7 Gilead is mine, and Manas- | the strength of mine head; seh is mine; Ephraim also is Judah is my lawgiver;

on the south, and the city between. Near the eastern end, the vale is not more than sixty rods wide; and just there, I suppose, the tribes assembled to hear the 'blessings and the curses' read by the Levites. We have them in extenso in the 27th and 28th chapters of Deuteronomy; and in Joshua viii. we are informed that it was actually done, and how:-Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin, stood on Gerizim; and Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulon, Dan, and Naphtali, on Ebal; while all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side of the ark and on that side before the priests which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord; the whole nation of Israel, with the women and little ones, were there. And Joshua read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings; there was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel. This was, beyond question or comparison, the most august assembly the sun has ever shone upon; and I never stand in the narrow plain, with Ebal and Gerizim rising on either hand to the sky, without involuntarily recalling and reproducing the scene. I have shouted to hear the echo, and then fancied how it must have been when the loud-voiced Levites proclaimed from the naked cliffs of Ebal, Cursed be the man that maketh any graven image, an abomination unto Jehovah.' And then the tremendous AMEN! tenfold louder, from the mighty congregation, rising, and swelling, and re-echoing from Ebal to Gerizim, and from Gerizim to Ebal. AMEN! even so let him be accursed. No, there never was an assembly to compare with this."

The preceding cut, taken also from "The Land and the Book," will illustrate these references to the places. And mete out the valley of Succoth. Measure out; that is, measure or survey for the purpose of "dividing" it, or assigning it to the conquerors, to the people of God, according to the promise. There is the same allusion here, as in the former clause, to the dividing of the land in the time of Joshua. Succoth, in the division of the land by Joshua, fell to the tribe of Gad; Josh. xiii. 27. It was on the east side of the river Jordan, and is now called Sakut. It is first mentioned in Gen. xxxiii. 17, in the account of the journey which Jacob took on returning from the East to the land of Canaan. At this place he paused in his journey, and made booths for his cattle; and hence the name Succoth, or booths. Why this place is referred to here by David, as representing his conquests, cannot now be ascertained. It seems most probable that it was because it was a place east of the Jordan, as Shechem was west of the Jordan, and that the two might, therefore, represent the conquest of the whole country. Succoth, too, though not more prominent than many other places, and though in itself of no special importance, was well known as among the places mentioned in history. It is possible, also, though no such fact is mentioned, that there may have been some transaction of special importance there in connexion with David's conquests in the East, which was well understood at the time, and which justified this special reference to it.

7. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine. That is, My doininion or authority is extended over these regions-Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim,

8 Moab is my wash-pot; over | Philistia, triumph thou 1 beEdom will I cast out my shoe cause of me.

:

1 Or, over me: (by an irony.)

and Judah. The idea here is substantially the same as in the former verse, that his dominion extended over the country on both sides of the Jordan; or that in the direction of east and west it embraced all that had been promised," from the great sea to the river Euphrates." In verse 6, this idea is expressed by selecting two spots or towns as representatives of the whole country-Shechem on the west, and Succoth on the east; in this verse, the same idea is expressed by a reference to the two regions so situated,-Gilead and Manasseh on the east, and Ephraim and Judah on the west. Gilead was on the east of the river Jordan, properly embracing the mountainous region south of the river Jabbok, Gen. xxxi. 21-48; Cant. iv. 1. The word has sometimes, however, a wider signification, including the whole mountainous tract between the rivers Arnon and Bashan, and thus including the region occupied by the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh, Num. xxxii. 26, 29, 39. Hence, in this place, it is put for the region occupied by the tribes of Reuben and Gad. "Manasseh" refers to the district or region occupied by the half tribe of Manasseh, on the east of the Jordan. These two portions-Gilead and Manasseh-or, Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh -would, therefore, embrace the whole of the land of promise, north and south, on the east of the Jordan. The limits of these regions to the east were properly the banks of the Euphrates; that is, the original promise would embrace this. David had gone to carry the boundaries of his country to those assigned limits (2 Sam. viii. 3), and he now says that he had completed that undertaking. ¶ Ephraim also. Ephraim and Judah were the principal tribes on the west of the Jordan, and they would well represent that part of Canaan. The idea is, that the whole of the promised land, east and west, was now under his control. There needed only the territory of Edom, on the south, to complete the conquest, and place the whole of the promised land under his dominion, vers. 8, 9. Is the strength of my head. This means that Ephraim constituted his chief strength, or was that on which he mainly relied. It was that which protected him, as the helmet does the head; that on which his very life in battle depended. This honour is given to the tribe of Ephraim because it was one of the largest tribes, and because it was situated in the very centre of the land. Judah is my lawgiver. This means that the tribe of Judah, by its position, its numbers, and the prominence given to it in the prophecies (Gen. xlix. 8-12), actually gave law to the nation. Its influence was felt in all the institutions of the land. The controlling influence went out from that tribe in the time of David; and its authority in this respect was recognized, perhaps partly in anticipation of what it had been said would be its importance in future times:-"The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come." Gen. xlix. 10.

8. Moab is my washpot. Moab was a region of country on the east of the Dead Sea, extending as far north as the river Arnon. See Notes on Isa. xv. The words rendered wash-pot mean properly a pot or basin for washing, a wash-basin; and the expression is used here as one of contempt, as if he would use it as the meanest vessel is used. It implies that Moab was already subdued, and that the author of the

9 Who will bring me into the 1 strong city? who will lead me into Edom?

1 city of strength.

