Psa 107:1 | KD | STEP | With this Psalm begins the Fifth Book, the Book אלה הדברים of the Psalter. With Ps 106 closed the Fourth Book, or the Book במדבר, the first Psalm of which, Ps 90, bewailed the manifestation of God’s wrath in the case of the generation of the desert, and in the presence of the prevailing death took refuge in God the eternal and unchangeable One. Ps 106, which closes the book has בּמּדבּר ( , ) as its favourite word, and makes confession of the sins of Israel on the way to Canaan. Now, just as at the beginning of the Book of Deuteronomy Israel stands on the threshold of the Land of Promise, after the two tribes and a half have already established themselves on the other side of the Jordan, so at the beginning of this Fifth Book of the Psalter we see Israel restored to the soil of its fatherland. There it is the Israel redeemed out of Egypt, here it is the Israel redeemed out of the lands of the Exile. There the lawgiver once more admonishes Israel to yield the obedience of love to the Law of Jahve, here the psalmist calls upon Israel to show gratitude towards Him, who has redeemed it from exile and distress and death. We must not therefore be surprised if Ps 106 and Ps 107 are closely connected, in spite of the fact that the boundary of the two Books lies between them. “Ps. 107 stands in close relationship to Ps 106. The similarity of the beginning at once points back to this Psalm. Thanks are here given in for what was there desired in v. 47. The praise of the Lord which was promised in in the case of redemption being vouchsafed, is here presented to Him after redemption vouchsafed.” This observation of Hengstenberg is fully confirmed. The really to a certain extent from a tetralogy. Ps 104 derives its material from the history of the creation, Ps 105 from the history of Israel in Egypt, in the desert, and in the Land of Promise down to the Exile, and Psalms 107 from the time of the restoration. Nevertheless the connection of Ps 104 with is by far not so close as that of these three Psalms among themselves. These three anonymous Psalms form a trilogy in the strictest sense; they are a tripartite whole from the hand of one author. The observation is an old one . The Harpffe Davids mit Teutschen Saiten bespannet (Harp of David strung with German Strings), a translation of the Psalms which appeared in Augsburg in the year 1659, begins Ps 106 with the words: “For the third time already am I now come, and I make bold to spread abroad, with grateful acknowledgment, Thy great kindnesses.” God’s wondrous deeds of loving-kindness and compassion towards Israel from the time of their forefathers down to the redemption out of Egypt according to the promise, and giving them possession of Canaan, are the theme of Ps 105. The theme of Ps 106 is the sinful conduct of Israel from Egypt onwards during the journey through the desert, and then in the Land of Promise, by which they brought about the fulfilment of the threat of exile ( ); but even there God’s mercy was not suffered to go unattested ( ). The theme of Psalms 107, finally, is the sacrifice of praise that is due to Him who redeemed them out of exile and all kinds of destruction. We may compare , He gave them the lands (ארצות) of the heathen ; , ( He threatened ) to cast forth their seed among the heathen and to scatter them in the lands (בּארצות); and , out of the lands (מארצות) hath He brought them together, out of east and west, out of north and south . The designed similarity of the expression, the internal connection, and the progression in accordance with a definite plan, are not to be mistaken here. In other respects, too, these three Psalms are intimately interwoven. In them Egypt is called “the land of Ham” ( , ; ), and Israel “the chosen ones of Jahve” ( , ; , cf. ). They are fond of the interrogative form of exclamation ( ; ). There is an approach in them to the hypostatic conception of the Word (דּבר, ; ). Compare also ישׁימון ; ; and the Hithpa . התהלּל ; , השׁתּבּח, , התבּלּע Psa 107:27. In all three the poet shows himself to be especially familiar with , and also with the Book of Job. Psalms 107 is the fullest in reminiscences taken from both these Books, and in this Psalm the movement of the poet is more free without recapitulating history that has been committed to writing. Everything therefore favours the assertion that Ps 105, Ps 106, and Ps 107 are a “trefoil” ( trifolium ) - two Hodu-Psalms, and a Hallalujah-Psalm in the middle. Ps. 107 consists of six groups with an introit, , and an epiphonem, Psa 107:43. The poet unrolls before the dispersion of Israel that has again attained to the possession of its native land the pictures of divine deliverances in which human history, and more especially the history of the exiles, is so rich. The epiphonem at the same time stamps the hymn as a consolatory Psalm; for those who were gathered again out of the lands of the heathen nevertheless still looked for the final redemption under the now milder, now more despotic sceptre of the secular power.

