3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom : and my heart shall muse of understanding. 4 I will incline mine ear to the parable: and shew my dark speech upon the harp. 5 Wherefore should I fear in the days of wickedness and when the wickedness of my heels compasseth me round about? 6 There be some that put their trust in their goods and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches. 7 But no man may deliver his brother: nor make agreement unto God for him; 8 For it cost more to redeem their souls: so that he must let that alone for ever; 9 Yea, though he live long and see not the grave. 10 For he seeth that wise men also die, and perish together: as well as the ignorant and foolish, and leave their riches for other. 11 And yet they think that their houses shall continue for ever and that their dwelling-places shall endure from one generation to another; and call the lands after their own names. 12 Nevertheless, man will not abide in honour seeing he may be compared unto the beasts that perish; this is the way of them. : 13 This is their foolishness: and their posterity praise their saying. 14 They lie in the hell like sheep, death gnaweth upon them, and the righteous shall have domination over them in the morning: their beauty shall consume in the sepulchre out of their dwelling. 15 But God hath delivered my soul from the place of hell: for He shall receive me. 16 Be not thou afraid, though one be made rich or if the glory of his house be increased; 4. The parable; Heb. a parable. 5. When the wick edness-i.e., when my sins dog my steps, overtake me in the shape of temporal punishments. 6, 7. The helplessness of man to save men. Ver. 8 is parenthetical, and 9 depends on 7. Understand "nor make agreement . . . that he should live perpetually." better, he shall see 10. For he seeth; [it-i.e., the grave]; wise men, &c. 12. Man will not, &c.; rather, “man abideth not." [being] in honour, Cf. ver. 20. 13. [SELAH.] 14. In the hell i.e., the unseen world. Gnaweth; rather, pastures them, is their shepherd. In the morning-i.e., of deliverance. 15. Hath delivered; rather, will deliver. Here is the hope of eternal life. [ SELAH. ] 17 For he shall carry nothing away with him when he dieth : neither shall his pomp follow him. 18 For while he lived, he counted himself an happy man and so long as thou doest well unto thyself, men will speak good of thee. 19 He shall follow the generation of his fathers and shall never see light. 20 Man being in honour hath no understanding but is compared unto the beasts that perish. : Morning Prayer. PSALM 50. Deus deorum. [This is a Psalm of Asaph, the only one in this book ascribed to him. He was one of the famous singers of Israel, and one of the three leaders of the choir. Psalms lxxiii. to lxxxiii. are also attributed to him. The Law given at Sinai is explained thus at Zion.] THE LORD, even the most mighty God, hath spoken: and called the world, from the rising up of the sun, unto the going down thereof. 2 Out of Sion hath God appeared in perfect beauty. : 3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence there shall go before Him a consuming fire, and a mighty tempest shall be stirred up round about Him. 4 He shall call the heaven from above : and the earth, that He may judge His people. 5 Gather my saints together unto Me : those that have made a covenant with Me with sacrifice. DAY 10. 1. THE SUMMONS. "Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD'S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth for the LORD hath a controversy with His people," Micah vi. 2. 2. Rather, Out of Sion, the perfection of beauty, hath God shined forth. 3. "There were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount," Ex. xix. 16. 4. Call-i.e., summon heaven and earth to witness. 5. Saints; lit. those 6 And the heavens shall declare His righteousness for God is Judge Himself. : 7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak : I Myself will testify against thee, O Israel; for I am God, even thy God. 8 I will not reprove thee because of thy sacrifices, or for thy burnt-offerings because they were not alway before Me. 9 I will take no bullock out of thine house nor he-goat out of thy folds. 10 For all the beasts of the forest are mine and so are the cattle thousand hills. upon a 11 I know all the fowls upon the mountains and the wild beasts of the field are : in My sight. 12 If I be hungry, I will not tell thee: for the whole world is Mine, and all that is therein. 13 Thinkest thou that I will eat bulls' flesh and drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer unto God thanksgiving pay thy vows unto the most Highest. 