Psalms · Chapter 104

Verse 1. O Lord my God, thou art very great] The works of God, which are the subject of this Psalm, particularly show the grandeur and majesty of God. The strongest proofs of the being of God, for common understandings, are derived from the works of creation, their magnitude, variety, number, economy, and use. And a proper consideration of those works presents a greater number of the attributes of the Divine nature than we can learn from any other source. Revelation alone is superior.

Verses 1, 2. O Lord my God, thou art very great — As in thine own nature and perfections, so also in the glory of thy works; thou art clothed — Surrounded and adorned, with honour and majesty — With honourable majesty: who coverest, or clothest, thyself with light — Either, 1st, With that light which no man can approach unto, as it is described 1 Timothy 1:10: wherewith, therefore, he may well be said to be covered, or hid, from the eyes of mortal men. Or, 2d, He speaks of that first created light, mentioned Genesis 1:3, which the psalmist properly treats of first, as being the first of all God’s visible works. Of all visible beings light comes nearest to the nature of a spirit, and therefore with that, God, who is a spirit, is pleased to clothe himself, and also to reveal himself under that similitude, as men are seen in the clothes with which they cover themselves. Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain — Forming “a magnificent canopy or pavilion, comprehending within it the earth, and all the inhabitants thereof; enlightened by the celestial orbs suspended in it, as the holy tabernacle was by the lamps of the golden candlestick.” Now God is said to stretch this out like a curtain, to intimate that it was “originally framed, erected, and furnished by its maker, with more ease than man can construct and pitch a tent for his own temporary abode. Yet must this noble pavilion also be taken down; these resplendent and beautiful heavens must pass away and come to an end. How glorious, then, shall be those new heavens which are to succeed them and endure for ever!” — Horne.

1. Compare first clause with verse 35, and Psalm 103:1, 22. Thou art very great—It is fit to open an ode on creation and providence with an address to their ever blessed Author, and in these ascriptions of honour and majesty the poet not only strikes at once into the sublimest part of his theme, (as verses 31, 32,) but shows an example of reverence and piety.

V. 2. Light-With that first created light, which the psalmist fitly puts in the first place, as being the first of God’s visible works.

Verse 2.

hmlck rwa hc[ oteh or cassalmah.

“Covering thyself with light as with a garment.”

A manifest symbol of the Divine Presence; the light conspicuous in the holiest is pointed out under the same idea; and from this single example a simile is educed to express the ineffable glory of God generally and universally.

כיריעה שמים hcwn noteh shamayim kayeriah.

“Stretching out the heavens like a curtain.”

The word יריעה, rendered here curtain, is that which denotes the curtains or uncovering of the whole tabernacle. This may also be an allusion to those curtains or awnings, stretched over an area, under which companies sit at weddings, feasts, religious festivals, curiously painted under, to give them the appearance of the visible heavens in the night-season.

Verses 1, 2. O Lord my God, thou art very great — As in thine own nature and perfections, so also in the glory of thy works; thou art clothed — Surrounded and adorned, with honour and majesty — With honourable majesty: who coverest, or clothest, thyself with light — Either, 1st, With that light which no man can approach unto, as it is described 1 Timothy 1:10: wherewith, therefore, he may well be said to be covered, or hid, from the eyes of mortal men. Or, 2d, He speaks of that first created light, mentioned Genesis 1:3, which the psalmist properly treats of first, as being the first of all God’s visible works. Of all visible beings light comes nearest to the nature of a spirit, and therefore with that, God, who is a spirit, is pleased to clothe himself, and also to reveal himself under that similitude, as men are seen in the clothes with which they cover themselves. Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain — Forming “a magnificent canopy or pavilion, comprehending within it the earth, and all the inhabitants thereof; enlightened by the celestial orbs suspended in it, as the holy tabernacle was by the lamps of the golden candlestick.” Now God is said to stretch this out like a curtain, to intimate that it was “originally framed, erected, and furnished by its maker, with more ease than man can construct and pitch a tent for his own temporary abode. Yet must this noble pavilion also be taken down; these resplendent and beautiful heavens must pass away and come to an end. How glorious, then, shall be those new heavens which are to succeed them and endure for ever!” — Horne.

Verse 2. With light as with a garment. St. Paul says, “he dwelleth in light.” He said in the creation, “Let there be light.” He appeared of old in glory, and in a cloud. The heathen poets represent the gods as appearing clothed in luminous clouds, or with a rainbow.

2. Who coverest thyself with light—The text simply roads, “Who coverest with light,” there being nothing answering to “thyself” except the masculine form of the participle, while the object of the verb is left to be suggested by the connexion. Exley (Commentary on Genesis) understands it of covering, or overspreading, the earth with “light,” being the first day’s work. Genesis 1:3-5. This gives a good sense, and certainly the psalmist already begins, in the second member of this verse, to speak of the acts of God in the six days’ work. Stretchest out the heavens—An allusion to the second day’s work, “Let there be a firmament,” etc. Genesis 1:6, 7. The action of this day’s work was upon the atmosphere, adapting it in a higher degree, as the pabulum of life, to plants and animals, and especially to the higher uses of man. The disordered state of the atmosphere prior to this was a prominent feature of the Hebrew cosmogony. In Job 38:9, the “cloud” and “thick darkness,” or the darkness of thick clouds, (lpr[,) is represented as “swaddling” the abyss. But the air now becomes pellucid, elastic, and animating. Like a curtain— The word means a hanging, or covering, of a flexible and tremulous substance, like a tent cloth, sometimes, the tent itself. Thus the sky, or expanse, seemed spread out like a tent covering. The present participial form of the verbs (art covering, art stretching out, or spreading) teaches a present connexion of God with his universe, as if the acts of creation were still perpetuated in an all sustaining providence.

V. 3. Waters-In the waters above the heavens, as they are called, Genesis 1:7.

Verse 3.

wytwyl[ במים hrqmh hamekareh bammayim aliyothaiv.

“Laying the beams of his chambers in the waters.”

The sacred writer expresses the wonderful nature of the air aptly, and regularly constructed, from various and flux elements, into one continued and stable series, by a metaphor drawn from the singular formation of the tabernacle, which, consisting of many and different parts, and easily reparable when there was need, was kept together by a perpetual juncture and contignation of them all together. The poet goes on:— wbwkr µyb[ µch hassem abim rechubo,

hwr ypnk l[ Ëlhmh hamehallech al canphey ruach.

“Making the clouds his chariot,

Walking upon the wings of the wind.”

He had first expressed an image of the Divine Majesty, such as it resided in the holy of holies, discernible by a certain investiture of the most splendid light; he now denotes the same from that light of itself which the Divine Majesty exhibited, when it moved together with the ark, sitting on a circumambient cloud, and carried on high through the air. That seat of the Divine Presence is even called by the sacred historians, as its proper name, hbkrmh hammercabah, THE CHARIOT.

Verse 3. Who layeth the beams of his chambers — His upper rooms, (so the word wytwyl[ signifies,) in the waters — The waters that are above the firmament, (verse 3,) as he has founded the earth upon the seas and floods, the waters beneath the firmament. The Almighty is elsewhere said to make those dark waters, compacted in the thick clouds of the skies, the secret place, or chamber, of his residence, and a kind of footstool to his throne: see Psalm 18:9, 11. Though air and water are fluid bodies, yet, by the divine power, they are kept as tight and as firm in the place assigned them, as a chamber is with beams and rafters. How great a God is he whose presence-chamber is thus reared, thus fixed! Who maketh the clouds his chariot — In which he rides strongly, swiftly, and far above, out of the reach of opposition, when at any time it is his will to make use of uncommon providences in his government of the world. He descended in a cloud, as in a chariot, to mount Sinai, to give the law, and to mount Tabor, to proclaim the gospel; and he still frequently rides upon the clouds, or heavens, to the help of his people, Deuteronomy 33:26. Who walketh upon the wings of the wind — “There is an unequalled elegance,” says Mr. Hervey, “in these words. It is not said he flieth, he runneth, but he walketh; and that, on the very wings of the wind; on the most impetuous element, raised into the utmost rage, and sweeping along with incredible rapidity. We cannot have a more sublime idea of the Deity; serenely walking on an element of inconceivable swiftness, and, as it seems to us, uncontrollable impetuosity.” “How astonishingly magnificent and tremendous is the idea which these words convey to us of the great King, riding upon the heavens, encompassed with clouds and darkness, attended by the lightnings, those ready executioners of his vengeance, and causing the world to resound and tremble at the thunder of his power and the noise of his chariot-wheels. By these ensigns of royalty, these emblems of omnipotence, and instruments of his displeasure, doth Jehovah manifest his presence, when he visiteth rebellious man, to make him own and adore his neglected and insulted Lord.” — Horne.

Ver. 3. Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters; who maketh the clouds his chariot. See on Deuteronomy 33:26. The dense clouds are represented as the secret chambers of the Most High, where he prepares the rain, and whence he utters his voice in thunders.

3. Layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters—The idea of a celestial reservoir, or ocean, whether as a poetic image or a fact, is alluded to, grounded on Genesis 1:6, 7. The region of the rain clouds is intended. See on verse 2. The figure is taken from architecture. To lay “the beams” is to frame them solidly together. Nehemiah 3:3, 6, “Chambers,” here, do not mean the supreme heavens, the blissful abode of God, but literally the upper rooms, (so Septuagint and Jerome,) that is, the upper regions of the atmosphere in general. The “beams” of these “chambers” seemed to rest upon the region of the rain clouds. From these same “chambers” God waters the hills. Verse 13. Here, upon the clouds, he builds his superior, though not his supreme, apartments. From these regions proceed the more sensible tokens of God, as rain, hail, snow, lightning, and thunder; and they were looked upon with awe as the temporary abode of God, an idea which a tropical thunderstorm is well suited to suggest. See Psalm 18:11. The clouds his chariot—The figure is changed, but fixes the location of the “chambers,” just noticed, and of the “heavens,” verse 2. See Isaiah 19:1. And thus when God would send rain, he is said to “bow the heavens” (clouds) and come down; a beautiful expression of a fact in nature. Psalm 18:9. Wings of the wind—See Psalm 18:10. The allusion in this verse, also, is to the work of the second day.

