PSALM XXX.

מזמור שיר חנכת הבית לדוד

This thirtieth Psalm is evidently a thanksgiving for a re

covery from a fit of sickness.

meaning of the Hebrew title.

And this I take to be the

is properly the festive

ceremony, by which a new or restored building is appropriated to its future use. Hence, it may figuratively denote thanksgiving for the recovery of the body from the debility of sickness. The sickness, however, and the recovery, if I mistake not, are both mystical; the sickness, that of the soul, in consequence of the fall; the recovery, that of the soul, by redemption. Unless, indeed, the Psalm is spoken, as some have imagined, in the person of Messiah; and be his thanksgiving for his deliverance from the grave, and for his exaltation from his state of humiliation. In this case the "healing," mentioned verse 2, is the healing of Messiah from those sicknesses of men which he was made to bear. Isaiah LIII, 4.

Ver. 1.

thou hast lifted me up," . How the verb 7 should signify to lift up, I cannot imagine. Its sense is certainly the reverse. I would render the verse thus,

I will extol thee, O Jehovah! Verily thou hast brought me very low;

But thou hast not given my foes cause to rejoice over me.

Ver. 3.

down to the pit.'

I take

thou hast kept me alive that I should not go

to be the participle Benoni, plur. with prefix

ed in regimine before. And I would render the clause thus,

Thou hast brought me to life, from among those who are

going down to the pit.

The Psalmist describes himself as one of those that were sinking into the grave, and raised from that desperate state by the special mercy of God. I reject the Keri “, notwithstanding it has the suffrage of many MSS. The ancient versions all support my construction, and rendering. Eowcas es ¿Ãò tãν natabαivóvтav sig λaxxov, LXX. Salvasti me a descendenti

.Syr ܘܐܚܫܬܢܝ ܡܢ ܢܚܕܬܝ ܓܘܒܐ .bus in lacam, Vulg

The Chaldee alone is with the Keri. Bishop Horne mentions this rendering as what the words will bear, and gives it the preference.

Ver. 5. For his anger endureth;" literally, "Truly a moment in his anger! Life (or immortality) in his reconciliation." That is to say, his anger is instant death. It is evident that the "moment in his anger" is opposed to the continuance of life in his favour; and the Author's meaning is to affirm the contrary effects of God's anger, and God's forgiveness.

Ver. 7. by thy favour thou hast made my mountain

להדרי therefore, he would read להררי For

"Thou

to stand strong." Bishop Hare would add 7 after 77. "Jehovah, in thy favour thou hast set my feet upon a strong mountain." Houbigant observes, that "a mountain" has no connection with the subject of this Psalm, which is health restored by God. "Jehovah, in thy favour thou hast established strength for my beauty;" i. e. thou hast given me that lasting comeliness of person which arises from a sound constitution. hast given a settled firmness to my bloom," as Mudge expresses it. This emendation has the authority of the LXX, Vulg. and Syr., and is therefore to be preferred to Bishop Hare's, which is a mere conjecture. Otherwise, I cannot see, but that strength of constitution, as well as any other means of durable happiness, might be expressed under the image of a station on a strong mountain. Dr Kennicott in many of his best MSS. found without the paragogic . In MS. 73 he found, and in MS. 4, 77, which is evidently a corruption of by the error of the scribe.

.להדרי into להררי Bishop Lowth approves the change of

Ver. 9. to the pit," or, "to corruption." LXX, Vulg. and Syr. and Symmach.

So the

Ver. 11.

into dancing;" rather, "into merry piping."

Ver. 12.

my glory;" read with the LXX, Vulg. and

.כבודי Bishop Hare

Mr Hutchinson conceives, that this whole Psalm is uttered in the person of the Messiah, and is his thanksgiving for his exemption from corruption, and early deliverance from the grave. And in this view of the Psalm, he finds a very peculiar force in the 9th verse-" What profit in my blood, if I be pressed down to corruption, and held under its power? My blood will be shed in vain-the redemption of man will not be accomplished. Shall the dust, the dissolved body, praise thee? Shall it declare thy truth? Far from it: the promise, that I should not see corruption, will be broken." This certainly deserves great attention. But it seems to me, that the 6th verse is utterly inapplicable to the Messiah, who, in the days of his flesh, had no prosperity, and certainly never deceived himself with the false hope, that he never should be moved. In one way, indeed, the 6th verse may be made to suit the character of Messiah, namely, if it may be rendered, not "And in my prosperity I said," &c.; but thus,

“And I said, in my prosperity, I shall never be moved.” That is, "when once the season of my bliss shall come, I shall enjoy it for ever without interruption." This seems indeed the rendering most consistent with the order of the Hebrew words. He goes on," Jehovah, in thy favour, thou hast established strength for my comeliness."

This is still a continuance of what he said,—“ Jehovah thou hast established,” i. e. thou hast irreversibly decreed that

so it shall be the preterite, in the usual style of prophecy, being used to express the certainty of what is to come.

[But notwithstanding this consoling hope] "thou didst hide thy face, and I was in the deepest anxiety and dejection."

All this is eminently true of the Messiah. And if the 6th verse may be thus rendered, as I think it may; there is not an expression in the whole Psalm that suits not the character of Messiah more completely and exactly than any other. And Mr Hutchinson's admirable exposition of the 9th verse will take place. Upon the whole, I incline to this application and interpretation of the Psalm.

The Chaldee paraphrase seems to take the 6th verse in the sense proposed; though this appears not in the Latin translation of that paraphrase in the Polyglott.

.במתבי ברוחצנה דלא אזוע לעלמא

DN NINI

"And I said, when I am seated in security I shall not be moved to all eternity."

PSALM XXXI.

[A] Ver. 2. Castle of defence.". I take this to be a house with battlements upon the roof. Such battlements, in some sort, resemble a network inclosing the platform of the roof; and from that resemblance, I imagine, get

.מצודות the name of