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النشر الإلكتروني
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16 For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.

17 All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. 18 Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;

19 Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered. us with the shadow of death.

20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;

[fresh deliverances.

23 Awake, why sleepest thou, O LORD? arise, cast us not off for ever.

24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?

25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.

26 Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake. (Y)

PSALM XLV.

To the chief Musician, upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah. Muschil: A Song of loves.

21 Shall not God search this out? MY heart is inditing a good matter:

for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

PSALM XLIV.

I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

2 Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips:

EXPOSITION.

(Y) The Jewish church recollecting former mercies, implores fresh deliverance from her heathen enemies.-This is the third of the psalms called Maschil, or instructive, probably from the review which it contains of Jewish history. It is generally supposed to have been written during the reign of king Hezekiah; and Mr. Mudge fixes upon the point of time when Rabshekah delivered his blasphemous message, (2 Kings xviii. 19, &c.) threatening total destruction, both to the people of Judah and their king. But they are encouraged to hope in God, from the consideration of the many deliverances which they had formerly received. The state of the church here lamented, seems to agree well with the history just referred to; and the zeal which Hezekiah had shown in putting down idolatry, appears to warrant him in saying, "Neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant:" meaning, that their reform was neither temporary nor hypocritical.

What is said of the cruelty of these ancient heathen, is by no meaus hypothetical. The temples of the heathen were always the habitations of cruelty, and therefore is this passage applied to the persecution of the primitive Christiaus by the Romans, who were remarkable for tolerating every worship upon earth, except that of the true God.

On the latter part of the psalm, Bishop Horne piously remarks-"There is a time, when the triumphs of the adversary, and afflictions of the church, tempt men to think that the eye of Providence is closed or turned away; and that the Almighty bath ceased to remember their sad estate. But the truth is, that God only giveth bis people an opportunity of feeling their own insufficiency; and waiteth till, by fervent and importunate prayer, they solicit his help for so the holy Jesus slept while the ship was covered with the waves, until awakened by the cries of his disciples, he arose to their assistance, and spoke the tempest into a perfect calm."

NOTES.

slavery by their enemies, for little or nothing :" this was remarkably the case in the last destruction of Jerusalem.

Ver. 19. Thou hast sore broken us-Ainsworth, "Crushed." The allusion seems to be to a shipwreck.- In the place of dragons-Or sea-monsters; Heb. Tannim: perhaps "crocodiles." See Note on Job vii. 12.

Ver. 20. Stretched out-that is, in the attitude of worship.

Ver. 25. Our belly cleaveth to the earth-That is, we crawl like earth-worms.

PSAL. XLV. Title-Upon Shoshannim. The word usually and literally imports," six-leaved flowers," or lilies; but has here been generally taken for a six-stringed instrument, which we should be disposed to interpret of a six-stringed lyre, but that we have no proof of such an instrument among the Hebrews it might, however, be a small and portable harp. Maschil has been explained before, under the title of Ps. xxxii.

Ver. 1. My heart is inditing-Heb. (as marked in the margin) is supposed to mean "boileth, or bubbleth up," which the Jews consider as an all

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3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.

4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.

5 Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.

6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.

9 King's daughters were among thy. honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.

10 Hearken, O daughter, and con

PSALM XLV.

[and glory.

sider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house;

11 So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.

12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.

13 The king's daughter is all glorious within her clothing is of wrought gold.

:

14 She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.

15 With gladness and rejoicingshall they be brought they shall enter into the king's palace.

16 Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.

17 I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever. (Z)

EXPOSITION.

(2) A Song of Loves-or, as Mr. Ainsworth reads it, of "the well-beloved virgins;" supposing it to be an epithalamium, (as Bishop Lowth calls it,) or wedding song, chanted by the virgins which attended the marriage ceremony. This among the Jews, was not only considered (as in the Church of England,) a sacred solemnity, but also a mystical rite. This is the true foundation for explaining this

psalm, the Canticles, and a few other sacred songs, of the union between Jehovah and the Jewish church, or Messiah and the Christian church. (See Isa. v. 1; Matt. xxv. 1-16; Eph. v. 25-32.) It appears to us very probable, that it was composed on the same, or a like occasion, as the book of Canticles, which in style it much resembles; but whether by David, Solomon, or Nathan the prophet (as Dr. Hales thinks) we have no sufficient ground to ascertain.

NOTES.

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Ver. 7. God-Marg. "O God." "Both the Hebrew and Greek(says Dr. Pye Smith) “would fairly bear this construction; but it could not be proved," Messiah i. p. 242.

Ver. 8. All thy garments smell.-This last word amell, is supplementary and unnecessary; Ainsworth and Horsley omit it: "Thy garments (are)," &c.--Ivory palaces.-Palaces inlaid with ivory, as was not uncommon; or cabinets of ivory, in which the robes, or rather the perfumes, were kept. See Merrick's Psalms, and Horsley's Sermons on this psalm.

