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David prayeth for salvation.

+ Heb. those that observe

me.

1023.

PSALMS.

SAVE me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength. 2 Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.

3 For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.

4 Behold, God is mine helper: the LORD is with them that uphold my soul.

5 He shall reward evil unto + mine enemies cut them off in thy truth. 6 I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.

7 For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.

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Ver. 1.-judge me] Do me justice. Green.

3. For strangers are risen up against me,] The Ziphites, though David's countrymen, acted the part of strangers," or "aliens," in seeking to deliver him up to his unjust and cruel enemy. Bp. Horne.

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they have not set God before them.] They have cast off all regard to his presence and authority, and all fear of his judgments. Poole.

6. I will freely sacrifice unto thee:] I will sacrifice to Thee a voluntary oblation. Dr. Hammond.

The prayers of great men in distress, and their thanksgivings after great deliverances, have always been matter of uncommon delight to curiosity, and men of serious and religious spirits. Nor does the glory of any great man ever shine out to their eyes in half the lustre, as when they behold him upon his knees, lifting up his eyes, or stretching out his hands to heaven, or, what is yet greater, prostrating himself before it, in humiliation and acknowledgment. Then is the hero seen in all his dignity! Dr. Delaney. The royal Prophet here teaches us by his example that prayer should always be our refuge in time of danger; that, even when men have conspired our ruin, if we call upon God with a pure heart, He will protect us; and that, when He has granted our prayers, we ought to bless Him with all our soul. Ostervald.

Psalm LV. It is generally imagined that David composed this Psalm when he was forced to flee suddenly from Jerusalem, on the breaking out of Absalom's rebellion, and the treachery of his principal counsellor Ahithophel, of whom he complains bitterly in the fourteenth verse. Travell.

He complaineth of his distress.

2 Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;

3 Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.

4 My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath + over- + Heb. whelmed me.

6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.

7 Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. 8 I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.

9 Destroy, O LORD, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.

11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.

12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have

covered me.

Ver. 2, 3. Attend unto me, &c.] Attend unto me, and answer me, while in my complaint I weep and cry aloud, because of the insults of the enemy, and the oppression of the wicked: for they lay iniquity to my charge, and bear me a violent hatred. Green.

4.

-the terrors of death are fallen upon me.] That is, I am brought to the very brink of destruction. Bp. Wilson.

8. I would hasten my escape &c.] I would hasten away to shelter myself from this fierce persecution, which like a sudden storm threatens utterly to destroy me. Bp. Patrick.

9. Destroy, O Lord, &c.] In these words, David beseeches God to divide, confound, and bring to nought, the counsels of an iniquitous faction; for so in the history we find him saying, "O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness," 2 Sam. xv. 31. Bp. Horne.

10. Day and night they go &c.] The "violence and strife," mentioned at the conclusion of the preceding verse, are here described as going their rounds, like an armed watch upon the walls, to guard rebellion, which had taken up its residence in the heart of the city, from the attacks of loyalty, right, and justice, driven with the king beyond Jordan. Bp. Horne.

12-14. For it was not &c.] The many aggravating circumstances of Ahithophel's treason against David, and that of Judas against Christ, are here strongly marked. The treachery of pretended friends is generally to the Church, as it was to her Lord, the beginning of sorrows. Ingratitude, malice, and falsehood, are ingredients that must always meet in the composition of a traitor. Bp. Horne.

He prayeth against his enemies.

+ Heb. a man according to my rank.

+ Heb. Who sweetened counsel.

I Or, the grave.

| Or, with whom also there be no changes, yet they fear not God.

+ Heb. he hath profaned.

a Ps. 37. 5. Matt. 6. 25. Luke 12. 22. 1 Pet. 5. 7. | Or, gift.

PSALMS.

borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaint

ance.

14+ We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.

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16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.

17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

18 He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me for there were many with me. 19 God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.

20 He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: the hath broken his covenant.

21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he

15. Let death seize &c.] Let a sudden and unexpected death overwhelm them. Rosenmüller. Or, this passage may be considered as a prediction (see the note on Psalm v. 10) of the tragical fate of Ahithophel, and of those who followed Absalom. The sudden destruction of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, who, for stirring up a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, "went down alive into the pit," seems here alluded to. Bp. Horne.

