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 1772 is a

.בערו corruption of

VOL. I.

N

Ver. 15. nels of the sea," as in the parallel place in Samuel.

the channels of waters;" rather, "the chan

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).

Ver. 35.

thy gentleness," y. 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 Ty 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 it madeía os in this place, and in Samuel axon σs; and in this sense Kennicott took it.See Kenn. posth.

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

the verb in the second person. See Houbigant.

Ver. 42. cast them out." Asavã, LXX. OPTN parallel place in Samuel.

Ver. 45.

יבלו

-fade away." Houbigant's emendation

for is very plausible.

Ver. 48.

the violent man." No particular person is

meant, but the cruelty of persecutors in general.

PSALM XIX.

למנצח מזמור לדוד.

A SONG OF PRAISE.

-THE TOPICS, CREATION AND REVELATION.

Ver. 3, 4.

There is no speech, no words,

No voice of them is heard:

[Yet] their sound goes throughout the earth.

φθόγγος,

Ver. 4. LXX. sonus, Jerom. and Vulg. And to the same effect all the ancients, except Aquila, from the Arabic sense of the word. Or, with the English Geneva, "Their line is gone forth through all the earth, and their words into the ends of the world."

-their line." OP," their sound." Qeyyos,

Upon this the marginal note is, "The heavens are as a line of great capital letters, to shew unto us God's glory." But the Apostle's citation seems rather to support the Arabic sense of in this place. And it is to be remarked, that "words spoken," not "written words." But, perhaps, the true rendering is,

are מלים

Their extension goeth forth over the whole earth,

And their terminations [are] at the end of the world.

Ver. 5. -out of his chamber," or, "from under his veil." See the marginal notes of Queen Elizabeth's Bible.

Ver. 7, 8, 9. The law-the testimony-the statutes-the commandments-the fear-the judgements."

Of all the interpreters, Castalio has, I think, the best expressed the distinct import of each of these Hebrew words.— л, lex; the perceptive part of revelation. ♫, oraculum; the doctrinal part. p, mandata; things given in charge to particular persons upon particular occasions.

, disciplina; the general body of the divine law and

doctrine. N, metus; religious fear. DVD, sententiae; the civil statutes of the Mosaic Law, more particularly the penal sanctions, and the rules for deciding questions of property, and suits for damages and trespasses.

Ver. 12. secret faults;" or, "from disguises, concealments, or dissimulations," i. e. from hypocrisy.

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Ver. 13. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins;" rather, "Preserve thy servant also from the proud," i. e. from tyrannical governors, i. e. from evil spirits.

tacy."

-the great transgression;" rather, the great apos

Ver. 14. Let the words, &c. be;" rather, "The words, &c. shall be."-Keep me from hypocrisy and from the suggestions and enticements of evil spirits; let them not get dominion over me: then I shall be upright, &c. and then my words and my thoughts will be acceptable in thy sight," &c.

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