He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh :

The Lord shall have them in derision.

5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, And vex them in his sore displeasure.

6 Yet have I set my king

Upon my holy hill of Zion.

I will declare the decree:

The LORD hath said unto me,

Thou art my Son;

This day have I begotten thee.

8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee

The heathen for thine inheritance,

And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron;

Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

Be wise now therefore, O ye kings:

Be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

11 Serve the LORD with fear,

And rejoice with trembling.

Deliverer, to whom it was appropri- | See Psa. lxxxix. 27, 36; cx. 1, 2;

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry,

And ye perish from the way,

When his wrath is kindled but a little.

Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
PSALM III.

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. [The statement in the superscription of Psalm iii. is confirmed by its contents. Psalms iii., iv., and v. were probably composed as evening and morning hymns, with reference to the first night of David's flight from Absalom (2 Sam. xvi., xvii.), when his life seemed to hang by a hair: for, had not God heard his prayer and defeated Ahithophel's counsel, he could hardly have escaped. The three psalms show the tranquillizing power of true religion in seasons of overwhelming calamity. David has many foes (vers. 1, 2), but he has a mighty and prompt Protector (3, 4); so that he is safe in the midst of danger (5, 6), and assured of final deliverance (7, 8).] 1 LORD, how are they increased that trouble me? Many are they that rise up against me. 2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

3

But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; My glory, and the lifter up of mine head. 4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice,

5

And he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

I laid me down and slept;

I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.

Ver. 12. Kiss the Son; i. e., 'Do him homage as your Sovereign:' a kiss being an ancient mode of expressing veneration. See 1 Sam. x. 1; 1 Kings xix. 18; Hos. xiii. 2. From the way. Rather, 'in the way;' the way of error which ye have chosen.

When his wrath, etc. Or, 'For his wrath will within a little (i. e., shortly) be kindled.'

Blessed are all they, etc. To propose any mere earthly sovereign as the object of trust would be opposed to the whole tenor of Scripture: see Psa.cxlvi. 3; Jer. xvii. 5-8. But the Divine Messiah makes all his faith

ful and confiding subjects happy. Psalm iii., ver. 2. There is no help, etc. Absalom's rebellion was a punishment for David's sin; and its success seemed to show that God had withdrawn his protection.

Selah. Selah' is probably a musical term, meaning pause. But, as the pauses in music generally agreed with the pauses in sense, it often assists in rightly dividing a psalm.

Ver. 3. For me. Or, 'around me ;' a protection on every side.

Ver. 4. His holy hill. This, in David's days, was Mount Zion, the place of the ark (see 2 Sam. vi. 12), where God visibly dwelt among his people.

6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people,

7

That have set themselves against me round about.

Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God:

For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek-bone;

Thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

8 Salvation belongeth unto the LORD:

Thy blessing is upon thy people.

PSALM IV.

Selah.

To the chief Musician [or, overseer] on Neginoth. A Psalm of David. [See prefatory note on Psalm iii. David pleads God's former mercies (ver. 1), warns his enemies (2, 3), exhorts his friends to quiet trust in God (4,5), and expresses his own confidence in Him (6—8).]

1 HEAR me when I call,

2

O God of my righteousness:

Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress;
Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

ye sons of men,

How long will ye turn my glory into shame?
How long will ye love vanity,

And seek after leasing?

Selah.

3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is

4

godly for himself:

The LORD will hear when I call unto him.

Stand in awe, and sin not:

Ver. 7. Broken the teeth, etc. The psalmist's enemies are like wild beasts eager to devour; but God will take away their power to injure him.

Title to Psalm iv. Neginoth. That is, 'stringed instruments:' see Habakkuk iii. 19.

Ver. 1. O God of my righteousness; that is, 'Vindicator of my righteous cause.'

Ver. 2. My glory. This probably refers to David's royal dignity, which God had given him, and of which his foes were seeking to deprive him.

