The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 2 — Section 219

eetablieh hie kingdom" (2 Snm. vii. 12, Ver. 36.-His seed she.II endure for ever 16). (comp. ver. 29). And his throne as the sun Ver. 30.-Ifhis children forsake my Law, before me; i.e. shall endure as the enn and walk not in my judgments (comp. 2 (comp. Pe. lxxii. 5 and 2 Sam. vii. 13). 8nm. vii. 14, "If he commit iniquity, I Ver. 37.-It ■hall be established for ever will ohaeten him with the rod of men"). as the moon (comp. Ps. lxxii. 7). And e.s a. Solomon himself began the falling away faithful witneBB in heaven. Borne unrler- (1 Kings xi. 1-8). He was followed by stanrl this expreeeion of the moon; but, as Rehoboam (2 Chron. xii. 1), Ahaziah (2 Professor Cheyne comments, "Who could Kings viii. 27), Joaeh (2 Chron. xxiv. 17- witness (or clecl,ue) that such great things 2·1), Uzzillh (2 Chron. xxvi. 16-20), Ahaz were true but Jehovah?" (So too Delitzeeh, (2 Kings xvi. l!-18), Mannseeb (2 Kiuga Kay, and Canon Cook.) 1£ this be regarded xxi. 2-16), Amon (2 Kings xxi. 20-22), na the true meaning, it will be better to Jehoahaz (2 Kings xxiii. 32), Jehoiakim translate," the true witness." Job's citation (2 Kings xxiii. 37), Jchoiaehin (2 Kings of God as his witness (eh. xvi. 19) is scarcely xxiv. 9), and Zedekiah (2 Kings xxiv. 19), parallel. nil of whom "dicl evil in the sight of the Lord "-forsook his Law, e.nd walked not in Vers. 38-45.-A sudden and complete his judgments. change here sets in. Rejoicing is turned Ver. 31.-If they break my statutes, and into mourning, eulogy into complaint. Not- keep not my oommandments; rather, if they withstanding a.II the promises of God, not- profane my statutes; i.e. make light of them, withstanding his inherent and essential either in their words or in their lives. Ver. 32.-Then will I visit their trans- "faithfulness," the D,ividicnl king and his gressions with the rod (comp. 2 Sam. vii kingdom a.re e.t the last gasp. Seemingly, 14). "The rod" was used upon Solomon every promise made has been broken, every (1 Kinge xi. 14-40), Rehoboam (1 Kinge hope held out of good turned into an actuality xii. 16-20), Ahe.ziah (2 Kings ix. 27), of evil. God is wroth with hL! anointed, has Joe.ah (2 Kinge xii. 17-20), and all the wicked descendants of David, as eufficientlv made void the covenant with him, profaned appears from the history of the divided his crown and cast it to the ground, turned kingdom in Kings and Chronicles. God the edge of his sword, and made him not to visited their iniquity with stripes time after stand in the battle; he has laid his land time, and generation after generation. open to the enemy, broken down its defences, Ver. 33.-Nevertheless my lovillg-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer brought its strongholds to ruin, given it ns my faithfulness to fail. Compare the a spoil to all who pass by; he has set up the original promise (2 Sam. vii. 15) ; and &ee right hand of Israel's e.dversaries, caused also 1 Kings xi. 12, 13, 34-39; xv. 4, 5, them to rejoice and triumph in Israel's d.is- eto. The seed of David was not allowed to grnce and suffering ; he hns covere<l the fail, but was continued on, until, in the fulness of time, there was born into the king with shame, and cut short the days world, of David's seed e.nd in David's city, of his youth. How is this? And what is One in whom all the promises rue.de to to he the end of it? David could be, and were, accomplished in their utmost folness. Ver. 38.-Bnt thou hast cast off and ab- Ver. 34.-My oovenant will I not break, horred, thou hast been wroth with thine nor alter the thing that is gone out of my anointed. The first "thou " is emphatic- lips (comp. ver. 28, and tlie comment ad ;,;,:~-, THOU, "the faithful Witness;" THOU, loc.). With God is" no variableness, neither who hast made all these promises, art the shadow of turning" (Jae. i. 17). very One who has falsified them all-wl.to Ver. 35.-0noe have I swom by my holi- hnst "been wroth with thine anointeJ," ness; rather, one thing have I sworn. (On e.bhorred (or rejected) him, and cast him otf. God's oath to David, see vere. 3, 49, and Ps. Ver. 39.-Thou hast made void the cove- cxxxii. 11.) The present passage shows thnt nant of thy servant; or, " abhorre<l " it was sworn "by his holiness "-i.e. by his (Cheyne, Revised Version). The verb is a absolute moral perfection. That I will not very unusunl one, occurring only here and lie unto David; i.e. that I will keep all my in Lam. ii. 7. Thou hast profaned his promises to him. God, no doubt, always orown by casting it to the ground (comp. 110d in every case "keepeth his promise for P,. lxxiv. 7). 'file theocratio crown was so ever" (Ps. oxlvi. 6); but in his mercy nod holy 11, thing, that o.ny degradation of it loving-kindness be condeecunded to give might bo regarded as a. "profanation." De.vid 11, epeoinl guure.nteo of bis faithfulness Ver. 40.-Thon hast broken down all his in respect of the promises m11,de to him. bedgea ; i.e. " all l:lis defence• "-the 1t-rong- rRAi.Ms.-n. a  2m THE J300K OF PSALMS. [PS, I,XXXIX, 1-52