No More Learning

2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and
cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my
trangressions: and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done
this evil in Thy sight: that Thou mightest be
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOtf
y#*a tilmt rrt am *arrai* rnin mi 23(C)s. l.
the goodness of God in our minds, a constant effort mote on
to be good and to do good, to shun evil companions, H>8. L.
and to refrain from evil deeds, and to exercise self-
control against the evil impulses of anger, hatred,
and revenge, and to avoid being led away to do what
we know to be wrong;--that is the way in which we
must (in the words of the Psalmist) "pay our vows
to the most High "--We must make our offering of
"praise " by humbly striving at all times to "order
our way " of life (our thoughts and our acts) in the
image of Divine goodness.
*BBto-*a 3 : wild T>>Nfcnai *pD3a nam2
LI. w
* ~it - V t V a- t - |4tt t *n i;
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
pB. LI. justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when
Thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity;
and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold,
Thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the
hidden part Thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash
me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me
to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which
Thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Thy face
from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a
right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from
Thy presence; and take not Thy holy spirit from
me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation;
and uphold me with Thy free spirit. 13 Then will I
teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall be
converted unto Thee. 14 Deliver me from blood-
guiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation: and
my tongue shall sing aloud of Thy righteousness.
15 O Lord, open Thou my lips; and my mouth
shall shew forth Thy praise. 16 For Thou desirest
not sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou delightest
not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are
a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O
God, Thou wilt not despise. 18 Do good in Thy
good pleasure unto Zion: build Thou the walls of
Jerusalem. 19 Then shalt Thou be pleased with the
sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and
whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks
upon Thine altar.
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
Wpni tffei WpSin p$3-jp *
riaan tanaM ninm man ntox-p 6 :npK
ntora nfei nneen ne>e> wawi 8 m^Sn
. *t-; t : ** t ^ : *: I j t ? ? ? ? ; -1 I i * : -
: nna ray-S^ 'Nana smb men 9 :rvsi
I" :| . ; j-- I t - jx a- v: 4? t; ti . t**
: ^papn nnnj nni sjg^ pt$t ^ rw'n 12
: t^x D'lrtsrn Trn D*stfa ma'w 13
it I ? t -: I av t; . ? ? : i jt : --:
tann TMtrn vita D\ita 1 dwa ^sn 14
a- t i: i" v: ? vi: ? t-
nS rfciy' mnx) rat pintr^ 1 *p i6 :^jntan
natw-nS mato nn D'rita *pdt n :nnn
; ? " ^tftt: * -- a ? v; j" I * |? ? * ;?
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
mote on The 51st Psalm, like the 130th, shows the comfort
ps. Ll. and hglp o? prayer t0 usj when we know we have
sinned.
The beautiful prayer of verses 1 and 2 brings
courage to our hearts to make, like David, a whole-
hearted acknowledgment of our wrong-doing to
God, to throw ourselves on His mercy, and, whatever
happens, to feel submissive to His will (verse 4).
God has given us the knowledge of right and wrong;
when we do what we know to be wrong, we are dis-
honouring God's gift to us. David perceives this, and
recognizes the justice of God's displeasure, and of
any punishment that may befall sinners.
When we know we have done wrong, it is hard to
gather courage to try to win back our own self-
respect. We feel as if a barrier were between God
and ourselves till we learn the meaning and the help
of David's prayer (verse 11): "Cast me not away
from Thy presence, and take not Thy holy spirit
from me. "
If we try--at every moment of our lives--to
remember that His holy spirit is within us, and try
to live in His presence, the lofty ideal of Divine
goodness shines like a beacon before us, ever showing
PSALM LVI.
Co tbe Cbief dBusician. S poem ot Davio wben tbe
p bilis tines toon bim in <3atb.
Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would
swallow me up; all the day long he fighting oppres-
seth me. 2 Mine enemies would swallow me up all
the day long: for they be many that fight against
me, O Thou most High. 3 What time I am afraid,
I will trust in Thee.
