PREVIOUS CHAPTER - NEXT CHAPTER - HELP - GR VIDEOS - GR YOUTUBE - TWITTER - SD1 YOUTUBE PSALM 105 Ps 105:1-45. After an exhortation to praise God, addressed especially to the chosen people, the writer presents the special reason for praise, in a summary of their history from the calling of Abraham to their settlement in Canaan, and reminds them that their obedience was the end of all God's gracious dealings.
1. call . . . name--
(Ps 79:6;
Ro 10:13).
Call on Him, according to His historically manifested glory. After the
example of Abraham, who, as often as God acquired for Himself a name in
guiding him, called in solemn worship upon the name of the Lord
(Ge 12:8;
13:4).
3, 4. Seeking God's favor is the only true mode of getting true
happiness, and His strength
[Ps 105:4]
is the only true source of protection (compare
Ps 32:11; 40:16).
5, 6. judgments . . . mouth--His judicial decisions for the good and against the wicked. 6. chosen--rather qualifies "children" than "Jacob," as a plural. 7. Rather, "He, Jehovah, is our God." His title, "JEHOVAH," implies that He, the unchangeable, self-existing Being, makes things to be, that is, fulfils His promises, and therefore will not forsake His people. Though specially of His people, He is God over all.
8-11. The covenant was often ratified.
9. Which covenant--or, "Word" (Ps 105:8). 10, 11. Alluding to God's promise to Jacob (Ge 28:13). Out of the whole storehouse of the promises of God, only one is prominently brought forward, namely, that concerning the possession of Canaan [Ps 105:11]. Everything revolves around this. The wonders and judgments have all for their ultimate design the fulfilment of this promise.
12-15. few . . . in number--alluding to Jacob's words
(Ge 34:30),
"I being few in number."
13. from one nation to another--and so from danger to danger; now in Egypt, now in the wilderness, and lastly in Canaan. Though a few strangers, wandering among various nations, God protected them. 14. reproved kings--Pharaoh of Egypt and Abimelech of Gerar (Ge 12:17; 20:3).
15. Touch not--referring to
Ge 26:11,
where Abimelech says of Isaac, "He that toucheth this man or his
wife shall surely be put to death."
16. God ordered the famine. God
17-21. Joseph was sent of God (Ge 45:5).
18. hurt with fetters--
(Ge 40:3).
19. his word came--His prophecy
(Ge 41:11-20)
to the officers came to pass, or was fulfilled
(Jud 13:12, 17;
1Sa 9:6,
explain the form of speech).
22. To bind--Not literally bind; but
exercise over them absolute control, as the parallel in the second
clause shows; also
Ge 41:40, 44,
in which not literal fettering, but commanding obedience,
is spoken of. It refers to
Ps 105:18.
The soul that was once bound itself now binds others, even
princes. The same moral binding is assigned to the saints
(Ps 149:8).
23-25. Israel . . . and Jacob--that is, Jacob himself is meant, as
Ps 105:24
speaks of "his people." Still, he came with his whole house
(Ge 46:6, 7).
25. turned their heart--God controls men's free acts (compare 1Sa 10:9). "When Saul had turned his back to go from (God's prophet) Samuel, God turned (Margin) him another heart" (see Ex 1:8, &c.). Whatever evil the wicked man plots against God's people, God holds bound even his heart, so as not to lay a single plan except what God permits. Thus Isaiah (Isa 43:17) says it was God who brought forth the army of Pharaoh to pursue Israel to their own destruction (Ex 4:21; 7:3). 26. Moses . . . chosen--both what they were by divine choice (Ps 78:70). 27. signs--literally, "words of signs," or rather, as "words" in Hebrew means "things," "things of His signs," that is, His marvellous tokens of power (Ps 145:5, Margin). Compare the same Hebraism (Ps 65:3, Margin).
28-36. The ninth plague is made prominent as peculiarly wonderful.
29-31. He deprived them of their favorite "fish," and gave them instead, [Ps 105:30] out of the water, loathsome "frogs," and (Ps 105:31) upon their land tormenting "flies" (the dog-fly, according to MAURER) and "lice" (gnats, according to HENGSTENBERG).
32. gave them--referring to
Le 26:4,
"I give you rain in due season." His "gift" to Israel's foes is
one of a very different kind from that bestowed on His people.
33. their coasts--all their land (Ps 78:54). 34. caterpillars--literally, "the lickers up," devouring insects; probably the hairy-winged locust. 36. the chief--literally, "the firstlings." The ascending climax passes from the food of man to man himself. The language here is quoted from Ps 78:51.
37. with silver and gold--presented them by the Egyptians, as an
acknowledgment due for their labors in their bondage (compare
Ex 12:35).
38. (Compare Ex 12:33; De 11:25). 39. covering--in sense of protection (compare Ex 13:21; Nu 10:34). In the burning sands of the desert the cloud protected the congregation from the heat of the sun; an emblem of God's protecting favor of His people, as interpreted by Isaiah (Isa 4:5, 6; compare Nu 9:16).
42-45. The reasons for these dealings: (1) God's faithfulness to
His covenant, "His holy promise" of Canaan, is the fountain whence
flowed so many acts of marvellous kindness to His people (compare
Ps 105:8, 11).
Ex 2:24
is the fundamental passage [HENGSTENBERG]. (2)
That they might be obedient. The observance of God's commands by
Abraham was the object of the covenant with him
(Ge 18:19),
as it was also the object of the covenant with Israel, that they might
observe God's statutes.
44. inherited the labour--that is, the fruits of their labor; their corn and vineyards (Jos 21:43-45). GOTO NEXT CHAPTER - D. J-F-B INDEX & SEARCH
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