34 He spake, H559 and the locusts H697 came, H935 and caterpillers, H3218 and that without number, H4557
And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Stretch out H5186 thine hand H3027 over the land H776 of Egypt H4714 for the locusts, H697 that they may come up H5927 upon the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and eat H398 every herb H6212 of the land, H776 even all that the hail H1259 hath left. H7604 And Moses H4872 stretched forth H5186 his rod H4294 over the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and the LORD H3068 brought H5090 an east H6921 wind H7307 upon the land H776 all that day, H3117 and all that night; H3915 and when it was morning, H1242 the east H6921 wind H7307 brought H5375 the locusts. H697 And the locusts H697 went up H5927 over all the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and rested H5117 in all the coasts H1366 of Egypt: H4714 very H3966 grievous H3515 were they; before H6440 them there were no such H3651 locusts H697 as they, neither after H310 them shall be such. For they covered H3680 the face H5869 of the whole earth, H776 so that the land H776 was darkened; H2821 and they did eat H398 every herb H6212 of the land, H776 and all the fruit H6529 of the trees H6086 which the hail H1259 had left: H3498 and there remained H3498 not any green thing H3418 in the trees, H6086 or in the herbs H6212 of the field, H7704 through all the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
That which the palmerworm H1501 hath left H3499 hath the locust H697 eaten; H398 and that which the locust H697 hath left H3499 hath the cankerworm H3218 eaten; H398 and that which the cankerworm H3218 hath left H3499 hath the caterpiller H2625 eaten. H398 Awake, H6974 ye drunkards, H7910 and weep; H1058 and howl, H3213 all ye drinkers H8354 of wine, H3196 because of the new wine; H6071 for it is cut off H3772 from your mouth. H6310 For a nation H1471 is come up H5927 upon my land, H776 strong, H6099 and without number, H4557 whose teeth H8127 are the teeth H8127 of a lion, H738 and he hath the cheek teeth H4973 of a great lion. H3833 He hath laid H7760 my vine H1612 waste, H8047 and barked H7111 my fig tree: H8384 he hath made it clean H2834 bare, H2834 and cast it away; H7993 the branches H8299 thereof are made white. H3835
And G2532 there came G1831 out of G1537 the smoke G2586 locusts G200 upon G1519 the earth: G1093 and G2532 unto them G846 was given G1325 power, G1849 as G5613 the scorpions G4651 of the earth G1093 have G2192 power. G1849 And G2532 it was commanded G4483 them G846 that G3363 they should G91 not G3363 hurt G91 the grass G5528 of the earth, G1093 neither G3761 any G3956 green thing, G5515 neither G3761 any G3956 tree; G1186 but G1508 only G3441 those men G444 which G3748 have G2192 not G3756 the seal G4973 of God G2316 in G1909 their G846 foreheads. G3359 And G2532 to them G846 it was given G1325 that G3363 they should G615 not G3363 kill G615 them, G846 but G235 that G2443 they should be tormented G928 five G4002 months: G3376 and G2532 their G846 torment G929 was as G5613 the torment G929 of a scorpion, G4651 when G3752 he striketh G3817 a man. G444 And G2532 in G1722 those G1565 days G2250 shall men G444 seek G2212 death, G2288 and G2532 shall G2147 not G3756 find G2147 it; G846 and G2532 shall desire G1937 to die, G599 and G2532 death G2288 shall flee G5343 from G575 them. G846 And G2532 the shapes G3667 of the locusts G200 were like G3664 unto horses G2462 prepared G2090 unto G1519 battle; G4171 and G2532 on G1909 their G846 heads G2776 were as it were G5613 crowns G4735 like G3664 gold, G5557 and G2532 their G846 faces G4383 were as G5613 the faces G4383 of men. G444 And G2532 they had G2192 hair G2359 as G5613 the hair G2359 of women, G1135 and G2532 their G846 teeth G3599 were G2258 as G5613 the teeth of lions. G3023 And G2532 they had G2192 breastplates, G2382 as it were G5613 breastplates G2382 of iron; G4603 and G2532 the sound G5456 of their G846 wings G4420 was as G5613 the sound G5456 of chariots G716 of many G4183 horses G2462 running G5143 to G1519 battle. G4171 And G2532 they had G2192 tails G3769 like G3664 unto scorpions, G4651 and G2532 there were G2258 stings G2759 in G1722 their G846 tails: G3769 and G2532 their G846 power G1849 was to hurt G91 men G444 five G4002 months. G3376
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 105
Commentary on Psalms 105 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 105
Ps 105:1-45. After an exhortation to praise God, addressed especially to the chosen people, the writer presents the special reason for praise, in a summary of their history from the calling of Abraham to their settlement in Canaan, and reminds them that their obedience was the end of all God's gracious dealings.
