had hid themselves in Arabia deferta, and thence might have got into Syria or Egypt, fee Le Clerc. 10. Thus also let those say, &c. 17. The first fixteen verses seem to relate to the eaptivity from which the Jews had now returned. The Pfalmift proceeds to give instances of constant operation of the divine goodness. 20. . Kennicott and the versions. 25. And raiseth. 1 Chron. xx. 4. Efth. iv. 29. To ftand filent.—p as verse 33, 35. Secker. fignifies to ftand up or arise, 14. If. xlvii. 13. Secker. should probably be w`, Waves of the fea.-. Syr. and Hare. 36-40. The poor and the great are equally fubject to the influence of God's providence. In verse 39. the Targum inferts, but when they fin, by way of explanation. Mudge reads " whereas they, meaning the others mentioned verses 33, 34. But we can scarcely allow a word which is understood, to be emphatical. 40. Dnings. Syr. and Kennicott. .משפחותם 43. All the verfions, Kennicott, Street, Dathe. PSALM CIX. 2. The mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against him: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. And when he had urged his love and his good actions to these enemies of his, v. 4, then follow the evil wishes they expreffed against him to v. 20. And at length v. 27. he says, let them curfe, but bless thou." To this we may add, that David speaks of his enemies throughout the Pfalm in the plural number, whereas the object of the inspiration is but one perfon. 4. Unto prayer.-When my enemies perfecute, I do not indulge myself in a vindictive fpirit, but betake myself to prayer to God for them; ego tamen orabam pro iis. Syriac. It was the custom for the accuser to stand at the right hand of the person whom he accused, Zech. iii. I. 7. bon deprecatio. Kennicott. תפלה 10. Caft out.—Ex6λnDnswoav, lxx. Vulg. 1w; and Houbigant approves this rightly. Secker. 16. He remembered not.-This is one of the lying accufations against David, mentioned in verse 2. 20. This is the reward, &c.—This is the recompence which mine adverfaries wish me from the Lord, in return for my kindnefs towards them, fee verfe 4. 23. Shaw in his Travels, tells us, that the swarms of locufts are driven to and fro by the wind, p. 165. And Niebuhr fays, that the people drive them about from place to place, to prevent their fettling any where, p. 174. PSALM CX. It is probable that the particular occafion of the writing of this Pfalm was as follows: After David had been proclaimed king over all Ifrael, 2 Sam. v. 5. by the command of God himself, the divine fpirit having fignified to him his future greatness and victories, he compofed this Pfalm which he caused to be fung in his presence at Hebron. It is dramatic like many other of the pfalms. The four first verses are fung by one part of the choir, which speaks of Jehovah in the third perfon, addreffing the people: the latter three are fung by the other fet of choirifters, as addreffing Jehovah, and answering the first fet, in the manner of antiphony. 1. My Lord. The king, fee 1 Sam. xvi. 16. xxii. 12. 2 Sam. xi. 11. 1 Kings i. 13, 17, 31. and particularly, 2 Sam. iv. 8. Some perfons, perhaps, says M. Masson, may think that no other perfon than David can be fuppofed to speak in this Pfalm, because he was the writer of it. But fuch persons, continues Maffon, must be little acquainted with dramatic poetry. Befides it is a common thing for the Jews to fpeak of themselves in the third perfon, fee Gen. iv. 23, 24, fo alfo Pf. cxxxii. 1, 10, II. and If. i. 1. Jerem. i. 1. Dan. i. 6. Compare likewife Pf. xx. and xxi. of which David is on all hands allowed to be the author. 1. To my Lord.-The Messiah, Matth. xxii. 43, 44, and the paffages. It seems to me, that this Pfalm has not an historical fenfe with refpect to David, but is a direct and exclufive prophecy of the Messiah. Abp. Newcome. That this is a direct and exclufive prophecy of Chrift will appear; first, from its being proved that it does not apply to David or Solomon or any perfon before their time; and secondly, that it has been accurately fulfilled in Christ, in every part; as will be fhewn in the subsequent notes. This Pfalm is not applicable to David; first, because David is the author of it, but the perfon of whom David writes was his Lord, fee v. 1. fecondly, the perfon spoken of was a priest (Cohen), but David was not a prieft; thirdly, this Pfalm is not applicable to Solomon; first, because he was not a priest (Cohen); fecondly, his office bore no refemblance to that of Melchizedec; thirdly, he was a man of peace, not a conqueror. Therefore this Pfalm is neither applicable to David nor any cotemporary perfon; nor neither is it applicable to Abraham or any perfon before the time of David, as is evident from the mention of Sion which was not a place of any note, nor the feat of empire, until |