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2 The LORD shall send the rod of Thy power out of Sion: be Thou ruler, even in the midst among Thine enemies.

3 In the day of Thy power shall the people offer Thee free-will offerings with an holy worship: the dew of Thy birth is of the womb of the morning.

4 The LORD sware, and will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech.

5 The LORD upon Thy right hand shall wound even kings in the day of His wrath.

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6 He shall judge among the heathen; He shall fill the places with the dead bodies: and smite in sunder the heads over divers countries.

7 He shall drink of the brook in the way therefore shall He lift up His head.

PSALM 111. Confitebor tibi.

[This, with the 112th Psalm, is alphabetical—i.e., each Sentence is commenced by a letter of the Jewish alphabet, proceeding in regular order throughout the 22 letters. This Psalm declares the glory and work of God. It commences in the original version with HALLELUJAH.]

I WILL give thanks unto the LORD with my whole heart secretly among the faithful, and in the congregation.

2 The works of the LORD are great : sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.

3 His work is worthy to be praised, and had in honour and His righteousness endureth for ever.

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4 The merciful and gracious LORD hath so done His marvellous works: that they ought to be had in remembrance.

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5 He hath given meat unto them that fear Him He shall ever be mindful of His covenant.

6 He hath shewed His people the power of His works that He may give them the heritage of the heathen.

7 The works of His hands are verity and judgment: all His commandments are true. 8 They stand fast for ever and ever: and are done in truth and equity.

9 He sent redemption unto His people : He hath commanded His covenant for ever; holy and reverend is His Name.

10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all

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8. Equity; lit. uprightness.

9. This verse consists of three sentences, commencing respectively with the 17th, 18th, and 19th letters. Redemption

they that do thereafter; the praise of it.., from Egypt.

endureth for ever.

PSALM 112. Beatus vir.

[This Psalm is the complement of the former, showing the attributes of God reflected in His people. It is similarly alphabetical in form, and commences with HALLELUJAH.]

BLESSED is the man that feareth the LORD: he hath great delight in His commandments.

2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth : the generation of the faithful shall be blessed. 3 Riches and plenteousness shall be in his house and his righteousness endureth for ever.

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10. The three sentences of this verse complete the Hebrew letters. The praise of it; rather, of HIM.

As in the last Psalm, so in this, the last two verses contain three sentences each.

3. Our Lord promises blessings a hundredfold in this time, and in the world to

4 Unto the godly there ariseth up light come eternal life, to in the darkness: He is merciful, loving, and righteous.

5 A good man is merciful, and lendeth : and will guide his words with discretion.

6 For he shall never be moved : and the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.

those who leave all and follow Him.-S. Mark x. 29, 30.

5. A good man, &c.; rather, happy is the man, who, &c.

7 He will not be afraid of any evil tidings for his heart standeth fast, and believeth in the LORD.

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8 His heart is established, and will not shrink until he see his desire upon his

enemies.

9 He hath dispersed abroad, and given to the poor and his righteousness remaineth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.

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10 The ungodly shall see it, and it shall grieve him he shall gnash with his teeth, and consume away; the desire of the ungodly shall perish.

PSALM 113. Laudate, pueri.

[With this Psalm begins the Hallel, or Praise; and,
together with the five following Psalms, was
sung at the three great feasts-Passover, Pente-
cost, and the Feast of Tabernacles.]

PRAISE the LORD, ye servants : O praise the
Name of the LORD.

2 Blessed be the Name of the LORD: from this time forth for evermore.

3 The LORD's Name is praised: from the rising up of the sun unto the going down of the same.

4 The LORD is high above all heathen: and His glory above the heavens.

5 Who is like unto the LORD our God, that hath His dwelling so high and yet humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth?

6 He taketh up the simple out of the dust and lifteth the poor out of the mire; 7 That he may set him with the princes: even with the princes of His people.

8 He maketh the barren woman to keep house and to be a joyful mother of children.

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Evening Prayer.

