8-10,  are  decisive  against  all  earthly  monarchs ;  for  they  declare
that  the  people  and  kings  of  the  whole  earth  are  given  to  be  the
possession  of  this  King,  and  that  they  strive  in  vain  to  shake  off
His  yoke.  The  extent  of  His  kingdom  is  here  described  to  be
what  the  Messiah's  kingdom  is  always  described  in  those  passages
whicli  are  generally  admitted  to  refer  to  Him  ; — comp.,  for  ex-
ample, Zech.  ix.  10 ;  Isa.  ii.  2 ;  Mic.  iv.  1.  De  Wette  en-
deavours to  support  himself  here,  appealing  to  the  pretended
"likincr  of  the  Hebrew  poets  for  hyperbole,  and  the  disposition
of  the  enthusiastic  members  of  the  theocracy  to  conceive  magni-
licent  hopes."  But  in  all  circumstances,  hyperbole  has  its  limits,
and  exaggeration  coidd  scarcely,  in  this  case,  have  refen-ed  to


PSALM  II,


21


pictures  of  the  present,  but  only  to  the  promises  of  the  future.
