The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 3 — Section 95

respeot unto thy ways; or," consider them," oontempt. God's servnnts almost necessarily "reflect upon them." incur tile reproach e.nd oontempt of the Ver. 16.-1 will deli,rht myaeU ill. thy worldly, to whom their oonduot seems folly statutes (comp. vers, 24, 40, 47, 70, 77, etc.; or mndness. Christ himself wns "despised" and Sl'e also Ps. i. 2), I will not forget thy (Ise.. liii. 3) nnd repronchcd (Matt. xL 19), Word. That which is" h.id up in the heart" For I he.ve kept thy testimoniea (oomp. (ver. 11) can never -be forgotten. vers. 31, 51, 87, eto.). Ver. 23.-Prinoes also did sit e.nd epee.k ~ GrnEL. against me. The great of the earth too ?f'~e11; te.ke part. against the righteous, and Ver. 17.-Deal bountifully with thy ser- JOID 10 persecuting them e.nd calumniating vant, that I may live, 11.nd keep thy Word; them (comp. ver.161). But thy servant did rather, grant unto thy servant that I may lioo. meditate in thy statutes; i.P-, I took no Give me the blessing of a long life, the.t heed of their calumnies - they did not so my keeping of thy Word may be long. trouble me. I ge.ve myself to meditation The psalmist seems to be praying especially on thy commandments. for himself; but the argument of his prayer Ver. 24.-Thy testimonies also are my will extend to all "servants of the Lord." delight (comp. vers. 16, 47, 70, 77, etc.) and Ver. 18.-0pen thou mine eyes. Since my counsellors; i.e. my best advisers. I the Fall, men's eyes are naturally blinded, learn from them-better the.n in e.ny other or, at any rate, have a veil over them, whioli way-how I ought to aot (comp. ver. 105). God must remove before they can see clearly (compare the comment on ver. 15). , DALETH. That I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law. Wonderful spiritual trutlis that Ver. 25.-My soul cleaveth unto the dust. lie hidden, even under the very simplest pre- My soul is greatly depressed-lies, as it cepts of God's Law (comp. Matt. v, 21-37). were, in the dust of death (comp. Ps. Ver. 19.-1 am a stranger in the earth; xliv. 25). Q.nioken thou me acoording to or, "a sojourner" (Clieyne, Kay, Revised thy Word. Rnise me up to life and health Version); comp. Po. xxxix. 12; Heb. xL e.nd vigour. 13-16. Earth is not our true home. We Ver. 26.-1 ha.-ve declared thy ways, and all" seek a country." Hide not thy com- thou heardeet me; i.e. "I have opened my mandments from me. God "hides " things griefs to thee, 0 God, and poured forth my from the wise and prudent which he reveals bee.rt before thee. I am confident the.t to "babes." The psalmist prays that the thou didst listen to me." Tee.eh me thy true meaning of God's Word may not be &tatntes. The.t I may show my gratitude kept back from him. by keeping them (comp. var. 33). Ver. 20.-Mf soul breaketh for the long- Ver. 27.-Ma.ke me to understand the ing that it bath unto thy jndgments at all way of thy preoepts. Exegctieal of the times. Tb is is given ILll a reason for the last clause of ver. :!6. What the psalmist prayer of ver. 19, longs for is to have a perfect knowledge of Ver. 21.-Thcu hast rebuked the proud. God's Law in all its breadth (ver. 96) e.nd It is difficult to· connect this with the pre- depth (Ps. xcii. 5) and fulness. So shall I ceding. But perhaps the link may be te.lk of thy wondrous works; rnther, so will found in the double sense of mishpatim, I muse upon thy marvels (so Kay, Obeyne, "judgments," which includes verbal sen- and the Revised Version). The" marvels" tences against sinners delivered in tbe Le.w, spoken of are " the wondrous things of and e.lso actual sentences npon them in deed God's Law" (var. 18). and fe.ct. These le.st e.re in the writer's Ver. 28.-My eoul melteth for heavineSB mind in the present verse-such judgments (comp. Ps. oviL 26; and, for the sentiment, as tho!e upon Pharnoh (Exod. xiv. 23-31), see ver. 25). Strengthen thou me acoording Zerah (2 Chron. xiv. 9-15), and Senna- unto thy Word; i.e. e.ooording to thy promise cherib (2 Kings xix. 32-37). That are to help thy faithful ones (comp. vers. 25, 41, cur&ed. This clause is questioned, a~ me- 49, 58, 76, etc.). trically redundant. But Hebre~ metrology Ver. 29.-Remove from me the way of is scarcely as yet an exact ee1ence. And lying; i.e. the we.y of apostasy, or irreligion, the clauee finds its jn.stification in Deut. of departure from God. And grant me thy xxviL 26. Whioh do err from thy com- Law graoiously. Make it known to me by mandment& Such error brings under a a Di viue illumination. curse those who commit it. If it be a Ver. 30.-1 he.ve ohoeen the way of truth. blessed thing to walk in God's Law (ver. I), The converse of "the way of lying" it must bCl a cursed thing to transgress (ver. 29), the path of true religion, of foith• age.iill!t it. fulnese and steadfastneee to God. Thy Ver. 22.-Remove from me reproach and judgmenta have I laid before me. ThJ  te. mm..1-176.J THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 105