Psalm CXXVI
Ver. 1-6. To praise for God's favour to His people I»
added a prayer for its continued manifestation.
PSALM CXXIII.
1-3. The joy of tliose returned from Babylon waseo- .
Ver. 1-4. An earnest and expecting prayer for Divine Hid in distress.
static, and elicited the admiration even of the heathen, as - Illustrating God's great power and goodness, turned <i again the captivity.^', e., restored from It (Job 39. 12; Psalm 14.7; Proverbs 12.14). Hengstenberq translates, "When the Lord turned Himself to the turning of Xlon"
1. (Cf. Psalm 121. 1.) thou that dwellest— siiieat as enthroned (cf. Psalm 2. 4; 113. 4, 5). 3. Deference, submission, and trust, are all expressed by the figure. In the Kast, servants in attending on their masters are almost wholly directed by signs, which require the closest observance of the hands of the latter. The servants of God should look (1.) to His directing hand, to appoint them their work; (2.) to His supplying hand (Psalm 104. 28), to give them their portion in due season;
(see Margin), God returns to His people when thay retura toHim(Deuteronomy30.2,3). 4. All did notreturnat/once; hence the prayer for repeated favours, as the str«am»ln i the south—or, the torrents in the deserts soutli of Judea,
, dependent on rain (Joshua 15.19), reappearing after dry seasons (cf. Job 6. 15; Psalm 68. 9). The point of comparison is Joy at the reappearing of what has been so pain-
(a.) to His protecting hand, to right them when wronged
fully missed. 5,6. As In husbandry the sower may cast
(4.) to His correcting hand (Isaiah 9.13; 1 Peter 5.6; cf. Genesis 16. 6); (5.) to His rewarding hand. 3. The contempt was that of the heathen, and, perhaps, Samaritans (NeheQilah I. 3; 2. 19.) 4. of those that are at ease—self-com25
his seed In a dry and parched soil with des-ppnding fears, so those shall reap abundant fruit who toil In tears with the prayer of faith. (Cf. the history, flisra.e. 16, 22). He
Tht Virtue of God's Slessi'ng. PSALMS CXXVII—CXXXIV. David's Zealous Care Jar the ArJt,
tlint gottU fortU lit., better, "He goes— he comes, he comes," (.tc. The repetition implies there is no end of weeping liere, as there sliall be no end of joy hereafter (Isaiah 10). precious seed—rather, seed to be drawn from the seed-box for sowing; lit., seed-draught. Cf. on this r.'^alm, Jerjemiah 31. 9, <&c.