Ver. 5.-Woe is ma, that I sojonm in PSALM CXX. Mesech. This ill scarcely to be understood literally. Israel never "sojourned in Ver. 1.-In my distress I cried unto the Mesech," i.e. among the Moschi, who dwen Lord, and he heard me. The particulllr in Cappadocia, nor dwelt among the tents "distress" intended can only be conjectured. of Kedar, a people of N orthem Arabia. The Some suppose it to be the Captivity itsdf, writer means that be dwells among hostile others the opposition offered by the Sama- and barbaro11s people, wbo are to him as ritans, Ammonites, and others to the re- Kedar and Mesech. Possibly the Sama- building of the temple (Ezra iv., v.) and ritAns and Ammonites are intended. That restoration of the walls of Jerusalem (Neh. I dwell in the tents of Kedar; rather, amon!J ii. 19, 20; iv. 1-23; vi, 2-14). But these the tents (see the Revised Version). guesses are scarcely of much value. Ver. 6.-llly soul bath long dweli with Ver. 2.-Deliver my soul, 0 Lord, from him thai hateth peace j i.,. with the tribes lying lips. Such as Sanballat's (N eh. vi. symbolizerl in the preceding verse by the 6-8). And from a deceitful tongue; lite- names "Mesech " and "Kedar," the tribes rally, a tongue that is fraud-a. mere variant bordering 11pon Judea. These were from of the expression in the preceding clause. first to last almost al ways at war with Ver. 3.-What shall be given unto thee l Israel. rather, what shall he (i.e. God) gi'De to thee 1 Ver. 7.-I am for peace; literally, I am Or, in other words-What punishment will peace; but the meaning is as given in the God iuflict on thee for thy false speaking? Authorized Version. :But when I speak (i.e. Or what shall be done unto thee l literally, when I speak to them of peace), they are Of' what shall he add to tliee 1 Compare for war; i.e. they are utterly averse to peace, the common phrase, " God do so unto me, and are bent on continual hostility. The and more also" (1 Sam. iii. 17; xiv. 44). general history bears out this statement. Thou false tongue. 'l'he " false tongue " is There is only one apparent exception. When apostrophized, as if it were a living person. the Jews returned from the Captivity and Ver. 4.-Bharp arrows of the mighty. began to build the temple, the Samaritans The psalmist answers his own questions. offered to join with them (Ezm iv. 2). Bat Sharp-pointed o.rrows of a Mighty One shall the Samaritan offer was, perhaps, insinrere. be given thee, and added to them shall be At any rate, when it was refnsed, they ooals of juniper. God, i.e., shall punillh thee became the most bitter opponents of the with extreme severity. Jews.
HOMILETICS. Vere. 1-7.-The perversion of power, etc. This psalm, though "a difference or opinion exists respecting the interpretation of almost every verse and word of it," may suggest valuable thoughts upon- I. THE PERVERSION OF POWER. It speaks of "lying lips," a "deceitful tongue," and of tRe "false tongue'' (vers. 2, 3). We may say that sin is perversion; it is the misdirection and abuse of our various faculties and organs; turning to a bad account all our opportunities of good. The Apostle James gives at some length the perver- sion of the power of speech (iii. 2-13). Our words may be reverent, true, kind, instructive, considerate, helpful, wise; or they may be profane, false, cruel, communi- cative of evil, injurious. There is hardly a limit to the possible service we may render our Lord and our kind if we avail ourselves of every opportunity of speaking the wise and gracious word; but it is impossible to estimate the evil which a man may do in e. long life by a bitter, a false, an impure, a sceptical tongue. It becomes us to think that the power of speech is a great gift from the band of God; that it is II taltnt entrusted. to us by our Divine Father for his glory and for the good of men, When ever, therefore, we speak that which is hurtrul to others or unworthy of ourselves we are guiltily abusing our power; we are turniag that which was meant to ho, and ruight coustantly be made, a fountain of blessing into a stream of sorrow or even of sin. The same thought (respecting perversion) applies, in less degree, to the hands, the eyes, the feet; it is also, of course, very markedly true of the capacities of the mind. II. A cHABAC'l'ERISTI0 OF Drvnm PUNISHMENT. "What shall be given unto thee •.. thou false tongue? " " Sharp arrows of the mighty, burning coals," is the reply. The punishment ie suited to the offence. 'l'he tongue which itself is "a sharp sword" (PB. !vii, 4) is to be transfixed by the sharp 1mows shot by a strong arm; the ISO THE BOOK OF PSALMS. fre. cxx. 1-7.