L. The one great corruption to which all religion is exposed is its separation from morality, and of all religions that of Israel was pre-eminently open to this danger. It was one of the main functions of the prophetical office to maintain the opposite truth — the inseparable union of morality with... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MIGHTY GOD, EVEN THE LORD. — Heb., _El Elohîm, Jehovah,_ a combination of the Divine names that has been very variously understood. The Authorised Version follows the rendering of Aquila and Symmachus. But the Masoretic accents are in favour of taking each term as an appellative. Hitzig objects... [ Continue Reading ]
PERFECTION OF BEAUTY — _i.e._, Zion, because the Temple, the residence of Jehovah, was there. (Comp. Psalms 48:2; Lamentations 2:15; 1MMalachi 2:12.) HATH SHINED. — Comp. Psalms 80:1; Deuteronomy 33:2. A natural figure of the Divine manifestation, whether taken from the dawn or from lighting.... [ Continue Reading ]
OUR GOD SHALL COME... SHALL DEVOUR... SHALL BE. — Better, _comes_ ... _devours_ ... _is._ The drama, the expected scene having been announced, now opens. The vision unfolds itself before the poet’s eye.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL CALL. — Better, _He calls._ The poet actually hears the summons go forth calling heaven and earth as witnesses, or assessors (comp. Micah 6:2), of the judgment scene. (Comp. Deuteronomy 4:26; Deuteronomy 32:1; Isaiah 1:2; Micah 1:2; 1Ma. 2:37.) Israel, politically so insignificant, must ha... [ Continue Reading ]
MY SAINTS. — This verse is of great importance, as containing a formal definition of the word _chasîdîm,_ and so a direction as to its interpretation wherever it occurs in the Hebrew hymn book. The “saints” are those in the “covenant,” and that covenant was ratified by _sacrifices._ As often, then,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HEAVENS. — Here is an exceedingly fine touch. In obedience to the Divine summons the heavens are heard acknowledging the right of God to arraign the nations before Him in virtue of His moral sway. Render the verb in the present: _And the heavens declare._ The verse is adapted to Psalms 97:6. In... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAR. — The actual judgment now opens, God asserting in impressive tones His right to preside: _God, thy God, I ..._ the Elohistic form of the more usual “Jehovah, thy God.”... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL NOT... — Better, _Not on account of thy sacrifices do I reprove thee, nor thy burnt offerings, which are always before me._ This part of the nation is judged not for neglect of ritual, but for mistaken regard for it. (See _Introduction_ to this psalm.) As usual in such visions of judgment (c... [ Continue Reading ]
(9-18) Notice the fine tone of irony that pervades this rebuke, the best weapon against ritualistic errors.... [ Continue Reading ]
A THOUSAND HILLS. — Literally, _mountains of a thousand,_ an expression for which there is no analogy, but which might conceivably mean, “mountains where the cattle are by thousands;” but surely the LXX. and Vulg. are right here, in rendering “oxen” instead of “a thousand,” and we should read “hills... [ Continue Reading ]
WILD BEASTS. — Literally, _that which moveth._ (Comp. Psalms 80:13.)... [ Continue Reading ]
OFFER. — Gratitude, and the loyal performance of known duties, are the ritual most pleasing to God. Not that _the verse_ implies the cessation of outward rites, but the subordination of the outward to the inward, the form to the spirit. (See Psalms 51:17.)... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT. — The psalm here turns to address a worse class, those who, while undisguisedly wicked, shelter themselves under the name of the covenant. WHAT HAST THOU TO DO? — _i.e., how darest thou? _... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU CONSENTEDST WITH HIM — _i.e., hast pleasure in._ (Comp. Job 34:9.)... [ Continue Reading ]
GIVEST. — Literally, _lettest loose._ FRAMETH. — Literally, _weaves._ So LXX. To _weave snares_ is a common figure in all languages. Comp. “My brain, more busy than the labouring spider, Weaves tedious snares to trap mine enemies.” SHAKSPERE: 2 _Henry VI._ 3:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
SITTEST. — Rather, as in Psalms 10:8; Psalms 17:12, _lurkest._ SLANDEREST. — Literally, _givest a thrust_; but, from the parallelism, used of _words_ that often hurt more than _blows._ MOTHER’S SON. — In a country where polygamy was practised, this marks a closer relationship than the more general... [ Continue Reading ]
The forbearance of God (intended to give room for repentance, Romans 2:4) is misconstrued. Men come to think the Divine Being as indifferent to evil as themselves. THAT I WAS ALTOGETHER. — We might render, _that I was actually._ AND SET THEM IN ORDER. — The insertion of “them,” referring back to “... [ Continue Reading ]
OFFERETH PRAISE. — Better, s_acrificeth thanksgiving,_ as in Psalms 50:14; the poet here sums up what he has previously said. This clause must therefore be considered as addressed to the sincere _formalist,_ the next to the _openly wicked._ TO HIM THAT ORDERETH... — Literally, as the text stands, _... [ Continue Reading ]