The vales are covered with corn- All fhout and fing for joy. NOTES. Ver. 10. The fream of God, i. e. copious rain, according to the oriental idiom-Ver. 12. Thy paths diftill fertility. Some have imagined that inftead of paths we should render clouds: but the other reading is more poetical, God is fuppofed by the oriental poets to ride on the clouds during a storm of rain, or of thunder.-Ver. 14. The rams fecundate the flocks, lit. clothe them: a puré orientalifin, denoting the act of coition. Our poets use the word line and cover in the fame sense. PSALM LXVI.-al. LXV. This psalm is by some supposed to bave been composed in the time of Hezekiab, after bis recovery from bis sichness. Others refer it to the Babylonish captivity. I see nothing in it that favours either of these conjectures. It is perfectly applicable to David, after his return to Jerusalem, from Mabaṇaim. FOR THE FIRST MUSICIAN; A PSALM-SONG. SHOUT to GOD, all ye inhabitants of the land: fing pfalms to the glory of his name: make his glory the fubject of your praife. Say to GOD: " How awful thy works! ❝ on account of the greatnefs of thy power, on foot our forefathers went through the flood! 7 8 9 ΙΟ II 12 13 14 In his might he ruleth for ever: his eyes are fixed on the people : let not then the rebellious exalt themselves. Bless our God, ye people ! and publish aloud his praise ! It is he who preferveth our lives, which, with open lips, my mouth uttered, Fat holocaufts I will offer to thee with incenfe: 15 rams, beeves, and bucks I will facrifice. 16 17 Come, liften, all ye who revere GOD: If, when with my mouth I invoked him, in mine heart I had seen iniquity, 18 JEHOVAH Would never have heard me : 19 But, truly, God hath heard, 20 hath attended to my fupplication. Bleffed be GOD, who rejected not my prayer; nor withdrew from me his benevolence. NOTES. Ver. 6. For this, let us rejoice in him. The common verfion is, There did we rejoice in him a meaning fo obviously improper, that fome critics have confidered the text as corrupted; and that we should read "There they rejoiced in him.”—Without altering the text, I think that it admits the sense I have given it; which entirely folves the difficulty.—Ver. 14, with incenfe. Our tranflators, following the Maforetic accentuation, joined these words with the following, and render “with the incense of rams :" but it is now pretty generally allowed, that the Maforetic accentuation is wrong; and that See C. R. incenfe belongs to the first comma. PSALM LXVII.—al. LXVI. This psalm is by Venema, and some others, referred to the time of Hezekiah. I see not why it may not have been composed by David; pofsibly on the same occasion with the former. FOR THE FIRST MUSICIAN; ON THE NEGI- I BE gracious to us, O GOD! and bless us; 2 and cause thy countenance to shine upon us : that thy conduct may be known through the land; 3 thy faving power among all the people. Let the people praise thee, O God! let them all praise thee together: 4 5 let the people be joyful and rejoice, 6 7 8 PSALM LXVIII.-al. LXVII. This very beautiful psalm has been the cross of Biblical critics, since the commencement of Biblical criticism unto the present day : nor must I presume to flatter myself that I bave surmounted all the strange difficulties that bere occur. I have, however, endeavoured to make my version at least intelligible, with as little vexation of the original text as possible. As to the time and occasion of the composition of this sublime piece of poetry, the bulk of interpreters refer it to the translation of the ark from the house of Obededom to mount Zion: but, I confefs, I cannot acquiesce in this opinion. I think it must have been composed after David's signal and repeated victories over the combined forces of the Edomites, Ammonites and Syrians, when the ark was brought back in triumph to Jerusalem. That the ark accompanied the army in those wars we learn from the words of Uriah to David, 2 Sam. II. II. I FOR THE FIRST MUSICIAN: A PSALM-SONG 2 3 OF DAVID. LET but GOD arife-difperfed are his enemies! fo perish the wicked before the face of GOD! Sing to GOD-sing psalms to his name: 5 extol him, who rideth on the skies, by his name, JEHOVAH ! 6 and be joyful in his presence. The father of orphans-and the righter of widows is GOD in his holy habitation. His darlings he houseth at home; and the bound he releaseth from bonds; 7 but rebels fhall inhabit a barren foil. O GOD! when thou, formerly, precededft thy people : 8 when thou marchedst through the wilderness : the earth quaked-the heavens were diffolved— (Diffolved were the clouds into water! the mountains melted at the presence of GOD) JEHOVAH hath now given glad tidings, concerning a numerous host. The kings of those hosts have fled—have fled— and the families at home, fhall fhare in the fpoils. 9 10 II 12 13 What though ye were placed between hoftile ranks→ 14 between the wings of a dove bedeckt with filver, and whofe pinions were streaked with gold? When the omnipotent difperfed the kings, fnow covered the idol with confufion! Ye lofty hills, ye hills of Bashan ! 15 16 Ye fwelling hills, ye hills of Bashan ! Why are ye jealous, ye fwelling hills, 17 of the Hill where GoD is pleased to refide where JEHOVAH will refide for ever? The chariots of GOD are numerous : thousands-armed with hooks! With thefe, O God, thou mountest aloft: a train of captives thou leadeft back: prefents of men thou receivest, the rebels, even, as a deodand! 18 19 |