The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 3 — Section 59

who trust in idols. Rather, be an example was through tile conversion of tllo Gentiles, to them. He is their Help and their Shield who, when conveded, beoame th" true (comp. Ps. xxxiii. 20). The change of per- "Israel of God." Dut, even upart from son implies a change of speaker, this, tile lineul de,sccndants of Abro.lrnm Ver. 10.-0 house of Aaron, trust in the ha,·e "increased wore aud more," to nn Lord. God's ministers were yet more bound extent which is most extraorclinnry. You t.han his people generally t.o trust in him. and your children. You yourselves shall He is their Help and their Shield (comp. increase ; but your children shall yet more vc:r. 9). increase. The multiplying woulcl begin at Ver. 11.-Ye that fear the Lord, trust in once, but woulcl be greo.ter ancl more strik- the Lord. Professor Cheyne explains this ing afterwards. of proselytes, the ,,.,{Jl,µ.Evo, of tile Acts; but Ver. 15.-Ye are the blessed of the Lord surely the orJcr followed is one of cliruax- which made heaven and earth; i.e. of tile first, ordiuary Israelites; next, those ofilci- true Lord and God, tile Creator of all things, o.lly holy, the priests; finally, those actu- visible and invisible. ally holy, the truly faithful Israelites. He Ver. 16.-The heaven, even the heavens, is their Help and their Shield. It would are the Lord's; lilerally, the 'lteavens are baYe been better in every case t.o have kept heavens of Jehovah. They belong to him- the Hebrew order of the words-" Their he dwells there; bnt it is otherwise with Help and their Sl.tield is he." the earth. But the earth hath he given to Vera. 12, 13.-The whole choir, or perhaps the children of men. For man God framed tllis fair world; to man's use he adapted it tlie whole congregation, expresses its confi- with minutest care; and certainly not least dence in God. He ha.s always been mind- for his own people, who are "the salt of tile ful of his people, and, in respouse to tlleir earth "-tile human race by representation. threefold expression of trust, will bestow on Vera. 17, 18.-Once more the choir and them a threefold blessing. congregation speak. Tile mention of Ver. 12.-The Lord hath been mindful of "heaven and earth" (ver. 15) reminds them us (comp. Pss. xcviii. 4; cx..u:vi. 23). He of the third place-SIieo!. In Sheol is no will bless us; he will bless the house of praise of God, but only "silence." They, Israel (comp. ver, 10). He will bless the at any rate, while they remain on earth, house of Aaron (comp. ver. 11). Ver. 13.-He will bless them that fear the and have the power to praise God, will Lord (comp. var. 12). Both small and praise him without ceasing. great; literally, the small with the great; Ver. 17.-The dead praise not tha Lord i.e. all, without any exception. (comp. Pae, vi. 5; xxx. 9; lxxxviii. 11; Vera. 14-16.-Agaiu the leader raises Isa. xxxviii. 18). Neither any that go down into silence. '£he notion of Sheol as a place his voice and announces special-no longer ofailence occurs inPs.xciv.17,andstrongly general-blesaiDgs; (1) increase of their in Isa. xxxviii. J 8 (see the 'Pulpit Commen- numbers (ver. 14); and (2) inheritance of tary on Isaiah,' vol. ii. p. 39). the earth (ver. 16). Ver. 18.-But we will bless the Lord; literally, we will bless Jah-the shortened, Ver. 14.-The Lord shall increase you and perhupa more em pile.tic, for';ll of J~houf;Lh, more and more. This was tile original We, so Jong as we have any bemg, will smg blessing bestowed on Abraham (Gen. xiii. praises unto our God (Pa. cxlvi. 2)-we will 16; xvii. 4-6), and continually reiterated bless him, praise him, give tllo.nka to him, (Gen. xviii. 18; xxii. 17; xxviii. 14, from this time forth, and for evermore-not etc.). It is mnch clwelt upon by Isaiah an absolute assertion of immortnlity, but a (xli.x. 8-12, 18-23; liv. 1-3; lx. 3-12, strong instinctive antioipo.tiou of it. Praise etc.). 'l'he main fulfilraent of the promise the Lord (see Pas. civ.-ovi., cxiii., etc.).