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The psalmist's

PSALM LXXIII.

confidence in God. A. M. 2989. 21 Thus my heart was "griev-|| 23 Nevertheless I am continually A. M. 2999. ed, and I was pricked in my with thee: thou hast holden me by

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22 So foolish was I, and "ignorant; I was as a beast 12 before thee.

11 Heb. I knew not.

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24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

12 Heb. with thee. - Psa. xxxii. 8; Isa. lviii. 8. was disturbed, so as I have expressed, with envy and indignation at the prosperity of the wicked. Hebrew, ponn, jithchamets lebabi, my heart was in a ferment, or, had wrought itself up into a ferment, namely, with unbelieving thoughts, and reasonings on the above-mentioned subject. And I was pricked in my reins-I was heartily and deeply wounded in my spirit. So foolish was 1, and ignorant-Of what I might have known and which, if I had known it aright, would have been perfectly sufficient to have prevented or silenced the disquieting thoughts and perplexing reasonings which have given me so much uneasiness. I was as a beast before thee-A most stupid and sottish creature, as though I had not only been devoid of grace, but of reason too. For reason itself, informed by the Holy Scriptures, sufficiently discovered, that, all things considered, I had no sufficient cause to envy the prosperity of wicked men. I minded only present things, as the brutes do, and did not look forward to and consider things to come, as reasonable creatures ought to do. Before thee-In thy sight, or judgment, and therefore in truth, Rom. ii. 2, howsoever I seemed to myself, or others, to have some degree of reason and discretion.

u Verse 3. . Psa. xcii. 6; Prov. xxx. 2.was, so now shall evidently be discerned to be no real, or substantial and solid thing, but a mere image, or shadow, or vain show, which can neither abide with them, nor yield them satisfaction. Thus the word rendered pomp, Acts xxv. 23, is, in the Greek,|| pavracia, a mere fancy and imagination. And Psa. xxxix.6, man is said to walk in a vain show; in the LXX., EV Etkovi, in an image, the word used by these interpreters here. God is said to despise the image,|| when they awake, not really, for in that sense God ever did despise it, even when they were in the height of all their glory; but declaratively, things being often said to be done in Scripture when they appear or are manifest. The sense is, Thou shalt pour contempt upon them; make them despicable to themselves and others, notwithstanding all their riches; shalt raise them to shame and everlasting contempt. The LXX. render it, Tov Eikova avrov eovdevwoɛis, Thou shalt bring to naught, or make nothing of their image. God will render utterly contemptible even in their own sight, as well as in that of himself, of his holy angels, and the spirits of the righteous, those imaginary and fantastic pleasures for which they have lost the substantial joys and glories of his heavenly kingdom. For it is evident that what the psalmist here affirms, concerning the Verse 23. Nevertheless-Notwithstanding all my end of the wicked, cannot be understood, consistently temptations, and my gross folly in yielding to them; with the rest of the Psalm, of their temporal destruc- I am continually with thee-In thy favour and under tion, but must be interpreted of their future wretched thy care. Although I gave thee just cause to cast state in another world, which is often represented, me off, yet thou didst continue thy gracious prein Scripture, by death and destruction; and so, in-sence with me, and kindness to me. Thou hast deed, these verses explain it. How are they brought holden me by thy right hand-Hast upheld me, that to desolution in a moment, that is, the moment when my faith might not fail, and I might not be overthey pass out of this life to another. It is then only thrown by this, or any other temptation. "The that the wicked will be thoroughly awakened to see remainder of the Psalm contains the most dutiful and their misery, especially if they die without much affectionate expressions of a mind perfectly at ease, pain or anguish, in a stupid, thoughtless way, as and reposing itself with comfortable assurance on seems to be intimated verse 4. And here let us the loving-kindness of the Lord, of which it had reflect, with Dr. Horne, If the sudden alteration thus experienced a fresh instance in its support which death makes in the state of a powerful and under the late temptation, and complete victory opulent sinner, cannot but affect all around him, over it."-Horne. though they behold but one part of it; how much Verse 24. Thou shalt guide me, &c.—As thou more would they be astonished and terrified if the|| hast kept me hitherto, in all my trials, so I am percurtain between the two worlds were withdrawn, suaded thou wilt lead me still into, and in, the right and the other half of the change exposed to view! way, and keep me from straying from thee, or falling Let faith do that which sight cannot do;" let it show into evil or mischief; with thy counsel-By thy us, that the life of the ungodly is a sleep; their hap- gracious providence, executing thy purpose of mercy piness a dream, illusive and transitory; at best a to me, as being one of thy believing and obedient shadow, afterward nothing; and that, at the day of people, and watching over me, by thy word. which death, the soul is roused out of this sleep, the dream thou wilt open my eyes to understand; and prinvanishes, and the sinner finds himself consigned to cipally by thy Holy Spirit, sanctifying and directing everlasting torments, "and then the ungodly, how-me in the whole course of my life. And afterward ever wealthy and honourable, will surely cease to be the objects of our envy."

