princes of Naphtali.' In this enumeration of the tribes of Israel that were present at the removal of the ark, four only are mentioned; Benjamin and Judah, who dwelt nearest to the city of David; Zebulun and Naphtali, who were the furthest distant from it; to show, as Dr. Chandler observes, the unanimity of the whole nation, and of all the tribes far and near, in attending this solemnity, to testify their willing acknowledgment of David for their king, and the .city of David for their capital, where all the great solemnities of religion should be performed, and their annual festivals continually celebrated. Benjamin, though the youngest tribe, is named first, and called 'the ruler;' because from that tribe sprang Saul, the first king of Israel. The attendance of this tribe showed that all envy and opposition to David from Saul's party was at an end. Upon David's accession to the crown, Judah became the royal tribe, and supported the throne by its counsels. Zebulun and Naphtali were tribes of eminent learning and knowledge. See Gen. xlix. 21; Judg. v. 14. Thus, after the publication of the gospel, the nations flocked into the church, both those that were near, and those that were afar off; power, wisdom, and learning submitted themselves to the kingdom, and conspired to set forth the glory of Messiah. 28. Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us. The former part of this verse contains a comfortable assurance given to the church, that God had made provision, and issued out orders, for her establishment and security. In the latter clause is a VOL. II. R prayer, that he would accomplish all his counsels concerning her; and, as he had begun a good work, so that he would vouchsafe to perfect it unto the day of the Lord. 29. Because of thy temple at Jerusalem, shall kings bring presents unto thee. David foretels, that on the establishment of the then church and worship in Jerusalem, the kings of the Gentiles should come, and make their oblations at the temple' of God; which happened in his days, and those of his son Solomon, as an earnest and figure of that plenary accession of the kings of the earth to the church of Christ, which was to take place in the latter days, under the gospel. See 2 Sam. viii. 9—11; 1 Kings v. 1; x. 1, 24; 2 Chron. ix. 23; Isa. lx. 3, 6; Matt. ii. 11; Rev. xxi. 24. 30. Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver; scatter thou the people that delight in war. We have here a prophetical prayer against the enemies of the Israelitish church. The whole verse, when literally translated, runs thus: 'Rebuke the wild beasts of the reeds, the congregation of the mighty among the calves of the nations, skipping, or exulting, with pieces of silver; scatter the people that delight in war.' By the wild beast The tabernacle is called 'n, 1 Sam. iii. 3. This might, otherwise, seem inconsistent with the supposed occasion of the Psalm, and the times of David, when there was yet no temple there. Bishop Lowth. 6 of the reeds,' is to be understood the Egyptian power, described by its emblem, the crocodile, or river-horse, creatures living among the 'reeds' of the Nile. The calves of the nations' intend the objects of worship among the Egyptians, their Apis Osiris, &c. around which the congregation of the mighty' assembled. And by their 'skipping with,' or, exulting in, pieces of silver,' may either be meant their dancing at their idolatrous festivals with the tinkling instruments called 'sistra,' which might be made of silver,' or else it may imply their 'glorying in pieces of silver,' or, 'in their riches.' The last member of the verse is plain, 'Scatter the people that delight in war.' The whole is evidently a prayer of the prophet to this effect, that it would please God to bring down and overthrow the strength, the pride, and the idolatry of Egypt, that ancient adversary and oppressor of Israel.*The Christian church, in like manner through faith in the power of her Lord, risen from the dead and ascended into heaven, prayeth for the confusion of her implacable enemies, who delight in opposing the kingdom of Messiah. Increpa regem Egypti populo tuo invidentem, increpa etiam optimates qui inter populos honore et viribus eminent, argenteis clavis, vel aliis insignibus ornati. Bossuet. See Bishop Lowth, Prælect. vi. ad fin. edit. 8vo. The sense of the verse connot be better expressed, than it is by Mr. Merrick in his version : The beast that from his reedy bed, On Nile's proud banks, uplifts the head, 31. Princes, or, ambassadors, shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God. The hostile powers being overthrown, and the church of Israel fully established, the nations around her, even those which had been most given to idolatry, sued for her friendship, and came to Jerusalem, with their gifts and oblations: as, in like manner, after the defeat of Maxentius and Maximin, the Roman empire, with all its tributary provinces, was added to the church of Christ. 32. Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth: O sing praises unto the Lord. "Rapt into future times," the prophet exhorteth, not Judea only, but all the kingdoms of the earth to unite in chanting forth the praises of their God and Saviour.' In the fulness of time, this exhortation was heard and obeyed. For Eusebius thus describes the state of the church in the days of Constantine:-"There was one and the same power of the Holy Spirit, which passed through all the members; one soul in all; the same alacrity of faith; one common consent in chanting forth the praises of God." Euseb. Eccles. Hist. b. x. chap. 2. And it deserves notice, that the primitive Christians, when, delivered from the rage of persecuting tyrants, they freely celebrated their holy festivals, could find no words so well calculated to express the joy and gladness of their hearts, as the songs of Moses and David, and the prophets, which seemed to have been divinely penned on purpose for their use, upon that glorious occasion. The reader may see several very curious and beautiful instances of this, in the opening of the tenth book of Eusebius's History, and in the panegyric there recorded to have been spoken by him, in a full ecclesiastical assembly, to Paulinus, bishop of Tyre, upon the consecration of that church. 33. To him that rideth upon the heaven of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice. The praises of the church are sung to him who, after his sufferings here below, reascended to take possession of his ancient throne, high above all heavens; who from thence speaketh to the world by his glorious gospel, mighty and powerful as thunder, in its effects upon the hearts of men. See Ps. xxix. throughout. The power of Christ's voice, when he was on earth, appeared by the effects which followed, when he said, 'Young man, arise;" 'Lazarus, come forth;' 'Peace, be still;' and it will yet further appear, when all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of man, and come forth.' 34. Ascribe ye strength unto God; his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds, Heb. the skies. God requires his people to ascribe unto him the kingdom, and the power, and the glory; to acknowledge him as the author of life, health, and salvation, of all they are, and all they have, in nature and in grace; to glorify him as the Creator and Governor of the world, the Redeemer and Sanctifier of his church. 35. O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God. |