27. art my Father, my God, and rock of my faltation: Moreover, I will appoint him THE FIRST-BORN, higher than the kings of the 28. earth: My mercy will I keep for Him for evermore, and my cove29. nant fhall be confirmed with Him. His feed also will I preferve for ever, and his throne as the day's of Heaven.

30. (If his children forfake my law, and walk not in my judge31. ments; if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments: 32. I will visit their tranfgreffion with the rod, and their iniquity with 33. Stripes.) But my mercy will I not break with Him, nor will I fail in 34. my faithfulness: My covenant will I not violate, nor alter the thing 35. that hath iffued from my lips: Once have I fworn by my holiness that 36. I will not lie unto DAVID: His feed fhall endure for ever, and his 37. throne as the fun before Me: It shall be established as the moon, for ever; and as the faithful witness in heaven." Selah.

III. 38. But Thou haft rejected and abhorred, Thou haft been wrath 39. with thy MESSIAH! Thou haft voided the covenant of thy fervant; 40. thou haft abafed his crown to the ground: Thou haft broken all his 41. fences, and ruined his fortreffes: All that pass by spoil Him; He 42. is become a reproach to his neighbours; Thou haft exalted the

right hand of his enemies; Thou haft made all his enemies to re43. joice: Thou haft blunted the edge of his fword, and haft not fup44. ported him in the battle: Thou haft made his glory to cease; and 45. caft down his throne to the ground. The days of his youth hast Thou fhortened, and covered him with dishonour. Selah.

46. "How long, O LORD, wilt thou hide thyself? Shall thy 47. wrath burn like fire, for ever? Oh remember how short my time is, 48. wherefore haft thou made all the children of Adam, vanity? What hero liveth, that shall not fee death? [Who] fhall rescue his foul from the [rapacious] hand of Hades? Selah.

49. "Where are thy mercies of old, O LORD; which Thou fwareft 50. unto DAVID in thy faithfulness? Remember, LORD, the reproach of thy fervant; [How] I do bear in my bofom all [the reproach] of 51. many people; wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LORD, wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thy MESSIAH!" 52. Bleffed be THE LORD for evermore. Amen and Amen.

REMARKS.

R. David Kimchi, the most learned of the modern Jewish commentators, naturally afcribes the pfalm to that "Ethan" of whom fuch honourable mention his made 1 Kings, 4, 31. Where Solomon was reputed "wifer," than the wifeft, "than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman," &c. who were contemporaries of his father David, and appointed by him to prefide over the facred choir; 1 Chron. 6, 31-44. And furely, this hymn although the only one of Ethan's compofitions extant, is fufficient to rank him among the moft illuftrious of the infpired bards of his age, and fecond to none, not even to David himself. This obvious and fatisfactory determination of its true author, at once explodes all thofe unfatisfactory and mifchievous gueffes before mentioned; and furely the magnificent and comprehenfive plan of this moft noble and highly wrought composition, defcribing the fortunes of fome mighty perfonage, ftretching into the remotest ages; even to eternity, and expanding into grandeur and dignity inconceivable, is too vaft for the puny concerns of a David, a Hezekiah,

Jofiah,

Jofiah, a Jehoiachim, a Jehoiachin, or a Zedekiah; who were all too fhortlived, too infignificant, too worthlefs, too wicked, or too near the age of the writer, to attract his notice, and the Almighty's patronage, to the end of time, commencing in those very remote periods intimated by the Pfalmift, verse 3, 28, 29, 36, 37, 46, 49, 52.

And here, we cannot fufficiently admire the caution and decorum of INFINITE WISDOM, in not communicating "the fure mercies of David" in the promised birth of the MESSIAH of "his feed" according to the flesh, immediately to David, in the firft inftance, but rather through the mouth of two independent and credible witneffes" Nathan and than, before the joyous intelligence was revealed to the royal prophet himself. This notification to others alfo, ftamps an additional weight and authority on the pfalms of his compofition, on the fame fubject, efpecially the fecond, the forty-fifth, and the hundred and tenth; and confirms their exclufive application to THE MESSIAH and confequent rejection of the double fenfe, fo unfcripturally attached to them by Jewish and Chriftian commentators. And as amidst the variety of gueffes about the fuppofed object of this pfalm, Solomon has not been noticed; we may fairly conlude, that neither is Solomon the object of Nathan's original prophecy. on which this pfalm forms an extended commentary.

