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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge: Psalm 107

Chapter 107

O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

A. M. 3468. B.C. 536. (Title.) The author of this Psalm is unknown; but it was evidently written to commemorate the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity; and it may easily be perceived that it must have been sung in alternate parts, having a double burden, or two intercalary verses often recurring. Bp. Lowth considers it as written "after the method of the ancient pastorals, where, be the subject of their verse what it will, each swain endeavours to excel the other; and one may perceive their thoughts and expressions gradually to rise upon each other." "No doubt," he adds, "the composition of this Psalm is admirable throughout; and the descriptive part of it adds at least its share of beauty to the whole; but what is most to be admired is its conciseness, and withal the expressiveness of the diction, which strikes the imagination with illimitable elegance. The weary and bewildered traveller--the miserable captive in the dungeon--the sick and dying man--the seaman foundering in a storm--are described in so affecting a manner, that they far exceed any thing of the kind, though never so much laboured."

Give

106:1 118:1 136:1-26 1 Chronicles 16:34,41 2 Chronicles 5:13 7:3,6 20:21

good

119:68 Matthew 19:17

for his mercy

103:17 Luke 1:50

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

Let the

31:5 130:8 Exodus 15:16 Deuteronomy 15:15 Isaiah 35:9 43:1 44:22 Luke 1:68 Luke 24:21 Galatians 3:13 Titus 2:14 1 Peter 1:18,19

from

106:10 Deuteronomy 7:8 Jeremiah 15:21 31:11 Micah 4:10 Luke 1:74

And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.

gathered

106:47 Isaiah 11:11-16 43:5,6 49:12 Jeremiah 29:14 31:8,10 Ezekiel 36:24 Ezekiel 39:27 Revelation 5:9

south

Heb. sea.

They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.

wandered

40 Genesis 21:14-16 Numbers 14:33 Deuteronomy 8:15 32:10 Job 12:24 Ezekiel 34:6,12 Hebrews 11:38 Revelation 12:6

they found

This is the first similitude; in which the Israelites in captivity are compared to travellers in a dreary, uninhabited, and barren desert, spent with hunger and thirst, as well as by the fatigues of the journey.

Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.

Judges 15:18,19 1 Samuel 30:11,12 Isaiah 44:12 Jeremiah 14:18 Lamentations 2:19 Mark 8:2,3

Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.

Then

13,19,28 50:15 91:15 Isaiah 41:17,18 Jeremiah 29:12-14 Hosea 5:15 Hebrews 4:15,16

he delivered

2 Corinthians 1:8-10 12:8-10 2 Timothy 3:11

And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.

he led

77:20 78:52 136:16 Ezra 8:21-23 Isaiah 30:21 35:8-10 48:17 Isaiah 49:8-11 63:13,14 Jeremiah 6:16 31:9 2 Peter 2:15,21

that they

4,36 Nehemiah 11:3 Jeremiah 31:24,38-40 33:10-13 Hebrews 11:9,10,16 12:22 Revelation 21:2-4,10-27

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Oh that men

15,21,31 81:13-16 Deuteronomy 5:29 32:29 Isaiah 48:18

praise

34:3 92:1,2 147:1 Isaiah 63:7

his wonderful

40:5 78:4 111:4 Daniel 4:2,3 6:27

For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

34:10 132:15 146:7 Isaiah 55:1-3 Jeremiah 31:14,25 Matthew 5:6 Luke 1:53 Revelation 7:16,17

Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;

Such

Here begins the second comparison; in which the state of the captives in Babylon is illustrated by that of prisoners in a dreary dungeon.

as sit

Job 3:5 Isaiah 9:2 Matthew 4:16 22:13 Luke 1:79

bound

105:18 Exodus 2:23,24 2 Chronicles 33:11 Job 36:8,9 Lamentations 3:6,7 Romans 6:20,21

Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:

