106:1 Praise a ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for
[he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] for ever.
(a) The prophet exhorts the people to praise God for his
past benefits, that by this their minds may be
strengthened against all present troubles and despair.
106:3 Blessed [are] they that b keep judgment, [and] he that
doeth righteousness at all times.
(b) He shows that it is not enough to praise God with the
mouth, unless the whole heart agrees to it, and all
our life framed after it.
106:4 Remember me, O LORD, with the c favour [that thou
bearest unto] thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;
(c) Let the good will that you bear to your people extend
to me, that by it I may be received into your number.
106:6 We have d sinned with our fathers, we have committed
iniquity, we have done wickedly.
(d) By earnest confession of their sins and of their
father's, they show that they hoped that God according
to his promise would pity them.
106:8 Nevertheless he e saved them for his name's sake, that
he might make his mighty power to be known.
(e) The inestimable goodness of God appears in this, that
he would rather change the order of nature than have
his people not be delivered, even though they were
wicked.
106:12 Then f believed they his words; they sang his praise.
(f) The wonderful words of God caused them to believe for
a time, and to praise him.
106:13 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his g
counsel:
(g) The would prevent his wisdom and providence.
106:15 And he gave them their request; but sent h leanness
into their soul.
(h) The abundance that God gave them did not profit, but
made them pine away, because God cursed it.
106:17 The earth opened and i swallowed up Dathan, and covered
the company of Abiram.
(i) By the greatness of the punishment the heinousness of
the offence may be considered: for they who rise
against God's ministers rebel against him.
106:20 Thus they changed their k glory into the similitude of
an ox that eateth grass.
(k) He shows that all idolaters renounce God to be their
glory when instead of him, they worship any creature
much more wood, stone, metal or calves.
106:23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had l not
Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn
away his wrath, lest he should destroy [them].
(l) If Moses, by his intercession, had not obtained God's
favour against their rebellion.
106:24 Yea, they despised m the pleasant land, they believed
not his word:
(m) That is Canaan, which acted as a promise of the
heavenly inheritance to come, though it was only
worth a penny in comparison to the value of the
inheritance itself.
106:26 Therefore n he lifted up his hand against them, to
overthrow them in the wilderness:
(n) That is, he swore. Sometimes also it means to punish.
106:28 They joined themselves also unto o Baalpeor, and ate
the sacrifices of the p dead.
(o) Which was the idol of the Moabites.
(p) Sacrifices offered to the dead idols.
106:29 Thus they q provoked [him] to anger with their
inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.
(q) Signifying that whatever man invents of himself to
serve God by, is detestable and provokes his anger.
106:30 Then stood up r Phinehas, and executed judgment: and
[so] the plague was stayed.
(r) When all others neglected God's glory, he in his zeal
killed the adulterers and prevented God's wrath.
106:31 And that was s counted unto him for righteousness unto
all generations for evermore.
(s) This act declared his living faith, and for his
faith's sake was accepted.
106:32 They angered [him] also at the waters of strife, so that
it went ill with t Moses for their sakes:
(t) If so notable a prophet of God does not escape
punishment, though others provoked him to sin, how
much more will they be subject to God's judgment, who
cause God's children to sin?
106:37 Yea, they sacrificed their u sons and their daughters
unto devils,
(u) He shows how monstrous a thing idolatry is, which can
win us to things abhorring to nature, while God's
word cannot obtain small things.
106:39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went x
a whoring with their own inventions.
(x) Then true chastity is to cleave wholly and only to
God.
106:43 Many y times did he deliver them; but they provoked
[him] with their counsel, and were brought low for their
iniquity.
(y) The prophet shows that neither by menace nor promise
we can come to God, unless we are altogether newly
reformed, and his mercy covers and hides our malice.
106:45 And he remembered for them his covenant, and z repented
according to the multitude of his mercies.
(z) Not that God is changeable in himself, but that then
he seems to us to repent when he alters his
punishment, and forgives us.
106:47 Save us, O LORD our God, and a gather us from among the
heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, [and] to
triumph in thy praise.
(a) Gather your Church which is dispersed, and give us
constancy under the cross, that with one consent we
may all praise you.
