says * is God ' instead of ' is God's throne.* The construction is exactly
like that of a passage in the Babylonian Creation-epic where the gods con-
gratulate Marduk and say, 'thy command is Anu,' f.#. is Anu's). As I have
already said, I think Ps. no must refer to the appointment of Simon the
Maccabee as priest and king. The first four verses which form the oracle
make, in their opening letters, an acrostic of his name."



MESSIANIC PSALMS 261

ness (4i 12 sqq.)i and eternally: ''they shall fear thee
as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all
generations." But over against this we have to place
verse 17 : "His natne shall endure for ever, his name
shall be continued as long as the sun," and, here as
elsewhere (e.g. Jer. xxxiiL 14 sqq. where it is clear
that "the Branch or Shoot of Righteousness" of
David's line is not one particular king, but a con-
tinuous succession of rulers of David's line), it is
evidently not a sifigle king who thus rules on for ever ;
it is his name or dynasty that has eternal continuance
and renown promised to it. Pss. Izxxiz. and cxxxii. 17
are far less certainly Messianic. Ps. Ixxxix. 3, 4, 19
sqq. clearly points to God's promise to David in
2 Sam. vii. 14 sqq., while verse 27 equally clearly
refers to Ex. iv. 22 addressed to Israel ; so the psalm
evidently has, here again, not an individual king, but
a Davidic dynasty in view, and speaks rather of
Israel as the Messiah and now heir of the old Davidic
promises.
