The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 297

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-13.-Unburdening the heart to God in a time of sore affliction, when nothing can be said to man. J eduthun, whose name stands at the head of Pss. xxxix., !xii., and lxxvii., was one of a musical family entrusted with the conduct of the musical service in the time of David. The psalms having his name at the head were probably intended to be sung by his choir.1 It would thus seem that in the Hebrew service of sacred song the prayers and plaints of the individual believer were included, when set to music. If so, the "service of song in the house of the Lord" covered a much wider ground than is usually supposed, and was made to include not only direct address to God, whether of prayer or praise, but also the rehearsal of personal experience; and thus a holy fellowship of song would arise, anticipating long ages before, the expression of the apostle, "Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs ; " only it should be noted that these would be musical utternuceB of an actual experience going on then and there. It does not follow that the like utterances would be suitable for the service of song now. Discretion and discrimination nro needed in the use thereof. This is evidently an individual psalm; it is neither u11tional, prophetic, nor Messianic ; 1 it is one of those which reflect the care and anxiety with which David was bowed down nt one crisis of his life, though to which of his numerous crises it refers it is not easy to decide. 8 Nor, indeed, is that of moment. It will profit us more to noto the course taken by the psalmist at a time of crushing sorrow, and then to see how far the course which he took may be a guide for us under like circumstauces. l. LET US NOTE THE COURSE ADOPTED BY THE PSALMIST AT A TIME OF CRUSHING SORROW, '!'here is a somewhat wido divergence among expositors in their estimate of this psalm, and of the mental revelations therein contained.' But we feel bound to look at the psalmist's words tenderly rather than harshly, knowing as we do, how often, in 11gonies of soul, the best men may utter words which would not escape them in their calmer hours (cf. Ps. cxvi. 11). 1. Here is a case of sore affiictfon. 11 'l'by stroke" (ver. 10); 11 the blow of thine band" (ver. 10). Whatever the sorrow may h11ve been. to which reference is made, it is regarded as coming directly from God. "Thou didst it" (ver. 9). It was so heavy that David was "consumed" thereby (ver. 10). And 1 See an interesting e.rtiole on Jeduthun, by Lord Arthur Hervey, in Smith's• BibL Diot.' 1 See Perown~•s introdnotion to this psalm. 1 See Fe.118set hereon; 11ncl Eclersheim's 'Bible History,' vol. v. p. 16 (R. T.S.). ' Cal via, Heugstenberg, Delitzsch, Lango, m11y all be consulted with advantage. Arch- bishop Leighton's expository lectures on this psalm 11ro deserving of careful peruse.L M11ny of his words are goldon. On the word "selnh," e.t tho end of vers. 5 11nd 11, see Mr. Wright's article in Smith's 'Bibi. Diet.,' and o.n instructive nad suggestive article by Et.lmund Lnyfieldo, quoted in Spurgeon's 'Tro11sury of Du.vid,' vol. ii. p. 2-l9, et eeq.  30S THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PB, XXXIX, 1-13.