Thou wast a
forgiving
God to them, and an
avenging God on their evil deeds.
avenging God on their evil deeds.
Childrens - Psalm-Book
: ?
c I ^-t
-"*fe^3tnfc? iSjr 12 ito&tt D;n mrv pxn
v -: t: - ti j i: t - -~ | vatt
t ? t: ** : ? -it t -: /t a
D'ayi pTi? b^ft-topv! psn tab^S
as the world exists by God's wisdom, so surely is all 'IRote on
mankind judged rightly by God's righteousness. P8* XCVI.
Although not described in the Bible as a Psalm of
David, this is, in fact, part of the song of thanks-
giving composed by him for Asaph,1 the chief of the
Levites, appointed to minister daily before the Ark
of the Lord, when David had brought the Ark to
Jerusalem (I. Chron. xvi. ). Another portion of the
same song is almost identical with Psalm cv. , which
is also not called a " Psalm of David. "
1 See notes on Psalm Ixxxi.
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
PSALM XCVII.
The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the
multitude of isles be glad. 2 Clouds and darkness
are round about Him: righteousness and judgment
are the habitation of His throne. 3 A fire goeth
before Him, and flameth around his enemies. 4 His
lightnings lightened the world: the earth saw, and
trembled. 5 The hills melted like wax at the presence
of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole
earth. 6 The heavens declare His righteousness, and
all the peoples see His glory. 7 Ashamed be all they
that serve graven images, that boast themselves
of idols; worship Him, all ye gods. 8 Zion heard,
and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced
because of Thy judgments, O Lord. 9 For Thou,
Lord, art high above all the earth: Thou art
exalted far above all gods. 10 Ye that love the
Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of His
saints; He delivereth them out of the hand of the
wicked. 11 Light is sown for the righteous, and
gladness for the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the
Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remem-
brance of His holiness.
mqteon This is an ode to the goodness and greatness
"* of God. The might and marvel of His works
are brought vividly before our mind by graphic
word-pictures of the wonders He has made.
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
XCVII. ts
:D<<n )r\w< pxn b:n ifo mrv
I ? -- >>* * :;? I Vat t j"t |ttl jt;
:iND3 fas tastrai p-ra vmd ^snyi py 2
1 : ? I 1: t: ? | i. t ? : jv t-;i- ntt
xfco Dnn 5 :pxn Snni nnxn San van?
- - * t I Vitt t - lt -:i t a" ? ? | jT t'
,t . j*cit t it: I a :? ? 3" t --
fc'wtrn ahhito Mmsn boa H5jr^
_{,_. ,. a. . . . . . it . - ; . - . . . . . . r
nun na1wni fnt 1 naew nw8 jD^Sx-Sa
j: t: t -i i T ? ~ t : it r v: t
tvSy rrirv 1 nnfcra 9 :nirv Ttpseto pa1? n-nn*
I j: v t: <t ** 1 ? i t: I v jt: ? I -1-: at:
I- v: t - t ? *JTi- /: I v<<ti t
D'yeh i>>e VTpn nitrs3 nob> p voto nin*
:nnab> aS-nt^Si pnvS snr nix " :DSnr
it : * >>" ": *: I a--- - j-. t 1 ,. . . -
itehp -dtS rhni rrtrva D'p*w viois> 12
1 :|t :at i- | ? --i j ;?
Then follows an invocation to all the world, even "IRote on
to the idols, to worship the Almighty Creator. IPs. XCVII.
The last three verses are a sort of response in-
spired by the stirring phrase, "Ye that love the
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
1Mote on Lord hate evil. " God is ever and infinitely good;
IPs. XCV1I. with the love of God in our hearts-we love good-
ness and hate evil. "Light is sown for the
righteous. " Just as the seeds sown in the furrows
PSALM XCVIII.
a ipsalm.
O sing unto the Lord a new song; for He hath
done marvellous things: His right hand, and His
holy arm, hath gotten Him the victory. 2 The
Lord hath made known His salvation: His
righteousness hath He openly shewed in the sight of
the nations. 3 He hath remembered His mercy
and His truth toward the house of Israel: all the
ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth:
make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
5 Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the
harp and the voice of a psalm. 6 With trumpets
and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the
Lord, the King. 7 Let the sea roar, and the
fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell
therein. 8 Let the floods clap their hands: let the
hills be joyful together. 9 Before the Lord; for
He cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness
shall He judge the world, and the people with
equity.
