= a line to give another characteristic of these enemies, "they do not set God before their eyes," cf. 10' 14' 53, probably influenced by the latter passage. Str. II. has also three syn. couplets.-6. Lo], calling emphatic attention to the wish expressed in v., introduced by the vocatives in v.8.- Helper to me], not predicate of Yahweh, as Vrss.; but in apposition to Yahweh, as His characteristic. — Upholder of my life] the One who had been throughout history the sustainer of His people, maintaining their national existence in every peril and against all enemies.-7. Let evil return], so Kt., in requital, cf. 717 9415, to be preferred to Qr., G, J," He will return," "requite," as 1821.25 28 7912, which requires the interpretation of Yahweh as subj. in the 3d pers. against the uniform usage of this Ps., which is a prayer to Him, in the 2d pers. Such an interpretation is indeed forbidden by the syn. imv. exterminate, otherwise the transition from the one person to the other in a syn. couplet would be exceedingly abrupt and uncalled for.-In Thy faithfulness]. The usual meaning of the Hebrew word is alone appropriate here; namely, the faithfulness of Yahweh to His people, as helper and sustainer. The EV. give the unusual meaning "truth," which has no propriety in this context. These enemies of v.5 are here described as my watchful foes], who lie in wait, a term of, v. 59; also in general as mine enemy, an insertion which the uniform assonance of this Ps. in 1 requires, as well as the measure, in place of the suffix "them," of H, Vrss. -8. This vow disturbs the order of the prayer and the structure of the Str. ; but was needed to make the Ps. appropriate for public worship in later times. In voluntariness will I sacrifice to Thee], so Vrss., AV., cf. PBV., expressing the glad, voluntary participation in public sacrifice, cf. 51. RV. "freewill offering," while a possible rendering of the Hebrew word, is a specific kind of sacrifice which was only appropriate on special occasions, and not at all characteristic of public sacrifice in the temple, or indeed appropriate to it. I will laud Thy name, Yahweh, (saying) for He is good], the oral choral praise, with the Rf. of the Hallels, v. 1353, and Intr. § 35.9. From all trouble deliver me], continuation of the prayer, the verb being interpreted as imv. MT., J, T, pf. 3 sg., G, S, pf. 2 sg., are due to the insertion of the gloss v., separating v.9 from its connection with the imv. v.7. - Let mine eye look]. The context of the original Ps. requires the jussive here, as against pf. of and Vrss., due to the gloss. The eye of Israel hopes to gaze in triumph upon the enemy, defeated and exterminated, cf. 1128 1187. has two tones, as usual [וּבִגְבוּרָתְךָ - .6 .4.also v ;יהוה for an original [אלהים .3 in long words, with conj.-] Qal juss. after imv. (79). —4. p ̄) two tones, the first thrown back from ultima to penult of as usual; v. 212, phr. Pss. 1915 781 138+ Dt. 321 +.—5. ] marked as dub. by Paseq, was prob. originally □, as T and many codd. MT.; so Oort, Gr., Bä., Du. · the usual prep. with Dp, but the pl. sf. impairs the assonance in '-. Rd. therefore as 2712. —] pl. adj., as 3735 8614, both ; cf. Is. 1311 295. —0¬ub pinha 10 ] is an extra 1. to the Str., lacks the characteristic rhyme, and is doubtless a gl. — 6. ] phr. 3011 ().-] prob. for original 1. — bạ] G ȧVτiλýμπтwp, I sustentans, imply sg. without; the latter is due to the interpretation of form as pl., and is prob. not original, v. 36.-7. ;] Kt.; Qr., so 6, J; the former is more suited to the context if is vocative in foregoing, the latter if it is subject of clauses; the former more probable, only it should be juss.] pl. is against assonance; rd. sg. v. 59. — on py7]. The suffix is contrary to the assonance in characteristic of Ps. A word is also missing for the measure: rd. 28. 8. ‡737?] n.f. (1) voluntariness of love Ho. 145, of volunteering for military service Ps. 1103, of copious rain 6810, of voluntary offering of sacrifice 54, adv. acc. Dt. 2324; elsw. always freewill offering, in only 119108 unless this mng. be found here also.-N] Qal cohort. 