The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 2 — Section 32

ye lands; liter11,lly, all tl1e earth-an invite.- the psalm. The people are called upon to tion to the wholo world to join in the joy praise God for o. recent deliverance from a or Ierncl, wherein they too ore inter~steu long period of sovere affliction and oppression (comp. Pe. lxv. 2, 5). . Ver. 2.-Slng forth the honour of hie ot the hand of enemies (vers. 8-12), and to 'Rame; mthor, tlie glory of hiB Name. Make join in the so.crifices which arc about to be hie proise glorious; or, recognize his glory offered to God in pnymont of the vows me.de in your pro.iao or him ; i.e. do not merely during the time of trouble (vere. 13-15). thank him for hie kindneEs to you pcr- As tbe writer e.scribes to himself both the sonolly, but magnify him for hie groatness making of the vows and the offering of the ond majesty. Ver. 3.-Se.y unto God, How terrible art sacrifices, he must have been the leader of thou in thy works! mther, llow terrible are the nation at the time of the oppression thy worlts I God's deliverances, wbile re- and of the deli vernnce. joicing the perrncuted, are "terrible" to Ver. 8.-0 bless our God, ye people; the persecutors. Through the greatness of literally, ye peopka-but tho plural form thy power shall thine enemies submit them- here oon scarcely point to the "nations," selves unto thee. God's enemies, compelled who have just been called, not 'ammim, bnt -ago.inst their will, have to submit them- goim (see ver. 7). And make the vo~~ o, selves, but it is II feigned submission (comp. his praise to be heard (comp. Pas. xxx111. _3; Pa. lxxvi. 12). cl. 5). The heartiness of the soul's devotion Ver. 4.-All the earth shall worship thee, was me.de apparent by the loudness of the e.nd shall sing unto thee ; they shall sing to voice. thy Ne.me (see above, ver. 1, and compare Ver. 9.-Which holdeth our soul in life ; the passages quoted in the comment ad loc.). rather, which BeUeth (or, haih Bet) our soul ia Dr. Kny notes that "the univeTSality or the life-implying a previotlll condition of great Church is clearly contemplo.ted" in all the danger. And au.Jf'ereth not our feet to be psalms from Pa. lxv. to Pe. lxviii. moved. In allnsion, perhaps, to II threatened Ver. 5.-Come and see the works of God. captivity. Contemplate, i.e., the terrible " works of Ver. 10.-l!'or thou, 0 God, hast proved us. God," spoken of in ver. 3. Bee. how, ~o The calamity had been sent as e. trial, to save his people, he hBB to a~mte the!r prove and purify (comp. Pas. vii. 9; xi. 5). enemies. 'fruly, on such occas10ne, _he 1s Thou hut tried us, as silver ia tried (comp. terrible in his doing toward the children Ps. xii. 6; Prov. xvii. 3; xxv. 4; Isa. i. 22, of men (compare the next verse for an 25; xlviii. 10; Zech. xiii. 9; Mai. iii. 3). example). Silver, according to ancient methods, re- Ver. 6.-He turned the sea into dry land: quired II proloaged process of refining bef?ro they went through the 11.ood on foot ; there it could be pronounced pure. The calamity did we rejoioe in him. The passage of the under which Israel had suffered had been Red Sea at the time of the Exodus was one of long duration. or the most wonderful of God's works. To Ver. 11.-Thou broughteat us into the the Isrneliles it was altogether II matter of net. Profes!or Cheyne translates "into the 0 joy and rejoicing (see Exod. xv. 1-21). dungeon." But m'trudah has nowhere else But how terrible II thing was it to the this meaning. It is always either "o. net" Egyptians I " The waters returned, and or "11 stronghold." Thou laidst a.fflic?on covered the chariots, nnd the horsemen, and upon our loins; or, a ,ore burden (Rev1Bed all the host of Pharaoh that came into the Version). The meaning is. "Thon crush- eel\ after them; there remnined not so much edst us down under II heavy weight of as one of them" (Exod. xiv. 28). oppression." Ver. 7.-He ruleth by his power for ever; Ver. 12.-Thou hast oauaed men to ride his eyes behold (or, obBenie) the nations. over our heads. Seo the Egyptian 11.lld God keeps perpetual watch ~pon th_e heathen Assyrian sculptures pa11i111, where t_he nations, whose general attitude 1a that ?f king in his chariot gnllops over the bodies hostility to his "peculiar people," lest lns or hi11 dead and wounded enemies. We people should suffer at their hands. Al- went through 11.re and through water; i.e. though they may professedly be submissive through dangers of every ki?:~-11 pro- (vor. 3), their submission is not to be de- verbial expression (comp. Isa. xliu. 2). But pended on. Let not the rebellious exalt thou broughtest us out into II wealthy themselves. At any time rebellion may place; :or, "a. place of refreshment" (eis break out, his people be attnoked, and "the c\.vc11j,uxlw LXX.). Dr. Kay renders, "11 nations " en den vour to "exalt themselves." placo of ~ich comfort; " Professor Cheyne, All such nttempts, however, will be in vain, "fl plaw of liberty " (comp. Ps. x::s.iii. 4 ond sinco "by hie J!OWer God ruloth for ever.• Jer. xxxi. 25). Ycra. 8-15.-Hore we ranch the heart of Ver. 13.-I will go into tlly houae with 36 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PS, Lr'irI, 1-20,