Studies in the Psalms Vol 2 Part 2 - Only The Word

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PSALMS 92 TO 97 

the earth Saw and was in birth-thr~es:~~ 

The mountains like wax melted at the presence of Jehovah, 

at the presence of the Lord46 of the whole earth: 

The heavens declared his righteousness, 

and all the peoples saw his glory. 

Put to shame are all they who were serving an image, 

who were boasting themtselves in nothings :48 

all messengers divine4? bow ye down to him. 

Zion heard and was glad, 

and the daughters of Judal? exulted,- 

Because of thy righteous 0 Jahovah. 

For thou Jehovzh art Most High over all the earth, 

greatly hast thou exalted thyself above all messengers 

divinead‘ 

Ye lovers of Jehovah! hate ye wrong. 

He preserveth bhe lives4D of his men of kindness, 

from the hand of lawless ones he rescueth them, 

Light ha% arisePo for the righteous one, 

And for such as are upright of heart gladness. 

Be glad 0 ye righteous in Jehovxh, 

and give thanks unto his Holy Memorial. 

Wm.1 

PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 92’ 

A Song To Sing On The Lord’s Davl 

It is good to say, “Thank You” to the Lord, to sing praises 

to the God who is above all gods. 

2 Every morning tell Him, “Thank You for Your kindness,” 

and every evening rejoice in all His faithfulness. 

3 Sing His praises, accompanied by music from the harp 

and lute and lyre. 

44. Cp. 96:9. 

45. Heb,: ’adon. 

46. “Nothingnesses”-Dr. 

47. Or: rcgods.” Heb. ‘elohim. But see 8:5, 96:4. 

48. Or: “thy judgments.” 

49. Or, “persons”; Heb. naphshotlz; U.: “souls.” Intro., Chap, 111. 

“Souls.” 

50. So in some MSS. (w. Aram., Sep., Syr., Vul.). Cp. 112:14--Gn. 

M.T.: “is sown.” 

1. Literally, “for the Sabbath day.” 

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STUDIES IN PSALMS 

4 You have done so much for me, 0 Lord. No wonder I 

am glad ! I sing for joy. 

5 0 Lord, what miracles you do! And how deep are Your 

thoughts ! 

6 Unthinking people do not understand them! No fool 

can comprehend this : 

7 That although- the wicked flourish like weeds, there is 

only eternal destruction ahead of them. 

8 But the Lord continues forever, exalted in the heavens, 

9 While His enemies-all evil-doers-shall be scattered. 

10 But You have made me as strong as a wild bull. How 

refreshed I am ‘by your blessings !2 

11 I have heard the doom of my enemies announced and 

seen them destroyed. 

12 But the godly shall flourish like palm trees, and grow 

tall as the cedars of Lebanon. 

13 For they are transplanted into the Lord’s own garden, 

and are under His personal care. 

14 Even in old age they will still produce fruit and be vital 

and green. 

15 This honors the Lord, and exhibits His faithful care. 

He is my shelter. There is nothing but goodness in Him! 

PSALM 93 

Jehovah is King! He is robed in majesty and strength. The 

world is His Chrone.1 0 Lord, you have reigned from prehistoric 

times, from the everlasting past. 

3 The mighty oceans thunder Your praise. 

4 You are mightier than all the breakers pounding on the 

seasbores of the world ! 

5 Your royal decrees cannot be changed. Holiness is forever 

the keynote of Your reign. 

PSALM 94 

Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs, let Your glory shine 

out. Arise and judge the earth; sentence the proud to the 

penalties they deserve. 

3 Lord, how long shall the wicked be allowed to triumph 

and exult? 

2. Literally, “anointed with fresh oil.” 

1. Literally, “The world is established . . , Your throne is established.” 

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4 Hear their insolence! See their arrogance! How these 

men of evil boast! 

5 See them oppressing Your people, 0 Lord, aiflicting those 

You love. 

6, 7 They murder widows, immigrants, and orphans, for 

“The Lord isn’t looking,” they say, “and besides, He1 doesn’t 

care.” 

8 Fools! 

9 Is God deaf and blind-He who makes ears and eyes? 

10 He punishes the natioas-won’t He also punish you? 

He knows everything-doesn’t He also know what you are doing? 

11 The Lord is fully aware of how limited and futile the 

thoughts of mankind are, 

12, 13 So He helps us by punishing us. This makes us 

follow His paths, and gives us respite from our enemies while 

God traps them and destroys them, 

14 The Lord will not forsake His people, for they are His 

prize, 

15 Judgment will again be just and all the upright will 

rejoice. 

16 Who will protect me from the wicked? Who will be my 

shield? 

17 I would have died unless the Lord had helped me. 

18 I screamed, “I’m slipping Lord!” and He was kind and 

saved me. 

19 Lord, when doubts fill my mind, when my heart is in 

turmoil, quiet me and give me renewed hope and cheer. 

20 Will You permit a corrupt government to rule under 

Your protection-a government permitting wrong to defeat right? 

21, 22 Do You approve of those who condemn the innocent 

to death? No! The Lord my God is my fortress-the mighty 

Rock where I can hide, 

23 God has made the sins of evil men to boomerang upon 

them! He will destroy them by their own plans! Jehovah our 

God will cut them off. 

PSALM 95 

Oh, come, let us sing to the Lord! Gove a joyous sihout in 

honor of the Rock of our salvation! 

2 Come before Him with thankful hearts. Let us sing Him 

psalms of praise. 

1. Literally, “the God of Jacob.” 

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3 For the Lord is a great God, the great King of1 all gods. 

4 He controls the formation of the depths of the earth and 

the mightiest mountains; all are His. 

5 He made the sea and formed the land; they too are His. 

6 Come, kneel before the Lord our Maker, 

7 For He is our God. We are His sheep and He is our 

shepherd! Oh, that you would hear Him calling you today and 

come to Him! 

8 Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did in the wilderness2 

at Merilbah and Massah. 

9 For there your fathers doubted Me, though they had seen 

so many of My miracles before. My patience was severely tried 

by their complaints, 

10 “For forty years I watched them in disgust,” the Lord 

God says. “They were a nation whose thoughts and heart were 

far away from Me. They refused to accept My laws. 

11 Therefore in mighty wrath I swore that they would never 

enter the Promised Land, the place of rest I planned for them.” 

PSALM 96 

Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing it everywhere around 

the world ! 

2 Sing out His praises! Bless His name. Each day tell 

someone that He saves. 

3 Publish His gloriou,s acts throughout the earth. Tell 

everyone about the amazing things He does, 

4 For the Lord is great beyond description, and greatiy-to 

be praised. Worship only Him among the gods! 

5 For the gods of other nations are merely idols, but our 

God made the heavens! 

6 Honor and majesty surround Him; strength and beauty 

are in His Temple. 

7 0 nations of the world, confess Chat God alone is glorious 

and strong. 

8 Give Him the glory He deserves! Bring your offering 

and come to worship Him.l 

9 Worsthip the Lord with the beauty of holy lives.2 Let the 

earth tremble before Him. 

1. Literally, “above.” 

2. Exodus 17:7. 

1. Literally, “enter His courts.” 

2. Or, “in the priestly robes.” 

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10 Tell the nations that Jehovah reigns! He rules the 

world. His power can never be overthrown, He will judge 

all nations fairly, 

11 Let the heavens be glad, the earth rejoice; let the vastness 

of the roaring seas demonstrate His glory. 

12 Praise Him for the growing fields, for they display His 

greatness. Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise. 

13 For the Lord is coming to judge the earth; He will judge 

the nations fairly and with truth! 

PSALM 97 

Jehovah is King ! Let all the earth rejoice ! Tell the farthest 

island to be glad. 

2 Clouds and darkness surround Him! Righteousness and 

justice are the foundation of His throne, 

3 Fire goes forbh before Him and burns up all His foes. 

4 His lightning flashes out across the world. The earth 

sees and trembles, 

5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord of all the 

earth. 

6 The heavens declare His perfect righteousness; every 

nation sees His glory. 

7 Let those who worship idols be disgraced-all who brag 

about their worthless gods-for every god must bow to Him! 

8, 9 Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah have heard of 

Your justice, Lord, and are glad that You reign in majesty over 

the entire earth and are far greater than these other gods. 

10 The Lord loves those who hate evil; He protects the lives 

of His people, and rescues them from the wicked. 

11 Light is sown for the godly and joy for the good. 

12 May all who are godly be happy in the Lord and crown1 

Him, our holy God, 

EXPOSITION 

It will be observed that there is but one original headline to 

Pss. 92 to 97; and therefore it will be no great strain on our 

credulity if, from this circumstance, we assume that these psalms, 

thus undivided from each other in the Hebrew text, at a very 

early period in their history formed one continuous Service of 

Song for a Sabbath Day. That the series was composed of 

1. Literally, ‘‘give glory to His holy name.” 

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several distinct psalms, probably written by two or three psalmists, 

is clear from internal evidence. 

Ps. 92 is intensely persona.1: as witness the phrases hmt 

made me glaoLI will ring out my joy (ver. 4)--cmy horn-I am 

anointed-wine eyes-my lurking f oes-my wioked assailantsmine 

ears (vers. 10, 11). It is at the same time thoroughly 

experimental: which is evident, not only from the above expressions, 

but also from the writer’s thankfulness (ver. l), and from 

his persuasion that he has been blessed with some insight into 

Jehovah’s works and plans (ver. 5), as well as from that sense 

of nearneas to God which leads him to designate him My Rock 

(ver. 15). The writer of the psalm is probably a king in the 

line olf David: which accounts for his expectation that his horn 

will be exalted, in spite of his unscrupulous foes (vers. 10, 11). 

He is not only a king, but an enthusiastic musician: understanding 

what it is to sweep the strings (ver. l), and appreciating 

differences in musical instruments, as his selection of the deeptoned 

lyre to accompany his poetic soliloquy in his royal chambers 

sufficiently indicates. Out of these observations emerges the 

natural conclusion, that its writer was King Hezekiah. 

Ps. 93 forms a striking contral&. It is by no means personal; 

but public, lofty, grand. It propounds a thesis worthy of the 

most far-seeing prophetic gift: for it tells of nothing less than 

an especial asfsumption of sovereignty by Jehovah himself, who 

on the basis of his ancient rule and being makes a new Divine 

advance to manifested kingship over the earth. The psalm is 

but brief, calling sen-streams to witness to the Divine Maj.esty, 

and claiming that the Divine Testimonies and Temple-worship 

are confirmed by Jehovah’s Royal Proclamation. The two most 

remarkable things zbout this short psalm are: first, that it gives 

the key-note of the (series; in which, be it noted, Jehovah is proclaimed 

King three times, which key-note is carried over to the 

abbreviated Sabbath Service of Song which we may assume to 

be formed by Pss. 98, 99; so that four times in the double series 

is this Proclamation made; second, another remarkable thing is 

that King Hezekiah-himself a king in the royal, covenant line of 

David-should have given so much prominence to such a theme, 

if he prepared this Service of Song, a theme to give currency 

to which looks greatly like an act of self-effacement on his part, 

as though neither he nor any of his descendants could be regarded 

as The Coming King. Not only, then, does this paalm demand a 

lofty prophetic gift for its production, but it requires a prophet 

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o€ unquestionable standing and commanding weight to secure its 

insertion in this Service of Song, These conditions are remarkably 

well iulfilled in ISAIAH; especially if we may ,safely come 

back-as it would appear we may-to the old-fashioned custom 

of regarding him as the author of the whole of the book which 

goes under his name. For, in that case, we have not only the 

vision of Isaiah, chapter 6, to give a commanding place to the 

concepiion of Jehovah’s becoming King of all the earth, but we 

have paiterned by Isaiah himself-of course under Divine guidance-in 

62 :7 almolst the exact formula for proclaiming Divine 

Kingship which stands out so proininently in these psalms. 

Isaiah is the man who has had the vision, and who is possessed 

by the conception which the vision conveys, And he has the 

age, the standing, and the unquestionable spiritual authority to 

secure Hezekiah’s ready acceptance of Jehovah’s own Royal 

proclamation of Himself as suitable for a large place in this 

Sabbath Service of Song. From this point of view, the bringing 

together of the two men-Isaiah and Hezekiah-under the dominancy 

of a great expectation, throws an unexpected but most 

welcome sidelight on that strange wail of disappointment issuing 

from Hezekiah’s sick-room (Isaiah 38) that now-if he must at 

once die-he will “not see Yah in the land of the living,” as 

under Isaiah’s tuition he had conceived that he might. So that 

any imagined unlikelihood that Hezekfah would make such a 

theme so prominent in his Sabbath Service of Song, is completely 

oveyborne by the evidence which shews how naturally he might 

have done this very thing. 

Ps. 94 differs from both the preceding: from 92 by not 

being mainly joyous, and from 93 by rather lamenting that Jehovah 

has not become King, than by proclaiming that he has 

ascended his earthly Royal Seat. This psalm, again, has a rather 

strong personal note, and may very well have been written by 

Hezekiah himself or at his dictaifon. If so, however, its totally 

different tone would drive us to conclude that it must have been 

written at another and probably an earlier time, evidently a time 

of #sore national troulble. Indeed, so predominant is the note of 

lamentation throughout this psalm, that some critics have concluded 

it to be wholly out of its place where it now stands. 

Perhaps they have been hasty in their judgment, But let us 

glance through the psalm. Three stanzas (vers. 1-7) suffice 

to make it clear that Israel’s foes are dominant, relentless and 

persecuting. That they are foreigners is already made probable 

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by their being called lawless (ver. 3) and practically certain by 

the way they speak of the God of Jacob (ver. 7). Their doings 

are so wicked as to call for the vengecxnce of the Judge of all the 

earth, and so protracted as to lead the sufferers to cry out How 

long, 0 Jehovah! Their pride and arroigance strongly remind 

us of the haughty speeches of that “villain” Rabshakeh, the 

Assyrian general. Stanza IV. (vers. 8-11) induces the belief 

that even some Israelites were in danger of falling away to the 

foreigner, and needed to be severely reasoned with. Stanza V. 

(vers. 12-15) might have been a photograph for which Hezekiah 

himself sat; and goes far to persuade us that the actual writer 

of thi\s psalm was one of Hezekiah’s men, who could say of his 

master what his master would scarcely have said of himself. In 

Stanza V. (vers. 16-19) the voice of Hezekiah is again plainly 

heard: the drawing is true to the life-Hezekiah has confronted 

the silence of death-has slipped-has had disquieting thoughts 

and restorative consolations. Stanza VI. (vers. 20-23) reminds 

us that all the while, behind the arrogant menaces of Rabshakeh, 

stood the iniquitous throne of Assyria, which, as cruel and Goddefying, 

could well be described by a godly Israelite as a throne 

of engulfing ruin, Suffice it to remind ourselves of the signal 

way in which these perfect tenses of prophetic certainty-haith 

become a lofty retreat, hath brought back on themselves their 

trouble were at least typically fulfilled in the overthrow of Sennacherib. 

Such is the psalm. Is there need any longer to ask, 

what it does here in this Sabbath-day Service of Song: as though 

the Jewish Sabbath were not, above all things, a day of hallowed 

memories? On what principle it appears so interlocked, as it 

dog here, with Jehovah’s Royal Advent, we may yet discover. 

After this, we need not concern ourselves further with the question 

of authorship in its bearing on this Sabbath-day Service of 

Song. With Hezekiah and Isaiah at work in its production, we 

are ready for any contingency which Hezekiah’s Chief Musician 

could suggest; since we can conceive of no suggestion as to either 

words or music, which Hezekiah and his godly helpers could not 

easily supply. But let us rapidly push forward this survey to 

a conclusion. 

Ps. 95 is remarkable for the facility with which, after a 

4-line invitation to worship, it resolves itself into two 10;line 

stanzas, the former joyous, and the later admonitory. As to 

the fitness of the latter to find place here,-with such waverers 

in view as the previoas psalm reveals (94:8-ll), it cannot be 

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said that the solemn warning of this psalm (95:7-11) is in any 

wise out of place. It is, fui%her, something to remember-that 

this Sabbath-day’s Service of Song points onwards to a Divine 

Sabbath of Sabbaths, which undoubtedly will be inaugurated by 

the Coming Divine King. 

Ps. 96 enriches us with fresh thoughts: by bringing us into 

sight of a new manifestation of Divine Kingship, calling for 

a song that is new; that it coininissions a particular land to 

herald the gladtidings of the Coming Divine Reign to the other 

nutions of the earth (vers. 2, 3, 10) ; that, while there are Divine 

representatives (Elohim) who are real beings (ver. 4), there 

are other so-called Elohim (rcgodsJ’) who have no existence (ver. 

5); that even in the Corning Divine Reign, there will be a 

sanctuary (ver. 6) into which the families of the peoples (ver. 

7) can enter with their presents (ver. 8) and there woyship 

(ver. 9) ; and that such a changed state of things will amount 

to’a New Birth for or a Readjustment of the world (vers. 9, 

lo), wheyeat all Nature-including the heavens, the earth, the 

sea, the plain, the forest-may well go into ec’stasies; for the 

good reason that Jehovah is coiizing to reign over all the peoples 

of the world in IGghteousness and faithfulness (vers. 10, 13). 

‘Ps. 97, the last of this longer Sabbatli-day series, is notable 

in that, whatever cause for fear and trembling any of the individuals 

and nations of the world may have, in prospect of this 

new and immediate Divine Rule, the great event itself is mainly 

an occasion for joy: Let the enyth exult. Probably not without 

peculiar interest to Europeans (and it may be Americans also) 

the West-under the significant Biblical name of Coustlandsis 

particularly called upon to reioice:-a glimpse into the future 

which was, as we know, vouchsafed to Isaiah, independently of 

this psalm (Isaiah 24:15, 41:1, 42:4, 49:1, 59:18, 60:9, 66:19). 

Other things observable in this closing psalm of the first series 

are: that the promised Divine Advent is to be, in some way, 

open and palpable to the whole eaytlz; conveying its testimony 

of Divine righteousness to all men’s minds (vers. 4-6); that it 

will be sufficiently sudden to put some boastful idolaters to 

shame (ver. 7) ; sufficiently demonstrative to cause all true 

messengers divine to prostrate themselves before the world’s 

Divine King (ver. 7) ; and yet sufficiently local in some phases 

of its manifestati’on to give occasion to carry the joyful tidings 

thereof to Zion and the dauglatew of Judalz (ver. 8). Real 

divine nzessengew, such as kings and judges, will be permitted 

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to govern longer, only on condition of being manifestly in subjection 

to Jehovah as Most High over dl the earth (ver. 9). No 

wonder that such good news as this should be finally employed 

by way of admonition: Ye lovers of Jehovah! hate ye wrong 

(ver. 10). They who persist in wrong will be punished. The 

wronged-the imperilled-are to be preserved, to be rescued 

(ver. 10). Truly we may say, light has arisen for the righteous 

king Hezekiah (ver. ll), and for myriads besides who will open 

their eyes. And, ye righteous, who are made glad in Jehovah, 

forget not to give thanks to his Holy Memovial; with the understanding 

that “his Holy Memorial” is “his Holy Name,*’ Jehovah 

(Exod. 3:15, Ps. 135:l-3); that is, Yahweh; that is, the Becoming 

One; and that here, in this beautiful Sabbath Service of 

Song, He hath prophetically BECOME the King of all the earth, 

as unveiled to your believing and’ rejoicing eyes. 

For further “General Reflections,” see at the close of Ps. 99. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

1; 

2. 

3. 

4. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 

PSALM 92 

Why are these psalm,s (Le. 92 through 97) placed under one 

heading? 

What is meant by the thought Mat this psalm is both intensely 

personal and also thoroughly experimental ? 

The writer of the psalm is a king and a musician. How do 

we know this? 

PSALM 93 

What is the theme of this psalm? 

How is the theme developed? 

What are the two most remarkable things about this psalm? 

Why does Rotherham feel Isaiah is probably the author of 

this psalm? 

PSALM 94 

This psalm differs from 92 or 93. In what way? 

What is the general tenure of this psalm? 

Rotherham seems to have a definite set of circumstances 

for the writing of this psalm. What are they? Who is 

“Rabshekeh” ? 

In what way is this psalm appropriate as a part of the 

sabbath day service in the Temple? 

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1. 

2. 

1. 

2. 

3, 

1. 

2. 

3. 

PSALMS 92 TO 97 AND 98 AND 99 

PSALM 95 

We should sing and $e thankful to God-i.e., according to 

verses 1 and 2. Give at least; two reasons for doing so 

according to verses 3-5. 

Show how the solemn ~varning of this psalm was appropriate 

when written and also today, 

PSALM 96 

What are the mew thoughts introduced by this psalm? 

This is called “a missionary song”. Why? 

The material reign of Christ on earth in Jerusalem in a 

restored Temple seems to be the suggestion of the comments 

on this psalm, Discuss. 

PSALM 97 

Someone seems to think America and Europeans should take 

a particular interest in this psalm. Why? 

Read and interpret Isa. 24:15; 41:l; 42:4; 49:l; 59:18. 

Discuse, 

Rotherham has a marvelous ability of seeing a‘ literal earthly 

fulfillment of vs. 4-11. Discuss. 

PSALMS 98 and 99 

DESCRIPTIVE TITLE 

A Shorter Service of Song (for a Sabbath Day). 

ANALYSIS 

Psalm 98: An Invitation to Sing the New Song of Jehovah’s Victory 

in behalf of the House of Israel. 

Psalm 99: Jehovah‘s Assumption of Kingship Proclaimed: with a Renewed 

Call to Worship. 

PSALM 98 

1 

(Lm.) Psalm. 

Sing ye to Jehovah a song that is new, 

for wondrous things hath he done)- 

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2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 


his awn right hand and his holy arm have gotten him 

victory !l 

Jehovah hath made known his victory, 

to the eyes of the nations hath he unveiled his righteousness: 

He hath remembered his kindness and his faithfulness to the 

house of Israel, 

all the ends of the eahh have seen the victory‘ of our God. 

Shout ye to Jehovah all the earth, 

break forth and ring out your joy and make ye melody: 

Make ye melody to Jehovah with the lyre,- 

with the lyre and the voice of psalmody; 

With trumpets and the sound of the horn 

shout ye before the King-Jehovah! 

Let the sea thunder and the fulness thereof, 

the world and they who dwell therein: 

The streams-let them clap their hands, 

together the mountains-let them ring out their joy:- 

Before Jehovah for he is coming to judge the earth: 

he will judge the world with righteousness, 

and the peoples with equity. 

Wm.1 

1 

2 

PSALM 99 

Wm.1 

Jehovah hath become king2-let the peoples tremlble, 

enthroned on cherubim-let the earth quiver. 

Jehovah in Zion is great, 

and high is he above all the peoples. 

3 Let them thank thy name great and fearful: 

(4) “Holy is he.-4 and strong, 

a king who loveth justice.’’ 

Thou hast established equity, 

justice and righteousness in Jacob hast thou thyself wrought. 

5 Exalt ye Jehovah our God, 

and bow down at his footstool: 

c1H~ly3 is he! 

1. Or: “salvation.” 

2. As in 93:1, 96:10, 97:l. 

3. Some cod. (w. Sep., Vul.) : “For holy”-Gn. 

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PSALM 98 AND 99 

Moses and Aaron among his priests, 

and Samuel among the callers on his name,- 

callers [were they] unto Jehovah and he used to answer 

them : 

In a pillar of cloud used he to speak unto them: 

they kept his testimonies, 

and a statute he gave to them. 

Jehovah our God! thou thyself didst answer them, 

a forgiving GOD becamest thou unto them; 

but one taking vengeance 011 ihe evil deeds of them. 

Exult ye Jehova,h our God, 

and bow down at his holy nzountain; 

For holy is Jehovah our God. 

Wm.) 

. PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 98 

Sing a new song to the Lord telling about His mighty deeds! 

For He has won a mighty victory by His power and holiness. 

2, 3 He has announced this victory and revealed it to every 

nation by fulfilling His promise to be kind to Israel. The whole 

earth has seen God’s salvation of His people. 

4 That is why the earth breaks out in praise to God, and 

sings for utter joy! 

5 Sing your praise accompanied by music from the harp. 

6 Let the cornets and trumpets shout! Make a joyful 

symphony before the Lord, the King ! 

7 Let the sea in all its vastness roar with prai’se! Let the 

earth and all those living on it shout, “Glory to the Lord.” 

8, 9 Let the waves clap their hands in glee, and the hills 

sing out their songs of joy before the Lord, €or He is coming to 

judge the world with perfect justice, 

PSALM 99 

Jehovah is King! Let the nations tremble! He is enthroned 

upon the cherubim. Let the whole earth shake. 

2 Jehovah sits in majesty in Zion, supreme above all rulers 

of the earth. 

3 Let them reverence Your great and holy name. 

4 This mighty Icing is determined to give justice. Fairness 

is the touchstone of everything He does. He gives justice 

throughout Israel. 

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5 Exalt the Lord our holy God! Bow low before His feet. 

6 When Moses and Aaron and Samuel, His prophet, cried 

to Him for help, He ans,wered them. 

7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud and they 

followed his instrinctions. 

8 0 Jehovah our God! You answered them and forgave 

their sins, yet punished them when they went wrong. 

9 Exalt the Lord our God, and warship at His holy mountain 

in Jerusalem, for He is holy. 

EXPOSITION 

The warrant for regarding Pss. 98 and 99 as a Shorter Service 

of Song for Sabbath Worship is informal, but probably 

sufficient. The comparative brevity of this “Service” is obvious. 

Its distinctness from what has gone before is marked by the 

superscribed ,word Psalm over 98. Its substantial identity of 

theme with Pss. 92-97 is easily perceived; and chiefly appears 

in the recurrence of the Proclamation of Jehovah’s Kingship, 

sustained by similar invitations to worship, and a repetition, 

in 98 :9, of the hearld note of 96 :13. 

Ps. 98 opens like 96, only with a clearer statement of the 

precise nature of Jehovah’s victory: that it amounts to an 

urnveiling of his righteousness, by fulfilling his promises to the 

house of Israel. 

Ps. 99 contains a considerable amount of new matter: as, 

for example, Jehovah’s occupancy of his cherubic throne;-Zion 

being the especial place where his greatness is displayed; with 

a tolerable clear reminder of the “trisagion” or “thrice holy” 

cry of the Seraphim in Isa. 6. Again, it is very pointedly said 

that Jehovah hinzself has wrought justice and righteousness in 

Jacob-the use of which name, for “Israel,” offers a further 

assurance that it is to the historic nation of the Twelve Tribes 

that the psalm refers. It is perhaps a little difficult to determine 

the motive for referring by name to Moses, Aaron and Samuel: 

probably not so much to generalise, by intimating that even now 

they have among them a Moses, an Aaron, and a Samuel to 

intercede for them (as Kp. suggests) as to connect, in a more 

general way the old history with the new, and to enjoin the 

lesson of holy fear as not out of place in the coming glorious 

time. 

The foregoing rapid survey of the two Sabbath Services of 

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Song has been submitted for the purpose of preparing the reader 

for the following, 

GENERAL REFLECTIONS 

on the entire twofold series of psalms whose Keynote is Jehovah 

hath become King. 

The first reflection is: That here we have intimated some 

NEW DIVINE ACTION based upon bhe abiding and unalterable 

Sovereignty o€ God, but in advance of it; coming into effect at 

a special time and place and under special circumstances; and 

furthermore leading to results so stupendous as naturally to raise 

the question how far they have even yet been fulfilled. It is 

satisfactory to observe with what practical unanimity Expositors 

agree that such “New Divine Action” is affirmed by the great 

words of proclamation four times over used in these psalms: 

Yahweh malak= Jehovah hath becovne King. Thus the “Speakers’ 

Commentary” says: “The verb rendered ‘is (now) king’ is here 

used in reference to ‘the inauguration of the Theocracy in its 

final and complete maniiestation.” Similarly Perowne : “IS 

KING. More exactly, ‘hath become King,’ as if by a solemn 

coronation (comp. the same expression of a new monarch 

ascending the throne, 2 Sam. 15 :lo, 1 Kings 1 :11, 2 Kings, 9 :13) I 

He has been King from everlasting, but now His kingdom is 

visibly set up, His power and His majesty fully displayed and 

acknowledged.” More fully Delitzsch : “Heretofore Jahve’s rule, 

seeing He has waived the use of His omnipotence, has been 

self-abasement and self-renunciation; now, however, He manifests 

Himself in all His majesty, which soars above everything; 

Re has put this on as a garment; He is King and now shows 

himself to the world in His royal robe.” In like manner Thrupp: 

“There is in the words themselves, as Hengstenberg just remarks, 

an allu8sion to the form used at the proclamation of the 

commencement of the reign of an earthly sovereign; and hence 

it follows that the language does not apply to the constant government 

of God, but to a new glorious manifestation of his dominion.” 

With equal explicitiness, Briggs : “Not the assertion 

of his everlasting royal prerogative, but the joyous celebration 

of the fact that He has now shown Himself to be King by a 

royal advent, taking His place on His throne to govern the world 

Himself, and no longer through inefiicient or wicked servants.” 

(Cp. Intro., Chap. III., “Kingdom.”) 

The second reflection is: That these psalms are JEHOVISTIC 

155 

I


RATHER THAN MESSIANIC, as a glance through them Will at once 

shew. No Messiah, no Son of David, is once named in them. 

At first this is startling: ultimately it seems less strange. For, 

let us consider: Since “No man can see God and live” (Exo. 

33:20), since “No man hath seen God himself at any time” 

(John 1 :18), it follows that whenever men have been held to 

have seen him, it can only have been through a veil. It is 

well known that there are incidents and suggestions even in the 

Old Testament looking in this direction, particularly with regard 

to the Messenger in whom is the name Jehovah (Gen. 

16:lO-13, 19:24, Exo. 23:20, 21, 33:14, 15). Then, too, Christians, 

holding Jesus of Nazareth to have been the Messiah, 

consistently conceive of him as the veiled manifestation of Deity 

-veiled “in self-renunciation and self-xbasement” ; and therefore 

no man was compelled to see his glory; ,which glory, now, for 

the present, is “hid in God” (Col. 3:3) and ready at any time 

to burst forth as in these Theocratic psalms. 

A third reflection naturally follows: That these psalms, for 

their fulfilment, await THE MESSIAH’S SECOND ADVENT. The 

psalms are highly poetic, and even dramatic, as all sober interpreters 

admit. Still, it by no means follows that they have 

no clear burden to deliver; and therefore the dictate of sanctified 

common sense would appear to be to say, Will the burden of 

these psalms, when due allowance has been made for figures 

of speech, be well met when the Messiah returns, according to 

the plain sense of his own and his apostles’ sayings about his 

Second Coming? 

We may here strengthen these reflections by quoting the 

weighty words of Delitzsch: “In addition to such psalms as 

behold in anticipation the Messianic future, whether it be prophetically 

or only typically, or typically and prophetically at 

once, as the world-movercoming and world-blessing kingship of 

the Anointed of Jahve, there are others, in which the perfected 

theocracy as such is seen beforehand, not as the parousia of a 

human king, but as the parousia of Jahve himself, as the kingdom 

of God manifest in all its glory. These theocratic psalms 

form along with the Christocratic two series of prophecies, 

referring to the last time, which run parallel with one another. 

The one has for its goal the Anointed of Jahve, who from out of 

Zion rules over all peoples; while the other has Jahve, seated 

above the cherubim, to whom the whole world pays homage. 

Although these two series converge in the Old Testament, they 

156


do not come together; it is the historical fulfilment that first 

of all makes it clear that the parousia of the Anointed One 

and the parousia of Jahve are one and the same, It is only at 

a few climaxes of prophecy that this thought flashes forth in 

the Old Testament”-Intro, to Ps. 93. 

A fourth reflection is: That as soon as the ultimate blending 

of the Theocratic and the Christocratic prophecies is accepted, 

and information is accordingly sought in the New Testament 

regarding the Messiah’s Second Coming as destined to fulfil 

these psalms, particularly as to the Destruction of the Lawless 

One by that Second Coming, according to 2 Thes. 2,-so soon 

is THE POSITION OF PSALM 94 IN THIS SABBATH SERVICE OF SONG 

TRIUMPHANTLY VINDICATED. It cannot be denied that its position 

here is extraordinary; nor can it be doubted that the psalm itself 

-both in its description of so gigantic a development of Lanolessness, 

as is portrayed therein, and in its outcries for Divine 

Vengeance there-upon-readily carries us beyond Hezekiah and 

beyond Sennacherib. It would surpass the wit of man to coin 

a more apt phrase for describing the COMING LAWLESS ONE, in 

the awful doings to be permitted him, than as the Throne of 

Engulfing Ruin framing Mischief By Statute. Given, then, the 

conclusions that this Throne of Iniquity will yet prove specially 

disastrous to Hezekiah’s nation; and that Jehovah’s overthrow 

of that Throne will constitute the great Victory by which the 

Theocracy will be visibly set up on earth, and Jehovah’s final 

reign inaugurated,-then nothing could be more appropriate than 

the insertion of this psalm just here in Hezekiah’s larger Sabbathday’s 

Service of Song. Indeed, only to see this, is nothing short 

of discovering a new, unexpected and most welcome proof of 

Jehovah’s wondrous overruling ways; and it may be forgiven any 

Christian if, under such an impulse, wibh bowed head he here 

sends up to heaven his welcome to YAHWEH-CHRIST as EARTH% 

COMING KING. 


1. What are the reasons for considering psalms 98 & 99 as 

a shorter service of song for a sabbath day? 

2. What is the purpose of referring to Moses, Aaron, and 

Samuel by name ? 

3. Rotherham makes foul. reflections on these two psalmsshall 

we state and discuss the bhought of each: (a) On 

the basic pre-supposition that Jehovah hath become king, 

157


What is the “new divine action”? Evidently the rule or 

kingship of God has taken on a new aspect. (b) What is 

meant by saying “these psalms are Jehovistic rather than 

Messianic”? What is the ultimate conclusion? (e) The 

fulfillment of these psalms await the return of the Messiah. 

Are we to believe there is to be a literal rule of God through 

Christ in Jerusalem? Discuss. (d) Psalms 94 is vindicated 

-how? What does I1 Thess. 2 say about bhis? Is the 

‘‘lawless one described in Psalm 99? Discuss. 

PSALM 100 


Invitation to All the Earth Co Come In before 

Jehovah and Worship. 

ANALYSIS 

Stanza I., vers. 1-3, Invitation to Worship, based on Jehovah’s Claims as 

Creator and Shepherd. Stanza IL, vers. 4, 5, Renewed Invitation, based on 

Jehovah’s Own Perfections. 

(Lm.) Psalm-For a Thank-offering (or For Thanksgiving.) 

Shout ye unto Jehovah all the earth! 

serve Jehovah with gladness, 

come in before him with a ringing cry. 

Know that Jehovah he is God, 

he made us and his are we,Ihis 

people and the flock of his shepherding.2 

Come into his gates with thank~giving,~ 

into his courts with praise,4- 

give thanks bo him, bless his name; 

For good is Jehovah 

to the ages his kindness,- 

and unto generation after generation his faithfulness. 

(Nm.) 

1. So Heb. marg. (kvkread preferred by Del., Per., Kp., Br., Dr.). 

Heb. text (M.T.): “and not we ourselves.” 

2. Cp. 79:13, 96:7, (Isa. 63:ll). 

3. Or: “a thank-offering.” 

4. Or: “a song of praise.’’ 

158

PSALM 100 

PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 100 

Shout with joy before the Lord, 0 earth! 

2 Obey Him gladly; come beiore Him singing with joy, 

3 Try to realize what this means-the Lord is God! He 

made us-we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. 

4 Go through His open gates with great thanksgiving; enter 

His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and bless His name. 

5 For the Lord is always good. He is always loving and 

kind, and His faithfulness goes on and on to each succeeding 

generation. 

EXPOSITION 

The close connection between this psalm and those immediately 

preceding it is evident, and at once supplies guidance 

as to the breadth of the outlook which should be given to the 

first line as an appeal to all the earth rather than to “all the 

land.” It is true that the Hebrew word ’erex means ‘‘land” 

as well as “earth,” and iurther true that once in the foregoing 

series (96:l) it has here been rendered “land.” But that was 

for a special passing reason; namely, because of an apparent 

distinction between a particular “land” and the remaining nations 

of the earth. Hence, as it cannot be denied that in most 

of the 15 occurrences of the word in Pss. 94-100, “earth” has 

far stronger claims to stand in English than the more limited 

word “land,” it is submitted that “earth” is the right word 

here, The dominant thought of the psalms now closing is that 

Jehovah is lord of the whole earth and has now entered upon 

the manifest kingship oi all the world; and that no sufficient 

reason comes in here, at the opening of this new and final psalm, 

to limit the appeal to a smaller sphere than the whole world. 

