Isai. 54. 9, 10. Hos. 6. 1, 2. 1 Cor. 10. 13. Rev. 11. 15. Ps. 92. 1, &c. 2 Sam. 4. 9, 10. Rev. 5. 9, 10. Deut. 11. 18, &c. 1 Cor. 15. 25, 26. 17 Thy righteousness, O God, is very high; and great things are they, that thou hast done: O God, who is like unto thee? 18 0 what great troubles and adversities hast thou shewed me! and yet didst thou turn and refresh me, yea, and broughtest me from the deep of the earth again. 19 Thou hast brought me to great honor, and comforted me on every side. 20 Therefore will I praise thee and thy faithfulness, O God, playing upon an instrument of music: unto thee will I sing upon the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel. 21 My lips will be fain [shall greatly rejoice] when I sing unto thee, and so will my soul, whom thou hast delivered. 22 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long; for they are confounded and brought unto shame, that seek to do me evil. PSALM LXXII. BOTH ancient and modern commentators allow, that this Psalm was written by David only a short time before his death, on his having appointed Solomon to succeed him upon the throne of Israel. 1 Kings i. 30, &c. He first commends his son to the divine blessing, and then instructs him how to render the 17 Thy righteousness, &c. Thy goodness and mercy are as vast, as is the distance from earth to heaven. 2 Chron. xxviii. 9. Psalm Lvii. 11. 18 O what great troubles, &c. From this verse to the end of the Psalm, David hesitates not to make known his approaching restoration, and announces his intention publicly to praise the lovingkindness of God for it.The deep of the earth. Inasmuch as calamities are constantly represented under the figure of overwhelming floods (Psalm xviii. 16: Lxix. 1, 2), most probably, he here meant the deep waters, which lie concealed within the secret caves of the earth. 21 Fain. See on Psalm iii. 3. 22 My tongue also, &c. Nor will I be satisfied with declaring thy marvellous works in the sight of all men, for I am resolved, that thy goodness towards me shall also form the constant theme of my daily discourse. This exulting anticipation of the praises, which, with heartfelt joy and gratitude, David expected to sing in honor of his great deliverer and benefactor, (when regarded as his language in the depth of distress,) demands earnest consideration; for it bears undoubted testimony to the strength of his faith, to the confidence of his hope, and to the fervency of his piety. people happy, describing, at the same time, the qualities of a GIVE the King thy judgments, O God, and 3 The mountains also shall bring peace, and Isai. 32. 1. John 5. 22, 23. Isai. 11. 2, &c. 2 Cor. 5. 19, &c. Dan. 2. 34, 35. 1 Give the King, &c. "King" and "King's son" are but a poetic repetition for one and the same person, even Solomon, who was the first Israelitish monarch, to whom these titles belonged. Grant to him such an excellent understanding, and such a heavenly wisdom, that all the decrees, which, as judge and ruler of the people, he shall make, may be in strict accordance with thy revealed law. 2 Thy people. As the land of Israel was, properly speaking, under the government of Jehovah, the people were His subjects, and their rulers His deputies. See on Psalm ii. 2: cxLv. 1.- -The poor. The afflicted and the helpless constitute the more immediate care of heaven. Psalm ix. 9, 12: CXL. 12. The word "poor" is very common in the scriptures, though, in numerous instances, it has no connexion with penury. 3 The mountains, &c. "The mountains" and "the little hills" appear to be mentioned, solely, as being the most conspicuous parts of the country. The mountainous land of Israel, then, David says, under the righteous government of Solomon, will become remarkable for an abundant crop of all the temporal blessings, which usually follow and indicate a state of peace. It will shine pre-eminent too, for that quiet possession of them, which will be the lot of its inhabitants; as the people will be enabled, without molestation, to gather in their fruits of increase, and, without fear of oppression, to enjoy them. Psalm LXXXV. 