Psalm XX
Ver. 1-9. David probably composed this Psalm to ex-
press the prayers of the pious for his success as at once the head of the church and nation. Like other compositions of which David in such relations is the subject, its sentiments have a permanent value—the prosperity of Christ's kingdom being involved, as well as typitled, in that of Israel and its king.
relief obtained. The feelings of a pious sufferer in sorrow and deliverance are vividly portrayed. He earnestly pleads for Divine aid on the ground of his relation to God, who.se past goodness to His people encourages hope, and then on account of the imminent danger by which he is threatened. The language of complaint is turned
1. Kear thee — graciously (Psalm 4.1). name of— or manifested perfections, as power, wisdom, Ac. defend tUce—set thee on high from danger (Psalm 9. 9; 18. 3). a. strengthen thee sustain in conflict; even physical bene-
to that of rejoicing in the assured prospect of relief from suffering and triumph over his enemies. The use of the words of the first clause of v. 1 by our Saviour on the
fits may be included, as courage for war, &c., as such may proceed from a sense of Divine favour, secured in the use of spiritual privileges. 3. all thy offerings— or gifts, vegetable offerings, accept lit., turn to ashes (cf. 1 Kings
cross, and the quotation of v. 18 by John (19. 24), and of
I'. 22 by Paul (Hebrews 2. 12), as fulfilled In His history, clearly intimate the prophetical and Messianic purport of the Psalm. The intensity of tlie grief, and the completeness and glory of the deliverance and triumph, alike appear to be unsuitable representations of the fortunes of any less personage. In a general and modified sense
18. Selah—(Psalm 3. 2.) 4. thy counsel—or plan. 5. alvatlon—that wrought and experienced by him. set up onr banners—(Numbers 2. 3, 10.) In usual sense, or, as some render, mai/ lue be made great. 6. He speaks as
if suddenly assured of a hearing, his holy heaven—or,
(cf. on Psalm 16.), the experience here detailed m.ay be adapted to the case of all Christians suffering from spiritual foes, and delivered by Divine aid, inasmuch as Christ in His human nature was their head and representative.
lit., the heavens of His holiness, where He resides (Psalm 2.
6; 11.4). saving . , . hand—His power which brings salvation, his anointed—not only David personally, but as the specially appointed head of His church. 7. remember—or cause to remember, mention thankfully (1 .Samuel
1. A summary of the complaint. Desertion by God, when overwhelmed by distress, is the climax of the sufferer's misery, words of my roaring—shows that the complaint is expressed intelligently, though the termr roaring Is figurative, taken from the conduct of irrational creatures in pain. 3. The long distress is evinced by—am. not silent lit., not silence to me, either meaning, I continr ually cry; or, corresponding with thou hearest not, or anr swerest not, it may mean, there is no rest or quiet to me. 3.,
17.4.5; Psalm 33.16). 8. They—t. e., who trust in horses, &o. stand upright lit., we liave straightened ourselves up from our distress and fears. 9. let the king hear—as God's representative, delivered to deliver. Perhaps a oetter sense is, "Lord, save the king, hear us when we
call," or pray. PSALM XXI. Ver. 1-13. The pious are led by the Psalmist to celebrate God's favour to the king in the bounties already conferred and in prospective victories. The doxology added may relate to both Psalms; the preceding of petition, chiefly this of thanksgiving, ascribing honour to God for His display of grace and power to His church In
Still he not only refrains from charging God foolishly,, but evinces his confidence in God by appealing to him. thou art holy—or possessed of all the attributes which
encourage trust, and the right object of the praises of the Church: hence the sufferer need not despair. 4, .5. Past, experience of God's people Is a ground of trust. The mention of " our fathers" does not destroy the applicability of the words as the language of our Saviour's human, nature. 6. He who was despised and rejected of His own. people, as a disgrace to the nation, might well use these words of deep abasement, which express not His real,, but; esteemed value. 7, 8. For the Jews used one of the gestures (Matthew 27. 39) here mentioned, when taujiting Him on the cross, and (u. 43) reproached Him almost in the very language of this passage, trusted in. tlie Lordi
all ages, not only under David, but also under his last greatest successor, "the King of the Jews."
1. thy strength . . . thy salvation— as supplied by thee. 2. The .sentiment affirmed in the first clause Is reaffirmed by the negation of Its opposite In the second.
