were also i;sed (ch. xix. 
 7). The Syriac, Arabic, and LXX. support the 
 English version. The root is Galah, to reveal; or 
 else Galal, to roll (whence megillah, a roll or volume 
 comes), write in it with a man's pen — i. e., in 
 ordinary characters, which the humblest can read 
 (so Hab. ii. 2). Hebrew, e?ios7i means a common 
 man, as contrasted with the upper ranks (Rev. 
 xxi. 17, " according to the measure of a man "— i. e., 
 an ordincLry measure ; Rom. iii. 5). Cf. Hab. ii. 2, 
 note, Grotius'' interpretation. Not in hieroglyphics. 
 The object was that, after the event, all might see 
 that it had been predicted by Isaiah, concerning 
 — the title and subject of the prophecy. Mahar- 
 shalal-hash-bas — "They {i.e., the Assyrians) 
 hasten to the spoil (viz., to spoil Syria aud 
 Samaria), they speed to the prey {Gesenius). Other- 
 wise, ' the spoil (/. e. , spoiler) hastens, the rapine 
 speeds forward' (il/az^rer). As "Immanuel," the 
 prophet's first son, was given as the sign of deliver- 
 ance to Judah, so Mahar-shalal-hash-baz, the 
 second sign, is the sign of destruction to Judah's 
 enemies. 2. I took unto me faithful witnesses to 
 record — ' The Lord said to me that I should take,^ 
 ci'c. {Maurer.) Hebrew, veahidah heedim — lit, 
 'and t will make to witness for me faithful wit- 
 nesses.' Uriah the priest — an accomplice of Ahaz 
 in idolatry, and therefore a witness not likely to 
 assist the prophet of God in getting up a prophecy 
 after the event (2 Ki. xvi. 10, 15, 16). The witnesses 
 
God's 2)ur poses 
 
 ISAIAH VIIL 
 
 irresistible. 
 
 3 son of Jeberechiah. And I "went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, 
 and bare a son. Then said the Lord to me, Call his name Mahar-shalal- 
 
 4 hash-baz : for ^before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, 
 and my mother, ^the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall 
 be taken away before the king of Assyria. 
 
 5 The Lord spake also unto me again, saying, 
 
 6 Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of '^Shiloah that go softl}^, 
 And rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son ; 
 
 7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them 
 The waters of the river, strong and many. 
 
 Even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: 
 
 And he shall come up over all his channels, — and go over all his banks. 
 
 8 And he shall pass through Judah; — he shall overflow and go over; 
 
 He shall reach even to the neck : — and * the stretching out of his wings 
 Shall fill the breadth of thy land, 0 '^Immanuel. 
 
 9 Associate yourselves, 0 ye people, ^and ye shall be broken in pieces; 
 
 B. C. 741. 
 
 2 approach- 
 ed unto. 
 
 f> ch. 7. ifi. ■ 
 
 3 Or, he that 
 isbeforetlie 
 king of As 
 sjTia shiiH 
 t ike away 
 the riches. 
 
 " John 9. 7. 
 
 i the fulness 
 of the 
 breadth ot 
 thy la (I 
 shall be 
 the stretch- 
 ings out of 
 his wings. 
 
 d ch. r. 14. 
 
 5 Or. yet. 
 
 wei-e in order that when the event should come 
 they might testify that the tablet cootaiuiug the 
 prophecy had been inscribed with it at the time 
 that it professed, and Zecliariah — mentioned 
 among the Levite Gershonites in Hezekiab's reign 
 (2 Chi', xxix. 13). 3. And I went unto the pro- 
 phetess—perhaps the same as the "virgin" (ch, 
 vii, 14), in the interim married as Isaiah's second 
 wife : this is in the primary and temporary sense. 
 Immanuel is even in this sense distinct from 
 Mahar-shalal-hash-baz. Thus nineteen months at 
 least intervene from the prophecy (ch. vii. 14) — 
 nine before the birth of Immanuel, and ten from 
 that time to the birth of Mahar-shalal-hash-baz: 
 adding eleven or twelve months before the latter 
 could cry, "Father" (ch. viii. 4), we have about 
 three years in all, agreeing with ch. vii. 15, 16. 4. 
 For before the child shall have knowledge to 
 cry, My father— within a year, the riches of 
 Damascus, and . . . Samaria shall be taken 
 away before the king of Assyria. 
 
 5, 6. The Lord spake also unto me . . . For- 
 asmuch as this people refuseth the waters of 
 Shiloah that go softly. Their source is on the 
 60ut])-east of Zion and east of Jerusalem. It 
 means ■'<r:nt, the water being sent through an aque- 
 duct (John ix. 7). Figurative for the mVd, though 
 now v^eak, sway of the house of David ; in the 
 high&st sense Shiloah expresses the benignant sway 
 of Jehovah in the theocracy, administered through 
 David. Contrast to the violent Euphrates, "the 
 river " that typifies Assyria [v. 7). Waters sym- 
 bolize the peoples of tlie world-power (Rev. xvii. 
 15). "This peoi)le " refers both to /srae^, which 
 originally under Jeroboam separated from the 
 crown of David, and now preferred an alliance 
 with Rezin of Syria to one with the kings of 
 Judah, and to Judah, a party in which seems to 
 Jiave favoured the pretensions of the son of 
 Tabeal against David's line (ch. vii. 6). Also 
 Judah' s desire to seek an Assyrian alliance is in- 
 cluded in the censure (cf, ch. viL 17). V. 14 
 shows that both nations are meant — both alike 
 rejected the Divine Shiloah. Not '^my peo- 
 
 1)le,' as elsewhere, when God expresses favour, 
 )ut "</a> people" (ch. vi. 9). 7. Now therefore 
 — for the reason given in v. 6, the Assyrian Hood, 
 which is first to overfiood Syria and Samaria, 
 shall rise high enough to reach rebel Judah also 
 {v. S). watersof the river. Euphrates, swollen in 
 spring by the melting of the snow of the Armenian 
 mountains (cf. v. C ; ch. vii. 20), is the symbol of 
 the Assyrian power, all his glory. Eastern 
 
 kings travel with a gorgeous retinue, he shall 
 come up over all his channels. The Euphiates 
 had channels, natural and artificial, in the level 
 region, Mesopotamia. 8. And he shall pass through 
 Judah— the flood shall not stop at Syria and 
 Samaria, but shall iienetrate into Judea. he shall 
 reach even to the neck. When the waters reach 
 to the neck a man is near drowning ; still the Itead is 
 not said to be overflowed. Jerusalem, elevated 
 on hills, is the head. The danger shall be so im- 
 minent as to reach near it at Sennacherib's inva- 
 sion in Hezekiah's reign ; but it shall be spared 
 (ch. XXX. 28). and the stretching out of his 
 wings— the extreme bands of the Assyrian armies; 
 fulflUed chs. xxxvi. 1 ; xxxvii. 25 : cf. as to the 
 last Antichrist, Dan. ix. 27, ' the wing of abomi- 
 nations ' [Sir Isaac Newton). shall fill the 
 breadth of thy land, 0 Immanuel. Though tem- 
 porarily applied to Isaiah's son, in the fall sense 
 this is ajiplicable only to Messiah : that Judea is 
 His, was, and still is, a pledge that, however 
 sorely overwhelmed, it shall be saved at last ; the 
 ' head' is safe even now, waiting for ' the times of 
 restoration' and "restitution" (Acts i. 6; iii. 21). 
 In the word "Immanuel" here used the prospect 
 of deliverance is hinted at even in the midst of 
 the threat. At the same time these words imply 
 that, notwithstanding the temporary deliverance 
 from Syria and Israel, implied in "Immanuel," 
 the greatest calamities are to follow to Judah. 
 9. Associate yourselves—' Congregate yourselves ' 
 (Vulgate and Chaldaic) (wn, from nrn, to 
 associate as flocks do in feeding. Imperative Pual 
 {Rabbi Salomon). But Kimchi derives it from a 
 root, , to shake or agitate. The Syriac trans- 
 lates, 'tremble;' others, 'be broken to pieces,' 
 from a similar root, roang or ruang] ; raise tumults, 
 or, rage— i. e., do your worst {Maurer), referring 
 perhaps to the attack of Rezin and Pekah on 
 Jerusalem. But the parallel words in the two 
 corresponding clauses, viz., "gird yourselves," 
 and " take counsel together," confirm the English 
 version, and ye sliall be broken in pieces— 
 with all your ' associating ' ye shaU only get thid 
 for your perverse pains, " ye shall be broken in 
 pieces." Rezin's league with Pekah must fail, and 
 Ahaz' league with the King of Assyria only bring 
 sorrow upon him and Judah. The Assyrian asso- 
 ciating together of the various world-nations 
 against Judah, and inducing even some in Judah 
 to join him (ch. xxii. 15), must fail against the Holy 
 land ultimately, because it is Immanuel'r. Im- 
 perative in the Hebrew, according to the idiom 
 
God's purposes 
 
 ISAIAH VIII. 
 
 irresistible. 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 And give ear, all ye of far countries : 
 Gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces ; 
 Gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. 
 Take ^ counsel together, and it shall come to nought ; 
 Speak the word, and it shall not stand: — -''for God is with us. 
 
 For the Lord spake thus to me ^with a strong hand. 
 And instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, 
 
 12 Saying, Say ye not, A confederacy, 
 
 To all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy ; 
 ^Neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. 
 
 13 Sanctify ^the Lord of hosts himself ; 
 
 And ^let him he your fear, and let him he your dread. 
 
 14 And -^he shall be for a sanctuary; 
 
 But for *a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence 
 To both the houses of Israel, 
 
 For a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 
 
 15 And many among them shall ^stumble, and fall, 
 And be broken, and be snared, and be taken. 
 
 B. C. 741. 
 
 • 2 Sam. 17.4. 
 
 Job 5. 12. 
 
 Ps. 2. 1. 2. 
 
 Ps. 33. 10. 
 / Deut. 20. I. 
 
 Josh. 1. 5. 
 
 Ps. 46. 7,11. 
 
 Ch. 7. 14. 
 
 Ch. 9. 6. 
 
 ch. 41. 10. 
 
 Matt. 1. 23. 
 
 Rom. 8. 31. 
 6 in strength 
 
 of hand. 
 » 1 Pet. 3. 14. 
 A Num. 20.12. 
 i Luke 12. 5. 
 3 Eze. 11. 16. 
 k Luke 2. 2K 
 
 Rom. 9. 33. 
 
 1 Pet. 2. 8. 
 ' Luke 20. 18. 
 
 whereby the second of two imperatives implies 
 the future— viz., the consequence of the action con- 
 tained in the first (so ch. vi. 9). The name " Im- 
 manuel " in v. 8 (cf. v. 10) suggests the thought of 
 the ultimate safety of ImmanueVs land, both from 
 its i^resent two invaders and even from the 
 Assyrians, notwithstanding the grievous flood 
 wherewith the previous verses foretell they shall 
 deluge it. The succession of the house of David 
 cannot be set aside in Judah, for Immanuel 
 Messiah is to be born in it as heir of David, of 
 whom Isaiah's son is but a type (ch. ix. 4, 6). 
 give ear, all ye of far countries— witness the 
 discomfiture of Judah's enemies. The prophecy 
 probably looks on also to the final conspiracy of 
 A ntichrist and his supporters, the ten kings and 
 the nations of the earth (Ps. ii. ; Rev. xvii. 8-17; 
 xix. 11-19) against the Heir of David's throne in 
 the latter days, and their utter overthrow {Horsley). 
 gird yourselves . . . gird yourselves, and ye 
 shall be broken in pieces. The repetition expresses 
 vehemently the certainty of their being " broken in 
 pieces." 10. Take counsel together, and it shall 
 come to nought ; speak the word— of command, for 
 the assault of Jerusalem, and it shall not stand : 
 for God is with us— Hebrew, 'Immanuel.' Our 
 watchword, Immanuel, ' God with us,' assures us 
 that discomfiture must attend all who are " against 
 us " (Rom. viii. 31 ; Num. xiv. 9 ; Ps. xlvi. 7). 
 
 11. For the Lord spake thus to me with a 
 strong hand — or else, when He grasped me with 
 His hand {Horsley). Maurer, as the English ver- 
 sion, 'with the impetus of his hand' — i.e., with 
 the felt impulse of His inspiration in my mind (Jer. 
 XV. 17; Ezek. i. 3; iii. 14, " the hand of the Lord 
 was strong upon me," 22 ; Ezek. xxxvii. 1). ' In the 
 strong power of prophecy ' (Chaldaic ; 2 Ki. iii. 
 15). and instructed me that I should not walk 
 in the way of this people — in their distrust of 
 Jehovah, and the panic which led them and Ahaz 
 to seek Assyrian aid. 
 
 12-16. The words of Jehovah. 12. Say ye not, 
 A confederacy— rather, A conspiracy; Hebrew, 
 quesher, an appropriate term for the unnatural 
 combination of Israel with Syrian foreigners 
 against Judea and the theocracy, to which the 
 former was bound by ties of blood and hereditary 
 religion {Maurer). Do not ye {the godly, such 
 as Isaiah) join in the cry of this people for a 
 " confederacy," which is rather a ^ conspiracy,^ by 
 either surrendering to the associated kings ( Va- 
 590 
 
 tablus), or forming an alliance with the Assyrian 
 king {Piscator), or deserting, as Shebna is thought 
 to have done, to the Assyrian king (ch. xxii. 15) 
 {Grotiusy. A combination of God's people, the 
 Jews, with the heathen Assyrians, is regarded by 
 God, the Head of the theocracy, as a rebellious 
 and unnatural conspiracy against Him. But the 
 "confederacy" or conspiracy, which was con- 
 stantly on the tongue of the Jews, and which 
 Isaiah and the godly are charged not to have 
 uppermost in their thoughts and words, answers 
 in parallelism to "their fear "—viz., the confederate 
 and conspiring Bezin and Pekah, in contrast to 
 whom is put, 'let the Lord be your fear' {y. 13). 
 I therefore prefer, with Gesenius, to exx)lain. Do 
 not be saying continually, like the panic-struck 
 people, ' A conspiracy,' as if you had through fear 
 lost all faith, to all (them to) whom this people 
 shall say, A confederacy — or else, 'as to [hy 
 all things in which this people saith, A conspiracy. 
 Do not let your continual cry be, A conspiracy, 
 according as their cry on all occasions isj, A 
 consi)iracy. neither fear ye their fear — viz., 
 object of fear; the hostile conspiracy. 13. Sanctify 
 the Lord of hosts himself— //owowr His holy name 
 by regarding Him as your only hope of safety 
 (ch. xxix. 23 ; Num. xx. 12). In nothing do we 
 more dishonour God's holy name than by dis- 
 trustful fears, let him be your fear—" fear," lest 
 you provoke His wrath by your fear of man and 
 distrust of Him. 14. he shall be for a sanctuary 
 — an inviolable asylum, like the altar of the 
 temple (1 Ki. i. 50 ; ii. 28 ; Ezek. xi. 16 : cf Prov. 
 xviii. 10); viz., to those who fear and trust in Him. 
 but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of 
 offence to both the houses of Israel— i e., a rock 
 over which they should fall to their hurt; viz., 
 those who would not believe, both the houses — 
 Israel and Judah. Here again the prophecy 
 expands beyond the temporary application in 
 Ahaz' time. The very stone, Immanuel, which 
 would have been a sanctuary on belief, becomes a 
 fatal stumbling-block through unbelief. Jesus 
 Christ refers to this in Matt. xxi. 44 (cf. Deut. 
 xxxii. 4, 15, 18, 30, 31, 37 ; Dan. ii. 34 ; Pom. ix. 
 33; 1 Pet. ii. 8). a gin— a trap, in which birds 
 are unexpectedly caught. So shall Christ's second 
 advent "come as a snare on all them that dwell 
 on the face of the whole earth " (Luke xxi. 35; I 
 Thess. v. 2). So at the destruction of Jerusalem 
 under Titus. 15. And many among them shall 
 
Comfort to those 
 
 ISAIAH VIII. 
 
 that fear God. 
 
 16 Bind "^up the testimony, — seal the law among my disciples. 
 
 17 And I will wait upon the Lord, 
 That hideth his face from the house of Jacob, — and I "will look for him. 
 
 18 Behold, ^I and the children whom the Lord hath given me. 
 
 Are for signs and for wonders in Israel 
 From the Lord of hosts, — which dwelleth in mount Zion. 
 
 19 And when they shall say unto you, 
 Seek unto them that have familiar spirits. 
 And unto wizards that peep and that mutter : 
 
 Should not a people seek unto their God? — for the living ^to the dead? 
 
 20 To the law and to the testimony : — if they speak not according to this word, 
 It is because the7^e is ^ no light in them. 
 
 stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, 
 and be taken — images from the means used in 
 taking wild animals. 
 
 16. Bind up the testimony, seal the law among 
 my disciples. What Isaiah had before briefly 
 noted by inscribing Mahar-shalal-hash-haz in a 
 tablet, fixed up in some public place, he afterwards 
 wrote out more in detail in a parchment-roli (ch. 
 XXX. 8) : this he is now to seal up, not merely in 
 order that nothing may be added to, or taken from 
 it, as being complete, but to imply that it relates to 
 distant events, and is therefore to be a sealed and 
 not understood testimony (ch. vi. 9, 10), except in 
 part among God's "disciples" — i.e., those who 
 "sanctify the Lord" by obedient trust (Ps. xxv. 
 14, " The secret of the Lord is with them that fear 
 Him; and He will show them His covenant"). 
 Subsequent revelations would afterwards clear up 
 what now was dark. So the Apocalypse explains 
 what in Daniel was left unexplainecL Of. Dan. 
 viii. 26; xii. 9, "The words are closed up and 
 sealed till the time of the end ;" but Rev. xxii. 10, 
 " Seal not the sayings of the prophecy ... for 
 the time is at hand." The Lamb has opened the 
 seals of prophecy. Cf. Rev. v. 1, 5, 9. the testi- 
 mony—the prophecy of Isaiah, inspired by God 
 and attested by Uriah and Zechariah {v. 2). the 
 law — the revelation just given, having the force 
 of a law, my disciples — the spiritually "wise," 
 who alone shall "understand" (Dan. xii. 10). 
 "My disciples" are those taught of the Lord" 
 (the same Hebrew as here, limmudai) (Isa. liv. 13). 
 The hordes disciples secondarily represent here the 
 elect remnant who, during the period of Israel's 
 stumbling at Immanuel {vv. 14, 15), accept Him. 
 Cf. John vii. 17; xv. 15 
 
 17. And— i. e.. Accordingly. This is the believing 
 response of Isaiah to the encouragement of God to 
 His disciples to " sanctify " Him, even though most 
 of the nation were about to "stumble" in respect 
 to the promised deliverance implied in ' ' Immanuel. " 
 I— whatever the rest of the nation may do. will 
 wait upon the Lord—/ will look to Jehovah alone. 
 This is jnit into Messiah's mouth, Heb. ii. 13, "I 
 will xjut my trust in Him." For He is the antitype 
 to the helieving Israel, of whom Isaiah is the mouth- 
 piece here (Isa. xlix. 3, 6). that hideth his face — 
 though He seems now to vnlli/lrav) His countenance 
 from Judah (the then representative of " the house 
 of Jacob"). Let us vxxit and trust in, though we 
 cannot see Him (ch. 1. 10; liv. 8; Hab. ii. 3; 
 Luke ii. 2-5, .38). 18. Behold, I and the children 
 whom the Lord hath given me, are for signs and 
 for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts. 
 Isaiali means salration of Jehovah : His children's 
 names also (chs. vii. 3, 14; viii. 3) were "signs" 
 suggestive oi the coming and final deliverance, 
 for wonders— i. fi. symbols of the future (ch. xx. 
 3; Zech. iii. 8). The clause. "Behold, I and the 
 children whom the Lord hath given me," is quoted 
 
 591 
 
 B. C. 741. 
 
 "* Dan. 12. 4. 
 " Hab. 2. 3. 
 Luke 2. 25. 
 Heb. 9. 28. 
 " Ps. 22. 30. 
 
 Heb. 2. 13. 
 P Ex. 14. 8. 
 Zech. 3. 8. 
 Luke 2. 34. 
 1 Cor. 4. a 
 Heb. 10. 35. 
 3 Ps. 106. 28. 
 7 no morn- 
 ing. 
 
 in Heb ii. 13, to prove the manhood of the Messiah. 
 This is the main and ultimate fulfilment of the 
 prophecy ; its temporary meaning applied to Ahaz' 
 time. Isaiah typically, as mouthpiece of the be- 
 lieving remnant in the midst of the faithless 
 majority of the Jewish nation, in vv. 17, 18, per- 
 sonates Messiah, who is at once "Father" and 
 "Son," Isaiah and Immaifiuel, "Child" and 
 "Mighty (Hero) God," and is therefore called here 
 a " wonder," as in ch. ix. 6, " Wonderful." Hence, 
 in Heb. ii. 13, believers are called His " children ;" 
 but in vv. 11, 12, His " brethren." On "the Lord 
 hath given me," see John vi. 37, 39 ; x. 29 ; xvii. 
 12. which dwelleth in mount Zion — and will 
 therefore protect Jerusalem. 
 
 19. Continuation of Isaiah's address to the be- 
 lieving people. And when they shall say unto 
 you, Seek unto — Consult in your national diffi- 
 culties, them that have familiar spirits [mDix, 
 which in Job xxxii. 19 is used for skin " bottles ;" 
 hence the idea of inflation with the Spirit, as skin 
 bottles full of wine, and speaking from the belly. 
 The form is feminine, as women often exercised 
 this craftj— necromancers, spirit-charmers, who 
 evoked the dead by incantations. So Saul, when 
 he had forsaken God (1 Sam. xxviii, 7, &c.), con- 
 sulted the witch of Endor in his difficulties. These 
 follow in the wake of idolatry, which prevailed 
 under Ahaz (2 Ki. xvi. 3, 4, 10). He copied the 
 heathen soothsaying, as he did the idolatrous 
 "altar'' of Damascus (cf. Lev. xx. 6, 27, which 
 forbids it ; also ch. xix. 3). wizards — men claiming 
 supernatural knowledge: from the old English, to 
 wit, i. e., know, that peep — c/t«Vj) faintly (ch. x. 
 14), as young birds do. This sound was generally 
 ascribed to departed spirits : by ventriloquism the 
 soothsayers caused a low sound to proceed as from 
 a grave, or dead person. Hence the LXX. render 
 the Hebrew for them that have familiar spirits," 
 or necromancers here [eyyaaTpLnxudov^], 'ventrilo- 
 quists ' (cf. ch. xxix. 4). and that mutter— moan. 
 The Heb revv, hagah, is properly to meditate, to 
 sigh: here the plaintive voice of the dead. The 
 LXX., ' those who speak from their belly.' should 
 not a people seek unto their God? —the answer 
 which Isaiah recommends to be given to those 
 advising to have recourse to necromancers, for 
 the living to the dead ? ' Should one, for the safety 
 (or, in behalf of) of the living, seek unto (consult) 
 the dead?' [Gesensius.) Lowth renders it, ''In 
 place of (consulting) the living, should one consult 
 the dead?' 20. To the law and to the testimony 
 — To the revelation of God by His projihet {v. 16), 
 he directs them to refer those who would advise 
 necromancy, if they speak not according to this 
 word, (it is) because (there is) no light in them. 
 The English version understands "they" as the 
 necromancers. But the Hebrew {asher) rendered 
 because, is who: and the Hebrew for if not, maybe, 
 ' shall they not, or, ' truly they shall speak according 
 
Christ's hirtJi 
 
 ISAIAH IX. 
 
 and kingdom. 
 
 21 And they shall pass through it hardly bestead and hungry: 
 And it shall come to pass, that, when they shall be hungry, 
 They shall fret themselves, — and curse their king and their God, 
 
 22 And look upward. — And they shall ' look unto the earth; 
 And behold trouble and darkness, — dimness of anguish; 
 And they shall be driven to darkness. 
 
 9 NEVERTHELESS the dimness shall not he such as was in her vexation, 
 When at the "first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun, and the land 
 
 of Naphtali, ^ ^ 
 And afterward *did more grievously afflict 
 
 Her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, — in Galilee ^of the nations. 
 
 B. C. 740. 
 
 »■ 2 Chr. 15. 5, 
 6. 
 
 Jer 13. 16. 
 
 CHAP. 9. 
 « 2 Ki. 15. 2). 
 
 2 dir. 16. 4. 
 «< Lev. 26. :4, 
 2*. 
 
 2 Ki. 17. 5. 
 1 C hr. 5. 26. 
 Matt. 4. 15. 
 1 Or, popu- 
 lous. 
 
 to this word, namely, every one upon whom (the 
 Hebrew relative is singular) no morning light is 
 dawning' — i. e., who have no morning light (so the 
 Hebrew [in*^-]— i e., no j^rosperity after the niglit 
 of sorrows) daioning on (i. e., awaiting) them' 
 {Maurer). Too late they shall see their deadly 
 error. The law includes here the law of Moses, 
 the ' Magna Charta ' on which all ])rophecy rests : 
 also all Scripture. Calvin and Groiius support 
 the English version. * If they turu from the word 
 of God as the only infallible oracle, it indicates 
 that, or it is because (so the Hebrew relative, asher, 
 means, because in 1 Ki. xv. 13 and Ps. cxix. 158) 
 there is no ligld of truth in any one of them ; or, as 
 Grotius explains the latter clause, 'it indicates 
 that no light of prosperity sliall attend any one of 
 them. ' This latter accords best with the descrip- 
 tion of the adversity which follows under the 
 image of darkness and anguish about to be the 
 portion of those who have deserted the Word of 
 God for lying spirits. So "light" is used for 
 prosperity and joy (Esth. viii. 16 ; Ps. xcvii. 11). 
 No light of relief shall succeed to the perpetual 
 nifjht of their calamity, as dawn succeeds night 
 (Job xi. 17). 
 
 21, 22. More detailed description of the despair 
 which they shall fall into who sought necromancy 
 instead of God. V. 20 (taking M aurer's translation) 
 imjjlies that too late they shall see how much 
 better it would have been for them to have sought 
 " to the law," &c. (Deut. xxxii, 31). Now they are 
 given over to despair. Therefore, whilst seeing 
 the truth of God, they only " curse their King and 
 . . . God ;" foreshadowing the future like conduct 
 of those belonging to the 'kingdom of the beast,' 
 when they shall be visited with divine plagues 
 (Rev. xvi. 11, "They blasphemed the C^od of 
 heaven because of their pains . . . and repented 
 not : " cf. Jer. xviii. 12). they sliall pass through 
 it— viz., the land, hardly bestead — oppressed 
 with anxiety, hungry — a more grievous famine 
 than the temporary one in Ahaz' time, owing to 
 Assyria ; then there was some food, but none now 
 (ch. vii. 15, 22; Lev. xxvi. 3-5, 14-16, 20). when 
 they shall he hungry, they shall fret themselves, 
 and curse their king and their God— Jehovah, 
 King of the Jews (Ps. v. 2; Ixviii. 24). But see 
 closing note, and look upward. And they shall 
 look unto the earth. Whether they look up to 
 heaven, or down towards the land of Judea, nothing 
 but despair shall present itself, behold trouble 
 and darkness, dimness of anguish— darkness of 
 distress (Prov. i. 27). and they shall be driven to 
 darkness — Hebrew, apheelah ; to thick darkness 
 (Jer. xxiii. 12) Driven onward, as by a sweeping 
 storm. The Jewish rejection of 'their King and 
 (;od,' Messiah, was followed by all these awful 
 calamities. In the ulterior reference to the last 
 Antichrist, ""their King and ^Aeir God," probably 
 means the false viessiahking whom, when 'coming 
 iii his own name,' they will ' receive,' and take as 
 592 
 
 their own, tliough the true King Messiah, when 
 He came ' in His Father's name, they would not 
 receive' (John v. 43). They shall, too late, cui'se 
 Antichrist, ' the idol-shepherd' to M^hom they gave 
 themselves up, and who shall "tear" them (Zech. 
 xi. 16, 17). The Assyrian king, to whom Ahaz 
 and the Jews were giving themselves as an ally, 
 and who would afterwards be their scoui-ge, is the 
 type of Antichrist. 
 
 Hemarks. — 1. They who try to make a spoil of 
 the Lord's people shall be themselves sxjoiled. 
 But the Lord's professing people must beware of 
 forfeiting the Lord's continued protection by hav- 
 ing recourse to worldly stays, as Judah sought the 
 help of Assyria, the heathen world-power, instead 
 of relying on Jehovah alone. Such carnal policy 
 is sure to bring with it its own punishment. The 
 world shall be employed by God to scourge His 
 people who lean upon it ; just as the Assyrian, like 
 an overflowing river, after having flooded Syria 
 and Northern Israel, ])roceeded onward into Judah. 
 2. But the people of God have in the name "Im- 
 manuel " the pledge of their ultimate safety, how- 
 ever they may be chastised for a time. So in the 
 last days, when the antichristian foe, with " the 
 stretching out of his wings," shall ' come in like a 
 flood ' upon Christendom, and * shall fill the 
 breadth of Immanuel's land,' "the Spirit of the 
 Lord shall lift up a standard against him." How- 
 ever the kings of the earth ' associate themselves,' 
 and "the rulers take counsel together," "against 
 the Lord, and against His Anointed,'' their counsel 
 "shall come to nought." 3. The danger to God's 
 people in such a crisis is lest, like Ahaz and his 
 people, they should be betrayed into unbelieving 
 panic, which would tempt them to conciliate the 
 world-power by compromise. When the "con- 
 federacy" of the enemies is the word oftenest in 
 the mouth of the fearful, then Immanuel, 'God 
 with us ' [v. 10), "the Lord of hosts himself," the 
 only true object of fear, must be the watchword of 
 His believing people. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 1-7.— Continuation of the Pro- 
 phecy IN Chap. viii. 1. Nevertheless, the dim- 
 ness (shall) not (be) such as (was) in her vexation 
 — rather, ' For darkness shall not (continually) be 
 on it (Hebrew, lah; i. e., the land) on which 
 (Hebrew, laasher) there is (now) distress' {Heng- 
 stenberg a,iid Maurer). The /or refers, not to the 
 words immediately preceding, but to the consola- 
 tions in ch. viii. 9, 10, 17, 18. Do not despair, for, 
 &c. He reverts, from the more distant future of 
 the evil results of the Jews' rejection of Christ 
 (ch. viii. 21, 22), to the nearer future of the ofler of 
 the Saviour first to Galilee, when at the first, 
 &c.— rather, ' ps the former time has brought con- 
 tempt on [^pn, from h^p^, brought into light esteem] 
 the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali 
 (viz., the deportation of their inhabitants undep 
 Tiglath-pileser, 2 Ki, xv. 29, ^ little before the 
 giving of this prophegy), stjaU ^ftef-ppininp; 
 
Christ^s hirtli 
 
 ISAIAH IX. 
 
 and kingdom. 
 
 The '^people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: 
 They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, 
 Upon them hath the light shined. 
 
 Thou hast multiplied the nation, — and ^not increased the joy; 
 They joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, 
 And as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 
 
 ^For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, — and the staff of his shoulder. 
 The rod of his oppressor, — as in the day '^of Midian. 
 
 B. C. 740. 
 
 ° Matt. 4. 10. 
 Eph. 5. 8. 
 
 2 Or. to him. 
 
 3 Or, Who a 
 thou 
 breakest. 
 
 d Judg. 7. 22. 
 Ps. 83. 9. 
 ch. 10. 20, 
 
 time bring honour to ["T2:?n, from Kabad] the way 
 of the sea (the district round the lake of Galilee), 
 the land beyond (but Hengstenhe/rg, ' by the side 
 of) Jordan (Perea, east of Jordan, belonging to 
 Eeuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh), the circle (but 
 Ilengstenberg, 'Galilee') — i.e., region — of the 
 Gentiles, {Mavrer, Hengstenherg, &c.) Galil in 
 Hebrew is a circle, circuit, and from it came the 
 name Galilee. Galilee included Naphtali and 
 Zebulun. The northern part of Naphtali (vvhich 
 was north of Zebulun) was inhabited by a mixed 
 race of Jews and Gentiles of the bordering Phoeni- 
 cian race (Judg. i. 30; 1 Ki. ix. 11). Hence it was 
 called "Galilee of the Gentiles." Besides the 
 recent deportation by Tiglatli-])ileser, it had been 
 sorely smitten by Benhadad of Syria 200 years 
 before (1 Ki, xv. 20). It was after the Assyrian 
 deportation colonized with heathens by Esarh ad- 
 don (2 Ki. xvii. 24). Hence arose the coutempt 
 for it on the part of the southern Jews of luirer 
 blood (John i. 46 ; vii. 52). The same region, 
 which was so darkened once, shall be among the 
 first to receive Messiah's li^ht (ISIatt. iv. 13, 15, 
 16). It was in despised Galilee that He first and 
 most publicly exercised His ministry ; from it 
 were most of His apostles. Foretold in Deut. 
 xxxiii. 18, 19, 2:^, "Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going 
 out . . . They shall call the people unto the moun- 
 tain ; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteous- 
 ness ... 0 Xaphtali, satisfied with favour, and 
 full with the blessing of the Lord." Cf. Acts ii. 7 ; 
 Ps. Ixviii. 27, 28, Jerusalem, the theocratic capital, 
 might readily have known Messiah : to compensate 
 less-favoured Galilee, He ministered mostly there. 
 Galilee's very debasement made it feel its need of 
 a Saviour— a feeliug not known to the self-righteous 
 Jews (Matt. ix. 13), It was appropriate, too, that 
 He who was both "the Light to lighten the Gen- 
 tiles, and the Glory of His people Israel," should 
 minister chiefly on the border land of Israel, near 
 the Gentiles. 2. The people that walked in dark- 
 ness have seen a great light— the whole nation, 
 Judah and Israel, they that dwell in the land of 
 the shadow of death— the darkest misery of cap- 
 tivity. 3. Thou hast multiplied the nation— 
 primarily, the rapid increase of Israelites after the 
 return from Babylon : more fully the rapid spread 
 of Christianity at first : ultimately and exhaustively 
 the multiplication of Israel in the last days, when 
 it shall be restored as a nation (ch. Ixvi. 8-10). 
 (and) not increased the joy. By a slight change in 
 the Hebrew its O'oy) is substituted by the 
 Keri for not[^i], because "not increased the joy '' 
 seems opyjosite to what immediately follows, " they 
 joy," &c. Hengstenherg retains not (the Ketib 
 reading) thus :— ' Thou hast multiplied the nation 
 (whose) joy thou hadst not increased'- 2, e., hadst 
 diminished. Others, 'Hast thou not increased 
 the joy?' The very difficulty of the reading not, 
 makes it less likely to be an interijolation, Horsleg 
 explains it, The i)roi)het sees in vision a shifting 
 scene, comprehending at one glance the history of 
 the Christian Church to remotest times — a land 
 dark and thinly peopled, lit up by a sudden light, 
 VOL. HI. 51)3 
 
 filled, with new inhabitants, then struggling vnth. 
 difficulties (so the English version, "Thou hast 
 multiplied the nation, and (soon after) not in- 
 creased the joy"), and again delivered by the utter 
 and final overthrow of their enemies. The influx of 
 Gentile converts (represented here by " Galilee of 
 the Gentiles ") soon ivas to be fol'oioed by the growth 
 of corruption and the final rise of A ntichrist, who 
 is to be destroyed, whilst God's people is delivered, 
 as in the case of Gideon's victory over Midian, not 
 by man's prowess, but by the special interposition 
 of Cod. Some suggest to read hagil, "Thou hast 
 multiplied ^Ae joy, Thou hast increased the glad- 
 ness " (Jiasimchali), corresponding to the two kin- 
 dred verbs following. They are glad (" They joy "), 
 samchu and yagilu, "men rejoice.'''' they joy 
 before thee according to the joy in harvest — 
 a phrase taken from sacrificial beasts ; the tithe 
 of harvest was eateu before God ( Deut. xii, 7 ; 
 xiv, 26, "thou shalt eat there before the Lord 
 thy Cod, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine 
 household"), as men rejoice when they divide 
 the spoil — referring to the judgments on the 
 enemies of the Lord and His people, which 
 usually accompany revelations of His grace. 
 The future joy of the elect nation because of its 
 deliverance from its oppressors, 4. For thou hast 
 broken the yoke of his burden— The occasion of 
 the "joy," the deliverance not only of Ahaz and 
 Judah from the Assyrian tribute (2 Ki. xvi, 8), 
 and of Israel's Ten tribes from the Assyrian op- 
 pressor (2 Ki. XV. 19), but of the Jewish Christian 
 Church from its last great enemy, hast— the past 
 time for the future : in prophetic vision, it ex- 
 presses the certainty of the event, the yoke of his 
 burden— the yoke with which he was burdened, 
 and the staff of his shoulder— the staff which 
 strikes his (Israel's) shoulder {Maurer) ; or the 
 wood, like a yoke, on the neck of slaves, the badge 
 of servitude {liosenmWJer). the rod of his op- 
 pressor, as in the day of Midian— (Judg. vii. 8-22. ) 
 As Gideon with a handful of men conquered the 
 hosts of Midian, so Messiah, the "child" [v. 6; 
 ch. vii. 14-16), shall prove to be the "Prince of 
 Peace," and the small Israel under Him shall over- 
 come the mighty hosts of Antichrist, Cf. Mic. v. 
 2-5, "Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little 
 . , , yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me 
 that is to be ruler in Israel ; whose goings forth 
 have been from of old, from everlasting . . . And 
 he shaU stand and feed in the strength of the 
 Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his 
 God . . . and this man shall be the Peace, when 
 the Assyrian shall come into our land," This 
 passage of Isaiah contains the same contrast be- 
 tween Messiah's seeming smallness as a child and 
 His omnipotence as the Everlasting One, and alludes 
 also to " the Assyrian," the then enemy of the 
 Church, as here in Isaiah the type of the last 
 great enemy. For further analogies l)etween 
 Gideon's victory and the Gospel, cf, 2 Cor, iv, 7 
 with Judg. vii. 22. As the ' dividing of the spoil ' 
 (v. 3) was followed by that which was 'not joy,' 
 tlie making of the idolatrous ephod (Judg. viii. 
 24-27), so the Gospel victorv was soon followed by 
 
Christ's birth 
 
 ISxUAH IX. 
 
 and kingdom. 
 
 5 ^For every battle of the warrior 25 with confused noise. 
 And garments rolled in blood ; 
 
 ^But this shall be with burning and ^fuel of fire. 
 
 6 For ^unto us a child is born, — unto us a son is given : 
 And ^the government shall be upon his shoulder: 
 
 And his name shall be called— ^'Wonderful, C.o\inseUor, *The mig'hty God, 
 The everlasting Father, -^ The Prince of Peace. 
 
 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, 
 Upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, 
 
 To order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice 
 From henceforth even for ever. 
 
 The zeal of the Lord of .hosts will perform this. 
 
 apostasy at the first, and shall he so again after 
 the millennial overthrow ,of Autichrist (Rev. xx. 
 3, 7-9), previous to Satan's last doom (Rev. xx. ,10). 
 5. For every battle of the warrior (is) with con- 
 fused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but 
 (this) shall be with burning (and) fuel of fire— 
 or else, ' every greave [)"it<p] of (the warrior who 
 is) armed with greaves in [n] the din of battle, 
 and the martial garment (or cloak, called by 
 the Latins sagum) rolled in [?] blood, shall be for 
 [V] burning, (and) fuel for fire' {Hengstenberg). 
 All warlike accoutrements shall be destroyed, as 
 no longer required in the new era of peace (chs. ii. 
 4 ; xi. 6, 7 ; Ps. xlvi. 9 ; Ezek. xxxix. 9 ; Mic. v. 5, 
 10 ; Zech. ix. 9, 10). But Calvin and Grotius sup- 
 port the English version, which the context's 
 reference to Midian favours. Isaiah contrasts the 
 victory which God will give Israel with all human 
 victories. Theirs are with confused din and blood- 
 shed ; but this of the Lord shall be, as in the 
 victory over Midian, with His own hand alone, 
 and by ' burning fire' from heaven. So ch. x. 16 ; 
 2 Thess. i. 7, 8, " the Lord Jesus shall be revealed 
 from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming 
 fire, taking vengeance on them that know not 
 God," &c. So the Assyrian type of Antichrist was 
 not destroyed by human battle and bloodshed, but 
 by Divine interposition (ch. xxxvii. 36 : cf. ch. 
 xxx. 30-33). Cf. Mai. iv. 1 as to the burning up of 
 the wicked. 6. For— the ground of these great 
 expectations, unto us — for the benefit of the 
 Jeivs first (Israel is here the speaker), and then the 
 Gentiles (cf. "unto you,^' Luke ii. 11). a child is 
 born (the Immanuel, child of the Virgin, ch. vii. 
 14-16), unto us a son is given (Ps. ii. 7)— God's 
 gratuitous gift, on which man had no claim (John 
 iii. 16 ; Eom. vi. 23). and the government shall 
 be upon his shoulder. The ensign of office used 
 to be worn on the shoulder, in token of sustaining 
 the government (ch. xxii. 22). Here the govern- 
 ment on Messiah's shoulder is in marked antithesis 
 to the 'yoke and staff' of the oppressor on Israel's 
 "shoulder" {v. 4). He shall receive the kingdom 
 of the earth from the Father, to vindicate it from 
 the misrule of those to whom it was entrusted to 
 hold it for and under the Most High, but who 
 sought to hold it in defiance of His right. The 
 Father asserts his right by the Son, the " Heir of 
 all things," who will hold it for Him (Dan. vii. 13, 
 14). and his name shall be called— His essetitial 
 cliaracteristics shall he. Wonderful— (note, ch. viii. 
 18; Judg. xiii. 18, marg.; 1 Tim. iii. 16.) His 
 whole manifestation is a ivonder or miracle : and 
 great as have been the past wonders which He 
 wrought for His peo]-»le in Egypt at the Red Sea 
 and the Jordan, He shall work still greater won- 
 ders for their deliverance hereafter (ch. xliii. 18, 
 19; Exod. XV. 11; Ps. Ixxvii. 11, 14; Ixxviii. 12; 
 Dan. xii. C). Counsellor- (ch. xi. 2: Mic. iv. 9; 
 594 
 
 B. C. 740. 
 
 4 Or. When 
 tha whole 
 battle of 
 the warrior 
 was, etc. 
 
 5 Or, and it 
 was, etc. 
 
 6 meat. 
 
 ' Luke 2. 11. 
 / John 3. 16. 
 f Matt. 28.18. 
 
 Judg. 13.18. 
 i Jer. 23. 6. 
 j Eph. 2. 14. 
 
 Ps. xvi. 7; Rom. xi. 33, .34; 1 Cor. i. 24; Col. ii. 3.) 
 The mighty God— (ch. x. 21; Pa. xxiy 8; Tit. ii. 
 fl3.) Horsley translates, ' God the mighty Hero,' 
 or 'Warrior,' El Gibor : the character in which 
 He will manifest Himself against the antichristian 
 enemy (Rev. xix. 11-15). "Unto us . . . God" is 
 equivalent to "Immanuel " (ch. vii. 14). The ever- 
 lasting Father. This marks Him as " Wonderful," 
 that He is "a child," yet the "everlasting Father" 
 (John X. 30 ; xiv. 9)— lit., ' The Father of eternity' 
 [ly]. The LXX. {iraTijp Tov fxekXovTO^ o^wvov), 
 'Father of the age to come' (Heb. ii. 5) — the 
 Messianic age — the kingdom which shall have 
 '•' no end" (v. 7) : the Author of etern^vl life 
 to all that oelieve. Earthly kings leave their 
 people after a short reign ; He will reign over 
 and bless them for ever. The Prince of Peace . 
 —(note, V. 5 ; Gen. xlix. 10 : Shiloh, ' The Tran- 
 ,quillizer.') Finally, Hos. ii. 18. Even already ; 
 He is "our peace" (Luke ii. 14 ; Eph. ii. 14). 
 The antitype to King Solomon (the Peaceful, as the ■ 
 .name means). The earlier Rabbins, the Chaldaic ! 
 Targum, Beresheth Rahha, and Ben Sira, &c., all 
 took the Messianic view of this prophecy. 7. Of 
 the increase of (his) government and peace (there ! 
 shall be) no end — His princely rule shall perpetu- ' 
 ally increase and be unlimited (Dan. ii. 44). The , 
 "peace" of the type Solomon soon came to an 
 end, and was only partial in extent whilst it 
 lasted ; but the peace which Messiah brings in 
 His kingdom is universal and for ever, upon the 
 throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order 
 it, and to establish it. This can only be at 
 Christ's second coming : for the sceptre passed •■ 
 from Judah at His first coming : and His spiritual I 
 throne now in the heavens is not the throne of [ 
 David, but is Messiah's throne as being the Son of i 
 God. His reign unseen in the Church (mainly < 
 Gentile) cannot either be the promised " reign ' 
 over the house of Jacob for ever (Lnke i. 32, 33). \ 
 It can only be at His coming to reign over restored 
 Israel (1 Ki. viii. 25; Ps. ii. 6 ; cxxxii. 11 ; Jer. iii. 
 17, 18 ; Ezek. xxxiv. 23-26 ; xxxvii. 16, 22 ; Acts 
 ii. 30). with judgment and with justice from 
 henceforth even for ever. It is not a kingdom of 
 mere might, and triumi^h of force over enemies, 
 but of righteousness (ch. xlii. 21 ; Ps. xlv. 6, 7), 
 attainable only in and by Messiah, the zeal of 
 the Lord of hosts will perform this— jea^ for the 
 vindication of His truth, His promise, and His 
 oppressed people — including not only Christ's 
 hidden spiritual victory over Satan at the first 
 coming, out the o})en one accompanied with 
 "judgments" on Antichrist and every enemy at 
 the second coming (ch, lix. 17-21, " He . . . was 
 clad with zeal as a cloak . . . the Redeemer shall 
 come to Zion . . . this is my covenant with them 
 . , . My Spii^t . . . shall not depart . . . hence- 
 forth and for ever" (Ps. ix. 6-8). 
 8-21, and ch. x. 1-4. — Pkophecy as to the 
 
on Israel. 
 
 Judgments threatened ISAIAH IX. 
 
 8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, — and it hath lighted upon Israel. 
 
 9 And all the people shall know, 
 Even Ephraim, and the inhabitants O'f Samaria,. 
 That say in tlie pride and stoutness of heart, 
 
 10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones ; 
 The sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. 
 
 1 1 Therefore the Lord shall set up the adversaries of Pvezin against him, 
 And ^join his enemies tagether; 
 
 12 The Syrians- before, and the Philistines behind; 
 And they shall devour Israel ^ witli open mouth. 
 For all this his anger is not turned away. 
 But his hand is stretched out still. 
 
 13 For ^ the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them,. 
 Neither do they seek the Lord of hosts. 
 
 14 Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel 
 Head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. 
 
 1 5 The ancient and honourable, he U the head ; 
 And the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. 
 
 16 For ^ the leaders of this people cause them to err; 
 And they that are led of them are destroyed. 
 
 Ten Tribes. Delivered a little later than the 
 
 iirevious one. The chapters ix. and x. ought to 
 lave been so divided. The present division into 
 chapter was made by Cardinal Hugo, in a.d. 1250; 
 and into verses, by Robert Stephens, the famous 
 printer of Paris, in 1551. After the Assyrian 
 invasion of Syria, that of Ephraim shall follow (2 
 Ki. xvi. 9). Fr. 8-11, 17-20 foretell the intestine 
 discords in Israel after Hoshea had slain Pekah 
 (a.d. 739), i e., just after the Assyrian invasions by 
 Tiglath-pileser (and Pul previously), when for 
 seven years it was stripped of magistrates and 
 torn into factions. There are four strophes, each 
 setting forth Ephraim's crime and consequent 
 punishment, and ending with the formula, "For 
 all this His anger is not turned away," &c. {vv. 12, 
 17, 21, and ch. x. 4). 8. Heading of the prophecy — 
 Tlie Lord sent a word into Jacob— (vv. 8-12), the first 
 strophe, into Jacob, &c. — against the Ten tribes 
 (LowtJt). and it hatb lighted upon Israel— fallen 
 from heaven by Divine revelation (Dan. iv. 31). 
 9. all the people shall know— to their cost: 
 experimentally (Hos. ix. 7). Ephraim, and the 
 inhabitants of Samaria— the capital of Ephraim 
 (cf. as to the phrase, ch. i. 1). 10. The bricks are 
 fallen down. In the East bricks are generally 
 sun-dried, and therefore sooo dissolved by rain. 
 Granting, say the Ephraimites to the prophet's 
 threat, that our affairs are in a ruinous state, we 
 will restore them to more than their former mag- 
 nificence. Self-confident iin willingness to see and 
 to repent nnder the judgments of God (ch. xxvi. 
 11). hewn stones— (1 Ki. v. 17). the sycamores 
 are cut down — growing abundantly on the low 
 lands of Judea, and, though useful for building on 
 account of tlieir antiseptic property (which induced 
 the Egyptians to use them for the cases of their 
 mummies), not very valuable, but we will change 
 them into cedars. The cedar, on the other hand, 
 was odorous, free from knots, durable, and precious 
 (1 Ki. x. 27). 'We will replace cottages with 
 palaces.' 11. Therefore the Lord shall set up the 
 adversaries of Rezin against him— the Assyrians, 
 who shall first attack Damascus, shall next ad- 
 vance "against Am" (Ephraim.) This is the 
 punishment of Ejjhraim's pride in making light 
 {v. 10) of the judgment already inflicted by God 
 through Tiglath-pileser (2 Ki. xv. 29). A second 
 Assyrian invasion (note on the beginning of ch. 
 595 
 
 B. C. 738. 
 
 7 mingle. 
 
 8 with whole 
 mouth. 
 
 fc 2Chr. 28.22. 
 Job 36. 13. 
 Jer. .5. 3. 
 Jer. 31. \% 
 20. 
 
 Eze. 24. 13. 
 Hos. 5. 15. 
 Hos. 7. 10, 
 
 9 Or, they 
 that call 
 them 
 ble-sed. 
 ch. 3. 12. 
 Matt. 1.5.11. 
 Matt. 23.16. 
 
 10 Or. they 
 that are 
 called 
 b essed of 
 them. 
 
 11 swallowed 
 up. 
 
 vii.) shall follow. The reading 'princes' {saree) 
 for "adversaries " {tzaree) is uncalled for. and join 
 [■^D3D% from "^50, to mix together like thorns {Mercery. 
 akin to "^'v^']. But the primary meaning is to cover. 
 Translate, arm; cover with armour {Maurer'). 
 But cf. in favour of the English version Nah. i. 10, 
 "folden together as thorns:" only that there the 
 mingling of tlie peoples together is for their own 
 destruction ; but here for Ephraim's. his enemies 
 together — " his," Ephraim's enemies {v. 9), as v. 
 12 shows; for the "Syrians" were not liezin^s 
 enemies, but his subjects. 12. The Syrians before— 
 the Syrians on the North-^as^. Though now allies 
 of Ephraim, after Kezin's death they shall join the 
 Assyrians against Ephraim. "Together," in v. 11, 
 refers to this. Conquering nations often enlist 
 in their armies the subject races (ch. xxii. 6: 
 cf. 2 Ki. xvi. 9; Jer. xxxv. 11) {Ahen-Ezra and 
 Gesenius). Horsley, less probably, takes "Syrians 
 before " as the Syrians to the East; i. e., not Reziu's 
 subjects, but the Assyrians: "Aram" being the 
 common name of Syrians and Assyrians, and the 
 Philistines —of Palestine, behind— from the West : 
 in marking the points of the compass Orientalists 
 face the East, which is before them: the West is 
 behind. The rigJit hand is the South ;, the left, the 
 North, and they shall devour Israel with open 
 mouth— as a ravenous beast (ch. i. 20; Jer. x. 25; 
 XXX. 16; Num. xiv. 9). For all this his anger 
 is not turned away, &c.— the burden of each 
 strophe. 
 
 Vi-Yl .— Second strophe. 13. For the people 
 turneth not unto him that smiteth them, 
 neither do they seek the Lord of hosts— the 
 
 design of God's chastisements. Not fulfilled in 
 their case : a new cause for punishment (J er. ii. 30 ; 
 V. 3). So 2 Chr. xxviii. 22, "in the time of his 
 distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord: 
 this is that King Ahaz." Cf. Eev. xvi. 10, 11. 14. 
 head and tail— proverbial for the highest and lowest 
 (Dent xxviii. 13, 44). branch and rush— another 
 image for the same thought (ch. xix. 15). The 
 branch is elevated on the top of the tree; the rush 
 is coarse and low. 15. The ancient— the elder, 
 honourable— the man of rank, the prophet that 
 teacheth lies, he (is) the tail. There were many 
 such in Samaria (1 Ki. xxii. 6, 22, 23: cf. as to 
 "tail," Rev. ix. 19). 16. For the leaders, fee- 
 see marg,^ 'they that call them blessed,' and note» 
 
IVoe denounced 
 
 ISAIAH X. 
 
 against tyrants. 
 
 17 Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, 
 Neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows : 
 For every one is an hypocrite and an evil-doer, 
 
 And every mouth speaketh folly. 
 
 For all this his anger is not turned awa}-, 
 
 But his hand is stretched out still. 
 
 18 For wickedness burnetii as the fire: 
 It shall devour the briers and thorns, 
 
 And shall kindle in the thickets of the forest; 
 
 And they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke. 
 
 19 Through the wrath of the Loud of hosts 4s tlie land darkened, 
 And the people shall be as the fuel of the fire : 
 
 No man shall spare his brother. 
 
 20 And he shall ^'^ snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; 
 
 And he shall eat on the left hand, "^and they shall not be satisfied 
 They shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm : 
 
 21 Manasseh, '^Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: 
 And they together s/^a// be against Judah. 
 
 For all this his anger is not turned awa}^, 
 But his hand is stretched out still. 
 10 WOE unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, 
 
 And Hhat write grievousness which they have prescribed ; 
 
 ch. iii. 12, 17. Therefore the Lord shall have no 
 joy in their young men. The parallelism— neither 
 shall have mercy on their fatherless— shows 
 that this means, He shall have no such delight in 
 their youthful warriors, however much they be the 
 nation's delight and reliance, as to save them from 
 the enemy's sword (ch. xxxi. 8 : cf. Jer. xviii. 21). 
 fatherless and widows — not even the usual objects 
 of His pity (Ps. x. 14, 18; Ixviii. 5; Jer. xlix. 11; 
 Hos. xiv, 3) shall be spared, for everyone is an 
 hypocrite [chaneepli) — rather, a libertine, polluted 
 {Horsleij). and every mouth speaketh folly- 
 wickedness (Ps. xiv. 1). his hand is stretched out 
 still— notwithstanding all these judgments, more 
 remain. 
 
 18-21. — Third strophe. 18. For wickedness 
 burneth as the fire— maketh consiTmption, not 
 o-aiy spreading rapidly, but also coyisuming like fire, 
 sin is its own punishment, it shall devour the 
 triers and thorns — emblem of the wicked: 
 especially those of low rank (ch. xxvii. 4 ; 2 Sam. 
 xxiii. 6). and shall kindle in the thickets of the 
 forest— from the humble shrubbery the flame 
 spreads to the vast forest ; it reaches the high, as 
 well as the lotu. they shall mount up (like) the 
 lifting up of smoke. There is no Hebrew for 
 "like:" translate, therefore, 'they (the thickets of 
 the forest) shall lift themselves proudly aloft [the 
 Hebrew, "^^N, is from a Syriac root, a cock, express- 
 ing stateliness of motion, from his strutting gait, 
 Horsley] in (in passing into) volumes of ascending 
 smoke. ' There is strong irony in representing those 
 who once lifted themselves up in ju'ide and wicked- 
 ness being now, in just retribution, made to lift 
 tliemselves up as volumes of ascending smoke 
 whilst they are being consumed. 19. Through the 
 wrath of the Lord of hosts is the land darkened 
 —viz., with smoke [v. 18). The LXX. and Chal- 
 daic render it, is burnt up; so Maurer [d™.?], from 
 an Arabic root meaning suffocating heat, no man 
 shall spare his brother— intestine discord snapping 
 asunder the dearest ties of nature. 20. And he 
 shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry— 
 not literally. The Hebrew for snatch [gazar) means 
 to cut: so to snap at with the teeth [De Dieu). 
 
 Kimchi supports the^Jnglish version. The parallel, 
 "he shall eat," supports 'snap at' with the teeth. 
 Image from unappeasable hunger, to picture 
 internal factions, reckless of the most tender ties 
 (y. 19), and insatiably spreading misery and death 
 on every side (Jer. xix. 9). eat— not literally, but 
 destr'oy (Ps. xxvii. 2; Job xix. 22, "ye are not 
 satisfied with my flesh.") they shall eat every 
 man the flesh of his own arm— those nearest 
 akin: " arm " means their former s?i/7)or^ (helper) 
 (ch. xxxiii. 2) {Ma,urer). 21. Blanasseh, Ephraim; 
 and Ephraim, Manasseh— the two sons of Joseph. 
 So closely united as to form between them but one 
 tribe; but now about to be rent into factions, 
 thirsting for each other's blood, (and) they 
 together (shall be) against Judah. Disunited in 
 all things else, but united "together against tlfeir 
 brother Judah" (2 Ki. xv. 10, 30). Contrast ch. 
 xi. 13, in the happy day to come. 
 
 Remarks. — It is the Divine way often to choose 
 places and persons that are despised of men to be 
 honoured of God. Galilee, which had become a 
 name of contempt among the Jews, because of its 
 connection with the Gentiles, w^as chosen as the 
 favoured resort of Jesus of Nazareth. The region 
 by the Sea of Galilee, which had been the first to 
 suffer from the Assyrian enemy, was the first to 
 hear the message of s]:)iritual deliverance. They 
 who had dwelt "in the land of the shadow of 
 death" were selected as the foremost 'upon whom 
 shined the light of Him who is the Light to 
 lighten the Gentiles.' The multiplication of 
 Gentile converts to the Christian Church, though 
 a matter of joy at first, soon proved to be attended 
 with the development of corruption from within, 
 out of which Antichrist takes his rise. But Anti- 
 christ must at last fall utterly and for ever before 
 Messiah. As Gideon with a few men overthrew 
 the countless hosts of Midian by the mighty inter- 
 position of Jehovah, so shall Messiah give Israel 
 literal and spiritual, in its weakness, complete 
 deliverance from the yoke of the oppressor. 
 
 CHAP. X. lA.— Fourth strophe. 1. Woe unto 
 them that decree unrighteous decrees — viz., 
 unrighteous judges, and that write grievous- 
 
of Assyria. 
 
 The destruction. ISAIAH X: 
 
 2 To turn aside the needy from judgment, 
 And to take away the right from the poor of my people, 
 That widows may be their prey, — and that they may rob the fatherless ! 
 
 3 And what will ye do in ""the day of visitation, 
 And in the desolation et7^/cA shall come from far? 
 To whom will ye flee for help? — and where will ye leave your glory? 
 
 4 Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, 
 And they shall fall under the slain. 
 
 For all this his anger is not turned away, — ^but his hand is stretched out still. 
 
 5 ^0 ^Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, 
 *And the staff in their hand is mine indignation. 
 
 6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, 
 And against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, 
 To take the spoil, and to take the prey. 
 And ^ to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 
 
 7 Howbeit *he meaneth not so, — neither doth his heart think so; 
 But it is in his heart to destroy — and cut off nations not a few, 
 
 8 For *^ he saith, Ai^e not my princes altogether kings ? 
 
 9 Is not ^ Calno as ^Carchemish ? — is -^"not Hamath as Arpad ? 
 
 ness which they have prescribed— not the scribes, 
 but the magistrates who caused unjust decisions 
 (lit., injustice, or 'grievousness') to be recorded hj- 
 them (chs. Ixv. 6; i. 10, 23). 2. To turn aside 
 the needy from judgment. The effect of their 
 conduct is, to pervert the cause of the needy, as the 
 Hebrew may be translated. In the English vei'- 
 sioD, "from judgment" means 'from obtaining 
 justice.' and to take away the right— 'to make 
 plunder of the right' (rightful claim) [Horsley). 
 3. what will ye do ?— what way of escape will there 
 be for you ? in the day of visitation— of God's 
 wrath (ch. xxvi. 14; Job xxxv. 15; Hos. ix. 7). 
 and in the desolation (which) shall come from 
 far— from Assyria, where will ye leave your 
 glory ?— rather, 'where will ye deposit (for safe 
 keeping) your roealth?' (Lowth.) So Ps. xlix. 17, 
 "When he dietli, he shall carry nothing away: 
 his glory shall not descend after him." 4. Without 
 me— Not having me to 'flee to' {v. 3). they shall 
 bow down- bereft of strength, they shall fall; or 
 else, they shall lie down fettered, under the 
 prisoners . . . under the slain— rather, amomjst 
 (lit., in the jdace of) {Horslc/). The "under" 
 [nnr] may be, however, explained in the ordinary 
 sense, ' trodden under the (feet of the) prisoners 
 going into captivity,' and ' overwhelmed , under 
 the heaps of slain on the battle-field.' Cf. v. 6, 
 end: ch. xiv. 19, "as . . . those that are slain, as a 
 carcase trodden iinder feet." 
 
 Chs. X. 5-34 and xL 12. Destruction of 
 THE Assyrians; Coming or Messiah; Hymn 
 OF Praise. Vv. 9, 11 show that Samaria was 
 destroyed before this prophecy. It was written 
 when Assyria proposed (a design which it soon 
 alter tried to carry out under Sennacherib) to 
 destroy Judah and Jerusalem, as it had destroyed 
 Samaria. This is the first part of Isaiah's pro- 
 I>hecies under Hezekiah. Probably betweea 722 
 and 715 e.g. (see v. 27.) 
 
 5. 0 Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the 
 staff in their hand is mine indignation— rather, 
 ' VVhat, ho ['in, God by this particle summon- 
 iT)g the Assyrian to fulfil His will ; but Maurer, 
 Woe to the] Assyrian ! He is the rod and staff of 
 mine anger (my instrument in punishiny, Jer. li. 
 20; Ps. xvii. 13.) In their hands is mine indigna- 
 iiation' {Horsley. after Jerome). But the English 
 version accords oetter with the Hebrew accents, 
 •which disjoin "and the staff," &c., from "mine 
 
 B. C. 713. 
 
 " Hos. 9. 7. 
 Luk3 19.44. 
 
 1 l et. 2. 12. 
 
 2 Or, Woe 
 to the 
 Assyrian. 
 
 3 Asshur. 
 Gen. 10. 11. 
 
 4 Or, 
 though. 
 
 5 to l iy 
 them a 
 treading-. 
 2Sa;n.22.43. 
 Mic. 7. 10. 
 Zee. 10. 5. 
 
 t> Mic. 4. 12. 
 
 2 Ki. 18. 24. 
 2 Ki. 19. 10, 
 
 11. 
 
 d Amos. 6. 2. 
 « 2Chr.35.20. 
 
 Jer. 40. 2. 
 / Num. 34. 8. 
 
 anger." For "and," the marg., ' though,' may be 
 substituted. Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of 
 mine anger, though the staff (the power to strike) 
 in their hands is mine indignation— e., though 
 I have put into the Assyrians' hands the execu- 
 tion of mine indignation against my people, yet 
 they shall not escape unpunished, inasmuch as 
 they execute the decrees of God, not for the 
 glory of God, but for their own lust of conquest, 
 and as they attribute the glory of their suc- 
 cesses to their idols. 6. I will send him. " Kings' 
 hearts ai-e in the hand of the Lord" (Prov. xxi. 
 1). against an hypocritical— ^^o^^u^^tZ {Horsley). 
 But see ch. ix. 11, chaneeph, 'hypocrite,' which 
 supports the English version here, nation — 
 Judah, against whom Sennacherib was forming 
 designs, and a,gainst the people of my wrath— 
 the objects of my wrath. V7ill I give him a 
 charge— (Jer. xxxiv. 22.) and to tread them 
 down lilte the mire. Horsley translates, 'and 
 then to make him (the Assyrian) a trampling 
 under foot like the mire of the streets ' (so v. 12 ; 
 ch. xxxiii. 1 ; Zech. x. 5). But see ch. xxxvii. 26, 
 in favour of the English version. 7, HowbsiS 
 he meaneth not so— He is only thinking of his 
 own schemes, wdiilst God is overruling them to 
 His purposes, neither doth his heart think so— 
 intend so. Sinners' plans are no less culpable, 
 though they by them unconsciously fulfil God's 
 designs (Ps. Ixxvi. 10 ; Mic. iv. 12). So Joseph's 
 brethren (Gen. 1. 20; Prov. xvi. 4). The sinners' 
 motive, not the result (which depends on God), 
 will be the test in judgment, but (it is) in his 
 heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. 
 Sennacherib's ambition Avas not confined to 
 J';Ldea, His plan was also to conquer Egypt and 
 Ethiopia (chs. xx. ; xxxiii. 1). 
 
 8-11. — Vauntings of the Assyrians. Illustrated 
 by the self-laudatory inscriptions of Assyria de- 
 ciphered by Hincks. 8. (Are) not my princes alto- 
 gether kings ? Eastern satraps and governors of 
 provinces often had the title and diadem of 
 kings. Hence the title "King of kings," implying 
 the greatness of Him who was over them (Ezek. 
 xxvi. 7; Ezra vii. 12). 9. (Is) not Calno as Car- 
 chemish ? — Was there any one of these cities able 
 to withstand me? Not one! So Rabshakeh 
 vaunts (ch. xxxvi. 19). Calno— Calneh, built by 
 Nimrod (Gen. x. 10, "Calneh, in the land of 
 Shiuar "),. once his capital on the Tigris. Car- 
 
The destruction 
 
 ISAIAH X. 
 
 of Assyria. 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 Is not Samaria ^as Damascus ? 
 
 10 As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols. 
 
 And whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria ; 
 
 11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, 
 So do to Jerusalem and her idols ? 
 
 Wherefore it shall come to pass, 
 That, when the Lord hath performed his whole work 
 Upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, 
 
 I will ^punish the fruit ''of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, 
 And the glory of his high looks. 
 
 For ^^he saith. By the strength of my hand I have done it. 
 And by my wisdom ; for I am prudent : 
 And I have removed the bounds of the people. 
 And have robbed their treasures, 
 
 And I have put down the inhabitants ^ like a valiant man : 
 
 14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people : 
 
 And as one gathereth eggs that are left, — have I gathered all the earth; 
 And there was none that moved the wing, — or opened the mouth, or peeped. 
 
 15 Shall Hhe ax boast itself against him that heweth therewith ? 
 Or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? 
 ^As if the rod should shake 2^5^//" against them that lift it up, 
 Or as if the staff should lift up '^^ itself , as if it were no wood. 
 
 IG Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones 
 leanness ; 
 
 B. C. 713. 
 
 0 2 Ki. 16. 9. 
 2 Chr. 28. 5. 
 Amos 1. 3- 
 6. 
 
 ch. 17. 3. 
 
 * visit upon. 
 
 7 of t' e 
 grea'ness 
 of the 
 hiart. 
 Ex. 15. 9. 
 Ps. 20. 7. 
 ch. 36. 9. 
 ch. 37. 21. 
 Eze 28. 4. 
 Dan. 4. 30. 
 
 8 Or, like 
 many 
 people. 
 
 ' Ps. ir. 13, 
 
 14. 
 
 Jer. 51. 20. 
 
 9 Or. as if a 
 rod should 
 shake them 
 that lift it 
 up. 
 
 10 Or, that 
 which is 
 noc wood. 
 
 chemish — Circesium, on the Euphrates. Taken 
 afterwards by Necho, king of Egypt ; and retaken 
 by Nebuchadnezzar, in the fourth year of Jehoia- 
 kim, by the Euphrates (Jer. xlvi. 2). Hamath— 
 in Syria, north of Canaan (Gen. x. 18). Taken 
 by Assyria about B.C. 753. From it colonists 
 were planted by Assyria in Samaria. Arpad — 
 near Hamath. Samaria — now overthrown. Da- 
 mascus— (ch. xvii.) 10, 11. As my hand hath 
 found the kingdoms of the idols— unable to resist 
 me ; hath overcome them (so Ps. xxi. 8). and 
 whose graven images— rather, and their. This 
 clause, downto "Samaria," is parenthetical, did 
 excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria — were 
 more powerful. He regards Jerusalem as idol- 
 atrous, an opinion which it often had given too 
 much ground for ; Jehovah was in his view the 
 mere ^oca/ god of Judea, as Baal of the countries 
 where it was adored, nay, inferior in power to 
 some national gods (chs. xxxvi. 19, 20 ; xxxvii. 12). 
 See in opposition, chs. xxxvii. 20; xlvi. 1. As my 
 hand . . . Shall I not, as I have done— a double 
 protasis, or antecedent sentence. Agitation 
 makes one accumulate sentences. 
 
 12. Wherefore it shall come to pass, (that) 
 when the Lord hath performed his whole work— 
 His entire plan in regard to the punishment of 
 the Jews {vv. 5-7). upon mount Zion— the royal 
 residence ; the court, princes, and nobles, as dis- 
 tinguished from on Jerusalem— the people in 
 general. I will punish the fruit— the result of ; 
 i. e., the plans emanating from the stout heart — 
 Hebrew, of the greatness of; i, e., pride of the heart. 
 and the glory of his high looks— the haughti- 
 ness of his looks (Zech. i. 15). 13. For he saith 
 ... I am prudent— He ascribes his success to 
 his ov;n jjrudence, not to God's providence. I 
 have removed the bounds— set aside old, and 
 substituted new boundaries of kingdoms at will. 
 A criminal act, as Jehovah Himself had appointed 
 the boundaines of the nations (Deut. xxxii. 8). 
 and have robbed their treasures— ^Aeir hoarded 
 treasures [from nnr, to prepare] {Horsley). I 
 598 
 
 have put down the inhabitants like a valiant 
 man — rather, 'as a valiant man, I have brought 
 down {from their seats) those seated^ (viz., on 
 thrones, as in Ps. ii. 4 ; xxix. 10 ; Iv. 19, where 
 the Helorew for " he that abideth " is. He that 
 sitteth on a throne) ; otherwise, ' I _ have brouyht 
 doivn (as captives into Assyria, which lay lower 
 than Judea : ' cf. ch. xxxvi. 1, 10) the inhabitants ' 
 {Maurer). 14. my hand hath found as a nest 
 the riches of the people— implying the ease with 
 which he carried off all before him. as one 
 gathereth eggs (that are) left— by the parent 
 bird, there was none that moved the wing- 
 image from an angry bird resisting the robbery of 
 its ' nest.' or peeped— chirped even low (ch. viii. 
 19). No resistance was offered me, of deed, or 
 even word. 15. Shall the ax boast? &c.— Shall 
 the instrument boast against Him who uses it ? 
 Though free in a sense, and carrying out his own 
 plans, the Assyrian was unconsciously carrying 
 out God's purposes, shall the saw magnify 
 itself against him that shaketh it?— moves it 
 backward and forward, as if the staflF should 
 lift up itself, as if it were no wood— rather, ' as 
 if the staff {man, the instrument of God's judg- 
 ments on his fellow-man) should lift up (Him 
 who is) not wood ' {not a mere instrument, as 
 man). In the literal sense the not-wood is man, 
 as the staff is his instrument. In the parabolic 
 sense God stands in the same relation to man (for 
 instance, the Assyrian) that man -does to the staff. 
 On "no wood," cf. Deut. xxxii. 21, "that which 
 is not God; " ch, xxxi. 8, " Then shall the Assyrian 
 fall waththe sword, not of . » = man," shows that 
 God is meant here by ' not wood ' {Maurer). 1€. 
 Therefore shall the Lord . . . send among his 
 fat ones— (ch. v. 17.) The robust and choice 
 soldiers of Assyria (Ps. Ixxviii. 31, where "fattest " 
 answers in the parallelism to 'chosen,' or 'young 
 men,' marg.) leanness— carrying out the image 
 in "fat ones." Destruction {Vs. c\i. IS). Fulfilled 
 (ch. xxxvii. 36). under his glory— Assyria's nobles. 
 So in ch. v. 13, marg.; ch. viii. 7. lie shall kindle 
 
A remnant of 
 
 ISAIAH X. 
 
 Israel shall be saved. 
 
 19 
 
 20 
 
 And under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. 
 
 17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, — and his Holy One for a flame : 
 And it shall burn and devour — his thorns and his briers in one day; 
 
 18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, 
 Both soul and body : 
 
 And they shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth. 
 And the rest of the trees of his- forest shall be ^^few, 
 That a child may write them. 
 
 And it shall come to pass in that day, 
 That the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, 
 Shall no more again stay upon him that smote them ; 
 But shall sta/upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth; 
 
 21 The remnant shall return, eten the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. 
 
 22 For -^'though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, 
 Yet a remnant of them shall return : 
 
 The- consumption decreed shall overflow ^"^with righteousness. 
 
 23 For ^the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined. 
 In the midst of all the land. 
 
 24 Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, 
 
 B. C. 713. 
 
 11 from the 
 soul, and 
 even to the 
 flesh. 
 
 12 number. 
 i Ezra 9. 8, 
 
 14. 
 Jer. 5. 10. 
 Ho5. 1. 10. 
 Mic. 5. 3-s. 
 Rom. 9. i1. 
 Rom. 11. 4- 
 
 6. 
 
 Rev. 20. ?. 
 
 13 in, or, 
 among, 
 ch. 6. 13. 
 
 14 Or, in. 
 Gen. 18. 23. 
 Acts 17. 31. 
 Rom. 2. 6. 
 ch. 28. 22. 
 Tan. 9. 27. 
 Rom. 9. 28. 
 
 a burning—a new image from fire consuming 
 quickly dry materials (Zech. xii,-6). 17, 18. the 
 light Of Israel . . . shall burn . . . Ma tholrns 
 —the Assyrian's wicked host ; carrying out the 
 image in the end of v. 16. Jehovah, who is 
 a light to Israel, shall be the " fire " (Dent, 
 iv. 24; Heb. xii. 29) that shall ignite the 
 thorns (the Assyrians, like dry fuel, already prey 
 to flame, Kah. i. 10). 18. And shall consume 
 the glory of his forest. The common soldiers, the 
 princes, officers, &c., all alike together, shall be 
 consumed {note, ch. ix. 18). in one day— (ch. 
 xxxvii. 36. ) and of his fruitful field— lit. , Carmel, 
 a rich mountain in the tribe of Asher. Figurative 
 for Sennacherib's mighty army. Perhai)s alluding 
 to his own boasting words about to be uttered, 
 ch. xxxvii. 24, "I will enter the forest of his 
 Carmel." both soul and body— proverbial for 
 utterly ; the entire man is made up of soul and body. 
 ttey shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth. 
 — ' they shall be as when a sick man (from a Syriac 
 root) wastes away.' Cf. "leanness," i. e., wasting 
 destruction {v. 16) (Maurer). Or, ' there shall be 
 an entire dissipation, like a perfect melting (viz., 
 of the Assyrian army) [Horsley). I prefer the 
 English version [Dpi, from nasas, to lift up]. 
 When the standard-bearer faints, the whole army 
 is dissolved. So Mercer, Fiscator, and Calvin. 
 19. the rest — those wha shall survive the de- 
 struction of the host, of the trees of his forest 
 — same image as in v. 18, for the once dense army, 
 shall be few, that a child may write them— 
 80 few that a child might count them. 
 
 20-22.-20. the remnant of Israel . . . shall no 
 more again stay upon him that smote them, &c. 
 The effect on the "remnant" (contrasted with 
 the Assyrian remnant, v. 19)— viz., those who shall 
 be left after the invasion of Sennacherib— will be 
 a return from dependence on external idolatrous 
 nations, as Assyria and Egypt (2 Ki. 18-21 ; xvi. 
 7-9), to the God of the theocracy; fulfilled in part 
 in the jnous Hezekiah's days ; but from the future 
 aspect under which St. Paul, in Rom. ix. 27, 
 28 (cf. "short work" with "whole work," v. 12 
 here) regards the whole prophecy, the "remnant" 
 " who stay ux)on the Lord probably will receive 
 its fullest realization in the jjortion of Jews left 
 after that Antichrist shall have been overthrown, 
 who shall "return" unto the Lord (chs. vi. 13; vii. 
 3; Zecb. xii. 9, 10; xiv. 2, 3; Zeph. iil 12). 21. The 
 699 
 
 remnant shair return . . . unto the mighty God 
 (ch. ix. 6) — the God who shall have evinced such 
 wig; A« in destroying Israel's enemies. As the As- 
 syrians in Sennacherib's reign did not carry off 
 Judah captive, the returning "remnant" cannot 
 mainly refer to this time. 22. though thy people 
 Israel be as the sand of the sea, (yet) a remnant 
 of them (Hebrew, among them) shall return. St. 
 Paul explains the sense, Rom. ix. 27, 'Though 
 Israel be now numerous as the sand, a remnant 
 only of them shall rCturn'— the great majority 
 shall perish. Tho reason is added, the con- 
 sumption decreed shall overflow with righteous- 
 ness — ' because the consumv)tion (the complete 
 destruction) decreed (lit., decided on) shall over- 
 flow (chs. XXX. 28; viii. 8) with justice (shall bring 
 upon sinners an overflowing flood of justice, ch. v. 
 16). Rom. ix. 28 explains this passage, "He will 
 finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness'''' — 
 i. e.. He will finish the work of destruction decided 
 upon in His righteous decree. At the same time 
 it is hinted that the work of destruction of His 
 people has its definite end when the rebels shall 
 have been cut ofl' (?;. 25). 23. For the Lord God 
 of hosts will make a consumption, even deter- 
 mined— 'a consumption, and rvhatever is deter- 
 mined' (Maure7'). But Gesenius sui^ports the 
 English version. The Hebrew for "decreed," z?. 
 22, and " determined," in this verse, is from the 
 same root {charut?:, necheratzah, from charatz), to cut 
 short, or decide a matter definitely (ch. xxviii. 22). 
 So Rom. ix. 28 quotes it. The Hebrew is thus 
 used in 1 Ki. xx. 40, "thyself hast decided it.''' in 
 the midst— Zion, the central point of the earth 
 as to Jehovah's presence, of all the land— Israel. 
 But the LXX., in the whole habitable world.' So 
 the English version (Rom. ix. 28, "a- short M'ork 
 will the Lord make upon the earth "). The con- 
 sumption — i. e., complete destruction of the un- 
 godly in the midst of the land of Israel — will 
 radiate out from that centre to all the earth. St. 
 Paul evidently quotes from the LXX. [\6yov 
 (TVVTeXwv Kai crvvTe/xucov eu SLKaioavvri. "Otl Xoyou 
 <TvvT6TiJLr]fjLevov 6 Kuptos iroiricreL eu Tti oiKOV/JLevri bXri. 
 Rom. ix. 28, XSyov (rvvreXwv Kai uvvTeixvwv ev 
 OLKaio(yvvrt, otl Xoyov (rvvTeTfjuiixevov iroiriaei, Kvpios 
 
 eTTi T^-? 7^s]. 24. Therefore — Return to the main 
 proposition, Assyria's ultimate punishment, though 
 employed as God's 'rod' to chastise Judea for a 
 time. 0 my people— God's tenderness towards His 
 
Israel shall he 
 
 ISAIAH X. 
 
 delivered from Assyria. 
 
 0 my people that dwellest in Zion, — be not afraid of the Assyrian : c. 713. 
 
 He shall smite thee with a rod, 
 
 ^^And shall lift np his staff against thee, after the manner of Eg3^pt-. 
 
 25 For yet a very little while, ^and the indignation shall cease. 
 And mine anger, in their destruction. 
 
 26 And the Lord of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him 
 According to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb : 
 And as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner 
 
 of Egypt. 
 
 27 And it shall come to pass in that day, 
 That his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder. 
 And his yoke from off thy neck, 
 
 And the yoke shall be destroyed because of ""the anointing. 
 
 28 He is come to ™Aiath, — he is passed to Migron ; 
 At Michmash he hath laid up his carriages : 
 
 29 They are gone over ''the passage: 
 They have taken up their lodging at Geba ; 
 Ramah is afraid ; — Gibeah of Saul is fled. 
 
 SO Lift up thy voice, 0 daughter ^of Gallim ; 
 
 Cause it to be heard unto Laish, — 0 poor Anathoth. 
 '31 Madmenah ^is removed ; 
 
 The inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee. 
 
 elect nation, be not afraid of the Assyrian : he 
 shall . . . lift up his staff against thee, after 
 the manner of Egypt— as Egypt and Pharaoh 
 oppressed thee. Implying, too, as Israel was 
 nevertheless delivered from them, so now it would 
 be from the Assyrian Sennacherib. The antithesis 
 in V. 26, end, requires this interpretation. 25. For 
 —be not afraid [v. 24), For, &c. yet a very little 
 vrhile, and the indignation shall ceas9— the pun- 
 ishments of God against Israel shall be consum- 
 mated and ended (ch. xxvi, 20; Dan. xi. 36, "till 
 the indignation be accomplished," &c.) and mine 
 anger, in their destruction— mine anger shall turn 
 to their (the Assyrians') destruction. 26. the 
 Lord of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him 
 according to the slaiighter of— the si7'oIce upon. 
 Midian— (ch. ix. 4; Judg. vii. 25.) as his rod was 
 upon the sea — rather, understanding stroke from 
 the previous clause, 'according to the stroke of his 
 rod upon the Red Sea' (Exod. xiv. 16, 26). His 
 "rod" on the Assyrian (m 24, 26) stands in bold 
 contrast to the Assyrian used as a "rod" to strike 
 others {v. 5). after the manner of Egypt— as He 
 lifted it up against Egypt at the Ked Sea, in con- 
 trast to the Assyrian smiting thee with his rod 
 "after the manner of Egypt," v. 24— i. e., as Egypt 
 once smote thee. 27. his burden shall be taken 
 away from off thy shoulder— the Assyrians' op- 
 pression shall be taken away (ch. ix. 4). Judah 
 was still tributary to Assyria ; Hezekiah had not 
 yet revolted, as he did in the beginning of Sen- 
 nacherib's reign, because of — ^lit., from the face of 
 {mipnee) (Hos. x. 15). the anointing— viz., the 
 anointing, or consea^ation, that is upon the elect 
 nation, its prophets, priests, kings, and its holy 
 place (Ps. cv. 15), the Antitype to all which is the 
 anointed Messiah (Dan. ix. 24, "to anoint the Most 
 Holy Ps. ii. 2; xlv. 7 ; Luke iv. 18, 21). So the 
 spiritual Israel, believers, have their anointing 
 from Him (2 Cor. i. 21, 22; 1 John ii. 20, 27). 
 Just as in ch. ix. 4-6, the 'breaking of the yoke of' 
 the enemies' 'burden and staQ"' is attributed to 
 Messiah — "Thou hast broken the yoke of his 
 burden, and the staff of his shoulder;" "For unto 
 us a child is born," &c., so it is here. Isaiah and 
 Hezekiah, God's anointed prophet and king re- 
 COO 
 
 spectively, were the type, as it was from regard 
 to their prayers that God delivered Judah from 
 Sennacherib, (ch, xxxvii. 4, 14-21, &c.) But it is 
 for the sake of Messiah ultimately that all deliver- 
 ances arc vouchsafed to God's people. Parallel to 
 ch, viii. 10, "Take counsel together, and it shall 
 come to nought ... for God is with us," or 'be- 
 cause of Immanuel.^ Maurer, not so well, trans- 
 lates, _ ' because of the fatness .•' an image of the 
 Assyrians' fierce and wanton pride, drawn from a 
 well-fed bull tossing off the yoke (Deut. xxxii. 15). 
 So V. 16 above, and ch. v. 17, "/a/! ones." 
 
 28-32. Onward gradual march of Sennacherib's 
 army towards Jerusalem, and the panic of the 
 inhabitants, vividly pictured before the eyes, 28. 
 come to— come upon as a sudden invader (Gen. 
 xxxiv. 27). He is come to Aiath — same as Ai 
 (Josh. vii. 2 ; Neh. vii. 32). In the north of Ben- 
 jamin : so the other towns also; all on the line of 
 march to Jerusalem. Michmash — nine miles n orth- 
 east of Jerusalem, he hath laid up his carriages 
 — he has left his heavier baggage (so " carriages," 
 for the things carried. Acts xxi. 15) at Michmash, 
 so as to be more lightly equipped for the siege of 
 Jerusalem. So 1 Sam. xvii. 22; xxv. 13; xxx. 24. 
 29. They are gone over the passage— the jaws of 
 the wady or defile at Michmash (1 Sam. xiii. 23; 
 xiv. 4, 5). they have taken up their lodging— 
 their quarters for the night, after having passed 
 the defile, which might have been easily guarded 
 against them. Ramah — near Geba, seven miles 
 from Jerusalem. Gitoeah of Saul— his birth-place 
 and residence in Benjamin (1 Sam. xi. 4) ; distinct 
 from Gibeah of Judah (Josh. xv. 57). 30. Lift up 
 thy voice, 0 daughter of Gsdlim— Gallim and her 
 sons (note, ch. i. 8). 'Cry aloud in consternation.' 
 cause it to he heard unto Laish— not the town in 
 Dan (Judg. xviii. 7), but one of the same name 
 near Jerusalem (1 Mace. ix. 9). O poor Anathoth 
 —three miles from Jerusalem, in Benjamin; the 
 birth-place of Jeremiah. " Poor " is applied to it 
 in pity, on account of the impending calamity. 
 Others translate [n^]?.], answer her, O Anathoth. 
 31. Madmenah— not the city in Simeon (Josh. xv. 
 31), but a village near Jerusalem, is removed- 
 fled from fear, the inhabitants of Gehim gather 
 
ISAIAH XL 
 
 Idnrjdom of Christ, 
 
 32 As yet shall he remain ''at Nob that day : — he shall shake his hand 
 Against the mount of the daughter of Zion, — the hill of Jerusalem. 
 
 33 Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, — shall lop the bough with terror: 
 And the high ones of stature shall he hewn down, 
 
 And the haughty shall be humbled. 
 
 34 And he shall cut down the thickets of the forests with iron, 
 And Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one. 
 
 11 AND "there shall come forth a rod out of the ^stem of ^ Jesse, 
 And '^a Branch shall grow out of his roots : 
 2 And ^the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, 
 
 The spirit of wisdom and understanding, — the spirit of counsel and might, 
 The spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; 
 
 B. C. 713. 
 
 1 Sam. 21.1. 
 18 Or. 
 mightily. 
 
 CHAP. 11. 
 » ch. 63. 2. 
 
 Zech. 0. 12. 
 1 Or, stump, 
 b Acts 13. 23. 
 
 Jer. 23. 5. 
 ^ ch. 42. 1. 
 
 Matt. 3. 16. 
 
 John 1. 32. 
 
 Acts 10.38. 
 
 themselves to flee [=irrn]— to a place of safety. So 
 the Hebrew means in Exod. ix. 19, 29; Jer. iv. 6; 
 vi. 1. 32. As yet shall he remain at Nob that day 
 — lit.^ 'As yet tlm (one only) day (is allowed to the 
 soldiers) for remaining (halting for rest) at Nob 
 north-east of Jerusalem on Olivet, a town of the 
 priests (Xeh. xi. 32). he shall shake his hand 
 (against) the mount of the daughter (Hebrew, 
 hath) — substituted by the Keri for the Ketib read- 
 ing, house (Hebrew, Beth). His 'shaking His 
 hand' in menace implies that he is now at Nob, 
 within sight of Jerussdem. 33. the Lord of hosts 
 shaU lop the hough— lit., the beautiful branch [nn^^p, 
 from nxp, to beautify], the high ones of stature— 
 'the upright stem,^ as distinguished from the pre- 
 vious 'boughs' [Horsley). 34. he shall cut down 
 the thickets of the forests with iron, and Lebanon 
 shall fall by a mighty one. This verse and v. 33 
 describe the sudden arrest and overthrow of 
 Sennacherib in the height of his success [vv. 18, 
 19: Ezek. xxxi. 3-14, contains the same image. 
 "Lebanon" and its forest are the Assyrian army; 
 the "iron" axe that fells the forest refers to the 
 stroke which destroyed the 185,000 Assyrians (2 
 Ki. xix. 35). The "Mighty one" is Jehovah [v. 
 21 ; ch. ix. 6). 
 
 Remarks. — Sinners who set at nought right 
 should consider seriously the solemn question of 
 God by His prophet, '•' What will ye do in the day 
 of visitation ? ' Men may evade this question noiu, 
 but tlien they cannot. There shall be none to 
 whom they can "Hee,"and no place "where" they 
 can "leave " for safety their wealth, which is now 
 their chief "glory." To be "without" the Lord, 
 then, is to be numbered among those doomed to 
 eternal vengeance. God uses ungodly men of 
 might to be his "rod" for chastening his own 
 j)eox»le. But when the rod lifts itself against him 
 who wields it, it is high time that it should be 
 cast away dishonoured. Though sinners are em- 
 ployed to execute God's purjjoses, yet, inasmuch 
 as this is not in all their thoughts, they shall get 
 DO credit for it. Nay, further, inasmuch as, like 
 the Assyrian, they ascribe the glory of their suc- 
 cesses to themselves, and make an idol of their 
 skill and x>i'owess, robbing Jehovah of His due 
 honour, they shall, after having been used for a 
 time to execute unconsciously God's purposes, be 
 punished for their "stoutness " of heart and "high 
 looks." 
 
 CHAP. XL l-lO.-From the local and tem- 
 porary national deliverance the prophet passes, 
 by the law of suggestion, in an easy transition, to 
 the end of all jjrophecy— the everlasting deliver- 
 ance under Messian's reign ; not merely His first 
 coming, but chiefly His second coming. The lan- 
 guage and illustrations are still drawn from the 
 tcmi)orary national suVnect with which he began, 
 but the glories descrioed pertain to Messiah's 
 601 
 
 reign. Hezekiah cannot, as some think, be the 
 subject, for he was already come; whereas the 
 "stem of Jesse" was yet future ("there shall 
 come"). Cf. Mic. iv. 11, &c. ; v. 1, 2; Jer. xxiii. 
 
 5, 6, "I will raise unto David a Righteous Branch, 
 and a King shall reign and prosper," &c. ; Jer, 
 xxxiii. 15, 16. St. Paul quotes this in Pom. xv. 12. 
 
 1. there shall come forth a rod - or, slender 
 twig [TQh]. When the proud 'boughs' of "Leba- 
 non " (ch. X. 33, 34, the Assyrians) are lopped, 
 and the vast \forests cut down' amidst all this 
 rage, a seemingly humble rod shall come out of 
 Jesse (Messiah), who shall retrieve the injuries 
 done by the Assyrian rod" to Israel (ch. x. 5, 
 
 6, 18, 19). out of the stem of Jesse. "The 
 stem" (gezang) — lit., the stump of a tree cut 
 close by the roots: happily expressing the de- 
 pressed state of the royal house of David, owing 
 to the hostile storm (ch. x. 6, 12, 24), when Messiah 
 should arise from it, to raise it to more than 
 its pristine glory. Luke ii. 7 illustrates the 
 depressed state of David's lineal rei)resentatives, 
 Josej)h and the Virgin Mary, when Jesus was 
 born of them (ch. liii. 2, "as a tender plant, and 
 as a root put of a dry ground ; " note, ch. viii. 6 : 
 cf. Job xiv. 7, 8, where the Hebi^evv term occurs), 
 a Branch — a scion, a shoot (Hebrew, neetzer). 
 He is nevertheless also the " root" {v. 10; Eev. v. 
 5; xxii. 16). ' Poot and offsx'>ring ' combines both 
 (Zech. iii. 8; vi. 12, "Behold the man whose 
 name is The BPANCH ; and he shall grow up 
 out of his place, and he shall build the temple 
 of the Lord"), shall grow— Hebrew, shall he 
 fruitful {yiphreh). out of his roots— from the 
 stump cut down to tlte roots. 2. the Spirit of 
 the Lord shall rest upon him— the Spirit of 
 Jehovah. The Spirit by which the prophets 
 spake, for Messiah was to be a Projihet (ch. 
 Ixi. 1 ; Deut. xviii. 15, 18). Seven gifts of the 
 Lloly Spirit are specified, to imply that the 
 perfection of them was to be in Him. Cf. 
 "the seven Spirits which are before His throne" 
 (Rev. i. 4)— i.e., the Holy Ghost in His perfect 
 fulness; seven being the sacred number. The 
 prophets had only a portion out of the ''fulness'' 
 iu the Son of God (John i. 16; iii. 34; Col. i. 19). 
 rest— permanently ; not merely come upon Him 
 (Num. xi. 25, 26). the spirit of wisdom— (1 Cor. 
 i. 30; Eph. i. 17; CoL ii. 3.) and understanding- 
 coupled with "wisdom," being its fruit. Discern- 
 ment and discrimination. Cf., for instance. His 
 replies to adversaries. Matt. xxii. 18 ; Mark xii. 
 34 ; and His insight into man, John ii. 25. the 
 spirit of counsel and might— the faculty of form- 
 ing counsels, and that of executing them (ch. 
 xxviii. 29). "Counsellor" (ch. ix. 6). the spirit 
 of knowledge— of the deep things of God (Matt, 
 xi. 27). The knowledge of Him gives us true 
 knowledge (Eph. i, 17). and of the fear of the 
 
The peaceable 
 
 ISAIAH XL 
 
 Icing dom of Christ, 
 
 3 And shall make him of ^quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: 
 And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes. 
 
 Neither reprove after the hearing of his ears : 
 
 4 But ^with righteousness shall he judge the poor, 
 And ^reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: 
 And he shall ^ smite the earth with the rod of his mouth. 
 And with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 
 
 5 And ^righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, 
 And faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 
 
 6 The ''wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, 
 And the leopard shall lie down with the kid ; 
 
 And the calf and the youn^ lion and the fatUng together ; 
 And a little child shall lead them. 
 
 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed ; 
 Their young ones shall lie down together : 
 And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 
 
 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp. 
 
 And the weaned child shall put his hand on the ^ cockatrice' den. 
 
 Lord— reverential, obedient fear. The first step 
 towards true " knowledge" (Job xxxviii. 28; Ps. 
 cxi. 10). 3. And shall make him of quick under- 
 standing in the fear of the Lord— Hebrew, ha- 
 richo; lit., ' quick-scented in the fear of Jehovah ; ' 
 endowed with a singular sagacity in discerning the 
 genuine princijjle of religious fear of (;!od, wlien it 
 lies dormant in the yet unawakened sinner (Matt, 
 xii. 20; Acts x ; xvi. 14) [Horsley). But Maurer, 
 *He shall delight in the fear of God.' The He- 
 brew means, to deligrht in the odours of anything 
 (Exod. xxx. 38 ; Amos. v. 21, " I will not synell 
 in your solemn assemblies"); 'smell,'— i. e., delight 
 in. he shall not judge after the sight of his 
 eyes— according to mere external appearances 
 (John vii. 24, "Judge not according to the ap- 
 pearance, but judge righteous judgment ; " viii. 
 15 ; Jas. ii. 1 ; 1 Sam. xvi. 7). Herein Messiah is 
 represented a just Judge and Ruler (Deut. i. 
 16, 17). neither reprove— f^ec^VZ^', as the parallel- 
 ism shows, after the hearing of his ears— by 
 mere plausible hearsays, but by the true merits 
 of each case, which He " knew from the begin- 
 ning" (John vi. 64; Rev. ii. 23). 4. But with 
 righteousness shall hejudgethepoor— He will see 
 tliat impartial justice is done them, and reprove 
 — decide. But Lowth, 'work conviction in.' 
 "Judge" may mean here 'rule over,' as in Ps. 
 Ixvii. 4, Thou shalt judge the people righteously, 
 and govern the nations upon earth." with equi- 
 ty for the meek of the earth— (cf. Matt. v. 5, 
 and Rev. xi. 15. ) and he shall smite the earth- 
 its ungodly inhabitants: answering to "the 
 wicked" in the parallel, and in antithesis to the 
 *' poor" and " meek "—viz., in spirit— the hxunble 
 pious (Matt. V. 3). It is implied that "the 
 earth " will be extraordinarily wicked when He 
 shall come to judge and reign. The apostasy 
 will be of world-wide extent. His reign shall 
 therefore be ushered in with judgments on the 
 apostates (Ps. ii. 9-12 ; Luke xviii. 8; Rev. ii. 27). 
 with the rod of his mouth— with condemning 
 sentences which proceed from His mouth against 
 the wicked (Rev. i. 16; ii. 16 ; xix. 15, 21). with 
 the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked— 
 the Chaldaic Targum. Jonathan pan phrases, 
 * With the utterance of His lips will He slay the 
 wicked Armillus' [i. e., epjjfxoXao^], the desolater of 
 the people. St. Paul alludes to this passage in 2 
 Thess. ii. 8, "that Wicked . . . whom iAe Lord 
 shall comume with the spirit of his mouth ; " His 
 602 
 
 B. C. 711. 
 
 2 scent, or 
 smell. 
 
 Ps. 72. 2, 4. 
 Rev. 19. 11. 
 
 3 Or, decide. 
 / Mai. 4. 6. 
 
 2Tlie3. 2.8. 
 
 Rev. 2. 16. 
 f Eph. 6. 14. 
 ^ Hos. 2. 18. 
 
 Acts 9. 13- I 
 20. 
 
 Rom. 8. 19. 
 1 Cor. 6. y- 
 11. 
 
 Gal. 3. 26. 
 27. 
 
 Col. 3. 3-8. 
 Phil. 9-16. 
 Rev. 5. 9. 
 10. 
 
 4 Or, adder's. 
 
 judicial decisions (ch. xxx. 28; Job xv. 30; 
 Rev. xix. 20; xx. 9-12). He, as the Word of 
 God (Rev. xix. 13-15), comes to strike that blow 
 which shall decide His claim to the kingdom pre- 
 viously usurped by Satan, and "the beast to 
 whom Satan delegates his power. It will be a 
 clay of judgment to the Gentile dispensation, as 
 the first coming was to the Jews. Cf. a type of 
 the "rod" — viz., Aaron's rod 'before the testi- 
 mony, kept for a token against the rebels' (Num. 
 xvii. 2-10). 5. righteousness shall be the girdle 
 of his loins— (Rev. i. 13 > xix. 11.) The antitypi- 
 cal High Priest (Exod. xxviii. 4). faithfulness . 
 the girdle of his reins. A zeal for justice and 
 truth shall energize Him in executing His great 
 work of judging and reigning for God the Father ■ 
 at His advent. H\\^gifrdle secures firmly the rest ^ 
 of the garments (1 Pet. i. 13). So ' truth ' gives ' 
 firm consistency to the whole character (Eph. v. 
 14). In ch. lix. 17 "righteousness" is His 
 breastplate. 
 
 6. The wolf also shall dwell with the lam*. 
 
 Each animal is coupled with that one which is its , 
 natural prey. A fit state of things under the 
 " Prince of Peace " (ch. Ixv. 25; Ezek. xxxiv. 25 ; ' 
 Hos. ii. 18). These may be figures for men of \ 
 corresponding animal-like characters (Ezek. xxii. ; 
 27; xxxviii. 13; Jer. v. 6; xiii. 23; Matt. vii. 15; '; 
 Luke x. 3). Still literal change in the relations '< 
 of animals to man and each other, restoring the 
 state in Eden, is a more likely interpretation. \ 
 Cf. Gen. ii. 19, 20 with Ps. viii. 6-8, which de- 
 scribes the restoration to man, in the person of 
 " the Son of man," of the lost dominion over the 
 animal kingdom, of which he had been designed 
 to be the merciful vicegerent under God, for the 
 good of his animal subjects (Rom. viii. 19-22). 7. 
 And the cow and the bear shall feed— viz., to- 
 gether: taken from the second clause, and the 
 lion shall eat straw— no longer. and hlood. 
 8. And the sucking child shall play on the hole 
 of the asp— "play," lit., delight himself in sport, 
 cockatrice — the Hebrew means a kind of adder, 
 more venomous than the asp^ Bochart supposes 
 the basilisk to be meant, which was thought to 
 poison even with its breath. i^aaCK- 
 ixTKos, regulus, from t.aphang, to protrude, as 
 serpents da in striking their prey, and to hiss.] 
 It appears from this passage it was subterranean 
 in habits, and from ch. lix. 5 that it was ovi- 
 parous, and from ch. xiv. 29 that it was not 
 
The Tictorioiis 
 
 ISAIAH XL 
 
 restoration of Israel. 
 
 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain : 
 For Hhe earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, 
 As the waters cover the sea. 
 
 10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, 
 Which shall stand for an ensign of the people; 
 
 To it shall the ^ Gentiles seek : — and ^his rest shall be ^glorious. 
 
 11 And it shall come to pass in that day, 
 
 That the Lord shall set his hand again the second time 
 To recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, 
 ^From Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Gush, and 
 from Elam, 
 
 And from Shinar, and from Hamath, — and from the islands of the sea. 
 
 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, 
 And shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, 
 And gather together ™the dispersed of Judah 
 From the four ^ corners of the earth. 
 
 13 The envy also of ^Ephraim shall depart, 
 
 B. C. 713. 
 
 i Ps. 22. 27, 
 31. 
 
 Ps. 72. 19. 
 Ps. 98. 2. 
 Hab. 2. 14. 
 Zech. 14. 9. 
 Kom. 11.25, 
 26. 
 Kev. 20. 2. 
 i Matt. 2. 1. 
 Matt. 8. 11. 
 Luke 2. 32. 
 Eom. 15.10. 
 Heb. 4. 1. 
 
 5 glory. 
 
 i Zech. 10.10. 
 John 7. 35. 
 Jas. 1. 1. 
 
 6 wings. 
 
 " Gal. 3. 28. 
 Hos. 1. 11. 
 
 identical with the nachash. 9. my holy moun- 
 tain — Zion, i. e., Jerusalem. The seat of govern- 
 ment and of Messiah's throne is put for the whole 
 earth (Jer. iii. 17). for the earth shall he full 
 of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters 
 cover the sea. As the waters find their way into 
 every cavern of its depths, so Christianity shall 
 pervade every recess of the earth (Hab. ii. 14). 
 As vv. 1-5 describe the personal qualities of 
 Messiah, and vv. 6-9 the regenerating effects of 
 His coming on the animal creation, so vv. 10-16 
 the results of it in the restoration of His people 
 the Jeios, and the conversion through them of the 
 Gentiles. 
 
 10. In that day there shall be a root of Jesse 
 
 —rather, shoot from the root (cf. note, v. 1 ; ch. 
 liii. 2, Rev. v. 5; xxii. 16). which shall stand 
 for an ensign — permanently and prominently, as 
 a banner lifted up to be the rallying point of an 
 army or people (ch. v. 26). He was once "lifted 
 up" on the cross in shame; He is now for ever 
 lifted up in glory at the right hand of the Father ; 
 in both aspects, to " draw all men unto " Him 
 (John xii. 32). of the people — peoples, answering 
 to "the Gentiles " in the i)arallel member, to it 
 shall the Gentiles seek— diligently (Job viii. 5). 
 They shall give in their allegiance to the Divine 
 King, when he shall dwell in the midst of Zion 
 (chs. ii. 2 ; Ix. 5 ; Zech. ii. 11). /yors/ey translates, 
 'Of Him shall the Gentiles inquire^ — viz., in a 
 religious sense, resort as to an oracle for consulta- 
 tion in difficulties (Zech xiv. 16). Cf. Rom, xv, 
 12, which quotes this passage, "in Him shall the 
 Gentiles trust." and his rest— resting-place (ch. 
 Ix. 13, "I will make the X)lace of my feet glorious ; " 
 Ps. cxxxii. 8, 14 ; Ezek. xliii. 7, " the place of my 
 throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, 
 where I will dwell in the midst of the children of 
 Israel for ever"). The sanctuary in the temple 
 of Jerusalem was 'the resting-place of the ark 
 and of Jehovah.' So the glorious Church which is 
 to be, is described under the image of an oracle to 
 which all nations shall resort, and which shall be 
 filled with the visible glory of God. 11. in that 
 day— viz., that of Messiah's advent. Therefore 
 the restoration here foretold cannot be that from 
 Babylon. Nor can it refer to Messiah's first 
 advent, for then Judah was dispersed, not re- 
 stored. It therefore can only refer to Christ's 
 second coming, the Lord shall set his hand- 
 take in hand the work, again the second time 
 to recover the remnant of his people, which 
 shall be left, from Assyria. Therefore the coming 
 603 
 
 restoration of the Jews is to be distinct from that 
 after the Babylonish captivity, and yet to resemble 
 it. The first restoration was literal, therefore so 
 shall the second be; the latter, however, it is im- 
 plied here, shall be much more universal than the 
 former (chs, xliii. 5-7 i xlix. 12, 17, 18 ; Ezek. 
 xxxvii. 21 ; Hos. iii. 5 ; Amos ix. 14, 15; Mic. iv. 
 6, 7; Zeph. iii. 19, 20; Zech. x. 10; Jer. xxiii. 8). 
 from Pathros — one of the three divisions of Egypt: 
 Upper Egypt. Cush — either Ethiopia, south of 
 Egypt, now Abyssinia, or the southern parts of 
 Arabia, along the Red Sea. Elam — Persia, espe- 
 cially the southern part of it, now called Susiana. 
 Shinar — Babylonian Mesopotamia, the plain be- - 
 tween Euphrates and the Tigris ; in it Babel 
 was begun (Gen. x. 10), In the Assyrian inscrip- 
 tions Rawlinson distinguishes three periods: — 1, 
 The Chaldean, from 2300 b,c. to 1500, in which 
 falls Chedorlaomer (Gen. xiv.), called in the 
 cuneiform characters Kudur of Hur, or Ur of the 
 Chaldees, and described as the conqueror of Syria. 
 The seat of the first Chaldean empire was in the 
 south, towards the confiueuce of the Tigris and 
 Euphrates. 2. The Assyrian, down to 625 B.C. 
 3. The Babylonian, from 625 to 538 B.C., when 
 Babylon was taken by the Persian Cyrus, and 
 from the islands of the sea— the far western 
 regions beyond the sea {Jerome). As to the "rem- 
 nant" destined by God to survive the judgments 
 on the nation, cf. Jer. xlvi. 28, "I will make a full 
 end of all the nations whither I have driven thee : 
 but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct 
 thee in measure ; yet will I not leave thee wholly 
 unpunished." 12. he shall set up an ensign for 
 the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of 
 Israel, and gather together the dispersed of 
 Judah from the four corners (from the extremities 
 of the four quarters) of the earth— lit., loings of 
 the earth, (Job xxxvii. 3, marg.) In the first 
 restoration Judah alone was restored, with per- 
 haps some few of Israel (the Ten tribes) x in the 
 future restoration hoth are expressly specified 
 (Ezek. xxxvii. 16-19; Jer. iii. 18). To Israel are 
 ascribed the "outcasts" (masculine, nidchee); to 
 Judah the "dispersed" (feminine, nephutzoth), as 
 the former have been longer and more utterly 
 cast-aways (though not finally) than the latter 
 (John vii. 35, "the dispersed [t?;i/ dLacnropdv] 
 among the Gentiles "). The masculine and feminine 
 conjoined express the universality of the restora- 
 tion. 13. envy also of Ephraim shall depart . , , 
 Judah. "The envy" on the part of Ephraim, 
 wherewith they were jealous of any rival in 
 
The victorious 
 
 ISAIAH XL 
 
 restoration of Israel. 
 
 And the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off : 
 
 Ephraim shall not envy Judah, — and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. 
 
 14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; 
 They shall spoil ^them of the east together: 
 
 ^ They shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab ; 
 ^And the children of Amnion shall obey them. 
 
 15 And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; 
 And with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, 
 
 And shall smite it in the seven streams, — ''and make men go over dry-shod. 
 
 16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall 
 
 be left, from Assyria ; 
 ^Like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of 
 Egypt. 
 
 prowess, began as early as the time in Judg, viii. 
 1; xii. 1, &c. Joshua had sprung from and 
 resided among the Ephraimites (Num. xiii. 8; 
 Josh. xix. 50). The sauctuary was with them in 
 Shiioh for a long time (Josh, xviii. 1). The jeal- 
 ousy increased subsequently, when Abner set up 
 Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, to be king of Israel 
 against David, king of Judah (2 Sam. ii. 8, &c. ; iii. 
 10), and in the rebellions of Absalom and of Sheba, 
 son of Bichri (2 Sam. xix. 41; xx. 2). Even before 
 David's time (1 Sam. xL 8; xv. 4) they had appro- 
 priated to themselves the national name Israel. 
 It ended in disruption under Jeroboam (1 Ki. xi. 
 26, &c. ; xii. : of. 2 Ki. xiv. 9 ; Ps. Ixxviii. 67, 68). 
 and the adversaries of Judah— rather, ' the ad- 
 versaries from Judah ; ' those oj Judah hostile to 
 the Ephraimites {Hengstenherg). So oh. xxix. 19, 
 "the poor among (lit., o/) men." The contrast 
 to 'the envy of Ephraim,' viz., against Judah, 
 requires this, as also the parallelism to "Judah 
 shall not vex Ephraim " (Ezek. xxxvii. 15, 17, 19). 
 The only objection is the rule that if a participle 
 be in the construct state, its genitive is that of 
 the object, not of the subject. But tzoreer is often 
 used of an adversary as a noun ; so that as such 
 it can be construed with the genitive of the 
 subject 14. With united forces they shall subdue 
 their foes ( Amos ix. 12). they shall fly — as a bird 
 of prey (Hab. i. 8). upon the shoulders of the 
 Philistines. This expresses an attack made unex- 
 pectedly on one from behind. The image is the 
 more apt, as the Hebrew for shoulders in Num. 
 xxxiv II is used also of a maritime coast. The 
 Philistines occupied the narrow strip of sea-coast 
 south-west of Judah. They shall make a sudden 
 victorious descent upon their borders south-west 
 of Judea. they shall spoil them of the east- 
 Hebrew, the children of the East, the Arabs, who, 
 always hostile, are not to be reduced under 
 regular government, but are only to be despoiled 
 (Jer. xlix. 28, 29). they shall lay their hand 
 upon— take possession of (Dan. xi. 42). Edora— 
 south of Judah, from the Dead Sea to the Red 
 Sea. Moab— east of Jordan and the Dead Sea. 
 Ammon — east of Judea, north of Moab, between 
 the Arnon and Jabbok. 15. There shall be a 
 second exodus, destined to eclipse even the former 
 one from Egypt in its wonders. So the prophe- 
 cies elsewhere (Ps. Ixviii. 22 ; Exod. xiv. 22 ; 
 Zech. X. 11). The same deliverance furnishes the 
 imagery by which the return from Babylon is 
 described (ch. xlviii. 20, 21). the Lord shall 
 utterly destroy —lit., devote, or doom with an an- 
 athema (Hebrew, Hecherim), i. e., dry up; for what 
 God dooms, perishes (Ps. cvi, 9; Nah. i. 4), the 
 tongue of the Egyptian sea— the Buborstic branch 
 of the Nile {Vitringa); but as the JVile was not 
 the obstruction to the exodus, it is rather the 
 004 
 
 western tongue or Heroopolite fork of the Hed 
 Sea. with his mighty wind shall he shake his 
 hand over the river — such as the " strong east 
 wind " (Exod. xiv. 21), by which God made a way 
 for Israel through the Red Sea. The Hebrew 
 for "mighty" means terror [d^?., akin to d^n, • 
 terrible, Hab. i. 7] (Cocceius). Maurer translates, 
 'with the terriblene.Hs of His anger' — i.e., His 
 terrible anger; Hebrew, rucho— lit.. His breath, 
 perhaps with the additional idea of anger, as one 
 angry breathes strongly in indignation (Exod. 
 XV. 8, " with the blast of thy nostrils the waters 
 were gathered together "). and shall smite it in 
 the seven streams— rather, 'shall smite it {divide 
 it by smiting) into seven (many) streams, so as to 
 be easily crossed' [Lowth). So Cyrus divided the 
 river Gyndes, which retarded his march against • 
 Babylon, into 360 streams, so that even a woman 
 could cross it (^erot/o^Ms, i. 189). "The river "is • 
 the Euphrates, the obstruction to Israel's return ' 
 "from Assyria" (v. 16), a type of all future im- 
 pediments to the restoration of the Jews, and make , 
 men go over dry-shod— Hebrew, in shoes. Even ^ 
 in sandals they should be able to pass over the 
 once mighty river without being wet. Rev, xvi. . ' 
 12 is derived from this passage : " the sixth angel 
 poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates ; ; 
 and the water thereof was dried up, that the way 
 of the kings of the east might be prepared." 16. 
 there shall be an highway for the remnant of i 
 his people— clear of obstructions (chs. xix. 23; , 
 XXXV. 8). like as it was to Israel in the day that \ 
 he came up out of . . . Egypt— (chs. li. 10, 11: i 
 Ixiii. 12, 13.) \ 
 Remarks. — The destruction of the Assyrian's ' 
 antitype, Antichrist, ushers in the reign of Christ. ^ 
 Beginning as the tender "rod" out of the stock 
 of Jesse, cut dovvu to "the stem," He shall ulti- J 
 mately manifest Himself as Jesse's root, "which 
 shall stand for an ensign of the people." Born of 
 the lowly but royal Virgin, and lodged at His 
 birth in the inn of Bethlehem, He is, on the very 
 ground of His voluntarily assiimed humiliation, 
 entitled to the highest place of dominion on earth. 
 Not only has He the title, but also the qualifica- 
 tions for reigning as the Father's Representative. 
 The seven-fold fulness of Jehovah's spirit is His 
 without measure, whereas all others get only a 
 particular measi\re out of that fulness. It not 
 merely is His for a time, but it permanently 
 'rests' upon Him. Unlike earthly kings and 
 judges, who judge by sight and outward ap- 
 pearance, He sees deeply into the realities 
 of persons and things, so that intuitively 
 and at once He can discern between the good 
 and the bad, the godly and the wicked [v. 3). 
 And as He is infallible in forming His " coun- 
 sels," so is He almighty in executing them. Hia 
 
A song 
 
 ISAIAH XIL 
 
 of thanJcsgixing. 
 
 12 AND ''in that day thou shalt say, 
 
 0 Lord, I will praise thee: — though thou wast angry with me. 
 Thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. 
 
 2 Behold, God is my salvation ; — I will trust, and not be afraid : 
 For the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song ; 
 
 He also is become my salvation. 
 
 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw ^water out of the wells of salvation. 
 
 4 And in that day shall ye say, — Praise the Lord, — ^call upon his name, 
 Declare his doings among the people. 
 
 Make mention that his name is exalted. 
 
 5 Sing unto the Lord ; for he hath done excellent things : 
 This is known in all the earth. 
 
 6 Cry ^out and shout, thou ^inhabitant of Zion : 
 
 For great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee. 
 
 B. C. 713. 
 
 CHAP. 12. 
 ' ch. 2. 11. 
 ' Jer. 2. 13. 
 
 John 4. 10, 
 14. 
 
 John r. sr. 
 
 ^ Or, pro- 
 claim his 
 name. 
 iChr. 16. 8. 
 
 ■ ch. r.4. 1. • 
 Zeph. 3. 14. 
 Luke 19.37- 
 
 40. 
 
 ■ inh ibi- 
 tress. 
 
 reign shall be ushered in by his smiting the apos- 
 tate earth with the rod of His mouth. The rod 
 of Antichrist, the antitype to the Assyrian, shall 
 be set aside by the rod of Messiah, who " with the 
 breath of His lips shall slay the wicked." The 
 3ause of ' the poor and the meek' who shall have 
 suffered under Antichrist shall be vindicated by 
 their Eedeemer, who "shall destroy the man of 
 sin with the brightness of His coming." Then 
 shall a blessed day dawn on the heretofore op- 
 pressed earth. Righteousness and truth, long set 
 at nought, shall then prevail under His just and 
 benignant sway. The heathen poets' dream of 
 the golden age shall then be a joyful reality. 
 The animal kingdom, which has been ' made sub- 
 ject to vanity' because of man's fall, shall, accord- 
 ing to their kind, share in man's redemption from 
 misery. The cause being removed, the e^ect too 
 sh'all cease. 
 
 CHAP. XII. — 1-6. Thanksgiving-Hymn or 
 THE Restored and Converted Jews. Just as 
 Miriam, after the deliverance of the Red Sea 
 (ch. xi. 15, IG), celebrated it with an ode of praise, 
 (Exod. XV.) 
 
 2. the Lord JEHOVAH— Hebrew, Jah Jehovah. 
 The repetition of the name denotes emjjhasis, and 
 the unchangeableness of God's character, (is) my 
 strength and my song ; he also is become my 
 salvation— derived from Exod. xv. 2 ; Ps. cxviii. 
 
 14. The idea of salvation was peculiarly associ- 
 ated with the Feast of Tabernacles (see v. 3), 
 Hence the cry " Hosanna," Save, v)e beseech thee, 
 that accompanied Jesus' triumphal entry into 
 Jerusalem (Matt. xxi. 9 : cf. with Ps. cxviii. 25, 
 26): the earnest of the perfected "salvation" 
 which He shall bring to His people at His glo- 
 rious second ai)pearance at Jerusalem (Heb. ix. 
 28, "He shall api)ear the second time without sin 
 VLXito solvation''). Cf. Rev. xxi. 3, the tabernacle 
 of God is with men:" cf. Luke ix. 33, "three 
 tabernacles : one for thee," &c. (the transfiguration 
 being a pledge of the future kingdom) (Ps. cxviii. 
 
 15, "The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the 
 tabernacles of the righteous ; " Zeeh. xiv. 16, 
 " every one that is left of all the nations which 
 came against Jerusalem shall even go up from 
 year to year to worship the King, the Lord of 
 hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles "). 
 As the Jew was reminded by the feast of taber- 
 nacles of his wanderings in tents in the wil- 
 derness, so the Jew-Gentile Church to come 
 shall call to mind, with thanksgiving, the vai'ious 
 past ways whereby God has at last brougiit 
 them to the heavenly "city of habitation" (Fs. 
 cvii. 7), As branches of palms were taken on the 
 first day of the feast with rejoicing, so shall the 
 " multitude which no man can number, stand be- 
 
 C05 
 
 fore the throne, and before the Lamb," with 
 "palms in their hands" (Rev. vii. 9). As the 
 passover feast has its Christian antitype in Easter., 
 the commemoration of Christ's resurrection, which 
 succeeds the day of commemoration of the sacri- 
 fice of Christ's death ; and Pentecost has its 
 antitype in Whitsunday, the feast commemorating 
 the gift of the Holy Si)irit, so the Feast of 
 Tabernacles, the third great feast, shall have its 
 antitype in the Millenuial reign of Christ and His 
 saints over Israel, settled again in lier fatherland, 
 and over the nations, when the harvest-home of 
 the elect Church shall be complete, and Israel 
 sliall keep her harvest-home feast in her own 
 land, after her long wilderness-like wanderings. 
 3. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out 
 of the wells of salvation — an expressive image 
 in a hot country. On the last day of the Feast 
 of Tabernacles the Jews used to bring water in 
 a golden pitcher from the fountain of ISiloam, and 
 pour it, mingled with wine, on the sacrifice on 
 the altar with great rejoicing. This is the allu- 
 sion in Jesus' words on "the last day of the 
 feast " (John vii. 2, 37-39). The pouring out of 
 water indicated repentance (1 Sam. vii. 6: cf., as to 
 the Jews' repentance hereafter, Zech. xii. 10). 
 There shall be a latter outpouring of the Spirit 
 like the former one on Pentecost (Joel ii. 23). 
 wells— not mere streams, which may run dry, but 
 ever-flowing fountains (Jolin iv. 14 ; vii. 38, " out 
 of his belly [i. e., in and from himself) shall How 
 rivers of living water ; " ch. xli. IS ; Ps. Ixxxiv. 6 ; 
 Zech. xiii. 1 ; Rev. vii. 17). 
 
 4. make mention— Hebrew, cause it to he re- 
 membered. 5. Sing unto the Lord— alluding to 
 Exod. XV. 21. 6. shout, thou inhabitant of Zion 
 — Hebrew, inhahitress; so ' daughter of Zion ' — i. e., 
 Zion and its people, for great is the Holy One 
 of Israel in the midst of thee— of Jerusalem 
 literally (Jer. iii. 17; Ezek. xlviii. 35, "the name 
 of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is 
 there ; " Zeph. iii. 15, 17 ; Zech. ii. 10). 
 
 Remarks. — Every member of the spiritual 
 Israel echoes from the heart this song of thanks- 
 giving—once " thou wast angry with me," because 
 my sin was unpardoned ; but now, through faith 
 in Christ, I know that "thine an^er is turned 
 away" {v. 1). Having the 'comfort of thy Spirit 
 witnessing within me, that I am a child of God, 
 " I will trust and not be afraid." This in a special 
 sense shall be the thanksgiving of Israel, when 
 her peoY)le shall welcome Messiah, whom they have 
 so long rejected, and shall say, " Blessed is He 
 that Cometh in the name of the Lord." 
 
 CHAP. XIII. 1-22.— Chs. xiii. -XXIII. contain 
 Prophecies as to Foreign Nations. — Chap. 
 
 xiii., XIV., AND XXVII., AS TO BaBYLON AND 
 
I 
 
 God muster eth 
 
 ISAIAH XIIL 
 
 the armies of his wrath. 
 
 13 THE burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. 
 
 2 Lift "ye up a banner upon ^the high mountain, 
 Exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, 
 That they may go into the gates of the nobles. 
 
 3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, 
 
 I have also called *^my mighty ones for mine anger, 
 Even them that rejoice in my highness. 
 
 4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, ^like as of a great people; 
 A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together ; 
 The Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. 
 
 5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, 
 Emn the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation, 
 To destroy the whole land. 
 
 6 Howl ye ; ^ for the day of the Lord is at hand ; 
 It shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. 
 
 7 Therefore shall all hands ^be faint, — and every man's heart shall melt: 
 
 8 And they shall be afraid : pangs and sorrows shall take bold of them ; 
 They shall be in pain as a woman that travail eth : 
 
 They shall ^ be amazed *one at another; — their faces shall he as ^flames. 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 CHAP. 13. 
 
 * Jer. 1. 2. 
 Jer. 50. 2. 
 Jer. 61. 27. 
 
 6 Jer. 51. 25. 
 = Joel 3. 11. 
 Eev. 17. 12- 
 18. 
 
 1 the like- 
 ness of. 
 
 d Eze. 30. 3. 
 Joel 2. 11. 
 Amos 5. 1«. 
 Zeph. 1. 7. 
 Eev. 8. 17. 
 
 2 Or. fall 
 down. 
 
 3 woi.der. 
 
 * every man 
 at his 
 neighbour. 
 
 5 faces of the 
 flan.es. 
 
 Assyria. The predictions as to foreign nations 
 are for the sake of the covenant people, to pre- 
 serve them from despair, or reliance on human 
 confederacies, and to strengthen their faith in 
 God; — also in order to extirpate narrow-minded 
 nationality. God is Jehovah to Israel, not for 
 Israel's sake alone, but that He may be thereby 
 Elohim to the nations. These prophecies are 
 iu their right chronological place, in the beginning 
 of_ Hezekiah's reign; — then first the nations of 
 Western Asia, on the Tigris and Euphrates, as- 
 sumed a most menacing aspect. 
 
 1. Tlie burden weighty or mournful pro- 
 phecy. So the Chaldaic paraphrases, ' the burden 
 of the cup of malediction' {Grot'ms). Otherwise 
 simply, the prophetical declaration, from a Hebrew- 
 root [Na'J], to put forth with the voice anything, as 
 in Num. xxiii. 7, "Baalam took 2ip his parable" 
 {Maurer). So apparently it means, Prov. xxxi. 
 1 ; Zech. xii. 1. But the primary meaning is 
 probably a weighty saying^ or solemn 2Jrophecy, 
 taken up (as nasa means) in the mouth of man. 
 So Kimchi. of 'BdJoylon— concerning Babylon. 
 
 2. Lift ye up a banner— (oh. v. 26 ; xi. 10.) upon 
 tlie high mountain — or else, 'a ha7:e (lit., hald ; 
 i. e., without trees) mountain' [nf?ti'), from shephi, 
 shaphah; akin to an Aramaic root, laid ; Syriac, 
 to level or mahe plain. But Buxtorf supports the 
 English version. Shaphah means to be high : so 
 the noun in Num. xxiii. 3. The Vulgate takes 
 nishpeh here by metathesis from nesheph, twilight, 
 and translates dark, referring to Babylon, on 
 account of its confusion, as Babel means. Or else, 
 on account of the fogs from the marsh in which 
 Babylon lay. But Babylon was not on a moun- 
 tain, Init in a low i)lain]. From " the high 
 mountain " the banner could be seen afar off, 
 so as to rally together the peoples against 
 Babylon. exalt the voice unto them— unto 
 the Medes {v. 17), the assailants of Babylon. It 
 is remarkable that Isaiah does not foretell here 
 the Jews' captivity in Babylon, but presupposes 
 that event, and throws himself beyond, predicting 
 another event still more future, the overthrow of 
 the city of Israel's opx)ressors. It was now 174 
 years before the event, shake the "ix^xid—becTcon 
 with the hand ; wave the hand to direct the 
 nations to march against Babylon, that they may 
 go into the gates of the nobles— Babylonian, 
 
 606 
 
 rather, in a bad sense, tyrants (nedihim) ; as in ch. 
 xiv. 5, "rulers," in parallelism to "the wicked;" 
 and Job xxi. 28 {Maurer). 3. I have commanded 
 my sanctified ones— the Median and Persian sol- 
 diers solemnly set apart by me for the destruction 
 of Babylon, not inwardly "sanctified," but desig- 
 nated to fulfil God's 7io^2/ purpose (Jer. li. 27, 28; 
 Joel iii. 9, 11 ; where the Hebrew for prepare war 
 is sanctify war), for mine anger— to execute it. 
 (even) them that rejoice in my highness — ' those 
 who are made to triumph for my honour' {Horsley). 
 The heathen Medes could not be said to ' rejoice 
 in God's highness.' Maurer translates, ' My 
 haughtily exulting ones' (Zeph. iii. 11): a special 
 characteristic of the Persians {Herodotus, i. 88, ' Tlje 
 Persians being haughtily-insolent by nature'). 
 They rejoiced in their own highness, but it was His 
 that they were unconsciously glorifying — lit., ' the 
 rejoicing ones of my highness. 4. The noise of a 
 multitude in the mountains — viz. , which separate 
 Media and Assyria, and on one of which the ban- 
 ner to rally the hosts is supposed to be reared, a 
 tumultuous noise. The Babylonians are vividly 
 depicted as hearing some unwonted sound like the 
 din of a host : they try to distinguish the sounds, 
 but can only perceive a tumultuous noise, of the 
 kingdoms of the nations— Medes, Persians, and 
 Armenians, composed Cyrus's army. 5. They come 
 — viz., 'Jehovah,' and the armies which are "the 
 weapons of His indignation." from a far country 
 — Media and Persia, stretching to the far north 
 and east, from the end of heaven— the far east 
 (Ps. xix. 6). 
 
 6. the day of the Lord is at hand— the day of 
 
 His vengeance on Babylon (ch. ii. 12). Type of 
 the future "great day of His wrath" (Rev. vi. 17). 
 it shall come as a destruction— lit., a devastating 
 tempest ; Hebrew, Shod, from the Almighty— not 
 from mere man ; therefore irresistible : " Al- 
 mighty." There is a play on similar sounds: 
 Hebrew, Shod, Shaddai. 7. Therefore shall all 
 hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt. 
 So Jer. 1. 43 : cf. Josh vii. 5. Babylon was taken 
 by surprise on the night of Belshazzar's impious 
 feast (Dan. v. 30). Hence the sudden fainting and 
 melting of hearts. 8. pangs and sorrows shall 
 take hold of them. The Hebrew means also a 
 inessemjer : therefore the LXX. and Arabic trans- 
 late, ' the heralds (who bring word of the unex- 
 pected invasion) are terrified.' The Chaldaic, Vul- 
 
God's threatenings ISAIAH XIII. against Babylon. 
 
 9 Behold, Hhe day of the Lord cometh, 
 
 Cruel both with wrath and fierce anger,-— to lay the land desolate. 
 And he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. 
 
 10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their 
 
 light: 
 
 The sun shall be ^ darkened in his going forth, 
 And the moon shall not cause 'her light to shine. 
 
 11 And I will punish ^the world for their eyil^ 
 And the wicked for their iniquity; 
 
 And I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, 
 And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. 
 
 12 I will make ^ man more precious than fine gold ; 
 Even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. 
 
 13 Therefore ^I will shake the heavens, 
 
 And the earth shall remove out of her place, 
 
 In the wrath of the Lord of hosts, — and in ^'the day of his fierce anger. 
 
 14 And it shall be as the chased roe, — and as a sheep that no man taketh up : 
 They shall every man turn to his own people, 
 
 Ancl flee every one into his own land. 
 
 15 Every one that is found shall be thrust through ; 
 
 And every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword. 
 
 16 Their children also shall be Mashed to pieces before their eyes; 
 Their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished. 
 
 17 Behold, ^ I will stir up the Medes against them, 
 
 Wliich shall not regard silver ; — and as for gold, tliey shall not delight in it. 
 
 18 Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; 
 And they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; 
 Their eye shall not spare children. 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 ' Jer. 6. 22. 
 Jer. 60. 40, 
 42. 
 
 Jer. 51. 35, 
 
 58. 
 Nah. 1. 2. 
 Mai. 4. 1. 
 Rev. 17. 10, 
 
 17. 
 
 Eev. 18. 8. 
 Rev. v.). 17, 
 21. 
 
 / Matt. 24.29. 
 6 That is. 
 
 the Baby- 
 lonian 
 
 empire. 
 
 Luke 2. 1. 
 » Hag. 2. 6. 
 
 Joel 3. 16. 
 
 Matt. 24.29. 
 
 Heb. 12. 27. 
 
 Rev. 6. 13, 
 14. 
 
 A Lam. 1. 12. 
 
 i Ps. 137. 8.9. 
 Hos. 10. 14. 
 Nah. 3. 10. 
 Zech. 14. 2. 
 J ch. 21. 2. 
 ch. 41. 25. 
 Jer. 60. 9, 
 
 27, '^8. 
 Jer. 61. 11. 
 Dan. 5. 28, 
 
 31. 
 
 ffate, and Syriac support the English version, as 
 a woman that travaileth— (1 Thess. v. 3.) they 
 shall be amazed one at another— the stupid, be- 
 wildered gaze of consternation, their faces (shall 
 be as) flames— 'their visages have the livid hue 
 of flame ' [Horsley) : with anguish and indig- 
 nation. 
 
 9. the day of the Lord cometh, cruel — not 
 
 strictly, but unsparingly just ; opposed to mern/. 
 Also answering, by just retribution in kind, to the 
 cruelty (in the strict sense) of Babylon towards 
 others (ch. xiv. 17), now about to be visited on 
 itself, to lay the land desolate— ' the earth' 
 {Horsley). The language from v. 9 to v. 1.3 can 
 only primarily and partially apply to Babylon ; 
 fully and exliaustivety, the judgments to come 
 hereafter on the whole earth. Cf. v. 10 with Matt, 
 xxiv. 29; Rev. viii. 12. The sins of Babylon, 
 arrogoMcy {v. 11 ; chs. xiv. 11 ; xlvii, 7, 8), cruelty 
 (ch. xiv. 17), false worship (Jer. 1. 38), persecution 
 of the pf-oj)le of God (ch. xlvii. 6), are peculiarly 
 characteristic of the apostate Church — mystical 
 " Babylon the great," " drunken with the blood of 
 the saints and martyrs of Jesus," and the Anti- 
 christian world of the latter days (Dan. xi. 32-37 ; 
 Rev. xvii. .3, 6 ; xviii. G, 7, 9-14, 24). 10. the stars 
 . . . shall not give their light, &c.— figurative for 
 anarchy., distress, and revolutions of kingdoms (ch. 
 xxxiv. 4; Joel, ii. 10; Ezek. xxxii. 7, 8; Amos 
 viii. 9; Kev. vi. 12-14). There may be a Utercd 
 fulfilment finally., shadowed forth under this 
 imagery (Rev. xxi. 1). and the constellations- 
 Hebrew, Kesilee, a fool, or impious one; api)lied 
 to the constellation Orion, who was represented 
 a«i an impious giant (Nimrod deified, the founder 
 of Babylon) chained to the sky. 8ce note, Job 
 xxxviii. 31. 11. I will punish the world— iAe 
 
 607 
 
 wicked of the world (cf. ch. xi. 4). I will cause 
 the arrogancy of the proud to cease— Babylon's 
 besetting sin, as exhibited in Nebuchadnezzar 
 (Dan. iv. 22, 30). the terrible — rather, tyrants 
 {Horsley). 12. I will make a man more precious 
 than fine gold — I wull so cut off Babylon's de- 
 fenders, that a single w,an shall be as rare and 
 precious as the finest gold. 13. I will shake the 
 heavens— image for mighty revolutions (chs. xxiv. 
 19; xxxiv. 4; Hab. iii. 6, 10; Hag. ii. 6, 7; Rev. 
 XX. 11). 14. it— Babylon, shall be as the chased 
 roe— gazelle : the most timid and easily startled, 
 and as a sheep that no man taketh up — sheep, 
 defenceless, without a shepherd (Zech. xiii. 7). 
 they shall every man turn to his own people— 
 the 'mingled peoples' of foreign lands shall flee 
 out of her (Jer. 1. 16, 28, 37 ; li. 9). 15. Every one 
 that is found— in the city, joined [n^p-in]-' in- 
 tercepted ' {Maurer). ' Every one that has with- 
 drawn himself [from viz., to hide in the 
 houses, shall fall by the sword {Gesenius). But 
 "add" is the sense of the same Hebrew in ch. 
 XXX. 1, and many jjassages. Every one, though 
 not a native, who is joined to Babylon, whether as 
 a trader, a mercenary soldier, or an auxiliary. 16. 
 (Ps. cxxxvii. 8, 9.) 17. Behold, I will stir up the 
 Medes— (ch. xxi. 2; Jer. li. 11, 28.) At that time 
 they were subject to Assyria ; subsequently 
 Arbaces, satrap of Media, revolted against the 
 effeminate Sardanapalus, king of Assyria, de- 
 stroyed Nineveh, and became King of Media, in 
 the ninth century B.C. which shall not regard 
 silver — in vain will one try to buy his life from 
 them for a ransom. The heathen Xenoi^hon 
 (' Cyropsedia,' V. 1, 10) represents Cyrus as attribut- 
 ing this characteristic to the Medes, disregai-d of 
 riches. A curious confirmation of this prophecy. 
 
The desolation 
 
 ISAIAH XIV. 
 
 of Babylon, 
 
 19 
 
 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, 
 The beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, 
 Shall be ^as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 
 It shall never be inhabited, 
 
 Neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation : 
 Neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there ; 
 Neither shall the shepherds make their fold there: 
 But ^ wild beasts of the desert shall lie there ; 
 And their houses shall be full of ^doleful creatures ; 
 And ^^owls shall dwell there, — and satyrs shall dance there. 
 22 And ^2 the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, 
 ■ And dragons in their pleasant palaces: 
 And her time is near to come, — and her days shall not be prolonged. 
 14 For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, — and "will yet choose Israel, 
 And set them in their own land : 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 t as the 
 overthrow- 
 ing. 
 
 8 Ziim. 
 
 9 Och m. 
 
 10 daughters 
 of the 
 ostrich. 
 
 11 shaggy 
 beasts, or, 
 wild goats. 
 
 12 lim. 
 
 13 Or, 
 palac3S. 
 
 14 Or, 
 jackals. 
 
 CHAP. U. 
 " Zech. 1. 17. 
 
 18. (Their) bows— in the use of which the Persians 
 were i)articularly skilled. 
 
 19. Babylon, the glory of kingdoms— (chs. xiv. 
 4; xlvii. 5; Jer, li. 41, "the yu-aise of the whole 
 earth.") the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency 
 — Hebrew, the glory of the pride of the Chaldees : 
 it was their glory and boast, shall be as when 
 God overthrew . . . Gomorrah — as utterly (Jer. 
 xlix. 18; 1. 40; Amos iv. 11). Taken by Cyrus, by 
 clearing out the canal made for emptying the 
 superfluous waters of the Euphrates, and directing 
 the river into this new channel, so that he was 
 able to enter the city by the old bed in the night. 
 20. It Shall never be inhabited, neither shall 
 it be dwelt in from generation to generation— 
 literally fulfilled, neither shall the Arabian pitch 
 tent there— not only shall it not be a permanent 
 residence, but not even a temporary resting-place. 
 The Arabs, through dread of evil spirits, and be- 
 lieving the ghost of Nimrod to haunt it, will not 
 pass the night there (cf. v. 21). neither shall the 
 shepherds make their fold there. The region was 
 once most fertile ; but owing to the Euphrates 
 being now no longer kept within its former chan- 
 nels, it has become a stagnant marsh, unfit for 
 flocks ; and on the wastes of its ruins, bricks and 
 cement, no grass gi'ows. 21. wild beasts of the 
 desert— Hebrew, tdyim, animals dwelling in arid 
 wastes (from tziyah, dryness). Wild cats, remark- 
 able for their howl [Bochart). their houses shall 
 b3 full of doleful cvediXvLre^— howling beasts. He- 
 brew, Ochim; lit., 'bowlings' {Maurer). From 
 ach, an exclamation of pain, owls shall dwell 
 there — rati ler, ostriches; a timorous creature, 
 delighting in solitary deserts, and making a 
 hideous noise [Bochart). Hebrew, Benoth ya- 
 lianah, 'daughters of shouting,' from the root [n33j], 
 to shout. Or, as Gesenius explains, ' daughters of 
 voracity,' from a root ]^'^.\\, to be voracious. The 
 ostrich will swallovv any substance — iron, large 
 stones. &c. — to assist the triturating action of the 
 gizzard. The former view suits best the context 
 here, satyrs shall dance there— Hebrew, Sehirim : 
 sylvan demi-gods — half-man, half -goat— believed 
 by the Arabs to haunt these ruins ; probably ani- 
 mals of the goat- ape species ( Vitringa). Devil 
 worshippers, who dance amidst the ruins on a cer- 
 tain night (./. Wolff). The Hebrew means hairy., 
 rough (as the Latin hircusis from hirtus, Mrsut^is), 
 applicable to the he-goat. The worship of Sehirim, 
 whether meaning the he-goat or, &5 Hamilton Smith 
 thinks, the dog-faced baboon [Cynocephalus), was 
 accompanied with dances. It was really devils that 
 were thus worshipped (Lev. xvii, 7, "they (the 
 Israelites) shall no more (as in Egypt) ofl'er their 
 608 
 
 sauritices unto devils" [Sehirim) (2 Chr. xi. 15). 
 22. the wild beasts of the islands— rather, jackals. 
 Jyyim — lit., holdings • called by the Arabs sows of 
 howling: an animal standing midway between a 
 fox and a wolf [Bochart and Maurer). shall cry- 
 rather answer, respond to each other, as 
 wolves do at night, producing a most dismal effect, 
 dragons — serpents of various species, which hiss 
 and utter dolorous sounds. Fable gave them 
 wings, because they stand with much of the body 
 elevated, and then dart swiftly, her time is near 
 — though 174 years distant, yet "near" to Isaiah, 
 who is supi)Osed to be speaking to the Jews as if 
 now captives in Babylon (ch. xiv. 1, 2). 
 
 Remarks. — When God has a work of righteous 
 vengeance to execute, He is at no loss for instru- 
 ments ; He can wield at will the passions of 
 haughty warriors to carry out His purposes. If 
 the elect nation were doomed, because of sin, to 
 succumb to Babylon for a time, Babylon herself 
 must ultimately fall for ever before the "sanctified 
 ones," who are God's executioners. How consola- 
 tory to the people of God to know that, thougli 
 chastened temporarily, they shall not be destroj'ed 
 ultimately; but their enemy, who triumphed over 
 them, shall be laid for ever low ! The day of j;he 
 Lord shall come on unpardoned, because unbe- 
 lieving, sinners "as a destruction from the Al- 
 mighty," sudden, stupefying, and irresistible. The 
 " cruel" shall be paid in their own coin : "he shall 
 have judgment without mercy that hath showed 
 no mercy." "The arrogancy of the proud shall 
 cease, and the haughtiness of the terrible be laid 
 low." Revolutions in the world of nature shall 
 probably accomymny the vengeance which shall 
 overtake sinners in the spiritual and the political 
 world. 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 1-3.— The Certainty of De- 
 liverance FROM Babylon. 4-23. — The Jews' 
 Triumphal Song thereat. ' It moves in 
 lengthened elegiac measure, like a song of lamen- 
 tation for the dead, and is full of lofty scorn.' 
 [Herder). 24-27.— Confirmation of this by the 
 here-foretold Destruction of the Assyrians 
 UNDER Sennacherib; a pledge to assure the 
 captives in Babylon that He who, with such ease, 
 overthrew the Assyrian, could likewise effect His 
 purpose as to Babylon, The Babylonian king, the 
 subject of this prediction, is Belshazzar, as repre- 
 sentative of the kingdom, (Dan. v.) 
 
 1. For the Lord . . will yet choose Israel— 
 set His choice upon. A deliberate predilection 
 [Horsley). Their restoration is grounded on their 
 election (see Pa. cii. 13-22). and the strangers 
 shall be joined with them— proselytes (Esth. 
 
Gocts merciful 
 
 ISAIAH XIV. 
 
 restoration of Israel. 
 
 * And the strangers shall be joined with them, 
 
 And they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. 
 
 And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place : 
 
 And the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord 
 
 For servants and handmaids : 
 
 And they shall take them captives, ^ whose captives they were ; 
 And they shall rule over their oppressors. 
 
 And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest 
 from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein 
 thou wast made to serve, that thou ^shalt take up this ^proverb against 
 the king of Babylon, and say, 
 
 How hath the oppressor ceased ! — the ^golden city ceased ! 
 The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, — and the sceptre of the rulers. 
 He who smote the people in wrath with *a continual stroke, 
 He that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth. 
 The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet : — they break forth into singing. 
 Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, — and the cedars of Lebanon, saying. 
 Since thou art laid down, — no feller is come up against us. 
 
 ^ Hell from beneath is moved for thee — to meet thee at thy coming : 
 It stirreth up the dead for thee, — even all the ^ chief ones of the earth ; 
 It hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 * Ch. CO. 4. 5, 
 10. 
 
 Tph. 2. 12, 
 13. 
 
 1 that had 
 taken them 
 captives. 
 
 ° ch I !. 19. 
 Hab. 2. 6. 
 
 2 t r. 
 taunting 
 speech. 
 
 3 Or. ex- 
 actress of 
 Rold. 
 
 Rev. 18. IG. 
 
 4 a stroke 
 without 
 removing. 
 
 d ch. 55. 12. 
 Eze 31. IG. 
 
 5 Or, The 
 grave. 
 Ize. 32. 21. 
 
 6 leader.-', or, 
 &rL at goats. 
 
 viii. 17; Acts ii. 10; xvii. 4, 17). Tacitus, a 
 heathen ('Histoiy,' v, 5), attests the fact of 
 numbers of the Gentiles having become Jews in 
 his time. An earnest of the future effect on the 
 heathen world of the Jews' spiritual restoration 
 (ch. Ix. 4, 5, 10; Mic. v. 7; Zech. xiv. 16; Eom. xi. 
 12). 2. tlie people— of Babylon, primarily, by the 
 command of Cyrus (Ezra i. 4). Of the whole 
 <;;entile world ultimately (chs. xlix. 22; Ixvi. 20; 
 Ix. 9). shall take them, and bring them to their 
 place— Judea (Ezra i, 4; vii. 21). Israel shall 
 possess them . . . for servants— shall receive 
 them in possession, and they shall talie them 
 captives, whose captives they -were. The Israelites 
 shall take the Gentiles captive, not by physical, 
 but by moral might ; the force of love, and regard 
 to Israel's God, (ch. Ix. 14, "The sons also of them 
 that afflicted thee shall come bending unto 
 thee," &c.) 
 
 3. in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest 
 from thy sorrow . . . fear, and . . . hard bondage 
 — (Deut. xxviii. G5-G7; ch. xxviii. 12; Ezek. xxviii. 
 25, 26). 
 
 4-8.— A Chokus of Jews express their Joy- 
 ful Surprise at Babylon's Downfall :—i!Ae 
 v}hole earth rejoices: the cedars of Lehanon taunt 
 him. 4. thou shalt take up this proverb. The 
 Orientals, having few books, embodied their 
 thoughts in weighty, figurative, briefly- expressed 
 gnomes; Hebrew, rnashal: cf. Introduction to 
 Proverbs. Here a tntinting song of triumph (Mic. 
 ii. 4; Hab. ii. 6), against the king of Babylon— 
 the ideal representative of Babylon : perhaps 
 Belshazzar, (L)an. v.) The mystical Babylon is 
 ultimately meant. How tath the oppressor 
 ceased ! the golden city ! Or else, the exactress of 
 gohl {Maurer). [n3rnn, from the Aramaic Dehah^ 
 the same as zahah, {/old]. The English version 
 accords with Dan. ii. 32, 38, " Thou (King of Baby- 
 lon) art this head of gold." Also Jer. li. 7, 
 "Babvlon hath been a golden cup in the Lord's 
 hand. So called because of its wealth. But the 
 old translators read differently in the Hebrew, 
 oppression [nnn'D], which the parallelism favours 
 (cf. ch. iii. 5). 5. The Lord hath broken the staff" 
 — not the sceptre (Ps. ii. 9), but the staff with 
 which one strikes, as he is speaking of more 
 VOL. IIL 609 
 
 tyrants than one (chs. ix. 4; x. 24; xiv. 29) 
 (Maurer). the sceptre of the xuleTS— tyrants, as 
 the parallelism, "the wicked," proves (cf. ch. xiii. 
 2, note on "nobles"). 6. He who smote the 
 people— the peoples subjected to Babylon, is 
 persecuted. The Hebrew is rather active, " which 
 pei-secuted them, without any to hinder him " 
 (The Vulgate, e/erome, and i/or-s/e?/). 7. they — the 
 once subject nations of the whole earth, break 
 forth into singing. HouUgant places the stop 
 after "fir trees" {v. 8), 'The very fir trees break 
 forth,' &c. But the parallelism is better in the 
 English version. 8. the fir trees — now left undis- 
 turbed. Probably a kind of evergreen, rejoice at 
 thee— (Ps. xcvi. 12.) At tMj fall (Ps. xxxv. 19, 
 21). Since thou art laid dov/n, no feller is come 
 up against us— a.s formerly, when thou wast in 
 power (chs. x. 34 ; xxxvii. 24). 
 
 9-11. — Tlie scene changes from earth to hell— 
 Sheol or Hades, the unseen abode of the departed. 
 Some of its tenants, once mighty monarcns, are 
 represented by a bold personiiication as rising 
 from their seats in astonishment at the descent 
 among them of the humbled King of Babylon, 
 This proves, in opposition to Warhurton, ' Divine 
 Legation,' that the belief existed among the Jews 
 that there was a Sheol or Hades, in which the 
 "Rephaim," or manes of the departed, abode. 9. 
 Hell from beneath is moved— put into agitation, 
 for thee— i. e., at thee; towards thee : explained by 
 " to meet thee at thy coming." it stirreth up the 
 dead for thee, (even) all the chief ones— lit., 
 goats: so rams, /cac?er,9 o/ the flock ; princes (Zech. 
 X. 3). The idea of wickedness on a gigantic scale is 
 included (Ezek. xxxiv. 17; Matt. xxv. 32, 33). 
 Magee derives Rephaim (the English version, "the 
 dead") from a Hebrew root, kaphah, to resolve 
 into first elements: so the deceased (ch. xxvi. 14), 
 gliosis (Prov. xxi. 16). These being magnifled by 
 the imagination of the living into gigantic stature, 
 gave their name to giants in general (Gen. vi. 4; 
 xiv. 5 ; Ezek. xxxiL 18, 21). " Rephaim " is trans- 
 lated in the LXX., giants (cf, note. Job xxvi. 5, 6). 
 Thence, as the giant Rephaim of Canaan were 
 notorious even in that guilty laud, enormous wicked- 
 ness became connected with the terra. So the 
 Rephaim came to be tlie wicked spirits in Gehenna, 
 2 b 
 
1 
 
 The triumph of ISAIAH XIV. Israel over Babylon, 
 
 10 All they shall speak and say unto thee, 
 Art thou also become weak as we ? — art thou become like unto us ? 
 
 1 1 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, — and the noise of thy viols : 
 The worm is spread under thee, — and the worms cover thee. 
 
 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, — ^0 Lucifer, son of the morning! 
 How art thou cut <l<3wn to the ground, — which didst weaken the nations ! 
 
 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, — ^I will ascend into heaven, 
 ^ I will exalt my throne above the stars of God : 
 
 I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in ^the sides of the north : 
 
 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; 
 ''\ will be like the Most High. 
 
 15 Yet thou *shalt be brought down to hell, — to the sides of the pit. 
 
 the lower of the two portions into which Slaeol is 
 divided. Gesenius connects the national Rephaim 
 with an Arabic root, ' tall.' This may have been 
 the original idea. Then giants in guilt, whose place 
 is in Gehenna with fallen spirits. So the manes in 
 general. 10. They taunt him, and derive from his 
 calamity consolation under their own (Ezek. xxxi. 
 16). Art thou also laeoome weak as we?— as a 
 shade bereft of blood and life. Rephaim, "the 
 dead," may come from a Hebrew root, raphah, 
 meaning, similarly, feeble, powerless. The speech of 
 the departed closes with next verse. 11. Thy 
 pomp is brought down to the grave, and the 
 noise of thy viols. "Pomp" and music, the 
 accompaniment of Babylon's former feastiugs (chs, 
 V. 12; xxiv. 8), give place to corruption and the 
 stillness of the grave (Ezek. xxxii. 27). the worm 
 is spread under thee—" the worm" {rimmah) tha,t 
 is bred in putridity, and the worms— properly, 
 those from which the crimson dye is obtained. 
 The same word as in ch. i. 18, tolehah. Appro- 
 jiriate here ; instead of the crimson coverlet, over 
 thee shall be "worms." Instead of the gorgeous 
 couch, " under thee " shall be the maggot. 
 
 12-15. — The Jews address him again as a fallen 
 once-bright star. The language is so framed as to 
 apply to the Babylonian kmg primarily, and at the 
 same time to shadow forth, through him, the great 
 final enemy, the man of sin of St. Paul, the Anti- 
 christ of St. John, and the little horn and blas- 
 X>hemous self-willed king of Daniel. He alone shall 
 fulfil exhaustively all the lineaments here given. 
 12. How art thou fallen from heaven, 0 Lucifer 
 — day-star. A title truly belonging to Christ: 
 Rev. xxii. 16, " the bright and morning star," and 
 therefore hereafter to be assumed by Antichrist, 
 of wli-om Babylon is a type ; also applied to the 
 angelic "sons of God," "the morning stars" (Job 
 xxxviii. 7). Gesenius, however, renders the He- 
 brew X'?!?'^, imperative Hiphil of "7^;], h^re as in 
 Ezek. xxi. 12 ; Zech. xi. ;.2, " Aoit"?. " So Syriac. 
 But the LXX., Vulgate, Chaldaic, and Arabic, as 
 the English version (from the Hebrew, halal, to 
 shine), which is preferable because of the parallel- 
 ism. The fall of Babylon as a self-idolizing power, 
 the type of mystical Babylon in the Apocalypse 
 (Rev. xvii. 4, 5), before the providence of God, is 
 descri'bed in language drawn from the fall of Satan 
 himself, the spirit that energized the heathen 
 world-power, and now energizes the apostate 
 Church, and shall hereafter energize the last 
 secular Antichrist. Thus Lucifer has naturally 
 come to be applied to Satan (Luke x. 18; Rev. xii. 
 8, 9 ; Jude 6). (how) art thou cut down to the 
 ground, which didst weaken — prostrate, the 
 nations— as in Exod. xvii. 13, "discomfit;" He- 
 brew, chalash. 13. I will exalt my throne above 
 the stars of God. In Dan. viiL 10, "stars" 
 GIO 
 
 express earthly civil and religious potentates. "The 
 stars" are often also used to express heavenly 
 principalities (Job xxxviii. 7). I will sit also upon 
 the mount of the congregation— the place of 
 solemn meeting between God and His people, in 
 the temjde on Mount Zion at Jerusalem. In Dan. 
 xi. 37 {"Neither shall he regard the God of his 
 fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any 
 god, for he shall magnify himself above all") and 
 2 Thess. ii. 4 ("Who opposeth and exalteth him- 
 self above all that is called God, or thab is 
 worshipped ; so that he as God sitteth in the temi)le 
 of God, showing himself that he is God") this is 
 attributed to Antichrist, in the sides of the north 
 — viz., the sides ol Mount Moriah, on which the 
 temple was built ; north of Mount Zion (Ps. xlviii. 
 2). However, the parallelism supports the notion 
 that the Babylonian king expresses himself accord- 
 ing to his own, and not Jewish opinions (so in ch. 
 X. 10); thus, "mount of the congregation" will 
 mean the northern mountain (perhaps in Armenia) 
 fabled by the Babylonians to be the common meeting- 
 place of their gods. " Both sides " (Hebrew, yarka- 
 thaim) imply the angle in which the sides meet, 
 and so the expression comes to mean '' the extreme 
 parts of the north.' So the Hindus place the 
 Meru, the dwelling-place of their gods, in the 
 north, in the Himmalayan mountains. So the 
 Greeks, in the northern Olympus. The Persian 
 followers of Zoroaster put the Al-bordsch in the 
 Caucasus north of them. The allusion to the 
 stars" harmonizes with this— viz., those near the 
 North Pole, the region of the brilliant aurora 
 borealis: whence the Northern regions were re- 
 garded as the seat of peculiar manifestations of the 
 Divine glory (cf. note, Job xxiii. 9; xxxvii. 22). 
 Maurer and the LXX., 'I will sit upon the lofty 
 mountains to the north;' Syriac. The Chaldaic 
 paraphrases, ' I will set the throne of my kingdom 
 above tlie people of God, and will sit in the mount 
 of the covenant in the bounds of the north.' 14. 
 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds- 
 Hebrew, the cloud, singular. Perhaps there is a 
 reference to the cloud, the symbol of the Divine 
 presence (ch. iv. 5 ; Exod. xiii. 21). So this tallies 
 with 2 Thess. ii. 4, " above all that is called God : " 
 as here, above . . . the cloud:" and as the 
 shekinah-c^owrf was connected with the tem2)le, 
 there follows, "he as God sitteth in the temple of 
 God," answering to " I will be like the Most High" 
 here. 15. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell 
 —to Sheol {v. 6): thou who hast said, "I will 
 ascend into heaven" (Matt. xi. 23). to the sides 
 of the pit — antithetical to the "sides of the 
 North " {v. 13). Thus the reference is to the sides 
 of the sepulchre, round which the deadwere ranged 
 in niches. But Maurer here, as in v. 13, translates, 
 'the extreme,' or innermost of the sepulchre; 
 as in Ezra xxxii. 23 (cf. ] Sam. xxiv. 3). 
 
The triumph of 
 
 ISAIAH XIV. 
 
 Israel over Babylon. 
 
 16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, 
 And consider thee, saying, 
 
 Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, — ^that did shake kingdoms ; 
 That made the world as a wilderness, — ^and destroyed the cities thereof ; 
 That ^opened not the house of his prisoners? 
 All the kings of the nations, even ^ all of them. 
 Lie in glory, every one in his own house : 
 
 But thou ^art cast out of thy grave — like an abominable branch, 
 And as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword. 
 That go down to the stones of the pit ; — as a carcase trodden under feet. 
 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, 
 Because thou hast destroyed thy land, — and slain thy people : 
 The seed ' of evil-doers shall never be renowned. 
 
 2 1 Prepare slaughter for his children — ^ for the iniquity of their fathers ; 
 That they do not rise, nor possess the land, 
 
 Nor fill the face of the world with cities. 
 
 22 For I will rise up against them, — ^saith the Lord of hosts. 
 And cut off from, Babylon the name, and remnant, 
 
 ^ And son, and nephew, saith the Lord. 
 
