The  words  »nir333  nxJoS  ^'^^  which  the  soust  of  the  Church  is


58


THE  BOOK  OF  PSALMS.
there  closed,  can  be  no  otherwise  explained  than  as  meaning,
"  to  the  chief  musician  upon  my  (Israel's,  for  it  is  the  Church
that  speaks  through  the  whole  chapter)  stringed  instrument ;"
which  is  as  much  as,  assigned  to  the  chief  musician,  that  he  might
have  it  publicly  sung  in  the  temple  with  the  accompaniment  of
sacred  music  :  this  might  be  considered  to  be  the  national  music.
Negionoth  is  the  general  name  for  all  stringed  instruments.  The
whole  superscription,  then,  of  the  Psalm,  is  to  be  paraphrased
thus  :  A  Psalm  of  David  to  be  delivered  to  the  music  director,
that  he  may  arrange  for  its  performance  with  the  accompaniment
of  stringed  instruments.
Ver.  1.  When  I  call,  answer  me,  Thou  my  righteous  God,
who  gicest  me  help  in  distress ;  have  mercy  upon  me,  and  hear  my
prayer.     Tlie  "  my  God"  is  here  rendered  more  definite,  by  an
.additional  word.     The  Psalmist  indicates  that  he  expected  help,
not  on  account  of  any  partial  predilection  entertained  for  him
by  God,  but  from  his  God  being  the  Righteous  One,  who  could
not  but  afford  aid  to  His  righteous  cause.     In  this  he  supplies
a  rule  for  every  prayer  in  like  extremities.     To  beg  help,  with-
out being  able  thus  to  designate  God,  is  equivalent  to  blasphemy.
For,  instead  of  wishing  God  to  act  according  to  His  nature,  one
then  wishes  Him   to  deny  His  nature.     The  suffix  refers,  as
it  very  frequently  does,  to  the  compound  idea ;  Ewald,  p.  580.
