The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 553

CHAPTER xxm A morning without clouds: Yea, as the tender grass from the earth, Ver. 1.-'Row theae be the last wordl of from sunshine, from rain/~ • David. .A long interval sepamtes this psalm from the preceding. The one WBB written A king who rules his people justly is as when David had j11St reached the zenith of glorious BB the sun rising in its strength to hiH power, and, \'i'hen still unstained by foul drive away the works of darkness, and give crime, he could cle.im God's favour as due men, by precept e.nd example, the light of to his innocence. These l.e.st words were clear knowledge of their duty: But the last David's le.test inspired utterance, written, metaphor is especially be11utiful. In the probably, towards the end of the ce.lm period summer, vegetation dries up under the which followed upon his restoration to his burning heat of the suu; all is bare and throne, and when time and the sense of brown, and a few withered stalks, of the God's renewed favour had healed the coarser plants a.lone remain. But when the wounds of his sonl. David the ■on of JeBBe raiµ.s .come, Joll9wed by bright sunshine, ll&id. It was probably this account of the ne.tnre e.t one burs~. flashes into beauty, and autllor, e.nd its persona.I cbe.re.cter, which the hillsides and pie.ins are covered with caused the exclusion of this hymn from the the 110ft green of the reviving grass, through Book of Psalms. It seemed to belong rather which myriads of flowers 11000 p'nsh their to David's private history than to a collec• we.y, and clothe the landscape with bright tion made for use in the public services of colours. So a just and upright government the temple. Ba.id. The word is one usually calls into being countless forms of human applied to a message coming directly from activity, and fosters all th~t is morally God. It is used, however, four times in beautiful, while it checks the blighting in- Numb. xxiv. of the words of Be.la.am, and fluences of. unregulated passion and selfish in Prov. xx.x. of those of Agnr. The so- greed. . . . . ./ lemnity of the word indicates the fulness of Ver. 5.-Although my house, etc. The its inspiration. The 1Weet pnlmiat; lite- rendering. of the Authorized Version is that re.11 y, loe who is pleasant in the psalma of of the ancient versions, e.nd is to be retained. brad. Do.vid might well claim this title, David could not but feel that bis house was as, uuder God, we owe the Pse.lter to him. too stained with Bio upon sin for him to be Vers. 3, 4.-Re that ruleth, etc. This able to Jay claim to have been in fact that rendering of the Hebrew is very beautiful, which the theocratic king was in theory, and fit to be graven on the hearts of rulers. e.nd which David ought to have been BB the There is often almost an inspiration in the representative of Ohrist, and himself the renderings of the Authorized Version. Gre.m- christ, or anointed of Israel's God. But me.tically, neverthelees, the psalm declares most modem commentators take the nega- the bleS6oo..ness of the king who is just, and tives a.s interrogative, and, therefore, a.s me.y be tra.W!lated BB follows :- strong assertions. " He that ruleth over men righteously, "For is not my house so with God? That ruleth in the fee.r of God- For lie had made with me an eternal And u the morning light ahe.11 he be, covenant, whw the llllll li.let.h. Cndered in all things, and BCOUJe ; Ott, Ullt. 1-89.] TtIE s:mcoNt> BOOK. or SAMUtt.