The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 114

not broken into strophes (Hengstenberg). Ver. 1.-I will love thee, 0 Lord, my 'I'Lirdly, it appears, not only in the Psalter, Strength. This opening is very remark- but also in one of the hislorice.1 books-tho able. The verb translated "I will love" expresses tho very tenderest affection, o.nd Second Book of Be.muel, in what seems to is elsewhere never used to denote the love be a second edition, Further, it is in itself of me.n towards God, but only that of God a very remarkable composition, being dis- towards mo.n. The entire verse, moreover, tinguished alike by " vigour and grace ; full is withclrawn from the" second edition" or of archaic grandeur, and yet free from abrupt the psalm (2 Sam. xxii.)-which was perhaps prepared for liturgical use-as too sacre<l transitions and thoughts labouring for and too privo.te to suit a public occasion. utterance, such as make some of the earlier Ver. 2.-The Lord is my Rock; or, my Cliff psalms difficult to understand" (' Speaker's -my Sela'-an expression used commonly Commentary'). Hitzig calls it "cm un- of Petra. And my Fortress (comp. Ps. cxliv. rivalled production of art and reflection." 2). Not only a natural strongholcl, but one The authorship of David is generally made additionally strong by art. And my Deliverer. A living Protector, not a mero allowed, and indeed has been questioned ine.nimate defence. My God, my Strength; only by three recent critics-Olshaueen, Von rather, my llock, as the same word (t.ur) is Lengerke, and Professor Cheyne. The period translated in Exod. xvii. 6; xxxiii. 21, 22; ll.t which it was written is declared in the Deut. xxxii. 4, 15, 18, 31 ; 1 Sam. ii. 2; 2 title to be "when the Lord had delivered Se.m. x.xiii. 3 ; Isa. xxvi. 4. It is the word from which the strong city, Tyre, derived him from the hand of all his enemies, and its name. In whom I will trust (comp. from the hand of Ban! "-a date which is Dent. x.xxii. 37). My Buckler (comp. Gen. quite in accord with the contents of the poem. xv. 1, where God announced himself as For while it celebrates his deliverance from Abraham's "Shield;" and see also Dcut. perils of various kinds-from a "strong xx.xiii. 29; Pss. iii. 2; v. 12; lxxxiv. 11 ; oxix. 114; oxliv. 2). The Horn also of my enemy" (ver. 17), from a " flood of ungodly se.lve.tion (comp. Luke i. 69). The horn is men" (ver. 4), from the near approach of the emblem at once of stren~th and of death (vers. 4, 5), and from a host of foreign dignity. A " horn of BR! vat ion" is a source enemies (vers. 29-43)-there is no allusion of excellenoy ond might, whence "salrn- in it to domestic foes, and no indication of tion" or deliverance comes to those who trust in it. And my high Tower (comp. Ps. remorse for any special sin. The exact time ix. 9, with the comment ad loc. ). It is re- cannot be fixed; but it was probably soon marked that God, in this passo.go, receives after the series of victories described in 2 seven epithets, "the mystic number which Sam. x., ancl before the events recorded in in sacred things symbolizes perfection" 2 Sam. xi. and xii. (Doli tzsch ). Ver. 3.-I will ce.ll upon the Lord, who It is thouglit, with some reason, that the is worthy to be pre.ised. Not so much a psahu wns composed for o. great occasion of simple future, "I will call upon the Lore! public tho.nksgi ving. Most likely it w11a at some particular time,'' as a future of procossiono.1, and therefore not broken into continue.nee, "I call, nnd will ovor ea.II, strophes, but 0011tinuons. Still, we me.y upon the Lord, worthy to be praised;" and so-i.e. so long ns I cull-shall I be trace in it, (1) an introduction, or prologue BBved from mine enemies (oomp. P~s. v. 10, (vers. 1-3), which is an ascription of 12; vi. 8-10; I. 15, 16, eto.). pmise ; (2) a central, =s, chiefly i11 a Ver. 4.-The sorrows of death compassed narrative form (vers. 4--45), recounting me. Hore begins the narrative of David's God's goodness ; e.nd (3) o. conclusion, or sulfecings in the po.at. " 'The sorrows' -or epilogue (vers. 46-50), which is mainly rather, 'the cor<..ls '-of death," he says, " encompnseed me," or "coiled around mo" thanksgiving. The central mass is further (Kay). Death is represented as a hunter, brol<en up by the interpositiQn into the who goes out with nots nnd cords, cncom, narrative of e. passage (vors. 19-27) de- passing his victims and driving them into claring the grounds of tho favour nud pro- tho toils. De.vid's rccollcotion is probably taction which GDll bad extended to the of tho timo when ho wn.s "hunted upon tho mountains" br Saul (1 Brim. xxvi. 20), and psalmist, ancl, so fe.r, " setting forth the expected contmuo.lly to bo cnught and put subjective prinoiplcs on which the Lord to death (1 Sam. xix. 1 ; xxiii. 15; xxvii. Imparts his aid" to his servants (Hengslcn- 1). And tho fioods of ungodly men m'l.de me llerg), afraid; literally, the lorTcnls of Belia/, or 116 TIIE BOOK OF PSALMS. [rs. xvm. 1-60.