8 But thou, LORD, art most high for evermore.

9 For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.

11 Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.

12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.

14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;

PSALM XCII.

[and glory of God.

15 To show that the LORD is upright he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. (U)

PSALM XCIII.

THE LORD reigneth, he is clothed

with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.

2 Thy throne is established of old : thou art from everlasting.

3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.

4 The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.

5 Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever. (X)

(U) A Psalm or Song for the Sabbathday-The Jews have a silly tradition preserved in the Chaldee paraphrase, that Adam composed this psalm for the Sabbath-day-perhaps on its institution; forgetting that "Jubal was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ." (Gen. iv. 21.) Though no name is prefixed, it is far more likely to have been composed by David in his old age, as the latter part of the psalm intimates. It contemplates

praise as the delight and enjoyment of a good man, as well as his duty; and considers those as silly and brutish who are insensible of this truth.

The latter verses (particularly 12 and 13,) have been supposed to allude to planting trees in the courts of the tabernacle; but this we apprehend was not allowed, and

PSALM XCII. Ver. 2. Every night-Heb. "In the night.

66

Ver. 3. With a solemn sound-Heb. Higgaion; perhaps with deep meditation." See Note on Ps. ix. 6. The LXX here render it "a song;" meaning, perhaps, an extemporaneous effusion, accompanied with the soft warblings of the harp, which the moderns call Arpeggiats.

Ver. 10. An unicorn.-See Note on Num. xxiii. Anointed with fresh oil-Heb. "Green oil." i made from green or unripe olives, which is preferred. See Orient. Lat. No. 792.

Ver. 11. "My desire," which twice occurs, is not in the original; and Bp. Horne better supplies the ellipsis, thus, Mine eye shall see (the fall) of

mine enemies; and mine ear shall hear (the destruction) of the wicked."

Ver. 14. Old age-Heb. "hoary (or grey) age." Fat and flourishing-Alluding to the olive tree, which probably bore to a considerable- age, as we know that vires do.

PSALM XCIII. Ver. 1. It cannot be moredThat is, out of the sphere in which God himself bath placed it. It cannot be moved by man.

Ver. 2. Of old-Heb. " From then." Ver. 4. The Lord, &c.-Bp. Lowth reads this more poetically, thus:

"The glorious waves of the sea! Jehovali on high is more glorious." Ver. 5. For ecer-Heb. "To length of days."

An appeal to the

PSALM XCIV.

LORD God, to whoni vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.

2 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth render a reward to the proud. 3 LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?

4 How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?

5 They break in pieces thy people, O LORD, and afflict thine heritage.

6 They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. 7 Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.

8 Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?

9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?

10 He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?

11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

12 Blessed is the man whom thou

[divine majesty

chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;

13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.

14 For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.

15 But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.

16 Who will rise up for me against the evil doers or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

17 Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.

18 When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.

19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.

20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?

21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.

22 But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge. 23 And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them

PSALM XCIV. Ver. 1. To whom vengeance belongeth-Heb. "Of revenges."Shew thyselfHeb." Shine forth;" alluding, undoubtedly, to the Shechinah, which, on some occasions, showed a burning glory. Exod. xxiv. 17.

Ver. 2. Lift up thyself-Boothroyd, "Ascend on high;" i. e. to the judgment seat. See Ps. vii. 7,8. Ver. 10. Chastiseth the heathen-That is, all the nations.

Ver. 13. Until the pit, &c.-That is, he takes care of his people, till their enemies are put out of the

way. So Jesus, when a child, was preserved in Egypt till the death of Herod. Matt. ii. 13, &c. Ver. 15. Shall follow it-Heb. "Shall be after it;" i. e. follow after righteousness 1 Thes. v. 15.

Ver. 17. Had almost Heb. "Quickly," in a short time. Dwelt in silence- That is, in the silent grave.

Ver. 21. They gather themselves together-Ainsworth, They run by troops against the soul of the just." How exactly does this mark the rage of the Jews against our Saviour! See Matt. xxvi. 59, &c.

off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off. (Y)

PSALM XCV.

O COME, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth; the strength of the hills is his also.

5 The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. 6 0 come, let us worship and bow

[praise God.

down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.

7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,

8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.

10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is. a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:

11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest. (Z)

PSALM XCIV.

An appeal to the Almighty on behalf of the poor and the afflicted. JEHOVAH is here appealed to as the God of vengeance; from which we may learn, that neither publie vengeance, nor private revenge, is within our department. "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, and I will repay it." (Rom. xii. 19.) He alone is capable of executing jast judgment, for he alone can read the hearts of men: he alone has the right, for "God is judge himself," (Psalm 1. 6.) and will allow no creature to interfere, either in the government of the world, or in its final judgment." He sitteth upon the throne judging righteously." (Psalm ix. 4.) Infinitely important and consoling is the truth, that this God is the friend of "the widow and the stranger, the fatherless and the oppressed." That on such, though he may lay his chastising hand, it is in the way only of parental correction, that he may "teach him out of his law;" but he "will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance." In the midst, therefore, of all his troubles, in the multitude of his conflicting thoughts, "Thy Comforts (says he, addressing himself to God,) delight my soul."

"While multitudes of mournful thoughts,
Within my bosom roll,

Thy boundless love forgives my faults,
Thy comforts cheer my soul,"

Watts,

PSALM XCV.

