5 Behold, thou
hast>made my days as an hand-breadth ; and mine age
is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his
best state is altogether vanity.
hast>made my days as an hand-breadth ; and mine age
is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his
best state is altogether vanity.
Childrens - Psalm-Book
org/access_use#pd-us-google
? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
. XXXIII. mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
17 A horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall
he deliver any by his great strength. 18 Behold
the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him,
upon them that hope in His mercy; 19 To deliver
their soul from death, and to keep them alive in
famine. 20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord: He is
our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall
rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His
holy name. 22 Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon
us, according as we hope in Thee.
mote on The first verse calls on the righteous to rejoice in
? XXXIII. the thought of God.
Rejoicing is a characteristic of the righteous, for
goodness and happiness go together, just as evil is
ever to be found in company with discontentedness
and grumbling.
The Jewish religion is a religion of cheerfulness
begotten by faith in the perfection of the wisdom
and lovingkindness of God (such faith as is breathed
in the fourth and fifth verses of this Psalm) and faith
also in His infinite and universal power.
The twelfth verse finds an echo in the heart of
every Israelite conscious of the God-given heritage of
his people, the task and duty of making known to
the world through all time that God alone is the
Creator and Ruler of the universe and all that is
therein.
For the world and all its wonders are the work of
God, and His work and His laws last for ever by
reason of their unalterable greatness and wisdom.
How different to human work! But if we remember
36
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
rnrv j$ nan i8 :q^0*s x'? i^h riyi nw^Sfw-xxxin.
nSnh nnan uefcj 20 . nyna Dnvn^ d#sj
at L jt ; ? ? ? :~i ~tt[t rr -: at :-
Deb *a uaS nop* tra 21: uaaa^ unw
and always try to obey the laws God has given to us ftote on
(and through Israel to the. whole world), He will XXXIII.
bless us. For God knows the heart of every one of
us:--" He fashioneth their hearts alike, Heconsidereth
all their works," means that He has given to every
human being the power to try to do right, and He
knows all our temptations to do wrong, and all our
efforts to resist them.
Our own bodily strength, or the strength of
soldiers and horses, however strong they may be,
cannot save any one of us; for sorrow and mis-
fortune, disease and death, may come upon us
at all times. Where then is our strength? The
Psalmist answers:--" Behold, the eye of the Lord
is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope
in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death and
to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for
the Lord. He is our Help and our Shield. "
The Jewish conception of man's spiritual destiny
--the safety of his soul as opposed to mere bodily
safety--is forcibly told in these verses.
37
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-HOOK
mote on Strength comes to us to face all manner of
. XXXIII dangers and trials if we live our lives with "our
souls waiting for the Lord," always trying to obey
the eternal laws of right and wrong by resisting all
temptation to do what we know is wrong, and ever
striving to do what we know is right.
That is the attitude of mind and conscience that
the Psalmist pictures in verses 18, 19, 20, and 21,--
PSALM XXXIV.
a Ipsalm of Davib wben be feigneo madness before
Hbimelecb, wbo brove btm awag, anb be DeparteD.
I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise
shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall
make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear
thereof, and be glad. 3 O magnify the Lord with
me, and let us exalt His name together. 4 I sought
the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from
all my fears. 5 They looked unto Him, and were
lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him,
and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel
of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear
Him, and delivereth them. 8 O taste and see that
the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth
in Him. 9 O fear the Lord, ye His saints: for
there is no want to them that fear Him. 10 The
young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they
that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
summing up all in the words, "because we have fllote on
trusted in His holy name. " (C)8. XXXIII
When we are in trouble or in danger we gather
courage and comfort from saying this Psalm, and
from praying to God the prayer of the last verse,
"May Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as
we hope in Thee. "
XXXIV. -h
Ivav ? -: '? ? : ? :-i v * -: -t:
lr-- "-:it:-
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I": j t *: ? t >. ,** t: jt: v t :it-:
: vdtP) d*13y iW* *b>'m ^nnn rrtrra 2
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jt: j: i v . *. . * v v r* 1 - at:
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39
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
ps. XXXIV. you the fear of the Lord. 12 What man is he that
desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see
good? 13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips
from speaking guile. 14 Depart from evil, and do
good; seek peace, and pursue it. 15 The eyes of
the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are
open unto their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is
against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance
of them from the earth. 17 They cry, and the Lord
heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken
heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but
the Lord delivereth him out of them all. 20 He
keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate
the righteous shall be condemned. 22 The Lord
redeemeth the soul of His servants: and none of
them that trust in Him shall be condemned.
