The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 2 — Section 372

Oheyno concludes, from this passage, that Ver.16.-Moreover he oallad for a !11.mine the pso.lm wns not written <luring the upon the la.nd. 'l'o "call for a famine" is OnpLivity. But surely EL captive in Babylou the same thing as lo creat" a famine. might !,ave hnd faith onongh to believe What God "ca.lls for" immediately exists that Clod hn<l not o.bolishecl, but only (see Gen. i. 3). "The land" intended i~ smipencJocl, his covenant. the Janel of Canaan. He brake the wh.,!e Ver. 9.-Whioh covenant he made with staff of brea.d (comp. Lev. xxvi. 26; Isa. iii. Abraham (see Gen. xv. lB). A promiao 1). Brea,! is called a" staff," as the great wo.s given even earlier (Gen. xii. 14, 15); support of life. (For the severity of lhe but it is not spoken of o.s e. "covenant." fa.mine in Gana.an, see Ge □. xli. I; xiii. 5; And his oath unto Isao.c. The "oo.th" xliii. 1.) wo.s originally sworn to Abraham (Gen. Ver. 17.-He sent a. man be!ora them, xxii. Hi); but e. fmther promise to even Joseph. This is the real sense, though "perform the oath" was given to Isaac it is no( fully expressed i□ the Hebrew. On (Gen. xxvi. 3). the providential se□ ding of J nseph into Ver. 10.-And con.firmed the same unto Egypt, see his own worcls, "God did send Jacob for a law (se,;, Gen. xxviii. 1::1). Antl me before you, to preserve life" (Gen. xiv. to Israel; i.e. to Jo.cob, afler he had given 5). Who was sold for a servant (comp. him the no.mo of Israel (see Gen. xxxv. 12). Gen. xxxiii. 28, 36; xxxix. 1). Ver. 11.-Saying, Unto thae will I give Ver. lB.-Whose feet they hurt with the land of Canaan (see Gen. xiii. 15; fetters : he was laid in iron ; rather, his xvii. 8; xxvi. 3; xxviii. 13). The lot of soul entered into iron. In Genesis nothing your inheritance; literally, the cord,or line, more is said than that Joseph "was bound" of your inheritance ( comp. Ps. Ix.xvi ii. 55). in the prison (Gen. xl. 3). But the psalmist The words are not found among the knows wha.t imprisonment was in those promises made to the patriarch~, but are early times. perhaps regarded by the writer as implied Ver. 19.-Until the time that his word in them. When the allotment of Cauaan to came; i.e. '' came true," '' came to pass" the several t1ibes was made, recourse was (comp. Deut. xviii. 22: Jer. xvii. 15). doubtless had to the measuring-line. Joseph's "wor<l came," when the chief Ver. 12.-When they were but a few butler was restored to favour, and the chief men in number; literally, when they were baker hanged (Gen. xl. 20--22). The men of number; i.e. when they could be word of the Lord tried him. It is clifficul t easily counted. A few scores at the utmost, to deci<le what "word of the Lord" is or, with their entire households, a. few meant. Hengstenberg suggests "the hundreds (Gen. xiv. 14; xx.xiii. 1). Yea., promise of the possessio□ of Cauao.n." But vary few, and straugers in it; i.e. "in the this had not been =de to him. Dean land of Canaan" (comp. Exod. vi. 4). Johnson thinks that there is an "implied Ver. 13.-When they went from one promise" to Joseph himself in Gen. :xxxvii. nation to another. Abraham "went from" 6, 9, etc.-a promise that he should be raised Ur of the Cha.ldees to Haran of the to an eminent ro.nk above his brethreu, and Syrians, from Haran to Oanaan, from Canaan that it was this promise which, during the to Philistie., and once o.s far as Egypt. time o[ his affliction," tried" or tcstet.l I.Jim. Isae.c and Jacob were also wanderers, though Ver. 20.-The king sent and loosed h.i!ll not to the some extent. From one kingdom (see Gen. xli. 14). Even tho ruler of the to another people. Chaldea, Philistia, and people. Pharaoh, ruler of the Egyptians. Egypt were "kingdoms;" the Syrians and Let him go free; i.e. made him a free man, Cano.anites, "peoples." insteo.d of u. pdsoner nnd o. ala.ve. Vor.14.-Ha suffered no man to clo them Ver. 21.-He made him lord of his house, wrong : yea., he reproved kings for their and ruler of all his substa.nce (see Gen. sa.kes. The reference is to the punishment xli. 40). inflicted on tho Pharaoh of Abrahum's time Ver: 22.-To bind his princes at his (Gen. xii. 17), a □ d on Abimelech of Gerar pleasure. The kings of Egypt were despots, (Gen. xx. 3, 7, 18). ancl could imprison o.11y subject. Joseph, Ver. 15. - So.ying, Touch not mine as the Phuraoh's alter ego (Gen. xii. -l.0, 44), anointed; litere.lly, mine anointed ones; i.e. would, of courise, be able to do the same. those consecratecl to my service, as were And tea.eh his senators wisdom. As being Abra.hum, lso.o.c, and Jucob. And do my wiser than any of them (Gen. ::tli. 38, 39). prophets noha.rm (comp. Gen. xx. 7; xxvii. Ver. 23.-Isra.el also came into Egypt; 27-29 a.nd 39, 40; xlix. 3--27). The aetua.l and J'a.co'.J. (For the conjunc:ion of both words of this verse do not occur in Genesis, no.mes of the patriarch, see ver. 10. FQr but they express tho lesson which God's the journey of the Pa.triarch from Canuun dealings with Pharo.oh o.ud Abimelech iuto Egypt, see Gen. :xlvi. 1-7.) So- tnught the kings and peoples. journed in the land of Ha.m j or, was H6 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [rs. o,·. 1-45.