of the earth, "Be still, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted in the earth." Happy is the people with whom is such a God, whose refuge is the God of Jacob!

PSALM XLVII.

The period of the composition of this beautiful Psalm, replete with Does it in a exultant joy, rests chiefly on the interpretation of verse 6. direct manner refer to the ascent of the ark,-or merely alluding to it, denote the victory of God? The former is the natural view; the Psalm falls then into the time of David, when the ark still used to be taken into the field (2 Sam. xi. 11, and Psalm lxviii).* It is very dubious, according to 1 Kings viii. 8, whether after its removal to the temple it ever accompanied the army, though 2 Chron. xiii. 12 seems to speak for it. Considering that this Psalm is placed between two others which belong to the days of Sennacherib, and that just at that time Messianic hopes revived, one feels inclined to refer it to the days of Hezekiah rather than to those of David.' But since the indirect allusion to the ascent of the ark seems rather strange (for the victory over Sennacherib was not gained by the force of arms), we incline to the former view. We presume accordingly that the ark had returned from a victory. The Psalmist rises from that victory to the prospect, that hereafter all the nations of the earth shall be subject to that king, to whom they already belong though they do not confess it. The Psalmist proclaims in a sublime lyrical flight (v. 10), the prophetical declaration of Isa. ii. 2. 3. Compare especially Psalm lxxxvii.

the chief Musician, A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

2 O clap your hands, all ye people;

Shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
3 For the LORD most high is terrible:
He is a great king over all the earth.
4 He shall subdue the people under us,
And the nations under our feet.

5 He shall choose our inheritance for us,

The excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.

6 God is gone up with a shout,

The LORD with the sound of a trumpet.

7 Sing praises to God, sing praises :

Sing praises unto our King, sing praises.

8 For God is the King of all the earth:
Sing ye praises with understanding.

9 God reigneth over the heathen :

God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.

(1) Vide ad. Psalms lxxvi. lxxxvii.

Verse 30, which speaks of the temple, implies no more a later period than does Psalm v. 8.

10 The princes of the people are gathered
Unto one people of the God of Abraham :

For the excellent of the earth belong unto God:
He is greatly exalted.

V. 2-5. Alive to the magnitude of the Lord's doings for his people, the Psalmist deems it not enough that they only should express their gratitude to him he calls upon all the nations of the earth to pay their homage to him with gestures of joy and songs of praise, which was customary to do at the anointing of monarchs.1 The earth is his, though its inhabitants have as yet forborne to pay their homage to him. He has made Israel the heart of mankind if he willeth, all nations must serve Israel. He has appointed all the nations of the earth for the inheritance of Israel: he has decreed and chosen the excellency of Jacob, the beloved, which is to make him great before the nations.3

V. 6-10. The ark reascends the sanctuary amid the sound of the trumpet and songs of praises: the whole world is to join in the praises of Israel. Jehovah is also the God of the heathen: the nations shall come some day with their praises, and become one people of the God of Abraham, even as Israel.1

PSALM XLVIII.

A Song of Praise which belongs to the same period as Psalm xlvi. The sentiments of this Psalm are even more sublime and joyous, the gratitude of astonishment more lively, on the people opening their eyes in the morning as if after an oppressive dream, and beholding the vast array of corpses of those whose presence dismayed them the day before. And it was as a dream. to the mocking foe, "And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel (Jerusalem), even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision. It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and behold he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and behold he drinketh; but he awaketh, and behold he is faint, and his soul has appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against mount Zion."5

1 A SONG and Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

2 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised

In the city of our God, on the mountain of his holiness.

3 Beautiful for situation,*

The joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion,

On the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

4 God is known in her palaces as her refuge.

5 For, lo, the kings were assembled (or, "took counsel”), They passed away together.

(1) 2 Kings xi. 12.; 1 Sam. x. 24. (2) Isaiah liv. 3; Zeph. ii. 9. (3) Isaiah xlix. 3; Luke ii. 32. (4) Psalm ii. 8; Rev. xi. 15; Zech. xiv. 9. (5) Isaiah xxix. 7. 8.

Tholuck renders, "A beautiful hill, the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion, a joy of

the carth to the remotest north, the city of the great king."

6 They saw it (the city) and so they marvelled;
They were dismayed and fled.

7 Fear took hold upon them there,
And pain, as of a woman in travail.
8 Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish
With an east wind.

9 As we have heard, so have we seen

In the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God:

God hath established it for ever.

Selah.

10 We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God,

In the midst of thy temple.

11 According to thy name, O God,

So is thy praise unto the ends of the earth:

Thy right hand is full of righteousness.

12 Let mount Zion rejoice,

Let the daughters of Judah be glad (i.e. the provincial

Because of thy judgments.

13 Walk about Zion, and go round about her :

Tell the towers thereof.

towns),

14 Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider (or "roam through")

her palaces;

That ye may tell it to the generation following. 15 Yea, this God is our God for ever and ever:

He will be our guide, even beyond death.

V.2-4. In their fearful anticipations they had already seen their beautiful city turned to ruins, and their temple into smoke and ashes. They rejoice in holy astonishment to see her in the rosy light of dawn strong and unhurt Many miracles of mercy had already been exhibited on the holy mount. The Psalmist would fain have the whole world be acquainted with the covenant of mercy, to join in his rejoicing at the strong protector who rules over her palaces.

as ever.

