Studies in the CL. Psalms

aside God's appointment. Ps. iv. 2, 3, with 1 Sam. xv. 28. To their taunt, No salvation for him in God" (Ps. iii. 2), David answers (ver. 8), "Salvation belongeth unto Jehovah." Absalom's 'anointing' (2 Sam. xix. 10) through vanity, fear, indecision: command in person: locks of beauty, the instrument of perishing: loss of children. Ps. xxi. I-10, with 2 Sam. xiv. 27, xviii. 9, 14, 18 Pages 94-103

LECTURE XIII.

Counsel to Absalom's party, “Stand in awe, and sin not... be still,” Ps. iv. 4; compare Eph. iv. 26, "Be ye angry, and sin not": Mark iii. 5, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Selah: Pss. lxi., lxii., lxiii. Neginath : David's stringed instrument, Amos vi. 5, with 1 Sam. xvi. 23 (Niggeen). "From the end of the earth," Ps. lxi. 2: "in the wilderness of Judah,” title Ps. lxiii., compared with 2 Sam. xv. 23, 28, xvii. 16: Ps, lxiii. 1, "My soul thirsteth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land,” with 2 Sam. xvi. 2, 14, Weary... they refreshed themselves." Ps. xlii. 6," I will remember Thee from the land of Jordan and the Hermons," when David had reached the trans-Jordanic region. But Ps. lxiii. 1, 2, when he was still on this side Jordan: "My soul thirsteth for Thee... in the sanctuary," with 2 Sam. xv. 24, 25, I Chr. xxix. 3, Ps. lxi. 4, with 2 Sam. vii. 16. Pss. xx., xxi.: David's prayers drew forth God's promises : xxi. 2, lxi. 5, "Thou hast heard my vows," with 2 Sam. vii. 3, "All that is in thine heart." "Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head," with 2 Sam. xii. 30, "the Ammonite king's crown—a talent of gold -set on David's head." "Some trust in chariots and horses, but we will remember... Jehovah," Ps. xx. 7, with 2 Sam. viii. 3-6, 1 Chr. xviii. 3-5, 1 Sam. xvii. 45. David's singleness of trust, Ps. lxii. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 : contrast their all, iv. 7. "They only consult to cast him down from his excellency," lxii. 4, with Gen. xlix. 3: coinciding with 2 Sam. xv. 14 (margin “the evil”), 2 Sam. xii. IO, II. 'Only to God is my soul silence," Ps. lxii. 1. The rebels trust in "men of low degree,” and some “of high degree,” and “riches increased by robbery," lxii. 9, 10, with 2 Sam. xv. 12; Ps. lxiii. 9, 11, with Job xxxiii. II; Ps. lxiii. 6, with iv. 4. "Thou renderest to every man according to his work," Ps. lxii. 12, with 1 Sam. xxvi. 23, 2 Sam. iii. 39. "In the shadow of Thy wings," Ps. lxiii. 7, xvii. 8, with Ruth ii. 12. Fulfilment of Ps. Ixiii. 9-11, "Those that seek my soul (coinciding with 2 Sam. xvi. 11) shall be for sudden destruction ... a portion for jackals ": 2 Sam. xviii. 7, 8 . Pages 104-109

LECTURE XIV.

Hebrew versification, parallelism of ideas, "thought rhythm." Enoch, in Jude 14, earliest instance: contrast to Lamech, Gen. iv. 23, 24. Acrosticism of David, ix., X., XXV., xxxiv. ; help to memory in loosely connected poems. More regularity, less simplicity, in later acrostic Psalms: cxi., cxii., every half-verse marked by a letter: cxix., every eight verses. Aleph in ver. 1, 2, and Resh in ver. 18, 19, of xxv. "Thy bowels of mercies," ver. 6, with Luke i. 78, "Look upon mine affliction," -"consider mine enemies" (Shimei): "Let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David "—a meek spirit (2 Sam. xvi. 5-12), coinciding with Ps. xxv. 8-10, "The meek will He teach His

