Chronological Bible Readings

Psalm 121, 123-125, 128-130

Psalm 121

1 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come?

2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand.

6 The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.

8 The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever *.

Psalm 123

1 To You I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens!

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He is gracious to us.

3 Be gracious to us, O LORD, be gracious to us, For we are greatly filled with contempt.

4 Our soul is greatly filled With the scoffing of those who are at ease, And with the contempt of the proud.

Psalm 124

1 “Had it not been the LORD who was on our side,” Let Israel now say,

2 “Had it not been the LORD who was on our side When men rose up against us,

3 Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their anger was kindled against us;

4 Then the waters would have engulfed us, The stream would have swept over our soul;

5 Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul.”

6 Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth.

7 Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper; The snare is broken and we have escaped.

8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 125

1 Those who trust in the LORD Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.

2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever *.

3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the land of the righteous, So that the righteous will not put forth their hands to do wrong.

4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good And to those who are upright in their hearts.

5 But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways, The LORD will lead them away with the doers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel.

Psalm 128

1 How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways.

2 When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, You will be happy and it will be well with you.

3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine Within your house, Your children like olive plants Around your table.

4 Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the LORD.

5 The LORD bless you from Zion, And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

6 Indeed, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!

Psalm 129

1 “Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up,” Let Israel now say,

2 “Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up; Yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 “The plowers plowed upon my back; They lengthened their furrows.”

4 The LORD is righteous; He has cut in two the cords of the wicked.

5 May all who hate Zion Be put to shame and turned backward;

6 Let them be like grass upon the housetops, Which withers before it grows up;

7 With which the reaper does not fill his hand, Or the binder of sheaves his bosom;

8 Nor do those who pass by say, “The blessing of the LORD be upon you; We bless you in the name of the LORD.”

Psalm 130

1 Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD.

2 Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications.

3 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?

4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.

5 I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.

6 My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.

7 O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption.

8 And He will redeem Israel From all his iniquities.

1 Samuel 28-31; Psalm 18

FIRST SAMUEL 28

The Philistines gathering together, to fight with Israel, Saul trembled at it, not being able to get any answer from the Lord about it in any way whatever, 1Sa 28:1-6; upon which he applies to a woman that had a familiar spirit to bring him up Samuel, which she did, 1Sa 28:7-14; and what passed between Saul and Samuel, or at least the apparition in his form, is recorded, 1Sa 28:15-19; which so struck him, as to make him strengthless, and so melancholy, that he refused to eat until persuaded, or rather compelled, by the woman and his servants, 1Sa 28:20-25.

FIRST SAMUEL 29

This chapter gives an account of David’s going forth with the armies of the Philistines, 1Sa 29:1,2; of his being objected to by the princes of the Philistines, who insisted upon his being sent back, 1Sa 29:3-5; of the report Achish made of it to David, and the discourse that passed between them upon it, 1Sa 29:6-10; whereby David had a way unexpectedly opened for him to be freed from this service, which he gladly embraced, 1Sa 29:11.

FIRST SAMUEL 30

This chapter relates the condition Ziklag was in when David and his men came to it, the city burnt, and their families carried captive by the Amalekites, which occasioned not only a general lamentation, but mutiny and murmuring in David’s men, 1Sa 30:1-6; the inquiry David made of the Lord what he should do, who is bid to pursue the enemy; and being directed by a lad where they were, fell upon them, and routed them, and brought back the captives with a great spoil, 1Sa 30:7-20; the distribution of the spoil, both to those that went with him, and to those who through faintness were left behind, 1Sa 30:21-25; and the presents of it he sent to several places in the tribe of Judah, who had been kind to him when he dwelt among them, 1Sa 30:26-31.

FIRST SAMUEL 31

This chapter gives an account of the battle between the Philistines and the Israelites, which had been preparing for, and the issue of it; in which Saul, his three sons, and his servants, were slain, upon which his army fled, and several of his cities were taken, 1Sa 31:1-7; what the Philistines did with his body and his armour, 1Sa 31:8-10; the former of which, together with the bodies of his sons, the men of Jabeshgilead rescued, and burnt them, and buried their bones under a tree at Jabesh, expressing great sorrow and concern, 1Sa 31:11-13.

Psalm 18

1 “I love You, O LORD, my strength.”

2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.

4 The cords of death encompassed me, And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me.

5 The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.

6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.

7 Then the earth shook and quaked; And the foundations of the mountains were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry.

