tho m1uvellousneee of those 0011n9eJs which the palm tree. To 11n Oriental the palm is the umlerlie tho general achemo of things, queen of trees. "Of all vegetable form5." and make it what it is (comp. Rom. xi. says Humboldt," the palm is that to whieh 33, 34). the prize of beauty has been aeaigne,J by Ver. 7.-When the wicked 1pring BI the the concurrent voice of nations in all ages " gro.ss; i.e. "spring up"-" flonrieh" (see (' Aspects of Ne.tare,' vol. ii. p. 20, Engl. var. 12). The difficulty is that which dis- trane.). Its etntelygrowth:and graceful form, turbed Job (xxi. 7-21) and Asaph (Ps. its perpetual verdure, its lovely and lnxnriant lxxiii. 2-15), viz. the prosperity of the fruit, together with its mo.nifolrl uses (Strabo, .vicked. '.l'he present writer, ilowever, is xvi. I, § 14), give it precedence over a.II not disturbed-he sees in their prosperous other vegetable growtb3 in the eyes that condition nothing but a prelude to their are accustomed to rest upon it. H is rather overthrow. And when all the workers of remarkable that, in the Old Testament, it is iniquity do flourish; or, "do blossom." It used as a figure for beauty only here an I in is that they shall be destroyed for ever; Cant. vii. 7. Man, in Jib most flourisbing literally, it iB fQT their deBtruction for ever growth, is ordinarily compared either to the (comp. Pa. lxxiii. 18-20). cedar (2 Kings xiv. 9; Cant, v. 15; .Ezck. Ver. 8.-But thou, I.ord, art most high xxxi. 3-9 ; Amo, ii. 9, etc.) or the olive for evermore ; rather, art on high; i.e. re- tree (J udg. ix. 8, 9; Pa. Iii 8; Jer. xi. 16; maineet seated upon thy throne, unaffected Hoe. xiv, 6, etc.). He shall grow like a either by their efforts or by their fall. oedar in Lebanon (see, besirlea the passages Ver. 9.-For, lo, thine enemies, 0 Lord, already quoted, 2 Kinga xix. 23; 2 Chron. for, lo, thine enemies shall perish. What- ii. 8; J er. xxii. 23; Zech. xi. 1 ), ever else is uncertain, this at least is sure, Ver. 13.-Those that be planted in the that ultimately God's enemies will perish. holl!e of the Lord; rather, Planted ( or, Being The repetition ndds the greatest force to planted)inthehouse oftheL01'd, they. This the passage. All the workers of iniquity does not refer to the•• trees " of the preceding (comp. ver. 7) shall be scattered. All of verse, but to the "righteous," who are them-iwery o-ne (comp. Matt. vii. 23, "De• viewed as passing their daya almost con- part from me, ye that work iniquity"). tinually in the temple conrts, and so as (in Ver. 10.-But my hom she.It thou exalt a certain sense) "planted" there. Tb.e like the horn of an unioom; rather, of a passage has no bearing on the q nestion v,ild oz. The Hebrew, like the Assyrian, whether the temple courts were or were. not reym, is certainly a species of wild cattle, planted with trees. Shall flourish in the whether the nurochs, or the bison, or the oonrts of our God (comp. Ps. lxxxiv. 2, 10). buffalo, may be doubted, The psalmist Ver. 14.-They shall still bring forth fruit speaks in the name of Israel, or of God's in old age; i.e. "e11e11 when they are old, faithful ones generally, and confidently they shall still bring forth fruit "-they shall predicts their exaltation to glory and honour still glorify God by their good works. They liimultaneously with the destruction of God's shall be fat and flourishing ; literally, fat enemies. I shall be anointed with fresh oil. and green. The metaphor of ver. 12 is still Oil was supposed to give vigour to the kept up. frame; nnd "fresh oil," or "green oil," Ver.15.-To show that the Lord is npright. would be the most efficient and the best. The ho.ppy and flourishing old l\ge of the Ver. 11.-Mine eye also shall see my de- righteous (ver. 14; comp. P.,. :i:ci. 16) is a sire on mine enemies (comp. Pes. liv. 7; lix. strong indication of Go<l's faithfulness and 10). The "desire" is probably that ex- truth, showing, as its does, thnt he keeps pressed in Ps. xci. 13. And mine ears shall hie promises, and uever forsakes those that hear my desire of the wioked that rise up pnt their trust in_him (comp. Pss. xxvii. 10; against me. Thie is an unusual phrase, xxxvii. 25; Isa. xli. 17, etc.). He is my but sufficiently intelligible. TriJ1mpll over Rook-rather, that he is my Rock-nnd that enemies is ]!erceived both by the eye and there is no UI1righteonsnese in hi!:1. Hoth by the ear. clauses depend on the ''show" of the pre- Ver, 12,-· The righteoiil ~ Ill 11.ourieh like ceding hemistioh.
HOMILETICS. Ver. 1.-Psalmody. "It is a good thing," etc. Songs of praise nre a very ancient custom in the Church of God. David, "the sweet singer of Israel," and his brother psalmists (Asaph and the rost) wero inspired to provide a manna! of devotion, pul.Jli0 and privatl"' which will never fall into disuse while there is a Church on earth. Dut long ages b~fore, when Israel for the first time stood on safe ground, breathing free air, 284. THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PB. XCII, 1-15,