This psalm, from its style, and from its connection with the preceding psalms, seems to have been written by David. The two foregoing psalms respect the children of Israel; this is generally thought to concern all mankind, and its view to assert a general providence which attends all, in whatsoever…

O give thanks unto the Lord As all men should do, at all times and for all things; the psalm begins as the former does, and gives the same reasons for thanksgiving. For he is good; and does good, and is the author of all good.

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so That the Lord is good, and his mercy everlasting; since their redemption is a proof of his goodness, and an instance of his mercy; this is not to be understood of the Israelites redeemed from Egyptian bondage, or from the Babylonish captivity, though they had…

And gathered them out of the lands This cannot have respect to the bringing of the children of Israel out of Egypt; for they were not then brought out of several countries, but from one land only: nor to the Babylonish captivity; for, though some might be gathered out of different provinces, yet…

They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way Not the people of Israel, as the Targum. These seem not to be particularly intended, whatever allusion there may be to their passage through the wilderness to Canaan’s land; but rather, in general, travellers through waste places, especially the…

Hungry and thirsty As travellers in deserts sometimes are; their provisions being spent they bring with them, and none to be had on the road; there being no inns to stop at, nor any sort of food to eat, nor springs of water to drink of.

Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble To be directed in their way, and for food and drink, as travellers do when in such distress. Natural men, even the very Heathens, when in distress, will cry unto God for relief, as Jonah’s mariners did, .

And he led them forth by the right way Thus God by his providence directs travellers that have lost their way, and puts them into the right way. There is no doubt a very great concern of Providence in such a case, and which ought to be acknowledged with thankfulness.

O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness For his providential goodness, in providing food and drink for them, when fainting; in directing them to their right way, when they had lost it; and in bringing them safe to the place they were bound for: and particularly for his special grace and…

For he satisfieth the longing soul The soul that is hungry and thirsty, and longs for food and drink, when nature in such circumstances craves. And so such who long for Christ and his grace, for an interest in him, and fellowship with him, the Lord satisfies with these things, as with marrow and…

Such as sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death This is the second instance of persons in distress calling on the name of the Lord; and who, being delivered, are under obligation to praise him, such as are captives and prisoners.

Because they rebelled against the words of God All afflictions, as captivity and imprisonment, are generally for sin; which is a rebellion against God, and a transgression of his laws.

Therefore he brought down their heart with labour Humbled them under his mighty hand; brought down their haughty spirits and proud stomachs by one afflictive providence or another; by which the Lord humbles men, as he did the Israelites in the wilderness, and hides pride from them: or with trouble…

Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble Their affliction, their hearts being brought down with labour, and they being and finding themselves in a state of darkness, in the shadow of death, in affliction and iron; or in soul troubles, under a sense of sin, and in a view of wrath and…

He brought them out of darkness In which they were by nature, into marvellous light; to see their interest in Christ, and his salvation; and to have the light of joy and comfort in him.

O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness Or, “confess to the Lord his goodness or grace”, or “mercy” [[6]]; own and acknowledge it, in delivering them from such a state of darkness and death, of thraldom and captivity; see .

For he hath broken the gates of brass The prison doors made of brass, as sometimes of iron, for the security of the prisoners; see . And cut the bars of iron in sunder; with which they were barred and secured.

Fools, because of their transgression Or, “because of the way” [[7]] “of it”; their sinful course of life; for it is not for a single transgression they are afflicted, but for a continued series of sinning, which is a transgression of the law of God.

Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat Not only bread and common food, but dainty meat, the most delicious fare, , in which they most delighted in time of health, and too much indulged themselves in; and by that means brought diseases upon them, which caused this loathing in them, as is common.

Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble A time of affliction is a time of trouble, and a proper season for prayer; and by it persons are brought to the throne of grace, when humbled under the mighty hand of God, to seek for relief.

He sent his word, and healed them It was his will and pleasure they should be healed, and accordingly they were; he issued his orders for the removal of the affliction, and it was done; diseases are his servants, which come and go at his command; so Christ, in the days of his flesh, healed by…

Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness Both in restoring to bodily health, which is an instance of divine goodness; and in healing the diseases of the soul, or in the pardon of sin, which is according to the multitude of his mercies, and the riches of his grace.

And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving Not legal sacrifices, but spiritual and evangelical ones, the sacrifices of praise and thankfulness which God has enjoined are well pleasing to him through Christ, glorify him, and are but our reasonable service; see .