8 Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.

9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down With thick darkness under His feet.

10 He rode upon a cherub and flew; And He sped upon the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

12 From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds, Hailstones and coals of fire.

13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.

14 He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them.

15 Then the channels of water appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare At Your rebuke, O LORD, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

16 He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my stay.

19 He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.

20 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.

21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, And have not wickedly departed from my God.

22 For all His ordinances were before me, And I did not put away His statutes from me.

23 I was also blameless with Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity.

24 Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.

25 With the kind You show Yourself kind; With the blameless You show Yourself blameless;

26 With the pure You show Yourself pure, And with the crooked You show Yourself astute.

27 For You save an afflicted people, But haughty eyes You abase.

28 For You light my lamp; The LORD my God illumines my darkness.

29 For by You I can run upon a troop; And by my God I can leap over a wall.

30 As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

31 For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God,

32 The God who girds me with strength And makes my way blameless?

33 He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, And sets me upon my high places.

34 He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great.

36 You enlarge my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped.

37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them, And I did not turn back until they were consumed.

38 I shattered them, so that they were not able to rise; They fell under my feet.

39 For You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

40 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, And I destroyed those who hated me.

41 They cried for help, but there was none to save, Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.

42 Then I beat them fine as the dust before * the wind; I emptied them out as the mire of the streets.

43 You have delivered me from the contentions of the people; You have placed me as head of the nations; A people whom I have not known serve me.

44 As soon as they hear *, they obey me; Foreigners * submit to me.

45 Foreigners * fade away, And come trembling out of their fortresses.

46 The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation,

47 The God who executes vengeance for me, And subdues peoples under me.

48 He delivers me from my enemies; Surely You lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from the violent man.

49 Therefore * I will give thanks to You among the nations, O LORD, And I will sing praises to Your name.

50 He gives great deliverance to His king, And shows lovingkindness to His anointed, To David and his descendants forever *.

Psalm 17, 35, 54, 63

Psalm 17

1 Hear a just cause, O LORD, give heed to my cry; Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips.

2 Let my judgment come forth from Your presence; Let Your eyes look with equity.

3 You have tried my heart; You have visited me by night; You have tested me and You find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.

4 As for the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips I have kept from the paths of the violent.

5 My steps have held fast to Your paths. My feet have not slipped.

6 I have called upon You, for You will answer me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.

7 Wondrously show Your lovingkindness, O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand From those who rise up against them.

8 Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings

9 From the wicked who despoil me, My deadly enemies who surround me.

10 They have closed their unfeeling heart, With their mouth they speak proudly.

11 They have now surrounded us in our steps; They set their eyes to cast us down to the ground.

12 He is like a lion that is eager to tear, And as a young lion lurking in hiding places.

13 Arise, O LORD, confront him, bring him low; Deliver my soul from the wicked with Your sword,

14 From men with Your hand, O LORD, From men of the world, whose portion is in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your treasure; They are satisfied with children, And leave their abundance to their babes.

15 As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.

Psalm 35

1 Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; Fight against those who fight against me.

2 Take hold of buckler and shield And rise up for my help.

3 Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me; Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

4 Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life; Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.

5 Let them be like chaff before the wind, With the angel of the LORD driving them on.

6 Let their way be dark and slippery, With the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

7 For without cause they hid their net for me; Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.

8 Let destruction come upon him unawares *, And let the net which he hid catch himself; Into that very destruction let him fall.

9 And my soul shall rejoice in the LORD; It shall exult in His salvation.

10 All my bones will say, “LORD, who is like You, Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him, And the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?”

11 Malicious witnesses rise up; They ask me of things that I do not know.

12 They repay me evil for good, To the bereavement of my soul.

13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, And my prayer kept returning to my bosom.

14 I went about as though it were my friend or brother; I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.

15 But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; The smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me, They slandered me without ceasing.

16 Like godless jesters at a feast, They gnashed at me with their teeth.

17 Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, My only life from the lions.

18 I will give You thanks in the great congregation; I will praise You among a mighty throng.

19 Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me; Nor let those who hate me without cause wink maliciously *.

20 For they do not speak peace, But they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.

21 They opened their mouth wide against me; They said, “Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it!”

22 You have seen it, O LORD, do not keep silent; O Lord, do not be far from me.

23 Stir up Yourself, and awake to my right And to my cause, my God and my Lord.

24 Judge me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness, And do not let them rejoice over me.

25 Do not let them say in their heart, “Aha, our desire!” Do not let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”

26 Let those be ashamed and humiliated altogether who rejoice at my distress; Let those be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves over me.

