Bible Commentaries
Psalms 105

Verse 3

Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

Glory — Glory in the God whom you serve, as the only true God.

Verse 4

Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

Seek — The Lord in his strength, in his sanctuary, or before the ark, which is called God’s strength.

Face — His gracious presence.

Verse 5

Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

Judgments — The punishments which he brought upon Egypt by his mere word.

Verse 6

O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.

Of Jacob — The only branch of Abraham’s seed to whom the following blessings belong.

Verse 7

He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth.

Judgments — God executes his judgments upon all nations and people.

Verse 8

He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

Remembered — So as to perform it.

The word — The promise.

Commanded — Established.

Thousand generations — To all generations.

Verse 9

Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;

Oath — Wherewith he ratified the covenant with Isaac, Genesis 26:3.

Verse 10

And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:

A law — That it might be as firm and irrevocable as a law.

Verse 11

Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:

Lot — The portion assigned to you by lot.

Verse 13

When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;

They went — Both in Canaan, where there were seven nations, and in Egypt.

Verse 15

Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

Anointed — My prophets, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; who are called God’s anointed, because they were consecrated to be his peculiar people, and to be kings and princes in their families. And they are called prophets, because God familiarly conversed with them and revealed his will to them, and by them to others.

Verse 16

Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.

Staff of bread — Bread, which is the staff or support of our lives.

Verse 19

Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.

His word — That word or revelation which came first to Pharaoh in a dream, and then to Joseph concerning the interpretation of it.

Purged — From those calamities which were cast upon him, and so prepared the way for his release.

Verse 23

Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.

Ham — Ham was the father of Mizraim, or the Egyptians, Genesis 10:6.

Verse 25

He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.

Turned — That is, suffered them, to be turned.

Verse 28

He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.

They — Moses and Aaron, who inflicted that plague after Pharaoh had threatened them.

Verse 30

Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.

Land — Their country.

In chambers — Which entered into the chambers. Kings - Of Pharaoh and his sons, and his chief nobles and governors.

Verse 31

He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.

Coasts — In all their land, even to the utmost borders of it.

Verse 37

He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

Feeble — Diseased or unable for his journey: which in so vast a body, and in a people who had been so dreadfully oppressed, was wonderful.

Verse 39

He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.

Covering — To protect them from the heat of the sun.

Verse 40

The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

Quails — He speaks of the first giving of quails, Exodus 16:13, which God gave them as a refreshment, notwithstanding their sin in desiring them, which he graciously pardoned.

Bread — With manna which came out of the air, commonly called heaven.

Verse 41

He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.

River — They flowed in channels which God provided for them, and followed the Israelites in their march.

Verse 44

And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;

Labour — The fruits of their labour; their cities, vineyards, olive-yards.