XVIII. This magnificent ode is David’s, if anything at all of David’s has come down to us. Its recurrence in 2 Samuel 22, the mention of the monarch by name in the last verse (see, however, Note), and the general contents, in the eyes of all but one or two critics[14], bear out the tradition of the... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL LOVE THEE. — Better, _Dearly do I love thee._ The line is wanting in Samuel. MY STRENGTH. — This strikes the keynote of the whole poem. The strong, mighty God is the object in David’s thought throughout. It is a warrior’s song, and his conception of Jehovah is a warrior’s conception.... [ Continue Reading ]
ROCK. — Better here, _cliff,_ keeping “rock” for the next clause. In the first figure the ideas of height and shelter, in the second of broad-based and enduring strength, are predominant. FORTRESS. — Properly, _mountain castle._ We have the joint figure of the lofty and precipitous cliff with the c... [ Continue Reading ]
Presents a trifling verbal variation from Samuel.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SORROWS OF DEATH. — The Hebrew word may mean either _birth pangs_ (LXX. and Acts 2:24, where see Note, _New Testament Commentary_)_,_ or _cords._ The figure of the hunter in the next verse, “the snares of death,” determines its meaning there to be _cords_ (see margin). It is best, therefore, to... [ Continue Reading ]
HELL. — Heb., _sheôl._ (See Note on Psalms 6:5.) PREVENTED — _i.e.,_ suddenly seized upon. The poet seems to feel the cords already tightening on his limbe. He is not dead yet, but like to them who go down to _sheôl._ This verse has one verbal difference from Samuel.... [ Continue Reading ]
OUT OF HIS TEMPLE. — Rather, Place — plainly, as in Psalms 11:4; Psalms 29:9, the heavenly abode of Jehovah. MY CRY. — In Samuel only, “my cry in his ears.”... [ Continue Reading ]
THE EARTH SHOOK. — The sudden burst of the storm is the Divine answer to the sufferer’s prayer. For similar manifestations comp. Psalms 68:7; Psalms 77:14; Amos 9:5; Micah 1:3; Habakkuk 3:4; but here the colours are more vivid, and the language more intense. In fact, the whole realm of poetry cannot... [ Continue Reading ]
A SMOKE. — Now the thunder-cloud forms — smoke, as it were, from the nostrils of God (comp. Psalms 74:1; Deuteronomy 29:20 : the literal rendering is, “there ascended smoke in his nostrils”) — and intermittent flashes of lightning dart forth and play about the distant summits, seeming to devour ever... [ Continue Reading ]
_(_9_)_ DARKNESS. — Better, _black cloud._ The dark masses of rain-cloud are now gathered, and bend to the earth under the majestic tread of God. (Comp. Nahum 1:3, “and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” (Comp. Psalms 144:5.)... [ Continue Reading ]
CHERUB. — See Exodus 25:19. This passage alone would show how naturally the idea of winged attendants on the Divine Being grew out of the phenomena of cloud and storm. No doubt many features of the developed conception were derived from contact with Assyrian art, but for the poetry of this passage w... [ Continue Reading ]
_(_11_)_ SECRET PLACE. — Better, _veil._ Comp. Job 22:14; Lamentations 3:44. A better arrangement of the members of this verse is, _He made darkness His veil round about Him; His tent He made of dark waters and black clouds._ Literally, _darkness of waters and blacknesses of clouds._ (Comp. Psalms 9... [ Continue Reading ]
AT THE BRIGHTNESS. — This is obscure. Literally, _From the brightness before him his clouds passed through_ (Heb., _avar_ — LXX., διῆλθον; Vulg., _transierunt_)_ hail and fiery coals._ In Samuel it is “From the brightness before him flamed fiery coals,” which is the description we should expect, and... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE HEAVENS. — The version in Samuel is from the heavens,” which is better. For the thunder as God’s voice see Psalms 29:3, and Note.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SENT OUT. — In the majesty of the storm we have almost forgotten its cause, the Divine wrath against the enemies of the poet. They are abruptly recalled to our remembrance in the suffix (“them”) of the verbs in this verse. So the LXX. and Vulg. Many ancient interpreters, however, understood by _t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHANNELS. — The description of the storm ends with the fury of the wind and the effects of the tempest on the earth’s surface. Comp. Psalms 29, and Milton: — “Either tropic now ‘Gan thunder and both ends of heaven the clouds, From many a horrid rift abortive pour’d Fierce rain with lightning m... [ Continue Reading ]
HE DREW ME. — By an exquisite transition from the real to the figurative the poet conceives of these parted waters as the “floods of affliction” (Psalms 18:5), from which Jehovah has rescued him by means of the very storm which was sent, in answer to his prayer, to overwhelm his enemies. Render at o... [ Continue Reading ]
PREVENTED. — Better, _fell upon me unawares._ See this use of the verb, generally however used in a good sense, in Psalms 18:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
A LARGE PLACE. — Comp. Psalms 4:1. But there is direct historical allusion to the settlement of Israel in Canaan, as will be seen by a comparison of the Hebrew with Exodus 3:8, and Numbers 14:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
(20-23) for this protestation of innocence comp. Psalms 7:17 and Job, _passim._ Self-righteous pride and vindication of one’s character under calumny are very different things. If taken of the nation at large, comp. Numbers 23:21. Here, also, the text in Samuel offers one or two trifling variations... [ Continue Reading ]