1 sg. expressing resolution; the accent is retracted before whether Makkeph is used or not; cf. v.a. — ] Hiph. impf. cohort. ~, v. Intr. § 35, cf. 449, 993, 1382 1428. suspicious in E. The rhyme does not appear in this v. It is a gl. — ̄?] v. 5211. —-9. is a gl. of interp.-] Hiph. pf. 3 sg. changes from 2d to 3d pers. without sufficient reason: 6, 3, 2d pers., so Horsley, Gr., Che.; rd. imv. as Street.] Qal pf. 3 f. is not suited to context, even if explained as future pf. or pf. of sure future. The original Ps. required, as Street, ¬¬ juss. The text has been changed from imv. and juss. because of intervening gl.—2] should be sg. sf. as above. PSALM LV. Ps. 55 is composite. (A) A prayer for deliverance, with the longing to flee away from the terrible anxiety to a sure refuge (v.2-3.5-). (B) Imprecations upon treacherous foes within the holy city (v.-12), and upon a treacherous friend (v. 13-16a. 21-22, 24ab). Glosses express confidence in Yahweh (v.23 24c), make vows of public prayer (v.17-18) and urgent petition (v.2), refer to deliverances from battle (v.19), and enlarge upon various features of the original (v.4. 166. 206). A. V.2-3.5-94, 3 STR. 43. O GIVE ear, (Yahweh), to my prayer; O attend to me, and answer me. I am depressed, and I moan in my complaint. MY heart writhes within me, And terrors have fallen upon me. Fear comes upon me, And trembling and shuddering cover me. PINIONS O that I had! As a dove I would fly away and settle down, I would haste away to my place of escape. WITH a tempestuous wind, O Lord, divide their tongues. For I see violence and strife in the city; Day and night they go round about upon the walls thereof. Trouble and mischief are in the midst of it, engulfing ruin in its (square); And oppression and deceit depart not from its square. FOR it is not an enemy who reproaches me, I could get away (from him). It is not he that hateth me that magnifieth himself against me, I could have hidden from him. But thou, a man mine equal, mine associate and my familiar acquaintance! Together we used to hold sweet counsel, we used to walk in concord. Let death come treacherously upon them, let them descend alive to Sheol. HE put forth his hands against his confederate: he profaned his covenant; His face was smoother than curds; but war was in his mind. His words were softer than oil, but they were drawn swords. But, O Thou, (Yahweh), bring them down to the Pit of Sheol. Let not men of blood and deceit live out half their days. יהוה has Ps. 55 was in, of the class, which is justified by the original Ps.^, not by the present Ps. It was taken up into E, when the divine name was changed as elsw. It was also in R, where it was assigned г (v. Intr. §§ 26, 27, 32, 33, 34). The Ps. has an unusual number of glosses. (1) V.17 This could not have been in E, or in DR, which follows its sources in its use of divine names. The three hours of prayer, v.18, appear elsw. Dn. 611 as a late usage. V.19 belongs with v.18. It implies deliverance from a recent battle. These verses all come from a Maccabean editor adapting the Ps. to the circumstances of his times. V.200 belongs also to the same hand, and it is probable that he changed v.20, which was an earlier marginal gl. within the sense of answer, to my in the sense of humiliation of the enemies. V. is a couplet of similar tone, and probably came from him also. (2) V.23 has 17 also, and must have been a gl. later than . It expresses, however, a calm confidence in Yahweh which was more characteristic of the Greek period before the Maccabean trials. V.28 is based on 229 669. The Aramaic is also an evidence of late date. V.24 is also a trimeter gl., concluding the Ps. with an expression of trust in Yahweh. After the glosses have been removed, the Ps. is composite of an early Maskil, v.2-3.5-9a and a later imprecatory Ps., v.96-16a. 21–22, 24ab ̧ The former was a little prayer, which originally was apart by itself, resembling Ps. 54. It was doubtless in E, because the original n has been changed to obs. The combination with the prayer may have been made by E. The imprecatory Ps. is based in v.10 upon the story of the dispersion from Babel Gn. 111-9 (J); in v.16 on the story of Korah and his company Nu. 1633 (P). The traditional ascription of the Ps. to David in the time of the treachery of Ahithophel, 2 S. 15, has no other propriety than that Ahithophel was just such a person as is described in v. 13-15. 