Q. E. D.

I. 1-2. In rendering the two firft verses of this fublime hymn, expreffive of the Pfalmift's purpose-to fing or celebrate GOD's "mercies" or loving-kindneffes, which originally prompted Him to promife "the Bleffed Seed;" and his " faithfulness" or veracity, which, in the fulness of prophetic time, would furely perform the fame; I have followed the Septuagint verfion in preference to the Maforetic Hebrew text: 1. To remedy that ungrammatical confufion of perfons in the first verse, of which the Syre tranflator was fenfible, and endeavoured to rectify by adopting the third perfon in the latter claufe: "I will declare his faithfulnefs," &c. But furely the fecond perfon in both, according to the Septuagint, is more lively and animated; and more conformable to the tenor of those inspired compofitions; as in the following pfalm, afcribed to Mofes 90, 1.

"LORD, Thou hast been our refuge, from generation to generation." 2. In the fecond verfe, the fubftitution of the fecond perfon, "Thou faidft," &c. inftead of the firft, "I faid," is fupported by all the ancient verfions except the Chaldee paraphrafe, and is infinitely more fublime and poetical; the pious Pfalmift, affigning not his own, but the divine declaration, as the fource of his rapturous effufions of praife and thanksgiving. It is alfo more conformable to analogy, or the tenor of the psalm itfelf: which begins the fecond part in like manner, "Thou Spakeft--and Jadit, &c." verie 19. after which, in the former cafe, follows the concife oracle, verfe 3, 4, nearly in the words of that delivered to Nathan, 2 Sam. 7, 16. And its developement in the latter, 19-37. both being represented as uttered by God himself.

6. In the fixth verse inftead of, be "the fons of the Mighty," whether of angels or of men, a phrase which does not occur elsewhere, and if meant of angels, is not true, for they have no fons, Matt. 22, 30; and if or men, is degrading and inconfiftent with the context, which plainly fpeaks of the gel choirs," as explained by the Chaldee paraphraft; I have adopted the reading pnb 1, "fons of God," as the angels are

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fre

frequently filed in Holy Writ; Job, 1, 6. and 2, 1. and 38, 7. Dan. 8, 25. and fanctioned in the present inftance, by the Septuagint, Arabic and Vulgate.

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9 and 10. In that magnificent difplay of Almighty power and ven geance, inflicted upon Pharaoh "the proud" king of Egypt and his hoft, who perifhed in the Red Sea; I have adopted Kennicott's truly ingenious and well fupported rendering of, ɔ, tanquam miles; as "a foldier" or "warrior"; in preference to the ancient verfions, tanquam vulneratum aut occifum; the latter of which, (patronifed by the Syriac, Chaldee, and Geneva Bible,) is followed by our laft tranflation, as one that is flain," which conveys rather a degrading idea of Almighty power, over an easy conqueft; or elfe a vapid tautology; inadmiflible by the nervous concifenefs of Hebrew poetry and for thefe reafons, we may prefume, our old tranflators, more wifely, omitted what they did not understand. For, 1. The noun, 55, is exprefsly rendered Ergarra, "foldiers" in one paffage, 2 Sam. 23, 8, by the Vatican copy of the Septuagint; as a derivative from the verb, n, which in the conjugation pihil, is taken actively, confodere, to "pierce" or "thruft through." Buxtorf. And 2. By this conftruction, the whole paffage admirably accords with the fublime defcription of the fame cataftrophe by Mofes, Exod. 15, 3. "THE LORD is a man of war, Pharaoh's chariots and his hoft hath he overthrown in the fea :-Thy right hand, O LORD, is magnified in power; thy right hand, O LORD, hath crushed the enemy."-Compare Ifa. 51, 9-10. Ezek. 29, 3. and $2, 2. See Kennicott's Differtations, Vol. I. p. 107, &c. 15-18. In this paragraph, the Pfalmift defcribes the peculiar happiness of his countrymen, as a religious people, "knowing the trumpet" fum moning them at ftated times, to attend the folemn feftivals. Levit. 23, 24. Numb. 10, 10. Pfalm 81, 3.

