Ps. 106:0 THE ARGUMENT This Psalm was unquestionably composed in the time of the Israelites’ captivity and dispersion, as is manifest from Ps. 106:47, but whether it was that of Babylon, or some other of a later date, is neither easy nor necessary to determine.

He deserves our praises, notwithstanding all our sufferings, which are not to be imputed to him, for he is gracious and merciful, but only to our own sins.

i.e. His praiseworthy actions, by a usual metonymy.

That keep judgment; that observe and practise what is just and right towards God and men; which in the next clause he calls doing righteousness. At all times; in adversity as well as in prosperity. And this clause may belong either, 1.

Remember me; or, us; for he speaks here in the name and on the behalf of the whole nation, as is evident from Ps. 106:6–7, Ps. 106:47, of which he oft speaks as of one person.

See, i.e. enjoy, as the next clause explains it, and as this word is frequently used. Of thy chosen; of thy chosen people; which thou usest to give to thine elect, or to such as are Israelites indeed.

With our fathers; as our fathers did, and have not been made wiser or better by their examples, as we should have been.

Understood not; or, considered not, to wit, so as to be rightly affected with them, to give thee that love, and praise, and trust, and obedience which they deserved and required. Even at the Red Sea; when those wonders of thy power and goodness in Egypt were but newly done, and fresh in memory.

For his name’s sake; that he might glorify his name, and vindicate it from the blasphemous reproaches which the Egyptians and others would have cast upon it, if they had been destroyed. This argument was urged by Moses, Num. 14:13;c.

As securely as if they had walked upon the dry land.

Of him that hated them; of Pharaoh, who pursued them with cruel rage and hatred.

Soon; even within three days, Ex. 15:22–23. They waited not for his counsel; they did not wait patiently and believingly upon God for supplies from his hand, in such manner and time as he in his own counsel had appointed and thought fit.

Lusted exceedingly, to wit, for flesh, as the next verse showeth.

Either into their persons; or rather, their bodies, which are oft understood by this word; of which see the notes upon Ps. 16:10. So their inordinate desire of pleasing and pampering their bodies was the occasion of destroying them; whilst God denied his blessing, which alone makes food able to…

So called here, not so much for his inherent holiness, whereof Moses had a greater share, but because he was consecrated or set apart by God for that sacred office of the priesthood, in which respect all the priests are said to be holy, Lev. 21:6–8.

Dathan, with his company, which is sufficiently understood out of the following clause, and out of the history, Num. 16:0.

In their company; in their associates or confederates, those wicked men, as he calls them in the next clause, to wit, Korah and his company, who were consumed by a fire from the Lord, Num. 16:35, compared with Ps. 106:1–2, Ps. 106:16–19.

When they were but very lately brought out of Egypt by such wonderful power and goodness of God, and had seen the dreadful plagues of God upon the Egyptian idolaters, and upon their idols too, as is noted, Num.

Changed, as far as in them lay, and in respect of their worship. Their glory; their God, who was indeed their glory; for they had this just occasion of triumphing and glorying over all the nations of the world; that whereas all other nations worshipped stocks and stones, or the heavenly bodies, or…

He said; he declared his intention in express words, as Ex. 32:10, and elsewhere. In the breach: God had made a hedge or wall about them; but they had made a gap or breach in it by their sins, at which the Lord, who was now justly become their enemy, might enter to destroy them; which he had…

Despised; preferring Egypt and the former bondage before it, Num. 14:3–4, and not thinking it worthy of a little hazard and difficulty in taking the possession of it. The pleasant land, Canaan; which was so not only in truth, Deut. 11:11–12, Jer. 3:19, Ezek.

To God’s command, which was, that they should boldly and confidently enter into it.

He lifted up his hand; he sware, as this phrase is commonly used, as Gen. 14:22, Deut. 32:40, Neh. 9:15, Rev. 10:5–6; of this dreadful and irrevocable sentence and oath of God, see Num. 14:0.

To overthrow their seed; he sware also (though not at the same time) that he would punish their sins, not only in their persons, but also in their posterity. See Ex. 20:5, Ex. 32:34, Lev. 26:33. Others refer this to the same oath and history, Num.

They joined themselves, to wit, in worship, whereby they had a union and communion with him, as God’s people have with God in acts of his worship. And this phrase seems also to note their carnal copulation with the daughters of Moab in the temple, or to the honour of Baal-peor.

And although that action of his might seem harsh, and rash, and irregular, as being done by a private person and a priest, and as allowing the delinquents no space for repentance, it was accepted and rewarded by God as an act of justice and piety agreeable to his mind, and proceeding from a sincere…

Or, because of them, upon occasion of their unbelief and murmuring, whereby he was provoked to speak unadvisedly, as it here follows.

He spake unadvisedly: so this word is thought to signify, Lev. 5:4, Prov. 12:18. Or, he spake, as the word commonly signifies. Not that it was in itself a sin to speak, but because he spake when he should have been silent; or he spake to the people, when God commanded him only to speak to the rock,…

Concerning whom, i.e. concerning whose destruction or rather, which thing to wit, to destroy those Canaanitish nations; for in the Hebrew there is nothing but asher, which signifies only either whom or which.

Mingled in their habits and negotiations, as also in marriages.

Which idols were an occasion of their falling both into further and greater sins, as it follows, Ps. 106:37–38; and into utter ruin, as this phrase also notes, Ex. 23:33, Judg. 2:12;c.

Of which heathenish practice, See Poole “Lev. 18:21”. Unto devils; by which expression he informeth them that they did not worship God, as they pretended and sometimes designed, but devils in their idols; and that those spirits which were supposed by the heathen idolaters to inhabit in their…

Innocent blood; the blood of their children, who, though sinners before God, yet were innocent as to them, from any crime deserving such barbarous usage from them.

Committed spiritual whoredom, by worshipping those idols which were but human inventions, and that in such an unnatural and bloody manner, as they had devised.

Provoked him with their counsel, by forsaking God’s counsel and the way which he had appointed, and following after their own inventions and evil inclinations, as charged them, Ps. 106:39. See the like Num. 15:30.

His covenant; the covenant made with their father which, notwithstanding their horrible violation of it. made good unto them, and in consideration thereof delivered them. Repented; changed his course and dealing with them, as penitent persons usually do. See Poole “Gen. 6:6”.

By changing their opinions of them, and inclining their hearts towards them, which he had alienated from them See Poole “Ps. 105:25”.

Save us, O Lord our God: O thou who hast so often pardoned and saved us, notwithstanding our former and manifold provocations, be thou pleased once more to deliver us. In thy praise; in thy praiseworthy work wrought for us; praise being put for actions worthy of praise, as it is here, above, Ps.