strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let

foul, to be rancid, to stink: then, to be loathsome or abominable; and then, to treat or regard anything as such. Comp. Hosea viii. 3, 5; Isa. xix. 6. ¶ Why go I mourning, etc. See Notes on Ps. xlii. 9. This expression, with others of a similar character, renders it morally certain that this psalm was composed by the same person, and

with reference to the same circumstances, as the former.

3. O send out thy light and thy truth. Send them forth as from thy presence; or, let them be made manifest. The word light here is equivalent to favour or mercy, as when one prays for the "light of God's countenance (see Notes on Ps. iv. 6); and the idea is, that now, in the time of darkness and trouble, when the light of God's countenance seemed to be withdrawn or hidden, he prays that God would impart light; that he would restore his favour; that he would conduct him back again to his former privileges. The word truth here is equivalent to truthfulness or faithfulness; and the prayer is, that God would manifest his faithfulness to him as one of his own people, by restoring him to the privileges and blessings from which he had been unjustly driven. Comp. Notes on Ps. xxv. 5. Let them lead me. ¶ That is, Let them lead me back to my accustomed privileges; let me go under their guidance to the enjoyment of the blessings connected with the place of public worship. ¶ Let them bring me unto thy holy hill. Mount Zion; the place where the worship of God was then celebrated, and hence called the "holy hill" of God. And to thy tabernacles. The tabernacle was the sacred tent erected for the worship of God (see Notes on Ps. xv. 1), and was regarded as the place where Jehovah had his abode.

them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God 1 my exceeding 1 the gladness of my joy.

The tabernacle was divided, as the temple was afterwards, into two parts or rooms, the holy and the most holy place (see Notes on Heb. ix. 1-5); and hence the plural term, tabernacles, might be employed in speaking of it. The language here implies, as in Ps. xlii., that the author of the psalm was now exiled or banished from this, and hence also it may be inferred that the two psalms were composed by the same author, and with reference to the same occasion. If the reference here, moreover, is to Mount Zion as the "holy hill," it may be observed that this would fix the composition of the psalm to the time of David, as before his time that was not the place of the worship of God, but was made "holy" by his removing the ark there. After his time the place of worship was removed to Mount Moriah, where the temple was built. It cannot be demonstrated, however, with absolute certainty that the reference here is to Mount Zion, though that seems in every way probable. Comp. Notes on Ps. ii. 6; iii. 4; comp. 2 Sam. v. 7-9; vi. 17.

4. Then will I go unto the altar of God. The altar on Mount Zion, where sacrifices were offered: 2 Sam. vi. 17. The meaning is, that he would again unite with others in the public and customary worship of God. Comp. Notes on Ps. xlii. 4. Unto God. Into the immediate presence of God; the place where he was worshipped. ¶ My exceeding joy. Marg., the gladness of my joy. The LXX. render this, "who makes my youth joyous:" "the joy of my youth," (Thompson.) The Hebrew is, the gladness of my joy; meaning, that God was the source of his joy, so that he found all his happiness in Him. Yea, upon the harp will I praise thee. Comp. Notes on Ps. xxxiii, 2, 3. Instru

or,

joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God.

5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou f Ps. xlii. 5, 11.

ments of music were commonly used in the worship of God, and David is represented as excelling in the music of the harp. Comp. 1 Sam. xvi. 1623. O God, my God. It was not merely God as such that he desired to worship, or to whom he now appealed, but God as his God, the God to whom he had devoted himself, and whom he regarded as his God even in affliction and trouble. Comp. Notes on Ps. xxii. 1.

5. Why art thou cast down? etc. See Notes on Ps. xlii. 5, 11. The sameness of this verse with vers. 5 and 11 of Ps. xlii. proves, as has been already remarked, that this psalm was composed by the same writer, and with reference to the same subject as the former. The doctrine which is taught is the same-that we should not be dejected or cast down in the troubles of life, but should hope in God, and look forward to better times, if not in this world, certainly in the world to come. If we are his children, we shall "yet praise him;" we shall acknowledge him as the "health" or the salvation (Heb.) of our countenance; as one who by giving “salvation diffuses joy over our countenance; as one who will manifest himself as our God. He who has an eternity of blessedness before him,-he who is to dwell for ever in a world of peace and joy, he who is soon to enter an abode where there will be no sin, no sadness, no tears, no death,— he who is to commence a career of glory which is never to terminate and never to change,--should not be cast down, should not be overwhelmed with sorrow.

