6. They have prepared a net for my steps:-and pressed down my soul,5

They have digged a pit before me;

They have fallen into the midst of it. Selah. 7. My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise.

S. Awake up, my glory; awake psaltery and harp; I myself will awake early.

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9. I will praise Thee, O Lord, among the people, I will sing unto Thee among the nations. 10. For Thy mercy is great unto the heavens, And Thy truth unto the clouds.

11. Set up Thyself above the heavens, O God, Thy glory above all the earth.

Critical References.-1, has my soul taken refuge, Kay, Perowne. 2, the destruction, Perowne; until malignity, Kay. 3, who benefits me, Septuagint, Vulgate, Hupfield, Hitzig, Lange; who completes (all) for me, Kay. 4, with my soul I lie among lions, fire-breathing children of men, Hitzig; as for my soul, in the midst of lions might I lie, for burning are the sons of men, Speaker's Commentary; if I lie down 'tis on fire-brands, Kay; in the midst of lions must I lie, among those who are ready to devour, Hupfield, Perowne. 5, he bowed my soul, Kay. 6, Septuagint; by early dawn, Kay; I will awake the dawn, Wordsworth's Commentary, Delitzsch, Speaker's Commentary, Hengstenberg, Perowne.

New Testament References.-No quotation from this Psalm occurs in the New Testament.

Explanatory Notes.-Ver. 1, Be merciful, &c., the Psalmist in his earnestness repeats his cry, and makes his confidence in God the ground of his plea for mercy. Yea, under the shadow, &c., perhaps suggested by Deut. xxxii. 11. The expression, which is not infrequent in Scripture (Ruth ii. 12), conveys the idea of tender protection; with such a meaning Our Lord employs a modification of it (S. Matt.

xxiii. 37). The suggestion has been made that the phrase has been taken from the overshadowing of the Mercy-Seat by the wings of the Cherubim (Ex. xxv. 20). 2, I will cry, confidence is followed by prayer; that performeth, &c., the paraphrase of the Targum is "Who ordered the spider who wrought her web at the mouth of the cave on my account." Possibly this may allude to some incident in David's life, handed down by Tradition, when he may have been preserved by such an apparent proof of a cave not having any occupant. 3, from heaven, no less an interposition would avail. He that, &c., the meaning may be "notwithstanding that he that reproacheth would swallow me up," or, "for he that reproacheth would swallow me up." 4, I lie, &c., a description of David's persecuted condition, and scarcely, as has been suggested, an expression of confidence, "I lie securely." The fiercest of animals, the most destructive of agencies, the deadliest of weapons, are all brought forward to express the violence of his persecutors. 5, Set up Thyself, &c., so put forth Thy power on my behalf that heaven and earth may see in it a manifestation of Thy Glory. 6, a net for my steps (1 Sam. xviii. 21, S. Matt. xxii. 15), or, "they set a snare for me as if I were a wild beast." 7, fixed, in steadfast fearlessness. 8, psaltery, the "viol" of Isa. v. 12, Amos v. 23; the psaltery, or "lute," was a six-stringed instrument of the guitar description; will awake early, lit. "will awake the dawn.' Some consider "the dawn" to be used adverbially for "right_early," while others deny any such adverbial use, and regard David as saying that his praises should awake the dawn, and not it him. The Talmudic legend runs that whenever the

night wind swept over the strings of David's harp, which hung beside his bed, and awoke its music, that be, aroused by the sound, would rise and sing the praises of the Law until daybreak. Our Lord's Resurrection took place at the dawn (S. Matt. xxviii. 1, S. Luke xxiv. 1, Rev. xxii. 16), hence the Anglican selection of the Psalm for Easter-Day. 9, I will praise, &c., the Psalmist closes with the language of praise, which should be uttered among all nations. 11, Set up Thyself, &c. (Eph. i. 17-20, iii. 10, 21).

PSALM LXVIII.

(WHIT SUNDAY, MATTINS.)

The History. The opinion that this Psalm was written to commemorate some great occasion of bringing up of the Ark to its resting-place is the one most generally adopted. Although the Psalm contains no internal evidence which could fix its date with any approach to certainty, still some of its expressions seem to suit a particular period better than any other. The possible reference (ver. 18) to the recent captivity of the Ark in Philistia, the mention of four of the tribes as taking part in the procession (ver. 27), the distinction of Benjamin as apparently the tribe of the late "ruler," Saul, and the prominence given to Egypt and Ethiopia (ver. 31) as the great existing Empires (to the exclusion of Assyria), all seem to assign the Psalm to the age of David. The objection that the word "Temple occurs in ver. 29 is met by the permissible translation of it as "Tabernacle." If this date is accepted,

a further question arises as to the particular event which the writer had in view. The bringing up of the Ark from the house of Obed-Edom (2 Sam. vi. 12, 1 Chron. xv, 25) meets all the requirements, and is generally accepted as the most probable occasion. Another supposition is that the return of the Ark after some successful campaign during which it had been carried with the army, is the theme. This was possibly the case in the war against the Edomites (2 Sam. viii. 14, 1 Kings xi. 15), and also, as some would gather from the language of Uriah (2 Sam. xi. 11) in the war against Ammon (2 Sam. xii. 29). Other conjectures point to the solemn installation of Solomon (1 Chron. xxviii. 5-21), or to the victory of Jehoshaphat and Jehoram over Moab (2 Kings iii. 7), or to the deliverance of Hezekiah from Sennacherib (2 Chron. xxxii. 22). Lastly, another suggestion is that the Return from the Captivity was the date of its composition, and that the Psalm describes the homeward march of the exiles, as though it had been a second Exodus.

The Structure, &c. -This Psalm, which is constructed on the principle of pairs of verses, is much in the style of Deborah, and contains reminiscences of the Blessing of Moses, the Prophecy of Balaam, and the Song of Deborah. Its contents may be classified as follows:-I. It opens with a call to the righteous to be glad, on the ground of the victorious march of God at the head of the hosts of Israel, verses 1-6.-II. A reference is next made to some of the circumstances of the Exodus, verses 7-10.—III. A description follows of the occupation of Canaan, verses 11-14-IV. The central thought of the Psalm, the choice of Zion on God's dwelling place, is now

introduced, verses 15-18.-V. Then comes an ascription of praise for the overthrow of the enemy, verses 19-23. VI. The triumphal procession which accompanied the Ark to Zion is next described, verses 24-27.-VII. A prophecy is uttered of the future submission to God of all the Kingdoms of the earth, verses 28-31. VIII. Finally, all nations summoned to unite in the praises of the God of Israel, verses 32-35.

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A mystical interpretation would apply the Psalm to Christ's Advent, verses 1-6; to His doctrine, verses 7-16; to His Ascension, verses 17-18; to His Kingdom, verses 19-35. The Messianic bearing of the Psalm is generally recognised. The Gregorian Use follows the Jewish Ritual in appointing the Psalm for the Day of Pentecost, for which the mention of the receiving of "gifts for men" specially fits it. A further reference is to be found in the giving "power unto His people," verse 35-the "power" with which the Apostles were to be endued as a preparation for their work,

The Inscription.-To the Chief Musician, see Ps. VI; A Psalm or Song, see Ps. XLVIII.

To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David. 1. Let God arise; let His enemies be scattered;

And let them that hate Him flee from before Him.. 2. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;As wax melteth before the fire,

So let the wicked perish at1 the presence of God.

3. But let the righteous be glad, let them rejoice before God,

Yea, let them rejoice with gladness.