HarperCollins Study Bible
Page 226
105.14 Rebuked kings. See Gen 12.17; 20.3.
105.15 Anointed ones, here those chosen or called, specifically Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, not kings or messianic leaders. Prophets. See Gen 20.7.
105.23 Ham, the ancestor of the Egyptians in biblical tradition (Gen 10.6).
105.37 Silver and gold. See Ex 3.21–22; 11.2; 12.35–36. No one…stumbled, i.e., all were kept from harm as they left by God’s guidance and providence.
105.45 This is what the book of Deuteronomy is about, providing statutes and laws for life in the land and exhorting the people to follow them.
PSALM 106
A Confession of Israel’s Sins
1Praise the LORD!
O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2Who can utter the mighty doings of the LORD,
or declare all his praise?
3Happy are those who observe justice,
who do righteousness at all times.
4Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people;
help me when you deliver them;
5that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
that I may glory in your heritage.
6Both we and our ancestors have sinned;
we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.
7Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt,
did not consider your wonderful works;
they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love,
but rebelled against the Most Higha at the Red Sea.b
8Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
so that he might make known his mighty power.
9He rebuked the Red Sea,c and it became dry;
he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10So he saved them from the hand of the foe,
and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.
11The waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them was left.
12Then they believed his words;
they sang his praise.
13But they soon forgot his works;
they did not wait for his counsel.
14But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness,
and put God to the test in the desert;
15he gave them what they asked,
but sent a wasting disease among them.
16They were jealous of Moses in the camp,
and of Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.
17The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
and covered the faction of Abiram.
18Fire also broke out in their company;
the flame burned up the wicked.
19They made a calf at Horeb
and worshiped a cast image.
20They exchanged the glory of Godd
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21They forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.e
23Therefore he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
24Then they despised the pleasant land,
having no faith in his promise.
25They grumbled in their tents,
and did not obey the voice of the LORD.
26Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them
that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27and would dispersef their descendants among the nations,
scattering them over the lands.
28Then they attached themselves to the Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
29they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
30Then Phinehas stood up and interceded,
and the plague was stopped.
31And that has been reckoned to him as righteousness
from generation to generation forever.
32They angered the LORDg at the waters of Meribah,
and it went ill with Moses on their account;
33for they made his spirit bitter,
and he spoke words that were rash.
34They did not destroy the peoples,
as the LORD commanded them,
35but they mingled with the nations
and learned to do as they did.
36They served their idols,
which became a snare to them.
37They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to the demons;
38they poured out innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
and the land was polluted with blood.
39Thus they became unclean by their acts,
and prostituted themselves in their doings.
40Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,
and he abhorred his heritage;
41he gave them into the hand of the nations,
so that those who hated them ruled over them.
42Their enemies oppressed them,
and they were brought into subjection under their power.
43Many times he delivered them,
but they were rebellious in their purposes,
and were brought low through their iniquity.
44Nevertheless he regarded their distress
when he heard their cry.
45For their sake he remembered his covenant,
and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46He caused them to be pitied
by all who held them captive.
47Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
48Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
And let all the people say, “Amen.”
Praise the LORD!
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a Cn Compare 78.17, 56: Heb rebelled at the sea
b Or Sea of Reeds
c Or Sea of Reeds
d Compare Gk Mss: Heb exchanged their glory
e Or Sea of Reeds
f Syr Compare Ezek 20.23: Heb cause to fall
g Heb him
106.1–48 A hymn of praise to the Lord who has remained faithful to God’s people despite a long history of sin and apostasy (vv. 1–3, 6–46) together with petitions for God’s continued help in present distress (vv. 4–5, 47). Contrasting with the history of salvation recounted in the preceding psalm, this psalm recounts, penitentially (v. 6), the story of the frequent sins of the people (vv. 6–7, 13–14, 16, 19–22, 28–29, 32–39, 43b) and the consequent judgment by God (vv. 15, 17–18, 26–27, 29, 40–42, 43c), who, nevertheless, dealt compassionately with them, protecting and delivering them time and again (vv. 8–12, 23, 30–31, 43a, 44–46) because of the covenant and God’s own loving nature (vv. 44–45). That history, therefore, is the ground for continued pleas for help as well as praise and thanksgiving (vv. 47–48). Like Ps 105, parts of this psalm (vv. 1, 47–48) also appear in the context of the community’s worship in 1 Chr 16.34–36.
106.1–3 The psalm begins, as it ends, in praise and thanks to God.
106.1 The paradigms of praise and thanksgiving are to be found here in the Hallelujah, or “Praise the LORD” (33.2; 104.35; 105.45; 106.48; 111.1; 112.1; and passim; Jer 20.13; Rom 15.11), and in the rest of this verse (see 107.1; 118.1, 29; 136.1; 1 Chr 16.34; 2 Chr 5.13; 7.3; 20.21; Ezra 3.11; Jer 33.11; Sir 51 [Hebrew additions]).
106.3 Happy. See note on 1.1.
1
06.4–5 The plea of the psalmist for help is placed in the context of the prayer for deliverance of the community, anticipating the petitions of v. 47.
106.7 Rebelled…Red Sea. See Ex 14.10–12.
106.9 Rebuked. See note on 104.7.
106.13–15 See Num 11.4–6, 31–35.
106.16–18 See Num 16.
106.19–23 See Ex 32.
106.19 Horeb is the alternate name for Mount Sinai.
106.24–27 See Num 14.1–35.