We are not just here following Asaph pleading for the reunion 

of the tribes, as we were some twenty psalms back; but rather 

are we under the guidance of Isaiah, who is familiar with the 

conception that Jehovah’s temple in Jerusalem is to be “a house 

of prayer for all peoples” (Isa. 56:7) and that Jehovah purposes 

to “gather together all nations and tongues to come and see his 

glory,” yea and that “all ilesh shall come in and bow down before 

me, Saith Jehovah” (Isa. 66 :18, 23). Hence we may with reasonable 

confidence give the fullest possible breadth to the opening 

invitation : Shout ye unto Jehovah all the earth. 

159 

i 


The more firmly we take up this position, the more frankly 

it becomes us now to submit that the language of the psalm 

points to the gathering, periodic or otherwise, of all the earth 

to a local centre: Come in before Jehovah-Come into his gates, 

into his courts (ver. 4). And this too is in the spirit of the 

psalms which have gone before, in which are many local indications: 

such as the house of Jehovah, the c 

(92:13)-Come to meet his face, Come in, le 

6)-Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary (96:6)-Brhg 

ye a present and come into his courts (96:8)--Jehovah in Ziom 

iS great (99:2)-Bow down at his footstool (99:5)-Bow down 

at his holy mountain (99:9). So that it is entirely in the vein 

of these Sabbath-day Services of Song to abide by the local indications 

in the psalm now before us. These psalms deal with 

Israel and the Nations. They have already carried us beyond 

the present intermediate dispensation, having transported , us 

beyond Messiah’s Seclond Advent into the Coming final Theocracy, 

The Church, indeed, has no local centre, unless it is in 

heaven. But here we are in touch With the final, earthly Jerusalem; 

and clearly it does not follow that because the Church 

has no local, earthly centre, therefore there will be no such 

centre of worship in the Oorning Kingdom, Unless we are 

prepared to turn the whole Old Testament into allegory, a 

hundred texts are at hand to shew that there will be such a 

centre in the Final Theocracy. Still (speaking here to Christians), 

on the principle that “all things are ours” we can rejoice 

in all that here unveils itself to our admiring eyes; and even in 

the Ecclesia, we can, in the spirit of trustful antici-pation, sing 

the Songs of the Kingdom, (Cp. Intro., Chap. III., “Kingdom.”) 

Note, then, what it is which is here set before us: it is 

nothing less than a worshipping world-a world worshipping with 

unspeakable gladness, because of what at ,first sight appear as 

two primordial truths, which however ultimately resolve themselves 

into one; namely the relationship to the world as both 

Creator and Shepherd sustained by Jehovah. This is the inspiration: 

this the gladness: this the motive and theme of praise. 

“Ye men of all the earth, know this: that Jehovah, God of the 

Hebrew nation, of grace and revelation and redemption is God 

of all the earth; He made us, and His we are-His people, and 

the flock of his shepherding.’” If all the earth is appealed to, 

to shout with gladness and give a ringing cry,-this of necessity 

is to be the burden of that (‘ringing cry”: which prophetically 

160

~ 

PSALM 100 

implies that when this song is sung according to its main intention, 

all the earth will have come into line with all who know 

God and.re,joice in him as their Shepherding Creator. As Delitzsch 

has well said: In this announcement, He made us, and 

His we are, “lies a rich store oi comi’ort and warning; for the 

Creator is also the Owner; His heart clings to his creature; while 

the latter owes himself entirely bo Him, without whom he would 

neither have had being nor continue to exist.” It is worth while 

to ensure periect correctness by observing that the Divine relationships 

to all the earth here celebrated are essentially one. 

It does not say, “He created us all, and some of us are his people 

and the flock oi his shepherding.” That may be the exact truth 

now; yea, and may have been the exact truth in all past ages. 

But it is not the whole truth as it is to be realised and rung 

out with joy in the Final Theocracy; for it is not the whole 

truth as here set forth by prophetic anticipation. The “various 

reading” here preierred itself carries us further: He made us, 

and His are we-His people. Not merely “his creatures”; which 

of itself turns the broader word made to excellent account. He 

made us-what we are, His people; He made us-what we are, 

His flock. This opens our eyes to see that to make here means 

more than to create: it includes tending, training, forming our 

characters. What he makes us to be is not mere men; but 

good men, communing with him, like him; otherwise we could 

not be His people, the flock of his shepherding. 

Does this lofty conception, when applied to all the earth, 

introduce confusion? It may: if we’make of the past an ironmould 

for the stereotyping of our thoughts; otherwise, there is 

no necessity for confusion, God has already had more than one 

people on the earth: the Jewish nation-now alas in a great 

measure in abeyance; the Christian Church-sometimes too wise 

in her own conceits, as for instance when she so far forgets 

herself as to afiirm that “the’ Church Catholic has been manifestly 

revealed as that ‘mountain of the Lord’ unto which, 

according to prophecy, all nations were to i10w.”~ We have 

only to let in the thought that as God has had more “peoples” 

than one in succession to each other, so he may yet have many 

peoples simultaneously whom he may graciously acknowledge 

as his own. Of this prospect we have distinct intimations both 

in Old Testament and New: In the former, in such remarkable 

words as these-“In that day shall Israel be a third with Egypt 

1. Thrupp, Vol. II., 147. 

161


and with Assyria-a blessing in the midst of the earth: whom 

Jehovah of hosts hath blessed saying,-Blessed be my peoplethe 

Egyptians, and the work of my hands-the Assyrians, and 

mine own inheritance-Israel” (ha. 19 :24). And in the latter, 

in such ravishing words as these-“Lo! the tent of God is with 

men, And he will tabernacle with them, And they shall be his 

peoples [mark the plural!], And he shall be God with them, 

And he will wipe away every tear out of their eyes” (Rev. 21 :3, 

4). Confusion disappears when the right perspective is obtained. 

The glorious prospect therefore is: That in the Final Theocracy 

all the earth will be able to shout-Jehovah made us and his 

we are,-his people and the flock of his shepherding. 

We may perhaps revert to Israel as again singing to all the 

earth in the words of the second stanza of this delightful psalm: 

Come into his gates. But, in any case, we are prepared for the 

final observation, that here we have “renewed invitation based 

on Jehovah’s o’wn perfections” : For good is Jehovah, Age-abiding 

his kindness, And unto generation after generation his faithfulness; 

and can weld the essential thoughts of the psalm into a 

unity by observing that even Divine Crea+orship so involves 

Divine Promise as to give scope to Divine faithfulness; and thus 

can, with a sense of triumph, point to the harmony of scripture 

with scripture, by reminding ourselves of the fact that to the 

Christian Apostle Peter (I. Eph. 4:19) we are indebted far the 

blended noun and adjective which yield the much forgotten but 

most welcome appellation “FAITHFUL CREATOR.” 


There is some connection between this psalm and those 

which precede it. What is it? 

Rotherham is quite set on the opinion that here we have a 

prophetic psalm of the time when “all the earth” will come 

to a center (Jerusalem) and worship the Lord. How is 

this opinion obtained? Is it valid? Discuss. 

This is a psalm of Thanksgiving. In the two stanzas there 

is a call to praise and worship the Lord and then a reason - 

for doing it. Let us share this worship and discover the 

reasons. 

162

PSALM 101 

PSALM 101 


A King’s Resolve to have a pure House and Court and Royal City. 

ANALYSIS 

Stanza I., vers. 1-2a, The ‘Ilieme of Song Announced and Applied to 

the Conduct becoming, and based upon Jehovah’s Presence. Stanza II., vers. 

2b-4, Persona1 BIamelessness Outlined. Stanzas 111. and IV., vers. 5-8, The 

Blamelessness Demanded of Others to secure a City Worthy of Jehovah. 

(Lm.) By David-Psalm. 

Of kindness and justice fain would I sing 

to thee 0 Jehovah would I sweep the strilzgs.l 

I wosild act circumspectly in n blameless way- 

When comest thou unto me? 

I will behave in the blamelessness2 of my heartin 

the midst of my house: 

I will not set before mine eyesa 

thing that is vile :3 

The doing of swerving deeds I hateit 

shall not cleave to me; 

A crooked heart shall depart from mewrong 

will I not approve. 

He that slandereth in secret his friendhim 

will I exterminate : 

The lofty of eyes and arrogant of hearthim 

will I not suffer. 

Mine eyes are on the faithful of the landto 

dwell4 with me, 

He that walketh in a blameless wayhe 

shall minister unto me. 

There shall not dwell6 in the midst of my housea 

doer of deceit: 

1. Or: “harp,” or ‘‘play.” 

2. Or : “singleness,” “devotion,” (ml.) “wholeness.” 

3. M1. : “an affair of Belial (The abandoned one) .” 

4. Or: “to sit” (as assessors in judging) I 

6. Or: “sit down” (as a guest). 

163

8 


A speaker of falsehoods shall not be establishedbefore 

mine eyes, 

Mro,rning by morning will I exterminateall 

the lawless of the land, 

To cut off out of the city of Jehovahall 

the workers of iniquity.6 

Wm.1 

PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 101 

I will sing about Your lovingkindness and Your justice, 

Lord. I will sing Your praises! 

2 I will try to walk a blameless path, but how I need Your 

help; especially in my own home, where I long to act as I should. 

3 Help me to refuse the low and vulgar things; help me to 

abhor all crooked deals of every kind, to have no part in them. 

4 I will reject all selfishness and stay away from every evil. 

5 I will not tolerate any slander of my neighbors; I will not 

permit conceit and pride, 

6 I will make the godly of the land my heroes, and invite 

them to my home. Those who are truly good shall be my 

examples. 

7 But I will not allow those who deceive and lie to stay in 

my house. 

8 My daily task will be to ferret out criminals and free the 

city oC God from their grip. 

EXPOSITION 

This psalm, it will be noticed, is attributed To David; and 

there seems to be no good reason why ‘this assignment should 

not be trusted. The lofty moral tone which breathes through it, 

is in every way worthy of the Son of Jesse in his young and 

noble days, when he came to the throne of Israel, and particularly 

when he brought the Sacred Ark up to Jerusalem. The kindness 

and justice of Jehovah’s awn character, when reflected by 

a King and his Court, would call forth just such resolute purity 

and nobleness of conduct as are sketched through the psalm. 

We can almost feel the hand of Jehovah upon his servant David; 

and can easily believe that by this time the trembling fear 

6. Or: “mischief” (“naughtiness”-Dr.) . 

164

PSALM 101 

caused by the visitation upon Uzza is being mellowed by patience 

into a longing desire that Jehovah would without further delay 

come and dwell in the city of his choice. He thinks of the 

scrupulous conduct which would become himself in welcoming 

so Holy a Guest; and then suddenly prays for that supporting 

Presence which could alone enable him to reach his ideal: When 

comest thou unto me? The language vibrates between fear and 

hope, Hope becoming the stronger feeling, the psalmist arises 

to the occasion and promises the personal conduct which he knows 

will alone please: I will behave in the blamelessness of my heart. 

And first in his house-his home! in himself. His ideals shsould 

be lofty; his deeds unswerving; his mind straight; his approbation 

reserved for that only which was right. From himself he 

passes to those he must have about him, He had suffered enough 

from slanderers in the court of Saul to think of trusting them 

now, even though they might fawn upon him. The conceited, 

the assuming-these he knew he could not endure. He would 

keep his eyes open and draw to himself the right men from 

among the faithful of the land. Whether as assessors on the 

seats of justice or as guests in his home he would call to himself 

the men who would create the desirable atmosphere, guard him 

from his weaknesses, gladly help on his plans: especially the 

men who would tell him the truth. Probably with the early 

morning tribunals in mind, and in the full consciousness of his 

autocratic power, he almost alarms us by declaring that morning 

by morning he will exterminate all the lawless of the land. We 

may sufficiently reassure ourselves, not to draw hasty inferences 

in favour of indiscriminate autocracy, by noting well that the 

sphere of this King’s action is the city of Jehovah: Jehovah’s 

own representative, acting in Jehovah’s presence in Jehovah’s 

city. These are not conditions that can be reproduced anywhere, 

any day, by any one. In point of fact: If we have here speaking, 

either David personally, or any of David’s Sons, then we have 

speaking a type of the Messiah: who shall one day autocratically 

govern in that Final Theocracy of which we have been recently 

reading, At the same time we do well to remind ourselves that 

Government, when most Divine, is least arbitrary ; and that 

this whole psalm, forcible as it truly is against evil-doers, is 

dominated by the word with which it begins; and that the 

Theocracy which Divine justice regulates Divine Kindness founds. 

165



1. We are again considering that “man after God’s own heart.” 

What period in David’s life does this cover? 

2. This little outline will help: 

I The King 1-4 

1. His personal desire 1, 2; 

2. His relative determination 3, 4 

I1 The Kingdom 5-8 

1. The citizens must be worthy 5, 6 

2. The center must be clean 7, 8 (Scroggie) 

Relate this to David and then to yourself. 

3. When God is God in our own home we will be able to make 

Him God in every other place. Read verses 3, 4 and relate 

to your own home as David did to his home. 

PSALM 102 


The Prayer of a Humbled One brings a 

Threefold Answer of Peace. 

ANALYSIS 

Stanza I., vers. 1-11, A Humbled ‘One’s Complaint, Stanza II., vers. 12- 

17, The FIRST CONCLUSION, Adapting the psalm to the Close of the Captivity 

in Babylon. Stanza III., vers. 18-22, The SECOND CONCLUSION, Adapting 

the psalm to a Future Generation. Stanza IV., vers. 23-28, The Original 

Gonclusion now placed at the Close of the Composite Psalm. 

(Lm.) Prayer-By the Humibled One when he fainteth and 

bePore Jehovah poureth out hi& Soliloquy.’ 

1 Jehovah ! oh hear my prayer, 

and let my cry for help unto thee come in. 

2 Do not hide thy face from me, 

in the day of my distress incline thine ear unto me; 

in the day I keep calling haste thee answer me; 

3 For vanished in2 smoke are my days, 

and my bones like a hearth are burned thr~ugh.~ 

1. Or : “murmuring,” “complaint.” 

2. Some cod. (w. Aram., Sep., Vul.) : “like”-Gn. 

3. So Dr., Del. 

166

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

PSALM 102 

Smitten like herbage and withered is my heart, 

for I have forgotten to eat my bread. 

By reason of the noise of my groaning 

cleaveth my bone to my flesh. 

I am like a pelican of the desert, 

I am become like an owl of the ruins : 

I have watched and moaned4 like a solitary bird on a roof. 

All the day have mine enemies reproached me, 

they who are mad against me by me have sworn6 

For ashes like ]bread have I eaten, 

and my drink with my tears have I mingled,- 

Because of thine indignation and thy wrath; 

for thou hast lifted me up and flung me away. 

My days are like a shadow that is stretched-out, 

and I myself like hevbage shall dry up. 

But thou Jehovah to the ages sittest (enthroned), 

and thy memorialG is to generation after generation. 

Thou wilt arise and have compassion upon Zion. 

for it is time to shew her favourT for the set time hath come: 

For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, 

and on her dust look with favour. 

So will the nations revere the name of Jehovah, 

and all the kings of the earth thy glory : 

Because Jehovah hath built up Zionhath 

appeared in his glory, 

Hath turned unto the prayer of the destituteand 

hath not despised their prayer. 

Let this be written for a generation to come, 

and let a people to \be created offer praise unto Yah: 

That he hath looked forth from his holy height,s 

Jehovah from the heavens unto the earth hath directed his 

gaze : 

To hear the groaning of the prisoner,8 

to loose such as are appointed to die:1° 

4. So Gt. Cp. Ps. 55:17--Gn. 

5. Cp. Isa. 65:15, Jer. 29:22, “He who swears by one in misfortune says 

‘May I bear the like if I break my faith.’ ”-T.G. 802. 

6. Cp. Exo. 3:15. Some cod. “thy throne”-Gn. 

‘7. Or: “to be gracious unto her.” 

8. Cp. Isa. 63:16. 

9. Isa. 42:7, 61 :1, Ps. 79:ll. 

10. MI.: “the sons of death.” 

167


21 That they may tell in Zion of the name of Jehovah, 

and his praise in Jerusalem: 1 

22 When the peoples are gathered together,ll 

and the kingdoms to serve Jehovah. 

23 He hath humbledl2 in the way rny13 strength,l* 

he hath shortened my days. 

24 I say-“My GOD! do not take me away in the midst of my 

days, 

through the generation of generations are thy years: 

25 Of old the earth thou didst found, 

and the work of thy hands are in the heavens:15 

26 They shall perish but thou shalt endure, 

and they all like a garment shall wear out,- 

as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall vanish; 

27 But thou art the Sarne,l6 

and thy years shall have na end: 

28 The sons of thy servants shall abide, 

and their seed before thee shall be established.” 

Wm.1 

PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 102 

A prayer when overwhelmed with €rouble. 

Lord, hear my prayer! Listen to my plea! 

2 Don’t turn away from me in this time of my distress. 

Bend down Your ear and give me speedy answers, 

3, 4 For my days disappear like smoke. My health is 

broken and my heart is sick; it is trampled like grass and is 

withered, My food is tasteless, and I have lost my appetite. 

5 I am reduced to skin and bones because of all my groaning 

and despair. 

6 I am like a vulture in a far-off wilderness, or like an owl 

alone in the desert. 

7 I lie awake, lonely as a solitary sparrow on the roof. 

8 My enemies taunt me day after day and curse at me. 

11. Isa. 60:4. 

12. The Heb. word here may be either “humbled” or ‘(answered.” 

13. Ancient authorities are divided between rcmy’7 and ((his.” 

14. For the effect of these variations see Exposition. 

16. Cp. Isa. 48:13,44:24. 

16. MI.: ((he” ‘‘ That is He who is (as opposed to the transistory fabric 

of the world)”-Dr. Cp. Deu. 32:39, Isa. 41:4, 43:10, 46:4, 48:12. 

168

PSALM 102 

9, 10 I eat ashes instead of bread. My tears run dotm 

into my drink because of Your anger against me, because of 

Your wrath, For You have rejected me and thrown me out. 

11 My life is passing swiftly as the evening shadows. I am 

withering like grass. 

12 While you, Lord, are a famous King forever. Your 

face will endure to every generation. 

13 I know that You will come and have mercy on Jerusalem 

-and now is the time to pity her-the time You promised help. 

14 For Your people love every stone in her walls and feel 

sympathy for every grain of dust in her streets. 

15 Now let the nations and their rulers tremble before the 

Lord, before His glory. 

16 For Jehovah will rebuild Jerusalem! He will appear 

in His gl,ory! 

17 He will listen to the prayers of the destitute, for He is 

never too busy to heed ther requests. 

18 I am recording this so that future generations will also 

praise the Lord for all that He has done. And a people that 

shall be created shall praise the Lord. 

19 Tell them that God looked down from His Temple in 

heaven, 

20 And heard the groans of His people in slavery-they 

were children of death-and 

released them, 

21, 22 So that multitudes would stream to the Temple to 

praise Him, and His praises were sung throughout the city of 

Jerusalem; and many rulers throughout the earth came to 

worship Him. 

* * * * * 

23 He has cut me down in middle life, shortening my days. 

24 But I cried to Him, “0 God, You live forever and forever 

! Don’t let me die half through my years ! 

25 In ages past Ylou laid the foundations of the earth, and 

made the heavens with Your hands! 

26 They shall perish, but You go on forever. They will 

grow old, like worn-out clothing, and You will change them as 

a man putting on a new shirt and throwing away the old one! 

27 But You Yourself never grow old. You are forever, 

and Your years never end. 

* * * * * 

28 But our families will continue; generation after generation 

will be preserved by Your protection. 

169


EXPOSITION 

The marked structural peculiarities of this psalm are prolbably 

best explained by the supposition that it was at first the 

soliloquy of an individual, and was afterwards adapted for national 

use on two successive occasilons. The first and last stanzas 

(vers. 1-11 and 23-28) in all likelihood constituted the original 

psalm. The former of these is mainly a prolonged complaint, 

which may well have been written by or for King Hezekiah, 

since it strikingly meets his case, and runs closely parallel with 

his prayer as preserved in Isaiah 38. Throughout this stanza 

the personal note predominates-it is Z and me all the way 

through; and the observable thing is, that there is no return to 

this personal note until verse 23 is reached, on the recurrence 

of which, however, we are again reminded of Hezekiah,-for. 

who so likely as he to have said-Take me not a\wway in the midst 

of my days! and although, even then, the psalm does not close 

exactly as we might have expected Hezekiah to close it, yet 

nothing inconsistent comes in : the personal note still prevails, 

though only in the lofty strain which sets the abiding personality 

of Jehovah over against the frail and fleeting personality of the 

suppliant. Precisely how this contrast could have seemed to be 

a pertinent Divine response to the long drawn-out wail of the 

personal sufferer, it may be that a sacrificed line or phrase 

would have clearly shewn. As a working hypothesis, however, we 

can easily assume that these two personally dominated stanzas 

formed the original Hezekian psalm. 

Time rol1,s on. The great exile to Babylon for seventy years 

takes place. Towards the close of this period, some gifted scribe 

dbserves the striking parallel between the afflicted king and the 

afflicted nation; and, to adapt the old psalm to new conditions, 

especially to hearten and prepare his people for a return to the 

Fatherland to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, he introduces the 

present Second Stanza (vers. 12-17). It would seem to be 

prejudiced and arbitrary not to suppose sone such occasion for 

the touching allusions to Jerusalem's stones and dust, and 

especially the inspiriting belief that the set time to compassionate 

Zion had now arrived, which this stanza includes. Looking 

again through this second stanza with these thoughts in mind, 

we are, on the one hand, no longer surprised to find in it no 

further reference to the original suppliant King; but, on the 

other hand, we easily realise how perfectly in keeping it is with 

the national intention suggested that the psalmist should indulge 

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PSALM 102 

in a purely national outlook; a sort oi glorified forecast of the 

grand things now to be expected by the redeemed and renewed 

Chosen People. The poet rises to a prophetic anticipation of 

those coming good things, when not only should Zion have been 

re-built, but Jehovah have appeared in his glory, and in every 

way have signally turned to and not despised the prayer of the 

as yet destitute nation. 

But as time passes, it is realised that the Return itself is 

only feebly and by instalments accomplished ; and especially 

that, as yet, there are no Sighs of the friendly gathering of m- 

tions to witness Jehovah’s glory and to serve him which the 

prophets-especially Isaiah-had led them to expect. Hence a 

further addition is made to this now national psalm, by a significant 

intimation that the main fulfilment of it awaits a coming 

generation: even if a new Israel has to be created to witness 

its complete accomplishment, the promises of Jehovah shall be 

ultimately fulfilled. Jehovah, meanwhile, is not indifferent; but 

wherever, under the whole heavens, there are prisoners belonging 

to Israel crying to him in their misery, there his eye rests, 

thence the cry comes into his ears. The prisoners are to be 

released-to come to Zion-to rehearse in Jerusalem Jehovah’s 

praise under circumstances most auspicious : When the peoples 

are gathered together, And the kingdoms to serve Jehovah. No 

doubt the picture is an ideal one: only to be made real after 

unforeseen delays. For, as Kirkpatrick well says, in abatement 

of our surprise that, “As a matter of fact the return was an 

insignificant event, and no startling results immediately followed 

it”:--“Prophecy constantly combines in one view the nearer and 

the remoter future, depicting the eventual result, without idicating 

the steps by which it is to be reached.” 

Another easy movement, and the structure of the whole psalm 

is accounted for. After the two additions contained in Stanzas 

11. and 111. had been made, it may then have been olbserved by 

a final editor that the original close of the personal psalm still 

held good, furnishing a most fitting conclusion for the whole 

composite psalm; which was therefore added,-quite possibly by 

Ezra, with or without a finishing touch to complete the unification 

of the whole as one of the Songs of Zion. 

Probably there are but few present-day readers of the 

psalms who cannot find assistance in some such modest theory 

of -origin of this psalm as the foregoing, Better far so to apprehend 

how the psalm may have assumed its present form, than to 

171 

’


be driven to the unwelcome conclusion that it is radically and 

irremediably incoherent; seeing especially that such a conclusion 

is likely to foster the deplorable habit of regarding Holy Scripture 

as a, mere fetish, whme chief value lies in a meaningless 

repetition of sounds in which sense is at a discount. 

The reasons for regarcling ver. 23 as originally continuous 

with ver. 11 will become more and more evident on examination. 

Not only does the personal element then reappear after being 

so long in abeyance, but it reappears with the same theme uppermost: 

ver. 11 is speaking of my days, and it is to my davs that 

ver. 23 returns. 

It is no doubt a little disconcerting to observe that, just 

where this junction reveals itself, there some difficulty should 

appear as to both “rendering” and “reading.” As to “rendering,” 

attention may be called to the undoubted fact that the very first 

word in verse 23 (’anuh) may be rendered either “humbled,” 

as in this translation, or “answered,” as in the ancient Greek 

version, the Septuagint, As to “reading,” it is not to be denied 

that on the length of a single down-stroke it depends whether 

the affixed pronoun to the noun “strength” be “my” 

“my strength” or “his strength.” If the latter were clearly ruled 

out by the context, we might serenely disregard it; and, as a 

fact, it is declined in this translation on the ground of a smaller 

amount of probability in its favour. Yet ‘by no means so decisively 

declined as to make it unworthy of further notice. Not 

only is there the circumstance to be reckoned with that in some 

Hebrew copies and in the Sep. and Vul. versions the pronoun 

“his” is preferred; but there is the further stubborn fact to be 

admitted that the Septuagint has woven out of the two doubtful 

elements an entirely different result from that which appears 

above and in our public versions (A,V., R.V., and P.B.V.); the 

Septuagint rendering being as follows : “He answered him in 

the way of his strength: tell me the shortness of my days. Do 

not take me away,” &e. It is perhaps impossible to be quite sure 

that there is nothing of importance in this ancient result; 

although, of course, it may be merely an ancient mistake in construing 

the original Hebrew text: hence it is here passed on 

for the respectful consideration of candid critics; and the more 

readily, because of a slight misgiving that something further 

than nbw appears originally stood here-something possibly 

tending to set forth Hezekiah as a type of the Messiah in respect 

of the shortening of his duys. Suffice it to have called 

172

PSALM 30% 

attention to this remarkable variation; in order now to resume 

a working assurance, sincerely felt, that in the “rendering” 

and “reading” followed in the text of this translation, as near 

an approach to absolute truth is made as our present means 

admit. It may be reassuring to observe that nothing further is 

here at stake than simldy the precise terms in which verse 29 

should appear as the original conlinuation of verse 11. Even 

the Septuagint rendering could still be said to resume the personncct 

strain of the psalm in respect of the drqp of the individual 

sufferer, These nice points being thus disposed of, we are fairly 

entitled to review thc psalm as a whole in regard to its larger 

outstanding features. 

The one thing which nothing can hide is the grandeur of 

the psalm: the way in which it sets over against the afflictions 

of the man and the afflictions of the nation, the eternity and 

elevation of Jehovah. Because of the stability of his throne 

and the inexhaustible resources of his being, there is hope for 

the nation; and because of the eternity of his years, there is 

solace for the individual-though this is implied rather than 

expressed in the present psalm. It seems to be implied in the 

sudden transition made by the suppliant (in ver. 24) from his 

own days to the eternal years: as much as to say-“Why needest 

thou, whose years run on from generation to generation, cut 

down by one half my allotted days, few as they are at most?” 

That, after all, the hope of the individual should be left thus, 

rather implied than expressed, may be attributed to the fact that 

as yet “life and incorruption have not been illumined by the 

Gospel.” 

No such feebleness of expression can be af,firmed of this 

psalm as regards the national hope. It is marvellous how strongly 

these holy men of old assert and reassert this, Zion is to be so 

favoured as to cause the nations to revere the name of Jehova,h, 

and all the kings of the earth his glory. Not only will Jehovah 

build up Zion, but he himself toill appear in his glory. When 

the imprisoned Israelites are released, they will come to Zion 

and rehearse their story. Concurrently with this-so the psalmist 

intimates-there will be a gathering of peoples of kingdomsto 

serve Jehovah. The significance of these assurances ought 

on the face of them to be beyond dispute or doubt; especially 

when viewed in the light of Isaiah’s predictions and of the 

Theocratic psalms (92-99) which we have lately studied. To 

allege that these foretellings are now being fulfilled in the Church, 

173


is not only to rob Israel, but it is to degrade the Church from 

her heavenly calling and to throw all scripture into confusion. 

It is respectfully submitted that Christian theologians ought to 

know the Pauline Epistles better than thus to teach. 

The above allusion to the ‘(Theocratic Psalms” suffices to 

remind us that, here as well as there, what is affirmed of Jehovah 

in the psalm is in the Epistle to the Hebrews alleged to 

have been spoken “of the Son.’’ Some expositors of the Psalms 

have shewn solicitude to discover this reference to the Son in 

this psalm as clearly as by the statement in the Epistle it might 

seem it ought to be discoverable; and it was partly from sympathy 

with that expectation, that care was taken to admit that all 

doubt could not at present be said to have ‘been conclusively set 

at rest as to the exact terms of the original resumption. of Hezekiah’s 

psalm at verse 23. One able critic, at any rate, sees in 

the circumstance that the Divine name in verse 24 is El rather 

than Elolhim, a probable note of transition to “the Son.” However 

this may be, it will probably be a relief to plain Christians 

to rest in the apparently well-warranted copclusion, that the 

radical signlficance of the Memorial name JehovaLas “Yahweh,” 

“the Becoming One,” renders the transition easy, when 

context and circumstance require it, to Him who in the fulness 

of time “became flesh and tabernacled among us.” As already 

suggested when expounding the Theocratic psalms, whenever 

visible Divine Manifestation is implied, then some veiling of 

Absolute Deity must also be understood; and this veil Christians 

already possess in Jesus on whom our Apostle Paul explicitly 

teaches “was graciouly bestowed The Name which is above every 

name” (Philippians 2 :9). 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 


Please try to appreciate the historical circumstances of this 

psalm, Discuss possibilities, 

Evidently at least three persons had a part in writing this 

psalm and three periods in the history of Israel are contemplated. 

Discuss. 

“One thing which nothing can hide is the grandeur of the 

psalm: “. . . just what is involved in this grandeur and 

how is it expressed? 

Just what is (or was) the national hope of Israel? Discuss 

Rothefiam’s view point and others. 

174


6. What is said of (God here is said of the Son in Hebrews, 

What is the significance of this? 

PSALM 103 


Bless Jehovah; for He is Worthy. 

ANALYSIS 

Stanza I., vers. 1-5, Bless Jehovah: For his Personal Dealings. Stanza II., 

vers. 6-10, For his Revealed Character. Stanza III., vers. 11-14, For his Kindness, 

Forgiveness, Compassion, and Considerateness. Stanza IV., vers. 15-18, 

For the Continuity of his Dealings, in Contrast with Man’s Frailly. Stanza V,, 

vers. 19-22, For the Permanence and Universality of his Kingdom, let All his 

Creatures Bless Him. 

(Lm.) By David 

1 Bless Jehovah 0 my soul, 

and all within me his holy name: 

2 Bless Jehovah 0 my soul, 

and forget not any of his dealings :- 

3 who pardoneth all thine iniquities,l 

who healeth all thy diseases, 

4 who redeemeth from the pit thy life, 

who crowneth thee with kindness and compassions, 

5 who satisfieth with good thy desire,2 

thy youth reneweth itself like an eagleqs 

6 A doer of acts of righteousness is Jehovah, 

and acts ‘of vindication for all who are oppressed : 

7 Who made known his ways to Moses. 

to the sons of Israel his doings :- 

8 Compassionate and gracious is Jehovah, 

slow to anger and a,bundant in kindness.4 

1. So (pl.) some cod, (w. 1. ear. pr. edn., Sep., Vu1.)-Gn. M.T. : “iniquity” 

(sing.) ’ 

2. So Sep. “Supplication”-Del. “Age”-Carter. “Spirit”-Leeser. 

3. Or: “vulture.” So Dr. 

4. Cp. Exo. 34:6, 7. The Refrain of the Bible (see “The Emphasised 

Bible”). 

175

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 


Not perpetually will he contend, 

nor to the ages retain [anger] : 

Not according to our sins hath he done to us, 

nor according to our iniquities hath he dealt with us. 

For as the heavens are exalted over the earth 

exalted5 is his kindness over such as revere him: 

As far as the east is from the west 

hath he put far from us our transgressions : 

Like the compassion of a father on sons 

is the compassion of Jehovah on such as revere him; 

For he knoweth how we are formed,6 

putteth himself in mind that dust are we. 

Weak man-like grass are his days, 

Like the blossom 09 the field so doth he blossom : 

When a wind hath passed over it then it is not, 

nor acquainted with it any more is its place. 

But the kindness of Jehovah is from age to age 

on such as revere him, 

And his righteousness is unto children’s children 

unto such as keep his covenant 

and unto such as remember his precepts to do them. 

Jehovah-in the heavens hath he established his throne, 

and his kingdom over all hath dominion. 

Bless Jehovah ye7 his messengers, 

heroes of vigour doers of his word,- 

hearkening to the voice of his word : 

Bless Jehovuh all ye his hosts, 

his attendants doers of his pleasure : 

Bless Jehovah all ye his works, 

in all places of his dominion: 

Bless Jehovah 0 my soul. 

Wm.1 

PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 103 

I bless the holy name of God with all my heart. 

2 Yes, I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious 

things He does for me. 

3 He forgives all my sins ! He heals me ! 

5. So Gt.-Gn. M.T.: “Mighty.” 

6. M1. “our formation.” 

7. Some cod. (w. Sep. and Vul.) : “all ye”-Gn. 

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PSALM 108 

4 He ransoms me from hell! He surrounds me with lovingkindness 

and tender mercies ! 

5 He fills my life with good things! My youth is renewed 

like the eagle’s! 

6 He gives justice to all who are treated unfairly. 

7 He revealed His will and nature to Moses and the people 

of Israel. 

8 He is merciful and tender toward those who don’t deserve 

it; He is slow to get angry and full of kindness and love! 

9 He never bears a grudge, nor remains angry florever. 

10 He has not punished us as we deserve for all our sins, 

11 For His mercy towards those Who fear and honor Him 

is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth, 

12 He has removed our sins as far away from us as the 

east is from the west. 

13 He is like a father to us, tender and sympathetic to those 

who reverence Him. 

14 For He knows we are but dust, 

15 And that our days are few and brief, like grass, like 

flowers, 

16 Blown by the wind and gone forever. 

17, 18 But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting 

to everlasting, to those who reverence Him; His salvation 

is to children’s children of those who are faithful to His covenant 

and remember to obey Him! 

19 The Lord has made the heavens His throne; from there 

He rules over everything there is. 

20 Bless the Lord, you mighty angels of His who carry out 

His orders, listening for each of His commands. 

21 Yes, bless the Lord, you armies of His angels whfo serve 

Him constantly. 

22 Let everything everywhere bless the Lord. And how I 

bless Him too! 

EXPOSITION 

The superscription of this psalm is By David, and the few 

grammatical peculiarities found in the psalm itself are probably 

insufficient to discredit this ancient literary traditi’on ; since, 

acoording to Chwolson, quoted by Thirtle (O.T.P. 29), those 

peculiarities may be merely “genuine ancient Hebrew grammatical 

forms accidentally retained.’’ By whomsoever written, this sacred 

song breathes a deeply devotional and tenderly trustful spirit: 

177


whoever has sins to mourn or sorrows to carry may find therein 

solace or instruction. 

I. BLESS JEHOVAH, FOR HIS PEaSONAL DEALINGS. 

Ver. 1. Bless, as on bended knee, Jehovah (Yahweh) “the 

Becoming One,” who, out of his own Divine resources, can supply 

all creature-need: 0 mg soul, my true inner self, realising thy 

complete personality in and through all the parts and powers 

wherewith thou art endowed. And all within me, especially 

my “heart” or mind, and my “reins” or impulses; (bless) his 

holy nume, as the summarised expression of his revealed person 

and character. 

