A manual of the book of Psalms · Martin Luther
PSALM CV.
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. Moreover, he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread. 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. 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. 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. 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. He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish. Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.
He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, _and_ lice in all their coasts. 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 first-born 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. 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. _The people_ asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places _like_ a river. 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; That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.
This is a Psalm of particular thanksgiving; and a song especially adapted to the people of the Jews; that in the use of this Psalm they might render thanks unto God for all those, his wonderful works, which he wrought from Abraham down to the time when they were led into the promised land of Canaan. And the Psalmist, having recounted all these glorious works in their order, concludes with that word of Moses, (Deut. ix.) “That God did not do all these mighty works on account of any righteousness or merit of theirs, but because of the covenant and the promise which he had made with their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob:” for how righteous they were and what they deserved at the hand of God, is sung in the Psalm following.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.