 23 I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water; 
 And I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, 
 
 Saith the Lord of hosts. 
 
 17 
 
 18 
 
 19 
 
 20 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 8 Or, did not 
 let hi3 
 prisoners 
 loose 
 home- 
 wards. 
 
 j 2Chr.24.16, 
 25. 
 Eccl. 6. 3. 
 
 fe 1 Ki. 21. 19. 
 24. 
 
 2 Ki. 9. 26, 
 
 34, 36. 
 Jer. 8. 1, 2. 
 Jer. 16. 6. 
 Jer. 22. 19. 
 ' Job 18. 16. 
 
 19. 
 
 Ps. 21. 10. 
 Fs. 37. 28. 
 Ps. 109. 13. 
 Pa. 137. 8. 
 ""■Ex. 20. 5. 
 Job 18. 19. 
 Matt. 23.35. 
 1 Ki. 14. 10. 
 Job 18. 19. 
 Pro. 10. 7. 
 
 16-20. — The passers by contemplate with astonish- 
 ment the body of the King of Babylon cast out, instead 
 of lying in a splendid mausoleum, and can hardly 
 believe their senses that it is he. 16. They that see 
 thee shall narrowly look upon thee— to be cer- 
 tain they are not mistaken, and consider — 
 ' meditate upon ' (Horsley). 17. that opened not 
 the house of his prisoners. But Maurer, as 
 margin, ' did not let his captives loose, so as to go 
 homewards ' [nnu]. 18. All the kings of the nations 
 — i. €., this is the usual practice, lie in glory— in 
 a grand mausoleum, every one in his own house 
 — i. e., sepulchre, as in Eccl. xii. 5, "man goeth to 
 his long home:" "grave" {v. 19). To be excluded 
 from the family sepulchre was a mark of infamy 
 (ch. xxxiv. 3; Jer. xxii. 19; 1 Ki. xiii. 22; 2 Chr. 
 xxi. 20; xxiv. 25; xxviii. 27). 19. thou art cast 
 out of thy grave— not that he had lain in the 
 grave, and was then cast out of it, but ' cast out 
 without a grave,' such a grave as might have been 
 expected by thee ("thy"), like an abominable 
 branch— a useless sucker, starting up from the root 
 of a tree, and cut away by the husbandman, and 
 as the raiment of thbso that are slain. Such a 
 raiment, covered with gore, and regarded with 
 abhorrence as unclean by the Jews, was cast away 
 usually. Or else, ^ clothM {i. e., covered) with the 
 slain,' as Job vii. 5,^ "Mv flesh is clothed with 
 worms and clods of dust {Maurer). So Vulgate 
 and Chaldaic. But the Syriac and Arabic, as the 
 English version, thrust through— i. e., 'the slain 
 who have been thrust through,' &c. that go down 
 to the stones of the pit — whose bodies are buried 
 in sepulchres excavated amidst stones, though 
 their bloody raiment is cast away, whereas the 
 King of Babylon is an unburied ' carcase, trodden 
 under foot,' like the cast-away raiment (cf. Num. 
 xix. 14, 16). 20. Thou shalt not be joined with 
 them in burial. Whereas the princes slain with 
 thee sliall be buried, thou shalt not. because thou 
 hast destroyed thy land. Belshazzar (or his joint- 
 partner on the throne, Nabonahit, as the name is 
 read in the inscriptions: cf. notes, Dan. v.) 
 oppressed his land with wars and tyranny, so that 
 he was much hated (Xenophon, 'Cyrop.' iv. 6, 3; 
 vii. 5, 32.) the seed of evil-doers shall never be 
 611 
 
 renowned— rather, 'shall not be named for ever: 
 the Babylonian dynasty shall end with Belshazzar : 
 his family shall not be perpetuated {Horsley). 
 
 21-23. — God''s determination to destroy Babylon. 
 21. Prepare slaughter— charge to the Medes and 
 Persians, as if they were God's conscious instru- 
 ments, for his children— Belshazzar's. for the 
 iniquity of their fathers— (Exod. xx. 5.) that 
 they do not rise — to occupy the places of their 
 fathers, nor fill the face of the v/orld with cities. 
 Maurer translates, ' enemies ;' as the Hebrew [d'^v] 
 means in 1 Sam. xxviii. 16: Ps. cxxxix. 20— viz., 
 lest they inundate the world with their armies. 
 So the Chaldaic, LXX., Syriac, and Arabic simi- 
 larly translate, 'fill the earth with wars.' Like 
 thorns, they choke the earth, and are enemies of 
 the human race : God, therefore, is consulting for 
 the safety of all in sweeinng them utterly away. 
 Vitringa translates, 'disturbers.' In the English 
 version, which the Vulgate favours, the meaning is, 
 ' lest they fill the land with such cities ' of pride 
 as Babylon was. 22. I will rise up a.gainst them 
 —the family of the King of Babylon, and cut o3" 
 from Babylon the name— all the male rejiresenta- 
 tives, so that the name shall become extinct (ch. 
 Ivi. 5; Ruth iv. 5). and remnant, and son, and 
 nephew— all that is left of them. The dynasty 
 shall cease (notes, Dan, v, 2, 28-31). Cf. as to 
 Babylon in general, Jer. li. 62. 23. I will also 
 make it a possession for the bittern (Hebrev/, 
 Kippod)—Y2d>hev, the hedgehog (LXX., Vulgate, 
 Chaldaic, Arabic, and Gesenius)._ But the context 
 favours an aquatic bird, solitary, and loving 
 marshes, rather than a quadruped. The Arabic 
 has Al-houbara, a bird the size of a capon. The 
 bittern answers to the conditions. Its scientific 
 name is Butaurus or Ardea stellaris. It strikes its 
 beak in the mud or sand, and makes a shrill noise. 
 The context in ch. xxxiv. 11 refers to birds that 
 frequent solitary places: so also Zeph. ii. 14. 
 Strabo (xvi. 1) states that enormous hedgehogs 
 were found in the islands of the Euphrates, and 
 pools— owing to Cyrus turning the waters of the 
 Euphrates over the country, I will sweep it with 
 the besom— sweep-net {Maurer). (1 Ki. xiv, 10 j 3 
 Ki. xxi. 13,) 
 
God's threatening s 
 
 ISAIAH XIV. 
 
 against Palestina. 
 
 24 The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, 
 
 Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to i^ass ] 
 And as I have purposed, so shall it stand : 
 
 25 That I will break the Assyrian in my land, 
 And upon my mountains tread him under foot : 
 Then shall his yoke depart from olf them, 
 And his burden depart from off their shoulders. 
 
 26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth ; 
 And this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. 
 
 27 For the Lord of hosts hath "purposed, and who shall disannul it ? 
 And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? 
 
 28 In the year that ^ king Ahaz died was this burden. 
 
 29 Rejoice *not thou, whole Palestina, 
 
 Because the rod of him that smote thee is broken : 
 
 For out of the serpent's root shall come forth a ^ cockatrice, 
 
 And his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. 
 
 30 And the first-born of the poor shall feed, 
 And the needy shall lie down in safety: 
 
 And I will ''kill thy root with famine, — and he shall slay thy remnant. 
 
 31 Howl, 0 gate; €ry, 0 city; — thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: 
 For there shall come from the north a smoke, • 
 
 And ^^none shall be alone in his appointed times. 
 
 24-27. — A Fragment as to the Destruction 
 OF THE Assyrians under Sennacherib : this 
 would comfort the Jews when captives in Babylon, 
 being a i)ledge that God, who had ly that time 
 fulfilled the promise concerning Sennacherib 
 (though now still future), would also fulfil His 
 promise as to destroying Babylon, Judali's enemy. 
 24. Surely as I have thought, so shall it come 
 to pass. 21ie Lord's thought (purjiose) stands in 
 antithesis to the Assyrian's thoughts, ch. x. 7, 
 "neither doth his heart think so (viz., to fulfil 
 God's purposes); but it is in his heart to destroy 
 and cut off nations not a few" — viz., for his own 
 self-glorification. See ch. xlvi. 10, 11, "My counsel 
 shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure ... I 
 have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass ; I have 
 purpopid it, I will also do it ; " 1 Sam. xv. 29 ; Mai. 
 iii. 6. 25. That— my purpose, namely, "that,"&c. 
 I will loreak the Assyrian in my land— -in Judea. 
 his yoke depart— (ch. x. 27. ) upon my mountains. 
 Sennacherib's army was destroyed on the moun- 
 tains near Jerusalem (ch. x. 33,34). God regarded 
 Judah as peculiarly His. tread him under foot — 
 even as he "trod " my people " down like the mire 
 of the streets " (ch. x. G). 26. This is the purpose 
 that is purposed upon the whole earth— a hint 
 that the prophecy embraces the present world of 
 all ages in its scope, of which the purpose con- 
 cerning Babylon and Assyria, the then repre- 
 sentatives of the world-power, is but a part, 
 this is the hand that is stretched out upon 
 all the nations— viz., in punishment (ch. v. 25). 
 27. his hand is stretched out, and who shall 
 turn it back? — "None can stay His hand, or 
 say unto Him, What- doest thou?" (Dan. iv. 
 35. ) 
 
 28-32.— Prophecy against Philisti a: to com- 
 fort the Jews, lest they should fear that people ; 
 not in order to call the Philistines to repentance ; 
 since the prophecy was probably never circulated 
 among them. They had been subdued by Uzziah 
 or Azariah (2 Chr. xxvi. 6); but in the reign of 
 Ahaz (2 Chr. xxviii. 18) they took several towns 
 in Southern Judah. Now Isaiah denounces their 
 final sul)jugation by Hezekiah. 28. In the year 
 that king Ahaz died— 726 e.g. Probably it was 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 " 2 Chr. 20.0" 
 Job 40. 8. 
 ch. 23. 9. 
 ch. 43. 13. 
 ch. 46. 11. 
 Jer. 4. 29. 
 Jer. 61. 29. 
 Dan. 4. 31. 
 Eom. 8. 2S- 
 31. 
 
 P 2 Ki. 16. 20. 
 
 2 Chr. 28.27. 
 
 ch. 6. 1. 
 a I ro. 24. 17. 
 
 Eze. 26. 2. 
 
 Eze. 35. 15. 
 
 Ho3. 9. 1. 
 
 Obad. 12. 
 
 Mic. 7. 8. 
 
 Zeph. 3. 11. 
 
 9 Or, adder. 
 Joel 3. 4. 
 Amo3 1. 0. 
 
 10 Or. he 
 shall not 
 be alone. 
 
 11 Or. 
 assemblits. 
 
 in this year that the Philistines threw off the yoke 
 put on them by U^;ziah. 
 
 29. Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina— Hebrew, 
 Pelesheth, trom Palash, to wander, or migrate; 
 lit., tJte land of sojourners, heca^use the rod of 
 him that smote thee is hroken. The yoke imposed 
 by Uzziah (2 Chr. xxvi. 6) was thrown off under 
 Ahaz (2 Chr. xxviii. 18). for out of the serpent's 
 root shall come forth a cockatrice— the stock 
 of Jesse (ch. xi. 1). Uzziah was doubtless regarded 
 by the Philistines as a biting "serpent." Butthough 
 the effects of his bite have been got rid of, a more 
 deadly viper, or "cockatrice " (an adder or basilisk ; 
 Hebrew, tzephang : note, ch. xi. 8; as Philistia 
 would regard him)— viz., Hezekiah— awaits you (2 
 Ki. xviii. 8). 30. the first-born of the poor- 
 Hebraism, for the most abject poor; the ,first-bojrn 
 being the foremost of the family. So "first-born 
 of death " (Job xviii. 13) for the most fatal death. 
 The Jews, heretofore exposed to Philistine inva- 
 sions and alarms, shall be in safety. Cf. Ps. ixxii. 
 4, " children of the needy," expressing those 
 'needy in condition.^ shall feed— image from a 
 fiock feeding in safety. I will kill thy root- 
 radical destruction, and he shall slay thy rem- 
 nant — Jehovah shall. The change of person, He 
 after /, is a common Hebraism. 31. Howl, 0 gate 
 — i. e., ye who throng the gate ; the chief place of 
 concourse in a city, there shall come from the 
 north — Judea, north and east of Philistia. a smoke 
 —from the signal fire, whereby the hostile army 
 was called together. The Jews' signal-fire is meant 
 here, the " pillar of cloud and fire" (Exod. xiii. 21 ; 
 Neh. ix. 19); or else "a smoke" from the region 
 devastated by fire (Maurer). Oesenius, less prob- 
 ably, refers it to the cloud of dust raised by the in- 
 vading army, none shall be alone in his appointed 
 times — rather, 'there shall not be a straggler 
 among his (the enemy's) levies.' The Jewish host 
 shall advance On Palestine in close array; none 
 shall fall back or lag from weariness (ch. v. 26, 27) 
 (Lowth). Maurer thinks the Hebrew will 
 not bear the rendering, levies or armies. He 
 translates, 'there is not one (of the Philistine 
 watchguards) who will remain alone (separated 
 from his fellow-soldiers, and exposed to the enemy) 
 
The lamentable 
 
 ISAIAH XV. 
 
 state of Moah. 
 
 32 What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? 
 
 That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust 
 in it. 
 
 15 THE "harden of Moab. 
 
 Because in the night ^ Ar of Moab is laid waste, and ^ brought to silence ; 
 Because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence ; 
 
 2 He is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep: 
 !Moab shall howl over Nebo,, and over Medeba : 
 
 On all their heads shall he baldness, — and every beard cut off. 
 
 3 In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth : 
 
 On the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every one shall howl, 
 2 Weeping abundantly. 
 
 4 And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh : 
 Their voice shall be heard even unto Jahaz : 
 Therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out ; 
 His life shall be grievous unto him. 
 
 B. C. 726. 
 
 2 Or, be- 
 take them- 
 selves 
 unto it. 
 
 CHAP. 15. 
 ° ch. 11. 14. 
 Jer. 48. 1. 
 Amos 2. 1. 
 6 Num. 21. ^8. 
 Deut. 2, 9, 
 18. 
 
 1 Or, cut off. 
 
 2 descend- 
 ing into 
 weeping, 
 or, coming 
 down wi.h 
 weeping. 
 
 " IS'um. 32. 3. 
 
 at his post,^ through fright. One Eabbiu similarly 
 refers it to the Philistines. Not one of them will 
 dare to remain in their strongholds when the 
 Jewish soldiery burst in : as when "smoke" of fire 
 assails a house, all go out. On " alone," of. Ps. cii. 
 7 ; Hos. viii. 9. The Hebrew, mohad, means an 
 assembly, the time and the place of which has been 
 appointed. The English version is thus appro- 
 priate. None shall separate himself "alone" from 
 the rest: all the Jewish volunteers shall come 
 ■with alacrity to the place and at the times appointed 
 by Hezekiah. Not one that shall not be full of 
 alacrity, not one shall remain in his tent. 32. 
 What "shall one then answer the messengers of 
 the nation? When messengers come from Philistia 
 to enquire as to the state of Judea, the reply shall 
 be, That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the 
 poor of his people {v. 30 ; Zeph. iii. 12) shall trust 
 in it— {Ps. Ixxxvii. 1, 5 ; cii. 16.) 
 
 Remarks. — The coming deliverance of Israel 
 from her opjjressor is grounded on God's sovereign 
 choice. "The house of Israel shall" yet "take 
 them" as willing "captives, whose captives they 
 were." "Strangers shall cleave to the "restored 
 " house of J acob," constrained by love and religious 
 obligations, the most powerful of all ties. How 
 blessed it is when the bond-servant of the world, 
 the flesh, and Satan has become a member of the 
 true Israel, and has, by the Lord's gift of grace, 
 obtained "rest from the fear and hard bondage 
 wherein" heretofore "he was made tx) serve!" 
 The spiritual Israel, as well as the literal, shall 
 hereafter "take up" a song of triumph over the 
 fallen Babylon, the apostate Church, in the 
 language of the Apocalypse (Rev. xviii. 20), " Re- 
 joice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles 
 and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her." 
 Great as is the might of opxjressors now. their 
 bodies shall soon lie in the grave powerless to 
 hurt, having, instead of tlie crimson coverlet, 
 "worms" over them, and the maggots "spread 
 under" them. Once powerful for evil, they shall 
 be amonf^ the " goats " set on the left of the Judge, 
 and shall be doomed to eternal separation from 
 the sheep on the right hand. Worldly "pomp," 
 and "the noise" of carnal revelry and music shall 
 soon give place to the disfigurement and the still- 
 ness of death. Let us therefore estimate them at 
 their true worthlessness. 
 
 CHAP. XV. 1-9. — Cns. xv. and xvi. form 
 ONE Prophecy on Moab, Lowth thinks it was 
 delivered in the first years of Hezekiah's reign, 
 and fulfilled in the fourth, when Shalmaneser, on 
 his way to invade Israel, may have seized on the 
 613 
 
 strongholds of Moab. JMoab probably had made 
 common cause with Israel and Syria, in a league 
 against Assyria. Hence it incurred the vengeance 
 of Assyria. Jeremiah has introduced much of 
 this prophecy into his 48th chapter. 
 
 1. Because ['3] — rather, 'To wit.' 'The bur- 
 den of Moab— <o wit, that Moab is (to be) laid 
 \vagte.' 'I say that Moab shall be laid waste' 
 (Grotius). in the night— the time best suited 
 for an hostile incursion (ch. xxi. 4 ; Jer. xxxix. 4). 
 Ar — meaning in Hebrew the city ; the metropolis 
 of Moab, on the south of the river Arnon. Kir — 
 lit., a citadel, not far from Ar, towards the south, 
 
 2. He— Moab personified, is gone up to Bajith— 
 rather, 'to the temple ' {Maurer) : answering to the 
 " sanctuary " (ch. xvi. 12) iu a similar context, 
 to Dibon— rather, as Dibon was in a plain north of 
 the Arnon, ' Dibon (is gone up) to the high 
 places,' the usual places of sacrifice in the East. 
 Same town as Dimon, v. 9. Bajith and Dimon 
 were perhaps to Moab what Dan and Bethel were 
 to Israel, to weep — at the sudden calamity. 
 Moab shall howl over Nebo—' in,' or 'at Nebo;' 
 not on account of Nebo (cf. v. 3) {Maurer). The 
 " over" ^Ti\ expresses that Nebo and Medeba were 
 upon a hill-side. The town Nebo was adjacent 
 to the mountain, not far from the northern shore 
 of the Dead Sea, There it was that Chemosh, the 
 idol of Moab, was worshipped (cf, Deut, xxxiv. 1). 
 Medeba — south of Heshbon, on a hill east of 
 Jordan, baldness, (and) every beard cut off. The 
 Orientals regarded the beard with peculiar venera- 
 tion. To cut one's beard off is the greatest mark 
 of sorrow and mortification (cf, Jer. xlviii. 37). 
 
 3. on the tops of their houses — which were flat : 
 places of resort for prayer, &c., in the East (Acts 
 x, 9), and in their streets, every one shall howl, 
 weeping abundantly— 'melting away in tears,' 
 Horsley prefers, ' descending to weep. ' Thus there 
 is a ' parallelism by alternate construction ' (Lowth) ; 
 or chiasmus: " howl" refers to "the tops of tlieir 
 houses." 'Descending to weep' to "streets" or 
 squares, whither they descend from the house- 
 tops. 4. Heshbon— an Amorite city, twenty miles 
 east of Jordan ; taken by Moab, after the carrying 
 away of Israel, (cf, Jer, xlviii.) Elealeh — near 
 Heshbon, in Reuben, Jahaz— east of Jordan, in 
 Reuben. Near it Moses defeated Sihou. there- 
 fore — because of the sudden overthrow of their 
 cities, the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out 
 —even the armed men, instead of fighting in defence 
 of their land, shall join in the general cry, his 
 life shall be grievous unto him— rather, ' his soul 
 
Moah exhorted 
 
 ISAIAH XVI. 
 
 to obedience. 
 
 5 My heart shall cry out for Moab ; 
 
 ^ His fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old : 
 
 For ^ by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up ; 
 
 For in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of * destruction. 
 
 6 For the waters ^ of Nimrim shall be ^ desolate : 
 
 For the hay is withered away, the grass faileth, — there is no green thing. 
 
 7 Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have 
 
 laid up, 
 
 Shall they carry away to |>he ^ brook of the willows. 
 
 8 For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; 
 The howling thereof unto Eglaim, 
 
 And the howling thereof unto Beer-elim. 
 
 9 For the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood : 
 For I will bring ^ more upon Dimon, 
 
 Lions upon him that escapeth of Moab, — and upon the remnant of the land. 
 16 SEND ""ye the lamb to the ruler of the land 
 
 From ^Sela to the wilderness, — unto the mount of the daughter of Zion. 
 2 For it shall be, that as a wandering bird ^ cast out of the nest. 
 
 B. C. 726. 
 
 a Or. to the 
 
 borders 
 
 thereof, 
 
 even as 
 
 an heifer. 
 <* Jer. 48. 5. 
 •* breaking. 
 • Num.3 .36. 
 
 5 desola- 
 tions. 
 
 6 Cr, valley 
 of the 
 Arabians. 
 
 ? additions. 
 
 CHA.P. 16. 
 * 2 Ki. 3. 4. 
 
 1 a rock, or, 
 Petra. 
 
 2 Ki. 14. 7. 
 
 2 Or, a nest 
 forsaken. 
 
 is grieved' (1 Sam. i. 8) {Maurer). Cf. with the 
 English version, Rev. ix. 6, 5. My heart shall cry- 
 out for Moab. The prophet himself is moved with 
 pity for Moab. Ministers, in denouncing the 
 wrath of God against sinners, should do it with 
 tender sorrow, not with exultation, his fugitives 
 (shall flee) unto Zoar— fleeing from Moab, wander 
 as far as to Zoar, on the extreme boundary south 
 of the Dead Sea. Horsley translates, her nobility, 
 or "rulers" (Hos. iv. 18). an heifer of three 
 years old— i. e., raising their voices, 'like a heifer' 
 (cf. Jer. xlviii. 34, 3li). The expression, "three 
 years old," implies one at its full vigour (Gen. xv. 
 9), as yet not brought under the yoke: as Moab, 
 heretofore unsubdued, but now about to be broken. 
 So Jer. xxxi. 18; Hos. iv. 16. Maurer translates, 
 'Eglath (in the English version "a heifer") Shelishi- 
 jah' (i. e., the third, to distinguish it from two 
 others of the same name). I prefer the Englisl> 
 version, by the mounting up— up the ascent, of 
 Luhith— a mountain in Moab. for in the way of 
 Horonaim— a town of Moab not far from 2oar 
 (Jer. xlviii. 5). It means the two holes, being near 
 caves, they shall raise up a cry of destruction— 
 a cry appropriate to the destruction which visits 
 their country. 6. For the waters of Nimrim shall 
 be desolate . . . there is no green thing— the 
 cause of their flight southwards (2 Ki. iii. 18, 19, 
 25). For the northern regions, and even the city 
 Nimrim (the very name of which means limped 
 waters'), in Gilead, near Jordan, are without water 
 or herbage. 7. Therefore— Because of the devasta- 
 tion of the land, the abundance they have gotten 
 — Hebrew, yithrah, 'left;' i.e., that lohich is over 
 and above the necessaries of life, shall they carry 
 away to the brook of the willows. The fugitives 
 flee from Nimrim, w4iere the waters have failed, 
 to places better watered. Hebrew, nachal Aa'- 
 arahim : marg. , ' valley of the A rabians ' — i. e. to 
 the valley on the boundary between them and 
 Arabia Petrea; now Wady-el-Arabah. Arabia 
 means a desert. 8. Eglaim (Ezek. xlvii. 10)— ^w- 
 eglaim. Not the Agallim of Eusehius, eight miles 
 from Areopolis towards the south. The context 
 requires a town on tbe very borders of Moab or 
 beyond them. Beer-elim — lit., The well of the 
 princes (so Num. xxi. 16-18), beyond the eastern 
 borders of Moab. 9. the waters of Dimon. Same 
 as Dibon, v. 2. Its waters are the Arnon. shall 
 be full of blood— the slain of Moab shall be so 
 many, for I will bring more upon Dimon— fresh 
 calamities; viz., lions upon him that escapeth of 
 614 
 
 Moab— (2 Ki. xvii. 25; Jer. v. 6 ; xv. 3.) Vitringa 
 understands Nebuchadnezzar as meant by 'the 
 lion;' but it is plural, "lions." The "more," or 
 in Hebrew additions, he exx)lains of the addition 
 n;iade to the waters of Dimon by the streams of 
 blood of the slain. 
 
 Remarks. — All the enemies of God's people, 
 who now taunt and oppress them, as Moab did 
 Israel, shall, like Moab, at last be "brought to 
 silence." Neither fortresses nor " armed soldiers" 
 can avail aught to ward off the doom that is from 
 the Lord. How infinitely wiser it would be for 
 sinners to weep in repentance for their sins now, 
 than to have to "weep" and "howl" for their 
 justly-incurred sufferings hereafter ! The min- 
 ister of the Lord ought so to announce the terrors 
 of the Lord as if he had no pleasure in denuncia- 
 tion, but rather wept at heart for the infatuation 
 of the self-destroyers. 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 1-14. — Continuation of the 
 Prophecy as to Moab. 
 
 1. Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land 
 — advice of the prophet to the Moabites who 
 had fled southwards to Idumea, to send to the 
 King of Judah the tribute of lambs, which they 
 had formerly paid to Israel, but which they had 
 given up (2 Ki. iii. 4, 5). David probably im- 
 posed this tribute before the severance of Judah 
 and Israel (2 Sam. viii. 2). Therefore Moab is 
 recommended to gain the favour and protection 
 of Judah by paying it to the Jewish king. Type 
 of the need of all submitting to Messiah (Ps. ii. 
 10-12 ; Eom. xii. 1). from Sela to the wilderness 
 —rather, 'from Petra through (lit., towards) the 
 wilderness.' Hebrew, midbarah (Maiirer). All 
 the Moabites are addressed with this injunction, 
 whose boundaries reached from Sela, or Petra of 
 Idumea, toivards the wilderness of the Jordan. 
 Sela means ' a rock ;' Petra, in Greek, the capital 
 of Idumea and Arabia Petrea : the dwellings are 
 mostly hewn out of the rock. The country around 
 was avast common ("wilderness") or open pas- 
 turage, to which the Moabites had fled on the 
 invasion from the West (ch. xv. 7). the ruler of 
 the land— viz., of Idumea; i.e., the King of Judah. 
 Amaziah had become master of Idumea and Selah 
 (2 Ki. xiv. 7). 2. as a wandering bird cast out of 
 the nest— rather, 'as wandering birds, a brood 
 cast out' (in apposition with "a wandering bird," 
 or rather wandering birds); viz., a brood just 
 fledged and expelled from the nest in which they 
 were hatched (Horsley). Cf. ch. x. 14; Deut. 
 
Moab threatened 
 
 ISAIAH XVI. 
 
 with judgments. 
 
 So the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arrioii. 
 
 3 ^ Take counsel, execute judgment; 
 
 Make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noon-day; 
 Hide the outcasts ; — bewray not him that wandereth. 
 
 4 Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab ; 
 
 Be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler : 
 For the * extortioner is at an end, — the spoiler ceaseth, 
 ^ The oppressors are consumed out of the land. 
 
 5 And in mercy ^ shall the throne be ^ established ; 
 
 And he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, 
 Judging, and seeking judgment, — and hasting righteousness. 
 
 6 We have heard of the pride of Moab : he is very proud : 
 Even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath : 
 
 But his lies shall not be so. 
 
 7 Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, — every one shall howl r 
 For the foundations of ^ Kir-hareseth shall ye ^ mourn ; 
 Surely the?/ are stricken. 
 
 8 For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah : 
 
 The lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, 
 
 B. C. 726. 
 
 0 Num. 21.1 J. 
 Jub iO. 3. 
 Ps. 10:mo. 
 £ring. 
 
 * wringer. 
 5 the 
 
 t readers 
 down. 
 
 * 2 Sam. 23.3. 
 I s. 89. 14. 
 Dan. 7. 14. 
 Mic. 4. 7, 
 Luke 1. 33. 
 
 « C r, pre- 
 I ared. 
 
 d Jer. 48. 20, 
 Zeph. 2. 10. 
 
 t Or, the 
 falsehood 
 of his i>re- 
 tensions. 
 
 * 2 Ri. 3. 25. 
 8 Or, mult er. 
 
 xxxii. 11. (so) the daughters of Moab— i. e., the 
 
 inhabitants of Moab. So 2 Ki. xix. 21 ; Ps. xlviii. 
 11; Jer. xlvi. 11; Lam. iv. 21 {Maurer). shall be 
 at the fords of Arnon— trying to cross the boun- 
 dary river of Moab, in order to escape out of the 
 laud. LwaLd and Maurer make "fords" a poeti- 
 cal expression for ' the dvyellers on Arnon :' answer- 
 ing to the parallel clause of the same sense, 
 "daughters of Moab." 
 
 3-5.-3. Take counsel, execute judgment, &c. 
 —Take measures for espousing our cause in our 
 affliction. Gesenlus, Maurer, &c., regard these 
 verses as an address of the fugitive Moabites to 
 the Jews for protection: they translates. 4, 'Let 
 mine outcasts of Moab dwell with thee, Judah :' 
 the protection will be refused by the Jews for the 
 pride of Moab (v. C). Vitringa makes it an addi- 
 tional advice to Moah, besides paying tribute. 
 Give shelter to the Jewish outcasts who take 
 refuge in thy land {vv. 3, 4): so " mercy" will be 
 shown thee in turn by whatever king sits on the 
 " throne " of "David " {v. 5). Isaiah foresees that 
 Moab will be too proud to pay the tribute, or con- 
 ciliate Judah by sheltering its outcasts {v. 6); 
 therefore judgment shall be executed. However, 
 as Moab just before is represented as itself an 
 outcast in Idumea, it seems incongruous that it 
 should be called on to shelter Jewish outcasts. So 
 that it seems rather (as Ge-seniiis views it) to fore- 
 tell the ruined state of Moab, tvhen its people should 
 led the Jems for shelter, but be refused for their 
 pride, make thy shadow as the night in the 
 midst of the noon-day— emblem of a thick shelter 
 from the glaring noon-day heat (chs. iv. 6; xxv. 4 ; 
 xxxii. 2). bewray not him that wandereth— be- 
 tray not the fugitive to his pursuer. 4. Let mine 
 outcasts dwell with thee, Moab— 'Let the out- 
 casts of Moab dwell with thee' (Judah) {Ilorsley). 
 IThus 'Hi; is 'the outcasts of Moab,' the final 
 ai, being the old termination of the construct 
 state. Or else the construction is, 'the outcasts 
 <^me, Moab:\ So the LXX., Chaldaic, and Syriac. 
 How just tlie retribution in kind, that Moab, who 
 had refu.sed "bread and water ^' to Israel when 
 comuag from Egyjjt, should now herself supplicate 
 Israel for shelter and food, and supplicate in vain, 
 because of her un humbled pride ! for the extor- 
 tioner-the Assyrian oppressor probably: Hebrew, 
 luimrrLeetz: wringer oi milk, blood, &c. (Lev. i. 15.) 
 la at an end. By the time that Moab begs Judah 
 015 
 
 for shelter, Judah shall be in a condition to afford 
 it, for the Assyriau oppressors shall have been 
 consumed out of the land. 5. And in mercy- 
 shall the throne be established. If Judah shel- 
 ters the suppliaut Moab, allowing him to remain 
 in Idumea, a blessing will redound to Judah itself 
 and its "throne." and he shall sit upon it in 
 truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and 
 seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness- 
 language so divinely framed as to apply to 'the 
 latter days ' under King Messiah, when "the Lord 
 shall bring again the captivity of Moab," as the 
 result of the restoration of Israel and Judah (Ps. 
 Ixxii. 2; xcvi. 13; xcviii. 9; Jer. xlviii. 47; Rom. 
 xi. 12). YidiStinz— prompt in executing. 
 
 6. Reply of Judah to Moab's entreaty. We — 
 Jews— have heard of the pride of Moab— We 
 reject Moab's supi^lication, for his pride, but his 
 lies— false boasts— shall not be so (Hebrew, lo 
 keen) — shall not be ratified (Zeph. ii. 8, 9) ; shall 
 T)rove vain (ch. xxv. 10; Jer. xlviii. 29,30). 'It 
 shall not be so: his lies shall not so effect it.' 7. 
 Therefore shall Moab howl - all hope of being 
 allowed shelter by the Jews being cut off. for the 
 foundations of Kir-hareseth— i. e., ruins; because, 
 when houses are pulled down, the "foundations" 
 alone are left (ch. Iviii. 12). Jeremiah, in the par- 
 allel place (Jer. xlviii. 31), renders it "the men of 
 Kir-hei'es." Men are the moral foundations or 
 stay of a city. Kir-hareseth — lit. , a citadel of 
 brick, surely" (they are) stricken— rather, joined 
 with "mourn," 'ye shall mourn, utterly stricken' 
 only ; nothing but; utterly] {Maurer). 8. the 
 fields of Heshbon— vine-fields (Deut. xxxii, 32). the 
 vine of Sibmah— near Heshbon; viz., languishes. 
 the lords of the heathen have broken down the 
 principal plants thereof — the heathen princes, the 
 Assyrians, &c., who invaded Moab, destroyed his 
 vines. So Jeremiah in the jjarallel place (Jer. 
 xlviii. 32, 33). Maurer thinks the following words 
 re(iuire rather the rendering, ' Its (the vine of Sib- 
 mah) shoots (the wines got from them formerly) 
 overpowered (by its generous flavour and potency) 
 the lords of the nations.' So 'broken with wine' 
 is used in ch. xxviii. 1, marg. (Gen. xlix. 11, 12, 
 22). Thus "its" stands for whose. The vine of 
 Sibmah languishes, whose principal plants (He- 
 brew, seruqueyah; the sorequ : clioicest vines), 
 used formerly to overpower by their generous wine 
 the Moabite lords of the nations. I prefer the 
 
I 
 
 Moab threatened 
 
 ISAIAH XVI. 
 
 with judgments, 
 
 They are come eve7i unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness : 
 Her branches are ^ stretched out, — they are gone over the sea: 
 9 Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah : 
 I will water thee with my tears, 0 Heshbon, and Elealeh; 
 For the shouting for thy summer fruits, and for thy harvest, is fallen. 
 
 10 And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; 
 
 And in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be 
 shouting : 
 
 The treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses ; 
 I have made their mntage shouting to cease. 
 
 1 1 Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab, 
 And mine inward parts for Kir-haresh. 
 
 12 And it shall come to pass, when it is seen 
 That Moab is weary on the high place, 
 
 That he- shall come to his sanctuary to pray; — but he ^ shall not prevail. 
 
 13 This is the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning Moab since 
 
 that time, 
 
 14 But now the Lord hath spoken, saying. 
 Within three years, as the years of an hireling, 
 
 And Hhe glory of Moab shall be contemned, — with all that great multitude ; 
 And the remnant shall be very small and feeble. 
 
 B. C. 726. 
 
 9 Or, plucked 
 up. 
 
 10 Or, the 
 alarm is 
 fallen 
 upon, etc. 
 
 / Num. 22. 4, 
 
 39, 41. 
 Num. 23. 1- 
 
 3, 14, 23. 
 Num. 24. 17. 
 Pro. 1. 28. 
 Ch. 15. 2. 
 Jer. 48. 35. 
 9 2 Ki. 19. 12, 
 
 16, 19. 
 Ps. 115. 3, 
 
 7. 
 
 Jer. 10. 5. 
 1^ Deut.l5.is. 
 
 ch. 7. 16. 
 
 ch. 15. 6. 
 
 ch. 21. 16. 
 ' ch. 23. 9. 
 
 11 Or, not 
 many. 
 
 English version, they are eome (even) unto 
 Jazer. For "^Ae?/" supply which — the principal 
 plants, which reached even to Jazer, fifteen miles 
 from Heshbon. they wandered (through) the wil- 
 derness — they overran, in wild luxuriance, the 
 wilderness of Arabia, encompassing Moab. they 
 are gone over the sea— the Dead Sea ; or else some 
 lake near Jazer, now dry; in Jer. xlviii, 32 called 
 the sea of Jazer; but see note there (Ps. Ixxx. 
 8-11). The vine was so luxuriant that it spread 
 itself round the margin of the sea, and so reached 
 beyond it to the other side. The wide extent of 
 this region of luxuriant vines here described con- 
 trasts sadly with the foretold desolation which the 
 'heathen lords' would cause by 'breaking' and 
 trampling all "down." 9. I will bewail— for its 
 desolation, though I belong to another nation 
 (note, ch. xv. 5). with the weeping of Jazer— as 
 Jazer weeps, the shouting for thy summer fruits, 
 and for thy harvest, is fallen— thy joyous vintage 
 and harvest shoutings have ceased. Eather, as the 
 Chaldaic, Vulgate, Syriac, and LXX. virtually, 
 'upon thy summer fruits (Hebrew, lit., summers) 
 and upon thy harvests the shouting {the battle- 
 shout, and the shout of devastating treaders 
 down, instead of the joyous shout of tlie grape 
 
 Satherers, usual at the vintage) is fallen ' [v, 10 ; 
 er. XXV. 30; li, 14), In the parallel passage 
 (Jer. xlviii. 32) the words substantially express 
 the same sense — "the spoiler is fallen upon thy 
 summer fruits." 10. gladness is taken away- 
 such as is felt in gathering a rich harvest. 
 There shall be no harvest or vintage, owing to the 
 desolation, therefore no "gladness." 11. my 
 bowels— in Scripture the seat of yearning compas- 
 sion. It means the inv»'ard seat of emotion, the 
 heart, &c. (ch. Ixiii. 15 : cf. ch. xv. 5 ; Jer. xlviii. 
 36.) shall sound like an harp — as its strings 
 vibrate when beaten with the plectrum or hand. 
 12. when it is seen that Moab is weary on the 
 high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary 
 to pray; but he shall not prevail— or, 'when 
 Moab shall have appeared (before his gods : cf. 
 Exod. xxiii. 15), when he is weary {i. e., when he 
 shall have fatigued himself with observing burden- 
 some rites, 1 Ki. xviii. 26, &c.) on the high place 
 (c f. ch. XV. 2), and shall come to his sanctuary (of 
 61G 
 
 the idol Chemosh, on mount Nebo) to pray, Le 
 shall not prevail:' he shall effect nothing by his 
 prayers (^Maurer). The English version is good 
 sense, and is supported by the Vulgate, and the 
 LXX., Chaldaic, Arabic, and Syriac in the main. 
 ' It shall come to pass that when it is seen (by Moab 
 himself, and by all others to his confusion) that 
 he is weary of his burdensome rites on the high 
 place, he shall come to his sanctuary, {i.e., to 
 the central temple of the whole nation — what was 
 to Chemosh that which the temple at Jerusalem 
 was to Jehovah) to pray ; but he shall not prevail.' 
 
 13. This (is) the word that the Lord hath 
 spoken concerning Moab since that time. The 
 Arabic translates [T^>p] it ^formerly,'' in contrast 
 to " But noio " [v. 14) : heretofore former prophe- 
 cies (Exod. XV. 15 ; Num. xxi. 29) have been given 
 as to Moab, of which Isaiah has given the sub- 
 stance ; b^it now a definite and sure time also is 
 fixed. Since the time that Moab cursed Israel 
 (Num. xxii. 5, 6), and sinned, through pride and 
 wrath, against Cod's people [v. 6), so that God 
 excluded Moab for ever from the congregation of 
 His people (Deut. xxiii. 3, 4). 14. Within three 
 years, as the years of an hireling. Just as a 
 hireling has his fixed term of engagement, which 
 neither he nor his master will allow to be added 
 to or taken from, so the limit within which Moab 
 is to fall is unaltei'ably fixed (ch. xxi. 16). Ful- 
 filled about the time when the Assyrian led Israel 
 into captivity. The ruins of Elealeh, Heshbon, 
 Medeba, Dibou, &c., still exist to confirm the 
 inspiration of Scripture. The accurate particu- 
 larity of specification of the places 3,000 years ago, 
 confirmed by modern research, is a strong testi- 
 mony to the truth of prophecy. 
 
 Remarks. — How wise it is to submit with tokens 
 of heartfelt allegiance to the Divine Son of David, 
 who sits enthroned in the heavenly Zion, that so 
 we may, whilst yet the day of grace lasts, avert 
 His wrath and escape coudemnation in the judg- 
 ment ! We need not, as Moab, procure and " send 
 a lamb ; " for the Lamb of God, Messiah Himself, 
 has been sent ; and all that we have to do is by 
 faith to make Him ours, and through Him to 
 find acceptance before God our Judge. Thev 
 who refuse justice and mercy to others, as Moab 
 
Syria and ISAIAH XVJI. 
 
 17 THE "burden of Damascus. \ 
 
 Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, 
 And it shall be a ruinous heap. 
 
 2 The cities of Aroer are forsaken ; — they shall be for flocks, 
 Which shall lie down, and ^none shall make them afraid. 
 
 3 The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, 
 
 And the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria : 
 They shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, 
 Saith the Lord of hosts. 
 
 4 And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be 
 
 made thin, 
 
 And '^the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean. 
 
 5 And ^it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, 
 And reapeth the ears with his arm ; 
 
 And it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim. 
 
 6 Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree. 
 Two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough. 
 
 Four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, 
 Saith the Lord God of Israel. 
 
 7 At that day shall a man -''look to his Maker, 
 
 And his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. 
 
 8 And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, 
 Neither shall respect that which his fingers have made. 
 Either the groves or the ^ images. 
 
 9 In that day shall his strong cities 
 
 Be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch. 
 
 Israel threatened. 
 
 B. C. 720, 
 
 CHAP. 17. 
 
 * Jer. 49. 23. 
 Amos 1. 3. 
 2ech. 9. 1. 
 Fulfilled 
 
 7:10. 
 
 2 Ki. 10. 9. 
 
 * Jer. 7. 33. 
 " ch. 7. 16. 
 
 ch. 8. 4. 
 Hos. 3. 4. 
 Hos. 5. 13. 
 Hos. 8; 8. 
 Hos. 9. 10. 
 ^ ch. 10. 16. 
 
 * 2 Ki. 17. 6. 
 2 Chr. 32. 1. 
 2Chr. S3.ll. 
 Jer. 51. 33. 
 Hos. 6. 11. 
 Joel 3. 13. 
 Eev. 14. 15- 
 
 20. 
 
 f 2 Chr. 30.11. 
 Ps. 31. 5. 
 Hos. 5. 15. 
 Hos. 6. 1. 
 Hos. 14. 1-?. 
 8. 
 
 Mic. 7. 7. 
 Zech. 12.10. 
 1 Or, sun 
 images. 
 
 once did to Israel, shall yet have to supplicate for 
 justice and mercy to be shown to themselves. 
 But they who would not afford ' a covert from the 
 face of the spoiler ' [v. 4) to the people of God, as 
 Moab, through pride and wrath, would not afford 
 it to Israel, shall justly be given over to the 
 enemy and the avenger. 
 
 CHAP. XVII. 1- II.— Prophecy concerning 
 Damascus and its Ally, Samaria, i. e., Syria 
 and Isro.el, which had leagued together, (chs. vii. 
 and viii.) Already Tiglath-pileser had carried 
 away the people of Damascus to Kir, in the fourth 
 year of Ahaz (2 Ki. xvi. 9) ; but now, in Hezekiah's 
 reign, a /ar^/ier overthrow is foretold (Jer. xlix. 23 ; 
 Zech. ix. 1). Also, Shalmaneser carried away 
 Israel from Samaria to Assyria (2 Ki. xvii. 6 ; 
 xviii. 10, 11), in the sixth year of Hezekiah of 
 Judah (the ninth year of Hoshea of Israel). This 
 prophecy was, doubtless, given previously in the 
 first years of Hezekiah, when the foreign nations 
 came into nearer collision with Judah, owing to 
 the threatening aspect of Assyria. 
 
 1. Damascus—put before Israel (Ephraim, v. 
 3), which is chiefly referred to in what follows, 
 because it was the prevailing power in the league 
 —with it Ephraim either stood or fell, (ch. vii.) 
 2. The cities of Aroer— i. the cities round about 
 Aroer, and under its jurisdiction (Gesejiius). So 
 "nine cities with their villages" (Josh. xv. 44); 
 "Heshbon. and all her cities "(Josh. xiii. 17). Aroer 
 ■uas near Rabbah-Ammon, at the river of Gad, 
 an arm of the Jabbok (2 Sam. xxiv. 5). It was 
 founded by the Gadites (Num. xxxii. 34). they 
 shall be for flocks— (ch. v. 17.) 3. The fortress 
 also shall cease from Ephraim— the strongholds 
 shall be pulled down {Samaria especially : Hos. 
 X. 14 ; Mic. i. 6 ; Hab i. 10). and the remnant 
 of Syria— all that was left after the overthrow by 
 Tiglath-pileser (2 Ki. xvi. 9). as the glory of . . . 
 Israel. They shall meet with the same fate as 
 C17 
 
 Israel, their ally. 4. the glory of Jacob shall he 
 made thin— the kingdom of Ephraim, and all that 
 they rely on (Hos. xii. 2 ; Mic. i. 5). the fatness 
 of his flesh shall wax lean— (note, ch. x, 16.) 5. it 
 shall toe as when the harvestman gathereth the 
 corn. The inhabitants and wealth of Israel shall 
 be swept away, and but few shall be left behind, 
 just as the husbandman gathers the corn and 
 the fruit, and leaves only a few gleaning ears and 
 grapes (2 Ki. xviii. 9-11). and reapeth the ears 
 with his arm. He coUecteth the standing grain 
 with one arm, so that he can cut it with the 
 sickle in the other hand, it shall he as he that 
 gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim— a fer- 
 tile plain at the south-west of Jerusalem, towards 
 Bethlehem and the country of the Philistines 
 (2 Sam. V. 18-22). 6. Yet gleaning grapes shall 
 he left in it—?:, e., in the land of Israel, two or 
 three berries in the top of the uppermost bough. 
 A few poor inhaljitants shall be left in Israel, 
 like the two or three olive berries left on the top- 
 most boughs, which it is not worth while taking 
 the trouble to try to reach. 
 
 7. At that day shall a man look to his Maker 
 —instead of trusting in their fortresses {v. 3; Mic. 
 vii. 7). 8. And he shall not . . . respect (that) 
 which his fingers have made, either the groves— 
 (Hebrew, asheerim). A symbolical tree is often 
 found in Assyrian inscriptions, representing the 
 hosts of heaven (Saba), answering to Asteroth, or 
 Astarte, the queen of heaven, as Baal or Bel, or the 
 sun, is the king. Heiice the expression, "a graven 
 image of the grove," is explained 2 Ki. xxi. 7. A 
 man's fingers" do not make an ordinary grove, as 
 here a man's fingers are said to do. or the images 
 (Hebrew, chamw.anim, from chammah, the sun) — 
 lit., images to the sun ; i. e., to Baal, who answers to 
 the sun, as Astarte to the hosts of heaven (2 Ki. 
 xxiii. 5 ; Job xxxi. 26). 9. In that day shall his 
 strong cities be as a forsaken hough— rather, 
 
■ 
 
 The woe of 
 
 ISAIAH XVII. 
 
 Israel's enemies. 
 
 Which they left because of the children of Israel : 
 And there shall be desolation. 
 
 10 Because ^ thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation. 
 And hast not been mindful of the Rock of thy strength. 
 Therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, 
 
 And shalt set it with strange slips : 
 
 11 In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow. 
 
 And in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish ; 
 
 But the harvest shall be^a, heap 
 
 In the day of grief and of desperate sorrow. 
 
 12 Woe to the ^ multitude of many people, 
 Which make a noise like the noise of the seas; 
 And to the rushing of nations, 
 
 That make a rushing like the rushing of * mighty waters I 
 
 13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: 
 But God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, 
 
 And shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind ; 
 And like ^ a rolling thing before the whirlwind. 
 
 14 And behold at evening-tide trouble; — and before the morning he is not. 
 This ^ is the portion of them that spoil us, — and the lot of them that rob us. 
 
 ' as the leavings of woods : ' what the axeman 
 leaves when he cuts down the grove (cf. v. 6). 
 which they left because of the children of Israel 
 — i. e., which the providence of God so ordered it 
 that the enemy left, because of the children of 
 Israel. He reserved a remnant, from His regard to 
 the people of His covenant, giving Israel still room 
 for repentance. So He was about to break off the 
 Assyrian's yoke from Judah "because of the 
 anointing" (ch. x. 27) {Junius). Calvin and Vatablus 
 take the Hebrew relative asher ("which") in the 
 sense as, and retain the English version, " for- 
 saken : " Israel's ' strong cities shall be forsaken 
 JUST AS (the Canaanites) left their cities because of 
 {lit., from before the face of) the children of Israel.' 
 Eather, 'which (the enemies) shall leave for the 
 children of Israel ; ' lit. , ' shall leave (in departing) 
 frojn before the face of the children of Israel' 
 {Maurer). But a few cities out of many shall be 
 left to Israel, by the purpose of God, executed by 
 the Assyrian. 10. Because thou hast forgotten 
 the God of thy salvation, and hast not been 
 mindful of the Rock of thy strength— drawn 
 from " Jeshurun . . . forsook God (which) made 
 him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salva- 
 tion. ... Of the Rock (that) begat thee thou art 
 unmindful " (Deut. xxxii. 15, 18). plants— rather, 
 nursery-grounds ; pleasure-grounds {Maurer). set 
 it — rather, 'set them,'' the pleasure-grounds, 
 strange cuttings of plants from far, and there- 
 
 fore valuable. 11. In the day shalt thou make 
 thy plant to grow— rather, ' In the day of thy 
 planting'' {Horsley) shalt thou make to grow. 
 Maurer translates (Hebrew, sigseeg), 'Thou didst 
 /ewce it'— viz., the pleasure-ground. The parallel 
 clause, 'shalt thou make to flourish,' favours the 
 English version. As soon as thou plantest, it 
 grows, and in the morning shalt thou make 
 thy seed to flourish — i. e., immediately after: so in 
 Ps. xc. 14, the Hebrew, 'in the morning,' is trans- 
 lated early, (hut) the harvest (shall he) a heap 
 — rather, ' but (promising as was the prospect) the 
 harvest is gone.' Hebrew, 7ieed, from nud, to flee 
 {Horsley). Buxtorf translates as the English ver- 
 sion, in the day of grief— rather, ' in the day of 
 (expected) possession; ' Hebrew, nachalah {Maurer). 
 The Hebrew is taken as the English version in 
 Jer. XXX. 12. and of desperate sorrow— rather. 
 ' and the sorrow shall be desperate or irremediable. 
 618 
 
 B. C. 741, 
 
 " Deut. 6. 12' 
 Deut. 8. 11, 
 Ps. 106, 13. 
 21, 
 
 2 Or. re- 
 moved in 
 the day of 
 inherit- 
 ance, and 
 there shall 
 be dead.y 
 sorrow. 
 
 3 Or, noise. 
 * Or, many. 
 5 Or thistle- 
 down. 
 
 'I Judg. 6. SI. 
 Job 2 29. 
 Ps. 8. 3, 9. 
 18. 
 
 Pro. 22. ?3. 
 Hab. 2. 16. 
 17. 
 
 Zeph. 2. 9, 
 10. 
 
 In the English version, heap and sorrow may be 
 taken together by Hendiad, 'the heap of the 
 harvest shall be desperate sorrow ' {Rosenmiiller). 
 Israel, instead of trusting in Jehovah, tried to gain 
 a flourishing state of affairs by a league with Syria. 
 But the event, promising though appearances were 
 at first, proved the reverse. It ended in tljeir 
 destruction by Assyria. This is the fact set forth 
 in the imagery of this verse. 
 
 Chap. xvii. 12; xviii. 7.— Sudden Destruction 
 or A Great Army in Judea (viz., that of the 
 Assyrian Sennacherib), and Announcement or 
 the Event to the Ethiopian Ambassadors, 
 The connection of this fragment with what pre- 
 cedes is, notwithstanding the calamities coming 
 on Israel, the people of God shall not be utterly 
 destroyed (ch. vi. 12, 13): the Assyrian spoilers 
 shall perish (ch. xvii. 13, 14). 12. Woe to the 
 multitude of many people— rather, ' Ho ! (Hark j) 
 a noisy multitude of many peoples!' &c. THe 
 prophet in vision perceives the vast and mixed 
 Assyrian hosts (Hebrew, ' many peoples ; ' see note, 
 ch. V. 26), on the hills of Judah ("mountains," 
 V. 13), but at the "rebuke" of God they shall 
 'flee as chaff'.' and to the rushing of nations, 
 (that) make a rushing (Hebrew, sAcow)— 'the 
 roaring that roareth ' (cf, ch. viii. 7; Jer, vi, 23). 
 13. (God) shall rebuke them, and they shall flee 
 far oflF— rather, ' God rebuketh (Ps. ix. 5) them, 
 and they flee — are chased;'' the event is set before 
 the eyes as actually present, not future, chased 
 as the chaff of the mountains. Threshing-floors 
 in the East are in the open air, on elevated places, 
 so as to catch the wind which separates the chaff 
 from the wheat (Ps. Ixxxiii. 13 ; Hos. xiii, 3). like 
 a rolling thing— anything that rolls ; stubble. 14. 
 at evening-tide trouble; (and) before the morn- 
 ing he (is) not— fulfilled to the letter in the 
 destruction 'before morning' of the vast host 
 that " at evening-tide" was such a terror 
 (" trouble ") to J udah. On the phrase, see Ps. xc. 6 ; 
 XXX. 5. he is not— viz., the enemy. This (is) the 
 portion of them that spoil us— the Jews. A 
 general declaration of the doom that awaits the 
 foes of God's people (ch. liv. 17). 
 
 Remarks. — They who league together against 
 the people of God, as Damascus and Israel did 
 against Judah, shall be brought to ruin. No 
 strongholds can avail against the strength of 
 
God to the Ethiopians. 
 
 The call of ISAIAH XVIII. 
 
 18 WOE ^ to the land "shadowing with wings, 
 Which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia : 
 2 That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, 
 Even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, 
 Saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation ^ scattered and peeled, 
 To a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; 
 
 Jehovah. Glory and prosperity are but of short 
 duration when they are arrayed against the will 
 of God. Yet such are God's mercy and faith- 
 fulness to His covenant of old with Israel that 
 He still leaves gleanings of Ephraim— a remnant 
 elected in grace— who are reserved for the mercy 
 of God, about to be manifested to all Israel in 
 the latter days. Then shall Jew and Gentile no 
 longer look to their idols of any kind, but "shall 
 have respect to " their " Maker" alone, "the Holy 
 One of Israel." The root of Israel's sin, and 
 therefore of Israel's sorrow, was, they " forgot the 
 God of their salvation, and were not mindful of 
 the Rock of their strength." Whenever any of us 
 falls into this condemning sin, however prosper- 
 ously our undertakings may " flourish " like a 
 plant " in the morning," yet, like Israel's league 
 with Syria, they shall at last yield a "harvest" 
 only of "grief and desperate sorrow." 
 
 CHAP. XVIII. — Isaiah announces the over- 
 throw of Sennacherib's hosts, and desires the 
 Ethiopian ambassadors, now in Jerusalem, to 
 bring word of it to their own nation, and caUs on 
 the whole world to witness the event (r. 3). As 
 ch. xvii. 12, 13 announced the presence of the foe, so 
 ch. xvii, 14 and ch. xviii. foretell his overthrow. 
 The heading in the English version, ' God will 
 destroy the Ethiopians,' is a mistake arising from 
 the wrong rendering " Woe," whereas the Hebrew, 
 hoi, does not express a threat, but is an appeal 
 calling attention (ch. Iv, 1; Zech. ii, 6), "Ho." 
 He is not speaking against, but to the Ethiopians, 
 calling on them to hear his prophetical announce- 
 ment as to the destruction of Judah's and 'their 
 common enemy. 
 
 1. to the land shadowing with wings— rather, 
 'land of the winged hark ;^ i.e., 'barks with 
 wing-like sails : ' answering to "vessels of bul- 
 rushes " in V. 2. So the LXX. [y?}? irXoioiv 
 TTTepuyes] and Chaldaic Targum ('the land to 
 which they come in ships from a distant land: 
 and their sails are extended as an eagle which 
 flies with its wings') [Ewald). 'Land of the 
 clanging sound of wings ^ — i.e., land of armies 
 in ch. viii, 8) that clash their arms together. 
 The rendering ' bark,' or ' ship ' (Iziltzal), is rather 
 dubious. Tzalal, the root, is to make a dang. 
 So the Vulgate {Maurer and Gesenius). The 
 amies referred to are those of the Ethiopian 
 Tirha,kah, advancing to meet the Assyrians (ch. 
 xxxvii. 91 In the English version (which accords 
 best witn the ordinary meaning of tziltzal, from 
 tzeel, a shadovj) "shadowing" mes^na protecting 
 —viz., Ethiopia stretching out its wings (both its 
 armies and its winged ships) to defend a feeble 
 people— viz., the Hebrews ( Vitringa). The Hebrew 
 [Cenapkaim) for "wings" is the same as for the 
 idol Cneph, which was represented in temple- 
 sculptures with wings (Ps. xci. 4). which (is) 
 beyond the rivers of Ethiopia. Meroe, the island 
 between the " rivers " Isile and Astaboras is 
 meant, famed for its commerce, and perhaps the 
 seat of the Ethiojjian government, hence ad- 
 dressed here as representing the whole empire. 
 Remains of temples are still found, and the name 
 of ' Tirhakah' in the inscriptions. This island- 
 region was i)robably the chief part of Queen Can- 
 dace's kingdom (Acts viii. 27). For, " beyond, " 
 619 
 
 B. C. 714. 
 
 CHAP. IsT 
 
 1 Or. Ho. 
 Ruth. 2. 12. 
 
 2 Or. out- 
 spread and 
 polished. 
 
 others translate, less literally,' which borderest on.' 
 Ethiopia — lit., Cush. Horsley is probably right, 
 that the ultimate and fullest reference of the i)ro- 
 phecy is to the restoration of the Jews to the 
 Holy Land, through the instrumentality of some 
 distant people skilled in navigation {v. 2 ; ch. Ix. 
 9, 10 ; Ps, xlv. 15; Ixviii. 31 ; Zeph. iii. 10, " From 
 beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, 
 (even) the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring 
 mine offering "): perhaps England. Phoenician 
 voyagers coasting along would speak of all West 
 remote lands as "beyond" the Nile's mouth. 
 ' Cush,' too, has a wide sense, being applied 
 not only to Ethiopia, but Arabia Deserta and 
 Felix, and along the Persian Gulf, as far as the 
 Tigris (Gen. ii. 13). 2. That sendeth ambassadors 
 — messengers sent to Jerusalem at the time that 
 negotiations passed between the Ethiopian Tir- 
 hakah and Hezekiah against the expected attack 
 of Sennacherib (ch. xxxvii. 9). by the sea— on 
 the Nile (ch. xix. 5), as what follows proves, 
 even in vessels of bulrushes— light canoes formed 
 of papyrus, daubed over with pitch : so the " ark " 
 in which Moses was exposed (Exod. ii. 3). say- 
 ing. Or else, as Maurer, Gesenius, &c., omit this, 
 it not being in the Hebrew. Go. Isaiah (in 
 Gesenius'' s and Maurer'' s view) tells them to take 
 back the tidings of what God is about to do (v. 4) 
 against the common enemy of both Judah and 
 Ethiopia, to a nation scattered and peeled — 
 else, strong and energetic {Gesenius). The He- 
 brew for "scattered" ["^E^np, frojn mashak, to 
 draw out] is literally, drawn out {marg., Ps. xxxvi. 
 10 ; Eccl. ii. 3). The Hebrew for " peeled" is morat, 
 from marat, to make smooth or sh arp. ' Energetic ' 
 — lit., sharp (Hab. i. 8, marg. ; the verb means to 
 sharpen a sword, Ezek. xxi. 15, 16) ; also polished. 
 As Herodotus (iii. 20, 114) characterizes the Ethio- 
 pians as the 'tallest and fairest of men,' G. V. 
 iSr/uY/i translates, 'tall and comely' — lit., extended 
 (ch. xlv. 14, " men of stature ") and polished (the 
 Ethiopians had smooth., glossy skins). In the 
 English version the reference is to the Jews, scat- 
 tered outcasts, and "peeled" — i.e., loaded with 
 indignity; lit., having their hair torn of {Hors- 
 ley). The Vulgate, 'to a nation convulsed and 
 torn asunder.' I prefer, with the English ver- 
 sion, to supply 'saying ;' thus, "Go, ye," &c., is 
 the instruction given by " the land shadowing with 
 wings " (Ethiopia), to its ambassadors, when it 
 was sending them to Judah, the "nation scattered 
 and peeled." The Chaldaic and Vulgate both sup- 
 port the English version, rather than Gesenius. Thus 
 the Chaldaic translates, 'to a nation suffering 
 violence, and torn to pieces.' terrible— the Ethio- 
 pians, famed for warlike prowess {Rosenmiiller). 
 The Jews who, because of God's plague, made 
 others to fear the like (Deut. xxviii. 37). Rather, 
 'awfuUv remarkable' {Horsley). God put the 
 'terror of His people into the surrounding na- 
 tions at the first (Exod. xxiii. 27 ; Josh. ii. 9) : so 
 it shall be again in the latter days (Zech. xii. 2, 3, 
 " I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all 
 the people round about, when they shall be in the 
 siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem "). 
 from their beginning hitherto. So the English 
 version rightly. But Gesenius, * to the terrible 
 nation (of Upper Egypt) and further beyond' (to 
 
The call of 
 
 ISAIAH XVIII. 
 
 God to the Ethiopians. 
 
 
 B. C. 714. 
 
 
 3 a nation of 
 
 
 line, line, 
 
 
 and tread- 
 
 
 ing under 
 
 
 foot : or, a 
 
 
 nation that 
 
 
 meteth out, 
 
 
 and tread- 
 
 
 eth down. 
 
 
 * Or, whose 
 
 
 land the 
 
 
 rivers de- 
 
 
 spise. 
 
 
 5 Or, after 
 
 
 rain. 
 
 ^ A nation meted out and trodden down, 
 * Whose land the rivers have spoiled ! 
 
 3 All ye inhabitants of the world, — and dwellers on the earth. 
 See ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; 
 And when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. 
 
 4 For so the Lord said unto me, 
 
 I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place 
 Like a clear heat ^upon herbs, 
 And like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. 
 0 For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect. 
 And the sour grape is ripening in the flower. 
 He shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning-hooks. 
 
 the Ethiopians properly so called), meted out — 
 Hebrew, of line, line {quav, quav). The measuring 
 line was used in destroying buildings (oh. xxxiv. 
 11 ; 2 Ki. xxi. 13 ; Lam. ii. 8). Hence, actively, 
 it means here, ' a people meting out ' — ' an all- 
 destroying people ' — which suits the context better 
 than " meted, ' passively {Maurer). Horsley, un- 
 derstanding it of tlie Jews, translates {quav, quav, 
 from quavah, to expect), ' exi)ecting, expecting (in 
 a continual attitude of expectation of Messiah), 
 and trampled under foot : ' a graphic picture 
 of them. Most translate, of strength, strength 
 (from an Arabic root, to brace the sinews)— 
 i. e., a most power j at people, trodden down — true 
 of the Jews. Of. Horsley^s translation above. 
 But Maurer translates it actively, a people tread- 
 ing under foot all its enemies — i. e., victorious (ch. 
 xiv. 25) ; viz., the Ethiopians, whose land the 
 rivers have spoiled— 'cut up.' The Nile is 
 formed by the junction of many streams in Abys- 
 sinia, the Atbara, the Astapus or Blue river 
 (between which two rivers, Meroe, the "Ethiopia " 
 here meant, lias), and the Astaboras or White 
 river. These streams ivash doivn the soil along 
 their banks in the "land" of Upper Egypt, and 
 deposit it on that of Lower Egypt. G. V. Smith 
 translates it, 'divide.' Horsley takes it figura- 
 tively, of the conquering armies which have often 
 "spoiled" Judea: ch. viii. 8 suppoi'ts this. On 
 the whole, I prefer to explain thus : God, by His 
 prophet {vv. 1, 2), calls the attention of the laud 
 of Ethiopia, which had sent its ambassadors to 
 Judah, its ally, against the common enemy, Sen- 
 nacherib, Those ambassadors, in embarking in 
 their bulrush boats, had been instructed to ' go 
 to Judah, a nation scattered, and as it were moide 
 bald, yet terrible originally because of God's 
 protection, but now spoiled by the overwhelming 
 floods of the Assyrian rivers.' God's announce- 
 ment respecting His interposition in behalf of 
 His people against the Assyrian hosts follows 
 {vv. 3-6). Thus the antitypical and ultimate 
 event foi-etold will be, as v. 7 requires— God will 
 interpose in behalf of His people against the anti- 
 christian hosts ; and some friendly Gentile nation, 
 of which Ethiopia here is the type, will, at God's 
 call, be instrumental in restoring Israel and Judah 
 to their own laud after their lengthened disper- 
 sion and down-treading, just as the Ethiopian 
 Tirhakah was made the instrument of turning 
 aside Sennacherib himself, so that when God de- 
 stroyed his army before Jerusalem, the Jews 
 were established in secure possession of their own 
 land. 3. All ye inhabitants of the world . . . 
 see ye . . . hear ye— rather, ye shall see— shall 
 hear. Call to the whole earth to be witnesses of 
 what Jehovah ("He") is about to do. when he 
 lifteth up an ensign on the mountains. He will 
 ' lift up an ensign,' calling the Assyrian motley 
 020 
 
 hosts together (ch. t. 26) on " the mountains " 
 round Jerusalem, to their own destruction. The 
 antitype shall be the gathering of Antichrist's 
 hosts against Jerusalem to their destruction (Zech. 
 xii. 2, 3, 6 ; xiv. 2-4). This (ch. xviii. ) declares the 
 coming overthrow of those armies whose presence 
 is announced in ch. xvii. 12, 13. The same motive 
 which led Hezekiah to seek aid from Egypt led 
 him to accept gladly the Ethiopian Tirhakah's 
 aid (chs. xxxvi. 6 ; xxxvii. 9). Ethiopia, Egypt, 
 and Judea were probably leagued together against 
 the common enemy, 713 B.C. 8ee notes on ch. 
 xxii., where a difference of tone (as referring to 
 a different period) as to Ethiopia is observable. 
 Horsley takes the "ensign" to be the cross, and 
 the " trumpet " the Gospel trumpet, which shall 
 be sounded more loudly in the last days (Rev. 
 xiv. 6, 7). 
 
 4. For so the Lord said unto me, I will take my 
 rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place— 
 I will calmly look on from heaven, my dwelling 
 place, and from Zion my earthly seat {v. 7), and not 
 interpose, whilst all seems to promise success to 
 the enemy; when 'the sun's heat' and 'the night 
 dews' 'ripen their "harvest;" but 'before' it 
 reaches its maturity I will destroy it {v. 5 ; Eccl. 
 viii. 11, 12). like a clear heat upon herbs, (and) 
 like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest—' at 
 the time of [so 3 is used in Gen. xviii. 1] the clear 
 (serene) heat ' {Maurer). But the Hebrew may be" 
 taken, with the English version, in its usual seuse, 
 " like :" I will be like the heat and dew maturing 
 the herbs ; ' but afore harvest ' I will cut off ' the 
 sprigs ' {v. 5). upon herbs—answering to "harvest" 
 in the parallel clause. Maurer translates, 'in the 
 sunlight ' (Job xxxi. 26 ; xxxvii. 21 ; Hab. iii. 4). 
 But the Hebrew [plural of "iit*], is used for "herbs" 
 in 2 Ki. iv. 39. The idea of sprouting as an herb is 
 associated with the idea of sunlight ; so that the 
 same Hebrew term expresses both. The English 
 version is supported by the parallelism, like . . . 
 dew. Maurer here also translates, 'at the time of the 
 dew-cloud.' But the English version is good sense. 
 I will look on, seeming to mature the enemies' plans, 
 like as the dew ripens the harvest (Prov. xix. 12). 
 God's "silence" is mistaken by the ungodly for 
 consent; His delay in taking vengeance for forget- 
 fulness (Ps. 1. 21) ; so it shall be before the venge- 
 ance which in the last day shall usher in the 
 restoration of the Jews (chs. xxxiv. 1-8; Ivii. 11, 
 end; 2 Pet. iii. 3-10). 5. For— rather. But: in 
 contrast to God's seemingly favouring the enemy 
 whilst their projects against Judah were in the bud 
 {v. 4). afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect 
 — perfected; when the enemy's plans are on the 
 verge of completion, and the sour grape is ripen- 
 ing in the flower— rathei% ' when the flower shall 
 become the ripening grape ' {Maurer). he shall 
 both cut off the sprigs— the shoots with the 
 
An accession 
 
 ISAIAH XVIII. 
 
 made to the Church. 
 
 And take away and cut down the branches. 
 
 They shall be left together — unto the fowls of the mountains, 
 
 And to the beasts of the earth : — and the fowls shall summer upon them, 
 
 And all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them. 
 
 In that time ^ shall the present be brought unto the Lord of hosts 
 Of a people ^ scattered and peeled, 
 
 And from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; 
 A nation meted out and trodden under foot. 
 Whose land the rivers have spoiled. 
 
 To the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, — the mount Zion. 
 
 B. C. 714. 
 
 2Chr. Zt. iZ. 
 Ps. CS. 31. 
 Ps. 72. 10. 
 Zeph. 3. 10. 
 Mai. 1. 11. 
 Matt. 2. 11. 
 Acts 8. 27, 
 28, 
 
 Or. out- 
 spread and 
 polished. 
 
 grapes on them. God will not only disconcert 
 their present plans, but prevent them forming any 
 future ones. The ''harvest" and vintage here 
 typify the purifying judgments which shall cause 
 the excision of the ungodly from the earth, as the 
 prelude to the placing of the faithful in a state of 
 peace on the earth: not the last judgment (John xv. 
 2; Rev. xiv. 15-20). 6. They shall be left together 
 unto the fowls.. . . and . . . beasts— transition 
 from the image, " sprigs," " branches," to the thin^ 
 meant, the fowls shall summer upon them, ana 
 all the beasts . . . winter upon them— the As- 
 syrian soldiers and leaders shall be the prey of 
 birds and beasts the whole j^ear through, " winter" 
 and "summer," so numerous shall be their car- 
 cases. Horsley translates the Hebrew, which is 
 singular, 'upon it^ not "upon them:" the 'it' 
 refers to God's " dwelling place " {v. 4) in the Holy 
 Land, which Antichrist ('the bird of prey' with 
 the "beasts," his rebel hosts) is to possess himself 
 of, and where he is to perish. But Rev. xix. 17, 
 18; Ezek. xxxix, 17-20 show that the autichristian 
 hosts, as carcases, are to be the prey of birds and 
 beasts, which shall summer and winter upon them, 
 3,3 the carcases of the Assyrian host, the type, 
 wers formerly. 
 
 7. In that time shall the present be brought 
 unto the Lord of hosts of a people scattered and 
 peeled — (see note on v. 2.) The sense in Gesenius's 
 translation of these epithets, as referring to the 
 Ethiopians, will be this : the Ethiopians, wonder- 
 struck at such an interposition of Jehovah in 
 behalf of His people, shall send gifts to Jerusalem 
 in His honour (ch. xvi. 1 ; Ps. Ixviii. 31 ; Ixxii. 10). 
 Thus translate, ' a present . . . from a people.' Or 
 translate as the English version, " the present " will 
 mean ' the people ' of Ethiopia converted to God 
 (Rom. XV. 16). Horsley takes the people converted 
 to Jehovah as the Jeios in the latter days. I 
 prefer taking this as the ultimate and antitypical 
 event here foretold ; and the restoration to Judah 
 by Ethiopia of some of the Jewish outcasts, after 
 the destruction of Sennacherib's hosts, to be the 
 typical event here alluded to. Doubtless Senna- 
 cherib, when he "took all the defenced cities of 
 Judah" (ch. xxxvi. 1), carried in his train, in 
 marching to the south-west of Palestine, where he 
 defeated the Egyptians and Ethiopians (according 
 to the inscriptions), many Jewish captives. Some 
 of these escaping to the Ethioxnans would be by 
 them restored to Judah, after the overthrow of 
 Sennacherib's host at Jerusalem, to the place of 
 the name of the Lord of hosts— where Jehovah 
 peculiarly manifests His glory, the mount Zion. 
 Acts ii, 10, and viii. 27, show how worshippers 
 came up to Jerusalem from "Egypt" and "Ethi- 
 opia." Frumentius, an Egyptian, in the fourth 
 century, was the human instrument in converting 
 Abyssinia to Christianity ; and a Christian Church, 
 under an abuna or bishop, still flourishes there. 
 The full accomplishment is probably still future, 
 and refers to the restoration of the Jews by some 
 021 
 
 friendly Gentile power, after Antichrist's over- 
 throw. 
 
 Remarks. — The Lord will yet ' lift up His 
 ensign ' of manifested power and glory " on the 
 mountains," and with the mighty 'sound of a 
 trumpet.' He will summon ' all the inhabitants 
 of the world ' to see His doings, and to hear His 
 words in behalf of His covenant people. It is 
 true, Israel has been long "a nation scattered aud 
 peeled," or denuded of all its comeliness ; and its 
 land has been for ages 'trodden down and spoiled' 
 by Gentile oppressors. But the Lord, though He 
 seem now to ' take His rest in His dwelling-place,' 
 aud though in the coming days of Antichrist God 
 at first shall allow the plans of the godless perse- 
 cutor to i:)rogress favourably [v. 4), yet ' before the 
 harvest' He will cut down the foe 'sprigs and 
 branches ' (v. 5). The hosts of Antichrist shall be 
 a prey to all birds and beasts {v. 6). Let us hence 
 learn to wait the Lord's time with patience. 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 1-25.— Chs. xix. and xx. are 
 connected, but with an interval between. Egypt 
 had been held by an Ethiojuan dynasty, Sabacho, 
 Sevechus, or Sabacho II., and Tirhakah, for forty 
 or fifty years, Sevechus (called So, the ally of 
 Hoshea, 2 Ki. xvii, 4) retired from" Lower Egypt 
 on account of the resistance of the priests ; and 
 perhaps, also, as the Assyrians threatened Lower 
 Egypt. On his withdrawal, Sethos, one of the 
 priestly caste, became supreme, having Tanis 
 (" Zoan ") or else Memphis as his capital, 718 B.C. ; 
 whilst the Ethiopians retained Upper Egypt, with 
 Thebes as its capital, under Tirhakah. A third 
 native dynasty was at Sais, in the West of Lower 
 Egypt : to this at a later period belonged Psam- 
 mitichus, the first who admitted Greeks into Egypt 
 and its armies: he was one of the dodecarchy, a 
 number of petty kings between whom Egypt was 
 divided, and by aid of foreign auxiliaries overcame 
 the rest, 670 b.c. To the divisions at this last time 
 Gesenius refers v. 2, and to Psammitichus, v, 4, 'a 
 cruel lord,' The dissensions of the ruling caste 
 are certainly referred to. But the time referred 
 to is much earlier than that of Psammitichus. In 
 V. 1 the invasion of Egypt is represented as caused 
 by "the Lord;" and in v. 17 "Judah" is spoken of 
 as 'a terror to Egypt,' which it could hardly have 
 been by itself. Probably, therefore, the Assyrian 
 invasion of Egypt under Sargon, when Judah was 
 the ally of Assyria, and Hezekiah had not yet 
 refused tribute, as he did in the beginning of Sen- 
 nacherib's reign, is meant. That Assyria was in 
 Isaiah's mind, appears from the way in which it is 
 joined with Israel and Egypt in the worship of 
 Jehovah (vv. 24, 25). Thus the dissensions referred 
 to (v. 2) allude to the time of the withdrawal of 
 the Ethiopians from Lower Egypt, probably not 
 without a struggle, especially with the priestly 
 caste; also to the time when Sethos usurped the 
 throne, and entered on the contest with the mili- 
 tary caste, by the aid of the town populations, 
 when the Saitic dynasty was another cause of 
 
1 
 
 The burden 
 
 ISAIAH XIX. 
 
 of Egypt. 
 
 19 THE burden of Egypt. 
 
 Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, — and shall come into Egypt : 
 And the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, 
 And the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. 
 
 2 And I will ^ set the Egyptians against the Egyptians : 
 And they shall fight every one against his brother. 
 And every one against his neighbour ; 
 
 City against city, — and kingdom against kingdom. 
 
 3 And the spirit of Egypt ^ shall fail in the midst thereof ; 
 And I will 2 destroy the counsel thereof : 
 
 And they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, 
 And to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. 
 
 4 And the Egyptians will I * give over into the hand of a cruel lord ; 
 
 And a fierce king shall rule over them, — saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts. 
 
 5 And ^ the waters shall fail from the sea, 
 And the river shall be wasted and dried up. 
 
 6 And they shall turn the rivers far away; 
 
 And the brooks *^of defence shall be emptied and dried up: 
 The reeds and flags shall wither. 
 
 B. C. 714. 
 
 CHAP. 19. 
 
 1 mingle. 
 
 " Judg. 7. 22. 
 lSam.li. 16. 
 2Chr. 20.23. 
 
 2 shall be 
 emutied. 
 
 3 swallow 
 up. 
 
 4 Or. shut 
 up. 
 
 Jer. 43. 12, 
 13. 
 
 Jer. 4e. 13. 
 Eze. 29. 1- 
 21. 
 
 Eze. 20. 1- 
 26. 
 
 Eze. 32. 1- 
 32. 
 
 & Jer. 51. 36. 
 
 Fze. 30. 12. 
 " 2 Ki. 19. '24. 
 
 division. Sargon's reign was between 722-715 B.C., 
 answering to 718 B.C., when Sethos usurped his 
 throne {G. V. Smith). 
 
 1. The burden of Egypt— (note. ch. xiii. 1.) Be- 
 hold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud— (Ps. 
 civ. 3; xviii. 10.) and shall come into Egypt— to 
 inflict vengeance. "Egypt," in Hebrew, Misraim : 
 plural form, to express the tivo regions of Egypt. 
 Bunsen observes, The ititle of their kin^s run 
 thus : ' Lord of Uijper and Lower Egypt. the 
 idols of Egypt— the Ibull, the crocodile, &c. shall 
 he moved at his presence. The idols, poetically, 
 are said to be " moved" with fear at the presence 
 of one mightier than even they were supposed to 
 be (Exod. xii. 12; Jer. xliii. 12). 2. I will set- 
 stir up. The same Hebrew {sihsalcti) as in ch. ix. 
 11, where see note. Cf. marg. here — Ut.^ to fold 
 and mix together like thorns (Nah. i. 10) [akin to 
 "^y^, to entwine with thorns]. Cf. Luke xxi. 10. 
 Gesenius translates, ' I will arm ' — cover with arms 
 [akin to "jsp, to thickly cover], the Egyptians 
 against the Egyptians — Lower against Upper 
 Egypt, and Saitic against both (see ch. iii. 10). 
 Newton refers it to the civil wars between Apries 
 and Amasis at the time of Nebuchadnezzar's in- 
 vasion ; also between Tachos, Nectanebus, and 
 the Mendesiaus, just before Ochus subdued 
 Egypt, kingdom against kingdom. The LXX. 
 have 'nome against nome.' Egypt was divided 
 into forty-two nomes or districts. 3. the spirit 
 of Egypt— the wisdom for which Egypt was famed 
 (ch. xxxi. 2; 1 Ki. iv. 30; Acts vii. 22): answering 
 to "counsel" in the parallel clause, shall fail 
 (nahquah) — lit., be poured out, or emptied; i. e., 
 be made void (Jer. xix. 7). they shall seek to 
 the idols . . . charmers . . . familiar spirits 
 . . . wizards — they shall "seek" help from 
 sources that can afford none — "charmers," &c, 
 (ch. viii. 19). charmers (Hebrew, ittim, from at, 
 a low soimd) — lit., those making a faint sound. 
 The soothsayers imitated the faint sound which 
 was attributed to the spirits of the dead (note, 
 ch. viii. 19). 4. the Egyptians will I give over 
 into the hand of a cruel lord— Sargou. In He- 
 brew it is lords; but the plural is often used 
 to express greatness, where one alone is meant 
 (Gen. xlii. 30). The parallel word "king" (sin- 
 
 fular) proves that the singular is meant. The 
 Ethiopian rulers, however, who oppressed Egypt 
 622 
 
 at that time, may be meant. Newton makes the 
 general reference to be to Nebuchadnezzar, and a 
 particular reference to Cambyses, son of Cyrus 
 (who killed the Egyptian god Apis), and Ochus, 
 Persian conquerors of Egypt, noted for their 'fierce 
 cruelty.' Gesenius refers it to Psammitichus, who 
 had brought into Egypt Greek and other foreigii 
 mercenaries to subdue the other eleven princes of 
 the dodecarchy. 
 
 5. the waters shall fail from the sea— <Ae Nile. 
 Physical calamities, it is observed in history, often 
 accompany political convulsions (Ezek. xxx. 12). 
 The Nile shall "fail" to rise to its wonted height, 
 the result of which will be barrenness and famine. 
 Its "waters" at the time of the overflow resemble 
 'a sea' (Pliny, 'Hist. Nat.' xxxv. 11), and it is still 
 called El-Bahr, "the sea," by the Egyptians (ch. 
 xviii. 2; Jer. li. ,36). A public record is kept at 
 Cairo of the daily rise of the water at the proper 
 time of overflow — viz., August. If it rise to a less 
 height than twelve cubits, it will not overflow-the 
 laud, and famine must be the result. So also when 
 it rises higher than sixteen ; for the waters are not 
 drained off in time sufficient to sow the seed. 6. 
 they shall turn the rivers far away [in^jit^n, from 
 
 njT, to put far away] — or else with the sense to put 
 aioay in disgust as putrid; 'the streams shall be- 
 come putrid;' i. e., the artificial streams made for 
 irrigation shall become stagnant and offensive 
 when the waters fail [Maurer). Horsley, with the 
 LXX., translate, 'and waters from the sea shall 
 be drunk :' by the failure of the river-water they 
 shall be reduced to sea-water. I prefer, with 
 Vatahlus, 'the rivers shall withdraw themselves 
 far away.' So the Vulgate, 'the rivers shall fail' 
 So the Syriac and Arabic. The Chaldaic trans- 
 lates 'the rivers shall be desolated.' the brooks 
 of defence — or else, ' the canals of Egypt : ' canals 
 —lit., ' Niles,' Nile-canals, the plural of the Egyp- 
 tian term for the great river [^Hn] [Bochart, Fhaleg). 
 The same Hebrew word, Matzor, whence comes 
 Mitzraim, expresses Egypt, and a place of "de- 
 fence." Horsley translates it, ' embanked canals.' 
 I prefer the English version In this sense, which 
 is supported by the Vulgate, "the brooks," or 
 ' canals of defenced embankments.' The embank- 
 ments not only were a "defence" against the 
 inundations of the Nile, but also against the as- 
 sault of invaders, the reeds and flags shall 
 
of their 'princes. 
 
 The fo olishness ISAIAH XIX. 
 
 7 The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, 
 And every thing sown by the brooks, 
 Shall wither, be driven away, ^ and be no more. 
 
 8 The fishers also shall mourn, ^ 
 And all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, 
 And they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish. 
 
 9 Moreover they that work in fine flax, 
 And they that weave ^ net-works, shall be confounded. 
 
 10 And they shall be broken in the ^purposes thereof, 
 All that make sluices and ponds ^ for fish. 
 
 1 1 Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, 
 The counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutisb : 
 How say ye unto Pharaoh, 
 
 I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? 
 
 12 Where ^ are they? where are thy wise men^ 
 
 wither— the papyrus. ' Reed and rush : ' utter 
 withering. 7. The paper reeds [nny]— or else 
 grassy pastures; lit., places naked of wood [from 
 nnr, "to make bare] and fanaed for rich herbage, on 
 the banks of the Nile (Gesenius). Cf. Gen. xiii. 10 ; 
 Deut. xi. 10. Horsley translates, 'Nakedness 
 upon the river descriptive of the appearance of a 
 river when its bottom is bare and its banks 
 stripped of verdure by long drought. So the 
 Vulgate. The English version takes the Hebrew 
 from a root [ni?], skin, the papyrus being composed 
 of delicate membranes, which were used as paper. 
 It has in its favour, that in mentioning "the reeds 
 and flags," the papyrus would not be likely to be 
 omitted. Also, the antithesis to "-everything 
 sown by the brooks" requires that here there 
 should be something mentioned that grows without 
 sowing, as is the paper reed, the brooks— Hebrew, 
 yeor; the river, the mouth— rather, the source 
 (Vulgate). ' Even close to the river's side vegeta- 
 tion shall be so w^ithered as to be scattered in the 
 shape of powder by the wind ' (English version, be 
 driven away) {Horsley). 8. The fishers also shall 
 mourn. The Nile was famed for fish (Num. xi. 5). 
 Numbers would be thrown out of employment by 
 the failure of fishes, and all they that cast angle 
 —a hook. Used in the brooks, or canals, as the 
 'net' was in "the waters" of the river itself. 
 Still the Hebrew for "brooks" is literally, 'into 
 the river ;' hayeor. 9. they that work in fine flax. 
 Gesenius,iov " fine," translates {seriquoth) 'combed.' 
 Fine linen was worn by the rich only (Luke xvi. 
 19). Egypt was famous for it (Exod. ix. 31 ; 1 Ki. 
 X. 28; Prov. vii, 16; Ezek. xxvii. 7). The pro- 
 cesses of its manufacture are represented on the 
 Egyptian tombs. Israel learned the art in Egypt 
 (Exod. xxvL 36). The cloth now found on the 
 mummies was linen, as is known by the micro- 
 scope. Wilkinson mentions linen from Egypt 
 which has 540 (or 270 double) threads in one inch 
 in the warp ; whereas some modern cambric has but 
 160 [Barnes), they that weave net- works [nm]— 
 from chor, an aperture. So reticulated tapestry. 
 Or rather, as the English version, net-works, nets. 
 As in V. 8 the prophet had said, "they that spread 
 nets upon the waters shall languish," so here also, 
 "they that weave them shall be confoundecl." Or 
 else, as Gesenius takes it (from chur, white), m 
 parallelism to ''fine fiax," white cloth (Esth. i. 6; 
 viii. 15). The LXX. translate [tov ^xxtcov], fine 
 linen; but the Chaldaic supports the English ver- 
 sion. 10. they shall be broken in the purposes 
 thereof — i. e., of Egypt (the Hebrew suffix is 
 feminine). Hebrew, shothotheyah, from shith, 
 623 
 
 B. C. 714. 
 
 6 and shall 
 
 not be. 
 « Or, white 
 
 works. 
 T founda- 
 
 tio- 8. 
 8 of living 
 
 things. 
 d Job 5. 12. 
 
 Job 12. ir. 
 
 Pa. 33. 10. 
 
 Jer. 49. 7. 
 • ch. 41. 2?, 
 23. 
 
 ch. 44. 7. 
 
 ch. 47. 13. 
 
 Acts 7. 22. 
 
 1 Cor. 1. 20. 
 
 'a foundation' — lit., the foundations; i.e., 'the 
 nobles shall be broken' or brought low. So ch. 
 iii. 1 ; Ps. xi. 3 : cf. v. 13, " The princes . . . the 
 stay of the tribes." The Arabs call a prince 'a 
 pillar of the people' {Maurer). ' Their weaving- 
 frames' {Horsley). 'Dykes' {Barnes), all that 
 make sluices, &c. — 'makers of dams,' made to 
 confine the waters which overflow from the Nile 
 in artificial fish-ponds ["i?.??, akin to I5p, to enclose] 
 {Horsley). ' Makers of gain ' [from 15B>, to gain]— the 
 usual sense of the Hebrew; i.e., the common people, 
 who have to earn their livelihood, as opposed to 
 the 'nobles' previously {Maurer). I agree with 
 the last interpretation, (and) ponds for fish- 
 Hebrew, agmee naphesh, ponds for the life; i.e., 
 ponds for living fish (cf. marg.; also Gen. i. 20) 
 ( Vatahlus). Or else, ponds of the soul — i. e., of the 
 desire; pleasure ponds for fish. Maurer takes the 
 Hebrew ["'.p..';^f, as if it were the same as np^r. Job 
 XXX. 25], 'The makers of gain (the conamon 
 people) shall be sad in soul. ' The parallelism is 
 thus good. The LXX. and Arabic also translate, 
 ' shall be afflicted [Troi/eVouo-i] in their souls.' But 
 the Chaldaic Targum and Vulgate favour the 
 English version; and Maurer's view strains the 
 Hebrew word into the sense of the term in the 
 Chaldaic, out of the ordinary Hebrew sense, which 
 is that of the English version. 
 
 11. Zoan. The Greeks called it Tauis, a. city of 
 Lower Egypt, east of the Tanitic arm of the Nile, 
 now San; it was one of the nearest Egyptian 
 towns to Palestine (Num. xiii. 22), the scene of 
 Moses' miracles (Ps. Ixxviii. 12, 43). It, or else 
 Memphis, was the capital under Sethos. the 
 counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is 
 become brutish : how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am 
 the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? 
 Ye have no advice to suggest to Pharaoh in the 
 crisis, notwithstanding that ye boast of descent 
 from wise and royal ancestors, {according to the 
 testimony of Strabo, Plato, &c.) The priests were 
 the usual " counsellors'" of the Egyptian kings. He 
 was generally chosen from the priestly caste ; or, if 
 from the warrior caste, he was admitted into the 
 sacred order, and was called a priest. The priests, 
 therefore, meant themselves, severally and i^di- 
 vidually, by the expression, " I am the son of the 
 wise, the son of ancient kings:" this was their 
 favourite boast {Herodotus, ii. 141 : cf. Amos vii. 14 ; 
 Acts xxiii. 6; Phil. iii. 5). "Pharaoh" was the 
 common name of all the kings : Sethos, probably, 
 is here meant. The priests identify themselves 
 with the Pharaohs, who belonged, either by birth 
 or by adoption, to their cjiste. 12. where are thy 
 
The calling 
 
 ISAIAH XIX. 
 
 of Egypt. 
 
 And let tliem tell thee now, and let them know 
 What the Lord of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt. 
 
 13 The princes of Zoan are become fools, — the princes of -^Noph are deceived ; 
 They have also seduced Egypt, 
 
 Eten ^they that are the stay of the tribes thereof. 
 
 14 The Lord hath mingled ^*^a perverse spirit in the midst thereof : 
 And they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof. 
 
 As a drunken 7nan staggereth in his vomit. 
 
 15 Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, 
 Whicli the head or tail, branch or rush, may do. 
 
 In that day shall Egypt ^ be like unto women ; 
 And it shall be afraid and fear, 
 
 Because of the shaking of the hand of the Lord of hosts. 
 Which he shaketh over it. 
 
 And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt ; 
 Every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, 
 Because of the counsel of the Lord of hosts. 
 Which he hath determined against it. 
 
 In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt 
 Speak " the language of Canaan, — and swear to the Lord of hosts: 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 18 
 
 B. C. 714. 
 
 / Ex. 30. 13. 
 Jer. 2. 16. 
 Jer. 46. 19. 
 Hos. 9. 6. 
 
 9 corners, or, 
 governors. 
 JVuni. 21.17. 
 lSam.14.38. 
 Zech. 10. 4. 
 1 Pet. 2. 7. 
 
 10 a spirit of 
 perverse- 
 ness. 
 
 1 Ki. 22. 22. 
 
 ch. 29. 10. 
 ^ Ps. 48. 6. 
 
 Ch. 30. ir. 
 
 Jer. 30. 5-7. 
 
 Jer. 50. 37. 
 
 Jer. 51. SO. 
 
 Nah. 3. 13. 
 "the lip. 
 
 Gen. 11. 1. 
 
 Zeph. 3. 9. 
 1 Ueut. 10.20. 
 
 Wise men? and let them tell thee now, and let 
 them know what the Lord of hosts hath purposed 
 upon Egypt— 2. e., How is it that, with all their 
 boast of knowiug the future {Diodorus, i. 81), they 
 do not know what Jehovah of hosts hath purposed 
 against Egypt, as He declares now by me, His 
 prophet? 13. Noph — called also Moph ; Greek, 
 Memphis (Jer. ii. 16 ; Hos. ix. C) ; on the western 
 bank of the Nile, capital of Lower Egypt, second 
 only to Thebes in all Egypt : the residence of the 
 kings, until the Ptolemies removed to Alexandria ; 
 the word means the j^ort of the good [Plutarch). 
 The Copts call it Menouf. the princes of Noph 
 are deceived. The military caste probably ruled 
 in it : ' they also are deceived,' in fancying their 
 country secure from Assyrian invasion, the stay 
 of the tribes thereof— rather, 'the corner-stone 
 of her castes' (Maurer) ; i. e., the princes, the two 
 ruling castes, the priests and the warriors : image 
 from a building which rests mainly on its corner- 
 stones [v. 10, note; ch. xxviii. 16; Ps. cxviii. 22; 
 Num. xxiv. 17, marg. ; Judg. xx. 2 ; 1 Sam. xiv. 38, 
 7na7~g. ; Zech. x. 4). 14. The Lord hath mingled a 
 perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they 
 have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, 
 as a drunken (man) staggereth in his vomit- 
 referring to the anarchy arising from their internal 
 feuds. Horsley translates, ' with respect to all His 
 (God's) works ; ' they misinterpreted God's dealings 
 a.t every step. " Mingled " contains the same image 
 as "drunken: "as one mixes spices with wine to 
 make it intoxicating (ch. v. 22; Prov. ix. 2, 5), so 
 Jehovah has poured among them a spirit of 
 giddiness, so that they are as helpless as a 
 "drunken man." 15. Neither shall there be 
 (any) work for Egypt— nothing which Egypt can 
 do to extricate itself from the difficulty, which 
 the head or tail— high or low [vv. 11-15, and 8-10). 
 branch or rush, may do— the lofty palm branch 
 or the humble reed (chs. ix. 14, 15 ; x. 33, 34). 
 
 16. In that day shall Egypt be like unto 
 women — timid and helpless (Jer. li. 30; Nah. iii. 
 13). it shall . . . fear, because of the shaking of 
 the hand of the Lord of hosts— His judgments 
 by means of the invaders (chs. x. 5, 32 ; xi. 15). 
 17. Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt— not by 
 itself : but at this time Hezekiah was the active 
 subordinate ally of Assyria in its invasion of Egypt 
 under Sargon. Similarly to the alliance of Judah 
 624 
 
 with Assyria here is 2 Ki. xxiii. 29, where Josiah 
 takes the iield against Pharaoh-necho of Egypt, 
 probably as ally of Assyria against Egypt [G. 
 V. Smith). Vitringa explains it, that Egypt in 
 its calamities would remember that prophets of 
 Judah had foretold them, and so Judah would be 
 " a terror unto Egypt." every one that maketh 
 mention thereof— of Judah. shall be afraid in 
 himself, because of the counsel of the Lord cf 
 hosts, which he hath determined against it— 
 against Egypt. 
 
 18-22.— Suffering shall lead to repentance. Struck 
 with "terror" and "afraid" {v. 17), because of 
 Jehovah's judgments, Egypt shall be converted to 
 Him ; nay, even Assyria shall join in serving Him ; 
 so that Israel, Assyria, and Egypt, once mutual 
 foes, shall be bound together by the tie of a 
 common faith as one people. So a similar issue 
 from other prophecies (chs. xviii. 7; xxiii. 18). 18. 
 In that day shall five cities in the land of EgyjJt 
 — i.e., several cities; as in chs. xvii. 6; xxx. 17; 
 Gen. xliii. 34; Lev. xxvi. 8. Rather, five definite 
 cities of Lower Egypt [vv. 11, 13 ; ch. xxx. 4), 
 which had close intercourse with the neighbouring 
 Jewish cities [Maurer) : some say, Heliopolis, 
 Leontopolis (else Diospolis), Migdol, Daphne 
 (Tahpanes), and Memphis, speak the language 
 of Canaan — i. e., of the Hebrews in Canaan; the 
 language of revelation. Figure for. They shall 
 embrace the Jewish religion : so " a pure language ' 
 and conversion to God are connected in Zeph. iii. 9. 
 As also the first confounding and multiplication of 
 languages was the punishment of the making of 
 gods at Babel, other than the One God. Pente- 
 cost (Acts. ii. 4) was the counterpart and antidote 
 of Babel : the separation of nations is not to hinder 
 the unity of faith : the full realization of this is 
 yet future (Zech. xiv. 9 ; John xvii. 21) : ' Multse 
 terricolis linguje, coelestibus una.' One language 
 alone was the vehicle of honouring God in Israelite 
 times. In the coming antitype to the old theo- 
 cracy, " the multitude which no man can number, 
 of all tongues " shall sing one and the same song of 
 praise for "salvation" to the Lamb (Rev. vii. 9). 
 St. Mark is reported by tradition to have preached 
 the Gospel in Alexandria and Egypt. Then their 
 language became spiritually that "of Canaan," the 
 heavenly inheritance: it was no longer uncircum- 
 cised, but pure (ch. vi. 5). The next clause, and 
 
Fhe covenant of Egypt, 
 
 ISAIAH XIX. 
 
 Assyria, and Israel. 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 One shall be called, The city ^- of destruction. 
 19 In that *day ishall there be an altar to the Lord 
 In the midst of the land of Egypt, 
 And a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord. 
 
 And ■' it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in 
 
 the land of Egypt : 
 For they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, 
 And he shall send them a saviour, and a great one. 
 And he shall deliver them. 
 And the Lord shall be known to Egypt, 
 And the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, 
 And * shall do sacrifice and oblation ; 
 Yea, they shall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it. 
 
 22 And the Lord shall smite Eg}^pt ; he shall smite and heal it : 
 And they shall return even to the Lord, 
 
 And he shall be entreated of them, and shall heal them. 
 
 23 In that day ^ shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, 
 
 And the Ass}Tian shall come into Egypt, — and the Egyptian into Assyria; 
 And the Egyjjtians shall serve with the Assyrians. 
 
 24 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, 
 Even a blessing in the midst of the land : 
 
 25 Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, — Blessed he Egypt my people, 
 And Assyria "^the work of my hands, — and Israel mine inheritance. 
 
 B. C. 71 1. 
 
 12 Or. (-f 
 
 Heres, or, 
 
 of the sun. 
 ' Gen. I?. 7. 
 
 Oen. 2^. l«. 
 
 Ex. 24. 4. 
 
 Jo.^h. 22.10. 
 
 Josh. 2i.23. 
 27. 
 
 Ch. 68. 23. 
 
 Zech. 6. 1.5. 
 
 Heb. 13. 10. 
 3 Josh. 4. 20. 
 
 Josh. 22.27. 
 
 ch. 55. 23. 
 
 Zeph. 3. 10. 
 
 Mai. 1. 11. 
 
 Eom. 1.5.27, 
 ' ch. 11. 1,5. 
 
 I'S. lOO. 3. 
 
 Ps. 133. 8. 
 
 Hos. 2. 23. 
 
 Rom. 3. 19. 
 
 Rom. 9. 2.'. 
 24. 
 
 Eph. 2. 10. 
 Phil. 1. fi. 
 Col. 3. 10. 
 11. 
 
 swear to the Lord of hosts, ai^ ees with this view — 
 i. e., shall hind themselves to Him by solemn covenant 
 
 16; Deut. vi. 13). city of 
 Onias, who had fled, in dis 
 
 (chs. xlv. 23; Ixv. 
 destruction— [Dnnr]] 
 
 appointment at not getting the high-priesthood, 
 into Egypt, and rose to high rank under Ptolemy 
 Philonieter, read 'city of the sun^ [DTirn]— i. e., 
 On, or Heliopolis : he persuaded Ptolemy Philo- 
 meter (149 B.C.) to let him build a temple in the 
 prefecture (nome) of Heliopolis, on the ground that 
 it would induce Jews to reside there, and that the 
 very site was foretold by Isaiah 600 years before. 
 So sixteen MSS. So Vulgate reads. The Chaldaic 
 reads, ' One of them shall be called The city, the 
 house of the sun, which is doomed to be destroyed.' 
 The reading of the Hebrew text is, however, better 
 supported, "city of destruction" referring to Leon- 
 toi)olis, the site of Onias' temple : which casts a 
 reproach on that city because it was about to 
 contain a temple rivalling the only sanctioned 
 temple, that at Jerusalem. Maurer and Gesenius 
 translate, 'city of defence,^ or deliverance'' — viz., 
 Mempliis, or some such city, to which God was 
 about to send a " saviour " [v. 20), to 'deliver them 
 from their many calamities.' 19. altar — not for 
 mcrijice, as the "jtillar" for m,emorial and 
 worship (Josh. xxii. 22-26). Isaiah does not con- 
 template a temple in Egypt: for the only legal 
 temple was at Jerusalem ; but, like the patriarchs, 
 they shall have altars in various places, and a 
 pillar— such as Jacob reared ((jlen. xxviii. 18; 
 xxxv. 14j: it was a common jnactice in Egypt to 
 raise obelisks commemorating divine and great 
 events, at ttie border- of Egypt and Judah, to 
 proclaim to both countries the common faith. 
 This passage sLows how the Holy Spirit raised 
 Isaiah above a nai row-minded nationality to a 
 charity anticipatory of (iospel catholicity. 20. 
 And it - the altar and pillar, for a sign (of the 
 fnliilracnt of prophecy) — to their contemitoraries. 
 and for a witness— to their descendants, cry unto 
 the Lord — no longer to their idols., but to Jehovah. 
 and he shall send them a saviour — ^irobably 
 ALcvciider tit/i Ureal, (fio "a yroat one"), whom the 
 VOL. IIL C2t> 
 
 Eg.vx)tians welcomed as a deliverer (Greek, Soter, 
 a title of the Ptolemies) out of the hands of the 
 Persians, who under Cambyses had been their 
 "oppressors." At Alexandria, called from him, 
 the Old Testament was translated into Greek for 
 the Greek-speaking Jews, who in large numbers 
 dwelt in Egypt under the Ptolemies, his successors. 
 Messiah is the Antitype ultimately intended (cf. 
 Acts ii. 10, in "Egypt.") 21. the Egyptians . . . 
 shall do . . . oblation — unbloody (Hebrew, min- 
 chah). 22. the Lord shall smite Egypt . . . and 
 heal it— as described, vv. 18-20. and they shall 
 return (even) to the Lord— for heathen sin and 
 idolatry are an apostasy from primitive truth. 
 
 23. highway out of Egypt to Assyria— free 
 communication, resting on the highest basis, the 
 common faith of l)oth {v. 18; ch. xi. 16). Assyria 
 and Egypt were joined under Alexander as parts 
 of his empire: Jews and proselytes from both met 
 at the feasts of Jerusalem. A type of Gospel 
 times to come, the Egyptians shall "serve with the 
 Assyrians— serve Jehovah M-ith the Assyrians. So 
 "serve" is used absolutely (Job xxxvi, 11). 24. 
 Israel be the third— the three shall be joined as 
 one nation, (even) a blessing— the source of 
 blessings to other nations, and the object of their 
 benedictions, in the midst of the land — rather, 
 earth (Mic. v. 7). Judah is designed to be the 
 grand centre of the whole earth (Jer. iii. 17). 25. 
 Whom — rather. Which; viz., "the land," or 
 ' earth,' — i. e., the people of it {Maurer). Blessed 
 (be) Egypt my people— the peculiar designation of 
 Israel, the elect people, here applied to Egypt, to 
 express its entire admission to religious jjrivileges 
 (Rom. ix. 24-26 ; 1 l*et. ii. 9, 10). and Assyria the 
 work of my hands — spiritually (Hos. ii. 23 ; 
 Eph. ii. 10). 
 
 Remarlcs. — How vain are men's boasts of wise 
 and kingly ancestors ! The wisdom and glory 
 which are not of the Lord give place to abject and 
 heli)lcs3 "fear" when "the Lord shaketh His 
 hand " in wrath. But the Lord remembers mercy 
 amidst judgments. Suffering and terror, through 
 God's judgments made manifest, are often over- 
 2s 
 
I 
 
 ^apth'ily of 
 
 ISAIAH XX. 
 
 Egypt and Ethiopia. 
 
 20 IN tlie year that " Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of 
 
 2 Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it ; at the same 
 time spake the Lord ^ by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose 
 ^ the sackcloth from oft" thy loins, and put off" thy shoe from thy foot. 
 
 3 And he did so, ^ walking naked and barefoot. And the Lord said, Like 
 as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years '^for a 
 
 4 sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia ; so shall the king of 
 Assyria lead away ^ the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, 
 young ,and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, 
 
 B. C. 714. 
 
 CHAP. 20. 
 " 2 Ki. 18. ir. 
 
 1 by the 
 hand of 
 Isaiah. 
 
 & Zech. 13. 4. 
 " lSam.19.24. 
 ch. 8. 18. 
 
 2 the captivi- 
 ty of iigypt. 
 
 ruled to the sinner's conviction and conversion, as 
 in the case of E;^ypt. Christianity, when it shall 
 have wrought out its full and final results, shall 
 counterwork all the evils of the fall, and sub- 
 sequently of the confusion of tongues at Babel. 
 In the |)erfect state which yet shall be, all the 
 redeemed out of every land shall speak the same 
 tongue, praising the Triune God with one heart 
 and one voice. Meanwhile we should try in 
 spirit to speak already "the language of Canaan," 
 the better land to which we are hastening. 
 
 CHAP. XX. 1-0.— Continuation of the Sub- 
 ject OF Ch. XIX., BUT AT A LATER DATE — CAP- 
 TIVITY OF Egypt and Ethiopia. In .the reign 
 of Sargon (722-715 B.C.), the successor of Shalman- 
 eser, an Assyrian invasion of Egypt took place. 
 Its success is here foretold ; and hence a party 
 among the Jews are warned of the folly of their 
 "expectation" of aid from Egypt or Ethiopia. 
 At a later period (ch. xviii.), when Tirhakah of 
 Ethiopia was their ally, the Ethiopians are treated 
 as friends, to w^ioni God announces the overthrow 
 of the common Assyrian foe, Sennacherib. Egypt 
 and Ethiopia in this chapter {vv. 3, 4) are repre- 
 sented as allied together, the result, no doubt, of 
 fear of the common foe. Previously they had been 
 at strife (ch. xix. 2), and the Etliio])ian king had, 
 just before Sethos' usurj^ation, withdrawn from 
 occupation of part of Lower Egypt. Hence 
 "Egypt" is mentioned alone in ck xix., which 
 refers to a somewhat earlier stage of the same 
 event— a delicate mark of truth. Sargon seems 
 to have been the king who finished the capture 
 of Samaria, which Shalmaneser began. The 
 alliance of Hoshea with So, or Sabacho II., of 
 Ethiopia, and his refusal to pay the usual tribute, 
 ]irovoked Shalmaneser to the invasion. On clay 
 cvlindrical seals, found in Sennacherib's jjalace at 
 Kouyunjik, the name of Sabacho is deciphei-ed. 
 The two seals are thought, from the inscriptions, 
 to have been attached to the treaty of peace be- 
 tween Egypt and Assyria, which resulted from the 
 invasion of Egypt by Sargon, described in this 
 chapter. 2 Ki. xviii. 10 curiously confirms the 
 view derived from Assyrian inscrij)tions, that 
 though Shalmaneser began, Sargon finished the 
 conquest of Samaria : Hhey took it' (Samaria). Cf. 
 2 Ki. xvii. 4-6, "came up Shalmaneser . . . Then 
 Hie king oj Assyria went up." In Sargon's palace 
 at Khorsabad the inscriptions state that 27,280 
 Israelites were led captive by the founder of the 
 palace. Whilst Shalmaneser was engaged in the 
 siege of Samaria, Sargon probably usurped the 
 supreme power and destroyed him. The siege 
 began in 723 B.C., and ended in 721 B.C. — the 
 first year of Sargon's reign. Hence arises the 
 ]>aucity of inscriptions of the two predecessors of 
 Sargon, Tiglath-juleser and Shalmaneser. The 
 usurper destroyed them, just as Tiglath-pileser 
 destroyed those of Pul (Sardanapalus), the last 
 of the old line of Ninus. The names of his 
 father and grandfather, which have been deci- 
 phered in the palace of his son Sennacherib, do 
 not appear in the list of Assyrian kings, which 
 62G 
 
 confirms the view that he was a satrap who 
 usuri^ed the throne. He was so able a general 
 that Hezekiah made no attempt to shake oil tlie 
 tribute until the reign of Sennacherib; hence 
 Judah was not invaded now, as the land of the 
 Philistines and Egypt were. After conquering 
 Israel, he sent his general, Tartan, to iittack the 
 Philistine cities, "Ashdod," &g., preliminary to 
 his invasion of Egypt and Ethiopia; for the line of 
 march to Egypt lay along the south-west coast of 
 Palestine. The inscriptions confirm the prophecy: 
 tliey tell us he received tribute from a Pharaoh 
 of "Egypt," besides destroying in part the 
 Ethiopian 'N,o-Ammon,' or Thebes (Nah. iii. 8); 
 also that he warred with the kings of "Ashdod," 
 Gaza, &c., in harmony with Isaiah here. A 
 memorial tablet of him is found in Cyprus also, 
 showing that he extended his arms to that island. 
 His reign was six or seven years in duration— 
 722-715 B.C. {G. V. Smith.) 
 
 1. Tartan— probably the same general as was 
 sent by Sennacherib against Hezekiah (2 Ki. xviii. 
 17). Gesenius takes "Tartan" as a title, came 
 unto Ashdod— called by the Greeks Azotus (Acts 
 viii. 40) ; on the Mediterranean : one of the ' five ' 
 cities of the Philistines. The taking of it was a 
 necessary preliminary to the invasion of Egypt, to 
 which it w^as the key in that quarter, the Philis- 
 tines being allies of Egypt. So strongly did the 
 Assyrians fortify it that it stood a twenty-nine 
 years' siege, when it was retaken by the Egyptian 
 Psammitichus. (when Sargon the king of Assyria 
 sent him.) Sargon himself remained behind, en- 
 gaged Avith the Phoenician cities, or else led the 
 main force more directly into Egypt out of Judah 
 (G. V. Smith). 2. spake the Lord Toy Isaiah— lit. , 
 by the hand of (cf. Ezek. iii. 14). loose the sack- 
 cloth — the loose outer garment of coarse dark 
 hair-cloth worn by mourners (2 Sam. iii. 31) and 
 by prophets, fastened at the waist by a girdle 
 (Matt. iii. 4; 2 Ki. i. 8; Zech. xiii. 4), he did so, 
 walking naked— rather, uncovered. He merely 
 ]")ut off the outer sackcloth, retaining still the 
 tunic, or inner vest (1 Sam. xix. 24 ; Amos ii. 16 ; 
 John xxi. 7) : an emblem to show that Egyi^t 
 should be stripped of its possessions. The very 
 dress of Isaiah was a silent exhortation to repent- 
 ance. 3. Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked 
 naked and barefoot three years (for) a sign. 
 Isaiah's symbolical action did not continue all this 
 time, but at intervals, to keep it before the people's 
 mind during that period {Rosenmiiller). This is 
 the only instance of a strictly symbolical act 
 performed by Isaiah. With later prophets, as 
 Jeremiah and Ezekiel, such acts were common. 
 In some cases they were performed, not literally, 
 but only in prophetic vision, wonder — rather, a 
 portent; an ovien: conveying a threat as to the 
 future. VL^on— in reference to ; against. As Isaiah 
 my servant walked naked and barefoot at certain 
 seasons and occasions from time to time, for the 
 space of three years — 4. So — within the space of 
 three years— shall the king of Assyria lead away 
 the Egyptians prisoners . . . witli (their) buttocks 
 
The fall of 
 
 ISAIAH XXI. 
 
 Babylon foreshown, 
 
 21 
 
 to the ^ shame of Egj^pt. And ^ they shall be afraid and ashamed of 
 Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory. And the inhabi- 
 tant of this * isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our exjjectation, 
 whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria : and 
 how shall we escape ? 
 
 THE burden of the desert of the sea. 
 
 As " whirlwinds in the south pass through ; 
 So it cometh from the desert, — ^from a terrible land. 
 A 1 grievous vision is declared unto me; 
 
 The ^ treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. 
 
 ^ Go up, 0 Elam : besiege, 0 Media : 
 
 All the sighing thereof have I made to cease. 
 
 Therefore are my loins filled with pain : 
 
 Pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travailetli : 
 I was bowed down at the hearing of it; 
 I was dismayed at the seeing of it. 
 
 B. C. 714. 
 
 nakedness. 
 2 Ki. 18. 21. 
 ch. 31. 1, 2. 
 ch. 36. 6. 
 Jrr. 3. 23- 
 25. 
 
 Jar. 15. 19. 
 4 Or. 
 country. 
 Jtr. 47. 4. 
 
 CHAl^ 21. 
 " Zech. 9. 14. 
 1 hard. 
 * 1 Sam. 24. 13. 
 
 ch. 24. 10. 
 
 ch. 33. 1. 
 
 Rev. 13. 10. 
 " Jer. 49. 31. 
 
 ch. 13. 17. 
 
 uncovered. Belzoni says that captives are found 
 represented thus on Egyi)tian monuments (ch. 
 xlvii. 2, 3; ISTah. iii. 5, 8, 9), where, as here, Egypt 
 and Etniopia are mentioned as in alliance. 'The 
 monuments represent Sargon as warring with 
 Egypt, ancj forcing the Pharaoh of the time to 
 become tributary. They also represent Egypt at 
 this time in that close connection with Ethiopia 
 which the prophet implies ' {G. Raiolinson). 5. 
 tliey— the Philistine allies of Egypt, who trusted 
 iu it for help against Assyria, shall be . . . 
 ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of 
 Egypt their glory— a warning to the party among 
 the Jews who, though Judah was then the subor- 
 dinate ally of Assyria, were looking to Egypt as a 
 preferable ally (ch. xxx. 7). Ethiopia was their 
 
 expectation," for Palestina had not yet obtained, 
 but hoped for alliance with it. Egypt was their 
 "glory" — i.e., boast (ch. xiii. 19), for the alliance 
 with it was completed. 6. the inhabitant of this 
 isle— i. e., coast on the Mediterranean— Philistia, 
 perhaps Phoenicia (cf. chs. xxiii. 2; xi. 11 ; xiii. 22 ; 
 Ps. Ixxii. 10). shall say . . . Behold, such is our 
 expectation, whither we flee for help to be de- 
 livered from the king of Assyria : and how shall 
 we escape? "We," emijhatical. If Egyi)t, in 
 which we trusted, was overcome— if such has been 
 the fate of that strong emigre, whence we had our 
 expectation of delicerance from Assyria, how shall 
 v)e, a small weak state, escape ? 
 
 Reniarhs. — The minister's aspect and bearing 
 ought to be a living commentary and exemi)liiica- 
 tion of that which he preaches. Whatever the 
 Lord wills concerning him, however the world 
 may charge him with singularity, should be his 
 will. The dress is often the index of the charac- 
 ter; and it is true wisdom, whilst avoiding the 
 ostentation of s]mrious humility, to cultivate real 
 simplicity and humility in externals, as well as in 
 the heart. 
 
 CHAP. XXI. 1-10.— Repetition of the As- 
 surance GIVEN IX Otis. xiii. and xiv. to the 
 Jews about to be Captives in Babylon, that 
 their Enemy should be Destroyed and they 
 be Delivered. He does not narrate the event, 
 but graphically supposes himself a watchman in 
 Babylon, beholdiug the events as they pass. 
 
 1. The burden of the desert of the sea— The 
 champaign between Babylon and Persia. It was 
 once a desert, and it was to become so again, of 
 the sea. The plain was covered with the water of 
 the Euphrates, like a " sea " (Jer. li. 13, 30 : so 
 ch. xix. 5, "tlie (Egyptian) sm"— the Nile), until 
 Semiramis raisea great dams against it. Cyrus 
 
 removed these dykes, and so converted the whole 
 country again into a vast desert-marsh. 
 
 As whirlwinds in the south - ( Job xxxvii. 9 ; 
 Zech. ix. 14.) The south wind comes upon Babylon 
 from the deserts of Arabia, and its violence is 
 the greater from its course being unbroken along 
 the plain (Job i. 19, "a great wind from the wil- 
 derness "). (so) it cometh from the desert— the 
 plain between Babylon and Persia, from a 
 terrible land — Media, to guard against which was 
 the object of Nitocris' great works [Herodotus, i. 
 185). Cf. as to "terrible" applied to a wilder- 
 ness, as being full of unknown dangers, Deut. i. 
 19. 2. the treacherous dealer dealeth treacher- 
 ously — referring to the military stratagem em- 
 ployed by Cyrus in taking Babylon. Vatahlus 
 translates ' ( There is, or will be) a treacherous 
 dealer (the Medo-Persian invader), to the treacher- 
 ous dealer' (Babylon). Babylon is repaid in her 
 own coin. Ch. xxxiii. 1 ; Hab. ii. 8 favour this. 
 The Hebrew is hahogeed bogeed, vehashodeed 
 shodeed : 'the treacherous dealer treacherous 
 dealer, the spoiler spoiler!' Go up. Isaiah 
 abruptly recites the order which he hears God 
 giving to the Persians, the instruments of His 
 vengeance (ch. xiii. 3, 17). Elam— a province of 
 Persia, the original place of their settlement (Gen. 
 X. 22), east of the Euphrates. The name Persia 
 was not in use until the captivity: it means a 
 horseman. Cyrus first trained the Persians in 
 horsemanship. It is a mark of authenticity that 
 the name is not found before Daniel and Ezekiel 
 {Bochart). Persia strictly was the tract on the 
 Persian Gulf, now Fars or Farsistan, bounded on 
 the west by Susiana or Elam, on the north by 
 Media, on the east by Carmania, and on the 
 south by the Persian Gulf. But the Persian 
 emijire ultimately was extended so as to coni- 
 prise no less than thirty countries besides Persia 
 l)roper. all the sighing thereof have I made 
 to cease— the "sighing" caused by Babylon (ch. 
 xiv. 7, 8). 3. Therefore are my loins filled 
 with pain. Isaiah imagines himself among the 
 exiles in Babylon, and cannot help feeling 
 moved by the calamities which come on it. So 
 for Moab (chs. xv. 5 ; xvi. 11). pain— (cf. ch. 
 xiii. 8 ; Ezek. xxx. 4. ) I was bowed down at the 
 hearing (of it); I was dismayed at the seeing (of 
 it). The Hebrew may mean, ' I was so bowed 
 down that / could not hear; I was so dismayed 
 that I could not see' (Gen. xvi. 2; Ps. Ixix. 23) 
 [Maurer] — lit., ''from hearing— /rom seeing Mish- 
 mang-meereoth. The Hebrew particle, min, has 
 often the privative sense. 4. My heart panted 
 
Babylon foreshown. 
 
 4 ^My heart panted, — fearfulness affrighted me: 
 
 The uight of my pleasure — hath he ^ turned into fear unto me. 
 
 5 Prepare Hhe table, — watch in the watch-tuwer, — eat, drink : 
 Arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield. 
 
 G For thus hath the Lord said unto me, 
 
 Go, set a watchman, — let him declare what he seetli. 
 
 7 And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, 
 A chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels ; 
 
 8 And he hearkened diligently with much heed : — and * he cried, A lion: 
 My lord, I stand continually upon the ^watch-tower — in the day time, 
 And I am set in my ward — ^ whole nights; 
 
 9 And, behold, here cometh — a chariot of men, tvith a couple of horsemen. 
 And he answered and said, — ^Babylon is fallen, is fallen; 
 
 And all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. 
 10 0 '^my threshing, and tlie ^corn of my floor: 
 
 That which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, 
 Have I declared unto you. 
 
 [n:^r'.]— lit. , erred: so palpitated (2s. xxxviii. 10). 
 the night of my pleasure hath he (the Persian 
 foe, directed by God) turned into fear unto me. 
 The prophet supposes himself one of the ban- 
 queters at Belshazzar's feast, on the night that 
 Babylon was about to be taken by surprise ; 
 hence his exj^ression, " pleasure," (ch. xiv. 11 ; 
 Jer. li. 39; Dan. v.) 
 
 5. Prepare the table— viz., the feast in Babylon 
 during which Cyrus opened the dykes made by 
 Semiramis to conHne the Euphrates to one chan- 
 nel, and suffered them to overflow the country, so 
 that he could enter Babylon by tlie channel of the 
 river, watch in the watch-tower, eat, drink: 
 arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield. Isaiah 
 first represents the king ordering the feast to be got 
 ready after the watch has been set. The suddenness 
 of the irruption of the foe is graphically expressed 
 by the rapid turn in the language to an alarm ad- 
 dressed to the Babylonian princes, " arise," &c. (cf. 
 ch. xxii. 13.) j1i«(« er ti anslates, they jrreipare 
 the table, they watch, &c., they eat, they drink,' 
 on the ground that what follows does not so well 
 cohere with the verbs taken as imperatives, the 
 imperative mood beginning first with, "arise, ye 
 princes," &c. But see ch. viii. 9. watch in the 
 watch-tower — rather, set the watch; lit., watch the 
 iratching ; tza2yhoh hatmphith. This done, they 
 thought they might feast in entire security. Baby- 
 lon had many watch-towers on its walls, anoint 
 the shield — this was done to prevent the leather 
 of the shield becoming hard and- liable to crack. 
 'Make ready for defence:' the mention of the 
 "shield" alone (not also offensive arms) implies 
 that it is the Babylonian revellers who are called 
 on to prepare for instant self-defence. 6. God's 
 direction to Isaiah to set a watchman to " declare" 
 what he sees. Horsley makes Isaiah the " watch- 
 man," and translates, ' Come, let him who standeth 
 on the watch-tower report what he seeth.' 7. he 
 saw a chariot (with) a couple of horsemen, 
 a chariot of asses, (and) a chariot of camels. 
 Or else, a cavalcade (a body of riders, namely), 
 some riding in pairs on horses (lit., a pair of horse- 
 men, i. e., two abreast), others riding on asses, others 
 on camels (cf. v. 9, "a chariot of men ... a couple 
 of horsemen" — i. e., a caoalca.de of men on horseback, 
 riding two abreast, ch. xxii. 0). " Chariot " (He- 
 brew, recJieb) is not appropriate to be joined, as 
 the English version translates, with "asses:" the 
 Hebrew means plainly in v. 7, as in v. 9, 'a body 
 of men riding.' The Persians use<l asses and 
 camels for war (Strabo, xv. 2, sec. 14 ; IJerodotus, iv. 
 
 B. C. 714. 
 
 a C r. II y 
 
 mind 
 waniier. d. 
 <* Deut. iS.07. 
 
 3 put. 
 
 * Dan. 5. 5. 
 
 * Cr, ciiel 
 as a lion. 
 
 / Hab. 2. I. 
 
 * Or, every 
 night. 
 
 " ch. i:?. n. 
 
 Jer. 60. 2. 
 
 Jer. 61. 8. 
 
 Rtv. 11. 8. 
 
 Kev. 1-^, 2. 
 ft Jer. 33, 
 
 Mic. 4. 13. 
 
 Hab. .3. 1.-. 
 
 Matt. 3. 12. 
 « son. 
 
 129) {Maurer). /fors/e?/ translates, 'one drawn in 
 a car, with a pair of riders, drawn by an ass, 
 drawn by a camel : ' Cyrus is the man ; the car 
 drawn by a camel and ass yoked together, and 
 driven by two postillions, one on each, is the joint 
 army of Medes and Persians under their respec- 
 tive leaders. He thinks the more ancient military 
 cars were driven by men riding on the beasts that 
 drew thetn : v. 9 favours this. 8. And he cried, A 
 lion— rather, '(the watchman) cried, I am as a 
 lion:' so as is understood, ch. Ixii. 5; Ps. xi. 1. 
 The point of comparison to "A lion" is in lie'v. x. 
 3, the loudness of the cry. But here it is rather 
 his vigilance. The lion's eyelids are short, so tliat, 
 even when asleep, he seems to be on the watch, 
 awake: hence he was painted on doors of temples 
 as the symbol of watchfulness, guarding the place 
 {Horsley). 9. chariot of men— chariots with men 
 in them; or rather, the same cavalcade or body of 
 riders, horsemen two abreast, as in v. 7 (Maurer). 
 But Horsley, 'the man drawn in a car with a pair 
 of riders.' The first half of this verse describes 
 what the watchman sees; the second half, what 
 the watchman says, in consequence of what he secfs. 
 In the interval between v. 7 and 9, the overthrow 
 of Babylon by the horsemen, or man in the car, is 
 accomplished. The overthrow needed to be an- 
 nounced to the prophet by the watchman, owing to 
 the great extent of the city. Herodotus (i. 131) 
 says, that one jmrt of the city was captured a 
 considerable time before the other received the 
 tidings of it. And he answered — not to some- 
 tiling said previously, but in reference to the 
 subject in the mind of the writer, to be collected 
 from the preceding discourse: proclaimeth [3 oh in. 
 2; marg., Dan. ii. 26; Acts v. 8). Babylon is 
 fallen . . . fallen. The repetition expresses em- 
 phasis and certainty (Ps. xcii. 9; xciii. 3: cf. Jer. 
 li. 8; Rev. xviii. 2), all the graven images of 
 her gods he hath broken (and dashed) unto the 
 ground— Merodach, &c. (Jer. 1. 2 ; li. 44, 52). 
 The Persians had no images, temples, or altras, 
 and charged the makers of such with madness 
 (Herodotus, i. 131) : therefore they dashed the 
 Babylonian 'images broken unto the ground.' 
 
 10. my threshing — i. e., my people (the Jews), 
 trodden down by Babylon, and the com of my 
 floor — Hebrew, the son of my floor ; all that is on 
 the floor ; i. e., my people, treated as corn laid on 
 the floor for threshing : implying, too, that by 
 affliction, a remnant (grain) would be separated 
 from the ungodly (chaff). Even when on the floor 
 of corrective threshing, God's people are stilJ re- 
 
The set time 
 
 11 
 
 ISAIAH XXI. 
 
 of A rabians calamity. 
 
 The * burden of Dumah. 
 He calleth to me out of Seir, 
 Watchman, what of the night ? — Watchman, what of the niglit ? 
 
 12 The watchman said, — The morning cometh, and also the night: 
 If ye will enquire, enquire ye: — return, come,, 
 
 13 The burden upon Arabia. 
 
 In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, 
 0 ye travelling companies -^ of Dedanim. 
 
 14 The inhabitants of the land of ^'Tema ^brongbfc water to him that v»'as 
 
 thirsty, 
 
 They prevented with their bread him that fled. 
 
 15 For they fled ^from the swords, — from the drawn sword ^ 
 And from the bent bow, — and from the grievousness of war. 
 
 16 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, 
 
 Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, 
 A.nd all the glory of ^ Kedar shall fail : 
 
 17 And the residue of the number of ^archers. 
 
 B. c. in. 
 
 ' Gen. 2j. \i- 
 
 1 Chr. 1. ;iO. 
 
 Jer. 4'J. 7. 
 
 Kze. 3>. 2. 
 
 Qbad. 1. 
 i Gen. 25. 3. 
 
 1 Clir. 1. 9. 
 
 tze. 27. 15, 
 20, 21. 
 
 Job f!. i:). 
 
 7 Or. briiig 
 ye. 
 
 8 from t!:c 
 face, or, for 
 lear. 
 
 i Gen. 25. 13. 
 Pa. 120. 5. 
 
 ch. eo. 7. 
 Jer. 49. 28. 
 Eze. 2r. 21. 
 s bows. 
 
 garded by Him as 'sons.^ 'Tribulation ' is derived 
 from 'tribulum,' a threshin;/ instrument, happily 
 implying that it is designed to remove the chaff, 
 and to retain the pure wheat of the character. 
 See ch, xxviii, 27, 28. Some, from Jer. li. 33, make 
 Cabylou tiie object of the threshing ; but Isaiah is 
 plainly addressing his countrymen, as the next 
 words show, not the Babylonians. The Baby- 
 loaiaus I will not thresh, but utterly crush, 
 whereas you, my people, I will thresh, so as to fan 
 out the chatf,"and stow the grain safe in my 
 granary. 
 
 11, 12. — A Prophecy to tke Idumeans who 
 
 TAUNTED THE AFFLICTED JeWS IN THE BaCY- 
 
 LONisH Captivity. One out of Seir asks. What 
 of the night? Is there a hope of the dawn of 
 deliverance? Isaiah replies. The morning is be- 
 ginning to dawn ; but night is also coming (to you). 
 Of. Ps. cxxxvii. 7. The Hebrew cax)tives would 
 be delivered, and taunting Edom punished. 11. 
 Dumali — a tribe and region of Ishmael in Arabio. 
 I'Jen. XXV. 14; 1 Chr. T 30), nov/ called Dumah 
 the Stony, situated on the confines of Arabia and 
 the Syrian desert— a part put for the whole of 
 Edom. Vitringa tliinks "Dumah" (Hebrew, 
 ^ fiilence'') is here used for Idumea, to imply it was 
 soon to be reduced to silence, or destruction. 
 
 Seir — the principal mountain in Idumea, south 
 of the Dead Sea, in Arabia Petrea. "He calleth " 
 oui^Iit to be rather, ' There is a call from Seir.' to 
 me— Isaiah. Even the wicked consult the Lord's 
 ministers in times of calamity (2 Ki. iii. 12, 13). So 
 the heathen Balak and the ungodly Israelite king 
 Ahaziah received such oracles from a true pro] )liet, 
 (cf. 2 Ki. i.) Watchman— the pro]jhet (ch. Ixii. 6 ; 
 Jer. vi. 17): so called because, like a watchman 
 on the look out from a tower, he announces future 
 events which he sees in prophetic vision (PTab. ii. 
 1, 2). what of the night?— what tidings have you 
 to give as to the state of the night? Bather, 'what 
 remains of the night?' How much of itisjiast? 
 {Maurer.) The Hebrew particle, min, is often 
 partitive : (Millaylah) what portion of the night is 
 there still ? "Night" means calamity (Job xxxv. 
 10; Mic. iii. 6), which then, in the wars between 
 Egypt and Assyria, pressecl sore on Edom. The 
 repetition of the question marks the anxiety of the 
 Idumeans. 12. The watchman said, The morning 
 cometh, and also the night. Reply of the propljet, 
 "J'he morning (prosperity) cometh, and (soon after 
 follows) the night (adversity). Though you Idu- 
 means may have a gleam of prosperity, it will soon 
 be followed by adversity again (ef. Mai. i. 4). lu- 
 629 
 
 asmucb as ye exult in the fall of Jerusalem, and 
 have seized on the southern ijart of the Jews' laud 
 in their absence during the captivity. This view 
 is favoured by Obad. 10-21. if ye will enquire, 
 enquire ye— if you choose to consult me again, 
 then you must do so ; but ye will always be sent 
 away with the same answer. Similar phrases 
 occui'. Gen. xliii. 14; 2 Ki. vii. 4; Esth. iv. 16. 
 The Hebrew [ni73] for "enquire " expresses fervent 
 enquiry ; the heart boiling with eagerness (cf. Isa. 
 Ixiv. 2). return, come — 'come again,' and you 
 will get no better response, however often and 
 eagerly you come. This seems to me preferable to 
 the view of conversion being understood as the 
 only way of obtaining prosperity. 'Be converted 
 to Cod (and then), come' (Gesenius). You will 
 then receive a more favourable answer. But there 
 is no hint of Edom's conversion in any word of the 
 Vv'hoie '^burden of Dumah;'.' nor is there in the 
 case of the other two nations in the chapter — Baby- 
 lon and Arabia. 
 
 13-17. — Prophecy that Arabia would be 
 Overrun by a Foreign Foe within a Year, 
 Probably in the wars between Assyria and Egypt. 
 Idumea and Arabia lay somewhat on the inter- 
 mediate line of march. 13. The burden upon 
 Arabia— i. e., respectincj. 
 
 In the forest in Arabia— not a grove of trees, 
 but a region of thick underwood, riu ged and inac- 
 cessible ;' for Arabia, has no forests of trees. 0 ye 
 travelling companies — caravans. Ye shall be 
 diiven, through fear of the foe, to unfrequented 
 routes (ch. xxxiii. 8; Judg. v. 6; Jer. xlix. 8 is 
 parallel to this passage), of Dedanim— in north 
 Arabia ((plen. xxv. 3; Jer. xxv. 23; Ezek. xxv. 13; 
 xxvii. 20: a different "Dedau" occurs, Geu.x. 7). 
 
 14. Tema — a kindred tribe: an oasis in that region 
 (Jer. xxv. 23). brought water to him that was 
 thirsty. The Temeans give v/ater to-the faint and 
 thirsting Dedanites : the greatest act of hospitality 
 in the burning lands of the East, where water is so 
 scarce, they prevented with their bread him 
 that fled — i. e., they anticipated the wants of the 
 fugitive Dedanites by supplying bread (Gen. xiv. 
 18). their bread — rather, 'his (the fugitive's) 
 bread :' the bread due to him, necessary for his 
 support: so ''thy grave" (ch. xiv. 19) {Maurer). 
 
 15. For they fled- the fugitive Dedanites and 
 other Arabs. 16. years of an hireling— (note, 
 ch. xvi. 14.) and all the glory of Kedar shall 
 fail — a wandering tribe (Ps. cxx. 5), north of 
 Arabia Petrea, and south of Arabia Deserta; 
 put for Arabia iu general. 17. the residue . . . 
 
The inmsion 
 
 ISAIAH XXIL 
 
 of Jewry. 
 
 The mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminislied : 
 For the Lord ™God of Israel hath spoken it, 
 22 THE burden of the valley of vision. 
 
 What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the house-tops ? 
 
 2 Thou that art full of stirs, — a tumultuous city, a joyous city : 
 Thy slain men are not slain with the sword, — nor dead in battle. 
 
 3 All thy rulers are fled together, — they are bound ^ by the archers : 
 
 All that are found in thee are bound together, — which have fled from far. 
 
 4 Therefore said I, Look away from me j — I will weep bitterly, 
 Labour not to comfort me, 
 
 Because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people. 
 
 5 For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity 
 " By the Lord God of hosts in the valley of vision, 
 
 Breaking down the walls, — and of crying to the mountains. 
 
 B. C. 714. 
 
 '^^ium.23.19> 
 ch. 1. 10. 
 ch. 40. 8. 
 Zech 1. 6. 
 Matt. 24.35. 
 Luke 21.3:j. 
 1 Fet. 1. 25. 
 
 CHAP. 22. 
 
 1 of the bow. 
 
 2 I will ba 
 bitter in 
 weeping. 
 Jer. 9. 1. 
 
 « Esth. 3. 15. 
 Lam. 1. 5. 
 Lam. 2. 2. 
 
 diminislied — the remnant of Arab warriors, fa- 
 mous in the bow, left after the invasion shall be 
 small. 
 
 BemarTcs. — Treacherons dealing is snre to be 
 repaid with treacherous dealing, and "the s])oiler," 
 soon or late, shall be ' spoiled ' himself. God has 
 his ear open to "the sighing" of the oppressed, 
 and will in due time avenge their cause upon the 
 oppressor. The minister of God is pained at the 
 terrible doom of the ungodly which he has to 
 announce, whereas the ungodly themselves remain 
 unconcerned. The 'night of their pleasure ' shall 
 soon be turned into fear, and then their carnal 
 security shall come to a perpetual end. The 
 sudden capture of Babylon, on the night of a feast, 
 when nothing could be further from the thouglits 
 of her citizens than the possibility of so well-forti- 
 fied a city being taken, vividly represents the utter 
 impreparedness in which most men shall be found 
 by the Lord when He shall come. "When they 
 shall say. Peace and safety, then sudden destruc- 
 tion cometh upon them, and they shall not 
 escape." It is the duty of the spiritual w^atchman 
 to look pi^ayerfully into the*Word of God, and to 
 discern wisely the signs of the times, so as to 
 'declare' to the people the approach of danger. 
 He \yho would be a faithful minister must 'stand 
 continually upon the watch-tower in the daytime, 
 and in his ward every night' {v. 8). 
 
 CHAP. XXII. 1-14.— Prophecy as to an 
 Attack on Jerusalem: that by Sennacherib, in 
 the fourteenth year of Hezekiah ; vv. 8-11, the 
 preparations for defence and securing of ivater 
 exactly answer to those in 2 Chr. xxxii, 4, 5, 30. 
 " Shebna," too (v. 15), was scribe at this time (ch. 
 xxxvi. 3) [Maurer). The language of vv. 12, 13, 
 and 14, as to the infidelity and consequent utter 
 ruin of the Jews, seems more fully to foreshadow 
 the destruction by Nebuchadnezzar in Zedekiah's 
 reign, and cannot be restricted to Hezekiah's 
 time [Lowth.) 
 
 1. The burden of the valley of vision— i. e., 
 the weighty prophecy respecting the valley of 
 visions — viz., Jerusalem, the seat of divine revela- 
 tions and visions, ' the nursery of prophets ' 
 (Jerome). Chs. ii. 3 ; xxix, 1 ; Ezek. xxiii. 4, marg.; 
 Luke xiii. 33. It lay in a "valley" surrounded 
 by hills higlier than Ziou and Moriah (Ps. cxxv. 
 2; Jer. xxi. 13). 
 
 What aileth thee— the people of Jerusalem 
 personified, gone up to the house-tops ? Panic- 
 struck, they went up on the flat balustraded roofs 
 to look forth and see whether the enemy is near, 
 and partly to defend themselves from the roofs, 
 (Judg. ix. 51, &c.) 2. Thou that art— rather, 
 wast, for it could not noiv be said to be "a joyous 
 city" (ch. xxxii. 13). The cause of iheivjoy (v, 13) 
 630 
 
 may have been because Sennacherib had accepted 
 Hezekiah's offer to renew the payment of tribute, 
 and they were glad to have peace on any terms 
 however humiliating (2 Ki. xviii. 14-16), or on 
 account of the alliance with Egypt. If the refer- 
 ence be to Zedekiah's time, the ioy and feasting 
 are not inapplicaljle, for this recklessness was a 
 general characteristic of the unbelieving Jews (ch. 
 Ivi. 12), thy slain (men are) not slain with the 
 sword — but with the famine and pestilence about 
 to be caused by the coming siege (Lam. iv. 9). 
 Maurer refers this to the plague by which he 
 thinks Sennacherib's army was destroyed, and 
 Hezekiah was made sick (ch. xxxvii. 36; xxxviii. 
 1). But there is no authority for supposing that 
 the Jews in the city suffered such extremities of 
 plague at tliat time, when God destroyed their 
 foes. The prophecy therefore stretches on to the 
 siege of Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar. Jer. xiv. 
 18 ; xxxviii. 2, states that famine and pestilence 
 were the main cause of deaths in the city. The 
 antithetical contrast to the previous joyousness 
 may imply also that overwhelming /ear and anxiety 
 slew maiiy, — the same cause which led their 
 "rulers" to "flee" [v. 3). 3. All thy rulers— or 
 generals (Josh. x. 24; Judg. xi. 6, 11); Hebrew, 
 quatzin. they ar6 bound. So Hebrew, ussaru; 
 i.e., 'a^re taken captive.' by the archers— lit.^ 
 bp the bow. So ch. xxi. 17. Syriac translation, 
 'are retarded from laying hold of the bow' — lit, 
 ' are bound (Hebrew, ruin) from the bow ; ' i. e., are 
 so paralyzed as not to use the bow. So Junius and 
 Tremellms. The English version is better: as 
 "bound" (ussru) is used in this sense in this 
 same verse. Bowmen were the liglit troops, whose 
 province it w^as to skirmish in front and ( 2 Ki. vi. 
 22) pursue fugitives. This Averse applies better to 
 the attack of Nebuchadnezzar than that of Senna- 
 cherib (2 Ki. XXV. 5). all ... in thee are bound 
 together— all found in the city (ch. xiii. 15), not 
 merely the "rulers" or generals, (which) have 
 fled from far— those who had fled from distant 
 parts to Jerusalem as a place of safety. 4. Look 
 away from me. Deep grief seeks to be alone; 
 whilst others feast joyously, Isaiah mourns in 
 prospect of the disaster coming on Jerusalem 
 (Mic. i. 8, 9). daughter of my people— (note, ch. 
 i. 8; Lam. ii. 11). 5. For (it is) a day of trouble 
 . . . by the Lord God of hosts— lit., .'jor \^] the 
 Lord ' — i. e. , sent by or fi-om the Lord. So the 
 Hebrew particle is used as for, directed on the part 
 of, in ch. xix. 15. and of treading down— of 
 Jerusalem by the Gentiles (Luke xxi. 22-24). in 
 the valley of vision— (note, v. I.) Some think a 
 valley near Ophel is meant as about to be the 
 scene of devastation (cf. ch. xxxii. 13, 14, note), 
 breaking down the walls— i. e., 'a day o/ breaking 
 
Human icisdom 
 
 ISAIAH XXII. 
 
 and worldly joy reproved. 
 
 6 And ^ Elara bare the quiver — with chariots of men and horsemien, 
 And Kir ^uncovered the shield. 
 
 7 And it shall come to pass. 
 
 That *thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots. 
 
 And the horsemen shall set themselves in array ^at the gate. 
 
 8 And he discovered the covering of Judah, 
 
 And thou didst look in that day to the armour '^of the house of the forest. 
 
 9 Ye '^have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many ; 
 And ye gathered together the waters of the low^er pool : 
 
 10 And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, 
 
 And the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall. 
 
 11 Ye ''made also a ditch between th-e two walls — for the water of the old pool : 
 But ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, 
 
 Neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago. 
 
 12 And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning. 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 Ch. 21. 2. 
 Jer. 49. 30. 
 made 
 caked, 
 the choice 
 of thy 
 v-lleys. 
 Or, 
 
 toward. 
 1 Ki. 7. 2. 
 1 Ki. 10. 17, 
 1 Ki. 14. 2, , 
 
 d 2 
 
 Ki. 20. 20. 
 2 Chr. 32. 4. 
 Song. 4. 4. 
 ch. 7. 3. 
 :Neh. 3. 16. 
 
 the walls' of the city, and of crying to tne 
 mountains— the mournful cry of the towusmeu 
 reaches to [Maurer ti'anslates towards) the moun- 
 tains, and is echoed back by them. Josephus 
 describes in the very same langua<;e the scene at 
 the assault of Jerusalem under Titus. To this the 
 prophecy probably refers ultimately. If, as some 
 think, the 'cry' is that of those escapbif/ to the 
 mountains, cf. Mark xiii. 14; Matt. xxiv. 16, with 
 this. 6. Elam— the country stretching east from 
 the Lower Tigris, answering to what was after- 
 wards called Persia (note, ch. xxi. 2). Later Elam 
 was a province of Persia (Ezra. iv. 9). In Senna- 
 cherib's time Elam was subject to Assyria (2 Ki. 
 xviii. 11), and so furnished a contingent to its 
 invading armies. Famed for the bow (ch. xiii. 18; 
 Jer, xlix. 35), in w^iich the Ethiopians alone 
 excelled them, with chariots of men (and) horse- 
 men—?, e., they use the bow both in chariots and 
 on horseback. De Dieu takes the Hebrew for 
 " horsemen," PamsAi?^,, to be 'on horses,'' as the 
 Arabs- use the word. 8o in ch. xx-nii. 28, " Cha- 
 riots of men" mean chariots in which men are 
 borne, war-chariots. Or else, liecheb (the Englisli 
 version, 'chariot') means 'a cavalcade of men,' 'a 
 body of riders:' 'Elam bare the quiver with a 
 cavalcade of men (namely), horsemen.' I jjrefer 
 this, as the Hebrew for men is not isJi, a hero, or 
 warrior; but the general term for men, Adam (cf. 
 note, ch. xxi. 7,9). Kir— another people subject 
 to Assyria (2 Ki. xvi. 9) ; the region about the 
 river Kur, between the Caspian and Black Sea. 
 uncovered the shield— took off for the battle the 
 leather covering of the shield, intended to protect 
 the embossed figures on it from dust or injury 
 during the march. "The quiver" and ''the 
 shield" express two classes — light and heavy 
 armed troops. 7. thy choicest valleys — east, 
 north, and south of Jerusalem: Hinnom, on the 
 south side, was the richest valley, in array at 
 the gate— Eabshakeh stood at the upper pool close 
 to the city {ch, xxxvi, 11-13). 8. he discovered 
 the covering of Judah— ^Ae veil {mosaic) of Judah 
 shall he taken off {Ilorsley) ; figurative, for exposing to 
 shame as a rapiive (ch. xlvii. 3 ; Nah. iii. 5). Sen- 
 nacherib dismantled all "the defenccd cities of 
 Judah" (ch. xxxvi. 1). thou didst look in that 
 day. The prophetical /^re^cn^e; so certain is what 
 Ood foretells, as though it were already fvlfilled. 
 to the armour of the house of the forest— the 
 house of armoury, built of cedar from tlie forest of 
 Lebanon by Solomon, on a slope of Zion called 
 Ophel (1 Ki. vii. 2; x. 17; Neh. iii. 19). Isaiah 
 says {vv. 8-13) his countrymen look to their own 
 strength to defend themselves, whilst others of 
 631 
 
 them drown their sorrows as to their country in 
 feasting, but none look to Jehovah. 9. Ye have 
 seen. The prophetical preterite, the breaches of 
 the city of David— the upper city, on Zion, the 
 south side of Jerusalem (2 Sam. v. 7, 9; 1 Ki. viii. 
 1) ; surrounded by a wall of its own ; but even iu 
 it there shall be "bi-eaches." Hezekiah's prepara- 
 tions for defence accord with this (2 Chr, xxxii. 4, 
 5). ye gathered together the waters of the lower 
 pool— (note, V. 11.) Ye shall bring together into 
 the city, by subterrcanean passages cut in the rock 
 of Zion, the fountain from which the lower pool 
 (only mentioned hei'e) is supplied (note, ch. vii. 
 3; 2 Ki. XX, 20, "he made a pool, and a conduit, 
 and brought water into the city," 2 Chr, xxxii. 
 3-5 represents Hezekiah as having stopped the 
 fountains to i)reveut the Assyrians getting water. 
 But this is consistent with the passage here. The 
 superfluous waters of the lower pool usually 
 flowed into Hinnom valley, and so through that 
 of Jehoshaphat to the brook Kedron, Hezekiah 
 built a wall round it, stop>ped the outflowing of 
 its waters, to debar the foe from the use of them, 
 and turned them into the city. 10. numl)ered the 
 houses of Jerusalem— viz., in order to see which 
 of them may be pulled down with the least loss 
 to the city, and with most advantage for the 
 repair of the -walls and rearing of towers, the 
 houses have ye broken down to fortify the 
 wall— (2 Chr. xxxii. 5.) 11. Ye made also a ditch 
 — a reservoir ioY receiving theivater of the old pool. 
 Hezekiah surrounded Siloah, frorn which the old 
 (or king's, or upper) pool took its rise, with a wall 
 joined to the wall of Zion on bbth sides. Be- 
 tween these two walls he made a new pool, into 
 which he directed the waters of the former, thus 
 cutting off the foe from this supply of water also. 
 The opening from which the upper pool received its 
 water was nearer Zion than the other, from which 
 the lower pool took its rise, so that the water 
 which flowed from the former could easily be 
 shut in by a wall, whereas that which flowed from 
 the latter could only be brought in by subterrane- 
 ous conduits (cf. note, v. 9; ch. vii. 3 ; 2 Chr. xxxii. 
 30; Ecclesiasticus xlviii. 17). Both were south-AA est 
 of Jerusalem, but ye have not looked , , , neither 
 had respect— answering by contrast to, ^thou didst 
 look to the armour, ye have seen (had resjiect, or 
 regard to) the breaches ' {vv. 8, 9. ) maker thereof 
 —God, by whose command and aid these defences 
 M'ere made, and who gave this fountain long ago. 
 12, in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to 
 weeping. Usually the priests gave the summons 
 to national mourning (Joel i, 13, 14); now Jeho- 
 vah Himself shall give it. The "caJl" shaU 
 
A prophecy 
 
 ISAIAH XXII. 
 
 I 
 
 against Shebna. 
 
 And to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth : 
 
 13 And ^behold joy and gladness, 
 
 Slaying oxen and killing sheep, — eating flesh and drinking -wine : 
 ^ Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die. 
 
 14 And it was revealed in mine ears — by the Lord of hosts. 
 Surely this iniquity shall ''not be purged from you till ye die, 
 Saith the Lord God of hosts. 
 
 15 Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, 
 Go, get thee unto this treasurer. 
 
 Even ^ unto Shebna, ^ which is over the house, 
 
 16 A nd say, What hast thou here, and whom hast thou here, 
 That thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, 
 
 he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high. 
 And that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock ? 
 
 17 Behold, ^the Lord will carry thee away with mighty captivity. 
 And will surely cover thee. 
 
 18 He will surely violently turn and toss thee 
 Like a ball into a ^ large country: 
 
 There shalt thou die, — and there the chariots of thy glory shall be 
 The shame of thy lord's house. 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 / Amos 6. 3. 
 Luke 17. 2(5. 
 
 " 1 Cor. 15.32. 
 
 '* 1 Sam. 3.14. 
 
 i 2 Ki. 18. 37. 
 
 } 1 Ki. 4. 6. 
 
 « Or. O he. 
 
 ' Or. the 
 LORD who 
 covered 
 thee with 
 an excel- 
 lent cover- 
 ing, and 
 clothed 
 thee gor- 
 geously, 
 shall 
 
 surely, etc. 
 
 ver. 18 
 * the cai>- 
 
 tivity of a 
 
 man 
 » lar^e of 
 
 spaces. 
 
 consist in the presence of a terrible foe. and to 
 toaldness. Pluckiug off the hair or shaving the 
 head was au emblem of grief (Job i, 20 ; Mic. i. 
 16.) 13. And behold (implying amazement at the 
 people's infatuation) joy and gladness, slaying 
 oxen and killing sheep. Notwithstanding Jeho- 
 vah's call to "mourning" {v. 12), many shall make 
 the desperate state of affairs a reason for reckless 
 revelry (ch v. 11, 12, 14 ; Jer. xviii. 12 ; 1 Cor. 
 15, 32). 
 
 L'1-25.— Prophecy that Shebna should be 
 Deposed from being Prefect of the Palace, 
 
 AND ElIAKIM promoted TO THE OFFICE. In 
 
 chs. xxxvi. 3, 22; xxxvii. 2, we find Shebna 'a 
 scribe,' and no longer prefect of the palace ('over 
 the household'), and Eliakim in that office, as is 
 here foretold. Shebna is singled out as the sub- 
 ject of prophecy (the only instance of an individual 
 being so in Isaiah), as being one of the irreligious 
 faction that set at nought the prophet's warnings, 
 (chs. xxviii.-xxxiii.) Perhaps it was he wiio 
 advised the temporary ignominious submission of 
 Hezekiah to Sennacherib. The un-Hebrew form 
 of his name implies that he was an alien— per- 
 haps introduced by Hezekiah 's predecessor Ahaz, 
 He made au ostentatious display of his rank (v. 
 18: cf. 2 Sam. xv. 1), and had hewn out for him- 
 self a tomb high in the cliffs, south-west of 
 Jerusalem (cf. marg., 2 Chr. xxxii. 33). 15. Go, 
 get thee unto— lit., enter into; i. e., Go in to (i. e., 
 into the house to), this treasurer — ' him v)ho 
 divells in the tabernacle ' (Jerome)— viz., in a room 
 of the temple set apart for the treasurer. Hebrew, 
 S 'lceen, from sakan, to dwell: one dwelling on 
 terms of intimacy ; the familiar friend of the 
 king. Eather, ' the king's friend,' or '^rincijoaZ 
 officer of the court ^ (1 Ki. iv. 5; x\'iii. 3, "gover- 
 nor of his house ;" 1 Chr. xxvii. 33, "the king's 
 counsellor") {Maurer). "This" is prefixed con- 
 temptuously (Exod. xxxi. 1). unto Shebna. The 
 Hebrew [hv] upon, for unto, indicates an accosting 
 of Shebna with an unwelcome message. 16. What 
 hast thou here, and whom? The prophet accosts 
 Shebna at the very place where he was building 
 a grand sepulchre for himself and his family 
 (cf. ch. xiv. 18; Gen. xxiii. ; xlix. 29; 1. 13). 
 ' What (business) hast thou here, and whom hast 
 thou (of thy family, who is likely to be buried) 
 C32 
 
 here, that thou buildest,' &c., seeing that thou art 
 soon to be deposed from office, and carried into 
 captivity (Maurer). a sepulchre on high. Sepul- 
 chres M ere made in the highest rocks. Hezekiah 
 thus was "buried in the highest of the sepulchres 
 of the sons of David," (2 Chr. xxxii. 33, marg.) 
 an habitation for himself— i. e., a house for his 
 dead body : cf. ' his own house,^ ch. xiv, 18. 17. 
 carry thee away with a mighty captivity— ratlier, 
 Metaltelka talteelah, from iw/," cast " (1 Sam, xviii. 
 11 ; XX, 33) ; ' will cast thee away with a mighty 
 throw' [Maurer). "Mighty 'as a mighty 
 man' (Hebrew, geher, a mighty warrior: so Job 
 xxxviii. 3). As the Hebrew accents separate 
 ' throw' from" mighty man," and the constructiori 
 whereby the latter is put in apposition with the 
 former is strange, perhaps it is better to trans- 
 late, 'will cast thee away* with a cast, mighty man 
 as thou art ' (in thine own esteem), and will 
 surely cover thee— viz., with shame, where thou 
 art rearing a monument to cover thyself with 
 fame— lit,, 'covering will cover thee' [nbp ■^l?]?}]. 
 Some think allusion is made to the covering of 
 criminals' faces before execution (Esth. vii. 8). 
 Grotivs notices that the same verb is used in Lev. 
 xiii. 45, of the \e\y&Y'& covering his upper lip; whence 
 some infer that Shebna was strucken with leprosy. 
 The Chaldaic supports the English version, 'shall 
 cover thee with confusion : ' cf. Ps. cix. 29. 18. 
 violently turn and toss thee— lit., whirling. He 
 widivhirl thee; i.e.. He will, without intermission, 
 whirl thee {Maurer). ' He will whirl thee round 
 and round, and (then) cast thee away ' as a stone 
 in a sling is first whirled round repeatedly before 
 the string is let go {Lowth). into a large country 
 — perhaps Assyria, there the chariots . . . (shall 
 be) the shame of thy lord's house— it shall be 
 a reproach to Hezekiah that he had been so weak 
 as to elevate thee, and enable thee to have such 
 chariots ; or else thy glorious chariots which for- 
 merly thou hadst shall be the shame of thy lord's 
 house, in that thou didst defile that liouse which 
 was as it were God's sanctuary {Calvin). Eather, 
 ' thy splendid chariots shall be there (or else, sluxll 
 die with thee), oh thou disgrace of thy lord's house ' 
 {Noyes) ; " chariots of thy glory," mean ' thy mag- 
 nificent chariots.' It is not meant that he would 
 have these in a distant land, as he had in Jerusa- 
 
The klnQdom of 
 
 ISAIAH XXII. 
 
 Chribt prefigured. 
 
 \ 9 And I will drive thee from thy statioo, 
 
 And from thy state shall he pull thee down. 
 .0 And it shall come to pass in that day. 
 
 That I will call my servant ^"Eliakim the son of Hilkiah : 
 
 2 1 And I will clothe him with thy robe, — and strengthen him with thy girdle. 
 And I will commit thy government into his hand ; 
 
 And he shall be ^ a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 
 And to the house of Judah. 
 
 22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; 
 So he shall open, and none shall shut; 
 
 And he shall shut, and none shall open. 
 
 23 And I will fasten him as "*a nail in a sure place ; 
 
 And he shall be for a glorious "throne to his fathers house. 
 
 24 And they shall "hang upon him all the glory of his father's house. 
 The offspring and the issue, — all vessels of small quantity, 
 
 From the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons, 
 
 25 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, 
 
 Shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place 
 Be removed, and be cut down, and fall ; 
 And the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: 
 For the Lord hath spoken it. 
 
