Psalm 10

The just man’s confidence in God, in the midst of persecutions.

1 In the Lord I put my trust: how then do you say to my soul: Get thee away from hence to the mountain like a sparrow?

2 For lo, the wicked have bent their bow; they have prepared their arrows in the quiver ; to shoot in the dark the upright of heart.

3 For they have destroyed the things.

which thou hast made: but what has the just man done?

4 The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven. His eyes look on the poor man: his eyelids examine the sons of men.

5 The Lord trieth the just and the wicked: but he that loveth iniquity hateth his own soul.

6 He shall raia snares upon sinners: fire and brimstone and storms of winds shall be the portion of their cup.

8 For the Lord is just, and hath loved justice: his countenance hath beheld righteousness.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALM.

1 ‘In the Lord I put my trust: how then do you say to my soul: Get thee away from hence to the mountain like a sparrow?”

The cry of the just man, who, under the weight of calumny, is nigh tempted to despair and to desert his.calling. ‘ In the Lord I put my trust.” He is every where, and all powerful. ‘ Low then do you saytomy soul,” that is to me—the phrase being much in use among the Hebrews—that is, why seek to persuade me? He addresses either the demons tempt- | ing him, or his own internal concupiscence stirred up by the devil. “ Get thee away hence to the mouniain like a sparrow;” that means, give up your calling, and man’s society, and go where there are no temptations, no dangers; for sparrows, when they dread the birds of prey, fly to the tops of monntains, where such birds cannot follow them. In regard of temptations, such mountains offer no protection, save in man’s imagination ; who, when subject to grievous temptations, imagine change of place will save them from such trouble ; and who, in a fit of desperation, will put an end 'to their existence, as if it were the mountain to save them ; while the just man is patient, and stands his ground—knowing these temptations to exist in all places—-with God’s help there to meet them.

2 ‘ For lo, the wicked have bent their bow ; they have prepared their arrows in the quiver ; to shoot in the dark the upright of heart.”

A reason for flying to the mountain, for deserting one’s vocation from an excess of fear, suggested by temptations: namely, the just being daily persecuted by the wicked, whether by calumny or in any other shape. Oalumny is compared ‘“ Zo the arrows that shoot in the. dark;” to give us to understand that they not only inflict a grievous wound, but that it is nigh impossible to guard against them. The two verses taken together may be thus interpreted. One cannot now be upright of heart, seeing the number of snares daily laid for them on all sides; they must therefore fly away to an inaccessible mountain, shun the company of man altogether, a thing impossible: or succumb to custom, by deserting the paths of justice. The just man thus replies to the temptation, “J will confide in the Lord,” and will, therefore, neither fly to an inhabitable mountain, nor will I desert the path of justice. : ;

8 ‘* For they have destroyed the things which thou hast made; but what has the just man done 2”

By an appeal to Heaven, he confirms the truth of the jast being persecuted by the wicked; for the wicked ** Have destroyed the things which thow hast made; that is, your most perfect laws, counsels, and the commands you gave your people: and, instead of doing good for evil, as you wish, they do evil for good, calumniating and persecuting the just without any pretence or reason. “ but what has the just man done 2?” Nothing whatever; he has given them no provocation, “ But they hated without cause,”

4 “The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes look on the poor man: his eyelids examine the sons of men.”

He begins to assign a reason for confiding in God, and disregarding the threats of men, inasmuch as he is a judge sitting in heaven, whence he can see all things and has all men under control. ‘“* The Lord is in his holy temple ;” by his holy temple he means the highest heavens, the temple not made by human hands; which he expresses more clearly when he adds, “* The Lord’s throne ts in heaven;” ‘* His eyes look upon the poor,” From that highest throne, from which nothing can be hid, God beholds the poor ; and, therefore, they cannot be harmed without God’s knowledge or permission, a matter of the greatest consolation to them. What follows is more declaratory of the providence of God. For God not only sees men, but by a glance discerns and distinguishes the good from the bad, and all their works. The expression, ‘ His eyelids examine,” means nothing more than he sees distinctly; such figurative expressions occur very often in the Psalms. The eyelids then here mean the eyes ; the eyes, the mind: to interrogate means to know with as much exactness as if he previously interrogated and examined with the greatest minuteness.

5 ‘‘ The Lord trieth the just and the wicked: but he that loveth iniquity hateth his own soul.”

God not only knows exactly the just and the sinner, but he also rewards or punishes them according to their merit, Therefore, ‘* He that loveth iniquity hateth his own soul;” that is to say, himself; for he will be most grievously punished for his iniquity. A beautiful and most elegant sentence. For he who loves iniquity, in seeming to love his soul, that is, himself, by gratifying himself, commits sin; and thereby, in reality, hates his soul, and destroys it, as our Saviour, John xii., has it, “ Who loves his soul shall lose it ;” in other words, who wrongfully loves himself truly hates himself.

