Note in Verses 1 and 9.—Domine, Dominus noster; our own Lord; Κύριε, ὁ
Κύριος ἡμῶν; claiming thus the Fatherhood. The ‘Lord our Governour’ of
the Prayer Book entirely loses the meaning. How admirable is Thy Name!
θαυμαστον, ‘wonderful,’ as in Isaiah, “His name shall be called
Wonderful, the Counsellor.” Again our translation ‘excellent’ loses the
meaning.
Verse 2.—Thy magnificence. Literally, ‘thy greatness in working’ (Gk.
μεγαλοπρέπεια—splendour in aspect), distinguished from mere ‘glory’ or
greatness in fame.
Verse 3.—Sidney has it:
“From sucklings hath thy honour sprung,
Thy force hath flowed from babies’ tongue.”
The meaning of this difficult verse is given by implication in Matt.
xxi. 16. And again, that verse, like all the other great teachings of
Christ, is open to a terrific misinterpretation;—namely, the popular
evangelical one, that children should be teachers and
preachers,—(“cheering mother, cheering father, from the Bible true”).
The lovely meaning of the words of Christ, which this vile error hides,
is that children, remaining children, and uttering, out of their own
hearts, such things as their Maker puts there, are pure in sight, and
perfect in praise. [33]
Verse 4.—The moon and the stars which thou hast
founded—‘fundasti’—ἐθεμελίωσας. It is much more than ‘ordained’: the
idea of stable placing in space being the main one in David’s mind. And
it remains to this day the wonder of wonders in all wise men’s minds.
The earth swings round the sun,—yes, but what holds the sun? The sun
swings round something else. Be it so,—then, what else?