? Rote on When David wrote this Psalm he was in great
? XXX1V- misery. He had been unjustly driven away from his
own country, and was a homeless wanderer; and
King Saul, his great enemy, was trying to kill him.
But David did not lose his trust in God. He said,
"I will bless the Lord at all times," and, praying
trustfully to God, he was "delivered from all his
fears," except the fear of God, which brings the
knowledge of Right and Wrong.
David calls on others to learn the fear of God,
as he had learnt it in the time of his trouble, and
40
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
v5tki D^pnx-Sx nirv w 15 :vis-ni DiSt^
t:t; \*s ? v t ;i j** ** I" :t: j t
:ttyxn oninx ^aai w riwi wax 17 :d*ot
It ? ? t |t t ? -a" t jt |- I -:/ti It: ?
: nfrv iaS^ otaoi p^-rc nip nisn 19
it: n ? -- t -. ? I *? - It -t
: rr&m nana nnx vnioxB-Sa it& 20
tit: ? j t ? ? " -- at ! t /"
: pnx *tofcn run yen nnian 21
it : v I j*- i" : i: at t ^jt t:
D'pinn-^ ^ vnay etea nin* rrrifi 22
y>> J*" t i I V * * at t , V j" t ;v jV
? to know the true happiness which no human sorrow ^yyiv
can destroy. He saw that the real misery of life *'8, 1
is hating and trying to hurt each other; but that
if we "taste" with our feelings, and "see" with
our mind's eye, we shall understand the goodness
of the Lord, and always trust in Him whatever evil
may happen.
Then comes David's practical advice, which makes
us feel how earnestly he himself had thought and
sought to find the right way to live, till at last he
saw it clearly. "Keep thy tongue from evil," he
41
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
IRote on says--whether the evil be true or not. How often
. XXXIV. quarrels would be avoided if every one did this!
"Keep thy lips from speaking guile. " Take care
that what you say is not only true, but that it
cannot mean anything but the truth. But David
is not content merely to tell us what we should
not do. He does not only say "Depart from evil,"
he adds "and do good. " He knew that the best
way to depart from evil is to set about doing good.
To get rid of bad and wicked feelings, we must
turn all our thoughts to trying to do something
kind and good for some one else. "Seek peace and
pursue it. " It is not enough just to keep from
making others angry; if others are angry we must
try hard to soothe their anger.
Verse 16 says, "The face of the Lord is against
them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of
them from the earth. " The usual translation of
the next verse begins, "The righteous cry," but
the Hebrew means, "they cry. " namely those who
PSALM XXXIX.
Go tbe Cbief Ausictan. % psalm of Davfo.
(A Prayer in Time of Illness or Grief. )
I said, I will guard my ways, that I sin not with
my tongue: I will guard my mouth with a bridle,
while the wicked is before me. 2 I was dumb with
silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my
sorrow was stirred. 3 My heart was hot within
me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake
1 with my tongue, 4 Lqrd, make me to know
42
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
do evil,--" and the Lord heareth and saveth them mote on
out of all their troubles. " David knew well that P8- XXXIV.
none of us are perfect, that we all do wrong at
times; but his complete faith in the gracious mercy
of God made him know also that if we have done
evil and are truly sorry and pray to God, He will
hear us and " save us out of all our troubles. " For
the Lord is nigh to those who are truly sorry and
"broken-hearted" for having done wrong, and
will save those who really try hard to turn from
their evil ways and do better,--or as David puts it,
"such as be of a contrite spirit. "
So David ends his prayer with the comforting
thought that "none of them that trust in the Lord
shall be condemned. "
The argument of the last four verses appeals to
us all in our daily experiences of anxiety and dis-
appointment, and inspires us as it did David with
hope and courage, and with faith to " bless the Lord
at all times. "
xxxix.
