(g) An invocation to the praise of God, for his peculiar favour to the Jews in bringing them back from the Babylonish captivity and re-establishing them in Jerusalem; calling to mind also the general wisdom, extent, and kindness of his providence, and his distinguishing attention to the people of Israel, by giving them particular statutes and ordinances in preference to all other nations. After the return from the Babylonish captivity, (about 536 years before the birth of Christ), the Jews met with great opposition in rebuilding Jerusalem; and it was not until about 90 years that it was completed. See an account of it in Ezra and Nehemiah. Upon the dedication of the wall," they sought the Levites out of "all their places, to bring them to Jeru"salem, to keep the dedication with "gladness, both with thanksgivings, and " with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, " and with harps." Neh. xii. 27. And this might be one of the thanksgivings then used. See the note on the 85th Psalm, and the 102d Psalm.

(b) "The Lord doth," &c. i. e. it is the Lord that doth it; it is his work.

(i) "Healeth," &c. alluding probably to the change in the condition of those who had returned from the captivity.

(k) "Telleth," &c. This is perhaps figurative, and may mean, that though they were as numerous, and as much dis

persed as the stars of the heaven appear to be, he could bring every one back, without leaving one behind. He who could tell the number of the stars, and have such a knowledge of them as to distinguish each, would have no difficulty in knowing the number of the Jews, and calling unto them.

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(1)" Who covereth," &c. The Psalm v.8. here passes for a time to the consideration of God's general providence. See Psalm lxv. 9, 10, 11.-Psalm. civ. 6 to 15.

(m) For "fodder unto the cattle," the v. 9. Bible translation is, "to the beast his "food" and perhaps the wild beasts are here intended, which are not provided for by man, and would therefore starve, if not provided for by God. Hamm. in loco.

(n)" Young ravens." It is with pe- v.9. culiar propriety that these are mentioned, for the old ones are supposed to desert them as soon as they are hatched. Hamm. in loco. In the spirited and magnificent description of God's providence and power, Job xxxviii. the young ravens are described as crying unto God for sustenance, verse 41, "Who provides for the raven his food? When his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack "of meat." It is not improbable that the passage in Job might suggest this in the Pslam.

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(0) "Strength of a horse," and "legs," v.10.

or swiftness, i. e. bodily powers; in contradistinction to what is mentioned in verse II. "the fearing him, and trusting in "his mercy;" the tribute of the mind; the homage of the understanding.

(p)" Made fast," &c. to protect thee from foreign enemies.

(q) The meaning of this verse perhaps is, "he has nothing to do but to command, "and the thing commanded is instantly "done: his word alone will put an end to "all your misery, and fill you with perfec "joy." And then the next three verses illustrate this position; " for though he "sends the keenest frost, which is answer"able to the afflictions you have had, he "puts an end to it in an instant; and "when he commands, the waters flow."

(r) "Runneth very swiftly," i. e. (perhaps) is instantly fulfilled. See Ps. cxlviii. 5.

(s)" Like wool," perhaps from the size of the flakes.

(t) For "morsels," the reading should perhaps be, "mouthfuls," to denote the size of the pieces rained down from heaven. The object of this and the preeeding verse probably is to give ideas of

with his wind, and the waters flow.

19 He sheweth his word (u) unto Jacob: his statutes and ordinances unto Israel.

20 He hath not dealt so with any nation neither have the heathen knowledge of his laws.

Psalm cxlviii. (x)

O PRAISE the Lord of heaven: praise him in the height.

2 Praise him, all ye angels of his praise him, all his host. 3 (y) Praise him, sun and moon praise him, all ye stars and light.

4 Praise him, all ye heavens: and ye waters that are above the heavens.

5 Let them praise the Name of the Lord for he spake the word (z), and they were made;

the most intense cold, and then to shew, in the next verse, how speedily God's command disperses it.

