Psa 107 | TSK | STEP | The psalmist exhorts the redeemed, in praising God, to observe his manifold providence, over travellers; over captives; over sick men; over seamen; and in divers varieties of life. 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. good. for his mercy.

Psalms 107

1 The psalmist exhorts the redeemed, in praising God, to observe his manifold providence,

4 over travellers;

10 over captives;

17 over sick men;

23 over seamen;

33 and in divers varieties of life.

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; 1Ch 16:34,41; 2Ch 5:13; 7:3,6; 20:21

good.

119:68; Mt 19:17

for his mercy.

103:17; Lu 1:50

Let the.

31:5; 130:8; Ex 15:16; De 15:15; Isa 35:9; 43:1; 44:22; Lu 1:68

Lu 24:21; Ga 3:13; Tit 2:14; 1Pe 1:18,19

from.

106:10; De 7:8; Jer 15:21; 31:11; Mic 4:10; Lu 1:74

gathered.

106:47; Isa 11:11-16; 43:5,6; 49:12; Jer 29:14; 31:8,10; Eze 36:24

Eze 39:27; Re 5:9

south. Heb. sea.

wandered.

40; Ge 21:14-16; Nu 14:33; De 8:15; 32:10; Job 12:24; Eze 34:6,12

Heb 11:38; Re 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.

Jud 15:18,19; 1Sa 30:11,12; Isa 44:12; Jer 14:18; La 2:19

Mr 8:2,3

Then.

13,19,28; 50:15; 91:15; Isa 41:17,18; Jer 29:12-14; Ho 5:15

Heb 4:15,16

he delivered.

2Co 1:8-10; 12:8-10; 2Ti 3:11

he led.

77:20; 78:52; 136:16; Ezr 8:21-23; Isa 30:21; 35:8-10; 48:17

Isa 49:8-11; 63:13,14; Jer 6:16; 31:9; 2Pe 2:15,21

that they.

4,36; Ne 11:3; Jer 31:24,38-40; 33:10-13; Heb 11:9,10,16; 12:22

Re 21:2-4,10-27

Oh that men.

15,21,31; 81:13-16; De 5:29; 32:29; Isa 48:18

praise.

34:3; 92:1,2; 147:1; Isa 63:7

his wonderful.

40:5; 78:4; 111:4; Da 4:2,3; 6:27

34:10; 132:15; 146:7; Isa 55:1-3; Jer 31:14,25; Mt 5:6; Lu 1:53

Re 7:16,17

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; Isa 9:2; Mt 4:16; 22:13; Lu 1:79

bound.

105:18; Ex 2:23,24; 2Ch 33:11; Job 36:8,9; La 3:6,7; Ro 6:20,21

Because.

68:6,18; 106:43; Isa 63:10,11; La 3:39-42; 5:15-17

contemned.

73:24; 113:7-9; 119:24; 2Ch 25:15,16; 33:10; Pr 1:25,30,31

1Sa 2:5-8; Isa 5:19; Jer 44:16; Lu 7:30; 16:14; Ac 20:27; Ro 1:28

he brought.

Ex 2:23; 5:18,19; Jud 10:16-18; 16:21,30; Ne 9:37; Isa 51:19,20,23

Isa 52:5; La 5:5,6; Lu 15:14-17

and there.

18:40,41; 22:11; 142:4; 2Ki 6:26,27,33; Job 9:13; Isa 63:5

6,19,28; 18:6; 116:3-6; Ex 3:7,8; Jud 4:3; 6:6-10; 10:10-18

2Ch 33:12,13,18,19; Jer 31:18-20

brought.

10; 68:6; Job 3:5; 10:21,22; 15:22,30; 19:8; 33:30; 42:10-12

Isa 42:16; 49:9; 60:1-3; Eph 5:8; 1Pe 2:9

brake.

102:20; 105:19,20; 116:16; 146:7; Job 36:8; Isa 61:1; Jer 52:31-34

Zec 9:11,12; Ac 5:19,25; 12:7-10; 16:26-40

8,21,31; 116:17-19

Jud 16:3; Isa 45:1,2; Mic 2:13

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; Pr 1:22; 7:7,22

because.

