Psalm Vol. 1 - College Press

PSALM TWO
out of the midst of his earthly enemies; and ver. 2 into a com-
mission to return into their midst, for the purpose of demanding
their submission.
Under these circumstances, it is manifestly desirable that
each reader should confront this question for himself, and if
possible once for all settle it:-Is the Zion of the Psalms prac-
tically identical with the histoyical city of Jerusalem? The
highest court of appeal is the usage of the name in the very
book we are seelting to interpret. The name “Zion” occurs in
the following places in the Psalter, namely :-2 :6, 9 :11, 14, 14 :7,
20:2, 48:2, 11, 12, 50:2, 51 :18, 53:6, 65:1, 69:35, 74:2, 76:2,
78:68, 84:7, 87:2, 5, 97:8, 99:2, 102:13, 16, 21, 110:2, 125:1,
126:1, 128:5, 129 :5, 132 :13, 133 :3, 134 :3, 135 :21, 137 :1, 3,
146:10, 147:12, 149:2. It would be unreasonable to expect that
all these examples should be demonstrative as to the point at
issue: it will suffice, to render the appeal conclusive, that (a)
there should be no instances where plainly “Zion” cannot be
identical wi,th the earthly Jerusalem; and (b) that there should
be a large number in which an alleged reference to a heavenly
Zion would bring the Holy Scriptures into ridicule. This refer-
ence to a “heavenly” Jerusalem is suggested by a few allusions
in the New Testament which name a Jerusalem which is so
distinguished: as to which it is obvious to remark that the very
term “heavenly‘) presupposes and earthly Jerusalem to which
a contrastive allusion is made; and further that such qualifying
term is never found in the Old Testament, The Psalms, in
particular, know nothing of a Zion or a Jerusalem in heaven.
It would seem like an insult to readers of ordinary intelligence
to remind them of such decisive phrases as “Go about Zion,”
“wherein thou didst make thy habitation,” “and his lair in Zion
haith been placed,” “Zion heard and was glad,” “Thou wilt arise
and have compassion upon Zion,” “Jehovah hath built up Zion,’,
“turned the fortunes of Zion.” Plainly it is the earthly Zion
that is intended; and it is fearlessly submitted ,that there is
nothing demonstrative on the other side.
It will conduce to perfect fairness of exegesis, and at the
same, time lead on to a becoming conclusion to our present study,
to call attention to an attractive hortatory element in this psalm
which it would be a misiortune to overlook. There is a gracious,
subduing light which falls back on the earlier portions of the
psalm from the closing stanza, in which the poet is led to fill
the part of a kindly monitor. In the opening verses the mutter-
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