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&c.) and the being oppreffed by them is also described by the Idea of DRINKING (Pf. LX. 3. LXXV. 8. &c.) we may easily conclude what the Sense of this Place must be, and fee how this is applicable to the Meffiab. The fame Sentiment is here expreffed as Ifa. LIII. 12.

PSALM CXI.

V. 10. The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom: a good Understanding have all they that do his Commandments.] This latter

a good שכל טוב לכל עשיהם ,Hemiftic is thus read in the Hebrew

Understanding to all that do them, as in the Margin. The Word Commandments seems borrowed from the 7th Verfe; but that is too far fetched and the Pronoun them has here no proper Antecedent. It is therefore very probable, that there is an Error in the Pronoun, which fhould be inftead of n. All the ancient Verfions, except the Chaldee, read fo. In this Cafe we might render A GOOD UNDERSTANDING HATH EVERY ONE WHO PRACTISETH IT, viz. Wif dom juft mentioned.

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V. 1. When Ifrael came out of Egypt, the House of Jacob from a People of a strange Language. ay na

בצאת ישראל ממצרים

occurs only in this Place: but in Chaldee לען The Word [מעם לעז:

it fignifies, foreign, barbarous : in Syriac is barbarè locutus eft, and, in Arabic, peregrina verba babuit. All the ancient Verfions render the Word BARBAROUs, and fo I think it ought to be in our Verfion; for that Word is applicable to the Egyptians in refpect to the Hebrews in every Senfe of it. The Etymology of barbarous is to be fought for in the Eaft. In Chaldee a fignifies qui lingua ignota loquitur,, extraneus, and quod multas voces edit, derived from extra; whence Barbarus, an Inhabitant of Barbary. The Word is used in this Senfe, I Cor. XIV. 11. I shall be to him that Speaketh A BARBARIAN, and he that speaketh fhall be A BARBARIAN to me. And Acts XXVIII. the fame People who are called barbarous, V. 2, are ftyled Barbarians, V. 4. So Ovid, Am.

بربري

دبربر

BARBARUS his ego fum, quia non intelligar ulli.

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V. 6. They have Ears, but they hear not :] To the fame Effect the

Satyrift,

Audis,

Jupiter,

Jupiter, hæc, nec labra moves?

-Ut video, nullum difcrimen habendum

Effigies inter veftras, ftatuamque Bathilli. Juv. Sat. XIII. 113. & 118.

V.8. They that make them are like unto them:] So again, Sat.VIII.53.
Truncoque fimillimus Herma;

Nullo quippe alio vincis difcrimine, quam quod
Illi marmoreum caput eft, tua vivit imago.

V. 16. The Heavens, even the Heavens are the Lord's :] DOWN

- השמי שמים All the ancient Verfions read [ שמים ליהוה

THE

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V. 1. I love the Lord, because he hath beard my Voice, and my Sup

Thefe two laft [אהבתי כי ישמע יהוה - את קולי תחנוני : .plications

Words, np 8, as there is no Conjunction between them, ought I think to be rendered the VOICE OF MY SUPPLICATIONS; for næ seems to be the Plural in regimine. Most of the ancient Versions give this Construction accordingly to the Words.

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V. 5. I called upon the Lord in Diftrefs: the Lord answered me, and fet me in a large Place.] The latter Hemiftic' amba "))y ought I think to be thus rendered THE LORD ANSWERED BY SET

TING ME AT LARGE.

PSALM

לשמר כדברך,the

CXIX.

V.9. Wherewithal fhall a young Man cleanfe his Way? by taking Heed thereto according to thy Word.] The latter Claufe is thus read in the printed Text, 1975: but all the ancient Verfions doubtlefs read 7, viz. BY TAKING HEED TO THY WORD. As this. Verb is fometimes conftrued with the Prepofition, this Reading. feems not only more agreeable to the Rules of Grammar, but gives a better Sense.

V. 21. Thou haft rebuked the proud that are curfed,

which do err

נערת זדים - ארורים השגים ממצותיך : .from thy Commandments [

Rather,

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PROUD: CURSED are THEY WHICH DO &c.

אשר ליראתך

V. 38. Stablish thy Word unto thy Servant, who is devoted to thy Fear. The two laft Words, nb_¬w8 — ought I think to be here rendered -GUIDE him TO THY FEAR. For it is evident that confidered as a Relative in this Place perplexes the Sentence. See this Word thus used, Prov. XXIII. 19.

V. 48. My Hands alfo will I lift up unto thy Commandments.] This I apprehend is done in Token of Admiration and Refpect: for fo is Tully to be understood, where he says, (after having received a Favour which he had afked of Cæfar) fuftulimus manus, et ego et Balbus, tanta fuit opportunitas, ut illud nefcio quod, non fortuitum, fed divinum videretur. Famil. Epift. V.

טוב טעם ודעת

V.66. Teach me good Judgment, and Knowledge: — Rather, I think-TEACH ME GOODNESS, DISCRETION, AND KNOWLEDGE.

V. 96. I have feen an End of all Perfection:

ןלכל תכלה ראיתי קץ;

an occurs nowhere else in this Form: it ought I think to be rendered here EVERY PURPOSE, or RESOLUTION. (See 1 Sam. XX. 7,9.) that is," to all that has been contrived and executed by human "Art or Power: BUT THY COMMANDMENT IS EXCEEDINGLY "EXTENSIVE is of eternal Obligation." This Verfe feems to comprehend the whole Scope and Defign of the Book of Ecclefiaftes ; for the Preacher found, after many Refearches, that all was Vanity, except the Fear of the Lord. Ch. XII. 13.

