11 Hebrew, strong.a Psalm xiii. 4; xxv. 2; xxxviii. 16. Hebrew, falsely, Psalm xxxviii. 19.- b Job xv. 12; Prov. vi. 13; x. 10. Psa. Ixix. 4; cix. 3; cxix. 161; Lam. iii. 52; John xv. 25. Psa. xxii. 13. Psa. xl. 15; liv. 7; lxx. 3. Exod. iii. 7; Acts vii. 34. Psa. xxviii. 1.h Psa. x. 1; xxii. 11, 19; xxxviii. 21; lxxi. 12.- Psa. xliv. 23; lxxx. 2. -Like an idle spectator, without affording me any pity or help? Rescue my soul from their destructions-Be pleased, at length, to vindicate my innocence from those who have already despoiled me of my peace and good name; my darling from the lions -Namely, my soul or life, as it is in the former clause. Hebrew, my only one, for I am left alone, and forsaken by my friends, and have none to trust in but thee: (see on Psa. xxii. 21 ;) and now they seek, like so many rapacious lions, to devour me. I will give thee thanks in the congregation-When I shall be restored to the liberty of the public assemblies and solemn feasts. Verses 19-21. Neither let them wink with the eye -That is, mock me, or insult over me, as this phrase signifies. For they speak not peace--They are enemies to all peaceable counsels; they breathe out nothing but threatenings and war. They devise deceitful matters--They use, not only open violence, but deceit and subtle artifices; against them that are quiet in the land-Against me and my followers. who desire nothing more than to live quietly and peaceably under Saul's government. They opened their mouth wide-To pour forth whole floods of scoffs, slanders, and contumelies. Or, to devour me. It is a metaphor taken from wild beasts, when they come within reach of their prey. And said, Aha, Aha!-An expression of joy and triumph. Our eye hath seen it-Namely, what we have long desired and hoped for. Or, as Bishop Patrick paraphrases it, So, so, we have found him out; his treasonable practices are discovered; we ourselves are eye-wit nesses of it." of his enemies. B. C. 1042, 24 Judge me, O LORD my God, A. M. 2962. according to thy righteousness; and m let them not rejoice over me. 25 Let them not say in their hearts, 13 Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up. 26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at my hurt: let them be a clothed with shame and dishonour that 'magnify themselves against me. t 14 27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, "which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. 28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long. k Psalm xxvi. 1.-12 Thess. i. 6.- mVerse 19.- n Psalm xxvii. 12; lxx. 3; cxl. 8.- 13 Heb. Ah, ha, our soul.-——0 Lam. ii. 16.—P Verse 4; Psa. xl. 14.—— Psa. cix. 29; cxxxii. 18. r Psalm xxxviii. 16.- - Rom. xii. 15; 1 Cor. xii. 26.14 Heb. my righteousness, Prov. viii. 18. Psalm lxx. 4.- Lu Psalm cxlix. 4. Psalm 1. 15; li. 14 ; lxxi. 24. Verses 22-24. Thou hast seen, O Lord-As they say they have seen, so my comfort is, that thou also || hast seen, and dost observe all their plots and threats, and all my distresses and calamities, which I suffer for thy sake. Keep not silence--Or, Be not deaf, namely, to my prayers. Be not far from me-Do not withdraw thy favour and help from me. Awake unto my cause--At last undertake to plead my cause against my adversaries. According to thy righteousness---Whereby thou usest to defend the innocent and punish their oppressors. Verses 25-27. Let them not say, Ah! so would we have it-Hebrew, Aha, our soul; an expression of mirth, as before, verse 21, or, Aha, we have our wish, or desire. We have swallowed him up-David is now as low as we could wish him. Let them be brought to confusion together-As they gathered themselves together to deride and reproach me, so do thou gather them together to confound them; or, as 1777, jachdav, may be rendered, in like manner, that is, one as well as another. Let the proud and great ones of them be disappointed and ashamed, as well as the meanest among them. That magnify themselves against me--That extol themselves, and their power, and look upon me with scorn and contempt. Let them be glad that favour my righteous cause-That wish well to it, although they want either strength or courage to plead it. Let them say, Let the Lord be magnified―That is, exalted and praised for his righteousness, truth, and goodness, manifested in my deliverance. The great design of my enemies is to magnify themselves, verse 26, but my chief desire is that God should be magnified. David extols PSALM XXXVI. PSALM XXXVI. God's mercy. This Psalm, as the preceding, and many others, seems to have been composed by David during the persecution he suffered from Saul, and probably at, or near, the beginning of it, while Saul outwardly professed kindness to him, but yet gave evident proofs that he desired, and was secretly plotting his ruin. This malice and treachery David here describes, (without naming Saul, toward whom he conducted himself with due reverence,) and opposes thereunto the fidelity and goodness of God, who governs the whole world, and takes care of all his creatures, of beasts as well as men. Whence he inferred, that he would not desert or neglect him, or any that depended on him, and were his faithful servants, as he in an especial manner professed himself to be, and prayed that he might continue. The Psalm has three parts: (1,) He describes the false and treacherous contrivances of the wicked, 1–4. (2,) Extols the mercy, faithfulness, and loving-kindness of the Lord, 5-9. (3,) Prays for a continuation thereof to himself and the church, and foretels the downfall of the wicked, 10-12. To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the || setteth himself in a way that is not A. M. 2962. servant of the LORD. good; he abhorreth not evil. A. M. 2962. THE transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that a there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, 1 until his iniquity be found to be hateful. 