Psalm CV
"Ver. 1^5. 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 tlieir settlement in Canaan, and reminds them tliat their obedience was the end of all God's gracious dealings.
of. It refers to v. 18. The soul that was once bound itself now binds others, even princes. Tiie same moral binding
Is assigned to the saints (Psalm 149. 8). teacU . . . senators wisdom—the ground of his exaltation by Piiaraoh was his jywf/om (Genesis 41. 39), viz., in state policy, and ordering well a kingdom. 33-25. Israel . . . and Jacob —i. e., Jacob himself is meant, as v. 24 speaks of his people.
1. call . . . name—(Psalm 79. 6 ; Romans 10. 1.3.) 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 (Genesis 12. 8; 13.
Still, he came with his whole house (Genesis 46. 6, 7). soJouiiied—(Genesis 47. 4). land of Ham—or, Egypt (Psalm
78.51). turned tlieir lieart—God controls men's free acts
4). atnoiig tlie people—or, peoples (Psalm 18. 49). decOa —or, wonders (Psalm 103. 7). 3,4. Seeking God's favour is the only true mode of getting true happiness, and His slrenglh is tlie only true source of protection (cf. Psalm 32.
(cf. 1 Samuel 10. 9). "When Saul had turned liis back to go from (God's prophet) Samuel, God turned (Margin) him to anotlier heart" (see Exodus 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 Isai.ali (4-3. 17) saitli it was God wlio brought forth the army of Pharaoh to pursue Israel to their own destruction (Exodus 4. 21 ; 7. 3). Moses . . . cbosen—both wliat they were by Divine choice (Psalm 78.
11; ii). IG). Glory . . . name—Boast in His perfections. The world glories in its horses and chariots against the Church of God lying in the dust; but our hope is in the name, i. e., the power and love of God to His people, manifested in past deliverances. 5, 6. jutlgments . . . moutli His judicial decisions for the good and against the wicked. clio>ien—rather qualifies children than Jacob, as a plural. 7. Rather, " He, Jeliovali, is our God." His title, Jehovah, implies that He, tlie unchangeable, self-existing Being, makes things to be, i. e., 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, commancled—or, ordained (Psalm 68. 28). woi-d—answering to "coven.'int" in the parallel clause,
70). 27. signs—za., wordLs of signs, or rather, as words in Hebrew mean things, " things of His signs," i. e.. His marvellous tokens of power (Psalm 14.5. 5, Margin). Cf. the same Hebraism (Psalm 65. 3, Margin). 28-36. The ninth plague is made prominent as peculiarly wonderful, tliey rebelled not—Moses and Aanm promptly obeyed God (Hebrews 11. 27) (cf. Exodus 7.-11. and Psalm 78. 44-51, with which this summary sub.stantiall,v agrees). Or, ratiier, the "darkness" here is figurative (Jeremiah 13. 16), the literal plague of darkness (Exodus 10. 22, 23) being only alluded to as the symbol of God's wrath which overliung Egypt as a dark cloud during all the plagues. Hence, it is placed
viz., the word of promise, wliich, according to v. 10, He set forthforan inviolablelaw. toa . . . generations—perpetually. A verbal allusion to Deuteronomy 7. 9 (cf. Exodus
20.6). 9. Wiiicli covenant — or, "\Vord"(i'. 8). 10, 11. Alluding to God's promise to Jacob (Genesis 28.13). Out of tile whole storehouse of the promises of God, only one
first, out of the historical order. Thus, "They reijelled not (t. e., no longer) against His word," refers to the Egyp-
tians. Whenever God sent a plague on them, (hey ivere ready to let Israel go, though refusing when the plague ceased. "His word " is His command to let Israel go. [Hengstenberg.] Of the ten plagues, only eight are mentioned, tlie fifth, the murrain of beasts, and the sixth, the boils, being omitted. 29, 30. He deprived them of their favourite fish, and gave them Instead, out of the water, loathsome frogs, and {v. 31) upon their land tormenting flies (^/le do,f/-.;?y, according to JlAUUERiand lice {gnats, Heng.stenberg). 32. bail for rain—instead of fertilizing showers, hail destructive to trees. Tills forms the transition to the vegetable kingdom. The locusts in
Is prominently brought forward, namely, that concerning the possession of Canaan. Every thing revolves round this. The wonders and .judgments have all for their ultimate design the fulfilment of this promise. 12-15. few
. . . in nnmber—alluding to Jacob's words(Genesis 34.30), " I being./'«« in mtinher." yea, very tew-— lit., " as a few,"