43
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
IPs. XXXIX. mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is;
that I may know how frail I am.
5 Behold, thou
hast>made my days as an hand-breadth ; and mine age
is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his
best state is altogether vanity. Selah. 6 Surely
every man walketh in a vain show: surely they are
disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and
knoweth not who shall gather them. 7 And now,
Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me
not the reproach of the foolish. 9 I was dumb, I
opened not my mouth; because Thou didst it.
10 Remove Thy stroke away from me; I am
consumed by the blow of Thine hand. 11 When
Thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity,
Thou makest his beauty to consume away like a
moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah. 12 Hear
my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold
not Thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with
Thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. 13
O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go
hence, and be no more.
mote on In great sorrow, or in great suffering, when
IPs. XXXIX. Death has come very near to us or to those
we love best, this Psalm seems to bring a solemn
peace into our souls like the sound of very lovely
music.
The answering words to the prayer of verse 4
make each of us, young and old alike, feel as a little
44
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
I niriss nan 5: on ^in-no r&vk N^n-na *a* n>s. xxxix.
Snn-Sa-^N ^n;. ; n^rn nnn5
^nn-^x fcTx-^niv I dSs? -^n e :n^D-axa DnN
wip-na nnm 7 . dbdn-*a rrN'Si nsx* jvon;
? j<<J ? - it - ;i it : i ? ' * 1; :? I a t v:i v
oWn ws-Safc 8 . ^n *b *nSnin onN
? a? ? ? - t: t ? c j|: ? :- 1 at
-nnsN tb *nebn3 9 i oawrta ^55 nsnn
-- ;v j ? ;- v;l'. l ~ t t /~ :v
n-tfna tom "on 10 :npv nm *a *s
: n^D din-S3 ^n hian efo3 Dfcni
tl V jtt t V W ]<~ a"; jtt V jV ~
-Sn rmxn 1 T\yi#i nin* 1 ^rtan nyotr 12
t ? -;i - * t :-: t: * t ? : 't : 1 ?
-Saa ae'in "nay pte na *a thnfoh* 'hvbi
: ovni. ^n Dpts;? ny^Nl. oaa y? n 13 .
child before God. "And now Lord, what wait I mote on
for? my hope is in Thee. " IP8- XXXIX.
All the difficulties of life seem smoothed away by
pure and absolute trust in our Almighty Father, and
by the overwhelming consciousness that--poor weak
creatures though we all are--yet His Infinite mercy
is ever with us.
45
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
PSALM XLII.
Zo tbe Cbiet Musician, jfor tbe Sons of Ikotab.
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so
panteth my soul after Thee, O God. 2 My soul
thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I
come and appear before God? 3 My tears have
been my meat day and night, while they continually
say unto me, Where is thy God? 4 When I
remember these things, I pour out my soul in me:
for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them
to the house of God, with the voice of joy and
praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. 5 Why
art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou
disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall
yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.
6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me:
therefore will I remember Thee from the land of
Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Thy water-
spouts; all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone
over me. 8 Yet the Lord will command His
lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His
song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God
of my life. 9 I will say unto God my rock, Why
hast Thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because
of the oppression of the enemy? 10 As with
a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me;
while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?
