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for he is gracious: and his mercy | down, and there was none to help endureth for ever. them.

2. Let them give thanks, whom the Lord hath redeemed and delivered from the hand of the enemy;

3. And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west from the north, and from the south.

4. They went astray in the wilderness out of the way and found no city (q) to dwell in ;

5. Hungry and thirsty: their soul fainted in them.

6. So (r) they cried unto the Lord in their trouble: and he delivered them from their distress.

7. He led them forth by the right way that they might go to the city where they dwelt. (s)

8. O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness: and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men!

9. For he satisfieth the empty soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

10. Such as sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: being fast bound in misery and iron.

11. Because they rebelled against the words of the Lord: and lightly regarded the counsel of the Most Highest;

12. He also brought down their heart through heaviness: they fell

to praise and depend upon God, by pointing out instances of his mercy, and showing his readiness to hear in times of trouble. Bp. Lowth reckons it amongst the most elegant monuments of antiquity. It is used at sea as a thanksgiving after a storm. The first Psalm of the fifth or last Book.

(g) v. 4. "No city, &c." See Job xii. 24. post, note on verses 7. 27.

(r) v. 6. 13. 19. "So," or "but."

(s) v. 7. "The city where they dwelt,"

13. So (r) when they cried unto the Lord in their trouble : he delivered them delivered them out of their distress.

14. For he brought them out of darkness, and out of the shadow of death and brake their bonds in sunder.

15. O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men !

16. For he hath broken the gates of brass and smitten the bars of iron in sunder.

17. Foolish men are plagued (t) for their offence: and because of their wickedness.

18. Their soul abhorred (u) all manner of meat: and they were (u) even hard at death's door.

19. So (r) when they cried unto the Lord in their trouble: he delivered them out of their distress.

20. He sent his word, and healed them. and they were saved from their destruction.

21. O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men!

22. That they would offer unto

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or, a city to dwell in." The Bible translation is, "a city of habitation," which is the same thing. The complaint in the 4th verse is, "they found no city to dwell in," and this answers that complaint. There is no article in the original.

(t) v. 17." For," i. e. "because of. "Peters, 35."

(u) v. 18. "Abhorred" and "were," or "abhorreth" and "are:"-" abhorreth,” i. e." loatheth" from illness.

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(v) v. 26. "Carried, &c." So Virgil, 1 Æn. 106., and 3 Æn. 565.

(w) v. 27. "Stagger, &c." In describing God's controul, Job uses the same expression, "He taketh away the heart of the "chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness "where there is no way: they grope in the "dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man, Job xii. 24, 25." (x) v. 28. "So," or "but."

(y) v. 33. "The floods," i. e. "the land near water:" making that dry, barren, and desolate, which before was well watered, fruitful, and cultivated.

32. That they would exalt him also in the congregation of the people and praise him in the seat of the elders!

33. Who turneth the floods (y) into a wilderness and drieth up the water-springs.

34. A fruitful land maketh he barren for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

35. Again, he maketh (2) the wilderness a standing water: and water-springs of a dry ground.

36. And there he setteth the hungry: that they may build them a city to dwell in;

37. That they may sow their land, and plant vineyards to yield them fruits of increase.

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38. He blesseth them so, that they multiply exceedingly and suffereth not their cattle to de

crease.

39. And again, when they are minished and brought low : through oppression, through any plague or trouble;

40. Though he suffer them to be evil-intreated through tyrants: and let them wander out of the way in the wilderness;

41. Yet helpeth he the poor out of misery and maketh him households like a flock of sheep.

(z) v. 35. "Maketh, &c." In the encouragement God is giving the people, Isaiah xli. 17, 18. he uses expressions exactly conformable to this passage," When "the poor and needy seek water, and "there is none, and their tongue faileth "for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I "the God of Jacob will not forsake them: "I will open rivers in high places, and "fountains in the midst of the valleys: I "will make the wilderness a pool of water, "and the dry land springs of water." See also Isaiah xxxv. 6. xliii. 19.xliv. 3.

42. The righteous will consider 43. Whoso is wise, will ponder this, and rejoice and the mouth these things: and they shall underof all wickedness shall be stop-stand the loving-kindness of the ped. Lord.

Lessons for the Twenty-second Day of the Month throughout the Year.

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"mete out the valley of Suc"coth."

8. Gilead is mine, and Manasses is mine: Ephraim also is the strength of my head.

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9. Judah is my lawgiver; Moab my wash-pot over Edom will I cast out my shoe; upon Philistia will I triumph.

10. Who will lead me into the (e) strong city and who will bring me into Edom?

11. Hast not thou (f) forsaken (g) us, O God: and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?

12. O help us against the enemy for vain is the help of man. 13. Through God we shall do great acts and it is he that shall tread down our enemies.

