for rejecting the t.ro.ditiono.l viewa of the explELin, "As the dew of the morning, authorship and the interpretation. The abnodant, refreshing, spreading far and pso.lm belongs to the same class as Ps. ii wide, mirELcnlous, so is tbe might of thy H is wholly Messianic. Do.vid hllS had perpetual youth"(' Speaker's Oommen tary ,' vol. iv. p. 428); others, and the Jar,,.er revelations made to him concerning the number, interpret it of Messiah's ar~y, kingdom, the priesthood, and the ultimate "As de_w out of th_e eady morning dawn, victory of the Messiah over the entire power descendmg by a silent, mysterious birth of evil. In a grand burst of song, rough from the star-lit heaven, so comes to Messiah and rugged, no doubt, but full of energy his mighty host of followers" (comp. Isa, xxvi. 19). and genius, he addresses MeBBie.h, and sets Ver. 4.-The Lord hath sworn, e.ud he will forth his praise and glory, the mighty offices not repent. " A fresh revelation" (Cheyne). which he holcls, and the wonderful triumph David, admitted into the councils of the which awaits him. Most Higb, has been made aware that the Metrically, the psalm consists of two Messiah is, by God's decree, to be both King and Priest. God bas "sworn" this, and stanza.a-one of three, and the other of fou.r will certainly not draw baok from his oath. verses (vera. 1-3, 4-7). Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Ver. 1.-The Lord said unto my Lord. Melchizedek. Not, like ordinary priests, a Jehovah said unto him who is my Lord and priest for e. few years, or for a lifetime, but Master, i.e. to Messiah, who is my liege a priest for ever and ever (oS,/,)-seeing Lord, although about to be, in some myste- "be ever liveth to make intercession for rious way, my descendant. Sit thou at my 118" (Heb. vii. 25). And o. priest "after the right hand. An exaltation too high for e.ny order of Melchizedek." Not, that is, after merely human personage (comp.Acts ii. 33; tbe order of Aaron, who wELB a priest and vii. 56: Heb. i. 3). lJ'ntil I make thine nothing more, but afte:r tho.t of Melchizedek:, a.emies thy footstool. To place the foot the older priesthood, which combined the upon the neok or body of defeated enemies offices of priestand king (see Heb. v. 6-10; was e. common practice of Oriental con- vii. 1-10, 20-28). querors. Ve:r. 5.-The Lord at thy right hand shall Ver. 2.-The Lord shall send the rod of strike through kings in the day of his thy strength out of Ziou. "The rod of thy wrath. "Adonai" here is certainly J ehomh strength," or " thy strong sceptre," is the (Cheyne). He stunds at Mcssi::J.b'a right 1111,me thing as "thy ruling power" (see hand (oomp. Pas. xvi. 8; cxxi. 5) to protect Jer. xlviii. 17; Ezek. xix.11). The ruling and defend him, ancl give him victory in power of Messio.h we.a to go forth from the battle. Ver. 5 oarries on the descrip- Jerusalem (Acts i. 4-8; ii 1-4). Rule tion of Messio.h's triumph begun in ver. 3. thou in the midst of thine enemies. Ac- The kings to be "struck through" ore cording to Professor Ohayne, these o.re the those that resist the progress of the gospel- words of Jehovnh-e. continuation of the Herod Agrippa, Go.lerius, Julian, o.nd the add.rees in ver. 1: but they o.re more gene- like. rally regarded as the words of the writer Ver. 6. -Xe shELll judge among the of the psalm, i.e., according to our exegesis, heathen; i.e. exeoute the royal office not of David. He calls on the Messiah to tELke only over Israel, but over the no.tions of his power ELnd reign. the eo.rth generl!lly (comp. Pas. vii. 9; ix.!); Ver. 3.-Thy people she.II be willing in the xovL 10, etc.). Xe shall fill tbe places with do.y of thy power. In the full sense of the the dead bodies; rather, he ,hall fill Iha word, Messiah can only rule over "willing" eartli v,ith dead bodies; i.e. with the corpses nee.rts. In the day of his power, his people of those whom he bas slo.in while executing will offer themselves gladly to be his sol- judgment. Xe shall wound the heads over diers ELn<l servants, nnd flock to his banner, many oountries. 'Thus tro.n~lnted, the as the Israelites to that of Deborah and clause merely repeals vor. 5. Perhaps a Benak, when "the people willingly offered better rendering is that of Dr. Kay, "He themselves" (Judg. v. 2, 9; comp. Tua. shall smito him that is head over the wide xlix. 18-23; lx. 1-5; ll.vi. 19-23). In earth "-either Satan or "the central power the beauties of holiness. At once warriors of the wbolo coufedcmcy of evil." and saints, meet for the servioe of One who Ver. 7.-Xe ahill d.rink of the brook in was at once Priest (ver. 4) and King. From the we.y, Primarily, the action described the womb of the morning thou he.at the dew is that of pausiug in the pursuit of enemies of thy youth. This is the division of tbo to refresh one•~ self with a dro.ught of water cfouscs now genero.lly adopted; but the from a brook by the wayside; but, if we intention of this last clause is very doubtful. interpret the passage of the Messiah, we Some u~del'lliaud it of Mes~iah hiJDself, e.nd DlQ~t uqder$te.p.d the refre~hins draught, 80 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PB, OX, 1-7,
wl1ioh be ernr drnws from the well-sprin"' pursuit of his enemies unremittingly, aa of truth and righteousness as ho advance~ Bishop Perowne ea.ys, "with renewed on his career of victory. Therefore (i.e. ardour, with hc11J erect and kindling eye," because of these draughts) he shall lift up never resting until at length all thin.,.s slloll the head. He shall never faint nor ho have been put iu subjection under his feet wea.ry (Isa. xL 28), but shall continue the (Heb. ii. 8).