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النشر الإلكتروني
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[praise God.

3 Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.

4 All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.

5 Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.

6 He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.

7 He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.

PSALM LXV.

EXPOSITION.

(P) A Psalm of thanksgiving for the blessings of Providence." In this psalm God is praised for his providential government of the material world. It seems to have been a thanksgiving for the getting in of the fruits of the earth, and might be composed for the feast of Tabernacles. But, considering the manifest allusion to redemption, and the conversion of the Gentiles, in the former part of the psalm, "I cannot but think (says Bishop Horsley,) that the blessings of the gospel are adumbrated under the image of genial showers and luxuriant crops." Taking the same view of the psalm with this learned prelate, we shall briefly consider it in reference to the bounties of divine providence, and the riches of divine grace.

The feast of Tabernacles was about the end of our September, when the fruits of the earth were gathered in, and the praises of Israel were waiting in silence (as it were) ready to burst from every grateful heart, in joyful shouts and songs, at the commencement of this festival. The Chaldee labours to give an idea of the extraordinary rejoicings by an hyperbolical expression: "The praise of angels is accounted as silence before thee, O God, whose majesty is in Sion:" being intended to intimate, that the shouts of Israel were far louder than the songs of angels.

The imagery employed in the following verses, is eminently sublime and beautiful. He girdeth together the mountains by his strength, as with a girdle: he stilleth the roarings of the sea, and the still louder ravings of the people. He maketh the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. The former idea is amplified and illustrated in the nineteenth psalm, (ver. 5 and 6,) and the latter alluded to in

His

the eighth no scenes in nature can be more beautiful, or more cheerful, than the rising of the morning sun, or the moon "walking in brightness" in the evening sky. The watering of the earth with showers, or with full and flowing streams, is another display of providential goodness; but the crowning mercy is the gathering in of the harvest. The expression (in ver. 11.) is peculiarly elegant and impressive, paths drop fatness." In other psalms, the Almighty is represented as walking or riding upon the wings of the wind," (Psalm xviii. 10; civ. 3) the clouds, therefore, are his pathways, and the showers which distil from them enriching the earth, may be said poetically, to "drop fatness" upon it; aud from the cheerful and useful vegetation which clothes the hills and valleys, they are said to become joyful, and even to "shout and sing."

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But we must not confine our remarks to blessings merely temporal. The psalmist complains of iniquities prevailing against him, and prays to be delivered from them: he speaks of the blessedness of attending God's house, and considers communion with him as the highest privilege of man. The floods of heaven, and the rivers of earth, are both used to typify the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the diffusion of divine truth, (Acts ii. 17, 18.) which produces the same effect in the moral, as water in the natural world. This psalm may therefore be considered as no less rich in spiritual unction than in poetic beauty; and is especially interesting to us Gentiles, residing in the ends of the earth," as our part of Europe was considered.

"Blest is the man whom thou shalt choose,
And give him kind access to thee;
Give him a place within thy house,
To taste thy love divinely free."

Watts.

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8 O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:

9 Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. 10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. 11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidest affliction upon our loins.

12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire, and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.

13 I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my

VOWS,

14 Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.

15 I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.

16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

17 I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. 18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear me:

PSALM LXVI.

[blessing implored.

19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. (Q)

PSALM LXVII.

To the chief Musician on Neginoth.
A Psalm or Song.

GOD be merciful unto us, and bless

us; and cause his face to shine

upon us. Selah..

2 That thy way may be known upon earth; thy saving health among all nations.

3 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.

5 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

6 Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.

7. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him. (R)

EXPOSITION.

(Q) A Psalm of praise and exhortation. The author and occasion of this psalm are alike unknown. Bishop Patrick supposes it to have been composed by David after some great providential deliverance, for which he promises to offer numerous sacrifices; and the latter part of the psalm inclines us to this opinion, though Calmet and Dr. Gray refer it to the period of the building of the second temple. The former part of the psalm relates to the power and goodness of God in delivering his people Israel; and the memorable passage of the Red Sea is distinctly and pointedly alluded to: but the latter relates to the psalmist's own experience, who calls

upon all true Israelites to hear what God had done individually for himself. The closing sentiment merits our particular attention. God heareth not the prayers of hypocrites. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me," says the psalmist; but he has heard me, and therefore do I not so regard it. On this, we shall only add the beautiful comment of a pious poet.

"Throughout mankind, the Christian kind at least,
There dwells a consciousness in every breast,
That folly ends where genuine hope begins,
And he that finds his heaven must lose his sins."
Conper.

NOTES.

PSALM LXVI. Ver. 1. All ye lands-Marg. "All the earth."

Vet. 3. Submit themselves - Margin, "Yield feigned obedience." See Note on P's. xviii. 44. Ver.9. Holdeth (Heb. " putteth ") our soul in life. Ver. 12. A wealthy (Heb.. " a moist") placeThat is, a rich and fruitful soil.

Ver. 14. Uttered-Heb. " opened."

Ver. 15. Burnt offerings of fatlings.-Mr. Ains

PSALM LXVII.

