they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.

6 Into thy hands I commend (b) my spirit : for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth.

7 I have hated them that hold of superstitious vanities and my trust hath been in the Lord.

8 I will be, glad, and rejoice in thy mercy for thou hast considered my trouble, and hast known (i) my soul in adversities.

9 Thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: but hast set my feet (k) in a large

room.

10 Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: and mine eye is consumed for very heaviness; yea, my soul, and my body.

II For my life is waxen old with heaviness and my years with mourning.

12 My strength faileth me, because of mine iniquity (1) and my bones are consumed.

13 I became a reproof among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours : and they

mayest not be lightly spoken of, for suffering one who fully trusts in thee to be in misery, &c. See note on Ps. xxv. 10.

(b) "I commend," &c. When our Saviour was upon the cross, the last words he uttered were, 66 Father, into

thy hands I commend my spirit," and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Luke xxxiii. 46.

(i) Known," i. e. preserved, secured. See note on Ps. i. 7.

(k) "Hast set my feet," &c. i. e. hast given me ample room either to prepare for defence against mine enemy, or to escape. In the triumphal hymn, Ps. xviii. 19. 36. it was part of his thanksgiving, that God "had brought "him forth into a place of liberty, and had "made room enough under him for to go:" and in Job xxxvi. 16. Elihu says, "He"

of mine acquaintance (m) were afraid of me; and they, that did see me without, conveyed themselves from me.

14 I am clean forgotten, as a dead man out of mind: I am become like a broken vessel.

15 For I have heard the blas phemy (n) of the multitude: and fear is on every side, while they conspire together against me, and take their counsel to take away my life.

16 But my hope hath been in thee, O Lord I have said, "Thou art my God."

17 My time is in thy hand; deliver me from the hand of mine enemies and from them that persecute me.

18 Shew thy servant the light of thy countenance and save me for thy mercies' sake.

19 Let me not be confounded, O Lord, for I have called (0) upon thee let the ungodly be put to confusion, and be put to silence in the grave.

20 Let the lying lips be put to silence which cruelly, dis

(i. e. God)" would have removed thee

out of the strait into a broad place,

"where there is no straitness." (7) "Iniquity," i. e. afflictions. (m)" They of mine acquaintance," &c. He makes a similar complaint, Ps. Xxxviii. II. 66 My lovers and my neigh "bours did stand looking upon my "trouble," (i. e. without giving me any help)" and my kinsmen stood afar "off" and Ps. lxxxviii. 18. My "lovers and friends hast thou put away " from me, and hid mine acquaintance "out of my sight."

as

(n) "Blasphemy," i. e. perhaps, in Ps. x. 12. 14. in insinuating that God "careth not for what they do, that he "hideth away his face, and will never see it."

(0)" For I have called," &c. This

(t) "Made haste," i. e. probably, was constrained to fly. (u)" Cast," &c. in the whale, this was part of his complaint, "I am cast out of thy sight." Jonah ii. 4.

When Jonah was v.24.

(x) Upon the misery any act of sin produces however it may be concealed, the comfort of humbly confessing it to God and procuring his forgiveness, and the reliance that is to be placed in his protection. It is supposed to have been solemnly repeated by the Jewish church upon the day of expiation, (see Exod. xvi. 29.) and is with us one of the proper Psalms for Ash Wednesday,

(y) While I held my tongue," i. e. before I confessed my sin.

(z) For "is" read "was."

(a) "Like the drought," &c. i. e. I had no moisture, no more than there is in the driest part of summer.

(b) Read, "I acknowledged," and "did I not hide,"

(c)" In the great water-floods," &c. The meaning may perhaps be, that he who makes his prayer unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found, in health, peace, or prosperity, when he is not driven to it by any overpowering necessity, and when his prayer therefore

9

thee in the way wherein thou shalt go and I will guide thee with mine eye.

10 Be ye not like to horse and mule, which have no understand. ing : whose mouths must be held with bit and bridle, lest they fall upon thee (e).

11 Great plagues remain for the ungodly but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord, mercy em. braceth him on every side.

12 Be glad, O ye righteous, and rejoice in the Lord and be

joyful, all ye that are true of

heart.

Psalm xxxiii. (f) REJOICE in the Lord, O ye righteous for it becometh well the just to be thankful.

2 Praise the Lord with harp : sing praises unto him with the and instrument of ten

lute, strings.

