IV.A To the Precentor+; on Neginoth‡. A Psalm of David. WHEN I call, answer me, O God of my righteous ness1! In straits thou madest wide room for me; Have pity on me, and hear my prayer. 2 O sons of the brave, how long is my glory disgraced3, ▲ The godly man protected and cheered by the light of God's pre sence. On the connection between iii and iv, see Pref. to Ps. iii. Read 2 Sam. xvi. 5-14; Ps. xxxvii, lxii. + Or "Superintendent;" (cp. 2 Chr. ii. 1 with 1 Kgs. v. 30, Heb.). In 1 Chr. xv. 21, the verb seems to be used of sustaining the choir voices by a bass accompaniment on the harp. The word occurs in the titles of fifty-five Psalms, of which thirty. nine (at least) are David's, five Asaph's, and nine the Korahites'. On this and similar untranslated words in the Titles, see Appendix II. 1 To whom my righteousness is known, by whom it will be vindicated. So, in xviii. 46, xxv. 5, xxvii. 9, "the God of my salvation" is, the God from whom my salvation comes. Cp. lix. 17, "God of my mercy;" xliii. 2, "the God of my defence." 2 Beney ish-xlix. 2; lxii. 9. The admonition which follows was needed hardly less by Joab and others of David's own party than by Absalom's followers. 3 How long will ye deem lightly of my Divine election, which is the sole cause of my occupying so high a dignity? (Cp. iii. 3; lxii. 7.) How little respect Joab had for it, is plain from 2 Sam. xix. 5-7. He evidently looked on David's throne in the same light that Absalom or Ahithophel did,-as a thing to be supported by earthly expedients. With regard to the reproaches of David's enemies, see 2 Sam. xvi. 7, 8. That ye are in love with vanity, that ye seek out falsehood! SELAH. 3 But know, that the LORD has set apart as His own a godly manR; The LORD will hear when I call unto Him. 4 Be angry, but sin not: SELAH. 4 Riq, as in ii. 1. Mere devices of worldly wisdom, prompted by resentment or ambition. 6 Kazav. Absalom's whole proceedings were characterized by hypocrisy (2 Sam. xv. 1-9). But Joab's conduct, too, had long been marked by treachery and falsehood, from the time of Abner's murder (2 Sam. iii. 28, 29). 11 6 Chasid. The word denotes (originally) affectionate feeling (see note on civ. 17, and cp. xii. 1 with Isai. lvii. 1); but (like the Latin "pius") commonly denotes one who loves God. (Cp. xxxi. 23, xxxii. 6, xxxvii. 28.) LXX. Tòv őσiov avtoù. "Such a one, be sure, is he whom God has so wondrously set apart as His own" (hiflah, xvii. 7; used of God's miraculous severing between Goshen and Egypt, Exod. viii. 22, ix. 4, xi. 7; cp. Exod. xxxiii. 16); “still (in spite of all appearances to the contrary) I am God's special servant." 7 Rigzu-LXX. ópyíčeσde.—Eusebius long ago took this as David's warning to his companions not to let indignation against Absalom's unnatural rebellion hurry them into sinful anger. This view agrees well with 2 Sam. xvi. 9, xix. 21, and with the tenor of vv. 4, 5. Observe especially the resemblance between these verses and xxxvii. 3-8 ;-" Trust in the Lord (bitchu), and be doing good. . . Be silent (dommu) to the Lord Let go wrath and leave off anger." (Similarly in lxii. 5-8.) ... This view is further confirmed by St. Paul's employment of the text in Eph. iv. 26: "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on your indignation (apopyopą);" that is, forgive the provocation thou hast received, before the day on which the injury occurred has flown away for ever. (Cp. Deut. xxiv. 13, 15.) May not the added clause, "Neither give place to the devil," be also explained by David's words in 2 Sam. xix. 23?-"What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruyah, that ye should this day be to me (le-satan) "as Satan," stirring up buried animosity, provoking to proud revenge, acting the part of the Accuser? " Commune with your own heart on your couch, and be silent. 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust on the LORD. 6 Many are saying, "Who will make us to see good 10 ?" Lift up on us the light of Thy face, O LORD11! 7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart Above the time when their corn and wine multiplied 12. Obs. In 2 Sam. xix. 1 (xviii. 33, E. V.) we have David himself giving a striking exemplification of v. 4: "And the king was deeply moved (yirgaz), and he went up to the chamber over the gateway, and wept ;"—wept tears of deep, fatherly emotion, mingled with indignation against the cruel treachery of imperious Joab. What "communings with his own heart" (cp. lxxvii. 