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v.16.

.25.

v.28.

V.31.

the night through with a light of fire.

16 He clave (ƒ) the hard rocks in the wilderness: and gave them drink thereof, as it had been out of the great depth.

17 He brought waters out of the stony rock: so that it gushed out like the rivers.

18 Yet for all this they sinned more against him; and provoked the Most Highest in the wilder

ness.

19 They tempted God in their hearts and required meat for their lust.

20 They spake against God also, saying: "Shall God pre66 pare a table in the wilderness?

21 "He smote the stony rock "indeed, that the waters gushed "out, and the streams flowed "withal: but can he give bread " also, or provide flesh for his "people?"

22 When the Lord heard this, he was wroth so the fire was kindled in Jacob, and there came up heavy displeasure against Israel;

23 Because they believed not in God and put not their trust in his help.

24 So he commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven.

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25 He rained down manna(g)

night in a pillar of fire, to give them "light, to go by day and night." Exod. xiii. 21.-xiv. 19. 20.

(f) "Clave," &c. See Exod. xvii. I to 6. and Numb. xx. I to II.

(g) "Manna." See Exod. xvi. and Numb. xi.

(b)" Feathered fowls." See Exod. xvi. 13. and Numb. xi. 31.

(i)" Slew," &c. Numb. xi. 33. "While the flesh was yet between their

also upon them for to eat and gave them food from heaven.

26 So man did eat angels' food for he sent them meat enough.

27 He caused the east-wind to blow under heaven and through his power he brought in the southwest wind.

28 He rained flesh upon them as thick as dust and feathered fowls (b) like as the sand of the

sea.

29 He let it fall among their

tents even round about their habitation.

30 So they did eat, and were well filled; for he gave them their own desire: they were not disappointed of their lust.

31 But while the meat was yet in their mouths, the heavy wrath of God came upon them, and slew (i) the wealthiest of them : yea, and smote down the chosen men that were in Israel.

32 But for all this they sinned yet more and believed not his wondrous works.

33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity and their years in trouble.

34 When he slew them, they sought him and turned them early, and inquired after God.

35 And they remembered that God was their strength : and that

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the high God was their Redeemer.

36 Nevertheless, they did but flatter him with their mouth : and dissembled with him in their tongue.

37 For their heart was not whole with him : neither continued they stedfast in his cove

nant.

38 But he was so merciful, that he forgave their misdeeds: and destroyed them not.

39 Yea, many a time turned he his wrath away and would not suffer his whole displeasure to arise.

40 For he considered, that they were but flesh and that they were even a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

41 Many a time did they provoke him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert.

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42 They turned back, and tempted God and moved the Holy One in Israel.

43 They thought not of his hand and of the day when he delivered them from the hand of the enemy;

44 How he had wrought his miracles in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Zoan.

45 (k) He turned their (1) waters into blood: so that they might not drink of the rivers.

46 He sent lice among them, and devoured them up: and frogs to destroy them.

47 He gave their fruit unto the caterpillar and their labour unto the grasshopper.

9.45 (k) At the beginning of each of these to 51. verses, the word "how" is to be understood. To the end of the 52d verse is an enumeration of the plagues upon the Egyptians; and verse 53 to verse 56.

48 He destroyed their vines with hailstones and their mul

berry-trees with the frost.

49 He smote their cattle also with hailstones : and their flocks with hot thunder-bolts.

50 He cast upon them the furiousness of his wrath, anger, displeasure, and trouble: and sent evil angels among them.

51 He made a way to his indignation, and spared not their soul from death: but gave their life over to the pestilence;

52 And smote all the first-born in Egypt the most principal and mightiest in the dwellings of Ham.

53 But as for his own people, he led them forth like sheep: and carried them in the wilderness like a flock.

54 He brought them out safely, that they should not fear and overwhelmed their enemies with the sea;

55 And brought them within the borders of his sanctuary: even to his mountain, which he purchased with his right hand.

56 He cast out the heathen also before them : caused their land to be divided among them for an heritage, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their

tents.

57 So they tempted, and displeased the most high God: and kept not his testimonies;

58 But turned their backs, and fell away like their forefathers: starting aside like a broken bow.

states by way of contrast, the singular protection afforded to the Israelites.

(1) "Their," i. e. the Egyptians.

