INTELLECTUS. This word, which signifies Understanding, Intelligence, is to be met with before several Psalms. For example, Pf. xxxii. 1. לדוד משכילPf. xlii. 1. משכיל לבני קרחIntellectus ipsi David; Intellectus filiis Core; or filiis Core ad Intellectum; Intellectus Asaph; Intellectus Ethan; Intellectus Emath, &c. The Hebrew, Maschil le David, signifies either that this Psalm is a moral and instructive song, or that it is profound, and requires a particular study, and application, to understand it1. The Hebrews think that the Psalms with this title are some of those which were explain’d at the same time that they were recited.
By Intellectus is sometimes understood good success, good fortune, happiness; because in Hebrew the word Shakal, which signifies Intellectus, signifies likewise prosperity and good success; for example, Initium Pf. cx. 10. Ps. cxviii.sapientiæ timor Domini; intellectus bonus omnibus facientibus eum. God heaps blessings upon those who fear him. And in another place, Appropinquet deprecatio mea in conspectu tuo, juxta eloquium tuum da mihi intellectum. Hear my prayers, and according to thy promises, give me good success in my undertakings. In Joshua, Ut intelligas Josh. i. 7, 8.cuncta quæ agis, that thou mayest succeed in thy undertakings. And again, Tunc diriges viam tuam & intelliges eam.
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Footnotes
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Translators’ note. Dr. Hammond on Psal. xxxii. says, that משכילis used here as the title of a Psalm, to denote the sort of melody, the tune to which it was set, known among the Hebrews by that name, from some famous song, first set to that tune, and added to ,לדודto or of David; it undoubtedly signifies a Psalm of his set to that tune, and nothing else; and so in all the other Psalms, where it is prefixed in the title. ↩