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and raifing me from the gates of death:

that I might rehearse, JEHOVAH! all thy praises in the gates of the city of Zion:

and might exult on being faved by thee.

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The nations have funk into the pit they had made: 16

in the fnare which they had laid

hath their own foot been entangled. The LORD is recognised

in the exercise of judgment:

in the works of his own hand

hath the wicked been enfnared.

all the nations unmindful of God!

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To the pit fhall the wicked haften:

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For the poor fhall not for ever be forgotten;

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nor the hope of the afflicted be for ever frustrated.

Arife, JEHOVAH! let not man prevail :

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be the nations judged by thee alone:

place, JEHOVAH ! a master over them; and let the nations know they are but men.

NOTES.

21

Ver. 13. inquefting blood. I have ventured a new word, the better to exprefs the original, without a paraphrase. The meaning is, that God will make a judicial inquiry concerning the blood of the oppreffed, and avenge it on their enemies. Ver. 17. At the end of this verfe, there is a SELAH accompanied by another word HIGAION; the precise meaning of which is not known.-Ver. 21. place a master over them. This comma is commonly rendered put fear on them; from a different reading in the original: but the other is the better and more appofite reading.

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This pfalm is fupposed to have been written on the fame occafion with the preceding one; to which in most of the antient versions. and 3 of Dr. Kennicott's MSS. it is joined: bence a different order in the numbers takes place as far as pfalm 147; which

being divided into two, makes the numbers again correfpond to the end of the pfalter. The tenth pfalm bas no title.

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WHY, JEHOVAH! ftandeft thou aloof? concealeft thou thyself in the time of trouble? through the pride of the wicked the weak is diftreffed; is caught in devices which the other contriveth!

The wicked glorieth in the completion of his wishes; and the rapacious calleth himself blessed!

The wicked defpifeth JEHOVAH !

through contempt he feeketh him not!
Godlefs are all his thoughts;

perverfe at all times his ways!

Thy judgments, JEHOVAH! are beyond his notice: all his adverfaries he difregardeth!

In his heart he faith: "I fhall never be moved:"
because he hath never been in calamity.

His mouth is full of perjury, deceit, and fraud;
oppreffion and iniquity are under his tongue!
In the ambushment of hedges he fitteth;
in lurking-holes he murdereth the innocent!
His eyes fecretly mark the miferable:

like a lion in his den, he lieth in wait

lieth in wait to feize on the forlorn.

10 He seizeth by dragging him into his net; he croucheth and compreffeth himself,

until the miferable fall into his toil!

II In his heart he faith: "God hath forgotten
"he is hood-winked-he will never fee."
12 Arife, JEHOVAH, God! exert thy power:
forget not † for ever the forlorn.

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13 Why should the wicked defpife God?

fhould he think that thou wilt not make inqueft? 14 Thou providest for the protection of the forlorn : because thou haft feen his trouble and forrow,

To thee the miferable committeth his caufe: of the helpless thou art the helper.

So fhatter the arm of the wicked and malignant,

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that, when fought for, he may not be found.

Be JEHOVAH king for ever and ever :

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perish all the gentiles, out of his land!

To the wish of the forlorn thou haft liftened,
O JEHOVAH !

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to their difpofition of heart thou haft inclined thine

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ear;

to do juftice to the helpless and the oppreffed :
that no man, henceforth, be expelled from the land.

NOTES.

My translation of this pfalm differs in fo many places from the common verfions, that my readers will possibly be astonished: but I can affure them that I have used no violence to the text, nor admitted a fingle change or conjectural emendation; fave the addition in ver. 12. which is inserted on the authority of the Arabic verfion. The text indeed is throughout highly metaphorical: and some of the metaphors appear harfh in our modern idioms. I have endeavoured to foften them, without altering the meaning; and I trust the whole pfalm is perfectly intelligible.-Ver. 16. It is clear, I think, from this and ver. 18, that the psalm must have been composed after the remigration from Babylon: confequently, if it ever belonged to the preceding pfalm, the title of that pfalm which ascribes it to David must be a false title-and indeed little ftrefs is to be laid on any of the titles.

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This pfalm feems to bave been compofed by David, either during his perfecution by Saul, or in the time of Alfbalom's rebellion. Its title is,

FOR THE FIRST MUSICIAN: A PSALM OF DAVID. Ι

IN JEHOVAH I truft :-why fay ye to me: "Efcape, like a birdling, to the mountains; "for lo! the wicked have bent the bow,

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"have fitted their arrow to the ftring,

"to fhoot in fecret at the upright of heart!

"When the foundations of juflice are fubverted,
"what can the just man do?"

JEHOVAH in his facred palace;

JEHOVAH, whofe throne is in the heavens

HIS eyes behold; HIS eyebrows examine

the difpofitions of the fons of man.

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The juft man JEHOVAH approveth :

but the wicked and violent his foul detefteth.

On the wicked he showéreth flakes of fulphureous fire;

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a tremendous tempeft is the portion of their cup!

But JEHOVAH, being juft, delighteth in justice:
his countenance regardeth the righteous.

NOTES.

Ver. 1. Efcape, &c. This is the advice of David's timid friends, which is continued to the end of ver. 3. The Hebrew text is here evidently corrupted: but almost all the antient verfions have preferved the true reading. - Ver. 4. David's reply is abrupt, but beautifully poetical.—Ib. bis eyebrows examine. This is a bold metaphor, but by no means unnatural: when we examine anything seriously, the eyebrows are fenfibly affected, and visibly exerted.-Ver. 6. a tremendous tempest, or blaft. He alludes, moft probably, to the burning wind called the fmum, or famiel; which is often fatal to the unguarded traveller.

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PSALM XII.-al. XI.

Compofed, I think, during the rebellion of Abfbalom. Its title is, FOR THE FIRST MUSICIAN; ON THE OCTACHORD: A PSALM OF DAVID.

SAVE thou, JEHOVAH! for gone are the compaffionate;

the fincere have ceafed to be among the fons of man! Diffemblingly they speak, each one to his fellow; speak with flattering lips, but with a double heart! Cut off, JEHOVAH! every flattering lip;

every tongue that uttereth boaftful things:

of those who say: "By our tongue we shall prevail- 5 "our lips are our own-who is lord over us?"

"For the mifery of the afflicted,

"for the anguish of the miserable,

"I myself (faith JEHOVAH) will inftantly arise, "and place them in fafety from their infulters."

The words of JEHOVAH are words fincere, filver tried in an earthen crucible;

feven-times refined!

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JEHOVAH, then, will be their guardian;

will preferve them for ever from this race of men ; when the wicked ftalk every where around,

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and the vileft of mankind are exalted.

NOTES.

There are great beauties in this pfalm, which disappear in a dry profaic theological verfion. The tranfitions are as bold as those of Pindar, and more emphatical. In ver. 8. are fome various readings, which I notice not here; as I think the common readings are preferable.

PSALM XIII.-al. XII.

This pfalm is generally referred to Saul's perfecution of David: but from ver. 5 one is inclined to think that it was compofed during the rebellion of Abfbalom. Its title is,

FOR THE FIRST MUSICIAN: A PSALM OF DAVID. I

HOW long, JEHOVAH! wilt thou me forget?

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how long hide from me thy countenance?

how long fhall I be uneafy in mind?

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be all day grieved in my heart?

how long fhall my foe be exalted above me?

Be favourable-hear me, JEHOVAH! my GOD!

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enlighten mine eyes, left I fleep the fleep of death;

left mine enemy fay: "I have prevailed :" left my foe exult on my being removed.

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