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Psalmist, in opposition to the maxims of atheists and deists. in his days, on the awful subject of death, and its consequences." But in Dr Kennicott's translation, we find, indeed, the maxims of atheists and deists very particularly stated, but we find very little of the Psalmist's own faith.

Were this objection removed, it would, perhaps, be no great difficulty that nothing enigmatical is to be found in the whole Psalm, according to Dr Kennicott's interpretation; notwithstanding that the Psalmist, in the proem of the song, talks of an ænigma, that he is to open upon his harp. It is well observed by Bishop Hare, that the word 1777, ver. 4, though taken strictly, it signifies an ænigma, is nevertheless applied to poetical compositions, in a highly adorned and finished style, in which nothing enigmatical appears. From the etymology of the word, it should seem that it may signify any discourse apt to penetrate the mind; to strikė, as we say in English, and make a deep impression. Nevertheless, since the Hebrew word 7 properly renders an ænigma, if an interpretation can be found, which, without unwarrantable alterations of the text, and without any unnatural and forced interpretations of the words and phrases of the text as it stands, shall bring out ænigmata of the highest and most general importance, such an interpretation will deserve to be received in preference to any other, as making the body of the poem most consistent with its opening. Upon this ground,

*

* See Parkhurst's Lexicon, TIT.

Houbigant's interpretation is greatly to be preferred to Kennicott's, with respect to the general subject of the Psalm. The liberties taken with particular passages, by the learned French critic, are more than may be allowed; but they are also unnecessary to his general interpretation.

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The Psalm, according to Houbigant's conception of the subject, is a mysterious song, in which the doctrines of a Redeemer more than man, the immortality of the soul, and a future retribution, are delivered in ænigmata.

[B] Ver. 2. Both the sons of the low and the sons of the high."

See Archbishop Secker's dissertation upon the force of the Hebrew phrase, in Merrick's Appendix.

[C] Ver. 4. I incline-I propound."

I think these verbs, though in the future form in the original, express rather the Psalmist's usual practice of giving reverent attention to the revelations addressed to himself by the inspiring Spirit, and publishing what he had been taught, in compositions for the harp, than his particular intention upon the present occasion. They are more properly rendered, therefore, by verbs of the present tense in our language.

[D] my dark saying;" literally, "my ænigma." T #ęóšanuɑ μɛ. LXX. i. e. a riddle propounded for solution. My ænigma-not an ænigma of my making, but the ænigma

in my possession, which has been delivered to me. This verse is well paraphrased by Mr Merrick. The sense is, “I will myself give attention to the instructive parables of revelation, and I will propound them in this ode to others."

heels." See Bishop

[E] Ver. 5. the iniquity of my heels."

Hare, and Dr Kennicott.

[F] Ver. 6. The proem of the Song evidently ends with the fourth verse. The question contained in the 5th and 6th verses might be expected to introduce the principal subject, and the reader naturally looks for an answer to it, containing the dark speech which was to be opened upon the harp. But, according to Dr Kennicott's exposition, the Psalmist, forgetting the wise maxims which his own mouth was to utter, and the deep matters which were the subject of his own meditations, in what immediately follows the question, introduces infidels, propounding their own maxims in their own words; and this is done, without any thing in the structure of the poem that might give a suspicion of this abrupt translation of the discourse from the Psalmist's own person to the person of the atheist. But, in what immediately follows the question, according to Houbigant's interpretation, ænigmata are contained of the highest importance, which, affording a solid answer to the question, or rather assigning the most satisfactory reasons for that fearlessness of man, which the put

ting of the question seems to recommend, are properly intro→

duced by it.

[G] Ver. 7, 8. These two verses contain the ænigma of redemption. The power of the Redeemer, who hath the cause of his servants in his hand, hath been to the faithful in all ages, in proportion as it hath been understood by them, a solid ground for that fearlessness of man's tyranny, with which the Psalmist, by his question, would fortify his own breast.

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[H] See the LXX. The 7th verse, and the first line of the 8th, are rendered to the same effect by the Syriac and the Chaldee.

[1] Καὶ ἐκοπίασεν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ ζήσεται εἰς τέλος, ὅτι ἐκ ὄψεται zaraplogàv. LXX.

Καὶ ἐπαύσατο εἰς αἰῶνα, καὶ ζήσεται εἰς νίκος. Ag.

̓Αλλὰ παυσάμενος τῷ αἰῶνι τετῷ, ζῶν ἀεὶ διατελέσει. Sym.

[K] Ver. 9. This verse, with the beginning of the 10th, contains the ænigma of the soul's immortality, and the future life. The connection (expressed by the conjunction and) between this and the preceding ænigma, concerning the superiority of the Redeemer's nature, though very obvious now, when the whole mystery is laid open, must have been very enigmatical at the time when this Psalm was written. The

continued life of the deceased believer is an effect of the Redeemer's power. This doctrine, therefore, of the believer's immortality is, in the nature of the thing, connected with that of the Redeemer's divinity. Our Lord himself hath propounded the very same doctrine in very similar terms: "He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." John xi, 25, 26.

לנצח

Dr Kennicott's interpretation is liable, in this part, to this particular objection, that it supposes may render, from all eternity, as well as, to all eternity. But the use of the prefix, for the preposition of the time from which, is much to be questioned.

[L] Ver. 11.

their inward thoughts."

For p, the LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, and Chaldee, had O, which Houbigant and Kennicott approve. But the text as it stands admits a good sense.

[M] Ver. 12. abideth not.”

For , read with the LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac, Houbigant, and Kennicott, . Compare verse 20.

[N] Ver. 14. Toiμávei aûtõs. LXX.

[0]

in the morning;" that morning of the future life, which shall succeed the night of death. I question whe

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