The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 301

Yer. 1.-I waited patiently for the Lord; gratitude to God. God's mercies in the literally, 11,ailing, 1 wait,ed - a common past have been countless, and have ]Rid him Hebrew idiom, when an idea is to be empha- under unspeakable obligations. And thy sized. No writer enforces upon us more thoughts which are to us-ward. God's earnestly than David tbe duty of awaiting thoughtfulness for man, his considemtion God's pleasure (Pss. xxviL H; xxxvii. 7; and providentie.l ea.re, deserve praise nntl lxii. I, 5; lxix. 3, eto.). And he inclined thanks equally with his wondrous acts. unto me; literally, bent towards me-an They cannot be reokoned up in order unto anthropomorphism, but most expressive. thee. They are so numerous that it is im• And heard my cry; i.e. answered it-gave possible to reckon them up. Many of them, me wbat I prayed for. moreover, are secret, o.nd escape our notice. Ver. 2.-He brought me up also out of an If I would declare and speak of them, they horrible pit; literally, a pit of tumult or are more than oan be numbered. Words, uproar, which is variously exl'biued. Some therefore, are insufficient; and some better imagine a pit with rushing water at the return than mere words must be found. bottom of it, but such pits are scarcely known Ver. ll.-Sa.ori.11.ce and offering thou didst in Pakstine. Others a pit which is filled not desire. Will the right return be by with noise as a warrior, with crash of arms sacrifices and burnt offerings? No, the and amid tbe shouts of enemies, falls into it. psalmist answers to himself; it is not these But pits, though used in hunting, were not which God really "desires." Samuel had employed in warfare. The explanation that already preached tbe doctrine," Behold, to pNi; here is to be taken in the secondary obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken sense of "destruction" or " misery," seems than the fat of rams" (1 Sam. xv. 22). to me preferable (see the Septuagint, l,c David goes further. Apa.rt from a spi.Iit of 71.wc,cov -r11>..cmrwp!a.s ). Out of the miry olay obedience, sacrifice and offering are not (comp. Ps. lxix. 2, H). Such" clay" would desired or required at all; rather, as Isaiah be frequently found at the bottom of disused says, they are a weariness and an o.bomi- cisterns. And set my feet npon a rock; i.e. nation (Isa. i. 11, 12). The one thing upon solid ground, where I had a firm foot- needed is obedience-a cheerful, willing ing. And established my goings; literally, obedienoe to all that God reveals 1\8 his and make my step•firm (comp. Pas. xvii 5; will. Mine ears hast thou opened. Either, :xviii. 36; xciv. 18). "Thon hast taken away my deafness, and Ver. 3.-And he hath put a new song in given me ears open to receive and embrace my mouth (see the comment on Pa. xxxiii. thy Law;" or, perhaps, with special reference 3). Even praise unto our God. Mercy and to Exod. xxi. 6 and Dent. xv. 17," Thou hast praise are cause and effect. The deliverance accepted me as thy voluntary servant, and recorded in ver. 2 produces the praise of bored through mine ear, to mark that I am vers. 3-5. The phruse, "our Goel," shows thy servant for ever." Burnt offering and UB how David instiuctively identifies him- sin offering hast thou not required. Of self with his people. A mercy shown to the four kinds of offering mentioned in tbis him is one shown to them. Many shall see verse, the first (n:ll) is the ordinary offer- it, s.nd fear (comp. Dent. xiii 11: xvii. 13; ing of o. victim Rt tbe altar in sncrifice; the xix. 20 : xxL 21, where the phrase, "all second (nmc), the wea.t offering of flour, Israel shall hear and fee.r,'' is used of the with oil and frankincense accompo.nying it; effect produced by the capitd punishment the third (n~lV) is the " whole burnt offer- of a high-handed transgressor of the Law). ing," representative of complete self-sacrifice; There may be an allusion here to Absa.lom's and the fourth (nNr;in), the "sin offering," end, wl,ich was probo.bly followed by a or " trespass offering," of which ihe specio.l certain number of executions. And sha.ll intention was expiation, trust in the Lord; i.e. shall have their Ver. 7.-Tllen said I, Lo, I come: in the faith in God strengthened. volume of the book it is written of me; Ver. 4.-Blessed is that man (rather, the rather, then said 1, Lo, I come with the roll man) that maketh the Lord his trust, and of the book written concerning me. " Then " respecteth not the proud; or, turnelh rwt to means " as soon as my eur8 were opened." the proud-does not go over to tl,eir party "Lo, I come," mo.rks ready and prompt or espouse their principles. Absalom's ad- obedience (seo Numb. xxii. R8; 2 Sam. xix. herents are probably the persons intended. 20). 'fho psalmist represents himself o.s li or such as turn a.side to lies ; i.e. " prefer bringiug with him" the roll of tho book," falsehood to truth," lbe cause of the ungodly i.e. the hook of the Law in its ordino.ry form to that of God himself. of a parchment roll, to show who.I. it is tho.t Ver. 5.-Many, 0 Lord my God, aro thy he is prepared to obey. This book, ho says, wonderful works which thou hast done. is written " concerning him,'' since it con- It is not only for liis recent deliverance tains precepts concerning o, king's dutios (ver. 2) that the psalmidt owes thanks o.nd (Dcut. xvii. l4-20). l'B, XL. 1-17.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 813