way : xxxvii. 7, lxii. 1: "May be... the Lord will look on mine affliction" (2 Sam. xvi. 12), "and requite me good for his cursing," with cix. 28, "Let them curse, but bless Thou": Deut. xxiii. 5. Shimei's curse returned on himself: "The Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head," I Kings ii. 44, 45, coinciding with Ps. vii. 16. Imprecations in the Psalms not personal revenge; for David spared Saul and Shimei in his power: "I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy," vii. 4; xxxviii. 13, "I as a deaf man heard not. . . in whose mouth are no reproofs": Isa. xlii. 2, liii. 7, xxxvii. 7, lxii. 1. Announces, as the Spirit's mouthpiece, God's retribution on the wicked, Matt. xxiii. 13-39: Israel's final redemption out of all troubles, Ps. xxv. 22, Zech. xii., xiii., xiv. Will plead Jehovah's "loving-kindnesses ever of old," Ps. xxv. 6, 14, 17; Isa. lxiii. 7. David's plea, Jehovah's name-wordcovenant," Ps. xxv. II, 14, coinciding with 2 Sam. vii. 21, 26, “For Thy word's sake, let Thy name be magnified": 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. Pages 110-115

LECTURE XV.

Use of Elohim and Jehovah : Elohim in the first three books, by David, Asaph, and the sons of Korah. David's Jehovah Psalms are in the later books; except cviii. having Elohim six times, and cxliv. once. So David uses Elohim in 2 Sam. vii. and I Chr. xxviii. 20, xxix. I ; in Book IV. Elohim not once; in Book V. Jehovah 236 times, Elohim seven times, and that in David's Psalms. Reason: Ps. xviii. 31, "Who is Elohim but Jehovah?" When the 'Elohim' of heathendom were worshipped by Israel, latterly 'Jehovah' marked the true God. "The prayers of David are ended," Ps. lxxii. 20-i.e. his serial Psalms, not his detached ones. David's conflict with Syria, Damascus, xliv., lx., cviii.; xliv. whilst Edom was invading Israel, and David warring with the Syrians at the Euphrates. David's style appears in lx.: rapid transitions, energetic brevity, victory in part gained, needed completion. Title, "when David had laid waste Syria of the two rivers (between Tigris and Euphrates) and Syria-Zobah" (between Euphrates and Orontes), with 2 Sam. viii. 3-6, x. 16-19, I Chr. xix., "the Syrians beyond the river" (or " of the two rivers," Ps. lx. title), Hadadezer's vassals ("his servants,") his commander-in-chief, Shophach, over their army: I Chr. xviii. 3, with title Ps. lx. "Edomites," in I Chr. xviii. 12, insert, "and smote Edom,” 2 Sam. viii. 13. Campaign against the Syrians, 2 Sam. viii. and x. That against Edom followed immediately: 2 Sam. viii. 12-14; so title Ps. lx. Hadad-ezer-" Hadad (the sun-god) his helper." Nicolas of Damascus mentions three defeats: 2 Sam. viii. 3-5, x. 18. "David's shield of gold," viii. 7, with Song Sol. iv. 4. Ps. xliv., by the sons of Korah when Edom seized the opportunity of invading Palestine whilst without defenders, and carrying off captives (ver. 11, 14, 16), and slaying many (ver. 22), undesignedly coinciding with 1 Kings xi. 15-16, "Joab went up (to the Holy Land) to bury the slain, when David was in Edom, after he had smitten every male in Edom." Edom's violence provoked this terrible revenge, Ps. lx. 1-3. David as king (2 Sam. viii. 13), Joab as commander-in-chief (title Ps. lx.), and Abishai (1 Chr. xviii. 12), under Joab, dealt the blow in the valley of Salt, south of the Dead Sea: 12,000 slain, title Ps. lx., but 18,000 in 1 Chr. xviii. 12. Seeming discrepancies disprove collusion. "Thou hast scattered us among the heathen” (Ps. xliv. 11), not the Babylonian captivity; for still they had 'armies' (ver. 9), and kept "God's covenant" (ver. 17-22), and so could