Verses 21, 22. Thus my heart was grieved-I

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receive me to glory-Translate me to everlasting glory in heaven. As all those who commit themselves to God's conduct shall be guided by his

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PSALM LXXIII.

25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.

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26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the 13 strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

* Philip iii. 8. Psalm lxxxiv. 2; cxix. 81.13 Heb. rock. b Psa. xvi. 5; cxix. 57. Psa. cxix. 155.

counsel, so all those who are so guided in this world shall be received to his glory in another world. If God direct us in the way of our duty, and prevent our turning aside out of it; enabling us to make his will the rule, and his glory the end of all our actions, he will afterward, when our state of trial and preparation is over, receive us to his kingdom and glory; the believing hopes and prospects of which will reconcile us to all the dark providences that now puzzle and perplex us, and ease us of the pain into which we may have been put by some distressing temptations. Here we see, that "he, who but a little while ago seemed to question the providence of God over the affairs of men, now exults in happy confidence of the divine mercy and favour toward himself; nothing doubting but that grace would ever continue to guide him upon earth, till glory should crown him in heaven. Such are the blessed effects of going into the sanctuary of God, and consulting the lively oracles, in all our doubts, difficulties, and temptations."-Horne.

Verse 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee?-To seek to, or trust in, to court or covet an acquaintance with? God is in himself more glorious than any other being, and must be in our eyes infinitely more desira- || ble. He, and he alone, is the felicity and chief good of man. He, and none but he, who made the soul, can make it happy. There is no other in heaven or earth that can pretend to do it. Now, in order that God may be our felicity, we must have him, as it is here expressed; we must possess his favour, his image, and communion with him. We must choose him for a portion, and ensure to ourselves an interest in his love. What will it avail us that he is the felicity of souls, if he be not the felicity of our souls; and if we do not, with a lively faith, make him ours, by joining ourselves to him in an everlasting covenant? Our affection must be set upon him, and our delight must be in him. Our desires must not only be offered up to God, but they must terminate in God, as their ultimate object. Whatever we desire besides him must be desired in subordination to him and his will, and with an eye to his glory. We must desire nothing besides God but what we desire for God. He must have our heart, our whole heart, and no creature in earth or heaven must be permitted to share with

him.

Verse 26. My flesh and my heart faileth-I find, by sad experience, my own weakness and inability to encounter such temptations, and bear, with becoming patience and resignation, such troubles, as I frequently meet with; yea, I find myself a frail, dying creature, that shall shortly return to the dust.

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27 For lo, they that are far from thee A. M. 2989. shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.

28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

d Exod. xxxiv. 15; Num. xv. 39; James iv. 4.-e Heb. x. 22. f Psa. cvii. 22; cxviii. 17.

