PSALM CXLVII. 1 The prophet exhorteth to praise God for his care of the church, 4 his power, 6 and his mercy: 7 to praise him for his providence: 12 to praise him for his blessings upon the kingdom, 15 for his power over the meteors, 19 and for his ordinances in the church. 1 Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto A.C. 515 our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. 2 The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel." 3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. 4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. * Heb. griefs. 5 Great is our LORD, and of great power; † his under- + Heb. of his standing is infinite. 6 The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground. 7 Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: 8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. 9 He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. 10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. 11 The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. 12 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion. 13 For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee. understanding there is no number. o Job xxxviii. 41. Ps. civ. 27, 28. 14 He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee Heb. Who with the finest of the wheat. S 15 He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly. 16 He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. 17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold? 18 He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. maketh thy border peace. Heb. fat of wheat. 19 He sheweth || his word unto Jacob, his statutes and Heb. his his judgments unto Israel. 20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his words. A. C. 515. judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD. PSALM CXLVIII. 1 The psalmist exhorteth the celestial, 7 the terrestrial, 11 and the rational creatures to praise God. Hcb. Halle- 1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens praise him in the heights. lujah. +Heb, birds of wing. 2 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. 3 Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. 4 Praise him, ye heaven of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created. 6 He hath also established them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass. 7 Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: 8 Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word: 9 Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: 10 Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and + flying fowl: 11 Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: 12 Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: 13 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name Heb.exalted. alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and Heb. Hallelujah. Or, with the pipe. heaven. 14 He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD. PSALM CXLIX. 1 The prophet exhorteth to praise God for his love to the church, 5 and for that power which he hath given to the church. 1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. 2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. 3 Let them praise his name || in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. 4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will A. C. 515. beautify the meek with salvation. 5 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a Heb. in twoedged sword in their hand; 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; 8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; their throat. 1, 2. 9 P To execute upon them the judgment written this p Deut. vii. honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD. PSALM CL. 1 An exhortation to praise God, 3 with all kind of instruments. lujah. 1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: +Heb. Hallepraise him in the firmament of his power. 2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. 3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise Or, cornet. him with the psaltery and harp. 4 Praise him with the timbrel and § dance: praise him or, pipe. with stringed instruments and organs. 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. 6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. CHAPTER II. From the Dedication of the Second Temple to the Death of Haman. SECTION I. Opposition to the Jews in the Reign of Xerxes. EZRA IV. VER. 6. 486. 6 And in the reign of || Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the in- Heb. Ahashhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. 22 The contents of this and the following section are placed here on the authority of Dr. Hales, who observes, "The whole passage (Ezra iv. 6—24.) is an historical anticipation, introduced parenthetically into the account of the former opposition of the Samaritans to rebuilding the temple, from the time of Cyrus to Darius Hystaspes; describing their subsequent oppositions to rebuilding Jerusalem and its walls, in the ensuing reign of Xerxes and Artaxerxes. It comes in between ver. 5, and 24, of this chapter; of which the latter verse takes up verosh. A. C. 464. * Or, in peace. ties. SECTION II. Opposition to the Jews in the Reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus. 7 And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, +Heb. socie- unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue. the subject of the former again, and the fifth chapter proceeds immediately to the account of rebuilding the temple on the exhortation of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, by Zerubbabel and Jeshua, &c. "The merit of distinguishing these different oppositions is due to Howe, in his ingenious strictures on Richardson's Dissertations on the Literature of Eastern Nations. See his critical observations on books, vol. ii. p. 82, &c."-Vide Hales's Anal. vol. ii. note, p. 524. 23 There has been much difference of opinion with regard to the Ahasuerus of Scripture. It is certain that the Jews were accustomed to distinguish foreign persons by different names from those given to them in profane history: and indeed every nation is known to have fallen into this custom in conformity to the genius and pronunciation of its own language. Scaliger contends, that Ahasuerus was the same with Xerxes; because, from a fancied similarity of names only, he supposes that his queen Amestris must have been the Esther of Holy Writ. Archbishop Usher is of opinion, that Darius Hystaspes was the king Ahasuerus that married Esther; and that Atossa was Vashti, and Artystone, Esther. Some, upon grounds equally conjectural, have maintained that Ahasuerus was Cyaxares; while others again have imagined that he was Cambyses. But all these contending opinions are at variance with the accounts handed down to us by prefane historians. Prideaux therefore supposes, and with the greatest probability, that Ahasuerus was Artaxerxes Longimanus: in support of which argument he observes; "The ancientest and best evidences that can be had of this matter, are from the Greek version of the sacred text, called the Septuagint, the apocryphal additions to the book of Esther, and Josephus; and all these agree for Artaxerxes Longimanus. For Josephus positively tells us it was he; and the Septuagint, through the whole book of Esther, wherever the Hebrew text hath Ahasuerus, translate Artaxerxes; and the apocryphal additions to that book every where call the husband of Esther, Artaxerxes, who could be none other than Artaxerxes Longimanus; for there are several circumstances related of him, both in the canonical and apocryphal Esther, which can by no means be applicable to the other Artaxerxes, called Mnemon. And Severus Sulpitius, and many other writers, as well of the ancients as the moderns, come also into this opinion. And the extraordinary favour and kindness which Artaxerxes Longimanus shewed the Jews beyond all the other kings that reigned in Persia, first in sending Ezra, and after, Nehemiah, for the repairing of the broken affairs of that people in Judah and Jerusalem, and the restoring of them again to their ancient prosperity, is what can scarce be accounted for on any other reason, but that they had in his bosom such a powerful advocate as Esther to solicit for them."-Prideaux's Connect. p. 361; Dr. Gray, 8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the * scribe wrote A.C. 464. a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this * Or, secre sort: tary. cieties. 9 Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their + companions; the Dinaites, the + Chald. soApharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites, 10 And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnapper brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and neth. the rest that are on this side the river, and at such a time. Chald. Chec11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time. 12 Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have § set up the walls Or, finished. thereof, and joined the foundations. 13 Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the + revenue of the kings. 14 Now because we have maintenance from the king's palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king's dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king; 15 That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have § moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed. 16 We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river. Chald. sewed together. * Chald. give. + Or, strength. Chald. we the salt of the are salted with palace. Chald, made. midst thereof. || Chald. in the 17 Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest be-Chald, socieyond the river, Peace, and at such a time. 18 The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me. tics. a decree is set. 19 And I commanded, and search hath been made, and + Chald. by me it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection Chald. lifted against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been up itself. made therein. 20 There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them. |