I. THE PRAYER OF FAITH (r-5). Cause of the Cry-Remorseless Cruelty.
DISCLOSURES CONCERNING THE ENEMY REPROBATE 149 I. Faith's Request (I). Fig. epizeuxis. 2. Faith's Resolve (2). "Unto God.'', 3. Faith's Reward (3). "Loving-kindness and truth sent from heaven." Selah. 4. Faith's Repose (4). "I will lie down." 5. Faith's Refrain (5). "Be Thou exalted, 0 God." II. THE PERSPECTIVE OF FAITH (6). Selah. Result of preceding prayer and Reason for succeeding praise. III. THE PRAISE OF FAITH (7-n). Consequence of the Cry-Recovered Calm. I. Faith's Resoluteness (7). Fig. epizeuxis. 2. Faith's Rejoicing (8). "I will awake." 3. Faith's Response (9). "Unto Thee." 4. Faith's Reason (10). "Loving-kindness and truth reach unto heaven." 5. Faith's Refrain (n). "Be Thou exalted, 0 God." SUPERSCRIPT.-Michtam of David; when he fled from Saul into the cave. SUBSCRIPT.-For the Chief Musician. Al-tashheth ( = Destroy not). PRIMARY AssocIATION.-Writer and occasion as title, most probably the event recorded I Sam. xxiv. 1-8. Seems to be an evening hymn (4, 8). Closely rela'ted to the preceding psalm but has a more triumphant tone. It is also characterised by the figure epizeuxis ( emphatic repetition of words). Pss. xxxiv.; I vii. and cxlii. are all "cave" psalms. Verses 7-11 appear again in cviii. Note corresponding members in sections I and III of the analysis, but slightly different order. PROPHETIC ANTICIPATION.-See corresponding notes to preÚeding psalm. David again seen as the representative of the nation in the last days. Though still surrounded by "fiery" foes, the faith of the godly remnant anticipates the intervention of God from heaven. Their hopes will be fulfilled by the manifestation of Messiah in glorious power for their deliverance, because of God's loving-kind ness and truth (=faithfulness to His word). Israel will become the heralds of salvation to the nations and the leaders of universal praise (9). PERSONAL APPLICATION.-Faith is not always inconsistent with fears, nor does faith excuse us from taking reasonable precautions. The difference between a brave n1an and a coward is that one yields to his fears, while the other overcomes them. There is safe shelter un4er the shadow of El Shaddai (r). In the day of calamity the
sheltering wings of the divine love (I) are better than the swift wings of the fleeing dove, Iv. 6. His wings provide a place of rest as well as of refuge (4). God is a safe place in sore peril (4). God is for me (lvi. 9)' and He accomplishes for me (2). Not only my person, but my affairs are safe with Him. The night of trouble ends in the dawn of deliverance 8). It is a good thing to awake the dawn with praise (8). When 'the Sun ofRighteousness shall arise" the beams of His glory will cover the earth (5, 11). VERSE NOTES I. "Be gracious ... be gracious ... hath taken refuge ... refuge." Note the significant change of tenses; "calamities," s.H,w. lii. 2; lv. n. 2. "call unto Elohim Elyon," see Appendix II.; combination of titles elsewhere only lxxviii. 56. 3. "Selah," points on to the just retribution, 6d. 4. "I will lie down to rest among fiery foes, even the sons ... " 5. The poet desires the manifestation of God's majesty in defeating the murderous machinations of the enemy. 6. Here is the eternal law of retribution; see xxxv. 7, note. " Selah" looks back to 3. 7. "fixed," i.e. steadfastly resolved; note, "fixed ... fixed . . . sing . . . sing"; fig: epizeuxis; "sing praises" or ( as so often in the Psalter) "make melody"; lit. psalm (used as a verb). 8. "my glory," probably= the soul or spirit; (b) hr. as margin. 9. "nations," br. races (of men).
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