AND GOOD I. DIRECTION (1a). "Hallelujah." II. DECLARATION (1b-2). The God-fearing Man. "Happy is he."
III. DESCRIPTION (3-4). Character, Conduct and Circumstances. "His righteousness standeth fast for eveV" IV. DECLARATION (5-6a). The Gracious Man. "Good is he." (Heb. order.) V. DESCRIPTION (6h-9). Character, Conduct and Circumstances. "His righteousness standeth fast for ever." VI. DECLARATION (10). The Godless Man. (Unhappy is he.) PRIMARY AssocIATION .-See notes to preceding psalm. This also anonymous and undated but probably belongs to ·early post-exilic period. Keynote of this psalm is found in the last verse of cxi. Praise for the blessing of them who fear Jehovah. Most of the composition describes the blessed consequences rather than the essential characteristics of godliness. Note the parallelisms between God (cxi.) and the godly (cxii.); c£ Matt. v. 48. Note also that the Old Testament blessing, a prosperous posterity, is the first con sequence of righteousness (2). PROPHETIC ANTICIPATION.-As cxi., millennial praise. The earthly view of millennial blessing is here described. PERSONAL APPLICATION.-The aspect of the promised blessing being clearly Jewish not Christian, due allowance must be made in present application. Note that like Ps. i. the present psalm touches two poles of human experience in its first and last words, "Happy .. . shall. perish." Godliness is God-like-ness. Here is the fruit of the "study" referred to in cxi. 2. The secret and source of all true happiness is that fear of Jehovah which leads to a cheerful obedience to His word (1). The fear of Jehovah is a fountain of joy as well as of wisdom (1). Inward delight in God's word must precede the outward doing of it (r). To be able to reflect divine light in the darkness of others is a blessed work (4). He who receives grace should exercise grace (4); cf. Luke vi. 36. "Freely ye have received, freely give." Benevolence is poor if it be not translated into bene ficence (5). Godliness imparts stability (6 ff.). Lives rooted in God are never uprooted (6 ff.). He who deals graciously and acts com passionately manages his affairs with discretion (5). Like God the godly man is ever remembered for his acts of mercy ( 6b with cxi. 4). Contrast the "desire" of the lawless (ro) and the "desire" of the righteous (8); (cf. Prov. x. 24, 28) and contrast what they both see.
VERSE NOTES r. Br. "Happy is ... " (c) shows the "fear" is not slavish but spontaneous. 2• Br. " ... in the land." This is the sçhere of Israel's blessing; (b) "A generation of upright ones ... ;" i.e. the "seed ' of line (a). 3. "righteousness" here may include the idea of the reward of righteousness, suiting the parallelism. 4. Terms af plied to God in cxi. are here applied to the godly man. Line (a) may be rendered, 'He ariseth. a light in the darkness for the upright (the god.Jy poor whom he befriends, 5, 9 ). Being gracious ... " He thus reflects the attributes of God in dealing with his fellows. 0 "G d . th " "I d h " 'cal f 5. r, oo IS e man . . . en et ; typ1 o compassionate acts generally. "He manages (or shall manage) his affairs with judgment," not as R.V. rendering. 7. A clear conscience and a auiet trust militate against presentiments 9f evil; "fix d" elf: ,r Ii "l d e = stea ast; trustmg, more . t. e to trust, so sa. XXVI, 3. 8. Cf. cxi. Sa. 9. First line quoted 2 Cor. ix. 9; "needy" or, helpless ones. "d · " " . k d" 1 I es1re, or, cravmg; w1c e = aw ess one. Book Five. II. The Ways of God Recalled in the National Homage: cxiii.-cxviii. Songs for Passover. THE HALLEL. 1. The Commencement. Praise. Theme introduced, cxiii. Note.-Pss. cxiii.-cxviii. form the "Hallel, !.' or Hymn of Praise, which according to Jewish liturgical usage is sung at the three great festivals of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles, also at the festival of Dedication and at the new moons (except new year). At the domestic celebration of Passover, Pss. cxiii. cxiv. are sung before the meal, ere the emptying of the second festal cup; cxv. cxviii. are sung at the close of the meal when the fourth cup has been filled. These psalms were probably sung by our Lord and His disciples at the last Passover, Matt. xxvi. 30; Mark xiv. 26. The èroup is sometimes called the Egyptian Halle! (cxiv. r). The term "Great Hallel' is also used, but ancient Jewish authorities are not agreed as to its meaning. Some limit it to Ps. cxxxvi., some to cxx.-cxxxvi., and others to cxxxv.-cxxxvi. only.
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