Because

68:6,18 106:43 Isaiah 63:10,11 Lamentations 3:39-42 5:15-17

contemned

73:24 113:7-9 119:24 2 Chronicles 25:15,16 33:10 Proverbs 1:25,30,31 1 Samuel 2:5-8 Isaiah 5:19 Jeremiah 44:16 Luke 7:30 16:14 Acts 20:27 Romans 1:28

Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.

he brought

Exodus 2:23 5:18,19 Judges 10:16-18 16:21,30 Nehemiah 9:37 Isaiah 51:19,20,23 Isaiah 52:5 Lamentations 5:5,6 Luke 15:14-17

and there

18:40,41 22:11 142:4 2 Kings 6:26,27,33 Job 9:13 Isaiah 63:5

Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.

6,19,28 18:6 116:3-6 Exodus 3:7,8 Judges 4:3 6:6-10 10:10-18 2 Chronicles 33:12,13,18,19 Jeremiah 31:18-20

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.

brought

10 68:6 Job 3:5 10:21,22 15:22,30 19:8 33:30 42:10-12 Isaiah 42:16 49:9 60:1-3 Ephesians 5:8 1 Peter 2:9

brake

102:20 105:19,20 116:16 146:7 Job 36:8 Isaiah 61:1 Jeremiah 52:31-34 Zechariah 9:11,12 Acts 5:19,25 12:7-10 16:26-40

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

8,21,31 116:17-19

For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.

Judges 16:3 Isaiah 45:1,2 Micah 2:13

Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.

Fools

This is the third comparison; the captives being compared to persons in a dangerous malady, as the consequences of their own sins.

14:1 92:6 Proverbs 1:22 7:7,22

because

38:1-8 Numbers 11:33,34 12:10-13 21:5-9 Isaiah 57:17,18 Jeremiah 2:19 Lamentations 3:39

Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.

abhorreth

Job 33:19-22

and they

9:13 88:3 Isaiah 38:10

Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.

6,13,28 30:8-12 34:4-6 78:34,35 116:4-8 Jeremiah 33:3

He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

He sent

147:15,19 2 Kings 20:4,5 Matthew 8:8

healed

30:2,3 103:3,4 147:3 Numbers 21:8,9 Job 33:23-26

delivered

49:15 56:13 Job 33:28-30

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

8,15,31 66:5 2 Chronicles 32:25 Luke 17:18

And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

sacrifice

50:14 116:12,17 Leviticus 7:12 Hebrews 13:15 1 Peter 2:5,9

declare

9:11 73:28 105:1,2 118:17 Isaiah 12:4

rejoicing

Heb. singing.

They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;

They

This is the fourth comparison; their captivity was as dangerous and alarming as a dreadful tempest at sea; with a most natural and striking description of which we are here presented.

go down

48:7 Ezekiel 27:26 Acts 27:9-28 Revelation 18:17

These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.

his wonders

95:5 104:24-27 Job 38:8-11

For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.

he commandeth

135:7 148:8 Jonah 1:4

raiseth

Heb. maketh to stand. lifteth.

93:3 Matthew 8:24 John 6:18

They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.

their soul

22:14 119:28 2 Samuel 17:10 Isaiah 13:7 Nahum 2:10

They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end.

stagger

Job 12:25 Isaiah 19:14 29:9

are at their wit's end

Heb. all their wisdom is swallowed up.

