Psalms 34:7 - Exposition

The angel of the Lord eneampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them . According to some commentators (Rosenmuller, 'Four Friends,' and others), the expression, "angel of the Lord," is here used as a collective, and means the angels generally. With this certainly agrees the statement that the angel "encampeth round about them that fear him;" and the illustration from 2 Kings 6:14-18 is thus exactly apposite. But others deny that "the angel of the Lord" has ever a collective sense, and think a single personality must necessarily be intended, which they regard as identical with "the captain of the Lord's host," who appeared to Joshua ( Joshua 5:14 , Joshua 5:15 ), and "the angel of the Lord's presence" spoken of by Isaiah ( Isaiah 63:9 ); so Kay, Hengstenberg, Bishop Horsley, Professor Alexander, and the 'Speaker's Commentary.' When pressed to say how this one angel can "encamp round" a number of persons, they reply that, of course, he has his subordinates with him—a "spangled host," that "keep watch in squadrons bright;" and that he is said to do what they do, which is no doubt quite in accordance with ordinary modes of speech. Thus, however, the two expositions become nearly identical, since, according to both, it is the angelic host which "encamps around" the faithful.