EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.

Whole Psalm.—It will be seen that this Psalm was written to be chanted in responsive parts, with two choruses. To comprehend it fully, it should be understood that Jerusalem, as the city of God, was by the Jews regarded as a type of heaven. It so occurs in the Apocalypse, whence we have adopted it in our poetical and devotional aspirations. The court of the tabernacle was the scene of the Lord’s more immediate residence—the tabernacle his palace, and the ark his throne. With this leading idea in his mind, the most cursory reader—if there be cursory readers of the Bible—cannot fail to be struck with the beauty and sublimity of this composition, and its exquisite suitableness to the occasion. The chief musician, who was probably in this case the king himself, appears to have begun the sacred lay with a solemn and sonorous recital of these sentences:—

The chorus of vocal music appears to have then taken up the song, and sung the same words in a more tuneful and elaborate harmony; and the instruments and the whole chorus of the people fell in with them, raising the mighty declaration to heaven. There is much reason to think that the people, or a large body of them, were qualified or instructed to take their part in this great ceremonial. The historical text says, “David, and all the house of Israel played before the Lord upon all manner of instruments,” etc. We may presume that the chorus then divided, each singing in their turns, and both joining at the close—

This part of the music may be supposed to have lasted until the procession reached the foot of Zion, or came in view of it, which, from the nature of the enclosed site, cannot be till one comes quite near to it. Then the king must be supposed to have stepped forth, and begun again, in a solemn and earnest tone—

To which the first chorus responds—

And then the second chorus—

This part of the sacred song may, in like manner, be supposed to have lasted till they reached the gate of the city, when the king began again in this grand and exalted strain:—

repeated then, in the same way as before, by the general chorus.

The persons having charge of the gates on this high occasion ask—

To which the first chorus answers—

which the second chorus then repeats in like manner as before, closing it with the grand universal chorus,

We must now suppose the instruments to take up the same notes, and continue them to the entrance to the court of the tabernacle. There the king again begins—

This is followed and answered as before—all closing, the instruments sounding, the chorus singing, the people shouting—

Whole Psalm.—The coming of the Lord of glory, the high demands upon his people proceeding from this, the absolute necessity to prepare worthily for his arrival, form the subject-matter of this Psalm.—E. W. Hengstenberg.

Whole Psalm.—We learn from the rabbins, that this was one of certain Psalms which were sung in the performance of Jewish worship on each day in the week:—

This Psalm, then, appropriated to the Lord’s-day, our Sunday, was intended to celebrate the resurrection of Messiah, and his ascension into heaven, there to sit as a priest upon God’s throne, and from thence to come down bringing blessings and mercies to his people.—R. H. Ryland.

Whole Psalm.—Anthem of praise, performed when the heads of the gates of Jerusalem were lifted up to receive the ark; and those of the Israelites who were ceremoniously clean, were alone permitted to accompany it into the court of the tabernacle. A Psalm of David. Verses 1, 2, chorus. 3. First voice. 4, 5. Second voice. 6. Chorus. 7. Semi-chorus accompanying the ark. 8. Voice from within the gates. 8. Chorus of priests accompanying the ark. 9. Chorus of priests and people with the ark. 10. Voice within the gates. 10. Grand chorus.—From “The Psalms, with Prefatory Titles, etc., from the Port Royal Authors,” by Mary Anne Schimmelpenninck, 1825.

Whole Psalm.—How others may think upon this point, I cannot say, nor pretend to describe, but for my own part, I have no notion of hearing, or of any man’s ever having seen or heard, anything so great, so solemn, so celestial, on this side the gates of heaven.—Patrick Delany, D.D., 1686-1768.

Verse 1.—“The earth is the Lord’s,” that is, Christ’s, who is the “Lord of lords” (Rev. xix. 16); for the whole world and all the things therein are his by a twofold title. First, by donation of God his Father, having “all power given unto him in heaven and in earth” (Matt. xxviii. 18), even whatsoever things the Father hath are his (John xvi. 15); and so consequently “made heir of all things.” Heb. i. 2. Secondly, the earth is Christ’s and all that therein is, by right of creation, for “he founded it,” saith our prophet, and that after a wonderful manner, “upon the seas and floods.” ... All things then are Christ’s, in respect of creation, “by whom all things were made” (John i. 3); in respect of sustentation, as upholding all things by his mighty word (Heb. i. 3); in respect of administration, as reaching from one end to another, and ordering all things sweetly (Wis. viii. 1); in one word—“Of him, and through him, and to him, are all things.” Rom. xi. 36. From hence we may learn (1), That Christ is “the King of glory,” “Lord of Hosts,” even Almighty God. For he that made all, is “Lord over all;” he that is the Creator of heaven and earth is Almighty (saith our Creed); able to do whatsoever he will, and more than he will too—more by his absolute power, than he will by his actual—“able to raise up children unto Abraham” out of the very stones of the street, though he doth not actually produce such a generation. His almightiness evidently proves him to be God, and his founding of the world his almightiness; for “The gods that have not made the heaven and earth shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.” Jer. x. 11. (2). Seeing the compass of the world and all they that dwell therein are the Lord’s, it is plain that the church is not confined within the limits of one region, or glued, as it were, to one seat only. The Donatists in old time, would tie the church only to Cartenna in Africa, the Papists in our time to Rome in Italy; but the Scriptures plainly affirm that the golden candlesticks are removed from one place to another, and that the kingdom of God is taken away from one nation and given unto another country that brings forth the fruit thereof; in every region he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him. Acts x. 35.—John Boys.

