IDJ  occurs  also  elsewhere  in  the  Psalms  in  an  intrans.  sense ;
xii.  1,  Ixxvil.  8.     The  words :  "  The  trier  art  Thou,"  etc.,  point
to  the  Divine  righteousness,  which  does  not  permit  God  to  be
indifferent  toward  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  but  constantly
makes  use  of  His  omniscience  to  penetrate  into  the  inmost  regions
of  the  heart,  in  order  to  discern  the  one  and  the  other,  and  to
visit  them  with  blessing  or  punishment  accordingly.     "  The
proving  of  the  heart  and  the  reins"  is  mentioned,  as  is  evident
from  the  expression,  "  O  righteous  God,"  not  as  pledging  the
mere  possibility,  but  the  reality  of  the  Divine  judgment,  not  as
.in  outflow  of  the  Divine  omniscience,  but  of  the  Divine  right-
eousness.    Comp.  Jer.  xvii.  10,  "  I,  the  Lord,  search  the  heart,
I  try  the  reins,  even  to  give  everj'  man  according  to  his  ways,
and  according  to  the  fruit  of  his  doings ;"  xx.  12,  "And,  O  Lord
of  hosts,  that  triest  the  righteous,  and  seest  the  reins  and  the


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heart,  I  shall  see  my  revenge  on  them."  The  and  also  is  better
explained  on  this  view  than  on  the  other,  which  would  rather
lead  us  to  expect  a  "  for,"  insomuch  that  some  of  its  supporters,
for  example  Ewald,  are  disposed  to  throw  it  out  of  the  text
entirely.  If  the  trying  of  the  heart  and  reins  is  a  spontaneous
activity  of  God,  then  there  is  involved  in  the  words  before  us,
which,  primarily,  simply  ascribe  this  activity  to  God,  when  viewed
in  connection  with  the  preceding  entreaties,  an  indirect  solicita-
tion to  exercise  such  activity — "  Thou  art  a  trier,"  etc.,  so  try
then — and  the  second  clause  of  the  verse  comes  into  parallelism
with  the  first.  If  God  does  try  the  heart  and  the  reins.  He
cannot  but  bring  to  an  end  the  wickedness  of  the  wicked,  and
establish  the  righteous.  Many  translate :  And  the  righteous
God  tries  the  heart  and  the  reins ;  but  it  is  better  to  regard
this  as  a  direct  address  to  God,  in  accordance  with  the  pre-
ceding one.
