of proiee) and will especially exalt God's thought, in good condition. But it has righteousness. "Jehovah," as Professor been pointed out, very justly, that the Cheyne observes, "is equally righteous fortifications of Jernsalem were not complete when he sends and when he removes chastisements." in David's time, 1md that both he and Ver. 15.-0 Lord (not Jehovah but Solomon ndded considerably to them (2 Sam. .Adonai), open thou my lips; and my ~outh v. 9; 1 Kings iii. 1 ; ix. 15, 19). David shall show forth thy praise. A sense of his may well have thought that, as 11, punish- ~uilt ~as_long kept the pc;almist's lips closed. ment for his sin, God might interfere with Le~ his srns be forgiven, and his conscience the work which he was doing for the benefit rcheved, th~n praise and thauksgiving will flow from his mouth freely and copiously. of his people, and hence have felt it needful Yer. 16.-For thou desirest not sacrifice; to pray, "Do good unto Zion: build thou else would I give it. If there hnd been the walls of Jerusalem." any sacrifices which God desired or required for ~uch offences as adultery aud murder, Ver. 18.-Do good in thy good pleasure David would ham willingly offered them. unto Ziou. It is characteristic of David to But there were none. As Hammond pass from pmyer for himself to prayer for. observes, "The llfosaical Law allows no the people committed to him, and especially· reconciliation, no sacrifice, for such sins." to do so at or near the end of a psalm Thou delightest not in burnt offering. In (see Pea. v. 11, 12; xxv. 22 ; xxviii. 9; the mere act of sacrifice-the untimely slay- xl. 16). And he closely connects-nay, ing of his own creatures-God could at no identifies-the people with their capital time have had any pleasure. His satis- city (see Pss. xlvL 4; xlviii. 11: lxix. 35, faction could only arise from the spirit in etc.). :Build thou the walls of J' erusalem. wl,ich sacrifices were offered-the gratitude, Josephus says that David encompassed the devotion, self-renunciation, obedience, of whole city of Jerusalem with walls (' Ant. those who approached him with them (comp. J ud.,' vii. 3, § 2) ; and we are told, in the Pss. xl. 6; I. 8-13; Isa. i. 11-17, etc.). Second Book of Samuel, that he "built Ver. 17.-The sacrifices of God; i.e. the round about from Millo and inward." It sacrifices which God really values and has been argued that his walls were just desires. Are a broken spirit : a broken and approaohiug their completion at the time a contrite heart, 0 God, thou wilt not of his great sin (Chrietian Obser'Der, No. 333). despise. "The contrite heart," says Heng- Ver. 19.-Then aha.It thou be pleased with stenberg, "denotes deep but soft and mild the sacrifices of righteousness. "Then"- distress." It sets up no wild shrieklngs, when the walls are completed-thou shalt no howls, like thoso of Orient.ii fanatics. receive the public sacrifices which will But it nourishes a sorrow that is deep and naturally be offered on the accomplishment persistent. The joy on account of forgive- of such a work (Neh. xii. 43). And theso ness and restoration to favour does not sacrifices, offered willingly by 11:rateful exclude continued pain on account of past hearts, will be pleasing and acceptable unto sin. thee. With burnt offering, and whole bumt offering. Only the head, the fat, and certain Vere. 18, 19.-That this is an addition portions of the interior were ordinarily made to the original psalm, during the time burnt when a victim was offered (Lev. i. 8, 12; iii. 3, 4, etc.); but sometimes, when of the Baby Ionian exile, or later, for Ii turgi- the offerer's heart was full, and he desired cal purposes, has been maintained by a large to indicate its complete and undivided nnmber of the commentators who ascribe surrender to God, the entire victim was the rest of the psalm to David. The chief' consumed (see Hengstenherg, ad loo.). Then shall they offer bullocks npon thine altar. ground for the snpposition is the prayer Bullocks, or oxen, were offered on 1111 great in ver. I 8, "Build thou the walls of occasions (see 2 Sam. xxiv. 22-25; 1 Jerusalem," which has been supposed to Kings viii. 63; 1 Chron. xxix. 21 ; 2 Chron. imply that the walls were in rnins, whereas vii. 5 ; xxix. 32, 33; xxxv. 7, 9; Ezra vi, under David they should have been, it is 17, etc.),
HOMILE'l'ICS. Ver. 1.-The penitent's plea/or pardon. "Have mercy," etc. 'l'his psalm is like a page of autobiography written in the author•~ life-blood. It is, indeed, the utterance of what ver. 17 describes, "a broken and a contrite hen.rt." Nowhere in the Old Testament Scripturea do we find 50 profounrl depth and tenderness of penitence, joined PS. LI, 1-19.] THE BOOK OF PS.ALMS. 391