LIST OF OMITTED PSALMS,

ACCORDING TO THE CLASSIFICATION OF DR. ADAM CLARKE.

Psalms composed by David when persecuted by Saul.-XI., XVII., XXII., XXXIV., XXXV., LII., LIV., LVIII., CIX., CXL.

Psalms composed after the Commencement of the Reign of David. - XXXVIII., XXXIX., XL.

Psalms composed during the Rebellion of Absalom.— III., IV., V., LV., LXX.

Psalms composed between the Rebellion of Absalom and the Babylonish Captivity. - IX., XLI.

Psalms composed during the Captivity. — X., XII., XIII., XIV., XXV., XXVI., XXVIII., XXXVI., LIII., LXXV., LXXXVIII., LXXXIX., CXIX., CXX., CXXXI.

Psalms composed after the Jews were permitted to return to their own Land. - LIX., LXI., LXIII., LXVI., LXXXVII., CV., CVI., CVIII., CXVII., CXXXV., CXXXVI.

SELECT PSALMS.

PSALM XC.

A PRAYER OF MOSES, THE MAN OF GOD.

IN arranging the Psalms in the order of time, and of the events to which they relate, the first place is due to the ninetieth Psalm, entitled, "A Prayer of Moses, the Man of God."

It is supposed to have been uttered by Moses, when, at the close of the sad sojourn of forty years in the wilderness, he saw the generation which he had led out of Egypt wasted by death, and felt his own end approaching, and began to realize the fulfilment of the Divine decree, that neither he nor they should ever attain the object of their labors, the possession of the Promised Land.

This sublime composition is almost the oldest poem in existence. Its date precedes that of David by five hundred years, and that of Homer, the most ancient of the classical poets, by a still longer interval.

It deals with the sublimest and most momentous truths, the being of God, his eternity and power, and the responsibility, weakness, and dependence of man.

In attributing the brevity of mortal life to the displeasure of God, in verse 9, allusion is made to the particular case of the Hebrew people at that time, and the sentiment is not to be applied to all men, in all conditions. The continuance of life, as of all temporal blessings, is not of itself a mark of God's favor, or the reverse, but is ordered as God sees fit for his own wise purposes.

1

PSALM XC.

LORD, thou hast been our dwelling-place In all generations.

2 Before the mountains were brought forth,

Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God. 3 Thou turnest man to dust,

And sayest, Return, ye children of men.

4 For a thousand years, in thy sight, Are but as yesterday when it is past, And as a watch in the night.

5 Thou carriest them away, as with a flood; They are as a sleep,

And fade away suddenly, like the grass.

6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up;

Ver. 3. "Return, ye children of men," i. e. Return to dust. But the Prayer-Book version renders it differently, "Come again, ye children of men." If so understood, the sentiment would be like that of Psalm civ. 29, 30, referring to the renewing of the race by successive generations. But the subject of the psalm seems to be better suited by the former reading; and, thus, the second clause of the verse is simply a parallel of the first.

In the evening it is cut down, and withereth. 7 For we are consumed by thine anger,

And by thy wrath are we destroyed.

8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee,

Our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

9 By reason of thine anger, all our days vanish away; We bring our years to an end like a tale that is told. 10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten, And if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, Yet is their strength labor and sorrow;

For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

11 Yet who regardeth the power of thine anger? Or feareth thy displeasure as he ought?

12 So teach us to number our days,

13

That we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Desist, O Lord! How long?

Let it repent thee concerning thy servants.

14 O, satisfy us early with thy mercy,

That we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

15 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us,

And the years wherein we have seen adversity. 16 Let thy deeds appear unto thy servants,

And thy glory unto their children.

17 And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish thou the work of our hands for us; Yea, the work of our hands, establish thou it.

Ver. 13. "Desist, O Lord! How long

?" i. e. wilt thou

be angry? The incompleteness of the sentence was designed to be expressive of emotion. Noyes.