B. C. 1017.

134 Deliver me from the oppression A. M. 2987. of man: so will I keep thy precepts. 135 Make thy face to shine upon thy ser

h

131 I opened my mouth, and panted: for I vant: and teach me thy statutes. longed for thy commandments.

unto me, as 21 thou usest to do unto those

that love thy name.

136 Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.

Y TZADDI.

137 Righteous art thou, O Lord, and up

133 Order my steps in thy word: and let || right are thy judgments. not any iniquity have dominion over me.

z Psalm xix. 7; Prov. i. 4.- a Verse 20.- b Psalm cvi. 4. 2 Thess. i. 6, 7.- 21 Heb. according to the custom toward those, &c.- - Psa. xvii. 5. - Psa. xix. 13; Rom. vi. 12.

and make them the rule of my faith and practice, of my principles and actions, of my tempers, words, and works, and of my whole conduct toward God and man. And "who but must delight to study and observe these testimonies of the will and wisdom, the love and power of God most high! While we have these holy writings, let us not waste our time, misemploy our thoughts, and prostitute our admiration, by doting on human follies, and wondering at human trifles."-Horne.

Verse 130. The entrance of thy words-Into the heart of man; that is, the receiving of them in faith, and love, and meekness; giveth light-To those that were before in darkness, even the light of true and saving knowledge. Hereby we learn our ori- || gin and our end, what we are by nature, and what we must be made by grace, in order to our final sal- || vation; what God hath done for us, and the returns | he expects from us; the enemies we have to encounter, and how we may be enabled to prevail against them; the mercy and justice, the love and wrath, the goodness and holiness of Jehovah, the joys of heaven, and the pains of hell. But the words 77, are rendered by many ancient and modern interpreters, the opening of thy words; that is, the unfolding and explaining of them, opening the true sense, and showing thy mind and will therein. "Thy words are no sooner opened than there streams a light from them." It giveth understanding to the simple-To the most ignorant and unlearned persons, who are but willing to learn.

||

||

Verse 131. I opened my mouth, and panted, &c. -I thirst after the truths and precepts of thy word,|| and pursue them eagerly, and, as it were, with open mouth, ready and greedy to receive them. "An eastern traveller, fatigued through toil and parched by heat, doth not with more vehement desire gasp for the cooling breeze, than the servant of God, in time of temptation and trouble, panteth after that spirit of refreshment and consolation which breathes in the Scriptures of truth."-Horne.

138 Thy testimonies that thou hast com

f Luke i. 74.- - Psa. iv. 6.- -h Verses 12, 26.—¡ Jer. ix. 1; xiv. 17; Ezek. ix. 4.- Ezra ix. 15; Neh. ix. 33; Jer. xii. 1; Dan. ix. 7.-- Psa. xix. 7, 8, 9.

people in all former ages. Do not deny me the common privilege of all the faithful. Order my steps in thy word-By thy grace direct and govern all my affections and actions in the way prescribed in thy word. Let thy Spirit accompany thy word, and ingraft it in me, so that I may be guided and ruled by it. And let not any iniquity have dominion over me: let not the law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, lead me captive to the law of sin but, though the flesh may lust against the spirit, let the spirit oppose the desires of the flesh, and overcome and subdue them. The dominion of sin is to be dreaded and deprecated by every one of us; and if in sincerity we pray against it, we shall receive, as an answer of our prayers, the accomplishment of that promise, Rom. vi. 14, Sin shall not have dominion over you.

Verse 136. Rivers of water run down mine eyes, &c.-Plentiful and perpetual tears, witnesses of the deep sorrow I feel on account of the dishonour which sinners do to thee, thy displeasure against them, and the miseries which they bring on themselves and others by their sins. "Thus David, who, through this whole Psalm, so often and so ardently beseeches God to teach him his statutes, declares in this verse his continual grief of heart, occasioned by seeing others break those statutes. Thus Lot, among the Sodomites, was vexed from day to day, not so much at their usage of himself as at seeing and hearing their unlawful deeds, 2 Pet. ii. 8. Thus Jeremiah tells the ungodly of his time, If ye will not hear, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eyes shall weep sore and run down with tears, Jer. xiii. 17. Thus the holy Jesus looked round about on the Pharisees, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, Mark iii. 5; and wept over a city which had always persecuted, and was then about to crucify him, because it knew not the things which belonged to its peace."

