i. 14, where the prophet complains that Jehovah is not asserting

Himself as the ruler of men.

³³Then shall the trees of the wood sing for joy before the LORD, For he cometh to judge the earth.

=33.= _to judge the earth_] The joy with which the coming judgement is greeted arises from the fact that the Hebrews regarded a judge as a champion of the oppressed and not as a precise interpreter of statutes.

=34‒36= (= Psalms cvi. 1, 47, 48).

³⁴O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: For his mercy _endureth_ for ever.

=34.= _his mercy_ endureth _for ever_] Compare Exodus xx. 6, “shewing mercy unto a thousand generations of them that love me” (Revised Version margin).

³⁵And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, And gather us together and deliver us from the nations, To give thanks unto thy holy name, And to triumph in thy praise.

=35.= _gather us together_] A phrase which shows very clearly that the standpoint of the Psalmist is post-exilic.

³⁶Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD.

=36.= _said, Amen, and praised the LORD_] In the Psalms (cvi. 48) “say, Amen! Hallelujah! (i.e. Praise ye the Lord!).” This verse belongs not properly to the Psalm, but is the doxology marking the conclusion of the fourth “book” of the Psalms. Apparently then the Psalms had already been arranged in the five collections or “books,” into which they were finally divided, by the time of the Chronicler; but the argument is not conclusive since (1) the doxology _may_ be really part of the Psalm, and (2) there is the possibility that verses 7‒36 are a later insertion in Chronicles.

=37‒43.= THE SERVICE BEFORE THE ARK AND THE SERVICE AT GIBEON.

The description of the disposition of the Priests and Levites for the worship in Jerusalem and in Gibeon which was begun in verses 4‒6 is here resumed. verses 37, 38 summarise verses 4‒6.

³⁷So he left there, before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required: ³⁸and Obed-edom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obed-edom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be doorkeepers:

=38.= _Obed-edom with their brethren_] A name or names seems to be missing after Obed-edom. The LXX. cuts the knot by reading simply “and _his_ brethren.” Probably we should insert after Obed-edom the words “and Hosah” from the last part of the verse: see the following note.

_Obed-edom also the son of Jeduthun_] If the view of xv. 19‒21 and