9 Whensoever I call upon Thee, then shall mine enemies be put to flight this I know; for God is on my side. : 10 In God's word will I rejoice in the LORD'S word will I comfort me. 11 Yea, in God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. 12 Unto Thee, O God, will I pay my vows unto Thee will I give thanks. 13 For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, and my feet from falling: that I may walk before God in the light of the living. PSALM 57. Miserere mei, Deus. [A Psalm of David, when he fled from Saul into the cave-apparently the cave of Adullam.] : BE merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me, for my soul trusteth in Thee and under the shadow of Thy wings shall be my refuge, until this tyranny be over-past. 2 I will call unto the most high God: even unto the God that shall perform the cause which I have in hand. : 3 He shall send from heaven and save me from the reproof of him that would eat me up. 4 God shall send forth His mercy and form, truth: my soul is among lions. 5 And I lie even among the children of men, that are set on fire whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. : 6 Set up Thyself, O God, above the heavens and Thy glory above all the earth. 7 They have laid a net for my feet, and pressed down my soul: they have digged a pit before me, and are fallen into the midst of it themselves. 2. That shall per&c.; Heb. "Who completes for me, as in Psalm cxxxviii. 8. 3. [SELAH.] ther, breathing' out 5. Set on fire; ra fire, devouring as fire, fire-brands. 7. [SELAH.] 8 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing, and give praise. 9 Awake up, my glory; awake, lute and harp I myself will awake right early. 10 I will give thanks unto Thee, O LORD, among the people and I will sing unto Thee among the nations. 11 For the greatness of Thy mercy reacheth unto the heavens and Thy truth unto the clouds. : 12 Set up Thyself, O God, above the heavens and Thy glory above all the earth. : PSALM 58. Si vere utique. [This Psalm of David protests against unrighteous judges. Compare the character given of Samuel's unworthy sons, "They turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment," 1 Sam. viii. 3.] ARE your minds set upon righteousness, O ye congregation: and do ye judge the thing that is right, O ye sons of men? 2 Yea, ye imagine mischief in your heart upon the earth and your hands deal with wickedness. : 3 The ungodly are froward, even from their mother's womb as soon as they are born, they go astray, and speak lies. 4 They are as venomous as the poison of a serpent even like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ears; 5 Which refuseth to hear the voice of the charmer charm he never so wisely. : 6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouths; smite the jaw-bones of the lions, O LORD: let them fall away like water that runneth арасе; and when they shoot their arrows let them be rooted out. 7 Let them consume away like a snail, and be like the untimely fruit of a woman : and let them not see the sun. 8 Or ever your pots be made hot with thorns so let indignation vex him, even as a thing that is raw. 9 The righteous shall rejoice when seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his footsteps in the blood of the ungodly. 10 So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtless there is a God that judgeth the earth. : "Myriads of snailshells are found adhering to the rocks in Palestine, but the snail has withered up." 8. Or ere, before hei.e., as before your caldrons feel the fire, the wood both green denly scattered by the and burning is sudwhirlwind, so let the ungodly be swept away by the wrath of God. The Hebrew word for thorns is that used for the bramble, which in Jotham's parable was fit only to light a fire. Evening Prayer. PSALM 59. Eripe me de inimicis. [David is said, in the title, to have written this Psalm when Saul commanded his house to be watched, but he escaped by the aid of his wife Michal.-1 Sam. xix. 11.] DELIVER me from mine enemies, O God: defend me from them that rise up against me. 2 O deliver me from the wicked doers : and save me from the blood-thirsty men. 3 For lo, they lie waiting for my soul: the mighty men are gathered against me, without any offence or fault of me, O LORD. 4 They run and prepare themselves without my fault arise Thou therefore to help me, and behold. : 5 Stand up, O LORD God of hosts, Thou God of Israel, to visit all the heathen: and be not merciful unto them that offend of malicious wickedness. 6 They go to and fro in the evening: they grin like a dog, and run about through the city. This Psalm is to be sung after the same manner as the last two, Al-taschith. 5. Heathen; Heb. nations; possibly foreigners employed by Saul against David. [_SELAH. ] 6. Translate, they return at evening, they howl like a dog. So also in ver. 14. 7 Behold, they speak with their mouth, and swords are in their lips : for who doth hear? 8 But Thou, O LORD, shalt have them in derision and Thou shalt laugh all the heathen to scorn. : 9 My strength will I ascribe unto Thee: for Thou art the God of my refuge. 10 God sheweth me His goodness plenteously and God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies. 11 Slay them not, lest my people forget it but scatter them abroad among the people, and put them down, O LORD, our defence. 12 For the sin of their mouth, and for the words of their lips, they shall be taken in their pride and why? their preaching is of cursing and lies. : 13. Consume them 13 Consume them in Thy wrath, consume them, that they may perish : and know.., after they have that it is God that ruleth in Jacob, and unto the ends of the world. : 14 And in the evening they will return : grin like a dog, and will go about the city. 15 They will run here and there for meat and grudge if they be not satisfied. 16 As for me, I will sing of Thy power, and will praise Thy mercy betimes in the morning for Thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. 17 Unto Thee, O my strength, will I sing for Thou, O God, art my refuge, and my merciful God. : fulfilled their sentence in ver. 11. [ SELAH. ] 14. Grin; howl, as in ver. 6. Dog jackal. = The 15. Grudge. word literally means to lodge, continue; hence to be persistent. But here possibly, "They pass the night -without being satisfied." PSALM 60. Deus, repulisti nos. [A Psalm composed by David in commemoration of Joab's victory over the Edomites in the valley of Salt, near the southern extremity of the Dead Sea. There is nothing in the Psalm to invalidate the title. In 2 Sam. x., a confederation of Ammonites and the Syrians of Zobah was defeated by Joab; and afterwards a second confederation was made with the Syrians "beyond the river," and defeated by David.] O GOD, Thou hast cast us out, and scattered us abroad: Thou hast also been displeased; O turn Thee unto us again. 2 Thou hast moved the land, and divided it heal the sores thereof, for it shaketh. : 3 Thou hast shewed Thy people heavy things: Thou hast given us a drink of deadly wine. 4 Thou hast given a token for such as fear Thee that they may triumph because of the truth. : 5 Therefore were Thy beloved delivered : help me with Thy right hand, and hear me. 6 God hath spoken in His holiness, I will rejoice, and divide Sichem : and mete out the valley of Succoth. 7 Gilead is mine, and Manasses is mine: Ephraim also is the strength of my head; Judah is my law-giver; 8 Moab is my wash-pot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe : Philistia, be thou glad of me. This Psalm is to be sung upon "Shushaneduth," the "Lily of Testimony." Ps. xlv. was to be sung upon "Lilies," and so upon "Lilies a Testimony." 2. Metaphor from an earthquake. Moved; Heb. made it to tremble. Sores-i.e., breaches, fractures. 3. Deadly; Heb. wine of trembling, as in Isa. li. 17, 22. 4. A token; Heb. banner.... Triumph; Heb. that it may be lifted up. [ SELAH. ] 5. Therefore, &c. ; Heb. that Thy beloved may be deliv ered. 6. God having spoken, David proceeds to organise the government of the land. The country west and east of the Jordan has submitted to him. 8. Moab and Edom have become my 9 Who will lead me into the strong city: slaves, their territory who will bring me into Edom? 10 Hast not Thou cast us out, O God: wilt not Thou, O God, go out with our hosts? is mine, and Philistia shall shout in my honour, who once shouted in her own. 9. The strong city -i.e., Petra. 10. Hast, &c. This may be rendered, "Wilt not Thou, O God, who didst cast us off?" |