I. THANKSGIVING FOR A SAVED LIFE (1-10). Devotional. Grateful Celebration-The Song. I. Intention (1-2). The Vow of Praise. 2. Invitation (3 ). (General). "Oh, magnify." 3. Inspiration (4-7 ). The Divine Deliverance. The Voice of Experience. PerËonal (4 ). General (5 ). Personal (6). General (7). 4. Invitation (Sa). (Individual ). "Oh, taste." The Venture of Faith. 5. Inspiration (Sb). 6. Invitation (9a). {General ). "Oh, fear." 7. Inspiration (9b-ro ). The Divine Providence.
II. TEACHING FOR THE SANCTIFIED LIFE (II-22). Doctrinal. Golden Counsel-The Sermon. 1. Invitation (II). 2. Interrogation ( 12 ). 3. Injunction (13-14). 4. Instruction (15-22). The Divine Deliverance. i. The Righteous (15). ii. The Wicked (16). iii. The Righteous (17-20 ). iv. The Wicked (21 ). v. The Righteous (22 ). SUPERSCRIPT.-David's; when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech, who dismissed him and he departed. PRIMARY AssocIATION.-An. acrostic psalm related to xxv., under which see notes. Certain expressions also connect the psalm with the preceding and the following ones. David is the writer and the occasion is mentioned in the title. Both this and lvi. belong to the period when David was fugitive_ at the court of Achish of Gath. He was twice with the Philistines. On the first occasion he had but a small band of young men with him, I Sam. xxi. 4-5, 10-15. He then feigned madness. On the second occasion, six hundred men were with him. He was welcomed by Achish and stayed a year and four months, 1 Sam. xxix. The title, "Abimelech," lit. "father of a king," implies an hereditary monarch, and is evidently a ·dynastic title like Pharoah and Agag. Achish was the King's personal name. Ps. lvi. is the prayer for deliverance, and our present psalm the praise for deliverance; note esp. 4, 6, 7, 17, 19. PROPHETIC ANTICIPATION.-The trials of the godly remnant are seen producing fruit in the breaking down of all national pride (18), and the experience of certain deliverances results in praise, not yet perfect (hence incomplete acrostic) until the final great deliver ance. Nevertheless Jehovah is seen as the perpetual praise of His redeemed people. PERSONAL APPLICATION.-Blessed experience leads to bold exhor tation. God's acts and man's are interrelated (15-16). At all times bless the Lord (1). It is a good· thing to join others in magnifying the Lord (3). Are we delivered from all our fears? (4). God delivers from the troubles as well as from the terrors (4, 19 ). The Angel of
kECORD OF tHB DIVINE nEDEBMER Jehovah -has angelic legions at His command, 2 Kings vi. 16 f[; Heb. i. 14. If we are not happy, it is because we do not trust (8). Not "any thing," but "any good thing" is the promise (10). The tongue ever needs a special guard (13). Each 1nan himself determines God's attitude to him (15-16). Between good and evil, right and wrong, there is a clear line of den1arcation (14). The righteous are not exempt from evils, but they are extricated out of them (19). Evil exacts its own penalty. Sin itself will slay the sinner (21 ), the Saviour alone can save him. The faithful are called saints (9), sons (11) and servants (22). VERSE NOTES 2. In the Hebrew order "In Jehovah" stands at the beginning of the line for emphasis; "meek" = those who have learned humility in the school of suffering. 5. David's experience is common to all who look to Jehovah; "They" = men; "be confounded," i.e. be abashed, or blush (for shame). "affii d" d" all d his . poor = cte ; rea ... c e . . . straits. 7. "The Angel of Jehovah," cf. xxxv. 5, 6; Gen. xlviii. 16, et. al. This mysteri ous Being who appears in the Old Testament as Jehovah's representative in His intercourse with man is undoubtedlY. the second person in the Trinity, the Son of God of the New Testament. A study of the passages where the title occurs (" the Angel," not "an angel") is most instructive. These theophanies prepare us for the incarnation of the Son of God. In the phrase here, there may be an allusion to the words of Achish, 1 Sam. xxix. 9. 8. "taste" = make trial of; (b) br. "Happy is the man that taketh refuge in Him "; "man" = Heb. geber = strong man (hero). 9. "saints" = holy ones, those whose character corresponds to calling, Lev. xi. 44, 45. II. "fear of Jehovah" = true reverence for Him; the phrase is characteristic of the Book of Proverbs. 12. (b) explains and emphasises (a); "good," see I" "k d " uil " d eep = guar ; g e = ece1t. 14. (a) recurs at :xxxvii. 27. 15. Lit. " ... are toward their cry (for help)." b "M . d " c£ th 17. r. en cne ... , . e construction at verse 5. 20. In a general sense denotes the safe preservation of the whole being. Jehovah's c1re for the righteous was exemplified in the absolutely righteous One as a prophecy which must needs be literally fulfilled, John xix. 36. 21, 22. "condemned," s.H.w. Ps. v. 10; hr. " ... And none that take refuge in Him shall be held guilty," c£ Rom. v. i. G
AN ALYTiCAL STtrbiES iN THE PSALMS Psalms xxxv.-xxxix. form a group which may be analysed as follows: xxxv.-xxxvi. God's dealings with the wicked. xxxvii. Contrasted lot of the righteous and the wicked. xxxviii.-xxxix. God's dealings with the righteous.
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