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Expanded Comments | Additional Comments |
| 1 [BOOK THE FIFTH] O give thanks to Yahweh–For he is good, For, age-abiding, is his lovingkindness. |
O give thanks – This Psalms was probably written on the occasion of the dedication of the Temple. R4297:1
Endureth for ever – To a full completeness. R5427:3
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| 2 Let the redeemed of Yahweh say, Whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the adversary; |
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| 3 And, out of the lands, hath gathered them–From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south. |
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| 4 They wandered about in the desert–in a waste, Way to a city to dwell in, found they none;
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| 5 Hungry–yea thirsty, their soul, within them, fainted: |
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| 6 Then made they outcry to Yahweh, in their peril, Out of their distresses, he rescued them; |
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| 7 And led them by a straight road, That they might journey to a city to dwell in. |
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| 8 Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his lovingkindness, and for his wonderful dealings with the sons of men; |
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| 9 For he hath satisfied the longing soul, and, the famished soul, hath he filled with good. |
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| 10 The dwellers in darkness and death-shade, bound with oppression and iron; |
Sit in darkness – Failing to search the Scriptures that they may know the will and counsel of God. R2240:6
Bound in affliction – Our first parents--driven out of the Garden of Eden because of disobedience. SM156:3
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| 11 Because they had rebelled against the sayings of GOD,–and, the counsel of the Most High, they had spurned; |
The words of God – The Scriptures--by not putting them into practice. R2241:1
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| 12 And he bowed down, with labour, their heart, They staggered, with no one to help, |
Brought down – Penalty for disobedience. (See Psa. 107:10) SM157:1
With labour – The sentence, that man should earn his bread by the sweat of his face, was designed of the Lord to be a blessing. SM157:1
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| 13 Then made they outcry to Yahweh in their peril, Out of their distresses, he saved them; |
Then they cried – Before being used of the Lord and prepared for further great things at his hand, Israel needed to learn dependence upon him. R3983:5
As the Lord taught us to pray, "Abandon us not in temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (Matt. 6:13) R3983:6
In their trouble – Present distresses and tribulations are all working out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, if we are rightly exercised thereby. R3983:6
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| 14 He brought them forth out of darkness and death-shade, and, their fetters, he tare off. |
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| 15 Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his lovingkindness, and for his wonderful dealings with the sons of men! |
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| 16 For he brake in pieces the doors of bronze, And, the bars of iron, he hewed asunder. |
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| 17 The perverse, by reason of their transgression, and on account of their iniquities, are afflicted; |
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| 18 All manner of food, their soul abhorreth, and so they draw near unto the gates of death, |
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| 19 Then make they outcry to Yahweh in their peril, and, out of their distresses, he saveth them. |
They cry – Such a cry implies that the sins and weaknesses of the flesh were contrary to the transgressor's will. All such who cry unto the Lord in sincerity and faith shall be heard. R3103:4
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| 20 He sendeth his word, and healeth them, and delivereth them from their graves. |
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| 21 Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his lovingkindness, and for his wonderful dealings with the sons of men! |
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| 22 Yea let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and recount his works with a shout. |
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| 23 Men who go down to the sea, in ships, doing business through mighty waters; |
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| 24 They, see the works of Yahweh, and his wonders in the deep; |
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| 25 And he speaketh, and there ariseth a tempestuous wind, which lifteth on high its rolling waves; |
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| 26 They mount the heavens, they descend the roaring deeps, their soul, by trouble, dissolveth; |
They go down again – Stormy troubles of the sea--a graphic description of some of our trials and difficulties. SM745:1
Trouble – Rendered "evil" in "I create evil." (Isa. 45:7) A125
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| 27 They reel and stagger, like a drunken man, and, all their wisdom, is engulfed, |
Reel to and fro – "The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard" (Isa. 24:20) as the judgments of the Lord fall heavily on the wayward and disobedient. R5989:5
Vainly endeavoring to right itself, maintain a footing and re-establish itself. D551
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| 28 Then make they outcry to Yahweh in their peril, and, out of their distresses, he bringeth them forth, |
Cry unto the LORD – When the world is frenzied with fear and despair. They will see then that unless the Lord helps them, all is lost. OV420:2
Out of their distresses – A picture of how the Kingdom of Christ will be inaugurated. OV420:2
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| 29 He calmeth the storm to a whisper, and silent are their rolling waves: |
The storm – Mankind is experiencing a mighty whirlwind on the social sea; selfishness is always stirring up a storm on every possible occasion. God permits this so humanity will learn to appreciate our great Savior. R5695:6,3, R5696:1
How suddenly the Adversary may at times bring against us a whirlwind of temptation or of opposition or of persecution. R3324:6
The storms may seem to come from the world, but really beyond the world is the Adversary. R3325:4, R5239:2
These storms may be right inside our own person--storms of anger, passion, or resentment. R5239:4
Those who do not have storms, trials, and difficulties lack proof that they are God's children. (Heb. 12:7, 8) R5239:2
The 6000 years of sin and death have been one continuous storm with occasional brief lulls. R5239:5
This trouble and the glory to follow are the theme of all the holy prophets. R5696:3
The difficulties of life have been valuable to the Church. R5695:6
A calm – The storms of life may go on, but the Lord speaks peace to us. R5696:1
In due time, Christ will bid all storms to cease. R5695:3
In a storm at sea, the voyager feels his own littleness and realized no human arm can calm that storm; but our Heavenly Father can calm the storms of trouble. R5239:1
By the storms and sunshine of life, the Lord is bringing us to the desired haven. SM745:1
The great rest for mankind from the evil one for a thousand years. R3325:4
Illustrated by the miracle of Jesus' calming the sea. R3324:1
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| 30 Then are they glad, because they are hushed, And he guideth them unto their desired haven. |
Desired haven – Beyond the veil--the New Jerusalem. SM743:1
To that condition of heart and character which he can approve as worthy of life eternal. SM746:T
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| 31 Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his lovingkindness, and for his wonderful dealings with the sons of men! |
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| 32 Yea let them extol him in the convocation of the people, and, in the seated company of elders, let them praise him. |
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| 33 He turneth Rivers into a desert, and, Springs of Water, into thirsty ground, |
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| 34 A Land of Fruit, into a waste of salt, For the wickedness of them who dwell therein. |
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| 35 He turneth A Desert, into a pool of water, and, A Parched Land into springs of water; |
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| 36 And hath caused the famished to dwell there, And they have built them a city to dwell in; |
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| 37 And have sown fields, and planted vineyards, and made them fruits of increase: |
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| 38 Thus hath he blessed them, and they have multiplied greatly, And, their cattle, he maketh not few. |
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| 39 So have they become few and been brought low, By oppression, misfortune, and sorrow; |
Affliction – Rendered "evil" in "I create evil." (Isa. 45:7) A125
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| 40 He poureth contempt upon nobles, and causeth them to wander in a pathless waste; |
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| 41 But he hath set the needy on high from affliction, and made families, like a flock:– |
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| 42 The upright seeth and is glad, And, all perverseness, hath closed her mouth. |
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| 43 Who is wise? then let him observe these things! and diligently consider the lovingkindness of Yahweh. |
Shall understand – And that constitutes authority to teach. F295
Have confidence in the Lord and in his times and seasons. R5697:1
It is ours to know the outcome. R5696:1
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