6) are represented by that outburst of feeling, "Oh that I might have died, even I, in thy stead!" 8 Deut. xxxiii. 19; Ps. li. 19.-Sacrifices accompanied by uprightness of intention and innocency of life; not like Absalom's: 2 Sam. xv. 7, 9. "And He shall make thy righteousness as clear as the light." xxxvii. 6. 10 Cp. xxxiv. 12.-The "many" is not to be restricted to either David's friends or foes. All around, men were absorbed in the suit of earthly good. pur 11 Cp. the form of Levitical benediction in Numb. vi. 24-26.— Absalom is in possession of Jerusalem; and I and my companious are outcasts: but THOU, Lord, canst pour blessing upon us.-Note that David had sent back the Ark to Jerusalem (2 Sam. xv. 24-26); -an act of deep self-resignation and faith in God. 12 This and the next verse clearly refer to Deut. xxxiii. 28 (cp. Pref. to Ps. iii.) "Israel then shall dwell in safety. Alone is the fountain of Jacob They, says David, have the outward, material, blessing promised to Israel, the wheat and the grape ;-for a supply of which I am 8 In peace13 will I at once lay me down and sleep, For Thou, O LORD, alone14 now indebted to the generosity of friends (2 Sam. xvi. 1, 2). Be it mine to realize the essential privilege of God's people,-to drink of that one only fountain of blessedness, "the well of Jacob." 13 See the form of priestly benediction (referred to at v. 6). 14 Levadad;-Deut. xxxii. 12; "The Lord alone (levadad) did lead him." He alone led Israel across the wilderness ;-He alone gave him rest in Canaan. That was the basis of David's faith. 15 In addition to Deut. xxxiii. 28 (quoted above), cp. v. 12 of the same ch. "Of Benjamin he said, The beloved (yedid) of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him." David was now excluded from Jerusalem (which was partly inside Benjamin), but not from the virtue of the promise made to the "beloved of the Lord." A pledge of this had been given him in the naming of his son, 2 Sam. xii. 25; jealousy of whom was doubtless at the root of Absalom's rebellion. (Cp. also Jer. xxiii. 6, xxxiii. 16, etc.) I V.A To the Precentor: upon Nehiloth. A Psalm of David. 2 Attend to the voice of my cry, my King2 and my God, For unto Thee will I pray. 3 O LORD, in the morning Thou shalt hear my voice, A A morning Prayer of David, appealing to God as his KING; against whose sovereignty his own enemies were really in rebellion. A Read 2 Sam. xvii. 1-23. 1 "Silent musing;" xxxix. 4. Jer. murmur meum. 2 David was only viceroy. God was the true King. In the morning will I set in order for Thee, and will look out*. 4 For Thou art not a God who delights in wickedness, Evil shall not sojourn with Thee; 5 The boastful' shall have no standing before Thine eyes, Thou hatest all the workers of iniquity. 6 Thou shalt destroy those who speak lies, The bloody and guileful man the LORD will abhor. 7 And as for me, in the abundance of Thy mercy I will enter Thy house"; I will worship toward Thy holy palaces in the fear of Thee. Obs. In 2 Sam. vii. 8, the exact title of David is nagid, "leader," "president." So too of Saul, 1 Sam. ix. 16. Cp. 1 Sam. xiii. 14 ; xxv. 30; 2 Sam. v. 3; 1 Kgs. i. 35; xiv. 7; xvi. 2; 2 Kgs. xx. 5. 3 'Arak is used of setting in order the altar-wood, Lev. i. 7-the sacrifices, Lev. i. 8, 12 (especially the lamb of the morning-sacrifice, Lev. vi. 5; cp. Numb. xxviii. 4), and the shew-bread, Exod. xl. 23. The morning sacrifice was killed before sun-rise. David speaks of himself, figuratively, as a ministering priest. Cp. v. 7. 4 "Look out" expectantly for the thing prayed for. Cp. Leighton, Med. on Ps. cxxx. "The godly man's prayer has a definite aim, towards which his petitions are ever anew directed. He does not pray for praying's sake, but to obtain his prayer;" (non solum orat, ut oret, sed ut exoret.) 5 Holelim, lxxiii. 3; lxxv. 5. The arrogance of Absalom comes out to view especially in the speech addressed to him by Hushai: 2 Sam. xvii. 7-13. The expression in v. 11, "thy presence goes to the battle," is more than bombast, it is downright blasphemy. As if wickedness were their trade or profession. (Cp. Hindostani, “bad-máash;" a term which may help us to understand more practically the evils David had to struggle with.) 7 The tabernacle was called "the house of the Lord" in Josh. vi. 24; 2 Sam. xii. 20. 8 The tabernacle also bore the name heykal (strictly "palace"), B |