Ezek. 10. 5. Isai. 30. 30. Matt. 23. 32, 33. Job 40. 9, c&. Isai. 24. 1, &c. Ex. 2. 10. Ps. 40. 1, &c. Ephes. 6. 10, &c. Zech. 1. 15. Gen. 39. 21, &c. 1 Kings 10. 9. Job 9. 30, 31. 13 The Lord also thundered out of heaven, and the Highest gave his thunder: hail-stones, and coals of fire. 14 He sent out his arrows, and scattered them: he cast forth lightnings, and destroyed them. 15 The springs of waters were seen, and the foundations of the round world were discovered, at thy chiding, O Lord, at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure. 16 He shall send down from on high to fetch me, and shall take me out of many [great] waters. 17 He shall deliver me from my strongest enemy, and from them which hate me; for they are too mighty for me. 18 They prevented me in the day of my trouble, but the Lord was my upholder. 19 He brought me forth also into a place of liberty; he brought me forth, even because he had a favor unto me. 20 The Lord shall reward me after my righteous dealing according to the cleanness of my hands shall he recompense me; 13 Hail-stones, &c. As in the previous verse, so here, the words were scattered," or some words of a similar import, must be understood. 14 Them. David's enemies, though they have not been mentioned before. See on Psalm cxLiv. 6. 15 The foundations, &c. The earth being now, by a common metaphor, represented as a building, its foundations may well be said to have been uncovered (see on Psalm xxix. 8), or laid bare, when, by reason of a terrible and mighty earthquake, its inmost parts were brought to light, and its most secret caverns rendered visible. See on Psalm LXXXIX. 12. 16 He shall send down, &c. Jehovah will put forth (his hand— Psalm cxLiv. 7.) from heaven.- -Many waters. Great and multiplied afflictions are frequently referred to in Scripture under the figure of deep water, in which a person is almost hopelessly struggling for life. Psalm Lxix. 1, 2. Isai. XLiii. 2. 18 They prevented me, &c. See on Psalm xxxviii. 17, for the verb "to prevent." They came upon me unawares and surprised me, before I had time to put myself on my guard; but I was mercifully upheld by the arm of Jehovah, who suffered them not to gain any advantage from my defenceless state. 19 He brought me forth, &c. See on Psalm iv. 1. 21 The ways, &c. David here affirms, that at no time had he wandered from the straight path of righteousness and obedience. But the expressions in the present and the two following verses must 21 Because I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not forsaken my God, as the wicked doth; 22 For I have an eye unto all his laws, and will not cast out his commandments from me. 23 I was also uncorrupt before him, and eschewed mine own wickedness. 24 Therefore shall the Lord reward me after my righteous dealing, and according unto the cleanness of my hands in his eye-sight. 25 With the holy thou shalt be holy, and with a perfect man thou shalt be perfect. 26 With the clean thou shalt be clean, and with the froward thou shalt learn frowardness [wilt show thyself froward]. 27 For thou shalt save the people that are in adversity, and shalt [but wilt] bring down the high looks of the proud. 28 Thou also shalt light my candle: the Lord my God shall make my darkness to be light. 29 For in thee I shall discomfit an host of men, and with the help of my God I shall leap over the [a] wall. 30 The way of God is an undefiled way: the be confined, either to his adherence to the true worship of God, in opposition to idolatry; or, to his innocency with respect to some particular crimes, to which he does no more than allude. Psalm Lxiv.4. 23 And eschewed, &c. I likewise strove diligently to avoid the sin, to which, through the corruption of my nature, I was most inclined. 25 With the holy, &c. God, whose justice is unimpeachable, will ever act towards all men according to their dispositions and behavior in the world: his treatment of them will bear an exact proportion to their deserts; just as if he took example from sinners, and learnt from them how to conduct himself. Lev. xxvi. 21, &c. Rev. xiv. 13: xx. 12. 28 Thou also shalt light, &c. Since light and darkness are constantly put for the opposite states of joy and misery (see on Psalm xcvii. 11), David asserts, that Jehovah will cause him to experience prosperity and happiness in the place of adversity and sorrow. Job xviii. 6: xxi. 17. Psalm cxii. 4. This passage is supposed to be illustrated by a custom anciently prevailing, as it is said, among the Egyptians, (and, perhaps, also among their neighbours, the Arabians and Israelites,) of never suffering their houses to be without light, but burning lamps even through the night. 29 I shall leap over, &c. I shall scale the walls of their fortified cities, and thus become possessed likewise of their strong holds. Dan. 4.37. Deut. 32. 31, 39. Isai. 14. 5, &c. Deut. 33. 29. Isai. 28.5, 6. Ps. 119. 67, 71. Prov. 4. 12. word of the Lord also is tried in the fire: he is the defender of all them, that put their trust in him. 31 For, who is God, but the Lord? or, who hath any strength, except our God? 32 It is God, that girdeth me with strength of war, and maketh my way perfect. 33 He maketh my feet like harts' feet, and setteth me up on high. 34 He teacheth mine hands to fight, and mine arms shall break even a bow of steel. 35 Thou hast given me the defence [shield] of thy salvation: thy right hand also shall hold me up, and thy loving correction shall make me great. 36 Thou shalt make room enough under me for to go, that my footsteps shall not slide. 30 The way of God, &c. The course of God's providence is marked by perfect justice and righteousness: his promises, as contained in his revealed word, are free from deceit, and purer than even silver or gold refined in the fire. Psalm cxix. 140. 31 The Lord. Jehovah. 32 That girdeth me, &c. This metaphorical expression arose from the practice of the inhabitants of the East, who, as often as they desired to exert themselves, were accustomed, and even obliged, to use a girdle, for the purpose of binding round them their loose and flowing garments. 