The juft fhall inherit the land, and inhabit it in perpetuity. D. PE. The mouth of the just talketh wifely: and his tongue fpeaketh judiciously. The law of JEHOVAH is in his heart: his foot-steps never stagger. 3134 Y. TSADE. The wicked man watcheth the juft man, and feeketh occafion to flay him. 3235 and he will raise thee to the poffeffion of the land: whilft thou shalt fee the deftruction of the wicked. 7. RESCH. I have seen the wicked man formidable; 34 37 38 35 39 and expanding himself like a green cedar : 36 40 and the laït end of the wicked is excifion. 38 42 M. THAU. The falvation of the juft is from JEHOVAH: 39 43 he is their ftrength in the time of diftrefs. 44 40 JEHOVAH will help and deliver them from the wicked; will fave them, because in him they trusted. NOTES. Ver. 7. The verfes here and henceforth have been badly divided; and this has given rife to the notion that fome of the stanzas are defective. I have risked a new division, by which the fuppofed deficiencies are made up; and the whole number of verses, by that mean, amount, as they ought to do, to forty-four; being juft double the number of the letters of the Heb. alphabet.-My verfes are numbered in the inmoft column. The other is the present order.Ver. 20. with me 21. like the fire of furnaces. I have here made a fmall conjectural emendation, becaufe without that I could not make fenfe of the comma: which in our common verfion is rendered "as the fat of lambs." The antient interpreters vary.-Ver. 22. Our divifion of verses here coincides: but this happens from the tranfpofition of two lines; which are at present most awkwardly placed after ver. 21. -Ver. 26. with me 24. I have transposed these two lines for the fame reafon affigned for the above tranfpofition: and I believe every reader will perceive that they are here more fuitably placed.-Ver. 35. with me 39. like a green cedar. I follow the reading of Sep. Vulg. Arab. The present text has a word that has been variously rendered. Our English translators: "like a green bay-tree." Others, like an indigenous tree: that hath never been transplanted, and therefore (say they) grows and spreads the more vigorously.-I much prefer the other reading.—Ver. 36. with me 40. But he passed away. So the present text, and fo the Chaldee paraphraft: but Sep. Syr. Vulg. Arab. seem to have read in the first perfon: I passed by. I fee no reason for altering the present reading: although the other is not at all improbable. PSALM XXXVIII.-al. XXXVII. This is called the third Penitential pfalm. It is certainly a most plaintive one, and must have been composed in some grievous affliction. Its title is : I A PSALM OF DAVID TO BRING HIM TO JEHOVAH! in thine ire reprove me not 2 nor in thy warm wrath chaftife me. In me thine arrows have ftuck faft; 3 and thine hand hath been heavy upon me. No foundness in my flesh, because of thy wrath! 4 nor reft in my bones, because of my fin. For my afflictions hang over mine head; 5 like an heavy load, they are too much for me to bear. for my bowels are full of burning heat, and there is no foundness in my flesh. I am weakened, and greatly wafted: I roar out from the agitation of my heart. from thee my fighs are not hidden. They, who were my familiar friends, keep now at a diftance, from my fores: and my next neighbours ftand far aloof! While they, who feek my life, lay fnares; 13 they, who feek my hurt, speak malicious things, and meditate deceits all the day long. But I am like a deaf man, who heareth not: 14 like a dumb man, who openeth not his mouth : I am like one, who heareth nothing, 15 and in whofe mouth there are no retorts. For in thee, JEHOVAH! I place my truft: 16 thou wilt hear, for me-JEHOVAH! my God! "Left (faid I) they rejoice over me, 17 "and exult at the flipping of my foot: "for I am juft ready to totter!" 18 19 20 21 22 : Yet my forrow is conftantly before me- Mean-while, mine enemies live and thrive; Forfake me not, JEHOVAH! my God! haften to mine aid, JEHOVAH! my Saviour! NOTES. Ver. 18. I am just ready to totter. Others, with Sep. and Vulg. render I am prepared for ftripes. The former rendering appears the better only the comma fhould be feparated from ver. 18. and joined to ver. 17.-Ver. 20. mine enemies live and thrive. The Septuagint feem to have read differently; and render mine enemies without caufe: which fome modern interpreters think preferable. I fee no reason for disturbing the prefent Heb. text. PSALM XXXIX.-al. XXXVIII. This psalm turns partly on the same subject with psalm 37. The musician mentioned in the title is doubtlefs the same who is clafsed with Heman. 1 Chron. 16. Ι · 3 4 41. FOR THE FIRST MUSICIAN, JEDUTHUN: A PSALM OF DAVID. I SAID: "I will take heed to my ways, I was filent at their profperity. F the fire at laft was fo exceffive, that I spoke with my tongue and faid: "Make known to me, JEHOVAH! mine end, "and how short the number of my days, 5 "that I may know how perishable I am." Lo! my days thou haft made but a span! and mine age is as nothing before thee! Surely, nought but vanity is every exifting man! Man, furely, pursueth a shadow! 6 he accumulateth, but knoweth not for whom ! But remove from me thine own scourges- Hear my fupplication, JEHOVAH! incline thine ear to my cry: be not deaf to my tears. For with thee I am as a stranger, a fojourner-like all my Spare me, that I may recover ftrength, forefathers. and be no more. NOTES. Ver. 3. I was filent at their profperity. Our common verfion is : "I held my peace even from good:" to me unintelligible. The Heb. might perhaps be rendered: "I abstained from good:" i. e. from |