17 For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me. Verse 10.

18" He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy" Prov. 28:13. "Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of" 2 Cor. 7:10.

20 "Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?" S. Jo. 18:23. "Be

22 Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation. hold God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation" Is. 12:2.

PSALM 39.

For the Chief Musician. For Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

This psalm is probably associated with the death of Bathsheba's son (see verses 6, 10), and thus beiongs to the same period of David's life as the preceding.

Shortness and uncertainty of human life.
CHRIST SPEAKS IN HIS MEMBERS.

3 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good: and my sorrow was stirred. Verse 10.

66

4 I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay" Jer. 20:9.

5 LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is. Lit. Let me know how frail I am. See Job 7:11-21; 10:1-17.

Ps. XXXIX. Title; see Ps. 62, 77, titles; Jeduthun, called also Ethan (1 Chr. 15:17, 19; Ps. 89, title), was one of David's three choir masters, the third in conjunction with Asaph and Heman (1 Chr. 16:41, 42; 25:1-6; 2 Chr. 5:12); called the "King's seer (2 Chr. 35:15; 1 Chr. 16:41, 42; 25:1-6; 2 Chr. 5:12).

""

90:4-10

6 Behold, thou hast made my days as it were a span long: and mine age is even as nothing in respect of thee; and verily every man living is altogether vanity. 49:6,10 7 For man walketh in a vain shadow, and disquieteth himself in vain he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them.

62:10

I may be certified how long I have to live.

25:4,20

8 And now, Lord, what is my 62:5,8 hope: Truly my hope is even in

thee.

40:15,16 9 Deliver me from all mine of44:14,15 fences: and make me not a rebuke unto the foolish.

51:14

118:23

Io I became dumb, and opened not my mouth: for it was thy doing.

31:10-12

II Take thy plague away from 86:1,16 me: I am even consumed by the

32:4 38:2

means of thy heavy hand.

12 When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin, thou makest his beauty to consume away, like as it were a moth fretting a garment: every man therefore is but vanity.

38:2-10

4:54:2

13 Hear my prayer, O LORD, 56:8 83:1 and with thine ears consider my calling: hold not thy peace at my

109: 1

tears:

105:23

14 For I am a stranger with 119:19 thee and a sojourner, as all my

fathers were.

15 O spare me a little, that I

6 Lit. Behold, thou hast made my days handbreadths; and my life is nothing before thee: surely altogether a breath is every man, however firmly he stands. Selah. Verse 12. "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not" Job 14:1, 2. See Job 7:1-10. "Ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away S. Jas.

4:14.

7 Lit. Surely as a phantom doth man walk to and fro; surely for a breath are they disquieted. Verse 14. "Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; he may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver" Job 27:16, 17. "God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" S. Lu. 12:20, 21.

8 Lit. And now what have I waited for, O Lord? My hope is in thee.

9 Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish. See Job 30:1-14.

10 Verse 3. "The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" Job 1:21.

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II I am consumed by the blow of thine hand. "Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me Job 9:34. "Withdraw thine hand far from me 99 Job 13:21. Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done " S. Lu. 22:42.

12 Lit. Thou makest his beauty to consume away as by a moth: surely a breath is every man. Selah. Verse 6. "His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men" Is. 52:14. "He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him" Is. 53:2. rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is Job 13:28. See Job 4:19.

"He, as a moth eaten

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13 And give ear unto my cry.

14 Verse 7: See Lev. 25:23; and David's prayer in 1 Chr. 29:15. "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country Heb. 11:13, 14. "Here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come" Heb. 13:14.

15 Lit. Look away from me (i. e. let not thine eye be

6"In the midst of life we are in death."-Burial Off. Span; the space between the thumb and little finger when extended. 11 Plague, K. J. stroke. See Ps. 38:11. Fretting, i. e. eating. "Fretting a garment; "these words follow a Latin translation (Münster).

25:4 27:16

may recover my strength: before I go hence, and be no more seen.

PSALM XL. Expectans expectavi.

I WAITED patiently for the LORD: and he inclined unto me, and 62: 1,5 heard my calling.

37:7

52:7,8 64:9

Eng. P. B. Bur. Off. Am. P. B. vv. 5-9, 1215, Bur. S. C. Hy. 258.

27:5 37:23

:

18:16,36 2 He brought me also out of 69:2,15 the horrible pit, out of the mire and clay and set my feet upon the rock, and ordered my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth even a thanksgiving unto our God.

33:3 98:1

4 Many shall see it, and fear : and shall put their trust in the LORD.

2:12 34:8

62:7-10

5 Blessed is the man that hath 146:4 set his hope in the LORD: and 101:7 turned not unto the proud, and to such as go about with lies.

65:5 6 O LORD my God, great are 7:15 the wondrous works which thou

92:5

139:15 hast done, like as be also thy 89:5-9 thoughts, which are to us-ward: and yet there is no man that ordereth them unto thee.

71:13

7 If I should declare them, 139:17 and speak of them: they should be more than I am able to express.

51:16,17

50:8-15 8 Sacrifice and meat-offering thou wouldest not: but mine ears hast thou opened.

9 Burnt-offerings and sacrifice for sin hast thou not required: then said I, Lo, I come;

fixed upon me in anger), that I may smile again, before I go hence, and be no more.

"Spare yet, one gleam, my feeble sight,
Ere I depart and vanish quite."-Keble.

"Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death" Job 10:20, 21. See Job 7:21.

PSALM 40.

For the Chief Musician.

A Psalm of David.

This psalm may be connected with the preceding as a thanksgiving for God's forgiveness.

God's past mercies. Cry for help in fresh calamities. PATIENCE AND PERFECT OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST BEARING THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD.

Thanksgiving for past deliverances.

VV. 1-13.

2 "As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water" Zech. 9:11.

5 Lit. Blessed is the man that hath made the LORD his trust, and hath not turned to the proud, and to lying apostates. "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is" Jer. 17:7.

6 They cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee. Or, Lit. Nothing can be compared unto thee. Pss. 19, 24, 29. "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty" Rev. 15:3.

8 "Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" Sam. 15:22. "Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared me: in burnt_offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God" Heb. 10:5-7.

9 "I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings" Hos. 6:6. "Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? He hath shewed thee, Oman, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Mic. 6:6, 8.

15 Smile again; "It reminds one of the gleam of radiance that is often seen on the face of the dying."-Dr. Pusey.

Ps. XL. Verses 16-21 form Ps. 70. 2 Horrible pit; lit. pit of destruction. Ordered my goings; lit. made my footsteps firm. 6-8 See Rom. 11:33; 12:1 8 Sacrifice; offering of bloody victims. Meat offering; bloodless offering of fine flour with wine and frankincense. Wouldest not; K. J. didst not desire. Mine ears hast thou opened; i. e. thou hast made me obedient. See Is. 50:5. Comp. Is. 48:8. Burnt offerings; to obtain the Divine favour. Sacrifice for sin; to make propitiation.