and needy, and to slay such as are of a right conversation.

15 Their sword shall go through their own heart (k): and their bow shall be broken. 16 A small thing that the righteous hath is better than great riches of the ungodly.

17 godly shall be broken and the Lord upholdeth the righteous.

For the arms of the un

18 The Lord knoweth (1) the days of the godly and their inheritance shall endure for ever.

19 They shall not be confounded in the perilous time: and in the days of dearth they shall have enough.

20 As for the ungodly, they shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall consume as the fat of lambs (m): yea, even as the smoke shall they consume away.

21 The ungodly borroweth (n), and payeth not again but the righteous is merciful and liberal.

22 Such as are blessed of God, shall possess the land and they that are cursed of him, shall be rooted out.

23 The Lord ordereth a good man's going and maketh his way acceptable to himself.

24 Though he fall (o), he shall not be cast away for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

25 I have been young, and now am old and yet saw I never the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread.

26 The righteous is ever merciful, and lendeth and his seed is blessed.

27 Flee from evil, and do the thing that is good : and dwell (p) for evermore.

28 For the Lord loveth the thing that is right he forsaketh not his that be godly, but they are preserved for ever.

29 The unrighteous shall be punished as for the seed of the ungodly, it shall be rooted out.

30 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell therein for

godly shall perish, thou shalt see

it.

(r) This is intitled, "A Psalm of "David, to bring to remembrance." It was probably written when he was in great distress of mind, which he describes, with the freedom of a poet, as though his body was afflicted with some sore disease. Perhaps after his sin in the matter of Uriah. His object might be, to prevent his forgetting the sorrow it had occasioned him, and that the remembrance of it might restrain him from any further sin. It is one of the Psalms for Ash-Wednesday.

they that went about to do me evil, talked of wickedness (y), and imagined deceit all the day long.

13 As for me, I was like a deaf man, and heard not: and as one that is dumb (z), who doth not open his mouth.

14 I became even as a man that heareth not: and in whose mouth are no reproofs (a).

15 For in thee, O Lord, have I put my trust thou shalt answer for me, O Lord my God.

16 I have required (b) that they, even mine enemies, should not triumph over me for when my foot slipped, they rejoiced greatly against me.

17 And I truly am set in the plague and my heaviness is ever in my sight.

:

18 For I will confess my wickedness and be sorry for my sin.

:

(y) "Wickedness," i. e. wicked plans and devices against me.

(z) "Dumb." See Ps. xxxix. 2. 10. His motive for silence might be, lest his complaints should give occasion to the ungodly to think or speak disrespectfully of God.

(a) "Reproofs," i. e. probably, “an"swers." This properly introduces the idea expressed in the next verse, that God should answer for him.

(b) For" required," which seems rather too strong an expression, read "prayed."

4 My heart was hot within and while I was thus musing, the fire kindled and at the last I spake with my tongue;

5 "Lord, let me know my "end, and the number of my "days that I may be certified "how long I have to live."

:

6 Behold, thou hast made my days as it were a span long and mine age is even as nothing in respect of thee; and verily every man living is altogether vanity.

7 For man walketh in a vain

(ƒ) "While," &c. Lest any word v.. which escapes me should give occasion to them to speak irreverently of God.

9.10.

shadow, and disquieteth himself in vain he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them.

8 And now, Lord, what is my hope (g): truly my hope is even

in thee.

9 Deliver me from all mine offences and make me not a rebuke unto the foolish.

10 I became dumb, and opened not my mouth for it was thy doing (b).

11 Take thy plague away from me: I am even consumed by means of thy heavy hand.

12 When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin, thou makest his beauty to consume away, like as it were a moth fretting a garment: every man therefore is but vanity.

13 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and with thine ears consider my calling hold not thy peace at my tears.

14 For I am a stranger (i) with

(g) "What is my hope?" After noticing the uncertainty of life, and the vanity of riches, he naturally comes to the consideration, what gives a solid ground for hope?

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(b) Thy doing," i.e. my sufferings came from thee: so that complaint would have been useless, and wicked.

(i) "A stranger," &c. In the Levitical law, where a man was prohibited from selling his land longer than till the succeeding year of jubilee, God gives this reason for it: "For the land is mine: "for ye are strangers and sojourners "with me." Levit. xxv. 23. And that passage probably suggested this verse.

