Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 13

They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his g counsel:

(g) The would prevent his wisdom and providence.

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 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?

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 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.