1O give praise to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy is unchanging for ever. 2Let those whose cause the Lord has taken up say so, his people whom he has taken out of the hands of their haters; 3Making them come together out of all the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. 4They were wandering in the waste places; they saw no way to a resting-place. 5Their souls became feeble for need of food and drink. 6Then they sent up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gave them salvation out of all their troubles; 7Guiding them in the right way, so that they might come into the town of their resting-place. 8Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men! 9He gives its desire to the unresting soul, so that it is full of good things. 10Those who were in the dark, in the black night, in chains of sorrow and iron; 11Because they went against the words of God, and gave no thought to the laws of the Most High: 12So that he made their hearts weighted down with grief; they were falling, and had no helper. 13Then they sent up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gave them salvation out of all their troubles. 14He took them out of the dark and the black night, and all their chains were broken. 15Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men! 16The doors of brass are broken by his arm, and the bands of iron are cut in two. 17Foolish men, because of their sins, and because of their wrongdoing, are troubled; 18They are disgusted by all food, and they come near to the doors of death. 19Then they send up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gives them salvation out of all their troubles. 20He sent his word and made them well, and kept them safe from the underworld. 21Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men! 22Let them make offerings of praise, giving news of his works with cries of joy. 23Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business in the great waters; 24They see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. 25For at his word comes up the storm-wind, lifting high the waves. 26The sailors go up to heaven, and down into the deep; their souls are wasted because of their trouble. 27They are turned here and there, rolling like a man who is full of wine; and all their wisdom comes to nothing. 28Then they send up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gives them salvation out of all their troubles. 29He makes the storm into a calm, so that the waves are at peace. 30Then they are glad, because the sea is quiet, and he takes them to the harbour of their desire. 31Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men! 32Let them give glory to him in the meeting of the people, and praise among the chiefs. 33He makes rivers into waste places, and springs of water into a dry land; 34He makes a fertile country into a salt waste, because of the sins of those who are living there. 35He makes a waste land into a place of water, and a dry land into water-springs. 36And there he gives the poor a resting-place, so that they may make themselves a town; 37And put seed in the fields and make vine-gardens, to give them fruit. 38He gives them his blessing so that they are increased greatly, and their cattle do not become less. 39And when they are made low, and crushed by trouble and sorrow, 40He puts an end to the pride of kings, and sends them wandering in the waste lands where there is no way. 41But he puts the poor man on high from his troubles, and gives him families like a flock. 42The upright see it and are glad: the mouth of the sinner is stopped. 43Let the wise give thought to these things, and see the mercies of the Lord.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
God's providential care of the children of men in distresses, in banishment, and dispersion. (1-9) In captivity. (10-16) In sickness. (17-22) Danger at sea.(23-32) God's hand is to be seen by his own people. (33-43) 1-9 In these verses there is reference to the deliverance from Egypt, and perhaps that from Babylon: but the circumstances of travellers in those countries are also noted. It is scarcely possible to conceive the horrors suffered by the hapless traveller, when crossing the trackless sands, exposed to the burning rays of the sum. The words describe their case whom the Lord has redeemed from the bondage of Satan; who pass through the world as a dangerous and dreary wilderness, often ready to faint through troubles, fears, and temptations. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, after God, and communion with him, shall be filled with the goodness of his house, both in grace and glory. 10-16 This description of prisoners and captives intimates that they are desolate and sorrowful. In the eastern prisons the captives were and are treated with much severity. Afflicting providences must be improved as humbling providences; and we lose the benefit, if our hearts are unhumbled and unbroken under them. This is a shadow of the sinner's deliverance from a far worse confinement. The awakened sinner discovers his guilt and misery. Having struggled in vain for deliverance, he finds there is no help for him but in the mercy and grace of God. His sin is forgiven by a merciful God, and his pardon is accompanied by deliverance from the power of sin and Satan, and by the sanctifying and comforting influences of God the Holy Spirit. 17-22 If we knew no sin, we should know no sickness. Sinners are fools. They hurt their bodily health by intemperance, and endanger their lives by indulging their appetites. This their way is their folly. The weakness of the body is the effect of sickness. It is by the power and mercy of God that we are recovered from sickness, and it is our duty to be thankful. All Christ's miraculous cures were emblems of his healing diseases of the soul. It is also to be applied to the spiritual cures which the Spirit of grace works. He sends his word, and heals souls; convinces, converts them, makes them holy, and all by the word. Even in common cases of recovery from sickness, God in his providence speaks, and it is done; by his word and Spirit the soul is restored to health and holiness. 23-32 Let those who go to sea, consider and adore the Lord. Mariners have their business upon the tempestuous ocean, and there witness deliverances of which others cannot form an idea. How seasonable it is at such a time to pray! This may remind us of the terrors and distress of conscience many experience, and of those deep scenes of trouble which many pass through, in their Christian course. Yet, in answer to their cries, the Lord turns their storm into a calm, and causes their trials to end in gladness. 33-43 What surprising changes are often made in the affairs of men! Let the present desolate state of Judea, and of other countries, explain this. If we look abroad in the world, we see many greatly increase, whose beginning was small. We see many who have thus suddenly risen, as suddenly brought to nothing. Worldly wealth is uncertain; often those who are filled with it, ere they are aware, lose it again. God has many ways of making men poor. The righteous shall rejoice. It shall fully convince all those who deny the Divine Providence. When sinners see how justly God takes away the gifts they have abused, they will not have a word to say. It is of great use to us to be fully assured of God's goodness, and duly affected with it. It is our wisdom to mind our duty, and to refer our comfort to him. A truly wise person will treasure in his heart this delightful psalm. From it, he will fully understand the weakness and wretchedness of man, and the power and loving-kindness of God, not for our merit, but for his mercy's sake.