The Eastern Cross/Bible/Psalms/Psalm 105
The Book of Psalms · the Psalter
Psalm 106 in the KJV and most English Bibles
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Alleluia. Give thanks to the Lord; for he is good: For his mercy endures forever.
Ἀλληλούϊα. Ἐξομολογεῖσθε τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὅτι χρηστὸς, ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ.
But I find these two Psalms, the CVth and CVIth so connected, that in one of them, the first, the people of God is praised in the person of the elect, of whom there is no complaint, whom I imagine to have been there in those with whom God was well pleased; [1 Corinthians 10:5] but in the following Psalm those are…
Who shall tell the mighty acts of the Lord? Who shall cause all his praises to be heard?
Τίς λαλήσει τὰς δυναστείας τοῦ Κυρίου, ἀκουστὰς ποιήσει πάσας τὰς αἰνέσεις αὐτοῦ;
"Who can express the mighty acts of the Lord?" (ver. 2). Full of the consideration of the Divine works, while he entreateth His mercy, "Who," he saith, "can express the mighty acts of the Lord, or make all His praises heard?" We must supply what was said above, to make the sense complete here, thus, "Who shall make…
Blessed are they that keep judgment, And do righteousness at all times.
Μακάριοι οἱ φυλάσσοντες κρίσιν, καὶ ποιοῦντες δικαιοσύνην ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ.
Remember us, O Lord, with the favor thou hast to thy people: Visit us with thy salvation;
Μνήσθητι ἡμῶν Κύριε ἐν τῇ εὐδοκίᾳ τοῦ λαοῦ σου, ἐπίσκεψαι ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ σωτηρίῳ σου·
Next, since God justifieth, that is, maketh men righteous, by healing them from their iniquities, a prayer followeth: "Remember me, O Lord, according to the favour that Thou bearest unto Thy people" (ver. 4): that is, that we may be among those with whom Thou art well pleased; since God is not well pleased with them…
That we may behold the good of thine elect, That we may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, That we may glory with thine inheritance.
τοῦ ἰδεῖν ἐν τῇ χρηστότητι τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν σου, τοῦ εὐφρανθῆναι ἐν τῇ εὐφροσύνῃ τοῦ ἔθνους σου, τοῦ ἐπαινεῖσθαι μετὰ τῆς κληρονομίας σου.
We have sinned with our fathers, We have transgressed, we have done unrighteously.
Ἡμάρτομεν μετὰ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, ἠνομήσαμεν, ἠδικήσαμεν.
But let us hear what they next confess: "we have sinned with our fathers: we have done amiss, and dealt wickedly". What means "with our fathers"?..."Our fathers," he says, "regarded not Your wonders in Egypt"; and many other things also, he does relate of their sins. Or is, "we have sinned with our fathers," to be…
Our fathers in Egypt understood not thy wonders, And remembered not the multitude of thy mercy; But provoked him as they went up by the Red Sea.
Οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ οὐ συνῆκαν τὰ θαυμάσιά σου, καὶ οὐκ ἐμνήσθησαν τοῦ πλήθους τοῦ ἐλέους σου· καὶ παρεπίκραναν ἀναβαίνοντες ἐν τῇ ἐρυθρᾷ θαλάσσῃ.
Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, That he might cause his mighty power to be known.
Καὶ ἔσωσεν αὐτοὺς ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ, τοῦ γνωρίσαι τὴν δυναστείαν αὐτοῦ.
He adds, that God acted not according to their unbelief. "Nevertheless," he says, "He saved them for His Name's sake: that He might make His power to be known": not on account of any deservings of their own.
And he rebuked the Red Sea, and it was dried up: So he led them through the deep as through the wilderness.
Καὶ ἐπετίμησε τῇ ἐρυθρᾷ θαλάσσῃ, καὶ ἐξηράνθη· καὶ ὡδήγησεν αὐτοὺς ἐν ἀβύσσῳ ὡς ἐν ἐρήμῳ·
"He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up". We do not read that any voice was sent forth from Heaven to rebuke the sea; but he has called the Divine Power by which this was effected, a rebuke: unless indeed any one may choose to say, that the sea was secretly rebuked, so that the waters might hear, and yet men…
And he saved them out of the hand of them that hated them, And redeemed them out of the hand of the enemy.
Καὶ ἔσωσεν αὐτοὺς ἐκ χειρὸς μισούντων, καὶ ἐλυτρώσατο αὐτοὺς ἐκ χειρὸς ἐχθροῦ.
