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2 Except the Lord keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain.

3 It is but lost labour that ye haste to rise up early, and so late take rest, and eat the bread of

carefulness: for so he giveth (i)

his beloved sleep.

4 Lo, children and the fruit of the womb are an heritage and gift that cometh of the Lord.

5 Like as the arrows in the hand of the giant : even so (k) are the young children.

6 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them they shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.

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(i) "For so he giveth," &c. The meaning probably is, that with all their success, which is to the full as great as human exertion without God's assistance can obtain, he giveth his beloved ample time for rest and relaxation, so that it is better to trust in God, than to rising early, &c. without that trust.

(k) Even so," &c. i. e. (perhaps) adding in the same way to the Father's powers, or taking what direction he thinks fit to give them; instruments in his hand to execute his purposes or re

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ceive his impulse, as arrows are in a giant's hand.

(1) Upon the blessings of those who fear God.

(m) "Thou," i. e. whoever thou art v.2. that fearest God, &c.

(n) A thankful acknowledgment to God for past deliverance, and an imprecation against future adversaries.

(o)" Plowers," &c. A figurative v.3. expression to mark the sufferings they had undergone.

(p) "Whereof," &c. which is so v.7.

v. I.

v.4.

v. 8.

.3.

ข.3.

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worthless, that no one gives himself the trouble to gather it.

(q) An earnest prayer for deliverance, concluding confidently that it would be granted. This is one of the seven Penitential Psalms, and one of those appointed for Ash-Wednesday.

(r) "The deep," i. e. in the extreme of distress.

(s)" Feared," i. e. reverenced, worshipped.

(1)“ Sins," i.e. (probably) afflictions, sent as punishments for sin.

(u) A profession of humility. This Psalm was probably used after the return from the captivity, to remind the Jews of their own weakness without God's assistance.

(x)" Weaned," and therefore low or depressed, because deprived of food it likes and is accustomed to, and driven to what it does not like, and to which it is not accustomed.

(y) "Even as," &c. i. e. as low, as much cast down.

(z) A hymn and prayer, upon some removal of the ark, perhaps upon its removal into Solomon's Temple. See

8 And he shall redeem Israel : from all his sins (t).

Psalm cxxxi. (u) LORD, I am not high-minded: I have no proud looks.

2 I do not exercise myself in great matters: which are too high for me;

3 But I refrain my soul, and keep it low, like as a child that is weaned (x) from his mother : yea, my soul is even as (y) a weaned child.

4 O Israel, trust in the Lord: from this time forth for ever

more.

MORNING PRAYER. Psalm cxxxii. (z) LORD, remember David: and all his trouble.(a);

2 Chron. v. It notices David's anxiety either to discover the ark, or to fix upon a place for receiving it, prays for God's favour for David's sake, mentions God's oath unto David, and his blessing upon Sion. It is one of the proper Psalms for Christmas Day.

(a)" His trouble," i.e. (probably) the pains he took to find where the ark was, to bring it up to Jerusalem, and to prepare a place for it there. It was taken by the Philistines in Eli's time, about 1140 years before the birth of Christ. See 1 Sam. iv. 11. 22. The Phi listines sent it about from place to place, till the men of Kirjathjearim (which be longed to Judah, 1 Chron. xiii. 5, 6.) fetched it up from Bethshemesh, 1 Sam. vii. 1. It remained at Kirjathjearm 20 years, and all the house of Israel la mented after the Lord, Sam. vii. 2. No inquiry was made at it during the days of Saul, Chron. xiii. 3. When David was king over all 1srael, he con sulted with the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and with every leader, and proposed to all the congregation of Israel, to send abroad to their brethren

3.

2 How he sware unto the Lord and vowed a vow unto the Almighty God of Jacob;

3 "I will not come within the "tabernacle of mine house nor "climb up into my bed;

..

"I will not suffer mine eyes "to sleep, nor mine eye-lids to "slumber neither the temples "of my head to take any rest;

5 "Until I find out a place "for the temple (b) of the Lord: "an habitation for the mighty "God of Jacob."

6 Lo, we heard of the same at Ephrata (c) and found it in the wood.

7 We will go into his tabernacle and fall low on our knees before his footstool.

8 (d) Arise, O Lord, into thy resting-place thou, and the ark of thy strength.

9 Let thy priests be clothed

everywhere in all the land of Israel, and to the priests and Levites in their cities and suburbs, to gather themselves together, to bring again the ark of God unto them. See I Chron. xiii. 1, 2, 3. This was near 100 years after the Philistines had taken the ark, and David might therefore at first have some trouble in finding out where the ark was. He at first removed it to the house of Obed Edom only, where it remained three months, 1 Chron. xiii. 13, 14. and 2 Sam. vi.; but he afterwards brought it up in great state, and placed it in a tent he had pitched for it, r Chron. xv. This therefore is probably what is here meant by "his trouble."

(6) For a place for the temple" and "an habitation for," the reading should perhaps be "the place of the tabernacle" and "the habitation of." What they heard of at Ephratah, and found in the wood, as in verse 6. was probably the place where the ark then was, not the place where it was to be. .6. (c) "Ephratah," a district in Judea, within which probably Kirjathjearim and Jerusalem both lay,

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place, thou and the ark of thy "strength: Let thy priests, O Lord "God, be clothed with salvation, and "let thy saints rejoice in goodness. O "Lord God, turn not away the face of "thine anointed: remember the mercies "of David thy servant."

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13.