Ver. 2. Bless Jehovah, 0 my soul; for thus again I address 

thee, that is myself; “I” being subject and object, inspector and 

inspected, teacher and taught in one; about to project myself 

from myself, to look at and examine myself, to encourage and 

admonish myself; and, therefore, by reason of the mysterious 

complexity of my being, responsible for my state and conduct 

before ‘God. Thou, 10 my soul, thus gifted, use the ready instrument 

of self-discipline, thy memory: Forget wt amy of his 

dealings: his benefits, if thou wilt,-but have not all his “dealings” 

been “benefits,” though sometimes in disguise? forget not 

any of his dealings, for whereas it would be difficult to forget 

them “all,” be it thy care, as far as may be, that thou forget 

none, since the forgotten mercy or chastisement may be that 

which thou dost now most need to recall. (Cp. Intro., Chap. 

III., “Soul.”) 

Vers. 3-5. Who-that is Jehovah (five times repeated!). By 

the help of these pronouns, catechise thyself, 0 my soul! Hour 

many of these appeal to thee? Kncvwest hou nothing of the 

paTdon of thine iniquities-thus searchingly put first, as most 

concerning thee? Even of the healing of thy diseases art thou 

unmindful? Has thy life never been redeemed from the pit of 

Hades? Have no garlands of Divine kindness and compas&om 

ever decked thy brow? On what numberless occasions have not 

thy lawful desires been satisfiecCdesires for food, sleep, rest 

and countless other mercies; and canst thou forget Who it is 

that, through all channels, has been the bountiful satisfier of 

thy craving? Dost thou arise each morning a new man, still 

in thy gouth right down to old age, and canst thou forget whose 

recreative energy it is that thus worketh within thee? 

178

PSALM 103 

11. FOR HIS REVEALED CHARACTER. 

Vers. 6-10. Nor is this all, 0 my soul. He who has become 

all this to thee, has revealed and made public his character; by 

acts of righteousness fulfilling his promises, by acts of vindication 

for all who are oppreslsled, chiefly by bringing Israel out of 

Egypt, approving himself of old to the confidence of his people, 

making known his ways unto Moses, and his doings to the sons 

of Israel; especially proclaiming himself to the former as Cornpussiomte 

and Gracious, Slow to Anger and Abundant in Kindness; 

thereby giving occasion to “The Refrain of the Bible” (see 

Emphasised Bible on Exo. 34:6, 7)--af which hast thou not 

heard, 0 my soul?-a Refrain running through the Holy Scriptures, 

and shewing how holy men remembered and pleaded it in 

times of national trouble? In harmony with which Refrain, 

thou mayest confidently reckon, 0 my soul, that although Jehovah 

may long complain, yet will lie Not perpetuallg contend; 

although he “leave not altogether unpunished, but visiteth the 

iniquity of fathers on sons and upon son’s sons unto a third 

and unto a fourth generation,” yet Not age-abidingly, Not agewithout 

end, will he retain the sinner in being, and his anger 

against the sinner; seeing that he himself has declared that before 

his perpetual wrath no spirit could abide (Isa. 57:16). 

Therefore, be thou sure, 0 my soul, that even in his most awful 

visitations he never ceases to deserve thy praise; while, as to 

thyself and thy brethren, thou canst still say, Nolt according to 

our sim hath he done to us, Nor according to our iniquities hath 

he dealt with us. For his revealed character, then,-Bless Jehovah, 

0 my soul. 

111. FOR HIS KINDNESS, FORGIVENESS, AND CONSIDERATENESS 

Ver. 11. Lift up thine eyes on high, 0 my soul, and see how 

lofty are those overarching heavens : in like manner, lofty beyond 

all thought and hope is Jehovah’s kindness over these who revere 

him. 

Ver, 12. Canst thou measure from east to west, when each 

recedes as thou approachest? So neither canst thou mete the 

distance to which he removes (from thee the transgressions whioh 

he forgives. “The wages of sin is death”; but “in his favour 

is life”; and these can never meet and mingle. 

Ver. 13. Thou knowest the compassion of a father on his 

sons, how like it is to the compassion (from r-ch-m=“womb”) 

179


of a mother for her babe. Thou, then, only revere him and 

such tender Divine compassion shall rest on thee. 

Ver. 14. Do thy source in dust, and thy continued kinship 

therewith, ever enfeeble and hamper thee, in the service thou 

wouldst fain render him; doth thy temper fail ‘because thy nerves 

are unstrung; hast thou to cease from work, even for him, because 

thou art weary, hungry, cold? Be of good cheer: he knows 

it all, he made thee thus. He puts himself in mind that, even 

where the spirit is willing, the flesh may be weak. 

Iv. FOR THE CONTINUITY OF Hrs DEALINGS IN CONTRAST 

WITH MAN’S FRAILTY. 

Vers. 15 and 16. Art thomu discouraged, 0 my soul, because 

of the frailty of thy being and the brevity of thy daws, so like 

ing gvms and the fading blossom? Shrimkest thou 

nipping wind that shall cut thee off, and from the 

thought that the vacancy thqu leavest will soon be filled and thomu 

shalt be missed no more? Yet hear thou again. 

Vers. 17, 18. Not so is the kindness of Jehovah, even with 

regard to thee. It has perpetuating ways of its own. It descendeth 

from generation to generation. Thy progenitors are 

gone? Yea, but leaving behind far thee a legacy of blessing, 

in so far as they revered Jehovah in their day. Thou, therefore, 

in like manner, mayest leave a blessing behind thee: only teach 

thou thy children how to inherit it. And of this be sure: that 

in the end righ8eoumem and faithfulfiess and obedience shall 

prove stronger than sin. Therefore still “Bless Jehovah.” 

v. FOR THE PERMANENCE AND UNIVERSALITY OF HIS KINGDOM 

Ver. 19, The object of thine adoration is supreme, for it is 

Jehovah himself whom thon wouldst bless, Beyond him is there 

none; outside his dominion is there none: in the heavens, high 

above this earth, hath he established his throne; just to the 

degree, therefore, to which he comes to reign on earth, he must 

needs bring heaven with him. And his kingdom over all haith 

dominiorz; therefore are there no beings unaccountable to him, 

therefore is there no creature-freedom uncircumscribed by him, 

therefore can there never be any events not subservient to his 

rule. Mioral evil can only enter and stay in his dominions as 

long as he permits. This, 0 my soul, is thy safety and stay. 

My soul, th’au art the richer, that there are heavens, within the 

compass of which are gathered subjects of thy King; for, 

180

PSALM 103 

although the Creator might be above all locality, yet not so the 

creature; and therefore it is a joy to thee to think of inhabited 

heavens, especially if and so far as they are peopled by loyal 

fellow-subjects of thine, Thine emotions must needs go forth 

to them. They may not hear thine appeal to them, save through 

their Sovereign and thine; yet wouldst thou fain emulate or even 

provoke their devotions, and feel the ecstasy of fellowship as 

they bless Jehovah. 

Ver. 20. Bless Jehovah, ye his messengem whose privilege 

it is, when ye have entered his presence and listened to his commanding 

word, to depart on your several errands of state, thus 

making good your official name, in which alone ye appear to 

delight : with swiftness ye fly, with hevoic vigour ye execute, 

with loyal promptness ye return to hearken again to your 

Sovereign Lord. 

Ver. 21. Bless Jehovah, all ye his waiting hosts, his a$tendants, 

abiding more continually in his presence, doers of his 

pleasure, howsoever made known, by look, by hint, by perceived 

need and fitness, by inward impulse-his pleasure, not your own. 

Ver. 22. Bless Jehovah, all ye his works, in all places of 

his dominion : whether with reason, or with instinct ; or with 

neither, leaving it to more favoured ones to perceive your use 

and beauty and render praise for the same, becoming interpreters 

of your parts and powers, and employing you to rise the higher 

towards the Divine Throne. And, both first and last, chiefly 

thou, finding thyself in such large and glorious fellowship as 

thou humbly tenderest thine adorations,-Btess Jehovah, 0 my 

soul. 


1. What is meant by the expression : “Bless Jeh,ovah”? 

2. How is the word ‘‘soul’’ used? 

3. What a beautiful penetrating analysis of man is given in 

the comment on verse 2. Read it again. 

4. What is “the ready instrument of self-discipline”? 

6. There are five areas of God’s personal dealings with us. 

Please list them (as in vs. 1-5) and make personal application. 

