Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
The Btiufil of Confidence in God. PSALMS XL, XLL Obedience the Best Sacrifice, kiio\r experimentally aiipreoiatp. how frail I nm—lit., when I ahaU cease. 5-6. His prayer is au-swered in liis obword in Hebrew) denotes obedience by the common figure of hearing for obeying, it is evident that the clause is designed to express a devotion to God's will asavowed more fully in r. 8, and already explained. Paul, however, uses the words, "a body hast thou prepared lue," which are found in the iiep'uaf/iiU in the place of the words, "mine ears hasl thou opened." He does not lay any stress on this clause, and his argument is complete without it. It tain! g an impressive view ot'tlie vanity of the life of all men and their transient, state. Their pomp is a mere inuif/e, and their uealth is gathered they know not for wiifiii. 7. Tlio interrogation makes the implied negative
Stronger, Though this world offers nothing to our expectation, God is wortliy of all confidence. 8-10. Patiently submissi ve, he prays lor tlie removal of his chastisement, and that he may not be a reprotu;h. 11. From his own is, perhaps, to be regarde<l ratlier as an interpretation or free translation by the iHepluaijinl, than cither an addition or attempt al verl>al translation. The Septiin(/hil translators may have had reference to Christ's vicarious sufferings as taught in other Scriptures, as Isaiah 53.; at all events the sense is substantially the same, as a body was essential to the reijuired ol>edience(cf. Romans 7. 4 ; 1 Peter case, he argues to thai of all, that the destruction of man's enjo.vmenls is aseribable to sin. 13. Consonant with the tenor of t!ie I'siilm, he prays for God's compassionate regard to him as a stranger here, and that, as such was the condition of his fathers, so, like them, he may be cheered instead of being bound under wrath and chasttned in displeasure.
2.24). 7. Then—in such case, without necessarily referring to order of time. Lio, I come— I am prepared to do, (Sc. In the volume of the book roll of the book. Such
PSALM XL. rolls, resembling maps, are still used in the sj-nagogue.s. written of me—or on me, prescribed to me (2 Kings 22.
Ver. 1-17. In this Psalm a celebration of God's deliverance is followed by a profession of devotion to His service. Then follows a prayer for relief from imminent dangers, involving the overthrov.- of enemies and the rejoicing of B.ympathizing friends. In Hebrews 10. 5, Ac, Paul quotes
13). The first istlie sense adopted by Paul. In eithercase, the Pentateuch, or law of Moses, is nieant, and while it contains much respecting Christ directly, as Genesis 3. 15;
49. 10; Deuteronomy IS. 15, and, indirectly, in the Levitical ritual, there is nowhere any allusion to David. 9, 10. Christ's prophetical office is taught. He "preached" the great truths of God's government of sinners. 1 have preached lit., oiiiiouiw.ed f/ood tidhiff.y. 11. may be rendered as an assertion, that Got! w'lH no mithhohl, &c. (Psalm
V. ti-8 as the words of Christ, ottering himself as a better sacrifice. Soniesuppose Paul thus accommodated David's words to express Christ's sentiments. But the value of his quotation would be thus destroyed, as it would have no force in his argument, unless regarded by his readers as the original sense of the passage in the Old Testament. Others suppose the Psahu describes David's feelings in suffering and joy; but the language quoted by Paul, in the souse given by him, could not apply to David in any of his relations, for as a type the language is not adapted
IG. 1). I'i. evils— inflicted by others, iniquities—or penal afflielioms, and sometimes calamities in the wide sense. This meaning of the word is very common (Psalm 31. 11;
38. 4; cf. Genesis 4. 13, Cain's punishment; Genesis 19.15, that of Sodom; 1 Samuel 28. 10, of the witch of Endor; al.so 2 Samuel Ifi. 12; Job 19.29; Isaiah 5. 18; 53. 11). This meaning of the word is also favoured by the clause, taken hold of me, which follows, which can be said appropriately of sufferings, but not of sins (cf. Jol) 27.20; Psalm 69. 24). Thus, the diflicullies in referring this Psalm to Christ, arising from the usual reading of tiiis verse, are removed. Of the terrible afflictions, or sufferings, alluded to and endured for us, cf. I,uke 22. 39-14, and the narrative of the scenes of Calvary, my heart faileth me—(Matthew 26. to describe any event or condition of David's career, and as an individual representing the pious geneitilly, neither he nor they could properly use it (cf. on v. 7 below). The Psalm must be taken then, as the sixteenth, to express the feelings of Christ's human nature. The ditliculties pertinent to this view will be considered as they occur.
