The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 289

e.ncl is sorry for his sin. He pre.ye to God begins with a description of his bodily (vers. 1, 21); Le pours out his complaints troubles; and, first of all, declares that to him (vcr. 9); he hopes in him (ver. there is '' no soun<iness in his flesh," i.e. no healthiness, no feeling of vigour, no vite.l 15); finally, he calls upon him as "his strength. Neither is there e.ny rast in my Salvation" (ver. 22). bones, he saye, beoe.use of my sin. His The psalm is ascribed to David by tl,e bones ache continually, nnd give him no title, but is not generally allowed to be rest (comp. Pas. vi. 2; xxii. H; xxxi. 10; his. It is assigned commonly to an nn- :E..!ii. 10; o.nd Job xxx. 17, 30). Ver. 4.-For miue iniquities are gone "known sufferer. Still, some modern critics, o_ver mine head; i.e. they overwhelm me notably Canon Cook, in the 'Speaker's hke_ wo.ve~ of th~ sea. Together ,vith my Commentary,' accept the statement of the bochly pam 1s nnngled meuto.l anguish-a title, and find the psalm very suitable to the sense of regret and remorse on o.ceount of circumstances of DaYid "at the period just D?Y ill-doing, e.nd a conviction that by my sms I he.vo brought upon me my sufferings. preceding the revolt of Absalom." Canon As an heavy burden they e.re too heavy for Cook liolds that "at that time there are mo. They press me rlown, crush me to the indioo.tions that David was prostrate by earth, are ruore thau I ce.n bear. disease, which gave full scope to the machi- Ver. 5.-My wounds stink e.nd are nations of his son and his abettors." If oorrupt. The writer reverts to his bodily pa.ins. He has "wounds," which "stink" this were so, the Davidical antliorship would e.n,l "are corrupt; " or "fester and become certainly be probablo; but the absence of noisome," whicll mo.y be boils, or bed-sores any mention of such an illness from the and which make hiru a loathsome object t~ Second Book of S,1muel is a difficulty which others (comp. Job ix.19; xxx. 18). Beoause cannot easily be got over. of my fcolishness. Bcoe.use I was so foolish as to forsnke the way of righteousness, and The psalm falls into three divisions: allow sin to get the dominion over me. From ver. l to ver. 8; from ver. 9 to var. Ver. 6.-I am troubled; litemlly, bent; 14; and from ver. 15 to the end. Each part which some to.ke physically, and explain as begins with an appeal to God, whereon "twisted by violent spasms," others, psychi- follows a description of the writer's snfferings. cally, as "warped in mind," "driven crazy." I am bowed down great!:,; i.e. l,owed to Po.rt iii. both begins and ends with e.n appeal eo.rth, crooked, e.s men are in extreme old to God. e.ge, or by such me.ladies e.s lumbago o.nd rheumatism. I go mourning all the da;y Ver. 1.-0 Lord, rebuke me not in th;y long. Jl,Iy gait is that of o. mourner-I wrath (comp. Ps. vi. 1, where the first of stoop e.nd wove slowly. the penitential psalms begins similarly). Ver. 7.-For my loins e.re filled with a The prayer is for the cessation of God's loathsome disease; my loins are full of wrath, r:1thcr than of the" rebuke" which burning (Ke.y, Revised Version). A burning has resulted from it. l1either ohasten me po.in in the lumbar region is apparently in thy hot displce.sure (see the comment 011 iutended. And there is no soundness in my Ps. vi. 1). flesh. Repeated from ver. 3. Ver. 2.-For thine arrows stick fast in Ver. 8.-I am feeble and sore ·broken: I me. (On the "arrows" of the Almighty, have roe.red by reason of the disquietneBS of fee o.buve, Pa. vii. 13; and comp. Job vi. my heart. In concluding his accounts of 4 ; Pss. xviii. 14; xl v. 5 ; lxi v. 7; lxxvii. his physical condition, the writer po.sees 17, etc.) It bas been mai11to.ined that by from deto.ils to more vague and general "God's arrows'' only sickness is meant statements. He is "feeble," i.e. generally (Hitzig); but 1.he contrary appears from weak and wa11ting in vigour-he is "sore Deut. xxxii. 23-25. Hengstenber~ is broken," or '' sore brui~ed" (Revised Ver- rigut, "The arrows of the Almighty denote sion), i.e. full of uches o.nd po.ins, e.s though all the chastisements of sin depending on ho l10.d been br11ised all ove1·-o.nd the God." And thy ho.nd pre,seth me sore. "disquictncss of his he11rt" c11uses him 'fLe verb used is the same in both clauses; to vent his anguish in " roe.rings," or but it is difficult to express both ideas by groaniugs. one term in Engliah. Dr. Kay makes the Vere. 9-H.-In this second strophe the attempt by traw,lating, "For thine orrows physical e.re subordinated to the moro.1 have sunk deep in me; yea, thine hand Bank heavily on me." snfferings ; the former being touohed on in Ver. 3.-'fhere is no 1oundne11 in m;y one verse only (vor. 10), the latter occupy- fiesh becaUBe of thine anger. The psalmist ing the rest of the section. Of these the PB. xx.xvm. 1-2~.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 29!)