XLIV. In spite of the singular used in Psalms 44:6; Psalms 44:15, we recognise, in this psalm, a hymn expressive not of individual but of national feeling; a feeling, too, which certainly could not have received such an expression before the exile, before the spell of the fascination of the Canaanit... [ Continue Reading ]
WE HAVE HEARD. — The glorious traditions of ancient deliverances wrought by Jehovah for His people were a sacred heritage of every Hebrew. (See Exodus 10:2; Exodus 12:26, _seq._; Deuteronomy 6:20, etc.) This, and all the historical psalms, show how closely interwoven for the Jew were patriotism and... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU... WITH THY HAND. — Literally, _Thou, Thy hand,_ which may be, as in the Authorised Version, taken as accusative of instrument, or as a repeated subject. AND CAST THEM OUT. — This entirely misses the meaning and destroys the parallelism. The Hebrew word is that used for a treo spreading its bra... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LIGHT OF THY COUNTENANCE. — Notice the contrast to this in Psalms 44:24; in times of distress God’s face seemed hidden or averted.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU ART MY KING. — Literally, _Thou, He, my king,_ an idiomatic way of making a strong assertion, _Thou, even thou, art my king, O God._ (Comp. Isaiah 43:25.) What God has done in the past may be expected again, and for a moment the poet forgets the weight of actual trouble in the faith that has sp... [ Continue Reading ]
PUSH DOWN. — The image of the original is lost here, the LXX. have retained it. It is that of a buffalo or other horned animal driving back and goring its enemies. Deuteronomy 33:17 applies it as a special description of the tribe of Joseph. The figure is continued in the next clause; the infuriated... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEMSELVES — _i.e._, at their own will, an expression denoting the completeness of the overthrow of the Jews; they lie absolutely at their enemies’ pleasure.... [ Continue Reading ]
LIKE SHEEP. — The image of the sheep appointed for the slaughter; and unable to resist, recalls Isaiah 53:6, but does not necessarily connect the Psalm with the exile period, since it was a figure likely to suggest itself in every time of helpless peril.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR NOUGHT. — Literally, _for not riches_ (comp. Jeremiah 15:13); notice the contrast to Psalms 72:14. AND DOST NOT INCREASE THY WEALTH BY THEIR PRICE. — This rendering takes the verb as in Proverbs 22:16; but to make the two places exactly parallel, we should have “dost not increase _for thee.”_ I... [ Continue Reading ]
These verses become very suggestive, if we refer them to one of those periods under the Seleucidæ, when the Jews were so frequently attacked on the Sabbath, and from their scrupulous regard to it would make no resistance.... [ Continue Reading ]
SHAKING OF THE HEAD. — Comp. Psalms 22:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SHAME. — Better take _the face_ as a second object — _shame hath covered me as to my face, i.e., covered my face._ Though the record of the facts of a sad reality, these verses have also the value of a prophecy sadder still. Twenty centuries of misery are summed up in these few lines, which have... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE PLACE OF DRAGONS. — This expression evidently means _a wild desert place,_ from comparison with Jeremiah 9:11; Jeremiah 10:22; Jeremiah 49:33. So Aquila has “an uninhabitable place.” The rendering _dragons_ for _tannim_ arose from its resemblance to _tannîn_ (sea monster). The _tan_ must be a... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THY SAKE. — For St. Paul’s quotation of this verse (Romans 8:36), see Note, _N. Test. Commentary. _... [ Continue Reading ]
_(_23_)_ WHY SLEEPEST. — Comp. Psalms 7:6, and see refs.... [ Continue Reading ]