wind; hence he o.gnin comes back t.J solid· mnde a decree which shall net pass; rnthcr, earth-mountains, hills, trees, beaste, creep- which shall not pass away (eee the Revised ing things, and flying fowl (vers. 7-10). Version; and comp Gen. viii. 22; Jer. xxxi. 35, 3G; xxxiii. 25). Lastly, the discourse touches on man, and Ver. 7.-Praiae the Lord from the earth. calls on him to join in the chorus of jubi- The counterpart of the clause in ver. 1, lation (vers. 11-13). Professor Cheyne "Praise ye tbo Lord from the lieavens." remarks that "in this psalm and in the Earth mnst join with heaven in the praise De Profundi, we seem to touch the opposite of God. Ye dragons; or," ye sea-monsters" (comp. Pa. lxxiv. 13, where the same word ends of the gamut of emotion." In the one is nsed). Hcngstenberg translates by we lia.ve the dirge of the Church; in the . "whales;" bnt all the greater see.-animnls other, its "Hallelujah Chorus." Metri- are probably included. And all deeps. The cally, two strophes of six verses ea.oh (vers. extreme" ocean depths" are meant-" lowei 1-6, 7-12) are followed by one of two deeps," in certain parts of what we.a com- monly known a.a "the great deep" (Ps. (vers. 13, 14), assigning the motive for the xxxvi. 6). entire psalm. ..,._ Ver. 8.-Fire and hail By "fire," in this combination, wo must understand Ver. 1.-Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye "lightning," or rather the vurione elec- the Lord from the heavens; i.e. beginning trical phenomena accompanying storms in at the heavens, making them the primary the East, which a.re sometimes very strange ioource from which the praises a.re to be and terrible. Snow and vapours; rather, drawn (comp. ver. 7). Praise him in the vapour. The mist so often eocompe.nying heights; in excelsis (Vulge.te). In the upper snowstorms is probably the "vapour" in- regions, or the most exalted regions of his tended. Stormy wind fulfilling his word oree.tion. (comp. Ps. cvii. 25). Ver. 2.-Praise ye him, all his angels Ver. 9.-Monntains, and all hills. The (comp. Pa. oiii. 20, 21). As the nngele Inter psalmists are greo.t admirers of" moun- occupy the first rank in creation, and ho.ve tains." Perhaps the flat and monotonous the most to praise God for, they o.re fitly Bubylonio.n plains led them to appreciute ce.lled upon to commence the song of jubi- tho benuties of n landscape like that or lation. The praises of God must form their Pnlestine (comp. Pes. illn:iii.14; cxiv. 4, 6; chiefocoupation through all eternity. Praise cxliv. 5; exlvii. 8). Fruitful trees; rather, ye him, all his ho1ts; rather, all hie host. fruit trees; literally, trees of fruit. The In the "host of God" are included beings Babyloniuu palms may hnve swept across of inferior ro.nk to angels-" ministers of the writer's remembrance; but probably his the.t do hie plea.sure" (Pa. ciii. 21). the vine, the olive, o.nd the fig, wbich were Ver. 8.-Pra.ise ye him, sun and moon. among the chief glories of Palestine, were Object& of worship to most henthen no.tions, in his mind principully. And all cedars. but here called upon to join in the chorus Babylonia bad ho.d no "cednrs." When of prnise to God. Praise him, all ye stars the exiles returned, the beauty of the cedar of light; i.e. yo brillio.nt stars, that light broke upon them as a sort of new reveln- up the heaven at night. tion. Ver. 4. - Praise him, ye heavens of Ver. 10.-Beasts, and all cattle. There heavens; i.e." ye highest heavens" (comp. is a gro.duo.l ascent-from inanimate to Deut. x. 14 ; 1 Kings viii. 27 ; Ps. lxviii. o.nime.lo things, from the " bcusts" of the 83). And ye waters thnt be above the field to domesticated animals; from such heavens (comp. Gen. i. 7). The clouds o.re animnle to man (vere. 11, 12). Creeping probnbly intended. things (comp. Gen. i. 2-1, 25, 30; Ps. oiv. 25). Ver. 5.-Let them praise the Namo of the And Hying fowl; literally, bird of toing. Lord. Frequent changes of person, when The intention is to include, under a few no doubt can atise as to tho meo.ning, are heads, all o.nimate creation. a sort of Hebrew idiom. Tliey give live- Ver. 11.-Kings of t),e earth, and all liness und vo.riety. For he commanded, and people i ralbcr, all feoplei,; or, all nations. they were oreated (Gen. i. 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, Princes, and all Judges of the earth. 15, etc.). All creation sprang into being "Kinge " "princes," and "jndgee" reprc- nt the word of God (Ps. uxiii. 8). seut th; upper classes of society; "peoples," Ver. 6.-He hath also 1tabliahed them for or "nutione," 1111 the remainder. Together, ever and ever ( comp. Pa. lxxxix. 87). The tlioy include the whole raoo of m11nkind. expression, "for ever and over," must not Ver. 12.-Both young men, and maidens; be pressed. It means" for all time "-while old men, and children. All mankind, i.e., heaven und enrth endure-but does not of cnch sex and of every ago. The obli- imply an abeoluto perpetuity. He hath gation to praise God lire upon aU. {06 THE. DOOK OF PSALMS, [i's. CXLVnt. 1--14,
Ver. 13.-Let them praise the Ne.me of union between himself and them closer, the Lord. This is the burden of the entire His might enables him to confer benefits psalm (see espech1lly ver. 5, nnd comp. on his people-to " exalt their horn ; " i.e. Yers. 1-4, 7, and 14). For his Ne.me alone to increase their glory nnd their strength, is excellent; or, "exalted" (oomp. Ps. viii. and set them up above their enemies. The 1 ; Isa. xii. 4). The exaltation of God's praise of all his saints. The conslruction Ne.me is effected mo.inly by the praises is doubtful. Some regard "praise" as in which hie rational creatures render to him. apposition wilh "horn," o.nd understand His glory is above the earth e.nd heaven. tbo.t God, by exalting the "horn" (power) (On God's "glory," see Pas. viii. I: xix. I: of hie saints, exalts also their "praise" or lrii. 5, 11; lxiii. 2; lxxxix. 17, • etc.) "renown." Others imagine au ellipse, and " Euth e.nd heaven" is an unusual phrase;,.. translate, " Praise belongs to all his saints" the terms e.re commonly inverted. Here, (Kay); or, "Seemly is praise for all hie perhaps, the order may be accounted for saint.a" (Cheyne). Even of the obildren of by the le.w of climax. "His glory is not Israel, e. people near unto him. The "chil- only above the earth, but even above the dren of Israel'' are nearer to God tbe.n heaYens." others, since he has ta.ken them to himself Ver. 14.-B:e also exe.lteth the horn of as his own peculiar people, and both" draws his people. Great as God is, his greatness nigh" to them (Pa. lxix:. 11), and draws does not separate him from his human them near te him (Jer. xx:x. 21). Praise 7e creatures. On the contrary, it makes the the Lord (comp. ver. I).