TZADDI.

Verses 137, 138. Righteous art thou, O Lord-In Verses 132, 133. Look thou upon me-Favour- thy nature and attributes, and therefore it is imposably, as the next clause explains it; and be merci- sible that thou shouldest be unjust in any of thy laws ful unto me-Let me taste the sweetness, and re- or providences. Thy testimonies that thou hast comceive the gifts of thy mercy; let me have thy smiles, manded-Hebrew, Ty prys, Thou hast comand the light of thy countenance; as thou usest ||manded righteousness, even thy testimonies, or, by to do, &c.-As thou hast been wont to do unto thy || thy testimonies, or, the righteousness of thy testi

144 The righteousness of thy testi- A. M. 2967 monies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.

P KOPH.

139 My zeal hath 25 consumed me; because mine enemies have forgotten thy words. 140 Thy word is very 26 pure: therefore thy 145 I cried with my whole heart; hear me, servant loveth it. O LORD: I will keep thy statutes.

141 I am small and despised: yet do not I 146 I cried unto thee: save me, 28 and I shall keep thy testimonies.

forget thy precepts.

monies, and truth, very much, or, earnestly. The-My trouble and anguish do not take away my taste sense is, Thou hast strictly and severely, under the highest obligations and penalties, commanded in thy word, that men should be just and true in all their actions.

Verses 139-141. My zeal hath consumed me-My zeal toward thy law, which my enemies violate and contemn. "Zeal is a high degree of love; and when the object of that love is ill treated, it vents itself in a mixture of grief and indignation, which are sufficient to wear and consume the heart. This will be the case when men rightly conceive of that dishonour which is continually done to God by creatures whom he hath made and redeemed. But never could the verse be uttered with such fulness of truth and propriety by any one, as by the Son of God, who had such a sense of his Father's glory, and of man's sin, as no person else ever had. And, accordingly, when his zeal had exerted itself in purging the temple, St. John tells us, his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up."-Horne. Thy word is very pure-Without the least mixture of any falsehood or sin; therefore thy servant loveth it-Because of that exact purity and holiness of it; although, for that very reason, ungodly men either despise or hate it. I am small-Hebrew, y, a little one; not for age, but, in respect of my condition in the world, mean and obscure; yet do I not forget thy precepts -As my conscience bears me witness. If we are small and despised, we have the more need to remember God's precepts, that we may have them to support us under the pressures of a low condition.

for the comforts of thy word: but I can still relish them, and find that peace and pleasure in them, which all the calamities of this present life cannot deprive me of. Indeed, the saints have frequently the sweetest enjoyment of the delights which there are in God's word, when they are in a state of trouble and distress. Give me understanding, and I shall live-I shall be kept from those sins which bring spiritual death, and expose to eternal death: I shall live a life of grace here, and glory hereafter.

KOPH.

Verses 147, 148. I prevented the dawning of the morning-Hebrew, 2, the twilight, namely, of the morning. In this sense this word is used 1 Sam. xxx. 17. Mine eyes prevent the night-watches-In the Hebrew it is only the watches, there being nothing for night. "The Jews," the reader will observe, "anciently divided the night into three watches, which began at what we now call six o'clock in the evening, and consisted each of four hours. The Romans afterward introduced among them the custom of dividing it into four watches, consisting of three hours each, as well as of dividing the day and the night into twelve hours each. David intimates that he meditated on God, not only in the day-time, but also in the several divisions of the night, wherein different soldiers, or different parties of soldiers, were appointed to watch, or keep guard. In all these, or at least during a considerable part of each of them, he was thus wakeful, and employed in meditation and prayer."

