The title. Christ's in this Psalm. But it is too awful in its strain to admit of this application, though we may learn from Christ's example, as well as words, on the cross; as Peter is fond of shewing us in his first epistle. The words of verse 1st may indicate that such cries were uttered more than once during the Redeemer's days of anguish. There were other seasons besides the cross when the Father was near to lay on Him the weight of the burden of guilt, and when, for a time, he left Him, forsaken. These were seasons of the hottest trial ever known in warfare, for it was warfare wherein nothing could exhaust the resources brought up against the champion, while also there were divine supplies on his side. The scheme of this Psalm is evident at a glance. There are two parts in it; the one from verse 1 to middle of verse 21; the other from the middle of verse 21 to the end. The first part is Messiah's sufferings; the second is his entering into his glory. His first coming is the theme of the one; his glorious kingdom, established fully at his second coming, is the theme of the other; and this is so very obvious, that we shall be very brief in our remarks, leaving the reader to meditate for himself, with the history of the Lord in the Evangelists* before him for the first part, and his eye glancing through the Apocalyptic visions for the second. 66 The title is strange: "On Aijeleth Shahar,"-literally, The hind of the morning." This was probably some instrument used for compositions of a peculiar cast, wherein joy gave פארי *This Psalm is quoted in Hebrews ii. 11, where verse 23 is the passage referred to. The "piercing of hands and feet," verse 17, may be considered as referred to in such passages as Luke xxiv. 39, John xx. 27, when he carefully shewed his hands and his feet. The attempt of the modern Jews to translate "89 “like a lion," admits of a very complete and satisfactory refutation. Whether we adopt the Keri ND, or retain the Ketibh ND, the sense is the same, only in the former case the literal rendering is, "They have pierced,” in the latter, it is to be understood participially, “They are piercing." See an article in No. IV. of Bibliotheca Sacra and Biblical Repository, 1852 (combined series), where it is shewn that the Masora on Numbers xxiv. 9, plainly states that the text read, "They pierced," and Jacob bon Haiim says it was so "In many copies." All the ancient versions, e.g., Septuagint and Syriac, and such critics as De Wette, Winer, Bahr (in Tholuck's Lit. Anzeig. 1853), agree in this rendering. place to anguish, and then anguish to joy. The hind leaps from height to depth, from valley to hill-top, rising up from its quiet lair, where it had reposed till morning, when met by the hunters' cry. That there was such an instrument used we cannot tell-it is a mere conjecture; at the same time it is interesting to notice how truly the scene of the hind, roused at morning from its rest (not to bound at liberty like Naphtali in Gen. xlix. 21, but) to be chased by the hunters, corresponds to the tale of persecution related here, when "dogs encompass him about." Without attempting to explore the riches, the unsearchable riches, of these mournful cries, let us listen to a few of their sad echoes. In verse 3, “But thou art holy, O thou who inhabitest the praises of Israel," we have a declaration that Israel's Holy One shall be praised more than ever for his holiness, because of his impartial treatment of Him who cries, "Why hast thou forsaken me?" Strange as it may seem, it shall turn out to be an illustration of his holy character; and if before this He inhabited Israel's praises, much more hereafter. In verse 4, that note, "OUR fathers," (as in Psalm xl. 5) from such lips may well touch our hearts. He is not ashamed, reader, to call you and me his brethren! He identifies himself with us! Our fathers are His fathers, that His Father may be ours. How like Him who afterwards (ver. 22), calls us "my brethren;" and who on earth did say, after resurrection, "Go and tell my brethren," (Matt. xxviii. 10). We do not dwell on the ample field of remark opened to us from verses 6-22. "The people," in verse 6, is specially "His own" Israel. The taunt, ver. 8, is equivalent to He was fond of saying "Roll on the Lord!" what Psalm xxxvii. 5 expresses more fully. In verse 20, "My only one" is understood to be the soul described as dear like an only son.