"And He saved them from the hating ones". Some translators, in order to avoid an expression unusual in Latin, have rendered the word, by a circumlocution, "And He saved them from the hand of those that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy." What price was given in this redemption? Is it a prophecy,…
The water covered those that oppressed them: There was not one of them left.
Ἐκάλυψεν ὕδωρ τοὺς θλίβοντας αὐτοὺς, εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐχ ὑπελείφθη.
"As for those that troubled them, the waters overwhelmed them: there was not one of them left"; not of all the Egyptians, but of those who pursued the departing Israelites, desirous either of taking or of killing them.
Then they believed his words, And celebrated his praise.
Καὶ ἐπίστευσαν τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ, καὶ ᾔνεσαν τὴν αἴνεσιν αὐτοῦ.
"Then believed they in His words" (ver. 12). The expression seemeth barely Latin, for he saith not "believed His word," or "on His words," but "in His words;" yet it is very frequent in Scripture. "And praised praise unto Him;" such an expression as when we say, "This servitude he served," "such a life he lived." He…
They made haste, they forgot his works; They waited not for his counsel.
Ἐτάχυναν, ἐπελάθοντο τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ, οὐχ ὑπέμειναν τὴν βουλὴν αὐτοῦ.
"They acted hastily: they forgot His works" (ver. 13): other copies read more intelligibly, "They hastened, they forgot His works, and would not abide His counsel." For they ought to have thought, that so great works of God towards themselves were not without a purpose, but that they invited them to some endless…
And they lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tempted God in the dry land.
Καὶ ἐπεθύμησαν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, καὶ ἐπείρασαν τὸν Θεὸν ἐν ἀνύδρῳ.
Lastly, "And they lusted a lust in the wilderness, and they tempted God in the dry land" (ver. 14). The "dry land," or land without water, and "desert," are the same: so also are, "they lusted a lust," and, "they tempted God." The form of speech is the same as above, "they praised a praise."
And he gave them their request, And sent fullness into their souls.
Καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς τὸ αἴτημα αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐξαπέστειλε πλησμονὴν εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῶν.
"And He gave them their desire, and sent fullness withal into their souls". But He did not thus render them happy: for it was not that fullness of which it is said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." [Matthew 5:6] In this passage he does not speak of the…
They provoked Moses also in the camp, And Aaron the holy one of the Lord.
Καὶ παρώργισαν Μωυσῆν ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ, καὶ Ἀαρὼν τὸν ἅγιον Κυρίου.
"And they angered Moses in the tents, and Aaron the saint of the Lord". What angering, or, as some have more literally rendered it, what provocation, he speaks of, the following words sufficiently show.
The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, And closed upon the congregation of Abiram.
Ἠνοίχθη ἡ γῆ καὶ κατέπιε Δαθὰν, καὶ ἐκάλυψεν ἐπὶ τὴν συναγωγὴν Ἀβειρών.
"The earth opened," he says, "and swallowed up Dathan, and covered over the congregation of Abiram": "swallowed up" answers to "covered over." Both Dathan and Abiram were equally concerned in a most sacrilegious schism.
And a fire was kindled in their congregation, And a flame burned up the sinners.
Καὶ ἐξεκαύθη πῦρ ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ αὐτῶν, καὶ φλὸξ κατέφλεξεν ἁμαρτωλούς.
"And the fire was kindled in their company; the flame burnt up the sinners". This word is not in Scripture usually applied to those, who, although they live righteously, and in a praiseworthy manner, are not without sin. Rather, as there is a difference between those who scorn and scorners, between men who murmur and…
And they made a calf in Horeb, And worshiped the graven image,
Καὶ ἐποίησαν μόσχον ἐν Χωρὴβ, καὶ προσεκύνησαν τῷ γλυπτῷ·
"And they made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the graven image" (ver. 19). "Thus they changed their glory, in the similitude of a calf that eateth hay" (ver. 20). He saith not "into" the likeness, but "in" the likeness. It is such a form of speech as where he said "and they believed in His words." With great effect…
And they changed their glory Into the similitude of a calf that feeds on grass.
Καὶ ἠλλάξαντο τὴν δόξαν αὐτῶν ἐν ὁμοιώματι μόσχου ἔσθοντος χόρτον.
They forgot God that saved them, Who had wrought great deeds in Egypt;
Ἐπελάθοντο τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ σώζοντος αὐτοὺς, τοῦ ποιήσαντος μεγάλα ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ,
"They forgat God who saved them". How did He save them? "Who did so great things in Egypt: Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and fearful things in the Red Sea". The things that are wondrous, are also fearful; for there is no wonder without a certain fear: although these might be called fearful, because they beat down…
Wondrous works in the land of Ham, And terrible things at the Red Sea.
