_David praiseth God for his all-seeing providence, and for his infinite mercies: he defieth the wicked: he prayeth for sincerity._ To the chief musician, A Psalm of David. _TITLE._ מזמור לדוד למנצה _LAMNATSEACH LEDAVID MIZMOR._— This psalm is generally thought to have been composed by David when he... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THERE IS NOT A WORD— Or, _When there is not a word in my tongue, O Lord, thou knowest all._ But Mudge renders it, _For, before the word is in my tongue, behold, O Lord, thou knowest the whole of it; i.e._ "Thou knowest the whole matter of what I am going to say, before the word is formed upon my... [ Continue Reading ]
SUCH KNOWLEDGE IS TOO WONDERFUL, &C.— Grotius supposes the meaning to be, "Thy knowledge, or rather, thy omniscience, is so great, that it is impossible to escape or fly from it." Mr. Mann thinks that the 6th verse should be rendered thus: _Wonderful is thy knowledge, and elevated above me; I cannot... [ Continue Reading ]
WHITHER SHALL I GO FROM THY SPIRIT, &C.— Though the Psalmist acknowledged the divine omniscience to be full of wonders, and a height to which no human, no finite understanding could possibly ascend; yet he saw, at the same time, that it might be capable of the plainest and most convincing proofs; an... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST POSSESSED MY REINS, &C.— Or, _Thou hast formed my reins; thou hast compacted me._... [ Continue Reading ]
CURIOUSLY WROUGHT— Bishop Lowth, speaking of _images_ in the Hebrew poetry, taken from _things sacred,_ has the following observation: "In that most perfect hymn, where the immensity of the Omnipresent Deity, and the admirable wisdom of the Divine Artificer in framing the human body, are celebrated,... [ Continue Reading ]
THINE EYES DID SEE MY SUBSTANCE, &C.— Or, _Thine eyes did see my rude mass; and on thy books were all written, as they were daily fashioned, when,_ &c. Before any of his limbs were in being, they were all written down, he says, in God's book, and the very days upon which they were afterwards actuall... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW PRECIOUS, &C.— This expresses the zeal and affection that he had for God. "As thou hast taken such care of me, so are the thoughts of thee precious to me above all things." The turn of the sentence shews this to be the meaning:—"I am ever thinking of thee; as soon as I wake, I find thee still in... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE THY NAME IN VAIN— _Take thee to falsehood. "_Take thee (_thy name_ is generally expressed) only to swear falsely by thee." Mudge.... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE WAY EVERLASTING— As God's commandments are frequently said to be everlasting, the _everlasting way,_ I suppose, says Mr. Mudge, means the way of God's law, in opposition to the _wicked way,_ or way of provocation; the idol worship of the heathen, which in its nature was false, corrupt, and pe... [ Continue Reading ]