The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 151

Ver. 1.-'My God, my God, why hast thou "despised of the people" appeared most forsaken me! Not a cry of despair, but a evidently when they expressed their desire ~ry of loving faith, "My God, my God- that, instoad of him, a murderer should be Why hast thou for a time withdrawn thy- granted to them (Aots iii. 14). self?" It is remarkable that our Lord's Ver. 7.-All they that see me laugh me qnotntion of this passage does not follow to scorn; i(,µuK.-1,p,rrc!v µ<, LXX. (comp. exactly either the Hebrew or the Chaldee Luke xxiii. 35, "The people stood behold- paraphrase - the Hebrew having 'a:a.b- ing; and the rulers also with them derided thani for sabacthani, and the Chaldee him (t(<µuKT{,p,(ov) "). They shoot out the paraphrase metul ma for lama. Mav we lip, they shake the head, saying (see Matt. not eondude that it is the thought, and not xxvii. 39; Mark xv. 29: "They that its ¥erbal expression by the sacred writers, passed by railed on him, wagging their that is inspired? Why art thou so far from heads," where the expression of the helping me, and from the words of my Septuagint is age.in used). roaring 1 It is very doubtful whether our Ver. 8.-He trusted on the Lord that he translators have done right in supplying would deliver him. This is a translation the words which they ba¥e added. The of the Septuagint Version rather than of nature.I translation of the Hebrew would the Hebrew text, which runs, Trust in the be, Far f1·om my salvation are the words of Lord (literally, Roll [thy care] upon the my roaring. And this rendering yields a Lora): let him deliver him. Let him deliver sufficiently good sense, viz. "Far from him, seeing he delighted in him. St. effecting my se.h-ntion (or deliverance) are Matthew has put it on record that this tbe words of my roaring; " i.e. of my loud text was actually cited by the scribes and complaint. Our Lord's" strong crying and elders who witnessed the Crucifixion, and tenrs" in the garden (Heh. v. 7) did not applied to our Lord in scorn (Matt. xxvii. produce his deliverance. 43). They quoted apparently from the Ver. 2.-0 my Go:i, I cry in the daytime, Septuagint, but with an inaccuracy common but thou hearest not ; rather, thou answerest at the time, when books were scarce, and not; i e. thou dost not interpose to deliver persons ha.d to depend on their memory of me. And in the night see.son, and am not what they ha.d occasionally heard read. silent (see Matt. xxvi. 36-44; Mark xiv. Ver. 9.-But thou art he that took me out 3!-39; Luke xxii. 41-44). of the womb (comp. Job x. 8-11). God's Ver. 3.-Bnt thou art holy. Still God is creatures have always a claim upon him holy; the Sufferer casts no reproach upon from the very fact that they are his him, but "commits himself to him that creatures. Every sufferer may appeal to judgeth righteously" (1 Pet. ii 23). 0 Goel as bis Maker, and therefore bound to tl.tou that inhe.bitest the praises of Israel. be his Helper and Preserver. Thon didet God is seen enthroned in his sanctuary, make me hope when I was upon my where the praises and prayers of Israel are mother's breasts. Thou go.vest me the ever being offered up to him. If be hears serene joy and trust of infancy-that happy them, he will assuredly, in his own good time to which man looks back with such time, hear the Sufferer. deep satisfaction. Every joy, every satis- Ver. 4.-0ur fathers trusted in thee. It faction, came from thee. smtains the Sufferer to think bow many Ver. 10.-1 was oe.et upon thee from the Lefore him have cried to God, and trusted in womb. In a certain sense this is true of him, and for e. while been seemingly not all; but of the Holy Chilcl it was most true l1eard, and yet at length manifestly heard (Luke ii. 40, 49, 52). He was "cast" on 11,nd saved. They trusted in thee, and thou God the Father's cnre in an especial way. didst (ultimately) deliver them. Thou art my God from my mother's belly. Ver. 5.-They cried unto thee, and were The Child Jesus was brought near to Goel delivered. If thev were delfrered because from bis birtlt (Luke i. 35; ii. 21, 22). they cried, the Sufferer w!Jo cries "day and From the first dawn of consciousness God night" (ver. 2) cau scarcely remain unheard wa.s his God (Luke ii. 40, 49). for ever. They trusted in thee, and were Ver. 11.-Be not far from me. The not confounded; or, ,oere not put to shame consiclcmtions dwelt upon in vors. 3-5, (011 Ka1'1JCTXuv611rrav, LXX.). ancl again in vcrs. 9, 10, have removed Ver. G.-But I am e. worm, and no man the sense of desertion ex pressed in vor. I ; (comp. Job xxv. G; Isa. xii. 14). The and the Sufferer can now confidently call worm is a symbol of extreme weaknoas on God to help him. 11 Bo not far from e.ud belpless1Jesi-it is naturally despised, me," he say~, for trouble is near, Tho derided, trodden upon. A reproach of men, time is come when aid is most urgently and despised of the people (comp. Isa. required. For thcro is none to help; xlix. 7; liii. 3; and for the fulfilment, see Jiternlly, 1wt a helper. Da.vid hirnsel f :Me.tt. u.vii. 3~). How deeply Christ was had never been in such straits. He had re. un. 1-31.] THE BOOK OF l'SALMS. 153