 B. O. 712. 
 
 * 2 KL IS. 18. 
 ch. 3C. 3. 11, 
 
 22. 
 
 ch. 37. 2. 
 ' Job2J. la 
 
 1 ( ( r. 4. 15. 
 
 Gal. 4. 19. 
 "♦Ezras. 8. 
 
 J£ceL 12. 11. 
 
 Zeeh. 10. 4. 
 " Gen. 46. 9. 
 
 1 Sam. 2. 8. 
 
 tsth. 4. 14. 
 
 Esth. 10. 3. 
 
 Job m. 7. 
 
 Luka '.2.23. 
 ::0. 
 
 Eev. 3. 21. 
 " Gen. 41. 44. 
 
 Gea. 47. 11. 
 
 Dan. 6. 1-3. 
 
 Matt. 2S.18. 
 
 John 5. 22. 
 10 Or. ins'.ru- 
 
 ments of 
 
 •viols. 
 
 lem, but that he would be borne thither in igno- 
 miny, instead of in his niagniticent chariots. The 
 sense is, 1 think, the only ' chariots of glory ' that 
 thou shalt have "there" will be the reproach 
 which thou shalt bear, of having been " the shame 
 of thy lord's house:" instead of thy former cha- 
 riots of glory, thou shalt have the reproach of 
 having been the shame of thy lord's house. The 
 Jews say that he was tied to the tails of horses 
 by the enemy, to wliom he had designed to betray 
 Jerusalem, as they thought he was mocking them; 
 and so lie died. 19. state— office, shall lie (God) 
 pull tlies down. A similar change of persons 
 occurs, ch. xxxiv. 16. The transition from the 
 tirst to the third ijerson expresses estrangement 
 
 20. Eliakim the son of Hilkiali. Supposed by 
 Kimchi to be the same as Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 
 who perhaps had two names, and who was 'over 
 the household' in Hezekiah's time (1 Chr. vi. 13). 
 
 21. thy robe— of office, girdle — in which the 
 purse was carried, and to it was attached the 
 sword, often adorned with gold and jewels, 
 father— i. e., a counsellor and friend to the in- 
 habitants of Jerusalem. 22. the key of the house 
 of David— emblem of his office over the house, 
 to "open "or " shut;" access rested with him. will 
 I lay upon his shoulder. So keys are carried 
 sometimes in the East, hanging froin the kerchief 
 00 the shoulder. But the i)hrase is rather figura- 
 tive, iov sustaining the government on one^s shoulders. 
 Ehakim, as his name implies, is here plainly a 
 type of the God-man Christ, the son of "David," 
 of whom Isaiah (ch. ix. 6) uses the same language 
 ("the government shall be upon his shoulder"), 
 as the loriner clause of this verse ; and Himself, 
 in Rev. iii. 7, the same language as the latter 
 clause (cf. Job. xii. 14). 23. nail in a sure place. 
 Large nails or pegs stood in ancient houses, on 
 which were suspended the ornaments of the 
 family. Tlie sense is. All that is valuable to the 
 nation shall rest securely on him. In Ezra ix. 8, 
 "nail" is used of the large spike driven into the 
 ground to fasten the cords of the tent to, and so is 
 used for the tent itself: " grace hath been showed 
 irom tiie Ix)rd our God ... to give us a nail in 
 his holy place." throne— i, c, resting-place to his 
 family, aa axjplied to Eliakim ; but "throne," in the 
 
 strict sense, as applied to Messiah the antitype 
 (Luke i. 32, 33). 24. Same image as in v. 23. It was 
 customary to "hang" the valuables of a house on 
 nails (1 Ki. x. 16, 17, 21 : Song iv. 4). the off- 
 spring and the issue— rather, 'the offshoots of 
 the family, high and low' {Vitringa). The He- 
 brew for " issue " [n'ly^ps, from tzaphang, to put 
 forth, especially vile things, as, for instance, worth- 
 less shoots, excitement, Exod. iv. 15]. Eliakim 
 would reflect honour even on the latter, vessels 
 of cups— of small capacity: answering to the loio 
 and humble offshoots, vessels of fiagons— larger 
 vessels : answering to the high offshoots. 25. nail 
 that is fastened— Shebu a, who was supposed to 
 be firmly fixed in his post, and the burden that 
 was upon ib shall be cut off— all that were 
 dependent on Shebna, all his emoluments and 
 rank, will fail, as when a peg is suddenly "cut" 
 down, the ornaments on it fall with it. Sin reaches 
 in its effects even to the family of the guilty (Exod. 
 XX. 5). 
 
 Remarks.— The joy and the recklessness of the 
 people of the world form a sad contrast to the 
 terrible doom which awaits them. But this ill- 
 seasoned mirth and the love of pleasure and 
 excitement are still more sad to witness when they 
 are seen in the professing people of God. How 
 bitterly the prophet in this chapter weeps not only 
 "because of the spoiling of His peojile," but 
 especially because of the sin which incurred that 
 Divine judgment. Jerusalem has been given up to 
 the "treading down " of the Gentiles for ages, and 
 will be so "until the times of the Gentiles be 
 fulfilled" {v. 5). Her "choicest valleys" have 
 been long desecrated by the Mohammedan. The 
 veil of the daughter of Zion has been rudely torn 
 off, and her shame has been " discovered." What 
 a warning is her case to the jirofessing people 
 of God, that spiritual privileges, so far from 
 securing impunity in sin, will only aggravate the 
 condemnation of those who "hold the truth in 
 unrighteousness." 
 
 CHAP. XXIIL 1-18.— Prophecy respecting 
 Tyre. Menander, the historian, who translated 
 into Greek the Tyrian archives (Josephiis, 'Anti- 
 quities,' ix, 14, sec. 2), notices a siege of Tyre by 
 Shalmaneser, shortly after his capture of Samaria— 
 
The overthrow 
 
 ISAIAH XXIII. 
 
 of Tyre. 
 
 over the sea, have 
 
 B. C. 715. 
 
 CHAP. 23. 
 " Jer. 25. 22. 
 Jer. 47. 4. 
 f ze. 26. 1. 
 Eze. 27. 1- 
 3G. 
 
 Eze. 2fi. 1. 
 Amos. 1. 9. 
 Zech. 9. 2, 
 4. 
 
 » Silent. 
 b Eze. 27. 3. 
 
 23 THE "burden of Tyre. 
 
 Howl, ye ships of Tarshish ; — f )r it is laid waste, 
 So that there is no house, no entering in : 
 From the land of Chittim it is revealed to them. 
 
 2 Be ^ still, ye inhabitants of the isle ; 
 Thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass 
 
 replenished. 
 
 3 And by great waters the seed of Sihor, 
 The harvest of the river, is her revenue; — -and ^she is a mart of nations. 
 
 4 Be thou ashamed, 0 Zidon ; for the sea hath spoken, 
 Exen the strength of the sea, — saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, 
 
 kings (Jer. xxv. 22; xxvii. JJ; Ezek. xxviii. 2-12), 
 after its temporary humiliation, until the siege 
 iinder Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. 2. Be still— 
 struck dumb with aioe. Addressed to those 
 already in the country, eye-witnesses of its ruin 
 (Lam. ii. 10); or, in contrast to the busy din of 
 commerce once heard in Tyre, now all is hushed 
 and still, ye inhabitants of the isle— strictly 
 applicable to New Tyre : in the sense coast, to the 
 mainland city, Old Tyre (cf. v. 6; ch. xx. G). 
 Zidon — of which Tyre was a colony, planted when 
 Zidon was conquered by the Philistines of Ascaloa 
 [Justin, xviii. 3). Zidon means a fisliinri station: 
 this was its beginning, replenished — with wealth 
 and an industrious population (Ezek. xxvii. 3, 8, 
 23). Here " Zidon," as the oldest city of Phoenicia, 
 includes all the Phoenician towns on the strip of 
 'coast.' Thus Ethbaal, King of Tyre (Josephus, 
 'Antiquities,' viii. 3, 2), is called king of the 
 Sidonians (1 Ki. xvi. 31); and on coins Tyre is 
 called the metropolis of the Sidonians. Zidon was 
 "the first-born of Canaan" (Gen. x. 15), and is 
 called ' Great Zidon' — i. e., the metropolis Zidon— in 
 Josh. xi. 8; xix. 28. In Josh. xiii. 6; Judg. xviii. 
 7, " Zidonians " is the generic name for the 
 Phoenicians or Canaanites. Moreover, the reason 
 assigned for there being no deliverer to Laish is, 
 ' they were far from the Zidoniau s ;' whence it follows 
 that Tyre was not then the main city. So Homer 
 does not mention Tyre, but does Zidon (' Odyssey,' 
 XV. 425 ; xiii. 285 ; ' Iliad,' xxiii. 743) : he praises th-e 
 Zidonians as skilled workmen; the Phceniciau's as 
 skilled mariners. 3. by great waters— the wide 
 waters of the sea. seed — the grain, or crop, as i' 
 1 Sam. viii. 15; Job xxxix. 12. of Sihor— lit., 
 dark-coloured, from shahhar, to be black ; applied 
 to the Nile, as the Greek, melas, anciently Kmelas: 
 Latin, we^o (Servius, ' Georgics,' iv. 291; '^neid,' 
 i. 745), to express the dark turbid colours given 
 to its waters by the fertilizing soil which it 
 deposits at its yearly overflow (Jer. ii. 18). The 
 name Nilus is akin to the Sanskrit, Nilah, blue. 
 In hieroglyphics the name of the country is Kem 
 — i. e., black. In painted sculptures the Nile- 
 god is coloured red during the inundation, and 
 during the rest of the year blue, the harvest 
 of the river— the growth of the Delta ; the pro- 
 duce due to the overflow of the Nile: Egypt 
 was the great granai-y of corn in the ancient 
 world (Gen. xli., xiii., xliii.) (is) her revenue. 
 Tyrian vessels carried Egyptian produce, got in 
 exchange for wine, oil, glass, &c,, into various 
 lands, and so made large profits, and she is 
 a mart of nations — (Ezek. xxvii. 3.) No city 
 was more favourably situated for commerce. 4. 
 Be thou ashamed, O Zidon— called on, as being 
 the parent country of Tyre [v. 12), and here repre- 
 senting Phoenicia in general, to feel the shame (as 
 it was esteemed in the East) of being now as 
 childless as if she never had any. I travail not, 
 nor bring forth children— '1 {no more now) 
 
 i. e., not long after 721 B.C. Tyre was then in the 
 height of its prosperity. Since the reign of Hiram 
 it had planted the great colony of Carthage, 143 
 years and 8 months after the building of Solomon's 
 temple {Josephus, c. 'Apion.,' i. 18). It had the 
 island of Cyprus, with its valuable mines of the 
 nietal which takes its name, ' copper,' from the 
 island. Sidon, Acco, and Old Tyre, on the main- 
 land, were soon reduced; but New Tyre, on an 
 island half a mile from the shore, held out for five 
 years. Sargon probably finished the siege. Sen- 
 nacherib does not, however, mention it among the 
 cities which the Assyrian kings conquered, (chs. 
 xxxvi., xxxvii.) The expression, "Chaldeans" 
 {v. 13), implies an ulterior reference to its siege 
 under Nebuchaduezzar, which lasted thirteen 
 years. Alexander .the Great destroyed New Tyre 
 after a seven month's siege. 
 
 1. Tyre (Hebrew, Tzor)—i. e., Pock; now Sur. 
 
 Ships of Tarshish— ships of Tyre returning from 
 their voyage to Tarshish, or Tartessus in Spain, 
 with which the Phoenicians had much commerce 
 (Ezek. xxvii. 12-25). "Ships of Tarshish" is a 
 phrase also used of large and distant-voyaging 
 merchant vessels (ch. ii. 16 ; 1 Ki. x. 22 ; Ps. xlviii. 
 7). there is no house— viz., left: such was the 
 case as to Old Tyre after Nebuchadnezzar's siege, 
 no entering in — there is no house to eiiter (eh. 
 xxiv. 10). Or rather, Tyre is so laid waste that 
 there is no possibility of entering the harbour: 
 which is appropriate to the previous "ships." 
 Lit., 'it is laid waste, frojn (Hebrew, min) there 
 being a house, from there being an entrance : ' 
 which probably means. Tyre, once the emporium of 
 all nations, is noio laid waste, so that it is no longer 
 a house ivith an open entrance to cdl. G. Pobinson 
 says, ' The harbour is a small circular basin, now 
 quite filled up with sand and broken columns, 
 leaving scarcely space enough for small boats to 
 enter.' from the land of Chittim it is revealed 
 to them— Cyprus : of which the cities, including 
 Citium in the South (whence came "Chittim"), 
 were mostly Phoenician (Ezek. xxvii. 6). The 
 ships from Tarshish on their way to Tyre learn the 
 tidings (it is revealed to them) of the downfall of 
 Tyre. At a later jieriod Chittim denoted the 
 islands and coasts of the Mediterranean (Dan. xi. 
 30). The Chittians {i. e. , the Cyprians) had revolted 
 from Tyre : upon which the Tyrian King Eluloeus 
 sailed against them and reduced them. But the 
 King of Assyria attacked all Phoenicia ; and with 
 the help of 60 ships and 800 rowers of Sidon, 
 Acco (Acre), and Old Tyre, and the Phoenicians 
 in general, who submitted to him, he attacked 
 Tyre. The Tyrian archives represent themselves 
 as victorious, and as having still held out five years, 
 in spite of the Assyrian king's placing of guards 
 at their rivers and aqueducts. But national 
 vanity would prom^jt them to hide their own 
 defeat, which they might the more safely do, as 
 Tyre still remained a powerful state with its own 
 
 m 
 
The overthrow 
 
 ISAIAH XXIII. 
 
 of Tyre. 
 
 Neither do I Dourish up young men, nor bring up virgins. 
 
 5 As ''at the report concerning Egypt, 
 
 ^0 shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre. 
 
 6 Pass ye over to Tarshish; — howl, ye inhabitants of the isle. 
 
 7 Is this your ^joyous city, — whose antiquity is of ancient days? 
 Her own feet shall carry her ^afar off to sojourn. 
 
 8 Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre^ ^the crowning city, 
 Whose merchants are princes. 
 
 Whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth ? 
 
 9 The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, — ^to stain the pride of all glory. 
 And to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth. . 
 
 10 Pass through thy land as a river, 
 
 0 daughter of Tarshish : there is no more ^ strength. . 
 
 11 He stretched out his hand over the sea; — he shook the kingdoms: 
 The Lord hath given a commandment ^against ^the merchant city 
 
 12 To destroy the ^strong holds thereof. — And he said, 
 
 Thou shalt no more rejoice, — 0 thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon : 
 Arise, pass over to Chittim ; — there also shalt thou have no rest. 
 
 13 Behold the land of the Chaldeans; — this people was not. 
 
 travail nor bring forth,' &c. ' The strength of the sea' 
 —i. e., the stronghold— \\z.. New Tyre, on a rock (as 
 "Tyre" means) siirronnded by the sea (Ezek, 
 xxvi. 4, 14-17: so Venice was called 'Bride of the 
 sea;' Zech. ix. 3). 5. As at tlie report concern- 
 ing Egypt, (so) shall they be sorely pained at 
 the report of Tyre— rather, ' When the report 
 (viz., concerning Tyre) (shall reach) the people of 
 Egypt, they shall be sorely pained at the report 
 concerning Tjtc ' (viz., its overthrow). So Jerome, 
 ' When the Egyptians shall hear that so powerful 
 a neighbouring nation has been destroyed, they 
 must know their own end is near.' So the LXX., 
 Vulgate, and Arabic, [Lotvth, (be.) The sense of 
 the English version is, As the neighbouring peoples 
 shall be sorely pained at the repoi't of Egypt's dis- 
 aster, so shall they be at the report of Tyre's. But 
 Tyre's disaster came before that of Egypt, not afier 
 it. Ezek. xxix. 18-20 translates, therefore, a,% Jerome 
 above. The disaster was to be to Tyre and Egypt 
 in common : both were enemies of the covenant 
 people— Egypt avowedly ; Tyre secretly (C'a/?;?!//). 
 6. Pass ye over to Tarshish. Escape from Tyre 
 to your colonies, as Tarshish (cf. v. 12). The 
 Tyrians fled to Carthage and elsewhere, both at 
 the siege under Nebuchadnezzar and that under 
 Alexander. 7. (Is) this your joyous (city)? Is 
 this silent ruin all that is left of your once joyous 
 city? {v. 12.) antiquity. The Tyriau priests 
 boasted in Herodotus' time that their city had 
 already existed 2,300 years: an exaggeration, but 
 still ini])lying that it was ancient even then, her 
 own feet— walking on foot as captives to an 
 enemy's land. 8. Who— Answered in v. 9, "The 
 Lord of hosts." the crowning city— crown -giving : 
 
 i. e., the city from which dependent kingdoms had 
 arisen, as Tartessus in Spain, Citium in Cyprus, 
 and Carthage in Africa (Ezek. xxvii. 33). whose 
 trafackers— lit., Canaanites, who were famed for 
 commerce, (cf. Hos. xii. 7, marg.) 9. The Lord of 
 hosts. Whoever be the instruments in overthrow- 
 ing haughty sinners, God, who has all hosts at 
 His command, is the First cause (ch. x. 5-7). stain 
 7-"to stain:" Hebrew, le-challeel, to profane: as 
 in Exod. xxxi. 14, the Sahhath, and other objects 
 of religious reverence: so here, "the pride of all 
 glory" may refer to the Tyrian temple of Hercules, 
 the oldest in the world, according to Arriau (ch. 
 
 ii. 16) : the prophet of the true God would naturally 
 single out tor notice the idol of Tyre {G. V. Smith). 
 
 G35 
 
 B. C. 715. 
 
 " Ex. 15. 14, 
 16. 
 
 Josh. 2. 9. 
 ch. 19. 16. 
 ch. 22. 2. 
 
 2 from afar 
 off. 
 
 - Ezek. 2S. 2. 
 
 3 to pollute, 
 ch. 2. 11, 
 
 17. 
 
 ch. 5. 15. 
 
 < girdle. 
 
 ^ Or, con- 
 cernii'g a 
 merchant- 
 man. 
 
 6 Canaan. 
 Gen. 9. 25. 
 Gen. 10. 15. 
 
 19. 
 
 7 Or, 
 strengths. 
 
 / Eev. IS. 22. 
 
 But the parallelism between "to stain the pride 
 of all glory," and the following, to bring into 
 contempt all the honourable of the earth— shows 
 that the former clause refers, like the latter, to 
 the pride of ivealth which characterized the Tyrian 
 merchants. The repetition of " the honourable of 
 the earth" in v. 9 from v. 8 confirms this. The 
 destruction of Tyre will exhibit to all how God 
 mars the lustre of whatever is haughty (ch. ii. 
 11). 10. a river — Hebrew, Cayeor, ^ as the river 
 Nile.' 0 daughter of Tarshish— 7 V^e and its in- 
 habitants, about henceforth, owing to the ruin of 
 Tyre, to become inhabitants of its colony. Tar- i 
 tessus : they would pour forth from Tyre, as waters 
 flow on when the barriers are removed [Lowth). \ 
 Rather, Tarshish, or Tartessus and its inhabitants, \ 
 as the ijhrase usually means (cf. ch. i. 8, "the I 
 daughter of Zion"— i. e., ZioJi's citizens personified i 
 as the daughter of Zion): they had been kept in 
 hard bondage, working in silver and lead mines 
 near Tarshish, by the parent city (Ezek. xxvi. 17); 
 but now there is no more strength— i. e. , the bond of 
 restraint (for so "strength," marg., girdle, i.e., bond, 
 Ps. ii. 3, ought to be translated) is removed, since 
 Tyre is no more. Cf. Menander, in Josephus^ 
 ' Antiquities,' ix. 14, 2 ; Diodorus, v. 38 ; Herodo 
 tus, i. 163. 11. He— Jehovah, he shook the 
 kingdoms — the Phoenician cities and colonies, 
 Tyre, Sidon, Arad, Arce, &c. the merchant city 
 —Hebrew, Canaan, meaning the north of it ; viz., 
 the Pliomice of the Greeks, at the foot of Lebanon. 
 On their coins they call their country Canaan. 
 12. And he said. " He," God. no more rejoice 
 —riotously {v. 7). 0 thou oppressed virgin—' de- 
 flowered virgin ' (Lowth) : laying aside the figure, 
 thou city taken by storm. The Arabs compare a 
 city never taken to an undefiled virgin, (cf. Nah. 
 iii. 5, &c. ) daughter of Zidon— Tyre ; or else, sons 
 of Zidon; i.e., the whole land and people of 
 Phoenicia (note, v. 2) [Maurer). Chittim— Citium 
 in Cyprus {v. 1). there also shalt thou have no 
 rest— thy colonies, having been hai-shly treated 
 by thee, will now repay thee in kind (note, v. 10). 
 But Vitringa refers it to the calamities which befell 
 the Tyrians in their settlements subsequently — 
 viz., Sicily, Corcyra, Carthage, and Spain, all 
 flowing from the original curse of Noah against 
 the posterity of Canaan (Gen. ix. 25-27). 13. Be- 
 hold the land of the Chaldeans. Calling attention 
 to the fact so humiliating to Tyre, that a people 
 
The overthrow 
 
 ISx\IAH XXIII. 
 
 ofTyra. 
 
 14 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 IS 
 
 Till the Assyrian founded it for ^them that dwell in the wilderness : 
 They set up the towers thereof, — they raised up the palaces thereof ; 
 And he brought it to niin. 
 
 Howl, ^ye ships of Tarshish: — for your strength is laid waste. 
 
 And it shall come to pass in that day, 
 That Tyre shall be forgotten seventy yeai-s, 
 According to the days of one king : 
 
 After the end of seventy years ^ shall Tyre sing as an harlot. 
 
 Take an harp, go about the city, — thou harlot that hast been forgotten ; 
 
 Make sweet melody, sing many songs, — tliat thou mayest be remembered. 
 
 And it shall come to pass, after tlie end of seventy years. 
 
 That the Lord v,'ill visit Tyre, — and she shall turn to her hire, 
 
 And ^ shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world 
 
 Upon the fixce of the earth. 
 
 And her merchandise and her hire shall ^ be holiness to the Lord: 
 It shall not be treasured nor laid up ; 
 
 For her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, 
 To eat sufficiently, and for ^durable clothing. 
 
 of yesterday, like the Cbaldces, should, first as 
 mercenaries in the Assyrian king's army, tlieu as 
 the army of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnez- 
 zar, in the next siege, destroy the most ancient of 
 cities, Tyre, this people was not— had no exist- 
 ence as a recognized nation ; the Chaldees were 
 previously but a rude i)redatory people (Job i. 
 17. ) (tm) the Assyrian founded it. The Clialdees 
 (" tliem that dwell in the wilderness") lived a 
 nomadic life in the mountains of Armenia origin- 
 ally (The name " Arphaxad," in Gen. x. 22, refers 
 to such a region of Assyria near Armenia ; from 
 Arabic, araph, to bind, and Icard^ kurd — i. e., the 
 stronghold of the Clialdees) north and east of 
 Assyria proper. Some may have settled in Meso- 
 potamia and Babylonia very early, and given origin 
 to the astrologers, called Clialdees in later times. 
 But most of the people had been transferred only a 
 little before the time of this prophecy from their 
 original seats in the North to Mesopotamia, and 
 soon afterwards to South Babylonia. "Founded 
 it," means ' assigned it (the land) to them who had 
 (heretofore) dwelt in the wilderness' as a per- 
 manent settlement (so in Ps. civ. 8) [Maurer). 
 It was the Assyrian policy to infuse into their 
 own population of the plain the fresh blood of 
 hardy mountaineers, for the sake of recruiting 
 their armies. Ultimately the Chaldees, by their 
 powerful priest-caste, gained the su})rem.acy, and 
 established the later or Chaldean empire, they 
 set up the towers thereof— viz., of Babylon. 
 Herodotus (1. 84) says its towers were ' set 
 up' by the Assyrians {Barnes). Rather, 'the 
 Chaldees set up their siege-towers^ against Tyre, 
 made for the attack of high walls, from which 
 the besiegers hurled missiles, as depicted in 
 the Assyrian sculptures {Maurer). they raised 
 up the palaces thereof— rather [nnii?, from 
 ' They lay hare,^ viz., the foundations of her 
 (Tyre's) palaces — i. e,, they utterly overthrow them 
 (Ps. cxxxvii. 7). and he brought it to ruin— 
 and this same Clialdean people bring Tyre to ruin. 
 14. your scrength is laid waste— your stronghold 
 (cf. Ezek. xxvi. 15-18). 
 
 15. Tyre shall be forgotten. Having lost its 
 formerrenown, Tyre shall be in obscurity, seventy 
 years— the duration of the captivity of the Jcm's 
 in Babylon (so Jer. xxv. 11, 12; xxix. 10). This 
 jiroves that the capture of Tyre here meant ulti- 
 mately is that by Nebuchadnezzar, days of one 
 king— i. c.^ a dynasty. The Babylonian monarchy 
 
 lasted properly but seventy years. From the first 
 year of Nebuchadnezzar to the taking of Babylon 
 by Cyrus, was seventy years ; then the subjected 
 nations would be restored to liberty. Tyre was 
 taken in the middle of that period, but it is 
 classed in common with the rest, some conquered 
 sooner and others later— all, however, alike about 
 to be delivered at the end of the period. So , 
 "king" is used for dynasly (Dan. vii. 17; viiL 
 20). Nebuchadnezzar, his son Evil-merodach, and 
 his grandson Belshazzar, formed the whole , 
 dynasty (Jer. xxv. 11, 12; xxvii. 7 ; xxix. 10). ; 
 after the end of seventy years shall T3rre i 
 sing as an harlot— it shall bo to Tyre as the 
 song of the harlot— viz., a harlot that has been 
 forgotten, but who attracts notice again by her ' 
 song. Large marts of commerce are often com- \ 
 pared to harlots seeking many lovers—?*. <?., they ! 
 court merchants of all nations, and admit anyone ■ 
 for the sake of gain (Nah. iii. 4 ; Eev. xviii. 3). 
 The image is appropriate, as covetousness, t: 
 besetting sin of Tyre, is closely akin to idokiii . 
 and licentiousness (Eph. v. 5; Col. iii. 5: cf. cli. 
 ii. 6-8, 18). 16. sing . . . that thou mayest 
 be remembered. Same figure, to express that 
 Tyre would again prosper and attract commercial 
 intercourse of nations to her, and be the same \ 
 joyous, self-indulging city as before. 17. the i 
 Lord will visit Tyre—not in wrath, but n:ercy. 
 hire— image from a harlot; her gains by com- ' 
 merce. After the Babylonian dynasty was ended, ' 
 Tyre was rebuilt ; also, again, after the terrible | 
 destruction under Alexander. 18. her merchan- ; 
 dise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord i 
 — her traffic and gains shall at last (long after the ! 
 restoration mentioned in v. YI) be consecrated to i 
 Jehovah. Euseh'ms^ 'History,' x., ch. 4, says, 
 'When the Church of Cod was founded in Tyre, 1 
 much of its wealth was consecrated to Cod, and j 
 was brought as an offering to the Church for the 
 support of the ministry.' Jesus Christ visited | 
 the neighbourhood of Tyre (Matt. xv. 21) : Paul 
 found disciples there (Acts xxi. 3-6) : it early 
 became a Christian bishopric ; but the full evan- 
 gelization of that whole race, as of the Ethiopians 
 (ch. xviii.), of the Egyptians and Assyrians (ch. 
 xix.), is yet to come (ch. Ix. 5). it shall not bo 
 treasured— but freely expended in His servica 
 her merchandise shall be for them that dwell 
 before the Lord— the ministers of religion. Butj 
 Uordey translates, 'for them that sit before 
 
of God. 
 
 The judgment.^ ISAIAH XXIV. 
 
 24 BEHOLD, the Lord inaketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, 
 
 And ^turaeth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. 
 2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the Spriest; 
 
 As with the serv.ant, so with his master ; 
 
 As with the maid, .so with her mistress ; 
 
 "As with the buyer, so with the seller ; 
 
 As with the lender, so with the borrower ; 
 
 As with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. 
 '3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled : 
 
 For the Loud hatli spoken this word. 
 
 4 Tfie earth mourneth and fadeth away. 
 The world languisheth and fadeth away, 
 ^The haughty people of the earth do languish. 
 
 5 The ^ earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; 
 Because they have transgressed the laws, — changed the ordinance, 
 
 . Broken the everlasting covenant. 
 
 6 Therefore hath ''the curse devoured the earth, 
 And they that dwell therein are desolate: 
 
 Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, — and few men left. 
 
 Jehovah ' as disciples, and for durable clothing. 
 Changes of raiment constituted much of the 
 wealth of former days. 
 
 Remarks. — The 'prince-merchants' of our com- 
 mercial nation have much to learn from the doom 
 of Tyre, once the " mart of nations." Commerce 
 is, doubtless, one earthly basis of national pros- 
 perity; but it affords no safeguard against national 
 ruin, when the favour of the Lord does not ac- 
 company it. The largest 'revenue' comes to 
 nought at the command of the Almighty. In 
 vain did Tyre look for help to her many colonies, 
 as well as to the mother city, Zidon, in the day 
 of her distress. Zidon herself was put to sliame, 
 80 thab she could afford no succour ; and the 
 Tyrians could only flee to Tarshish and elsewhere, 
 as exiled fugitives. Tyre, that was once so 
 "joyous," is now "still," and void of national 
 life. "Antiquity" will not avail when it has 
 arrayed against it, "the Ancient of days." So 
 far are "the honourable of the earth" from 
 being able to counteract the "purpose" of "the 
 Lord of hosts," that it is their very pride which 
 brings down His wrath ; for his ' purjjose ' 
 is "to stain" or pollute "the pride of all glory, 
 and to bring into contemi>t all the honourable of 
 the earth." Let us learn that the true blessedness 
 of the possession of wealth, great or small, consists 
 in the dedication of it to the glory of God, the 
 advancement of the kingdom of Christ, and the 
 tem])oral and spiritual relief of our fellow-men. 
 
 CHAP. XXIV. —The Last Times of the 
 
 WORLI^ IN GENERAL, AND OF JUDAII AND THE 
 
 Church in particular. The four chapters, xxi v. - 
 xxvii., form one continuous poetical proi)hecy, 
 descriptive of Uie dispersion and successive calami- 
 lies of the Jews (ch. xxi v. 1-12) ; the preachlnrf of 
 the Gospel by the first Hebrew converts ihrouf/hout 
 tJie world (vv. 13- IG) ; the judgments on the adver- 
 saries of the Churchy and its final triumvh {vv. 16- 
 23) ; ihanksgivinrj for the overthrow of the apostate 
 faction (ch. xxv.), and estahlishment of the righteous 
 in lasting yeact (ch. xxvi. ); judgment on leviathan 
 and entire purgation of the Church, (ch. xxvii.) 
 Having treated of the several nations in particular 
 —Babylon, Philistia, Moab, Syria, Israel, Egypt, 
 Edom, and Tyre (the miniature representative of 
 all, as all kingdoms flocked into it) — he passes to 
 the last tiniCH of Uie inorld at large, and of Judah, 
 tfie representative and future head of the Churches. 
 037 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 CUAl'. 21. 
 ' p rverteth 
 the face 
 thereof. 
 Eze. 21. ec. 
 il. 
 
 2 Or, prince. 
 
 Gen. 41. 45. 
 
 Ho3. 4. 9. 
 " Eze. 7. 12. 
 li. 
 
 8 the height 
 
 of the 
 
 people. 
 6 Gen. 3. 17. 
 
 Gen. C. 11. 
 13. 
 
 Lev. 1«. 25. 
 Lev. 2a. -2. 
 Num.36.:i3. 
 Ps. 108. 3C. 
 " Lev. 26. 13. 
 Deut. 23.15. 
 RhiL 4. C. 
 
 1-23.— 1. Behold, the Lord maketh the earth 
 empty — "the earth;" not merely the land oj 
 Judah, though that land occupies tlie fore- 
 ground in the picture {rv. 3-G ; Joel 1. 2). For 
 in v. 4, " the world " is parallel to, and ex- 
 planatory of "the earth;" and in vv. 14, 15, 
 "the isles of the sea" are mentioned ; and in r. 
 21, "the kings of the earth upon the earth." The 
 desolation of Judah under Nebuchadnezzar pre- 
 figured that under Titus. 2. it shall be, as with 
 the people, so with the priests— all alike shall 
 share the same calamity ; no favoured class shall 
 escape, as with the buyer, so with the seller— 
 (cf. Ezek. vii. 12, 13, " The time is come ... let 
 not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn ; for 
 wrath is upon all the multitude," &c. ; Hos. iv. 9 ; 
 Rev. vi. 15.) 4. the world— Hebrew, tebeel, the 
 hahitahle world; especially here the God-opposed 
 world-power, with all its might ; as in ch. xiii. il, 
 Babylon, the haughty people of the earth do 
 languish — Merom am haaretz; lit., the height of 
 the i)eople of the earth : abstract for concrete — 
 i.e., llie high people; even the nobles share the 
 general distress. 
 
 Tlie cause of this vniversal sidxrerting oj the 
 social frame-work. 5. The earth also is defiled 
 under the inhabitants— " is defiled," viz., with 
 innocent blood (Gen. iv. 11 ; Num. xxxv. 33; Ps. 
 cvi. 38). Instead of " also," translate, with Pisca- 
 tor. For; or with Junius and Tremellius, Even: 
 since this verse gives the reason for the judgment 
 described in v. 4. Chanphah means, 'has hgpo- 
 criticaUy transgressed,^ ixs well as "is defiled;" 'has 
 proved false to its religious profession.' It prob- 
 ably points, as the other verbs of the verse, to 
 a great apostasy from an existing covenant or 
 revelation ; and such an apostasy from faith our 
 Saviour foretells will fall upon professing Chris- 
 tendom in the last days. The LXX. uses the 
 same term here as St. Paul, in foretelling the 
 advent of the wicked or lawless one, (2 Thess. ii.) 
 [i)v6ixr](T€\ So the Chaldaic and Arabic; but the 
 Vulgate as the English version, they have trans- 
 gressed the laws . . . ordinance . . . everlasting 
 covenant. The moral laws, positive statutes, and 
 national covenant, designed to be for ever be- 
 tween God and them. Israel literal, and the 
 spiritual Israel, or the whole professing Christian 
 world, are meant. 6. burned— viz., with the con- 
 suming wrath of heaven : either iuterually, as Job 
 
The judgments 
 
 ISAIAH XXIV. 
 
 of Got 
 
 7 The new '^wine mourneth, — the vine languisheth. 
 All the merry -hearted do sigh. 
 
 8 The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, 
 
 The noise of them that rejoice endeth, — the joy of the harp ceaseth. 
 
 9 They shall not drink wine with a song ; 
 
 Strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it. 
 
 10 The city ^of confusion is broken down: 
 
 Every house is shut up, that no man may come in. 
 
 1 1 There is a crying for wine in the streets; 
 
 All "^joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. 
 
 12 In the city is left desolation, — and the gate is smitten with destruction. 
 
 13 When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, 
 There shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, 
 
 And as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done. 
 
 14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing 
 
 For the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the sea. 
 
 15 Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the ^fires, 
 
 Even ^ the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea. 
 
 16 From the ^uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, 
 Exen glory to the righteous. 
 
 But I said, ^My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me ! 
 
 XXX. 30 {Bosenmiiller), or externally, the prophet 
 has before his eyes the people being consumed 
 with the withering dryness of their doomed land 
 (so Joel i. 10, 12) [Maurer). And ultimately the 
 "flaming tire" of vengeance with which the Lord 
 Jesns shall visit all that obey not the Gospel. 7. 
 The new wine mourneth — 'The new wine is dried 
 np ' {ashamed, marg. ; Joel i. 10). the vine lan- 
 guisheth— because there are none to cultivate it 
 now. Dissipation, " surfeiting, and drunkenness " 
 shall be characteristic of the latter times, so that 
 the day of the Lord shall come " unawares " (Luke 
 xxi. 34, 35), " as a snare on all them that dwell on 
 the face of the whole earth." So it was in the days 
 of Noah before the flood, the type of the last judg- 
 ment : and V. 18, "the windows from on high are 
 open," &c., plainly alludes to the flood in Noah's 
 days. 8. (Rev. xviii. 22. ) 9. They shall not drink 
 wine with a song — the usual accompaniment of 
 feasts, strong drink (note, ch, v. II)— Shecar. 
 'Date wine' {Horsley). shall be bitter— in conse- 
 quence of the national calamities. 10. The city of 
 confusion— what sqyostdXQ Jerusalem and the world- 
 city, spiritual Babylon, apostate Christendom, 
 would be : by anticipation it is called so. Babel 
 means confusion: the apostate Church, which is 
 spiritual Babylon, is therefore rightly called "The 
 city of confusion," or " emptiness,^^ as the Hebrew, 
 toku, means. Of the literal Babylon, Isaiah, xxxiv. 
 11, saith, the Lord "shall stretch out upon it the 
 line of confusion and the stones of emptiness:'''' and 
 of the spiritual Babylon, the city of the world, the 
 Lord (Jer. iv. 23) pronounces the doom, " I beheld 
 the earth, and, lo, it was without form {confusion 
 or emptiness) and void." Hebrew, tohu vahohu (the 
 same words as in Gen. i. 2) : reduced to its primi- 
 tive chaos, every house is shut up — through 
 fear ; or rather, choked up by ruins. 11. (There 
 is) a crying for wine— to drown their sorrows in 
 drink. Joel i. 5, written about the same time, 
 resembles this. 12. the gate is smitten with 
 destruction— ' with a great tumult (of the assail- 
 ants) the gate is battered down' {Horsley). Or 
 else, with a crash. 13. When thus it shall toe in 
 the midst of the land. Judea primarily ; ulti- 
 mately the remnant saved from ' the peoples,' or 
 Gentile nations of the earth, is referred to. among 
 638 
 
 the people, (there shall be) as the shaking of an 
 olive tree. Put the comma after " land," not after 
 "people." 'There sliall be among the people (a 
 remnant left) as the shaking (the after-picking) of 
 an olive tree ; ' as in gathering olives, a few remain 
 on the highest boughs (ch. xvii. 5, 6). The Hebrew 
 is 'peoples,' not "people:" haammim. 14. They 
 — those who are left after the persecutions of 
 Antichrist ; the remnant, shall sing for the 
 majesty of the Lord — sing a thanksgiving for the 
 goodness of the Lord, who has so mercifully pre- 
 served them, (cf. their song of praise, ch. xxv.) 
 from the sea— from the distant lands beyond the 
 sea, whither they shall have escaped. 15. in the 
 fires [Dni<3j. Vitringa translates, ' in the cavesJ* 
 Could it mean the fires of affliction? (1 Pet. i. 7.) 
 They were exiles at the time. The fires only loose 
 the carnal bonds of!" the soul, without injuriiig a 
 hair, as in the case of Shadrach, Meshach, and 
 Abed-nego. Loioth reads, 'in the islands' (Ezek. 
 xxvi. 18) : Hebrew, Baiyim. So the LXX. But 
 no MS. supports this. Rather translate, for 
 "flres." 'in the regions of morning light,' 'the 
 lucid region ' {Gesenius)—\. e., the East, in antithesis 
 to the "isles of the sea" (the Mediterranean)— 
 i. e., the West. Wheresoever ye be scattered, east 
 or west, still glorify the Lord (Mai. i. 11). 16. 
 From the uttermost part (Hebrew, wing) of the 
 earth have we heard songs— songs to God come in 
 together to Palestine from distant lands, as a 
 grand chorus. When God begins to execute His 
 judgments on the apostate world-city, the faithful 
 remnant who survive amidst the persecutions of 
 Antichrist glorify the God of Israel in anticipa- 
 tion of His approaching interposition for them. 
 Cf. Luke xxi. 28, " When these things begin to 
 come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads, 
 for your redemption draweth nigh." (even) glory 
 to the righteous. This is the biirden of the songs 
 (cf. ch. xxvi. 2, 7). Amidst exile, the loss of their 
 temple, and all that is dear to man, their confidence 
 in God is unshaken. These songs recall the joy of 
 other times, and draw from Jerusalem, in her 
 present calamities, the cry — 
 
 My leanness, my leanness— My reduced condi- 
 tion temporally and spiritually! Horsley trans- 
 lates, 'Glory to the Just One:' then My leanness 
 
God's judgments 
 
 ISAIAH XXIV. 
 
 on the land. 
 
 '^The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; 
 
 Yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously. 
 
 1 7 Fear, ^ and the pit, and the snare, — are upon thee, 0 inhabitant of the earth. 
 
 18 And it shall come to pass. 
 
 That he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; 
 And he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare : 
 For ^'the windows from on high are open. 
 And ^ the foundations of the earth do shake. 
 The ^ earth is utterly broken down, — the earth is clean dissolved, 
 The earth is moved exceedingly. 
 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, 
 And shall be removed like a cottage; 
 And the transgTessiou thereof shall be heavy upon it; 
 And it shall fall, and not rise again. 
 
 And it shall come to pass in that day, 
 That the Lord shall ''punish the host of the high ones that are on high, 
 
 And the kings of the earth upon the earth. 
 And they shall be gathered together, — ^ as prisoners are gathered in the ^pit, 
 And shall be shut up in the prison. 
 And after many days shall they be ^'^visited. 
 23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, 
 
 19 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 99 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 Jer. 5. H. 
 Jer. 12. 1, c, 
 Lara. 1. 2. 
 Ho.s. 5. 7. 
 Hos. 6. 7. 
 Hab. 1. 3. 
 ' 1 Ki. 19. 17 
 Jer. 4S. 43, 
 44. 
 
 Amos '>. 1^ 
 } Gen. 7. 11. 
 
 Gen. V). 21, 
 
 2 Ki. 7. 2. 
 *: Ps. 18. 7. 
 
 Ps. 46. 21. 
 <■ Jer. 4. 2 !. 
 
 7 visit upon, 
 "'Ps. 70. 12. 
 
 8 with the 
 gathering 
 of prison- 
 ers. 
 
 9 Or. 
 dungeon. 
 
 10 Or found 
 wantin'. 
 
 expresses the Israelite's sense of man's corruption, 
 wbicli led the Jews, the treacherous dealers (Jer. 
 V. 11), to crucify the Just One ; and his deficiency 
 of righteousness, which made him need to be 
 clothed with the righteousness of the Jusfc One. 
 On "leanness," cf. Ps. cvi. 15. treacherous dealers 
 —the foreign nations that oppress Jerusalem and 
 overcame it by stratagem (so in ch. xxi. 2 ; xxxiii. 
 
 I) . But there is an ulterior reference to the last 
 Antichrist's 'corrupting by flatteries ' the people 
 of the covenant (Dan. ix. 27, 28 ; xi. 30-37). Those 
 who have dealt treacherously as to their covenant 
 with God shall be in just letributiou given up to 
 the godless foe, who shall deal treacherously with 
 them. 17. Fear, and the pit, and the snare. This 
 verse explains the wretchedness spoken of in v. 
 16. Jeremiah (xlviii. 43, 44) uses the same words. 
 They are proverbial ; v. 18 expressing that the in- 
 habitants were nowhere safe: if they escaped one 
 danger, they fell into another, and worse, on the 
 opposite side (Amos v. 19). "Fear" is the term 
 applied to the cords with feathers of all colours 
 which, when fluttered in the air, scare beasts into 
 the i)itfall, or birds into the snare. Ilorsley 
 makes the connection : Indignant of the treat- 
 ment which the Just One received, the prophet 
 threatens the guilty land with instant vengeance. 
 The ulterior reference seems to me to be to the 
 sudden destruction which ' as a snare shall come 
 on all them that dwell on the face of the whole 
 earth,' — viz., on the unbelieving world of so-called 
 Christendom (Luke xviii. 8; xxi. 35). 18. noise 
 Of the fear — the shout designed to rouse the game 
 and drive it into the pitfall, shall fall into the 
 pit . . . for the windows from on high are open 
 — taken from the account of the deluge ((Jen. vii. 
 
 II) : the jlood-yates. 8o the flnal judgments of fire 
 on the apostate world are comj)ared to the deluge 
 (2 Pet. iii. 5-7). 19. the earth is moved exceed- 
 ingly — image from an earthquake. 20. removed 
 like a cottage — Hebrew, melunah, from lun, to 
 lodge for the night (note, ch. i. 8). Here, a 
 hanriing couch, suspended from the trees by cords, 
 such as iS'iebuhr describes the Arab keepers of 
 lands as having, to enable tliem to keep watch, 
 and at the same time be secure from wild beasts. 
 Translate, ' Shall wave to and fro (Hebrew, hith- 
 
 C39 
 
 nodedah) like a hammock' swung about by the 
 wind, heavy upon it— like an overwhelming bur- 
 den, not rise again — not meaning that \t*never 
 would rise {v. 23), but in those convulsions it would 
 not rise, it would surely fall. 
 
 21. host ofthe high ones— the heavenly host; i e., 
 either t/ie visible host of heaven (the X)resent economy 
 of nature, afl'ected by the sun, moon, and stars, 
 the objects of idolatry, being abolished in their 
 relation to this earth, ch. Ixv. 17 ; Ix. 19, simul- 
 taneously with the corrupt polity of men), or 
 rather, the invisible rulers of the darkness of this 
 world (Eph. vi. 12), as the antithesis to the kings 
 of the earth upon the earth shows. Angels, good 
 and bad, moi-eover, preside as it were over king- 
 doms of the world (Dan. x. 13, 20, 21). "The 
 kings of the earth " are the confederate anti- 
 christian kings (Eev. xvi. 14 ; xvii. 12-14 ; xix. 19) 
 who shall be 'i»unished upon the earth by the 
 Lord. ' 22. as prisoners are gathered in the pit— 
 'in the dungeon;' lit., 'upon the pit' or 
 'dungeon:' implying that the prisoners are let 
 down from above into it. Image from captives 
 thrust together into a dungeon against the day of 
 judgment being pronounced upon them (cf. Jer. 
 xxxix. 5). in the prison— i. e., as in a prison. . This 
 sheds light on the disputed passage, 1 Pet. iii. 19, 
 where also the prison is figurative. The men of 
 the world just before the flood were shut up in 
 this earth as in a great prison house. They were 
 seemingly at large, but were really, like the fallen 
 angels now on earth, reserved in invisible chains 
 of darkness, against the coming judgment (Jude 6). 
 Christ by His Spirit in Noah came and preached 
 to them. So in the latter day here foretold men 
 shall be gathered together on earth as in a sunken 
 dungeon, awaiting the visitation of judgment. The 
 shutting up of the Jews in Jerusalem under Nebu- 
 chadnezzar, and again under Titus, was to be fol- 
 lowed by a visitation of judgment. " Visited " is in 
 a bad sense, viz., in wrath, as in ch. xxvi. 14: cf. 
 ch. xxix. 6 ; the punishment being the heavier in 
 consequence of the delay. Perhaps a double visita- 
 tion is intended—deliverance to the elect, uTath to 
 hardened unbelievers. But v. 23 plainly contem- 
 plates judgments on proud sinners symbolized by 
 
The prophet 
 
 ISAIAH XXV. 
 
 praiseth God. 
 
 When the Lord of liosts shall "reign 
 
 111 mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, — and ^Mjefore his ancients gloriously. 
 25 0 LORD, thou art my God ; — I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name ; 
 For thou hast done wonderful things; 
 Thy ^counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. 
 
 2 For thou hast made *^of a city an heap; — o/'a defenced city a ruin: 
 A paJaee of strangers to be no city ; — it shall never be built. 
 
 3 Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, 
 The city of the terrible nations shall fear thee. 
 
 4 For thou hast been a strength to the poor, 
 A strength to the needy in his distress, 
 
 *A refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, 
 
 When the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. 
 
 5 Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, — as the heat in a dry place ; 
 Even the heat with the shadow of a cloud : 
 
 The branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low. 
 
 B. C. 71'; . 
 
 ** Heb. Vi. %i. 
 Kev. 19. 4. 
 Rev. 21. I. 
 
 u Or. t.hera 
 shaU be 
 glory be- 
 fore hii 
 ancien's. 
 «.HA.f. 
 
 " Ex. 15. 2. 
 Num. 23. 19. 
 Pa. as. 10. 
 11. 
 
 » Jer. 61. 37. 
 <i Rev. 11. 13. 
 • Ps. 46. l-ll. 
 
 Ch. 4. 6. 
 
 ^'all. 1.7,8. 
 
 Zech. 9. 8. 
 
 the "sun" and "moon." 23. when the Lord of 
 hosts shall reign in mount Zion, &c.— (Jer. iii. 17.) 
 Still future : of which Jesus' triumphal entry into 
 Jerusalem amidst hosanuas was a pledge, his 
 ancients— the elders of His people ; or in geueral, 
 His ancient people, the Jews. After the over- 
 throw of the world-kingdoms, Jehovah's shall be 
 set up with a splendour exceeding the light of the 
 sun and moon under the previous order of things 
 (ch. 1^. 19, 20). 
 
 Remarks. — The theme of this chapter is the 
 Judgment coming upon the professing Christian 
 woi'ld for its unfaithfulness to the covenant. The 
 whole fabric of society, political and religious, 
 including the people and the priest alike, shall be 
 broken up. The relations of life, according to the 
 present world-course, shall come to an abrupt ter- 
 mination. The cause for the coming judgment shall 
 be the same as in the days of Noah — namely, the 
 apostasy of the men of the earth from the clearest 
 revelation that has ever been vouchsafed to man. 
 Professing Christendom shall have proved false 
 to "tlie everlasting covenant." Therefore "the 
 earth" being so 'defiled under its inhabitants' 
 (y. 5) is doomed to " the curse." 
 
 CHAP. XXV. 1-12. -Continuation of Ch. 
 XXIV. Thanksgiving Song (ch. xxiv. 14-16) for 
 THE Overthrow of the Apostate Faction, and 
 THE Setting up of Jehovah's Throne on Zion 
 (ch. xxiv. 23). The restoration from Babylon, and 
 re-establishmeut of the theocracy, was a type and 
 pledge of this. 
 
 1. thou hast done ■t7onclerful things— according 
 to thy "name" (ch. ix. (i) or character manifested 
 in delivering thy people from all their persecutors, 
 and especially Antichrist (ch. xxiv. 10, 13-15). thy 
 counsels of old (chs. xlii. 9; xlvi. 10)— purposes 
 planned long ago : here, as to the deliverance of 
 His people. (are) . . . truth— Hebrew, Amen: 
 covenant-keeping ; faithful to promises : the pecu- 
 liar characteristic of Jesus, the Amen (Eev. iii. 14). 
 2. thou hast made of a city an heap— Babylon, 
 " the city of confusion " (ch. xxiv. 10, 12) ; type of 
 the .<?eat of Antichrist, to be destroyed in the last 
 days, (cf. Jer. li. 37 with Rev. xviii. respecting the 
 linal overthrow of spiritual Babylon, the ai)Ostate 
 cliurch, followed, as here, by the song of the saints' 
 thanksgiving in Kev. xix.) 'Heaps' is a graxjhic 
 picture of Babylon and JNineveh as they now are. 
 palace — Babylon regai-ded, on account of its splen- 
 dour, as a vast palace ; or else a citadel, of 
 strangers — foreigners, whose capital pre-eminently 
 Babylon was : the metropolis of the pagan world, 
 bo the spiritual Babylon has as its citizens, "aliens 
 640 
 
 from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers 
 from the covenants of promise" (ch. xxix. 5; Eph. 
 ii. 12 : see in contrast Joel iiL 17). never be built — 
 (ch. xiii. 19, 20, &c. ) 3. Therefore shall the strong 
 people glorify thee. The nations on which Baby- 
 lon had exercised its cruelty (ch. xiv. 12) sliaLl 
 worship Jehovah, awed by the judgment inflicted 
 on Babylon (ch. xxiii. 18). Thus the Persians— a 
 strong and terrible people— under Cyrus, glorified 
 God in causing the restoration of the Jews from 
 Babylon to Jerusalem, (Ezra i.) The antitypical 
 and ultimate fulfilment shall be the conversion of 
 the powerful Gentile nations, consequent on the deliv- 
 erance of Israel from Antichrist by the manifested 
 Christ. But see below the Jews' own view, that 
 the strong people mean themselves, the city of the 
 terrible nations shall fear thee — not Babylon, 
 which shall then be destroyed, but collectively for 
 the cities of the surrounding nations. So the Chal- 
 daic has 'cities' for "city in v. 2. Jerome says, 
 'The Jews think that this is the voice of the 
 saints when God shall have performed against the 
 whole world what is spoken above, and the pro- 
 phecies of all the prophets are completed ; an<l 
 they interpret the overthrown city {v. 2) to signify 
 Rome, which is to be utterly destroyed ; and1{Ae 
 strong people, who shall praise Jehovah, and to 
 whom He has been a strength in their distress, they 
 refer to Israel, who shall then be freed from the 
 persecution of the Gentile nations.' Thus the 
 Jews, though poor and needy in themselves, are 
 regarded as nevertheless "strong" [tp] in having 
 Jehovah as their strength {v. 4) [ni>0]. "The city 
 of the terrible nations" (cf. note, ch. xviii. 2, 
 "terrible") is the whole Gentile world united in 
 one religious polity, with Jerusalem as its theo- 
 cratic nietropolis (cf. V. 5, "the terrible ones "), and 
 stands in contrast to the past godless "city of con- 
 fusion," Babylon (ch. xxiv. 10). 4. the poor . . . 
 the needy — the Jews, exiles from their country 
 (chs. xxvi. 6 ; xli. 17). a shadow from the heat— 
 from calamity (chs. iv. 6 ; xxxii. 2). the blast— 
 i. e., the wrath, as a storm — a tempest of rain; a 
 winter flood, rushing against and overthrowing 
 the wall of a house. 5, Thou shalt bring down 
 the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place. 
 Translate, 'As the heat in a dry land (is brought 
 down by the shadow of a cloud, so) thou shalt 
 bring down the triumphant shout (over their 
 enemies) of strangers ' (foreigners), (even) the 
 heat with the shadow of a cloud : the branch of 
 the terrible ones shall be brought low— and 'as 
 the heat by the shadow of the cloud (is brouglit 
 low), so the branch (the ofFspriug) of the terrible 
 
Ite prophet 
 
 ISAIAH XXV. 
 
 praheth God, 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 And in this mountain shall ^ the Lord of hosts make unto ^ail people 
 A feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, 
 Of fat things full of marrow, — of wines on the Ices v/ell refined. 
 And he will ^ destroy in this mountain 
 The face of the covering ^ cast over all people, 
 And ^the veil that is spread over all nations. 
 He will * swallow up death in victory ; 
 And the Lord God will •'wipe away tears from off all faces; 
 And the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth : 
 For the Lord hath spoken it. 
 
 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God ; 
 ^ We have waited for him, and he will save us : 
 This is the Lord; — we have waited for him. 
 We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. 
 
 For in this mountain shall the hand of the liORD rest. 
 And Moab shall be ^trodden down under him, 
 Even as straw is * trodden dov/n for the dunghill. 
 And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, 
 As he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim : 
 
 B. 0, 712. 
 
 / i'ro. 9. •>. 
 
 Matt. 2^4. 
 f Dan. 7. II. 
 
 Matt. u. 
 * swallovr 
 
 up. 
 2 covered. 
 
 -iVi t. 3. 15. 
 
 Fpk. 1. 17. 
 
 Eph. 4. l^. 
 < Hos. li. 1 1. 
 
 1 Cor. 15.54. 
 
 Heb. 2. 11. 
 
 Eev. 2';. It. 
 S Eev. r. 17. 
 
 Kcv. 21. 4. 
 
 (::en. 49. 13. 
 
 Tit. 2. 13. 
 8 Or, 
 
 threshed. 
 4 Or. thre.5h- 
 
 cd in Mad- 
 
 menah. 
 
 ones shall be brought low.' Ahen Ezra translates 
 the Hebrew for "branch" [i'22T, from zamar, to 
 dance and sing], the exulting song. So the Hebrew 
 means in Song ii. 12. The parallelism to "the 
 noise (the triumphant shout) of strangers," and to 
 " the blast of the terrible ones " {v. 4), contirms this. 
 The English version, "Branch," implies the Jlour- 
 ishing stnte of "the terrible ones" for a time, and 
 in outward appearance, in contrast to the then 
 low state of " the stern of Jesse" (ch. xi. 1), Jerome 
 translates the last clause, 'And as when the lieat 
 burns under a cloud, thou shalt make the branch 
 of the terrible ones to wither.' The branch 
 withering even under the friendly shade of a cloud 
 typifies the wicked brought to ruin — not for want 
 of natural means of prosperity, but by the imme- 
 diate act of God, 
 
 6. in this mountain— Zion. Messiah's kingdom 
 was to begin, and is to have its central seat here- 
 after, at Jerusalem, as the common country of 
 "all nations," (ch, ii. 2, &c.) unto all people— 
 (oh. Ivi. 7: Dan. vii, 14; Luke ii. 10.) a feast- 
 image of lelicity, (Ps. xxii. 20, 27; Matt. viii. 11; 
 Luke xiv. 15 ; lie v. xix. 9 : cf. Ps. xxxvi. 8 ; 
 Ixxxvii. ) fat things- delicacies ; the rich mercies 
 of (;od in Christ (ch. Iv. 2; Jer. xxxi. 14; Job 
 xxxvi. 16). wines on the lees— wine which has 
 been long kept on the lees; i, e., the oldest and 
 most generous wine (Jer. xlviii. 11), Cf. John ii. 
 10, in the spiritual sense, as applied to Jesus, 
 "Thou hast kei)t the goofl wine until now;" and 
 Matt. xxvi. 29, "I will not drink henceforth of 
 this fruit of the vine until that day when 1 drink 
 it new with you in my Father's kingdom;" also 
 Luke xxii. 29, 30. marrow— the choicest dainties 
 (Ps, Ixiii. 5), wines on the lees well refined- 
 cleared of all dregs, 7. he will destroy in this 
 mountain the face of the covering— image from 
 mourning, in which it was usual to cover the face 
 with a veil (2 Sam. xv, 30). "The face of the 
 Cf»vering" — i.e., the covering iiseJf, as Job xli. 13, 
 "the face of liis garment;" the garment itself. 
 The "covering" or 'veil' is the mist of ignorance 
 as to a future state and the way to eternal life 
 which enveloped the nations (Eph. iv. 18) and the 
 unbelieving Jew (2 Cor. iii. 15). The Jew, how- 
 ever, is first to be converted, before the conversion 
 of ^ all nations for it is "in this mountain," viz., 
 Zion, that the latter are to liave the veil taken off 
 (Pa. cii. 13, 15, 16, 21, '22 ; Rom. xi. 12). 8. 
 VOL. UL 641 
 
 Quoted in 1 Cor. xv, 54 in support of the coming 
 resurrection, swallow up death in victory— 
 completely and permanently (so the Hebrew idiom, 
 lanetzach, meau3, Jer. iii. 5; Lam. v. 20 — lit., in 
 victory. The English version rightly, 'forever') 
 'abolish' (Hos. xiii, 14; 2 Tim. i. 10; Kev, xx, 14; 
 xxi. 4: cf. Gen. ii. 17 with iii. 22). the rebuke of 
 ills people— (ch. Ixvi, 5 : cf, Mark viii. 38 ; Heb. 
 xi, 26, "the reproach of Christ.") 9. Lo, this is 
 our God. 'After death has been swallowed up 
 for ever, the jieople of God, who have been 
 delivered from the hand of death, shall say to 
 the Lord, Lo, this is our God, whom unbelievers 
 regarded as only a man^ {Jerome), he will save 
 US. 'The words are so moulded as to point us 
 specially to the person of the Son of God, who 
 "saue.9" us: as He vouchsafed to Israel tem- 
 oral saving, so to His elect He appears for the 
 purpose of conferring eternal salvation' ( Vitringa). 
 Salvation v.as bought in title by the first coming 
 of Christ: "unto them that look for Him shall 
 He appear the second time without sin unto 
 salvation " (Heb. ix. 28), then to be perfected in 
 the bodies as well as the souls of His people (cf. 
 Ps. cxviii. 15). The Jeius, however, have a special 
 share in the words. This is oitr God (note, v. 6). 
 in that day ... we will be glad and rejoice in 
 his salvation — cf. Ps. cxviii. 24, which refers to 
 the second coming of Jesus (cf. Ps. cxviii, 26 with 
 Luke xiii. 35). "Waited" is characteristic of 
 God's people in all ages (Gen. xlix. 18; Titus 
 ii. 13). 
 
 10. the hand of the Lord rest— as its permanent 
 protector: on "iiand" in this sense, cf, Ezra vii, 9, 
 28. Moab— whilst Israel is being protected, the foe 
 is destroyed, Moab is the representative of all the 
 foes of God's people (ch, xi. 14). shall be trodden 
 down— (ch. xxvi, 6; Ps. ex. 1; Mai. iv. 3.) under 
 him (Hebrew, tachtaiv)— rather, in his own place 
 or country (Exod. x. 23; xvi, 29). even as straw 
 is trodden down for the dunghill (Hebrew, be- 
 meej madineenah) — in the water of the dungheap, in 
 which straw was trodden to make it manure (Ps. 
 Ixxxiii. 10): ' in the dungpool.' //o?'5Ze?/ translates, 
 either, 'in the waters of Madmeuah,' viz., for the 
 making of bricks ; or as the LXX., 'as the thresh- 
 ing floor is trampled by the corn-drag' (see marg., 
 and^Mic, iv, 11, 12, 13). 11. he shaU spread forth 
 his hands, Sac— Jehovah shall spread las hands 
 to strike the foe ou this side and on that, with aa 
 2t 
 
A song inciting to 
 
 ISAIAH XXVI 
 
 confidence in God. 
 
 And he shall bring down their pride 
 
 Together with the spoils of their hands. 
 12 And the ^fortress of the high fort of thy w^alls 
 
 Shall he bring down, lay low, — and bring to the ground, even to the dust. 
 23 IN that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; 
 
 We have a strong city; — salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. 
 
 2 Open ""ye the gates, 
 
 That the righteous nation which keepeth the ^ truth may enter in. 
 
 3 Thou wilt keep him ^in perfect peace, whose ^mind is stayed on theej 
 Because he trusteth in thee. 
 
 4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever : 
 
 For in the Lord JEHOVAH is ^everlasting strength: 
 
 5 For he bringeth down them that dwell on high ; 
 The lofty city, he layeth it low ; 
 
 He layeth it low, even to the ground he brmgeth it even to the dust. 
 
 little effort as a swimmer spreads forth his arms 
 to cleave a passage through tlie water [Calvin) 
 (Zech. V. 3). Lowth takes "he", as Moab, who, in 
 danger of sinking, shall strain every nerve to save 
 himself : hut Jehovah (and "He") shall cause him 
 to sink ('bring down the pride ' of Moab), I prefer 
 the English version (ch. xvi. 6). together with 
 the spoils of their hands— lit., tlie craftily acquired 
 siwils of his (Moab's) hands. Gesenim translates 
 [nmnN;, from arab, to weave or contrive], ' with the 
 stratagems of his hands.' Moab's pride, as well 
 as the sudden gripe of his bauds (viz., whereby he 
 tries to save himself from drowning) [Lowth). Cf. 
 Balaam's prophecy as to the sceptre out of Israel 
 about to smite Moab (Num. xxiv. 17). 'Together 
 with the joints of his hands' — i.e., though Moab 
 struggle against Jehovah hand and foot [Manrer). 
 The image thus (which Cocceius and Kimchi 
 approve) would be from a swimmer. But it is 
 Jehovah who is compared to the swimmer striking 
 right and left : not Moab. The English version 
 seems best. God will bring down alike the ^^^'ifZe 
 of Moab's heart and the craftily gotten spoils of his 
 hands. The craft and force by which his hands 
 got spoils were the source of the pride of his heart. 
 Both shall be brought down. 12. the fortress— 
 the strongholds of Moab, the representative of 
 the foes of God's people ; also Babylon. The anti- 
 christian powers of the world are represeated as a 
 city (Bev. xi. 8). 
 
 Remarks. — As in ch. xii., after the prophecy of 
 Messiah's coming reign over restored Israel and 
 Judah, so also here in this ch. the literal and the 
 spiritual Israel are introduced as singiug a song of 
 praise for the " wonderful things " which God hath 
 wrought in their behalf. Nothing so fills the heart 
 and the mouth with thanksgivings as to be able to 
 say with appropriating faith, "0 Lord, thou art 
 my God." For though the Lord's people be now 
 "poor and needy," the Lord is their "strength." 
 The very violence of "the terrible ones" only 
 drives the Lord's i)eople the more to Him who is 
 "a refuge from the storm." 
 
 CHAP. XXVL 1-21. — Connected with 
 Cus. XXIV. and xxv. Continued Song of 
 Praise of Israel after being Restored to 
 THEIR OWN Land. As the overthrow of the 
 apostate faction is described in the close of ch. 
 XXV., so the peace of the faithful is here described 
 under the image of a well-fortified city. The 
 whole context, connected as it is with Christ's 
 coming to destroy death (ch. xxv. 8), cannot admit 
 of the restoration from Babylon under Cyrus being 
 its ultimate and exhaustive fulfilment. 
 
 .1. IBL that day— the day of the Lord's appearing 
 
 (ch. xxv. 6-9). shall this song he sung in the land 
 of Judah. Therefore the Jews shall have been by 
 that time restored to their own "land." strong 
 city — Jerusalem, strong in Jehovah's protection: 
 typeof the new Jerusalem (Ps. xlviii. 1-3), contrasted 
 with the overthrow oi "the lofty city" of the 
 ungodly foe, [vv. 4-7; 12-14; Rev. xxi. 10-27; xxii. 
 2, l0-12, &c.) salvation will (God) appoint (for) 
 walls and bulwarks— (chs. Ix. 18; xxxiii. 20, 21; 
 Jer. iii. 23; Zech. ii. 5.) bulwarks— the trench 
 with the antemural earth-works exterior to the 
 wall. 2. Open ye the gates— address of the 
 returning people to the gates of Jerusalem (type 
 of the heavenly city, Heb. xii. 22; Ps. xxiv. 7, 9; 
 cxviii. 19). righteous nation — the godly remnant 
 that had not apostatized during the captivity. 
 H'orsley translates, 'the nation of the Just One' — 
 viz., the Jews. Righteousness is the only ground 
 of entrance (Rev. xxi. 2.5, 27; xxii. 14). 3. Thou 
 •wilt keep (him) in perfect peace (lit., peace, 
 peace) (whose) mind (is) stayed— (Ps. cxii.'7, 8.) 
 Jesus can create "perfect peace "within the mind, 
 though storms of trial rage without (ch. Ivii. 19; 
 Mark iv. 39) ; as a city kejjt securely by a strong 
 garrison within, though besieged without (so Phil, 
 iv. 7, "Keep" [(ppovpnaeL] — lit, guard as with a 
 garrison). Horsley translates, ' ( God's ) wdrk- 
 manship (the Hebrew does not probably 
 
 mean "mind," but 'a thing formed,^ Eph. ii. 10) 
 stayed (on thee) thou shalt preserve (viz., the 
 righteous nation) in perpetual peace.' The righ- 
 teous nation is God's workmanship, which God 
 will stay, or support, and keep in perfect peace. 
 Cf. ch. xliii. 1, "The Lord that created thee . . . 
 and . . . formed thee, 0 Israel." But the Chal- 
 daic supports in the main the English version, 
 "mind," 'heart.' Calcin takes yeetzer samuk, 
 ' (In thy) fii'm decree (or purpose) thou keepest 
 (the Church) in perfect peace,' &c. The Church's 
 peace does not depend on the state of the world, 
 nor upon our wandering jiurposes, but upon the 
 fixed purpose and immutable counsel of God. 4. 
 in the Lord Jehovah (is) everlasting strength— 
 Hebrew, tzur holamim, the rock of ages. "The Lord 
 Jehovah" — Hebrew, Jah Jehovah. The union of 
 the two names expresses in the highest degree 
 God's unchanging love and iDOwer (cf. Ps. lxviii.4). 
 This passage and ch. xii. 2; Exod. vi. 3; Ps. 
 Ixxxiii. 18, are the four places in which the English 
 version retains the Jehovah of the original. 
 Maurer translates, 'For Jah (the eternal and un- 
 changeable One, Exod. iii. 14, "I am that I am") 
 is Jehovah, ithe rock of ages' (cf. ch. xlv. 17; 
 Deut. xxxii. 15; 1 Sam. ii. 2). 5. the lofty city- 
 Babylon ; representative of the stronghold of the 
 
A song inciting to 
 
 ISAIAfI XXVL 
 
 confidence in God. 
 
 B Tiie foot shall tread it down, 
 
 Exen the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy. 
 
 7 The way of the just is uprightness: 
 
 Thou, *most upright, dost weigh the path of the just. 
 
 8 Yea, ''in the way of thy judgments, 0 Lord, have we waited for thee; 
 The desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 
 
 9 With '^my soul have I desired thee in the night; 
 Yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early : 
 For *when thy judgments are in the earth, 
 
 The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. 
 10 Let ^ favour be showed to the wicked,— will he not learn righteousness : 
 In ^the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly. 
 And will not behold the majesty of the Lord. 
 Lord, wJien thy hand is lifted up, ^'they will not see: 
 But they shall see, and be ashamed— for their envy ^at the people; 
 Yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them. 
 Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us : 
 For thou also hast wrought all our works ^in us. 
 0 Lord our God, ^ other loxdi^ besides thee have had dominion over us; 
 But by thee only will we make mention of thy name. 
 They are dead, they shall not live ; — they are deceased, they shall not rise : 
 Therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, 
 And made all their memory to perish. 
 15 Thou hast increased the nation, 0 Lord, — thou hast increased the nation : 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 14 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 * Deut. 32. 4. 
 Ps. 37. 23. 
 
 " Ps. IS. 22. 
 
 ch. 6i. 5. 
 
 Mai. 4. 4. 
 
 Luke 1. 6. 
 d Ps. 63. 6. 
 
 Fs. U9. 62. 
 148. 
 
 SoDg 3. 1. 
 
 Song 5. 1-?. 
 
 Luke 6. 12. 
 
 • Job 27. 23. 
 Ps. .58. 10, 
 
 11. 
 
 Ps. 64. 9, 
 10. 
 
 Ps. 83. 1(5. 
 
 ch. 27. 9. 
 
 Ho3. 5. 15. 
 / Eccl. 8. 12. 
 
 Rom. 2. 4. 
 f Ps. 143. 10. 
 
 Job 34. 27. 
 
 Ps. 28. 5. 
 
 5 Or, toward 
 thy people. 
 
 6 Or. for us. 
 
 i 2 Chr. 12. 8. 
 f 3. 66. 12. 
 
 foes of God's people in all ages, (ch, xxv. 2, 12 ; 
 xiii. aad xiv.) 6. The foot shall tread it down— 
 with exultation over its fall (Rev. xviii. 20). (even) 
 the feet of the poor (ch. xxv. 4)— the ouce afflicted 
 Jewish captives. 7. The way of the just (is) up- 
 rightness — rather, is direct; i. e., is directed by 
 God to a prosperoits issue, however maoy be their 
 afflictions in the meantime (as in the case of the 
 Jewish exiles). The context requires this sense 
 (Ps. xxxiv. 19; Prov. iii. 6; xi. 5) — lit., 'right- 
 nesses.' The jjrophet is not praising the just, but is 
 showing that God gives a i^rosperous issue to their 
 course, however rugged it may seem for a time 
 {Calvin, Maurer). Thus "The way" means God's 
 dealings vntli the rir/hteous (Ps. xxxvii. 2;^), thou, 
 most upright— (Deut. xxxii. 4.) dost weigh the 
 path of the just (1 Sam. ii. 3; Prov. v, 21)— thou 
 dost exactly level [Maurer), removing all obstacles 
 (ch. xl. 3, 4). Junius explains, 'thou makest all 
 things most exactly to succeed in the path of the 
 just, controlling each of the two scales, adversity 
 and prosperity, more nicely than any goldsmith.' 
 8. Yea, in the way of thy judgments, 0 Lord, 
 have we waited for thee— i e., for thy proceeding 
 to punish the enemy [vc. 9, 10) [Maurer). Horsley 
 translates vv. 7, 8, ' The path of the Just One is 
 perfectly even : an even road thou wilt level for 
 the Just One, even the "path of thy laws, O Jehovah. 
 We have expected thee.' I prefer, with the Eng- 
 lish version, to refer "the just" to the restored 
 remnant of the Jews, the desire of (our) soul (is) 
 to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee— 
 the manifested cAarac^er of God by which He would 
 be remembered (ch. Ixiv. 5; Exod. iii. 15). 9. With 
 my soul have I desired thee— lit., I ... my soul, 
 in api)osition ; the faithful Jews here si)eak indi- 
 vidually. The overthrow of the foe, and the 
 restoration of the Jews, are to follow upon prayer 
 on the T)art of the latter and of all God's people 
 (ch. Ixii. 1-4, 6, 7; Ps. cii. K^-17). in the night— 
 (Ps. Ixiii. 6; Song iii. 1.) the inhabitants of the 
 world wUl learn righteousness— the nations left 
 after judgments shall have been executed o» the 
 
 antichristiaq confederacy (Ps, Iviii, 10, 11 ; Zech. 
 xiv. 16). 10. in the land of uprightness— rather, 
 as in V. 7, prosperity : answering to favour . . . 
 showed to the wicked in the parallelism, and in 
 antithesis to "judgments ... in the earth " [v. 9). 
 Where prosperity attends the wicked as well as the 
 just (Matt. v. 45), 'he will not learn righteousness,' 
 therefore judgnienis must be sent that he may 
 "learn" it. 11. Lord, (v/hen) thy hand is lifted 
 up— to punish the foes of God's people. They who 
 will not see, shall be made to '"see" to their cost 
 (ch. V. 12). (but) they shall see, and be ashamed 
 for (their) envy at the (i. e., thy) people. Lowth 
 translates, 'they shall see with confusion thy zeal 
 for thy i)eople.' This is confirmed by the parallel, 
 the fire of thine enemies shall devour them— i. e., 
 the fire of thy vengeance, to which thine enemies 
 are doomed (ch. ix. 18). 12. peace for us— 
 "peace:" God's favour; including all blessings, 
 temporal and spiritual, opposed to their previous 
 trials (Ps. cxxxviii, 8). for us ... in us. The 
 Hebrew is the same in both clauses— (a?m lanu. 
 The seeming antithesis of for and in is unreal. 
 Both ought to be "/br us," 13. (other) lords- 
 temporal; heathen kings (2 Chr. xii. 8; xxviii. 5, 
 6), ebuchadnezzar, &c. Spiritual also, idols and 
 lusts (Rom. vi. 10-18) : and false prophets- 
 Antichrist especially (Matt. xxiv. 11, 24; 2 Thess. 
 ii. 9 ; John v. 43). (but) by thee only— is due to 
 thee alone that we again worship thee as our Lord 
 [Maurer). So " through thee " (Ps, xliv. 5 ; Ix, 12). 
 ' (We are) thine only; we will celebrate thy name ' 
 llorsley). I prefer the former view. The sancti- 
 ying eft'ect of affliction (Ps. Ixxi. 16 ; cxix. 67, 71). 
 14. (They are) dead— the "other lords," or tyrants 
 (y. 13). they shall not live— viz., again, (they 
 are) deceased — Hebrew, Kephaim, the wicked 
 dead: giants once in might and in crime, now in 
 Hades' (Ps. Ixxxviii. 11; Job xxvi. 5; Prov, ii. 18; 
 ix. 18) : powerless in the land of shades (note, ch. 
 xiv. 9, 10). therefore— i, e,, inasmuch as. Of. 
 the like use of "therefore," Gen. xviii. 5; xix. 8. 
 16. Thou hast— prophetical preterite (ch. ix. 3). 
 
Exliortation to 
 
 ISAIAH XXVI. 
 
 icait on Goi 
 
 Thou art glorified : 
 
 Thou hast removed it far unto all the ends of the earth. 
 IG Lord, -^in trouble have they visited thee, 
 
 Tliey poured out a ''prayer w/ie?i thy chastening teas upon them. 
 
 17 Like as a woman with child, that drawetli near the time of her delivery, 
 Is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs ; 
 
 So have we been in thy sight, 0 Lord. 
 
 18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, 
 We have as it were brought forth wind ; 
 
 We have not wrought any deliverance in the earth, 
 Neither have ^the inhabitants of the world fallen. 
 
 19 Thy 'dead meii shall live, — together with my dead body sliall they arise. 
 
 Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: 
 For thy dew is as the dew of herbs, — and the earth shall cast out the dead. 
 
 20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, 
 And shut thy doors about thee: 
 
 Hide t]i3^self as it were ''for a little moment, 
 Until the indignation be overpast. 
 
 thou liast removed (it) far (unto) ail the ends of 
 
 the earth— rather, 'thou hast extended far all the 
 borders of the laud' {Vitri7iffa). There is uo 
 "unto" in the Hebrew, and the parallelism to 
 "thou hast increased the nation favours this. 
 However, Junius supports the English version 
 thus : ' Isaiah enlarges upon the previous state- 
 ment as to the truth of God's wonderful judg- 
 ments towards the Church ; for first, in this verse, 
 thr.y had been removed far unto all ends of the earth; 
 then tliey had been sore pressed with pain {vv. 10, 17); 
 thirdly, they would have been utterly destroyed had 
 not thy Majesty eome to their help (vv. 18, 19) ; and 
 yet, saith the Ciiurch, Thou hast by tlie same 
 operation consulted for thy glory and for my 
 safety.' 
 
 16. Lord, in tronhle have they visited (i. e., 
 sought) thee, they poured out a prayer (Fs. Ixii. 
 8) —as a vessel em])tying oub all its contents, 
 prayer (Hebrew, lachash)—lif., a. whispered ])Tayev, 
 mary., 'secret speech a secret sighing to God for 
 help (cf. Jer. xiii. 17 ; Deut. viii. IG). 17. Like as 
 a woman with child — an image of anguish accom- 
 panied with expectation, to be followed by joy 
 that will cause the anguish utterly to be forgotten. 
 Zion is meant, looking for deliverance, seemingly 
 in va,in, but really about to be gloriously saved 
 (Mic iv. 9, 10-13 ; v. 1-3 ; John xvi. 21, 22). 18. 
 brought forth wind. Michaelis explains this of the 
 disease called em pneumatosis. Bather, " wind " is 
 a figure for that which proves an abortive effort. 
 The "We" is in antithesis to "Thy," "my "(v. 
 19) : what loe vainly attempt, God will accomplish, 
 we have not wrought any deliverance in the 
 earth— rather, the land (Judea) is not made secu- 
 rity ; lit., sal rations— i. e., is not yet become a 
 place of security from our enemies. Hebrew, 
 yeshuhotli bal nahaseh (the participle Niphal) eirtz; 
 for it was not the x^rovince of the Jews, but of 
 (iod, to work, deliverance or salvations, neither 
 have the inhabitants of the world fallen. The 
 "world" (the God-oiiposed people of the world), 
 is in antithesis to "the earth" — i. e., Judea. The 
 world at enmity with the city of God has not been 
 subdued. But Jfawrer explains " fallen," accord- 
 ing to the Arabic idiom, of the birth oi a child, 
 which is said to fall when being born : 'inhabitants 
 of the Israelite world are not yet born' — i. e., the 
 country as yet lies desolate, and is not yet popu- 
 lated. But "world" can hardly be used in this 
 souse. 19. Thy dead (men) shall live, (together 
 
 with) ray dead body shall they arise — In anti- 
 thesis to V. 14, "They (Israel's foes) are dead, 
 they shall not live," " thy (Jehovah's or Israel's) 
 dead men (the Jews) shall live"— i, e., primarily, 
 he restored spiritually (ch. liv, 1-3), civilly and 
 nationally {v. 15) ; whereas thy foes sua" not : 
 ultimately, and in the fullest scope of the pro- 
 phecy, they shall be restored to life literally (Ezck. 
 xxxvii. 1-14 ; Dan. xii. 2). (together with) my dead 
 body— rather, my dead body, or bodies (the Jewish 
 nation personified, which had been spiritually and 
 civilly dead, speaks ; or the nation as a parent is 
 speaking of the bodies oi her children individually, 
 note, V. 9, "I," "My"): Jehovah's "dead "and "my 
 dead" are one and the same {Ilorsley). How- 
 ever, as Jesus is the antitypical Israel (Matt. 
 iL 15), the English version gives a true sense, 
 and one ultimately contemplated in the prophecy : 
 Christ is the Speaker, as in v. 20; and herein 
 replies to the aj^peal of His Church and Israel {vv. 
 12-18), "Thy (Israels) dead men shall live . . . 
 my dead body shall they arise." ChrisCs de^d 
 body being raised again is the source of Jehovah's 
 jicople [alt, and especially believers, the spiritual 
 ^s)'aelites) also being raised (1 Cor. xv. 20-22). 
 " Because I live, ye shall live also" (John xiv. 19) ; 
 Hebrew, nebeelaihi yequuniun. [Henderson sup- 
 poses the final h to be not the pronoun my, but a 
 poetic augment. But the English version is plainly 
 right, and is supported by the Vulgate, ' Inter- 
 fecti mez.'] awake (Eph. v. 14) — spiritually, 
 dwell in dust — prostrate and dead, spiritually and 
 nationally, also literally (chs. xxv. 7, 8, 12 ; xlvii. 
 1). for thy dew (is as) the dew of herbs— the dew 
 vk^hich waters herbs, and ^vhich falls copiously in 
 the East, and supplies somewhat the want of rain, 
 causing them to revive after the deadness of winter 
 (Hos. xiv. 5 : cf. Ps. ex. 3). and the earth shall 
 cast out the dead — Hebrew, Eephaim , generally 
 used of the wicked dead. So Horsley translates. 
 ' But the earth shall cast forth (as an abortion) 
 the deceased tyrants.' 
 
 20. Come, my people, enter thou Into thy 
 chambers. When God is about to take vengeance 
 on the ungodly, the saints shall be shut in by Him 
 in a place of safety, as Noah and his family were 
 in the days of the flood (Gen. vii. 16), and as Israel 
 was commanded not to go out of doors on the 
 night of the slaying of the Egyptian first-born 
 (Exod. xii. 22, 23 ; Ps. xxxi. 20 ; Ixxxiii. 3, " thy 
 liidden ones"). The saints are calmly and couli- 
 
God^s care of 
 
 ISAIAH XXVII. 
 
 /«/.•)* vineyard. 
 
 27 
 
 For, behold, the Loud ^ cometh out of his place 
 To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: 
 The earth also shall disclose her ^ blood, — and shall no more cover iier slain, 
 
 IN that day the Lord — with his sore and great and strong sword 
 Shall punish leviathan the ^ piercing serpent, 
 '^Even leviathan that crooked serpent; 
 And he shall slay ^the dragon that is in the sea. 
 
 2 In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine. 
 
 3 I the Lord do keep it; — I will water it every moment: 
 Lest any hurt it, — I will keep it night and day. 
 
 4 Fury is not in me : 
 
 V/ho would set *^the briers and thorns against me in battle ? 
 I would 2 go through them, — I would burn them together. 
 
 5 Or let him take hold of my strength, 
 
 That he may '^make peace with me; — and he shall make peace with me. 
 
 6 He shall cause them that come of Jacob to Hake root: 
 
 Israel shall blossom and bud, — and fill the face of the world with fruit. 
 
 7 Hath he smitten him, ^as he smote those that smote him ? 
 
 B. C. 713. 
 
 P Ps. 50. 3. 
 
 Mic. 1. 3. 
 
 Jude 14. 
 8 blood?. 
 
 CHAP. 27. 
 
 1 Or. .st;ff. 
 or, crosfiifg 
 like a bar. 
 I's. 74. 13. 
 
 0 Eze. 23. 3. 
 " 2 Sam. 23.0. 
 
 2 Or. march 
 against. 
 
 ^ Job 22. 21. 
 
 ch. bZ. 1, 
 " Hos. 14. .5. 
 6. 
 
 3 accord ir;^' 
 t') the 
 stroke of 
 those. 
 
 L 
 
 dently to await tlie issiid (Exod. xiv. 13, 14). There 
 was a Zoar for Lot in the destruction of Sodom, and 
 a Pella for Christians in the destruction of Jeru- 
 salem by the Romans. 21. For, behold, the Lord 
 cometli but of Ms place to punish the inhabitants 
 of the earth for their iniquity— (Mic. i. 3 ; Jude 
 14.) the earth also shall disclose her blood— 
 (Gen. iv. 10, 11;, Job xvi. 18; Ezek. xxiv, 7, 8.) 
 All the innocent blood shed, and all other wrongs 
 done, so long seeminr^Iy with impunity, shall then 
 be avenged (Rev. xvi. 6). 
 
 Remarlcs. — The saints delight to sing of the 
 "strong city " which they have in the 'Church of 
 the living God,' whose walls are "salvation." 
 None can enter thei'e save " the righteous " who 
 'keep the truth,' As these keep the truth, so 
 their Lord ' keeps them in perfect peace.' The 
 secret of their keeping the truth, and of their ccn- 
 sequent peace, is their "trust "in the Lord, and 
 their 'staying their mind on Him' in every per- 
 plexity and temptation. As ' the Lord Jehovah 
 IS the Rock of ages,' so it is our wisdom and hap- 
 piness to 'trust in Him for ever.' "The lofty" 
 of the world He will soon 'lay low' in the dust ; 
 whereas 'the poor and needy' shall be exalted 
 above them, whatever hindrances there be now in 
 "the way of the just," their path at last shall be 
 made straight. 
 
 CHAP. XXV IL 1-13. — Continuation of 
 Ciis. xxiv., XXV., XXVI. At the time when 
 Israel shall be delivered, and the ungodly nations 
 jiunished, God shall punish also the great enemy 
 of the Church. 
 
 1. sore— rather, Jiard, well-tempered (Hebrew, 
 haquashah). shall punish — answering to ch. 
 xxvi. 21, "the Lord cometh out of his place to 
 punish . . . the earth." leviathan— Z/f. , in Arabic, 
 from lavah, to twist; the twisted animal, applicable 
 to every great tenant of the v»'aters : sea serpents, 
 crocodiles, &c. In Ezek. xxix. 3 ; xxxii. 2 ; Dan. 
 vii. I, &c. ; Rev. xii. 3, &c., potentates hostile to 
 Israel are similarly described ; antitypically and 
 ultimately h'alan is intended (Rev. xx. 10). 
 piercing— ri.9ifZ (Lowth). Fleeing {Maurer and 
 the I^XX). Long, extended— vW.., as the crocodile, 
 which cannot readily bend back its body {Houbi- 
 gant). Hebrew, Bariadi, from barach, to flee 
 across, or from side to side. The rapid darting of 
 Satan from one side to another, when foiled on one 
 hand, trying on the other hand to gain his point, 
 seems to uae intended, as other terms prove (cf. Job 
 645 
 
 xxvL 13; 2 Cor. xi. 14, "Satan himself is trans- 
 formed into an angel of light;" 2 Cor. ii. 11). 
 crooked — winding or twisting, wriggling himself. 
 His character answers well to his name above, 
 " leviathan," the twister, the dragon— Hebrew, 
 tannin, the crocodile. The Hebrew for " serpent " 
 is nachash, the generic name, that (is) in the 
 sea— the Euphrates, or the e.^pansion of it near 
 Babylon. 
 
 2. In that day, &e.— In that day, when leviathan 
 shall be destroyed, the vineyard (Ps. Ixxx. 8), the 
 Churcli of God, purged of its blemishes, shall be 
 lovely in God's eyes. To bring out this sense the 
 better, Lowth, by changing a Hebrew letter, reads 
 pleasant, lovely {chemedh), for 'red wine' {chemcr). 
 The LXX. and Arabic seem to have read so : cf. 
 Amos V. 11. But the Hebrew ought not thus 
 rashly to be changed, sing— a responsive song [iiiPj 
 {Lowth). unto her — rather [h], concerning her 
 (note, ch, v. 1) ; viz., the Jewish state, represented 
 by the vineyard [Maurer). 3. lest any hurt it- 
 Hebrew, 'lest, haply, any visit upon it' (cf. ch. 
 xxvi. 14). 4. Fury is not in me~i. e., I entertain 
 no longer anger tovjards my vine, who would set 
 the briers and thorns against me in battle e., 
 would that I had the briers, &c. (the wicked foe : 
 chs. ix. 18 ; X, 17 ; 2 Sam. xxiii. 6), before me ! I 
 would go through— ^i^., 'I would go forward (as 
 an enemy) in them.' My contest is no longer 
 with my vineyard, but with the thorns that have 
 molested it. '5. Or— Else ; the only alternative, if 
 Israel's enemies wish to escape being 'burnt 
 together.' let him take hold of my strength— 
 Be-mahuzi, the refuge which J afford (Maurer). 
 "Take hold" refers to the horns of the altar, 
 which fugitives often laid hold of as an asylum 
 (1 Ki. i. 50 ; ii. 28). Jesus is God's " strength " or 
 " refuge," which sinners must repair to, and t ike 
 hold of, if they are to have "peace" with God 
 (ch. xlv. 24; Rom. v. 1 ; Eph. ii. 14 : cf. Job xxii. 
 21). 
 
 6. He— Jehovali. Here the song of the Lord as^ 
 to His vineyard [vv. 2-5) ends ; and the prophet 
 confirms the sentiment in the song, under the 
 same image of a vine bearing fruit by His grace 
 (cf. Ps. xcii. 13-15 ; Hos. xiv. 5, 6). Israel shall 
 ... fill ... world with fruit— (Rom. xi. 12.) 7. 
 Hath he smitten him, (Israel) as he smote those 
 (enemies) that smote him?— Has God punished 
 His people as severely as He has those enemies 
 whom He employed to chastise Israel? ISo! far 
 
God's chastisements 
 
 ISAIAH XXVII. 
 
 8 In-^ measure, ^when it sliooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it; 
 ^ He stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind. 
 
 9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged ; 
 And this is all the fruit to take away his sin ; 
 
 When he maketh all the stones of the altar 
 As chalk-stones that are beaten in sunder. 
 The groves and ^ images shall not stand up. 
 
 10 Yet the defenced city shall be desolate, 
 
 And the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilderness: 
 ^ There shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, 
 And consume the branches thereof 
 
 11 When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off : 
 The women come, and set them on fire ; 
 
 For it is a people of no understanding : 
 
 Therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, 
 
 And he Hhat formed them will show them no favour. 
 
 12 And it shall come to pass in that day,— the Lord shall beat off 
 From the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, 
 
 And ye shall be gathered one by one, 0 ye children of Israel. 
 
 13 And ^ it shall come to pass in that day. 
 That ^the great trumpet shall be blown, 
 
 no judgment. 
 
 ? 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 
 J fJ kjU A-Jt D. 
 
 
 Ps. 6. 1, 
 
 
 Jer. 10. 21 
 
 
 Jer. 30. 11. 
 
 
 Jer. 46. 28. 
 
 
 1 Cor. 10.13. 
 
 
 4 Or when 
 
 
 til oil sciid- 
 
 
 pcf if fnrtV» 
 cai< iL til. 
 
 
 ^ Or wIjGII 
 
 
 lie re- 
 
 
 in oveth it 
 
 
 * Or, sun 
 
 
 irnagt s. 
 
 
 f ch. 17. 2. 
 
 
 ch. 32. 11. 
 
 
 ^ Deut. 32.28. 
 
 
 ch. 1. 3. 
 
 
 Jer. 8. 7. 
 
 
 Jer. 51. 7. 
 
 
 i Deut. £2.18, 
 
 
 ch. 43. 1. 
 
 
 ch. 44. 2, 
 
 
 21, 24. 
 
 
 } ch. 2. 11. 
 
 
 * Num. 10. 2 
 
 
 Matt. 24.31 
 
 from it. Israel, after trials, He will restore ; 
 Israel's enemies He will utterly destroy at last, 
 (or) is he slain according to the slaughter of 
 them that are slain by him ?— rather, 'Is /srae^ 
 slain according to the slaughter of tlie enemy's 
 slain F'— the slaughter wherewith the enemy is 
 slain. 8. In measure — Hebrew, besasseah, a con- 
 traction for he-seah-seah, 'in measure by measure.' 
 ThesraA was one-fourth of a bushel: thus ' seah 
 by seah,'' not the whole bushel at once. Not 
 beyond measure— in moderation (Job xxiii, 6 ; Ps, 
 vi, 1 ; Jer, x. 24 ; xxx. 11 ; xlvi. 28). when it 
 shooteth forth— image from the vine. Rather 
 (Hebrew, heshallchah, from shalach, to send), 
 passing irom the image to the thing itself, when 
 sending her away (viz., Israel to exile: eh, 1. 1, 
 God only putting the adulteress away when He 
 might justly have put her to death), thou wilt 
 debate with it — rather, thou didst punish her. 
 Hebrew, teribennah, from rih, to hold a contro- 
 versy — to deal with one judicially [Gesenius), he 
 stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east 
 wind. Soch. xlviii. 9; Ps. Ixxviii. 88, "He did 
 not stir up all His wrath." Hagah is translated 
 by the LXX., Chaldaic, Vulgate, Arabic, and 
 Syriac, 'He meditated : ' the common meaning of 
 the Hebrew. There is 'iu,' or 'in respect to' [?], 
 in the Hebrew, before "His rough wind;" may 
 not the English version sense be retained, by 
 construing, 'He taketh away (so the Hebrew 
 means, Prov. xxv. 4, 5) in respect to His rough 
 wind,' &c., Piscator translates as marg., '{when) 
 He removed it by His rough wind in the day 
 of the east wind'— e., by hostile invasion of 
 the Babylonians and Romans successively, and 
 finally Antichrist. This is the very image in 
 Jer. iv. 11, 12; xviii. 17. But the insertion of 
 ' when ' is gratuitous. If the English version 
 be rejected, I prefer, from the parallelism to v. 7, 
 Grotius' views : the contrast in v. 7 between 
 God's temporary chastisements of His people and 
 His eternal destruction of their enemies, is con- 
 tinued in this 8th verse. In moderate measure 
 thou didst punish Israel ; but He (the change to 
 the third person marks estrangement) removes 
 the enemy (or else, the enemy is removed) by His 
 646 
 
 rough wind in the day of the east wind, east 
 wind — especially violent in the East (Job xxvii. 
 21 ; Jer. xviii. 17). 9. By this— By the exile ol 
 Israel (the 'sending away,' v. 8) ; or by the Lord';: 
 judicial debating with Israel, in the English ver- 
 sion, shall the iniquity of Jacoto be purged— 
 expiated {Horsley). and this (is) all the fruit 
 —this is the whole benefit designed to be brought 
 about by the chastisement — viz., the removal 
 of his (Israel's) sin (viz., idolatry, Deut. ix. 21 ; 
 Hos. X. 8). when he- Jehovah, maketh all the 
 stones of the altar as chalk-stones — at the 
 destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, His 
 instrument. The Jews ever since have abhorre; : 
 idolatry (cf. ch. xvii, 8). the groves and images 
 shall not stand up — shall rise no more (Horb- 
 ley). 10, the defenced city (shall be) desolate- 
 Jerusalem ; the beating asunder of whose altars 
 and images was mentioned in v. 9. there shall 
 the calf feed— (ch. xvii. 2.) It shall be a vast 
 wild pasture, and consume the branches- 
 resuming the image of the vine {vv, 2, 6). 11. 
 When the boughs . . . broken ofif— so the un- 
 believing and consequently cast off Jews are 
 described (Rom. xi. 17, 19, 20). the women come, 
 and set them on fire — burn them as fuel, 
 " Women" are specified, as probably it was their 
 office to collect fuel and kindle the fire for cook- 
 ing, for it is a people of no understanding— 
 as to the ways of God (Deut. xxxii. 28, 29 ; Jer. v. 
 21 ; Hos. iv, 6). 
 
 12. Restoration of the Jews from their disper- 
 sion, described under the image of fruits shaken 
 from trees and collected, beat off — as fruit 
 beaten off a tree with a stick (Deut. xxiv. 20), and 
 then gathered, river — Euphrates, unto the 
 stream of Egypt— on the confines of Palestine 
 and Egypt (Num. xxxiv. 5 ; Josh. xv. 4, 47), now 
 Wady el-Arisch ; Jehovah's vineyard, Israel, ex- 
 tended, according to His purpose, from the Nile to 
 the Euphrates (1 Ki. iv. 21, 24; Ps. Ixxii. 8). 
 gathered one by one— gathered most carefully, 
 not merely as a nation, but as individuals. 13. 
 the great trumpet shall be blown— image from 
 the trumpets blown on the first day of the seventh 
 month, to summon the people to a holy convoca- 
 
Jiphraim threatened 
 
 ISAIAH XXVIII. 
 
 for pride. 
 
 And they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, 
 And the outcasts in the land of Egypt, 
 
 And shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem. 
 28 WOE to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, 
 Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, 
 Which are on the head of the fat valleys 
 Of them that are ^ overcome with wine I 
 
 2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, 
 
 " Which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm. 
 As a flood of mighty waters overflowing. 
 Shall cast down to the earth with the hand. 
 
 3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, 
 Shall be ^trodden ^ under feet: 
 
 4 And the glorious beauty, — which is on the head of the fat valley, 
 Shall be ^a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; 
 Which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand 
 He ^eateth it up. 
 
 tion (Lev. xxiii. 24). Antitypically, the Gospel 
 trumpet (Rev. xi. 15 ; xiv. 6), which the Jews shall 
 hearken to in the last days (Zech. xii. 10 ; xiii. 1). 
 As the Passover in the first month answers to 
 Christ's crucifixion, so the day of atonement and 
 the idea of "salvation," connected with the Feast 
 of Tabernacles in the same seventh month, 
 answers to the crowning of 'redemption' at His 
 second coming. It is in this sense that redemj)t\on 
 is put last in 1 Cor. i. 30. they shall come 
 which were . . . in . . . Assyria— whither the 
 Ten tribes had been carried : Babylonia is mainly 
 meant, to which Assyria at that time belonged. 
 The two tribes were restored, and &ome of the 
 Ten accompanied them. However, "Assyria" is 
 designedly used to point ultimately to the future 
 restoration of the Ten tribes fully, which were 
 long ago carried away by the Assyrian — a restora- 
 tion never yet accomplished (Jer. iii. 18). Egypt 
 — whither many had fled at the Babylonish cap- 
 tivity (Jer. xli. 17, 18). Cf. as to the future 
 restoration, chs. xi. 11, 12, 16; li. 9-16 ('Eahab' 
 being Egypt). 
 
 Beniar/cs.— Among the last enemies to be de- 
 stroyed is Satan, "the old serpent." After the 
 beast and the false prophet, though invested with 
 all his energy, shall havebeeu utterly overcome, the 
 judgment of Jehovah falls by righteous conse- 
 quence on the arch-enemy himself. With all his 
 tortuous, windings and " crooked " devices, he 
 cannot evade the " great and strong sword" of 
 iJivine justice. His element has been "in the 
 sea" of political and social agitations. But now 
 the Prince of Peace is come, and all must be still. 
 In that day the Church trium])haut shall "sing" 
 the thanksgiving hymn of perfected redemption, 
 in honour of Him who 'kept' His vineyard 
 "night and day" from all real and lasting "hurt." 
 The Lord's "fury" shall have then been trans- 
 ferred from Israel, the "vineyard," to the godless 
 foe, the "briers and thorns " which molested it. 
 Now, as yet the alternative is offered to sinners, 
 if they would have "peace" with God, that they 
 should "take hold" of the "strength" of God, 
 that is Jesus Christ. 
 
 CHAP. XXVIir. l-29.-Chs. xxviii.- xxxiii. 
 form almost one continuous prophecy concerning 
 tlie destruction of Ejjhraim, the imitiety and folly 
 of Judah, tlie danger of their league with Egypt, 
 the straits they would be reduced to by Assyria, 
 from which Jehovah would deliver them on 
 their turning to Him: ch. xxviii. refers to the 
 time just before the sixth year of Hezekiah's 
 647 
 
 li. C. 712. 
 
 CII VP. -^8." 
 ' broken. 
 " ch. 30. 30. 
 
 Kze. n. 11. 
 
 Nail. 1. 8. 
 
 liev. 18. f. 
 0 2 Ki. <j. ?.3. 
 
 I-am. 1. 1). 
 
 Dm. 8. 13. 
 
 Jleb. 10. 29. 
 
 Hev. 11. 2. 
 
 \\ ith feet. 
 " I'S. 73. 1"J, 
 20. 
 
 Hos. 6. 4. 
 
 Hos. 9. 10, 
 11, 16. 
 
 Hos. 1^. 1. 
 
 Jas. 1. 10. 
 3 s^allow- 
 
 eth. 
 
 reign, the rest not very long befoye his fourteenth 
 year. 
 
 1. Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards 
 of Ephraim— a Hebraism for woe to the proud 
 crown of the drunkards of Ephraim (Horsley). 
 Samaria, the capital of Ephraim, or Israel, is 
 regarded here as the crown or garland on the 
 nation's head, it being customary for drinkers of 
 wine at feasts to wear such crowns round the 
 brows. Samaria's position on the brow of a hill 
 renders the image the more appropriate. The 
 people were generally "drunkards " in the literal 
 sense (vi\ 7, 8; ch. v. 11, 22; Amos. iv. 1; vi. 1-6); 
 and metaphorically, like drunkards, they were 
 rushing on their own destruction, whose glorious 
 beauty {adornment) (is) a fading flower— carrying 
 on the image of "drunkards," whose usage it was 
 at feasts to wreath the brow with flowers, which 
 (are) on the head of the fat valleys— rather, 
 ' which is at the head of the fertile valley;' i. e., 
 which Samaria is situated on a hill surrounded 
 with the rich valleys as a garland (1 Ki. xvi. 24); 
 but the garland is "fading," as garlands often do, 
 because Ephraim is now close to ruin (cf. ch. xvi. 
 8) : fulfilled 721 B.C. (2 Ki. xvii. 6, 24). 2. strong 
 one— the Assyrian (ch. x. 5). (which) as a tempest 
 . . . shall cast down to the earth -viz., Ephraim 
 {v. 1), and Samaria its crown, with the hand— 
 with a mighty hand: implying the ease and irre- 
 sistil)le power witli which Jehovah acts (ch. viii. 
 11; Ezek. XX. 33; Dan. ix. 15). 3. The crown of 
 pride, the drunkards— i. e., ' the proud crown oj 
 the drunkards.' 4. And the glorious beauty 
 which (is) on the head of the fat valley, shall 
 be a fading flower, (and) as the hasty fruit- 
 rather, 'And the fading flower, (even) his (Eph- 
 raim's) glorious beauty {v. 1, lit., the ornament of 
 his beauty) which (is) on the head of the fat 
 valley shall be as the hasty fruit '— i. e., the early 
 fly. Figs usually ripened in August; but earlier 
 ones (Hebrew, hikkurah; Spanish, hokkore) in June, 
 and were regarded as a delicacy (Jer. xxiv. 2 ; Hos. 
 ix. 10; Mic. vii. 1). which (when) he that look- 
 etii upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand— 
 i.e., immediately, without delay, he eateth up- 
 describing the eagerness of the Assyrian Shalman- 
 eser, not merely to conquer, but to destroy utterly 
 Samaria; whereas other conquered cities were 
 often spared. 
 
 5-13.— The prophet now turns to Judah: a 
 gracious promise to the remnant ("residue"); a 
 warning lest through like sius Judah should share 
 the fate of Samaria. 5. In that day shall the 
 
The vritowardncss of 
 
 ISAIAH XXVIII. 
 
 God's people to learn. 
 
 5 In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, 
 And for a diadem of beauty, — unto the residue of his people, 
 
 G And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, 
 And for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate. 
 
 7 But they also ^ have erred through wine. 
 And through strong drink are out of the way; 
 
 * The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, 
 They are swallowed up of v/ine, they are oat of the way through strong 
 drink ; 
 
 They err in vision, they stumble ii2 judgment. 
 
 8 For all tables are full of vomit and tilthiness, 
 So that there is no place clean. 
 
 9 Whom ^ shall he teach knowledge ? 
 
 And whom shall he make to understand * doctrine ? 
 
 Them that are weaned from the milk, — and drawn from the breasts. 
 10 For precept ^must be upon precept, precept upon precept; 
 
 Line upon line, line upon line ; — here a little, aiid there a little : 
 U For with ^stammering lips and another tongue^ will bespeak to this 
 people. 
 
 3 C. 725. 
 
 <* Lev. 10. 9. 
 Cent. 17. 0- 
 11. 
 
 Fro. 20. I. 
 Eze. 44. 21. 
 Hos. 4. 11. 
 Mic. 2. 11. 
 Matt. 21. lO. 
 Luke 21. ■•A. 
 Kph. 5. 18. 
 
 • ch. 66. 10. 
 
 12. 
 
 / Jer. (i. 10. 
 
 ♦ the bear- 
 ing. 
 
 6 Or. h,ith 
 been. 
 
 « stammer- 
 ings of 
 lips. 
 
 iCcr. n.2i 
 ^ Or, he b i h 
 
 sp ckett. 
 
 Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory— autithe- 
 sis to the ''fading crown' of Epliraim {vv. 1, 3). 
 and for a diadem of 'oeauty— in contrast to 
 Ephraim's "glorious beauty," or 'ornament of 
 beauty,' winch shall be consumed as 'the early 
 fitj' {iw. 1, 4). unto the residue— ])rimarily, 
 Judah, in the prosperous reign of Hezekiaii (2 Ki. 
 xviii. 7); antityincally, the elect of God. As He 
 here is called timr ' crown and diadem,' so are 
 they called His {ch. Ixii. 3) ; a beautiful reciprocity. 
 6. And for a spirit of judgment to him that 
 sitteth in judgment. Jehovah will inspire their 
 magistrates with justice, and their soldiers with 
 strength of spirit, them that turn the battle to 
 the gate— the defenders of their country, who not 
 only repel the foe from themselves, but drive him 
 to the gates of his own cities (2 Sam. xi. 23 ; 2 Ki. 
 xviii. 8). 
 
 7. But they also have erred through wine- 
 Though Judah is to survive the fall of Ephraim, 
 yet "they also" (the men of Judah) have ])er- 
 petrated like sins to those of Samaria (ch. v. 3, 11), 
 which must be chastised by God. erred . . . a.re 
 out of the way. The Hebrew, shagu taku, allude 
 to the tottering gait of drunkards : they stagger 
 . . .reel. Still the metaphorical sense is intended, 
 as in the English version, the priest and the 
 prophet have erred . . . they are out of the way- 
 repeated to express the frequency of the vice, 
 priest . . . prophet. If the ministers of religion 
 sin so grievously, how much more the other rulers 
 (ch. Ivi. 10, 12). they err in vision— even in that 
 most sacred function of the prophet, to declare 
 God's will revealed to them, they stumble in 
 judgment. The priests had the administration of 
 the law committed to them (Dent. xvii. 9; xix. 17). 
 It was against the law for the pi'iests to take 
 wine befoi-e entering the tabernacle (Lev. x. 9) ; 
 so in the future temple it shall be (Ezek. xliv, 
 21). 
 
 9, 10. — Here the drunkards are introduced as 
 scoffingly commenting on Isaiah's warnings: 9. 
 Whom shall he teach knowledge ?— ' W hom will he 
 (does Isaiah presume to) teach knowledge?' and 
 whom shall he make to understand doctrine ?— 
 i.e., instruction, (them that are) weaned from 
 the milk. Is it those (i. p., does he take us to be) 
 just weaned from the mother's milk? 10. For 
 precept (must be) upon precept — For (he is 
 constantly repeating, as if to little children) 
 CIS 
 
 "precept upon precept," &c. line (Hebrew, quav) — 
 a measuring line, a line for straightness used by 
 architects and builders (Job xxxviii. 5; Isa. xliv. 
 13). So iu general, a rule or laio. But as the 
 scoffers speak of the rudiments taught to mere 
 cidklren, the allusion probably is to teachers 
 guiding tlie hands of young beginners along pre- 
 scribed lines [Grotius), and teaching them first to 
 make the parts or strokes of a letter separately, 
 then to join them line to line, in order to comple" . 
 the letter. The repetition of sounds in Hebre\^\ 
 tzav latzav, izav latzav, qav lagav, qav laquav, 
 expresses the scorn of the imitators of Isaiah's 
 speaking; he spoke stammering {v. 11). God's 
 mode of teaching offends by its sim]3licity the pride 
 of sinners (2 Ki. v. 11, 12; 1 Cor. i. 23). Stam- 
 merers, as they were by drunkenness, and children 
 in knowledge of God, they needed to be spoken to 
 in the language of children, and "with stammer- 
 ing lips " (cf. Matt. xiii. 13). A just and merciful 
 retribution, here a little . . . there a little. A 
 little now from one book, or one part of a boo'K : 
 next day a little again from another book, or from 
 another part of a book, according to the capacity 
 of the young learner; answering to "the wheat 
 . . . the barley . . . the rye, in their place" 
 (r. 20). 
 
 11. Isaiah's reply to the scoffers. For. Maurer 
 translates ['2] Truly. But " For " is better. 
 Isaiah admits that what they say is true ; for they 
 need to be dealt with in speech stammering and 
 unintelligible to them, because of their pride; and 
 the same mode of teaching shall be carried further. 
 " For with stammering li^is and another tongne 
 will He (Jehovah) speak to this people." Yoti 
 will have a sterner teacher with stammering speech 
 than Isaiah to convict you of your unbelief. Your 
 drunken questions shall be answered by the severe 
 lessons from God conve^'^ed through the Assyrians 
 and Babylonians ; the dialect of these, though 
 Semitic, like the Hebrew, was so far different as 
 to sound to the Jews like the speech of stammerers 
 (cf. ch. xxxiii. 19 ; xxxvi. 11). To them who will not 
 understand, God will speak still more unintelligibly, 
 and by a sterner messenger. So Saint Paul quotes 
 this passage to prove that foreign tongues^ such as 
 some were endowed with power to speak, were 
 designed as a sign to convict unbelievers: this is 
 quite in unison with the sense here, mutatis 
 mutandis (1 Cor. xiv. 21, 22). 12. To whom ho 
 
ISAIAH XXVIIl. 
 
 foundation promised. 
 
 i 2 To wliom he said, This ^is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest ; 
 A:id this is the refreshing: — yet they would not hear. 
 
 13 But the word of the Lord was unto tliem 
 Precept upon precept, precept upon precept ; 
 
 Line upon line, line upon line; — here a little, and there a little; 
 That they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and 
 taken. 
 
 1 4 Wlierefore hear the word of the Lord, 
 
 Ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. 
 
 15 Because ye have said, — We have made a covenant with death. 
 And with hell are v\^e at agreement; 
 
 When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us : 
 
 For we have made lies our refuge,. 
 
 And under falsehood have we liid ourselves. 
 
 16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, — Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation 
 ^'A stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: 
 
 He that * believeth sliaii not make haste. 
 
 B. C. IV*. 
 
 2 Clir. 14. 7. 
 2Chr. 1C.8. 
 Jer. e. 16. 
 Matt. ll.2«, 
 
 2.0. 
 
 Gen. 49. 24. 
 Ps. 118. 23. 
 Zech. 3. 9. 
 Ma t. 21.42. 
 Mark 12.10. 
 Luke 20. 17. 
 Acts 4. 11. 
 Rom. 9. S3. 
 Rom. 10.11. 
 1 Cor. 3. 11. 
 Fph. 2. iO. 
 1 I'et. 2. 0. 
 Ps. 112. 7, 
 8. 
 
 Hab. 2. 3,4.^ 
 Jas, 5. 7, 8, 
 
 Eaid, This (is) tlie rest (where-witli) ye may cause 
 the weary to rest. This gives the reason why- 
 Jehovah was about to send the enemy "with 
 stammering lips," or foreign tongue, to deal M'ith 
 them — viz., because had spoken to them in 
 rnin of the "revi" which He gives to His people: 
 ' they would not hear." The Hebrew, asher amar 
 aJeeyohem, if taken as the English version, which 
 is favoured by the LXX., Vulgate, and Chaldaic, 
 is an instance of the idiom, which repeats the 
 autec^edent after the relative, ' To ivhom He said 
 to them,' &c. Maurer makes "He," in v. 11, to be 
 the antecedent. ' He (Jehovah), v}ho hath said 
 to them,' &c. If the English version be not re- 
 tained, take the relative, asher, as it sometimes 
 occurs, for because, or since, as the Syriac and 
 Aral>ic t ike it : thus v. 12 assigns the reason why 
 (iod will send the foreign foe against them, as He 
 threatens in v. 11. This (is) the rest. Reference 
 may be primarily to "rest" from national warlike 
 ))reparations, the Jews being at the time " weary," 
 through various preceding wars and calamities, as 
 the Syro-Israelite invasion (ch. vii. 8: cf. chs. xxx. 
 15 : xxii. 8 ; xxxix. 2 ; xxxvi. 1 ; 2 Ki. xviii. 8). 
 But spiritually the "rest" meant is that to be 
 found in obeying those very " precepts" of God (v. 
 10) which they jeered at (c'. Jer. vi. 16 ; Matt. xi. 
 29). 13. But— i. e., Although the -word of the Lord 
 was unto them precept upon precept— i. e., offered 
 to them in the plainest and most familiar manner, 
 "yet they would not hear" (y. 12). that they 
 might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and 
 snared, and taken — that they miglit go : the 
 righteous retributive result to thoso who, from a 
 defect (if the will, so far from profiting by God's 
 mode of instructing, which was the best for those 
 who needed 'milk, not strong meat,' "precept 
 upon precept," &c., made it into a stumbling-block 
 (Hos. vi. 5; viii. 12; Matt. xiii. 14, "By hearing ye 
 shall hear, and shall not understand: and seeing 
 ye shall see, and shall not perceive ). go, and 
 fall— image appropriately from " drunkards " (r?;. 
 7, 8, which they were), who, in trying to " go" for- 
 ward, "fall backward.'" 14. ye scornful men— 
 (note, w. 9, 10.) 15. Because ye have said— virtu- 
 ally, in your conduct, if not in words. We have 
 made a covenant with death. There may be a 
 tacit reference to their confidence in ti;eir " cove- 
 nant" with the Assyrians in the early part of 
 Ilezekiah'K prosperous reign, before that he ceased 
 to pay tribute to them, as if it ensured Judah 
 from evil, whatever might befall tlio neighbouring 
 Ephraim (w. l\ The full meaning is shown by the 
 G49 
 
 language ("covenant with death . . . hell," or 
 scheol) to apply to all lulled in false secui ity spirit- 
 ually (Ps. xii. 4 : contrast Eccl. viii. 8, " Tliere is 
 no man that hath power over the spirit to retain 
 the spirit, neither hath he power in the day of 
 death," &c. ; Jer. viii. 11) : the godly alone are in 
 covenant with death (Job v. 23; Hos. ii. 18; 1 Cor. 
 iii. 22). when the overflowing scourge — two 
 metaphors ; the hostile Assyrian armies like a 
 scourge and an all overwhelming flood, shall 
 pass through — viz., through Judea on their way 
 to Egypt, to punish it as the protector of Samaria 
 (2 Ki. xvii. 4). for we have made lies our refuge. 
 They did not use these words; but Isaiah de- 
 signates their lying dependencies by their true 
 name (Amos ii. 4). 16. Behold, I lay in Zion for a 
 foundation— lit. , Behold me, as Him who has laid 
 — viz., in my divine counsels (Rev. xiii. 8^: none 
 save I could lay it (ch. Ixiii. 5 ; Rom. iii. 25). a 
 stone — Jesus Christ : neither Hezekiah {Maurer) 
 nor the temple {Ewald) realizes the full siguificaucy 
 of the language ; but only in type point to Him in 
 whom the prophecy receives its exhaustive accom- 
 Xjlishment ; whether Isaiah understood its fulness 
 or not (1 Pet. i. 11, 12), the Holy Ghost plainly 
 contemplated its full fulfilment in Christ alone ; 
 so in ch. xxxii. 1 : cf. Gen. xlix. 24; Ps. cxviii. 22; 
 Matt. xxi. 42; Rom. x. 11; Eph. ii. 20. tried— 
 both by the devil (Luke iv. 1-13) and by men 
 (Luke XX. 1-38), and even by God (Matt, xxvii. 
 40) : a stone of tested solidity to bear the vast 
 superstructure of man's redemption. The tested 
 riffliteousness of Christ gives its peculiar merit to 
 His vicarious sacrifice. The connection with the 
 context is, though a " scourge " shall visit Judea 
 [v. 15), yet God's gracious purpose as to the elect 
 remnant, and His kingdom, of which " Zion " shall 
 be the centre, shall not fail, because it rests on 
 Messiah, the sure foundation (Matt. vii. 24, 25; 
 2 Tim. ii. 19). a precious corner stone— lit., a 
 corner stone of preciousness : so in the Greek, 1 Pet. 
 ii. 7, He is vreciousness : cf. 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. cor- 
 ner stone— (1 Ki. v. 17; vii. 9; Job xxxviii. 6); the 
 stone laid at the corner where two walls meet, and 
 connecting them: often costljr. shall not make 
 haste {yachish) — shall not flee in hasty alarm; but 
 the LXX. have 'shall not be ashamed;' so Rom. 
 ix. 33 and 1 Pet. ii. 6, "be confounded," substan- 
 tially the same idea. He who rests on Him shall 
 not have the shame of disappointment, nor flee in 
 sudden panic (see chs. xxx. 15 ; xxxii. 17). Contrast 
 Jehu's precipitate zeal, not based on real belief (2 
 Ki. ix. 20; X. 27-31), and therefore like a blaze ia 
 
The wisdom of 
 
 ISAIAH XXVIII. 
 
 God's providence. 
 
 17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, — and righteousness to the plummet: 
 And the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, 
 
 And the waters shall overflow the hiding place. 
 
 18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, 
 And your agreement with hell shall not stand ; 
 When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, 
 Then ye shall be ^ trodden down by it. 
 
 19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you : 
 
 For morning by morning shall it pass over, — by day and by night; 
 And it shall be a vexation only ^to understand the report. 
 
 20 For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it; 
 And the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. 
 
 21 For the Lord shall rise up as in •'mount Perizim, 
 He shall be wroth as in the valley of ^ Gibeon, 
 That he may do his work, 4ns strange work; 
 And bring to pass his act, his strange act. 
 
 22 Now therefore be ye not mockers, — lest your bands be made strong ; 
 For I have heard from the Lord GoD of hosts a ™ consumption. 
 Even determined upon the whole earth. 
 
 23 Give ye ear, and hear my voice; — hearken, and hear my speech. 
 
 24 Doth the plowman plow all day to sow ? 
 
 Doth he open and break the clods of his ground ? 
 
 25 When he hath made plain the face thereof, 
 
 straw— after great sliow, soou going out. 17. Judg- 
 ment also will I lay to the line— the measuring- 
 line of the plummet. Horsley translates, 'I will 
 appoint judgment for the rule, and justice for the 
 plummet.' As the corner stone stands most per- 
 pendicular and exactly proportioned, so Jehovah, 
 Avhile holding out grace to believers in the Foun- 
 dation stone, will judge the scolfers [v. 15) accord- 
 ing to the exact ^M.s^/ce of the law (cf. Jas. ii. 13). 
 the hail — Divine judgments (chs. xxx. 30; xxxii. 
 19). 18. disannulled (ve-^-wpar)— obliterated, as 
 letters traced on a waxen tablet are obliterated by 
 passing the stilus over it. the overflowing scourge 
 . . . trodden down by it— passing from the meta- 
 phor in "scourge" to the thing meant— the army 
 which treads down its enemies. 19. There were 
 two self-deceiving notions of the scoffers :— 1. That 
 the scourge would not come; 2. That it would 
 pass through the land lightly, as a ' transient 
 scourge.' Isaiah asserts that it will both come 
 and be long enough to sweep them away. From 
 the time — 'As often as (LXX., otui/) it comes over 
 (i. e., passes through [^i?^ it shall overtake 
 
 you' (Horsley). Like a flood returning from time 
 to time, frequent hostile invasions shall assail 
 Judah after the deportation of the Ten tribes, 
 and it shall toe a vexation only (to) understand 
 the report — 'it shall be a terror even to hear the 
 mere report of it' (1 Sam. iii. 11). I prefer Calvin^ s 
 translation, 'it shall be (that) only vexation 
 [Horsley, dispersion) shall make you to under- 
 stand hearing' or 'giving ear.' They scorned at 
 the simple way in which the prophet offered it 
 [v. 9), and "would not hear" [v. 12), therefore 
 they must be taught hearing by the severe teach- 
 ings of adversity. The Hebrew and the sense 
 support this translation ; also the LXX. and Vul- 
 gate ('Tautummodo sola vexatio intellectum dabit 
 auditui'). 20. For the bed is shorter, &c.— pro- 
 verbial for extreme straits. _ They shall find all 
 their sources of confidence fail them : all shall be 
 hopeless perplexity in their affairs. 21. Perazim — 
 in the valley of Eephaim (2 Sam. v. 18, 20 ; 1 Chr. 
 xiv. 11); there Jehovah, by David, broke forth as 
 
 waters do, and made a breach among the Philis- 
 tines, David's enemies, as Perazim njeans; ex- 
 pressing a sudden and complete overthrow, as 
 (in) the valley of Gibeon— David's slaughter of the 
 Philistines "from Gibeon even to Gazer," (I Chr. 
 xiv. 16 ; 2 Sam. v. 25, marg.) Or, as the Chaldaic, 
 which the reference to "hail" confirms, Joshua's 
 victory at Gibeon over the five confederate kings, 
 whereby rest was given to the land. On that 
 occasion, as here, the Lord cast down great hail- 
 stones from heaven upon the enemy (Josh. x. 10). 
 his strange work— strange, as being against His 
 ow^n iDeople. Judgment is not what God delights 
 in : it is, though necessary, yet strange to Him 
 (Lam. iii. 33). work— punishing the guilty (ch. x. 
 12). 22. be ye not mockers— a sin which they had 
 committed [vv. 9, 10). lest your bands be made 
 strong — their Assyrian bondage (ch. x. 27). Judah 
 was then tributary to Assyria. Or, 'lest your 
 punishment be made still more severe.' a con- 
 sumption—destruction (ch. X. 22, 23 ; Dan. ix. 27). 
 
 23. Give ye ear, and hear my voice — calling 
 attention to the following illustration from hus- 
 bandry (Ps. xlix. 1, 2). As the husbandman does 
 his different kinds of work, each in its right time 
 and due proportion, so God adapts His measures 
 to the varying exigencies of the several cases : now 
 mercy, now judgments; now punishing sooner, 
 now later (an answer to the scoff that His judg- 
 ments, being jjut off' so long, would never come at 
 all, ch. V. 19) ; His object being not to destroy His 
 people anymore than the farmer's object in thresh- 
 ing is to destroy his crop. This vindicates God's 
 "strange work [v. 21) in punishing His people. 
 Cf. the same image, Jer. xxiv. 6; Hos. ii. 23 ; Matt, 
 iii. 12. 24. Doth the plowman plow all day to 
 sow? — emphatic: he is not always plowing; he 
 also 'sows,' and that, too, in accordance with sure 
 rules [v. 25). doth he open and break the clods 
 of his ground? — supply always. Is he always 
 harrowing? 25. When he hath made plain the 
 face thereof — the surface of the ground: 'made 
 plain,' or level, by harrowing, fitches— rather, 
 dill, or fennel, Nigella Romaua, with black seed, 
 
God's judgments 
 
 ISAIAH XXIX. 
 
 upon Jerusalem. 
 
 Doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin. 
 And cast in the principal wheat, 
 
 And the appointed barley, and the ^^rye, in their place ? 
 
 26 For his God doth instruct him to discretion, — and doth teach him. 
 
 27 For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, 
 Neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; 
 
 But the fitches are beaten out with a staff, — and the cummin with a rod. 
 
 28 Bread corn is bruised ; — because he will not ever be threshing it, 
 
 Nor break it with the wheel of his c»art, — nor bruise it with his horsemen. 
 
 29 This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, 
 
 " Which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. 
 29 WOE Ho Ariel, to Ariel, — ^ the city where David dwelt ! 
 Add ye 5"ear to year;— let them ^kill sacrifices. 
 2 Yet I will distress Ariel, — and there shall be heaviness and sorrow : 
 
 B. C. 7?6, 
 
 10 Or, Bpelt. 
 
 11 border? 
 " Ps. 40. 6. 
 
 Ps. f'2. .6. 
 
 (JUAP. 29. 
 
 1 Or. O Ariel, 
 that is, The 
 lion of God, 
 or hearth, 
 or fire- 
 place of 
 God. 
 
 2 Or, of the 
 city. 
 
 3 cut off the 
 Leads. 
 
 easily beaten out, used as a condiment and 
 medicine iu the East. So the LXX {^iKpov 
 fieXavQiov], cummin was used in the same way. 
 cast in the principal wheat— or, as the LXX., 
 plant the wheat in rows [nnib'] ; for wheat was 
 thought to yield the largest crop by being planted 
 sparingly {Pliny, 'Hist. Nat.,' xviii. 21). 'Sow 
 the wheat regularly' {Horsley). But Gesenius 
 takes it from the Arabic sense of the word, like 
 the English version, ' fat ' or "principal" — i. e., ex- 
 r£llent viheat. The Hebrew root, sarah, means, to 
 rule, or be principal, and the appointed barley 
 []Dpp, from a conjectured Hebrew root, saman : 
 the same as the Chaldee Talmudic sammeen, to 
 mark out]— barley in a sack, marked as excellent, 
 to serve as seed barley. Or else, 'barley iu its 
 appointed place' — marks being set in the fields to 
 mark where the barley is to be set {Maurer). and 
 the rye (or spelt; Hebrew, kusemmeth) in their 
 place (Gebulatho)—' in its (the field's) border' 
 (3faurer). The several grains have their own 
 places in the field— the wheat in the middle, the 
 best and safest place. The LXX., Vulgate, Chal- 
 daic, and Arabic translate, 'in their boundaries.' 
 This is the best rendering. "In their place " or 
 'boundaries' answers to "liere a little, and there 
 a little" {v. 10). 26. For his God doth instruct 
 him to discretion— in the due rules of husbandry. 
 God first taught it to man (Gen. iii. 23). 27. the 
 fitches are not threshed, &c.— the husbandman 
 uses tlie same discretion in threshing. The dill 
 ("fitches") and cummin, leguminous and tender 
 grains, are beaten out, not as wheat, &c,, with the 
 heavy corn-drag ("threshing instrument"), but 
 with "a staff." Heavy instruments would crush 
 and injure the seed, cart wheel— two iron wheels 
 armed with iron teeth like a saw, joined together 
 by a wooden axle. The 'corn-drag' was made of 
 three or four wooden^ cylinders armed with iron 
 teeth or flint stones fixed underneath, and joined 
 like a sledge. Both instruments cut the straw for 
 fodder as well as separated the corn, staff— used 
 also where they had but a small quantity of corn: 
 the flail (Ruth ii. 17). 28. Bread corn— corn of 
 which bread is made, bruised — is threshed with 
 the corn-drag (as contrasted with dill and cummin, 
 'beaten with the staff'), or 'trodden out' by the 
 lioofs of cattle driven over it on the threshing- 
 floor (Deut. XXV. 4; Mic. iv. 13). because— or 
 but (Ilorsley) ; though the corn is threshed with 
 the heavy threshing instrument, yet he will not 
 ever (always) be (thus) threshing it— rather, "be- 
 cause " refers to what is understood in the previous 
 clause : "Bread corn is bruised," so far as is need- 
 ful, and no farther; because, or for. He will not 
 always be threshing it. nor break (it with) the 
 
 wheel — 'drive over it continually the wheel.' of 
 his cart— threshing-drag, nor bruise it (with) 
 his horsemen {pharashaiv : cf. ch. xxi. 7, note) 
 — rather, horses : used to tread out corn (Z>e 
 Dieu). 29. This also, &c. The skill wherewith 
 the husbandman duly adjusts his modes of 
 threshing is given by God, as well as the skill 
 iv. 26) wherewith he tills and sows {vv. 24, 25). 
 Therefore He must also be able to adapt His 
 modes of treatment to the several moral needs of 
 His creatures. His object in sending tribulation 
 (derived from the Latin tribulum, a threshing in- 
 strument, Luke xxii. 31 ; Kom. v. 3), is to sever 
 the moral chaff from the wheat, not to crush 
 utterly. ' His judgments are usually in the line of 
 our offences : by the nature of the judgment we 
 may usually ascertain the nature of the sin' 
 {Barnes). 
 
 Remarks. — The "glorious beauty" of all earthly 
 persons and things is as "a fading flower." "The 
 crown of pride" which men try to weave for them- 
 selves "shall be trodden under feet." The earlier 
 that " the hasty fruit" of man's vanity ripens, the 
 sooner it will be a prey to be swallowed up by the 
 destroyer. Very different, indeed, is the crown 
 which belongs to the remnant according to the 
 election of grace. "The Lord of hosts is now 
 invisibly, and hereafter manifestly "shall be for a 
 crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty " unto 
 them, even as they are His crown and diadem. 
 
 CHAP. XXIX. 1-24.— Coming Invasion of 
 Jerusalem: its Failure: Unbelief of the 
 Jews. This chapter opens the series of prophecies 
 as to the invasion of Judea under Sennacherib, 
 and its deliverance. 
 
 1. Woe to Jerusalem ; A7'i-el means Lion 
 
 of God—i. e., the city rendered by God invincible : 
 the lion is emblem of a mighty hero (2 Sam. xxiii. 
 20, " two lion-like men "—Hebrew, lions of God). 
 Otherwise, Hearth {Ari in Arabic) of God— i.e., the 
 T>lace where the altar-fire continually burns to God 
 (ch. xxxi. 9; Ezek. xliii. 15, 16). add ye year to 
 year— ironically ; suffer one year after another to 
 glide on in the round of formal, heartless "sacri- 
 fices." All will not avail to avert the invasion; 
 your sacrifices and feasts shall come to an end 
 (Lam. i. 4; Jer. vii. 4, 14). Or the prophet is 
 hereby marking the limit within which the invasion 
 by Sennacherib will take place— viz., in one year 
 added upon a second; i. e., ?n two years {Grotius). 
 Let a year elapse and a little more, (ch. xxxii. 10, 
 marg. ) let them kill sacrifices. Or (as the He- 
 brew may also mean: chaggim yinquophu), ' let the 
 feasts (of another whole year) go round'— i. e., within 
 the completion of two years ' I will distress Ariel.' 
 2. Yet— rather, Then. I will distress Ariel, and 
 
The unsatiableness of 
 
 ISAIAH XXIX. 
 
 the enemies of Jerusalem. 
 
 And it "shall be unto me as Ariel. 
 
 3 And I will *camp against thee round about, 
 And will lay siege against thee with a mount, 
 And I will raise forts against thee. 
 
 4 And thou shalt be brought down, and slialt speak out of the ground. 
 And thy speech shall be low out of the dust, 
 
 And thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of 
 the gTOund^ 
 
 And thy speech shall ^whisper out of the dust. 
 
 5 Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust. 
 
 And the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaft that passeth av/ay ; 
 Yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly. 
 G Thou shalt be *^ visited of the Lord of hosts 
 
 With thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise. 
 With storm and tempest, — and the flame of devouring fire. 
 
 7 And the multitude of all tlie nations that fight against Ariel, 
 
 Even all that fight against her and her munition, — and that distress her, 
 Shall be as a dream of a night vision. 
 
 8 It shall even be as when an hungiy man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth ; 
 But he awaketh, and his soul is empty: 
 
 Or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh ; 
 
 But he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: 
 
 So shall the multitude of all the nations l3e — that fight against mount Zion. 
 
 9 Stay yourselves, and wonder; — ■''cry ye out, and cry: 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 Eze. 22. 31. 
 Exe. 21. 3. 
 13. 
 
 Kze. 39.17, 
 Zeph. 1. 7. 
 6 2 Ki. 18. 17. 
 2 Ki. 19. Zl. 
 2 Ki. 24. 11, 
 12. 
 
 2 Ki. 25. 1. 
 
 Jfc ze. 21. 22. 
 Matt. 22. 7. 
 Luke 19. 43. 
 44. 
 
 Ch. 8. 19. 
 * peep, or, 
 
 chirp, 
 d 1 Sam 2. in. 
 
 lSain.12.17, 
 18. 
 
 2Sain.22.1l. 
 Matt. 24. 7. 
 Mark 13. 8. 
 Luke '^1. 11. 
 Eev. 11. 13, 
 
 10. 
 
 5 Or. fake 
 your pleas- 
 ure, ai.d 
 riot. 
 
 there shall be heaviness and sorrow. There is 
 a play on like souuds iu the Hebrew {thaaniyyah 
 vaaniyyaU)y yroaning and moaning, as Ariel— 
 either, ' the city shall be as a lion of God ' — i. e., it 
 shall emerge from its daugers uiivanquished ; or, 
 ' it shall be as the altar of burnt offering,^ consum- 
 ing with lire the besiegers (?;. 6; chs. xxx. 30; 
 xxxi. 9; Lev. x. 2); or, best, as the next verse 
 continues the threat, and the promise of deliver- 
 ance does not come till v. 5, ' it shall be as a 
 liearth of burning'— i. e., a scene of devastation by 
 fire. The prophecy probably contemplates ulti- 
 mately, besides the affliction and deliverance in 
 Sennacherib's time, the destruction of Jerusalem 
 by Kome, the dispersion of the Jews, their restora- 
 tion, the destruction of the enemies that besiege 
 the city (Zech. xiv. 2), and the final glory of Israel 
 {vv. 17-24). 3. l—Jehorah, acting through the 
 Assyrian, &c., my instruments (ch. x. 5). will 
 camp against thee round about. As Sennacherib 
 did not encompass the city "round about" (^i/"., 
 like a round ball or circle: ka-dur), the ulterior 
 reference is to the Babylonian and Eomau 
 sieges (Luke xix. 43; xxi. 20). a mount— an arti- 
 ficial mound formed to out-top high v.-alis (ch. 
 xxxvii. 33). Else a station— viz., of warriors, for 
 the siege, forts— siege towers (Deut. xx. 20). 4. 
 thy speech shall he low out of the dust . . . 
 as of one that hath a familiar spirit. Jeru- 
 salem shall be as a captive, humbled to the dust. 
 Her voice shall come from the earth, as that of the 
 epiril-charmers or necromancers (ch. viii. 19), faint 
 and shrill, as the voice of the dead was supposed 
 to be: ventriloquism was doubtless the trick used 
 to make the voice appear to come from the earth 
 
 ich. xix. 3). An ajipropriate retribution that 
 rerusalera, which, consulted necromancers, should 
 be made like them ! 
 
 6. Moreover— rather. But : Yet in this extremity 
 helj) shall come, and the enemy be scattered, the 
 multitude of thy strangers— i. e., of thy foreign 
 enemies, thy invaders (ch. xxv. 2). shall be like 
 small dUEt ... as chaflF— (Job xxi. 18.) it shall 
 C52 
 
 be— viz., the destiniction of the enemy shall be. 
 at an instant— in a moment (ch. xxx. 13). 6. Thou 
 —the Assyrian army, shalt be visited . . . with 
 thunder, &c.— not literally fulfilled in the case of 
 the As.syrians (ch. xxxvii. 36); but figuratively, in 
 their case, for an awful judgment (chs. xxx. .30; 
 xxviii. 17). The ulterior fulfilment in the case of 
 the Jews' foes in the last days may be more literal 
 (see as to " earthquake," Zech. xiv. 4). 7. her 
 munition— her fortress. 8. as when an hungry man 
 dreameth, &c. — their disappointment in the very 
 height of their confident expectation of taking 
 Jerusalem shall be as great as that of the hungry 
 man who in a dream fancies he eats, but awakes 
 to hunger still (Ps. Ixxiii. 20); their dream 
 shall be dissipated on the fatal morning (ch. 
 xxxvii. 36). 
 
 9. Stay yourselves— 'Stand in astonishment:' 
 Hebrew, hithmahmehu — lit., linger or tarry; hence 
 that state of mind in which one stops, fixed to the 
 spot with amazement at some strange and unex- 
 pected event. The root is the Hebrew interroga- 
 tive mah ?—'\vha,tV for one lingering is wont to 
 ask. What if so and so should happen ? Express- 
 ing the stupid and amazed incredulity with 
 which the Jews received Isaiah's announce- 
 ment, and wonder— the second imperative, as 
 often (ch. viii. 9), is a threat: the first is a 
 simple declaration of a fact, 'Stand astounded, 
 since you choose to be so, at the prophecy, soon 
 you will be amazed at the sight of the actual 
 event' (Maurer). cry ye out, and cry [^vm^p^n 
 ivvi\—cry out at the prophecy, and ye shall 
 have reason to cry at the event: from a root 
 shavang or chuang, 'to cry.' Maurer, after 
 Castalio and the Tigurine version, takes it from 
 a root to smear over the eye; Cbaldee, 
 
 shuang : or the Hebrew [nrB'], to shut (Isa. vi. 10; 
 xxxii. 3). *Be ye blinded (since you choose to be 
 so, though the light shines all round you), and 
 soon ye shall be blinded ' in good earnest, to your 
 sorrow. Qesenius takes it iu the sense, 'Take your 
 
ISAIAH XXIX. 
 
 The hypocvuy 
 
 They are drunken, but not with wine; 
 They stagger, but not with strong drink. 
 
 10 For ''the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep .^locp, 
 And hath closed-^ your eyes: the prophets 
 
 And your ^rulers, the seers hath he covered. 
 
 1 1 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a ^ book that 
 
 is sealed, 
 
 Which men deliver to one that is learned, — saying, Read this, I pray thee : 
 ^And he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed : 
 
 12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned. 
 
 Saying, Read this, I pray thee : — and he saith, I am not learned. 
 
 13 Wherefore the Lord said, 
 
 ^ Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth. 
 
 And with their lips do honour me. 
 
 But have removed their heart far from me. 
 
 And their fear toward me is taught by the * precept of men: 
 
 14 Therefore, behold, ^ I will proceed to do a marvellous v.^ork among this 
 
 people. 
 
 Even a marvellous work and a wonder; 
 
 ^ For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, 
 
 And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. 
 
 15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Loud, 
 Ar.d their ^'orlcs are in the dark, 
 
 And *they say. Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? 
 IG Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the 
 potter's clay : 
 
 the Jewg. 
 
 B. C. 713, 
 
 * ch. CO. 4-1 L 
 Wic. 3. 6. 
 Rom. 11. 8. 
 2 ITies.'i.lO. 
 
 / rs. C9. 23. 
 cb. 0. 10. 
 
 * h ads. 
 ch. 3. 2. 
 Jcr. iC. 8. 
 
 7 (Jr. letter. 
 " Dan. 12. 4. 
 
 I?ev. 6. 1. 
 Eev. 6. I. 
 
 " Ps. ir. L 
 
 ch. 10. 6. 
 c'\ 48. 1, 2. 
 ch. b\ 2. 3. 
 Jer. 12. 2. 
 iize. 33. 31. 
 Matt. 15. 8. 
 Mark 7. 6. 
 
 * Col. 2. 22. 
 
 8 1 will ar'.d. 
 Hab. 1. 5. 
 
 i J^r. 49. 7. 
 
 Obad. 8. 
 
 1 Ctr. 1. 19. 
 t Job 22. 13. 
 
 11. 
 
 Ps. 10. n, 
 
 13. 
 
 Ps. C4. 5. 
 P3. 94. 7. 
 
 {)lea3ure,' as ia Ps. xciv. 19, " delight " is the trans- 
 atioa of the same Hebrew. Irony, as in Eccl. 
 xi. 9 : of. marg. Maurer's view is best, if the 
 Eni^lish version be rejected : as ch. vi. 10 (the same 
 Hebrew, shut their eyes ") favours it. Also next 
 verse, "the Lord . . . hath closed your eyes." 
 drunken, but not with wine— but with spiritual 
 paralysis (ch. li. 17, 21). ye . . . they— the change 
 from speaking to, to speaking o/them, intimates 
 that the prophet turns away from them to a 
 greater distance, because of their stupid unbelief. 
 10. the spirit of deep sleep. Jehovah gives them 
 up judicially to their own hardness of heart (cf. 
 Zech. xiv. \'/,). Quoted by Paul, with variations, 
 from the LXX. (Rom. xi. 8). See ch. vi. 10 ; Ps. 
 Ixix. 23. the prophets and your rulers, the seers 
 hath he covered with a veil of darkness. The 
 prophets and seers at that time had obtained for 
 themselves a kind of rule over the people (Jer. v. 
 31; xxvi. 8.) "Your rulers" — lit., your heads 
 {marg.: see also ch. iii. 2). * He hath covered ;'— 
 the Orientals co7)er the head to sleei). Thus "co- 
 vered " is parallel to " closed your eyes " (Judg. iv. 
 19). Covering the face was also preparatory to 
 execution (Esth. vii. 8). Here the covering is 
 the prelude to God's judgments on them. This 
 cannot apply to the time M'hen Isaiah himself 
 propliesicd, but to subsequent times. 11. And 
 the vision of all — of all tlie proi)hets. Vision 
 {cha-iuth) is the same here as revelation or law. 
 In ch. xxviii. 15 the same Hebrew word is trans- 
 lated covenant. Translate (as the article in 
 hakkol stands for a suffix], Ulie law, the whole 
 o/it' (Maurer). I prefer the English version. The 
 true prophets, in the plural ("of all"), stand in 
 contrast to the blinded " jjrophets " of the people 
 (v. 10). is become unto you as the words of a 
 book that is sealed— (ch. viii. 16.) God seals up 
 the truth so as that even the learned, because 
 they war*t believing docility, cannot discern it 
 603 
 
 (Matt. xiii. 10-17 ; xi. 25). Prophecy remained 
 comparatively a sealed volume (Dan. xii. 4, 9) 
 until Jesus, who "alone is worthy," " opened the 
 seals " (Rev. v. 1-5, 9; vi. 1). 12. he saith, I am 
 not learned. The unlearned succeed no better 
 than the learned, not from want of human learn- 
 ing, as they fancy, but from not having the teach- 
 ing of God (ch. liv. 13; Jer. xxxi. 34; John vi. 
 45 ; 1 Cor. ii. 7-10 ; 1 John ii. 20). 13. precept of 
 men— instead of by the precepts of God, given by 
 His prophets ; also worship external, and by rule, 
 not heartfelt worship, such as (iiod requires (John 
 iv. 24). Cf. Christ's quotation of this verse, 
 agreeing in the main with the LXX., Matt. 
 XV. 8, 9. 14. a marvellous work— (Hab. i. 5 ; 
 Acts xiii. 41.) The ^' marvello7is ■work." is one of 
 unparalleled vengeance on the hypocrites (cf. 
 ''strange work," ch. xxviii. 21). the understand- 
 ing of" their prudent (men) shall be hid- the 
 judgment will visit the wise in that respect in 
 which they most prided themselves ; their wisdom 
 shall be "hid" — i.e., shall no longer appear, 
 so as to help the nation in its distress (cf. 1 Cor. i 
 19). 
 
 15. that seek deep to hide— rather, * that seek 
 to hide deeply,' &c. (cf. ch. xxx. 1, 2). The refer- 
 ence is to the secret plan which many of the Jewish 
 nobles had of seeking Egyptian aid against As- 
 syria, conti-ary to the advice of Isaiah. At the 
 same time tlce hijpocrite in general is described, 
 who, under a jilausible exterior, tries to hide his 
 real character, not only from men, but even from 
 (Jod. 16, Surely your turning of things upside 
 down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay. So 
 the Hebrew accents require. But Loivth, &c., 
 translate, 'Ah! your perverseness lor, your turn- 
 ing of things upside down. ) Should [C!] the potter 
 be esteemed as the clay ? ' 'Ye invert (turn up- 
 side down) the order of things, putting yourselves 
 instead of God,' and vice versa, 'jiist as if the 
 
Promised blessings 
 
 ISAIAH XXIX. 
 
 to Israel. 
 
 For shall the 'work say of him that made it, He made me not ? 
 Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no under- 
 standing ? 
 
 17 Is it not yet a very little while, 
 
 And Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field. 
 And the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest ? 
 
 18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, 
 
 And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. 
 
 19 The "^nieek also ^shall increase their joy in the Lord, 
 
 And " the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. 
 
 20 For the terrible one is brought to nought, — and the scorner is consumed. 
 And all that ^ watch for iniquity are cut off : 
 
 21 That make a man an offender for a word, 
 
 And ^ lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, 
 And turn aside the just ^for a thing of nought, 
 
 22 Therefore thus saith the Lord, — ^who redeemed Abraham, 
 Concerning the house of Jacob, 
 
 Jacob shall not now be ashamed, — neither shall his face now wax pale. 
 
 23 But when he seeth his children, *the work of mine hands, in the midst 
 
 of him, 
 
 potter should be esteemed as the clay' (Hordey). 
 (Ch. xlv. 9; Ixiv. 8.) The Arabic, Syriac, Chal- 
 daic, and LXX. support the English version, 
 which means, ' In your turuin<< of things upside 
 down ye shall be esteemed (by God) as the pot- 
 ter's clay : ' a good sense, and therefore not to be 
 rejected, when the Hebrew accents support it. 
 The Hebrew im often means "surely." 
 
 17. Lebanon shall be turned — As contrasted 
 with your ' turnings of things upside down ' {v. 
 16), there shall be other and better turnings or 
 revolutions— the outpouring of the Spirit in the 
 latter days (ch. xxxii. 15) : first, on the Jews, 
 which shall be followed by their national restora- 
 tion (note, V. 2; Zech. xii. 10); then on the 
 Gentiles (Joel ii. 28). a fruitful field— lit., a 
 Carmel (note, ch. x. 18). The moral change in 
 the Jewish nation shall be as great as if the 
 tuooded Lebanon were to become a fruitful field, 
 and vice versa. Cf. Matt. xi. 12, Greek, 'the 
 kingdom of heaven forces itself [^laX^eTai], as it 
 were, on man's acceptance : instead of men hav- 
 ing to seek Messiah, as they had John in a desert, 
 He presents Himself before them with loving 
 invitations. Thus men's hearts, once a moral 
 desert, are reclaimed so as to bear fruits of 
 righteousness. and tlie fruitful field — vice 
 versa, the ungodly who seemed prosperous, both 
 iu the moral and literal sense, shall be exhibited 
 in their real barrenness. 18. deaf . . . the 
 blind shall see— (cf. Matt. xi. 5.) The spiritu- 
 ally blind, &c., are chiefly meant; "the book," 
 as Revelation is called pre-eminently, shall 
 be no longer " sealed," as is described, v. 11, but 
 the most unintelligent shall hear and see (ch. 
 xxxv. 5), 19. the meek [o'mj—the afflicted godly : 
 the idea is, virtuous suffering (ch. Ixi. 1 ; Ps. xxv. 
 9; xxxvii. 11) {Barnes). So Chaldaic, 'those who 
 have suffered injury.' But the Vulgate as the 
 English version. Tke meek under suffering seems 
 to me the sense, the poor among men— i. e., the 
 poorest of men ; viz., the pious poor, shall rejoice 
 —when they see their oppressors punished {m. 20, 
 21) and Jehovah exhibited as their protector and 
 re warder {vv. 22-24; ch. xli. 17; Jas. ii. 5). 20. 
 the terrible one— viz., the persecutors among the 
 Jewish nobles, the scorner is consumed— (ch. 
 aycviii. 9, 14, 22.) all that watch fpr iniquity — 
 
 not only commit iniquity, but watch for oppor- 
 tunities of committing it, and make it their whole 
 study (see Mic. ii. 1; Matt. xx;vi. 50; xxvii. 1), 
 21. That make a man an offender for a word 
 (Hebrew, be-dabar)— Who arraign a man for a word 
 which he hath spoken, and which they were 
 watching for to make it a plea for accusing him. 
 This accords with v. 20, " that watch for iniquity." 
 So "the Pharisees took counsel how they might 
 entangle Jesus in His talk" (Matt. xxii. 15: cf. 
 especially Luke xi. 53, 54), and accused Him for 
 His words, that He might be condemned to death 
 (xxvi. 61). Cf. as to Jeremiah the type, Jer. xviii 
 18 ; XX. 10. But Gesenius translates, ' Who make 
 a man guilty in his cause^—i. e., unjustly condemn 
 him. "A man" is, in the Hebrew {A daw., not 
 ish), a poor man, upon whom such unjust condem- 
 nations might be practised with more impunity 
 than on the rich: cf. v. 19, "the meek . . . j;he 
 poor." and lay a snare for him that reproveth. 
 Cf. Amos V. 10, "They hate him that rebuketh in 
 the gate." They lay plots for slandering the prophet, 
 and they entrap into false decisions the judge that 
 would reprove them publicly for their iniquity, by 
 bribes and misrepresentations ; and also they lay 
 snares so as to baffle a suitor against them who 
 reproves them in court, in the gate — the place 
 of concourse in a city, where courts of justice were 
 held (Ruth iv. 11; Prov, xxxi. 23; Amos v. 12), 
 and where the prophets, as Jeremiah, were often 
 directed to rebuke the people for sin (Jer. vii. 2; 
 xvii. 19). the just— one who has a just cause ; or, 
 Jesus Christ, "the Just One" {Horsley). for a 
 thing of nought — lit. , by emptiness (ba-tohu) ; 
 " without a (just) cause" (P's. Ixix. 4; Prov. xxviii. 
 21); 'by a decision that is null in justice.' Cf. as 
 to Christ, Matt. xxvi. 15, (50-66; Acts iii. 13, 14; 
 viii. 33. 22. thus saith the Lord, &c. Join " saith 
 . . . concerning the house of Jacob." redeemed 
 —out of Ur, a land of idolaters (Josh. xxiv. 3). 
 not now— after the moral revolution described, 
 V. 17, the children of Jacob shall no longer give 
 cause to their forefathers to blush for them, 
 neither . . . wax pale — with shame and dis- 
 ai)pointment at the wicked degeneracy of his 
 posterity, and fear as to their punishment. 23. 
 But when he— Jacob, his children, the work of 
 mine haiids— spiritually, as well as physically (ch. 
 
Egypt reproved. 
 
 Confidence in ISAIAH XXX. 
 
 They shall 'sanctify my name, — and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, 
 
 And shall "fear the God of Israel. 
 24 They also ^that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, 
 
 And they that murmured shall learn doctrine. 
 SO WOE to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, 
 
 That take counsel, but not of me ; 
 
 And that cover with a covering, but not of my Spirit, 
 
 " That they may add sin to sin : 
 
 2 That walk to go down into Egypt, — and have ^not asked at my mouth ; 
 To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, 
 
 And to trust in the shadow of Egypt ! 
 
 3 Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, 
 And the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. 
 
 4 For his princes were at Zoan, — and his ambassadors came to Hanes. 
 
 5 They were all ashamed of a people tJiat could not profit them. 
 Nor be an help nor profit, — but a shame, and also a reproach. 
 
 6 The ^burden of the beasts of the south : 
 
 xix. 25; Ix. 21; Epli. ii. 10). By Jehovah's agency- 
 Israel shall be cleaused of its corruptions, and 
 shall consist wholly of pious men (ch. liv. 13, 14; 
 lii. 1). in the midst of him— i. e,, of his land. 
 Or else, "His children "are the Gentiles adopted 
 so as to he amongst the Israelites, his lineal descend- 
 ants (Eom. ix. 26 ; Eph. iii. 6) {Horsley). 24. They 
 also that erred — (ch. xxviii. 7.) shall learn 
 doctrine— rather, shall receive discipline or instruc- 
 tion. "Murmuring" was the characteristic of 
 Israel's rebellion against God (Exod. xvi. 8; Ps. 
 cvi. 2o). This shall be so no more. Chastisements, 
 and, in Horslei/s view, tlie piety of the Gentiles 
 provoking the Jews to holy jealousy (Pvom. xi. 11, 
 14), shall then produce the desired effect. 
 
 liemarks. — No 'round' of ceremonial services 
 from "year to year" can avert "distress" from those 
 who incur Gods displeasure by sin. The proud 
 shall be brought " low " to "the dust." But God, 
 though he chastises His people, will not give them 
 over to be destroyed by the enemy. Nay, the 
 Antichristian multitude which, like Sennacherib's 
 great army of old, threatens to overwhelm the 
 Church and Israel, shall itself "as chaff," in the 
 moment of its greatest might ' pass away at an 
 instant suddenly.' 'The Lord of hosts shall visit 
 them with earthquake, storm, and the flame of 
 devouring tire.' Sennacherib's expectation of 
 making Jerusalem an easy prey, proved to be as 
 fallacioas as the 'dream 'of the "hungry" man 
 who fancies " he eateth," but awakes to find himself 
 starving for want of food {v. 8). ' So shall the mul- 
 titude of all the nations be that fight against Zion.' 
 
 CHAP. XXX. 1-32.— Chs. xxx.-xxxii. refer 
 
 PROBABLY TO THE SuMMER OF 714 B.C., AS ClI, 
 
 XXIX. TO THE PA8S0VER OF THAT Year, Jewish 
 ambassadors were now on their way to Egypt to 
 seek aid against Assyria (chs. xxx. 2-6, 15 ; xxxi, 
 I). Isaiah denounces this reliance on Egypt rather 
 thanon Jehovah. God had prohibited such alliances 
 with heathen nations, and it was a leading i)art 
 of Jewish x)olity that they should be a separate 
 people (Exod. xxiii. 32 ; Deut. vii. 2). 
 
 1. that take counsel. Gesenius, because of vv, 4, 
 6, translates, execute counsels. But the "woe" 
 from God is on the ground, not merely of their 
 executing, but of their having formed the counsel 
 or plan. The Chaldaic supports the English ver- 
 sion, and that cover with a covering — i. e., wrap 
 themselves in reliances disloj^al towards Jehovah. 
 "Cover" thus answers to "seek deep to hide 
 their counsel from their Lord " (ch. xxix. 15 : 
 cf. also ch. xxviii 20, ' the covering (the same 
 &55 
 
 B. c. ri2. 
 
 « I ret. 4. 11. 
 ** Eze. 20. n. 
 
 Ho3. 3. 5. 
 
 • ch. 28. r. 
 
 10 shall know 
 unrler- 
 standing. 
 
 CHAP. 30. 
 " Num. 32.14. 
 
 Deut. 29.19. 
 
 Rom. 2. .5. 
 
 2 Tim. 3. 13. 
 l> NiJni 27.21. 
 
 JOJ h. 9. 14. 
 
 1 Ki. 22. 7. 
 
 Jer. 42. 20. 
 " Jer. 37. 5,7. 
 d Jer. 2. 33. 
 * Hcs. 8. 9. 
 
 Hos. 12. I. 
 
