(C) The Psahru really require a treatise to themselves to set forth their ethical contents adequately. They have formed men's devotional handbook for century after century ; and this, in spite of the fact that they are full of national feel- ing, and are unmistakably Jewish. There are frequent allusions in them to the situation of the Jewish people in politics or warfare ; they must have been written, in many cases, like the pro- phecies, in close connexion with various political events. Yet their Bi;,'nifieance is never exhausted. They have the twofold right to perpetuity, that they regard the current history in the light of the permanent principles that underlie all history and all life, and that they present these in the form of the highest poetry. The Psalmists see in the events of their own day the manifestation of the divine laws, and it is often this aspect of them alone which they present. Hence the task of datin" the Psalms is no easy one ; the particular immediate event is often lost in the sense of the universal laws, the working of which it displays. In this connexion, as before in this article, we must dis- claim any intention of discussing or deciding the dates of the individual psalms, and conline our- selves to a general presentation of the moral indi- cations in the book as a whole.
As before in Jewish writings, we have to notice the decisive way in which the character of God is represented as the rule for the character of man. A very striking exi)ression is given to this prin- ciple in Ps 18*>-'» (KV) : ' With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful ; with the perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect ; with the pure thou wilt show thyself pure ; and with the perverse thou wilt show thyself froward.' The reference of all this is put beyond question by the next verse : ' For thou wilt save the alllicted people ; but the haughty eyes thou wilt bring down ' (cf. Ps 25"-"' Ol'"- ", and many other passages). Here, therefore, in the moat decisive way, the character of God is represented as the moral ideal. If we ask, further, for greater detail in regard to this divine char- acter, we find many points of contact with the books already considered. It is a commonplace throughout the Psalms that God has a fiery hatred of evil. This is especially disjilaycd in a hatred of »11 forms of oppression. ' For the spoilin" of the poor, for the Hi;;hing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Loud' (12"). 'Depart from evil, and do good ; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. . . . The righteous cried, an<l the Loud heard, and delivered thum out of all their troubles. "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and savcth such as be of a contrite spirit ' (34"-'"). It is probably this care for the poor that leads, both in the I's and I)t, to
the condemnation of usury (Ps 15') and of un- righteous judgment (Ps 82 throughout). But the Psalmists take us much further than this con- demnation of wickedness. God is represented as a God of loving-kindness — that is, looking with interest and love upon mankind. It is this char- acter wliich, if tlie phrase may be used, accounts for and is expressed in the special intimacy be- tween the Lord and His people. ' Tlie earth is full of the loving-kindness of the Lord' (Ps 33») : it is 'in the multitude of the loving-kindness' of God that the Psalmist goes to the temple (Ps 5') : ' He showeth loving-kindness to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore' (Ps IS""). The merciful nature of God shows itself in two directions : in forgiveness and in judgment. "The two are not apparently regarded as incompatible. He is full of compassion and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy ( Ps 103"). ' If thou, Lord, shouldcst mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand ? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared' (Ps ISO"-^). At the same time, upon those who work wickedness, the judg- ment of God falls severely and relentlessly. ' Thou settest them in slippeiy places ; thou casteth them down to destruction ' (Ps 73" etc.).
The character of God as thus described forms the model of the true follower of J". His central motive is that of love and adoration to God ; but, at the same time, he so far identifies himself with the cause of God that he too burns with anger against the wicked. This is partly the explana- tion of the tone of unmodilied hatred that I)ervades certain psalms (esp. U9. 109). It is not merely the annoyance of a person whose will is crossed, and who vents himself in petulant cursing of those who stand in his way. It is the wrath of the person who feels that God's cause is attacked throujjh him, and who is persecuted by the powers of evu. Such a condition is no doubt a perilous one ; but it is important to observe that these psalms by no means stand alone. The echo of conflict pervades the whole book. The course of this world is largely atlected by the presence of sin and unfaithfulness. The followers of God are not by any means in the majority ; nor do they always prevail against their enemies. They pass through times of oppression, of menace, of per- secution ; they are the victims of treachery in the house of friends ; they see the ungodly in apparent