τὸ σῶσαι με Κύριον.

remind

God.

Supposed sacrificial

use.

This latter may perhaps give the real Meaning to meaning of the title, viz., that it denotes a Ps. in which the writer being in great distress calls on God to remember him and save him, so Rashi. The M'tsoodath David however Or to remind takes it as meaning "to remind one who is crushed with the afflicted to pray to trials to pray to God with such words as those of these Pss." God. Delitzsch supposes that Pss. xxxviii. and lxx. were to be recited at the offering of the azcârâh (LXX. áváμvnois), a handful of meal taken from the Mincah, the meal offering, (A.V. meat-offering), and mixed with some of the oil and the whole of the incense, and then burnt by the priest upon the altar. We do not however see anything in the context of these Pss. appropriate to such an occasion. Whatever may be the meaning of the title, there is certainly a reference Psalms "to to this species of Ps. in 1 Chron. xvi. 4, where David is said bring to remembrance" to have appointed certain "of the Levites to minister before the ark and to record (l'hazcîr), and to thank and to praise (l'hallêl, cf. t'hillâh, Psalm of Praise) the Lord God of Israel." This passage rather militates against the sacriThis passage ficial use of the word, as far at least as negative evidence goes, as we do not know that there were any priests left before the ark in Zion, or that there were any sacrifices there : the sacrificial worship was continued at the "Tabernacle in the high place which was at Gibeon,” cf. 1 Chron. xvi. 37–40.

seemingly referred to in Chron.

does not

support the supposed sacrificial

use.

To teach. H., Plammed," to teach," occurs in the title of lx. only. In 2 Sam. i. 17, 18, we read, “And David lamented this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son; and he commanded to teach (l'lammêd) the children of Judah the bow, &c.," then follows the dirge. This dirge, on account of the occurrence in it of the word "bow," has been called the song of the bow," though, be it observed, the words "shield" and "sword" are also found in it, and it might apparently be with equal propriety termed the "song Baseless of the shield" or "of the sword." Assuming, however, that assumptions this dirge is called "the song of the bow," and combining with regard to the so- this assumption with the fact that it is said in v. 18 that called Song of the Bow." David "commanded to teach the children of Israel the bow," 2 Sam, i. 19 some have drawn the inference that this dirge was to be sung

.-27.

at bow-practice, and that similarly Psalm lx. was to be sung "at the practice of arms," cf. Del. But it seems to us that the whole account of the so-called "song of the bow" is a

to teach"

pure invention. Certainly it is declared that David expressed his grief at the death of Saul and Jonathan in the dirge 2 Sam. i. 19—27, as also that he gave orders to teach the children of Judah the bow (2 Sam. i. 18), but we have not the slightest evidence to prove that the dirge in which he lamented was to be sung at the bow-practice. But in Deut. Evidence from Deut. xxxi. 19, we find that Moses was commanded to write a i. 1 certain song and to teach (l'lammêd) it to the children of proving that Israel. Possibly the song alluded to is that contained in a song was Deut. xxxii., but whether it be so or no, this passage, which appears to have escaped the notice of commentators, is sufficient to prove that the custom of teaching a song was not unknown among the Israelites, a fact which the passage from Samuel, which is usually cited, does by no means satisfactorily substantiate. Ps. lx., we may infer, therefore, was designed to be taught, either to the children of Israel generally, or, which is more probable, to some noted school of music.

a custom

not unknown

in Israel.

al yi. To the air על יונת אלם רחוקים .H

of a well

emendation.

