Even with the princes of his people. 9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, PSALM LXXXI. FEAST OF TABERNACLES. WHEN Ezra had awakened the attention of the people to the enactments of their Law, the first feelings that took possession of them were those of remorse for their past neglect of its requirements. "All the people wept when they heard the words of the Law." But Ezra and Nehemiah encouraged them, and gave notice that the season of one of the greatest of the appointed festivals was approaching. "They found written in the Law, . . . . . that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month " (the seventh month was part of September and October, the season of harvest); "and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, ' Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive-branches and pine-branches and myrtle-branches and palm-branches and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.' So the people went forth, and brought them; .. and all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths. . . And there was very great gladness." Neh. viii. 14-17. The object of this religious festival was to commemorate the dwelling of the Israelites in tents, during their sojourn in the wilderness. It was called the Feast of Tabernacles, or tents, and was a season of universal rejoicing, the Hebrew harvest-home. It was one of the three great festivals, at which every male Israelite was required to be present in Jerusalem. PSALM LXXXI. 1 SING aloud unto God, our strength ! At the time appointed on our solemn feast day! 4 For this is a statute for Israel, And a law of the God of Jacob. 5 This he ordained in Joseph for a memorial, When he went out of the land of Egypt, Where he heard a language that he understood not. 6 "I removed," said he, "thy shoulder from the burden; Thy hands were relieved from the hod. 7 Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder; Ver. 5. "A language that he understood not."-Comp. Ps. cxiv. 1. Ver. 7. "In the secret place of thunder," i. e. enveloped in the dark thunder-cloud. Comp. Ps. xviii. 11. N. I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. 8 Hear, O my people, and I will admonish thee; 10 I am the Lord thy God, Which brought thee out of the land of Egypt; 11 But my people would not hearken to my voice, 12 So I gave them up to the obstinacy of their hearts, And they walked in their own counsels. 13 O that my people had hearkened unto me, And Israel had walked in my ways! 14 I would soon have subdued their enemies, And turned my hand against their adversaries. 15 The haters of the Lord should have submitted them selves unto them, And their prosperity should have endured for ever. 16 I would have fed them with the finest of the wheat, And with honey out of the rock would I have satisfied them." Ver. 10 "Open thy mouth," &c. This is a metaphorical expression, taken from the readiness with which young birds instinctively open their mouths, when they want food. H. PSALMS CXLVII. AND CXLIX. CELEBRATION OF THE COMPLETION OF THE WALLS. THE Completion of the walls of the city was an event of the highest importance. It at once gave a degree of independence to the colony, and enabled them to set at defiance the meddlesome and unfriendly tribes in their immediate neighborhood. These neighbors had placed every obstacle in the way that they could; but the energy and sagacity of Nehemiah triumphed over all. The condition of alarm and watchfulness in which they were kept, while carrying on the work, is well represented by what we are told in Neh. iv. 16, 17: "From that time forth, half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half held the spears, the shields, and the bows," &c. "They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon." 99 This state of things is alluded to in Ps. cxlix. 6: "Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand." Also in Ps. cxlvii. 13 there is an allusion to the work: "He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates," &c.; also in ver. 2. The completion of the walls was celebrated with great parade. See Neh. xii. 27 and foll. The account concludes with these words: " They offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced; for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the wives also and the children rejoiced; so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off." Herder remarks, "It is the method of many psalms to place side by side the wonders of God in nature and his ordinances among his people, which they regard as alike marvellous" In Psalm cxlvii. the early verses relate to Jerusalem, the fourth to the works of nature; the sixth alludes to national blessings, the eighth to providential ones; the thirteenth returns to the former subject, the sixteenth to the latter; and the nineteenth closes the psalm as it began, with a commemoration of the privileges of God's people. For it is good to sing praises unto our God; 4 He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names. 5 Great is our Lord, and of great power; His understanding is infinite. 6 The Lord lifteth up the meek; He casteth the wicked down to the ground. Ver. 4. "He telleth," &c. ; i. e. he counteth. This verse is borrowed from Isaiah xl. 26, where, as here, God's knowledge and control of nature are presented as a source of consolation to his people. |