tinue such; for we find, in our own times, where nations are but imperfectly civilized, that poets occupy the same place, and possess the same influence that they did among the nations of antiquity.

The prophet Samuel was well acquainted with the fondness of his countrymen for poetry and music, and with the power of both over their minds. He could not, therefore, have acted more wisely, with a view to their improvement, than by selecting a company of young men, whom he might take under his care, and instruct in the knowledge of divine things, and of the arts of life; and whom he might teach, also, how to make use of their knowledge, by embodying it in verse suited to music. Their songs, we must suppose, were such as might be sung in the religious assemblies of the people, or at social

first, by his judicious praises of female virtue, to excite in her mind love of what was honourable and right; then, by his company and pleasing behaviour, to prevent the intrusion and indulgence of improper thoughts. Such was his influence, that before Aegisthus could succeed in seducing the woman, he removed from her the minstrel, and put him to death in an uninhabited island. He was a person of the same character, too, whom the base suitors of Penelope compelled to exercise his art for their gratification."

Σώφρον δὲ τὲ ἦν τὸ τῶν ἀοιδῶν γένος, καὶ φιλοσόφων διαθεσιν ἐπέχου. ̓Αγαμέμνων γοῦν τὸν ἀοιδὸν καταλείπει τῇ Κλυταιμνήστρα φύλακα καὶ παραινετῆρα τινὰ· ὃς πρῶτον μὲν ἀρετὰς γυναικῶν διερχόμενος ἐνέβαλλε τινὰ φιλοτιμίαν εἰς καλοκαγαθίαν, εἶτα διατριβὴν παρέχων ἡδεῖαν ἀπεπλάνα τὴν διάνοιαν φαύλων ἐπινοιῶν· διο Αἰγίσθος οὐ πρότερον διέφθειρε τήν γυναῖκα, πρὶν τὸν ἀοιδον ἀποκτεῖναι ἐν νήσῳ ἐρήμῃ. Τοιοῦτος ἐστὶ καὶ ὁ παρὰ τοῖς μνηστῆρσιν ἀείδων ἀνάγκη, δε τοὺς ἐφεδρεύοντα τῇ Πηνελοπῃ ἐβδελλύττετο.

entertainments,-celebrating the praises of the Divine Being, or containing precepts of life and morals. In some of them, the poet would, naturally, give expression to feelings of pleasure or pain, arising from personal circumstances; bringing into notice, at the same time, the divine care and superintendence of human affairs, and the certainty of the severe punishment that would be inflicted on the workers of ini. quity. Now, since the collection of Psalms consists of poems of this description, are not we justified in referring them,-as to their origin and authorship,to the schools of the prophets? It is certain that David, who composed a great part of them, was instructed at the prophetical school; and it is probable that to this, and to his intimate friendship with Samuel, we ought to ascribe not only the number and excellence of his Psalms, but also his labour in establishing institutions for the improvement of sacred music.16 It is very probable, also, that the authors of some of the other Psalms, whose names have not been transmitted to us, belonged likewise to the association of choirists and poets, of which Samuel was the president.17

16 It is evident that David had cultivated the arts both of poetry and music, while he was yet a youth, and living in his father's family. When it became necessary to seek out a person skilful in playing upon the harp, to sooth the violence of Saul's deranged mind by his art, nobody could be found more accomplished than David. 1 Sam. xvi. 16, et seq.

17 Although the schools, or colleges of the prophets, must have contributed much to the improvement of sacred poetry among the Hebrews, from the times of Samuel and David, yet we are not to seek in them only, for the origin of the Psalms.

CHAP. II.

AT WHAT PERIODS, AND BY WHAT AUTHORS, THE PSALMS WERE COMPOSED.

It was an opinion of some of the Fathers and Rabbis, that all the poems contained in the Book of Psalms were composed by David; but this opinion has, long since, been exploded. It does not require a lengthened refutation; because not only the titles, but, what is of more importance, the diversity of subjects and style manifestly indicates a diversity of ages and authors. We are not prevented from forming this judgment by reflecting, that the Psalms seem to be ascribed to David by apostolical authority. They were ascribed to David, because the Psalms composed by him were placed first in the order of the collection ;-in the same manner and for the same reason, that "the Psalms," was a general title sometimes given to the whole collection of books usually styled the Hagiographa. Besides, we shall endeavour to shew that a conjecture,-probable, at

In the age of Moses, we find that lyric poetry and music were in use. (Exod. xv. 20, 21.) There are also fragments of poetry, approaching in character to the lyric, which have been ascribed to the authors of the Pentateuch, and of the Book of Judges; but which cautious criticism would rather, and with good reason, assign to a later period. See BENGER, DE WETTE, BERTHOLDT, &c.

1 See Lightfoot on Luke xxiv. 44.

least, may be made as to the persons to whom the Psalms are assigned, and as to the periods at which they were composed. The order in which each particular Psalm was composed, and also that in which we find it arranged, may be examined, most conveniently, at the conclusion of our commentaries.

I. The Hebrew inscription ascribes the ninetieth Psalm to Moses; and to him the Talmudists ascribe also the ten Psalms immediately following it, because they found the name of no other author prefixed to them.2 This is a matter of no moment: we are left at liberty to form our opinion from other considerations. In the ninetieth Psalm we find, indeed, nothing unworthy of Moses, or unsuitable to him; but, on the other hand, we find nothing contained in it so connected with the times of Moses, or the incidents of this life, as to shew that it may not have been composed by some other person, and at some other period. The subject is of a general nature,

2 Jerome, in Epist. CXXXIX. to Cyprian, takes notice of this custom: "It is usual," he says, "in the Holy Scripture, that all the Psalms which have no title,-whoever may have been the author,-are ascribed to those whose names are found in the titles of the Psalms preceding." Origen seems to have followed this practice, influenced by a tradition of Huillus, a Jewish patriarch. Hence Jerom says: "The eighty-ninth Psalm, which is inscribed,-a prayer of Moses, the man of God, -and the following Psalms, which have no titles,—according to the exposition of Huillus,-he ascribed to Moses: nor, when interpreting the Hebrew Scripture, did he think it improper to insert, in particular places, what was agreeable to the opinion of the Hebrews ?"

namely, a lamentation for the miseries of mankind; particularly for the shortness of human life. Of this we shall treat in its proper place:

Admitting this Psalm to have been written by Moses, there is none in the collection more ancient.

II. The greater part of the Psalms are assigned to the age of David, and to various authors belonging to that age. 1st. Of this class, the greater number are attributed to David himself. In our Hebrew Bibles, we find his name prefixed to seventy-one Psalms: but, in the Septuagint version, it is prefixed to eleven others besides. Among these, however, there are not a few which could not, by any means, be composed by David; all those, for example, in which plain mention is made of the captivity in Babylon; the desolation of the temple, the return from foreign lands, and other matters which took place long after David's days. Again, in many Psalms, to which neither David's name, nor that of any other author is prefixed, we find internal evidence, leaving no doubt that David was the author. Not only does the style agree, but certain matters are occasionally mentioned in them, which cannot be referred to any other period of time. But the opinion of those who hold, that all those Psalms ought to be ascribed to David, which have not the name of some other poet prefixed to them, is entirely to be rejected. The principal argument they use is this;-in the Old Testament, the ninety-sixth and the hundred and fifth Psalms, and, in the New Testament, the second* and ninty-fifth, all of which, though anonymous, Acts iv. 25. 5 Heb. iv. 7.

5

31 Chron. xvi. 7, seqq.