John Gill Commentary Psalms 106

Praise you the Lord
Or "hallelujah"; which, according to the Arabic version, is the title of the psalm; and so it stands in the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Ethiopic versions. Several psalms following begin in like manner; it begins as the former ended, and ends as it begins; praise being due to God at all times, and on all occasions.

O give thanks unto the Lord :
always, for all things, temporal and spiritual, since not worthy of any: or, confess unto the Lord ^F8 ; his great goodness, and your unworthiness; and all your sins and transgressions committed against him, who only can pardon.

For he is good ;
essentially, solely and originally; is communicative and diffusive of his goodness; is the author of all good, and of no evil; and is gracious and merciful, and ready to forgive.

For his mercy endureth for ever ;
notwithstanding the sins of his people; though he may sometimes hide his face from them, and rebuke them in his providence; and though he causes grief by so doing, he still has compassion upon them, his mercy continues towards them; yea, his mercies are new every morning, as to temporal things; and spiritual mercies, the sure mercies of David, redemption, remission of sins, and sanctification, issue in eternal life; the mercy of God is from eternity to eternity: these are reasons why he should be praised, and thanks be given, to him.

FOOTNOTES:

• F8: (hwhyl wdwh) "confitemini Domino", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus

Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord ?
&c.] Or powers ^F9 ; to which answers the Greek word for the miracles of Christ, (Matthew 11:20Matthew 11:21) , and Kimchi here restrains them to the wonders wrought in Egypt, and at the Red sea: but they may as well be extended to the mighty acts of God, and the effects of his power, in the creation of all things out of nothing; in the sustaining and government of the world; in the redemption of his people by Christ; in the conversion of sinners, and in the final perseverance of the saints; in all which there are such displays of the power of God as cannot be uttered and declared by mortal tongues.

Who can show forth all his praise ?
all those things done by him, worthy of praise, they are so many and so great? see (Psalms 40:5) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F9: (twrwbg) "potentias", V. L. Michaelis; "virtutes", Cocceius.

Blessed are they that keep judgment
Or "observe" ^F11 it; the righteous judgment of God on wicked men; by which he is known in his justice, holiness, truth, and faithfulness; and by which the inhabitants of the earth observing it, learn to do righteousness, as follows: or else it may intend the word of God, his laws, statutes, and ordinances, after called his judgments, (Psalms 19:9) (Psalms 147:19Psalms 147:20) , which should be observed and kept, as the rule of our actions, walk, and conversation.

[And] he that does righteousness at all times ;
continually believes in Christ for righteousness, and puts on that as his justifying righteousness; whereby he becomes righteous as he is, (1 John 3:7) , and performs acts of righteousness from a principle of grace, as a fruit of regeneration, and an evidence of it, (1 John 2:29) , who does it with right views, aims, and ends; not to be justified and saved by it, but because God requires it; and it is for his glory, and to testify subjection to him, and thankfulness for favours received from him. And this is to be done at all times; we should never be weary of well doing, but be always abounding in good works; and happy are those that will be found so doing, such are "blessed" persons: not that their blessedness lies in or arises from righteousness done by them; but this is descriptive of such that are blessed in Christ with the remission of sins, and his justifying righteousness. And these are the proper persons to show forth the mighty acts and praise of the Lord; they are most capable of it, and more likely to perform it with acceptance than any other; see (Psalms 50:14Psalms 50:16Psalms 50:23) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F11: (yrmv) "observarent", Junius & Tremellius; "observantium", Gejerus.

Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto
thy people
The Lord has a special and peculiar people, whom he has chosen, taken into covenant, given to his Son, redeemed by him, who are called by grace, and brought to glory: to these he bears a peculiar favour, loves with an everlasting love; which he has shown in the choice of them; in the gift of his Son to them; in their regeneration, and eternal salvation. Now nothing can be more desirable than an interest in this favour, in which is life, spiritual and eternal; is the strength and security of believers, the source of their comfort, and the foundation of their happiness: to be remembered with this is to have a view of interest in it, a comfortable sensation of it, and an application of benefits by it.

O visit me with thy salvation ;
a prayer, either for the coming of Christ, as God's salvation, promised, expected, and wished for; or, however, for an application of spiritual salvation to be wrought out by him; for a view of interest in it; to have the joys and comforts of it now, and the full possession of it hereafter. A gracious and desirable visit this! The ends of such requests, or of such a visit, follow:

That I may see the good of your chosen
The elect, according to the foreknowledge of God; who are chosen in Christ to holiness and happiness, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth unto salvation by him. They are the vessels of mercy afore prepared unto glory, both of Jews and Gentiles.

The "good" of those is not any goodness of their own, for there is none in them naturally; they are by nature no better than others, none are good, nor do good, no, not one. But it is the goodness of God laid up for them, and bestowed on them; the blessings of goodness with which Christ is preparing for them; all the good things secured for them in a well ordered covenant; which they partake of in time, and to eternity.

To "see" these is not to have a superficial, notional, knowledge of them, as hypocrites may have; or a distant view of them, as Balaam, and the rich man in hell; but to have an experience of them, possess them, and enjoy them.

That I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation ;
all the nations of the world are the Lord's; but there is a chosen generation, an holy nation, that is peculiarly his; a nation taken out of a nation, nay, taken out of all the nations that are upon earth.

And these have a joy peculiar to them, which foreigners know nothing of, and strangers intermeddle not with; a spiritual joy in the Holy Ghost; a rejoicing in Christ Jesus, in his person, blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, and in hope of the glory of God; and such joy is desirable, a joy unspeakable, and full of glory.

That I may glory with your inheritance ;
the same with his chosen people and nation: for the Lord's people is his portion, and the lot of his inheritance; they are chosen for an inheritance, given to Christ as such, with which he is well pleased, esteeming them a goodly heritage; they are his purchased possession, his jewels and peculiar treasure.

These "glory" not in themselves, in their strength and wisdom, their riches and righteousness; but in Christ and in his righteousness, and in what he is made unto them. And the psalmist desires to join with them, and glory in what they did, and in no other; and unite with them in giving glory to God and Christ, now and hereafter, for his salvation, and all good things from him.