anticipate victory (ver. 5). "Jehovah going before" (ver. 9) coincides with 2 Sam. v. 24. Ultimate scope, Rom. viii. 36. Ps. xliv. 16, Edom, "the voice of him that blasphemeth," Amos i. 6, 9, Joel iii. 19. Strong language of Ps. xliv. accounted for. Shushan-Eduth, Ps. lx. "I will divide Shechem -Succoth-Gilead-Manasseh-Judah my lawgiver": just what David would quote from Jacob (Gen. xlix. 10) in support of his kingship. "Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee," Ps. lx. 4-i.e., the victory over Syria and Edom: 2 Sam. viii. 13, x. 17-19, I Chr. xviii. 12, xix. 19. "Over Edom will I cast out my shoe" (i.e., take possession of it): Ruth iv. 7; so 2 Sam. viii. 14, I Chr. xviii. 13. "The strong city" (Sela or Petra), 2 Kings xiv. 7. Ps. lx. 10, “Didst not go out with our armies,” referring back to Ps. xliv. 9. "Thy beloved. . . save with Thy right hand," Ps. lx. 5, with Deut. xxxiii. 12: Jedidiah, "beloved of Jehovah," 2 Sam. xii. 25. "Moab is my washpot" (Ps. lx. 8) suits a time when Moab, Edom, and Philistia were prostrate. Ephraim and Judah were one kingdom (ver. 7), which they ceased to be after Solomon. Ps. cviii., in its latter part the duplicate of lx., makes Edom type of all God's foes: first of a trilogy, grouped by later hands with post-captivity Psalms, to comfort the Jews of that time Pages 116-124

LECTURE XVI.

Ps. xviii. 2 Sam. xxii. "To the chief musician": concluding liturgical praisesong, in reviewing all his past deliverances. "Servant of Jehovah ": Pss. xviii. and xxxvi., Deut. xxxiv. 5, 2 Sam. xxiii. 1. The wicked man's 'transgression' his 'oracle.' Contrast Acts xiii. 36. Self-commendation (Ps. xviii. 21, 23) not from David, but the Spirit: 1 Kings xiv. 8. What he prayed for on the ground of 'righteousness' (1 Sam. xxvi. 23, 24), he, in Ps. xviii. 20, marks as granted on the same ground. "It is God that avengeth me," Ps. xviii. 47: agreeing with I Sam. xxiv. 10, 12, xxv. 26— David at Engedi sparing Saul and Nabal. Ps. xviii. 4-19, passive against Saul; 28-45, active against later foes. Ver. 43, "Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people" (Israel: 2 Sam. ii. 9, 10, iii. 1); "Thou hast made me the head of the heathen": Ps. xxxv. 1, 2 Sam. v., viii., xii., xxii. 44. Imagery suitable to the Holy Land: "Jehovah is my rock." Ps. xviii. 11, 14, 15, "the channels of waters," coinciding with Baal-perazim, "Jehovah hath broken forth upon mine enemies as the breach of waters," 2 Sam. v. 18-21. Belial Ps. xviii. 4, with 2 Sam. xxiii. 6, 1 Sam. xxv. 25. David's safeguard against "the floods of Belial" was "Jehovah sitteth upon the flood," Ps. xxix. 10. "By Thee I have run through a troop,” xviii. 29, with I Sam. xvii. 22, 48, 51. Light my candle,” Ps. xviii. 28, with 2 Sam. xxi. 17. "God maketh my way perfect," with 2 Sam. viii. 6, 14. "Deliverance to David's seed for evermore," Ps. xviii. 50, xxi. 4, 6, with 2 Sam. vii. 9-29. "Let God arise," etc., Ps. lxviii.: Formula in moving the ark: Num. x. 35 with 2 Sam. xi. II. "Father of the fatherless," Ps. lxviii. 5 : victory over Ammon, making many orphans. Ps. lxviii. II, "Jehovah gave the word" of victory to Israel: "great was the company of female heralds of the good news," with I Sam. xviii. 6, 7. "Thy goings in the sanctuary," Ps. lxviii. 24: union of choirs in the tabernacle courts. Benjamin who rules over" the foes, "Judah their stoning," with I Sam. xvii. 49, 50 (David): Messiah, Dan. ii. 34, 45. Ps.

