PSALM LXXXI. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.-Verse 10. 66 "My friend, you tell me you are in great distress: take my advice: Go to the king, and open your mouth wide." "I went to the great man and opened my mouth; but he has not given me any thing." "I opened my mouth to him, and have gained all I wanted." Why open your mouth there? it will be all in vain." Does a person not wish to be troubled? he says to the applicant, "Do not say, 'Ah, ah!' here:" which means, "Do not open your mouth;" because that word cannot be pronounced without opening the mouth. PSALM LXXXIII. O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.— Verse 13. τροχον, The Septuagint has τpoxov, from Tрoxos, "a wheel ;" and in τροχος, Isai. xvii. 13. Tρoxov is translated, "like a rolling thing before the wind." Dr. A. Clarke thinks it refers to a wheel used for threshing; but it does not appear that any instrument of that kind was ever used for such a purpose in the East. Dr. Boothroyd and others say, "like whirling chaff." The Tamul translation has, instead of wheel, soolu-kātu, that is, "whirlwind." This rendering is certainly worthy of being considered: "O my God! make them like stubble before the whirlwind." PSALM LXXXIV. I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.-Verse 10. Instead of, I had rather be a door-keeper, the margin has, according to the Hebrew, "I would choose rather to sit at the threshold." Ainsworth's translation is: "I have chosen to sit at the threshold, in the house of my God;" and Dr. Boothroyd's is: "abide, or sit, at the threshold." See 2 Kings xii. 9; xxii. 4; xxv. 18; 1 Chron. ix. 19; 2 Chron. xxiii. 4; Esther ii. 21; vi. 2. In all these passages the marginal reading is, threshold. I think the word door-keeper does not convey the proper meaning of the words, "to sit at the threshold;" because the preference of the Psalmist was evidently given to a very humble situation; whereas that of a door-keeper, in Eastern estimation, is truly respectable and confidential. The gods are always represented as having door-keepers, who were of great dignity and power; for they also fought against other deities. In the heathen temples there are images near the entrance, called kāval-kāran, that is, "guards or door-keepers." Kings and great men also have officers, whose business it is to stand at the door or gate, as keepers of the entrance. The most dignified native of Ceylon is the Maha Modeliar of the governor's gate, to whom all others must make obeisance.* The word "doorkeeper," therefore, does not convey the idea of humility, but of honour. The marginal reading, however, "to sit at the threshold," at once strikes an Eastern mind as a situation of deep humility. See the poor heathen devotee: he goes and sits near the threshold of his temple. Look at the beggar: he sits, or prostrates himself, at the threshold of the door or gate, till he shall have gained his suit. "I am in great trouble; I will go and lie down at the door of the temple."-" Friend, you appear to be very ill." "Yes!" "Then go, prostrate yourself at the threshold of the temple."-" Muttoo, I can get you the situation of a Peon; will you accept of it?" "Excuse me, sir, I pray you! I had better lie at your threshold than do that." "Go to do that! it is far better for me to lie at the threshold as a common beggar." I think, therefore, the Psalmist refers to the attitude of a beggar, a suppliant at the threshold of the house of the Lord, as being preferable to the splendid dwellings of the wicked. • See page 248. PSALM LXXXV. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.-Verse 10. In Ezek. iii. 13, the marginal reading for touched one another, according to the Hebrew, is, "kissed." Dr. Boothroyd's version is: "Righteousness and peace have embraced." In the Hindoo book called Iraku-Vangesham, it is said, "The lotus-flowers were kissing each other." When the branches of two separate trees meet, in consequence of strong winds, it is said, "They kiss each other." When the wind begins to move a young palmirah-tree which grows near the parent stock, the people exclaim: "Ah! the mother is kissing the daughter." A woman says of the ornaments round her neck, "Yes, these embrace my neck." Has a female put on the nose ring? it is said to be kissing her. The idea, therefore, is truly Oriental, and shows the intimate anion of righteousness and peace. PSALM LXXXVII. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of "Truly I love the gates of Chinna-Amma more than the gates of Pun-Amma." "No, no; he does not love the gates of that woman; he will never marry her." "He is angry with my gates; he will not pass them." "Love his gates! ay, for a good reason: he gets plenty of help from them." All my springs are in thee.-Verse 7. A man of great charities is said to have many springs: "His heart is like the springs of a well." "Where are my springs, my lord? are they not in you?" Tears also are spoken of as coming from springs in the body: thus the mother of Ramar said to him, in consequence of great sorrow, "The waters of my eyes have dried up the springs of affection." PSALM LXXXIX. To all generations.-Verse 1. The margin has, "generation and generation." This emphatic repetition is exceedingly natural to the languages of the East. The ancients seemed to have an idea that all important commands or declarations should be repeated, in order to prevent misapprehension or forgetfulness. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne.-Verse 14. The marginal reading is: "the establishment of thy throne." Dr. Boothroyd's version is: "are the basis of thy throne." "Justice! "What was the foundation of his throne?" Truly righteousness is the atte-vāram," "foundation or basis," "of all his ways." PSALM XC. We spend our years as a tale that is told.-Verse 9. "This year has been to me as a fabulous story. Like the repetition of a dream, my days pass away. The beginning of life is as the dew-drop upon the tender herb: in ten moons it assumes its shape, and is brought forth; it lies down, crawls, prattles, walks, and becomes acquainted with science. At sixteen he is a man; goes forth in the pride of his youth, gets a wife, and becomes the father of children. The husk of his rice he refuses to part with, and his wish is to enjoy all. He thinks, by living cheaply, by refusing to support charities, or to dispense favours, he is of all men the most happy. He is regardless of the writing on his forehead, [fate,] and is like the lamp which shineth, and ceaseth to shine; pour in oil, and there will be light; take it away, and there will be darkness. In old age come the rheumatics, the jaundice, and an enlarged belly; the eyes are filled with rheums, and the phlegm comes forth. His body becomes dry, his back bends, his wife and children abhor him, and in visions he sees the. deathly car and horse. The place of burning says, 'Come, come!' and his family say, 'Go, go!' His strength is gone, his speech falters, his eye-balls roll, and his living soul is taken away. The people then talk of his good and evil deeds, and ask, 'Is this life?' The funeral rites follow; the music sounds forth, and the dying carry the dead to the place of burning." Thus sang the devoted Aruna-Kiriyār. O satisfy us early with thy mercy.-Verse 14. Ainsworth renders this clause: "Satisfie us in the morning with thy mercie." Afflictions and sorrows are spoken of as the "night of life;" and the deliverance from them, as the "morning of joy." "Yes; the night has been long and gloomy; but the morning has come at last." "Ah morning! morning! when wilt thou come?" PSALM XCI. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.-Verse 1. See also Judges ix. 15 ; Psalm xvii. 8; xxxvi. 7; lxiii. 7; Cant. ii. 3; Isai. xxx. 2; xlix. 2; Lam. iv. 20; Ezek. xvii. 23. To say a person is under the shadow of a great man, means he is under his protection. "O my lord! all the people are against me; they are pursuing me as the tiger: let me come under your unnel," that is, "your shadow." "Ay, ay! the fellow is safe enough: now he has crept under the shadow of the king." "Begone, miscreant! thou shalt not creep under my shadow." "Many years have I been under the shadow of my father; how shall I now leave it?" "Gone, for ever gone, is the shadow of my days!" says the lamenting widow. Thou shalt not be afraid for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon-day.-Verse 6. The Septuagint has, instead of destruction that wasteth at noon-day, daiovio μeonμspivou, "the noon-day devil." And Theocritus and Lucan, as quoted by Dr. A. Clarke, also allude to the demons who were destructive at the meridians of day or night. The Hindoos believe in the same thing. When the cholera rages, no one will go out whilst the sun is at its zenith, because it is believed that the demon of the pestilence is then actively engaged. "The hot exhalations of noon-day |