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
spring out of the ground, so "light" appears along the Hote on
path of life of those who always try to do what they XCVII
know to be right, and " gladness," the cheerfulness of
a serene conscience, is in their hearts.
XCVIII. TO
tM j t: ? I- Xtl * t l~ >?
inyie* rrirv ynin 2 :iwnp yim ikr iS-ny^n
a t 1: t ;i - 1 :|t ~ /: -: >> r i ?
iftoexi 1 npn nif 3 nnpix rhi D;inn *yyS
t 1 v:iv : * t 1 |t : ? it* -
nyri^n n^tr; rix fix-'pSx-S:) an b$H? : rva1?
msn <<3Tfi irres nin^ wnn 4
nrraifns e jhtst ^ipinia3a nia3a nin^ mar 5
D>>n ay*r 7 . nirv iSoh 1 *)sh wnn ns^ ^toi
in: f|3-inmy ninni 8 nn *at? i ixSai
iat ;; ? 't; ^t ? ? ; j; . . . . a .
pxn tastf1? N3-*a nin^^sb 9 :<<an* Dnn
i*x l"; ? --; f vav; ** j ; *
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
ite on This Psalm was written in a moment of great glad-
? XCVIII. ness, when the people of Israel had been saved from
some terrible danger. It exactly expresses what we
all feel when we have been very unhappy and are very
happy again. We feel so grateful to God that we
want the whole world to join with us in praise and
thanks for His everlasting goodness and mercy.
You must have noticed the Psalmists often say
"sing and play music," on the harps and psaltery and
trumpets, to express praise and thanksgiving to God.
In olden times poets did not write their poems,
but just sang their thoughts as they came into
their minds; the songs were passed on from mouth
to mouth, till at last, perhaps hundreds of years
later, they were written down, and, later still,
printed. In the same way the Psalmists used to
PSALM XCIX.
The Lord reigneth; let the peoples tremble.
He abideth amid the cherubim; let the earth
quake. 2 The Lord is great in Zion; and He is
high above all the peoples.
3 Let them praise Thy great and awful Name;
holy is He.
4 The King's strength also loveth judgment; Thou
hast established equity, Thou hast executed judgment
and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at His
footstool; holy is He.
6 Moses and Aaron among His priests, and
Samuel among them that called on His name: they
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
pour out their feelings to God in songs of prayer, flote on
accompanying themselves with a little harp, which P8. XCVIII.
they carried in one hand, and played with the other.
Long after Bible times there were still such
musical poet-singers ; they were called minstrels; and
it became the custom for every king to have a
minstrel at his court to celebrate the great events of
his reign by singing songs about them. Sir Walter
Scott wrote a poem called the " Lay of the Last
Minstrel" about these old singing poets. When
you read it, think of David, the greatest of all
minstrels, whose Psalms we still sing, and who
played so skilfully on the harp that (as we are told
in the Bible), when King Saul was ill and sad,
David played to him, and King Saul was cured and
cheered by his sweet music.
XCIX. 132
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
pe. XCIX. called upon the Lord and He answered them. 7 He
spake unto them in the pillar of cloud: they kept His
testimonies, and the statute He gave unto them.
8 Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God: Thou
wast a forgiving God to them, and an avenging God
on their evil deeds.
9 Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at His
holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy.
mote on Psalm xcix. is an ode to the might of God, and
IPs. XCIX. in praise of His righteousness and His mercy.
Verse 4 suggests the thought that the possession
of power often tempts mankind to an unjust use of
it. But the Divine King "loveth judgment and
hath established equity" (that is justice and
fairness).
Verse 8. "Thou didst answer them, O Lord our
God!
Thou wast a forgiving God to them, and an
avenging God on their evil deeds. "
This verse sums up the Jewish conception of
Divine justice and Divine mercy, and shows us the
Psalmists' meaning when they speak of the anger or
the vengeance of God. It is not a hot impulse of
the moment, nor a wrathful desire for revenge like
human anger, but it is the spirit of Divine Justice
which permeates the world.
God has given man the knowledge to discern
between right and wrong, and power to make the
effort to do right, and to restrain himself from doing
wrong. If he fails to use this power, he sins against
the spirit of Divine Justice. By the great un-
changing laws of God, which govern the world, sin
brings its own punishment, yet--by a merciful
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOtf
-? ro phi vrny w anhx n3T uy niaya 7 ds. xcix.
rrn onoy nnx writa nirv 8 ^
t j. t K j. . jt vt - ** v: jt: it
wrbx nirv north 9 :trfbhrho hasi orb
v: <t: -? i it i--: - :avt
twrbx nirv erip-*a iehp nnS nnriefrn
l" v; /t: |t ? >> :|t j-:
ordinance that is also part of the Divine eternal flore on
laws--true repentance earns the forgiveness of XCIX.
