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COMMENTARY

ON

THE PSALMS

BY

E. W. HENGSTENBERG,

DR. AND PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY IN BERLIN,

VOLUME II.

TRANSLATED

BY THE REV. P. FAIRBAIRN,

MINISTER AT SALTON;

AND

THE REV. J. THOMSON, A. M.,

MINISTER AT LEITH.

EDINBURGH:

T. & T. CLARK, 38. GEORGE STREET.

LONDON: HAMILTON, ADAMS, & CO.; SIMPKIN, MARSHALL & CO.;

SEELEY & CO.; WARD & CO.; JACKSON & WALFORD, &C.

DUBLIN: JOHN ROBERTSON.

MDCCCXLVI: 1846

Digitized by Ted Hildebrandt, Gordon College, Wenham, MA 2007

ADVERTISEMENT.

OF this Second Volume of Hengstenberg on the Psalms, the

first part, reaching to the close of Ps. lix., has been translated by

Mr. FAIRBA1RN, and the remainder by Mr. THOMSON. There is

little more remaining of the original work, than will be required

for the half of another volume, the author having as yet only

brought it down to the end of Ps. cxix. But the Subscribers to

the translation may rest assured, that when the continuation

appears, no time will be lost in having another, and, it is hoped,

the concluding volume, put into their hands. The Translators

again repeat, as their former intimation appears, in some quar-

ters, not to have been attended to, that the Hebrew points are

used in the translation where they are used in the original, and

those, who choose to complain of their not being constantly

employed, should, in fairness, direct their complaint against

the author. The Translators have only farther to add, that

they are not to be understood as concurring in the peculiar

view adopted by the author in regard to some of the Messianic

Psalms, (in particular, Ps. xvi. xxii. and lxix.), by their not express-

ing any formal dissent. The same remark may be made in re-

ference to some incidental expressions, such as that at p. 439,

line 37, 38, of Vol. ii. The author has signified his intention

to handle, in a few treatises, to be appended to the Commenta-

ry, some of the more difficult points connected with the inter-

pretation of the Psalms; and it is not improbable that the view

in question will be there more fully opened up and explained.

They deem it, therefore proper, in the meantime, to remain.

silent: and possibly may do so to the last, even should they be

unable to concur in the author's sentiments, unless these should

appear to them to be inconsistent with correct views on the

inspiration of Scripture.

ERRATA IN VOL. II.

In page 275, 3d line from foot, for support of the Psalmist, read contents of the

Psalm.

279, line 16, delete from correspondence to title, and read: agreement as to

the occasion on which the Psalm was composed. Such, however,

has been the passion for scepticism and arbitrary interpretation,

that even here a monument in its favour must be erected.

279, last line, for in former times, read already.

282, 12, for the, read this.

14, for they, read to.

287, 31, for How the Spirit, &c., read The Psalmist virtually introduces

the verse thus: As the Spirit of God said by Balaam, In God shall

we do valiantly.

288, 9, for five, read four.

304, 9, for readily, read really.

314, 22, for thou, read who.

339, 32. The following note seems needed to explain Hengstenberg's

brief allusion: Though Jehovah was in itself the higher, the more

peculiar appellation, yet when a spirit of idolatry spread among the

people, and they came to look upon their God as only one of the

gods of the nations, so that Jehovah, the peculiar God of Israel, came

to be = a God, then Jehovah really imported less than Elohim.

337, last line, for augment, read argument.

393, 39, for connected with, read annexed to.

427, 28, for tyh, read tyH.

439, 26, for people's, read peoples.

THE

BOOK OF PSALMS.

PSALM XXXV.

THE Psalmist vehemently complains of malicious and ungodly

enemies, prays the Lord for deliverance, giving promise of

thanksgivings, if his prayer was granted. The Psalm falls into

three strophes, in each of which the three elements of complaint,

prayer, and promise of thanksgiving, are contained, and which

are especially remarkable on this account, that each of these

runs out into the vow of thanksgiving, ver. 1-10; ver. 11-18;

ver. 19-28. The middle strophe, surrounded on each side by

two decades, in which prayer predominates, is chiefly remark-

able for an extended representation of the Psalmist's distress,

and of the black ingratitude of his enemies, which calls aloud

for the divine retribution.

