EXPOSITION. Ver. 6.-To him that stretchea out the PSALM CXXXVI. earth above the waters (comp. lsl\, xiii. 5; A PSALM with e. familiar refrain (comp. Ps. xliv. 24; Pa. xxiv. 2). For his mercy, etc. cxviii. 1--4, 29; 2 Chron. v. IS; Ezra. iii. II) Ver. 7.-To him that me.de grea.t lights at the end of each line. In the main Ps. (seo Gen. i. 14-16). For his meroy, etc. cxu:vi. follows the line of Ps. cxxxv., calling Ver. 8.-The son to rule by day (comp. upon Israel to praise God, ond basing the Gen. i. 16). For his mercy, eto. call upon his glorious manifesto.lions of him- Ver. 9.-The moon and stars to rule by night (Gen. i. 16, 18). For his meroy, etc. self in nature (vers. 5-9) and history (vers. Ver. 10.-To him that smote Egypt in 1~24), repeating in the !utter case the their firstborn. The parallelism with Ps. very same facts. 'Metrically, the psalm is cxxxv. here becomes very close, and so con- arranged, till near the end. in a series of tinues till the end of ver. 22. Five verses, triplets, bnt concludes with two sle.nzas of however, are expanded into thirteen. For his mercy, etc. four lines ea.eh (vers. 19-22 and vers. 23- Ver. 11.-And brought out Isre.el from 26). It is conjectured to have been written among them (see Exod. xii. 51; xiv, 19-81). as the anthem called for in Ps. cx.xxv. 19-21 For his mercy, etc. (Kay). Ver. 12.-With a strong hand, and with e. stretched-out arm (comp. Exod. vi. 6; Deut. Ver. 1.-0h give thanks unto the Lord; for vii. 8, 14 ; N eh. i. 10, etc.). For his mercy1 he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. etc. Identical with the first verse of Pa. cx:viii., Ver. 18.-To him which divided the Bed which is probably a very ancient formula., Sea into parts; literally, into sections-cut and one used at the erection both of tile it, as it were, in two (see Exod. xiv. 21). first (2 Chron. v. I 3) and of the second For his meroy, etc. temple (Ezra iii. II). Ver. I 4.-And made Israel to pass through Ver. 2.--0h give thanks unto the God of the midst of it (see Exod. xiv. 22, 29; xv. gods: for his mercy, eto. The phrase, "God 19). For his meroy, eto. of gods," occurs first in Dent. x. 17. It we.a Ver. 15.-But overthrew Pharaoh and his one very familiar to the Assyriane and Baby- host in the Bed Sea (see Exod. xiv. 27, 28; lonians(' Heligions of the Ancient World,' xv. 1-10). '.rh,1t the Pha.rnob's death in pp. 56, 60, 68, etc.). In the Bible it is used by the Red Sea is not necessarily implied bas Joshua. (Josh. xxii. 22), Nebucbe.duezznr been shown in the comment on Exodus, (De.n. ii. 47), Daniel (xi. 36), e.nd this pse.lm- For his mercy, etc. Severity to their ad- ist. It sanctions e. secondary use of the word versaries was" mercy" to Ismol, who could "God," such a.s is found aLio in Pss. lxxxii. not otherwise ho.vo been delivered, 6; xcvi. 4; xcvii. 7, 9; cxxxviii. 1. Ver. 16.-To him whioh led his people Ver. 3.-0h give thanks to the Lord of through the wilderness (Exod. xiii. 20-22; lords, " Lord of lords" occurs also first in xl. 36-38; Dent. viii. 15). l!'or his meroy, Dent. L 17. It is used likewise by St. P11ul etc. (2 Tim. vi. 15) aud St. John (Rev. xvii. 14; Ver. 17.-To him whioh smote great kings 'x.iI. 16). For his mercy, etc. (see the comment on Pd. cxxxv. 10). For Ver. 4.-To him who alone doeth gree.t his meroy, eto. wonder& (comp. Ps. l:u:iL 18). For his Ver. 18.-And slew famous kings. Oreb, mercy, etc. Zeh, Zebo., Zalmunna, Ago.g. For his meroy, Ver. 5.-To him that by wisdom made the etc. heaven,. Creation is the work, not only of Ver. 19.-Sihon King of the Amorites God's power, but of his wisdom also. Things (comp. Ps. cxxxv. II). For his meroy, otc. were made as they are by the exertion of Ver. 20.-And Og the King of Bashe.n his forethought and understanding (comp. (Numb. ni. 33; Pa. cxxxv. 11). For his Prov. iii. 19; Eph. i. 11). For his meroy, mercy, <lto. elc. Ver. 21.-Aud gave their laud for e.11 PS. OXXXVI. 1-26.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 287
heritage (seo Josh. xii. 1-6). ll'or his Ver. 25.-Who giveth food to all flesh. meroy, etc. Has a care, i.e., not only for man, but nlso Ver. 22.-Even an heritage unto Israel for animals (comp. Pas. civ. 27; cxlv. 15; his servant (comp. Ps. oxxxv. 12). ll'or his cxlvii. 9; Jonah iv. 11). For his mercy, meroy, eto. etc. Ver. 23.-Who remembered ua in our low Ver. 26.-0h give thanks unto the God of estate. When we were brought low. The heaven. "The God of heaven" is a favourite time meo.nt is probably that of the Baby- designation of God in the Books of Ezra, lonian captivity, which is the B11bject of the Nehemiah, and Daniel (Ezra i. 2; v. 11, 12; next psalm. For his mercy, etc. vi. 9, 10; vii. 12, 21; Neh. i. 4, 5; ii. 4, 20; Ver. 2±.-And hath redeemed us from Dan. ii. 18, 19, 37, 44). It was a phrase our enemies; rather, and redeemed us-or, known to the Assyrians, the Babylonians, "snatched us "-from our enemies. For his and the Persians. ll'or his meroy eudureth meroy, eto. for ever.