6 “ He shall rain snares upon sinners : fire and brimalone. and storms of winds shall be the portion of their

cup.

A proof of the wicked “having hated their own souls,” because God will rain upon them in this life snares in the greatest abundance, as numerous as drops of rain; that is to say, will permit them daily to fall into fresh and greater sins, striking them with blindness, and “‘ giving them up to a reprobate sense,” one of the most dreadful and severe punishments, And as to the next life, “ Fire and brimstone, and storms of winds;” that is, the most burning and scorching blasts in hell, * will be the part of their chalice;” meaning their portion and inheritance. We have to observe that the word “chalice” signifies inheritance, a usual meaning for it in the Scripture, as, “ The Lord is the part of my inheritance, and of my chalice ;” when the two expressions mean the one thing, viz., his inheritance, as he immediately explains by adding, “ You will restore my imnheri-

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

tance unto me.” Inheritance is called a cup, because as the cup at a feast, at least at the paschal feast, was divided among the guests, whenee the ex-. pression of Luke xxii., ‘* Take and divide it between you;” so an inheritance is divided between the sons of the same father, ‘The same word inheritance is sometimes called, part or portion, as, “* Zhe Lord is my part;” in another place, ‘* The Lord ts my portion;” sometimes, “ The part of my inheritance ;” which does not mean that the Lord is a part of his inheritance, but that the Lord is the part that came to him by inheritance ; so that inheritance and part of the inheritance mean the same: so, with regard to chalice and part of the chalice, which means the portion of the chalice that came to one upon a division. In very nice language he gives the children of the devil, to whom the Lord, in John viii., said, ‘* You are from your father the devil,” the inheritance belonging to him, namely, the horrible punishment designated by “ Fire, brimstone, and the spirit of winds.”

7 ‘ For the Lord is just, and hath loved justice: his countenance hath beheld righteousness,”

God, being strictly just in himself, must, of necessity, punish the wicked with great severity. ‘“* Mor God is light, and there is no darkness in him ;” “ And hath loved justice,” that is, good works in all those he created to his likeness. He repeats the same when he says, “‘ His countenance hath beheld righteousness; by righteousness is meant a declaration of justice. For the justice alluded to here is not the virtue that regulates the mutual dealings or intercourse of man and man; but a universal justice, that embraces all virtues, the summary of which is the love of God and of the neighbour. ‘ For the end of the commandment ts love.” 1 Tim. i, ; and, ** Who loveth hath fulfilled the law.” Rom. xiii. The expression, “ His countenance hath beheld righteousness,” implies more than simply seeing; it means to see with a look of approbation, as the words in Psalmi., “* Zhe Lord knoweth the way of the just.” Thou bast loved

justice and seen righteousness, mean the same thing,

PSALM XI, The prophet calls for God’s help against the wicked.

1 Save me, O Lord, for there is now no saint; truths are decayed from among the children of men.

2 They have spoken vain things every one to his neighbour: with deceitful lips, and. with a double heart have they spoken.

3 May the Lord destroy all deceitful lips,: and the tongue that speaketh proud things. |

4 Who have said : We will magnify our tongue ; our lips are our own ; who is Lord over us?

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

5 By reason of the misery of the needy, and the groans of the poor, now will [ arise, saith the Lord. I will set him in safety; I will deal confidently in his regard.

6 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried by the fire, purged from the earth, refined seven times.

7 Thou, O Lord, wilt preserve us: and keep us from this generation for ever.

8 The wicked walk round about : according to thy highness, thou hast multiplied the children of men.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALM.

1 “ Save me, O Lord, for there is now no Saint ; truths are decayed from among the children of men.” _ Save me, O Lord, from all dangers, for there is nobody else in whom I can confide; ‘“ For there ts now no saint;” for there is scarce in the world to be found any one truly “ Pious and merciful,” (for such is the real meaning of the Hebrew word,) and not merciful only, but trurhful. For ‘‘ truths are decayed among the children of men;” that is, scarce one can be found to speak the simple truth.

2“ They have spoken vain things every one to his

neighbour : with deceitful lips, and with a double heart have they spoken.”

He proves that “there is now no saint ;” that is, “ No pious and merciful man ;” since men in general, instead of speaking in a good and useful manner, to their neighbour, ‘‘ Speak vain things” only ; things that cannot rescue them from dangers, whence they speak in vain.

He also proves that truth has failed since ‘ deceitful lips,” that is, the lips of man, ‘ Have spoken with a double heart,” saying one thing, and doing another; and thus seeking to deceive.

