5 I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.

6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

7 The LORD taketh my part with them that help me : therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.

8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

IO All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.

WRITER: Unknown.
OCCASION: Unknown.
CHARACTER: Practical.
PRINCIPAL USE: For time of
deliverance.

1. A deliverance. What was it? Some think it was David's deliverance, when all the weary, longcontinued opposition was over, and he was at last become king of all the twelve tribes. Others, that it was the great deliverance from captivity in Babylon, and that the psalm was written either for the dedication of the newly built temple (Ezra vi. 16) or for the feast of tabernacles kept in Nehemiah's time (Neh viii. 17). But it matters not much. "A greater than David is here," and "One greater than the temple." The frequent quotations from this psalm in New Testament prove this. Believers

II They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.

12 They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.

13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me.

14 The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.

15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

(even weak ones) may utter ver. I with gladness every day.

2, 3. Such repetition a feature of the psalm, and gives great animation to it. Observe "them that fear the Lord," i.e., proselytes. The true Israel of old not SO narrow as is commonly thought.

5. The record of the deliverance. 6. Noble words. See Rom. viii. 31.

10. David certainly had enemies all round him at first, as is shown in 2 Sam. viii. So had Israel when returned from Babylon. But the son of David had the world against him.

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"Me it hateth" (John vii. 7).

15. A generalisation. It is, or it ought to be always the case, that there is "rejoicing," because there is salvation." Mark, "in the tabernacles," i.e., wherever they are in this changing world. see Neh. viii. 17.

Or

16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.

18 The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:

20 This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.

21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.

17, 18. Whether David or the nation, there was deliverance from death. Why we should wish to live.

19, 20. What are the "gates" mentioned here? If in David's time, either (1) the tabernacle, which was possibly removed to Gibeon, as it was there at the beginning of Solomon's reign (2 Chron. i. 3): or, more likely (2) Jerusalem, after the ark had been removed to Mount Zion. Compare Ps. xxiv. 7-10. If, however, after captivity in Babylon, the gates must be those of the newly built temple.

22, 23. The "builders" must in any case be the Jewish nation, and "the stone" suits well the case of David but it is difficult to say what it means in connection with the newly built temple. The reference to Christ, however, is plain

22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

23 This, is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee send now prosperity.

26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.

27 God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

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enough in either case; in the one as David's seed," in the other, as the Saviour of whom the temple was a type. "What is this then that is written ?" (Luke xx. 17).

24. God has brought it about. We may say this of many, and in some measure of all mercies and deliverances. How sweet, in this view, is the expression, “the Lord's Day."

25, 26. "Save now"="hosannah "" (Matt. xxi. 9). The origin of that common form of well-wishing. There can be no doubt that the Jews rightly applied the words in ver. 26 to our Lord, though with wrong expectations. But the welcome came from the multitude, not from the priests. It was of the house of the Lord." See Matt. xxi. 15.

"out

27-29. Hearty, unqualified praise concludes the psalm even as it

28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.

commenced. Observe the variety of ways in which the same simple truth is expressed. Praise is the life of a believer. "Light," in ver.

Psalm 119.

* ALEPH.

I BLESSED are the undefiled

WRITER: David.

The strong resemblance to Ps. xix., which was written by David, makes this almost certain.

OCCASION: Unknown.
CHARACTER: Doctrinal.

A glorious psalm. It is a collection of no less than one hundred and seventy-six distinct sayings, all on one subject, and that the most important that could possibly be, namely, the revelation God has made to man in His written Word. That word, in David's time, consisted at the very utmost of—(1) the five books of Moses; (2) the book of Job; (3) the book of Joshua; (4) the book of Judges; and possibly (5) the books of Ruth and Samuel. But it was growing in bulk, though this psalm most unmistakably shows it could not grow in inherent quality. Nothing more enthusiastic in its trust and affection could be said of the Bible now; and in such a book, what it says of itself is the true measure of its importance. Matthew Henry rightly calls this psalm "a chest of gold rings," rather than "a chain of gold links.” We may take out any one verse, irrespective of the others, and wear it. Each of the twenty-two portions

29 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

27 means deliverance. It is used in Scripture to denote almost everything that is bright and good. Compare Ps. xxxvi. 9.

in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that

begins every verse in it with the same letter of the alphabet, the first portion beginning with "A," the second with "B," and so on. And this plan shows that the psalm could hardly be a mere collection of sayings composed at different times. Some might be, but it is unlikely that twenty-two portions of them would happen to accord with the alphabetical plan. Another peculiarity is, that almost every verse contains the word "law," or one of its equivalents: and, as a general rule, those terms present the written Word under some particular aspect, the main idea being that it is given us for the purpose of directing us aright, both for the present world and for that which is to come. Each verse is full of suggestion, but few need much explanation.

seek him with the whole heart.

3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.

8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

.BETH ב

a

9 Wherewithal shall young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

ordinances. The ark is called "the testimony"; the tabernacle, "the tabernacle of testimony"; the tables of the law, "the two tables of testimony."

4-6. "Precepts,"“statutes,” “commandments." These terms need no explanation. It is not likely that, even if there be different shades of meaning in them, such differences would be preserved in every verse in which they respectively occur.

7. "Judgments." The word often means simply legal decisions, but as applied to the written Word of God

II Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.

13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.

15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

GIMEL.

17 Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.

18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

19 I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.

in this psalm, it seems to embrace all the teaching of God in it by example and precedent. I Cor.

X. 11.

9. "Word," the written Word, the Scriptures, the Bible. "The Word of God" does not always mean the Scriptures; but here, in this psalm, it does, and so do all its equivalents.

19. Evidently there is a possibility of having, and yet of not seeing God's revealed will, like a traveller who cannot see the sign-posts in the dark. Luke xxiv. 45.