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[קרבם בתימו לעולם

[כי יראה חכמים ימותו

V. 11. Their inward Thought is that their Houfes fhall continue for ever. bbws 'na ap] All the ancient Verfions, without Exception, read here, instead of p; which yields a much better Senfe, (and ought doubtless to be admitted) viz. THEIR SEPULCHRE fhall be THEIR HOUSES FOR EVER, THEIR DWELLING TO ALL GENERATIONS.

they call their Lands after their own Names. (12.) Neverthelefs, Man being in Honour abideth not; he is like the Beasts that perish.

קראו בשמותם עלי אדמות- ואדם ביקר בל ילין- נשמל כבהמות נדמו:

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These three Hemiftics ought I think to be connected into one Verse, and thus rendered THEY CALL THE LANDS AFTER THEIR OWN NAMES: BUT MAN ABIDETH NOT IN HONOUR; AS THE BEASTS PERISH, SO DOTH HE: literally, as the Beasts perish, he is made like.

V. 13. This their Way is their Folly:-135 500 ba nt] Rather

-- THIS THEIR PROCEEDING is FOLLY IN THEM.

V. 14. Like Sheep they are laid in the Grave, Death fhall feed on

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This Hemiftic ought I think [כצאן לשאול שתו מות ירעם

them: to be thus rendered --- THEY ARE CAST UNDER GROUND LIKE A FLOCK, WHOSE SHEPHERD IS DEATH; i. e. like a Flock deftroyed by Disease, which are buried to prevent an Infection. The Idea of Death being their Shepherd cannot I think be thought a Catachrefis, but rather a fuitable Image in this Place.

and the upright fhall have Dominion over them in the Morning.

The common Interpretation of this Verfe is ווירדו בם ישרים לבקר

THEY GO DOWN WITH THEM;

very unfatisfactory. The principal Difficulty feems to me to lie in pa; which I cannot but confider as a Mistake for aph, by the fame Tranfpofition as is put for ap, Verse 11. The Senfe I would therefore give this Hemiftic is this (viz. the Flock) THEY GO STRAIGHT TO THE SEPULCHRE. See ufed precifely in this Senfe, Prov. IX. 15. for the Introduction of the righteous here is out of Place. This conjectural Emendation feems to me to be ftrengthened by the correfponding Word,

in the next Hemiftic.

and their Beauty hall confume in the Grave, from their Dwel· AND THE GRAVE,

Rather וצירם לבלות שאול מזבל לו : .lang

-

Thus

THEIR DWELLING, SHALL CONSUME THEIR BEAUTY. the Sepulchre is faid V. 11. to be their Houses for ever, and their Dwelling to all Generations. 5, the Infinitive, feems here ufed for the Future, as Pf. LXX. 1. Ezek. XI. 7. &c.

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V. 18. Though whiles he lived he bleffed his Soul; and Men will praise

כי נפשו בחייו יברך ויודך כי תיטיב :thee when thou doet well to toyfelf [לך :

15.

Rather-THOUGH HE BLESS HIS SOUL IN HIS LIFE, AND COMMEND THEE WHEN THOU CHEEREST THYSELF; i. e. though he gratify his Defires in all the Enjoyments, which his Si"tuation of Life affords him, and think thee right in indulging thy"self in like manner." This I apprehend is the true Sense of this Pasfage; for by blefing is frequently understood giving freely and bountifully to a Perfon; thus, in bleffing I will bless thee, i. e. when I be"flow good Things, I will bestow liberally on thee." Gen. XXII. 17. So alfo Gen. XLIX. 25. Prov. XI. 25. And a Bleffing is often used for a Gift or Gratification, Gen. XXVII. 12. Judg. I. 15. 2 Kings V. and o fignifies frequently Luft, or Appetite, fee Pf. XXVII. 12. Eeel. VI. 7, 9. &c. So that by bleffing one's Soul may very aptly be underftood gratifying the Appetites and Defires. ", in his Life, fignifies "in the Delights and Comforts of his present State," in the fame manner as Eccl. XI. 9. Rejoice, O young Man, in thy Youth, fignifies, "enjoy freely thofe Pleafures and Gratifications, which that Seafon of Life "offers thee;" so that the Senfe in both Places nearly coincides; for in the one it is said of a Man that he gratifies his Defires in the Comforts and Delights of Life; in the other he is bidden (ironically) to enjoy freely all the Pleasures that Youth admits of. But there is still a nearer Correfpondence in the following Part in both Places, where the Words are almost the fame; for in one we read on, let thy Heart cheer thee, in the other 'on', which I therefore render, when thou cheereft thyself; and both evidently denote pleasurable Indulgence. Laftly, this Interpretation most aptly fuits with the Reasoning of the Context. (V. 16.) "Be not thou concerned at the fudden In"crease of a Man's Wealth or Honour, (17.) for it will not follow "him into the Grave, (18.) though for the prefent he may gratify his Defires in the Enjoyments of this Life, and commend others for the "like Indulgence; (19.) yet after a while he fhall leave all behind, "and go where his Forefathers are gone before him."

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V.19. He shall go to the Generation of his Fathers; they shall never fee Light.

Rather תבוא עד דור אבותיו - עד נצח לא יראו אור :

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He

HE SHALL GO TO THE HABITATION OF HIS FATHERS, who SHALL NEVER SEE LIGHT. 717 fignifies to inhabit, Pf. LXXXIV. 10. Dan. IV. 21, 25. Thus the Grave is ftiled the Land of Darkness, Job. X. 21. Pf. LXXXVIII. 12.

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אדם ביקר .

V. 20. Man that is in Honour, and understandeth not, p 078 Rather -MAN being IN HONOUR, IF HE UNDERSTANDETH NOT, i, e. "if he be wicked and irreligious," which is the fcriptural Senfe of Folly and Want of Understanding.