V. 4. Spirits-Of a spiritual or incorporeal nature, that they might be fitter for their employments. Fire-So called for their irresistible force and agility, and fervency in the execution of God’s commands.

Verse 4.

twjr wykalm hc[ oseh malachaiv ruchoth,

chl va wytrvm mesharethaiv esh lohet.

The elements are described as prompt and expedite to perform the Divine commands, like angels or ministers serving in the tabernacle; the Hebrew word wytrvm mesharethaiv being a word most common in the sacred ministrations.

Verse 4. Who maketh his angels spirits — That is, of a spiritual or incorporeal nature, that they might be more fit for their employments; or who maketh them winds, as the word twjwr, ruchoth, commonly signifies; that is, who maketh them like the winds, powerful, active, and nimble in executing his pleasure. His ministers a flaming fire — So called for their irresistible force, agility, and fervency in the execution of his commands. But this verse is otherwise rendered by Jewish, and some Christian interpreters, and that very agreeably to the Hebrew text; namely, He maketh the winds his messengers, and flames of fire (that is, the lightning, and thunder, and fiery meteors in the air) his ministers: he maketh use of them no less than of the holy angels; and oftentimes for the same purposes; and they do as certainly and readily obey all his commands as the blessed angels themselves do. This interpretation seems most agreeable to the scope of the Psalm and of the context, wherein he is speaking of the visible works of God; and, perhaps, if properly considered, it will not be found to invalidate the argument of the apostle, (Hebrews 1:7,) who informs us that the words have a reference to immaterial angels: for, when the psalmist says that God maketh the winds, wykalm, malachaiv, his angels, or messengers, he plainly signifies that the angels are God’s ministers, or servants, no less than the winds. And that is sufficient to justify the apostle’s argument, and to prove the pre-eminence of Christ above the angels, which is the apostle’s design in that place: see on Hebrews 1:7.

Ver. 4. Who maketh his angels spirits, like the soul of man. Genesis 2:7. The French bibles read, “He makes winds his angels, [messengers] and burning fire his servants.” How does he do that? Answer; He bade the fires burn Sodom and Gomorrah. He blew with his wind, and the sea was divided. But if these ideas be all, why does he say spirits, in the plural number, while the elements, wind and fire, are in the singular? He rode on the wings of the wind:—the Highest gave his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. Did not hosts of angels attend his chariot; and are not the seraphim his burning ones? The angels in the cloud of his presence are the shining of a flaming fire. There can be no doubt but St. Paul, who wrote to the Hebrew christians with the utmost caution and care, had the highest rabbinical authority for applying this text to angels in the plural number, and not to wind and fire. The rabbins are all agreed that the angels are servants of the Messiah, and swell the glory of his train.

4. His angels spirits—Some have reversed the order of the Hebrew words, and translated, “Who maketh the winds his messengers, and the flaming fire his ministers;” but the apostle (Hebrews 1:7) has decided the meaning, making “angels,” here, not a term of office but an order of celestial beings, so that the authorized English version is to be retained. A comparison is here, undoubtedly, to be understood, though the usual Hebrew particle is omitted by ellipsis. The sense would then be, “He maketh his angels as winds, and his messengers as lightning”—two of the most powerful, subtle, and swift-moving forces known to the Hebrews, as emanating from the “chambers” where the God of nature, while operating upon nature, is supposed to have his seat. Verses 3, 13. On flaming fire, (lightnings,) see Psalm 78:48; 105:32.

V. 5. Who laid-Heb. he hath established the earth upon its own basis, whereby it stands as fast and unmoveable, as if it were built upon the strongest foundations. Forever-As long as the world continues. God has fixt so strange a place for the earth, that being an heavy body, one would think it should fall every moment. And yet which way so ever we would imagine it to stir, it must, contrary to the nature of such a body, fall upwards, and so can have no possible ruin, but by tumbling into heaven.

Verse 5.

hynwkm l[ xra dsy yasad erets al mechonepha,

ועד µlw[ cwmt lb bal tammot olam vaed.

“Laying the earth upon its foundations,

That it should not be shaken for evermore.”

This image Bishop Lowth thinks evidently taken from the tabernacle, which was so laid upon its foundations that nothing could move it, and the dispensation to which it was attached, till the end purposed by the secret counsel of God was accomplished: and thus the earth is established, till the end of its creation shall be fully answered; and then it and its works shall be burnt up. On the above ground, the stability of the sanctuary and the stability of the earth are sometimes mentioned in the same words.

Verse 5. Who laid the foundations of the earth — Hebrew, hynwkm l[ xra dsy, jasad eretz gnal mechoneah, who hath founded the earth upon its own bases, or foundations, that is, upon itself, or its own centre of gravity, by which it is self-balanced, and by which it stands as fast and immoveable as if it were built upon the strongest foundation imaginable, which is a most stupendous work of divine wisdom and power; that it should not be removed — Out of its proper place; for ever — Or, till the end of time, when it must give way to the new earth. “God,” says Dr. Hammond, “has fixed so strange a place for the earth, that, being a heavy body, one would think it should fall every moment: and yet, which way so-ever we should imagine it to stir, it must, contrary to the nature of such a body, fall upward, and so can have no possible ruin, but by tumbling into heaven,” namely, which surrounds it on all sides.

5. Laid the foundations of the earth—Literally, founded the earth upon its foundations, a poetical figure for a firm placing of the “earth” in its proper sphere. See Psalm 119:89-91. Compare Job 26:7 and 38:4,

V. 6. The deep-In the first creation, Genesis 1:2,9.

Verse 6. Thou coveredst it with the deep] This seems to be spoken in allusion to the creation of the earth, when it was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the waters invested the whole, till God separated the dry land from them; thus forming the seas and the terraqueous globe.

The poet Ovid has nearly the same idea:— Densior his tellus, elementaque grandia traxit, Et pressa est gravitate sua; circumfluus humor Ultima possedit, solidumque cœrcuit orbem. Met. lib. i., ver. 29.

Earth sinks beneath, and draws a numerous throng Of ponderous, thick, unwieldy seeds along: About her coasts unruly waters roar;

And, rising on a ridge, insult the shore. DRYDEN.

Verses 6, 7. Thou coveredst it with the deep — That is, in the first creation, of which the psalmist is here speaking, when the earth, while yet without form, was covered all over, and, as it were, clothed with the great deep, that vast expansion of air and waters; the waters stood above the mountains — Those which are now the highest mountains were all under that liquid element. At thy rebuke — That is, at thy powerful command, which, as it were, rebuked, and thereby corrected and regulated that indigested congeries and confusion of things; they fled — Namely, the inferior waters; at the voice of thy thunder — Thy powerful voice, which resounded like thunder; they hasted away — To the place that thou hadst prepared for them, where they still make their bed.

Ver. 6-8. The waters stood above the mountains. At thy rebuke they fled— they go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys. This alludes to the play of the tides for the long space of about three hundred days, during the flood of Noah, by which the old world perished, and new hills were made. See on Genesis 8:3. 9:13. Mr. Merrick, in his new version of the Psalms, has correctly preserved this idea, which has the sanction of De Saussure, of the Abbe la Pluche, and of Humboldt.

He spake—and o’er the mountain head,

The deep its wat’ry mantle spread;

And first adown their bending side,

With refluent stream the current tide.

6. Its place is fixed by an almighty fiat, not by chance, or evolutionary laws. For ever—Literally, for ever and ever.

6. Thou coveredst it with the deep—The word “deep,” µwht, (tehom,) means, agitated “deep,” “mass of raging waters,” flood. So Psalm 42:7. Compare Job 38:8, “Who shut up the sea… when it brake forth?” or, after it had broken forth. The language suits an unwonted, lawless condition of the waters of the ocean, answering to the geological theory of the drift period, immediately preceding the human or historic era. This description of the state of the earth prior to the first day’s work assumes the existence of land and water, and is against the notion of a chaos, the rudis indigestaque moles of Ovid. (Metem., lib. 1:10.) Mountains—The existence of these before the “six days” of Moses is another important coincidence with modern science, and a total refutation of the heathen theory of a chaos, adopted by the old commentators.

V. 7. Rebuke-Upon thy command, Genesis 1:9. Fled-They immediately went to the place which God had allotted them.

Verse 7. At thy rebuke they fled] When God separated the waters which were above the firmament from those below, and caused the dry land to appear. He commanded the separation to take place; and the waters, as if instinct with life, hastened to obey.

At the voice of thy thunder] It is very likely God employed the electric fluid as an agent in this separation.

Verses 6, 7. Thou coveredst it with the deep — That is, in the first creation, of which the psalmist is here speaking, when the earth, while yet without form, was covered all over, and, as it were, clothed with the great deep, that vast expansion of air and waters; the waters stood above the mountains — Those which are now the highest mountains were all under that liquid element. At thy rebuke — That is, at thy powerful command, which, as it were, rebuked, and thereby corrected and regulated that indigested congeries and confusion of things; they fled — Namely, the inferior waters; at the voice of thy thunder — Thy powerful voice, which resounded like thunder; they hasted away — To the place that thou hadst prepared for them, where they still make their bed.

Ver. 6-8. The waters stood above the mountains. At thy rebuke they fled— they go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys. This alludes to the play of the tides for the long space of about three hundred days, during the flood of Noah, by which the old world perished, and new hills were made. See on Genesis 8:3. 9:13. Mr. Merrick, in his new version of the Psalms, has correctly preserved this idea, which has the sanction of De Saussure, of the Abbe la Pluche, and of Humboldt.

He spake—and o’er the mountain head,

The deep its wat’ry mantle spread;

And first adown their bending side,

With refluent stream the current tide.

