Henry Ainsworth on Psalms 105

PSAL. CV.

COnfesse yee to Iehovah, call on his Name, make knowne his actions among the peoples. Sing ye to him, sing Psalme to him, discourse of all his marvellous workes. Glory yee in the Name of his holinesse, let the heart of them that seeke Iehovah rejoyce. Seeke Iehovah and his strength, seeke ye his face continually. Remember ye his marvellous workes that hee hath done, his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth. Seed of Abraham his servant, sonnes of Iakob his chosen ones. He is Iehovah our God, his judgements are in all the earth. He remembreth his covenant for ever, the word that he commanded to the thousand generation. Which hee stroke with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaak. And stablished it to Iakob for a decree, to Israel for a covenant of eternitie. Saying, To thee will I give the land of Canaan, the line of your inheritance. When they were men (few) of number, very few, and strangers in it. And walked about from nation to nation, from one kingdome to another people. He suffered not any man to doe them wrong, but reproved kings for them. Touch not mine anointed, and to my Prophets doe no evill. And hee called a famine upon the land, hee brake all the staffe of bread. He sent before them a man, Ioseph was sold for a servant. They afflicted his feet with fetters, his soule entred the iron. Vntill the time his word came, the saying of Iehovah tried him. The King sent and loosed him, the ruler of the people, and released him. He put him Lord of his house, and ruler of all his possession. To bind his Princes to his soule, and make wise his Elders. And Israel came into Egypt, and Iakob sojourned in the land of Cham. And he increased his people greatly, and made them stronger than their distressers. He turned their heart to hate his people, to deale craftily with his servants. Hee sent Moses his servant, Aaron whom he had chosen. They put among them the words of his signes, and wonders in the land of Cham. He sent darknesse and made it darke, and they turned not rebellious against his word. Hee turned their waters to bloud, and slew their fish. Their land abundantly brought forth frogs, in the privie Chambers of their kings.

Hee said, and there came a mixed swarme, lice in all their border. He gave their showers to be haile, fire of flames in their land. And smote their Vine and their Fig-tree, and brake the trees of their border. He said, and the Grashopper came, and the Caterpiller, even without number. And did eat up all the herbes in their land, and did eat up the fruit of their ground. And he smote all the first-borne in their land, the beginning of all their strength. And hee brought forth them with silver and gold, and none among their Tribes was feeble. Egypt rejoyced when they went out, for the dread of them had fallen upon them. He spred a cloud for a covering, and a fire to enlighten the night. They asked, and he brought the Quaile, and with the Bread of Heavens he satisfied them. He opened the Rock, and the waters flowed out, they went in dry places like a river. For he remembred the Word of his Holinesse to Abraham his servant. And brought forth his people with joy, his chosen with shouting joy. And gave to them the lands of the Heathens, and they possessed the labour of the peoples. That they might observe his statutes and keepe his lawes, Halelu-jah.

