- 162-
(^275) The text uses the singular, and not, as in our Authorised Version, the plural.
(^276) Thus Michal is here significantly designated, and not as the wife of David.
(^277) The Hebrew expression implies the innermost part.
(^278) This is expressly stated in 1 Chronicles 16:7, omitting, of course, the words in
italics.
(^279) At the time of our Lord the Psalms for the day were chanted when the drink-
offering was poured out. Comp. my Temple: its Ministry and Services at the time
of Jesus Christ, pp. 143, 144. But the arrangement then prevailing may not date
further back than the time of the Maccabees - at any rate, it forms no criterion for
the order of the services in the time of David.
(^280) Stanza 1 (vers. 8-11): Eulogy of God and of His wonders; stanza 2 (vers. 12-
14): Memorial of God's great doings; stanza 3 (vers. 15-18): Memorial of the
covenant and its promises; stanza 4 (ver. 19-22): Record of gracious fulfillment;
stanza 5 (vers. 23-27): Missionary; stanza 6 (vers. 28-30): The Universal Kingdom
of God; stanza 7 (vers. 31-33): The reign of God upon earth; stanza 8 (vers. 34-36):
Eucharistic, with doxology and liturgical close.
(^281) If the reader will compare the last stanza of this hymn with corresponding parts
in Psalm 106, 107, 118, 136 - not to speak of the liturgical close of each of the five
books of which the Psalter consists, - and consider such passages as 2 Chronicles
5:13; 7:3; 20:21, or Jeremiah 33:11, he will understand what is meant in the text.
(^282) Of the three expressions in 2 Samuel 6:19, there can be no doubt as to the
meaning of the first and the last: "a cake of bread... and a cake of raisins" (not
"flagon of wine," as in our Authorised Version). Much doubt prevails about what
the Rabbis and our Authorised Version render by "a good piece of flesh" -probably
on the assumption that it had formed part of the "peace-offerings." But such a
distribution of "peace-offerings" would have been quite contrary to custom - nor
does the gift of "cakes of raisins" accord with it. The most probable rendering of
the word in question is: "measure," viz., of wine. We venture to think that our
explanation of these gifts as provisions for the journey will commend itself to the
reader.
(^283) The expression (2 Samuel 7:2) is: "Abideth in the midst (within) the Yeriah," or
"curtain," that is the Yeriah (in the singular), composed of the ten Yerioth (in the
(^)