PSALM XXVIII.

[A] Ver. 3. Let me not be drawn away." The verb "ɔɔwan I should render in the Hiphil form thus, "Suffer me not to be drawn away," i. e. to be seduced by their enticements.

[B] Ver. 5.

Truly they take no consideration of the works of Jehovah,
And of the operation of his hands.

ORACULAR VOICE.

He shall demolish them and build them not.

A verb seems wanting in the second line, to answer, according to the laws of parallelism, to the verb " regard" in the first: But I am persuaded the omission is from the author. It is, indeed, very beautiful, marking the suddenness with which the oracular voice interrupts the Psalmist's prayer.

[C] Ver. 7. —my flesh hath resumed its bloom, and from my heart I will praise him.” Καὶ ἀνέβαλεν ἡ σάρξ με, καὶ ἐκ θελήματος με εξομολογήσομαι αὐτῷ, LXX, and to the same effect the Vulgate. Therefore, for ", their copies must

have had. Bishop Lowth approves this reading.

The transposition of the two words, and the reading of " are confirmed by the Syriac.

[D] Ver. 8. "The strengthener of the salvation of his anointed one is He."

For

ready, with many MSS. of Kennicott's and De Rossi's; with the LXX, ὑπερασπισὴς τῶν σωτηρίων Toũ Xgiorov avτou, and the Vulgate, protector salvationum Christi sui. Mudge thinks 15, or 15, the true reading. His notion is, that the 8th and 9th verses make a chorus, sung by priests and people, rejoicing at the glorious acceptance of the Psalmist's prayer. I would readily adopt this interpretation, if in the former part of the Psalm the Messiah might be supposed to be the speaker. But the matter of the prayer suits not his character. The particular boon asked is grace, to withstand the enticements of idolaters; under which name all corrupters of worship may be understood. Now, to the temptation of their enticements, the Church, in a greater or a less degree, hath been frequently exposed; the Messiah, in his own person, never, except when he was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. But the tempters in this Psalm are spoken of as men. The prayer, therefore, is rather adapted to the person of the Church: and is so near in sound to y, that the emendation, supported as it is by six MSS. and the version of the LXX, Vulg. Syr. and Arab., seems unquestionable.

PSALM XXX.

מזמור שיר חנכת הבית לדוד

This thirtieth Psalm is evidently a thanksgiving for a re

covery from a fit of sickness.

And this I take to be the

is properly the festive

meaning of the Hebrew title. ceremony, by which a new or restored building is appropriated to its future use. Hence, it may figuratively denote thanksgiving for the recovery of the body from the debility of sickness. The sickness, however, and the recovery, if I mistake not, are both mystical; the sickness, that of the soul, in consequence of the fall; the recovery, that of the soul, by redemption. Unless, indeed, the Psalm is spoken, as some have imagined, in the person of Messiah; and be his thanks, giving for his deliverance from the grave, and for his exaltation from his state of humiliation. In this case the "healing," mentioned verse 2, is the healing of Messiah from those sicknesses of men which he was made to bear. Isaiah liii, 4,

Ver. 1. thou hast lifted me up," ". How the verb should signify to lift up, I cannot imagine. Its sense is certainly the reverse. I would render the verse thus,

I will extol thee, O Jehovah! Verily thou hast brought me very low;

But thou hast not given my foes cause to rejoice over me,

Ver. 3.

-thou hast kept me alive that I should not go

down to the pit."

I take

to be the participle Benoni, plur. with prefixed in regimine before. And I would render the clause thus,

Thou hast brought me to life, from among those who are

going down to the pit.

The Psalmist describes himself as one of those that were sinking into the grave, and raised from that desperate state by the special mercy of God. I reject the Keri ", notwithstanding it has the suffrage of many MSS. The ancient versions all support my construction, and rendering. Ecwoús pe ἀπὸ τῶν καταβαινόντων εἰς λάκκον, LXX. Salvasti me a descenden

Syr. The ܘܐܚܫܬܢܝ ܡܢ ܢܚܬܝ ܓܘܒܐ .fibus in lacum, Vulg

Chaldee alone is with the Keri. Bishop Horne mentions this rendering as what the words will bear, and gives it the preference.

Ver. 5. For his anger endureth;" literally, "Truly a moment in his anger! Life (or immortality) in his reconciliation.” That is to say, his anger is instant death. It is evident that the "moment in his anger" is opposed to the continuance of life in his favour; and the Author's meaning is to affirm the contrary effects of God's anger, and God's forgiveness.

Ver. 7.by thy favour thou hast made my mountain

to stand strong." Bishop Hare would add 17 after 7. "Jehovah, in thy favour thou hast set my feet upon a strong mountain." Houbigant observes, that "a mountain” has no connection with the subject of this Psalm, which is health restored by God. For, therefore, he would read 7. "Jehovah, in thy favour thou hast established strength for my beauty;" i. e. thou hast given me that lasting comeliness of person which arises from a sound constitution. "Thou hast given a settled firmness to my bloom," as Mudge expresses it. This emendation has the authority of the LXX, Vulg. and Syr., and is therefore to be preferred to Bishop Hare's, which is a mere conjecture. Otherwise, I cannot see, but that strength of constitution, as well as any other means of durable happiness, might be expressed under the image of a station on a strong mountain. Dr Kennicott in maliy of his best MSS. found yn without the paragogic . In MS. 73, he found 777; and in MS. 4, 777, which is evidently a corruption of " by the error of the scribe.

להדרי into להררי Bishop Lowth approves the change of

Ver. 9. to the pit," or, "to corruption." So the LXX, Vulg. and Syr. and Symmach.

Ver. 11. into dancing;" rather, "into merry piping."

Ver. 12.

my glory;" read with the LXX, Vulg. and

כבודי Bishop Hare