106.28–31 See Num 25.1–13.
106.32–33 See Ex 17.1–7; Num 20.2–13.
106.34–39 Israel’s sins during the period of the judges and later.
106.34 As the LORD commanded them. See Deut 7.1–5; 20.16–18.
106.36 Snare. See Ex 23.32–33.
106.37–38 See 2 Kings 16.3; 21.6; 23.10.
106.41 Gave them…nations. See Judg 6.1; 13.1.
106.44 Heard their cry. See Judg 3.9, 15; 4.3; 6.7; 10.10–16.
106.47 Gather us…nations suggests that the psalm was composed during the time of exile or later, when the people were dispersed among different nations, e.g., Babylon and Egypt.
106.48 A doxology closing the fourth book of the Psalter (Pss 90–106). See note on 41.13. Blessed. See note on 103.1–2.
BOOK V: PSALMS 107–150
PSALM 107
Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Many Troubles
1O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
those he redeemed from trouble
3and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.a
4Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to an inhabited town;
5hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
6Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress;
7he led them by a straight way,
until they reached an inhabited town.
8Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
9For he satisfies the thirsty,
and the hungry he fills with good things.
10Some sat in darkness and in gloom,
prisoners in misery and in irons,
11for they had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
12Their hearts were bowed down with hard labor;
they fell down, with no one to help.
13Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress;
14he brought them out of darkness and gloom,
and broke their bonds asunder.
15Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
16For he shatters the doors of bronze,
and cuts in two the bars of iron.
17Some were sickb through their sinful ways,
and because of their iniquities endured affliction;
18they loathed any kind of food,
and they drew near to the gates of death.
19Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress;
20he sent out his word and healed them,
and delivered them from destruction.
21Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
22And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices,
and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.
23Some went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the mighty waters;
24they saw the deeds of the LORD,
his wondrous works in the deep.
25For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
26They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their calamity;
27they reeled and staggered like drunkards,
and were at their wits’ end.
28Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he brought them out from their distress;
29he made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30Then they were glad because they had quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
31Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
32Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
33He turns rivers into a desert,
springs of water into thirsty ground,
34a fruitful land into a salty waste,
because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
35He turns a desert into pools of water,
a parched land into springs of water.
36And there he lets the hungry live,
and they establish a town to live in;
37they sow fields, and plant vineyards,
and get a fruitful yield.
38By his blessing they multiply greatly,
and he does not let their cattle decrease.
39When they are diminished and brought low
through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
40he pours contempt on princes
and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
41but he raises up the needy out of distress,
and makes their families like flocks.
42The upright see it and are glad;
and all wickedness stops its mouth.
43Let those who are wise give heed to these things,
and consider the steadfast love of the LORD.
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a Cn: Heb sea
b Cn: Heb fools
107.1–32 A liturgy of thanksgiving. Four different distressful situations are described (vv. 4–5, 10–12, 17–18, 23–27). In each case the psalmist recounts how those in peril cried out to the Lord, i.e., prayed (vv. 6a, 13a, 19a, 28a), and God delivered them (vv. 6b–7, 13b–14, 19b–20, 28b–29). Because of this they are now called to give thanks and praise (vv. 8–9, 15–16, 21–22, 31–32).
107.1–3 Introductory general call to give thanks.
107.1 This verse of the general call to give thanks is echoed in the particular calls that follow (vv. 8, 15, 21, 31). See note on 106.1.
107.2–3 These verses may have in mind the exiles who have been freed from Babylonian captivity and returned home. Redeemed of the LORD. See Isa 62.12.
107.4–9 Thanksgiving of those delivered from the dangers of thirst and starvation in the desert.
107.10–16 Thanksgiving of freed prisoners.
107.17–22 Thanksgiving of those healed and forgiven.
107.22 Here a specific call is made to offer sacrifices of thanksgiving (66.13–15; 116.17) and bear witness to God’s salvation (18.49–50; 22.22; 40.9; 66.16–19).
107.23–32 Thanksgiving of those saved from the dangers of the sea.
107.32 Thanksgiving to God was rendered in the midst of the gathered congregation (22.22–25; 40.9–10; 116.18).
107.33–43 A hymn of praise for God’s provision for the hungry and needy, which forms a fitting conclusion to the liturgy of thanksgiving in vv. 1–32.
107.35 Cf. Isa 41.17–18.
107.39–41 Cf. 1 Sam 2.4–8.
PSALM 108
Praise and Prayer for Victory
A Song. A Psalm of David.
1My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;a
I will sing and make melody.
Awake, my soul!b
2Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn.
3I
will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples,
and I will sing praises to you among the nations.
4For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens,
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
and let your glory be over all the earth.
6Give victory with your right hand, and answer me,
so that those whom you love may be rescued.
7God has promised in his sanctuary:c
“With exultation I will divide up Shechem,
and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
8Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet;
Judah is my scepter.
9Moab is my washbasin;
on Edom I hurl my shoe;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
10Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11Have you not rejected us, O God?
You do not go out, O God, with our armies.
12O grant us help against the foe,
for human help is worthless.
13With God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes.
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a Heb Mss Gk Syr: MT lacks my heart is steadfast
b Compare 57.8: Heb also my soul
c Or by his holiness
108.1–5 The same as (see note on) 57.7–11.
108.6–13 The same as (see notes on) 60.5–12.
108.10 For a possible historical context, see note on 137.7.