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II. 19. Our Bible tranflation, in the expreffion, "to thy Holy One" feems to allude to "the Holy One of Ifrael" in the 18th verfe; which unquestionably is meant of CHRIST: but the original terms are not the fame, and therefore ought not to be confounded in the translation; the moft judicious critics applying the prefent reading, on, "to thy faint," to Nathan that highly favoured prophet, to whom the original prophecy of CHRIST the fon of David," was firft communicated. But I prefer the rendering of the old tranflation, "to thy faints" as including thefe other worthies, who were favoured with fimilar and explanatory communications afterwards, Ethan himself, David, Heman, &c. which is abundantly supported by the plural reading, ons, followed by all the ancient verfions without exception; by a great number of the earliest Hebrew editions, and MSS. of Kennicott and De Roff's collations; and by the most respectable of the Jewith commentators, David Kimchi, Aben Ezra, Solomon Jarchi, &c. cited by De Roffi.

In the magnificent enumeration of the titles of THE MESSIAH which follows, as uttered by THE ALMIGHTY himself, with inconceivable dignity and grandeur, "THE MIGHTY,"-is fupported by Ifa. 9, 6. filing Him" MIGHTY GOD," as appropriated to JESUS by the archangel Gabriel, Luke 1, 32.-" HE shall be GREAT, and shall be called SON OF THE MOST HIGH, and THE LORD GOD fhall give unto Him the throne of DAVID, his Father" [according to the flesh.]

"THE CHOSEN,"

THE BELOVED,"-supported likewise by Isaiah, 42, 1, &c. according to the admirable rendering of Matt. 12, 18. recti

fying the grofs and palpable corruptions of the Septuagint version of that paffage:

"Behold My fervant, whom I have CHOSEN; My Beloved in whom My foul is well pleafed!" A rendering twice folemnly fanctioned by a voice from heaven, at our Lord's baptifm, Matt. 8, 17, and again at His tranffiguration Matt. 17, 5. "THIS IS MY SON, THE BELOVED, IN WHOM

I AM WELL PLEASED!"

20. And as I have changed the proper name David into an appellation "the Beloved," upon fuch permanent authority, referring thereto : fo on the other hand, I have retained the original term MESSIAH, as a proper name, inftead of the appellation, " Anointed;" because it is exclufively applied, in fundry paffages of the Old and New Teftament, to JESUS CHRIST; as in the very first remarkable prophecy wherein it is introduced: 1 Sam, 2, 10. "THE LORD fhall give ftrength unto his KING: and exalt the horn of his MESSIAH"-which was delivered in the time of the Judges, feveral years before there was any king in Ifrael. And again, repeated in that noble Pfalm, probably compofed by Solomon, on the dedication of his temple: Pf. 132, 10-17. Compare 2 Chron. 6, 42. "For thy fervant DAVID'S fake, turn not away the face of thy MESSIAH"-" There will I make the horn of DAVID to flourish; I have ordained a lamp for my MESSIAH."-" This verfe doth myftically refer to CHRIST, the Jews confefs, as Dr. Hammond hath obferved: fo faith R. Saadiah: "The Lamp,” is THE KING, which illuminates the nations; and Kimchi faith "The Horn of David is THE MESSIAH"-And fo faith the pious bishop Horne, in his commentary on this paffage: and yet, fo strongly were his eyes holden," with "the received hypothefis" of the double interpretation, of the Pfalms; that he could not fee, 1. the indecorum of Solomon's fuppofed petitionverfe, 10. "Turn not away the face of thy Anointed"—meaning by thy Anointed," Solomon himself!-and 2, the ftrange perverfion of the phrase turn not away" that God would not confound or put Solomon to fhame, by denying his requeft;" in direct contradiction to the inftance the bishop himfelf adduces, 1 Kings 2, 16. where Adonijah fays to Bathsheba, "And now I ask one petition of thee;" "Turn not away thy face," or, deny me not," JESUS CHRIST indeed, as we learn from the higher authority of the NEW TESTAMENT, was the fole "Horn of falvation to lfrael, whom GOD raifed up in the house of David His fervant" Luke 1, 69.-" Who was anointed with the HOLY GHOST and with power" for GOD was with him.” Acts 10, 38.-And in the next revifion, by authority, of an English Bible, it would be well, if the term Meffiah were fubftituted for Anointed, in fuch appropriate paffages; and it is judicioufly retained, Dan. 9, 25-26. "MESSIAH the prince"-" MESSIAH fhall be cut off.