Both my flesh and heart, my body and soul may, and, unless supported by God, will soon fail. But God is the strength of my heart-I have found him so; I do find him so, and hope I ever shall. As if he had said, Though I have no strength in myself, I have it in God, my never-failing refuge, to whom I will trust as long as I live. Hebrew, ns, tsur lebabi, the rock of my heart, a firm foundation, which will bear my weight, and not sink under it. In the distress supposed, he had put the case of a double failure, a failure of both the flesh and heart; but in the relief, he fixes on a single support; he leaves out the flesh, and the consideration of it; it is enough that God is the strength of his heart. He speaks as one careless of the body; let that fail, it must, there is no remedy; but he is concerned about his soul, to be strengthened in the inner man. And my portion for ever-He will not only support me while I am here, but will make me happy when I go hence, happy to all eternity. The saints choose God for their portion; he is their portion; and it is their happiness that he will be their portion for ever; a portion that will last as long as the immortal soul. Reader, consider this, and make choice of this portion without delay.

Verse 27. For lo, they that are far from thee shall perish-That is, they that forsake thee and thy ways, preferring the prosperity of this present evil world to thy love, and favour, and service; they who estrange themselves from an acquaintance with thee, and a conformity to thee; who are alienated from thy life, through the ignorance of thee, which is in them, and rest short of, or decline from, union and communion with thee; that say, if not in words, yet in effect, "Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways." Thou hast destroyed

And thou wilt still certainly and dreadfully destroy; all them that go a whoring from thee-Who, having professed subjection to thee, shall afterward revolt from thee, which is called whoredom, or adultery (figuratively speaking) in Scripture. For none are more hateful to God than wilful and wicked apostates from the principles and practice of the true religion which they once owned.

Verse 28. But it is good for me to draw near to God-But whatsoever they do, I am abundantly satisfied that it is, as my duty, so my interest and happiness, to cleave unto thee by faith, love, and obedience, and diligent attendance upon all thy ordinances. I have put my trust in the Lord God-I depend on him alone, for all my comfort and felicity; That I may declare all thy works-From which dependance, I know, I shall have this benefit, that I shall have many and great occasions to declare God's acts of mercy and kindness to me.

The psalmist complains of

PSALM LXXIV.

PSALM LXXIV.

the sufferings of the Jews.

This Psalm seems to have been composed on occasion of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Chaldeans. The author, after lamenting the calamities of his country, and the insults of his enemies, calls to remembrance the glorious exploits which God had performed in ancient days for his people, and prays him to exert himself afresh in their cause, which, through the blasphemous defiance of the enemy, was now become his own. It could not certainly be composed by the same Asaph who wrote the foregoing Psalm; (see 2 Chron. xxix. 30 ;) but, as Bishop Patrick thinks, by some one of his posterity, who, during the captivity, was suffered to remain in Jerusalem with the Chaldeans. The psalmist, in the name of the Jews, complains of the miseries they suffered, 1-11. Encourages himself by recollecting the mighty works of God, 12-17. Prays for deliverance, 18-23.

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1 Maschil of Asaph.

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3 Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual A. M. 2989. A. M. 2989. GOD, why hast thou cast us desolations; even all that the enemy off for ever? why doth thine an- hath done wickedly in the sanctuary. ger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? 4 Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy 2 Remember thy congregation, congregations; they set up their ensigns for hast purchased of old; the rod of thine signs. inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.

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which thou

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1 Or, A Psalm for Asaph to give instruction. Psa. xliv. 9, 23; lx. 1, 10; lxxvii. 7: Jer. xxxi. 37; xxxiii. 24.b Deut. XXIX. 20.

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NOTES ON PSALM LXXIV.

Verse 1. O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever -So as to leave us no visible hopes of restitution? Why doth thine anger smoke?—That is, why doth it rise to such a degree, that all about us take notice of it, and ask, What meaneth the heat of this great anger? Deut. xxix. 24. Compare verse 20, where the anger of the Lord and his jealousy are said to smoke against sinners. Against the sheep of thy pasture-Against thy chosen people.

5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.

e Psa. xcv. 7; c. 3.-d Exod. xv. 16; Deut. ix. 29.-Or, tribe.e Deut. xxxii. 9; Jer. x. 16. Lam. ii. 7.-5 Dan. vi. 27.