i. e., like fewness itself (cf. Isaiah 1. 9). strangers— sojourners in the land of tlieir future inheritance, as in a Ktrange country (Hel)rews 11. 0). 13. from one nation to nnotl»cr—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 tliem. reproved Ittngs—Pharaoh of Egypt and Ablmekch of Gerar (Genesis 12.17; 20.3). Toucli notReferring to Genesis 20. 11, where .\bimelech says of Isaac, " He that touchelh this man or his wife sliall surely be put to death." mine anointed—as specially consecrated to aie (Psalm 2. 2). The patriarch was ttie propliet, priest, apJ king of his family, iny propliets—in a .similar sense
V. 34 similarly are destructive to plants. ga-»e tliem—referring to Leviticus 20. 4, "I give you rain in due season." His "gift" to Israel's foes is one of a very dlirerent kind from that bestowed on His people. 33. tlieir coasts—all their land (Psalm 7.S. .54). 34. caterpillars—//C, the tickers up, devouring insects; probably the hairy-winged locutt, 36. tbc cbief— thefirstlings, Ac. The ascending climax passes from the food of man to man himself. Tlie language
J7i6 Hebellion of the People. PSALM CVI. The Mercy nj God towards Ihem,
here Is quoted from Psalm 78. 51. 37. with gUver and golA—pre.si-nfed them by the Egyptians, as an acknow-
their new rebellion and temptation was visited by God with fresh punishment, inflicted by leaving them to tha result of their own gratified appetites, and sending on them spiritual poverty (Numbers 11. 18). They soon forgat—;i7., T?iey liasled, they forgat (cf. Exodus 32. 8). " They have turned aside quickly (or hastily) out of the way." The haste of our desires is such that we can scarcely allow God one day. Unless He immediately answer our call, Instantly then arise impatience, and at length despair, his works—(Deuteronomy 11. 3, 4; Daniel 9. 14.) hU counsel—they waited not for the development of God's counsel, or plan for their deliverance, at His own time, and in his own way. 14. Lit., lusted a lust (quoted from Numbers U. 4, Margin). Previously, tliere had been impatience as to necessaries of life ; here it is lusting (Psalm 78. 18). 15. but sent leanness-ratlier, "and sent," i. c, and thus, even in doing so, the punishment was inflicted at the very time their request was granted. So Psalm 78. 30, "While their meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them." soul—the animal soul, which craves for food (Numbers 11. G; Psalm 107. IS.) This soul got its wish, and witii it .md in it its own punishment. The place was therefore called Kibroth-tiattaavah, " the graves of lust," because there they buried the people who had lusted. Animal desires when gratified mostly give only a hungry craving for more (Jeremiah 2. 13). 16, 18. All the congregation took part with Dathan, Korah, &c., and their accomplices (Numbers 16. 41). Aaron the saint lit., ltt« holy one, as consecrated priest; not a moral attribute, but one designating his office as holy to the Lord. The rebellion was followed by a double punishment: (1) (v. 17) of the non-Levitical rebels, tlie Keubenites, Dathan and Abiram, &c. (Deuteronomy 11. 6; Numbers 26. 10), these were swallowed up by the earth, covered—" closed upon them" (Numbers 16. 33). (2) Of the Lcvilical rebels, with Korah at their head(v. 18; Numbers 16.35; 20. 10), these had sinned by flre, and were punished by lire, as Aaron's (being high priest) sons had been (Leviticus 10.2; Numbers 16. 1-3.5). 19-33. From indirect setting God at naught, they pass to direct, made—thougli prohibited In Exodus
ledgment due for their labours in their bondage (cf. Exodus 12. 35). one feehle person—or, stumbler, unfit for the line of march. Cf. "harnessed,"*, e., accoutred and marshalled as an army on march (Exodus 13. 18; Isaiah 5.
27). 38—(Cf. Kxodus 12. 33; Deuteronomy 11. 2.5.) 39. covering—in sense of protection (cf. Exodus 13. 21; Numbers
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 favour of His people, as interpreted by I.saiali (Isaiah 4. 5, 6; cf. Numbers 9. 16). 4^-45. Tlie reasons for these dealings: (1) God's faithfulness to His covenant, "His lioly promise" of Canaan, is tlie fountain wlience flowed so many acts of marvellous kindness to
His people (cf. 1'. S. 11). Exodus 2.24 is the fundamental passage. [Hengstenberg.] (2) That they might be obedient. Tiie observance of God's commands by Abraham was the object of t.lie covenant with him (Genesis IS. 19), as
It was also the object of tlie covenant witli Israel, that tiiey miglit observe God's statutes, remembered . . . and Abraham—or, " remembered His holy word (i. e., covenant confirmed) ivi/h Abraham." Inherited the labour—j. e., tlie fruits of their labour; their corn and vineyards (Josliua 21. 43-45).