6. In what sense is our strength renewed like an eagle? 

7. In what two or three acts has Jehovah revealed His character? 

181

~~~~ 


8. There are four personal characteristics of Jehovah. Name 

them and discuss their application to Israel and to you. 

9. In what way does our Lord deal with us like sons? 

10. Is our frailty ever an excuse for sin? 

11. The brevity of life is a great source of discouragement. 

How is it overcome? 

12. The heavens are peopled or populated. Of what comfort 

is this to us? 

13. Who are the messengers of our God? What is their ministry? 

How does i+ relate to us? 

PSALM 104 


A Creation Hymn. 

ANALYSIS 

It is difficult to frame an Analysis of this psalm. The course of thought 

and observation followed therein bears Some Resemblance to the Method 

Pursued in Gen. 1:l-2:3; but the Differences are Considerable. So far as 

the psalm submits itself to external measurement, it may be said that 10- 

line stanzas prevail; but two out of the six run up to 20 and 17 lines respectively. 

The chief refruin of the previous psalm is repeated here. There 

is here no Superscribed Line, as to thle previous psalm there was no Subscribed 

Line: probably furnishing evidence that the Two Psalms at an early 

time became Practically One. 

(Lm. None) 

1 Bless Jehovah 0 my soul! 

Jehovah my God thou art exceeding great, 

Majesty and state hast thou put on: 

2 Wrapping thyself in light as a mantle, 

stretching out the heavens as a tent-curtain : 

3 who layeth in the waters the beams of his upper-chambers, 

who maketh the clouds his chariot, 

who walketh on the wings o€ the wind: 

4 Making his messengers winds,l 

his attendants fire and f1ame.l 

1. Or: “Making his messengers of winds His attendants of fire and 

flame.” 

182

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

PSALM 104 

He hath founded the earth on its bases, 

it shall not be shaken to the ages and beyond: 

With the deep as a garment hast thou covered it, 

above the mountains the waters take their stand : 

At thy rebuke they flee, 

at the voice of thy thunder they hurry away- 

Mountains rise valleys between them sinkinto 

the place which thou hast founded for them: 

A boundary hast thou set they shall not overpass, 

they shall not again cover the earth. 

Who sendeth forth springs into the torrent-beds, 

Between the mountains they flow along : 

They give drink to all the wild beasts of the plain, 

the wild asses break $heir thirst : 

Above2 them the bird of the heaven settleth down 

from amidst the foliage they utter a voice. 

He wateretha the mountains out of his upper chambers, 

of the fruit of thy works the earth taketh her fill. 

He causeth4 grass to spring up for the cattle, 

and herb for the service of man,6 

that he may bring fortho bread out of the earth ; 

And wine rejoiceth man’s heart, 

that he may cause‘ [his] face to shine with oil; 

and bread sustaineth man’s heart. 

The trees of Jehovah take their fill, 

the cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted : 

Where the birds build their nests, 

as for the stork fir treess are her house : 

Mountains that are high are for the wild-goats, 

the crags are a refuge for the rockabadger.B 

He hath made the moon for stated seasons, 

the sun knoweth his place for going in: 

Cause thou darkness and it becometh night, 

in it creepeth forth every wild beast of the forest : 

2. Or: “Beside.” 

3. Ml.: “Watering.” 

4. M1. : “Causing.” 

6. Or: “manlrind.” 

6. Or simply: “To bring forth.” 

7. Or Simply: “To cause.” 

8. Or: “cypresses.” 

9. So Del. (adding “rather Hyrax sy~iucus”) “Rock-rabbit”-Dr. 

183

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 

32. 

33 

34 

35 


The young lions are roaring for prey, 

and seeking from GOD their food: 

Let the sun arise they withdraw, 

and in their 1,airs they lay them down: 

Forth goeth man to his work, 

and to his labour until evening. 

How many are thy works 0 Jehovah ! 

all of them in wisdom hast thou made; 

the earth is full of thy possess.io.ns.lo 

Yonder is the sea great and broad on both hands, 

There are gliding things innumerable; 

Living things small with great: 

There ships sail along, 

leviathanll which thou hast formed to play therein:1z 

All of them for thee do wait, 

that thou mayest give [them] their food in its season: 

Thmou givest unto them they gather, 

thou openest thy hand, they are satisfied with good: 

Thou hidest thy face they are dismayed, 

thou withdrawest their spiritla they cease to breathe. 

and unto their dust do they return: 

Thou sendest forth thy Spirit13 they are created, 

and thou renewest the face of the ground. 

Let the glory of Jehovah be age-abiding, 

let Jehovah rejoice in his works: 

who looketh on the earth and it trembleth, 

he toucheth the mountains and they smoke. 

I would fain sing to Jehovah while I live, 

I would harp to my God while I continue : 

Pleasing unto him be my soliloquy, 

I myseLf will rejoice in Jehovah. 

Let sinners come to an end14 out of the earth, 

and lawless ones no longer exist. 

Btess Jehovah 0 my soul! 

(Nm.) l5 

10. Or: “acquisitions.” Or (Dr.) “productions.” Some authorities have 

the word in the sing. 

11. “Whale”-O.G. “A general term for all ‘sea-monsters’”-Per, 

12. Or: “with him.” 

la. Or: ‘Lbreath”-so Dr. and Per. twice. Shd. be both alike. 

14. “Be consumed”-Per,, Dr. “Vanish”-Del. 

16. See 106 (beginning). 

184

PSALM 104 

PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 104 

I bless the Lord: 0 Lord my God, how great You are! You 

are robed with honor and with majesty and light! Y.ou stretched 

out the starry curtain of the heavens, 

3 And hollowed out the surface of the earth to form the 

seas. The clouds are His chariots! He rides upon the wings 

of the wind! 

4 The angels1 are His messengers-His servants of fire! 

* * * * * 

5 You bound the world together so khat it would never fall 

apart. 

6 You clothed the earth with floods of waters covering up 

the mountains. 

7, 8 You spoke, and at the sound of Your shout the water 

collected into its vast ocean beds, and mountains rose and valleys 

sank to the levels You decreed. 

9 And then You set a boundary for the seas, so that they 

would never again cover the earth. 

* * * * * 

10 He placed springs in the valleys, and streams that gush 

from the mountains. 

11 They gave water folr all the animals to drink. There the 

wild donkeys quench their thirst, 

12 And the birds nest beside the streams and sing among 

the branc’hes of the trees. 

13 He sends rain upon the mountains and fills the earth 

with fruit. 

14 The tender grass grows up at His command to feed the 

cattle, and there are fruit trees, vegetables and grain for man 

to cultivate, 

15 ‘And wine to make him glad, and olive oil as lotion for 

his skin, and bread to give him strength. 

16 The Lord planted the cedars of Lebanon. They are tall 

and flouri~~hing. 

17 There the birds make their nests, the storks in the firs. 

18 High in the mountains are pastures for the wild goats; 

and rock-badgers burrow in among the rocks and find protection 

there. 

1. Literally, “spirits.” 

185

STUDIES IN PSALMIS 

19 He assigned the moon to mark the months, and the 

sun to mark the days. 

20 He sends the night and darkness, when all the forest 

folk come out. 

a. 21 Therl the young lions roar for their food; but they are 

dependent on the Lord. 

22 At dawn they slink back into their dens to rest, 

23 And men go off to work until the evening shadows fall 

again. 

24 0 Lord, what a variety You have made! And in wisdom 

You have made them all! The earth is full of Your ricihes. 

25 There before me lies the mighty ocean, teeming with life 

of every kind, both great and small. 

26 And look! See the ships! And over there, the whale 

You made to play in the sea! 

27 Every one of these depends on You to give them daily 

food. 

28 You supply it, and they gather it! You open wide Your 

hand to feed them and they are satisfied with all Your bountiful 

provision. 

29 But if You turn away from them, then all is lost. And 

when You gather up their breath, they die and turn again to 

dust. 

30 Then You send Your Spirit, and new life is born* to 

replenish all the living of the earth. 

31 Praise God forever! How He must rejoice in all His 

work ! 

32 The earth trembles at His glance; the mountains burst 

into flame at His touch. 

33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live! I will praise 

God to my last breath? 

34 May He be pleased by all these thoughts about Him, fo’r 

He is the source of all my joy. 

36 Let all sinners perish-all who refuse to praise Him. 

But I will praise Him. Hallelujah! 

EXPOSITION 

In the words of Perowne, “here we have a picture which 

for truth and depth of colouring, for animation, tenderness, 

beauty, has never been surpassed.” Leaving the reader to mark 

and admire the poetic features of the psalm for himself, atten- 

2. Literally, “created.” 

186

PSALM 104 

tion may be called to the weighty theological lessons here taught. 

1. In the first place: Jehovah is here represented as BEFORE, 

ABOVE AND BEYOND his works. The honour and majesty in which 

he reveals himself are external to himself-he puts them on; 

light is the maw% in which he enwraps himself. Yet there are 

means by which he makes himself known; and they suggest the 

idea of eyes needed to observe them, minds susceptible of being 

impressed by them-they are relative terms. 

2. In the next place: Jehovah is revealed as PRESENT in #he 

midst of his works. The space curtained in by the outspread 

heavens is his tent, wherein he dwells; for no other Presence 

is suggested in that connection. Yet he is himself unseen. The 

wind itself we see not, save in its effects: &ow much less can 

we behold him who walks on its wings. Even this tent, indeed, 

cannot contain him: he has upper chambers into whioh our eyes 

cannot penetrate, 

3. Nevertheless, it is HERE that the interest of the psalm is 

CONCENTRATED. This sun and moon, bhese stars, these mountains, 

yonder sea, together with the living creatures large and small 

bhus brought under our notice: these are sufficient to impress 

the psalmist with their number, with the wisdom displayed in 

their formation, with the richness of their Creator in possessing 

them, and with the pleasure he takes in them. It would be rash 

to infer, alone from this concentration of interest, that this world 

is eternal; but assuredly we are led to expect that it is destined 

to become the theatre ob important Divine dealings. 

4. N'oting, in passing, that the position assigned to MAN 

in this psalm is-if not exactly a subordinate one-certainly one 

less exalted than that assigned him in the Genesis accounLit 

becomes the more observable how prominent a place is given to 

the ANIMAL WORLD. It is not simply that animals are here seen 

lovingly gathered around their Creator, feeding as it were out 

of hk hand; but that, in them, the alternations of life and death 

&re illustrated in a remarkably suggestive manner. Animals are 

sentient beings; they are breabhing creatures, whose breath is 

in their nostrils; and in these respects they are akin to man. 

It would aqmost appear as though their kinship wibh man were 

utilised to furnish object-lessons for man himself, Animals live 

as long as they breathe: so do men. The breathing power of 

animals is a divine gift; and, when it is withdrawn, they ceme 

to breathe: so it is with men. Man's breabh or spirit, answers 

to, or is correlated with God's breath or spirit. The same word 

187 

.


mah expresses either “breath” or “spirit” or both. The consecutive 

use iof the term in this psaIm is profoundly suggestive; 

because the law of continuity strongly operates to bring the 

breath of the creature into line with the breath of the Creator; 

and the breath ob the Creator is itself creative. Thou withdrawesit 

their ruah they cease to brelathe: thou sendest fovth 

thy ruah they are created It does not matter which English 

word is used, provided the continuity is kept up., Say-“their 

breath . . . thy breath,” then the phrase “thy breath” is uplifted 

into the significance of “tihy life-giving spirit,” for it cannot 

be less bhan that. Say-“their spirit” , , . thy spirit,’’ then 

“spirit” in the former memiber of the sentence must be lowered 

sufficiently to allow animals to partake of it, at least as a loan 

from God. To deny “spirit” to animals is to deny them life. 

To assert that, because man has “spirit,” therefore he is deathless, 

is by co’nsequence to assert far too much of animds, unless 

we are prepared to affirm Chat they too are immortal. Beyond 

all this lies the weighty question-How far “spirit” enters into 

the individuality of animalsthe personality of men: as to which, 

B3blical evidence must be elsewhere sought. But just here, in 

this and similar texts, the alphabet of the subject is ‘co be foundat 

least if it is Biblical psychology we seek. 

5. Of like interest and value is the side-light here thrown 

on the essential meaning of the word “CREATION”: Thou sendest 

forth thy spirit, they are created; Thou renewest the face of 

the ground. This is startling: it is nothing less than subversive 

of certain popular but very superficial views on the subject of 

creation. If creation is essentially the making of something out 

of Nothing, then creation denies procreation ; and assumes that 

every new generation of animals comes direct from God, without 

parentage after its kind; inasmuch as we have here presented, 

not the original stocking of the earth with animal life, but the 

renewal which is continually supplying the vacancies caused by 

death. The fact is, that Cod holds all life in his own hand: all 

living things “live and move and have their being in him.” If 

this is true of animals, much more is it true of men. God is 

“the God of the spirits of all flesh”: in every living thing save 

the first, concur both procreation and creation, bhe parental 

contrilbuti’on and the divine. God is the father of our spirits. 

I am God’s creature, as well as my parent’s child. If to create 

is to make a new thing-to embody an original idea-then 

there is something new and distinctive in every creature which 

188

PSALM 104 

Jehovah has made, Probably no two animals were ever perfectly 

alike: one may feel certain that no two men ever were. The 

differentia of men shoulld amplify as well as radiate the glory 

of God. 

6. There is something singularly IMPRESSIVE in the last 

stanza of this magnificent psalm. Therein the personality of 

the psalmist starts forth afresh into bold relief. The psalm 

started with em’otion, brought over from the previous psalm. 

Then for a moment it flashed forth (in lb and following lines) 

with a direct address bo Jehovah, so supplying an element remarkably 

wanting in the foregoing psalm. But, having offered 

this personal greeting to his God, the psalmist’s own personality 

quietly falls into the background; and, though you follow the 

pointing of his finger as he directs you to look at object after 

object, (and do just perceive the vibration of his voice as he 

bursts out in adoration at ver. 24, he gives you no time to turn 

round and look him in the face. Now, however, at ver. 31, 

pent-up feeling rises to the poet’s lips, seeking an utterance 

which it scarce can find. As if apprehensive that Jehovah 

might lose some of the glory whioh is his due and in some way 

be grieved with his own handiwork, he adopts the language 

of desiye: Let the glov of Jehovah be age-abiding, Let Jehovitvh 

rejoice in his works. As if admonished of the lowering possibility 

of Divine displeasure, he introduces a couplet which sounds ~ 

like a dark hint: who loloketh on the earth, and it trembleth; 

He toucheth the mountaim, and they moke. It is like the 

muttering of distant thunder, while as yet the sky is all blue. 

Then, as if unable to endure the thought of a hiding of Jehovah’s 

face, he moves himself, by the significant “cohortative” mood, 

to keep voice and harp attuned to high praise: I would fain sing 

to Jehovah while I live, I would hayp to my God while I continue. 

Pledng umto him be my soliloquy, I myself will rejoice in Jehovah,-drinking 

in my joy at the fount of his joy-only let 

him rejoice: but are there, then, works in which he cannot 

rejoice? Z myself, he says with i‘ormal emphasis, I myself will 

rejoice-whatever others may do. So then, alas! there may be 

-there are-others not likeminded! Out of the blue, the bolt 

falls: Let sinners corn to an end out of the earth, And hwless 

ones no longer exist, It was remtarked above that the trend 

of this whole psalm seemed to betoken that this earth is designed 

to be the theatre of important Divine dealings. This ominous 

couplet confirms that impression: unless, indeed, we are war- 

189


ranted in thinking of sinners as merely banished to some other 

place, as if there were some suclh place not included in Jehovah’s 

dominions (cp. 103:19). Still, that is not what is either said or 

suggested in this psalm; and it would seem dutiful to accept 

the natural intrpretation of the solemn words before us. Suffice 

it that “there is a future for Jthe righteous” (Ps. 37, 73); and 

that the overthrow of moral evil will so be accomplished as to 

call forth the self-incited refrain-Bless Jehovah, 0 my soul! 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 


What is the theme of this psalm? 

What purpose is seen in creation? 

What is meant by saying “Jehovah is here represented as 

before, above, and beyond his works”? 

What figures of speech are used to show God is present in 

His creation? Why suggested? 

This, earth is made very important in this psalm. If it is 

all to be burned up, why so much emphasis? 

Do animals have a spirit? Are they the same as man? 

Discuss. 

This psalm could give a new meaning to the word ‘%reation”. 

Discuss. 

What is impressive about the last stanza of the psalm? 

There is “a dark hint” of what? 

Are we to unavoidably conclude bhat this earth will be the 

theatre of God’s ‘activities for all future time? 

PSALM 105 

. DESCRIPTIVE TITLE 

A Hymn of Praise to Jehovah for ,Giving Israel a 

Covenant Land in which to Observe His Law. 

ANALYSIS 

The Main Design of this Psalm is clearly to Endear the Land to the 

People for whom it was designed, that therein they should Observe Jehovah’s 

Law. To attain this end the History of their First Fathers is traced as 

Circling Round this Land, and then the Steps are Traced by which the 

Nation was Brought Into the Land to Dwell There. 

190

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

PSALM 106 

(P.R.I.) Praise ye Yah!l 

Give ye thanks to Jehovah proclaim his name,2 

make knlown among the peoples his doings: 

Sing to him harp to him, 

aoIiloquise* of all his wondrous works : 

Make your boast in his holy name, 

joyful be the heart of such as seek Jehovah 

Search out Jehovah and his strength, 

seek diligently his face at all times: 

Commemorate his wondrous wonks which he hath done, 

his tokens and the just decisions4 of his mouth. 

Ye seed of Abraham6 his servants,8 

ye sons of Jacob his chosen ones: 

He Jehovah is our IGod, 

through all the landT are his regulations.8 

He remembereth to the ages his covenant, 

the word he commanded to a thousand generations: 

Which he solemnised with Abraham, 

and his oat;ih unto Isaac; 

And he confirmed it to Jacob as a statute, 

unto Israel a coven’ant to the ages,- 

Saying “To thee will I give the land of Canaan, 

the lot of your inheritance.” 

While as yet theyB were men easily counted, 

indeed few1” and strangers therein : 

And they wanderedll from nation unto nation, 

from la kingdom unto another people : 

1. That is, “Public Reader’s Invitation.’’ “There can hardly be a doubt,” 

says Ginsburg, “that this [a sentence and not a mere single word] exhibits 

the primitive reading.” Ginsburg further expresses the confident conclusion 

that the phrase was originally the prelector’s [the public reader’s] invitation 

to the worshipers to join in the public responses.--Gn. Intro., pp. 376-81. 

Hence the omission of the phrase at end of this psalm, as there acknowledged. 

2. So Dr. Cp. Isa. 12:4. 

3. “Compose a song”-Br. “Discourse”-Del. “Muse ye”-Dr. 

4. Or: “judgments.” 

6. Some cod.: “Israel.” Cp. I Ch. 16:13--Gn. 

6. So it shd. be (w. Sep., Syr.)-Gn. 

7. Or: “earth.” 

8. That is, “by-laws,” “code of laws”.-as in Exo. 21-23. Or: “just 

decisions”-as in ver. 6 above. 

9. some cod. (w. Aram., Syr.) : “ye.” Cp. I Ch. 16:19-Gn. 

10. “Caph veritatis”-O.G. 454. 

11. “went to and fro”-Per. 

191 

c

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 


He suffered no son of earth to oppress them, 

and rebuked for their sakes kings: [saying] 

“Ye may not touch mine anointed ones,I2 

nor to my prophets do ham.” 

And he called a famine on the land, 

all the staff of bread he brake: 

He sent before them a Man,la 

as a slave was he sold-[even] Joseph : 

They humbled with fetters his feet,14 

into iron entered his 

Until the time vhen came in his word, 

speech ‘of Jehovah had tested him : 

A king sent and released him, 

a ruler of peoples and unloosed him : 

He made him lord of his house, 

and ruler over all his possessions : 

To bind his princes at his pleasuire,l8 

and unto his elders to impart wisdom. 

So Israel came into Egypt, 

and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. 

When he made his people very fruitful, 

and made them stronger than their adversaries17 

Their heart turned to hate his people, 

to deal treacherously with his servants. 

He sent Moses his servant, 

Araion whom he had chosen: 

HeI8 among them threat of his signs,19 

and his tokens in the land of Ham, 

He sent darkness and made it dark, 

but they rebelledz0 against his threats.e1 

12. Cp. Intro., Chap. III., “Anointed.” 

13. Almost=“great man.” 

14. Written “feet”: read “foot.” Some cod, both read and write “foot” 

-Gn. 

16. “Pathetic circumlocution for personal pronoun”-Dr. Prob. not 

merely his “person” physically; but all his sense of humiliation : “Joseph’s 

whole sensitive personality”-Kp. 

16. M1. : “according to his sou1”d‘liking.” 

17. Cp. Exo. 1:7. 

18. So it shd. be (w. Sep., Syr., Vul.) : Cp. 78:43. 

19. N.B. that the signs were threatened before they came. 

20. So it shd. be (w. Sep. and Syr.)-Gn. 

21. Same word as in ver. 27. 

192 

f

PSALM 106 

29 He turned their waters into blood, 

and caused their fish to die. 

30 Their land swarmed with frogs, 

in the chambers of their kings : 

31 He spake and there came in the gadfly,22 

gnats,28 in all their bounds. 

32 He made their showers to be hail, 

a fire of flcames throughout their land; 

33 And smote down their vine and their figtree, 

and brake in pieces the trees of their bound. 

34 He spake and there came in lmocusts, 

and young locusts without number ; 

36 And devoured all Dhe herbage in their land, 

And devoured the fruit of their ground. 

36 And he smote all the firstborn in their land, 

the beginning of all their strength : 

37 And brought them out with silver and gold, 

and there was none among his tribes that faltered. 

38 Glad was Egypt when they went forth, 

because fallen was the dread of them upon them, 

39 He spread out a cloud for screen, 

and fire to give light by night. 

40 They askedz4 and he brought in the quail, 

and with the bread of heaven he used to satisfy them: 

41 He opened a rock and there gushed forth waters, 

they flowed aolng through parched places [as] a river. 

42 For he remembered his holy word 

with Abraham his servant; 

43 And brought forth his people with gladness, 

with ‘a cry of joy his chosen ones; 

44 And gave unto them the lands of the nations, 

and of the toil o€ the peoples they took possession: 

46 In order that they might observe his statutes, 

and over his laws might keep watch.26 

(Nm.) 2o 

22. ‘


PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 105 

Thank the Lord for all the glorious things He does; proclaim 

them to the nsations. 

2 Sing His praises and tell everyone about His miracles: 

3 ‘Glory in the Lord; 0 worshipers of God, rejoice, 

4 Search for Him and for His strength, and keep on 

searching! 

5, 6 Think of the mighty deeds He did for us, His chosen 

ones-descendants of God’s servant Abraham, and of Jacab. 

Remember how He destroyed our enemies. 

7 He is the Lord our God. His goodness1 is seen everywhere 

throughout ’the land. 

8 Though ea thousand generations pass He never forgets 

His promise, His covenant with Abraham and Isaac, 

10, 11 And confirmed with Jacob. This is His never-ending 

treaty with the people of Israel: 

“I will give you the land of Canaan as you^ inheritwee?’ 

12 He said this when they were but few in number, very 

few, and were only visitors in Canaan. 

13 Later they were dispersed among the nations, and were 

driven from one kingdom to another; 

14 But through it all He would not let one thing be done 

to them apart from His decision.2 He destroyed many a king 

who tried! 

15 “Touch not these chosen ones of Mine,” he warned, “and 

do not hurt My prophets.” 

16 He called for a famine ‘on the land of ‘Canaan, cutting 

o5f its food supply, 

17 Then He sent Joseph as a slave to Egypt to save His 

people from starvation. 

18 There in prison they hurt his feet with fetters, and 

plcaced his neck in an iron collar, 

19 Until God’s time finally came-hmow God tested his 

patience ! 

20 Then the king sent for him and set him free. 

21 He was put in charge of all the king’s possessions. 

22 At his pleasure he could imprison the king’s aides and 

teach the king’s advisors. 

1. Literally, “His judgments.” 

2. Literally, “He suffered no man to do them wrong.” 

194

PSALM 106 

23 Then Jacob (Israel) arrived in Egypt and lived there 

with his sons. 

24 In the years that followed, the people of Israel multiplied 

expl~osively, until they were a greater nation than their rulers. 

26 At that point God turned the Egyptians against the 

Israeli ; they hated and enslaved them. 

26 But God sent Moses as His representative, and Aaron 

with him, 

27 To call down miracles of terror upon the land of Egypt. 

28 Theya followed His instructions and He sent thick darkness 

through the land, 

29 And turned the nation’s water into blood, poisoning the 

fish. 

30 Then frogs invaded in enormous numbers; they were 

found even in the king’s private rooms. 

31 When Moses spoke, the flies and other insects swarmed 

in vast clouds from one end of Egypt to the other. 

32 Instead of rain He sent down murderous hail, and lightning 

flashes overwhelmed the nation. 

33 Their grape vines and fig trees were ruined; all the 

trees lay broken on the ground. 

84 He spoke, and hordes of locusts came, 

36 And ate up everything green, destroying all the crops. 

36 Then He killed the oldest child in each Egyptian home, 

their pride and jcoy- 

37 And brought His people safely out from Egypt, loaded 

with silver and gold; there were no sick and feeble folk among 

them then. 

38 Egypt was glad when they were gone, for the dread of 

them was great. 

39 He spread out a cloud above them to shield them f;om 

the burning sun, and gave them a pillar of flame at night to 

give them light. 

40 They asked for meat and He sent them quail, and gave 

them manna-bread from heaven. 

41 He opened up a rock, and water gushed out to form a 

river through the dry and barren land; 

42 For He remembered His sacred promises to Abraham 

His servant. 

3. Implied. 

195


43 S,o He brought His chosen ones singing into the Promised 

Land.4 

44 He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, oomplete with 

their growing crops; they ate what others planted. 

45 This was done to make them faithful and obedient to 

His laws. Hallelu j ah ! 

EXPOSITION 

A sense of the value of these historical psalms grows upon 

us as we proceed with their study. Books were few, and comparatively 

inaccessible : hence, if history had to live for practical 

ends, it must be lodged in the memories of the people; and poetry 

was well adapted to effect that lodgment-especially poetry such 

as we here find, with its sententious brevity of expression, its 

happy use of parallelism, its abounding figures of speech, its 

picturesque brightness, its easy and rapid flow. Such poetry 

puts history “into the mouths” of the people (Deu. 31:19) by 

fixing it in their memories, enabling them readily to repeat it, 

and encouraging them to sing and harp its strains. It was a 

history wurth repeating, not only because it was their history 

and was unique, but because there ran through it the golden 

thread of Divine interposition. If God is revealed in all history, 

he is pre-eminently revealed in Israel’s, since He was ever and 

anon giving them new epochs, new starting points of development; 

as well as constant watchful care. But it was so full and 

significant a history as to abound with lessons of a most varied 

description-fitted to warn, to encourage, to move to devotion 

in prayer and praise. Hence it was a task worthy of gifted 

psalmists, so to select and epitomise, so to bring to the front and 

leave in the background, as to point the moral as well as adorn 

the tale, These historical psalms thus became national stories 

told with a purpose, This becomes clear when the three leading 

historioal songs (78, 105, 106) are laid side by side as to their 

main scope and design, Thus the 78th gains immensely in interest 

when viewed as an Asaphic appeal put forth in the time 

of Hezekiah for the purpose of encouraging and cementing the 

Reunion of the Tribes, The present psalm, the 105th, is mainly 

devotional, it is true; but it clearly h’as, as its didactic purpose, 

so to foster confidence in the covenant faithfulness of Jehovah, 

m to encourage the spirit of obedience, and the desire on the 

4. Implied. 

196

PSALM 105 

part of the people to dwell in their own land for the very purpose 

of having perfect freedom to observe all Divine ordinances, The 

psalm which immediately succeeds this, the 106th, while equally 

devotional in its setting with its predecessor, is whlolly different 

in its chief aim. It is, as we shall see, above all things, an 

admonitory psalm: its warnings are loud (and long, and that they 

should ever have been turned into measure for psalm-singing, 

redounds to the everlasting praise for honesty 'of the psalmist 

that durst compose it and of the people who were willing to sing 

it. 

Settling down for a little on the particular psalm now before 

us, it is observable (vers. 1-5) with what fulness of appeal the 

psalmist seeks to kindle the devotional spirit : give thanks-pro- 

c h h - make known - sing - harp - soliloquise - boast - 

be joyful-search-seek diligentl~-comvnemorate,-note after 

note of invitation is struck till every ear is attent, and every 

mind is fixed on Jehovah as the one object of worship. 

Then observe, with what force of appeal (vers. 6-11), the 

fathers of the nation are introduced; and how these worshippers 

now addressed are reminded of the fact that they are the children 

of those patriarchs, and are themselves chosen to be the 

people of their father's God-that they are a covenant people, 

inheritors of the covenant land, 

It is needless to recapitulate the psalm. But note how attention 

is for awhile held on the story of their first fathers (vers. 

12-15) ; then (vers. 16-23) on the providentially over-ruled famine 

in Canaan, on the touching story cxf Joseph-whose name, it will 

be observed, is quite dramatically introduced, and to whom are 

devoted no less than twelve most effective lines. The remarkable 

providences are thus displayed by which the man Jacob- 

Israel, whose names become those of the nation, is brought down 

into Egypt: and so at length (vers. 24, 25) the familiar story 

is begun of the dangerous increase of Israel, the mission of 

Moses and Aaron (ver. 26), the threatening of the plagues (too 

often overlooked) as well as the inflictison of them (ver. 27) 

of which a selection is then given (vers. 28ff.),-a selection 

only, it is true, but sufficiently full and detailed to raise the 

whole question of historicity to the high level 'of perpetual national 

celebration ; and to challenge the modern sceptical mind 

to say whether such a story-so detailed, so significantly dovetailed 

into the history, so celebrated down to the present dayhad, 

afer all, no solid Eoundatioii in fact. And finally observe 

197


how the land-covenant, introduced as early 'in the psalm a+s the 

eighth verse, is reintroduced as far on as at the forty-second 

verse, so leading up to the unifying theme and climax of the 

psalm-the LAND as the Divinely ordained sphere of the full and 

unmolested observance of the LAW. 


1. What particular value are these historical psalms? 

2. Why was there a need to repeat the events of the past? 

3. There seems to be several purposes in the historical psalms: 

(78, 105, 106). Give the pinpose of each. 

4. An intense devotional attitude can be developed by following 

the appeals here made: there are eleven of them. Try two 

or three and see. 

5. A very strong nationalistic spirit is here generated-why? 

PSALM 106 


Humbled Israel Confessing Her Eins as a Nation. 

ANALYSIS 

Enclosed within an Introduction of Praise and Prayer, vers. 1-5, and a 

Conclusion of Prayer and Doxology, vers. 47, 48, stands a National Confession 

of Sin, vers. 6-46, Relieved only by the Mserciful Deliverances of Jehovah, 

the Intercession of Moses, ver. 23, the Interposition of Phinehas, ver. 30, 

and the Compassion of Israel's Captors, ver. 46. The Sins Confessed are 

chiefly the following :-Increddity, ver. 7; Murmuring for Food and Drink, 

vel. 13; Rebellion against their Leaders, ver. 16; Worship of the Golden 

Calf, ver. 19; Refusal of the Land, ver. 24; Worship of the Moabitish Baal, 

ver, 28; Rebellion against Moses and Aaron, ver. 32; Non-Extermination 

of Idolatrous Peoples, and the Taking Part in their Licentious and Cruel 

Idolatry, vers. 34-40. 

(P.R.I.) Praise ye Yah!' 

1 Give ye thanks unto Jeh,ovah for he is good, 

for to the ages is his kindness.2 

1. Cp. 106 notes at beginning and end, 

2. Cp. refrain of 136; also I Ch. 16:34, Ezra 3:11, Jr. 33:ll. 

198

2 

3 

4 

6 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

-Del. 

PSALM 106 

Who can express the mighty deeds of Jehovah? 

cause to be heard all his praise? 

How happy they who observe justice, 

he that doetha righteousness at all times ! 

Remember me4 0 Jehovah when thou favourest thy people,5 

visit me6 with thy salvation : 

That IG may gaze upon the good things of thy chosen ones, 

may rejoice in the rejoicing of thy nation, 

may glory with thine inheritance. 

We have sinned? with our fathers, 

we have acted perversely have been lawless : 

Our fathers in Egypt heeded not thy wondrous works, 

they remembered not the abundance of thy kindnesses, 

but rebelled against the Most Highs at the Red-~ea.~ 

Yet saved he them for the sake of his name, 

to make known his heroic might : 

So he rebuked the Red-sea and it dried up,l0 

and he led them in the deeps as a ~ilderness.~~ 

Thus saved he them from the hand of a hater, 

and redeemed them from the hand of a foe; 

And the waters covered their adversaries, 

not one from among them was left : 

So they believed in his words,12 

they sang his ~1“aise.l~ 

They soon forgat his works,14 

they tarried not for his counsel : 

But longed B longing in the desert, 

and put GOD to the proof in the waste;15 

3. Some cod. (w. Aram., Sep., Syr., Vul.) : “they that do”-Gn. 

4. Some cod. (w. Sep., Syr., Vul.) : “us”-Gn. 

6. “When thou again (cp. ver. 47) showest thyself gracioua unto them” 

6. Or: (‘we” (according to the pronoun adopted above). 

7. Here begins the confession of sin. Cp. I K. 8:46-63, Neh. 9 

8. So Gt. Cp. 78:17, 66-Gn. So also Br. 

9. Cp. Exo. 14:11, 12. 

10. EXO. 14~21-29. 

11. Isa. 63:13. 

12. Exo. 14:30, 31. 

13. Exo. 15. 

14, Or: “doings.” 

16. Exo. 16, 16, 17; Num. 11. 

199

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 


And he gave them their request, 

and sent them foodla to their desires1‘ 

And they were jealous of Moses in the camp, 

of Aaron the consecrated one of Jehovah:18 

Earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, 

and covered the company1g of Abiram; 

And a fire consumed their company,lg 

a flame licked up the lawless ones. 

They made a calf in Horeb,20 

and bowed down to a molten image; 

And changed myz1 glory ’ 

!for the similitude of an ox eating herbage. 

They forgat GOD their saviour, 

though he had donezz great things in Egypt, 

Wondrous works in the land of Ham, 

fearful things at the Red-sea. 

Then would he have commanded to destroy them, 

had not Moses his chosen 

stood forth in the breach before him, 

to turn back his wrath from inflicting ruin. 

Moreover they refused the desired 

they believed not his word; 

And they murmured in their tents, 

they hearkened not unto the voice of Jehovah. 

Then lifted he his hand unto them,- 

that he would let them fallz4 in the desert; 

And would dispersez5 their seed among the nations, 

and would scatter them through the lands. 

16. So Br. “The most probable reading of a difficult passage” [mazon 

for raxon] . Maclaren, content with razon [“leanness,” “wasting”] smartly 

says : “Full-fed flesh makes starved souls.” 

17. M1. : “soul.” Cp. 78 :18. 

18. Num. 16,17. 

19. U. : “congregation.” 

20. Exo. 32 ; Deu. 9 :8-12. 

21. So it was originally; but was changed by the Sopherim to “their 

glory.” G. Intro., 360. Cp. ante, Intro., Chap. I., Obs. 1. 

22. Ml.: “Doing.” 

23. Num. 13, 14. 

24. The permissive hiphil. There is no need to introduce active causation 

here. 

26. So it shd. be (w. Syr.; cp. Eze. 20:23)-Gn. 

200

28 

29 

30 

31 

32 

33 

34 

36 

36 

37 

38 

39 

40 

41 

42 

43 

PSALM 106 

And they j oinedZD themselves to Baal-peor,2T 

and did eat the sacrifices of the dead : 

So they gave provocation by their doings, 

and a plague made a breach among them. 

Then stood forth Phinehas28 and interposed, 

and stayed was the plague; 

And it was accounted to him as righteousness, 

to generation after generation unto the ages. 

And they gave provocation at the waters of Meribah, 

and it fared ill with Moses for their sakes; 

For they embittered his spirit, 

and he spake rashly with his lips.2e 

They did not destroy the peoples, 

of whom Jehovah had spoken to them;9o 

But had fellowship with the nations, 

and learnt their doings. 

And they served their idols, 

and theya1 became to them a lure; 

An,d they sacrificed their sons 

and their daughters unto 

And they poured out innocent blood, 

the blood of their sons and their daughters,- 

whom they sacrificed unto the idols of ‘Canaan, 

and polluted was the land with bloodshed: 

And they became unclean in their deeds, 

and unchaste in their practices; 

And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against his people, 

and he abhorred his inheritance. 

So he gave them over into the hand of the nations, 

and they whmo hated them ruled over them; 

And their enemies oppressed them, 

and they had to bow down under their hand. 

Many times he rescued them, 

26. Points to the prostitution with which Baal Peor, this Moabitish 

Priapus, was worshipped”-Del. 

27, “Baal o€ Peor”-Dr. Num. 25:2-6, 

28, Num. 26:7-13. 

29. Num. 20:llf, Deu. 1:37, 32:61. 

30. Exo. 23:32, 34:12, Deu. 7:16, Judg. 1:36. 

31. Some cod. (w. Sep., Vul.) : [W-Gn. 

32. “Unto Shedim”: Or: “demi-gods; mentioned besides only in Deu. 

32:17JJ-Dr. Cp. Deu. 12:31. 

201

44 

45 

46 

47 

48 


but they rebelled ’in their counsel, 

and sa& low in their iniquity. 

Then looked he on the strait they were in, 

when he heard their piercings3 cry; 

And he rememlbered €or them his covenant, 

and was moved to pity according to the abundance of his 

kindnesse~;~~ 

And gave them to be objects of compassion 

before all their captors. 

Save us Jehovah our God, 

and gather us from among the nations: 

to give thanks unto thy holy name, 

to make our boast of thy praise. 

Blessed be Jehovah God of Israel, 

from antiquity even unto futurity!Ss 

and let all the people ~ay-“Amen.”~~ 

Wm.) 

PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 106 

Hallelujah! Thank You, Lord! How good.You are! Your 

love for us continues on forever. 

2 Who can ever list the gl’orious miracles of God? Who can 

ever praise Him half enough? 

3 Happiness comes to those who are fair to others and are 

always just and good. 

4 Remember me too, 0 Lord, while You are blessing and 

saving Your people. 

5 Let me share in Your chosen ones’ prosperity and rejoice 

in all their joys, and receive the glory You gave to them. 

6 Both we and our fathers have sinned so much. 

7 They weren’t impressed by the wonder of Your miracles 

in Egypt, and soon forgot Ysour many acts of kindness to them. 

Instead they rebelled against You at the Red Sea. 

33. U.: “ringing.” “As in I, K, 8:28 . . . rinnah is a loud lamentation”- 

Del. 

34. Authorities divided between singular and plural. 

36. M1. (as at the close of Book I., Ps. 41): “From the age (concealed 

duration in the past) even unto the age (concealed duration in the future).” 

36. M.T.: “Praise ye Yah” (not found in Sep. or Syr.-Gn.) carried forward 

to head of next psalm. See notes at beginning and end of Pa. 106. 

202

PSAL’M 106 

8 Even so You saved them-to defend the honor of Your 

name and demonstrate Yfour power to all the world. 

9 You commanded the Red Sea to divide, forming a dry 

road acboss its bottom. Yes, as dry as any desert! 

10 Thus You rescued them from their enemies. 

11 Then the water returned and covered the road and 

drowned their foes; not one survived. 

12 Then at last His people believed Him. Then they ifinally 

sang His praise. 

13 Yet how quickly they forgot again! They wouldn’t wait 

for Him to act, 

14 But demaaded better food,l testing God’s patience to 

the breaking point. 

16 So He gave them their demands, but sent them leanness 

in their SOU IS.^ 

16 They were envious of Moses; yes, and Aaron, too, the 

man anointeds by God as His priest. 

17 Because of this the earth opened and swal1,owed Dathan, 

Abiram and his friends; 

18 And fire fell from heaven to consume these wicked men. 

19, 20 For they preferred a statue of an ox that eats grass, 

to the glorious presence of Cod Himself. 

21, 22 Thus they despised their Savior who had done such 

mighty miracles in Egypt and at the Sea, 

23 So the Lord declared He would destroy them. But Moses, 

His chosen one, stepped into the breach between the people and 

their God and begged Him to turn from His wrath, and not 

destroy them. 

24 They refused to enter the Promised Land, for they 

wouldn’t believe His solemn oath to care $or them. 

25 Instead, they pouted in their tents and mourned and despised 

His command. 

26 Therefore He swore that He would kill them in the wilderness 

27 And send their children away to distant lands as exiles. 

28 Then our fathers joined the worshipers of Baal at Peor 

and even offered sacrifices to the dead!4 

29 With la11 these things they angered Him-and so a plague 

broke out upon them 

1. Literally, “lusted exceedingly.” 

