EXPOSITION. they marched to the trial of tire in the PSALM LXVIIL Piazza. of Florence. While some critics Tms psalm is one of triumphant praise assign it to the post-Captivity period and jubilation, the crown nnd gem of tLe (Ewald. Cheyne), the greater number, and Second Book. Professor Cheyne calls it tho moot acute (Bottichor, Hitzig, Heng- " a patriotic. nnd religious ode of wondrous stenberg, K11y, Dean Johnson, etc.) see iii range nnd compasP, and w the grandest it one of the earliest, ns well as the most styk." He also notea that it was a favourite beaulHul, specimens of Hebrew poetry. witL the H ugufnots, who called it "The The ascription to David, whieh we find iu SoJ.Jg of Battles," and that it was chanted the •• title," is by these critics accepted 11s by Envnnarola and Lis brother monks as fully bome out by the contents. The PB, J,XVIII, 1-35,] TIIE BOOK OF PSALMS. 43
onlique lo,ngnoge, the impressive descrip- cleeerts (Hengstcnberg, Kay, Doan Johnson, tions, the fresh powerrul tone of the poetry, Professor Cheyne, Revised Version). The the lyrio emotion which porvoclee the ode, imnge is that or a kin.,. travelling throu"h u. waste, for whom a w;y was made bPfo:'e- nncl mo.kee it live, nro nil worthy of the han,I (comp. Isa. xl. 3; xlix. 11). By his "sweet penlmist of lsmel," nncl of him na.me Jah; rather, Jah is his Name. "Ja.h '' nlone omong known Hebrew composers -the shortened form of" Jehovah "-occurs of hymns. Whether it can be probo.b]y ~rat in the Song o~ Moses (Exo<l. xv. 2). It 1s repealed here m ver. 18, and recnra in OSJigned to any special periocl in David's l80.. xxvi. 4. Dr. Kay snggests that "it lifo ie clieputcd, but Hengstenborg's sug- represents the crmcentratwn of God's redeem- gestion tb11t it celobro.tecl the fino.1 victory ing power and love." And rejoice before in tho Ammonitic war, ond the capture of him (comp. ver. 3). Ro.bbo.h (2 So.m. xii. 26-31), seems to Ver. 5.-A father of the fatherless, and a deserve mention. judge of the widows, is God. A defender, i.e., of the oppressed o.nd downtrodden The psalm has been variously divided, but (comp. Isa. i. 17). In his holy habitation. may beet be considc1·ed o.s consisting of five The heavenly and not the earthly dwelling- portions: 1. An inLroduction (vers. 1-6), place -wlielher tabernacle or temple- in which God ie prnieed on general grounds. seems to be intend~d. Go,l from his holy 2. Praise of God for his doings o.t Sinai and seat in the highest heaven pour3 down hi3 in the wilderness (vers. 7-10). 3. Praise grace and mercy, his defence and protection, on all those who specially need his aid. of God for the conquest of Cane.an, and the Ver. 6. - God setteth the solitary in series of victories terminating in tho full families j or, in a hnme; i.e. give~ "solitary establishment of D.ivid's rule (vers. 11-23). ones "-outcasts, wanderers-a home to 4. Praise of God in connection with his dwell in. '.rhe reference is to the settlement sanctuary (vers. 24 - 27). 5. Prophetio of the nomadic Israelites in CanBBn. He bri.ngeth out those which are bound (see Pa. announcement of future triumphs (vers. cxlvL 7, "The Lord looseth the prisoners;" 28-35). and compare the many references to the "bondage" of Israel in Egypt). The Exoilus Ver. 1.-Let God arise, let his enemies be is glanced at, but not exclusively. God acattered; let them Blao that hate him flee " brings men out" from the tyranny of before him. Comp1u-o the chant with which worldly oppressors, of ghostly enemies, and the ark set forth in the wil,lemees, "Rise of their own lusts nnd sins. With cha.in■; up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered ; rather, into pro.,perity (Hengstenberg, KrLy, and let them that hate thee flee before thee" Cheyne, Revised Version). But the re- (Numb. x. 35). Buth utterances are ex- bellious dwell in a dry land._ Rebels 11gainst pressions of confidence, that, whonevor God God are not "bronght out." They are left arises, hie enemies will be scattered and to dwell iu the " dry I.,ud " of their own dispersed before him. Neither refers to any impenitenceaudself-will(comp. Numb. xiv. one special occasion. 29-35). Ver. 2.-As amoke is driven away, so drive them away. As clouds of smoke are Vere. 7-10.-In the central portion of dispersed and driven away by the wind, iho pso.lm, frum ver. 7 tv ver. 28, God is ond totally disappear, so let God, whenever hie enemies congrcga te, scatter and disperse praised for his doings in connection with th<:1 them, and reduce them to nothingness. As history of Israel; nnd, first of o.11, in the wax melteth .beforo the fire, 10 let the present passage, for h.is doings at Sinai and wicked perish at the presenoe of God. As in the wilderness. smoke vanishes, so wax entirely melts away and disappears before a hot fire (comp. Pss. Ver. 7.-0 God, when thou wentest forth xxii. 14; xcvii. 5). before thy people (see Exod. xiii 20-22). Ver. 3.-But let the righteous be glad; The present verse l\lld the next a.re an echo let them rejoice beforo God : yea, let them of tho Song of Deborah (Judg. v. 4, 5), exoeedingly rejoice. When the wicked arc "Lord, when thou wentest out uf Sdr, wheu destroyed, the righteous receive relief, and thou marchedst out of the field of E<lom, cannot but rejoico at God's goodness to them the enrt.h tremblod, and the heavens dropped, (comp. Pss. lii. 6; !viii. 10; 1:,;iv. 7-10, eto.). the clouds also dropped water; the moun- Ver. 4.-Bing unto God, sing praises to tains melted from before the Lord, even thllt his Name (comp. Ps. h:iv. 4): extol him Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel." that ridoth upon the heavens. This passage When thou didst march through the wilder- is now generally transfoted, Cast up a ness, 'fho entiro mrLrch from Ethcuu to 1,ighwuy jot hi,n that rideth through Iha Pisgah is iu the poet's miml; but ho can 44 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [rs. LXVIll. 1-35.