"Give th1mks to hie holy Namo" (comp. po.rt of his prayer most honourable to David Pss. ciii. 1; cvi. 47; cxlv. 21). is not recorded by himself, but by the Ver. 5.-l!'or his anger endurcth but a historians. He tells us of his secret moment; in his favour is life; literally, for wrestlinge with God, his complaints and a moment (iB passed) in hia anger, a life- expostulations-hie cries and pleadings as time in his favour. God's anger is ehort- they remained in his memory; he pa.sees livecl in the case of those who, having over the desire to die for his people, which sinned, repent, and confess their Bin, and the historians put on record. pray for mercy (see vere. 8-10). Hie Ver. 9.-What profit fa there in my lavour, on the contrary, is enduring; it blood, when I go down to the pit l continues all their life. Weeping may What advantage wilt thou derive from endure for a night; rather, at e11enride my death, if thou killest me, either by weeping comes to lodge, or to pass the night; the plague, which may as well fasten npon but joy cometh in the morning; or, but at me as upon o.ny one else, or by the misery morn joy a'l"TifJeth ( comp. Job :uxiii. 26; and mental strain of seeing my subjects, Isa. xxvi 20; liv. 7). my innocent sheep, suffer? God hns "no plea.sure in the death of him that dietb" Vers. G---12.-Now begins the expanded (Ezek. xviii. 32), and certainly can obtain nccount of the deliverance in respect of no profit from the destruction of any of his which the thanksgiving is offered. And creatures. Shall the dust praise thee 1 (comp. Pss. vi. 5; lxn:viii. 10; cxv. 17; firot, with regard to the oft'ence that had Isa. xxxviii 18). In death, so far as the drawn down the Divine chastisement; it power of denth extends, there can be no was an offence of the lips, epriuging from action; the lips ceo.se to move, and therefore an evil temper in the heart. cannot hymn God's praise-the "dust" is ine.nime.te, o.nd, while it remains dust, Ver. 6.-And in my prosperity I said, cannot speak. What the freed soul may I &hall never be moved; rather, as in the do, the pso.lmist does not consider. Very Revised Version, and as for me, in my little was known under the old dispensation prosperity I ,aid, etc. There is a marked concerning tbe intermediate stnte. Shall it pause, aml introduction of a new subject declare thy truth 1 The dust certo.inly iu a new strophe. Prosperity had worked could not do this, nnless revi vi.fie<l o.uJ an ill elfect on the psalmist, boo made him formed into another living body. self-confident and proud. He "said in his Ver. 10.-Hee.r, 0 Lord, and have meroy heart,'' as the wicked man iu Ps. x. 6, only npon me: Lord, be thou my Helper (corn p. Ps. in still stronger phrase, "I sho.11 not be liv. 4; Heb. xiii. 6). Here the pso.lmist'e moved;" literally, I shall not be fflO'lled for prayer, uttered iu his distress, ends, ond he ever. His bee.rt was lifte,l. up, o.nd in proceeds to declo.re the result. the spirit of eelf-glurilico.tion he gave Ver. 11.-Tbou be.et turned (rnther, thou comm1md for the- numbering of the people. turnedst) for me my mourning into dancing. The result was the plague, and the deo.th Suddenly, in a moment, oil wr1s changed. of seventy thonso.nd of his subjects. Into The angel cense,I to slo.y. Goel bade him these details he does not here enter. He hold his hnn<l. The Prophet Gad wr1s seut is content to trace his sin to its bittor root with the joyrul news to Do.vid, and com- of pride, o.nd to glo.nce o.t its punishment manded him ot once to build an altr1r (ver. 7) nnd his repentance (vers. 8-10). at Jehovo.h. Then the mourning ceased, Ver. 7.-Lord, by thy favour thou ho.at nml a joyful ceremonial wns instituted, or (rother, hadst) me.de my mountain to stand which d1>ncing, as so often, formed n part &trong. It w,.s thy favour which had given (see Exod. xv. 20; l Sam. xvi ii. 6; 2 Sam. me tlw "pro~perity" whereby I was exo.lted, vi. 14-16; Ps. oxlix. 3; Jcr. xxxi. 4). ond which I thought rooted in myselt'- Thou bast put off (ro.ther, didst put off) whioh hnd me.de Zion stroag, nnd onabled my aackoloth. Thnt the king had clothed me to triumph over my enemies. But, lo I himself in sackcloth on the occo.sion, is suddenly o.11 wo.s changed-Thon didst bide mentioned by the author of Chroniolcs thy fe.oe, and I we.a tro11bled. God turned (1 Chron. xxi. 16). And girded (girded•t) hid face a.way, decl,ne<l himself angry with me with gladness (comp. 1 Chron. xxi. 26). his servont (1 Chron. xxi. 7-12), o.n,l sent Ver. 12.-To the end that my glory ma.y the drt'adfnl plague whioh in n single do.y Bing praise to thee. If we allow the destroyed seventy thousnud lives. Then ellipse of the personnl pronoun supposed by David, feeling that God's faco wus indeed our tmnslalors and Revisers, wo mnst turned from him, "was troubled." regard Dr1vid as onlling his soul " his Ver. 8.-I cried to thee, 0 Lord; and glory,'' o.s in Ps. xvi. 9. But some cmu- unto thee I me.de supplication (comp. 2 mentator~ think tho.t "glory" is hero uscc\ Som. xxiv. 17; 1 Chron. x:si, 17). 'fhe ns we use "royalty," 1md designates the 220 THE ilOOt( OF PSAtMS.
royal person or the royal office (so Kay the mercy at this time vouchs1:1fed him as rnd Professor Alexander). And not be one which, like tho.t vouchsafed Hezekiah, silent. 0 Lord my God, I will give thanks required to bo commemomted "all the unto thee for ever. Great mercies dcser-re days of his life" (l,;a,, :r.xxviii. 2of perpclual rerue:nbrance. David regarded