Verse 3. Lift up thy feet-This is spoken after the manner of men, and means, Come speedily to our rescue, and do not delay, as men do when they sit or stand still; unto-Or rather, because of the perpetual desolations-Namely, those ruins of the city and country, which had lasted so very long, and which, if God did not come to their help, he intimates, would be perpetual and irrecoverable. Even all that the enemy hath done wickedly, &c.—God had deserted his sanctuary, and the shechinah, or Verse 2. Remember thy congregation-That is, cloud of glory, emblematical of the divine presence, the Israelites, who are thy church, and whom, at the had gone up from between the cherubim: see Ezek. expense of so many miracles, thou didst make thy x. 4. In consequence of which the heathen people peculiar people; show by thine actions that thou had invaded that holy place, and laid it waste. hast not utterly forgotten and forsaken them; which And the psalmist here supplicates and urges God's thou hast purchased-Hebrew, np, kanita, render-return to them, as that which alone could restore ed bought, Deut. xxxii. 6, but which also signifies their temple, city, and country to their former happy acquired or procured, though without price, as Ruth state. iv. 9, 10. Of old-When thou didst bring them out of Egypt, and form them into a commonwealth; gavest them laws, and didst enter into covenant with them at Sinai. The rod of thine inheritance-That people which thou hast measured out, as it were, by rod, to be thy portion: or, the tribe (as the word , shebet, here rendered rod, commonly signifies) of thine inheritance, that is, the tribe of Judah, which thou hast, in a special manner, chosen for thine inheritance, and for the seat of thy church and kingdom, and the birth of the Messiah. And thus here is an elegant gradation from the general to particulars: First, the congregation, consisting of all the tribes; then the tribe of Judah; and lastly, mount Zion. Nor is it strange that he mentions this tribe particularly, because the calamity and captivity here lamented principally befell this tribe and Benjamin, which was united with it, and subject to it; and those who returned from the captivity were general-tuary." ly of this tribe. This mount Zion-Which is often put for the temple, or the hill of Moriah, on which it

was built.

Verse 4. Thine enemies roar-Make loud outcries; either out of rage and fury against the conquered and captivated Israelites, now in their power; or rather, in the way of triumph for their success and victory. In the midst of thy congregations—In the places where thy people used to assemble together for thy worship; whereby they designed to insult, not only over us, but over thee also, as if their idols had been too strong for thee. They set up their ensigns for signs-As trophies, in token of their victory over us and over thee. "No sound," says Dr. Horne, "can be more shocking than the confused clamours of a heathen army sacking the temple; no sight so afflicting as that of the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place. Turbulent passions are the enemies which raise an uproar of confusion in the heart; wealth, power, and pleasure are the idols which profane that sanc

Verses 5, 6. A man was famous, &c.-The meaning, according to this translation, is this: The temple was so noble a structure, that it was a great honour

The psalmist prays that God

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and hammers.

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6 But now they break down the || any prophet: neither is there among A. M. 2989. carved work thereof at once with axes us any that knoweth how long. 10 O God, how long shall the adversary 7 They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy they have defiled by casting down the dwell-name for ever? ing-place of thy name to the ground.

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8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.

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Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.

12 For God is my King of old, working 9 We see not our signs: there is no more salvation in the midst of the earth.

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(1 Mac. iv. 28,) and afterward the Romans razed it from the foundation, and left not one stone upon another. They said, Let us destroy them together Root and branch, one as well as another, or all at

once.

