An exhortation A. M. cir. 3480. B. C. cir. 515. R. Persarum, cir. aunum sextum. b PRAISE ye ye PSALMS. the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD. a 2 Ye that stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God, 3 Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant. 4 For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure. 5 For I know that the LORD is great, and that our LORD is above all gods. 6 h Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places. 7 He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; *he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries. to praise the Lord. a Ps. cxiii. 1. cxxxiv. 1.- b Luke ii. 37. - Ps. xcii. 13. from man unto beast. - Exod. vii., viii., ix., I., xiv. xcvi. 8. cxvi. 19. d Ps. cxix. 68. e Ps. cxlvii. 1. PPs. cxxxvi. 15.- 9 Numb. xxi. 24, 25, 26, 34, 35. Ps. Exod. xix. 5. Deut. vii. 6, 7. x. 15.- g Ps. xcv. 3. xcvii. cxxxvi. 17, &c. Josh. xii. 7.- Ps. lxxviii. 55. cxxvi. 9. h Ps. cxv. 3.- Jer. x. 13. li. 16. Job xxviii. 25, 21, 22.- Exod. iii. 15. Ps. cii. 12." Heb. to genera 26. xxxviii. 24, &c. Zech. x. 1. 1 Job xxxviii. 22. tion and generation.▬▬▾ Deut. xxxii. 36.- - Ps. cxv. 4, 5, Exod. xii. 12, 29. Ps. lxxviii. 51. cxxxvi. 10.- n Heb. 6, 7, 8. NOTES ON PSALM CXXXV. This psalm is intimately connected with the preceding. It is an exhortation addressed to the priests and Levites, and to all Israel, to publish the praises of the Lord. The conclusion of this psalm is nearly the same with Psalm cxv.; and what is said about idols, and the effects of the power of God, seems to be taken from it and the tenth chapter of Jeremiah; and from these and other circumstances it appears the psalm was written after the captivity; and might, as Calmet conjectures, have been used at the dedication of the second temple. Verse 1. Praise ye the Lord] This may be considered as the title, for it has none other. Praise ye the name of the Lord] Perhaps the original halelu eth shem Yehovah, should be הללו את שם יהוה translated, Praise ye the name Jehovah; that is, Praise God in his infinite essence of being, holiness, good ness, and truth. Verse 5. The Lord is great] Unlimited in his power: another reason. idolized or not; because he is the Fountain of Is above all gods.] Every class of being, whether existence. This is a fifth reason. has done is right, and therefore it is pleasing in his Verse 6. Whatsoever the Lord pleased] All that he sight. He is the Author of all existence. Angels, men, spirits, the heavens, the earth, and all their con tents, were made by him, and are under his control. Shaw thinks that the account here refers to the Verse 7. He causeth the vapours to ascend Dr. autumnal rains in the East. Of them he speaks as follows: "Seldom a night passes without much lightning in the north-west quarter, but not attended with thunder; and when this lightning appears in the west or south-west points, it is a sure sign of the approaching rain, which is often followed by thunder. A squall of wind and clouds of dust are the sure forerunners of the first rain." This account induces Mr. Verse 2. Ye that stand] Priests and Levites. For Harmer to believe that the word ww nesiim, should which he gives several reasons. Verse 3. The Lord is good] Here is the first reason why he should be praised; and a second is subjoined: For it is pleasant.] It is becoming to acknowledge this infinite Being, and our dependance on him; and it is truly comfortable to an upright mind to be thus employed. Verse 4. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob] This is a third reason. He has taken the Israelites for his peculiar people, bo segullatho, his peculiar treasure; and now has brought them home to himself from their captivity and wanderings. be translated clouds, not vapours. It shows that God Maketh lightnings for the rain] The squalls of wind bring on these refreshing showers, and are therefore precious things of the treasuries of God; and when he thunders, it is the noise of waters in the heavens. See Jer. x. 13, which contains almost the same words as those in this verse: "When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries." Verse 8. Who smote the first-born of Egypt] See the parallel passages. 17 They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. 18 They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them. Ps. cxv. 9, &c.b Ps. cxxxiv. 3. Verse 14. The Lord will judge his people] He will do them justice against their enemies. Verse 15. The idols of the heathen] This verse and the following, to the end of the 18th, are almost word for word the same as verses 4-8 of Psalm cxv, where see the notes. 19 a Bless the LORD, O house of Israel: bless the LORD, O 20 Bless the LORD, O house to praise God. A. M. cir. 3489. sextum. of Levi: ye that fear the LORD, bless the LORD. Judg. v. 2. 1 Chron. xvi. 4. xxiii. 30. xxv. 3. 1. In the earth. Causing the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth, from all parts, which are endued with several qualities. 2. In the air. "He maketh lightning for rain." "For he bringeth the winds out of his treasuries." Nothing is more obscure 3. In the water. Verse 17. To this verse one of Kennicott's MSS. than the generation of the winds. adds the 6th and 7th verses of Psalm cxv. III. The fourth argument the prophet uses to persimi-suade men to praise God, is from the vengeance he executes on the enemies of his people. Verse 19. Bless the Lord, O house, &c.] See lar verses, Ps. cxv. 9-13, and the notes there. Verse 21. Blessed be the Lord out of Zion] Who has once more restored our temple and city, and now condescends to dwell with us in Jerusalem. ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIFTH PSALM. I. From his goodness, particularly in choosing II. From the greatness and power showed in his works, ver. 5-8. III. From his justice showed to the enemies of Israel, ver. 1-13. IV. From his loving-kindness extended and promised still to his servants, ver. 13, 14. V. Having derided the vanity of idols, ver. 15-19, he returns to his exhortation, calling upon them to bless God, ver. 19-21. I. He calls upon the ministers of religion especially to attend the recitation of divine praises :1. "Praise ye the Lord," &c. 2. "Ye that stand." And now, repeating his words again, he produces his reason of inducement: --- 1. Because the Lord is worthy of praise: "For he is good," &c. Not comparatively, but absolutely good. 2. "Sing praises unto his name," &c. Because it is no painful duty, but pleasant. 3. Praise him for his love to Israel; for this you owe him gratitude: "For the Lord hath chosen Jacob," &c. 2. "And Israel for his peculiar treasure." II. The next argument he uses is drawn from his greatness. 1. From his empire and universal dominion in heaven and earth: "Whatsoever the Lord pleased," &c. Nothing is impossible to him: but he does all from his free will, not from any necessity. 2. "He doth all things," &c. In all places; heaven, earth, seas, and hell. And these last words the prophet amplifies, 1. Upon the Egyptians. "Who smote the firstborn of Egypt," &c. 2. "Who sent tokens and wonders," &c. he smote great nations," &c. "And IV. To the commemoration of the justice God exercised upon their enemies, the prophet exhorts them. to extol God. 1. Thy name, O Lord," &c. 2. "And thy memorial," &c. And the reason is drawn from his mercy. 1. "For the Lord will judge his people." Judge their cause, and deliver them. 2. "And he will repent himself," &c. If they repent, and turn to him. The prophet, having proved that God is great in himself, now proves that he is above all gods, which are but vanity. 1. From their composition: "Silver and gold." 2. From their makers: "The work of men's hands." 3. From their impotency: "They have mouths," &c. 4. From the nature of their worshippers: "They that make them," &c. Lastly, he invites all true worshippers of God to praise him, because they are lively images of the living God, from whom all their faculties have proceeded. To this he invites— 1. All Israel: "Bless the Lord, O house of Israel." 2. The priests: "Bless the Lord, O house of Aaron." 3. The Levites: "Bless the Lord, O house of Levi." 4. Lastly, all the laity: "Ye that fear the Lord, bless the Lord." To which he adds his own note, concluding1. "Blessed be the Lord out of Zion." Where he shows his presence by the ark. 2. "Which dwelleth at Jerusalem." Who, though in essence he is every where, yet more especially manifests his presence in his church by his indwelling Spirit. Therefore, let all people bless the Lord for his great mercy: but let the citizens of Zion and Jerusalem never cease to praise him. God is to be praised PSALMS. PSALM CXXXVI. for his everlasting mercy. An exhortation to give thanks to God for various mercies granted to all men, 1-9; particularly to the Israelites in Egypt, 10-12; at the Red Sea, 13-15; in the wil derness, 16-20; and in the promised land, 21, 22; for the redemption of the captives from Babylon, 23, 24; and for his providential mercies to all, 25, 26. 3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for 11 'And brought out Israel from among his mercy endureth for ever. leolam chasdo, might be translated: "For his tender mercy is to the coming age:" meaning, probably, if the psalm be prophetic, that peculiar display of his compassion, the redemption of the world by the Lord Jesus. These very words were prescribed by David as an acknowledgment, to be used continually in the divine worship, see 1 Chron. xvi. 41: also by Solomon, 2 Chron. vii. 3, 6, and observed by Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. xx. 21; all acknowledging that, however rich in mercy God was to them, the most extensive displays of his goodness were reserved for the age to come; see 1 Pet. i. 10–12: “Of which salvation the prophets have inquired, and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, -unto whom it was revealed, that not unto them them for his mercy endureth for ever. 12 "With a strong hand, and with a stretchedout arm for his mercy endureth for ever: 13" To him which divided the Red Sea into parts for his mercy endureth for ever: 14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it for his mercy endureth for ever. 15 But Poverthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea for his mercy endureth for ever. k Exod. xii. 29. Ps. cxxxv. 8. 0 rulings by day. xii. 51. xiii. 3, 17. Ps. Ixxviii. 13. shaked off. Exod. m Exod. vi. 6.- - Exod. xiv. 21, 22. o Exod. xiv. 27. Ps. cxxxv. 9.