Ver. 1. O give thanks unto the Lord] Some tell us that this and the two following psalms were the great Hallelujah sung at solemn times in their assemblies. But others say better, that the great Hallelujah (as the Hebrews called it) began at Psalms 113., and held on till Psalms 119, which they at the passover began to sing after that cup of wine they called Poculum hymni seu laudationis. Call upon his name] Call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, Psalms 18:3. [See Trapp on “Ps 18:3”] Our life must be divided between praises and prayers.
Ver. 2. Sing unto him, sing] Both with mouth and with musical instruments. Talk ye] Or, meditate ye, let your heart indite a good matter, and your tongue be as the pen of a ready writer, Psalms 45:1.
Ver. 3. Glory ye in his holy name] Of his power and goodness. See 1 Corinthians 1:31, with Jeremiah 9:23. Non est gloriosior populus sub coelo quam Iudaicus, saith Alsted; there is not a more vain glorious people under heaven than the Jews; but “we are the circumcision, which worship in spirit, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,” Philippians 3:3. Let the heart of them rejoice, &c.] All others are forbidden to rejoice, Hosea 9:1, and bidden to weep and howl, James 5:1.
Ver. 4. Seek the Lord, and his strength] That is, his ark, at the remove whereof to Jerusalem this psalm was sung, 1 Chronicles 16:7-36, &c. Called it is God’s strength and God’s face here; yea, even God himself, Psalms 132:5. It is as if he should say, Frequent holy assemblies, as ever you desire to draw nigh to God, and to have your faith in him confirmed.
Ver. 5. Remember his marvellous works, &c.] Deeply and diligently ponder both the works and words of God, comparing the one with the other, that ye may the better conceive of both.
Ver. 6. O ye seed of Abraham, &c.] Do thus, or else your pedigree will profit you no more than it did Dives in the flames, that Abraham called him son. An empty title yieldeth but an empty comfort.
Ver. 7. He is the Lord] Jehovah, the essentiator, the promise keeper, therefore praise him. He is also in covenant with us, and will we not do him this right? His judgments are in all the earth] His executions upon the Egyptians and Philistines are far and near notified and discoursed.
Ver. 8. He hath remembered his covenant] 1 Chronicles 16:15 it is, “Be ye mindful always of his covenant.” God ever remembereth, though we many times forget it, and ourselves. The word which he commanded] The conditions of the covenant.
Ver. 9. Which covenant he made with Abraham, &c.] Whom he found an idolater, Joshua 24:2. He justified the ungodly, Romans 4:5. And his oath] “That by two immutable things,” &c., Hebrews 6:18
Ver. 10. And confirmed the same, &c.] So God sealeth and sweareth to us again and again, in every sacrament, that all doubts of his love may be taken away, and our hearts lifted up (as Jehoshaphat’s, 2 Chronicles 17:6) in the way of the Lord.
Ver. 11. Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan] That most pleasant of all lands, Ezekiel 20:6, a type and pledge of heaven to the faithful.
Ver. 12. When they were but a few men in number] Seventy souls at their going down into Egypt, which yet (say the Hebrews truly) were more worth than the seventy nations of the whole world besides. Howbeit, God chose them not for their worth or number, but loved them merely because he loved them, Deuteronomy 6:7,8.
Ver. 13. When they went from one nation to another] There wer e seven several nations in that land wherein they sojourned, flitting from place to place, and having no settled habitation, αστατουνρες, 1 Corinthians 4:11. From one kingdom] Forced by famine, or other necessity. See Genesis 12:10 20:1-7 Ge 26:1-5
Ver. 14. He suffered no man, &c.] So as utterly to oppress them; for otherwise they had their illusages; such as was the taking away of Sarah, casting out of Isaac, the rape of Dinah, &c. Strangers meet many times with hard measure. Yea, he reproved kings] Genesis 12:17 20:3. Kings and queens must not think themselves too good to nurse God’s little ones, yea, to do them homage, licking up the dust under their feet, Isaiah 49:23.
Ver. 15. Touch not mine anointed, &c.] This God speaketh not of kings, but to kings, concerning his people who have an unction from the Father, being sanctified and set apart for his peculiar. To touch these is to touch the apple of God’s eye, Zechariah 2:8; they are sacred persons. And do my prophets no harm] The patriarchs were such, Genesis 20:7, so are still all godly ministers, whom they who harm by word or deed have not so much knowledge as Pilate’s wife had in a dream. See Psalms 14:4.