L his power exerted in favor of the Israelitish nation. In the other and mystical sense, however, which is authorized by St. Paul (Ephes. iv. 8), the Psalm proclaims the future ascension of the Messiah into heaven, his sending down thence upon his worshippers the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the gathering together of his Church, and the destruction of his adversaries. ET God arise, and let his enemies be scat- | Isai. 33. 3. tered: let them also, that hate him, flee Ps. 94. 1, &c. before him. 2 Like as the smoke vanisheth, so shalt thou drive them away; and, like as wax melteth at the fire, so let the ungodly perish at the presence of God, 3 But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; let them also be merry and joyful. 4 O sing unto God, and sing praises unto his name: magnify [extol] him, that rideth upon the heavens, as it were upon an horse; praise him in his name JAH, and rejoice before him. 5 He is a father of the fatherless, and defendeth the cause of the widows; even God in his holy habitation. Hos. 13. 3. Mic. 1. 4. Ps. 32. 11. Deut. 33. 26, 27.. Job 31. 16, &c. afflicted state, and when thy abounding grace shall have become the subject of rejoicing even to the Gentiles, then will our land again bring forth plentifully, and every blessing, both temporal and spiritual, will be poured down upon us. Psalm cvii. 34, &c. 1 Let God arise, &c. The first six verses are supposed to have been sung, when the Levites took up the ark of God on their shoulders. Moses made use of the same words, as occur in this verse, at every; removal of the ark, during the various marches in the wilderness. Num. x. 35. There is, however, great propriety in now applying them: to its translation to Jerusalem, since Jehovah was still equally present. with it, and his aid was still equally necessary to the protection of that city, as well as to the success, which David hoped for, over all the enemies of his religion and people. 3 The righteous. As, in the previous verse, the idolatrous enemies of the Israelites were pointed out under the name of "the ungodly," so by "the righteous" are here intended the Israelites themselves, the worshippers of the true God, Jehovah. See on Psalm Xxx. 4.-Merry. "Cheerful in their voice." The reference is to the vehemence and loudness of the song of praise. See on Psalm xxvii. 7. 4 The heavens. The clouds are evidently meant (see on Psalm viii. 1); and these God is likewise described as making his chariot, Psalm civ. 3: Isa. xix. 1.—Jah. This is either an abbreviation for Jehovah, or else a word of the same signification. See on Psalm v. 12. 5 Even God, &c. Even that Almighty Being, who is now attendant on the ark, the visible token of his presence upon earth. Jer. 30. 8, 9. Acts 12. 6, &c. Ex. 13. 21. Ex. 19. 16. Isai. 64. 1, &c. Isai. 44. 3, &c. Job 5. 10, 11. Luke 1. 53, &c. 6 He is the God, that maketh men to be of one mind in an house; and bringeth the prisoners out of captivity; but letteth the runagates continue in scarceness [the rebellious dwell in a dry land]. 7 O God, when thou wentest forth before the [thy] people; when thou wentest through the wilderness, 8 The earth shook, and the heavens dropped at the presence of God; even as [even] Sinai also was moved at the presence of God, who is the God of Israel. 9 Thou, O God, sentest a gracious rain upon thine inheritance, and refreshedst it, when it was weary. 10 Thy congregation shall dwell [hath dwelt] therein; for thou, O God, hast of thy goodness prepared for the poor. 6 He is the God, &c. He it is, who, by his benevolent appointment, causes unanimity and concord in families.- -And bringeth, &c. Since the preceding sentence is equally applicable to all men, David would seem, in the remainder of the verse, to be also announcing, in a general manner, the favor, which God ever extends to all his afflicted servants, and the punishment, which he sends on those, who rebel against him. Still there may be an allusion, both to the forlorn condition of the Israelites, while in Egypt, and to their ungrateful and rebellious conduct, while proceeding to the promised land. 7 O God, &c. The part, commencing with this verse, is referred to the time, when the procession began. 8 The heavens dropped, &c. The clouds, as if melted by the divine presence, dropped (water-Judg. v. 4), and dissolved into heavy showers, the accompaniments, we may suppose, of the terrible commotion of the elements, which attended upon God, when he descended on mount Sinai. 