7. At thy rebuke they fled—There is a harshness in the words “rebuke,” voice of thy thunder, and in the terror implied in the terms “fled,” hasted away, as if they deemed that God was displeased at them, because, says Hengstenberg, “God is the enemy of disorder, and because the waters stood in an attitude of hostility to the realization of his purpose to manifest his glory on the earth.” This also favours the hypothesis that the condition of the earth’s surface was that of disorder and desolation, by reason of the undue prevalence of the waters of the ocean, which now give way to the present order of things. See the original fiat, Genesis 1:9, and compare Psalm 106:9; Nahum 1:4; Psalm 18:15; Isaiah 50:2.

V. 8. Go up-In that first division of the waters from the earth, part went upwards, and became springs in the mountains, the greatest part went downwards to the channels made for them.

Verse 8. They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys] Taking the words as they stand here, springs seem to be what are intended. But it is difficult to conceive how the water could ascend, through the fissures of mountains, to their tops, and then come down their sides so as to form rivulets to water the valleys. Most probably all the springs in mountains and hills are formed from waters which fall on their tops in the form of rain, or from clouds that, passing over them, are arrested, and precipitate their contents, which, sinking down, are stopped by some solid strata, till, forcing their way at some aperture at their sides, they form springs and fountains. Possibly, however, vapours and exhalations are understood; these by evaporation ascend to the tops of mountains, where they are condensed and precipitated. Thus the vapours ascend, and then come down to the valleys, forming fountains and rivulets in those places which the providence of God has allotted them; that is, continuous valleys, with such a degree of inclination as determines their waters to run in that direction till they reach another river, or fall into the ocean. Some have thought there is a reference to the breaking up on the fountains of the great deep, at the time of the flood; while the protrusion of the waters would raise the circumambient crust, so as to form mountains, the other parts, falling in to fill up the vacuum occasioned by the waters which were thrown up from the central abyss, would constitute valleys. Ovid seems to paraphrase this verse:—

Jussit et extendi campos, subsidere valles,

Fronde tegi sylvas, lapidosos surgere montes.

Met. lib. i., ver. 43.

“He shades the woods, the valleys he restrains

With rocky mountains, and extends the plains.”

DRYDEN.

Verse 8. They go up by the mountains — Rather, They went up mountains: they went down valleys, &c. — They went over hill and dale, as we say; they neither stopped at the former, nor lodged in the latter, but made the best of their way to the place founded for them. The psalmist is “describing the motion of the waters in mountains and valleys, when, at God’s command, they filed off from the surface of the earth, into the posts assigned them.” Some interpret the psalmist’s meaning to be, that, in that first division of the waters from the earth, part went upward and became springs in the mountains, but the greatest part went downward to the channels made for them. Thus Dr. Waterland: They climb the mountains; they fall down on the valleys. The Hebrew, however, may be rendered, (as it is by some, both ancient and later interpreters,) The mountains ascended; the valleys descended; that is, when the waters were separated, part of the earth appeared to be high, and formed the mountains, and a part to be low, and constituted the valleys or low grounds. So Bishop Patrick: “Immediately the dry land was seen, part of which rose up in lofty hills; and the rest sunk down in lowly valleys, where thou hast cut channels for the waters to run into the main ocean, the place thou hast appointed for them.” But the former sense seems most agreeable to the context, because he speaks of the waters both in the foregoing and following verses.

Ver. 6-8. The waters stood above the mountains. At thy rebuke they fled— they go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys. This alludes to the play of the tides for the long space of about three hundred days, during the flood of Noah, by which the old world perished, and new hills were made. See on Genesis 8:3. 9:13. Mr. Merrick, in his new version of the Psalms, has correctly preserved this idea, which has the sanction of De Saussure, of the Abbe la Pluche, and of Humboldt.

He spake—and o’er the mountain head,

The deep its wat’ry mantle spread;

And first adown their bending side,

With refluent stream the current tide.

8. Up by the mountains… down by the valleys—A reference to the subsidence of the waters to the present bed of the ocean. Unto the place which thou hast founded for them—This shows that the deep cavity of the ocean, being a sunken area, “varying in depth from 1,000 feet or less, to probably 50,000 feet,” was not left to the blind operation of natural causes, but was a matter of divine forethought and design.

V. 9. A bound-Even the sand of the sea-shore.

Verse 9. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass] And what is this bound? The flux and reflux of the sea, occasioned by the solar and lunar attraction, the rotation of the earth on its own axis, and the gravitation of the waters to the centre of the earth. And what is the cause of all these? The will and energy of God. Thus the sea is prevented from drowning the earth equally where there are flat shores as where the sea seems hemmed in by huge mounds of land and mountains. The above, not these, are the bounds which it cannot pass, so that they cannot turn again to cover the earth.

Verse 9. Thou hast set a bound — Even the sand of the sea-shore, as is expressed Jeremiah 5:22. Which, though in itself contemptible, and a very poor defence to the earth against that swelling and raging element, yet, by God’s almighty power and gracious providence, is made sufficient for that purpose, as the experience of five thousand years hath taught us. That they turn not again to cover the earth — Once indeed they did, namely, in Noah’s flood, because God commanded them so to do; but not since, because he prohibits them, having promised not to drown the world again. God himself glories in this instance of his power, and uses it as an argument with us to fear him, Job 38:8, &c.; Jeremiah 5:22. And surely this, if duly considered, would keep the world in awe of God and his goodness, that the waters of the sea would soon cover the earth if God did not restrain them.

9. Thou hast set a bound—This impassable boundary of the ocean was a perpetual wonder to the Hebrew mind as a mark of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; (Job 26:10; 38:10, 11; Jeremiah 5:22;) and fitly so, for the area of the ocean, as compared with the dry land, is as eight to three, and the security of the dry land, with its inhabitants, is wholly due to the depression of the ocean bed and the corresponding elevation of the land above the ocean level. This elevation of the continents above the sea is estimated to average one thousand feet. If all the dry land above the present ocean level were cast into the ocean it would raise the water only about three hundred and seventy-five feet, and “it would take forty times this amount to fill the oceanic depressions.”—Dana. How wonderfully, then, has God “shut up the sea,” and said, “Hitherto shall thou come, but no further.” Job 38:8, 11. The slow and local changes of the lines of sea shore, of which geology takes notice, is no contradiction of the text, for it is of the passing its boundary to again cover the earth that the text speaks. That they turn not again to cover the earth—This language supposes that the recent prevalence of the ocean was lawless, not its proper state—not consistent with the ultimate designs of the Creator in regard to animal and vegetable life. This is the bearing of verses 7-9, and is a remarkable coincidence with geological statements. If ever geology shall reach a demonstration of the causes which have produced the phenomena of the post-tertiary formations, particularly of the drift and erratic block period, these verses, together with passages from the book of Job and the first chapter of Genesis, may receive a clearer explanation than can now be given. Where Scripture refers to objects or phenomena of nature, or of archaeology, the things themselves must be understood before the language can be fully interpreted. We wait the demonstrations of science.

Verse 10. He sendeth the springs into the valleys] Evaporation is guided and regulated by Divine Providence. The sun has a certain power to raise a certain portion of vapours from a given space. God has apportioned the aqueous to the terrene surface, and the solar attraction to both. There is just as much aqueous surface as affords a sufficiency of vapours to be raised by the solar attraction to water the earthy surface. Experiments have been instituted which prove that it requires a given space of aqueous surface to provide vapours for a given space of terrene surface; and the proportion appears ordinarily to be seventeen of water to three of earth; and this is the proportion that the aqueous bears to the terrene surface of the globe. See Ray’s three Physico-theological Discourses.

Verses 10, 11. He sendeth the springs — “The waters of the sea are not only prevented from destroying the earth, but, by a wonderful machinery, are rendered the means of preserving every living thing which moveth thereon. Partly ascending from the great deep, through the strata of the earth, partly exhaled in vapour, from the surface of the ocean, into the air, and from thence falling in rain, especially on the tops and by the sides of the mountains, they break forth in fresh springs, having left their salts behind them; they trickle through the valleys, between the hills, receiving new supplies as they go; they become large rivers, and, after watering, by their innumerable turnings and windings, immense tracts of country, they return to the place from whence they came.” — Horne. Thus they give drink to every beast of the field — Not only to man, and those creatures that are immediately useful to him, but to every animal which needs that refreshment, for God’s mercies are over all his works; where he has given life he provides for its support, and takes care of all creatures. The wild asses quench their thirst — Which he mentions, because they live in dry and desolate wildernesses, and are neither ruled nor regarded by men, yet are plentifully provided for by the bounty of Divine Providence, by which, dull and stupid as they are, they are taught the way to the waters, in those sandy and parched deserts, so perfectly, that “there is no better guide for the thirsty traveller to follow than to observe the herds of them descending to the streams.” The reader of taste will easily observe, that “the description here is very picturesque, of fine springs in the midst of valleys frequented by a variety of beasts and birds, allured thither by the place, and giving a kind of society to it.” — Dodd.

10. He sendeth the springs into the valleys—The poet here suspends his direct notice of the “six days’ work,” to speak of the works of providence. After the ocean, it is fit that he should speak of springs in the mountains and hills, for these proceed from the ocean through evaporation and the containing and carrying power of the atmosphere. Of this hydraulic system of nature the Hebrews had knowledge. Ecclesiastes 1:7; Genesis 2:6; Amos 9:6. µylhn, (nehaleem,) generally means rivers, but sometimes wadys, or valleys. It may here take either sense. “He sendeth,” refers the origin and uses of springs and fountains directly to the act of God, who “sendeth” the waters of the ocean to the elevated lands of the continents to create fountains, which he causeth to flow down and irrigate the valleys, or to empty into the larger streams.

V. 11. Wild asses-Stupid creatures, and yet plentifully provided for by the Divine providence.

Verse 11. The wild asses quench their thirst.] The arp pere, onager or wild ass, differs in nothing from the tame ass, only it has not a broken spirit, and is consequently more lively and active. It is so very swift that no horse except the Arab barb can overtake it. It is a gregarious animal, and they go in troops to feed and to drink. It is very timid, or rather jealous of its liberty, and therefore retires deep into the desert; yet even there the providence of God regards it; springs are provided, and it has the instinct to find them out.

