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Verse Commentaries:
Chapter Level Commentary: Psa 107:
PSALMS 107-150.
THE FIFTH, OR DEUTERONOMY BOOK*.
GOD''S WORD THE ONLY GOOD.
"He sent His Word, and healed them. And delivered them from all their destructions"
(Psa_107:20; Psa_147:15, Psa_147:18.)
107 DELIVERANCE BY THE HEALING WORD.
108-110 THE TRUE DAVID''S HUMILIATION, DELIVERANCE, AND
EXALTATION (Psa_108:6).
111-113 PRAISE. THREE HALLELUJAH PSALMS. THE FIRST TWO BEGINNING, AND THE THIRD, BOTH BEGINNING AND ENDING, WITH "HALLELUJAH"(Ps. 111 Being Praise For Jehovah''s WORKS; 112, For His WAYS; And 113, For HIMSELF.)
114-115 DELIVERANCE FROM EGYPT, AND EGYPT''S IDOLS.
116-118 PRAISE. THREE PSALMS. THE FIRST TWO ENDING WITH "HALLELUJAH", AND THE THIRD BEGINNING AND ENDING WITH "O GIVE THANKS".
119 QUICKENING AND SUSTAINING || BY THE REVEALING WORD.
120-134 DELIVERANCE FROM SENNACHERIB. TYPICAL OF ISRAEL''S FUTURE DELIVERANCE. Fifteen Psalms Arranged in Five Triads. (See Appdx-67.)
135-136 PRAISE. TWO PSALMS LINKED TOGETHER BY ONE COMBINED STRUCTURE.
137 DELIVERANCE OF CAPTIVES. SENNACHERIB''S CAPTIVES. (See notes)
138 PRAISE.
139 DELIVERANCE FROM AN EVIL HEART (Compare Eze_36:26. Jer_31:33.)
140-144 PRAYER AND PRAISE.
145 THE TRUE DAVID LEADING THE PRAISES OF HIS PEOPLE (Psa_144:9).
146-150 PRAISE. FIVE HALLELUJAH PSALMS, EACH BEGINNING AND ENDING WITH "HALLELUJAH".
* DEUTERONOMY is man''s name for this book. It comes from the Greek Septuagint, and means "the second Law". It was given because Deuteronomy was a repetition of the Law, with variations, to suit the needs of the new generation in the Land. The title in the Hebrew Canon is, ''elleh haddebarim, "THESE ARE THE WORDS". It is the book which contains the words of God; and consists almost wholly of the testimonies, statutes, judgments, &c, of Jehovah. It was from this book that the Saviour made His three quotations, when He met the tempter with the threefold "It is written". It follows the Book of the Wilderness; and gives the reason for all the trials of the pilgrimage:"The LORD thy God led thee these forty years. .. that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that pro-ceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live" (Deu_8:2, Deu_8:3). The natural life, the giving of which is recorded in Genesis, is nothing worth if man be not begotten by the Word, and if the new nature thus given be not nourished by the Word. For only thus can man be truly said to "live ".
Hence, in this Deuteronomy-Book of the Psalms we have the same leading subject. Its teaching, like that of the other books, is Dispensational; and it is grouped around the WORD. All blessing for Man (Book I), all blessing for Israel (Book II), all blessing for Zion (Book III), all blessing for the Earth and its Nations (Book IV), is bound up in the Word and Law of God. The breaking of that Law had been the source of Man''s sorrow, Israel''s dispersion, the Temple''s ruin, and the Earth''s misery. It will yet be seen that all blessing for Man, the gathering of Israel, the building of Zion, and restoration for the earth, is bound up with the Word of God, and with His Law written by His Spirit on the fleshy tables of the heart (Jer_31:31-34. Eze_36:24-38).
What a wonderful thing for one to be brought to say "O how I love Thy Law !" (Psa_119:97), when the breaking of that Law had brought in all the suffering! But it will be noted that this is said only after (in Psalm 118) the Resurrection of the Righteous Magnifier of that Law has been celebrated.