10 Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies ?

psalm could make any use of it he pleased. It also implies that Moab was not regarded as adding much to his strength, or to the value of his dominions; but that, compared with other portions of his kingdom, it was of as little value as a wash-basin compared with the more valuable vessels in a house. T Over Edom will I cast out my shoe. Edom or Idumea was the country which still remained unsubdued. This David was anxious to possess, though the conquest had been delayed and prevented by the adverse circumstances to which allusion has already been made in the Notes on the psalm. On the situation of Idumea, see Notes on Isa. xxxiv. It was a region whose possession was necessary to coinplete the acquisition of territory that properly pertained to the Promised Land; and David was now intent on acquiring it. He here expresses the utmost confidence that he would succeed in this, notwithstanding the adverse events which had occurred. It is supposed that there is allusion in the expression "I will cast out my shoe," to the custom, when transferring a possession, of throwing down a shoe on the ground as a symbol of occupancy. Comp. Ruth iv. 7. In the middle ages this was expressed by throwing down a glove; in the time of Columbus, by solemnly taking possession and setting up a cross; in other times, by erecting a standard, or by building a fort. Comp. Rosenmüller, Das alte und neue Morgenland, No. 483. The idea is, that he would take possession of it, or would make it his own. Philistia, triumph thou because of me. On the situation of Philistia, see Notes on Isa. xi. 14. In the margin this is, "triumph thou over me, by an irony." It may be regarded as irony, or as a taunt, meaning that Philistia was no longer now in a situation to triumph over him; or it may be understood as referring to the exultation and shouting which would ensue on the reception of its sovereign. The former seems to be the most probable interpretation, as the language is undoubtedly intended to denote absolute subjection, and not the voluntary reception of a king. The language in the entire passage is that of triumph over foes.

9. Who will bring me into the strong city? The strong city-the fenced, the fortified city-referred to here is doubtless the capital of Idumea. This was the celebrated city Petra, situated in the rocks, and so difficult to be taken by an enemy. For a description of it, see Notes on Isa. xvi. 1. It was this city, as the capital of the land of Edom, which David was now so anxious to secure; and he asks, therefore, with interest, who among his captains, his mighty men, would undertake the task of conducting his armies there. Who will lead me into Edom? Into the capital, and thence into the whole land to subdue it. This was done under the combined command of Joab and Abishai his brother. See Notes on the title to the psalm.

10. Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? See Notes on ver. 1. The meaning is, that although God had seemed to reject and forsake them, they had no other resource, and the appeal might be still made to him. The psalmist hoped that he would again be favourable to his people, and would not forsake them altogether. It is still true that although God may seem to forsake us, that although he may leave us for

11 Give us help from trouble for vain is the help of

man.

1 salvation.

1

12 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

a time to discouragement and darkness, yet we have no other resource but himself; it is still true that we may hope in his mercy, and plead for his return. ¶ And thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies? Who didst suffer us to be defeated. See Notes on vers. 2, 3.

11. Give us help from trouble. From the troubles which have now come upon us and overwhelmed us. For vain is the help of man. Marg., salvation. The idea is, that they would look in vain to man to assist them in their present difficulties. They must depend on God alone. What is here said of temporal troubles is true as absolutely in the matter of salvation. When we are burdened with the consciousness of guilt, and trembling under the apprehension of the wrath to come, it is not man that can aid us. Our help is in God alone. Man cau neither guide, comfort, pardon, nor save; and in vain should we look to any man, or to all men, for aid. We must look to God alone:to God as the only one who can remove guilt from the soul; who can give peace to the troubled heart; who can deliver us from condemnation and ruin.

12. Through God. By the help of God. ¶ We shall do valiantly. Literally, we shall make strength. That is, we shall gain or gather strength; we shall go forth with spirit and with courage to the war. This expresses the confident assurance that they would secure the aid of God, and that under him they would achieve the victory. For he it is that shall tread down our enemies. He will himself tread or trample them down; that is, he will enable us to do it. The psalm, therefore, though begun in despondency and sadness, closes, as the Psalms often do, with confident hope; with the assurance of the favour of God; and with the firm belief that the object sought in the psalm would be obtained. The history shows that the prayer was answered; that the armies of David were successful; that Edom was subdued; and that thus the territories of the Hebrew people had, in fact, in the time of David, the boundaries promised to Abraham.

PSALM LXI.

This psalm (title) is inscribed "To the chief Musician upon Neginah." On the meaning of the expression, "To the chief Musician," see Notes on the title to Ps. iv., where also we have the following word in another form,-" on Neginoth"-the plural, instead of the singular. The word means a stringed instrument; and the idea is, that the psalm was committed to the leader of those who played on stringed instruments in the sanctuary.

The psalm is ascribed to David, but the occasion on which it was composed is not specified. From the psalm itself it is evident that it was composed by one who was in exile (ver. 2), and by one who was a king (ver. 6). The supposition which best agrees with all the circumstances alluded to in the psalm is, that it was composed by David when he was driven into exile on the rebellion of Absalom, and that it was composed when he was still beyond the Jordan (2 Sam. xvii. 22), and when his life was yet in danger. The xlii. and xliii. psalms refer to the same period, and have the same general characteristics.

The psalm consists of the following parts:

I. A prayer for the Divine interposition, vers. 1, 2. The psalmist was far away from his home-in exile-and his heart was overwhelmed.