to any man to be employed in the meanest part of the work, though it were but in cutting down the trees of Lebanon. And this interpretation is favoured by the opposition in the next verse. But now, &c. Some learned expositors, however, translate So they desired, and so, it seems, many of the first words of this verse, y, not, He was famous, them intended, although afterward they changed but, as is more literal, It is, or will be, well known;|| their counsel, and carried some away captive, and and they interpret the two verses thus: "It is, or ra- left others to cultivate the ground. They have ther, will be, known or manifest; it will be publish- burned up all the synagogues-All the public places ed to all posterity, as matter of astonishment and wherein the Jews used to meet together to worship admiration, that, as one lifteth up axes in the thick God every sabbath day, as is mentioned Acts xiii. wood, or upon thick trees, to cut them down; so now 27, and upon other occasions. That the Jews had they, the enemies above mentioned, break down the such synagogues is manifest, both from these and carved wood thereof, namely, of the sanctuary, with || other places of Scripture, and from the testimony axes and hammers." It has been ingeniously ob- of the Hebrew doctors, and other ancient and learnserved by some, that the two words thus rendered ed writers, who affirm it, and particularly of Jeruare not Hebrew, but Chaldee or Syriac words, to salem, in which they say there were above four hunpoint out the time when this was done, even when dred; and from the necessity of such places: for the Chaldeans brought in their language, together seeing it is undeniable that they did worship God with their arms, among the Israelites. Dr. Horne publicly on every sabbath, and at other holy times, thinks that the Hebrew word above mentioned may even when they could not go up to Jerusalem, both be translated a knowing, or skilful person; and then conscience and prudence must needs have directed the sense is, "As a skilful person, who understands them to appoint convenient places for that purpose. his business, lifteth up the axe in the thick wood, so now men set themselves to work to demolish the ornaments and timbers of the sanctuary." They neither regard the sacredness of the place, nor the exquisite curiosity and art of the work, (here signified by the term carved work,) but cut it down as indifferently and rashly as men cut down the thick and entangled boughs of the trees of the forest. "The words," adds Dr. H., "suggest another reason why God should arise and have mercy upon Zion, lest his name should be blasphemed among the nations, when they saw and heard of the sacrilegious and horrible destruction wrought by the enemy; whom neither the majesty of the temple, nor the reverence of its divine inhabitant, could restrain from defacing the beauty of holiness. The ornaments of the internal and spiritual temple sometimes suffer as much from the fury of inordinate affections, as the carved work of the sanctuary ever did from the armies of Nebu

chadnezzar or Antiochus."

Verses 7, 8. They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, &c.-The Chaldeans first polluted, and then set fire to Solomon's temple, and burned that stately and costly fabric down to the ground. And Antiochus set fire to the gates of the second temple, ||

Verse 9. We see not our signs-Those tokens of God's gracious presence with us, which we and our ancestors used to enjoy. There is no more any prophet-Either, 1st, Any public teacher. We have few or none left to instruct us in the law of God, and in divine things. Or, 2d, Any extraordinary prophet, who can foretel things to come, as the next words explain it. For as for Jeremiah and Ezekiel, they might be dead when this Psalm was composed; and Daniel was involved in civil affairs, and did not teach the people as a prophet; and the prophetical spirit, which sometimes came upon him, and made those great discoveries to him which we read in his book, might possibly at this time suspend his influences. Besides, it is not unusual, in Scripture, to say there is none of a sort of persons or things, when there is a very great scarcity of them. Bishop Patrick thinks what is here said respecting there being no prophet, to tell the Jews how long the captivity

would last, is a proof that this Psalm was written

toward the end of that captivity.

Verses 10-12. How long shall the adversary reproach-Namely, thy name, (which is expressed in the next clause,) by saying that thou art either unkind to thy people, or unfaithful in thy covenant, or

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The psalmist encourages himself

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A. M. 2999. 13 Thou didst 5 divide the sea by || 16 The day is thine, the night also is A. M. 2999.
thy strength: thou brakest the heads thine: thou hast prepared the light
of the dragons in the waters.
and the sun.

14 Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in
pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the
people inhabiting the wilderness.

17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter. 18 Remember this, that the enemy hath

15 Thou didst cleave the fountain and the reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.

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P Exodus xiv. 21. Heb. break.- — Isa. li. 9, 10; Ezek. xxix. 3; xxxI. 2. Or, whales. Num. xiv. 9.- Psa. lxxii. 9. Exod. xvii. 5, 6; Num. xx. 11; Psa. cv. 41; Isa.

unable to deliver us out of our miseries. Why with
drawest thou thy hand?-Why dost thou suspend
or forbear the exercise of that power which thou
hast so often exerted in behalf of thy people? Pluck
it out of thy bosom-In which thou now seemest to
hide it, as idle persons used to do. This is spoken
after the manner of men. It means, Why art thou
an inactive spectator of our miseries? Why dost
thou not put forth thy power and deliver us? For
God is my king of old-In a singular manner.
belongs to thine office to protect and save us; work-
ing salvation in the midst of the earth-In the view
of the world: saving thy people so eminently and
gloriously, that all the nations around observed and
admired it.

