XXII. This chapter, with numerous slight variations, constitutes Psalms 18, the first verse here serving as the title there, with only such differences as the nature of the Book of Psalms required. With this title may be compared the inscriptions of other historical psalms, as Exodus 15:1; Deuteron... [ Continue Reading ]
CALLED... CRIED. — The original words are the same here, although differing in the parallel place in the psalm. MY CRY DID ENTER INTO HIS EARS. — Literally, _my cry in his ears,_ an elliptical expression which is filled out in the psalm, “my cry came before him, even into his ears.”... [ Continue Reading ]
OF HEAVEN. — Psalms 18, “of the hills.” The thought is the same, but the strong poetic figure by which the mountains are spoken of as “the pillars of heaven” (comp. Job 26:11) is softened in the psalm.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WAS SEEN. — Psalms 18, “he did fly.” The two words are exceedingly alike in the Hebrew, and either could easily be mistaken for the other. The form in the psalm is far more poetical.... [ Continue Reading ]
MADE DARKNESS PAVILIONS. — Psalms 18, more fully, “He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him _were_ dark waters.” A word appears to have dropped out here, and in the second clause the margin, “_binding_ (or gathering) _of waters_” is a more exact translation, the word differing... [ Continue Reading ]
THROUGH THE BRIGHTNESS. — Rather, _Out of the brightness._ The psalm (with the same correction) is more full, and perhaps the more exact representation of the original: “Out of the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hail _stones_ and coals of fire.”... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM HEAVEN. — Psalms 18, “in the heavens,” a difference found in the original; the two are otherwise alike in the Hebrew, except that the psalm adds the words, “hail _stones_ and coals of fire.”... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THE SEA. — Psalms 18, “of waters.” There are several such slight differences between 2 Samuel 22:15, and the parallel verses in the psalm, which mark the two as distinctly different recensions. The most striking change is that of the last pronoun from “his” to “thy in the psalm, as appropriate to... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS STATUTES, I DID NOT DEPART FROM THEM. — The psalm, by a very slight change in the original, has “I did not put away his statutes from me.” The former is the more common form, the latter suits better the parallelism here.... [ Continue Reading ]
TO MY CLEANNESS. — Psalms 18, more poetically. “to the cleanness of my hands.”... [ Continue Reading ]
UNSAVOURY. — Rather, _froward,_ for although the form here is anomalous, it is the same word, and has the same reference to the previous word as in the psalm.... [ Continue Reading ]
THINE EYES ARE UPON THE HAUGHTY. — More briefly, but in more common form, the psalm, “wilt bring down high looks.”... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU ART MY LAMP. — Comp. Psalms 27:1. The psalm changes the figure, “thou wilt light my candle (_margin,_ lamp).” With this comp. Psalms 132:17; 1 Kings 11:36; 1 Kings 15:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD IS MY STRENGTH AND POWER. — Better, _my strong fortress._ The psalm has quite a different thought, which is expressed in 2 Samuel 22:40, “It is God that girdeth me with strength.”... [ Continue Reading ]
THY GENTLENESS. — This is the translation of the word in Psalms 18:35. The word here, which differs very slightly, and is otherwise unknown, is undoubtedly meant for it; if taken as it stands it would, by its etymology, mean _thy answering,_ viz., to the prayers offered. The psalm inserts between th... [ Continue Reading ]
DESTROYED THEM. — In the psalm, “overtaken them,” an expression intended to suggest the same thing as the plain expression here. The second clauses are identical in the original.... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE CONSUMED THEM, AND WOUNDED THEM. — The former clause is wanting in the psalm, and the latter needs a stronger word — _crushed them. _... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY LOOKED. — By the change of a letter this becomes in the psalm “They cried,” and it is so translated here in the LXX., “they shall cry.” One of the readings is doubtless a mere clerical error.... [ Continue Reading ]
DUST OF THE EARTH. — Psalms 18 reads, “Dust before the wind,” and in the second clause omits “did spread them abroad.” The psalm thus combines in one compact figure what is here spread out in two clauses. The change is certainly designed, and heightens the poetic effect. Thou hast kept me. — The wo... [ Continue Reading ]
AS SOON AS THEY HEAR. — This and the previous clause are transposed in the psalm, this clause there constituting 2 Samuel 22:44.... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL BE AFRAID OUT OF THEIR CLOSE PLACES. — The English here follows Psalms 18:45. but the Hebrew verbs differ by the transposition of a letter. This is probably a mere clerical error, but if it be retained the sense will be a little changed. The psalm means, _came trembling from their fastnesses,_... [ Continue Reading ]
HE IS THE TOWER OF SALVATION. — This translation follows the margin of the Hebrew. The text is found in the ancient versions and in Psalms 18:50. “Great deliverance giveth he.” The difference in the original between the consonants of the two words is extremely slight. This brief review of these two... [ Continue Reading ]