Verses 149, 150. O Lord, quicken me-Stir me up Verses 142-144. Thy righteousness is an ever- to love and serve thee, and make me vigorous, lively, lasting righteousness-Constant and unchangeable, and cheerful in thy work; according to thy judg the same in all ages and places, and to all persons; ment-According to thy word, which is often called of eternal truth and justice never to be dispensed God's judgment; or, according to thy manner of with, nor to be made void. And thy law is truth-dealing with thy people. They draw nigh-To Nothing but truth, or as true as truth itself. Trouble me. They are at hand, and ready to seize upon me; and anguish have taken hold on me-Outward trou- that follow after mischief-Or rather, as 1977 ble and anguish of spirit; or great anguish and may, perhaps, be more properly rendered, that pur distress. Yet thy commandments are my delights sue me with malicious subtlety. They are far

2

The psalmist complains

PSALM CXIX.

of his persecutors. A. M. 2937. kindness: O LORD, "quicken me ac- || mies: yet do I not 'decline from thy A. M. 2987. cording to thy judgment testimonies.

B. C. 1017.

150 They draw nigh that follow after mischief: they are far from thy law.

B. C. 1017.

158 I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word. 159 Consider how I love thy precepts: h quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness.

160 30 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

SCHIN.

161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word. 162 I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth

155 Salvation is far from the wicked: for great spoil.

Verses 40, 154.- - Psa. cxlv. 18.-y Ver. 142. z Luke xxi. 33.a Lam. v. 1.- b1 Samuel xxiv. 15; Psalm xxxv. 1; Micah vii. 9. Verse 40.- d Job v. 4. 29 Or, Many.

from thy law-They cast away from them all thoughts of, and respect to, thy law, which forbids such wicked practices.

Verses 151, 152. Thou art near, O Lord-Namely, to me. Thou art as ready and present to succour me, as they are to molest me. And all thy commandments are truth-Considered with the promises and threatenings which belong to them, and are always either expressed or implied. Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old-By my own long experience, ever since I arrived at any knowledge in those matters; that thou hast founded them for ever-Thou hast established them upon everlasting foundations. They are as unalterable as the attributes of their great Author, and can never fail those who rely upon them, in time or in eternity.

RESH.

163 I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.

164 Seven times a day do I praise thee, because of thy righteous judgments.

e Verse 149.- f Psalm xliv. 18; Verse 51.- Verse 136; Ezek. ix. 4.- h Verse 88.- 30 Hebrew, The beginning of thy word is true.-1 Sam. xxiv. 11, 14; xxvi. 18; Verse 23.

this he was a type both of Christ and of his church. The enemies, the persecutors of both, are many, implacable and unwearied in their endeavours against them. Yet do I not decline from thy testimoniesThough they tempt me so to do, and persecute me because I will not do it: for I know while I adhere to them God is for me, and then I need not regard who is against me. A man that is steady in the way of his duty, though he may have many enemies, he needs to fear none. I beheld transgressors-I observed and considered their ungodly courses; and was grieved-Commiserating their sin and folly, and distressed to think of the misery they were bringing on themselves; because they kept not thy word-And thereby exposed themselves to thy wrath and indignation. Consider how I love thy precepts -My love to which is the cause of my grief for the faith-violation of them. Thy word is true from the beginning-From the beginning of the world. "God's word, and every article of his law, was, and ever will be, truth, first and last; what he spoke first was truth, and so will be every determination of his to the end of the world.”—Waterland.

Verse 155. Salvation-Which is nigh to the ful, because they diligently and earnestly seek to know and do the will of God, revealed to them in his word; is far from the wicked-They cannot, upon any good grounds, promise themselves even temporal deliverance, when they are in any adversity or trouble, but certainly eternal salvation is far from them. They may, indeed, flatter themselves that it is near, or that they are in the way to it; but they are dreadfully mistaken. It is at a great distance, for they thrust it from them, by thrusting the Saviour from them, and his statutes, to know, and much more, to practise which, they give themselves no concern; and the longer they persist in sin, at the greater distance it is. But, while salvation is far from them, damnation is near; it slumbers not: for, behold, the Judge standeth before the door.

Verses 157-160. Many are my persecutors-Da- || vid, being a public person, had many enemies. In

SCHIN.

Verses 161-164. Princes--The rulers and prime ministers of thy kingdom; have persecuted meWhom they ought to have used their authority to protect, knowing me to be innocent and injured; but my heart standeth in awe, &c.—I fear thy displeasure more than their wrath, and therefore do nothing contrary to thy word in my own vindication. I hate and abhor lying--Or falsehood, in my speech and actions; all hypocrisy, deceit, and fraud; even to the degree of abhorrence and abomination; but thy law do I love--I most heartily love those honest courses to which thy law directs me. Seven times

PSALM CXIX.

the helping hand of God. 165 Great peace have they which | deliver me according to thy word. A. M. 2997. love thy law: 31 nothing shall offend 171 My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.

