EXPOSITION. the writer declares hie love to God, and hill PSALM CXVI. resolution to call on him continually, on ac- A PSALM of thanksgiving on deliverance. count of his having been delivered from an from an imminent peril, placed in the mouth imminent peril. of an indivi<lual, but possibly intended for Ver. 1.-I love the tord, because he hath liturgical use on some occasion of a national heard; literally, I 1.ooe, becauie the Lord deliverance. Hengstenberg regards it as (Jehovah) hath heard. The object of this composed for use at a festi vo.l service shortly love is not expressed, but can only be after the return from the Captivity. Otl!era Jehovah. Still, the grammatical construc- tion is unusual, and has caused the sug- adhere to the olcl Hebrew· tradition, which gestion of an emendation. For •n::i;itt Pro- ascribed it to Hezekiah, and considered it to fessor Cheyne would read 'nlCM1'1, ae at the have been written on the occasion of his beginning of ver. 10. llrly voioe and my deliverance from death, as narrated in lea. supplications; literally, my '!Joice, my aup- mv111. Many resemblances are truced plication.11-the latter expression being exe- getice.l of the former. between the phraseology of the psalm and Ver. 2.-Beoauae he bath inolined his ear expreeeione attributed to Hezekiah in Isa. unto me (compare the ex pree~ion of Hezekiah xxxvii., xxxviii. in Isa. xxxvii. 17, "Incline thine ear, 0 Lord, Vere. 1, 2.-An introduction, in wl!ich and hear"). Therefore will I oall upon him PS, CXVI, 1-19.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS, 71
as long as t live; litere.lly, in my days- his death was approaching, had " wept another expression o.ttributed to Hezekiah sore" (Isa. xxxviii. 3). And my feet from in the history (Isa.. xxxix. 8). Lifelong falling j literally, and my foot from slipping. gro.litude and praise a.re promised by Heze- When man is greatly tried, there is al ways kiah to God iil lea. x.x.x viii. 20. danger lest his foot should slip. Whether the trio.I befall an individual or e. nation, Vere. 3-9.-The psalmist describes his there is the same temptation to rebel and trouble (ver. 3), his prayer for deliverance murmur. (ver. 4), and his actual delivere.noe (vers. Ver. 9.-I ,will walk before the Lord in 5-9). the land of the living; rather, l.ands of the living; i.e. my deliverance will enable me Ver. 3.-The sorrows of death compassed to walk at leisure, unhurried and free from me; literally, the cords of death (comp. Ps. ea.re, in the broad regions of earth inhabited xviii. 4, where the same expression is used). by the Jiving. Death is pictured e.s seizing his victim e.ud Vere. 10, ll.-Parenthetic e.ud obscure. binding him with cords. And the pains of Both the connection and rendering a.re hell gat hold upon me; or, "the straits of hell" (comp. Pa. cxviii. 5; Lam. i. 3), doubtful. Professor Cheyne translates, "I Death and hell (sheol) are closely connr.cted was confident that I should speak thus; " together in the ·pmyer of Hezekiah (Isa. i.e. even while my affliction was going on, xxxviii.10, 18). I found trouble and sorrow; I felt confident that relief would come, and or, "anguish and woe" (comp. Iaa. x:xxviii. that I should one day speak as I have just 12-17). spoken. I was, however, too sorely afflicted Ver. 4.-Then called I upon the Name of the Lord. "Hezekiah turned his face toward to give utlere.uce to my feeling. Instead of the wall, and prayed unto the Lord" (Isa.. so doing, I vented my unhappiness in abuse xxxviii. 2). 0 Lord, I beseech thee, deliver of my fellow-men. Thus understood, the my soul ( compare the words of Tua. xxx viii. words are an apologia, 3, "Remember now, 0 Lord, I beseech thee''). Ver. 10.-I believed, therefore have I Ver. 5.-Gre.cioue is the Lord, and right- spoken. So the LXX., 'E-..in,v1Ta, B,b eous. God's answers to prayer show him to i>..cf.A.111Ta. But many other meanings are be both "gracious" and "righteous"- suggested. See the preceding paragraph. gracious, because it is of his mercy that he I was greatly afflicted (comp. ver. 3). listens to men; righteous, because, having Ver. 11.-I ea.id in my haste, All men are promised to hear prayer, he is bound to liars. The connection of the thoughts is keep his promises. Yea, our God is meroiful; not apparent, unless God's fe.ithfuluess (vere. or, "compassionate." 5-8) suggests man's unfaithfulnt!BS, Ver. 6.-The Lord preserveth the simple; i.e. "the simple-minded "-those who are Vere. 12-19.-The psalm closes with a without guile or arlifice (comp. Ps. xix. 7). thanksgiving for the deliverance vouchsafed. I was brought·low. The snme verb is used What return can the pea.lmist make? First, here as in Isa.. xxxviii. 14, where it is tre.ns- lnted "foil" ("mine eyes fa.ii"). It expresses he will accept the blessing joy fully ; next, extreme weakness, or exhaustion. And he he will ever continue to oall upon God (ver. helped me·; or, "ee.ved me" (comp. Isa.. 13; comp. vers. 4, 17); thirdly, he will pay xxxviii. 20). his vows openly in the temple, iil the pre- Ver. 7.-Return unto thy rest, 0 my soul, sence of the whole congregation (vers. 14, "Return," i.e.," to thy state of tranquillity, 18); fourthly, he will offer continunlly the tho condition iu which thou we.et before the imminent danger showed itself." For the sacrifice of thanksgiving (var. 17) for the Lord bath dealt bountifully with thee. If benefits vouchso.fed him. The enumerntion Hezekiah is tl,e writer, the" bountiful deal- of his pious intentions is itself e. song of ing" will be the o.ddition of fifleen yea.re to praise to the Almighty. his life (Isa. xxxviii. 5). If e. poet just re- turned from the Captivity, the return and the Ver. 12.-What shall I render unto the reoccupation of the Holy Le.nil will be espe- Lord for all his benefits toward me1 No.ture.l cio.lly in his thoughts (oomp. Pa. lxxxv. 1). piety suggeats e. return for favours received. Ver. 8.-For thou hast delivered my soul What shall this be? the psalmist a.eke, o.nd from death. This verse is exegetical of the then proceeds to give the e.uswer. last cla.use of ver. 4. The expressions a.re Ver. 13.-I will take the oup of se.lvatiou. taken from Pa. lvi. 13, o.nd suit a personal It has been usual to explain this of actual better than e. national deliverance. Mine participation in the contculs of e. cup offered eyes from tears. Hczeki11,h, when told that at a sacrifici11l weo.I, nncl then passed round 72 THE BOOK OF PSALMS, [rs. CXVI. 1-19.