3. preveiitest lit., to meet here in good sense, or friendship (Psalm .59.10; cf. opposite. Psalm 17.13). blessings of goodness—which confer happiness, crown of pure gold —a figure for the highest royal prosperity. 4-6. (Cf. 2 .Samuel 7. 1.3-16.) The glory and blessedness of the king as head of his line, including Christ, as well as In being God's specially selected servant, exceeded that of all others, made lUin most blessed—or set him to be blessings, as Abraham (Genesis 12. 2). with thy countenance —by sight of thee (Psalm 16. 11), or by thy favour expressed by the light of thy countenance (Numbers 6. 25), or both. 7. The mediate cause is the king's faith, the efficient, God'b mercy. 8. The address Is now made to the king, hand—denotee power, and—right hand—a more active and ettieient degree of Its exercise. And out—reach, lay
lit., rolled—i. e., his burden (Psalm 37. 5; Proverbs 16. 3) on the Lord. This is the language of enemies sporting with his faith in the hour of his (Jesertion. shootiout [or, opea] the lip—(Cf. Psalm 3.5. '21.) 9, 10. Though irouically spoken, the exhortation to trust was well founded oa his previousexperience of Divine aid, the special illustration of which
is drawn from the period of helpless infancy, didst make, me hope—or lit., made me secure. 11..From this statement of rea.sons for the appeal, he renews it, pleading, his double extremity, the nearness of . trouble, and the absence of a helper. 13, 13. His enemies, y.'ith the vigour of bulls and rapacity of lions, surround him,.engerly seeking his ruin. The force of both ft.^ures is gn^ater without the use of any particle denotiag. comparison. 14,
ijolil of, indicating success In pursuit of his enemies. 9. The king Is only God's agent. anger—ii7, /ace, as appearing against them, as a llery oven—as in It—10. fruits Children (Psalm 37. 25; Hosea9. 16). 11. This terrible over23
David Praiselh God, PSALMS XXIII—XXV. God's Lordship in Ike World,
pastoral life, with which David was familiar, he describes God's providential care in providing refreshment, guidance, protection, and abundance, and so atl'ording groonde of confidence in His perpetual favour.
Utter exhaustion and hopeless weakness, in these cireuiiistances of pressing danger, are set forth by tlie most expressive figures; tlie suliUity of tlie boily is ilestroyed, and it l>econies like water; the bones are parted; the
heart, the very seat of vitality, melts like wax; all the
1. Christ's relation to His jieople is often represented by the figure of a shepherd (John 10. H; Hebrews 13.20; 1 Peter 2. 25; 5. i), and thevefoie the opinion that He \stlus Lord here so described, and in Genesis 48. 15; Psalm 80. 1; Isaiali 40.11, is not witliout some gooil reason, 'i. green pastures—or, pastures of tender grass, are menli<.>ned, not in respect to looil, but as places of cool and refreshing
jiiiees of tlie syste.n are dried np; the tongue can no longer jieiforni its otiioe, but lies parched and stitlened
(cf. Genesis 4y. -1; 2 Samuel 1-1. U ; Psalm 5S. b). In this, God is regarded as tiie ultimate source, and men as the Instruments. tUe duist of deatU—of course denotes the grave. We need not try to lind the exact counterpart of each item of the description in the particulars of our Saviour's suUerings. Figurative language resembles pictures of liistorical scenes, presenting substantial truth, under illustrations, wiiich, though not essential to llie
rest, the still waters—are. Hi., waters of stillnets, whose quiet flow invites to repose. They are contrasted with boisterous streams on the one hand, ami stagnant, offensive pools on the other. 3. To restore the soul is torevive or quicicen it (Psalm 19. 7), or relieve it (Lamentations 1.
facts, are not inconsistent with them. Were any portion of (Jlirist's terrible suiferings specially designed, it was doubtless that of the garden of Gethsemane. 16. Evildoers are well described as dogs, which, in the East, herding together, wild and rapacious, are justly objects of great abhorrence. Tiie last clause has been a subject of much discussion (.involving questions as to the genuineness of the Hebrew word translated j^iejce) which cannot be made intelligible to the English reader. Though not quoted in tlie New Testament, the remarkable aptnefes of the description to the facts of the Saviour's history, together with diliiculties attending any other mode of explaining tlie clause in the //tbrcu', justify an adherence to the terms of our version and their obvious meaning. 17. His emaciated frame, itself an item of his misery, is rendered more so as the object of delighted contemplation to Ills enemies. The verbs, look and stare, often occur as suggestive of feelings of satisfaction (cf. Psalm 27. 13; 51.7; US. 7;. 18. This liteially-fuUilled prediction closes
11, 1'J,. paths of righteousness—those of safety, as directed by Goil. and pleasing to Him. for his name'v sake—or, regard for His perfections, pledged for His people's welfare. 4. In the darkest and most trying hour God is near, the valley of the shadow of death—is n ravine overhung by high precipitous clitl's, filled with dense forests, and well calculated to inspire dread to the timid, and allbrd a covert to beasts of prey. While expressive of any great danger or cause of terror. It does not excinde the greatest of all, to which it is most popularly applied, and which its terms suggest, thy rod nud tliy staff—are symbols of a shepherd's office. By them he guides his sheep. 5, 6. Another figure expresses God'8 provident care, a table—or, food, anointing oil — the s.ymbol of gladness, and the overflowing cup—whicli represents abundance—are prepared for tlie child of God, who may feast in spite of his enemies, confident that this favour will ever attend him. Tliis beantifnl Psalm most admirably sets before us, in its chief figure, that of a shepherd, the gentle, kind, and sure care extended to God's people, who, as a shepherd, bo(h rules and feed* them. The closing verse shows that tlie blessings meatiimed are spiritual.
.tlie sad picture of the exposed and deserted sufl'erer. 10,
/JO. He now turns with unabated desire and trust to God, who, in His strength and faithfulness. Is contrasted with
tiie urgent dangers described, my soul—or self (cf. Psalm
3. 2; lli. U). my darling lit., my only one, or, solitary one, as desolate and alllicted (I'salm 25. lli ; 35.17). !41. Deliverance plead in view of former help, when in the most imminent danger, from tlie most powerful enemy, represented by the unicorn or wild butl'alo. the lion's moutli —(,Cf. V. lo.) The lion often used as a figure representing violent enemies; the connecting of the moulh Intimates