27 Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication; And let them say continually, “The LORD be magnified, Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.”

28 And my tongue shall declare Your righteousness And Your praise all day long.

Psalm 54

1 Save me, O God, by Your name, And vindicate me by Your power.

2 Hear my prayer, O God; Give ear to the words of my mouth.

3 For strangers have risen against me And violent men have sought my life; They have not set God before them. Selah.

4 Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.

5 He will recompense the evil to my foes; Destroy them in Your faithfulness.

6 Willingly I will sacrifice to You; I will give thanks to Your name, O LORD, for it is good.

7 For He has delivered me from all trouble, And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.

Psalm 63

1 O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

2 Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.

3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You.

4 So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.

5 My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.

6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches,

7 For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.

8 My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.

9 But those who seek my life to destroy it, Will go into the depths of the earth.

10 They will be delivered over to the power of the sword; They will be a prey for foxes.

11 But the king will rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him will glory, For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.

1 Samuel 25-27

FIRST SAMUEL 25

This chapter gives an account of the death of Samuel, and of the ill treatment David met with from Nabal; it begins with the death of Samuel, which was greatly lamented in Israel, 1Sa 25:1; it draws the character of Nabal, and his wife, 1Sa 25:2,3; records a message of David to him, by his young men, desiring he would send him some of his provisions made for his sheep shearers, 1Sa 25:4-9; and Nabal’s ill-natured answer to him reported by the young men, which provoked David to arm against him, 1Sa 25:10-13,21,22; and this being told Abigail, the wife of Nabal, and a good character given of David and his men, and of the advantage Nabal’s shepherds had received from them, and the danger his family was in through his ingratitude, 1Sa 25:14-17; she prepared a present to pacify David, went with it herself, and addressed him in a very handsome, affectionate, and prudent manner, 1Sa 25:18-31; and met with a kind reception, 1Sa 25:32-35; and the chapter is closed with an account of the death of Nabal, and of the marriage of Abigail to David, 1Sa 25:32-44.

FIRST SAMUEL 26

This chapter relates that Saul, upon the information of the Ziphites, went out again with an armed force to seek David, 1Sa 26:1-3; of which David having intelligence, and of the place where he pitched, came with one of his men and reconnoitred his camp, and finding Saul and his men asleep, took away his spear, and the cruse of water at his head, and departed, without taking away his life, though solicited to it by his servant, 1Sa 26:4-12; which spear and cruse of water he produced to the reproach of Abner, Saul’s general, and as a testimony of his sincere regard to Saul, and that he had no design upon his life, 1Sa 26:13-20; of which Saul being convinced, blessed David, and returned home again, 1Sa 26:21-25.

FIRST SAMUEL 27

David, fearing he should perish by the hand of Saul at one time or another, went into the land of the Philistines, which Saul hearing of, sought no more after him, 1Sa 27:1-4; and finding favour in the eyes of the king of Gath, desired a place in his country might be given him to reside in; and accordingly Ziklag was given him, 1Sa 27:5-7; from whence he made excursions into the land of the Amalekites, and others, and utterly destroyed them; but imposed on the king of Gath, pretending he had made his road into the southern parts of Judah, 1Sa 27:8-12.

Psalm 56, 120, 140, 141, 142

Psalm 56

1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me; Fighting all day long he oppresses me.

2 My foes have trampled upon me all day long, For they are many who fight proudly against me.

3 When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.

4 In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?

5 All day long they distort my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They attack, they lurk, They watch my steps, As they have waited to take my life.

7 Because of wickedness, cast them forth, In anger put down the peoples, O God!

8 You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?

9 Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; This I know, that God is for me.

10 In God, whose word I praise, In the LORD, whose word I praise,

11 In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

12 Your vows are binding upon me, O God; I will render thank offerings to You.

13 For You have delivered my soul from death, Indeed my feet from stumbling, So that I may walk before God In the light of the living.

Psalm 120

1 In my trouble I cried to the LORD, And He answered me.

2 Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, From a deceitful tongue.

