The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 373

covenant wittout frequent sacrifice (Exod. Ver. 9.-I will take no bnllook out of thy xii. 2-47, etc.) house, nor he goats out of thy folds. The Ver. 6.-And the heavens she.II declare offcri ngs of those who offer o.miss will not his righteousness. 'L'he angelic host, which be nccepted. God declines to reoeive them. comes to wilness the ju<lg-ment of"'Israel Ver. 10.-For every beast of the forest is (ver. 4), shall proclaim H o. righteous judg- mine, and tr.e cattle upon e. thousand hills. mcnt. For Go:i is Judge himself. And he So the Revised Version, Dr. Kay, Canon will certo.inly "do right" (Gen. xviii. 25). Cook, the Four Friends, and others; but many critics regard such a. rendering a.a Yers. 7-15.-" The continuance of this impossible. Of these, some translate, "And <lr:11nntic scene," as Professor Cheyne re- the cattle upon the hiils, where there a.re marks, "scarcely answers to the commeuce- thousa.uds " (Hupfold, lieng•tenberg, etc.); mcnt. The judgment seems to be adjourned, w•hile others rea.d c•;iS~ for 1f~, and render, or t-0 be left to the conscience of the de• "And the cattle upon the mountuins of fondants." The faithful a.re summoned, God" (Olshausen, Cheyne). and nppcar, but not to reoei.e unqualified Ver. 11.-I know a.II the fowls of tha commendation (see Matt. xxv. 31-40). mou;ita.ins, e.nd the wild beasts of the field arc mine; literally, are with me. All crea- Rather they receive a we.ruing. The strong tion id God's, known to him, and owned by aud prolonged depreciation of sacrifice (vers. him, to be dealt with at his pleasure. How, 8-13) necessarily implies that in the re• then, should he need gifts from men? ligion of the time too much stress was lo.id Ver.12.-lf I were hungry, I would not upou it. We know that, in the bee.then tell thee ; i.e. suppose it possible the.t I could be hungry, I should not have recourse world, men sought to buy God's favour by to man ; for the world is mine, e.nd the ful- their sacrifices, some. believing that, phy- ness thereof-and I should have recourse sically, the gods were nourished by tlie to it. steam of the victims, others regarding them Ver. 13.-Will I ee.t the tlesh of bulls, or as laid under obligations which they could dr'..nk the blood of goats 1 But is it to be supposed, cnn any suppose it possible, lbat not disregard (Plo.to, 'Rep.,' ii. § vi.; Raw- I, the Lord of" heaven and earth, the in- linson, 'Religions of the Ancieut World,' visible Author of all things, both visible and pp. 124, 125). We know, too, tho.t, in the invisible, can need material sustenance, and later monarchy,sacrifiee io so great an extent can condescend to find auy enstene.nce in snperseled true spixitnal worship among bulls' flesh and goats' blood? Scarcely did even the grossest of the heathen take this the Israelites themselves, that it became an view. A vapour, e.n odour (,cvl<Tcr'71), was offence to God, and was spoken of in terms thought to a.seen(! from the victims sncri- of reprobation (Isa. i. 11-13; !xvi. 3). ficed, and this penetrated to the Olympia.u .Already, it would seem, this tendency was abodes, e.nd gi·atificd, or, e.s some would manifesting itself, and a wnrning from say, "fed" the gods. But such coarse feed- ing as that suggested in the text wo.s hardly Heaven was needed against it. imagined by e.uy, unless it were by uttor Ver. 7.-Hear, 0 my people, e.nd I will eava;;es and ba1·barians. speak. God will not speak to deaf ears. Ver. 14.-0ffer unto God thanksgiving. Unless men are ready to attend to him, he The one offering accepto.ble to God is praise keeps silence. 0 Israel, and I will testify e.nd thanksgi viug out of e. pure heart. This aglllllBt thee; or, proteBt unto thee (Kay, was designed to be the e.ccompa.nirueot of Cheyne). I am God, even thy God. Alld a.II sacrifice, a.nd was the ground of uccepte.• therefore am enLitled to be heard, bility in every case whero so.crifice was Ver. 8.-I will not reprove thee for thy acceptable. And pay thy vows unto tha sa.crifloes or thy bnmt offerings. It is for Most High; i.e. "and so pay thy vows." Bo no neglect of the outward ritual of religion offer thy worship, and it will bo accepted. -of sacrifice and offering-that I ha.vu to Ver. 15.-And call upon me in the de.y of rsprove thee. To Lave been continually be- trouble (comp. Ps. xx. 1). I will deliver fore me; rather, they ha:,,e been continually thee, and thou &halt glorify me. The mco.n- iefore me. I Lave he.d enough of them. and iug is, "'l'hen, when thou shal t offer unto to spare. Not only have the daily morn- me a true worship (vcr. 14), if lhou wilt call ing and evening sacrifices been regulal'ly upon me in the dny of trouble, I will as• offered, and the national worship thus kept euredly deliver thee, o.nd so givo thee occo.- up wiLhout o. break; but lite private offer- sion for glorifying mo." ings of individuals (see vera. 9, 13) ha.ve been coutinuona and ample in number. V ors. 16-21.-While even the more godly Dut they have not been acceptable, among tho Israelites ha.vo been thus, to i.  PB, L. 1-23.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 881