4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when 1 it is past, and as a watch in the ye children of men. Return to your dust; go back to the earth from which you came. Return, all of you without exception;-kings, princes, nobles, warriors, conquerors; mighty men, captains, and counsellors; ye learned and great, ye honoured and flattered, ye beautiful and gay, ye youthful and vigorous, and ye aged and venerable; whatever is your rank, whatever are your possessions, whatever are your honours, whatever you have to make you lovely, to charm, to please, to be admired; or whatever there is to make you loathsome and detestable; ye vicious, ye profane, low, grovelling, sensual, debased; go all of you alike to dust! Oh, how affecting the thought that this is the lot of man; how much should it do to abase the pride of the race; how much should it do to make any man sober and humble, that he himself is soon to turn back to dust-unhonoured, undistinguished, and undistinguish able dust! 4. For a thousand years in thy sight. Heb., " In thy eyes;" that is, It so appears to thee,-or, a thousand years so seem to thee, however long they may appear to man. The ut most length to which the life of man has reached-in the case of Methuselah-was nearly a thousand years (Gen. v. 27); and the idea here is, that the longest human life, even if it should be lengthened out to a thousand years, would be in the sight of God, or in comparison with his years, but as a single day. ¶ Are but as yesterday when it is past. Marg., "he hath passed them." The translation in the text, however, best expresses the sense. The reference is to a single day, when we call it to remembrance. However long it may have appeared to us when it was passing, yet when it is gone, and we look back to it, it seems short. So the longest period of human existence appears to God. This ¶ And as a watch in the night. refers to a portion of the night,—the original idea having been derived from the practice of dividing the night into portions, during which a watch was placed in a camp. These watches were, of course, relieved at intervals, and the night came to be divided, in accordance with this arrangement, into parts corresponding with these changes. Among the ancient Hebrews there were only three night-watches; the first, mentioned in Lam. ii. 19; the middle, mentioned in Judges vii. 19; and the third, mentioned in Ex. xiv. 24; 1 Sam. xi. 11. In later times-the timés referred to in the New Testament-there were four such watches, after the manner of the Romans, Mark xiii. 35. The idea here is not that such a watch in the night would seem to pass quickly, or that it would seem short when it was gone, but that a thousand years seemed to God not only short as a day when it was past, but even as the parts of a day, or the divisions of a night when it was gone. 5. Thou carriest them away as with a flood. The original here is a single verb with the suffixThe verb-, zaram-means, to flow, to pour; then, to pour upon, to overwhelm, to wash away. The idea is, that they were swept off as if a torrent bore them from the earth, carrying them away without regard to order, rank, age, or condition. So death makes no discrimination. Every day that passes, multitudes of every age, sex, condition, rank, are swept away and consigned to the grave, as they would be if a raging flood should sweep over a land. ¶ They are as a sleep. The original here is, a sleep they are. The whole sentence is exceedingly graphic and abrupt: "Thou sweepest them away;-a sleep, they are,-in the morning,-like grass : withereth. with a flood; they are as a sleep | evening it is cut down, and in the morning they are like grass e which 1 groweth up. 1 6 Inf the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the -it passes away.' The idea is that human life resembles a sleep, because it seems to pass so swiftly; to accomplish so little; to be so filled with dreams and visions, none of which remain or become permanent. In the morning they are like grass, which groweth up. A better translation of this would be to attach the words "in the morning" to the previous member of the sentence, "They are like sleep in the morning;" that is, They are as sleep appears to us in the morning, when we wake from itrapid, unreal, full of empty dreams. The other part of the sentence then would be," Like grass, it passeth away." The word rendered groweth up, is in the margin translated is changed. The Hebrew word-, hhalaph-means to pass, to pass along, to pass by; to pass on, to come on; also, to revive or flourish as a plant; and then, to change. It may be rendered here, pass away; and the idea then would be that they are like grass in the fields, or like flowers, which soon change by passing away. There is nothing more permanent in man than there is in the grass or in the flowers of the field. 6. In the morning it flourisheth. This does not mean that it grows with any special vigour or rapidity in the morning, as if that were illustrative of the rapid growth of the young; but merely that, in fact, in the morning it is green and vigorous, and is cut down in the short course of a day, or before evening. The reference here is to grass as an emblem of man. T And groweth up. The same word in the Hebrew which is used in the close of the previous verse. ¶ In the evening it is cut down, and withereth. In the short period of a 7 For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled. 8 Thou hast set our iniquities g Jer. ii. 22. f Job xiv. 2. day. What was so green and flourishing in the morning, is, at the close of the day, dried up. Life has been arrested, and death, with its con sequences, has ensued. So with man. How often is this literally true, that those who are strong, healthy, vigorous, hopeful, in the morning, are at night pale, cold, and speechless in death! How striking is this as an emblem of man in general:- -so soon cut down; so soon numbered with the dead. Comp. Notes on Isa. xl. 6-8; 1 Pet. i. 24, 25. 