2. Or, “but sent a plague to punish them.” 

3. Literally, ‘‘the holy one of Jehovah.” 

4. Or, “to lifeless idols.” 

203


30 And continued until Phineas executed those whose sins 

had caused the plague to start. 

31 (For this good deed Phineas will be remembered forever.) 

32 At Meribah, too, Israel angered God, causing Moses 

serious trouble, 

33 For he became angry and spoke foolishly. 

34 Nor did Israel destroy the nations in the Isand as God 

had told them to, 

35 But mingled in among the heathen and learned their 

evil ways, 

36 Sacrificing to their idols, and were led away from God. 

37, 38 They even sacrificed their little children to the 

demons-the idols of Canaan-shedding innocent blood and 

polluking the land with murder. 

39 Their evil deeds defiled them, for their love of idols was 

adultery in the sight of God. 

40 That is why Jehovah’s anger burned against His people, 

and He abhorred them. 

41, 42 That is why He let the heathen nations crush them. 

They were ruled by those who hmated them and oppressed by 

their enemies. 

43 Again and again He delivered them from their slavery, 

but they continued to rebel against Him, and were finally destroyed 

by their sin. 

44 Yet, even so, He listened to their cries and heeded their 

distress; 

46 He remembered His promises to them and relented because 

of His great love, 

46 And caused even their enemies who captured them to 

pity them, 

47 0 Lord God, save us! Regather us from the nations so 

we can thank Your holy name and rejoice and praise You. 

* * * * * 

48 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting 

to everlasting. Let all the people say, “Amen!” Hallelujah! 

EXPOSITION 

Attention has already been called to this psalm (see Exposition 

of 106) as not only one of a series of historical psalmsand 

as such serving an important purpose in the training of the 

people,-but especially as a national confession of sin. This 

204

PSALM 106 

characteristic is so marked, and morally so significant, as to be 

worthy of further thought. Not only are our minds arrested 

by the evident honesty of the nation, and especially its prophets, 

in thus recording their own shame; but we are made to pause 

and ponder in presence of this spiritual phenomenon. If we try 

to conceive of this psalm as being originated earlier than the 

Exile, we shall probably fail. We can easily imagine an Isaiah 

or a Jeremiah charging sin home upon the people; but we find 

the greatest difficulty in representing it to ourselves as possible 

that they could have led the way in a national confession such 

as this psalm supplies. The time was not ripe for this: the 

atmosphere of public confessiton did not yet exist. As we read 

the great national confession of sin preserved in Nehemiah 9, 

or that Sound in the early part of Daniel 9 which though not 

national in form is nevertheless intensely and intentionally national 

in spirit, we feel at home in the prayer and realise that 

the prayer is at home in its historical and literary surroundings. 

It fits in with the time: is the genuine product of the strange and 

startling events which have come to pass in Israelitish history. 

There had been eatrlier invasions of the holy land, and the lessons 

of Divine providence had sunk deep into the best and most 

thoughtful minds in Israel; but nothing like this had happened 

before: that Jerusalem itself should be uzverthrown, and the 

whole land permanently brought under the heel of the Foreigner. 

The effect on the minds of the people must have been profound. 

There was no denying the great, sad fact of Hebrew humiliation; 

and thlough many of the people may have shrewdly and stoically 

adapted themselves to this revoluti~onary change in their environment, 

yet the moral only needed to be pointedly drawn and strongly 

driven home by prophetic voices in and after the Babylonish 

Exile, to carry home conviction to the average Hebrew mind. 

This is not to say, that the spiritual sense of humiliation was 

equally deep in all minds; but it is to say, that when prophets 

declared--“Our sins as a nation have brought these evils upon 

us,” the general conscience must have responded-(‘There is no 

denying it !” This acquiescence in the undeniable, it was, which 

created the atmosphere in which public cronfession of national 

sin could live; for it should be well noted that both these elements 

-that the confession is public and the sin natilonal-are involved 

in the case now before us. Its being publicly made with general 

consent silences cavil; and the sins being national lifts them up to 

the level of undeniable notoriety. From this point of view, survey 

205

STUDIES IN PSIALMS 

the long catal’ogue of sins, beginning with the first protests of 

incredulity in Egypt, down to the latest practices of licentious 

cruelty perpetrated in Palestine. hagine the humiliation and 

severe spiritual discipline involved in reciting so many national 

sins in a single psalm. What spiritual authority in these Western 

Isles would dare to draw up such a catalogue of national offences 

against the laws of God and man? How can we picture to ourselves 

oongregations throughout our land publicly humbling 

themselves under the piled-up iniquities of many centuries? The 

attempt to clonceive these things may open our eyes to something 

of the startlingly unique spiritual phenomenon which the ancient 

temple-use of this psalm presents to our view. No man can 

study the Hebrew nation successfully who does not study its 

solidarity; and no man can appreciate its sldidarity in the highest 

realm ‘of the spirit, who does not bend his mind to the spectacle 

of a nation Confessing the sins it had committed from the 

Exodus to the Exile, That is the spectacle we have here. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 


What is the major emphasis of this psalm? 

How is the element of honesty of the nation and their 

prophets seen? 

At about what time was this psalm originated? 

What other texts seem to be like this psalm? 

There seems to be the most profound of impressions involved 

in this psalm. Why? 

When the prophets said: “Our sins as a nation h,ave brought 

these evils upon us”-what was the response? 

Catalogue the sins of Israel and relate them to America. 

What should be our attitude? 

Rotherham cannot imagine the British Isles confessing their 

sins in 1909. What has happened since should teach us 

something. Discuss. 

206

THE PSALMS 

BOOK THE FIFTH1 

PSALM 107 


Examples of Men’s Straits, leading to Prayer; 

and of Jehovah’s Deliverance, calling for Praise. 

ANALYSIS 

After a Summons to Thanksgiving addressed to the Redeemed, vers. 1-3, 

Examples are given:- 

1. Of Hungry Wanderers, vers. 4-9; 

2. Of Guilty Prisoners, vers. 10-16; 

3. Of Dying Transgressors, vers. 17-22; 

4. Of Imperilled Sailors, vers. 23-32; 

whose Straits move them to Prayer, and whose Prayer brings them from 

Jehovah Deliverance. Further Examples are suggested: - 

5. Of a Fruitful Land, first SteriIised, then Blessed, vers. 33-38; 

6.’ Of Nobles, first Diminished, then Multiplied, vers. 39-42 

(These suggestions are without the Refrailzs with which the previous “Examples” 

are “finished.”) A Brief Admonition Closes the Psalm, 

(P.R.1.) Praise ye Yah!2 

1 Give ye thunks to Jehovah for he is good, 

for to the ages is his kindness. 

2 Let the redeemed of Jehovahs saywhom 

he hath redeemed out of the hand of the adversary; 

1, See Table II., ante. 

2. See notes to Ps. 106. Sep and Vul. have this “P.R.1,” here. 

3. Cp. Isa. 62:12 (also Isa. 63:4, 36:9). 

207


3 And out of countries hath gathered them,- 

out of the east and out of the west, 

‘out of the north and out of the south.‘ 

4 Men have wandered about in a desert in a waste, 

way to a city to dwell in have they not found : 

6 Hungry yea thirsty 

their soul within them fainteth. 

6 So they make outcry unto Jehovah i~ the strait they are in, 

&hat out of their distresses he will rescue them. 

7 And he leadeth them in a way direct, 

that they may come to a city to dwell in. 

8 Let them give thanks to Jehovah f0.r his khdness, 

and his wondrous doings for the sons of men: 

9 Because he hath satisfied the longing soul, 

and the hungry soul hath filled with good. 

10 Men are sitting in darkness and death-shade, 

prisoners in humiliatilon and iron,- 

11 Because they have &belled against the sayings of GOD, 

and the counsel of the Highest have ~purned,~ 

12 And he humbleth with travail their heart, 

they have staggered and there is no one to help. 

13 So they cry out unto Jehovah in the strait they are in, 

that out of their distresses he will save them. 

14 And he leadeth them forth out of darkness and death-shade, 

and their bands he bursteth asunder.s 

16 Let thm give thanks to Jehovah for his kindness, 

and his wondrous doings for the sons of men : 

16 Because he hath shattered the doors of bronze, 

and the bars of iron hath hewn asunder.’ 

17 Foolish men because of their way of transgression, 

and because of their iniquities bring on themselves 

humiliation : 

18 All food their soul abhorreth, 

and they draw near unto the gates of death. 

19 So they my out unto Jehovah in the strait they are in, 

that out of their distresses he will save them. 

4. So Gt.-Gn. And so Dr. M.T.: “the sea.” 

6. Or: “despised.” 

6. Or: “he teareth open.” 

7. Isa. 46:2. 

208

j 22 

20 

21 

23 

24 

26 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 

32 

33 

34 

35 

PSALM 10’7 

He sendeth forth his wordR and healeth them, 

and rescueth [them] out of their pits.9 

Let them, give thanks to Jehovah for his kindness, 

and his wondrous doings for the sons of men; 

And let them sacrifice sacrifices of thanksgiving, 

and tell of his works1” with jubilation.11 

Men go down to the sea in ships, 

doing business through great waters : 

They have seen the works of Jehovah, 

and his wondrous doings in the deep; 

And he commandeth and there ariseth l2 a tempestuous wind, 

and it lifteth on high the waves thereof: 

They mount the heavens they descend the deeps, 

their soul by trouble dissolveth : 

They reel and stagger like a drunken man, 

and all their wisdom is engulfed. 

So they make outcry unto Jehovah in the strait they are in, 

that out of their distresses he will bring them forth. 

He stilleth the storm to a whisper,ls 

and silent are their waves: 

Then are they glad because they subside, 

and he guideth them to their desired haven,14 

Let them give thanks to Jehovah for his goodness, 

and his wondrous doings for the sons of men; 

And let them extol him in an ,assembly of people, 

and in a seated company of elders let them praise him. 

He turneth rivers into a desert, 

and spkings of water into thirsty ground : 

A land lof fruit into a waste of salt,- 

for the wickedness of them who dwell therein. 

He turneth a desert into a pool of water, 

and a parched land into springs of water ; 

8. Job 33:23, John 1:1. 

9. “That is, their graves”-Dr. “Pitfalls”-Del. “From the pit their 

life”-Br. (conj.), 

10. Or: “doings.” 

11. Or: ’‘a ringing cry.” 

12. So it shd. be (w. Sep.)-Gn. 

13. “We husheth the storm to a gentle air”-Per. “He turned the storm 

into a gentle breeze’-Del. 

14. “Longed-for-haven”-Del. “Haven of their desire”-Dr. “City of 

their desire”-O.G. 

209

36 

37 

38 

40 

39 

41 

42 

43 


And causeth to dwell there the hungry, 

Nand they establish a city to dwell in; 

And sow fields and plant vineyards, 

and obtain fruits to be gathered in. 

So doth he bless them and they multiply greatly, 

and their cattle suffereth he not to be few. 

He poureth contempt upon nobles,le 

and letteth them wander in a pathless waste ;16 

And they become few and are brought lowby 

the pressure of misfortune and sorrow.1T 

And he setteth the needy on high out of humiliation, 

and maketh families like a flook.18 

The upright see and are glad,l0 

and all perverseness hath shut her mouth.2o 

Who is wise?-let him observe these things,21 

and diligently consider the kindness of Jehovah. 

(Nm.) 

PARAPHRASE 

P’SALM 107 

Say “Th,ank You” to the Lord for being so good, for always 

being so loving and kind. 

2. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out ! Tell others 

He has saved you ,from your enemies. 

3 He brought the exiles back from the farthest corners of 

the earth. 

4 They were wandering homeless in the desert, 

5 Hungry and thirsty and faint. 

6 “Lord, help!” they cried, and He did! 

7 He led them straight to safety and a place to live. 

8 ‘Oh, that these men would praise the Lord for His lovingkindness, 

and for all of His wonderful deeds! 

9 For He satisfies the thirsty soul and fills the hungry soul 

with good. 

15. Vers. 39 and 40 are transposed according to the judgment of Ginsburg 

on the inverted nun found here in the margin. 

16. Heb. tohu: cp. Gen. 1:2. Cp. Job 12:21-24. 

17. So Del. “Through coercion, adversity, and sorrow”-Dr. 

18. Cp. Job 21:ll. 

19. Cp. Job. 5:16. 

20. Cp. Job 22:19. 

21. Cp. Ho. 14:9. 

210

PSALM 107 

10 Who are these who sit in darkness, in the shadow of 

death, crushed by misery and slavery? 

11 They rebelled against the Lord, scorning Him, who is the 

God above all gods. 

12 That is why he broke them with hard labor; they fell 

and none could help them rise again. 

13 Then they cried to the Lord in their troubles, and We 

rescued them ! 

14 He led them firom the darkness and shadow of death 

and snapped their chains! 

15 Oh, that these men would praise the Lord for His lovingkindness 

and for all of His wonderful deeds! 

16 For He broke down their prison gates of brass and cut 

apart their iron bars. 

* * * * * 

17 Others, the fools, were ill because of their sinful ways. 

18 Their appetites were gone and death was nwr. 

19 Then they cried to the Lord in their troubles, and He 

helped them and delivered them. 

20 He spoke, and they were healed-snatched from the door 

of death, 


and for all of His wondelrful deeds! 

22 Let them tell Him “Thank You” as their sacrifice, and 

sing about His glorious deeds. 

* * * * * 

23 And then there are the sailors sailing the seven seas, 

plying the trade routes of the world. 

24 They, too observe the power of God in action. 

25 He calls to the storm winds; the waves rise high, 

26 Their ships are tossed to the heavens and sink again to 

the depths; the sailors cringe in terror, 

27 They reel and stagger like drunkards and are at their 

wit’s end. 

28 Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He saves 

them ! 

29 He calms the storm and stills the waves. 

30 What a blessing is that stillness, as He brings them safely 

into harbor ! 


and all of His wonderful deeds! 

211


32 Let them praise Him publicly before the congregation, 

and before the leaders of the nation. 

I> 

* * * * * 

38 He dries up rivers, 

34 And turns the good land of the wicked into deserts of 

salt. 

385 Again, He turns deserts into fertile, watered valleys! 

36 He brings the hungry to settle there and build their cities, 

37 To sow ;their fields and plant their vineyards, and reap 

their bumper crops! 

38 How He blesses them! They raise big families there, 

and many cattle! 

39 But others become poor through oppression, trouble and 

sorro8w. 

40 For God pours contempt upon the haughty and causes 

princes to wander ‘among ruins; 

41 But He rescues the poor who are godly and gives them 

many children and much prosperity. 

42 (Good men everywhere will see it and be glad, while evil 

men are stricken silent. 

43 Listen, if you are wise, to what I am saying. Think 

about the lovingkindness of the Lord ! 

EXPOSITION 

This psalm stands high for its artistic beauty and for its broad 

applicability to the experiences of men, as well as for the same 

lofty devotion as that by which most of the psalms are distinguished. 

Its artistic beauty is greatly owing to the two refrains 

which adorn each of is four principal stanzas, one refrain shewing 

how trouble leads to prayer, and the other suggesting that 

answered prayer calls for praise; and, though this feature is 

missing from the concluding strains of the psalm (vers. 33-42), 

yet this absence ceases to appear as a blemish, when once it is 

apprehended that the lack was intentional, and that the supernumerary 

lines were merely intended to shew, by two further 

examples, in how many other ways than those above wrought 

out, the prayers of men might be called for and their praises 

evoked. Such”an apprehension enriches us by revealing psalmody 

in the malting as well as psalmody fully prepared for public use. 

We first think we can see whereabouts amidst the supplementary 

lines the refrains might have been inserted, and then reflect on 

the numberless other ways in which the ever-varying experiences 

212

PSALM 107 

of life may with equal fitness fan the flames of petition and 

adoration. Let the redeemed from every other conceivable dlistress 

say whether it is not still true of Jehovah, that he is good, 

For to the ages is his kindness. 

By this very suggestiveness-of other like experiences-is 

the breadth of this psalm discovered; as also by the typical character 

of the instances actually given. In the first and fourth 

refrained stanzas, we have instances of men in distress through 

no apparent sin or fault of their own: in the second and third 

finished stanzas, are given examples in which it was sin that 

brought on the suffering. We can choose between them, according 

as we apprehend our own troubles to be punitive as well 

as disciplinary, or the latter ‘only. We may be passing through 

trouble-not because we are bad, but that we may be better. 

Besides this, some troubles read like parables of others to which 

they bear a striking resemblance. Many a man seems to himself 

to be like a prisoner with no imaginable way oi escape; and many 

another, like the mariner whose soul by trouble dissolveth, Ad 

all his wisdom is engulfed. Courage, brother! HE still liveth 

who can still the storm to a whisper. Sooner than thou thinkest, 

thou mayest have cast anchor in thy desired haven! 

Among other manifestations of the devotional spirit which 

pervades the psalms in general, this psalm is delightfully conspicuous 

in that, instead of employing inferior deities, one to send 

a trouble and another to remove it, all the vicissitudes of life are 

traced ultimately to Jehovah’s holy will, He mercifully overrules 

the troubles which he inscrutably permits: he raises the storm 

which he abates. In no case are we debarred from recognising 

his hand in the controlling and moulding of our lives. Who is 

wise? let him observe these things, And diligently consider the 

kindness of Jehovah. 

There is not $a word in the body of this psalm to suggest a 

late date for its composition; and though the Sopherim may 

very well have adapted it for a post-exilic time by the prelude 

which amplifies the gathering of scattered Israel, yet it should 

not be forgotten that Israel suffered extensive deportations even 

before Rezelri~ah’s day. Those readers who will be at the trouble 

of looking up the numerous references to Job and Isaiah here 

supplied will of course be struck with the coincidences thereby 

brought bo light. At the same time there are two weighty considerations 

to be borne in mind: the one is the brightening evidence 

that the latter part of Isaiah was after all mainly written 

213

STUDIES IN PSIALMS 

by the man whose name it bears; and the other the much forgotten 

circumstance that the Great Return from Exile from the 

four quarters of the earth is manifestly an event which has yet 

to be fulfilled. 


1. How is the artistic beauty of this psalm shown? 

2. In what way can we see “psalmody in the making”? 

3. There are lessons to learn from distress. Examples are 

given-how do these two examples fit all men? 

4. These distresses can be read like parables-how? 

5. Is it true that all natural phenomena is to be attributed to 

Jehovah? Can we make Him immediately and personally 

responsible for the’ millions who have died in famine and 

flood ? 

6. How is the problem of the late date of this psalm answered? 

PSALM 108 


Two Fragments of Earlier Psalms. 

ANALYSIS 

Vers. 1-6 are taken from Ps. 57:7-11: and vers. 6-9 from Ps. 60:5-8. For 

Exposition, see those psalms. Prolbable Occasion for this Composite Psalm: 

Danger from Edorn, Not so Accute as in Ps. 60. 

(Lm.)-Song-Psalm-By 

David. 

1 Steadfast is my heart 0 God!l 

I would fain sing and would play,-yea my glory!a 

2 Oh awake lute and lyre! 

I would fain waken the dawn: 

3 I would thank thee among the peoples 0 Jehovah, 

I would celebrate thee in psalms among the races of men. 

1. Some cod. (w. Sep., Syr., Vul.) repeat the clause: “steadfast is my 

heart.” Cp. 67:7--Gn. 

2. See Ps. 16:9 note. 

3. Or: “make melody unto thee.” 

214

4 

6 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

PSALM 108 

For great above the heavens is thy kindness, 

and as far as the skies4 thy truth. 

Be exalted above the heavens 0 god, 

and above all the earth be thy glory, 

To the end thy beloved may be rescued 

oh save with thy right hand and answer meq6 

God spake in his holiness;-- 

“Let me exult let me apportion Shechem, 

And the Vale of Succoth will I measure out: 

Mine is Gilead and mine Manasseh; 

But Ephraim is the defence of my head, 

Judah is my commander’s staff: 

Moab is my wash-bowl, 

Unto Edorn will I cast my sandal, 

Over Philistia raise a shout of triumph.” 

Who will conduct me to the fortified city?G 

Who will lead me as far as Edom? 

Hast not thou7 0 God rejected us? 

and thou wilt not 0 God go forth with our hosts? 

0 grant to us help out of distress, 

since unreal is a victory8 by man : 

In God we shall do valiantly, 

he himself therefore shall8 tread down our adversaries! 

(Lm.) Tgo the Chief Musician. 

PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 108 

0 God, my heart is ready to praise You! I will sing and 

rejoice before You. 

2 Wake up, 0 harp and lyre! We will meet the dawn 

with song. 

3 I will praise You everywhere around the world, in every 

nation. 

4 For Y,our lovingkindness is great beyond measure, high 

as the heavens! Your faithfulness reaches the skies! 

4. Or: “fleecy clouds.” 

6. Written “US,” but read “me;” and so most authorities, 

6. Borne cod : “city entrenched,’’ exactly as Ps. 60 :9. 

7. Some cod. (w. Sep., Syr., Vul.) : “thou” emphatic as 6O:lO. 

8 Or: “deliverance,” “salvation.” 

9. Cp. on 60:12. 

215


5 His glory is far more vast than the heavens! It towers 

above the earth. 

6 Hear the cry of Your beloved child-come with mighty 

power and rescue me. 

7 God has given sacred promises; no wonder I exult! He 

has promised to give us all the land of Shechem, and also Succoth 

Valley ! 

8 “Gilead is Mine to give to you,” He says, “and Manasseh 

as well; the land of Ephraim is the helmet on My head. Judah 

is My scepter. 

9 But Moab and Edom are despised;l and I will shout in 

triumph lover the Philistines.” 

10 Who but God can give me strength to conquer these 

fortified cities? Who else can lead me into Edom? 

11 Lord, have You thrown us away? Have You deserted 

our amy? 

12 Oh, help us fight against our enemies, for men are 

useless allies. 

13 But with the help of God we shall do mighty acts of 

valor! For He treads down our foes. 


1. Why is this psalm a composite of two earlier ones? Le. 

what is the occasion for its composition? 

2. Is there any danger here of “vain repetition”? Discuss. 

Read : Phil. 4 :4; Gal. 1-9; Phil. 3 :l. 

PSALM 109 


David, Rehearsing how His Enemies have (Cursed him, 

Refers his Cause to Jehovah. 

ANALYSIS 

Stanza I., vers. 1-5, The Psalmist Entreats Jehovah to speak up for him 

against his Accusers, of whose Groundless Hatred he Complains. Stanzas 

11.-VI., vers. 6-15, He Records, at length, his Enemies’ Imprecations; and, 

Stanza VII., vers. 16-19, Their Paise Accusations, regarding these as Permitted 

1. Literally, “Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast My shoe.” 

216

PSALM 109 

by Jehovah, In Stanzas VIII-XII., vers, 21-31, the Psalmist prays far rescue 

from Troubles inflicted by Jehovah’s Own Hand, for which he Promises to 

Render Public Thanks. 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 


0 God of my praise do not be silent : 

For the mouth of a lawless one and a mouth of deceit 

against me are open, 

They have spoken with me with a tongue that is false; 

And with vords of hatred have they compassed me about, 

and have made war upon me without cause: 

For my love they accuse me though I am all prayer,l 

Yea they have returnedz unto me evil for good, and hatred 

for my love [saying:-] 

“Set in charge over him a lawless one, 

and let an accuser take his stand at his right hand: 

When he judged let him go forth condemned, 

and his prayer become sinss 

“Let his days become few, 

His oversight let another take: 

Let his children become fatherless, 

and his wife a widow. 

“And let his children wander and beg, 

and be driven out4 of their desolate homes : 

Let the creditor strike in at all that he hath, 

and strangers prey upon his toil. 

“Let him have nlone to prolong kindness, 

and be there none to be gracious unto his fatherless children : 

Let his posterity6 be for cutting off, 

In a6 generation let his‘ name be wiped out. 

“Remembered be the iniquity of his fathers unto Jehovah, 

and the sin of his mother-let it not be wiped out: 

Let them be in the sight of Jehovah continually, 

that he may cut off out of the earth their memory. 

“Because he remembered not to do a kindness, 

1. So Del. “But I am (given unto) prayer”-Dr. “But I (give myself 

unto) prayer’-Per. And cp. ver. 7. 

2. So it shd. be (w. Syr.)-Gn. 

3. “And let the decision of his case be his guilt.”-Br. 

4. So it shd be. (w. Sep. and Vu1.)-Gn. And so O.G., Br. 

6. Or: “latter end.” 

6. M.T.: “another.” Sep. and Vul.: “one.” 

7. Some cod. (w. Sep. and Vu1.)-Gn. M.T.: “their.” 

217


but pursued the man who was humbled and needy, 

and the downhearted was ready to slay outright,- 

17 And loved cursing and so it hath come upon him, 

and delighted not in blessing, and so it hath gone far from 

him, 

18 And clothed himself with cursing as his outer garment 

and so it hath entered like water into his inward parts, 

and like oil into his bones 

19 Be it his, as a garment he wrappeth around him, 

‘and for the girdle he at all times girdeth on.” 

20 This is the recompense of mine accusers from Jehovah, 

and of them who are bespeaking calamity upon my 

21 But thou Jehovah Sovereign Lord deal effectually with me 

fior the sake of thy name; 

because good is thy kindness 0 rescue me: 

22 For humbled and needy am I, 

and my heart is wounded within me. 

23 As a shadow when it stretcheth out have I vanished, 

I am shaken out like a locust 

24 My knees totter from fasting, 

and my flesh hath become lean after fatness ;lo 

25 And I have become a reproach to them, 

they see me they shake their head. 

26 Help me Jehovah my God, 

save me according to thy kindness: 

27 That they may know that thine own hand is this,- 

Thou Jehovah hast done it. 

28 They will curse but thou wilt bless, 

mine assailants will be put to shame but thy servant will 

rejoice : 

29 Mine accusers will be clothed with confusion, 

and will wrap about them as a cloak their own shame. 

30 I will give greak thanksll unto Jehovah with my mouth, 

Yea (amidst multitudes will I praise him; 

31 Because he taketh his stand at the right hand of the needy, 

to save [him] from them who would judge his soul. 

Wm.1 

8. Cp. 105:18 (note). 

9. “I am shaken when the light grows stronger”-Br. 

10. “And my flesh without oil is as one hasting away.”-Br. 

11. So Dr., after P.B.V. 

218

PSALM 109 

PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 109 

0 God of my praise, don’t stand silent and aloof 

2 While the wicked slander me and tell their lies. 

3 They have no reason to hate and fight me, yet they do! 

4 I love them, but even while I am praying for them, they 

are trying to destroy me, 

6 They return evil for good, and hatred for love! 

* * f * * 

6 Show him how it feels!1 Let lies be told about him, and 

bring him to court before an unfair judge. 

7 When his case is called for judgment, let him be pronounced 

guilty! Count his prayers as sins! 

8 Let his years be few ‘and brief; let others step forward 

to replace him. 

9, 10 May his children become fatherless and his wife a 

widow, and be evicted from the ruins of their home. 

11 May creditors seize his entire estate and strangers take 

all he has earned. 

12, 13 Let no one be kind to him; let no one pity his 

,$atherless children. May they die. May his family name be 

blotted out in a single generation. 

14 Punish the sins of his father and mother. Don’t overlook 

them. 

15 Think constantly about the evil things he has done, and 

cut off his name from the memory of man. 

16 For he refused all kindness to others, and persecuted 

those in need, and hounded brokenhearted ones to death. 

17 He loved to curse others; now You curse him. He never 

blessed others; now don’t You bless him. 

18 Cursing is ‘as much a part of him as his clothing, or 

as the water he drinks, o’r the rich food he eats ! 

19 Now may those curses return and cling to him like his 

clothing or his belt, 

20 This is .the Lord’s punishment upon my enemies who 

tell lies about me and threaten me with death. 

* * * * * 

21 But as for me, 0 Iiord, deal with me as Your child, as 

one who bears Your name! Because You are so kind, 0 Lord, 

deliver me. 

1. Implied. 

219


22, 23 I am slipping down the hill to death; I am shaken 

off from life as easily as a man brushes a grassh~pper from 

his arm. 

24 My knees are weak from fasting and I am skin and bones. 

25 I am a symbol of failure to all mankind; when +hey see 

me they shake their heads, 

26 Help me, 0 Lord my God! Save me because You are 

loving and kind. 

27 Do it publicly, so all will see that You Yourself have 

done it. 

28 Then let them curse me if they like-I won’t mind that 

if You are blessing me! For then all their efforts to destroy 

me will fail, and I shall go right on rejoicing! 

29 Make them fail in everything they do. Clothe them 

with disgrace. 

30 But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord, praising 

Him to everyone. 

31 For He stands beside the poor and hungry to save them 

from their enemies. 

EXPOSITION 

The key which opens this psalm to general edification is 

the perception that its long string of curses are those of David’s 

enemies and not his own. The considerations which lead to 

this conclusion atre the following:-(l) The sudden and sustained 

change from the plural of vers. 1-5 (they) to the singular 

of vers. 6-19 (he, hh, him) ; the former referring to David’s 

enemies, the latter referring to Dmavid himself on his accusers’ 

fake tongue. (2) The fierce and sweeping vindictiveness which 

piles up imprecations against father, mother, wife, children, 

possessions and memory in a manner unexampled in any other 

utterance attributable to David. (3) The similarity of tone between 

the verses which lead up to the cursing and those which 

follow after it - a tone of humble and prayerful trust 

in Jehovah, whose effestual working is not only strongly urged 

but patiently awaited: suggesting how unlikely it is th,at the 

cursing of the middle of the psalm proceeds from the same mind 

as the dignified predictions of its close. (4) The devotion to 

prayer claimed by the psalmist in ver. 4 as making his enemies’ 

hatred without excuse, seems to be hurled back by his enemies 

in mockery in ver. 7. (5) The recompense of ver. 20 seems 

like a resumption of the return of evil for good mentioned in 

220

PSALMS 109 AND 110 

ver. 6; as much as to say: This-the long string of curses-is 

how they recmpense me for my past kindness; the allusion 

taking on a striking verisimilitude when the knolwn kindness of 

David for the house of Saul is recalled, and when we think how 

easily Shimei the Benjamite might in his bitterness have exaggerated 

some oversight on David’s part to shew his wonted kindness 

to some member of Saul’s family: the addition from Jehovah. 

in ver. 20, being a recognition such as we have in 2 Sam, 

16 : 8-13, that David’s enemies had been permitted by Jehovah 

to do him this wrong, leaving the wrong remaining as wrong, 

the cursing being still theirs and not his. (6) On the background 

of his enemies’ cursing there is something peculiarly 

lifelike and pathetic in the unrestnained prayer which he pours 

out before Jehovah as to his whole position: his position, as he 

is driven from Jerusalem, is indeed desperate, and he may well 

pray for rescue; he is poor and needy, and will soon be glad to 

accept of hospitality from one of his subjects; his heart was 

wounded within him, as well it might, with memories of Uriah 

and Bathsheba recalled, the revolt of Absalom staring him in 

the face, and now the cursing OP Shimei to add bitterness to 

his cup. These verses, 30-25, compel us to think of David‘s 

journey up the slope of Mt. Olivet. Then there is the distinct 

recognition of Divine chastisement, lying behind the cursing 

(ver. 27) and as we read on, They will curse, but thou wilt 

bless, we feel certain that the lips that utter these words of 

resignation are not the same as those which have just been 

cursing so very fiercely. 

1. 

2. 

3. 


There is a “key which opens this psalm to general edification“. 

What is it? 

Give and discuss at least two of the reasons given for attributing 

the curses to David’s enemies. 

What circumstance in David’s life best fits this psalm? 

PSALM 110 


A Revelation, THROUGH DAVID TO his “lord,” the Messiah. 

221

1 

STUDIES IN PSALNS 

ANALYSIS 

(See the lines prefixed to the Stanzas of the Psalm.) 


(1. David records a Revelation coiicerning his lord.) 

The revelation1 of Jehovah to my lordz:- 

“Sit thou at my right hand 

until I make thy foes a stool for thy feet.” 

(2. Foretells that a Cornmissiron will be given to his lord.) 

2 Thy sceptre of strength3 will Jehovah stretch forth out of 

Zion :- 

“Rule thou in the midst of thy foes.” 

(3. Describes the Appearance of the Army of his lord.) 

3 Thy people are most willing4 in thy day of warfare:6 

in holy adorninga out of the womb of the dawn 

to thee [cometh forth] the dew of thy young men. 

(4. Proclaims an Oath addressed by Jehovah to his lord.) 

4 Sworn hath Jehovah and will not )regret :- 

“Thou art a priest to the ages 

after the manner of Melchizedek.” 

(5. Portrays the Overthrow of the Foes of his lord, 

and his lord’s consequent Exaltation.) 

5 The Sovereign Lord7 at thy right hand 

hath crusheds in the day of his anger kings, 

6 He judgethg among the nations-full of dead bodies! 

h’ath crushed the head over a wide land : 

1. “Utterance, declaration, revelation”-0.0. “Oracle”-Del., Per. “Utterance”-Br. 

For use and misuse of the formula, cp. Jer. 23:31-33. 

2. Heb.: ’doni. 

3. =“Thy strong sceptre:” cp. Ps. 2:9. 

4. Heb. pl. abstract of intensification: “willingnesses.” 

5. “Of thy power. Or, of thy host; in either case the meaning being, on 

the day when thy forces muster for battle”-Dr. “Of thy host”-Br. “In 

the day that thou warrest”-Per. “In the day of thy warfare”-Del. 

6. MI.: “In stateliness of holiness.” 

7. Heb. (M.T.): ’adonai. In some cod. “Jehovah”--Gn. 

8. Or: “shattered.” 

9. Or: “will judge.” 

222

PSALM 110 

7 An inheritance on the way he maketh it,l” 

therefore he exalteth they1 Head, 

(Nm.)I2 

PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 110 

Jehovah said to my Lord the Messiah,l “Rule as My regen& 

I will subdue Your enemies and make them bow low before You.” 

2 Jehovah has established Your throne2 in Jerusalem3 to 

rule over Your enemies. 

3 In th’at day d Your power Your people shall come to 

You willingly, diressed in holy altar And Your strength 

shall be renewed day by dlay like morning dew. 

4 Jehovah has taken oath, and will not rescind His vow, 

that You are a priest forever like6 Melchizedek. 

5 God stands beside You to protect You. He will strike 

down many kings in the day of His anger. 

6 He will punish the nations, and fill them with their dead. 

He will crush many heads. 

7 But He Himself shall be refreshed from springs along 

the way. 

EXPO$ITION 

This psalm being asmibed to David, we have a prescriptive 

right to endeavour to interpret it accordingly; and the measure 

of our success mlay be regarded as confirming or discrediting 

this superscription, 

Ver. 1. The Revelation of Jehovah to my lord.-As a 

revelation, the psalm as a whole and its leading announcement 

in particulmar may be expected to make a disclosure unknown 

before. We already know of the choice of David in preference 

to Saul; of his anointing and ascension to the throne of Israel; 

of his prophetic gifts; of the covenant made with him, through 

10. So Br. (with very slight emendations), 

11. Or: “a.” 

12. See Ps. 111 (beginning). 

1. Implied, In Matthew 22:41-46, Jesus applies the words to Himself, 

2. Literally, -. “The Lord will send forth the rod of your strength out of 

Zion.” 

3. Literally, “from Zion.” 

4. Literally, “in holy array.” 

6. Literally; “after the manner of.” 

223 

4


Nathan the prophet, touching his sons as destined heirs to his 

kingship : which covenant, therefore, must have made him aware 

of the continuance of his kingdom under other rulers than himself, 

It was not to be his privilege to carry the Representative 

Kingship with which he was invested to its climax, by bearing 

it for ever, or by himself bringing all nations into perfect obedience 

to Jehovah. He would have to bequeath his throne to his 

sons, some of whom, Nathan suggested to him, would probably 

prove unworthy of that honour. He himself, in any case, was 

not the Messiah. So much we knew from previous Divine communications 

to David. But we did not ’know-however naturally 

we might have conjectured itthat David’s royal line would at 

length be consummated in the person of one of his race to whom 

he himself would own allegiance and whom he would willingly 

call his “lord.” But this is implied in the first line of the psalm. 

David shall have such an heir-an heir whom he can call his 

“lord”; and inasmuch as a living son can exercise no lordship 

over a dead father,-even as, on the other hand, a dead father 

cannot give allegiance to an as yet unborn son,-we are irresistibly 

carried forward to Resurrection days; unless, indeed, 

David is not to die until this his Greater Son appears. We find 

ourselves, therefore, to say the least, well within the scope of 

a revelaticon-a disclosure-a discovery. 

But this discovery, though made through David, directly 

concerns David’s lord-his Messianic Son. This, precisely, is 

what David here tells us. He does not say: The revelation of 

Jehovah UNTO ME, but The Revelation of Jehovah to MY LORD; 

that is, to MY SON, THE MESSIAH. In short, then, we have here 

a revelation to the Messiah; and being a revelation written down 

and preserved until the Messiah’s days, will it not, in the event 

of his reading it, become at once a revelation for him and a 

revelation to him? Jesus of Nazareth believes himself to be 

D8avid’s Messianic Son: his nation are about to reject him, meantime 

this revelation comes to him-to his notice, to his reflection, 

to his need. All who truly believe in the kenosis-the selfemptying-of 

which the Apostle Paul (Phil. 2) speaks, cannot 

fail to become aware that already the atmosphere of the psalm 

has become charged with intense spiritual emotion. No wonder 

that, on receiving this revelation, Jesus is so profoundly moved 

that, to the Pharisees, he can only put questions! 

So far we are assured that a revelation to the Messiah is 

coming, but are not told what it is. Of this the next words inform 

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PSALM 110 

us: Sit thou at my vight hand until I make thy foes a stod 

for thy feet, This informs us that the Messiah will have foes; 

but, that instead of at once contending with them and overcoming 

them, he is to be taken out of their midst; to be so 

taken, by being invited to a post of highest honour; in short, 

to be exalted to the right hand of Jehovah in heaven. We say, 

advisedly, “in heaven,”-first, because we know thcat heaven 

is the place of Jehovah’s fixed abode (1 K. 8:30, etc.); and, 

secondly, because it is not easy to see how a mere elevation to 

the right hand of the sacred a~k in Jerusalem could have the 

effect of removing the Messiah from the midst of his enemies. 

Here, again, it is not without emotion that we conceive of Jesus 

of Nazareth receiving such an invitation from Jehovah. For 

him to take in its purport, could fall nothing short of his discovering 

something of “the joy set before him,” fitted to embolden 

him “to endure the cross, its shame despising.” 

But this elevation is not to be for ever: it is for a definite 

object; and, theref’ore, for such time as the accomplishment 

of that object shall require: Until I make thy foes a stool for 

thy feet. It is JEHOVAH who undertakes to reduce Messiah’s foes 

to such a humiliating condition. The foes are spoken of collectively 

and as a complete class. And the subjugation is to be 

thorough. Jehovah promises that he will bring down the 

Messiah’s enemies to abjeat submission to his, the Messiah’s, 

will. They shall be publicly humiliated-totally crushed. They 

shall be able to rise in rebellion no more, Their being made 

a stool for the Messkvh’s feet cannot mean less than this, 

Ver. 2. Thy sceptre of strength will Jehovah stretch fodh 

out of Zion. It is Jehovah who will place the Messiah’s enemies 

under his feet; but, not necessarily and to the end of the process, 

without the Messiah’s participation. Thy sceptre of strewgth is, 

naturally, the Messiah’s sceptre; although, still, it is Jehovah 

who stretches it forth lout of Zion, the which continued activity 

of Jehovah is to be carefully borne in mind. What sceptre, 

then, is this? And whence is it to be wielded? The phrase 

Thy sceptre of strength is of the same meaning as “Thy strong 

sceptre;” for the Hebrew tongue delights in using abstract nouns 

of quality where we mostly use adjectives, Messiah, then, is to 

wield “a strong sceptre;” that is, to exercise a strong rule, 

to enforce obedience, to compel submission. We are entitled to 

say : Messiah’s “strong sceptre” is the “iron sceptre” of Psalm 

the Seaond, otherwise the practice of comparing scripture with 

225 

1 

,


scripture might as well cease. Now, an “iron sceptre” is the 

fit em’blem of PHYSICAL FORCE. This, therefore, the Messiah will 

have at command, and will employ. Yet will he do this strictly 

under Jehovah’s direction, pushing his dominion through openings 

which Jehovah has made, and forcing submission by means which 

Jehovah will supply. It is Jehovah who is to stretch forth 

Messiah’s “strong sceptre.” Moreover, also, that sceptre is to 

be stretched folrth out of Ziovn. And therefore its enforcing 

activity is to start from Zion, Its holder and wielder is to be 

located in Zion. But what “Zion” is this? It is the earthly Zion. 

And is this movement, by consequence, a descent of enforcing 

