Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 105
PSALM CV.
Verſ. 1. O Give thanks unto the Lord, &c.] The firſt fifteen verſes of this Pſalm are a part of that Pſalm, which David compoſed to be ſung at the removing of the Ark from the houſe of Obed▪ Edom to the city of David; and it was the firſt Pſalm that was put into the hands of the Levites to be ſung by them: for ſo much therefore of this Pſalm ſee the Notes 1 Chron. 16.7, 22.
Verſ. 16. He called for a famine upon the land, &c.] See 2 Kings 8.1: he brake the whole ſtaffe of bread; ſee the Note Levit. 26.26.
Verſ. 19. Vntill the time that his word came, &c.] That is, Joſeph was laid in iron, as it is ſaid in the foregoing verſe, untill that came to paſſe which he had foretold, when he interpreted the dreams of Pharaohs chief butler and baker, that had been priſoners with him, untill it came to be known to Pharaoh what a man he was, to wit, that he had the gift of interpreting dreams: & then the word of the Lord tried him; that is, that gift given him of God to interpret dreams, or his interpreting of Pharaohs dreams, which was given him of God, made known what he was, a man truly endued with a ſpirit of propheſy, and thereupon Pharaoh did highly eſteem him. Thus many Expoſitours do underſtand theſe words. But I rather conceive, that the 1ſt clauſe, untill the time that his word came, hath relation, not to that wch went before, concernīg Joſephs impriſonmēt, but to the following clauſe, the word of the Lord tried him; & that accordingly the words are to be thus underſtood, that until the time that his word came, that is, until that came to paſs wch God had revealed to Joſeph in his dreams, concerning the great honour whereto he ſhould be exalted, or, untill that came to paſſe which God had ſpoken, that is, which God had decreed concerning Joſeph, or, untill Joſephs word came, that is, till the condition which God had decreed concerning Joſeph came to be diſcovered, which was formerly unknown, the word of the Lord tryed him, that is, ſo long the decree of God thus revealed to him in a dream, being ſo long deferred before it was accompliſhed, did try his faith and patience and conſtancy in his bondage and impriſonment: Or it may be ſaid that the word of the Lord tryed him, becauſe that word which God revealed to him in a dream, being told his brethren, was the occaſion of all his ſufferings, wherewith he was tryed, even as gold is tryed in the fire.
Verſ. 22. To bind his princes at his pleaſure, &c.] That is, Pharaoh gave Joſeph ſuch abſolute rule over his whole kingdome, that it was in his power, if he ſaw cauſe, even to puniſh and impriſon his princes: and teach his ſenatours wiſedome; to wit, by puniſhing them if they did any thing amiſſe; or by the example of his wiſedome in governing the people, and that eſpecially in that particular policy of his in ordering the corn that the land of Egypt yielded in the ſeven plenteous years; implying, that the wiſeſt of the Egyptians, ſuch as were Pharaohs ſenatours, that were made ſuch for their eminent wiſedome, might learn wiſedome of Joſeph. I know the firſt clauſe ſome underſtand only of Pharaohs princes being ſo obliged to Joſeph, and in ſuch ſubjection to him, that they were ready to doe whatever he would have them. And for the ſecond clauſe, ſome conceive that the wiſedome which Joſeph was to teach them may include, not only the wiſedome of politicall government, but alſo all other kind of learning, yea even the knowledge of the true religion. But the firſt expoſition is far the cleareſt.
Verſ. 23. Iſrael alſo came into Egypt, &c.] To wit, with his children and family: and Iacob, which may be meant both of him and his poſterity, ſojourned in the land of Ham; ſee the Note Pſal. 78.51.
Verſ. 24. And he encreaſed his people greatly, and made them ſtronger then their enemies.] To wit, in their enemies apprehenſion and fears; ſee the Note Exod. 1.9.
Verſ. 25. He turned their heart to hate his people, &c.] The ſame may be ſaid of this expreſſion that is ſaid of Gods hardening Pharaohs heart; ſee Exod. 7.13: to deal ſubtilly with his ſervants; as by ſeeking 1. to wear them out with cruell oppreſſions and hard labour, and 2. to prevent their encreaſe, by enjoyning their midwives to deſtroy all their male children: ſee the Notes Exod. 1.11, 15.
Verſ. 28. He ſent darkneſſe, and made it dark, &c.] Here the Pſalmiſt begins to mention the Egyptian plagues, yet not in the order wherein they were inflicted, this being the ninth plague which he mentions firſt; and only the plagues of the murrain of the beaſts, and that of the boils and blains are here omitted. As for the next clauſe, and they rebelled not againſt his word, though ſome underſtand it of the plagues themſelves mentioned in the foregoing verſe, They shewed his ſigns, &c. to wit, that upon Gods command by Moſes and Aaron they preſently came, and did not diſobey his command, as it is ſaid verſ. 31. He ſpake, and there came divers ſorts of flies; yet I conceive it is clearly meant of Moſes and Aaron, to wit, that they rebelled not againſt Gods command, but did both denounce againſt the Egyptians, and bring upon them, the ſeverall plagues that God enjoyned them to denounce, though ſo to doe could not but be very dangerous to them.
Verſ. 30. The land brought forth frogs in abundance in the chambers of their kings.] That is, ſay ſome, in the chambers of thoſe ſtately houſes and palaces, which had been built by the kings of Egypt in their ſeverall ages. But rather by their kings is meant Pharaoh and his Nobles; perhaps the Princes that were of the bloud Royall, or thoſe that were Preſidents, and, as it were, Viceroyes under Pharaoh in the ſeverall principalities that were in Egypt, which ſeem to be thoſe that are called kingdomes Iſa. 19.2. And I will ſet the Egyptians against the Egyptians, and they shall fight every one againſt his brother, and every one against his neighbour, city againſt city, and kingdome againſt kingdome.
Verſ. 37. And there was not one feeble perſon among their tribes.] Which as it was ſtrange and miraculous, that amongſt ſix hundred thouſand Iſraelites there ſhould not be one that ſhould not be able to goe along on foot with them, as it is noted they did Exod. 12.37; when there had been ſo much ſickneſſe and death amongſt the Egyptians; ſo it was alſo a great mercy, becauſe the weak and ſick amongſt them would have been a great hinderance and trouble to them in their travels.
Verſ. 38. Egypt was glad when they departed, &c.] Inſomuch that they minded not the gold and ſilver, which they had lent them: for the fear of them fell upon them; that is, the Egyptians were terrified for fear of being deſtroyed by means of the Iſraelites: yet ſome would have this to be underſtood thus, that the Egyptians were now as much afraid of the Iſraelites, as the Iſraelites had formerly been afraid of the Egyptians.
Verſ. 40. The people asked, and he brought quails.] Though they deſired fleſh in a way of murmuring, yet God was ſo gracious as to ſatisfie their deſires. In Pſal. 78.18, &c. Gods giving them quails is mentioned as a judgement, but here the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks of it as a ſingular mercy: and therefore I conceive the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks there of the quails given them in the wilderneſſe of Paran, Numb. 11.31. which was followed with a great judgement; but here of thoſe that were given them in the wilderneſſe of Sin, Exod. 16.13. which God did in much goodneſſe, and out of his indulgence towards them.
Verſ. 43. And he brought forth his people with joy, &c.] Whilſt at the ſame time every houſe of the Egyptians was filled with howling and lamentation, by reaſon of the heavy hand of God that had been upon them.