Commentari biblici

Some of the psalms of praise are very short, others very long, to teach us that, in our devotions, we should be more observant how our hearts work than how the time passes and neither overstretch ourselves by coveting to be long nor over-stint ourselves by coveting to be short, but either the one or the other as we find in our hearts to pray. This is a long psalm; the general scope is the same with most of the psalms, to set forth the glory of God, but the subject-matter is particular. Every time we come to the throne of grace we may, if we please, furnish ourselves out of the word of God (out of the history of the New Testament, as this out of the history of the Old) with new songs, with fresh thoughts—so copious, so various, so inexhaustible is the subject. In the foregoing psalm we are taught to praise God for his wondrous works of common providence with reference to the world in general. In this we are directed to praise him for his special favours to his church. We find the Ps 105:1-11, 1Ch 16:8-18 of this psalm in the beginning of that psalm which David delivered to Asaph to be used (as it should seem) in the daily service of the sanctuary when the ark was fixed in the place he had prepared for it, by which it appears both who penned it and when and upon what occasion it was penned, 1Ch 16:7-36, etc. David by it designed to instruct his people in the obligations they lay under to adhere faithfully to their holy religion. Here is the preface (Ps 105:1-7) and the history itself in several articles. I. God's covenant with the patriarchs, Ps 105:8-11. II. His care of them while they were strangers, Ps 105:12-15. III. His raising up Joseph to be the shepherd and stone of Israel, Ps 105:16-22. IV. The increase of Israel in Egypt and their deliverance out of Egypt, Ps 105:23-38. V. The care he took of them in the wilderness and their settlement in Canaan, Ps 105:39-45. In singing this we must give to God the glory of his wisdom and power, his goodness and faithfulness, must look upon ourselves as concerned in the affairs of the Old-Testament church, both because to it were committed the oracles of God, which are our treasure, and because out of it Christ arose, and these things happened to it for ensamples.

The author of this psalm is unknown, as is the occasion on which it was composed. It resembles the seventy-eighth psalm in the fact that both are of an historical nature, recounting the dealings of God with his people in their deliverance from the bondage in Egypt. The object of the former psalm however, seems to have been "to recall the nation from their sins," and to vindicate the dealings of God with the Hebrews in his arrangements for their government, or in the change of the administration, by giving the government to the tribe of Judah under David, rather than to Ephraim; the object of this psalm is "to excite the people to gratitude" by the remembrance of the goodness of God to the people in former times. Accordingly this psalm is occupied with recounting the mercies of God - his various acts of intervention in their history - all apppealing to the nation to cherish a grateul remembrance of those acts, and to love and praise him.

The first sixteen verses of the psalm are substantially the same as the first part of the psalm composed by David when he brought up the ark, as recorded in 1 Chronicles 16:8-22. But at that point the resemblance ceases. Probably the author of this psalm found in the one composed by David what was suitable to the occasion on which this was composed, and adopted it without any material change. In the remainder of the psalm, he has simply carried out in the history of the Jews what was suggested by David in the psalm in 1 Chronicles 16, and has applied the idea to the other events of the Jewish history, as furnishing a ground of praise. The psalm is a mere summary of the principal events of that history to the time when the people entered the promised land - as laying the foundation of praise to God.

An exhortation to praise God for his wondrous works, Psalm 105:1-5; his goodness to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Psalm 105:6-16; to Joseph in Egypt, Psalm 105:17-22; to Israel in Egypt, Psalm 105:23-25; to Moses in the same land, Psalm 105:26; the plagues sent on the Egyptians, Psalm 105:27-36; the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt, Psalm 105:37, Psalm 105:38; how he supported them in the wilderness, Psalm 105:39-43; and brought them into Canaan, Psalm 105:44, Psalm 105:45.

We find several verses of this Psalm in 1 Chronicles 16, from which it is evident that David was the author of the principal part of it: but it was probably enlarged and sung at the restoration of the people from the Babylonish captivity. The hallelujah which terminates the preceding Psalm, is made the title of this by the Vulgate, Septuagint, Ethiopic, and Arabic: but it has no title either in the Hebrew or Chaldee. The Syriac considers it a paraphrase on the words, "Fear not, Jacob, to go down into Egypt; and teach us spiritually not to fear when we are obliged to contend with devils; for God is our shield, and will fight for us." The Psalm is a history of God's dealings with Abraham and his posterity, till their settlement in the promised land.

INTRODUCTION TO Psalm 105

This psalm was penned by David, and sung at the time when the ark was brought from the house of Obededom to the place which David had prepared for it; at least the first fifteen verses of it, the other part being probably added afterwards by the same inspired penman, as appears from 1 Chronicles 16:1. The subject matter of the psalm is the special and distinguishing goodness of God to the children of Israel, and to his church and people, of which they were typical: the history of God's regard to and care of their principal ancestors, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, &c. and of the whole body of the people, in bringing them out of Egypt, leading them through the wilderness, and settling them in the land of Canaan, is here recited, as an argument for praise and thankfulness.

CV.