[ נפשי בכפי תמיד

V. 109. My Soul is continually in my Hand: — 'DDA (WD) ] All the ancient Verfions read here 7, IN THY HANDS; but there is no Occafion to admit another Lection; fee Job. XIII. 14.

V. 112. I have inclined mine Heart to perform thy Statutes alway, even unto the end. ] The Conftruction of the two laft Words apy is not only very harth in our Verfion, but gives alfo but little or no Senfe. For what End can there be to an infinite Duration? I would rather confider them as put in Appofition, or fupply the Pronoun and Verb Subftantive, thus --- I HAVE INCLINED MINE HEART TO PERFORM THY STATUTES, which are AN EVERLASTING RE

WARD.

WARD. The fame Idea and nearly the fame Expreffion occurs, Pf. XIX. 11. viz. — in keeping of them (thy Judgments) there is great Reward. The Word there is apy.

V. 118.

for their Deceit is Falfhood. p] Rather, I think --- FOR THEIR DECEIT is A DISAPPOINTMENT: i. e. their fraudulent Schemes have not met with the desired Succefs.

113

[ עיני כלו לישועתך :

V. 123. Mine Eyes fail for thy Salvation:-: Rather MINE EYES LONG FOR (or, EARNESTLY EXPECT) THY SALVATION. See this Verb thus ufed, Pf. LXXXIV. 2. and 2 Sam. XIII. 39.

V. 126. It is Time for thee, Lord, to work: - nwys myj

Rather It is TIME FOR THE LORD TO WORK.

101

V. 128. Therefore I efteem all thy Precepts concerning all Things to be right; and I hate &c.

The Text [על כן כל פקודי כל ישרתי

is here very obfcure, owing I believe to the Redundancy of one Letter, viz. the at the End of the fecond. All the ancient Verfions

FoRASMUCH AS - על כן כל פקודיך ישרתי,feem to have read only

I ESTEEM ALL THY PRECEPTS, I HATE &c. which is much. clearer, and was most probably the original Lection. by ought also

to be thus rendered in the preceding Verfe.

V. 130. The Entrance of thy Words giveth Light: 8' 7'717 7DD] Rather, I think ---THE UNFOLDING (or EXPLICATION) OF THY WORDS &c. thus the Word is used, Cant. VII. 12.

V. 138. Thy Teftimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous, and

- ואמונה מאד : .very faithful The Words of the [צוית צדק עדתיך

Text will not I believe bear the Conftruction of our Verfion: but ought I think to be thus rendered-THOU HAST GIVEN IN CHARGE THY RIGHTEOUS TESTIMONIES, AND TRUTH ABUNDANTLY: for Typ fignify literally the Righteousness of thy Teftimonies; and several of the old Verfions conftrue them accordingly. See Verse 144,

where the fame Words are thus rendered.

ראש דברך אמת - :

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V. 160. Thy Word is true from the Beginning: This feems to be a forced Conftruction: and the literal Verfion of the Hebrew in the Margin (viz. The Beginning of thy Word is true) cannot be admitted. But if the Word w be here rendered THE SUM A a

(i.e.

(i. e. the whole) of thy Word is true, the Conftruction will be easy, and the Sense clear. See this Word thus ufed, Exod. XXX.12. Numb. I. 2. &c.

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V.6. The Sun fhall not fmite thee by Day, nor the Moon by Night.

,The Meaning feems to be [יומם השמש אל יכנה - וירח בלילה:

that the COLD OF THE EVENING fhould not hurt him, any more than THE HEAT OF THE SUN. Not that the Moon is really the Cause of the Cold but it is fufficient if it were at the Time a prevailing popular Idea. For the Holy Scriptures are not to be confidered as unerring Guides in natural, although they are in moral and Divine, Matters.

[יהוה שהיה לנו

PSALM CXXIV.

V. 1, & 2. If it had not been the Lord, who was on our Side; Surely our old Version is here preferable, viz. ExCEPT THE LORD HAD BEEN ON OUR SIDE. For is not a mere hypothetical Particle, as is; but a Negative hypothetical one, as will appear wherever it occurs. And the Affix Particle does not feem here to be relative, but rather redundant; fee Noldius.

V. 5. Then the proud Waters had gone over our Soul. by

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it המים cannot be conftrued with עבר As [נפשנו המים הזידונים:

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would be better to render the Verse thus — THEN IT (viz. the Torrent just beforementioned) HAD GONE OVER OUR SOUL, even IT'S PROUD WATERS; or with IT'S PROUD WATERS.

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V. 1. When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.] That is, "when Cyrus iffued his Decree for "our Restoration, it appeared to us as a Dream; and we could fcarcely "truft our Senfes. So the Greeks, when they were affured that Flaminius had re-eftablifhed their Liberty: το δε πολυ μέρος των ανθρώπων Δεν πιςόμενον και δοκεν ώσανει καθ' ύπνον ακέειν των λεγομένων Δια το xaĴ'uπvov 21 @gdozov To συμβαίνοντες, ως τις εξ άλλης αρχής εδια πως σκγειν τον κηρυκα Polybius, ex= cerpt. Legat. Cap. IX. Which Livy thus expreffes, Lib. XXXIII. 23. Audita voce præconis, majus gaudium fuit, quam quod univerfum homines

caperent.

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