 Hebrew as here) is narrower than that he can wrap 
 himself in it.' But the Hebrew may mean \ypi?\ 
 n3Dg] ' who pour out libations:'' as it was by 
 these that leagues were made (Exod. xxiv. 8; 
 Zech. ix. 11). Thus the same will be, ' who make 
 a league.' So the LXX [<TvvdriKa^\ Arabic, and 
 Syriac. The Greek idiom for making a covenant, 
 is, similarly, to pour out a libation [airevoeaQaL 
 airovhiv]. The English version takes the Hebrew 
 as if from sakak, ' to cover, ^ as it is in ch. xxv. 7, 
 "covering," instead of from nasak, Ho pour.'' 
 Thus the princes of Egypt are regarded as the 
 covering under which the Jews were hoping to 
 find protection. Ch. xxviii. 20 favours the Eng- 
 lish version, not of — not suggested "by my 
 Spirit" (Num. xxvii. 21). They ought rather to 
 have stood before the priest, who should have 
 asked counsel for them "after the judgment of 
 Urim before the Lord." A similar error, of in- 
 jurious consequence, was committed in the cove- 
 nant made with the Gibeonites without the Israel- 
 ites having "asked counsel at the mouth of the 
 Lord" (Josh. ix. 14). that they may add sin to 
 sin— the consequence is here spoken of as their in- 
 tention, so reckless were they of sinning. One sin 
 entails the commission of another (Deut. xxix. 19). 
 2. That walk— that are now setting out, viz., their 
 ambassadors {v. 4). to go down into Egypt— see 
 note in the beginning of chs. xix. and xx. Pharaoh 
 —the general name of the Kings of Egypt, as CeEsar 
 was at Rome. The word in Egyptian means king 
 {Josephiis, 'Antiquities,' viii. 6. 2). Phra, 'the 
 sun,' was the hieroglyphic symbol and title of the 
 king, who was considered as the representative on 
 earth of the god ra, or the sun. to trust in the 
 shadow of Egypt — image from shelter against 
 heat: protection (Ps. cxxi. 5, 6). 3. Therefore 
 shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame— 
 your disappointment. Egypt, weakened by its 
 internal dissensions, can give no solid help. 4. For 
 his-Judah's (cf. ch. ix. 21). princes were at 
 Zoan— are already arrived there on their errand to 
 Pharaoh (see ch. xix. 11). and his ambassadors 
 came to Hanes— are come there. West of the 
 Nile, in central Egypt: Egyptian Hnes ; the Greek 
 Heracleopolis ; perhaps the Anysis of Herodotus 
 (ii. 137) ; according to Grotius, Tahpanhes con- 
 tracted (Jer. xliii. 7-9); the seat of a reigning 
 prince at the time, as was Zoan ; hence the Jewish 
 ambassadors go to both. 5. They were all ashamed 
 of a people (that) could not profit them— (Jer. ii. 
 36.) 6. The burden of the beasts of the souths 
 
Tke prophets prophesy 
 
 ISx^IAH XXX. 
 
 smooth things 
 
 Into the land of trouble and anguish, 
 From "whence come the young and old lion, 
 The viper and fiery flying serpent, 
 
 They will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young assos, 
 And their treasures upon the bunches of camels, 
 To a people that shall not profit them. 
 
 7 For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no pur})ose: 
 Tiierefore have I cried ^ concerning this, Their strength is to sit still. 
 
 8 Now go, write it before them in a table, — and note it in a boulc, 
 ThPvt it may be for '-^ the time to come — for ever and ever ; 
 
 9 That ^this is a rebellious people, lying children, 
 Children that will not hear the law of the Lord : 
 
 10 Which ^say to the seers. See not; 
 
 And to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, 
 * Speak unto us smooth things, — prophesy deceits: 
 Get -^ you out of the way, — turn aside out of the path. 
 Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. 
 
 Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, 
 Because ye despise this word. 
 
 And trust in ^ oppression and perverseness, — and stay thereon : 
 13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, 
 
 Swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant. 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 B. c. n\ 
 
 t Jer. 37. r. 
 
 1 Or. to )!er. 
 
 2 the Litter 
 day. 
 
 Num. 21.11. 
 
 De«t. 4. 30. 
 
 Job 1!). 2'>. 
 
 Jer. 2!. 20. 
 
 Jer. 4?. 47. 
 
 Kze. S8. irt. 
 
 Il03. 3. 5. 
 
 I Tim. 4. 1. 
 ^ J3eut.;.2.20. 
 
 ch. 1. 4. 
 
 Zeph. 3. 2. 
 
 Matt. 21.31. 
 
 Acts 7. 6, 
 * Jer. 11. 21. 
 
 Amos 2. 12. 
 
 Mic. 2. 6. 
 < 1 Ki. 22. 13. 
 
 Jer. 6. 13. 
 
 Mic. 2. 11. 
 
 Johns. 4.5. 
 
 Rom. It). IS. 
 i Ac's 5. 40. 
 
 Ac's 13. 8. 
 8 v-r iVa'Jtl. 
 
 the LXX., 'The vision of the qnadrupeds in the 
 desert.' The fresh inscriptiou here marks empha- 
 tically the prediction that follows. Isaiah sees in 
 vision the ambassadors' beasts burdened vith rich 
 presents travelling southwards (viz., to Egypt, Dan. 
 xi. 5, 6), and plays on the double signification of 
 massa, a weigldy burden, and a weighty prophecy, 
 by the inscription, ' The burden of the beasts of 
 the south' — i. e., the burden of prophecy as Avell as 
 the burden of weight which those Jews load them- 
 selves with, who, like laden beasts, go southward 
 to Egypt {Forerius). (Hos. viii. 9 ; xii. 1. ) Into the 
 land of trouble— the desert between Palestine and 
 Egj'pt, destitute of water, and abounding in dan- 
 gerous animals (Deut. viii. 15 ; Jer. ii. 6, "aland of 
 the shadow of death "). from whence come the . . . 
 fiery flying serpent (ch. xiv. 29)— a species which 
 springs like a dart from trees on its prey. But 
 these tree serpents (called by the Arabs at Basra 
 Heie sursiirie, or thiare) are said to be harmless ; 
 whereas the Saraph, or fiery serpent here, is pro- 
 bably so called from the inflammation caused by 
 the bite. The epithet "flying" may imply the 
 rapidity with which they darted. Hei^odotus, ii. 
 75; iii. 108, speaks of winged serpents. Some fly- 
 
 ing or darting and venomous kind now extinct 
 is probably meant, they will carry — rather, Pre- 
 sent, they ca?T^; viz., as presents to Egypt (I Ki. 
 XV. 19). upon . . . young asses— rather full-grov/n 
 asses {Maurer). 7. For the Egyptians shall help 
 in vain, and to no purpose— Hebrew, ' The Egyp- 
 tians are vanity, and to no purpose will they help ' 
 {Cahin]. therefore have I cried concerning this 
 (this purpose of theirs to send to Egypt for help : 
 or else the Hebrew, lazoth, is to her). Their strength 
 (is) to sit still. " Strength "—Hebrew, Rahab : 
 since this is a designation of Egypt (ch. li. 9 ; Ps. 
 Ixxxvii. 4),implying herhaiighty fierceness. DeDieu 
 translates, ' Therefore I called her Arrogance that 
 sitteth still.' Rahab heem shabeth — lit., * Rabab, 
 they (are) stillness:' Proud Egypt— i. e.. Us inhabi- 
 tants sit still. She who boasted of the help she 
 would give, when it came to the test, sat still (ch, 
 xxxvi. G). The English version agrees with v. 15 
 and clu vil 4. The Vulgate, Syriac, and appar- 
 653 
 
 ently the LXX. and Arabic, support it— liL, '(It 
 is) strength for them to sit still.* 
 
 8. a table— a tablet (Hab. ii. 2), which should be 
 set in public, containing the prophecy in a briefer 
 form, to be read by all. a book— viz., a parch- 
 ment roll, containing the xirophecy in full, for 
 the use of distant posterity. Its truth will be 
 seen hereafter when the event has come to pass. 
 See ch. viii. 1, 16, notes, for ever and ever. 
 The Chaldaie, Vulgate, and Syriac read [nr^ for 
 Ty/], 'For a testimony for ever:' 'testimony' is 
 often joined to the notion of perpetuity (Deut. 
 xxxi. 19, 21, 26). But the LXX. and Arabic read 
 as the Hebrew text, which should not be rashly 
 changed. 9. lying children— unfaithful to Jehovah, 
 whose covenant they liad taken on them as His 
 adopted children (ch. lix. 13; Prov. xxx. 9). 10. 
 Which say to the seers, See not— (Mic. ii. 6, 11 ; 
 iii. 5). See not— as you now do, foretelling mis- 
 fortune. Prophecy not . . . right things, ivot 
 that they avowedly requested this, but their 
 conduct virtually expressed it. No man, pro- 
 fessedly, wishes to be deceived ; but many seek 
 a kind of teaching which is deceit ; and which, 
 if they would examine, they might know to be 
 such (1 Ki. xxii. 13). The Jews desired success 
 to be foretold as the issue of their league 
 with Egypt, though ill had been announced by 
 God's prophet as the result: this constituted 
 the "deceits." 11. Get you out of the way— De- 
 part from the true " way :" so in Acts xix. 9, 23, 
 "that way" is used of religion, cause the Holy 
 One of Israel to cease — let us hear no more of His 
 name. God's holiness is what troubles sinners most, 
 
 12. Wherefore thus saith the Holy One. Isaiah 
 so little yields to their wicked prejudices that lie 
 repeats the very name and truth which they dis- 
 liked. Because ye despise this word— Isaiah's 
 exhortation to reliance on Jehovah, and trust in 
 oppression— whereby they levied the treasures to 
 be sent to conciliate Egypt (v. 6). and perverse- 
 ness— in relying on Egypt rather than on Jehovah. 
 13. as a breach ready to fall— image from a curve 
 swelling out iu a wall (Pb. Ixii. 3) : when the forwer 
 
Quiet trust 
 
 ISAIAH XXX. 
 
 your strength. 
 
 14 And ^ he shall break it as the breaking of ^ the potter'tj vessel 
 That is broken in pieces ; — he shall not spare : 
 
 So that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd 
 
 To take fire from tlie hearth, — or to take water withal out of the pit. 
 
 15 For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, 
 ^ In returning and rest shall ye be saved ; 
 
 In quietness and in confidence sliall be your strength ; — "^and ye would not. 
 
 16 But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; — therefore shall ye flee : 
 And, We will ride upon the swift ; 
 
 Therefore shall they that pursue you be swift, 
 
 17 One "thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; 
 At the rebuke of five shall ye flee : 
 
 Till ye be left as ^a beacon upon the top of a mountain. 
 And as an ensign on an hill. 
 
 18 And therefore will the Lord "wait, tliat he may be gracious unto you ; 
 And therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you : 
 For the Lord is a God of judgment : 
 
 ^Blessed are all they that wait for him. 
 
 19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem : — thou shalt weep no more : 
 He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; 
 
 When he shall hear it, he will answer thee. 
 
 20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of 
 
 ^ affliction. 
 
 15. C. 713. 
 
 * Ps. 2. 9. 
 Job 20. 23. 
 2 Pet. 2.4,5. 
 
 4 the bottle 
 of pottera. 
 
 ' ch. 7. 4. 
 '"Ps. 81. 11. 
 
 Pro. 1. 24. 
 
 Jer. 44. IG. 
 17. 
 
 Ho3. 11. 2, 
 7. 
 
 Matt. 23.37. 
 " Lev. 26, 8. 
 Deut. 28.25. 
 Deut.S2.30. 
 Josh. 2 MO. 
 
 5 Or, a tree 
 bereft of 
 branches, 
 or, boughs: 
 or, a ma^t. 
 
 " 2 Pet. 3. 9. 
 P Ps. 2. 12. 
 
 Ps. 31. 8. 
 
 Pro. 16. £0. 
 
 Jer. 17. 7. 
 
 6 Or, oppres- 
 sion. 
 
 pives way, it causes the downfall of the whole 
 wall ; so their policy as to Egypt. 14. And he 
 shall break it. he — the enemy; or rather, God 
 (Ps. ii. 9; Jer. xix. 11). it— the Jewish state, as 
 the breaking of a potters vessel— earthen and 
 fragile, sherd (a fragment of the vessel large 
 enough) to take fire (a live coal) from the hearth, 
 or to take water . . , out of the pit— cistern or 
 pool. The swell of the wall is at first impercep- 
 tible and gradual, but at last it comes to the crisis : 
 so the decay of the Jewish state. 
 
 15. In returning and rest shall ye be saved— 
 In turning back from your embassy to Egy])t, and 
 ceasing from warlike preparations, in quietness 
 — answering to "wait for Him," God ('•. 18). 16. 
 But ye said, No ; for we will flee— not as fugitives, 
 but we will speed our course— viz., against the 
 Assyrians, by the help of cavalry supplied by 
 Egypt (ch. xxxi, 1). This was expressly against 
 the Mosaic law (Deut. xvii. 16 : cf. note, ch. ii. 7 ; 
 Hos. xiv. 3). therefore shall ye flee— Z/^., before 
 your enemies. Their sin and its punishment cor- 
 respond. Retribution in kind. 17. One thousand 
 — Hebrew, Eleph echad. The "One" is emphati- 
 cal. A thousand at onre^ or As one man. (shall 
 flee) at the rebuke of one— the battle-cry of one. 
 at the rebuke of five shall ye (viz., all., in contrast 
 to the "One thousand' ) flee : till ye be left as a 
 beacon upon the top of a mountain — ye shall 
 flee in such confusion that even two shall not be 
 left together, but each one shall be as solitary 'as 
 a mjnal staffer a banner on a hill' (chs. v. 20; xi. 
 12). The signal-staff' was erected to rally a nation 
 in war. The remnant of Jews left would be 
 beacons to warn all men of the justice of God and 
 the truth of His threatenings. Alaurer, from Lev. 
 xxvi. 8; Deut. xxxii. 30, arbitrarily inserts {re- 
 babah) 'ten thousand.' 'At the rebuke of live 
 shall ten thousand of you flee.' 
 
 18. And therefore will the Lord wait, that he 
 may be gracious unto you— "therefore" He will 
 vxiit, or delay in X)unishing, to give you time for 
 <'8ca]>e from the coming evils by repentance (vv. 13, 
 14, 17) {Maurtr). For "And therefore" (Hebrew, 
 VOL. iiL 657 
 
 velakeen), translate. Yet therefore (viz., because of 
 the distress spoken of in the previous verses ; that 
 distress will be overruled by the grace of God to 
 lead the Jews to repentance, and so Jehovah will 
 pity them) {Gesenius). So "therefore" is used ch. 
 Ii. 21 : cf. 20. Though iliey hastened to forsake 
 Him for Egypt, He will not rejjay them in kind, 
 but will " wait," instead of hastening to forsake 
 them. Through compassion, at the miseries 
 which are before you, if still impenitent {v. 19), 
 He waits for a change in you, so that it may 
 be consistent with His justice not to punish, 
 but to be gracious unto you. blessed, therefore, 
 are all they that wait for him (even as He waits 
 for them)— instead of impatiently having recourse 
 to Egypt for help, and therefore will he be ex- 
 alted—through His interposition in your behalf, 
 that he may have mercy upon you— and deliver 
 you from the enemy — the Assyrian host of Sen- 
 nacherib in this case, though ultimately the last 
 antichristian foes of Israel are contemplated. 
 Men will have more elevated views of God's 
 mercy, or else 'He will be exalted {i. e.. He wiU 
 ascend his tribunal, which he had seemed to have 
 forsaken), that He may have mercy upon you, and 
 save you from the enemy' {Calvin), for the Lord 
 (is) a God of judgment— justice; faithfulness to 
 His covenant with His people, and executing 
 judgment in their behalf upon their foes, blessed 
 (are) all they that wait for him— viz., for His 
 times of having mercy (cf. v. 15). 19. For the 
 people shall dwell in Zion— (ch. Ixv. 9.) The re- 
 restoration from Babylon only typifies the fidl 
 accom])lishment of the prophecy [vv. 18-33). thou 
 Shalt weep no more— (ch. xxv. 8.) he will be 
 very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry 
 — (ch. xxvi. 8. 9 ; Jer. xxix. 12-14.) 20. And (though) 
 the Lord give you the bread of adversity. The 
 though is not in the original. 'The Lord will 
 give you bread' and " water," attended with trials 
 for a time, as the preliminary discipline needed 
 for ultimately bestowing the fullest blessings, 
 temporal and spiritual, upon you. bread of ad- 
 versity—He will not deny you food enough to 
 2 g 
 
God's mercies 
 
 ISAIAH XXX. 
 
 to his ChurcJl. 
 
 Yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more. 
 But thine eyes shall see thy teachers : 
 
 21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, 
 This is the way, walk ye in it, 
 
 When ye ^turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. 
 
 22 Ye ^ shall defile also the covering of ^ thy graven images of silver. 
 And the ornament of thy molten images of gold : 
 
 Thou shalt ^.cast them away as a menstruous cloth ; 
 Thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence. 
 
 23 Then * shall he give the rain of thy seed, 
 That thou shalt sow the ground withal ; 
 
 And bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous : 
 In that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures. 
 
 24 The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground 
 Shall eat ^ clean provender, 
 
 Which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan. 
 And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every ^'^liigh hill. 
 Rivers aiid streams of waters 
 
 In the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. 
 Moreover Hhe light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, 
 And the light of the sun shall be seven-fold, — as the light of seven days, 
 In the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, 
 And healeth the stroke of their wound. 
 
 Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, 
 Burning with his anger, ^^^and the burden thereof is heavy: 
 
 25 
 
 26 
 
 27 
 
 B. c. m. 
 
 9 Deut. 5. 32. 
 
 Josh. 1. r. 
 2 Ki. 22. 2. 
 Ps. 32. 8. 
 Fro. 4. 27. 
 2 Ki. 23. 4, 
 20. 
 
 2 Chr. 31. 1. 
 2 Chr. 34. 3. 
 ch. 2. 20. 
 Ch. 31. 7. 
 Eze. 36. 31. 
 
 7 the graven 
 images of 
 thy silver. 
 
 8 scatter. 
 
 ' Matt. 6. 33. 
 1 Tim. 4. 8. 
 
 9 leavened, 
 or, 
 
 savoury 
 
 10 lifted up. 
 ch. 2. 11. 
 ch. 44. 3. 
 
 t ch. GO. 19. 
 
 11 Or, and 
 the 
 
 grievous- 
 ness of 
 flame. 
 
 12 heaviness. 
 
 save you in your adversity (1 Ki. xxii. 27 ; Ps. 
 cxxvii. 2), thy teachers be removed into a 
 corner — or else, wing their Hight away (yikaneeph, 
 h'om. kaiiajjJi) ; 'hide themselves.' They shall no 
 more be forced to hide themselves from persecu- 
 tion, but shall be openly received with reverence 
 {Maurer). Contrast with this the Jews' state in 
 their Babylonian exile and in their present long 
 dispersion. "We see not our signs: there is no 
 more any prophet" (Ps. Ixxiv. 9 ; Amos viii. 11). 
 The verb is singular ; the subject, " thy teachers," 
 is plural distributively : 'thy teachers shall not 
 be removed each into a corner.' In Hezekiah's 
 time, though the Lord tried His people with afflic- 
 tion, He never forsook them, but sent good 
 teachers among them ; and so in the times follow- 
 ing, up to the restoration from Babylon, He sent 
 Hosea, Amos, Nahum, Habakkuk, Ezekiel, 
 Daniel, Zechariah, Haggai, Malachi. The ulti- 
 mate reference is to the times of affliction which 
 shall immediately precede the final restoration of 
 Israel, when Elijah, or prophets of his spirit and 
 power, shall be sent (Mai. iv. 4-6). 21. thine 
 ears shall hear a word behind thee— conscience, 
 guided by the Holy Spirit (John xvi. 13). 22. Ye 
 shall defile . . . the covering of thy graven 
 images — images (formed of wood or potter's clay, 
 and) covered wirth silver. Hezekiah, and after- 
 wards Josiah, defiled them (2 Ki, xxiii. 8, 10, 14, 
 16 • 2 Chr. xxxi. 1 : cf. ch. ii. 20 ; Deut. vii. 25). 
 23. Then shall he give the rain of thy seed- 
 rather, 'jor thy seed.' Physical prosperity ac- 
 companies national piety, especially under the 
 Old Testament. The early rain fell soon after the 
 seed was sown, in October or November ; the 
 latter rain in the spring, before the ripening of the 
 corn. Both were needed for a good harvest, and 
 bread of the increase— the produce of the earth, 
 and it shall be fat— bread made of the best wheat 
 flour (cf. (j!en. xlix. 20 ; Deut. xxxii. 14, " the fat 
 of kidneys of wheat "). 24. the young asses that 
 ear {i. e.. till) the ground. Asses were employed 
 658 
 
 in tillage as well as oxen (Deut. xxii. 10). shall 
 eat clean (Hebrew, chamitz ; rather, salted) pro- 
 vender {Gesenius). The Arab proverb is. Sweet 
 provender is as bread to camels ; salted provender 
 as confectionery. Bochart translates, ' mixed 
 provender (made) somewhat acid,' which beasts 
 of burden in the East relish. The very cattle 
 shall share the coming felicity. Or else, well- 
 fermented maslin—i.e., provender formed of a 
 mixture of various substances : grain, beans, 
 vetches, hay, and salt, winnowed— not as it is 
 usually given to cattle before it is separated from 
 the chaff : the grain shall be so abundant that it 
 shall be given winnowed, with the shovel — by 
 which the grain was thrown up in the wind to 
 separate it from the chaff, fan— an instrument 
 for winnowing. 25. there shall be upon every 
 high mountain . , . rivers — even the otherwise 
 barren hills shall then be well watered (ch. xliv. 
 3). in the day . . . when the towers fall- 
 when the disobedient among the Jews shall have 
 been slain, as foretold in v. 16: "towers," i.e., 
 mighty men (ch. ii. 15), Or else, the towers ^' the 
 Assyrian Sennacherib, or of Babylon, types of all 
 enemies of God's people. 26. the light of the 
 moon . . . the light of the sun— image from the 
 heavenly bodies, to express the increase of spiritual 
 light and felicity. " Seven-fold " implies the per- 
 jection of that felicity, seven being tlie sacred 
 number. It shall also be literally fulfilled here- 
 after in the heavenly city (ch. Ix. 19, 20 ; Rev. 
 xxi. 23, 24 ; xxii. 5). the breach of his people— the 
 wound or calamity sent by God on account of their 
 sins (ch. i. 5). 
 
 27. the name of the Lord— i. e., Jehovah Him- 
 self (Ps. xliv. 5 ; liv. 1). cometh from far. He is 
 represented as a storm approaching (Ps. Ixxv. 1), 
 and ready to burst over the Assyrians (vv. 30, 31). 
 and the burden (thereof is) heavy. Or else, liter- 
 ally, yrievousness is the flame — i. c.,the flame which 
 darts from Him is grievous. The Hebrew {mas- 
 saah) means an vp(ifii?ig, or mounting-up flame. 
 
Destruction of 
 
 ISAIAH XXX. 
 
 Assyria, 
 
 32 
 
 33 
 
 of 
 
 His lips are full of indignation, — and his tongue as a devouring fire : 
 
 28 And liis breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst 
 
 the neck, 
 
 To sift the nations with the sieve of vanity : 
 
 And there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err : 
 
 29 Ye shall have a song, as in the night, when a holy solemnity is kept; 
 And gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe 
 
 To come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty one of Israel. 
 
 30 And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard. 
 And shall show the lighting down of his arm, 
 
 With the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire. 
 With scattering, and tempest, and hailstones. 
 
 31 For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, 
 Which smote with a rod. 
 
 And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, 
 Which the Lord shall ^^lay upon him, 
 It shall be with tabrets and harps : 
 And in battles of shaking will he fight ^^with it. 
 For ^'Tophet is ordained ^^of old ; — yea, for the king it is prepared : 
 He hath made it deep and large ; — the pile thereof is fire and much wood ; 
 The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it. 
 
 B. C. 713. 
 
 " ch. 11. }. 
 
 Luke 22.31. 
 
 2 Thes. 2. 8. 
 
 Heb. 4. 12. 
 
 Rev. 1. 10. 
 
 Kev. 2. 16. 
 13 rock. 
 
 Deut. 32. 4, 
 31. 
 
 2 Sam. 23.3. 
 Ps. 18. 31. 
 1* the glory 
 of his 
 Voice. 
 
 15 every 
 pissing of 
 the rod 
 founded. 
 
 16 cause to 
 rest upon 
 hitn. 
 
 17 Or, against 
 them. 
 
 " Jer. 7. 31. 
 
 18 from 
 yesterJay. 
 
 28. Ms breath, as an overflowing stream— (ch. xi. 
 4 ; 2 Thess. ii. 8. ) shall reach to the midst of the 
 neck — the most extreme danger. Yet as the head 
 or capital of Judah was to be spared (ch. viii. 8), 
 so the head or sovereign of Assyria, Sennacherib, 
 should escape. sieve of vanity — the winnowbig 
 fanof cleMruction {Loioth). (Ch. xli. 16.) a bridle in 
 the jaws of the people — as prisoners are repre- 
 sented in the Assyrian inscriptions (ch. xxxvii. 
 29). causing (them) to err — (ch. Ixiii. 17. ) 
 "People" — ^ehxew, peoples ; viz., the various 
 races composing the Assyrian armies (ch. v. 
 26). 29. Ye shall have a song, as in the night, 
 (when) a holy solemnity is kept— As in the 
 Passover -night ye celebrate your deliverance 
 from Egypt, so shall ye celebrate your rescue 
 from Assyrian bondage. Translate, ' the solem- 
 nity' (Exod. xii, 42). as when one goeth with 
 a pipe— or jlute. They used to go up to Jerusalem 
 (" the mountain of the Lord," Zion) at the three 
 feasts, with music and gladness (Deut. xvi. 16; 
 Ezra ii. 65; Ps. cxxii. 1-4). 30. the Lord shall 
 cause his glorious voice to be heard. Jehovah's 
 "glorious voice," raised against the enemy {v. 27), 
 is again mentioned here, in contrast to the music 
 (v. 29) with which His people shall come to worship 
 Him. and shall show the lighting down of his 
 arm {v. 32; Ps. xxxviii. 2)— the descent of His 
 arm in striking, with scattering— with a blast 
 that scatters; or an innndatioyi {nephetz: from the 
 Arabic sense) {Maurer). But the English version 
 is more usual in Hebrew. 31. a rod. The As- 
 syrian rod which beat, shall itself be beaten, and 
 that by the mere voice of the Lord— i. e., an unseen 
 divine agency (ch. x. 5, 24). 32. (in) every place 
 where the grounded — the decreed, a2Wointed by 
 God's firm decree : solidly founded, mar;/. {Maurer.) 
 staff— the avenging rod. shall pass, which the 
 Lord shall lay upon him— the Assyrian; type of 
 all (iod's enemies in every age. (it) shall be with 
 tabrets, &c. — 'every passing through (infliction, 
 ch. xxviii. L5) of the apjiointed rod, which the 
 Lord shall lay upon him, shall be with tabrets' — 
 t. e., shall be accompanied with joy on the jtart of 
 the rescued peoples, and in battles of shaking 
 — i. e., in shock of battles (ch. xix. 16: cf. "sift . . . 
 sieve," v. 28). will he fight with it— viz., Assyria. 
 659 
 
 33. Tophet— from tuph, to spit out ; lit., a place of 
 abomination : a grove or garden in the valley of the 
 sons of Hinnom, south-east of Jerusalem, where 
 Israel offered human sacrifices to Moloch by fire ; 
 hence a place of burning (2 Ki. xxiii. 10; Jer. vii. 
 31 ). Latterly called Ge-Hinnom or Gehenna — i. e. , 
 valley of Hinnom. It was the receptacle of the 
 refuse of the city, to consume which fires were 
 constantly burning. Hence it came to express 
 Hell, the place of torment. In the former sense 
 it was a fit place to symbolize the funeral pyre of 
 the Assyrian army (not that it actually perished 
 there) : the Hebrews did not burn, but buried 
 their dead, but the heathen Assyrians are to be 
 burnt as a mark of ignominy. In the latter sense, 
 Tophet is the receptacle "prepared for the devil 
 (the antitype to "the king" of Assyria, ch. xiv. 
 12-15) and his angels," and unbelieving men (Matt. 
 V. 22 ; XXV. 41 ; Mark ix. 43, 44). H. Bonar, in 
 Smith's ' Dictionary of the Bible,' derives Tophteh 
 (as the name is written here) from the Hebrew for 
 tabrets in v. 32, tupjnm. Tophet was originally 
 the king's music grove, as Chlnneroth is the harpers. 
 Afterwards it was defiled by Baal and idols, and 
 regarded as the gate of hell, the receptacle of 
 abominations; and finally it became "the valley 
 of slaughter " (Jer. vii. 32 ; xix. 6). 
 
 'The pleasant valley of Hinnom, Tophet thence 
 And black Gehenna called, the type of hell.'— Milton. 
 
 Remarks.— 'Woe'' will be the portion of the 
 professing children of God when they " take 
 counsel" according to the dictates of carnal policy, 
 not according to the teaching of the " Spirit " of the 
 Lord. In vain men, when chastised for sin, wrap 
 themselves in a "covering" that only 'adds sin to 
 sin.' It is the tendency of sinners, instead of 
 averting further judgments by repentance, to 
 incur fresh guilt by self-devised expedients for 
 deliverance. They who make the world their 
 "strength" shall, to their eternal 'shame and 
 confusion,' find that it is but a " shadow." What 
 can a dying world " profit" an undying soul ? {vv. 
 5, 6.) To court its favour, and to gain its goods, 
 costs " trouble " and burdensome care. Our 
 truest " strength," in resjDect to it, is " to sit still " 
 [v.l], and to make, not it, but the Lord our strength. 
 
The folly of 
 
 ISAIAH XXXI. 
 
 trusting in Egypt. 
 
 31 WOE to them "that go down to Egypt for help, — and ^stay on horses, 
 And trust in chariots, because they are many ; 
 And in horsemen, because they are very strong : 
 
 But they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, — '^neither seek the Lord ! 
 
 2 Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, — and will not ^ call back his words : 
 But will arise against the house of the evil-doers, 
 
 And against the help of them that work iniquity. 
 
 3 Now the Egyptians are '^men, and not God ; 
 And their horses flesh, and not spirit. 
 When the Loud shall stretch out his hand. 
 
 Both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is hoipen shall fall lown, 
 And they all shall fail together. 
 
 4 For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me, 
 
 Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, 
 
 When a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him. 
 
 He will not be afraid of tlieir voice, 
 
 Nor abase himself for the ^ noise of them; 
 
 So shall the Lord of hosts come down 
 
 To fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. 
 
 5 As ^ birds flying, — so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem ; 
 Defending also he will deliver it; — and passing over he will preserve it. 
 
 6 Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have -^ deeply revolted. 
 
 7 For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and ^ his 
 
 idols of gold. 
 
 Which your own hands have made unto you for ^a sin. 
 
 8 Then shall the Assyrian '^fall with the sword, not of a mighty man ; 
 And the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him : 
 
 But he shall flee ^ from the sword, — and his young men shall be ^ discomfited. 
 
 CHAP. XXXI. 1-9. -Folly of trusting in 
 Egypt's Cavalry. Jehovah will save Jeru- 
 salem FROM Assyria. 
 
 1. stay on horses, and trust in chariots. lu 
 tlieir level and fertile plains horses could easily be 
 used and fed (Exod. xiv. 9; 1 Ki. x. 28). In hilly 
 Palestine horses were not so easily had or avail- 
 able. The Jews were tlierefore the more eager to 
 get Egyptian chariots as allies against the As- 
 syrian cavalry. In Assyrian scnlptures chariots 
 are represented drawn by three horses, and with 
 three men in them (see ch. xxxvi. 9; Ps. xx. 7). 
 2. Yet he also is wise— as well as the Egyptian 
 priests, so famed for wisdom (Acts vii. 22), but 
 who are "fools" before Him (ch. xix, 11). and 
 will not call hack his words. He not only devises, 
 but executes what He devises, without ' calling 
 back His words ' (Num. xxiii. 19). house of the 
 evil - doers — the whole race, the help — the 
 Egyptian succour sought by the Jews. 3. not 
 spirit — not of divine power (Ps. Ivi. 4 ; cxlvi. 3, 5 ; 
 Zech. iv. 6). both he that helpeth shall fall- 
 Egypt, and he that is hoipen— Judah. 
 
 4. Like as the lion— (ch. xlii. 13; Hos. xi. 10.) 
 roaring on his prey — growling over his prey, he 
 will not . . . abase himself— be disheartened or 
 frightened. 5. As birds flying, so will the Lord 
 of hosts defend Jerusalem. As in the image of 
 "the lion " the point of comparison is the fearless 
 might of Jehovah, so iu that of the birds it is His 
 solicitous affection (Dcut, xxxii. 11; Ps. xci. 4; 
 Matt, xxiii. 37). flying— or, xvhich defend their 
 young with their wings : to fly is a secondary 
 meaning of the Hebrew [^111?] (Manrer). But the 
 LXX., Chaldaic, Vulgate, Arabic, and Syriac 
 support the English version. The allusion is to 
 the same image employed in the Assyrian's threat 
 against Jerusalem, ch. x. 14, "My hand hath 
 COO 
 
 B. C. 713. 
 
 CHAP. 31. 
 Deut. 28. rs. 
 
 Ps. 20. 7, 8. 
 Ps. 33. 1'-. 
 Eze. 17. 15. 
 Hos. 11. 5. 
 Ps. 20. 7. 
 Dan. 9. 13. 
 Hos. r. 7. 
 
 1 remove. 
 Num. 2". 10. 
 
 d Ps. 9. 20. 
 Ps. 39. 5. 
 Ps. 62. 9. 
 Ps. 146. 3, 
 Eze. 28. 9. 
 
 2 Or. multi- 
 tude. 
 
 ' Ex. 12. 23. 
 
 Deut. 32.11. 
 
 Ps. 17. 8. 
 
 Ps. S6. 7. 
 
 Ps. 57. 1. 
 
 Ps. 91. 4. 
 / Hos. 9. 9. 
 
 3 the idols of 
 his gold. 
 
 ^ 1 Ki. 12. ro. 
 h 2 Ki. 19. 3->. 
 
 4 Or, for fear 
 of the 
 sword. 
 
 5 formeltin;?, 
 or, tribute, 
 or, 
 
 tributary. 
 
 found as a 7iest the riches of the people : and as 
 one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered 
 all the earth; and there was none that moved the 
 wing" — viz., in defence. Here Jehovah engages 
 to defend Jerusalem like the parent birds, hovering 
 over their young to defend them from the hawk or 
 vulture, passing over— as the destroying angel 
 passed over (Hebrew, pasoach), so as to spare the 
 blood-marked houses of the Israelites on the first 
 Passover (Exod. xii. 13, 23, 27). He passed, or 
 leaped forivard [Lowth), to destroy the enemy and 
 to spare His people. 
 
 6. Turn ye unto (him). The power and love 
 of Jehovah, just mentioned, are the strongest 
 incentives for returning to Him (Ezek. xvi. 62, 
 63; Hos. vi. 1). ye . . . Israel. The change of 
 person marks that when they return to the Lord 
 He will address them in more direct terms of com- 
 munion, in tlie second person; so long as they were 
 revolters, God speaks of them as more at a dis- 
 tance, in the tldrd j^f^rson, rather than to them. 
 7. in that day every man shall cast away his 
 idols— in the day of trial the idols will be found 
 to render no help, and will thfirefore be cast 
 away. Cf. as to the future restoration and conver- 
 sion of Israel simultaneously with the interposi- 
 tion of Jehovah in its defence, Zech. xii. 9-14 ; 
 xiii. 1, 2. which your own hands have made unto 
 you (for) a sin — i. e. , whereby especially vou 
 contracted guilt (1 Ki. xii. 30). 8. Then shall 
 the Assyilan fall. Sennacherib is representative 
 of some powerful head of the ungodly in the latter 
 ages, with the sword, not of a mighty man . . . 
 not of a mean man — but by the unseen sword of 
 God. he shall flee. Sennacherib alone fled home- 
 wards after his army had been destroyed (ch. 
 xxxvii. 37). his young men— the flower of his 
 army, shall he discomfited— sAa^i he liable to 
 
The blessings 
 
 ISAIAH XXXII. 
 
 of C/irist's kingdom. 
 
 9 And ^lie shall pass over to ^liis strong hold for fear, 
 And his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, 
 
 Saith the Lokd, whose ^fire is in Zion, — and his furnace in Jerusalem. 
 32 BEHOLD, "a king shall reign in righteousness, 
 And princes shall rule in judgment. 
 
 2 And a man shall be as an hiding-place from the wind. 
 
 And a covert from the tempest; — as rivers of water in a dry place; 
 As the shadow of a ^ great rock in a weary land. 
 
 3 And ^ the eyes of them that see shall not be dim ; 
 And the ears of them that hear shall hearken. 
 
 4 The heart also of the - rash shall understand knowledge,. 
 
 And the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak ^ plainly. 
 
 tribute; i e., personal service (Dewt. xx. 11 ; Josh, 
 ix. 21) [Maurer). But the Hebrew [on!^] is from 
 masas, to melt away, and so may mean as the 
 English version, shall melt away. 1:he historical 
 Jact is against- the translation 'tributary' here 
 (though it is a use of the Hebrew elsewhere). 
 For the Assyrians did not become tributary to 
 the Jews, though, in the antitypical reference 
 to the subjection of all nations to the King of 
 the Christian Church, and of Israel, it holds good 
 (Ps. Ixxii. 8-11). The primary refei-ence is doubt- 
 less to the Assyrian king, as iu oh. x. 18, where 
 the very same Hebrew word is used, which con- 
 hrms the English version here : " They (the 
 Assyrians) shall be as when a standard-bearer 
 fainteth^^ — lit., melteth [Ki-mesos). Ho Byron — 
 
 'And the might of the Grentile, unsmote by the sworil, 
 Ilath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord.' 
 
 The Vulgate translates, 'tributary;' buttheLXX., 
 ' shall be defeated ; ' Chaldaic, ' destroyed ; ' so 
 the Aralnc. 9. lie shall pass over to his strong 
 hold for fear— rather, 'he shall pass beyond his 
 strongholds ; ' he shall not stop to take refuge in 
 it through fear (Jer. xlviii. 28) {Gesenius). Lit, 
 'and through fear he shall pass his rock^ — viz., 
 his border strom/holds in his own land^ on the 
 line of march from Judea to Xineveh (Judg. xx. 
 47). The English version makes Nineveh "his 
 strong,' hold." Marg., as the LXX., Vulgate, 
 Chaldaic, and Syriac make, "his rock' — i. e., his 
 army, which was his rock-like dependence—' shall 
 pass away through fear;' or, as the Chaldaic, by a 
 fearful miracle, and his princes shall he afraid 
 of the ensign— the banner of Jehovah protecting 
 the Jews, saith the Lord, whose fire (is) in Zion, 
 and his furnace in Jerusalem— ^ir//ti! and /ire ; 
 viz., of Jehovah's altar at Jerusalem (ch. xxix. 1). 
 Perhaps "furnace," as distinguished from "fire," 
 may mean that His dwelling place (His hearth) 
 was at Jerusalem (cf. ch. iv. 5); He shall be as a 
 fiery furnace awaiting all the enemies who shall 
 attack Jerusalem, 
 
 Jiemarks. — The strength of "horsemen" in 
 battle is but a poor substitute for the strength 
 and "help" of Jehovah. Yet men will look to 
 earthly helps, whilst they will ' not look unto the 
 Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord.' They 
 forget, with all their worldly wisdom, that not to 
 have the Lord for them is to have Him against 
 them. He has ' wisdom ' which will convict all 
 "evil-doers" of the most utter folly. Once that 
 He hath spoken against them. He "will not call 
 back his words;" "when the Lord shall stretch 
 out His hand " to punish, what can sinners, who 
 are but "fleshj" do against Him who is the 
 Almighty " tSriint." 
 
 CHAP. XXXIL 1-20. Messiah's Kingdom; 
 Desolations to be Succeeded by Lasting 
 
 p.. C. 713. 
 
 6 Jjis rock 
 shall pass 
 away for 
 fear. 
 
 7 Or, his 
 strength. 
 
 i Lev. 6. 1"?. 
 
 CHAP. C2. 
 
 " Jer. '^3. 5. 
 
 1 heavy, 
 ch. 29. 1?, 
 hasty. 
 
 3 Or, ele- 
 gantly. 
 
 Peace, the Spirit having been Pouked out. 
 The times of purity aud happiness which shall 
 follow the defeat of the enemies of Jehovah's 
 people [v. 1-8). He^re the prophet passes from the 
 type, Sennacherib's defeat and the establishment 
 of Hezekiah's kingdom, to the establishment of 
 Messiah's kingdom, on the overthrow of Anti- 
 christ. The period of w'rath before that happy 
 state {vv. 9-14). The assurance of the final pros- 
 perity of the (Jli^urch is repeated {vv. 15-20). 
 
 1. Behold, a king— not Hezekiah, who was 
 already on- the throne, whereas a future time is 
 cantera]ilated. If he be meant at all, it can only 
 be as a type of Messiah the King, to whom alone 
 the language is fully applicable (Hos. iii. 5 ; Zech. 
 ix. 9 : see ch. xi. 3-5, notes). The kingdom shall 
 be transferred from the world-kings, who have 
 exercised their power against God, instead of for 
 God, to the rightful King of kings (Ezek. xxi. 27; 
 Dan. vii. 13, 14). and princes shall rule in judg- 
 ment—subordinate to the King : referring to all 
 in authority under Christ in the coming kingdom 
 on earth ; e. q., the apostles, &c, (Luke xxii. 30; 
 1 Cor. vi. 2 ; 2 Tim. ii. 12 ; Eev. ii. 26, 27; iii. 21.) 
 The Chaldaic Targiim paraphrases here,. ' and the 
 righteous, that they may take just vengeance on 
 the peoples, shall be exalted to dignity.' 2. a 
 man— rather, the man, Christ (Loioth) ; Hebrew, 
 i.sh, one eminent as a man. It is as "the Son of 
 man " He is to reign, as it was as Son of man He 
 suffered (Matt. xxvi. 64; John v. 27; xix. 5, 
 " Behold the man "). Not as Maurer explains, 
 'every one of the Y)rinces shall be,' &c. as rivers 
 of water in a dry place— as refreshing as u-ater 
 and the cool shade are to the heated traveller 
 (ch. xxxv. 6, 7 ; xli. 18). 3. the eyes of them 
 that see— the seers or prophets, and the ears 
 of them that hear— the people under instruc- 
 tion (ch. xxxv. 5, 6). 4. The heart also of 
 the rash— ^Ae hasty: contrast "shall not make 
 haste" (ch. xxviii. 16); the reckless who will not 
 take time to weigh religious truth aright. Or 
 else, the well-instructed {Ilorsley). the tongue of 
 the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly 
 —those who speak confusedly on divine things 
 shall receive a facility in speaking clearly concern- 
 ing them (cf. Exod. iv. 10-12; Jer. i. 6; Matt. x. 
 19, 20; Luke xxi. 14, 15), Or, those drunken 
 scorners who in stammering style imitated Isaiah's 
 warnings, to mock them {Maurer). (Chs. xxAnii. 
 7-11, 13, 14,22; xxix. 20.) But the "scorners "' in ch. 
 xxviii. 17-22 were to be destroyed, not converted. 
 Therefore "the stammerers" are rather the ser- 
 vants of God who now speak but stammeringly of 
 divine things, as compared with the spiritual 
 utterance which the saints shall hereafter have 
 in Messiah's manifested kingdom. For "speak 
 plainly," translate, 'speak uprightly' (agreeably 
 to the divine law); not as the English version, 
 
I 
 
 Desolation is 
 
 ISAIAH XXXII. 
 
 foreshown. 
 
 5 The vile person shall be no more called liberal, b. c. 713. 
 Nor the churl said to be bountiful. 
 
 6 For the vile person will speak villany, — and his heart will work iniquity, 
 To practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the liORD, 
 To make empty the soul of the hungry ; 
 And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. 
 
 7 The instruments also of the churl are evil: — he deviseth wicked devices 
 To destroy the poor with lying words, — even* when the needy speaketh right. 
 
 8 But the liberal deviseth liberal things; 
 And by liberal things shall he ^ stand. 
 
 9 Rise up, ye women that are at ease ; 
 Hear my voice, ye careless daughters; — give ear unto my speech. 
 
 10 ^ Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women : 
 For the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come. 
 
 1 1 Tremble, ye women that are at ease ; be troubled, ye careless ones ; 
 Strip you, and make you bare, — and gird sackcloth w^on your loins. 
 
 12 They shall lament for the teats, — for ^the pleasant fields. 
 For the fruitful vine. 
 
 13 Upon ^the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; 
 ^ Yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city : 
 
 14 Because the palaces shall be forsaken; 
 
 * Or, when 
 he speak- 
 eth against 
 the poor in 
 judgment. 
 
 5 Or, be 
 establish- 
 ed. 
 
 ch, 3. 16. 
 ch. 47. 7. 
 Jer. 6. 2, 6. 
 Jer. 48. 11, 
 12. 
 
 ArT'0<! 6. 1. 
 
 6 Days above 
 a year. 
 
 7 the fields 
 of desire. 
 Deut. 8. 7. 
 Eze. 20. 6. 
 
 <J Ps. 107. 34. 
 ch. 7. 23, 
 ch. 34. 13. 
 Hos. 9. 6. 
 
 8 Or, burn- 
 ii g upon. 
 
 referring to the distinctness of articulation, plainly. 
 The Hebrew, tmchoth, is literally, white: so candid 
 things, candidly, sincerely, uprlqhtly. 5. The vile— 
 rather, jool {Lowth); i. e., ungodly (Ps. xiv. 1 ; Ixxiv. 
 18 : Hebrew, nabal, 1 Sam. xxv. 25). shall be no 
 more called liberal (Hebrew, nadib)— princely, 
 noble-minded, nor the dhvirl— fraudulent {Geseniua) 
 ['V'?, from naJcal, to act jraudulently]. So Vulgate. 
 The English version deduces the Hebrew from kul, 
 or else heekil, to take, to hold, to measure; or else 
 [^4'7^], to shut up or withhold. Aben Ezra fanci- 
 fully, from the churl saying Kal li, 'all things 
 belong to me,' not to another, 'bountiful— reli- 
 giously. The atheistic churl, who envies the 
 believer his hope ' full of immortality,' shall no 
 longer be held as a patriot struggling for the 
 emancipation of mankind from superstition {Hors- 
 ley). 6. For the vile person will speak villany. 
 Christ at His coming will manifest vile men in 
 their real character, having stripped off them the 
 mask which now they wear, and will deal with 
 them accordingly. Grotius takes it present : ' For 
 the (irreligious) fool speaketh ^olly (so vile . . . 
 villany, mean as in v. 5), and his heart worketh 
 iniquity,' &c. Thus the reason is assigned why 
 such persons will be excluded from offices of 
 dignity in the coming kingdom. I prefer the 
 English version as explained above. Cf. Rev. xxii. 
 11. to practise hypocrisy — rather, projiiyacy 
 {Horsley). and to utter error— impiety, perverse 
 arguments, to make empty the soul of the 
 hungry— spiritually (Matt. v. 6). 7. the churl— 
 the fraudulent (cf. v. 5, note). This verse refers to 
 the last clause of v. 5, as v. 6 referred to its first 
 clause, even when the needy speaketh right — 
 pleadeth a just cause (ch. xxix. 21). Spiritually, 
 "the poor man's cause" is the divine doctrine, his 
 rule of faith and practice. 8. But the liberal 
 — rather, the princely, noble-minded, by liberal 
 things shall he stand — shall he be approved under 
 the government of the righteous " King." 
 
 9-20. — 9. Rise up, ye women that are at ease. 
 Address to the women of Jerusalem, who troubled 
 themselves little about the political signs of the 
 times, but lived a life of self-indulgence (ch. iii, 
 l(>-23). The failure of food through the devastations 
 662 
 
 of the enemy is here foretold, being what was most 
 likely to affect them as mothers of families, hereto- 
 fore accustomed to every luxury. Vitringa under- 
 stands " women . . . daughters" as the cities and 
 villages of Judea, (Ezek. xvi.) See Amos vi. 1. 
 10. Many days and years shall ye be troubled 
 —viz., during the 70 years' captivity in Babylon 
 {Piscator): as the limiting of the time in vv. 14 and 
 15 shows. The long duration of the calamity is 
 implied. Eather, in little more than a year {Maurer). 
 Lit., days upon a year (so ch. xxix. 1). the vintage 
 shall fail— through the arrival of the Assyrian 
 invader, the gathering shall not come. As the 
 wheat harvest is omitted, Isaiah must look for the 
 invasion in the summer or autumn of 714 B.C., 
 when the wheat would have been secured already, 
 and the later fruit "gathering" and vintage woujd 
 be still in danger. 11. strip you— of your gay 
 clothing (note, ch. xx. 2). 12. They shall lament 
 for the teats, for the pleasant fields—' They shall 
 smite on their breasts in lamentation for the pleasant 
 fields ' (Nah. ii. 7) {Maurer). So the LXX. and 
 Arabic. "Teats "in the English version is used 
 for *'ertile lands, which, like breasts, nourish life. 
 [So the Greek, ovQap apovpn^, uber glebce.] I pre- 
 fer the English version, as the Hebrew of " for" is 
 the same [^5] as in the clause "for the pleasant 
 fields ;" whereas Maurer s version requires it to be 
 taken in a different sense in the first clause, 
 ' upon their breasts.' There is a play on like sounds 
 "between shadaim sedeey ("teats . . . fields"), which 
 also implies their mutually corresponding in 
 parallelism. The transition from " ye " to "they " 
 {vv. 11, 12) is frequent. 13. Upon the land of my 
 people shall come up thorns and briers— (chs. v. 
 6 ; vii. 23.) yea, upon all the houses of joy (in) 
 the joyous city — pleasure houses outside of Jeru- 
 salem ; not Jerusalem itself, but other cities 
 destroyed by Sennacherib in his march (ch. vii. 
 20-25). However, the prophecy in its full accom- 
 plishment refers to the w^^er desolation of Judea 
 and its capital by Eome, and subsequently, previ- 
 ous to the second coming of the King (Ps. cxviii. 
 26; Luke xiii. 35; xix. 38): "the joyous city" is 
 in this view Jerusalem (ch. xxii. 2). 14. Because 
 the palaces— most applicable to Jerusalem (note, 
 
is promised. 
 
 Restoration ISAIAH XXXII . 
 
 The multitude of the city shall be left ; 
 The ^ forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, 
 A joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks; 
 
 15 Until ^the Spirit be poured upon us from on high. 
 And the wilderness be a fruitful field. 
 
 And the fruitful field be counted for a forest, 
 
 16 Then -^judgment shall dwell in the wilderness. 
 And righteousness remain in the fruitful field. 
 
 17 And ^the work of righteousness shall be peace; 
 
 And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever, 
 
 18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation. 
 And in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, 
 
 19 When it shall hail, coming down ^on the forest ;= 
 ^^i\.nd the city shall be low in a low place. 
 
 20 Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters. 
 
 That send forth thither the feet of the ^ox and the ass. 
 
 r. 13). the multitude of tlie city shall be left— 
 
 tlie noisy din oj the city; i. e., the city with its noisy 
 multitude shall lie forsaken [Maurer). ' The 
 multitude^shall be left without a head, aud shall 
 not have king or princes ' (' Poll Synopsis') Its 
 present state (Hos. iii. 4, 5). the forts \y^V]— 
 rather, Ophel (i. e., The mound), the term applied 
 specially to the declivity on the east of Zion, 
 surrounded with its own wall (2 Chr. xxvii. 3 ; 
 xxxiii. 14 2 Ki. v. 24), and furnished with 
 "lowers" (or watch- towers') ; perhaps referred to 
 here in the next words, and towers— (Neh, iii. 
 26, 27.) shall he for dens for ever— limited by 
 the "Until," &c., next verse ; i. e., loithout end in 
 the present order of things, until the new order of 
 things begins with the outpouring of the Spirit : 
 for a long time. 
 
 15. Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on 
 high. This can only partially apply to the spiritual 
 revival in Hezekiah's time ; its full accomplish- 
 ment belongs to the Christian dispensation, first 
 at Pentecost (Joel ii. 28 Acts ii. 17), perfectly in 
 coming times (Ps. civ. 30 ; Ezek. xxxvi. 26 ; xxxix. 
 29 ; Zech. xii. 10), when the Spirit shall be poured 
 on Israel, and through it on the Gentiles (Mic. v. 
 7). and the wilderness be a fruitful field, fee- 
 when Judea, so long waste, shall be populous and 
 fruitful, and the land of the enemies of God shall 
 be desolate. Or, ' the field now fruitful shall be 
 but as a barren forest in comparison with what it 
 shall be then.' The barren shall become fruitful 
 by regeneration : those already regenerate shall 
 bring forth fruits in such abundance that their 
 former life shall seem but as a wilderness where 
 no fruits were ('Queen Elizabeth's Bible'). I pre- 
 fer the former view : cf. v. 6, note. Hypocrites, 
 who now are counted as a "fruitful field," shall 
 then "be counted for a forest" — i.e., shall be 
 manifested in their true unfruitfuluess. Cf. Ezek. 
 xlvii. II : also ch. xxix. 17, note above. 16. judg- 
 ment—justice, shall dwell in the wilderness- 
 then reclaimed, and righteousness remain in the 
 fruitful field- then become still more fruitful : 
 thus "wilderness" and "fruitful field" include 
 the whole land of Judea. 17. And the work— the 
 efiect (Prov. xiv. .34 ; Jas. iii. 18). of righteousness 
 shall be peace— internal and external. 18. And 
 my people shall dwell in . . . sure dwellings, and 
 In quiet resting places— free from fear of invasion. 
 19. When it shall hail, coming down on the forest ; 
 and the city shall be low in a low place. So the 
 LXX., Vulgate, Arabic, and Syriac refer " coming 
 down " to the hail, not to the forest. But the Vul- 
 gate refers it to the forest. So Maurer. Lit., 'But 
 
 P.. C. 713. 
 
 Or. clifts 
 and watch- 
 towers. 
 " Ps. 104. 30. 
 Pro. 1. 23. 
 Eze. 39. 29. 
 Joel 2, 28, 
 29. 
 
 / Zech. 8. 3. 
 ^ Ps. 72. 2, 3. 
 
 Eph. 2. 15. 
 
 Jas. 3. 18. 
 
 Zech. 11. 2. 
 10 Or, and 
 
 the city 
 
 shall be 
 
 utterly 
 
 abased. 
 i ch. 20. 24. 
 
 I it shall hail with coming down of the forest, and in 
 lowness shall the city (Nineveh) be brought low— 
 i. e., humbled.' The "hail" is Jehovah's wrath- 
 ful visitation (chs. xxx. 30 ; xxviii. 2, 17). The 
 " forest" is the Assyrian host, dense as the trees 
 of a forest (ch. x. 18, 19, 33,- 34; Zech. xi. 2). 
 In the antitypical sense, " t7ie foi^est " is the 
 antichristian host; and ^"the city" is the God- 
 opposed world-city. So the " hail " in the Egyptian 
 plague (Exod. ix. 23-26) smote all in the field, both 
 man and beast, and brake every tree : " only in the 
 land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, 
 was there no hail." When the enemy shall be 
 smitten with overwhelming troubles, the people of 
 God shall dwell in quiet {v. 18). 20. Blessed (are) 
 ye that sow beside all waters. Whilst the enemy 
 shall be brought " low," the Jews shall cultivate 
 their land in undisturbed prosperity, all waters 
 — all well- watered places (ch. xxx. 25). The Hebrew 
 translated " beside," ought rather to be translated 
 "upon" (Eccl, xi. 1), where the meaning is, 'Cast 
 thy seed upon the waters when the river overflows 
 its banks ; the seed will sink into the mud, and will 
 spring up when the waters subside, and you will 
 find it after many days in a rich harvest.' Before 
 sowing, they send oxen, &c., into the water to 
 tread the ground for sowing. Castalio thinks 
 there is an allusion to the Mosaic precept, not to 
 plow with an ox and ass together, mystically im- 
 plying that the Jew was to have no intercourse 
 with Gentiles ; the Gospel abolishes this distinc- 
 tion (Col. iii. 11) : thus the sense here is. Blessed 
 are ye that sow the Gospel seed- without distinc- 
 tion of race in the teachers or the t-aught. But 
 there is" no need of supposing that the ox and ass 
 here are yoked together; they are probably " sent 
 forth" separately, as in ch. xxx. 24. 
 
 Remarks. — What "rivers of water" are to the 
 thirsty, arid " the shadow 6i a great rock" to the 
 heated traveller, that Christ is to the soul which 
 flees to Him, faint, weary, and thirsting for salva- 
 tion. He gives sjaritual sight to the blind, hearing 
 to the deaf, understanding to the thoughtless, and 
 ready speech to the stammerers " (vv. 3, 4). When 
 "the heart" is put right, then all tbe other mem- 
 bers fulfil their spiritual functions aright. Things 
 and persons are often now called by wrong names. 
 The worldly "vile" man passes as 'princely,' "the 
 churl " as "bountiful." But then the King, whose 
 prerogative it is to manifest inward character, 
 shall expose the worthless and the hypocrite in 
 their true colours (v. 6). On the other hand, those 
 truly princely shall then be manifested in spiritual 
 noble-mindedness; and as such shall stand ac- 
 
The enemies of 
 
 ISAIAH XXXIII. 
 
 Zion threatened. 
 
 33 WOE to thee "that spoilest, and thou iva^t not spoiled ; 
 
 And dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee ! 
 * When thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled ; 
 And when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, 
 Tliey shall deal treacherously with thee. 
 
 2 0 Lord, be gracious unto us ; we have waited for thee : 
 
 Be thou their arm every morning, — our salvation also in the time of trouble. 
 
 3 At the noise of the tumult the people fled ; 
 
 At the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered. 
 
 4 And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar : 
 As the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them. 
 
 5 The ^ Lord is exalted ; — for he dwelletli on high : 
 He hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. 
 
 6 And '^wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, 
 And strength of ^ salvation : — the fear of the Lord is his treasure. 
 
 7 Behold, their ^ valiant ones shall cry without; 
 ^ The ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly. 
 
 8 The -^highways lie waste, — the wayfaring man ceaseth: 
 
 ^ He hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, 
 He regardeth no man. 
 
 9 The earth mourneth and languisheth ; 
 
 Lebanon is ashamed and ^ hewn down ; — Sharon is like a wilderness ; 
 And Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits. 
 
 B. C. 713. 
 
 CHAP. 33. 
 2 Ki. 18. 13. 
 17. 
 
 2 Chr 28,10, 
 21. 
 Hab. 2. 5, 
 
 6 Judg. 1. 7. 
 Jer, 25. 12, 
 11. 
 
 Obad.lO.n. 
 
 Zech. 14. 1. 
 
 Matt. 7. 2. 
 
 Eev. 13. 10. 
 
 Rev. 16. 6. 
 
 Rev. 17. 12. 
 " Ps. 97. 9. 
 d Ex. 7. 12. 
 
 Pro. 1. 7. 
 
 Matt. 6. 33. 
 
 1 Tim. -1. 8. 
 
 1 salvations. 
 
 2 Or, mes- 
 sengers. 
 
 « 2 Ki. 18. 18. 
 / Judg. 6. 6. 
 f 2 Ki. 18. 14. 
 
 3 Or, wither- 
 ed away. 
 
 cepted before the Great King, through faith work- 
 ing by love. 
 
 CHAP. XXXIII. 1-24.— The Last of Isaiah's 
 Prophecies as to Sennacherib's Overthrow 
 (v. 19). Vv. 1, 8, 9 describe the Assyrian spoiler : 
 strong as he is, he shall fall before Jehovah, who 
 is stronger {vv. 2-6, 10-12). The time is the autumn 
 of 713 B.C. 
 
 1. Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou (wast) 
 not spoiled — i. e.. Though thou wast not si)oile(l — 
 though thou wast not dealt treacherously with 
 (note, eh. xxiv. 16) ; thy spoiling and treachery are 
 therefore without excuse, being unprovoked, when 
 thou Shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled— 
 when God has let thee do thy worst, in execution 
 of His plans, thine own turn shall come (cf. chs. 
 X. 12 ; xiv. 2 ; Hab. ii. 8 ; Eev. xiii. 10). 
 
 2. 0 Lord, be gracious unto us, ccc. He speaks 
 interceding for His people, separating Himself in 
 thought for a moment from them, and immediately 
 returns to his natural identification with them in 
 the word our. every morning— each day as it 
 dawns : " The Lord's mercies are new every morn- 
 ing" (Lam. iii. 23), especially during our danger, as 
 the parallel, "time of trouble," shows, 3. At the 
 noise of the tumult the people fled. The approach 
 of Jehovah is likened to an advancing thunder- 
 storm (chs. xxix. 6; xxx. 2/), which is His voice 
 (Rev. i. 15), causing the people to flee, the nations 
 —the Assyrian levies. 4. And your spoil shall be 
 gathered. The invaders' "spoil" shall be left 
 behind by them in their flight, and the Jews shall 
 gather it. (like) the gathering of the caterpillar 
 — rather, the wingless locust: chasil, ivom chased, 
 to consume. The locust in its larva state. The 
 destructive kinds of locusts that visited Bible 
 lands are probably but two or three species, the 
 most destructive being the Acridium pereurinum 
 and the (Edipoda mhjratoria. Some of the nine 
 or ten difl"ereut Hebrew names for locusts must 
 therefore stand for diflerent stages in the life 
 of the locust. Yelek also is translated in the 
 English version " caterYjillar." 'As it gathers' 
 —the Hebrew word for "gathering" [^^Pt*] is 
 
 roperly used of the gathering of the fruits of 
 arvest (ch. xxxii. 10). as the running to 
 and fro of locusts — viz., in gathering harvest- 
 fruits, shall he run. "He " is Jehovah, who has 
 ' lifted up himself ' {v. 3 : cf. v. 5, beginning). 
 A continuous, uninterrupted, and irresistible 
 assault is implied, such as is that of locusts. 
 Calvin, Maurer, &c., translate, ^ they (the Jews) 
 shall run upon.' The English version better ac- 
 cords with the Hebrew singular {shoqueequ bo), 
 and with the context (vv. 3, 5). upon them— 'it ; ' 
 i.e., upon the prej'-. 6. wisdom — sacred; Le., 
 piety, shall be the stability of thy times— 
 HezekiaNs, or rather Zion's {v. 5). the fear of 
 the Lord (is) his treasure. " His " refers to the 
 same. Such changes from the pronoun possessive 
 of the second person to that of the third are com- 
 mon in Hebrew poetry, treasure — not so much 
 material wealth as piety shall constitute the 
 riches of the nation (Prov. x. 22 ; xv. 16). 
 
 7-9.-7. Behold, their valiant ones shall cry with- 
 out ; the ambassadors of peace. From the vision 
 of future glory Isaiah returns to the disastrous 
 present : the grief of the " valiant ones " (parallel 
 to, and identical with, " the ambassadors of 
 peace "), men of rank : Eliakim, who was over 
 the household, Shebna the scribe, and Zoah the 
 recorder, sent with presents to sue for peace ; but 
 standing " without the enemy's camp, their suit 
 being rejected (2 Ki. xviii. 14, 18, 37). The " high- 
 ways" deserted through fear, "the cities" in- 
 sulted, the lands devastated, cry — (ch. xv. 4) 
 
 8. he hath broken the covenant. When Senna- 
 cherib invaded Judea, Hezekiah paid him a large 
 sum to leave the land ; Sennacherib received the 
 money, and yet sent his army against Jerusalem 
 (2 Ki. xviii. 14, 17). he hath despised the cities- 
 he makes light of them, as unable to resist him 
 (chs. x. 9 ; xxxvi. 19). He easily captures them. 
 
 9. The earth mourneth- (ch. xxiv. 4.) Lebanon 
 —personified, is ashamed (and) hewn down. 
 The allusion may be to the Assyrian cutting down 
 its choice trees (chs. xiv. 8 ; xxxvii. 24). Sharon - 
 south of Carmel, along the Mediterranean, pro- 
 
The consternation 
 
 ISAIAH XXXIIL 
 
 oj sinners. 
 
 10 Now ^will I rise, saitli the Lord ; 
 
 Now will I be exalted ; — now will I lift up myself. 
 
 11 Ye shall conceive chaff ; ye shall bring forth stubble; 
 Your breath, as fire, shall devour you. 
 
 12 And the people shall be as the burnings of lime; 
 As thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire. 
 
 13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done ; 
 And, ye that are near, acknowledge my might. 
 
 14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; — fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites 
 Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire ? 
 
 Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings ? 
 
 15 He that walketh ^righteously, — and speaketh ^uprightly; 
 He that despiseth the gain of ^ oppressions, 
 
 That shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, 
 That stoppeth his ears from hearing of ^ blood, 
 And shutteth his eyes from seeing evil ; 
 
 16 He shall dwell on ^ high ; 
 
 His place of defence shall he the munitions of rocks ; 
 Bread shall be given him, — his waters shall he sure. 
 
 1 7 Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty ; 
 They shall behold ^ the land that is very far off. 
 
 18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. 
 
 B. C. 713. 
 
 Deut. 32,;;(j- 
 43. 
 
 I's. 12. 5. 
 Ps. 102. 13, 
 18. 
 
 ch. 10. IC, 
 
 33. 
 ch. 42. 13, 
 
 1+. 
 Ch. 59. 16. 
 
 17. 
 
 Zepb. 3. 8. 
 ^ in righ- 
 teous- 
 
 s upright- 
 nesses. 
 6 Or, deceit*. 
 " bloods. 
 
 8 heights, or, 
 high 
 places. 
 
 9 the land of 
 far dis- 
 tances. 
 
 Ps. 81. 8. 
 2 Cor. 4. 18. 
 Heb. 11. 13. 
 
 verbial for fertility (ch. xxxv. 2). Bashan— after- 
 wards called Batauea (ch. ii. 13). shake off (their 
 fruits)— or, understand their leaves; they lie as 
 desolate as in winter. 
 
 10. Now will I rise, saith the Lord. The 
 sight of His people's misery arouses Jehovah. He 
 has let the enemy go far enough. I — emphatic. 
 God Himself will do what man could not. 11. 
 Ye— the enemy, shall conceive chaff— (ch. xxvi. 
 18; lix. 4). your breath — 7jour own spirit of 
 anger and ambition, which impelled you against 
 Jerusalem, shall be the cause of your being de- 
 voured by the fire of God's anger (2 Ki. xviii. 19, 
 33-35 ; xix. 22-28). The fire which you kindled 
 and fanned with your breath, to devour others, 
 shall devour yourself, (as) fire, shall devour you 
 — (ch. XXX. 28.) 12. the people shall be (as) the 
 burnings of lime ; (as) thorns . . . burned in the 
 fire— (ch. ix. 18; Amosii. 1.) Perhaps alluding to 
 their being about to be burnt on the funeral pyre 
 (ch. XXX. 33). thorns— the wicked (2 Sam. xxiii. 
 6,7). 
 
 13. Hear, ye (that are) far off— distant nations, 
 and ye (that are) near— the Jews and adjoining 
 ])eoples (ch. xlix. 1). 14. The sinners in Zion are 
 afraid — false professors of religion among the 
 elect people (Matt. xxii. 12). the hypocrites 
 [chaneephim]— the profane, the abandoned {Horslei/). 
 So the LXX., 'the impious ;' and Chaldaic, Ara- 
 bic, and Syriac. But the Vulgate as the English 
 version. There may be primarily an allusion to a 
 party in Jerusalem itself disposed to treachery 
 towards King Hezekiah and submission to the 
 Assyrian foe. Shebna may have been their leader, 
 (ch. xxii.) who among us shall dwell with the 
 devouring fire? If Jehovah's wrath could thus 
 consume such a host in one night, who could 
 abide it if continued for ever? (Mark ix. 46- 
 4S.) Fire is a common image for the Divine 
 judgments (chs. xxix. 6 ; xxx. 30). among us. If 
 such awful judgments have fallen on those who 
 knew not the true God, how infinitely worse shall 
 fall on U8 who, amidst religious privileges and 
 profesaion, sin against God ! (Lukexii. 47, 48 ; Jas. 
 IV. 17.) 
 
 16. He that waHseth righteously. In contrast 
 
 to the trembling "sinners in Zion" (v. 14), the 
 righteous shall be secure amidst all judgments. 
 They are described according to the Old Testa- 
 ment stand-point of righteousness (Ps. xv. 2; xxiv. 
 4). that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, 
 and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil— "Rejoic- 
 eth not in iniquity " (1 Cor. xiii. 6 : contrast ch. 
 xxix. 20 ; Ps. x. 3 ; Rom. i. 32). The senses, espe- 
 cially the eyes, are avenues for the entrance of sin 
 (Ps. cxix. 37). 16. He shall dwell on high- 
 heights inaccessible to the foe (ch. xxvi. 1). bread 
 shall be given him, his waters shall be sure- 
 image from the expected siege by Sennacherib. 
 However besieged by trials without, the godly 
 shall have literal and spiritual food, as God sees 
 good for them (ch. xli, 17 ; Ps. xxxvii. 19, 25 ; 
 xxxiv, 10; cxxxii. 15). So Jeremiah in the siege 
 of Jerusalem was provided with "a piece of bread 
 daily," though in prison (Jer. xxxvii. 21). 17. 
 Thine eyes— the saints' eyes, shall see the king 
 in his beauty — not as now, Hezekiah in sackcloth, 
 oppressed by the enemy, but King Messiah (ch. 
 xxxii. 1) "in His beauty" (Song v. 10, 16; Rev. iv. 
 3). the land that is very far off— rather, the land 
 in its remotest extent (no longer pent up as Heze- 
 kiah was by the siege). See marg., 'the land of 
 far distances :' eretz rnarquaquim. For Jerusalem 
 is made the scene of the king's glory {v. 20, &c.), 
 and it could not be said to be "very far off," unless 
 the far-off' land be heaven, the Jerusalem above, 
 which is to follow the eartldy reign of Messiah at 
 literal Jerusalem, (ch. Ixv. 17-19 ; Jer. iii. 17 ; Rev. 
 xxi. 1, 2, 10: cf. Rev. xx.) 18. Thine heart shall 
 meditate terror — shall meditate on the "terror" 
 caused by the enemy, but now past. "Where (is) 
 the scribe ? — the language of the Jews exulting 
 over their escape from clanger, scribe — who en- 
 rolled the army {Maurer); or who j^rescriLed the 
 tribute to be paid [RosenmiiUer) ; or who Icejit an 
 account of the spoil. "The principal scribe of the 
 host" (2 Ki. XXV. 19; Jer. lii. 25). The Assyrian 
 records are free from the exaggerations of the 
 Egyptian records. Two scribes are seen in every 
 Assyrian bas-relief, writing down the various ob- 
 jects brought to them— the heads of the slain, 
 prisoners, cattle, sheep, &c. the receiver— wiar^/.. 
 
II 
 
 The privileges 
 
 ISAIAH XXXIII. 
 
 of the godly. 
 
 Where ^is the scribe ? where is the receiver ? 
 Where is he that counted the towers ? 
 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, 
 ^ A people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive ; 
 Of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand. 
 
 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities : 
 Thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, 
 A tabernacle that shall not be taken down ; 
 Not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, 
 Neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken : 
 But ^ there the glorious Lord will be unto us 
 A place of broad rivers and streams; 
 Wherein shall go no galley with oars, 
 Neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. 
 For the Loud' is our judge, — the Lord is our lawgiver, 
 ^The Lord is our king ; — he will save us. 
 
 23 Thy tacklings are loosed ; 
 
 They could not well strengthen their mast ; — they could not spread the sail : 
 Then is the prey of a great spoil divided ; — the lame take the prey. 
 
 24 And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick : 
 
 The ™ people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity. 
 
 19 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 B. C. 713. 
 
 ' 1 Cor. 1. 20. 
 10 weigher. 
 i Jer. 6. 15. 
 •I Or, 
 ridiculous. 
 
 Ps. 40. 4. 
 Zech. 2. 5. 
 
 12 broad of 
 spacer or. 
 hands. 
 
 13 statute- 
 ma ktr. 
 Jas. 4. 12. 
 
 I Ps. 44. 4. 
 Ps. 74. 12. 
 I s. 89. IS 
 Jer. 9. 9. 
 Matt. 21. 5. 
 
 i*Or. They 
 have for- 
 saken tliy 
 tackling?. 
 Jer. 50. 20. 
 Matt. 25.34. 
 Kom. 11.27. 
 Ktv. 19. 16. 
 
 weigher. Layard mentions, among tlie Assyrian 
 inscriptions, 'a pair of scales for weighing the 
 spoils.' tie that counted the towers— he whose 
 duty it was to reconnoitre and report the strength 
 of the city to be besieged. 19. Thou shalt not see 
 a fierce people — The Assyrians shall not be allowed 
 to enter Jerusalem (2 Ki. xix. 32). Or, Thou shalt 
 not any longer see fierce enemies threatening thee 
 as previously : such as the Assyrians, Romans, 
 and the last antichristian host that is y&t to assail 
 Jerusalem (Deut. xxviii. 49, 50; Jer. v. 15; Zech. 
 xiv. 2). a people of a deeper speech than thou 
 canst perceive — i. e., of unintelligible language, 
 of a stammering tongue— foreign , barbarous. The 
 Assyrian tongue difiered only in dialect from the 
 Heljrew; but in the Assyrian levies were many of 
 non-Semitic race and language, as the Medes, 
 Elamites, &c. (note, ch. xxviii. 11.) 
 
 20. Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities 
 — of our solemn assemblies at the great feasts 
 (note, ch. xxx. 29 ; Ps. xlii. 4 ; xlviii. 12). a 
 tabernacle (that) shall not he taken down ; not 
 one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed 
 — image from captives " removed " from their land 
 (ch. xxxvi. 17). There shall be no more ' taking 
 away' to an enemy's land. Or else, from nomad 
 livers in shifting tents. The saints who sojourned 
 once in tabernacles as pilgrims shall have a 
 "building of God . . . eternal in the heavens " (2 
 Cor. V. 1 ; Heb. xi. 9, 10 : cf. ch. liv. 2). stakes- 
 driven into the ground: to these the "cords" 
 were fastened. Christ's Church shall never fall 
 (Matt. xvi. 18). So individual believers (Rev. iii. 
 12). 21. But there — viz., in Jerusalem, the 
 glorious Lord (will be) unto us a place of broad 
 rivers— Jehovah will be as a broad river sur- 
 rounding our city (cf. ch. xix. 6 ; Nah. iii. 8), and 
 this, too, a river of such a kind as no ship of war 
 can pass (cf. ch. xxvi. 1). Jerusalem had not the 
 advantage of a river : Jehovah will be as one to 
 it, affording all the advantages, without any of the 
 disadvantages of one. Wherein shall go no galley 
 with oars — war- vessels of a long shape, and pro- 
 pelled by oars ; merchant-vessels were broader, 
 and carried sail, neither shall gallant ship pass 
 thereby — the same Hebrew word, addir, as for 
 "glorious" previously: mighty will suit both 
 
 places : a ship of war is meant. No ' mighty 
 vessel ' will dare to pass where the ' mighty Lord ' 
 stands as our defence. 22. the Lord . . , the Lord 
 . . . the Lord — thrice repeated, as often ; hinting 
 at the Trinity (Num. vi. 24-26). judge . . . law- 
 giver . . . king— perfect ideal of the theocracy, 
 to be realized under Messiah alone : the judicial, 
 legislative, and administrative functions as king, 
 to be exercised by Him in person (chs. xi. 4 ; xxxii. 
 1 ; Jas. iv. 12). 
 
 23. Thy tacklings are loosed. Continuing the 
 allegory in v. 21, he compares the enemies' host to 
 a war-galley, which is deprived of the tacklings or 
 cords by which the mast is sustained and the 
 sail is spread; and which therefore is sure to be 
 wrecked on "the broad river" {v. 21), and become 
 the prey of Israel, they— the tacklings. could not 
 well strengthen their mast— or, 'they hold not 
 firm the base o/the mast.' The Hebrew for "well" 
 {Keen) or 'rightly' is thus taken as a noun, 'the 
 l3asis' or receptacle of the mast below, then — 
 when the Assyrian host shall have been discom- 
 fited, is the prey of a great spoil divided. Heze- 
 kiah had given Sennacherib 300 talents of silver, 
 and 30 of gold (2 Ki. xviii. 14-16), and had stripped 
 the temple of its gold to give it to him : this 
 treasure was probably part of the prey found in 
 the foe's camp. After the invasion, Hezekiah had 
 so much wealth that he made an improper display 
 of it (2 Ki. XX. 13-15) ; this wealth, probably, was 
 in part got from the Assyrian, the lame take 
 the prey— even the most feeble shall spoil the 
 Assyrian camp (cf. ch. xxxv. 6 ; 2 Sam. v. 6). 
 
 24. the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick. 
 Smith thinks the allusion is to the beginning of 
 the pestilence by which the Assyrians were de- 
 stroyed, and which, whilst sparing the righteous, 
 affected some within the city (" sinners in Zion"). 
 It may have been the sickness that visited Heze- 
 kiah, (ch. xxxviii.) the people that dwell therein 
 (shall be) forgiven (their) iniquity. In the Jeru- 
 salem to come there shall be no ' sickness,' because 
 there will be no " iniquity," it being forgiven (Ps. 
 ciii. 3). The latter clause of the verse contains 
 the cause of the former (Mark ii. 5-9). 
 
 Remarks— The violent are repaid with retribu- 
 tion in kind. The ' spoiler ' is sure at last to be 
 
The judgment 
 
 ISAIAH XXXIV. 
 
 of Idamea. 
 
 34 COME near, ye nations, to hear ; — and hearken, ye people : 
 Let the earth hear, and all ^ that is therein ; 
 The world, and all things that come forth of it. 
 
 2 For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, 
 And his fury upon all their armies : 
 
 He hath utterly destroyed them, — he hath delivered them to the slaughter. 
 
 3 Their slain also shall be cast out, 
 
 And their stink shall come up out of their carcases, 
 And the mountains shall be melted with their blood. 
 
 4 And " all the host of heaven shall be dissolved. 
 And the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll ; 
 And all their host shall fall down, 
 
 As the leaf falleth off from the vine, — and as a falling/^ from the fig tree. 
 
 5 For ^ my sword shall be bathed in heaven : 
 Behold, it *^ shall come down upon Idumea, 
 And upon the people of my curse, to judgment. 
 
 6 The sword of the Lord is filled with blood; — it is made fat with fatness, 
 A nd with the blood of lambs and goats. 
 
 With the fat of the kidneys of rams : 
 
 B. C. 713. 
 
 CHAP. 34. 
 1 the fulness 
 thereof. 
 Deut. 32. 1. 
 Ps. 24. 1. 
 Ps. 49. 1. 
 
 1 Cor. 10. 2«. 
 Pb. 102. 26. 
 Jer. 4. 23, 
 
 24. 
 
 Eze. 32. 7. 
 Joel 2. 31. 
 Joel. 3. 15. 
 Matt. 24.20. 
 Mark 13.24, 
 25. 
 
 Acts. 2. 19. 
 
 2 Pet. 3. 10. 
 Eev, 6. 13. 
 Eev. 8. VI. 
 Jer. 46. 10. 
 Jer. 49. 7. 
 Mai. 1. 4. 
 
 "spoiled" by death ; and often even before it God 
 leaves the wicked, like the Assyrian, to develop 
 fully their gratuitous wickedness, and then makes 
 it and them together to "cease" for ever from 
 tormenting His people. It is the cry of prayer 
 which brings down the "gracious" interposition 
 of Jehovah. When in our " time of trouble " "we 
 have waited for " the Lord continually He will be 
 our "arm" of "salvation," each day as it comes. 
 As 'the Lord dwelleth on high,' so will He cause 
 His children to 'dwell on high.' "The fear of 
 the Lord" is true "wisdom and knowledge." 
 Such "wisdom and knowledge" are the true 
 'stability of the times' of any dynasty, and are 
 the only solid and lasting "treasure." Material 
 wealth often corrupts a people, and prepares the 
 way for their decay ; but this treasure purifies 
 and invigorates, and lays the basis for permanent 
 endurance. 
 
 CHAP. XXXIV. 1-17.— Judgments on Idumea. 
 Chs. xxxiv. and xxxv. form one prophecy, the for- 
 mer part of which denounces God's judgments 
 against His people's enemies, of whom Edom is 
 the representative; the second part the flourishing 
 state of the Church consequent on those judg- 
 ments. This forms the termination of the ijro- 
 phecies of the first part of Isaiah, chs. xxxvi.- 
 xxxix. being historical, and is a kind of summary 
 of what went before, setting forth the one main 
 truth, Israel shall he delivered from all its foes, and 
 happier times shall succeed under Messiah. 
 
 1. Come near, ye nations, to hear, &c. — All 
 creation is summoned to hear God's judgments 
 (Ezek. vi. 3; Deut. xxxii. 1 ; Ps. 1. 4; Mic. vi. 1, 
 2), for they set forth His glory, which is the end 
 of creation (Rev. xv. 3; iv, 11). the world, and 
 all things that come forth of it— answering to "all 
 that is therein;" or, Hebrew, 'all whatever fills 
 it,' (rnarg.) 2. he hath utterly destroyed them— 
 rather, doomed them to an utter curse ; Hebrew, 
 hecherimam {Horsley). he hath delivered them— 
 appointed them to the slaughter. 3. Their slain 
 also shall be cast out— unburied (ch. xiv. 19). 
 the mountains shall he melted with their blood 
 — "melted:" washed away as with a descending 
 torrent. 4. all the host of heaven shall be dis- 
 solved— (Ps. cii. 26; Joel ii. 31; iii. 15; Matt, 
 xxiv. 29.) dissolved— (2 Pet. iii. 10-12.) Violent 
 convulsions of nature are in Scripture made the 
 images of great changes in the human world (ch. 
 
 xxix. 19-21), and shall literally accompany them at 
 the winding-up of the present dispensation, the 
 heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll— books 
 were in those days sheets of parchment rolled to- 
 gether (Rev. vi. 14). all their host shall fall down 
 — the stars shall fall when the heavens in which 
 they are fixed pass away, as a falling (fig) from the 
 fig tree— (Rev. vi. 13.) 5. my sword— (Jer. xlvi. 
 10.) Or else, knife for sacrifice; for God does not 
 here appear as a warrior with His sword, but as 
 one about to sacrifice victims doomed to slaughter 
 ( Vitringa). (Ezek. xxxix. 17. ) shall be bathed— 
 Hebrew^ rivvthah; well-soaked, or glutted with 
 blood : rather, is intoxicated with blood (so Deut. 
 xxxii. 42). So the LXX., Vulgate, Arabic, and 
 Syriac. "In heaven" implies the place where 
 Qodi'Q purpose oi wrath is formed, in antithesis to 
 its 'coming down' in the next clause. Translate 
 present, 'is bathed,' or 'intoxicated.' The thing 
 is already settled in heaven ; though the ungodly 
 enjoy unconcerned and undisturbed peace, yet the 
 sword, in God's decree in heaven, is already drunk 
 with their blood, behold, it shall come down 
 upon Idumea— originally extending from the Dead 
 Sea to the Red Sea ; afterwards the Idumeans 
 obtained possession of the country east of Moab, 
 of which Bozrah was capital. Petra, or Selah, 
 called Joktheel by Amaziah, who took it (2 Ki. xiv. 
 7), was capital of South Edom (note, ch. xvi. 1). 
 David subjugated Edom (2 Sam. viii. 13, 14). 
 Under Jehoram they regained independence (2 
 Chr. xxi. 8). Under Amaziah they w^ere again 
 subdued, and Selah taken (2 Ki. xiv. 7). When 
 Judah was captive in Babylon, Edom, in every 
 way, insulted over her fallen mistress, and killed 
 many of those Jews whom the Chaldeans had left, 
 and hence was held guilty of fratricide by God 
 (Esau, their ancestor, having been brother to Jacob). 
 This was the cause of the denunciations of the 
 prophets against Edom (ch. Ixiii. 1, &c.; Jer. xlix. 
 7; Ezek. XXV. 12-14; xxxv. 3-15; Joel iii. 19; 
 Amos i. 11, 12; Obad. 8, 10, 12-18; Mai. i. 3, 4). 
 Nebuchadnezzar humbled Idumea accordingly 
 (Jer. XXV. 15-21). and upon the people of my 
 curse—?, e., doomed to it. to judgment— e., to 
 execute it. 6. The sword of the Lord is filled 
 with blood— glutted. The image of a sacrifice is 
 continued, blood . . . fat— the parts especially 
 devoted to God in a sacrifice (2 Sam. i. 22). lambs 
 . . . ZoaXz— sacrificial animals. The Idumeans of 
 
The judgment 
 
 ISAIAH XXXIV. 
 
 of Idamea. 
 
 '^For the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, 
 And a great slaughter in the land of Idumca. 
 
 7 And the ^ unicorns shall come down with them, 
 And the bullocks with the bulls ; 
 
 And their land shall be ^soaked with blood, 
 And their dust made fat with fatness. 
 
 8 For it is the day of the Lord's venf^eance, 
 
 And the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.. 
 
 9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch. 
 And the dust thereof into brimstone, 
 
 And the land thereof shall become burning pitch, 
 
 10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; 
 The smoke thereof shall go up for ever : 
 
 From ^ generation to generation it shall lie waste ; 
 None shall pass through it for ever and ever : 
 
 11 But the * cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; 
 The owl also and the raven shall dwell in it : 
 
 And he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion. 
 And the stones of emptiness. 
 
 12 They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom. 
 
 all classes, doomed to slaughter, are meaut (Zeph. 
 i. 7). Bozrah— called Bostra by the Romans, &c., 
 assigned in Jer. xlviii. 24 to Moab, so that it seems 
 to have been at one time in the dominion of Edom, 
 and at another in that of Moab (ch. Ixiii. 1 ; J er. 
 xlix. 13, 20, 22) : it was strictly not in Edom, but the 
 capital of Auranitis (the Houran). Edom seems to 
 have extended its dominion so as to include it (cf. 
 Lam. iv. 21). 7. the unicorns— Hebrew, * reem ; 
 conveying the idea of loftiness, power, and pre- 
 eminence (see note, Job xxxix. 9). The Arabian 
 rim is two-horned : it was the oryx (the leucoryx, 
 antelope, bold and pugnacious). The translation 
 'unicorn' — i. e., one-horned— does not accord with 
 the Hebrew, and has led to vain searches for such 
 a one-horned animal as is described by Ctesias 
 ('Indica,' iv. 25-27), jElian ('Nat. Anim.,'^ xvi. 20), 
 Aristotle ('Hist. Anim.,' ii. 2, sec. 8), Plin?/ ('Nat. 
 Hist.,' viii. 21). Deut. xxxiii. 17, Hebrew, is, 
 'his horns are like the horns of a unicorn.'' The 
 two horns of the reem are the ten thousands of 
 Ephraim and the thousands of Mauasseh. The 
 pachydermatous (rhinoceros) vi^a-s unclean by the 
 law, and would not be mentioned here as a sacri- 
 fice. The skipping of the reem, too, is against its 
 being the rhinoceros. But strength, agility, 
 ferocity, and fitness for sacrifice, meet together in 
 the urns, or 'wild ox.' Here is meant the portion 
 of the Edomites which was strong and warlike. 
 shall come down — rather, fall down slain {Lowth). 
 with them— with the " lambs and goats," the less 
 powerful Edomites (v. 6). the bullocks with the 
 hulls— the young and old Edomites : all classes, 
 their dust— ground. 8. For (it is) the day of the 
 Lord's vengeance, (and) the year of recompences 
 for the controversy of Zion— i e., the year when 
 God will retaliate on those who have contended 
 with Zion. if er controversy is i/is. The "day" 
 marks the brief space of time which the execution, 
 of the vengeance on the foe shall occxipy. The 
 '^' year," the lengthened duration of Zion's recom- 
 pense for her past sufferings. Edom had thought 
 to extend its borders by laying hold of its neigh- 
 bour's lands, and had instigated Babylon to cruelty 
 towards fallen Judah (Ps. cxxxvii. 7; Ezek. xxxvi, 
 5); therefore Edom shall suffer the same herself 
 (Lam, iv. 21, 22). The final winding up of the 
 controversy between God and all enemies of Him 
 and His people is also shadowed forth (chs. Ixi. 2; 
 
 ms 
 
 B. C. 713. 
 
 d chT 63. 1. 
 Jer. 49. 13. 
 Jer. 50. 27. 
 Jer. 51. 40. 
 Eze. 39. 17, 
 20. 
 
 Zeph. 1. 7. 
 Rev. 19. 17, 
 18. 
 
 2 Or. 
 rhinoceros. 
 
 3 Or, 
 drunken, 
 
 " ch. 13. 20. 
 Eze. 29, 11. 
 Mai. 1. 4. 
 Eev. 14. 11. 
 Eev, 18. 18. 
 Eev, 19. 3. 
 
 4 Or, 
 pelican 
 ch. 14. 23, 
 Jer. ;'0. 39. 
 Zeph. 2. 14. 
 Eev. 18. 2. 
 
 Ixiii. 4; Ixvi, 14-16; Mai, iv. 1, 3; 2 Tiiess. i, 7, 8, 
 9; Rev, xi. 18; xviii, 20; xix. 2), 9, the streams 
 thereof, &c.— images from the overthrow of Sodom 
 and Gomorrah {Hen. xix, 24-28 ; so D^ut. xxix. 23 ; 
 Jer, xlix. 17, 18). 10. It— the "burning pitch" 
 (v. 9). smoke ... for ever— (Rev, xiv, 11; xviii. 
 18; xix. 3), from generation to generation— 
 (Mai, i. 4.) none shall pass through. Edom's 
 original offence was, it would not let Israel pass 
 through their land in peace to Canaan: God 
 " recompenses" them in kind; no traveller shall pass 
 through Edom, Volney, the infidel, was forced to 
 confirm the truth of this prophecy: 'From the 
 reports of the Arabs, south-east of the Dead Sea, 
 within three days' journey, are upwards of thirty 
 ruined towns,, absolutely deserted. ' 11. the cor- 
 morant—the Hebrew, quaath, is rendered, in Ps, 
 cii. 6, pelican. The best authorities think the 
 pelican is meant here also. Its etymology, fron> a 
 root, 'to vomit,' refers to the pelican's habit of 
 pressing its under mandible against its breast, in 
 order to disgorge its pouch for its young. Hence 
 arose the fable of its feeding its young Math its 
 blood, the red nail on the upper mandible com- 
 pleting the delusion. The pelican is a water-bird, 
 and after haying filled its pouch with fishes and 
 mollusks, retires miles inland away fi'om water 
 to some spot where it consumes the contents of 
 its pouch, bittern— the hedgehog or porcupine 
 [Gesenius). But see in favour of the English ver- 
 sion, note, ch, xiv. 23, owl — from its being 
 enumerated among water-birds in Lev. xi. 17; 
 Deut, xiv, 16, Maurer thinks rather the heron or 
 crane is meant; yanshoph, from a Hebrew root, 
 nashaph, to blow, as it utters a sound like the 
 blowing of a horn (Rev, xviii, 2); The Ohaldaic 
 and Arabic translate, as the English version, 
 ' the screech owl, ' So Bochart, deriving it from a 
 Hebrew root, 'twilight,' neshepth. The LXX. 
 and Vulgate translate, ' the ibis, the sacred bird of 
 Egypt.' confusion— devastation, line . . . stones 
 —metaphor from an architect with line and plum- 
 met-stone {note, chs, xviii. 2; xxviiL 17; God will 
 render to it the exact 7)ieasure of justice without 
 mercy, Jas. ii, 13; 2 Ki, xxi, 13; Lam. ii. 8; Amos 
 vii, 7, 8), of emptiness— desolation, Edom is now 
 a waste of "stones." 12. They shall call the nobles 
 thereof to the kingdom, but none (shall be) 
 there— rather, As to her nobles, there shall be none 
 
The certainty 
 
 ISAIAH XXXV. 
 
 of the prophecy. 
 
 13 
 
 14 
 
 17 
 
 85 
 
 for ^OAvls. 
 
 the wild beasts of 
 
 But none shall be tliere, — and all her princes shall be uothin 
 And f tliorns shall come up in her palaces, 
 Nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof ; 
 And it shall be an habitation of dragons, — and a cour 
 ^ The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with 
 
 the island, 
 And the satyr shall cry to his fellow; 
 
 The ^screech owl also shall rest there, — and find for herself a place of rest, 
 
 15 There shall the great owl make her nest, and lay, 
 And hatch, and gather under her shadow: 
 
 There shall the vultures also be gathered, — every one with her mate. 
 
 16 Seek ye out of ^ the book of the Lord, and read ; 
 
 No one of these shall fail, — none shall want her mate : 
 For my mouth it hath commanded, — and his spirit it hath gathered them. 
 And he hath cast the ^lot for them, 
 And his hand hath divided it unto them by line : 
 They shall possess it for ever, 
 
 From generation to generation shall they dwell therein. 
 
 THE wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them ; 
 And the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 
 
 B. c. yn. 
 
 / Ch. 32. 13. 
 Hos. 9. 6. 
 
 5 daughters 
 of the owl, 
 or, 
 
 ostriches. 
 
 6 Ziim. 
 ^ Ijim. 
 
 8 (Jr. uight 
 
 monster. 
 " Deut.31.1'1. 
 
 Deut. 32.3}. 
 
 Ps. 56. 8. 
 
 Ps. 119. 45. 
 
 ch. 8. 10. 
 
 Dan. 7. 10. 
 
 Amos 3. r. 
 
 Amos 10.3.'«. 
 
 Mai. 3. 16. 
 
 Matt. 5. 18. 
 
 Luke 21.33. 
 
 John 5. 39. 
 
 Acts 17. -lb. 
 
 2 Pet. 1. 19. 
 A Ps. 78. 55. 
 
 there (there shall no more nobles be left) who shall 
 declare a kingdom,' i. e., a king (Maiirer); or else, 
 'As to her nobles, there shall be no one there whom 
 they shall call to the kingdom ' [RosenmiXller). (Ch. 
 iii. 6, &c. ) Idiimea was at first governed by dukes 
 (Gen. xxxvi. 15), out of them the king was chosen 
 when the constitution became a monarchy. 13. 
 an habitation of dragons— (note, ch. xiii 21, 22.) 
 court for owls— rather, a dwelling for ostriches 
 (note, ch. xiii. 21). 14. wild beasts of the desert 
 . . . wild beasts of the island— rather, xvild cats 
 . . . jackals (ch. xiii. 21, 22). screech owl— or, 
 the night-spectre : in Jewish superstition a female, 
 elegantly dressed, that carried oflf children by 
 night. The text does not assert the existence of 
 such objects of superstition, but describes the 
 place as one which superstition would people with 
 such beings. [Hebrew, Ulith, from lagit, the night. 
 So the LXX., ouoKevTavpoi : the Vulgate, ' lamia.^ 
 The ghule of Arabian fable. But the Vulgate, 
 Arabic, and Syriac support the English version, 
 the strixjiammea.] Irhy and Mangles state as to 
 Petra, ' The screaming of eagles, hawks, and owls, 
 which were soaring above our heads in considerable 
 numbers, seemingly annoyed at any one approach- 
 ing their lonely habitation, added much to the 
 singularity of the scene.' 15. the great owl— 
 quijjpoz; or, the darting tree serpent [the aKovrLa's 
 of jElian, the jacidus of Lucan). Avicenna uses 
 the cognate Arabic term Jcipphaz for the same. 
 77ie arrow-snake, so called from its darting on its 
 prey (Gesenius). But the context f&voars a bird : 
 for 'gathering imder her shadow' applies best to 
 a mother-bird fostering her young under her wings. 
 The English ver.sion therefore is best. The LXX., 
 Chaldaic, Arabic, Syriac, and Vulgate read quip- 
 pod, 'hedgehog.' So 6 Hebrew MSS. {Michaelis, 
 ' Supp.' 2199). lay— viz., eggs, gather under her 
 shadow — cherishes her young under, &c. (Jer. 
 xvii. 11.) 
 
 16. Seek ye out of the book of the Lord— the 
 
 volume in which the various j)rophecies and other 
 
 f)arts of Scripture began henceforward to be col- 
 ected togctlier (ch. xxx. 8; Dan. ix. 2). "Seek" 
 (so ch, viii. 16, 20; John v. 39; vii. 52). no one of 
 these shall fall— of these prophecies (Matt. v. 
 18). none shall want her mate— image from 
 fxiiring of animals mentioned v. 15 (" mate ") : no 
 
 prediction shall want a, fulfilment as its companion. 
 Or rather, from the "them" which follows, refer- 
 ring to the animals about to be "gathered" in 
 desolate Edom. 'none of these wild animals (just 
 spoken of) shall be wanting : none shall be without 
 its mate' to pair and breed with, in desolate 
 Idumea. my mouth . . , and his spirit— such 
 changes of person are frequent in Hebrew poetry, 
 hath gathered them— the wild beasts. 17. he 
 hath cast the lot— as conquerors apportion lands 
 by lot, so Jehovah has appointed and marked out 
 ("divided") Edom for the wild beasts (Num. xxvi. 
 55, 5G; Josh, xviii. 4-6). 
 
 Remarks. — Not one of the prophecies concerning 
 Israel's unnatural enemy, Edom, has failed to take 
 effect. What God's 'mouth hath commanded,' 
 and what has been by inspiration written in "the 
 book of the Lord," has been brought to pass by 
 "His Spirit." The "line of confusion, and the 
 stones of emptiness" have been for long 'stretched 
 out upon ' Edom. Its capital, Petra, has been for 
 ages the haunt of the wild bii^ds and beasts of the 
 desert, and its palaces overrun with "nettles 
 and brambles." Let us learn to adore the infinite 
 holiness and justice of Jehoviih as manifested in 
 Plis judgments; and let us 'seek out of that sure 
 Word which is the fullest exposition of His will, 
 the principles whez'eby we should order our lives 
 and conversation. 
 
 CHAP. XXXV. 1-10.— Continuation of the 
 Prophecy in Cn. xxxiv. See inti'oduction there. 
 
 1. the solitary place— lit., a dry place, izivvah, 
 without springs of water. A moral wilderness is 
 meant, for them— viz., on account of the punish- 
 ment inflicted according to the preceding prophecy 
 on the enemy : probably the blessings set forth in 
 this chapter are included in the causes for joy, ch. 
 Iv. 12. the rose (Hebrew, chabatztzeleth) — rathei-, 
 the mead.ow-saffron, an autumnal flower with bulb- 
 ous roots : so the Syriac [chamtzalyotho : evidently 
 the same word slightly changed) translation. The 
 Colchicum autumnale, or autumn crocus: from 
 hetzel, a bulb. Eoyle understands it to be the 
 Polyanthus narcvisus. The fragrance of the narcis- 
 sus makes it more likely than the crocus, which 
 has no such odour. Also the chabatztzeleth, in 
 Song ii. 1, is associated with the lily, which 
 blossoms in spnng; whereas the colchicum bios 
 
The joyful flourishing 
 
 ISAIAH XXXV. 
 
 of Christ's kingdom. 
 
 2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice — even with joy and singing : 
 The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, 
 
 The excellency of Carmel and Sharon ; 
 
 They shall see the glory of the Lord, — aiid the excellency of our God. 
 
 3 Strengthen "ye the weak hands, — and confirm the feeble knees. 
 
 4 Say to them that are of a ^fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: 
 Behold, your God will come 
 
 With vengeance, emn God with a recompence ; 
 He will come and save you. 
 
 5 Then the *eyes of the blind shall be opened, 
 And ^ the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped ; 
 
 G Then shall the lame mari leap as an hart, 
 And the Hongue of the dumb sing : 
 
 For in the wilderness shall ^ waters break out, — and streams in the desert. 
 
 7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, 
 And the thirsty land springs of water: 
 
 In the habitation of dragons, where each lay. 
 Shall be ^ grass, with reeds and rushes. 
 
 8 And an highway shall be there, and a way. 
 And it shall be called The way of holiness; 
 
 ^ The unclean shall not pass over it ; — ^ but it shall he for those : 
 The wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. 
 
 soms in autumu. Chateaubriand mentions the 
 narcissus as growing in the plain of Sharon 
 (' Itineraire,' ii. 130). The rose is not mentioned 
 in the Hebrew Bible : but in the Greek Apocrypha 
 it is, Ecclesiasticus xxiv. 14, 'I (wisdom) was as 
 a rose plant in Jericho.' 2. the glory of Lebanon 
 — its ornament, viz., its cedars (ch. x. 34). the 
 excellency of Carmel— viz., its beauty. Sharon- 
 famed for its fertility, they shall see the glory 
 of the Lord . . . excellency— (ch. xl. 5, 9.) Whilst 
 the wilderness which had neither "glory" nor 
 "excellency" shall have both "given to it," the 
 Loz'd shall have all the "glory" and "excellency" 
 ascribed to Him, not to the transformed wilder- 
 ness (Matt. V. 16). 3. Strengthen ye the weak 
 hands . . . confirm the feeble knees. The He- 
 brew for "strengthen," chazaqu, refers to the 
 strength residing in the hands for grasping and 
 holding a thing manfully ; " confirm," to the firm- 
 ness in the knees with which one keeps his ground, 
 amatz, so as not to be dislodged by any other 
 {Michcdis). Encourage the Jews, now desponding, 
 by the assurance of the blessings promised. 4. a 
 fearful heart — margin, hasty; i. e., with a heart 
 fluttered with agitation, (with) vengeance. The 
 Hebrew is more forcible than the English version. 
 God will come . . . vengeance, (even) God ... a 
 recompence. The sense is the same. 
 
 5, 6. Then the eyes of the blind shall be 
 opened, &c,— Language figurative, descriptive of 
 the joy felt at the deliverance from Assyria and 
 Babylon; literally true of the antitypical times of 
 Messiah and His miracles (see marginal references). 
 6. leap— literally fulfilled, Acts iii. 8 ; xiv. 10. the 
 tongue of the dumb sing— joyful thanksgivings, 
 in the wilderness . . . waters— (ch. xli. 18.) 7. 
 the parched ground shall become a pool— or, 
 ' the mirage (Hebrew, Sharab, the sun's heat) shall 
 l)ecome a (real) lake.' The word occurs in the 
 Koran (Sur., xxiv. 39), 'The works of the wicked 
 are as the Sarab in the desert; the thirsty take it 
 for water till they come to it, and discover that it 
 is nothing.' The sun's rays refracted on the glow- 
 ing sands at mid-day give the appearance of a lake 
 of water, and often deceive the thirsty traveller 
 (cf. Jer. ii. 13). But the LXX., Chaldaic, Vulgate, 
 
 B. C. 713. 
 
 CHAP. 35. 
 Job 4. 3. 4. 
 Heb. 12. 12. 
 
 1 hasty. 
 
 * ch. 29. 18. 
 
 ch. 32. 3. 4, 
 
 ch. 42. r. 
 
 Matt. 9. 27. 
 
 Matt. 12.22. 
 
 Matt. 20.-^0. 
 
 Matt. 21.11. 
 
 John 9. 6. 
 " Matt. 11. 5. 
 
 Mark 7. 32. 
 d Matt. 15.30. 
 
 John 5. 8. 
 
 Acts 3. 2. 
 « Matt. 9. 32. 
 / John 7. 3S. 
 
 2 Or, a court 
 for reeds, 
 etc. 
 
 " ch. 52. 1. 
 Joel. 3. 17. 
 Eev. 21. 27. 
 
 3 Or, for he 
 shall be 
 with them. 
 
 Arabic, and Syriac, all take it as the English 
 version, dragons— rather, jackals. The English 
 version has given the same meaning to ia7i and 
 tannin. But they are probably distinct. Tan 
 always is found in the plural, tannin. Jer. xiv. 6 
 favours wild beasts, rather than serpents. The 
 Syriac, according to Pococ)be, means a jackal, whose 
 mournful howl in the desert is well known. So 
 the Arabic, each— viz., jackal, grass, with reeds 
 (chatzir) — rather, as Vulgate (but Syriac as the 
 English version), 'a dv;eUing or receptacle (answer- 
 ing to the previous " habitation ") for reeds,' &c. 
 (which only grow where there is water, Job viii. 
 11). Where once there was no water, water shall 
 abound. 8. An highway — such a causeway [raised 
 way, maslul, from a Hebrew root, salal, to cast up) 
 as was used for the march of armies, valleys bejng 
 filled up, hills and other obstructions removed (ch. 
 Ixii. 10; cf. ch. xl. 3, 4). The way of holiness- 
 Hebraism for the holy way. Horsley translates, 
 'The way of the Holy One:' but the words that 
 follow, and v. 10, show it is the way leading the 
 redeemed back to Jerusalem, both the literal and 
 the heavenly (ch. lii, 1 ; JoeJ iii. 17; Rev. xxi. 27) ; 
 still Christ at His coming again shall be the Leader 
 on the way, for which reason it is called, " The 
 way of the Lord'' (ch. xl. 3; Mai. iii. 1). but it 
 (shall be) for those: the wayfaring men— rather, 
 'for He (the Holy One) shall be with them' 
 {Horsley). So De Dieu. The Hebrew pronoun is 
 masculine, whereas the Hebrew for " way" [derek) 
 is generally feminine ['"iD^ Kini]. It is not enough 
 that the way is clear and open, unless God go 
 before as the Guide and Pointer out of the way. 
 He alludes to the history, Exod. xiii. 21 {Calvin). 
 though fools— rather, 'and (even) fools;' i.e., the 
 simple shall not go astray— viz., because 'He shall 
 be with them ' (Matt. xi. 25 ; 1 Cor. i. 26-28). We 
 all were and are naturally fools (Tit. iii. 3). We 
 must know ourselves to be so before we can become 
 wise. The Ethnach or disjunctive accent of 
 punctuation forbids joining the Hebrew for "the 
 wayfaring man" with the preceding words, as 
 Horsley and De Dieu take it, 'He (Jehovah) shall 
 be with them walking in the way.' The Ethnach 
 binds us to join it with the following words, as the 
 
The invasion of 
 
 ISAIAH XXXVI. 
 
 Judah by Sennacherib, 
 
 9 No ^lion shall be there, — nor aiiy ravenous beast shall go up thereon, b. c. 713. 
 
 It shall not be found there ; — but the redeemed shall walk there. ft Lev. 20. 0. 
 
 10 And the ^ransomed of the Lord shall return, ^ ' c^- ^i- 
 
 And come to Zion with songs, — and everlasting joy upon their heads : ' \ ^' ^' . 
 
 They shall obtain joy and gladness, <^^2Ki'n\ 
 
 And i sorrow and sighing shall flee away. 17. " 
 36 NOW "it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that 2Chr.32.i. 
 
 Englisli version. 9. No lion— such as might be 
 feared on the way through the wilderness, which 
 abounded in wild beasts, back to Judea. Every 
 danger shall be warded off the returning people 
 (ch. xi. 6-9; Ezek. xxxiv. 25; Hos. ii. 18), Cf. 
 spiritually (Prov. iii. 17). 10. tlie ransomed of 
 the Lord shall return, &c.— language literally 
 applying to the return from Babylon ; figuratively 
 and more fully to the completed redemption of 
 both literal and spiritual Israel, everlasting joy 
 upon their heads— (Ps. cxxvi. 2.) Joy manifested 
 in their countenances. Some fancy an allusion to 
 the custom of pouring oil ' upon the head,' or 
 wearing chaplets in times of jDublic festivity 
 (Eccl. ix. 8). 
 
 Remarks.— The presence of Christ alone can 
 change the moral "wilderness" into the garden of 
 the Lord, yielding the lovely flowers, as well as the 
 wholesome fruits, of righteousness. He shall 
 hereafter manifest His presence visibly, as well as 
 spiritually; then, indeed, all the earth shall 
 "blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy 
 and singing. " The glory" and "the excellency" 
 which then shall be imparted to the regenerated 
 world shall be ascribed, not to the creature, but to 
 'the Lord our God,' the Creator and King. The 
 realization by faith of the glorious future is what 
 is best calculated to 'strengthen the weak hands 
 and the feeble knees ' of the dispirited believer. 
 
 CHAP. XXX VL 1-22. —Sennacherib's In- 
 vasion — Rabshakeh's Blasphemous Solicita- 
 tions — Hezekiah is told of them. This and 
 chs. xxxvii., xxxviii., xxxix., form the historical 
 appendix closing the first division of Isaiah's pro- 
 phecies, and were added to make the parts of 
 these referring to Assyria more intelligible. So 
 ch. lii. in Jeremiah : cf. 2 Ki. xxv. The section 
 occurs almost word for word, 2 Ki. xviii. 13, 17- 
 20 ; xix. 2 Ki. xviii. 14-16 (respecting the tribute 
 of 300 talents of silver and 30 talents of gold im- 
 posed on Hezekiah by Sennacherib), however, is 
 additional matter. Hezekiah 's " writing " also is 
 in Isaiah, not in Kings (ch, xxxviii. 9-20). We 
 know from 2 Chr. xxxii. 32 tliat Isaiah wrote 
 "the acts of Hezekiah." It is therefore probable, 
 that his record here (chs. xxxvi. -xxxix.) was in- 
 corx^orated into the Book of Kings by its comyjiler. 
 Sennacherib lived, according to Assyrian inscrip- 
 tions, about twenty years after his invasion, and 
 was succeeded by Esar-haddon ; but, as Isaiah sur- 
 vived Hezekiah (2 Chr. xxxii. 32), the record of 
 Sennacherib's death (ch. xxxvii. 38) is no objection 
 to this section having come from Isaiah ; 2 Chr. 
 xxxii. is probably an abstract drawn from Isaiah's 
 account, as the chronicler himself implies [v. 32). 
 Pul, the first of the Assyrian kings mentioned in 
 Scripture, was probably the last of the old dynasty, 
 (about 770 e.g.) A new dynasty began with Tig- 
 lath-pileser II. Shalmancser II. followed ; then 
 followed Sargon, a powerful satrap, who contrived 
 to possess himself of supreme power and found a 
 new dynasty (see note, ch. xx. 1). That Sargon 
 was an usuriier ap]iears from his avoiding all men- 
 tion of his father in the deciphered inscriptions. 
 Probably he took advantage of Shalmaneser's pro- 
 tracted absence in besieging Samaria (2 Ki. xvii. 5) 
 
 to effect a revolution and substitute himself as 
 king. No attempt was made by Judah to throw 
 off the Assyrian yoke during his vigorous reign. 
 The accession of Sargon's son Sennacherib was 
 thought by Hezekiah the opportune time to re- 
 fuse the long-paid tribute; Egypt and Ethiopia, 
 to secure an ally against Assyria on their Asiatic 
 frontier, promised help ; Isaiah, whilst opposed 
 to submission to Assyria, advised reliance on 
 Jehovah, and not on Egypt, but his voice was dis- 
 regarded, and so Sennacherib invaded Judah 700 
 B.C., in the third year of his reign, for the first 
 time. The reason alleged in the inscription is, 
 because the Ekronites had sent their king, Padya, 
 a prisoner to Jerusalem (cf. 2 Ki. xviii. 8). He 
 was the builder of the largest of the excavated 
 palaces, that of Kouyunjik. It is his monument 
 that yet remains at the mouth of the Nahr-el-Kelb, 
 on the coast of Syria, side by side with an inscrip- 
 tion of Rameses the Great recording conquests six 
 centuries earlier. Hincks has deciphered his name 
 in the inscriptions. In the third year of his reign 
 (his accession was 702 years B.C., according to the 
 canon of Ptolemy), these state that he overran 
 Syria, took Sidon and other Phoenician cities, and 
 then passed to South-west Palestine, where he 
 defeated the Egyptians and Ethiopians (cf. Ki. 
 xviii. 21 ; xix. 9). His subsequent retreat, after 
 bis host was destroyed by God, is of course sup- 
 pressed in the inscriptions. But other particulars 
 inscribed agree strikingly with the Bible : the 
 capture of the " defeuced cities of Judah," the 
 devastation of the country and deportation of its 
 inhabitants : the increased tribute imposed on 
 Hezekiah — thirty talents of gold— this exact num- 
 ber being given in both : the silver is set down in 
 the inscriptions at 800 talents, in the Bible 300; 
 the latter may have been the actual amount 
 carried off, the larger sum may include the silver 
 from the temple doors, pillars, &c. (2 Ki. xviii. 16) 
 (Layard). The fine imposed was 800 ; but per- 
 haps only 300 was paid. It was in 699 or 698 
 B.C. that Sennacherib made his second invasion of 
 Palestine. The first invasion of Palestine falls 
 into Hezekiah's twenty-seventh year, not his four- 
 teenth, as stated here in v. 1 ; for his reign extends 
 from B.C. 726 to B.C. 697. A scribe may have con- 
 jecturally changed twenty-seventh into fourteenth, 
 applying to Sennacherib's invasion what was true 
 of Sargon's earlier invasion— viz., that it was in 
 the fourteenth year of Hezekiah (ch. xx. 1-19). 
 Then the section as to Hezekiah's sickness and 
 addition of fifteen years (chs. xxxviii. xxxix.) must 
 refer to tlie earlier period, Sargon's time, not 
 Sennacherib's {G. Bawlinson). 
 
 1. the fourteenth — the third of SennacheriVs 
 reign. Hincks agrees with Bawlinson in making it 
 tlie twenty-sixth or twenty-seventh year of Heze- 
 kiah. But the transposition of Hezekiah's sick- 
 ness and the embassy from Babylon to a position 
 in Sargon's time, eleven years before Sennacherib's 
 invasion, seems to me forced, seeing that the events 
 stand in the same order in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, 
 and Isaiah. Again, Isaiah's record of Sennacherib's 
 death, which took place twenty years later than 
 the invasion, accords with the view that Hezekiah 
 
The intasion of 
 
 ISAIAH XXXVI. 
 
 J udah by Sennacherib. 
 
 Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defeuced cities of 
 Judah, and took them. 
 
 2 And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from ^Lachish to Jerusalem, 
 unto king Hezekiah, with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of 
 
 3 the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field. Then came forth 
 unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and Shebna 
 the ^ scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder. 
 
 4 And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith 
 tlie great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou 
 
 5 trustest? I say, say est thou, (but they are but ^vain words,) haxe 
 counsel and strength for war : now, on whom dost thou trust, that thou 
 
 6 rebellest against me ? Lo, thou trustest in the ^ staff of this broken reed, 
 on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: 
 
 7 so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him. But if thou say to 
 me. We trust in tlie Lord our God : is it not he whose high places and 
 ^ whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jeru- 
 
 8 salem, Ye shall worship before this altar? Now therefore ^ give pledges, 
 I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give tnee two 
 thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them. 
 
 9 How tlien wilt thou turn away the face of one "^captain of the least of my 
 master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horse- 
 
 10 men? And am I now come up without the Lord against this land to 
 destroy it ? The Lord said unto me. Go up against this land, and de- 
 stroy it. 
 
 B. C. 713. 
 
 Josh. 10. 5. 
 Josh. 15.39. 
 2 Ki. 14. 19. 
 
 1 Or. 
 secretary. 
 
 2 a word of 
 lips, 
 
 3 ( r, but 
 counsel 
 and 
 
 strengh 
 are for ihe 
 war. 
 
 4 Or, sup- 
 port. 
 
 2 (Jhr.30.lt. 
 
 5 Or, engage, 
 I pray thee, 
 with. 
 
 8 governor, 
 (or, satrap.) 
 of the least 
 of my 
 mister's 
 servants? 
 So thou 
 hast rep s- 
 ed thyself 
 on Fgypt. 
 etc. 
 
 survived the invasion fifteen years, and not merely 
 two, wliicli would put Isaiah more than eighteen 
 years under Manasseh, which is very improbable. 
 Scripture is at least as trustworthy a document of 
 history as any heathen monument. In chronology 
 numbers of course are more liable to suffer by 
 transcription. The date of the fourteenth year of 
 Hezekiah, as our Bible text stands, would be 713 
 B.C. Sennacherib's ultimate object was Egypt, 
 Hezekiah's ally. Hence he, with the great body 
 of his army (2 Chr. xxxii. 9), advanced towards 
 the Egyptian frontier, in South-west Palestine, and 
 did not approach Jerusalem. Sennacherib . . . 
 canae up against all the defenced cities of Judah, 
 and took them — forty-six, according to the in- 
 scriptions recently deciphered, and 200,000 pri- 
 soners. 
 
 2. Rahshakeh. lu 2 Ki. xviii. 17, Tartan and 
 Rabsaris are joined with him. Eabshakeh was 
 probably the chief leader ; Bah is a title of autho- 
 rity, ^ chief cupbearer.'' Lachish — a frontier town 
 south-west of Jerusalem, in Judah ; represented as 
 a great fortified city in a hilly and fruitful country 
 in the Kouyunjik bas-reliefs, now in the British 
 museum; also, its name is found on a slab over a 
 figure of Sennacherib on his throne. He took it 
 at his first invasion, but apparently failed to take 
 it and Libnah at the second expedition. From it 
 he sent his messengers, and then the threatening 
 letter to Hezekiah. upper pool— the side on which 
 the Assyrians ■would approach Jerusalem coming 
 from the south-west (note, ch, vii. 3). 3. Eliakim 
 — successor to Shebna, who had been " over the 
 household " — i. e., chief minister of the king : in ch. 
 xxii. 15-20 this was foretold, scribe — secretary, 
 recorder— , one who reminds; a remembrancer 
 to keep the king informed on important facts, and 
 to act as historiograjiher. In 2 Ki. xviii. 18 the 
 additional fact is given, that the Assyrian envoys 
 " called to tlie king," in consequence of which 
 Eliakim, &c., " came out to them." 
 
 4. great king— the usual title of the Persian 
 and Assyrian kings, as they had many subordinate 
 672 
 
 princes or kings under them over provinces (ch. 
 X. 8. ) 5. counsel— Egyi)t was famed for its wis- 
 dom. 6. Lo, thou trustest ... on Egypt. It 
 
 was a similar alliance with So (e. <'., Sabacho, or 
 else Sevechus), the Ethiopian king of Egypt, 
 which provoked the Assyrian to invade and de- 
 stroy Israel, the northern kingdom, under Hoshea. 
 7. But if thou say to me, &c. The Assyrian 
 mistakes Hezekiah's religious reforms, whereby he 
 took away the high places (2 Ki. xviii. 4), as 
 directed against Jeltovah. Some of the high places 
 may have been dedicated to Jehovah, but wor- 
 shipped under the form of an image, in violatipn 
 of the Second Commandment. So the "brazen 
 serpent " (broken in pieces by Hezekiah, and called 
 Nehushtan, 'a X'iece of brass,' because it was wor- 
 shipped by Israel), was originally set up by God's 
 command. Hence the Assyrian's allegation has a 
 specious colour — You cannot look for help from 
 Jehovah, for your king has ' taken away His 
 altars.' The familiarity which Eabshakeh shows, 
 not only with the Hebrew language, but also with 
 the religious doings of Hezekiah, gives colour to the 
 conjecture that he was an apostate Jew, like Shebna 
 (ch. xxii.) and the "sinners in Zion," and "hypo- 
 crites" (ch. xxxiii. 14). to Jerusalem— (Dent. xii. 5, 
 11 ; John iv. 20). 8. give pledges— a taunting chal- 
 lenge. Only give the guarantee that you can 
 supply as many as 2,000 riders, and I will give 
 thee 2,000 horses. But seeing that you have not 
 even this small number (note, ch. ii. 7), how can 
 you stand against the hosts of Assyrian cavalry ? 
 The Jews tried to supxjly their weakness in this 
 ' arm ' from Egypt (ch. xxxi. 1). 9. captain— a 
 governor under a satrap — even he commands more 
 horsemen than this. 10. am I now come up 
 without the Lord against this land ?— a boastful 
 inference from the past successes of Assyria, de- 
 signed to influence the Jews to surrender — their 
 oivn principles bound them to yield to Jehovah's 
 will. He may have heard from partisans in 
 Judah, and deserters, if he was not one himself, 
 what Isaiah had foretold (ch. x. 5, G). 
 
The hlasphemoiii 
 
 ISAIAH XXXV 1. 
 
 solicitations of Itahshaheh. 
 
 11 
 
 Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I 
 pray thee, unto thy servants in the ^ S3Tian language ; for we understand 
 it: and speak not to us in the Jews'" language, in the ears of the people 
 that are on the wall. But Rabshakeh said. Hath my master sent me to 
 thy master and to thee to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the 
 men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink 
 their own piss with you ? 
 
 Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' lan- 
 guage, and said. Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. 
 Thus saith the king. Let not Hezekiah deceive you; for he shall not be 
 able to deliver you. Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, 
 saying. The Lord will surely deliver us : this city shall not be delivered 
 into the hand of the king of Assyria. Hearken not to Hezekiah; for 
 thus saith the king of Ass)Tia, ^Make^^/^ agreement me % a present, 
 and come out to me : ^ and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of 
 
 17 his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern ; until I 
 come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and 
 
 18 wine, a land of bread and vineyards. Beware lest Hezekiah persuade 
 you, saying. The Lord will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the 
 
 1 9 nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria ? Where 
 are the gods of ^ Hamath and Arphad ? where are the gods of Sepharvaim ? 
 
 20 and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who are they among 
 all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, 
 that ^ the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? 
 
 12 
 
 B. C. 710. 
 
 Aramean. 
 
 8 Make with 
 me a bless- 
 ing. Or, 
 i-euk my 
 f tvour by 
 a present. 
 Gen. 33. 11. 
 2 Sam. 8. 6. 
 
 <i 1 Ki. 4. 25. 
 Song 4. 1:'. 
 Mic. 4. 4. 
 Zech. 3. 10. 
 
 * Num. 31.8. 
 Josh. 13. 5. 
 2 Ki. 8. 9. 
 2 Ki. 17.21. 
 30. 
 
 2 Ki. 18. 34. 
 2 Ki. 19. 12, 
 13. 
 
 Jer. 49. 23. 
 / Ex. 5. 2. 
 2 Ki. 19. 22. 
 I'S. 60. 21. 
 Fs. 73. 8, 9. 
 ch. 37. 23. 
 Dan. 3. 15. 
 Eev. 13. e. 
 
 11. Speak ... in the Syrian language — 
 
 rather, Aramean. Tlie language spoken north 
 and east of Palestine, and understood by the As- 
 syrians as belonging to the same family of languages 
 as their own, nearly akin to Hebrew also, though 
 not intelligible to the multitude (of. 2 Ki. v. 5-7). 
 ' ram means a high land, and includes parts of 
 \ssyria as well as Syria, speak . . . the Jews' 
 language. The men of Judah, since the disrup- 
 tion of Israel, claimed the Hehrcio as their own 
 I*eculiarly, being now the only true representa- 
 tive of the whole Hebrew Twelve tribes, in the 
 ears of the people that (are) on the wall. The 
 interview was v»'ithin hearing distance of the city. 
 The people crowded on the w^all, curious to hear 
 the Assyrian message. The Jewish rulers fear 
 that it will terrify the people, and therefore 
 beg Piabshakeh to speak Aramean. 12. Hath my 
 master sent me to thy master, &c. ?— Is it to thy 
 master and thee that I am sent ? Nay, it is to the 
 men on the vxiU, to let them know (so far am I 
 from wishing them not to hear, as you would wish), 
 that unless they surrender, they shall be reduced 
 to the direst extremities of famine in the siege 
 (2 Chr. xxxii. 11, explains the words here) — viz., 
 to eat their own excrements ; or, connecting, 
 "that they may eat," &c., with "sit uxjon the 
 wall ; " who, as they hold the wall instead of sur- 
 rendering, are knowingly exposing themselves to 
 the direst extremities (Maurer). Isaijih, as a 
 faithful historian, records the filthy and blas- 
 phemous language of the Assyrians, to mark 
 aright the true character of the attack on 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 13. Ilabshakeh speaks louder and plainer than 
 ever to the men on the wall. 15. The foes of 
 God's peoy)le cannot succeed against them, unless 
 thev can shake their trust in Him (cf. v. 10). 16. 
 Make (an agreement) with me (by) a present— 
 'Make peace with me;' lit., hlessing, Hebrew, 
 herakah; so called from the mutual congratiila- 
 tiom attending the ratification of peace. So the 
 Chaldaic. Or else, ' Do homage to me ' {Horsley) . 
 VOL. II L 673 
 
 come out to me— surrender to me ; then you may 
 remain in quiet possession of your lands till my 
 return from Egypt, when I will lead you away to 
 a land fruitful as your own. Eabshakeh tries to 
 soften, in the eyes of the Jews, the well-known 
 Assyrian policy of weakening the vanquished by 
 deporting them to other lauds. Cf. the Egyptian 
 poHcy, Gen. xlvii. 21, with the Assyrian, 2 Ki. 
 xvii. 6. 19. Hamath and Arphad— (note, ch. x. 
 9.) Sepharvaim— lit., the two scribes. The same 
 as Sipphara, on the east of Euplirates, above 
 Babylon, near the modern Mosaib. Berosus 
 (' Fragm. Hist. Gr.,' ii. 501 ; iv. 280) mentions 
 Sippara as the place where Xithrus (Noah) 
 buried the records of the antediluvian world at 
 the time of the deluge, whence his posterity 
 afterwards recovered them. The dual form 
 refers to there being two Sipyjaras, one on either 
 side of the river. The inscriptions call it Tsipar 
 sha shamas, ' Sippara of the sun. ' Adrammelech 
 and Anamelech, the gods of Sepharvaim' (2 Ki. 
 xvii. 31), answer to the male, or active, and the 
 female, or passive xiowers of the sun {G. Rawlin- 
 son). Colonists of Sepharvaim were planted in 
 the land of Israel (thenceforth called Samaria)' 
 by the Assyrian conqueror (2 Ki. xvii. 24: cf. 
 2 Ki. xviii. 34). Samaria. Shalmaneser began 
 the siege against Hoshea because of his conspiring 
 with So of Egypt (2 Ki. xvii. 4). Sargon finished 
 it ; and in his palace at Khorsabad has mentioned 
 the number of Israelites carried captive— 27,280. 
 How just the retribution in kind, that Israel, hav- 
 ing chosen the gods of Hamath and Sepharvaim, 
 should be sent to Hamath and Sepharvaim as their 
 place of exile, and that the people of Hamath 
 and Sepharvaim should be sent to the land of 
 Israel to replace the Israelites ! (Prov, i. 31 ; Jer. 
 ii. 19.) 20. Who (are they) &c.? (Cf. ch. x. 11 ; 2 
 Chr. xxxii. 19.) Here he virtually contradicts his 
 own assertion {v. 10), that he had ' come up against 
 the land with the Lord.' Liars need good memo- 
 ries. He classes Jehovah with the idols of the 
 other lands ; nay, thinks Him inferior in proper- 
 2x 
 
Rezekiali sendeth 
 
 ISAIAH XXXVIL 
 
 to Isaiah. 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 37 
 
 But they held their peace, and ^answered him not a word: for the 
 king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not. 
 
 Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, 
 and Shebna the scribe, and Jeah the son of Asaph, the recorder, to 
 Hezekiah with ^ their clothes rent, and told liim the words of Rabshakeh. 
 
 AND " it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his 
 clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went *into the house of 
 the Lord. And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and 
 Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, 
 unto Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. And they said unto him. 
 Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of ^rebuke, and 
 of ^ blasphemy : for the children are come to the birth, and there is not 
 strength to bring forth. It may be the Lord thy God will hear the w^ords 
 of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach 
 the living God, and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath 
 heard : wherefore * lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is ^ left. 
 6 So tlie servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said unto 
 them. Thus shall ye eay unto your master, Thus saith the Lord, Be not 
 afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the 
 king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will ^ send a blast upon 
 him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will 
 cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. 
 
 So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against 
 •^Libnah : for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish. And he 
 heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come forth to 
 
 tion as Judah, under His tutelage, was less than 
 the lands imder the tvitelage of the idols. 
 
 21. answered 'hXm. not a word— so as not to enter 
 into a war of words with the blasphemer (Exod. 
 xiv. 14 ; Jude 9). 
 
 22. clothes rent— 'in grief and horror at the 
 blasphemy (Matt. xxvi. 65). 
 
 Remarks. — The godly do not escape their share 
 of the trials which abound in this life of proba- 
 tion. Even good King Hezekiah, of whom it is 
 testified that " he did that which was right in 
 the sight of the Lord, according to all that David 
 his father had done," was threatened with destruc- 
 tion by the overwhelming hosts of Sennacherib. 
 Trust in Egypt was the great weakness of which 
 the Jewish nation was guilty at that time. But 
 there was also a godly party, of whom the king 
 was the leader, and who trusted in Jehovah. 
 Babshakeh well said of the former trust, that 
 Egypt was but a broken reed to lean on. But of 
 trust in Jehovah he tried to rob the godly, 
 through misrepresentation of the pious act of their 
 king in removing the unlawful high places and 
 altars to God, and in insisting on a return to the 
 law, which commanded that all should worship 
 before the altar at Jerusalem {v. 7). 
 
 CHAP. XXXVIL 1-38.— Continuation of the 
 Narrative in Ch. xxxvi. 
 
 1. sackcloth— (note, ch. xx. 2.) house of the 
 Lord — the sure resort of God's people in distress 
 (Ps. Ixxiii. 16, 17 ; Ixxvii. 13). 2. unto Isaiah— im- 
 plying the importance of the prophet's position at 
 the time.; the chief .officers of the court are de- 
 puted to wait on him (of. 2 Ki. xxii. 12-14). 3. 
 a day . . . of rebuke —i.e., the Lord's rebuke for 
 His people's sins (Hos. v. 9). blasphemy— blas- 
 phemous railing of Rabshakeh. the children . . . 
 not strength to bring forth— a proverbial expres- 
 sion for, We are in the most extreme danger, and 
 have no jiower to avert it (cf. note, Hos. xiii. 13). 
 4. hear — take cognizance of them (2 Sam. xvi. 
 J 2). reprove— will punish him for the words, &c. 
 074 
 
 (Ps. 1. 21). remnant that is left— the two tribes 
 of the kingdom of Judah, Israel being already cap- 
 tive. Isaiah is entreated to act as intercessor with 
 God. 
 
 6. servants of the king Qf Assyria— Zii. , the 
 youths, boys, mere lads, implying disparagement. 
 The Hebrew (nahareey) is different from that for 
 "servants" [habdeey) in v. 5. have blasphemed 
 me— (ch. xxxvi. 20.) The blasphemy is not merely 
 against you; it is against me. This is a pledge 
 that I must vindicate my honour against them, 
 and save you. 7. blast— or . else, 'I will put a 
 spirit (ch. xxviii. 6 ; 1 Ki. xxii. 28) into him ; t e., 
 so influence his judgment that when he hears the 
 report {v. 9, concerning Tirhakah), he shall return 
 {Gesenius) ; tlie " rumour" also of the destruction of 
 his army at Jerusalem, reaching Sennacherib, 
 whilst he was in the south-west of Palestine on 
 the borders of Egypt, led him to retreat. The 
 English version seems to me more spirited and 
 more in accordance with the parallelism: "a 
 blast" answering to "a rumour in the parallel 
 clause. The rumour was like a deadly ll<xst from 
 the Lord, blighting his hoj)es. Cf. as to the anti- 
 type, the wilful king, Dan. xi. 44, *' tidings out of 
 the east and out of the north shall trouble him." 
 by the sword— (y. 38 : cf. Nah. i. 9-13.) 
 
 8. So Rabshakeh returned — to the camp of his 
 master. Libnah — meaning whiteness, the Blanche- 
 garde of the Crusaders (Stanley). Eusebius and 
 Jerome place it more south, in the district of 
 Eleutheropolis, ten miles north-west of Lachish, 
 which Sennacherib had captured (note, ch. xxxvi. 
 2). Libnah was in Judah, and given to the priests 
 (1 Chr. vi. 54, 57). 9. Tirhakah (see notes, chs. 
 xvii. 12 — xviii. 6) — written in the hieroglyphics 
 ' Teharka :' Taracus in Manetho. He succeeded 
 Shebek II., and ruled ov«r Egypt and Ethiopia, 
 holding his court in the latter. Egypt was in part 
 governed by three successive Ethiopian monarchs, 
 for forty or fifty years: Sabacho, Sevechus, and 
 Tirhakah^ Sevechus retired from Lower Egypt, 
 
The prayer 
 
 ISAIAH XXXVII. 
 
 of Ilezekiah. 
 
 make war with thee: and when he heard it, he sent messengers to 
 
 10 Hezekiah, saying, Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah kingof Judah, saying, 
 Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem 
 
 11 shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, thou 
 hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying 
 
 12 them utterly, and shalt thou be delivered? Have the gods of the nations 
 delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and ^Haran, 
 
 13 and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar? Where is 
 the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city 
 of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah ? 
 
 14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and 
 read it : and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread 
 
 15, it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed *unto the Lord, saying, 0 
 16 Lord of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest ^between the cherubim, thou 
 art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth ; thou hast 
 
 B. C. 710. 
 
 Oen. 11. 31. 
 Oen. 29. 4. 
 lize. 27. 23. 
 Acts. r. 2. 
 ch. 30. 19. 
 Jer. 49. 23. 
 
 1 Sam. 7. 8. 
 9. 
 
 2H^ni. 7.19. 
 
 2 Ki. 19. 16, 
 19. 
 
 2 Chr.14.11. 
 Tan. 9. 3.4. 
 I'hil. 4. 6,7. 
 Ex. 2'). 22. 
 1 Sam. 4. 4. 
 Ps. so. 1. 
 Heb. 4. 10. 
 
 owing to the resistance of the priests, whereupon 
 Sethos, a priuce-priest, obtained supreme power, 
 with Tanis (Zoan, in Scripture), or Memphis, as 
 his capital The Ethiopians retained Upper Egypt 
 under Tirhakah, with Thebes as the capital. Tir- 
 hakah's fame as a conqueror rivalled that of 
 Sesostris. His deeds are recorded in a temx)le at 
 Medineet Haboo, but the jealousy of the Memphites 
 (^Wilkinson, i, 141, 'Ancient Egypt') concealed 
 his assistance, and attributed the deliverance of 
 Sethos to an army of mice [Herodotus, ii. 141 : a 
 mouse being the emblem of destruction, 1 Sam. 
 vi. 18). He and one at least of the Pharaoh's of 
 Lower Egypt (Sethos, the king-priest of Pthah) 
 were Hezekiah's allies against Assyria. The tid- 
 ings of his approach made Sennacherib the more 
 anxious to get possession of Jerusalem before his 
 arrival. It was through fear of him that Sen- 
 nacherib raised the seige of Pelusium ; and was 
 now on his way homeward when he " dealt 
 treacherously " with Hezekiah by attacking the 
 stronghold of Lachish (ch. xxxiii. 1). This was 
 the commencement of that second invasion re- 
 specting which the full details are given here (Isa. 
 xxxyi. and xxxvii. ; 2 Ki. xviii. and xix. ; 2 Chr. 
 xxxii. 9, 10). That there were tv)0 invasions is 
 clear from the details of the first given in the 
 Assyrian monuments (Farrar in Smith's ' Diction- 
 ary of the Bible'). Cf. RavMnson, Herodotus, i. 
 477. sent — 2 Ki. xix. 9 more fully expresses 
 Sennacherib's eagerness by adding "again." 10. 
 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah. He tries to 
 influence Hezekiah himself, as liabshakeh had 
 addressed the people. Let not thy God . . . de- 
 ceive thee— (cf. Num. xxiii. 19.) 11. all lands— 
 (ch. xiv. 17.) He does not dare to enumerate 
 Egypt in the list. 12. Gozan — in Mesopotamia, 
 on the Chabour (2 Ki. xvii. 6; xviii. 11). Gozan 
 is the name of the district, Chabour of the river. 
 Haran- more to the west. Abraham removed to 
 it from XJr (Gen. xi. 31), the Carrce of the Romans, 
 Rezeph — farther west, in Syria. Eden— there is 
 an ancient village, A dna, north of Bagdad. Some 
 think Eden to be the name of a region (of Meso- 
 potamia or its vicinity) in which was Paradise ; 
 I*aradise was not Eden itself (Gen. ii. 8, ' a garden 
 in Eden). Telassar— now Tel-afer, west of Mosul 
 (Layard). Tel means a hill in Arabic and As- 
 syrian names. 13. Hena . . . Ivah— in Babylonia. 
 From Ava colonists had been brought to Samaria 
 (2 Ki. xvii. 24). 
 
 14. spread it before the Lord— unrolled the scroll 
 of writing. God ' knows our necessities before we 
 ask Him, but He delights in our unfolding them 
 to Him with filial confidence. So Jehoshapat, 2 
 Chr. XX. 3, U-13. 16. 0 Lord of hosts, God of 
 675 
 
 Israel, that dwellest — the Shechiuah, or fiery 
 symbol of God's presence, dwelling in the temple 
 with His people, is from Shachan, to dwell (Exod, 
 XXV. 22 ; Ps. Ixxx. 1 ; xcix. 1). (between) the 
 cherubim — derived by transposition from either 
 a Hebrew root, ' Bachab,' to ride; or rather, 
 ' Barach,' to bless. They were formed out of the 
 same mass of pure gold as the mercyseat itself, 
 (Exod. XXV. 19, marg.) The phrase, "dwellest 
 between the cherubim," arose from their position 
 at each end of the mercyseat, while the Sbechi- 
 nah, and the awful name, Jehovah, in written 
 letters, were in the intervening space. They 
 are so inseparably associated with the mani- 
 festation of God's glory, that whether the Lord 
 is at rest or in motion, they always are mentioned 
 with Him (Num. vii. 89 ; Ps. xviii. 10). (1.) They 
 are first mentioned. Gen. iii. 24, ' on the edge of ' 
 (as ' on the east,' may be translated) Eden. The 
 Hebrew for "placed" is properly to 'place in a 
 tabernacle,' which implies that this was a local 
 tabernacle in which the symbols of God's presence 
 were manifested suitably to the altered circum- 
 stances in which man, after the fall, came before 
 God. It was here that Cain and Abel, and the 
 patriarchs down to the flood, x)resented their 
 offerings; and it is called "the presence of the 
 Lord" (Gen. iv. 16). When those symbols were 
 removed, at the close of that early patriarchal dis- 
 pensation, small models of them were made for 
 domestic use, called in Chaldee, Seraphim or 
 Teraphim. (2.) The cherubim in the Mosaic 
 tabernacle and Solomon's temple were the same 
 in form as those at the outskirts of Eden : com- 
 pound figures, combining the distinguishing pro- 
 perties of several creatures : the ox, chief among 
 the tame and useful animals ; the lion, chief 
 among the wild ones ; the eagle, chief among 
 birds ; and man, the head of all (the original 
 headship of man over the animal kingdom, about 
 to be restored in Jesus Christ, Ps. viii. 4-8, is 
 also implied in this combination). They are 
 throughout Scripture represented as distinct from 
 God ; they could not be likenesses of Him, which 
 He forbade in any shape. (3.) They are intro- 
 duced in the third or Gospel dispensation (Eev. iv. 
 6), as [^wa] living creatures (not " beasts," as the 
 English version), not angels, but beings closely 
 connected with the redeemed Church. So also in 
 Ezek. i. and x. Thus, throughout the three dis- 
 pensations, they seem to be symbols oT those who 
 in every age should officially study and proclaim the 
 manifold wisdom of God. They represent also the 
 ruling powers by which God acts in the natural and 
 the mmal world, thou (art) the God, (even) thou 
 alone, of all tbe kingdoms of tbe eartli— ' thou 
 
Isaiah prophesieth the 
 
 ISAIAH XXXVII. 
 
 destruction of Sennacherib. 
 
 17 made heaven and earth. Incline ^Hhine ear, 0 Lord, and hear; open 
 thine eyes, 0 Lord, and see ; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which 
 
 18 liath sent to reproach the living God. Of a truth. Lord, the kings of 
 
 19 Assyria have laid waste all the ^ nations, and their countries, and have 
 ^ cast their gods into the fire : for they were no gods, but the work of 
 
 20 men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them. Now 
 tlierefore, 0 Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms 
 of the earth may know that thou art the Lord, even thou only. 
 
 21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying. Thus saith 
 the Lord God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sen- 
 
 22 nacherib king of Assyria : this is the word which the Lord hath spoken 
 concerning him ; 
 
 The virgin, the daughter of Ziou, hath despised thee, 
 A nd laughed thee to scorn ; 
 
 The daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee. 
 
 23 Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed ; 
 And against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, 
 
 And lifted up thine eyes on higli ? — even against the Holy One of Israel. 
 ^By thy servants hast tliou reproached the Lord, and hast said, 
 By the multitude of my chariots am I come up 
 To the height of the m.ountains, to the sides of Lebanon ; 
 And I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof : 
 And I will enter into the height of his border, and forest of his Carmel. 
 I have digged, and drunk water ; 
 
 And with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the 
 ^ besieged places. 
 
 24 
 
 25 
 
 B. C. 710. 
 
 2 Chr. 6. 40. 
 
 Job 36. 7. 
 
 Ps. 17, 6. 
 
 Fs. 71. 2. 
 
 Ps. 130. 1,2. 
 
 Dan. 9. V*. 
 
 1 Pet. 3. U. 
 * lands. 
 » given. 
 
 6 By the 
 hand of thy 
 servants. 
 
 7 the tallness 
 of the 
 cedars 
 thereof, 
 and the 
 choice of 
 the fir 
 trees 
 thereof, 
 ch. 10. 18. 
 Eze. 31. 3. 
 Dan. 4. 8, 
 
 It. 
 
 Zech U. 1, 
 2. 
 
 8 Or. the 
 forest ;ind 
 his fru.'.ful 
 field. 
 
 9 Or, fence I 
 a; :d closed. 
 
 art He who alone art God of all the kingdoms;' 
 whereas Sennacherib had classed Jehovah with 
 the heathen gods. Hezekiah asserts the nothing- 
 ness of the latter and the sole lordship of the 
 former. 17. Incline thine ear ... open thine 
 eyes— singular, plural. When we wish to hear a 
 thing we lend one ear ; when we wish to see a 
 thing we open both eyes. 18. the kings of Assyria 
 have laid waste — conceding the truth of the 
 Assyrian's allegation (ch. xxxvi. 18-20), that the 
 gods of the heathen kingdoms had not delivered 
 them out of his hand; but adding the reason, 
 " for they were no gods." 19. cast their gods into 
 the fire. The policy of the Assyrians, in order to 
 alienate the conquered peoples from their own 
 countries, w^as both to deport them elsewhere 
 and to destroy the tutelary idols of their nation, 
 the strongest tie which bound them to their 
 native laud. The Roman i3olicy was just the 
 reverse : they admitted all the gods of the con- 
 quered countries into the Roman Pantheon. 20. 
 O Lord our God, save us from his hand, &c. The 
 strongest argument to plead before God in prayer, 
 the honour of God, which requires to be vindicated 
 before the world by His interposition (Exod. xxxii. 
 12-14 ; Ps. Ixxxiii. 18 ; Dan. ix. 18, 19). I 
 
 21. Whereas thou hast prayed to me— i. e., hast 
 not relied on thy own strength, but on me (cf. 2 
 Ki. xix. 20, "That which thou hast prayed to me 
 against Sennacherib, &c., I have heard:" Ps. 
 Ixv. 2). 
 
 22. The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath 
 despised thee, &c. Transition to poetry : in paral- 
 lelism, virgin . . . daughter— honourable terms. 
 *' Virgin" implies that the city is, as yet, inviolate. 
 "Daughter" is an abstract collective feminine 
 personification of the population, the child of the 
 place denoted (note, chs. xxiii. 10 ; i. 8) : Zion and 
 her inhabitants, shaken her head at thee— in 
 scorn (Ps. xxii 7 ; cix. 25 ; Matt, xxvii. 39). 
 
 With us to shake the head is a sign of denial or 
 displeasure ; but gestures have different meanings 
 in different countries (ch. Iviii. 9 ; Ezek. xxv. (i ; 
 Zeph. ii. 15). 23. Whom hast thou reproached? — 
 Not an idol. 24. hast thou . . . said—virtually. 
 Hast thou said within thyself. height of the 
 mountains, to the sides of Lebanon — imagery 
 from the Assyrian felling of trees in Lebanon (ch. 
 xiv. 8; xxxiii. 9); figurative for, 'I have carried 
 my victorious army through the regions most diffi- 
 cult of access, to the most remote lands.' fii" 
 trees — not cypresses, as some translate. Pine 
 foliage and cedars are still found on the north- 
 west side of Lebanon [Stanley). The Chaldaic 
 paraphrases, ' I will ascend to the stronghold of 
 their cities, and moreover I will take the house of 
 their sanctuary ("Lebanon"), and I will kill the 
 fairest among their brave men ' (answering to the 
 tall cedars), the height of his border— in 2 Ki. 
 xix. 23, "the lodgings of his borders." Perhaps 
 on the ascent to the top there was a place of 
 repose or caravansera, which bounded the usual 
 attempts of persons to ascend {Barnes). Here, 
 simply, 'its extreme height;' 'the height of his 
 summit' (Vulgate), the forest of his Carmel— 
 I or else, 'its thickest forest.' Carmel expresses 
 thick luxuriance (note, ch. x. 18 ; xxix. 17). The 
 Chaldaic paraphrases, ' the multitude of their 
 army.' 25. I have digged, and drunk water. In 
 2 Ki. xix. 24, it is ''strange waters." I have 
 marched into foreign lands, where I had to dig 
 wells for the supply of my armies ; even the natural 
 destitution of water there did not impede my 
 march, with the sole of my feet . . . rivers of 
 the besieged places— or else, 'the streams (arti- 
 ficial canals from the Nile) of Egypt' (Yeoreey 
 Matzor, another form of Mizraim). Sennacherib 
 thus alludes to his recent expedition against 
 Egypt. But he suppresses his forced retreat from 
 Peiusium. " With the sole of my foot " expresses 
 
Uaiah prophesiet/i the 
 
 ISAIAH XXXVIL 
 
 destruction of Sennacherib. 
 
 26 Hast thou not Keard long ago, how I have done it; 
 And of ancient times, that I have formed it? 
 
 Kow have I brought it to pass, 
 
 That thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous licaps. 
 
 27 Therefore their inhabitants were ^^of small power, 
 They were dismayed and confounded : 
 
 They were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, 
 As the grass on the house-tops, — and as corn blasted before it be grown up. 
 But I know thy ^^abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, 
 iVnd thy rage against me. 
 
 Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears; 
 Therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, — and my bridle in thy lips, 
 And I will turn thee hack by the way by which thou camest. 
 
 And this shall be a sign unto thee, 
 Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself ; 
 And the second year that which springeth of the same ; 
 And in the third year sow ye, and reap. 
 And plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof. 
 
 31 And ^^the remnant that, is escaped of the house of Judali 
 Shall again take root downward, — and bear fruit upward 
 
 32 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant. 
 And they that escape out of mount Zion : 
 The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this. 
 
 28 
 
 29 
 
 30 
 
 B. C. 7ir>. 
 
 loOr, Ha.st~ 
 thou not 
 heard ho'.v 
 
 1 have 
 made it 
 long ajio, 
 and furm- 
 ftd it of 
 ar,ciei;t 
 times ? 
 should I 
 now bring 
 it to be 
 laid waste, 
 and de- 
 fenced 
 cities to 
 be ruinous 
 heaps ? as 
 
 2 Ki. 19. 25. 
 
 11 short of 
 hand. 
 
 12 Or, 
 silting. 
 
 la the escap- 
 ing of tlie 
 house of 
 Judah that 
 remaineth. 
 
 that as soon as his vast armies marched into a 
 region, the streams were drunk up by them ; or 
 rather, that the rivers proved no obstruction to the 
 onward march of his armies. So ch. xix. 5, 6, 
 referring to Egypt, "the river . . . brooks of defence 
 shall . , . be dried up." i7ors/ey translates the He- 
 brew for "besieged places," 7vcks. But the LXX., 
 Vulgate, Chaldaic, Arabic, and Syriac, all siippoit 
 in the main the English version. 
 
 26. Reply of God to Sennacherib. Hast thou 
 not heard long ago, {how) I have done it ?— join, 
 rather, with "I have done it." Thou dost boast 
 that it is all by thj counsel and might ; but it is / 
 who, long ago, have ordered it so (ch. xxii. 11) ; 
 thou wast but the instrument in my hands (ch. x. 
 
 5, 15). This was the reason why ' the inhabitants 
 were of small power before thee ' {v. 27) — viz., that 
 I ordered it so ; vet thou art in my hands, and I 
 know thy ways (v. 28), and I will check thee {v. 
 29). Connect also (and) of ancient times, that I 
 have formed it — ' I fro^n ancient times have ar- 
 ra,nged ("formed") it.' Cf. ch. xxxiii. 13; xlv, 
 
 6, 21 ; xlviii. 5. 27. Therefore— Not because of 
 thy power, but because I made them unable to 
 withstand thee. (as) the grass — which easily 
 withers (ch. xl. 6; Ps. xxxvii. 2). on the house- 
 tops — which, having little earth to nourish it, 
 fades soonest (Ps. exxix. 6-8). corn blasted before 
 it be grown up. 28. I know thy abode— rather, 
 thg sitting down (Ps. cxxxix. 2) ; Hebrew, Shihh- 
 teka. thy going out, and thy coming in. The 
 expressions here describe a man's whole course of 
 life (Deut. vi. 7 ; xxviii. 6; 1 Ki. iii. 7 ; Ps. cxxi. 
 8). There is also a special reference to Sen- 
 nacherib's first being at home, then going forth 
 against Judah and Egypt, and (thy rage against 
 me) raging against fJehovah {v. 4). 29. thy 
 tumult— insolence. Properly the blustering inso- 
 lence which tranquillity or prosi>erity begets^ 
 
 from shaan, to be tranquil; or shaali, to be 
 tumultuous}, therefore will I put my hook in 
 thy nose— like a wild beast led by a ring through 
 the nose, he shall be forced back to his own 
 country (cf. Job xli, 1, 2 ; Ezek. xix. 4; xxix. 4). 
 
 Herein Sennacherib is a type of the last Anti- 
 christ, of whom the same is said (Ezek. xxxviii. 
 4). In a bas-relief of Khorsabad, captives are led 
 before the king by a cord attached to a hook, 
 or ring, passing through the under lii3, or the upper 
 lip and nose. 
 
 30. Addressed to Hezekiah. this (shall be) a 
 sign — a token which, when fulfilled, would assui-e 
 him of the truth of the whole prophecy as to the 
 enemy's overthrow. Ye shall eat (this) year, 
 &c. The two years, in which they were sustained 
 by the spontaneous growth of the earth, Avere 
 (according to RosenmiiUer) the two in which Judea 
 had been already ravaged by Sennacherib (ch. 
 xxxii. 10). Thus translate, 'Yq did eat (the first 
 year) such as groweth of itself, and in the second 
 year that which springeth of the same, but in this 
 third year sow ye,' &c., for in this year the land 
 shall be delivered from the foe. The fact that Sen- 
 nacherib moved away his camp immediately after, 
 so that the Jews would have nothing to prevent 
 their sowing that year, in this viev/ shows that the 
 first two years refer to the past, not to the future. 
 Others, referring the first two years to the future, 
 get over the difficulty of Sennacherib's speedy 
 departure, by supposing that year to have been the 
 Sabbatical year, and the second year the Jubilee : 
 no indication of this appears in the context. The 
 Englisii version seems best. The invaders had 
 destroyed the harvest of that year, and it was 
 either too late to sow for the second year, or they 
 had not enough seed corn to spare above food for 
 sowing, so that year they must depend on the 
 spontaneous growth of corn, the next year also on 
 what of itself sprang from the same, then for the 
 third year they sho.uld sow and reap. The fulfil- 
 ment of this promise woidd be'' a sign " or pledge that 
 the Assyrian army ivas entirely icithdrawn, aiid 
 that henceforth they should have nothing to fear from 
 that quarter. 31. the remnant that is escaped 
 of the house of Judah. Judah remained after the 
 ten tribes were carried away : also those of J udah 
 who should survive Sennacherib's invasion are 
 meant. 
 
The destruction 
 
 ISAIAH XXXVII. 
 
 of the Assyrlam 
 
 33 Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, 
 He shall not come into this cit}'', — nor shoot an arrow there, 
 Nor conie before it with shields, 
 
 Nor cast a bank against it. 
 
 34 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return. 
 And shall not come into this city, saith the Lord. 
 
 35 For I will 'defend this city to save it. 
 
 For mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake. 
 
 36 Then the ™ angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in th« camp of 
 the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand : and when 
 
 37 they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. So 
 Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt 
 
 B. o. no. 
 
 1* shield. 
 ' 2 Ki. 20. 6. 
 
 ch. 27. 3. 
 
 ch. 31. 5. 
 
 ch. 38. 6, 
 
 Ex. 12. 23. 
 
 2 Sam. 24. 16. 
 
 2 Ki. 19. 35. 
 
 1 Chr. 21.12, 
 IG. 
 
 2 Chr. 32.21, 
 2!. 
 
 Ps. 35. 5. 6. 
 Acts 12. 23. 
 
 ' 33. He shall not come . . . before it -with shields. 
 
 He did come near it, but was not allowed to 
 conduct a proper siege, nor cast a bank against 
 it — a mound to defend the assailants in attacking 
 the walls. Sennacherib did hem it in with towers 
 at the first invasion, as we know from the inscrip- 
 tions, but not at the second invasion. Sir H. 
 RaioUnson thus reads the inscription as to the 
 former, ' Because Hczekiah, king of Judah, would 
 not submit to my yoke, I came up against him, 
 and by force of arms, and by the might of my 
 power, I took forty-six of his fenced cities, and of 
 smaller towns scattered about I took a countless 
 number. And 1 carried off as spoil 200,150 people. 
 And Hezekiah himself I shut up in Jerusalem, his 
 capital city, like a bird in a cage, building towers 
 round the city to hem him in. Then upon this 
 Hezekiah there fell the fear of the power of my 
 arms, and he sent out to me the chiefs of Jerusalem 
 with 30 talents of gold and 800 talents of silver.' 
 34. By the way that he came, &c.— (see vv. 29, 
 37; ch. xxix. 5-8.) 35. I will defend this city. 
 Notwithstanding Hezekiah^s measures of defence 
 (2 Chr, xxxii. 3-5), Jehovah was its true defender, 
 for mine own sake — since Jehovah's name was 
 blasphemed by Sennacherib {v. 23). for my 
 servant David's sake — on account of His promise 
 to David (Ps. cxxxii. 17, 18), and to Messiah, the 
 heir of David's throne (chs. ix. 7; xi. 1). 
 
 36. Then the angel of the Lord went forth, &c. 
 Some attribute the destruction to the agency of 
 the plague (note, ch. xxxiii. 24), which may have 
 caused Hezekiah's sickness, narrated immediately 
 after; but ch. xxxiii. 1, 4, proves that the Jews 
 spoiled the corpses, v/hich they would not have 
 dared to do, had there been on them infection of a 
 plague. The secondary agency seems, from chs. 
 xxix. 6; XXX. 30, to have been a storm of hail, 
 thunder, and lightning (cf. Exod. ix. 22-25). The 
 simoom belongs rather to Africa and Arabia than 
 Palestine, and ordinarily could not produce such a 
 destructive effect. Some few of the army, as 2 
 Chr. xxxii. 21, seems to imply, survived and 
 accompanied Sennacherib home. Herodotus (ii. 
 141) gives an account confirming Scripture in so far 
 as the sudden discomfiture of the Assyrian army 
 is concerned. The Egyptian priests told him that 
 Sennacherib was forced to retreat from Pelusium 
 owing to a multitude of field-mice, sent by one of 
 their gods, having gnawed the Assyrians' how- 
 strings and shield-straps. Cf. the language {v. 33), 
 ' he shall not shoot an arrow there, nor come before 
 it with shields^'' which the Egyptians corrupted 
 into their version of the story. Sennacherib was 
 at the time with a part of his army, not at Jeru- 
 salem, but on the Egyptian frontier, south-west of 
 Palestine, The sudden destruction of the host 
 near Jerusalem, a considerable part of his whole 
 army, as well as the advance of the Ethiopian 
 Tirhakah, induced him to retreat, which the 
 678 
 
 Egyptians accounted for in a way honouring to their 
 own gods. The mouse was the Egyptian emblem of 
 destruction. The Greek Apollo was called Srnin- 
 thian, from a Cretan word for a mouse: as a tutelary 
 god of agriculture, he was represented with one foot 
 upon a mouse, since field mice hurt corn (cf. 1 Sam. 
 VI. 18). Farrer, howev^er, thinks the reimlse of Sen- 
 nacherib from Pelusium was in the first invasion, 
 and not in this second one, and was due to the ad- 
 vance of Tirhakah, the ally of Sethos and Hezekiah, 
 Egyptian fable may, nevertheless, have drawn 
 from the miraculous destruction of Sennacherib's 
 host at Jerusalem in the second invasion the mar- 
 vellous colouring which they gave to his repulse 
 at Pelusium in tlie first invasion. The two events 
 may have become confused together in the ac- 
 counts. The Assyrian inscriptions, of course, 
 sui)press their own defeat, but nowhere boast of 
 having taken Jerusalem ; and the only reason to 
 be given for Sennacherib not having, amidst his 
 many subsequent expeditions recorded in the 
 monuments, returned to Judah, is the terrible 
 calamity he had sustained there, which convinced 
 him that Hezekiah was under the Divine protec- 
 tion. Rawlinson says. In Sennacherib's account of 
 his wars with Hezekiah, inscribed with cuneiform 
 characters in the hall of the palace of Kouyunjik, 
 built by him (140 feet long by 120 broad), wherein 
 even the Jewish physiognomy of the captives is 
 portrayed, there occurs a remarkable passage ; 
 after his mentioning his taking 200,000 captive 
 Jews, he adds, ' Then I prayed unto God ; the 
 only instance of an inscription wherein the name 
 of God occurs without a heathen adjunct. The 
 46th Psalm probably commemorates Judah's de- 
 liverance. It occurred in one "night," according 
 to 2 Ki. xix. 35, with which Isaiah's words, "when 
 they arose early in the morning,''^ &c., are in unde- 
 signed coincidence, when they arose early . . . 
 behold, they (were) all dead corpses— " they . . , 
 they," the Jews, the Assyrians. G. Rawlinsmx 
 thinks the destruction was not near Jerusalem, 
 but at Libnah, on the borders of Egypt. His reason 
 is the words, Sennacherib * shall not come before 
 this city with shield, nor cast a bank against it ' {v. 
 33). But Rabshakeh did come near it with "a 
 great army" (ch. xxxvi. 2), However, Eabshakeh 
 returned, and perhaps with him the army (ch. 
 xxxvii. 8), and found Sennacherib at Libnah. 
 Thus " they . . . they " will be respectively the 
 surviving Assyrians with Sennacherib, and the 
 smitten Assyrians. 37. Sennacherib . . . dwelt 
 in Nineveh — for about eighteen or twenty years 
 after his disaster, according to the inscriptions. 
 The twenty-second year of his reigu has been 
 found on them, and none subsequent. The canon 
 of Ptolemy fixes his accession to 702 B.C., and the 
 accession of Esar-haddon to 680 b.c— i. e., about 
 eighteen years after the second invasion in 698 
 B.C. The word "dwelt" is consistent with any 
 
The sickness 
 
 ISAIAH XXXVIII. 
 
 of Ilezekiah. 
 
