on Zion beside the ark (2 Sam. vi. 17 sq.), in Gibeon beside the
Mosaic tabernacle (1 Chron. xvi. 39sq.) and later, on the thresh-
ing-floor of Ornan, afterwards the Temple-hill (1 Chron. xxi.
286—30). Thus others also were stimulated in many ways to
consecrate their offerings to the God of Israel. Beside the
73 Psalms bearing the inscription 175, — Psalms the direct
Davidic authorship of which is attested, at least in the case
of some fifty, by their creative originality, their impassioned
and predominantly plaintive strain, their graceful flow
and movement, their ancient but clear language, which be-
comes harsh and obscure only when describing the dissolute
conduct of the ungodly, —the collection contains the follow-
ing which are named after cotemporary singers appointed by
David: 12 (
Hebrew characters) (Ps. 1. Ixxiii—lxxxiii) of which the contents
and spirit are chiefly prophetic, and 12 by the Levite family
of singers, the (Hebrew characters) (Ps. xlii—xlix, lxxxiv, lxxxv, lxxxvii,
Ixxxvili, including Ps. xliii), bearing a predominantly regal
and priestly impress. Both the Psalms of the Ezrahites, Ps.
lxxxvili by Heman and Ixxxix by Ethan, belong to the time of
Solomon whose name, with the exception of Ps. lxxii, is borne
only by Ps. cxxvii. Under Solomon psalm-poesy began to
decline; all the existing productions of the mind of that age
bear the mark of thoughtful contemplation rather than of di-
rect conception, for restless eagerness had yielded to enjoyable
contentment, national concentration to cosmopolitan expan-
sion. It was the age of the Chokma, which brought the apoph-
thegm to its artistic perfection, and also produced a species
of drama. Solomon himself is the perfecter of the Mashal,
that form of poetic composition belonging strictly to the
Chokma. Certainly according to 1 Kings v. 12 [Hebr.; iv.
32, Engl.] he was also the author of 1005 songs, but in the
canon we only find two Psalms by him and the dramatic Song
of Songs. This may perhaps be explained by the fact that he
spake of trees from the cedar to the hyssop, that his poems,
mostly of a worldly character, pertained rather to the realm
of nature than to the kingdom of grace.
Only twice after this did psalm-poesy rise to any height and then only for a short period: viz. under Jehoshaphat and under Hezekiah. Under both these kings the glorious services of the Temple rose from the desecration and decay into
