Psalm 105
Wesley's Notes on the Bible
O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
105:3 Glory - Glory in the God whom you serve, as the only true God.
Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
105:4 Seek - The Lord in his strength, in his sanctuary, or before the ark, which is called God's strength. Face - His gracious presence.
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
105:5 Judgments - The punishments which he brought upon Egypt by his mere word.
O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.
105:6 Of Jacob - The only branch of Abraham's seed to whom the following blessings belong.
He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth.
105:7 Judgments - God executes his judgments upon all nations and people.
He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.
105:8 Remembered - So as to perform it. The word - The promise. Commanded - Established. Thousand generations - To all generations.
Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;
105:9 Oath - Wherewith he ratified the covenant with Isaac, Gen 26:3.
And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:
105:10 A law - That it might be as firm and irrevocable as a law.
Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:
105:11 Lot - The portion assigned to you by lot.
When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.
When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;
105:13 They went - Both in Canaan, where there were seven nations, and in Egypt.
He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;
Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
105:15 Anointed - My prophets, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; who are called God's anointed, because they were consecrated to be his peculiar people, and to be kings and princes in their families. And they are called prophets, because God familiarly conversed with them and revealed his will to them, and by them to others.
Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.
105:16 Staff of bread - Bread, which is the staff or support of our lives.
He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:
Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:
Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.
105:19 His word - That word or revelation which came first to Pharaoh in a dream, and then to Joseph concerning the interpretation of it. Purged - From those calamities which were cast upon him, and so prepared the way for his release.
The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.
He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:
To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.
Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
105:23 Ham - Ham was the father of Mizraim, or the Egyptians, Gen 10:6.
And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies.
He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.
105:25 Turned - That is, suffered them, to be turned.
He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen.
They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.
He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.
105:28 They - Moses and Aaron, who inflicted that plague after Pharaoh had threatened them.
He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.
Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.
105:30 Land - Their country. In chambers - Which entered into the chambers. Kings - Of Pharaoh and his sons, and his chief nobles and governors.
He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.
105:31 Coasts - In all their land, even to the utmost borders of it.
He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.
He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.
He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,
And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.
He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.
He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
105:37 Feeble - Diseased or unable for his journey: which in so vast a body, and in a people who had been so dreadfully oppressed, was wonderful.
Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.
He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.
105:39 Covering - To protect them from the heat of the sun.
The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
105:40 Quails - He speaks of the first giving of quails, Exo 16:13, which God gave them as a refreshment, notwithstanding their sin in desiring them, which he graciously pardoned. Bread - With manna which came out of the air, commonly called heaven.
He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.
105:41 River - They flowed in channels which God provided for them, and followed the Israelites in their march.
For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.
And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:
And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;
105:44 Labour - The fruits of their labour; their cities, vineyards, olive - yards.
That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible by John Wesley [1754-65]

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