Verse 1.—“The earth is Jehovah’s.”—The object of the beginning of the Psalm is to show that the Jews had nothing of themselves which could entitle them to approach nearer or more familiarly to God than the Gentiles. As God by his providence preserves the world, the power of his government is alike extended to all, so that he ought to be worshipped by all, even as he also shows to all men, without exception, the fatherly care he has about them.—J. Calvin.

Verse 1.—“The earth is the Lord’s.” It is Christ’s by creation (verse 2; John i. 1, 2), and it is his by resurrection (Matt. xxviii. 18), and by his glorious ascension into heaven, where he is enthroned King of the world in his human nature. This Psalm takes up the language of the first Ascension Psalm (Psalm viii.)—Christopher Wordsworth, D.D. in loc.

Verse 1.—St. Chrysostom, suffering under the Empress Eudoxia, tells his friend Cyriacus how he armed himself beforehand: εἰ μὲν βούλεται ἡ βασίλισσα ἐξορίσαι μέ, etc. “I thought, will she banish me? ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.’ Take away my goods? ‘Naked came I into the world, and naked must I return.’ Will she stone me? I remembered Stephen. Behead me? John Baptist came into my mind,” etc. Thus it should be with every one that intends to live and die comfortably: they must, as we say, lay up something for a rainy day; they must stock themselves with graces, store up promises, and furnish themselves with experiences of God’s lovingkindness to others and themselves too, that so, when the evil day comes, they may have much good coming thereby.—John Spencer.

Verse 1.—“The earth is the Lord’s.” As David, in his youthful days, was tending his flocks on Bethlehem’s fertile plains, the spirit of the Lord descended upon him, and his senses were opened, and his understanding enlightened, so that he could understand the songs of the night. The heavens proclaimed the glory of God, the glittering stars formed the general chorus, their harmonious melody resounded upon earth, and the sweet fulness of their voices vibrated to its utmost bounds.

“Light is the countenance of the Eternal,” sung the setting sun: “I am the hem of his garment,” responded the soft and rosy twilight. The clouds gathered themselves together and said, “We are his nocturnal tent.” And the waters in the clouds, and the hollow voices of the thunders, joined in the lofty chorus, “The voice of the Eternal is upon the waters, the God of glory thundereth in the heavens, the Lord is upon many waters.”

“He flieth upon my wings,” whispered the winds, and the gentle air added, “I am the breath of God, the aspirations of his benign presence.” “We hear the songs of praise,” said the parched earth; “all around is praise; I alone am sad and silent.” Then the falling dew replied, “I will nourish thee, so that thou shalt be refreshed and rejoice, and thy infants shall bloom like the young rose.” “Joyfully we bloom,” sang the refreshed meads; the full ears of corn waved as they sang, “We are the blessing of God, the hosts of God against famine.”

“We bless thee from above,” said the gentle moon; “We, too, bless thee,” responded the stars; and the lightsome grasshopper chirped, “Me, too, he blesses in the pearly dew-drop.” “He quenched my thirst,” said the roe; “And refreshed me,” continued the stag; “And grants us our food,” said the beasts of the forest; “And clothes my lambs,” gratefully added the sheep.

“He heard me,” croaked the raven, “when I was forsaken and alone;” “He heard me,” said the wild goat of the rocks, “when my time came, and I brought forth.” And the turtle-dove cooed, and the swallow and other birds joined the song, “We have found our nests, our houses, we dwell upon the altar of the Lord, and sleep under the shadow of his wing in tranquillity and peace.” “And peace,” replied the night, and echo prolonged the sound, when chanticleer awoke the dawn, and crowed with joy, “Open the portals, set wide the gates of the world! The King of glory approaches. Awake! Arise, ye sons of men, give praises and thanks unto the Lord, for the King of glory approaches.”

The sun arose, and David awoke from his melodious rapture. But as long as he lived the strains of creation’s harmony remained in his soul, and daily he recalled them from the strings of his harp.—From the “Legend of the Songs of the Night,” in the Talmud, quoted in “Biblical Antiquities.” By F. A. Cox, D.D., LL.D., 1852.

Verse 1.—The pious mind views all things in God, and God in all things.—Ingram Cobbin, 1839.

Verse 2.—“He hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.” This founding the land upon the seas, and preparing it upon the floods, is so wonderfully wonderful, that Almighty God asked his servant Job, “Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened?” Job xxxviii. 6. Xerxes commanded his soldiers to fetter the waters of Hellispontus; and so God bindeth, as it were, the floods in fetters, as St. Basil plainly, Ligatum est mare præcepto Creatoris quasi compedibus; he saith unto the sea, “Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further, there shall it stay thy proud waves.” “He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap; he layeth up the depth in storehouses” (Job xxxviii. 11; Psalm xxxiii. 7); so that without his leave not so much as one drop can overflow the land.—John Boys.

Verse 2. (New translation.)—“For he hath founded it upon the seas, and upon streams doth he make it fast.” The reference is no doubt to the account of the Creation, in Genesis, the dry land having emerged from the water, and seeming to rest upon it. (Comp. cxxxvi. 6; Prov. viii. 29.) It would, however, be quite out of place to suppose that in such language we have the expression of any theory, whether popular or scientific, as to the structure of the earth’s surface: Job says (xxvi. 7), “He hangeth the earth upon nothing.” Such expressions are manifestly poetical. See Job xxxviii. 6.—J. J. Stewart Perowne.

Verse 2.—“Upon the seas:” that is, upon the great abyss of waters which is under the earth, enclosed in great hollow places, whence the heads of rivers do spring, and other waters bubble out upon the earth.—John Diodati.