38:1-8; Nu 11:33,34; 12:10-13; 21:5-9; Isa 57:17,18; Jer 2:19

La 3:39

abhorreth.

Job 33:19-22

and they.

9:13; 88:3; Isa 38:10

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

He sent.

147:15,19; 2Ki 20:4,5; Mt 8:8

healed.

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

delivered.

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

8,15,31; 66:5; 2Ch 32:25; Lu 17:18

sacrifice.

50:14; 116:12,17; Le 7:12; Heb 13:15; 1Pe 2:5,9

declare.

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

rejoicing. Heb. singing.

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; Eze 27:26; Ac 27:9-28:31; Re 18:17

his wonders.

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

he commandeth.

135:7; 148:8; Jon 1:4

raiseth. Heb. maketh to stand. lifteth.

93:3; Mt 8:24; Joh 6:18

their soul.

22:14; 119:28; 2Sa 17:10; Isa 13:7; Na 2:10

stagger.

Job 12:25; Isa 19:14; 29:9

are at their wit's end. Heb. all their wisdom is swallowedup.

Job 37:20; Isa 19:3; *marg:

Ac 27:15-20

6,13,19; Jon 1:5,6,14; Mt 8:25; Ac 27:23-25

65:7; 89:9; Jon 1:15; Mt 8:26; Mr 4:39-41; Lu 8:23-25

he bringeth.

Joh 6:21

Oh that men.

8,15,21; 103:2; 105:1; Ho 2:8; Jon 1:16; 2:9; Mic 6:4,5; Ro 1:20,21

2Ti 3:2; Heb 13:15

his wonderful.

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

exalt.

18:46; 46:10; 99:5,9; Ex 15:2; Isa 12:4; 25:1

in the congregation.

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

turneth.

1Ki 17:1-7; Isa 13:19-21; 19:5-10; 34:9,10; 42:15; 44:27; 50:2

Eze 30:12; Joe 1:20; Na 1:4; Zep 2:9,13

water-springs.

1Ki 18:5; Jer 14:3; Am 4:7,8

a fruitful.

Ge 13:10,13; 19:25; De 29:23-28; Isa 32:13-15

barrenness. Heb. saltness.

Ge 14:3; Eze 47:11

turneth.

114:8; Nu 21:16-18; 2Ki 3:16-20; Isa 35:6,7; 41:17-19; 44:3-5

Eze 47:6-12

there he.

146:7; Lu 1:53

a city.

7; Ac 17:26

sow.

Isa 37:30; Jer 29:5; 31:5; Eze 28:26; Am 9:13-15

which may.

65:9-13; Ge 26:12; Joe 1:10-12; Hag 1:5,6,10,11; 2:16-19; Zec 8:12

Ac 14:17; 1Co 3:7; 2Co 9:10

He blesseth.

128:1-6; Ge 1:28; 9:1; 12:2; 17:16,20; Ex 1:7; De 28:4,11; 30:9

Jer 30:19; Eze 37:26

suffereth.

144:13,14; Ge 30:43; 31:9; Ex 9:3-7; 12:38; De 7:14; Pr 10:22

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; Ge 45:11; Ru 1:20,21; 1Sa 2:5-7; 2Ki 4:8; 8:3; Job 1:10-17

oppression.

Ex 1:13,14; 2:23,24; Jud 6:3-6; 2Ki 10:32; 13:7,22; 14:26

2Ch 15:5,6; Jer 51:33,34

poureth.

Job 12:21,24; Isa 23:8,9

contempt.

78:66; Ex 8:3,17,24; Jos 10:24-26; Jud 1:6,7; 4:21; 1Sa 5:9; 6:4

1Ki 21:19; 2Ki 9:35-37; Da 4:33; 5:5,6,18-30; Ac 12:23; Re 19:18

causeth.

4; Job 12:24; Jer 13:15-18