 38 at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of 
 Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with 
 the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esar- 
 haddon his son reigned in his stead. 
 
 38 IN "those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiali the pro- 
 phet, the son of Amoz, came unto him, and said unto, him, Thus saith 
 the Lord, ^ Set thine house in order : for thou shalt die, and not live. 
 
 2 Then Hezekiah turned liis face toward the wall, and prayed unto the 
 
 3 Lord, and said, ^Remember now, 0 Lord, I beseech thee, how I have 
 walked before thee- in truth and wi-th a perfect heart, and have done- that 
 whkh is good in thy sight: and Hezekiah wept ^sore. 
 
 B. C. 71". 
 
 15 Ararat. 
 Gen. 8. 4. 
 
 CFIAP. 38. 
 " 2 Ki. 1:0. 1. 
 2 Chr.32.24. 
 
 1 Give 
 c!iar^e con- 
 cerning Uiy 
 house. 
 
 6 Neh. 13. 14. 
 
 2 with great 
 weeping. 
 
 indefinite length of time. Nineveh, so called from 
 Niniis — i. e., Nimrod, its founder; his name means 
 exceedingly impious rebel ; he subverted the exist- 
 ing patriarchal order^of society, by setting up a 
 system of chieftainship founded on conquest : the 
 hunting-field was his training school for war ; he 
 was of the race of Ham, and transgressed the 
 limits marked by God (Gen. x. 8-11, 25), encroach- 
 ing on Shem's portion; he abandoned Babel for a 
 timje, after the miraculous confusion of tongues, 
 and went and founded Nineveh ; he was, after 
 death, worshipped 9S Orion the constellation (note, 
 Job ix. 9; xxxviii.. 31). 38. msTOCh — Niar, in 
 Semitic, means eagle: the termination och, means 
 great. The eagle-headed human figure in Assyrian 
 sculptures is no doubt Nisroch, the same 9S 
 Asshur, the chief Assyrian god; the correspond- 
 ing goddess was Asheera, or Astarte: this means a 
 'grove,' or sacred tree, often found as the symbol 
 of the heavenly hosts (Saba) in the sculptures, as 
 Asshur, the Eponymus hero of Assyria (Gen. x. 11), 
 answered to the sun, or Baal, Belus, the title of 
 office, Lord. This explains "image of the grove'^ 
 (2 Ki. xxi. 7). The eagle was worshipped by the 
 ancient Persians and Arabs. Moses of Chorene 
 confirms the Scripture statement, that the two 
 brothers Sharezer and Ardumazanes (as he names 
 him, instead of Adrammelech) fled to Armenia 
 after assassinating Sennacherib, and adds, that 
 their descendants afterwards peopled that part 
 of the country {G. Rawlinson). The cuneiform 
 inscriptions represent Armenia as an independent 
 s-tate generally hostile to Assyria; a confirmation 
 of Isaiah's statement. Esar-haddon. In Ezra iv. 2 
 he is mentioned as having brought colonists into 
 Samaria. He is also thought to have been the king 
 who carried Manasseh captive to Babylon (2 Chr. 
 xxxiii. 11). He built the palace called the south- 
 west palace of Niraroud, He boasts of his Nine- 
 veh palace in the inscriptions, that it was ' a 
 building, such as the kings, his fathers, who went 
 before him, had never made,' and that his temples, 
 no fewer than thirty, were ' shining with silver 
 and gold.' He is the only Assyrian king who 
 reigned in Babylon— thirteen years there, according 
 to the canon of Ptolemy. The Nimroud south- 
 western palace was destroyed by fire, but his name 
 and wars are recorded on the great bulls taken 
 from the building. He obtained his building 
 materials from the north-west palaces of the ancient 
 dynasty, ending in Pul. 
 
 Remarks. — "The house of the Lord" is the re- 
 sort of the saint in his " day of trouble." TherCj 
 in communion with God and with his fellow- 
 saints, he gets a glimpse of the purpose of God's 
 afflictive dealings with him and with the Church. 
 The intercessions of the righteous and of the 
 ministers of God are another instrumentality for 
 averting dangers which threaten to overwhelm us : 
 and as Hezekiah applied to Isaiah, so we do well, 
 when the enemy has already advanced far in his 
 
 course, to enlist our pastors and fellow-believers in 
 a concert of prayer " for the remnant that is left." 
 If our cause be identified with God's cause. His 
 honour is at stake to deliver us from the blas- 
 phemous enemy ; and ws can plead thi^ in prayer, 
 witK the confident assurance of being delivered. 
 The Lord can. in a moment "send a blast upon" 
 the foe, which shall utterly set aside his schemes 
 of injury to the Lord's peovtle.. 
 
 CHAl». XXXVm. 1-22.— Hezekiah's Sick- 
 ness : PERHAPS CONNECTED WITH THE PlAGUE OR 
 
 Blast whereby the Assyrian Army had been 
 Destroyed. But see notes on chs. xxxvi. and 
 xxxvii., in which the theory is advanced by 
 Hincks, that Hezekiah's sickness is out of its right 
 order in our collocation of. Isaiah's text, and that 
 it really came about the. fourteenth year of his 
 reign, when Sargon (not "Sennacherib^" ch, xxxvi. 
 1) the "king of Assyria" came up against Pales- 
 tine (chs. XX. 1, &c. ; xxxvi. 1). So "the four- 
 teenth year" in xxxvi. 1^ is out of its place, and 
 refers to Sargon's futile invasion, eleven years at 
 least before Sennacherib's. 
 
 1. Set thine house in order— Make arrangement 
 as to the Succession to the throne; for he had then 
 no son : and as to thy. other concerns, thou shalt 
 die— speaking according to the ordinary course of 
 the disease. His being spared fifteen years was 
 not a change in God's mind, but an illustration of 
 God's dealings being unchangeably regulated by 
 the state of man in relation to Him. 2. Then 
 Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall. The 
 couches in the East ran along the walls of houses. 
 He turned away from the spectators, to hide his 
 emotion and collect his thoughts for prayer. 3. 
 Remember now, 0 Lord, &c. He mentions his 
 past religious consistency not as a boast, or a 
 ground for justification, but according to the Old 
 Testament dispensation, wherein temporal rewards 
 (as long life, &c., Exod. xx. 12) followed legal 
 obedience, he makes his religious conduct a plea 
 for asking the prolongation of his life, walked— 
 life is a journey : the pious ' walk with God' (Gea. 
 V. 24; 1 Ki. ix. 4). with, a perfect \^^zx%— sincere : 
 not absolutely perfect, but aiming towards it 
 (Matt. V. 45) : single-minded in walking as in the 
 presence of God (Gen. xvii. 1), The letter of the 
 Old Testament legal righteousness was, however, 
 a standard very much below the spirit of the law 
 as unfolded by Christ (Matt. v. 20-48 ; 2 Cor. iii. 
 6, 14, 17). And Hezekiah wept sore. Josephus 
 says the reason why he wept so sorely was that, 
 being childless, he was leaving the kingdom with- 
 out a successor. Mow often our wishes, when 
 gratified, prove curses ! Hezekiah lived to have a 
 son, late in life (for his son was only twelve years 
 old at his accession, 2 Ki. xxi. 1), about three years 
 after Hezekiah's sickness. That son was the idol- 
 ater Manasseh, the chief cause of God's wrath 
 against Judah, and of the overthrow of the king- 
 dom (2 Ki. xxiii. 26, 27). 
 
Hezekiah*s UJe 
 
 ISAIAH XXXVIII. 
 
 is lengthened. \ 
 
 4, Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying, Go and say to 
 
 5 Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy fixther, I have 
 heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days 
 
 6 fifteen years. And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of 
 
 7 the king of Assyria: and "^I will defend this city. And this shall be'^et 
 sign unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he 
 
 8 hath spoken ; Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which 
 is gone down in the ^sun-dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the 
 sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down. 
 
 9 The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and 
 was recovered of his sickness : 
 
 10 I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: 
 
 ^ I am deprived of the residue of my years. 
 Ill said, I shall not see the liQm),-^e'cen the Lord, ■^in the land of the livin^f : 
 
 4. Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah. 
 
 Iq 2 Ki. XX. 4 the quickness of God's answer to 
 the prayer is mai'ked : " afore Isaiah had gone out 
 into the middle court the word of the Lord came 
 to him" — i. e., before he had left Hezekiah, or at 
 least when he had just left him, and Hezekiah 
 wag in the act of praying, after having heard 
 God's message by Isaiah (cf. ch. Ixv. 24 ; Ps. xxxii, 
 5 ; Dan. ix. 21). 5. the God of David thy father. 
 God remembers the covenant with the father to 
 the children (Exod. xx. 6 ; Ps. Ixxxix. 28, 29). I 
 have seen thy tears— (Ps. Ivi. 8.) I will add unto 
 thy days fifteen years. Man's years, however 
 many (as those of Methuselah), are but as so many 
 days (Gen. v. 27). 6. In 2 Ki. xx. 8, after this 
 verse comes the statement as to the means and the 
 sign of his cure, -which is put at the end, in order 
 not to interrupt God's message [vv. 21, 22) by 
 Isaiah {vv, 5-8). I will deliver thee and this city. 
 The city was already delivered, but here, assurance 
 is given, that Hezekiah shall have no more to fear 
 from the Assyrians. 7. this (shall be) a sign— a 
 token that God wovdd fulfil His promise, that 
 Hezekiah should 'go up into the house of the Lord 
 the third day^ (2 Ki. xx. 5, 8). The specification of 
 the third day is not in Isaiah. 8. I will bring 
 again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone 
 down— cause to return. In 2 Ki. xx. 9, 11 the choic'e 
 is stated to have been given to Hezekiah whether 
 the shadow should go forward or go back ten de- 
 grees. Hezekiah replied, "It is a light thing (a 
 less decisive miracle) for the shadow to go down 
 (its usual direction) ten degrees : nay, but let it 
 return backward ten degrees so Isaiah cried to 
 Jehovah that it should be so, and it was so (cf. 
 .Tosh. X. 12, 14). in the sun-dial of Ahaz (He- 
 brew, he-mahaloth hashemesh) — lit., in the degrees in 
 the sun. Herodotus (ii. 109) states that the sun- 
 dial, and the division of the day into twelve hours, 
 were invented by the Babylonians, and derived 
 from them by the Egyptians. Ahaz was one, from 
 his connection with Tiglath-pileser, likely to have 
 copied the pattern of an Assyrian sun-dial as he 
 copied the altar at Damascus (2 Ki. xvi. 7, 10). 
 " Shadow of the degrees" means the shadow made 
 on the degrees (cf. Ps. cii. 11 ; cix. 23). Josephus 
 thinks these degrees were steps ascending to the 
 palace of Ahaz, The time of day was indicated by 
 the number of steps reached by the shadow. The 
 dial was of such a size and so placed that Heze- 
 kiah, when convalescent, could witness the miracle 
 from his chamber. No mention of twelve hours 
 occurs in the Old Testament. Cf. vv. 21, 22 with 
 2 Ki. XX. 9, where translate, shall this shadow go 
 forward, &c. The dial was no doubt in sight, 
 probably ' in the middle court ' (2 Ki. xx. 4)— the 
 
 m 
 
 point where Isaiah turned back to announce God s 
 gracious answers to Hezekiah. Hence this par- 
 ticular sign was given. The retrogression of tlie 
 shadow may have been effected by refraction : a 
 cloud denser than the air interposing between the 
 gnomon and dial would cause the phenomenon, 
 which does not take from the miracle, for God 
 gave him the choice whether the shadow should 
 go forward or back, and regulated the time and 
 
 B'ace. Bosanquet makes the fourteenth year of 
 ezekiah to be 689 B.C., the known year of a solar 
 eclipse, to which he ascribes the recession of the 
 shadow. At all events, there is no need for sujt- 
 posing any revolution of the relative positions of 
 the sun and earth, but merely an effect produced 
 on the shadow (2 Ki. xx. 9-11) ; that effect was 
 only local, and designed for the satisfaction of 
 Hezekiah, for the Babylonian astronomers and 
 kin^- ' sent to enquire of the wonder that was done 
 in the land' (2 Chr. xxxii. 31), implying that it had 
 not extended to their country. Ko mention of any 
 instrument for marking time occurs before this 
 dial of Ahaz, 700 B.C. The first mention of the 
 "hour" is made by Daniel at Babylon (Dan. 
 iii. 6). 
 
 9-20, — The prayer and thanksgiving song of 
 Hezekiah is only given here, not in the parallel 
 passages of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. 9. The 
 writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had 
 been sick, and was recovered of his sickness, is 
 the heading or inscription. 
 
 10, cutting off of my days. Eosenmnller trans- 
 lates, 'the meridian;' when the sun stands in the 
 zenith: so "the perfect day," Prov. iv. 18. Or, 
 'in the tranquillity ['PI?, from da^n, or dccmam, to 
 be silent] of my days'— i. e., that period of life 
 when I might now look forward to a tranquil reign 
 (Maurer). The Hebrew is so translated, ch. Ixii. 
 6, 7. The English version takes it from damah, 
 to cut off — the image being that of a weaver 
 cutting off the threads of the web from the beam. 
 V. 12 confirms this. The Arabic, ' in the taking 
 away of my days.' I shall go to— rather (Hebrew, 
 halak be), 'go into,' as in ch. xlvi. 2 {Maurer). 
 residue of my years— those which I had calculated 
 on. God sends sickness to teach man not to cal- 
 culate on the morrow, but to live more wholly to 
 God, as if each day were the last. 11. I said, I 
 shall not see the Lord, (even) the Lord. The re- 
 petition, as in v, 19, expresses the excited feeling 
 of the king's mind. To see the Lord ('Jehovah ') 
 is figurative for, to enjoy His good gifts. So, in a 
 similar connection, Ps. xxvii. 13, "1 had fainted, 
 unless I had believed to see the goodness of the 
 Lord in the land of the living;" Ps. xxxiv. 12, 
 "What man is he that desireth life, that he may 
 
Eezekiah's song 
 
 ISAIAH XXXVIII. 
 
 of thanksgiving. 
 
 I shall behold man no more — with the inhabitants of the world. 
 
 12 Mine ^age is departed, and is removed from me — as a shepherd's tent: 
 I have cut off like a weaver my life ; 
 
 He will cut me off ^with pining sickness: 
 
 From day even to night wilt thou make an end of me, 
 
 13 I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: 
 From day even to night wilt thou make an end of me, 
 
 14 Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter; — '^I did mourn as a dove : 
 Mine eyes fail tcith looking upward : 
 
 0 Lord, I am oppressed ; ^ undertake for me. 
 
 15 What shall I say? 
 
 He hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: 
 
 1 shall go softly all my years — ' in the bitterness of my soul. 
 IG 0 Lord, by these things men live. 
 
 And in all these things is the life of my spirit : 
 So Avilt thou recover me, and make me to live. 
 
 see good?' "wltli the inhabitants of the world- 
 Hebrew, chadel, or chedel, the world, or age, soon 
 ceasing and unstable, from chadal, to cease; more 
 nsiially written cheled, the transitory course of 
 life, Maurer translates, 'amonj? the inhabitants 
 of the laud of stillness' — i.e.. Hades, in parallel 
 antithesis to "the land of the living" in the first 
 clause. Chedel, the land of ceasing, in contrast to 
 cheled, the land of continuance [Hengstenherg on 
 Ps. xvii. 14). (Job xiv. 6.) So the Vulgate and 
 Syriac. I prefer the English version, "the inha- 
 bitants of the world" being directly parallel to 
 "the land of the living." So the Ai'abic. 12. 
 Mine age. So the Syriac, as the parallel, " shep- 
 herd's tent," requires habitation: so the Arabic 
 (Gesenius). I prefer ' My pilgrimage,' or ' tenacity 
 of life,' or 'the body.' departed— is broken up, or 
 shifted, as a teut to a different locality. The same 
 image occurs, 2 Cor. v. 1 ; 2 Pet. i. 12, 13. He 
 plainly expects to exist, and not cease to be in 
 another state, as the shephex'd still lives after he 
 has struck his tent and removed elsewhei^e. I 
 have cut ofi like a weaver my life. He attri- 
 butes to himself that which is God's will with 
 respect to him ; because he declares that will. 
 So Jeremiah is said to "root out" kingdoms, 
 because he declares God's purpose of doing so (Jer. 
 i. 10). The weaver cuts off his web from the loom 
 when completed. Job vii, 6 has a like image. 
 The Greeks represented the Fates as spinning, and 
 cutting off the threads of each man s life, he- 
 God, will cut me off with pining sickness — 
 Middallah, from dallal, to be attenuated. So 
 Aben-Ezra. Or else, from the thrum, or thread, 
 which tied the loom to the weaver's beam, from 
 day (even) to night— i. e., in the space of a single 
 day, between morning and night (Job iv. 20), 
 wilt thou make an end of me. 13. 1 reckoned till 
 morning, (that), as a lion, so will he break all my 
 hones — When night had come, I reckoned on 
 living no longer than till morning, when He ((iod) 
 as a lion will break all my bones.' Or else, / 
 composed (my mind ['n^'^'], shivvithi, from shiv- 
 vah, to make level or smooth) during the night, 
 expecting relief in the " morning : " so Job vii. 4 ; 
 for {that is not, as in the English version, to be 
 Bupijlied) as a lion He was breaking all my bones. 
 Somewhat similarly the Vulgate, 'sperabam' 
 (Vitringa). (Job x. 16 ; Lam. iii. 10. 11.) The He- 
 brew in Ps. cxxxi. 2 is rendered, " 1 havebeliaved," 
 " and quieted myself " is added. Or else, ' I made 
 myself like a lion (viz., in roaring throiigh pain). 
 He was so breaking my bones ! ' So the Chaldaic, 
 *I was roaring till morning, as a lion which roars 
 G81 
 
 r.. C. 71': 
 
 " Job?, c. 
 
 I'S. 55. 2). 
 Ps. 102. 11, 
 23. 2t. 
 
 Jer. 4. 10. 
 
 2 (Jor. .0. 4. 
 ! 2 Pet. ]. 13. 
 ' 4 Or, from 
 
 the thrum 
 I ch. 69. 11. 
 ' Eze. 7. 6. 
 
 Nah. 2. 7. 
 8 Or, ease 
 
 me. 
 i 1 Sam. 1.10. 
 
 Job 7. 11. 
 
 Job 10. 1. 
 
 Job 21. 25. 
 
 Mic. 6. 8, 9. 
 
 Acts 21. 16. 
 
 and breaks the bones of an animal, so are all my 
 bones broken with pain.' Poets often compare 
 great groaning to a lion's roaring ; so, next verse, 
 he compares his groans to the sounds of other 
 animals (Ps. xxii. 1) (Maurer). The English 
 version is good sense— in making one thing eqiuil 
 to another, the idea of comparing and reckoning 
 arises, from day (even) to night wilt thou make 
 an end of me— when day dawned I did not dare i 
 to hope that I should live till evening. 14. [did j 
 
 A plaintive and a migratory bird is im- 
 plied by the Hebrew sus. The northern Italians 
 call the swallow, zisilla, a kindred word. So 
 the LXX. here. The hagur, Gesenius takes as an 
 epithet of the swallow ' circling,' from hagar, to 
 roll round. But Jer. viii. 7 shows a distinct bird j 
 is meant, probably the crane, from gahar, to make 
 a chatter — as grus is akin to garrio, ingruo. 
 Translate, 'like a swallow or a crane.' chatter — 
 twitter: broken sounds, expressive of pain, dove 
 —called by the Arabs the daughter of mourning, 
 from its plaintive note (ch. lix. 11). mine eyes 
 fail (with looking) upward to God for relief, 
 undertake for me— lit., be surety for me (Hebrew, 
 harbeeni, from harab) ; assure me that I shaU be 
 restored (Ps. cxix. 122). 
 
 15-20.— The second part of the song passes from 
 prayer to thanksgiving at the prayer being heard. 
 15. What shall I say ?— The language of one at a 
 loss for words to express adequately his sense 
 of the unexpected deliverance, he hath both 
 spoken unto me, and himself hath done it — 
 (Num. xxiii. 19.) Both promised and f»erformed 
 (1 Thess, V. 24; Heb. x. 23). himself— no one else 
 could have done it (Ps, xcviii. 1). I shall go softly 
 all my years in the bitterness of my soul— rather, , 
 ' on account of the bitterness ; ' I w^ill behave my- 
 self humbly, in remembrance of my past sorrows 
 and sickness, from which I have been delivered by 
 God's mercy (see 1 Ki. xxi. 27, 29). In Ps. xlii. 
 4, the same Hebrew verb exj)resses the 
 
 slow and solemn gait of one going up to the house 
 of God : it is found nowhere else. Hence Bosen- 
 mnller explains it, ' I will reverently attend the 
 sacred festivals in the temple.' But this ellipsis 
 would be harsh ; rather, metaphorically, the word 
 is transferred to a calm, solemn, and suhmissire ; 
 walk of life. 16. by these (things men) live— viz., ; 
 by God's benefits, which are implied in the context 
 {v. 15, 'He hath Himself done it' "unto me"). 
 All 'men live by these' benefits (Ps. civ. 27-30). 
 and in all these (things is) the life of my spirit— 
 i. e., / also live by them (Deut. viii. 3). so wilt 
 thou recover me, and make me to live. The 
 
RczekiaKs song 
 
 ISAIAH XXXVIII. 
 
 of thaiiksglTing. 
 
 17 Behold, ^for peace I had great bitterness; 
 
 But ^thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption : 
 For thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. 
 
 18 For ■' the grave cannot praise thee, — death can 7iot celebrate thee : 
 They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. 
 
 19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day : 
 *The father to the children shall make known thy truth. 
 
 20 The Lord was ready to ' save me : 
 
 Therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments 
 All the days of our life in the house of the Lord. 
 
 21 For '"Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a 
 
 22 plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover. Hezekiah also had said, 
 What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord ? 
 
 Hebrew is imperative, "make me to live." In 
 this view he adds a prayer to the confident 
 hope founded on his comparative convalescence, 
 which he expressed, ' Thou wilt recover me ' 
 {Maurer). 17. for peace— instead of the pros- 
 perity which I had previously. I had great bit- 
 terness—lit., bitterness to me, 6zY<en2<'.ss— expressing 
 intense emotion : cf. v. 15, end. but thou hast in 
 love to my soul (delivered it) from the pit of cor- 
 ruption—" love," attachment^ such as joins one to 
 another tenderly; Zi<.,'thou hast lovingly embraced;^ 
 ' thou hast been lovingly attached to my soul from 
 the pit ' — Hebrew, cJiasliaquta; a pregnant phrase 
 for, Thy love has gone down to the pit, and drawn 
 my soul out from it. The " thou " is emphatic in 
 the Hebrew. Thou hast done what neither I nor 
 any other could do. The "pit" is here simply 
 death, in Hezekiah's sense, realized in its fulness 
 only in reference to the souVs redemption from hell 
 by Jesus Christ (ch. Ixi. 1), who went down to 
 the pit for that purpose Himself (Ps. Ixxxviii. 4-0; 
 Zech. ix. 11, 12; Heb. xiii. 20). " Sin" and sick- 
 ness are connected (Ps. ciii. 3 : cf. ch. liii. 4, with 
 Matt. viii. 17; ix. 5, 6), especially under the Old 
 Testament dispensation of temporal sanctions ; but 
 even now, siclcness, though not invariably arising 
 from sin in individuals, is connected with it in the 
 general moral view, thou hast cast all my sins 
 behind thy back— thou hast consigned my sins 
 to oblivion. The same phrase occurs, 1 Ki. xiv. 9 ; 
 Neh. ix. 26; Ps. 1. 17. Contrast Ps. xc. 8, " Thou 
 hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins 
 in the light of thy countenance." 18. death — i. e., 
 the dead; Hades and its inhabitants (Job xxviii. 
 22: see note, v. 11). cannot celebrate thee. 
 Plainly Hezekiah believed in a world of disem- 
 bodied spirits ; his language does not imply what 
 scepticism has drawn from it, but simply that he 
 regarded the disembodied state as one incapable of 
 declaring the praises of God before men; for it is, 
 as regards this world, an unseen land of stillness : 
 "the living" alone can praise God on earth, in 
 reference to which only he is speaking ; ch. Ivii. 1, 
 2, shows that at this time the true view of the 
 blessedness of the righteous dead was held, though 
 not with the full clearness of the Gospel, which 
 "has brought life and immortality to light" (2 
 Tim. i. 10). they that go down into the pit 
 cannot hope for thy truth. The Hebrew particle 
 * f 3r' [V^] expresses turning or direction of the mind 
 towards a thing. Their probation is at an end. 
 They can no longer exercise faith and hope in 
 regard to thy faithfulness to thy promises, which 
 are limited to the present state. For "hope" 
 ceases (even in the case of the godly) when sight 
 begins (Rom. viii. 24, 25); the ungodly have "no 
 hope" (1 These, iv. 13). Hope in God's truth is 
 cue of the grounds of praise to God (Ps. Ixxi. 14 j 
 
 cxix. 49). 19. The living, the living— emphatic 
 repetition, as in vv. 11, 17: his heart is so full of 
 the main object of his X)rayer that for want of 
 adequate words he repeats the same word, the 
 father to the children — one generation of the 
 living to another. He probably, also, hints at his 
 own desire to live until he should have a cliild, 
 the successor to his throne, to whom he might 
 make known and so perpetuate the memory of 
 God's truth, shall make known thy truth— God's 
 faithfulness to His promises, especially, in Heze- 
 kiah's case, to His promise of hearing prayer. 20. 
 The Lord (was ready) to save me. " Was ready " 
 is not in the Hebrew ; 'Jehovah was for my salva- 
 tion' — 2. e., saved me (cf. ch. xii. 2). we — land 
 my people, all the days of our life in the house 
 of the Lord. This song was designed, as many 
 of the other psalms, as a form to be used in public 
 worship at stated times, perha^ts on every anni- 
 versary of his recovery; hence "all the days of 
 our life." 
 
 21. lump of figs— a round cake of figs pressed 
 into a mass (1 Sam. xxv. 18). God works by 
 means, the meanest of which He can make 
 effectual, boil— the inflamed ulcer or carbuncle. 
 Meade thinks Hezekiah's sickness was a fever 
 terminating in an abscess. 22. What is the sign 
 that I shall go up to the house of the Lord? 
 Hence He makes the praises to be sung there 
 prominent in his song {v. 20; Ps. cxvi. 12-14, 
 17-19). 
 
 Remarks. -Mew ought to have their house at all 
 times 'set in order,' for they know not how soon 
 they may "die." The great and rich have often 
 more ties to bind them to the present life than 
 the poor and humble; and so are often the most 
 loath to leave it. But if the believer has com- 
 mitted his soul to His faithful and covenant 
 keeping Father in Christ, he has no need to be 
 anxious about secondary and worldly concerns. 
 Hezekiah's pressing care in his sickness was, that 
 if he should then die, he had no son to succeed 
 him. Could he have foreseen what Manasseh, the 
 son subsequently born to him, was about to prove, 
 he would have been less concerned about the 
 prospect of dying sonless. The servant of God, in 
 prayer, though he cannot claim sinlessness, yet 
 can appeal to the heart-searching God as to his 
 sincerity {v. 3). It is a consolation on a deathbed 
 to be able, like Hezekiah, to say to the Lord, "I 
 have walked before thee in truth, and with a 
 perfect heart." None can say so absolutely; but 
 every believer can say so relatively. Therefore his 
 prayer is acceptable to God, because " it goeth not 
 out of feigned lips." 
 
 CHAP. XXXIX. 1-8. -Hezekiah's Error IN 
 THE Display of his Riches to the Baby- 
 lonian Ambassador. 
 
Hezekiah sJioiceth the 
 
 ISAIAH XXXIX. Babylonians all his treasure. 
 
 39 AT ''that time Merodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, 
 sent letters and a present to Hezekiah : for he had heard that he had 
 2 been sick, and was recovered. And * Hezekiah was glad of them, and 
 showed them the house of his ^ precious things, the silver, and the gold, 
 
 1. Merodacli-baladaiL For 150 years before the 
 overthrow of Ninev^eh by Cyaxares the Mede, a 
 succession of rulers, mostly viceroys of Assyria, 
 ruled Babylon, from the time of Nabonassar, 747 
 B. c. That date is called " the Era of Nabonassar. " 
 Pill or Phallukha was then expelled, and a 
 new dynasty set up at Nineveh under Tiglath- 
 pileser. Semiramis, Pul's wife, then retired 
 to Babylon, with Nabonassar, her son, whose 
 advent to the tlirone of Babylon, after the over- 
 throw of the old line at Nineveh, marked a new 
 era. Babylon takes its name from Balal, to con- 
 found (Gen. xi, 9). The native etymology is Bab-il, 
 the gate of God ; this was the original sense of the 
 appellation given by Nimrod ; the other sense was 
 divinely ordered to be attached to it after the con- 
 fusion of tongues. Erech, Ur, and Ellasar were 
 all more ancient than Babil. The lirst rise of the 
 Chaldean power was in the region close upon the 
 Persian Gulf. Thence the nation spread north- 
 wards up the course of the rivers, xnitil the seat of 
 government became finally fixed at Babylon, abou^t 
 1700 B. c. Conformably to the Scripture, which 
 traces the beginning of the kingdom to Nimrod, 
 son of Cash, son of Ham, the oldest inscriptions 
 show that the primitive inhabitants were really 
 Cu shite — i. e., of the same race as the early in- 
 habitants of South Arabia and of Ethiopia. The 
 seat of government was in Lower Babylonia, Erech 
 {Warka), and Ur (Muyheir): the country was 
 called Shinar, and the people Accadim (Gen. x. 
 10). The ruins date from 2000 B.C. The bricks 
 are stamped with the names of the kings. Clay 
 and bitumen are used, but not mortar. Scripture 
 informs us Assyria was peopled from Babylon 
 (Gen. X. 11). Tradition and the monuments con- 
 firm this. Herodotus (i. 7) says, Niuus, the founder 
 of Nineveh, is son of Belus, the founder of Baby- 
 lon. The remains show that Babylonian art was 
 indigenous, and that Assyrian art was derived 
 from Babylon. The cuneiform writing is easily 
 punched on moist clay, and so suits Babylon, 
 which used brick for stones. It passed thence to 
 Assyria, where stone, less suited for it, is the 
 material. The Babylonian early writing is ruder ; 
 the Assyrian more perfect. Sometimes the vice- 
 roys of Babylon made themselves, for a time, 
 independent of Assyria ; thus Merodach-baladan 
 at this time did so, encouraged by the Assyrian 
 disaster in the Jewish campaign (if we are to take 
 the present collocation of Isaiah's chapters, and 
 to i^lace Hezekiah's sickness after Sennacherib's 
 disaster at Jerusalem) ; he had done so before, 
 and was defeated in the first year of Sennacherib's 
 reign, as is recorded in cuneiform characters in 
 that monarch's palace of Kouyunjik, He is called 
 Mardoc-Empal in the ' Canon of Ptolemy,' which 
 assigns twelve years to his reign (721 B.C. to 709). 
 Polyhistor gives him a six months' reign imme- 
 diately before Elibus, or Belibus, murdered him, 
 and ascended the throne (702 B.C., according to 
 the Canon). Thus he twice reigned ; and so the 
 inscrii)tions also state. Sargon states, that in the 
 twelfth year of his reign he drove Merodach-baladan 
 out of Babylon, after he had ruled twelve years ; 
 and Sennacherib, in his first year, tells us he de- 
 feated and expelled him, setting up in his stead 
 Belib. From Sargon's time he and his family were 
 the champions of Babylon's independence— his 
 eons against Esar-haddon ; his grandsons against 
 Sardanaj^alus (Ashur-bain-pal). If the embassy 
 6i53 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 CHAP. 39. 
 " 2 Ki. 20. 12. 
 6 2Chr. 32.:il. 
 1 Or, spicery. 
 
 to Hezekiah was in his second reign, then Heze- 
 kiah's illness was about the time of Sennacherib's 
 rout at Jerusalem. If it was in his first reign, 
 then the sickness of Hezekiah was about the time 
 of Sargon's attack in "the fourteenth year of 
 Hezekiah's reign," 713 B.C. (cf. note, ch. xxxvi. 1). 
 The line of Babylonian kings is exactly known to 
 us from B.C. 747. Ptolemy the geographer has 
 preserved it to us in a document introduced in an 
 astronomical work. This document is called the 
 ' Canon of Ptolemy,' and extends in chronology 
 from Nabonassar, in 747 B.C. to 331 B.C.— the last 
 Persian king, dethroned by Alexander. It closely 
 accords with Scripture, and is confirmed by the 
 inscriptions beyond cavil {G. RawUnson). Nabo- 
 olassar was the first who established, permanently, 
 is independence; his son, Nebuchadnezzar, raised 
 Babylon to the position which Nineveh once occu- 
 pied; but from the want of stone near the Lower 
 Euphrates, the buildings of Babylon, formed of 
 sun-dried brick, have not stood the wear of ages 
 as Nineveh has. Merodach was an idol, the same 
 as the god of war and planet Mars (Jer. 1. 2). 
 Often kings took their names from their gods, as 
 if peculiarly under their tutelage. So Belshazzar 
 from Bel. Baladan means Bel is his lord. The 
 Chronicle of Eusebius contains a fragment of 
 Berosus, stating that Hagisa or Acises, an Assyrian 
 viceroy, usurped the supreme command at Baby- 
 lon. Merodach (or Berodach) baladan murdered 
 him, and succeeded him to the throne. This refers 
 to Merodach 's second reign, a half year in length. 
 Sennacherib conquered and dethroned Merodach- 
 baladan. Esar-haddon, Sennacherib's son, after 
 three intermediate reigns, succeeded ; and so we 
 find him carrying Manasseh to Babylon, not 
 Nineveh (2 Chr. xxxiii. 11). Merodach-baladan 
 would naturally court the alliance of Hezekiah, 
 who, like himself, had thrown off the yoke of the 
 Assyrian king, and who would be equally glad of 
 the Babylonian alliance against Assyria; hence 
 arose the excessive attention which he paid to the 
 usurper, sick. An additional reason is given, 2 
 Chr, xxxii. 31, "The princes of Babylon sent to 
 enquire of the wonder that was done in the land" 
 — viz., the recession of the shadow on Ahaz' sun- 
 dial. To the Chaldean astronomers such a fact 
 would be especially interesting, the dial having 
 been invented at Babylon. But this was rather 
 the pretext than the motive of the embassy. The 
 true object was to form a league between Babylon, 
 Judea, and Egypt, to check the threatening power 
 of Assyria. The display of Hezekiah's treasures 
 would intimate his power to aid in war. 2. Heze- 
 kiah was glad. It was not the mere act, but the 
 spirit of it, which provoked God, — 2 Chr. xxxii. 25, 
 Hezekiah rendered not again according to the 
 benefit done unto him ; for his heart teas lifted up ." 
 also cf. V. 31, "in the business of the ambassadors 
 of the princes of Babylon . , . God left him, to 
 try him, that he might know all that was in his 
 heart." God ' tries ' His people at different times 
 by different ways, bringing out ' all that is in their 
 heart,' to show them its varied corruptions. Cf. 
 David in a similar case, 1 Chr. xxi. 1-8. showed 
 them the house of his precious things. So the 
 Chaldaic, Arabic, and Syriac. The Hebrew (with- 
 out Aleph), nekothah, from nakath, to break, as 
 aromatics are bruised in order to yield their odour. 
 The Hebrew, with Aleph [hndj], is used for spicery 
 in Gen. xxxvii. 25. Hence it came to mean pre- 
 
The Babylonian 
 
 ISAIAH XXXIX. 
 
 captivity foretold. 
 
 and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his 
 ^ armour, and all that was found in his treasures : there was nothing in 
 his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not. 
 
 3 Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, 
 What said these men ? and from whence came they unto- thee ? And 
 Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from 
 
 4 Babylon. Then said he, What have they seen in thine house ? And 
 Hezekiah answered. All that is in mine house have they seen : there is 
 nothing among my treasures that I have not showed them. 
 
 5 Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord of hosts : 
 
 6 Behold, the days come, ^ that all that is in thine house, and that which 
 thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Baby- 
 
 7 Ion: nothing shall be left, saith the LoRi>. And of thy sons that shall 
 issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and '^they 
 shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. 
 
 8 Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, ^ Good is the word of the Lord which 
 thou hast spoken. He said moreover. For there shall be peace and truth 
 in my days. 
 
 B. C. 71?. 
 
 2 vessels, or, 
 instru- 
 ments, or, 
 jewels. 
 
 " Lev. 26. 33. 
 Deut. 28.64. 
 
 1 Ki. 14. 11. 
 
 2 Ki. 20. 17, 
 19. 
 
 2 Ki. 2i. 13. 
 2 Ki. 25. 13, 
 15. 
 
 2 Chr. 36.18. 
 Jer. 20. 5. 
 Jer. 27. 21, 
 22. 
 
 Jer. 52. 17, 
 19. 
 
 Dan. 1. 2. 
 
 Amos 5. 27. 
 d 2 Ki. 24. 12. 
 
 Dan. 1. 2. 
 * 1 Sam. 3.18. 
 
 cioiis tilings in general (Kimchi). The Vulgate 
 translates lierej 'the house of his (aromatic) spices. 
 But as these follow afterwards, the English version 
 avoids tautology, silver . . . gold— partly got 
 from the Assyrian camp (ch. xxxiii. 4), partly 
 from presents (2 Chr. xxxii. 23, 27-29). This 
 favours the later date of Hezekiah's sickness^ 
 rather than the earlier one in Sargon's time, 
 precious ointment — used for anointing kings and 
 priests, armour — or else vessels in general: the 
 parallel passage, 2 Chr. xxxii. 27, "treasuries . . . 
 for shields" favours the English version — His 
 arsenal. 
 
 3. What said these men . . . whence came they? 
 
 —implying that any proposition coming from the 
 idolatrous enemies of God, with whom Israel was 
 forbidden to form alliance, should have been re- 
 ceived with anything but gladness. Reliance on 
 Babylon, rather than on God, was a similar sin to 
 the previous reliance on Egypt, (chs. xxx. and 
 xxxi.) They are come from a far country— 
 implying that he had done nothing more than 
 was proper in showing attention to strangers 
 " from a far country^' 4. What have they seen? 
 ... All that (is) in mine house— a frank con- 
 fession of his whole fault : the king submits his 
 conduct to the scrutiny of a subject, because that 
 subject was accredited by God. Contrast Asa (2 
 Chr. xvi. 7-10). 
 
 5. Hear the word of the Lord of hosts— who 
 has all thy goods at His disposal. 6. the days 
 come— 120 years afterwards. This is the first 
 intimation that the Jews Mould be carried to 
 Babylon — the first designation of their place of 
 punishment. The general prophecy of Moses 
 (Lev. XX vi. 33 ; Deut. xxviii. 64) : the more par- 
 ticular one of Ahijah, in Jeroboam's time (1 Ki. 
 xiv. 15), "beyond the river;" and of Amos v. 
 27, " captivity beyond Damascus," are now con- 
 centrated in this specific one as to "Babylon." 
 The contemporary Micah foretells the same exile, 
 and the return from it, explicitly. So that it is no 
 objection to the genuineness of the latter half of 
 Isaiah's prophecies that Isaiah passes from As- 
 syria to the restoration from Babylon in it (Mic. 
 iv. 10). It M^as an exact retribution in kind, that 
 as Babylon had been the instrument of Hezekiah's 
 and Judah's sin, so also it should be the instru- 
 ment of their punishment. 7. thy sons that 
 shall issue from thee— the sons which Hezekiah 
 (as JosepJius tells us) wished to have (note, ch. 
 xxxviii. o, on "wept sore") will be among the 
 684 
 
 foremodt in suffering, eunuchs— fulfilled, Dan. i. 
 2, 3, 7. 
 
 8. For there shall he peace ... in my days. 
 
 The punishment was not, as in David's case (2 
 Sam. xxiv. 13-15), sent in his time. How perverse 
 Newman's remark is (' Hebrew Monarchy,' 274), 
 that Hezekiah's reply was ' false resignation, com- 
 bining selfishness with silliness ! ' True repentance 
 humbly acquiesces in all God's ways as just and 
 right; just, because they are God's, and meekly 
 finds cause of thanksgiving in any mitigation. 
 
 Remarks. — When prosperity attends the godly, 
 even they are treated with consideration by the 
 worldly. But the smiles of the world are to be 
 more dreaded than its frowns. The heart is 
 tempted to be "glad" of earthly goods rather 
 than glad in the Lord : even as Hezekiah was 
 tempted by the flattering embassy of Merodach- 
 baladan to disi:)lay ostentatiously, and to exult 
 in his 'precious things, silver, gold, and spices,' 
 and in "his armour." The quarter the embassy 
 came from, idolatrous Babylon, should have mad!e 
 Hezekiah regard it with a very difi'erent feeling 
 from gladness. If he could nave foreseen the 
 result, how difi'erent would have been his feel- 
 ing ! 
 
 CHAP. XL. 1-31. — Second Part of the 
 Pkophecies of Isaiah. The former were local 
 and temporary in their reference. These belong 
 to the distant future, and are world-wide in their 
 interest. The deliverance from Babylon under 
 Cyrus, which he here foretells, by prophetic sug- 
 gestion, carries him on to the greater deliverance 
 under Messiah, the Saviour of Jews and Gentiles 
 in the present eclectic Church, and the restorer 
 of Israel and Head of the world-wide kingdom, 
 literal and spiritual ultimately. As Assyria 
 was the hostile world-power in the former part, 
 which refers to Isaiah's own time, so Babylon is 
 so in the latter part, which refers to a period long 
 subsequent. The connecting link, however, is 
 furnished (ch. xxxix. 6) at the close of the former 
 part. Even in the former part also, Babylon's 
 downfall through Elamite and Persian assailants 
 is foretold in ch. xxi. The latter part was written 
 in the old age of Isaiah, as appears from the 
 greater mellowness of style and tone which per- 
 vades it. It is less fiery, and more tender and 
 gentle than the former part. Cf. Introduction. 
 The second part is divided into three books by 
 the twice-recurring sentence, "There is no peace, 
 saith my God, to the wicked" (chs. xlviiL 22; 
 
the gospel. 
 
 Promulgation of ISAIAH XL. 
 
 40 COMFORT ye, comfort ye iny people, saith your God. 
 
 2 Speak ye ^comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto lier, 
 That ber ^ warfare is accomplished, — that her iniquity is pardoned : 
 For she hath received of the Lord's hand double — for all her sins. 
 
 3 The "voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, 
 ^ Prepare ye the way of the Lord, 
 Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 
 
 4 Every valley shall be exalted. 
 And every mountain and hill shall be made low : 
 And the crooked shall be made ^straight, — and the rough places * plain: 
 
 5 And ''the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, 
 
 Ivii. 21). The tirst of tliese three books concerns 
 
 the outward deliverance from Babylon through 
 Cyrus. The second book, Messiahs advent pre- 
 figured hy the deliverance through Cyrus. The 
 third book, the coming glory of God's kingdom on 
 earth, along icith judgments on the ungoclly. The 
 historical section (chs. xxxvi-xxxix. ) is the basis 
 for understanding the important projohecies of the 
 second part. 
 
 1. Comfort ye— twice repeated, to give double 
 assurance. Having announced the coming cap- 
 tivity of the Jews in Babylon, God now desires 
 His servants, the prophets (ch. Hi. 7), to comfort 
 them. The scene is laid in Babylon, whereto in 
 imagination the prophet transports himself ; the 
 time, near the close of the captivity. The ground 
 of comfort is the speedy ending of the cai)tivity, 
 the Lord Himself being their leader, my people 
 . . . your God — correlatives (Jer. xxxi. 33 ; Hos. i, 
 9, 10). It is God's covenant relation with His 
 people, and His "word" of promise (v. 8) to 
 their forefathei's, which is the ground of His in- 
 terposition in their behalf, after having for a time 
 chastised them (ch. liv, 8). 2. Speak ye comfort- 
 ably — lit., to the heart; not merely to the intellect, 
 to Jerusalem — though then in ruins, regarded by 
 God as about to be rebuilt ; her people are chiefly 
 meant, but the city is personified, cry— publicly 
 and emphatically, as a herald cries aloud {y. 3). 
 her warfare — the appointed time of her misery ; 
 tzaha, her term of service and hardship— a military 
 metaphor (Job vii. 1, mcirg.; xiv. 14; Dan. x. 1). 
 The ulterior and Messianic reference probably is, 
 the definite time of the legal economy of bui-den- 
 some rites is at an end (Gal. iv. 3, 4). her iniquity 
 is pardoned. The Hebrew {nirtzah, from ratzah, 
 to accex>t, or be pleased with as an atonement, 
 Lev. i. iv. ; xxvi. 41, 43) expresses that her ini- 
 quity is so expiated that God now delights in 
 restoring her. double for all her sin. This can 
 only, in a very restricted sense, hold good of 
 Judah's restoration after the first cai)tivity. For 
 how can it be said her ' warfare was accomplished,' 
 when as yet the galling yoke of Antiochus, and 
 also of Eome, was before them ? The ' double for 
 her sins' must refer to the two-fold captivity — 
 the Assyrian or Babylonian and the Roman. At 
 the coming cloge of this latter dispersion, and 
 then only, can her "iniquity" be said to be 'par- 
 doned ' or fully expiated (Houhigant). It does not 
 mean double as much as she deserved, but ample 
 punishment in her two-fold captivity. Messiah is 
 the antitypical Israel (cf. Matt. ii. 15 with Hos. xi. 
 1). He indeed has "receiA^ed" of sufferings 
 amply more than enough to expiate "for our 
 sins " (Rom. v. 15, 17). Otherwise (Cry unto her), 
 ' that she shall receive {blessings) of the Lord's 
 hand, double to the punishment of all her sins' 
 (so ".sin" is used, Zech, xiv. 19, marg.) {Lowth\ 
 The English version is simpler : but cf. ch. Ixi. 7 ; 
 Zech, ix. 12, end. The Ghaldaic, Vulgate, the 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 CHAP. 40. 
 * to the 
 heart. 
 
 2 Or, appoint- 
 ed time. 
 
 " Matt. 3. 3. 
 6 Mul. 3. 1. 
 
 3 Or, a 
 straight 
 place. 
 
 4 Or, a phiia 
 phce. 
 
 " Ex. IC. 7. 
 
 LXX., Arabic, Syriac, support the English 
 version. 
 
 3. The voice of him that crieth in the wilder- 
 ness. So the LXX. and Matt. iii. 3 connect the 
 words. The Hebrew accents, however, connect 
 them thus : ' In the wilderness preyjare ye,' &c. ; 
 and the parallelism also requires this, ' Prepare ye 
 m the wilderness,'' answering to "make straight in 
 tlie desert." Matthew was entitled, as under in- 
 spiration, to vary the connection, so as to bring 
 out another sense, included in the Holy Spirit's 
 intention. In Matt. iii. 1, "John the Baptist, 
 preaching in the ivilckrness," answers thus to 
 "The voice of one crying in the wilderness." It 
 was in the moral wilderness that the way of the 
 Lord was to be prepared ; and it was in the literal 
 wilderness that John preached. Maurer takes 
 the participle as put for the finite verb (so in v. 6), 
 ' A voice crieth.^ The clause, " in the wilderness," 
 alludes to Israel's jiassage through it from Egypt 
 to Canaan (Ps. Ixviii. 7). Jehovah being their 
 leader, so it shall be at the coming restoration 
 of Israel, of which the restoration from Babylon 
 was but a type (not the full realization ; for their 
 way from it was not through the " wilderness"). 
 Where John preached (viz., in the wilderness — 
 the type of this earth— a moral wilderness), there 
 were the hearers who are ordered to prepare the 
 way of the Lord, and there was to be tne com- 
 ing of the Lord (Bengel). John, though he was 
 immediately followed by the suffering Messiah, is 
 rather the herald of the coming reigning Messiah, 
 as Mai. iv. 5, 6 proves. Matt. xvii. 11, cf. Acts 
 iii. 21, implies that John is not exclusively meant ; 
 and that, though in one sense Elias has come, in 
 another he. is yet to come. John was the figurative 
 Elias, coming " in the spirit and power of Elias " 
 (Luke i. 17) : John i. 21, where John the Baptist 
 denies that he was the actual Elias, accords with 
 this view. Mai. iv. 5, 6 cannot have received its 
 exhaustive fulfilment in John; the Jews always 
 understood it of the literal Elijah. As there is 
 another consummating advent of Messiah Himself, 
 so perhaps there is to be of His forerunner Elias, 
 who also was present at the transfiguration. So 
 Justin Martyr ('Dial, with Trypho '), Origen, 
 Chrysostom, &c., held, the Lord— Hebrew, Jeho- 
 vah: as this is ai>plied to Jesus, He must be 
 Jehovah (Matt. iii. 3). 4. Every valley shall be 
 exalted, &c. Eastern monarch s send heralds be- 
 fore them in a journey, to clear away obstacles, 
 make causeways over valleys, and level hills. 
 So Jolm's duty was to bring back the people 
 to obedience to the law, and to remove all self- 
 confidence, pride in national privileges, hypocrisy, 
 and irreligion, so that they should be ready for 
 His coming (Mai. iv. 6; Luke i. 17). the crooked 
 —declivities, shall be made straight. Contrast 
 Eccl. i. 15, " That which is crooked cannot he made 
 straight:" but "the things which are impossible 
 with men are possible with God" (Luke xviii. 27). 
 
Promulgation of 
 
 ISAIAH XL. 
 
 the gospel. 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 And all flesh shall see it together : 
 
 For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. 
 
 The voice said, Cry. — And he said, What shall I cry ? 
 All flesh is grass, — and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field : 
 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth ; 
 Because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it : 
 Surely the people is grass. 
 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth ; 
 But ^the word of our God shall stand for ever. 
 
 ^0 Zion, that bringest good tidings, — get thee up into the high mountain ; 
 ®0 Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength ; 
 Lift it up, be not afraid ; — say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God ! 
 Behold, the Lord God will come '^with strong hand, 
 And his arm shall rule for him ; 
 
 Behold, his reward is with him, — and ^ his work before him. 
 He shall ^feed his flock like a shepherd ; 
 
 He shall gather the lambs with his arm, — and carry them in his bosom, 
 And shall gently lead those ^that are with young. 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 John 12.34. 
 
 5 Or. O thoix 
 that tellest 
 good 
 tidings to 
 Zion. 
 
 6 Or. O thou 
 that tellest 
 good 
 tidings to 
 Jerusalem- 
 
 7 Or, agii St 
 the strong. 
 
 8 Or, recom 
 pence for 
 his work. 
 
 ' ch. 4S. 10. 
 Eze. 34. 23. 
 Eze. 37. 24. 
 John 10. 11. 
 
 9 Or, that 
 give suck. 
 
 5. all flesh shall see it. The LXX. for " it " 
 have 'the salvation of God.' So Luke iii. G (cf. 
 Luke ii. 30, " mine eyes have seen thy salvation " 
 — i. e., Messiah) ; but the evangelist probably took 
 these words from ch. lii. 10, "all the ends of the 
 earth shall see the salvation of our God." The 
 change, however, is significant from "the glory of 
 the Lord," which is here, and which points ulti- 
 mately to the coming of the Lord in glory: whereas 
 John the Baptist's mission was to usher in His 
 coming in grace to bring salvation, for the mouth 
 of the Lord hath spoken (it) — rather, ' all 
 flesh shall see that the mouth of Jehovah hath 
 spoken it ' {Ben gel). 
 
 6. The voice said, Cry. The same divine herald 
 as in V. 3. And he said, What shall I cry ? " He " 
 — one of those ministers or prophets (note, v. 1) 
 whose duty it was, by direction of "The voice," to 
 ' comfort the Lord's afflicted people with the 
 promises of brighter days.' All flesh is grass. The 
 connection is, AH human things, however goodly, 
 are transitory: God^s promises alone are stedfast 
 {vv. 8, 15, 17, 23, 24) ; this contrast was already 
 suggested in v. 5, " All Jlesh . . . the mouth of the 
 Lord.'''' 1 Pet. i, 24, 25, applies this passage 
 distinctly to the Gospel word of Messiah (cf. John 
 xii. 34; Jas. i. 10). By the manifestation of 
 Jehovah's glory at Christ's second advent all 
 human glory shall be shown to be as grass, and 
 G od's honour shall be fully vindicated. This truth 
 is spiritually already vindicated in the justification 
 of the sinner only through faith in Christ, that 
 none should glory iu the flesh (1 Cor. i. 23, 29-31). 
 7. The grass withereth , . . hecause the Spirit of 
 the Lord bloweth upon it— or, the ivind of Jeho- 
 vah (Ps. ciii. 16). The withering east wind of 
 those countries sent by Jehovah (Jon. iv. 8). But 
 the Spirit of Jehovah is what sends the 'blast' 
 upon proud but frail man; as He did upon Sen- 
 nacherib (ch. xxxvii. 7). the people (Hebrew, 
 ha'' am) — rather, this people {Loivth), which may 
 refer to the Babylonians [Rosenmiiller) ; but better, 
 viankind in general, as in ch. xlii. 5; so v. 6, ""all 
 flesh ;" this ivhole race — L e., man. 
 
 9. 0 Zion, that bringest good tidings . . . 0 
 Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings. The 
 Vulgate, Chaldaic, LXX., and Arabic translate, 
 '0 thou that bringest good tidings to Zion: thou 
 that bringest good tidings to Jerusalem.^ Thou 
 that bringest good tidings [mebashereth : feminine 
 singular, collectively for the plural) is thus the 
 collective personification of the messengers who 
 
 announce God's gracious jjurpose to Zion (note, 
 V. 1). Ch. lii. 7 confirms this. Cf. Ps. Ixviii. U 
 (Vulgate and Gesenius). If the English version be 
 retained (as Syriac ti-anslates), the sense will be, 
 The glad message was first to be proclaimed to 
 Jerusalem, and then from it as the centre to all 
 " Judca, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the 
 earth " (Luke xxiv. 47, 49 ; Acts i. 8) ( Vitringa and 
 Hengstenherg). mountain. It was customary for 
 those who were about to promulge any great thing 
 to ascend a hill from which they could he seen and 
 heard by all (Judg. ix. 7; Matt. v. 1). be not 
 afraid. To announce to the exiles their conning 
 return home is attended with danger in the midst 
 of the Babylonians, The Gospel minister must 
 "open his mouth boldly" (Pro v. xxix. 25; Eph. 
 vi. 19). Behold your God '—especially at His 
 second coming (Zech. xii. 10; xiv. 5). 10. will 
 come with strong (hand)— rather, as a strong one 
 {bechazaqu : the be being the Beth essentioe). ' With 
 strength,' the LXX., Vulgate, Chaldaic, Arabic, 
 and Syriac [Maurer). Or, against the strong one 
 —viz., Satan (Matt. xii. 29; Pev. xx. 2, 3, 10) 
 ( Vitringa). With the English version, cf. Exod. 
 xiii. 3 ; Isa. viii. 11 ; Exod. xx. 33, 34. his arm- 
 power (Ps. Ixxxix. 13; xcviii. 1). shall rule for 
 him— i. e., He needs not to seek help for Himself 
 from any external source, but by His own inherent 
 power He gains rule for HimseK (so v. 14). his 
 work {P hehullatho)— rsither, the recompence which 
 He gives for ivork (ch. Ixii. 11; Rev. xxii. 12). His 
 reward and work, or rather wages, may also be 
 viewed in relation to Himself, as well as to His 
 redeemed: His reward and wages in this point of 
 view are the sheep given to Him by the Father ; 
 as Jacob, the typical shepherd, set his wives and 
 his sheep before him, which were his wages (Gen. 
 xxxi. 41; xxxii. 22, 23). So "the joy set before" 
 Messiah was His people, the flock and the Church 
 (Isa. liii. 11, 12; Heb. xii. 2). Cf. here His work, 
 V. 11. 11. He shall feed his flock— including all 
 a shepherd's care: tend (Ezek. xxxiv. 23; Ps. 
 xxiii. 1; Heb. xiii. 20; 1 Pet. ii. 25). carry (them) 
 in his bosom— applicable to Messiah's restoration 
 of Israel, as sheep scattered in all lands, and 
 unable to move of themselves to their own land 
 (Ps. Ixxx. 1 ; Jer. xxiii. 3). As Israel was "carried 
 from the womb " (i. e., in its earliest days) (ch. Ixiii. 
 9, 11, 12; Ps. Ixxvii. 20), so it shall be in "old age " 
 (its latter days) (ch. xlvi. 3, 4). shall gently lead 
 — as a thoughtful shepherd does the ewes 'giving 
 suck,' {marg.) So Jacob, Gen. xxxiii. 13, 14. 
 
of God. 
 
 The omnipotence ISAIAH XL. 
 
 12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of liis hand. 
 And meted out heaven with the span, 
 And comprehended the dust of the earth in measure, 
 And weighed the mountains in scales, — and the hills in a balance ? 
 
 13 WIio hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, 
 Or, being his counsellor, hath taught him ? 
 
 14 With whom took he counsel, and ii^o instructed hira. 
 And taught him in the path of judgment. 
 
 And taught him knowledge, 
 
 And showed to him the way of understanding ? 
 
 15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, 
 And are counted as the small dust of the balance : 
 Behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. 
 
 16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn. 
 
 Nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. 
 
 17 All nations before him are as nothing ; 
 
 And they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. 
 
 18 To whom then will ye liken God ? 
 
 Or what likeness will ye compare unto him ? 
 
 12. Lest the Jews should suppose that He who 
 was just before described as a "shepherd" is a 
 mere man, He is now described as GrOD. Who 
 hath measured the waters?— Who else but God 
 could do so ? Therefore, though the redemption and 
 restoration of His people, foretold here, was a work 
 beyond man's power, they should not doubt its 
 fuldlment, since all things are possible to Him who 
 can accurately regulate the proportion of the waters 
 as if he had measured them with His hand (cf. v. 
 15). Others translate, ' Who can measure?' &c. — 
 i.e., How immeasurable are the works of God! 
 The former is a better explanation (Job xxviii. 25, 
 "He weigheth the waters by measure;" Prov. 
 XXX. 4). the span — the space from the end of the 
 thumb to the end of the middle finger extended. 
 God measures the vast heavens as one would 
 measure a small object with his span, dust of the 
 earth— all the earth is to Him but as a few grains 
 of dust contained in a small Tneasure—lit. , the third 
 part of a larger measure : a tierce (ba-shshalish'). 
 the hills in a balance— adjusted in their right 
 I)roportions and places, as exactly as if He had 
 vjeh/hed them out. There is a law of compensation 
 throughout the distribution and conformation of 
 the seas and the dry lands of the globe. Were 
 they varied, and the mountain ranges displaced, 
 the rain-fall would be entirely altered, and the 
 I)resent fauna and flora would perish (cf. Ps. xcv. 
 4, 5). The ocean is made vast, in order that the 
 atmosphere may be the means of drawing \\\) 
 exactly that amount of vapour which the dry 
 land needs. The cold tops of the hills are the 
 condensers which gather the moisture into the 
 droY)3 of rain, to x^revent the land becoming a 
 desert. 13. Who hath directed the Spirit of the 
 Lord, or (being) his counsellor, hath taught him ? 
 The Hebrew here for "directed" {tikkeen) is the 
 same as in v. 12 for "meted out;" thus the sense 
 is, ' Jehovah measures out heaven with His span,' 
 but who can measure Him?— i. Who can search 
 out His Spirit {mind) wherewith He searches out 
 and accurately adjusts all things ? The Hebrew is 
 in the same sense as in v. 12 (so Prov. xvi. 2, "the 
 Lord weigheth (tokeen) the spirits ;" Prov. xxi. 2), 
 'weigh,' 'ponder.' 8o St. Paul quotes the verse, 
 " Wlio hath known i&emiud of the Lord?" So the 
 LXX. and Arabic. But the Syriac and Chaldaic 
 as the English version, "directed." Knowing, or 
 being able to measure the Spirit of the Lord is the 
 687 
 
 H. C. 712. 
 
 10 a tierce. 
 
 11 man of hia 
 counsel. 
 
 i2iu:ide him 
 under- 
 stmd. 
 
 f under- 
 standings ? 
 1 Cor. 12. 4. 
 6. 
 
 CoL 2. 3. 
 f Ex. 8. 10. 
 Ex. 9. 14. 
 Ex. 15. 11. 
 Ex. 20. 4. 
 Deut. 33.26. 
 1 Sam. 2. 2. 
 Job 40. 9. 
 Ps. 86. 8. 
 10. 
 Ps. 89. 6. 
 Ps. 113. 5. 
 Jer. 10. 6. 
 Acts 17. 23. 
 
 necessary i)reliminary to directing or teaching Him 
 as His counsellor. 14. (who) . . . taught him in 
 the path of judgment — the vmy oj rightly regidat- 
 ing all things. Who taught Him in the wisdom 
 whereby He so beautifully adjusts the places and 
 proportions of all created things? 15. of — lit., 
 (hanging) from a bucket {mi-ddli). he taketh up 
 the isles as a very little thing— or, ' the isles are 
 as a mere grain of dust (which) is taken up' {yittol, 
 from natal, to hear or lift up), viz., by the wind; 
 lit., one taketh up, impersonally [Maurer). isles— 
 lands in general, answering to "the nations" in 
 the parallel clause : perhaps lands, like Mesopo- 
 tamia and Babylonia, enclosed by rivers {Jerome). 
 So ch. xlii. 15. The Euglish version, "isles," an- 
 swers well to "mountains" {v. 12), both alike 
 being lifted up by the power of God ; only large 
 islands are required by the sense, in order to illus- 
 trate God's power. In fact, "isles" are moun- 
 tains upheaved from the bed of the sea by volcanic 
 agency ; only that He seems here to have passed 
 from unintelligent creatures (v. 12) to intelligent, 
 as nations and lands— i. e. , their inhabitants. Yittol 
 is taken by Grotius from tul or til, to hurl away. 
 Forerius, from talal, to cover or submerge. The 
 English version requires no ellipsis of 'which.' 
 God ' taketh up and hurleth away the isles (at 
 will), as (though they were) a very little thing.' 
 16. Lebanon is not sufficient to burn — All 
 Lebanon's forests would not supply fuel enough 
 to burn sacrifices worthy of the glory of God (cli. 
 Ixvi. 1 ; 1 Ki. viii. 27 ; Ps. 1. 8-13. nor the beasts 
 thereof — which abounded in Lebanon, sufficient 
 for a burnt offering. 17. All nations before him 
 (are) as nothing— (Ps. Ixii. 9; Dan. iv. 35.) less 
 than nothing. Maurer translates {niee-ephes) as 
 in ch. xli. 24, of nothing (the Hebrew particle 
 min is partitive ;' or else expressive of the 7iatwe 
 of a thing), a mere nothing. vanity— empti- 
 ness. 
 
 18. To whom then will ye liken God ?~Which 
 of the heathen idols, then, is to be compared to 
 this Almighty God? This jiassage, if not written, 
 as Barnes thinks, so late as the idolatrous times 
 of Manasseh, has at least a prospective warning 
 reference to them and subsequent reigns. The 
 result of the chastisement of Jewish idolatry in 
 the Babylonish captivity was that thenceforth, 
 after the restoration, the Jews never fell into it. 
 Doubtless these prophecies here tended to that 
 
The incomparable 
 
 ISAIAH XL. 
 
 greatness of God. 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 19 The workman melteth a graven image, 
 
 And the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, — and casteth silver chains. 
 
 20 He that '^^is so impoverished that he hath no oblation 
 Chooseth a tree that will not rot; 
 
 He seeketh unto him a cunning workman 
 ^ To prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved. 
 
 Have ^ye not known ? — have ye not heard ? 
 Hath it not been told you from the beginning ? 
 Have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth ? 
 '^^ It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, 
 And the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers ; 
 That ^stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, 
 And spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in ; 
 
 23 That bringeth the -^ princes to nothing ; 
 
 He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. 
 
 24 Yea, they shall not be planted; — yea, they shall not be sown; 
 Yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth : 
 
 And he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither. 
 And the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. 
 
 25 To ^ whom then will ye liken me, — or shall I be equal ? — saith the Holy One. 
 
 26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold — who hath created these things, 
 That bringeth out their host by number: — ^ he calleth them all by names 
 By the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; 
 
 Not one faileth. 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 ^*is poor of 
 
 oblation, 
 f Jer. 10. 4. 
 
 Ps. 19. 1. 
 
 Ps. 115. 8. 
 
 Jer. 10. 8. 
 12. 
 
 Acts 14. 17. 
 
 Eom. 1. i<). 
 15 Or. Him 
 
 that sit- 
 teth, etc. 
 i J ob 'J. 8. 
 
 Job 37. 18. 
 
 Job 38. 4. 
 
 Ps. 104. 2. 
 
 Jer. 10. 12. 
 
 Heb. 1. 10. 
 i Job 12. 21. 
 
 Job 34. 19. 
 20. 
 
 Ps. 76, 12. 
 
 Ps. 107. 40. 
 
 Jer. 26. 1«, 
 
 Luke 1. 61. 
 Eev. 19. 18, 
 20. 
 
 fc Peut. 4. 15. 
 
 L'eut, .5. 8. 
 ' Ps. 147. 4. 
 
 result (see 2 Ki. xxiii. 20, 27). 19. The workman 
 melteth a graven image. "Graven" — Hebrew, 
 pesel; rathei% an image in general; for it is incon- 
 gruous to say melteth («. e., casts out of metal) a 
 graven image (?". e., one of carved wood). So Jer. 
 X. 14, "molten image." spreadeth it over with 
 gold— (note, cli. xxx. 22.) silver chains— an orna- 
 ment lavishly worn by rich Orientals (ch. iii. 18, 
 19), and so transferred to their idols. Egyptian 
 relics show that idols were suspended in houses l)y 
 chains. 20. He that (is) so impoverished— lit., 
 sunk in circumstances, that he hath no oblation 
 — he who cannot afford to overlay his idol vt'ith 
 gold and silver (v. IQ). chooseth a tree that will 
 not rot — the cedar, cyi^ress, oak, or ash (ch. xliv. 
 14). to prepare a graven image— of wood ; not a 
 molten one of metal, (that) shall not be moved— 
 that shall be durable. 
 
 21. Have ye not known? — who worship idols. 
 The question emxjhatically implies they had 
 known, from the beginning — (ch. xli. 4, 26; 
 xlviii. 16.) God is the beginning (Rev. i. 8). The 
 tradition handed down from the very first, of the 
 creation of all things by God at the begiuniug, 
 ought to convince you of His omniiDotence, and of 
 the folly of idolatry. 22, (It is) he that sitteth— 
 rather, connected with last verse, 'Have ye not 
 known ? have ye not understood Him that sit- 
 teth?' &c, {v. 26) [Maurer). upon the circle- 
 applicable to the globular form of the earth, above 
 which, and the vault of sky around it, He sits. 
 For "upon" translate 'above.' (are) as grass- 
 hoppers—or locusts in His sight (even the mighty 
 ones like the children of x\nak are so to Him, 
 Num. xiii. 33), as He looks down from on high 
 (Ps. xxxiii. 13, 14 ; cxiii. 4-6). curtain— referring 
 to the awning which the Orientals draw over the 
 open court in the centre of their houses as a shel- 
 ter in rain or hot M^eather. 23. That bringeth 
 the princes to nothing— (Ps, cvii, 40; Dan. ii, 21.) 
 the judges — i. g., rulers ; for these exercised judi- 
 cial authority (Ps. ii. 10), The Hebrew shophtee, 
 answers to the Carthagenian chief magistrates, 
 683 
 
 SK fetes. 24, they— the ' princes and judges ' {v. 
 2.3) who oppose God's puriioses and God's people, 
 shall not be planted. They are often compared 
 to tall trees (Ps. xxxvii. 35 ; Dan. iv. 10). not be 
 sown — the seed, i. e,, race, shall become extinct 
 (Nah, i. 14). their stock— not even shall any 
 shoots spring up from the stump when the tree 
 has been cut down. No descendants whatever 
 (Job xiv. 7 : note, ch. xi. 1). and he shall also— 
 so the LXX. But Maurer translates the previous 
 clauses in connection with this clause. 'They 
 «re hardly (lit. , not yet, as in 2 Ki. xx, 4) planted, 
 &c., whe7i He (God) blows upon them.' hloyr 
 upon them, and they shall wither. The image is 
 from the hot east wind (simoom) that 'withers' 
 vegetation, the whirlwind shall take them away 
 as stubble— (Ps. Ixxxiii. 13, where "like a wheel" 
 refers to the rotatory action of the whirlwind on 
 the stubble). 25. To whom then will ye liken me ? 
 —resuming v. 18. 26. bringeth out their host by 
 number — image from a general reviewing his 
 army. He is Lord of Sabaoth— the heavenly 
 hosts (Job xxxviii. 32). calleth them all by 
 names. Numerous as the stars are, God knows 
 each in all its distinguishing characteristics (a sense 
 ■which ' name ' often bears in Scripture). So (Gen. 
 ii. 19, 20) Adam, as God's vicegerent, called the 
 beasts by name—i. e., characterized them by their 
 several qualities, which, indeed, He has imparted, 
 by the greatness of his might, for that (he is) 
 strong in power ; not one faileth— or, ' by reason 
 of abundance of (their inner essential) force and 
 firmness of strength, not one of them is driven 
 astray;^ referring to the sufficiency of the physical 
 forces with which He has endowed the heavenly 
 bodies to prevent all disorder in their motions 
 {Hwsley). I prefer the English version. The 
 sense is, ' He has endowed them with their peculiar 
 attributes ("names") by the greatness of His 
 might,' and the power of His strength (the better 
 rendering, instead of, "for that He is strong"). 
 ' Not one (lit., not a man, or individual of them, 
 they being personified as soldiers of a great army) 
 
God expostulateth 
 
 ISAIAH XLI. 
 
 with hi^ people. 
 
 27 Why sayest thou, 0 Jacob, and speakest, 0 Israel, 
 My way is hid from the Lord, 
 
 And my judgment is passed over from my God ? 
 
 28 Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard. 
 
 That the everlasting God, the Lord, — the Creator of the ends of the earth, 
 Fainteth not, neither is weary ? 
 There is no searching of his understanding. 
 
 29 He giveth power to the faint ; 
 
 And to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 
 
 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary. 
 And the young men shall utterly fall : 
 
 31 But they that "wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength ; 
 They shall mount up with wings as eagles ; 
 
 They shall run, and not be weary ; — and they shall walk, and not faint. 
 41 KEEP silence before me, 0 islands ; 
 And let the people renew their strength : 
 Let them come near, then let them speak: 
 Let us come near together to judgment. 
 2 Who raised up ^the righteous man ""from the east, 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 "'Pa. 117. 5. 
 
 Eom. 11.33. 
 " Job 17. 9. 
 
 Ps. 25. 3. 
 
 Pb. 37. 9. 
 
 Fa. 103. 5. 
 
 Pa. 130. 6. 
 
 ch. 8. 17. 
 
 ch. 25. ft. 
 
 Lam. 3. 25. 
 
 2 Cor. 1. 8- 
 10. 
 
 2 Cor. 4. 8- 
 10. 16. 
 
 2 Cor. 12. 9. 
 lThes.1.10. 
 16 change. 
 Ps. 103. 5. 
 
 CHAP. 41. 
 
 I righteous- 
 ness. 
 
 " ch. 46. 11. 
 
 fails ' to i)resent himself at Jehovah's call. All 
 the stars rise at His cominand. Cf. ch. xxxiv. 15. 
 
 27. Why sayest thou, 0 Jacob . . . My way is 
 hid from the Lord? — Since these things are so, 
 thou hast no reason to think that thine interests 
 ("way" — i.e., condition, Ps. xxxvii. 5 ; Jer. xii. 
 1) are disregarded by God. my judgment is 
 passed over from my God — rather, my cause is 
 neglected by my God. He passes hy my case, in 
 my bondage and distress, without noticing it, and 
 without doing me justice, my God — who espe- 
 cially might be expected to care for me. 28. Hast 
 thou not known — by thine own observation 
 and reading of Scripture, hast thou not heard 
 —from tradition of the fathers, (that) the ever- 
 lasting, &c. ? These attributes of Jehovah ought 
 to inspire His afflicted people with confidence, 
 (there is) no searching of his understanding 
 — therefore thy cause cannot, as thou sayest, 
 escape His notice : though much in His ways is 
 umearchaMe, He cannot err (Job xi. 7-9). He is 
 never " faint " or "weary " with having the count- 
 less wants of His people ever before Him to 
 attend to. 29. He giveth power to the faint— 
 Kot only does He ' not faint ' {r. 28), but He r/ires 
 power to them who do Joint, to (them that have) 
 no might he increaseth strength — a seeming 
 
 ?)aradox. They "have no might" in themselves; 
 )ut in Him they have strength, and He 'increases^ 
 that strength. The Lord's strength is made perfect 
 in our vmikness (2 Cor. xii. 9). 30. the young 
 men (Hebrew, 6ac/tMrm)— lit., those selected: men 
 picked out on account of their youthful vigour for 
 an enterprise, shall utterly fall — Hebrew, fall- 
 ing, shall fall. 31. they shall mount up (2 Sam. 
 L 23)— lit., they shall make their vnng to ascend 
 p3i< I'^Juj. Or else, 'they shall put forth fresh 
 feathers, as eagles ' are said to renovate them- 
 selves ; the jiarallel clause, ' renew their strength,' 
 confirms this. The eagle was thought to moult 
 and renew his feathers, and with them his 
 strength, in old age (so the LXX. [Tn-epo^vj;- 
 crovviv ili'i d.€Toi\, Arabic, Syriac, and Vulgate ; Ps. 
 ciii. 5). However, the English version is favoured 
 by the descending climax, mount up . . . run . . . 
 walk : in every attitude the i)raying, waiting child 
 of God is "strong in the Lord" (Ps. Ixxxiv. 7 ; 
 Mic. iv. 5; Heb. xii. 1). 
 
 Rew/irka. — To tlie Lord's people who, like 
 Smieou, "wait for the tonsulutiou of Israel," this 
 VOL, III. 081) 
 
 chapter is full of precious " comfort." Though 
 the Lord has sorely chastised His people, yet the 
 fact that He is still their God guarantees their 
 ultimate restoration. When Jerusalem's ' ap- 
 
 Eointed time ' of hardship " is accomplished," and 
 er iniquity has been expiated through the 
 application of Christ's atoning blood, upon her 
 repentance, the Lord will speak ' to her heart,' 
 and give her double joy for her past sufferings. 
 John the Baptist's cry in the wilderness before 
 Christ's first advent,' that men should "prepare 
 the way of the Lord " by repentance, is the type 
 of every faithful -minister's preaching now, that 
 men should be ready, through a living, working 
 faith, for the second coming of the Lord. What- 
 ever hindrances may seem now to stand in the 
 way of Christ's kingdom, God can do that which 
 with man is impossible — He can and will make 
 that which is 'crooked straight,' so that 'all flesh 
 shall see the glory of the Lord.' This is the 
 encouragement to the Lord's people when they are 
 faint-hearted because of the present slowness in 
 the progress of the Gospel kingdom. 
 
 CHAP. XLI. 1-29. — Additional Eeasons 
 WHY THE Jews should place Confidence in 
 God's Promises of Delivering them : He will 
 Raise up a Prince as their Deliverer ; 
 whereas the Idols could not Deliver the 
 Heathen Nations from that Prince. 
 
 1. Keep silence hefore me, 0 islands— The 
 same "islands" as in ch. xl. 15: all maritime 
 regions, and those beyond sea (Jer. xxv. 22), in- 
 cluding also Mesopotamia or Babylonia enclosed 
 between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates (Zech. 
 ii. 13). God is about to argue the case, therefore 
 let the nations listen in reverential silence. Cf. 
 Gen. xxviii. 16, 17, as to the spirit in which we 
 ought to behave before God. before me (Hebrew, 
 ee^a^/)— rather (turning), toivardsme {Maurer). let 
 the people renew (their) strength — let them 
 gather their strength for the argument ; let them 
 adduce their strongest arguments (cf. ch. i. 18 ; Job 
 ix. 32). let us come near together to judgment. 
 " Judgment " means here to decide the point at 
 issue between us. 
 
 2. Who raised up the righteous man from the 
 east, called him to his foot ?—" Who " else but 
 God ? The fact that God ' raiseth up ' Cyrus, and 
 qualifies him for becoming the conqueror of the 
 nations and deliverer of God's people, is a strong 
 
 2 Y 
 
with his people. 
 
 God expostulateth ISAIAH XLI. 
 
 Called him to his foot, 
 
 Gave *the nations before him, and made him rule over kings ? 
 He gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow. 
 
 3 He pursued them, and passed ^ safely; 
 
 Even by the way that he had not gone with his feet. 
 
 4 Who hath wrought and done it, 
 
 Calling the generations from the beginning ? 
 
 I the Lord, the '^first, — and with the last; I am he. 
 
 5 The isles saw it, and feared ; 
 
 The ends of the earth were afraid, — drew near, and came. 
 
 6 They helped every one his neighbour ; 
 
 And every one said to his brother, ^ Be of good courage. 
 
 7 So the carpenter encouraged the * goldsmith, 
 
 And he that smootheth with the hammer ^him that smote the anvil, 
 
 ^ Saying, It is ready for the soldering : 
 
 And he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved. 
 
 8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, 
 
 Jacob whom I have chosen, — the seed of Abraham my ^friend. 
 
 9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth. 
 And called thee from the chief men thereof. 
 
 argument why they should i>rust in Him. The 
 future is here prophetically r^resented as present 
 or past, the righteous man — Cyrus : as chs. xliv. 
 28; xlv. 1-4, 13; xlvi. 11, "from the east," prove. 
 Called "righteous," not so much on account of 
 his own eqiiity (Herodotus, iii. 89), as because he 
 fulfilled Crod^s righteous will in restoring the 
 Jews from their unjust captivity. Raised him up 
 in righteousness. The LXX. translates, as the 
 Hebrew, tzedequ, strictly means, righteousness. 
 3faurer translates, ' Who raised up him whom 
 salvation (national and temporal, the gift of God's 
 ' righteousness ' to the good, ch. xxxii. 17 : of. 
 chs. xlv. 8 ; li. 5) meets at his foot ' [i. €., wherever 
 he goes). The English version is better, and 
 is supported by the Chaldaic, LXX., Vulgate, 
 Arabic, and Syriac. Cyrus is said to come from 
 the East, because Persia is east of Babylon ; but 
 in V. 25, from the North, in reference to Media. 
 At the same time the full sense of righteousness. 
 or righteous, and of the whole passage, is realized 
 only in Messiah, Cyrus's antitype (Cyrus hieio not 
 God, ch. xlv. 4). He goes forth as the Universal 
 Conqueror of the "nations " in righteousness, mak- 
 ing war (Ps. ii. 8, 9 ; Eev. xix. 11-15 ; vi. 2 ; ii. 26, 27). 
 "The idols He shall utterly abolish " (cf. vv. 7, 23 
 with ch. ii. 18). Righteousness was always raised 
 up from the East. Paradise was east of Eden. The 
 cherubim Avere at the east of the garden. Abraham 
 was called from the East, Judea, the birfch-place of 
 Messiah, was in the East. Abraham, called from 
 Ur of the Chaldees (now Mugheir). can hardly be 
 meant by "the righteous man." For Chaldea in 
 Scripture is termed north, not east of Palestine 
 (Jer. i. 13; iv. 6). And though in Gen. xiv. he 
 appears for a brief time a conqueror, yet he had 
 not "rule over kings," such as is here described, 
 and which belongs to Cyrus in type, to Messiah 
 antitypically. called him to his foot— called 
 him to attend His (God's) steps ; i. e., follow His 
 guidance. In Ezra i. 2, Cyrus acknowledges 
 Jehovah as the Giver of his victories : He subdued 
 the nations from tlie Euxine to the Red Sea, and 
 even Egyi^t (says Xenophon). gave the nations 
 before him— i. e., into his power: as in Josh. x. 12. 
 he gave (them) as the dust to his sword— (ch. 
 xvii. 13; xxix. 5; Ps. xviii. 42.) Persia, Cyrus's 
 country, was famed for the use of the " bow " (ch. 
 xxii. 0). he gave (them) as the dust to his sword, 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 «> ch. 45. 1. 
 
 2 in peace. 
 " ch. 44. 7. 
 
 Acts 15. IS. 
 Acts 17. 2G. 
 <* ch. 43. 10. 
 ch. 48. 12. 
 Kev. 1. 11, 
 17. 
 
 Rev. 2. 8. 
 Rev. 22. 13. 
 
 3 Be strong. 
 
 4 Or. 
 founder. 
 
 5 Or. the 
 smiting. 
 
 6 Or, saying 
 of the 
 soldier, It 
 is good. 
 
 « Gen. 18. 19. 
 2 Chr. 5iO. 7. 
 Neh. 9. 7. 
 Rom. 5. 10. 
 Jas. 2. 23. 
 
 (and) as driven stubble to his bow. Maurer 
 translates, ' gave his (the enemy's) sword to 
 be dust, and his (the enemy's) bow to be as 
 stubble' (Job xli. 26, 29). So the LXX., Arabic, 
 and Syriac. But the Chaldaic and Vulgate support 
 the English version, which the celebrity of the 
 Persian skill with the how favours. 3. He pursued 
 them ... by the way (that) he had not gone 
 with his feet. Cyrus had not visited the regions 
 of the Eui)hrates, -and westward, until he visited 
 them for conquest. So the Gospel conquests 
 penetrated regions where the name of God was 
 unknown before. 4. Who— else but God? wrought 
 and done (it), calling the generations from the 
 beginning? The origin and position of all nations , 
 are from God (Deut. xxxii. 8 ; Acts xvii. 26). What : 
 is true of Cyrus and his conquests is true of all the \ 
 movements of history from the first : all are from i 
 God. I the Lord, the first, and with the last — 
 i. e., the Last (ch. xliv. 6; xlviii. 12). 
 
 5. The isles saw it, and feared— that they • 
 would be subdued, drew near, and came — ; 
 together, for mutual defence. 6. Be of good j 
 courage — Be not alarmed because of Cyi'us, I 
 but make new images to secure the favour of *' 
 the gods against him. 7. So the carpenter ' 
 encouraged the goldsmith— One workman en- 
 courages the other to be quick in finishing 
 the idol, so as to avert the impending danger, 
 fastened it with nails— to keep it steady in its 
 place. Wisd. xi., xii., xiiL, give a similar picture 
 of the folly of idolatry. 
 
 8. But thou, Israel, art my servant— Contrast 
 between the idolatrous nations whom God will 
 destroy by Cyrus, and Israel, whom God will 
 deliver by the same man for their forefathers' 
 sake, my servant— so termed as being chosen by 
 God to worship Him themselves, and to lead other 
 peoples to do the same (ch. xlv. 4). Jacob whom 
 I have chosen — (Ps. cxxxv. 4.) the seed of 
 Abraham my friend— Hebrew, ohahi; Chaldaic, 
 'my beloved;' the LXX. and Arabic, 'whom I 
 loved.' 9. (Thou) whom I have taken from the 
 ends of the ednth— Abraham, the father of the 
 Jews, taken from the remote Ur of the Chaldees. 
 Others take it of Israel called out of Egypt (Deut. 
 iv. 37; Hos. xi. 1). and called thee from the 
 chief men thereof— lit., the elbows {meeaizileyaJi) ; 
 so the joints; hence the root which, joins the tree 
 
God*s promises 
 
 ISAIAH XLI. 
 
 to his peojjle. 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 And said unto him, Thou art my servant ; 
 I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. 
 
 Fear thou not; ^ for I am with thee : — be not dismayed ; for I am thy God : 
 I will strengthen thee ; yea, I will help thee ; 
 Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 
 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee 
 Shall be ^ ashamed and confounded : 
 They shall be as nothing ; — and they that strive with thee shall perish. 
 
 12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them. 
 Even ^ them that contended with thee : 
 
 ^ They that war against thee — shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. 
 
 13 For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand. 
 Saying unto thee. Fear not ; I will help thee. 
 
 14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye ^^men of Israel ; 
 I will help thee, saith the Lord, 
 
 And ''thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 
 
 15 Behold, ^I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth : 
 Thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small. 
 
 And shalt make the hills as chaff. 
 
 16 Thou shalt -^fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, 
 And the whirlwind shall scatter them : 
 
 And thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, 
 And shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel. 
 
 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, 
 A nd their tongue faileth for thirst, 
 
 I the Lord will hear them, — / the God of Israel will not forsake them. 
 I will open ^'rivers in high places, — and fountains in the midst of the valleys : 
 I will make the ' wilderness a pool of water, 
 And the dry land springs of water. 
 
 17 
 
 B. c. ria. 
 
 / Deut. 31. 6. 
 
 Kom. 8. 31. 
 " Ex. 11. 8. 
 
 Ex. 23. 22. 
 
 Zech. 12. 3. 
 
 Acts 3. S- 
 11. 
 
 Acts 10. 39. 
 Eev. 3. 9. 
 
 7 the men of 
 thy strife. 
 
 8 the men of 
 thy conten- 
 tion. 
 
 9 the men of 
 thy war. 
 
 10 Or. few 
 men. 
 
 Dfeut. 7. 7. 
 Matt. 7. 14. 
 Luke 12. 32. 
 Eom. 9. 27. 
 Job 19. 25. 
 Ps. 19. 14. 
 Jer. 60. 54. 
 Gal. 3. 13. 
 Tit. 2. 14. 
 Eev. 5. 9. 
 » Mic. 4. 13. 
 2 Cor. 10. 4. 
 5. 
 
 11 mouths. 
 j Jer. 51. 2. 
 *; Es. 46. 4. 
 
 Ps. 78. 15. 
 ch. 35. 6. 7. 
 I Ps. 107. 35. 
 
 to the earth; figuratively, those of ancient and 
 nohle stock. So Hebrew, pinnah, a corner, is 
 used figuratively for a prince. But the parallel 
 clause ("ends of the earth") favours Gesenius, 
 who translates, ' the extremities of the earth : ' so 
 Jerome and Vulgate. Chaldaic translates, ' from 
 its kingdoms.' The LXX., Arabic, and Syriac, 
 'from its eminences.' 10. be not dismayed— , 
 anxiously to look at one another in dismay [rnii'J?, 
 from HPS', to look]. I will uphold thee with the 
 right hand of my righteousness— i. e., my right 
 hand prepared in accordance with my righteous- 
 ness (faithfulness to my promises) to uphold thee. 
 11. ashamed — put to the shame of defeat (cf. ch. 
 liv. 17; Rom, ix. 83). 12. Thou shalt seek them, 
 and Shalt not find them — said of one so utterly 
 
 {)ut out of the way that not a trace of him can be 
 ound fPs. xxxvii. 36). they shall be ... as a thing 
 of nought— they shall utterly perish. 13. I will 
 help thee— (Deut. xxxiii. 20, 29.) 14. Fear not, 
 thou worm Jacob— in a state of contemxjt aud 
 atfiiction, whom all loathe and tread on : the very 
 expression which Messiah, on the cross, applies to 
 Himself (Ps. xxii. 6), so completely are the Lord 
 and His people identified and assimilated. 'God's 
 people are as "worms" in humble thoughts of 
 themselves, and in their enemies' haughty thoughts 
 of them: worms, but not vipers, or of the ser- 
 pent's seed ' {Henry), and ye men of Israel. The 
 
 1)arallelism requires the word " men " here, to 
 lave associated with the idea of feloness or 
 fee/jleness (cf. marg.) Lov)th translates, 'Ye 
 mo-rtals (Hebrew, raetheeii) of Israel.' The LXX. 
 (o\iyo<rxos ^l<Tpav\), 'Israel altogether diminutive.' 
 The root is mathah, to be mortal ; and muth, 
 death. But the word is often used for men 
 G91 
 
 in general, the Lord — in general, and thy Re- 
 deemer—in particular; a still stronger reason why 
 He should " help " them. 15. Behold, I will make 
 thee a new sharp threshing instrument — God 
 will make Israel to destroy their enemies as the 
 Eastern corn-drag (ch. xxviii. 27, 28) bruises out 
 the grain with its teeth, and gives the chaff to 
 the winds to scatter, having teeth — serrated, so 
 as to cut up the straw for fodder, and separate 
 the grain from the chaff, thou shalt thresh the 
 mountains . . . hills — kingdoms more or less 
 powerful that were hostile to Israel (ch. ii. 14), 
 16. Thou Shalt fan them— winnowed (cf. Matt. iii. 
 12). the whirlwind shall scatter them — (Job 
 xxvii. 21 ; xxx. 22.) 
 
 17. (When) the poor and needy— primarily the 
 exiles in Babylon, seek water— fig., refreshment, 
 prosperity after their affliction. The language is 
 so constructed as only very partially to apply 
 to the local and temporary event of the restora- 
 tion from Babylon ; but fully to be realized in the 
 waters of life and of the Spirit under the Gospel 
 (chs. xxx. 25; xliv. 3; John vii. 37-39; iv, 14), 
 God wrought no miracles that we read of, in any 
 wilderness, during the return from Babylon, and 
 their tongue faileth— is ricjicl ov 2:>arched [Horsley). 
 18. I will open rivers ... I will make the wilder- 
 ness a pool of water— alluding to the waters with 
 which Israel was miraculously supplied in the 
 desert after having come out of Egypt, in high 
 places— bare of trees, barren, aud un watered (Jer. 
 iv. 11 ; xiv. 6). in the midst of the valleys. '■'■High 
 places r . . valleys " spiritually express that in all 
 circumstances, whether elevated or dejjressed, God'a 
 people shall have refreshment for their souls, how- 
 ever little to be expected it might seem. 19. I Will 
 
God's promises 
 
 ISAIAH XLI. 
 
 to his people. 
 
 19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree. 
 And the myrtle, and the oil tree ; 
 
 I will set in the desert the fir tree, 
 
 And the pine, and the box tree together; 
 
 20 That ''Hhey may see, and know, — and consider, and understand together, 
 That the hand of the Lord hath done this, 
 
 And the Holy One of Israel hath created it. 
 
 21 Produce your cause, saith the Lord; 
 
 Bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. 
 
 22 Let them bring them forth, and show us what shall happen: 
 Let them show the former things, what they be, 
 
 That we may ^^consider them, and know the latter end <>f them ; 
 Or declare us things for to come. 
 
 23 Show 'Hhe things that are to come hereafter. 
 
 That we m.ay know that ye are gods : — yea, do good, or do evil, 
 That we may be dismayed, and behold it together. 
 
 24 Behold, 3^e are ^*of nothing, — and your work ^^of nought: 
 An abomination is he that chooseth you. 
 
 25 I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come : 
 From the rising of the sun ^ shall he call upon my name ; 
 And he shall come upon princes as upon mortar, 
 
 B. C. 71 \ 
 
 "* Ex. 9. It). 
 Num. 23. 'A 
 Job 12. 9. 
 Ps. lOa. 27. 
 Eph. 2. 6. 
 2Thes.l.I0. 
 
 12 Cause t > 
 coaie near. 
 Job 23. 3. 4. 
 Job 31. 37. 
 Job 40. 7. 
 
 13 a. tour 
 heart 
 
 upontLem. 
 Teut. 18.22. 
 
 Jer. 28. 9. 
 
 John 13. 19. 
 " Jer. 10. 5. 
 i*Or, worse 
 
 than no- 
 thing. 
 
 1 Cor. 8. 4. 
 i» (Jr, worse 
 
 than of a 
 
 viper. 
 P Lzra 1. 2. 
 
 plant in the wilderness the cedar —(chs. xxxii. 15 ; 
 Iv. 13.) the shittah— rather, the acacia, or Egyp- 
 tian thorn, from which the gum- Arabic is obtained 
 {Lowth). The boards and pillars of the tabernacle 
 were made of it, also the ark, the staves, the table 
 of showbread, &c. It grows to the size of a inul- 
 l)erry tree. The Hebrew, shittah, is derived from 
 the Egyptian term sant, or sunt, the n being 
 omitted. The tangled thickets into which the 
 stem expands account for the plural form, shiltim, 
 in which also the word occurs. The acacia seyai 
 is the tree especially referred to. It is found in 
 large quantities on the mountains of Sinai over- 
 hanging the Eed Sea. oil tree— tlie olive, fir tree 
 — Hebrew, herosh; including not only the pinus 
 sUvestris, or Scotch fir, and larch, but also the 
 cypress: grateful by its shade, pine. Gesenius 
 translates, 'the holm.' \30X tree {teasshitr) — not 
 the shrub used for bordering flower-beds, but 
 {Gesenius) a kind of cedar, remarkable for the 
 smalluess of its coues and the upward direction 
 of its branches. It is called scherbin. The root is 
 ashar, to be tall and erect. 20. That they may 
 see . . . and consider— lit., lay it (to heart); turn 
 (their attention) to it. "They" refers to all lands 
 {v. 1; Ps. Ixiv. 9; xl. 3). The effect on the Gen- 
 tiles of God's open interposition hereafter in be- 
 half of Israel shall be, they shall seek Israel's God 
 (ch. ii. 3 ; Zech. viii. 21-23). 
 
 21. Produce your cause, saith the Lord— A new 
 challenge to the idolaters (see vv. 1, 7) to say, can 
 their idols predict future events as Jehovah can ? 
 {vv. 22-25, &c.) bring forth jour strong reasons 
 — the reasons for idol-v.'orship M'hich you think 
 especially strong. 22. Let them bring (them) 
 forth, and show us what shall happen — ' Let 
 them hri7ig near and declare future contingencies' 
 {Tlorsley). Or, as the Chaldaic, LXX., Vulgate, 
 Arabic, and Syriac, ' Let them draw near,' &c. 
 Hebrew, yaggishu. let them show the former 
 things, what they (be), that we may consider 
 them, and know the latter end of them ; or de- 
 clare us things for to come— show what former 
 predictions the idols have given, that we may 
 compare the event (" latter end") with them; or 
 give new prophecies (' declare things to come ') 
 (ch. xlii. 9). Joamea explains it more reconditely— 
 G92 
 
 'Let them foretell the entire series of events, show- 
 ing, in their order, the things which shall fi^st 
 occur, as well as those which shall ^wa^Z?/ happen.' 
 The false prophets tried to predict isolated events, 
 having no mutual dependency ; not a long series 
 of events mutually and orderly connected, and 
 stretching far into futurity. They did not even 
 try to do this. None but God can do it (chs. xlvi. 
 10; xliv. 7, 8). "Or declare us things for to 
 come" will, in this view, mean, Let them, if they 
 cannot predict the series, even predict plainly any 
 detached events. I i)refer the former view, which 
 is simpler. 23. do good, or do evil — give any proof 
 at all of your power, either to reward your friends 
 or punish your enemies {Ps. cxv. 2-8). that we 
 may be dismayed, and behold it together. 
 Maurer translates, 'that we (Jehovah and the 
 idols) may look one another in the face (i. e., 
 encounter one another : 2 Ki. xiv. 8, 11) and see ' 
 our respective powers by a trial. I prefer, witl 
 the English version, taking the same Hebrew as 
 in V. 10, "be dismayed;" 'look at one another in 
 dismay.' Thus, in the clause "that we may be 
 dismayed," we refers to Jehovah and His worship- 
 pers. 24. ye are of nothing— (note, ch. xl. 17.) 
 and your work of nought. The Hebrew text 
 [i'CKp, of the work of a viper] is here corrupt. 
 So tlie English version treats it [it ought to be 
 DSNp : cf. ch. xl. 17J. abomination— abstract for 
 concrete ; not merely abominable, but the essence 
 of whatever is so (Deut. xviii. 12). (is he that) 
 chooseth you — as an object of worship. 
 
 25. I have raised up— in purpose ; not fulfilled 
 till 150 years afterwards, one from the north — 
 in V. 2 "from the east:" both are true. See the 
 note there, from the rising of the sun (the East) 
 shall he call upon my name— acknowledge me as 
 Ood, and attribute His success to me. This he 
 did in the proclamation (Ezra i. 2). This does 
 not necessarily imply that Cyrus renounced 
 idolatry ; but hearing of Isaiah's prophecy, 
 given 150 years before, so fully realized in 
 his own acts, he recognized God as the true 
 God, but retained his idols (so Naaman, 2 
 Ki, V. : cf. the Assyrian colonists in Samaria, 
 2 Ki. xvii. 33, 41 ; Dan. iii. 28 ; iv. 1-3, 34-37). 
 princes— the Paby Ionian satraps or governors of 
 
The office 
 
 of Chr ist. 
 
 And as the potter treadeth clay. 
 
 26 AVho hath declared from the beginning, that we may know ? 
 And beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous ? 
 
 Yea, there is none that showeth ; — yea, there is none that declareth ; 
 Yea, there is none that heareth your words. 
 
 27 ^^The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them : 
 
 And I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings. 
 
 28 For ^ I beheld, and there ivas no man ; 
 
 Even among them, and there teas no counsellor, 
 That, when I asked of them, could answer a word. 
 
 29 Behold, they are all vanity; — their works are nothing : 
 Their molten images are wind and confusion. 
 
 42 BEHOLD ''my servant, whom I uphold ; 
 Mine elect, in wham, my soul ^delighteth : 
 
 provinces, as (upon) mortar— m??-e. He shall 
 tread them under foot as dirt (ch. x. 6). 26. 
 Who— of the idolatrous soothsayers, hath de- 
 clared from the beginning, that we may know. 
 When this i)rophecy shall be fulfilled, all shall see 
 that God foretold as to Cyrus, which none of the 
 soothsayers have, and before time— before the 
 event occurred that we may say, (He is) righ- 
 teous — it is true ; it was a true prophecy, as the 
 event shows. "He i& righteous," in the English 
 version must be interpreted. The fulfilment of the 
 idoVs words proves that He is faithful, yea, (there 
 is) none that showeth, yea, (there is) none that 
 dsclareth ; yea, (there is) none that heareth your 
 words— there is none of the idols that showeth 
 future events. There is none of the prophets to 
 those idols that declareth the future so shown to 
 him ; yea, there is none of the idol worshippers 
 that heareth your words giving revelations as to 
 the future. 27. The first (shall say) to Zion, 
 Behold, behold them : and I will give to Jerusa- 
 lem one that bringeth good tidings— rather, ' / 
 first will (jive to Zion and to Jerusalem the mes- 
 senger of good tidings, Behold, behold them ! ' 
 viz., the soldiers of Cyrus already coming for the 
 assault of Babylon and the deliverance of the 
 Jews, or the Jews returning from their dispersion. 
 The Hebrew affix [n] is masculine, and requires, 
 therefore, that "them" should refer to persons, 
 not tilings. The clause " Behold . . . them " is 
 inserted in the middle of the sentence as a de- 
 tached exclamation by an elegant transposition, 
 the language being framed abruptly, as one would 
 speak in iiutting vividly, as it were, before the 
 eyes of others, some joyous event which he had 
 just learned (L. de Dieu). (Cf. ch. xl. 9.) None of 
 the idols had foretold these events. Jehovah 
 was the " first" to do so (see v. 4). If the English 
 version be retained, "the first "will meanife who 
 is the First— Viz., God. 28. I beheld . . . and 
 (there was) no counsellor— no one of the idola- 
 trous soothsayers who could advertise (Num. xxiv. 
 1-^) those who consulted them what would take 
 place in the latter days. Cf. ''^ the counsel of his 
 messengers " (ch. xliv. 26). that when I asked 
 — i. e., challenged them, in this chai)ter, could 
 answer a word. 29. their molten images (are) 
 . . . confusion— emp^mess ; Hebrew, thohu, wittiout 
 form (ch. xxxiv. 11). 
 
 Remarks.— There is a grand question at issue be- 
 tween God and the world, and between the people 
 of God and the peofjle of tl>e world. The question 
 is, whether the kingdom of God is to prevail, or the 
 kingdom of the world, which is estranged from 
 God. The remarkable interposition of God in behalf 
 of His ox)preased people in their Babylonian cap- 
 tivity, whereby He raised up Cyrus to execute 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 16 Or. I the 
 first 8ay. 
 cb. 43. 10. 
 
 « ch. 44. 23. 
 ch. C3. 5. 
 
 1' return. 
 
 CHAP. 4i. 
 * ch. 52. 13, 
 Matt. 12.18. 
 Phil. 2. 7. 
 6 Matt. 3. 17. 
 Matt. 17. 6. 
 Eph. 1. 6. 
 Eph. 2. 14, 
 I'*. 
 
 Col. 1. 13, 
 
 His " righteous " will in delivering them, decides 
 the point at issue. That deliverance is a X'led^e 
 and earnest of the final deliverance of the xjeople 
 of God, the literal and the spiritual Israel, by 
 the Messiah, of whom Cyrus was the type. The 
 nations in vain oppose themselves to the will of 
 God, relying on their earthly idols. The Almighty 
 is the "first," and therefore was before all human 
 devices. He also is " with the last," and there- 
 fore shall Himself for ever be, and shall have His 
 people with Him, when all adversaries of Himself 
 and His people shall have been cast out finally. 
 The same antitypical Cyrus, Messiah, shall 
 destroy with the brightness of His coming the 
 God-opposed nations and people, and will deliver 
 the people of His covenant for the sake of 
 Abraham, the forefather of Israel after the flesh, 
 the father of all the faithful, and the "friend of 
 God." 
 
 CHAP. XLII. 1-25.~Messiah the Antitype 
 OF Cyeus. God's description of His character {vv. 
 1-4), God addresses Him directly {vv.5-7). Ad- 
 dress to the people to attend to the subject (vv. 8, 9). 
 Call to all, and especially the exile Jews, to rejoice 
 in the coming deliverance (vv. 10-25), 
 
 1, Behold my servant. The law of prophetic 
 suggestion leads Isaiah from Gyrus to the far 
 greater Deliverer, behind whom the former is 
 lost sight of. The express quotation in Matt, 
 xii. 18-20, and the description, can apply to 
 Messiah alone (Ps. xl, 6, note : with which 
 cf, Exod. xxi. 6; John vi. 38; Phil, ii, 7). 
 Israel, also, in its highest ideal, is called the 
 "servant" of God (ch, xlix, 3). But this ideal is 
 realized only in the antitypical Israel, its repre- 
 seutative-man and Head, Messiah (cf. Matt, ii. 15 
 with Hos. xi. 1). "Servant" was the position 
 assumed by the Son of God throughout His 
 humiliation, whom I uphold— lest he should 
 sink under the pressure of my wrath against man's 
 sin laid upon Him, So the Syriac. But Grotius 
 and Calvin take the Hebrew, ethmak ho, I will lean 
 upon Him; as a master leans upon a faithful 
 servant (2 Ki. v. 18; vii. 2, 17). 1 depend upon 
 Him for executing all my will, mine elect — 
 chosen by God before the foundation of the world 
 for an atonement (1 Pet. i. 20; Rev. xiii. 8). Be- 
 demption was no after-thought to remedy an 
 unforeseen evil (Rom. xvi. 25, 26 ; Eph. iii. 9, 11 ; 
 2 Tim. i, 9, 10 ; Tit. i. 2, 3), In Matt, xii. 18, it is 
 rendered "my beloved:" the only beloved Son, 
 beloved in a sense distinct from all others. Election 
 and the love of God are inseparably joined, (in 
 whom) my soul— a human phrase applied to God, 
 because of the intended union of humanity with 
 the divinity : / myself, delighteth— is well pleased 
 with, and accepts, as a propitiation. God could 
 
Christ's mission 
 
 ISAIAH XLII. 
 
 to the Gentiles. 
 
 I *^ have put my Spirit upoD him ; 
 
 He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 
 
 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, — nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 
 
 3 A bruised reed shall he not break. 
 
 And the ^ smoking flax shall he not ^quench : 
 He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 
 
 4 He ^ shall not fail nor be ^ discouraged, 
 
 Till he have set judgment in the earth : — *and the isles shall wait for his law. 
 
 5 Thus saith God the Lord, 
 
 •^He that created the heavens, and stretched them out, 
 
 He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; 
 
 ^ He that giveth breath unto the people upon it. 
 
 And spirit to them that walk therein : 
 
 6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness. 
 
 B. C. 712, 
 
 " ch. 11. 2. 
 Matt. 3. 10. 
 Mark l. lO. 
 Luke 3. 22. 
 John 1. 32, 
 34. 
 
 John 3. 34. 
 Acts 10. 3S. 
 
 1 Or, dimly 
 burning. 
 
 2 quench it. 
 d Heb. 12. 2. 
 
 3 broken. 
 
 ' G«n. 49. 10. 
 / ch. 44. 24. 
 
 Zech. 12. 1. 
 
 Acts 17. 2\ 
 
 have ' delighted ' in no created being as a Mediator 
 (cf. V. 21 ; ch. Ixiii. 5 ; Matt. iii. 17). I have put 
 my Spirit upon Mm— (ch. xi. 2 ; Ixi. 1 ; Luke iv. 
 18 ; John iii. 34. ) he shall bring forth judgment 
 
 — the Gospel dispensation, founded on justice, the 
 canon of the divine rule and principle of judgment, 
 called "the law" (ch. ii. 3: cf. v. 4, "His law; 
 chs. li. 4 ; xlix. 6). The Gospel has a discriminat- 
 ing judicial effect : saving to penitents : condemna- 
 tory to Satan, the enemy (John xii. 31 ; xvi. 11), 
 and the wilfully impenitent (John ix. 39). Matt, 
 xii. 18, has, "He shall sJiow,^^ for, "He shall bring 
 forth," or ' cause to go fortJi.'' Christ both produced 
 and announced His "judgment." The Hebrew 
 dwells most on His producing it ; Matthew on His 
 announcement of it : the two are joined in Him. 
 2. He shall not cry, nor lift up. Mattliew marks 
 the kind of " cry " as that of altercation, by quoting 
 it, " He shall not strive " (ch. liii. 7). in the street 
 — the LXX. translate 'outside.' An image from 
 an altercation in a house, loud enough to be heard 
 in the street outside : appropriate of Him who 
 " withdrew Himself " from the public fame created 
 by His miracles, to privacy (Matt. xii. 15 ; v. 34, 
 there, shows another and sterner aspect of His 
 character towards the Satanic " generation of 
 vipers "which is also implied in the term "judg- 
 ment"). 3. A bruised reed shall he not break. 
 "It pleased the Lord to bruise Him" (ch. liii. 5, 
 10 ; Gen. iii. 15) ; so He can feel for the bruised. 
 As V. 2 described His unturbulent spirit towards 
 His violent enemies (Matt. xii. 14-16), and His 
 utter freedom from love of notoriety, so v. 3 His 
 tenderness in cherishing the first spark of grace in 
 the penitent (ch. xl. 11). reed — fragile; easily 
 "shaken with the wind" (Matt. xi. 7). Those 
 who are at lest feeble, and who besides are 
 oppressed by calamity or by the sense of sin. 
 break— entirely crush or condemn. Cf. "bind up 
 the broken-hearted" (chs. 1. 4; Ixi. 1; Matt. xi. 
 28). the smoking flax shall lie not quench— 
 "flax" put for the lamp-iwc^, formed of flax. 
 The believer is the lamp (so the Greek, Matt. v. 
 15, "Neither do men light a candle, and put it 
 under a bushel ; " John v. 35) : his conscience 
 enlightened by the Holy Ghost is the wick. 
 " Smoking " means dimly -burning, smouldering, the 
 flame not quite extinct. This expresses the posi- 
 tive side of the penitent's religion, as " bruised 
 reed," the negative. Broken-hearted in himself, 
 but not without some spark of flame lighted from 
 above. Christ will supply such a one with grace 
 as with oil. Also, the light of nature smouldering 
 in the Gentiles amidst the hurtful fumes of error. 
 He not only did not quench, but cleared away the 
 mists and superadded the light of revelation. 
 8,ee Jerome^ ad 'Algasiam,' Queestio 2. he shall 
 694 
 
 bring forth judgment unto truth. Matt. xii. 
 20 quotes it, "He shall send forth judgment 
 unto victory.'' Matthew, under the Spirit, gives 
 the virtual sense, but varies the word, in order to 
 bring out a fresh aspect of the same thing. Truth 
 has in itself the elements of victory over all op- 
 posing forces. Truth is the victory of Him who is 
 
 the truth " (John xiv. 6). The Gospel judicial 
 sifting ("judgment") of believers and unbelievers, 
 begun already in part (John iii. 18, 19 ; ix. 39), 
 will be consummated victoriously in truth only at 
 His second coming. Vv. 13, 14, here, and Matt, 
 xii. 32, 36, 41, 42, show that there is reference to 
 the, judicial aspect of the Go^el, especially finally : 
 besides the mild triumph of Jesus coming in mercy 
 to the penitent now {v. 2), there shall be finally the 
 judgment on His enemies, when the "truth" shall 
 be perfectly developed. Cf. ch. Ixi. 1-3, where the 
 two comings are similarly joined (Ps. ii. 4-6, 8 ; 
 Rev. XV. 2-4; xix. 11-16). On "judgment," see 
 note, v. 1. 4. He shall not fail— faint: man iu 
 religion may become as the almost expiring flax- 
 wick {v. 3), but not so He in His purposes of grace, 
 nor be discouraged— lit., be broken; i. e., checked 
 in zeal by discouragements (cf. ch. xlix. 4, 5). 
 Rosenmnller not so well translates (as the Hebrew, 
 yarutz, may be derived from rutz, to run hastily ; 
 as well as from ratzatz, to break), ' He shall not 
 be too slow on the one hand, nor run too hastily on 
 the other.' The LXX. and Arabic, and seemingly 
 the Chaldaic, support the English version. The 
 Vulgate, 'He shall not be sad nor turbulent.' till 
 he have set judgment in the earth— "judgment," 
 His true religion, the canon of His judgments 
 and righteous reign {v. 1, end), isles shall wait 
 for his law — the distant lands beyond sea shall 
 put their trust in His Gospel way of salvation. 
 Matt. xii. 21 virtually gives the sense, with the 
 inspired addition of another aspect of the same 
 thing, "In His name shall the Gentiles trust'' (as 
 " wait for " here means, ch. xxx. 18). " His law " 
 is not something distinct from Himself, but is 
 indeed Himself, the manifestation of God's char- 
 acter ("His name") in Christ, who is the embodi- 
 ment of the laiu (ch. xlii. 21 ; Jer. xxiii. 6 ; Rom. x. 
 4). "The isles" here, and v. 12, may refer to the 
 fact, that the populations of which the Church was 
 primarily formed were Gentiles of the countries 
 iDordering on the Mediterranean. 
 
 5. Previously God had spoken o/ Messiah ; now 
 {vv. 5-7) He speaks to Him. To show to all that 
 He is able to sustain the Messiah in his appointed 
 work, and that all might accept Messiah as com- 
 missioned by such a mighty God, He commences 
 by announcing Himself as the Almighty Creator 
 and Preserver of all things, spread forth the 
 earth — (Ps. cxxxvi. 6.) 6. in righteousness — 
 
An exJiortation 
 
 ISAIAH XLII. 
 
 to praise God. 
 
 And will hold thine hand, — and will keep thee, 
 
 And give thee for a covenant of the people, — for ''a light of the Gentiles; 
 To open the blind eyes, — to ^ bring out the prisoners from the prison. 
 And them that sit in -^ darkness out of the prison house. 
 
 I *am the Lord; that is my name : 
 And my 'glory will I not give to anotlier. 
 Neither my praise to graven images. 
 Behold, the former things are come to pass, 
 
 And new things do I declare : — before they spring forth I tell you of them. 
 
 Sing ^ unto the Lord a new song, 
 A nd his praise from the end of the earth, 
 Ye ^ that go down to the sea, and * all that is therein ; 
 The isles, and the inhabitants thereof. 
 Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their wice, 
 The villages that Kedar doth inhabit : 
 Let the inhabitants of the rock sing. 
 Let them shout from the top of the mountains. 
 
 1 2 Let them give glory unto the Lord, — and declare his praise in the islands. 
 
 13 The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, 
 He shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: 
 
 He shall cry, yea, roar; — he shall ^prevail against his enemies. 
 
 14 I have long time holden my peace; 
 
 I have been still, and refrained myself : 
 No2v will I cry like a travailing woman ; 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 B. C. 71.3. 
 
 '» Luke 2. 32. 
 John 8. 12. 
 Acts 13. 47. 
 A cts 20. 23. 
 
 1 Pet. 2. 9. 
 ' Pa. 107. 10, 
 
 11. 
 
 Ps. 146. 7. 
 Zech. 9. 11. 
 12. 
 
 Luke 4. 18, 
 21. 
 
 2 Tim. 2.20. 
 Heb. 2. 14. 
 
 15. 
 
 1 Pet. 2. 9. 
 } ch. 9. 2. 
 
 Matt. 4. 10. 
 
 Ex. 3. 11. 
 I ch. 48. 11. 
 ^ Ps. 33. 3. 
 
 Ps. 40. 3. 
 
 Ps. 9S. 1. 
 
 Ps. 107. 23. 
 
 4 the fulness 
 thereof. 
 
 5 Or, behave 
 himself 
 mightily. 
 Ps. 118. 6. 
 
 rather, ' for a rigliteoiis purpose ' (Loivth). (See v. 
 21). God "set forth" His Son "to be a propitiation 
 (so as) to declare His (God's) righieousness, that 
 God might be I'ust, and (yet) the justifier of him 
 which believetu in Jesus " (E.om. iii. 25, 2G : cf. 
 note, chs. xli. 2 ; xlv. 13 ; 1. 8, 9). and will hold 
 thine hand — cf. as to Israel, the type of Messiah, 
 Hos. xi. 3. and give thee for a covenant of 
 the people— ^7ie medium of the covenant, origin- 
 ally made between God and Abraham. "Messiah 
 is given by the Father to be the mediator of a 
 better covenant " (Heb. viii. 6) than the Law (see 
 ch. xlix. 8 ; Jer. xxxi. 33 ; 1. 5). So the abstract, 
 "peace," for peace-maher (Mic. v. 5; Eph. ii. 14). 
 the people— Israel : as ch. xlix. 8, compared with 
 V. 6, proves (Luke ii. 32). 7. To open the blind 
 eyes — spiritually [vv. 16, l8, 19 ; ch. xxxv. 5 ; John 
 ix. 39). to bring out the prisoners from the 
 prison— (ch. Ixi. 1, 2.) and them that sit in dark- 
 ness—opposed to " light " (y. 6 ;. Eph. v. 8 ; 1 Pet. 
 ii. 9). 
 
 8. God turns from addressing Messiah to the 
 peoijle. I (am) the Lord — Jehovah ; God's dis- 
 tinguishing and incommunicable name, indicating 
 essential being and immutable faithfulness (cf. 
 Exod. vi. 3 ; Ps. Ixxxiii. 18 ; xcvi. 5 ; Hos. xii. 
 5). my glory— that is, the glory due to me, and to 
 me alone. 9. Behold, the former tJ>ings are come 
 to pass— the former predictions of God, which 
 were now fulfilled, are liere adduced in proof that 
 they ought to trust in Him alone as God ; viz., the 
 predictions as to Israel's restoration from Babylon, 
 and new things do I declare— viz., predictions 
 as to Messiah, who is to bring all nations to the 
 worship of Jehovah {vv. I, 4, 6). before they 
 spring forth I tell you of them— the same image 
 from X'lants springing forth, i. e., just begitming to 
 germinate, occurs, ch. xliii. 19 ; Iviii. 8. Before 
 there is tJie slightest indications to enable a 
 sagacious observer to infer the coming event, God 
 foretells it. 
 
 10. Sing unto the Lord a new song— such as 
 has never before been sung, called for by a new 
 695 
 
 manifestation of God's grace, to express which no 
 hymn for former mercies would be appropriate. 
 The new song shall be sung when the Lord shall 
 reign in Jerusalem, and all "nations shall ilow 
 unto it " (chs. ii. 2 ; xxvi. 1 ; Rev. v. 9 ; xiv. 3). 
 ye that go down to the sea— whose conversion 
 will be the means of diffusing the Gospel to distant 
 lands, all that is therein— all the living creatures 
 that fill the sea (Ps. xcvi. 11) [Maurer). Or, all 
 sailors and voyagers [Gesenius). But these were 
 already mentioned in the previous clause : there 
 he called on all who go upon the sea ; in this 
 clause all animals in the sea ; so in v. 11 he calls 
 on the inanimate wilderness to lift up its voice. 
 External nature shall be so renovated as to be in 
 unison with the moral renovation. 11. the wilder- 
 ness and the cities— in a region not wholly waste, 
 but mainly so, with an oasis here and there. 
 Kedar— in Arabia Deserta (ch. xxL 16 ; Gen. xxv. 
 13). The Kedarenians led a nomadic, wandering 
 life. So Kedar is here put in general for that class 
 of men. the inhabitants of the xoc^—Sela, i. e., 
 Petra, the metropolis of Idumea and the Naba- 
 thoean Ishmaelites. Or, it may refer in general to 
 those in Arabia Petrea, who had their dwellings 
 cut out of the rock, let them shout from the top 
 of the mountains— viz., of Paran, south of Sinai, 
 in Arabia Petrea ( Vitringa). 12. Let them give 
 glory unto the Lord ... in the islands— (ch. 
 xxiv. 15.) 
 
 13-16.-13. The Lord shall go forth as a mighty 
 man. Jehovah will no longer restrain His wrath : 
 He will go forth as a mighty warrior (Exod. xv. 3) 
 to destroy His people's and His enemies, and to 
 deliver Israel (cf. Ps. xlv. 3). he shall stir up 
 jealousy— rouse His indignation, he shall cry, 
 yea, roar— image from the battle-cry of a warrior. 
 14. I have long time— viz., during the desolation 
 of Israel (ch. xxxii. 14). holden ray peace— (cf. 
 Ps. 1. 21; Hab. i. 2.) (now) will I cry like a 
 travailing woman, &c. — like a woman in par- 
 turition, who, after having restrained her breathing 
 for a time, at last, overcome with labour-pain, leta 
 
I 
 
 The people reproved 
 
 ISAIAH XLII. 
 
 for incredulity. 
 
 I will destroy and ^ devour at once. b. c. 712. 
 
 15 I will make waste mountains and hills, — and dry up all their herbs; 
 And I will make the rivers islands, — and I will dry up the pooLj. 
 
 16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not ; 
 I will lead them in paths that they have not known : 
 I will make darkness light before them, — and crooked things ^straight. 
 These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. 
 
 17 They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed. 
 That trust in graven images, 
 That say to the molten images, — Ye are our gods. 
 
 18 Hear, ye deaf ; — and look, ye blind, that ye may see, 
 
 19 Who ""is blind, but my servant? — or deaf, as my messenger that I sent ? 
 "Who is blind as he that is perfect, — and blind as the Lord's servant ? 
 
 20 Seeing many things, ^ but thou observest not ; 
 Opening the ears, but he heareth not. 
 
 2 1 The Lord is v;ell pleased for his righteousness' sake ; 
 He will magnify the law, and make ^it honourable. 
 
 8 swallow, 
 
 or, sup up. 
 " into 
 atriight- 
 neaa. 
 " ch. 43. 8. 
 ch. 66. 10. 
 Jer. 5. 21, 
 n. 
 
 Jer. 23, 14. 
 Eze. 12. 2. 
 John 7, 49. 
 John 9. C9. 
 P Deut. 4. 3. 
 Cl). 1. 3. 
 Jer, 6. 21. 
 Jer. 6. 10. 
 Eze. 12. 2. 
 Eze. 14. 3. 
 Eom. 2. 21. 
 8 Or, him. 
 
 out her voice with a panting sigh ; so Jehovah will 
 give full vent to His long pent-np wrath. I will 
 destroy and devour at once (Hebrew, esshoni 
 veesheapJi, from nasham . . . shaaph) — carrying 
 on the metaphor of a woman in parturition sighing 
 in pain. / will at once breathe hard and pant- 
 viz., giving loose to my wrath, (Forerius, 3faurer, 
 &c.) But the Vulgate and Chaldaic support the 
 English version. 15. I will make waste moun- 
 tains—I will destroy all my proud and elated 
 foes, mountains— viz,, the enemies' mouutaius, 
 clad with vines and olives on the terraced sides : 
 an image of the prosperous euemy. I v/ill make 
 the rivers islands— rfr^^ lands. God will destroy 
 His foes, the heathen, and their idols, and 'c/ry 
 up^ the fountains of their oracles, their doctrines 
 and institutions, the symbol of which is water, and 
 their schools which promoted idolatry { Vitringa). 
 16, And I will bring the blind— God's peoi^le, 
 Israel, in captivity, needing a guide. In t!ie 
 ulterior sense, the: New Testament Church, which 
 was about to be led and enlightened by the Son of 
 (xod as its leader and shepherd in the wilderness of 
 the Roman empire, until it should reach a city of 
 habitation, a way (that) they knew not— refers to 
 the various means employed by Providence for the 
 establishment of the Church in the world, such 
 as would never have occurred to the mind of mere 
 man. "Blind," they are called, as not having 
 heretofore seen God's ways in ordering His 
 Church. I will make darkness light before them 
 — the glorious issue would only be known by the 
 event itself (Eph. v, 8) ( Vitringa). The same 
 holds good of the individual believer (ch. xxx. 21 ; 
 Ps. cvii. 7 : cf. Hos. ii. 6, 14). These things will 
 I do unto them, and not forsake them— (Heb. 
 xiii. 5.) 17. They shall be turned back . . . 
 ashamed, that trust in graven images — They 
 shall be disappointed in their trust. The same 
 phrase occurs, rs. xxxv. 4. 
 
 18. Hear, ye deaf— viz., to the voice of God. 
 look, ye blind— to your duty and interest ; wil- 
 fully so {v. 20.) In this they differ from "the 
 blind" {v. 16). The Jews are referred to. He 
 had said, God would destroy the heathen idolatry. 
 Here He remembers that even Israel, His " ser- 
 vant" {v. 19), from whom better things might 
 have been expected, is tainted with this sin, 
 19. Who is blind, but my servant?— viz., Israel. 
 Who of the heathen is so blind? Considering 
 Israel's high privileges, the heathen's blindness 
 was as nothing compared with that of Israelite 
 
 idolaters, or deaf, as my messenger (that) I 
 sent ? Israel was designed by God to be the 
 herald of His truth to other nations, who (is) 
 blind as (he that is) perfect ?— furnished with 
 institutions, civil and religious, suited to their 
 perfect well-being. Cf. the title, ' Jeshurun,' the 
 perfect one, applied to Israel (cf. ch. xliv. 2), as 
 the type of Messiah ( Vitringa). Or translate 
 the friend of God, which Israel was by 
 virtue of descent from Abraham, who was so 
 called (ch, xli, 8) {Gesenius). So Grotius, 'he 
 that is in covenant with God ... the people with 
 whom God has made a covenant of eternal peace 
 and all blessing.^ So the Mohammedans call them- 
 selves, from the kindred term Mussulmen. The 
 language, "my servant" (cf. v. 1), "messenger" 
 (Mai. iii. 1), "perfect" (Ptom. x, 4; Heb, ii, 10; 
 1 Pet. ii. 22), can, in the full antitypical sense, only 
 apply to Ci^rist. So v. 21 plainly refers to Him, 
 "Blind" and "deaf" in His case refer to His 
 endurance of suffering and reproach, as though 
 He neither saw nor heard (Ps, xxxviii, 13, 14J. 
 Thus there is a transition by contrast from the 
 moral blindness of Israel {v. 18) to the patient 
 blindness and deafness of Messiah {Horsley). 20, 
 Seeing many things, but thou observest not— 
 thou dost not keep them. The "many things" 
 are the many proofs which all along, from the 
 first, God had given Israel of His goodness and 
 His power, (Deut. iv. 32-38 ; xxix. 2-4 ; Ps. Ixxviii. ; 
 cv,) opening the ears, but he heareth not — 
 transition^ from the second to the third person, 
 "Opening* the ears" — i.e., though he (Israel) 
 hath his ears ox)en (note, ch. vi. 10), This lan- 
 guage, too (note, V. 19), applies to Messiah as 
 Jehovah's servant (ch, 1. 5 ; Ps. xl, 6). 
 
 21. The Lord is well pleased for his righteous- 
 ness' sake — not His people's, but His own ; v. 
 24 shows that they had no righteousness (ch. xlv. 
 24; lix. 16; Ixiv. 6.) God is well pleased with 
 His Son ("in whom my soul delighteth," v. 1) who 
 "fulfills all righteousness'' (Matt. iii. 15) for them, 
 and is well pleased with them for His sake (cf. v. 
 6 ; Ps. Ixxi. 16, 19 ; Matt. v. 17 ; Rom. x. 3, 4 ; 
 Phil. iii. 9). Perhaps in God's "righteousness" 
 here is included His faithfulness to His promises, 
 given to . Israel's forefathers [Rosenmiiller) ; be- 
 cause of this He is well pleased with Israel, even 
 though displeased with their sin, which He here 
 reproves ; but that promise could only be based 
 on the righteousness of Messiah, the promised seed, 
 which is God's righteousness. 
 
The Lord comforteth 
 
 ISAIAH XLIIL 
 
 22 But this is a people robbed and spoiled ; 
 
 ^ They are aU of them snared in holes, — and they are hid in prison houses : 
 They are for a prey, and none delivereth ; 
 For ^^a spoil, and none saith, Restore. 
 
 23 Who among you will give ear to this ? 
 
 Who will hearken, and hear ^^for the time to come ? 
 2-1 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, — and Israel to the robbers ? 
 
 Did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned ? 
 
 For they would not walk in his ways, 
 
 Neither were they obedient unto his law. 
 25 Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger. 
 
 And the strength of battle : 
 
 ^And it hath' set him on fire round about, ^yet he knew not; 
 And it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart. 
 43 BUT now thus saith the Lord that created thee, 0 Jacob, 
 
 And he that formed thee, 0 Israel, — Fear not : "for I have redeemed thee, 
 ^ I have called thee by thy name ; thou art mine. 
 2 Allien '^thou passest through the waters, I '^will be with thee; 
 And through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee : 
 When thou Valkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned ; 
 JN^either shall the flame kindle upon thee. 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 9 Or. in 
 snaring all 
 the young 
 men of 
 them. 
 
 i«a tread- 
 ing. 
 
 II for the 
 after (inr c? 
 
 ^ 2 Ki. 2>. 9. 
 Hos. 7. 9. 
 
 CHAf. 43. 
 * ch. 44. 6. 
 6 Ex. 33. 7. 
 ch. 42 6. 
 ch. 45. 4. 
 Acts 27. 20, 
 2.5. 
 
 1 Cor. 1. 9. 
 
 2 Tim. 1. 9. 
 " Ps. 66. 12. 
 
 Ps. 91. 3. 
 d Deut. 31. 6, 
 8. 
 
 « Dan 3. 25. 
 
 22. But this is a people robbed and spoiled— 
 through their owd fault, whereas they might have 
 had the Lord as their sure protector, if they had 
 not forsaken Him. But the ordinary sense of the 
 Hebrew and the old versions, the LXX,, Vulgate, 
 Arabic, and Syriac, support the English version, 
 (they are) all of them snared in holes— caught by 
 their foes in the caverns where they had sought 
 refuge. Or, bound in subterranean dungeons 
 (Maurer). Cf. the capture of Zedekiah and his 
 princes by the Babylonians (2 Ki. xxv. 5-7 ; Lam. 
 iv, 20, "The anointed of the Lord was taken in 
 their pits;" Ezek. xii. 13, "he shall be taken in 
 my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon ; " 
 Ezek, xix. 4, 8, " holes " is probably an image 
 taken from the pitfalls or pits in which wild beasts 
 were snared), and they are hid in prison houses 
 —either literal prisons or their own houses, whence 
 they dare not go forth for fear of the enemy. 
 The connection is, Notwithstanding God's favour 
 to His people for His righteousness' sake {v. 21), 
 they have fallen into misery (the Babylonish and 
 Romish captivities, and their present dispersion), 
 owing to their disregard of the Divine law : spir- 
 itual imprisonment is included {v. 7). none saith, 
 Restore — there is no deliverer (ch. Ixiii. 5). 23. 
 (who) will hearken, and hear for the time to come ? 
 —a call that they should be warned by the past 
 judgments of God to obey Him for tlie time to 
 come. 24. Who gave Jacob for a spoil? Their 
 calamity was not the work of chance, but God's 
 immediate act for their sins. Jacob . . . Israel 
 . . . we— change from the third to the first per- 
 son : Isaiah first speaking to them and oj them as 
 a proi)hct, distinct from them : then identifying 
 himself vnfJi them, and acknowledging His share 
 in the nation's sins (cf. Josh. v. 1). 25. he hath 
 poured upon him the fury of his anger. " Upon 
 him "—Israel (v. 24). and the strength of battle— 
 the violence of war. and it— the battle, or war (cf. 
 ch. X. 10). hath set him on fire round about, yet 
 he knew not — knew not the lesson of repentance 
 which the judgment was intended to teach (ch. v. 
 13 ; ix. 13 ; Jer. v. 3). 
 
 Remarks. — God the Father calls upon an men to 
 "behold" His beloved Son, who voluntarily be- 
 came 'His servant ' for man's sake. Redemption 
 was no afterthought devised as au antidote to an 
 697 
 
 evil unforeseen. Messiah was the Father's "elect" 
 One, ' in whom His soul delighted,' as the fore- 
 appointed Redeemer, before the world was. And 
 in the fulness of time God 'put His Spirit on' 
 Messiah, the Word made flesh : so that by His 
 Gospel He brings forth "iudgment" in its highest 
 sense "to the Gentiles. The manifestation of 
 Messiah at His first coming was chai-acterized by 
 pre-eminent meekness and gentleness. 'No cry' 
 of impatience, no 'voice lifted up' in altercation 
 was ever heard from Him. He courted privacy. 
 And as He was a man of sorrows, and bruised 
 Himself, Lie never 'breaks the bruised reed.' 
 •So far from 'quenching the smoking,' or smoulder- 
 ing, "flax" of the wick in the lamp of the soul. 
 He will feed it with the oil of grace to increase 
 the heaven-lit flame. 
 
 CHAP. XLllI. 1-28.— A Succession of Argu- 
 ments WHEREBY Israel may be assured that, 
 
 NOTWITHSTANDING THEIR PERVERSITY TOWARDS 
 
 God (ch. xlii. 25), He will Deliver and Restore 
 
 THEM. 
 
 1. But now— Notwithstanding God's past just 
 judgments for Israel's sins, saith the Lord that cre- 
 ated thee, 0 Jacob— not only in the general sense, 
 but specially created as a peculiar people unto Him- 
 self [vv. 7, 15, 21 ; ch. xliv. 2, 21, 24). So believers, 
 "created in Christ Jesus" (Eph. ii. 10), "a pecu- 
 liar people" — i.e., a people whom peculiarly God 
 chose to be His (Xaos et§ Tre^oiTronjo-ii/) (1 Pet. ii. 9). 
 Fear not: for I have redeemed thee — a second 
 argument why they should trust Him, besides 
 creation. The Hebrew, gaal, means to ransom by 
 a j)rice paid in lieu of the captive (cf. v. 3). Babylon 
 was to be the ransom in this case — i. e., was to be 
 destroyed, in order that they might be delivered : 
 so Christ became a curse, doomed to death, that 
 we might be redeemed. I have called (thee) by 
 thy name— not merely "called" in general, as in 
 ch. xlii. 6 ; xlviii. 12 ; li. 2, but desianated as His 
 OiWJ peculiar people (cf. ch xlv. 3, 4 ; Exod. xxxiii. 
 12; John x. 3). 2. V/henthou passest . . . through 
 the rivers, they shall not overflow thee— so in 
 Xiassing Jordan, though at its overiioiv," when 
 "aU the time of harvest" its " swellings "were 
 especially dangerous (Josh. iii. 15; Jer. xii. 5). 
 waters . . . fire— a proverbial phrase for the 
 extremest perils (Ps. Ixvi. 12; also Ps. cxxxviii. 7). 
 
The Lord's appeal 
 
 ISAIAH XLIII. 
 
 to his people. 
 
 10 
 
 For I am the Lord thy God, — the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour : 
 
 •^I gave Egypt for thy ransom, — Ethiopia and Seba for thee. 
 
 Since thou wast ^precious in my sight, — thou hast been honourable, 
 
 And I have loved thee : — therefore will I give men for thee, 
 
 And people for thy ^ life. 
 
 Fear ^ not ; for I am with thee : 
 
 I will bring thy seed from the east, — and gather thee from tlie west; 
 
 I will say to the north, Give up; — and to the south. Keep not back : 
 
 Bring my sons from far, — and ray daughters from the ends of the earth; 
 
 Even every one that is ^called by my name : 
 
 For ^ I have created him for my glory, 
 
 I have formed him; — yea, I have made him. 
 
 Bring ^ forth the blind people that have eyes. 
 And the deaf that have ears. 
 Let all the nations be gathered together, 
 And let the people be assembled : 
 
 Who among them can declare this, — and show us former things ? 
 Let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified : 
 Or let them hear, and say. It is truth. 
 Ye ^are my witnesses, saith the Lord, 
 And my ™ servant whom I have chosen ; 
 
 B. C. 71?. 
 
 / Ex. 10. 7. 
 
 Pro. 11. 8. 
 
 Pro. 21. 18. 
 f Ex. 19. 5. 6. 
 I Or, person, 
 ft ch. 41. 10. 
 
 ch. 44. 2. 
 
 Jer. 30. 10, 
 11. 
 
 Jer. 46. 27, 
 2S. 
 
 i ch. 63. 19. 
 
 Jas. 2. 7. 
 3 Ps. lOO. 3. 
 
 ch. 29. 23. 
 
 John 3. 3. 
 
 2 Cor. 5. 17. 
 
 Eph. 2. 10. 
 
 Ch. 6. 9. 
 
 ch. 42. 19. 
 
 Eze. 12. 2. 
 I ch. 44. 8. 
 
 John 1. 7. 
 
 Acts 1. 8. 
 
 Acts 10. 39. 
 '"ch. 41. 8. 
 
 Literally fulfilled at the Red Sea (Exod. xiv. ) ; and 
 in the case of the three youths cast into the fieri/ 
 furnace for conscience' sake (Dan. iii. 25, 27). 3. I 
 gave Egypt for thy ransom. Either Egypt or Israel 
 must perish : God chose that Egypt, though so 
 much more mighty, should be destroyed, in order 
 that His people might be delivered ; thus Egypt 
 stood, instead of Israel, as a kind of "ransom." 
 The Hebrew, kopher, means properly, that with 
 which anything is overlaid, as the pitch with which 
 the ark was overlaid; hence that which covers over 
 sins, an atonement. Nebuchadnezzar had subdued 
 Egypt, Ethiopia (Hebrew, Cush), and 8aba (de- 
 scended from Cush, Gen. x. 7, probably Meroe of 
 Ethiopia, a great island formecl by the Astaboras 
 and the Nile, conquered by Cambyses, successor 
 of Cyrus). Cyrus received these from God, with 
 tlie rest of the Babylonian dominions, in con- 
 sideration of his being about to deliver Israel. 
 However, the reference may be to the three 
 years' war in which Sargon overcame these 
 countries, and so had his attention diverted 
 from Israel, (see notes, ch. xx.) ( Vitringa). 
 But the sense is probably more general, including 
 cdl the instances in which Jehovah sacrificed 
 mighty heathen nations when the safety of Israel 
 required it. 4. Since — Hebrew, meeasher {ex quo 
 tempore), from the time that : all along from the 
 beginning; for there was never a time when Israel 
 was not Jehovah's people. Since thou wast pre- 
 cious in my sight, thou hast been honourable 
 . . . therefore will I give men for thee. The 
 apodosis should be at "I will give." 'Since ever 
 thou wast precious in my sight, honourable, and 
 that I loved thee, I will give men for thee' (cf. v. 
 3) {Maurer). Gesenius takes Since to mean. Inas- 
 much as {eo quod—i. e., quonium), a rare sense of 
 the Hebrew. If the apodosis be as in the English 
 version, and if the "since" refer to time, "Since 
 thou wast precious" will refer to the time when 
 God called His people out of Egypt, mani;festing 
 then first the love which He had in reality from 
 everlasting towards them (Jer. xxxi. 3; Hos. xi. 1). 
 "Honourable" and "loved" refer to the outward 
 marks of honour and love from God, whereby at 
 the Exodus He marked Israel as His peculiar 
 people, therefore will I give men for thee, and 
 people— o^Aer nations for thee (so v. 3). for thy 
 698 
 
 life— thy person. 5. I will bring thy seed from 
 the east, and gather thee from the west— (Deut. 
 XXX. 3.) seed— descendants scattered in all lands. 
 Vitrim/a understands it of the spiritual "seed" of 
 the Church produced by mystical regeneration ; 
 for the expression is, "bring," not 'bring back.' 
 This sense is perhaps included, but not to the ex- 
 clusion of the literal Israel's restoration (Jer. 
 XXX. 10, 11 ; Amos ix. 9; Zech. ii. 6-13). 6. I will 
 say to the north, Give up — viz., my people, 
 bring my sons from far, and my daughters. The 
 feminine joined to the masculine expresses the 
 complete totality^ of anything (Zech. ix. 17). 7. 
 every one that is called by my name— every one 
 that belongs to Israel, whose people, as sons of 
 God, bear the name of their Father (ch. xliv. 5 ; 
 xlviii. 1). for I have created him for my glory— 
 (y. 21; ch. xxix, 23.) 
 
 8. Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, 
 and the deaf that have ears — Solemn challenge 
 given by God to the nations to argue with Him 
 the question of His superiority to their idols, and 
 His power to deliver Israel (ch. xli. 1). blind 
 people— the Gentiles, who also, like Israel (ch. 
 xlii. 19), are blind (spiritually), though having eyes 
 — i. e., natural faculties whereby they might know 
 God, as originally revealed to their forefathers, 
 and as even still He manifests Himself in the 
 works of nature (Rom. i. 20, 21) {Lowth). Or else, 
 the Jews [Vitringa). 9. who among them can 
 declare this?— who among the idolatrous sooth- 
 sayers hath predicted this?—i. e., as to Cyrus being 
 the deliverer of Israel, and show us former 
 things — former predictions, as in ch. xlii. 9 
 [Maurer), Or, things that shall first come to pass 
 (note, ch. xli. 21, 22) {Barnes), let them bring 
 forth their witnesses— as I do mine {v. 10). that 
 they may be justified — declared veracious in their 
 pretended prophecies (note, ch. xli. 26). or let 
 them hear, and say, (It is) truth— or, as the other 
 alternative, let them hear the witnesses on my side, 
 and say, as the result, that the ti-uth is on my side 
 —that I alone am God. 10. Ye are my witnesses 
 — The Jews are my witnesses; for to them I have 
 given predictions verified by the event, and in 
 delivering them, I have often manifested my 
 power (see vv. 3, 4 ; ch. xliv. 8), and my servant 
 whom I have chosen — i. e., the whole Jewish 
 
Wonderful deliterance 
 
 ISAIAH XLIIL 
 
 of God^s peopU' 
 
 13 
 
 14 
 
 That ye may know and believe me, — and understand that I am he : 
 Before me there was ^ no God formed, — neither shall there be after me. 
 Ill, even I, am the Lord ; — and besides me there is no saviour. 
 12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, 
 When there was no ^ strange god among you : 
 Therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, — that I am God. 
 Yea, ° before the day was I am he ; 
 And there is none that can deliver out of my hand : 
 I will work, and who shall ^ let it ? 
 
 Thus saith the Lord, — your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel ; 
 For your sake I have sent to Babylon, 
 And have brought down all their * nobles. 
 And the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. 
 
 1 5 I am the Lord, your Holy One, — the Creator of Israel, your ^ King. 
 
 16 Thus saith the Lord, 
 
 Which ^ maketh a way in the sea, — and a path in the mighty waters ; 
 
 17 Which ^bringeth forth the chariot and horse, — the army and tie power 
 They shall lie down together, they shall not rise : 
 
 They are extinct, they are quenched as tow. 
 
 18 Remember ye not the former things, — neither consider the things of old. 
 
 19 Behold, I will do a ^new thing : 
 
 Now it shall spring forth ; shall ye not know it ? 
 
 I will even make a way in the wilderness, — and rivers in the desert. 
 
 B. C. 712, 
 
 2 Or. no- 
 thipg 
 formed of 
 God. 
 
 " Deut. 32.16. 
 
 Vs. 81. 9, 10. 
 " Gen. 18. u. 
 
 Ps. 90. 2. 
 
 Ps. 93, 2. 
 
 Pro. 8. 23. 
 
 Jer. 32. 17. 
 
 Mic. 5. 2. 
 
 Hab. 1. 12. 
 
 Matt. 19,26. 
 
 Johnl, 1,2. 
 
 John 8. 58. 
 
 Tit. 1. 17. 
 
 Heb. 13. 8. 
 
 Eev. 1. 8. 
 
 3 turn it 
 back? 
 Job 9. 12. 
 Pro. 21. £0. 
 
 4 birs 
 
 P IIos. 13. 10. 
 2 Ps. 77. 19. 
 
 Ex. 14. 4. 
 * 2 Cor. 5. 17. 
 
 Eev. 21. 5. 
 
 people (ch. xli. 8). that ye may know and believe 
 me— trust in me. before me there was no God 
 formed — before I existed none of the false gods 
 Y^'Qve formed. "Formed" (notzar) applies to the 
 idols, not to God. Eev. i, 11 uses the same lan- 
 guage to prove the Godhead of Jesm as Isaiah 
 here to prove the Godhead of Jeliovali: "I am 
 Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last." 11. 
 I, (even) I, (am) the Lord— Jehovah, and beside 
 me (there is) no saviour (ynosAmwp-)— temporally, 
 from Babylon ; eternally, from sin and hell (Hos. 
 
 xiii. 4; Acts iv. 12). The same titles as are ap- 
 plied to God are applied to Jesus. 12. I have 
 declared— predicted the future (ch, xli. 22, 23). 
 and have saved— the nation, in past times of 
 danger, and I have showed— viz., that I was God. 
 when (there was) no strange (god) among you— 
 to whom the predictions uttered by me could be 
 assigned. "Strange" means /omV/Ti— introduced 
 from abroad. 13. Yea, before the day (was) I 
 (am) he— lit., from the time o/ the first existence 
 of day (Hebrew, miyyom). I will work, and who 
 BhaU let it ? "Let "—old English for hinder (ch. 
 
 xiv, 27). ' Undo it' {Horsley). 
 
 14. For your sake I have sent to Babylon— 
 viz., the Modes and Persians, my messengers and 
 instruments (chs. x. 5, 6 ; xiii. 3). and , . , brought 
 down — made to go down to the sea (ch. xiii. 10), in 
 order to escape the impending destruction of 
 Babylon, all their nobles — rather, with the 
 LXX., Arabic, and Syriac, fugitives {harichim, 
 from harach, to break away or flee : so the Hebrew 
 means in ch. xv, 5) — viz., the foreigners who 
 sojourned in populous Babylon (ch. xiii. 14), 
 distinct from the Chaldeans. The Vulgate trans- 
 lates ' bars,' as the Hebrew means in Ps. cxlvii. 13, 
 The English version takes bars figuratively for the 
 nohUs, who are as it were the bars that strengthen 
 the gates of the people regarded as a city, and the 
 Chaldeans, whose cry (is) in the ships— the 
 Chaldeans, exulting in their ships with, the joyous 
 sailors, cry, boastingly. Their joy heretofore in 
 their ships contrasts sadly with their present 
 panic in fleeing to them (ch. xxii. 2; Zeph. ii, 15). 
 Babylon was on the Euphrates, which was joined 
 G09 
 
 to the Tigris by a canal, and flowed into the 
 Persian Gulf. Thus it was famed for ships and 
 commerce, until the Persian monarchs, to prevent 
 revolt or invasion, obstructed navigation by dams 
 across the Tigris and Euphrates. 15. I (am) the 
 Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel— (?'. 
 1.) your king — proved to be specially yours by 
 delivering you. 
 
 16, 17. Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a 
 way in the sea — Allusion to the deliverance of 
 Israel, and overthrow of Pharaoh in the Eed Sea, 
 the standing illustration of God's unchanging 
 character towards His people, (Exod, xiv.) 17. 
 Which bringeth forth the chariot . . . and the 
 power — the might of the enemies' host; every 
 mighty warrior, they shall lie down together— 
 as Pharaoh's army sank "together " in a watery 
 grave. 18. Remember ye not the former things, 
 neither consider the things of old. So wonderful 
 shall be God's future interpositions in your behalf, 
 that all past ones shall be forgotten in comparison. 
 Plainly the future restoration of Israel is the event 
 ultimately meant. Thus the "former things" are 
 such events as the destruction of Sennacherib and 
 the return from Babylon. "The things of old" 
 are events still more ancient, the deliverance from 
 Egypt, and at the Red Sea, and entry into Canaan 
 ( Vitringa). 19. Behold, I will do a new thing- 
 unprecedented in its wonderful character (ch. xiii. 
 9). now it shall spring forth— as a germinating 
 herb : a beautiful image of the silent but certain 
 gradual growth of events in God's providence 
 (Mark iv. 26-28). Here, however, the growth shall 
 be unprecedented in its rapidity. The neto thing 
 shall spring forth as it were in a day. I will even 
 make a way in the wilderness— just as Israel in 
 the wilderness, between the Red Sea and Canaan, 
 was guided and supplied with water by Jehovah ; 
 but the "new" deliverance shall be attended with 
 manifestations of God's power and love eclipsing 
 the old (cf, ch. xli. 17-19). ' I will open a way, not 
 merely in the Red Sea, but in the wilderness of the 
 whole world ; and not merely one river shall gush 
 out of the rock, but many, which shaU refresh, not 
 the bodies as formerly, but the souls of the thirsty, 
 
God reproveth 
 
 ISAIAH XLIIL 
 
 the people. 
 
 20 The beast of the field shall honour me, — The dragons and the ^ owls : 
 Because ^I give waters in the wilderness, — and rivers in the desert. 
 To give drink to my people, my chosen. 
 
 21 This "people have I fonned for myself ; — they shall show forth my praise. 
 
 22 But thou hast not called upon me, 0 Jacob ; 
 But thou ^ hast been weary of me, 0 Israel. 
 
 23 Thou hast not brought me the ^ small cattle of thy burnt offerings ; 
 Neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices ; 
 
 I have not caused thee to serve with an ofiering, 
 Nor wearied thee with incense. 
 
 24 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, 
 Neither hast thou ^filled me with tlie fat of thy sacrifices j 
 But thou hast made me to serve with thy sins> 
 
 Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities; 
 
 25 I, even I, am he that ^blotteth out thy transgressions ^for mine own sake. 
 And will not remember thy sins. 
 
 26 Put me in remembrance : let us plead together : 
 Declare thou, that thou mayest be justified. 
 
 27 Thy ^ first father hath sinned, 
 
 so that the prophecy shall be fultilled : " With joy 
 shall ye di-aw water out of the wells of salvation " ' 
 (Jerome). "A way" often stands for the true 
 religion (Acts ix. 2 ; xviii. 26). (and) rivers in the 
 desert. "Rivers" express the influences of the 
 Holy Spirit (John vii. 37-39). Israel's literal 
 restoration hereafter is included, as appears by 
 comparing ch. xi. 15, IG. 20. Tlie beast of the 
 field shall honour me, the dragons— imase of 
 idolatei's, detiled with blood and pollutions, dwell- 
 ing like dragons, &c,, in the wastes of Gentile 
 ignorance : even they shall be converted. Or else, 
 literally, such copious floods of M'ater shall be 
 given by God in the desert that the very beasts 
 shall (in poetic language) praise the Lord (Ps. 
 cxlviii. 10) [Jerome), dragons (Hebrew, tannim)— 
 serpents : or else jackals (from taji ; not tannin) 
 (note, chs. xiii. 22; xxxiv. 13). owls — rather, 
 ostriches, as marg. [henoth ya'anah.) 21. This 
 people have I formed for myself— 'my people, 
 my chosen ' (see vv. 1, 7; Ps. cii. 18). they shall 
 show forth my praise — on account of the many 
 and great benefits conferred on them, especially 
 their restoration. 
 
 22. But thou hast not called upon me, 0 Jacob. 
 The people of Israel, however, are not to think 
 that these Divine favours are due to their own 
 piety towards God. So the believer (Tit. iii. 5). 
 thou hast been weary of me— (Amos viii. 5, 6 ; 
 Mai. i. 13. ) Though ' / have not wearied thee ' {v. 
 23), yet " thou hast been weary of me." 23. Thou, 
 hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt 
 offerings (Hebrew, seeh)—the lamb or kid, required 
 by the law to be daily offered to God (Exod. 
 xxix. 38 ; Nura, xxviii. 3). neither hast thou 
 honoured me with thy sacrifices— offered any 
 way; whereas the Hebrew for holocausts or "burnt 
 offerings " ["^'p^'j?], denotes that which ascends as 
 an offering consumed by fire. I have not caused 
 thee to serve— i. e., to render the service of a slave 
 (Matt. xi. 30 ; Rom. viii. 15 : 1 John iv. 18 ; v. 
 3). with an offering— bloodless (Lev. ii. 1, 2); 
 Hebrew, minchah. nor wearied thee with in- 
 cense — antithetical to V. 22, " ^Aow hast been weary 
 of me." Though God in the law required such 
 offerings, yet not so as to " weary " the worship- 
 
 I)er, or to exact them in cases where, as in the 
 Babylonish captivity, they were physically unable 
 to render them; God did not require them, save 
 in subordination to the higher moral duties (Ps. 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 * daughters 
 of the owl, 
 or, 
 
 ostriches. 
 
 * ch. 48. 21. 
 
 " Luke 1. 74. 
 Eph. 1. 5. 
 
 " Mfil. 1. 13. 
 
 8 lambs, or, 
 kids. 
 
 7 made me 
 drunk, or, 
 abundant- 
 ly moisten- 
 ed. 
 
 Eze. 16. 43. 
 Mai. 2. 17. 
 
 * ch. 44. 22. 
 ch. 48. 9. 
 Jer. 50. 20. 
 Mic. 7. 18. 
 
 19. 
 
 y Ez3. 3G. 22. 
 ' Eom. 5. 12, 
 
 1. S-14 ; li. 16, 17 ; Mic, vi. 3, G-8). 24. Thou hast 
 bought me no sweet cane— for "sweet cane" 
 (aromatic calamus) M as not indigenous in Pales- 
 tine, but had to he bought from foreign countries 
 (Jer. vi, 20). It was used among the Hebrews to 
 make the sacred ointment (Exod. xxx. 23). It is 
 often offered as a mark of hospitality, neither hast 
 thou filled me— satiated me (Jer. xxxi, 14). God 
 deigns to use human language to adai)t Himself 
 to human modes of thought, thou hast made me 
 to serve — though "I have not caused tliee to 
 serve" [v. 23). with thy sins. Our sin made the 
 Son of God to become a, servant" He served to 
 save us from servile bondage (Phil, ii. 7 ; Heb, 
 ii. 14, 15). thou hast wearied me with thine 
 iniquities— though 1 have "not wearied thee" (v. 
 23 ', see ch. i 14). 25. (Ch. xliv. 22.) I, (even) I 
 — The God against whom your sin is committed, 
 and who alone can and will pardon, (am) he that 
 blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own 
 sake— (ch. xlviii. 9, 11.) How abominable a thing 
 sin is, since it is against such a God of grace ! 
 "Blotteth out" is an image from an account- 
 book, in which, when a debt is paid, the charge 
 is cancelled or blotted out. and will not remem- 
 ber thy sins (Jer. xxxi. 34.) When God forgives 
 He forgets— i. e., treats the sinner as if He had 
 forgotten his sins. 26, Put me in remembrance- 
 Remind me of every plea which thou hast to urge 
 before me in thy defence. Image from a trial 
 (chs. i. 18 ; xli. 1). Our strongest plea is to remind 
 God of His own promises. So Jacob did at 
 Mahauaim and Peniel (Gen. xxxiL 9, 12), (;lod, 
 then, instead of ' pleading against us with His 
 great power,' 'will put His strength' in us (Job 
 xxiii. 6) ; we thus become ' the Lord's remem- 
 brancers,' (ch. Ixii. 6, marg.) declare thou, that 
 thou mayest be justified— ' tZec/are Gods righ- 
 teousness,' vindicated in Jesus Christ, " that thou 
 mayest be justified " (Rom. iiL 26 : cL Ps. cxliii. 2). 
 27. Thy first father — collectively for ' thy most 
 ancient ancestors ' as the paralleism (" teachers ") 
 proves (Maurer). Or, thy chief religious ministers 
 or priests (Gesenius). The address is to the Jews 
 specially. Abraham is not meant, as he is every- 
 where cited as an example of faithfulness, not of 
 sin. The Jews boasted of their fathers, and 
 thought that God's favour was due to the nation 
 because of their fathers' merits. But here He seta 
 aside all merit in their fathers, as Id vv. 22-24 he 
 
God comforteth 
 
 ISAIAH XLIV. 
 
 his Church 
 
 And thy ^teachers have transgressed against me. 
 28 Therefore "I have profaned the ^princes of the sanctuar}^ 
 
 * And have given Jacob to the curse, — and Israel to reproaches. 
 44 YET now hear, " 0 Jacob my servant ; — and Israel, whom I have chosen : 
 
 2 Thus saith the Lord that made thee, 
 
 And formed thee from the womb, which will help thee ; 
 
 Fear not, 0 Jacob, my servant ; — and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. 
 
 3 For I will ^ pour out water upon him that is thirsty, 
 And floods upon the dry ground : 
 
 I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, — and my blessing upon thine offspring : 
 
 4 And they shall spring up as among the grass, 
 As willows by the water-courses. 
 
 5 One shall say, \ am the Lord's ; 
 
 And another shall call himself hy the name of Jacob ; 
 And another shall ^subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, 
 And surname himself hy the name of Israel. 
 
 B. C, 712. 
 
 » falter^ 
 
 pretern. 
 
 Mai. 2. r. 
 " ch. 47. 0. 
 » Or. holy 
 
 princes. 
 b Jcr. 21. 0. 
 
 Dan. 9. 11. 
 
 Zech. 8. 13. 
 
 CHAP. 4«. 
 » ch. 41. 8. 
 
 Jer. 30. 10. 
 6 Deut. 32.15. 
 = Eze. 34. 23. 
 
 Joel 2. 2^. 
 
 Mai. 3. 10. 
 
 Acts 2. 18. 
 d Ex. 13. 9. 
 
