The ornaments and privileges of the church.
A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah.
Title. קרח לבני מזמור שׁיר Shiir mizmor libnei korach.— This is a triumphant hymn, the author of which is not known, nor the particular time when it was composed. It appears from the contents of it, that it was made upon some providential deliverance which God had given to the city of Jerusalem, when it was violently attacked, or threatened at least, by some very powerful and confederate enemies. Mudge thinks that it refers to the ineffectual attempt of Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of Israel: Isaiah 7:1 and that the prophesy of Isaiah, in that and the succeeding chapter, confirms this idea. See also the 4th, 5th, and 6th verses. But an anonymous writer well observes, that mount Sion is the main subject of the poem, which was not much regarded after the ark had been some time removed from thence; whereas, at the time this psalm was made, it was evidently in its highest reputation; whence it is probable, that the psalm is as old as David's time. The LXX, Vulgate, and Arabic, subjoin the words, "on one of their sabbaths," or "on the second sabbath," to the title: by which they would insinuate, that the use of this psalm was to be appropriated to the sabbath: for indeed some of the psalms were peculiar to the service on week-days, and others set apart for the public solemnities, and the sabbath, on which only they were to be used.