Book IV. XC. Notwithstanding the unanimous rejection of the Mosaic title of this psalm by the ancient and mediaeval Christian commentators, it has found supporters among modern critics. It is urged that the transitoriness of human life was a theme peculiarly suited to the leader of a race doomed to... [ Continue Reading ]
DWELLING PLACE. — LXX. and Vulg., “refuse,” possibly reading _maôz_ (as in Psalms 37:39) instead of _maôn._ So some MSS. But Deuteronomy 33:17 has the feminine of this latter word, and the idea of a _continued abode_ strikes the key-note of the psalm. The short duration of each succeeding generation... [ Continue Reading ]
BEFORE THE MOUNTAINS. — Render either, “Before the mountains were born, Or ever the earth and world were brought forth,” in synonymous parallelism, or, better, in progressive, “Before the mountains were born, Or ever the earth and world brought forth” — _i.e.,_ before vegetation or life appeared.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU TURNEST... — Probably we must render, _Thou turnest man to dust; and sayest, Turn, sons of Adam_ — _i.e.,_ one generation dies and another succeeds (see Psalms 104:29), the continuance of the race being regarded as distinctly due to Divine power as the Creation, to which there is probably allus... [ Continue Reading ]
A THOUSAND YEARS. — This verse, which, when Peter II. was written (see _New Testament Commentary_), had already begun to receive an arithmetical treatment, and to be made the basis for Millennarian computations, merely contrasts the unchangeableness and eternity of the Divine existence and purpose w... [ Continue Reading ]
The following is suggested as the most satisfactory rendering of these verses: _Time_ (literally, a _year;_ but the root-idea is the _repetition_ or _change of the seasons_)_ carries them away with its flood; they are in the morning like grass sprouting; in the morning it flourishes and sprouts, in... [ Continue Reading ]
WE. — The change to the first person plural shows that the poet was not merely moralising on the brevity of human life, but uttering a dirge over the departed glory of Israel. Instead of proving superior to vicissitude the covenant race had shared it. TROUBLED. — Comp. Psalms 48:6. Better here, _fr... [ Continue Reading ]
OUR SECRET SINS. — Or, to keep the singular of the original, _our secret_ (character). The expression, “light of God’s countenance,” usually means “favour.” But here the word rendered light is not the usual one employed in that expression, but rather means a body of light: “the sun (or eye) of Thy... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE PASSED AWAY. — Better, _are declining._ A TALE. — Rather, _a murmur._ (See Note, Psalms 1:2.) Probably, from the parallelism with _wrath,_ a moan of sadness. So in Ezekiel 2:10, “a sound of woe.” Since the cognate verb often means “meditate,” some render here _thought._ Theognis says, “Gallant... [ Continue Reading ]
YET IS THEIR STRENGTH... — The LXX. (and so Vulg.) appear to have had a slightly different reading, which gives much better sense: “Yet their additional years are but labour and sorrow.” The old man has no reason to congratulate himself on passing the ordinary limit, of life. FOR IT IS SOON CUT OFF... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO KNOWETH... — Better, Who regardeth Thine anger And — in a measure due to reverence — Thy wrath? _Who_ (no doubt with thought of Israel’s enemies) _has that just terror of Thy wrath which a truly reverential regard would produce_? It is only the persons who have that fearful and bowed apprehens... [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBER OUR DAYS. — This verse as it stands literally gives _to allot,_ or _in allotting_ (see Isaiah 65:12), _our days, so teach, and we will cause to come the heart wisdom._ The last clause, if intelligible at all, must mean “that we may offer a wise heart,” and the natural way to understand the ve... [ Continue Reading ]
RETURN. — Better, _turn,_ either from anger (Exodus 32:12), or merely as in Psalms 6:4, “turn to thy servant.” Plainly we have here the experience of some particular epoch, and a prayer for Israel. From his meditation on the shortness of human existence the poet does not pass to a prayer for a prol... [ Continue Reading ]
EARLY — _i.e.,_ in the morning of new hope and courage after the night of affliction is spent. (See Psalms 46:5.)... [ Continue Reading ]
A prayer that prosperity may follow, proportionate to the mercy that has been endured.... [ Continue Reading ]
BEAUTY. — Or, _pleasantness._ The Hebrew word, like the Greek χάρις_,_ and our “grace,” seems to combine the ideas of “beauty” and “favour.”... [ Continue Reading ]