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19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them. 20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him; But all the wicked will he destroy.

21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD; And let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

1 Psa. 81. 28. and 97. 10.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM LXXII.

PSALM OF DAVID.

The solicitude of David for his kingdom was not yet dismissed. Solomon sat with him upon the throne, and he had delivered one public charge to him and to the people, respecting the government and the religion of the nation. But his days are drawing to a close, and before he leaves them forever he wishes once more to rehearse to them his solemn admonitions. He wishes, also, to transfer to Solomon the entire kingdom with appropriate formalities. For these purposes he convokes a second assembly, composed of all the officers of the realm, both civil and military, the princes of the tribes, and the men of renown throughout the nation; and "standing upon his feet," he addresses them upon the momentous interests which he was about to resign to their trust. He speaks to them of the house of the Lord which Solomon was to build, gives his last charge to the young king, and then proposes and receives an offering from these representatives of the tribes for the building of the temple. The offerings willingly made by the people on this occasion were immense, but the reader must consider the vast wealth of Eastern nabobs, to which that of many of the princes of Israel corresponded, and also their entire devotion to their religion. We cannot exactly ascertain the value of the ancient Jewish coins, but, according to Dr. Arbuthnot's estimates, the contributions for the temple which

the king received at this time, amounted to upward of fourteen billions of dollars. Dr. Prideaux's estimate of the value of the "gold talent" would make the sum much higher. Besides this, vast quantities of brass and iron were brought in, and a considerable value in "precious stones." This unexpected liberality of the people was not only a testimony of their zeal for religion, but of affection for their king, which quite overpowered him with grateful emotions, and called forth an expressive tribute of prayer and thanksgiving. "Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation and David said, 'Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O Lord! is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thy hand is power and might; and in thy hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now, therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee a house for thy holy name cometh of thy hand, and is all thine own. I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee; and give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.""

The prayer of David being ended, he "said to all the congregation, 'Now bless the Lord your God.' And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and worship

ped the Lord, and the king." After this solemn and animating ceremony, they offered sacrifices unto the Lord, and feasted for two days. On the second day they proceeded to the grand ceremony of the second anointing, and the final coronation. of Solomon; "and they made Solomon, the son of David, king the second time, and anointed him unto the Lord to be the chief governor, and Zadok to be priest." This is the point at which David resigns all authority and care of government, and Solomon, who had hitherto reigned conjointly with his father, becomes sole monarch. After the resignation of David, "all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, submitted themselves unto Solomon the king."

The last public duty of David was now performed. His highest earthly hopes were realized in the peaceful establishment of Solomon upon the throne, and his zeal for the house and worship of the Lord had secured the amplest provision for the future religious wants of the people. He had lived to an honoured old age, and his reign had been glorious. Through him the kingdom of Israel had reached a summit of power and prosperity that gave it a standing with the mightiest nations of antiquity; and he saw, with indescribable joy and gratitude, the promises of Jehovah toward his people through him fulfilled. He saw, too, in the peace and establishment of his throne, the accomplishment of the predictions of the prophet Nathan, and the covenant faithfulness of God to his house. His kingdom is at peace, wealth had flowed in upon the nation during his long and prosperous reign, the authority of government had become better defined, and the principles of the theocracy had been developed beyond all former precedent in the history of the nation since the days of Joshua.

In Psalm lxxii, David contemplates the kingdom of Solomon as a type of the more glorious kingdom of Messiah, to which his eye is prophetically carried forward. In that glorious prototype he perceives the realization of all his ideas of public peace, righteousness, and happiness; and through that alone will the blessings of a perfect moral administration descend upon the earth. Having placed his beloved son upon the throne, "he then," says Calmet, "transported with joy and gratitude, addressed this Psalm to God, in which he prays him

to pour out his blessings on the young king, and upon the people. He then, wrapped up in a Divine enthusiasm, ascends to a higher subject, and sings the glory of the Messiah, and the magnificence of his reign." Read 1 Chronicles xxviii and xxix, 1-25.

PSALM LXXII.

ON DAVID'S DELIVERING THE KINGDOM TO SOLOMON.

David prays for Solomon, 1; he showeth the goodness and glory of his kingdom as a type of the more excellent kingdom of Messiah, 2-17; he blesseth God, 18-20.

TA Psalm for Solomon.

I Give the king thy judgments, O God!

And thy righteousness unto the king's son. 2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, And thy poor with judgment.

3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, And the little hills, by righteousness.

4 He shall judge the poor of the people, He shall save the children of the needy,

And shall break in pieces the oppressor.

5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure,

Throughout all generations.

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6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: As showers that water the earth.

7 In his days shall the righteous flourish;

And fabundance of peace 'so long as the moon

endureth.

8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,

And from the river unto the ends of the earth.

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9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; And his enemies shall lick the dust.

10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents:

The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. 11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: All nations shall serve him.

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12 For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth;
The poor also, and him that hath no helper.
13 He shall spare the poor and needy,

And shall save the souls of the needy.

14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence;

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And precious shall their blood be in his sight.

15 And he shall live,

And to him 'shall be given of the gold of Sheba:
Prayer also shall be made for him continually;
And daily shall he be praised.

If There shall be a handful of corn in the earth
Upon the top of the mountains;

The fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon;

And they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

17 His name 'shall endure forever;

'His name shall be continued as long as the sun; And men shall be blessed in him;

All nations shall call him blessed.

18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,

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Who only doeth wondrous things!

19 And blessed be his glorious name forever;

20

And let the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen, and Amen.

The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

b Psa. 74. 14.

i Isa. 49. 23. Micah 7. 17.

* 2 Chron. 9. 21. Psa. 45. 12.

Isa. 49. 7; 60. 6, 9.

1 Isa. 49. 22, 23.

m See Job 29. 12.

Psa. 116. 15.

2 Heb. one shall give.

• 1 Kings 4. 20.

3 Heb. shall be. Psa. 89. 86.

4 Heb. shall be as a son to
continue his father's name
forever.

P Jeremiah 4. 2.

q Luke 1. 48.

r 1 Chronicles 29. 10.

Psa. 41. 13; 106. 48. Exod. 15. 11.

t Neh. 9. 5.

u Numbers 14. 21.

Zech. 14. 9.

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