The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 3 — Section 329

EXPOSITION. memory of thy great goodness ; literall J, PSALM OhV. they ,hall pour fr>rth-as a stron~ spring- W1TH another hymn of praise, this late tlie memory of thy great goodnes,; i.e. oollection of Da.vidical psalm~, previously the ta.lo of nil the mercies that thou hast vouchsafed them. And shall Bing of thy omitted from the Psalter, termino.tes. Like righteousneBB; i.e. Hhall sing hymns of Pss. xxv. and xxxiv., o.lso D11vidical, this praise for tlly rigllteon.s dealings with them. psalm ia Rl.phabetio, Rnd also, ,ike them, it Ver. 8.-The Lord is gracious, and full of is incomplete, the letter nun bei11g omitted. compassion ; slow to anger, and of great Like most of the other e.lphabeti,-al psalms, mercy. Professor Cheyne compares the epithets in t1 Babylonian hymn to the sun- it consists of meditations on e. sin{i'le theme, god; but a closer parallel is to be found in which is here tile righteousness aad good- Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7, "The Lord God is ness of God (1) to men in generar; (2) to merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and his own people ; and (3) and more esp"cie.lly, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping to those the.t suffer. The metrical ari e.uge- mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin 11 (see also Ps. ment of the psalm is into three ste.nzll.B of lxxxvi. 15). seven verses ea.oh. Ver. 9.-The Lord is good to all; and his tender mercies are over all his works. •· The Ver. 1.-I will extol thee, my God, 0 King; Lord is good to all ; " he "me.keth his snn to rather, 0 my God, the King; i.e. the one and rise on the evil and on the good, and send- only King of heaven and ea.rib. And I will eth rain on the just and on the unjust" bless thy Na.me for ever and ever. An (Mutt. v. 45). He "wouldeth not tile death internRl conviction of the writer's immor- of a. sinner, but rather tbat he may turn tality is implied in these words. from his wickedness and live." And his Ver. 2.-Every day will I bless thee; and " tender mercies," or "eompe.ssions," are I will praise thy Na.me for ever and ever. not only over his human creatures, hut "over An emplrntic repetition of the seoond clause all hi3 works" -all thnt he has mncle- of ver. 1. anime.ls as well as men, "creeping things," Ver. 3.-Gree.t ie the Lord, and greatly to zoopllytes, all that oe.n feel. be praised (comp. Pas. xlviii. l; xovi. 4). Ver. 10.-All thy works shall praise thee, And hi1 graatness ie unsearchable; literally, 0 Lord (comp. Ps. oxlviii. 2-13, where e.11 and of Ms greatness thll'l'e is no search (comp. creation is called on to praise the Lord). Rom. xi. 33). And thy saints shall bless thee; or, " thy Ver. 4.-0ne generation shall praise thy loving ones "-tbose who are devoted to works to another, and shall deolare thy thy service. mighty e.ots. The handing down of God's Ver. 11.-They shall speak of the glory me1·oies nod deliverances from o.ge to age is of thy kingdom (comp. P~. xxii. 28; xiv. 6). nlwo.ys regurderl in Scriptnre e.s the principnl The "glory" of God's kingdom is suoh tbat mode whereby they are kept in remembrnnoe the faithful are naturally drawn to" spenk" (Exod. xii. 26, 27; xiii. 8-10, 14; Deut. of it, " His kingdom is an everle..qting king- xxxii. 7; P•s. xliv. 1; lxxviii. 3-7, eto.). dom, and his dominion enclureth throughout Ver. 5.-I will speak of the glorious all oges" (ver. 13), "His kiugdom ru.leth honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous over all" (Ps. ciii. 19)-hoaven and earth, works (comp. Pss. xxvl. 7; lxxi. 17). It and hell, and 1111 space, 11ncl whntever space wne the duty of every faithful Iara.elite to contains. Tl1ere is no limit either to ita set forth God's majesty, and to "declare his extent or its duration. And its "glory" works witll rejoicing 11 (Pa. evii. 22). Dn.vid transcends nil humnn thought-muoh more proclnims himself ready to perform this nil description. "Eye bath not seen, nor duty. Then, he thinks, others will join cur heard," etc. And talk of thy power. in. "Power" is of the essence of kingship, nnd Ver. 6.-And men shall speak of the might comes naturally to the front whenever the of thy terrible aots. Meu will "spenk of chnmcter of a kingdom is spoken of. the migllt of God's terrible nets," which are Ver. 12.-To make known to the sons of those that attract them most-the plagues men his mighty aotB. It is a part of the wrought in Egypt, the overthrow of Pl,n.moh's duty of " saints" (ver. 10) to make known host in the Reel Sea, the cartll swallowing ns widely as possible-if possible, to all up De.the.a, aud the like. And I will de- men-the "mighty e.ots" nn<l glory of God; clare thy greatness (see nbove, ver. 3). primnrily, for God's glory; and scco11d;1rily, Ver. 7.-They shall abundantly utter the to bring 11hout their conversion to Gou's 372 TllE BOOK OF PSALMS. [LB, OXLV, 1-21.