EXPOSITION. conversion, will praise the Lord, sing of PSALM XOIX.. him, and bless his Name. (On the "great- llEBE we have the last of the series of ness" and "terribleness" of God, see Exod. Second Advent psalms, which bege.n with xv. 11; Deut. vii. 21; x. 17: Neh. i. 5; iv. Ps. xciii. The first of them, the fifth, and 14; Ps. lxviii. 35, eto.) For it is holy; rather, holy i8 he. This may be a suggestion the last, commence in the same way-with to those about to praise God--a putting the watchword.•• The Lord reignetb." The of words into their mouth; or it may be e.n first and last lay special stress on holiness, almost involuntary outburst of praise on the as God's leading characteristic, and as part of the psalmist. Ver. 4.-The King's strength also· loveth required by him (Pss. xciii. 5; xci.L 8, 5, 9). judgment. " The king" is here the Lord, Delitzsch has called this psalm "the earthly Jehovah (see Ps. xoviii. 4). His" strength," echo of the seraphic Trisagion." It resolves or might, "loves," and is always combined the concentrated decla.ration, "Holy, holy, with, right (comp. Isa. lxi. 8, "I the Lord holy, is the Lord of hosts" (Isa. vi. 3), into lovejudgment"). Thou dost establish equity. The pronoun is emphatic: "Thou,~ even three distinct and separate cries, "Holy is thou "-nearly equivalent to" thou only"- he" (ver. 3) ;· .. Roly is he" (ver. 5); and " dost establish equity." Thou-again em- •• Holy is the Lord our God" ('l'er. 9). This phatic-" thou, even thou" - exeoutest refrain divides the psalm into three unequal judgment and righteousness in le.cob; i.e. portioDB, viz. vers. 1-3; vers. 4, 5; and govemest thy peo11le Israel with strict and absolute justice. vers. 6-9. Ver. 5.-Exalt ye the Lord our God Ver. 1.-The Lord reigneth (see the com- (comp. ver. 9; and see also Ps. cxviii. 20 ment on Ps. xciii. 1). Let the people and Isa. x.xv. 1). And worship at his foot• tremble; literally, the people8; i.e. all the stool. The " footstool of God" is everywhere JlJitions npon earth. Re &itteth between the (except in Isa. lxvi. 1) the ark of the cherubim ; ratl,er, he hath his seat upon the covenant, which he that eat upon the cheru• cherubim ( comp. Ps. lxxx. 2). The imagery bim touched, as it were, with his feet (see is taken from the internal economy of the l Chron. xxviii. 2; Pa. cxxxii. 7; Lam. ii. Jewish temple, where the Shechiuah was I ; Isa. Ix. 13). Israel is called upon to enthroned above the cherubic forms tbat worship God as he sits in his holy temple, O'l'erohadowed and guarded the ark. Let the enthroned above the cherubim, with his earth be moved; or, quake (comp. Ps. cxiv. 7). feet upon the mercy-seat. For he is holy; Yer. 2.-The Lord is great in Zion. rather, as in ver. 3, holy is he. Primarily great among his faithful ones, Ver. 6,-Moaes and Aaron among his awo1,g whom his greatness is especially priests. Moses, though not called a.. priest shown. And he is high above all the people in the Pentateuch, performed many priestly (or rather, poople8). 1-econdarily great, or acts, such as sprinkling the blood of the "higl,," e.mong the nations which do not covenant at Mount Sinai (Exod. xxiv. 6-8), &eknowled;;e him, but are forced to tremble setting in order the tabernacle (Exod. xl. befon, him (si,e ver. I). 18-33), oonsecrating Aaron and hie sons Ver. 3.-Let them praise thy great and (Lev. viii. 6-30), interceding for the people terrible lira.me. Even the Gentiles, after (Exod. nxii. 30-32; Numb. xiv. 13-19), 1'1!, XCIX, 1-9.) THE BOOK OF PSALMS, 345
eto. He is therefore, not improperly, here our God (comp. ver. 6, ad fin.). Thon wast lnoluded among God's prieeh. And Samuel a God that forgavest them; literally. a for- among them that oall upon his Name, gi~ing God u:aid thou to them. Both Moses So.muel wae not o. priest, but a simple and Aaron "angered God at the waters of Levile (1 Chron. vi. 16-28). He was, strife" (Pa. cvi. 32; Numb. xx. 12, 13). however, a powerful intercessor with God, Aaron angered him still more by sanction- a righteous man whose effectual fervent ing the idolatry of the golden calf (Exod. prayer availed much. He is united with xxxii. 1-24). God parrloned both of them Moses by Jeremiah, ns having weight with these and other sine, but not without in- God through his prayers (Jer. xv. 1; see flicting punishment for tbe eins. Though also 1 Sam. xii. 19-22). They called upon thou tookest vengeance of their inventions. the Lord, and he answered them (see Dent. God's "severity" extended even to these xi. 19; x. 10; 1 Sam. xii. I 7, etc.). blessed saints, Moses, Aaron, e.nd Snmnel. Ver. 7.-He epake unto them in the The former two were expressly excluded olondy pillar (see Exod. xxxiii. 9, "And it from the la.n,I of promise for their conduct came to pass, as Moses entered into the at Meribah (Numb. xx. 12); and Samuel's ta.beroa.cle, the cloudy pillar descended, and judgeship seems to have been brought tc stood at the door ... and the Lord talked an end through his undue leniency townrda with Moses"). They kept his testimonies, hie sons Joel and Abiah (1 Sam. viii. l-5). and the ordinance that he gave them. Moses Ver. 9.-Exa.lt the Lord our God, and was known as "the servant of the Lord" worship at his holy hill. Repeated from (Deut. xxxiv. 5; Josh. i. 1, 2, etc.). He ver. 5, with the slight variation that was •• faithful in a.II bis house, as a servant" "his holy hill" is substituted for "his (Heh. iii. 5). Aaron was "the saint of the footstool "-Zion, on which the temple Lord" (Pa. cvL 16). 'l'his general obedience stood, for the sanctuary of the temple itself. was, however, departed from in some few For the Lord our God is holy; rather, for instances (see the comment on ver. 8). holy ls the LOTd our God (comp. vcrs. 3 Ver. 8.-Thon answeredst them, 0 Lord and 5).