THE FIFTEENTH Psalm of Degrees, BEING The CXXXIV. PSALM,
Was composed by David (De Muys thinks) as well as the former, and appointed to put the People in mind of their more solemn Times of Meeting with that pious, charitable, and unspotted Souls, with which they ought to approach God; this being an Euge, an incitement to all, who are the Lord's Servants, to be constant and pure in his Service, as a particular hoc age to the Priests at the Canonical Hours of Prayer, and stated Times of public Worship, to lift up clean Hands, and holy Hearts.
It is a proper Close to the preceding Hymns, being often sung at Midnight at the end of the Nocturnal Offices by the Jews, and design'd by me for the Eves of our greater Festivals: It is an Exhor∣tation generally directed not only to the Priests, who kept the Watch in the Temple, so to the People, who watched their Days and Nights, for many departed not, as you may gather from Psal. 92.2. and Luke 2.37.
It seems to me most probable, that this Psalm was composed by Ezra the Priest, or some of his Time, not only because it is the last of the Graduals, which were accommodated for the Return from Captivity, but because it is Dramatic; chiefly concerning the Priests, who stand by night in the House of the Lord; or as the 72 d, in the Courts of the House, which was not built in David's time; and therefore it is not so likely a composition of David's, but of Ezra, when the holy manner of worshipping God was restored, Ezra 8.6. and the Priests set in their Courses, Vers. 7.
In the first Verse of this Psalm I should suppose the Choir joyning to the Music, and then the Chief Priest (for that Watch) giving the rest Directions as in the second Verse, and they again in the third Verse blessing him, (for it is Bless thee, and not yee) though in my version I use the Plural throughout.