PSALM XLIV.

The title of this psalm, "To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil," is the same as the title prefixed to Ps.

disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

xlii., except with a slight transposition. See Notes on the title to Ps. xlii. This does not, however, prove that the psalm was by the same author; or that it was composed on the same occasion; or that the design and the contents of the two resemble each other; but merely that they were alike submitted, for the same purpose, to those descendants of the family of Korah who were employed in regulating the music of the sanctuary. It may be true, indeed, that the psalm was composed by one of the descendants of Korah, or one who had the charge of the music, but that is not made certain by the title.

There is no way in which the authorship can be determined. It does not belong to the general division of the book of Psalms which is ascribed to David (Ps. i.-xli.); and though there can be no doubt that a large number of the psalms in the other portions of the book were composed by him, yet it is impossible now to ascertain which were his, except as his name is prefixed to a psalm; while the fact that his name is not so prefixed may be regarded as a proof that, in the belief of those who arranged the collection, it was not his composition. That he may have been the author of some of those which are ascribed to no particular writer is unquestionable, but there is nothing in this psalm which would indicate particularly that it was a psalm of David. We cannot hope, therefore, now to ascertain the name of the author.

The occasion on which the psalm was composed is also wholly unknown, and conjecture is useless. There are no cir cumstances mentioned in the psalm which will enable us to determine with certainty when it was composed. Many occasions, however, occurred in the history of the Jews to which the sentiments contained in it are applicable; but there is no one of those occasions to which the psalm is so peculiarly and exclusively applicable that it can be assigned to that with undoubted certainty. The consequence is, that different expositors. have assigned the composition of it to very different occasions. Not a few have referred it to the time of Antiochus

Epiphanes, and to the persecutions which occurred under him. Calvin, Venema, Dathe, and Rosenmüller adopt this view. De Wette supposes that the reference is to the time before the Babylonian exile, either in the reign of Jehoiakim, when Nebuchadnezzar first invaded the land (2 Kings xxiv. 1), or in the reign of Jehoiachin, when the land was again invaded by him, 2 Kings xxiv. 10. Tholuck supposes that it refers either to the time of Jehoiachin 2 Chron. xxxvi. 9), or to the time of Zedekiah (2 Chron. xxxvi. 11), when the land was invaded by the Babylonians, and when the Captivity commenced. Prof. Alexander supposes that there is nothing in the psalm which makes it necessary to suppose that it refers to a later period than the time of David.

What is manifest in the psalm itself in regard to the occasion of its composition is, (1) that it was a season of defeat and disaster, when the armies of Israel were discomfited, vers. 9, 10; (2) that their armies and people were scattered among the heathen, and that the people were "sold" among them,

vers. 11, 12; (3) that they were made a reproach and a by-word among surrounding nations, vers. 13, 14; (4) that this discomfiture and disgrace had befallen them in some place which might be called "the place of dragons," ver. 19; and (5) that this had occurred at some time when the author of the psalm, speaking in the name of the people, could say that it was not on account of prevailing idolatry, or because, as a people, they had "stretched out their hands to a strange god," vers. 17, 18, 20.

Perhaps it will be found, on an examination of the psalm, that all the circumstances accord better with the time of Josiah, and especially the close of his reign (2 Kings xxiii. 26–30; 2 Chron. xxxv. 20-27), and the commencement of the reign following (2 Kings xxiii. 31-37; xxiv. 1), than with any other period of the history of the Hebrew people. This was the beginning of the calamities that came upon the nation in the period immediately preceding the Babylonish captivity; it was a time when the nation was free, as far as the efforts of a pious king could accomplish it, from prevailing idolatry; and yet it was a time when that series of disasters commenced which resulted

in the entire removal of the nation to Babylon. There is not the slightest internal evidence that the psalm has reference to the times of the Maccabees; there were no historical facts in the time of David to which it can be easily applied; but all the circumstances in the psalm would find a fulfilment in the events which just preceded the Babylonish captivity, and in the series of national disasters which commenced with the defeat and death of Josiah.