3 ** May the Lord destroy all deceitful lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things.”

An imprecation, but in the spirit of prophecy. By way of imprecation, he predicts that it will come to pass, that all who seek to deceive, will be deceived themselves ; and while they imagine they are profiting much by their dishonesty, will lose everything, and themselves along with it, for all eternity. “ The tongue that speaketh proud things;” he that boasts of his frauds and deceits, as appears from the following verse.

4“ Who have said: We will magnify our tongue ; our lips are our own ; who is Lord over us 2”

He explains the connexion, “ The tongue that speaketh proud things,” and “the deceitful lips:” inasmuch as all deceitful people confide mostly in their tongue, so as to imagine they want nothing else, nor should they be subject in any way to the Lord. “ We will magnify our tongue;” when we make it boast of all its frauds in procuring for us the happiness we enjoy : “* Our lips are our own,” a very ambiguous phrase in the Latin text, but very

25 clear in the Hebrew and Greek ; and the meaning is, our lips are with us; that is, prove for us, stand up for us. The prophet proceeds to explain the confidence the wicked place in their lips, as if they were the most powerful weapon they could use against: others 3 and, therefore, he makes them add, “ Who is Lord over us?” As if they said, we acknowledge nosuperior, when through our tongue we hold all in subjection.

5 ‘* By reason of the misery of the needy, and the groans of the poor, now will I arise, saith the Lord. I will set him in safety ; 1 will deal confidently in his re-

, Having taught that confidence was not to be put in man, he now teaches that confidence is to be placed in God, whose promises are most faithful ; by a figure of speech, making God himself speak and promise his assistance to the humble, and to the afflicted. “ By reason of the misery of the needy,” who groan under the deceits and the oppressions of the wicked, I will not defer helping them, but “* now will I arise,’ as if from sleep, and will stand by them. “ I will set him in safety: I will deal confidently in his regard.” He explains what he willdo upon rising: ‘J wall set him in safety ;” I will place them in safety, I will so establish them in safety, that they must for ever be safe. “JZ will deal con- Jidently in his regard ;’’ that is, no one shall prevent, I will act boldly and freely in the matter. The Greek word implies confidence, freedom, and boldness.

6 ‘* The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried by the fire, purged from the earth, refined se-. ven times.” :

The prophet now teaches that the foregoing promises are not like the promises of deceitful man, but most certain and true. “ The words of the Lord are’ pure words ;” that is, pure, chaste, and, as the Hebrew implies, not dyed, or counterfeit, but sincere and trustworthy ; as ‘ Silver tried by the fire;” that is, like the purest silver in sound, weight, and colour, such as ‘ Silver tried in the fire,’ and not only in the fire, ‘‘ But purged from the earth ;” that is, approved of by the most versed in the trade of gold and silver; and finally, not once, “* But seven times re- Jined.” In the Hebrew, the expression, “ Purged Jrom the earth,” is very obscure.

7‘ Thou, O Lord, wilt preserve us: and keep us from this generation for ever.”

He infers from the preceding, that God will fulfil his promises. You, our Redeemer and Lord, will guard us, for the Greek, as well as the Hebrew word, implies, not only salvation, but, furthermore, an ex tension of it in guarding and preserving.

8 ‘ The wicked walk round about ; according to thy highness, thou hast multiplied the children of men.”

As if one asked, what will become of the wicked, while you protect us? He replies, “* Zhe wicked will walk round about,” (while we are quietly reposing under your wings,) constantly running after the things of this world, yet never coming at the enjoy-

ment of their desires; and they will be for ever thus “ Walking round about,” while the world lasts, because, ‘* According to thy highness, thow hast multi plied the children of men,” and “ The number of fools ts infinite,” and in such a multitude there must be for ever an immense number of those ‘ Walking round about,” straying from God.

PSALM XII. A prayer in tribulation.

1 How long, O Lord, wilt thou forget me unto the end? How long dost thou turn away thy face from me?

2 How long shall I take counsels in my soul, sorrow in my heart all the day?

3 How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

4 Consider, and hear me, O Lord my God. Enlighten my eyes, that I never sleep in death:

5 Lest at any time my enemy say: I have prevailed against him. They that trouble me will rejoice when I am moved:

6 But I have trusted in thy mercy. My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation: I will sing to the Lord, who giveth me good things:

yea 1 I will sing to the name of the Lord the

Most High.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALM.

Ps ‘¢ How long, O Lord, wilt thou forget me unto the end? EHow long dost thou turn away thy face from me ?”