God.
For Older Children. --The Psalmist's thought illus-
trates the practical bent of Jewish philosophy, as
contrasted with the Mystical and Mythological schools
of thought. Belief in the Unity and Universality of
God led naturally to the conception of that one First
Cause ruling over the universe by eternal laws of
infinite wisdom and perfection, and thus making
cause and effect produce a harmonious and inevitable
whole.
The Mythologists imagined the existence of a
group of immortal gods and goddesses, who were
endued with more than human powers, but with all
human moral frailties, and who ruled and made
tools of human kind--a terrible turmoil of auto-
cratic rulers!
The Mystical school borrowed both from the Jews
and from the Mythologists, and evolved a religion
comprising patron saints (who, in the popular mind,
more or less took the place of the tutelary deities of
mythology), and also a superior power intimately
related to the Godhead above, and to the saints,
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
mote on and the ordinary human beings below. ' The Mystical
ps. XCIX school also evolved a system of rewards and punish-
ments for mankind, not as a result of the natural
workings of the eternal Divine laws, but as the
result of the administration of a code of laws
drawn up by priests in whom it pre-supposes a
detailed knowledge of the Divine punishments for
every form and every degree of human fallibility and
sin.
The Reformation swept away the tutelary saints,
but preserved the intermediate deity. Professor
Berner, a Protestant, and a prominent German
jurist, said (in a lecture on the "future of Israel,"
PSALM C.
B ipsalm of praiee.
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His
presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the Lord
He is God: He hath made us, and we are His
people, and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into
His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with
praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting;
and His faithfulness endureth to all generations.
1 In olden times there arose a world-wide custom of
dedicating a child at birth to the special service and protection
of some higher power. The Bible tells us how the infant
Samuel was dedicated by his mother to the service of God, and
the many Hebrew names beginning or ending with "el" (the
Hebrew word meaning God) indicate the practice of dedicating
Israelitish children--the descendants of the "Warrior of God"
(Israel)--to the service of God. The Mycologists dedicated
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
delivered before the German Society of Protes- Mote on
tants): "Down to the present time the Jews have XCIX.
been the pioneers of monotheism Judaism
in its religious separateness has done humanity the
greatest service. The religion of the future . . .
from which all dogmatic padding will have been
removed . . . will be refined into pure monotheism
by the renewed intervention of Judaism. "* Is not
this dictum the very echo of the closing prayer of
every service in the Jewish Ritual? "And the Lord
shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall
the Lord be one, and His Name one. "
c. p
: minS Ttotij
at; j : -
nnatra nirv-nx rny 2 :pferrSa nin^ lynn
at ; ? ; jt: v j: * 'v t t t t ;- * j* t
j v: a t : r * \ itt : ? tt; >>
tona rrtn nVnna vrfwn rnina I Hytf
;-:it >> at ? : ? ;t i*--; t: t t:
vn -ft-nyi nDn D^iyS nirv ato-*a <<
t i e: a : - at: t :( j i:
1 t i V.
their children to the special care and service of some one god
or goddess as its tutelary (i. e. protecting) deity, and in later
times the custom of dedication was extended first to the home-
stead and then to the nation as St. George for England,
St. Patrick for Ireland, &c.
* I quote Prof. Berner's words from Karpeles' "Jews and
Judaism in the nineteenth century. "--J. M. C.
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
? Mote on This Psalm tells us that to be cheerful and
ps. C contented is one way of thanking and praising God.
Another way of praising God is to make the very
best use we possibly can of all the powers He has
given us. For as the Psalm tells us, "He hath made
us. " He gave us our bodies and our minds and
our souls, and if we try to make the very best use
PSALM CIII.
a (C)salm of Davio.
Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is
within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the Lord,
O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: 3 Who
forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy
diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruc-
tion; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and
tender meries; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with
good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the
eagle's. 6 The Lord executeth righteousness and
judgment for all that are oppressed. 7 He made
known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the
children of Israel. 8 The Lord is merciful and
gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will He keep
His anger for ever. 10 He hath not dealt with us
after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our
iniquities. 11 For as the heaven is high above the
earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear
Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so
far hath He removed our transgressions from us.