1 Kings xviii. 46: xx. 11. Psalm cix. 18.-And maketh, &c. And, by removing every obstacle out of my way, gives me complete success in all my military enterprises. 33 Like harts' feet. Swiftness of foot was an accomplishment highly valued by the Israelitish warriors, as, indeed, it naturally would be in a mountainous country, where infantry were generally employed in battle. 2 Sam. i. 23: ii. 18. 1 Chron. xii. 8.– On high. Either, on a lofty rock, as a place of safety (see on Psalm Lxi. 3); or, those fortresses are intended, in which his enemies had taken refuge, and which, from their height and from the ruggedness of the ascent, were deemed inaccessible. 34 A bow of steel. The bow, which he had wrested out of the hands of his enemy. Bows were mostly made of wood, so that the present phrase may only mean a bow, as inflexible as though formed with bars of steel. Mic. iv. 13. 35 Thou hast given me, &c. Thou hast afforded me thy efficacious assistance, and covered me with the shield of thy protection, as a sure defence against danger. Psalm v. 13: cxL. 7.-Thy loving correction, &c. Afflictions, which God might send in love and mercy to try him, would tend, by raising his character, to qualify him for receiving from the same divine Being an increase of temporal prosperity. Deut. viii. 16. 36 Thou shalt make, &c. The feet must necessarily totter and 37 I will follow upon mine enemies, and 1 Sam. 30. 8. overtake them; neither will I turn again till I | Jam. 4. 7. have destroyed them. 38 I will smite them, that they shall not be 1 Sam. 17. 37. able to stand, but fall under my feet. 39 Thou hast girded me with strength unto Ephes. 1. 22. the battle: thou shalt throw down mine ene-1 Cor. 15. 25, &c. mies under me. 40 Thou hast made mine enemies also to turn their backs upon me, and I shall destroy them that hate me. 41 They shall cry, but there shall be none to help [save] them; yea, even unto the Lord shall they cry, but he shall not hear them. Prov. 8. 36. Prov. 1. 28, &c. 42 I will beat them as small as the dust Zech. 10. 5. before the wind: I will cast them out as the clay in the streets. 43 Thou shalt deliver me from the strivings of the people, and thou shalt make me the head of the heathen. 44 A people, whom I have not known, shall serve me. 45 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me; but the strange children shall dissemble with me [strangers shall yield feigned obedience unto me]. Isai. 52. 15. Isai. 55. 5. Rom. 16. 26. John 6. 66. stumble, when there is not sufficient room for any one to tread firmly. God, David says, would grant him a free course to victory, by rendering the way, along which he should be obliged to pursue his enemies, wide and spacious. 41 They shall cry, &c. They will cry, first to man for help, and then, to Jehovah, but, in both instances, to no purpose. Psalm CXLii. 4, &c. 42 I will cast them out, &c. I shall be permitted to reduce them to such a low and degraded state that in vileness, they will resemble the dirt, which is cast out into the streets to be "trodden under foot of men." Mic. vii. 10. Matt. v. 13. 43 The people. Some doubt exists, whether the original word is to be taken as a singular or a plural: in the former case, civil commotions are referred to; in the latter, foreign wars. 44 A people, &c. Foreign tribes, which have not hitherto been under my dominion. Nevertheless, some of these are represented in the next verse, both as listening to the first proposals for submission, and serving him, in the character of tributaries, with a ready and sincere obedience; others, on the contrary, as merely pretending to receive him for their sovereign and ruler. 46 The strange children, &c. The idolatrous nations (see on Psalm Mic. 7. 17. Luke 1. 47. Nah. 1. 2. Rom. 12. 19 Ephes. 1. 20. Rom. 15. 9. 2 Sam. 7. 13. Acts 2. 30. 46 The strange children shall fail, and be afraid out of their prisons [close places]. 47 The Lord liveth, and blessed be my strong helper, and praised be the God of my salvation, 48 Even the God, that seeth that I be avenged, and subdueth the people unto me. 49 It is he, that delivereth me from my cruel enemies, and setteth me up above mine adversaries: thou shalt rid me from the wicked [violent] man. 50 For this cause will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing praises unto thy name. 51 Great prosperity giveth he unto his king; and sheweth loving-kindness unto David his anointed, and unto his seed for evermore. THE FOURTH DAY. Morning Prayer. PSALM XIX. THIS is reckoned among the Psalms, which were composed by David after his establishment upon the throne of Israel, but of which the precise date and occasion are uncertain. The idolatry and irreligion of the heathen are here proved to be wholly inexcusable, forasmuch as the heavenly bodies, in their daily courses, announce to all lands the existence of Jehovah. David intimates, however, that his countrymen are enabled to obtain fuller and clearer instruction respecting him from the pages of that CxLiv. 7), such, at least, of them as only appeared to submit, would come out of their fortresses, (or, rather perhaps, out of their lurking places in the mountains-Psalm cxLii. 9,) and yield themselves up. They would do this, however, for no other reasons, than because their strength and means of resistance are exhausted, and because they are filled with fear at David's increasing power. The expression 66 out of their prisons" is illustrated by what occurs, Psalm xLix. 14: cix. 9. 47 The Lord liveth. Unlike the idols of the heathen, Jehovah, who deigns to be "my strong helper," is a living and a real God. Psalm XLii. 2. 50 Among the Gentiles. Among the various nations round about the land of Israel, as well those that have already been, as those that will hereafter be, included under my government. 51 His anointed. See on Psalm ii. 2. This verse has been thought to express the acclamations of the people, in consequence of the divine protection of David. |