thing that precedes or follows. The third error was only the omission of ", considered as a prolongation of the negative not affecting the sense.

Ver. 3. But to the saints," &c. Read with LXX, or rather with the Vulgate,

לקדושים אשר בארצו המה יאדיר יהוה כל חפצי בם

For the saints that are in his land,

Jehovah hath gloriously-accomplished all my good-wishestowards-them.

David, personating the Messiah in his sacerdotal character, says, although my goodness is of no profit unto thee, yet thou hast granted, in the most ample manner, all that I can ask or wish, for the saints in thy land, the true members of the Christian Church, the heirs of the spiritual Canaan. Even of the perfect righteousness of the man Christ Jesus; of his righteousness as a man, it may be said with truth, it ought to be said, that it was of no profit unto God. Nothing was added to the Divine Nature by the virtue of the Man to whom the Word became united; nothing was added to its glory by his virtue; nothing was added to its happiness by his enjoyments in his exalted state. His righteousness and his exaltation are a display of the divine goodness and power, in that

wonderful instance; no acquisition of goodness and power

not enjoyed before.

Although these alterations of the text, and the rendering founded upon them, are not without the authority of the ancient versions, especially of the LXX and the Vulgate, I am, after all, disposed to think, that the text, as it stands, admits a very good meaning.

2 I have said unto Jehovah : O Lord,

Thou art my Good;—not besides thee, i. e. I have no other

good besides thee.

3 For the saints, which are in the land,

And my glorified ones, all my delight is in them.

In the second verse, the final word of the first clause 21 is understood to be repeated as the first of the following clause, If it were actually repeated thus, a

אתה טובתי: טובתי בל עליך

the sense would be clearly what I offer.

In the third verse, the prefixed top is carried over to O by the force of the copulative . I am inclined to rest in this as the true exposition of the passage. Though I confess it is an objection of some weight, that it is strange, if this be the true construction, it should be missed by the LXX and Vulg. and not fully comprehended, as it should seem, by the Syriac interpreter or the Chaldaic.

[B] Ver. 4. "They shall multiply their sorrows, who betroth themselves to another," i. e. who go a whoring after other gods. See Cocceius in voce MD.

The Messiah is no priest to intercede for them who revolt from God to idols.

[C] Ver. 5. my measured portion;" literally, "the part of my cup." But denotes, I think, a part in the sense of quantity defined by measure, weight, or count. The sentiment is, that Jehovah is in such sort the Messiah's alloted portion, that Messiah refuses all connection and intercourse with those who engage their fealty to any other god.

[D] Ver. 7. —my secret thoughts." KENNICOTT.

[E] — my tongue;" literally, "my glory." LXX. and Vulg. Compare Psalm XXX, 12. See Merrick's Annotations.

PSALM XVII.

A PRAYER OF A BELIEVER, OR, PERHAPS, OF THE CHURCH IN

THE CHARACTER OF AN INDIVIDUAL, FOR DELIVERANCE

FROM THE ATHEISTICAL CONSPIRACY,

.A PRAYER OF DAVID תפלה לדוד

Ver. 1. Hear the right, O Lord." Jerome has Audi Deus justum, as if his copies gave TT instead of TT. I am much inclined to adopt this reading, which Aquila too seems to have followed, it being clear that the Messiah himself is the speaker in this Psalm, Bishop Horne, in his commentaries, having put this out of doubt.

Ver. 2. Let my sentence come forth from thy presence;" i. e. "be thou, O Jehovah, my judge in thine own person.'

let thine

noun of the first

eyes behold." The LXX render the properson, οἱ ὀφθαλμοί με ίδετωσαν εὐθύτητας. Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion, concur in this rendering. The sentiment, according to this reading, is, that there was no hope of seeing any justice done in the world, till God should do it himself.

Ver. 3.

find nothing: I am purposed that my mouth

shall not transgress." Καὶ ἐχ εὑρεθη ἐν ἐμοι αδικια. LXX.

But the words .בל תמצא בי זמתי Bishop Hare would read

perhaps may bear the same sense without the insertion of "1, if not be taken as a noun substantive, with the suffix of the first person, and that suffix be rendered “ of mine.”

"Thou hast tried me. Thou shalt find no wicked deeds of mine. My mouth shall not transgress."

Ver. 4. concerning the works of men, by the word." Rather,

My mouth shall not transgress on account of the works of men,
By the word."

Ver. 6.

for thou wilt hear me;" rather, "for thou

art used to hear me."-MUDGE.

Ver. 7. Shew thy marvellous loving kindness." LXX; from the root . And

avuaswoo!,

is the reading of many

MSS. But without any alteration of the verb, I would rather read 7700 7597, "distinguish,” i. e. separate or glorify "thy Holy One.” Perhaps the plural TT might be still preferable; that the petition may be for the saints in general, for their final separation from the ungodly, and their glorification. The singulars TT and TD in the books of the Psalms, have a constant reference to our Lord individually.