EXPOSITION. and Canon Cook. The probable dato of the PSALM LV. psalm is the time of .A.bsalom's rebellion. Tms psalm has been assignecl to Jeremiah Do.vid, still o. dweller at Jorusalcrn (vors. by llitzig, and by others to an unknown 9-11), has become o.wo.re of tho conspimcy writer of the seventh century B.c. But no which has been formed against him (vers. solid grounds have been shown for setting 3-8), o.nd of the pl\rticipo.tion in it of his aside the lratlitionary evidence of the" title," "familiar friend," Ahithophol (vers. 12-1-1:), which ascribes it to David. It is Davitlio llo is already contemplating flight from in its depth of feeling, in its o.\Jrupt trnn- J orusalem (vers. 6-B), since he knows tho.t sitions (vors. 9, 15, 20), and in its reference his enemies seek his life (ver. 4). Untlcr to a faithless friend, who is the chief cause these circumstances, he pours out his soul of the wl"iter's sutrurings (vers. 12-14, 20, to God, first depicting in eight verses (veTt1. 21; oomp. Pa. xii. 9). The Do.vidio author- 1-8) bis desperate condition and longing ebip is accepted by Hengstenberg, Dr. Ko.y, for deliverance ; then, in seven verses (ver11. 414: THE BOOK OF PSALMS [re. LV, 1-23.
9-15), desClribing the pre'l'ailing wicked- which finds an echo in almost every human ness and ungodliness; and finally, in eight breast, anti tho expression of it here ho.s all verses (vers. 16-23), giving vent to a feel- the beauty of the best Eastern poetry. Jeremiah's words are fl\r tamer, "Oh that ing of confidence that God will come to hie I had in the wildcrncs.i a lo,lging-plo.ee of nid in answer to his earnest prayers, "afi1ict" wayfaring men, that I mi.~ht lcnvo my hie enemies, a.nd rescue him from their people, o.nd go from them I " ]!'or then hands. wcu!d I :tl.y away, and be at rest. The desire of "rest" is uuiverso.l. WI.rnlevcr Ver. 1.-Give ear to my prn.yor, 0 Cod; the delights of o.ctiou, they co.n only charm and hide i:o: thyself from my supplication us for a. time. In our hearts we are al wuys ( comp. Ps. !iv. 2; and, for the sec-0nd clause, longing to havo doue with o.etion, und to sec Pss. xiii l; XXYii, 8; lxix. 17; lnxi.x. be o.t resl:. 4G. etc.). Ver. 7.-Lo, then would I wander far off, Ver. 2.-Attend unto me, and hear me. o.nrl remain in the wilderness; rather, and A very special nePd is indic-ated by these lodge in the wilderness. DoYes, ring-doves, ionr peLitions to be heard (vers. 1, 2). I and others, aro abuudant in Palestine, nncl mourn in my complaint, and maka a nGiss ; frequent wild o.DCl rocky pla.ccs, far from ihe rather, I u:ander in my musing, and moan haunts of man. Speaking of a rocky gorge aloud. •· I 'IS"ander," i.e. "from one sad near the Lake of Genuesaret, Ca.non 'fris- thought to another" (Kay); aud, unable to trnm snys, "But 110 drseription can give constrain myself, I give vent to moanings. an adequate idea of the myriads of rock- Oricn 1nls are gi.-en to open displays of their pigeous. lu absolute crowds they dashed gi-i<cf (Herod., viii. 99; 1Eschylus, • Persre,' to and fro in the r11vine, wlirling round 1ws.,im). with a rush and a whirr that coui<l be felt Yer. 3.-Eecame of the voice of the enemy, like a gust of wind" (' Land of Israel,' p. because of the oppression of tha wicked. 446). l'rofcasor Cheyne s,1ys that by" the wicked" Ver. 8.-I would bastcn my escape frcm heathen rnen are primarily intended. But the windy storm and tempest. As cloves i;til -the word used-is" the wicked mo.n," fly from storm and tempe:i!t to their nests in in tbe simplest and widest sense (see Pss. i. the rocks, so the pe11lmist would fa.in haste 1, 4, 5, 6; vii. 9; ix. 16, etc.). For they a.wo.y from the passions and pierils of the cast iniquity upon me; or, •• hurl wicked- city to some safe refuge in the wilds. What neas at me'' (Cheyne). And in wrath they he here anticipates, he o.fterwar,:s accom- hate me; rather, they persecute me (Heng- plished, when he flecl from Absalom over steuberg, Kay, Cheyne, Revisecl Version). Jordan (2 Sa.m. xv. 14). Ver. 4.-:My heart is 60:e pained within me. Tl:e attacks of hie eneu,ies (ver. 3) Vers. 9-15.-Witb a. eudclcu lrnn;;ilion, deeply grieve aud pain the heart of tbe the writer passes from hie own sufferings, psalmist. It is not as if they were foreigners, foars, and longings, to imprecations on his whose hostility was to be expected. They enemies, and a description of their wicked nre his own countrymen; one of them is his proceedings. In the course of his dcscri1,tion own familiar friend (vtr. 12). Yt:t they he singles out one inclividua\ for specio.l threaten his life. And the terroro of death ara fallen upon me. When a. king is the remo.rk-one who ho.cl been Lis own guide, object of a oonepirar.y, he well knows, companion, aDCI friend-but who had turneu especially in the East, that nothing but hie against hiru, and joined the company of his ,!eath will sa.tisfy the conspirators. So on adversaries (vers. 12-14). D.,v:id, long before he made up hie mind to <Jnit Jernealem (2 Sam. xv. 1-1), the "terrors Ver. 9.-Destroy, 0 Lord, o.nd divida their c,f death" must hare fallen. tongues. 'l'bo sccoutl clause eoutuins o. Yer. 5.-Fearfulness a.ud trembling are reference to the confusion of tongu0s at oo:ne upon me, and horror ha.th overwhelm~d Bo.be! (Gen. ii. 7). "Introduce confusion me. A graphic description of the feelings into their oouusels, ancl di~perse the1u, 1u which the apprehension of death naturally thou di,Jst with the wickccl ones who were excites in a man. Where the expectation forced to leave off to build the Tower." For of a life Leyoud the grave was so dim and I hava seen violonce and strife in the oity. shadowy as in Judaia at tllie time, the Such quarrels and broils, i.e., as u~uully "horror" of death would be the greater. prcceue revolutionary disturba.nce. Ver. 6.-A.nd I said, Oh that I cad wings Ver. 10.-Day and night they go nl:out like a. dove! The beauty of this passage it upon the walls tharaof. "It is n,,t o. has sunk deep iuto the ()l,ristian heart. sic"e or blockade that is deooribcu; und the Grco.t oomposcre have set to it some of their pe;sone spoken of are not foreign, but nntivo 111ost exquisite music. 'f4e uesuc is one e~e1.0ic11, 'l'hcse l\re comvarcll to wa\c4mer:i l'B. LV, 1-23.] 'l'IlE BOOK OF PSALMS. 415