 Neh. 9. 33. 
 
 had set aside all merit in themselves. Cf. Stephen's 
 reproot, Acts vii. 51, "Ye stitfnecked ... as 
 your fathers did, so do ye." The Hebrew may 
 mean, ' thy head fathers ' (lit., father, collectively); 
 i. e., thy kings, as the priests and prophets follow 
 in the next clause. Thus v. 28, " the princes of 
 the sanctuary " correspond to these head fathers 
 or kings : for instance, Ahaz, Mauasseh, &c. So 
 Grotius. The ground of God's giving Jacob to 
 the curse was clearly not the sin of their first 
 fathers so much as the sin of the more recent 
 fathers of the nation, which their posterity filled 
 up. Taking the passage in its ultimate application 
 to the Church at large, Adam may be meant, 
 teachers— J/e/^feei-a, from lutz, to interpret; lit., 
 interpreters between God and man, the priests 
 (Job xxxiii. 23 ; Mai. ii. 7). 28. Therefore I have 
 profaned the princes— (Ps. Ixxxix. 39: Lam. ii. 2, 
 
 6, 7.) I have esteemed or treated, them as per- 
 sons not sacred. I have left them to suffer the 
 same treatment as the common people, stripped of 
 their holy office and in captivity, princes of the 
 sanctuary— " governors of" it (1 Ohr. xxiv. 5), 
 directing its holy services ; priests, and have 
 given Jacob to the curse —Hebrew, Cherem, a 
 solemn anathema, or excommunication. and 
 Israel to reproaches— (Ps. cxxiii. 3, 4.) 
 
 Reraarks. — However manifold be our sins, if we 
 be the true Israel of God through repentance and 
 faith, we are owned by the Lord as His. He who 
 'created and formed' us, will not lightly forsake 
 His creatures. Much less will He who hath 
 "redeemed" us and 'called us byname,' as His 
 purchased flock, suffer the enemy to rob Him of 
 the purchase of His blood. The believer niust 
 expect to 'pass through the waters' of affliction, 
 and " through the Are " of trial ; bat neither shall 
 the rivers overwhelm him nor the fire consume 
 him. Nay, "the flame" shall not so much as 
 "kindle" upon the saints, so far as any real hurt 
 to them is concerned. They are so ' precious in 
 His sight,' that the mighty ones of the world 
 must he sacrificed, sooner than any child of God 
 should l)e injured. 
 
 CHAP. XLIV. 1-28.— Continuation- of the 
 
 PREVIOUS ClIArXER [v. 1-5). 
 
 1. Yet— Though tliou hast sinned, yet hear God's 
 gracious promise as to thy deliverance. Israel, 
 whom I have chosen— (ch. xli. 8.) 2. (Ch. xliii. 1, 
 
 7. ) Thus saith the Lord that . . . formed thee from 
 the womb— (so v. xxiv. ; ch. xlix. 1, 5.) The sense 
 is similar to that in ch. i. 2, " I have nourished 
 and hrowjld up children." Fear not . . . thou, 
 Jesurun — a diminutive term of endearment ap- 
 plied to Israel. Tiio full title of affection was 
 
 701 
 
 Israelun: contracted, it became Jeshurun, with 
 an allusion to the Hebrew root, jashar, ' upright,' 
 'perfect' (see note on "he that is ]3erfect," ch. 
 xiii. 19) {Gesenius). Or rather, it is a diminutive of 
 jashur, or jashar, the upright dear people of God 
 (Deut. xxxii. 15). 3. (Ch. xli. 18.) I will pour 
 water upon him that is thirsty— (Matt. v. 6.) Or 
 'upon the land that is thirsty' (ch. xxxv. 6, 7): 
 figure for man thirsting after righteousness, and 
 floods— the abundant influences of the Holy Spirit, 
 stronger than "water." my Spirit — including 
 all spiritual and temporal gifts, as the parallel, 
 "my blessing," proves (chs. xi. 2; xxxii, 15). 
 upon thy seed— (ch. lix. 21.) 4. they— thy "seed" 
 and "offspring;" lit., tliy ofshoots {v. 3). shall 
 spring up (as) among the grass -as needlessly is 
 inserted in the English version. Rather, 'they 
 shall spring up among the grass {i. e., luxuriantly'; 
 for what gro\ys in the midst of grass grows luxuri- 
 antly) ; as willows by the water-courses,' which 
 makes the parallel clauses balanced (Maurer). 
 5. One shall say, I (am) the Lord's ; and another 
 shall call (himself) by the na,me of Jacob ; and 
 another shall subscribe (with) his hand unto the 
 Lord, and surname (himself) by the name of 
 Israel. ^ The third clause answers in parallelism 
 to the first, the fourth to the second. I am the 
 Lord's— 'for Jehovah (am) I' (Jer. 1. 5; 1 Cor. 
 vi. 19, 20; 2 Cor. viii. 5). call himself by the 
 name of Jacob. The Gentiles (as the result of the 
 outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Israel, the Lord's 
 "seed," first) shall join themselves to the children 
 of Jacob, in order to worship their God. This is 
 the force of the j)hrase, " call himself by the name 
 of Jacob" (cf. ch. xliii. 7; Ps. xlix. 11): another 
 shall attach himself to Jacob's nation and religion 
 (cf. Ps. xxiv. 6). Or, as the Chaldaic and Syriac, 
 the LXX. and Vulgate, omit "himself," which is 
 not in tlie Hebrew, 'shall call in prayer by the 
 name of Jacob '— ?. e., in the profession of a son of 
 a Jacob: shall invoke God as an Israelite. Cf. 
 the parallel fourth clause. Maurer, ' celebrates 
 the name of Jacob.' subscribe (with) his hand 
 unto the Lord— in solemn and public covenant, 
 pledging himself to God's service (cf. Neh. ix. 38), 
 before " witnesses" (Heb. xii. 1), after the manner 
 of a civil contract (Jer. xxxii. 10, 12, 44). So the 
 Christian in the sacraments. Hebrew, yiktoh. 
 Lit., ' shall fill his hand with letters (Exod. xxxii. 
 15 ; Ezek. ii. 10) in honour of Jehovah ;' or ' shall 
 write upon his hand I am Jehovah's' (cf. ch. xlix. 
 IG ; Rev. xiii. 10); alluding to the punctures with 
 ink on the hand, whereby a soldier marked him- 
 self as bound to his commander; and whereby the 
 Christians used to mark themselves with the name 
 
I 
 
 The folly of 
 
 ISAIAH XLIV. 
 
 idol makers. 
 
 6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, 
 
 And * his Redeemer the Lord of hosts -—^ I am the first, and I am the last ; 
 And besides me there is no God. 
 
 7 And who, as I, shall call, — and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, 
 Since I appointed the ancient people ? 
 
 And the things that are coming, and shall come, — let them show unto them. 
 
 8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid : 
 
 Have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it / 
 Ye are even my witnesses. 
 
 Is there a God besides me ? — ^yea, ^ there is no ^God , I know not any. 
 
 9 They ^that make a graven image are all of them vanity; 
 And their ^delectable things shall not profit; 
 
 And they are their own witnesses; — Hhey see not, nor know; 
 That they may be ashamed. 
 
 1 0 Who hath formed a god. 
 
 Or molten a graven image ^ that is profitable for nothing ? 
 
 11 Behold, all his fellows shall ^be ashamed; 
 And the workmen, they are of men : 
 
 Let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; 
 Yet they shall fear, ajid they shall be ashamed together. 
 
 12 The ^ smith ^with the tongs both worketh in the coals. 
 
 B. 0. 712. 
 
 ' Ch. 43. 1. 
 
 Ch. 48. 17. 
 
 ch. 54. 5. 
 
 ch. 69. 20, 
 / ch. 41. 4. 
 
 ch. 48. 12. 
 
 Eev. 1. 8. 
 
 Eev. 11. 17. 
 18. 
 
 Rev. 22. n. 
 " Deut. 4. 35. 
 
 Deut.3.'.39. 
 
 1 Sam. 2. 2. 
 
 2Sam.23.32. 
 1 rock. 
 
 Dtut. 32. 4. 
 A ch. 41. 21. 
 
 desirable. 
 i Ps. 115. 4. 
 J Jer. 10. 5. 
 
 Hab. 2. 18. 
 k Ps. 97. 7. 
 
 Ch. 42. 17. 
 ' ch. 40. 19. 
 3 Or, with an 
 
 ax. 
 
 of Christ (Loivth). The former view is simpler, 
 surname (himself) by the name of Israel. Maurer 
 and Gesenius interjiret this as the Hebrew [npi] 
 sanctions, answering to their rendering of the 
 parallel second clause, ^ calls blandly (speaks in 
 honourable tei-ms of) the name of Israel.' Re- 
 taining the English version, we must, from the 
 Hebrew, understand it thus, ' surname himself by 
 the honourable name of Israel ' (ch. xlv. 4). 
 
 6. Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel . . . 
 I am the first . . . besides me there is no God. 
 Here follows an argument for Jehovah, as the only 
 God, and against the idols, as vanity (see notes, 
 chs. xli. 4; xliii. 1, 10-12). 7. who, as I, shall 
 c«,ll, and shall declare it, and set it in order for 
 me? — who but God can predict future events and 
 declare also the order and time of each ? (note, chs. 
 xli. 22, 23; xlv. 21.) call— openly proclaim (ch. 
 il. 6) things to come [Maurer). E,ather, call forth 
 the event ; command that it happen (chs. xlvi. 11 ; 
 xlviii. 15). set . . . in order — to set in 
 orderly array ; as the showbread on the table ; 
 the wood upon the altar j soldiers in an army 
 array]. There is no chance or confusion; all events 
 occur in the oixler best fitted to subserve God's 
 plans. Three verbs are employed to express God's 
 Providence. He "calls" that it may be done: 
 He ' sets it in order,' that it may be competently 
 done: He 'declares it,' that what He has deter- 
 mined to be done should be done not unexpectedly 
 (' Poli Synopsis'), for me. It is for God that all 
 things exist and take place (Rev. iv. 11). since I 
 appointed the ancient people. I have given 
 the Jews predictions of the future ever since I 
 appointed them as my people in ancient times ; 
 therefore they are qualified to be my witnesses [v. 
 8). As to their being God's " ancient (everlasting) 
 people," see Deut. xxxii. 7-9; Jer. xxxi. 3; the 
 type of the redeemed Church (Eph. i. 4). 8. 
 neither be afraid — lit., be astounded or distracted 
 vnth fear (from a root yarah). have not I told 
 thee "from that time— viz., from the time that " I 
 appointed the ancient people" {v. 7). From the 
 time of Abraham's call, his family were the 
 depositaries of the predictions of the Redeemer; 
 whereas the promise of Cyrus was not heard of 
 till Isaiah's time: therefore, the event to the 
 702 
 
 prediction and accomplishment of which God 
 appeals in proof of His sole Godhead is the 
 redemption of man by a descendant of Abraham, 
 in whose person "the ancient people "was first 
 formally appointed." The deliverance of the 
 Jews by Cyrus is mentioned afterwards only as 
 an earnest of that greater mercy [Horsley). Is 
 there a God besides me ? yea, (there is) no God— 
 lit., 'no rock' (Hebrew, tsur, 'rock') (Deut. xxxii. 
 4) ; i. e., a stronghold to take refuge in, and a solid 
 foundation to build on. 
 
 9. They that make a graven image (are) all of 
 them vanity— (ch. xl. 18-20; xli. 29). their de- 
 lectable things— the idols in which they take such 
 pride and delight, shall not profit- (Hab. ii. 
 18). they are their own witnesses— contrasted 
 with, "?/e are m?/ witnesses " [v. 8). "They," i.e^, 
 both the makers and the idols, are witnesses against 
 themselves, for they see not, nor know; the idols 
 palpably see and know nothing (Ps. cxv. 4-8). 
 that they may be ashamed. The consequence 
 deducible from the whole previous argument, not 
 merely froia the words immediately preceding, as 
 in chs. xxviii. 13 ; xxxvi. 12. I say all this to show 
 that they are doomed to perish with shame, which 
 is their only fitting end. 10. Who hath formed a 
 god ? — sarcastic question : ' How debased the 
 man must be who forms a god/' It is a con- 
 tradiction in terms. A made god, worshijjped by 
 its maker ! (1 Cor. viii. 4.) 11. Behold, all his. 
 fellows shall be ashamed— the associates of him 
 who makes an idol, or of the idol, become such a 
 vain thing as the idol itself — its fellow and 
 counterpart (see Deut. vii. 26 ; Ps. cxv. 8 ; Hos. 
 iv. 17). the workmen, they (are) of men— they 
 are mortal men themselves ; what better, then, can 
 the idol be than its maker? let them all be 
 gathered together, let them stand up— as in a 
 court of justice, to try the issue between God and 
 them (note, ch. xli. 1, 21). (yet) they shall fear 
 — " yet," wrongly inserted in the English version. 
 The issue of the trial shall be, "they shall fear," 
 &c. 12. The smith with the tongs— rather, as 
 the Chaldaic, 'The smith (prepareth) an axe' 
 (ma'atzad) ; viz., with which to cut down the tree 
 designed as the material of the idol. The "smith " 
 (Hebrew, charash barzel, workman in iron) here 
 
The folly of 
 
 ISAIAH XLIV. 
 
 idol makers. 
 
 And fashioneth it with hammers, 
 And worketh it with the strength of his arms : 
 Yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth : 
 He drinketh no water, and is faint. 
 
 13 The carpenter stretcheth out his rule, — he marketh it out with a line, 
 He fitteth it with planes, — and he marketh it out with the compass, 
 And maketh it after the figure of a man, — according to the beauty of a man ; 
 That it may remain in the house. 
 
 14 He heweth him down cedars, — and taketh the cypress and the oak, 
 Which he ^strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: 
 He planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it, 
 
 15 Then shall it be for a man to burn : 
 
 For he will take thereof, and warm himself ; 
 
 Yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread ; 
 
 Yea, he "maketh a god, and worshippeth it; 
 
 He maketh it a graven image, and faileth down thereto. 
 
 16 He burneth part thereof in the fire; 
 
 With part thereof he eateth flesh ; — he roasteth roast, and is satisfied : 
 Yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, — Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire : 
 
 17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, emn his graven image : 
 He faileth down unto it, and worshippeth it, 
 
 And prayeth unto it, and saith, — ^Deliver ^me; for thou art my god. 
 
 18 They ^have not known nor understood : 
 
 For ^he hath ^shut their eyes, that they cannot see; 
 
 B. C. 712, 
 
 "'Gen. 31. 19. 
 Gen. SO. 37. 
 Gen. 35. 2. 
 Deut. 27.15. 
 Judg. 17. 4. 
 5. 
 
 Judg.18.24. 
 
 Eze. 8. 1?. 
 1 Or. taketh 
 
 courage. 
 " Judg. 2. 10. 
 
 2Chr. 25.14. 
 
 Ch. 45. 20. 
 
 Rev. 9. 20. 
 " ch. 36. 19. 
 20. 
 
 ch. .37. 38. 
 P Ps. 81. 12. 
 ch. 45. 20. 
 ch. 46. 7, 8. 
 Jer. 10. 8. 
 14. 
 
 Eze. 12. 2. 
 Acts 14. 1(5. 
 Rom. 1. 21, 
 23. 
 
 Rom. 11. 8. 
 
 10. 
 
 1 2lhe3.2.11. 
 5 daubed. 
 
 answers to the "carpenter" (Hebrew, workman in 
 wood). " He worketh it [the axe, not the idol, 
 which was wood, not metal) in the coals,' &c. The 
 axe was wrought, not cast. The smith makes the 
 axe for the carpenter ( cf. Jer. x. 3). yea, he is 
 hungry, and his strength faileth; he drinketh 
 no water — so eager is he to expedite his work 
 while the iron is hot. If the god were worth 
 anything, it would not let him grow "faint" 
 with hunger and thij-st. Williams, the mis- 
 sionary, states, that the South Sea islanders 
 when they make an idol abstain from food and 
 drink. 13. The carpenter— Hebrew, Tlie ivorkman 
 in wood. After the smith's work in preparing the 
 instruments comes the carpenter's work in forming 
 the idol, stretcheth out (his) rule— Hebrew, quav; 
 rather, line {Grotius). he marketh it out with 
 a line— rather, a pencil (Horsley) ; lit., red ochre, 
 which he uses to mark on the wood the outline of 
 the figure {Lowth). Or best, the stylus or graver, 
 with which the incision of the outline is made ; 
 Hebrew, ba-ssered: cf. the kindred root, sarat, to 
 make incisions [Gesenius). he fitteth it with planes 
 — rather, chisels or carving tools, for a plane would 
 not answer for carving : hammaquetzulioth, from 
 quaizang, to cut off. he marketh it out with the 
 compass — from a Hebrew root, chug, to make a 
 circle. By it symmetry of form is secured, ac- 
 cording to the beauty of a man — irony. The 
 highest idea the heathen could form of a god was 
 one of a form like their own. Jerome says, ' The 
 more handsome the statue the more august the 
 god was thought,' The incarnation of the Son of 
 God condescends to this anthroi)omorphic feeling 
 80 natural to man, but in such a way as to raise 
 man's thoughts up to the infinite God who "is a 
 spirit," that it may remain in the house— the 
 only thing it was good for: it could not hear nor 
 save (cf. Wisd. xiii. 15). 
 
 14. Descriy)tion of the material out of which the 
 idol is formed, cypress {tirzah)—irom a Hebrew 
 root {taraz), to he hard. Not as Jerome, whom 
 Gesmiua follows, 'the holm oak,' an evergreen 
 703 
 
 abundant in Palestine. Cf. Ecclesiasticus xxiv. 
 13 ; 1. 10. ' The evergreen cypress' of Linnceus is a 
 large coniferous tree common in Palestine ; its 
 wood fragrant, compact, and heavy. It does not 
 rot, and was much used in statues of idols. It is 
 the only tree that grows towards the top of 
 Lebanon, and in that high altitude modifies its 
 form so as to be like a small oak. which he 
 strengtheneth for himself among the trees of 
 the forest — lit., 'and he getteth strength to him- 
 self in the trees of the forest i. e., he layeth in 
 great store of timber (Lowth). Or, 'chooseth,^ as 
 " thou madest strong for thyself;" i. e., hast chosen 
 (Ps. Ixxx. 15, 17) (,Gesenius). But the English 
 version gives a good sense strengtheneth" — i, e., 
 rears to maturity; a meaning suitable also to the 
 context of Ps, Ixxx, 15, 17, where Israel is com- 
 pared to a vine planted by Jehovah, he planteth 
 an ash— Hebrew, oi-en. The LXX, and Vulgate 
 understand a pine tree. Celsius says the Rabbis 
 couple it with the berosch and arez, and think it 
 the Arabian sanouher, a pine. He identifies it 
 with a tree of Arabia Petrea, the aran, mentioned 
 hy Ahid Fadli, as growing in low \)\diCe%, thorny, 
 and with grape-like berries, black and sweet. Tlie 
 Hebrew oren is akin to the Arabic aran, to be 
 slender and graceful ( W. Houghton, in Smith's 
 'Dictionary of the Bible'), and the rain doth 
 nourish (it). Though the man planted the tree, 
 yet he could not make it grow. In preparing to 
 make an idol, he has to depend on the true God 
 for rain from heaven (Jer. xiv. 22). 15. Then shall 
 it be for a man to burn . . . he . . . baketh bread. 
 The same tree that furnishes the material for the 
 god is in part used as fuel for a fire to cook his 
 meals with and warm himself ! he maketh it a 
 graven image, and faileth down thereto —rather, 
 'he faileth down before them,'' i. e., such images ; 
 lamo, not lo {Maurer'). 16. with part thereof he 
 eateth flesh— he cooks so as to eat flesh {v. 19). 
 I am warm, I have seen the fire— I feel its powec* 
 18. He hath shut their eyes. "He," God, hath 
 given them over to judicial blindness. Isot His 
 
Exhortation to 
 
 ISAIAH XLIV. 
 
 praise God. 
 
 And their hearts, that they cannot understand. 
 
 19 And none ^ considereth in his heart, 
 
 Neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, 
 
 I have burnt part of it in the fire ; 
 
 Yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; 
 
 I have roasted flesh, and eaten it : 
 
 And shall I make the residue thereof an abomination ? 
 
 Shall I fall down to ^the stock of a tree? 
 
 20 He feedeth on ashes : — deceived heart hath turned him aside. 
 That he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, 
 
 Is there not a lie in my right hand? 
 
 2 1 Remember these, 0 Jacob — and Israel ; for thou art my servant : 
 I have formed thee ; thou art my servant : 
 
 0 Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. 
 
 22 I ^ have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, 
 
 And, as a cloud, thy sins: — return unto me ; for I have 'redeemed thee. 
 
 23 Sing, "0 ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: 
 Shout, ye lower parts of the earth : 
 
 Break forth into singing, ye mountains, — 0 forest, and every tree therein : 
 For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, — and glorified himself iu Israel. 
 
 24 Thus saith the Lord, ' thy Redeemer, 
 And ^he that formed thee from the womb, 
 
 1 am the Lord that maketh all things; 
 That ^stretcheth forth the heavens alone; 
 That spreadeth abroad the earth by myself ; 
 
 25 That frustrateth the tokens ^of the liars, — and maketh diviners mad; 
 
 direct physical, but His providential, ageucy in 
 administering His moral government, is meant 
 (ch. vi. 9, 10; 2 Thess. ii. 11). " Slnit "— lit. , 
 daubed, plastered up. It is an Eastern custom, in 
 some cases, to seal up the eyes of offenders. 19. 
 none considereth in his heart— lit., layeth it to 
 heart (cf. xlii. 25; Jer. xii. 11). shall I make the 
 residue thereof an abomination?— the scriptural 
 term for an idol : not merely abominable, but the 
 essence of what is so in the eyes of a jealous God 
 (1 Ki. xi. 5, 7). 20. He feedeth on ashes— figura- 
 tive, for the idolater delights in what is vain 
 (Prov. XV. 14; Hos. xii. 1, "Ephraim feedeth on 
 wind "). There is an allusion, j)erhaps, also, to the 
 god being made of a tree, the half of which was 
 reduced to ashes by fire {vv. 15, 16, 17) ; the idol, it 
 is implied, was no better, and could, and ought, to 
 have been reduced to ashes like the other half, a 
 deceived heart hath turned him aside— the heart 
 and will first go astray, then the intellect and 
 life (Rom. i. 28; Eph. iv. 18). (Is there) not a lie 
 in my right hand?— Is not my handiwork (the 
 idol) a self-deceit ? 
 
 21. Remember these, 0 Jacob— 'Be not like 
 the idolaters who consider not in their heart' {v. 
 19). these — things just said as to the folly of 
 idol-worship, thou (art) my servant — not like 
 the idolaters, slaves to the "stock of a tree" {v. 
 19). See vi\ 1, 2. thou shalt not be forgotten 
 of me— therefore, <7ioii oughtest to "remember" 
 me. 22. I have blotted out— the debt of thy sin 
 from the account-book in which it was entered 
 (Exod. xxxii. 32, 33 ; Rev. xx. 12). How blessed 
 to have our sin "blotted out"— our names never 
 ' blotted out of the book of life ! ' (Eev. iii. 5.) 
 as a thick cloud, thy transgressions— scattered 
 away by the wind, "as far as the east is from the 
 west" (Ps. ciii. 12). as a cloud, thy sins— a de- 
 scending gradation. Not only the " thick cloud " 
 of the heavier "transgressions," but the "cloud" 
 ('vapour,' Lowih; not so dense, but covering the 
 
 B. c. ri2. 
 
 « sett^'th to 
 
 liis heart. 
 1 that which 
 
 comes of a 
 
 tree? 
 
 Hos. 4. 12. 
 
 Rom. 1. 21. 
 
 2Tties.2.ll. 
 * ch. 4. 4. 
 
 ch. 43. 2'.. 
 
 Jer. 31. 31. 
 
 Jer. 33. 8. 
 « ch. 43. 1. 
 
 ch. 48. 20. 
 
 1 Cor. 6. 20. 
 
 1 Pet. 1. IS, 
 19. 
 
 « Ps. 69. 34. 
 
 Ps. 96. 11. 
 
 ch. 42. 10. 
 
 Cb. 49. 13. 
 
 Jer. 51. 48. 
 
 Kev. 18. 20. 
 " ch. 43. It. 
 
 Ji b 26. r. 
 
 Fs. 24. 2. 
 
 Ps. 101. 2. 
 
 ch. 43. 1. 
 ^ Job 9. 8. 
 
 fs. 104. 2. 
 
 ch. 40. 22. 
 
 ch. 42. 5. 
 V Jer. 50, 36. 
 
 sky as a mist) of the countless "sins." These 
 latter, though not thought much of by man, need, 
 as much as the former, to be cleared away by the 
 Sun of righteousness, else they will be a mist 
 separating us from heaven (Ps. xix. 12, 13 ; 1 John 
 i. 7-9). return unto me, for I have redeemed 
 thee. The antecedent redemption is the gi'ound of, 
 and motive to, repentance. We do not repent in 
 order that He may redeem us, but because He hath. 
 redeemed us (Zech. xii. 10 ; Luke xxiv. 47 ; Acts 
 iii. 18, 19). He who believes in his being forgiven 
 cannot but love, like the forgiven woman wKo 
 washed her Saviour's feet with her tears, and 
 willed them with the hair of her head, and 
 anointed Him iu Simon the Pharisee's house 
 (Luke vii. 43, 47). 
 
 23. Sing, 0 ye heavens— call to inanimate 
 nature to praise God ; for it aslo shall share in 
 the coming deliverance from " the bondage of 
 corruption" (Rom. viii. 20, 21). for the Lord 
 hath done it — hath effected redemption for both 
 the literal and spiritual Israel, shout, ye lower 
 parts of the earth— antithetical to "heavens." 
 mountains . . . forest, and . . . tree, are tlie inter- 
 mediate objects in a descending gradation (see Ps. 
 xcvi. 11, 12). 
 
 24-28.-24. Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer- 
 confirmation of His promises to the Church and 
 Israel, by various instances of His omnipotence : 
 among these the restoration of the Jews by 
 Cyrus. I am the Lord . . . that spreadeth 
 abroad the earth by myself — by my own 
 •power. So the Chaldaic. Cf. similar phrases, 
 Hos. viii. 4 Hebrew, mimmenni [ott' kiiavTo\)\ 
 (John V. 30). So the Keri reads I^ut 
 the Ketib reads interrogatively [''r,t< »pj, ' Who 
 (was) with me?' viz., in spreading abroad the 
 earth. The sense is the same ; the Ketib is bolder 
 and more poetic. 25. That frustrateth the 
 tokens— prognostics; the pretended miracles which 
 
The Lord 
 
 ISAIAH XLV. 
 
 calletk Cyrils'. 
 
 That turneth wise men backward, — ^and maketh their knowledge foolish; 
 
 26 That "confirmeth the word of his servant, 
 And performeth the counsel of his messengers; 
 That saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; 
 And to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, 
 And I will raise up the ^deca3Td places thereof : 
 
 27 That ^ saith to the deep, Be dry, — and I will dry up thy rivers: 
 
 28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd. 
 And shall perform all my pleasure ; 
 
 Even saying to Jerusalem, ^Thou shalt be built; 
 And to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. 
 45 THUS saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, 
 
 Whose right hand I ^have holden, — to subdue nations before him; 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 ' 1 Cor. I. to. 
 
 * Zech. 1. 0. 
 Matt. 6. 18. 
 
 8 wastes. 
 
 * Jer. 50. 38. 
 " 2Chr.36.22, 
 
 21. 
 
 Ezra 1. 1. 
 
 CHAP. 45. 
 
 " Ps. 73. 23. 
 Ch. 41. 13. 
 Ch. 42. 0. 
 
 1 Or. 
 strength- 
 ened. 
 
 they gave as proofs of their supernatural powers, 
 of the liars (Jer. 1. 36)— conjurers ; or, astrolo- 
 gers — men leading a retired contemplative life, in 
 order to study divination by the signs of the stars 
 ( Vitringa). that turneth wise (men) backward— 
 with shame at their predictions not being verified. 
 'To turn away the face 'is to frustrate or defeat 
 (ch. xxxvi. 9 ; 1 Ki. il 15). The " wise men " are 
 the diviners who, when Babylon was attacked by 
 Cyrus, predicted his overthrow. 26. That con- 
 firmeth the word of his servant— in a collective 
 sense, for the prophets in general, wlio foretold 
 the retiirn from Babylon ; answering to ' His mes- 
 sengers ' (plural, in the parallel clause) (Maurer). 
 Antitypically and ultimately Messiah, who is the 
 consummating embodiment of all the prophets 
 and messengers of God (Mai. iii. 1 ; Matt. xxi. 34, 
 85, 37 ; John x. 36), hence the singular, ' His 
 servant.' and performeth the counsel of his 
 messengers. "The counsel ;" the predictions : pro- 
 phets' counsels concern the future (cf. "counsellor," 
 ch. xli. 28). that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt 
 be inhabited — regarded prophetically as lying in 
 ruins. 27. That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I 
 will dry up thy rivers— referring to the Euphrates, 
 which was turned into a different channel, close 
 to Babylon, by Cyrus, who thereby took the 
 city. "The deep" is applied to Euphrates, as 
 "sea" is, Jer. li. 32-36. "Rivers" refers to 
 the artificial canals from the Euphrates, made to 
 irrigate the country. When it was turned off into 
 a different bed— viz., a lake forty miles square— 
 which was originally formed to receive the super- 
 fluous water in an inundation, the canals be- 
 came dry. 28. That saith of Cyrus, (He is) my 
 shepherd — tyi)eof Messiah (ch. xl. 11 ; Ps. xxiii. 1 ; 
 Ixxvii. 20 ; Ezek. xxxiv. 23). and shall perform all 
 my pleasure— so Messiah (chs. xlii. 1; liii. 10). This 
 is the first time Cyrus is named expressly ; and that 
 150 years before the time when, in 550 B.C., he began 
 his reign. The name comes from the Persian 
 Khorscnid, Kohr: Sanscrit, sura, 'the sun;' kings 
 often taking their names from the gods ; the sun 
 was worshipped as a god in Persia, even saying 
 to [h] Jerusalem— rather, 'and that saith;' con- 
 strued with God, not with Cyrus. God's word is 
 instantaneously efficient in accomplishing His will. 
 Cyrus, accordinj^ to Josephus, heard of this pro- 
 jjliecy of Isaiah delivered so long before ; hence he 
 was induced to do that which was so contrary to 
 Oriental policy, to aid in restoring the captive 
 Jews and rebuilding their temple and city. West- 
 coat {Smithes 'Dictionary of the Bible') remarks, 
 The fall of Sardis and Babylon before Cyrus 
 marked the starting-point of Euroxjean life. It is 
 a singular coincidence that the beginning of Grecian 
 art, and that of the Roman Constitution, syn- 
 clironize with the triunir>h of the Arian race in 
 VOL. IIL 705 
 
 the East. The permanent effects of Persian influ- 
 ence on the world is best seen through the Jewish 
 race. Cyrus represents the East, Alexander the 
 West. Cyrus led to the development of the idea 
 of order, Alexander to that of independence. The 
 first crisis was signalized by the consolidation of 
 the Church : the second by the distinction of 
 sects. The one was embodied in ' the great syna- 
 gogue,' the other in the dynasty of the Asmoneans. 
 The dispersion prepared for a spiritual dispensa- 
 tion by showing the people of God that tlieir local 
 absence from the Holy Land did not prevent their 
 union in a spiritual bond, of which Jerusalem was 
 the centre. 
 
 Remarks. — God's choice of His people is re- 
 peatedly made the ground of their encouragement 
 [vv. 1, 2). God cannot deny Himself ; and there- 
 fore, though the reprobates shall be justly cast 
 away, He will "help" His servants out of all 
 present trials, and will prepare them for all 
 ' blessings ' by pouring the " water " of His 
 " Spirit in " floods " upon His ' thirsty seed and 
 offspring.' 'They who thirst after righteousness 
 shall be filled.' They shall be "trees of righteous- 
 ness" planted "by the water-courses" of grace. 
 Though there be various stages in spiritual growth, 
 one being weak as "Jacob" when he was a "Syrian 
 ready to perish;" another strong as the same 
 patriarch when he was called " Israel" as " having 
 
 Eower with God and with men," yet all alike who 
 elong to the true Israel can say " I am the Lord's." 
 The literal Israel, "the ancient people "of God, 
 shall at last say so. "The King of Israel" hath 
 'called' that it may be done, hath "set it in 
 order," appointing the successive stages and times 
 in its being brought to pass, and hath 'declared' 
 that it shall be so ; and all this ' for Himself,' 
 that the redeemed Israelites may be to all ages 
 ' His witnesses ' that there is ' no God besides ' 
 Him. 
 
 CHAP. XLV. 1-25. — The Subject of the 
 Deliverance by Cyrus is followed up [vv. 
 1-7). These seven verses should have been ap- 
 pended to last chapter, and the new- cliapter should 
 begin with v. 8, " Drop down," &c. {Horsley). 
 Reference to the deliverance by INIessiah often 
 breaks out from amidst the local and temporary 
 details of the deliverance from Babylon, as the 
 great ultimate end of the prophecy. 
 
 1. Thus saith the Lord to his anointed. Cyrus 
 is so called as being set apart as king, by God's 
 providence, to fulfil His special purpose. Though 
 kings were not anointed in Persia, the expression 
 is applied to him in reference to the Jewish custom 
 of setting apart kings to the regal ofiice by anoint- 
 ing, whose right hand I have holden — image 
 from sustaining a feeble person by holding his 
 right hand (ch. xlii. 6). to subdue nations before 
 2 z 
 
God asserteth 
 
 ISAIAH XLV. 
 
 his omnipotenci 
 
 And I will loose the loins of kings, 
 
 To open before him the two-leaved gates ; — and the gates shall not be shut ; 
 
 I will go before thee, — and make the crooked places straight : 
 
 I will break in pieces the gates of brass, 
 
 And cut in sunder the bars of iron : 
 
 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness. 
 
 And hidden riches of secret places. 
 
 That thou mayest know that I the liORD, 
 
 Which call ^thee by thy name, — am the God of Israel. 
 
 For Jacob my servant's sake, — and Israel mine elect, 
 
 I have even called thee by thy name : 
 
 I have surnamed thee, though thou hast '^not known me. 
 
 I ^am the Lord, and there is none else, — there is no God besides me: 
 
 •^I girded thee, though thou hast not k:nown me : 
 
 That ^they may know from the rising of the sun, — and from the. west. 
 
 That there is none besides me : — I am the Lord, and there is none «lse.. 
 
 I form the light, and create darkness ; — I make peace, and ''create evil : 
 
 I the Lord do all ;these things. 
 
 him — viz., the Cilicians, Syrians, Babylooians, 
 Lydiaus, Bactrians, &c. ; his empire extended from 
 Egypt and the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, 
 and from Ethiopia to the Euxine Sea. I will loose 
 the loins of kings— e., the girdle off the loins ; 
 and so enfeeble them. The loose outer robe of the 
 Orientals, when girt fast round the loins, was the 
 emblem of strength and preparedness for action ; 
 ungirt was indicative of feebleness (Job xxxviii. 3 ; 
 xii. 21, ^^weaJceneth the strength of the mighty:" 
 marg. , ' looseth the girdle of the strong '). The joints 
 o/Belshazzar's loins, we read in Dan. v. 6, were 
 loosed, during the siege by Cyrus, at the sight of 
 the mysterious handwriting on the palace walls. 
 His being taken by surprise, unaccoutred, is here 
 foretold, to open before him the two-leaved 
 gates. In the revelry in Babylon on the night of 
 its capture, the inner gates leading from the streets 
 to the river were left open, for there were walls 
 along each side of the Euphrates with gates, 
 which, had they been kept shut, would have 
 hemmed the invading hosts in the bed of the river, 
 where the Babylonians could have easily destroyed 
 them. Also, the gates of the palace were left open, 
 so that there was access to every jDart of the city : 
 and such was its extent, that they who lived in 
 the extremities were taken prisoners before the 
 alarm reached the centre of the palace {Herodo- 
 tus, i. sec. 191). 2. I will . . . make the crooked 
 places straight— (ch. xl. 4.) So the Keri reads 
 l^^l^] •■ so V. 13, marg. But the Ketib ["ijyit^, or 
 i^^i^.L 'I will level the heights' (Hebrew, hadhurim; 
 from hadhar, to be swollen)— i. e., clear out of thy 
 way all opposing persons and things. I will 
 break in pieces the gates of brass— (Ps. cvii. 
 16.) Herodotus, i. sec. 179, says, Babylon had a 
 hundred massive gates, twenty-five on each of 
 the four sides of the city, all, as well as their 
 posts, of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of 
 iron — with which the gates were fastened. 3. I 
 will give thee the treasures of darkness— i. e., 
 hidden in subterranean places : a common Oriental 
 practice. Sorcerers pretended to be able to show 
 where such treasures were to be found ; in oppo- 
 sition to their pretensions, God says, He will really 
 give hidden treasures to Cyrus (Jer. 1. 37; li. 13). 
 Pliny, ' Natural History,' xxxiii. 3, says that Cyrus 
 obtained from the conquest of Asia 34,000 pounds 
 weight of gold, besides golden vases, and 500,000 
 talents of silver, and the goblet of Semiramis, 
 weighing 15 talents, that thou mayest know 
 
 that I the Lord— viz., not merely that He was 
 "the God of Israel," but that He was Jehovah, 
 the true God. Ezra i. 1, 2, shows that the corre- 
 spondence of the event with the prediction had 
 the desired -effect on Cyrus, which call (thee) by 
 thy name — who so long before designate thee by 
 name (ch. xliii. 1). (am) the God of Israel. 4. For 
 Jacob, my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, 
 I have even called thee by thy name— (note, 
 chs. xli. 8; xliii. 14, 15.) I have surnamed thee— 
 i. e., designated thee to carry out my design of 
 restoring Judah (see note, chs. xli v. 5; xliv. 28; 
 xlv. 1). Maurer here, as in ch. xliv. 5, translates, 
 akanneka, 'I have addressed thee by an honourable 
 name.' though thou hast not ^known me — 
 previous to my calling thee to this office; after 
 God's call Cyrus did know Him in some degree 
 (Ezra i. 1-3). 5. I (am) the Lord, and (there is) 
 none else— (chs. xlii. 8; xliii. 3, 11 ; xliv. 8; xlvi. 
 9.) I girded thee— whereas "I will loose (the 
 girdle off) the loins of kings" {v. 1), strengthening 
 thee, but enfeebling them before thee, though 
 thou hast not known me— (y. 4.) God knows 
 His elect before they are made to know Him (Gal. 
 iv. 9; John xv. 16). 6. That they may know 
 from the rising of the sun, and from the west, 
 that (there is) none besides me— from the rising 
 to the setting of the sun— i. e., from East to West; 
 the whole habitable world. It is not said, ' from 
 North to South,'' for that would not imply the 
 habitable wwld, as 'from East to West' docs 
 (Ezra i. 1, 2). The conquest of Jerusalem by 
 Babylon, the capital of the world, and the over- 
 throw of Babylon and restoration of the Jews by 
 Cyrus, who expressly acknowledged himself to be 
 but the instrument in God's hands, were admir- 
 ably suited to secure, throughout the world, the 
 acknowledgment of Jehovah as the only true 
 God. 7. I form the light, and create darkness— 
 Yatzar, to give "form" to previously existing 
 matter. Bara, to " create " from nothing the 
 chaotic dark material, light . . . darkness— iu 
 the literal sense (Gen, i. 1-3) ; emblematical also 
 of prosperity to Cyrus, calamity to Babylon and 
 the nations to be vanquished {Grotius). Isaiah 
 refers also to the Oriental belief in two co-existent 
 eternal principles ever struggling with each other, 
 light or good, and darkness or evil, Oromasden 
 and Ahrimanen. God, here, in opposition, asserts 
 His sovereignty over both [Vitringa). I make 
 peace and create evil— not moral evil (Jas. i. 13), 
 
God asserteth 
 
 ISAIAH XLV. 
 
 his omnipotency. 
 
 8 Drop ^down, ye heavens, from above, 
 And let the skies pour down righteousness : 
 
 Let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, 
 
 And let righteousness spring up together; — I the Lord have" created it. 
 
 9 Woe unto him that striveth with •'his Maker! 
 
 Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. 
 
 ^ Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it. What makest thou ? 
 
 Or thy work. He hath no hands? 
 
 10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? 
 Or to the woman. What hast thou brought forth ? 
 
 11 Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, 
 Ask me of things to come concerning 'my sons, 
 
 And concerning the ''^work of my hands command ye me. 
 
 12 I "have made the earth, — and created man upon it: 
 I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens. 
 And all their host have I commanded. 
 
 13 1 have raised him up in righteousness, — and I will ^ direct all his ways: 
 He shall build °my city, and he shall let go my captives, 
 
 ^Not for price nor reward, — saith the Lord of hosts. 
 
 but in contrast to " peace" in the parallel clause, 
 war, disaster (of. Ps. Ixv. 7; Amos iii. 6). 8. Drop 
 down ye heavens — viz., the fertilizing rain (Ps. 
 Ixv. 12). let the skies— clouds. Lower than the 
 "heavens." pour down righteousness — i.e., the 
 dews of the Holy Spirit, whereby "righteousness " 
 shall spring up. let the earth open— figuratively 
 for the hearts of men on it, opened so as to receive 
 the truth by the Holy Ghost (Acts xvi. 14). let 
 them bring forth salvation, and let righteous- 
 ness spring up together ; I the Lord have created 
 it. "Them," the earth and the heavens. Horsley 
 prefers, with Queen Elizabeth's Bible, 'let the 
 earth open, and let salvation and justice grow forth 
 (lit., fructify: yiphru) let it bring them forth to- 
 
 f;ether ; I the Lord have created Aim' {v. 13) (Ps. 
 xxii. 3, 6, 7). The revival of religion after the 
 return from Babylon suggests to the prophet the 
 diffusion of Messiah's Gospel, especially in days 
 still future; hence the elevation of the language to 
 a pitch above what is applicable to the state of 
 religion after the return. 
 
 9. Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! 
 —anticipating the objections which the Jews 
 might raise as to why God permitted their cap- 
 tivity, and when He did restore them, why He 
 did so by a foreign x»rince, Cyrus, not a Jew (ch. 
 xl. 27, &c.), but mainly and ultimately the objec- 
 tions about to be raised by the Jews against God's 
 sovereign act in adopting the whole Gentile world 
 as His spiritual Israel [v. 8, referring to this catho- 
 lic diflFusion of the Gospel), as if it were an in- 
 fringement of their nation's jjrivileges. So Paul 
 expressly quotes it, Pom. ix. 4-8, 11-21. (Let) the 
 potsherd (strive) with the potsherds of the earth. 
 " Let . . . strive ' is not in the Hebrew. The words 
 may be in apposition with "him." 'A potsherd 
 amon^ the potsherds of the earth.' So the Vul- 
 gate, Syriac, and aj)parently the Arabic. A crea- 
 ture fragile and worthless as the fragment of an 
 earthen vessel, amongst others equally so, and yet 
 
 S resuming to strive with his Maker ! ((rgsewms.) 
 ut it favours the English version that the 
 Hebrew eth, being translated ivith in the first 
 clause, should naturally be so in the second clause. 
 Of course the English version does not enjoin 
 strife vnth one's fellow-men (2 Tim. ii. 24); but 
 implies simx^ly that whatever good one might 
 promise himself from striving with his fellow- 
 creature of the earth, to strive with one's Maker 
 707 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 < 18. 85. U. 
 
 1 Cli. 6t. 8. 
 Jer. 12. 1.2. 
 Dan. 4. 3.5. 
 iCor. 10.22. 
 ch. 10. 15. 
 ch. 25. 10. 
 Jer. 18. 6. 
 Kom. 9. 20. 
 
 ' Jer. 31. 9. 
 
 Jer. 33. 3. 
 
 Eze. 36. 37. 
 
 Dan. 2. 18, 
 
 Mark 11.24. 
 "' ch. 29. 23. 
 " Gen. 1. 26, 
 27. 
 
 Jer. 27. .5. 
 
 2 Or, make 
 straight. 
 
 " 2Chr.3G.22. 
 
 ch. 4t. 2*. 
 
 Ezra 1. 1. 
 P Kom. 3. 24. 
 
 is suicidal madness on the face of it (ch. xxvii. 
 4). Shall the clay say ... or thy work, He 
 hath no hands? — or 'Shall thy work say oj 
 thee. He hath no hands?' 10. Woe unto him 
 that saith unto (his) father, What begettest 
 thou? If it be wrong for a child, born in less 
 favourable circumstances, to upbraid his parents 
 with having given liim birth ; a fortiori, it is, to 
 upbraid God for His dealings with us. Horsley 
 translates 'a father,' and explains. The Jews 
 considered themselves exclusively God's children, 
 and were angry that God should adopt the 
 Gentiles besides. Woe to him who says to one 
 already a father. Why dost thou beget other 
 children? But whilst this ultimate reference to 
 the Gentiles is true, the translation in the English 
 version, "7izs father," is clearly right, answering to 
 "Afs Maker" {v. 9). Forerius' view is probably 
 right, ' Woe unto him that saith unto his father, 
 What begettest thou?' 'Why dost thou beget 
 other children?' This will apply to the Jews 
 grieving at the accession of the Gentiles. 
 
 11. Thus saith the Lord . . . Ask me of things 
 to come . . . command ye me. Instead of 
 striving with me in regard to my purposes, your 
 Avisdom is in prayer to ask, and even command me, 
 in so far as it is for my glory, and for your real 
 good (Mark xi. 24 ; John xvi. 23, 13, latter part of 
 the verse ; 1 John iii. 22). concerning my sons— (ch. 
 liv. 13; Gal. iii. 26.) and concerning the work of 
 my hands— spiritually (Eph. ii. 10); also literal 
 Israel (ch. Ix. 21). Lowth reads it interrogatively. 
 Do ye presume to question me, and dictate to me 
 concerning my sons, and concerning the work of 
 my hands, to do what I will with mine own ? (see 
 vv. 9, 10.) The same sense is given if the words 
 be taken in irony. But the English version is best. 
 
 12. I have made the earth, and created man 
 upon it. The same argument for prayer, drawn 
 from God's omnipotence and consequent power to 
 grant any request, occurs, ch. xl. 26-31. I, even 
 my hands. So the Hebrew. Ps. xliv. 2, " Thou 
 . . . thy hand," both nominatives, in apposition. 
 
 13. I have raised him up ... he shall build 
 my city, and he shall let go my captives, not 
 for price nor reward— Cyrus, type of Messiah, 
 who redeems the captives of Satan " without 
 money and without price" (ch. Iv. 1), "freely" 
 (gratuitously) (chs. Hi. 3; Ixi. 1; Zech. ix. 11; 
 Kom. iii 24). in righteousness— to fulfil my 
 
Sahation promised 
 
 ISAIAH XLV. 
 
 to Israeh 
 
 14 Thus sai-tii the Lord, — ^The labour of Egypt, 
 
 And ■ merchandise of Ethiopia — and of the Sabeans, men of stature, 
 
 Shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine : 
 
 They shall come after thee ;— in chains they shall come over, 
 
 And they shall foil down unto thee, — they shall make supplication unto thee, 
 
 Saying, ' Surely God is in thee ; and there is none else, — there is no God. 
 
 1 5 Verily thou art a God * that hidest thyself, — 0 God of Israel, the Saviour, 
 
 16 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them : 
 They shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. 
 
 17 But Israel shall be saved in the Lord — with an everlasting salvation : 
 Ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded — world without end. 
 
 18 For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens, 
 
 God himself that formed the earth, and made it;— he hath established it. 
 He created it not in vain,— ^hc formed it to be inliabited : 
 I ary^ the Lord; and there is none else. 
 
 19 I have not spoken in "secret, in a dark place of the earth: 
 I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain : 
 
 ^'I the Lord speak righteousness, — I declare things that are right. 
 
 20 Assemble yourselves and come; 
 
 Draw near together, ye that are ^'escaped of the nations: 
 
 ■' They have no knov/ledge that set up the w^ood of their graven image. 
 
 And pray unto a god that cannot save. 
 
 21 Tell ye, and bring them near; — -yea, let them take counsertogether : 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 « Ps. 68. 31. 
 Ps. 12. 10, 
 11. 
 
 ch. 49. 23. 
 Ch. 60. 9. 10, 
 14. 
 
 Zcch. ?. 22. 
 '* 1 Cor. 14.25. 
 * Deut. 29.29. 
 
 Ps. 10. 1. 
 
 Ps. 36. 6. 
 
 I'S. 44. 24. 
 
 ch. 8. ir. 
 
 ch. 57. 17. 
 Rom. 11.33. 
 34. 
 
 t 2 Sam. 23.5. 
 Ps. 105. 17. 
 Hos. 1. 7. 
 Rom. 11. 6. 
 Heb. 6. 17- 
 20. 
 
 "Deut. 30.11- 
 ^ Ps. 19. 8. 
 
 Jer. 44. 28. 
 
 Eze. 6. 8. 
 
 Ps. 115. 8. 
 
 Jer. 2. 27. 
 
 Rom. 1. 2 >. 
 
 righteous purpose (note, chs. xli. 2 ; xiii. G; Jer. 
 xxiii. 6). 
 
 14. The labour of Egypt, and merchandise 
 of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans . . . shall come 
 over unto thee. The lanAna^^e literally and 
 primarily alludes to Egypt, Ethiopia, and Seba 
 being given to Cyrus as a ransom iu lieu of Israel, 
 whom he restored (ch. xliii, 3), but mainly and 
 fully describes the gathering in of the Gentiles to 
 Israel (Acts ii. 10, 11 ; viii. 27-38), especially at 
 Israel's future restoration (chs. ii. 2 ; xiv. 1, 2 ; 
 xix. 18-22; Ix. 3-14; xlix. 23; Ps. Ixviii. 31; Ixxii. 
 10, 11). labour— wealth acquired by labour (Jer. 
 iii. 24). Sabeans, men of stature— the men of 
 Meroe, in Upper Egypt. Herodotus (iii. 20) calls 
 the Ethiopians 'the tallest of men ' (note, ch. xviii, 
 2; 1 dir. xi. 23). thee — Jerusalem, ("my city," t'. 
 13). in chains— (Ps. cxlix. 8; Zech. xiv. 12-19; 
 "the saints shall judge the world," 1 Cor. vi. 2; 
 and 'rule the nations with a 'rod of iron,' Rev. ii. 
 25, 27). The " chains," in the case of the obedient, 
 shall be the easy yoke of Messiah ; as "the sword 
 of the Spirit " also is saving to the believer, con- 
 demnatory to the unbeliever (John xii. 48; Heb. iv. 
 12 ; Eev. xix. 15). they shall make supplication 
 unto thee, (saying). Surely God (is) in thee— (Jer. 
 iii. 17-19). 15. Verily thou (art) a God that hidest 
 thyself, Horsley, after Jerome, explains this as 
 the confession of Egypt, &c., that God is concealed 
 in human form in the person of Jesus. Rather, 
 connected with vv. 9, 10, the prophet, contem- 
 plating the wonderful issue of the seemingly dark 
 counsels of God, implies a censure on those who 
 
 £ resume to question God's dealings (ch. Iv. 8, 9; 
 •eut. xxix. 29). Faith still discerns, even under 
 the veil, and "waits upon" the covenant-keeping 
 God of Israel the Saviour (ch. viii. 17). 16. They 
 shall be a,sh3.me6.— disappointed in their expecta- 
 tion of help from their idols (note, ch. xlii. 17; 
 Ps. xcvii. 7). 
 
 17. (But) Israel shall be saved in the Lord {vv. 
 24, 25)— contrasted with the idols which cannot give 
 even temporary help [v. 16). with an everlasting 
 salvation. In Jehovalt, there is everlasting salva- 
 tion (cli. xxvi. 4). ye shall not be ashamed— 
 708 
 
 opposed to the doom of the idolaters, who, in the 
 hour of need, shall be " ashamed " (note, v. 16). 
 18. For thus saith the Lord that created the 
 heavens— (note, v. 12.) he created it not in vain, 
 he formed it to be inhabited— therefore, Judah, 
 lying waste during the Babylouish captivity, shall 
 be peopled again by the exiles. The Jews, from 
 this iDassage, infer that, after the resurrection, the 
 earth shall be inhabited ; for there can be no 
 reason why the earth should then exist in vain 
 any more than now (2 Pet. iii. 13). 19, I have not 
 spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth - 
 not like the heathen oracles which gave their 
 responses from dark caverns, with studied ob- 
 scurity (ch, xlviii. 16), Christ plainly quotes 
 tliese words, thereby identifying Himself with 
 Jehovah, John xviii. 20, "In secret have I said 
 nothing," I said not unto the seed of Jacob, 
 Seek ye me in vain— When I commanded you to 
 seek me (Jehovah did so, v. II, " Ask me," &c.), 
 it was not in order that ye might be sent empty 
 away (Deut, xxxii, 47), Especially in Israel's 
 time of trial, God's interposition, in behalf of 
 Zion hereafter, is expressly stated as about to be 
 the answer to prayer (ch. Ixii. 6, 7-10 ; Ps. cii, 13- 
 17, 19-21). So in the case of all believers, the 
 spiritual Israel. I the Lord speak righteousness 
 — what is veracious : not in the equivocal terms of 
 heathen responses, fitly symbolized by the ' dark 
 places ' from which they were uttered, I declare 
 things that are xighX —true (note, ch, xli, 26), 
 
 20. draw near together, ye (that are) escaped 
 of the nations— ^Aose of the nations who shall have 
 escaped the slaughter inflicted by Cyrus. Now, 
 at last, Ave shall see the folly of 'praying to a god 
 that cannot save' (v. 16), Ultimately those that 
 shall be 'left of all the nations which shall come 
 against Jenssalem' are meant (Zech, xiv, 16). 
 They shall then aU be converted to the Lord (ch. 
 Ixvi, 23, 24 ; Jer. iii. 17 ; Zech. viii. 20-23). 21, 
 Tell ye, and bring (them) near— Announce my 
 summons so as to bring near before me the advo- 
 cates of idols from all nations. Challenge to the 
 worshippers of idols (ch, xli, 1). let them take 
 counsel together— as to the best argiunents where- 
 
Salvation offered to 
 
 ISAIAH XLVI. 
 
 all the ends of the earth. 
 
 99 
 
 23 
 
 24 
 
 25 
 46 
 
 Who hath declared this from ancient time ? 
 Who hath told it from that time ? 
 
 Have not I the Lord? and there is no God else besides me; 
 A just God, and a Saviour ; — there is none besides me. 
 ^Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth;. 
 For I am God, and there is none else. 
 I ^have sworn by myself. 
 
 The word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return. 
 That unto me every ^knee shall bow, — every tongue shall swear. 
 ■* Surely, shall o)ie say. In the Lord have I ^righteousness and strengtli : 
 Even to him shall men come; 
 
 And all that are incensed against him — shall be ashamed. 
 In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, — and shall glor}^ 
 BEL "boweth down, Nebo stoopeth; 
 
 CHAP. 40. 
 Jer. 51. i4. 
 
 with to defend the caxise of idolatry, (who) hath 
 told it from that time? — as I, Jehovah, have 
 (ch. xli. 22, 23 ; cote, ch. xliv. 8). Which of the 
 idols has doue what God hath? — viz., foretold 
 l»rimarily as to-. Cyrus ; iiltimately as to tlie final 
 restoration of Israel hereafter. The idolatry of 
 Israel before Cyrus's time will have its coiinterpart 
 io the Antichrist and the apostasy which shall 
 precede Christ's manifestation, (there is) no God 
 else besides me ; a just God, and a Saviour — 
 righteous in keeping my promises, and therefore a 
 Sainoiir to His people. Righteous also in not 
 sacrificing a jot of my justice, whilst giving salva- 
 tion : but on the contrary setting my justice forth 
 in the brightest light through redemption. Not 
 ouly is it not inconsistent with, but it is the result 
 of, His righteousness, or justice, that He should 
 save His redeemed (ch. xlii. 6, 21 ; Ps. Ixxxv. 10, 
 11 ; Rom. iii. 2G). 22. Look unto me, and be ye 
 saved. The second imperative expresses the re- 
 sult which will follow obedience to the first (Gen. 
 xliL 18; 'by looking unto me ye shall be saved,' 
 John iii. 14, 15 ; Num. xxi. 9, " if a serpent had 
 bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of 
 brass, he lived "). What so simple as a look ? Not 
 do something, but look to the Saviour (Acts xvi. 
 30, 31). Believers look by faith, the eye of the 
 soul. The look is that of one turning the fa,ce 
 (penu eelai) to God, as at once 'Just and the 
 Saviour' {v. 21) — i. e., the look of conversion (Ps. 
 xxii. 27). 23. I have sworn by myself- equivalent 
 to, " As I live," as Rom. xiv. 11 quotes it. So 
 Num. xiv. 21. God could swear by no greater, 
 therefore swears by Himself (Heb. vi. l.'j, 16). the 
 word is gone out of my mouth (in) righteousness 
 — or, 'the truth {tzedaguah) (note, v. 19) is goiie 
 forth from my mouth, tlie word (of promise), and 
 it shall not return (i. e., ir.hich sliajl not be re- 
 voked') {Lowth). Put the accents favour tlie 
 English version. Lit., 'there is gone out of my 
 mouth the righteousness-word.' unto me every 
 knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear— viz., 
 an oath of allegiance to God as their trne King 
 (note, clis. xix. 18; Ixv. IG). Yet to be fiilhlled 
 (Zech. xiv. 9). 24. Surely, shall (one) say, In the 
 Lord have I righteousness and strength— or, as 
 the Chaldaic, ' Only in Jeliovah shall men say of 
 me (this clause is parenthetical) is there righteous- 
 ness ' (which inchides salvation, v. 21, ''adjust GoA 
 and a Saviour;" ch. xlvi. 13), &c, (Maurer.) But 
 tlie accent separates " say " from ' to me' (Hebrew, 
 li) ; and the Vulgate supports the English version. 
 Lit., ^\Surely," or ' Only in the Lord (there are) to 
 me (shall [one] say) righteousnesses Vi. e., all righ- 
 teousness, imputed, as also imi)arted, so as to be 
 inherent) and strength' (for enabling me to obey 
 God). So i)e JJieu. (even) to him shall (men) 
 709 
 
 come. Those who have set themselves \\\) against 
 God shall come to Him in penitence for the past 
 (ch, xix. 22). all that are incensed against him 
 shall be ashamed— (v. IG ; chs, liv. 17; xli. 11.) 
 25. all the seed of Israel — the spiritual Israel 
 (Rom, ii. 29) and the literal Israel—?, e., the final 
 remnant which shall all be saved [v. 17 ; Rom. xi. 
 26). be justified — treated as if they were just, 
 through Christ's righteousness and death (Jer. 
 xxiii. 5). and shall glory {yithhallelu)— lit., sing 
 in His praise (Jer. ix. 24 ; 1 Cor. i. 31). 
 
 Remarks.— Cyrxxs is a striking type of Messiah, 
 the Anointed One of God. For the sake of Israel, 
 the elect servant of Jehovali, Cyrus was " called " 
 by God, and his "right hand" was upholden, so 
 that the nations were 'subdued before him,' and 
 the gates of mighty Babylon 'opened before him.' 
 So Jehovah made "the crooked places straight" 
 before Messiah, and burst open for Him the gates 
 of death, and gave Him "the treasures" which 
 Satan the strong man had long kept in his house 
 of "darkness." But the antitype always exceeds 
 the type. Cyrus knew not God when God called 
 him by name. But Messiah has been from eternity 
 with God, " rejoicing always before Him." The 
 effect of God's designation of Messiah to be the 
 Saviour of mankind shall be ultimately that which 
 the designation of Cyrus to be deliverer of the 
 Jews effected only in part, " from the rising of the 
 sun, and from the west," all shall know that there 
 is "no God. besides " Jehovah. 
 
 CHAP. XLVL 1-13.— Babylon's Idols COULD 
 not save themselves, much less her. but 
 God can and will Save Israel : Cyrus is 
 His Instrument. 
 
 1, Bel— The same as the Phoenician Baal—/, e., 
 lord, the chief god of Babylon; to it was dedi- 
 cated the celebrated tower of Babylon, in the 
 centre of one of the two parts into which the city 
 was divided, the palace being in the centre of the 
 other. Identical with the Sun, worshipped on 
 turrets, house-tops, and other high places, so as to 
 be nearer the heavenly hosts (Saba) (Jer. xix. 13 ; 
 xxxii, 29; Zeph, i. 5). Gesenius identifies Bel with 
 the planet Jujnter, \vhich, with the planet ]'enus 
 (under the name Astarte or Astaroth), was wor- 
 shipped in the East as the god of fortujie, the most 
 propitious star to be boi-n under (note, ch. Ixv. 11),, 
 According to the Apocryphal Book, Bel and the 
 Dragon, Bel was cast down by Cyrus. The mound 
 'Babil' still remains, identical with the old 
 temple of Bel or Belus, an oblong mass of unbaked 
 bricks, rising above the plain 140 feet, 200 yards 
 long by 140 broad. Berosus states that Nebuchad- 
 nezzar rebuilt it ; this is confirmed by the fact 
 that all the inscribed bricks found bear Nebuchad- 
 nezzar's name. It formed the tower of the temple, 
 
Idols not comparable 
 
 ISAIAH XLVI. 
 
 to God, 
 
 Their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle : 
 
 Your carriages were heavy loaden ; 
 
 ^ They are a burden to the weary beast, 
 
 2 They stoop, they bow down together they could not deliver the burden, 
 But ^themselves are gone into captivity. 
 
 3 Hearken unto me. 0 house of Jacob, 
 And all the remnant of the house of Israel, 
 
 Which '^are borne by me from the belly, — which are carried from the womb: 
 
 4 And eren to your old age "^I am he ; 
 
 And e'cen to hoar hairs Vill I carry you: — I have made, and I will bear; 
 Even I will carry, and will deliver you. 
 
 5 To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal. 
 And compare me, that we may be like ? 
 
 6 They lavish gold out of the bag, — and weigh silver in the balance, 
 And hire a goldsmith ; and he maketh it a god : 
 
 They fall down, yea, they worship. 
 
 7 They bear him upon the shoulder, — they carry him. 
 And set him in his place, and he standeth ; 
 
 From his place shall he not remove : 
 
 Yea, o?ie shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, 
 
 Nor save him out of his trouble. 
 
 8 Remember this, and show yourselves men : 
 Bring it again to mind, 0 ye transgressors. 
 
 9 Remember ^the former things of old : — for I am God, and there is none else ; 
 / am God, and the7^e is none like me, 
 
 10 Declaring the end from the beginning. 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 b ch. 2. 20. 
 
 Jer. 10. 6. 
 1 their soul. 
 
 Jer. 48. 7. 
 = Ex. 19. 4. 
 
 Deut. 1. 31. 
 
 Deut. 32.11 
 12. 
 
 Ps. 22. 9, 
 10, 
 
 Ps. 71. 6. 
 ch. 44, 1, 2. 
 ch, 49, 1, 2. 
 ch. 63. 9. 
 Eze, 16. 6, 
 16. 
 
 «* Ex. 19. 4, 6, 
 Ps. 92, 14. 
 Ps. 102. 27. 
 ch. 41. 4, 
 ch. 43. 13, 
 
 25, 
 Mai. 2. 6. 
 Mai. 3. 6. 
 John 10. 2«, 
 29. 
 
 Kom. 11,29. 
 
 2 Cor. 1. 10. 
 
 Heb, 1, 12, 
 
 Heb. 13. 8. 
 « Ps. 48. 14. 
 / Jer. 10. 5. 
 » Deut, 3i. 7, 
 
 Sill-mounted by a chapel, but the main shrine, 
 altars, and residences of the priests were below. 
 The Kasr remains, which are south of Babil-mound, 
 are probably the old palace coeval with Babylon ; 
 in it are found bricks inscribed with the names of 
 kings earlier than Nebuchadnezzar. The sense of 
 Bel or Baal is lord, not so much the ruler, as the 
 owner and master, 'bowetli down, Nebo stoopeth 
 — falleth prostrate (ch. x, 4 ; 1 Sam. v. 3, 4 ; Ps. 
 XX. 8). Nebo — the planet Mercury or Hermes, in 
 astrology. The scribe of heaven, answering to the 
 Egyptian Anubis. The extensive worship of it is 
 shown by the many proper names compounded of 
 it : Nebuchadnezzar, Neb-iizaradan, Nab-onassar, 
 &c. were upon tlie beasts — i. e., were a burden 
 (supplied from the following clause) upon them. 
 It was customary to transport the gods of the 
 vanquished to the land of the conquerors, who 
 thought thereby the more effectually to keep down 
 the subject people (1 Sam. v, 1, &c, ; Jer. xlviii. 7; 
 xlix. 3; marg., Dan. xi. 8). your carriages. Fag- 
 ninus (with the Hebrew commentators) translates, 
 ' the beasts which carry you are loaden with the 
 burden to weariness. ' Otherwise, in the Old English 
 sense, the things carried, the lading (Acts xxi. 15, 
 " carriages "), not the vehicles, but the baggage ; 
 'the images which used to be carried by you^ 
 formerly in your solemn processions [Maurer). 
 were heavy loaden — or, ' are put as a load on the 
 beasts of burden' {Maurer). So Chaldaie, 'The 
 burdens of their idols are hea^T^ to those that carry 
 them,' ZTors^e?/ translates, ' They (the idols) who 
 should have been your carriers (as Jehovah is to 
 His people, vv. 3, 4) are become burdens ' (see note, 
 V. 4). 2. they could not deliver — from the 
 enemies' hands, burden— their images laid on 
 the beasts {v. 1). The gods who were supposed to 
 dwell in the images, were not able to deliver them 
 from the Persian spoilers, but themselves are 
 gone into captivity — the gods, here also dis- 
 tinguished from their images. 
 
 710 
 
 3. In contrast to what precedes : Babylon's 
 idols, so far from bearing its people safely, are 
 themselves bor)\e off, a burden to the laden beast ; 
 but Jehovah bears His people in safety even from 
 the womb to old age (ch. Ixiii. 9 j Deut. xxxii. 11 ; 
 Ps, Ixxi, 6, 18), God compares Himself to a nurse, 
 tenderly carrying a child; contrast Moses' lan- 
 guage, Num. xi. 12. 4, (even) to (your) old age- 
 as your . . . you . . . you, are not in the Hebrew, the 
 sentiment is more general than the English version, 
 though of course it includes the Jews from the 
 infancy to the more advanced age of their history 
 (ch. xlvii, 6), I am he— i, e., the Same (Ps. cii. 
 27; John viii. 24; Heb. xiii. 8). I have made, 
 and I will bear . . . carry . . . deliver. Not 
 only do I not need to be borne and carried myself, 
 as the idols (v. 1), but I will bear, carry, and 
 deliver my people. 
 
 5, To whom will ye liken me— (ch. xl. 18, 25.) 
 6, They lavish gold out of the bag , . . and hire 
 a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god— (chs. xl. 
 19, 20; xli. 7.) They lavish gold out of their 
 purses, and spare no expense for their idol. Their 
 profuseness shames the niggardliness of professors 
 who worship God with what cost them nothing. 
 Sin is always a costly service. 7. (one) shall cry 
 unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save— 
 (ch. xlv. 20, with which contrast v. 19, ) 
 
 8, show yourselves men— renounce the childish- 
 ness of idolatry, as shown in what precedes (1 Cor. 
 xiv. 20; xvi. 13; Eph. iv. 14). In order to be 
 manly, we must be godly : for man was made "in 
 the image of God," and only rises to his true 
 dignity when joined to God ; virtue is derived from 
 the Latin, vir, 'a man.' bring ... to mind- 
 rather, lay it to heart. 0 ye transgressors- 
 addressed to the idolaters among the Jews. 9. 
 Remember the former things of old— viz., the 
 proofs of the sole Godship of Jehovah, from 
 predictions fulfilled, and interpositions of God in 
 behalf of Israel. 10. Declaring the end from 
 
God^s judgments 
 
 ISAIAH XLVIL 
 
 on Babylon. 
 
 And from ancient times the things that are not yet dcno, 
 Saying, ^My counsel shall stand, 
 And I will do all my pleasure : 
 
 11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, 
 2 The man that executeth my counsel from afar country 
 Yea, ^I have spoken it, I will also hrmg it to pass; 
 I have purposed it, I will also do it. 
 
 12 Hearken unto me, ye stout-hearted, 
 That ^are far from- righteousness : 
 
 13 I *bring near my righteousness ; it shall not be far off,. 
 And my salvation 'shall not tarry: 
 And I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory. 
 
 47 COME "down, and sit in the dust, 0 virgin daughter of Babylon, 
 Sit on- the ground : 
 
 There is no throne, 0 daughter of the Chaldeans : 
 For thou shalt no more be called- tender and delicate. 
 2 Take ^the millstones, and grind meal: 
 Uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, 
 
 the beginning— (chs. xlv. 21; xli. 22, 23; xliv. 26.) 
 and from ancient times (the things) that are not 
 (yet)— not in the Hebrew. Translate, ' what had, 
 not been done' {Horsley). do all my pleasure — 
 (ch. liii. 10 ; Eom. ix. 19.) 11. a ravenous bird 
 from the east — Cyrus: so called on account of 
 the rapidity of his marches from the distant 
 regions of Persia to pounce on his prey (see notes, 
 ch. xli. 2, 25; Jer. xlix. 22; Ezek. xvii. 3). The 
 standard of Cyriis, too, was a golden eagle on a 
 spear (see the heathen historian, Xenophon, 7, 
 where almost the same word is used, aetos, as here, 
 ^ayit). the man that executeth my counsel — 
 (chs. xliv. 28 ; xlv. 13. ) Babylon represents, 
 mystically, the apostate faction : the destruction 
 of its idols symbolizes the future general extirpa- 
 tion of all idolatry and unbelief. I have purposed 
 (it), I will also do it— (ch. xliii. 13.) 12. stout- 
 hearted—stubborn in resisting God (Ps. Ixxvi. 5; 
 Acts viL 51). that (are) far from righteousness 
 — (ch. lix. 9; Hab. ii. 4.) 13. bring near— anti- 
 thetical to "far" (v. 12; chs. li. 5; Ivi. 1; Ixi. 10, 
 11; Rom. x. 6-8). my righteousness— answering 
 to "salvation " in the parallel clause ; therefore it 
 means here, my righteous deliverance; righteous 
 because proving the truth oi God's promises, and 
 so contrived as to not comx>romise, but vindicate^ 
 His righteousness (eh. xlii. 21 ; Rom iii. 26). I 
 will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory- 
 rather, ' I will give salvation in Zion ; to Israel (I 
 will give ) my glory ' ( Horsley, with ' Queea 
 Elizabeth's Bible'). (Ch. Ixii. 11; Ps. xiv. 7; 
 Luke ii. 32.) 
 
 Remarks. — What a glorious contrast to every 
 other object of man's trust doth Jehovah present ! 
 Man's idols need to be "borne;" Jehovah bears 
 His people "from the womb" to hoary age. He 
 'carries them as a nurse would an infant; His 
 "everlasting arms are underneath " them, so as to 
 " deliver " tnera from every danger. The zeal and 
 lavish liberality of the votaries of superstition in 
 respect to their objects of worship, ought to put to- 
 shame the professors of a pure faith, who yet will 
 make no large sacrifices for the Lord. Earthly 
 vanities at best are childish,, and heavenly aims 
 are the only ones worthy of men. Let us 'show 
 ourselves men' by 'remembering' God in all our 
 ways. Let us " remember " His " former " doings 
 "of old," as a jJedge that 'His counsel shall 
 stand,' and that what He hath " spoken," He 
 'will also bring to pass.' 
 
 CHAP. XLVIL 1-15.-THE Destruction of 
 711 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 " I's. 33. 11. 
 f ro. 10. 21. 
 Pro. 21. : 0. 
 Acts 5. 3!). 
 Heb. 6. 17. 
 2 the man 
 of my 
 c unsel. 
 ch. 41, 2'. 
 » Num.23.19, 
 
 Tit. 1. 2. 
 j Eom. 10. 3. 
 Rom. 1. 17. 
 Rom. 3. 21. 
 I Hab. 2. 3. 
 
 CHAP. 47. 
 Job 2. 8. 
 ch. 52. 8. 
 Jer. 48. 1''. 
 Lam. 2. 10. 
 * Ex. 11. h. 
 Judg. 16.21. 
 
 Babylon is represented under the Image of 
 A Royal Virgin brought down in a Moment 
 FROM her Magnificent Throne to the extreme 
 OF Degradation. 
 
 1. Come down, and sit in the dust— (note, ch. 
 iii. 26; Job. ii. 13 ; Lam. ii. 10.) 0 virgin— i. e., 
 heretofore nncaptured {Herodotus, i. 191). daugh- 
 ter of Babylon — Babylon and its inhabitants 
 (notes, chs. i. 8 ; xxxvii. 22). (there is) no throne. 
 The seat of empire was transferred to Shushan. 
 Alexander intended to have made Babylon his 
 seat of empire ; but Providence defeated his de- 
 sign. He soon died ; and Seleucia, being built 
 near, and out of its very materials, robbed it of its 
 inhabitants, and even of its name, which was ap- 
 
 Elied to Seleucia (cf. Jer. li. 37, 44, 58). Babylon 
 as been for ages the quarry out of which neigh- 
 bouring tnbes have built their cities — Seleucia, 
 Ctesiphon, Bagdad, Kufa, Hillah. thou shalt 
 no more be called tender and delicate— alluding 
 to the effeminate debauchery and prostitution of 
 all classes, at banquets and religious rites {Curtius, 
 V. 1 ; Herodotus, i. 199 ; Baruch, vi. 43). 2. Take 
 the millstones — like the querns or hand-mills 
 found in this country before the invention of 
 water-mills and wind-mills ; a convex stone, made 
 by the hand to turn in a concave stone fitted to 
 receive it,, the corn being ground between them : 
 the office of a female slave in the East ; most de- 
 gradin'g (Job xxxi. 10; Matt. xxiv. 41). uncover 
 thy locks — 'take off thy veiV [tzanimatheek, from 
 tzammam, to veil). So the LXX. and Syriac 
 {Horsley) : perhaps the removal of the j^lail^d hair 
 worn round the woman's temples is included ; it, 
 too, is a covering (1 Cor. xi. 15) ; to remove it and 
 the veil is the badge of the low'est female degrada- 
 tion ; in the East the head is the seat of female 
 modesty ; the face of a woman is seldom, the 
 whole head never almost, seen bare (note, ch. 
 xjcii. 8). make bare the leg. Gesenius translates, 
 ' lift up (lit., uncover; as in lifting up the train the 
 leg is uncovered) thy flowing train'' (^Shobel, from 
 shabal, to^ow). In Mesopotamia, women of low 
 rank, as occasion requires, wade across the rivers 
 with stript legs, or else entirely put off their gar- 
 ments and swim across. ' Exchange thy rich, 
 loose, queenly robe, for the most abject condition, 
 that of one going to and fro through rivers as a 
 slave, to draw water,' &c. (cf. ch. xx. 2.) The 
 English version is quite as weU supported, and 
 forms a good gradation — first, "make bare the leg," 
 next, when getting further into the river, "uncover 
 
God's judgments 
 
 ISAIAH XLVII. 
 
 on Babylon. 
 
 Uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. 
 
 3 Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, — yea, thy shame shall be seen : 
 '^I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man. 
 
 4 As for our Redeemer,, the Lord oi hosts is his name, 
 The Holy One of Israel. 
 
 5 Sit thou ^silent, and get thee into darkness, 0 daughter of the Chaldeans : 
 Tor thou shalt no more be called The lady of kingdoms. 
 
 6 I ^was wroth with my people, — I have polluted mine inheritance, 
 And given them into thine hand: thou didst show them no mercy; 
 ''Upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke. 
 
 7 And thou saidst, I shall be ^a lady for ever: 
 
 So that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, 
 Neither didst remember the latter end of it. 
 
 8 Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, 
 That dwellest carelessly. 
 
 That sayest in thine heart, — 'I am, and none else besides me; 
 
 *I shall not sit as a widow, — neither shall I know the loss of children ; 
 
 9 But these two things shall come to thee — in 'a moment in one day, 
 ■ The loss of children, and widowhood : 
 
 They shall come upon thee in their perfection 
 '"^ For the multitude of thy sorceries. 
 And for the great abundance of thine enchantments. 
 10 For thou "hast trusted in thy wickedness : — "thou hast said, None seeth me. 
 Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath ^perverted thee; 
 
 B. C. 712 
 
 " Nah. 3. 5. 
 <i JMatt. 7. 2. 
 
 Rom, 12.19. 
 * 1 Sam. 2. 9. 
 } Dan. 2. 37. 
 y 2Sam.24.U. 
 
 Ps. 69. 2J. 
 
 ch. 10. 6. 
 
 Zech. 1. 16. 
 
 peut.-8.50. 
 '■ beut. 32.20- 
 29. 
 
 Lam. 1. 9. 
 
 Rev. 18. 7. 
 j Zeph. 2. 15. 
 
 Rev. IS. 7 
 ' 1 Thes. 5. 3. 
 '"Nab. 3. 4. 
 
 Dan. 2. 2. 
 
 Dan. 4. 7. 
 " Ps. 62. 7. 
 " Ps. 10. 11. 
 
 Ps. 64. 5. 
 
 Ps. 94. 7. 
 
 ch. 29. 15. 
 
 Eze. 8. 12. 
 
 Eze. 9. fl. 
 1 Or, caused 
 
 thee tJ 
 
 lurii aw^y. 
 
 the thigh." uncover the thigh — gather up the 
 robe, so as to wade across. 3. I will not meet 
 (thee as) a man— whose compassion thou mightest 
 move, or whose might thou couldest resist, but as 
 God, whose justice thou hast arrayed against thee, 
 and whose power thou canst not resist. Rather, 
 ' I will not meet a man'- i, e., sujfer man to inter- 
 cede with me; give mail an audience for thee (Jer. 
 vii. 16; xxvii. 18) {Grotim and Hoi'sley). Or, 'I 
 will not make peace with any man,' before all are 
 destroyed. (Hebrew, ephc/anfj, from pagang) — 
 lit., strike. a, league with; a phrase arising from 
 the custom of striking hands together in making a 
 compact (Maurer). (Note, Pro v. xvii. 18; xxii. 
 20; xi. l.\ marg.) Or else, from sty-iking the vic- 
 tims sacrificed in making treaties. The English 
 version accords well with the Hebrew and the 
 sense. Contrast Hos. xi. 4, "I drew them with 
 cords of a man." 
 
 4. (As for) our Redeemer — or supply, ' Thus 
 saith our Redeemer' (Maurer). Lowth supposes 
 this verse to be the exclamation of a chorus break- 
 ing in with praises, 'Our Redeemer! Jehovah of 
 hosts,' &c. (Jer. 1. 34). 
 
 5. Sit thou silent — the i)osture of mourning 
 (Ezra ix. 4 ; Job ii. 13 , Lam. ii. 10). get thee into 
 darkness— mourning and misery (Lam. iii. 2; Mic. 
 vii. 8). lady of kingdoms -mistress of the world 
 (ch. xiii. 19). 
 
 6. I was wroth with my people; I have . . . 
 given them into thine hand : thou didst show 
 them no mercy— reason for God's vengeance on 
 Babylon : in executing God's will against His 
 people, she had done so with wanton cruelty (ch. 
 X. 5, &c. ; Jer. 1. 17 ; li. 33 ; Zech. i. 15). poUuted 
 my inheritance— (ch. xliii. 28.) upon the ancient 
 hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke— even old 
 age was disregarded by the Chaldeans, who treated 
 all alike w^ith cruelty (Lam. iv. 16 ; v. 12) {Rosen- 
 laidler). Or, "the ancient" means Israel, worn 
 out with calamities in the latter period of its 
 history (ch. xlvi. 4), as its earlier stage of history 
 is called its "youtli" (ch. liv. 6; Ezek. xvi. 60). 
 7. thou sa,idst, I shall be a lady for ever: 
 
 712 
 
 (so) that thou didst not lay these (things) to 
 thy heart. Through thy vain exiiectation of being 
 a queen for ever, thou didst advance to such a 
 pitch of insolence as not to believe " these things " 
 (viz., as to thy overthrow, w. 1-15) possible, 
 neither didst remember the latter end of it— viz. , 
 oj thy insolence, implied in her words, "I shall be 
 a lady for ever." 8. hear now this, thou (that 
 art) given to pleasures— (note, v. 1.) In no city 
 were there so many incentives to licentiousness, 
 that sayest in thine heart, I (am), and none else 
 besides me— (v. If).) Language of blas]ihemous 
 arrogance in man's mouth ; fitting for God alone 
 (ch. xlv. 6). See ch. v. 8, latter part. I shall not 
 sit (as) a widow, neither shall I know the loss of 
 children. A state, rejiresented as a female, when 
 it has fallen, is called a widow, because its king is 
 no more ; and childless, because it has no inhabi- 
 tants, they having been carried off as captives 
 (chs. xxiii. 4 ; liv. 1, 4, 5 ; Rev. xviii. 7, 8). 9. 
 But these two (things) shall come to thee in a 
 moment in one day— it should not decay slowly, 
 but be suddenly and unexpectedly destroyed ; in a 
 single night it was taken by Cyrus. The jjrophecy 
 was again literally fulfilled when Babylon re- 
 volted against Darius ; and, in order to hold out 
 to the last, each man chose one woman of his 
 family, and strangled the rest, to save provisions. 
 Dari\is impaled 3,000 of the revolters. they shall 
 come upon thee in their perfection— i. e., 'in full 
 measure.' for the multitude of thy sorceries, 
 (and) for the great abundance of thine enchant- 
 ments — rather, 'notwithstanding the. . . not- 
 withstanding;' 'in spite of {Lowth). So "for," 
 Num. xiv. 11. Babylon was famed for 'expia- 
 tions or sacrifices, and other incantations, whereby 
 they tried to avert evil and obtain good' {Diodoras 
 Sicidus). 10. For thou hast trusted in thy wicked- 
 ness — referring, as in ch. xiii. 11, to the cruelty with 
 which Babylon treated its subject states, thou 
 hast said, None seeth me (Ps^. x. 11 ; xciv. 7)— 
 'There is none to exact punishment from me.' 
 Sinners are not safe, though seeming secret, thy 
 wisdom— astrological and poUticalifih. xix. 11, &c., 
 
Tke intent 
 
 ISAIAH XLVIII. 
 
 of prophecy. 
 
 And thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else besides me. 
 1 1 Therefore shall evil come upon thee ; 
 
 Thou shalt not know ^from whence it riseth : 
 
 And mischief shall fall upon thee; — thou slialt not be able to ''put it od" 
 And desolation ^' shall come upon thee suddenly. 
 Which thou shalt not know. 
 Stand now with thine enchantments, 
 And with the multitude of thy sorceries, 
 Wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; 
 If so be thou shalt be able to profit, — if so be thou mayest prevail. 
 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. 
 Let now the ^astrologers, the stargazers, — Hhe monthly prognosticators, 
 Stand up and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. 
 Behold, they shall be as ^stubble; — the fire shall burn them; 
 They shall not deliver ^themselves from tlie power of the fiame : 
 There shall not be a coal to warm at, — nor fire to sit before it. 
 15 Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, 
 Even ""thy merchants, from thy vouth : 
 
 They shall wander every one to his quarter; — none shall save thee. 
 48 HEAR, ye this, 0 house of Jacob, 
 Which are called by the name of Israel, 
 And are come forth out of tlie waters of Judah, 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 14 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 * the morn- 
 ing thereof. 
 
 8 expiate. 
 
 Luke 12.59. 
 P ch. 13. 6. 
 
 Dan. 6. 30, 
 
 Luke 17.27. 
 
 1 Thes. 5.3. 
 
 * viewers of 
 the hea- 
 vens. 
 Dan. 2. 2. 
 
 * that give 
 koowledge 
 concerning 
 the 
 
 months. 
 « Ex. 15. 7. 
 Ps. 83. 13, 
 16. 
 
 ch. 40. 2J. 
 
 ch. 41. 2. 
 
 Joel. 2. 5. 
 
 Nah. 1. 10. 
 
 Obad. 18. 
 
 MaL 4. 1. 
 « their souls. 
 " Eev. IS. 11, 
 
 as to Egypt), it hath perverted — turned tbee 
 aside from the right and safe path. 11. Therefore 
 shall evil come upon thee ; thou shalt not know 
 from whence it riseth — Hebrew, Shachar, the 
 davm tkereoj; i. e., its first rising. Evil shall come 
 on thee without the least previous intimation 
 (Bosenmuller). But dawn is not applied to " evil," 
 but to prosperity shining out after misery (ch. xxi. 
 12). Translate, 'Tliou shalt not see any dawn ' (of 
 alleviation) {Maurer). But there seems to be a 
 mockery of Babylon, whose astrologers prided 
 themselves on being able to divine the approach 
 of evil and of good days : ' Thon who boastest that 
 thou canst tell t/ie advent of all days, shalt not 
 foresee the day of thy destruction ' {Grotlus). 
 thou Shalt not be able to put it off— rather, as 
 mar (J., 'thou shalt not be able to remove it by 
 expiation,'' as one is delivered from sin and its 
 penalty by expiation. Hebrew, Kophrah: cf. v. 
 3, note; ch. xiii. 17: it shall be never ending, 
 thou Shalt not know from whence it riseth— un- 
 awares ; which thou dost not a})prehend. Proving 
 tlie fallacy of thy divinations and astrology (Job 
 ix, 5 ; Ps. xxxv, 8). 12. Stand— forth, now with 
 thine enchantments — a scornful challenge to 
 BaV>ylou's magicians to show whether they can 
 defend their city, wherein thou hast laboured 
 from thy youth. The devil's service is a laborious 
 yet fruitless one (ch. Iv. 2), 13. Thou art wearied 
 -- (ch. Ivii. 10; Exod. xxiv. 12.) astrologers (Ketib, 
 hohreev ; Keri, hobreey)—lit.. those who form com- 
 bin/itiom of the heavens ; wno watch conjunctions 
 and oppositions of the stars. ' Casters of the con- 
 figurations of the sky' (Ilors/ey). Gesenius ex- 
 l)lains it, the dividers of the heavenft. In casting 
 a nativity, they observed four signs,— the horo- 
 scope, or sign which arose at the time one 
 was born ; the mid-heaven; the sign opposite the 
 horoscope towards the west ; and tho hypotjee. 
 Let . . . the monthly prognosticators . . . save 
 thee from (these things) that shall come upon 
 thee— those who at each new moon profess to tell 
 tliereby v;hat is about to happen. Maurer joins, 
 not as the English version, 'Let them that give 
 knowledge concerning the months {racmj.) save 
 thee from those tkinas that shall come upon thee ;' 
 713 
 
 but, 'They that at new moons make known part 
 of the things that shall come upon thee, let them 
 (also) save thee (from them).' If they can foretell 
 calamities, they ought also to be able to save from 
 them; for both are the work of God. 14. they 
 shall be as stubble ; the fire shall burn them - 
 (ch. xxix. 6; xxx. 30.) (there shall) not (be) a 
 coal to warm at. Like stubble, they shall burn 
 j to a dead ash, without leaving a live coal or cinder 
 (cf. ch. xxx. 14), so utterly shall they be destroyed. 
 15. Thus shall they be unto thee with whom 
 thou hast laboured— Such shall be the fate of 
 those astrologers who cost thee such an amount of 
 trouble and money, thy merchants, from thy 
 youth— i. e., with whom thou hast trafficked from 
 thy earliest history : the foreigners sojourning in 
 Babylon for the sake of commerce (ch. xiii. 14; 
 Jer. li. 6, 9; Nah, iii. 16, 17) {Barnes). Pvather, 
 the astrologers, with whom Babylon had so many 
 dealings [vv. 12-14) {Horsley). to his quarter 
 (Hebrew, le'ehro)— lit., straight before him (Ezck. i. 
 9, 12). The foreigners, whether soothsayers or 
 merchants, shall flee home out of Babylon (Jer. 
 1. 1(5). 
 
 Itemarks. — The world-power, now so prond, 
 shall at last, like Babylon of old, be abased to the 
 dust. Instead of glory it shall have "shame." 
 When God shall "take vengeance," He will "not 
 meet " the advei^ary "as a man." But the people 
 of God have as their "Redeemer the Lord of hosts, 
 . . . the Holy One of Israel." After He hath sufii- 
 ciently chastised Israel in His wrath, by the hand 
 of the world-power, He will take vengeance on it 
 for its merciless cruelty to His peoi)le. The world- 
 power thinks to be " The lady of kingdoms . . . 
 for ever" {vv. 5, 7), and so will 'not lay to heart' or 
 "remember" Avhat (Jod hath said as to "the lat- 
 ter end of it." 
 
 CHAP. XLVin. 1-22. — The Things that 
 BEFALL Babylon Jehovah predicted long be- 
 fore, LEST Israel should attribute them, 
 IN its "obstinate" Perversity, to Strange 
 Gods {vv. 1-5). 
 
 1. the waters of Judah— spring from the foun- 
 tain of Judah, (Num. xxiv. 7; Deut. xxxiii. 28; Ps. 
 Ixviii. 2o, marg.^ Judah has the ' fountain ' at- 
 
1 
 
 Tlie intent 
 
 ISAIAH XLVIII. 
 
 of 'prophecy. 
 
 "Which "swear by the name of the Lord, 
 And make mention of the God of Israel, 
 But not in truth, nor in righteousness. 
 For they call themselves of the holy city, 
 And *stay themselves upon the God of Israel: 
 The Lord of hosts is his name. 
 
 I have declared the former things from the beginning; 
 
 And they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them ; 
 
 I did them suddenly, *^and they came to pass. 
 
 Because I knew that thou art ^ obstinate. 
 
 And ^thy neck is an iron sinew, — and thy brow brass; 
 
 I have even from the beginning declared it to thee ; 
 
 Before it came to pass I showed it thee : 
 
 Lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, 
 
 And my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them. 
 
 Thou hast heard, see all this; — and will not ye declare it^ 
 
 I have showed thee new things from this time. 
 
 Even hidden things, and thou didst not know them. 
 
 They are created now, and not from the beginning; 
 
 Even before the day when thou heardest them not ; 
 
 Lest thou shouldest say. Behold, I knew them. 
 
 Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; 
 
 Yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened : 
 
 For I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, 
 
 And wast called a ^ transp^ressor from the womb. 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 CHAP. 48. 
 
 * Deut. 5. 28. 
 Deut, 6. 13. 
 Deut. 10.20. 
 Ps. 63. 11. 
 ch. 44. 5. 
 Ch. 45. 23. 
 Jer. 7. 9. 
 Zeph. 1. 5. 
 
 ^ Judg. 17.13. 
 
 1 Sam. 4. 3. 
 Jer. 7. 4,11. 
 Jer. 21. 2. 
 Mic. 3. 11. 
 John 8. 40, 
 
 41. 
 
 Rom. 2. 17. 
 " Josh. 21.46. 
 1 lard. 
 
 Jer. 5. 3. 
 
 Eze. 3. 4. 
 
 Dan. h. 20. 
 
 Ron». 2. 6. 
 
 Heb. 3. 13. 
 d Ex. 32. 9. 
 
 Ex. 33. 3. 
 
 Deut. 10.10. 
 
 Deut.31.i7. 
 
 2 Chr. 30. 8. 
 Fro. 29. 1. 
 Jer. 7. 20. 
 
 * Ps. 5S. 3. 
 
 tributed to it because it survived the Ten tribes, 
 and from it Messiah was to spring, swear by 
 the name of the Lord— (ch. xix. 18; xlv. 23; Ixv. 
 16.) and make mention of the God of Israel— 
 in prayers and praises, not in truth— (Jer. v. 2 ; 
 John iv. 24.) 2. For they call themselves of the 
 holy city. Ye deserve these reproofs ; jor ye call 
 yourselves citizens of "the holy city" (ch. lii. 1), 
 but not in truth [v. 1 ; Neh. xi. 1 ; Dan. ix. 24). 
 So the inscription on their coins of the time of the 
 Maccabees, 'Jerusalem the Holy.' 3. I have 
 declared the former things— things which have 
 happened in time past to Israel (chs. xlii. 9 ; xliv. 
 7, 8 ; xlv. 21 ; xlvi. 10). I did (them) suddenly, 
 and they came to pass — they came to pass so 
 unexpectedly that the prophecy could not have 
 resulted from mere human sagacity, 4. Because I 
 knew that thou (art) obstinate— Hebrew, hard, 
 (Deut. ix. 27; Ezek. iii. 7, marg.) and thy neck 
 is an iron sinew— inflexible (Acts vii. 51). and 
 thy brow brass — shameless as a harlot, (see Jer. 
 vi. 28 ; iii. 3; Ezek. iii. 7, marg.) 5. I have even 
 from the beginning declared (it) to thee— (see 
 notes, vv, I, 3. ) 6. Thou hast heard, see all this ; 
 and will not ye declare (it)? So "ye are my wit- 
 nesses" (ch. xliii. 10). Thou canst testify the 
 prediction was uttered long before the fulHlmeut. 
 "See all this" — viz., that the event answers to 
 the prophecy, declare— make the fact known as 
 a proof that Jehovah alone is God (ch. xliv. 8). I 
 have showed thee new things— viz., the deliver- 
 ance from Babylon by Cyrus, new in contradis- 
 tinction from former predictions that had been 
 fulfilled (ch. xlii. 9 ; xliiL 19). Antitypically, the 
 prophecy has in view the " new things " of the 
 Gospel treasury (Song vii. 13; Matt. xiii. 52; 2 Cor. 
 V. 17; Key. xxi. 5). From this point forward, the 
 prophecies as to Messiah's first and second ad- 
 vents, and the restoration of Israel, have a new 
 circumstantial distinctness, such as did not char- 
 acterize the previous ones, even of Isaiah. Baby- 
 lon, iu this view, answers to the mystical Babylon 
 714 
 
 of Revelation about to fall before the Lord 
 Messiah, the antitype to Cyrus, even hidden 
 things — which could not have been guessed by 
 political sagacity (Dan. ii. 22, 29; 1 Cor. ii. 9, 10). 
 7. They are created now, and not from the 
 beginning— lit., not frow, that time— not from of 
 old (Hebrew, meeaz). Not like natural results 
 from existing causes; the events when they take 
 place are like acts of creative power, such as have 
 never before been "from the beginning." even 
 before the day when thou heardest them not- 
 Hebrew, 'even before the day (of their fulfilment)^ 
 and (when) thou hast not heard them.' Maurer 
 translates, 'before the day (of their occurrence) 
 thou hast not heard of them'— e., by any human 
 acuteness; they are only heard of by the present 
 inspired announcement. But the English version 
 is more literal, and gives good sense, if for "when " 
 we translate the Hebrew, ve, ' and (when);' and if 
 we understand as in vv. 5, 6, " I have showed thee 
 them;" or else take, "they are created now," not 
 of their coming to pass, but of their being an- 
 nounced by the prophetical word which creates by 
 its Divine power the fulfilment (Jer. i. 10). These 
 creative foreshowings of events are before the 
 day of fulfilment, and at a time when human ear 
 has not heretofore heard them anticipated by 
 human sagacity (cf. end of v. 6). 8. Yea, thou 
 heardest not —repeated, as also 'thou knewest 
 not,' (cf. V. 5, end) from last verse, yea, from 
 that time (that) thine ear was not opened. 
 Omit that: 'yea, from the first thine ear did not 
 open itself — viz., to obey them {HosenmuUer). 
 "To open the ear" denotes obedient attention (ch. 
 1. 5). Bather, ' Thine ear was not opened by me to 
 receive them' — i. e., they were not declared by me 
 to thee previously; since, if thou hadst been 
 informed of them, such is thy perversity, thou 
 couldest not have been kept in cneck {Maurer). 
 'From that time' {meeaz) the same Hebrew as 
 " from the beginning " in v. 7, "from of old." for 
 I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacher- 
 
with hh people. 
 
 God expostulates ISAIAH XLVIIT. 
 
 9 For ^ my name's sake will I defer mine anger, 
 
 And for my praise will I refrain for thee, — -that I cut thee not off. 
 
 10 Behold, ^I have refined thee, but not ^with silver; 
 I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. 
 
 11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: 
 For ^^how should my name be polluted? 
 
 And *I will not give my glory unto another. 
 
 12 Hearken unto me, 0 Jacob — and Israel, my called; 
 •'I am he; I am ^the first, I also am the last. 
 
 13 Mine ^hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, 
 And ^my right hand hath spanned the heavens: 
 When I call unto them, they stand up together. 
 
 14 All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; 
 
 Which among them hath declared these things ? 
 
 The Lord hath loved him : he will do his pleasure on Babylon, 
 
 And his arm shall be on the Chaldeans. 
 
 15 I, even I, have spoken ; yea, I have called him : 
 
 I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous. 
 
 16 Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; 
 
 I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; 
 From the time that it was, there am I : 
 
 ously. In the former view, the sense of the words 
 following is, ' For I knew that if I had not fore- 
 told the destruction of Babylon so plainly that 
 there could be no perverting of it, thou wouldest 
 have perversely ascribed it to idols, or something 
 else than to me ' {v. 5). Thus they would have 
 relapsed into idolatry, to cure them of which the 
 Babylonian captivity was sent : so they had done 
 at Sinai (Exod. xxxii. 4). After the return, and 
 ever since, they have utterly forsaken idols. In 
 Maurer's view, which I prefer, the sense is, ' I am 
 giving thee, in addition to the former predictions 
 which now are coming to pass, new predictions 
 not heard by thee before, not on account of thy 
 merits — for I knew that thou wouldest deal very 
 treacherously— but for mine own sake' {vv. 9-11). 
 and wast called— as thine appropriate appellation 
 (ch. ix. 6). a transgressor from the womb— 
 from the beginning of Israel's national existence 
 (ch. xliv. 2). 
 
 9. For my name's sake will I , . . refrain 
 for thee -lit., will I muzzle or curb mine anger. 
 His wrath, after the return, was to be restrained 
 awhile, and then, because of their sins, let loose 
 again (Ps. Ixxviii. 38). for thee— i.e., mine anger 
 tovMrds thee. 10, Behold, I have refined thee, 
 but not with silver— (note, ch, i. 2o.) with silver 
 — or, '/or silver,' I sought by affliction to purify 
 thee, but thou wast not as silver [non quasi 
 argentum, Vulgate] obtained by melting, but as 
 dross {Gesenim). Thy repentance is not complete : 
 thou art not yet as refined silver. Roaenmiiller 
 explains, not as silver; not with tlie intense heat 
 needed to melt silver (it being harder to melt than 
 gold)— i e,, not with the most extreme severity 
 (ch, xlii. 25; Ezek. xxii, 18-20, 22). The Hebrew 
 particle [?] must mean the same as it means in 
 the last clause of the verse— viz., "in." I there- 
 fore translate as the Chaldaic and Syriac, 'notm 
 the midst of silver.' Geseniu£ view is virtually the 
 same. 8o the LXX and Arabic, ' not for the sake of 
 silver:' the result of my jmtting thee in the 
 furnace has not been that I have gained silver 
 thereby. I have chosen thee— or else [Lowth), 
 tried . . . proved; according to Gesenius {bechar- 
 tika, from oachar) — lit,, to rub with the touchstone, 
 or to cut in pieces so as to examine (Zech. xiii, 9; 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 / Josh. 7. 'J. 
 Ps. 106. 8. 
 
 0 Ps. 66. 10. 
 Ps. 10,3, 6. 
 ch, 1. 24, U.% 
 
 27. 
 
 ch. 27. 9. 
 ch. 31. 9. 
 Jer. 3. 8, 
 Eze. 20. 33. 
 Ho3. 2. 14. 
 
 2 Or. for 
 silver. 
 Eze. 22. iO. 
 
 h Deut. 32. i6. 
 Eze. 20. 9. 
 
 1 ch. 42. 8. 
 
 J Deut. 32.39. 
 fc Eev. 1. 17. 
 
 Eev, 22. 13. 
 I Ps. 102. 25. 
 
 3 Or, the 
 palm of my 
 right hand 
 hath 
 
 spread out. 
 
 Mai. iii. 3; 1 Pet, i. 7). 11. how should (my 
 name) be polluted? Maurer, instead of "my 
 name," from v. 9, supplies 'my glory' from the 
 next clause; and translates, 'how (shamefully) 
 my glory has been profaned ! ' In the English 
 version the sense is, ' 1 will refrain {v. 9— i. e,, not 
 utterly destroy thee), for why should I permit my 
 name to be polluted, which it would be if the 
 Lord utterly destroyed His elect people ? ' Ezek, 
 XX, 9, " I wrought for my name's sake, that 
 it should not be polluted before the heathen." 
 and I will not give my glory unto another. 
 If God forsook His people for ever, the heathen 
 would attribute their triumph over Israel to 
 their idols; so God's glory would be given to 
 another, 
 
 12-15. — The Almighty, who has founded heaven 
 and earth, can, and will restore His people, 12, 
 I (am) the first, I also (am) the last— (ch. xli, 4; 
 xliv. 6.) 13. my right hand hath spanned the 
 heavens — hath measured them out (ch, xl, 12). 
 (when) I call unto them, they stand up together 
 — (ch, xl. 26; Jer. xxxiii, 25.) But it is not their 
 creation so much which is meant, as that, like 
 ministers of God, the heavens and the earth are 
 prepared at His command to execute His decrees 
 (Ps, cxix. 91) {Rosenmuller). 14, which among 
 them hath declared these things ?— which among 
 the gods and astrologers of the Chaldees? (chs. 
 xli. 22; xliii, 9; xliv. 7.) The Lord hath loved 
 him; he will do his pleasure on Babylon— f, e., 
 ' He whom the Lord hath loved wdll do,' &c. 
 (Lowth); viz,, Cyrus (ch. xliv. 28; xlv. 1, 13; 
 xlvi, 11). However, Jehovah's language of love 
 is too strong to apply to Cyrus, except as a 
 type of Messiah, to whom alone it fully applies 
 (Rev. V. 2-5). his pleasure — not Cyrus's own, 
 but Jehovah's. 15. I have brought— led him 
 on his way. he shall make his way prosperous 
 — change from the first to the third person, 
 Jehovah shall make his (Cyrus's) way pros- 
 perous. 
 
 16. I have not spoken in secret— (ch. xlv, 19.) 
 Jehovah foretold Cyrus's advent not with the 
 studied ambiguity of heathen oracles, but plainly, 
 from the time that it was, there (am) I— from the 
 moment that the purpose began to be accomplished 
 
The deliverance 
 
 ISAIAH XLVIII. 
 
 out of Babylon. 
 
 And now "^the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me. 
 
 17 Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel ; 
 I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, 
 
 Which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. 
 
 18 0 ^that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! 
 Then had thy peace been as a river, 
 
 And thy righteousness as the waves of the sea : 
 
 19 Thy ^seed also had been as the sand, 
 
 And the offspring of thy bowels like the gTavel thereof ; 
 
 His name should not have been cut off — nor destroyed from before me. 
 
 20 Go ^ye forth of Babylon, — flee ye from the Chaldeans, 
 With a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, 
 
 Utter it even to the end of the earth ; 
 
 Say ye, The Lord hath ' redeemed his servant Jacob. 
 
 21 And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts; 
 He ^caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them : 
 
 He clave the rock also, and tlie waters gushed out. 
 
 22 ^There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wickecL 
 
 in the raising up of Cyrus, I was present, and 
 now the Lord God, and Ms Spirit, hath sent me. 
 
 The prophet here speaks, claiming attention to 
 his announcement as to Cyrus, on the ground of 
 his mission from God and His Spirit. But he 
 speaks not in his own person so much as in that 
 of Messiah, to wliom alone, in the fullest sense, the 
 words apply (ch. Ixi. 1 ; John x. 36). Plainly, ch. 
 xlix, 1, which is the continuation of ch. xlviii. 
 from V. 16, where the change of speaker from God 
 {vv. 1, 12-15) begins, is the language of Messiah. 
 Luke iv. 1, 14, 18, shows that the Spirit combined 
 with the Father in sending the Son : therefore 
 His Spirit" is therefore Bomiuative to "sent," 
 not accusative, following it. Not as Barnes, ' The 
 Lord God hath sent me, and His Spirit.' The 
 Vulgate, and seemingly the LXX., Chaldaic, 
 Arabic, and Syriac support the English version. 
 As Messiah came forth, sent by God the Father 
 and the Spirit, so the Holy Spirit is sent by the 
 Father in the name of the Son (John xiv. 26). 17. 
 teacheth thee to profit— by affliction, such as the 
 Babylonish captivity, and the present long-con- 
 tinued dispersion of Israel (Heb. xii. 10). 18. 
 then had thy peace been as a river— (Ps. cxix. 
 165.) Cf. the desire expressed by the same 
 Messiah, Matt, xxiii. 37; Luke xix. 42. river 
 (ch. xxxiii. 21; xli. 18) — A river flowing from God's 
 throne is the symbol of free, abundant, and ever- 
 flowing blessings from Him (Ezek. xlvii. 1 ; Zech. 
 xiv. 8; Rev. xxii. 1). righteousness— religious 
 prosperity, the iiarent of " peace" or national pros- 
 perity ; therefore "peace" corresponds to " righ- 
 teousness "in the parallelism (ch. xxxii. 17). 19. 
 Thy seed also had been as the sand— retaining 
 the metaphor of "the sea" [r. 18). and the off- 
 spring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof. 
 So the Vulgate, LXX. [seemingly : (is 6 x^vs 
 tTi<5 7»}s], Chaldaic, Arabic, and Syriac. How- 
 ever, as the Hebrew [vmrp?] for "gravel" is the 
 same as that for the previous " bowels " ["^^J^d], it 
 is better to translate ' like that (the offspring) of 
 its (the sea's) bowels;' referring to the countless 
 living creatures, fishes, &c., of the sea, rather than 
 tlie gravel [Maurer). Cf. Gen. xlviii. 16 : so Aben 
 Ezra, his name should not have been cut off- 
 transition from the second person, " thy," to the 
 third, "his." Israel's name was cut off as a 
 nation during the Babylonish cajitivity ; also, it is 
 so now, to which time the prophecy especially 
 k\:>ks (Kom. xi. 20). 
 
 716 
 
 B. C. 71?. 
 
 '"Zech. 2. 8. 
 9. 
 
 John 20. 21, 
 22. 
 
 •» Ps. 32. 8. 
 
 Jer. 6. 16. 
 ° Deut. 5. 20. 
 
 Deut. 30.11, 
 12. 
 
 Deut. 32.29. 
 Ps. 81. 13. 
 Matt. 23.37, 
 Luke 19.41. 
 42. 
 
 P Gen. 22. 17. 
 
 Hos. 1. 10. 
 9 Zech. 2. C. 
 
 Rev. 18. 4. 
 *• Ex. 19. 4. 
 * Ex. 17. 6 
 
 Num.20. 11. 
 
 Neh. 9. 15. 
 
 20. Go ye forth of Babylon . . . tell this . . . 
 to the end of the earth. Primarily a prophecy 
 of their joyful deliverance from Babylon, and a 
 direction that they should leave it when God 
 opened the way. But the publication of it "to 
 the end of the earth," shows it has a more world- 
 wide scope antitypically ; Rev. xviii. 4 shows that 
 the mystical Babylon is ultimately meant, re- 
 deemed . . 0 Jacob— (chs. xliii. 1; xliv. 22, 23.) 
 21. And they thirsted not (when) he led them 
 through the deserts. Ezra, in describing the 
 return, makes no mention of God cleaving the 
 rock for them in the desert {Kimchi). The cir- 
 cumstances, therefore, of the deliverance from 
 Egypt (Exod. xvii. 6; Num. xx. 11: Ps. Ixxviii. 
 15 ; cv. 41), and of that from Babylon, are 
 blended together ; the language, whilst more im- 
 mediately referring to the latter deliverance, yet, 
 as being blended with circumstances of the former, 
 not strictly applicable to the latter, cannot wliolly 
 refer to either, but to the mystic deliverance o| 
 man under Messiah, and literally to the linai i 
 restoration of Israel. 22. no peace . . . unto the 
 wicked. Repeated at ch. Ivii. 21. All the blessings 
 just mentioned {v. 21) belong only to the godly, 
 not to the wicked. Israel shall flrst cast away its 
 wicked unbelief before it shall inherit national 
 jjrosperity (Zech. xii. 10-14 ; xiii. 1, 9 ; xiv. 3, 14, 
 20, 21). The sentiment holds good also as to all 
 wicked men (Job xv. 20-25, 31-34). This verse 
 marks the close of the first book of the second 
 part of Isaiah, as ch. Ivii. 21 separates the second 
 book from the third. 
 
 Remarks. — They especially need rousing reproof 
 who "stay themselves upon" the name, without 
 the reality, of the citizenship of "the holy city." 
 Whosoever ' makes mention of the God of Israel,' 
 must see that in truth he is of "the Israel of God." 
 Natural descent from a godly fountain will not 
 stand in stead of spiritual birth of God. Fulfilled 
 prophecy is the strongest outward evidence of the 
 truth of revelation. The 'sudden' accomplish- 
 ment of what God " declared from of old," when i 
 human sagacity could not have anticipated it, is 
 enough to silence the most "obstinate." Besides 
 the old things of the Jewish dispensation, God , 
 has showed us in the (Gospel "new things," even 
 things 'hidden in God from the beginning of the 
 world.' Though old in the purpose of God, the 
 Gospel VA ork is in its manifestation to us " created 
 now. and not from the beginning." How we should 
 
Christ is sent 
 
 49 LISTEN, 0 isles, unto me ; — and hearken, yc people, from far ; 
 "The Lord hath called me from the womb; 
 
 From the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. 
 
 2 And he hath made *my mouth like a sharp sword ; 
 In the shadow of his hand hath he hid me. 
 And made me a polished shaft ; — in his quiver hath he hid mc ; 
 
 3 And said unto me, ^Thou art my servant, 
 
 0 Israel, '^in whom I will be glorified. 
 
 4 Then ^ I said, I have laboured in vain, 
 
 1 have spent my strength for nought, and in vain ; 
 Yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, 
 And ^my work with my God. 
 
 5 And now, saith the Lord — that formed me from the womb to he his servant. 
 To bring Jacob again to him, — ^Though Israel be not gathered. 
 Yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, 
 And my God shall be my strength. 
 
 C And he said, ^It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant 
 To raise up the tribes of Jacob, — and to restore the * preserved of Israel; 
 I will also give thee for a light ^ to the Gentiles, 
 That thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. 
 
 beware, in the midst of such privileges, lest we, 
 like Israel, should " deal treacherously " towards 
 our loving God. 
 
 CHAP. XLTX. 1-26.— Similar to Ch. xlii. 
 1-7 (vv. 1-9). Messiah, as the ideal Israel {v. 3), 
 states the object of His mission, His want of suc- 
 cess for a time, yet His certainty of ultimate 
 success. 
 
 1. Listen, 0 isles, unto me. Messiah is here 
 regarded as having been rejected by the Jews [vv. 
 4, 5). and as now turuing to the Gentiles, to whom 
 the Father hath given Him 'for a light and salva- 
 tion.' "Isles "mean all rc'^ions heyond sm. The 
 Lord hatli called me from the womb— (ch. xliv. 2; 
 Luke i. 31 ; John x. 36.) from the bowels of my 
 mother hath he made mention of my name— 
 His name "Jesus" (i.e., God-Saviour) was desig- 
 nated by God before His birth (Matt. i. 21). 2. 
 he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword — 
 (ch. xi. 4; Rev. xix. 15.) The double office of the 
 Word of God— saving and damnatory— is implied 
 (ch. 1. 4 ; John xii. 48 ; Heb. iv. 12). a polished 
 shaft— (Ps. xlv, 5.) "Polished"— i e., free from 
 all rust — implies His unsullied purity, which gives 
 such keenue.ss and power to His v/ords, whether 
 of grace or of condemnation, in his quiver hath 
 he hid me. Like a sword in its scabbard, or a 
 shaft in th.e quiver, Messiah, before His a])])ear- 
 i'.ig, was hid with God, ready to be drawn forth at 
 the moment God saw fit (Ilengstenberg) : also, 
 always protected by God, as the arrow by the 
 quiver (ch. li. 16). 3. Thou art my servant, 0 
 Israel — applied to Messiah, according to the true 
 import 01 the name, the Prince who had power 
 with (Jrxl in wrestling in behalf of man, and who 
 prevails (Gen. xxxii. 28; Hos. xii. 3, 4). He is 
 also the ideal Israel, the representative-man of the 
 nation (cf. Matt. ii. l.l with Hos. xi. 1). in whom 
 I will be glorified— (John xiv. 13; xvii. 1-5.) 4. 
 Then I said. " I "—Messiah, laboured in vain— 
 comparatively, in the case of the greater numlier 
 of His own countrymen, and of His own 'rela- 
 tives.' "He came unto His own, and His own 
 received Him not" (ch. liii. 1-3; Luke xix. 14; 
 John i. 11 ; vii. 5). Only one hundred and twenty 
 disciples met in the ujjper room after His personal 
 ministry was ended (Acts i. 15). Five hundred 
 are mentioned as having at one time seen Him 
 after His reaurreotiou (1 Cor. xv. 6). (yet) surely 
 
 B. c. ri'. 
 
 CHAP. 40. 
 " Jer. 1. 6. 
 
 Matt. 1. 20. 
 f> Hos. 0. 5. 
 " Zech. 3. 8. 
 <* Matt. 17.17. 
 Johal3. 31. 
 John 15, 8, 
 ' Eze. 3. 19. 
 
 1 Or, my 
 reward. 
 
 2 Or. That 
 I ra"! may 
 oe gathered 
 to him.aud 
 I may, etc. 
 
 3 Or, Art 
 thou light- 
 er than 
 that thou 
 shouldest, 
 etc. 
 
 * Or, desola- 
 tions. 
 / Luke 2. 32. 
 
 my judgment (is) with the Lord, and my work 
 with my God— iiltimately God will do justice to 
 my cause, and reward {marg. for work, cf. ch. xl. 
 10; Ixii. 11) my labours and sufferings. He was 
 never 'discouraged' (ch. xlii. 4; 1. 7, 10). He 
 calmlj'-, in spite of seeming ill success for the time, 
 left the result with God, confident of final triumph 
 (ch. liii. 10-12 ; 1 Pet. ii, 23). So the ministers of 
 Christ (1 Cor. iv. 1-5 ; 1 Pet. iv. 19). 5. Though 
 Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in 
 the eyes of the Lord. This gives the reason why 
 He was confident that His work would be ac- 
 cepted and rewarded {v. 4)— viz., because He is 
 'glorious in the eyes of Jehovah,' &c. Though 
 Israel be not gathered— metaphor from a scat- 
 tered flock, which the shepherd gathers together 
 again. Or, a hen and her chickens (Matt, xxiii. 
 37). Instead of the text, " not " [^h], the Keri has 
 the similar Hebrew word [i':'], 'to Him,' which the 
 parallelism favours. In that case translate, 'And 
 that Israel may be gathered to Him. So five MSS. 
 read. Also the LXX., Chaldaic, Arabic, and 
 Syriac, But the Vulgate supports the English 
 version reading, "not." This, as being the more 
 difficult reading, is less likely to be due to emen- 
 dation of transcribers, yet. Maurer takes it 
 parenthetically, 'for I am glorious, &c., and my 
 Cod is my strength.' Then {v. 6), resuming the 
 words from the beginning of v. 5, *He saith' (I 
 repeat), 'It is a light thing,' &c. HorsJey explains, 
 ' notwithstanding the incredulity of the Jews, 
 Messiah shall be glorified in the conversion of the 
 Gentiles ' and ultimately also 'He will be glorified 
 in Israel' {v. 3), reading as the English version ; 
 but if the Keri be read, 'Israel shall at one time 
 or other be gathered, notwithstanding (y. 4) their 
 incredulity during Messiah's sojourn on earth.' 
 The English version, as explained by Horsley 
 with the Ketib reading, is the best. 6. It is a 
 light thing that thou shouldest be my servant 
 to raise up the tribes of Jacob ... I will 
 also give thee for a light to the Gentiles— 'It 
 is too little that thou shouldest,' &c. [Heng- 
 stenberg) — i. e.. It is not enough honour to 
 tliee to raise up Jacob and Israel, but I design 
 for thee more— viz., that thou shouldest be the 
 means of enlightening the Gentiles (ch. xlii. 6, 7; 
 Ix. 3). restore the preserved of Israel— viz., 
 those remaining after the judgments of God on 
 
Christ is sent 
 
 ISAIAH XLIX. 
 
 to the Gentiles. 
 
 
 B. C. ri2. 
 
 
 — — 
 
 ° Or, to him 
 
 
 that is de- 
 
 
 spised in 
 
 
 soul. 
 
 
 " Ps. 69. 13. 
 
 
 Heb 5. 7. 
 
 
 s Or, raise 
 
 
 up. 
 
 
 ch. 42. 7. 
 
 
 Zecb. 9. 12. 
 
 
 » Ps. 22. 26. 
 
 
 Fa. 23. 9. 
 
 
 Fs. 66. 4. 
 
 
 Jer. 31. 12. 
 
 
 John 6. 35. 
 
 
 Rom. 11.12. 
 
 
 2 Cor. 8. 9. 
 
 
 I'hil. 4. 19. 
 
 
 Col. 2. 2. 
 
 
 Rev. r. 16. 
 
 
 j Fs. 121. 6. 
 
 
 * Ps, 23. 2. 
 
 7 Thus saith the Lord, — the Redeemer of Israel, arid his Holy One ; 
 ^To him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, 
 To a servant of rulers, — kings shall see and arise, 
 
 Princes also shall worship, — because of the Lord that is faithful, 
 And the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee. 
 
 8 Thus saith the Lord, — ^^In an acceptable time have I heard thee, 
 And in a day of salvation have I helped thee : 
 
 And I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, 
 To ^establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; 
 
 9 That thou mayest say '^to the prisoners, Go forth; 
 To them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. 
 They shall feed in the ways, 
 
 And their pastures shall be in all high places. 
 
 10 They shall not ^hunger nor thirst; 
 Neither -^shall the heat nor sun smite them : 
 
 For he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, 
 Even by the springs of water shall he guide them. 
 
 11 And I will make all my mountains a way. 
 
 the nation — the elect remnant of Israel reserved 
 for mercy. Lowth, with a slight but needless 
 change of the Hebrew, translates for " tribes " 
 (shibhteey) and " preserved" ['"i?!?;, Keri ; but Kethib, 
 netzireey : the Keri is a participle; the Kethib a 
 form of the adjective], the scions — the branches 
 ["•7!^?]. The Hebrew is from natzar, to preserve. 
 7. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel 
 ... to him whom man despiseth— Hebrew, the 
 despised of soul; i.e., by every soul, by all men 
 (ch. Hi. 14, 15; liii. 3; 1. 6-9; Ps. xxii. 6). Lowth 
 translates, 'whose person is despised.' to him 
 whom the nation abhorreth — ^i^., who is an 
 abomination to the nation (Luke xxiii. 18-23). The 
 Jews contemptuously call Him always Tolvi, 'the 
 crucified.' I prefer, on account of Goi, the He- 
 brew term for nation, being usually applied to the 
 Gentiles, and that for people to the Jews (Hos. i. 9 ; 
 so the Greek terms respectively also Laos and 
 LJthne, Rom. ix. 25), to take "nation" here collec- 
 tively for the Gentile world, which also spurned 
 him (Ps. ii. 1-3; Acts iv. 25-27). to a servant of 
 rulers. He paid the customary tribute for the 
 support of religion (Matt. xvii. 27). He would not 
 exert His power against the rulers (Matt. xxvi. 
 52, 53). kings shall see— viz., the fulfilment of 
 (jlod's promises {vv. 3, 6), ivhen He shall be a light 
 to the Gentiles, and arise — to reverence thee (Ps. 
 Ixxii. 10, 11; Phil. ii. 10). princes also— rather, 
 for the parallelism, supply the ellipsis, thus, 
 'princes sliall see and shall worship.' because of 
 the Lord that is faithful— viz., to His promises, 
 and he shall choose thee— as God's elect (ch. xlii. 
 1). 8. Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable 
 time have I heard thee. Messiah is represented 
 as having asked for the grace of God in behalf of 
 sinners : this verse contains God the Father's 
 favourable answer, an acceptable time — 'In a 
 time of grace' iHengstenherg): Hebrew, he^eeth 
 ratzon : in the time of God's goodwill. A limited 
 time (ch. Ixi. 2 ; 2 Cor. vi. 2). The time judged 
 by God to be the best fitted for effecting the 
 purposes of His grace by Messiah, have I heard 
 thee— (Ps. ii. 7, 8; Heb. v. 7.) in a day of salva- 
 tion—when "the fulness of time" (Gal. iv. 4) shall 
 have come. The day of salvation is "to-day" 
 (Heb. iv. 7). have I helped thee— given thee 
 the help needed to enable thee, as man, to accom- 
 plish man's salvation. I will preserve thee— 
 from the assaults and efforts of Satan to divert 
 tliee from thy voluntary death to save mau. 
 718 
 
 covenant of the people— (note, ch. xlii. 6.) " The 
 
 people," in the singular (Hebrew, 'am), is always 
 applied exclusively to Israel, to establish the 
 earth — rather, 'to restore the laud,' viz., Canaan, 
 to Israel. Sinritually, the restoration of the Church 
 (the spiritual Israel) to the heavenly land forfeited 
 by man's sin is also included, to cause to inherit 
 the desolate heritages — image from the desolate 
 state of Judea during the Babylonish captivity. 
 Spiritually, the Gentile world, a moral waste, 
 shall become a garden of the Lord. Lit., Judea, 
 lying desolate for ages, shall be possessed again by 
 Israel (cf. ch. Ixi. 7, "in their land they shall 
 
 Eossess the double"). Jesus, the autityjje of, and 
 earing the same name as, Joshua (Heb. iv. 8), 
 shall, like him, divide the land among its true 
 heirs (chs. liv. 3; Ixi. 4). 9. That thou mayest 
 say to the prisoners, Go forth — (ch, xlii. 7 ; 
 Zech^ ix. 12.) prisoners— the Jews bound in legal 
 bondage, to them that (are) in darkness— the 
 Gentiles having no light as to the one true God 
 {Vitringa). Show yourselves— not only see, buf 
 be seen by others (Matt. v. 16; Mark v. 19). 
 Come forth from the darkness of your prison into 
 the light of the Sun of righteousness, in order that 
 others may be attracted to walk in the light of the 
 Lord, they shall feed in the ways, and their 
 pastures shall be in all high places. In a 
 desert there are no "ways," nor "high places," 
 with "pastures;" thus the sense is: They 
 shall have their pastures, not in deserts, but 
 in cultivated and inhabited places. Laying 
 aside the figure, the churches of Christ at the first 
 shall be gathered, not in obscure and unknown 
 regions, but in the most populous parts of the 
 Romau empire — Antioch, Alexandria, Rome, &c. 
 [Vitringa.) Another sense, probably, is the ulti- 
 mate one meant, — Israel, on its way back to the 
 Holy Land, shall not have to turn aside to devious 
 paths in search of necessaries, but shall find them 
 in all places wherever their route lies. So Rosen- 
 miiller, God will supply them as if He should 
 make the grass grow in the trodden icays and on 
 the barren high places. 10. They shall not hun- 
 ger nor thirst. Messiah will abundantly satisfy 
 all the wants both of literal Israel on their way 
 to Palestine, and of the spiritual on their way to 
 heaven, as their Shepherd (ch. Ixv. 13; Matt. v. 
 6) ; also in heaven (Pvcv. vii. 16, 17). 11. my— all 
 things are God's, mountains a way~I will re- 
 move all obstructions out of the way (ch. xl. 4). 
 
God's love 
 
 ISx\IAH XLIX. 
 
 to the Church. 
 
 And my highways shall be exalted. 
 
 1 2 Behold, these shall come from far ; 
 
 And, lo, these from the north and from the west; 
 And these from the land of Sinim. 
 
 13 Sing, ^0 heavens; and be joyful, 0 earth; 
 And break forth into singing, 0 mountains: 
 For the Lord hath comforted his people. 
 And will have mercy upon his afflicted. 
 
 14 But Zion said. The Lord hath forsaken me, 
 And my Lord hatli forgotten me. 
 
 15 Can '"a woman forget her sucking child, 
 
 ''That she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? 
 Yea, they may forget, — "yet will I not forget thee. 
 
 16 Behold, "I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; 
 Thy walls are continually before me. 
 
 17 Thy children shall make haste; 
 
 Thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of theo. 
 
 18 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: 
 
 All these gather themselves together, and come to thee. 
 As I live, saith the Lord, 
 
 Thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, ^as with an ornament, 
 And bind them on thee, as a bride doeth. 
 
 19 For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction. 
 
 Shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants. 
 And they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. 
 
 20 The children which thou shalt have, after ^thou hast lost the other, 
 Shall say again in thine ears. 
 
 The place is too strait for me : — give place to me that I may dwell. 
 
 highways shall be exalted— e., cast up (ch. Ivii. 
 14 ; Ixii. 10) ; for instance, over valleys. Vitringa 
 explains "mountains" as great kingdoms — Egypt, 
 Syria, &c. — subjected to Eome to facilitate the 
 spreading of the Gospel : " highways," the Chris- 
 tian doctrine wherein those who ioiu the Church 
 walk, and which, at the time of Constantino, was 
 to be raised into prominence before all, and pub- 
 licly protected (ch. xxxv. 8, 9). 12. Behold, th^se 
 shall come from far . . , and these from the 
 land of Sinim. The Arabians and other Asiatics 
 called China Sin, or Tchin: the Chinese had no 
 special name for themselves, but either adopted 
 that of the reigning dynasty or some high-sound- 
 ing titles. This view of "Sinim" suits the con- 
 text, which requires a people to be meant "from 
 far," and distinct from those " from the north and 
 from the west " {Gesenius). 
 
 13. So Rev. xii. 12. for the Lord . . . will have 
 mercy upon his afiQicted— God will have mercy on 
 tlie afflicted, because of His compassion on His 
 afflicted, because of His covenant. 
 
 14. But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me 
 — The literal Israel's complaint, as if God had 
 forsaken her in the Babylonian captivity; also in 
 their dispersion previous to their future restora- 
 tion (ch. xl. 27). Thereby God's mercy shall be 
 called forth (ch. Ixiii, 15-19 ; Ps. Ixxvii. 9, 10 ; cii. 
 17). 15. Can a woman forget her sucking child ? 
 — (ch. xliv. 21; Ps. ciii. 13; Matt. vii. 11.) 16. 
 graven thee upon the palms of (my) hands- 
 alluding to the Jews' custom (perhaps drawn from 
 Exod. xiii. 9) of puncturing on their hands a repre- 
 sentation of tlieir city and temyjle, in token of zeal 
 for them (Loivth). (Song viii. 6.) 17. Thy children 
 shall make haste. "Thy children "—Israel's (vik 
 20, 21 ; ch. xliii. G) (Jerome). The LXX. and Chal- 
 4Uic read, for "Thy children" {Banaik), 'Thy 
 
 719 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 ' I'S. 96. 11, 
 1!. 
 
 Fs. 98. 4. !). 
 ch. 42. 10. 
 ch. 41. 23. 
 Lu. 2. 13. U. 
 Lu 15. 10. 
 Rev. 5. 8. 
 Rev. 7. 9. 
 '"1 Ki. 3. 2-. 
 27. 
 
 Ps. 103. 13. 
 
 Mai. 3. 17. 
 
 Malt. 7. 11. 
 7 from hav- 
 ing com- 
 
 pasHion. 
 " Jer. 31. 20. 
 
 Hos. 11. 1. 
 
 Rom. Il.i9. 
 " Ex. 13. 9. 
 
 Song 8. 6. 
 
 Jer. 22.21. 
 
 Hag. 2. 23. 
 
 Zech. 2. 5. 
 8. 
 
 2 Cor. 1. 22. 
 P Pro. 17. 6. 
 9 ch. 54. 1. 2. 
 
 Zech. 2. 4. 
 
 Zech. 10.10. 
 
 Matt. 3. 9. 
 
 Rom. 11.11. 
 
 Gal. 4. 26. 
 28. 
 
 builders' {BonaiTc) : they that destroyed thee shall 
 hasten to build thee, haste— to rebuild thy deso- 
 late capital, thy destroyers . . . shall go forth 
 — thy destroyers shall leave Judea to Israel in 
 undisturbed possession. 18. Lift up thine eyes 
 ... all these gather themselves together . . . 
 thou Shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as 
 with an ornament. As Zion is often compared to 
 a bride (ch. liv. 5), so the accession of converts is 
 like bridal ornaments ("jewels," ch. Ixii. 3; Mai. 
 iii. 17). Her literal children are, however, more 
 immediately meant, as the context refers to their 
 restoration, and only secondarily to her spiritual 
 children by conversion to Christ. Israel shall be 
 the means of the final comi^lete conversion of the 
 nations (Mic. v. 7; Rom. xi. 12, 15). and bind 
 them (on thee) as a bride (doeth) — viz., binds on 
 her ornaments. 19. the land of thy destruction 
 — thy land, once the scene of destruction, shall 
 even now be too narrow by reason of the in- 
 habitants- (ch. liv. 1, 2; Zech. x. 10.) 20. The 
 children which thou shalt have, after thou hast 
 lost the other— lit.. The children of thy bereave- 
 ments (cf. ch. liv. 1). Maurer explains, the 
 children of whom thou hast been bereft during 
 their dispersion in other lands (note, ch. 
 xlvii. 8) CMaurer}. shall say again — rather, 
 yet. give place to me that I may dwell — He- 
 brew, Geshah li ve-eesheebah. Horsley and Maurer 
 translate, stand close to me — viz., in order that 
 we may be the more able to dwell in the nar- 
 row place. But Gesenius supports the English 
 version, in favour of which ci. Gen. xix. 9. The 
 LXX., Vulgate, Chaldaic, Arabic, and Syriac 
 translate also, make room for me— withdraw from 
 me, that I may have space wherein to dwelL Cf. 
 as to Israel's spiritual children, and the extension 
 of the Gospel sphere (Rom. xv. 19, 24 ; 2 Cor. x. 
 
Gracious promises 
 
 ISAIAH XLIX. 
 
 to the Church. 
 
 21 Then shalt thou say in thine heart, 
 
 Who hath begotten me these, — seeing *I have lost my children, 
 And am desolate, — a captive, and removing to and fro? 
 And who hath brought up these? — Behold, I was left alone; 
 These, where had they been ? 
 
 22 Thus saith the Lord God, — Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, 
 And set up my standard to the people : 
 
 And they shall bring thy sons in their ^arms, 
 
 And thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. 
 
 23 And kings shall be thy ^nursing fathers, 
 And their queens thy nursing mothers: 
 
 They shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth. 
 
 And Hick up the dust of thy feet ; 
 
 And thou shalt know that I am the Lord : 
 
 For ^'they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. 
 
 24 Shall ^the prey be taken from the mighty, 
 Or ^^the lawful captive delivered ? 
 
 25 But thus saith the Lord, 
 
 Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, 
 And the prey of the terrible shall be delivered : 
 For I will contend with him that contendeth with thee. 
 And I will save thy children. 
 
 26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh ; 
 
 And they shall be drunken with their own ^blood, as with sweet wine : 
 And all flesh ^shall know tliat I the Lord am thy Saviour 
 And thy Eedeemer, — the Mighty One of Jacob. 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 * Jer. 31. 15. 
 Eora. 11.11, 
 17. 
 
 Gal. 3. 2}. 
 
 8 b isom. 
 
 9 iiourishers. 
 Ps. 72. 11. 
 ch. 52. 15. 
 ch. 60. If). 
 
 10 princesses. 
 <■ i'.s. ;2. 9. 
 
 Mic. 7. 17. 
 " Ps. 34. 22. 
 
 Rom. 5. 5. 
 
 Rom. 9. 3^ 
 
 Rom. 10.11. 
 " Matt. 12.- 9. 
 
 Luke ll.tl. 
 lithe cap- 
 tivity of 
 
 the just. 
 
 Ezr. !>. 9. 
 
 Neh. 9. 33. 
 i^ciptivity. 
 
 Rev. 14. 20. 
 
 Rev. 16. (!. 
 13 Or, Lew 
 
 wine. 
 ^ Ps. 9. 16. 
 
 Ps. 68. 1^ 
 11. 
 
 Ps. 83. 18. 
 
 Ch. 43. 3. 
 
 1416). But V. 22 (cf. ch. Ixvi. 20) shows that her 
 literal childreo are primarily meant. 21. Then 
 Shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten 
 me these, seeing I have lost my children ?— Zion's 
 joyful wonder at tlie unexpected restoration of tJie 
 Ten tribes. Secondarily, tlie accession of spiritual 
 Israelites to the mother-church of Jerusalem from 
 the Gentiles is meant. This created surprise at 
 first (Acts X. 45 ; xiv. 27 ; xv. 3, 4). and am 
 desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro— 
 or, 'and removed;' i.e., put away, vesurah; 
 participle, 2)a7it{Z, meaning the same as the Hophal 
 (Maurer). She had been 'put away' by Jehovah, 
 her husband (ch. 1. 1) ; hence her wonder at the 
 children begotten to her. 22. lift up mine hand — 
 i. e., beckon to them (note, ch. xiii. 2). set up my 
 standa,rd— (ch. xi. 12. ) they shall bring thy sons 
 in (their) arms— the Gentiles shall aid in restoring 
 Israel to its own land (chs. Ix. 4 ; Ixvi. 20). Chil- 
 dren able to support themselves are carried on the 
 shoulders in the East ; but infants, in the arms, 
 or astride on one haunch (ch. Ixvi. 12). " Thy sons " 
 must be distinct from "the Gentiles," who carry 
 them ; and therefore cannot primarily refer to con- 
 verts among the Gentiles. 23. And kings . . . shall 
 . . . lick up the dust of thy feet— i. e., kiss thy feet 
 in token of humbled submission, for they shall not 
 be ashamed that wait for me. The restoration of 
 Israel shall be in answer to their prayerful waiting 
 on the Lord (ch. xxx. 18, 19 ; Ps. cii. l6, 17 ; Zech. 
 xii. 10; xiv. 3). 24. Shall the prey— Israel, long 
 a prey to mighty Gentile nations, whose oppression 
 of her shall reach its highest point under Antichrist 
 (Dan. xi. 36, 37, 41, 45). be taken from the mighty, 
 or the lawful captive delivered— i. e., he delivered ; 
 the Jews justly consigned for their sins (ch. 1. 1) 
 as captives to the foe. Secondarily, Satan and 
 Death are "the mighty" conquerors of man, upon 
 whom his sin gives them their "lawful" claim. 
 Christ, the Goel, or Redeemer, answers that claim 
 for the sinners, and so the captive is set free (Job 
 720 
 
 xix. 25 ; xiv. 14 ; Matt. xii. 29 ; Hos. vi. 2, where 
 V. 4 and ch. v. 14, 15 show the primary reference 
 is to IsraeVs restoration, to whi'^h the resurrection 
 corresponds ; Isa. xxvi. 19 ; Eph, iv. 8 ; Heb. ii. 
 14, 15). J\Jaurer, not so well, translates, ' the cap- 
 tives taken from among the ^'m^^ {i.e., the godly 
 Israelites) — lit., as marg., the captivity of the just. 
 25. But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives 
 of the mighty shall be taken away— (ch. liii. 12 ; 
 Ps. Ixviii. 18 ; Col. ii. 15). the prey of the terrible 
 shall be delivered — in answer to the question, 
 24, ' Shall the lawful captive be delivered?' Death 
 is terrible," because it has man's 'siu' as its 
 'sting;' and "the strength of sin is the Law" 
 whereby man has become Death's " latvful cap- 
 tive " (1 Cor. XV. 56). for I will contend with him 
 that contendeth with thee— (ch. liv. 17.) 26. I 
 will feed them that oppress thee with their own 
 flesh — a phrase for internal strifes (ch. ix. 20). 
 they shall be drunken with their own blood— a 
 just retribution for their having shed the blood of 
 God's servants (Rev. xvi. 6). as with sweet 
 wine— i, e., viusf, or new wine, the pure juice 
 which flows from the heap of grapes before they 
 are pressed ; the ancients could preserve it for a 
 long time, so as to retain its flavour. It was so 
 mild that it required a large quantity to intoxi- 
 cate ; thus the idea here is that very much blood 
 would be shed (Rev. xiv. 10, 20). all flesh shall 
 know that I the Lord am thy Saviour— the effect 
 on the world of God's judgments (ch. Ixvi. 15, 16, 
 18, 19 ; Rev. xv. 3, 4). 
 
 Remarks. — The word which proceedeth out of 
 the mouth of the Son of God, is "like a sharp 
 sword " with two edges, opening a passage for the 
 saving entrance of the truth into some, and cutting 
 asunder those who perversely reject the offer of 
 salvation. "From the womb Messiah was desig- 
 nated by "name" to be the Saviour. He was sent 
 forth by the Father as a " jwlished shaft," hereto- 
 fore 'hid in his quiver,' but aow manifested in due 
 
The cause of 
 
 ISAIAH L. 
 
 the Jews' dereliction. 
 
 50 THUS saith the Lord, 
 
 Where is '^the bill of your mother's divorcement, — whom I have put away? 
 Or which of my ^creditors is it to whom I have sold you? 
 Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, 
 And for your transgressions is your mother put away. 
 
 2 Wherefore, when I came, icas there no man ? 
 •^When I called, icas there none to answer ? 
 
 '^Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? 
 
 Or have I no power to deliver ? — behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, 
 
 I make the rivers a wilderness : 
 
 Their fish stinketh, because there is no water, — and dietli for thirst. 
 
 3 I clothe the heavens wdth blackness, — and I make sackcloth their covering. 
 
 4 The ^Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned. 
 
 That I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is ^ weary : 
 
 He wakeneth morning by morning. 
 
 He w^akeneth mine ear — to hear as the learned. 
 
 5 The Lord God hath opened mine ear, 
 
 p.. C. 712. 
 
 CHAP. 50. 
 " Deut. 21. 1. 
 
 Jer. 3. 8. 
 
 Ho3. 2. 2. 
 & 2 Ki. 4. 1. 
 
 Matt. 18.25. 
 " Pro. 1. 21. 
 
 Ch. 65. 12. 
 
 Ch. 66. 4. 
 
 Jer. r. 13. 
 
 Jer. 35. 15. 
 d Gen. 18. 14. 
 
 Num.n.23. 
 
 ch. 69. 1. 
 
 John 11. 11. 
 ^ Ex. 4. 11. 
 
 Jer. 1. 9. 
 
 Luke 4. 22. 
 32. 
 
 John 7. 46. 
 / Matt. 11.28. 
 
 time. God is "glorified" in Jesus, who is the true 
 Israel," the Prince vnth God wlio prevails in His 
 couiiict for man's salvation by His inherent righ- 
 teousness. Many were the discouragements w hich 
 He had to encounter; and often He seemed to 
 ' spend His strength for nought, and in vain but 
 His invincible faith assured Him that His cause 
 was in the hands of His God, and therefore must 
 ultimately triumph. 
 CHAP. L. 1-11.— The Judgmexts on Israel 
 
 -WERE PROVOKED BY THEIR CRIMES, YET THEY ARE 
 
 NOT Finally cast off by God. 
 
 1. Where . . . mother's divorcement. Zion is 
 ' the mother;' the Jews are the children ; and God 
 tlie Husband and Father (chs. liv. 5 ; Ixii. 5 ; Jer. iii. 
 14). Gesen'ms thinks God means by the question to 
 demj that He had given 'a bill of divorcement' to 
 her, as was often done on slight pretexts by a hus- 
 band (Dent. xxiv. 1), or that He had ''sold" His 
 and her 'children,' as a i)oor parent sometimes did 
 (Exod. xxi. 7; 2 Ki. iv. 1; Neh. v. 5) under pi^es- 
 sure of his "creditors ;" that it was they who sold 
 themselves through their own sins. Maurer, not 
 so well, explains, ''Show the bill of your mother's 
 divorcement, whom, &c. ; produce the creditors to 
 whom ye have been sold : so it will be seen that it 
 was not from any caprice of mine, but through 
 your own fault your mother has been put away 
 and you sold ' (ch. Hi. 3). The antithesis between 
 "I have sold you" and 'for (i. e., by reason of) 
 your own iniquities ye have sold yourselves,' or 
 (Hebrew, nimkartem) 'ye are sold,'' shows the sense 
 is, ' / have never given your mother a regular bill 
 of divorcement, I have merely 'put her away' for 
 a time, and can therefore, by my right as her 
 husband still, take her back on her submission. 
 1 have not made you, the children, over to any 
 creditor to satisfy a debt: I therefore still have 
 the right of a father over you, and can take you 
 back on repentance, though as rebellious children 
 you have sold yourselves to sin and its penalty' 
 (I Ki. xxi. 25). the bill of your mother's divorce- 
 ment, whom— rather, 'the bill loith which I have 
 put /iz-'raway' {Maurer). »So the LXX., Vulgate, 
 Chaldaic, Arabic, and Syriac. 2. Wherefore, 
 when I came. "I"— Messiah, (was there) no 
 man ? — willing to believe in and obey me (ch. liii. 
 1, 3). The same Divine Person had ' come ' by 
 His i»rophet3 in the Old Testament (a])pealing to 
 them, but in vain, Jer. vii. 25, 20), who was about 
 to come under the New Testament. Is my hand 
 shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? The 
 shortened hand is the Ori( iiiid enibiem of weak- 
 VOL. IIL 721 
 
 ness,_as the long stretched-out hand is of power 
 (ch. lix. 1). Notwithstanding your sins, I can still 
 "redeem " you from your bondaore and dispersion, 
 at my rebuke I dry up the sea— (Exod. xiv. 21.) 
 The second exodus shall exceed, whilst it resem- 
 bles in wonders, the first (chs. xi. 11, 15, li. 15). I 
 make the rivers a wilderness— I turn the pros- 
 perity of Israel's foes into adversity, their fish 
 stinketh — the very judgment inflicted on their 
 Egyptian enemies at the first exodus (Exod. vii. 
 18, 21). 3, I clothe the heavens with blackness 
 —another of the judgments on Egypt to be re- 
 peated hereafter on the last enemy of God's people 
 (Exod. X. 21). I make sackcloth their covering 
 —(Rev. vi. 12.) 
 
 4. The Lord God hath given me the tongue 
 of the learned, that I should know how to 
 speak a word in season to (him that is) weary. 
 Messiah, as 'the servant of Jehovah' (ch. xlii. 1), 
 declares that the office has been assigned to Him 
 of encouraging the "weary" exiles of Israel, by 
 ' words in season ' suited to their case ; and that, 
 whatever sufferings it is to cost Himself, He does 
 not shrink from it {vv. 5, 6), for He knows that 
 His cause will triumph at last {vv. 7, 8). learned 
 —not in mere human learning, but in divinely 
 taught modes of instruction and eloquence (ch. 
 xlix. 2). So Moses the type (Exod. iv. 11, 12; 
 Matt. vii. 28, 29; xiii. 54). speak a word in 
 season— (Prov. xv. 23; xxv. 11). [mrS, akin to 
 rii7, time, or fit time.] Buxiorf makes the literal 
 sense to be as the English version. So the LXX. 
 and Arabic. But Maurer, after the Vulgate [susten- 
 tare], makes it from an Arabic root, 'to succour by 
 word' — viz., in their season of need— the "weary " 
 dispersed children of Israel (Deut. xxviii. 65-67). 
 Also the spiritually "weary" (ch. xlii. 3; Matt, 
 xi. 28). he wakeneth (me) morning by morning. 
 Cf. "daily rising up early," Jer. vii. 25; Mark 
 i. 35. The image is drawn from a master luaken- 
 imj his i)upils early for instruction, he wakeneth 
 mine ear — He prepares me for receiving His 
 Divine instructions, to hear as the learned-as 
 one taught by Him. He 'learned obedience,' 
 experimentally, "by the things which He suf- 
 fered," thus gaining that practical learning which 
 adapted Him for 'speaking a word in season' 
 to sufiering men (Heb. v. 8). 5. The Lord God 
 hath opened mine ear (see note, ch. xlii. 20; 
 xlviii. 8)— i e., hath made me obediently atten- 
 tive (but Maurer, ' hath informed me oj my 
 duty')t as a aervant to his master (cf. Ps. xi. 
 
Exhortation to 
 
 ISAIAH L. 
 
 trust in God. 
 
 And I was not ^rebellious, — neither turned away back. 
 
 6 I ^^gave my back to the smiters, 
 
 And my ^cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: 
 I hid not my face from shame and spitting. 
 
 7 For the Lord God will •'help me ; — therefore shall I not be confounded : 
 Therefore have ^ I set my face like a flint, 
 
 And I know that I shall not be ashamed. 
 
 8 He is near that justifieth me ; 
 
 Who will contend with me? — let us ^stand together: 
 Who is ^mine adversary? — let him come near to me. 
 
 9 Behold, the Lord God will help me ; — who is he that shall condemn me ? 
 "^Lo, they all shall wax old as a garment;— the moth shall eat them up. 
 
 10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, 
 That obeyeth the voice of his servant, 
 
 That walketh in darkness, and hath no light ? 
 
 '^Let him trust in the name of the Lord, — and stay upon his God. 
 
 11 Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, 
 
 That compass yourselves about with sparks : 
 
 Walk ''in the light of your fire,— and in the sparks that ye have kindled. 
 ^'This shall ye have of mine hand; — ye shall lie down in sorrow. 
 
 6-8 with Phil. ii. 7; chs. xlii. 1; xlix. 3, 6; 
 lii. 13 ; liii. 11 ; Matt. xx. 28 ; Luke xxii. 27). not 
 rebellious— but, on the contrary, most willing to 
 do the Father's will in proclaiming and procuring 
 salvation for man, at the cost of my own sufferings 
 (Heb. X. 5-10). 6. smiters— with scourges and 
 with the open hand (ch. lii. 14), Mark xiv. 65 ; 
 Matt, xxvii. 26 ; xxvi. 67, inform us of the fulfil- 
 ment of this prophecy (Luke xviii. 31-33). To 
 'pluck the hair' is the highest insult that can be 
 offered an Oriental (2 Sam. x. 4 ; Lam. iii. 30). 
 "I gave" implies the voluntary nature of His 
 sufferings ; His example corresponded to His 
 precept (Matt. v. 39). I hid not my face from 
 shame and spitting— to spit in another's presence 
 is an insult in the East, much more on one ; most 
 of all, in the face (Job xxx, 10 ; Matt, xxvii. 30). 
 7. For the Lord God will help me; therefore 
 shall I not be confounded. Sample of His not 
 being "discouraged" (chs. xlii. 4 ; xlix. 5). there- 
 fore have I set my face like a flint— I have set 
 myself resolutely not to be daunted from my 
 work of love by shame or suffering (Ezek. iii. 8, 9 : 
 of. Luke ix. 51). [koi uvto's to irpocrwTrov avTOv 
 
 iaTvpi^e.] 8, He is near that justifieth me— 
 (ch. xlix. 4.) The believer, by virtue of his one- 
 ness with Christ, uses the same language (Ps. 
 cxxxviii. 8; Rom. viii. 32-34). But 'justify,' in 
 His case, is God's judicial acceptance and vindica- 
 tion of Him on the ground of His own righteous- 
 ness (Luke xxiii. 44-47; Rom. i. 4; 1 Tim. iii. 16, 
 with which cf. 1 Pet. iii. 18); in t/ieb' case, on the 
 ground of His righteousness and meritorious death 
 imputed to them (Rom. v. 19). let us stand 
 together— in judgment, to try the issue, adversary 
 [Ba'al Mishpati) — lit., master of my cause; i. e., 
 who has real ground of accusation against me, so 
 that he can demand judgment to be given in his 
 favour (cf. Zech, iii. 1, &c. ; Rev. xii. 10). 9. 
 Behold, the Lord God will help me— (cf. ch. lii. 
 13, marg.; ch. liii, 10; Ps, cxviii. 6; Jer. xxiii. 5). 
 who (is) he (that) shall condemn me?— (Rom. 
 viii. 34.) they all shall wax old as a garment 
 — (ch. li. 6, 8; Ps. cii, 26.) A leading constituent 
 of wealth in the East is change of raiment, which 
 is always liable to the inroads of the moth; hence 
 the fre(juency of the image in Scripture. 
 
 JO, Who is among you that feareth the Lord 
 , . . that walketh in darkness, and hath no 
 722 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 f Matt. 26.39. 
 
 John 14.31. 
 
 Phil. 2. 8. 
 
 Heb. 10. 5. 
 
 Matt. 56.67. 
 
 Matt. 27.26. 
 
 John 18.22. 
 »■ Lam. 3. 30. 
 
 Mic. 5. 1. 
 
 Heb. 12. 2. 
 i ch. 42. 1. 
 
 ch. 49. 2. 
 
 Rom. 8. 31. 
 A Eze. 3. 8, 9. 
 ' 1 Cor. 4. 4. 
 1 the master 
 
 of my 
 
 cause. 
 "'Job 13. 2S. 
 
 Ps. 39. 11. 
 
 Heb. 1. 11, 
 12. 
 
 " 2Lhr 20.20. 
 " Rom. 10. 3. 
 P John 5. 39. 
 
 light? let him trust in the name of the Lord. 
 
 Messiah exhorts the godly after Hig example (chs. 
 xlix. 4, 5 ; xlii. 4), when in circumstances of trial 
 ("darkness," ch. xlvii. 5), to trust in the arm of 
 Jehovah alone. " Who is among" — i. e.. Whosoever 
 (Judg. vii. 3). that obeyeth the voice of his 
 servant— viz., Messiah. The godly 'honour the 
 Sou, even as they honour the Father' (John v. 23). 
 darkness— (Mic. vii. 8, 9.) God never had a son 
 who was not sometimes in the dark. For even 
 Christ, His only Son, cried out, " My God, my God, 
 why hast thou forsaken me?" no light— rather, 
 wo splendour : bright sunshine; for the servant of 
 God is never wholly without "light" {Vitringa\ 
 A godly man's way may be dark, but his end shall 
 be peace and light. A wicked man's way may be j 
 bright, but his end shall be utter darkness (Ps. I 
 cxii. 4; xcvii. 11; xxxvii. 24). let him trust in ' 
 the name of the Lord— as Messiah did {vv. 8, 9). 
 11. Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass 
 (yourselves) about with sparks. In contrast to 
 the godly (v. 10), the wicked, in times of darkness, 
 instead of trusting in God, trust in themselves 
 (kindle a light for themselves to walk by) (Eccl. xi. 
 9). The image is continued from v. 10, "darkness ;" 
 human devices for salvation (Prov. xix. 21 ; xvi. 
 9, 25) are like the sjDark that goes out in an instant 
 in darkness (cf. Job xviii. 6; xxi, 17, with Ps. 
 xviii. 28). sparks— not a steady light, but blazing 
 sparks extiuguislied in a moment, walk in the 
 light of your fire ... ye shall lie down in sorrow 
 —not a command, but implying that as surely as 
 they ipould do so, they should lie down in sorrow 
 (Jer. iii. 25). In exact proportion to mystic Baby- 
 lon's previous " glorying " of herself shall be her 
 sorrow (Matt. xxv. 30; viii. 12; Rev. xviii. 6, 7). 
 
 Remarks. — The Lord hath for a time "put 
 away," not permanently 'divorced,' Israel, whom 
 He has betrothed to Himself spiritually. He 
 therefore still has the conjugal right of a llasband 
 over her, and can take her back to Him on her 
 submission. It was indeed most sad that ' when 
 He came,' the nation was not willing to accejtt 
 His proffered salvation. Yet notwithstanding 
 their past unbelief, His 'hand is not shortened, 
 that it cannot redeem ' them from their bondage, 
 and their dispersion. He can and will repeat upou 
 their past enemy all the judgments that were 
 iutiicted on Egypt. He will " dry up " the fountain 
 
God will comfort 
 
 ISAIAH LI. 
 
 liis Church. 
 
 51 HEARKEN to me, "ye that follow after righteousness, 
 
 Ye that seek the Lord : — look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, 
 And to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. 
 
 2 Look ^unto Abraham your father, — and unto Sarah that bare you: 
 For I called him alone, — and blessed him, and increased him. 
 
 3 For the Lord shall comfort Zion : 
 He will comfort all her waste places; 
 
 And he will make her wilderness like Eden, 
 And her desert *^like the garden of the Lord ; 
 Joy and gladness shall be found therein, 
 Thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. 
 
 4 Hearken unto me, my people ; — and give ear unto me, 0 my nation : 
 For a law shall proceed from me. 
 
 And I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. 
 
 5 My ^righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth. 
 And mine arms shall judge the people : 
 
 The isles shall wait upon me, — and on mine arm shall they trust. 
 
 6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, — and look upon the earth beneath ; 
 For ^the heavens shall vanish away like smoke. 
 
 And the earth shall wax old like a garment. 
 
 of the enemy's resources, and "clothe the heavens 
 with blackness." Messiah has been given by the 
 Father "the tongue of the learned" in heavenly 
 science, qualifying Him to " speak a word in season 
 to him that is weary." His own experimental 
 knowledge in suffering, the smiting, the shaine, 
 and the spitting which He endured, all enable 
 Him to sympathize with His people in affliction, 
 as no other can. 
 CHAP. LI. 1-23. — Encouragement to the 
 
 FAITHFUL EEMNANT OF ISRAEL TO TRUST IN GoD 
 
 FOR Deliverance, both from their long Baby- 
 lonian Exile, and from their present Dis- 
 persion. 
 
 1. Hearken to me— the God of your fathers, ye 
 that follow after righteousness —the godly portion 
 of the nation ; v. 7 shows this (Prov. xv. 9; 1 Tim. 
 vi. 11), ' Ye follow righteousness,' seek it there- 
 f9re from me, who 'bring it near,' and that a 
 righteousness 'not about to be abolished' {vv. 6, 7) ; 
 look to Abraham, your father [v. 2), as a sample of 
 how righteousness before me is to be obtained ; I, 
 the same God who blessed him, will bless you at 
 last (v. 3); therefore trust in me, and fear not 
 man's opposition [vv. 7, 8, 12, 13). The mistake of 
 the Jews, heretofore, has been, not in that they 
 ' followed after righteousness,' but in that they 
 followed it "by the works of the law," instead of 
 'by faith,' as Abraham (Pvom. ix. 31, 32; x. 3, 4; 
 iv. 2-5). look ... to the hole of the pit. The 
 idea is not, as it is often quoted, the inculcation of 
 humility, by reminding men of the fallen state 
 from which they have been taken, but that as 
 Abraham, tlie quarry, as it were (cf. ch. xlviii. 1), 
 whence their nation was hewn, had been called 
 out of a strange land to the inheritance of Canaan, 
 and blessed by God, the same God is able to 
 deliver and restore them also (cf. Matt. iii. 9). 2. 
 I eaUed him alone— translate, ' I called him when 
 he was but one ' (Ezek. xxxiii. 24). The argument 
 is^ the same God who had so blessed 'one' indi- 
 vidual as to become a mighty nation (Gen. xii. 1 ; 
 xxiL 17), can also increase and bless the small 
 remnant of Israel, both that left in the Babylonish 
 captivity, and that left in the present and latter 
 days (Zech. xiv. 2) ; "the residue " (Zech. xiii. 8, 9). 
 3. For the Lord shall comfort Zion. See for the 
 argument, last note, he will make . . . her desert 
 like the garden of the Lord— restoration of the 
 723 
 
 primeval paradise (Gen. ii. 8 ; Ezek. xxviii. 13 ; 
 Rev. ii. 7). the voice of melody— Hebrew, Zim- 
 rah, is from zimmeer ; which denotes artificial 
 modulations wdth definite coesuras and numbers. 
 Whereas shir denotes singing in general, even 
 when loose and M'ithout rule. God's praises shall 
 again be heard. 
 
