106:1
Praise a ye the LORD. O give thanks unto
the LORD; for [he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] for ever.
(a) The prophet exhorts the people to praise God
for his past benefits, that by this their minds may be strengthened against
all present troubles and despair.
106:3 Blessed [are] they that
b keep judgment, [and] he that doeth
righteousness at all times.
(b) He shows that it is not enough to praise God
with the mouth, unless the whole heart agrees to it, and all our life framed
after it.
106:4 Remember me, O LORD, with the c
favour [that thou bearest unto] thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;
(c) Let the good will that you bear to your
people extend to me, that by it I may be received into your number.
106:6 We have d
sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
(d) By earnest confession of their sins and of
their father's, they show that they hoped that God according to his promise
would pity them.
106:8 Nevertheless he e
saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be
known.
(e) The inestimable goodness of God appears in
this, that he would rather change the order of nature than have his people not
be delivered, even though they were wicked.
106:12
Then f believed they his words; they
sang his praise.
(f) The wonderful words of God caused them to
believe for a time, and to praise him.
106:13 They soon forgat his works; they waited not
for his g counsel:
(g) The would prevent his wisdom and providence.
106:15 And he gave them
their request; but sent h leanness into
their soul.
(h) The abundance that God gave them did not
profit, but made them pine away, because God cursed it.
106:17 The earth opened and
i swallowed up Dathan, and covered the
company of Abiram.
(i) By the greatness of the punishment the
heinousness of the offence may be considered: for they who rise against
God's ministers rebel against him.
106:20
Thus they changed their k glory into the
similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
(k) He shows that all idolaters renounce God to
be their glory when instead of him, they worship any creature much more wood,
stone, metal or calves.
106:23
Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had l
not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath,
lest he should destroy [them].
(l) If Moses, by his intercession, had not
obtained God's favour against their rebellion.
106:24 Yea, they despised m
the pleasant land, they believed not his word:
(m) That is Canaan, which acted as a promise of
the heavenly inheritance to come, though it was only worth a penny in
comparison to the value of the inheritance itself.
106:26 Therefore n
he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:
(n) That is, he swore. Sometimes also it means to
punish.
106:28 They joined
themselves also unto o Baalpeor, and ate
the sacrifices of the p dead.
(o) Which was the idol of the Moabites.
(p) Sacrifices offered to the dead idols.
106:29 Thus they q
provoked [him] to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon
them.
(q) Signifying that whatever man invents of
himself to serve God by, is detestable and provokes his anger.
106:30 Then stood up r
Phinehas, and executed judgment: and [so] the plague was stayed.
(r) When all others neglected God's glory, he
in his zeal killed the adulterers and prevented God's wrath.
106:31 And that was s
counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.
(s) This act declared his living faith, and for
his faith's sake was accepted.
106:32 They angered [him] also at the waters of
strife, so that it went ill with t Moses
for their sakes:
(t) If so notable a prophet of God does not
escape punishment, though others provoked him to sin, how much more will they
be subject to God's judgment, who cause God's children to sin?
106:37
Yea, they sacrificed their u sons and
their daughters unto devils,
(u) He shows how monstrous a thing idolatry is,
which can win us to things abhorring to nature, while God's word cannot
obtain small things.
106:39 Thus were they
defiled with their own works, and went x
a whoring with their own inventions.
(x) Then true chastity is to cleave wholly and
only to God.
106:43
Many y times did he deliver them; but
they provoked [him] with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.
(y) The prophet shows that neither by menace nor
promise we can come to God, unless we are altogether newly reformed, and his
mercy covers and hides our malice.
106:45 And he remembered
for them his covenant, and z repented
according to the multitude of his mercies.
(z) Not that God is changeable in himself, but
that then he seems to us to repent when he alters his punishment, and forgives
us.
106:47 Save us, O LORD our
God, and a gather us from among the
heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, [and] to triumph in thy praise.
(a) Gather your Church which is dispersed, and
give us constancy under the cross, that with one consent we may all praise
you.
Psalm 106 Bible Commentary
The Geneva Study Bible
(a) The prophet exhorts the people to praise God for his past benefits, that by this their minds may be strengthened against all present troubles and despair.
106:3 Blessed [are] they that b keep judgment, [and] he that doeth righteousness at all times.
(b) He shows that it is not enough to praise God with the mouth, unless the whole heart agrees to it, and all our life framed after it.
106:4 Remember me, O LORD, with the c favour [that thou bearest unto] thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;
(c) Let the good will that you bear to your people extend to me, that by it I may be received into your number.
106:6 We have d sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
(d) By earnest confession of their sins and of their father's, they show that they hoped that God according to his promise would pity them.
106:8 Nevertheless he e saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
(e) The inestimable goodness of God appears in this, that he would rather change the order of nature than have his people not be delivered, even though they were wicked.
106:12 Then f believed they his words; they sang his praise.
(f) The wonderful words of God caused them to believe for a time, and to praise him.
106:13 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his g counsel:
(g) The would prevent his wisdom and providence.
106:15 And he gave them their request; but sent h leanness into their soul.
(h) The abundance that God gave them did not profit, but made them pine away, because God cursed it.
106:17 The earth opened and i swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.
(i) By the greatness of the punishment the heinousness of the offence may be considered: for they who rise against God's ministers rebel against him.
106:20 Thus they changed their k glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
(k) He shows that all idolaters renounce God to be their glory when instead of him, they worship any creature much more wood, stone, metal or calves.
106:23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had l not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy [them].
(l) If Moses, by his intercession, had not obtained God's favour against their rebellion.
106:24 Yea, they despised m the pleasant land, they believed not his word:
(m) That is Canaan, which acted as a promise of the heavenly inheritance to come, though it was only worth a penny in comparison to the value of the inheritance itself.
106:26 Therefore n he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:
(n) That is, he swore. Sometimes also it means to punish.
106:28 They joined themselves also unto o Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the p dead.
(o) Which was the idol of the Moabites.
(p) Sacrifices offered to the dead idols.
106:29 Thus they q provoked [him] to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.
(q) Signifying that whatever man invents of himself to serve God by, is detestable and provokes his anger.
106:30 Then stood up r Phinehas, and executed judgment: and [so] the plague was stayed.
(r) When all others neglected God's glory, he in his zeal killed the adulterers and prevented God's wrath.
106:31 And that was s counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.
(s) This act declared his living faith, and for his faith's sake was accepted.
106:32 They angered [him] also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with t Moses for their sakes:
(t) If so notable a prophet of God does not escape punishment, though others provoked him to sin, how much more will they be subject to God's judgment, who cause God's children to sin?
106:37 Yea, they sacrificed their u sons and their daughters unto devils,
(u) He shows how monstrous a thing idolatry is, which can win us to things abhorring to nature, while God's word cannot obtain small things.
106:39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went x a whoring with their own inventions.
(x) Then true chastity is to cleave wholly and only to God.
106:43 Many y times did he deliver them; but they provoked [him] with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.
(y) The prophet shows that neither by menace nor promise we can come to God, unless we are altogether newly reformed, and his mercy covers and hides our malice.
106:45 And he remembered for them his covenant, and z repented according to the multitude of his mercies.
(z) Not that God is changeable in himself, but that then he seems to us to repent when he alters his punishment, and forgives us.
106:47 Save us, O LORD our God, and a gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, [and] to triumph in thy praise.
(a) Gather your Church which is dispersed, and give us constancy under the cross, that with one consent we may all praise you.