(u) "His word." This is perhaps noticed, to shew the probability of his giving his choicest blessings unto Jacob; because by shewing them his word, &c. he had distinguished them above all other na tions. Moses asks, Deut. iv. 7, 8. "What "nation is there so great, who hath God

so nigh unto them, as the Lord our "God is in all things that we call upon "him for? And what nation is there so t 66 great, that hath statutes and judgments

so righteous as all this law, which I set "before you this day?"

(x) A spirited invocation to heaven and earth, and all things therein, animate and inanimate, to join in praising God.

(y) It is a very elegant and expressive figure of speech, to call upon all, even inanimate creatures, to praise the Lord, because the contemplation of them affords perpetual grounds for praising him. See Ps. xix. 1.-Ps. lxv. 14. and the note there.-Is. xliv. 23.-xlix. 13.

(x)" He spake the word," &c. This is not unlike the passage in Gen. i. 3.

he commanded, and they were created.

2.6.

v.8

6 He hath made them fast for ever and ever he hath given them a law (a) which shall not be broken.

7 Praise the Lord upon earth : ye dragons and all deeps.

8 Fire and hail, snow and vapours: wind and storm fulfilling his word (b);

9 Mountains and all hills : fruitful trees and all cedars;

10 Beasts and all cattle: worms and feathered fowls;

11 Kings of the earth and all people princes and all judges of the world;

12 Young men and maidens, old men and children, praise the Name of the Lord: for his Name only is excellent, and his praise above heaven and earth.

13 He shall exalt the horn of his people; all his saints shall praise him even the children of

"And God said, Let there be light, and "there was light," and that passage is often noticed as a passage of unrivalled sublimity, because it implies that the light was produced the instant the command for it issued, and thereby proved the perfect power of God. A similar passage occurs, Ps. xxxiii. 9. " He spake, "and it was done; he commanded, and "it stood fast,"

(a) "Law," &c. So Ps. civ. 9. in speaking of the waters, it is said, "thou hast set them their bounds which they "cannot pass." See the note there.

(6) Fulfilling his word," i. e, instruments in his hands to execute his purposes, In Ps. xvii. 13. the ungodly is called " a sword " of God. See note on Ps. xvii. 14.

(c) A war hymn, probably upon some success against the heathen, calling upon the people in a spirited way to praise God for what he had done for them, and urging them on to further exertion. It is not improbable that it was written in Jehoshaphat's time, when the children

Israel, even the people that serveth him.

Psalm cxlix. (c)

O SING unto the Lord a new song: let the congregation of saints praise him.

2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him : and let the children of Sion be joyful in their King.

3 Let them praise his Name in the dance (d): let them sing praises unto him with tabret and harp. 4 For the Lord hath pleasure in his people and helpeth the meek-hearted.

5 Let the saints be joyful with glory: letthem rejoice in their beds.

6 Let the praises of God be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hands;

7 To be avenged of the hea then and to rebuke the people;

8 To bind their kings in chains: and their nobles with links of iron.

9 That(e) they may be avenged

of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir went up against Jehoshaphat, and God stirred them up to destroy each other, which they did; and Jehoshaphat and his people were three days in gathering up the spoil of them; after which they returned" to Jerusalem with psalteries and "harps and trumpets unto the house of "the Lord." See 2 Chron. xx. See Ps. cxxxvi.

(d)" The dance." In the first triumphal thanksgiving which occurs in history, that of Moses for the overthrow of the Egyptians in the Red Sea, about 1490 years before the birth of Christ, the women joined with timbrels, and with dances, Exod. xv. 20. ; and when David slew Goliath, the women came out singing and dancing to meet Saul. 1 Sam. xviii. 6. and they sang to one another in dances, "Saul hath slain his thousands, "and David his ten thousands." I Sam. xxi. 11.-xxix. 5. dancing therefore was part of the solemnity. See Psalm

v.3.

cl. 4(e) For "that" &c.read " to execute" v. 9.