Shīpiān 107

1 Nǐmen yào chēngxiè Yēhéhuá , yīn tā bĕn wèi shàn . tāde cíaì , yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

2 Yuàn Yēhéhuá de shú mín shuō zhè huà , jiù shì tā cóng dírén shǒu zhōng suǒ jiùshú de ,

3 Cóng gè dì , cóng dōng cóng xī , cóng nán cóng bĕi , suǒ zhāo jù lái de .

4 Tāmen zaì kuàngyĕ huāng dì piāo liú , xún bù jiàn kĕ zhù de chéngyì .

5 Yòu jī yòu kĕ , xīnli fā hūn .

6 Yúshì , tāmen zaì kǔnàn zhōng āi qiú Yēhéhuá , tā cóng tāmende huòhuàn zhōng dājiù tāmen .

7 Yòu lǐng tāmen xíng zǒu zhí lù , shǐ tāmen wǎng kĕ jūzhù de chéngyì .

8 Dàn yuàn rén yīn Yēhéhuá de cíaì hé tā xiàng rén suǒ xíng de qí shì dōu chēngzàn tā .

9 Yīn tā shǐ xīnli kĕ mù de rén , déyǐ zhīzú , shǐ xīnli jīè de rén , dé bǎo mĕi wù .

10 Nàxiē zuò zaì hēiàn zhōng sǐ yìn lǐ de rén , beì kùnkǔ hé tiĕliàn kúnsuǒ ,

11 Shì yīn tāmen wéibeì shén de huà yǔ , miǎoshì zhìgāo zhĕ de zhǐyì .

12 Suǒyǐ , tā yòng laókǔ zhì fù tāmende xīn . tāmen pú dǎo , wú rén fúzhù .

13 Yúshì , tāmen zaì kǔnàn zhōng āi qiú Yēhéhuá , tā cóng tāmende huòhuàn zhōng zhĕngjiù tāmen .

14 Tā cóng hēiàn zhōng , hé sǐ yīn lǐ , lǐng tāmen chūlai , zhé duàn tāmende bǎng suǒ .

15 Dàn yuàn rén yīn Yēhéhuá de cíaì , hé tā xiàng rén suǒ xíng de qí shì dōu chēngzàn tā .

16 Yīnwei tā dǎpò le tóng mén , kǎn duàn le tiĕ shuān .

17 Yú wàng rén yīn zìjǐ de guo fàn , hé zìjǐ de zuìniè biàn shòu kǔchǔ .

18 Tāmen xīnli yànwù gèyàng de shíwù , jiù línjìn sǐ mén .

19 Yúshì , tāmen zaì kǔnàn zhōng āi qiú Yēhéhuá , tā cóng tāmende huòhuàn zhōng zhĕngjiù tāmen .

20 Tā fā méng yīzhì tāmen , jiù tāmen tuōlí sǐwáng .

21 Dàn yuàn rén yīn Yēhéhuá de cíaì , hé tā xiàng rén suǒ xíng de qí shì dōu chēngzàn tā .

22 Yuàn tāmen yǐ gǎnxiè wèi zhaì xiàn gĕi tā , huānhū shùshuō tāde zuòwéi .

23 Zaì hǎi shang zuò chuán , zaì dà shuǐ zhōng jīnglǐ shì wù de .

24 Tāmen kànjian Yēhéhuá de zuòwéi , bìng tā zaì shēn shuǐ zhōng de qí shì .

25 Yīn tā yī fēnfu , kuángfēng jiù qǐlai , hǎi zhōng de bō làng yĕ yáng qǐ .

26 Tāmen shang dào tiānkōng , xià dào hǎi dǐ , tāmende xīn yīn huànnàn biàn xiāohuà .

27 Tāmen yáo yáo huǎng huǎng . dōng dǎo xī wāi , hǎoxiàng zuìjiǔ de rén . tāmende zhìhuì wúfǎ kĕ shī .

28 Yúshì , tāmen zaì kǔnàn zhōng āi qiú Yēhéhuá , tā cóng tāmende huòhuàn zhōng lǐng chū tāmen lái .

29 Tā shǐ kuángfēng zhǐxī , bō làng jiù píngjìng .

30 Fēng xī làng jìng , tāmen biàn huānxǐ . tā jiù yǐn tāmen dào suǒ yuàn qù de hǎikǒu .

31 Dàn yuàn rén yīn Yēhéhuá de cíaì , hé tā xiàng rén suǒ xíng de qí shì dōu chēngzàn tā .

32 Yuàn tāmen zaì mín de huì zhōng zūnchóng tā , zaì zhǎnglǎo de wèi shang zànmĕi tā .

33 Tā shǐ jiāng hé biàn wèi kuàngyĕ , jiào shuǐ quán biàn wèi gān kĕ zhī dì .

34 Shǐ féi dì biàn wèi jiǎn dì . zhè dōu yīn qí jiān jūmín de zuìè .

35 Tā shǐ kuàngyĕ biàn wèi shuǐ tán , jiào hàndì biàn wèi shuǐ quán .

36 Tā shǐ jīè de rén zhù zaì nàli , hǎo jiànzào kĕ zhù de chéngyì .

37 Yòu zhòng tiándì , zāi pútaóyuán , dé xiǎng suǒ chū de tǔchǎn .

38 Tā yòu cì fú gĕi tāmen , jiào tāmen shēng yǎng zhòngduō . yĕ bù jiào tāmende shēngchù jiǎnshǎo .

39 Tāmen yòu yīn bào nüè , huànnàn , chóukǔ , jiù jiǎnshǎo qiĕ bēi xià .

40 Tā shǐ jūnwáng méng xiū beì rǔ , shǐ tāmen zaì huāng feì wú lù zhī dì piāo liú .

41 Tā què jiāng qióngfá rén ānzhì zaì gāo chù , tuōlí kǔnàn , shǐ tāde jiā shǔ duō rú yáng qún .

42 Zhèngzhí rén kànjian , jiù huānxǐ . zuìniè zhī beì , bì sāi kǒu wú yán .

43 Fán yǒu zhìhuì de , bì zaì zhèxie shì shang liú xīn , yĕ bì sīxiǎng Yēhéhuá de cíaì .

Shīpiān 107 Commentary

Chapter 107

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)

Verses 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.

Verses 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.

Verses 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.

Verses 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.

Verses 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.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 107

This psalm, from its style, and from its connection with the preceding psalms, seems to have been written by David. The two foregoing psalms respect the children of Israel; this is generally thought to concern all mankind, and its view to assert a general providence which attends all, in whatsoever condition and circumstance; and to encourage men in their distresses to cry unto the Lord. According to Kimchi, Aben Ezra, and others, four sorts of persons are mentioned, travellers through a wilderness, prisoners, sick persons, and such who use the seas; to which some add a fifth, husbandmen; these are instanced in, not to the exclusion of others, but from them it may be concluded that whatsoever state or condition persons may be in, they are known and taken notice of by the Lord, and are relieved by him when they call upon him. Some restrain the whole to the Israelites, as the Targum, R. Obadiah, Arama, and others, where they make any application; and others apply the psalm to New Testament times; and indeed, though the literal sense should be attended unto and preserved, yet it seems to be applicable to spiritual persons and things. The title of it in the Syriac version is pretty remarkable,

``it is said concerning Joab and Abiah the sons of Samuel, who recited the commandments of the Lord. God gathered the Jews out of captivity, and brought them out from Babylon. Also the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, gathered the Gentiles from the four corners of the world, by preaching to baptism.''