11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why
46
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
XLII. in
typ T? 3 ja. D^-^s^-Sy :nyn S^x?
a t /- t *t v: ? i" ? :- t :i t I ? v:
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nisrS D^nSx1? ^nin ^y *pnm Vaa 1 ^nrwn
? |"i ? j>> t v*v;tv ? r ? ": i:i*
non j ptfir rw ' 1 dov 8 ? ipaa hv
: - t: v-: <t [tt /- t
1 maw 9 :*'n SnS n*? sn *>>y pMai
<t; I lt~ j": t ? ; a' * j ? t ;-- -- 1
rrta "3% mp-naS ynnar nth V? btb'
*rmr win 'niaxya 1 mra 10 :yix
it ; t; at : t ? j:|** - :IS ^w;
47
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
fl>s. XLII. art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God:
for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my
countenance, and my God.
PSALM XLIII.
Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an
ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and
unjust man. 2 For Thou art the God of my
strength; why dost Thou cast me off? why go I
mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 O send out Thy light and Thy truth: let them
lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill, and
to Thy dwelling-place. 4 Then will I go unto the
altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon
the harp will I praise Thee, O God my God. 5 Why
art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou
disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall
yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance,
and my God.
mote on The 42nd and 43rd Psalms form one poem, pro-
IPs. XLII. bably composed during the captivity, by an Israelite
IPs. XLIII dwelling far from Jerusalem and from the Temple.
The first part describes the poet's yearning to feel
that the spirit of God is with him, even in those
strange surroundings. How long, he cries, ere I
come to appear before God? He weeps day and
night, and the strange people around him ask him,
"Where is thy God? " He cannot find words to tell
48
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
aV ? ? | "I ? j>> t V VI V ~
It I" "t '/ t
xliii. ao
a* t I '? <t *: ? v: ;t
? Tit j? ? v: jt -- P *i": ~: jt :-; it :?
i)rb$ mjy? nib? spty) njw Sr^t
: *as ftyW* <<n)k -tiy;^ d^nS
them; his heart is full to overflowing as he recalls
the time when he was wont to go with a multitude
of his brethren and fellow-worshippers to the
Temple, all singing to God, with the voice of joy and
praise. Then comes the beautiful refrain or chorus
verse * repeated at the end of each of the three parts
of the psalm --an invocation to the soul to take
* Verses 5 and 11 of Ps. xlii. , and verse 5 of Ps xliii.
IHote 01l
ps. XLII.
and
ps. XLIII.
49
E
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
mote on courage and to hope in God, Who will surely comfort
Ps. XLI1. all them that trust in Him.
p8. XLIII. The second part takes up the keynote of the
refrain and enlarges on its dominant thought. It
proclaims the poet's unalterable trust in God,
whether in strange and distant lands or amid the
roar and whirl of tempestuous waters. When evil
comes on him he humbly turns to God, the Rock of
his trust, to inquire of Him why He lets him suffer.
And when he is tormented by the enemy, who
as though thrusting a sword into his body, taunts
him scoffingly with the oft-repeated question,
"Where is thy God? " then again the heartening
words of the refrain cheer him and lend him courage.
PSALM XLVI.
Co tbe Cbief ASusicfan. S Song for tbe Sons ot ftorab.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present
help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though
the earth be removed, and though the mountains be
carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the
waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the
mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make
glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles
of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her;
she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and
that right early. 6 The heathen raged, the king-
doms were moved: He uttered His voice, the earth
50
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
. XXXIII. mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
17 A horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall
he deliver any by his great strength. 18 Behold
the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him,
upon them that hope in His mercy; 19 To deliver
their soul from death, and to keep them alive in
famine. 20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord: He is
our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall
rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His
holy name. 22 Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon
us, according as we hope in Thee.
mote on The first verse calls on the righteous to rejoice in
? XXXIII. the thought of God.
Rejoicing is a characteristic of the righteous, for
goodness and happiness go together, just as evil is
ever to be found in company with discontentedness
and grumbling.
The Jewish religion is a religion of cheerfulness
begotten by faith in the perfection of the wisdom
and lovingkindness of God (such faith as is breathed
in the fourth and fifth verses of this Psalm) and faith
also in His infinite and universal power.