- -P Heb. selves, but unto us, they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that preached the gospel unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven," &c. Verse 2. The God of gods] 77 78 ladonai haadonim. As adonai signifies director, &c., it may apply here, not to idols, for God is not their god; but to the priests and spiritual rulers; as Lord of lords may apply to kings and magistrates, &c. He is God and ruler over all the rulers of the earth, whether in things sacred or civil. Verse 4. Who alone doeth great wonders] MIRACLES. No power but that which is almighty can work miracles, niphlaoth, the inversion, or suspension, or destruction of the laws of nature. Verse 5. By wisdom made the heavens] In the contrivance of the celestial bodies, in their relations, connexions, influences on each other, revolutions, &c., the wisdom of God particularly appears. Verse 6. Stretched out the earth above the waters] Or, upon the waters. This seems to refer to a central abyss of waters, the existence of which has not been yet disproved. Verse 7. Great lights] See the notes on the parallel passages in Genesis, &c. Verse 10. Smote Egypt in their first-born] This was one of the heaviest of strokes: a great part of the rising generation was cut off; few but old persons and children left remaining. Verse 13. Divided the Red Sea into parts] Some of the Jews have imagined that God made twelve 16 To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever. 17 To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever : 18 And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: his everlasting mercy. his mercy endureth for ever: 22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant : for his mercy endureth for ever. A. M. cir. 3489. sextum. 23 Who remembered us in our low estate : for his mercy endureth for ever : 24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: 19 Sihon, king of the Amorites: for his for his mercy endureth for ever. mercy endureth for ever: h 25 Who giveth food to all flesh for his 20 And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever. mercy endureth for ever. 26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: 21 And gave their land for an heritage: for for his mercy endureth for ever. paths through the Red Sea, that each tribe might have a distinct passage. Many of the Fathers were of the same opinion; but is this very likely? Verse 16. Which led his people through the wildernes] It was an astonishing miracle of God to support so many hundreds of thousands of people in a wilderness totally deprived of all necessaries for the life of man, and that for the space of forty years. Verse 23. Who remembered us in our low estate] He has done much for our forefathers; and he has done much for us, in delivering us, when we had no helper, from our long captivity in Babylon. Verse 25. Giveth food to all flesh] By whose universal providence every intellectual and animal being is supported and preserved. The appointing every tiring thing food, and that sort of food which is suited to its nature (and the nature and habits of animals are endlessly diversified), is an overwhelming proof of the wondrous providence, wisdom, and goodness of God. The Vulgate, Arabic, and Anglo-Saxon add a twenty-seventh verse, by repeating here ver. 3 very unnecessarily. ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIXTH PSALM. This psalm has the same argument with the preceding. It is divided into three parts:— I. A general exhortation to praise God for his goodness and majesty, ver. 1, 2, 3. II. A declaration of that goodness and majesty in their effects, ver. 4—10. III. A conclusion fit for the exordium, ver. 26. 1. Of his creation, ver. 4-10. 2. Of his providence in preserving the church, and punishing her enemies, ver. 10-25. 3. That his providence extends to all his creatures, ver. 25. I. In the three first verses the prophet invites us to praise God for his mercy and goodness. And in these three verses expositors find the Trinity: 1. Jehovah. God the Father, who is the Fountain of being. 2. God the Son. Who is God of gods, and over all. 3. The Holy Ghost. Who is Lord of lords. The Psalmist's reasons for calling upon us thus to 1. Deut. xxxii. 36. Ps. cxiii. 7. h Ps. civ. 27. cxlv. 15. cxlvii. 9. praise him are, "for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." The prophet now begins to praise God for his wonderful works, and which he alone was able to do. 1. "Who hath done wonderful things." Such as the work of creation. 2. "For his mercy endureth for ever." In sustaining and preserving all things. “To him give thanks" for the wisdom manifested in the heavens; for, contemplate them as we may, they appear full of beauty, order, and splendour. Praise him for his formation of the earth, as the mansion of man. Give thanks "to him that stretched out," &c. Naturally this could not be, because the earth is heavier than water: but God hath made furrows for the waters to flow into, that man and beast might live on the earth. "For his mercy endureth for ever." In this there was a threefold mercy: 1. In reference to the earth. To make it something of nothing. 2. As respects the water. To prepare for it a settled place. 