The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 267

Ver. 4.-:e:e deviseth misohiet upon hill ciow (Kay, Aleunder, Cheyne, Revised bed; ra.th er, he devi•eth iniquity-the same Version)-" is thy loving-kindness I" How word as in the preceding verse. In the doee it exceed all that we could have night, when he should be locked in innocent o.nticipo.ted I How far does it go beyond all slumber, he lies awoke, devising wicked that we deserve I Therefore the children of schemes o.gaiust others (comp. Prov. iv. 16; men put their trust (or, ,hall p-ut their Micah ii. 1). He sotteth himself in a way trust, or shall take refuge) under the that ie not good. More correct than the shadow of thy wiags (comp. Pas. xvii. 8; Prayer-book Version, "He hath eet himself lvii. 1; lxiii. 7, ttc.). Encouraged by the in no good way." The wicked man is not consideration or thy goodness, the beney merely nego.tively bad; he determinately Arlam, the cl1ildrrn of weak, frail, sinful chooses a po.th of life tho.t is evil. Re mo.n, shall take hrnrt, anrl lay oside their abhorreth not evil He hns no aversion to natural timidity, and turn to thee, and put it, no horror of it, no shrinking from it. their trust in thee, gathering themeelvee Whether a thing is right or wrong is to under tile shadow of thy protecting wings, him a matter of complete indifference, So ancl looking to thee, and thee only, for safety callous ie he, so hardened, and defence (see Ruth ii. 12). Ver. 5.-Thy mercy, 0 Lord, is in the Ver. 8.-They shall be abundantly satisfied heavens. Instead of the nsnal contrast with the fatness of thy house. God will between the wicked man nnd the godly one sat;efy all who trust in him with "blessings (Pea. i. 1-6; iv. 2, 3; v. 10, 11, etc.), the out of his holy seat," and "ill satisry them psalmist here makes the starlling contrast abundantly. The blessings intended are between the wicked man and God I The spiritnal blessings; nncl the "house" is, character of the wicked man is given in four primarily, "the place where God set his verses (vers. 1-4), the portrait of God in name," which at this time was the tabernacle. five (verR. 5-9). God's first o.nd principal Faithful Israelites were to expect spiritnnl characteristic is "mercy" - or rather, blessings through faithful attendance ou "loving-kindness" (,on). This quality is the tl\bernucle worahip, so far o.s it was revealed, not on earth only, but also in accessible to them. The "house" typified heaven, towards the angels. Thy faithfnl- heaven, whence, of course, the blessings niss reachelh unto the clouds. Next to really co.me. And thon ehalt make them loving-kindness in God comes" faitbiulness" drink of the river of thy pleasures; literally, -fidelity to every promise that be has ever the river of thy Edens. Thon shalt give made, unswerving attachment to those tbem access to nu exhausUess fountain of whom he has once loved, undeviating delight, o. stream like tho.t which watered mnintcnance of the truth ( comp. Pss. lvii. Eden ( comp. Isa. Ii. 3; Iv. 1 ; John iv. 14 ; 10; cviii. 4). vii. 87, 38). Ver. 6.-Thy righteousness is like the Ver. 9.-For with thee is the fountain ot great mountains; literally, like the moun- life. The ultimate source uf nil life is God. taim of God; nnd so Lutber, Rm,enmtillcr, Israel had been 1.-\ught by Moses (Dcut. Hengstenberg, KBy, Cheyne, o.nd the Revised ux. 20) that God was their Life; but this Version. According to tl.Je Hebrew idiom, wus not nil; ho is cquully the Origin of life this weans "tho very greutest wount11ins"- to everything tlmt lives-to o.ng-els, men, those which seem to stand the strongest Bnd beasts, birds, fishes, zoophytes, plo.nts (seo the firmest. "Righteousness," or" justice," Gen. i. 11, 20, 2-1, 27, etc.). And, ns he is is plo.cod immediatoly after " foithfulues~," the sole Source of no.tnro.l life, so is ho nlso beco.use of its close connection with it. Thy the ,,no nn,1 onl v Origin of spiritunl vitality judgments o.re a great deep; i.e. such ne man (Pds. xu. 5; !xvi. 9; John i. 4; -ri. 57; 011nnot fo.thom-uusearoho.blo-po.st finding vii. 37-39, elo.). And in thy light shall out. 0 Lord, thou preserveat man and we see light (comp. John i. 4, 5, 9; 1 John beast. The providenti11l co.re of God for i. 5-7). God is eds, ntinlly Life und Light. hie orcntures is another of bis lea<ling He" has lifo in himself'' (John v. 26). He cho.roclcristice, o.nd one especiully deserving "is Light, nnd in him is no dm·lrness at 1111" man's attention and gro.titude. It is a form (1 John i. 5). Tho Son, who is "the Light of l,is loving-kindness. of the world'' (John viii. 12), is but "tho Ver. 7.-Row exoellent is thy loving• Effulgence of his Futher's glory" (Hl'b, i. 3, kindness, 0 God I The psalmist, having Revised Version), "Light of light," the mn<le mention of the "loving-kindness of ro.y which stre.,ms from the Slln of the God•• o.s hie most chamctcristio quality uuivor:lo. Yet from him oomos tho light (ver. 5), o.ud ogaiu brought it into notico as which enliglitcncth nil creatures (John i. 9). co.using him to provide so carefull_v for all '' In his light we see light." hid creatur, e (nr. 6), cannot refrain from Yer. 10.-0 oontinue thy loving-kindnes ■ glorifying the quality wherolo ho l,as co.Heu Ullt0 thom that know theo. Hore begins the o.tlention. "How excellent "-or, hOUI pre• third strophe. B~ving finished his" inatrno: 276 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PB. XXXVI, 1-12.