21-22; but he could hardly have been regarded as the equal of the king. The reference to Pashhur, Jer. 20, would be more probable, if we could suppose that the Ps. was composed by Jeremiah; but this is improbable, and there is no evidence that Pashhur was such an intimate friend as is here described. The reference to the walls of the city and its public squares, v.11-12, prevents us from thinking of the times of the restoration previous to Nehemiah. It is therefore probably a Ps. of the time of Nehemiah, when there was no special peril from foreign enemies, but great corruption, violence, and strife in the city itself. PSALM LV. A. Str. I. 2-3 is a prayer in a syn. tristich with a synth. line giving reason.-2-3. O give car || O attend to me, and the climax, answer me, are usual terms of petition.—and hide not Thyself]. Yahweh seems to hide His face from His people if He gives no response to their prayers when they are in trouble; cf. 10'.I am depressed], lit. brought down in humiliation, as 3, favoured also by paraphrase of 6, PBV., AV., to be preferred to H, RV., and most moderns, from a different Hebrew stem, "I am restless." -I moan], as v., 6, J, RV., to be preferred to , "am distracted." — in my complaint], plaintive expostulation with Yahweh for leaving him in this condition. Str. II. is a syn. tetrastich, continuing the description of suffering.-5. My heart writhes], in the pain and anguish of the situation. And terrors] of the consequences which will result if Yahweh does not save him. The specification "of death" was due to dittography, and was not original, as indeed it makes the line too long for the measure. -4 is a pentameter gloss, assigning a reason for the anxiety. The enemy and wicked are a plurality of foreign enemies, as v.17-20. These dislodge trouble], a metaphor of rolling stones down from heights upon enemies in the valley beneath, or in a siege from walls upon those assailing them.— cherish animosity]. They habitually and with set purpose, due to anger, take every opportunity of hostile action.-6. shuddering] is an intensification of fear and trembling. These have not only come upon him, as a dark and gloomy cloud, but cover over, enveloping and shutting him in from any relief except from his God. Str. III. is a tetrastich of stairlike advance. - 7-9 a. O that I had ], the usual formula of the wish. —pinions]. He is unable to escape in any other way than by the wings of a bird. As a dove]. This belongs to the second line. The poet is thinking not simply of flying, but that he himself is like a dove, too weak to resist the enemy, whose only hope is in flight.-I would fly away], seeking refuge in clefts of the rocks, Ct. 3.- and settle down], in safety. - afar off], away from the danger of the city.I would lodge in the wilderness], abandoning the metaphor of the bird for that of the traveller, as Je. 9'. This is not suited to the context, it destroys the measure of the line, and is doubtless a gloss from Je.- hasten], syn. with previous lines and so intransitive. PSALM LV. B. Str. I. is a pentastich, giving an introductory line of imprecation and the reason for it in a syn. tetrastich. -9 b. with a tempestuous wind]. There is here a conflation, due to textual error, of "stormy wind" and "devouring tempest." All of these words except "devouring" are attached to previous lines by and Vrss. at the expense of measures and right connection of the two Pss. As so connected it represents a wayfarer flying for refuge from an impending storm, but really it belongs with the next v. as the instrument used by Yahweh for the purpose of division. 10-12. O Lord, divide their tongues], imprecation upon persons not mentioned as yet, a divine visitation such as that upon the builders of Babel, Gn. 1119, and indeed in the same way by a |