3 What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, You deceitful tongue?

4 Sharp arrows of the warrior, With the burning coals of the broom tree.

5 Woe is me, for I sojourn in Meshech, For I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

6 Too long has my soul had its dwelling With those who hate peace.

7 I am for peace, but when I speak, They are for war.

Psalm 140

1 Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men; Preserve me from violent men

2 Who devise evil things in their hearts; They continually * stir up wars.

3 They sharpen their tongues as a serpent; Poison of a viper is under their lips. Selah.

4 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; Preserve me from violent men Who have purposed to trip up my feet.

5 The proud have hidden a trap for me, and cords; They have spread a net by the wayside; They have set snares for me. Selah.

6 I said to the LORD, “You are my God; Give ear, O LORD, to the voice of my supplications.

7 “O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.

8 “Do not grant, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; Do not promote his evil device, that they not be exalted. Selah.

9 “As for the head of those who surround me, May the mischief of their lips cover them.

10 “May burning coals fall upon them; May they be cast into the fire, Into deep pits from which they cannot rise.

11 “May a slanderer * not be established in the earth; May evil hunt the violent man speedily.”

12 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted And justice for the poor.

13 Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your name; The upright will dwell in Your presence.

Psalm 141

1 O LORD, I call upon You; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to You!

2 May my prayer be counted as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.

3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.

4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice deeds of wickedness With men who do iniquity; And do not let me eat of their delicacies.

5 Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; It is oil upon the head; Do not let my head refuse it, For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds.

6 Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock, And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.

7 As when one plows and breaks open the earth, Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

8 For my eyes are toward You, O GOD, the Lord; In You I take refuge; do not leave me defenseless *.

9 Keep me from the jaws of the trap which they have set for me, And from the snares of those who do iniquity.

10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, While I pass by safely.

Psalm 142

1 I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD; I make supplication with my voice to the LORD.

2 I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him.

3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, You knew my path. In the way where I walk They have hidden a trap for me.

4 Look to the right and see; For there is no one who regards me; There is no escape for me; No one cares for my soul.

5 I cried out to You, O LORD; I said, “You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.

6 “Give heed to my cry, For I am brought very low; Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are too strong for me.

7 “Bring my soul out of prison, So that I may give thanks to Your name; The righteous will surround me, For You will deal bountifully with me.”

Psalms 7, 27, 31, 34, 52

On the Psalms and Commentary, Gill did not go into commentary on the individual Psalms, he just had a kind of declaration at the front of his collection. So, on days when we only read a selection of Psalms, I will just reprint that commentary. The actual Psalms, like all the readings, can be found on our Facebook page.

The title of this book may be rendered “the Book of Praises”, or “Hymns”; the psalm which our Lord sung at the passover is called an “hymn”, Mt 26:30; and the one hundred forty fifth Psalm is entitled \^hlht\^, “an Hymn of David”; and the psalms in general are called “hymns” by Philo the Jew {a}, and songs and hymns by Josephus {b}; and to these several names of this book the apostle manifestly refers in Eph 5:19 Col 3:16. The Jews divided the writings of the Old Testament into three parts: the first division is the Law, or five books of Moses; the second is the Prophets, former and latter; and the third, the “Hagiographa”, or holy writings; to which division Christ has a regard in Lu 24:44; and because the book of Psalms stand first in the last division, the whole goes by its name. This book by the Apostle Peter is entitled as here, Ac 1:20; the title in the Syriac version is,

“the Book of the Psalms of David, King and Prophet,”

with which agrees the Arabic version. As to the divine authority of it, that it was written by inspiration of God, we have not only the testimony of David, who says, “the Spirit of God spake by me”, 2Sa 23:2; but the testimonies of Christ and his apostles, \Mt 22:43 Ac 1:16 4:24,25\; and, as Aben Ezra {c} observes the whole of it was spoken \^vdwqh xwrb\^, “by the Holy Ghost”. Concerning the penman or amanuensis, employed by the Spirit of God in writing it, there are different opinions. The Jews make mention of ten, which are differently reckoned by them. According to Jarchi {d}, they were Adam, Melchizedek, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Asaph, and the three sons of Korah. According to Kimchi {e}, they were Adam, the first, Melchizedek, Abraham, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, Moses, and the three sons of Korah; Asir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. Some ascribe all the Psalms to David {f}, and think that those which are said to be a psalm of Asaph, or of Heman should be rendered “a psalm to Asaph”, &c. and only signify that they were psalms delivered to them, to be sung in a public manner. But the truest opinion seems to be, that the greater part of them were written by David, and for the most part those that have no title; and the rest by those whose names they bear. Some were written at and after the Babylonish captivity, as Ps 126:1-6 and Ps 137:1-9. The manner or form in which they were written was metre {g}, though some deny it that the Jews had metre: as appears by the different accentuation of them from other writings, and from their being sung vocally and on musical instruments. Josephus {h}, the Jewish historian, says, that