(e) When David proposed building v.12. God a house, and God forbad it, he gave David this promise, "I will set up thy "seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; he shall build me a house, and I "will stablish the throne of his kingdom " for ever: I will settle him in my house " and in my kingdom for ever; and his "throne shall be established for ever"more." See 2 Sam. vii. 12 to 16.1 Chron. xvii. 11 to 14. See also Kings viii. 25. and 2 Chron. vi. 16. The promise in this Psalm, as well as that above cited from 2 Sam, and 1 Chron. is generally supposed to have meant that the Messiah should be of the seed of David,

v.2.3.

ข. 2.

v.3.

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(g) "Like," i.e. as gratifying, as delightful.

(b) "Precious ointment." The oil to anoint Aaron and his sons, to consecrate them that they might minister in the priests' office, was made of pure myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus, cassia, and olive oil, and it was poured upon the head to anoint them, Exod. xxx. 23, 24. 30. and Levit. viii. 12. It must therefore have been a very rich perfume.

(i) The Bible translation is, " as the "dew of Hermon, and as the dew that "descended upon the mountains of "Sion;" and then the meaning is, as refreshing as the dew is to the hills of Hermon and Sion, or any other high hills, which do not long retain the moisture of rain, and therefore in those hot countries must have been highly refreshed when heavy dews fell upon them. If

mised his blessing and life for

evermore.

Psalm cxxxiv. (m) BEHOLD now, praise the Lord:

all

ye servants of the Lord;

2 Ye that by night stand in the house of the Lord: even in the courts of the house of our God.

3 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. 4 The Lord, that made heaven and earth give thee blessing out of Sion.

Psalm cxxxv. (n).

O PRAISE the Lord, laud ye the Name of the Lord praise it, O ye servants of the Lord;

2 Ye that stand in the house of the Lord in the courts of the house of our God.

:

3 O praise the Lord; for the Lord is gracious: O sing praises unto his Name; for it is lovely.

the Prayer Book translation is right, it means, as refreshing as the dew is to the hill of Sion, which rises upon Hermon, and falls upon Sion.

(k) "Dew." Dew and rain are frequently referred to as symbols of bless ing. Thus, Deut. xxxii, 1, 2. "Give

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ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; "and hear, O earth, the words of my "mouth; my doctrine shall drop as the "rain, my speech shall distil as the dew: the small rain upon the tender herb, "and as the showers upon the grass. So Prov. xix. 12. "The king's favour " is like dew upon the grass ;" and Hos xiv. 5. "I will be as the dew unto Israel." See also Ps. i. 3. and Ps. lxxii. 6.

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(1) Instead of "there," the reading 4 should probably be "to that," viz. to brethren's dwelling together in unity.

(m) An exhortation and benediction to the night watch in the temple at the shutting up of the gates, to excite them to thanksgiving and devotion.

(n) An invocation to the praise of God, on account of the unlimited extent

4 For (0) why? the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself: and Israel for his own possession.

5 For I know, that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all gods.

6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven (p), and in earth in the sea, and in all deep places.

:

and

7 He bringeth forth the clouds from the ends of the world sendeth forth lightnings (q) with the rain, bringing the winds out of his treasures.

8 He smote (r) the firstborn (s) of Egypt both of man and beast.

9 He hath sent tokens (†) and wonders into the midst of thee, O thou land of Egypt: upon Pharaoh, and all his servants.

10 He smote divers nations : and slew mighty kings;

11 Sehon (u) king of the Amorites, and Og the king of Basan: and all the kingdoms of Canaan (x);

12 And gave their land to be an heritage (y): even an heritage unto Israel his people.

"

of his power, his peculiar favour to the Israelites, and the instances in which he had exerted it over the heathen, with a ridicule of idols, the gods of the heathen. (0) So Ps. cxiv. 2. "Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.” 5. (p)" In heaven," &c. The object in this and the next verse may be to shew the universality of God's power, in opposition to a notion of the heathen, that there were different gods over different places, elements, &c. When Ahab had smitten the Syrians, the servants of the king of Syria encouraged him to go up again against the Israelites, by saying, their "God is God of the hills, but he " is not God of the valleys, therefore "let us fight against them in the plain." See 1 Kings xx. 21. 23. 28.

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(q)" Lightnings, "rain," and

13 Thy (z) Name, O Lord, endureth for ever so doth thy memorial, O Lord, from one generation to another.

14 For the Lord will avenge his people and be gracious unto his servants.

15 As for the images (a) of the heathen, they are but silver and gold the work of men's hands.

16 They have mouths, and speak not eyes have they, but they see not.

17 They have ears, and yet they hear not neither is there any breath in their mouths.

18 They that make them are like unto them and so are all they that put their trust in them.

19 Praise the Lord, ye house of Israel: praise the Lord, ye house of Aaron.

20 Praise the Lord, ye house of Levi ye that fear the Lord, praise the Lord.

21 Praised be the Lord out of Sion: who dwelleth at Jerusalem.

"winds." So that he has control over the elements to which they belong, fire, water, and air, as well as over the earth.

(r)" He smote," &c. So that his v.8. power is also over the nations of the earth.

(s) "The first-born," &c. See Exod. v.8. xii. 29.

(t)" Tokens," &c. They are enu- v. 9. merated, Ps. lxxviii. 44 to 52. and Ps. cv. 28 to 35.

(u)" Sehon" and " Og." This was v.11. in the journey from Egypt towards Canaan, in the time of Moses. See Numb. xxi. 23 to 35

(x) "Of Canaan." In Joshua's time. v.11. See Joshua throughout.

(y) "An heritage." See Joshua xii. v.12. 1 to 24.

(z) A similar verse occurs, Ps. cii. 12. v. 13. (a)" The images," &c. A similar v. 15.

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