Leasing. Or, 'falsehood;' referring probably to the deceitful policy of Absalom and his abettors. See 2 Sam. xv. 4, 8.

Ver. 3. Him that is godly. One who lives under the influence of Divine love. The psalmist describes himself; feeling himself to be the subject, he believes himself to be also the object of the love of God.

Ver. 4. Stand in awe and sin not. This clause is rendered in the Septuagint, 'Be ye angry, and sin not;' and is so quoted by the apostle Paul in Eph. iv. 26. According as this translation or that of the text is

Commune with your own heart upon your bed,

And be still. Selah.

5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,

6

And put your trust in the LORD.

There be many that say,

Who will show us any good?

LORD,lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. 7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart,

8

More than in the time that their corn and their wine
increased.

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep:
For thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

PSALM V.

To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth. A Psalm of David. [See prefatory note on Psalm iii.; and compare ver. 10 with 2 Sam. xv. 31). Some think that Psalm v. refers to the persecution by Saul. David solemnly addresses himself to God (vers. 1—3), whom he adores for his righteousness and mercy (4-7), and intreats to manifest his justice by destroying the wicked and delivering his faithful servants (8-12).

1 GIVE ear to my words, O LORD,

Consider my meditation.

adopted, it seems to have been addressed either to David's comrades, exhorting them to restrain their just indignation, or to his enemies, altogether condemning their rage.

Upon your bed; that is, 'during the silence of the night:' a season well adapted for calm reflection.

Ver. 5. Sacrifices of righteousness. Such sacrifices as proceed from, and are accompanied by, real piety.

Put your trust in the Lord. Not in any expedients of human policy.

Ver. 6. While the adversaries of David, and some of his supporters, were looking to human resources for security or enjoyment, he sought peace, and found it, in a consciousness of the Divine favour. This prayer perhaps refers to the form of benediction in Numb. vi. 24-26.

Ver. 7. Corn, etc. Corn, wine, and oil, being the principal products of Canaan, are often used to represent all earthly good. See Deut. xxxiii. 28; Hos. ii. 8.

Ver. 8. For thou, Lord, only, etc. Some render this, 'Thou, Lord, makest me to dwell alone in safety;' supposing the words to allude to Numb. xxiii. 9; Deut. xxxiii. 28. But the common rendering agrees better with the context, and with the use of the word in Deut. xxxii. 12.

Title to Psalm v. Nehiloth. The word 'Nehiloth' is probably derived from a root signifying to perforate, denoting some kind of pipes.

Ver. 1. Meditation. Holy desires, even when not expressed in words, are known to God (Rom. viii. 26, 27).

2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: For unto thee will I pray.

3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: Neither shall evil dwell with thee.

5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: Thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing:

The LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. 7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy :

8

And in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness,

Because of mine enemies;

Make thy way straight before my face.

9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth;

Their inward part is very wickedness;

Their throat is an open sepulchre ;
They flatter with their tongue.

10 Destroy thou them, O God;

Let them fall by their own counsels;

Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions;
For they have rebelled against thee.

11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice:

Ver. 3. Look up. Rather, 'look out;' as a watchman expecting deliverance. True faith is not content with the mere act of supplication, but waits, with earnest expectation, for an answer. See Micah vii. 7; and Hab. ii. 1; where the same word occurs.

Ver. 7. Temple. The tabernacle was probably so called because it was now fixed, and some buildings for the priests had been erected around it: see 1 Sam. i. 9. The psalmist confidently anticipates the blessing which he asks, and engages gratefully to acknowledge it.

Ver. 9. Their throat is an open sepulchre; i. e., they are waiting to devour me, like a sepulchre opened to receive its victim.

Ver. 10. Destroy. Or 'punish.' These maledictions were expressions not of a malignant spirit, but of a righteous indignation against flagrant sin, and a deep sympathy with the cause of justice. Proofs will be found in almost all the passages in which such imprecations occur, that the psalmist regarded these evildoers as enemies to God and his people rather than personally to himself. This is particularly obvious here.