The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 332

Ver. 17.-All this is come upon us; yet conduct, but they are suffering for their have we not forgotten thee, neither have we fidelity to God. The heathen hate them, dealt falsely in thy covenant. Isro.el 1111d and make war upon them, as worshippers neither put nside the thought of religion, of one exclusive God, Jehovah, and con- o.nd given horeelf up to wordlinose, nor yet, tcmners of their many god~, whom they while still professedly religious, transgressed hold to be "no-gods." They Clre martyrs, habitually Gocl'e commandments. She like the Christians of the early Church (see maintained "thorough sincerity in religion, Rom. viii. 36). We are counted as sheep nnd consistent integrity of life." Yet " all for the slaughter (comp. ver. 11). this "-all that has been described in vere. 9-16-had come upon her. Vere. 23---26.-The appeal to God is now Ver. 18.-0ur heart is not turned back; made, after the case has been fully repre- i.e. turned away from God, o.s it was when sented. God has always hitherto maintained they passed through the wilderness (Ps. the cause of hie people, and given them lxxviii. 41). Neither have our steps declined victory over their enemies, unless they had from thy way. Neither in respect of inward feeling nor of outward a.et have we strayed fallen away from him (vers. 1-8). Now from the right path. he has acted otherwise-he has allowed Ver. 19.-Though thou hast sore broken their enemies to triumph (vers. 9-16). And us in the place of dragons; rather, in the they have given him no reason for hie de- place of jacka.la; i.e. in wild and desolate sertion of them (vers. 17-22). Surely, if regions, where jackala abound (comp. Isa. xiii. 22; xxxiv. 13). The expression is they call upon him, and plead their cause probably used metaphorically. Aud covered before him, he will relent, and come to their us with the shadow of death. Brought us, aid. The appeal, therefore, is me.de briefly, i.e., into imminent peril of destruction (see bnt in the most moving terms. vers. 10, 11). Ver. 20.-If we have forgotten the name Ver. 23.-Awake, why sleepest thou, 0 of our God, or stretched out (rather, spread Lord 1 The pso.lmist does not reo.lly believe out) our hands to a strange god. If Isroel that Jehovah "sleeps." '.rhe heathen migl1t had either forgotten the true God (see above, so imagine of their gods (I Kings xviii. 27), vor. 17) or fallen away to the worship of but not an Iernelite. An Israelite would bt1 false or strange gods-then her ill euccees sure that "he that keepeth Israel neither ago.inst her foreign enemies would have slumbers nor sleeps" (Ps. cxxi. 4). The been fully accounted for, since it would writer consciously uses an anthropomor- only have been iu accordance with the phism, really intending only to call ou God threo.tenings of the Law (Lev. xxvi. 14- to rouse himself from his inaction, and 11\y 17; Dent. xxviii. 15-23); but as she h&.d it e.side, o.nd come to Israel's nil.I. Arise done neither of these things, her defeats and (see PBB. vii. 6; ix. 19; x. 12, elo.). Cast depressed condition seemed to the pso.lmiet us not off for ever (comp. ver. 9). Under wholly uno.ccountable. We trace here the the existing peril, for God to CRst off his, so.rue current belief, which comes out so people will be to cast them off /or ever. strongly in ti.Je Book of Job-the belief that They bo.d no strength of their own thut calaruitiee were, almost of necessity, punillh- could save them. ments for sin: o.nd that when they occurred, Ver. 24.-Wherefore hidest thou thy face l nnd there had been no known precedent (comp. Pss. xiii. I: xxvii. 9; lxix. 17, etr.). misconduct, the case wns abnormal nnd And forgettest our affliction and our oppres- extro.ordinnry. sion 1 (seo Pas. xiii. 1; lxxiv. 19). Ver. 21.-Shall not God search this out 1 Vor. 25.-For our soul is bowed down to i.e. visit for it-punish it. Such a result the d11Bt; i.e. brought very low, humbled, wo.s to be expected. But when there ho.d o.s it were, to the ecutb, so weakened thl\t it been no preoedent idolatry, no neglect of bas no strcRgth in it. Our belly cleaveth the worship of Jehovah, what then? For unto the earth. '.rhe body participates in he knoweth the aeorets of the heart. Secret the soul's depression, and lies proetro.to ou idolatry would, of course, explain the state the ground. of things; but the writer evidently knows Ver. 26.-Arise for our help; litero.lly, of no secret idolo.try. ari8e as a help unto us; i.o. arise, Rnu come Ver. 22.-Yea, for thy sake are we killed to our aid. Help against the enemy i~ tho all the day long; or, eontinually, o.s the one object of the entire prayer. And redeem. phrase is often tr11nslated. Not only are us; or, save us-" deliver us" (comp. Pb. the Isro.olitcs not suffering on account of xxv. 22). For thy mercies' sake (comp. Pss. any previous desertion of God, or other mis- vi. 4; xui. IG).  344 'l'IlE BOOK. OF PSALMS. [re. XLlV. 1-20.