The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 372

EXPOSITION. Ver. 1.-The mighty God, even the Lord, PSALM L. hath spoken. A combination of three names TIIE psalmLqt aunounces o.n o.ppe11r11noe of of God-viz. El, Elohim, and Jehovah- God to his people "out of Zion," and a only found here and in Josh. xxii. 22. There it is tro.nelated "the Lord God of pronouncement of judgment upon them, gods," which is e. possible rendering. Sepa- which 1111 heaven (ver. 4) 11nd eo.rth (ver. 1) rately, the three names seem to mean, "The ore called upon to witness. The judgment Mighty One,"" The llfanyin One" (Cheyne) takes the sbope of a twofold addrnss; first, or" The Three in One," and "Tho Self- to the righteous, who are exhorted to tho Existent One." He who is all these, the psalmist announces, "has spoken," and spiritual worship of God (vers. 14, 15), o.nd called (or, summoned) the earth from the warned against putting too much trust in rising of the sun unto the going down so.crifice (vers. 8-13): secondly, to the thereof; i.e. God has summoned all man- wicked, who are sternly reproved for their kind to hear his j udgment of hie covenant hypocrisy, their hatred of instruction, their people. Ver. 2.-0ut of Zion, the perfeotion of sins in net ond speech, their wo.nt of nature.I beauty (comp. Ps. xlviii. 2; Lem. ii. 15: affection, and their low and unworthy idea 1 Me.co. ii. 12). God bath shined; i.e. hoe • of the nature of God (vers. 16-21). In shown himself in his dazzling raclinnce. conclusion, 11 word of final wo.rning is given The psu.1.mist, however, does not mean to to the wioked (ver. 22), o.nd a word of fine.I announce a material, but n spiritual, fact. oncouro.gement to the righteous (ver. 23). Ver. S.-0111' God shall come, and shall not keep silenoe; rather, and let him not The psalm consists of four portions: 1. keep silence. Let him coll attention to hie An introduction (divided off by tho pause- "coming," that his judgment moy be widely mork, "Seloh," from the rest of the psalm), known. A fire (rather, fire) shall devour o.nnouncing the "appeoranoe," and calling before him (comp. Pe. xxi. D). And it shell on heovon and earth to witness it (vers. be very tempestuous ronnd about him. So in all tbeophaniee (see Exod. xix. 16 ; l 1-6). 2. .An address to the godly Israelites Kings xix. 11: Job xxxviii. I; Pas. xviii. (vers. 7-15). S. .An address to the ungodly 13; xcvii. 2-5; Acts ii. 2; Rev. iv. 5, etc.). Iero.elitee (vers. 16-21). 4. A conclusion, Ver. 4.-He shall call to the heavens from divided equally between threu.t o.nd promise above ; rather, to t/ie heavens above ; i.e. to (vers. 22, 23). the inhobitnnts of henven-the holy angels. And to the earth (comp. ver. 1). Tho.t he The pso.lm is ascribed to Aeo.ph, tho may judge his people. Heaven e.nd earth "chiof," or euporintendent, of the Levites ore coiled upon to come together, and furnish to whom David o.esigned the ministry of o fit o.udience before which the judgmont pro.iso before the erk ( l Chron. xvi. 4, 5). moy proceed. So ore also Pee. lxxiii.-lxxxiii. Some Ver. 5.-Gather my en.ints togethor unto mo. Dy "my eoints" tho psalmist mcaus of these mo.y h11ve been composed by later here, not godly lernol, as in Pe. xvi. 3, bnt Asaphite Levites: but the present ode moy all Israel-the whole notion, whether true well he Aso.ph'e own, since it "beo.re nil servants of Jehovah, or only profesaed ser- the morks of the golden age of Hebrew vo.nte. Thie is rendered cleo.r by the poetry." Aeo.ph's composition of a portion ensuing clo.use, Those that have me.de a covenant with me by sacrifioe. Not oven of the Psalter is implied in Hezekinh'e com- wu.e the first coveno.nt cledicatecl without mand to the Levites, reported in 2 Chron. bloocl (Hob.-ix. 18; comp. Exo,l.xxiv. 3-8); nix. SO. nor could any Isruolito romain witliin the PSA!>MS. ll o 386 THE IlOOK OF PS.ALMS. [PB, L, 1-23.