Therefore, in him our heart rejoiceth; 21 therefore, in his holy name we trust. Upon us, JEHOVAH ! be thy bounty, according as we truft in thee. NOTE. 22 Ver. 7. As in a bottle. The present Heb. has as in a heap. But all the antients, even the Chaldee paraphraft, read as in a bottle. A fingle letter, or single point, makes all the difference; and the parallelifm is more ftriking from the antient reading. The whole pfalm beautiful. is very PSALM XXXIV. al.-XXXIII. This is the second alphabetical psalm; by its title said to be A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN, ON CHANGING HIS BEHAVIOUR BEFORE ABIM ELECH, the latter DROVE HIM AWAY, AND HE ESCAPED. N. ALEPH. I WILL, at all times, blefs JEHOVAH : his praise fhall be constantly in my mouth. I fought JEHOVAH, and he answered me; and delivered me from all my fears. T. HE. Look up to him, and be enlightened; and your faces fhall never be ashamed. I א 3 5 VAU. [For the life of his fervants JEHOVAH redeemeth; and none fhall be defolate that truft in him.] 1. ZAIN. This afflicted one cried, and JEHOVAH heard: and faved him out of all his troubles. 7. HETH. The angels of JEHOVAH pitch their camp round those who revere him—and them they fave. O! taste and see how good is JEHOVAH! happy the man who trufteth in him. ". JOD. Revere ye JEHOVAH, his devoted fervants! for to thofe, who revere him, nothing lacks. 5. CHAPH. Young lions may lack, and suffer hunger: but they, who feek JEHOVAH, fhall lack no good. 3. LAMED. Come, fons of man! liften to me! the fear of JEHOVAH I will teach you. D. MEM. What man art thou, who defireft life, and wifheft to fee days of profperity? J. NUN. Guard well thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. D. SAMECH. Decline from evil, and do good; feek peace, and purfue it. . AIN. The eyes of JEHOVAH are on the righteous; and his ears are attentive to their cry. D. PHE. The face of JEHOVAH is against evil-doers ; to cut off their remembrance from the earth. Y. TSADE. .16 17. The righteous cry, and JEHOVAH heareth; and refcueth them from all their troubles. 18 P. KOPH. JEHOVAH is nigh to the contrite of heart; and the broken-fpirited he faveth. 19 7. RESH. Though many the afflictions of the righteous; yet from all of them JEHOVAH delivereth him. . SCHIN. JEHOVAH guardeth all his bones : not one of them fhall be broken!. A. THAU. The wicked fhall die a bad death: and those, who hate the juft, JEHOVAH will destroy. NOTES. 20 21 22 Ver. 6. This verfe at prefent concludes the pfalm: but its proper place is here.-Ver. 7. This afflicted one. He meaneth himself : as if he faid: See here in me an example of God's goodness."-Ver. 18. The first two words are fupplied from the antient verfions.-Ver. 21. The laft comma of this verfe is applied in the Gospel of John 19. 36. to Jefus Chrift. I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 PSALM XXXV.-al. XXXIV. A PSALM OF DAVID, PLEAD thou my caufe, JEHOVAH! against mine opponents: war thou with them, who war with me. Lay hold on the shield and buckler; Nay, draw thy spear, and fecure me be confounded and put to fhame: Be they like chaff before the wind; May their way be dark and flippery; and may the angel of JEHOVAH pursue them! For, without caufe, have they laid for me a fnare. A pit, without cause, have they digged for me. May unforeseen ruin overtake them; may the fnare which they laid, lay hold on themselves; and may they tumble into deftruction. Then my foul fhall be joyful in JEHOVAH: and rejoice in being saved by him : all my bones fhall fay: "JEHOVAH! who like thee? by bereaving me of my life. Although I, during their infirmity, clothed myself in fackcloth : bofom my prayer was turned : with fafting I afflicted myself: and to my 13 14 although I acted the part of a friend, of a brother! like one mourning his mother, I was heavily fad ! Yet in mine adverfity they rejoiced, and affociated— 15 fmiters affociated against me without my knowledge; and, unceasingly, tore my reputation: While they flattered me, they fneered obliquely : they gnashed at me with their teeth. 16 17 JEHOVAH! how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my life from their pernicious defigns: my dearest life from thofe young lions. I will thank thee in the great affembly: 18 before a numerous people I will found thy praise. Let not my false foes rejoice over me, 19 my causeless enemies who wink with the eye. Who speak not the words of peace; 20 but, against the peaceable of the land, they devife the words of deceit ! Against me they open wide their mouth, and say: "Ha! ha! our eye beholdeth what we wished." See thou this, JEHOVAH! and be not filent: JEHOVAH! from me be not far. Exert thyfelf, and be awake to my cause: my God, and my Lord, be awake to my plea. JEHOVAH, my God! and let not those rejoice over me: 21 22 23 24 25 26 |