The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 520

Terrllled. The verb eignlflee" to strike with For while he acknowled 0..es in them a ten- sudden terror and alarm" (see Exod. xiv. 24; dency to sin, ho affirms that he had been Josh. x. 10). It describes here the panic on his guard against it, end that h13 harl ooueed by the lightning, and by the violent ever kept God's statutes present before his throes of nature, so powerfully deecribed in view. However complete may he the peni- ver. 16. La.id bare. This is the meaning tent's recovery, yet can he never ngain be of the word "discovered" in the Authorized "perfect," the word epplied to an animel Version. When the version was made, it without blemish, and therefore flt f0r sacri- was equivalent to "uncovered," but has now fice. The crime remains e blemish, even changed its signification. thongh the intense sorrow for the sin may Vere. 17-20.- meke it the means of even ettaining to e. • He stretched forth hi, hand from on high ; higher etage of spirituality and devotion. he took me, In ver. 22 the words literally are, "I have He drew me out of many waters. not sinned eway from God,'' sin necessarily He delivered me from my strong enemy, removing the sinner away from that near- From them that bated me; for they were ness to God which ie the privilege of tho too mighty for me. saint. For they attacked me in the day of my Vere. 26-28.- misfortune. " With the pious man thou wilt show thyself But Jehovah became my Staff, pious; And he brought me forth into a. wide With the perfect man thou wilt show place; thyself perfect; Be delivered me, because he bad plea.sure With the pure thou wilt show thyself in me." pure; In the midst of this fearful convulsion of And with the crooked thou wilt show thy- nature, while all around are stricken with self perverse, panic, David sees a hand stretched out from And the afflicted people thou wilt save; a.hove, ready to deliver hill;l from the over- And thine eyes are upon the haughty, to 'whelming flood of hatred and peril. At- bring them down." te.oked me. The word does not signify "to Having affirmed his integrity, and that God prevent," or "anticipate," but "to assail" therefore had pleasure in him and rewarded So in ver. 6, "The snares of death assailed him, David now asserts that this is the me; " and in Isa. X:ll.llvii. 33, " The King of unfailing rule of God's dealings with men. Assyria shall not attack this city with The genera.I current of theil' lives is so shield." It is the ee.me verb in all these ordered as to be in harmony with their places. Staff; in the Authorized Version, characters. It is not by luck or good fortune "stay." But it means something to lean that prosperity attends the righteous. nor is npon, and is rightly translated " staff" in Ps. it by cha.nee that things go awry with the x::riii. 4. A wide plaoe; in opposition to the fraudulent, but it is by the law of God's pro- straits of affliction. He had pleasure in me. vidence. Pious. The Hebrew word means In eh. xv. 26 this confidence is gone, and " pious" in the originel sense of the word, David doubts whether the favour of Jehovah which includes 1,.-indness to men as well e.s had not been forfeited by him. love to God Perverse. In the Authorized Vera. 21-25.- Version" unsavoury." Really it is the same •'Jehovah bath requited me according to my word as that used in Ps. xviii. 26, and signi- righteousness, fies "thou wilt make thyself twisted,'' only According to the cleanness of my hands the form is archaic, as is the cese with some bath he recompensed me. other words here. Experience confirms the For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, psalmist's verdict. For constantly a. strange And sinned not so as to depart from my perversity of fortune and an untowardness of God. events are the Jot of those whose hearts ere For all his judgments have been kept in crooked. A.fllioted. The word in the origina.l sight, includes the idea of humility, and so leads And from his statutes I have not departed. naturally on to the thought of the abasement I was also perfect towards him, of the proud. In the pea.Im the somewhat And was on my guard against my sin. harsh expression used here has been softened Therefore bath Jehovah reoompensed me into the more easy phrase, " The he.oghty e.ocording to my righteousness, eyes thou wilt bring down." According to my cleanness in his eye- Vera. 29-Sl.- sight." " For thou, Jehovah, art my Lamp; It la impossible to suppose that these verses And Jehovah will make my de.rkn111.t ooald have been written after David'• fall. light.  534 THE SECOND DOOK OF BAMUEti. [on. uu. 1-51,