Page images
PDF
EPUB

6

7

8

may peoples fall down before thee!
may thy shafts, so sharp, pierce

the hearts of the king's enemies!

Thy throne may God establish for ever!
Thy regal fceptre is a fceptre of equity:

thou loveft justice, and hateft wickedness:
therefore JEHOVAH, thy God,

hath anointed thee with the oil of joy,
more abundantly than any of thy compeers.

[blocks in formation]

10

II

12

13

14

15

16

17

from vafes of Armenian ivory,

perfume all thy garments.

Daughters of kings are among thy darlings!
At thy right hand is placed the

arrayed in robes of Ophir-gold.

queen,

Liften, royal princess! be attentive, and lend thine

ear:

Forget thine own people and thy father's houfe:
fince the king is captivated by thy beauty.

He now is thy lord: to him bow down:
fo fhall Tyre bring to thee its gifts,

and the rich to thee pay their court.

All-glorious is the queen in her apartment:

her robe is befpangled with gold.

To the king she shall be brought in brocade,
attended by her virgin-companions.

To thee shall they be brought, and introduced:
with joy, rejoicing and exultation,

they shall enter the palace of the king.

The place of thy fathers fhall be fupplied by fons, whom thou shalt make chiefs through all the

land.

Thy name I will render memorable

18

through all future generations :

fo that peoples fhall praife thee,

for ever and ever.

NOTES.

the claffic reader will

I truft I have done, nearly, juftice to this very beautiful ode, without much deviating from the letter: which however was fometimes neceffary, on account of the great difference of the two idioms. I have made one or two flight emendations of the text; but not merely conjectural. It would be tedious here to affign the reasons, which the mere English reader would hardly understand: fo I leave them to be explained in my Critical Remarks.-Ver. 2. My tongue Shall be like the reed of a nimble fcribe. This is highly expreffive of poetical enthusiasm. He is to compose as fast as an expeditious writer could take down his words. For the reft, a reed was then, and still is in the Eaft, the inftrument with which one writes.-Ver. 5. ride profperously on. The poet places his hero on his royal car, arrayed in splendid armour, ready to protect innocence or punish guilt.-Ib. Thy right hand fball dart terrors. A bold Pindaric image. Horace has a line much resembling it in his fecond ode, which to naturally prefent itself.-Ver. 10. Daughters of kings are among thy darlings. Several of Solomon's wives were of royal birth.-Ib. the queen, i. e. the chief favourite fultana; moft probably the king of Egypt's daughter.-Ver. 14. This and the two next verfes contain a fine description of Oriental manners, The queen, before fhe be led to the king's apartment, is gorgeously dreffed in her own; and thence proceeds with her female train to the royal palace. — Ver. 17. This is a prayer and promise of connubial fecundity, which the poet makes to the prince Ver. 18. Thy name I will render memorable. The Greek tranflator feems to have read differently; and renders they, i, e. thy fons, hall commemorate thy name : and this reading is preferred by fome moderns. But there is no need for disturbing the text. The poet alludes to his own performance, which is to eternize the name of his sovereign.

PSALM XLVI.-al. XLV.

Venema and others think this psalm was composed in the days of Hezekiah, when Jerusalem was threatened by the Syrians. I would rather refer it to the battle gained over the Ammonites and Moabites by Joshaphat, when he returned with bis victorious army to Jerusalem "with lutes and harps and trumpets, &c." See 2 Chron. 20. 28.

I

2

3

FOR THE FIRST MUSICIAN, OF THE SONS OF
KORAH, TO BE SUNG ON THE ALAMOTH.
GOD is our hope and our strength;

a most ready helper in time of distress.

Therefore we will not be afraid,

should the earth itself be fhaken,

and mountains be toffed into the fea :

4

5

6

7

8

9

ΙΟ

fhould its waters roar, and be troubled;
and mountains quake from its fwell.

A limpid river with its streamlets,
fhall gladden the city of God,
the facred abode of the most high:
God being in the midst of it,

it fhall never be shaken :

for God fhall come early to its aid.

When nations raged, and kingdoms were in

motion,

he but uttered his voice, and the earth melted.

JEHOVAH, the God of hofts, was with us:

our refuge was the God of Jacob.

Come, fee the works of JEHOVAH:

what wonders he hath done in the land,

caufing wars to cease from its boundaries!

The bow he hath broken, the spear he hath fnapped,

the war-chariots he hath burned with fire.

"Be at eafe, faith be; and know that I am a God,
"exalted among the nations-exalted in all the

"earth."

JEHOVAH, the God of hofts, is with us:

the God of Jacob is our defence.

NOTES.

II

12

Ver. 5. A limpid river, &c. This, although a poetical metaphor, may have been fuggefted by the gentle brook of Siloah, which watered Jerufalem. See Ifaiah 8. 6.—Ver. 9. what wonders. This is commonly rendered defolations, badly. -Ver. 10. the war-chariots. Sep. Shields. No improbable rendering.-Ver. 11. Be at eafe: commonly rendered: defift, as if addreffed to the enemies: but I believe, it is addreffed to the Jews: and fhould be rendered: be at eafe, -live fecurely.

PSALM XLVII.-al. XLVI.

This psalm seems to have been composed on the same occasion with the former; if, indeed, it be not a continuation of it.

FOR THE CHIEF MUSICIAN, OF THE SONS OF

KORAH: A PSALM.

ALL ye people! clap your hands:

I

2

fhout to tour God with the voice of triumph :

for venerable is JEHOVAH, the most high,

3

the great king over all the earth.

To us he hath fubjected peoples,

and put nations under our feet.
For us he hath felected an heritage;

the glorious lot of Jacob his beloved.

Let God afcend with fhouting, JEHOVAH, with the found of trumpets! Sing praises to God, fing praises:

fing praises to our king, fing praises:

4

5

6

7

8 for GOD is king over all the earth :

9

ΙΟ

to him fing melodious praise :

to GOD who reigneth over the nations:
to God who fitteth on his holy throne.
There, affemble the chiefs of the people,
the people of the GOD of Abraham :
For to GOD, fupremely exalted,
belong the votive gifts of the land.

NOTES.

Ver. 6. Let God afcend, i. e. from the victory over his people's enemies. Moft probably the ark was carried along with the army, as on other occafions. Some however think a letter is wanting in one of the Heb. words; and would render: "Let God be extolled."Ver. 10. This is a moft difficult paffage, and is variously rendered both by the antients and the moderns. I will only give here our common verfion: "The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the fhields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted." That in the Liturgy is much more intelligible: but incompatible with the present text: which, I believe, I have juftly rendered.

I

2

3

4

5

6

PSALM XLVIII.-al. XLVII.

A continuation of the same subject.

A PSALM FOR THE SONS OF KORAH.

GREAT is JEHOVAH, and highly to be praised, in the city of our GOD, on his holy mountain. Beautiful is the fite of Mount Zion,

the delight of the whole land.

On the north fide is the city of the great king:
in its palaces, GOD is the known defence.

For, lo when the affociated kings

had come over together against it :
foon as they faw, they were aftonished:

G

« PreviousContinue »