lxviii. 15-17, "Hill of Bashan," Israel's boundary towards Syria, the foe just conquered: God's "twenty thousand chariots" more than match Syria's chariots: 2 Sam. x. 18, 1 Chr. xix. 6, 7. David had set up the ark in Zion. Pss. cviii., cix., cx. Thy people (are) free-will offerings, cx. 3, with lxviii. 9: 1 Chr. xxix. 5, 6, 9, 14, 17. David's king-priesthood, Ps. cx., with 2 Sam. vi. 14: "in the beauties of holiness,"-i.e., in holy garments. "Thy youth-dew," with 2 Sam. xvii. 12. "Drink of brook . . . lift up... head," Ps. cx. 7, with I Sam. xxx. 9, 10. Ps. lxviii. 18, “Captivity captive . . . gifts for men," with 2 Sam. xii. 30, 31, 1 Chr. xxx. 2, I Sam. xxx. 26-31. "Lain among pots... dove," Ps. lxviii. 13: siege of Rabbah, 2 Sam. xi.-xii. Peace (Solomon): I Chr. xxii. 9, with Ps. lxviii. 30 Pages 125-132

LECTURE XVII.

David's numbering the people: Satan : I Chr. xxi. 1-3. Lawful in act: Ex. xxx. 12: in spirit proud. Prosperity: sudden reverse : Ps. xxx. 6, 7, with 2 Sam. xxiv. The punishment retributive: diminution of forces on which his pride relied. "Thou hast not made my foes to triumph over me,” Ps. xxx. 2: so God's not sending "three months' destruction before his enemies." In Ps. xxx., as in the history, prayer brought relief: ver. 8. Felt the people's suffering his own with 1 Chr. xxi. 17. Ps. lxxx. 17, Volunteer's vicarious suffering for them as Pss. xl. and lxix. "Thou hast put off my sackcloth," with I Chr. xxi. 16. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning," with 2 Sam. xxiv. 13-15. David afraid of enquiring at Gibeon, I Chr. xxi. 30 sacrificed on Araunah's threshing-floor, "the house of the Lord God," xxii. 1, agreeing with title of Ps. xxx. (Gen. xxviii. 17). The Jews still use Ps. xxx. for the feast of dedication. Spiritual lesson, Isa. liv. 8, Pages 133-137

XXXV. IO.

LECTURE XVIII.

Parallelism between closing Psalms, first and second books; their doxology at the end of Solomon's Psalm lxxii. "Prayer-songs of David . . . ended ”—indicating that other Psalms of David should follow, but as centres of cycles of later Psalms. Ps. xli. 1-3, with xxxv. 13, 14. "When they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth—with fasting"; so I Chr. xxi. 16, 2 Sam. xii. 16. David's infirmity confining him to bed, followed by Adonijah's rebellion, which it gave the opportunity for: 1 Kings i. 1, 5, with Ps. xli. 3-5, lxxi. 10, 1I. David's foolish fondness for his children: 1 Kings i. 6. His chastisement: Ps. xxxviii. 1-11, lxix. 8, 9: desertion of friends: "My lovers... kinsmen stand afar off": a stranger unto my brethren . . . my mother's children": Joab his kinsman, Abiathar his once loving counsellor: 1 Kings i. 7. "The zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up," with 1 Chr. xxix. In his seventieth year, confined to his 'chamber' (1 Kings i. 15): "stood up on his feet" (1 Chr. xxviii. 2) to speak to the assembly: so Ps. lxxi. 9, 18, “Cast me not off in . . . old age”; “I will go in the strength of the Lord God." Presented his son and successor to the national assembly, and showed him the pattern of the temple: I Chr. xxiii., xxviii., xxix., 1 Kings i. Abiathar, "mine own familiar friend . . . hath lifted up his heel against me 'O Lord, raise me up, that I may requite them " (Ps. xli. 9, 10); viz., Joab, Shimei, and Abiathar: 1 Kings ii, "Sacrifice

