I have put my trust in the Lord God ] I confide in Jehovah, my Prop and Stay. I have taken him for my portion.

That I may declare all thy works. ] That I may testify to all how good it is to draw nigh to God; and what a sufficient portion he is to the soul of man.

The Vulgate, Septuagint, AEthiopic, and Arabic, add, in the gates of the daughter of Sion. These words appear to make a better finish; but they are not acknowledged by any Hebrew MS.

ANALYSIS OF THE SEVENTY THIRD PSALM

The prophet shows the grief that many good men feel at the prosperity of the wicked, and the distresses of the godly; but at last, consulting the will of God, he finds that the felicity of the wicked ends in wretchedness, and the crosses of the godly are the way to happiness; and, with this consideration, he gains quiet to his troubled mind. Let the question be, Who is the happy man? The godly or ungodly? And then the parts of the Psalm will be as follows: - I. The arguments produced for the happiness of the wicked, ver. 1-9.

II. The impression these arguments make in carnal minds, ver. 2, 3, 10-14.

III. The rejection of these doubts and impressions, ver. 15- 17.

IV. The refutation of the former arguments, ver. 18-20.

V. The psalmist's censure of himself for his precipitate judgment, ver. 21, 22.

VI. His full resolution of the doubt, after the full examination of the reasons on both sides. That true happiness consists in union with God; and therefore the wicked, who are far from him, however they flourish, are unhappy, ver. 23-28.

But, more particularly, the Psalms is divisible into the following parts: - I. There is, first, an assertion: "Certainly, God is good to Israel, to such as are of a clean heart," ver. 1. But can this comport with their present afflicted state? With this he was greatly harassed, ver. 2. He saw the wicked in prosperity, which he states in several particulars.

II. What carnal minds think of them.

1. They have no conflicts in their death, ver. 4.

2. They are not troubled like other men, ver. 5.

3. They are proud and haughty, ver. 6, and yet are not punished.

4. They are oppressive tyrants: "Violence covereth them." 5. They feed luxuriously, ver. 7.

6. They speak evil against the poor, ver. 8.

7. They even speak against God, and all the dispensations of his providence: "Their tongue walketh through the earth," ver. 9.

8. They assert that he takes no cognizance of their ways, ver. 10, 11.

III. The evil conclusion formed from these premises refuted.

1. It is the ungodly that prosper in the earth, ver. 12.

2. If so, then of what avail are my religious observances and sufferings, &c.? ver. 13, 14.

He resolves the question: - 1. From the testimony of ALL the godly, ver. 15.

2. He tried to solve it by reason, but did not succeed, ver. 16.

3. He consults with God, and the whole is made plain, ver. 17.

From him he learns: - 1. That the happiness of the wicked is unstable, ver. 18.

2. They stand on a precipice, and are cast down, ver. 19.

3. Their desolation comes suddenly and unexpected1y, ver. 19.

4. Their ruin is fearful: "They are consumed with terrors." 5. Thus it is demonstrated that their happiness was vain, empty, as unsubstantial as a dream, ver. 20.

IV. He now acknowledges that he had formed an erroneous judgment. 1.

That he gave way to animosity. 2. That he acted rather like a beast than a man, in looking only to the present life, ver. 21, 22. He now receives instruction and encouragement.

1. The godly are not neglected: "They are continually with God," ver. 23.

2. They are tenderly led as by the hand of a loving father, ver. 23.

3. They are directed by the word and Spirit of God, ver. 24.

4. They are often crowned with signal marks of God's esteem, even in this life, ver. 24.

V. His resolution to live to God, as he sees that such alone are happy.

1. He expects nothing in heaven but God: "Whom have I in heaven," &c.

2. He will seek no other portion on earth: "There is none on earth," ver. 25.

3. I will cleave to him in life and death: "When my flesh and my heart fail." 4. My confidence in him shall be unshaken, ver. 26.

VI. He draws two conclusions from what he had learned: - 1. They that are far from God perish.

2. They that draw nigh to him are saved, ver. 27.