Psalm LIII

To the chief Musician. Upon Mahalath. Maschil. A Psalm of David.

Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men.

To see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.

3 Every one of them is gone back; they are altogether become filthy; There is none that doeth good, no, not one.

4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge,

Who eat up my people as they eat bread? They have not called upon God.

5 There were they in great fear, where no fear was:

For God has scattered the bones of him that eucampeth against thee. Thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.

6 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

The unknown instrument “Mahalath” (.derived from the Ethiopic root “to sing”), is here fixed on as the one to be used by “the chief Musician.” And the music is to be selected with care, for this Psalm is, like some others, one that has the mark “Maschil.”

The state of earth ought to be deeply felt by us. The world lying in wickedness should occupy much of our thoughts. The enormous guilt, the inconceivable pollution, the ineffably provoking atheism of this fallen province of God’s dominion, might be a theme for our ceaseless meditation and mourning. To impress it the more on us, therefore, this Psalm repeats what has been already sung in Psalm xiv. It is the same Psalm, with only a few words varied; it is “line upon line, precept upon precept;” the harp’s most melancholy, most dismal notes again sounded in our ear. Not that the Lord would detain us always or disproportionably long amid scenes of sadness, for elsewhere he repeats in like manner that most triumphant melody. Psalm Ix. 6-12; cviii. 6-13; but it is good to return now and then to the open field on which we all were found, cast out in loathsome degradation.

There is one variation of some interest. It is in verse 5. The words of Psalm xiv. 5 are referred to, but altered to ex-This Psalm (

repetition;

why?

Compared with
Psulni xiv.

1G6 PSALM LIII. — EARTH, AND THE VICTORY OF GOD’s PEOPLE.

press much more of triumph and victory on the part of God’s despised ones; for the two passages run thus: —

Psalm liii.

“There were tlieij in great fear where no fear was, For God has scattered the bones of the encamper against thee. TIiou hast put them to shame! For God has despised them /”

Psalm xiv.
“There were they in great fear,
For God is in the generation of the righteous.
You slmmed the counsel of the poor,
Because the Lord is his refuge.”

Besides substituting “Elohim’ for Jehovah throughout, the changes in the Psalm before us seems made on purpose to declare emphatically the complete overthrow of the ungodly.” Thou” is emphatic in verse 5, and like Isa. xxxvii. 22, the verse expresses victory over the ungodly. The term employed in verse 6 is to be noticed. In Psalm xiv. 6 it was, “O that the salvation, nyili;^, were come;” in this Psalm it is “salvations,” “niyii.*y’ full, entire deliverance. On these grounds they may be right who suggest that Psalm xiv. (which see), may be read as the report of the Son of man regarding earth at his First Coming, and Psalm liii. as his description of its state and prospects at his Second.* There is here certainly more said of the full victory; so that while we gave Psalm xiv. the title of “The Righteous One’s view of earth and its prospects,” we are inclined to state as the contents of this — Ihe Righteous One’s view of earth, and the victory of God’s

* Ryland says,” Psalm xiv. refers chiefly to God’s enemies and their alarm; this Psalm to God’s people and their interests. The former contemplates judgments, the latter, deliverances.