11. But an allusion may, on the other hand, be designed to a custom, said to be still prevalent in the East, of conveying intelligence or proclaiming good tidings by means of persons stationed on the tops of mountains, houses, and other eminences. Isai. XL. 9: Lii. 7, 8. Prosperity and acts of justice might thus be announced to the people. The same custom is evidently referred to by our blessed Lord. Matt. x. 27. Luke xii. 3. 4 The children of the poor. That is, the poor themselves, or the afflicted in the same manner, as " children of men," and "sons of men," stand simply for men. See on Psalm iv. 2. I Dan. 2. 44. Luke 1. 32, 3 2 Sam. 23. 1, &c. Hos. 6. 3. Isai. 2. 4. Ps. 2. 8. Zech. 9. 10. 1 Kings 9. 20, 21. Ps. 21. 8, 9. 1 Kings 10. 10. 5 They shall fear thee, as long as the sun and moon endureth, from one generation to another. 6 He shall come down, like the rain, into a fleece of wool, even as the drops that water the earth. 7 In His time shall the righteous flourish; yea, and abundance of peace, so long as the moon endureth. 8 His dominion shall be also from the one sea to the other, and from the flood [river] unto the world's end. 9 They, that dwell in the wilderness, shall kneel before him: his enemies shall lick the dust. 10 The kings of Tharsis and of the isles shall 5 They shall fear thee, &c. Similar changes of person very frequently occur. Psalm xvi. 6: LXviii. 18. It is, doubtless, true, that all subsequent generations of men, particularly in the East, have ever reverenced the name of Solomon, as of one, in an extraordinary degree, endowed with wisdom and power; still David could, in this place, only refer to Him, of whom Solomon was merely the type. Luke xi. 31. 66 6 He shall come down, &c. From the gentleness of his manners, and the mild exercise of his authority, his rule will be as acceptable and refreshing to his people, as is the shower, which descends on a fleece of wool." Isai. XLii. 2. There is, perhaps, a reference to Gideon's fleece (Judg. vi. 37), though the figure can scarcely be considered appropriate. The Bible version is very plain,-"like rain upon the mown grass," that is, upon the fields newly mown. Amos vii. 1. For then, unless rain fell, even the roots of the grass would be dried up by heat, in consequence of their being more exposed than before to the sun's rays. 8 His dominion, &c. Solomon's power was to extend from the Red sea to the Mediterranean (Exod. xxiii. 31), and from the Euphrates to the border of Egypt, which forms the remotest point of the promised land to the south. Deut. xi. 24. 1 Kings iv. 21.—The flood. See on Psalm iii. 3. 9 They, that dwell, &c. The most barbarous nations, such as inhabit desolate, and as yet unknown, regions. The Arabians may be particularly intended. Psalm LXXiv. 15. The heathen world, however, in the figurative language of prophecy, is often styled "the wilderness." Isai. XXXV. 1: XLii. 11.-Shall lick the dust. It is not unusual, even now, among the uncivilized nations of the East, for subjects to make obeisance to their sovereigns by bowing down before them so low, as to touch the very ground with their foreheads. 2 Sam. i. 2. Isai. XLIX. 23. Mic. vii. 17. 10 The kings of Tharsis, &c. Presents were sometimes made as an : give presents the kings of Arabia and Saba shall bring gifts. 11 All kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall do him service. 2 Isai. 49. 7. Chron. 9. 23, &c. Rev. 21. 24. Job 29. 11, &c. Isai. 57. 15. Isai. 41. 17. 12 For he shall deliver the poor, when he crieth; the needy also, and him that hath no helper. 13 He shall be favorable to the simple and needy; and shall preserve [save] the souls of the poor. 14 He shall deliver their souls from fals-Tit. 2. 14. hood and wrong; and dear shall their blood be in his sight. 15 He shall live; and unto him shall be given of the gold of Arabia: prayer shall be made ever unto him; and daily shall he be praised. 16 There shall be an heap of corn in the earth, high upon the hills: his fruit shall shake like Libanus; and shall be green in the city, like grass upon the earth. Rev. 6. 9, 10. John 14. 19. Acts 2. 