strengtheneth ... heart--gives vigor to man (compare [Jud 19:5]).
16-19. God's care of even wild animals and uncultivated parts of the earth.
20-23. He provides and adapts to man's wants the appointed times and seasons.
24-26. From a view of the earth thus full of God's blessings, the writer passes to the sea, which, in its immensity, and as a scene and means of man's activity in commerce, and the home of countless multitudes of creatures, also displays divine power and beneficence. The mention of
27-30. The entire dependence of this immense family on God is set forth. With Him, to kill or make alive is equally easy. To hide His face is to withdraw favor ([Psa 13:1]). By His spirit, or breath, or mere word, He gives life. It is His constant providence which repairs the wastes of time and disease.
31-34. While God could equally glorify His power in destruction, that He does it in preservation is of His rich goodness and mercy, so that we may well spend our lives in grateful praise, honoring to Him, and delightful to pious hearts ([Psa 147:1]).
35. Those who refuse such a protector and withhold such a service mar the beauty of His works, and must perish from His presence.
Praise ye the Lord--The Psalm closes with an invocation of praise, the translation of a Hebrew phrase, which is used as an English word, "Hallelujah," and may have served the purpose of a chorus, as often in our psalmody, or to give fuller expression to the writer's emotions. It is peculiar to Psalms composed after the captivity, as "Selah" is to those of an earlier date.
Psalm 105
Psa 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--([Psa 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]; ).
among the people--or, "peoples" ([Psa 18:49]).
deeds--or, "wonders" ([Psa 103:7]).
3-4. Seeking God's favor is the only true mode of getting true happiness, and His strength [Psa 105:4] is the only true source of protection (compare [Psa 32:11]; ).
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, that is, the power and love of God to His people, manifested in past deliverances.
5-6. judgments ... mouth--His judicial decisions for the good and against the wicked.
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.
word--answering to "covenant" [Psa 105:9] in the parallel clause, namely, the word of promise, which, according to [Psa 105:10], He set forth for an inviolable law.
commanded--or, "ordained" ([Psa 68:28]).
to a thousand generations--perpetually. A verbal allusion to [De 7:9] (compare [Ex 20:6]).
12-15. few ... in number--alluding to Jacob's words ([Ge 34:30]), "I being few in number."
yea, very few--literally, "as a few," that is, like fewness itself (compare [Is 1:9]).
strangers--sojourners in the land of their future inheritance, as in a strange country ([He 11:9]).
16. God ordered the famine. God
called for a famine--as if it were a servant, ready to come at God's bidding. Compare the centurion's words, as to disease being God's servant ([Mt 8:8], ).
upon the land--namely, Canaan ([Ge 41:54]).
staff of bread--what supports life ([Le 26:26]; [Psa 104:15]; [Is 3:1]).
17-21. Joseph was sent of God ([Ge 45:5]).
22. To bind--Not literally bind; but exercise over them absolute control, as the parallel in the second clause shows; also [Ge 41:40], , in which not literal fettering, but commanding obedience, is spoken of. It refers to [Psa 105:18]. The soul that was once bound itself now binds others, even princes. The same moral binding is assigned to the saints ([Psa 149:8]).
teach ... senators wisdom--the ground of his exaltation by Pharaoh was his wisdom ([Ge 41:39]); namely, in state policy, and ordering well a kingdom.
23-25. Israel ... and Jacob--that is, Jacob himself is meant, as [Psa 105:24] speaks of "his people." Still, he came with his whole house ([Ge 46:6], ).
sojourned--([Ge 47:4]).
land of Ham--or, Egypt ([Psa 78:51]).
26. Moses ... chosen--both what they were by divine choice ([Psa 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 ([Psa 145:5], Margin). Compare the same Hebraism ([Psa 65:3], Margin).
28-36. The ninth plague is made prominent as peculiarly wonderful.
they rebelled not--Moses and Aaron promptly obeyed God ([He 11:27]); (compare Ex 7:[1-11:10] and [Psa 78:44-51], with which this summary substantially agrees). Or, rather, the "darkness" here is figurative ([Jr 13:16]), the literal plague of darkness ([Ex 10:22], ) being only alluded to as the symbol of God's wrath which overhung Egypt as a dark cloud during all the plagues. Hence, it is placed first, out of the historical order. Thus, "They rebelled not (that is, no longer) against His word," refers to the Egyptians. Whenever God sent a plague on them, they were ready to let Israel go, though refusing when the plague ceased.
his word--His command to let Israel go [Hengstenberg]. Of the ten plagues, only eight are mentioned, the fifth, the murrain of beasts, and the sixth, the boils, being omitted.
37. with silver and gold--presented them by the Egyptians, as an acknowledgment due for their labors in their bondage (compare [Ex 12:35]).
one feeble person--or, "stumbler," unfit for the line of march. Compare "harnessed," that is, accoutred and marshalled as an army on march ([Ex 13:18]; [Is 5:27]).
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 ([Is 4:5], ; 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 [Psa 105:8], ). [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.
remembered ... and Abraham--or, "remembered His holy word (that is, covenant confirmed) with Abraham."