Psalms 105

The Pen-man of this Psalm was David, as is manifest from 1 Chron. 16. 8, &c. It is a thanksgiving to God for his mercies to his People of Israel.

O Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name Or, proclaim his name, i. e. the same and glory of his works, as it follows.; make known his deeds among his people Each of you amongst his and your people, or even among the Heathens, as you have opportunity..

Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.

Glory ye in his holy name Glory in the God whom you serve, as the only true God, and one of infinite power and goodness.: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD That seek his face or presence, as it follows, his acquaintance and favour, above all the World..

Seek the LORD, and his strength i. e. by a figure called Hendiaduo, the Lord in his strength, to wit, in his Sanctuary, or before the Ark, which is called Gods strength, Psal. 63. 3. and 78. 61. and the ark of his strength, Psal. 132. 8.: seek his face i. e. His gracious presence in his Sanctuary and the blessed fruits of it. See on Psal. 27. 8. evermore.

Remember his marvellous works that he has done, his wonders and the judgments of his mouth Either 1. the laws delivered from his mouth. Or rather 2. the Plagues or punishments (as this same word is used here v. 7. and every where) which he brought upon Egypt by his mere word or command, as is oft noted in the History of them in Exodus..

O ye seed of Abraham his servants, ye children of Jacob To whom he restrains the former more general expression, because these were the only branch of Abrahams Seed to whom the following Covenant and Blessings belong. his chosen.

He is the LORD our God, his judgments are in all the earth Either, 1. the fame of his judgments upon the Egyptians is spread over the face of the earth. Or, 2. God executes his Judgments upon all Nations and people. Which may be here noted as a foil to magnifie God's Grace to them who were the Monuments of his mercy, when all the World besides them fell under his just severity..

He has remembred Practically, so as to perform it; as that word is frequently used in Scripture. his covenant for ever, the word The word of promise or the Covenant, as is explained both in the foregoing and following words. And so the word is taken, Iudg. 13. 12. Luke 1. 38. which he commanded i. e. Established or ordained or appointed, as this word is oft taken, as Psal. 68. 28. & 71. 3. & 133. 3. Isai. 13. 3. & 23, 11. to a thousand generations To all generations; a certain number being put for an uncertain. He seems to allude to that passage, Exod. 20. 6..

Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath Wherewith he ratified the Covenant with Isaac, Gen. 26. 3. unto Isaac.

And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law Either that it might be as firm and irrevocable as a Law; or, that it might have the use and force of a Law towards God, because God did hereby put himself under an obligation of making it good in regard of his own truth and righteousness., and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,

Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot The portion assigned to you by lot and the designation of Divine Providence. See on Deut. 32. 9. Psal. 16. 6. of your inheritance:

When they were but a few men in number Heb. Men of number, i. e. few, who could easily be numbred, very few, as the next words explain it.: yea, very few, and strangers in it.

When they went from one nation to another Both in Canaan, where there were seven Nations, Deut. 7. 1. and in Egypt, &c., from one kingdom to another people.

He suffered, no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved Both verbally, and really, by his judgments. See Gen. 12. 17. and 20. 3. kings for their sakes,

Saying, Touch not Hurt not, as this word is used of these very persons, Gen. 26. 11, 29. and elsewhere. mine anointed My Prophets, as the next words explain it, to wit, Abraham and Isaac and Iacob, as is evident; who are called Gods anointed because they were eminently blessed of God, and consecrated to be his peculiar people and to be Kings and Priests in their Families, and replenished with the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost, in respect whereof many persons are said to be anointed in Scripture, who never had any material Oyl applied to them, as Psal. 45. 8. Isa. 61. 1. 2 Cor. 1. 21. And they are called Prophets, because God did familiarly converse with them and revealed his mind and will to them and by them to others; and because they were instructers or teachers of others in the true Religion. See Gen. 18. 19. and 20. 7., and do my prophets no harm.

Moreover, he called for (i. e.) He effectually procured, as this word is used, 2 Kings 8. 1. Isai. 47. 1, 5. & 56. 7. Rom. 4. 17. a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread (i. e.) Bread which is the staff or support of our animal Lives. See Levit. 26. 26. Psal. 104. 15. Ezek. 4. 16..

He sent By the direction of his secret Providence. a man before them, even Joseph who was sold for a servant.

Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron Heb. his soul came into iron. Which seems to be added emphatically to aggravate his imprisonment, and to show how grievous it was to his very soul, which must needs sympathize with his body, and moreover was greatly vexed to consider both the great injury which was done to him, and yet the soul and publick scandal which lay upon him..

Until the time Till which time, his eminent Prudence, and Innocency, and Piety gave him no relief. that his word Either, 1. Iosephs word, or his Prophecie concerning the chief Butler and Baker; which is said to come when it was fulfilled, as that word is used Iudg. 13. 12, 17. Ezek. 24. 24. and elsewhere. But the event confutes this; for Ioseph was not delivered at that time, but two years after it, Gen. 41. 1. Or rather 2. the word of the Lord, as it follows; the Pronoun Relative being here put before the Substantive to which it belongs, as it is also Exod. 2. 6. Iob 33. 20. Prov. 5. 22. & 14. 13. He seems to speak of that word or revelation which came first to Pharaoh in a Dream, Gen. 41. 1, 2, &c. and then to Ioseph concerning the interpretation of it, v. 15, 16. For the word of the Lord is said to come, not only when it comes to pass, but also and most commonly when it is first revealed, as Ier. 7. 1. & 11. 1. & 18. 1. and God is said to come when he does reveal it, as Gen. 20. 3. & 31. 24. came: the word of the Lord tried him Either, 1. tried his sincerity and constancy. But that was not done by Gods word, but by his rod. Or rather, 2. discovered him, to wit, unto Pharaoh and his Courtiers, how innocent, and holy, and knowing a person he was; or purged him from those calumnies which were cast upon him, and so prepared the way for his release, which here follows v. 20. This Verse may well be rendred thus, Until the time that his word came, even the word of the Lord, which tried him: such Ellipses being most Hebrew Text..