The psalm is an earnest appeal to God to interpose amid the calamities of the nation, and to arise for their defence and deliverance. It consists of the following parts:

I. An allusion to former national blessings in the tradition which had come down from ancient times respecting the Divine interposition in behalf of the nation when it was in danger, and when God delivered it from its foes, vers. 1-8. This reference to the past is evidently designed to be an argument or a reason for expecting and imploring the Divine interposition in the present period of national darkness and calamity. The fact that God had interposed in similar circumstances was an argument which might be urged why he should do so again.

II. The condition of the nation described, vers. 9-16. It was a time of God had cast the national calamity.

nation off, and went forth no more with their hosts. Their armies were turned back and plundered; the people were sold into slavery, they were made a reproach and a by-word among the nations of the earth.

III. The statement that whatever might be the reason why all this had come upon them, it was not on account of national defection, or the prevalence of idolatry, or because they had forgotten God, vers. 17-22. The idea is that there was a prevailing desire in the nation to serve God, and that this was to be regarded as a calamity coming upon the people of God as such; their sufferings were dured in the cause of true religion, or because they were the people of God. This furnishes a ground of appeal that God would interpose in their behalf; or that he would vindicate them and his own cause.

en

IV. An earnest appeal to God to aid and save them, vers. 23-26.

1. We have heard with our ears. That is, it has been handed down by tradition. Our fathers have told us. Our ancestors. They have delivered it down from generation to generation. The word rendered “told” means properly to grave, or to insculp on a stone; and thence, to write. Then it comes to mean to number, to count, to recount, to tell, to declare. The word would be applicable to any method of making the thing known, either by hieroglyphic figures in sculpture, by writing, or by oral tradition, though it seems probable that the latter mode is particularly referred to here. Comp. Ex. x. 2; xii. 26, 27. ¶ What work thou didst in their days. The great work which thou didst accomplish for them; or, how thou didst interpose in their behalf. The reference is to what God accomplished for them in delivering them from Egyptian bondage, and bringing them into the land of Canaan.

In the times of old. In ancient times; in the beginning of our history. The idea here is, that we may properly appeal to the past-to what God has done in former ages-as an argument for his interposition in similar circumstances now; for, (a) His former interposition showed his power to save; (b) it was such an illustration of his character that we may appeal to that as a reason for asking him to interpose again.

2. How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand. The word rendered heathen means simply nations without necessarily conveying the idea of heathenism, as that word is now understood. It means the nations, to wit, of the land of Canaan, or the Canaanites; and as these nations were in fact idolaters, or strangers to the true religion, the word came in time

to have that idea attached to it. It is in that sense that we use the term now, though the word nations would accurately express the meaning of the original. The word rendered drive out-, yarash-means properly to take, seize, or take possession of; and then, in the form here used (Hiphil), it means to cause to possess ; to give possession of; and then, to take possession of, to drive out of a possession, to dispossess, to disinherit. The meaning here is, he dispossessed them of their country; he disinherited them. This, the psalmist says, God had done "by his hand;" that is, it was by his own power. T And plantedst them. That is, planted his people-the children of Israel. He put them in the place of those whom he had disinherited or dispossessed. The word is properly applicable to a tree, but it is also used with reference to a nation, and means that he assigned them a fixed and permanent residence. Thus we say in English, "to plant a colony." Comp. Amos ix. 15; Jer. xxiv. 6; xxxii. 41; lxxx. 8; 2 Sam. vii. 10. T How thou didst afflict the people. That is, the people of the land of Canaan; the nations that dwelt there. The word means to bring evil or calamity upon any one. And cast them out. The word here used may be taken in the sense of sending out or expelling, as in Gen. iii. 23; 1 Kings ix. 7,—and then it would be applicable to the Canaanites, as meaning that God had expelled or driven them out—as it is understood by our translators; or it may be used to denote the sending out of shoots or branches by a tree or vine, as in Ps. lxxx. 11; Jer. xvii. 8; Ezek. xvii. 6, 7,--and then it would refer here to the Israelites, and would mean that God caused them to in

Ps.