3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. 4 He deviseth 2 mischief upon his bed; he a Romans iii. 18.- b Deut. xxix. 19; Psalm x. 3; xlix. 18. 'Heb. to find his iniquity to hate. Psalm xii. 2.d Jer. iv. 22.—e Prov. iv. 16; Mic. ii. 1.—2 Or, vanity.- f Isa. lxv. 2. Psalm lvii. 10; cviii. 4. 2 NOTES ON PSALM XXXVI. g 3 B. C. 1042. 5 Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. 6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: 0 LORD, thou preservest man and beast. i and from whence it is extended to the sinful and miVerses 1, 2. The transgression of the wicked serable children of men, who peculiarly need it. saith, &c.—When I consider the great and manifold || And thy faithfulness-The truth, both of thy threattransgressions of ungodly men, I conclude, within enings against thine enemies, and of thy promises myself, that they have cast off all fear and serious made to good men; reacheth unto the clouds-Is far belief of the Divine Majesty. For he flattereth him- above our reach, greater and higher than we can apself in his own eyes-He deceiveth himself with vain prehend it. As if he had said, Mine enemies are and false persuasions, that God does not notice or cruel and perfidious, but thou art infinite in mercy mind his sins, or that he will not punish them. Un- and faithfulness, and in righteousness and lovingtil his iniquity be found to be hateful-That is, until kindness, as it here follows: and, therefore, though God, by some dreadful judgment, undeceive him, I despair of them, yet I trust in thee, as other men and find, or make him and others to find by experi- do for these reasons. Thy righteousness-In all ence, that his iniquity is abominable and hateful, and thy counsels and ways in the government of the therefore cannot, and does not, escape a severe pun- world; is like the great mountains-Steadfast and ishment. "The last day," says Dr. Horne, " will immoveable: eminent and conspicuous to all men. show strange instances of this folly." Thy judgments-The executions of thy counsels, or the administration of the affairs of the world, and of thy church; are a great deep-Unsearchable as the ocean. O Lord, thou preservest man and beast― The worst of men, yea, even the brute beasts have experience of thy care and kindness, and therefore I have no reason to doubt of it. Verses 3, 4. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit―Are wicked and deceitful. He hath left off to be wise and to do good-Once he had some degrees of wisdom, and did things that were apparently good, and seemed to be under the government of religion: but now he is an open apostate from that which he once professed. He deviseth mischief upon his bed-Freely from his own inclination, when none are present to provoke him to it. He setteth himself in a way that is not good-He doth not repent of his wicked devices, but resolutely proceeds to execute them, and persists therein. He abhorreth not evil-Though he sometimes professes to feel remorse for his conduct, and desists for a time from his evil practices, yet he does not truly repent of, nor abhor them, and therefore is ready to return to them when any occasion offers itself. Verses 5, 6. Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens-Where it reigns in perfection and to eternity; Verses 7, 8. How excellent is thy loving-kindness Or thy mercy: for it is the same word which is so rendered, verse 5. The sense is, though all thine attributes be excellent and glorious, yet, above all, thy mercy is most excellent, or precious and amiable, as being most necessary and beneficial unto us, poor sinful miserable men. Therefore the children of men put their trust, &c.-Cheerfully commit themselves to thy care and kindness, notwithstanding their own sinfulness, and the rage and power of their adversaries; against all which thy mercy is a sufficient security. They shall be abundantly satis fied-That is, those children of men who trust in God is declared to be A. M. 2962. B. C. 1042. 8 m They shall be 5 abundantly sa- || them that know thee; and thy right- A. M. 2962. tisfied with the fatness of thy house; eousness to the upright in heart. and thou shalt make them drink of " the river of thy pleasures. 8 11 Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked re 9 P For with thee is the fountain of life: in move me. thy light shall we see light. 