9 Thou, O God, sentest, &c. The notion has been embraced by some persons, that, in this and the next yerse, the goodness of Jehovah is celebrated, because, having formerly refreshed the land of Canaan with abundance of rain, he thus rendered it fruitful, and prepared it for the future residence of his peculiar people. But, as the Israelites themselves are called God's inheritance (1 Kings viii. 51. Isai. Lxiii. 17); as both manna and quails are said to have been rained down upon them (Psalm LXXviii. 25, 28); and, as they really did dwell in the midst of the food so miraculously sent from heaven (Exod. xvi. 13. Num. xi. 31), it appears better so to understand the present passages, as not to interrupt the course of the historic narrative. 10 Shall dwell. See on Psalm cxvi. 10. -For thou, &c. For, in thy mercy and loving-kindness, thou deignedst to provide (a table -Psalm LXXviii. 20.) for thy helpless and destitute servants. 5. 1. 11 The Lord gave the word, great was the Judg. 4. 6: company of the preachers [of those, that published it]. 12 Kings with their armies did flee, and were discomfited; and they of the houshold [that tarried at home,] divided the spoil. 13 Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove, that is covered with silver wings; and her feathers like gold. 14 When the Almighty scattered kings for their sake, then were they as white as snow in Salmon. 1 Num. 31. 8, 9. Cor. 6. 9, &c. Ephes. 5. 26, 27. Num. 21. 3. 15 As the hill of Basan, so is God's hill; even Isai. 2. 2, 3. an high hill, as the hill of Basan. 16 Why hop ye so, ye high hills? this is Deut. 12. 11. 11 The Lord, &c. It was by the divine command, and under a specific promise of victory, that the children of Israel fought with those enemies, who strove to impede their progress to the country set apart for them. Num. xxi. 34: xxv. 17.- -Great was &c. Among the Israelites, women were accustomed to celebrate the victories, which their brethren had obtained, and to proclaim them abroad (see on Psalm iii. 3.) in songs of triumph with music and dancing. Exod. xv. 20. Judg. xi. 34. 1 Sam. xviii. 6, 7. The song now sung by them occupies the three following verses. 12 They of the houshold. Women are thus described, by reason of their retired habits of life in Eastern countries. Perhaps, on the other hand, every one, who from age, or sex, or infirmity, remained in the tents, instead of going out to battle. Num. xxxi. 27. 13 The pots. In Egypt the children of Israel were, most probably, occupied in making the coarser kinds of pottery, as well as bricks. Psalm Lxxxi. 6. See on Psalm cv. 18. The expression, may, however, be only a figurative one, employed to denote a base and servile condition. 14 Then were they, &c. The state of the chosen people, when freed from bondage, and rendered remarkable among the nations for Jehovah's unvarying protection, had just been compared to the bright and beautiful plumage of an Eastern dove. It is now likened, after the defeat of some of their enemies, to the snowy summit of a lofty mountain in the tribe of Ephraim, near Shechem (Judg. ix. 47, 48), which shone conspicuous from afar, glistening with a dazzling whiteEcclus. XLiii. 17, 18. ness. 15 As the hill, &c. The bearers of the ark having come in view of mount Sion, this part of the Psalm was sung. The writer here declares, that "God's hill," though inferior in size to any hill, in the mountainous district of Bashan, yet far surpasses it in dignity, from being designed to become, in future, the place of His residence. 16 Why hop ye so, &c. The different hills are now regarded, as all 1 Kings 9. 3. Deut. 33. 2. Acts 1. 9: 2. 33. Lam. 3. 22, 23. Deut. 32. 39, 42. God's hill, in the which it pleaseth him to dwell; yea, the Lord will abide in it for ever. 17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels; and the Lord is among them, as in the holy place of Sinai. 18 Thou art gone up on high: thou hast led captivity captive, and received gifts for men, yea, even for thine enemies [the rebellious], that the Lord God might dwell among them. 19 Praised be the Lord daily; even the God, who helpeth us, and poureth his benefits upon us. 20 He is our God, even the God, of whom cometh salvation: God is the Lord, by whom we escape death. ambitious of attaining to the honor of being "God's hill," and as proudly raising up their heads one above the other, that the coveted pre-eminence may be granted them, in consequence of their stately height. 