power from heaven, and its centralisation on earth? It can be 

nothing else;-for this sufficient reason, that never once in the 

Old Testament does “Zion” mean heaven, or is “Zion” located 

in heaven. No real or imaginary figurative use of “Zion” or 

“Jerusalem” in the New Testament can control us .here, We 

are, in this psalm, on Old Testament ground, and must therefore 

keep to the Old Testament use of words. Hence the legitimate 

inference is, that, in the meantime, the centre of Messianic 

activity has been transferred from heaven to earth. The Messiah 

is now again “in the midst of his enemies;” which agrees with 

the commission here given him: Rule thou in the midst of thy 

foes. It would be more like a parody than a fair exegesis of 

these words to make them equivalent to-(‘From thy safe retreat 

in heaven, at the right hand of Jehovah, where thine enemies 

cannot reach thee, nor for a moment suppose they can reach 

thee, rule thou in the midst of thy foes.” The power might 

be in the midst of the foes, but the Presence would not be-the 

Manifested Presence ; without which-how are the unbelieving 

enemies,-who, as such, do not believe that there is a Messiah 

concealed in the skies,-to connect the power on the earth with 

the Presence in heaven? No: plainly, the Messiah’s special 

refuge-amd-waiting session at the right hand of Jehovah, in 

heaven, IS AT AN END, and he is once more “in the midst of his 

foes” on earth: in Zion, the historical Zion, the only Zion olf 

which the Old Testament knows anything, the very Zion in 

which long ago the Father declared he would enthrone him 

(Ps. 2). Being in Zion, in the midst of his foes, he there wields 

his iron sceptre; and Jehovah will see to it that its enforcing 

activity shall be extended, at least over tu wide land; and undoubtedly, 

ere its triumphs cease, be stretched forth “from the 

River unto the Ends of the earth” (Zech. 9 :lo). 

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PSALM 110 

Ver. 3, But the Messiah, now seated in Zion, has a people, 

who are here described in strikingly beautiful and suggestive 

terms. They are most willing: they are votlunteers in the service 

of Zion’s king; for, by general consent, this is the force of the 

abstract plural of intensification (willingness), here employed. 

They are not mercenaries; they spring to their feet with alacrity 

when the time comes for them to offer their services. The seasonableness 

of their volunteering is expressly noted; for they thus 

come forth for service just when their services are needed, or 

when at least the oifer of them seems fitting to the time: in 

thy day of wayfare--“the meaning being, on the day when thy 

forces muster for battle” (Dr.), David’s lord, the Messiah, 

therefore, has a “people,” who with alacrity press into his 

service “on his day of warfare”; Le., the day when his warfare 

breaks out “in the midst of his foes.” How long they have 

been his “people” is not stated: they are his people now when 

his “forces muster for battle,” and they act in character as his 

people by volunteering for service now that the time for warring 

has come, 

Their appearance is next described: that is, if we follow the 

Massoretic text-they appear in holy adorning, as it we‘re in 

priestly robes. If, however, with some able critics we prefer 

the various reading which (substituting an “r” for a “d,” the 

difference in Hebrew being very small) yields the very dissimilar 

clause On the holy mountains instead of “In holy adorning,” 

then we find in this phrase a notification of the place where 

these volunteers gather: they gather on the holy mountainsabout 

Jerusalem, naturally-for we know of no other “holy 

mounitains”; and this seems strikingly agreeable with the circumstance 

that the Messiah has now fixed his headquarters in Jerusalem, 

since it is from thence that his strong rule is to be “extended.” 

Still, it is not certain that this various reading is to be 

preferred, for a reason to be given in a few moments. Hence, 

for the present, we leave that an open question, by saying: If 

the word is harre, then the rendering must be-On the holy 

mountains; but if hadre, then the proper English is-in holy 

adorning. We wish to find ‘out precisely-if we may-who 

these “people,” these Messianic “volunteers,” are : does this clause 

say they are a priestly people; or does it indicate the place of 

their gathering? Let us follow on with the text, in the hope 

of coming near to an answer. 

227


Out of the womb of the dawn, Thou hmt (or to thee cometh 

forth) the dew of thy young mew. Sudden and striking, 

bright and beautiful, and wholly unexpected, as a revelation of 

innumerable dew-drops in the morning when the sun rises, is 

the appearance of Ithis army of volunteers. They are born out 

of the foregoing night. They suddehly start forth as the 

Messiah% allies “on the day of his warfare,’’ when his “strong 

sceptre” is about to be “stretched forth out of Zion” by Jehovah. 

So ,far our text leads us. Still it does not define, beyond doubt, 

who this “people” mare. 

But just here comes in a remarkable text from the prophet 

Micah (5:7) which looks as if it might have been written as a 

commentary on this verse of our psalm. The reference is to 

“the Shepherd of Israel.” That this Shepherd should appear 

as a deliverer from ASSYRIA, will not hinder students of prophecy 

from associating him with the final deliverance ‘of Israel from 

the Gentile world-power, first represented by Assyria. But 

here is the language in question:-“And the remnant of Jacob 

shall be in the midst of many peoples, As dew from Jehovah, 

As myriad drops on plants, Which tarrieth not for man, Nor 

waiteth for the sons of Adam.” Even so far, the parallel is 

very striking; and already begins to make us question whether 

the “volunteers” of our psalm are not this very “remnant of 

Jamb in the midst of many peoples,” quietly awaiting the 

auspicious morning of Messiah’s manifestation in Jerusalem. 

Horw greatly the quiet deposit of them “among many peoples” 

seems to add to the formidableness of their presence, provided 

they are destined to be more aggressive than. “dew”: the very 

thing of which the prophet immediately proceeds to assure us: 

“And the remnanit of Jacob”-the same remnant“shal1 be 

among the nations”-the same position, stated in duplicate : 

“among the nations, in the midst of many peoples:” in what 

character? as gentle “dew” merely? nay! “as a lion among the 

beasts of the jungle, As a young lion among flocks of sheep, 

Who if he passeth by, both treadeth down-and teareth in pieces 

-and none can deliver.” How wonderfully, though poetically, 

d,o those features of the psalmist’s description here reappear, 

which intimate that in spite of their “holy adorning” and their 

fresh and brilliant beauty, the newly revealed army of volunteers 

are volunteers of a king whose iron sceptre is now, on this “his 

day of warfare,” to be “streched forth” by Jehovah “out of 

Zion”! We tenaciously adhered, a little way back, to the fact 

228

PSALM 110 

that, although the “iron sceptre” was the Messiah’s, yet it was 

JEHOVAH who would stretch it forth from Zion to the ends of 

the earth. And is not this our reward-namely, to discover in 

this “remnant of Jacob’’ the very means by which Jehovah will 

extend that resistless sway of which the psalmist had spoken? 

Thus, then, we appear to be absolved from any need to push 

further our quest after the Messiah’s volunteering people as 

referred to in the third verse of our psalm. They me the 

“remnant of Jacob” “among the nations,” “in the midst of many 

peoples,” sustaining the well-known characteristics of “dew”- 

“that tarrieth not for man,’’ and of “lions” from whose downtreading 

and tearing prowess the sheep cannot escape. If the 

provision of such a people for the crisis is not a stretching forth 

of Messiah’s strong sceptre out of Zion to the ends of the earth, 

we should like to know by what more striking and powerful 

metaphor such an idea could be conveyed. For the present, then, 

we are well content with the Massoretic text, which spells with 

a “d” land not with an “f’; and so are prepared to rest in the 

descriptive clause “In holy adorning” as applied to the “remnant 

of Jacob”; rather than “On the holy mountains,” which would 

have confined their gathering to a single spot. Such volunteers 

atre ‘a thousand times more formidable where they are, scattered 

among the nations; unnoticed, forgotten, trampled under foot ; and 

yet able,-in the strength of Jehovah their God and in their newborn 

enthusiasm for their Anointed King newly seated in Zion,- 

to utter a roar which shall make all the continents of the world 

tremble, By what means Jehovah will clothe this scattered 

“remnant of Jacob” with gzrments of “holy adorning,” so that 

like Jehoshaphat’s Levites of old (2 Ch. 20:19-22) they shall go 

forth singing to the battlefield, perchance to find the foe already 

demolished, we know not; but if Jehovah here declares that he 

will so stretch forth his Messiah’s strong sceptre to the ends 

of the earth, we can calmly await the fulfilment. The morning 

which shall witness that army’s birth has not yet dawned. We 

are the more content to abide by the “holy adorning” clause of 

the Mlassoretic Hebrew text, in that, besides its immediate application 

to the Messiah’s volunteers, it gives forth in (advance 

something of the fragrance of the Messiah’s own Kingly priesthood, 

with the revelation of which a march has now to be stolen 

upon us. The Volunteer Army is ready, so far as the psalm 

itself is concerned: ready, in that with more or less of vividness 

it now stands before the mental eye of the sympathetic reader. 

229

STUDIES IN PSALi?LS 

But meanwhile a promotion has come to the Messiah during his 

absence in heaven at Jehovah’s right hand. An immeasurable 

honour bas been conferred upon him. 

Ver. 4. Sworn hath Jehovah, and will mot regret: THOU 

art a priest to the ages After the manner of Melchkedek. Note 

that this statement is not made in terms which describe a 

proceeding now to take place, but in terms which express acaomplishment 

already completed. The words are not“Jehovah 

sweareth,” or “now proceedeth to swear’’ ; but Jehovah hath 

sworn. The constituting mandate (or oath), making the Messiah 

priest, has already been uttered; and, having regard to the place 

occupied by this report of that mandate, we may reasonably 

conclude that the priestly instalment took place in heaven, when 

the Messiah sat down at Jehovah’s right hand. Of this instalment, 

ho’wever, no details are given. They are lest over for 

a Christian Writer to supply; and right worthily has the Writer 

of the Epistle to the Hebrews supplied aB necessary details; as 

to the grounds on which this honour was conferred on the 

Messiah-how he who now is made priest had previously offered 

himself as a sacrifice,-and as to the abolishing effect of this 

decree on the Levitical priesthood. No such details, be it well 

observed, are here given. The installing announcement alone is 

here made, in briefest terms, and as of an event already accomplished. 

This last point is the matter to be empbasised here. 

The new King has come to Zion; has received his commission 

to subdue and humiliate his foes; and his army of volunteers 

is ready. At this juncture the action of the poem is stayed, to 

make way for this brief and authoritative announcement of 

the accomplished fact of the installation of David’s “lord” into 

a Kingly Priesthood resembling that of Melchizedek. Now, as 

the action of the psalm is immediately resumed as soon as ever 

this heavenly event is proclaimed; as the strong sceptre of the 

Messiah is immediately stretohed forth out of Zion; and as the 

foes are immediately put beneath the Messiah’s feet,-the proper 

effect of the interpolated priestly announcement is to call attention 

to the kind of King which earth receives in now submitting 

to the all-subduing Messiah. In sitting on David’s throne, which 

is his own earthly throne in Zion, David‘s “lord” sits there as a 

priest upon his throne: as at ionce priest and king, exercising 

simultaneously and harmoniously the functions of both offices,- 

perfectly representing and effectuating Jehovah’s rule over men, 

and as perfectly representing and presenting men’s need to Je- 

230

PSALM 110 

hovah, He will thus, in his own persfon, give a strong lead to 

Israel in becoming, according to her original mission (Exo. 19), 

“a kingdom of priests” to all nations. I-Ie will thus become 

the Antitype of the “Sign-men,” Joshua and his friends in the 

prophecies of Zechariah, by permanently bearing both offices 

(Zech. 3:8, 6:9-15). He will thus, far surpass his father 

David, who once or twice in a passing way, served as a High 

Priest to the priests of Israel (2 S. 6:5, 14, 1 Ch. 15, 16). 

Especially will he thus become, to the whole earth and for ever, 

what Melchizedek was Dor a short while to a small area around 

Salem of old (Gen. 14). 

Vers. 5-7. The climax of the whole psalm comes at last. 

The climax is a crisis. The crisis is a battle which decides 

the fate of the world by subduing it to the final reign on earth 

of its Priestly King. The whole psalm leads up to this terrible 

crisis. The first verse characterises it as the time of bringing 

Messiah’s enemies beneath his feet, until which the invitation 

extends to sit down at Jehovah’s right hand in heaven. The 

second verse centralises the crisis in Zion. The third verse definitely 

names it Messiah’s “day of warfare.” The fourth verse, 

as we have said, stays the action of the psalm for the purpose 

of announcing an already accomplished heavenly fact. Having 

done this, the fifth verse unmistakably resumes the action of 

the psalm by further naming the aoming day as Jehovah’s day 

of conger and by plunging inlto the actual crushing of the foes, 

giving us to witness STROKE AFTER STROKE of Jehovah’s activity 

in fulfilling the promise made at the outset to David’s “lord.” 

The first stroke is the crushing of kings. The second stuoke 

is the filling of the nations, or of the battle-field ‘of the nations, 

with dead bodies. The third stroke is the crushing of an individual 

head, who, however, is head over a wide hnd. These 

three strokes complete the down-treading ,action of the psalmcomplete 

the overthrow and trampling underfoot of Messiah’s 

foes-complete the rescue of Messiah’s inheritance. The single 

remaining verse celebrates the victory. 

We have characterised this as a “terrible” crisis, and so it 

is. But, unless words are to be tortured, it is THE CRISIS OF THE 

PSALM: moreover, it is the crisis of the Bible-of other psalms, 

as the second with its dashing in pieces, the forty-fifth with its 

sharp arrows in the heart of the king’s enemies whereby peoples 

fall under him, the seventy-second where the king’s enemies are 

made to lick the dust; and of the prophecies generally, such as 

23 1


Isaiah Second, Twenty-fourth, Sixty-third, Sixty-sixth, and others 

too numerous to be mentioned; of several significant places in 

the Gospels and the Epistles, reappearing with an accession of 

heavenly terror in the Apocalypse. It is a “terrible” crisis, but 

no daring criticism can root it out of the Bible. And, though 

“terrible,” it seems to be a needful crisis, For, truly, the witness 

of nineteen centuries seems to declare that it may be absolutely 

needful that Jehovah’s PHYSICAL FORCE through means of Messiah’s 

iron sceptre should maintain and enforce the moral suasion 

of many foregoing centuries. And, once more, though “terrible,” 

thank God it will be final and efficacious. For, thereby, the 

Messiah will “speak peace to the nations” in terms which will 

compel war to cease and clear the way for gentler forces to 

operate to the ages. 

Ver. 5, Before noticing, in a little detail, the three strokes 

of displeasure with which the foes of the Messiah are actually 

made his foots2/ool, it is desirable to assure ourselves that those 

three strokes are here attributed to JEHOVAH HIMSELF rather 

than to the Messiah. Whether this is the case, turns upon the 

nice and rather critical question-Who is intended by “The Ltwd 

at thy right hand” lof ver. 5? Is it Mewiah on Jehovah’s right 

hand, or is it Jehovah on the Messiah’s right hand? And, as 

involved in this broader question, is the narrower one-Who is 

the person whose right hand is here spoken of? In other words, 

to whom is this line (with the following lines) addressed? If 

Jehovah is addressed, then “the Lord at his right hand” will 

be the Messiah-“The Messiah hath crushed kings,” &c.; whereas, 

if the Messiah is addressed, then it will be Jehovah who 

crusheth kings, &e, Now, n,otwithstanding the plausibility of 

the contention that the word A-D-N-I should be pronounced adhoni 

(“my lord”), and so be regarded as a repetition of the word standing 

at the end of the first line of the psalm, yet as this would 

probably necessitate another change, which neither the Hebrew 

text nor the ancient versions sustain, “My lord at HIS right 

hand”; we sh’all do well to pause and look well to the context, 

before we decide this nice point. Now the opinion is here submitted, 

that the better conclusion is: That the Messiah is here directly 

addressed, and therefore that “the Lord at Messiah’s right 

hand” is Jehovah. And, though this mlay be said to involve 

a change of their relative position-so that, in ver. 1, Messiah 

is seen on Jehovah’s right hand; and, in ver. 6, Jehovah is discovered 

on the Messiah’s right hand,-yet there can be no valid 

232

PSALM 110 

objection to this, The scene has changed, and with it the 

relative positions; and there is nothing whatever incongruous, 

but rather everything befitting, that in heaven the Messiah 

should be on Jehovah’s right hand, and on earth Jehovah should 

be on the Messiah’s right hand; especially as this very representation 

has already and so lately been made as in vers. 30, 31 of 

the next preceding psalm: “I will thank Jehovah . . . because 

he taketh his stand at the right hand of the needy.” There 

is therefore plainly nothing incongruous, if in this place, the 

representation is, that Jehovah, here, on earth, on “the dau of 

Messiah’s warfare,” takes his stand at the Messiah’s right hand 

to direct and aid him in overthrowing his foes, and letting the 

world and all future generations see that it was JEHOVAH’S hand 

that did it. And as, on the one hand, there is nothing incongruous 

to be alleged against this conclusion, so on the other 

there are these reasons to be urged in its favour: (1) that the 

vowel-pointing of the Massoretic text can stand-AdomLSowereign 

Lord, equivalent to Jehovah; (2) that those codices which 

actually have Jehovah (see Gn. under text) will be substantially 

correct; (3) that no change further on in the line, from “thy” 

to “his” will be required; land (4)-most weighty reason of all 

-that coiitiiiued prominence will thereby be given to the feature 

m’ade prominent at the beginning of the psalm, That it is emphatically 

JEHOVAH who places the Messiah’s enemies beneath 

his feet. He does this, because he it is who provides the Messiah 

with his wonderful army o€ volunteers, he it is who crushes 

kings, judges nations, crushes the head over a wide land, This 

then may be regarded as provisionally settled, that the fifth 

verse opens by declaring that Jehovah, on the Messiah’s right 

hand, does the things that follow, to each of which we may now 

devote a momenlt’s attention. 

Jehovah, at the Messiah’s right hand, crushes Kings-literally 

bath crushed, the well-known perfect tense of prophetic 

certainty. Then there are “kings” in the final opposition raised 

against the Messiah’s wielding his strong sceptre out of Zion. 

There are “kings” who hfave not shewn the “prudence” urged 

upon them in the Second Psalm. They will have dared an impious, 

desperate (thing: and for imt they will be “crushed.” 

Jehovah, at the Messiah’s right hand, judgeth (proceedeth 

to judge, will judge) among the nations,-the tense being here 

changed to the so-called “imperfect,11 more exactly, the initiahive, 

incipient or incomplete, precisely suited to indicate a further 

233


and perhaps prolonged process. No details, saving one, are here 

supplied as to the nature of this judging among the nartions. 

The one which is supplied is sufficiently startling : throughlout 

the nations which are being judged, or on the battlefield to which 

the nations gather, there is a filling of the places of conflict (or 

the one battlefield) with the slain-the dead bodies-the corpses 

-the g’wioth. Let him who dares, attempt to spiritualise and 

thereby evaporise this! Beware how you minimise the Divine 

wielding of Messiah’s “iron sceptre” ! This is ‘the second stroke. 

The third follows. 

Jehovah, at ,the Messiah’s right hand, hath crushed (again 

the perfect of certainty) the helad over a wide land. The rebellious 

kings have a “head”: the infatuated natiom have a 

head. That “head” has become “head”-“over a wide land,” or 

has gone up to do battle, “over a wide country.” The student 

of prophecy does not need to inquire who that head is, Even 

the thoughtful reader who has got nlo further than this psalm 

may surmise that here at last is the key ‘that unlocks the secret 

of that “throne of iniquity” which so unaccountably started out 

into prominence in Ps. 94: “Can the throne of engulfing ruin 

be ‘allied to thee, which frameth mischief by statute?” It would 

not be surprising if the instructed Bible student were to exclaim 

without more delay: “Yes! I see: this other head that is to be 

crushed is none else than Antichrist or the Man of Sin or the 

Lawless One whom ‘the Lord Jesus is to destroy by the breath 

of his lips and to paralyse with the brightness of his coming.”’ 

Nor would he be wrong. Nevertheless, it may be a useful 

throwing of ourselves upon Old Testament testimony, if we 

simply confirm our apprehension by yet another reference to 

it as set forth by the prophet Isaiah (30:29-33) :-“A song shall 

ye have, As in the night of h~allolwing a festival, And gladness of 

heart as when one goeth with the flute To enter the mountain of 

Jehovah Unto ‘the Rock of Israel.” Language, this, which appears 

as if -expressly framed to suit those “Volunteers,” coming forth 

“out of the womb of the dawn,” “robed in holy adorning” of 

which we read in the third verse of this psalm. “Then will 

Jehovah cause to be heard the resounding of his voice, And the 

bringing down of his arm shall be seen, In a rage of anger, And 

with the flame of a devouring fire, A burst, and downpour and 

a hailstone! And at the voice of Jehlovah shall Assyria be 

crushed, Wifth his rod will he smite, And it shall come to pass 

that every stroke of the staff of doom which Jehovah shall lay 

234

PSALM 110 

upon him shall be with timbrels and with lyres, when with 

battles of brandished weapons he hath fought against them. 

For there hath been set in order beforehand a Tophet, yea the 

same €or the king hath been prepared, He hath made it deep, 

made it large,-The circumference thereof is for fire and wood 

in abundance, The breath of Jehovah like a torrent of brimstlone 

is ready to kindle it.” Assyria first-Assyria last: that came 

out in the quotaiioii from Micah. The overthrow of Sennacherib 

a type-the overthrow of Antichrist the antitype. But note, as the 

supreme thing in relation to our psalm, the activity of Jehovah: 

Jehovah’s voice--Jehovah’s arm-Jehovah’s rage-Jehovah’s rod 

Jehovah’s strokes of doom-Jehovah’s enkindling breath; and say 

whether it does not read as if expressly intended to be a commentary 

on our Psalm - on Jehovah’s opening revelation to 

David’s “lord” our Messiah. Here is the king-the “head” king 

of iniquity; here is the day of anger; here, the making of the 

Messiah’s foes a stool for his feet. Ye forthcoming army of 

volunteers, yet to spring spadclingly forth from the womb of 

the dawn! get ready your flutes and timbrels and lyres; flor 

although the slaughter will be terrible, yet the joy will be great, 

and the songs that will be evoked will continue to resound 

through the after ages. 

Ver. 7. After the battle, the restoration of the inheritance! 

And so, by the help of Dr. Briggs, we read fpom a critically 

emended text: An inheritance on the way he n%aketh it, Therefore 

he (Jehovah still, as all along so far in these concluding 

verses) exalteth the Head-the true Head, the Messiah, the rightful 

Head of a ransomed and delivered world, Of course, if anyone 

choose to abide still by the Massoretic Hebrew text,-down 

to the last verse and to the minutest letter, including the editorially 

supplied vowel points, he can do so with very little disturbance 

to the general effect; and, bringing the Messiah to the 

front as an exhausted w,arrior, snatching a refreshing drink of 

the book by the way, and then lifting up his head to pursue 

Che flying foe and so completing his conquest-to which he 

will naturally give a fitting explanation. But probably a goodly 

contingent even of conservative critics will prefer the more 

dignified and commensurate ending suggested above, especially 

when they discover the minuteness of the changes involved, 

probably imperilling not more than a single consonant in the 

original text, in the process of copying which such an error 

might easily be made. An excellent, dignified, and adequate 

235


cronclusion to the psalm, will certainly be realised if we thus 

read and expound the seventh verse. An inheritance on the way 

(at once) he (Jehovah) mccketh it, (namely) the wide land 

rescued from Antichrist, or even the whole earth occupied by 

the nations previously mentioned as having to pass through 

Jehovah’s refining judgment; handing it over to him, the Messiah, 

in pursuance of the offer of the Sesond Psalm-“Ask of me, 

and I will give nations as thine inheritance, and the uttermost 

parts of the earth as thy possession.” Thus will Jehovah make 

good the very last line of the psalm also: Therefore (and thus) 

he (Jehovah) exaZteth the (rightful and all worldly) Head (of 

the world redeemed by him, even the Messiah, David’s longloohed-foir 

lord: to whom and for whom this sublime and significant 

revelation was made by the Holy Spirit speaking by 

David). 

The references to this psalm in the N.T. demand a brief 

notice. “No psalm is more frequently quoted and alluded to in 

the N.T. It was, as we have seen, quoted by our Lord (Mat. 

22:44, Mik. 12:36, Lk. 20:42, 43); and His use of its language 

as recorded in 26:64 (=Mk. 14:62, Lk. 22:69) clearly involved 

(since its Messianic significance was acknowledged) and assertion 

of His Messiahship in answer to the High-priest’s adjuration. 

Ver. 1 is applied by St. Peter to the exaltation of Christ 

in his Resurrection and Ascehsion (Acts 2:34, 35) and is quoted 

in Hob. 1:13 to illustrate the superiority of the Son to Angels. 

Cp. also Mk. 16:19, Acts 5:31, 7:55, 56, Rom. 8:34, I Cor. 

15:24ff, Eph. 1:20, (301. 3:1, Heb. 1:3, 8:1, 10:12, 13, 12:2, 

I Peter 3:22, Rev. 3:21. Ver. 4 serves as the basis of the argument 

in Heb. 5:5ff, 6:20, 7:17ff concerning the superiority of 

Christ’s priesthood to the Levitical priesthood”-Kp. in “Cambridge 

Bible for Schools and Colleges.” In accordance with the 

lofty outlook of some of these references, it would not have been 

improper to render the second line of this psalm-“Sit thou 

enthroned at my right hand,” only that such a prominence 

given to heavenly kingship would have been a little beyond 

the scope of the psalm, and was by no means demanded by the 

Hebrew word employed. Carefully followed, the context suggests 

no more than honour, rest, and waiting; in exact accordance 

with Heb. 10:13 (“waiting henceforth”). In point of fact, 

the Son of David is also the Son of God; and the heavenly 

honour, rest, and waiting secured by his session at the right 

hand of God, are coincident with heavenly activity, in other 

236

PSALM 110 

capacities and €or other ends than those brought into view by 

the psalm. In like manner, it would probably have been premature, 

had we, in seeking for the “volunteers” of ver. 3, Ireferred 

to the army seen in heaven in Rev, 19. The coincidence 

is indeed striking, especially as between the “holy adorning” 

seen by the psalmist and the “fine linen, white and pure” described 

by the seer in Patmos. The happy medium to be desired 

in adjusting the revelations of the Old and New Testaments is 

to make haste slowly; not to hurry the elder scriptures into 

disclosures quite beyond their scope, nor yet to overrule, and 

far less to suppress or make of no effect their communications. 

1. 

2. 

3, 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 

11. 

12. 


This psalm is to be a “revelation”. 

in the use of this word? 

This revelation consists in what fact? 

Just what is involved 

To whom is this revelation to be given? When? Under 

what conditions? With what result? 

The phrase “sit thou at my right hand until I make thy 

foes a stool for thy feet” moves the Messiah from earth 

to heaven, How? 

Who is to conquer the enemies of the Messiah? 

How? 

What is meant by the phrase “Thy sceptre of strength”? 

Are we now moved from heaven back to earth? There can 

be no spiritual meaning to the “Zion” here mentiloned. Do 

you agree? Discuss. 

King Jesus is \ruling with a rod of iron out of Jerusalem 

in the midst of His foes, Is this to be a real circumstance? 

Discuss. 

Who are “his people” as in vs. 3? Befiore you attempt an 

answer discuss the three characteristics of “his people.” 

These qualities should characterize “his people” today. 

What a beautiful figure of speech: “out of the womb of 

the dawn, Thou hast the dew of thy young men.” How do 

Christians well compare with dew? i.e. real ‘‘new creatures 

in Chtrist Jesus”. 

A reference in Micah (5:7) is used by the writer to interpret 

this part of verse three. Does it fit? Discuss. 

“The people of God”-indeed the “army of God” according 

to Rotherham is “the remnant of Jacob”. These are scat- 

tered “among the nations” - plainly put - : are these 

Christian Jews who are scattered among the nations and 

237


who will one day be called (or caught up) to Jerusalem to 

fight in the bloody battle of God? Discuss. 

13. In verse five we are asked to believe that God is moved to 

the Messiah’s right hand. Do you accept this thought? 

Please, please, read some other commentary in addition 

to this one on this point. 

14. “The climax is a crisis” in this psalm, What is it? The 

crisis of this psalm is the crisis of the Bible Le., according 

to the writer. Discuss. 

15. The three strokes orf displeasure by which the Messiah’s 

foes are made the footstool of His feet are here described 

(in vs. 5). What are they? 

16. The “crushing of head” refers to the “man of sin”. Do you 

agree? Discuss, 

17. What happens after this great battle? Discuss. 

PSALM 1 1 1 


Alphabetical Psalm in Praise of Jehovah. 

ANALYSIS 

The Psalm is composed of Ten Verses: vers. 1-8 have Two Olauses 

each, lnitialled by 16 successive letters of the Hebrew Alphabet; and vers. 

9 and 10 have Three Clauses each, Initialled by the 6 remaining letters of 

the Alphsbet: thus making, in all, 22 lines; and employing the entire alphabet 

as initials. The First Verse states the THEME of the psalm, and the Last 

Verse supplies rhe THEME for the Next Psalm; so that the Second of the 

pair Begins where the First Ends. 

(P.R.1.) Praise ye Yah! 

1 I will thank Jehovah with a whole heart, 

In the council1 of the upright and the congregation. 

2 Great are the works2 of Jehovah, 

Studied by all who take pleasure therein. 

3 Majestic and stately3 is his work, 

And his righteousness standeth fast for aye. 

1. Or: “confidential gathering”-Dr. 


3. MI. or: “majesty and stateliness.” 

238

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

PSALM 111 

A memorial hath he made €or his wondrous works, 

Gracious and compassionate4 is Jehovah. 

Prey5 hath he given to them who revere him, 

He ‘remembereth to the ages his covenant, 

The might o€ his works” declared he to his people, 

In giving them the inheritance of the nations, 

The works of his hands are truth and justice, 

Trustworthy are all his precepts. 

Sustained are they to futurity to the ages, 

Wrought out in truth and uprightness. 

Ransom sent he unto his people, 

He commanded bo the ages his covenant; 

Holy and to be revered is his name. 

The beginning of wisdom is the reverence of Jehovah, 

Excellent insight have all they who do those things,‘ 

His praise standeth fast for aye. 

(Nm.)8 

PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 111 

Hallelujah! I want to express publicly before His people 

my heartfelt thanks to God for His mighty miracles! All who 

are thankful should ponder them with me. 

3 For His miracles demonstrate His honor, majesty, and 

eternal goodness. 

4 Who can forget the wonders He performs-deeds of 

mercy and of grace? 

5 He gives Eood to those who trust Him; He never forgets 

His promises ! 

6 He has shown His great power to His people by giving 

them the land of Israel, though it was the home of many nations 

living there. 

7 All He does is just and good, and all His laws are right, 

8 For they are Bormed from truth and goodness, and stand 

firm forever. 

9 He has paid a full ransom for His people; now they are 

4. Cp. Exo. 34:6. 

5. Or (mf.): “food.” 


7. Heb.: “them.” 


239


always free to come to God (what a holy, awe-inspiring name 

that is). 

10 How can men be wise? The only way to begin is by 

reverence for God. For growth in wisdom comes from obeying 

His laws. His name forever. 

EXPOSITION 

Considering how artificial is the structure of these twin 

psalms, it is remarkable how little sense has been sacrificed to 

form: perhaps prey (ver. 5) is the only instance in this psalm 

in which a less happy word seems to have been used owing to 

acrostic exigencies. It is further observable that notwikhstanding 

the proverbial style of sentiment which prevails, the striking 

history of Israel has, in this psalm in particular, furnished several 

couplets: as probably the “passover” memorial of ver. 4; the 

grant of Canaan in ver. 6; and again the deliverance out of 

Egypt and aovenant at Sinai in ver. 9. An allusion to Exo. 34 

(“the Refrain of the Bible”) may be detected in ver. 4. The 

subtle difference between deed-thing done-and work-“thing 

made”-may also repay reflection. Jehovah is worthy to be 

praised both for his “deeds” and his “works.” The practical 

trend of both psalms, and the especial link between the two, 

clearly proclaim: “I am holy, therefore be ye holy.” It is impossible 

to exaggerate the importance of the character of the 

God whom we worship. 


1. This is a grand psalm of praise. Please find in it presentday 

reasons for praise. 

2. Why use an acrostic? 

3. How does our consideration of the character of God aid 

our worship ? 

PSALM I12 


Alphabetical Psalm in Praise of the Man who Revereth Jehovah. 

240

PSALM 112 

ANALYSIS 

The structure of this Psalm exactly corresponds with that of the foregoing 

(of which see the “Analysis”). 

1 

2 

3 

4 

6 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

(P.R.1.) Praise ye Yahf 

How happy the man who revereth Jehovah, 

In his commandments he delighteth greatly : 

Mighty in the earth shall be his seed, 

The generation of the upright shall be blessed : 

Comfoyt and riches are in his house, 

And his righteousness standeth fast for aye : 

He hath arisen in darkness a light to the upright, 

Gracious and compassionatel and righteous : 

Well is it with the man who is gracious and lendeih, 

He shall maintain his words in the judgment: 

For to the ages shall he not be shaken, 

An age-abiding remembrance shall the righteous man 

become : 

Of evil tidings will he not be afraid, 

Steadfast is his heart led to trust in Jehovah. 

Sustained in his heart he is not afraid, 

Until that he gazeth on his adversaries : 

He hath scattered abroad he hath given to the needy, 

His righteousness standeth fast for aye : 

His horn shall be exalted with honour : 

A lawless one shall see and be vexed, 

His teeth shall he gnash and shall melt away ; 

The desire2 of lawless ones shall vanish.8 

(Nm) 

PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 112 

Praise the Lord! For all who fear God and trust in Him 

are blessed beyond expression. Yes, happy is the man who 

delights in doing His commands. 

2 His children shall be honored everywhere, for good men’s 

sons have a special heritage. 

1. Cp. Exo. 34:6 and Ps. 111:4. 

2. Gt.: “The hope.” Cp. 9:18, Prov. lO:28--Gn. 

3. Cp. 1:B. 

4. See 113 (beginning.) 

241


3 He himself shall be wealthy, and his good deeds will 

never be forgobten.1 

4 When darkness overtakes him, light will come bursting 

in. He is kind and merciful- 

5 And all goes well for the generous man who conducts 

his business fairly. 

6 Such a man will not be overthrown by evil circumstances. 

God’s constant care of him will make a deep impression on all 

who see it. 

7 He does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what 

m’ay happen. For he is settled in his mind that Jehovah will 

take care of him. 

8 That is why he is not afraid, but can calmly face his foes. 

9 He gives generously to those in need. His deeds will 

never be forgotten.l He shall have influence and honor. 

IO Evil-minded men will be infuriated when they see all 

this; they will gnash their teeth in anger and slink away, their 

hopes thwarted. 

EXPOSITION 

Alsthough the course run by this psalm naturally differs 

from that of its predecessor, yet the oorrespondences between 

the two, both in thought and language, are numerous. Note the 

identity of line ver. 3b in the two psalms; also the recurrence 

of the “refrain’’ snatch in ver. 4b of this psalm as well as that; 

which, in this second case, is the more remarkable, because it 

probably applies to MAN that which was originally spoken by 

Jehovah concerning HIMSELF: as much as to say-“I am gruciozcs 

and compassionate, be ye the same.’’ Then comes the question 

whether, if line b of this verse is transferred to man, line u 

also should not be applied in like manner. If so, we reach the 

rather startling comparison of the Jehovah-revering MAN to 

a light arising in the darkness enshrouding his afflicted but 

upright brother. This is a by-no-means incredible result; and the 

strong current man-ward of this whole psalm appears to warrant 

our resting in it. The quotation of ver. 9 in 2 Cor. 9:9 may 

usefully remind us how strongly the great exponent of justification 

by faith teaches Christians, that they have been “created in 

Christ Jesus upon a footing of good (and noble) works, which 

God prepared beforehand, that therein we might walk” (Eph. 

2:lO). 

1. Literally, “his righteousness endures forever.” 

242

1, We can learn much from psalms 111 and 112 by a comparison 

and contrast, Graham Scroggie gave a very helpful 

chart on this which we reproduce here : 

1. 

1. 

10. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

4. 

5. 

7. 

8. 

2. 



PSALM CXI 

Praise ye the Lord, 

Tho upright. 

The fear of the Lord is the Deginning 

of wisdom, 

Them that delight therein, 

His righteousness endureth for 

ever. 

The Lord is gracious and full of 

compassion, 

He 1:ath 

works to, be remembered. 

Them that fear Him. 

His commandments. 

Established (stand fast). 

made His wonderful 

PSALM CXII 

1. Praise ye the Lord. 

2. The upright. 

1. Blessed is the man that feareth 

the Lord. 

1. Delighteth greatly in His commandments, 

3, 9. His righteousness endureth for 

ever. 

4, He is gracious, and full of compassion, 

and righteous. 

6. The righteous shall be in everlasting 

remembrance. 

8. He shall not be afraid. 

1. His commandments. 

8. Established. 

To whum do the words: “gracious and compassionate” in 

vs. 4b refer? This becomes a startling thought. Why? 

PSALM 113 


A Song of Sublime Simplicity: reaching its Climax 

by Rejoicing with a Glad Mother! 

ANALYSIS 

Stanza I., vers. 1-3, Praise Invited from Jehovah‘s Semnts, for All Time, 

through All the World. Stanza II., vers. 4-6, Jehovah‘s Incomparable Loftiness 

and Condescension in Contrast. Stanza III., vers. 7-9, The Lowly are 

Exalted and the Barren Wife made Glad. 

(P.R.I.) Praise ye Yah! 

1 Praise 0 ye servants of Jehovah, 

praise the name of Jehovah: 

243


Let the name of Jehovah be blessed 

from this time forth and to the ages : 

From the rising of the sun unto the going in thereof 

worthy to be praised is the name of Jehovah. 

High above all nations is Jehovah, 

above the heavens is his glory 

Who is like unto Jehovah our God,- 

khat on high sitteth, 

that down l’ow looketh,- 

In the heavens and on the earth? 

Who raiseth out of the dust the poor, 

from the dunghill1 uplifteth the needy : 

To seat [him] with nobles, 

with the nobles of his people. 

Who giveth an abiding bome to the barren of the house, 

[now] mother of the sons to her joy! 

(Nm.)2 

PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 113 

Hallelujah! 0 servants of Jehovah, praise His name. 

2 Blessed is His name forever and forever. 

3 Praise Him from sunrise to sunset! 

4 For He is high above the nations; His glory is far greater 

thlan the heavens. 

5 Who cain be compared with God enthroned on high? 

6 Far below Him are the heavens and the earth; He stoops 

to look, 

7 And lifts the poor from the dirt, and the hungry from 

the garbage dump, 

8 And sets them among princes! 

9 He gives children to the childless wife, so that she becomes 

a happy mother. Hallelujah ! Praise the Lord. 

EXPOSITION 

This is a Song of exquisite simplicity and grace. The 

momentary feeling that it starts with mincing steps, quickly 

gives place to the perception that its stairlike advances soon 

mount from the simple to the sublime. The servants of Jehovah 

1. Or: “ash-heap.” 


244

PSALM 113 

are the only safe custodians of his praise. But, instead of 

keeping his praise to themselves, they are called upon to give 

it wing through all time and to the ends of bhe ealrth. So much 

already the first stanza embraces, 

Jehovah is related to all nutiom, but high above them all: 

indeed, above the heavens is his glory-his Messengers and 

Ministers are far beneath him-his throne is ever above them. 

Even in heaven, although he goeth high to sit, yet he bendeth 

low to look,-which appears to settle a nice point as to the construction 

of the second stanza, and to intimate that even in 

heaven the condescension of Jehovah is recognised, and not 

merely here on earth. He is therefore incomparable both in the 

heavens and on the earth. 

But the dust and the dunghill especially savour of earth. 

It is here that patience and hiope especially need to be nursed; 

and silent sorrow most strongly commands our sympathy, “Depressed 

in spirit” was Hannah, before she became the mother 

of Samuel; and, in another way, more solrely tried, still, was 

Mary the mother of Jesus. The praises of Israel have been 

composed to help out the sorrows of sufferers into soothing and 