Ver. 12. Intreat thy favour Literally, "thy countenance," or face. As the pronoun is pointed feminine, this is considered to be add:essed to the church, as in the verse preceding.

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One thing is certain, that a greater than David or Solomon is here, namely, king Messiah, to whom certain passages are clearly applied by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, and in the book of the Revelation. }

The words, "Thou art fairer (more beautiful) than the children (or sous) of men;" while they refer literally to the exterior form, designate chiefly, as they apply to the Messiah, mental purity and perfection; and though the expression," grace is poured into thy lips," might be explained poetically of Messiah's eloquence, it should, we think, include also the doctrines and precepts of divine grace which he delivered to his hearers. (Luke iv. 22.) The Chaldee explains this of "the spirit of prophecy" bestowed on him.

The virgin choristers, here introduced, may be supposed to represent the angelic hosts, who, at the Messiah's birth, sang Glory to God and good will to men;" (Luke ii. 14;) and at his ascension proclaimed him through the skies, "the Lord strong and mighty," and the "King of glory." Such, indeed, is the character in which he is here introduced-a mighty warrior, armed and arrayed in majesty and glory. But the conquests of Messiah, here referred to, are not those of violence and blood, but of meekness, truth, and righteousness. Keen is his sword and sharp are his arrows; their object, however, is not the destruction, but the conversion of

mankind. The triumphs here celebrated, are those of the gospel; and we happily live in a day in which these have been conspicuously displayed, and wherein we may reasonably anticipate still more. "Prosper thou, ride thou" King of saints in all thy majesty, till all thine enemies be subdued by the power of truth and righte

ousness!

But the dignity of the person here addressed, is evidently a principal object in this psalm. Some persons, from a fear(we would hope a conscientious fear) of rendering too high honours to the Son of God, have remarked that princes and magistrates are sometimes addressed as gods, without countenancing any claim to divine origin or power; but here we beg leave to offer one remark (in our view equally true and important,) that when men or augels are thus transiently addressed as gods, something is always added to prevent the danger of mistaken honours: both angels and magistrates are called gods, but they are commanded to worship God's illustrious Son; (Psalm ii. 7-12; lxxxii. 6, 7; Heb. ii. 1–9.) But when Christ is called God, as in the passage before us, strength, honour, might, majesty, and eternity, are ascribed to him. "Thy throne, O God! is for ever and ever."

This mighty person, arrayed in splendour and armed with power, is no less attractive by his gentle and amiable virtues than by the more masculine virtues of a

NOTES.

PSALM XLVI. Title-A song upon Alamoth. Upon no word have the commentators on the psalmis been more puzzled, than upon this Alamoth, which some have supposed to be a musical instrument, and others a psalm tune; for neither of which does there appear sufficient ground. Alamoth sometimes signifies virgins, and it has been thought that these sons of Korah were in this case to sing with feigned voices, to imitate the females, an octave above their proper pitch; such seems to have been the sentiment of the Rabbins, and of our translators; see their Marginal Note on 1 Chron. xv. 20: but the question is too dry, and the discussion would be

too tedious in this place. Compare Note on the title of psalm vi.

Ver. 2. The midst (Heb. " the heart") of the sea. Ver. 4. There is a river.-Though this may have a literal reference to the streams that watered Zion, we have no doubt but that the psalmist refers to another Zion, and to purer streams; that is, to the church of God, and the streams of living water by which it is refreshed and purified.

Ver. 5. Right early- Heb. "When the morning appeareth." See Ps. xxx. 5.

Ver. 7 and 11. Our refuge-Heb. "An high place

for us."

PSALMS.

[deliverer.

and her] the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; 8 Come, behold the works of the the God of Jacob is our refuge. SeLORD, what desolations he hath made lah. (A). in the earth.

9 He maketh wars to cease unto the

PSALM XLVII.

end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, To the chief Musician. A Psalm for the

and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.

10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

sons of Korah.

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EXPOSITION.

Sovereign. The perfumed garments, here named, were typical both of the virtues of the Redeemer himself, and of the internal comforts of the Holy Spirit. But the incense fumed upon the golden altar was typical of a far inferior, though of a precious and holy thing: namely, of whatever is pleasing to God, in the faith, the devotions, and the good works of the saints. "Now, (says Bishop Horsley,) the psalmist says that the fragrance breathing from the garments of the king, far excels, not only the sweetest odours of any earthly monarch's palace, but that it surpasses those spiritual odours of sanctity in which the king himself delights. The consolations which the faithful, under all their sufferings, receive from him, in the example of his holy life, the ministration of the word and sacraments, and the succours of the Spirit, are far beyond the proportion of any thing they have to offer in return to him in their praises, their prayers, and their good lives; notwithstanding, in these their services he condescends to take delight. This is the doctrine of this highly mystic text, that the value of all our best works of faith and obedience, even in our own eyes, must sink into nothing when they are contrasted with the exuberant mercy of God extended to us through Christ." (Horsley's Ser. i. p. 124.)

