PSALM XXXIII.

HYMN TO JEHOVAH.

THIS is a hymn to Jehovah, as the creator and governor of the world, and the special protector of the Jewish nation. In the sixth and seventh verses the psalmist celebrates the power of the Almighty, as exhibited in the work of creation. In the ninth verse he expresses the result in language which in its sublime conciseness resembles that of Genesis, “God said, Let there be light, and there was light": "He spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast." The words "stood fast" mean that what he command

ed came to pass. This is a frequent use of those words in the sacred writers, as in Ps. cxi. 8: "Thy commandments stand fast for ever and ever," &c.

PSALM XXXIII.

1 REJOICE in the Lord, O ye righteous! For praise is comely for the upright.

2 Praise the Lord with harp;

Sing unto him with the psaltery,
And an instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing unto him a new song;
Play skilfully with a loud noise.

4 For the word of the Lord is right,

And all his works are done in truth.

5 He loveth righteousness and judgment;

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,

And all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together, as a heap;

He layeth up the deep in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;

Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of

him.

9 For he spake, and it was done;

He commanded, and it stood fast.

10 The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught;

He maketh the devices of the nations of none effect.

11 The purposes of the Lord stand for ever;

12

The thoughts of his heart to all generations.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, And the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

13 The Lord looketh from heaven;

He beholdeth all the sons of men.

14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.

15 He fashioneth the hearts of all;

He considereth all their works.

16 There is no king saved by the multitude of a host; A mighty man is not delivered by much strength. 17 A horse is a vain thing for safety,

Ver. 17. "A horse is a vain thing for safety," &c. The use of horses was not common among the Israelites in David's time. It

Neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear

him;

Upon them that hope in his mercy;

19 To deliver them from death,

And to keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall rejoice in him,

Because we have trusted in his holy name.

22 Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, According as we hope in thee!

PSALM XXXVII.

THE REWARDS OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED.

THE poet, in this psalm, wishes to console his countrymen under the oppression of foreigners, and to en

was discouraged by the Mosaic law (Deut. xvii. 16), as being likely to lead to intercourse with Egypt. David, when on a certain occasion he took as part of the spoils of victory a thousand horses, destroyed all but a hundred of them, which he reserved for his chariots. But in Solomon's time the use of horses for the king and persons of distinction had become common (1 Kings iv. 26). The allusions to them in the Psalms seem to show that they were regarded with much interest, as a novelty, and some fear, together with admiration, for their remarkable qualities, swiftness and strength.

courage them with this hope, that the ownership and perpetual possession of the land, and of all the good things the earth produces to its inhabitants, shall at last be the lot of the truly pious, and of those who persevere in well-doing, as a reward of their fidelity. Wherefore, although the wicked do for a time possess the land and enjoy its fruits, the good need not despair, for it must be that a change will soon come. The pos session of the wicked shall be short-lived, but that of the pious without end.

Dr. Adam Clarke says: "In the title this psalm is attributed to David; but it is more likely it was intended as an instructive and consoling ode for the captives in Babylon, who might feel themselves severely tempted when they saw those idolaters in prosperity, and themselves, who worshipped the true God, in affliction and slavery. They are comforted with the prospect of speedy deliverance; and their return to their own land is predicted in not less than ten different places in this psalm."

PSALM XXXVII.

1 FRET not thyself because of evil-doers,

Neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;

So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt

be fed.

4 Delight thyself also in the Lord,

And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the Lord;

Trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light,

And thy judgment as the noon-day.

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him;

Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way,

Because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to

pass.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;

Fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

9 For evil-doers shall be cut off;

But those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the land.

10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall be no

more;

Yea, thou shalt diligently look for his place,

And it shall not be found.

11 But the meek shall inherit the land,

And shall delight themselves in the abundance of

peace.

12 The wicked plotteth against the just,

And gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

13 The Lord shall laugh at him;

For he seeth that his day is coming.

Ver. 13.

Job xviii. 20.

"His day is coming," i. e. of punishment. Compare