The relations of David's time manifestly form the ground of this

Psalm, which was composed, according to the superscription, by

him. A special ground may be found for it, in 1 Sam. xxiv. 15,

where a declaration of David to Saul is recorded, "The Lord

therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see,

and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand,"—which

coincides with the first verse of our Psalm in very characteristic

expressions. Still, we are not to suppose, on this account, that

the Psalm possesses an individual character: what at first sight

appears to carry this aspect, is soon perceived, by an experiencd

judgment, to be a mere individualizing. David speaks in the

person of the righteous, with what view may the more easily be

understood, since the truly Righteous One could appropriate this

Psalm to himself, (John xv. 25, comp. with ver. 19 here,) an ap-

plication, which led many of the older expositors to give the

1

2 THE BOOK OF PSALMS.

Psalm a too direct and exclusive Messianic exposition, (comp.

on the other hand, Introd. to Psalm xxii.) An accidental

synchronism between this Psalm and the immediately preceding

one, is indicated by the correspondence presented by ver. 5 and

6 to the other, the more remarkable, as these two Psalms are

the only ones, in which the Angel of the Lord, in a general way,

occurs. But in both he appears entirely in the same character

and connection.

Ver. 1. Contend, 0 Lord, with my contenders, consume those

who consume me. In the first member, the relation of the right-

eous to his enemies, appears under the image of a contest for

what is right, in the second, under the image of a war. What

is expressed in the first member as a wish, is in Isa. xlix. 25, con-

verted into a promise, " I will contend with him that contend-

eth with thee." But the wish here also rises on the ground of

the promise. To beg any thing from God, which he had not

promised, were a piece of folly. MHl, signifies, not to fight, but

to eat, and tx is not prepos. but marks the accus. The mean-

ing of fighting first enters in Niphil, prop. to be eaten, then to

be eaten by another. A destructive warfare against the enemies

is not rarely represented as a consuming of these, comp. for ex-

ample, Numb. xxiv. 8, "He eats up (consumes) the heathen,

and their bones will he break." Calvin: "The sum is, that,

overwhelmed with calumnies, and oppressed with cruelty, and

finding no help in the world, he commends his life, as well as his

good name, into the hand of God."

Ver. 2. Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up as my

help. The Lord is represented under the image of a hero, who

equips himself for the deliverance of his oppressed friend. This

representation has its ground in human weakness. As dangers

palpable and manifest surround us, God's hidden and invisible

power is not of itself fitted to keep us from all fear and anxiety.

It must in a manner take to itself flesh and blood. It usually

borrows its dress from the danger, which at the time is threat

ened. In opposition to the acts of lying and calumny, God is set

up as patron or administrator, who takes charge of the affairs

of his people. If danger is threatened from rude violence, he

appears as a warrior, as in Deut. xxxii. 41, 42, who lays hold of

weapons for the defence of his own. In this verse the Psalmist

calls upon the Lord to take weapons of defence, in the next

weapons of offence. Ngm is the small shield, and hnc the great

PSALM XXXV. VER. 3-5. 3

one, as appears from 1 Kings x. 16, 17. ytrzfb prop. in my

help, b is that which marks in what property any thing appears

or consists, Ew. Small Gr. § 521. Help is elsewhere also not

rarely used by David for helper, comp. for example, Psalm xxvii.

9.

Ver. 3. And take hold of the spear, and set a barrier against

my persecutors; say to my soul: thy salvation am I. qvr in

Hiph. to empty, then to take out, namely, from the armoury.

In the expression: set a barrier, prop. close up against my per-

secutor, the figure is borrowed from a host, Which comes to the

help of its confederates, when threatened with a surprisal by the

enemy, and, by throwing itself between them and the enemy,

cuts off from the latter a retreat. It appears, that we have here

before us a military term of art, such as was quite suitable in.

the mouth of the warrior David, and as has already occurred in

ver. 1 and 2. We are not to supply some definite noun, such

as way. Close up, rather imports as much as, make a close.

txrql, against, in military connection, for example, Deut. i.

44, Jos. viii. 14, is carefully to be distinguished from ynpl.

Against my persecutors, in that thou dost oppose a barrier to

them, dost therewith meet them. Many take rgs as a noun=

sa toi?j lo ................
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