The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 2 — Section 242

and is "the most vivid of the liturgi011l through the land in the hours of darkness. psalms" (Cheyne). It has a certain resem- Parll.llele have been found in the literature ble.noe to the speech of Eliphaz the Teme.nite of the Babylonians (see • DILbylonian and Orient&! Record,' vol. i. p. 12) 1Lnd else- in Job v. 17-28, but stands at a higher where. Nor for the deatruotion that wasteth elevation. at noonday. The re.re word, :i~p, translated ''destruction," here and in Deut. xxxii. 2-l, Ver. 1.-Re that dwelleth in the seoret is rendered by the LXX. 6111,u&v,ov, nnd the place of the Most High (comp. Ps. xc. 1). entire phrase, " for the destruotion that He who has his thoughts e.lways on God is wasteth at noonday," becomes ,i,r~ tru,u• snid to "dwell in him "-to "make his ,r-rd,µa.-ros 1ta.l 611.1,uovlou ,u•tr11,u/3pwoii-'' from abode with him "-to" sit down in his secret ruin and the demon of the midday "-by place." He bas the Almighty, as it were, which sunstroke would ~eern to be meant for his constant companion. Shall abide (comp. Pa. c:i.:xi. 6, "The sun shall not under the shadow of the Almighty. This is smito thee by day"). not "tautology." What is meant is that Ver. 7.-A thousand shall fall at thy " loving faith on man's part shall be met side, and ten thousand at thy right hand. by faithful love on God's part" (Kay). The meaning is, "Though a thousand, or God will extend his "shadow" over the even ten thousand, should fall beside thee, man who places himself under his pro- in battle, or through pestilence, or sun• tection. stroke," yet-It shall not come nigh thee- Yer. 2.-I will say of the Lord. The the danger, whatever it se, shall not touch general sentiment is followed by e. personal thy person; thou shalt be protected from it. application. "I, at any rate," says the first Ver. 8.-0nly with thine eyas shalt thou speaker, " will place myself under this behold and see the reward (or, "the recom- powerful protection." He is my Refuge and pense") of the wicked; i.e. without my Fortress (comp. Pas. xviii. 2; c:i.:liv. 2). suffering anything thyself, thou shelt look lty God; in him will I trust (comp. Pss. on, and see the punishment of the nugodly. n:i:i.:. 2; =ri. 6; Iv. 23; lvi 3; lxi. 4, So Israel in the land of Goshen "looked etc.). on," and saw the oe.lamities of the Yer. 3.-Su.rely he shall deliver thee. The Egyptians. second speaker takes up the word, and Ver. 9.-Because thou hast made the naturally changes the person. .Addressing Lord, which is my Refuge, even the Most the first speaker, he says-Yes, assuredly, High, thy Habitation; literally, for thou, God shall deliver thee from whatever 0 LJrd, art my Refuge ; thou hast made the dangers beset thee : as, first, from the snare Most High thy Dwelling-place, which can of the fowler (comfl. Ps. cxxiv. 7; Prov. vi. scarcely be made to yield a tolerable sense. 5); and, secondly, from the noisome pesti- It is supposed that a word-ri?Z?l$-he.s lenoe (comp. ver. 6), i.e. from all dangers dropped out, and that the verse originally whatsoever-not more from these than from ran thus : " Because thou halt said, J ehove.h others. is my Refuge, and he.et made the Most High Ver. 4.-Re shall cover thee with his thy Dwellh1g-place" (comp. vers. 1, 2), feathers; rather, with hi.B pinion, (see the The second speaker for a second time Re~ised Version; comp. ver, l; and see addresses the first. Exod. xix. 4; Deut. xx.xii. 11). And nnder Ver. 10.-There shall no evil befall thee, his wings sha.lt thou trust ; rather, shaU neither shall e.ny plague come nigh thy thou take refuge. His truth-i.e. "his dwelling. The faithful man is to be pre- faithfulness, liia fidelity "-shall be thy served from evil of every kind. His very 1hield and buckler; i.e. " thy protection." "dwelling" is to be protected so that hill Ver. 5.-Thou. shalt not be afraid for the family may suffer no hurt. terror by night. Robbers conBtituted the Ver. l !.-For he shall give his angels chief" terror by nigLt" (see Job xx.iv. 14 charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy -16; Jer. xlix. 9; Obad. 5); but night ways (comp. Ps. xxxiv. 7), The faithful attacks on the part of a foreign enemy were are under the constant care of angels (Heh. not uncommon (Cant. iii. 8; ue.. xv. 1). i. 14), who guiqe them end direct them Nor for the arrow that fileth by day, Open perpetually. Satan made a crafty use of war is probably intended, not sirocco, or this promise when he tempted our Lord pestilence, or "the arrows of the Almighty" (Matt. iv. 6; Luke iv. 10, 11). No doubt (Joh vi. 4). The man who trusts in God it applies to him pre-eminently, e.s the will be specially protected in the pel"i.l of specially "Fe.ithfnl One." battle. Ver. 12.-They ahall bear thee up in Ver. 6.-Nor for the pestilence that their hands; rather, upon their hands- wa.lketh in de.rkne11. The plague-god is lifting thee over difficulties and stumbling. pe1110ni.fied and represented e.s stalking blocks. Leat thou daah thy foot against a PA, XOl. 1-16.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 269