12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen: 10 O continue thy loving-kindness unto they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise. Psa. lxv. 4. r Heb. watered. - Job xx. 17; Rev. xxii. 1. • Pea. xvi. 11.-P Jer. ii. 13; John iv. 10, 14, Jer. xxii. 16. Psa. i. 5. q 1 Pet. ii. 9. 6 Heb. draw out at length. Psa. vii. 10; xeiv. 15; xcvii. 11. saints consists in the vision and fruition of him, and in the immediate communications of his love, without interruption, or fear, or cessation. This glorious, blessed, and endless life is alone worthy of the name of life: this present temporal life being only a passage to death, and a theatre of great and manifold calamities. In thy light-In the knowledge of thee in grace, and the vision of thee in glory; especially in the latter; in the light of thy countenance, or glorious presence, which then shail be fully manifested unto us, when we shall see thee clearly and face to face, and not through a glass and darkly, as we now called, John viii. 12; light in this clause being the same thing with life in the former: pure light without any mixture of darkness; knowledge without ignorance, holiness without sin, happiness without misery. The word light is elegantly repeated in another signification; in the former clause it is light discovering, in this, light discovered or enjoyed. thee, as he now said, though they are straitened, oppressed, and persecuted; yet they shall not only be protected and supported for the present; but in due time shall have all their wants and desires fully satisfied. Hebrew, v, jirvejun, shall be watered, or made drunk, that is, shall be, as it were, overwhelmed with the abundance of its blessings. With the fatness of thy house-With those rich and delighful provisions which thou hast prepared for them in the place of thy worship on earth, thy tabernacle, where thou displayest thy glory, communicatest thy blessings, and acceptest the prayers and praises of thy people. The benefit of holy ordinances is the fat-see; shall we see light-The light of life, as it is ness of God's house here below, sweet to a sanctified soul, and strengthening to the spiritual and divine life; with this God's people are abundantly satisfied; they desire nothing more in this world than to live a life of communion with God; and to have the comfort of the promises. But the full, the complete satisfaction is reserved for the future state, and the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Every vessel will be perfectly full there. Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures-Pleasures that are truly divine; which not only come from thee, as the author of them, but which terminate in thee as the matter and centre of them; which, being purely spiritual, are of the same nature with those of the glorious inhabitants of the heavenly world, and bear some analogy even to the delights of the Eternal Mind. There is a river of these pleasures always full, always fresh, always flowing. There is enough for all, enough for each, enough for evermore, Psa. xlvi. 4. God has not only provided this river for his people, but he makes them to drink of it; works in them a gracious appetite for these spiritual enjoyments, and, by his Spirit, refreshes their Verse 11. Let not the foot of pride-That is, of my souls with them. In heaven they shall for ever drink proud and insolent enemies; come against me-Or of them, and shall be satiated with a fulness of joy. upon me, namely, so as to overthrow or remove me, Verse 9. With thee is the fountain of life-From as it is in the next clause; either, 1st, From my trust which those rivers of pleasure flow. Life is in God in, and obedience to thee: or, 2d, From my place as in a fountain, and from him is derived to us. As and station; from the land of my nativity, and the the God of nature, he is the fountain of natural life; place of thy worship. Or as 1, tenedeeni, may in him we live, and move, and have our being. As be rendered, shake me, or cast me down, that is, subthe God of grace, he is the fountain of spiritual life: due and destroy me. Some translate the former all the strength and comfort of sanctified souls; all clause; Let me not be trampled under the foot of their gracious principles, powers, and performances, pride. "There seems," says Dr. Dodd, "to be a are from him. He is the spring and author of all particular beauty in this expression, by which David their sensations of divine things, and of all their mo-elegantly intimates the supercilious haughtiness and tions toward them; and he invites all that thirst, nay, disdainful insolence of his enemy; who, if he had and whosoever will, to come and partake of these been in his power, would spurn him under his foot, waters of life freely. As the God of glory, he is the and trample on him." fountain of eternal life: the happiness of glorified Verse 10. O continue thy loving-kindness unto them that know thee-That is, that know thee so as sincerely to love thee, for every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God: whereas he that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love, 1 John iv. 7. As thou hast begun, so continue the manifestation and exhibition of thy loving-kindness to such, both