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59 For they grieved him with their hill-altars (n) and provoked him to displeasure with their images.

60 When God heard this, he was wroth and took sore displeasure at Israel;

61 So that he forsook the tabernacle in Silo (o): even the' tent that he had pitched among

men.

62 He delivered their power into captivity and their beauty into the enemy's hand.

63 He gave his people over also unto the sword and was wroth with his inheritance.

64 The fire consumed their young men and their maidens were not given to marriage.

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(n)" Hill altars," in imitation of the heathen worship. Part of God's orders to Moses as to what the children of Israel should do when they should have passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan was this, that they should" drive out all the "inhabitants of the land before them, " and destroy all their pictures, and de stroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places." Numb. xxxiii. 52. Very soon after the death of Joshua, about 1406 years before the birth of Christ, the Israelites "for"wook the Lord God of their fathers, "which brought them out of the land " of Egypt, and followed other gods, of "the gods of the people that were round " about them, and bowed themselves "unto them: and the anger of the Lord "was hot against Israel, and he de"livered them into the hands of spoilers "that spoiled them, and he sold them "into the hands of their enemies round "about, so that they could not any "longer stand before their enemies." Judges ii. 12. 14. They accordingly served the king of Mesopotamia eight years, Judges ii. 8. and the king of Moab eighteen, Judges iii. 14. The Lord afterwards sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, and he mightily oppressed them twenty years. Judges iv. 2.3.

65 Their priests were slain with the sword and there were no widows to make lamentation.

66 So (p) the Lord awaked as one out of sleep and like a giant refreshed with wine.

67 He smote his enemies in the hinder parts and put them to a perpetual shame.

68 He refused the tabernacle of Joseph and chose not the tribe of Ephraim;

69 But chose the tribe of Judah even the hill of Sion, which he loved.

70 And there he built his temple on high and laid the foundation of it like the ground (q), which he hath made continually.

71 He chose David (r) also his

They were afterwards delivered into the hands of the Midianites seven years, Judges vi. 1. The Lord afterwards sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon, and they oppressed the children of Israel eighteen years, Judges x. 7. 8. The Lord afterwards delivered them into the hands of the Philistines forty years, Judges xiii. L. And lastly, in the time of Eli, about 1141 years before the birth of Christ, the Philistines in one engagement slew 4000 of them, and in another 30,000, and took the ark of God. It is to these different occurrences that the 62d and following verses refer. God afterwards smote the Philistines with great destruction wherever they kept the ark, and vexed them with emerods, and it is probably to this plague that the 67th verse refers. See 1 Sam. iv. v.

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(o)" Shilo." It was in Joshua's time, v. 61. 1444 years before the birth of Christ, that the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shilo, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. Josh. xviii. 1.

(p) For "so" read" then."' v.66. (q) "Like the ground," i. e. as firm, v. 70. as immoveable," continually," i. e. to endure for ever, to have continuance.

(r) "Chose David," &c. See 1 Sam.xvi. .72.

servant and took him away from the sheepfolds.

ข. 3.

72 As he was following the ewes great with young ones, he took him that he might feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

73 So he fed them with a faithful and true heart and ruled them prudently with all his power.

MORNING PRAYER.

Psalm lxxix. (s) O GOD, the heathen are come into thine inheritance: thy holy temple have they defiled, and made Jerusalem an an heap of

stones.

2 The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the air: and the flesh (t) of thy saints unto the beasts of the land.

3 Their blood have they shed like water (u) on every side of Jerusalem and there was no man (x) to bury them.

4 We are become an open

(s) An anxious prayer to God for deliverance, probably written shortly after the time when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (about 588 years before the birth of Christ) besieged and took Jerusalem, and burnt the house of the Lord, and every great man's house, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem, and carried the people away captive unto Babylon. See 2 Kings xxv, From the correspondence of the 6th and 7th verses with Jeremiah x. 25. it has been conjectured that Jeremiah, who lived in the time of the captivity, was the author. The same subject as the 74th Psalm,

()" The flesh," &c. This passage is referred to 1 Maccab. vii, upon the treacherous murder of 60 of the Affideans,

a very

shame to our enemies

scorn and derision unto them that are round about us.