Annotations. CAll on his name] or proclaime, that is, preach his name. The first part of this Psalme is part of that which David appointed to laud the Lord with, when his Arke was seated in Ierusalem, 1 Chron. 16. 7, 8,—22. Vers. 2. discourse] or talke, meditate. Vers. 3. Glory] or Praise your selves: see Psal. 34. 3. Vers. 4. his strength] that is, his Arke, from whence God gave his Oracles, Numb. 7. 89 See Psal. 78. 61. The Chaldee paraphraseth thus, Seek ye the doctrine of the Lord and his Law. his face] his counsell and Oracle: see the notes on Psal. 27. 8. Vers. 6. of Abraham] in 1 Chron. 16. 13. it is of Israel. his servant] this is meant of the seed as well as of Abraham, as the next words shew: therefore the Greeke turneth it servants. Vers. 8. He remembreth] therefore also Remember ye, as it is written, 1 Chro. 16. 15. the word] or the matter, the conditions of the Covenant, and so the promises which for the more certainty are said to be commanded, as in Psal. 133. 3. Vers. 11. land of Canaan] the sonne of Cham, the sonne of Noah, who was cursed by his Grand-father, and made a servant to his brethren, Gen. 9. 18, 22, 25. This Canaan had eleven sonnes, heads of their families, Gen. 10. 15, 20. they seated in the lesser Asia in a goodly Country, having the great sea Westward, the river Iarden, Syria, and Arabia Eastward, the Wildernesse on the South, and the mounts of Lebanon on the North. It was the pleasantest of all lands, and flowed with milke and honey, Ezek. 20. 6. it had store of rivers and fountaines, of Corne, and Wine, and Oile, and Mines; of mountaines and vallies, watered with the raine of heaven, and cared for of God continually, Deu. 8. 7, 8, 9. and 11. 10, 11, 12. This land God promised Abraham to give unto his seed, Gen. 12. 6, 7. and 13. 15, 17. See also the Notes on Psal. 25. 13. the line] that is, the portion of your patrimony measured as by line. See Psal. 16. 6. Vers. 12. When they were] in 1 Chron. 16. 19. it is, when ye were. men of number] that is, a few men, soone numbred: so Gen. 34. 30. Deut. 4. 27. The contrary is, without number, or innumerable, Psal. 147. 5. Vers. 13. from nation to nation] up and downe in the land of Canaan, where were seven mighty nations, Deut. 7. 1. How there the Patriarkes walked as strangers, see Gen. 12. 8, 9, 10. and 13. 18. and 20. 1. and 23. 4. and 26. 1. 23. and 33. 19. and 35. 1, &c. Heb. 11. 9, 13. Vers. 14. wrong] or to oppresse them. reproved Kings] plaguing Pharaoh, Gen. 12. 17. threatning Abimelech, Gen. 20. 3. Vers. 15. anointed] men consecrated to me by the oile of the spirit: see 1 Ioh. 2. 20, 27. Prophets] so Abraham is called, Gen. 20. 7. See Psal. 74. 9. Vers. 16. called famine] that is, effectually brought it; so 2 King. 8. 1. The contrary hereof is, to call for corne, Ezek. 36. 29. the land] of Canaan, Egypt, and other countries, Gen. 41. 54, &c. staffe] or stay, stabiliment: so bread is called, Lev. 26. 26. Ezek. 4. 16. for it upholdeth mans heart, Psal. 104. 15. Vers. 17. a man] Heb. Ish, a noble man: see Psal. 49. 3. The Chaldee saith, a wise man. for a servant] for a slave, by his brethren to the Ismaelites, & by them to the Egyptians, Gen. 37. 28, 36. Vers. 18. his soule entred] or, as the Greek saith, passed thorow the iron, that is, he (his body) was laid in irons when he was cast into prison most unjustly, Gen. 39. 20. and there he was in perill of his life. Of soule, see Psal. 16. 10. Vers. 19. his word came] that is, the word spoken of him was fulfilled, which God had shewed Ioseph in a dreame touching his advancement, Gen. 36. 5,—8, 9, 10. and 42. 9. So comming is for fulfilling, Ier. 17. 15. 1 Sam. 9. 6. Iob 6. 8. tried] or fined him, by trying as in fire, his faith and patience in afflictions, as 1 Pet. 1. 7. see Psal. 12. 7. Vers. 20. The King] Pharaoh (for that Ioseph interpreted his dreame) set him out of prison, a ruler over the land. See Gen. 41. 14, &c. and 45. 8. Vers. 22. To bind] that is, informe, and governe as subjects: see Psal. 2. 