He m11keth the devioes of the people-rather, up to his fashioning, and refuse to take tho tliepeopleB-Of none effect. Another instance impress which he desires to impart; but all, of the more repetition of II thought in other or almost all, owe it to him that they are words. not worse than they are. He considereth Vor. 11.-Tbo co:msel of the Lord standeth all their works; rather, he undmrtandelh all for ever, the thoughts of hie heart to all ~he~r works-e"timates, i.e., all thoy do al gancrationa ; or, the detdces of hiB heart-the its JUSt Yalue, knowing the true nature ot ~ame word as in the latter clause of the each act, its motive, aim, essence. preceding verse. The contrast is made as Ver. 16.-There is no king saved by th& complete as poseib"e. Human counsels aud multitude of e.n hoat; literally, the kin a ii. devices foil and come to nought, the Divine not sa1Jed mJ the greatness of his host. 'fl.u1 coun~els o.ud devices abide, stand fast, and a~ticle, howe~er, is nsed generically, as it is remain firm for ever (comp. Prov. xix:. 21; with "horse ' in the next verse, so that the Isa.. xxv. 1; Jue. i. 17). translation of the Authorized Version gives the true sense. (For illustration of the Vere. 12-19.-Further reasons for prais• sentiment, see 2 Chron. xiv. 11 ; 1 Mace. ing God are now assigned, the recitation of iii. 19.) A mighty man is not delivered by them being itself o. sort of praise. 1. God muoh strength (comp. 1 Sam. xvii. 47). has blessed espccio.lly one nation-the Ver. 17,-A horse is a vain thing for safety [ literally, the horse; i.e. the species, nation now called upon to praise him horsl', 1s not to be depended on for safety- (ver. 12). 2. His providence and co.re a.re it is "a vain thing," quite unable to secure extended over all mankind (vers. 13, 14). victory, or even escape, to those who trust 3. His gracious influences a.re poured out in it. The use of the horse in war seems on the hearts of all (ver. 15). 4. He is the certainly to be implied here os familiar to the writer, whence it is rightly concluded sole Protector and Deliverer of men from that he must have lived lo.ter than the danger and death (vers. 16-19). time of David. Solomon wos the first Ver. 12.-Blessed is the nation whose Israelite king who enrolled n chariot and o. God is the Lord (comp. Pa. cxliv. 15), In cavalry force (1 Kings x. 26). Neither shall other words, 11 Blessed is the people of he deliver any by his great strength. (On Israel." Other nntions did not know God the "great strength" of the horse, see Job ns Jehovah-the Self-existent One-or, xxxix. 19; Pa. cxlvii. 10.) indeed, os a geneml rule, recognize o.ny one Ver. 18.-B~hold, the eye of the Lord is o.nd only God. And the people whom he upon them that fear him, upon them that bath ohosen for his own inheritance. The hope in his meroy. Tbc eye of the Lord is ill intrusion of the word "o.nd" is unfortunn te. ~ certain sen~e upon all (nrs. 13, 14), lint 1t rests eepecio.lly upon the righteous. Ho One "nation" or "people" only is spoken of, viz. the Hebrews. 'l'hey are II blessed" notes how all meu act, but carefully watches in two respects: first, because they know over the safety and prosperity of his faith- God as ,!ehovo.h; and secondly, bcciLuse he ful ones. hns ohosen them out of all the nations of Ver. 19.-To deliver their soul from death. the earth to be his " peculiar people" (see The protection o.nd deliverance, which a Exod. xix. 5; Deut. iv. 20; vii. 6; xiv. 2; man's own strength cannot give, which no 1 mngs viii. 53; Pa. CXXXV. 4, etc.). host, however numerous, co.n afford ( ver. 16) Ver. 13.-Tbe Lord looketh from heaven i which are not to be obtained from th~ he beholdeth all the sons of men (comp. largest chnriot or cavalry force ( ver. 17), Pas. xi. 4 ; xiv. 2 ; cii. 19). God's having can be and will be furnished freely by God, nny care at oll for man is n wondrous who o.lone keeps souls from death, nnd condesclinsion, and so worthy of all praise; "delivers" those who are in peril. And to his having regard to all men-all the frail keep them alive in famine. Famine wns iL sons of weak and sinful Adam-is still more calamity from which Palestine often suffered wonderful, still more deserving of eulogy. (see Gen. xii. 10; xxvi. 1; xiii. 5; Ruth i. Ver. 14.-From the plaoe of his habitation 1; 2 Sam. xxi. l; l Kings xviii. 5; 2 Kin""s (i.e. heaven) he looketh npon all the inhabit- viii. 1, eto.). The righteous wel'0 sometim~s ants of the ea1·th. A repetition of the "kept nli rn" tbrough a time of foruino t,y thought expressed in ver. 13 for the sake of miraculous means (1 Kings-nii. G, 16). emphasis. Vera. 20-22.-A brief address of the Ver. 15.-He faahioneth their hearts people to God, arising out of whnt ho.a heca alike; rather, he mvuldeth the heart/I of dcclll.rcd concerning his goodness (vers. 4, 5, tl,em al.l. 'fhe hearts of all men are in God's keeping, and hie gracio118 influences 12-19) and his power (vers. 6-11), which are exerted to" mould" them ari 17ht. Some constitute a call upon them for praise anJ hellrlB are too stubborn to yield themselves adoration. 248 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [rs. xumt. 1-22.
Ver. 20.-0ur soul w&iteth for the Lord him, because we have trusted in his holy (comp. Pss. xxv. 21; Jxii. 1, 5; cxxx. 5, 6, Ne.me (comp. Pd. xiii. 5, where the sentiment etc.). Confident in God's good will, and in is the same). Trnst in God secures his his power to help us, we wait patiently and help, and this brings the deliveranoe at cheerfully for him to manifest himself in which the heart rejoices. his mm good time. He is our Help and Ver. 22.-Let thy meroy, O Lord, be upon our Shield. We trust in no one and nothing us, acoonling as we hope in thee. Tha but him-not in armies (ver. 16), not in measure cf men's hope nnd trust in God is horses (ver. 17), not in our own strength the measure of his mercy and goodness to (ver. 16). He alone is our depende.nce. them. Those who are assured that they (For the use of the metaphor "shield" for have a full trust in him may confidently defence, see Pss. v. I 2; X\'iii. 2; :u:viii. 7; expect a full and complete deliverance. xci. 4; cxix. 114, etc.) Thus, "according as "-it!t~-is emphatic. Ver. 21.-For our heart shall rejoice in