166 1LORD, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.

167 My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.

168 I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies for all my ways are before thee.

170 Let my supplication come before thee: mandments.

The psalmist assures himself

PSALM CXXI.

PSALM CXX.

of help from God.

This Psalm, with each of the fourteen which follow, is entitled A song of degrees, or, of ascensions; but it is very uncertain for what reason. "The more general opinion," says Dr. Dodd, "seems to be, that of those who conjecture they were so called, because, after the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, they were sung by the Levites as they went up the stairs, or steps, of the temple: see Ezek. xl. Others, however, think that this title refers to some gradual rise or exaltation of the voice in singing. Others, again, render the words, A song of excellences, supposing them to express the excellence of the composition." "But as far as one may guess," says Mr. Mudge, "from the general import of the Psalms which have this title, it means they were Psalms sung upon the occasion of the Jews coming up from the country, as they did three times a year, to pay their devotions at Jerusalem." This was Bishop Lowth's opinion. See his 25th Prelection, and note on the title of this Psalm. The truth, however, seems to be, that it is impossible to say what is the exact meaning of this title. In this Psalm the psalmist prays and denounces judgments against lying tongues, 1-4. Complains of his wicked and unpeaceable neighbours, 5–7.

A. 2946

A Song of Degrees.

4 3 Sharp arrows of the mighty, with A. M. 2946.

B. M. 2018 IN my distress I cried unto the coals of juniper.

LORD, and he heard me.

B. C. 1058.

с

5 Wo is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that 2 Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, I dwell in the tents of Kedar! and from a deceitful tongue.

3 What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be 2 done unto thee, thou false tongue?

6 My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace.

7 I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.

* Psa. cxviii. 5; Jonah ii. 2.—1 Or, What shall the deceitful Or, It is as the sharp arrows of the mighty man, with coals of tongue give unto thee? or, what shall it profit thee? Heb. || juniper.- Genesis x. 2; Ezek. xxvii. 13. Gen. xxv. 13; added. 1 Sam. xxv. 1; Jer. xlix. 28, 29. Or, a man of peace.

NOTES ON PSALM CXX.

As if he had said, As thy tongue shoots arrows, (as calumnies are often called,) and kindles coals, so thou shalt bring God's arrows and coals, kindled by the fire of his wrath, upon thyself.

coals of juniper, which burn very fiercely, and reVerses 2-4. Deliver my soul from lying lips-tain their heat for a long time. And the psalmist From the unjust censures and malicious slanders of may possibly express himself in these words, to mine enemies; and from a deceitful tongue-show the suitableness of the punishment to the sin. Which covers mischievous designs under pretences of kindness. What shall be given unto thee--By | the righteous Judge of heaven and earth; thou false|| tongue-0 thou false accuser, or slanderer, or whosoever thou art, that art guilty of any such like practices? Sharp arrows of the mighty-The wrath and vengeance of the almighty God, which in Scripture, and particularly in this book, is often compared to arrows, as Psa. vii. 13, 14, &c., and here to arrows of the mighty, that is, arrows shot by the hands of a strong man; and to coals, Psa. cxl. 10, and here to

Verse 5. Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar-Mesech and Kedar are two sorts of people often mentioned in Scripture, and reckoned among the barbarous nations. But their names are here to be understood metaphorically, and so he explains himself in the next verse.

PSALM CXXI.

The matter of this Psalm sufficiently shows that the author of it was conflicting with great difficulties and oppositions, in the midst of which, after looking to different quarters for help, he at last turns his eyes heavenward, and encourages himself by a consideration of the providence of God, and his promises made to his people. The psalmist assures himself of help from God, 1, 2. He assures others of it, 3-8.

NOTES ON PSALM CXXI.

Psalm lxxxvii. 1, the hills on which the tabernacle Verses 1, 2. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills or temple stood, where were the ark of the cove-To Zion and Moriah, called the holy mountains, || nant, the oracle, and the altars. I will have an eye