41, 47. acknowledgment of inferiority and subjection, being, in fact, a kind of tribute from those, who offered them, to those who received them. See on Psalm XLV. 13. Tartessus in Spain is, most probably, the city meant, as, by "the isles," the countries of Europe (see on Psalm LXV. 5); but, in both cases, simply because they were very remote, and, consequently, the more unlikely either to seek the favor of an Israelitish king, or to come under the dominion of his spiritual descendant, the Messiah.- -Saba. This word is thought to stand for some region in the interior of Africa. And such may, indeed, easily be the case, since Seba, one of the grandsons of Ham (Gen. x. 7), was also a nephew of Misraim, from whom that division of the earth has been asserted to have originally received its inhabitants. See on Psalm LXXviii. 52. 15 He shall live. He shall pass a prosperous and happy life. Isai. Liii. 11.- -Prayer shall be made, &c. Considered with relation to Solomon, (which is the lowest acceptation, in which they can be taken,) these prayers will be petitions for assistance, or justice, or favor. 16 There shall be, &c. The general fruitfulness of the land of Israel is now predicted. Its fertility is announced, as about to be so great, that even the tops of the mountains, places where corn was least to be expected, would bring forth plentiful crops: moreover the stalks of the corn growing there were, from their height and size, to shake and wave, when agitated by the wind, like the cedars on mount Lebanon. And shall be green, &c. To have corn springing up in the streets themselves could scarcely be looked upon as a sign of national prosperity. In all likelihood, then, our old translators have here omitted the pronoun they, (which is undeniably the case, Psalm Gen. 22. 18. 1 Chron.29.10.&c. Num. 14. 21. 17 His name shall endure for ever: his name shall remain under the sun among the posterities, which shall be blessed through him; and all the heathen shall praise him. 18 Blessed be the Lord God, even the God of Israel, which only doeth wondrous things; 19 And blessed be the name of his majesty [be his glorious name] for ever; and all the earth shall be filled with his majesty. Amen, Amen. Evening Prayer. PSALM LXXIII. THIS Psalm is ascribed to Asaph; but it has not been determined, whether he was the celebrated singer, who lived in David's time (1 Chron. xvi. 5), or the seer, who flourished during the reign of Hezekiah, and whose compositions that prince ordered to be sung with "the words of David." 2 Chron. xxix. 30. The author sets out with the undoubted truth, that God will never fail to be gracious towards his faithful people: perceiving, however, the frequent worldly prosperity of the wicked, and their power of heaping injurious treatment on the righteous, he confesses, that, through weakness of faith, he is almost tempted to distrust both the divine justice and goodness: at length, having considered the wretched end, to which they usually come, he acknowledges his own folly, and closes the Psalm with strong expressions of devout trust and confidence in God's mercy. Luke 12. 32. 1 Sam. 2. 9. Rom. 7. 23, 24. TRULY, God is loving unto Israel, even unto such as are of a clean heart. 2 Nevertheless, my feet were almost gone; my treadings [steps] had well-nigh slipt. LXIX. 11: Lxiv. 5: whilst, Psalm cv. 10, he must be supplied,) so that they understood the original words to contain a prediction of the rapid increase and flourishing state of the civic populations. Bib. ver.—“ and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.” 18 Blessed, &c. Perhaps David now blesses God, not only for giving him the great satisfaction of seeing his son king, but also for the glorious anticipations, which he was permitted to entertain, of that Redeemer, who would hereafter descend from him. 1 Even unto such, &c. Since God is said to love those only from among his peculiar people, who "are of a clean heart," the expression is exactly similar to that of St. Paul,-" they are not all Israel, which are of Israel." Rom. ix. 6, 7. Psalm cxxv. 5. 2 My feet, &c. The figurative language explained on Psalm i. 1. will illustrate this verse, and shew how a man, whose feet had almost gone from under him, forms a correct image of one, who had felt his faith in God's providence to be, for an instant, shaken. |