PSALM XXIII.

3. Bring me back.-When wandering from my duty.

5. A table for me.-He here changes the metaphor from that of a sheep tended by a good shepherd, to that of a hoft who treats his guest with a liberal banquet, filling his cup, and anointing his head with balfams and other fragrant unguents, as was customary at entertainments. See Ecclef. ix. 8. Am. vi. 6. Luke vii. 44.

5. Thou wilt anoint.-The verb anoint is in the past tense, but being fubjoined to a future, it follows its nature; as is evident from many examples Venema.

6. And I will dwell,-, Kai rò xaToIXETY με lxx. xatoinnois 8.-Sym. the infinitive mood used as a substantive, compare Pf. xxvii. 4. Dr. Lowth.

PSALM XXIV.

2. Upon the feas.-Has elevated the earth above the feas, fo as to render it fecure against its devaftations.

3. Hill of the Lord.-Mount Sion.

6. This is the generation.-Such are the genuine worshippers of God.

That feek thy face. See the lxx. Vulg. Arab. Æth. Syr. alfo two MSS. of Dr. Kennicott, and Lowth, de S. P. H. p. 266. The Ark and Shechina refiding on it, or fymbol of the divine prefence, was called the face of God; and to feek the face of God, was to appear before the ark, to worship in the fanctuary. See Pf. xvii. 6.

7. Lift up your heads.-The poet, in this fine profopopeia by which he addresses the gates of Jerufalem, defires them to make themselves more lofty, that there may be ample space afforded for the entrance of the King of Glory.

PSALM XXV.

This is an alphabetical Pfalm of detached fentences, as ufual; each verfe begins with the different letters of the alphabet, except the 18th which begins with Resh instead of Koph. Every conjectural emendation that has been proposed, appears either improbable in itself, or harfh in the conftruction.

2. Deal treacherously.--Saul's attempt to kill him with the javelin.

4. And in thee.-Inftead of N we are to read 7. De Roffi.

6. Sins of my youth.-When David compofed this Pfalm, he appears, from verfe 9, to have imagined that no other calamities happened to man, than

fuch as were punishments for their fins; he therefore attributes his prefent misfortunes to his youthful indifcretions. Venema.

10. For it is great.-So great as to require the peculiar mercy of God to pardon it.

13. Counsel.-10 is an abbreviation for 71027 the decrees of his counfel, Jer. xxiii. 18. Kennicott's remarks.

Will fhew. with an infinitive has the fignification of the future. Prov. xix. 8. If. xxxviii. 20. Hof. ix. 13. Secker.

17. Enlarge the straightness.-Taking the from the end of 1277 and prefixing it to the beginning of the next word y anguftia, the contraction of the heart, in forrow; dilatare, to widen, to fet large that contraction. Lowth.

PSALM XXVI.

6. Wash my hands.—It was customary to wash the hands as a token of innocency; fee Deut. xxi. 6. Compass.--He alludes to the chorus of fingers, who in finging went round the altar.

12. In the ftraight path.-So all the verfions. See Pf. xxvii. 13.

PSALM XXVII.

2. To eat up my Flefb.-He means Saul's defigns against his life.

They fumbled and fell.-The ftone of ftumbling was the war of the Philistines, 1 Sam. xxiii. 27. 3. In it.-In war; n and n are both of the fame gender.

7. Have mercy.-Fifteen copies omit the copulative; also the lxx. Vulg. and Syr.

8. My heart faid unto thee.-This is a perplexed passage, and perhaps corrupt. I have adopted Venema's interpretation, which though not without difficulty, feems the easiest: Tibi, quærite faciem meam,. dixit cor meum, quæram, h. e. ad illud tuum quærite, tibi dixit, vel tibi dicenti quærite, dixit cor meum; verbo dicere, ne bis idem repetatur verbum, per ellipfin fuppreffo.

10. Father and mother.-Michaelis thinks that David's parents would not receive him in his flight, through fear of Saul

12. Falfe witnesses.-In the time of Saul. He prays that God will deliver him now, as he did at that perilous crifis.

18. Of his people.--Six MSS have y here, and that reading is fupported by all the ancient verfions. Kennicott, Street, and Dathe.

PSALM XXIX.

6. He maketh Libanon.-Heb. he maketh them, meaning Libanon and Sirion: there are many inftances of this reference to what follows. Mudge.

8. Cades. A vaft defert of Arabia, otherwise called Zin and Paran, in which the Ifraelites fojourned many years.

9. Shall every one, ancient verfions. Houbigant and Lowth.

10. Sitteth upon the deluge.-Prefideth over this fcene of defolation.

PSALM XXX.

4. Saints of his.-Ye priests and Levites. Memorial of his Holiness.-His Holy Name. 5. His anger is for a moment, his favour for life.— Momentum in ira ejus, vita in favore ejus.

6. My bill fo ftrong.—He uses mount Sion, which was the royal refidence, metonymically for his kingdom. Dathe.

7. I called.--The verbs are here in the future, which have the force of expreffing the repetition and continuance of his prayers. Venema.