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
us the right path, and ever beckoning us to return J^0^
to it when we have gone astray. Then we feel (R)s'
that God in His Infinite mercy gives us the hope
of His forgiveness and of His help to strengthen us
against temptation, if only we humbly acknowledge
our wrong-doing, and feel truly sorrow for it. "The
sacrifices of the Lord are a broken spirit: a broken
and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise. "
The last two verses of the Psalm reflect King
David's ardent wish that the Israelites should be
worthy of their great mission. He prayed for
them that they might seek to mirror the good-
ness of God in their own souls, and avoid the
error of thinking that the observance of the
ordinances of sacrifices and burnt-offerings was an
all-sufficient manner of worshipping God. The
poetic form of the prayer makes it all the more
beautiful. "Build Thou the walls of Jerusalem"
(i. e. the bulwarks of faith and uprightness in those
who dwell there). "Then wilt Thou be pleased with
the sacrifices of righteousness" The burnt-offerings
and offerings of bullocks could only be pleasing to
God if they were truly symbolical of that higher
offering of the sacrifices of righteousness.
LVI. 12
Drab irh mtxb
at :: j't: - : i~
: Diio b tnsh d*3T'a titej-Sa wst? 2
,t j- ? -:| ? - T ia- t -:T "'ft
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
ps. LVI. 4 In God I will praise His word, in God I have put
my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
5 All the day long they wrest my words: all their
thoughts are against me for evil. 6 They gather
themselves together, they hide themselves, they
mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.
7 Shall they escape by iniquity? in Thine anger
cast down the people, O God. 8 Thou tellest my
wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are
they not in Thy book? 9 When I cry unto Thee,
then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for
God is for me.
10 In God will I praise His word; in the Lord
will I praise His word. 11 In God have I put
my trust: I will not be afraid; what can man do
unto me? 12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I
will render praises unto Thee. 13 For Thou hast
delivered my soul from death: wilt not Thou deliver
my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in
the light of the living?
PSALM LVII.
Co tbe Cbief d&usfcian. B poem of Davio, wben be
fieo from Saul in tbe Cave.
Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto
me: for my soul trusteth in Thee: yea, in the
shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until
these calamities be overpast. 2 I will cry unto God
most high; unto God that performeth all things for
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
hh>nx brbaz 4 :ntttx frhn xiw dv 3 ps. Lvi.
v. . --. , it : v I jv" T_: at * ^
I? jt t IV-fi- I- at ? j * ; "tl ? i** >> t:
: mS Dnh^no-^a *Sy awp mn tf >>p-ba 5
itt jt ;:- t 1- t a" -: j-t: i- t
,. . _ q. v-:i- a: ? t ? ? i :? <t
id^k Trtn 1 d*oy sikn laS-tabs nx-Sy 7
i ? v: 5* - I -: at v - |v/p -
nSh Trxin won rw itak nrinsD ni <<
pav : j* t: ? t->>* t't t ;v-t
xipN Dva iinx 1 fx 9 jimsDin
at|: v ti j--; 1 *t t I iv t: ? :
t t j" --: ? i"i 1* '* l' ? : -t iv
at ? j ? ;- tl j* I? ' att j"--; t _
chm spna D^riSx ,l? y 12 dix nfeajjiD
r- - I av t: v; - ti [? jtt Jv
xSn rheo *b>B3 nSsn *a 13 faj? nhin
-- :- j -; v t ? ? :- t : <- ? Iit j
:D<<nn nix? D^nSx *jfif? ^n^n1?
lvii. t:
dddd mS nxjaS
. *? t : ? ? t: -? ? - : r
Itt : - t i" : * :it:
? hvn T'sb n*Dn 12 *a *5an 1 D^riSx *mpi
j* i" t|:*. u i. - j - pvvt1v I vt;
7*
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
pa. LVII. me.
3 He shall send from heaven, and save me
from the reproach of him that would swallow me
up. Selah. God shall send forth His mercy and
His truth.
4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among
them that are set on fire, even the sons of men,
whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue
a sharp sword. 5 Be thou exalted, O God, above
the heavens; let Thy glory be above all the earth.
6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my
soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit
before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen
themselves. Selah. 7 My heart is fixed, O God,
my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp:
I myself will awake early. 9 I will praise Thee, O
Lord, among the people: I will sing unto Thee
among the nations. 10 For Thy mercy is great
unto the heavens, and Thy truth unto the clouds.
II Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens:
let Thy glory be above all the earth.
? Mote on These two Psalms, both beginning with the same
IP8- prayer, form one poem, the outpouring of David's
p8. LVII. heart to God when he was in great trouble, struggling
against the unfounded jealousy and unjust enmity of
King Saul. In this dark time of trial and danger,
David's unfailing trust in God arms him with courage,
and inspires him with a lofty standard of conduct,
reflected in the refrain of the first part of the poem
(verses 4, 10, and 11, Ps. lvi. ). Verse 12 shows
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
*wvt I dw rheha noi bxH n^y p>>. lvii.
, . . . . . - t . ^- . ? Itt /" "t | a : V
nan dv^n nW* rta *bn& tnr\
i; it at ? j"t; jt >>* Is Pvt -t;* m XrW
n*vyM itort ^sn rryto nb? mw<< :nni3rxi
t t ? ; V" t ;t s ti ? ? --:i*
: Tpn? pNn-1? ! bv wrbx DW'-Sy nan"
David's sense of his own responsibility to God for TOote on
his conduct--a sense which harmonizes with com- ^gnj|VI'
plete faith in God. For if we try always to do what p8, LVII.
is right and kind, we feel, with perfect faith, that
whatever may befall us, God in His Infinite mercy
will not be unmindful of our efforts to obey His law
at all times. David prays not for mere bodily
safety, but for a serene mind and a clear conscience.
"For Thou hast delivered my soul from death; wilt
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
mote on not Thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may
pB. LVI. walk before God in the light of the living? "
Ps. LVII. The ahusion to tear bottles and to the book (or
record) of God (Ps. lvi. 8) is a quaint piece of
imagery, conveying the thought that the measure of
our sorrows and sufferings is balanced against our
sins and shortcomings in the judgment of God.
Imagery is sometimes apt to be taken literally, and
there is reason to believe that a custom actually
grew up of storing tears in a bottle,1 as tangible
evidence of suffering, to serve as a plea for Divine
grace.
1 The "bottles" of those days were skins of the bodies of
animals tied into a convenient shape. In Eastern countries
one still sees men carrying water in goatskins, and pouring it
out by the improvised tap of one leg.
PSALM LX.
Co tbe Gbfef Ausician. H ipoem of 2>avio wben be
strove wttb :aram=mabaraim an& witb 2Uam=Zobab,
wben 5oab returnee ana smote of Boom in tbe
Dalleg of Salt twelve tbousano. *
O God, Thou hast cast us off, Thou hast scattered
us, Thou hast been displeased; O turn Thyself to us
again. 2 Thou hast made the earth to tremble;
Thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for
it shaketh. 3 Thou hast shewed Thy people hard
things: Thou hast made us to drink the wine of
astonishment. 4 Thou hast given a banner to them
that fear Thee, to lift up before the bow. Selah.
* These victories are recorded in the Second Book of Samuel,
ch. 8, and the First Book of Chronicles, ch. 18.
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
In the second part of the poem (Ps. ivii. ), David Hote on
reiterates his loving trustfulness in God. "In the ^f'nj|Vi-
shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, till pg, LVII.
these calamities be overpast. "
While David was in this exalted frame of mind,
two terrible temptations came to him. Twice he
lighted upon his unrelenting enemy, King Saul,
asleep and defenceless. Each time, with chivalrous
loyalty, David let him go without so much as
touching a hair of his head, saying:--" He (God) shall
send from heaven and save me from the reproach of
him (Saul) that would swallow me up. "
The temptations that assailed him are the theme
of verses 4 and 6 of Ps. Ivii. The fervent
prayers of verses 2 and 5 gave him strength to
resist them. The last five verses are a song of
thanksgiving for God's help in the moral victory.
aaieto nsjx wnns unrur vrkx
it /** 4; t ; ~t kt 1 --; jt;; ? vj>
LX D
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
. LX. 5 That Thy beloved may be delivered; let Thy right
hand save, and answer me. 6 God hath spoken in
His holiness. I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem,
and mete out the valley of Succoth. 7 Gilead is mine,
and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength
of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; 8 Moab is my
washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe:
Over Philistia shall be my triumph.
