CANONICITY AND UsE.—The inspiration and canonical authority of the Psalms are established by the most abundant and convincing evidence. They never were, and never can be, rejected, except by impious impugners of all divine revela tion. Not to mention other ancient testimonies [CANON], we find complete evidence in the N. T., where the book is quoted or referred to as divine by Christ and his apostles at least seventy times. No other writing is so frequently cited ; Isaiah, the next in the scale of quotation, being cited only about fifty-five times. Twice (Luke xx. 42 and Acts i. 20) we find distinct mention of the Book of Psalms pipx., IfraX,(.46;v). Once, however (Luke xxiv. 44), the name Psalms is used not simply for this book, but for the Hagiographa, or the whole of the third division of the Hebrew Scriptures [HAGIOGRAPHA], because in it the Psalms are the first and chief part ; or possibly, as Havernick suggests (Einleitung, sec. xiv. p. 78), because the division consists mainly of poetry. It deserves notice that in Heb. iv. 7, where the quotation is taken from the anonymous Ps. xcv., the book is indicated by David, most likely because he was the largest and most eminent contributor, and also the patron and model of the other psalmists. For the same reasons many ancient and modern authors often speak of the book as the Psalms of David (Carpzov, Introd., ii. 98), without intending to ascribe all the productions to him.
In every age of the church the Psalms have been extolled for their excellence and their use for godly edifying (Carpzov, 1. c., pp. 509-116). Indeed, if Paul's estimate of ancient inspired Scripture (2 Tim. iii. can be justly applied to any single book, that book must be the Psalms. Even in the N. T. there is scarcely a work of equal practical utility. Basil the Great and Chrysostom, in their homilies (see Suiceri Thes. Eccles., sub Vicau6s), expatiate most eloquently, and yet judiciously, on its excellence. The close of Basil's eulogy is to this effect : In it is found a perfect theology (evraiVa fvi OcoXayla reXeia) ; prophecy of Christ's sojourn in the flesh, threatening of judgment, hope of resurrection, fear of retribution, promises of glory, revelations of mysteries—all things are treasured in the book of Psalms, as in some great and com mon store-house.' Among the early Christians it was customary to learn the book by heart, that psalmody might enliven their social hours, and soften the fatigues and soothe the sorrows of life. They employed the Psalms not only in their reli gious assemblies—of which use we find probable mention in r Cor. xiv. 26—but also at their meals and before retiring to rest, as Clement of Alexan dria testifies : Ovala T43 0€43 ifraNuoi Kai furor rap& Thy 71-pb TE CFIS Koi-rns. Of their use at meals we find an example also in the institution of the Lord's Supper (Matt. xxvi. 30).
The great doctrines and precepts embodied in the Psalms, what views they give of God and his government, of man and his sinfulness, of piety and morals, of a future state, and of the Messiah, are most ably set forth by Tholuck in his Elide!". lung, sec. 4, and also by Delitzsch in his Conzmmtar.
In this connection it may be well to notice what are called the vindictive Psalms, such as Ps. lix.,
lxix., lxxix., which present utterances of anger and imprecation against the enemies of God and his people. These and similar portions of Scripture, which indicate the spirit of resentment, if not of revenge, are very apt to shock the feelings of certain Christian readers, and to call forth the insidious cavils of men who discredit divine revela tion. To avoid this offence, and to silence these objections, most of our devout commentators insist that the expressions in question are not maledic tions, but mere declarations or predictions of what will come to pass. This explanation is, however, qute inadmissible ; for in several of the most start ling passages—such as Ps. lix. 14 lxix. 25, 28 ; lxxix. 6—the verbs in the original are plainly im perative and not indicative. It is possible, as Tholuck thinks (Psalnzen, p. lxiii.), that in some of these utterances, especially the imprecations in Ps. cix., unholy personal feeling may have been mingled with godly zeal, as was the case seemingly with the two disciples James and John, when the Lord chided their desire for vengeance (Luke ix. 54-56.) But, in reality, the feeling expressed in these psalms may well be considered as virtuous anger, such as Bishop Butler explains and justifies in las sermons on Resentment and the Forgiveness of Injuries, and such as Pau] teaches in Eph. iv.
26, 'Be ye angry and sin not.' Anger against sin and a desire that evil-doers may be punished are not opposed to the spirit of the Gospel, or that love of enemies which our Lord both enjoined and exemplified. If the emotion and its utterance were essentially sinful, how could Paul wish the enemy of Christ and the perverter of the Gospel to be accursed t Cor. xvi. 22 ; Gal. i. 8) ; and especially, how could the spirits of the mar tyred saints in heaven call on God for vengeance (Rev. vi. lo), and join to celebrate its final execu tion (Rev. xix. 1-6) ? Yea, resentment against the wicked is so far from being necessarily sinful, that we find it manifested by the Holy and Just One himself, when in the days of his flesh he looked around on his hearers with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts' (Mark iii. 5) ; and when in the great day of his wrath' (Rev. vi. 17), he shall say to all workers of iniquity' (Luke xiii. 27), Depart from me, ye cursed' (Matt. xxv. 41). On this subject (The Imprecations in the Scrip tures), the reader may find an admirable article from the accomplished pen of the amiable and much lamented Prof. B. B. Edwards, in the American Bibliotheca Sacra for February 1844.
The following are among the chief exegetical works on this book :—Venema, Comment. in Psalmos ; Poli Synopsis; De Wette, Commentar fiber die Psalitien ; Rosenmiiller, Scholia in Epit. Redacta, vol. iii. ; Maurer, Comment. Crit. Gram maticus, vol. Stier, Siebzig ausgewahlte Psal mer ; Ewald, Poet. Bucher, vol. ii. ; Tholuck, Uebersetznng mid der Psalmer ; Heng stenberg, Commentar fiber die Psaimer. This last, together with the commentaries of Hupfeld and Delitzsch, may be recommended as the best Ger man helps for the thorough study of the book. Among English and American works the chief are by Ainsworth, Hammond, Horne, Horsley, Phillips, Noyes, Bush, and Alexander.—B. D.