θαυμαστὰ ἐν γῇ Χὰμ, καὶ φοβερὰ ἐπὶ θαλάσσης ἐρυθρᾶς.
So he said that he would have destroyed them, Had not Moses his chosen Stood before him in the breach, To turn him away from the fierceness of his anger, so that he should not destroy them.
Καὶ εἶπε τοῦ ἐξολοθρεῦσαι αὐτοὺς, εἰ μὴ Μωυσῆς ὁ ἐκλεκτὸς αὐτοῦ ἔστη ἐν τῇ θραύσει ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, τοῦ ἀποστρέψαι ἀπὸ θυμοῦ ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ, τοῦ μὴ ἐξολοθρεῦσαι.
"So He said, He would have destroyed them" (ver. 23). Since they forgot Him who saved them, the Worker of wondrous works, and made and worshipped a graven image, by this atrocious and incredible impiety they deserved death. "Had not Moses His chosen stood before Him in the breaking." He doth not say, that he stood in…
Moreover they set at nought the desirable land, And believed not his word.
Καὶ ἐξουδένωσαν γῆν ἐπιθυμητὴν, καὶ οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν τῷ λόγῳ αὐτοῦ.
"Yea, they thought scorn of that pleasant land". But had they seen it? How then could they scorn that which they had not seen, except as the following words explain, "and believed not in His words." Indeed, unless that land which was styled the land that flowed with milk and honey, [Exodus 3:8] signified something…
And they murmured in their tents: They hearkened not to the voice of the Lord.
Καὶ ἐγόγγυσαν ἐν τοῖς σκηνώμασιν αὐτῶν, οὐκ εἰσήκουσαν τῆς φωνῆς Κυρίου.
"But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord"; who strongly forbade them to murmur.
So he lifted up his hand against them, To cast them down in the wilderness;
Καὶ ἐπῇρε τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς, τοῦ καταβαλεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ,
"Then lift He up His hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness"; "to cast out their seed among the nations: and to scatter them in the lands".
And to cast down their seed among the nations, And to scatter them in the countries.
καὶ τοῦ καταβαλεῖν τὸ σπέρμα αὐτῶν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καὶ διασκορπίσαι αὐτοὺς ἐν ταῖς χώραις.
They were joined also to Baal-peor, And ate the sacrifices of the dead. And they provoked him with their devices;
Καὶ ἐτελέσθησαν τῷ Βεελφεγὼρ, καὶ ἔφαγον θυσίας νεκρῶν.
"They were initiated also unto Baalpeor;" that is, were consecrated to the Gentile idol; "and ate the offerings of the dead".
And destruction was multiplied among them.
Καὶ παρώξυναν αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασιν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπληθύνθη ἐν αὐτοῖς ἡ πτῶσις.
"Thus they provoked Him to anger with their own inventions; and destruction was multiplied among them" (ver. 29). As if He had deferred the lifting up of His hand which was to cast them down in the desert, and to cast out their seed among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands; as the Apostle saith: "And even…
Then Phinehas stood up, and made atonement: And the plague ceased.
Καὶ ἔστη Φινεὲς καὶ ἐξιλάσατο, καὶ ἐκόπασεν ἡ θραῦσις.
"Then stood up Phineas, and appeased Him, and the shaking ceased". He has related the whole briefly, because he is not here teaching the ignorant, but reminding those who know the history. The word "shaking" here is the same as "breaking" before. For it is one word in the Greek. Lastly, so great was their wickedness,…
And it was counted to him for righteousness, To all generations forever.
Καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην, εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεὰν ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος.
"And that was counted unto him for righteousness among all posterities for evermore". God counted this unto His Priest for righteousness, not only as long as posterity shall exist, but "for evermore;" for He who knows the heart, knows how to weigh with how much love for the people that deed was done.
They provoked him also at the water of Strife, And Moses was hurt for their sakes;
Καὶ παρώργισαν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ ὕδατος ἀντιλογίας, καὶ ἐκακώθη Μωυσῆς διʼ αὐτούς·
"And they angered Him at the waters of strife: so that Moses was vexed for their sakes" (ver. 32); "because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake doubtfully with his lips" (ver. 33). What is spake doubtfully? As if God, who had done so great wonders before, could not cause water to flow from a rock. For he…
For they provoked his spirit, And he spoke unadvisedly with his lips.
