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20. and 1 Chron. xii, 23, 24. But these places justify no such interpretation of the verb. It signifies, indeed, to be armed, or accoutred for war, but not, that I can find, to arm against.

him that was at peace with me." Two texts, Gen. xxxiv, 21. and 2 Sam. xx, 19. justify the sense in which the word is taken here, and refute the criticism of Bishop Hare.

[C] Ver. 5. —lay mine honour." For D, Houbi

ישפך gant would read

[D] Ver. 8. and according to mine integrity that is in me.” E. T. “And according to mine integrity render unto me.” Chald. Hence it should seem that a word is wanting in the Hebrew to answer to the Chaldee y. Houbigant accordingly supplies. Or, perhaps, no word may be wanting, but the author of the Targum may have considered the im

וכתמי as understood again after שפט perative

Give sentence for me, O Jehovah, according to my righteous

ness,

And according to my integrity [give sentence] upon me.

[E] Ver. 9. O let the wickedness of the wicked come to

an end, but establish the just." &c. E. T.

In the first clause, the Psalmist desires, or affirms, the abo

lition of the wickedness of the impious. The parallelisms, in which the Hebrew poetry so much delights, require that, in the second clause, he should desire, or affirm, the establishment of the righteousness of the just. I suspect that a nounsubstantive hath been lost out of this second clause, and I think the lost noun is to be found in the form of an useless epithet in the next. I would, therefore, read the whole tristich thus,

יגמר נא רע רשעים

ותכונן צדקת צדיק

ובחן לבות וכליות אלהים

And I would render the whole to this effect:

Surely, the wickedness of the impious shall be brought to an
end,

And the righteousness of the Just One shall be established,
And God shall explore the hearts and reins.

[F] Ver. 11. and God is angry;" E. T. rather, with the ancient version, although he is not angry every

Ο Θεος

day;" i. e. his anger is not breaking forth upon every occasion, yet the season of judgement will surely come. κριτὴς δίκαιος [καὶ ἰσχυρὸς καὶ μακρόθυμος] μὴ ὀργὴν ἐπάγων καθ ̓ ἑκάσην ¿ugav. LXX. Deus judex justus, fortis et patiens; numquid irascitur per singulas dies ? Vulg. Οὐ δεδαώς τρηχεῖαν ἑκάστοτε μῆνιν ἐγείρειν. Apollinar.

[G] Ver. 12. the verb turn, is the enemy mentioned in the singular number above in ver. 5. The same person who, in the same manner not expressed, is the subject of the verbs-travaileth-hath conceived-brought forth, in ver. 14. For the perspicuity of the sentence, it were best in English to supply the indefinite nominative, the man.

If he turn not." E. T. The subject of

[H]-levelled." The verb 777 expresses the action of taking aim: And the following verb ", the keeping of the weapon in the position of the aim taken. See Psalm xi, 2.

[I] Ver. 13. —he ordaineth his arrows;" E. T. rather, "he will put his arrows in action."

-against the persecutors." Tos aoμɛvois. LXX: which St Basil expounds of those who are inflamed with evil passions and unbridled lusts, and are therefore fit for the fire of eternal punishment.

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[K] Ver. 14. Behold he travaileth," &c. E. T. What follows is an iv uttered by the Psalmist in the prospect of the last end of the wicked.

—he travaileth with iniquity;" rather, "he is pregnant with vanity;" i. e, he is a zealous defender of the idolatrous religion, or at least an opposer of the true. The idolatry of the vulgar, and the infidelity of pretenders to philosophy, and

the impiety of Antichrist, every thing that is opposite in principle to the true religion, comes under the general name of vanity.

-he hath conceived mischief." He hath formed designs of persecuting and extirpating the true religion, and amuses himself with sanguine hopes of success.

--

"but he

--and brought forth falsehood:" or, perhaps, shall bring forth delusion;" all his schemes shall end in disappointment of the hopes which he had formed of success and impunity. But all the ancient versions give the verb in the preterite," he hath brought forth falsehood," he has succeeded in spreading wide the falsehoods of atheistical philosophy.

PSALM VIII.

THANKSGIVING for god's geNERAL MERCIES, IN WHICH THE PSALMIST (AS HE IS INTERPRETED BY THE APOSTLE) LOOKS FORWARD TO THE EXALTATION OF HUMAN NATURE BY THE INCARNATION OF OUR BLESSED LORD.

[TITLE—N'NIN by D. TO THE GIVER OF VICTORY, CONcerning the wINE-PRESS.]

Ver. 2. See Joseph Mede's Discourse upon this second verse.

and the avenger," pan. —the self-tormenter," i, e.

Satan. See Parkhurst under p

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Ver. 3.thy heavens." For TD, Kennicott would read "the Sun." It is certainly strange, that the sun should be omitted, when the moon and the stars are so particularly mentioned: and yet there is an elegance in the mention of the heavens generally, before the enumeration of the several bodies. Were I to venture upon any alteration, the word T should keep its place, and the word unw

ירח and אצבעתיך should be inserted between

When I consider thy heavens,

The works of thy fingers,

The sun, the moon, and the stars *

Which thou hast formed.

Ver. 5. For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels; rather,

Thou hast somewhat abased him in comparison of angels,

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-somewhat abased him." Some little matter made him deficient. The word by may render either, "somewhat” or "a little while." See the Margin, Heb. ii, 6.

* Bp. Horne accounts for the absence of the sun, by supposing the Psalmist, when he endited this Psalm, to have had before his eyes the heavens as they appear by night.

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