They that go down to the sea in ships This is the fourth instance of persons in distress crying to the Lord for help, and, having it, are laid under obligation to praise him; the case of seafaring men: so the Targum introduces it, “mariners that go down to the sea in ships;” the same form of…

These see the works of the Lord In creation, the sea itself, its flux and reflux; the creatures in it, fishes of various forms and sizes: and in providence, in preserving ships and men in the most imminent danger, and even to a miracle; sometimes causing the wind to change or to subside in a…

For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind Winds are not raised by men, nor by devils, nor by angels, but by the Lord himself; who has created them, holds them in his fist, brings them out of his treasures, and sends them forth to do his will; if he speaks the word, gives but the order, a storm…

They mount up to the heaven The waves which are lifted up by the stormy wind, and the ships which are upon them, and the men in them. They go down again to the depths: one while they seem to reach the skies, and presently they are down, as it were, in the bottom of the sea, and are threatened to be…

They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man Through the agitation of the water, and motion of the ship, not being able to stand upon deck. And are at their wit’s end; or, “all their wisdom is swallowed up” [[12]]; their wisdom in naval affairs, their art of navigation, their skill in…

Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble As in a storm seafaring persons are used to do; so did Jonah’s mariners, though Heathens, everyone cried to his god.

He maketh the storm a calm As Christ did by a word speaking, . So that the waves thereof are still; and roar and toss no more, but subside; and the sea becomes smooth and quiet, its raging ceases: the angry sea, as Horace [[14]] calls it, becomes calm and peaceable; see .

Then are they glad because they be quiet The mariners are glad that the waves are quiet, and they free from danger, and at ease and in repose themselves.

Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness Seafaring men particularly, before mentioned, as Jonah’s mariners did, , or all the four sorts of persons instanced in, as Kimchi thinks: and even all men whatsoever should do this, high and low, rich and poor, of every age, sex, and condition;…

Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, &c.] Of the people of God, who are gathered out of the world into a church state; and who gather themselves together to attend the worship and service of God in some one place; and here the Lord should be praised, and his name exalted, by…

He turneth rivers into a wilderness A country abounding with rivers, as the country round about Sodom and the land of Canaan were, . Such an one is sometimes, by the just judgment of God, turned into a desert.

A fruitful land into barrenness Or, “into saltness” [[18]]; as Sodom and the land adjacent became a salt sea; and the land of Canaan was threatened to become brimstone, salt and burning, like Sodom; in which nothing was sown, and which bore no grass; see and so the Targum, “the land of Israel,…

He turneth the wilderness into a standing water On the other hand, when it is the pleasure of God, a country uncultivated and like a desert, he makes it fruitful as one that is well watered and tilled; as this country of ours, and the land in America, once waste places, now fruitful ones.

And there he maketh the hungry to dwell In those fruitful places which they find agreeable to them, and so fix upon them as the places of their abode, and build houses, and dwell there; having all the conveniences of life, which they wanted elsewhere: so such as hunger and thirst after…

And sow the fields, and plant vineyards And so raise a sufficient supply of corn and wine for the support of themselves and families. In a spiritual sense the “fields” are the world, and the seed which is sown is the word; the persons that sow it are the ministers of the Gospel, which, by a divine…

He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly, &c.] Not only their fields and vineyards are blessed with an increase, but these husbandmen themselves; as man at his first creation was bid to do, being blessed of God; and as the Israelites were in Egypt, and which may spiritually denote…

Again they are minished Or “lessened”, in their families, cattle, and substance; either the same persons as before, or others. The Targum paraphrases it, “but when they sin, they are lessened:” for sin is the cause of it, as follows: and brought low through oppression, affliction and sorrow; either…

He poureth contempt upon princes That is, the Lord does, who is above them; he laughs at them, and has them in derision, when they are raging against his people, cause, and interest; he sets them up and pulls them down at his pleasure; he hurls them from their seats and thrones, and makes them…

Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction On the other hand, the Lord sometimes exalteth men of low degree, raiseth men of mean extract and parentage, who have made a poor figure in life, to high places of honour, free from adversity and distress; as David from the sheepfold, and from…

The righteous shall see it, and rejoice Shall see the increase and prosperity of the saints, the glory of the church in the latter day, and rejoice at it; the judgments of God upon the wicked, upon antichristian princes and states, and rejoice on that account; see (Rev. 19:1, Rev.

Whoso is wise Or as it may be read interrogatively, “who is wise?” as in , that is, spiritually wise, wise unto salvation; who is made to know wisdom in the hidden part; for not such as are possessed of natural wisdom, or worldly wise men, much less who are wise to do evil, are here meant.