1. call … name—(Ps 79:6; Ro 10:13). Call on Him, according to His historically manifested glory. After the example of Abraham, who, as often as God acquired for Himself a name in guiding him, called in solemn worship upon the name of the Lord (Ge 12:8; 13:4).
among the people—or, "peoples" (Ps 18:49).
deeds—or, "wonders" (Ps 103:7).
3, 4. Seeking God's favor is the only true mode of getting true happiness, and His strength [Ps 105:4] is the only true source of protection (compare Ps 32:11; 40:16).
Glory … name—boast in His perfections. The world glories in its horses and chariots against the Church of God lying in the dust; but our hope is in the name, that is, the power and love of God to His people, manifested in past deliverances.
5, 6. judgments … mouth—His judicial decisions for the good and against the wicked.
6. chosen—rather qualifies "children" than "Jacob," as a plural.
7. Rather, "He, Jehovah, is our God." His title, "Jehovah," implies that He, the unchangeable, self-existing Being, makes things to be, that is, fulfils His promises, and therefore will not forsake His people. Though specially of His people, He is God over all.
8-11. The covenant was often ratified.
word—answering to "covenant" [Ps 105:9] in the parallel clause, namely, the word of promise, which, according to Ps 105:10, He set forth for an inviolable law.
commanded—or, "ordained" (Ps 68:28).
to a thousand generations—perpetually. A verbal allusion to De 7:9 (compare Ex 20:6).
9. Which covenant—or, "Word" (Ps 105:8).
10, 11. Alluding to God's promise to Jacob (Ge 28:13). Out of the whole storehouse of the promises of God, only one is prominently brought forward, namely, that concerning the possession of Canaan [Ps 105:11]. Everything revolves around this. The wonders and judgments have all for their ultimate design the fulfilment of this promise.
12-15. few … in number—alluding to Jacob's words (Ge 34:30), "I being few in number."
yea, very few—literally, "as a few," that is, like fewness itself (compare Isa 1:9).
strangers—sojourners in the land of their future inheritance, as in a strange country (Heb 11:9).
13. from one nation to another—and so from danger to danger; now in Egypt, now in the wilderness, and lastly in Canaan. Though a few strangers, wandering among various nations, God protected them.
14. reproved kings—Pharaoh of Egypt and Abimelech of Gerar (Ge 12:17; 20:3).
15. Touch not—referring to Ge 26:11, where Abimelech says of Isaac, "He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death."
mine anointed—as specially consecrated to Me (Ps 2:2). The patriarch was the prophet, priest, and king of his family.
my prophets—in a similar sense, compare Ge 20:7. The "anointed" are those vessels of God, consecrated to His service, "in whom (as Pharaoh said of Joseph, Ge 41:38) the Spirit of God is" [Hengstenberg].
16. God ordered the famine. God
called for a famine—as if it were a servant, ready to come at God's bidding. Compare the centurion's words, as to disease being God's servant (Mt 8:8, 9).
upon the land—namely, Canaan (Ge 41:54).
staff of bread—what supports life (Le 26:26; Ps 104:15; Isa 3:1).
17-21. Joseph was sent of God (Ge 45:5).
18. hurt with fetters—(Ge 40:3).
was laid in iron—literally, "his soul" (see on Ps 16:10), or, "he came into iron," or, he was bound to his grief (compare Ps 3:2; 11:1). The "soul" is put for the whole person, because the soul of the captive suffers still more than the body. Joseph is referred to as being an appropriate type of those "bound in affliction and iron" (Ps 107:10).
19. his word came—His prophecy (Ge 41:11-20) to the officers came to pass, or was fulfilled (Jud 13:12, 17; 1Sa 9:6, explain the form of speech).
the word of the Lord—or, "saying," or "decree of the Lord."
tried him—or, "proved him," by the afflictions it appointed him to endure before his elevation (compare Ge 41:40-43).