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V.8. I will not reprove thee for thy Sacrifices, or thy Burnt Offerings, to have been continually before me.

Rather ועולתיך לנגדי תמיד :

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לא על זבחיך אוכיחך

I WILL NOT REPROVE THEE

ON ACCOUNT OF THY SACRIFICES; FOR THY BURNT OFFERINGS are CONTINUALLY BEFORE ME.

V.

10.

— and the Cattle upon a thousand Hills. : 958 17na niana] All the ancient Versions seem to have read 'N, viz. THE CATTLE UPON MY HILLS, AND THE OXEN.

V. 13. Will I eat the Flesh of Bulls, or drink the Blood of Goats?] The Heathens thought that their Deities were nourished by the Smoke or Steam of their Sacrifices. See Lucian de Sacrificiis; and Ariftophanes. But Euripedes fays,

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Δειται γαρ ο θεός, είπερ ες' οντως θεός,
Ουδένος· αοιδων οι δε δύςηνοι λογοι.

-left I tear you in Pieces,

All the ancient [פן אטרף

V. 22.
Verfions, except the Chaldee, read — LEST HE TEAR.

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V. 23. —and to him that ordereth his Conversation aright, will I

שם I take [ושם דרך אראנו בישע אלהים: .here the Saluation of God

777 to fignify the fame as 7772 in the Way, or by thofe Means: thus by or av is used, Exod. XVI. 33. and XXX. 18. I would therefore render AND IN THAT WAY WILL I SHEW HIM THE SALVATION OF God.

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PSALM

PSALM LI.

V. 4. Against thee, thee only have I finned : — 'non 775 75] Ra

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ther AGAINST THE E PERSONALLY HAVE I SINNED. 77

See

ufed in this Senfe, Gen. XLIII. 32. Zech. XII. 12, 13. For David could not mean that he had finned only against God in the Matter of Uriah the Hittite: but that abstractedly and apart from the Injury done to others, his Sin contained an immediate Offence against the Majesty of the fupreme Governor of the World, and the Authority of his Laws; SO THAT (proceeds he) THOU ART JUST IN THY SENTENCE (meaning that which God had just pronounced against him by Nathan the Prophet, 2 Sam. XII. 11,12.) and PURE (or UNBLAMEABLE) IN THY JUDGMENT.

V. 5. Behold I was fhapen in Iniquity, &c.] So Tully-fimul atque editi in lucem et fufcepti fumus, in omni continuo pravitate verfamur, ut pæne cum lacte nutricis errorem fuxiffe videamur. Tufc. Difp. Lib. III. Cap. i.

V.6. and in the bidden Part thou shalt make me to know Wisdom.

certainly fignifies THE HEART in סתם As [ ובסתם חכמה תודיעני :

this Place, ought it not to be fo rendered in the Text, and the literal Verfion to be put in the Margin?

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V. 19.

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with burnt Offering, and whole burnt Offering: ] Though thefe two Words and fignify the fame Thing, it would I think be better to render them as in the old Verfion by OBLATION and BURNT OFFERING.

PSALM LII.

V.1. the Goodness of God endureth continually. :n 5 x 700] Qu. would not-THE GOODNESS OF GOD IS EVERLASTING, be better?

V. 2. Thy Tongue devifeth Mischief: like a sharp Razor, working

Rather הוות תחשב - לשונך כתער מלטש - עשה רמיה: .deceitfully

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THOU DEVISEST MISCHIEFS; THY TONGUE, LIKE A SHARP RASOR, WORKETH DECEITFULLY..

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כל דברי בלע

V. 4. Thou loveft all devouring Words, — ya ba man8] Rather --- PERNICIOUS WORDS.

V.9.

-and I will wait on thy Name;

[ אהבת

ought קוה [ואקוה שמך

I think to have here the Sense of the Arabic Verb s, To call upon.

ས.

PSALM · LIII.

5. There were they in great Fear, where no Fear was: for God bath fcattered the Bones of him that encamped against thee, thou haft put them to Shame, because God hath defpifed them. 179 1779 DV

היה פחד - כי אלהים פזר עצמות חנך - הבישתה כי אלהים מאסם:

and render thus הבישתה in lieu of הובישו תהה and חנך of

I read here with all the old Verfions, (except the Chaldee), instead

WHERE NO FEAR IS, THEY FEAR GREATLY; BECAUSE GOD HATH BROKEN THE BONES OF THE IMPIOUS MAN: THEY ARE GREATLY CONFOUNDED, BECAUSE GOD HATH REJECTED THEM: or, THEY WITHER AWAY TO NOUGHT, BECAUSE GOD HATH CAST THEM OFF: making w the Root. is not strictly perhaps an Hebrew Word, but Chaldee; though n, Confufion, is manifeftly derived from it. The and are fo like, that the Mistake is eafily accounted for. By this Interpretation the Difficulty arifing from the Enallage of Perfons is furmounted.

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ובגבורתך תדינני

V. 1.—and judge me by thy Strength. : 711] Rather --- AND PLEAD THOU MY CAUSE WITH THY STRENGTH: as Prov. XXXI. 9. or, with the Common Prayer Verfion, AND AVENGE ME &C.

V.7.

and mine Eye bath feen his Defire upon mine Enemies. AND MINE EYE OVERLOOKETH (i.e.

Rather ובאיבי ראתה עיני:

DESPISETH) MINE ENEMIES: thus

PSALM

fignifies, Job.XL.12. XLI.34.

LV.

V.6. O that I had Wings like a Dove!] So Sophocles, Ed. Col.

Ειτ', αελλαια ταχυρ

ρωσις πέλειας,

Ai Degias

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