(R) A short Psalm of thanksgiving.

worth renders this, "Marrowed (or fat) rams, with incense." So Dr. Boothroyd.

PSALM LXVII. Ver. 2. Saving health-Heb. "Salvation."

Ver. 3 and 5. Let the people praise thee is the chorus of the psalm.

Ver. 4. And govern-Heb. "Lead,”

The removal]

PSALM LXVIII.

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lies he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious

To the chief Musician. A Psalm or Song dwell in a dry land. of David.

LE

ET God arise, let his enemies, be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish in the presence of God.

3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

6 God setteth the solitary in fami

7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:

8 The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.

10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.

11 The LORD gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

12 Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil..

13 Though ye have lien among

EXPOSITION.

This short but sweet psalm, is an echo to the blessing which the priests were taught to pronounce upon the people of Israel at the close of the morning service, and which has been already noticed by us in Numb. vi. 24-26. From the concluding verses, we may, in addition, draw the following important doctrines: 1. That gratitude for mercies received, either by a nation or individuals, is the way to obtain farther blessings. To bless God for mercies received is the surest way to multiply them. 2. That the blessing of God, if rightly understood, will lead to the fear of God, and is, indeed,

the

absolutely necessary to the spread of true religion. Men plough and sow utterly in vain, unless God smiles upon their endeavours and so is it in religion : neither the earth itself, nor the heart of man, will bring forth any thing good, unless God cause his face to shine upon us. Those who duly ap preciate the mercies which they enjoy, will be auxious that others should partake with them. Most of the psalms which speak of the blessings of the gospel, put in a wish or a prayer for the conversion of the heathen, that “all the ends of the earth' may know and fear the God of Israel.

NOTES.

PSALM LXVIII. Ver. 1. Flee before him—Heb. "From his face," or presence. Ver.3. Exceedingly rejoice-Heb. "Rejoice with gladness."

Ver. 4. Extol him-" Prepare," or raise up a way for him. (See Isa. xl. 3.-Ivii. 14.)~ Ainsworth. Ibid. That rideth upon the heavens-Ainsworth, "That rideth in the deserts." Dr. Boothroyd observes, that this is now admitted to be the true sense of the worl Gnarabah. So Bps. Lowth and Horsley; Drs. Kennicott, Chandler, and others. - JAH, seems simply an abridgment of Jehovah. To ride in this name, was to proclaim his name Jehovah, or Jah. (Deut. xxxii. 3.)

Ver. 6. In families-Heb. " In a house;" i.e. in society.

Ver. 9. Thou didst send-Heb. "Shake out;” i, e. from the clouds.A plentiful rain - Ainsworth, "A rain of liberalities." This is understood of the manna in the wilderness, which is said to have been rained down from heaven. Exod. xvi. 4; Psal. Ixxviii. 24.

Ver. 11. Company-Heb. "Army." The original word is feminine, and is supposed to refer to a chorus of women, who, on occasions of victory, published the glad tidings. Compare 1 Sam. xviii. 6, 7.

Ver. 12. Kings of armies-Rather, “Kings (and) armies."Did flee apace-Heb. " Did fee-did flee." Bp. Lowth supposes this verse to be the chorus which they sung; and Dr. Chandler ades the verse following.

Ver. 13. Though ye have lien among the pots This is supposed to refer to the state of Israel in Egypt, where, as slaves, they used to sleep out of doors, probably among the brick kilns, or earthenware manufactories, in which they were employed. See Ps. lxxxi. 6. The climate, we may remember, was neither subject to showers nor frosts.

Ibid. As the dove, covered with silver.-Several ingenions modern interpreters refer to the dove, as embroidered in gold and silver, on the Syrian standards; others refer to their sacred doves, with ornaments of this description; but both appear to us far fetched. There are certainly doves which

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pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.

14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.

15 The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan.

16 Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for

ever.

17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the LORD is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.

18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.

19 Blessed be the LORD, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

20 He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death.

21 But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.

22 The LORD said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my

[of Messiah.

people again from the depths of the sea:

23 That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same.

24 They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.

25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.

26 Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.

27 There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.

29 Because of thy temple at Jerus salem shall kings bring presents untó

thee.

30 Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.

31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.

NOTES.

Answer to this description naturally; some of them have the feathers on the sides of the neck of a shining copper colour, which, in a bright sun, must resemble gold, and their backs white as silver. See Ency. Bot. in Columba.

Ver. 14. Kings in it-Marg. "For her" i. e. for Israel, his dove.(White) as snow--The original as not a word of whiteness. It reads literally, When the Almighty scattered kings (and their armies) for her, (his people) they (their enemies) were like (ie. were scattered like flakes of) snow in Salmon," (or Zalmon) a high hill near Shechem, sari by Ainsworth to be full of caves and glens, and Would therefore attract the snow; not regularly, but in patches: thus lay the vanquished enemies of srael on the field of battle. Comp. Ps. exlvii. 16. Ver. 16. An high hill-"A gibbous hill,'' says Mr. Parkhurst, and the LXX render it, a cheese-like hill, which Dr. Shaw explains, by saying, that in the Fast, their cheeses are made like our penny (or ra. ther two-penny) loaves.