22. To bind—Not literally bind; but exercise over them absolute control, as the parallel in the second clause shows; also Ge 41:40, 44, in which not literal fettering, but commanding obedience, is spoken of. It refers to Ps 105:18. The soul that was once bound itself now binds others, even princes. The same moral binding is assigned to the saints (Ps 149:8).
teach … senators wisdom—the ground of his exaltation by Pharaoh was his wisdom (Ge 41:39); namely, in state policy, and ordering well a kingdom.
23-25. Israel … and Jacob—that is, Jacob himself is meant, as Ps 105:24 speaks of "his people." Still, he came with his whole house (Ge 46:6, 7).
sojourned—(Ge 47:4).
land of Ham—or, Egypt (Ps 78:51).
25. turned their heart—God controls men's free acts (compare 1Sa 10:9). "When Saul had turned his back to go from (God's prophet) Samuel, God turned (Margin) him another heart" (see Ex 1:8, &c.). Whatever evil the wicked man plots against God's people, God holds bound even his heart, so as not to lay a single plan except what God permits. Thus Isaiah (Isa 43:17) says it was God who brought forth the army of Pharaoh to pursue Israel to their own destruction (Ex 4:21; 7:3).
26. Moses … chosen—both what they were by divine choice (Ps 78:70).
27. signs—literally, "words of signs," or rather, as "words" in Hebrew means "things," "things of His signs," that is, His marvellous tokens of power (Ps 145:5, Margin). Compare the same Hebraism (Ps 65:3, Margin).
28-36. The ninth plague is made prominent as peculiarly wonderful.
they rebelled not—Moses and Aaron promptly obeyed God (Heb 11:27); (compare Ex 7:1-11:10 and Ps 78:44-51, with which this summary substantially agrees). Or, rather, the "darkness" here is figurative (Jer 13:16), the literal plague of darkness (Ex 10:22, 23) being only alluded to as the symbol of God's wrath which overhung Egypt as a dark cloud during all the plagues. Hence, it is placed first, out of the historical order. Thus, "They rebelled not (that is, no longer) against His word," refers to the Egyptians. Whenever God sent a plague on them, they were ready to let Israel go, though refusing when the plague ceased.
his word—His command to let Israel go [Hengstenberg]. Of the ten plagues, only eight are mentioned, the fifth, the murrain of beasts, and the sixth, the boils, being omitted.
29-31. He deprived them of their favorite "fish," and gave them instead, [Ps 105:30] out of the water, loathsome "frogs," and (Ps 105:31) upon their land tormenting "flies" (the dog-fly, according to Maurer) and "lice" (gnats, according to Hengstenberg).
32. gave them—referring to Le 26:4, "I give you rain in due season." His "gift" to Israel's foes is one of a very different kind from that bestowed on His people.
hail for rain—instead of fertilizing showers, hail destructive to trees. This forms the transition to the vegetable kingdom. The locusts in Ps 105:34 similarly are destructive to plants.
33. their coasts—all their land (Ps 78:54).
34. caterpillars—literally, "the lickers up," devouring insects; probably the hairy-winged locust.
36. the chief—literally, "the firstlings." The ascending climax passes from the food of man to man himself. The language here is quoted from Ps 78:51.
37. with silver and gold—presented them by the Egyptians, as an acknowledgment due for their labors in their bondage (compare Ex 12:35).
one feeble person—or, "stumbler," unfit for the line of march. Compare "harnessed," that is, accoutred and marshalled as an army on march (Ex 13:18; Isa 5:27).
38. (Compare Ex 12:33; De 11:25).
39. covering—in sense of protection (compare Ex 13:21; Nu 10:34). In the burning sands of the desert the cloud protected the congregation from the heat of the sun; an emblem of God's protecting favor of His people, as interpreted by Isaiah (Isa 4:5, 6; compare Nu 9:16).
42-45. The reasons for these dealings: (1) God's faithfulness to His covenant, "His holy promise" of Canaan, is the fountain whence flowed so many acts of marvellous kindness to His people (compare Ps 105:8, 11). Ex 2:24 is the fundamental passage [Hengstenberg]. (2) That they might be obedient. The observance of God's commands by Abraham was the object of the covenant with him (Ge 18:19), as it was also the object of the covenant with Israel, that they might observe God's statutes.
remembered … and Abraham—or, "remembered His holy word (that is, covenant confirmed) with Abraham."
44. inherited the labour—that is, the fruits of their labor; their corn and vineyards (Jos 21:43-45).