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and offering Thou didst not desire" "I have preached righteousness in the great congregation,” Ps. xl. 6, 9, with 1 Kings i. 9, 41, 1 Chr. xxviii. 8, 9, Ps. lxix. 30, 31, iv. 5, David's thanksgiving: 1 Chr. xxix. 10-13, 1 Kings i. 48, with Ps. xli. 13, lxxii. 19. “I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me-let me know mine end-how frail I am-spare me that I may recover strength-I am a stranger with Thee and a sojourner, as all my fathers were," Ps. xxxix. 1, 4, 12, 13, with 1 Chr. xxix. 15, Ps. xxxix. 6 (Nabal): "He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them"; 1 Sam. xxv. II: contrast I Chr. xxii. 5, 14-16, xxix. 2, 5 (David): Pss. ci., cii., ciii. ci. 2 with 1 Chr. xxviii. 9, Ps. cxxxix. I: cii. 13-22 with 1 Chr. xxviii. 7, 9, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5, vii. Zion's covenanted restoration (after apostasy) and the Gentiles' conversion. Adonijah's rebellion, and David's distress, the groundwork. Ps. ciii. with 1 Chr. xxviii. 2, 2 Sam. xxiii. 2. Israel's final thanksgiving man's frailty, Ps. ciii. 13-16, with cii. 11 and 1 Chr. xxix. 16, 11, 14. Limitation "unto them that fear Him," Ps. ciii. 11, 13, 17. Pages 138-145

LECTURE XIX.

David's " songs of degrees," cxxii., cxxiv., cxxxi., cxxxiii.: cxxi. in catching sight of the Jerusalem hills: cxxii. at the gates, ver. 2: ver. I with Isa. ii. 3. David's design to conciliate the northern tribes to the Zion sanctuary, cxxii. 3 with I Chr. xi. 7, 8, 2 Sam. v. 9, 11. Ps. cxxii. 7 : 'palaces,' 'house,' 'walls': li. 18, cxxii. 5, "thrones of judgment ": fulfilling Deut. xvii. 8, 9. "Whither the tribes go up," Ps. cxxii. 4: Israel still undivided: ver. 9, "the house of the Lord," the tabernacle of the ark on Zion : Ps. v. 7, xxvii. 4, 2 Sam. vi. 12, 13. Processions to it, xlii. 4. The Maschil Psalm of Asaph, lxxviii., teaches not to rebel against God's transfer of the sanctuary from Shiloh to Zion, as Ephraim had formerly provoked God: ver. 5, testimony in Jacob," with cxxii. 4. Judges viii. 1, xii. I. Accordance of histories with the Psalm, concerning Ephraim 2 Sam. xv., xvi., xvii., xviii., xix., xx. Latest historical notices in Ps. lxxviii., "He smote His enemies in the hinder parts-refused the taber. nacle of Joseph-but chose Judah—Zion—David also." Ps. cxxii., published soon after the ark's removal to Zion, and God's promise of perpetuity to the thrones of the house of David,” ver. 5, with 2 Sam. vii. 13-25, Ps. xxi. 4. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (peaceful possession): Luke xix. 41-43. "Because of the house of the Lord," i.e. the church: Rom. xi. 12-18, 1 Chr. xii. 18. Ps. cxxiv., after Israel's deliverance in the Syrian and Edomite wars, David's style. "If it had not been the Lord ... on our side," twice: double interposition. Not the mild style of the captivity "songs of degrees." Ps. lx., lv. 15, lvi. 2, lvii. 3, with cxxiv. 3; verse 5, with xviii. 4, cxxiv. 7 with XXV. 15. cxxxi. Highmindedness only likely in prosperity, I Chr. xxi. 1, 17. "I have composed myself as a child weaned upon his mother," Matt. xviii. 1-4, with Ps. xviii. 27, ci. 5, cxxxi. I with cxxxix. 6-"Such knowledge is too wonderful for me." "Let Israel hope in the Lord," cxxxi. 3, with 1 Chr. xxi. 17. Hope in Jehovah the antidote to self-reliance, Ps. cxxxviii. 6. cxxxiii., "Behold . . . Aaron," ver. 1, 2: Israel is viewed as assembled at the Passover on Zion. Communion of saints: contrast 1 Sam. vii. 2, 1 Chr. xiii. 3, 2 Sam. vi. 12. Style joyous, unlike the post-exile Psalms. "The dew of Hermon," with cx. 3. Messiah's dew, the Church's dew: destroying the foe, 2 Sam. xvii. 12: Micah v. 7, Israel hereafter: Judges vi. 37 meantime.

Pages 146-154

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