97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

98 Thou, through thy commandments, hast made me wiser than mine enemies for they are ever with me.

99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.

100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. 101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.

102 I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. 103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

104 Through thy precepts I get un

[of God's word.

derstanding: therefore I hate every false way.

NUN.

105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

106 I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thý righteous judgments.

107 I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word.

108 Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me thy judgments.

109 My soul is continually in my hand; yet do I not forget thy law.

110 The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.

111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.

112 I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.

SAMECH.

113 I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.

114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.

115 Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.

116 Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.

117 Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually.

118 Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood.

Ver. 112. To perform — Heb. "To do."—Unto the end-That is, of this life. See ver. 33.

Ver. 113. I hate vain thoughts.-The term "vain," not being in the original, various epithets have been supplied, as "wavering, foolish," and, by Luther, "light-minded." Perhaps no supply is necessary. Mr. Ainsworth thinks the reference is to "the top branches of trees," continually waving in the wind; the sense may be, "I hate speculations;" meaning, sceptical notions in religion:

Ver. 119. Thou puttest away-Heb. "Cansest to cease.”. Like dross-Or refuse, fit only to be thrown away. See Ezek. xxii. 18–22.

146 I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies. 147 I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.

148 Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.

149 Hear my voice according unto thy loving-kindness: O LORD, quicken me according to thy judgment.

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

151 Thou art near, O LORD; and all thy commandments are truth.

152 Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever. (C)

[frequent devotion,

RESH.

153 Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law.

154 Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word.

155 Salvation is far from the wicked for they seek not thy statutes.

:

156 Great are thy tender mercies, O LORD: quicken me according to thy judgments.

157 Many are my persecutors and mine enemies; yet do I not decline from thy testimonies.

158 I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word.

159 Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy loving-kindness.

160 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 great spoil.

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 judg

ments.

(C) Ver. 121-152. An appeal to, and prayer for the Divine protection. The psalmist David, as we know, being engaged a righteous cause, is warranted in his appeal to God, to support him in his pretensions, which were founded on the divine appointment and decree; and his enemies were now so numerous, and had become so powerful, that he seems warranted in saying, "It is time for thee, Lord, to Work:" for no human aid seemed sufficient to extricate or deliver him. And we may always conclude this to be the case, when men make "void the law" of God. A remark, this, not impertinent in the pre

sent time, when some persons appear to glory in thus treating the divine law, though St. Paul revolted at the idea:"What, then, do we make void the law through faith? God forbid !" (Rom. iii. 31.) The fact is, we can never think or speak too highly of any part of God's word, unless we misplace it for some other part, as the law for the gospel, &c. Though salvation be not of the law, yet the subjects of salvation should never vilify God's law, to exalt his gospel. "The law is good, if a man use it lawfully." (1 Tim. i. 8)

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.

TAU.

169 Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.

170 Let my supplication come before thee deliver me according to thy word.

171 My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.

172 My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

173 Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.

[in God's law.

174 I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.

175 Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.

176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments. (D)

IN

PSALM CXX.

A Song of degrees.

my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.

2 Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.

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

4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.

5 Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar! 6 My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace.

(D) Ver. 153-176. The Psalm concludes with penitence and prayer.-The great design of this psalm is, to lead us to admiring thoughts of the word of God, in all its departments, and to pray for divine grace to inake a proper use of it. After all, we may well conclude, with the psalmist, in the language of confession and of prayer, and each of us, for ourselves, say, "I have

gone astray like a lost sheep: seek thy

servant."

Marg. "The beginning of thy word is true." But the textual reading seems to agree best with the following clause.

Ver. 165. Nothing shall offend them-Heb. “ "They shall have no stumbling block," or offence.

Ver. 175. Let my soul live-i. e. preserve my life.

PSALM CXX. Title-A song of degrees-which is prefixed to this and to the 14 following psalms. The word (mahaloth) rendered "degrees," means, Eterally, steps, or stairs, but is very generally applied to any kind of ascents. Bp. Loath calls these psalms "Odes of the Ascensions;" i. c. which were sung, either when the people came up to worship at Jerusalem, at the annual festivals, or perhaps from the Babylonish captivity. The return is certainly called the ascension, or coming up from Babylon, Ezra vii. 9. and the Syriac translator refers to this circumstance almost all the psalms that bear this inscription;.... (and) many of them manifestly have a relation to it. But we must not omit remarking also, that both in the Old and New Testaments there is scarcely a phrase more common than "to go up to Jerusalem; to go up to the feast;" and Ps. cxxii can scarcely be applied to any thing, but the celebration of some festival.