PSALM 114. In exitu Israel.

All

[On the return from Babylon, the Psalmist recalls
the exodus, and celebrates its glories.
nature was moved-why? At the presence of
GOD, who is introduced at the 7th verse.]
WHEN Israel came out of Egypt and the
house of Jacob from among the strange people,
2 Judah was His sanctuary: and Israel
His dominion.

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3 The sea saw that, and fled : Jordan was driven back.

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3. Saw that; Heb. saw. The sea saw, and fled. The divi

sion of the Red Sea marked the escape from Egypt; that of

4 The mountains skipped like rams: and the Jordan marked the little hills like young sheep.

5 What aileth thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest and thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?

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6 Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams and ye little hills, like young sheep? 7 Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the LORD at the presence of the God of Jacob;

8 Who turned the hard rock into a standing water and the flint-stone into a springing well.

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PSALM 115. Non nobis, Domine.

It

[This Psalm appears to have been composed for the
Temple service, and parts of it suggest an anti-
phone between the people and the priest.
has many references to, or quotations from,
Isaiah. In some editions it has been errone-
ously added to the former Psalm.]

Nor unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but
unto Thy Name give the praise for Thy
loving mercy, and for Thy truth's sake.

2 Wherefore shall the heathen say Where is now their God?

the entry into Canaan under Joshua.

5. Aileth; this word is supplied in the English; there is no verb in the Heb.

To ail is to suffer pain, from the Anglo-Saxon verb eglian.

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8. "The rock refers, according to the Hebrew word, to the miracle in Horeb, after which the Amalekites attacked the Israelites, and were conquered at Moses' intercession; "the flint-stone" indicates the miracle at Kadesh, when Moses smote the rock instead of speaking to it.

The antiphone is the most ancient form of church music, con

sisting of two choruses singing in turns. Our word "anthem" is derived from it.

opening verses to the Perowne assigns the

CONGREGATION.

3 As for our God, He is in heaven : He hath done whatsoever pleased Him.

4 Their idols are silver and gold even the work of men's hands.

5 They have mouths, and speak eyes have they, and see not.

not:

6 They have ears, and hear not : noses have they, and smell not.

7 They have hands, and handle not; feet have they, and walk not: neither speak they through their throat.

8 They that make them are like unto them and so are all such as put their trust in them.

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9 But thou, house of Israel, trust thou in the LORD: He is their succour and defence.

10 Ye house of Aaron, put your trust in the LORD: He is their helper and defender. 11 Ye that fear the LORD, put your trust in the LORD: He is their helper and defender. 12 The LORD hath been mindful of us, and He shall bless us even He shall bless the house of Israel, He shall bless the house of Aaron.

13 He shall bless them that fear the LORD both small and great.

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14 The LORD shall increase you more

and more: you and your children.

15 Ye are the blessed of the LORD: who made heaven and earth.

16 All the whole heavens are the LORD'S : the earth hath He given to the children of

men.

17 The dead praise not Thee, O LORD: neither all they that go down into silence.

18 But we will praise the LORD from this time forth for evermore. PRAISE THE LORD.

3. As for; lit. and -i.c., and, all the while, our God is in heaven.

4. Idols; the Hebrew word used for idols means things cut and carved; they are laboured and costly productions of en-costly, but useless. With part of the wood the workman cooks his food and warms himself, and fashions a GOD out of the rest. -Isa. xliv. 14, 15, 16.

8. Just as they are like unto God who worship Him, Pss. cxi. cxii., so are idolaters like their idols.

9. LEVITES and CHOIR.

Succour and dein Hebrew as in the fence. The same word two following verses, helper and defender; lit. help and shield. 12. THE PRIEST.

16. THE CONGREGATION.

17. The dead. The Psalmist having referred to the praise given by the living upon earth, speaks of the dead as not having the power to give

THIS praise. Bishop Wordsworth explains the dead to be the idols and

their worshippers.

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