* appropriate is the lips of Him who asked the memorable question, in Matt. xvi. 26. How * The word is the fem. of T, used in Gen. xxii. 2 and elsewhere, for a thing that is precious because the only one of its kind. Is there any thing of this idea in Homer's píλov Frog (Iliad iii. 31, &c.), his own dear heart? It is in verse 21 that the tide turns. "Thou hast heard me” The clause ought to be taken by itself. It is a cry of delight. It is like Luke xxii. 43. The lamentation of ver. 2 is over now-He is heard now! And his being now heard is not a blessing to Him alone; he runs to bring his disciples word :— "I will declare thy name to my brethren,” (ver. 22); words characteristic to the full of Him who spoke, John xvii. 26, and whose first resurrection-act was to send word to his disciples, by the name "my brethren," and then to send them to all the earth. His special love to Israel, too, is apparent, as when He said, “to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”—“ Both in Jerusalem and in all Judea." Here he calls to them, “Ye seed of Jaco3, glorify Him— For He has not abhorred the affliction of the poor." (V. 23, 24.) He has not treated the poor sinner as an unclean thing to be shrunk from (Levit. xi. 11), passing by on the other side. (Luke x. 31.) All shall yet praise Him who makes their heart live for ever by feeding them on this sacrifice (verse 26). Verse 28 shews us the Kingdom come, and Christ the Governor among the nations; at which time we find a feast partaken of by all nations, and observed by sinners that were ready to perish :"All they that be fat (the rich) on the earth shall eat and worship. (V. 29.) Before Him shall bow all that go down to dust, (the poor) And he who could not keep alive his soul," (the most destitute of the poor). The essence of the feast is indicated at verse 26, as consisting in knowing and feeding upon Him who is our Paschal Lamb; even as in Isaiah xxv. 8, the feast of fat things is Christ Himself, seen and known, eye to eye. The people of that millennial time are the seed" of ver. 30. If men do not at present serve Him, yet their seed shall there is a generation to rise who shall so do. (“Hoc semen illi serviet," says Buchanan.) "Posterity shalt serve Him, It shall be related of the Lord to the generation to come. These shall go forth (on the theatre of the world) and declare his To a people then to be born. (Ps. cii. 18.) For He has done it!" The Hebrew is very elliptical. It seems as if y were here intentionally used in an absolute and indefinite way in order to fix our thoughts on the thing being done. A finger points to the scene, and a voice says ! q. d. "He has performed !” Here is deed, not word only. Here is fulfilment, not promise only. The meek may eat and be filled! For lo! there is the thing done! performance of all that this Psalm describes, of all that Jesus meant when he cried, "It is finished." In that hour He saw his sufferings ended and his glory begun, and could proclaim victory through suffering. What a song of Zion is this! Messiah at every step! beginning with "“Eli, Eli,” and ending with Tereλeora, "It is finished." Τετέλεσται, Messiah bearing the cross, and wearing the crown. PSALM XXIII. A Psalm of David. 1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: For thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over, 6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. of the Psalm. AFTER the conflict of the preceding Psalm, and its bright The position glimpse of triumph, we might have thought that such an ode as we afterwards find in Psalm xxiv. would have immediately followed, leading us to survey the scenes of victory anticipated by the sufferer. But, instead of this, we suddenly find ourselves in the quiet peace of the quietest valley that imagination could paint; where is seen One walking by his shepherd's side singing, Christ and his members. The arrangement seems intentional; the soothing after the exciting, the stillness of the still waters after the fury of the tempest, the calm of rural peace before the engrossing and enrapturing scene of the Mighty One's dominion. It is like the pause of Milton's angel, "As one who in his journey bates at noon, Though bent on speed, so here the Archangel paused, And, besides, it is most suitable that between the conflict finished successfully in man's behalf and the glorious issues of that conflict, as seen from the throne of dominion, there should interpose a view of that state of soul toward the Father in which the Head and his members pass through their wilder ness. The Church has so exclusively (we might say) applied this Psalm to herself, as almost to forget that her shepherd (“that Great Shepherd !") once needed it and was glad to use it. The Lamb (now in the midst of the throne ready to lead us to living fountains of water) was once led along by his Father. He said to his disciples, " And yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me," (John xvi. 32). Was not the burden of his song:-"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not lack," (Ver. 1)? When he said, on another occasion, (John x. 14, 15,) "I know my sheep, and am known of mine, as the Father knoweth me," was he not saying, "I lead you as my Father leads me?" But try every clause, and every syllable will be found applicable not to David alone, butto David's Son, to the * Perhaps these verses were never more poetically rendered into another tongue than by Buchanan in his Latin version: -----“Sicut Pastor ovem, me Dominus regit; Nil deerit penitus mihi. "Per campi viridis mitia pabula, Quæ veris teneri pingit amonitas, Nunc pascor placide, nunc saturum latus Fessus molliter explico. "Parcæ rivus aquæ leniter adstrepens Et blando recreat fomite spiritus, Solis sub face torrida." |