The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 2 — Section 117

(comp. ExNI. Ivi, S, where the leraelites Ver. 88.-Therefore their days did he rontm~t with their wretched life in the consume in vanity, and their years in wildern<>~s their life in Egypt, where they trouble, Their faithlessness wne punished a did eat brood ro the full"). by their forty yeo.rs of ve.iu and purposeless Ver. 26.-He ea.used a.n ea.st wind to blow wandering in the wildernes~, e.ud by the in the hea.ven: a.nd by his power he brought " troubl~" that befell them there. in the south wind. Here, 11.gain, tradition Ver. 84.-When he slew them, then they seems to spenk. The TIArrative in the sought him (comp. Ex.od. xxxii. 28, 35; Peut.at<>nch hns only, "There went forth xuiii. 4, 10; Numb. xi. 33; xvi. 48, 40, a ,oind from the Lord" (Numb. xi. 81). etc.). 'l'he repentance is not 111 we.ye noticed Ver. 27.-He rained flesh also upon them. in the llloeaio narre.tive, being, as it was, With the expression, "rained flesh," comp. short-Ii ved, if not oven feigued (ver. 86). Exod. xvi. 4, " Behold, I will rain bread But, no doubt, after each outpouring of the from heaven;" and see also Gen. xix. 24 Divine vengeanoe, thero was at lee.et some and Exod. ix. 23. All duet; i.e. •• as thick show of rcpentauoe, as noted in Exod. xxxiii. e.s dust" (Prayer-hook Version). The 4. And they returned--i.e. turned back quails lay '' as it were two cubits high" for from their evil courses-and inquired early tl.ie dist,rnce of a de.y's journey round a.bout after God; rather, eameatl'!f (Cheyne, Ca.non each ence.rnpment (see Numb. xi. 81). And Cook). fea.thered fowls like e.s the sand of the sea. Ver. 35.-A.nd they remembered that God The commonest image of muUiplicity (Gen. was their Rook; i.e. their strength and stay. xxii. 17; Dent. xxxiii. 19; Josh. xi. 4; The expression is first used of God in Deut. Judg. Yii. 12, etc.). xxxii. 4. And the high God their Redeemer Ver. 28.-And he let it fall in the midst (comp. Ps~. xix. 14; lxxiv. 2). of their camp. The quails "covered the Ver. 36.-Nevertheless they did flatter camp" (Exod. Ivi. 13). Round about their him with their mouth. The Revised Version habitations. They extended also round it is simpler and better, But they flattered him on every side (Numb. ri 81). will,, their mouth. All that they so.id or did Ver, 29.-Bo they did eat, a.nd were well when alarmed by some judgment of God's filled; i.e. ee.ted (comp. Numb. xi. 19, 20). was a mere pretence-an ottempt to For he ga.ve them their own desire; or, their "flatter" anti cozen God, and so win his 01Dn /u,st-tJw.t they lusted aft.er (Revised favour. And they lied unto him with their Version). tongues. They offered him a lip-service, Ver. 80.-They were not estranged from which was a" lie," a mere semble.nceof real their lust ; i.e. their lust was not yet religion. satiated-they were still indulging H. The Ver. 37.-For their heart was not right meat was yet in their mouths, still under• with him. It is the worship of the heart going me.etication, when- alone which God values (see Dent. x. 12 ; Ver. 31.-The wrath of God came upon Prov. iii. 1 ; xxili. 26, etc.). If the heart he them, a.nd slew the fattest of them (comp. not "right with God," our worship is Gn Numb. xi. 38, "While the flesh was yet offence to him. Neither were they stead- between their teEth, ere it was chewed, the fast in his covenant (comp. ver. 8). wrath of the Lord was kindled age.inst the Ver. 88.-Bnt he, being fnll of compas- people, a.nd the Lord swote the people with sion, forgave their iniquity. (Oo God's cc,m- a very great plague"). By "the fattest of paEsion, see Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7; Numb. xiv. them," we are to understand the strongest 18; Pee. ciii. 8; oxlv. 8.) And destroyed e.nd healthiest. And smote down the them not. The alln,ion is to such occasions chosen men of Israel; rather, the '!fOOTlg as ere noted in Exod. xxxii.10-14; Numb. men, as in the margin, "the ripened xiv. 12-20; xvi. 21, 45-50, when God was youths" (Cheyne). Here, again, the author on the point of destroying the whole people, adds touches which he has not obtained but relented at the intercession of Moses. from the Pentateuch. Yea, many a time tumed he his anger Ver. 32.-l'or all this they sinned still away, and did not stir up e.11 his wrath Neither gratitude for favours received (vers. (comp.Judg.ii.11-16; iii.8,9; iv.2,15; 13-17), nor alarm at puni.hments inflicted vi. 1-8, etc.). (ver. 81), had any effect on tile stiff-necked Ver. 39.-l!'or he remembered that they people ; despite of both, they "sinned still" were but fleah (comp. Gen. vL 3). Flesh (comp. vers. 40, 41, 56-58). And believed is wea.k, erring, frail-" in us, that is, in not for his wondrou works. Unbelief was our flesh, dwelleth no good thing" (Rom. e.t the root of their contumacy. They could vii.17)-God, therefore, who he.d made them not deny God's mighty work& in the _past, " flesh," had compassion on thtir wee.knees. but they did not e.ccept theme.a any evidence A wind that pasBeth away, and oometh not of his power to do other wighty work& in the again (comp. Job vii. 7). Man is a mere future (see ver. 20). passing breath-as light, os tlecting, GB tran- PB, I,XXVIII, 1-72,] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 127