EXPOSITION. Ver. 6.-T'Dat thy beloved (or, thy ielo-r,ecl PSALM CVIll. ones) may be delivered: save with thy right Tms is II composite pea.Im, made up of hand, and answer me. Absolutely irleotical with Pa. Ix. 5; but with a change iu the portions of two Davidical psalms, viz. lvii. connection which give the wort!s a somewhat 7-11, and lx. 5-12, but nnt (probauly) put different bearing. - into its present shape by David. It is Vere. 7, 8.-Gcd bath spoke.:i, etc. Com- difficult to imagine what was the occasion pletely identical with Ps. Ix. 6, 7. which was thought to call for the union Ver. 9.-Moab is my wa.shpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe. Identical with the of two such distinct nnd unconnected first two clauses of Pa. Ix. 8. Over Philistia passages. The text, moreover, has suffered will I triumph. In Ps. lx. 8 the expression in the transfer. used is different. There we have, "Phi- listia, triumph thou over me," or, " because Ver. 1.-My heart is fixed, In the original of me." Apparently the compiler has not form (Pa. lvii. 7) this emphatic phrase was understood David's irony, and has therefore reiterated, which much increased the force changed the form of the verb. of the declaration. I will sing and give Ver. 10.-Wb.o will bring me into the praise, even with my glory. It is difficult st-!'ong city 1 A slight change occurs here, to assign any distinct meaning to the last -n::m taking the place of irn:i, but there i., clause, which has nothing parallel to it iu no difference in the sense. Who will le!Mi Ps. lvii. 7. me. into Edom 1 Identical with the last Ver. 2.-Awake, psaltery and harp: I claiise of Pa. lx. 9. myself will awake early. Ps. !·di. has, Ver. 11.-Wilt not thou, 0 God, who hil.t "Awnke, my glory; a.wake, ps11Uery and cast us offl and wilt not thou, 0 God, go harp," which is intelligible and forcible. forth with our hosts 1 Identical with Ps. Ver. 3.-I will praise thee, 0 Lord, among lx. 10, with the exception that there, in the the people : and I will sing praises nnto thee first clause, "thou" is expressed by i"li'ltt among the nations. Identical with Ps. l vii. The meaning is probably that assigned in 9, except tho.t " 0 Lord" is expressed by the Revised Version, "HI\St not thou cast "Jehovo.h" instco.d of'' Adonai." us off, 0 God? and thou goest not forth, Ver. 4.-For thy .meroy is great above the 0 God, with our Lost," (see the comment heavens: and thy trnth reacheth unto the on Ps. l::i:. 10). olouds. Identical with Ps. lvii. I O, with Ver. 12.-Give us help from trouble: for the exception of one preposil ion, which vain is the help of man. Completely identical occurs only in some manuscript,. with Pa. lx. 11. Ver. 5.-Be thou exalted, 0 Go:l, above the Ver. 13.-Throngh God we shall do va.- heavens: and thy glory above all -the earth. liantly, et.o. Also completely identical with Absolutely identical with Pa. lvii. 11. Pa. 1.x. 12.
HOMILETICS. Vera. 1-13.-Triumph in trouble. 'l'he words of which this psalm is composed were written after a reverse, or in the midst of strife, but also after II Divine promise (ver. 7) which was the assurance of success; they breathe a spirit not merely of serenity, but even of triumph ; and they bear with them the lesson, that in the time of trouble we may be so sustained by the Word of God that we may ev,•n exult in tllo prospect bofore us. I. 'l'IIE PRESENCE OJ!' ADVERSITY. Behind us is defeat (vcr. 11); before us is difficulty, apparent impossibility (ver. 10); the ordinary, visible resources have faileu us (ver. 12): "vain is the help of man." This adversity may be either outward or 16 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PB, ovm. 1-13,