7 All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.

8 Lit. Á thing of evil is poured out upon him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" Gal. 3:13.

9 Hath lifted up his heel against me. "Every man of my peace watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him" Jer. 20: 10. All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me Job 19:19. "They that eat my bread have laid a wound under thee" Obad. 7. "I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me " S. Jo. 13:18.

Confidence in God.

VV. 10-13.

10 And raise me up, that I may requite them. Verse 4. See Rom. 13:4.

II "The LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail : they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten" "Jer.

20:II.

12 Lit. And as for me, in mine integrity hast thou upheld me, and settest me before thy face for ever. "He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted" Job 36:7.

13 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen. Almost the same words in Chr. 16:36. See Kin. 1:48; 1 Chr. 29:10. "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David" S. Lu. 1:68, 69." Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen" Rev. 7:12.

9 The reference is probably to Ahithophel. See 2 Sam. 16:23. Mine own familiar friend; K. J. (marg.) the man of my peace. "Whom I trusted"; significant omission of these words in S. Jo. 13:18. 13 The Psalter references are to the concluding verses respectively of the Second, Third, and Fourth Books. These are the only places where the word Amen is found in the Psalter.

PSALMS XLII-LXXII.

"Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. II Chr. XXIX. 30.

In this book, probably arranged by Hezekiah, we find a whole series of psalms of the Templesingers; of whom there were three choirs,- that of the Sons of Asaph (Psalm 50, and in the Third Book 73-83); that of the Korahites or Sons of Korah (Psalms 42-49, and in the Third Book 84, 85,87,88); and that of Ethan (in the Third Book 89). The psalms of the Korahites are generally of the nature of lyric odes. Those of the sons of Asaph are meditative and retrospective. (1 Chr. 15:16-19; 25:1-7.).

The word Elohim (God) is used in a very large majority of places for Jehovah (LORD), owing perhaps to the prevalence of idolatry at the period when these psalms were written and collected, and the consequent obscuring of the full significance of the NAME.

This book is divided into two distinct portions.

A. Psalms of (Psalms of supplication,
the Tem- Prophetical praise,
ple-sing-National Thanksgiving,
Psalms of instruction,

ers.

XLII-XLIV.
XLV.

XLVI-XLVIII.
XLIX-L.

In these psalms Christ is shown as the Saviour and Inspirer of His people in their pilgrimage through the wilderness of this world, and also as their final Judge.

PSALM XLII.

Quemadmodum.

73:25

63:9 LIKE as the hart desireth the water-brooks: so longeth my soul after thee, O God.

36:8,9 63:2 84:2

2 My soul is athirst for God, 43:3 yea, even for the living God: 84:6,7 when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?

80:5

3 My tears have been my meat 102:9 day and night: while they daily 79:10 say unto me, Where is now thy God?

3:2 22:8

122: 1,4

62:8 4 Now when I think thereupon, 55:15 I pour out my heart by myself: for I went with the multitude, and brought them forth into the house of God;

68:24,25 81:1-3

5 In the voice of praise and 98:5-7 thanksgiving: among such as keep holy-day.

61:2 6 Why art thou so full of heav69:30 iness, O my soul: and why art thou so disquieted within me?

39:8

71;12

20:7 137:1,4-6

7 Put thy trust in God: for I will yet give him thanks for the help of his countenance.

8 My God, my soul is vexed within me therefore will I remember thee concerning the land of Jordan, and the little hill of Hermon.

18:16 9 One deep calleth another, 88:6 because of the noise of the waterpipes all thy waves and storms are gone over me.

Ps. XLII. Title; Instruction, Heb. Maschil. Sons of Korah; the descendants of Korah, the great-grandson of Levi. Num. 16. The Korahites were celebrated musicians and singers, Chr. 6:16-33; 2 Chr. 20:19; keepers of the threshold of the Tabernacle, Chr. 9:19; famous warriors,

BOOK II.

(XLII-LXXII.)

PSALMS OF SUPPLICATION. (XLII-XLIV.)

PSALM 42.

For the Chief Musician. A song of instruction of the Sons of Korah.

This psalm can be assigned to the reign of the idolatrous Ahaz, who "shut up the doors of the house of the LORD." 2 Chr. 28:24.

The soul's longing after God and the service of His sanctuary.

CHRIST SPEAKS IN THE PERSON OF HIS MYSTICAL BODY LONGING FOR THE END OF HER EARTHLY PILGRIMAGE.

2 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" Š. Mat. 5:6. "Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink S. Jo. 7:37. See S. Jo. 4:10. "He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God" S. Mat. 27:43.

3 Verse 13.

4 Lit. These things I will (or, let me) remember, and pour out my soul in me: how I used to pass with the throng, how I led them in procession to the house of God.

5 With the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

4, 5

"My heart melts rememb'ring so,

How in troops I wont to go:
Leading them, His praises singing,
Holy dance to God's house bringing."

Sir Philip Sidney. 6 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? Ps. 43:5. Verse Ps. 142. "Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death" S. Mat. 26:38. See S. Jo. 12:27.

14.

7 Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. Ps. 43:6. Verse 15. Ps. 130. 8 Lit. O my God, my soul is bowed down within me ; therefore do I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and from the Hermons; from the mountain of Mizar.

9 Lit. Deep calleth unto deep in the roar of thy cataracts; all thy breakers and thy billows have passed over me.

1 Chr. 12:6: guardians of the doors of the Temple, Chr. 26:1-19; comp. Ps. 84:11. The Korahitic Psalms are the following, viz:-42-49, 84, 85, 87, 88. The 43rd is probably a continuation of the 42nd. 2 Living God; the Source and Fountain of all life (verse 10); see Deut. 5:26; 2 Kin. 19:4, 16; Jer. 10:10; Acts 14:15. 5 Keep holyday; the Heb. refers especially to the three great Feasts. 8 The land of Jordan; i. e. Gilead on the east of the Jordan. The Hermons; the plural form is probably used because of the two peaks of the mountain. Mizar; the name of one of the peaks of the Trans-Jordanic mountains. "From these heights, Abner in his flight from the Philistines, and David in his flight from Absalom, and the Israelites on their way to Babylon, and the Christian Jews of Pella, caught the last glimpse of their familiar mountains. There is one plaintive strain which sums up all these feelings, -the 42nd Psalm."-Stanley's Sinai and Palestine. Chap. VIII. § 6. 9 See Ps. 31:24, n. "The psalmist depicts the