EXPOSITION. "all his servants, that they should kill PSALM XI. David," Jonathan persuades him to bi,le AsoRIBED to Do. vid in the " title," this himself "until the morning"). psalm is almost universally allowed to be Ver. 3.-If the foundations be dastroyed, what oan the righteous dol The word his. It" has all the characteristics of the trrmelatecl" foundations" is a rare one, only earlier Davidic psalms." No allusion en- occurriug here and in Isa. xix. 10. The ables us to nssign it to any particular meaning of" foundations," first given to it occasion; but, on the whole, it would seem by Aquila, is now generally adopted. We to belong most probably to the period of must suppose the timid friends to be still speaking, and to mean that, under the law- David's residence at the court of Sl\ul, when less rule of Saul, the very foundations of he hlid provoked the jealousy of the cour- society o.nd of moral order were s,vept away; tiers, and calumnious accus,itions were being the righteous (p•~, a collective) hnd done continually brought against him. At such and could do nothing to prevent it. What a time bis friencls and compo.n.ions may well remained for David, but to withdraw from have lost heart, and advised him to ".flee a community where there was neither law nor order, where the first magistmte com- a.way to the mountains." But David .flees manded (1 Sam. xix. 1) and attempted to God (ver.1), and trusts in him for deliver- (1 Sam. xix. 10) assassination? ance from bis persecutors (vers. 4-7). Ver. 4.-The Lord is in his holy temple. Vor. 1.-In the Lord put I my trust; or, in David's reply to his timid advisers is an the Loi·d lia-oa 1 taken refuge (Kay, Cheyne). expression of absolute faith nnd trust in Before bis friends address him on the subject God. Saul may reign upon earth; but of his danger, David hae himself recognized Jehovah is in bis holy temple (or rather, it, a.rnl bas fled to God for succour. How "palace," ~~•v) on high-his throne is in say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your heaven, where he sit11 and reigns. What mountain l rather, flee ye, birds, to your need, then, to fear an earthly king? Espe- mountain. Probably a proverbial expression, cially when God is uot inattentive to human used when it was necessary to warn a man alfo.irs, but his eyes behold, his eyelids try, that in flight lay his only safety. The the children of men (comp. Pss. vii. 9; singulnr (ii!l~) ia used collectively. x vii. 3 ; cxxxix. 1). His " eyelids" aro Ver. 2.-For, lo, the wioked bend their said to try men, beonuse, when we closely bow. The words are still those of the timid scrutinize a thing, we drop our eyelids a.llll friends. "Lo," they say, "the ungodly are half close our eyes. already bending the bow against theo"- Ver. 5.-The Lord trieth the righteous. preparing, i.e., to attempt thy life. They Goel tries the righteous, scrutinizing them make ready their arrow upon the string ; with his penetrating glance, but a gfanro or, fit their arrow to the string. The last wherein thore is protection and love. When thing before discharging it. That they may ho tries (or closely scrutinizes) the wicked, privily shoot at the npright in heart; lito- the result is different-the wicked and him ro.lly, that the_y may shoot amid darlmess_at that loveth violence hie soul hateth. the upright m heart (comp. 1 Sl\m. x1x. Ver. 6.-Upon the wicked he shall rain 1, 2, whero, Saul ho.ving given orders to snares. On Di vine displensuro follows '.l'l:JE BOOK OF PSALMS. [rs. :xt. 1-i.
Dfrine punishment-not always speedy, she.II be the portion of their oup. This ia but sure. Those who have plotted age.inst probably the earliest place where the meta- Da'l"id will ha'l"e "snf\res ro.ined" upon them. phor of a "cup" for mo.n's lot in life is God is ea.id to " rain" on men both his employed. Other instances are Pss. xvi. 5; blessings and hie curses, when he gives xxiii. 5; lxxiii. 10; lxxv. 8; oxvi. 23; Isa. them abundantly (comp. Job xx. 23; Hos. li. 17, 22; Jer. xxv. 15; Ezek. xxiii. 31, x. 12; Ezek. xxxiv. 26). By "snares" 32; ll'[e.tt. xx. 22, 23; m:vi. 39; John are meant any difficulties or troubles in xviii. ll. which men a.re entangled by the e.ctiou of Ver. 7.-For the righUoua Lord loveth Divine providence. Fire and brimstone. righteousness; rather, for the Lord is right- The punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah eous; he loveth righteousness (see the Revised we.s the typical example of God's vengeance Version); literally, righteousnesses; i.e. good to the Israelites generally. And an horrible e.nd righteous deeds. His countene.noe doth tempest; literally, a breath of horrors behold the upright. So the LXX., the (comp. Ps. ex.ix. 53; Lam. v. 10). It is Vnlgate, Hengsteuberg, Bishop Horsley, thought that the simoom may be intended. and others; but the bulk of modern com- Ilnt none of the threats a.re to be taken mentators prefer to render, "The upright literally. All that the psalmist means is will behold his countenance." Either trans- that God's vengeance, in some she.Jle or lation yields o good sen11e. other, will overtake his persecutors. This