MORNING PRAYER.

Psalm cxx. (m)

WHEN I was in trouble, I called upon the Lord and he heard

me.

2 Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips lips and from a deceitful tongue.

3 What reward shall be given or done unto thee, thou false tongue even mighty and sharp arrows, with hot burning coals.

(m) This Psalm is supposed to have been written by David, when by the calumnies of Doeg and others he was constrained to quit his own country. See 1 Sam. xxi. 10. and xxvii, 2. It calls to mind that God had before heard him when he was in trouble, it prays for further deliverance, and laments his banishment from his own land and the inveteracy of his enemies. This and the next fourteen Psalms are called in the Hebrew 66 songs of the ascent or going up;" and though the reason for so calling them is not known with certainty, it might be one of these following: first, because they were sung by the Levites whilst the king was going up to the temple, which we may suppose was an act of great state and solemnity, for amongst the things which astonished the queen of Sheba when she went to see Solomon, was "his "ascent by which he went up to the "house of the Lord," 1 Kings x. 5. Or secondly, because they were sung by the people when they were going up to Jerusalem at the three solemn feasts; see note on Ps. cxxii. or thirdly, because they were sung when the people went up from the Babylonish captivity, and were continued in after times to celebrate that event.

4(n) Mesech," "Kedar." Mesech

was a son of Japheth, (Gen. x. 2. and 1 Chron. i. 3.) and Kedar a son of Ishmael, (Gen. xxv. 13. and Chron. i. 29.) ; and these names therefore are probably used generally for the heathen: not importing that he was literally dwelling with any people of the name of Mesech or Kedar, or with any of their descendants, but merely that he was constrained to dwell with some of the heathen.

4 Woe is me, that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech (n): and to have my habitation among the tents of Kedar (o)!

5 My soul hath long dwelt among them that are enemies unto peace.

6 I labour for peace; but when I speak unto them thereof: they make them ready to battle. Psalm cxxi. (p)

I WILL lift up mine eyes unto

(0) "Tents of Kedar." In the pro- v.4. phecy as to Ishmael (Gen. xvi. 12.) which meant to apply to his posterity also, what we translate "he shall davell "in the presence of all his brethren," signifies more strictly "he shall dwell in “ tents," &c.; and it is remarkable that down to the present day many of his descendants adhere to the practice of dwelling in tents. This Psalm, which at the earliest (that is if written by David) must have been written 900 years after the prophecy, and 450 years after the book of Genesis was written, speaks of the tents of Kedar, as if it was well known that the descendants of Kedar, Ishmael's son, then dwelt in tents; and Isaiah, who wrote 300 years after David's time, when he says Is. xiii. 20. "neither shall the Ara"bian pitch tent there," implies that the Arabians, who were descendants of Ishmael, were then in the habit of dwelling in tents. And in Solomon's Song i. 5. and Is. xlix. 29. are "the tents of Kedar" mentioned. From this and other stronger instances in which the facts foretold in scripture, are fulfilling down to the present time, Bishop Newton illustrates the position, that the prophecies really came from God. For how could it happen but through him, that their completion should still be proceeding?

(p) Upon the transcendency of God's protection. It is supposed to have been written by David, and expresses the high confidence he had in God; and it was thankfully called to remembrance upon the return from the captivity, to remind the people that in the greatest troubles, the surest wisdom was to trust in God. Bp. Lowth thinks the first two verses were spoken by David, when going out

to war, and that the other six constituted the answer of encouragement from the high priest. There is evidently a change of person at the 3d verse, which continues to the end of the Psalm, so that the last six verses are an answer to the person who uttered the first two.

(q) "The hills." This may mean the heights of heaven, as the supposed dwelling place of God, and then the second verse will be an explanation of it; or the first verse may be interrogative, "Shall I lift up mine eyes unto the hills, "as if my help should come from thence?" i.e. shall I trust alone or chiefly to natural means, to the strength of mountains, &c.; "no, I have help from him by whom

those means were created." And then it accords with Jer. iii. 23. "Truly in vain "is salvation hoped for from the hills, "and from the multitude of mountains:

go

4 For (s) thither the tribes up, even the tribes of the Lord: to testify unto Israel, to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord.

5 For there is the seat of judgement: even the seat of the house of David.

6 O pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee.

7 Peace be within thy walls: and plenteousness within thy palaces.

8 For my brethren and companions' sakes: I will wish thee prosperity.

9 Yea, because of the house of the Lord our God: I will seek to do thee good.

Psalm cxxiii. (t)

UNTO thee lift I up mine eyes: O thou that dwellest in the heavens,

truly in the Lord our God is the "salvation of Israel." And see Psalm lxxvi. 4.

(r) A hymn, supposed to have been written by David, and to have been used by the people upon their going up to the public worship at Jerusalem. By the Mosaic law (Exod. xxiii. 17.-Deut. xvi. 16.) three times in a year were all the males to appear before the Lord, in the place which he should choose (which was afterwards Jerusalem,) viz. at the Feast of the Passover or unleavened bread, at the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, and at the Feast of Tabernacles. The Psalm might also be used again upon the return from the Babylonish captivity.

(s) "For" should (perhaps) be omitted.

(t) An anxious appeal to God in time

2 Behold, even as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress even so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us.

3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us for we are utterly despised.

4 Our soul is filled (u) with the scornful reproof of the wealthy and with the despitefulness of the proud.

Psalm cxxiv. (x)

If the Lord himself had not been on our side, now may Israel say: If the Lord himself had not been on our side, when men rose up against us;

2 They had swallowed us up quick when they were so wrathfully displeased at us.

3 Yea, the waters had drowned us and the stream had gone over (y) our soul.

4 The deep waters of the proud had gone even over our soul.

5 But praised be the Lord: who hath not given us over for a prey unto their teeth.

of great distress. It might be written when Sennacherib, king of Assyria, threatened Jerusalem (see 2 Kings xviii. 17. and Isaiah xxxvi. 2.) or during the Babylonish captivity.

4. (u)" Filled," i.e. ready to overflow, not in a condition to bear more.

(x) A thanksgiving for some signal deliverance, ascribing it to God. 14. (y)" Gone over our soul," i. e. had put an end to our lives.

(*) Upon God's protection to those who trust in him, and walk in his ways.

6 Our soul is escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken, and we are delivered.

7 Our help standeth in the Name of the Lord who hath made heaven and earth.

Psalm cxxv. (z)

THEY that put their trust in the Lord shall be even as the mount Sion which may not be removed, but standeth fast for ever.

2 The hills stand about Jerusalem even so standeth the Lord round about his people, from this time forth for ever

more.

3 For the rod of the ungodly cometh not into (a) the lot of the righteous: lest the righteous put their hand unto wickedness.

4 Do well, O Lord unto those that are good and true of heart.

5 As for such as turn back unto their own wickedness: the Lord shall lead them forth with the evil doers; but peace shall be upon Israel.

(a) For "cometh not into." the v.3. Bible translation is, "shall not rest upon," i.e. shall not continue long upon; the meaning probably is, the punishments with which the wicked are vexed do not stay long upon the righteous, lest (if there were no difference in this respect) the righteous should fall off and put their hand unto wickedness. In Ps. lxxiii. 2. 14. the prosperity of the wicked is described as having a tendency, until their end is considered, to shake the faith and integrity of the good.