The motive of this historical psalm is plainly declared in Psalm 105:44-45, and the scope which the author allowed himself in the survey of the past appears in Psalm 105:11. He wishes this generation to remember that the continued possession of the Promised Land is contingent on obedience to the covenant God. In fact, the psalm is an elaboration of the charge so often repeated in the Book of Deuteronomy: “For the Lord thy God shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day “(Deuteronomy 15:4-5).

The psalm dates from a time prior to the composition of the first Book of Chronicles, for it forms part of the compilation of song in chapter 16; but there is no other indication by which to assign date or authorship. The conjecture is probable that it was compiled for liturgic use soon after the re-settlement in the country after the Captivity. The parallel structure, which is of the synthetic kind, alone gives it a claim to rank with poetry.

The two historical Psalms which stand at the end of Book iv. are closely related. Psalms 105 is a Psalm of thanksgiving, recapitulating the marvellous works by which Jehovah demonstrated His faithfulness to the covenant which He made with Abraham. Psalms 106 is a Psalm of penitence, reciting the history of Israel’s faithlessness and disobedience. They present, so to speak, the obverse and reverse of Israel’s history; the common prophetic theme of Jehovah’s lovingkindness and Israel’s ingratitude. They have much in common with Psalms 78, with which their author was evidently familiar; but that Psalm is distinguished by its didactic and monitory character, and it combines the two strands of thought which are here separated.

Such a recital of the proofs of Jehovah’s faithfulness as is contained in Psalms 105 was very suitable as an encouragement to the community of the Restoration. If God had preserved the patriarchs, and made a nomad family into a strong nation, giving them possession of the land through which they wandered as strangers, He could again fulfil His purposes even through the feeble body of returned exiles (Isaiah 60:22). That these Psalms belong to the period after the Return from Babylon is evident, for they presuppose not only the Exile (Psalm 106:47) but the restoration of the Temple-worship. Psalm 106:47, which at first sight might seem to imply that no return had yet taken place, must be understood as a prayer for the completion of the restoration by the return of the Israelites from all the countries in which they were scattered. The repeated call to “give thanks to Jehovah,” to “praise Jah” corresponds exactly to the terms in which the function of the Levites is described in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles (Ezra 3:11; Nehemiah 12:24; 1 Chronicles 16:4; &c.). On the other hand these Psalms are earlier than Chronicles (c. 300 b.c.). The festal anthem which the Chronicler introduces on the occasion of the translation of the Ark to Zion is a combination of Psalm 105:1-15 (= 1 Chronicles 16:8-22) with Psalms 96 (= 1 Chronicles 16:23-33) and Psalm 106:1; Psalm 106:47-48 (= 1 Chronicles 16:34-36). It is certain that the Psalms stand in their original form in the Psalter, and that the anthem in Chronicles is merely a compilation; for Psalm 105:1-14 is clearly but a portion of a connected poem, while there is an entire absence of connexion in Chron. between Psalm 105:22-23, and between Psalm 105:33-34. A theory has been advanced that the anthem is a later insertion in Chronicles, and consequently that the date of Chronicles does not fix a limit for the date of the Psalms; but this theory is improbable.

Though there is no marked strophical arrangement in Psalms 105, there is a certain symmetry in its plan. It consists of four nearly equal divisions.

i. The Israelites, as the seed of Abraham, the children of Jacob, are summoned to praise Jehovah for His faithfulness to His covenant with the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Psalm 105:1-12).

ii. He guarded them in their wanderings, and led Jacob into Egypt, after He had prepared the way by sending Joseph before him (Psalm 105:13-24).

iii. When the Egyptians oppressed the Israelites, He displayed His power in the judgements which led to their release (Psalm 105:25-36).

iv. He brought them out of Egypt, protected them and provided for their wants in the wilderness, and settled them in the land of Canaan, that they might serve Him by grateful obedience to His laws (Psalm 105:37-45).

Ps 105:1-45.

After an exhortation to praise God, addressed especially to the chosen people, the writer presents the special reason for praise, in a summary of their history from the calling of Abraham to their settlement in Canaan, and reminds them that their obedience was the end of all God's gracious dealings.

1. call . . . name--

(Ps 79:6; Ro 10:13).

Call on Him, according to His historically manifested glory. After the example of Abraham, who, as often as God acquired for Himself a name in guiding him, called in solemn worship upon the name of the Lord

(Ge 12:8; 13:4).

among the people--or, "peoples"

(Ps 18:49).

deeds--or, "wonders"

(Ps 103:7).

O give thanks unto the Lord - The design here is to show that thanks should be given to the Lord in view of his dealings with his people, as stated in the subsequent portions of the psalm.

Call upon his name - More literally, "Call him by his name;" that is, Address him by his proper title; ascribe to him the attributes which properly belong to him; or, address him in a proper manner.

Make known his deeds among the people - What he has done in former times. The allusion is to his acts in behalf of his people in delivering them from Egyptian bondage, and bringing them to the promised land. The word "people" here refers to the Hebrew people; and the exhortation is, that the knowledge of these deeds should be diffused and kept up among them. One of the ways of doing this was that proposed by the psalmist, to wit, by a psalm of praise - by recording and celebrating these acts in their devotions. One of the most effective modes of keeping up the knowledge of what God has done in our world is by songs of praise in worshipping assemblies.