(k) Dr. Kennicott thinks, and perhaps rightly, that this constitutes two distinct Psalms; the first ending at the 13th verse, and the second beginning with the 14th. The first is considered a prophetic song of triumph, in the person of the Messiah, noticing his humiliation, his perfect obedience, and subsequent exaltation. The

I WAITED patiently for the Lord : and he inclined unto me, and heard my calling.

2 He brought me also out of the horrible pit, out of the mire and clay and set my feet upon the rock, and ordered my goings.

3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth even a thanksgiving unto our God.

4 Many shall see it, and fear : and shall put their trust in the Lord.

5 Blessed is the man that hath set his hope in the Lord and turned not unto the proud, and to such as go about with lies.

6 O Lord my God, great are the wondrous works (1) which

author of the Epistle to the Hebrews evidently treats the 8th, 9th, and 10th verses, as spoken in the person of our Saviour, (or else in a peculiarly bold figure applies them to him.) Heb. x. 5. &c. (ante 119.) "Wherefore when he cometh

into the world, he saith, "Sacrifice," &c. plainly pointing out the Messiah as the person speaking. See 2d Kennicott's Sermons, and his Remarks, p. 193. David is considered as the author. 'The second of the two Psalms is an anxious prayer for deliverance, apparently written great trouble. If that is prophetic also, it might look forward to the time of our Saviour's agony before he was betrayed, and to his sufferings whilst upon the cross. This is one of the proper Psalms for GoodFriday.

in

(7) "Wondrous works," &c. This v.6. may refer to the mystery of man's redemption, by the incarnation, sufferings, and exaltation of our Saviour.

U

thou hast done; like as be also thy thoughts, which are to us-ward: and yet there is no man that ordereth them unto thee.

7 If I should declare them, and speak of them they should be more than I am able to express.

8 Sacrifice and meat-offering thou wouldest not (m): but mine ears (n) hast thou opened.

9 Burnt-offerings and sacrifice for sin hast thou not required: then said I, "Lo, I come."

10 In the volume of the book it is written of me, that I should fulfil thy will, O my God: I am content to do it; yea, thy law is within my heart.

11 I have declared thy righteousness in the great congregation (o) lo, I will not refrain

(m) "Wouldest not," and " hast not "required," i. e. either absolutely, meaning that the sacrifice of animals, &c. was to be wholly discontinued, or comparatively, that they were not to be so much regarded as submission, obedience, internal and spiritual service.

(n) For "mine ears," &c. the quotation in Hebr. x. 5. is, " a body hast "thou prepared me," and the variation of a small part of three Hebrew letters would warrant that translation. But the present reading, when explained, is per fectly intelligible. Where a bondman preferred perpetual bondage with his master to being made free, he was to be brought before the Judges, and in their presence the master was to bore his ear through with an awl, and then he was to serve the master for ever. See Exod. xxi. I to 6. and Deut. xv. 12 to 17. This passage, therefore, implies, that the service or obedience which the bondman under such circumstances engaged to render, viz. "to serve for ever,? was what God required; and the "Lo, I "come," in verse 9. imports that such service and obedience the person speaking was ready to perform. The same practice is probably referred to in the pro

my lips, O Lord, and that thou knowest.

12 I have not hid (p) thy righteousness within my heart: my talk hath been of thy truth, and of thy salvation.

13 I have not kept back (9) thy loving mercy and truth: from the great congregation.

14 Withdraw not thou thy mercy from me, O Lord let thy loving-kindness and thy truth alway preserve me.

15 For innumerable troubles are come about me; my sins (r) have taken such hold upon me, that I am not able to look up yea, they are nore in num. ber than the hairs of my head, and and my heart hath failed (s)

(o)" Great congregation," i. e. the si great religious assembly of the Jews. See ante, Ps. xxii. 25.-xxxv. 18. and the notes there.

9.13

(p)" Hid," &c. i.e. confined it to my own meditations, but have made it the subject of conversation with others. (9) "Kept back," i. e. concealed. " (1) My sins." If this part is considered as prophetic, looking forward to the Messiah, by "my sins" must be intended the sins laid upon him, those he was to bear; for he did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth;" I Pet. ii. 22. but "the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all." Is. liii. 6. 11, 12. (s)" Hath failed," &c. Just before our Saviour was betrayed, "his soul

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was exceeding sorrowful, even unto "death, and he fell on his face, and "prayed, O my Father, if it be pos "sible, let this cup pass from me; so that though his heart did not fail, his agony was such as would have overpowered any other.