Any one in temptation usually suffers in two ways: in the will, through his sinful desires ; in the understanding, through his darkness. When the sinful desires are very powerful, God seems to forget and to desert the soul; when the understanding is obscured by darkness, he seems to turn from the soul. He, being the light, illuminates, when he shews his face, and leaves all in darkness when he turns it away. The man under temptation then exclaims, in reference to the first, ‘‘ How long, O Lord, wilt thou forget me unto the end?’ And in reference to the second, ** How long dost thou turn away thy face from me?”

2‘ How long shall I take counselsin my soul, sorrow in my heart all the day ?”

Inverting the order, he complains, first, of the darkness he is wrapt in; secondly, of the sinful desires he is unwillingly subject to. In consequence of the obscurity of my understanding, ‘ How long shall I take counsels in my soul 2” That is to say, devise various plans to deliver myself from the evil; and, again, looking at these wicked desires that infest my heart, ‘* How long shall I have sorrow in my heart alt the day?’ How long shall I have sorrow and

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

grieve, for fear I may have offended God; and do so daily, that is, the whole day, without inter mission.

3 ‘+ How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?”

Both evils are here comprehended. ‘ For the “* Hnemy is then exalted” over man, when he oppresses him, both by the suggestion of sinful thoughts, which he cannot banish; and by involving him in darkness he cannot dissipate ; aud thus, as if he were suffering grievously, he cries to God, “ How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?”

4 “ Consider, and hear me, O Lord my God. Enlighten my eyes, that I never sleep in death:”

He next invokes the divine assistance against both evils. ‘¢ Consider,” that is, turn your face, “ and hear me,” that is, don’t forget, don’t deser t, help me; T entreat you, “ Enlighten my eyes.’ The same prayer more clearly expressed and repeated, “ Hnlighten: banish the darkness of my mind, by turning to, and regarding me, “ That I may never sleep in death:” that by consenting to my evil desires, my soul may not be lost. The death of the soul or body is not uncommonly called sleep in the Scriptures, because God can as easily wake one from either, as we can wake the sleeping. The words that “T may never sleep,” signify that man, when he yields to temptation, sleeps as it were, and feels no further torment from the temptation: but as rest of that sort, so far from being wholesome, is fatal, the words ‘‘ Zn death” are appended, Man, then, may be freed from temptation in two ways, either by banishing the tempter, through the grace of God; or by indulging his passions, by consenting to the sin: he prays here to be freed in the first manner, for fear, to his serious cost, he may be freed in the second manner; that is, by sleeping in the consent to sin: and he gives a reason for desiring to be frecd from temptation in the next verse.

5 ** Lest at any time my enemy say: Ihave prevailed against him. They that trouble me will rejoice when I am moved :”

The devil certainly would exult on having conquered a servant of God, a thing that would tend to lessen God’s glory.

A reason assigned for his praying, ‘* Lest at any time my enemy say: I have prevailed against him.” For * They thaé trouble me will rejoice when I am moved;” that is, they will do so, not ouly on my entire prostration, but even on my appearing to be slightly shaken; for, as ‘‘ there ts joy in heaven, for one sinner that does penance, mo é than for ninety-nine just that do not need penance;” so the evil spirits more exult in even the approach to sin of one perfect man, than they would in the revelling of confirmed sinners in the most grievous sins. Hence it would appear that David, in writing this Psalm, had merely in view the delivery of the just man from the temptation of the devil ; and not, as some would have it, his own delivery from Saul’s persecution, During -that persecution,

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

he was daily obliged to move about, in which case the words, “ They will rejoice when I am moved,” as if he considered it of great importance not to move, would be quite inapplicable.

6 “ But I have trusted in thy mercy. My heart shall rejoice, in thy salvation: I will sing to the Lord, who giveth me good things: yea I will sing to the name of the Lord the Most High.” .

Another reason why the just man should be helped by God, because, “ trusting in his mercy,” and not relying on his own strength, he resisted the tempter, The last reason he assigns for moving God to help him, is a promise that when freed from the temptation, he will not prove ungrateful to his liberator, but will thank God for the benefit, in keart, words, and deeds. “My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.” My heart shall bound with joy, on attaining salvation, attributing the whole to you, and praising you for it. The mouth will do its duty, for, “I will sing to the Lord, who giveth me good things.” Deeds are comprehended in the expression, “T will sing;’ for the word sing properly means in the Hebrew, to strike the harp. Hence the Scripture says, David sang with his hands,” | Reg. xviii., and in Psalm xix. 39., ‘‘ With a psaltry of ten strings will I sing unto thee.” He therefore promises, that he will exult in his heart, will sing with his mouth, and strike the harp with his hands, that his entire body and soul may be engaged in celebrating God’s praises. ‘I will sing to the name” means, to chant the praises of God.