Verses 10, 11. He sendeth the springs — “The waters of the sea are not only prevented from destroying the earth, but, by a wonderful machinery, are rendered the means of preserving every living thing which moveth thereon. Partly ascending from the great deep, through the strata of the earth, partly exhaled in vapour, from the surface of the ocean, into the air, and from thence falling in rain, especially on the tops and by the sides of the mountains, they break forth in fresh springs, having left their salts behind them; they trickle through the valleys, between the hills, receiving new supplies as they go; they become large rivers, and, after watering, by their innumerable turnings and windings, immense tracts of country, they return to the place from whence they came.” — Horne. Thus they give drink to every beast of the field — Not only to man, and those creatures that are immediately useful to him, but to every animal which needs that refreshment, for God’s mercies are over all his works; where he has given life he provides for its support, and takes care of all creatures. The wild asses quench their thirst — Which he mentions, because they live in dry and desolate wildernesses, and are neither ruled nor regarded by men, yet are plentifully provided for by the bounty of Divine Providence, by which, dull and stupid as they are, they are taught the way to the waters, in those sandy and parched deserts, so perfectly, that “there is no better guide for the thirsty traveller to follow than to observe the herds of them descending to the streams.” The reader of taste will easily observe, that “the description here is very picturesque, of fine springs in the midst of valleys frequented by a variety of beasts and birds, allured thither by the place, and giving a kind of society to it.” — Dodd.

11. Beast of the field—A term for land animals in general. Wild asses— Here mentioned, perhaps, as specimens of animals inhabiting parched deserts, familiar with suffering from thirst, and hence extreme examples of divine care. For their habits, see Job 39:5-8; Isaiah 32:14.

Verse 12. By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation] All fowls love verdure, and have their residence where they can find wood and water.

Verse 12. By them — By the springs of water in the valleys; the fowls of the heaven have their habitation — Delighting to build their nests, and sing among the verdant branches which conceal them from our sight. “The music of birds,” says Mr. Wesley, “was the first song of thanksgiving which was offered on earth before man was formed. All their sounds are different, but all harmonious, and all together compose a choir which we cannot imitate.” (Survey of the Wisdom of God, vol. 1. p. 314, third edition.) “If these little choristers of the air,” adds Dr. H., “when refreshed by the streams near which they dwell, express their gratitude by chanting, in their way, the praises of their Maker and Preserver, how ought Christians to blush, who, besides the comforts and conveniences of this world, are indulged with copious draughts of the water of eternal life, if for so great a blessing they pay not their tribute of thanksgiving, and sing not unto the Lord the songs of Zion!”

12. By them—Literally, Above, or over, “them;” that is, over the banks of these streams, by which trees are nourished, the birds have their habitation, and give forth their voices. Fowls of the heaven—The phrase is opposed to “beasts of the earth.” Genesis 1:24, 26.

V. 13. The hills-Which most need moisture. From-From the clouds. Satisfied-By this means all the parts of the earth, are made fruitful. The fruit-With the effects of those sweet showers.

Verse 13. From his chambers] The clouds, as in Psalm 104:3. The earth is satisfied] The inhabitants of it.

Verses 13-15. He watereth the hills — Which most need moisture, and have least of it in themselves; from his chambers — From those chambers spoken of verse 3, the beams of which he lays in the waters, those store-chambers, the clouds that distil the fruitful showers. The earth, &c. — By this means all the parts of the earth, the hills as well as the dales, the mountains as well as the valleys, are satisfied with the fruit of thy works — With those sweet showers which they drink in, or rather with the effect of them, the fruitfulness caused thereby. “Hence all the glory and beauty of the vegetable world; hence grass that nourishes the cattle, that they may nourish the human race; hence the green herb for food and for medicine; hence fields covered with corn, for the support of life; hence vines and olive-trees, laden with fruits, whose juices exhilarate the heart, and brighten the countenance.” — Horne.

Ver. 13. He watereth the hills, dry and thirsty, with a double portion of rain; for the clouds which float over the plains, not only rain, but descend on the mountain ranges. Such is the wisdom of God.

13. Watereth the hills from his chambers—See on verses 3 and 10. The earth is satisfied—The earth being, literally, watered from his “chambers,” “is satisfied,” being stimulated to its highest power of productivity, (Psalm 65:8-13; Jeremiah 14:22,) and thus, also, the earth, metonymically, that is, its inhabitants, as animals and plants, all things of the earth which have life—are supplied to satiety. So verse 14, and Psalm 145:16. Fruit of thy works—The context would require us to understand, by this, the result of God’s wise arrangements and adaptations in universal nature.

Verse 14. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle] Doth God care for oxen? Yes, and there is not a beast of the field that does not share his merciful regards.

And herb for the service of man] Plants, esculent herbs, and nutritive grain in general; and thus he brings forth food (לחם lechem, bread) out of the earth. In the germination and growth of a grain of wheat there is a profusion of miracles. God takes care of man, and of all those animals which are so necessary to the convenience and comfort of man.

Verses 13-15. He watereth the hills — Which most need moisture, and have least of it in themselves; from his chambers — From those chambers spoken of verse 3, the beams of which he lays in the waters, those store-chambers, the clouds that distil the fruitful showers. The earth, &c. — By this means all the parts of the earth, the hills as well as the dales, the mountains as well as the valleys, are satisfied with the fruit of thy works — With those sweet showers which they drink in, or rather with the effect of them, the fruitfulness caused thereby. “Hence all the glory and beauty of the vegetable world; hence grass that nourishes the cattle, that they may nourish the human race; hence the green herb for food and for medicine; hence fields covered with corn, for the support of life; hence vines and olive-trees, laden with fruits, whose juices exhilarate the heart, and brighten the countenance.” — Horne.

14. Grass… for the cattle… herb for… man—From the more general providence of nature, (verses 10-13,) the poet now enters more particularly upon the provisions for animals and man. “Grass for the cattle,” improperly translated hay, (Proverbs 27:25; Isaiah 15:6,) and rendered leek in the English version of Numbers 11:5, probably from the radical idea of greenness, sufficiently defines itself. (Job 40:15.) But more probably the Egyptian clover (helbeh) is intended, which, in its first and tender shoots, is universally eaten in Egypt as a salad, and, at a later stage, fed to the cattle. The “herb for the service,” or use “of man,” comprehends not only vegetables, but all breadstuffs and edibles. See Genesis 1:29; 3:18; 9:3. That he may bring forth—Whether the verb be construed as the act of man in tilling, or, more properly, of God in causing to grow, the idea conveyed is, the standing miracle by which man’s food comes “out of the earth.” See Job 28:5. The inorganic earthly particles are first manipulated into vegetable tissue and organism, and this into animal.

V. 15. Oil-He alludes to the custom of those times and places, which was upon festival occasions to anoint their faces with oil. Bread-Which preserves or renews our strength and vigour.

Verse 15. And wine] Wine, in moderate quantity, has a wondrous tendency to revive and invigorate the human being. Ardent spirits exhilarate, but they exhaust the strength; and every dose leaves man the worse. Unadulterated wine, on the contrary, exhilarates and invigorates: it makes him cheerful, and provides for the continuance of that cheerfulness by strengthening the muscles, and bracing the nerves. This is its use. Those who continue drinking till wine inflames them, abuse this mercy of God.

Oil to make his face to shine] That is, to anoint the body; and particularly those parts most exposed to the sun and weather. This is of high importance in all arid lands and sultry climates. By it the pores are kept open, and perspiration maintained.

Bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.] In hunger not only the strength is prostrated, but the natural courage is also abated. Hunger has no enterprise, emulation, nor courage. But when, in such circumstances, a little bread is received into the stomach, even before concoction can have time to prepare it for nutriment, the strength is restored, and the spirits revived. This is a surprising effect; and it has not yet been satisfactorily accounted for.

Three of the choicest and most important articles of life are here mentioned: WINE, for the support of the vital and intellectual spirits; BREAD, for the support of the nervous and muscular system; and OIL, as a seasoner of food, and for those unctions so necessary for the maintenance of health. Where wine, oil, and bread can be had in sufficient quantities, there animal food, ardent spirits, and all high-seasoned aliments, may be well dispensed with. Heavy taxes on these necessaries of life are taxes on life, itself; and infallibly lead to adulteration of the articles themselves; especially wine and oil, which, in countries where they are highly taxed, are no longer to be found pure.

Verses 13-15. He watereth the hills — Which most need moisture, and have least of it in themselves; from his chambers — From those chambers spoken of verse 3, the beams of which he lays in the waters, those store-chambers, the clouds that distil the fruitful showers. The earth, &c. — By this means all the parts of the earth, the hills as well as the dales, the mountains as well as the valleys, are satisfied with the fruit of thy works — With those sweet showers which they drink in, or rather with the effect of them, the fruitfulness caused thereby. “Hence all the glory and beauty of the vegetable world; hence grass that nourishes the cattle, that they may nourish the human race; hence the green herb for food and for medicine; hence fields covered with corn, for the support of life; hence vines and olive-trees, laden with fruits, whose juices exhilarate the heart, and brighten the countenance.” — Horne.

15. And wine that maketh glad the heart of man—The “wine,” here, ˆyy, (yayin,) is the same as was offered to God in the daily sacrifice, (Exodus 29:40, 41,) the offering of first fruits, (Leviticus 23:13,) and on other occasions. Numbers 15:5, 7, 10. it was the same, also, as is mentioned 1 Samuel 25:37; 2 Samuel 13:28; Proverbs 23:20, 30, 31; Isaiah 5:11, 12, 22; 28:1, 7; Hosea 6:5, etc. The mention of “wine,” oil, and bread in the same connexion, the characteristic products of the country, (Deuteronomy 12:17; Jeremiah 31:12,) would indicate a blessing in some form, but the predicate, “maketh glad,” or merry, “the heart,” carries with it a significant admonition as to wine. See Ecclesiastes 10:19. The Hebrew of the text simply says, Wine will make the heart of man merry, stating it merely as a fact, without either approving or condemning its use. But the making “glad the heart of man,” may be affirmed of unfermented wine not less than fermented.

V. 16. Trees-Which come up, and thrive not by man’s industry, but merely by the care of God’s providence.

Verse 16. The trees of the Lord are full of sap] w[bcy yisbeu, “are saturated.”

