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theophanic storm. For I see].

The reason for the previous wish is now given, and the peril is explained as something that was distinctly seen. The places are in the city], Jerusalem; upon the walls thereof], the place of watchful defence; in the midst of it], in its public square, a place of public concourse. This is as much as to say, in its enclosing walls and in its public places, within the city in its entirety. - violence and strife], these as personified are guilty of preying on the city instead of defending it, trouble and mischief, engulfing ruin, oppression and deceit], heaping up epithets, to describe the utter corruption that prevailed in the city, especially among its rulers and soldiers, who ought rather to have defended the city from all such things.

course.

Str. II. is a pentastich, with four lines syn. and the fifth synth. thereto as an imprecation, thus in the reverse order of Str. I. on the principle of inclusion.-13-15. For it is not an enemy], neither foreign, as v.4. 16. 19, nor even domestic, he that hateth me], a personal enemy; but the very reverse, Thou, a man mine equal], of like estimation, of the same rank and public esteem as himself. — mine associate], in close social relations. my familiar acquaintance], well known by friendly personal interTogether used to hold sweet counsel], accustomed to meet together in the intimacy of a confidential circle and take counsel together, and this was made sweet by mutual words and acts of friendliness. we used to walk in concord], G, Y, “as friends" PBV., which is greatly to be preferred to RV. " with the throng," thinking of the procession in the temple as 425, which latter meaning has no appropriateness if "the house of God" is regarded as a gloss, making, as it does, the line too long. Indeed, there is no good reason for limiting the walking in concord to the walk in temple processions, which would not be suggested by anything else in this Ps. Such was the man who was at the bottom of all this trouble, and such were the circumstances under which he had acted. who reproaches me]. The man who was not an enemy acts as an enemy, and makes false representations and bitter taunts. He who did not hate now acts as if he hated, by making unworthy comparisons with his equal, by magnifying himself in hostility to his friend. This inconsistency between their present and former relations made it extremely difficult to act

wisely. He could get away from an open enemy; he could have hidden from a man that was pronounced in his hatred; but what could he do in this strange situation in which his best friend had become his worst enemy?-16. Let death come treacherously upon them]. These are the enemies led by the treacherous friend; cf. the personified attributes of wickedness v. 10-12. This is an imprecation upon them. The wish is that death may beguile them, coming upon them when they least expect it, taking them unprepared. Let them descend alive to Sheol]. The author is thinking of Korah and his company, Nu. 163 (P), who by divine visitation were swallowed up by an earthquake, and, without the experience of death, descended living into the gulf and went down to the cavern of Sheol. A glossator thought it needful to append a reason for the imprecation: -for evils are in their dwellings], the place where the enemies dwell, their houses, the enemies being resident in the same city as the author.

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Str. III. is a further description of the false friend. The pentastich has an introductory line and two syn. couplets.-2122. He put forth his hands]. His reproaches had advanced to personal violence, cf. v.10, and that against his confederate, the one who was in a covenant of peace and friendship with him, sealed as it was in the times of the Psalmist by the communion meal and the joint application of the blood of the victim; and so he profaned his covenant], defiled it, as a sacred thing in which God, by the sacrifice, was also involved, and so was guilty of impiety toward the God of the covenant. The false friend is now described in the inconsistency between his words and deeds, his profession and practice. His face], so 6, required by pl. vb.; better than "his mouth," , which has been assimilated to his words. The antith. between face and mind is more natural. The face was smoother than curds]. With a round, smiling, beaming face, he addressed his friend; but in his mind, hidden away in secret, was war, which he was only waiting for a convenient opportunity to wage.- softer than oil], were his words; they were smooth, oily, flattering in appearance, but in reality they were drawn swords, sharp, taunting, piercing reproaches. This Str. is interrupted by a gloss which inserts a comforting exhortation to the afflicted before the imprecation:

Cast upon Yahweh thy lot and He will sustain thee,
He will not forever suffer the righteous to be moved.