7. For we are consumed by thine anger. That is, Death-the cutting off of the race of man-may be regarded as an expression of thy displeasure against mankind as a race of sinners. The death of man would not have occurred but for sin (Gen. iii. 3, 19; Rom. v. 12); and all the circumstances connected with it,the fact of death, the dread of death, the pain that precedes death, the paleness and coldness and rigidity of the dead, and the slow and offensive returning to dust in the grave,all are adapted to be, and seem designed to be, illustrations of the anger of God against sin. We cannot, indeed, always say that death in a specific case is proof of the direct and special anger of God in that case ; but we can say that death always, and death in its general features, may and should be regarded as an evidence of the Divine displeasure against the sins of men. बा And by thy wrath. As expressed in death. Are we troubled. Are our plans confounded and broken up; our minds made sad and sorrowful; our habitations made abodes of grief. 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee. Thou hast arrayed before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. 9 For all our days are 1 passed away in thy wrath; we spend 1 turned. 2 Or, meditation. our years as a 2 tale that is told. 103 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if 3 As for the days of our years, in them are seventy years. were unwilling that our days should attend us any longer. Or, it is as if he took away our days, or caused them to turn away, because he was angry and was unwilling that we should any longer enjoy them. The cutting off of life in any manner is a proof of the Divine displeasure; and in every instance death should be regarded as a new illustration of the fact that the race is guilty. We spend our years as a tale that is told. Marg., meditation. The Hebrew word them, or brought them forth to view, as a reason in thy mind for cutting us down. Death may be regarded as proof that God has brought before his mind the evidence of man's guilt, and has passed sentence accordingly. The fact of death at all; the fact that any one of the race dies; the fact that human life has been made so brief, is to be explained on the supposition that God has arrayed before his own mind the reality of human depravity, and has adopted this as an illustration of his sense of, hegeh-means properly (a) a the evil of guilt. Our secret sins. Literally, "our secret ;" or, that which was concealed or unknown. This may refer to the secret or hidden things of our lives, or to what has been concealed in our own bosoms; and the meaning may be, that God has judged in the case not by external appearances, or by what is seen by the world, but by what he has seen in the heart, and that he deals with us according to our real character. The reference is, indeed, to sin, but sin as concealed, hidden, forgotten; the sin of the heart; the sin which we have endeavoured to hide from the world; the sin which has passed away from our own recollection. T In the light of thy countenance. Directly before thee; in full view; so that thou canst see them all. accordance with these, thou judgest man, and hence his death. In 9. For all our days are passed away in thy wrath. Marg., turned. The Hebrew word-, panah-—means to turn; then, to turn to or from any one; and hence, to turn away as if to flee or depart. Here it means that our days seem to turn from us; to give the back to us; to be unwilling to remain with us; to leave us. This seems to be the fruit or result of the anger of God, as if he muttering, or growling, as of thunder; (b) a sighing or moaning; (c) a meditation, thought. It means here, evidently, thought; that is, life passes away as rapidly as thought. It has no permanency. It makes no impression. Thought is no sooner come than it is gone. So rapid, so fleeting, so unsubstantial is life. The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate in some unaccountable way render this " as a spider." The translation in our common version, "as a tale that is told,” is equally unauthorized, as there is nothing corresponding to this in the Hebrew. The image in the original is very striking and beautiful. Life passes with the rapidity of thought! 10. The days of our years. Marg., "As for the days of our years, in them are seventy years." Perhaps the language would better be translated: "The days of our years! In them are seventy years;" or, they amount to seventy years. Thus the psalmist is represented as reflecting on human life-on the days that make up the years of life;-as fixing his thought on those days and years, and taking the sum of them. The days of our years—what are they? T Are threescore years and ten. Not as life originally was, but as it has been narrowed down to about that period; by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow: for or, this is the ordinary limit of life. This passage proves that the psalm was written when the life of man had been shortened, and had been reduced to about what it is at present; for this description will apply to man now. It is probable that human life was gradually diminished until it became fixed at the limit which now bounds it, and which is to remain as the great law in regard to its duration upon the earth. All animals, as the horse, the mule, the elephant, the eagle, the raven, the bee, the butterfly, have each a fixed limit of life, wisely adapted undoubtedly to the design for which they were made, and to the highest happiness of the whole. So of man. There can be no doubt that there are good reasons-some of which could be easily suggested-why his term of life is no longer. But, at any rate, it is no longer; and in that brief period he must accomplish all that he is to do in reference to this world, and all that is to be done to prepare him for the world to come. It is obvious to remark that man has enough to do to fill up the time of his life; that life to man is too precious to be wasted. T And if by reason of strength, etc. If there be unusual strength or vigour of natural constitution; or if the constitution