18.—many with me. e.] Namely, God and his holy angels. Dr. Wells.

19.- Because they have no changes, &c.] They experience no change of fortune, and therefore will not fear God. Green. Or, Because there is no reformation in them, neither do they fear God. Street, Archdeacon Randolph.

20. He hath put forth &c.] This perfidious traitor hath basely lifted up his hands to injure those who were at peace and friendship with him; he hath broken his promise and oath of fidelity. Bp. Patrick, Travell. drawn swords.] That is, pernicious in their design and consequences. Poole.

21..

22. Cast thy burden &c.] The conclusion of the whole matter is, that amidst all dangers and adversities, whensoever they oppress us, we are to put our full trust and confidence only in his mercy, who delivered David, and the Son of David, out of all their troubles. Bp. Horne,

He complaineth of them.

shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: + bloody and deceitful men + shall not + Heb. men live out half their days; but I will deceit. trust in thee.

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of bloods and

+ Heb. shall not half their days.

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man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. 2 + Mine enemies would daily + Heb. Mine swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.

3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

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observers.

The distresses and dangers to which we are subject are hardly remediable, when they who by intimate conversation know our nature, and to whom we have communicated our purposes, counsels, and designs, prove treacherous and false to us, and concur with the envy and malice of our enemies; and as the danger is then almost inevitable, so the grief and agony that attends it is sharper and more troublesome than the danger; it bereaves us of that composure, and temper, and serenity of mind, which usually relieves us in all other accidents. But our comfort is, though we are least able to help ourselves in such exigencies, and against such distresses, we have an helper, if we call faithfully upon Him, who sees the pangs we suffer, the agony and fear we endure, and hears the just voice of our lamentations. Lord Clarendon.

Dr.

Psalm LVI.-Jonath-elem-rechokim,] That is, the silent dove afar off. David thus styles himself, on account of his being at that time in a far country. Wells. Or, these words may be the name of some well known song, to the musick of which this is directed to be sung. Mudge.

Ver. 1.-he fighting &c.] He is daily fighting against me, that he may crush me. Green.

4. In God I will praise his word,] By the assistance of God I shall be enabled to praise Him for the performance of his promises. Bp. Patrick.

David professeth his confidence in God's word. PSALMS. He complaineth of his dangerous case.

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8. Thou tellest my wanderings:] David's whole life, from his victory over Goliath till the death of Saul, was continually spent in wandering from place to place. Dr. Chandler.

put thou my tears into thy bottle:] This expression seems to intimate, that the custom of putting tears into the lacrymal urns, so well known among the Romans, was more anciently in use among the Hebrews. These urns were of different materials; some of glass, some of earth; they were also of various forms or shapes. They were placed on the sepulchres of the deceased, as a memorial of the distress and affection of their surviving relations and friends. The meaning therefore of the expression, "put thou my tears into thy bottle," will be, "let my distress, and the tears I have shed in consequence of it, be ever before Thee; excite thy kind remembrance of me, and plead with Thee to grant me the relief I stand in need of." Dr. Chandler, Calmet.

12. Thy vows are upon me, O God:] That is, I am bound by vows to Thee.

13.- wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling,] This should be rendered as it is in the Liturgy, "and my feet from falling."

By the example of David we are here taught, that, to whatever extremity the children of God are brought, and when even force and artifice are employed against them, they are not moved; that, so firm is their trust in

5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.

would swallow me up.

& 9. 15.

6 They have prepared a net for b Ps. 7. 16. my steps: my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.

&c.

7 My heart is || fixed, O God, my e Ps. 108. 1, heart is fixed: I will sing and give or, praise.

8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.

the people: I will sing unto thee 9 I will praise thee, O LORD, among

among the nations.

prepared.

108. 4.

10 For thy mercy is great unto d Ps. 36. 5. & the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.

11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.

God, they do not fear what man can do unto them; and that even before their deliverance they rejoice in the Lord, and pay to Him their vows and thanksgivings. Ostervald.