Job 37:20 Isaiah 19:3 *marg:; Acts 27:15-20

Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

6,13,19 Jonah 1:5,6,14 Matthew 8:25 Acts 27:23-25

He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

65:7 89:9 Jonah 1:15 Matthew 8:26 Mark 4:39-41 Luke 8:23-25

Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

he bringeth

John 6:21

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Oh that men

8,15,21 103:2 105:1 Hosea 2:8 Jonah 1:16 2:9 Micah 6:4,5 Romans 1:20,21 2 Timothy 3:2 Hebrews 13:15

his wonderful

71:17 72:18,19 77:11,14 105:2 Revelation 15:3

Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

exalt

18:46 46:10 99:5,9 Exodus 15:2 Isaiah 12:4 25:1

in the congregation

22:22,25 40:9,10 66:16 111:1 119:46 Acts 4:8-12

He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;

turneth

1 Kings 17:1-7 Isaiah 13:19-21 19:5-10 34:9,10 42:15 44:27 50:2 Ezekiel 30:12 Joel 1:20 Nahum 1:4 Zephaniah 2:9,13

water-springs

1 Kings 18:5 Jeremiah 14:3 Amos 4:7,8

A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

a fruitful

Genesis 13:10,13 19:25 Deuteronomy 29:23-28 Isaiah 32:13-15

barrenness

Heb. saltness.

Genesis 14:3 Ezekiel 47:11

He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.

turneth

114:8 Numbers 21:16-18 2 Kings 3:16-20 Isaiah 35:6,7 41:17-19 44:3-5 Ezekiel 47:6-12

And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;

there he

146:7 Luke 1:53

a city

7 Acts 17:26

And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.

sow

Isaiah 37:30 Jeremiah 29:5 31:5 Ezekiel 28:26 Amos 9:13-15

which may

65:9-13 Genesis 26:12 Joel 1:10-12 Haggai 1:5,6,10,11 2:16-19 Zechariah 8:12 Acts 14:17 1 Corinthians 3:7 2 Corinthians 9:10

He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.

He blesseth

128:1-6 Genesis 1:28 9:1 12:2 17:16,20 Exodus 1:7 Deuteronomy 28:4,11 30:9 Jeremiah 30:19 Ezekiel 37:26

suffereth

144:13,14 Genesis 30:43 31:9 Exodus 9:3-7 12:38 Deuteronomy 7:14 Proverbs 10:22

Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.

Again

The incidents detailed in these verses, which frequently occur, and mark the superintendence of a benign Providence, and the hand of a just God, appear to be brought forward to illustrate the return of the Israelites from captivity, and the punishment of their oppressors the Babylonians. Wherefore, at last, as in a common chorus, they conclude with exhorting each other to a serious consideration of these things, and to make a proper return to the Almighty.

they are

30:6,7 Genesis 45:11 Ruth 1:20,21 1 Samuel 2:5-7 2 Kings 4:8 8:3 Job 1:10-17

oppression

Exodus 1:13,14 2:23,24 Judges 6:3-6 2 Kings 10:32 13:7,22 14:26 2 Chronicles 15:5,6 Jeremiah 51:33,34

He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.

poureth

Job 12:21,24 Isaiah 23:8,9

contempt

78:66 Exodus 8:3,17,24 Joshua 10:24-26 Judges 1:6,7 4:21 1 Samuel 5:9 6:4 1 Kings 21:19 2 Kings 9:35-37 Daniel 4:33 5:5,6,18-30 Acts 12:23 Revelation 19:18

causeth

4 Job 12:24 Jeremiah 13:15-18

wilderness

or, void place.

Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock.

setteth

113:7,8 Ruth 4:14-17 1 Samuel 2:8 Esther 8:15-17 Job 5:11 8:7 11:15-19 Job 42:10-12 Jeremiah 52:31-34 James 5:11

from

or, after. maketh.

78:52 128:6 Genesis 23:5-7 48:11 1 Samuel 2:21 Job 21:11 42:16 Proverbs 17:6 Isaiah 49:20-22

The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.

righteous

52:6 58:10,11 Job 22:19 Isaiah 66:10,11,14

iniquity

63:11 112:10 Exodus 11:7 Job 5:15,16 Proverbs 10:11 Romans 3:19

Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.

is wise

28:5 64:9 Isaiah 5:12 Jeremiah 9:12 Daniel 10:12 Hosea 14:9

they shall understand

50:23 Jeremiah 9:24 Ephesians 3:18,19