The cedars of Lebanon] God’s providence not only extends to men and cattle, but also to the trees of the field and forest. Many of these are not only sustained, but planted by his providence. Who ever planted the seeds of the cedars of Lebanon, or of the thousands of woods and forests on the globe? God himself sowed those seeds, and they have sprung up and flourished without the care of man.

Verse 16. The trees of the Lord — Trees which are not planted by the art, nor watered by the care of man, but by God’s almighty providence, are full of sap — Being sufficiently supplied therewith through the rain, of the good effects of which he is yet speaking; for “the moisture of the earth, rarefied by the heat of the sun, enters their roots, ascends their tubes, and, by due degrees, expands and increases them, till they arrive at their growth.” The cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted — Yea, the tallest and largest cedars, those of Lebanon, and even whole forests of them, though growing upon the most barren and stony mountains.

Ver. 16. The trees of the Lord, planted with his own hand, grow to the highest perfection. A solemn grandeur is found in the primitive forests, which cannot be equalled by the arts of the nursery; and which powerfully attracts the aboriginals to the native woods.

16. Trees of the Lord—That is, Great trees, such as, in the vegetable kingdom, proclaim the greatness of the Lord, as the cedars of Lebanon. To the same effect, “Trees… which the Lord hath planted:” Numbers 24:6.

Verse 17. Where the birds make their nests] µyrpx tsipporim signifies swallows, sparrows, and small birds in general; here opposed to the hdysj chasidah or stork. Perhaps the heron may be understood, which is said to be the first of all birds to build her nest, and she builds it on the very highest trees. The general meaning is, that God has provided shelter and support for the greatest and smallest birds; they are all objects of his providential regard.

Verse 17. Where the birds make their nests — Taught by the wisdom and understanding imparted to them by the great Creator, which is indeed most wonderful, enabling them “to distinguish times and seasons, choose the most proper places, construct their nests with an art and exactness unattainable by man, and secure and provide for their young.” “What master” (inquires Mr. Wesley in the fore-mentioned work, pp. 312 and 313) “has taught birds that they have need of nests? Who has warned them to prepare them in time, and not to suffer themselves to be prevented by necessity? Who hath shown them how to build? What mathematician has given the figure of them? What architect has taught them to choose a firm place, and to lay a solid foundation? What tender mother has advised them to cover the bottom with a soft and delicate substance, such as cotton or down; and when these fail, who has suggested to them that ingenious charity, to pluck off as many feathers from their own breasts as will prepare a soft cradle for their young? And what wisdom has pointed out to each kind a peculiar manner of building? Is it for the birds, O Lord, who have no knowledge thereof, that thou hast joined together so many miracles? Is it for the men, who give no attention to them? Is it for those who admire them, without thinking of thee? Rather, is it not thy design, by all these wonders, to call us to thyself? To make us sensible of thy wisdom, and fill us with confidence in thy bounty, who watchest so carefully over those inconsiderable creatures, two of which are sold for one farthing?”

17. Birds make their nests—For which, as a subordinate reason, the “trees” (verse 16) were prepared. Stork—A large, wide-winged, (Zechariah 5:9,) migratory bird, of high flight, and noted for its affection toward its young, its family life, and its sagacity in observing its time of passage. Jeremiah 8:7. Fir trees—Probably the Aleppo pine. “This tree fulfils all the conditions which a stork would require in nest building. It is lofty, and its boughs are sufficiently horizontal to form a platform for the nest, and strong enough to sustain it.”—Wood.

Verse 18. The high hills are a refuge] The barren tops of the highest hills, and the craggy abrupt precipices of the most stupendous rocks, are not without their uses: they afford protection, refuge, and food, for creatures whose dispositions and habits are suited to such places; and thus no part of the creation is useless. The creatures who are their inhabitants are necessary links in the great chain of animated beings, and show the wisdom and providence of God.

For a description of the coney, see Leviticus 11:5. The יעל yael, translated here the wild goat, is no doubt a creature of the stag or deer kind; the ibex, chamois, antelope, &c.

Verse 18. The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats — As if he had said, “even those parts of the earth which may seem barren and useless, have yet their uses, and serve to shelter certain animals that are adapted to them.” The psalmist, having alluded to the force of what we call instinct in birds, influencing them to choose secret and secure places in which to fix their habitation, and place their young, proceeds to show the power of the same principle in terrestrial animals, directing them to places of refuge, where they may be safe from their enemies. “Thus the wild goats climb, with ease, to the tops and crags of mountains, where they deposite their young. And thus animals of another kind, which are more defenceless than goats, and not able to climb like them, have yet a way of intrenching themselves in a situation perfectly impregnable among the rocks:” see on Leviticus 11:5.

Ver. 18. The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats. There they find proper food; and in time of danger they can make vast leaps from rock to rock, and leave the dogs and wolves far behind. Such is the care of their Creator. The Hebrew word, in some Versions, is translated deer.

18. Wild goats—The name occurs but twice more in Scripture, (1 Samuel 24:2, Job 39:1,) and applies to the ibex, or steinbok, a species of wild goat well known in Europe; also in Arabia and the East. Its Hebrew name is derived from a word which signifies to climb, and is given for its marvellous surefootedness in the mountainous regions which it inhabits. Conies—The µynpv, (shephanim,) are

not rabbits, but the Syrian hyrax. Rabbits are not found in Palestine, but the hyrax is—an animal a little larger than the rabbit; having its habitation in the rocks. It was classed with the unclean animals. Leviticus 11:5; Deuteronomy 14:7. The text denotes its habit of burrowing in the rocks; and its exceeding coyness and sagacity are mentioned Proverbs 30:26.

V. 19. For seasons-To distinguish the times, the seasons of divers natural events, as of the ebbing and flowing of waters, and other seasons for sacred and civil affairs, which were commonly regulated by the moon.

Verse 19. He appointed the moon for seasons] The heathens thought that the sun and moon were gods, and worshipped them as such. The psalmist shows, 1. That they are creatures dependent on God for their being and continuance; and, 2. That they were made for the use of man. See what has been said on these luminaries in the notes on Genesis 1:14, 16.

Verse 19. He appointeth the moon, &c. — “From a survey of the works of God upon the earth, the psalmist proceeds to extol that divine wisdom which is manifested in the motions and revolutions of the heavenly bodies, and in the grateful vicissitude of day and night occasioned thereby.” For seasons — For measuring the weeks and months, and, among many nations, years also, distinguishing the seasons of the year, and directing the business of the husbandman; for governing the tides, the state of the weather, and divers other natural events; as also the times for sacred and civil affairs, which were commonly regulated by the moon, not only among the Jews, but among heathen also: see on Genesis 1:14. The full and change, the increase and decrease of the moon, exactly observe the appointment of the Creator. The sun, also, knoweth his going down — Namely, the time and place in which he is to set every day of the year, which, though varied from day to day, yet he as regularly and exactly observes as if he were an intelligent being, and had the understanding of a man or angel to guide him, in obeying the laws of his Creator.

19. The psalmist passes to the fourth day’s work. Genesis 1:14. The moon for seasons—The day was determined by the apparent revolutions of the sun, the week, by the return of the sabbath, (Genesis 2:2; Exodus 20:11,) but the year, which was a division of time first suggested by summer and winter, and the regular returning fruits of the earth, was early reckoned by lunar months. The word “signs,” (Genesis 1:14,) is not to be understood of portents, but of division marks of time. Sun knoweth his going down—The time and place, as if he were endowed with knowledge. See Job 38:12. The allusion is to the exactness of the apparent motion of the sun, or the diurnal revolution of the earth. But this is only as a drop to the ocean compared with all the motions of the heavenly bodies and systems of worlds. So perfect are the works of God!

V. 20. Darkness-Which succeeds the light by virtue of thy decree.

Verse 20. Thou makest darkness] It is not the design of God that there should be either constant darkness or constant light. That man may labour, he gives him, by means of the sun, the light of the day; and that he may rest from his labour, and get his strength recruited, he gives him night, and comparative darkness. And as it would not be convenient for man and the wild beasts of the forest to collect their food at the same time, he has given the night to them as the proper time to procure their prey, and the day to rest in. When MAN labours, THEY rest; when MAN rests, THEY labour.

Verse 20. Thou makest darkness — Which succeeds the light, by virtue of thy decree and established order; and it is night — Which, though black and dismal, contributes to the beauty of nature, and is as a foil to the light of the day. Wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth — To seek their prey, which they are afraid to do in the day-time, God having put the fear and dread of man upon them, (Genesis 9:2,) which contributes as much to man’s safety as to his honour. Thus, by this vicissitude of day and night, God hath wisely and mercifully provided, both for men, that they may follow their daily labours without danger from wild beasts, and for the beasts, that they may procure a subsistence.

20. Night—To verse 23 he restricts his note of time to day and night. Creep—Here used for the stealthy movement of beasts of prey.

V. 21. Roar-They roar when they come within sight of their prey. Seek-Their roaring is a kind of natural prayer to God, for relief.

Verse 21. The young lions roar after their prey] It is said of the lion, that his roaring is so terrible as to astonish and quite unnerve the beast which he pursues; so that, though fleeter than himself, it falls down and becomes an easy prey.

Verse 21. The young lions — Which can no more subsist, without Divine Providence, than those that are old and infirm; roar after their prey — They roar, as naturalists observe, when they come within sight of their prey, by which interpretation this place is reconciled with Amos 3:4, Will a lion roar in the forest when he hath no prey? that is, when he hath no prey in view. And seek their meat from God — This is a figurative and poetical expression; their roaring is a kind of natural prayer to God for relief, as the cries of infants are a kind of prayer to their mothers for the breast. It is observed by Dr. Hammond here, that lions are not provided with great swiftness of foot to pursue those beasts on which they prey, and that it was necessary, therefore, that this defect should be provided for some other way: and, accordingly, it has been affirmed, that their very roaring is useful to them for this purpose; and that when they cannot overtake their prey, they do, by that terrible noise, so astonish and terrify the poor beasts, that they fall down, and become an easy prey to them.

