_An exhortation to praise God, and to seek out his works.—The story of
God’s providence over Abraham,—over Joseph,—over Jacob, in Egypt,—over
Moses delivering the Israelites,—over the Israelites brought out of
Egypt, fed in the wilderness, and planted in Canaan._
O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds
among the people.
Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous
works.
Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the
LORD.
Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the
judgments of his mouth;
O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.
He _is_ the LORD our God: his judgments _are_ in all the earth.
He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word _which_ he
commanded to a thousand generations.
Which _covenant_ he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;
And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, _and_ to Israel _for_ an
everlasting covenant:
Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your
inheritance:
When there were _but_ a few men in number: yea, very few, and
strangers in it.
When they went from one nation to another, from _one_ kingdom to
another people;
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.