3. to his soule] to his will or pleasure, (as Psal. 27. 12.) so as without him no man should lift up his hand or his foot (that is, attempt to doe any thing) in all the land of Egypt, Gen. 41. 44, 40. Or, with his soule, that is, with him-selfe, as the Greeke expoundeth it, to nurture his Princes as himselfe, which may meane to informe them in vertue, wisdome, &c. wherein himselfe excelled, Gen. 41. 38, 39. With is sometime used for as, Psal. 102. 4. and the soule for ones selfe; see Psal. 16. 10. The words following seeme to favour this exposition. his elders] or Senators, the Kings Nobles and Counsellers, Gen. 50. 7. Vers. 23. came into Egypt] being sent for by Pharaoh, and incouraged thereto by God him-selfe, Gen. 45. 17,—20. and 46. 3, 4. of Cham] the father of Mizraim, or Egypt: see Psal. 78. 51. Vers. 24. increased] made them fructifie, that the land was soone full of them, Exod. 1. 7, 9. Vers. 25. to deale craftily] or, conspire guile fully for their destruction, as Gen. 37. 18. Pharaoh and his people fretting at Israels prosperity, thought to worke wisely with them when they plotted their ruine, Exod. 1. 9, 10, 12, &c. Vers. 26. had chosen] to be Moses his mouth to the people, and Prophet to Pharaoh, Exod. 4. 12, 14, 16. and 7. 1, 2, &c. Vers. 27. words of his signes] the signes which he spake and commanded, together with the doctrine and use of them for letting of Israel goe: See Exod. 7. 1, 2, 3, &c. Or words of signes, as words of song, Psal. 137. 3. are signes and songs. So Psal. 145. 5. Vers. 28. darknesse] the ninth plague of Egypt, where was black darknesse in all the land for three dayes, that no man saw another, nor rose from the place where he was, Exod. 10. 22, 23. turned not rebellious] or, they disobeyed not: (see Psal. 5. 11.) that is, his words (or word) were not disobeyed or changed, but effected as God had spoken: see a like phrase noted on Psal. 49. 15. Or, they may be referred to Moses and Aaron, who performed the things commanded them, though with danger to them. Vers. 29. to bloud] the first of the ten plagues, Exod. 7. See Psal. 78. 44. Vers. 30. frogs] the second plague, Exod. 8. 3, 6. Psal. 78. 45. Kings] Pharaoh and his Princes: so Esa. 19. 2. Vers. 31. swarme] of flyes or beasts: see Psal. 78. 45. This was the fourth plague, Exod. 8. 24. lice] the third plague. All the dust of the land was lice, and went upon man and beast, Exod. 8. 17. Vers. 32. showers] of raine, in stead whereof they had haile, the seventh plague, Exod. 9. See Psal. 78. 47. of flames] that is, sorely flaming and blasting; never was the like there seene, Exod. 9. 24. Vers. 33. tree] for trees; so after, verse 34. 40. and often. See Psal. 34. 8. Vers. 34. grashopper] or locust, the eight plague, Exod. 10. see Psal. 78. 46. Vers. 36. the first-borne] the tenth plague, whereof see Psal. 78. 51. Vers. 37. feeble] ready to fall through weaknes, there being an armie of six hundred thousand men, Exod. 12. 37. and 13. 18. A like promise is made to the Church, Esa. 33. 24. Vers. 38. dread of them] that is, of death for their sakes, so that they forced them out, and gave them treasures, Exod. 12. 33, 35. See the like speech, Esth. 8. 17. and. 9. 2. Vers. 39. a fire] that they might travell night and day towards the promised land, Exod. 13. 21. Psa. 78. 14. Vers. 40. quaile] that is, quailes which for their lust he gave them, Numb. 11. Compare Psal. 78. 27, 28. bread] Manna, whereof see Psal. 78. 24, 25. and Exod. 16. Vers. 41. the Rocke] at Rephidim, Exod. 17. and at Kadesh, Numb. 20. a river] so that the people and their beasts dranke, Numb. 20. 11. and for this the wilde beasts, Dragons, Ostriches, honoured God, Esa. 43. 20. this mercy is applied to other times, Isa. 48. 21. Vers. 44. heathens] the seven nations: whereof see Psal. 78. 55. Vers. 45. keepe his lawes] The end of all Gods mercies was, that he might be glorified in his peoples obedience: see Exod. 19. 4, 5, 6. Deut. 4. 1, 40. and 6. 21,—24, 25.