“David being free from war, and enjoying a profound peace, composed songs and hymns to God, of various metre; some trimeter, and some pentameter;”

that is, some of three feet, and others of five feet: for the Psalms of David are thought to be of the “lyric” kind; and Gomarus, in his Lyra, has given many instances out of them, which are of the “iambic”, “trochaic” kind though the Jews for many years have lost the knowledge of the sacred poetry. R. Benjamin {i} indeed says, that in his time there were at Bagdad R. Eleazar and his brethren, who knew how to sing the songs, as the singers did when the temple was standing. The subject matter of this book is exceeding great and excellent; many of the psalms respect the person, offices, and grace of Christ; his sufferings and death, resurrection, ascension, and session at the right hand of God; and so are exceeding suitable to the Gospel dispensation. The whole book is a rich mine of grace and evangelical truths, and a large fund of spiritual experience; and is abundantly suited to every case, state, and condition, that the church of Christ, or particular believers, are in at any time.

Day 105; Psalms 7, 27, 31, 34, 52

Psalm 7

1 LORD my God, in You I have taken refuge; Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me,

2 Or he will tear my soul like a lion, Dragging me away, while there is none to deliver.

3 O LORD my God, if I have done this, If there is injustice in my hands,

4 If I have rewarded evil to my friend, Or have plundered him who without cause was my adversary,

5 Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; And let him trample my life down to the ground And lay my glory in the dust. Selah.

6 Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; Lift up Yourself against the rage of my adversaries, And arouse Yourself for me; You have appointed judgment.

7 Let the assembly of the peoples encompass You, And over them return on high.

8 The LORD judges the peoples; Vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.

9 O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds.

10 My shield is with God, Who saves the upright in heart.

11 God is a righteous judge, And a God who has indignation every day.

12 If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready.

13 He has also prepared for Himself deadly weapons; He makes His arrows fiery shafts.

14 Behold, he travails with wickedness, And he conceives mischief and brings forth falsehood.

15 He has dug a pit and hollowed it out, And has fallen into the hole which he made.

16 His mischief will return upon his own head, And his violence will descend upon his own pate.

17 I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Psalm 27

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?

2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.

3 Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident.

4 One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.

5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.

6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me.

8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD, I shall seek.”

9 Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation!

10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the LORD will take me up.

11 Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a level path Because of my foes.

12 Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.

13 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.

14 Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

Psalm 31

1 In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Let me never * be ashamed; In Your righteousness deliver me.

2 Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly; Be to me a rock of strength, A stronghold to save me.

3 For You are my rock and my fortress; For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.

4 You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength.

5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O LORD, God of truth.

6 I hate those who regard vain idols, But I trust in the LORD.

7 I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, Because You have seen my affliction; You have known the troubles of my soul,

8 And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a large place.

9 Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also.

10 For my life is spent with sorrow And my years with sighing; My strength has failed because of my iniquity, And my body has wasted away.

11 Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach, Especially to my neighbors, And an object of dread to my acquaintances; Those who see me in the street flee from me.

12 I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.

13 For I have heard the slander of many, Terror is on every side; While they took counsel together against me, They schemed to take away my life.

14 But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD, I say, “You are my God.”

15 My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.

16 Make Your face to shine upon Your servant; Save me in Your lovingkindness.

17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I call upon You; Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.

18 Let the lying lips be mute, Which speak arrogantly against the righteous With pride and contempt.

19 How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of men!

20 You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed be the LORD, For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.

22 As for me, I said in my alarm, “I am cut off from before Your eyes “; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried to You.

23 O love the LORD, all you His godly ones! The LORD preserves the faithful And fully recompenses the proud doer.

24 Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.

Psalm 34

1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice.

3 O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.

8 O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

9 O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.

10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.

11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12 Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good?

13 Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit.

14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.

16 The face of the LORD is against evildoers#stxa, To cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry, and the LORD hears And delivers them out of all their troubles.

18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted * And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.

20 He keeps all his bones, Not one of them is broken.

21 Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none * of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Psalm 52

1 Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The lovingkindness of God endures all day long.

2 Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit.

3 You love evil more than good, Falsehood more than speaking what is right. Selah.

4 You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.

5 But God will break you down forever; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent, And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah.

