EXPOSITION
THIS is the second of the "alphabetic psalms." It is not so irregular as Psalms 9:1-20; but still is defective in some respects, the letters beth and vav being omitted in their proper place, resh being substituted for koph, and a second he being addled at the end. Some of these variations may be accidental, but others would seem to have been intentional, being found also in Psalms 34:1-22. The psalm consists of a number of prayers, reflections, and pious ejaculations, not drawn up in any systematic order, and not very clearly connected by any single line of thought. The separate portions have, however, in many cases much beauty; and it is observed that "some of the most precious spiritual treasures of the Church have been drawn from tiffs psalm" (Kay). The thoughts are quite worthy of the writer to whom it is attributed in the title, viz. David; and the alphabetic arrangement, which has been urged against David's authorship, is scarcely conclusive on the point. Many of the best critics regard Psalms 9:1-20. and 34; which, like this, are imperfectly alphabetic, as David's.
The metrical arrangement is not very marked. Some divide the psalm into five unequal strophes—Psalms 9:1-7, Psalms 9:8-10, Psalms 9:11-15, verses 16-21, and verse 22; others see no divisions beyond those of the Hebrew verses, which are followed in our Authorized Bible.