Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 106
PSALM CVI.
Verſ. 1. PRaiſe ye the Lord, &c.] The Pſalmiſt ſpeaks herein the name of Gods people, being in captivity or under ſome ſad diſperſion, as appears clearly by thoſe words verſ. 47. Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, &c. Yet we cannot hence conclude that it was compoſed upon the occaſion of the Babylonian captivity, or that diſperſion of the people in the daies of Antiochus Epiphanes. But becauſe of thoſe words before cited, and becauſe we find thoſe that follow here in this firſt verſe, O give thanks unto the Lord, &c, in that Pſalm which was ſung by the Levites, when David removed the Ark into the city of Zion, as we may ſee 1 Chron. 16.34, 35. we may rather conclude from thence, that it was made by David, as a form of prayer to be uſed by Gods people upon occaſion of any ſuch like calamity. However, the drift of this and the following exhortation to praiſe God, O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever, is to imply, that though they were at preſent in a very ſad condition, 1. yet it was a mercy, which they had cauſe with thankfulneſſe to acknowledge, that they were hitherto preſerved, and were not utterly deſtroyed; and 2. by ſpeaking of Gods never-failing goodneſſe to his people in all ages, they might upon juſt grounds encourage themſelves ſtill to truſt in Gods goodneſſe, and to wait for reconciliation with God, and mercy from God in the worſt times.
Verſ. 3. Bleſſed are they that keep judgement, and he that doth righteouſneſse at all times.] Some conceive, that having ſaid in the foregoing verſe, Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praiſe? theſe words are added as in anſwer thereto, implying that none were ſo fit to ſhew forth the praiſe of God, as thoſe that were juſt and holy and righteous in their lives; for which ſee alſo the Note Pſal. 33.1. But I rather think that the drift of theſe words is, to ſet forth, that God is alwaies good and gracious to his people, by admiring the bleſſedneſſe of thoſe that are his people, and that do carry themſelves as becomes his people: Bleſſed are they that keep judgement; that is, that keep conſtantly a ſincere deſire in their hearts to doe that only which is juſt and right: and he that doth righteouſneſse at all times; that is, and he that accordingly liveth righteouſly, and that both in proſperity and adverſity; implying, that they that do thus conſtantly fear and ſerve God, ſhall find God good and gracious to them, though they may be in much diſtreſſe for a time.
Verſ. 4. Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people, &c.] That is, Whereas of late thou haſt ſeemed not to mind us, doe us good again, and deliver us and bleſſe us, according to what thou haſt been wont to doe for thy people: ſee the Note Pſal. 25.6. O viſit me with thy ſalvation; that is, ſave us, as thou haſt formerly done, out of our troubles: ſee Pſal. 85.1, 2, &c.
Verſ. 5. That I may ſee the good of thy choſen, &c.] That is, That I may enjoy the good which thou art wont to afford thy choſen people; ſee the Notes Job 7.7. and Pſal. 21.4: that I may rejoyce in the gladneſſe of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance; that is, that I may triumph with others for thy wonderfull deliverances and mercies to thy people. But yet under theſe outward mercies, ſpirituall and eternall bleſſings are likewiſe comprehended.
Verſ. 6. We have ſinned with our fathers: we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.] Some conceive that this Pſalm being compoſed in Babylon, theſe words were by the Pſalmiſt taken from Daniels prayer Deut. 9.5. where the very ſame expreſſions are uſed. But however the drift of theſe words is, doubtleſſe, not only by an humble acknowledgement of their ſins to make way for Gods mercy, but alſo eſpecially to imply, that ſeeing God had ſhewed great mercy to their fathers, notwithſtanding they had provoked him greatly by their ſins, therefore they hoped that God would after the like manner deal with them.
Verſ. 7. Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt, &c.] That is, ſay ſome Expoſitours, Though they ſaw the miracles which Moſes wrought before them, yet they laid them not ſo much to heart, but that when Pharaoh, upon the meſſage of Moſes to him, did oppreſſe them worſe then before, they did then greatly murmure againſt Moſes and Aaron Exod. 5.21. But rather I conceive that the Pſalmiſt prefixeth this as the aggravation of their murmuring at the red ſea, whereof he ſpeaks in the following words, that notwithſtanding the wonderfull works he had wrought in Egypt, yet preſently at the red ſea, when they were ſcarce gotten out of Egypt, they provoked God by murmuring againſt him; they remembred not the multitude of thy mercies, but provoked him at the ſea, even at the red ſea.
Verſ. 9. He led them through the depths, as through the wilderneſſe.] That is, He led them through thoſe heaps of waters, which ſtood up as a wall on each ſide of them, (ſee the Notes Exod. 14.22.) and that on as dry ground, as if they had gone through a dry ſandy wilderneſſe.
Verſ. 12. Then believed they his words, &c.] So it is ſaid Exod. 14.31. But this is here added as an aggravation of their wickedneſſe, that being thus convinced within themſelves, they ſhould yet ſo ſoon again murmure againſt the Lord.
Verſ. 13. They ſoon forgat his works, &c.] For three daies after their removing from the red ſea they murmured again, becauſe of the bitterneſſe of the waters at Marah, Exod. 15.22, 23: they waited not for his counſell; that is, they would not wait to ſee what God had determined concerning them, or what God would enjoyn them to doe; they would not patiently wait upon Gods providence, as believing that he would provide for them, & as conſidering that it was Gods way to exerciſe his people with trials for a time, but would preſcribe both what he ſhould doe, and when he ſhould doe it: yet this may be referred to the following ſtory.