 4. Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear 
 unto me, O my nation— the Jews. This reading, 
 ammi uleummi, is better than that of Gesenius, 
 who takes the i termination to be the old one for 
 the plural, not the possessive pronoun suffix. 
 'O peoples . . . nations' — viz., the Gentiles. 
 The Jews are called on to hear and rejoice in 
 the extension of the true religion to the nations ; 
 for, at the first preaching of the Gospel, as in the 
 final age to come, it was from Jerusalem that the 
 Gospel law was and is to go forth (ch. ii. 3). a 
 law shall proceed from me, and I will make my 
 judgment to rest— the Gospel dispensation and 
 institutions (ch. xlii. 1, "my servant . . . shall bring 
 forth judgment to the Gentiles"), make ... to 
 rest— establish firmly ; found, for a light of the 
 people— (ch. xlii. 6.) 5. My righteousness (is) 
 near~«. e., My faithful fulfilment of the promised 
 deliverance, answering to "salvation" in the 
 parallel clause (ch. xlvi. 13 ; Ivi. 1 ; Eom. x. 8, 9), 
 Ye follow after "righteousness;" seek it, there- 
 fore, from me, and you will not have far to go for 
 it {v. I), mine arms— put for Himself : / by my 
 might, shall judge— (ch. ii. 3, 4; Ps. xcviii. 9.) 
 the isles shall wait upon me— (ch. Ix. 9.) on 
 mine arm shall they trust — (Rom. i. 16, "the 
 Gospel of Christ . . . the power of God unto sal- 
 vation, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.") 
 6. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look 
 upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall 
 vanish away like smoke— (ch. xl. 6, 8; Ps. cii. 26; 
 Heb. i. 11, 12.) vanish away {nimlachu, akin to 
 aii Arabic root, and the Hebrew, melachim, torn 
 clothes)— lit., shall he torn astmder, as a garment 
 {Maurer): which accords with the context. But 
 Gesenius makes the root meaning to be smoothness 
 in gliding away. The ordinary meaning of malach 
 is to salt. Christ, alluding to the Levitical law, 
 saith, "Every sacrifice shall be salted with fire," 
 and "everyone shall be salted with salt." Cf. 1 
 Cor. iii. 13. The fire through which the earth and 
 the present heavens shall have to pass (2 Pet. iii. 
 
•■(7 oil -witl comfort 
 
 ISAIAH LI. 
 
 his Church, 
 
 And they that dwell therein shall die in like manner : 
 
 £ut my salvation shall be for ever, 
 
 And my righteousness shall not be abolished. 
 
 7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, 
 The people ^4n whose heart is my law ; 
 
 ' Fear ye not the reproach of men, — neither be ye afraid of their revilings. 
 
 8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment. 
 And the worm shall eat tliem like wool : 
 
 But my .righteousness shall be for ever. 
 And my salvation from generation to generation. 
 0 Awake ! awake ! put on strength, 0 arm of the Lord; 
 Awake ! as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. 
 ^Art thou not it that hath cut ^llahab, — and wounded the '^dragon? 
 Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, — the waters of the great deep; 
 That hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over ? 
 
 Therefore the redeemed of the Loud shall return, 
 And come with singing unto Zion ; 
 And everlasting joy shall be upon their head : 
 They shall obtain gladness and joy ; 
 And sorrow and mourning shall flee away. 
 
 12 I, even I, am he '^that comforteth you : 
 
 Who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of ^a man that shall die, 
 And of the son of man which shall be made '^as grass; 
 
 13 And forgettest the Lord thy Maimer, 
 That ' hath stretched forth the heaveuvS, 
 And laid the foundations of the earth ; 
 And hast feared continually every day, 
 
 Because of the fury of the oppressor, — as if he ^ were ready to destroy? 
 *And where is the fury of the oppressor? 
 
 14 The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 Ps. 37. 31. 
 Ps. 40. 8. 
 Jer. 31. i\ 
 34. 
 
 2 Cor. 3. 3. 
 Heb. 10. 16. 
 « Jer. 1. 17. 
 Kze. 2. 6. 
 Matt. 5. 11. 
 Matt. 10.28. 
 Luke 6. 22. 
 Luke 1.'. 4. 
 Acts 6. 41. 
 1 l et. 4. 4. 
 
 14. 
 
 .'■ Ps. 21. 13. 
 
 J S. 74. 13. 
 14. 
 
 Ps 93. I. 
 
 ch. 52. 1. 
 
 Ch. 59. 17. 
 
 Eev. 11. 17. 
 
 Job 26. 12. 
 ' Ps. 87. 4. 
 
 Ps. 89. 10. 
 "' ch. 27. 1. 
 
 Pze. 23. 3. 
 
 Hab. 3. 13. 
 
 Eev. 12 9. 
 " Ex. 14. 21. 
 
 0 2 Cor. 1. 3. 
 P Ps. 11^. 6. 
 
 1 1 Pet. 1. 21. 
 Job 9. 8. 
 
 I Or, made 
 
 himself 
 
 ready. 
 ' Job 20. 7. 
 
 7-10) shall be as the purifying salt to prepare them 
 for the eternal state which shall follow (2 Pet. iii. 
 13). in like mdjrmer—Kemo—Keen. But Gesenius, 
 ' like a guat ;' like the smallest and vilest insect : 
 a sense novA'here else found in the singular. The 
 Ohaldaic, LXX., Arabic, Syriac, and Vulgate trans- 
 late as the English version. Jerome infers that, 'in 
 like manner' as man, the heavens (i. e., the sky) 
 and earth are not to be annihilated, but changed 
 for the better (ch. Ixv. 17). my rigliteousness— 
 my faithfully- fulfilled promise (note, v. 5). 
 
 7. Hearken unto me, ye that know righteous- 
 ness— (note, V. 1.) 8. the motli shall eat them up 
 like a garment— (note, ch. 1. 9; Job iv. 18-20.) 
 Not that the rnolh eats men up, but they shall be 
 destroyed by as insignificant instrumentality as 
 the moth that eats a garment. 
 
 9. Awake! awake! put on strength, 0 arm of 
 the Lord— Impassioned prayer of the exiled Jews, 
 awake! as in the ancient days— (Ps. xliv. 1.) 
 (Art) thou not it that hath cut Rahab— poetical 
 name for Egypt (note, ch. xxx. 7). (and) wounded 
 the dragon? (Hebrew, tannin)— t\\e, crocodile, an 
 emblem of Egypt, as represented on coins struck 
 after the conquest of Egypt by Augustus ; or 
 rather here, its king, Pharaoh (note, ch. xxvii. 1; 
 Ps. Ixxiv. 1.3, 14 ; Ezek. xxxii. 2, marg. ; xxix. 3). 
 10. (Art) thou not it— the arm. Art not thou the 
 same Almighty power that, &c- 1 hath dried the 
 sea- - the Red 8ea (ch. xliii. 16 ; Exod. xiv. 21). 
 
 11. Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall 
 return -(ch. xxxv, 10.) " Therefore"- -assurance of 
 faith ; or else the answer of Jehovah corresponding 
 to llielr prayer. As surely as God redeemed Israel 
 Qut of Egypt, He shall redeem them from Baby- 
 724 
 
 Ion, both the literal in the age following, and the 
 mystical in the last ages (Rev. xviii. 20, 21). There 
 shall be a second exodus (ch. xi. 11-16; xxvii. 12, 
 13). come with singing— image from the custom 
 of singing on a journey when a caravan is passing 
 along the extended plains in the East, everlasting^ 
 joy (shall be) upon their head— (Jude 24.) sor- 
 row and mourning shall flee away— (Rev. xxi. 
 4. ) 12. I, (even) I, (am) he that comforteth you 
 —{v. 3; ch. xl. 1.) who (art) thou— Zion. that 
 thou shouldest be afraid of . . . the son of man 
 — frail and dying as his partnt Adam, (which) 
 shall be made as grass— shall wither as grass 
 (ch. xl. 6, 7). 13. And forgettest the Lord thy 
 Maker, that hath stretched forth tlie heavens, 
 and laid the foundations of the earth (ch. xl. 
 12, 26, 28)— the same argument of comfort drawn 
 from the omni])otence of the Creator, and hast 
 feared continually every day, because of the 
 fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to 
 destroy? (Kebrew, Jca-asher koneeii) — lit., ^vjhen he 
 directs'' ov makes ready: viz., his arrow " to destroy" 
 (Ps. xxi. 12; vii. 13; xi. 2). 14. The captive 
 exile [i.p'j.']. Cocceius explains, One forced by the 
 impetuous enemy to go with mighty steps into 
 exile, Vulgate, 'gradieus.' Or else, lit., one 
 bowed down as a captive (ch. x, 4) {Maurer). Thus 
 it is akin to yatzang, to x>rostrate. But the Rab- 
 bins explain it. The wandering exile : so the Hebrew 
 means (Jer. ii. 20 ; xlviii. 12), I therefore prefer 
 this, which is much the same as the English version. 
 The scene is primarily Babylon, and the time near 
 the close of the captivity. Secondarily and anti- 
 typically, the mystical Babylon, Israel's and the 
 church's last enemy, iu which they have long 
 
The Li 
 
 ISAIAH LI. 
 
 20 rom iseth dellzeran ce. 
 
 15 
 
 IG 
 
 17 
 
 18 
 
 10 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 22 
 
 'And tliat he should not die in the pit, — nor that his bread should fail. 
 
 But I am the Lord thy God, — tliat divided. ''the sea, whose waves roared: 
 
 Tlie liORD of hosts is his name. 
 
 And ^I have put my words in thy mouth, 
 
 And have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand. 
 
 That ""l may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the cartli, 
 
 And say unto Zion, Thou art my people. 
 
 Awake ! awake ! stand up, 0 Jerusalem, 
 Which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury: 
 ^Thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, 
 And wrung them owt. 
 
 There is none to guide her among all the sons ichom she hath brought forth : 
 Neither is there any that taketh her by the hand ; 
 Of all the ^on^ that she hath brought up. 
 
 These two things ^are come unto thee; — who shall be sorry for thee? 
 Desolation, and ^destruction, and the famine, and the sword; 
 ^By whom shall I comfort thee? 
 
 Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, 
 As a wild bull in a net : 
 
 They are full of the fury of the Lord, — the rebuke of thy God. 
 Therefore hear now this, thou afilicted, — and drunken, but not vath wine 
 Thus saith thy Lord the Lord^ 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 « Zech. 9. 11. 
 " Ex. It. 21. 
 
 Job 26. 12. 
 
 Ps. 40. 3. 
 
 Ts. 65. 7. 
 
 Ps. 74. 13. 
 
 ch. 17. 12. 
 
 Ch. 43. 16. 
 
 ch. 50. 2. 
 
 JcT. :n. S5. 
 " Deut. 18.18. 
 
 ch. 49. 2, 3. 
 
 ch. 69. 21. 
 
 John 3. 34.. 
 
 ch. 45. 18. 
 
 ch. 49. 8. 
 
 ch. 65. 17. 
 
 ch. 66. 22. 
 
 Hos. 1. 10. 
 
 2 Pet. 3. 13. 
 ^ Deut. 2=i.2=i, . 
 34. 
 
 Ps. 60. 3. 
 
 Ps. 75. 8.. 
 
 Rev. 14. 10, 
 - happened. 
 
 breaking. 
 y Amos 7. -2. 
 
 suffered, but from which they are to be gloriously 
 delivered, hasteneth . . . tliat lie sliould not 
 die in tlie pit — such as were many of the ancient 
 dungeons (cf. Jer. xxxviii. 6, 11, 13; Gen. xxxvii. 
 20; Zech. ir.. 11). nor that Ms bread should fail 
 — (ch. xxxiii. 16; Jer. xxxvii. 21.) 15. I (am) the 
 Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves 
 roared— the E,ed Sea. The same Hebrew word 
 (rogang) as ' make to rest ' [argiang] [v. 4). Eather, 
 ' that terrify the sea'— i. e. , restrain it by my rebuke, 
 '"when its waves roar' (Gesenius). Maurer trans- 
 lates, ' that terrify the sea, so that the waves roar;' 
 lit., 'and its waves roar.' So the LXX., Vulgate, 
 Chaldaic, and Arabic. The sense favours Gesenius 
 (Jer. V. 22 ; xxxi. 35). So also the Syriac ; the 
 sense of the same Hebrew word in v. 4, too, supports 
 his view. The English version is a primary sense 
 of the word. It was by dividing the furious 
 waters that they were made to rest. Ga'ar, to 
 rebuke, is akin ; vv. 9, 10 prove the special 
 reference to the exodus from Egypt. 16. And I 
 have put my words in thy mouth— Addressed 
 to Israel, emV)odied in ' the servant of Jehovah ' 
 (ch. xlii. 1), Messiah, its ideal and representative 
 Head, through whom the elect remnant is to be 
 restored. God 'put His words in the mouth' of 
 Israel, the depositary of true religion, primarily ; 
 but fully, in the mouth of Israel's Head and anti- 
 type, Messiah (ch. xlix. 2; 1. 4, 5 ; lix. 21; Deut. 
 xviii. 18 is the fundamental passage: cf. "He whom 
 God hath sent, speak eth the words of God, for 
 God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him," 
 John iii. 34). and have covered thee in the 
 shadow of mine hand— I have protected thee 
 (note, ch. xlix. 2). that I may plant the heavens. 
 The Hebrew, natang, to plant, is also metaphori- 
 cally used for to 'fix' as a tabernacle (Dan. xi. 
 45). Gf. Ps. xix. 4, "In them (the heavens) hath 
 He set a tabernacle for the sun." The "new 
 creation," now going on in the spiritual world by 
 theGosi)el(Eph.ii, 10), and hereafter lobe extended 
 to the visible world, is meant (chs, Ixv. 17; ixvi, 
 22 : cf. ch. xiii. 13; 2 Pet. iii. 10-13). and say unto 
 Zion. Its restoration is a leading part in the new 
 creation to come (ch. Ixv. 17-19). 
 17. Awake ! awake ! stand up, 0 Jerusalem— 
 7.25 
 
 (ch. Iii. 1.) which hast drunk at the hand of 
 the Lord the cup of his fury. Jehovah's wrath 
 is compared to an intoxicating draught; because 
 it confounds the sufferer under it, and makes him 
 fall (Job xxi. 20; Ps. Ix. 3; Ixxv. 8; Jer. xxv. 15, 
 16; xlix. 12; Zech. xii. 2; Eev. xiv. 10, "the wine 
 of the wrath of God which is poured out without 
 mixture into the cup of Hia indignation : " see note 
 there, thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup 
 of trembling— which produces trembling or in- 
 toxication, (and) w:rung (them) out— drained the 
 last drop out: the dregs were the sediments, from 
 various substances, as honey, dates, and drugs, 
 put into the wane to increase the strength auti 
 sweetness. 18. (There is) none to guide her 
 among all the sons (whom) she hath brought 
 forth. Following uji the image in v. 17, intoxicated 
 and confused by the cup of God's anger, she has 
 none to guide her in her helpless state: she has 
 not yet awakened out of the sleep caused by that 
 draught This cannot apply to the Babylonish 
 captivity; for in it they had Ezekiel and Daniel, 
 Ezra and INehemiah, as 'guides,' and soon awoke 
 out of that sleep; but it applies to the Jews now, 
 and will be still more applicable in their coming 
 oppression by Antichrist. 19. These two (things) 
 are come unto thee . . . desolation, and destruc- 
 tion, and the famine, and the sword— two classes of 
 evils, for he enumerates four— viz., desolation and 
 destruction to the land and state ; famine and the 
 sword to the people, who shall be sorry for thee ? 
 —so as to give thee effectual relief ; as the parallel 
 clause, by whom shall I comfort thee? shows 
 (Lam. ii. 11-13). 20. Thy sons have fainted, they 
 lie at the head of all the streets— (Lam. ii. 19; 
 iv. 1.) as a wild bull in a net— rather, ^/te oryx 
 {Jerome'^, or a gazelle {Gesenius), or wild goat 
 (Bochart); commonly in the East taken in a net, of 
 a wide sweep, whereinto the beasts were hunted 
 together. The streets of cities in the East often 
 have gates, which are closed at night: a person 
 wishing to escape would be stopped by them and 
 caught, as a wild animal in a net. 21. thou 
 afiSicted, and drunken, but not with wine— (ch. 
 xxix. 9: cf. vv. 17. 20. here; Lam. iii, 15.) 22. 
 Thus saith . . . thy God (that) pleadeth the 
 
Free redemption 
 
 ISAIAH LII. 
 
 'promised to the Church, 
 
 And thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, 
 
 Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, 
 
 E'cen the dregs of the cup of my fury; — thou shalt no more drink it again : 
 
 23 But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; 
 
 Which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: 
 And thou hast laid thy body as the ground, 
 And as the street, to them that went over. 
 
 52 AWAKE ! awake ! put on thy strength, 0 Zion ; 
 
 Put on thy beautiful garments, 0 Jerusalem, '^the holy city : 
 For ^ henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised 
 '^and the unclean. 
 
 2 Shake thyself from the dust ; arise, and sit down, 0 Jerusalem : 
 
 Loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, — 0 captive daughter of Zion. 
 
 3 For thus saith the Lord, — ^Ye have sold yourselves for nought; 
 And ye shall be redeemed without money. 
 
 4 For thus saith the Lord God, 
 
 My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; 
 And the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. 
 
 5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, 
 That my people is taken away for nought? 
 
 They that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord ; 
 And my name continually every day is ^blasphemed. 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 ( HAP. 62. 
 <* Neh. 11. 1. 
 Ch. 1. 21, 
 2i. 
 ch. 48. 2. 
 Jer. 31. 23. 
 Zech. 14.20, 
 21. 
 
 Eev. 21. 2. 
 f> ch. 26. 2. 
 
 ch. 36. 8. 
 
 ch. 60, 21, 
 
 Eze. 44. 9, 
 
 Nah. 1. 15. 
 
 Eev. 21. 27. 
 " ch. 26. 2. 
 
 ch. 35, 8. 
 
 ch. CO. 21. 
 
 Eze. 44. 9. 
 
 Nah. 1. 15. 
 
 Eev. 21. 27. 
 d Zech. 2. 7. 
 * Ps. 44. 12. 
 
 ch. 44. 13. 
 
 Ch. 50. 1, 
 
 Jer. 15. 13. 
 
 1 Pet. 1. 18. 
 / Rom. 2. 2t, 
 
 cause~(Ps. xxxv. 1 ; Jer. 1. 34; Mic. vii, 9,) thou 
 Shalt no more drink it again— (ch. liv. 7-9,) This 
 cannot apply to Israel after the return from Baby- 
 lon, for she has drunk the cup of suffering more 
 bitterly than ever since then; but only to them 
 after their final restoration. 23. But I will put 
 it into the hand of them that afflict thee— (ch. 
 xlix. 26; Jer. xxv. 15-29; Zech. xii. 2.) which 
 have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may 
 go over. Conquerors often literally trod on the 
 necks of conquered kings, as Sapor of Persia did 
 to the Eomau emperor, Valerian (J osli. x. 24 ; Ps. 
 xviii, 40; Ixvi. 11, 12). 
 
 Remarks. — They "that follow after righteous- 
 ness," must "hearken to" Jehovah, and seek it in 
 the same way that Abraham, the father of the 
 faithful obtained it. It is not far off, but "near." 
 To "wait upon" the Lord, and to 'trust on His 
 arm,' is the way to find it, and Mdtli it to find 
 "salvation." As Abraham was all but "alone" 
 when tlie Lord " called him . . . and blessed him, 
 and increased him," so will the same Lord bless 
 and increase the small remnant of Israel in the last 
 days. He will ' comfort Zion, and make her 
 wilderness like the garden of the Lord,' so that 
 "joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanks- 
 giving, and the voice of melody." 'The heavens 
 and the earth' in their present form shall pass 
 away; but the "salvation" which God's "righ- 
 teousness " is pledged to bestow on His people 
 "shall not be abolished." Therefore, all who 
 experimentally "know" God's "righteousness" in 
 Christ, and who have His Gospel 'law in their 
 heart,' have no reason to 'fear the reproach of 
 men,' who shall perish as the " moth." 
 
 CHAP. LII, 1-15.— VV. 1-13 CONNECTED WITH 
 
 Chap. li. Zion, long in bondage (ch. li. 17-20), is 
 called to put on beautiful garments appropriate to 
 its future properity. 
 
 1. Awake ! awake ! put on thy strength, 0 Zion— 
 as thy adornment: answering to put on thy 
 beautiful garments in the parallel clause. Arouse 
 thyself from dejection and assume confidence, 
 the holy city— (Neh. xi. 1; Rev. xxi. 2,) there 
 ehall no more come into thee . . , the unclean 
 — (chs. xxxv. 8 ; Ix. 21 ; Joel iii, 17; Prov. xxi. 27.) ! 
 726 
 
 A prophecy never yet f nl filled, the uncircumcised 
 — spiritually (Ezek, xliv. 9; Acts vii, 51). 2. 
 Shake thyself from the dust— the seat of mourners 
 (Job ii. 12, 13). arise, and sit down— viz., in a 
 more dignified place : on a divan, or a throne 
 (Loivth), after having shaken off the dust gathered 
 up by the flowing dress when seated on the ground ; 
 or simply, 'arise, and sit erect ^ (Maurer). loose 
 thyself from the bands of thy neck— the yoke 
 of thy captivity. 3. Ye have sold yourselves for 
 nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money 
 — As you became your foes' servants, without their 
 paying any price for you (Jer. xv. 13), so they shall 
 release you w^ithout demanding any price or 
 reward : cf. ch. xlv. 13, where Cyrus is represented 
 as doing so : a type of their final restoration 
 gratuitously in like manner. So the spiritual 
 Israel, " sold under sin " gratuitously (Rom, vii. 
 14), shall be redeemed also gratuitously (ch. Iv. 1). 
 4. My people— Jacob and his sous, went down 
 aforetime into Egypt, Judea was an elevated 
 country compared with Egypt, to sojourn there. 
 They went there to stay only till the famine in 
 Canaan should have ceased, and the Assyrian 
 oppressed them without cause — Sennacherib. 
 Remember how I delivered you from Egypt and 
 the Assyrian; what, then, is to prevent me from 
 delivering you out of Babylon (and the mystical 
 Babylon and Antichrist in the last days) ? without 
 cause — answering to "for nought" in v. 5: it was 
 an act of gratuitous oppression in the present case, 
 as in that case, 5. what have I here . . . that 
 my people is taken away for nought?— i, e., M'hat 
 am I called on to do? The fact "that my people 
 is taken away (into captivity ; ch, xlix, 24, 25) for 
 nought" (by gratuitous oppression, v. 4: also v. S, 
 where see note) demands my interposition, they 
 that rule over them— "rule" or 'tyrannize over 
 them' (Hebrew, moshlav); viz., Babylon, literal 
 and mystical, make them to howl— or, raise a 
 cry of exultation over them {Maurer and Lowth). 
 But yalal is a mournful howl, rather than an 
 exulting cry. And the Rabbins make the verb 
 {yeheeylilu) here active, ' make them to howl,' and 
 my name continually every day (is) blasphemed 
 ! —viz., in Babylon: God's reason for delivering 
 
Christ's kingdom ISAIAH LIL shall be exalted. 
 
 6 Therefore my people shall know my name : 
 Therefore they shall know in that day 
 
 That I am he that doth speak; behold, it is I, 
 
 7 How ^beautiful upon the mountains 
 
 Are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publishetli peace; 
 'ITiat bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation ; 
 That saith unto Zion, — ^Thy God reigneth 1 
 
 8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice ; 
 
 With the voice together shall they sing for they shall see '^eye to eye, 
 When the Lord shall bring again Zion. 
 
 9 Break forth into joy, sing together, — ye waste places of Jerusalem : 
 For the Lord hath comforted his people, — he hath redeemed Jerusalem. 
 
 10 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm — in the eyes of all the nations; 
 And ^all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. 
 
 Depart ^ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, — touch no unclean thing ^ 
 Go ye out of the midst of her ; 
 Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. 
 For *ye shall not go out with haste, — nor go by fliglit : 
 ^For the Lord will go before you, 
 ^" And the God of Israel icill ^ be vour rereward. 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 " ch. 40. 9. 
 ch. CI. 1. 3. 
 >Jah. 1. 15. 
 Eom. 10.15. 
 Ex. 33. 11. 
 Num. 12. 8. 
 ch. 29. 18. 
 ch. 35. 2. 
 Zeph. 3. 0. 
 Acts 1. 3, 8. 
 Acts 4. 20. 
 Acts 10. 39. 
 41. 
 
 1 Cor. 2. 9, 
 10. 
 
 i Luke 3. 6. 
 ; Jer. 50. 8. 
 
 2 Cor. 6. 17. 
 Rev. 18. 4. 
 Ex. 12. 33. 
 
 i Mic. 2. 13. 
 "'Ex. 14. 19. 
 
 Kum.10.23. 
 1 gather you 
 
 up. 
 
 His peo]jle, not their goodness, but for the sake of ^ 
 His holy name (Ezek, xx. 9, 14). 6. Therefore my| 
 people shall kno-w ... in that day— when Christ 
 shall reveal Himself to Israel sensibly ; the only 
 means whereby their obstinate unbelief shall be 
 overcome (Ps. cii. 16; Zech. xii. 10; xiv. 5). 
 
 7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the 
 feet of him that bringeth good tidings— 2. e., The 
 advent of sudi a herald seen on the distant "moun- 
 tains" (notes, chs. xl. 9; xli. 27; xxv. 6, 7; Song 
 ii. 17), runniwj in haste with the long-expected good 
 tidings, is most grateful to the desolated city 
 (Nah. i. 15). good tidings . . . that saith unto 
 Zion, Thy God reigneth— only partially applying 
 to the return from Babylon. Fully and anti- 
 typically, the Gospel (Luke ii. 10, 11), "beginning 
 at Jerusalem" (Luke xxiv. 47), "the city of the 
 great King" (Matt. v. 35), where Messiah shall, at 
 the final restoration of Israel, ' reign ' as pecu- 
 liarly Zion's God (" Thy God reigneth :" cf. Ps. ii. 
 6). 8. Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; 
 with the voice together shall they sing. The 
 " watchmen " were set on towers separated by 
 intervals, to give the earliest notice of the approach 
 of any messenger with tidings (cf. ch. xxi. 6-8). 
 The Hebrew is more forcible than the English 
 version, ' The voice of thy watchmen ! ' (exclama- 
 tory, as in Song ii. 8.) ' They lift up their voice ! 
 together they sing' (Hebrew, ranan, to sing with 
 a strong voice), eye to eye — L e., close at hand, 
 and so clearly (Oesenius) (Num. xiv. 14, "face to 
 face;" Num. xii. 8, "mouth to mouth"). Of. 1 
 Cor. xiii. 12 ; Rev, xxii. 4, of which Simeon's sight 
 of the Saviour was a pre figuration (Luke ii. 30). 
 The watchmen, si^iritually, are ministers and 
 others who pray for the peace of Jerusalem (ch. 
 Ixii. 6, 7). bring again Zion— i. e., shall restore 
 Zion. Or else (^>es7tw&), ' return to.' The Chaldaic, 
 ' when the Lord shall have brought back His 
 Majesty to Zion.' The LXX., Vulgate-, Arabic, 
 and Syriac translate virtually as the English ver- 
 sion (Maurer). 9. Break forth into joy, sing to- 
 gether, ye waste places of Jerusalem— (ch. xiv. 7, 
 8; xlii, 11). redeemed Jerusalem— spiritually and 
 nationally (ch. xlviii. 20). 10. The Lord hath made 
 bare his holy arm— metax)hor from warriors who 
 bare their arm for battle (Ezek. iv. 7). all . . . 
 earth shall see the salvation of our God. The de- 
 liverance wrought by God for Israel will cause all 
 727 
 
 nations to acknowledge the Lord (ch. Ixvi, 18-20). 
 The partial fulfilment (Luke iii. 6) is a forerunner 
 of the future complete fulfilment. 
 
 11. depart ye, go ye out from thence — (ch. 
 xlviii. 20; Zech. ii. 6, 7.) Long residence in Baby- 
 lon made many loath to leave it : so as to mystical 
 Babylon (Rev. xviii. 4). be ye clean, that bear 
 the vessels of the Lord— the priests and Levites, 
 whose office it was to carry the vessels of the temple 
 (Jer. xxvii. 18). Nebuchadnezzar had carried them 
 to Babylon (2 Chr. xxxvi. 18). Cyrus restored 
 them (Ezra i. 7-11). be ye clean— by separating 
 yourselves wholly from Babylonian idolaters, mys- 
 tical and literal. 12. For ye shall not go out with 
 haste— as when ye left Egypt (Exod. xii. 33, 39 ; 
 Deut. xvi. 3 : cf, note, ch. xxviii, 16). Ye shall have 
 time to cleanse yourselves and make deliberate 
 preparation for departure, for the Lord will go 
 before you — Jehovah, as your Leader in front (ch. 
 xl. 3 ; Exod, xxiii. 20 ; Mic. ii. 13). and the God 
 of Israel (will be) your rereward— lit. , luill gather 
 you up ; i. e., bring up the rear of your host. 
 
 13. The transition is frequent from the glory of 
 Messiah in His advent to reign, to His humiliation 
 in His advent to suffer. Indeed, so are both ad- 
 vents accounted one, that He is not said in His 
 second coming to be about to return, but to come. 
 Here ch. liii. ought to begin, and ch. lii. end with 
 V. 12. This section, from here to end of ch. liii., 
 settles the controversy with the Jews, if Messiah 
 be the i)erson meant ; and with infidels, if written 
 by Isaiah, or at any time before Christ, The cor- 
 respondence with the life and death of Jesus 
 Christ is so minute that it could not have re- 
 sulted from conjecture or accident. An impostor 
 could not have shaped the course of events so as to 
 have made his character and life appear to be a 
 fulfilment of it. The writing is, moreover, de- 
 claredly prophetic. The quotations of it in the 
 New Testament (no less than niue direct quota- 
 tions in different connections : Matt, viii. 17 ; 
 Luke xxii, 37 ; John i. 29 ; xii. 38 ; Acts viii. 28-35 ; 
 Bom. X. 16; 1 Pet. ii. 21-24, 25; Mark xv. 28) 
 show (1.) that it was before the time of Jesus a 
 recognized part of the Old Testament ; (2.) that it 
 refers to Messiah. The indirect allusions to it 
 stiil more clearly prove the Messianic interpreta- 
 tion : so universal was that interpretation, that it 
 is simply referred to in connection with the atoning: 
 
The passion 
 
 ISAIAH LIL 
 
 of Christ foretold. 
 
 13 Behold, ^my servant shall ^deal prudently, 
 
 "He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. 
 
 14 As many were astonished at thee; 
 
 His visage ^was so marred more than any man, 
 And his form more than the sons of men : 
 
 15 So ^ shall he sprinkle many nations; 
 
 The kings shall shut their mouths at him : 
 
 For that ''which had not been told them shall they see; 
 
 And that which they had not heard shall they consider. 
 
 virtue of His death, without being formally quoted 
 (Mark ix. 12 ; Eom. iv. 25 ; 1 Cor. xv. 3 ; 2 Cor. v. 
 21 ; 1 Pet. i, 19 ; 1 John iii. 5). The genuineness 
 of the passage is certain ; for the Jews would not 
 have forged it, since it is opi)Osed to their notion of 
 Messiah, as a triumphant temporal prince. The 
 Christians co^dd not have forged it ; for the Jews, 
 the enemies of Christianity, are 'our librarians-' 
 ( Paley). The Jews try to evade its force by the 
 tigment of two Messiahs— one a sufiering Messiah 
 (Ben Joseph), the other a triumphant Messiah 
 {Ben David). Hillel maintained that Messiah has 
 already come in the person of Hezekiah. Buxtorf 
 states that many of the modern Rabbins believe 
 that He has been come a good while, but will not 
 manifest Himself because of the sins of the Jews. 
 But the ancient Jews, as the Chaldee paraphrast 
 Jonathan, refer it to Messiah ; so the Medrasch 
 Tauchimia (a commentaiy, on the Pentateuch) ; 
 also Rabbi Moses Hadderschan. Abarbanel says 
 of the non-Messianic interpreters, 'All these inter- 
 preters are smitten with hlindness.'' So Kimchi (see 
 Ilengstenherp, Christol). Some explain it of the 
 Jewish people, either in the Babylonish exile, or in 
 their present sufferings and dispersion. Others, 
 t\\e pious portion of the nation taken collectively, 
 whose sufferings made a vicarious satisfaction 
 for the ungodly. Others, Isaiah, or Jeremiah 
 (Gesenius), or the prophets collectively. But an in- 
 dividual is plainly described : he suffers volun- 
 tarily, innocent, X'atiently, and as the efficient cause 
 of the righteousness of His ]>eople, which holds 
 good of none other but Messiah (ch. liii. 4-6, 9, 11 : 
 contrast Jeremiah's impatience in suffering with 
 Messiah's lamb-like meekness, as here foretold, 
 .Ter. XX. 7 ; xv. 10-21 : cf. Ps. cxxxvii. 8, 9) : ch. 
 liii. 9 can hold good of none other. The objection 
 that the sufferings (ch. liii. 1-10) referred to are 
 represented as past, the gloriticatiou alone as 
 future (ch. lii. 13-15; liii. 11, 12) arises from not 
 seeing that the prophet takes his stand i7i the midst 
 of the scenes which he describes as future. The 
 greater nearness of the first advent, and the inter- 
 val between it and the second, are implied by the 
 use of the past tense as to the first, the future as 
 to the second. 13. Behold — awakening attention to 
 the striking picture of Messiah that follows (cf. 
 John xix. 5, 14). my servant -Messiah (ch. xlii. 
 1). shall deal prudently (Hebrew, yaschil)— 
 rather, prosper {Gesenius), as the parallel clause 
 favours (cf. ch. liii. 10, a different Hebrew^ word 
 for 'prosper'). Or, uniting both meanings, shall 
 reign well [Hengstenherg). The same Hebrew is 
 translated, "a King shall reign and prosjier" 
 [hiskil), in Jer. xxiii. 5. The English version is the 
 ]irimary meaning. His prudent dealing, or wisdom, 
 and His prospering are inseparably connected (cf. 
 ch. xi. 1-5). This verse sets forth in the beginning 
 the ultimate issTie of His sufferings, the descrip- 
 tion of which follows. The conclusion (ch. liii. 10, 
 12) corresponds. The section, ch. lii. 13; liii. 10, 
 12, begins as it ends, with His final glory, lie shall 
 be exalted and extolled— elevated (Mark xvi. 19 ; 
 Eph. i. 20-22; 1 Pet. iii. 22). God's Spirit, jealous 
 723 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 " ch. -52. 1. 
 2 ( r, prosper. 
 
 Jer. 23. 5. 
 o Ihil. 2. !). 
 P Vs. i2. 6. 
 a Eze. 36. 2->. 
 
 Acts 2. 33. 
 
 Heb. 9. 13. 
 '■ ilom. 15.21. 
 
 Eph. 3. 5. 
 
 for the honour of His Son, which might seem to 
 be lowered by His humiliation, prefaces it with 
 the assertion of His glory, which is its iuse))arable 
 issue and result (1 Pet. i. 11). The Midrasha 
 Tanhuma says on this passage, 'This is King 
 Messiah, who shall be higher than Abraham, 
 more elevated than Moses, and exalted above the 
 ministering angels. 14, 15. As many were aston- 
 ished at thee ; his visage was so marred more 
 than any man ... So shall he sprinkle many 
 nations — Summary of Messiah's history, which is 
 set forth more in detail in ch. liii. 'Just as many 
 were astonished (accompanied with aversion, Jer. 
 xviii. 16; xix. 8 ; lit., were du7nb loith astonishment, 
 from shamani, to be silent) at thee, his visage was 
 so marred, (fee. ; so shall He sprinkle many nations.' 
 Israel in this answers to its Antitype, Messiah, 
 now 'an astonishynent and by-word' (Deut. xxviii. 
 37), hereafter about to be a blessing and means of 
 salvation to many nations (ch. ii. 2, 3; Mic. v. 
 7). at thee; his. Two MSS., the Chaldaic and i 
 Syriac, read 'at Him;' but the LXX., Vulgate, | 
 and Arabic read as the English version ; and 
 such changes of person are common in Hebrew 
 poetry, his visage was so marred— Hebrew, dis- 
 figurement ; abstract for concrete : not only dis- 
 figured, but disfigurement itself, more than any 
 man. Castallio translates, 'so that it was no 
 longer that of a man' (cf. Ps. xxii. 6) — lit., /rom 
 being a man: meeish. Syriac, 'His visage was so 
 changed from that of man.' The more x^erfect we 
 may suppose the 'body x^repared ' (Heb. x. 5), for 
 Him by God, the sadder by contrast was the : 
 'marring' of His visage and form. 15. So shall j 
 he sprinkle many. Gesenius, for the sake of the ! 
 antithesis to "be astonished," from an Arabic 
 root, translates, 'shall cause ... to exult.' But 
 the word from nazah~\ universally in the Old 
 Testament means either to sprinkle {with blood) ; to 
 atone for guilt— as the high priest makes an expiation 
 (Lev. iv. 6 ; xvi. 14, 19) ; or to sprinkle {with water), 
 as synonymous with purifying (Num. xix. 18, 21) or 
 cleansing (cf. Ezek. xxxvi. 25, where sprinkle (a 
 different Hebrew^ word) means to cleanse). Cf. as 
 to the Sijirit, Acts ii. 33. Both atoning for guilt 
 and purifying by the Spirit are apijropriate to 
 Messiah (John xiii. 8; Heb. ix. 13, 14 ; x. 22 ; xu. 
 24; 1 Pet. i. 2). The antithesis is sufficient with- 
 out any forced rendering. M any were astonished ; 
 so many (not merely men, but) nations shall be 
 sx^rinkled. They were amazed at such an abject 
 person claiming to be Messiah; yet it is He who 
 &ha.l] justify and purify. Men were dumb with the 
 amazement of scorn at one marred more than the 
 lowest of men, yet the highest, the kings shall 
 shut their mouths at him— even kings (ch. xlix. 
 7, 23) shall be dumb loith awe and veneration 
 ('shut mouths,' Job xxix. 9, 10; Mic. vii. 16). for 
 that which had not been told them shall they 
 see — the reason why kings shall so venerate them : 
 the wonders of redemption, which had not been 
 before told them, shall then be announced to 
 them, wonders such as they had never heard or 
 seen xjaralleled (ch. Iv. I). Rom. xv. 21 refers to 
 
The prophet complaineth 
 
 ISAIAH LIIL 
 
 (jf incredulity. 
 
 53 WHO "hath believed our ^ report ? 
 
 And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ? 
 
 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, 
 And as a root out of a dry ground : 
 
 He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him. 
 There is no beauty that we should desire him. 
 
 3 He is despised and rejected of men; 
 
 A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief : 
 And 2 we hid as it were our faces from him ; 
 He was despised, and we esteemed him not. 
 
 B. C. 712, 
 
 CH VP. 53, 
 Jchnl2.3S. 
 
 1 hearing, or, 
 doc'rine. 
 
 2 as an hid- 
 iijg of f icea 
 from him, 
 or, from us. 
 Or, he hid 
 his face as 
 it were 
 from us. 
 
 this passage (of. Rom. xvi. 25, 26). Though re- 
 jected by His own nation, He shall be confessed by 
 many Gentile kings who had never before heard 
 of Him. 
 
 Eemarhs.—A% the ancient people of God 'sold 
 themselves for nought,' so 'shall they be redeemed 
 without money.' Their 'howls' of anguish under 
 oppression shall bring the Lord to their help. 
 "They shall know in that day "the Lord Christ 
 as their manifested Redeemer, who shall then de- 
 liver them from their gratuitous oppressors, even 
 as He did from ' Egypt and the Assyrian ' of old. 
 The "good tidings" of "peace" published by John 
 the Baptist, the forerunner of Messiah, were truly 
 delightful to those who ' looked for redemption in 
 Jerusalem.' Such they are still to every soul that 
 experimentally apiiropriates them, in the hearing of 
 them as announced by the ministers of the Gospel. 
 They shall be especially so hereafter, when it shall 
 be said unto the regenerated Zion, "Thy God 
 reigneth!" The spiritual "watchmen shall lift 
 up the voice" in joyful thanksgivings when their 
 long- deferred prayers shall have been heard, and 
 " eye to eye " they shall see their desire accom- 
 plished in the Lord's bringing again of Zion, 
 
 CHAP. LIIL M2.~ Man's Unbelief: Mes- 
 siah's Vicarious Sufferings, and Final 
 Triumph for Man. The speaker, according to 
 Horsley, per.'onates the repenting Jews in the 
 latter ages of the world coming over to the faitli 
 of the Redeemer : the whole is their penitent con- 
 fession. This view suits the context (ch. Hi. 7-9), 
 which is not to be fully realized until Israel is re- 
 stored. Also the " we" and "our," in vv. 2-6, suit 
 the penitent Jew.s. However, jirimarily, it is the 
 abrui)t exclamation of the prophet: " Who hath 
 believed our report" (that of Isaiah and the other 
 prophetsj as to Messiah ? The infidels' objection 
 from the unbelief of the Jews is anticipated, and 
 hereby answered : that unbelief and the cause 
 of it {MessiahJ.s humUiation, whereas they looked 
 for One coming to rei'jn) were foreseen and fore- 
 told. 
 
 1. 7/110 hath believed onr report ? {Ushmu' 
 atheenu) — lit., fJiat whicli they have heard from us, 
 repeating the term from the previous verse (ch. 
 lii, 15) ; whereas ' they who had not heard (the 
 Gentiles) shall consider' 'who (of the Jew&) have 
 believed Wia< they have heard from us ;' referring 
 to which sense Paul, quoting this verse, saith, 
 "So, then, faith cometh by hearing" (Rom. x. 16, 
 17) and to whom is the arm— power (ch. xl. 10), 
 exercised in miracles and in saving men (Rom. i, 
 16; 1 (,'or. i. 18). The i)rophet, as if present dur- 
 ing MessiaJi's ministry on earth, is deeply moved 
 to see hovj ffw believed on Him (ch. xlix. 4 ; Mark 
 vi. 6; ix. 19: Acts i. 15). Two reasons are given 
 why aU ought to have believed : (1.) The "report " 
 of the 'ancient ^)rophets;' (2.) 'The arm of Jeho- 
 vah' exhiVuted in Messiah whilst on earth. In 
 Unrdeii's view this will be the penitent confession 
 of the Jews, ' How few of our nation, in Messiah's 
 
 days, believed in Him !' 2. For he — 'the Servant 
 of Jehovah' (ch. lii. 13). shall grow up before 
 him — before God ; as in God's presence. Though 
 unknown to others, Messiah was known to Jehonah, 
 who had accurately appointed by His counsel all 
 the circumstances of His birth, in consonance with 
 the character which He was to sustain ( Vitringa). 
 (John i 11.) The Hebrew for "shall grow " is the 
 prophetical preterite. 'He grew up,' the prophet 
 beholding the future as though it were already 
 an accomplished fact, as a tender plant — Mes- 
 siah grew silently and insensibly, as a sucker from 
 an ancient stock seemingly dead (viz., the house 
 of David, then in a decayed state, note, ch. xi. 1). 
 and as a root — ^. e,, a sprout from a root, he hath 
 no form (Hebrew, ^oar)— beautiful form : sorro^\ s 
 had marred His once beautiful form, and when we 
 shall see— rather (as the parallelism to "there is 
 no beauty, that we should desire Him" requires), 
 joined with the previous words, 'nor comeliness 
 (attractiveness), that ive should look (with delight) 
 on Him,' So Symmachus, Lowth, and Hensgtenherg. 
 The studied reticence of the Kew Testament as to 
 His form, stature, colour, &c., was designed to 
 prevent our dwelling on the bodily, rather than on 
 His moral beauty, holiness, love, &c. ; also a pro- 
 vidential protest against the making and venera- 
 tion of images of Him, The letter of P. Lentidus 
 to the Emperor Tiberius, describing His person, is 
 spurious; so also the story of His sending His 
 l^jortrait to Abgar. king of Edessa ; and the al- 
 leged impression of His countenance on the hand- 
 kerchief of Veronica. The former part of this 
 verse refers to His birth and childhood, the latter 
 to His first 2whlic ajipearance ( Vitringa). 3. He is 
 . . . rejected of men — \forsaken of men ' {Gesenius). 
 'Most abject of men.' Chadal ishim — lit., 'He 
 (is one who) ceases from men ;' i. e.. He is no 
 longer regarded as a man {Hengsienberg). (Note, 
 chs. lii. 14 ; xlix. 7. ) a man of sorrows— i, e,, whose 
 distinguishing characteristic was sorroivs. and 
 acquainted with— as an associate; familiar by 
 constant contact with, grief — lit., sickness ; figur- 
 ative for all kinds of calamity. So " hurt" is used 
 in Jer. vi. 14. Leprosy especially represented this, 
 being_a direct judgment from God. It is remark- 
 able Jesus is not mentioned as having ever suffered 
 under sickness and we hid as it were (our) 
 faces— rather, as one who causes men to hide their 
 faces from Him (in aversion) {Maurer). But ke- 
 masteer means not, cau^e to hide, but causing to lie 
 hidden; hiding. Or, 'He was as an hiding of the 
 face before it ;' * as one before whom is the cover- 
 ing of the face:' before whom one covers the face 
 in disgust [Gesenius). The LXX., Vulgate, Arabic, 
 and (^haldaic take the Hebrew, mimnunnu, as 
 'from us.' 'He was as one hiding His face from 
 us ;' as a leper, or one aflfected with a loathsome 
 disease (Lev. xiii 45). But the parallel clause 
 that follows favours the English version, we — 
 the prophet identifying himself with the Jews. 
 See JIorsky''s view (note, v. 1). we esteemed him 
 
The sufferings 
 
 ISAIAH LIII. 
 
 of Christ foretold. 
 
 4 Surely ^he hath borne our griefs, — and carried our sorrows: 
 Yet ^we did esteem him stricken, — smitten of God, and afflicted. 
 
 5 But he was ^ wounded for our transgressions. 
 He was bruised for our iniquities : 
 
 The chastisement of our peace was upon him ; 
 And with his * stripes we are healed. 
 
 6 All we like sheep have gone astray ; 
 
 We have turned every one to his own way; 
 
 And the Lord ^hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 
 
 not— negative contempt : the previous words ex- 
 press positive. 
 
 4. Here follows the explanation of the sorroAvs 
 and contempt which He endured, as has been just 
 described— viz., His being our Sin-bearer, and so 
 suffering the penalty of our sins ; which, however, 
 the Jews did not com-prehend, but thought that it 
 was His own sin which He suffered for. Surely 
 he hath borne our griefs— lit., 'But yet (akeen) He 
 hath taken {ov home) our sicknesses^ — i. e., they who 
 despised Him because of His human infirmities 
 ought rather to have esteemed Him on account of 
 them: for thereby "Himself took ouu infirmities^' 
 (bodily diseases). So Matt. viii. 17 quotes it. 
 The repetition of the same words as in v. 3— 
 "grief . . . sorrows:" clialayeenu . . . makeoheenu 
 — marks the vicarious appropriation of the full 
 
 Eenalty of our sin by the Redeemer. In the He- 
 rew (wasa) for "borne," or took, there is prob- 
 ably the double notion, He took on Himself 
 vicariously (so vv. 5, 6, 8, 12), and so He took 
 away. His perfect humanity, whereby He was 
 bodily afHicted for us, and in all our afllctions 
 (ch. Ixiii. 9 ; Heb. iv. 15), was the ground on which 
 He cured tJce sick of our human sicknesses ; so that 
 St. Matthew's quotation is not a mere accommo- 
 dation. See note 42 of Archbishop Magee, ' Atone- 
 ment.' The word Himself in Matthew implies a 
 personal bearing on Himself of our maladies, 
 spiritual and physical, which included as a conse- 
 quence His ministration to our bodily ailments. 
 These latter are the reverse side of sin. His 
 hearing on Him our spiritual malady involved 
 with it His hearing sympathetically, and healing, 
 the outward, which is its fruit and its type. 
 Hengstenberg rightly objects to Magee's translation 
 \ taken away ' instead of " borne," that the parallel- 
 ism to " carried " would thereby be destroyed. 
 Besides, the Hebrew word elsewhere, when con- 
 nected with sin, means to bear it and its punish- 
 ment (Ezek. xviii. 20). Matthew elsewhere also 
 sets forth Christ's vicarious atonement (Matt, xx. 
 28). Nasa is the term here used, with an allusion 
 to the sin offering, Lev. x. 17; the scape goat, Lev. 
 xvi. 22; and Aaron as mediating high priest, Exod. 
 xxviii. 38 ; so Ezekiel typically, Ezek. iv. 5, 6 ; 
 Lam, V. 7: cf. as to Christ, John i. 29; Heb, ix. 
 28; 1 Pet, ii. 24: cf, also this Isa, liii vv. 11 and 
 12, end, and carried our sorrows— Zi^., 'and (as 
 for) our sorrows. He carried them ' {sehat-am). The 
 notion of substitution strictly. "Carried," viz., as 
 a burden. "Sorrows," i. e., pains of the mind: as 
 " grief s " refer to pains of the body (Ps. xxxii. 10; 
 xxxviii. 17). Matt. viii. 17 might seem to oppose 
 this: "And bare our sicknesses." But he uses 
 "sicknesses" figuratively for sins, the cause of 
 them. Christ took on Himself all man's "infir- 
 mities," so as to remove them: the bodily by 
 direct miracle, grounded on His participation in 
 human infirmities ; those of the soul by His vicari- 
 ous suffering, which did away with the source of 
 both. Sin and sickness are ethically connected as 
 cause and effect (ch. xxxiii. 24 ; Ps. ciii. 3 ; Matt, 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 6 Matt. 8. 17 
 
 " Matt. 26.66. 
 
 s Or. tor- 
 mented. 
 
 4 bruise. 
 
 * hath made 
 the iniqui- 
 ties of us 
 all to meet 
 on him. 
 
 ix. 2 ; John v. 14 ; Jas. v. 15). yet we did esteem 
 him stricken— judicially {Lowth)— viz. , for His 
 sins ; whereas it was for ours. * We thought Him 
 to be a leper ' {Jerome, Vulgate), leprosy being the 
 direct divine judgment for guilt (Lev. xiii., as it 
 was in the case of Miriam; Num. xii. 10, 15; and 
 Uzziah, 2 Chr. xxvi. 18-21). smitten of God— by 
 divine judgments, and afflicted — for His sins : 
 this was the point in which they so erred (Luke 
 xxiii. 34 ; Acts iii. 17; 1 Cor. ii. 8). He was, it is 
 true, "afflicted," but not for His sins. 5. But he 
 was wounded— a bodily wound : not mere mental 
 sorrow: mecholal, from" cAa/a^— literally pierced ; 
 minutely appropriate to Messiah, whose hands, 
 feet, and side were pierced (Ps. xxii. 16). Margin, 
 wrongly, from a Hebrew root, chid, to writhe, 
 translates, 'tormented.' for our transgressions 
 ... for our iniquities (Eom. iv. 25 ; 2 Cor. v. 
 21 ; Heb. ix. 28 ; 1 Pet. iii. \S)—the cause for which 
 He suffered, not His own, but our sins,' he was 
 bruised— with crushing inward and outward suf- 
 fering (note, V. 10). the chastisement of our peace 
 [Hebrew, musar ; the LXX., irai^eia] — lit, tlie 
 correction inflicted by a, parent on children for their 
 good (Heb. xii. 5-8, 10, 11). Not punishmei ' 
 strictly, so far as He individually was concerned ; 
 for this can have place only where there is guilt, 
 which He had not ; but. He took on Himself the 
 chastisement whereby the peace (reconciliation with 
 our Father; Rom. v. 1; Eph. ii. 14, 15, 17) o/ those 
 who were already in the Divine purpose the children 
 of God was to he effected (Heb. ii. 14). was upon 
 him — as a burden: parallel to "hath borne" and 
 " carried. " with his stripes— minutely prophetical 
 of His being scourged (Matt, xxvii. 26; 1 Pet. ii. 
 24). we are healed— spiritually (Ps. xii. 4; Jer. 
 viii. 22). As "griefs," the term for mental ail- 
 ments, is used of bodily ailments, v. 4, so conversely, 
 " healed," the term for bodily cure, is here used of 
 the cure of the soul. 6, The extent of our malady, 
 and our urgent need of cure, are next set forth. 
 The w^ords following are the penitent confession of 
 believers, and of Israel in the last days (Zech, xii. 
 10). All we like sheep have gone astray— (Ps, 
 cxix. 176 ; 1 Pet. ii. 25), The antithesis is, ' In 
 ourselves we were scattered ; in Christ we are 
 collected together: by nature we wander, driven 
 headlong to destruction; in Christ we find the 
 way to the gate of life ' {Calvin). True, also, 
 literally of Israel, before its coming restoration 
 (Ezek. xxxiv. 5, 6 ; Zech. x. 2, 6 : cf. with Ezek. 
 xxxiv. 23, 24 ; Jer. xxiii. 4, 5 ; also Matt. ix. 36). 
 we have turned every one to his own way- 
 implying that the apostasy of men is both univer- 
 sal and individual : of the race in general, and of 
 each one in particular : one in guilt, diverse in its 
 several manifestations, and the Lord hath laid 
 on him—' hath made to light on Him ' {Lowth^j. 
 Eather, ' hath made to rush upon Him: ' hiphgiang, 
 from pagang [WQ], to meet: hath made to meet 
 upon Him Qlaurer"). the iniquity of us all— 
 i. e., its penalty: or rather its grM«7<, as in 2 Cor. 
 v. 21, "He hath made Him to be sin for us who 
 
The sufferings 
 
 ISAIAH LIII. 
 
 of Christ, 
 
 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, — yet he opened not his mouth : 
 He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, 
 
 And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, — so he openeth not his mouth. 
 
 8 ^He was taken from prison and from judgment: 
 And who shall declare his generation ? 
 
 For he was cut off out of the land of the living : 
 For the transgression of my people ^was he stricken. 
 
 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, — and with the rich in his death ; 
 
 knew no sin, that we might be made the righteous- 
 ness of God in Him." He was not merely a sin 
 ojf'ermg (which would destroy the antithesis to 
 "righteousness"), but "sin for us:" sin itself 
 vicariously; the representative of the aggregate 
 sin of all mankind ; not sins in the plural, but 
 "sin," and here, in Isaiah, "iniquity:" for the 
 "sin" of the w^orld is one (Rom. v. 16, 17); thus 
 we are made not merely righteous, but righteous- 
 ness, even "the righteousness of God.^^ The inno- 
 cent was punished as if^ guilty, that the guilty 
 might be rewarded as if innocent. This verse 
 could be said of no mere martyr. 
 
 7. He was oppressed, and he was afQicted. 
 Lowth, after Cyril, translates, ' It was exacted 
 {nigyas), and He was made answerable' {na'aneJi). 
 The former vei^b means, to have payment of a debt 
 sternly exacted (Deut. xv. 2, 3), and so to he oppressed 
 in general ; the exaction of the full penalty for our 
 sins in His sufferings is probably alluded to. and 
 lie was afflicted, yet lie— or, and. yet He suffered, 
 or bore Himself submissively and, Sc. [Hengstenberg 
 tai.(\. Maurer.) Zomj^A's translation, 'He was made 
 answerable,' is hardly admitted by the Hebrew 
 [Hjp], which is not used elsewhere, of legal 
 responsibility. Symviachiis and Vulgate (' ipse 
 voluit') support, ' He suffered submissively :' 'He 
 submitted Himself.' The niphal has the reflective 
 moaning (cf. Phil. ii. 8). opened not his mouth- 
 Jeremiah in Jer. xi. 19, and David in Ps, xxxviii. 
 13, 14; xxxix. 9, prefiguring Messiah (Matt. xxvi. 
 63 ; xxvii. 12, 14 ; 1 Pet. ii. 23). In this verse the 
 one and only point of comparison is to the sheep's 
 voiceless endurance of shearing ; not that Christ's 
 suffering is from this to be regarded as not penal 
 and sacrificial, because the sheep is not spoken of 
 as being killed. But what the sheep is in being 
 sheared, that Christ was in being killed. 8. He 
 was taken from prison and from judgment— 
 rather, ' He was taken away (i. e., cut off, answei'- 
 ing to the following, ' He was cut off out of the 
 land of the living') by (through) oppression and 
 BY (through) a judicial sentence:' a hendiad for 
 ' by an oppressive judicial sentence ' {Lowth and 
 Hengstenberg). The Hebrew particle min expresses 
 sometimes the starting point from which a thing 
 takes its rise : from, owing to, through. Gesenius, 
 not so well, ' He was delivered from oppression 
 and punishment ' only by death. The English 
 version also translates, "from . . . from," not 
 * by . . . by.' So the Vulgate, ' de augustia et de 
 judicio sublatus est.' The Syriac also supports 
 the English version. But "prison" is not true of 
 Jesus who was not incarcerated; restraint and bo7ids 
 (John xviii. 24) more accord with the Hebrew [niji; 
 
 — lit., shutting up, or restraint, from "ii*?, to re- 
 strain]. Acts viii. 33 translates as the LXX. : 
 "In His humiliation His judgment (KptVis, legal 
 trial) was taken away"— the virtual sense of the 
 Hebrew, as rendered by Lowth, and sanctioned by 
 the inspired writer of Acts. The same Hebrew in 
 Ps. cvii. 39, mee'otzer, is translated "through op- 
 pression." He was treated as one so mean that a 
 fair trial was denied Him (Matt. xxvi. 59 ; Mark 
 731 
 
 xiv. 55-59). Both His betrayer and His judj.o 
 declared His innocence. The Hebrew, laquach, is 
 used of taking away by a violent death (Jer. xv, 
 15; Ezek. xxiv. 16). Jerome explained it of 
 Christ's being taken up to glory, who shall de- 
 clare his generation? (Hebrew, cZo?'-o)— who can 
 set forth (the wickedness of) His generation ? i. e., 
 of His contemporaries {Alford on Acts viii. 33), 
 which suits best the parallelism, ' the wickedness 
 of his generation ' corresponding to ' oppressive 
 judgment.' But Luther, ' His length of life '— e., 
 there shall be no end of His future days {i\ 10 ; 
 Rom. vi. 9). Calvin includes the days of His 
 Church, vi^hich is insei^arable from Himself. 
 Hengstenberg, 'His posterity.' He, indeed, shall 
 be cut off, but His recce— i. e., His spiritual seed, 
 shall be so numerous that none can fully declare 
 it. Chrysostom, &c., 'His eternal Sonship and 
 miraculous incarnation.' But the clauses both 
 before and after refer to His humiliation, not to 
 His subsequent eternity of days, which is not 
 stated till v. 10. for he was cut off— implying a 
 violent death (Dan. ix. 26). for the transgression 
 of my people— Isaiah, including himself among 
 them by the word " my" {Hengstenberg). Rather, 
 Jehovah speaks in the person of His prophet, 
 " my people," by the election of grace (Heb. ii. 13). 
 was he stricken— Hebrew, 'the stroke (was laid) 
 upon Him.' Gesenius says that the Hebrew, lamo, 
 means them; the collective body, whether of the 
 prophets or people, to which the Jews refer the 
 whole prophecy. But Jerome, the Syriac and 
 Ethiopic versions translate it Ilim. So virtually 
 the LXX. {i'lx^n eh ddvaTov). So mo is singular in 
 some passages: Ps. xi. 7, His; Job xxvii. 23, Him; 
 Isa. xliv. 15, thereto. Perhaps the LXX. for the 
 Hebrew, lamo, ' upon Him,' read the similar 
 words, lamaveth, 'unto death;' which would at 
 once set aside the Jewish interpretation, 'upon 
 them.' Origen, who laboriously compared the 
 Hebrew with the LXX., so read it, and urged it 
 against the Jews of his day, who would have 
 denied it to be the true reading if the word had 
 not then really so stood in the Hebrew text 
 {Lowth). Messiah was the rep7'esentative of the 
 collective body of all men; hence the equivocal 
 plural-singular form, lamo. 9. And he made his 
 grave with the wicked — rather, ' His grave was 
 appointed,' or 'they appointed Him His grave 
 with the wicked' {Hengstenberg) — i. e., they in- 
 tended (by crucifying Him with two thieves. Matt, 
 xxvii. 38) that He should have His grave "with 
 the wicked" (cf. John xix. 31), the denial of 
 honourable burial being accounted a great igno- 
 miny (note, ch. xiv. 19 ; Jer. xxvi. 23). and with 
 the "rich in his death (Hebrew, deaths)— raXhev, 
 ' but He was with a rich man at His death ' — i. e. , 
 when He was dead. So the Hebrew particle [:?] 
 is sometimes used (Lev. xi. 31). Gesenius, for the 
 parallelism to "the wicked," translates 'ungodly' 
 (the eifect of riches being to make one ungodly) ; 
 but the Hebrew everywhere means rich, 
 
 never by itself ungodly ; the parallelism, too, is 
 one of contrast, viz., between their design and the 
 
The reward 
 
 ISAIAH LIIL 
 
 of ChrisVs sufferings. 
 
 Because he had done no violence, — neither mas any^ deceit ^in his mouth. 
 
 10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; — he hath put him ta grief 
 
 ^When thou shalt make his soul ^an offering for sin, 
 He shall see his seed, -^he shall prolong his days. 
 And ^the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 
 
 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied : 
 '*By his knowledge shall ^my righteous servant justify many; 
 For he shall bear their iniquities. 
 
 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great. 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 1 Fet. 2. 22. 
 Or, vfhen 
 his sonl 
 shall mak' 
 an offering. 
 
 2 Cor. 6. 21, 
 Rom. 6. 9. 
 Eph. 1. 5. 
 John 17. 3. 
 1 John 2. 1. 
 
 fact, as ifc was ordered by God (Matt, xxvii. 57 ; 
 Mai'k XV. 48-46; John xix. 39, 40) ; two rich men 
 honoured Him at His death— Joseph of Arima- 
 thea, and Nicodemus. Loioth translates, ' His 
 tomb;' bemothaiv, from a difierent root, bamah, 
 meaning high places, and so mounds for sepulture 
 (Ezek. xliii. 7). But all the old versions, the 
 LXX., Chaldaic, Syriae, Vulgate, and Arabic op- 
 pose this, and the Hebrew hardly admits it. The 
 plural deaths intensifies the force : as Adam by 
 sin 'dying died' ((^en. ii. 17, wa?'^.)—*. e., in- 
 curred death physical and spiritual. So Messiah, 
 His substitute, endured death in both senses : 
 spiritual, during His temporary abandonment by 
 tiie Father ; physical, when He gave up the ghost. 
 It is a minute point of accuracy that "the rich" 
 in the Hebrew is singular, 'a rich man' — viz., 
 Joseph of Ariraathea; "the wicked" is plural — 
 viz., the thieves, because he had done— or, as the 
 sense suggests (so in Job xvi, 17, 'although {r>v] 
 there is not injustice in mine hands '), ' although 
 He had done,' &c. [Hengstenberg). So the Syriac. 
 But the Vulgate, LXX., and Arabic confirm the 
 English version, which follows naturally what 
 precedes. God interposed to do Him honour in 
 appointing Him to be " with the rich in His death, 
 /,ecause He had done no violence." Thus the way 
 is prepared for His exaltation, which follows in v. 
 10. Hengstenberg is driven, by translating 'al- 
 though' to read in a parenthesis "with the rich in 
 His death " (1 Pet. ii. 20-22 ; 1 John iii. 5). no 
 violence— i. e., wrong. 10. Transition from His 
 humiliation to His exaltation. Yet it pleased 
 the Lord — the secret of His sufferings. They were 
 voluntarily borne by Messiah, in order that thereby 
 He might ' do JehovaKs will ' (J ohu vi. 38 ; Heb. 
 x. 7, 9), as to man's redemption ; so at the end of 
 the verse, " the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper 
 in His hand." bruise— Hebrew, daJckio {see v. 5, 
 the same Hebrew, " He was bru'ised for our in- 
 iquities''') ; Gen. iii. 15, was hereby fulfilled, though 
 the Hebrew word yeshuphka for " bruise," there, 
 is not the one used here. The Hebrew there may 
 mean to overwhelm with darkness. Messiah's time 
 of darkness was temporary (Matt, xxvii. 45), au- 
 s weriug to the bruising of His heel. Satan's is to be 
 eternal, answering to the bruising of his head (ch. 
 1. 10). he hath put him to grief— recapitulating 
 V. 4, " He hath borne our griefs " (the same Hebrew 
 as here, hecheli). 
 
 When thou shalt make his soul an offering for 
 sin {Tasim, second person singular masculine)— 
 rather, as marg. (Hebrew, third person feminine), 
 ' when His soul {i.e., He) shall have made an offer- 
 ing for sin.' In the English version the change of 
 l)erson is harsh: from Jehovah, addressed in the 
 second person {v. 10), to Jehovah speaking in the 
 first person in v. 11. The margin rightly makes 
 the prophet, in the name of Jehovah Himselj to 
 speak in this verse. Thus translated, the clause 
 indicates the Saviour's voluntary laying down of 
 His life (John x. 17, 18; Eph. v. 2; Heb. ix. 14). 
 So the Vulgate, offering for sin— (Rom. iii. 25 ; 1 
 732 
 
 John ii. 2 ; iv. 10) ; asham, sin, with reference to 
 its guilt and penalty. So a sin offering. 2 Cor. v. 
 21 accords with the English version, "He (the 
 Father) hath made Him (the Son) to be sin for us, 
 who knew no sin, that we might be made tli- 
 righteousness of God in Him." he shall see hirj 
 seed— really /lis seed, not in mere figure, because 
 they derive all their life from Him (1 Pet. i. 3). His 
 spiritual posterity shall be numerous (Ps. xxii. 30) ; 
 nay, more, though He must die He shall see them. 
 A numerous posterity was accounted a higli bless- 
 ing among tlie Hebrews; still more so for one to 
 live to see them (Gen. xlviii. 11 ; Ps. cxxviii. G). 
 he shall prolong his days— also esteemed a special 
 blessing among the Jews (Ps. xci. 10), in contrast 
 to His past shortening of life as one " cut off out 
 of the land of the living." Messiah shall, after 
 death, rise agaiu to an endless life (Ps. xxi. 4 ; 
 Hos. vi. 2 ; Ilom. vi. 9). and the pleasure of the 
 Lord shall prosper in his hand— that "pleasure 
 of the Lord " to which the opening words of the 
 verse allude: "it pleased the Lord to bruise Him." 
 Cf. Col. i. 19, 20 ; Eph. i. 9, 10 ; ch. Iii. 13, marg. 
 11. Jehovah is still speaking. He shall see of the 
 travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied— He 
 shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul, not a 
 part of the travail of His soul ; so the min means 
 in mee'-amal. ^Amal does not refer to travail in 
 child-birth, but the labour of the husbandman, 
 whence follows the gladd'euing harvest. He shall 
 see such blessed fruits resulting from His suffer- 
 ings (Matt. XX vi. 38) as amply to repay Him for 
 them (ch. xlix. 4, 5; 1. 5, 9). The 'satisfaction' in 
 seeing the full fruit of His travail of soul in the 
 conversion of Israel and the world is to be realized 
 in the last days (ch. ii. 2-4). The Hebrew for "shall 
 be satisfied," yisbang, is, to be saturated; to be 
 abundantly full, by his knowledge— rather, by 
 the knowledge (experimentally) o/i3f"im (John xvii. 
 3; Phil. iii. 10). shall my righteous servant— 
 'the righteous One, my Servant;' Messiah (ch. 
 xlii. 1; Iii. 13). righteous— the ground on which 
 He justifies others ; His own righteousness (1 John 
 ii. 1). justify many — make many to be treated or 
 accounted as if righteous, forensically, on the 
 ground of His meritorious suffering and righteous- 
 ness, not their righteousness. The Hiphil, or 
 causative yatzeddiqu means makes righteous in the 
 eye of the law, forensically, not referring to inher- 
 ent moral improvement, but imputed righteousness. 
 In Hebrew {larabbim), the particle ["?] 'to' precedes 
 "many," implying the actual communication of 
 justification to believers. So ch. xiv. 3, "Hebrew, 
 ' My righteous Servant shall obtain justification for 
 many.' [Cf. with hitzeddiqu tzedaquah the Greek 
 New Testament terms, SiKaLoao Sikuloo-vvii.] Ch. 
 xlv, 24; Jer. xxiii. 6; Acts xiii. 38, 39; Pom. iii. 
 21, 28; iv. 5-8, 25; v. 16-19; 2 Cor. v. 21 ; Phil. iii. 9. 
 for he shall bear their iniquities {vv. 4, 5)— as 
 the sinner's substitute. 12. Therefore will I 
 divide him a portion with the great— as a con- 
 queror dividiog the spoil after a victory (Ps. ii. 8 ; 
 Luke xL 22» 'When a stronger than he (Satan) 
 
The Church 
 
 ISAIAH LIV. 
 
 is comforted. 
 
 And he shall divide the spoil with -^the strong; 
 Because he hath ^'poured out his soul unto death: 
 And he was 'numbered Avith the transgressors; 
 And he bare the sin of many, 
 And "^made intercession for the transgressors. 
 54 SING, "0 barren, thou that didst not bear ; 
 
 Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with 
 child: 
 
 For more are the children of the desolate 
 
 Than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. 
 
 2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, 
 
 And let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations : 
 Spare not, lengthen thy cords, — and strengthen thy stakes : 
 
 3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left ; 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 i ch. 52. 15. 
 
 Col. 2. 16. 
 & I's. 22. 14. 
 
 Phil. 2. 17. 
 ' Mark 15.28. 
 
 Lu. 22. 37. 
 
 Lu. 23. 25, 
 32, 33. 
 '"Luke 23.34. 
 
 Rom. 8. 34. 
 
 lleb. 7. 25. 
 
 Heb. 9. 24. 
 
 1 John 2. 1. 
 
 CHAP. 54. 
 " Song 8. 8. 
 ch. 6?. 4. 
 Gal. 4. 27. 
 
 shall come upon liim and overcome him, He (Christ) 
 t;iketh from Him all his armour, wherein he 
 trusted, and dhideth his spoils'). Mm — for Him. 
 with the great. Hengstanherg translates, 'I will 
 give Him the great (or mighty) tor a portion.' Cf. 
 the LXX. and Vulgate, which support this view. 
 But the parallel clause, "with the strong," favours 
 the English version. His triumphs shall be not 
 merely among the few and weak, but among the 
 many and mighty. He shall triumph over the 
 strong one, Satan himself, he shall divide the 
 spoil with the strong— (Col. ii. 15: cf. Prov. xvi. 
 19.) 'With the great: with the mighty,' may 
 mean, as a great and mighty hero, because he 
 hath poured out his soul unto death. "His 
 soul"— 2. e., His life, which was considered as re- 
 siding in the blood (Lev. xvii. 11; Rom. iii. 25). 
 and he was numbered with the transgressors 
 — not that He vxis a transgressor, but was treated 
 as such wlien crucified with thieves (Mark xv. 28 ; 
 Luke xxii. 37). and made intercession for the 
 transgressors. This office He began on tlie cross 
 (Luke xxiii. 34), and now continues in heaven (ch. 
 lix. IG; Heb. ix. 24; 1 John ii. 1). Understand, 
 because before ' He was numbered, He bare . . . 
 made intercession.' His meritorious death and 
 intercession are the cause of His ultimate triumph. 
 Maurer, for the parallelisra, translates yaphgiang, 
 'He vms put on the same footing with the trans- 
 gressors. But the English version agrees better 
 with the Hebrew, and with the sense and fact as 
 to Christ. Maurer' 8 translation would make a 
 tautology after "He was numbered with the trans- 
 gressors:" parallelism does not need so servile a 
 repetition. "He viade intercession for," &c., an- 
 swers to the parallel, "He was numbered with," 
 &c., as effect answers to cause; His intercession for 
 sinne s being the effect flowing from His having 
 be( n numbered with them. 
 
 llemarks. — ^^The objection drawn from the rejec- 
 tion of Messiah by the Jews is anticipated and 
 met bv the proT)het at the beginning of the fullest 
 and clearest of the i)rophecie3 concerning Him. 
 Men judge by outward appearances, rather than 
 by the inward and everlasting truth. The "re- 
 port " of the ancient prophets from the beginning, 
 and "the arm of the Lord" manifested in the 
 miracles, and in the Divine teaching of Messiah on 
 earth, were a two-fold evidence of Llis mission from 
 God, which leaves the Jew and the infidel alike 
 inexcusable in their unbelief. The lowliness of 
 His manifestation has in all ages been a stumbling- 
 block to the carnal and the worldly. The Jews 
 regarded the crucifixion of the Saviour as the 
 penalty of His own sin.s, whereas it was that of 
 tfi.eir sms and of those of the whole human race. 
 But though "despised and rejected of men," He 
 733 
 
 was 'before Jehovah ' in His birth. His childhood, 
 and His public ministry. The Father had accur- 
 ately appointed, in His eternal counsels of love 
 and wisdom, all the minute particulars of His life 
 and death as man's Kepresentative and atoning 
 Substitute. 
 
 CHAP. LIV. 1-17.— The Fruit of Messiah's 
 Sufferings, and of Israel's final Penitence 
 AT HER PAST Unbelief (ch. liii. 6) : Her joyful 
 Restoration and Enlargement by Jehovah, 
 WHOSE Wrath was momentary, but His kind- 
 ness everlasting. Israel converted is compared 
 to a wife {v. 5 ; ch. Ixii. 5) put away for unfaith- 
 fulness, but now forgiven and taken home again. 
 The converted Gentiles are represented as a new 
 progeny of the long-forsaken but now restored 
 wife. The jire- eminence of the Hebrew Church as 
 the mother Church of Christendom is the leading 
 idea: the conversion of the Gentiles is mentioned 
 only as part of her felicity {Horsley). 
 
 1. Sing— for joy (Zeph. iii. 14). 0 barren— the 
 Jewish Church, once forsaken by God, and there- 
 fore during that time destitute of spiritual children 
 {v. 6). thou (that) didst not bear— during the 
 Babylonian exile primarily. Secondarily, and 
 chiefly, during Israel's present dispersion, more 
 (are) the children of the desolate— the Gentiles 
 adopted by special grace into the original Church 
 [v. 3; ch. xlix. 20, 21). than the children cf the 
 married wife— than were her spiritual children, 
 when Israel was still a married wife (under the 
 law, before the Babylonian exile), before God put 
 her away {Maurer). So Paul contrasts the "Jeru- 
 salem which is above . . . the mother of us all," 
 the universal Church of the New Testament, with 
 the narrow Church of the Old Testament legal dis- 
 liensation, quoting this very passage (Gal. iv. 27). 
 But the full accomplishment of it is yet future. 
 2. Enlarge the place of thy tent— (ch. xlix. 19, 
 20; Jer. xxxi. 31-36, 38, 39.) Thy children shall 
 be so many that thy borders must be extended to 
 contain them, stretch forth the curtains— the 
 cloth forming the covering of the tent, spare not 
 —grudge not, but give abundantly the means for 
 the enlargement of the Church (2 Cor. ix. 5-7). 
 lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. 
 The more the tent is enlarged by lengthening the 
 cords by which the cloth covering is fastened to 
 the ground, the more the stakes supporting the 
 tent need to be strengthened ; the Church is not 
 merely to seek new converts, but to strengthen 
 those she has in the faith. The image is ai)pro- 
 priate, as the tabernacle was the symbol of the old 
 Israelitish Church (note, ch. xxxiii. 20). 3. For 
 thou Shalt break forth on the right hand and 
 on the left — thou shalt bm-st forth with increase ; 
 thy offspring shall grow, answering to " thy seed " 
 
The Church 
 
 ISAIAH LIV. 
 
 is comforted. 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 And thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, 
 And make the desolate cities to be inhabited. 
 
 4 Fear not ; for thou shalt not be ashamed : 
 
 Neither be thou confounded ; for thou shalt not be put to shame : 
 
 For thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, 
 
 And shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. 
 
 5 For thy Maker is thine husband ; — The Lord of hosts is his name ; 
 And thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel ; 
 
 ^The God of the whole earth shall he be called. 
 
 6 For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken, and grieved in spirit. 
 And a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, — saith thy God. 
 
 7 For '^a small moment have I forsaken thee ; 
 But with gi-eat mercies will I gather thee. 
 
 8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment ; 
 '^But with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, 
 Saith the Lord thy Redeemer. 
 
 9 For this is as the waters of ^ Noah unto me : 
 
 For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the 
 earth ; 
 
 So have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. 
 For ^ the mountains shall depart, — and the hills be removed ; 
 ^But my kindness shall not depart from thee, 
 Neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, 
 Saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. 
 
 0 thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted ! 
 Behold, I will lay thy stones wdth fair colours. 
 And lay thy foundations with sapphires. 
 
 in the parallel clause, and thy Israel and 
 
 her children, as distinguished from "the Gentiles." 
 shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate 
 cities to he inhabited— viz., those of Israel (ch. 
 xliv. 26). 4. Fear not; for thou shalt not he 
 ashamed— (oh. xli. 10, 14.) for thou shalt forget 
 the shame of thy youth— Israel's unfaithfulness 
 as wife of Jehovah almost from her earliest history, 
 and Shalt not rememtoer the reproach of thy 
 widowhood— Israel's j'JU'iishmeiit in her consequent 
 dismissal from God and barrenness of spiritual 
 children in Babylon, and her jjresent dispersion 
 {v. 1; ch. xlix. 21; Jer. iii. 24, 25; xxxi. 19; 
 Hos. ii. 2-5). 
 
 5. For thy Maker (is) thine husband ; The Lord 
 of hosts (is) his name— (ch. Ixii. 5; Jer. iii. 14.) 
 That God was Israel's "Maker," both as individ- 
 uals and as the theocratic kingdom, is the pledge 
 of assurance that He will be her Eedeemer (ch. 
 xliii. 1-3). Hebrew, ' makers . . . husbands,'' plural 
 for singular to denote excellency, and thy Re- 
 deemer the Holy One of Israel ; The God of the 
 whole earth. Not until He manifests Himself as 
 God of Israel shall He appear God of the whole 
 ear th (Ps. cii. 13, 15, 16 ; Zech. xiv. 5, 9). 6. For 
 the Lord hath called thee— i.e., recalled thee: 
 the prophetic past for the future, as a woman 
 forsaken— that had been forsaken, and a wife of 
 youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God— 
 or, ' when she was rejected : ' (ki thimmaees) one 
 who had been a wife of youth (Ezek. xvi. 8, 22, 60; 
 Jer. ii. 2) at the time when {thou, or) she was 
 rejected for infidelity (Maurer). ' A wife of youth, 
 hut afterwards rejected^ {Loivth). 7. For a small 
 moment have I forsaken thee— as compared with 
 Israel's coming long x>rosperity (ch. xxvi. 20 ; Ix. 
 10). So the spiritual Israel (Ps. xxx. 5; 2 Cor. iv. 
 17). but with great mercies will I gather thee 
 — to myself from thy dispersions. 8. In a little 
 
 wrath- or, ' In the overflowing of wrath : ' as 
 Prov. xxvii. 4, marg., 'Anger is an overflowing:' 
 Shetzeph is written here for sheteph there, for the 
 sake of the play on similar sounds to quetzeph, 
 which follows here {Gesenius). The wrath, though 
 but " for a moment," was overflowing whilst it 
 lasted. So the Syriac, 'On account of great wrath.' 
 But the LXX., Vulgate, Clialdaic, and Arabic 
 support the English version. So Jerome. Sfi£e- 
 metz is of kindred sound and sense. I hid my face 
 — (ch. viii. 17; Ps. xxx. 7.) but with everlasting 
 kindness will I have mercy on thee. " Ever- 
 lasting;" in contrast to " for a moment." 9. For 
 this (is as) the waters of Noah unto me— I am 
 about to do the same in this instance as in Noah's 
 flood. As I swore then that it should not return 
 (Gen. viii. 21 ; ix. 11), and I kept that promise, 
 so I swear now to my j)eople, and will perform my 
 promise, that there shall be no return of the deluge 
 of my wrath upon them. Loivth, on the authority 
 of theVulgate, Chaldaic, and Syriac, reads (the same 
 will I do now as) in the days of Noah. But the 
 weight of MSS., and the LXX. and Arabic read 
 as the English version, and the very next clause, 
 "for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah," 
 &c., favours this. 10. For the mountains shall 
 depart, and the hills be removed ; but my kind- 
 ness shall not depart from thee— (ch. li. 6; Ps. 
 Ixxxix. 33, 34; Rom. xi. 29.) neither shall the 
 covenant of my peace be removed— (2 Sam. xxiii. 
 5.) The covenant whereby I have made thee at 
 peace with me. 
 
 11. 0 thou afiBicted . . . not comforted— by any 
 one ; none gave her help or comfort, behold, I 
 will lay thy stones with fair colours— rather, 
 "lay ... in cement of vermilion^ {Loivth). The 
 Hebrew [pukh] for "fair colours" means stibium, 
 the paint with which Eastern women painted 
 their eyelids and eyelashes (2 Ki. ix. 30). The 
 
The call 
 
 ISAIAH LV. 
 
 of the Gentiles, 
 
 12 And I will make thy windows of agates, — and thy gates of carbuncles, 
 And all thy borders of pleasant stones. 
 
 13 And all thy children shall be ^'taught of the Lord ; 
 And great shall he Uhe peace of thy children. 
 
 1 4 In righteousness shalt thou be established : 
 
 Thou shalt be far from oppression ; — for thou shalt not fear : 
 And from terror ; — for it shall not come near thee. 
 
 15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me : 
 Whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. 
 
 16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, 
 And that bringeth forth an instrument for his work ; 
 
 And I have created the waster to destroy. 
 
 17 No ^'weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper ; 
 
 And every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt 
 condemn. 
 
 This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, 
 ^ And their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. 
 55 HO, "every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, 
 
 B. 0. 712. 
 
 *^ ell. 11. 9. 
 Jer. 31. 34. 
 John 6. 45. 
 1 Cor. 2. 10. 
 1 Thes. 4. 9. 
 
 1 John 2.20. 
 > John 14. 27. 
 
 PhU. 4. 7. 
 i Ps. 94. 16. 
 ch. .50. f>. 9. 
 Acts 6. 10. 
 Kom. 8. 33, 
 37. 
 
 2 Cor. 2. 14. 
 ch. 4.5. 24. 
 
 CHAP. 55. 
 ' John 4. 14. 
 John 7. 37. 
 1 Cor. 1. 22. 
 Eev. 21. 6. 
 ilev. It. 17. 
 
 very cement shall be of the most beautiful coloui- 
 (Rev. xxi. 18-21). 12. And I -will make thy win- 
 dows of agates — or thy battlements [Hebrew, 
 shemashoth. The LXX. eTrdX^ets. So the Vul- 
 gate, Arabic, and the Eabbins]; lit., siins; applied 
 to battlements from their radiated appearance. 
 diZ^X&s — kadTcod : jasper. The LXX., Vulgate, 
 Arabic, and Syriac, pearls. The Chaldaic, rubies 
 (Maurer). If the English version be accepted 
 (because through ivindows the light of the sun 
 enters), the agate, or jasper, or ruby windows will 
 refer to the frames of the windows, as those 
 ])recious stones are not sufficiently transparent for 
 ivindows to let the light shine through. Cocceius 
 takes kadkod, ' crystal,' from kadad, to glow, and 
 thy gates of carbuncles— e^wec^cZacA, from quadach, 
 to burn; lit., sjMrkling gems : the carbuncle when 
 lield to the sun becomes like a burning coal, all 
 thy borders— rather, thy lohole circuit, consisting of 
 precious stones. The glory of the Church on earth 
 shall be perfected when the Hebrew Church, 
 according to the original design, shall be the 
 metropolis of Christendom. 13. all thy children 
 (shall be) taught of the Lord. Quoted by the 
 Saviour (John vi. 45) to prove that in order to 
 come to Him men must be 'drawn' by the Father. 
 So Jer. xxxi. 34 ; Mic. iv. 2 ; 1 Cor. ii. 10 ; Heb. 
 viii. 10 ; X. 16 ; 1 John ii. 20, 27. great (shall be) 
 the peace of thy children— generally (Ps. cxix. 
 165). Specially referring to the peaceful prosperity 
 which shall prevail under Messiah in the latter 
 days (chs. ii. 4 ; ix. 6). 14. In righteousness shalt 
 thou be established — the characteristic of the 
 reign of Messiah (ch. xi. 4, 5 ; Ps. Ixxii. 2, 4 ; Rev. 
 j.ix. 11). thou Shalt be far from oppression; for 
 thou Shalt not fear — far from suffering o])2')ression : 
 ' for thou shalt have nothing to fear.' 15. Behold, 
 they shall surely gather together, (but) not by 
 me— i. e.. If it should happen that enemies "gather 
 together" against thee (Ps. ii. 2), they will not 
 have been sent by me (cf. Hos. viii. 4) as instru- 
 ments of my wrath (nay, it will be with my dis- 
 approval); for whosoever shall gather together 
 against thee— (Ps. lix. 3.) shall fall for thy sake. 
 The Chaldaic, 'shall fall in the midst of them' — 
 rather, ' shall come over to thy side ' ["^h^ 
 (Lovjth). Hebrew, naphaVal — lit., \fall to thee' 
 (Jer. xxi. 9 ; xxxix. 9). So the LXX.. Jerome, Vul- 
 gate, and Arabic. To be fuUij fulfilled to Jeru- 
 salem hereafter (Zcch. xiv. IG). 16. Behold, I 
 have created the smith. The workmen that forms 
 735 
 
 ' weapons against thee ' Qv. 17) is wholly in my 
 power, therefore thou needest not fear, having me 
 on thy side, that bringeth forth an instrument 
 for his work — rather, 'by his labour' {Ilorsley). 
 'According to [h] the exigencies of his work' 
 (Maurer). and I have created the waster to 
 destroy— (chs. x. 5-7 ; xxxvii. 26, 27 ; xlv. 1-6). 
 Desolating conquerors are meant, who use the 
 ' instruments ' framed by "the smith." The repe- 
 tition of the "I" (Hebrew, anocJii) implies, how- 
 ever, something in the latter half of the verse con- 
 trasted with the former ; understand it, therefore, 
 thus : ' I have in my power both him who frames 
 arms, and him who destroys them (arms) ' [Rosen- 
 muller). 17. every tongue (that) shall rise against 
 thee in judgment thou shalt condemn — image 
 from a court of justice. Those who desire to 
 "condemn" thee thou shalt "condemn" (Exod. 
 xi. 7 ; Josh. x. 21 ; Ps. Ixiv. 8 ; Rom. viii. 1, .33). 
 their righteousness (is) of me (ch. xlv. 24; xlvi. 
 13) — [this is) their justification from me. Their 
 enemies would " condemn " them, but I justify 
 and vindicate them, and so they condemn their 
 enemies. 
 
 Remarks. — Jehovah will yet take to Himself 
 again Israel, the wife long separated from Him 
 because of her sin. So long as she is apart from 
 Him she hath no spiritual "children;" but when 
 she shall be restored, a new song of joy shall be 
 put in her mouth, because of the numberless 
 Gentiles who shall bo her spiritual progeny in the 
 (4ospel Kingdom. She shall " break forth on the 
 right hand and on the left ;" and whilst 'lengthen- 
 ing her cords ' by the acquisition of new converts, 
 she shall be careful also to 'strengthen her stakes' 
 by grounding firmly in the faith those who are 
 already believers. Her past ' shame and re- 
 proach' she shall 'remember no more.' For her 
 Maker shall then manifest Himself as her ' Hus- 
 band and her Redeemer.' Then first, as the re- 
 sult of His manifestation as " the Holy One of 
 Israel,^'' 'He shall be called the God of the whole 
 ^ayth ' 
 
 CHAP. LV. 1-13.— The Call of the Gentile 
 World to Faith the Result of God's Grace 
 TO the Jews first. 
 
 1. Ho, every one. After the special privileges of 
 Israel (ch. liv. ) there follow, as the consequence, 
 the universal invitation to the Gentiles (Luke 
 xxiv. 47; Rom. xi. 12, 15). "Ho" calls the most 
 earnest attention, that thirsteth — has a keen 
 
The call of the 
 
 ISAIAH LV. 
 
 Gentiles to repentance. 
 
 And he that hath no money; ^come ye, buy and eat ; 
 
 Yea, come, buy wine and milk — without money, and without price. 
 
 Wherefore do ye ^ spend money for that which is not bread ? 
 
 And your labour for that which satisfieth not ? 
 
 Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, 
 
 And let your soul delight itself in fatness. 
 
 Incline your ear, and '^come unto me : — hear, and your soul shall live ; 
 '^And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, 
 Even the '^sure mercies of David. 
 
 Behold, I have given him for ^ a witness to the people, 
 ^A leader and commander to the people. 
 Behold, ^Hhou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, 
 And nations tltat knew not thee shall run unto thee 
 Because of the Lord thy God, 
 
 And for the Holy One of Israel ; ^for he hath glorified thee. 
 
 Seek -^ye the Lord while he may be found, 
 Call ye upon him while he is near : 
 
 Let the wicked forsake his way, — and ^the unrighteous man ^his thoughts : 
 
 B. C. 71i. 
 
 «> Matt. 13 4t. 
 
 Rev. 22. ir. 
 1 weigh. 
 " Matt. 11.28. 
 
 Jer. 32. -lO. 
 " Acts 13. 31. 
 / Mai. 3. 5. 
 
 John 13. 37. 
 
 1 Tim. 6.13. 
 
 Rev. 1. 5. 
 " Jer. 30. 9. 
 
 Eze 34. 23. 
 
 Heb. 2. 10. 
 
 Eph. 2. 11. 
 
 1 Acts 3. I J. 
 .;■ Mat. 5. 2). 
 
 Matt. 7. 7. 
 John 7. 3t. 
 John 8. 21. 
 
 2 the man of 
 iniquity. 
 
 * Zech. .s. 17. 
 
 Beiise of need (Matt. v. G). come ye to the waters 
 . . . wine and milk — a gradation. Kot merely 
 vrnter, which is needed to maintain life at all, but 
 wine and milk to strengthen, cheer, and nourish ; 
 the spiritual blessings of the Gosi)el are meant 
 (cli. XXV. 6; Song V. 1; John vii. 37). "Waters," 
 plural, to denote abundance (chs. xliii. 20 ; xliv. 3). 
 and lie that hath no money. Yet, in v. 2, it is 
 said, "ye spend money." A seeming paradox. 
 Ye are really spiritual bankrupts : but thinking 
 yourselves to have money ~\\z., a devotion of your 
 own making— ye lavish it ou that "which is not 
 bread" — i. e., on idols, whether literal or si)iritual. 
 buy . . . without money and without price— 
 another paradox. We are bought, but not with a 
 price paid by ourselves (1 Cor. vi. 20; 1 Pet. i. 18, 
 19. ) In a different sense we are to " buy " salvation 
 --viz., by parting with everything which comes 
 between us and Christ, who has bouglit it for us, 
 and by making it our own (Matt. xiii. 44, 4G ; Luke 
 xii. 33 ; Rev. iii. 18). 2. Wherefore do ye spend 
 money for (that which is) not bread? (Hab. ii. 
 13)— cf. " Bread of deceit," Pro V. xx. 17. Contrast 
 this with the "bread of life" (John vi. 32, 35; also 
 Luke xiv. 10-20). and your labour for (that 
 which) satiEfloth not ?— (Eccl. i. 8 ; iv. 8.) hearken 
 diligently unto me, and eat ye (that which is) 
 good. When two imperatives are joined, the second 
 expresses the consequence of obeying the command 
 in the tirst (Hen. xlii. 18, "This do and live"— i. e., 
 and ye sliali live). Bp hearhemny ye shall eat. So 
 in V. 1, "buy and eat." By buying, and so making 
 it your own, ye shall eat — i, e., erperimentally enjoy 
 it (John vi. 53). Cf. the invitah'on, Prov. ix. 5. 6 ; 
 Matt. xxii. 4. and let your soul delight itself in 
 fatness— (Ps. xxxvi. 8; Ixiii. 5.) 3. Come unto 
 me: hear, and your soul shall live. By coming 
 to me ye shall live; for "/ am the ///e" (John xiv. 
 6). and I will make an everlasting covenant— 
 (Jer. xxxii. 40; 2 Sam. xxiii. 5.) with you, 
 (even) the sure mercies of David— God's cove- 
 nant is with the antitypical David, Messiah (Ezek. 
 xxxiv. 23), and so with us by our identification 
 M'ith Him, sure— answering to "everlasting," 
 irrevocable, unfailing, to be relied on (Ps. Ixxxix. 
 2-4, 28, 29, 34-36 ; Jer. xxxiii. 20, 21 ; 2 Sam. vii. 
 15, 16 ; 2 Cor. i. 18-20), mercies of David— the 
 mercies of grace (ch. Ixiii. 7; John i, 16, 17) which 
 I covenanted to give to David, and especially to 
 Messiah, his antitype. Quoted in Acts xiii. 34 as 
 fultilled in God's raising up Messiah from the 
 dead, uow no more to return to corruptiou.' 
 736 
 
 4. Behold, I have given him— the mystical David 
 (Ezek. xxxvii. 24, 25; Jer, xxx. 9; Hos. iii. 5), 
 Given by God (ch. xlix. 6). for a witness to the 
 people— Hebrew, peoples. He bore witness even 
 unto death for God, to His law. His claims, and 
 His plan of redeeming love (John xviii. 37; Rev. i. 
 5, "the Faithful Witness.") Revelation is a "tes- 
 timony " Ceedah and ^eeduth, from 'eerf, a witness) ; 
 because it is propounded to be received ou the 
 authority of the Giver, and not merely because it 
 can be proved by arguments, a leader — Nagid, 
 Prince [apx^^y"^}'- Acts iii. 15, "the Prince of life:" 
 the same Hebrew term as in Dan, ix. 26. com- 
 mander — ' preceptor ' {Horslcy). So Vulgate. 
 But the Chaldaic, LXX., Arabic, and Syriac much 
 the same as the English version. Hebrew, mf-t- 
 zavveh, from tzavah, to enjoin, or command, to the 
 people— Hebrew, _pco?)Z6^-. 6, Behold, thou— Jeho- 
 vah addresses Messiah, shalt call a nation (that) 
 thou knowest not, and nations (that) knew not 
 thee shall run unto thee, God must call, before 
 man can, or will, run (Song i. 4 ; John vi. 44), Kx)t 
 merely sJiall come, but run eagerly, that thou 
 knowest not — now as thy i)eople (so in Matt. vii. 
 23). nation . . . nations— gradation ; from Israel, 
 one nation, the Gospel spread to many nations, 
 and will do so more fully on Israel's conversion, 
 that knew not thee-(ch. Iii. 15; Eph. ii. 11, 12.) 
 because of the Lord thy God , . . for He hath 
 glorified thee— (ch. Ix. 5, 9 ; Zech. viii. 23), where 
 similar language is directed to Israel, because of 
 the identification of Israel with Messiah, who is 
 the ideal Israel; Matt, ii, 15: cf. with Hos. xi. 1: 
 see Acts iii. 13. ) 
 
 6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found. 
 The condition and limit in the obtaining of the 
 spiritual benefits (vf, 1-3): (1.) Seek the Lord. (2.) 
 Seek Him whilst He is to be found (ch. Ixv. 1 ; 
 Ps. xxxii, 6 ; Matt, xxv, 1-13 ; John vii, 34 ; viii. 
 21 ; 2 Cor. vi. 2 ; Heb. ii. 3 ; iii. 13, 15). caU ye 
 upon him— casting yourselves wholly on His mercy 
 (Rom. X. 13). Stronger than "seek;" so "near" 
 is more positive than "while He maybe found" 
 (Rom, X. 8, 9). while he is near— propitious (Ps. 
 xxxiv, 18; cxlv, 18), 7, Let the wicked forsake 
 his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. 
 " L^urighteous man" — Hebrew, ish aven, man oj 
 iniquity: true of all men. The "wicked" sins 
 more openly in "his way:" the "unrighteous" 
 refers to the more subtle workings of sin in the 
 "thoughts." All are guilty in the latter respect, 
 though many fancy themselves safe, because not 
 
The happy state 
 
 ISAIAH LV. 
 
 10 
 
 And let him retarn unto tlie Lord— ^and he will have mercy upon him 
 And to our God,— for ^he will "^abundantly pardon, 
 
 8 For my ''thoughts are not your thoughts, 
 Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 
 
 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 
 So are my ways higher than your ways, 
 And my thoughts than your thoughts. 
 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, 
 And returneth not thither, but watereth tlie earth. 
 And maketh it bring forth and bud, 
 
 That it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater ; 
 
 1 1 So shall my word b^ that goeth forth out of my mouth : 
 It shall not return unto me void, 
 But it shall accompUsh that which I please, 
 And it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 
 
 12 For ye shall go out with joy,— and be led forth with peace : ^ _ 
 Tlie mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing. 
 And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 
 
 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree. 
 And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree 
 And it shall be to the Lord for a name, 
 
 For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. 
 
 of believers. 
 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 
 ' Jer. 3. \i. 
 
 
 3 he wiil 
 
 
 multiply 
 
 
 to pardoD. 
 
 
 '"Ex. 34. 6, 7. 
 
 
 Num.l4.is, 
 
 
 19. 
 
 
 I'g. :A. 1. 
 
 
 Ps. 130. 7. 
 
 
 Ch. 43. 2-.. 
 
 
 Ch. 44. 22. 
 
 
 Jer. 3. 1/, 
 
 
 13. 
 
 
 Luke 7. 47. 
 
 
 Kom. 5. 16- 
 
 
 21. 
 
 
 E|.h. 1.6. S. 
 
 
 1 Tim. 1.15, 
 
 
 16. 
 
 
 « 2 Sam. 7.19. 
 
 
 Ps. 25. 10. 
 
 
 Ps. 40. 5. 
 
 
 Ps. 92. 5. 
 
 
 Pro. 21. 8. 
 
 
 Pro. 25. 3. 
 
 
 Jer. 3. 1. 
 
 
 Eze. 18. 29. 
 
 openly 'wicked in ways' (Ps. xciv. 11, Ihe Lord 
 knowetli the thoughts of man, that they are 
 vanity "). and let him return unto the Lord, and 
 lie will iiave mercy upon liim ; and to our God, 
 for lie will abundantly pardon. The parallelism 
 is that of gradation. The progress of the penitent 
 is to be from negative reformation, 'forsaking his 
 (I ) way,' and (2.) a farther step, "his thoughts, ^ 
 to positive repentance, (1.) 'returning to the Lord 
 (the only true repentance, Zech. xii. 10), and 
 making (^od his God, alowj vnth the other children 
 of God (the crowning point ; appropriation oi God 
 io ourselves, in communion vMh the saints: "to our 
 God "). " Return " implies that man origuially 
 walked with God, but has apostatized. Isaiah 
 saith, "our God"— the God of the believing Israel- 
 ites. Those redeemed themselves desire others to 
 come to their God (Ps. xxxiv. 8; Kev. xxii. 17). 
 for lie will abundantly pardon [yarheh lisloach) — 
 lit., multiphj to pardon; still more than "have 
 mercy." God's graciousness is felt more and more 
 the longer one knows Him (Ps. cxxx. 7). 8. For 
 niy thoughts (are) not your thoughts, neither 
 (are) your ways my ways, saith the Lord-re- 
 ferrin^ to v. 7. You need not doubt His willing- 
 ness 'abundantly to pardon' (cf. v. 12) ; for, though 
 "the wicked" man's "ways," and 'the unrigh- 
 teous man's thonfjhts,' are so aggravated as to seeni 
 unpardonable. God's "thoughts" and " ways in 
 pardoning are not regulated by the proportion of 
 man's ways and thoughts, as man s would be 
 towards his fellow-man who offended him (cf. the 
 "for," Ps. xxv. 11, "For thy name's sake, 0 Lord, 
 pardon mine iniquity, for it is great ;" Kom. v. 19, 
 '20). 9. For (as) the heavens are higher than the 
 earth, bo are my ways higher than your ways— 
 (Ps. Ivii. 10; Ixxxix. 2; ciii. 11.) For is repeated 
 from V. 8. But Maurer, after the negation, 
 "neither are your ways my ways," translates, 
 'but.' 10. For as the rain cometh down . . . 
 and returneth not thither, but watereth the 
 earth. The hearts of men, once barren of spiritu- 
 ality, shall be made, by the outpouring of the 
 Spirit under Messiah, to bear fruits of righteous- 
 ness (ch. v. 6; Deut. xxxii. 2; 2 Sam. xxm. 4; Ps, 
 licxii. 6). and the snow from heaven— which 
 VOL. III. 737 
 
 covers plants from frost in winter, and, when 
 melted in spring, waters the earth, and return- 
 eth not thither— row^, as in 11 : it returns not 
 in the same shape, or without ' accompbshmg txie 
 desired end. and maketh it bring forth and bud 
 —(terminate. 11. So shall my word be that 
 goeth forth out of my mouth : it shall not re- 
 turn unto me void-(Matt. xxiv. 35.) Pvain may 
 to us seem lost when it falls on a desert, but it 
 fulfils some purpose of God. So the Gospel word 
 falling on the hard heart: it sometimes works a 
 change at last ; and even if not so, it leaves men 
 without excuse. The full accomplishment ot this 
 verse, and vv. 12, 13^ is, however, to be at the 
 Jews' final restoration and conversion of the world 
 (ch. xi. 9-12 ; Ix. 1-5, 21). 12. For ye shall go out 
 with joy— from the various countries m wbicli ye 
 (the Jews) are scattered, to your own land (Ezek. 
 xi 17) and be led forth with peace— by Mes- 
 siah, your "Leader" {v. 4; ch. lii. 12; Mic. ii. 
 12 13) the mountains and the hills shall break 
 forth iDefore you into singing, and all the trees- 
 images justly used to express the seeming sym- 
 pathy of nature with the joy of Gods people 
 For when sin is removed the natural world shaU 
 be delivered from 'vanity,' and be renewed, so as 
 to be in unison with the regenerated moral world 
 (ch. xliv. 2;3; Ps. xcviii. 8 ; Rom. vni. 19-22). 13. 
 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree. 
 "The thorn" — emblem of the wicked (2 Sam. 
 xxiii. 6 ; Mic. vii. 4). fir tree-the godly (ch. Ix. 
 13- Ps. xcii. 12). Cf. as to the change wrought, 
 Rom vi 19. instead of the brier— emblem of 
 uncuitivation (ch. v. 6). the myrtle-Hebrew, 
 Iledes, whence comes Hedassah, the original name 
 of Esther Type of the Christian Church ; for it is 
 a lowly, though beautiful, fragrant aud ci'f^r-grem 
 shrub (Ps. xcii. 13, 14). it shall be to the Lord 
 for a name, for an everlasting sign— a perpetual 
 memorial to the glory of Jehovah (Jer. xui. 11; 
 
 ^^Eemarks.— The universal comprehensiveness of 
 the invitation which the Gospel gives constitutes 
 at once its glory and our responsibility. JNone 
 hereafter can say that provision was not maae 
 whereby he might have been saved. The leather, 
 
 3 B 
 
Exhortation to 
 
 ISAIAH LVI. 
 
 holiness of life. 
 
 56 THUS saith the Lord, — Keep ye ^judgment, and do justice : 
 
 "For my salvation is near to come, — and my righteousness to be revealed. 
 
 2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, 
 
 And the son of man that layeth hold on it ; 
 That ^keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, 
 And keepeth his hand from doing any ■evil. 
 
 3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the 
 
 Lord, speak, 
 
 Saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people : 
 Neither let the eunuch say, — Behold, I am a dry tree. 
 
 4 For thus saith tlie Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbatbs. 
 And choose the things that please me, — and take hold of my covenant; 
 
 5 Even unto them will I give in '^mine house and within my walls 
 A place ^and a name better than of sons and of daughters: 
 
 I will give them an everlasting name, — that shall not be cut off. 
 G Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, 
 
 And to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, 
 
 Every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it. 
 
 And taketh hold of my covenant; 
 7 Even them will I -^bring to my holy mountain,, 
 
 And make them joyful in my house of prayer : 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 CHAP. 5B. 
 1 Or, equity. 
 " Ps. 85. 9. 
 
 Matt. 3. 2. 
 
 Mark 1. 15. 
 
 Luke 33. 9. 
 
 R'im. 1. 17. 
 
 Eom. 13.11. 
 6 Ex. 20. 11. 
 
 ch. 58, 13. 
 
 Eze. 20. 12. 
 " Deut. 23. 1. 
 
 Acts 8. 27. 
 
 Acts 10. 1. 
 
 Acts 17. 4. 
 
 Acts 18. r. 
 
 1 Pet. 1. 1. 
 d Matt. 1R.18. 
 
 Eph. 2, 22. 
 
 iTim. 3.15. 
 
 Heb. 3. 6. 
 ' ch. 62. 12. 
 
 John i. 12. 
 
 1 John 3. 1. 
 
 Rev. 3. 12. 
 / 1 Pet. 1. 1. 
 
 the Son, and the Spirit invite all with gracious 
 earnestness — " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come 
 ye to the waters." Yea, not only are we invited to 
 the elementary necessaries of spiritual life, but to 
 the "wine and milk" of its comforts and joys. 
 And all are to be had "without money and with- 
 out price." Yet, though "without money," he 
 who would have the Gospel blessings must " buy " 
 them, Christ alone has paid the "price" required 
 for them, even His own precious blood. But we 
 must appropriate them at the cost of ceasing to 
 'spend our labour for that which satistieth not.' 
 It is by no more hearing the teiupter, and by 
 henceforth 'hearkening diligently ' wwfo the Sav- 
 iour, we shall ' eat that v. hich is good,' and 
 our 'soul shall delight itself in fatness.' More- 
 over, these blessings are as permanent as they are 
 delightful and satisfying. For God makes with 
 His people an "everlasting covenant." 
 
 CHAP. LVI. 1-12.— The Preparation needed 
 ON the part of those who wish to be Admitted 
 TO the Kingdom op God, 
 
 1. Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment- 
 equity. John the Baptist preached similarly a 
 return to righteousness, as needed to prepare men 
 for Messiah's first coming (Luke iii. 3, 8-14). So it 
 shall be, before the second coming (Mai, iv. 4-6). 
 for my salvation is near to come— (Matt, iii, 2 ; 
 iv. 17) ; also as to the second coming (ch. Ixii, 10, 
 11 ; Luke xxi. 28, 31 ; Pvom. xiii, 11, 12; Heb, x, 
 25, 37). and my righteousness to be revealed— 
 answering to "salvation" in the parallel clause; 
 therefore it means rigldeousness which hringeih sal- 
 vation (ch, xlvi. 13 ; Pvom. iii. 25, 26). 2. (Luke 
 xii. 43.) Blessed (is) the man— Hebrew, enosh, 'a 
 man in humble life,' in contradistinction to Hebrew, 
 ish, 'one of high rank.' Even the humblest, as 
 " the stranger" and "the eunuch" [vv. 4, 6), are 
 admissible to these privileges, the man (that) 
 doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold 
 on it — what follows: 'keeping the Sabbath,' &c. 
 (ch. Iviii. 13, 14 ; Ezek. xx. 12). A proof that the 
 Sabbath, in the spirit of its obligation, was to be 
 binding under the Gospel (ch. Ixvi. 23). That 
 (^ospel times are referred to is plain from the 
 blessing not being pronounced on the man who 
 observed the sacrificial ritual of the Jewish law. 
 layetU hold— image from one grasping firmly some 
 738 
 
 precious object which he is afraid of having forcibly 
 snatched from him. The " Sabbath " here includes 
 all the ordinances of divine worship under the new 
 Gospel law. that keepeth the Sahbath from pol- 
 luting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any 
 evil — the observance of the second table of the law ; 
 as the " Sabbath" referred to tl>e first table. To- 
 getl^er, they form the whole duty of man — the wor- 
 ship of God and a holy life. 
 
 3. Neither let the^ son of the stranger . . . 
 speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated 
 me from his people. God w elcomes all believers, 
 without distinction of persons, under the new 
 economy (Acts x. 34, 35). that hath joined '•.im- 
 self to the Lord— (Num. xviii, 4, 7.) ' Proselytes.' 
 separated. Proselytes from the Gentiles were not 
 admitted to the same privileges as native Israelites. 
 This barrier between Jew^s and Gentiles was to be 
 broken down (Eph. ii. 14-16). neither let the 
 eunuch say— (Acts viii. 27, &c.) Eunuchs were 
 chamberlains over harems, or court ministers in 
 general. Behold, I am a dry tree— barren (cf. Luke 
 xxiii. 31). Eunuchs were not admissible into the 
 congregation of Israel (Deut. xxiii. 1-3), Under 
 the Gospel the eunuch and stranger should be re- 
 leased from religious and civil -disabilities. 4. For 
 thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that , . . 
 please me— that sacrifice their own pleasure to 
 mine, and take hold of my covenant— so "layeth 
 hold" (note, r. 2). 5. Even unto them will I give 
 in mine house— the temple, the emblem of the 
 Church (1 Tim. iii. 15). They shall no longer be 
 confined, as proselytes were, to the outer court, 
 but shall be admitted " into the Holiest " (Heb. x. 
 19, 20). a place— lit,, a hand, and a name better 
 than of sons. Though the eunuch is barren of 
 children [v. 3), I will give him a more lasting name 
 than tJiat of being father of sons and daughters, 
 which was regarded as a high honour among the 
 Hebrews (John i. 12 ; x, 3; 1 John iii, 1 ; Eev. ii. 
 17; iii. 12). 6. Also the sons of the stranger, 
 that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, 
 &c. — (Jer. 1. 5.) Conditions of admission to the 
 privileges of adoption. 7. Even them— (Eph. ii. 
 11-13.) will I bring to my holy mountain— Jeru- 
 salem, the seat of the Lord's throne in His coming 
 Kingdom (ch. ii. 2; Jer. iii. 17). make them joy- 
 ful— (Pvom. V. 11.) their burnt offerings and their 
 
The blessed death 
 
 ISAIAH LVII. 
 
 of the righteous. 
 
 ^ Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; 
 For ^mine house shall be called an house of prayer *for all people. 
 
 8 The Lord God — which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, 
 ■'Yet will I gather others to him, 
 
 ^ Besides those that are gathered unto him. 
 
 9 All ye beasts of the field, come to devour. 
 Yea, all ye beasts in the forest. 
 
 10 His watchmen are * blind: they are all ignorant, 
 ' They are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark ; 
 
 ^ Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. 
 
 11 Yea, they are ^ greedy dogs which ^can never have enough, 
 And they are shepherds that cannot understand : 
 
 They all look to their own way, 
 
 Every one for his gain, from his quarter. 
 
 12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine. 
 
 And we will fill ourselves with strong drink ; 
 And to-morrow shall be as this day, — and much more abundant. 
 57 THE righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; 
 And ^merciful men are taken away, none considering 
 
 B. C. 712. 
 
 " Rom. 12. 1. 
 
 Luke 19. 40. 
 < Mai. 1. 11. 
 j JohnlO. 16. 
 
 Eph. 1. 10. 
 
 2 to his 
 gathered. 
 Matt. 15.14. 
 
 I Phil. 3. 2. 
 
 3 Or, dream- 
 ing, or, 
 talking in 
 their sleep. 
 
 * strong of 
 appetite. 
 
 5 know not 
 to be 
 satisfied. 
 
 CHAP. 57. 
 1 men of 
 kindness 
 or, godli- 
 ness. 
 
 sacrifices — spiritual, of which tlie literal were 
 types (Rom. xii. 1 ; Heb. xiii. 15 ; 1 Pet. ii. 5). 
 (shall be) accepted— (E])]i. i. 6.) upon mine altar 
 (Heb. xiii. 10) — spiritually, the cross of Christ, 
 which sanctifies our sacritices of pi-ayer and praise, 
 an house of prayer for all people— or rather, 
 peoples. No louger restricted to one favoured 
 people (Mai. i. 11; John iv. 21, 23; 1 Tim. ii. 8). 
 To be fully realized at the second coming (ch, ii. 
 2-4). No longer literal, but spiritual sacrihce, viz., 
 " prayer," shall be offered (Ps. cxli. 2 ; li. 17 ; Matt. 
 
 xxi. 1.3). 8. The Lord God which gathereth the 
 outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather (others) 
 to him, &c.— Jehovah will not only restore the 
 scattered outcasts of Israel (ch. xL 12 ; Ps. cxlvii. 
 2) to their own land, but, ' will gather others 
 {'strangers') to him (Israel), besides those gathered' 
 (jnarg., to Ms gathered— i. e., in addition to the 
 Israelites collected from their dispersion) (John x. 
 16 ; Eph. i. 10 ; ii. 19). 
 
 9. All ye beasts of the field— Gentile idolatrous 
 natious hostile to the Jews, summoned by God to 
 chastise them (Jer. xii. 7-9 ; 1. 17 ; Ezek. xxxiv. 5) : 
 the Chaldeans, and subsequently the Romans. 
 The mention of the "outcasts of Israel" {v. 8) 
 brings in view the outcastiug, caused by the sins 
 of their rulers (vv. 10-12). come to devour— viz., 
 Israel. 10. His watchmen — Israel's spiritual 
 leaders (ch. IxiL 6; Ezek. iii. 17). (are) blind— 
 (Matt, xxiii. 16.) dumb dogs — image from bad 
 shepherds' watch-dogs, which fail to give notice, 
 by barking, of the approach of wild beasts {ho'dm 
 ehokbim). sleeping, lying down— ' dreamers, slug- 
 gards ' (Lowth). Not merely sleeping inactive, but 
 under visionary delusions. [So the LXX., ewirvi- 
 X^ofievoL. The Vulgate, 'videntcs vana;' and the 
 Arabic], loving to slumber — not merely slumber- 
 ing involuntarily, but loving it. 11. greedy i^azzee 
 nephesh) — lit., strong {i. e., insatiable) in appetite 
 (Ezek. xxxiv. 2, 3; Mic. iii. 11). they (are) shep- 
 herds (that) cannot understand— unable to com- 
 prehend the wants of the people spiritually : so v. 
 10, ''cannot bark." they all look to their own 
 way — i. e., their own selfish interests : not the 
 spiritual welfare of the y)Cople (Jer. vi. 13 ; Ezek. 
 
 xxii. 27). every one for his gain, from his 
 quarter— or, ' from the highest to the lowest ' 
 (Lowth). 8o the Vulgate. "From his quarter" 
 - i. e., from one end to the other of them, one and 
 all (Gen. xix. 4). Hebrew, miquatzeehu, from his 
 
 extremity. 12. Come ye, (say they), I will fetch 
 wine— language of the national teachers challeng- 
 ing one another to drink. Or, ' I will tahe (Hebrew, 
 equechah) wine' — /. e., another cup of wine (ch. v. 
 11). to-morrow shall be as this day — their 
 self-indulgence was habitual and intentional: not 
 merely they drink, but they mean to continue so. 
 
 Remarks. —The 'keeping' of "the Sabbath 
 from" all 'pollution' is here marked as a pro- 
 minent feature of believing obedience to God. No 
 nation or individual can maintain true piety who 
 neglect this plain command, obligatory alike, though 
 on somewhat different grounds, under the law and 
 the Gospel. The spiritual temple, the Church, or 
 house of God, is now "an house of jirayer," open 
 " for all people." As yet all nations do not belong 
 to it. But hereafter when " the Lord God " hath 
 gathered "the outcasts of Israel," He will also 
 gather the other nations to Him. Meanwhile 
 Israel has been for ages cast out as a prey to 'the 
 beasts of the field,' the unbelieving world-powers 
 —Babylon, Rome, and the Mohammedan op- 
 pressor. Such has been the sad result of the un- 
 faithfulness and selfishness of her rulers. Let all 
 in authority in church and state take warning 
 from her history to shun those sins — indolence, 
 covetousness, pleasure-seeking, and unfaithfulness 
 to God — which brought upon her national ruin 
 through the vengeance of God. 
 
 CHAP. LVIL 1-21.— The peaceful Death of 
 THE Righteous Few: the Ungodliness of the 
 Many: a Believing Remnant shall survive 
 the General Judgments on the Nation, and 
 BE Restored by Him who createth Peace. In 
 the midst of the excesses of the unfaithful watch- 
 men (ch. Ivi. 10, 11, 12), most of the few that are 
 godly perish : partly by vexation at the prevailing 
 ungodliness ; partly by violent death in persecu- 
 tion : prophetical of the i^ersecuting times of 
 Manasseh, before God's judgments in causing the 
 captivity in Babylon ; and again those in the last 
 age of the Church, before the final judgments on 
 the apostasy (2 Ki. xxi. 16 ; Matt, xxiii. 29-35, 37 ; 
 Rev. xi. 7-11, 17). The Hebrew for "perisheth" 
 (abad), and that for "is taken away" (asa2ih), ex- 
 presses a violent death (Mic. vii, 2). 
 
 1. The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth 
 it to heart —as a public calamity, merciful men- 
 lit., men of m,ercy [chesed) ; godly men; the subjects 
 of mercy, none considering— viz., what was the 
 
The blessed death 
 
 ISAIAH LVIL 
 
 of the righteous. 
 
 That the righteous is taken away ^from the evil to come. 
 
 2 He shall ^ enter into peace: 
 
 They sliall rest in their beds, — each one walking ^ in his uprightness. 
 
 3 But dniw near hither, ye ".sons of the sorceress. 
 The seed of the adulterer and the whore. 
 
 4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? 
 
 Against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? 
 Are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood, 
 
 5 Enflaming yourselves ^ with idols tinder every green tree. 
 Slaying the children in the valleys — under the clifts of the rocks? 
 
 6 Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion ; 
 
 1?hey, they are thy lot : — even to them liast thou poured a drink offering, 
 Thou hast offered a meat offering. — Sliould I receive comfort in these? 
 
 7 Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set ^thy bed: 
 Even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice. 
 
 8 Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance; 
 For thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, — and art gone up; 
 Thou hast enlarged thy bed, — and ^made thee a covenant with them; 
 
 B. c. m. 
 
 2 Or. fro n 
 that which 
 is evil. 
 
 3 Or, go in 
 peace. 
 Luke 2. 29. 
 Luke 7. 60. 
 
 4 Cr, befora 
 him. 
 Mai. 3. 5. 
 Jas. 4. 4. 
 
 5 ( r, among 
 the oak^. 
 
 b Jer. 2. 20. 
 Jer. 3. 2. 
 Eze. 16. 10. 
 Eze. 23. 41. 
 
 6 Or. hewed 
 it for tl y- 
 self Lirgor 
 than 
 theirs. 
 
 tlesigu of Providence in removing the gndly. that 
 the righteous is taken away from the evil (to 
 coma) — Hebrew, from the face of the evil; i. e., both 
 from the morrd evil on every side (eh. Ivi. 10-12), 
 and from the evils about to come in punishment 
 of the national sins, foreign invasion, &c. (oh. Ivi. 
 0 ; Ivii. 13. 8o Ahijah's death is rejiresented as a 
 blessing conferred on liini by (;!od for his piety 
 (1 Ki, xiv. 10-13: see also, in the case of Josiah, 
 2 Ki, xxii. 20). 2. He shall enter into peace— in 
 contrast to the persecutions Avhicli he suffered in 
 this world (Job iii. 13, 17). The margin, not so 
 well, translates, 'He shall go in peace' (Fs. xxxvii. 
 37 ; Luke ii. 2i}). they shall rest in their beds— 
 the calm rest of their bodies in their graves (called 
 "beds," 2 Chr. xvi. 14: cf. Isa. xiv. 18; because 
 they 'sleep' in them, with the certainty of awak- 
 ing at the resurrection, 1 Thess. iv. 14) is the em- 
 blem of the eternal "rest" (Heb. iv. 9; Rev. xiv. 
 13). each one walking in his uprightness. This 
 clause defines the character of those who at 
 death "rest in their beds"— viz., all who walk 
 uprightlif. 
 
 3. But draw near hitlier, ye sons of the sor- 
 ceress. In contrast to "the righteous" and their 
 end, he announces to the unbelieving Jews their 
 doom, sons of the sorceress— z. c, ye that are 
 addicted to sorcery : this was connected with the 
 v/orship of false gods (2 Ki. xxi. C). No insult is 
 greater to an Oriental than any slur cast on his 
 mother (1 Sam. xx. 30; Job xxx. 8). seed of the 
 adulterer — spiritual adultery is meant : idolatry 
 and apostasy (Matt. xvi. 4). 4. Against whom do 
 ye sport yourselves ?— make a mock (ch. Ixvi. 5). 
 Are ye aware of the glory of Him whom you 
 mock, by mocking His servants? (" the righteous," 
 
 1 ; 2 Chr. xxxvi. 16). against whom make ye 
 a wide mouth ?— (Ps. xxii. 7, 13 ; xxxv. 21 ; Lam. 
 ii. 16.) are ye not children of transgression, a 
 seed of falsehood?— not merely children of trans- 
 gressors, and a seed of false parents, but of trans- 
 gi'ession and falsehood, itself, utterly unfaithful to 
 God. 5. Enflaming yourselves with idols— burn- 
 ing with lust towards idols (Gesenius') ; or else (cf. 
 marg.), in the terebinth groves^ which the Hebrew 
 [D^Vxs] and the parallelism favour (note, ch. i. 29). 
 If ' towards idols ' were meant, after the Hebrew, 
 neecham, there would probably have followed, to 
 avoid confusion, not the Hebrew particle be [.], 
 but el [h^], or le t?], especially as eelim means tere- 
 binth trees as well as idols iMaurer). But the 
 740 
 
 Chaldaic, LXX., Vulgate, Arabic, and Syriac sn]i- 
 port the English .version, under every green tree 
 — (2 Ki. xvii. 10.) The tree, as in the Assyrian 
 sculptures, was probably made an idolatroiis sym- 
 bol of the heavenly hosts, slaying the children— 
 as a sacrifice to Moloch, &c. (2 Ki. xvii. 31 ; 2 Chr. 
 xxviii. 3.) in the valleys— the valley of the son 
 of Hinuom. Fire was put within a hollow brazen 
 statue, and the child was put in his heated arms : 
 kettle drums (Hebrew, toph) were beaten to drown 
 the child's cries ; whence the valley was called 
 Tophet (2 Chr. xxxiii. 0 ; Jer. vii. 32). under the 
 clifts of the rocks— the gloom of caverns suiting 
 their dark superstitions. 6. Among the smooth 
 (stones) of the stream (is) thy portion. The He- 
 brew, cheelequ, smooth, is explained by Gesenius, 'in 
 the bare places of the valley.' But what follows— 
 " even to them hast thou poured a drink offering " 
 — confirms the English version. The smooth 
 stones, shaped as idols, are the gods chosen by 
 thee as th?/ portion (Ps. xvi. 4, 5). even tcthenr 
 . . . thou hast offered a meat offering— not a 
 bloody sacrifice, but one of meal and flour mingled 
 with oil. "Meat," in Old English, meant food, 
 not flesh, SLS it now means (Lev. xiv. 10); Hebrew, 
 minchah. Should I receive comfort in these ? 
 — 'Should I be delighted in these?' {Synac.) 
 'Shall I bear these things with patience?' 
 {Horsley.) So the LXX., Arabic, and Vulgate, 
 'Shall I not be indignant at these things?' 7, 
 Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou 
 set thy bed — image from adultery: open and 
 shameless (Ezek. xxiii. 7). The "bed" answers 
 to the idolatrous altar, the scene of their spir- 
 itual unfaithfulness to their Divine Husband 
 (Ezek. xvi. 16, 25; xxiii. 41). 8. Behind the doors 
 also and the posts hast thou set up thy re- 
 membrance. " Bemembrance " — i. e., memorials 
 of thy idolatry: the objects which thou boldest in 
 remembrance, Theif hung up household tutelary 
 gods "behind the doors:" the very place where 
 God had directed them to write His laws— "on the 
 posts and gates " of their houses {Deut. vi. 9 ; xi. 
 20), in remembrance of Him. A curse, too, was 
 i:>ronounced on putting up an image "in a secret 
 place" (Deut. xxvii. 15). for thou hast discovered 
 (thyself to another) than me— image from an 
 adulteress, thou hast enlarged thy bed— so as 
 to receive the more jiaramours. and made thee (a 
 covenant) with them— with idols, in open violation 
 of thy "covenant" with God (Exod. xix. 5; xxiiL 
 32). Or, 'hast made assignations with them for 
 
The idolatry 
 
 ISAIAH LVII. 
 
 of the Jews, 
 
 Thou ^lovedst their bed "wliere thou sawest it. 
 9 And ^thou wentest to the king with ointment, 
 
 And didst increase thy perfumes, — and didst send thy messengers far <)ff, 
 And didst debase tJiy self even unto hell. 
 
 10 Thou art wearied in the gTeatness of thy way; 
 Yet saidst thou not, There is no hope : 
 
 Thou hast found the ^life of thine hand ; — therefore thou was not grieved. 
 
 11 And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, — tliat thou hast lied, 
 And hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart ? 
 
 Have '^not I held my peace even of old, — and thou fearest me not ? 
 
 12 I will declare thy' righteousness, and thy works ; 
 For they shall not profit thee. 
 
 13 When thou criest, let thy corapiinies deliver thee • 
 
 But the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: 
 
 But he that putteth his trust in me shall ^possess the land, 
 And shall inherit my holy mountain ; 
 
 B. C. C98, 
 
 " Eze. 16. 2G. 
 Kze. 23. 2, 
 20. 
 
 7 Or, thou 
 providedct 
 room. 
 
 8 Or, thou 
 respected^t 
 the king. 
 Hos. 7. 11. 
 
 9 Or, living. 
 d Ps. 50, 21, 
 
 * Ps. 34, 8-10. 
 Ps. 37. 3, 9. 
 Ps. 84. 12. 
 Ps, 125. 1. 
 Pro, 28. 25. 
 Jer. 17. 7, 8. 
 Matt. 5. 5, 
 Eev, 5. 10, 
 
 thyself ' (^ors?t'j/). But the Vulgate and Chaldcaic 
 favour the English version. Karath is literally to 
 liew (cf. marg.) or cat: hence, from the cutting up 
 of victims in ratifying a covenant, it means to 
 moM a covenant; like the Latin phrase, to strike a 
 league [percutere foedus, ferire pactum] : so Gen. 
 XV, 10, 17; Jer. xxxiv. 18. However, the Hebrew, 
 meehem, means, ''from among ^ or 'o/them;' not as 
 the English version, ' with them :' therefore trans- 
 late, 'Thou joinest (some) of them (the idols) to 
 thyself by covenant.' So Gesenius, alter Jerome. 
 Otherwise the margin accords with the Hebrew 
 and the sense, 'Thou hast hew^ed it (thy bed) for 
 thyself larger than theirs ' — i. e., thou hast exceeded 
 even the heathen in idolatry, making thy idol a^^ar 
 larger (so the Hebrew mm) than theirs,' Cf. next 
 clause, thy bed . , . thou lovedst their bed. 
 The Jews' sin was two-fold : they resorted to places 
 of idolatry (" tJleir bed"), and they received idols 
 into the temple of God, and sacrificed to them on 
 the altar of God (" thp bed "). where thou sawest 
 it— rather, ever since that thou sawest it {Horsier/). 
 The Hebrew {?jad) for where means literally a hajid, 
 then (ch. Ivi. 5, note) ?'oom (marg.); a, place: there- 
 fore, translate, 'thou liast provided a place for it' 
 (for " their bed")— viz., by admitting idolatrous 
 altars in thy land. Or 'thou choosest a (con- 
 venient) place for thyself in their bed [Maiirer). 
 So the Chaldaic and Syriac. 9. and thou wentest 
 to the king — the idol which they came to worship, 
 perfumed with oil, like harlots (Jer, iv. 30; Ezek. 
 xxiii. 16, 40). Sa "king" means idol (Amos. v. 
 2(j ; Zeph. i. 5, Malcham, meaning "king") 
 ( Rosenviidler). Ea,ther, the king of A ssyria or Egypt, 
 and other foreign princes, on whom Israel relied, 
 instead of on God ; the "ointment " will thus refer 
 to the iiresents (Hos. xii. 1), and perhaps the 
 compliances with foreigners' idolatries, whereby 
 loraol sought to gain their favour [Lowth). (Ch. 
 XXX. G ; Ezek. xvi. 33; xxiii, 1<5; Hos, vii, 11,) and 
 didst send thy messengers far off— not merely 
 to neighbouring nations, but to those "far off,'' in 
 search of new idols, or else alliances, and didst 
 debase (thyself even) unto hell — the lowest 
 possible degradation, 10, Thou art wearied in 
 the greatness of thy way— the length of thy 
 journeys in seeking strange gods, or else foreign 
 aid (Jer, ii, 23, 24), Notwitiistanding thy deriving 
 no good from these long journeys (so "didst send 
 . , . fo/r V. 9), thou dost not still give up hope 
 (Jer. ii. 2.3 ; xviii. 12). thou hast found the life of 
 thine hand— 'thou still fiudest life {i. e., vigour) 
 enough in thy hand' to make new idols (Maurer), 
 or to seek new alliances (" hand" being then taken 
 741 
 
 for strength in general). Thou findest livelihood 
 by thy hand, therefore tliou wast not grieved 
 (Hebrew, chcdah) — 'therefore thou art not weak^ 
 (Maurer), or disheartened: inasmuch as, having 
 'life in thy hand,' thou art still strong in hope. 
 Sinners having some seeming prosperity, notwith- 
 standing that they are often Vv-earied in the labori- 
 ous greatness, cf their aims after gain, pleasuie, 
 and ambition, go on in their vain way. 11. And 
 of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that 
 thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me? 
 Israel wisbed not to seem altogelher to have 
 denied God.^ Therefore they "lied" to Him. 
 God asks, Why dost thou do so ? ' Whom dost 
 thou fear?' Certainly not me. Thy feeling it 
 needful to dissemble and play the hypocrite to me 
 would seem to imply fear of me : but real fear of 
 me is out of the question in thy case; for thou 
 hast not remembered me, nor laid (it) to thy heart 
 —rather, ' nor hast Me at heart, have not I held 
 my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not ? 
 Thou hast no regard for me : and that because I 
 have been long silent, and have not punished thee. 
 Lit, ' have I not held my peace, and that for long? 
 and so thou fearest me not' (Ps. L 21; Ecch viii, 
 11). It would be better openly to renounce God 
 than to 'Hatter Him' with lies of false profession 
 (Ps. Ixxviii, 36) [De Dieu). However, ch. li. 12, 
 13 (" who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of 
 a man that shall die . . . and forgettest the Lord 
 thy Maker?") favours the English version of the 
 whole verse: God's " silent " long-suffering, which 
 was intended to lead them to repentance (Eom. ii. 
 4, 5) caused them to fear man (for instance, the 
 neighbouring idolatrous nations, whose idols they 
 adopted in order to conciliate them), and so ' not 
 to fear Him,' 12. declare thy righteousness— I 
 will expose publicly thy {hrjpocritical) righteousness. 
 I will show openly how vain thy works, in having 
 recourse to idols or foreign alliances, shall })rove 
 [v. 13), 13. When thou criest— In the time of thy 
 trouble, let thy companies deliver thee— viz., 
 of idols, collected by thee from every quarter ; or 
 else, of foreigners, summoned to thy aid. but the 
 wind shall "carry them all away— (Job xxi. IS ; 
 Matt. vii. 27.) vanity shall take (them)— or, 
 as the LXX. and Vulgate (Hebrew, hebel), a 
 breath {Lowth). 
 
 But he that putteth his trust in me shall possess 
 the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain- 
 it, e., the literal land of Judea, and "mount " Zion : 
 the believing remnant of Israel shall return 
 and inherit the land. Secondarily, the heavenly 
 inheritance and the spiritual Zion. Cf, as to both 
 
Mercy promised 
 
 ISAIAH LVII. 
 
 to the penitent. 
 
 14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, 
 Take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people. 
 
 15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, 
 
 Whose name is Holy; — ^I dwell in the high and holy place , 
 With ''him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit. 
 To revive the spirit of the humble. 
 And to revive the heart of the contrite ones. 
 
 16 For 'I will not contend for ever, — neither will I be always wroth : 
 
 For the spirit should fail before me, — and the souls ^ which I have made. 
 
 17 For the iniquity of his ^covetousness was I wroth, and smote him : 
 I hid me, and was wroth, 
 
 And he went on ^^frowardly in the way of his heart. 
 
 18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him ; 
 
 I will 4ead him also, and restore comforts unto him, and to his mourners. 
 
 19 I create "^the fruit of the lips ; — Peace, peace ^to him that is far otf, 
 And to him that is near, — saith the Lord ; — and I will heal him. 
 
 20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, — when it cannot rest. 
 Whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 
 
 21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. 
 
 the literal and the spiritual Israel's inheritance, 
 ch. xlix. 8; Ps. xxxvii. 9, 11; Ixix. 35. 36; Matt. 
 V. 5; Heb. xii. 22. 'He that putteth his trust in 
 me,' of whatever extraction, shall succeed to the 
 spiritual patrimony of the apostate Jew {Ilorsley). 
 14. And shall say, Cast ye up . . . prepare the way. 
 The nominative is, 'He that trusteth in me' [v. 13). 
 The believing remnant shall have every obstacle 
 to their return cleared out of the way at the com- 
 ing restoration of Israel, the antitype to the return 
 from Babylon (ch. xxxv. 8 ; xl. 3, 4 ; Ixii. 10, 11). 
 Cast ye up— a high road before the returning Jews, 
 take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my 
 people. Jesus has been a stumhlingUock to the 
 Jews, but will not be so then any longer (1 Cor. i. 
 23 ; 1 Pet. ii. 8). Their prejudices shall then be 
 taken out of the way. 15. For thus saith the 
 high and lofty One ... I dwell in the high and 
 holy (place), with him also (that is) of a contrite 
 and humble spirit. The pride and self-righteous- 
 ness of the Jews were the stumblingblock in the 
 way of their acknowledging Christ. The contrition 
 of Israel in the last days shall be attended with 
 God's interposition in their behalf. So their self- 
 humiliation, in ch. Ixvi. 2, 5, 10, &c., precedes 
 their final prosperity (Zech. xiii. 6, 10-14). There 
 will probably be a previous period of unbelief 
 even after their return (Zech. xii. 8, 9). 16. For 
 — referring to the promise, in vv. 14, 15, of restor- 
 ing Israel when 'contrite' (Gen. vi. 3; viii. 21; 
 Ps. Ixxviii. 38, 39 ; Ixxxv. 5 ; ciii. 9, 13, 14 ; Mic. 
 vii. 18). I will not contend for ever, neither will 
 I be always wroth. God "will not contend for 
 ever" with His people, for their human spirit 
 would thereby be utterly crushed, whereas God's 
 object is to chasten, not to destroy them (note, ch. 
 xxviii. 27, 28 ; Lam. iii. 33, 34 ; Mic. vii. 8, 9). 
 With the ungodly He is ' angry every day ' (Ps. vii. 1 1 ; 
 Rev. xiv. 11), for the spirit should fail before me 
 — or, the human spirit which went forth from me (lit., 
 from my face, Num. xvi. 22), answering to "which 
 I have made" in the parallel clause. "Fail" — 
 H&hrew, ya'atoph: 'would be overwhelmed,'' as Ps. 
 Ixi. 2; cii, title. Several commentators, after the 
 Chaldaic, refer it to the resurrection. 'For the 
 spirit, which is from me, shall put on a body.' So 
 Ezek. xxxvii., as to the revival of the Jewish 
 state. Or, ' the Spirit shall go forth from my face 
 and clothe the body' (Ps. civ. 29, 30). So the 
 LXX. and Vulgate. I prefer the English version. 
 742 
 
 B. C. 698. 
 
 / Job 6. 10. 
 
 Luke 1. 49. 
 » Ps. 68. 4. 
 
 Zech. 2. 13. 
 ^ 2 Ki, 22. 19. 
 20. 
 
 Ps. 34. 18. 
 Ps. 57. 17. 
 Ps. 85. 6. 
 Ps. 138. 6. 
 
 * Ps 61. 2. 
 Ps. 78. 38, 
 
 39. 
 
 Jer. 10. 24. 
 Mic. 7. 18. 
 i Heb. 12. 9. 
 
 * Eze. 33. 31. 
 10 turn-ng 
 
 away. 
 !■ Ps. 73. 24. 
 
 Ps. 32. 7. 
 
 Heb. 13. 16. 
 " Acts 2. 39. 
 
 Eph. 2. 17. 
 
 17. For the iniquity of his cpvetousness was I 
 wroth. ^' Covetous ness" — akin to idolatry, and, 
 like it, having drawn off Israel's heart from God 
 (chs. ii. 7; Ivi, 11 ; Iviii. 3; Jer. vi. 13; Col. iii. 5). 
 I hid me— (chs. viii. 17; xlv. 15.) he went on 
 frowardly in the way of his heart— the result of 
 God's hiding His face (Ps. Ixxxi. 12 ; Eom. i. 24, 
 26). 18. I have seen his ways, and will heal him 
 —rather, ' I have seen his ways (in sin), yet will I 
 heal him ;' i. e. , restore Israel spiritually and tem- 
 porally (Jer. xxxiii. 6; iii. 22; Hos. xiv. 4, 5) 
 [Horsley). However, the phrase, "his mourners," 
 in the following clause— I will . . . restore comforts 
 unto him, and to his mourners — favours the 
 English version. "His ways" will thus be his 
 ways of repentance; and God's pardon on 'seeing' 
 them answers to the like promise, ch. Ixi. 2, 3 ; 
 Jer. xxxi. 18, 20. 19. I create the fruit of the 
 lips— i. e., thanksgivings, which flow from the lips, 
 I make men to return thanks to me (Hos. xiv. 2j 
 Heb. xiii. 15). Peace, peace — ^perject peace (see 
 marg., ch. xxvi. 3; John xiv. 27). Primarily, the 
 cessation of the troubles now afflicting the, Jews, as 
 formerly, under the Babylonian exile. More gen- 
 erally, the peace which the Gospel proclaims both 
 to Israel " that is near," and to the Gentiles who 
 are "far off" (Acts ii. 39; Eph. ii. 17). 20. But 
 the wicked (are) like the troubled sea, when it 
 cannot rest — rather [''3], ',/or it can have no rest ' 
 (Job XV. 20, &c. ; Pro v. iv. 16, 17). The English 
 version represents the sea as occasionally agitated, 
 but the Hebrew expresses that it can never be at 
 rest. 21. (There is) no peace, saith my God, to 
 the wicked— (ch. xlviii. 22; 2 Ki. ix. 22.) my 
 God. The prophet having God as his God, speaks 
 in the person of Israel, prophetically regarded as 
 having now appropriated God and His "peace" 
 (ch. xi. 1-3), and warning the impenitent that, 
 whilst they continue so, they can have no peace. 
 This phrase marks the close of the second book 
 of the second division of Isaiah (cf. note, ch. 
 xlviii. 22). 
 
 Remarks. — The death of the righteous is a loss 
 to the state, but a great gain to themselves. The 
 design of God's gracious providence in removing 
 them, is to 'take them away from the evil to 
 come,' especially in days of apostasy, when na- 
 tional judgments are impending, as they were in 
 Isaiah's time over the Jewish nation. The state 
 of the godly at death is one of "peace." However 
 
Reproof of 
 
 ISAIAH LVIII. 
 
 hypocr itical fasts. 
 
 58 CRY ^ aloud, spare not, — lift up thy voice like a trumpet, 
 
 And show my people their transgression, — and the house of Jacob their sins. 
 
 2 Yet they seek me daily, — and delight to know my ways. 
 As a nation that did righteousness, 
 
 And forsook not the ordinance of their God: 
 They ask of me the ordinances of justice \ 
 They take delight in approaching to God. 
 
 3 Wherefore ""have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? 
 Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge ?' 
 Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure. 
 
 And exact all your ^ labours. 
 
 4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, 
 And to smite with the fist of wickedness : 
 ^ Ye shall not fast as ye do this day, 
 
 To make your voice to be heard on high. 
 
 B. C. 
 
 CHAP. 68. 
 
 1 with the 
 throat. 
 
 " Num. 23. 4. 
 Mai. 3. 14. 
 Matt. 20.11. 
 12. 
 
 Luke 15. 2X 
 Luke 18. 9, 
 12. 
 
 2 griefs, or, 
 tLings 
 wherewith 
 ye grieve 
 others. 
 
 3 Or, ye fa«t 
 not as this 
 day. 
 
 many may have been the past troubles of the 
 upright, "they &hall rest" at last, not only ivom- 
 trouble, but from sin. The "children of trans- 
 gression" have a very different "portion." God 
 liath no "comfort" in their ways ; and they them- 
 selves are 'wearied in the greatness of their way,' 
 whilst, in their pursuit of the world and the flesh, 
 they 'debase themselves even unto hell.' Yet 
 worldlings do not give up the "hope" of still 
 finding the solid satisfaction in worldly objects 
 which as yet they have not obtained, because they 
 find some seeming success by the efforts of their 
 own " hand." 
 
 CHAP. LVIII. 1-14— Reproof of the Jews 
 FOR THEIR Dependence on mere Outward 
 Forms of Worship; 
 
 1. Cry aloud (Hebrew, hegaron) — with the throat; 
 i.e., with full voice, not merely from the lips (1 
 Sam. i. 13). Speak loud enough to arrest attention, 
 show my people their transgression. " My 
 people," i. e., the Jews in Isaiah's time, and again 
 in the time of our Lord, more zealous for externals 
 than for inward holiness. Bosenmuller thinks the 
 reference to be to the Jews in the captivity, 
 practising their rites to gain God's favour and a 
 release; and that hence sacrifices are not men- 
 tioned, but only pasting and Sabbath observance, 
 which they could keep, though far away from the 
 temple in Jerusalem. The same also applies to 
 their present dispersion, in which they caainot offer 
 sacrifices, but can only show their zeal in fastings, 
 &c. Cf. as to our Lord's time. Matt. vi. 16 ; xxiii. ; 
 Luke xviii. 12. 2. Yet they seek me daily, and 
 delight to know my ways, as a nation that 
 did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance 
 of their God, &c. Put the stop at "ways;" and 
 connect " as a nation that," &c., with what follows. 
 " As a nation that did righteousness," thus answers 
 to, 'they ask of me just judgments'' [i.e., as a 
 matter of justice due </ie?7?, salvation to them- 
 selves, and destruction to their enemies) ; and 
 " forsook not the ordinance of their God," answers 
 to, 'they desire the drawing near of God' (that 
 God would draw near to exercise those 'just 
 judgments' in behalf of them, and against their 
 enemies) [Maurer). So Jerome, ' In the confidence, 
 as it were, of a good conscience, they demand a 
 just judgment, in the language of the saints: 
 Judge me, 0 Lord, for I have walked in mine 
 integrity,' So in Mai. ii. 17, they affect to be 
 scandalized at the impunity of the wicked, and 
 impugn (jiOiX a justice (florsley). Thus, "seek me 
 daily, and desire to know my ways," refers to their 
 requiring to know why God delayed so long in helping 
 ticcm. But this puts a forced sense on the Hebrew, 
 
 "they seek me . . . and delight to know my 
 ways : " and the Vulgate, LXX., Chaldaic, Syriac, 
 and Arabic translate as the English version, ' they 
 desire' or 'delight to approach to God.' I prefer 
 the English version, which gives a good sense — viz., 
 dispelling the delusion that God would be satisfied 
 with outward observances, whilst the spirit of the 
 law was violated and the heart unchanged (t'r. 
 3-14; Ezek. xxxiii. 31, 32: cf. John xviii. 28, 
 scrupulosity side by side with murder). The 
 prox:)hets were the commentators on the law, the 
 Magna Charta of Israel, in its inward spirit, and 
 not the mere letter. In the clause, "they ask of 
 me the ordinances of justice," Horsley's view is 
 doubtless correct, ' they demand of me judgment 
 in their favour as a matter of justice;' which 
 prepares for their murmuring in v. 3. 3. Here 
 breaks out a spirit of cavilling at God's punitive 
 dealings, in self-justification, which shows that 
 their professed ' seeking of God ' [v. 2) was only 
 hypocrisy. Wherefore have we fasted , , . and 
 thou seest not ?— The words of the Jews: 'Why 
 is it that, when we fast, thou dost not notice it' 
 (by delivering us)? They think to lay God under 
 obligation by their fasting (Ps. Ixxiii. 13; Mai. iii. 
 14). (wherefore) have we afflicted our soul, and 
 thou takest no knowledge ? — (Lev. xvi. 29.) 
 Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure- 
 God's reply, pleasure— in antithesis to their boast 
 of having ^afflicted their soul;' it was only in 
 outward show; they really enjoyed themselves. 
 GeseniuSy after the Chaldaic [' quoe sunt uecessaria 
 vobis '],. not so well, translates, clieejihetz, ' busi- 
 ness.' However, as what follows refers to self- 
 seeking and gain -seeking, rather than pleasure in 
 the restricted sense, cheephetz must be taken as 
 we sometimes use 'your pleasure'— i. e., your oicn 
 will or desire^ So the Vulgate, LXX., Arabic, and 
 Syriac. exact all your labours {D3^;3!yr] — ' 02')pres- 
 sive labours' [Maurer). Horsley, with Vulgate, 
 translates, 'exact the whole upon your debtors:'' 
 those who owe you labour, (Neh. v. 1-5, 8-10, &c.) 
 The LXX, and Arabic, 'ye oppress all that are 
 subject to- you.' Gese?iius, 'ye press all your 
 workmen to labour.' The English version is best. 
 4. ye shall not fast as (ye do this) day, to make 
 your voice to be heard on high— or, ' ye do not 
 fast at this time so as to make your voice to be 
 heard on high,' i. e., in heaven ; your aim in fasting 
 is strife, not to gain the ear of God [Maurer), as in 
 the case of the Jezreelites' fast and murder of 
 Naboth (1 Ki, xxi. 9, 12, 13). The English version 
 is confirmed by the LXX., Vulgate, Chaldaic, 
 Arabic, and Syriac : the sense is. If you wish 
 acceptance with God, ye must not fast as ye noiv do 
 
The fast 
 
 ISAIAH LVIII. 
 
 which God accepteth. 
 
 5 Is it ^sucli a fast that I have chosen ? — day for a man to afflict his soul ? 
 Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, 
 
 And to spread sackcloth and ashes under him ? 
 
 Wilt thou call tliis a fast, — and an acceptable day to the Lord ? 
 
 6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen ? 
 
 To loose the bands of wickedness, — to undo ^the heavy burdens, 
 And to let the ^oppressed go free, — and that ye break every yoke ? 
 
 7 Is it not Ho deal thy bread to the hungry, 
 
 And that thou bring the poor that are "cast out to thy house ? 
 When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him ; 
 And that thou hide not th3^self from thine own flesh ? 
 
 8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, 
 And thine health shall spring forth speedily: 
 And thy righteousness shall go before thee ; 
 
 The glory of the Lord ^ shall be thy rereward. 
 
 9 Then shalt thou call, and tlie Lord shall answer ; 
 Thou shalt cry, and he shall say. Here I am. 
 
 If thou take av;ay from the midst of thee tiie yoke, 
 The putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; 
 
 10 And ^/thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, 
 
 And satisfy the afflicted soul ; — ^then shall ' thy light rise in obscurity. 
 And thy darkness be as the noon-day : 
 
 11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, 
 
 And satisfy thy soul in ^drought, — and make fat thy bones : 
 
 And thou shalt be like a watered garden. 
 
 And like a spring of water, whose waters ^"fail not. 
 
 12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places : 
 
 B. C. COS. 
 
 Zecii. 7. 5. 
 
 * Or. to 
 afflict bis 
 soul for a 
 day. 
 
 5 the 
 bundles of 
 the yoke. 
 
 * broken. 
 
 " Job 12. 7. 
 Fs. 112. 9, 
 Pro. 22. 9. 
 Eccl. 11. 1. 
 2. 
 
 Eze. 18. 7. 
 Dan. 4. 27. 
 Matt. 2"). 35. 
 Luke 11.41. 
 Luke 19. ^. 
 1 Tim. 5.10. 
 
 7 Or, 
 afflicted. 
 
 d Gen. 2 t. !!• 
 Judg. !). 2. 
 Neh. 6. 6. 
 Matt. 15, 5. 
 Jas. 2. 15. 
 
 8 shall 
 gather thee 
 up. 
 
 « Job 11. 17. 
 
 9 droughts. 
 
 10 lie. or. 
 deceive. 
 
 to make your voice heard high in strife. 6. Is 
 it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a 
 man to afflict his soul? The pain felt by abstiu- 
 euce is not the end to be sought, as if it were 
 meritorious ; it is of value only so far as it leads us 
 to amend our ways [vv. 6, 7). (is it) to bow down 
 his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth ? 
 —to aftect the outward tokens, so as to " appear 
 to men to fast" (Matt. vi. 17, 18; 1 Ki. xxi. 27; 
 Esth. iv. 3). 6. to loose the bands of wickedness 
 —i. e., to dissolve every tie wherewith one has 
 unjustly bound Ins fellow-men, (Lev. xxv. 49, &c.) 
 Servitude, a fraudulent contract, &c. undo the 
 heavy burdens— Hebrew, loose the bands the 
 yoke, to let the oppressed go free— lit., the 
 broken. The expression, to let ao free, implies tliat 
 those "broken" with the yoke of slavery are 
 meant (Neh. v. 10-12; Jer. xxxiv. 9-11, 14, 16). 
 Jerome interprets it, broken with poverty ; bank- 
 rupt. 7. (Is it) not to deal thy bread to the 
 hungry?— distribute (Job xxxi. 16-21). and that 
 thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy 
 house. "Cast out," or reduced [Horsley). But 
 the English version is virtually supported by the 
 LXX., Vulgate, Chaldaic, Arabic, and Syriac, 
 merudim, from rwcZ to wander : or marad or marah, 
 to cast out: so homeless, when thou seest the 
 naked, that thou cover him— (Matt, xxv, 36.) 
 and that thou hide not thyself from thine own 
 flesh?— kindred (Gen. xxix. 14). Also brethren in 
 common descent from Adam, and brethren in 
 Christ (Jas. ii. 15, 16). "Hide . . . thyself," 
 means to be strange towards them, and not to 
 relieve them in their poverty (Matt. xv. 5). 
 
 8. Then shall thy light break forth as the 
 morning— "light," emblem of prosperity [v. 10; 
 Job xi. 17). and thine health — lit., a long 
 bandage {arukah, from arak to make long), applied 
 Ly surgeons to heal a wound (cf. ch. i. Oj. Hence 
 741 
 
 restoration from all past calamities, and thy righ- 
 teousness shall go before thee. Thy conformity 
 to the divine covenant acts as a leader, conducting 
 thee to peace and prosperity. Not as the ground 
 of justilication, but as its inseparable accompani- 
 ment (cf. Ilev. xiv. 13). the glory of the Lord 
 shall be thy rerev.^ard— like the inllar of cloud 
 and lire, the symbol of Gods "glory," which went 
 behind Israel, separating them from their Egy])tiaiv 
 juirsuers (ch. lii. 12; Exod. xiv. 19, 20). 9. Then 
 Shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer. 
 When sin is renounced (ch. Ixv. 24). When the 
 Lord's call is not hearkened to. He will not hear 
 our "call" (Ps. Ixvi. 18; Prov. i. 24, 28; xv. 29; 
 xxviii. 9). If thou take away from the midst of 
 thee the yoke— (cf. note, v. 6.) the putting forth 
 of the finger— the linger of scorn pointed atsimide- 
 minded godly men. The middle linger was so used 
 by the Eomans. and speaking vanity— every 
 injuriovs speech [Lowth). 10. And (if) thou draw 
 out thy soul — 'impart of thine own subsistence,' 
 or ' sustenance ' to the hungry {Horsley). " Soul " 
 is figurative for 'that wherewith thou sustainest 
 thy soul,' or 'life.' then shall thy light rise in 
 obscurity— calamities shall be suddenly succeeded 
 by prosperity (Ps. cxii. 4). 11. And the Lord 
 shall . . . satisfy thy soul in drought (ch. xli. 
 17, 18) — lit., in droughts, parched places, and 
 make fat— ratlier, strengthen {Xoyes). thy bones— 
 ^ give thee the free use o/ thy bones' {Jerome); or, 
 of thy strength {Horsley). like a watered garden 
 — an Oriental picture of happiness, and like a 
 spring of water, whose waters fail not— Hebrew, 
 'deceive not;' like streams that disappoint the 
 caravan which expected to find water there as 
 formerly, but find it dried up (Job vi. 15-17). 12. 
 (they that shall be) of thee— thy people, the 
 Israelites, shall build the old waste places— 
 the old ruins of Jerusalem (ch. Ixi. 4 ; Ezek. xxxvL 
 
Sin the cause 
 
 ISAIAH LIX. 
 
 of separation fr^m God 
 
 Thou sbalt raise up the foundations of many generations ; 
 And thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach. 
 The restorer of paths to dwell in. 
 
 If -^'thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, 
 From doing thy pleasure on my holy day ; 
 
 And call the sabbath a delight, — the holy of the Lord, honourable ; 
 And shalt honour him, — not doing thine own ways. 
 Nor finding thine own pleasure, — nor speaking ^t/iine own words: 
 Then ^ shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord ; 
 And I will cause thee to ride ^upon the high places of the earth, 
 And feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father : 
 •^'For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. 
 59 BEHOLD, the Lord's hand is not "shortened, that it cannot save 
 Neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear 
 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, 
 And your sins ^have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 
 
 13 
 
 U 
 
 B. c. m. 
 
 Ex. 31. 13. 
 
 Ex. 35. 2. 
 
 Lev. 10. 30. 
 
 Ch. 56. 2, 
 f Matt. 12. 3^ 
 /I Job 22. 28, 
 ' Deut. 32.13. 
 
 Deut. 33.23. 
 3 ch. 1. 20. 
 
 ch. 40. 5. 
 
 Mic. 4. 4. 
 
 Matt. 24.33, 
 
 CHAP. 59. 
 " Num. 11. 23, 
 
 ch. 50. 2. 
 1 Or, have 
 
 made hiin 
 
 hide. 
 
 33 36). tliou Shalt raise up the foundations of 
 many generations— i, 6., the buildings which had 
 lain in ruins, even to their foundations, for many 
 a'/es: called in the pai^allel passage, ch. Ixi. 4, "the 
 former desolations;" and in the preceding clause 
 here, "the old waste places." The literal and 
 spiritual restoration of Israel is meant, which shall 
 produce like blessed results on the Gentile world 
 (Amos ix. 11, 12; Acts xv. 16^ 17). and thou 
 Shalt be called — appropriately: the name truly 
 designating what thou shalt do. The repairer of 
 the breach— the calamity wherewith God visited 
 Israel for their sin (ch. xxx. 26 ; 1 Chr. xv. 13). 
 The restorer of paths to dwell in — iiot that 
 the paths were to be dwelt in, but the paths leading 
 to their dwellings were to be restored; 'paths, so 
 as to dwell in the land'' (cf. Judg. v. 6). 
 
 13. If thou turn away thy foot from the sab- 
 bath, (from) doing thy pleasure on my holy day — 
 (ch. Ivi. 2; Neh. xiii. 15-22.) The Sabbath, even 
 under the new disiiensation, is designed to be 
 obligatory (ch. Ixvi. 2.'^). foot— the instrument of 
 motion (cf. Pro v. iv. 27) ; men are not to travel for 
 mere pleasure on the Sabbath (Acts i. 12). The 
 Israelites were forbidden to travel on it farther 
 than the tabernacle or temple. If thou keep thy 
 foot from going on thy own ways and " doing thy 
 pleasure," &c. (Exod. xx. 10, 11.) my holy day. 
 God claims ib as His day ; to take it for our 
 pleasure is to rob Hiin of His own. This is the 
 very way in which the Sabbath is mostly broken ; 
 it 13 made a day of carnal i)leasure instead of 
 spiritual "delight." and call the sabbath a de- 
 light, the holy of the Lord, honourable— not the 
 predicate, but the subject : ' if thou call the holy 
 (day) of Jehovah honourable ;' if tliou treat it as a 
 day to be honoured, and shalt honour him— or 
 else, it, the Sabbath, not doing thine own ways 
 — answering to "turn away thy foot from the 
 Sabbath." nor finding thine own pleasure — 
 answering to "doing thy pleasure." 'To keep 
 the Sabbath in an idle manner is the Sabbath of 
 oxen and asses ; to pass it in a jovial manner is 
 the Sabbath of the golden calf, when the people 
 sat down to eat and drink, and rose again to jjlay ; 
 to kecT) it in surfeiting and wantonness is the 
 Sabbatn of Satan, the devil's holiday' [Bishoj) 
 Andrevjes). nor speaking (thine own) words— 
 answerin;' to, call the Sabbath a delight . . . 
 Louourable." Man's "o?m words" would "call" 
 it a 'weariness;' it is the spiritual nature given 
 from above which " calls it a delight" (Amos viii. 
 5; Mai. i. 13). 14. Then shalt thou delight thy- 
 self in the Lord— God rewards in kind, as He 
 745 
 
 punishes^ in kind. As we "delight" in keeping 
 Gods "Sabbath," so God will give us "delight" 
 in Himself (Gen. xv. 1; Job xxii. 21-26; Ps. 
 xxxvii. 4). I will cause thee to ride upon the 
 high places of the earth — I v/ill make thee 
 supreme lord of the land ; the phrase is taken 
 from a conqueror riding in his chariot, and occu- 
 pying the hills and fastnesses of a country ( Vi- 
 tringa). (Deut. xxxii. 13; Mic. i. 3; Hab. iii. 19.) 
 Judea was a laud of hills: the idea thus is, ' I will 
 restore thee to thine own land' [Calvin). The 
 parallel words, "heritage of Jacob'''' confirm this 
 (Gen. xxvii. 28, 29; xxviiL 13-15). for the mouth 
 of the Lord hath spoken it. A formula to assure 
 men of the fulfilment of any solemn promise 
 which God has made (ch. xl. 5). 
 