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
we possibly can of these, we are thanking God for mote on
His gifts. IP*- c-
He is always taking care of us, as a king guards
his people and a shepherd his flock; only with
infinitely greater perfection, for God is ever mer-
ciful and His commands are just and true for
ever.
cm. ap
* t:
:tehp w-m nip-Sai nirrnx *etea *ra
I :|t v "t|: t: at: v ? ;-i I>>-:it
it ; t * :: ? ~: at: v ? :-i j'~;it
Swan 4 . *ywf? nn-Sab xshri otfy-W? nSbn 3
j** - ? : it -: i- t; ** t ? a,,-: t: -
nipnx njry e :^nipa "#33 trihnh tj atea
natoS van ynv 1 :rawto-W? D^bstrai nin*
av: t t: - j- I r c: t: ? t: ? at:
HFi- P#J) 8:^
: nits' dSiy1? an* nxaS-N1? 9 jnDn-ani b<<sm
1 ? jt *: :: a't -'vt t vit -* --
nyfcy Saa wnitoj kSi <<S new WNtana-N1? 10
l" t /- t ': at t it ** t j
:VnT-SynDn -laa nxn-Sy dw naa? '3>>
I t ? ? : :- j- t 1 V at t - ? - tt - j ; ?
. ? Tip waj! ? prnn anyaa rnta p'rna 12
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
tie. CHI. 13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord
pitieth them that fear Him. 14 For He knoweth
our frame; He remembereth that we are dust. 15
As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the
field, so he flourisheth. 16 For the wind passeth
over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall
know it no more. 17 But the mercy of the Lord is
from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear
Him, and His righteousness unto children's children:
18 To such as keep His covenant, and to those
that remember His commandments to do them.
19 The Lord hath prepared His throne in the
heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all. 20
Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength,
that do His word, hearkening unto the voice of
His word. 21 Bless ye the Lord, all ye His
hosts; ye ministers of His, that do His pleasure.
22 Bless ye the Lord, all ye His works in all places
of His dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.
more on The 103rd and 104th Psalms form one great
Ps. Clll. song of praise. The beginning of each is the same,
"Bless the Lord, O my soul. "
In the 103rd Psalm the poet follows out the
thought which these opening words bring into our
minds about every individual human being. They
make us think of God's tender care of us at every
moment of our lives, and His great lovingkindness
towards us all; how He pities us when we do wrong,
and mercifully forgives us when we are sorry. We
turn naturally to God for help when we are in
distress--but when all is well with us we are too apt
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
-*2 14 :wrvhv nirv Dm Doa-'ry an Dnia 1s p<<. cm.
enjx 15 :>>n>> nsy-*a -tot <<ir yr ton
nn '3 16 p nntrn r*a vo* T*na
- j I i t I-" Vt ~ | ; att -? tiV
nDm 17 :tetad liy isto*-^ tiaw iamav
:Dni^y1? vip's nafo inna nofc6 << :D^a
SHdxk iNDa pan D*a? ra riin* 19
tit t ^ - :- 1 :? l ? ? t-- t:
inan w na na: vasfra 1 riim lana 20
at t; t t: j-;it it: |j: - :?
v^yo-Sa i nih* iana 22 :iai^n w vmtro
:nirv-nn wtoi *ana inStroa niabo-Saa
it: v * :- :it / |: t:
to take it as a matter of course, to " forget all His flote on
benefits," and to be self-satisfied through the Pfi* CIH,
omission of the daily task of self-criticism and the
daily duty of humbly communing with God, in order
to perceive our own shortcomings by the light of His
perfect goodness, the thought of which should be
ever stimulating us to try to do better. God in His
mercy made known His wonderful works and the
eternal laws of Right and Wrong, through Moses,
to the Jews for them to tell and teach to the whole
world. And the Psalmist reminds us not only to tell,
but to do them ourselves in our daily life, and thus
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
on to try to merit the mercy of God, which is ever-
'l1* lasting, "to such as keep His covenant, and to those
who remember His commandments to do them. "
Note for Older Children. --The 17th and 18th verses
are a complete sermon in themselves, and inspired a
famous saying of a later preacher: "God is found by
everyone who seeks Him, if the seeker goes stead-
fastly towards Him, nor ever turns astray. "*
History, which tells both of the doers and of the
violaters of God's commandments, teaches us great
* Maimonides.