3. In regard of man. To whom he gave the earth uncovered from water, and yet plentifully supplied with rivers and fruits. The third instance is the two great luminaries and the stars, in the three following verses. These do astonishingly adorn the heaven, and profit the earth. The sun and moon illuminate the earth, and comfort us. Perhaps the prophet instances these because they are alike blessings bestowed upon and shared by all the world. II. From the wonderful works of the creation the prophet descends to those of his providence, in the preservation of the church; and instances it in the redemption of his people Israel from the land of Egypt, &c., dwelling at large upon it, ver. 10—22. In these verses the prophet records how God performed to Israel all the offices of a good Captain, Guide, Leader, and even Father; for he fed them with bread from heaven, gave them water out of the rock, caused that their clothes wore not out, cured their sick, defended them from their enemies, &c. The afflicted state of PSALMS. the captives in Babylon. Lastly, that his goodness is not only extended over his people, but his creatures; to all flesh, which word signifies every thing that hath life. III. He concludes as he began, "O give thanks unto the God of heaven," &c. The prophet calls All this God did for them before they entered Canaan. And then the prophet reminds them how they rebelled against God, and he humbled them by bringing the Philistines and the Babylonian kings against them, who conquered and subjected them: but when they cried to him, he turned their cap-him the God of heaven, because he alone made the tivity; for he remembered us when we were in our low estate," &c.; "and hath redeemed us from our enemies," &c. heavens, and has his throne there, having the whole world under him; and by his wisdom and providence he preserves, moderates, and governs all things. PSALM CXXXVII. The desolate and afflicted state of the captives in Babylon, 1, 2. How they were insulted by their enemies, 3, 4. Their attachment to their country, 5, 6. Judgments denounced against their enemies, 7-9. BY Y the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. C wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. d 4 How shall we sing the LORD's song in a 2 We hanged our harps upon the willows strange land? in the midst thereof. 5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right 3 For there they that carried us away cap-hand forget her cunning. tive required of us a song; and they that a a Heb. the words of a song.- b Heb. laid us on heaps. NOTES ON PSALM CXXXVII. The Vulgate, Septuagint, Æthiopic, and Arabic say, ridiculously enough, a Psalm of David for Jeremiah. Anachronisms with those who wrote the titles to the psalms were matters of no importance. Jeremiah never was at Babylon; and therefore could have no part in a psalm that was sung on the banks of its rivers by the Israelitish captives. Neither the Hebrew nor Chaldee has any title; the Syriac attributes it to David. Some think it was sung when they returned from Babylon; others, while they were there. It is a matter of little importance. It was evidently composed during or at the close of the captivity. Verse 1. By the rivers of Babylon] These might have been the Tigris and Euphrates, or their branches, or streams that flowed into them. In their captivity and dispersion, it was customary for the Jews to hold their religious meetings on the banks of rivers. Mention is made of this Acts xvi. 13, where we find the Jews of Philippi resorting to a river side, where prayer was wont to be made. And sometimes they built their synagogues here, when they were expelled from the cities. Verse 2. We hanged our harps upon the willows] The arabim or willows were very plentiful in Babylon. The great quantity of them that were on the banks of the Euphrates caused Isaiah, chap. xv. 7, to call it the brook or river of willows. This is a most affecting picture. Perhaps resting themselves after toil, and wishing to spend their time religiously, they took their harps, and were about to sing one of the songs of Zion; but, reflecting on their own country, they became so filled with distress, that they unstrung their harps with one consent, and hung them on the willow bushes, and gave a general loose Ezek. iii. 26. 6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue e Ps. lxxix. 1. d Heb. land of a stranger. to their grief. Some of the Babylonians, who probably attended such meetings for the sake of the music, being present at the time here specified, desired them to sing one of Zion's songs: this is affectingly told. Verse 3. They that carried us away captive required of us a song] This was as unreasonable as it was insulting. How could they who had reduced us to slavery, and dragged us in chains from our own beautiful land and privileges, expect us to sing a sacred ode to please them, who were enemies both to us and to our God? And how could those wh wasted us expect mirth from people in captivity, deprived of all their possessions, and in the most abject state of poverty and oppression? Verse 4. How shall we sing the Lord's song] TTM eich! nashir; oh, we sing! Who does not hear the deep sigh in the strongly guttural sound of the original T eich! wrung, as it were, from the bottom of the heart? Can wE, in this state of slavery,-WE, exiles from our country,—we, stripped of all our property,— WE, reduced to contempt by our strong enemy,—WE, deprived of our religious privileges,—WE, insulted by our oppressors,-wE, in the land of heathens,—WE sing, or be mirthful in these circumstances? No: God does not expect it; man should not wish it; and it is base in our enemies to require it. Verse 5. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem] Such conduct would be, in effect, a renunciation of our land; a tacit acknowledgment that we were recapciled to our bondage; a concession that we were pleased with our captivity and could profane holy ordinances by using them as means of sport or postime to the heathen. No: Jerusalem! we remember ther and thy divine ordinances; and especially thy King |