the last times of David;
it is, as it were, "a grand Hallelujah with which he withdraws from the
scene of life." But, at all events, there is a closer connection with
that Psalm; in it, too, David has in view the future destiny of his
race, and we have here, in the last words, the prophetic conclusion of
the lyrical effusion there. From this connection with chap. xxii., the
closer limitation of the "words" follows. We learn from it that _holy_
words only can be meant. The solemn introduction, and the parallelism
with the blessings of Jacob and Moses, fully agree with and confirm
this our introductory remark regarding the chronological position of
these "words."--There can be no doubt that, in this introduction, there
is a reference to Balaam's prophecy in Num. xxiv. 3,--and this goes far
to prove how much David was occupied with the views which men of God
had formerly opened up into future times:--"And he took up his parable
and said: Balaam the son of Beor prophesies, and the man who had his
eyes shut, prophesies: He prophesies who hears the words of God, who
sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down and having his eyes
open." The remarks which we made on that passage find here also a
strict application: [Pg 154] "Balaam begins with a simple designation
of his person, and then, in the following members, adds designations of
such qualities of this person as here come into consideration, and
serve for affording a foundation to the [Hebrew: naM] with which he
opens his discourse." As [Hebrew: naM] always has the signification,
"word of God," "revelation," it can here be ascribed to David, as it
was in the fundamental passage to Balaam, only in as far as the word
has been received by, and communicated to, him. The [Hebrew: el],
"upon," "over," stands here for "on high,"[1]--those over whom David
has been raised up being omitted in order to express the absolute
sovereignty bestowed upon David, more, however, in his posterity, than
in his own person. (Compare Ps. xviii. 44: "Thou makest me the head of
the heathen;" and in ver. 48: "God who avengeth me, and subdueth people
under me.") _He who was raised up on high_--With the exception of the
bodily ancestor and the lawgiver, of none under the Old Testament could
this be with so much truth affirmed, as of David, the founder of the
royal house, which, in all eternity, was to be the channel of blessings
for the Congregation of the Lord, and to which, at last, all power in
hea