40 For He considered that they were | but flesh : and that they were even a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. 41. The Psalm re

41 Many a time did they provoke Him turns to the thought in the wilderness : and grieved Him in the

in verse 12, referring

to the “wonders” in desert.

Egypt. 42 They turned back, and tempted God :

42. Moved. The and moved the Holy One in Israel.

exact meaning of the

Hebrew word is “to 43 They thought not of His hand : and mark,” so " to set of the day when He delivered them from marks to,” “to limthe hand of the enemy;

it” the power of any

one. Others render 44 How He had wrought His miracles in it to make marks as Egypt : and His wonders in the field of Zoan. with a goad, and so to 45 He turned their waters into blood :

exasperate,

46. Lice. The Heso that they might not drink of the rivers. brew word indicates

46 He sent lice among them, and de a species of fly — a voured them up : and frogs to destroy them.

gadily, gaining its

| name from sucking 47 He gave their fruit unto the cater the blood of men and pillar : and their labour unto the grasshopper. animals. 48 He destroyed their vines with hail

47. Grasshopper ;

some particular kind stones : and their mulberry-trees with the of locust. The words frost.

translated caterpillar 49 He smote their cattle also with hail

and locust are found

together in Joel i. 4. stones : and their flocks with hot thunder 48. The cultivation bolts.

of the vine in Egypt 50 He cast upon them the furiousness of

| is amply proved, as

in the dream of PhaHis wrath, anger, displeasure, and trouble : raoh's butler, and in and sent evil angels among them.

various monuments. 51 He made a way to His indignation,

Mulberry is the syca

more-tree. and spared not their soul from death : but 50. Evil angels gave their life over to the pestilence; i.e., the angels were 52 And smote all the first-born in Egypt :

the ministers of these

evil woes; the woes, the most principal and mightiest in the not the angels, were dwellings of Ham.

evil 53 But as for His own people, He led

52. Egypt. Miz

raim, the Hebrew them forth like sheep : and carried them in | name for Egypt, was the wilderness like a flock.

one of the sons of Ham. 54 He brought them out safely, that they

Gen. x. 6, “And the

sons of Ham ; Cush, should not fear : and overwhelmed their and Mizraim, and enemies with the sea,

Phut, and Canaan.”

55 And brought them within the bor- / 55. The borders of ders of His sanctuary : even to His moun

His sanctuary—i.e.,

the Holy Land. His tain which He purchased with His right

mountain-i.e., Mo. hand.

riah. 56 He cast out the heathen also before them : caused their land to be divided among them for an heritage, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

57 So they tempted, and displeased the 57. So ; rather, most high God : and kept not His testi- but, and yet. monies;

58. Broken; Heb. O but burned their backs, and to away | deceitful. Bows were like their forefathers : starting aside like a | made of one long broken bow.

handle of wood, brass, 59 For they grieved Him with their hill

&c., with a piece of

horn or other elastic altars : and provoked Him to displeasure substance at each end, with their images.

2 s. If these 60 When God heard this He was wroth :

horns were drawn out

of their proper direcand took sore displeasure at Israel.

tion, or veered round, 61 So that He forsook the tabernacle in the arrow would not Silo : even the tent that He had pitched

fly true, and the bow

was called "deceitamong men.

ful.” – LEE on Job 62 He delivered their power into cap xx. 24, p. 346. tivity : and their beauty into the enemy's

61. When the Ark

was taken by the hand.

Philistines, Shiloh 63 He gave His people over also unto was abandoned as its the sword : and was wroth with His inheri

resting-place. In the

time of David the tance.

Tabernacle was at 64 The fire consumed their young men : Nob, and after the and their maidens were not given to mar

massacre of the priests

it was removed to riage.

Gibeon, where was 65 Their priests were slain with the " the Great High

Place." 1 Kings iii. sword : and there were no widows to make

4, “The king went lamentation.

tó Gibeon, to sacri. 66 So the LORD awaked as one out of fice there ; for that

was the great high sleep: and like a giant refreshed with wine. |

I place.” 62. Their; Heb. His. Power and beauty refer to the Ark.

64. Given to marriage; Heb. “were not celebrated”-i.e., in the marriage song. There were neither marriage nor funeral rites in the national desolation. 66. A giant ; Heb. a hero, or mighty chief,

67 He smote His enemies in the hinder | 67. He smote, &c. ;

tuol shomo parts : and put them to a perpetual shame. |

Heb. He drove His

enemies back. 68 He refused the tabernacle of Joseph :

68. The Temple was and chose not the tribe of Ephraim;

built in Jerusalem, 69 But chose the tribe of Judah : even not in Shiloh. Jer.

usalem was partly in the hill of Sion which He loved.

Benjamin and partly 70 And there He built His temple on in Judah. high : and laid the foundation of it like

70. Rather trans

late, “He built His the ground which He hath made contin

| sanctuary like high ually.

[hills), like the earth 71 He chose David also His servant :

which He hath found

ed for ever." and took him away from the sheep-folds.