The twelfth verse finds an echo in the heart of
every Israelite conscious of the God-given heritage of
his people, the task and duty of making known to
the world through all time that God alone is the
Creator and Ruler of the universe and all that is
therein.
For the world and all its wonders are the work of
God, and His work and His laws last for ever by
reason of their unalterable greatness and wisdom.
How different to human work! But if we remember
36
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
rnrv j$ nan i8 :q^0*s x'? i^h riyi nw^Sfw-xxxin.
nSnh nnan uefcj 20 . nyna Dnvn^ d#sj
at L jt ; ? ? ? :~i ~tt[t rr -: at :-
Deb *a uaS nop* tra 21: uaaa^ unw
and always try to obey the laws God has given to us ftote on
(and through Israel to the. whole world), He will XXXIII.
bless us. For God knows the heart of every one of
us:--" He fashioneth their hearts alike, Heconsidereth
all their works," means that He has given to every
human being the power to try to do right, and He
knows all our temptations to do wrong, and all our
efforts to resist them.
Our own bodily strength, or the strength of
soldiers and horses, however strong they may be,
cannot save any one of us; for sorrow and mis-
fortune, disease and death, may come upon us
at all times. Where then is our strength? The
Psalmist answers:--" Behold, the eye of the Lord
is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope
in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death and
to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for
the Lord. He is our Help and our Shield. "
The Jewish conception of man's spiritual destiny
--the safety of his soul as opposed to mere bodily
safety--is forcibly told in these verses.
37
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-HOOK
mote on Strength comes to us to face all manner of
. XXXIII dangers and trials if we live our lives with "our
souls waiting for the Lord," always trying to obey
the eternal laws of right and wrong by resisting all
temptation to do what we know is wrong, and ever
striving to do what we know is right.
That is the attitude of mind and conscience that
the Psalmist pictures in verses 18, 19, 20, and 21,--
PSALM XXXIV.
a Ipsalm of Davib wben be feigneo madness before
Hbimelecb, wbo brove btm awag, anb be DeparteD.
I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise
shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall
make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear
thereof, and be glad. 3 O magnify the Lord with
me, and let us exalt His name together. 4 I sought
the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from
all my fears. 5 They looked unto Him, and were
lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him,
and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel
of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear
Him, and delivereth them. 8 O taste and see that
the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth
in Him. 9 O fear the Lord, ye His saints: for
there is no want to them that fear Him. 10 The
young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they
that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach
38
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
summing up all in the words, "because we have fllote on
trusted in His holy name. " (C)8. XXXIII
When we are in trouble or in danger we gather
courage and comfort from saying this Psalm, and
from praying to God the prayer of the last verse,
"May Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as
we hope in Thee. "
XXXIV. -h
Ivav ? -: '? ? : ? :-i v * -: -t:
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39
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
ps. XXXIV. you the fear of the Lord. 12 What man is he that
desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see
good? 13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips
from speaking guile. 14 Depart from evil, and do
good; seek peace, and pursue it. 15 The eyes of
the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are
open unto their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is
against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance
of them from the earth. 17 They cry, and the Lord
heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken
heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but
the Lord delivereth him out of them all. 20 He
keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate
the righteous shall be condemned. 22 The Lord
redeemeth the soul of His servants: and none of
them that trust in Him shall be condemned.
? Rote on When David wrote this Psalm he was in great
? XXX1V- misery. He had been unjustly driven away from his
own country, and was a homeless wanderer; and
King Saul, his great enemy, was trying to kill him.
But David did not lose his trust in God. He said,
"I will bless the Lord at all times," and, praying
trustfully to God, he was "delivered from all his
fears," except the fear of God, which brings the
knowledge of Right and Wrong.