Psalm LVII. The Church, by her appointment of this as one of the proper Psalms for Easter-day, hath instructed us to transfer the ideas to the resurrection of Christ from the grave. Bp. Horne.

-Al-taschith,] “Destroy not," seems to be the beginning of a song, to the musick of which this Psalm is directed to be sung. Mudge.

Ver. 3. God shall send forth &c.] God, by his deliverance of me, shall manifest his loving-kindness, and the truth of his promises. Travell.

4. My soul is among lions: &c.] I am beset by cruel and bloody enemies, whose hearts are inflamed with deadly malice against me; even men given over to wickedness, whose mouths are full of mischievous slanders and reproaches, wherewith they endeavour to wound me to the death. Bp. Hall.

8. Awake up, my glory; &c.] Awake, O my tongue, awake; I will also awake early the psaltery and harp.

Green.

10. thy mercy is great &c.] Thy mercy and truth extend over the whole universe. Travell.

Though we may not be exposed to dangers like those of David formerly, and therefore cannot apply to our◄

He reproveth wicked judges.

| Or, Destroy not, A golden Psalm of David.

PSALM LVIII.

PSALMS.

1 David reproveth wicked judges, 3 describeth the nature of the wicked, 6 devoteth them to God's judgments, 10 whereat the righteous shall rejoice.

To the chief Musician, || Al-tas

chith, Michtam of David. O speak righteousness,

The righteous shall rejoice.

8 As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

9 Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, † both living, and Heb. as in his wrath.

10 The righteous shall rejoice when

Dyeingregation? do ye judge he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash

uprightly, O ye sons of men?

2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.

3 The wicked are estranged from +Heb. from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

the belly.

+ Heb. according to

4 Their poison is + like the poison the likeness. of a serpent: they are like the deaf || adder that stoppeth her ear;

Or, asp.

5 Which will not hearken to the Or, be the voice of charmers, || charming never so wisely.

charmer never 80 cunning.

6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.

7 Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.

selves all we read in this Psalm, we may nevertheless from hence conclude, in general, that in our necessities we should draw nigh to God, being fully persuaded that He will not fail to send us help from heaven, and deliver us. Ostervald.

Psalm LVIII. A Psalm of David, wherein he reproves the judges, the princes of Saul's court, for passing an unrighteous sentence upon him, probably, as guilty of seeking Saul's life; and begs of God to defeat their unjust attempts to destroy him, and openly to shew Himself the protector of the innocent. Green. Ver. 1. Do ye indeed speak &c.] O ye assembly of princes and rulers, have you pronounced a righteous sentence against me, and judged me uprightly according to your consciences? Bp. Patrick, Travell.

3. The wicked are estranged &c.] Such is their wickedness, that they were depraved from the very womb; going astray as soon as they could go; and telling lies as soon as they could speak. Travell. 4, 5.

like the deaf adder &c.] Allusion is here made to that sort of serpents, which, according to some naturalists, were able to make themselves deaf, in order to resist the effect of charms employed for the purpose of lulling them asleep and taking them. The meaning is, These incorrigible persons resolve never to hearken to any thing which may induce them to quit their evil ways. Dr. Hammond. The notion of charming serpents with certain sounds, or by uttering particular words, was formerly extremely general, and still prevails over many parts of Barbary. Dr. Shaw.

7. Let them melt &c.] Let them fall away one from the other till they come to nothing, as waters, which not being contained within any vessel or bank, run continually, and spread themselves further and further,

living, as wrath.

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till they are all lost or sucked up into the earth. Dr. Wells.

8. As a snail which &c.] As a snail, which melts or spends itself the further it goes, so let every one of them that are my enemies pass away, or miscarry in their designs. Dr. Wells.

9. Before your pots &c.] Perhaps these words should rather be translated, "Before your pots can feel the thorns, the tempest shall bear them away." Briars and thorns, when set on fire, are frequently applied in Scripture to represent the rage of the wicked: violent, yet impotent, and of no long continuance. They are applied also to the wicked themselves, as useless and unprofitable, proper objects of God's wrath, to be burned up or driven away by the wind. Both these ideas seem to be joined in the above verse. Bp. Lowth. 10. the vengeance:] The just judgment of God upon wicked men. Bp. Wilson.

he shall wash &c.] This is an allusion to a great conqueror, who dips his feet in the blood of his enemies as he passes over their carcases. Bp. Patrick.