72 As he was following the ewes great with young ones He took him : that he

than] shalt say unto

My servant David, might feed Jacob His people, and Israel | Tňus saith the LORD His inheritance.

of hosts, I took thee 73 So he fed them with a faithful and

from the sheepcote,

from following the true heart : and ruled them prudently with

sheep, to be ruler all his power.

over My people, over Israel," 2 Sam. vii.

DAY 16.

Morning Prayer.

Psalm 79. Deus, venerunt. [This Psalm is a lament over the desecration of the

Temple and the destruction of the city, most

probably at the time of the Chaldæan invasion.] O God, the heathen are come into Thine inheritance : Thy holy temple have they defiled, and made Jerusalem an heap of stones.

2 The dead bodies of Thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the air : and the flesh of Thy saints unto the beasts of the land.

3 Their blood have they shed like water on every side of Jerusalem : and there was no man to bury them.

1. " Zion for your sake shall be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps,” Micah iii. 12. Micah died about 100 years before the destruction of the Temple. His prophecy is quoted by Jeremiah xxvi. 18.

4 We are become an open shame to our 4. Enemies ; Heb. enemies : a very scorn and derision unto

| neighbours, such as

the Edomites and them that are round about us.

similar tribes; they 5 LORD, how long wilt Thou be angry : | are referred to again shall Thy jealousy burn like fire for ever?

in verse 13.

5. Jealousy - i.e., 6 Pour out Thine indignation upon the the indions heathen that have not known Thee : and by God at those who upon the kingdoms that have not called

depart from Him to

follow after idols. upon Thy Name.

The same Hebrew 7 For they have devoured Jacob : and word is used in the laid waste his dwelling-place.

Second Command

ment, “I, the LORD 8 O remember not our old sins, but have

thy God, am a JEALmercy upon us, and that soon : for we are OUS God.” come to great misery.

8. But have mercy,

&c.; Heb. “Let Thy 9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for

mercies speedily prethe glory of Thy Name : 0 deliver us, and vent us”—i.e., come be merciful unto our sins, for Thy Name's

to meet us.

9. “I wrought for sake.

MY NAME's sake, that 10 Wherefore do the heathen say : Where it should not be pol. is now their God ?

luted before the hea

then, in whose sight 11 O let the vengeance of Thy servants'

I brought them out," blood that is shed : be openly shewed upon Ezek. xx. 14. the heathen in our sight.

11. Let God be 12 O let the sorrowful sighing of the

known among the prisoners come before Thee : according to that He is not un. the greatness of Thy power, preserve Thou / mindful of the wrongs

done to His people. those that are appointed to die.

12. The prisoners; 13 And for the blasphemy wherewith | in Babylon. Those our neighbours have blasphemed Thee : re

appointed to die; Heb.

sons of death, those ward Thou them, O LORD, seven-fold into

who were exposed to their bosom.

the caprice of despots, 14 So we, that are Thy people, and

as Daniel's three

friends cast into the sheep of Thy pasture, shall give Thee

furnace, and as Daniel thanks for ever : and will alway be shew himself. ing forth Thy praise from generation to

1

heat

Psalm 80. Qui regis Israel.
[This Psalm of Asaph points to a time of great des-

olation and depression, seemingly referring to
the troubles of the days of the Chaldæan in.

vasion.] HEAR, O Thou Shepherd of Israel, Thou that 1. Upon the cher. leadest Joseph like a sheep : shew Thyself ubims — i. e., above also, Thou that sittest upon the cherubims.

the cherubims, receive

ing their praise. 2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Man 2. Ephraim, &c. asses : stir up Thy strength, and come, and

These tribes are men

tioned in the order in help us.

which they encamped 3 Turn us again, O God : shew the light round the Tabernacle of Thy countenance, and we shall be whole. in the wilderness.

“On the west side 4 () LORD God of hosts : how long wilt

was the standard of Thou be angry with Thy people that prayeth? the camp of Eph5 Thou feedest them with the bread of raim,” Num. ii. 18;

and “the Holiest tears : and givest them plenteousness of

place being in the tears to drink.

western end of the 6 Thou hast made us a very strife unto Tabernacle, it was

nearest to Ephraim, our neighbours : and our enemies laugh us

Benjamin, and Manto scorn,

asses.”—KAY. 7 Turn us again, Thou God of hosts : 5. Bread of tears ;

cf. Ahab's order about shew the light of Thy countenance, and we

Micaiah, “Feed him shall be whole.

with bread of afflic8 Thou hast brought a vine out of tion and with water Egypt : Thou hast cast out the heathen,

of affliction, until I

come in peace," i and planted it.

Kings xxii. 27. 9 Thou madest room for it : and when 6. A strife - i.e., it had taken root it filled the land.

an object of strife, at

which their neigh10 The hills were covered with the

bours struck. shadow of it : and the boughs thereof were 8. This verse re

fers to the transplantlike the goodly cedar-trees.

ing of the stock of 11 She stretched out her branches unto Israel from the unthe sea : and her boughs unto the river. propitious soil of 12 Why hast Thou then broken down

Egypt into the good

ground of Palestine. her hedge : that all they that go by pluck 11. The boundaries off her grapes ?

of Israel's dominion,

promised to Joshua, were from the Mediterranean Sea on the west to the Euphrates on the east. -Joshua i. 4.