llis peopl<' does not make it @uperHuoue for reading hne the weight of &uthority in its them to entr<>at his attention. lie will lieten favour, and gives nn excellent sense, more favourably wh<·n besought to listen. "Bring all my heart into unison, thnt it Yer. 7.-In the day of my trouble I will may be wholly fixed on thee." Oomparo ~all npon thee (oomp. vers. l and 14). The the following verse. nature of tlte trou hie is not distinctl v stated; Ver. 12.-I will praise thee, 0 Lord my but it appears t-0 have been c1iused by God, with all my heart; i.e. " with 11n un- domestic ralh<>r than foreign enemies. For divided heart." .And I will glorify thy thou wilt answer me (comp. var. 5). Name (sec ver. 9) for evermore. A belief Ver. 8.-Among the gods there is none in immortality is implied, if not formally like onto thee, 0 Lord (see the Song of Moses, asserted. Exod. xv. 11). The imaginary gods of the Ver. 13.-For great is thy meroy toward heathen-not, perhaps, known to the psalm- me (see ver. 5). And thou hast delivered ist to be wholly imaginary-are probably my soul from the lowest hell The actual incant (comp. Pss. lxxvii. 19; lxxxix. 6; delheranoe was from death (ver. 14) ; but xcv. 3). Neither are there any works like death involve,! descent into Hades, so that unto thy works. So in Dent. iii. 24, "What those who were delivered from the one were god is there in heaven or in earth that can at the same time delivered from the other. <lo according to thy works?" The expression translated "the lowest hell" Ver. 9.-All nations whom thou hut made means no more than "Hades which is shall come and worship before thee, 0 Lord beneath the earth." No comparison is made ( comp. Pss. lxxii. 11, 17; lxxxiL 8, etc.). of one po.rt of Ho.des with another. Si11ce God had made all nations (Acts xvii. Ver. H.-0 God, the proud are risen 26), it wae safe to oonclude that they would against me (comp. Ps. oxix. 51, 69, 85, 122; all one day worship him. The prophecy, aud also Ps. liv. 3). And the assemblies of however, still remains nnfnlfilled. .And she.11 violent meu have sought after my soul; glorify thy Name. Either with their lips, or rather, a crew of violent ones have souah! in their lime, or in both ways. Compare the ajt,e,- my soul, o.r " plotted against my life " ,mticipations of Isaiah (!xvi. 23), Zephania.h (comp. Pss. vii. 1, 2; xvii. 13; xxxv. 3, 4, (ii. 10), and Zeche.rie.h (xiv. 9, 16). eto.). .And have not set thee before them; Ver. 10.-For thou a.rt great, &nd doest i.e. "have given no thought to God, or how wondrous things. The " greatness" of God, be would act, whether he would allow their in rcn.lity most clearly manifested by the wickedness or prevent it." facts of his ordinary providence, seems to Ver. 15.-But thou, 0 Lord, art a God fnll men iD general, as it seemed to this pse.lmist., of compassion. The appeal is to God's own espeoially indicated by the "wonders," or revelation of himself. He had declared "miracles "-niN1:>m-- which he wrought that he was " merciful and graoioos, long- ( comp. Exod. xv. 11; Pss. lw.i. 18; l..xxviL su:fferiDg, and abundant in goodness a11<l 14). Thon art God alone (see 2 Kings ili. truth, keeping mercy for thousands, for- 15; Isa. mviL 16; xliv. 6, 8). giving iniquity and transgression and sin" (Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7); he could not, therefore, Vera. 11-17.-Thethird strophe is almost desert the psalmist in his need. And equally divided between prayer and praise, gracious, long-su1Fering, and plenteous in vers. 11, 16, and 17 being devoted to the mercy and truth (comp. above, ver. 5; and oue; and vers. 12, 13, and 15 to the other. see also Numb. xiv. 18; Joel ii. 13; Jono.h iv. 2). Ver. 14 is of the nature of a complaint. Ver. 16.-0h tum unto me, odhavemeroy Ver. 11.-Teach me thy way. 0 Lord; I upon me. God had for a time turned his will walk in thy truth (comp. Pse. x.xv. 4; face away from hfa servant; now he is en- xxviL II; cxix. 33). Man cannot know treated to tum it towards him, and, o.s a "the way of the Lord," unless he is taught consequence, to "have mercy upon him" of God. The inward anointing of the and deliver him. Give thy strength unto thy Spirit is needful to teach us what God servant. Only in God"s strength can we would really have us do (1 John ii. 27). It effectually contend o gainst either our is only when we are thus taught that we spiritual or our temporo.l foes. If, however, can "walk in his trnth." Unite my heart to we ask him for strength, his strenglh will fear thy !lame. So Symmachus, who has be "sufficient for us" (2 Cor. xii. 9). And <vwcrov; Canon Cook, Dr. Kay, Hupfcld, savo the son of thine handmaid. Either Professor Alexander, al!d the llevi•ed "the son of one who wo.s specially religious," VE>rsion. Hengidenuerg prefers "incline like the mother of Timotl,y (2 Tim. I. 5), my heart;" and Professor Cheyne would or" the son of an Israclitish mother,'' there- alter the text iD t.o accordance with the fore born nnd bred up in thy household. LXX., Ei,cppa.v81,n,, 71 ica.p~,a. µ.,,u, "Make Ver. 17.-Bhow me a token for good i i.e. Illy Leo.rt Lo rt;joice." But the textual give me some sign - not necessarily o. l'B. LXXXVI. 1-17,) 'l'llE BOOK OF PSALMS. 215
miraoulous one-that thou art dealing with 11). And be ashamed (comp. Pee. vi. 10; me, not for evil, but "for good" (Jar, :uiv. lvi. 17; cxix. 78, etc.). Beoauae thou, Lord, 6), u.nd thu.t thou wilt gru.nt me that which hast holpen me, and comforted me. The I have requested of thee. That they whioh psalmist's delivemnce would be his enemies' hate me may see it. A visible token is there- shame; it would show that God was on his fore requested, not a mere inward conviction aide, and against them. or aaaurance (see 2 !{inge xx. 8 ; lea. vii.