The latter part of this most interesting psalin seems particularly to indicate the calling of the Gentiles; for it is that church, and not the Jewish church, which is here called upon to forget her "own people" and her "father's house.

"So shall the King the more rejoice
In thee, the favourite of his choice:
Let him be lov'd, and yet ador'd,
For He's thy Maker, and thy Lord."

Watts.

PSALM XLVI.

(A) A Psalm expressive of faith in God, and gratitude for national deliverance.Neither the author nor the occasion of this psalm is on record: it is, however, a very sublime and animated composition. Bishops Patrick and Lowth suppose it to have been written by David, on occasion of his victory over his enemies, as mentioned in the eighth chapter of the second book of Samuel; but the learned Rosenmüller thinks it was written on occasion of the victory of Jehoshaphat, which was celebrated with great rejoicing, as we find in 2 Chron. xx. 26-30. As, however, we have no data, it would be presumptuous to decide. But the psalm appears to us rather to be the language of faith under threatened difficulties, than of triumph over vanquished foes. In that view Luther composed a famous version of it on his journey to the Diet of Worms, where he went boldly to defend the Reformation, at the risk of his own life; and it was often his cry, when threatened with any fresh trouble, "Let us sing the forty-sixth Psalm!"

So Bishop Horne explains it: "The Church, in time of trouble, declares her trust and confidence in God, and doubts not of being preserved safe by this anchor in the most stormy seasons: even then enjoying the comforts of the Spirit, and the presence of God in the midst of her, and bidding defiance to all her foes." Finally, God himself is introduced as speaking the stormy nations into obedience, and burning all the implements of war.

"Silence, O earth thy Maker own: Ye gentiles, he is God alone:

The Lord of hosts is in the field,

The God of Jacob is our shield."-Montgomery.

NOTES.

PSALM XLVII. Ver. 2. Terrible - Ainsworth, fearful" a God of awful majesty,

Ver. 4. The excellency of Jacob.-The tabernacle, (or temple) and its sacred institutions.

A song of praise]

PSALMS.

ble; he is a great King over all the earth.

3 He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.

4 He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.

5 God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. 7 For God is the King of all the earth sing ye praises with understanding.

8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.

9 The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted. (B)

PSALM XLVIII.

A Song and Psalm, for the Sons of Korah. GREAT is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

PSALM XLVII.

[for national mercies.

2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge.

4 For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.

5 They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away.

6 Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail. 7 Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.

8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in'the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.

9 We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.

10 According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righte

ousness.

11 Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments.

EXPOSITION.

(B), A Psalm of Joy and Praise.—This is generally considered to have been composed by David (though his name is not prefixed,) on occasion of removing the ark to Mount Zion, and probably repeated on its removal to the temple of Solomon. (See 2 Sam. vi. and 2 Chron v.) But it has been constantly applied by the Christian church to the triumphant ascension of our Saviour into heaven. (Compare Ps. Ixviii. 16-18.)

It appears by this and other psalms, that the public processions of the Hebrews were no less animated and noisy than those of the ancient heathens and modern Christians but in one important respect they differed; their rejoicings-their shoutings -were the voice of solemn praise, and not

NOTES-Psalm

Ver. 5. God is gone up-That is, the ark, the symbol of the divine presence, unto the hill of Zion.

Ver. 9. The princes-Marg. The voluntary of the people;" i. e. the noble volunteers, who fought not as mercenaries, but for the freedom of their country; these are gathered (unto) the people," &c. The shields of the earth-That is, its

debased (so far as we know,) by either intemperance or profaneness. The constant, though distant expectation of the Messiah, seems to have sanctified their joy, and turned their songs of triumph into hymns of praise; and on every great occasion, all who were Israelites indeed, were led to look forward to the great events of the expected "world to come," as the Jews designated the days of their Messiah. Unpardonable, then, is it in professing Christians, to debase their solemn festivals by an admixture of vulgar themes and carnal joys, especially when surrounded by so many circumstances that call for gratitude and praise.

"In Israel stood his ancient throne,

He lov'd that chosen race;
But now he calls the world his own,
And gentiles taste his grace."-Watts.

XLVII. Con.

masters, or defenders, its rulers and its warriors, are all in the hands of God, and disposed of by him with the same ease that a soldier wields his shield.

PSALM XLVIII. Ver. 2. Beautiful for situation -Elevated, salubrious.

Ibid. On the sides of the north (is) the city of

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