O thou that savest by thy right hand," &c. The or

מישוע ממתקוממים חוסים,der of construction I take to be this

"O thou that savest from conspiring-foes them that

seek shelter under thy right hand."

Ver. 10. They are inclosed in their own fat." Read with Houbigant and Kennicott, (posth.) 10 ban by—“They have closed their net upon me."

Ver. 11. They have now compassed us in our steps."Kennicott found in some MSS. O felices nos. For

,סבבנוהו If the true reading be .סבבונו the Keri gives סבבוני

the first person plural with the suffix of the third, this whole line is the exulting speech of the Psalmist's enemies.

"O lucky we! at last we have encompassed him;" namely, in the toils. Or, reading 0, "they have encompassed him,” i. e. the huntsmen; and this is the speech of the great men, the masters of the huntsmen.

they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth." This is the attitude of huntsmen taking aim at an animal upon the ground. The whole imagery, in this and the two preceding verses, is taken, as Mudge and Kennicott well observe, from hunting. In the 9th verse, the sportsmen beat the field, and spread their nets. In the 10th, they draw the nets. In the 11th, they exult in their success, and take aim at the prey. But these last words may be rendered, with

Bishop Horne, "they have fixed their eyes [upon me] to lay [me] prostrate on the earth.”

Ver. 12. Like as a lion," &c. The margin gives the literal translation of the Hebrew words, viz. " the likeness of him is as a lion that desireth to ravin."

Ver. 13. Cast him down." The LXX have happily expressed the exact import of the Hebrew word, ὑποσκελισον αὐτ "make him sink upon his knees."

7859

deliver my soul from the wicked which is thy sword, from men which are thy hand." Or, deliver my soul from the impious one, by thy sword,-from mortals, by thy hand." However, the common version is not indefensible. - See Merrick's Annotations.

--Their portion is in this life," " opn. The plural noun is frequently used to denote life in the highest sense, i. e. immortality. It is also used for the whole extent of a man's natural life; as the life of Abraham, the life of Sarah, &c. But it appears very improbable that this word, which seems most properly to signify life in the highest sense, (as in Psalm XVI, 11.) should also be used to denote the present life, as distinguished from the future; in which sense it is generally understood here. In the word ", in Gen. XXVII, 36, the second is certainly the suffixed pronoun of the first person singular. In this passage, the LXX either took the final for the suffix of the third person plural, or

.בחייהם

they read ". With this reading I think the passage may be rendered,

"All goes smoothly with them in their lives."

-All goes smoothly with them;"-either pn is the verb used impersonally, or a noun denoting a life of worldly happiness and pleasure, under the image of smoothness.

Ver. 15.

when I awake with thy likeness," literally, “ when thy likeness is awakened,” ἐν τῷ ὀφθηναι την δόξαν σε See Numbers xii, 8.

PSALM XVIII.

למנצח

THE title of this eighteenth Psalm might be thus rendered, "To the giver of victory." "[A Psalm] of the servant of Jehovah, the beloved, who spake unto Jehovah the words of this song,in the day that Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the power of hell."

The Syriac intitles it, "A thanksgiving upon the ascension of Christ."

The whole Psalm may be divided into five parts.

Part I. Consisting of the first three verses, is the proem of

the song.

Part II. Celebrates miraculous deliverances from a state of affliction and distress. This part consists of sixteen verses, extending from the 4th to the 19th inclusive.

Part III. Thanksgiving; five verses.

20-24.

Part IV. Celebrates success in war; eighteen verses. 25—42. Part V. The establishment of the Messiah's kingdom; eight verses.

43-50.

Ver. 4. The sorrows of death." According to the reading in 2 Samuel XXII, 5. "the breakers of death." The metaphor is taken from those dangerous waves which our mariners call white-breakers.

compassed me," rather "came fast upon me."

Ver. 11. — dark waters;" rather, according to the reading in the parallel place in Samuel," a mass of waters."

Ver. 13. hail-stones and coals of fire." I see no reason to think with Houbigant and Kennicott, that these words are a repetition from the former verse; I rather think that this is their true place, and that they have crept into the former verse from this. Hail and lightning are the proper concomitants of the thunder mentioned in the former part of this verse. Nor can I agree with Kennicott that is a

.בערו corruption of

VOL. I.

N

Ver. 15.

the channels of waters;" rather "the chan

nels of the sea," as in the parallel place in Samuel.

Ver. 23. I was also upright before him;" rather "I was also loyal to him," literally, "perfect with him;" i. e. perfectly attached to him against idolatry and atheism; wholly devoted to God, without any mixture of idolatry or wilful disobedience.-See MUDGE,

Ver. 34. - so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms;" rather "thou hast made my arms like a brazen bow." LXX. Vulg. Jerom. Kennicott in one MS. found л.

ענותך

Ver. 35. thy gentleness," Ty, Houbigant observes, that this word never signifies the divine mercy, but the meekness of a good man in enduring sufferings. He therefore proposes, or, as the true reading. But as occurs both here and in the parallel place in Samuel, a change is not easily to be admitted. Why may not signify" thy humiliation," i. e. the humiliation laid upon me by thy providence. So the LXX seem to have understood the word. They render aid in this place, and παιδεια n in Samuel axon σs; and in this sense Kennicott took it.See KENN. posth.

८४

From the Version of the LXX, it should seem that a word and a whole line is lost in the Hebrew text.