Psalm 107:42

The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(42) Again the dependence on the book of Job is seen. (See marginal reference.)

Benson Commentary

Psalm 107:42. The righteous shall see it — Or rather, shall see these things, as it is expressed in the next verse. They shall diligently observe these wonderful works of God’s mercy and justice; and rejoice — In the glorification of his attributes, and the manifestation of his dominion over the children of men. They will rejoice, not only in the mercies of God vouchsafed or offered to them and other persons, in want and misery, but also in his judgments upon his implacable enemies, because by these it is evinced, beyond dispute, that there is a God that judgeth in the earth, his honour, and the honour of piety and virtue, are advanced, impious pride is brought low, and the progress of vice and misery is checked or prevented. They will rejoice especially that, according to what is set forth by the foregoing similitudes, there is no spiritual evil out of which God is not both able and willing to deliver mankind, when they call upon him. “Are we ignorant of the way to the heavenly city? He will guide and conduct us thither. Are we bound with the chains of sin and death? He will loose and deliver us. Are our minds diseased and languid? He will heal and invigorate them. Are we in danger of being overwhelmed by the troubles of the world? He will preserve us in the midst of them until he bid them cease. Of his power and inclination to do these things for our souls he hath given assurance to all men, by those pledges of his love, the benefits and blessings conferred on the bodies of his people,” above referred to, namely, “in leading them through the wilderness to Canaan; in rescuing them so often from the miseries of captivity; in healing their diseases; and in saving those of them who did business in great waters, from the perils of the sea.” Surely these and such like particular instances of the divine mercy and goodness must afford especial matter of rejoicing to good men. And iniquity shall stop her mouth — Unrighteous and ungodly men will be put to silence. They who used to speak loftily and wickedly, and to reproach God and his providence, as either inattentive or unrighteous in the government of the world, shall now be forced to acknowledge his power and justice in those judgments which he hath brought upon them.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

107:33-43 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The righteous shall see it, and rejoice - Shall see all these changes; shall see in their own case the proofs of the divine favor. They shall thus have occasion for praise.

And all iniquity shall stop her mouth - The wicked shall be silenced; they shall be dumb. The righteous shall find, in these varied scenes, occasion for praise and joy; the wicked shall be able to find no occasion for complaining or murmuring. The divine dealings shall be manifestly so just, and so worthy of universal approval, that, even though the wicked are disposed to complain against God, they will be able to find nothing which will justify them in such complaints.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

42, 43. In this providential government, good men will rejoice, and the cavils of the wicked will be stopped (Job 5:16; Isa 52:15), and all who take right views will appreciate God's unfailing mercy and unbounded love.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Shall see it; or rather, these things, as it is expressed in the next verse. They shall diligently observe these wonderful works of God’s mercy and justice.

Rejoice; not only in the mercies of God vouchsafed to them and to other persons in want and misery, but also in God’s judgments upon his implacable enemies, which afford matter of rejoicing to good men, as hath been once and again declared in this book, both for the honour which God hath by them, and for the sins and calamities of others, which by this means are prevented. Iniquity, i.e. unrighteous or ungodly men, the abstract being put for the concrete, as faithfulnesses for the faithful, Psalm 12:1, and pride for the proud, Psalm 36:11. Shall stop her mouth; shall be put to silence. So this or the like phrase is used, Judges 18:19 Job 5:16 21:5 29:9. They who used to speak loftily and wickedly, and to set their mouth against the heavens, as they did, Psalm 73:8,9, to reproach God and his providence, as either negligent or unrighteous in the management of the world, shall now be forced to acknowledge his power and justice in those judgments which he hath brought upon them.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The righteous shall see it, and rejoice,.... Shall see the increase and prosperity of the saints, the glory of the church in the latter day, and rejoice at it; the judgments of God upon the wicked, upon antichristian princes and states, and rejoice on that account; see Revelation 18:20 and the several deliverances of persons in distress before mentioned, and rejoice with them that rejoice; which is what good men ought to do, Romans 12:15.