23. Cast upon Yahweh thy lot], cf. 22° 375; an exhortation to take up the burden of trouble and cast it upon Yahweh, that He might bear it for them. This is the lot, portion, or way, assigned one in this life, however difficult it may be. He will sustain thee], give personal support in the trouble, enabling to endure it. This is enforced by an antithetical couplet, gnomic in character: He will not suffer the righteous to be moved]. They will be enabled to bear their burdens, endure the lot given them to endure, and will stand firm under it, not tottering from their position. — forever]. The sustaining will go on and the restraint from trouble without ceasing.

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24. But, O Thou, Yahweh], strong antith.-- bring them down to the Pit of Sheol]. The final imprecation wishes them to descend by a violent deed of God into the Pit, the place of punishment in Sheol.- Men of blood and deceit], such as the false friend described above and the treacherous enemies in the city. - Let them not live out half their days]. This in the original was doubtless jussive as the context requires, and not indicative, "will not live," as, Vrss., because of the gl.-24 c. But as for me, I trust in Thee], certainly a more appropriate conclusion for a Ps. used in public worship.

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But as for me, unto God will I call, and Yahweh will save me.

Evening and morning and at noon I will make complaint and moan;

And He heard my voice, He ransomed me in peace,

From the battle that I had: for with many were they against me.

May 'El hear and answer them, even He that is enthroned of old!
There are no changes for them that fear not God.

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17-18. But as for me]. The Jewish nation speaks here a vow of worship. unto God will I call], in supplicatory prayer, and this in the syn. line at the three hours of daily prayer of later Judaism, evening and morning and at noon. I will make complaint and moan]. The prayer is a complaint for the evils experienced from enemies, and moaning in the pain involved in them. The prayer is not doubtful of its result, — Yahweh will save me], that is, by giving victory over these enemies. And he heard my

voice]. This begins a new line, and should not be attached to previous line, as a consequence of its petition, against the meas

It refers to a deliverance already experienced as a basis for a plea for another act of deliverance.-19. ransomed me in peace]. The peace is peace from war, the ransom is from enemies; and so it is defined, from the battle that I had], doubtless in the Maccabean wars in which the Jews had won the victory, and that notwithstanding the fact that: with many were they against me]. Their enemies had been very numerous. This is therefore a later gl., with no original connection with its context.-20. 'El], the ancient divine name, || He that is enthroned of old], the King of Israel, enthroned on His heavenly throne, reigning as their king from the most ancient times. These are poetic expressions which do not suit the method of the Maccabean editor. They, with the imvs. hear || answer, were probably a gloss, which the Maccabean editor found and adapted to his purpose by interpreting the latter vb. as from another stem meaning "humble," or "afflict," thinking of the enemy thus as humbled by defeat and slaughter. The Vrss. and interpreters find great difficulty with this v.- There are no changes for them]. The enemies have no changes of fortune to expect; they will meet the same defeat in the future as in the past, because they fear not God]. Only the God-fearing people may expect salvation and victory.

LV. A.

2. in E. —

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] Hiph. imv. cohort., v. 52. —ons] for original, as usual ] Hithp. juss. by Ges.54. (3) k. — pann] v. 610 119170.—3. 7] Hiph. impf. † vb., cf. Arab. stem, go to and fro; Qal Ho. 121 (otherwise) Je. 281 (txt. err., prob. 7); Hiph. Gn. 2740 show restlessness (dub. BDB.). There is no certain use of the form in Heb. Here has λurhONY,

contristatus sum, and I humiliatus sum, which favour an original 78, as Is. 153. — ] I sg. sf. ‡hy n.m. (1) plaint, complaint, so 642 1021 1428, elsw. Pr. 2329 Jb. (5 t.); other mngs. dub. in only, (2) muse 10434, as 1 K. 1827 (E). The word should be at the end of 1. for rhyme in .