(Z) A general exhortation to worship and to praise God.-All Christian worship is founded on the salvation of Christ, It is not merely the submission of creatures to their Creator, or of subjects to the univer sal Sovereign. It is, indeed, all this, but more. We are "the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand:" his chosen, his purchased flock; for whom the Good Shepherd laid down his life, (John x, 11, &c.) We come to his temple not only to bow down before him, but to hear what God the Lord will say unto us. And what does he say? "To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts;" that is, as Israel did of old, who refused to hear or to obey. On this passage, the apostle to the Hebrews gives us an inspired comment, which supersedes the necessity of any other. Read Heb. iii. 12—19; iv. 1-11.

We may here add, that though this psalm bears no name, it is quoted as David's in the chapter last referred to, which leads us to suppose (as both Jews and Christians generally do,) that most of these short psalms without a name were his also.

PSALM XCV, Ver. 2. Come before his presence -Heb. "Prevent his face."

Ver. 4. In his-Heb." Whose " hand is.-The strength-Heb. "Height;" e. the strong, inac

cessible parts.

See

Ver. 5. The sea is his-Heb. "Whose the sea is." Ver. 8. Provocation-Heb, "Contention " Num. xiv. 22, &c. xx 13.

A new song]

PSALM XCVI.

SING unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.

2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

4 For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

6 Honour and majesty are before him strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

8 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. 9 O worship

the LORD in the

[of thanksgiving.

beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

10 Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved he shall judge the people righteously.

11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.(A)

PSALM XCVII.

THE LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.

2 Clouds and darkness are round about him righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.

PSALM XCVI.

(A) Praise to God the Creator and the Judge. This psalm, and part of several others, we have already met with in the book of Chronicles, as given by David into the hands of Asaph and his brethren to praise the Lord, when they brought up the ark to Mount Sion from the house of Obed-Edom; there is, therefore, no doubt as to either the author or the occasion of its composition. The general subject is the praise of JEHOVAH, in comparison with whom all the gods of the nations are as nothing, and merit no regard.

After describing the majesty and glory of God in terms similar to those already used, the psalmist announces his coming to the final judgment of the world. This is introduced here with the greater propriety, if we consider the carrying up

the ark to Mount Zion, as symbolical of the resurrection and ascension of Christ (as we have done on Psalms xlvii. and Ìxviii;) because, on the latter occasion, it was expressly declared from heaven-"This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come (again) in like manner as ye have seen him go into hea ven." (Acts i. 11.) This is called his second advent, of which we have repeated assurances, both in the apostolical epistles, (1 Thess. iv. 16.) and in the book of Revelations, chap. i. 7, &c.

This is called" a new song," in reference to the new cause of thanksgiving which it affords, arising from the great event to which it ultimately refers: so the choirs of the blessed are represented as singing a new song in honour of the completion of Christ's redemption. (Rev. v. 9, &c.)

PSALM XCVI. Ver. 5. Idols-Elihim, nothings; no gods. 2 Chron. xiii. 9. LXX read "Demons. "" Compare 1 Cor. x. 19, 20.

Ver. 9. In the beauty of holiness-Marg. " In the glorious sanctuary." This glory refers chiefly to the divine presence in the Shechinah. See 1 Kings viii. 11.

PSALM XCVII. Ver. 1. Let the multitude-Let the many (or great) isles.

Ver. 2. Habitation Marg. "Establishment." See Ps. lxxxix. 14.

Ver. 7. Worship him all ye gods-LXX, " All ye bis angels," Dr. Hammond is of opinion that the

3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. 4 His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.

5 The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the LORD of the whole earth.

6 The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.

7 Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.

8 Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD.

9 For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.

10 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. (B)

PSALM XCVII,

[supreme Governor.

PSALM XCVIII.

A Psalm.

OSING unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

:

2 The LORD hath made known his salvation his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

5 Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.

6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.

7 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

8 Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together

(B) The majesty of God's kingdom, a ground of joy to all people.-God, under the Old Testament dispensation, is described as dwelling in the thick darkness, and surrounded with the tempest, like his residence on Mount Sinai. (Deut. v. 22.) Under the new dispensation, the clouds open, and a ray of light directs us to the mercyseat, where he now sits with a rainbow round about the throne, in which the divine attributes appear harmonized like the colours which form that mysterious emblem. (Compare Psalm lxxxv. 10. with Rev. iv. 3; x. 1.)

This is a matter of joy to the whole earth, and especially to us who inhabit the isles of these northern seas. Formerly we

were gross idolaters, and worshipped images of wood and stone; but when the light of the gospel shone upon us, we threw away our idols (as always will be the case) and worshipped him who alone is worthy. "The heavens declared his righteousness," and we hailed the solemn sound, and are at length endeavouring to send the same gospel forth to all the world; and the islands of the south also, as they receive it, endeavour to propagate it still farther and thus shall it still spread until "all the earth shall rejoice in this salvation, and the multitude of isles be glad thereof."

"He reigns! the Lord the Saviour reigns;
Praise him in evangelic strains :
Let the whole earth in songs rejoice,
And distant islands join their voice."

Watts,

PSALM XCVIII. Ver. 2. Openly shewed-Marg. "Revealed."

Ver. 9. Before the Lord, &c. See Ps. xcvi. 13.