PSALM CIV.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God,
Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honour
and majesty.
-"*fe^3tnfc? iSjr 12 ito&tt D;n mrv pxn
v -: t: - ti j i: t - -~ | vatt
t ? t: ** : ? -it t -: /t a
D'ayi pTi? b^ft-topv! psn tab^S
as the world exists by God's wisdom, so surely is all 'IRote on
mankind judged rightly by God's righteousness. P8* XCVI.
Although not described in the Bible as a Psalm of
David, this is, in fact, part of the song of thanks-
giving composed by him for Asaph,1 the chief of the
Levites, appointed to minister daily before the Ark
of the Lord, when David had brought the Ark to
Jerusalem (I. Chron. xvi. ). Another portion of the
same song is almost identical with Psalm cv. , which
is also not called a " Psalm of David. "
1 See notes on Psalm Ixxxi.
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
PSALM XCVII.
The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the
multitude of isles be glad. 2 Clouds and darkness
are round about Him: righteousness and judgment
are the habitation of His throne. 3 A fire goeth
before Him, and flameth around his enemies. 4 His
lightnings lightened the world: the earth saw, and
trembled. 5 The hills melted like wax at the presence
of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole
earth. 6 The heavens declare His righteousness, and
all the peoples see His glory. 7 Ashamed be all they
that serve graven images, that boast themselves
of idols; worship Him, all ye gods. 8 Zion heard,
and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced
because of Thy judgments, O Lord. 9 For Thou,
Lord, art high above all the earth: Thou art
exalted far above all gods. 10 Ye that love the
Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of His
saints; He delivereth them out of the hand of the
wicked. 11 Light is sown for the righteous, and
gladness for the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the
Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remem-
brance of His holiness.
mqteon This is an ode to the goodness and greatness
"* of God. The might and marvel of His works
are brought vividly before our mind by graphic
word-pictures of the wonders He has made.
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
XCVII. ts
:D<<n )r\w< pxn b:n ifo mrv
I ? -- >>* * :;? I Vat t j"t |ttl jt;
:iND3 fas tastrai p-ra vmd ^snyi py 2
1 : ? I 1: t: ? | i. t ? : jv t-;i- ntt
xfco Dnn 5 :pxn Snni nnxn San van?
- - * t I Vitt t - lt -:i t a" ? ? | jT t'
,t . j*cit t it: I a :? ? 3" t --
fc'wtrn ahhito Mmsn boa H5jr^
_{,_. ,. a. . . . . . it . - ; . - . . . . . . r
nun na1wni fnt 1 naew nw8 jD^Sx-Sa
j: t: t -i i T ? ~ t : it r v: t
tvSy rrirv 1 nnfcra 9 :nirv Ttpseto pa1? n-nn*
I j: v t: <t ** 1 ? i t: I v jt: ? I -1-: at:
I- v: t - t ? *JTi- /: I v<<ti t
D'yeh i>>e VTpn nitrs3 nob> p voto nin*
:nnab> aS-nt^Si pnvS snr nix " :DSnr
it : * >>" ": *: I a--- - j-. t 1 ,. . . -
itehp -dtS rhni rrtrva D'p*w viois> 12
1 :|t :at i- | ? --i j ;?
Then follows an invocation to all the world, even "IRote on
to the idols, to worship the Almighty Creator. IPs. XCVII.
The last three verses are a sort of response in-
spired by the stirring phrase, "Ye that love the
145 L
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
1Mote on Lord hate evil. " God is ever and infinitely good;
IPs. XCV1I. with the love of God in our hearts-we love good-
ness and hate evil. "Light is sown for the
righteous. " Just as the seeds sown in the furrows
PSALM XCVIII.
a ipsalm.
O sing unto the Lord a new song; for He hath
done marvellous things: His right hand, and His
holy arm, hath gotten Him the victory. 2 The
Lord hath made known His salvation: His
righteousness hath He openly shewed in the sight of
the nations. 3 He hath remembered His mercy
and His truth toward the house of Israel: all the
ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth:
make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
5 Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the
harp and the voice of a psalm. 6 With trumpets
and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the
Lord, the King. 7 Let the sea roar, and the
fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell
therein. 8 Let the floods clap their hands: let the
hills be joyful together. 9 Before the Lord; for
He cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness
shall He judge the world, and the people with
equity.
