Vere, 8-19.-The poet, to excite God's (or, hef' ,hoots, Revised Version) unto the compBeeion, proceeds to depiot Israel ae it river, The Euphrates (see Gen. xv. 18; l Kings iv. 21, 24). wae ond as it is, He adopts the figure of Ver, 12.-Why hast thou tbeu broken o vine, perhe.ps suggested to him by the down her hedges 1 or, hef' fences. Vine- description of Joseph in tho dying speech yards in the East were fenced roun,t with of Jacob (Gen. xlix, 22), oud ce.rries out we.lie (see Isa. v. 5). Bo all they which pass bis metaphor, in nine consecutive verses, by the way do pluck her; i.e. "pluck off her grapes "-ravage her e.nd plunder her with greBt beauty and consistency. Isaiah's (comp. Pa. lxxxix. 10, 41). description of Israel o.s o. vineyard (lso., v. Ver. 13.-The boar out of the wood doth 1-7) is somewhe.t similar. we.ate it, The "boar out of the wood," i.e. the wild hoar-is probably Tiglath-pileser Ver. 8.-Thou hast brought a vine out of (2 Kings xv. 2()), or the Assyrian power Egypt. The history of Israel as a nation generally. And the wild beast of the field begins with tl10 Exodus. The nation was doth devour it. Other beasts, i.e. other transplanted from Egypt into a. soil better enemies of Israel, join in e.nd share in fitted for it by the loving hand of God, in the plundering (see above, ver. 6, and order that it might ho.ve o.mple room to comp. Jer. v. 6). grow up o.nd develop itself freely. God Ver. 11.-Return, we beseech thee, 0 God "brought it out of Egypt," not merely in of hosts ; i.e. "come be.ck to us, to be our the exercise of his ordinary providence over Helper and Defender." Look down from bume.nity, but by o.n active exertion of hie heaven, and behold. Condescend to "look Almighty power, o.nd o. long series of down" upon us "from heaven," thy miraculous manifeste.tioos, witllout which dwelling-place, and "behold "-take note the tre.usfer could not have been effected, of our condition, see how we suffer, 110d He then cast out the heathen, and ple.nted thou wilt be sure to visit this vine; i.e. to it-drove out, that is, before Israel the "visit" it, not in wro.th, but in loviog-kind- seven nations of the Hivites, Hittites, ness and compassion-to "vi..;it it with thy Gcrgashitcs, Amorites, Canaanites, Periz- salvation" (Ps. cvi. 1). zites, and Jcbusiles, and, having driven Ver. 15.-And the vineyard which thy them out, "plltnted" in his own people right hand he.th planted; rather, the stock. (see Ps. xliv. 2), (So Kay, Cheyne, and the Revised Version.) Ver. 9.-Thou prepe.redat room before it. Some, however, regard nR o.s a verb, and The "room" was me.de by the removal of translo.te, "Establish that which thy right tile heathen inhabitants, who were first he.nd ho.s planted" (see the LX.X., Michaelil!, greatly weakened by Re.mesee III., and then Hupfeld, Canon Cook, o.nd others). And drivcu out by Joshua.. And didst cause it the bre.nch that thou madest strong for to take deep root; rather, and it took deep thyself; litere.lly, the son, which may mee.n ,-oot, e.s in the Ilcvised Version. And it the offshoot ( comp. Gen. xlix. 22). fa this filled the land (comp, Deut. xi. 24; Josh. i. offshoot Ephraim? or is the entire vine, all 3). Possession was taken of the wholo Israel, intended? lllnd, not at oncie (Judg. i. 27-36), but Ver, 16.-It is burned with fire, it is cut slowly aud surely; the furthest limits down. The flames of war have begun to being reached in David's time (1 Kings iv. consume it-it is no longer 11 vine, out mere 21, 21). fuel ( comp. Isa, xxxiii. 12), reody to be Ver. 10.-The hills were covered with the burned. They perish at the rebuke of thy shadow of it. The "hills" intended are countenance. Here the metaphor is dropped. probably those of the south-the hill The climnx he.s been reached, and the oountry of Judo.h-sincie the clauses which matter is too serions for rhetorical treat- follow designate the boundaries towards ment. The nation typified by the vine, the north, west, o.nd east. (So Hengstcn- the Israel of God, is perishing-perishing berg, Kay, Professor Cheyne, e.nd others.) "nt the rebuke of God's couutenonce " - And the boughs thereof were like the goodly because his favour is withdr11wn from them. cedars; rather, and the goodly cedar trees. Unless God steps in to save, destruction is were coDered with their branches. 'l'he cedars certn.in. • of Lebanon ore intouded. '£hey marked Ver. 17.-Let thy he.nd be upon the man the boundary-line on the north. The of thy right hand, Either upou Israel pse.lmist calls them "cedars of God," by generully, or upon Ephraim-the northern a. strong, but not unprecedented (Pa. x.x.xvi. kiugdom - especially. A Judrean poet 6), hyperbole. interceding for the rival state, is touching, Ver, 11.-Bhe sent ont her boughs unto Upon the son of man whom thou me.dest the see.. The Meditcma.ne11n : the western strong for thyself (comp. ver. 15 a.ud the boundary of the land. And her branohes comment), 168 THE BOOK OF PSALMS, [PB. LUX. 1-19,
Ver. 18.-So will not ft go baok from Ver. 19.-Tum u again, 0 Lord God of thee ; i.e. " we 11he.ll not go be.ok from hoata, oe.u■e thy faoe to shine ; and we shall thee any more." Gratitude for our defo·er- be aaved, The pse.lm is closed by the e.noe will bind us fa.et to thy eervioe. refre.in in its third and most llerfeot form. Quicken ua (comp. Hos. vi. 2). The prayer First we had, "Turn us agam, 0 God" ie for naf:i.one.l re.ther than spiritual life- (ver. 8); then, "Turn us age.in, O God of for e. reoovery from the destruction which hoetl!" (ver. 7); now, "Turn us again, 0 he.s Rlmost come upon them (ver. 16). And Lord God-of hosts "-the appeal to God we will oe.11 upon thy Ne.me; i.e. we will continually increasing in intensity. He.ving be fa ithfnl to thee henceforth ; we will not made hie third appenl by the covenant go e.fter other gods, but "co.II upon" thee, Na.me, the psalmist seems to feel that he and thee only. The poet makes him.self has done all that he oe.n, and desists. the spokesme.n of the whole ne.tion,