‏ Psalms 107:1

An Admonition to Fellow-Countrymen to Render Thanks on account of Having Got the Better of Calamities

With this Psalm begins the Fifth Book, the Book אלה הדברים of the Psalter. With Ps 106 closed the Fourth Book, or the Book במדבר, the first Psalm of which, Ps 90, bewailed the manifestation of God’s wrath in the case of the generation of the desert, and in the presence of the prevailing death took refuge in God the eternal and unchangeable One. Ps 106, which closes the book has בּמּדבּר (Psa 106:14, Psa 107:26) as its favourite word, and makes confession of the sins of Israel on the way to Canaan. Now, just as at the beginning of the Book of Deuteronomy Israel stands on the threshold of the Land of Promise, after the two tribes and a half have already established themselves on the other side of the Jordan, so at the beginning of this Fifth Book of the Psalter we see Israel restored to the soil of its fatherland. There it is the Israel redeemed out of Egypt, here it is the Israel redeemed out of the lands of the Exile. There the lawgiver once more admonishes Israel to yield the obedience of love to the Law of Jahve, here the psalmist calls upon Israel to show gratitude towards Him, who has redeemed it from exile and distress and death.

We must not therefore be surprised if Ps 106 and Ps 107 are closely connected, in spite of the fact that the boundary of the two Books lies between them. “Ps. 107 stands in close relationship to Ps 106. The similarity of the beginning at once points back to this Psalm. Thanks are here given in Psa 107:3 for what was there desired in v. 47. The praise of the Lord which was promised in Psa 106:47 in the case of redemption being vouchsafed, is here presented to Him after redemption vouchsafed.” This observation of Hengstenberg is fully confirmed. The Psa 104:1 really to a certain extent from a tetralogy. Ps 104 derives its material from the history of the creation, Ps 105 from the history of Israel in Egypt, in the desert, and in the Land of Promise down to the Exile, and Psalms 107 from the time of the restoration. Nevertheless the connection of Ps 104 with Psa 105:1 is by far not so close as that of these three Psalms among themselves. These three anonymous Psalms form a trilogy in the strictest sense; they are a tripartite whole from the hand of one author. The observation is an old one. The Harpffe Davids mit Teutschen Saiten bespannet (Harp of David strung with German Strings), a translation of the Psalms which appeared in Augsburg in the year 1659, begins Ps 106 with the words: “For the third time already am I now come, and I make bold to spread abroad, with grateful acknowledgment, Thy great kindnesses.” God’s wondrous deeds of loving-kindness and compassion towards Israel from the time of their forefathers down to the redemption out of Egypt according to the promise, and giving them possession of Canaan, are the theme of Ps 105. The theme of Ps 106 is the sinful conduct of Israel from Egypt onwards during the journey through the desert, and then in the Land of Promise, by which they brought about the fulfilment of the threat of exile (Psa 106:27); but even there God’s mercy was not suffered to go unattested (Psa 106:46). The theme of Psalms 107, finally, is the sacrifice of praise that is due to Him who redeemed them out of exile and all kinds of destruction. We may compare Psa 105:44, He gave them the lands (ארצות) of the heathen; Psa 106:27, (He threatened) to cast forth their seed among the heathen and to scatter them in the lands (בּארצות); and Psa 107:3, out of the lands (מארצות) hath He brought them together, out of east and west, out of north and south. The designed similarity of the expression, the internal connection, and the progression in accordance with a definite plan, are not to be mistaken here. In other respects, too, these three Psalms are intimately interwoven. In them Egypt is called “the land of Ham” (Psa 105:23, Psa 105:27; Psa 106:22), and Israel “the chosen ones of Jahve” (Psa 105:6, Psa 105:43; Psa 106:5, cf. Psa 23:1-6). They are fond of the interrogative form of exclamation (Psa 106:2; Psa 107:43). There is an approach in them to the hypostatic conception of the Word (דּבר, Psa 105:19; Psa 106:20). Compare also ישׁימון Psa 106:14; Psa 107:4; and the Hithpa. התהלּל Psa 105:3; Psa 106:5, השׁתּבּח, Psa 106:47, התבּלּע Psa 107:27. In all three the poet shows himself to be especially familiar with Isa 40:1, and also with the Book of Job. Psalms 107 is the fullest in reminiscences taken from both these Books, and in this Psalm the movement of the poet is more free without recapitulating history that has been committed to writing. Everything therefore favours the assertion that Ps 105, Ps 106, and Ps 107 are a “trefoil” (trifolium) - two Hodu-Psalms, and a Hallalujah-Psalm in the middle.

Ps. 107 consists of six groups with an introit, Psa 107:1-3, and an epiphonem, Psa 107:43. The poet unrolls before the dispersion of Israel that has again attained to the possession of its native land the pictures of divine deliverances in which human history, and more especially the history of the exiles, is so rich. The epiphonem at the same time stamps the hymn as a consolatory Psalm; for those who were gathered again out of the lands of the heathen nevertheless still looked for the final redemption under the now milder, now more despotic sceptre of the secular power.