(e) v. 10. "The strong city," i. e. "Bozrah," the capital of Edom; situated on a rock, and fortified, so as to be deemed impregnable.

(f) v. 11. For "hast not thou," the reading should perhaps be, "hast thou "then." This agrees better with the concluding part of the verse, and with the prayer in verse 12. The Septuagint 18, “ Οὐχὶ σὺ ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ἀπωσάμενος ἡμᾶς, which may be rendered, "Wilt not thou "O God, though for a time thou hast "forsaken us?"

(g)" Forsaken," or "encompassed," "armed."

(h) An anxious prayer to God for protection, supposed to be written by David, (Wats. Apol. 55.) complaining bitterly of the malevolence and rancour of his enemies, praying for or predicting their confusion, noticing his own distress, but concluding with a resolution to praise God, as being confident of deliverance.

(i) v. 5. "Set, &c." Some translators render this and the following verses as predictions, not as imprecations: "Thou "shalt set, &c." "and Satan shall stand, "&c." Dr. Kennicott treats them as imprecations, but as the imprecations of David's enemies: and he translates verse 19. "This is the prayer to God of those

Psalm cix. (h)

HOLD not thy tongue, O God of my praise for the mouth of the ungodly, yea, the mouth of the deceitful is opened upon me.

2. And they have spoken against me with false tongues : they compassed me about also with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.

3. For the love that I had unto them, lo, they now take my contrary part: but I give myself unto prayer.

4. Thus have they rewarded me evil for good and hatred for my good will;

5. "Set (i) thou an ungodly "man to be ruler over him and "let Satan stand at his right ❝ hand. (k)

"who are my enemies, and who speak "evil against my soul;" (See 2. Kennic. Dissert. 581, 582. Kennic. Rem. 271.) and this translation seems to agree with the original and with the Septuagint. Dr. Kennicott's supposition appears strongly countenanced also by the context and general scope of the Psalm. It begins with stating that the mouth of the ungodly was opened upon him and compassed him about with words of hatred. Is it then improbable he should state what those words were? The verses from verse 5 to 19. all speak of an individual in the singular number; the prayer to God, in verse 20. &c. comes in naturally; the petition, in verse 27., "though they curse, yet "bless thou," agrees with the notion that he had been specifying the curses they used; the prayer, in verse 28. that his enemies may be clothed with shame, follows the imputation upon him in verse 17. that he clothed himself with cursing; and the intimation in verse 30. that the Lord should stand at the right hand of the poor, (that is, at his right hand,) is in contrast with their prayer in verse 5. that Satan might stand there.

(k)" At his right hand," to annoy him; to lead him into trouble; to expose him to God's wrath.

6. "When sentence is given" and it shall come into his bowels 66 upon him, let him be con- "like water, and like oil into his "bones.

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"demned and let his prayer be "turned into sin.

7. "Let his days be few "let another take his office.

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8. "Let his children be father"less and his wife a widow.

9. "Let his children be vaga"bonds, and beg their bread : let "them seek it also out of desolate "places.

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10. "Let the extortioner con"sume all that he hath and let "the stranger spoil his labour.

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11. "Let there be no man to pity him nor to have compas"sion upon his fatherless chil"dren.

12. Let his posterity be de"stroyed and in the next ge"neration let his name be clean "put out.

13. Let the wickedness of "his fathers be had in remem"brance in the sight of the Lord: " and let not the sin of his mother "be done away.

14. "Let them (1) alway be "before the Lord that he may "root out the memorial of them "from off the earth;

15." And that, because his "mind was not to do good but "persecuted the poor helpless "man, that he might slay him "that was vexed at the heart.

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16. "His delight was in cursing, and it shall happen unto "him he loved not blessing, "therefore shall it be far from " him.

17. He clothed himself with "cursing, like as with a raiment:

18. "Let it be unto him as the "cloke that he hath upon him: "and as the girdle that he is "alway girded withal."

19. Let it thus happen from the Lord unto mine enemies: and to those that speak evil against my soul.

20. But deal thou with me, O Lord God, according unto thy Name: for sweet is thy mercy.

21. O deliver me; for I am helpless and poor : and my is wounded within me.

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22. I go hence like the shadow that departeth and am driven away as the grasshopper.

23. My knees are weak through fasting: my flesh is dried up for want of fatness.

24. I became also a reproach unto them they, that looked upon me, shaked their heads.

25. Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy mercy. 26. And they shall know, how that this is thy hand and that thou, Lord, hast done it.

27. Though they curse, yet bless thou: and let them be confounded that rise up against me; but let thy servant rejoice.

28. Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame : and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a cloke.

29. As for me, I will give great thanks unto the Lord with my mouth and praise him among the multitude.

30. For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor to save his soul from unrighteous

() v. 14. "Them, &c." i. e. "the wick"edness of his fathers, and the sin of his judges.

"mother."

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