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Although THE MESSIAH was to be born of "the house and lineage of David" as accomplished in JESUS CHRIST, Luke 2, 4. yet by a feeming contradiction, he was to be chofen out of the people;" according to the pfalmift; as foretold alfo by Mofes, Deut. 18, 15. "THE LORD THY GOD, will raife up unto thee a PROPHET, from the midst of thee, like unto Me, [in legislation, miracles and intercourfe with heaven]-And this actually took place, when the house of David was reduced to poverty. Hence the Jews were fo often offended with JESUS, on account of the meanness of his condition: "Is not this the Carpenter's Son?"" Is not this the Carpenter?"-And our Lord himself pathetically remarks: "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air, nefts; but the SON OF MAN hath not where to lay Vol. II. Churchm. Mag. March, 1802. S

his

his head!"-And" Mary Magdalene, and other pious women, ministered to his wants of their fubftance."

22. "The enemy fhall not deceive Him"-as the ferpent deceived Eve. Aben Ezra.

27.—“THE FIRST BORN," or invefted with the peculiar privileges of heirship, above all powers, principalities and dominions, not only on earth, but in heaven: conferred upon JESUS at His refurrection; as before remarked Heb. 1, 2-6. See my Fourth letter, p. 11-15, and the parallel paffages there referred to.

30. "If his children," &c. This parenthetical claufe, is an obvious commentary on that, defcriptive of the perfecution of the MESSIAH, by the Jews, and their punishment; introduced incidentally in Nathan's original prophecy ("Whofoever [fhall be concerned] in injuring Him," &c.) as ftated in the foregoing letter. And their perfecution of Him, is more fully unfolded by DAVID, in the fecond and twenty-fecond Pfalms; and alluded to by Solomon, in Pf. 132, 18.-" His enemies will I clothe with shame; but upon Himself fhall His crown flourish.

37. In the brilliant comparison of the ftability of THE MESSIAH's throne, as the fun as the moon-and as the faithful witness in heaven"-I underftand the laft, with the principle commentators, of the rainbow; that glorious emblem of divine mercy, and of God's covenant with Noah and his pofterity, that He would no more deftroy the earth by water. Gen. 9, 12-15. In allufion to which, perhaps, the myftical throne, feen by Ezekiel, 1, 28. and by John, Rev. 4, 3. was furrounded by a glory refembling a rainbow; and JESUS CHRIST himself announcing his fecond coming in power and great glory; is reprefented, I humbly conceive, Rev. 10, 1. As "A MIGHTY angel, defcending from heaven, encompaffed with a cloud, and A RAINBOW on his head; and his countenance was as THE SUN; and his feet, as pillows of fire"-" and he put his right foot on THE SEA, and his left on the EARTH, &c.-For John fo defcribes his first appearance in vifion, likewife, in the ifle of Patmos, Rev. 1, 10-16.-See a new tranflation of that description, (the fublimeft, perhaps, that ever was penned) in THE INSPECTOR. p. 72.

The earlier commentators, the Jewish efpecially, interpret "the faithful witness," of the moon, following the Chaldic paraphraft; others, of the morning ftar, which is better fupported in Holy Writ: CHRIST being called "the day-fpring from on high" Luke 1, 78. From Pfalm 110, 3. And "The root and offspring of David; the bright and morning ftar." Rev. 22, 16.

III. 38. As the fecond part, had detailed the glories of the MESSIAH'S reign; fo the third and laft part of this finifhed lyric compofition, reveals His fufferings, with an aftonishing degree of minutenefs and precifion throughout and as Holy Writ reprefents Him as fubject to infirmities of human nature, but yet without fin, his occafional defpondency, and his mild expoftulations with GoD, during the courfe of His arduous and thanklefs miffion and paffion, are frequently recorded both in the OLD and NEW TESTAMENT: For "in the days of His flesh, He addreffed prayers and fupplications with frong crying and tears, unto Him who was able to fave Him from death; and was liftened to, on account of His reverence." Heb. 5, 7.-O, "MY" FATHER, if it be poffible, let this cup pafs from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou!" "O, My Father, if this cup cannot pass from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done!" Matt. 26, 38-42.

And