21. Young lions—The word denotes one in the vigour of life, as distinguished from the “old lion” which “perishes for lack of prey.” Job 4:11. Roar—Thus startling and bewildering their prey. Seek their meat from God—That is, in seeking their meat conformably to the laws of the nature which God gave them, they seem to ask him for food. Job 38:41.

Verse 22. The sun ariseth] The dawn of day is the warning for man to arise and betake himself to his work; and is the warning to them to retire to their dens.

Verses 22, 23. The sun ariseth — For as he knows the time of his going down, so, thanks be to God, he knows the proper time of his rising, and then the wild beasts gather themselves together — Or, rather, withdraw themselves, or retire, as wpsay, jeaseephu, may be rendered; and lay them down in their dens — Which is a great mercy to mankind, who can now go forth with security and confidence, and perform unmolested the task assigned them by their Maker. Thus, “when the light of truth and righteousness shineth, error and iniquity fly away before it, and the roaring lion himself departeth for a time. Then the Christian goeth forth to the work of his salvation, and to his labour of love, until the evening of old age warns him to prepare for his last repose, in faith of a joyful resurrection.” — Horne.

22. The sun ariseth—The signal for the wild beasts to retire, and for man to go forth.

Verses 22, 23. The sun ariseth — For as he knows the time of his going down, so, thanks be to God, he knows the proper time of his rising, and then the wild beasts gather themselves together — Or, rather, withdraw themselves, or retire, as wpsay, jeaseephu, may be rendered; and lay them down in their dens — Which is a great mercy to mankind, who can now go forth with security and confidence, and perform unmolested the task assigned them by their Maker. Thus, “when the light of truth and righteousness shineth, error and iniquity fly away before it, and the roaring lion himself departeth for a time. Then the Christian goeth forth to the work of his salvation, and to his labour of love, until the evening of old age warns him to prepare for his last repose, in faith of a joyful resurrection.” — Horne.

23. Goeth forth—These words are more significant in the East than with us. There the universal custom of city or village life left, and still leaves, their fields often far from home. “The people of Ibel and Khiem, in Merj ‘Aiyun, for example, have their best grain growing fields down in the ‘Ard Huleh, six or eight miles from their homes.”—Thomson. The country referred to is in the plain north of Lake Merom. The dignity of man above the noblest of the wild beasts is here preserved. They seek their food by night, he by day; they “creep forth,” he “goeth forth;” they for prey, he “unto his work and to his labour.”

Verse 24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works] In this verse there are three propositions: 1. The works of the Lord are multitudinous and varied.

2. They are so constructed as to show the most consummate wisdom in their design, and in the end for which they are formed. 3. They are all God’s property, and should be used only in reference to the end for which they were created. All abuse and waste of God’s creatures are spoil and robbery on the property of the Creator. On this verse Mr. Ray has published an excellent work, entitled, “The Wisdom of God in the Creation,” which the reader will do well, not only to consult, but carefully to read over and study.

Verses 24-26. O Lord, how manifold are thy works — How numerous, how various! Of how many kinds, and how many of every kind. Thus, “transported with a survey of the wonders which present themselves in heaven above, and on earth below, the psalmist breaks forth into an exclamation, on the variety and magnificence, the harmony and proportion, of the works of God, in this outward, and visible, and perishable world. What then are the miracles of grace and glory? What are those invisible and eternal things, which God hath for them that love him, in another and a better world, and of which the things visible and temporary are no more than shadows? Admitted to that place, where we shall at once be indulged with a view of all the divine dispensations, and of that beatitude in which they terminated, shall we not, with angels and archangels, cry out, O Lord, how manifold are thy works, &c.” — Horne. In wisdom hast thou made them all — When men undertake many works, and of different kinds, commonly some of them are neglected, and not done with due care; but God’s works, though many, and of different kinds, yet are all made in wisdom, and with the greatest exactness: there is not the least flaw or defect in them. The most perfect works of art, the more narrowly they are viewed, (as, suppose, with the help of microscopes,) the more rough and imperfect they appear; but the more the works of God are examined, (by these glasses,) they appear the more fine and complete. God’s works are all made in wisdom, for they are all made to answer the end designed, the good of the universe, in order to the glory of the universal King. The earth is full of thy riches — Of excellent, useful, and comfortable things, which are the effects of thy goodness and power. So is this great and wide sea — Which might seem at first view a useless part of the globe, or, at least, not to be worth the room it occupies, but God has appointed it its place, and made it serviceable to man many ways. For therein are things creeping, or, rather, swimming, innumerable — (Hebrew, rpsm ˆyaw, veein mispar, and there is no number, namely, that can comprehend them,) both small and great beasts — Or animals, as twyj, chaioth, signifies; that is, fishes of various kinds, many of which serve for the food of man; and there go the ships — In which goods are conveyed to countries very distant much more easily, speedily, and at less expense than by land carriage. “There is not,” says Dr. Horne, “in all nature, a more august and striking object than the ocean. Its inhabitants are as numerous as those upon the land; nor are the wisdom and power of the Creator less displayed, perhaps, in their formation and preservation, from the smallest fish that swims, to the enormous tyrant of the deep, the leviathan himself,” of which see Job 40. and 41. “By means of navigation, Providence hath opened a communication between the most distant parts of the globe; the largest solid bodies are wafted with incredible swiftness upon one fluid, by the impulse of another, and seas join the countries which they appear to divide.”

24. In wisdom hast thou made them all—And he that fails to see and confess it has his character given Psalm 14:1.

V. 25. Creeping-This word is common to all creatures that move without feet.

Verse 25. This great and wide sea] The original is very emphatic:µydy ורחב גדול הים hz zeh haiyam gadol urechab yadayim, “This very sea, great and extensive of hands.” Its waters, like arms, encompassing all the terrene parts of the globe. I suppose the psalmist was within sight of the Mediterranean when he wrote these words.

Verses 24-26. O Lord, how manifold are thy works — How numerous, how various! Of how many kinds, and how many of every kind. Thus, “transported with a survey of the wonders which present themselves in heaven above, and on earth below, the psalmist breaks forth into an exclamation, on the variety and magnificence, the harmony and proportion, of the works of God, in this outward, and visible, and perishable world. What then are the miracles of grace and glory? What are those invisible and eternal things, which God hath for them that love him, in another and a better world, and of which the things visible and temporary are no more than shadows? Admitted to that place, where we shall at once be indulged with a view of all the divine dispensations, and of that beatitude in which they terminated, shall we not, with angels and archangels, cry out, O Lord, how manifold are thy works, &c.” — Horne. In wisdom hast thou made them all — When men undertake many works, and of different kinds, commonly some of them are neglected, and not done with due care; but God’s works, though many, and of different kinds, yet are all made in wisdom, and with the greatest exactness: there is not the least flaw or defect in them. The most perfect works of art, the more narrowly they are viewed, (as, suppose, with the help of microscopes,) the more rough and imperfect they appear; but the more the works of God are examined, (by these glasses,) they appear the more fine and complete. God’s works are all made in wisdom, for they are all made to answer the end designed, the good of the universe, in order to the glory of the universal King. The earth is full of thy riches — Of excellent, useful, and comfortable things, which are the effects of thy goodness and power. So is this great and wide sea — Which might seem at first view a useless part of the globe, or, at least, not to be worth the room it occupies, but God has appointed it its place, and made it serviceable to man many ways. For therein are things creeping, or, rather, swimming, innumerable — (Hebrew, rpsm ˆyaw, veein mispar, and there is no number, namely, that can comprehend them,) both small and great beasts — Or animals, as twyj, chaioth, signifies; that is, fishes of various kinds, many of which serve for the food of man; and there go the ships — In which goods are conveyed to countries very distant much more easily, speedily, and at less expense than by land carriage. “There is not,” says Dr. Horne, “in all nature, a more august and striking object than the ocean. Its inhabitants are as numerous as those upon the land; nor are the wisdom and power of the Creator less displayed, perhaps, in their formation and preservation, from the smallest fish that swims, to the enormous tyrant of the deep, the leviathan himself,” of which see Job 40. and 41. “By means of navigation, Providence hath opened a communication between the most distant parts of the globe; the largest solid bodies are wafted with incredible swiftness upon one fluid, by the impulse of another, and seas join the countries which they appear to divide.”

25. This great and wide sea— “The words,” says Delitzsch, “properly signify that sea, yonder sea.” In speaking of it the psalmist advances to the fifth day’s work, (Genesis 1:20-22,) and views it as a world of living creatures, and as a path of commerce. Creeping—Moving or gliding. Beasts—Living creatures.

V. 26. Leviathan-The whale. Therein-Who being of such a vast strength and absolute dominion in the sea, tumbles in it with great security, and sports himself with other creatures.

Verse 26. There go the ships] By means of navigation, countries the most remote are connected, and all the inhabitants of the earth become known to each other. He appears at this time to have seen the ships under sail. That leviathan] This may mean the whale, or any of the large marine animals. The Septuagint and Vulgate call it dragon. Sometimes the crocodile is intended by the original word.

To play therein.] Dreadful and tempestuous as the sea may appear, and uncontrollable in its billows and surges, it is only the field of sport, the play-ground, the bowling-green to those huge marine monsters.

