EXPOSITION. the fo11ndation of his throne-the firm basis PSALM XCVII. on which it is immovably fixed. ANOTHER liturgical psalm on the advent or Ver. 3.-A lire goeth before him So long as there ia e·,il in the worlrl, the "fire" Ohrist. The psalmist eees him take posses- of God's wrath must necessarily "go before sion of his throne, but, this time, rather in him" at each theophany, to sweep the evil judgment than in mercy. His accession from his path (see Isa. xiii. 25). It is in is described with the usual features of a. this sense that •• our God is a. consuming theophany (vers. 1-6; comp. Pss. xviii. fire" (Heb. xii. 29). And bumeth up his 7-15; 1. 3-6; lxxvii. 14-19). The im- enemies round about (comp. P~. l. 8; Matt. xiii. 30). pression me.de on the inhabitants of the Ver. 4.-Ris lightnings eulightened the earth, whether idolatrous heathen (ver. 7), world, Here the tenses change from present or faithful Israelites (vers. 8, 9), is then to past-not, however, that any past event given. Finally, a practical lesson is drawn is alluded to, but merely to mark prophetic from the event prophesied, viz. " Let the certainty. The psalmist, rapt in vision, sees the future as past. Lightnings play a Israel of God hate evil, aud rejoice in the pa.rt in nlmost nl.l theophanies (Exod. xix. Lord and iu his holy Na.me" (vers. 10-12). 16; Job xxxvii. 1-5; Pss. xviii. 13; lxxvii. Metrioally, the psalm consists of four 18, etc.). The earth saw, and tremblad stanzas, each of three verses. There is (comp. Judg. v. 4; Pss. lxviii. 8; cxiv. 7). nothiug in its oontents to fix its date. Ver. 5.-The hllls melted like wax at ths presence of the Lord ( comp. J udg. v. 5 ; Ver. 1.-The Lord reigneth; or, the Lord Isa. !xiv. 1; Micah i. -1). The euth itself has become King-has ascended his throne is regarded as not only shaken (ver. 4), but (comp. Pss. xciii. 1; xcvi. 10). Let the as melting and crumbling awuy nt the earth rejoice. When God condescends to descPnt of God from heaven to earth (comp. appear on earth, the earth is bound to 2 Pet. iii. I0). At the presence of the Lord rejoice. His ooming cannot but improve of the whole earth (comp. Josh. iii. 11, 13_; the condition of o.ffairs. Let the multitude Micah iv. 13; Zeoh. iv. H; vi. 5). of isles (literally, the many isles) be glad Ver. 6.-The heavens deolare bis right- thereof. Even "the isles "-the a.bode of eousness (comp. Pa. I. 6; Matt. xxiv. 29, 30). the Gentiles-a.re to feel joy, for they, too, By signs in the heavens it is proclaimed at whatever cost (ver. 8), will be benefited. that the Lord. has come to judgment. And Ver. 2.-Clouds and darkness are round all the people see (rather, have seen) his about him (oomp. Exod. xix. 16, 18; Deut. glory; literally, all the peoples; i.e. all the iv. 11 ; v. 22; 1 Kings viii. 12). The nations of the earth ( comp. ver. 1). "darkness" does not belong to the nature Ver. 7.-Confounded be all they that of God, who "is Light, 1md in him is no serve graven images, that boast themselves darkness at all" (1 John i. 5), but to the of idols. Professor Cbeyne transposes this inter-relo.tionship between God nnd man, verse and the next, but without any In whioh aro involved problems tho.t man necessity. It is quite natural that the cannot solve Righteousness and judgment effect of the theophauy on God's enemies are the habitation of bis throne; l'ather, shoulrl be noted Ji.rot. The elfect is that 330 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [Ps. xovn. 1-12.
they are " confounded," or rather, covered fil'l!t of e.11, to "hate evil." God hates ovil trith •hame. The display of real Divine (Ps. xl v. 7) ; evil will sopamte them from power makes manifest the impotency of the God, evil will be their destruction. There- idols, and puts their worshippers to the fore let them hate and abhor it. It is blush. Worship him, &11 ve gois. The iD(\ifference to evil, that, more than anything thenphany is a call on the false gods to e!S'II, le.ye men open to the nsso.ults of S11t1m. worship the true God. He preserveth the souls of his saints. He Yer. 8.-Zion heard, and Wll.8 glad (comp. (i.e. Jehovah) wotohes tenderly over the Pe. xlviii. 11). To Zion, tl,e Church of souls of his S:\iuts-his holy loving ones, God, the company of his saints, the thco- e.nd preserves them in beiug, keeps thom phauy brings, not shnme, hut rejoicing. from destruction, and delivereth them out Tb<> Lord comes for their relief, for their of the hand of the wicked. deliverance. for their exalta.tion. And the Ver. 11.-Light is sown for the righteous daughters of Judah rejoioed. The "daughters (comp. Ps. cxii. 4, "Unto the upright of J uda.h " are the other cities of J udma there nriseth light in the darkness"). God besidre Jerusalem. In a Christian sense, sheds the re.ye of his graoe on the po.lb of thry may he taken to represent the irregula.rly the righteous me.n, enlightens his under- orf!Rniz"d Churches, which will participate standing, and illumines his spirit perpetually. in tile general joy of the faithful at Christ's And gladness for the upright in heart. finul coming. Because of thy judgments, 0 Together with "light," he sheds e.broe.d Lord. It docs not show any vindictive feel- "glodness," the irrepressible joy which ing, iftheeaints,persecutedeo long, "rejoice" comes from e. sense of his fe.vour and when an end is put to their sufferings by protection. the final judgrnent of the wicked. Ver. 12.-Rejoioe in the Lord, ye righteous. Ver. 9.-:For thou, Lord, &rt high above Snch being the blessedness of the righteous, &ll the earth; rather, art th.e Mo•t High they are finally exhorted to "rejoice in the (eliun) abO'De all the e,art1, (sec the Revised Lord,'' i.e. to show forth their gre.titude to Version). Thou &rt exa.lted far above all God in pee.Ima e.nd hymns of joy (comp. gods (comp. ver. 7, and see also P~. lxxxiii. Pas. xxxii. 11; xxxiii. 1-3), and to give l~). No comparison can be made between thanks to him &t the remembre.noe of his Jehovah and the heathen gods. He is holiness; or rather, to give thanks to hi, "exalted" far, far above them. holy memorial, which is the so.me e.s giving Ver. 10.-Ye that love the Lord, hate thanks to his Name ( comp. Ps. xxx. 4, and evil. The psalmist ends his strain with an the com1nent ad loo.). exhortation to the faithful-an exhortation,