helpful expression; and the language of both Hannah and Mary 

is reflected or anticipated here, where, with stxiking significance, 

the last word is joy! (Cp., for the Mother City, Isaiah 60:14- 

22 ; 66 :7-14). 

This psalm is the first of the series called “The Halle1”- 

sometimes “The Egyptian Hallel”-sung


4. This is a psalm for the expectant mother. 

to Mary and Hannah-just how related? 

5. Sacred Romance might be involved. How? 

It is referred 

PSALM 114 


A Passover Song. 

ANALYSIS 

Stanza I., vers. 1, 2, The Deliverance out of Egypt set forth as the Basis 

of Jehovah’s Worship and Reign in Israel. Stanza II., vers. 3, 4, Nature’s 

Excitement over the Birth of the Nation. Stanza III., vers. 5, 6, Nature 

Interrogated as to the Cause of her Excitement, Stanza IV., vers. 7, 8, The 

Psalmist Answers for Nature: Jacob’s God is Nature’s Lord. 

(P.R.I.) Fraise ye Yah ! 

When Israel came forth out of Egypt, 

the house of Jacob from a people of unintelligible speech 

Judah became his sanctuary, 

Israel his (realm. 

The sea saw and fled, 

the Jordan turned backward ; 

The mountains skipped like rms, 

the hills like the young of the flock. 

Wbat aileth thee 0 thou sea that thou fleest? 

thou Jordan that thou turnest baokward ? 

Ye mountains that ye skip like rams? 

ye hills like the young of the flock? 

At the ,presence of the Lord be in birth-throes 0 earth! 

at the presence of the God of Jacob: 

Who turneth the rock into a pool of water, 

flint into a fountain of water. 

(Nm.) 

PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 114 

Long ago when the Israeli escaped from Egypt, from that 

land of foreign tongue, 

246

PSALM 114 

2 Then the lands of Judah and of Israel became IGod’s new 

bome and kingdom. 

3 The Red Sea saw them coming and quickly broke apart 

before them! The Jordan River opened up a path for them 

to cross! 

4 The-mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs! 

5 What’s wrong, Red Sea, that made you cut yovrself in 

two? What happened, Jordan River, to your waters? Why 

were they held back? 

6 Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, liMe 

hills, like lambs? 

7 Tremble, 0 earth, at the presence of the Lord, the God 

of Jacob. 

8 For He caused gushing streams to burst from flinty rock. 

EXPOSITION 

The exceeding beauty of this psalm must be confessed by 

all who, being able to appreciate poetry as such, at the same 

time possess an historical imagination. The moment this little 

poem is regarded as written for a passover celebration, and 

therefore as one of a series let into the midst of historical readings 

and accompanied by ceremonial actions,-not only is its 

beauty seen, but its brevity is saved from all suspicion of baldness. 

Each stanza says so little; and yet, for such an occasion, 

there is in that little so much that is to the point. The first 

stanza covers at once the birth of the nation, and its orderly 

establishment in the Holy Land under David and Solomon. The 

second stanza comprehends the miracles at the Red Sea and 

the Jordan, and the agitations of Sinai which attended the 

bringing of the nation into Covenant, In the third stanza, the 

poet interrogates the Sea, the River, the Mountains and Hills, 

as though he were there on the spot as a witness of their actions. 

In the fourth stanza, he justifies their excitement, by charging 

them to do the very things of which he has been witnessing; 

only with the understanding that these things are the legitimate 

concomitants of such a nation’s birth. Even this he says in 

suchwise as to convey two further truths: namely, that he 

Lord (Adon) od nature is the God (Eloah) of Jacob, and no 

mere tribal Deity,-as moderns too hastily assume; and, by 

expressing the action of Omnipotence on rock and flint by 

means of a timeless participle (who turneth) fulrther intimates 

247


that such manifest control over nature’s laws merely awaits 

Jehovah’s sovereign will. 

This psalm being anonymous and the immediate occasion 

of its composition being unknown, dogmatism is precluded; but, 

if conjecture may sometimes serve useful ends, it may be asked, 

-Could any author more likely than ISAIAH be named? or 

any occasion more probable be suggested than Hezekiah’s Great 

Passover? Its porition in “The Hallel” could have been assigned 

to it at a later date. 


1. Show the beauty and purpose of this psalm. 

2. Tnace the progressive history of ,Israel in the psalm. 

3. Who was the possible author? What was the possible occasion 

of its composition? 

PSALM 115 


Not for Her Own Glory but for His, Israel moves herself to 

trust in Jehovah to Shew his Superiority over Idols. 

ANALYSIS 

Stanza I., vers. 1-3, Introductoiy appeal to Jehovah. Stanza II., vers. 

4-8, Idols Disparaged. Stanza III., vers. 9-11, With Aflternate Voices, the 

Choir encourages Israel to Tsust. Stanza IV., vers. 12, 13, The Congregation 

Proclaims its Confidence. Stanza V., vers. 14, 15, A Priest Blesses 

the Congregation. Stanza VI., vers. 16-18, A United Chorus of Praise. 

(No “P.R.I.” here in M.T.) 

1 Not unto us Jehovah not unto us 

but unto thine own name give glory, 

because of thy kindness because1 of thy truth. 

2 Wherefore should the nations say- 

“Where pray is their God?” 

3 Wlhen our God is in the heavens, 

all that he pleased hath he done? 

1. So M.T. (without “and”). Some cod. (w. 1 ear. pr. edn., Aram., Sep., 

Syr., Vul.) : “and because”-Gn. 

248

PSALM 115 

4 Their idals are silver and gold, 

the work2 of the hands of men:- 

6 A mouth have they but do not speak, 

Eyes have they but do nlot see; 

6 Ears have they but do not hear, 

A nose have they but do not smell; 

7 Their hands! but they do not feel, 

Their feet! but they do not walk, 

They make no murmuring sound with their throat. 

8 Like them shall become they who make them, 

every ones whso trusteth in them. 

9 0 Israel !4 trust thou in Jehovah, 

Their6 help and their shield is he! 

10 0 house of Aaron! trust ye in Jehovah, 

Their help and their shield is he! 

11 Ye that revere Jehovah! trust in Jehovah, 

Their help and their shield is he! 

12 Jehovah hath remembered us he will blesswill 

bless the house of Israel, 

will bless the house of Aaron, 

13 will bless them who revere Jehovah, 

the small as well as the great. 

14 Jehovah will add unto youunto 

you and unto vour children. 

16 Blessed are ye of Jehovah, 

maker of heavens and earth. 

16 The heavens are the heavens of6 Jehovah,. 

but the earth hath he given to the sons of men. 

17 It is not the dead who praise Yah, 

nor any that go down into Silence; 

18 But we will bless Yah, 

from this time forth and to the ages.7 

(Nm.)8 

2. Some cod. (w. Sep. and Vul.) : “works” (p1.)-Gn. 

3. Some cod (w. Sep., Syr., Vul.) : “And every one”-Gn. 

4. Some cod. (w. Sep., Syr., Vul.) : “0 house of Israel”-Gn. 

5. That “our” does not stand here, as in 3320, “may be explained from 

the antiphonal singing; so far, however, as the psalm supplicates God’s protection 

and help to a military expedition, the declaration of assured hope, 

their Help and Shield is He, may be referred with Hitzig to the army that 

has gone or is going forth”-Del. 

6. “Are assigned to’-Br. (reading SiMiM instead of SHaMaiM). 

7. Cp. Isa. 38:18, 19. 


249


PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 116 

Glorify Your name, not ours 0 Lord! Cause everyone to 

praise Your lovingkindness and Your truth. 

2 Why let the nations say, “Their God is dead!”l 

3 Far He is in the heavens, and does as He wishes. 

4 Their gods are merely man-made things of silver and of 

gold. 

5 They can’t talk or see, despite their eyes and mouths! 

6 Nor can they hear, nor smell, 

7 Nor use their hands or feet! Nor speak! 

8 And those who make and worship them are just as 

foolish as their idols me. 

9 0 Israel, trust the Lord! Re is your helper. He is your 

shield, 

10 0 priests of Aaron, trust the Lord! He is your helper; 

He is your Bhield. 

11 All of you His people, trust in Him. He is your helper; 

He is your shield. 

12 Jehovah is constantly thinking about us and He will 

surely bless us! He will bless the people o€ IsEael and the 

priests of Aaron, 

13 And all, both great and small, who reverence Him. 

14 May the Lord bless you richly both you and your children. 

15 Yes, Jehovah whfo made heaven and earth will personally 

bless you! 

16 The heavens belong to the Lord, but He has given the 

earth to all mankind. 

17 The dead cannot sing praises to Jehovah here on earth.2 

18 But we can! We praise Him forever! Hallelujah! 

Praise the Lord! 

EXPOSITION 

The fact that this psalm is without head-line to divide it 

from the foregoing, confilrmed as it is in many ancient authorities 

by being run on as a contiriuation of that which has gone before, 

is (of sufficient force to shetv at what an early date this sequence 

was effected; but can scarcely prevail to over-ride internal 

evidence in favour of an independent origin. In its contents 

1. Literally, “Where is their God?” 

2. Implied. 

250

PSALM 115 

this psalm strongly asserts its individuality ; and, indeed, points 

clearly to a situation so much like that formed by the league of 

surrounding nations against King Jehoshaphat (2 Ch. 20), as 

to throw any other theory of origin into the shade, That it came 

into further use with great acceptance (at the time of the return 

from the Babylonish Exile in nowise conflicts with this theory 

of its original oomposition. It will be noted that the tone of the 

psalm is peculiar: it is neither despairing nor triumphant. Honour 

is anticipated, but rendered in advance to Jehovah himself. Idolatry 

presents itself forcibly enough to call forth elaborate sarcasm; 

yet it would seem as though the worshippers of Jehovah 

were not out of peril, hence they encourage each other tu have 

confidence-truat ye in Jehovah; but they encoutrage each other 

in song-in responsive song! All the essential conditions for 

this peculiar state of things may be found in the critical condition 

of affairs when nations of idolaters were surrounding King 

Jehoshaphqt; when his army in going forth against its enemies 

was assured it would not have to fight; and when bands of 

singing Levites were provided, well able to raise lresponsive song 

on what might have been a battlefield, for they went fortjh 

before the armed men! In point of fact, we can almost see .tihe 

turning point of affairs on that memorable day reflected in 

the psalm itself at ver. 12. For if,-when the history records 

thlat “Judah came near the watch-tower of the wilderness (and) 

they turned towards the multitude, and lo! there they were, dead 

bodies fallen to the earth, with none to escape;”-if, just then, 

a priest had broken the silence by exclaiming in changed tense 

and in a tone of triumph,-Jehovah hafh remembered us! could 

anything have been more appropriate 6r more dramatic? It is 

quite true that many able critics, who cannot see behind the 

return from the Exile, find another and a not unsuitable crisis 

of affairs, to fit in with that change of language in the psalm: 

they picture a public Temple service as in progress, and that 

when the sacrifice is laid on the altar and Jehovah as of old 

lights the flame of acceptance on the altar, the priest then exclaims-Jehovah 

hath remembered us! But surely it would have 

been ‘all the more remarkable if the language to express that 

Divine manifestation had been provided some centuries earlier, 

when a wide land constituted the altar and holocaust of idolaters 

were the victims. 

Possibly another link of connection is lying to our hand. Jehoshaphat 

lived before Hezekiah. Hezekiah, through means of 

251 

I


his royal library, must have been acquainted with the songs of 

his predecessors. What if,-in providing for his Great Passover, 

to which he was so anxious to bring, in reunion, all Israel,- 

what if he discovered and brought into passover use this song 

of Jehoshaphat’s days, weaving it into the service, with probably 

some of his own compositions,-would not such an appropriation 

of this psalm help to fix it in the “Hallel” for ever? 


1. What evidence of independent origin is found in this psalm? 

Read I1 Chr. 20. 

2. This psalm w,as used for a very special occasion-what was 

it? 

3. Rotherham seems very confident as to the historical circumstances 

for the original use of this song. Where and when? 

4. Hezekiah could have made special use of this psalm. How? 

f 

PSALM 116 


Individual Thanks for Deliverance from Peril of Death. 

ANALYSIS 

Stam I., vers. 1-4, With Profession of Love the Psalmist Describes his 

Peril and Prayer. Stanza IL, vers. 5-9, In Glowing Terms describes Jehovah’s 

Answer. Stanza III., vets. 10-14, Reviewing his Trial, he Desires to Return 

Public Thanks. Srarua IV., vers. 15-19, The Costliness of Death Intensifies 

his Desire for hblicity in Thanksgiving. 

(P.R.I.) Praise ye Yah. 

1 I love- 

For Jehovah heareth my voice my supplications ; 

2 For he hath inclined his ear unto me, 

and throughout my days will I cal1.I 

3 There encompassed me the meshes of death, 

and the straits of hades overtook me ; 

distress and sorrow I found: 

1. Or: “invoke.” 

252

I 

4 

6 

6 

, 7 

‘ 8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

PSALM 116 

And with the name of Jehovah 1 called,2 

“Ah now ! Jehovah ! oh rescue my soul !” 

Graciou~~ is Jehovah and righteous, 

and our God is compas~ionate;~ 

Preserver of the simple-minded is Jehovah : 

I was brought low and to me he brought salvation. 

Turn in 0 my soul to thine abiding rest,4 

€or Jehovah hath dealt bountifully with thee 

For he hath rescued my soul from death, 

mine eyes from tears, 

my foot from thrusts:6 

I will walk to and fro6 before Jehovah, 

in the broad land7 of the living. 

I have kept my faith so I will speak: 

I was humbled greatly,- 

I said in mine alarm: 

“All mankind are a delusion 

How can I repay Jehovah 

all his benefits upon me? 

The cup of deliverancese will I lift, 

and with the name of Jehovah will I call; 

My vows to Jehovah will I pay,- 

may it be before all his people! 

Costly in the eyes of Jehovah 

is death to his men of kindness: 

Ah now! Jehovah for I am thy servant, 

I am thy servant the son of thy handmaid,- 

thou hast loosened my bonds. 

To thee will I sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving, 

and with the name of Jehovah will I call. 

My vows to Jehovah will I pay, 

may it be before all his people! 

2. Or: “involced.” 

3. Exo. 34:6. 

4. M1. “rests”-prob. pl. of intensification. 

5. Cp. 56:13. 

6, “The Hithpa, ’etlahalek denotes a free and sprightly walking along”- 

Del. 

7, MI. “lands.” 

8. Cp. Isa. 58:6. 

9. Or: ‘‘a great salvation” (pl. intensive). 

253


19 In the courts of the house of Jehovah, 

in the midst of thee 0 Jerusalem! 

(Nm.) lo 

PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 116 

I love the Lord because He hears my prayers and answers 


2 Because He bends down and listens, 1,will pray as long 

as I breathe! 

3 Death stmed me in the face-I was frightened and sad. 

4 Then I cried, “Lord, save me!” 

5 How kind He is! How good He is! So merciful, this 

God of ours! 

6 The Lord protects the simple and the childlike: I was 

facing death and then He saved me. 

7 Now I can relax. For the Lord has done this wondeEfu1 

miracle for me. 

8 He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my 

feet from stumbling. 

9 I shall live! Yes, in His presence-here on earth! 

10, 11 In my discouragement I thought, “They are lying 

when they say I will recover.”1 

12 But now what can I offer Jehovah for all He has done 

for me? 

13 I will bring Him an offering of winez and praise His 

name. 

14 I will publicly bring Him the sacrifice I vowed I would. 

15 His loved ones are very precious to Him and He does 

not lightly let them die.s 

16 10 Lord, You have freed me from my bonds and I will 

serve you forever. 

17 I will worship You and offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving. 

18, 19 Here in the courts of the Temple in Jerusalem, 


1. Literally, “the cup of salvation” i.e., the thank-offering of Wine for 

saving me. 

2. Literally, “I said in my alarm, all men are liars.” 

3. Literally, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” 

See context for validity of the paraphrase, 

254

PSALM 116 

before all the people, I will pay everything 1 vowed to the Lord, 

Praise the Lord. 

EXPOS IT10 N 

The personal note running through this psalm is so clearly 

that of an individual as distinguished from the people (vers. 

14, 18), and so vividly recalls the known experiences of King 

Hezekiah, that we may fairly be excused from going any further 

in quest of the probable author. The modernisation of the 

original language to suit a later time (to which critics call attenion), 

is so well within the editorial freedoms known to have 

been taken by the ancient Sopherim, as not to raise an argument 

in favour of a later origin, Starting from the presumption that 

Hezekiah wrote this psalm, we soon meet with indications confirming 

this conclusion; and those indications afford help to the 

more complete understanding of this deeply experimental cornposition. 

The opening line has greatly puzzled critics by reason of its 

abruptness. M

STUDIE8 IN PSALMS 

failure.” Well, take this hint, and transplant it into the circumstances 

of Hezekiah; and then say, whether it does not savour 

of a very possible temptation. Childless, facing death, the 

Davidic heirship and covenant in peril of extinction and dishonour; 

and if the promise to D,avid fail, where will be that to 

Abraham; what will become of the promise to .the Race? “IS 

not the whole race of mankind a delusion?’’ Diseased thought, 

illogical, gratuitous? Yes! but-as a twnptation, to be aftershame, 

and only to be divulged when faith 

ed,-is it not possible, with a verisimilitude 

which remarkably well fits the extraordinary circumstances ? 

Once more: there are those singular lines-Costly in the 

eyes of Jehovah Is death to his men of kindness (ver. 15). A 

glimmer of theik meaning has dawned ton several commentators; 

but how that meaning is intensified when the lines are put into 

a Hezekian setting! “It is no light thing,” says Perowne, “in 

the sight of God that his servants should perish.” With clearer 

apprehension, Delitzsch observes : “The death of Hisl saints is 

not cheap to God; He does not lightly suffer matters to come to 

such a pass; He does not suffer His own to be torn from Him 

by death.” True, in no case, can it be said that his saints are 

“torn from him by death, since their spirits return to him, and 

remain in his safedkeeping ; nevertheless, they are certainly 

“torn” from his kingdom here on earth; and the point is that 

he rightly estimates the sacrifice. It is a costly process to let 

them die as they do: their service is lost, their praises are 

hushed, their complete personalities are in abeyance until the 

Resurrection. To forget this would be to unlearn and practically 

contradict the close of the psalm (115) we so lately studied; and 

it would be prematurely, yea and violently, to cut ourselves 

adrift from the keen and clear perception possessed by Hezekiah 

himself, as seen in Isa. 38:18, 19, that it is the especial functiw 

of THE LIVING--not of the dead-to praise Jehovah. Reverting 

to the costliness of death in the eyes of Jehovah,-two reflections 

appeal to us forcibly: How incalculable is the price which 

Jehovah is paying by permitting so‘ many generatilons of his 

saintly ones to die-must it not be with a view to some commensurate 

end? And, again, if Jehovah counts costZy the 

death of his ordinary, imperfect men of kindness; how Costly 

does he reckon the death of Him who was the perfect reflection 

of this love and who He raised from the dead? 

256

I 

PSiALlMS 116 AND 117 


1, This is a very personal psalm, Who wrote it? 

2, How has the apparent abruptness of the opening of the psalm 

been explained? 

3. Rotherham seems to think verse eleven expresses a thought 

not comipatible with the experience of Hezekisah (or anyone 

else) I Wbat is the thought? Do you agree? 

4. There seems to be much indication of a lack (or at best 

fluctuating) of faith in the psalms, Why so? We either 

believe or we do not believe, Discuss. 

5. Verse 15 offers a good proof-text for the death of some 

faithful, fruitful servant of the Lord. “The death of His 

saints is not cheap to God.” Discuss this beautiful thought. 

Read Isa. 38:18, 19. 

PSALM 117 

DE$CRIPTIVE TITLE 

All Nations Invited to Join in Israel’s Tribute of Praise. 

ANALYSIS 

By Synonyms of Unmistakable Universality, All Nations are Invited to 

Praise Jehovah for his Kindness and Faithfulness to Israel, 


1 Praise Jehovah all ye nations, 

laud him all ye tribes of men : 

2 For his kindness hath prevailed over us, 

and the truth of Jehovah is to the ages. 

(Nm.) 

PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 117 

Praise the Lord, all nations everywhere. Laud Him, all the 

peoples of the earth, 

2 For He loves us very dearly, and His truth endures. 

Praise khe Lord. 


267

- 


EXPOSITION 

This is the shortest psalm, and it has frequently been described 

as the grandest: it certainly is very significant. On the 

one hand, its appeal fur universal praise to Jehovah is unequivocal: 

in the other, the ground of that appeal is abundantly worthy, 

though perhfaps not at lonce perceived to be so speci,al as it really 

is. As soon, however, as due prominence is given to the undoubted 

facts-that Israel as a nation is the speaker giving 

Chis invitation to the other nations of the earth; that 

the invitatimon comes from the heart of a nation met in solemn 

festival especially to memorialise and celebrate the Divinely 

achieved triumphs of her own history; and then the precise 

terms me given their proper value by which the especial reason 

for universal praise is conveyed, then it must be admitted by 

the candid and trained reader-trained in the history uf Israel 

and in the course of the psalms hitherto-that the pronoun us 

of the psalm means specifically ISRAEL. The speakers say- 

His kindness huth prevailed over US, and there is no reason 

to doubt that they mean exactly what they say; and though to 

some minds, this conclusion may 'occasion a feeling of momentary 

disappointment, that the basis of invited praise is not made 

wider, 'as by saying-For His kindness hath prevailed over YOU, 

yet a few moments' reflection may suffice to convert this feeling 

into one of admiration for the very precisi'on of the reference 

to Israel. There need, of course, be no apprehension-that the 

nations whose mouths are to be opened to celebrate Israel's 

mercies will be closed to the joyful acknowledgement of their 

own. But the point of the psalm is,-and it is in every way a 

triumphant point-a note worthy to be resounded through all 

the earth,-that Israel belongs to the nations, that her triumph is 

their triumph and benediction; that in her national history more 

than in their own, the kindness and faithfulness of Jehovah will 

have been displayed in a manner worthy to occasion, not only 

universal, but never-ending, adoration. We of the nations to 

whom the privilege has been given to anticipate th'at coming 

triumph,-how can we enter into the spirit of this psalm unmoved 

? By all 'our grief over Israel's long-protracted obstinacy, 

and over the suffering judicially permitted for that obstinacy,- 

are we moved with joy to look forward to this coming Divine 

triumph : when Jehovah's kindness will-deep down in Israel's 

heart, and all abroad in unmistakable openness of national demonstration-pREvAIL 

OVER ISRAEL. To look. forward to such a 

258


Vicljory of Love, is to know a feeling akin to ecstasy; and that 

we should receive an invitation 60 indulge in so unselfish an 

anticipation from Jewish lips, in Jewish homes and Jewish synagogues, 

is to be conscious of an additional satisfaction which will 

one dtay be appreciated by our brethren of the Twelve-tribednation, 

We heartily thank them for this their Fassover Invitation 

preserved in their Hallel. 


1, This is the shortest psalm and in some way the grandest. 

In what way? Discuss. 

2. Is there here a promise of the general turning of Israel to 

Jehlov,ah in some future time? If so what effect is it to 

have on the rest of the nations? 

PSALM 118 


The Passover “Hosanna”-Song. 

ANALYSIS 

(See bracketed Headlines let into the Psalm). 


(PART I.-INVITATIONS TO PRAISE.) 

(First in Standing Refrain : then in Appeal to Three Classes.) 

1 Give ye thmks to Jehovah for he is good, 

f0.r to the ages is his kindness. 

2 hay you let Israel’ say- 


3 Pray you let the house of Aaron’ say- 


4 Pray you let them who revere’ Jehovah say- 

For to the ages is his Icindness. 

(PART 11.-THE PROCESSION SONG.) 

(Answer to Prayer Acknowledged.) 

5 Out of the strait called I on Yah, 

269

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 


Ymah answered me with a roomy place.* 

(Sentiments Occasioned.) 

Jehovah is mine I will not fear, 

what can man’ do unto me? 

Jehovah is mine as my great Helper,2 

so I shall gaze on them who hate me. 

It is better to take refuge in Jehovah, 

than to put confidence in man: 

It is better to take refuge in Jehovah 

than to put confidence in nobles. 

(Entangling Alliances Severed.) 

All nations compassed me about,- 

in the name of Jehovah verily I cut them off 

They compassed me about yea they encompassed me about,- 

in the name of Jehovah verily I cut them off: 

They compassed me about as bees (encompass) wax; 

they blazed up5 as the fire of thorns,- 

in the name of Jehovah verily I cut them off. 

(An Unnamed Enemy Addressed.) 

Thou didst thrust sore at me that I might fall, 

but Jehovah was my helper. 

(Snatch from the Song of the Exodus.) 

My might and melody is Yah, 

and he hth become mine by 

(Jubilation in the Homes of the Righteous.) 

A voice! a ringing cry and salvation‘ in the homes* of the 

righteous ! 

“The right hand of Jehovah is doing valiantly !” 

“The right hand of Jehovah is exalting itself !” 

“The right hand of Jehovah is doing valiantly!” 

(A Nation’s Inference.) 

1. That is, “(by granting me) a roomy place.” Cp. 18:19, 31:8. Or 

(metaph.) : “with freedom.” 

2. M1. :‘‘ my helpers.” Prob. pl. of intensification. 

3. “Will cut them to pieces.”- “Will mow them down”-Dr. “Will 

circumcise them”-O.G. Prob. better as above, and (w. Kp.) tense rendered 

as a “graphic imperfect” (Cp. vers. 6, 13). 

4. So it shd. be (w. Sep.)-Gn. 

5. So it shd. be (w. Aram., Sep., Vu1.)-Gn. 

6. Cp. Exo. 15:2, Isa. 12:2. 

7. Or: “victory.” 

8. Ml.: “tents.” 

260

PSALM 118 

1’7 I shall not die but live, 

and tell of the workso of Yah. 

18 Yah chastened me sore, 

But unto death did not give me over. 

(PART 111.-REQUEST FOR ADMIBSION 

INTO THE TEMPLE.) 5 

19 Open unto me the gates of righteousness, 

I would enter by them I would thank Yah. 

(PART 1V.-REPLY FROM WITHIN,) 

20 This is the gate of1” Jehovah: 

Such as are righteous may enter thereby, 

(PART V.-PRAISE IN THE TEMPLE.) 

(All Israel as One Man.) 

21 I would thank thee, that thou hast answered me, 

and hast become mine by salvation.ll 

(A Voice Announces.) 

22 A stone the builders’ rejected 

hath become head of the corner! 

(The People respond.) 

23 From Jehovah hath this’ come to pass: 

it is wonderful in our eyes ! 

(A Voice) 

24 This is the day Jehovah“ hath made! 

(The People Respond.) 

-Let us rejoice and exult therein.12 

(United “H~sanna”~~-Prayer. ) 

25 Ah pray Jehovah ! do save pray ! 

ah pray Jehovah ! do send success pray ! 

(Priest, as if Noticing the Approach of a 

Distinguished Worshipper.) 

26 Blessed is he that entereth in the name of Jehovah!14 

(Levites, as if Welcoming his Retinue.) 


10. Or: “for.” 

11. Cp. ver 14. 

12, Or: “in him.” 

13. “Hosanna” Heb. word, meaning save now! save, we prag”-Liddell 

and Scott. 

14. Matt. 23:39: Wntil ye say,” “Until that day, the subject of all 

prophecy, when your repentant people shall turn with true and loyal Hosannas 

and blessings to greet ‘Him whom they have pierced’: see Deut, 4:30, 31, 

Hosea 3:4, 5, Zech. 12:10, 14:8-11. $tier well remarks, ‘He who reads not 

this in the prophets, reads not yet the prophets aright’”-AIford in ZOOO. 

261


We hlave blessed you out of the house of Jehovah ! 

(Priest and Levites when Proceeding to Sacrifice.) 

27 Jehovah is the Mighty 0nelD and he hath lkindled a lightlS 

for us,- 

bind the festal sacrifice with cords !- 

up to the horns of the altar. 

(Doxology by the People as One Man.) 

28 My Mighty Onez6 art thou and I will thank thee, 

my Adorable OneT7 I will exalt thee. 

(The Temple Refrain.) 

29 Give ye thanks to Jehova,h f0.r he is good, 

fos to the ages is his kndness. 

(Nm.1 

PARAPHRASE 

PSALM 118 

Oh, thank the Lord, for He’s so good! His lovingkindness 

is forever. 

2 Let the congregation of Israel praise Him with these 

same words : “His lovingkindness is forever.” 

3 And let the priests of Aaron chant, “His lovingkindness 

is forever.” 

4 Let the Gentile converts chant, “His lovingkindness is 

forever.” 

* * * * e 

5 In my distress I prayed to the Lord and He answered 

me and rescued me. 

6 He is for me! How can I be afraid? What can mere 

man do to me? 

7 The Lord is on my side,-He will help me. Let those who 

hate me beware. 

8 It is better to trust the Lord than to put confidence in 

men. 

9 It is bettpr to take refuge in Him than in the mightiest 

king! 

10 Though all the nations of the world attack me, I will 

march out behind His banner and destroy them. 

11 Yes, they surround and attack me; but with His fl,ag 

flying above me I will cut them off. 

15. Heb.: ’El. 

16. Mal. 1:lO. 

17. Heb.: ’Elohim. 

262

PSALM 118 

12 They swarm around me like bees; they blaze against 

me like a roaring flame, Yet beneath His flag I shall destroy 


13 You did your best to kill me, 0 my enemy, but the Lord 

helped me. 

14 Re is my strength and song in the heat of battle, and 

now He has given me the victory. 

15, 16 Songs of jloy at the news of our rescue are sung 

in the homes oi the godly, The strong arm of the Lord has 

done glorious things ! 

17 I shall not die, but live to tell of all His deeds. 

18 The Lord has punished me, but not handed me over to 

Death. 

19 Open the gates of the Templel-I will go in and give Him 

my thanks. 

20 Those gates are the way into the presence of the Lord, 

and the godly enter there. 

21 0 Lord, thank you so much for answering my prayer 

and saving me. 

22 The stone rejected by the builders has now become the 

capstone of the arch !2 

23 This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous to see! 

24 This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice 

and be glad in it. 

’ 25 0 Lord, please help us. Save us. Give us success. 

26 Blessed is the One who is coming, the One sents by the 

Lord. We bless You from the Temple. 

27, 28 Jehovah God is ‘our light. I present to Him my 

sacrifice upon the altar, for You are my God, and I shall give 

You this thanks and this praise. 

29 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is so good! For His 

lovingkindness is forever. 

EXPOSITION 

This psalm forms a worthy climax to the Hallel. Its leading 

voice-the “I” of the psalm-appears to be that of the Restored 

Nation, since no known individual wholly answers to its use 

through this p,articular psalm. If any individual voice is heard 

in it, it is that of Nehemiah, and that only near the beginning. 

1. Literally, “the gates of righteousness.” 

2. Literally, “the head of the corner.” 

3, Literally, “in the name of the Lord.” 

263


As to the question of authorship,-whether or not Hezekiah or 

Isaiah began to write this psalm, as the conclusion of the Passover 

Hallel of their day,-this much is clear, that it was sat least 

completed after the Exile and was expressly adapted for the 

consecration of the Second Temple. Zechariah, or Haggai, or 

both, may have composed it; or at least have given to it those 

exquisite finishing-touches which so admirably adapt it to that 

auspicious event. 

It is obviously a processional psalm, and in the highest 

degree dramatic. The general course of it is clear; and the 

sound of several -voices can be plainly heard, though precisely 

who speaks in the several divisions of the psalm is, naturally, 

to some extent, a matter of conjecture. Our headlines will therefore 

be actepted as exegetical suggestions, rather than as authoritative 

determinations-which, in no case, could they pretend to- be. 

Part 1.-The standing “Refrain” of Temple psalmody which 

both opens and closes this psalm constitutes a remapkable testimony 

to the good of Jehovah, as a settled conviction i 

heart of the Nation. However severely Jehovah hjad dealt with 

them, his abdunding and abiding goodness to them was a fixed 

article of their faith. 

The threefold appeai (vers. 2-4) which prolongs the national 

Refrain, is for several reasons interesting : partly because 

this is the second instance of its occurrence, the first being 

found at 115:9-11, and the third (amplified) at 135:19, 20; 

partly als’o because of its recognition of proselytes, as forming 

the third division, a class lying on the outside of Israel proper, 

and yet (attached to them in the same general bonds of worship,- 

a recognition which reappears in the New Testament (Acts 

13:16, 26, 16:14, 17:17, 18:7; cp. I K. 8:41, Isa. 56:6). 

Part 11.-It is not quite clear whether the strait and the 

roomy place of ver. 5 are anything more than picturesque phrases 

for expressing, in contrast, “distress” and “deliverance”; so that 

it may be needless to ask what strait? what romy place? Deliverance 

from the irksome conditions of captivity would in any 

case justify the contrast; but, partly influenced by what has 

shortly to follow in the psalm, we can scarcely avoid reflecting 

how miserably hampered for want of elbow-room were the returned 

exiles, for carrying forward the woyk of restoration. 

How serious this difficulty was, and at how severe a cost it 

was overcome, the psalm itself will in a little vividly remind us. 

264

PSALM 118 

The circumstance that, for two lines announcing the facts 

of prayer and deliverance (ver. 5), our song devotes eight lines 

to the expression of sentiments thereby demanded (vers. 6-9) 

may usefully remind us of the need there is that the Divine 

facts of Redemptilon should find fruitful lodgment in appreciative 

hearts, Of Nehemiah, we are already reminded (in 9b). 

HE had occasion for putting only a very little confidence in 

mobles (Neh. 6:17). 

Is it too much to say that by finding in the next stanza 

(vers. 10-12) rather “the severance of entangling alliances” than 

the raising of a fierce battle-cry, we avoid the rock on which 

many expositions have split; and are wholly left without excuse 

if we incontinently hurry down the centuries to the time of the 

Maccabees to discover an atmosphere of defiance in which these 

lines, as commonly understood, could have originated? In any 

case, it was not until we observed, with acquiescence, Ki~kpatrick’s 

suggestion, that the context is better consulted by 

taking the verb variously rendered “will cut to pieces,” “will 

mow down,” “will circumcise,” rather as vividly descriptive 

past tenses than as threatening futures.-it was not till then 

that everything in the psalm seemed naturally to fall into its 

right place. “Cut off” and “circumcise” of course go hand in 

hand thus far: that there is “a cutting off” in “circumcising.” 

Only instead of supposing this psalmist to threaten to “circumcise” 

Israel’s enemies (or else, as the word may be otherwise 

rendered, to “cut them to pieces,” or “mow them down” by the 

edge of the sword) ,-if, rejecting these applications of the word, 

we take the “circumcising”-knife as sternly turned, by penitent 

Israel, against herself, in the way of cutting herself free from 

the entangling alliances which nearly strangled her on her return 

from captivity,-in that case, we reach a result worthy of the 

best of Israel’s psalmists; worthy of Israel herself as now, at 

last, profiting by the chastising hand of her God; and worthy 

of being embalmed in song as a morally heroic act to be ever 

afterwards imitated, especially at Passover times. Let anyone 

read thrlough the book Nehemiah with this thought before him, 

and he must be rather wanting in discernment if the spectacle 

that most impresses him be not just this-the awful flashing of 

the Pasha’s terrible circumcising-knife as he unsparingly cut off 

Israel from her entangling alliances : foreign traders, foreign 

wives, all must go, if Israel is to be saved! We have only to 

irnagint: a poet-scribe, aware of Nehemiah’s resolute doings and 

265


in full sympathy with the spirit that actuated them, setting himself 

to memorialise them in Passover Song,-and what could be 

wished for more appropriate than the wonderful stanza before 

us? Those buzzing bees and lacerating thorn of would-be 

helpers, anxious only to thwart and hinder,-here we have them, 

photographed for all time, in this Passover Song ! 

It was a terrible ordeal for Israel! Nor is it at all incredible 

thlat the poeLin concentrating all the stinging of the 

bees and all the piercing of the thorns into the personification 

of one unnamed enemy-Thou didst thrust sore cot me that I 

might fall (ver. 13)-was thinking of an enemy, not only unnamed, 

but also invisible! Zechariah, at all events, knew of \an 

“Accuser” who durst present himself at the right hand of the 

Angel of Jehovah (Zech. 3 :1); and the sore thrust at Israel’s 

fidelity, which Nehemiah resisted, was probably as determined as 

SATAN himself could make it. 

The 8ong of Triumph, sung on Deliverance from Egypt, in 

its sublimest sentiment (ver. 14), well becomes this new Triumph 

for Israel. Jehovah (“the Becoming One”) having “become” the 

might of his people in trial, and the melody of his people in 

triumph, Israel more firmly than ever before, now becomes His 

in the strong ties of gratitude: Mine by suluatjorz! It is all 

there. 

The jubilation of vers. 15, 16 possesses quite a fascination, 

by reason of its highly dramatic record. It must be confessed, 

however, that it severely taxes the power of sober exegesis. In 

the first place, it is not clear whether the more literal meaning 

tends should be pressed: if it should, then the thought of the 

reader is carried away to an army camping out, to whom is 

brought news of victory; as if achieved by a relieving force in 

some other part of the field; since men actually engaged in 

fighting are not found in their “tents,” and yet it would seem 

that the battle is actually being waged somewhere when these 

outbursts of triumph are heard in the tents alluded to-if such 

be intended. It is so easy in Hebrew story to take “tents” as 

simply standing for “homes” that we are tempted to simplify 

in that direction. But then, again, why are the “tents” or 

“homes” termed those of the righteous? Are they the homes of 

the righteous “nation preserving fidelity,” of which we read in 

Isa. 26:1? It may be so; and it would not be very wild so to 

conclude, seeing that that phrase occurs in a song to be sung 

“in the land of Judah.” Of course, those who fly from the 

266

PSALM 118 

nlation of Israel to the Church of Christ, for relief from every 

difficulty in Old Testament interpretation, need not feel any 

difficulty here. They could say: “Ah, yes! during the present 

dispensation, there have been rousing outbursts of’ jubilation 

in the homes of the righteous as news has arrived o€ the conversion 

to Christ of the South Sea Islanders, the Chinese, etc., 

etc. And the righteous dwellers in those homes have exclaimedjust 

like this in the psalm-The right hand of Jehovah is doing 

valiantly!” Now we have to confess that we oould envy the 

facility with which many enliven Old Testament exegesis by such 

natural sallies of Evangelical fervour as this; but then we are 

sharply called to account by the context, here in this psalm, and 

are admonished that, after all, such imaginative applications 

are not exegesis. For what is it that follows? Is it, or is it 

not, “a Nation’s Inference” (vers. 17, 18), drawn from the 

exploits of Jehovah’s right had of which they now hear, that 

they, the Nation, shall not die but Eve, And recount the doings 

of Yah? Besides: these extracts are taken from the Passover 

procession-song of Israel; and as the procession slowly moves up 

to the gate of the Temple to seek admission, is it not the obvious 

dictate of candour to enquire, WHOM the processionists represents : 

is it their own nation or is it not? At least, if we demur to 

this, let us in all consistency accept the peril of nutioml extiwction 

and national chastening from hand of Yah, of which 

the context here speaks, before we foist any Gentile nation or 

Church into Israel’s place as pictured in this psalm. She has 

had her centuries of humiliation and shame and sore sorrow. Of 

jubilation, in the past, she confessedly has had but few and 

short-lived occasions. If, therefore, it be seemly that we should 

conclude that Israel as a nation will yet repent; and that thereupon 

the “set time” for Jehovah to make bare his arm on her 

behalf will come, let us reverently let be, and see whether, even 

yet, in the future, this bright vision of national joy shall not 

be filled to the full. We are not even sure that it may not be 

necessary to restore the “tents” in their literality; seeing that, 

according io the prophet Zechariah (12:7), Jehovah intends, 

in the yet future siege of Jerusalem, “to save the tents of Judah 

first,” and what precisely that may mean, perhaps only fulfilment 

can shew. In spite of the outstanding grounds for 

suspending (our judgments seen in this part of our psalm, let 

us note well that the loud note of jubilation has in it the 

following clear significance, namely: That at the very time that 

2\67


these shouts of triumph are being raised in the tents or homes 

of the righteous, Jehovah is glorifying his power on Israel’s 

behalf. To that conclusion we are bound by the language 

employed. 

Parts 111. and IV. need but little commelrt. It is only dramatically 

that they come into great prominence. Still they are 

not without significance for exegesis. As, just now, the “tents” 

or “homes” through which victory resounded were described as 

those of “the righteous,” so now the same moral quality is again 

brought into prominence. The gates into which the processionists 

destre to enter are frankly admitted to be gates of righteousness; 

and by giving them this designation, the applicants acknowledge 

that only in the character of “righteous” men can they expect 

to enter; as, on the other hand, %hey s a to protest that, conceding 

them this claim, admission cannot be denied them. This 

moral prerequisite is abundantly confirmed by the answer 

which comes from within. This particular gate is, for some 

reason, described as in an especial way belonging to Jehovmh 

or as reserved for his use; and then it is added that such as are 

righteous may enter thereby, no doubt implying that none others 