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people have blasphemed thy name.

xlviii. 21.—— Joshua iii. 13.-Hebrew, rivers of strength. * Gen. i. 14.—y Acts xvii. 26. Gen. viii. 22. Heb. made them. Verse 22; Rev. xvi. 19. Psa. xxxix. 8.

however, render it, moraμovs nau, taking the latter word, eethan, for a proper name. Undoubtedly Jordan is meant: so that "two other remarkable exertions of the divine power, in favour of the Israelites, are here referred to.. Water was brought out of the rock to satisfy their thirst in the time of drought; and the river Jordan was dried up to open the passage for them into Canaan."

Verse 16. The day is thine, the night also is thine It-It is not strange that thou hast done these great and wonderful works, for thou hast made the heavenly bodies, and appointed the vicissitudes of day and night, depending upon them, which is a far greater work. Thou hast prepared—Hebrew, 127, hachinota, thou hast established, that is, not only created, but settled in a constant and orderly course, the light and the sun-That primitive light mentioned Gen. i. 3, and the sun, in which it was afterward condensed and gathered: or the luminaries in general, with their chief the sun. Thus, "from the miraculous interpositions of God in behalf of his people, the psalmist passes to those ordinary and standing evidences of his goodness toward us, the sweet vicissitudes of light and darkness, and the grateful succession of times and seasons; by which man is taught, in the most sorrowful night, to look for a joyful morning; and, during the severest winter, to expect a reviving spring. Thus is the revolving year our constant instructer and monitor; incessantly inculcating the duties of faith and hope, as well as those of adoration, gratitude, and praise."-Horne.

Verses 13, 14. Thou didst divide the sea, &c.-
"The first part of this verse alludes to that marvel-
lous act of omnipotence which divided the Red sea
for Israel to pass over; the second part to the return
of its waves upon the heads of the Egyptians, who,
like so many sea-monsters, opening their mouths to
devour the people of God, were overwhelmed, and
perished in the mighty waters."-Horne. Thou
brakest the heads of the dragons-The crocodiles,
meaning Pharaoh's mighty men, who were like
these beasts in strength and cruelty. Thou brakest
the heads-That is, the head of Pharaoh himself.
He says heads, because of the several princes who
were and acted under his influence. Dr. Waterland
renders the first word, which we translate dragons,
crocodiles, and the latter, the crocodile, meaning
Pharaoh. And gavest him, &c., to the people inha-
biting the wilderness-Hebrew, Oy, leg-
nam letziim, populo desertorum locorum, (Buxtorf,)
to the people of desert places. The Seventy render
it, haois Tous Audio, to the Ethiopian people. Poole,
Horne, and some other commentators, suppose that
ravenous birds and beasts of the desert, and not men,
are here intended; and that the sense of the clause
is, that the bodies of Pharaoh and his captains were
thrown on shore by the sea, and so became food for
the wild beasts of the neighbouring deserts. We
find the same words used for wild beasts haunt-gether are fitly alleged as a motive to God, that he
ing the deserts, Isaiah xiii. 21, and xxxiv. 14.

Verse 15. Thou didst cleave the fountain and the
flood-That is, thou didst, by cleaving the rock,
make a fountain in it, and a flood or stream to flow
from it, for the refreshment of thy people in those
dry deserts.
Thou drielst up mighty rivers
Hebrew,, rivers of strength. The Seventy,

Verse 17. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth-Thou hast fixed the bounds, both of the habitable world in general, so that the seas, though they do encompass and assault them, yet are not, and never shall be, able to remove them, and of all the countries and people upon earth, whom thou hast confined within such bounds as thou hast seen fit. Thou hast made summer and winter-As the former clause of the verse shows God's power and government over all places, so this displays his dominion over all times and seasons. And both to

would, at this time, take care of his poor people, and restore them to their ancient land and borders, in which he had been pleased to set them.

Verse 18. Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached thee-Though we deserve to be forgotten and destroyed, yet remember thyself, and do not suffer thine and our enemies to reproach and blas

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