And all iniquity shall stop her mouth; men of iniquity, very bad men, the man of sin and his followers, and all profane and atheistical persons, who will be silenced and have nothing to say against the providence of God; will be confounded, and through shame lay their hand on their mouths and be struck with admiration at the wonderful things done by the Lord for his people; nor will they have anything to say against their own condemnation.

Geneva Study Bible

The {u} righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.

(u) They whose faith is lightened by God's spirit, will rejoice to see God's judgments against the wicked and ungodly.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

42. The upright see and are glad;

And all unrighteousness stoppeth her mouth.

All mockery of Israel and blasphemy of Israel’s God are silenced. Cp. Psalm 115:2. The first line is from Job 22:19; the second from Job 5:16.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 42. - The righteous shall see it, and rejoice. Experience will justify God's ways to man. "The righteous" - his people - will see that the general course of God's providence is such as described (vers. 33 - 41), and will "rejoice" that it is so. And all iniquity shall stop her mouth. The gain sayers, unable to impugn the righteousness of the Divine proceedings, shall have no resource but to sit still and hold their tongues. Psalm 107:42

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

But is also came to pass that it went ill with them, inasmuch as their flourishing prosperous condition drew down upon them the envy of the powerful and tyrannical; nevertheless God put an end to tyranny, and always brought His people again to honour and strength. Hitzig is of opinion that Psalm 107:39 goes back into the time when things were different with those who, according to Psalm 107:36-38, had thriven. The modus consecutivus is sometimes used thus retrospectively (vid., Isaiah 37:5); here, however, the symmetry of the continuation from Psalm 107:36-38, and the change which is expressed in Psalm 107:39 in comparison with Psalm 107:38, require an actual consecution in that which is narrated. They became few and came down, were reduced (שׁחח, cf. Proverbs 14:19 : to come to ruin, or to be overthrown), a coarctatione malitiae et maeroris. עצר is the restraint of despotic rule, רעה the evil they had to suffer under such restraint, and רגון sorrow, which consumed their life. מעצר has Tarcha and רעה Munach (instead of Mercha and Mugrash, vid., Accentuationssystem, xviii. 2). There is no reason for departing from this interpunction and rendering: "through tyranny, evil, and sorrow." What is stiff and awkward in the progress of the description arises from the fact that Psalm 107:40 is borrowed from Job 12:21, Job 12:24, and that the poet is not willing to make any change in these sublime words. The version shows how we think the relation of the clauses is to be apprehended. Whilst He pours out His wrath upon tyrants in the contempt of men that comes upon them, and makes them fugitives who lose themselves in the terrible waste, He raises the needy and those hitherto despised and ill-treated on high out of the depth of their affliction, and makes families like a flock, i.e., makes their families so increase, that they come to have the appearance of a merrily gamboling and numerous flock. Just as this figure points back to Job 21:11, so Psalm 107:42 is made up out of Job 22:19; Job 5:16. The sight of this act of recognition on the part of God of those who have been wrongfully oppressed gives joy to the upright, and all roguery (עולה, vid., Psalm 92:16) has its mouth closed, i.e., its boastful insolence is once for all put to silence. In Psalm 107:43 the poet makes the strains of his Psalm die away after the example of Hosea, Hosea 14:10 [9], in the nota bene expressed after the manner of a question: Who is wise - he will or let him keep this, i.e., bear it well in mind. The transition to the justice together with a change of number is rendered natural by the fact that מי חכם, as in Hos. loc. cit. (cf. Jeremiah 9:11; Esther 5:6, and without Waw apod. Judges 7:3; Proverbs 9:4, Proverbs 9:16), is equivalent to quisquis sapeins est. חסדי ה (חסדי) are the manifestations of mercy or loving-kindness in which God's ever-enduring mercy unfolds itself in history. He who is wise has a good memory for and a clear understanding of this.