§§ 18-20. THE DAVIDIC PSALMS FROM THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. Το O the Psalms of the Davidic period are appended three other. 'Psalms of David, which though not contained in the Psalter, bring out in a remarkable degree the great features of his character,—— · his justice, his intense and tender love, and that exalted grandeu, which made him at once the man after God's own heart and the realisation of Israel's brightest hopes. IN § 18. 2 SAM. I. 19—27. N the great battle of mount Gilboa Saul and Jonathan perished The dark fierce jealousy of Saul was now forgotten; and David's passionate love for Jonathan finds free expression in this wild yet tender outburst of grief. It is Saul of the early days whom he speaks of here; Saul the mighty warrior, the Anointed of Jehovah, the delight of his people, the father of his tenderly loved and faithful friend: and Jonathan, the greatest archer of the great archer tribe, the hero of the battle of Michmash, who with his own hand had dislodged the Philistine garrison from their stronghold and inflicted upon them a defeat from which they did not recover till the end of his father's reign". David introduced the 'song3 of the bow' among the men of his own tribe as a tribute to the memory of his fallen friend; and so this elegy handed down from generation to generation by the bowmen of Judah, has been preserved to us, to be enshrined in the hearts of men for ever, as the monument of a pure and faithful friendship. DAVID'S LAMEnt over SauL AND JONATHAN, The beauty of the forest, O Israel, is slain upon thy heights: 19 how are the mighty fallen! Ver. 19. The beauty of the forest, i.e. the larger kind of gazeile, the name by which Jonathan was known among his comrades. From 2 Sam. i. 19-27. iii. 33, 34. xxiii. 1-7. 32 Sam i. 18 'use of the bow.' I acknowledge my sin unto Thee and hide not my guilt, III. exhorteth all to turn to God, 5 6 For this let every good man pray to Thee when thou mayest 7 be found; for though the waterfloods be high, they shall not come nigh him. THOU art my hiding-place, Thou shalt preserve me from trouble, 8 Thou shalt encompass me about with songs of deliverance. I will teach thee, saith Jehovah, and shew thee the way wherein thou shouldest go, and E will guide thee with Mine eye. IV. and not to withstand Him. 9 Be not ye like to horse and mule, which have no under- 10 standing! his mouth must be held with bit and bridle, who doth not approach Thee willingly. Great plagues hath the ungodly, but whoso putteth his trust in Jehovah mercy embraceth him on every side. Be glad, O ye righteous, and rejoice in Jehovah, be joyful all ye that are true of heart. Ver. 6. and Thou forgavest, i.e. Thou didst wash out the guilt of: my sin. § 14. PSALM III. II 12 THIS Psalm was written by David in an hour of peril and persecution1 after the ark had been long established in Jerusalem. It expresses his feelings at the time of Absalom's rebellion and possibly was sung on the very morning3 that followed his flight from the city. It is marked by many of the noblest features of his character,-the sense of communion with God and calm confidence in His protection', -the tender love which forbids him to mention his son's name when it must be coupled with reproach,—and the royal generosity which at the thought of the horrors of a civil war merges every consideration of self in a prayer for the wellbeing of the people of God?. I. The Psalmist, in the hour of peril and despair, Jehovah! how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me, many there be that say of my soul, 'there is no help for him in God.' I 2 But Thou, Jehovah, art a shield about me, II. comforteth himself with the recollection of the former favours of God, 3 I call upon Jehovah with my voice, 4 Thou art my glory and the lifter up of my head! and He heareth me out of His holy hill. III. renewed in the past night-season, I laid me down and slept, I am risen again, for Jehovah sustaineth me: I will not be afraid for ten thousands of the people, that have encamped against me round about. IV. and resigning himself to the will of God prayeth for his people. Arise then, Jehovah! help me, O my God! Thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheekbone, to Jehovah belongeth the victory! Thy blessing be upon Thy people! 5 6 7 Ver. 1. they that trouble me, i.e. the party in the state who instigated Absalom to rebellion. Ver. 4. I call, expressing a habit [see (I call) § 15 iv. 3] in contrast with the special occasion indicated by the tense (I laid) in verse 5. ΤΗ § 15. PSALM IV, HIS even-song1 belongs to the same time, possibly to the same day, as the last Psalm: but was sung in an hour of still greater trial. The king had heard meanwhile of the calumnies which had followed his flight. Like all true and heroic natures, in the hour of peril and unjust persecution he awakes to a consciousness of his strength and integrity. The grandeur and royal dignity of David's character was largely due to his deep sense of the covenant between God and His Anointed, and his constant endeavour to act worthily the part of God's vicegerent upon earth. His selection by Jehovah is to him an unanswerable reply to his calumniators and the surest proof of his own uprightness. This trait of David's character especially endeared him to his subjects, and was preserved in two distinct narratives, wherein his sense of the reverence due to the Anointed of Jehovah is shewn by his twice sparing the life of his persecutor Saul. Thus it is that in the attacks upon himself all feeling for his own personal wrongs.is lost in the sense of the sin and irreverence they imply towards Jehovah, The absence of any prayer or wish for revenge becomes more striking when we consider the feelings of the age in which the Psalms were written?, I. The Psalmist appealeth to God; Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness; Thou who didst set me at liberty when I was in trouble, have mercy upon me and hearken unto my prayer. II. urgeth his slanderers to repent; I O ye sons of men! how long will ye blaspheme mine honour? 2 how long will ye love vanity, and seek lying? Ver. 1. of my righteousness, i. e, who upholdest my right and maintainest my righteousness. 1 v. 9. 2 v. 2. 3 See particularly § 12. xviii. 19—30. 6 5 1 Sam. xxiv. 6; xxvi. 11. VV. 4 and 5. 4 v. 3. 7 Ex. xxi. 24-27. Matt. v. 38. § 70. xxxv. 26; § 73. Ixix. 22—28. know then that Jehovah hath chosen the man that is true to Him, 3 Jehovah heareth when I call upon Him! stand in awe and sin not! commune with your heart within your chamber and be still! offer the sacrifice that is due, 4 5 and turn ye in trust to Jehovah ! III. and prayeth for a ray of help to cheer his friends: for himself he trusteth in God, There be many that say, 'Oh! that we could see some good!' 6 lift up, O Jehovah, the light of Thy countenance upon us! 7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than when corn and wine increased: I lay me down in peace and straightway rest! for Thou, Jehovah, alone 8 9 wilt make me to dwell in safety! Ver. 4. stand in awe-be still, i.e. tremble at the thought of opposing God's elect: reflect on the folly of your endeavours, and still your slanderous tongues. Ver. 5. offer the sacrifice that is due, i.e. rightly due for the sin of blaspheming God and the king, in the hope that He will accept your sin-offering. Ver. 6. see some good, i. e. many of my adherents in despair say 'Would we could see some manifestation of divine favour!' Ver. 8. corn and wine. Great interest was taken by the kings in the tillage of the land. At this time the 'hunger, weariness and thirst' of his army in the desert naturally turned David's thoughts into this channel. See 2 Sam. xvii. 27-29. 'I § 16. PSALM II. WILL be his father and he shall be My son',' or, as it is echoed in the Psalms of the Restoration, ‘I have found David My servant; with My holy oil have I anointed him ;...he shall cry unto Me, "Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation!' And I will make him My firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth?' Such was the great promise uttered by Nathan to David, embodying the vital principle of the Hebrew monarchy. From it we learn 1 Chron. xvii. 9. 2 Sam. vii. 13. 2 § 124. lxxxix. 21, 27, 28. |