Verſ. 14. But luſted exceedingly in the wilderneſſe, &c.] To wit, for fleſh, whereas in the wilderneſſe it was a great mercy to have neceſſary food. See the Notes Num. 11.4. and Pſal. 78.18: and tempted God in the deſart; ſee the Note Exod. 17.2.
Verſ. 15. And he gave them their requeſt, but ſent leanneſse into their ſoul.] That is, upon their perſons; ſee the Note Pſal. 16.10. The meaning is, that the dainties that God gave them with a curſe, inſtead of feeding them, brought a deadly conſumption upon them: ſee the Note Numb. 11.33.
Verſ. 16. They envied Moſes alſo in the camp, &c.] See the Notes Numb. 16.1, 3: and Aaron the ſaint of the Lord; that is, whom the Lord had ſet apart to that holy office of being the high Prieſt; ſo that their inſurrection was by conſequence againſt the Lord, Numb. 16.11.
Verſ. 24. Yea, they deſpiſed the pleaſant land.] To wit, by refuſing to enter into it, & by ſpeaking of it with contempt, Numb. 14.3. wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land? &c. And he calleth it the pleaſant land, not only becauſe it was ſuch a rich, fruitfull, ſweet and delightfull land, the glory of all lands, as it is called Eze. 20.6; but alſo becauſe God had choſen it to be the peculiar ſeat of his word & worſhip, & a ſacramental pledge to them of his kingdom of glory, their heavenly inheritance.
Verſ. 26. Therefore he lifted up his hand againſt them, to overthrow them in the wilderneſse.] That is, He threatned, and was ready to ſtrike, and that with great violence; or rather, he ſwore that he would deſtroy them, Numb. 14.21, 28. for which ſee the Note Deut. 32.40.
Verſ. 27. To overthrow their ſeed alſo among the nations, and to ſcatter them in the lands.] Becauſe, though we find not this branch of Gods oath in expreſſe tearms, where Moſes relates this ſtory of Gods anger againſt the Iſraelites, for their refuſing to enter into the land of Canaan, yet we find the very ſame in a manner again affirmed, (only indeed there is no mention of their ſeed) Ezek. 20.23. I lifted up mine hand unto them alſo in the wilderneſſe, that I would ſcatter them among the heathen, and diſperſe them through the countreys, therefore ſome conceive that this was thus denounced at that time, though it were not expreſſed by Moſes; and that it was fulfilled, when upon the Iſraelites preſumptuous attempting to enter the land, after God had enjoyned them to return back into the wilderneſſe, the Amalekites and the Canaanites ſmote them and diſcomfited them, even unto Hormah, Numb. 14.45, and again after when Arad the Canaanite fought againſt Iſrael, and took ſome of them priſoners, Numb. 21.1. And others hold that this is ſaid, only becauſe under that threatning expreſſed by Moſes, the like was alſo covertly implyed concerning their poſterity, in caſe they, ſhould rebell againſt God as their fathers had done. But I rather think that the true reaſon of this which is here ſaid concerning the overthrowing of their ſeed is, becauſe at firſt God did indeed threaten to deſtroy the whole people of Iſrael, and ſo to ſcatter them, that they ſhould never be a people or commonwealth by themſelves, but that he would make a nation of Moſes, Numb. 14.12, 15; though afterwards, upon the interceſſion of Moſes, he determined to deſtroy thoſe only that had then murmured, and to bring their children into the promiſed land.
Verſ. 28. They joyned themſelves alſo unto Baal-Peor, &c.] That is, Forſaking the Lord, their true husband, they did adulterouſly proſtitute themſelves to Baal-Peor, as if he had been their husband; as indeed Baal ſignifyeth a Lord, or huſband. Yet haply the rather is this expreſſion here uſed, becauſe they did alſo commit fornication with the daughters of the Idolaters. But ſee the Notes alſo Numb. 25.1, 2, 3. And ate the ſacrifices of the dead; that is, the ſacrifices that were offered to dead ſtocks and ſtones, inſtead of the living God; or to Idols, that were memorials of ſome that had been famous men amongſt them, long ſince dead and gone.
Verſ. 31. And that was counted unto him for righteouſneſſe, &c.] The meaning is, that God did approve of this fact of Phinehas, though it was done without the warrant of any ordinary authority, and that of his free grace he was pleaſed with it. And accordingly the drift of the following words, unto all generations for evermore, is, to ſhew that Gods acceptance of this noble act of his was teſtifyed unto all generations, by conferring the high prieſthood upon him and his poſterity for ever: ſee the Notes Numb. 25.12, 13.
Verſ. 37. Yea they ſacrificed their ſons and their daughters unto devils.] See the Notes Lev. 17.7, and 18.21, and 2 Kings 16.3.
Verſ. 39. Thus were they defiled with their own works, &c.] To wit, as a whore is defiled with her whoredomes, as the following words expound it, and went a whoring with their own inventions; for which ſee the Note Judg. 2.17.
Verſ. 47. Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, &c.] As if he had ſaid, Seeing thou haſt thus in all ages been gracious to thy people, notwithſtanding their many provocations, afford us, we beſeech thee, the like favour in our captivity and diſperſion. But ſee alſo the Notes above verſ. 1. and 6. and 1 Chron. 16.35.
Verſ. 48. Bleſsed be the Lord, &c.] See the Note above verſ. 1: and let all the people ſay, Amen, praiſe ye the Lord; ſee the Note Pſal. 41.13.