5 Lord, how long wilt thou be angry shall thy jealousy burn like fire for ever?

6 Pour (y) out thine indigna tion upon the heathen that have not known thee and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy Name.

:

7 For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his dwelling-place.

8 O remember not our old sins; but have mercy upon us, and that soon for we are come to great misery.

9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory (z) of thy Name: O deliver us, and be merciful unto our sins, for thy Name's sake.

10 Wherefore do the heathen say: "Where is now their God?"

11 O let the vengeance of thy servants' blood that is shed: be openly shewed openly shewed upon the heathen in our sight.

12 O let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before

(u) dance.

"Like water," i. e. in such abun- *

(x) "No man," &c. the destruction was so great.

(y)" Pour," &c. This is the passage, Jer. x. 25. "Pour out thy fury upon

the

"heathen that know thee not, and upon "the families that call not on thy name; "for they have eaten up Jacob, and de "voured him, and consumed him, and "have made his habitation desolate."

(x)" The glory," &c. when any calamities fell upon the Jews, the heathen spoke disparagingly of God, as in verse 10. as if he could not protect them, and therefore was not the true God. See note on Ps. lxxiv. 28, where their protection is called God's " own cause."

13.

thee: according to the greatness || thy strength, and come, and help of thy power, preserve thou those that are appointed to die.

13 And for the blasphemy (a) wherewith our neighbours have blasphemed thee: reward thou them, O Lord, sevenfold into their bosom.

14 So we that are thy people, and sheep of thy pasture, shall give thee thanks for ever and will alway be shewing forth thy praise from generation to gene

V. I.

0.2.

9.2.

ration.

Psalm lxxx. (b)

HEAR, O thou Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep shew thyself also, thou that sittest upon the cherubims (c).

2 Before (d) Ephraim (e), Benjamin, and Manasses: stir up

(a) "Blasphemy," i. e. insult, in saying as in verse 10. "where is now their "God." Such insinuations against God are repeatedly called "blasphemy." See Ps. x. 14. lxxiii. 8.-lxxiv. 11. 19.lxxxix. 50.-2 Kings xix. 3.

(b) A prayer for deliverance, probably written in the time of Hezekiah, about 713 years before the birth of Christ, when Sennacherib, king of Assyria, who had taken all the fenced cities of Judah, (2 Kings xviii. 13.) came up against Jerusalem. See 2 Kings xviii. 19.-2 Chron. xxxii. 30.-Is. xxxvi. and xxxvii.

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(c) Upon the cherubims." The ark, the symbol of God's presence, was no longer upon or between the cherubims at the time of the Babylonish captivity. So that this Psalm could not refer to that period.

(d)" Before," i. e. in the sight of.

(e) Ephraim," &c. In the 6th year of Hezekiah, about 721 years before the birth of Christ, the Israelites (that is, the bulk of the ten tribes who were under the kings of Israel, and not under the kings of Judah), were carried away captive by the king of Assyria, but many of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh went up

us.

3 Turn us again, O God: shew the light of thy countenance, and we shall be whole.

4 O Lord God of hosts: how long wilt thou be angry with thy people that prayeth?

5 Thou feedest them with the bread of tears and givest them plenteousness of tears to drink.

6 Thou hast made us a very strife (f) unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh us to

scorn.

7 Turn us again, thou God of hosts shew the light of thy countenance, and we shall be whole.

8 Thou hast brought a vine (g) out of Egypt thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it;

9 Thou madest room for it:

to Jerusalem, where the Jews, that is, those of the tribes of Judah, and the Benjamites lived. See 2 Chron. xxx. 1.xxxi. 1. The mention therefore of "Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasses," agrees with the circumstances of those times. It may be observed too, that in the march through the wilderness in Moses's time, the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh marched immediately behind the tabernacle, and had that part just before them from which God sent forth the tokens of his power. (See Numb. ii. 17 to 22.) This fact, therefore, might have been in the writer's view, as thou didst then display the "tokens of thy power and protection be"fore Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, even so now stir up thy strength, shew "the light of thy countenance, and come "and help us."

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(f) Strife," rather jest.

v.6.

(g) "A vine," i. e. the house of Is- v.8. rael; described Isaiah v. 7. under the type of a vineyard, "For the vineyard "of the Lord of Hosts is the house of "Israel, and the men of Judah his plea sant plant."

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