2

V. 5-7. The proud king, who called himself the great king, boasted that the kings of Hamath and Arpad were serving him. He himself did not advance before the city, but remained before Lachish, about thirty miles distant; but he felt the disaster of his army before Jerusalem, and he was obliged to flee. The kings were assembled; but the King of kings said once more, Take counsel together and it shall come to nought; speak the word and it shall not stand; for God is with us."5 The flight was so sudden, that it seemed as if the mere sight of the holy city had driven them back. The Lord did at that time address the proud conqueror by the mouth of his prophet: "But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me. Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears; therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest."4

V. 8. The Psalmist's meaning probably is, that God, who wrecks the ships at sea by the east wind, has done His miracles here. But the Pho(1) Is. x. 8; xxxvi. 4. (2) Vide ad. Ps. xlvi. (3) Is. viii. 10. (4) Is. xxxvii. 28. 29.

nicians were probably allied with the king of Assyria. Isaiah xxxiii. 21. 23 may refer to this circumstance: "But there the glorious God will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams, wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast; they could not spread the sail."*

V. 9-12. They had often heard that the Lord is king in Zion, and has engraven her walls in his right hand. Now they once more experienced it. The repeated fulfilment of such promises of God become so engraven upon the human heart that they cannot be effaced. Where else than in the temple of God, kneeling in the sanctuary, are we to expect to find a people after such deliverances? If it has not been realised before that these judgments go forth from the Lord of lords, it is sure to be felt in the sanctuary. The fame of such acts of the Lord spread the glory of his name to the ends of the earth, and brought the embassy of the king of Babylon from a remote country. "Hezekiah was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth, and many brought gifts unto the Lord to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah, king of Judah (2 Chron. xxxii. 22. 23). The right hand of the Lord is stretched out over the whole earth, for ever dispensing righteousness, though it may not become manifest until the end of days. Although the rod of chastisement had immediately threatened the capital only, yet all the cities of Judah suffered even more than the capital; for their fields had been laid waste and their goods spoiled. It was, therefore, not only a festival of rejoicing to the capital, but to the whole country in all its borders. They probably hastened from every part of the country to the temple of the Lord, with songs of praise and rejoicing.

V. 13. 14. Unhurt, entirely unhurt, appears Jerusalem in the morning sun: while the clouds concealed her, one might have thought that not a stone had remained on its place; but the clouds disperse; "God has made himself known in her palaces as a refuge." The record of mercy so great was well worthy of being transmitted to succeeding generations like a precious jewel, and the exhortation of the Psalmist has been acted upon. (Cf. Psalm. xlvi.)

V. 15. If God remains the same, then the grandchildren will experience the mercy which was enjoyed by their believing fathers. If God so marvellously glorifies himself to weak mortals in this life, will he suffer them to decay into dust and ashes after death? Faith in a blissful eternity awakes most vividly when the mercy of God powerfully shines upon our temporal existence.

PSALM XLIX.

A Didactic Psalm, concerning the uncertain prosperity of the proud rich, their certain death, the victory of the godly, and their final reception with God. The Psalmist had been alarmed at and tempted by the insolent security of the sumptuous children of the world; but his scruples vanished and the struggle ended. He publishes aloud the revelations of God to his soul, and invites attention (v. 2-5). The pride of the rich, however lofty, must cease (v. 6-13). They are carelessly secure: flatterers render them still more so, but the godly rules them; while they depart to the grave, he is (1) Cf. Ps. xxxvii. 73.

This is an address to the enemy: if, contrary to our supposition, mighty, seafaring Tyre was not allied with Assyria, the prophet's reference to sails and masts would be a figurative description of the vessel of the State, which is not probable.

redeemed by the hand of the Lord (v. 14-16). He comforts others with the sources of his encouragement. Divine wisdom only can raise us above the lot of beasts (v. 17-21).

the chief Musician, A Psalm of the sons of Korah

2 Hear this, all ye people;

Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:

3 Both low and high,

Rich and poor, together.

4 My mouth shall speak of wisdom;

And the meditation of my heart shall be of under

standing.

5 I will incline mine ear to the oracle (of the Lord),* I will open my dark saying† upon the harp.

6 Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil,

When the iniquity of my heels (pursuers) shall compass

7 of them that trust in their wealth,

me about?

And boast themselves in the multitude of their riches? 8 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him:

9 (For the redemption of their soul is precious, And it ceaseth for ever:)

10 That he should still live for ever,

And not see corruption.

11 He rather shall see it.

Wise men die,

The foolish and the ignorant perish together,

And leave their wealth to others.

12 Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue

And their dwelling places to all generations;

for ever,

They call their lands after their own names (or, "their

name is published over the land").

13 Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not:

He is like the beasts that perish.

14 This their way is their folly:

Yet their followers approve their sayings. Selah.

15 Like sheep they are driven to Sheol:

Death is their shepherd (or, "driver").

And the upright shall soon have dominion over them,

And their beauty shall consume in Sheol, from their

I.e. "To hear it intuitively from the Lord."

+ Properly, an apothegm." + Or,

dwelling.+

Their form shall go to Sheol: they must go from their dwelling to be consumed," (for a consuming.")