Ὅτι παρεπίκραναν τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ, καὶ διέστειλεν ἐν τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτοῦ.
They destroyed not the nations which the Lord told them to destroy;
Οὐκ ἐξωλόθρευσαν τὰ ἔθνη ἃ εἶπε Κύριος αὐτοῖς.
But they of whose iniquities this Psalm speaks, when they had entered into that temporal land of promise, "destroyed not the heathen, which the Lord commanded them"; "but were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works". "Insomuch that they worshipped their idols, which became to them an offense". Their not…
But were mingled with the heathen, And learned their works.
Καὶ ἐμίγησαν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καὶ ἔμαθον τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν.
And they served their graven images; And it became an offense to them.
Καὶ ἐδούλευσαν τοῖς γλυπτοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐγενήθη αὐτοῖς εἰς σκάνδαλον.
And they sacrificed their sons And their daughters to devils,
Καὶ ἔθυσαν τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας αὐτῶν τοῖς δαιμονίοις,
"Yea, they offered their sons and their daughters unto devils"; "and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they offered unto the idols of Canaan". That history does not relate that they offered their sons and daughters to devils and idols; but neither can that Psalm lie, nor…
And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was defiled with blood,
καὶ ἐξέχεαν αἷμα ἀθῶον, αἷμα υἱῶν αὐτῶν καὶ θυγατέρων, ὧν ἔθυσαν τοῖς γλυπτοῖς Χαναάν· καὶ ἐφονοκτονήθη ἡ γῆ ἐν τοῖς αἵμασι,
But what is it that follows? "And the land was slain with bloods." We might suppose that this was a mistake of the writer, and that he had written interfecta for infecta, were it not for the goodness of God, who has willed His Scriptures to be written in many languages; were it not that we see it written as in the…
And was polluted with their works; And they went a-whoring with their own devices.
καὶ ἐμιάνθη ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐπόρνευσαν ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασιν αὐτῶν.
So the Lord was very angry with his people, And he abhorred his inheritance.
Καὶ ὠργίσθη θυμῷ Κύριος ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐβδελύξατο τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ.
"Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against His own people". Our translators have been unwilling to use the word anger, for the Greek θυμὸς; though some have used it; while others translate by "indignation" or "mind." Whichever of these terms be adopted, passion does not affect God; but the power of punishing…
And he delivered them into the hands of their enemies; And they that hated them ruled over them.
Καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς εἰς χεῖρας ἐχθρῶν, καὶ ἐκυρίευσαν αὐτῶν οἱ μισοῦντες αὐτούς.
"Insomuch that He abhorred His own inheritance; and He gave them over into the hand of the heathen: and they that hated them were lords over them": "and their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought low under their hands". Since he has called them the inheritance of God, it is clear that He abhorred them, and…
And their enemies oppressed them, And they were brought down under their hands.
Καὶ ἔθλιψαν αὐτοὺς οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐταπεινώθησαν ὑπὸ τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν.
Many a time he delivered them; But they provoked him by their counsel, And they were brought low by their iniquities.
Πλεονάκις ἐῤῥύσατο αὐτοὺς, αὐτοὶ δὲ παρεπίκραναν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ βουλῇ αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐταπεινώθησαν ἐν ταῖς ἀνομίαις αὐτῶν.
Yet the Lord looked upon their affliction, When he heard their petition.
Καὶ εἶδε Κύριος ἐν τῷ θλίβεσθαι αὐτοὺς, ἐν τῷ αὐτὸν εἰσακοῦσαι τῆς δεήσεως αὐτῶν.
Nevertheless, God, full of mercy, forsook them not. "And He saw when they were in adversity, when He heard their complaint". "And He thought upon His covenant, and repented, according to the multitude of His mercies". He says, "He repented," because He changed that wherewith He seemed about to destroy them. With God…
And he remembered his covenant, And repented according to the multitude of his mercy.
Καὶ ἐμνήσθη τῆς διαθήκης αὐτοῦ, καὶ μετεμελήθη κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ ἐλέους αὐτοῦ.
So "He gave them unto compassions, in the sight of all that had taken them captive". That they might not be vessels of wrath, but vessels of mercy. [Romans 9:22-23] The compassions unto which He gave them are named in the plural for this reason, I imagine, because each one has a gift of his own from God, one in one…
Every note is a real passage, quoted word for word from a published English translation, with its source. Nothing here is summarised or written by us. Some verses have many notes and some have none, because the Fathers wrote more on some passages than others.
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