Vere. 1-23.-Divine retribution certain. The psalm may be distributed under the following heads. I. A PB.AYER FOB THE Pm.'ISRMKNT OF WICKED OPPRESSORS. (Vere. 1, 2.) Probably in anticipation of the Assyrian invasion. lL Tm: GROUND OF THE PBAYER-THE INSOLENT AND •ATHEISTIC SPIBIT OF THEIB CRUEL WORK. (Vers. 3-7.) They murder the fatherless, and say, "Jehovah seeth not." III. Tm: BLINDNESS AND OONTEMPI' OF GoD THEY SHOW. (Vers. 8-11.) All sin implies this. IV. Tm: BLESSED REST AND CONFIDENCE OF THOSE WHO ABE CHASTENED AND TAUGHT OF Goo. (Vere. 12-15.) "Judgment cannot always be perverted-cannot always fail." V. THE DEEP CONVICTION OF GoD'S BIGHTEOUS~"ESB DERIVED FROM PAST EXPERI- ENCE. (Vers. 16-19.) VI. AN ANTICIPATION OF RETRIBUTION ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED UPON THE WICKED, (Vers. 20-23.}--S.
EXPOSITION, Matins. It consists of two po.rte (t'ers. PSALM XCV. 1-7 and vers. 7-11), so strongly con- Tms is a liturgical psalm, probably com- trasted, that separe.tist critics suggest an posed for the temple service, and still used accidental combination of two quite uncon- in the syne.gogne as one of the Friday nected fragments (Professor Cheyne). But evening p11B.lms which introduce the ea.bbath. a deeper aud more penetre.ting exegesis The Western Church has adopted it into sees in the composition two trains of thought, its daily "Order for Prayer "-a position :purposely set over agaiust each other-one which it con.tinuee to oocupy in our own joyous, the other plaintive; ono setting P8, XOV, 1-11,] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 311
forth the "goodness" of God, the other hie hands formed the drJ land (see Gen. i. "severity" (Rom. xi. 22): one inviting to 9, 10). joy nnd thankfulness, the other to self- Ver. 6.-0 come, let 118 worship and bow down: let us kneel The oatwarcl and examination and repentance ; one calling visible worship of the body is reqaired of to miud God's greatness and loving-kindne!e, man, no less than the inward and spiritual the other bringing into prominence man's worship of the soul. Before the Lord our weakness and danger. Maker; i.e. "who has made us what we In the Septuagint the psalm is ascribed are-created ns, redeemed as, taken us to be his people" (comp. Deat. xxxii. 6: Pas. c. to David, and this view seems to have been 3; cii. 18; cxlix. 2; Isa. xxix. 23; xliii. taken by the writer of the Epistle to the 21; xliv. 2, etc.). Hebrews (Heb. iv. 7). But modern critics Ver. 7a.-For he is our God. A second, are generally of opinion that the style is not and a more urgent, reason for worshipping that of the Davidical psalms. God. Not only is he a "great God" (ver. 3), but he is also "our God "-onr own Vere. l-7a.-The song of praise. This God - brought into the closest personal seems to terminate with the words, "We relationship with us. And we are the are the people of his pu.ature, and the sheep people of his pasture, and the sheep of his of hie hand." hand (comp. Pas. lxxiv. I; lxxix. 13; lxxx. 1, etc.). We are led by him, tended by Ver. 1.--0 come, let us sing unto the him, fed by him, folded by him. We owe Lord, From this opening phrase, which everything to his shepherding. finds an echo in vere. 2 and 6, this psalm he.a been called "The Invitatory Psalm." Vere. 7b-l 1.-The warning against way- As it invited the Jews, so it now invites wardness. This is delivered in four, or Christian congregations, to join in the rather four and a half, verses, and com- worship of the eu.uctuary. Let us make a mences with the words, "To-day if ye will joyful noise to the Rock of our sa.lvation (comp. Pse. xxxiii. 3; xcviii. 4). Loudness hear his Toice." of voice was regarded as indicating earnest- Ver. 7b.-To-day. This word, standing ness of heart (see 2 Chron. xx. 19: Ezra iii. prominently forward e.s it does, is a start- 13; Neh. xii. 42, etc.). The expression, ling call, intimating that the time is come "Rock of onr salvation" is tu.ken from Dent. for a momentons decision. If ye will hear xxxii. 15 (comp. 2 Sam. xxii. 47; Ps. lxnix. his voice. God is crying to his people- 26). It is well paraphrased in our Prayer- will they hear, or will tbey forbear? If the book ·Version, "the strength of our salvation." former, all will go well: if the latter, than Ver. 2.-Let us come before his presence assuredly they shall not enter into his rest. with thanksgiving. Onr first duty, when The " voice" in tended proceed~ to give the we come before God's presence, is to thank warning of vers. 8-11. him (see the Exhortation iu the Order for Ver. 8.-Rarden not your heart, as in Daily Prayer). And make a joyful noise unto the provooation; rather, ns at Meribah ( see him with psalms. A "psalm" is properly Exod. xvii. 2-7). And as in the day of a "song of praise "-the natural concomi- temptation in the wilderness; rather, and tant of thanksgiving. as in the day of ,llassah,. The children of Ver. 3.-For the Lord is a great God. Israel " tempted " Gou, and "chided" with Thanks and praise aro due to God, in the Moses ot Massllh (or l\Ieribah) in the first place, because of his greatness (see Ps. wildernes~, where water wa.s .first given cl. 2). "Who is so great a god as our God?" them out of the rock. Their descendant11 (Ps. lxxvii. 13); "His greatness is uusearch- are wo.rned not to follow the example of able" (Ps. cxlv. 3). And a great King their forefathers. above all gods; i.e. "a geat King o.bove all Ver. 9.-When your fathers tempted me other so-called gods"-above the great of the (seE> Eirnd. xvii. 2, 7). Proved me; or, earth (Ps. lxxxii. I, 6), above o.ngels (Deut. "tested me "-put my power and goodness x. 17), o.bove the imaginary gods of the to the proof. And (rather, even) saw my heathen (Exod. xii. 12, eto.). work; i.e. "saw the water gush forth from Ver. 4.-ln his hand are the deep places tile rock, when at my command Moses struck of the earth; the strength of the hills is it" (Eirnd. xvii. 6). his also; rather, the summits of the moun• Ver. 10.-Forty years long was I grieved tains are his also. The meaning is that all with this generation; rather, wit/1 that tile earth is hi8, from thu highest heigllts to generation-the generation tbat tempted Goel the lowest depths. in the wilderness (see the Revised Version). Ver. 5.-The sea is his, and he made it And said, It is a people tha.t do err in their (soe Gen. i. 9; Ps. oiv. 24, 25). And his heart; literally, a people of wanderen in hean 312 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [rs. XO'T. 1-11,