Vers. 1-10.-Danger and faith. The psalm was probably written by David at the court of Saul. I. DANGER. (Vers. 2-G.) 1. To character. From slander. 2. To life. (Ver. I.) From secret plot;; and conspiracies. II. FAITH IN GoD. 1. Expressed in pr,1yer for protection. 2. That God will destroy the plots of hi6 enemies. (Vers. 7, 8.) "'l'hCJ Divine judgment jij now painted as if actually fulfi.lliug itself before the very eyes of the psalmist." III. THE SALUTARY EFFECTS OF GoD'S RETRIDUTIVE PROVIDENCE, 1. Upon the companions of the wicked. (Ver. 8.) '!'hey shake thCJ head, or flee away, so that tht:y become separate and scattered. 2. Up:m men generally. (Ver. 9.) They shall declare the work of God, and consider his doings. 3. Upon the righteous. 'l'hey shall trust, r<joice, an.J glory in the Lord, in hi.I! righteousness and goodness.-S.
EXPOSITION. qualities: (1) as Hearer of prayer (ver. 2): PSALM LXV. (2) as Pardoner of sin (ver. 8) ; (8) ae Giver Tms is a song of unmixed praise and thank- of blessings in his courts (ver. 4); and (4) fulneu. God is first praised for liia moral as Deli l'erer of his people from their enomiea PB, LXV. 1-13.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 29
(vcr. 5). Next, God is pro.iecd for Ma might ca.useet to a.pproa.oh unto thee, that he may nnd mnjesty in nnture (vers. 6-8). Lo.stly, dwell in thy courts. Among the peculiar ho is praised for hiJ goodness o.nd bounty privileges, one of the greatest was that of in connection with the harvest (vers. 9-13). approaching God's presence in his holy temple, and fntering his "courts" and Metricnlly, the pealm seems to consist of worshipping there. 'l'his e.11 Lraelites were three strophes, the first nnd second of four not only permilte,1, hnt commanded to rlo, versos rnch, the third of five. at ]past three times in the year, wl,ile the The Do.vh.licnl nuthorship, though as- dwellers in Jerusnlcm, privileged ahove the serted in tho "title," is snmewhnt doubtful. rest, had constant opportunities of attending, o.ud using to tl,e full the meo.ns of g-rnce The mention of the temple, o.ud espccio.lly provided for them in the ,anctuar:.-. We of lho "courts" of the temple, seems to shall be satisfied with the gcodness of thy imply o. later do.te thnn Daviil's. And the house, even of thy holy temple. In "the psalm cannot be said to be in his manner, goodness of Gorl's house" the p,almist since it is too easy, flowing, and equable, includes, not only the delights there ex- perienced, bnt also all the blessings which The conjecture which places the date soon God gives to those who devoutly worship after Senuacl1erib's invasion (Dditzsou) is him there-" from the forgiveness of sins to plo.usible, but still quite uncertl\in. outward, temporal mercies" (Hcngstenberg). v.,r, 5.-By terrib'.e tbings in righteous- Ver. 1.-Pre.ise waiteth for thea, 0 God, ness (i.e. "by tcrriLle acts of righteons in Zio:i.; litero.lly, the,·e is silence-praise ju<lgment upon onr enemies") wilt thou (equivalent to·• silent praiso ") for thee, 0 az:;swer us. Thi; is a sequel to ver. 2. As God, in Zion. Thero was, for the most part, God hears prayer and answers it, so when e. hushed silence in the tabernacle and his people cry to him for protection and temple, amid wllich silent prayer and praise ddiverance from their foes, the result can were offered to God by the priests and only be righteou.~ juclgmcnts of a fearful Levites, and nny lay persons who might be character upon the persecutors. 0 God of present (comp. I Sam. i.13). And unto thee our salvation; i.e. God through whom we shall the vow be performed. When there obtain salvation. Who art the confidence of was any specio.l outpouring of praise in the a.11 the ends of the earth (see the comment temple, there would nlmost LLlwo.ys be a. on ver. 2, and comp. ver. 8). And of them performance of vows. Doth depended on that are afar off upon the sJa; literally, somo deliverance, or favour having been and of the sea of those afar off. The reeding granted. is, perhaps, corrnpt. Ver. 2.-0 thou tha.t hea.rast prayer. A necessary and inalienable nttribute of God. Vera. 6-8.-God having been praised for Calvin rightly obserrns on the pa.ssage: his more.I qualities, is now further eulogized •• God can no more divest himself of his in respect of his doings in nature. The attribute of hearing pro.yer than of being." trnto thee sha.ll all flesh come. '• All flesh" mount.iins stt forth his majesty and perma- might certainly, in a psalmist's mouth, mean nence (.er. 6); the seas e.n,l we. vcs, his no more tho.n "all Israel" (so Ewald ond power to control o.nd subdue (ver. 7); the Hitzig). But the context ( especially in outgoings of the morning and evening- Yers. 5 and 8) shows tho.t in this psalm the sunrise and sunset-his gro.cious loving- writer is uni verso.list in his idens, and embraces all mankind in hie hoi,es and kindness (ver. 8). aspiro.tions (comp. Pas. xxii. 27, 28; lxxxvi. Ver. 6.-Which by his strength setteth 9; Isa.. lx:d. 23; Jer. xvi. 19; Joel ii. 28). fast the mountains (comp. Pss. xxxvi. 6; Ver. 3.-lniquities prevail age.inst me, xcv. 4; Amos iv. 13). The mountains are Not so much, perhaps, his own iniquities, a.s o.n emblem of God's strength and firmness those of hie nation. Compare the expression, o.nd fixedness. They stand up iu still o.nd "our tranegrE"esions," in the next clause. silent majesty; they seem o.s if they could As for our trangressions, thou she.It purge never be ruornd. He who crcutecl them them away; or, cover them. must Lo girded with power (comp. Pa. Ver. 4,-l!lessed is the man whom thou xciii. 1). ohoosest, The "choosing" intended is Ver. 7.-Which etilleth the noise of the certl\inly not lhot of the seed of Aaron seas. The power of God, as set forth in his (Lev. viii. 1), or of the seed of Levi (~umb. control of the sea., is a favourito topic with xviii. 21-23), but that a.et by which God the sacred writers (see Job xxxviii. 8; " chose" Israel out of all the nations of the Prov. viii. 29; Isa. 1. 2; li. 10; J er. v. 22, earth to be "o. special people unto himself" etc.). Being so entirely beyond his own (Deut. vii. 6), and gave them a distinot control, it seems to mau one of the greatest position, and peculiar privileges. And of marvels that there should be auy foroe 30 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PB, LXV. 1-13,