9 Who will bring me into the strong city? who
will lead me into Edom? 10 Wilt not Thou, O
God, which hadst cast us off? and wilt not Thou, O
God, go forth with our hosts? 11 Give us help from
trouble; for vain is the help of man. 12 Through
God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall
tread down our enemies.
PSALM CVIII.
21 Song or pealm of Davio-
O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise,
even with my glory. 2 Awake, psaltery and harp: I
myself will awake early. 3 I will praise Thee, O
Lord, among the people: and I will sing praises
unto Thee among the nations. 4 For Thy mercy is
great above the heavens: and Thy truth reacheth
unto the clouds. 5 Be Thou exalted, O God, above
the heavens: and Thy glory above all the earth;
6 That Thy beloved may be delivered: save with
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
niap poyi: n^ro* rfyyd wnjg ign
a- ^ t ? -: v ;i v -: ? : t: * <? i --;
tinted ^nn tD I nxto s :*pphe rnvv
v;i ? : - ? <t h'l: i: t:
9 :^yyhnn n^Sfs *^y ^jjj tWk
D^n'bx nnx-^n 10 :Di-wiy *aro *d TM *vy
j. v. jt - i -. iV. - *j-t t j-
jt tit I" :? : ? v: ** i: t a: -:
-rwi D^xa 12 ? din nsneta Aitrt nso
v -:r ? I" itt j-: :t: r- t. >>
l"t j t ;'at
cviii. np
^nba-fiN rnQrxi m*ete d^Sn *? b fD:
crcpyp jpjin 3 nq^ n*TM ^a3] rniyt 2
Dvfcx D^-Sy njjri 5 ? ^jnax D^ntrnyi ^jpn
ny^'in '? jhh; jttSrv jy&Se j^jjtq? nsO-^ ^21
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
t>8. CVIII. Thy right hand, and answer me. 7 God hath
spoken in His holiness. I will rejoice, I will divide
Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also
is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;
9 Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out
my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph. 10 Who
will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me
into Edom? 11 Wilt not Thou, O God, which hadst
cast us off? And wilt not Thou, O God, go forth with
our hosts? 12 Give us help from trouble: for vain is
the help of man. 13 Through God we shall do
valiantly: forHeit is that shalltread down our enemies.
mote on These two psalms are placed together because
^ andX the ^ast eight verses of the 60th Psalm and of the
IPs. CVIII. 108th Psalm are the same; but the opening verses
are strikingly different.
Both Psalms commemorate King David's victorious
campaigns against the Philistines, the Edomites and
the Moabites on the south, and against the Syrians
on the north--campaigns which enlarged and secured
the boundaries of his kingdom.
In the 60th Psalm David begins by recalling the
struggles and disasters of the Israelites whenever
they ignored the laws of God. In the third verse he
deplores that the Israelites, too easily self-satisfied,
had to suffer hard trials and to "drink the wine of
astonishment" in order that they might realize the
strenuous efforts necessary to attain to goodness.
Then follows the noble thought,--clad in the
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
ngjpDS nhvk ieHj5| 1 ttrfcg 7 ? *Jag_ ^* ps. cvm.
? jt lr|: i: t : a* jt ? -; v ;i
imagery of the banner that is the rallying point before mote on
the bow of the enemy,--that the lofty ideal of goodness f)s. LX.
is constantly present to the minds of those who ug'^yij
revere God, and that it gives them moral safety.
The prayer of verse 5 is inspired by the thought of
verse 4: "So that Thy beloved" (i. e. those who
revere Thee) "may be delivered, save with Thy
right hand, and answer me. " And then comes the
song of thanks and recognition of the help of God
in the hour of victory.
The opening verses of Psalm cviii. are a fervent
and joyful expression of thanks and praise to God,
and a proclamation to all peoples of His mercy and
His truth. The triumphant pasan of praise and
thanks to God for Divine help, and recognition of
the Almighty power of God and the impotence of
mankind, form the theme of both these Psalms.