1-3. Tlie ligures for deep distress are illustrated in Jeremiah's history (Jeremiah 3K. 6-12J. Patienceand trust manifested In distress, deliverance in answer to prayer, and the blessed effect of it in eliciting praise from God's true worshippers, teach us that Christ's suffering is our example, and His deli venmce our encouragement (Hebrews 5.7,8; 12. -.i; 1 Peter 4.12-16.) inclined—(the ear. Psalm
38), "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." cannot look uii lit., I cannot see, not denoting the depression of conscious guilt, as Luke IS. 13, but exhaustion from suffering, as dimness of eyes (cf. Psalm 6. 7; 13. 3; 36.
17. 6), as if to catch the fain lest sigh, a new song—(Psaira
10). The whole context thus sustains the sense assigned to iniquities. 13. (Cf. Psalm 22. 19.) 14, ^5. The language
3). fe«r, and . . . Intst—revere with love and faith. 4. Blessed—(Psalm 1. 1 ; 2. 12.) respectetti—lit., turns towarcU, as an object of confidence, tnrn aside—from true God and his law to fal.sehocKl in worship and conduct. 5. he reckoned \xp In order—(cf. Psalm 5.3; 33.1-1; Isaiah 44. 7), loo many to be set forth regularly. This is not necessarily imprecatory, but rather a confident expectation (Psalm 5. 11), though the former sense is not inconsistent with Christ's prayer for the forgiveness of His murderers, inasmuch as their confusion and shame might be the very means to jirepare theni for humbly seeking forgiveness (cf. Acts 2. 37). for a reward lit., in consequence of. Aha—(Cf. Psalm 35. 21, 25.) 16. (Cf. Psalm S5. is but one instance of many. The use of the plural accords with the union of Christ and His people. In suffering and triumph, tliey are one' with Him. 6-8. In Paul's view this passage has more meaning than the mere expression of grateful devotion to God's service. He represents Christ as declaring that the sacrifices, whether vegetable or an i mat, general or special expiatory offerings, would not avail to meet the demands of God's law, and that He had come to render the required satisfaction, which he states was effected by " the offering of the body of Christ," for that Is the "will of God" which Christ came to fulfil or do, in order to effect man's redemption. We thus see that the contrast to the unsatisfactory character assigned the Old Testament offerings in d. 6 is found in the compliance with God's law (cf. v. 7, 8). Oif course, as Paul and other New Testament writers explain Christ's work, it consisted in rnore than being made under thelaw or obeying its precepts. It required an " obedience unto death," and that is the compliance here chiefly intended, and which makes the contrast with v. 6 clear, mine ears hast than opened—Whether allusion is made to the custom of boring a servant's ear, in token of voluntary and perpetual enslavement (Exodus 21. 6), or that the opening
27.) love thy salvation—delight in its bestowal on others as well as themselves. 17. A summary of his condition and hopes, thinkctli upon—or provides for me. " He was heard," " when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears, unto Him that was able to save him from death."
PSALM XLI.
Ver. 1-13. The Psalmist celebrates the blessedness of those who compassionate the poor, conduct strongly contrasted with the spite of his enemies and neglect of hia friends in his calamity. He prays for God's mercy In view of his ill desert, and, In confidence of relief, and that •God will vindicate liis cause, closes with a doxology. 1-3. God rewards kindness to the poor (Proverbs 19. 17). From V. 3^nd 11 it may be inferred that the Psalmist describes liis own conduct, poor—in person, position, and possessions, shall he blessed lit., led ariglit, or safely, prospered (Psalm 23. 3). upon the earth—or land of promise (Psalm 25. 13; 27.3-9, Ac). The figures of t). 3 are drawn from the acts of a kind nurse. 4. I said—I asked the mercy I show, heal my soul—(Cf. Psalm 30. 2.) " Sin aotl 359
Of the ear, as in Isaiah ^. 8 ; SO. 5 (tboagh by a different