The King sent and loosed him: even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.

He made him Lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance Heb. of all his possession (i. e.) of his whole Kingdom..

To bind his Princes By his commands, and, if they were refractory, to punish them. at his pleasure, and teach his Senators His wisest Counsellors, whom he commanded to receive instructions from Ioseph upon all occasions. wisdom.

Israel Iacob in his Person, and with his Children. also came into Egypt: and Jacob sojourned in the Land of Ham (i. e.) Egypt, so called here also, Psal. 78. 51. & 106. 22. from that cursed Ham, Gen. 9. 22. who was the Father of Mizraim, or the Egyptians, Gen. 10. 6. And the Psalmist seems to call it by this name, to intimate that they were the People of Gods curse, and thereby to caution the Israelites against returning to that land, which they were particularly forbidden to do, Deut. 17. 16..

And he increased his people greatly: and made them stronger Not really, but according to their Enemies apprehensions and expressions, Exod. 1. 9. Or, more numerous, as this word is elsewhere used. So this latter branch answers to the former. And this was true; for though they were not simply more in number than the Egyptians, yet they multiplied much faster. than their enemies.

He turned their heart to hate his people Not by putting this wicked hatred into them, which is not consistent either with the holiness of Gods nature, or with the truth of his word, and which was altogether unnecessary, because they had that and all other wickedness in them by nature; but partly by withdrawing the common gifts and operations of his spirit, and all other restraints and hinderances to it, and wholly leaving them to their own mistakes and passions, and corrupt affections, which of their own accord were ready to take that course; partly by ordering the affairs of his people in such manner, as might give them occasion of hatred; and partly by directing and governing that hatred, which was wholly in and from themselves; so as it should fall upon the Israelites rather than upon other People., to deal subtilly with his servants To destroy them by crafty devices: of which see Exod. 1. 11, &c..

He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron whom he had chosen To be the companion and interpreter of Moses in this expedition, of which see Exod. 3. 10. & 4. 12, &c. This clause he adds, to show that Aaron was no less called and chosen by God to this work than Moses, which otherwise was not so evident from the History: Or, this clause may belong to both Moses and Aaron..

They showed his signs Heb. the words of his signs, an emphatical expression. First, they boldly declared the Word and Will of God concerning the several Plagues, and then they actually inflicted them. among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.

He sent darkness, and made it dark: and they rebelled not against his word Either, 1. the darkness and other Plagues; which obeyed Gods word, and instantly came at Gods call. So this may be a reflexion upon the Egyptians, that those brutish or unreasonable Creatures were more obedient to the will and command of God than they were. Thus diseases are said to come or go at Gods command, Matt. 8. 8. Or rather, 2. Moses and Aaron, mentioned v. 26. and called they, v. 27. whose obedience in denouncing and inflicting these Plagues, and especially that Plague of darkness, is noted and commended here as an act of great faith and fortitude, because they inflicted that Plague after Pharaoh had threatned them, Exod. 10. 10. as the obedience of their Parents is commended as a great act of faith, because they preserved and hid their Son contrary to the express command of the King of Egypt..

He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.

Their land Their Country: for otherwise they were produced by their Rivers, Exod. 8. 3. brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers Which entred into the Chambers. of their Kings Of Pharaoh and his Sons, and his chief Nobles and Governours of Provinces under him; for such persons are oft called Kings in Scripture, Iudg. 1. 7. 1 Kings 20. 1, 12. Isa. 19. 2..

He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts Or, Borders, (i. e.) in all their Land, even to the utmost Ends or Borders of it..

He gave them hail for rain: and flaming fire in their land.

He smote their vines also and their figtrees: and brake the trees of their coasts.

He spake, and the locusts came: and caterpillars, and that without number.

And did eat up all the herbs in their land: and devoured the fruit of their ground.

He smote also all the first-born in their land: the chief of all their strength To wit, their first-born, as it is in the first clause, who are so called Gen. 49. 3. Psal. 78. 51. and the beginning of their strength, Deut. 21. 17..

He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person Diseased or unable for his journey: which in so vast a Body, and in a time of such Mortality as it had been in Egypt, and in a People which had been so long and so dreadfully oppressed as the Israelites were, was wonderful; but they all journeyed on foot, Exod. 12. 37. among their tribes.

Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them (i. e.) Of the Israelites, left God for their sakes should destroy them. fell upon them.

He spread a cloud for a covering To protect them from the heat of the Sun, which in that hot and open Country had otherwise been intolerable to them, especially in so long a Journey. and fire to give light in the night.

The people asked, and he brought quails He speaks of the first giving of Quails, Exod. 16. 13. which God gave them as a refreshment, notwithstanding their Sin in desiring them, which he graciously pardoned; and not of that second giving of Quails, which God gave them in judgment, Numb. 11. and therefore would not have been numbered here amongst Gods favours vouchsafed to them.: and satisfied them with the bread of heaven With Manna which came out of the Air, which is commonly called Heaven..

He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out: they ran in the dry places like a river They flowed in Channels which God provided for them, and followed the Israelites in their March, as is noted 1 Cor. 10. 4. Hence they complained no more of want of Water till they came to Kadesh, Numb. 20. which was many Years after this time..

For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham Or rather, with (as this Particle is oft used) Abraham, made with or to Abraham. his servant.

And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:

And gave them the land of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people The Fruits of their labour, their Cities, Vineyards, Oliveyards, &c.:

That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the Lord.