Verses 7-8
7, 8. Earth is at rest Better, Hath gone into rest.
Is quiet Has become quiet. The verbs are inchoatively past.
Break forth into singing There being no subject to the verb, great generality is given to the rejoicing. Yea, the fir trees, etc. Indeed, cypress and cedar join the chorus. By these, some suppose the usual symbols for rulers, leaders, generals, etc., are intended. Now that they are safe from an all-crushing opposer, they too rejoice. But a better sense is, that firs and cedars are conspicuous parts of the one great scenery, or picture, representing all nature as rejoicing. These almost imperishable timbers were used by the tyrants for ornamental building, for siege apparatus, for fleets and ordinary ships, and they also share the general joy. Tristram, ( Nat. Hist. Bible,) regards the “fir” of the Bible to be the Aleppo pine, and for strength and durability to be only inferior to the cedar of Lebanon.
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