The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 116

ground," or some very unusual electrical enemy. This is generally understood of phenomenon (see the comment on Exodus Saul. By the def~at of Gilboa, and its con- in the 'Homiletic Commentary,' p. 208). sequences (1 Sam. xxxi. 1--4), God delivered Ver. 13.-The Lord also thundered in the David from the peril of death which hung heavens, and the Highest gave his voice. over him so long as Saul lived. And from With the lightning came, necessarily, them which hated me. David's enemies thunder, rolling along the heavens, and among the courtiers of Saul were powerless seeming like tlie voice of God (comp. Job without their master. l'rlany, probably, fell xxxviii. 4, 5). Rail stones and coals of fire. in the battle; the rest sank into obscurity. The phrase is repeated for the sake of em- For they were too strong for me. I must phasis. The hail and the lightning are have succumbed to them bad not God represented as conjointly the ministers of helped me. the Divine vengeance. Ver. 18.-They prevented me in the day Ver. 14.-Yea, he sent out his arrows, of my ca.lamity (comp. 1 Sam. xxiii. 13-15; and scattered them. God's "arrows" ore xxiv. 1-3; xxvi. 1-4, etc.). But the Lord often spoken of. Job felt them within him was my Stay. God frustrated all the designs (Job vi. 4). David has already said of them, of David's foes, and prevented him from. t!Jat they are "ordained against the perse- falling into their bands. cutors" (Pa. vii. 13). We mny understand Ver.19.-Ee brought me forth also into a by the expression e.uy sharp po.ins, mental large ple.oe (comp. Pas. xn:.i. 8; cxviii. 5). or bodily, which God sonds. And he shot By "a large place" is probably meant open out lightnings, e.nd discomfited them. The ground, not encompassed by snares, or nets, effect of tlui tempest of God's wrath is to or enemies in ambush. He delivered me, " scatter" and "discomfit" the enemy because he delighted in me. David now (comp. Exod. xiv. 24). Instead of" and he proceeds to explnin the grounds of God's shot out lightnings," our Revisers give, favour towards him. He begins by summing ana lightnings manifoW, which is perhaps up all in e. word, "God delighted in him." better. He then goes on to explnin the causes of Ver. 15.-Then the channels of waters God's" ddight" (vers. 20-26). were seen. By "the channels of waters" Ver. 20.-The Lord rewarded me accord- seem to be meant the torrent-courses, so ing to my righteousness. David hns spoken common in Pe.lestine, especially on either of his "righteousness" nlrcndy in Pa. vii. 8. side of Jordnn, which convey into it the We must not suppose him to merrn absolute winter rains. These "were seen," lit up blamelessness, a.ny more than Job m~an, by the "lightnings manifold," having pre- such blamelessness by bis" integrity" (Jou viously been in darkness (see vers. 9-11). x:xvii. 5; xxxi. 6). He me11ns honesty of At the same time, the foundations of the purpose, the sincere endea.vour to do right, world were disoovered. The eBlthquake such conduct as brings nbout "the nnswer (ver. 7) still continuing, the earth gaped of e. good conscience bcforo God" ( I Pet. in places, and the glare of the lightning iii. 21 ). According to the cleanness of my ennblcd the E"ye to penetrate deop into hands hath he recompensed me (comp. Job. the solid globe-so deep that it seemed to xxvii. 9; Ps. xxiv. 4). "Clenn hnnds" are renoli the "foundlltions." At thy rebuke, hands unstnined by any wicked nction. O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy Ver. 21.-For I have kept the wo.ys of the nostrils (comp. ver. 7, "because he was Lord. Compnre tho statement of the young wroth"). man whom Jesus" looked upon and loved" Ver. 16.-Re sent from above, he took (Mnrk x. 21), "All these eommctndmcnts me, he drew me out of many waters. have I observed from my youtll" (vor. 20). While deetrnction thus came upon DCLvid's And have not wiokedly departed from my enemies (vers. 12-14), God's protecting God. It is observed that the word trans- hand was stretched out to save David him- lo.ted by" departed wickedly" implies" wil- self, who was cCLrefully "taken" and ten- ful a.nd persistent wickedness" (' t-pectker's derly "drnwn" forth from among the Commentary'}--" o.n entiro alienalion from "runny wa.ters," i.e. the dangers and Goel" (Ca.lvin). Not oven in tl.io humblest difficulties which threa.tened him. Some of the penitential psalms, when Davi,! is commenta.tors see in the words used-" ho bewniliug his great offence, docs ho uso this sent, l,e took we, he drew me" - n tacit verb of himself. He is an exnmplo to ctll reference to Exod. ii. 5, 10, and, by impli- men not to indulge inn rctlso hulllility, nor cation, a sort of parallel between the de- employ phrnscs couccrning himself which liverance of David from his foes nnd go beyond the truth. that of Moses from the waters of the Nile Ver. 22. -For all his jndgmGnts wcro (Kny, Hengstenberg, 'Speaker's Commen- before me; i.e. "nil his oomnrnndmcnts '• tary'). (compC\re tho ueo of tho snmo wor,l (~~~-z;i Ver.17,-Ee delivered me from my atrong throughout tho hun<lrcu o.nd ninetconth  118 THE DOOK OF PSALMS. [PB. xvnr. 1-5Q