The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 2 — Section 63

luxuries aronnd them, seem to stand out the last, the words, "and I said ; " which from their fat and bloo,ted fo.oes (comp, Job is correct, though somewhat free, exegesis. xv. 27; Ps. xvii. 10), They have more Compare with the expression, "I have than heart oould wish; literally, the imagi- washed my hands in innocenoy," Job's re- nations of their hearl 01Jer}l1Jw, The exact markable words, "If I wash myself with meaning is doubtful. snow, and make my b11,nds never so clean" Ver. 8.-They are oorrupt, and apeak (Job ix. 80). wiokedly concerning oppression: they apeak Ver. 14.-Jl'or all the day long have I loftily ; rather, they scoff, and speak wickedly; been plagued. While the ungodly have of oppression do they speak from heaven's prospered, and not been plagued at all 11eight; i.e. "they scoff at the righteous, ( ver. 5), I, the representative of the right- and speak wickedly concerning them ; they eous, have been "plagued," or afflicted, talk of the oppressive acts which they continually. What, then, does goodness meditate, as though they were Divine advantage me? And chastened every morn- beings, spanking from the heavenly height'' ing; literally, and my chastisement has beea (Cheyne). eTJery morning (comp. Job vii. 18). Ver. 9.-They set their mouth against Ver. 15.-It I say, I will speak thus; the heavens. So Hupfeld and Co.non Cook, behold, I should ofrend against the genera- who understand the expression of blas- tion of thy children; or, if I had said phemy; but most modern critics translate, (Revised Version). If, when these feelings "They have set their mouth in the e.sea.iled me, and the lot of the ungodly heavens," and regard the meaning as nearly man seemed to me much better than my allied to that of the second clause of the 9wn, I ha.d reeol ved to speak out all my preceding verse, "They speak as though thoughts, a.nd let them be genera.Hy known, they were inhabitants of the heavens." And then should I ha.ve dealt treachnously with. their tongue walketh through the earth. (Revised Version) the generation of thy chil- Their tongue is always busily employed- dren. I should have deserted their cause; boRSting (ver. 8), lying, backbiting. I should have hurt their feelings; I should Ver. 10.-Therefore his people retum have put a stumbling-block in their way. hither; rather, therefore he turns his people Therefore, the psalmist implies, he said hitherward; i.e. by his great pretensions nothing-a reticence well worthy of imita- and his audacity, he (the wicked man) tion. turns hie followers to his own courses, and Ver. 16.-When I thought to know this; induces them to act es he acts. And waters literally, and I meditated, that I might of a full cup are wrung out to them; rather, understand this, A process of careful and waters in abundance are drained by thought and consideration is implied, dur- them. They "drink iniquity like water" ing which the psalmist tried ha.rd to under- (Job xv. 16), "draining" the cup which stand the method of God's government, e.nd is handed to them. to explain to himself its seeming anomalies. Ver. 11.-And they say, How doth God Bnt be sa.ys, It was too painful for me. He know t Their wickedness breeds scepti- did not succeed ; he was baffled e.nd per- cism in them. They wish God not to plexed, and the whole effort was a. pain and know, and therefore begin to question a grief to him. whether he does or can know (comp. Ps. Ver.17.-Until I went into the sanctuary x. 4, 11, 18), And is there knowledge in of God; literally, the sanctuaries (comp. the Most High! Does God concern him- Pse. lxviii. 85; lxxxiv. 1; c:uxii. 7), The self at all with the things that take place three subdivisions of both the tabernacle on earth (comp. Ps. xciv. 7)? Is not man and the first temple, viz. the court, the too weak aud contemptible to attract his holy place, e.nd the holy of holies, con- attention? stituted three sanctuaries. The psalmist, Ver. 12.-:Behold, those are the ungodly, in his perplexity, took his doubts into the who prosper in the world ; rather, and they snnctuary of God, and there, "iu the calm- prosper always. They increase in riches, ness of the sacred court" (Kay), recon- Thie is the impression which the pse.ltnist sidered tho hard problem. Compare Hezc- has received from the geneml course of kiah's action with the perplexing letter of human affairs in hie day. It is closely Bennache1·ib (2 Kings xix. H). Then nllied to the view tRken by Job (xxi. understoo:i I their end. There came to him 7-15). in the sanctuary the thought that, to judge , Ver. 18.-Verily, I have cleansed my a.right of the happiness or misery of any heart in vain, and washed my hands in man, it is necessary to a.wait the end (comp.. innooency. Buch WRB the psalruiet's first Herod., i. 32; Soph., 'CEd. Tyr.,' ad fin.; instinctive feeling, when he noticed the Eurip., 'Androme.ch.,' 1. I 00; A.ristot.,' Eth. prosperity of the wiolced. The Prayer- Nie.,' i. 10). book Version inserts, between this verse and Ver. 18.-Surely thau didet sat them up  72 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [ PS. LXl'.llt. 1-28.