may. All of which goes strongly to protest to Israel that her 

worship makes for righteousness; that Jehovah is a, righteous 

God; that sin must be put away if the worshipper is to have 

any communion with Him. The interest of these verses, however, 

is mainly dramatic. Silence gives consent. No protest 

comes from within, to the effect that the applicants cannot be 

allowed to erlter; and as (in Part V., ver 21) the I of the 

applying nation is resumed in the language of ‘dir’ect address 

to Jehovah, the inference is that the entrance has now been 

effected, and that it is within the sacred precdack of the Tempte 

that this voice is raised. The llanguage is that of thanksgiving: 

“I wlmld thartk thee-this is wherefore I have come into thy 

presence-bat thou hast answered me; thou hast saved methou 

hast become mine by mlvation.” And thus again the 

climacteric language of the Exodus is used, now for a second 

time; and as no further words are added as following in se 

as part of Israel’s praise, we are perhaps entitled to say that 

this Refrain from the song of the ancient’ Exodus is felt to 

be too expressive to need further addition. Such, at least, is our 

decipherment of these dramatic words. There can be nothing 

further, for Israel than that Jehovah should have become ‘hers 

by salvation: provided, always, that the salvation itself has at 

268

PSALM 118 

last answered to the ideal of Jehovah’s own kindness and faithfulness 

as expressed in his promises. So that, until this goal 

is reached, every returning Passover should become another rung 

in the Isadder of national advance, 

We cannot doubt that we are justified in thus regarding 

ver. 21 of our psalm as leading us up to a resting and breathiwg 

place, if for no other reason than this: that the $remainder of 

the psalm seems to be broken up into something like a rather 

fragmentary and conversational retrospect. Henceforth the building-whether 

the literal Second Temple, or Israel herself under 

the notion of a temple-is complete; and bhe assembled people 

- give themselves up to tkie pleasure of admiring it. As they 

view the FINISHED EDIFICE, a voice breaks in,-we prefer to 

regard it (as a prophetic voice, the voice of a Haggai or a Zechariah 

: 

A stone the builders rejected 

Hath become the head of the corner! 

There it is, in situ, in its place in the building, before all eyes, 

challenging examination. Can any fail to note the present prominence 

of that Stme, or deny its past history of rejection? Can 

any word of excuse be offered to shield those mistaken builders 

who Cormerly set it aside? Silence leaves those builders to bear 

the blame of their mistake. But if the builders, whose province 

it was to how and act, set aside that most magnificent Corner 

Stone, Whose doing is it that it is now in its right place? The 

answer comes from the beholders, with firm conviction and undisguised 

admiration : 

From Jehovah hath this come to pass: 

It is wonderful in our eyes! 

Is all this a parable? And, if so, what does it mean? 

History records no such literal incident in connection with 

the building of the Second Temple. Surely then, the Temple 

must be Israel! Besides, if the insertion of this Rejected Stone 

in the Temple was effected by Jehovah’s own hands, apparently 

without human instrumentality,-then again must we not conclude, 

for this reason also, that the Temple is the nation of 

Israel? And if, by $he Temple, the Nation itself is here ultimately 

meant, then Who was this CORNER-STONE, first rejected 

then accepted? 

269


We have said that history records no such incident in connection 

with a literal Stone. It is easy, with Thrupp and 

Plumptre, to conjecture that such an incident may have happened; 

nor is it at all unwarranted to imagine such a thing, so 

1,ong as the only object is to form clear conceptions of what 

ideas the language fairly conveys. But the point of importance 

just here is, to keep open the natural connection between the 

literal and the metaphorical in interpretation, It is right to 

cling to literal interpretations whenever they will fairly stand; 

but it is also right, and at times very important, to recognise 

that when the literal will not fairly stand, then the metaphorical 

conception should be frankly adopted. It is so here. The very 

form of the saying-so terse, so telling-almost reduces it to a 

proverb, convenient for conveying forcTbly the familiar occurrence 

of the promotion to power of the person or party that 

had previously been set aside through prejudice or enmity. That 

it is proverbial here, and so also prophetic, we have already seen 

cause to conclude. The correctness of such conclusion is further 

confirmed by the fact that a celebrated prophet before the Exile 

(Isa. 28:16) had already familiarised the minds of the people 

with this very metaphor in a most impressive manner, and for 

most serious educetion,al ends : “Therefore, thus saith the Sovereign 

Lord, Jehovah,-Behold me founding in Zion a stone, a 

stone of testing, a costly corner of a well-laid foundation: he 

that trusteth shall not make haste.” This, be it remembered, is 

said long after Solomon’s temple had been built: therefore the 

foundcation here is metaphorical-one for men themselves to be 

builded upon. “He that trusteth” is plainly he that comes to 

rest on this foundation: therefore, again, this promised new 

foundation, spoken of by Isaiah, is metaphorical. The proposal 

to lay this foundation in Zion is plainly the fund’amental part 

of a great moral testing, to which it is proposed th,at the 

“scoffing rulers of Jerusalem” (Isa. 28 :14) shall be brought. 

With all this teaching, Israel had now for centuries been familtar : 

as also she had been made familiar-still under the figure of a 

sacred edifice, because an ASYLUM-with “a stone to strike 

against and a rock to stumble over” to the testing of “both 

houses of Israel” (Isa. 8:14). To whioh may be added that 

Zechariah, one of the post-exilic prophets (cp. Em. 5:1, 6:14), 

is manifestly quite familiar with this metaphorical style of teaching; 

since he knows not only of a Living foundation stone below, 

but of a Living Cope or Gable-stone above-one with seven 

270

PSALM 118 

eyes! (Zech. 3:9). To come back to our psalm, there can be 

no doubt that the builders who rejected the very Stone that 

Jehovah afterwards made head of the corner, were thereby themselvm 

tested and proved incompetent builders of Israel. 

Yes! it is a parable, here in the psalm; and, to the Christian 

Expositor, its meaning is as clear $as day:-Israel, as a 

nation, first rejects her own Messiah; and then, by a series of 

providences whioh mark out the entire revolution as Jehovah’s 

own doing, accepts him as the chief corner-stone of her national 

structure, But, such is the power of this same testing-stone, 

that, in the very process of reversal, Israel herself becomes a 

new, a regenerated, Nation. 

Here again, as in expounding Ps. 110, we come upon an 

occasion of deep emotion, as we think of the mighty ministry of 

the already written word to the mind of Jesus of Nazareth in 

giving him solace as his Rejection drew near! (Mat. 21:42, 

Mk. 12 :IO, 11, Lu. 20 :17). 

This is the day Jehvah hath made! says another (or the 

same) prophetic voice (ver. 24) ; meaning thereby, naturally, the 

day when these things are fulfilled by the nati’onal regeneration 

of Israel: to which the people-being at length the entire nation 

-will respond: Let us rejoice and exult therein! well they 

may ! 

But that day has not come yet; and until it does come, Israel 

is taught, at every passover celebration, to pray with an importunity 

of pleading touchingly expressed in the quaint words- 

Ah pray Jehovah! do save, pray! 

Ah pay Jehovah! do send success, pray! 

That the three English words, do save, pmy, in the above 

quotation, are an exact rendering of the Hebrew compoundword 

hoshiah-na which constitutes our adopted word “hosanna,” 

may be news to more than a few English readers. At first, this 

may seem to be a mere curiosity of literature, and of no further 

importance, But further reflection will dispel this easy-going 

conclusion. As reappearing in the Gospels in connection with the 

story of whlat is called “the triumphal entry” of Jesus into 

Jerusalem (Mat. 21:9, Mk. 11:9, Lu. 19:38, Jn. 12:13), it may 

turn out to be something more than a curiosity of literature to 

be inf’ormed that hosanna, instead of being a mere flourishing 

banner-word of PRAISE, really constitutes a PRAYER of the most 

importunate significance. For who does not see, that to cry 

271


out to .this Nazarene Claimant to the Messiahship, “Do save, 

pray!” constituted a far graver offence in the Jewish rulers’ eyes 

than merely to flourish a comparatively unmeaning complimenlt 

of praise by way of welcoming him to the holy city? The jealous 

rulers of Jerusalem may very well think: This prophet of Galilee 

may be able to speak beautiful parables and‘ even to heal a 

few sick folk,-but who is HE that he should be able to “save” 

Israel? No wonder that those rulers were vexed beyond measure. 

Not on this man, as a Corner Stone, do these “builders” desire 

Israel to build! 

Even in this ancient literary museum of wonders, we now 

come upon a line or two of surpassing interest. We have presumed 

to place ver. 26 in a headline setting, which, if correct, 

may cause it to burst forth with a blaze of light, by bringing it 

into touch with the most thrilling bi,ography of the world. Or 

rather, perhaps, it should be saimd that, with or without expllanation, 

it already stands in vital connection with the life of Jesus 

of Nazareth. 

It will be remembered that, according to the scenic plan of 

this Temple Procession, the main body of processionists have 

already come up to the Temple Gates-requested admissionbeen 

answered from within by the laying down of the great 

oondition of entry-have gone triumphantly through those jealous 

gates-and, within, have raised their final Song of Triumph. 

And yet now, after thi after the Retrospective Dialogues of 

prophet and people ‘as e admired Corner Stone, and as to 

the New Dispensation Day that has dawned, and after the united 

importunate “Hosanna” Prayer that all the Congregation of Israel 

have offered,-after all this, a strange incident happens! It 

would seem as though an unexpected arrival catches the High 

Priest’s eye. Some distinguished Stranger has, thus late, presented 

Himself at the Temple Gate: to whom the observant priest 

cries out in holy ecstasy- 

Blessed is he that entereth in the name of Jehovah! 

And then the attendant Levites, observing further that the 

distinguished Stranger has with him a body of Attendanhwith 

a like inspiration, but changing the singular he to the 

plural you,-called for by the shifted application of the welcome, 

-exclaim : 

We have blessed you out of the house of Jehovah! 

272

PSALM 118 

Do we dream? Or are we suddenly precipitated into the Spiritland 

of the Unfulfilled? In any case, here are the words, in 

their precise significance. And here is the setting of scenic crisis 

in which the words fall upon our wondering ears. We have not 

invented these arresting conditions. The materials for thought 

have been lying, waiting, embedded, here for long centuries. Is 

it possible at last to wake up io their true significance? 

We must be forgiven if we avow our overwhelming conviction, 

that we do here catch a glimpse of a thrilling incident 

yet, in the future, to be fulfilled; and to the certain fulfilment 

of which the four Gospels in our hands give us not only the 

clue but the positive assurance. The event which here casts its 

shadow before, is nothing less than this: The sudden arrival 

of the Lord (ha-’adhon) whom Israel all along in her better 

moments has been “seeking,” “even the Messenger of that (New) 

Covenant” which shall yet be solemnised with the house of Israel 

and the house of Judah (Mat. 3 :1, Jer. 31 :31). 

How come we by the courage to say this? Where is our 

“gospel” evidence which furnishes the link which connects these 

things together? In reply, we simply point to the words of our 

Lord Jesus which he spoke to the Jewish rulers when he bade 

them officially his solemn farewell. “Henceforth,” said he 

(Mat. 23:39), (‘ye shall not see me until ye say:- 

Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!” 

using the very words by which the Septuagint translates the line 

in this psalm which is now engaging our attention; and which 

Westcott and Hort and Nestle in their Greek Testaments print 

in special O.T. quotation-type, the Ginsburg-Salkinson Hebrew 

New Testament giving the identical Hebrew words that stand in 

the psalm-Baruk hubba’ beshem Yahweh. So that, in point 

of fact, what Jesus here says amounts to this-“Ye reject me 

now: henceforth ye shall not see me until ye welcome me with 

especial and official Temple Greetings !” That glad day has 

yet to come; but when it does come this incident in our psalm, 

we may well believe, will be fulfilled with perfect precision and 

undoubtedly with an excitement which will thrill through all 

earth and heaven, We must not forget that, when Jesus used 

these words from the psalm (Mat. 23:39), they had already been 

employed (Mat. 21:9), some days before, by the multitude and 

the children, to give emphasis to their welcome of Jesus as the 

Messiah. While this fact goes to show plainly that our psalm 

273


had come by that time to be regarded as undoubtedly Messimh, 

-the two incidents, when set side by side, have a deeper lesson 

to convey. The welcome which the multitude gave to Jesus, 

the Jewish rulers took care not to extend to him. But could 

Jesuls be satjsfied without receiving such an official welcome? 

Could he pass the matter by as an incident of no importance? 

Could he be content with the welcome of the unlettered throng, 

and treat an official welcome as unnecessary? He could not. 

He knew that an official welcome was what the psalm had foretul’d; 

and he knew that what was denied him then should be 

accorded him thereafter. ’Tis as if he had on occasion of his 

finally leaving the temple said:-“Ye have not said these words; 

but you or your successors will say them. Till then, we part: 

you go your way-I go mine.” That is the lesson which this 

second quotation of those words in the psalm by Jesus himself 

warrants us to learn. And therefore we confidently claim that 

our Master himself confirms our interpretation of this remarkable 

verse (26) in our psalm, as betokening nothing less than a 

natitonal welcome to the Messiah, a national acceptance of Jesus 

of Nazareth as the once rejected Corner-stone. 

The next section of the psalm (ver. 27 )need not detain us, 

notwithstanding that endless conjectures have been offered by 

expositors as to its precise meaning. We have ventured to 

suggest the general conception of the veme by heading it, “Priests 

and Levites when proceeding to Sacrifice”; as good as to say, 

these words appear suitable for them to utter when about to 

offer the Chief Sacrifice of the day. The first line is not so 

very difficult; especially if we accept the suggestion of Thrupp, 

in which, by reference to Mal. l:lO, he obtains for the close of 

the line this allusion-“and he hath set alight the fire on our 

altar which is approvingly to consume our sacrifice.” And then 

this turn of line one may help us to obtain a feasible sense for 

line two, which has been the most troublesome to interpreters- 

“Bind the festal saarifice-which consists of many victims that 

have come crowding into the temple court about the altar ready 

to #be slain-Bind these with cords, so as to have all ready. The 

Divine fire is even now alight in the wood; therefore, lose no 

time; proceed rapidly with the immolation. Pile up the sacrificial 

pieces up to the horns-and so to the complete circumference 

-of the altar.” Or, throwing in the middle line of the verse as 

parenthetical, “The fire of approval which Jehovah the Mighty 

One hath kindled upon our altar hath already reached even to 

274

PSALM 118 

the horns; therefore pile up the victims on the altar without 

delay.” To all appearance, it is a ceremonial allusion, to which 

some simple act on occasion of an ordinary passover might do 

sufficient justice, so as to prevent its seeming to be unmeaning. 

But, if we are right in throwing the chief fulfilment of it inb 

the future; then, like the CornerBtone, this Sacrificial part of 

the Great Ceremonial may prove to be wholly metaphorical, and 

its Lesson be evolved in a manner which no human eye has 

ever witnessed and which no imagination can conjecture. We 

need not be further anxious about this confessedly puzzling 

verse. Some day it may be th’at we shall simply smile at our 

dullness of perception. 

The conclusion of the psalm is abundantly worthy of its 

main burden; and consists of a Special Doxology for the occasion, 

and then of the standing Temple Refrain. Respecting the 

former (ver. 28), our only regret is, that, owing to our not being 

accustomed to discriminate, in English, between the two Hebrew 

Divine names ’El and ’Elohim, we are without the 1inguiFtic 

means, in strict verbal tranlslation, to give effect to the probable 

climax which their parallelistic use here constitutes. Still, as 

there is a perceptible ascending force in the other members of 

the lines, by which thank thee is intensified into exalt thee; 

we may perhaps complete the discrimination between the two 

lines, if, for ’El, we say Mighty One, and for ’Elohirn, Adorable 

One. The main thing to note is that now again, once more, 

the whole nation is speaking as one man in language of blissful 

appropriation :- 

My Mighty One art thou and I will thank thee, 

My Adorable One I will exalt thee. 

When that Doxology is really and realisingly uttered in fulfilment 

of the prophecy of this Passover Psalm, Heaven and Earth 

will be nearer to each other than they have ever been before. 

Give ye thanks to Jehovah for he is good, 

F’or to the ages is his kindness. 


1. “This psalm forms a worthy climax to the Hallel”-wh,at 

is meant? 

2. What was the specific occasion and author of this psalm? 

275


3. The three-fold appeal of verses 2-4 is interesting for at 

least two realsons. What are they? 

4. What was “the strait” and “the roomlyplace” of verse 5? 

5. It is more important to express our adoration and praise 

than petitions. Why? 

6. Rotherham’s heading : “Entangling alliances severed” is an 

innovation. Why? Discuss. 

7. Who is the enemy of vs. 13? How decided? 

8. “Jubilation in the homes of the righteous” (vs. 15, 16) offers 

a real exegesis problem. What is it? 

9. Rotherham firmly states “imaginative applications are not 

exegesis”-with this we agree. But, we wonder who exercises 

more imagination-the Evangelical writers or Rotherham? 

Discuss. 

IO. What are the ‘(gates of righteousness’’ of verse 19? Is 

there any application for us in this? Discuss. 

11. From vs. 21 to the end of the ps’alm we have a different 

literary form. What is it? What building is here involved? 

12.. Who voices these words: “A stone the builders rejected hath 

become the head of the corner”? 

13. When were the above words fulfilled? 

14. The figure of the cornerstone and the foundation was very 

familiar to Israel. Give examples. 

15. Are we to believe Jesus is the chief-once rejected-later 

accepted cornerstone of the Jewish nation-or regenerated 

Israel? Discuss. 

16. The three English words: “do save, pray” are quite significant 

when studied in-depth. Discuss. 

17. Verse 26 offers a beautiful thought for discussion-please 

take the time to understand the point and application here 

made. 

18. Jesus twice fulfilled the words of vs. 26. Explain. 

19. Verse 27 gives a problem. What is it? How answered? 

20. This is indeed a magnificent psalm. How much of it did 

the Jewish nation understand? 

PSALM 119 


Jehovah’s Will in Relation to Human Character and Ctonduct, 

celebrated in Twenty-two Alphabetical Stanzas, and by 

the aid of Eight Comprehensive Synonyms. 

276

PSALM 119 

ANALYSIS 

(The anarlysis of rlzis Psalm may be seen in its superficial structure, 

and further discovered by an examinarion of the following Table of 

Synonym. ) 

SYNONYMS EXPRESSIVE OF JEHOVAH’S 

HUMAN CONDUCT AS CELEBRATED IN PSALM 119. 

WILL IN RELATION TO , 

TABLE OF PRINCIPAL WORDS AND PHRASES USED IN 

CONNECTION WITH EACH SYNONYM. 

English 

1. COMMANDMBNTS nixwah 

2. DECISIONS 

(appointments) 

3. Lhw or 

INSTRUCTION 

Tebrew 

zishpat 

torah 

To. of 

)e. in 

M.T. - 

22 

23 

26 

- 

No. 

:mended 

277 

22 

22 

22 

look well to, 6; go astray 

from, 10, 21, 110; run in way 

of, 32; lead in path of, 35; delight 

in, 47, 143; keep, (66), 

60 ; believe in, 66 ; understand 

in order to learn, 73; are 

faithfulness, 86, 151 ; broad, 

96; make wise, 98; observe, 

116; love, 47, 127; long for, 

131; quicken, (156), done, 166; 

not forgotten, 176. 

learn, 7; rehearse of thy 

mouth, 13; long for, 20; esteem, 

30; good, 39; wait for, 

43; remember, 62; thanks for, 

62; better than g. and s., 72; 

righteous, 76; execute on (just 

decision), 84; h. and earth 

stand by, 91; not turned aside 

from, 102; keep, 106; afraid 

of, 120; done, 121; shew favour 

ac. to, 132; equitable, 

131; quicken ac. to, 149; righteous 

and age-abiding, 160; 

praise for righteous, 164; sing 

o€, 172. 

walk in, 1; delight in, (16), 

70, 77, 92, 114; discern wonders 

out of, 18; favour with, 

29; observe, 34; Imp, 44, 136; 

forsake, 53; not forgotten, 61, 

109, 163; men not ac. to, 86; 

love, . 97, . 113, 165: frustrate,

~~ 

English 

4. PRECEPTS or 

CHARGES 

6. PROMISE^^ 

SAYING 

6. STATUTES 

7. TESTIMONIES 


- 

No, of 

Hebrew oc. in 

No. 

U.T. 

Cmended 

pikkudh 

’imrah 

hok 

hukkah 

‘edah 

‘eduth 

21 

19 

19 

23 

- 

278 

22 

22 

22 

22 

126; truth (or faithfulness), 

142; go far from, 150. 

keep, 4, 63, 128, 134, 168; soliloquise 

in, 16, 78; obderve, 

(22), 56, 69, 100; cause to understand, 

27; long for, 40; 

sought out, 45, 94; not forsaken, 

87, do, (112); stray 

from, 118; not forgotten, 141; 

know from, 162; love, 159; 

choose, 173. 

keep, (5), 67; treasure, 11; 

not hide, (19); quicken ac. to, 

(25), 107, 164; leadeth to revere, 

38; salvation ac. to, 41; 

hath quickened, 60; shew favour 

ac. to, 68; comfort ac. to, 

76; eyes bedimmed for, 82, 

123; to gen. after gen., 90; 

smooth (sweet), 103; uphold 

ac. to, 116; direct footsteps in, 

133; love, refined, 140; soliloquise 

in, 148; joyful over, 

162; deliver ac. to, 170. 

keep, 8; teach me, 12, 26, 64, 

68, (108), 124, 135, 172; SOliloquise 

in, 23, 48; point out 

to me the way of, 33; become 

melodies, 64 ; be thorough in, 

80; not forgotten, 83, 93; get 

understanding out of, (104); 

delight in, 117; righteous, 

(144); observe, 146; not 

sought after, 156; love, 163. 

observe, 2; rejoice in, 14; delight, 

23; keep close to, 31; 

incline heart to, 36; speak of 

bef. kings, 46; swerved from, 

61, 157; turned feet to, 69; 

learn, (71); know, 79; keep, 

88, 146, 167; dil. consider, 95; 

are soliloquy, 99; take as inheritance, 

111; love, 119, 167; 

get to know, 126; wonderful, 

observe them, 129 ; commanded 

as righteous and faithful, 138; 

help me. (176).

8. WORD 

English 

Hebrew 

dhabhm 

PSALM 119 

No. of 

oc. in 

M.T. 

22 

no, 

Emended 

22 walk in, (3) ; take heed ac. to, 

9; keep, 17, 67, 101; mise up 

ac. to, 28; quicken, 37; trust 

in, 42 ; remember, on wh. hope, 

49; deal well ac. to, 66; wait 

for, 74, 81, 114, 147; stationed 

in heavens, 89 ; lamp and light, 

106; surety with, (122) ; opening 

giveth light, 130; forgotten, 

139; not kept, (168); 

stood in awe of, 161; cause 

understanding ac. to, 169. 

[l. THE EIGHTFOLD ALEPH.] 

Each verse in the Hebrew beginning with the letter Aleph; 

and so with the rest. 

How happy the blameless in behaviour--l 

who walk in the LAW of Jehovah. 

How happy they who observe his TESTIMONIESwith 

a whole heart do they seek after him. 

Yea they have not wrought perversityin 

his WORD)^ have they walked. 

Thou thyself hast commanded thy PRECEPTSto 

be keptS diligently. 

Ah ! that my ways might be establishedto 

keep thy (PROMISE) ? 

Then shall I not be put to shamewhen 

looking well Unto all thy COMMANDMENTS. 

I will thank thee with uprightness5 of heartwhen 

I learn thy righteous DECISIONS. 

Thy STATUTES will 1 keepdo 

not forsake me utterly. 

1. U.: (‘way.“ 

2. M.T. : “ways”-not one of the eight synonyms : “word” otherwise 

missing from stanza. 

3. MI.:


[Z. THE EIGHTFOLD BETH.] 

9 Whereby shall a young man keepe pure his path?- 

by taking heed according to thy WORD.^ 

10 With all my heart have I sought after theekt 

me not go astray from thy COMMANDMENTS. 

11 In my heart have I treasured thy PROMISE-^ 

to the end I may not sin against thee. 

12 Blessed art thou Jehovahteach 

me thy STATUTES. 

13 With my lips hqve I told 

of all the DECISIONS of thy mouth. 

14 In the way of thy TESTIMONIES have I rejoicedas 

lover all riches. 

16 In thy PRECEPTS will I sobquisethat 

I may discern thy paths. 

16 In thy LAW)^ will I delight myself- 

I will not forget thy word.10 

[3. THE EIGHTFOLD GIMEL.] 

17 Deal bountifully with thy servant I shall live--ll 

so shall I keep thy WORD.^^ 

18 Unveil thou mine eyes that I mvay diiscern 

wonderful things13 out of thy LAW. 

19 A sojourner14 am I in the earth-ls 

do nlot hide from me thy (PROMISE) .I6 

20 Crushed is my soul with longing 

for thy DECISIONS at all times. 

21 Th’ou hast rebuked the insolent as accursed--17 

who go astray from thy COMMANDMENTS. 

6. Or: “make.” 

7. Some cod. (w. 2 ear. pr. edns., Aram., Sep., Syr., Vul.) : “words” (pl) 

-Gn. 

8. Some cod. (w. 1 ear. pr. edn., Aram., Sep., Syr., Vul.) : “promises” 

(pl.) -Gn. 

9. M.T.: “statutes”-in %ere 12: “law” not otherwise in stanza. 

IO. In some cod. (w. 2 ear. pr. edns., Aram., Sep., Syr., Vul.) : “words” 

(pl.) -Gn. 

11. Cp. Isa. 38:19. 

12. Some cod. (w. Aram., Sep., Syr., Vul.): “words” (p1.)-Gn. 

13. Cp. ver. 27. 

14. Cp. ver. 64, Ps. 39:12, Gen. 47:9. 

15. Or: “land.” 

16. M.T.: %ommandments”-in ver. 21 : “promise” not otherwise in 

stanza. 

17. Or: “insolent-accursed are they who,” etc. 

280

PSALM 119 

22 Roll off from me reproach and contemptfor 

thy ( PBECEPTS) have I observed. 

23 Although princes have taken their seat against me have 

talkedthy 

servant doth soliloquise in thy STATUTES. 

24 Yea18 thy TESTIMONIES are my de1igh-G- 

[they are] my couse110rs.20 

[e. THE EIGHTFOLD DALETH.] 

25 My soul cleaveth unto the dustquicken 

me according to thy (PROMISE) .21 

26 My ways I recounted and thou didst answer mehaCh 

Me thy STATUTES. 

27 The way of thy PRECEPTS cause thou me 210 understandso 

will I soliloquise in thy wondrous things.2z 

28 My soul hath wept ibself away for griefraise 

me up according to thy 

29 The way of falsehood remove from me-24 

and with thy LAW be gracious unto me.26 

30 The way of faithfulness have I chosenthy 

DECISIONS do I esteem.2u 

31 I have kept close to thy TESTIMONIES- 

Jehovah! do not put me to shame, 

32 The way of thy COMMANDMENTS will I runfor 

thou wilt enllarge my heart.27 

33 

[5. THE EIGHTFOLD HE.] 

Point out to me Jehovah the way of thy STAT~TESand 

I will observe it unto the end. 

18. M.T.: “testimonies”4n ver. 24: “precepts” not otherwise in stanza. 

19. So Dr., Br.; also Per.; “Nevertheless” (thus connecting vers. 23, 24) 

-Del. 

20. M1. : “my men of counsel”= “my counselmen” =“my counsellors.’’ 

21. M.T.: “word”-in ver. 28: $‘promise” otherwise not in stanza. 

22. Cp. vers. 18, 129. 

23. Some cod, (w. 1 ear. pr. edn.) : “according to thy words” (pl). But 

other cod. (w. Sep., Vul.) :“in (or ‘by’) thy words” (p1.)-Gn. 

24. Cp. Mt. 6:13. 

26. “And favour me with Thine instruction” ("tomb not having the 

notion of fixed doctrine, but that; of living empirical instruction”) -Del. 

“Grant me thy law graciously”-A.V., R.V., Dr. “With thy law be gracious 

to me”-Br., Per. “Bestow upon me thy law”-Carter. “Be gracious to me 

according to thy law’‘-Aglen. 

26. So Dr. ‘‘Have I set before me”-Del. 

27. “That is, cause it to swell €or joy.” Cp. Isa. f30:ELDr. Sp. I. 

Watts’hm. ‘‘My God the spring,” ver. 4. 

281


34 Cause me to understand that I may observe thy LAWand 

I will keep it with a whole heart. 

35 Lead me in the path of thy COMMANDMENTSfor 

therein do I findz8 pleasure. 

36 Incline my heart unto thy TESTIMOESand 

not unto covetousness. 

37 Cause mine eyes to pass on from beholding ~nreality-~~ 

by thy (WORD) 30 quicken thou me. 

38 Confirm unto thy servant thy PROMISEwhich 

leadeth men to ‘revere thee.3l 

39 Cause to pass away my reproach which I have fearedfor 

thy DECISIONS are good. 

40 Lo! I bave longed for thy PRECEPTSin 

thy righteousness quicken thou me. 

[6. THE EIGHTFOLD WAW.] 

41 And let thy kindness reach me 0 Jehovahthy 

salvation according to thy PROMISE. 

42 And I will make answer to him that reproacheth meforS2 

I trust in thy WORD. 

43 And do not snatch away from my mouth a truthful word 

utterlybecause 

for thy DECISIONS have I waited. 

44 And I will keep thy LAW continuallyto 

the agess8’ aria beyond. 

45 And I will walk to and fro in a roomy 

because thy PRECEPTS bave I sought 

46 And I will speak of thy TESTIMONIES before kingsand 

shall not be put to shame. 

47 And I will delight myself in thy COMMANDMENTSthe 

which I have loved. 

28. Or: “have I found.” 

29. So Dr. “Without real, Le., without divine substance; God-opposed 

teaching and life”-Del. “Worthlessness”-Br, “Delusion”-Carter. “Perhaps 

from looking on idok”-Aglen. And cp. Mt. 6:13. 

30. M.T.: “ways”-not one of the eight: “word” not otherwise in stanza. 

31. Cp. 130:4. 

32. Or: “that.” 

33. U.: “to times age-abiding.” 

34. Cp. 18:19, 31:8, 1185. 

36. Or: “studied.” 

282

PSALM 119 

48 And I will lift up mine open handsso unto thy 

comman dment~-~~ 

and will solibquise in thy STATUTES. 

[7. THE EI’GHTFOLD ZAYLN.] 

49 Remember the WORD to thy servanC 

seeing that thou hast oaused me to hope. 

50 This is my comfort in my h~miliation-~~ 

that thy PROMISE hakh quickened me. 

51 Insolent men have scorned me exceedinglyfrom 

thy (TESTIMONIES) 38 have I not swerved. 

52 I bave remembered thy DECISIONS [that have been] from 

antiquity Jehovahand 

have consoled myself. 

53 A lranging heat hath seized me by reason of the lawlessforsakers 

of thy LAW. 

54 Melodies have thy STATUTES become to mein 

my house of ~sojo~rn,~~ 

55 I have remembered in the night thy name Jehovah! 

and have kept thy (COMMANDMENTS) .41 

56 This hath become minethat 

thy PRECEPTS have I observed. 

[8, THE EIGHTFOLD HETH.] 

57 My portion Jehovah ! 

I have said42 I would keep thy WORDS. 

68 I have sought the smile of thy with a whole heartbe 

gracious unto me according to thy PROMISE. 

69 I thlought on my waysand 

turned my feet unto thy TESTIMONIES. 

60 I have hastened and not delayedto 

keep thy COMMANDMENTS. 

61 The meshes of lawless men have enclosed methy 

LAW hiave I not forgotten. 

36. MI.: “palms.” 

37. M.T. adds: “which I have loved”-“repeated probably by error from 

ver. 47”-Dr. 

38. Cp. vers. 67, 71, 76, 92, 107. 

39. M.T. : “law”-in yer. 63 : “testimonies” not otherwise in stanza, 

40. Cp. ver. 19, Ps. 39:12, Gen. 47:9. Or-may not the allusion be to a 

temporary banishment? Cp. and consider Pss. 42, 43. 

41. M.T.: “law”-in ver. 63 : ‘‘commandments” not otherwise in stanza. 

42. Or: “promised.” Cp. 1 Ch. 27:23, 2 Ch. 21:7, Est. 4:7, 2 K. 8:19, 

Neh. 9 :23; hence ’imrah easily becomes “promise” where context favours. 

43. “Lit. make the face of any one sweet pleasant”-O.G. 318b. 

283

62 

63 

64 

65 

66 

67 

68 

69 

70 

71. 

72 

73 

74 


At midnight I arise to give thanks to theebecause 

of thy righteous DECISIONS. 

Companion am I to all who revere thee- 

#and Q them who keep thy PRECEPTS. 

Of thy kindness Jehovah the earth is fullthy 

STATUTES 0 teach me. 

C9. THE EIGHTFOLD TETH.] 

Well hast thou dealt with thy ServanL 

0 Jehovah according to thy WORD. 

Good perception44 and knowledge teach thou mefor 

in thy COMMANDMENTS have I believed. 

Before I was humbled45 I was going astraybut 

now thy PROMISE46 have I kept. 

Good art thou and a doer of good--“‘ 

teach me thy STATUTES. 

Insolent men have plastered falsehood over me-48 

I with ,a whole heart will observe thy PRECEPTS. 

Unfeeling like fat49 is their heart 

I in thy LAW have found delight. 

Well was it for me that I was humbled-6o 

to the end I might learn thy (TESTIMONIES) .61 

Better to me the (DECISIONS)~~ of thy mouth-s8 

than thousands of gold and silver. 

[lo. THE EIGHTFOLD YODH.] 

Thine own hands made me and established mecause 

me to understand that I rpay learn thy 

COMMANDMENTS. 

They who revere thee shall see me and rejoicethat54 

for thy WORD I waited6s 

44. MI. : “taste”=quick moral perception, 

46. Cp. refs, to ver. 60. 

46. “Promise”-if understood as conditional or directory : else, %aying.” 

47. Cp. Wesley’s hymn: “Good thou art.” 

48. So Dr. 

49. “Impervious to good influences; cp. Isa. 6:10”-Dr. 

60. cp. refs. to ver. 60. 

61. M.T. : “statutes”-in ver. 68: “testimonies” not otherwise in stanza. 

62. M.T.: “law”-in ver. 70: “decisions” not otherwise in stanza, 

63, Cp. vers. 13,88. 

64, Or: “because.” 

66. Cp. 36:27. 

284

PSALM 119 

76 I know Jehovah that righteous are thy DECISIONSand 

in faithfulness didst; thou me. 

76 Let thy kindness pray serve to comfort meaccording 

,h thy PROMISE to thy servant. 

77 Let thy compassions reach me that I may livefor 

thy LAW is my delight. 

78 Put to be insolent men that with falsehood they 

deprived me of 

I soliloquise in thy PRECEPTS. 

79 Let those who revere thee turP unto meand 

they shallao know thy TESTIMONIES. 

80 Let my heart be blamelesss1 in thy STATUTESto 

the end I may not be put to shame. 

[ll. THE EIGHTWLD KAPH.] 

81 My soul languishethe2 for thy salvationfor 

thy WORD have I waited. 

82 . Bedimmed are mine eyes far thy PROMISS 

saying When wilt thou comfort me? 

83 Though I have become like a wine-skin in smoke 

thy STATUTES have I not forgotten. 

84 How many are the days of thy servant? 

when wilt, thlou execute on my persecutors a 

85 Insolent men have digged for me pitswho 

are not according to thy LAW. 

86 AII thy COMMANDMENTS are faithfulnessfalsely64 

have they persecuted me help me ! 

-68 

87 Almost had they made an end of meG5 in the landbut 

I forsook not thy PRECEPTS. 

88 According to thy kindness quicken Methat 

I may keep the TESTIMONY”~ of thy mouth. 

66. Cp. refs. to ver. 60. 

67. Cp. 35:26. 

68. So (prob.)-O.G. 

69. Or: “return.” 

60. Or: “who”-ancient authorities divided. 

61. Or: “thorough”; - cp. ver. 113. 

62. Cp. 84:2. 

63. A 110s. error for the customary - “thy - decisions.” 

64. C i ver. 78: and 36:19. 

66. Cp. 36:26. 


67. “Read ‘testimonies’ as usual”-Br. 

285 

DECISION ?“

89 

90 

91 


FOLD LAMEDH.] 

thy WORD is stationed in the heavens. 

To generation after generation is thy PROMISE-“ 

thou hastTi established the earth and it standeth. 

BY 

IONS they stand to-day- 

i ’ 

,. . 

for are thy servants. 

92 Unless thy LAW had been my delighbthen 

should I have periished in my h~miliation.~~ 

93 To the ages will I not forget thy STATUTES-T4 

for by them hast $hpu quickened me. 

94 Thine am I 0 save mefor 

thy PRECEPTS have I sought 

95 For me have lawless men waited to destroy methy 

TESTIMONIES do I diligently consider. 

96 To all completeness have I seen an endbroad 

is thy COMMANDMENT exceedingly. 

[13. THE EIGHTFOLD MEM.] 

97 Oh how I love thy LAW!- 

all the day is it my soliloquy. 

98 Beyond mine enemies shall thy COMMANDMENT make me 

wisefor 

age-abiding it is mine. 

99 Beyond all my teachers have I shewn understandingbecause 

thy TESTIMONIES are a soliloquy to me. 

100 Beyond elders do I get understandingbecause 

thy PRECEPTS have I observed: 

101 From every path of wickedness have I restrainedT6 my feetto 

the end I might keep thy WORD. 

102 From thy DECISIONS have I not turned asidefor 

thou thyself haist directed me. 

68. U.: “To times age-abiding.” 

69. “For ever is Jahve”-Del. 

70. M.T. : “faithfu1ness”not a syn. : “promise” not otherwise in stanza. 

71. Or: “didst.” 

72. “All things”-Dr. “All beings”-Del. 

73. Cp. refs. to ver. 60, and cp. Gen. 8:21,22, also Ps. 33:6-9. 

74. M.T.: “precepts”-in ver. 94: “statutes” not otherwise in stanza. 


76. Dr. after P.B.V.: “refrained.” 

286

PSALM 119 

103 How pleasantT7 to my palate is thy PROMISI+~* 

more than honey to my mouth. 

104 Out of thy (STATUTES) do I get understandingtherefore 

do I hate every path of falsehood. 

[14. THE EIGHTFOLD NUN.] 

105 A lamp to my foot is thy WORDand 

a light to my path. 

106 I have sworn and have confirmed itto 

keep thy righteous DECISIONS. 

107 I have been humbledBo exceedingly Jehovah! 

quicken thou me according to thy (PROMISE) 

108 The freewill offerings of my mouth accept pray Jehovah! 

and thy (STATUTES) 82 teach thou me. 

109 My lifesa is in mine open hand8* continuallyyet 

thy LAW have I not forgotten. 

110 The lawless set a trap for meyet 

from thy COMMANDMENTS~~ I went not astray. 

111 I bave taken as an inheritance thy TESTIMONIES to the agesfor 

the exultation of my heart are they. 

112 I have inclined my heart to do thy (PRECEPTS)-~~ 

a reward to the ages. 

[15. THE EIGHTFOLD SAMECH.] 

113 Half-hearted ones8? do I hatebut 

thy LAW do I love. 

114 My hiding-place and my shield art thoufor 

thy WORD have I waited. 

115 Depart from me ye evil-doersand 

I will observe the COMMANDMENTS of my God. 

116 Uphold me according to thy PROMISE that I may liveand 

do not shame me outE8 of my hope. 

77. MI. : “smooth.” 

78. Some cod. (w. Sep., Syr., Vul.) : “are thy promises” (p1.)-Gn. 

79. M.T. : “precepts”-in ver. 100 : %tatutes” not otherwise in stanza 

80. Cp. refs. to ver. 60. 

81. M.T. : “word”-in ver. 106 : “promise” not otherwise in stanza. 

82. M.T, : “decisions”-in ver. 106. 

83. U.: “soul.” 

84. Ml.: ‘Lpalm.” 

86. M.T. : L‘precepts’’-%ommandments’’ not otherwise in stanza, 

86. M.T.: “statutes”-(now) in ver. 108. 

87. Cp. ver. 80n. 

88. Or: “on account.” 

287 

9, 

44 

R:


117 Support me that I may be savedand 

I will delight in thy STATUTES continually. 

118 Thou hast made light of all who stray from thy 

(PRECEPTS) -8g 

because of the falsehood of their decekBO 

119 Dross have I accountedB1 all the lawless of the land-92 

therefore do I love thy TESTIMONIES, 

120 My flesh hath bristled up from dread of theeand 

of thy DECISIONS have I been afraid. 

THE EIGHTFOLD AYIN.] 

121 I have done righteous DECISIONS) -Qs 

do not leave me to mine oppressors. 

122 Be thou surety (with thy WORD)^^ for thy servant for goodlet 

not insolent men oppress me. 

123 Mine eyes have become dim for thy salvationand 

for thy righteous PROMISE. 

124 Deal with thy servant according to thy kindnessand 

thy STATUTES teach thou me. 

125 Thy servant m I cause me to have understandingso 

shall I get to know thy TESTIMONIES. 

126 It is time for Jehovah to actthey 

have frustrated thy LAW. 

127 Therefore do I love thy COMMANDMENTSmore 

than gold yea than fine gold. 

128 Therefore all thy PRECEPTS concerning me have I kepGg6 

every path of falsehoode0 do I hate. 

[17. THE EIGHTFOLD PE.] 

129 WonderfulQ7 are thy TESTIMONIEStherefore 

hath my soul observed them. 

130 The ‘opening of thy WORD^* giveth lightcausing 

the simple to understand. 

89. M.T. : “statutes”4n ver. 117: “precepts” not otherwise in stanza. 

90. Cp. 36:19. 

91. So it shd. be (w. Sep., Vu1.)-Gn. 


93. M.T.: “justice and righteousness”-in which case no synonym in ver. 

94. So Br. M.T.: no synonym. 

96. So. Gt. 

96. Cp. ver. 118, Ph. 36:lO. 

97. Cp. vers. 18, 27. 

98. M.T.: “words” (pl.) . 

288

PSALM 119 . 

131 My mouth h.ave I opened wide and pant~d-~~ 

because for thy COMMANDMENTS have I longed. 

I 132 Turn to him that loveth thy nameand 

according to thy DECISIONS be gracious unto me.1oo 

133 My footsteps direct thou in thy PROMISG~~~ 

I and let nlo iniqUitylo2 have dominion over me, 

134 Ransom me from the oppression of manand 

I Will keep thy PRECEPTS. 

136 Thy face light thou up on thy servantand 

teach me thy STATUTES. 

136 Streams1oa of water have run down mine eyes-Io4 

because they have not kept thy LAW. 

[lS. THE EIGHTFOLD ZADHE.] 

137 Righteous art thou Jehovahand 

straightforwardlo5 are thy DECISIONS. 

138 Thou hast commanded asToG Tighteousness thy TESTIMONIESand 

aslo6 exceeding faithfulness. 

139 My zeal hath und,one1O7 mefor 

mine adversaries have forgotten thy WORD.lo* 

140 RefinedlOg is thy PROMISE to the uttemostand 

thy servant loveth it. 

141 YoungllO am I and despisedthy 

PRECEPTS have I not forgotten. 

142 Thy righteousness is right to the ages--lll 

and thy LAW is truth. 

143 Strait and stress have found methy 

COMMANDMENTS are my delight. 

99. Cp. Pss. 42, 43. 

100. Verse emended after Br., restoring synonym. 

101. “Promise”-if understood to be conditional and directory : otherwise 

“saying.” 

102. “Naughtiness”-Dr. 

103. “Rills”-Dr. 

104. Cp. 42:3. 

106. “Upright’-Dr. “Straight”-Del. Cp. 19 :8. 

106. Or: “in.” 

107. U. : “exterminated.” 

108. M.T.: “words” (pl.), Some cod. (w. 1 ear. pr. edn., Syr.) : “word” 

(sing.)-Gn. 

109. “Sterling metal”-Dr. Cp. Pro. 30:5. “Is very pure”-Del. 

110. So Del. “Small’-Per., Kp., Br., Dr. (“or young”), “Little”- 

Carter. “More often of age”-O.G. 

111. U. : “to times age-abiding.” 

289 

,


144 Righteous are thy (STATUTES) to the agesgive 

me understanding that I may live. 

[19. THE EIGHTFOLD KOPH.] 

145 I have called with ‘a whole heart answer me Jehovah!- 

thy STATUTES will I observe. 

146 I have called upon thee 0 save me!- 

and I will keep thy TESTIMONIES. 

147 I am beforehand with the morning twilight and cry for 

helpfor 

thy WORDI~~ have I waitedr 

148 Mine eyes forestall the night-watchesto 

solibquise in thy PROMISE. 

149 My voice 0 hear according to thy kindness- 

Jehovah ! according to thy DECISIONS~~* quicken me. 

150 They have dcawn near who persecute114 with infamous 

devicesfrom 

thy LAW have they gone far away. 

151 Near art thou Jehovah- 

\ 

and all thy COMMANDMENTS are truth. 

152 Long have I known from thy (PRECEPTS)-~~~ 

that to the agePa th’ou didst found them. 

[20. THE EIGHTFOLD RESH.] 

153 0 see my humiliation and rescue mefor 

thy LAW have I not forgotten. 

154 Plead my oause and redeem meby 

thy PROMISE 0 quicken me. 

155 Far from lawless men is salvationfor 

thy STATUTES have they not sought 0 ~t.l~~ 

156 Thy compassions are many Jehovahaccording 

to thy (COMMANDMENTS) 11* quicken me. 

167 Many are my persecutors and mine adversariesfrom 

thy TESTIMONIES have 1 not swerved. 

112. 

113. 

114. 

116. 

MSS. and versions vary between “word” and 14words’’-cp. Gn. 

So (pl.) in some cod. (w. 6 ear. pr edns.)-Gn. M.T. sing. 

Some cod. (w. Sep., Syr., Vul.) :“persecute me”-Gn. 

M.T. : “testimonies”-in ver. 146: “precepts” otherwise not in stanza. 

116. U.: “to times age-abiding.” 


118. M.T. : “decisions”-in ver. 160: “commandments” not otherwise in 

stanza. 

290

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