17 The chariots, &c. The only way, agreeably to human notions, in which the Deity could be personally represented by the poets, was by depicting him under the character of a powerful monarch; whence it can but seem quite natural for a chariot, equally with the other emblems of royalty, to be assigned him. Isai. Lxvi. 15. The subject of the present verse is the magnificence of Jehovah, who, whilst the ark ascended mount Sion, appeared, in some measure, like a powerful conqueror of the enemies of his people, riding upon the angels, as if in a triumphal chariot, and having many myriads of them in his retinue. Psalm xviii. 10. Hab. iii. 8. The plural (chariots) is here put for the singular. See on Psalm LXXviii. 65. 18 Thou art gone up, &c. The ark had, at length, reached the place assigned for it, on the top of mount Sion.- -Thou hast led &c. We must not be too precise in explaining, what David now says respecting, either God's leading into captivity th econquered enemy (see on Psalm xiv. 11), or the gifts, which he received from them, as the price of their ransom, and in token of submission. For it is not improbable, that these circumstances, which were common among earthly kings, after they had waged a successful war, are chiefly introduced to increase the splendor of the description; though they may, indeed, be readily deemed to bear some reference to the victories obtained by the Israelites, through the divine aid, over the Gentile nations opposed to them. To deduce a clear and good meaning from the verse, it should be directly applied to the ascension of Jesus Christ, the captain of our salvation (Heb. ii. 10), into heaven, for he led captive Satan, sin, and death, and there received from the Father, as the recompence of his sufferings, and bestowed even upon sinful men (Rom. v. 8), all those spiritual gifts, which were indispensable for their conversion and reconciliation to God. John xvi. 16, &c. 20 Death. Violent death at the hand of our temporal enemies in Luke 13. 5. 21 God shall wound the head of his enemies; Ps. 110. 5, 6. and the hairy scalp of such a one, as goeth on still in his wickedness. 22 The Lord hath said, I will bring my people again, as I did from Basan; mine own will I bring again, as I did sometime from the deep of the sea, Ex. 14. 22, 26. Rev. 16. 5, 6. 23 That thy foot may be dipped in the blood 1 Kings 21. 19,20. of thine enemies; and that the tongue of thy dogs may be red through the same. 24 It is well seen, Ŏ God, how thou goest; 1 Cor. 14. 40. how thou, my God and King, goest in the sanctuary. 25 The singers go before: the minstrels fol- 1 Chron. 15. 16. low after: in the midst are the damsels playing | Rev. 19. 1, 2. with the timbrels. 26 Give thanks, O Israel, unto God, the Ps. 107. 31. 32: Lord, in the congregations, from the ground of the heart. 135. 19, 20. 27 There is little Benjamin their ruler, and Heb. 12. 22, &c. the princes of Judah their counsel; the princes of Zabulon, and the princes of Nephthali. this world, and "the second death," which the power of sin would inflict upon us hereafter. 21 The hairy scalp. We have now, as it has been asserted, an allusion to the usage of the Arabians, who nourished the hair on the crown of their head, in order that they might thus signify the ferocity of their minds. But the epithet "hairy" may be nothing more than a poetic addition, which some persons suggest is also the case with respect to the word "weaned," Psalm cxxxi. 3. The heathen, the natural enemies of Jehovah and of the Jewish religion, seem to be here characterized, people, who lay under the guilt of wilful sin, and were, therefore, irrevocably devoted to destruction. Ver. 2, 3. 22 The Lord, &c. David proclaims God's intention to repeat the wonderful deliverances of old, even in his time. 2 Sam. iii. 18. 23 Thy dogs. See on Psalm Lix. 6, 15. 24 It is well seen, &c. When the ark had been safely deposited, and the sacrifices offered; when the solemnity was nearly concluded, and the whole assembly about to return home, the singers are conjectured to have united in chanting the remaining portion of this Psalm. 25 In the midst, &c. or mixed up with them. &c. and the tribes. Between the two parties just mentioned, 26 Give thanks, &c. This verse seems much more likely to contain the words uttered by the singers, than an exhortation addressed by the Psalmist to his brethren. 27 There is little Benjamin, &c. Four tribes only are named as |