The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 2 — Section 210

ings is touched; God was angry with him shade, an inhabitant of Sbe0]; he is in tlu, ( comp. ver. 16). And ~hon h11.1t afflicted lleeb, upon the earth ; he can still cry, and me with all thy waves (comp. Ps. xiii. 7, does still cry, to Jehovah. Tl,crc L, tl,us "All thy waves and thy billows have gone still a faint gleo.m of hope for l,im. And over me"). in the morning shall my prayer prevent Ver. 8.-Thou hast pnt away mine ac- thee. The psalmist will draw out God's quaintanoe far from me. Compare the mercy, os it were, before ita time, by im- similar complaint or Job (xix. 13, 14); portuning him with early and continual e.nd see also Pa. xxxi. 11; and infra, ver. prayer ( comp. vers. 1, 9). 18. Thou hast made me e.n abomination Ver. 14.-Lord, why ca.stest thou off my unto them. Bo Job (ix. 31; xix. 19; xxx. soul t The psalmist speaks here, like Job, 10). It may bu euapecterl that the psalmist's as one aggrieved. What has he done to be e.flliction was or o. kind which me.de him "cast off"? He is evidently not aware of "unclean." I am shnt up. Not in prison, having sinned any grievous sin, and does as Jeremiah (xxxii. 2; xxxiii. 1; xxxvi. 5), not unrlerstand why he is visited with such but probably as unclean, or e.s suspected or grievous sufferings. Why bidest thou thy being unclean (see Lev. xiii 4-83). And face from me 1 Perhaps it is bis insensi- I cannot come forth. I am not nllowed to bility, bis unconscioasness of real sine and quit my chamber. shortcomings, that bas drawn down upon Ver. 9.-Mine eye mourneth by reasDn of the psalmist his chastisement. affliction; or," mine eye he.th grown foeble" Ver. 15.-1 am afllicted and ready to die (comp. Job xvii. 7). Lord, I have called from my youth up. This is a. new point. daily upon thee ; or, "1111 day." I have The psalmist's afflictions have not come stretched out my hands unto thee. The upon him recenLly. He does not merely attitude of earnest prayer (comp. Job xi. mean, as some have supposed, that, like 13; Pa. lxviii. 81, etc.). other men, as soon as he was born he began Ver. 10.-Wilt thou show wonders to to die, but speaks or something, if not abso- the dead l Am I to receive no mercy till lutely peculiar to himself, yet 11.t any rate I am dead ? and then wilt thou work 11 rare nnd abnormal-a long continuance in a miracle for my restoration and deliverance? dying state, such as could only have been Shall the dee.d arise and praise thee t brought about by some terribly severe rather, the shades (rephaim); comp. Job malady. While I sulfer thy terrors I e.m xxvi. 5. 'fhe word rephaim designa.tes distracted; literally, I have endured thy the wan, sha.dowy ghosts that have gone terrors; I am ezhausted. (On the endurance down to Hades (Sbeol), and are resting of God's "terrors," see Job vi. 4; ix. 3-1; there. Shall these suddenly rise up and xiiL 21.) The nataral result would be a. engage in the worship and praise of God? state, not of distraction, bat of exhaustion. The psalmist does not, any more the.n Job (So Kay, and substantially Professor (xiv. 14), expect such n resurrection. Cheyne.) Ver, 11.-Shall thy loving-kindness be Ver. 16.-Thy fierce wrath goeth over me. declared in the gre.ve t Wilt thou wait "Overwhelms me;" i.e. "like a fiery flood" till I am in my grave before thou showest (see above, ver. 7). Thy terrors have out me any mercy upon me? or, Will not that be off. A different word is used for "terrors" too late? Can thy faithfulness to thy pro- from that which occurs in ver. V, anu one mises be shown in destruction.1 literally, elsewhere occurring only in Job vi. -1. The in A.baddon; i.e. "peldition"-a name of verb also is one characteristic of Job (vi. Sheol (cf. Job xxvi. 6; xxviii. 22). 17 ; xxiii. 17), and means " extinguish," or Ver. 12.-Sha.ll thy wonders be known in "exterminate." the darkl (compare above, ver.10). And thy Vcr.17.-They ea.me roundabout me daily righteousness in the land of forgetfulness t like water. God's terrors encompass the " The land or forgetrulnees," or "of obli- pslllmist "de.ily," or "all day long," like vion," is another name for Hades, or Sheol- wo.ter; i.e. like an overwhelming flood not tho.t there are supposed to be no memories (eomp1ue tile first clause of ver. IG). They of the po.et in it (lea. xiv. 16, 17), but thnt oomp11.ssed me about together; or, " tliey all is faint and shadowy there, conscious- compass me about in a mass." ness Lut a halr-coneciousness, remembrance Ver. 18.-Lover and friend bast thou put but 11, haH-remembrance. far from me (comp. ver. 8 and Job xix. 13). Ver. 18.-But unto thee h11.ve I cried, 0 And mine acquaintanoe into darkness ; Lord; literolly, but as for me, to thee have I literally, and my intimates [are] darknes•; cried. 'fhe psalmist returns from the some- i.e. "when I look for a friend or 11n what vogue specul11.tions or vers. 10-12 to e.cquaintllilce, my eye meet.:! noUrl.ng bu\ fact and to himself. He is not yet II mere darknel!S," or "dark space."  TliE BOOlt OF PSALMS. [I's. I.XXXVItt, 1-18.