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
spring out of the ground, so "light" appears along the Hote on
path of life of those who always try to do what they XCVII
know to be right, and " gladness," the cheerfulness of
a serene conscience, is in their hearts.
XCVIII. TO
tM j t: ? I- Xtl * t l~ >?
inyie* rrirv ynin 2 :iwnp yim ikr iS-ny^n
a t 1: t ;i - 1 :|t ~ /: -: >> r i ?
iftoexi 1 npn nif 3 nnpix rhi D;inn *yyS
t 1 v:iv : * t 1 |t : ? it* -
nyri^n n^tr; rix fix-'pSx-S:) an b$H? : rva1?
msn <<3Tfi irres nin^ wnn 4
nrraifns e jhtst ^ipinia3a nia3a nin^ mar 5
D>>n ay*r 7 . nirv iSoh 1 *)sh wnn ns^ ^toi
in: f|3-inmy ninni 8 nn *at? i ixSai
iat ;; ? 't; ^t ? ? ; j; . . . . a .
pxn tastf1? N3-*a nin^^sb 9 :<<an* Dnn
i*x l"; ? --; f vav; ** j ; *
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
ite on This Psalm was written in a moment of great glad-
? XCVIII. ness, when the people of Israel had been saved from
some terrible danger. It exactly expresses what we
all feel when we have been very unhappy and are very
happy again. We feel so grateful to God that we
want the whole world to join with us in praise and
thanks for His everlasting goodness and mercy.
You must have noticed the Psalmists often say
"sing and play music," on the harps and psaltery and
trumpets, to express praise and thanksgiving to God.
In olden times poets did not write their poems,
but just sang their thoughts as they came into
their minds; the songs were passed on from mouth
to mouth, till at last, perhaps hundreds of years
later, they were written down, and, later still,
printed. In the same way the Psalmists used to
PSALM XCIX.
The Lord reigneth; let the peoples tremble.
He abideth amid the cherubim; let the earth
quake. 2 The Lord is great in Zion; and He is
high above all the peoples.
3 Let them praise Thy great and awful Name;
holy is He.
4 The King's strength also loveth judgment; Thou
hast established equity, Thou hast executed judgment
and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at His
footstool; holy is He.
6 Moses and Aaron among His priests, and
Samuel among them that called on His name: they
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
pour out their feelings to God in songs of prayer, flote on
accompanying themselves with a little harp, which P8. XCVIII.
they carried in one hand, and played with the other.
Long after Bible times there were still such
musical poet-singers ; they were called minstrels; and
it became the custom for every king to have a
minstrel at his court to celebrate the great events of
his reign by singing songs about them. Sir Walter
Scott wrote a poem called the " Lay of the Last
Minstrel" about these old singing poets. When
you read it, think of David, the greatest of all
minstrels, whose Psalms we still sing, and who
played so skilfully on the harp that (as we are told
in the Bible), when King Saul was ill and sad,
David played to him, and King Saul was cured and
cheered by his sweet music.
XCIX. 132
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
pe. XCIX. called upon the Lord and He answered them. 7 He
spake unto them in the pillar of cloud: they kept His
testimonies, and the statute He gave unto them.
8 Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God: Thou
wast a forgiving God to them, and an avenging God
on their evil deeds.
9 Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at His
holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy.
mote on Psalm xcix. is an ode to the might of God, and
IPs. XCIX. in praise of His righteousness and His mercy.
Verse 4 suggests the thought that the possession
of power often tempts mankind to an unjust use of
it. But the Divine King "loveth judgment and
hath established equity" (that is justice and
fairness).
Verse 8. "Thou didst answer them, O Lord our
God!
Thou wast a forgiving God to them, and an
avenging God on their evil deeds. "
This verse sums up the Jewish conception of
Divine justice and Divine mercy, and shows us the
Psalmists' meaning when they speak of the anger or
the vengeance of God. It is not a hot impulse of
the moment, nor a wrathful desire for revenge like
human anger, but it is the spirit of Divine Justice
which permeates the world.
God has given man the knowledge to discern
between right and wrong, and power to make the
effort to do right, and to restrain himself from doing
wrong. If he fails to use this power, he sins against
the spirit of Divine Justice. By the great un-
changing laws of God, which govern the world, sin
brings its own punishment, yet--by a merciful
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOtf
-? ro phi vrny w anhx n3T uy niaya 7 ds. xcix.
rrn onoy nnx writa nirv 8 ^
t j. t K j. . jt vt - ** v: jt: it
wrbx nirv north 9 :trfbhrho hasi orb
v: <t: -? i it i--: - :avt
twrbx nirv erip-*a iehp nnS nnriefrn
l" v; /t: |t ? >> :|t j-:
ordinance that is also part of the Divine eternal flore on
laws--true repentance earns the forgiveness of XCIX.
