23

He will turn upon them their own iniquity,
and in their wickedness he will cut them off:
Jehovah, our GOD, will cut them off,

NOTES. Ver. 15. I have found great difficulty in rendering this verse: nor sm I quite sure that I have well rendered it. Yet it is the only sense that to me appears to be agreeable to the context. In one word, which I render the just, I follow the reading of Syr. and of 2 Mss. Our common version is : " But judgment shall return to righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it."-Ver. 17. I pall soon be in my silent grave. I have been here obliged to translate equivalently : the text runs thus: in a moment would my soul dwell in silence.Ver. 20. who fan&tion opprelion by statute : aliuding, I think, to the tyrannical edicts of Antiochus Epiphanes. See 1 Mach. 1. 43-67. -Ver. 21. the blood of the innocent. This exactly corresponds with what is said in the Machabees of Antiochus and his agents : “ They fhed innocent blood one very side of the fanctuary.” Mach. I. 39.

PSALM XCV.-al. XCIV.

This psalm bas no title in Hebrew : but by Sep. and by the autbor of the Epistle to the Hebrews, chap. 4. 7. it is ascribed to David : and tbe Syriac translation marks tbe time, namely, « when the people with David had passed over the Jordan." In the psalm itself there is not bing to lead us eitber to its real author, or to the time of its composition.

COME! let us fing praises to JEHOVAH !
sing aloud to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving :
let us loudly praise him with psalmody.
For a great God is JEHOVAH !

over all gods a king supreme !
To him belong the depths of the earth :
his, also, are the heights of the mountains.
The sea is his, for he fashioned it :
and the dry land his hands formed.

Come ! let us worship, and bow down: let us kneel before Jehovah, our maker ; For he is our own God: and we are the people of his pasture, and the flock, which himself conducteth. And, now, will ye not hear his voice? • Harden not your hearts, (saith be) as Meriba; 8. or as when at Massa, in the Wilderness ; 66 where your fathers tempted me, and tried my patience: 9 6 although they had seen my wonderful works. - Forty years was I disgusted with that race; 66 and said: “They are an heart-erring people ; “ who will not understand my ways :' " and therefore, in my wrath, I swore to them, - II " that they should never enter into my rest.”

NOTES.

Ver. 3. Over all gods-i. e. above all the pretended gods of the Gentiles ; and all earthly potentates. —Ver. 8. Meriba ... Mafsa. See Exod. 17. 7.—Ver. 11. In my wrath I swore. See Numb. 14.21–23. and 32. 10. Ib. into my reft-i. e. into the land which I had destined for their resting-place.

PSALM XCVI.— al. XCV. This psalm is a fragment of that fine bynin composed by David at ibe solemn translation of tbe Ark. See 1 Chron. 16.7. But

it seems to bave been somewbat altered by a postrior bard; and perbaps adapted to the dedication of the second temple after the return from tbe Babylonisb captivity : as indeed it is said to bave been, in the Greek version, in wbicb it is entitled : “ An ode of David sung when the house of God was built, after the captivity." I SING to JEHOVAH a new song :

sing to JEHOVAH, all the earth.
Sing to Jehovau! bless his name;
daily declare his saving power :
declare his glory, among the nations ;
his wonderful works, among every people.
For great is Jehovah, and highly to be praised;
tremendous above all other gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols :

but JEHOVAH made the heavens.
6 . Majesty and splendour accompany him :'

power and beauty are in his holy abode !!
Render to Jehováh, ye tribes of the people,

render to Jehovah glory and power :
. To Jehovah give the glory due to his name.

Bring a donative, when ye come before him:
with holy decorum worship Jehovah.
Tremble before him, all the earth :
for 'tis he who maketh stable the globe,
that it be not moved from its place..
'Tis he, who justly judgeth the nations.

Say, among the nations : “ JEHOVAH is king." '11

Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice;

let the sea resound, with all its contents : 12 let the fields exult, with all that is therein: let the trees of the forest exult before JEHOVAH:

for he cometh—he cometh to judge the earth. 13 The world he will judge with righteousness, and the nations, with his own veracity.

NOTES, Ver. 1. In Chron, the first line of this ver. is wanting. The rest is very nearly the same, corresponding with chap. 16.23–33.-Ver. 10. I have made a small transposition here, on the authority of the parallel place : and because the context seems to require it. In Chron. are 3 verses more ; which now make a part of psalm 106.

PSALM XCVII.-al. XCVI... The subject of this psalm is similar to that of the preceding one; and may bave been sung on tbe same occasion. In Sep. it is called “ A psalm of David, when his territories were restored.”

JEHOVAH reigneth ! let the earth exult: let the numerous regions rejoice!

Clouds and darkness surround him: justice and judgment are the basis of his throne... Before him goeth a fire, which burneth his enemies around : his lightnings irradiate the globe : the earth beholdeth and trembleth : the mountains melt like wax, at the presence of 5

JEHOVAH: at the presence of the God of the whole earth! The heavens proclaim his justice ; and all nations behold his glory. Confounded are they, who worship graven gods; who glory in their own vain idols ! To him, all ye gods, bow down!

8 Zion hath heard, and is joyful ;

the cities of Judah rejoice,
on account of these thy judgments, JEHOVAH!
For high art thou, Jehovah, ’bove all the earth;

far, far exalted ’bove all other gods.
10 Jehovah loveth those who detest evil:

his pious ones he preserveth alive,

and delivereth from the hands of the wicked. II On the just man light is fown ;

and joy on the upright of heart.
Rejoice, ye just, in Jehovah;
and commemorate, with thanks, his holiness.

NOTES.

Ver. 10. I think, with Street, that there is a small corruption in the first comma of this verse both in the text and all the versions : and that by the elision of a single letter, with another reading authorized by Syr. and some mss. the true original is restored. See C. R. According to the present reading, our last translators render : “ Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his faints,”' &c. -Ver. 11. On the just man light is fown. In a similar passage, psalm 112. instead of gown we find ariseth: and the antient interpreters seem to have read so here. It is also the reading of one Ms. But as the present reading presents an equally good meaning, and is even more poetical ; I have expressed it in my version.

. PSALM XCVIII.-al. XCVII. This psalm is evidently a continuation of the foregoing, and was no doubt composed, or at least sung, on the same occasion. In Sep. it is called “ A PSALM of David.” In the Heb. it is entitled

simply

.. A PSALM.
SING to JEHOVAH a new song:
for marvellous deeds he hath done.