....

Besides, several of these psalms bear the name of David, and others have evident reference to his time and circumstances; but few of them could therefore be composed for the return from Babylon.

Gesenius suggests, that the term may mark a pecu liar species of Hebrew composition; and it is re markable, that these psalms are all very short, (one only exceeding nine verses,) and in several of them there is a gradation of meaning, and a degree of point toward the close, almost epigrammic.

The Rabbinical tradition, of these psalms being intended to be sung on the steps of the temple, is now gene ally rejected; besides, David lived in the time of the tabernacle, which had no steps.

Ver. 3. What shall be given, &c.-Marg. "What shall the deceitful tongue give unto thee? or what shall it profit thee?" &c. i. e. "What is to be gained by deceit and slander?"

Ver. 4. Sharp arrows-Marg," It (slander) is as the sharp arrows," &c.--With coals of juniper.See Note on I Kings xix. 4. Rosenmuller considers the juniper (Rother) of the same species with the broom, which, in Spain, retains the Arabic naine, Roterna; and St. Jerome speaks of its retaining live ashes for a whole year. See Orient. Lit. No. 804. Ver. 5. In Mesech.-It is not certain that Mesech

(E) The psalmist prays for protection against his adversaries.-The title prefixed to this and the fourteen following psalms, is, in our translation, "A Song of degrees," which is variously interpreted. The most general opinion is, that these psalms were written, either for the tribes going up in procession to worship at Mount Ziou; or, for their subsequent going up from the captivity in Babylon. The psalm before us, however, seems to have no reference to either, but to be rather of the epigrammatic cast, and to favour the notion of Professor Gesenius, that the title has reference to the poetic composition. (See Note.) It is generally supposed to have been written by David, when persecuted by the malignant slanders of Doeg, or some other maliguant slanderers, whose words were like sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper," in which there is a beautiful gradation of sense, terminating in a point of severity which does not appear in the translation. Slanderous words are often compared to arrows and to sharp arrows; but the force is much increased by the bow being drawn by "a mighty man" for "as the man is, so is his strength," (Judges viii. 21.) and the force with which his weapon strikes. But what mean these "coals of juniper?" They are remarkable, it appears, for their long continued heat, and here intimate

that the wounds inflicted by the tongue of the slanderer, not only deeply penetrate, but iuflame and burn for a long continuance. Hence the apostle James compares the tongue of slander to a fire enkindled from the infernal pit, and inflaming the course of nature. (James iii. 5, 6.)

PSALM CXXI.

(F) Help in God under all circumstances. -Bishop Lowth supposes the two first verses to be the language of a king of Israel going out to battle, and looking up to the oracle on Mount Zion for support; and the following part of the psalm he considers as the answer of the high priest from the tabernacle: but Bishop Horne considers the first verses as the language rather of an Israelite going up to the tabernacle, to keep one of the sacred festivals, and the following as an answer of peace and protection on his journey. This appears to us far the most probable : for, had the scene been a military one, we should have heard of shield, and sword, and buckler. The protection solicited and promised is from the burning heat of the sun, and the chilling influences of the moon, or the night air, both which were to be dreaded in Judea. "The meaning is, (says Bishop Horne,) that the good man, during his journey through life, shall be under God's protection at all seasons; as Israel in the wilderness was defended from

is a proper name: both Ainsworth and Bp. Horne remark that the verse may be rendered, "Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged: I dwell in the tents of Kedar," or of the Ishmaelites.

Ver. 7. I am for peace (Marg. “ a man of peace") they are for war. Is not this epigrammic? PSALM CXXI. Ver. 1. I will lift.-The margin reads interrogatively, "Shall I lift up mine eyes to the hills, whence should come my help ?" i. e. to the idols worshipped in the mountains.-But we prefer

the text.

Ver.3. Foot to be moved-Lowth, "To stumble."

Ver. 5. Thy shade, &c.- Lowtk, "The Lord will shade thee with his right hand."

Ver. 6. The sun.-Sun-strokes are very fatal in those hot countries. "It is a fact, too, that the moonbeams have a pernicious influence. Meat, exposed to moonlight, will not take salt, but taints and spoils." Letter from India, Christ. Observer, vol. viii. p. 751. Milton attributes parching to the night air: (Par. Lost, ii. 594.)

The parching air

Burns frore, and cold performs th' effect of fire." The effects of fire and frost on the human body, are known to be very similar.