God.
For Older Children. --The Psalmist's thought illus-
trates the practical bent of Jewish philosophy, as
contrasted with the Mystical and Mythological schools
of thought. Belief in the Unity and Universality of
God led naturally to the conception of that one First
Cause ruling over the universe by eternal laws of
infinite wisdom and perfection, and thus making
cause and effect produce a harmonious and inevitable
whole.
The Mythologists imagined the existence of a
group of immortal gods and goddesses, who were
endued with more than human powers, but with all
human moral frailties, and who ruled and made
tools of human kind--a terrible turmoil of auto-
cratic rulers!
The Mystical school borrowed both from the Jews
and from the Mythologists, and evolved a religion
comprising patron saints (who, in the popular mind,
more or less took the place of the tutelary deities of
mythology), and also a superior power intimately
related to the Godhead above, and to the saints,
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
mote on and the ordinary human beings below. ' The Mystical
ps. XCIX school also evolved a system of rewards and punish-
ments for mankind, not as a result of the natural
workings of the eternal Divine laws, but as the
result of the administration of a code of laws
drawn up by priests in whom it pre-supposes a
detailed knowledge of the Divine punishments for
every form and every degree of human fallibility and
sin.
The Reformation swept away the tutelary saints,
but preserved the intermediate deity. Professor
Berner, a Protestant, and a prominent German
jurist, said (in a lecture on the "future of Israel,"
PSALM C.
B ipsalm of praiee.
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His
presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the Lord
He is God: He hath made us, and we are His
people, and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into
His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with
praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting;
and His faithfulness endureth to all generations.
1 In olden times there arose a world-wide custom of
dedicating a child at birth to the special service and protection
of some higher power. The Bible tells us how the infant
Samuel was dedicated by his mother to the service of God, and
the many Hebrew names beginning or ending with "el" (the
Hebrew word meaning God) indicate the practice of dedicating
Israelitish children--the descendants of the "Warrior of God"
(Israel)--to the service of God. The Mycologists dedicated
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
delivered before the German Society of Protes- Mote on
tants): "Down to the present time the Jews have XCIX.
been the pioneers of monotheism Judaism
in its religious separateness has done humanity the
greatest service. The religion of the future . . .
from which all dogmatic padding will have been
removed . . . will be refined into pure monotheism
by the renewed intervention of Judaism. "* Is not
this dictum the very echo of the closing prayer of
every service in the Jewish Ritual? "And the Lord
shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall
the Lord be one, and His Name one. "
c. p
: minS Ttotij
at; j : -
nnatra nirv-nx rny 2 :pferrSa nin^ lynn
at ; ? ; jt: v j: * 'v t t t t ;- * j* t
j v: a t : r * \ itt : ? tt; >>
tona rrtn nVnna vrfwn rnina I Hytf
;-:it >> at ? : ? ;t i*--; t: t t:
vn -ft-nyi nDn D^iyS nirv ato-*a <<
t i e: a : - at: t :( j i:
1 t i V.
their children to the special care and service of some one god
or goddess as its tutelary (i. e. protecting) deity, and in later
times the custom of dedication was extended first to the home-
stead and then to the nation as St. George for England,
St. Patrick for Ireland, &c.
* I quote Prof. Berner's words from Karpeles' "Jews and
Judaism in the nineteenth century. "--J. M. C.
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
? Mote on This Psalm tells us that to be cheerful and
ps. C contented is one way of thanking and praising God.
Another way of praising God is to make the very
best use we possibly can of all the powers He has
given us. For as the Psalm tells us, "He hath made
us. " He gave us our bodies and our minds and
our souls, and if we try to make the very best use
PSALM CIII.
a (C)salm of Davio.
Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is
within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the Lord,
O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: 3 Who
forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy
diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruc-
tion; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and
tender meries; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with
good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the
eagle's. 6 The Lord executeth righteousness and
judgment for all that are oppressed. 7 He made
known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the
children of Israel. 8 The Lord is merciful and
gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will He keep
His anger for ever. 10 He hath not dealt with us
after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our
iniquities. 11 For as the heaven is high above the
earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear
Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so
far hath He removed our transgressions from us.