15 And call upon Me in the time of trouble so will I hear thee, and thou shalt praise Me. and 16 But unto the ungodly said God: Why dost thou preach My laws, and takest My covenant in thy mouth; 17 Whereas thou hatest to be reformed : and hast cast My words behind thee? 18 When thou sawest a thief, thou consentedst unto him and hast been partaker with the adulterers. : 19 Thou hast let thy mouth speak wickedness and with thy tongue thou hast set forth deceit. 20 Thou satest, and spakest against thy brother: yea, and hast slandered thine own mother's son. 21 These things hast thou done, and I loving, and loved by, God, as in Ps. xxxi. 26. 6. [SELAH.] 7. THE FIRST REPROOF, in respect of the First and Great Commandment. 8. The charge was not that of neglecting the outward ritual, but the spirit of the Law. Because, &c.; Heb. (omit "not") they are always before Me. The sacrifices were there, but not the heart. 11. In My sight; Heb. with Me-i.e., are Mine. held My tongue, and thou thoughtest wickedly, that I am even such a one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set before thee the things that thou hast done. 22 O consider this, ye that forget God: lest I pluck you away, and there be none to deliver you. 23 Whoso offereth Me thanks and praise, he honoureth Me: and to him that ordereth his conversation right will I shew the salvation of God. PSALM 51. Miserere mei, Deus. [David's Psalm, expressing his penitence when Nathan the prophet had convicted him-"Thou art the man. The fourth of the Penitential Psalms.] HAVE mercy upon me, O God, after Thy great goodness according to the multitude of Thy mercies do away mine offences. 2 Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin. : 3 For I acknowledge my faults and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against Thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight: that Thou mightest be justified in Thy saying, and clear when Thou art judged. 5 Behold, I was shapen in wickedness: and in sin hath my mother conceived me. 6 But lo, Thou requirest truth in the inward parts and shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly. 7 Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. the innermost consciousness. Heb. set in order; not one sin is unmarked by God. 22. Pluck you away; Heb. tear you in pieces. 23. The Second Reproof ends, as the former ended in vers. 14, 15. God will bless those who honour Him. This Psalm is used in the "Commination Service" on Ash Wednesday. 1. Do away; Heb. blot out, erase. 2. The word thorough or through means originally a passage from one side to another, hence = complete, &c.; cleanse -i.e., pronounce me clean.—Lev. xiii. 6. 4. When Thou art judged; better, when Thou judgest, when Thou sittest as Judge. Dr Vaughan suggests, "When Thou enterest into trial as a litigant."-Rom. iii. 4. 5. An acknowledgment of original sin. Bishop BROWNE, Art. ix. p. 241. 6. Secretly i. e., in the hidden part 7. The hyssop was used to sprinkle the blood of the lamb on the doorposts, and afterwards in several services of purification. Thou shalt ; better, O purify me !-so in the next verse also. 8 Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice. : 9 Turn Thy face from my sins and put out all my misdeeds. : 10 Make me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from Thy presence : and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. 12 O give me the comfort of Thy help again and stablish me with Thy free Spirit. 13 Then shall I teach Thy ways unto the wicked and sinners shall be converted unto Thee. : 14 Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O 10. Right; Heb. firm, constant of purpose. 11. And take, &c. ; the last versicle be fore the Collects, in Daily Prayer. 12. Thy free; Heb. a free = willing, devoted spirit. 14. Blood-guiltiness God, Thou that art the God of my health: ande.g., the blood of my tongue shall sing of Thy righteousness. 15 Thou shalt open my lips, O LORD: and my mouth shall shew Thy praise. 16 For Thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it Thee but Thou delightest not in burnt-offerings. : 17 The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt Thou not despise. 18 O be favourable and gracious unto Sion build Thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then shalt Thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burntofferings and oblations: then shall they offer young bullocks upon Thine altar. PSALM 52. Quid gloriaris? [A Psalm of David, denouncing God's judgment upon the evil-doer, who is stated in the title to be Doeg the Edomite, the betrayer of David and Ahimelech, and the destroyer of the priestly city of Nob.] Uriah. 15. This verse forms the first address to God after the Lord's Prayer in Daily Pray er. 17. One of the introductory sentences in Common Prayer. 18, 19. Perowne regards these two verses as added to the Psalm after the return from exile. 1. Tyrant; Heb. O strong, mighty one! WHY boastest thou thyself, thou tyrant: such an one as was that thou canst do mischief; Doeg. |