in this life and the next. Hebrew, front, meshok chasdecha, extend, or draw forth thy lovingkindness, or mercy: let it not be like a fountain sealed, but let it be drawn forth for their comfort. And thy righteousness to the upright in heart-By giving them that protection and assistance, which thou art by nature inclined, and by thy promise engaged to give them. Verse 12. There are the workers of iniquity The design of this Psalm, which was written by David in his old age, is to vindicate the providence of God, and satisfy the minds of men with respect to the seeming inequality of his dispensations, in afflicting good men, and giving prosperity to the bad; and to instruct God's people how to conduct themselves in their present condition, and to show them what supports and comforts they may have in it. He recommends faith and patience upon the double consideration of that sure reward which awaiteth the righteous, and that certain punishment which shall be inflicted on the wicked; which two events are set before us in a variety of expressions, and under many lively and affecting images. The Psalm being rather, as Dr. Horne observes, "a collection of divine aphorisms on the same subject, than a continued and connected discourse," does not admit of a general analysis of its contents. The reader may observe, however, two leading articles, (1,) David exhorts to patience and confidence in God, 1-8. (2) He shows the different state of the righteous and the wicked, 9-40. It must be observed, the Psalm is alphabetical, but not in every verse, as in the two former Psalms we have noticed, namely, the xxvth and xxxivth, but only in every other verse; the plan in this Psalm being to give two verses, (which might have been one long verse, as Lam. i. ii.,) or four hemistics, to each of the Hebrew letters. 4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; A. M. 2962. and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart. 5 2 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. grass, and wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and 'verily thou shalt be fed. a Verse 7; Psalm lxxiii. 3; Proverbs xxiii. 17; xxiv. 1, 19. b Psa. xc. 5, 6.1 Heb. in truth, or, stableness.- - Isaiah lviii. 14. NOTES ON PSALM XXXVII. Verses 1,2. Fret not thyself—Give not way to immoderate grief, or anger, or impatience; because of evil-doers-Because they prosper in their wicked enterprises, while thou art sorely afflicted. Neither be thou envious, &c.-Esteeming them happy, and secretly wishing that thou wert in their condition. They shall wither as the green herb-For their happiness, the matter of thy envy, is but short-lived. Verse 3. Trust in the Lord-Depend upon God's promise for thy protection and support, for their infidelity is the root of their wickedness. And do good-Continue in the practice of that which is good and well-pleasing to God. So shalt thou dwell in the land-That is, upon this condition thou shalt dwell in safety and quietness in Canaan, as God had often promised. Hebrew, j, dwell in the land, as if it were a command to abide in Canaan when troubles came, and not to flee to the Philistines or other heathen for shelter, as he had foolishly done. But it is rather a promise, as appears by comparing this with verses 27, 29, such promises being often expressed by imperative verbs put for futures. And verily thou shalt be fed-Hebrew, y, feed, or, thou shalt be fed, (that is, every way provided for,) in truth, that is, truly or assuredly; or with, or 760 6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-day. Heb. Roll thy way upon the LORD. Psa. lv. 22; Prov. xvi. 3; Matt. vi. 25; Luke xii. 22; 1 Pet. v. 7.- Job xi. 17; Mic. vii. 9. ing in the Lord: thou shalt live by faith, as is said by faith, as this word signifies; that is, by thy trustHabak. ii, 4. favour and service, and in the study of his word and Verse 4. Delight thyself also in the Lord-In his promises; and he shall give thee the desire of thy heart-Thy just desires, or whatsoever is truly desirable and good for thee. This limitation is necessary to be understood, both from divers places of Scripture, and from the nature of the things; for it is unreasonable to imagine that God would engage himself to grant their sinful and inordinate desires, and it would also be a curse to them to have them granted. Verses 5, 6. Commit thy way unto the Lord-All thy cares and business, thy desires and necessities. Commend them to God by fervent prayer, referring them to his good-will, and expecting a happy issue of all from him. And he shall bring it to passHebrew, he shall do, or work, namely, for thee, or what is fit to be done; or what thou desirest, in the sense explained on verse 4. He shall bring forth thy righteousness-Namely, to the view of the world, from which it hath hitherto appeared to be hid, or eclipsed, by reproaches, and by grievous calamities, which most men are apt to mistake for tokens and Evil conduct and great A. M. 2962. PSALM XXXVII. 7 f Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: i fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. 9 For evil-doers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. 