Verses 24-26. O Lord, how manifold are thy works — How numerous, how various! Of how many kinds, and how many of every kind. Thus, “transported with a survey of the wonders which present themselves in heaven above, and on earth below, the psalmist breaks forth into an exclamation, on the variety and magnificence, the harmony and proportion, of the works of God, in this outward, and visible, and perishable world. What then are the miracles of grace and glory? What are those invisible and eternal things, which God hath for them that love him, in another and a better world, and of which the things visible and temporary are no more than shadows? Admitted to that place, where we shall at once be indulged with a view of all the divine dispensations, and of that beatitude in which they terminated, shall we not, with angels and archangels, cry out, O Lord, how manifold are thy works, &c.” — Horne. In wisdom hast thou made them all — When men undertake many works, and of different kinds, commonly some of them are neglected, and not done with due care; but God’s works, though many, and of different kinds, yet are all made in wisdom, and with the greatest exactness: there is not the least flaw or defect in them. The most perfect works of art, the more narrowly they are viewed, (as, suppose, with the help of microscopes,) the more rough and imperfect they appear; but the more the works of God are examined, (by these glasses,) they appear the more fine and complete. God’s works are all made in wisdom, for they are all made to answer the end designed, the good of the universe, in order to the glory of the universal King. The earth is full of thy riches — Of excellent, useful, and comfortable things, which are the effects of thy goodness and power. So is this great and wide sea — Which might seem at first view a useless part of the globe, or, at least, not to be worth the room it occupies, but God has appointed it its place, and made it serviceable to man many ways. For therein are things creeping, or, rather, swimming, innumerable — (Hebrew, rpsm ˆyaw, veein mispar, and there is no number, namely, that can comprehend them,) both small and great beasts — Or animals, as twyj, chaioth, signifies; that is, fishes of various kinds, many of which serve for the food of man; and there go the ships — In which goods are conveyed to countries very distant much more easily, speedily, and at less expense than by land carriage. “There is not,” says Dr. Horne, “in all nature, a more august and striking object than the ocean. Its inhabitants are as numerous as those upon the land; nor are the wisdom and power of the Creator less displayed, perhaps, in their formation and preservation, from the smallest fish that swims, to the enormous tyrant of the deep, the leviathan himself,” of which see Job 40. and 41. “By means of navigation, Providence hath opened a communication between the most distant parts of the globe; the largest solid bodies are wafted with incredible swiftness upon one fluid, by the impulse of another, and seas join the countries which they appear to divide.”

Ver. 26. Leviathan. Literally one that scoffs and derides; the crocodile, as described at large, Job 42.

26. There go the ships—The Phoenicians, with whom the Hebrews were well acquainted at this time, were the masters of commerce throughout the world. Leviathan—The whale, or sea monster. See on Psalm 74:14. To play—To sport; an indication of the ease and happiness of the inhabitants of the great deep. Applied also to land animals, Job 40:20. The whale is said to have inhabited the Mediterranean in primitive times; but the word applies to any monster of the waters.

Verse 27. These wait all upon thee] The innumerable fry of the smaller aquatic animals, as well as whales, dolphins, porpoises, and sharks, all have their meat from God. He has in his gracious providence furnished that sort of food which is suitable to all. And this provision is various; not only for every kind of fish does God provide food, but a different kind of aliment for each in its different periods of growth. Here are displayed the goodness and infinitely varied providence of God: “He giveth them their meat in due season.”

Verses 27-30. These all — Both beasts and fishes, wait upon thee — Expect supplies from thy providence: which is spoken of them figuratively, and with an allusion to the manner of tame beasts and fowls, which commonly look after and wait upon those persons who bring their food to them. That thou mayest give them their meat, &c. — When it is necessary or convenient for them. That thou givest them they gather — Whatsoever they receive is from the bounty of thy gift, and they do their part for the obtaining of it: what thou placest within their reach they gather, and expect not that thy providence should put it into their mouths; and with what they gather they are satisfied. For when thou openest thy hand — To supply their wants, they are filled with good — And desire no more than what thou seest fit to give them. Thou hidest thy face — Withdrawest, or suspendest the favour and care of thy providence; they are troubled — Dejected and distressed through want and misery. Thou takest away their breath — Which is in thy hand, and then, and not till then, they die and return to their dust — To the earth, from whence they had their original. Thou sendest forth thy spirit — That spirit by which they live, which may be called God’s spirit, because given and preserved by him. Or rather, that quickening power of God, by which he produces and preserves life in the creatures from time to time. For he speaks not here of the first creation, but of the continued production and preservation of living creatures. They are created — That is, either, 1st, The same living creatures, which were languishing and dying, are strangely revived and restored. Or, 2d, Other living creatures are produced or generated; the word created being taken in its largest sense, for the production of things by second causes. And thou renewest the face of the earth — And thus, by thy wise and powerful providence, thou preservest the succession of living creatures upon the earth, which otherwise would be desolate and without inhabitants. It is justly observed here, by Dr. Dodd, that “the ideas in these verses can be excelled by nothing, but by the concise elegance of the expressions;” which convey to the human mind the most sublime and awful conceptions of that Almighty Being who does but open his hand, and the creatures are filled with good; does but hide his face, and they are troubled and die; does but send forth his Spirit, and they are created.

27. These wait all upon thee—Here is the moral of all these beautiful allusions to living creatures. God feeds them. They wait on God as if their eyes were fixed on him in expectation of being fed, as the Hebrew denotes. See Job 38:41; Psalm 145:15; 147:9. In due season—Literally, In his time. The idea is that they, having no stores laid up, but seeking food only when impelled by hunger, are yet so supplied with means of sustentation, and endowed with instincts and prehensive appliances for discovering and securing their appropriate food, that to the eye of reason they discover and declare the wisdom and beneficence of the Creator, in thus providing for them. Compare Matthew 6:26.

Verse 28. That thou givest them they gather] All creatures are formed with such and such digestive organs, and the food proper for them is provided. Infinitely varied as are living creatures in their habits and internal economy, so are the aliments which God has caused the air, the earth, and the waters to produce.

Thou openest thine hand] An allusion to the act of scattering grain among fowls.

Verses 27-30. These all — Both beasts and fishes, wait upon thee — Expect supplies from thy providence: which is spoken of them figuratively, and with an allusion to the manner of tame beasts and fowls, which commonly look after and wait upon those persons who bring their food to them. That thou mayest give them their meat, &c. — When it is necessary or convenient for them. That thou givest them they gather — Whatsoever they receive is from the bounty of thy gift, and they do their part for the obtaining of it: what thou placest within their reach they gather, and expect not that thy providence should put it into their mouths; and with what they gather they are satisfied. For when thou openest thy hand — To supply their wants, they are filled with good — And desire no more than what thou seest fit to give them. Thou hidest thy face — Withdrawest, or suspendest the favour and care of thy providence; they are troubled — Dejected and distressed through want and misery. Thou takest away their breath — Which is in thy hand, and then, and not till then, they die and return to their dust — To the earth, from whence they had their original. Thou sendest forth thy spirit — That spirit by which they live, which may be called God’s spirit, because given and preserved by him. Or rather, that quickening power of God, by which he produces and preserves life in the creatures from time to time. For he speaks not here of the first creation, but of the continued production and preservation of living creatures. They are created — That is, either, 1st, The same living creatures, which were languishing and dying, are strangely revived and restored. Or, 2d, Other living creatures are produced or generated; the word created being taken in its largest sense, for the production of things by second causes. And thou renewest the face of the earth — And thus, by thy wise and powerful providence, thou preservest the succession of living creatures upon the earth, which otherwise would be desolate and without inhabitants. It is justly observed here, by Dr. Dodd, that “the ideas in these verses can be excelled by nothing, but by the concise elegance of the expressions;” which convey to the human mind the most sublime and awful conceptions of that Almighty Being who does but open his hand, and the creatures are filled with good; does but hide his face, and they are troubled and die; does but send forth his Spirit, and they are created.

V. 29. Hidest-Withdrawest the care of thy providence.

Verse 29. Thou hidest thy face] If thou bring dearth or famine on the land, contagion in the air, or any destruction on the provision made by the waters, then beasts, fowl, and fish die, and are dissolved.

Verses 27-30. These all — Both beasts and fishes, wait upon thee — Expect supplies from thy providence: which is spoken of them figuratively, and with an allusion to the manner of tame beasts and fowls, which commonly look after and wait upon those persons who bring their food to them. That thou mayest give them their meat, &c. — When it is necessary or convenient for them. That thou givest them they gather — Whatsoever they receive is from the bounty of thy gift, and they do their part for the obtaining of it: what thou placest within their reach they gather, and expect not that thy providence should put it into their mouths; and with what they gather they are satisfied. For when thou openest thy hand — To supply their wants, they are filled with good — And desire no more than what thou seest fit to give them. Thou hidest thy face — Withdrawest, or suspendest the favour and care of thy providence; they are troubled — Dejected and distressed through want and misery. Thou takest away their breath — Which is in thy hand, and then, and not till then, they die and return to their dust — To the earth, from whence they had their original. Thou sendest forth thy spirit — That spirit by which they live, which may be called God’s spirit, because given and preserved by him. Or rather, that quickening power of God, by which he produces and preserves life in the creatures from time to time. For he speaks not here of the first creation, but of the continued production and preservation of living creatures. They are created — That is, either, 1st, The same living creatures, which were languishing and dying, are strangely revived and restored. Or, 2d, Other living creatures are produced or generated; the word created being taken in its largest sense, for the production of things by second causes. And thou renewest the face of the earth — And thus, by thy wise and powerful providence, thou preservest the succession of living creatures upon the earth, which otherwise would be desolate and without inhabitants. It is justly observed here, by Dr. Dodd, that “the ideas in these verses can be excelled by nothing, but by the concise elegance of the expressions;” which convey to the human mind the most sublime and awful conceptions of that Almighty Being who does but open his hand, and the creatures are filled with good; does but hide his face, and they are troubled and die; does but send forth his Spirit, and they are created.

29. Thou takest away their breath—Compare Job 34:14; Psalm 146:4. Death is by a natural law of the Creator, by which he taketh back, or gathers to himself, as the word means, the “breath” which he gave.

V. 30. Spirit-That quickening power of God, by which he produces life in the creatures from time to time. For he speaks not here of the first creation, but of the continued production of living creatures. Created-Other living creatures are produced; the word created being taken in its largest sense for the production of things by second causes. Renewest-And thus by thy wise and wonderful providence thou preservest the succession of living creatures.

Verse 30. Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created] יבראונ yibbareun, “They are created again.”

And thou renewest the face of the earth.] Do not these words plainly imply a resurrection of the bodies which have died, been dissolved, or turned to dust? And is not the brute creation principally intended here? Is it not on this account it is said, Psalm 104:31, “the glory of the Lord shall endure for ever, (לעולם leolam,)” to be manifest in those times which are secret, when Jehovah himself shall rejoice in his works; when the brute creation shall be delivered from the bondage of its corruption? See the notes on Romans 8:19-23.