Ver. 16. Why leap ye?-Dr. Chandler renders it, "Why look askance ?i. e." with jealous leer malign,' as Milton expresses it. "Why are ye jealous?"

Ver. 17. The chariots of God-That is, his angels.

See 2 Kings vi. 16, 17; Heb. xii. 22. Even thous sands-Marg. "Many thousands;" literally, "da plicated thousands," or thousands upon thousands meaning, a multitude innumerable. (As in Sinai-Kather, "Sinai (its pomp and glory) is in the Holy Place."

-

Ver. 18. Captivity captive-That is, many cap tives. See Judges v. 12.....Gifts for men-Or, "unto men," Ephes. iv. 8.-Marg. "In the man ;' meaning Christ, in his human nature; but we prefer the former.....The rebellious also-Meaning, that he has gifts for his captives, which shall convert them to himself.

Ver. 22. I will bring again from Bashan-That is, I will perform for my people the like wonders that I did at Bashan, and in the Red sea.

Ver. 26. From the fountain of Israel- Marg "Ye (that are) of the fountain," &c. i. e. true Israelites.

Ver. 27. Council-Marg. "Company."

Ver. 30. Rebuke the company of spearmen-Marg. "Wild beasts of the reed," or crocodiles; meaning the Egyptians.....Submit-That is, fall down prostrate..... Seatter thou- Marg. "He scattereth." ....The people-Heb. "Peoples," or nations.

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32 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the LORD; Selah:

33 To him that rideth upon the

[to praise God.

he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God. (S)

PSALM LXIX,

heavens of heavens, which were of old; To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim.

lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.

34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.

35 O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is

A Psalm of David.

SAVE me,(God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.

2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. 3 1 am weary of my crying: my

PSALM LXVIII.

EXPOSITION.

(5) The removal of the ark, as typical of the ascension of Messiah.-This psalm opens with the words pronounced by Moses, (and probably echoed by the priests,) upon the removal of the ark in the wilderness, (Numb. x. 35.) whence it is reasonably concluded that it was composed on some such occasion: Bishop Horne thinks, on the removal of the ark to mount Zion, (as were probably several other psalms :) but Dr. Boothroyd supposes, that it was on occasion of returning the ark to Zion after the conquests over the Ammonites. (See 2 Sam. xi. 11; xii. 31.) As every thing under that dispensation was typical or prophetical, it was very natural for the inspired author to look forward to Messiah's triumphant ascension to the Zion above, of whom the ark and the tabernacle and the temple itself were all figures; and so we find the psalm applied by St. Paul himself. (Ephes. iv. 8, 9.)

As a composition, Professor Michaelis, who thinks the character of David's poetry, to be rather sweetness than sublimity, allows this psalm to be eminently sublime, though, (as Bishop Lowth remarks,) not without considerable obscurity, which Mr. Burke has shown to be, iu many instances, essential to the sublime.

Dr. S. Chandler divides this psalm into five parts, on each of which we shall offer a remark or two. Part I. (comprising ver. 1 to 6.) our author considers as sung, when the Levites took up the ark upon their shoulders, which was their way of carrying it. Part II. (ver. 7-14,) Dr. C. supposes to have commenced when the procession began with slow and solemn pace. Part III. (ver. 15-17,) he conceives

NOTES-Psalm

Ver. 33. Send out-Heb. "Give out."
Ver. 34. The clouds-Heb. "The heavens;" re-

ferring to the thunder.

to have been chanted immediately on their coming within sight of Zion-"This is the hill which God hath desired to dwell in." The imagery in Parts II. and III. is certainly obscure. The general idea is supposed to be, the wonderful change in the situation of Israel, in being delivered from slavery in Egypt, and raised to preeminence in Zion, and adorned with all the beauty of the eastern dove; but for a particular explication of the metaphors, we must refer to our Notes below: only on ver. 18. we may remark, that Zion is here resembled to Sinai, as the special residence of the divine presence, and a type of the future glories of Messiah. Part IV. (ver. 18-23,) celebrates the triumphant entrance of Messiah into his glory after his resurrection, loaded (as we may say,) not only with the trophies of his victory, but the blessings of salvation, to bestow upon penitent Jews and Gentiles, at the same time as ruin and destruction must neces sarily overwhelm his enemies. In Part V. (from ver. 24 to the end,) we have a description of the procession. The ark went first, with the attendant priests; then followed the singers, and after them the players upon instruments, among whom we must conceive of David dancing in his ephod, with a portable harp in his hands, and the damsels playing with timbrels, the proper accompaniment of dancing. The concluding verses anticipate the triumphs of Jehovah and his Messiah among the gentiles. The brutes that delight in war shall all be scattered, and ambassadors of peace from all countries shall seek the favour of the God of Israel. "Sing praises unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth: O sing praises unto the Lord!"

LXVIII. Con.

Ver. 35. O God, terrible out of (or from) &eMeaning, that Jehovah is the great object of rever ence and awe to mankind.

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