10 Form yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be yea, "thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. f Psa. lxii. 1. 15; Lam. iii. 26.— 3; Eph. iv. 26. 3 Heb. Be silent to the LORD. - Isa. xxx. punishments of great wickedness; as the light-It Verses 7, 8. Rest in the Lord-Hebrew, 17, dom, Be silent unto, or for, or because of, the Lord: that is, do not murmur or repine at his dealings with thee, but silently and quietly submit to his will, and adore his judgments, and, as it follows, wait for his help. This advice and command is urged again and again, to teach us how hard it is to learn and practise this lesson. Fret not because of him who prospereth in his way-In his evil way, as it is limited in the following words. Cease from anger-Either against the sinner for his success, or against God for suffering him to prosper. Fret not, &c., in any wise to do evil-Or, at least so far as to do evil. If any such anger or grief do secretly arise in thy mind, take care that it do not cause thee to reproach or distrust God's providence, or to dislike his ways, or to approve of or imitate the wicked practices of those men, in hopes of the same success. Verses 9-11. For evil-doers shall be cut off Namely, from the earth, as appears by comparing this with the next clause, and with Psa. xxxiv. 16. Their end shall certainly be most miserable. But those that wait, &c., shall inherit the earth-According to God's promise, often made to such; which also generally was literally fulfilled in that state of the church; and if in any instances it was not, it was fulfilled with far greater advantage in spiritual and eternal blessings. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be-Namely, in the land of the living. His time and prosperity are very short, and therefore no matter for envy. He shall be dead and gone; as the phrase here used is commonly taken. Thou shalt diligently consider his place-Industriously seeking to find him; and it shall not beThat is, his place, and estate, and glory shall be gone. Or, he shall not be, as 11, eenennu, rather signifies. But the meek-The godly, who are frequently so called; those who patiently bear God's afflicting hand, and meekly pass by injuries from ungodly men; shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace-Partly of outward peace and prosperity, danger of the wicked. 11 But the meek shall inherit the A. M. 2962. B. C. 1042. earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12 The wicked plotteth against the just, P and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. 13 The LORD shall laugh at him for he seeth that his day is coming. 14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay 5 such as be of upright conversation. 15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bow shall be broken. lvii. 13. m Heb. x. 36, 37. n Job vii. 10; xx. 9. Matt. v. 5. Or, practiseth.- P Psa. xxxv. 16.- - Psa. ii. 4. r1 Sam. xxvi. 10.5 Heb. the upright of way. - Mic. v. 6. which God, in his due time, will give them: but principally of inward peace and satisfaction of mind, arising from a sense of God's favour and the assurance of their own endless happiness. Verses 12, 13. The wicked plotteth against the just -There is a rooted enmity in the seed of the wicked one against the righteous seed: their aim is, if they can, to destroy their righteousness; if that fail, then to destroy them. To this end they plot, or act with a great deal of policy and contrivance; and gnasheth upon him with his teeth--Out of malice and rage. They join zeal and fury to craft and subtlety, inflamed with eager desire to have it in their power to destroy them, and full of wrath and indignation because it is not in their power. The Lord shall laugh at him-Shall despise and deride all their hopes and endeavours against the good, as vain and foolish. For he seeth that his day is coming-The day of his punishment. Thus, Jer. v. 31, Thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee. Verses 14, 15. The wicked have drawn out the sword, &c.-They are furnished with all sorts of arms, and are ready to give the deadly blow. To slay such as be of upright conversation—Those against whom they have no quarrel, for any injury they have done them; but only for their integrity and righteousness, or because they are better than themselves, and will not comply with their wicked counsels and courses. Their sword shall enter into their own heart-God will not only defend the upright from their mischievous designs, but will make those designs to fall upon their own heads. "I cannot but think," says a writer quoted here by Dr. Dodd, "that David understood by these weapons, with which he has furnished the ungodly, their bitter and malicious invectives, their false and foul reproaches, &c. These were the arms, in the use of which, as he frequently complains, they were admirably well skilled." Thus, (Psa. lvii. 4,) speaking of wicked men, he says, Whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. And if so, then verse 15 "will mean that their intention will be frustrated; they shall not do the mischief they intended; their bows shall be broken—And their invectives |