6 The power of His works He hath declared to His people, To give to them the inheritance of nations.
A vine out of Egypt Thou dost bring, Thou dost cast out nations, and plantest it.
`For, ask, I pray thee, at the former days which have been before thee, from the day that God prepared man on the earth, and from the `one' end of the heavens even unto the `other' end of the heavens, whether there hath been as this great thing -- or hath been heard like it? Hath a people heard the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, thou -- and doth live? Or hath God tried to go in to take to Himself, a nation from the midst of a nation, by trials, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a strong hand, and by a stretched-out arm, and by great terrors -- according to all that Jehovah your God hath done to you, in Egypt, before your eyes? Thou, thou hast been shewn `it', to know that Jehovah He `is' God; there is none else besides Him. `From the heavens He hath caused thee to hear His voice, to instruct thee, and on earth He hath shewed thee His great fire, and His words thou hast heard out of the midst of the fire. `And because that He hath loved thy fathers, He doth also fix on their seed after them, and doth bring thee out, in His presence, by His great power, from Egypt: to dispossess nations greater and stronger than thou, from thy presence, to bring thee in to give to thee their land -- an inheritance, as `at' this day.
And it cometh to pass, in the journeying of the people from their tents to pass over the Jordan, and of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and at those bearing the ark coming in unto the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark have been dipped in the extremity of the waters (and the Jordan is full over all its banks all the days of harvest) -- that the waters stand; those coming down from above have risen -- one heap, very far above Adam the city, which `is' at the side of Zaretan; and those going down by the sea of the plain, the Salt Sea, have been completely cut off; and the people have passed through over-against Jericho; and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of Jehovah stand on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan -- established, and all Israel are passing over on dry ground till that all the nation hath completed to pass over the Jordan.
And the people shout, and blow with the trumpets, and it cometh to pass when the people hear the voice of the trumpet, that the people shout -- a great shout, and the wall falleth under it, and the people goeth up into the city, each over-against him, and they capture the city;
and the sun standeth still, and the moon hath stood -- till the nation taketh vengeance `on' its enemies; is it not written on the Book of the Upright, `and the sun standeth in the midst of the heavens, and hath not hasted to go in -- as a perfect day?' And there hath not been like that day before it or after it, for Jehovah's hearkening to the voice of a man; for Jehovah is fighting for Israel.
Thou, `with' Thy hand, nations hast dispossessed. And Thou dost plant them. Thou afflictest peoples, and sendest them away.
Before their fathers He hath done wonders, In the land of Egypt -- the field of Zoan. He cleft a sea, and causeth them to pass over, Yea, He causeth waters to stand as a heap. And leadeth them with a cloud by day, And all the night with a light of fire. He cleaveth rocks in a wilderness, And giveth drink -- as the great deep. And bringeth out streams from a rock, And causeth waters to come down as rivers. And they add still to sin against Him, To provoke the Most High in the dry place. And they try God in their heart, To ask food for their lust. And they speak against God -- they said: `Is God able to array a table in a wilderness?' Lo, He hath smitten a rock, And waters flow, yea, streams overflow. `Also -- bread `is' He able to give? Doth He prepare flesh for His people?' Therefore hath Jehovah heard, And He sheweth Himself wroth, And fire hath been kindled against Jacob, And anger also hath gone up against Israel, For they have not believed in God, Nor have they trusted in His salvation. And He commandeth clouds from above, Yea, doors of the heavens He hath opened. And He raineth on them manna to eat, Yea, corn of heaven He hath given to them. Food of the mighty hath each eaten, Venison He sent to them to satiety. He causeth an east wind to journey in the heavens, And leadeth by His strength a south wind, And He raineth on them flesh as dust, And as sand of the seas -- winged fowl, And causeth `it' to fall in the midst of His camp, Round about His tabernacles. And they eat, and are greatly satisfied, And their desire He bringeth to them. They have not been estranged from their desire, Yet `is' their food in their mouth, And the anger of God hath gone up against them, And He slayeth among their fat ones, And youths of Israel He caused to bend. With all this they have sinned again, And have not believed in His wonders. And He consumeth in vanity their days, And their years in trouble. If He slew them, then they sought Him, And turned back, and sought God earnestly, And they remember that God `is' their rock, And God Most High their redeemer. And -- they deceive Him with their mouth, And with their tongue do lie to Him, And their heart hath not been right with Him, And they have not been stedfast in His covenant. And He -- the Merciful One, Pardoneth iniquity, and destroyeth