XI. The tradition assigning this psalm to David is accepted by some of the greatest of modern scholars, but it is difficult to assign it to any known period of his history. Both in his troubles under Saul and in the rebellion of Absalom, he adopted the flight which this poet scorns as unworthy of o... [ Continue Reading ]
PUT I MY TRUST. — Better, as in Psalms 7:1, _I find my refuge._ FLEE AS A BIRD. — Literally, _flee ye a bird._ The plural verb, with the singular noun, offers a difficulty which is not obviated by the reading which changes the verb to the singular, since _your mountain_ has the plural suffix. We may... [ Continue Reading ]
PRIVILY. — See margin, which preserves the image of the archer lurking in a dark corner.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FOUNDATIONS. — By this word must be understood the principles of morality, which are the foundation of society. Symmachus and Jerome render “laws.” But the rendering “What could the righteous do?” is doubtful. The image is of a house shattered by an earthquake (comp. Psalms 82:5); in such a case... [ Continue Reading ]
_(_4_)_ TEMPLE. — Here, plainly from the parallelism, not any earthly building, but _the heavenly palace of the Divine King._ One thought of God’s supreme righteousness, high above earth’s anarchy and sin, is enough to reassure the psalmist and make him strong. “God’s in His heaven; all’s right with... [ Continue Reading ]
RAIN SNARES. — Or _nooses._ (Comp. 1 Corinthians 7:35.) This is certainly an extraordinary figure, and various emendations have been suggested. Ewald’s “coals of fire” (_pecham_ for _pachîm_) is the best (comp. Psalms 18:13, where the Hebrew word, however, is _gechalîm,_ “live, or red coals”; while... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS COUNTENANCE. — Better, _the upright shall behold His countenance._ This beautiful religious hope finds its highest expression in the beatitude on the pure in heart. The beatific vision in Dante is its most glorious poetical development. By the vision of God the Hebrew poet means triumph of right... [ Continue Reading ]