David calls on others to learn the fear of God,
as he had learnt it in the time of his trouble, and
40
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
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y>> J*" t i I V * * at t , V j" t ;v jV
? to know the true happiness which no human sorrow ^yyiv
can destroy. He saw that the real misery of life *'8, 1
is hating and trying to hurt each other; but that
if we "taste" with our feelings, and "see" with
our mind's eye, we shall understand the goodness
of the Lord, and always trust in Him whatever evil
may happen.
Then comes David's practical advice, which makes
us feel how earnestly he himself had thought and
sought to find the right way to live, till at last he
saw it clearly. "Keep thy tongue from evil," he
41
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
IRote on says--whether the evil be true or not. How often
. XXXIV. quarrels would be avoided if every one did this!
"Keep thy lips from speaking guile. " Take care
that what you say is not only true, but that it
cannot mean anything but the truth. But David
is not content merely to tell us what we should
not do. He does not only say "Depart from evil,"
he adds "and do good. " He knew that the best
way to depart from evil is to set about doing good.
To get rid of bad and wicked feelings, we must
turn all our thoughts to trying to do something
kind and good for some one else. "Seek peace and
pursue it. " It is not enough just to keep from
making others angry; if others are angry we must
try hard to soothe their anger.
Verse 16 says, "The face of the Lord is against
them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of
them from the earth. " The usual translation of
the next verse begins, "The righteous cry," but
the Hebrew means, "they cry. " namely those who
PSALM XXXIX.
Go tbe Cbief Ausictan. % psalm of Davfo.
(A Prayer in Time of Illness or Grief. )
I said, I will guard my ways, that I sin not with
my tongue: I will guard my mouth with a bridle,
while the wicked is before me. 2 I was dumb with
silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my
sorrow was stirred. 3 My heart was hot within
me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake
1 with my tongue, 4 Lqrd, make me to know
42
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
do evil,--" and the Lord heareth and saveth them mote on
out of all their troubles. " David knew well that P8- XXXIV.
none of us are perfect, that we all do wrong at
times; but his complete faith in the gracious mercy
of God made him know also that if we have done
evil and are truly sorry and pray to God, He will
hear us and " save us out of all our troubles. " For
the Lord is nigh to those who are truly sorry and
"broken-hearted" for having done wrong, and
will save those who really try hard to turn from
their evil ways and do better,--or as David puts it,
"such as be of a contrite spirit. "
So David ends his prayer with the comforting
thought that "none of them that trust in the Lord
shall be condemned. "
The argument of the last four verses appeals to
us all in our daily experiences of anxiety and dis-
appointment, and inspires us as it did David with
hope and courage, and with faith to " bless the Lord
at all times. "
xxxix.
43
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
IPs. XXXIX. mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is;
that I may know how frail I am.
5 Behold, thou
hast>made my days as an hand-breadth ; and mine age
is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his
best state is altogether vanity. Selah. 6 Surely
every man walketh in a vain show: surely they are
disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and
knoweth not who shall gather them. 7 And now,
Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me
not the reproach of the foolish. 9 I was dumb, I
opened not my mouth; because Thou didst it.
10 Remove Thy stroke away from me; I am
consumed by the blow of Thine hand. 11 When
Thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity,
Thou makest his beauty to consume away like a
moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah. 12 Hear
my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold
not Thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with
Thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. 13
O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go
hence, and be no more.
mote on In great sorrow, or in great suffering, when
IPs. XXXIX. Death has come very near to us or to those
we love best, this Psalm seems to bring a solemn
peace into our souls like the sound of very lovely
music.
The answering words to the prayer of verse 4
make each of us, young and old alike, feel as a little
44
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
I niriss nan 5: on ^in-no r&vk N^n-na *a* n>s. xxxix.
Snn-Sa-^N ^n;. ; n^rn nnn5
^nn-^x fcTx-^niv I dSs? -^n e :n^D-axa DnN
wip-na nnm 7 . dbdn-*a rrN'Si nsx* jvon;
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t ? -;i - * t :-: t: * t ? : 't : 1 ?