 Remarks. — The minister of God must speak boldly 
 and plainly, not " sparing" the guilty, if he would 
 awaken his hearers to the conviction of "their 
 sins." Especially so, when he perceives in them a 
 tendency to compound for obedience with ritualism, 
 and to be self-righteously scrupulous about the 
 letter oi the law, whilst they set at nought its spirit. 
 Formalists wonder, that though ' they ask of God 
 the ordinances of justice,' yet many things go ad- 
 verse to their wishes. The secret is, they go be- 
 fore God as thoiigli He were under a debt to them 
 for so going, and as though their observances, fast- 
 ings, almsgivings, and such like, imposed on God 
 an obligation to prosper them. Often, too, all the 
 while that they afl'ect to ask mercy from God, they 
 show no mercy to their fellow-men who are under 
 them. Self-seeking is their real aim in their 
 apparent seeking after God, as it palpably is in 
 their dealings with their fellow-men. Sometimes { 
 they even turn religion itself into an instrument , 
 of "strife," or a cloak for covetousness. Such a 
 religion cannot be ' acceptable to the Lord.* 
 
 CHAP. LIX. 1-21.— The Peoples Si2f the 
 CAUSE OP Judgments : they at last own it 
 
 THEMSELVES : THE EeDEEMER'S FuTURE INTER- 
 POSITION IN THEIR Extremity. The reason why 
 Jehovah does not deliver His people, notwith- 
 standing their religious services (ch. Iviii. 3), is not 
 want of power on His part, but because of their 
 sins [vv. 1-8) ; vi\ 9-15 contain their confession ; 
 vv. 16-21 the consequent promise of the Messiah. 
 
 1. Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, 
 that it cannot save— (note, ch. 1. 2.) neither his 
 ear heavy, that it cannot hear— (ch. vi. 10.) 2. 
 your sins have hid (his) face from you— Hebrew, 
 have caused Him to hide His face from you (Lam. 
 iii. 44), The awful i)icture here given of their 
 iniquities, which separated between them and God, 
 
Sin tlie cause 
 
 ISAIAH LIX. 
 
 of separation from God. 
 
 8 For your ^ hands are defiled with blood, — and your fingers with iniquity; 
 Your lips have spoken lies, — your tongue hath muttered perverseness. 
 
 4 None calleth for justice, — nor any pleadeth for truth : 
 They trust in vanity, and speak lies ; 
 
 *^They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. 
 
 5 They hatch ^ cockatrice' eggs, — '^and weave the spider's web : 
 He that eateth of their eggs dieth, 
 
 And ^that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper. 
 
 6 Their webs shall not become garments, 
 
 Neither shall they cover themselves with their works : 
 
 Their works are works of iniquity. 
 
 And the act of violence is in their hands. 
 
 7 Their *feet run to evil, — and they make haste to shed innocent blood : 
 Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity ; 
 
 Wasting and * destruction are in their paths. 
 
 8 The way of peace they know not ; 
 
 And there is no ^judgment in their goings : 
 They ^ have made them crooked paths : 
 Whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. 
 
 9 Therefore is judgment far from us, — neither doth justice overtake us : 
 ^ We wait for light, but behold obscurity ; 
 
 For brightness, but we walk in darkness. 
 10 We grope for the wall like the blind, — and we grope as if we had no eyes 
 We stumble at noon-day as in the night ; 
 We are in desolate places as dead men. 
 
 is peculiarly applicable to the period which imme- 
 diately i^receded the destruction of their state by 
 Rome. 3. (CJi. i. 15; Rom. iii. 13-15.) For your 
 hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers 
 with iniquity— not merely the "hands" perpe- 
 trate deeds of grosser enormity ("blood"), but the 
 "fingers" commit more minute acts of "iniquity." 
 your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath 
 muttered perverseness. The lips " speak " openly 
 "lies," the tongue 'mutters' malicious insinuations 
 ("perverseness;" perverse misrepresentations of 
 others) (Jer. vi. 28 ; ix. 4). 4. None calleth for 
 justice, nor any pleadeth for truth— rather, 'No 
 one calleth an adversary into court with justice'' — 
 i. e., None bringeth a just suit ; ' No one pleadeth 
 with trnth.^ So the Chaldaic, LXX., Syriac, and 
 Arabic in the main. But the Vulgate, as the 
 English version ['Non est qui invocet justitiam'j. 
 they trust in vanity . . . and bring forth iniquity 
 — (so Job XV. 35; Ps. vii. 14.) 5. cockatrice. 
 Probably the basilisk serpent cerastes (cf. note, 
 ch. xi. 8). Instead of crushing evil in tlie egg, 
 they foster it. and weave the spider's web. This 
 refers not to the spider's web being made to entrap, 
 but to its thinness, as contrasted with substantial 
 " garments," as v. 6 shows. Tlieir works are vain 
 and transitory (Job viii. 14 ; Prov. xi. 18). he that 
 eateth of their eggs dieth— he who partakes in 
 their plans, or has any thing to do vnth them, finds 
 them pestiferous, that which is crushed breaketh 
 out into a viper — the egg, when it is broken, 
 breaketh out as a viper; their plans, however 
 specious in their undeveloped form like the egg, are 
 found, when developed, pernicious. Though the 
 viper is viviparous (from which "vi-per" is 
 derived), yet during gestation the young are en- 
 closed in eggs which break at the birth (Bochari) ; 
 however, metaphors often combine things without 
 representing everything to the life. 6. Their webs 
 shall not become garments— like the " fig-leaves" 
 wherewith Adam and Eve vainly tried to cover 
 their shame, as contrasted with the ' coats of 
 746 
 
 skins ' which the Lord God made to clothe them 
 with (ch. Ixiv. 6 ; Rom. xiii. 14 ; Gal. iii. 27 ; Phil, 
 iii. 9). The artificial, self-deceiving sophisms of 
 human philosophy are meant (1 Tim. vi. 5 ; 2 Tim. 
 ii. 16, 23). 7. Their feet run to evil— a^^ their 
 members are active in evil; in v. 3 the 'hands, 
 fingers, lips, and tongue ' are specified, and they 
 make haste to shed innocent blood— (Rom. iii. 
 15.) Contrast David's 'running and hasting' in 
 the ways of God (Ps. cxix. 32, GO), their thoughts 
 (are) thoughts of iniquity— not merely their acts, 
 but their whole thoughts. 8. The way of peace 
 they know not— whether in relation to God, to 
 their own conscience, or to their fellow-men (ch. 
 Ivii. 20, 21). and (there is) no judgment in their 
 goings— no justice, they have made them crooked 
 paths— the opposite of "straightforward" (Prov. 
 ii. 15 ; xxviii. 18). 
 
 9. Therefore is judgment far from us— retri- 
 bution in kind, because they had shown " no 
 judgment in their goings " (v. 8). ' Tlie vindication 
 of our just rights by God is withheld by Him from 
 us.' us. In V. 8, and previous verses, it was 
 '"they," the third person; here "us . . . we," the 
 first person. The nation here speaks. God thus 
 making tliem out of their own moutn condemn 
 themselves, just as He by His prophet had con- 
 demned them before. Isaiah includes himself 
 with his people, and speaks in their name, 
 neither doth justice overtake us— God's justice, 
 bringing salvation (ch. xlvi. 13). we wait for 
 light — the dawn of returning prosperity, but 
 behold obscurity— adversity (Jer. viii. 15). 10. 
 We grope for the wall like the blind— fulfilling 
 Moses' threat (Dent, xxviii. 29). we stumble at 
 noon-day as in the night. There is no relaxation 
 of our evils : at the time when we might look for 
 the noon of relief, there is still the night of our 
 calamity, (we are) in desolate places as dead 
 men— rather, to suit the parallel words, "at noon- 
 day," 'in fertile (lit., fat, Gen. xxvii. 28) , fields^ 
 {as hman?iim, the same as shemannim, 'fatnesses; 
 
Salvation cometh 
 
 ISAIAH LIX. 
 
 of God only. 
 
 1 1 We roar all like bears, — and mourn sore like doves ; 
 We look for judgment, but there is none; 
 
 For salvation, but it is far off from us. 
 
 12 For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, 
 
 And our sins testify against us : — ^for our transgressions are with us ; 
 And as for our iniquities, we know them ; 
 
 13 In transgressing and lying against the Lord, 
 
 And departing away from our God, — speaking oppression and revolt, 
 Conceiving and uttering ^from the heart words of falsehood. 
 
 14 And judgment is turned away backward, — and justice standeth afar off : 
 For truth is fallen in the street, — and equity cannot enter. 
 
 1 5 Yea, truth faileth ; 
 
 And he that departeth from evil ^maketh himself a prey: 
 
 And the Lord saw it, 
 And ^it displeased him that there was no judgment. 
 
 16 And ^"he saw that there was no man, 
 
 And ^vondered that there was no intercessor: 
 Therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; 
 And his righteousness, it sustained him. 
 
 17 For ™he put on righteousness as a breastplate, 
 And an helmet of salvation upon his head ; 
 
 And he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, 
 And was clad with zeal as a cloak. 
 
 so fat fields, from shaman, shemen, oil) {Gesenius), 
 (where all is promising) we are like the dead (who 
 have no hope left them) ; or, where others are 
 prosperous, we wander about as dead men. True 
 of all unbelievers (ch. xxvi. 10; Luke xv. 17). 
 The Vulgate translates, 'in dark places.' The 
 English version, with Babbi Joseph, takes the 
 initial aleph to be radical, and the root to be 
 asham, to desolate. But Babbi Dones deduces it 
 from shaman. The pai'allelism of ' in fat places ' 
 to "at noon-day" favours this. 11. We roar all 
 like bears— We moan plaintively, like a hungry 
 bear which growls for food, and" mourn sore like 
 doves— (ch. xxxviii. 14; Ezek. vii. 16). we look 
 ... for salvation, (but) it is far off from us— 
 retribution in kind; because not salvation, but 
 "destruction" was "in their paths" {v. 7). 
 
 12. For our transgressions are multiplied be- 
 fore thee, and our sins testify against us— (Dan. 
 ix. 5, &c. ) thee ... us — antithesis, for our 
 transgressions (are) with us— i. e., we are con- 
 scious of them [mctrg.. Job xii. 3 ; xv. 9). and (as 
 for) our iniquities, we know them— acknowledge 
 they are our iniquities. 13. In transgressing and 
 lying against the Lord, and departing away from 
 our God, &c. The particulars of the sins gener- 
 ally confessed in the preceding verse (ch. xlviii. 8 ; 
 Jer. ii. 19, 20). The act, the word, and the thought 
 of apostasy are all here marked : transgression and 
 departing from God, lying (cf. v. 4) and speaking 
 oppression in relation to our fellow-men, and re- 
 volt in relation to our (Jod ; conceiving and utter- 
 ing from the heart. 14. And judgment is turned 
 away backward, and justice standeth afar off- 
 Justice and righteousness are put away from our 
 legal courts, for truth is fallen in the street-^ 
 in the forum, the ijlace of judicature, usually at 
 the gate of the city (Zech. viii. 16). and equity 
 cannot enter— is shut out from the forum, or 
 courts of justice. 15. Yea, truth faileth— is not 
 to be found, he that departeth from evil raak- 
 eth himself a prey— he that will not fall in with 
 the prevailing iniquity exposes himself as a prey 
 to the wicked (Fs. x. 8, 9). 
 
 The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that 
 747 
 
 B. C. 698. 
 
 ' Jer. 9. 2. 
 Matt. 12.3J. 
 Mark 7. 21, 
 22. 
 
 Eom. 3. 10. 
 
 18. 
 Jas. 1. 13. 
 Jas, 3. 6. 
 } Neh. 8. 1. 
 
 6 Or, i3 
 accounted 
 mad. 
 
 7 it was evil 
 in Ms eye-i. 
 Gen. IS. 2> 
 
 32. 
 
 ch. 63. 5. 
 
 ch. 64. 7. 
 
 Jer. 5. 1. 
 
 Eze. 22. 30. 
 ' Mark 6. 6. 
 "'Ps. 35. 2, 
 
 ch, 11. 5. 
 
 ch. 51. 9. 
 
 Eph. 6. 14, 
 17. 
 
 1 Thes. 5.8. 
 
 2 Cor. 6. 7. 
 Kev. 19. 11. 
 
 there was no judgment. The iniquity of Israel, 
 so desperate as to require nothing short of Jeho- 
 vah's interposition to mend it, typifies the same 
 necessity for a Divine Mediator existing in the 
 deep corruption of man. Israel, the model nation, 
 was chosen to illustrate this awful fact. 16. And 
 he saw that (there was) no man, and wondered 
 that (there was) no intercessor. "No man" — 
 viz., to atone by his righteousness for the unrigh- 
 teousness of the people. "Man" is emphatic, as 
 in 1 Ki. ii. 2 : no representative man able to re- 
 trieve the cause of fallen men (chs. xli. 28; Ixiii. 5, 
 6 ; Jer. v. 1 ; Ezek. xxii. 30). no intercessor— no 
 one to interpose, 'to help and to uphold' (ch. Ixiii. 
 5). therefore his arm brought salvation unto 
 him. "His arm" (chs. xL 10; li. 5). Not vian's 
 arm, but His alone (Ps. xcviii. 1 ; xliv. 3). and 
 his righteousness— the "arm" of Messiah. He 
 won the victory for us, not by mere might as God, 
 but by His invincible righteousness as man, having 
 ' the Spirit without measure ' (chs, xi. 5 ; xlii. 6, 
 21; li. 8; liii. 11; 1 John ii. 1). 17, For he put 
 on righteousness as a breastplate, and an hel- 
 met of salvation upon his head, &c. Messiah is 
 represented as a warrior armed at all points, going 
 forth to vindicate His people. Owing to the unity 
 of Christ and His people, their armour is like His, 
 except that they have no "garments of vengeance,'''' 
 which is God's prerogative (Rom. xii. 19), or 'cloak 
 of zecd,' in the sense of judicial fury punishing the 
 wicked : this zeal belongs properly to God (2 Ki. 
 X. 16 ; Rom. x. 2 ; Phil. iii. 6). " Zeal," in the 
 sense of anxiety for the Lord's honour, they have 
 (Num. XXV. 11, 13 ; Ps, Ixix. 9 ; 2 Cor. vii. 11 ; ix. 
 2); and for "salvation," which is of God alone 
 (Ps. iii. 8), they have as their helmet " the hope of 
 salvation" (1 Thess. v. 8). The " helmet of salva- 
 tion " is attributed to them (Eph. vi. 14, 17) in a 
 secondary sense— viz., derived from Him, and as 
 yet only in Jiope, not fruition (Rom. viii. 24). The 
 second coming here, as often, is included in this 
 representation of Messiah. His "zeal" (John ii. 
 15-17) at His first coming was but a type of His 
 zeal and vengeance against the foes of God at His 
 second coming (2 Thess. i. 8-10; Rev. xix. 11-21). 
 
of the Church, 
 
 B. C. 69S. 
 
 8 recom- 
 pences. 
 Ps. 113, 3. 
 Mai. 1. 11. 
 
 " Kev. 12. 15. 
 
 9 Or. put 
 him to 
 flight. 
 
 ^ Eom. 11.21. 
 3 Heb. 8. 10. 
 
 Heb. 10. 10. 
 '■ Eze. 36. 37. 
 
 Joel 2. 2^. 
 
 The glory ISAIAH LX. 
 
 18 According to their ^ deeds, accordingly he will repay, 
 Fury to his adversaries, reconipence to his enemies ; 
 To the islands he will repay recompence. 
 
 19 So ^shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, 
 And his glory from the rising of the sun. 
 When the enemy shall come in " like a flood, 
 The Spirit of the LoRi> shall ^ lift up a standard against him. 
 
 20 And ^the Redeemer shall come to Zion, 
 And unto them that turn from tran^sgTessioll in Jacob, saich the Lord. 
 
 21 As ^for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; 
 ^ My Spirit that is upon thee. 
 And my words which I have put in thy mouth, 
 Shall not depart out of thy mouth, — nor out of the mouth of tliy seed, 
 Nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, 
 
 From henceforth and for ever. 
 60 ARISE, 1 shine ; for thy light is come, 
 
 18. According to their deeds— Hebrew, 'recom- 
 peuces ;' 'according as their de.eds demand.^ This 
 verse predicts the judgments at the Lord's second 
 coming, which shall precede the final redemption, 
 of His people (ch. Ixvi. V,i, 15, 10). to the islands 
 {note, ch. xli. 1.) — distant countries, to be 
 reached only by sea. 19. So shall they fear the 
 name of the Lord from the west, and his glory 
 from the rising of the sun— (ch. xlv. 6 ; Mai. i. 
 11.) The result of God's judgments (chs. xxvi. 9 ; 
 Ixvi. 18-20). When the enemy shall come in like 
 a flood— (Jer. xlvi. 7, 8 ; Eev. xii. 15. ) the Spirit 
 of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him 
 — from a different Hebrew root [Di3, whence come 
 nostes nosesah], shall put him to JiUjht; drive him 
 away (Maurer). However, the English version, 
 which takes n'asas, to lift \\\\ as the root, is good 
 Hebrew and good sense, and is supported by some 
 Rabbins, and by Buxtorf. Lowtli, giving a differ- 
 ent sense to the Hebrew for " enemy " (tmr), from 
 that in v. 18 (which fact alone is fatal to his view), 
 and a forced meaning to the Hebrew {ruach 
 Jehovah) ^iov " Spirit of the Lord," translates, 
 ' When He shall come a river straitened in its 
 course, which a mi(/hty loind drives along.' The 
 Vulgate translates, 'When there shall have come, 
 as it were, a violent river, which the Spirit of God 
 impels.' The LXX., Tor wrath from the Lord 
 shall come as a violent river: it shall come with 
 fury.' But the Chaldaic, similarly as the English 
 version: 'For enemies causing tribulation shall 
 come as the inundation of the river Euphrates, 
 and they shall be crushed by the Word of the 
 Lord.' And the Syriac, 'When the oppressor 
 shall come as a river, the Spirit of the Lord shall 
 humble him.' The last great enemy. Antichrist, 
 and his last efibrt, are here alluded to (cf. Dan. vii. 
 26, 27; Rev. xix. 11-21). 20. And the Redeemer 
 shall come to Zion. Rom. xi. 26 quotes it, ''out 
 Oj Zion." Thus St. Paul, by inspiration, supi)le- 
 meuts the sense from Ps. xiv. 7. He was, and is 
 to come to Zion, first with redemption, being 
 sprung as man out of Zion. The LXX. trans- 
 late, '■for the sake of \eu6Kev\ Zion.' So the He- 
 brew [?] may mean. Paul applies this verse to 
 the coming restoration of Israel spiritually, and 
 unto them that turn from transgression in 
 Jacob— (Rom. xi. 26.) So the LXX. [airoaT^ixlrei 
 ri(re/3eta9 utto 'laKU)^] and Arabic, and virtually the 
 Chaldaic. Paul herein gives the full sense under 
 inspiration. They turn from transgression, be- 
 cause He first turns them from it, and it from 
 them (Ps. cxxx. 4 ; Lam. v. 21). 21. As for me, 
 this (is) my covenant with them, saith the Lord ; 
 748 
 
 CHAP. 60. 
 1 Or, be en- 
 lightened : 
 for thy 
 light 
 Cometh. 
 
 My Spirit that (is) upon thee. The coveujint is 
 with Christy and vv'ith them only as united to Him 
 (Heb. ii. 13)^ Jehovah addresses Messiah, the re- 
 presentative and ideal Israel. The literal and 
 spiritual Israel are His seed, to whom the promise 
 is to be fulfilled (Ps. xxii. 30). My Spirit . . . 
 shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of 
 the mouth of thy seed ... for ever— (Jer. xxxi. 
 31-37 ; Matt, xxviii. 20). 
 
 Remarks. — iihe reason why calamities are per- 
 mitted to overtake the people of God is not want 
 of power in 'the Lord's hand to save,' nor want of 
 the will to give "ear " to their prayers ; it is their 
 own iniquities which separate between them and 
 their God. Where 'the hands are defiled with 
 iniquity,' and 'the lips speak lies, and mutter 
 l^erversity,' and the heart 'conceiveth mischief 
 and 'bringeth forth iniquity,' how can good be 
 looked for from God? With all the sinner's in- 
 genuity, he but 'weaves the spiders web,' Such 
 a ' web shall' never 'become a garment' to 'cover 
 sinners themselves with.' Nay, just as there has 
 been 'no justice in their goings,' so, in righteous 
 retribution, justice is withheld from them in the 
 day of their calamity. They are given iip to u un- 
 just oppressors. Such has been the history of 
 Israel. For ages they have been 'waiting for 
 light, bat behold obscurity.' As Moses foretold 
 would be the penalty of their apostasy, ' they 
 grope at noon-day as the blind gropeth in dark- 
 ness.' 
 
 CHAP. LX. 1-22.— Israel's Glory after her 
 Affliction. An ode of congratulation to Zion on 
 her restoration, at the Lord's second advent, to her 
 true position as the mother Church, from which 
 the Gospel is to be diffused to the whole Gentile 
 w^orld. The first promulgation of the Gospel among 
 the Gent^e^, beginning at Jerusalem, is an earnest 
 of this. The language is too glorious to apply to 
 anything that as yet has happened. 
 
 1. Arise— from the dust in which thou hast been 
 sitting as a mourning female captive (chs. iii. 26 ; 
 lii. 1, 2). The Chaldaic, LXX., Vulgate, and 
 Arabic, all insert ' Jerusalem,' showing that they 
 applied the prophecy to her. shine — impart to 
 others the spiritual light now given thee [v. 3). 
 Marg. and Gesenius translate, after the Vulgate, 
 LXX., Chaldaic, and Arabic (Hebrew, ori), 'Be 
 enlightened ;' be resplendent with prosperity : im- 
 perative for the future indicative (as the Hebrew 
 idiom, when it joins two imperatives, understands 
 the latter of the two as a future, resulting froni the 
 former), 'thou shalt be enlightened' (ch. Iviii. 8, 
 10 ; Eph. V. 8, 14). The Synac supports the Eng- 
 
The glory 
 
 ISAIAH LX. 
 
 of the ChurrJi. 
 
 And " the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee, 
 
 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth. 
 And gross darkness the people: 
 
 But the Lord shall arise upon thee, — and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 
 
 3 And the ^Gentiles shall come to thy light. 
 And kings to the brightness of thy rising. 
 
 4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see : 
 
 All they gather themselves together, they come to thee: 
 
 Thy sons shall come from far, 
 
 And thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 
 
 5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, 
 And thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged ; 
 
 Because the ^ abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee. 
 The ^forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. 
 C The multitude of camels shall cover thee, 
 The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah ; 
 
 All they from "^Sheba shall come: — they shall bring ^gold and incense; 
 And they shall show forth the praises of the Lord. 
 
 7 All the flocks of^ Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee. 
 The rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee : 
 
 They shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, 
 And '^I will glorify the house of my glory. 
 
 8 Who ai-e these that fly as a cloud, — and as the doves to their windows ? 
 
 9 Surely ^'the isles shall wait for me, — and the ships of Tarshish first, 
 
 lyc. (J!. 
 
 » MaTT2.' " 
 
 Luke 2. 32. 
 
 I Pet. 4. H. 
 6 Gen. 49. 10. 
 
 Ta. 22. 27. 
 
 Ps. 67. 1, 4. 
 
 1*3. 72. 17, 
 1:*. 
 
 J'S. 98. 2. 3. 
 Amo3 9. U. 
 Mic. 4. 1. 
 JRev. 21. 14. 
 
 2 Or. noise 
 of the fea 
 shaU b5 
 tiir e.l 
 toward 
 thte. 
 
 Rom. 11.25. 
 
 3 Or. 
 wealth. 
 Zech. 14.11. 
 
 " Gen. 25. 4. 
 d Ps. 72. 10. 
 « Matt. 2. 11. 
 / Gen. 25. 13. 
 
 Eze. 27. 21. 
 « Hag. 2. 7. 
 
 /' Ps. 72. 10. 
 
 lish version, glory of the Lord — not merely the 
 Shechinah, or cloud of glory, such as rested above 
 the ark iu the old dispensation, but the glory of 
 the Lord in person (Jer. iii. 16, 17). is risen upon 
 thee— as the sun, (Mai. iv. 2; Luke i. lS,manj.) 
 2. darkness shall cover the earth— the rest of the 
 earth : in contrast with ' thy lights and the glory 
 of the Lord risen upon thee'' [v. 1). The earth 
 will be afterwards enlightened through Israel (ch. 
 ix. 2). hut ... his glory shall be seen upon thee 
 — conspiruouHly : so the Hebrew, yeeraeh. 
 
 3. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light— (chs. 
 ii. 3 ; xi. 10 ; xliii. 6 ; xlix. 22 ; Ixvi. 12.) kings— 
 (chs. xlix. 7, 23 ; lii. 15). and kings to the brightness 
 of thy rising— ^/i?/ sun-rising (Hebrew, zarcheek) ; 
 i.e., to the brightness that riseth upon thee. 4. Lift up 
 thine eyes round about. Jerusalem is addressed 
 : a female with eyes cast dotvn from grief, all 
 h.8y gather themselves together, they come to 
 thee. The Gentile peoples come together to bring 
 back the dispersed Hebrews, restore their city, 
 and worship Jehovah with offerings, thy sons 
 shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be 
 nursed at (thy) side— rather, ' upon thy side.' 
 It is the custom in the East to carry the children 
 a.stride on the hip, with the arms around the body 
 (ch. Ixyi. 12). 5. Then thou shalt see {v. 4)— viz., 
 the y^riuging back of thy sons, and flow together 
 (Hebrew, naharie)— lit., to flow as a river. Thou 
 shalt" — i. e., thy children shall flow together irom 
 all lands (of. ch. Ixvi. 12). Or else, 'overflow with 
 joy' [Lowth); or else, in the Chaldaic sense, akin 
 to the Hebrew root, m<r, ' be bright with joy ' 
 {Oesmius). (Job iii. 4; Ps. xxxiv. 5.) So the 
 Chaldaic, Syriac, and Arabic ; but the Vslgate, 
 ' afiiues.' and thine heart shall fear (Hebrew, 
 phachad) — or, beat vnth the agitation of solemn joy 
 at the marvellous sight (Ilor.sley). Jer. xxxiii. 9, 
 " they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness, 
 and for all the j)rosperity that I procure unto it." 
 and be enla,rged— swell with delight. Grief, on 
 the contrary, contracts the heart, because the 
 abundance of the sea shall be converted (/. e.. 
 749 
 
 turned) unto thee. The wealth of the lauds beyond 
 the sea, as in Solomon's time, the type of tlie 
 coming reign of the Prince of Peace, instead of 
 being turned to purposes of sin and idolatry, shall 
 be turued to minister to the Lord and His people, 
 the forces-^rather, the riches, 
 
 6. The multitude of camels— laden with mer- 
 chandise ; the camel is ' the ship of the desert ' 
 (cf. ch. XXX. 6). shall cover thee— so many of 
 them shall there be. dromedaries. They have 
 one bunch on the back, whereas the camel has 
 two : distinguished for swiftness (Jer. ii. 23). of 
 Midian— east of the Elanitic branch of the Red 
 Sea, and stretching northward along mount Seir. 
 Associated with the Ishmaelites in traffic (Gen. 
 xxxvii. 25, 28). and Ephah— part of Midian, east 
 of the Dead Sea. Midian abounded in camels 
 (Judg. vi. 5). all they from Sheba— in Arabia 
 Felix, famed for frankincense and gold (Ps. Ixxii. 
 15 ; Jer. vi. 20), which they traded in (ch. xlv. 14 ; 
 Job. vi. 19 ; Ezek. xxvii. 22). 7. All the flocks of 
 Kedar (ch, xxi. 16 ; Song i. 5)— in the south of 
 Arabia Deserta, or north of Arabia Petrsea ; they 
 traded in flocks (Ezek. xxvii. 21). the rams of 
 Nebaioth— son of Ishmael, as was Kedar. Father 
 of the Nabatheans in Arabia Petrsea. shall 
 minister unto thee — by coming up as an acceijt- 
 able sacrifice, they shall come up with accept- 
 ance — i. e., acceptably. The rams oflering them- 
 selves voluntarily (Ps. Ixviii. 30 ; Rom. xii. 1 ; I 
 Pet. ii. 5), without waiting for any other priest, 
 answer to believers strong in faith and lamb-like 
 meekness, and in the white fleece-like robe of 
 sanctity '{Vitringa). house of my glory— the 
 temple at my second advent (Ezek. xli. ; Hag. ii. 
 7, 9 ; Mai. iii. 1). 8. Who (are) these (that) fly as 
 a cloud, &c. ? The prophet, seeing in vision new 
 hosts approaching quickly like a cloud of doves, 
 asks who they are. 9. Surely the isles shall wait 
 for me— (note, ch. xlii. 4.) and the ships of Tar- 
 shish first, to bring thy sons from far— the shii>s 
 of Tartessus (note, chs. ii. 16; xxiii. 1— i. e., vessels 
 that trade to the most distant regions) will be 
 
of the Gentiles. 
 
 The access ISAIAH LX. 
 
 * To bring thy sons from far, — ' their silver and their gold with them, 
 *Unto the name of the Lord thy God, 
 
 And to the Holy One of Israel, because ' he hath glorified thee. 
 
 10 And "^the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, 
 "And their kings shall minister unto thee; 
 For in my wrath I smote thee, 
 But in my favour have I had mercy on thee. 
 
 11 Therefore thy gates shall be open continually ; 
 They shall not be shut day nor night ; 
 That men may bring unto thee the * forces of the Gentiles, 
 And that their kings may he brought. 
 
 12 For ''the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish ; 
 Yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. 
 
 13 The ^glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, 
 The fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together. 
 To beautify the place of my sanctuary; 
 And I will make ^the place of my feet glorious. 
 
 14 The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; 
 And all they that despised thee 
 
 Shall ^bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; 
 And they shall call thee, The city of the Lord, 
 The * Zion of the Holy One of Israel. 
 
 15 Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated. 
 So that no man went through thee, 
 
 I will make thee an eternal excellency, — a joy of many generations. 
 
 16 Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, 
 And shalt suck the breast of kings : 
 
 And thou shalt know that * I the Lord am thy Saviour 
 And thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. 
 
 17 For brass I wdll bring gold, — and for iron I will bring silver, 
 And for wood brass, and for stones iron : 
 
 among the foremost to bring back the scattered 
 Israelites (ch. Ixvi. 20). their silver and their 
 gold with 'them — the nations among whom the 
 Jews have been scattered shall help them with 
 their money in returning (m 5-7, 11, 16), as was 
 the case at the return from Babylon (Ezra 1, 4 : 
 of. Ps. Ixviii. 30, 31) : an earnest of the future and 
 fuller accomplishment of the prophecy, unto the 
 name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One — 
 rather, because of the nSime— because of the Holy 
 One (cf. ch. Iv. 5) (Loivfh). 
 
 10. kings shall minister unto thee— (v. 7, above ; 
 note, ch. xlix. 23). for in my wrath I smote thee, 
 but in my favour have I had mercy on thee— (ch. 
 liv. 7, 8; Ivii. 17.) 11. Therefore thy gates shall 
 toe open continually ; they shall not be shut day 
 nor night— (Rev. xxi. 25.) The gates are ever 
 open to receive new offerings and converts (ch. 
 xxvi. 2). So in the case of the spiritual Israel 
 now (1 Cor. xvi. 9 ; Acts xiv. 27 ; Rev. iii. 8). In 
 time of peace the gates of a city are open : so, 
 under the Prince of Peace, there shall be no need 
 of barring gates against invaders, that (men) 
 may bring unto thee the forces (the riches) of 
 the Gentiles ; and (that) their kings (may be) 
 brought — as willing captives to the truth ; or, if 
 not willinghj, be brought judgments to submit to 
 Israel (vv. 12, 14). Gesenius explains it (nahag 
 iiehugim), ' may be brought escorted by a retinue.^ 
 12. For the nation . . , that will not serve thee 
 shall perish. The reason which will lead Gentile 
 kings and people to submit themselves : fear of 
 the God in Israel (Zech. xiv. 17). 
 
 13. The glory of Lebanon— i, e., the trees which 
 750 
 
 B. C. 698. 
 
 i Gal. 4. 2f5. 
 / Zech. 14.14. 
 * Ex. 33. 19. 
 
 Ex. 34. 5, r. 
 
 Josh. 9. 9. 
 
 1 Ki. 8. 41. 
 
 1 Ki. 10. 1. 
 Pro. 18. 10. 
 Jer. 3. 17. 
 
 ' ch. 55. 5. 
 "'Zech 6. 15. 
 " Rev. 21. 24. 
 4 Or. 
 
 wealth. 
 " Ps. 2. 12. 
 
 Fs. 22. 28. 
 
 Dan. 2. 35. 
 
 40. 
 
 Zech. 12. 2. 
 3. 
 
 Zech. 14.ir. 
 Matt. 'a. 44. 
 Luke 19.14, 
 27. 
 
 2 Cor. 2. 3. 
 Rev. 2. 26. 
 
 27. 
 
 Rev. 11. 15. 
 
 ch. 35. 2. 
 
 ch. 41. 19. 
 « 1 Chr. 28. 2. 
 
 Heb. 12. 22. 
 
 Rev. 3. 9. 
 » Heb. 12. 22. 
 
 Rev. 14. 1. 
 t Ps. 98. 2. 
 
 ch. 43. 3. 
 
 ch. 49. 23. 
 
 Eze. 34. 30. 
 ■ RtV. 5. 9. 
 
 adorned Lebanon ; emblem of men eminent in 
 natural gifts, devoting all that is in them to the 
 God of Israel (Hos. xiv. 5, 6). the fir tree, the 
 pine . . . the box — or, 'the cypress . . . ilex, or 
 holm . . . cedar ' (cf. note, ch. x'li. 19). to beautify 
 the place of my sanctuary— Jerusalem (Jer. iii. 
 17). I will make the place of my feet glorious— 
 no longer the ark (Jer. iii. 16), "the footstool" of 
 Jehovala (Ps. xcix. 5 ; cxxxii. 7 ; 1 Chr. xxviii. 2) ; 
 but ' the place of His throne, the place of the soles 
 of His feet, where He will dwell in the midst of 
 the children of Israel for ever,' in the new temple 
 (Ezek. xliii. 7). 14. The sons also of them that 
 afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee — their 
 foAhers who "afflicted" Israel having been cut off 
 by divine judgments (chs. xiv. 1, 2; xlix. 23). 
 The Zion of the Holy One of Israel— the royal 
 court of the Holy One. Maurer tx'anslates, ' Zion, 
 the sanctuary [holy place) of Israel, (ch. Ivii. 15 ; 
 Ps. xlvi. 4). 15. forsaken— (Ps. Ixxviii. 60, 61). 
 so that no man went through thee— thy land was 
 so desolate that no traveller or caravan passed 
 through thee : true only of Israel, not true of the 
 Church (Lam. i. 4). an eternal excellency— an 
 everlasting glory ; i. e., one for ever honoured. 
 16. Thou Shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles 
 — Thou shalt draw to thyself and enjoy all that is 
 valuable of the possessions of the Gentiles, &c. 
 (chs. xlix. 23; Ixi. 6; Ixvi. 11, 12). and thou 
 shalt know — by the favours bestowed on thee, 
 and through thee on the Gentiles, that I the Lord 
 am thy Saviour. 
 
 17. For brass I will bring gold — Poetically, 
 with figurative allusion to the furniture of the 
 
The office 
 
 ISAIAH LXL 
 
 of Christ. 
 
 I will also make thy officers peace, — and thine exactors righteousness. 
 
 18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, 
 Wasting nor destruction within thy borders : 
 
 But thou shalt call ^thy walls Salvation, — and thy gates Praise. 
 
 19 The "sun shall be no more thy light by day ; 
 
 Neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee : 
 But the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, 
 And "^thy God thy glory. 
 
 20 Thy ^sun shall no more go down ; — neither shall thy moon withdraw itself : 
 For the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, 
 
 And the days of thy mourning shall be ended. 
 
 2 1 Thy people also shall be all righteous : 
 They ^ shall inherit the land for ever, 
 
 ^The branch of my planting, "tlie work of my hands, 
 That I may be glorified. 
 
 22 A ^little one shall become a thousand, — and a small one a strong nation : 
 I the Lord will hasten it in his time. 
 
 61 THE " Spirit of the Lord God is upon me ; 
 
 Because the Lord hath anointed me — to preach good tidings unto the meek ; 
 He hath sent me ^to bind up the broken-hearted, 
 
 B. C. e08. 
 
 " ch. 28. 1. 
 " Eev. 21. 23. 
 
 Kev. 2 5. 
 
 Zech. 2. 5. 
 * Amos 8. 9. 
 y Ps. 37. 11. 
 
 Matt. 5. 5. 
 
 Kev. 6. 10. 
 « ch. 23. 23. 
 
 ch. 43. r. 
 
 Matt. 15.13. 
 
 John 15. 2. 
 « F.ph. 2. 10. 
 6 Dan. 2. 35. 
 44. 
 
 Matt. 13.31. 
 
 CHAP. 61. 
 " ch. 11. 2. 
 
 Luke 4. 18. 
 
 John 1. 32. 
 
 John 3. 34. 
 6 Ps. 34. 18. 
 
 Ps. 147. 3. 
 
 Hos. 6. 1. 
 
 temple ; all things iu that happy age to come shall 
 be changed for the better. I will also make . . . 
 thine exactors— viz., of tribute, righteousness. 
 All rulers in restored Jerusalem shall not only be 
 peaceable and righteous, but shall be, as it were, 
 "peace" and righteousness" itself in their 
 administration. 18. Violence shall no more be 
 heard in thy land— (ch. ii. 4.) but thou shalt 
 call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise- 
 not only shall thy walls keep thee safe from foes, 
 but "Salvation" shall serve as thy walls, convert- 
 ing thy foes into friends, and so ensuring thee 
 perfect safety (ch, xxvi. 1, 2). gates— once the 
 scene of "destruction," when victorious foes burst 
 through them (Xeh. i. 3); henceforth to be not 
 only the scene of praises, but "Praise" itself ; the 
 "gates," as the place of public concourse, were the 
 scene of thanksgivings (2 Chr. xxxi. 2 ; Ps. ix. 14; 
 xxiv. 7; c. 4). " Judah," the favoured tribe, 
 means praise. 
 
 19. The sun shall be no more thy light by day ; 
 neither for brightness shall the moon give 
 light unto thee— the sun and moon, the brightest 
 objects by day and night, shall be eclipsed by the 
 surpassing glory of God manifesting Himself to 
 thee (ch. xxx. 26; Zech. ii. 5; Eev. xxi. 23; xxii. 
 5). 20. Thy sun shall no more go down ; neither 
 shall thy moon withdraw itself — There shall 
 be no national and spiritual obscuration again, as 
 formerly (Joel ii. 10; Amos viii. 9). the days of 
 thy mourning shall be ended— (ck xxv. 8 ; Eev. 
 xxi. 4.) 21. Thy people also shall be all righ- 
 teous-(chs. iv. 3; lii. 1; Pev. xxi. 27.) they 
 shall inherit the land for ever— (chs. xlix. 8; liv. 
 3; Ixv. 9; Ps. xxxvii. 11, 22; Matt. v. 5.) the 
 branch of my planting— (ch. Ixi. 3; Ps. xcii. 13; 
 Matt. XV. 13.) the work of my hands— the con- 
 verted Israelites (chs. xxix. 23 ; xlv. 11). that I 
 may be glorified— the final end of all God's 
 gracious dealings (chs. xlix> 3 ; Ixi. 3). 22. A little 
 one shall become a thousand— even one, and that 
 the smallest iu number and rank, shall be multi- 
 
 i)lied a thousandfold in both respects (Mic. v. 2; 
 Vlatt. xiii. 31, 32.) I the Lord will hasten it in 
 his time— not our time : we might wish to hasten 
 it. but it will come in tlie due time, as in the case 
 ot Jesus' first coming (CJal, iv. 4); so in that of the 
 restoration of Israel and the conversion of the world 
 (ch. Ixvl 8] Hub. ii. 3; Acts i. 1; Heb. x. 37). 
 751 
 
 Remarks.— It is impossible to understand this 
 chapter, with its glowing and magnificent promises, 
 as having been fulfilled in the first advent of 
 Christ, and the establishment of the Christian 
 Church, the spiritual Israel of God. Nothing yet 
 has taken place to realize the terms of this pro- 
 phecy, even in the present Church, much less in 
 the literal Israel. Now, it is plain from the contrast 
 which is herein drawn between "Zion" and "the 
 Gentiles," tliat it is the literal Jerusalem, the 
 representative of all Israel, which is meant. Zion, 
 which is now abased, is hereafter to "arise." She 
 who is now in darkness is to be illuminated with 
 "light" especially designed for her, even 'the 
 glory of the Lord rising upon her.' As yet only 
 an election has been and is being gathered from 
 among the Gentiles. But when Jerusalem shall 
 assume her rightful place as Mother-Church of 
 Chi'istendom, 'the Gentiles shall come to her 
 light, and kings to the brightness of her sun- 
 rising.' 
 
 CHAP. LXI. 1-11.— Messiah's Offices : Pe- 
 STORATION OF IsRAEL. Messiah announces His 
 two-fold commission to bring Gospel-mercy at His 
 first coming, and judgments on unbelievers and 
 comfort to Zion at His second coming {vi\ 1-9). 
 The language can be applied to Isaiah, comforting 
 by his prophecies the exiles in Babylon, only in a 
 subordinate sense. 
 
 1. The Spirit of the Lord God (is) upon me ; 
 because the Lord hath anointed me — quoted 
 by Jesus as His credentials in preaching (Luke iv. 
 18-21). The Spirit is upon me in preaching, because 
 Jehovah hath anointed me from the womb (Luke i. 
 35), and at baptism with the Spirit "without 
 measure," and permanently "abiding" on me (ch. 
 xi. 2; John i. 32; iii. 34 ; Ps. xlv. 7: with which 
 cf. 1 Ki. i. 39, 40; xix. 16; Exod. xxix. 7). 
 "Anointed" as Messiah, Prophet, Priest, and 
 King. These three classes of functionaries used 
 to be anointed -^ith oil, of which the Holy Spirit, 
 wherewith He was anointed to His three-fold office, 
 was the antitype. " The Lord God "—rather, as 
 the Hebrew, 'the Lord Jehovah:^ A^onai, Jehovi. 
 The vowel points being the same as those of Elo- 
 him., misled the English version, to preach good 
 tidings (Hebrew, le-hasseer)—2i,s the word ' Gospel ' 
 means, unto the meek {wyiz: the LXX., tttwxoi^] 
 — or, " the poor," as Luke iv. 18 hath it; i. e., those 
 
The office 
 
 ISAIAH LXI. 
 
 of Cfirist. 
 
 To proclaim liberty to the captives. 
 
 And the opening of the prison to tfiem tfiat are bound. 
 
 To '^proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, 
 
 And Hhe day of vengeance of our God; — to -^'comfort all that mourn; 
 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, 
 
 ^ To give unto them beauty for ashes, — the oil of joy for mourning, 
 
 The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness ; 
 
 That they might be called Trees of righteousness, 
 
 The '^planting of the Lord, Hhat he might be glorified. 
 
 And they shall build the old wastes. 
 They shall raise up the former desolations. 
 
 And they shall repair the waste cities, — the desolations of many generations. 
 And ^ strangers shall stand and feed your flocks. 
 
 And the sons of the alien sfiall be your plowmen, and your vine-dressers. 
 
 But ' ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord : 
 
 Me7i shall call you the Ministers of our God : 
 
 Ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, 
 
 And in their glory shall ye beast yourselves. 
 
 For "*your shame ye sfiall have double. 
 
 B. C. 698. 
 
 " Jer. 34. 8, 
 Zech. 9. 11, 
 12. 
 
 John 8. 32- 
 30. 
 
 d Lev. 25. 9. 
 
 Luke 4. 19 
 
 2 Cor. 6. 2. 
 ' MaL 4. 1. 3 
 / Jer. 31. 11. 
 
 Matt. 6. 4. 
 
 Luke 6. 21. 
 " Pa. 30. 11. 
 't ch. 60. 21. 
 i John 15. 8. 
 } Eze. 36. 33. 
 
 Eph. 2. 12. 
 ' Ex. 19. 6. 
 ™Deut. 21.17. 
 
 2 Ki. 2. 9. 
 
 Job 42. 10. 
 
 ch. 40. 2. 
 
 Zech. 9. 12. 
 
 2 C or. 4. 17. 
 
 afflicted with calamity, poor in circumstances and 
 in spirit (Matt. xi. 5.) The Vulgate {' mansuetis ') 
 and Chaldaic translate much tiie same as the Eng- 
 lish version, 'the gentle' or "meek:" the Syriac, 
 'the humble:' the Arabic, "the poor." to pro- 
 claim liberty to the captives (John viii. 31-3G) 
 — language drawn from the deliverance of the 
 Babylonian captives, to describe the deliverance 
 from sin and death (Heb. ii. 15); also from the 
 ' liberty proclaimed ' to all bond-servants on the 
 year of jubilee {v. 2) ; dtror is the term usually 
 applied to the deliverance granted to bond-servants 
 on the year of jubilee; (Lev. xxv. 10; Jer. xxxiv. 
 8, 9). the opening of the prison to (them that 
 are) bound. The Hebrew {pequach quoack^ equi- 
 valent to pequachequoach, the signification being 
 intensified by the doubling of the latter radicals) 
 rather is, 'the most com2)lete opening] — viz., of the 
 eyes to them that are bound ; i. e., deliverance from 
 prison; for cajitives are, as it were, hlind in the 
 darkness of prison (chs. xiv. 17; xxxv. 5; xlii. 7) 
 (Ewald). So Luke iv. 18 and the LXX. interpret 
 it [ti;(|)\ois &vd(3Xe\j/iv]. Luke iv. 18, under in- 
 spiration, adds to this, for the fuller explanation of 
 the single clause in the Hebrew, ' to set at liberty 
 them that are bruised ; ' thus expressing the double 
 'opening ' implied— viz., that of the eyes (John ix. 
 39), and that of the prison (Eom. vi. 18; vii. 24, 25; 
 Heb. ii. 15). His miracles were acted parables. 
 2. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord 
 — the year of jubilee on which 'liberty was pro- 
 claimed to the captives ' {v. 1 ; 2 Cor. vi. 2). and 
 the day of vengeance of our God. The 'accept- 
 able time of grace ' is a year ; " the time of 
 "vengeance" but a 'day' (so chs. xxxiv. 8; Ixiii. 
 4 ; Mai. iv. 1). Jesus (Luke iv. 20, 21) " closed the 
 book " before this clause ; for the interval from 
 His first to His second coming is "the acceptable 
 year : " " the day of vengeance " will not be till He 
 comes again (2 Thess. i, 7-9). our God. The saints 
 call Him " our God : " for He cometh to " avenge " 
 them (Kev. vi. 10; xix. 2). Primarily Israel 
 speaks. The Lord comes again ak their God, to 
 avenge them on their enemies (cf. v. 3). to com- 
 fort all that mourn. The " all " seems to include 
 the spiritual Israelite mourners, as well as the 
 literal, who are in v.. 3 called "them that mourn 
 in Zion" and to whom ch. Ivii, 18 refers. 3. To 
 appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give 
 unto them. " To appoint ... to give "—the 
 double verb, with the one and the same accusative, 
 752 
 
 imparts glowing vehemence to the style, beauty 
 for ashes. There is a X)lay on the sound and 
 meaning of the Hebrew words, pe-eer epher: lit., 
 'ornamental head-dress' or tiaj-a (Ezek. xxiv. 
 17), worn in times of joy, instead of a head-dress 
 of ashes," cast on the head in mourning (2 Sam. 
 xiii. 19.) the oil of joy for mourning— perfumed 
 ointment was poured on the guests at joyous feasts 
 (Ps. xxiii. 5 ; xiv. 7, 8 ; Amos vi. 6). On occasions 
 of grief its use was laid aside (2 Sam. xiv. 2). the 
 garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. 
 The image is from bright-coloured garments, indi- 
 cative of thankfulness, which were worn by the 
 joyful, instead of those that indicate despondency, 
 as sackcloth (John xvi. 20.) that they might be 
 called Trees of righteousness, " Trees " (Hebrew, 
 eeleey, terebinth trees) ; symbolical of men strong in 
 righteousness, instead of being, as heretofore, 
 bowed down as a reed with sin and calamity (chs. 
 i. 29, 30; xlii. 3; 1 Ki. xiv. 15; Ps. i. 3; xcii." 12-14; 
 Jer. xvii. 8). The planting of the Lord— (note;" 
 ch. Ix. 21.) that he might be glorified— (John 
 XV. 8.) 
 
 4. And they shall build the old wastes— Jeru- 
 salem and the cities of Judah, which long lay in 
 ruins (note, ch. Iviii. 12). 5. And strangers shall 
 stand — shall wait on you as servants (chs. xiv. 1, 
 2 ; Ix. 10). and feed your flocks. 6. But ye shall 
 be named the Priests of the Lord. "Ye," as 
 contrasted with the " strangers." Ye shall have 
 no need to attend to your flocks and lands : 
 strangers will do that for you : your exclusive 
 business will be the service of Jehovah as His 
 "priests" (Exod. xix. 6, which remains yet to be 
 realized : ct. as to the spiritual Israel, ch. Ixvi. 21 ; 
 1 Pet. ii. 5, 9; Eev. i. 6; v. 10). the Ministers of 
 our God— (Ezek. xliv. IL) ye shall eat the 
 riches of the Gentiles— (ch. Ix. 5-11.) in their 
 glory shall ye l)oast yourselves [tithyammaru)— 
 or, 'in their splendour ye shall be substituted 
 in their stead; lit, ye shall substitute your- 
 selves. From yamar, the same as mur, Jer. ii. 11, 
 change [Maurer). But Jerome, the Vulgate, 
 LXX,, Chaldaic, Arabic, and Syriac support the 
 English version. [Thus the Hebrew ♦ will stand 
 instead of tithyammaru heing ior titheammeru, 
 Hithpael, from amar.] So the latter {yitheammeru) 
 is translated " boast themselves " in Ps, xciv. 4. 7. 
 For your shame (ye shall have) double— Instead 
 of your past share, ye shall have not merely as 
 much, but "double" as much reward (ch. xl. 2; 
 
The prophet's zeal ISAIAH LXI. for the Church, 
 
 And for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion : 
 Therefore in their land they shall possess the double ; 
 Everlasting joy shall be unto them. 
 
 8 For I the Lord love judgment, — I hate robbery for burnt offering ; 
 And I will direct their work in truth, 
 "And I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 
 
 9 And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, 
 And their offspring among the people : 
 All that see them shall acknowledge them, 
 That they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed. 
 
 10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, — my soul shall be joyful in my God ; 
 For he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation. 
 He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, 
 As "a bridegroom ^decketh himself with ornaments, 
 And as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. 
 
 1 1 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, 
 And as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth ; 
 So the Lord God will cause ^righteousness and Upraise 
 To spring forth before all the nations. 
 
 62 FOR Zion's sake will I not hold my peace. 
 And for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest. 
 Until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, 
 And the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. 
 
 B. c. m. 
 " Gen. ir. r. 
 
 2 Sam. 23,5. 
 Ps. 45, 6. 9. 
 
 13. 14. 
 Ps, JO, 5, 
 Ch, 65. 3. 
 Eze 10,8-1?;. 
 Heb. 13, 20, 
 
 21, 
 
 Rev. 19.r,8 
 " ch 49. 13. ' 
 
 Kcv. 21. 2. 
 1 decketh as 
 
 a priest. 
 P I's. 72. 3. 
 
 Ps. 85. IL 
 3 ch. 60. 18. 
 
 ch, 62. 7. 
 
 CHAP. 62. 
 ' Ps. 98. 1-3. 
 Prov. 4. 1% 
 ch, 1. 25.27. 
 ch. 32.15.17. 
 ch. 51.5,6.9. 
 ch. 61.10,11. 
 Mic. 4. 2. 
 Matt. 5. 16. 
 Luke 2. 30, 
 32. 
 
 Zech. ix. 12 : cf. the third clause in this verse), 
 and (for) confxxzion— humiliation, or contumeli/. 
 they Bhall rejoice in their portion— they shall 
 celebrate loith jubilation their portion {Maurer). 
 Transition from the second to the third person, 
 therefore in their land — marking the reference 
 to literal Israel, not to the Church at large— they 
 shall possess the double; everlasting joy shall 
 be unto them— (ch. xxxv. 10.) 
 
 8. For I the Lord love judgment — justice, 
 which requires that I should restore my people, 
 and give them double in compensation for 
 their sufferings. I hate robbery for burnt 
 offering. So V ulgate, rather, ■ from a different 
 Hebrew root, I hate the spoil of iniquity 
 iHorsley). So the LXX., Chaldaic, Arabic, and 
 Syriac. So in Job v. 16. [rh\v is the same as 
 i^/??]. Hating, as I do, the rapine, combined with 
 iniquity, perpetrated on my people hy their ene- 
 mies, I will vindicate Israel, and I will direct 
 their work in truth— rather, 'I will give them 
 the reward oj their work (cf. marff., chs, xl. 10; 
 xlix, 4; Ixii. 11) in faithfulness' {Nathatti phe- 
 ullatham). 9. And their seed shall be known— 
 honourably: shall be illustrious (Ps. Ixvii. 2). and 
 their offspring among the people — Hebrew, 
 peoples, all that see them shall acknowledge 
 them, that they (are) the seed (which) the Lord 
 hath blessed— (ch, Ixv, 23.) 
 
 10, I will greatly rejoice in the Lord— Zion [v. 
 3) gives thanks for God's returning favour (cf. 
 Luke i. 46, 47 ; Hab. iii. 18). garments of salva- 
 tion . . . robe of righteousness — inseparably 
 connected together. The {me'il) "robe" is a loose 
 mantle thrown over the other parts of the dress 
 (Ps, cxxxii. 9, 10 ; cxlix, 4 ; Kev. xxi. 2 ; xix. 8). 
 as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments 
 — rather, maketh himself a priestly head-dress 
 {pe-eer^ v. 3); i. e., a maOTificent head-dress, such 
 as was worn by the high priest— viz., a mitre and 
 a plate, or crown of gold worn in front of it, 
 {Aquila, cbc.) Apx)ropriate to the "kingdom of 
 priests," dedicated to the offering of spiritual sac- 
 rifices to God continually (Exod. xix. 6; liev. v. 
 VOL. III. 753 
 
 10; XX. 6). jewels— rather, ornaments in general. 
 The bride's trousseau {keeleyah). 11. For as the 
 earth bringeth forth her bud, &c.— (chs. xlv, 8; 
 Iv. 10, 11 ; Ps, Ixxii. 3; Ixxxv, 11.) bud— the ten- 
 der shoots, praise— (chs. Ix. 18; Ixii, 7.) 
 
 Remarks. — The grand theme of this prophecy is 
 the Messiahship of the Saviour. He was described 
 in various other aspects previously : here He is 
 set before us as the Anointed One of the Lord 
 Jehovah. In His first sermon in the synagogue 
 at Nazareth He commenced by appropriating to 
 Himself this prophecy. As three classes of t3rpi- 
 cal personages — prophets, priests, and kings — used 
 to be anointed with oil, to consecrate them to their 
 function, so He, the great Antitype, was anointed 
 with the antitypical oil, the fulness of the Spirit, 
 to His function, which combines in one tlie pro- 
 phetical, the priestly, and the kingly offices. As 
 His prophetical function was prominent during 
 His earthly ministry" in the flesh. His priestly 
 function at His death, and especially now in His 
 session at the Father's right hand as our great 
 High Priest in the heavens, so at His coming 
 again His kingly office shall be visibly and pro- 
 minently manifested, 
 
 CHAP. LXII. 112. — Intekcessory Prayers 
 FOR Zion's Kestoration, accompanying God's 
 Promises of it, as the appointed Means of 
 accomplishing it. 
 
 1. For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace. 
 "I" — the prophet, as rei^resentative of all the 
 praying people of God who love and intercede for 
 Zion (cf. vv. 6, 7; Ps. cii. 13-17); or else Messiah, 
 the great Intercessor (cf. v. 6). So Messiah is 
 represented as unfainting in His efforts for His 
 people (chs, xlii. 4 ; 1. 7). until the righteousness 
 thereof go forth as brightness— not its own righ- 
 teousness inherently, but imputed to it for its 
 restoration to God's favour: hence ^'salvation" 
 answers to it in the parallelism. "Judah"isto 
 be 'saved^ through "the Lord owr (Judah's and 
 the Church's) righteousness'' (Jer. xxiii. 6). as 
 brightness (ka-nogah) — properly the bright shin- 
 ing of the rising sun (chs, Ix. 19 ; iv, 5 ; 2 Sam, 
 xxiii. 4 : Prov. iv. 18). and the salvation thereof 
 3o 
 
The office of ministers 
 
 ISAIAH LXII. 
 
 in 'preaching the Go.wel. 
 
 2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, 
 And all kings thy glory : 
 
 ^And thou shalt be called by a new name, 
 Which the mouth of the liORD shall name. 
 
 3 Thou shalt also be a ^ crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, 
 And a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. 
 
 4 Thou '^shalt no more be termed Forsaken; 
 
 Neither shall thy land any more be termed ^Desolate: 
 
 But thou shalt be called ^ Hephzibah,^and thy land ^ Beulah : 
 
 For the Lord delighteth in thee, — and thy land shall be married. 
 
 5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin. 
 So shall thy sons marry thee : 
 
 And ^as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, 
 So shall thy God rejoice over thee. 
 
 6 I ^ have set watchmen upon thy walls, 0 Jerusalem, 
 Which shall never hold their peace day nor night : 
 ^Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, 
 
 7 And give him no ^rest, — till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem 
 •^'A praise in the earth. 
 
 8 The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, 
 ^ Surely I will no more ^give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; 
 And the sons of the stranger sliall not drink thy wine. 
 
 For the which thou hast laboured : 
 
 9 But they that have gathered it shall eat it, — and praise the Lord ; 
 
 as a lamp (that) burneth— blazing torch. 2. the 
 Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all 
 kings thy glory— (chs. xi. 10; xlii. 1-6; xlix. 7, 22, 
 23 ; Ix. 3, 5, 16). called by a new name— expres- 
 sive of thy new and improved condition {v. 4), the 
 more valuable and lasting as being conferred by 
 Jehovah Himself {v. 12 ; ch. Ixv. 15 ; Rev. ii. 17 ; 
 iii. 12). 3. (Zech. ix. 16.) Thou shalt also be a 
 crown of glory in the hand of the Lord. As a 
 crown is worn on the head, not "in the hand," 
 hand must here be figurative for 'under the Lord's 
 protection'' (Deut. xxxiii. 3). 'All His saints are 
 in thy hand.' His people are in His hand at the 
 same time that they are "a crown of glory "to 
 Him (Eev. vi. 2 ; xix. 12) : reciprocally, He is ' a 
 crown of glory and a diadem of beauty ' to them 
 (ch. xxviii. 5 : cf. Mai. iii. 17). 4. Thou shalt no 
 more be termed Forsaken — be "forsaken," so as 
 that that term could be applicable to thee, but 
 thou Shalt be called Hephzibah (2 Ki. xxi. 1)— 
 the name of Hezekiah's wife, a type of Jerusalem, 
 as Hezekiah was of Messiah (ch. xxxii. 1): mean- 
 ing, ' my delight is in her.' and thy land Beulah 
 — "Thou art married." See the same contrast of 
 Zion's past and future state under the same figui^e, 
 ch. liv. 4-6; Eev. xxi. 2, 4 thy land shall be 
 married— to Jehovah, as its Lord and Husband, 
 implying not only ownership, but protection on 
 the part of the Owner {Horsleij). 5. For (as) a 
 young man marrieth a virgin, (so) shall thy 
 sons marry thee, "Thy sons"— i^otof/t prefers 
 changing the points, which are of no authority in 
 Hebrew: 'thy builder 'or 'restorer' {Bonaik for 
 Banaik. The plu ral form, ' thy builders,^ is used of 
 God, to express His infinite fulness, as Hebrew in 
 Isa. liv. 5, ' thy Maker is thy Husbands'), i. e., God : 
 for in the i)arallel clause, and in v. 4, God is im- 
 plied as being "married" to her; whereas her 
 "sons" could hardly be said to marry their 
 mother : and in ch, xlix. 18, they are said to be 
 her bridal ornaments, not her husband. But "thy 
 sons" mean simply, th?/ citizens; and 'shall 
 marry thee ' means, shall dwell in thee, Jerusalem. 
 The Masoretic points should not rashly be altered. 
 7o4 
 
 B. C. 698. 
 
 CHAP. 62, 
 
 * ch. 65. 15. 
 Rev. 3. 12, 
 
 " Zech. 9, IC, 
 <i Hos. 1, 10. 
 1 Pet. 2. 10. 
 
 1 Azubah. 
 
 1 Ki. 22. 42. 
 ch. 64. 1. 
 
 2 That is. 
 My delight 
 is in her. 
 
 2 Ki. 21. 1. 
 » That is. 
 
 Married. 
 
 4 with the 
 joy of the 
 bride- 
 groom, 
 
 * Eze. 8. 17. 
 
 5 Or. ye that 
 are the 
 LORDS 
 remem- 
 branc- rs. 
 
 8 silence, 
 / Zeph. 3. 20, 
 ^ If I give, 
 
 etc. 
 f Deut. 28..'?1, 
 
 The Chaldaio, LXX., Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic 
 support them and the English version reading. 
 In the East no young man marries a widow, but 
 almost invariably a virgin, (as) the bridegroom 
 rejoiceth over the bride, (so) shall thy God rejoice 
 over thee — as the bridegroom rejoiceth in the 
 possession of the bride (ch. Ixv, 19 ; Jer. xxxii. 41 ; 
 Zeph. iii, 17). 
 
 6. I— Isaiah, speaking in the person of Mes- 
 siah, have set watchmen upon thy walls, 0 
 Jerusalem— image from the watches set upon a 
 city's wall to look out for the approach of a mes- 
 senger with good tidings (ch. Iii. 7, 8) : the good 
 tidings of the return of the Jewish exiles from 
 Babylon prefiguring the coming return from th^ 
 present dispersion (cf. chs, xxi. 6-11; Ivi. 10; 
 Ezek. iii, 17 ; xxxiii. 7), The watches in the East 
 are announced by a loud cry, to mark the vigilance 
 of the watchmen, ye that make mention of the 
 Lord, keep not silence— Hebrew, ye that are the 
 Lord's remembrancers : God's servants who by their 
 prayers ' put God in remembrance ' of His pro- 
 mises (ch. xliii, 26). We are required to remind 
 God, as if God could, which He cannot, forget His 
 
 gromises (Ps. cxix. 49; Jer. xiv. 21). 7. And give 
 im no rest— Hebrew, dami, the same as in v. 6, 
 "silence:" 'keep not silence' yourselves, 'nor let 
 Him rest in silence.' Cf. as to Messiah Himself, 
 " will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's 
 sake I will not rest" {v. 1). Messiah's watchmen 
 {vv. 6, 7) imitate Him {v. 1) in intercessory 'prayer 
 without ceasing ' for Jerusalem (Ps. cxxii. 6 ; li. 
 18) : also for the spiritual Jerusalem, the Church 
 (Luke xviii. 1, 7 ; Rom. i, 9 ; 1 Thess, iii. 10). and 
 till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth— 
 (note, ch. Ixi. 11 ; Zeph. iii. 20,) 8, The Lord hath 
 sworn by his right hand— His mighty instrument 
 of accomplishing His will (cf, ch, xlv. 23 ; Heb, vi. 
 13), Surely I will no more give thy corn (to be) 
 meat for thine enemies ; and the sons of the 
 stranger shall not drink thy Vfine— Foreigners 
 shall no more rob thee of the fruit of thy labours 
 (cf, ch. Ixv. 21, 22). 9, But they that have 
 gathered it shaU eat it, and praise the Lord 
 
Christ sheweth 
 
 ISAIAH LXIII. 
 
 who he is. 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 And they that have brought it together shall drink it 
 In the courts of my holiness. 
 
 Go through, go through the gates ; — prepare ye the way of the people ; 
 Cast up, cast up the highway ; — ^gather out the stones ; 
 Lift up a standard for the people. 
 
 Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, 
 *Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; 
 Behold, his ^'reward is with him, and his ^work before him. 
 12 And they shall call them. The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: 
 
 And thou shalt be called. Sought out, — A city not forsaken. 
 63 WHO is this that cometh from Edom, 
 
 With dyed garments from Bozrah ?--This that is ^glorious in his apparel. 
 Travelling in the greatness of his strength ? 
 I that speak in righteousness, — mighty to save. 
 
 2 Wherefore ^art thou red in thine apparel. 
 
 And thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? 
 
 3 I have ^trodden the wine-press alone; 
 And of the people there was none with me : 
 
 For I will tread them in. mine anger,— and trample ^them in my fury ; 
 And their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, 
 And I will stain all my raiment. 
 
 B. C. 03"?. 
 
 Ueut. 12.12. 
 Leut. 14.23, 
 26. 
 
 Eeut.lC.lU 
 14. 
 
 ch. 40. 9. 
 i Zech. 9. 9. 
 
 Matt. 21. 5. 
 
 John 12. 15. 
 j cli. 40. 10. 
 
 ch. 49. 4. 
 
 Eev. 22. 12. 
 8 Or, recoin- 
 
 pence. 
 
 CHAP. 63. 
 1 decked. 
 
 Eev. 19. 13. 
 
 ch. 25. 10. 
 ^ Lara. 1. 15. 
 
 Mai. 4. 3. 
 
 Rev. 14. 19, 
 2). 
 
 Eev. 19. 1> 
 15. 
 
 " 2 Ki. 9 .-53. 
 ch. 34. 2, .5. 
 
 —not consume it on their own lusts, and without 
 thanksgiving, they that have brought it to- 
 gether shall drink it in the courts of my holi- 
 ness—they who have gathered the vintage shall 
 drink it at the feasts held in the courts surround- 
 ing the temple, (Deut. xii. 17, 18 ; xiv. 23, &c.) 
 
 10. Go through, go through the gates ; prepare 
 ye the way of the people . . . gather out the 
 stones. What Isaiah, in the person of Messiah, 
 had engaged (in v. 1) unrestingly to seek, and 
 what the watchmen were unrestingly to pray for 
 {v. 7), and what Jeh,ovah solemnly promised [vv. 8, 
 
 9) , is now to be fulfilled : the Gentile nations are 
 commanded to "go through the gates" (either of 
 their own cities {Bosenmicller) or of Jerusalem) 
 (31aurer), in order to remove all obstacles out of 
 
 the way of tlie people" (Israel) (note, ch. Ivii. 
 14; xl. 3; Hi. 10-12). lift up a standard for the 
 people— for the dispersed Jews to rally round, 
 with a view to their return (ch. xlix. 22 ; xi. 12). 
 11. Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy 
 salvation cometh— embodied in the Saviour (see 
 Zech. ix. 9). behold, his reward is with him, and 
 his work— rather, His recompence for work (ch. xl. 
 
 10) . before him. 12. thou shalt be called. Sought 
 out — Sought after and highly pri-.ed by Jehovah : 
 answering to A city not forsaken in the parallel 
 clause : no longer abandoned, but loved : image 
 from a wife {v. 4 ; Jer. xxx. 14). 
 
 Remarks. — Three agencies combine for the ulti- 
 mate restoration of Zion, both temporarily and 
 spiritually. First, Messiah, for her sake, 'holds 
 not His peace,' and ' will not rest, until the righ- 
 teousness thereof go forth as the brightness' of 
 the rising sun. Secondly, all believers are *' set " 
 by (iod as spiritual "watchmen," to be 'the 
 Lord's remembrancers,' 'giving Him no rest day 
 nor night till He make Jerusalem a praise in the 
 earth.' Thirdly, the Lords oath is pledged, in 
 behalf of His ancient people, that strangers and 
 enemies shall no longer consume her produce and 
 usurp her inheritance, but her children shall enjoy 
 what is their own by right, and shall praise the 
 Lord for it, and the ' courts of God's holy house ' 
 shall once more be thronged by grateful worship- 
 pers. 
 
 CHAP. LXIIL 1-19.— Messiah coming as the 
 
 A.VENGER, IN ANSWER TO HiS PeOPLE'iS PrAYERS. 
 
 755 
 
 Messiah approaching Jerusalem, after having 
 avenged His people on His and their enemies, is 
 represented under imagery taken from the de- 
 struction of "Edom," the type of the last and 
 most bitter foes of God and His people, (see ch. 
 XX xiv. 5, &c.) 
 
 1. Who (is) this that cometh from Edom, with 
 dyed garments from Bozrah?— the question of the 
 prophet in prophetic vision, dyed — scarlet with 
 blood (vv. 2, 3 ; Rev. xix. 13). Bozrah- (note, ch. 
 xxxiv. 6. ) this (that is) glorious in his apparel, 
 travelling in the greatness of his strength ? 
 " Travelling " [njii']. So the Syriac and Vulgate, 
 marching majestically, stately— lit., throwing back 
 the head (Geseniics). 
 
 I that speak in righteousness, mighty to 
 save — answer of Messiah. I. who have in faith- 
 fulness given a promise of deliverance am now 
 about to fulfil it. Not as Maurer (in opposition 
 to the Vulgate, LXX., Chaldaic, Arabic, and 
 Syriac, which support the English version), 'I 
 that speah of righteousness'' (ch. xiv. 19; xlvi. 
 13): salvation being meant as the result of His 
 "righteousness." save. The same Messiah that 
 destroys the unbeliever saves the believer. 
 
 2. Wherefore ( art thou) red in thine apparel? 
 &c. The prophet asks why His garments are 
 " dyed " and " red. " winefat— rather, the wine- 
 press, wherein the grapes were trodden with the 
 feet, from which the juice would flow ofi'into the 
 wine vat : the juice would stain the garment of 
 him who trod them (Rev. xiv. 19, 20; xix. 15). The 
 image was appropriate, as the country round 
 Bozrah abounded in grapes. This final blow, in- 
 flicted by Messiah and His armies (Rev. xix. IS- 
 IS), shall decide His claim to the kingdoms 
 usurped by Satan, and by the "beast," to whom 
 Satan delegates his power. It will be a day of 
 judgment to the hostile Gentiles, as His first 
 coming was a day of judgment to the unbelieving 
 J ews. 
 
 3. I have trodden the wine-press alone ; and 
 of the people (there was) none with me— Reply 
 of Messiah. For the linage, see Lam. i. 15. He 
 "treads the winepress" here not as a sufi'erer, 
 but as an infiicter of vengeance, for I will tread 
 them in mine anger . . . and their blood shall 
 be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will 
 
Christ's loving-kindness 
 
 ISAIAH LXIIL 
 
 to his Church, 
 
 4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, 
 And the year of my redeemed is come. 
 
 5 And I looked, and there was none to help; 
 And I wondered that there was none to uphold : 
 Therefore mine own ''arm brought salvation unto me; 
 And my fury, it upheld me. 
 
 6 And I will tread dov/n the people in mine anger^ 
 And make them drunk in my fury, 
 
 And I will bring down their strength to the earth. 
 
 7 I will mention the loving-kindnesses of the Lord, 
 And the praises of the Lord, 
 
 According to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, 
 And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, 
 Which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, 
 And according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses. 
 
 8 For he said, Surely they are my people, — children that will not Tie:: 
 ^So he was their Saviour. 
 
 9 In ^ all their affliction he was afflicted, 
 And ^the angel of his presence saved them : 
 
 In *his love and in his pity he redeemed them; 
 And ^ he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. 
 10 But they rebelled, and * vexed his Holy Spirit: 
 Therefore he was turned to be their enemy, 
 And he fought against them. 
 
 stain all my raiment— rather, preterites, after tiie 
 vau conversive succeeding "I have trodden:" 
 'I trode . . . trampled . . . was sprinkled . . . 
 I stained.' So the LXX., Vulgate, Syriac, and 
 Arabic. But the Chaldaic as the English version, 
 their blood {neetzach); lit., spirted juice of the 
 grape pressed out by treading ; akin to an Arabic 
 root [Gesenius). The word in Hebrew usually 
 means victory or perpetuity : hence the "strength" 
 (as V. 6 translates the same Hebrew) whereby 
 victory or perpetuity is ensured— the lij <i-bloo(L 
 4. For the day of vengeance (is) in mine heart. 
 " Is " — rather, was. This assigns the reason why 
 He has thus destroyed the foe (Zepli. iii. 8). the 
 year of my redeemed — of my people to be re- 
 deemed, day . . . year — here, as in chs. xxxiv. 
 8; Ixi. 2, the time of "vengeance" is described 
 as a "c?a?/"— that of grace and of *recompence' 
 to the " redeemed," as a " year." God delights in 
 grace, rather than in vengeance. 5. I looked, and 
 (there was) none to help . . . therefore mine own 
 arm brought salvation unto me ; and my fury, 
 it upheld me. The same words as in ch. lix. 16, 
 except that thei-e it is His " righteousness," here 
 it is His "fury," which is said to have upheld 
 Him. 6. And I will tread down the people in 
 mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury 
 —rather, preterites, 'I t7'od down . . . made 
 them drunk.' The same image occurs, ch. li. 17, 
 21-23 ; Ps. Ixxv. 8 ; Jer. xxv. 26, 27. and I will 
 bring down their strength to the earth— rather, 
 ' I spilled their life-blood (the same Hebrevv word 
 as in V. 3) on the earth, {Lowth, the Arabic, and 
 LXX.) Hebrew, niizcham. The Syriac, Vulgate, 
 and Chaldaic translate as the English version. 
 
 7. Israel's penitential confession and prayer for 
 restoration (Ps. cii. 17, 20), extending from this 
 verse to the end of ch. Ixiv. loving-kindnesses 
 . . . the praises . . . according to his mercies . . . 
 to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses— the 
 'plurals and the repetitions imply that language is 
 inadequate to express the full extent of God's 
 goodness, according to all that the Lord hath 
 756 
 
 B. C. 698. 
 
 ^ John 16. 32. 
 • Ps. 44. 3. 
 
 Ps. 98. 1. 
 
 ch. 40. 10 
 
 ch. 61. 9. 
 
 ch. 62. 10. 
 
 Heb. 2. 14, 
 15. 
 
 / Rev. 16. 6. 
 > Or, and he 
 
 became a 
 
 Saviour for 
 
 then\. 
 f Judg. 10.16. 
 
 Acts 9. 4. 
 
 Ex. 14. 19. 
 
 Hos. 1. r. 
 
 Hos. 12.4,5. 
 
 2 Cor. 4. 4. 
 
 Col. 2. 9. 
 
 Heb. 1. 3. 
 i Deut. r. 7. 
 i Ex. 19. 4. 
 
 * Ps. 78. 8,40. 
 Ps. 95. 9-11. 
 Eze. 9. 6. 
 Eph. 4. 30. 
 Heb. 10. 29. 
 
 bestowed on us — the dispersed Jews, at the time 
 just preceding their final restoration, and the 
 great goodness toward the house of Israel, which 
 he hath bestowed on them— in all ages. God has 
 been good not merely to the Jews now dispersed, but 
 to Israel in every age of its history. 8. For he 
 said, Surely they are my people. "He"— Jeho- 
 vah "said," i. e., tltought, in choosing them as 
 His covenant-people; so "said," Ps. xcv. 10. 
 Not that God was ignorant that the Jews would 
 not keep faith with Him ; but God is here repre- 
 sented according to human modes of thought, as 
 saying within Himself what He might naturally 
 have expected as the result of His goodness to 
 the Jews ; thus the enormity of their unnatural 
 perversity is the more vividly set forth, children 
 (that) will not lie — prove false to me, and my 
 covenant (cf. Ps. xliv. 17). so he was their 
 Saviour— in virtue of His having cAo^'c/i them as 
 "i?25 people." He iDCcame their Saviour. So 
 the "therefore" (Jer. xxxi. 3). His eternal 
 choice is the ground of His actually saving men 
 (Eph. L 3, 4). 9. In all their aflliction he was 
 afaicted. The English version reads the Hebrew 
 as the Keri (Hebrew margin) does, 'There was 
 affliction to Him' [i'?]. But the Ketib (text) 
 reads, 'There was no affliction' (the change in 
 Heljrew being only of one letter) [{<'?]—?. e., 'In all 
 their afflictions there was no (utterly overwhelm- 
 ing) affliction' (Gesenius); or, for 'Hardly had an 
 affliction befallen them, when the angel of His 
 presence saved them' [Maurer); or, as best 
 suits the parallelism, 'In all their straits {tzar- 
 atham) there was no straitness {tzar) iii His 
 goodness to them ' [Houbigant). (Judg. x. 16; Mic. 
 ii. 7 ; 2 Cor. vi. 12. ) and the angel of his presence 
 saved them— Zi^., the angel of His face; i. e., who 
 stands before Him continually; Messiah (Exod. 
 xiv. 19; xxiii. 20, 21; Prov. viii. 30): language 
 applicable to no creature (Exod. xxxii. 34 ; xxxiii. 
 2, 14; Num. xx. 16; Mai. iii. 1). he bare them— 
 (ch. xlvi. 3, 4; xl. 11 ; Exod. xix. 4; Deut. xxxii. 
 11, 12.) 10. vexed— grieved (Ps. Ixxviil 40; xcv. 
 
The Church 
 
 ISAIAH LXIIL 
 
 complaineih to God, 
 
 11 Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, — and his people, saying, 
 Where is he that brought them up out of the sea 
 
 With the ^shepherd of his flock ? 
 
 Where is he that put his Holy Spirit within him ? 
 
 12 That led them hy the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, 
 Dividing the water before them, — to make himself an everlasting name ? 
 
 13 That led them through the deep, 
 
 As an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble ? 
 
 1 4 As a beast goeth down into the valley. 
 The Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest : 
 
 So didst thou lead thy people, — to make thyself a glorious name. 
 
 15 Look down from heaven, and behold 
 
 From the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: 
 Where is thy zeal and thy strength, 
 
 *The sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me ? are they 
 restrained ? 
 
 16 Doubtless thou art om Father, 
 
 Though Abraham ^be ignorant of us, — and Israel acknowledge us not: 
 Thou, 0 Lord, art our Father, ^our Redeemer ; 
 Thy name is from everlasting. 
 
 17 0 Lord, why hast thou ™made us to err from thy ways. 
 And "hardened our heart from thy fear ? 
 
 Eeturn for thy servants' sake, — the tribes of thine inheritance. 
 
 18 The ^people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: 
 
 B. c. m. 
 
 s Or, shep- 
 
 Lerda. 
 
 Num.ll.i:. 
 1 Or. the 
 
 multitude. 
 
 JIos. 11. 8. 
 ' Gal. 3. 2?, 
 5 Or, our 
 
 Eedeemer, 
 
 from ever- 
 lasting is 
 
 tby name. 
 '"Ps. 119. 10. 
 30. 
 
 Ps. 141. 4. 
 
 Eze. 11. 7,9. 
 
 2 Thes. 2. 
 1!. 12. 
 " Deut. 2. 30. 
 
 Josh. 11.20. 
 
 ch. 6. 10. 
 
 Matt. 13.15, 
 
 John 12. 40. 
 
 Acts 2?. 26. 
 
 Rom. 9. 18. 
 " Ex. 19. 4, e. 
 
 Deut. 7. 6. 
 
 Deut. 26. 19. 
 
 ch. 62. 12. 
 
 Dan. 8. 21. 
 
 1 Pet. 2. 9. 
 
 10; Acts-vii. 51i Eph. iv. 30; Heb. iii. 10, 17; 
 Ezek. xvi. 43). lie fought against them— ' He it 
 was that fought,' viz., the angel of His presence 
 {Horsley). (Lam. ii. 5.) Or, 'and Himself [^^'!^] 
 (the very God who had fought for thein against 
 their enemies) fought against them.' 
 
 11. Then he remembered the days of old, 
 Moses (and) his people— Notwithstanding their 
 perversity. He forgot not His covenant of old; 
 therefore" He did not wholly forsake them (Lev. 
 xxvi. 40-42, 44, 45; Ps. cvi. 45, 46): the Jews 
 make this their plea with God, that He should 
 not now forsake them, (saying). God is repre- 
 sented, in human language, mentally speaking of 
 Himself and His former acts of love to Israel, as 
 His ground for ])itying them notwithstanding 
 their rebellion. Where (is) he that brought them 
 up out of the sea— Eed Sea. with the shepherd 
 of his flock?— Moses [nj/i] ; or, if the Hebrew be 
 
 read plural, shepherds [ in, asthe VulgateJ—Mosea, 
 Aaron, and the other leaders (so Ps. Ixxvii. 20). 
 The LXX., Chaldaic, Syriac, and Arabic read 
 fiingular. where (is) he that put his Holy Spirit 
 within him ?— Hebrew, the Spirit of His holiness 
 in the inward parts of him {hequirho) ; i. e., Moses: 
 or, it refers to the flock, ' in the midst of his 
 people' (Num. xi. 17, 2;5 ; Neh. ix. 20; Hag. ii. 5). 
 12. That led (them) by the right hand of Moses 
 with his glorious arm. The rif/ht hand of Moses, 
 ' stretched out over the Red Sea,' was but the 
 instrument : the arm of God was the real mover 
 (Exod. XV. 6; xiv. 21). dividing the water be- 
 fore them-(Neh. ix. 11 ; Ps. Ixxviii. 13.) 13. 
 deep— lit., the tossing and roaring sea. as an 
 horse in the wilderness— «/te open plain [Horsley), 
 wherein there is no obstacle to cause a horse in 
 its course the danger of stumbling. 14. As a 
 beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of 
 the Lord caused him to rest— image from a herd 
 led "down" from the hills to a fertile and well- 
 watered " valley " (Ps. xxiii. 2); so God's Spirit 
 * caused Israel to rest ' in the Tjromised land after 
 757 
 
 their weary wanderings, to make thyself a 
 glorious name— (sot?. 12; 2 Sara, vii. 23.) 
 
 15. Look dov/3i from heaven, and behold from 
 the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory : 
 where (is) thy zeal and thy strength ? Here begins 
 a fervent appeal to God to pity Israel uov/, on the 
 ground of His former benefits, the habitation 
 of thy holiness— (ch. Ivii. 15. ) The original source 
 of the prayer is Deut. xxvi. 15 ; 2 Chr. xxx. 27 ; 
 Ps. xxxiii. 14; Ixxx. 14. thy zeal and strength — 
 evinced formerly for thy people, the sounding of 
 thy bowels— ^Ai«e emotions of compassion (ch. xvi. 
 11; Jer. xxxi. 20; xlviii. 36; Hos. xi. 8). 16. 
 Doubtless thou (art) our father— of Israel, by 
 right, not merely of creation, but also of electiug 
 adoption (ch. Ixiv. 8 ; Deut. xxxii. 6; 1 Chr. xxix. 
 10.) though Abraham be ignorant of us, and 
 Israel acknowledge us not. It had been the 
 besetting temptation of the Jev.s to rest on the 
 mere privilege of their descent from faithful 
 Abraham and Jacob (Matt. iii. 9; John 39; 
 iv. 12); now at last they renounce this, to trust in 
 God alone as their Father, notwithstanding all 
 appearances to the contrary. Even though Abra- 
 ham, our earthly father, on whom we have prided 
 ourselves, disown us, thou wilt not (ch. xlix. 15 ; 
 Ps. xxvii. 10). Isaac is not mentioned, because 
 not all his posterity was admitted to the cove- 
 nant, whereas all Jacob's was ; Abraham is speci- 
 fied, because he was the first father of the Jewish 
 race, thy name (is) from everlasting— an argu- 
 ment why He should help them; viz., because 
 of His everlasting immutability. 17. 0 Lord, why 
 hast thou made us to err from thy ways, 
 (and) hardened our heart from thy fear?— i. e., 
 siiffered us to err and to be hardened in our heart. 
 They do not mean to deny their own blameworthi- 
 ness, but confess that, through their own fault, 
 God gave them over to a reprobate mind (ch, vi. 
 9, 10 ; Ps. cxix. 10 ; Eom. i. 28). Return— (Num. 
 X. 36; Ps. xc. 13.) 18. The people of thy holi- 
 ness—Israel, dedicated as holy unto God (ch. Ixii. 
 12 ; Deut. vii. G). have possessed (it) but a little 
 
vrayeth to God. 
 
 The Church ISAIAH LXIV. 
 
 Our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary. 
 19 *We are thine: thoti never barest rule over them; 
 
 ^They were not called by thy name. 
 64 OH that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, 
 
 That the mountains might flow down at thy presence, 
 
 2 As iL'hen ^ the melting fire burneth, — the fire causeth the waters to boil. 
 To make thy name known to thine adversaries, 
 That the nations may tremble at thy presence ! 
 
 3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, 
 Thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence. 
 
 4 For since the beginning of the world 
 Men "have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, 
 Neither hath the eye -seen, 0 God, besides thee, 
 What he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. 
 
 5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth ^and worketh righteousness; 
 
 while— viz., the Holy Land; or, thy "sanctuary" 
 taken from the following clause, which is parallel 
 to this (cf. ch. Ixiv. 10, 11 ; Ps. Ixxiv. 6-8). our 
 adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary— 
 "thy," an argument why (led should help them: 
 their cause is HU cause. 19. We are (thine) : thou 
 never barest rule over them— rather, ' We are 
 thine jrom of old (Hebrew, meeolam) ; thou barest 
 not rule over them.' So the Chaldaic and Syriac, 
 and seemingly the LXX. and Vulgate. Lowth 
 translates, ' VVe for long have been as those over 
 whom thou hast not ruled, who are not called by 
 thy name;' 'for long' thus stands in contrast to 
 "but a little while" {v. 18). But the analogy of 
 V. IS makes it likely that the first clause in this 
 verse refers to the Jews, and the second to their 
 foes, as the English version and Barnes translate 
 it. The Jews' foes are aliens who have unjustly 
 intruded into the Lord's heritage. 
 
 Remarks, — This is another of the prophecies 
 which, whilst bearing partial features of the first 
 advent of Christ, mainly looks on to the grand 
 consummation at His second advent. He plainly 
 appears here, not so much in His. character of the 
 suffering Messiah, as in that of the glorified 
 Messiah, coming to take vengeance on His ene- 
 mies and to reign. Having trodden down the 
 Autichristian faction represented by Edom, He is 
 represented as returning to Jerusalem, His royal 
 capital, in triuinph. As here He describes Him- 
 self as 'speaking in righteousness,' so in the 
 parallel passage of Eevelation He appears as "the 
 VV^ord of God;" and it is said of Him "in righ- 
 teousness He doth judge and make war." As 
 here He is seen ' red in His apparel ' {v. 2), so St. 
 John says, " He was clothed with a vesture dipped 
 in blood." As here He says, " I have trodden the 
 wine-press alone" {v, 3), so there it is written of 
 Him, " He treadeth the wine-press of the fierce- 
 ness and w^rath of Almighty God," As here "He 
 treads the people in His anger, and tramples them 
 in His fury," so there it is said of Him, 'out of 
 His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He 
 should smite the nations, and He rules them with 
 a rod of iron.' 
 
 CHAP, LXIV. 1-12.— Transition from Com- 
 plaint TO Prayer. 
 
 1. Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens 
 — bursting forth to execute vengeance, suddenly 
 descending on thy people's foe (Ps. xviii. 9 ; cxliv. 
 5 ; Hab. iii. 5, 6). that thou wouldest come down, 
 that the mountains might flow down at thy 
 presence— (Judg. v, 5; Mic. i. 4.) 2, As (when) 
 the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the 
 waters to hoil : to make thy name known to thine 
 adversaries. Oh that thy wrath would consume 
 758 
 
 B. C. 698. 
 
 6 Or. thy 
 name was 
 not called 
 uponthern. 
 
 CHAP. (54. 
 1 the fire of 
 meltings. 
 » Ps. 31. 19. 
 1 Cor. 2. !>, 
 10. 
 
 1 Tim. 3.1(5, 
 Or, seen a 
 God beside 
 thee, which 
 doeth 60 
 for him, 
 etc. 
 >> Acts 10. 36. 
 
 thy foes as the fire of meltings burneth. Or, ' as the 
 fire burneth the dry brushwood ' [D'ppn] [Gesenius). 
 But the Vulgate, LXX., and Chaldaic virtually 
 support the English version, from masas, to melt. 
 3. When thou didst. Supply from v. 2, As when, 
 &c. terrible things— (Ps. Ixv. 5.) (which) we 
 looked not for— far exceeding the expectation of 
 any of our nation : unparalleled before (Exod. 
 xxxiv, 10 ; Ps. Ixviii. 8). thou camest down- 
 on mount Sinai, the mountains flowed down at 
 thy presence— repeated from r. 1 ; they pray God 
 to do the 7-'ery same things for Israel now as in 
 former ages. Gesenius, instead of " flowed " here, 
 and "flow "in v. 1, translates [nazollu), with the 
 LXX., Chaldaic, Syriac, and Arabic, from a 
 different Hebrew root, ' quake . . . quaked ; ' 
 but "fire" melts and causes to flov), rather than 
 to quake [v. 2). The Vulgate sn])ports the English 
 version. 4. For since the beginning of the world 
 (men) have not heard, nor perceived by the ear. 
 Paul (1 Cor. ii. 9) has for this latter clause "nor 
 have entered into the heart of man" — the virtual 
 sense, sanctioned by his inspired authority : men 
 might hear with the outward ear, but they could 
 only by the Spirit 'perceive' with the 'heart' 
 the spiritual siguificancy of God's acts, both those j 
 in relation to Israel, primarily referred to here, i 
 and those relating to the Gospel secondarily, | 
 which Paul refers to. neither hath the eye seen, 
 0 God, besides thee, (what) he hath prepared for 
 him that waiteth for him — or, as the LXX., 
 Syriac, and Arabic, ' nor hath eye seen a god be- 
 side thee wlio doeth (or will Ho : ya'aseh) such 
 things' (viz., the "terrible things" mentioned in 
 V. 3), &c. But the Vulgate supports the English 
 version, . And so, seemingly, St, Paul What the 
 natural eye, ear, and percejition have not seen, 
 without God (as "besides thee" means), is what God 
 doeth for him that waiteth for Him. They refer to 
 God's past marvellous acts in behalf of Israel, as a 
 X)lea for His now interposing for His people ; but 
 the Spirit, as Paul by inspiration shows, con- 
 templated further God's revelation in the Gospel, 
 which abounds in marvellous paradoxes never 
 before heard of by carnal ear, not to be under- 
 stood by mere human sagacity, and when foretold 
 by the prophets, not fully perceived or credited ; 
 and even after the manifestation of Christ, not to 
 be understood save through the inward teaching 
 of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. ii. 9). These are partly 
 past SiWd. present, and partly future, therefore Paul 
 substitutes "prepared" for 'doeth,' though his 
 context shows he includes all three. For 
 ''waiteth" he has ''love Him:" godly waiting on 
 Him must flow from love, and not mere fear. 5. 
 TilOU meetest— L e., Thou makest peace, or enterest 
 
The Ch'irch complaineth 
 
 ISAIAH LXIV. 
 
 oj her ajjiiction. 
 
 Those that remember thee in thy ways : 
 Behold, thou art wroth ; for we have sinned : 
 In those is continuance, and we shall be saved. 
 G But we are all as an unclean thing, 
 
 And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; — and we all do fade as a leaf; 
 And our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 
 
 7 And ^ there is none that calleth upon thy name. 
 That stirreth up himself to take hold of thee : 
 For thou hast hid thy face from us, 
 
 And hast ^ consumed us, * because of our iniquities. 
 
 8 But now, 0 Lord, thou art our Father, 
 We are the clay, 'and thou our potter; 
 And we all are ^the work of thy hand. 
 
 9 Be not wroth very sore, 0 Lord, — neither remember iniquity for ever : 
 Behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people. 
 
 10 Thy holy cities are a wilderness, — Zion is a wilderness, 
 Jerusalem a desolation. 
 
 11 Our ''holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, 
 Is burned up with fire : — and all ^our pleasant things are laid waste. 
 
 12 Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, 0 Lord ? 
 Wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore ? 
 
 B. C. 698. 
 
 " Ps. 103, 17. 
 
 Jer. 31. 18 
 20. 
 
 Hos. 6. 3. 
 
 Hos 11. 8. 
 
 Mai. 3. 6. 
 rf ch. 67. 12. 
 
 Zech. 3. 3. 
 
 Phil. 3. 9. 
 
 Rev. 3. 18. 
 
 Rev. 7. 13. 
 • Ps. 14. 4. 
 
 ch. 60. 2. 
 
 Eze. 52 30. 
 
 Ho3. 7. 7. 
 
 3 melted. 
 
 4 by the 
 hand. 
 Job 8. 4. 
 
 / Jer. 18. 6. 
 
 Rom. 9. 20. 
 f Eph. 2. 10. 
 f>- 2 Ki. 25. 9. 
 
 2Chr. 36.19. 
 
 Ps. 74. 7. 
 i Eze. 24. 21. 
 
 into covenant ivitJi him (note, ch. xlvii. 3). him 
 that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness — i. e., 
 who with joi/fal willingness worketh {Gesenius.) 
 (Hos. xiv. 9; Mic. ii. 7 ; Acts x. 35; John vii. 17). 
 (those that) remember thee in thy ways— (ch. 
 xxyi. 8.) Thou meetest "those," &c., in appo- 
 sition to *' him." who represents a class whose 
 characteristics tne prophet describes in the words 
 "those that remember thee in thy ways." be- 
 hold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned — lit., 
 tripped, or slipped (necheta), cai-rying on the figure 
 in "ways." in those is continuance, and we 
 shall be saved— a plea to deprecate the continu- 
 ance of God's wrath: it is not in thy wrath that 
 there is continuance (ch. liv. 7, 8 ; Ps. xxx. 5 ; ciii. 
 9), but in thy ways ("those") — viz., of covenant- 
 mercy to thy people (Mic. vii. 18-20 ; Mai. iii. 6) ; 
 on the strength of the everlasting continuance of 
 His covenant they infer by faith, " we shall be 
 saved." God "remembered for them His cove- 
 nant" (Ps. cvi, 45), though they often "remem- 
 bered not " Him (Ps. Ixxviii. 42). Castalio trans- 
 lates, 'we have sinned for long in them ("thy 
 ways "), and could we then be saved?' But they 
 harldly would use such a plea when their very 
 object was to be saved. 6. But we are all as an 
 unclean (thing) (^a-^awee)— legally unclean as a 
 leper. True of Israel, everywhere now cut off by 
 unbelief, and by God s judgments, from the con- 
 gregation of the saints, and all our righteous- 
 nesses—plural, ' uncleanness' extended to every 
 particular act of theirs, even to their prayers and 
 X>raises. True of the best doings of the unre- 
 generate (Phil. iii. 6-8; Tit. i. 15 ; Heb. xi. 6). (are) 
 as filthy rags— lit. a cloth of removals [onir, from 
 'cidah, to remove or put away as unclean] ; a men- 
 struous rag (Lev. xv. 33 ; xx. 18 ; Lam. i. 17). fade 
 as a leaf— (Ps. xc. 5, 6.) 7. And (there is) none 
 that. . . stirreth up himself— roit.sei!/i himself from 
 ej)iritual drowsiness. to take hold of thee— 
 (ch. xxvii. 5.) 
 
 8. But now, 0 Lord, thou (art) our Father— (ch. 
 Ixiii. 16.) we (are) the clay, and thou our potter 
 — (ch. xxix, 16; xlv. 9.) Unable to mould them- 
 selves aright, they beg the sovereign will of God 
 to mould them unto salvation, even as He made 
 them at the first, and is their "Father." 9. Be 
 759 
 
 not wroth very sore, 0 Lord— (Ps. Ixxiv. 1, 2.) 
 we (are) all thy people— (Jer. xiv. 9, 21.) 10. Thy 
 holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, 
 Jerusalem a desolation. No city but Jerusalem 
 is called "the holy city" (chs. xlviii. 2; Iii. 1) ; 
 the plural, therefore, refers to the upper and the 
 lower parts of the same city, Jerusalem ( Vitringa) ; 
 or, all Judea Mas holy to God, so its cities were 
 deemed ' holy ' {_Maurer'). But the parallelism 
 favours Vitringa. Zion and Jeruscdem (the one 
 city) answering to " holy cities." 11. Our holy 
 and our beautiful house, where our fathers 
 praised thee — the temple. " Beautiful " includes 
 the idea of glorious (Mark xiii. 1 ; Acts iii. 2). is 
 burned— (Ps. Ixxiv. 7 ; Lam. ii. 7 ; 2 Chr. xxxvi. 
 19.) Its destruction under Nebuchadnezzar pre- 
 figured that under Titus, and all our pleasant 
 things are laid waste— Hebrew% all our objects of 
 desire; our homes, our city, and all its dear asso- 
 ciations. 12. Wilt thou refrain thyself for these 
 (things), 0 Lord? — Wilt thou, notwitltstanding 
 these calamities of thy people, still refuse thy aid ? 
 (ch. xlii. 14.) 
 
 Remarhs. — In this appeal of Israel to God we 
 have an admirable sample of what should be our 
 prayer in times when seemingly all things go 
 against us, and God has forsaken us. First, we 
 must beseech God to open the "heavens," which 
 are apparently shut against our cry, and to 
 "come down" by His Spirit to our help, so that 
 "mountains " of opposition may melt away at His 
 presence. Next, we must appeal to His concern 
 for the honour of His " name," which is at stake 
 in the case of all who cry to Him. God's 
 "terrible" doings, exceeding all expectation, are 
 another strong ground of the believer's expecta- 
 tion that He will again interpose in behalf of His 
 suffering people, and that mountain-like obstacles, 
 as in times past, will disappear at His i)reseuce. 
 
 CHAP. LXV. 1-25.— God's Reply in Justi- 
 fication OF His Dealings with Israel. In 
 ch. Ixiv, 9 their plea was, " We are all thy people." 
 In answer, God declares that others ((^entiles) 
 would be taken into covenant with Him, while 
 His ancient people would be rejected. The Jews 
 were slow to believe this ; hence Paul says (Rom. 
 x. 20) that Isaiah was " very bold " in advancing 
 
The calling 
 
 ISAIAH LXV. 
 
 of the Gentiles, 
 
 65 I '^AM sought of them that asked not for me; 
 
 I am found of them that sought me not : — I said, Beliold me, behold me, 
 Unto a nation that *was not called by my name. 
 
 2 I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, 
 Which walketh in a way that was not good, — after their own thoughts ; 
 
 3 A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face ; 
 
 *That sacrificeth in gardens, — and burneth incense ^upon altars of brick; 
 
 4 Which remain among the graves, — and lodge in the monuments ; 
 ^ Which eat swine's flesh, 
 
 And 2 broth of abominable things is in their vessels : 
 
 5 Which '^say. Stand by thyself, come not near to me ; 
 For I am holier than thou. 
 
 These are a smoke in my ^nose, — a fire that burneth all the day. 
 
 6 Behold, ^it is written before me; 
 
 B. C. 698. 
 
 CHAP. 65. 
 " Eom. 9. 24. 
 Eom. 10.20. 
 Eph. 2. 12. 
 
 * ch. 63. 19. 
 
 " Eom. 10.21. 
 d Deut. 32. 5. 
 
 * Lev. 17. 5. 
 
 1 upon 
 bricks. 
 
 / Deut. 18.11. 
 f Lev. 11. r. 
 
 2 Or. pieces. 
 1 Matt. 9. 11. 
 
 3 Or, anger. 
 
 i Deut. 32.34. 
 MaL 3. 16. 
 
 SO unpopular a sentiment. 'But Isaias is very 
 bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought 
 me not, I was made manifest unto them that asked 
 not after me.' Isaiah implies what Paul states 
 (Rom. ii. 28; ix. 6, 7; xi. 1-31), that "they are not 
 all (in opposition to the Jews' plea, ch. Ixiv. 9) 
 Israel which are of Israel." God's reason for so 
 severely dealing with Israel is not changeableness in 
 Him (cf. their jilea "in those is continuance," ch. 
 Ixiv. 5), but sin in them {vv. 2-7). Yet the whole 
 nation shall not be destroyed, but only the wicked; 
 a remnant shall be saved {vv. 8-10, 11-16). There 
 shall be finally universal blessedness to Israel, 
 such as they had prayed for {vv. 17-25). 
 
 1. I am sought of (them that) asked not (for 
 me) (Hebrew, nidrashti)—^ \ have granted access 
 unto me to them who once asked not for me,' &c. 
 (so Ezek. xiv. 3, " Should I he enquired of;'''' Eph. 
 ii. 18). I am found of (them that) sought me not 
 —formerly: Eom, x. 20 renders this, "I was made 
 manifest." As an instance of the sentiment in the 
 clause, "I am sought," &c., see John xii. 21 ; of the 
 sentiment in this clause. Acts ix. 5. Cf. the two 
 cases, the finder of treasure in the field, who was 
 not looking for it, and the merchant seeking goodly 
 pearls, who found the one pearl of great price 
 (Matt. xiii. 44-46). Cf. as to the Gentile converts, 
 Eph. ii. 12, 13. Behold me --as your Saviour (ch. 
 xlv, 22). nation . . . not called by my name— i e., 
 the Gentiles. God retorts in their own words (ch. 
 Ixiii. 19): their plea as being exclusively "called 
 by His name " will not avail ; for God's Gospel- 
 invitation is not so exclusive (Rom. ix. 25; i. 16). 
 2. spread out my hands— inviting them earnestly 
 (Prov. i. 24). all the day— continually, late and 
 early (Jer. vii. 13). unto a rebellious people- 
 Israel, whose rebellion was the occasion of God's 
 turning to the Gentiles, as St. Paul states in 
 quoting these words (Rom. x. 21; xi. 11, 12, 15). 
 which walketh in a way (that was) not good— i. e., 
 the very reverse of good, very bad (Ezek. xxxvi. 
 31). 3. A people that provoketh me to anger 
 continually— answering to "all the day" {v. 2). 
 God w^as continually inviting them, and they 
 continually offending Him (Deut. xxxii. 21). to 
 my face. They made no attempt to hide their sin 
 (ch. iii. 9). Cf. ''before me," Exod. xx. 3. that 
 sacrificeth in gardens— (note, chs. i. 29 ; Ixvi. 17; 
 Lev. xvii. 5.) and burneth incense upon altars 
 of brick— Hebrew, bricks. God had commanded 
 His altars to be of unhewn stone (Exod. xx. 25). 
 This w'as in order to separate them, even in external 
 res/?ecte, from idolaters ; also, as all chiselling was 
 forbidden, they could not inscribe superstitious 
 symbols on them, as the heathen did. Bricks 
 were more easily so inscribed than stone: hence 
 their use for the cuneiform inscriptions at Baby- 
 
 lon, and also for idolatrous altars. Some, not so 
 well, have supposed that, the " bricks " here mean 
 the flat brick-paved roofs of houses on which they 
 sacrificed to the sun, &c. (2 Ki. xxiii. 12 ; Jer. xix. 
 13.) 4. Which remain among the graves— viz., 
 for purposes of necromancy, as if to hold converse 
 with the dead (ch. viii. 19, 20: cf. Mark v. 3); or, 
 for the sake of purifications, usually performed at 
 night among sepulchres, to appease the manes 
 {Maurer). and lodge in the monuments— He- 
 brew, 'pass the night in hidden recesses' {hannet- 
 zuriyn); either the idol's inmost shrines (' consecrated 
 precincts ') {Horsley), where they used to sleep, in 
 order to have divine communications in dreams ' 
 {Jerome and Vulgate); or better, on account of the 
 parallel " graves," sepulchral cares. So the LXX., 
 Clialdaic, Arabic, and Syriac {Maurer'). which 
 eat swine's flesh. To eat it at all was contrary to 
 God's law (Lev. xi. 7); but it much increased their | 
 guilt that they ate it in idolatrous sacrifices (cf. ch. j 
 Ixvi. 17). Varro ('Re Rust,' ii. 4) says, that swine 
 were first used in sacrifices : the Latins sacrificed I 
 a pig to Ceres ; it was also offered on occasion of 
 treaties and marriages, and broth of abominable 
 (things is in) their vessels— so called from the 
 'pieces' {marg.) or fragments of bread over which 
 the broth was poured {Gesenius): such broth, made 
 of swine's flesh, offered in sacrifice, was thoughf 
 to be especially accei)table to the idol, and was 
 used in magic rites. Or, 'fragments (pieces) of 
 abominable foods,' &c. This fourth clause explains 
 more fully the third, as the second does the first 
 {Maurer). is in — rather, lit., 'is their vessels;' 
 i. e., constitute their vessels' contents. The Jews, 
 in our Lord's days, and ever since the return from 
 Babylon, have been free from idolatry. Still the 
 imagery from idolatrous abominations, as being 
 the sin most loathsome in God's eyes, and that 
 most prevalent in Isaiah's time, is employed to 
 describe the foul sin of Israel in all ages, culminat- 
 ing in their killing Messiah, and still rejecting 
 Him. For before God rebellion is as the sin of 
 witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and 
 idolatry " (1 Sam. xv. 23). 5. Which say, Stand 
 by thyself, come not near to me ; for I am holier 
 than thou— (Matt, ix. 11; Luke v, 30; xviii. 11 ; 
 Jude 19.) Ai)plicable to the hypocritical self- 
 justifiers of our Lord's time. These (are) a smoke 
 in my nose— alluding to the smoke of their self- 
 righteous sacrifices. The fire of God's wrath was 
 kindled at the sight, and exhibited itself in the 
 smoke that breathed forth from His nostr'ils; in the 
 Hebrew, the nose is the seat of auger: and the 
 nostrils distended in wrath, as it were, breathe 
 forth smoke {Jiosenmiiller). (Ps. xviii. 8.) 6, Behold, 
 (it is) written before me — it is decreed by me — 
 viz., what follows (Job xiii. 26) {Maurer); or, t/tcir 
 
Judgments on 
 
 ISAIAH LXV. 
 
 the wicked. 
 
 I will not keep silence, but will recomjDense, 
 Even recompense into their bosom, 
 
 Your iniquities, and ^ the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the Lord, 
 Which have burnt incense upon the mountains, 
 And blasphemed me upon the hills : 
 
 Therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom. 
 
 Thus saith the Lord, — As the new wine is found in the cluster, 
 And one saith. Destroy it not; for *a blessing is in it: 
 So will I do for my servants' sakes, — that I may not destroy them all. 
 And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, 
 And out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains : 
 And mine ^ elect shall inherit it, — and my servants shall dwell tliere. 
 And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks. 
 
 And the ''Walley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, 
 For my people that have sought me. 
 
 But ye are they that forsake the Lord, — that forget my holy mountain, 
 That prepare ^a table for *that troop, 
 And that furnish the drink offering unto ^that number. 
 12 Therefore will I number you to the sword, 
 And ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: 
 
 "Because when I called, ye did not answer ; — when I spake, ye did not hear ; 
 But did evil before mine eyes, — and did choose that wherein I delighted not. 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 guilt is recorded before me (cf. Dan. vii. 10; Rev. 
 XX. 12; Mai. iii. 16). I will not keep silence 
 (Ps. 1. 3), but will recompense . . . into their 
 bosom — (Ps. Ixxix. 12 ; Jer. xxxii. 18 ; Luke vi. 
 38.) The Orientals used the loose fold of the 
 garment falling on "the bosom" or lap as a 
 receptacle for carrying things. The sense thus is, 
 I will repay their sin so abundantly that the hand 
 will not be able to receive it ; it will need the 
 spacious fold on the bosom to contain it {Rosen- 
 miiller). Rather it is, 'I will repay it to the very 
 person from whom it has emanated.^ Cf. " God did 
 render the evil of the men of Shechem upon their 
 heads" (Judg. ix. 57; Ps. vii. 19) {Gesenius). I 
 prefer combining both ideas, recomi^ense abundantly, 
 and to the very person from whom the evil has come. 
 7. Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your 
 fathers together. Their sin had been accumulat- 
 ing from age to age, until God at last repaid it in 
 full, burned incense upon the mountains— (ch. 
 Ivii. 7; Ezek. xviii. 6; xx. 27, 28; Hos. iv. 13.) 
 therefore will I measure their former work 
 into their bosom— "your" had preceded: here 
 we find "their." From speaking to. He speaks of 
 them ; this im\)lies growing alienation from them, 
 and greater distance, work — the full recommence 
 of their work (so ch. xlix. 4). 
 
 8. As the new wine is found in the cluster— As 
 if some grapes having good wine-producing juice in 
 them be found in a cluster which the vine-dresser 
 was about to throw away as bad. and (one) saith, 
 Destroy it not ; for a blessing (is) in it. "A bless- 
 ing" — i. e., good wine-i)roducing juice (cf. Judg. 
 ix. 13 ; Joel ii. 14). so will I do for my servants' 
 sakes, that I may not destroy them all. God will 
 spare the godly 'remnant,' whilst the ungodly 
 mass of the nation shall be destroyed (chs. i. 9 ; 
 vi. 13; x. 21; xi. 11, 12-16). my servants— the 
 godly remnant. But Horsley, 'for the sake of my 
 seroaM, Messiah.^ So the LaX. and Arabic trans- 
 late singular. 9. And I will bring forth a seed out 
 of Jacob— "the holy seed" (ch. vi. 13); a posterity 
 from Jacob, destined to repossess the Holy Land, 
 forfeited by the sin of the fornaer Jews, and out of 
 Judah an inheritor of my mountains— Jerusalem 
 and the rest of Judea, peculiarly God's (cf. chs. ii. 
 
 2 ; xi. 9 ; xiv. 32). and mine elect shall inherit it 
 —the Holy Land, elect— (yv. 15, 22.) 10. Sharon 
 — (notes, €hs. xxxiii. 9; xxxv. 2.) Achor— meaning 
 trouble : a valley near Jericho, so called from the 
 trouble caused to Israel by Achan's sin (Josh. vii. 
 24). Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, 
 for my people that have sought me. "The val- 
 ley of Achor," proverbial for whatever caused 
 calamity, shall become i)roverbial for joy and 
 prosperity (Hos, ii. 15). 
 
 11. But ye (are) they that . . . forget my holy 
 mountain — Moriah, on which the temple was. 
 that prepare a table for that troop— rather. Gad, 
 the Babylonian god of fortune, the planet Jupiter 
 answering to Baal or Bel. The Arabs called it 
 'the Greater Good Fortune;' and the planet 
 Venus, answering to Meni, 'the Lesser Good 
 Fortune,' {Gesenius, Kimchi, <fcc.) [So the Syriac 
 and Vulgate translate, 'Fortunse;' the LXX., to) 
 SuLfjioviw; the Chaldaic, Ho idols.^'\ Tables were 
 laid out for their idols with all kinds of viands 
 (called by the Romans in subsequent ages lectis- 
 ternia), and a cup containing a mixture of wine 
 and honey, in Egypt especially on the last day of 
 the year (Jerome). The Apocryphal book of Bel 
 and the Dragon [v. 3, &c.) mentions such feasts as 
 offered to Bel. drink offering — rather, mixed 
 drink, number — rather, Meni (from 3Ianah, to 
 assign, or number, to which v. 12 alludes). The 
 Arabic term for fate is akin. As goddess of for- 
 tune, she was thought to number the fates of men. 
 Vitringa understands Gad to be the sun, Meni 
 the moon, or Ashtaroth or Astarte (1 Ki. xi. 33 ; 
 Jer. vii. 18). The Greek ^ly'iv, a month, or the 
 moon, is akin. Buxtorf understands it as the 
 English version, the "number "of the stars, which 
 were worshipped as gods. The Arabs, just before 
 Mahomet's time, worshipped an idol, 'Mauah.' 
 12. Therefore will I number you to the sword. 
 "Number you" — doom you: alluding to the 
 " number," as Meni {i\ 11) means. Retribution in 
 kind, the punishment answering to the sin (cf. 2 
 Chr. xxxvi. 14-17). because when I called, ye did 
 not answer. "7 called," though 'none had called' 
 upon me (ch. Ixiv. 7), yet even then none 'an- 
 swered' (Pro v. i. 24). Contrast with this God 
 
Blessings on 
 
 ISAIAH LXV. 
 
 the godly. 
 
 13 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, 
 
 Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry : 
 Behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty : 
 Behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed : 
 
 14 Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, 
 
 But ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, — and shall howl for ^vexation of spirit. 
 
 15 And ye shall leave your name ^for a curse unto my chosen: 
 For the Lord God shall slay thee, — and call ^his servants by another name : 
 That he who blesseth himself in the earth 
 Shall bless himself in the God of truth ; 
 
 And he that sweareth in the earth — shall swear by the God of truth ; 
 Because the former troubles are forgotten, 
 And because they are hid from mine eyes. 
 
 For, behold, I create ' new heavens, and a new earth : 
 And the former shall not be remembered, nor ^come into mind. 
 
 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: 
 
 For, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, — and her people a joy 
 
 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, — and joy in my people : 
 And the %oice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, 
 Nor the voice of crying. 
 
 There 'shall be no more thence an infant of days, 
 Nor an old man that hath not filled his days: 
 For the child shall die an hundred years old ; 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 20 
 
 « breaking. 
 P I'ro. 111. 7. 
 
 Jer. 29. 22. 
 
 Zech. 8. 13. 
 « Ch. 62. 2. 
 
 Ac s 11. 26. 
 
 Rom. 9. 26. 
 
 1 Pet. 2. 9, 
 10. 
 
 ch. 51. 6. 
 ch. 62. 22. 
 
 2 ret 3. 13. 
 Ktv. ^1. 1- 
 
 7 come 
 
 upon the 
 
 heart. 
 * ch. 25. 8. 
 
 ch. 33. 10. 
 
 ch. 51. X 11. 
 
 ch. 60. 20. 
 
 Jer. 31. 12. 
 
 Rev. 7. 17. 
 
 Rev. 21. 4. 
 t Deut. 4. 40. 
 
 Job 5. 26. 
 
 Pa. 34. 12. 
 
 Eccl. 8. l >. 
 
 Rom. 2.0,9. 
 
 and His people'.s mutual fellowship in prayer 
 {v. 24). 13. Behold, my servants shall eat— enjoy 
 all blessings from me (Song v. 1). but ye shall 
 be hungry— (Amos iv. 6 ; viii. 11.) This may refer 
 to the siege of Jerusalem under Titus, when 
 1,100,000 are said to have perished by famine: 
 thus V. 15 will refer to God's people, without dis- 
 tinction of Jew and Gentile receiving 'anotlier 
 name'— viz., that of Christians {Houbigant). A 
 farther fulfilment may still remain, just before the 
 creation of the ' new heavens and earth,' as the 
 context, V. 17, implies. 14. shall howl — (ch. xv. 2 ; 
 Matt. viii. 12: cf. John xvi. 20.) 15. your name 
 for a curse. The name of ' Jew ' has been for 
 long a formula of execration (cf. Jer. xxix. 22). If 
 one wishes to curse another, he can utter nothing 
 "worse than this, ' God make thee what the Jew 
 is ! ' Contrast the formula, Gen. xlviii. 20. unto 
 my chosen — the elect Church, gathered from Jews 
 and Gentiles, called by 'another name,' Christians 
 (Acts xi. 26). However, as "my chosen," or 
 " elect," in v. 9, refers to the 'seed of Jacob,' the 
 helieviny Jews, who shall hereafter possess their 
 land {vv, 19, 22 : cf. note, v. 13), are ultimafeli/ 
 meant by "my chosen," as contrasted with the 
 unbelieving Jews (" ye"). These elect Jews shall 
 be called by "another," or a new name~i. e., shall 
 j no longer be "forsaken "of God for unbelief, but 
 shall be His Hephzibah and Beulah — ' delight ' and 
 "married" to Him (ch. Ixii. 2, 4). for the Lord 
 God shall slay thee— unbelieving Israel. Isaiah 
 here speaks o/God, whereas in the preceding sen- 
 tences God Himsdj spake. This change of persons 
 marks, without design, how completely the pro- 
 phet realized God with him and in him, so that he 
 passes without formally announcing it from God's 
 words to his own, and iiice versa, both alike being 
 from God. 16. That he who— rather, "^e who," 
 &c. blesseth himself in the earth— (Ps. Ixxii. 17 ; 
 Jer. iv. 2.) shall bless himself in the God of 
 truth— very God, as opposed to false gods : He- 
 brew, Amen: the very name of Messiah (2 Cor. i. 
 20 ; Rev. iii. 14), faithful to His promises (John i. 
 17 ; vi. 32). Real, substantial, spiritual, eternal, 
 as opposed to the shadowy types of the law. he 
 
 that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the 
 God of truth -God alone shaU be appealed to as 
 God (ch. xix. 18; Deut. vi. 13; Ps. Ixiii. 11). 
 because the former troubles are forgotten— e. , 
 
 sins, provocations (Lowth). Rather, calamities 
 (ha-tztzaroth, straits) caused by your sins : so far 
 from these visiting you again, the very remem- 
 brance of them is "hid from mine eyes" by the 
 magnitude of the blessings I will confer on you 
 (v. 17, &c.) {Maurer). 
 
 17. For, behold, I create new heavens, and a 
 new earth. As Caleb inherited the same land 
 which his feet trod on (Deut. i. 36 ; Josh. xiv. 9), 
 so Messiah and His saints shall inherit the reno- 
 vated earth which once they trod, whilst defiled^ 
 by the enemy (ch. xxxiv. 4; li. 16 ; Ixvi. 22; Ezek. 
 xxi. 27; Ps. ii. 8; xxxvii. 11). and the former 
 shall not be remembered— (note on "troubles," v. 
 16.) The words here answer to "the former 
 troubles are forgotten," &c. The former sorrows 
 of the earth, under the fall, sliall be so far from 
 recurring, that their very remembrance shall be 
 obliterated by the many mercies I will bestow on 
 the new earth (Rev. xxi. 4-27). This prophecy 
 uses language which, whilst fulfilled on the mil- 
 lennial earth in a degree, shall receive its full 
 accomplishment only in the regenerated earth, 
 which shall succeed the post-millennial conflagra- 
 tion (2 Pet. iii. 10-13; Rev. xxi. 1; Heb. xii. 26-28). 
 18. rejoice for ever (in that) which I create: for, 
 behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing (ch. li. 11) 
 —spiritually (1 Thess. v. 16). 19. I will rejoice in 
 Jerusalem, and joy in my people— (ch. Ixii 5.) 
 the voice of weeping shall be no more (ch. xxv. 
 7, 8 ; XXXV. 10 ; Rev. vii. 17 ; xxi. 4)— primarily 
 foretold of Jerusalem ; secondarily, of aU the re- 
 deemed. 20. The longevity of men in the first age 
 of the world shall be enjoyed again. There shall 
 be no more thence— from that time forward, an 
 infant of days — i. e., an infant w^ho shall only com- 
 plete a few days ; short-lived, nor an old man 
 that hath not filled his days — none shall die 
 without attaining a full old age. for the child 
 shall die an hundred years old— e., 'he that 
 dieth an hundred years old shall be thought to die 
 
God to he served 
 
 ISAIAH LXVI. 
 
 in humble sincerity. 
 
 " But the sinner, being an hundred years old, shall be accursed. 
 
 2 1 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; 
 
 And they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 
 
 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; 
 They shall not plant, and another eat : 
 
 For as the days of a tree are the days of my people. 
 And mine elect ^ shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 
 
 23 They shall not labour in vain,-^'^nor bring forth for trouble : 
 For they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, 
 
 And their offspring with them. 
 
 24 And it shall come to pass, — tha^t ^before they call, I will answer; 
 And while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 
 
 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, 
 And the lion shall eat straw like the bullock : 
 ^And dust shall be the serpent's meat. 
 
 They shall not hurt nor destroy in ail my ^holy mountain, — saith the Lord. 
 66 THUS saith the Lord, 
 
 The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool : 
 
 B. C. 698. 
 
 " Kccl. S. 12. 
 " Lev. 2o. 10. 
 
 * shall make 
 tbem con- 
 tinue long, 
 or, shall 
 wear out. 
 Hos. 9. 12. 
 
 * Matt. C. «. 
 f Gen. 3. H. 
 
 Rom, 16.20. 
 ^ ch. 2. 2. 
 Dan. 2. S.";. 
 Zech. 8. 3. 
 Rev. 11. 1. 
 
 CHAP. 66. 
 ' 1 Ki. 8. 27. 
 
 1 Chr. 28. 2. 
 
 Ps. 11. 4. 
 
 Ps. 99. 9. 
 
 Matt. 5. 34. 
 
 a mere child ' (Lowih). but the sinner, (being) an 
 hundred years old, shall be accursed— rather, as 
 there is no adversativ'e force nor opposition, but 
 rather the second clause continues the idea in the 
 first, 'a7id the sinner that dieth at an hundred 
 years shall be deemed accursed' — i. e., his death at 
 so early an age, which in those days the hundredth 
 year will be regarded, just as if it were mere child- 
 hood, shall be deemed the efifect of God's special 
 visitation in wrath {RosenmUller). This passage 
 proves that the millenuial age to come on earth, 
 though much sui)erior to the present, will not be 
 a perfect state. Sin and death shall have place in 
 it (cf. Rev. XX. 7, 8), but much less frequently 
 than now. 21. they shall build houses, and in- 
 habit them, &c.— (note, ch. Ixii. 8; Amos ix, 14.) 
 22. They shall not build, and another inhabit— 
 They shall not experience the curse pronounced. 
 Lev. xxvi. 16 ; Deut. xxviii. 30. for as the days 
 of a tree — among the most long-lived of objects iu 
 nature, (are) the days of my people— they shall 
 live as long as the trees they "plant" (cf. ch. Ixi. 
 3, end ; Ps, xcii. 12). mine elect shall long enjoy 
 the work of their hands (Hebrew, yehalLu, from 
 halfxh, to be old) — consume, wear out: they shall 
 long live to enjoy the last of it (ch. Ixii. 9). 23. 
 They shall not . . . bring forth for trouble— lit., 
 for terror {labe/iolah) ; i. e., 'They shall not bring 
 forth children {or a sudden death'' (Lev. xxvi. 16; 
 Jer. XV. 8). for they (are) the seed of the blessed 
 of the Lord— (ch. Ixi. 9.) and their offspring with 
 them— (Hos. ix. 12.) 'Their offspring shall be 
 with themselves ' (Maurer) ; not ' brought forth ' 
 only to be cut off' by 'sudden death' (see the 
 parallel clause). 24. before they call, I will an- 
 swer ; and while they are yet speaking, I will 
 hear. Contrast ch. Ixiv. 7, "none . . . calleth," 
 &c. ; and note, v. 12, '/ called, ye did not answer.' 
 Maurer translates, 'They shall hardly (lit., not 
 yet) call when (lit., and) I will answer ; they shall 
 be still speaking when I will hear ' (Ps. xxxii. 5 ; 
 Dan. ix. '20, 21). 25. The wolf and the lamb shall 
 feed together -(notes, ch. xi. 6-9.) and dust (shall 
 be) the serpent's meat— rather, 'but dust,' &c. The 
 curse shall remain on the serpent {florsle!/). (Gen. 
 iii. 14; Mic. vii. 17.) To lick the dust is figurative 
 of the utter and perpetual degradation of Satan 
 and his emissaries (ch. xlix. 23 ; Ps. Ixxii. 9). He 
 shall be bound a thousand years (Rev. xx. 2), an 
 earnest of his final and everlasting doom after the 
 millennium (Rev. xx. 10). Satan fell se/f-fernpted, 
 tlierefore no atonement was contrived for him, as 
 763 
 
 ly /i 
 
 (Jude 6; John viii. 44). From his peculiar con- 
 nection with the earth and man, it has been 
 conjectured that the exciting cause of his relaeUion 
 was God's declaration that human nature was to 
 be raised into union with the Godhead : this was 
 'the truth' concerning the person of the Son of 
 God, which 'he abode not in.' It galled his pride 
 that a lower race was to be raised to that which he 
 had aspired to (1 Tim. iii. 6). How exultingly he 
 might say, when man fell through him, 'God 
 would raise manhood into union with Himself : / 
 have brought it down below the beasts by sin ! ' 
 At that very moment and spot he was told that 
 the seed of the abhorred race, man, should bruise 
 his head (1 John iii. 8). He was raised up for this, 
 to show forth God's glory (Exod. ix. 16 ; Rom. ix. 
 17). In his unfallen state he may have been God's 
 vicegerent over the earth and the animal kingdom 
 before man : this will account for his assuming the 
 form of a serpent, (Gen. iii.) Man succeeded to 
 that office (Gen. ii. 19, 20), but forfeited it by sin, 
 whence Satan became "prince of this world:" 
 Jesus Christ supplants the usurper ; and as " Son 
 of man " regains the lost inheritance (Ps. viii. 4-8). 
 The steps in Satan's overthrow are these : he is 
 cast out, first, from heaven (Rev. xii. 7-9) on earth ; 
 next, he is bound a thousand years (Rev. xx. 2, 3) ; 
 finally, he is cast into the lake of tire for ever 
 (Rev. xx. 10). 
 
 Remarks. — The rebellion of Israel, notwith- 
 standing God's continued long-suffering, brought 
 upon the nation at last rejection by God. Then 
 the Lord gave His gracious invitation to the Gen- 
 tiles, who had not previously been ' called by His 
 name,' to "behold" Him as their Saviour, and so 
 to take the high place as His people which had 
 heretofore been held by the Jews, bo now, among 
 the members of the professing Church, when the 
 most highly favoured as to privileges fail to use 
 them, God reveals Himself to those who had not 
 professed to seek Him : He thus magnifies His 
 grace in being 'found of them that sought Him 
 not.' 
 
 CHAP. LXVL 1-24. —The Humble com- 
 forted, THE Ungodly condemned, at the 
 Lord's appearing : Jerusalem made a Joy on 
 Earth. This closing chapter is the summai-y of 
 Isaiah's prophecies as to the last days : hence 
 the similarity of its sentiments with what went 
 before. 
 
 1. The heaven (is) my throne . . . where is the 
 
God to he served 
 
 ISAIAH LXVL 
 
 ill humble sincerity. 
 
 Where is the house that ye build unto me ? 
 And where is the place of my rest? 
 
 For all those things hath mine hand made, — and aU those things have been, 
 Saith the Lord : — but to this man will I look, 
 Even *to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, 
 And ^ trembleth at my- word. 
 
 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man ; 
 He that sacrificeth a ^lamb, as if\\Q cut off a dog's neck; 
 He that ofifereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood ; 
 He that ^ burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. 
 Yea, they have chosen their own ways. 
 And their soul delighteth in their abominations. 
 
 I also will choose their ^delusions, — and will bring their fears upon them; 
 '^Because when I called, none did answer; — when I spake, they did not hear : 
 But they did evil before mine eyes. 
 And chose that in which I delighted not. 
 
 Hear the word of the Lord, — ye that tremble at his word ; 
 Your brethren that hated ^ you, — that cast you out for ^ my name's sake, 
 Said, ^ Let the Lord be glorified : 
 
 But ''he shall appear to your joy, — and they shall be ashamed. 
 
 B. C. 698. 
 
 * Ps. 34. 18. 
 
 Ps. 61. 17. 
 " Ezra 9. 4. 
 
 Ezra 10. 3. 
 
 Ps. 119. 120. 
 161. 
 
 Pro. 28. 14. 
 Hab. 3. 16. 
 Acts 9. 6. 
 Acts 16. 29. 
 30. 
 
 Phil. 2. 12. 
 
 1 Or, kid. 
 
 2 maketh a 
 memorkl 
 of. 
 
 Lev. 2. 2. 
 
 3 Or, device?, 
 d Pro. 1. 24. 
 
 Jer. 7. 13. 
 ' John 15. 18. 
 / Matt. 24. 9. 
 y eh. 5. 19. 
 h. 2The=!.l.lO. 
 
 Tit. 2. 13. 
 
 house that ye build unto me ? The same senti- 
 meut is expressed, as a x>i"ecautionary proviso for 
 the majesty of God ia deij^ning to owu any 
 earthly temple as His, as if He could be circum- 
 scribed by space (1 Ki. viii. 27) in inaugurating 
 the temple of stone ; next, as to the temple of 
 the Holy Ghost (Acts vii. 48, 49); lastly here, as 
 to the millennial temple (ch. ii. 2, 3 ; Ezek. xliii. 
 4, 7). ■where— rather ['^\ 'what is this house 
 that ye are building? &c.; what place is this for 
 my rest?' [Vitringa.) So the Vulgate, LXX., 
 Chaldaic, Arabic, and Syriac. 2. For all those 
 (things) hath mine hand made . . . have been 
 — viz., made hy me. Or, absolutely, loere things 
 made; and therefore belong to me, the Creator 
 {Jerome), hut to this (man) will I look— have 
 regard, (even) to (him that is) poor— humble (ch. 
 Ivii. 15). and trembleth at my word— as Josiah 
 did, and was therefore " heard " by the Lord ; "be- 
 cause thine heart was tender, and thou hast 
 humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou 
 heardest what I spake " (2 Ki. xxii, 11, 19); and as 
 the people about Ezra did (Ezra ix. 4). The 
 spiritual temple of the heart, though not super- 
 seding the outward place of worship, is God's 
 favourite dwelling (John xiv. 23). In the final 
 state in heaven there shall be "no temple," but 
 "the Lord God" Himself (Rev. xxi. 22). 
 
 3. He that killeth an ox (is as if ) he slew a man. 
 God loathes even the sacrifices of the wicked (ch. i. 
 11; Prov. XV. 8 ; xxviii. 9). (is as if), Lowth, not 
 so well, omits these words, 'He that killeth an ox 
 (presently after) murders a man ' (as in Ezek. 
 xxiii. 39). But the omission, in the Hebrew, of is 
 as ij increases the force of the comparison. 
 //wmaw victims were often ofifered by the heathen, 
 he that sacrificeth a lamb, (as if ) he cut of[ a 
 dog's neck — an abomination according to the 
 Jewish law (Deut. xxiii. 18); perhaps made so 
 because dogs were venerated in Egypt. He does 
 not honour this abomination by using the word 
 sacrifice, but uses the degrading term, '* cut off a 
 dog's neck " (Exod. xiii. 13 ; xxxiv. 20). Dogs, as 
 unclean, are associated with swine (Matt. vii. 6 ; 
 2 Pet. ii. 22). he that ofifereth an oblation, (as if 
 he ofifered) swine's blood— unbloody (the min- 
 chah), in antithesis to "swine's blood " (ch. Ixv. 4). 
 he that burneth incense (Hebrew, mazkkir, from 
 761 
 
 zakar) — ' he who offereth as a memorial-ohlafion ' 
 (Lev. ii. 2). (as if) he blessed an idol . . . they 
 have chosen their own ways— opposed to the two 
 first clauses of v. 4, ' as they have chosen their 
 own ways, &c., so / will choose their delusions.' 
 4. I also will choose their delusions (2 Thess. ii. 
 11)— answering to "their own ways" {v. 3: so 
 Prov. i. 31). However, the Hebrew, thd'alulim, from 
 'alal, to do or devise, may mean vexations, ccdami- 
 ties; which also the parallelism to "fears" favours. 
 ' I will choose their calamities ' means, I will choose 
 the calamities which they thought to escape by " their 
 own ways." But the LXX. support the English 
 version [e/u-Trat-y/naTa duTtuj/]. So the Vulgate and 
 Syriac. The Chaldaic has 'their destruction.' 
 The sense probably is, "I also will choose," — i. e., 
 by my judicial retribution I will give them up to 
 the penalty of their self-deluding doings which they 
 chose, and will bring their fears upon them— - 
 the things they feared, to avert which their idol- 
 atrous "abominations" {v. 3) were practised, 
 because when I called, none did answer— (notes, 
 ch. Ixv. 12, 24; Jer. vii. 13.) but they did evil 
 before mine eyes, and chose (that) in which I 
 delighted not— they not only did the evil deed, 
 but did it deliberately as a matter of choice (Pom. 
 i. 32). They "chose that in which I delighted 
 not ; " therefore, ' / will choose ' that in which 
 they delight not— the "calamities" and "fears" 
 which they were most anxious to avert, before 
 mine eyes— (note, ch. Ixv. 3.) 
 
 5. Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble 
 at his word — the same persons as in v. 2— the 
 believing few among the Jews. Your brethren 
 that hated you, that cast you out for my 
 name's sake — excommunicate, as if too polluted 
 to worship with them (ch. Ixv. 5). So in Christ's 
 first sojourn on earth (Matt. x. 22 ; John ix. 22, 
 34, 35 ; xvi. 2 ; xv. 21). So it shall be again in 
 the last times, when the believing shall be few 
 (Luke xviii. 8). said. Let the Lord be glorified— 
 the mocking challenge of the persecutors, as if 
 their violence towards you was from zeal for God. 
 'Let the Lord show Himself glorious '—viz. , hy 
 manifesting Himself in your behalf; as the paral- 
 lelism to but he shall appear to your joy 
 requires, as in ch. v. 19. Cf. ch. xxviii. 15 ; Ivii. 4. 
 So against Christ on the cross (Matt, xxvii. 42, 43). 
 
Judgments against 
 
 ISAIAH LXVI. 
 
 the wickea. 
 
 6 A voice of noise from the city, — a voice from the temple, 
 
 A voice of the Lord — that rendereth recompence to his enemies. 
 
 7 Before she travailed, she brought forth ; 
 
 Before her pain came, she was delivered of a man-child. 
 
 8 Who hath heard such a thing ? — who hath seen such things ? 
 Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day ? 
 
 Or shall a nation be born at once ? 
 
 For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. 
 
 9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not * cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: 
 Shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God. 
 
 10 Rejoice ^ ye with Jerusalem, — and be glad with her, all ye that love her : 
 Rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her; 
 That ye may suck, and be satisfied — with the breasts of her consolations ; 
 That ye may milk out, and be delighted 
 AVith the ^abundance of her glory. 
 
 For thus saith the Lord, — Behold, -^ I will extend peace to her like a river. 
 And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream : 
 Then shall ye ^'suck, — )^e shall be borne ^upon her sides. 
 And' be dandled upon her knees. 
 
 13 As one whom his mother comforteth, — so will I comfort you; 
 And ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 
 
 14 And when ye see this, your ^ heart shall rejoice, 
 And "your bones shall flourish like an herb ; 
 
 And the ^ hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants. 
 And his indignation toward his enemies. 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 B. C. 698. 
 
 * Or. begr-t. 
 < Deut. 32.4.'}. 
 
 ch. 4 J. 23. 
 
 Ch. 65. 18. 
 
 liom. 15. 9. 
 12. 
 
 5 Or, bright- 
 ness. 
 
 } Fs. 72. 3. 7. 
 ch. 9, r. 
 ch. 48. IS. 
 ch. GO. 6. 
 
 k ch. eo. 16. 
 
 ' ch. 49. 22. 
 
 ch. 60. 4. 
 ■"Zech. 10. 7. 
 
 John 16. 2 >. 
 " ch. 26. 19. 
 
 Pro. 3. 8. 
 
 Pro. 17. 22. 
 
 Eze. 37. 1- 
 14. 
 
 Hos. 11. 4, 
 8. 
 
 " ch. 66. 12. 
 15. 
 
 Eze. 7. 9. 
 Eze. 18, 
 22, 31. 
 Mai. 3. l=i. 
 Heb. 10. 27. 
 
 " But he shall appear to your joy " — giving you 
 "joy" instead of your "rebuke" (ch. xxv. 8, 9). 
 
 6. A voice of noise from the city, a voice from 
 the temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth 
 recompense to his enemies. God, from Jerusalem 
 and His "temj^le," shall take vengeance on the 
 enemy (Ezek. xliii. 1-8; Zech. xii. 2, 3; xiv. 3, 19- 
 21). The abrupt language of this verse marks the 
 suddenness with which God destroys the hostile 
 Gentile host outside : as v. 5 refers to the confound- 
 ing of the unbelieving Jeius. voice of noise — i. e., 
 the Lord's loud-sounding voice (Ps. Ixviii. 33 ; 
 xxix. 3-9 ; 1 Thess. iv. 16). 7. she— Zion. Before 
 she travailed, she brought forth. The accession 
 of numbers, and of prosperity, to her, shall be 
 sudden beyond all expectation, and unattended with 
 painful effort (ch. liv. 1, 4, 5). before her pain 
 came, she was delivered of a man-child. Contrast 
 with this case of the future Jewish Church the 
 travail-pains of the Old Testament and the present 
 Christian Church in bringing forth "a man-child" 
 (Rev. xii. 2, 5). A man-child's birth is in the East 
 a matter of special joy, whilst that of a female is 
 not so ; therefore, it here means the manly sons of 
 the restored Jewish Church, the singular being 
 used collectively for the plural ; or the many sons 
 being regarded as one under Messiah, who shall 
 then be manifested as their one representative 
 Head. 8. Shall the earth be made to bring 
 forth in one day? — rather, to suit the parallelism, 
 ' Is a country (put for the people in it) brought forth 
 Uiayukal is therefore masculine, because a country, 
 Hebrew, ereiz, though feminine, is put for the men 
 in it) in one day ? ' ( Lowth. ) In the English version 
 it means, The earth brings forth its ijroductious 
 gradually, not in one day (Mark iv. 28). (or) 
 shall a nation be born at once? In this case, 
 contrary to the usual growth of the nations by 
 degrees, Israel starts into maturity at once, for — 
 rather, ' is a nation born at once, that (ki) Zion has, 
 m soon as slie travailed, brought forth' (Maurer). 
 9. Shall I cause to bring forth, and shut (the 
 70;-) 
 
 womb) ?— rather, 'shall I who beget restrain the 
 birth?' {Lowth) (ch. xxxvii. 3; Hos. xiii, 13); i. e., 
 shall I who have begun, not finish my work of 
 restoring Israel ? (1 Sam. iii. 12 ; Rom. xi. 1 ; Phil, 
 i. 6.) shut— (cf. Rev. iii. 7, 8.) 10. Rejoice ye 
 with Jerusalem ... all ye that love her . . . 
 all ye that mourn for her— (Ps. cii. 14, 17, 20 ; 
 cxxii. 6.) 11. That ye may suck— (chs. Ix. 5, 16; 
 ixi. 6; xlix. 2.3.) that ye may milk out, and be 
 delighted with the abundance of her glory (He- 
 brew, mizziz)—^ the ray-like flow of her opulence;' 
 i. e., with the milk spouting out from her full 
 breasts (answering to the parallel, " breasts of her 
 consolations") in ray-like streams: from zuz, to 
 move itself, to radiate {Gesenius}. 
 
 12. Behold, I will extend peace to her like 
 a river — I will turn peace (prosperity) upon her, 
 like a river turned in its course (_Gesenius), so as to 
 flow over her and cover her completely (ch. xlviii. 
 18). and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing 
 stream— as the Nile by its overflow fertilizes the 
 whole of Egypt, ye shall be borne upon (her) 
 sides, and be dandled upon (her) knees— (note, 
 ch. Ix. 4.) her . . . her- if "ye" refers to the 
 Jews, translate, 'ye shall be borne upon their 
 sides . . . their knees;' viz., upon those of the 
 Gentiles, as in ch. xlix. 22; and as "thou shalt 
 suck the milk of the Gentiles " (ch. Ix. 16) refers to 
 the Jews sucking the Gentile wealth. However, 
 the English version gives a good sense. The Jews, 
 and all the Gentiles who love Jehovah (v. 10), 
 'shall suck, and be borne' by her as a mother. 
 13. As one whom his mother comforteth— (ch. xlix. 
 15). comforteth— (ch. xl. 1, 2.) 14. your bones 
 shall flourish like an herb. "Your bones," which 
 once were "dried up" by the "fire" of God's 
 wrath (Lam. i. 13), shall live again, (Prov. iii. 8 ; 
 XV. 30; Ezek. xxxvii. 1, &c.) flourish like an 
 herb— when they shall " be graff'ed into their own 
 olive tree" (Rom. xi. 15-24.) and the hand of the 
 Lord shall be known toward his servants- 
 manifested in behalf of them. 
 
the wicked. 
 
 Judgments against ISAIAH LXVI, 
 
 15 For, ^behold, the Lord will come with fire, 
 And with his chariots like a whirlwind, 
 
 To render his anger with fury, — and his rebuke with flames of fire. 
 
 16 For by fire, and by ^his sword, — will the Lord plead with all flesh: 
 And the slain of the Lord shall be many. 
 
 17 They ' that sanctify themselves, — and purify themselves in the gardens 
 ^ Behind one tree in the midst, 
 
 • Eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, 
 Shall be consumed together, saith the Lord. 
 
 18 For I ^know their works and their thoughts: 
 
 It shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues ;. 
 And they shall come, and see my glory. 
 
 19 And ^I will set a sign among them. 
 And I will send those that escape of them unto the nations. 
 To Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow. 
 To Tubal and Javan, to the isles afar off", — that have not heard my fame, 
 Neither have seen my glory ; 
 
 15. behold, the Lord will come with fire— (di. 
 ix. 5; Ps. 1. 3; Hab. iii. 5; 2 Thess. i. 8; 2 Pet. iii. 
 7.) chariots like a whirlwind— (Jer. iv. 13.) to 
 render his anger with fury — as the Hebrew, 
 le-hashih apho, elsewhere (Job ix. 13 ; Ps. Ixxviii. 
 38) means, to allay or s(ay wrath. Maurer trans- 
 lates it so here: He stay a His anger with nothing 
 but Jury, &c. : nothing short of pouring out all His 
 iiery fury will satisfy His wrath. However, the 
 LXX. {^airo^ovvaL eK8LKi}(TLV ivTov], Vulgate [red- 
 dere furoreni suum], Chaldaic, Arabic, and Syriac 
 supi>ort the English version, fury — ' burning 
 heat^ (Lowth), to which the parallel,. " flames of 
 fhe," answer. 16. For by fire, and by his sword, 
 will the Lord plead with all flesh—' With lire 
 will Jehovah decide the issue (niihpat), and with 
 His sword (He will decide the issue with) all 
 ilesh.' The parallelism and collocation of the 
 Hebrew words require this translation (ch. Ixv. 
 12). all flesh— i. e., all who are the objects of His 
 wrath. The godly shall be hidden by the Lord in 
 a place of safety? away from the scene of judgment 
 (ch. xx\i. 20, 21 ; Ps. xxxi. 20; 1 Thess. iv. 16, 17). 
 17. They that sanctify themselves ... in the gar- 
 dens — the Hebrew {el haggannoth) and the LXX. 
 [eis Toi/s Kj'jTTous] require, '/or (entering into) 
 gardens;' viz., to sacrifice there (Maurer). The 
 Vulgate, Chaldaic, Arabic, and Syriac support the 
 English version, behind one (tree) in the midst— 
 rather, ' following one: ' achar (the same as achareey) 
 achadh; i.e., so?rte idol or other, which, from con- 
 tempt, he does not name [Maurer). Vitrin-ja, &c. 
 think the Hebrew for "one," Achadh, to be the 
 name of the god: called Adad (meaning One) in 
 Syria (cf. Acts xvii. 23, "To the Unknown God.") 
 The Supreme God {Macrobius, 'Saturnal.' i. 23). 
 The idol's power was represented by inclined rays, 
 as of the sun shining on the earth. G^esenii^s trans- 
 lates, 'following one' — viz., Hierophant (priest) — 
 who led the rest in performing the sacred rites, 
 in the midst— viz., of the garden (cf. notes, ch. 
 Ixv. 3, 4). eating . . . the mouse— legally unclean 
 (Lev. xi. 29), because it was an idol to the heathen 
 (see note, ch. xxxvii. 36 ; 1 Sam. vi. 4). Translate, 
 'the field-mouse,' or 'dormouse' {Bochart.) The 
 Pharisees, with their self-righteous piirifications, 
 and all mere formalists, are included in the same 
 condemnation, described in language taken from 
 the idolatries prevalent in Isaiah's times. 18. For 
 I (know)— Z:woiy is not in the Hebrew. Pather, 
 understand the words by Aposiopesis : it is usual 
 in threats to leave the persons threatened to supply 
 the hiatus from their own fears, owing to conscious 
 7C6 
 
 B. C. 698. 
 
 P Ch. 9. 6. 
 ch. 30. 27. 
 2«, 33. 
 2 Thes. 1. 8. 
 « ch. 27. 1. 
 ch. 34. 6- 
 10. 
 
 ch. 65. 3, 4. 
 Eze. 38. 21, 
 
 22. 
 Eze. 39. 2. 
 Rev. 19. 11- 
 
 21. 
 
 * Or, one 
 after an- 
 other. 
 
 * ch, 37. 28. 
 Heb. 4. 13. 
 Kev. 2. 2, 
 
 9, 13. 
 
 * Luke 2. 3t. 
 
 guilt: 'Fori . . . their works and thoughts'— 
 viz., will punish [Maurer.) 
 
 It shall come that I will— the time is come that 
 I will, &c. gather all nations— against Jerusalem, 
 where the ungodly Jews shall perish; and then 
 the Lord at last shall fight for Jerusalem against 
 those nations ; and the survivors [v. 19) shall "see 
 God's glory " (Zech. xii. 8, 9 ; xiv. 1-3, 9). and 
 tongues— which have been many, owing to sin, 
 being confounded at Babel, but which shall again 
 be one in Christ (Dan. vii, 14 ; Zeph. iii. 9 ; Kev. 
 vii. 9, 10). 19. set a sign among them— a banner 
 on a high place, to indicate the place of meeting 
 for the dispersed Jewish exiles, preparatory to 
 their return to their land (chs. v. 26 ; xi. 12 ; 
 Ixii. 10). those that escape of them — the 
 Gentile survivors spared by God (note, v. 18 ; 
 Zech. xiv. 16) shall act as missionaries to their 
 several nations. Ch. ii. 2, 3; Mic. v. 7; and 
 Zech. xiv. 16-19, represent it, not that the Jews 
 go as missionaries to the Gentiles, but that the 
 Gentiles come up to Jerusalem to learn the Lord's 
 ways there. However, the latter fact may pre- 
 suppose the former, the Gentile homage to Zioii's 
 King at Jerusalem resulting from the conversion 
 of the Gentiles through Jewish agents, as well as 
 through missionaries of their own several Gentile 
 countrymen. Indeed, only deputy -rej^jresentatives 
 of the many Gentile nations could in jjerson attend 
 at Jerusalem, to Tarshish — Tartessus in Spain, 
 in the West. Another Tarshish in the Indian 
 Ocean, accessible from the Ped Sea, must be 
 meant in 1 Ki. ix. 26 ; xxii. 48 ; 2 Chr. ix. 21 ; xx. 
 36. Sir Emerson Tennent thinks it was Point de 
 Galle in Ceylon, the emporium of those seas for 
 three centuries jiast. Pul — east and north of 
 Africa ; probably the same as Philce, an island in 
 the Nile, called by the Egyptians Pilak — i. e., the 
 border country, being between Egypt and Ethiopia 
 [Bochart). The LXX. read Plaid : and this, or 
 Phut, is probably the true reading here, as Pul 
 occurs nowhere else. Cf. Nah. iii. 9, Ethiopia 
 a,xid Egypt . . . Put a,nd Lubijn." From the con- 
 nection it is plain that an African people near 
 Egypt is meant (cf. Ezek; xxvii. 10 ; xxx. 5 ; 
 xxxviii. 5)— perhaps Libya. The people described 
 in the monuments as the Nine Bows [Petu, or 
 Napetu) may answer to Phut ; or else Topet or 
 Nubia, the region of the bow. Lud— the Ludim of 
 Africa : a Mizraite tribe west of Egypt (Gen. x. 
 13 ; 1 Chr. i. 11) ; Ludim being son of Mizraim 
 (Egypt) : an Ethiopian people famous as bowmen 
 (Jer. xlvi. 9) ; employed as mercenaries by Tyre 
 
The continuance of the 
 
 ISAIAH LXVL new heatens and the new earth. 
 
 20 
 
 "And they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. 
 And they shall bring all your brethren 
 For ^an offering unto the Lord, out of all nations. 
 Upon horses, and in chariots, and in ^litters, 
 And upon mules, and upon swift beasts, 
 To my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, 
 As the children of Israel bring an offering 
 In a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. 
 
 And I will also take of them — for ^priests, and for Levites, saith the Lord. 
 
 22 For as "^the new heavens, and the new earth, which I will make. 
 Shall remain before me, saith the Lord, 
 
 So shall your seed and your name remain. 
 
 23 And ^it shall come to pass, that ^from one new moon to another. 
 And from one sabbath to another, 
 
 ^ Shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. 
 
 24 And they shall go forth, and look 
 
 Upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me : 
 For their '^worm shall not die, — neither shall their fire be quenched ; 
 And they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. 
 
 21 
 
 B. C. COS. 
 
 
 Mai. 1. 11. 
 
 
 Rom. 15.16. 
 
 
 PhU. 2. 17. 
 
 1 Or. 
 
 
 coaches. 
 
 w 
 
 Ex. 19. 6. 
 
 
 ch. 61. 6. 
 
 
 1 Pet. 2. 9. 
 
 
 Rev. 1. 6. 
 
 X 
 
 ch. 65. 17. 
 
 
 2 Pet. 3. 13. 
 
 
 Rev. 21. 1. 
 
 y 
 
 Zech. 14.16. 
 
 8 
 
 from new 
 
 
 moon to 
 
 
 hi^ new 
 
 
 moon, and 
 
 
 from 
 
 
 sabbath 
 
 
 to hi» 
 
 
 sibbith. 
 
 z 
 
 Ps. ' 6. 2. 
 
 a. 
 
 Mark 9. 4t 
 
 and Egypt (Ezek. xxvii. 10 ; xxx. 5). There was 
 also a Shemite or Semitic Lud (Gen. x. 22 ; 1 Chr. 
 i. 17), whence came the Lydians of Asia Minor. 
 The Egyptian monuments show us, in the thir- 
 teenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries B.C. a 
 people, the 'Ruten,' or 'Luden,' near Mesopo- 
 tamia; whence they passed on into Asia Minor. 
 Tubal— Tibarenians, in Asia Minor, south of the 
 Caucasus, between the Black Sea and A raxes. 
 Or, the Iberians— \\z., those between the Caspian 
 and Eiixine seas, the modern Georgia {Jo-sephus). 
 Italy (Jerome). The Vulgate and Chaldaic : who 
 also translate for " Pul," Africa. The Moschi are 
 associated with them in the Bible : so also in the 
 Assyrian inscriptions they were a wide-spread 
 Turanian people. Javan — the Greeks ; called 
 lonians, including all the descendants of Javan 
 both in Greece and in Asia Minor (Gen. x. 2-4). 
 Tubal and Javan were sons of Japhet. and they 
 shall declare my glory among the Gentiles— (Mai. 
 i. 11.) 20. and they— the Gentiles [v. 19). shall 
 bring all your brethren for an offering unto the 
 Lord, out of all nations, upon horses, and in 
 chariots, and in litters, and upon mules. 
 The entiles shall bring the Jews back to the 
 Holy land (ch. xlix. 22). It cannot mean the 
 mere entrance of the Jews into the Christian 
 Church; for such an entrance would be hy faith, 
 not upon 'horses, litters, and mules' {Houbigant). 
 " Offering " is a sacrificial metaphor, as in Rom. 
 XV. 16. horses — not much used by the Jews. 
 The Gentiles are here represented as using their 
 modes of conveyance to "bring" the Jews to 
 Jerusalem, chariots. As these are not found in 
 Oriental caravans, translate 'vehicles' — viz., 
 borne, not drawn on wheels, litters — coverecZ 
 sedans for the rich, and upon swift beasts- 
 courier's beasts : dromedaries : Kirkaroth, from a 
 Hebrew root, Karar, to leap, to hound ; from their 
 bounding motion, often accelerated by music. 
 (Bochart). Panniers were thrown across the 
 dromedaries' back for poorer women (Horsley). 
 21. And I will also take of them— the Gentiles, 
 for priests, (and) for Levites— for spiritual wor- 
 ship ; enjoying the direct access to God, which 
 was formerly enjoyed by the ministers of the 
 temple alone (1 Pet. ii. 9 ; Rev. i. G). 22. For as 
 the new heavens, and the new earth, which I will 
 make, shall remain before me, &c.— (ch. Ixv. 17, 
 707 
 
 18; 2 Pet. iii. LS ; Rev. xxi. 1.) 23. from one 
 new moon to another— 'as often as the new 
 moon (shall be) in its own new moon ;' i. e., in its 
 own time evei-y month (Zech. xiv. 16), and from 
 one sabbath to another — which is therefore per- 
 petually obligatory on earth, shall all flesh come 
 to worship— (Ps, Ixv. 2; Ixxii. 11.) before me- 
 at Jerusalem (Jer. iii. 16, 17). 24. And they shall 
 go forth, and look— as the Israelites looked at the 
 carcases of the Egyptians destroyed at the Red 
 Sea (Exod. xiv. 30 : cf. ch. xxvi. 14-19 ; Ps. Iviii. 
 10 ; xlix. 14 ; Mai. iv. 1-3). upon the carcases of 
 the men that have transgressed against me (?'. 
 16) — those slain by the Lord in the last great battle 
 near Jerusalem (Zech. xii. 2-9 ; xiv. 2-4) : type of 
 the final destruction of all sinners, for their 
 worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be 
 quenched (Mark ix. 44, 46, 48)— image of hell, 
 from bodies left unburied in the valley of Hinnora 
 (whence comes Gehenna, or hell, south of Jeru- 
 salem), where a perpetual fire was kept to consume 
 the refuse thrown there (ch. xxx. 33). It shall not 
 be inconsistent with true love for the godly to 
 look with satisfaction on God's vengeance on the 
 wicked (Rev. xiv. 10). The godly shall then be, 
 in holy abhorrence of sin and jealousy for the 
 vindication of God's justice, entirely of one mind 
 with God (1 Sam. xvi. 1). This constitutes their 
 unity and fellowship with God (John xvii. 21, 
 23). 
 
 Remarks. — Man can build no temple so acce]it- 
 able to God as is the ' contrite spirit that trembleth 
 at His Word.' All other temples of man's erection 
 are merely provisional, during our present impei'- 
 fect state, until the heavenly city descend from 
 God, wherein there shall be no temple; but "the 
 Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple 
 of it." Formalism, and scrupulous observance of 
 outward ordinances, will be of no avail to those 
 'who choose their own' corrupt "ways," rather 
 than the Lord's holy ways. He will repay such 
 men in kind; He too will " choose" to give them 
 up to their "delusions," even as they 'chose that 
 in which He delighted not.' On the other hand, 
 they who "tremble" reverently, with filial love 
 and fear, at 'God's Word,' and who have been 
 therefore hated, mocked, and cast out for the 
 Lord's sake, shall see Him soon appearing, to their 
 joy, and to the confusion of their adversaries.