This is the theme of the Deuteronomy-Book of the Psalms. It consists of forty-four Psalms, in which the title Jehovah occurs 293 times; and Jah, 13; while Elohim occurs only 41 times (4 of which are with Jehovah); El, 10 times; Eloha, twice. While the structure of the other books consists of two or three sections, this book is, like the Law of God itself, a perfect whole. It is the only book which has an even number of Psalms. Its first Psalm (107), as is the case with the first Psalms of the other books, is at once its key-note and epitome.
Heb. Shehith = graves, or pits (from Shahath = to destroy), occurs only here and in Lam_4:20. The two passages, taken together, tell us that it is not merely the written Word which delivers from deep afflictions, but that the Living and Divine WORD,Who was "taken in their pits", is the alone Deliverer of His People from their graves.
It will be noted that Ps. 119 is characteristic of the DEUTERONOMY Book of the Psalms; while Ps. 84 is characteristic of the LEVITICUS Book, and Ps. 90 of the NUMBERS Book. We cannot imagine these as being appropriate to any other Books. || The Quickening and Sustaining Word. This is characteristic of Ps. 119. Cp. vv. Psa_107:25, Psa_107:37, Psa_107:40, Psa_107:50, Psa_107:88, Psa_107:93, Psa_107:107, Psa_107:149, Psa_107:154, Psa_107:156; Psa_107:159 (eleven occurrences). Moreover, the verb hayah (= to breathe, to live, to continue to live) is used sixteen times in this Psalm, always in the sense of keeping alive, or continuing in life. See KAL (Future), vv. Psa_107:17, Psa_107:77, Psa_107:116, Psa_107:144, Psa_107:175. PIEL (Pret.), vv. Psa_119:50; Psa_119:93. PIEL (Imperative), vv. Psa_119:25; Psa_119:37; Psa_119:40; Psa_119:88; Psa_119:107; Psa_119:149; Psa_119:154; Psa_119:156; Psa_119:159.
In this connection, how suitable to Hezekiah. See Appdx-67, and note the Distress, which is the subject of the first Psalm of each of the five groups of "the songs of the Degrees"; and Hezekiah''s earnest prayer. Appdx-67 (iv and xiv).
The Songs of THE Degrees are 15 in number (120 134, above). They correspond in number with the 15 years added to Hezekiah''s life. Ten are by Hezekiah (corresponding with the number of "the Degrees" by which the shadow of the sun went backward on the sundial of Ahaz, 2Ki_20:8-11). Five are by others (4 by David and 1 by Solomon). Solomon''s Psalm occupies the centre (127); and, of the 7 on either side, 2 in each 7 are by David; and 10 (5 in each 7) by Hezekiah.
In each 7 the name of JEHOVAH occurs 24 times, and JAH once in the third Psalm of each 7. In the central Psalm Jehovah occurs 3 times.
The fifteen Psalms are arranged in five groups of 3 each. In each group, the subject of the first is Distress; the second is Trust in Jehovah; while the third speaks of Blessing and Peace in Zion.
They are here in fulfilment of Hezekiah''s promise recorded in Isa_38:20. (For farther information see Appdx-73, and Dr. J. W. Thirtle''s Old Testament Problems. London, Henry Frowde.)
The last five Hallelujah Psalms (146 150, p. 826) are an echo and reminiscence of the whole of the five books of the Psalter:
146. GENESIS. Compare Psa_107:4 with Gen_2:7; Psa_107:5 with Gen. 28; v. Psa_146:6 with Gen 1.
147. EXODUS. Compare v. Psa_147:4 ("names") with Exo_1:1-2; Exo_1:20 with the building up of the nation (Exo_1:7-20); and vv. Exo_1:15; Exo_1:19 with Ex. 20.
148. LEVITICUS. Compare v. Psa_148:14 ("a People near unto Him") with Lev_10:3.
149. NUMBERS. Compare vv. Psa_149:5-9 with Num_14:21; Num_24:17-24. The nations ruled and blessed I by the Saints.
150. DEUTERONOMY. Compare v. Psa_150:2 with Deu_3:24.