1. Or, well pleased. 1. Or, A Prayer, a Ps. 32. 1. a of || Or, thou hast turned thine anger Or, one whom thou hot. | Or, all the day. The psalmist's confidence PSALMS. in God's goodness. To the chief Musician, A Psalm science of his religion, 5 by the goodness | Or, of. || for the sons of Korah. and power of God. 11 He desireth the 14 Com- ORD, thou hast been || favour- plaining of the proud he craveth some token able unto thy land: thou hast of God's goodness. brought back the captivity of Jacob. | || A Prayer of David. 2 being a of thy people, thou hast covered al BOW down thine ear, O Lord, their sin. Selah. needy. 3 Thou hast taken away all thy 2 Preserve my soul ; for I am wrath : || thou hast turned thyself from ||| holy: 0 thou my God, save thy serthe fierceness of thine anger. vant that trusteth in thee. from waxing favour est. 4 Turn us, O God of our salva 3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord: 4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant: 5 a For thou, LORD, art good, and a Joel 2. 13. mercy unto all them that call upon 6 Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my 7 In the day of my trouble I will let them not turn again to folly. call upon thee: for thou wilt answer 8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither b Deut. 3. 24. 10 Mercy and truth are met to are there any works like unto thy 9 All nations whom thou hast made 10 For thou art great, and doest cthou art God c Deut. 6. 4. which is good; and our land shall alone. yield her increase. 11 a Teach me thy way, O LORD; Mark 12. 29. 13 Righteousness shall go before I will walk in thy truth: unite my er 3.3 him; and shall set us in the way of heart to fear thy name. 12 I will praise thee, O Lord PSALM LXXXVI. my God, with all my heart: and I 1 David strengtheneth his prayer by the con- will glorify thy name for evermore. me. & 32, 39. Isai. 37. 16. & 44.6. his steps. d Ps. 25. 4. & 119. 33. peace. Travell. It is also appointed for the fast service 11. Truth shall spring &c.] See note from Bp. Lowth on the thirtieth of January. on Isai. xlv. 8. Ver. 4. Turn us, &c.] This word is frequently used 13. Righteousness shall go &c.] That is, reformation in Scripture: the metaphor seems to be taken from a of morals shall precede the establishment of Christ's reshepherd who drives back the wandering sheep; and it ligion. is applied both to relief from temporal affliction, and We learn in this Psalm, that, as God makes men, and return to the paths of duty. sometimes His own people and Church, feel the effects 8. I will hear &c.] I will wait with patience for God's of His wrath for the punishment of their sins; and that answer to my prayers. Bp. Wilson, the end which He proposes by it is to recover them from to folly.] To wickedness. their errours; so when He sees them humbled to becom10. Mercy and truth &c.] How admirable is this ce- ing feelings of piety, He is ever ready to receive them lebrated personification of the Divine attributes! How again into His favour, and to bestow on them His choicjust, elegant, and splendid does it appear, if applied only est gifts, both temporal and spiritual. Ostervald. according to the literal sense, to the restoration of the Jewish nation from the Babylonish captivity; but if in- Psalm LXXXVI. ver. 2. — holy :] The word here terpreted as relating to that more sacred mystical sense, translated “ holy,” properly signifies, “good, merciful, which is not obscurely shadowed under the ostensible pious, devoted to the service of God, &c.” Bp. Horne. image, it is certainly uncommonly noble and elevated, 8. Among the gods] That is, among those who are mysterious and sublime. Bp. Lowth. worshipped in the world as gods. Bp. Patrick, 13 For great is thay mercy toward HS foundation is in the holy Heb. terrible, e Exod. 34. 6. & He craveth a token of God's goodness. PSALMS. The nature and glory of the church. IS meand mountains. ! Or, grave. from the lowest || hell. 2 The Lord loveth the gates of 4 I will make mention of Rahab 15 e But thou, O Lord, art a God and Babylon to them that know me: Nomb. 16.18. full of compassion, and gracious, long- behold Philistia, and Tyre, with 1:30. 4. & 185. suffering, and plenteous in mercy and Ethiopia ; this man was born there. truth. 5 And of Zion it shall be said, 6 The LORD shall count, when he springs are in thee. increase, honour, and comfort of the mem- A prayer containing a grievous complaint. 