the two I prefer Houbigant's, for these reasons: The line, which he supplies, appears in the version of the LXX (according to the reading of the Alexandrine), and in the Vulgate. In the stanza, the first branch consists of three clauses: "Depart,-do good,-dwell.” The parallelism, therefore, in which the Hebrew poetry delights, requires that the second branch of the same stanza should likewise consist of three clauses; which will not be the case unless the clause, preserved for ever," be taken into this stanza. The beginning, therefore, of the subsequent stanza cannot be properly restored by thrusting these words into its first line, and supplying a nominative, beginning with the letter, for the verb "preserved," thus detached from its proper

context.

Bishop Lowth, closing the

stanza with the word TD,

supplies the beginning of the next, thus,

עולים לעולם נשמדו

And I am much inclined to think that the whole of the lost

line might consist of these three words. But still, with Houbigant, I would suffer

the stanza.

by to remain as the close of

[H] Ver. 35. —spreading himself like a green baytree." E. T. Houbigant, upon the authority of the LXX, reads. Bishop Hare and Bishop Lowth, upon the

same authority, as they imagine, read byn, "lifting himself aloft,"-" towering." Houbigant's emendation seems quite unnecessary. And equally so, I believe, are Hare's and Lowth's. See Parkhurst, III.

-a tree flourishing in its native soil." So the Chald. and Bishop Horne.

[I] Ver. 36. Yet he passed away.” E. T. Read with LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, and Houbigant y," But I passed by."

[K] Ver. 37. Mark the perfect," &c. E. T. Rather, "Keep in innocency and regard uprightness; for the perfect man hath a posterity; but the rebellious shall be destroyed together; the posterity of the wicked shall be cut off." To this effect the LXX, Vulgate, Chaldee, Syriac, and Houbigant.

[L] Ver. 39. The salvation-." Read with Bishop Hare, Houbigant, and Bishop Lowth, LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, two MSS. of Kennicott's and De Rossi's, nyn, without the 1 prefixed, that the stanza may begin regularly with the let

ter Л.

PSALM XXXVIII

מזמור לדוד להזכיר

[A] Ver. 5.

stink; they run with corruption."— Houbigant, upon the au

stink and are corrupt." E. T.

thority of the LXX, prefixes the conjunction to the verb p. Bishop Hare's transposition of the verbs may seem a more elegant correction. But neither is to be admitted; for the very next verse affords another instance of that particular construction, which those critics would condemn;— two verbs, having a common subject, come together without the conjunction copulative.

[B] Ver. 6.

melancholy." P is literally, "dressed in mourning;" hence it may, by an easy figure, denote the me→ lancholy looks of a mourner. And so the LXX take it here, rendering it σκυθρωπάζων.

[C] [D] Ver. 10, 11. it also is gone from me. My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore." "It also." Bishop Hare, conceiving that the plural D cannot rehearse the singular antecedent, expunges these words on from the last line of the tenth verse, and dividing the first of

the eleventh into two, finds a place for them in the second.

Thus,

ואור עיני אין אתי:

אהבי ורעי מנגד

נגעי גם הם יעמדו

And the light of mine eyes is gone

My friends and my companions,

from me;

Even they stand-stiff-with-horror, at the sight of my wound.

The phrase, "the light of the eyes," occurs only in this place. We find it indeed in another in our English Bible; namely, Prov. xv, 30. But in that place, the word in the original is different, though from the same root; not 18, but IND, which properly signifies that which causes the light of the eyes. I appréhend it denotes the whole assemblage of prosperous circumstances in a man's external condition, which makes the eyes sparkle with delight. But in this text of the Psalmist, the light of the eyes, of which the absence is con nected with the loss of strength, must be taken literally for the natural lustre of the eye of a person in health and good spirits, which is extinguished or dimmed by disease. The noun

, therefore, seems to be singular in sense as well as form, and cannot regularly be rehearsed by the plural pronoun D. But why should we not adopt the version of the Chal

.הם

VOL. I.

Q

dee, according to which D rehearses not, but the plural

.עיני

My heart palpitates, my strength forsakes me,

And the light of mine eyes; nay they themselves are lost to me*.

He complains that he violence of the disease. cem, habeam. Castalio.

had even lost his sight through the

Adeo ut ne oculos quidem, nedum lu

In the 11th verse, the version of oi

the LXX deserves great attention. Οἱ φίλοι μου καὶ οἱ πλησίον μου ἐξ ἐναντιας μου ἤγγισαν καὶ ἔστησαν. The passage in their copies must have stood thus,

אהבי ורעי

מנגדי נגעו ויעמדו :

My friends and my companions

Came into my presence, and stopped short,"

not bearing the sight or stench of the filthy sore. the same effect the Vulgate.

And to

[E] Ver. 13. -as a deaf man, heard not;" rather, "hear not." For you in the first person, nine MSS. of Kennicott's, and one of De Rossi's have you in the third; but against the authority of all the ancient versions.

Literally, "not with me."