6 The righteous will see and fear, And will laugh at him, saying,

7 “Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge, But trusted in the abundance of his riches And was strong in his evil desire.”

8 But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever.

9 I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it, And I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the

1 Samuel 21-24

FIRST SAMUEL 21

This chapter relates that David went to Nob, and pretending he was on secret business for the king, got shewbread, and the sword of Goliath, from Ahimelech the priest, 1Sa 21:1-9; and that passing from thence to Gath, where he was known, through fear feigned himself mad, and so escaped from thence, 1Sa 21:10-15.

FIRST SAMUEL 22

This chapter gives us an account of the flight of David from place to place, from Gath to the cave of Adullam, where his relations came to him; from thence to Mizpeh in Moab, where he got leave of the king of Moab for his father and mother to dwell there; and from thence, by the advice of Gad the prophet, departed into the land of Judah, and came to the forest of Hareth, 1Sa 21:1-5; and of the complaint of Saul to his servants of their unfaithfulness to him, and indolence and unconcern at the behaviour of Jonathan and David to him, 1Sa 22:6-8; when Doeg the Edomite informed him of David being seen by him at Nob, and of his receiving food and a sword from Ahimelech the priest, who inquired of the Lord for him, 1Sa 22:9,10; upon which Saul sent for Ahimelech and all the priests at Nob, and charged them with a conspiracy against him; and notwithstanding the defence the priest made, Saul ordered him and the rest of the priests to be slain by his guards; which they refusing, Doeg became the executioner of them, and of all the inhabitants of the city of Nob, and the cattle in it, 1Sa 22:11-19; only Abiathar a son of Ahimelech escaped and fled to David with the sorrowful news; which greatly affected David, looking upon himself to be the occasion of this sad disaster, and he took Abiathar under his protection, and promised him safety, 1Sa 22:20-23.

FIRST SAMUEL 23

This chapter gives an account of David’s relieving Keilah, when it had like to have fallen into the hands of the Philistines, 1Sa 23:1-6; and of Saul’s design to surprise him there, which David having notice of, and inquiring of the Lord, departed from thence; which when Saul heard of, he forbore to come forth, 1Sa 23:7-13; and of David’s being in the wilderness of Ziph, where, in a wood there, he had an interview with Jonathan, 1Sa 23:14-18; and of the Ziphites offering to deliver him up to Saul, for which he commends them, and gives them instructions how they should behave to him in that affair, 1Sa 23:19-23; and of his seeking him in the wilderness of Maon, where David and his men were in great danger of being taken; which was prevented by the news of the Philistines invading the land coming to Saul just at the nick of time, 1Sa 23:24-29.

FIRST SAMUEL 24

Saul being returned from following the Philistines, renews his pursuit after David, 1Sa 24:1,2; and they meeting in a cave, where David had the opportunity of taking away the life of Saul, which his men pressed him to, yet only cut off the skirt of his robe, 1Sa 24:3-8; which, calling after him, he held up to him to convince him he had his life in his hands, but spared it, 1Sa 24:9,10; upon which he very pathetically reasons with him about the unreasonableness and unrighteousness of his pursuit after him, to take away his life, 1Sa 24:11-15; which so affected Saul, that he confessed he was more righteous than he, and owned that the kingdom would be his, and only desired him to swear to him not to cut off his offspring, which David did, and so they parted, 1Sa 24:16-22.

1 Samuel 18-20; Psalm 11, 59

FIRST SAMUEL 18

This chapter gives an account of the respect shown to David by Saul and Jonathan, by the servants of Saul, and all the people, and of what was said in his praise in the songs of the women, 1Sa 18:1-7; which latter gave Saul a great offence, and upon which he envied him, and eyed him, and indeed sought his life, and removed him from him; and yet still he continued the darling of the people, behaving wisely among them, which greatly embarrassed Saul, that be knew not what to do, 1Sa 18:8-16; he proposed his eldest daughter to him in marriage, which he had a claim to by killing the Philistine, and then he cheated him by giving her to another, 1Sa 18:17-19; and then he offered his youngest daughter to him, on condition that he would bring him an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, execution of which he thought his life would be exposed to danger, which yet he performed, 1Sa 18:20-27; and having the affection of his wife, and the good esteem of the servants of Saul, Saul was more afraid of him, and became his enemy, 1Sa 18:28-30.