101, of. | A Psalm or Song || for the sons of T A Song or Psalm || for the sons of || Or, of. Korah. Korah, to the chief Musician upon 13. -- the lowest hell.] Extreme dangers; the grave. signifies “proud,” and the name is given to Egypt from Dr. Wells, Green. the pride and insolence of its princes and inhabitants. "This prayer should excite those who are in affliction Parkhurst. and distress to call upon God for help with profound Ethiopia ;] Rather Arabia. Dr. Wells. See humility , and firm confidence in His mercy and power; note at Numb. xii. 1. beseeching Him not only to deliver them from the evils 5. And of Zion &c.] “So that of Zion,"or the Church, which press sore upon them, but, above all, to give them “it shall be said, This and that man,” that is, great ! grace to please and obey Him. We ought likewise numbers of men in succession, “are born in her ; al in our troubles to meditate upon God's infinite goodluding to the number of converts under the Gospel, the ness, and consider that “ He is full of compassion, and sons of that Jerusalem, “which is the mother of us all.” gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and Bp. Horne. truth.” This will support us under all our trials, fill us 6. The Lord shall count, &c.] In the Book of Life, with joy and consolation, and afford us, even in the that register of heaven, kept by God Himself, our names midst of trouble, reason to praise and bless Him. Oster- are entered, not as born of flesh and blood by the will of man, but as born of water and the Spirit by the will of God; of each person it is written “that he was born Psalm LXXXVII. This Psalm contains a brief com- there,” in the church and city of God. Bp. Horne. parison, first, between Zion, the place of God's worship, 7. — all my springs &c.] And the burden of the song, and all Judea besides; and then between it and all hea- thus joyfully sung in praise of Zion, was to be this; “ All then countries. Dr. Hammond. my springs," or fountains, “ are in thee.” In thee, O Ver. 1. His foundation &c.] That is, Zion is of God's Zion, is the fountain of salvation, and from thee are defounding. See Isai. xiv. 32; and Psalm cxxxii. 13. rived all those springs of grace which flow by the Divine Dr. Chandler. appointment, while the world lasts, for the purification 2. The Lord loveth &c.] The Lord takes more plea- and refreshment of mankind upon earth. Bp. Horne. sure to dwell in His tabernacle, and His temple, on If “the Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all Zion, than in all the rest of the land of Judah or Israel. the dwellings of Jacob,” so should we. For the prosBp. Hall. perity, therefore, of the Church, we and all the world 4. I will make mention &c.] The accession of the na- ought to pray, And while we pray for the Church with tions to the Church is generally supposed to be here our lips, let it be our unfeigned endeavour to adorn her predicted. God declares by His Prophet, “I will make by our lives. So shall we make the proper return for mention of,” or cause to be remembered, “ Egypt and the mercies we have received ; so shall we draw down Babylon," the old enemies of Israel, “to” or among more and more of the Divine favour continually upon them that know Me,” that is, in the number of My wor- our king, our country, and ourselves; so shall we conshippers ; “ behold, also, Philistia and Tyre, with Ara-vince the world of this great and important truth, that bia; these are become Mine; “ this,” or each of these, the Christian is the loyal subject, and the Churchman * is born there,” that is, in the city of God; they are the true patriot. Bp. Horne. become children of God, and citizens of Zion. Bp. Psalm LXXXVIII. This Psalm is a continued detail - Rahab] Meaning Egypt. The Hebrew word l of melancholy complaints, on account of some grievous reld, وو Horne. i Or, A Psalm of Heman the struction. A prayer containing PSALMS. a grievous complaint. Mahalath Leannoth, || Maschil of 10 Wilt thou shew wonders to the Heman the Ezrahite. dead ? shall the dead arise and praise Ezrahite, giving in thee? Selah. LORD God of my salvation, 11 Shall thy lovingkindness be de- ness in destruction ? 12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in 13 But unto thee have I cried, O grave. Lond; and in the morning shall my go 14 LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from 15 I am afflicted and ready to die 1. Or, by thy cut off || from thy hand. terrors I am distracted. 16 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off. , all the about together. 18 Lover and friend hast thou put into darkness. I am shut and I cannot come up, PSALM LXXXIX. 5 for his wonderful power, 15 for the care of his church, 19 for his favour to the kingmy hands unto thee. dom of David. 38 Then complaining of con me ? waves. sufferings, under which the Psalmist laboured. The 10. — shall the dead &c.] Shall the dead arise out of extreme severity of those sufferings, and the strong ex- their graves, and live here among men and celebrate pressions used in describing them, make the whole of it Thy praises ? Bp. Hall. highly applicable to our blessed Lord : on this account 12. — in the land of forgetfulness?] In the grave, it is appointed by the Church to be read on Good Fri- where all things are forgotten? Bp. Wilson. day, when we are directed to call to mind His unexam- 13. — prevent thee.] Come before Thee. Bp. Wilson, pled sorrows both in body and soul, His desertion in the Old Translation. day of trouble, His bitter passion, and most painful death. 