BOOK II. XLII. It is needless to waste argument on what is seen by every reader at a glance, that Psalms 42, 43 form in reality one poem. In style, in subject, in tone, they might have been recognised as from one time and pen, even if they had been separated in the collection instead of following o... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THE HART PANTETH. — “I have seen large flocks of these panting harts gather round the water-brooks in the great deserts of central Syria, so subdued by thirst that you could approach quite near them before they fled” (Thomson, _Land and Book,_ p. 172).... [ Continue Reading ]
THIRSTETH. — The metaphor occurs exactly in the same form (Psalms 63:1), and only calls for notice since “God” Himself is here made the subject of the thirst, instead of righteousness, or knowledge, or power, as in the familiar and frequent use of the metaphor in other parts of the Bible, and in oth... [ Continue Reading ]
MY TEARS. — Comp. Psalms 80:5; Psalms 102:9; and Ovid Metam. x. 75, “_Cura dolorque animi lacrimæque alimenta fuere.”_ WHERE IS THY GOD? — For this bitter taunt comp. Psalms 79:10; Psalms 115:2; Joel 2:17, etc.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN I. — The conjunction “when” is not expressed, but may be implied from the next clause. Others render, “let me recall these days (_i.e.,_ what follows), let me pour out my soul within me” (literally, _upon me._ Comp. Psalms 142:3). But the Authorised Version is better, “when I think of it, my he... [ Continue Reading ]
WHY ART THOU. — The refrain here breaks in on the song like a sigh, the spirit of dejection struggling against the spirit of faith. CAST DOWN. — Better, as in margin, _bowed down,_ and in the original with a middle sense, “why bowest thou down thyself?” DISQUIETED. — From root kindred to and with... [ Continue Reading ]
CAST DOWN. — The poet, though faith condemns his dejection, still feels it, and cannot help expressing it. The heart will not be tranquil all at once, and the utterance of its trouble, so natural, so pathetic, long after served, in the very words of the LXX., to express a deeper grief, and mark a mo... [ Continue Reading ]
DEEP CALLETH UNTO DEEP AT THE NOISE OF THY WATERSPOUTS. — Better, _Flood calleth unto flood at the noise of thy cataracts._ The exile is describing what was before his eyes, and in his ears. There can, therefore, be little doubt that, as Dean Stanley observed, this image was furnished by the winding... [ Continue Reading ]
YET THE LORD. — Better, _By day Jehovah shall command_ (or, literally, _Jehovah command_)_ his grace._ AND IN THE NIGHT HIS SONG — _i.e._, a song to Him; but the emendation _shîrah, “_song,” for _shîrôh,_ “his song,” commends itself. The parallelism of this verse seems to confirm the conclusion dra... [ Continue Reading ]
Apparently we have now the very words of the prayer just mentioned.... [ Continue Reading ]
AS WITH A SWORD. — Margin, _killing;_ better, _crushing._ The insertion of the conjunction is erroneous. Render, _with a shattering of my bones._ This, no doubt, refers to actual ill-treatment of the exile by his conductors, who heaped blows, as well as insults, on their captives. We may even suppos... [ Continue Reading ]