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Ver. 4. "like the chaff which the wind driveth away." This allusion describes the instability of the principles of the ungodly, rather than of their fortunes. Their want of principle is opposed to the good man's steady meditation of Jehovah's law, which is the foundation of his prosperity. On the other hand, because the ungodly want this principle, therefore they shall not stand in the judgment.

Ver. 5. in the judgment." The judgment here intended is evidently the last Judgment, and the congregation of the righteous is their assembly at the tribunal of Christ at the last day. "The ungodly shall not stand," i. e. they shall not be established in this judgement, nor have a place assign

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ed them among the just. And to this effect Bishop Hare, videtur sensu forensi sumendum, ut Latinis stare

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et causâ cadere."

Ver. 6. "For the Lord knoweth the way-" rather, "For Jehovah attendeth to the way," i. e. to the fortunes. 777 is used variously, either for the course of a man's fortunes, or the course of his morals. The former, I think, is the sense here.

PSALM II.

- pnw [A] Ver. 4. shall laugh." Houbigant to the verb pr would add the pronominal suffix . But this alteration, however it may seem to be countenanced by the version of the LXX. is unnecessary; as 12 at the end of the sentence may We find the same

ילעג and ישחק serve for both the verbs

construction in the Targum.

He that sitteth upon the heavens shall laugh,
The Lord shall make scorn at them;

i. e. laugh at them,-make scorn at them.

[B] Ver. 5. speak against them." The verb speak has no nominative expressed in the Hebrew text. Our translators, therefore, properly supply the pronoun of the third

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person, rehearsing the Lord, the subject of the verb in the last line of the preceding distich: and this nominative understood is rehearsed by the suffixes of the nouns, wrath and displeasure. For the Syriac has a word so near the Hebrew by that one is almost tempted to conjecture that the Syriac interpreter found this word instead of in the MSS. which he used, and preserved it in his translation as a proper name.

“Then shall the Highest speak in his wrath.”

[C] Ver. 6. Yet will I anoint my king, &c." 'Eyà dì xattotálny βασιλεὺς ὑπ ̓ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ Σιὼν ὅρος τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ, διαγγελλῶν τὸ πρόσταγμα Kugiov. LXX. Ego autem constitutus sum rex ab eo super Sion montem sanctum ejus, praedicans praeceptum ejus. Vulg. For, therefore, and TP, the copies used by the LXX.

.קדשו and מלכו had

[D] Ver. 7. ———— the decree." For pri read p, and understand as the accusative after the verb p. The literal rendering will be, "I will declare what God has decreed."

[E] Ver. 9.

break." avis, LXX. Reges, Vulg. Pasces, Hieron. All these interpreters referred the verb to

.רעע not רעה the root

[F] Ver. 12. — from the way." Bishop Hare would read 7 —“ instantly," or-"upon the spot;" e vestigio, illico, subito. If this sense of the word can be proved, the emendation may then seem highly probable.

PSALM III.

PRAYER OF A BELIEVER FOR DELIVERANCE FROM THE ATHEISTICAL CONSPIRACY.*

In this, as in all the psalms of the like argument, the complaint and petitions for relief and help, are intermixed with expressions of praise and thanksgiving for former mercies, professions of secure reliance on God's protection, and of joy in the expectation of a final deliverance.

PSALM IV.

THE SAME SUBJECT.

[TITLE TO THE GIVER OF VICTORY.

UPON THE STRINGED

INSTRUMENTS. A PSALM OF DAVID.]

Ver. 2. long will ye

how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how love" Rather,

*This is the first of the Psalms that has a title. The title is, “A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.". But nothing in the psalm has any particular reference to that event.

"How long shall my glory be my reproach? ye love," &c. This seems to be the language of a pious man, whose piety was the jest of his profane contemporaries; or, more particularly, of a believer reproached and ridiculed for his belief and trust in his crucified Saviour. But the LXX. seem to have followed a very different reading; for their copies had, which two words are to be understood to be separated by a note of interrogation, that the preceding clause may end with 2, and the word may begin a new question.

Ye sons of men, why are ye slow of understanding? *
Why love ye vanity?

Bishop Lowth esteems this the true reading; but I am inclined. to prefer the text as it now stands.

seek after leasing," rather seek after untruth.” These reproachful questions are addressed either to the votaries of idolatry, or, which comes nearly to the same thing, to those who were scandalised at the meanness of our Lord's appearance. They are said to be stupid, not to have a right judgement of the real worth of things, or to distinguish what is really valuable in the sight of God, from the delusive, outside show of worldly grandeur.

*Literally, "heavy of heart."

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