33 For Jehovah heareth the poor,

And despiseth not his people in their bonds. 34 Let the heaven and the earth praise him ;

The sea, and all that move therein !

35 For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah,

That they may dwell therein, and possess it.

36 Yea, the posterity of his servants shall possess it, And they that love him shall dwell therein.

V. 4. I am obliged, &c.; A proverb, meaning that he was hated and persecuted without cause. - -V. 8. I am become a stranger, &c. i. e.

through emaciation, caused by pain and grief.

PSALM LXX.

This psalm is a repetition of the last five verses of the fortieth psalm, with some slight variations.

For the leader of the music. A psalm of David, for remembrance.

1

MAKE haste, O God, to deliver me,

O Jehovah, come speedily to mine aid!

2 May they all be confounded, and covered with shame,

Who seek to take my life!

May they be driven back with disgrace,

Who desire to do me injury!

3 May they be turned back with shame,

Who cry out to me, Aha! aha !

4 But let all, who seek thee, be glad and rejoice in thee!

Let them, that love thy protection, ever say,

"Exalted be Jehovah!"

5 But I am poor and needy;

O God, hasten to mine aid!

Thou art my help and my deliverer,
O Lord, make no delay!

PSALM LXXI.

Prayer for assistance against enemies; commonly supposed to have been composed by David in his old age, during the rebellion of Absalom.

1

IN thee, O Jehovah, do I put my trust!

Let me never be put to shame!

2 In thy goodness deliver and rescue me;

Incline thine ear to me and save me!

3 Be thou the rock of my abode, where I may continually resort!

Thou hast granted me deliverance;

For thou art my rock, and my fortress!

4 Save me,

O my God, from the hand of the wicked; From the hand of the unjust and cruel! 5 For thou art my hope, O Lord Jehovah ! Thou hast been my trust from my youth! 6 Upon thee have I leaned from my birth; From my earliest breath thou hast been my support; My song hath been continually of thee!

7

I am a wonder to many,

But thou art my strong refuge;

8 Let my mouth be full of thy praise; Let thy glory be my daily theme!

9 Cast me not off in mine old age;

Forsake me not, when my strength faileth!

10 For my enemies speak against me,

And they, who lay wait for my life, consult together; 11 "God," say they, "hath forsaken him ;

"Pursue and seize him; he hath no deliverer!"

12 O God, be not far from me!

Come speedily to mine aid, O my God!

13 Let them perish with shame, who are my enemies; Let them be covered with contempt and dishonor, who seek my hurt!

14

But I will hope continually;

I shall yet praise thee more and more. 15 My mouth shall speak of thy goodness,

Of thy sure protection, all the day long;

For thy mercies are more than I can number. 16 I will celebrate thy mighty deeds, O Lord Jehovah ! 1 will make mention of thy goodness, of thine only! 17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth,

And thus far have I declared thy wonderful deeds; 18 And now, when I am old and gray-headed,

O God, forsake me not,

Until I make known thine arm to the coming generation,

Thy mighty power to all posterity!

19 For thy goodness, O God, reacheth to the heavens ; Wonderful things dost thou, O God, who is like to thee?

20 Thou hast suffered us to see great and grievous troubles;

Thou wilt again give us life,

And wilt bring us back from the depths of the earth!

21 Thou wilt increase my greatness;

Thou wilt again comfort me!

22 Then will I praise thee with the psaltery; Even thy faithfulness, O my God!

To thee will I sing with the harp,

O Holy One of Israel !

23 My lips shall rejoice, when I sing to thee,

And my soul, which thou hast redeemed from death; 24 My tongue also shall continually speak of thy right

eousness,

For all, who seek my hurt, are brought to shame and confounded.

V. 17. Thou hast taught me, i. e. to praise thee.

PSALM LXXII.

The Hebrew title of this psalm is ambiguous, admitting of the translation Of, or For, Solomon. It is, perhaps, most probable that it was prefixed by some one, who supposed Solomon to be the subject, rather than the author, of the psalm. We have seen, however, that in the interpre tation of a psalm very little regard is to be paid to its title. The Chaldee translators, and many ancient Jews, supposed the psalm to be prophetic of the Messiah; and this, perhaps, is the most common opinion in modern times. Some, however, regard it as an inauguration ode, i. e. an ode composed on the succession of a prince to the throne, having exclusive reference to Solomon, or some other Jewish king; the good wishes of the poet being expressed in hyperbolical language not uncommon on such occasions, especially in Eastern countries.

For, or, of Solomon.

1

To the king, O God, give thy justice,

And to the son of a king thine equity!

2 Yea! he shall judge thy people with righteousness, And thine oppressed with justice.

3 For the mountains shall bring forth peace to the peo

ple,

And the hills righteousness.

4 He shall defend the oppressed of the people ;

He shall relieve the destitute,

And break in pieces the oppressor.

5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon shall

endure,

From generation to generation.

6 He shall be like rain descending upon the shorn

mead ;

Like showers, which water the earth.

7 In his days shall the righteous flourish,

And great shall be their prosperity, as long as the moon shall endure.

8 He shall have dominion from sea to sea,

And from the river to the ends of the earth.

9 The inhabitants of the desert shall bow before him, And his enemies shall lick the dust.

10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents;

The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. 11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him; All nations shall serve him.

12 For he shall deliver the poor, who crieth for aid, And the oppressed, who hath no helper.

13 He shall spare the weak and the needy, And save the life of the destitute.

14 He shall redeem them from deceit and violence, And their blood shall be precious in his sight.

15 He shall flourish, and to him shall be given the gold of Sheba ;

Prayer also shall be made for him continually,

And daily shall he be praised.

16 There shall be an abundance of corn in the land; Even on the tops of the mountains its crops shall shake like Lebanon,

And the citizens shall flourish as the grass of the

earth.