-Saa ae'in "nay pte na *a thnfoh* 'hvbi
: ovni. ^n Dpts;? ny^Nl. oaa y? n 13 .
child before God. "And now Lord, what wait I mote on
for? my hope is in Thee. " IP8- XXXIX.
All the difficulties of life seem smoothed away by
pure and absolute trust in our Almighty Father, and
by the overwhelming consciousness that--poor weak
creatures though we all are--yet His Infinite mercy
is ever with us.
45
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
PSALM XLII.
Zo tbe Cbiet Musician, jfor tbe Sons of Ikotab.
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so
panteth my soul after Thee, O God. 2 My soul
thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I
come and appear before God? 3 My tears have
been my meat day and night, while they continually
say unto me, Where is thy God? 4 When I
remember these things, I pour out my soul in me:
for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them
to the house of God, with the voice of joy and
praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. 5 Why
art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou
disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall
yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.
6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me:
therefore will I remember Thee from the land of
Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Thy water-
spouts; all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone
over me. 8 Yet the Lord will command His
lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His
song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God
of my life. 9 I will say unto God my rock, Why
hast Thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because
of the oppression of the enemy? 10 As with
a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me;
while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?
11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why
46
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
XLII. in
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47
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
fl>s. XLII. art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God:
for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my
countenance, and my God.
PSALM XLIII.
Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an
ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and
unjust man. 2 For Thou art the God of my
strength; why dost Thou cast me off? why go I
mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 O send out Thy light and Thy truth: let them
lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill, and
to Thy dwelling-place. 4 Then will I go unto the
altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon
the harp will I praise Thee, O God my God. 5 Why
art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou
disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall
yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance,
and my God.
mote on The 42nd and 43rd Psalms form one poem, pro-
IPs. XLII. bably composed during the captivity, by an Israelite
IPs. XLIII dwelling far from Jerusalem and from the Temple.
The first part describes the poet's yearning to feel
that the spirit of God is with him, even in those
strange surroundings. How long, he cries, ere I
come to appear before God? He weeps day and
night, and the strange people around him ask him,
"Where is thy God? " He cannot find words to tell
48
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
aV ? ? | "I ? j>> t V VI V ~
It I" "t '/ t
xliii. ao
a* t I '? <t *: ? v: ;t
? Tit j? ? v: jt -- P *i": ~: jt :-; it :?
i)rb$ mjy? nib? spty) njw Sr^t
: *as ftyW* <<n)k -tiy;^ d^nS
them; his heart is full to overflowing as he recalls
the time when he was wont to go with a multitude
of his brethren and fellow-worshippers to the
Temple, all singing to God, with the voice of joy and
praise. Then comes the beautiful refrain or chorus
verse * repeated at the end of each of the three parts
of the psalm --an invocation to the soul to take
* Verses 5 and 11 of Ps. xlii. , and verse 5 of Ps xliii.
IHote 01l
ps. XLII.
and
ps. XLIII.
49
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
mote on courage and to hope in God, Who will surely comfort
Ps. XLI1. all them that trust in Him.
p8. XLIII. The second part takes up the keynote of the
refrain and enlarges on its dominant thought. It
proclaims the poet's unalterable trust in God,
whether in strange and distant lands or amid the
roar and whirl of tempestuous waters. When evil
comes on him he humbly turns to God, the Rock of
his trust, to inquire of Him why He lets him suffer.
And when he is tormented by the enemy, who
as though thrusting a sword into his body, taunts
him scoffingly with the oft-repeated question,
"Where is thy God? " then again the heartening
words of the refrain cheer him and lend him courage.
PSALM XLVI.
Co tbe Cbief ASusicfan. S Song for tbe Sons ot ftorab.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present
help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though
the earth be removed, and though the mountains be
carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the
waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the
mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make
glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles
of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her;
she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and
that right early. 6 The heathen raged, the king-
doms were moved: He uttered His voice, the earth
50
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