In general, we see here that all those who harden themselves in their evil ways, without hearkening to the voice of God, are threatened with his vengeance. We learn also from this Psalm, that though the wicked prosper, and good men are afflicted for a while, yet they will always have reason to acknowledge, "that there is a reward for the righteous, and that there is a God who judgeth the earth." Ostervald.

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David prayeth to be

+ Heb. to

meet me.

b Ps. 10. 11. & 73. 11. & 94. 7.

+ Heb. my high place.

+ Heb. mine observers.

PSALMS.

iniquity, and save me from bloody

men.

3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.

4 They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.

5 Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah. 6 They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for b who, say they, doth hear?

8 But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.

9 Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my de† fence.

10 The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon † mine enemies.

11 Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O LORD our shield.

12 For the sin of their mouth and

6. They return at evening: &c.] The messengers of Saul, coming after David in the evening, besetting his house, and blocking up the approaches to it, are here compared to a set of hungry dogs in quest of their prey. Bp. Horne. See note on ver. 14.

7. Behold, they belch out &c.] Behold, their hearts are full of malice, which burst out at their mouths in open threats to kill me; for, Who, say they, shall call us to account for it? Bp. Patrick.

9. Because of his strength &c.] It is probable that the beginning of this verse should be the same with that of verse 17. Bp. Lowth.

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shall prevent me:] That is, shall make way for my timely escape. Dr. Wells.

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11. Slay them not, &c.] Do not utterly destroy them, lest my countrymen lose the remembrance of it: but let them remain a just monument of thine anger. Travell. 14. like a dog, &c.] Dogs are found in great numbers in the cities of the East, and crowd the streets. They do not appear to belong to any particular persons, as our dogs do, nor to be fed distinctly by such as might claim some interest in them, but get their food as they can. Harmer.

15.— and grudge if they be not satisfied.] And murmur because they are not satisfied. Dr. Chandler. See the margin.

Nothing gives us such support, and administers such confidence and courage to expect a deliverance from God Almighty out of any persecution or danger that invades us, as the consciousness of innocence. Not that we may conclude, that guiltless men cannot be oppressed,

delivered from his enemies.

the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.

13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.

14 And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

15 Let them wander up and down † for meat, I and grudge if they be not satisfied."

16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

17 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.

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Heb. to eat.

Or, if they be not satisfied, then they

will stay all night.

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To the chief Musician upon Shushan-eduth, || Michtam of David, to teach; a when he strove with a 2 Sam. s. 3, Aram-naharaim and with Aram- 1 Chron. 18. zabah, when Joab returned, and about 1040.

13.

3.

even to the loss of their lives, as well as their fortunes ; or, that evil men cannot prevail against those who are less evil than they: we may not only be very innocent in those particulars of which we are condemned and brought into misery, but therefore condemned, because we are known to be innocent; and yet we may be guilty enough in other particulars, to deserve a greater punishment and misery than we undergo and since every sin is in opposition to God's will and directions, it is his usual method to punish sinners by others who are most opposite to the sins they practised. Our deliverance therefore may be for a time deferred, till the fire of adversity hath well purged the dross and corruption which our prosperity had contracted, and we shall then find, that our constancy and patience in suffering hath made God propitious to us, and provided a crown of glory for our reward. Lord Clarendon.

Psalm LX. Shushan-eduth,] The meaning of this word is quite uncertain.

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- to teach; Either, that David might teach posterity what things he had done; or, implying that this Psalm was given to the chief musician, that he might teach the inferiour ones. Rosenmüller.

-Aram] The Syrians; so called, because they were the descendants of Aram the son of Shem, Gen. x. 22. Poole. -naharaim] Those Syrians that lived between the two rivers Tigris and Euphrates. Bp. Patrick.

- Aram-zobah,] Those Syrians that lived adjoining to the former, in that part of Syria called Zobah, 2 Sam. viii. 5. Bp. Patrick.

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