] dub. BDB., as most, Hiph. cohort. † [ or ] show disquietude, elsw. Mi. 212 (of fold and pasture); but Hi., De., Now., Qal be driven about, distracted; elsw. Dt. 723 discomfit by defeat; Lag., Gr., Bu., pay, as v.18; Du. Niph. is, as 1 S. 45 Ru. 119 1 K. 145 be in a stir. In all these cases the form is cohort. and must be given a modal force not easy in the context. Ols., Che., Bä., rd., as 77, √nen; Lag., Gr., Bu., Dr., N VABA,

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which is favoured by G èrapáxony, I conturbatus, v.18 and Ps. 397.makes the sentence close here, but 6, 3, make the subsequent context depend on cstr. app n.f. a.λ. pressure, √p Aram. press a.λ. Am. 218

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this vb. —4. (txt. err. for p1). The only other form from this stem in Heb. ¬ n.f. a.λ. Aramaism Ps. 6611, ℗ Oriveis, I tribulationes. Here Niyews, I persequentis, interpret npy as npyn, and that is best suited to context. npys, sug. gested by Ol., Dy., Now., is syn. with ; but the sense cry of distress suits not the wicked adversary, but rather the singer of the Ps. It is easier to think of a defectively written rps cstr. † n.f. distress Is. 822 306 Pr. 127; the substitution of Aram. for Heb. form easy for a later scribe.py:] Qal impf. † [¤vo] vb. Qal cherish animosity against, c. acc. pers., as Gn. 2711 (J) 4923 (Poem) 5015 (E) Jb. 169 3021. This v. is of different measure from its context and is an explanatory gl.—5. ??] emph. in position.-] Qal impf. descriptive, writhe in pain, √ın, as 7717 974. — ] pl. ‡ n.f. terror, poetic word, elsw. , 8816; cf. Ex. 1516 Dt. 3225.-] dittog. of previous word, as Che.-6. Not in B. n.m. elsw. Ex. 1515. It belongs in the next 1. for measure.-] consec. impf. after impf., improb. here; rd. coörd. It was interp. as result of previous movement. —† nas?e] n.f. shuddering, as Is. 214 Ez. 718 Jb. 216; but . R. T.λ σKÓTOS, IDs, so I caligo, tenebrae, so I, Gr., Che., but Σ øpíên.—7. ¬pNo1] prosaic gl., as often; not usual in poetry.] wish, as 147 = 537, should close the 1. for rhyme.—†] n.m. pinions of dove, elsw. eagle Is. 4081 Ez. 178. — ]n.f. dove, elsw. 561 6814. A new l., as Che., and not as MT. at close of 1. — coörd. Qal cohort. 15 for an original, required for rhyme.-8. ] Hiph. impf. pn (2212), although not cohort. in form must, between cohortatives of v.7.9, be cohort. in mng. Prob. the cohort. ending has been omitted by an early copyist.—77] Qal inf. cstr. obj. previous vb., which has force of auxiliary or adverb It should have sf. for rhyme in.-9. ] Hiph. cohort. vn (2220) hasten; so Aq., 0, Σ, I, but poσedexbμny, I expectabam = ns Hiph. ↳n (3125), so S.—pp] a.λ. n.m. acc. obj. escape, Hu., Bä., or acc. direction, taking previous vb. as intrans. haste; place of escape, We., Du.; but 6 Tòv σwšovτá μe, so S, V, imply Pi. ptc. (1713), cf. 1442. is most prob.

LV. B.

no] a.λ. ptc. að rushing, as in cognate Syr. and Arab. stems, BDB., but dub.; • ¿λıyo¥vxlas, V pusillanimitate spiritus = nys, as Is. 5114, but this is improb.; 3 spiritu tempestatis; Aq., &, λaıλaπúdovs. Gr., Hu., Dy., rd. pon.f. storm wind 8316 Am. 114 Na. 13. It is prob. txt. err., variation of Dn.m. tempest, elsw. 8316 Am. 114 Jon. 14. 12 Je. 2319 2582 3023.-10. ] Pi. imv. (2110) attached to this 1. as 9 (4814), although pointing of latter attracted to former, Ges.52 (2) n; but rd. prob. a, as 526, because it is dependent on. It is prob. that we have conflation here. yo is expl. of The is then instrumental, qualifying

.מרוח סער The original was .רוח סעה

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