not, And hath often turned back His anger, And waketh not up all His fury. And He remembereth that they `are' flesh, A wind going on -- and it returneth not. How often do they provoke Him in the wilderness, Grieve Him in the desolate place? Yea, they turn back, and try God, And the Holy One of Israel have limited. They have not remembered His hand The day He ransomed them from the adversary. When He set His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan, And He turneth to blood their streams, And their floods they drink not. He sendeth among them the beetle, and it consumeth them, And the frog, and it destroyeth them, And giveth to the caterpillar their increase, And their labour to the locust. He destroyeth with hail their vine, And their sycamores with frost, And delivereth up to the hail their beasts, And their cattle to the burning flames. He sendeth on them the fury of His anger, Wrath, and indignation, and distress -- A discharge of evil messengers. He pondereth a path for His anger, He kept not back their soul from death, Yea, their life to the pestilence He delivered up. And He smiteth every first-born in Egypt, The first-fruit of the strong in tents of Ham. And causeth His people to journey as a flock, And guideth them as a drove in a wilderness, And He leadeth them confidently, And they have not been afraid, And their enemies hath the sea covered. And He bringeth them in unto the border of His sanctuary, This mountain His right hand had got, And casteth out nations from before them, And causeth them to fall in the line of inheritance, And causeth the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents, And they tempt and provoke God Most High, And His testimonies have not kept. And they turn back, And deal treacherously like their fathers, They have been turned like a deceitful bow, And make Him angry with their high places, And with their graven images make Him zealous, God hath heard, and sheweth Himself wroth. And kicketh exceedingly against Israel. And He leaveth the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men, And He giveth His strength to captivity, And His beauty into the hand of an adversary, And delivereth up to the sword His people, And with His inheritance shewed Himself angry. His young men hath fire consumed, And His virgins have not been praised. His priests by the sword have fallen, And their widows weep not. And the Lord waketh as a sleeper, As a mighty one crying aloud from wine. And He smiteth His adversaries backward, A reproach age-during He hath put on them, And He kicketh against the tent of Joseph, And on the tribe of Ephraim hath not fixed. And He chooseth the tribe of Judah, With mount Zion that He loved, And buildeth His sanctuary as a high place, Like the earth, He founded it to the age. And He fixeth on David His servant, And taketh him from the folds of a flock, From behind suckling ones He hath brought him in, To rule over Jacob His people, And over Israel His inheritance. And he ruleth them according to the integrity of his heart, And by the skilfulness of his hands leadeth them!
They have set among them the matters of His signs, And wonders in the land of Ham. He hath sent darkness, and it is dark, And they have not provoked His word. He hath turned their waters to blood, And putteth to death their fish. Teemed hath their land `with' frogs, In the inner chambers of their kings. He hath said, and the beetle cometh, Lice into all their border. He hath made their showers hail, A flaming fire `is' in their land. And He smiteth their vine and their fig, And shivereth the trees of their border. He hath said, and the locust cometh, And the cankerworm -- innumerable, And it consumeth every herb in their land, And it consumeth the fruit of their ground. And He smiteth every first-born in their land, The first-fruit of all their strength, And bringeth them out with silver and gold, And there is not in its tribes a feeble one. Rejoiced hath Egypt in their going forth, For their fear had fallen upon them. He hath spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to enlighten the night. They have asked, and He bringeth quails, And `with' bread of heaven satisfieth them. He hath opened a rock, and waters issue, They have gone on in dry places -- a river. For He hath remembered His holy word, With Abraham His servant, And He bringeth forth His people with joy, With singing His chosen ones. And He giveth to them the lands of nations, And the labour of peoples they possess, That they may observe His statutes, And His laws may keep. Praise ye Jehovah!
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 111
Commentary on Psalms 111 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 111
This and divers of the psalms that follow it seem to have been penned by David for the service of the church in their solemn feasts, and not upon any particular occasion. This is a psalm of praise. The title of it is "Hallelujah-Praise you the Lord,' intimating that we must address ourselves to the use of this psalm with hearts disposed to praise God. It is composed alphabetically, each sentence beginning with a several letter of the Hebrew alphabet, in order exactly, two sentences to each verse, and three a piece to the last two. The psalmist, exhorting to praise God,
Psa 111:1-5
The title of the psalm being Hallelujah, the psalmist (as every author ought to have) has an eye to his title, and keeps to his text.
Psa 111:6-10
We are here taught to give glory to God,