The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve— Mr. Fenwick translates this verse,
The mighty oaks Jehovah's voice shall feel; 'Twill lay the woods and forests bare; All things his glory in his temple speak:
And he refers to Bishop Lowth's Prelections, p. 271 quarto, for a proof that the Hebrew should be thus rendered. The original is אילות יחולל yecholel aialoth; i.e. dolore afficit quercus, says the Bishop, for אלה eilah, or אילה or aialah, is an oak; in which sense it frequently occurs in the plural number and masculine gender, with a י jod, inserted: And so Syrus interprets it. This is vulgarly interpreted of hinds, which neither agrees with the other images in that place, nor yet with the nature and dignity of the subject. Mr. Mudge translates it, The voice of the Lord frightened the hinds, and laid bare the woods; and in his temple the whole of it spoke glory; i.e. says he, "it struck off all the leaves and small boughs, and by that means lest the hinds exposed to view. The latter part seems to intend some glorious appearance round the temple; wrapped up perhaps in flames, or something of that kind; so that the thunder might seem to be directed from thence." This Psalm possibly is explained by Psalms 76:4. Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey, i.e. mount Sion, and the other mountains of Jerusalem, which the Assyrians had destined for their plunder. It may be proper just to observe from Dr. Hammond, in vindication of the common version, that hinds are said by naturalists to bring forth with great difficulty; and as fear is supposed to facilitate delivery, and this animal is remarkably timorous, the sound of thunder may be supposed to effect it, and hasten its delivery. Compare Job 39:1. As Kadesh in the former verse may poetically signify the kings and people both of the Edomites and Moabites, who were terribly shaken, that is, subdued by David; so this verse may represent the greatness of their consternation.