The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 119

necks of mine enemies; i.e. "thou bast made David by Solimon (1 Kings iv. 21, 24). A tbem tum their backs upon me in flight" people whom I have not known shall serve (comp. Exod. xxiii. 27, where the same me. It is not clrnr that this wns ever ful- expression is used). That I might destroy filled litemlly in tbe person of David, ancl them that hate ms. DaviJ must not be we arc entitled to oxplain it as ll Meesianio ~uppornd to speak from personal animosity. prophecy, parallel with that of Pe. ii. 8. lie expresses himself as the king of God's Ver. 44.-As soon as they hear of me, they people, bound to do his utmost to protect shall obey me; literally, at the hearing of the them, and to deliver them from the enemies ear. But the meaning is that given in the who"hate" him only.because he is the leader Authorized Version. 'l'he words aptly de- nn,l champion of his countrymen. The scribe tbe conversion of the Gentiles (see neighbouring nations in David"s time seem Acts :x. 34--48 ; xiii. 48 ; xvii. 11; xviii. 8, to have been bent on the total extirpation ete.). The strangers shall submit them- of the Hebrew people. solves unto me; literally, the sons of the Ver. 41.-They cried, but there was none stranger shall pay court to me-not neces- to save them : even unto the Lord, but he sarily a false court, as Hengetenberg and answered them not. It seems strange, at others suppose, but, as Dr. Kay explains, first sight, that the heathen enemies of an "obsequious and servile homage." David should" cry unto the Lord," i.e. to Ver. 45.-The strangers eh&ll fade away, Jehovah; and hence some have been driven and be afraid out of their close. places. to suppose that a victory over domestic Converts are represented as coming into enemies is here interpolated into the series the Church, not merely from love, hut partly of foreign victories. But it seems better from fear. The kingdom of the Redeemer to expbin, with Hengstenberg and the at once attracts l\nd ale.rme. So Isaiah • Speaker's Commentary,' that the heathen says, "The nation and kingdom that will did sometimes, as a last resort, pray to a not serve thee shall perish ; yea, those foreign god, whom they seemed to find by nations eball be utterly wasted. . . . The experience to be more powerful than their sons also of them that afflict thee shall own (see Jonah i 14). Jehovah was known come kneeling unto thee; and all they that by name, as the God of the Israelites, to the despised thee shall bow themselves down at surrounding nations. Mesha mentions him the soles of thy feet, and they shall call theP, upon the Moe.bite Stone; and Sennacherib The city of tbe Holy One of Israel" (Isa. declared, by the mouth of Rabehakeh, "Am Ix. 12-14; see also Micah vii. 16, 17). I come up without the Lord against this Vere. 46-50.-This glorious and trium- place to destroy it? The Lord (Jehovah) said to me, Go up against this land, and phant psalm concludes with a solemn ascrip- destroy it" (2 Kinga xviii. 25). tion of praise, blessing, and thanksgiving Ver. 42.-Then did I beat them small as to Almighty God-pa~tly recapitulation cf the dust before the wind (comp. Pe. :xxxv. 5). wliat has preceded (vers. 47, 48), parllf 'l'lie enemy were beaten and dispersed eo additional (vera. 46, 49, 50). Terms of that they seemed driven as dust before the wind. I did cast them out as the dirt in praise are 11ccumulatecl, and the whole is the streets. They were made no account made to culminate in e. Messianic burst, of, treated with ae little ceremony as the where David is swallowed up in his "Seed;" clay in tbe streets. Language of utter and the "Auoiuted King" presented to our contempt. view is rather the nntitype than the type- Ver. 43.-Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people. David now rather Christ Jesus than the son of Jesse. upproaches his conclusion. In one verse Ver. 46.-The Lord liveth. God WRB he nt once sums up his past deliverances known to Isruel as •• the living God " from nnd anticipates fresh glories. God has the time of Moses (Deut. v. 26). '!'he delivered him from the strivings of these epithet exalted him above llll other so• who were hostile to him among hie own called gods, who wore not living (cowp. people (see vers. 4-18), and has also given 2 Kin"B xi:x. 4; Isa. xxxvii. 4, 17; Dau. hiru victory over the heathen. In the vi. 2G). Dut it had also 11. very precious, future he will do even more. And thou absolute meaning. God's life was the source hast made me the head of the heathen. of man's. It was through God (who had '.l.'lie aulithesis between" people" (op) nnd life in himself) hrentbiug into man the "heathen,•· or "natious" (c:i;), is unmis- breath of life that man boc1tme a Jiving soul t.e.kaLle. The long series of David's victories (Gen. ii. 7). Hence "the living God" (Ps. Lave made him "head" over the )alter. xliL 2) is "the God of our life" (Pe. xiii. 'l'hie is lees clearly seen in the history of 8). And blessed be my Rook (sc_e vers. 1, David's r~ign tban in the description given 31). In blossiug "hie Rocle," Davul blesses uf tlie elate of the kingdom inherited from God for bis 4ualitics of firmness. stondla.Ht- rrt xvm. 1-50.] 'l'HE BOOK OF PSALMS. 121