FIRST SAMUEL 19

This chapter relates the dangers David was exposed unto through Saul’s enmity at him, and his deliverance from them, as by the notice Jonathan gave him of his father’s designs against him, and by his kind interposition on his behalf, 1Sa 19:1-7; by David’s slipping out of Saul’s presence, when he was about to cast a javelin at him, 1Sa 19:8-10; by Michal’s letting him down through a window, when Saul sent messengers to kill him, and by deceiving them with an image laid in his bed in the room of him, 1Sa 19:11-17, and again by Samuel’s protection of him at Naioth, whither David fled, and where Saul sent messengers after him, and at length came himself; and instead of laying hands on David, both he and the messengers were set a prophesying, 1Sa 19:18-24.

FIRST SAMUEL 20

David fleeing from Naioth came to Jonathan, and acquainted him with his circumstances, and entreated his favour, 1Sa 20:1-8; which Jonathan promised, and renewed the covenant with him, 1Sa 20:9-17; a scheme was formed between them, by which David might know whether Saul was reconciled to him, and he might come to court, 1Sa 20:18-23; which being tried, Jonathan found it was not safe for him to appear, 1Sa 20:24-34; of which he gave notice by the signals agreed on, 1Sa 20:35-40; and they took their leave of one another with strong expressions of affection and attachment to each other, 1Sa 20:41,42.

Psalms:

The title of this book may be rendered “the Book of Praises”, or “Hymns”; the psalm which our Lord sung at the passover is called an “hymn”, Mt 26:30; and the one hundred forty fifth Psalm is entitled \^hlht\^, “an Hymn of David”; and the psalms in general are called “hymns” by Philo the Jew {a}, and songs and hymns by Josephus {b}; and to these several names of this book the apostle manifestly refers in Eph 5:19 Col 3:16. The Jews divided the writings of the Old Testament into three parts: the first division is the Law, or five books of Moses; the second is the Prophets, former and latter; and the third, the “Hagiographa”, or holy writings; to which division Christ has a regard in Lu 24:44; and because the book of Psalms stand first in the last division, the whole goes by its name. This book by the Apostle Peter is entitled as here, Ac 1:20; the title in the Syriac version is,

“the Book of the Psalms of David, King and Prophet,”

with which agrees the Arabic version. As to the divine authority of it, that it was written by inspiration of God, we have not only the testimony of David, who says, “the Spirit of God spake by me”, 2Sa 23:2; but the testimonies of Christ and his apostles, \Mt 22:43 Ac 1:16 4:24,25\; and, as Aben Ezra {c} observes the whole of it was spoken \^vdwqh xwrb\^, “by the Holy Ghost”. Concerning the penman or amanuensis, employed by the Spirit of God in writing it, there are different opinions. The Jews make mention of ten, which are differently reckoned by them. According to Jarchi {d}, they were Adam, Melchizedek, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Asaph, and the three sons of Korah. According to Kimchi {e}, they were Adam, the first, Melchizedek, Abraham, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, Moses, and the three sons of Korah; Asir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. Some ascribe all the Psalms to David {f}, and think that those which are said to be a psalm of Asaph, or of Heman should be rendered “a psalm to Asaph”, &c. and only signify that they were psalms delivered to them, to be sung in a public manner. But the truest opinion seems to be, that the greater part of them were written by David, and for the most part those that have no title; and the rest by those whose names they bear. Some were written at and after the Babylonish captivity, as Ps 126:1-6 and Ps 137:1-9. The manner or form in which they were written was metre {g}, though some deny it that the Jews had metre: as appears by the different accentuation of them from other writings, and from their being sung vocally and on musical instruments. Josephus {h}, the Jewish historian, says, that

“David being free from war, and enjoying a profound peace, composed songs and hymns to God, of various metre; some trimeter, and some pentameter;”

that is, some of three feet, and others of five feet: for the Psalms of David are thought to be of the “lyric” kind; and Gomarus, in his Lyra, has given many instances out of them, which are of the “iambic”, “trochaic” kind though the Jews for many years have lost the knowledge of the sacred poetry. R. Benjamin {i} indeed says, that in his time there were at Bagdad R. Eleazar and his brethren, who knew how to sing the songs, as the singers did when the temple was standing. The subject matter of this book is exceeding great and excellent; many of the psalms respect the person, offices, and grace of Christ; his sufferings and death, resurrection, ascension, and session at the right hand of God; and so are exceeding suitable to the Gospel dispensation. The whole book is a rich mine of grace and evangelical truths, and a large fund of spiritual experience; and is abundantly suited to every case, state, and condition, that the church of Christ, or particular believers, are in at any time.

