Psalm CXL

To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man, preserve me from the violent man,

2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart. Continually are they gatlieiuil

together for war:

3 They have sharjiened their tongues like a serpent; Adders’ poison is under their lips. Sclah.

4 Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;

Preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.

5 The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords;

They have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.

6 I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.

7 0 God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head

in the day of battle.

8 Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked:

Further not his wicked device, lest they exalt themselves. Selah.

9 As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their

own lips cover them.

10 Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right

of the poor.

13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: The upright shall dwell in thy presence.

The I’saimi.st. ANOTHER Psalm “of David,” to be suugby all saints, even as

The plan. it was used by their Head, David’s Son. In it we have (ver.

1-3) the picture of the wicked, with a “Selah,” that bids us

pause over its dark colours. Then we have (ver. 4, 5) a view

of the snares spread by the wicked, with another “Selah-”

pause. Thereafter, we see a soul in the attitude of faith (ver.

6-8). They are laying their snares, but calm as Elisha beholding the Syrian host assembling (2 Kings vi. 15), the stayed

.soul sings —

“I have said to the Lonl, My God art thou ,-”

And then he prays, putting a” elah’ * at the close, that we

may again pause and survey the scene.

* We meet with Selah here for the first time since Psa. lxxxix. From Psa. xc. to Psa. cxl. no Selah occurs. Why omitted in these fifty, we cannot tell, any more than why so often occurring in others. However, there are only about forty Psalms in all in which it is used.

In ver. 9-11 we have the certainty of the wicked’s overthroiu. It is spoken of as a thing to be realised as a matter of course. It is a glance at the great day of the Lord, when he destroys the Man of Sin, and all such foes.

“Coals of fire shall he thrown upon them; He will precipitate them into raging gulfs (7110*111^3) / They shall rise iio more And then we have (ver. 12, 13) the calmi assurance of blessing to the righteous, introduced by an expression that sends our thoughts away to Job’s memorable utterance of his hope that the Redeemer would appear on the earth at the latter day, (xix. 25). “7 know,” says the Psalmist —” I know that Jehovah will execute The judgment of the poor, the right of the needy.’’

And then in verse 13 the expression “TtNl, like that in Psa. lxxiii. 1, intimates that these are inferences drawn from previous reflection. The issue shall be this, the righteous shall praise his name, and dwell before his face for ever. They shall inherit the promised kingdom, entering in with songs, and contuming their songs for ever. Such is this song of the sweet singer of Israel, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, setting forth The Righteous One amid snares, confidently expecting the ruin of the ungodly, and his oiun reward.