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
we possibly can of these, we are thanking God for mote on
His gifts. IP*- c-
He is always taking care of us, as a king guards
his people and a shepherd his flock; only with
infinitely greater perfection, for God is ever mer-
ciful and His commands are just and true for
ever.
cm. ap
* t:
:tehp w-m nip-Sai nirrnx *etea *ra
I :|t v "t|: t: at: v ? ;-i I>>-:it
it ; t * :: ? ~: at: v ? :-i j'~;it
Swan 4 . *ywf? nn-Sab xshri otfy-W? nSbn 3
j** - ? : it -: i- t; ** t ? a,,-: t: -
nipnx njry e :^nipa "#33 trihnh tj atea
natoS van ynv 1 :rawto-W? D^bstrai nin*
av: t t: - j- I r c: t: ? t: ? at:
HFi- P#J) 8:^
: nits' dSiy1? an* nxaS-N1? 9 jnDn-ani b<<sm
1 ? jt *: :: a't -'vt t vit -* --
nyfcy Saa wnitoj kSi <<S new WNtana-N1? 10
l" t /- t ': at t it ** t j
:VnT-SynDn -laa nxn-Sy dw naa? '3>>
I t ? ? : :- j- t 1 V at t - ? - tt - j ; ?
. ? Tip waj! ? prnn anyaa rnta p'rna 12
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
tie. CHI. 13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord
pitieth them that fear Him. 14 For He knoweth
our frame; He remembereth that we are dust. 15
As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the
field, so he flourisheth. 16 For the wind passeth
over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall
know it no more. 17 But the mercy of the Lord is
from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear
Him, and His righteousness unto children's children:
18 To such as keep His covenant, and to those
that remember His commandments to do them.
19 The Lord hath prepared His throne in the
heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all. 20
Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength,
that do His word, hearkening unto the voice of
His word. 21 Bless ye the Lord, all ye His
hosts; ye ministers of His, that do His pleasure.
22 Bless ye the Lord, all ye His works in all places
of His dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.
more on The 103rd and 104th Psalms form one great
Ps. Clll. song of praise. The beginning of each is the same,
"Bless the Lord, O my soul. "
In the 103rd Psalm the poet follows out the
thought which these opening words bring into our
minds about every individual human being. They
make us think of God's tender care of us at every
moment of our lives, and His great lovingkindness
towards us all; how He pities us when we do wrong,
and mercifully forgives us when we are sorry. We
turn naturally to God for help when we are in
distress--but when all is well with us we are too apt
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
-*2 14 :wrvhv nirv Dm Doa-'ry an Dnia 1s p<<. cm.
enjx 15 :>>n>> nsy-*a -tot <<ir yr ton
nn '3 16 p nntrn r*a vo* T*na
- j I i t I-" Vt ~ | ; att -? tiV
nDm 17 :tetad liy isto*-^ tiaw iamav
:Dni^y1? vip's nafo inna nofc6 << :D^a
SHdxk iNDa pan D*a? ra riin* 19
tit t ^ - :- 1 :? l ? ? t-- t:
inan w na na: vasfra 1 riim lana 20
at t; t t: j-;it it: |j: - :?
v^yo-Sa i nih* iana 22 :iai^n w vmtro
:nirv-nn wtoi *ana inStroa niabo-Saa
it: v * :- :it / |: t:
to take it as a matter of course, to " forget all His flote on
benefits," and to be self-satisfied through the Pfi* CIH,
omission of the daily task of self-criticism and the
daily duty of humbly communing with God, in order
to perceive our own shortcomings by the light of His
perfect goodness, the thought of which should be
ever stimulating us to try to do better. God in His
mercy made known His wonderful works and the
eternal laws of Right and Wrong, through Moses,
to the Jews for them to tell and teach to the whole
world. And the Psalmist reminds us not only to tell,
but to do them ourselves in our daily life, and thus
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
on to try to merit the mercy of God, which is ever-
'l1* lasting, "to such as keep His covenant, and to those
who remember His commandments to do them. "
Note for Older Children. --The 17th and 18th verses
are a complete sermon in themselves, and inspired a
famous saying of a later preacher: "God is found by
everyone who seeks Him, if the seeker goes stead-
fastly towards Him, nor ever turns astray. "*
History, which tells both of the doers and of the
violaters of God's commandments, teaches us great
* Maimonides.
PSALM CIV.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God,
Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honour
and majesty.