16. - thy terrors have cut me off.] Have overTravell, Bp. Horne. whelmed me. Bp. Patrick. - Mahalath] See the note to the title of Psalm As the comforts which true religion affords are the liji. only sure support against the evils and calamities of the - Leannoth,] This word means “interchangeably.” world, to which every condition of life is more or less Dr. Wells. Or, according to others, " to create dejec- exposed ; so the terrours of religion, being very grievtions,'t ,"to raise a pensive gloom or melancholy in the mind. ous in themselves, exclusive of these comforts, add weight Mudge. to all our miseries, and are a burden too heavy for a man - the Ezrahite.] That is, a descendant of Zerah the to sustain. But surely there is something monstrous in son of Judah. Dr. Wells. such terrours ! They come not from religion by natural Ver. 5. Free among the dead,] That is, set at liberty, birth : for it is much easier to believe that all we see is or dismissed from the world, and separated from all chance and fortune, and religion itself a vain thing, than communication with its affairs, as dead bodies are. Bp. to believe that an all-wise and all-powerful Being has Horne. formed us to be miserable. And yet, in fact, this is often This alludes to the separation of lepers, who were as the case ; we see many rendered unhappy by such fears much removed from all society as if they were really dead. and jealousies : and of all the fears incident to man these Fenton. are the most fearful, and give us the quickest sense of whom thou rememberest &c.] That is," whom misery ; they are what the Psalmist has here described Thou rememberest no more as living objects of Provi- them to be, "distraction." Bp. Sherlock. dence upon earth;" in this sense, they are “cut off from God's hand,” which held and supported them in life. Psalm LXXXIX. Ethan, speaking in the person of Bp. Horne. his prince, describes his reliance on the faithfulness of 6. Thou hast laid me &c.] Thou hast thrust me down God to fulfil His covenant with David, and on the power into a deep and dark dungeon, which I can compare to of God to perform wonders for the deliverance of His nothing but a grave. Bp. Patrick. people. He then represents, that, notwithstanding His 1 OT, A struction, + Heb. to generation end gencra: tior establishment. 6. 11, &c. Heb. to Generation The psalmist praiseth God for his PSALMS. favour to the kingdom of David. trary events, 46 he expostulateth, prayeth, 12 The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Her- mon shall rejoice in thy name. I WILL sing of the mercies of the 13 Thou hast ta mighty arm : Heb; an gire is Lord for ever: with my mouth strong is thy hand, and high is thy might. will I make known thy faithfulness right hand. 14 Justice and judgment are the up for ever: thy faithfulness and truth shall go before thy face. shalt thou establish in the very hea- 15 Blessed is the people that know vens. the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Numb. 10. 3 I have made a covenant with my Lord, in the light of thy counten1 2 Sam. 7. chosen, I have a sworn unto David ance. my servant, 16 In thy name shall they rejoice 4 Thy seed will I establish for all the day: and in thy righteousness ever, and build up thy throne † to all shall they be exalted. and genere- generations. Selah. 17 For thou art the glory of their 5 And the heavens shall praise thy strength : and in thy favour our horn wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness shall be exalted. also in the congregation of the saints. 18 For || the LORD is our defence; or our 6 For who in the heaven can be and the Holy One of Israel is our LORD, and thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid 20 d I have found David my 9 Thou rulest the raging of the established: mine arm also shall 22 The enemy shall not exact upon Or, Egypt. 10 Thou hast broken || Rahab in him; nor the son of wickedness afflict pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast him. before his face, and plague them that name shall his horn be exalted. our king is of the Holy One di Sam. 16. 12. the arm of thy strength, Gen. 1. 1. Ps. 24. 1. $59. 12. covenant with David, and His power to deliver His peo- 6.- the sons of the mighty] The mighty angels. Bp. ple, the kingdom of Judah was at that time in great de- Wilson. solation, being despoiled of its glory, and delivered into 8. - or to thy faithfulness &c.] Or whose faithfulness the hands of the Babylonians ; and implores the Lord is equal to Thine ? Green. to put an end to its captivity and calamities. Green. 10. — Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces,] Thou hast The glorious things here spoken of David, and of his overthrown the proud Egyptian in the Pied sea. Bp. Hall. posterity, are prophetical of the Messiah ; and can with 12. — Tabor and Hermon] These mountains, the first strict propriety be applied only to Him: on this account lying on the west, and the second on the east of Judea, the Church has appointed this Psalm to be used on are here put for the eastern and western parts of the Christmas-day. Travell. world. Green. Ver. 2. - Mercy shall be built up &c.] That is, God's 15. Blessed is the people &c.] Blessed are the people, mercy, and His regard to the truth of His promises, are whose ears are inured to the cheerful sound of the as fixed and unchangeable as the very heavens themselves. sacred trumpets of God in their solemn feasts and saTracell, Bp. Patrick. crifices. Bp. Hall. 3. I have made a covenant &c.] This covenant God 19. Then thou spakest &c.] Thou spakest by way of made with David by the Prophet Nathan, 2 Sam. vii . vision of Thy holy Prophet Samuel, and saidst, I have 12, &c. The covenant relates to David's “ seed,” and ordained to give 'help and victory unto My people, by to the "establishment of his throne,” in that seed; My strong and mighty champion, David. Bp. Hall. literally, in Solomon, for a time; spiritually, in Christ, 22. - shall not exact upon him ;] Shall not subdue for ever. Bp. Horne. him. Rosenmüller. + Heb. profane my statutes. God's favour to the kingdom of David. PSALMS. The psalmist prayeth, and blesseth God. 25 I will set his hand also in the 40 Thou hast broken down all his 26 He shall cry unto me, Thou holds to ruin. him: he is a reproach to his neigh- of his adversaries; thou hast made all of his sword, and hast not made him brightness. days of heaven. cease, and cast his throne down to the 31 If they + break my statutes, and shortened: thou hast covered him with 32 Then will I visit their trans- 46 How long, Lord? wilt thou gression with the rod, and their ini- hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath quity with stripes. burn like fire ? 33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness 47 Remember how short my time 1 Heb. I will t will I not utterly take from him, nor is : wherefore hast thou made all men suffer my faithfulness + to fail. in vain ? 34 My covenant will I not break, 48 What man is he that liveth, and his soul from the hand of the grave? 36 e His seed shall endure for ever, lovingkindnesses, which thou 'swarest f2 Sam. 7. and his throne as the sun before me. unto David in thy truth. 37 It shall be established for ever 50 Remember, Lord, the reproach bosom the reproach of all the mighty reproached, O LORD; wherewith they Amen, and Amen. not make void from him. + Heb. to lie, my lips. + Heb. If 15. more. 25. I will set his hand &c.] I will extend his con- 50. Remember, Lord, the reproach &c.] The Jews, quests and dominion from the Mediterranean sea to the when this Psalm was penned, were in a low estate : the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. Dr. Wells. very heathen reproached them for vainly expecting their 27. Also I will make &c.] I will raise him to the mighty Deliverer, the Messiah, whom they said God had highest dignity among those whom I shall call My sons; promised to David, and out of his loins. Bp. Wilson. and I will exalt him above all other kings in the world, 51. — reproached the footsteps &c.] That is, have so that he may be a most eminent type of My Son pursued the steps of Thine anointed with revilings, Christ, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Travell, Mudge, Merrick. Or, according to the Chaldee, mocked Bp. Patrick. at the tardy advent of Thy Messiah. Bp. Horne. 36. His seed shall endure &c.] His family shall never The posterity of David were to enjoy God's favour, be extinct, but shall hold the royal dignity as long as or be deprived of it, as they proved obedient or disobethe sun shineth. Bp. Patrick. dient to His law. When they became rebellious, idola39. Thou hast made void &c.] Thou seemest not to trous, and profligate, the rod was lifted up, and due regard the covenant made with Thy faithful servant chastisement inflicted, sometimes by the immediate hand David, but hast permitted the authority of his successor of Heaven, sometimes by the instrumentality of their to be profaned, and his crown trodden under foot. Bp. heathen adversaries; famine and pestilence, war and Patrick, Travell. captivity, were at different times employed to reclaim 47. Remember how short &c.] O let the natural short- backsliding Israel. But still the “ covenant" of God in ness of my life plead with Thee for mercy, and do not Christ stood sure; the Jewish nation was preserved, let it appear as if Thou hadst made man only to be mi- through all changes and revolutions, “till the Seed came serable and to die. Travell. to whom the promise was made;" nor was Jerusalem de |