in our public verfion rendered "O thou most high!" a meaning which it has never elfewhere; and which, in my opinion, it cannot have here. Others make it an adverb, and render proudly. Others supply a letter, and render from on high.-Ver. 5. The first comma of this verse is, in our common verfion, rendered "In God I will praise his word."-Much more intelligibly Coverdale; "I will comfort myself in God's word "—and our Liturgical verfion; "I will praise God, because of his word," i. e. his promife. And this or a fimilar verfion has been adopted by fome of the best modern translators. I cannot however think that this is the true meaning. The Heb. term rendered word has a great variety of meanings: and here it appears to have a very general one, namely, whatever may happen. It occurs again twice, in this fame pfalm, and certainly in the fame meaning, whatever that meaning be. I will not here trouble the English reader with all the conjectures that have been risked on it, and the learned reader I must refer to my Critical Remarks.-Ver. 6. They are daily devising my destruction: commonly rendered "They are daily wresting my words." I think the other the true meaning.— Ver. 8. as if it could not escape them. I disjoin this comma from ver. 8. and add it to ver. 7. Then following the reading of Sep. and Syr. I find the moft natural interpretation to be that which I give in my verfion. They who prefer the prefent Heb. lection render varioufly. Our last tranflators : "fhall they efcape by iniquity?"Coverdale: "but in vain; for it shall escape them :" certainly a more confonant rendering; and followed by fome more modern interpreters.-Ver. 9. puttest my tears in a bottle. Most of the antients read "putteft my tears before thee:" but the other reading is more poetical and emphatic. The remainder, I think, is all pretty clear, and requires no further illuftration. PSALM LVII.al. LVI. This psalm may bave been camposed at the period mentioned in FOR THE FIRST MUSICIAN: [AL-THASHETH] HAVE pity on me, O GOD! have pity on me : for in thee my foul taketh fhelter. H In the shadow of thy wings I fhelter myself; until these calamities pafs over. GOD I invoke, the most high God; 3 Exalt thyself, O GOD! above the heavens: 6 manifeft thy glory over all the earth. A net they had prepared for my steps; a trap they had prepared for my life; a pit they had digged before me: but into it they ftumbled themselves. Mine heart is ready, O GOD! mine heart is ready: 8 to thee I will fing and pfalmodize. Awake, my glory; awake, my lyre and harp! 9 I will praise thee, JEHOVAH! among the people; will pfalmodize to thee among the nations: 10 for magnified is thy bounty, unto the heavens : thy veracity, unto the ethereal skies. Exalt thyfelf, O GOD! above the heavens: 12 manifeft thy glory over all the earth. NOTES. The word in the title, which I have put within brackets, is supposed here and elsewhere to be the name of fome air; to which this pfalm was to be fung. See the Notes on the foregoing psalm.-Ver. 7. a trap they had prepared for my life. This comma is commonly rendered: " my foul is bowed down:" as in our public version: or, "they have bowed down my foul :" as most of the antients, who read the Heb. verb in the plural. But I cannot think that the word is here a verb at all. I believe it to be a noun, and to fignify a trap, or cavity made to entrap.-Ver. 9. I will wake the early morning: poeticallySo Milton: "Cheerly roufe the flumbering morn !" PSALM LVIII.—al. LVII. . A strong and bitter invective against iniquitous and precipitate judges. It may have allusion to Saul's basty condemnation and slaughter of the priests of Nob. See 1 Sam. 22. 11, &c. 2 FOR THE FIRST MUSICIAN: [AL-THASHETH] A GOLDEN PSALM OF DAVID. ADMINISTER ye juftice, truly and faithfully? Nay; in your hearts ye contrive iniquities! The wicked are strangers to compassion ; 3 4 5 Their poifon is like the poifon of a serpent, they ftray from fincerity, and speak falfehood! 6 7 8 9 10 like that of the deaf afpic, which stoppeth its ear; and which lifteneth not to the voice of the charm ers, howfoever well skilled in incantations. Break, O GOD! their teeth in their mouths: demolish, JEHOVAH! the grinders of those young lions. May they melt away like a flux of water! When they aim their fhafts, may they mifs the mark! May they be like a flux, flowing fastly off: Before their thorns have gathered strength, may they be difperfed, like teafils and thiftles! Then shall the righteous man rejoice, when he beholdeth fuch vengeance taken : II when he may bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked! Then will men say: Truly, there are rewards for the righteous: "Truly, there is a GOD, who is judge on the earth.” NOTES. 12 Ver. 2. This abrupt apostrophe is quite poetical. There is a word in the original that has much puzzled interpreters, and various conjectures have been made concerning it. I have, with our common verfion, followed the Septuagint.-Ver. 4. The wicked are firangers to compaffion, &c. This is commonly rendered: "The wicked are eftranged from the womb, they go aftray as foon as they be born:" wrongly, I think, with Green.-Ver. 6. This has allufion to the charlatans, who, in the East, go about with tamed and harmless serpents, which they pretend to have rendered fo by spells and inchantments.-Ver. 9. The first comma of this verse is commonly rendered : as a fnail, which melteth." The antients vary. Sep. Vulg. Syr. Arab. have wax. I believe the word means a water-flufb.-Ver. 10. This has been deemed one of the most difficult paffages in the Pfalter; and is in our public verfion rendered thus: "Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living and in his wrath :" which he who understands may. To make fense of the Heb. I have been obliged to make fome flight corrections; but which are either authorised by fome мs. authority, or fome antient version; or naturally present themselves, and give a fit and fair meaning. PSALM LIX.—al. LVIII. This psalm, if we trust to the title, must be referred to what is related in 1 Sam. 19. 11, &c. but some parts of it seem hardly suitable to that occasion. I am apt to think, that it relates to the time of Hezekiah, when Jerusalem was besieged by the Assyrians. Comp. ver. 6, 7. with 2 Kings 19. 19. 3 5 [AL THASHETH] A GOLDEN PSALM OF DAVID; WHEN SAUL FOR THE PURPOSE OF KILLING HIM. FROM my Yet no crime, no fault in me, JEHOVAH! Awake, and fee to mine affiftance, 6 thou the God of hofts, the God of Ifrael! 10 II 12 13 But who liftens to them? at all fuch people thou laughest. My ftrength to thee I will pfalmodize! for GOD is my strong hold, to me a God moft gracious! a God who anticipates my needs ; a God who will make me to behold mine enemies become a spectacle. Slay them not; left my people forget it: disperse them by thy mighty power; precipitate them, JEHOVAH! my protector! lips, |