Bible Commentaries

O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: ^a make known his deeds among the people.

(a) For as much as the Israelites were exempted from the common condemnation of the world, and were elected to be God's people, the prophet wills them to show themselves mindful by thanksgiving.

Seek the LORD, and his ^b strength: seek his face evermore.

(b) By the strength and face he means the ark where God declared his power and his presence.

Remember his ^c marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the ^d judgments of his mouth;

(c) Which he has wrought in the deliverance of his people.

(d) Because his power was declared living by this, as if he would have declared it by mouth.

Which [covenant] he ^e made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;

(e) The promise God made to Abraham to be his God, and the God of his seed after him, he renewed and repeated again to his seed after him.

Saying, ^f Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:

(f) He shows that they would not enjoy the land of Canaan by any other means, but by reason of his covenant made with their fathers.

He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved ^g kings for their sakes;

(g) That is, the king of Egypt and the king of Gerar, (Genesis 12:17) , (Genesis 20:3)

[Saying], Touch not mine ^h anointed, and do my ⁱ prophets no harm.

(h) Those whom I have sanctified to be my people.

(i) Meaning, the old fathers, to whom God showed himself plainly, and who set forth his word.

Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole ^k staff of bread.

(k) Either by sending scarcity or the strength and nourishment of it.

Until ^l the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.

(l) So long he suffered adversity as God had appointed, and till he had sufficiently tried his patience.

To bind his ^m princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.

(m) That the very princes of the countries would be at Joseph's commandment, and learn wisdom from him.

ⁿ He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.

(n) So it is in God, either to move the hearts of the wicked to love or to hate God's children.

He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they ^o rebelled not against his word.

(o) Meaning, Moses and Aaron.

He ^p spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, [and] lice in all their coasts.

(p) So that this vermin did not come by chance, but as God had appointed, and his prophet Moses spoke.

He gave them ^q hail for rain, [and] flaming fire in their land.

(q) It was strange to see rain in Egypt, much more it was fearful to see hail.

^r He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,

(r) He shows that all creatures are armed against man when God is his enemy as at his commandment the grasshoppers destroyed the land.

He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and [there was] ^s not one feeble [person] among their tribes.

(s) When their enemies felt God's plagues his children by his providence were exempted.

Egypt was ^t glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.

(t) For God's plagues caused them to prefer to depart with the Israelites rather than with their lives.

[The people] ^u asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

(u) Not for necessity but for satisfying of their lust.

For he remembered his holy ^x promise, [and] Abraham his servant.

(x) Which he confirms to the posterity in whom after a sort the dead live and enjoy the promises.

And he brought forth his people with ^y joy, [and] his chosen with gladness:

(y) When the Egyptians lamented and were destroyed.

That they might ^z observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.

(z) This is the reason why God preserves his Church, because they should worship and call on him in this world.