3 Sing unto the Lord a new song sing praises lustily unto him with a good courage.

4 For the word of the Lord is true (g) and all his works are faithful.

5 He loveth righteousness and judgement the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

6 By the word (b) of the Lord were the heavens made: and all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth.

7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together, as it were upon an heap and layeth up the deep, as in a treasure-house.

8 Let all the earth fear the

9 For he spake (i), and it was done he commanded, and it stood fast.

10 The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: and maketh the devices of the people to be of none effect, and casteth out the counsels of princes (k).

II The counsel of the Lord (1) shall endure for ever: and the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation.

12 Blessed are the people, whose God is the Lord Jehovah and blessed are the folk, that he hath chosen to him to be his inheritance.

13 The Lord looked (m) down from heaven, and beheld all the children of men from the ha bitation of his dwelling he considereth all them that dwell on the earth.

14 He fashioneth all the hearts of them and understandeth all their works.

.4.

v.6.

(f) A spirited invitation to praise and trust in God, as a God of all goodness and power, as the maker and governor of all things, as the controller of all mankind, as the only effectual protector, and as a sure defence to those that trust in him.

v.9.

3.

(g) "True;" "hath he said, and shall " he not do it?" Numb. xxiii. 19. (b) "The word," &c. See Gen. i. God said, "Let there be light, and "there was light. Let there be a fir"mament in the midst of the waters, to "divide the waters from the waters, and "it was so ; and God called the firma"" ment heaven. And God said, Let "the waters under the heaven be ga"thered together unto one place, and "let the dry land appear, and it was "80."

(i)" He spake," &c. Is not this a

strong instance of the sublime? importing that the command alone completed the thing commanded, and that too, the instant the command was given. See note on Ps. cxlviii. 5.

(k) "Of princes." See Ps. cxviii. 8, v. 10. 9. "It is better to trust in the Lord, "than to put any confidence in man. "It is better to trust in the Lord, than "to put any confidence in princes." And the advice in Ps. cxlvi. 2. is, "O put not your trust in princes, nor in any child of man: for there is no help

56

" in them."

66

()" The counsel of the Lord," &c. v.11. The stability, &c. of God's counsels is noticed to shew its superiority over the counsels of the heathen, &c.

(m) Read" looketh" and "be- v.13. "holdeth."

15 There is no king that can be saved (n) by the multitude of an host neither is any mighty man delivered by much strength.

16 A horse is counted but a vain thing to save a man: neither shall he deliver any man by his great strength.

17 Behold, the eye (o) of the Lord is upon them that fear him : and upon them that put their trust in his mercy;

18 To deliver their soul from death and to feed them in the time of dearth.

19 Our soul hath patiently tarried for the Lord: for he is our help, and our shield.

20 For our heart shall rejoice in him because we have hoped in his holy Name.

21 Let thy merciful kindness, like as we

O Lord, be upon us

do put our trust in thee.

Psalm xxxiv. (p)

I WILL alway give thanks unto the Lord his praise shall ever be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her

7.15. (n) "Saved," &c. The object is, to 16. shew that God's protection transcends what any human efforts can effect. The strength, &c. of man or beast can give no assistance, in comparison with what God can give.

2.17.

(0) The eye," &c. i.e. he is willing and ready to assist, as well as able.

(p) A spirited thanksgiving for deliverance, piously ascribing it to God, and comfortable assurances of the certainty of God's protection and favour to those who trust in him. David is considered as the author, and he is supposed to have written it in remembrance of his escape from Achish, king of Gath. He had fled to Gath to avoid Saul, but being recognized there as the conqueror of Goliath, the champion of Gath, he was in great danger, and effected his escape by

boast in the Lord: the humble (g) shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O praise the Lord with me: and let us magnify his Name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me yea, he delivered me out of all my fear.

5 They (r) had an eye unto him, and were lightened and their faces were not ashamed.

6 Lo, the poor crieth, and the Lord heareth him yea, and saveth him out of all his troubles.

7(s) The angel (t) of the Lord tarrieth round about them that fear him and delivereth them. :

8 O taste, and see how gracious the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

9 O fear the Lord, ye that are his saints for they that fear him lack nothing.

10 The lions do lack, and suf fer hunger but they who seek the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good.

11 Come, ye children, and hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord (u).