hC'nr those cries, nnd see those outrages, God" (Ucb. iv. 9). Until the pit bo diggsd which men, who are his creo.tnree, see o.nd for the wicked (comp. P,s. ix. 1; xxxv. 7, 8). hear? le it oonceivo.ble tbnt be can be o.n Ver. 14.-For the Lord will not cast off unobservant o.nd o.po.thetic God?" (Cheyne). his people, neither will he forsake his in- Ver. 10.-B:e tho.t ohe.stiseth the he~then, heritance (comp. Deut. iv. 31; l Sam. xii. shall not he oorrect l i.e. if God doea not 22; 1 Kings vi. 13; lea. xii. 17). Howr,ver leo.ve even toe hen.then without rebukes long God's chastisements continue (see ver. nnd r.ho.stieemente, sho.11 he uot much more 3), the J'e.ithful n,ay be s11re that God has pu11isli those o.mong hie own people who <lo n»t forso.ken, and never will forsake, them, umi:;e? He that tee.cheth man knowledge, since" he forsaketh not his saiuts, but they shall not he know? Our version supposes a.re preserved for ever" (Ps. xxxvii. 28). e.n ellipse, which it fills up with greo.t bold- The promise is nio.,lc equally to the faithful ness, producing e. very excellent sense. But indiv,cluals (" his rninte ") and tn faithful the insertion made docs uot appear neces- Churches(" his people,"" his inheritance"). sary ( see the Revised Version). Ver. 15.-:Bu~ judgment shall return unto Ver. 11.-The Lord knoweth the thoughts righteousness. "Judgment," i.e. God's of man. Not only does the Almighty see nctua.l a.ward of good and evil upon the and know all tlie notions of men (ver. 9), earth, which has seemed to be divorced but he is even acquainted with theil' from justice, while the ungodly have pros- thoughts (comp. Pas. vii. 9 ; xxvi. 2 ; pered e.ud the pious been a.ffiicted (vers. cxxxix. 17; Isa. !xvi. 18; l Cor. iii. 20). 3-6), shall iu the end'' return unto rio-ht- That they are vanity (comp. Eccles. ii. 14, eousness," i.e. once more, evidently, conl~rm 15). to it and coincide with it. And e.11 the upright in heart shall follow it; i.e. " antl Vere. 12-19. - Tlui blessedness of the then all honest-hearted men shall recognize righteous. The pse.lmiot proceeds to console the fa.et, see it, and rejoice in it." and comfort himself by considering in how Ver. 16.-Who will rise up for me e.ga.i:ist many ways the righteous man is blessed. the evil-doers l or, who will stand up for 1. God cho.stises him. 2. God teaches him. me against the workers of iniquity 1 But meanwhile, until this happy time come, 8. God gives him a time of rest. 4. God what is the condition or the gorily? Axe never forsakes him. 5. God judges him they not left e. prey, to the evil-doers, at righteously. 6. God helps him age.inst their mercy, without e. champion? The evil-doers (vere. 16, 17). 7. God upholds answer is given in the next verse. him when be is in danger of falling. 8. Ver. 17.-Unless the Lord had been my Help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. God inwardly comforts his soul. No; they are not without o. champion; Ver. 12.-Blessed is the man whom thou Jehovah is their Help. It is a part of thtir ohastenest, 0 Lord. The blessedness of blessedness (ver. 12), that they are preserved c~e.stening appears in Deut. vii .. 5; 2 Sam. in life and protected from the wicked, by vu. H, 15; Job v. 17; Ps. lxxx1x. 32, 33; God himself. Otherwise they "had soon Prov. iii. 12; e.nd ie the main point of dwelt in silence." Their soul had gone Elihu's tee.ching in Job xxxiii. 15-30. down to the pit, to the e.b) ss or Shcol, the It ie not, e.s some have argued, entirely silent land (comp. Ps. cxv. 17). e. New Te~tament doctrine. Une.ssistetl Ver. 18.-When I said, lly foot slippeth; human ree.son might discover it. Greek thy mercy, 0 Lord, held me up. Another poets noted the connection between ..-.. ofw respect in which the godly, even thouo-h e.nd µ<J0fiv, Our own gree.t dre.mo.tist dre.we suftering otlliction, nro blessed. God upholds upon his experience when he says- theil' tottering feet, and, when they o.re in danger, keeps them from falling. " Sweet are the uses of e.dver~ity; Ver. 19.-In the multitude of my thoughts Which, like the toad, ugly o.nd venomous, within me j rather, my variolJ.8 thoughts, Bee.re yet o. precious jewel in his head." "my busy thoughts." Sarappim (o.s Dr. And tee.chest him out of thy Law. The Ko.y observes) "are e.nx.ious, perplexing, existence of " the Lo. w," and the genera.I branchings of thoughts," such as contiuu- knowledge of it by God's people, is assumed o.!ly vex foithful yet ,loubting souls. Thy here, as elsewhere in the Pee.Ima (soe espe- comforts delight my soul Internal comfort oiolly Ps. cxix.). Also it is assumed that is given by God himself to the perplexed "the Lo.w" is 11 revelation from Ood. I\Ild troublr.d in spirit, whereby they are Ver. 13.-That thou mayest gin him rest " delighted," or, rather, " soothed and from the de.ye of adversity. Trials o.nd solaced." e.tlliclione a.re menns to o.n end, and the intended end ie " rest " e.nd peace. " There Vere. 20-23.-The destruction of the evil- reme.ineth, therefore, a rest to the people of doers. There ce.u be no fellowship between 309 TUE BOOK OF PSALMa [PS, J:OIV, 1-23,
light and d11rknees-between G.>d &nd evil- Ver. 21.-They gather them■elvea together doers, espeoinlly those who oarvy out their against the aoul of the righteous, and oon- wicked pnrposes under the forms of law demn the innooent blood (oomp. 2 Kings (ver. 20), and go the length of condemning xxi. 16; xxiv. 4; Ps. x. S; Prov. vi. 17; innocent blood (ver. 21). Such persons Isa. i. 21; !ix. 3, 7; Jer. vii. 6; xxii. 3, 17, etc.). A Messianio allusion is possible, but Goo, who defends the righteous (ver. 22), not necessary. will e.ssnredly bring to utter destruction Ver. 22.-But the Lord is my Defenoe; (ver. 23). and my God is the Book of my refuge ( comp. Ps. xviii. 2). Ver. 20.--She.ll the throne of iniquity have Ver. 23.-And he shall bring upon them fellowship with thee! The interrogative their own iniquity. Most mauifestly when is here, as so often, an emphatic negative. he makes them fall into their own snare By "tlrn throne of iniquity" is meant (Pss. vii. 15; xxxv. 8; lvii. 6; cxli. 9, 10), i11iquity in high places, wickedness en- but really also whenever he punishes them throned npon the judgment-se11t, and thence for their sins. And shall out them off; or, delivering its nnjust sentences. Oppressors "destroy," "exterminate" them. In their own in Israel made a large use of the machinery wickedness; or, "by their wickedness." The of the law to crush and ruin their victims wicked man is olten "hoiot with his own (see Isa. i. 23; x. 1, 2; Amos v. 7; vi. 12, petard." Yea, the Lord our God sho.Il out etc.). Which fra.meth mischief by a law; them off. The repetition, like that in ver. i.e. which effects its mischievous purposes I, is emphatic, and solemnly confirms the by means of the decrees of courts (comp. entire section (vers. 20-23). l Kings ni. 10-13).