has not been impaired or broken by toil, affliction, or vicious indulgence; or if the great laws of health have been understood and observed. Any of these causes may contribute to lengthen out life, or they may all be combined; and under these, separately or combined, life is sometimes extended beyond its ordinary limits. Yet the period of seventy is the ordinary limit beyond which few can go; the great mass fall long before they reach that. Yet is their strength. Heb., “Their pride." That of which a man who has reached that period might be disposed to boast—as if it were owing to himself. There is, at that time of life, as well as at other times, great danger lest that which we have received from God, and which is in no manner to be traced to ourselves, may be an occasion of pride, as if it were our own, or as if it were secured by our own prudence, wisdom, or merit. May it not, also, be implied here that a man who has reached that period of life,-who has survived so many others,-who has seen so many fall by imprudence, or vice, or intem. perance, will be in special danger of being proud, as if it were by some special virtue of his own that his life had been thus lengthened out? Perhaps in no circumstances will the danger of pride be more imminent than when one has thus passed safely through dangers where others have fallen, and practised temperance while others have yielded to habits of intemperance, and taken care of his own health while others have neglected theirs. The tendency to pride in man does not die out because a man grows old. T Labour and sorrow. The word rendered labour -y, amál-means properly toil; that is, wearisome labour. The idea here is, that toil then becomes burdensome; that the body is oppressed with it, and soon grows weary and exhausted; that life itself is like labour or wearisome toil. The old man is constantly in the condition of one who is weary; whose powers are exhausted; and who feels the need of repose. The word rendered sorrow—, aven— means properly nothingness, vanity; Isa. xli. 29; Zech. x. 2; then, nothingness as to worth, unworthiness, iniquity-which is its usual meaning; Num. xxiii. 21; Job xxxvi. 21; Isa. i. 13; and then, evil, adversity, calamity; Prov. xxii. 8; Gen. xxxv. 18. This latter seems to be the meaning here. It is, that happiness cannot 11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to ordinarily be found at that period of life; that to lengthen out life does not add materially to its enjoyment; that to do it, is but adding trouble and sorrow. The ordinary hopes and plans of life ended; the companions of other years departed; the offices and honours of the world in other hands; a new generation on the stage that cares little for the old one now departing; a family scattered or in the grave; the infirmities of advanced years on him; his faculties decayed; the buoyancy of life gone; and now in his second childhood dependent on others as he was in his first;-how little of happiness is there in such a condition! How appropriate is it to speak of it as a time of "sorrow!" How little desirable is it for a man to reach extreme old age! And how kind and merciful the arrangement by which man is ordinarily removed from the world before the time of "trouble and sorrow "thus comes! There are commonly just enough men of extreme old age upon the earth to show us impressively that it is not desirable to live to be very old; just enough to keep this lesson with salutary force before the minds of those in earlier life; just enough, if we saw it aright, to make us willing to die before that period comes! T¶ For it is soon cut off, etc. Prof. Alexander renders this, "For he drives us fast;" that is, God drives us,-or, one seems to drive, or to urge us on. The word here used—≥, gaz-is commonly supposed to be derived from 11a, gazaz, to cut, as to cut grass, or to mow; and then, to shear, sc. a flock,-which is its usual meaning. Thus it would signify, as in our translation, to be cut off. This is the Jewish interpretation. The word, however, may be more properly regarded as derived from 11a, guz, which occurs in but one other place, Num. xi. 31, where it is rendered brought, as applied to the quails which were brought or thy fear, so is thy wrath. driven forward by the east wind. This word means, to pass through, to pass over, to pass away; and then, to cause to pass over, as the quails were (Num. xi. 31) by the east wind. So it means here, that life is soon passed over, and that we flee away, as if driven by the wind; as if impelled or urged forward as chaff or any light substance is by a gale. 11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? Who can measure it, or take a correct estimate of it, as it is manifest in cutting down the race of men? If the removal of men by death is to be traced to thine anger, pression of thy wrath,-who can -or is, in any proper sense, an exmeasure it, or understand it? The cutting down of whole generations of men-of nations-of hundreds of millions of human beings-of the great, the powerful, the mighty, as well as the weak and the feeble, is an amazing exhibition of the power—of the might-of God; and who is there that can fully understand this? Who can estimate fully the wrath of God, if this is to be regarded as an expression of it ? Who can comprehend what this is? Who can tell, after such an exhibition, what may be in reserve, or what further and more fearful displays of wrath there may yet be? ¶ Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. Literally, "And according to thy fear, thy wrath." The word rendered "fear " would here seem to refer to the reverence due to God, or to what there is in his character to inspire awe :-to wit, his power, his majesty, his greatness; and the sense seems to be that his wrath or anger as manifested in cutting down the race seems to be commensurate with all in God that is vast, wonderful, incomprehensible. As no one can understand or take in the one, so no one can understand or take in the other. God is great in all things; great in |