Ver. 9. The princes of the peoples."

is here render

ed by exerts in the LXX, and " by xguratot. The whole

verse may be rendered thus:

The princes of the peoples* are gathered together,

A people of the God of Abraham; †

For the mighty ones of the earth are [become] gods,
He is exceedingly exalted.

Bishop Hare's alteration of the latter part of this verse is not to be borne. A prophecy of the final gathering together of all nations under the true God, is discernible through all the obscurity of the text as it stands; but with this subject the last distich, as amended by Bishop Hare, would have no connection.

I have sometimes thought, by 73, might be rendered, the voluntary ones of the peoples, expressing the voluntary submission of the well-disposed among the heathen to the obedience of the Gospel; or, more simply, "the ingenuous of the peoples."-It is remarkable that the LXX render 7) by gxovres here, and 2, in the 110th Psalm, by ¿gxì. But the LXX might easily mistake in the interpretation of these prophetical texts; and, between the various senses of the same word, choose amiss.

* Or, rather," the voluntary ones of the peoples."

+ See Deut. xxxiii, 5.

From the 12th and 13th verses of this Psalm it may be guessed, that it was composed in the reign of Uzziah. The fortifications of Jerusalem received great additions and improvement from that warlike prince, who seems to have been the inventor of balistic engines. See 2 Chron. xxvi. Of the particular event, indeed, which gave occasion to the Psalm, the providential deliverance of Jerusalem from a threatened siege, by a panic which seized the army of certain confede rate princes when they came within sight of the town,find no mention, in the sacred history, in the reign of Uzziah: but we equally find no mention of any such event in any other reign.

-we

In the reign of Asa, Palestine was invaded by a confederate army of Ethiopians and Libyans. 2 Chron. xvi, 8. But this army never came within sight of Jerusalem. Asa went out to meet the enemy, he gave them battle, in the valley of Zephatah, at Mareshah, and he drove them before him to the extremity of his country; and from that overthrow we are told they never recovered. 2 Chron. xiv.

In the reign of Jehoshaphat, the country was invaded by a

;

confederate army of Ammonites, Moabites, and Idumæans which seems, indeed, to have advanced within a day's march of Jerusalem. But this expedition miscarried by a quarrel between the troops of the three different nations, of which the army was composed, not in consequence of any panic with which the whole was seized. 2 Chron. xx.

Uzziah had frequent wars with the Philistines, Arabs, and Ammonites, in which he was generally successful.

Ver. 2. Beautiful for situation" rather, "Beautiful in extension," i. e. in the prospect which it extends to the eye. Bate and Parkhurst.

"Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King" rather, "Zion. In the northern quarters are the buildings of the great King," i. e. of the great King Jehovah ; "his buildings," the buildings dedicated to him,-the temple with its ample precincts.

Ver. 5.and hasted away;" rather," they were seized with panic."

Ver. 7. Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind." A land army diverted from their purpose by a panic! A fleet destroyed by a storm! Who could these confederate princes be, who meditated an attack upon the Israelites both by sea and land?

Ver. 8. As we have heard, so have we seen." As we have

heard of the miracles wrought for the deliverance of our fa

.

thers in former times, so we have seen and experienced the like in our own.

Ver. 9. We have thought of thy loving-kindness;" rather, “We waited in tranquillity for, or, we sat in tranquil expectation of, thy mercy." We repaired to the temple, and trusted to that merciful aid from thee, which our prayers should implore.

Ver. 10. According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise." The event answered our highest wishes. The mercies which we have experienced, justify what is said in our holy books of the power and goodness of our God.

Ver. 13.

Ver. 14.

-consider―;" perhaps, "take a plan of—”

-even unto death.” by. These words undoubtedly belong to the title of the following Psalm. This verse, therefore, should be rendered thus,

"Truly this God is our God,

For ever and ever he will be our guide."

C

PSALM XLIX.

[A] Among various attempts to illustrate this obscure poem, the two different interpretations of Dr Kennicott and Father Houbigant principally deserve attention. Dr Kennicott's is published in Mr Merrick's Appendix to his Annotations on the Psalms. It is chiefly recommended by the very clear sense, which it seems to give to some very obscure expressions, without any other alterations of the text, than what the ancient versions warrant, and the most judicious critics have admitted. But besides many particular exceptions to the senses which he puts upon particular words and phrases, his notion of the subject of the Psalm is liable to this general objection, that the Psalm, as understood by him, contains nothing answerable to its animated proem; in which the author bespeaks the attention of men of all countries, and of all ranks, to lessons of high importance and universal concern. After this opening, almost the whole of the Psalm, in Dr Kennicott's notion of the subject, is taken up in pro pounding the erroneous maxims of the infidels of the Psalmist's time; and the doctrine of general importance, opposed to these irreligious maxims,-the doctrine of a future life, in which the good shall be exalted, and the wicked humbled,—is mentioned only in a slight and transient manner. "This Psalm," says Dr Kennicott," gives us the faith of the