(25-27) It is better to change all the futures into our present. We cannot explain this description of God’s attitude to man, as if the poet were merely dealing with the conception of the Divine formed in the breast. No doubt his words are amply true in this sense. The human heart makes its God like... [ Continue Reading ]
MAN. — The text of Samuel has “hero” (_gebôr_ instead of _gebar_)_. _... [ Continue Reading ]
_(_26_)_ FROWARD... FROWARD. — The use of this one word to render two different Hebrew terms is so far correct, as they both come from roots meaning primarily _to twist._ Both are combined in Proverbs 8:8, “froward (margin, _twisted_) or perverse,” and both are contrasted with “righteousness.” Plain... [ Continue Reading ]
HIGH LOOKS. — See variation in Samuel. THE AFFLICTED PEOPLE. — Better, _afflicted folk,_ with no distinctive reference to Israel, except, of course, I when the poem became adapted for congregational use.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THOU WILT. — Better, _Thou makest bright my lamp._ In Samuel, “It is thou Jehovah who art my lamp.” This obvious metaphor is common in Hebrew, as in all literature. Light is an emblem of prosperity, happiness, or life itself. (Comp. Job 18:6; Job 21:17; Proverbs 13:9, &c). It happens to be used... [ Continue Reading ]
Better with the verbs in the present — “For by thee I scatter a troop, By thee I scale walls.” A graphic reminiscence of warlike exploits. Some, however, read from Samuel “break down,” instead of “leap over.”... [ Continue Reading ]
TRIED. — “Sterling gold,” not dross. (Comp. Psalms 12:6; and for “shield,” Psalms 5:12.) Proverbs 30:5 seems to be taken from this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
Comp. Deuteronomy 32:31, where we see that “rock” was a common term among the tribes of Canaan for their divinities. Notice some trifling variations in Samuel.... [ Continue Reading ]
The verse should run on closely from the last. The italics spoil it. GIRDETH. — The importance of the girdle in a country where the dress was loose and flowing is shown by many passages of Scripture. It is essential to the warrior as here (comp. Ephesians 6:14, and the Greek expression, “to be girt... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse is borrowed in Habakkuk 3:19. For _swiftness_ as an essential of a warrior in Oriental esteem comp. 2 Samuel 1:23, and the invariable epithet in Homer’s _Iliad,_ “swift-footed Achilles.” For “hind” comp. Genesis 49:21. Observe “his feet” in Samuel. MY HIGH PLACES. — With allusion to the... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THAT A BOW. — Better, _and mine arms bend a bow of copper._ For the _copper bow_ comp. Job 20:24. _Nechushah,_ χαλκὸς, is certainly not _steel,_ whether the custom of hardening iron was known to the Jews or not (see Jeremiah 15:12, and art. “Steel,” in Smith’s _Biblical Dict._). The LXX. and Vulg... [ Continue Reading ]
THY GENTLENESS. — Or, _meekness,_ as in margin. We cannot afford to sacrifice this striking foreshadowing of His saying of Himself, “I am meek and lowly,” to the scare of a word like _anthropomorphism._ Why be afraid to speak of the Divine Being as _meek_ any more than as _jealous._ The LXX. and Vul... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST ENLARGED MY STEPS. — Comp. Psalms 31:8, which explains the phrase; also Psalms 18:19 above.... [ Continue Reading ]
(37-40) Another retrospective glance of the poet over his past wars. Notice slight variations in Samuel.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST ALSO GIVEN. — Literally, _and as to mine enemies, thou gavest to me the back,_ which either means “turned to flight so that only their backs were visible” (Jeremiah 18:17 and Psalms 21:12), or alludes to the common symbolism of defeat — trampling on an enemy’s neck.... [ Continue Reading ]
CRIED. — Sam. 22 has “looked.”... [ Continue Reading ]
BEFORE THE WIND. — In Samuel, the weaker “of the earth.” CAST THEM OUT — _i.e.,_ sweep them before me. In Samuel “stamp and tread them out.” So LXX. here “grind,” or “pound.”... [ Continue Reading ]
PEOPLE. — The parallelism favours the interpretation which takes “people” as equivalent to _peoples_ — the Gentiles. But as in Samuel it is “my people,” explain it of the early political troubles of David. Notice also in Samuel “preserved,” instead of “made.”... [ Continue Reading ]
AS SOON AS — _i.e._, at the bare mention of my victories. An actual instance is recorded (2 Samuel 8:9, _seq._). For the expression, comp. Job 42:5. THE STRANGERS SHALL. — See margin. More literally, _come with flattery._ In Samuel the two clauses are transposed and slightly varied.... [ Continue Reading ]
FADE AWAY — _i.e._, wither like vegetation before a scorching blast. BE AFRAID OUT OF THEIR CLOSE PLACES. — Better, _come trembling out of their castles._ LXX. and Vulgate have “grow old and came limping from their paths.”... [ Continue Reading ]
(46-50) The psalm concludes with a burst of joyous praise, in which the previous figures are recalled in brief touches.... [ Continue Reading ]
In Romans 15:9, St. Paul quotes this verse, together with Deuteronomy 32:43 and Psalms 117:1, as proof that salvation was not in God’s purpose confined to the Jews. It seems almost too magnificent a thought in David, that he could draw the surrounding nations within the circle of the religion as he... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse is by many treated as a late liturgical addition to the hymn. The change to the third person is certainly somewhat suggestive of this, but by no means conclusive. The question of the relation of the two copies of this hymn to each other is far too complicated and difficult for discussion... [ Continue Reading ]