The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 266

EXPOSITION. the meaning is far from clear. Dr. Kay PSALM XXXVL translates, " Transgression's oracle to the Tms short psalm is mainly didactic. It wicked is, ' In the interior of my own heart ; ' " and understands the meaning to places in contrast the extreme wickedness of be that the sinfulness of the wicked man the wicked and the inexhaustible fulness deludes him into the belief that his wicked- of love, faithfulness, e.nd righteousness ness is known to no one but hiDlllelf-it is which characterizes the God whom the all safely locked up in the recesses of his wicked dare to o.tl'end. It ends with e. brief own heart, Professor Alexander suggests as possible, "Thus saith deprarity to tbe but earuest intercessory prayer, that God wicked man, ' In the midst of my heart, will favour the righteous and protect them there is no fear of God before his (i.e. God's) from the assanlls of the llllgodly, followed eyes,"' Others, preferring ,:i', to •:i',, reuder, by au expression of oonfidence that the "Transgression speaks to the wicked within prayer will be granled. his heart; There is no fear of God," etc. ; regarding the two clauses as perfectly The psalm divides itself into three independent tbe one ol' the other. This is, strophes, corresponding to the division of the perhaps, the best explanation. There is no subject-matter. Strophe i. (vers. 1-4) fear of God before his eyes.. Either he gives the portrait of the wicked man. belongs to the class of "fools, who say in Strophe ii. (vers. 5-9) paints the Divine their heart, There is no Goel" (Pa. xiv. 1), or he agrees with those who cry, "Tush, goodness. Stroph" iii. (vers. 10-12) con- God bath forgotten: he hiclolh oway his tains the prayer and the expression of face ; he will never seo it" (Ps. x. 11), confidence. Ver. 2.-For he flatterath himself in his The title ascribes the psnlrn to David; own eyes, until hia iniquity bo found to and the critics generally acquiesce. Some be hateful, Another vory obscure verse, explained in various ways. 'fhe rendering of them point out special Davidical indica- of Professor Alexo.uclcr is to be preferred, tions; but no one has ventured lo assign it " For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, to any particular occasion in David's life. as to God's findin'] his sin a11d hating it;" The epithet given to David in the title, Le. he flatlcrs himself thut Le will conceal "servant of Jehovah," would seem, howercr, his sin from God, so thnt God will not to connect it with Ps. xvi.ii. discover it to hate it (sec nlso the comment of Dr. Kay, and the Revised Version), Vor. 3.-The words of his mouth are Vor. 1.-The transgression of the wicked iniquity and deceit (comp. Pss. xii. 2; saith within my heart. This is a difficult xxviil. 3), He hath loft olf to be wise, anti passage. In the first placo, the text is un- to do good. Thero wa.s a. time when ho certain, since some manuscripts have 1:iS, occasion a.Uy act<:cl wisely, and did what w~s "his heart," in the place of •:iS, "my heart." right. But that time is gone by, Now he lS Antl further, whichever reading we prefer, consistently wicked. PB, XXXVI. 1-12.) THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 275