Yonath elem rchokim. nath êlem r'chôkîm (Ps. lvi.), i.'e. to the tune of "The silent known song. dove of those afar off," or "of far-off places," (Aq. упÈρ πерιστερᾶς ἀλάλου μακρυσμών), or, according to Olshausen, who suggests the reading êlîm, “terebinths,” for êlem, “silence,” "The dove of the distant terebinths." Some, as Kimchi, Proposed suppose the dove to be a figure for the Jewish nation when in captivity, and therefore far removed from the sanctuary Israel in captivity and unable to sing the songs of Zion; in which case al would represented mean " concerning." This seems to have been the view by the dove. taken by LXX. ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων μεμακρυμμένου, and by Symm., who has púλov áñwσμévoν. The Psalm bearing this title, is (according to a custom of the compilers, which is observable in numerous instances throughout the Psalter) placed after lv., because in lv. 6, David says, "O that I had Psalms containing wings as the dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Lo, I would similar take a distant flight, I would remain in the wilderness." It expressions is just possible that Ps. lv. is the song called "The silent dove are often found placed of far-off places," for though it was composed after Ps. lvi., together in yet it may have been written before David delivered lvi. into the hands of the Chief Musician to be sung in the public services.

words and

the Psalter.

THIS Psalm, for the sublimity of its poetry, the depth of its thought, and the intensity of the struggle which it portrays, may be regarded as one of the most interesting in the whole Psalter. The spiritual life, illumined by only a partial revelation, is here presented to us in its inner conflicts. The various phases of the struggle, the misgivings expressed only to be repressed, the perplexity, the final re-assurance and self-reproof, are portrayed with almost dramatic reality.

The difficult problem, which forms the subject of this Psalm, is that which recurs in Psalm xxxvii., and in the books of Job and Ecclesiastes, viz. How is it that those who give themselves up to wickedness often seem to fare better than those who strive to serve God?

The Law had nowhere' distinctly promised a continued existence after death, however much it implied it; moreover it had promised temporal rewards and punishments, at any rate to the nation, if not to individuals. To the Jew then, this problem was more difficult than to any other, for while he had but a dim foresight of the world to come, he had a clear revelation of the justice of God. How was he to reconcile existing circumstances with his knowledge of God's attributes?

In the Psalm before us the faith of the Psalmist seems to have been restored by attending the public worship of the sanctuary; where in company with the generation of God's children,' joining with them in the worship of Jehovah and hearing the words of the Law, he became convinced that in the end (whenever that might be), under the government of Perfect Goodness, goodness must prevail and wickedness must perish.

RULY God is good to Israel,
even to such as are of a clean

TRU

heart.

2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. 3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.

5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.

6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.

1. THE Psalmist puts prominently forward in the first verse the result of his meditations, viz. that he has come to the conclusion that after all God is good to his faithful servants. The word (ac) verily, truly, introduces a conviction based upon certain considerations, cf. V. 12: "Then (ac) have I cleansed my hands in vain, &c." Obs. That the true Israel is already distinguished as consisting of the 'pure of heart,' i.e. the upright in action and intention.

2.

"Almost gone"-i.e. had almost tottered.

3. Better "For I was incensed at the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked."

4a. "There are no bands to their death." The Psalmist means apparently, that there is no retributive fate dragging these men to the death they have deserved. "Bands," H. an chartzubbôth. This word occurs again in Is. lviii. 6, ("to loose the bands of wickedness.") The Versions here present a strange variety of interpretation, which has led some to suspect the genuineness of the Hebrew text. LXX. οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνάνευσις (“ denial” or “ revival”) ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτῶν. Symm. ὅτι οὐκ ἐνεθυμοῦντο περὶ θανάτου, and similarly Jerome, quod non cogitaverunt de morte. Both these apparently connected chartzubbôth with the R. châshab, "he thought," or perhaps with chatzab, “he cut off" (cf. 'by "thoughts," Ps. xciv. 19; cxxxix. 23; from y "he cut off" so "he decided": where also a Rêsh absent in the root is inserted in the derivative). Syr. lîth soco l'mauth'hoon=“they have no expectation of death" possibly, or as generally rendered, "there is no end to their death." We cannot forbear mention of the ingenious emendations for a whereby the verse runs, "For they have no pains, healthy and fat (No1 D) is their physique." The Versions, however, as will be seen above, present no support to this emendation, and we think that chartzubbôth, as explained above, gives a sense fully in harmony with the context.

6. Rend. "Therefore pride encircleth their neck, violence covereth them about as a garment." Pride and violence are, as it were, the clothing and ornaments of their persons, so manifest are they in all