Verses 27-30. These all — Both beasts and fishes, wait upon thee — Expect supplies from thy providence: which is spoken of them figuratively, and with an allusion to the manner of tame beasts and fowls, which commonly look after and wait upon those persons who bring their food to them. That thou mayest give them their meat, &c. — When it is necessary or convenient for them. That thou givest them they gather — Whatsoever they receive is from the bounty of thy gift, and they do their part for the obtaining of it: what thou placest within their reach they gather, and expect not that thy providence should put it into their mouths; and with what they gather they are satisfied. For when thou openest thy hand — To supply their wants, they are filled with good — And desire no more than what thou seest fit to give them. Thou hidest thy face — Withdrawest, or suspendest the favour and care of thy providence; they are troubled — Dejected and distressed through want and misery. Thou takest away their breath — Which is in thy hand, and then, and not till then, they die and return to their dust — To the earth, from whence they had their original. Thou sendest forth thy spirit — That spirit by which they live, which may be called God’s spirit, because given and preserved by him. Or rather, that quickening power of God, by which he produces and preserves life in the creatures from time to time. For he speaks not here of the first creation, but of the continued production and preservation of living creatures. They are created — That is, either, 1st, The same living creatures, which were languishing and dying, are strangely revived and restored. Or, 2d, Other living creatures are produced or generated; the word created being taken in its largest sense, for the production of things by second causes. And thou renewest the face of the earth — And thus, by thy wise and powerful providence, thou preservest the succession of living creatures upon the earth, which otherwise would be desolate and without inhabitants. It is justly observed here, by Dr. Dodd, that “the ideas in these verses can be excelled by nothing, but by the concise elegance of the expressions;” which convey to the human mind the most sublime and awful conceptions of that Almighty Being who does but open his hand, and the creatures are filled with good; does but hide his face, and they are troubled and die; does but send forth his Spirit, and they are created.

Ver. 30. Thou renewest the face of the earth with vernal beauties. This text is cited by the rabbins in succession, to prove the resurrection of the dead. The learned Manessè Ben Israel writes on it as under: “When God takes away their breath, and the body is reduced to ashes, if the spirit be sanctified, it will a second time return to the body;” which obviously refers to the resurrection of the dead.

30. Thou sendest forth thy spirit—The Hebrew word rendered “spirit” is the same as “breath” in the preceding verse. The allusion is to Genesis 1:2, where the Spirit of God appears as the forming and quickening energy. See, also, Genesis 2:7; Job 33:4. But these apply pre-eminently to man. Renewest… face of the earth—The force of the language in verses 29, 30, would more fitly describe the succession of species than the generation and succession of individuals of a species, and every geologist will feel the force of the description thus applied. It is not by evolution of species, but by succession of species, that God develops his progressive plan.

V. 31. Rejoice-Thus God advances the glory of his wisdom and power and goodness, in upholding the works of his hands from generation to generation, and he takes pleasure in the preservation of his works, as also in his reflection upon these works of his providence.

Verse 31. The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever — God will never cease to manifest his glorious wisdom, power, and goodness in his works; and creatures shall never be wanting to give him the praise and honour due unto his name. The Lord shall rejoice in his works — Shall continue to take that complacency in the products of his own wisdom, power, and goodness, which he had, when he saw every thing which he had made, and behold, it was very good. We often do that which, upon the review, we cannot rejoice in, but are displeased at, and wish undone again, blaming our own management. But God always rejoices in his works, because they are all done in wisdom. We regret our bounty and beneficence, but God never does: he rejoices in the works of his grace: his gifts and calling are without repentance.

31. The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever—This is proposed as the end of all his works, (verses 2, 24,) and the moral of this graphic and beautiful review. The second member of the verse is of the same import. The Lord shall rejoice in his works—With him is no great, no small. All alike come before him for special notice and care, and the beneficent ends and wise methods which characterize all his acts meet his ineffable complacence. “For his pleasure (that which he delights in) they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11. Sin only has disturbed this “sublime order,” and called forth his displeasure; and the millennium of the universe shall be realized when, by redemption, the harmony is restored. Then “all thy works shall praise thee, O Jehovah, and thy saints shall bless thee.” Psalm 145:10.

V. 32. He looketh-This is a farther illustration of God’s powerful providence: as when he affords his favour to creatures, they live and thrive, so on the contrary, one angry look or touch of his upon the hills or earth, makes them tremble and smoke, as Sinai did when God appeared in it.

Verse 32. He looketh on the earth] Even the look of God terrifies all created nature!

He toucheth the hills] So easy is it for God to burn up the earth and the worlds thereof, that even his touch kindles the mountains into flames! See Etna, Vesuvius, Stromboli, &c.; these are ignited by the touch of God. How majestic are these figures!

The renewal of the earth, and re-creation of deceased animals, shall take place when he shall shake terribly the heavens and the earth; when they shall be wrapped together as a scroll, and the earth and its works be dissolved, that is, after the general convulsion and conflagration of the world.

Verse 32. He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth, &c. — Unable to bear his frown. This is a further illustration of God’s powerful providence. As when he affords his favour to creatures, they live and thrive; so, on the contrary, one angry look or touch of his, upon the hills or earth, makes them tremble or smoke, as once Sinai did when God appeared on it.

Ver. 32. He toucheth the hills, and they smoke. A sublime figure, derived from the smoke and vapours emitted from those mountains on the summits of which volcanoes have opened their craters. He kindled these fires, and they are under his controul. He reserves them for that day when the heavens and the earth shall be burnt up. 2 Peter 3:7.

Verse 33. I will sing unto the Lord] The psalmist exulting in the glorious prospect of the renovation of all things, breaks out in triumphant anticipation of the great event, and says, I will sing unto the Lord yyjb bechaiyai, with my lives, the life that I now have, and the life that I shall have hereafter.

I will sing praise to my God] בעודי beodi, “in my eternity;” my going on, my endless progression. What astonishing ideas! But then, how shall this great work be brought about? and how shall the new earth be inhabited with righteous spirits only? The answer is,

Verses 33, 34. I will sing unto the Lord, &c. — Whatever others do, I will not fail to give to God his glory and due praises. My meditation of him — My praising of God concerning the glory of his works; shall be sweet — Either, 1st, To God; he will graciously accept it; praise being his most acceptable sacrifice, Psalm 69:30, 31. Or rather, 2d, To myself. I will not only do this work of praising God, but I will do it cheerfully and with delight: it shall be a pleasure to me to praise him, and I shall find comfort in so doing.

Verses 33, 34. I will sing unto the Lord, &c. — Whatever others do, I will not fail to give to God his glory and due praises. My meditation of him — My praising of God concerning the glory of his works; shall be sweet — Either, 1st, To God; he will graciously accept it; praise being his most acceptable sacrifice, Psalm 69:30, 31. Or rather, 2d, To myself. I will not only do this work of praising God, but I will do it cheerfully and with delight: it shall be a pleasure to me to praise him, and I shall find comfort in so doing.

34. I will be glad in the Lord—The original of the word rendered “glad” is the same as that translated “rejoice,” in verse 31. The one the joy of the Creator in his works, the other that of the creature in the Creator. “Between these two there exists a reciprocal relation, as between the sabbath of the creature in God and the sabbath of God in the creature.”— Delitzsch.

V. 35. Praise ye the Lord-Heb. Hallelujah. This is the first time that this word occurs. And it comes in here on occasion of the destruction of the wicked. And the last time it occurs, Revelation 19:1,3,4,6, it is on a like occasion, the destruction of Babylon.

Verse 35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more.] Or, He shall consume the wicked and ungodly, till no more of them be found. Then the wicked shall be turned into hell, with all the nations that forget God. No wonder, with these prospects before his eyes, he cries out, “Bless Jehovah, O my soul! Hallelujah!” And ye that hear of these things, bless the Lord also.

Verse 35. Let the sinners be consumed, &c. — This speaks terror to the wicked. As if he had said, As for those ungodly creatures who do not regard the works of the Lord, nor give him the glory due to his name, but dishonour him, and abuse his creatures, and thereby provoke God to destroy the earth, and the men and things which are upon it, let them be consumed, and be no more, for it is my prayer that, for thine honour and for the safety of mankind, those sinners who obstinately and resolutely continue in this practice of disobeying their Creator and Preserver, their Governor and Judge, may be taken out of the world, that they may no longer infect it, and hasten its total destruction. Or rather, the words are a prediction, and wmty, jittamu, should be rendered, they shall be consumed, it being impossible that any should prosper, who harden themselves against the Almighty. And they that rebel against the light of such convincing evidence of God’s existence, wisdom, power, and goodness, and refuse to serve him, whom all the creatures serve, will be justly consumed. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul — But thou, O my soul, come not into this wretched society, but employ thyself in this great and blessed work of praising God, in which I hope to be employed when the wicked are consumed, even world without end; and desire that others may follow my example herein, and therefore say, Praise ye the Lord — Hebrew, Hallelujah. This is the first time that this word occurs, and it comes in here on occasion of the destruction of the wicked. And the last time it occurs, Revelation 19., it is on a like occasion, the destruction of Babylon.

35. Let the sinners be consumed—Or, The sinners shall be consumed. These are not only the enemies of God, but of mankind. They are at war with the harmony of nature and well being of society, by opposing the purposes of God. Sin exists only in personal actors, and to pray against sin is to pray against the sinner only as such. Praise ye the Lord—Hebrew, Hallelujah. This is the first occurrence of this word in the Bible, and it is noticeable that it follows from a true insight into the works of God, the triumph of Jehovah, the downfall of the wicked, and the harmony of God and man. See Exodus 15:1; Revelation 19:1-8. In this psalm we have an example of a pious soul made exultant with holy joy and praise st the contemplation of the economy of God in nature, and the true relation of the Creator to all his works. Let it rebuke the selfishness of that religion which rejoices only in blessings personally received and enjoyed, without lively sympathy with God in all living things. “The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.” Psalm 111:2.