1 Samuel 15-17

FIRST SAMUEL 15

In this chapter are recorded the order Saul had from the Lord to destroy Amalek utterly, 1Sa 15:1-3 the preparation he made to put it in execution, and the success thereof, 1Sa 15:4-9 the offence the Lord took at his not obeying his order thoroughly, with which Samuel was made acquainted, and which grieved him, 1Sa 15:10,11, upon which he went out to meet Saul, and reprove him; and a long discourse upon the subject passed between them, the issue of which was, that by an irrevocable decree he was rejected from being king, 1Sa 15:12-31 and the chapter is concluded with an account of Samuel’s hewing in pieces Agag king of Amalek, and of his final departure from Saul, 1Sa 15:32-35.

 FIRST SAMUEL 16

In this chapter Samuel is ordered to anoint a king among the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem, 1Sa 16:1-5 all whose sons were made to pass before him, excepting David, 1Sa 16:6-10 who being then with his father’s sheep, was sent for and was anointed, 1Sa 16:11-13, after which the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and he became melancholy, and it was advised to seek out a musician for him, and David was mentioned to him as a proper person, 1Sa 16:14-18 upon which he was sent for, and acted as a musician to Saul, and also became his armourbearer, which was the first rise of him, 1Sa 16:19-23.

FIRST SAMUEL 17

This chapter relates how the armies of Israel, and of the Philistines, prepared for battle, and where, 1Sa 17:1-3, describes a champion of the Philistines, who defied the armies of Israel, 1Sa 17:4-11, and while he was so doing, it informs us that David came into the camp, and he heard his words, and signified to one and another his inclination to fight with him, 1Sa 17:12-30, which being reported to Saul, David was sent for by him, and much discourse passed between them about it, 1Sa 17:31-37 when we are told the manner in which he engaged with the Philistine, and the victory he obtained over him, 1Sa 17:38-51 upon which the Philistines fled, and Israel pursued them; and on account of this action David was taken notice of by Saul, and brought to court again, as the following chapter shows, 1Sa 17:52-58.

1 Samuel 13-14

FIRST SAMUEL 13

This chapter relates how Saul disposed of his army, 1Sa 13:1,2 that Jonathan his son smote a garrison of Philistines, which provoked them to come out with a large army against them, to the great terror of the Israelites, many of whom fled to secret places, and to distant parts, 1Sa 13:3-7, that Saul tarried at Gilgal waiting for Samuel, but he not coming so soon as expected, offered sacrifice himself, 1Sa 13:8-10 for which Samuel, when he came, reproved him, and told him the kingdom should not continue with him, but be given to another man, 1Sa 13:11-14 on which Saul departed to Gibeah, where he continued, the Philistines being encamped at Michmash, 1Sa 13:15,16 from whence went out spoilers, in three companies, into the land of Israel, where they met with no opposition; for there were no weapons in the hands of any but Saul and Jonathan, the Philistines having taken care that there should be no smith in the land of Israel to make them any, so that they were defenceless, 1Sa 13:17-23.

FIRST SAMUEL 14

This chapter gives an account of an adventure of Jonathan and his armourbearer smiting a garrison of the Philistines, 1Sa 14:1-14, which with other circumstances struck terror into the whole army; which being observed by Saul’s spies, he and his men went out against them, and being joined by others, pursued them, and obtained a complete victory, 1Sa 14:15-23, but what sullied the glory of the day was a rash oath of Saul’s, adjuring the people not to eat any food till evening which Jonathan not hearing of ignorantly broke, 1Sa 14:24-31 and which long fasting made the people so ravenous, that they slew their cattle, and ate them with the blood, contrary to the law of God, for which they were reproved by Saul, 1Sa 14:32-34, upon which he built an altar, and inquired of the Lord whether he should pursue the Philistines all that night till morning, but had no answer; which made him conclude sin was committed, and which he inquired after, declaring that if it was his own son Jonathan that had committed it he should surely die, 1Sa 14:35-39, the people being silent, he cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonathan; who had it not been for the resolution of the people that rescued him out of his hands, because of the great salvation he had wrought, must have died, 1Sa 14:40-46 and the chapter is cited with an account of Saul’s battles with the neighbouring nations in general, and of his family, 1Sa 14:47-52.