Psalm 107:8

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) Oh that men.—The subject is rather to be supplied from the preceding clauses, “let them praise,” &c. Some, however, render “they praise,” &c

On the other hand, the insertion of “for” in each clause of the Authorised Version is correct (so LXX. and Vulg.).

Benson Commentary

Psalm 107:8-9. O that men would praise — Hebrew, let them praise, or, they shall praise, that is, they are highly obliged to praise. It is meant chiefly of those whom God has graciously relieved. The Lord for his goodness — To them in particular; and for his wonderful works to the children of men — To others, as well as to themselves; and to the children of men, as well as to the children of God. For he satisfieth the longing soul — The needy, who, being sensible of their wants, temporal or spiritual, earnestly desire to have them supplied; and filleth the hungry with goodness — With the fruits of his goodness, with good things, Psalm 103:5; with that good which they wanted and desired. Observe, reader, God’s works of mercy are wonderful works, works of wonderful power, considering the weakness, and of wonderful grace, considering the unworthiness of those to whom he shows mercy: and those who share in his works of mercy are in duty bound to return him praise for them. Dr. Hammond remarks very properly, that “this is a Psalm of answering, or of parts, to be sung alternately; having a double burden, or intercalary verse, oft recurring:” see Psalm 107:6; Psalm 107:13, &c. This, indeed, is apparent upon the most transient view of it. We may suppose one side of the choir to have begun with the first of the parts, and then the other side to have taken the second, and so on. The 9th verse evidently belongs to the first part, for the 10th begins quite another subject.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

107:1-9 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness - More literally, "Let such - or, let these - praise the Lord for his goodness," the word "men" having been supplied by our translators. Yet it is not improper to suppose that a wider range is intended than would be denoted if it were confined to those who had then been delivered. It was evidently designed to impress the minds of those who might use this psalm in their devotions; and the idea is, that the deliverance then vouchsafed to the people of God in their troubles should lead all to praise and adore him. Such a surprising interposition suggested an important lesson in regard to God, applicable to all people; and should lead all to praise him in view of the trait of character thus manifested, as that of a God who hears prayer when his people are in trouble, and who can make a straight path before them when they are in danger of being lost, and who can conduct them through the wilderness - the waste places - of this world, as he did his people across the pathless sands of the desert. The true use of all history is to teach us lessons about God.

And for his wonderful works to the children of men - His doings as suited to excite wonder and admiration. His dealings with his people in the desert furnished one illustration of this; the world is full of such illustrations. The desire expressed in this verse suggests the great lesson of the psalm.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

8, 9. To the chorus is added, as a reason for praise, an example of the extreme distress from which they had been delivered—extreme hunger, the severest privation of a journey in the desert.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Oh that men would praise! Heb. Let them praise. Or, They shall praise, i.e. they are highly obliged to praise.

To the children of men; not only to his peculiar people, but to all mankind, to whom he is very kind and bountiful.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness,.... For his providential goodness, in providing food and drink for them, when fainting; in directing them to their right way, when they had lost it; and in bringing them safe to the place they were bound for: and particularly for his special grace and goodness, in redemption and effectual calling; for bringing out of a wilderness state and condition, and supplying them with all spiritual provisions, and putting them in the right way to eternal glory and happiness.

And for his wonderful works to the children of men! as all the above things are wonderful ones, both in providence and grace. This verse is repeated at the close of each of the instances produced; in which the goodness of God appears to persons in distress, and who being delivered, ought to acknowledge it, and be thankful for it: or "confess": that is, declare to God his goodness, and to the children of men his wonderful works; so the Targum.

Geneva Study Bible

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8. Let them give thanks to Jehovah for his lovingkindness,

And for his wonderful works to the sons of men.

The A.V. obliterates the connexion of the refrain with the doxology of Psalm 107:1, and gives it a wrong turn by generalising its exhortation (‘Oh that men would praise the Lord’). Here and again in Psalm 107:15; Psalm 107:21; Psalm 107:31, the subject of the verb is the men whose deliverance has just been described.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 8. - Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness! Here the refrain occurs for the first time. Note its repetition in vers. 15, 21, and 31. It is an earnest call on those who have experienced God's mercies to be thankful. And for his wonderful works to the children of men! or, "his wonderful doings." Psalm 107:8

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

It has actually come to pass, the first strophe tells us, that they wandered in a strange land through deserts and wastes, and seemed likely to have to succumb to death from hunger. According to Psalm 107:40 and Isaiah 43:19, it appears that Psalm 107:4 ought to be read לא־דרך (Olshausen, Baur, and Thenius); but the line is thereby lengthened inelegantly. The two words, joined by Munach, stand in the construct state, like פּרא אדם, Genesis 16:12 : a waste of a way equals ἔρημος ὁδός, Acts 8:26 (Ewald, Hitzig), which is better suited to the poetical style than that דּרך, as in משׁנה־כּסףp, and the like, should be an accusative of nearer definition (Hengstenberg). In connection with עיר מושׁב the poet, who is fond of this combination (Psalm 107:7, Psalm 107:36, cf. בּית־מושׁב, Leviticus 25:29), means any city whatever which might afford the homeless ones a habitable, hospitable reception. With the perfects, which describe what has been experienced, alternates in Psalm 107:5 the imperfect, which shifts to the way in which anything comes about: their soul in them enveloped itself (vid., Psalm 61:3), i.e., was nigh upon extinction. With the fut. consec. then follows in Psalm 107:6 the fact which gave the turn to the change in their misfortune. Their cry for help, as the imperfect יצּילם implies, was accompanied by their deliverance, the fact of which is expressed by the following fut. consec. ויּדריכם. Those who have experienced such things are to confess to the Lord, with thanksgiving, His loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men. It is not to be rendered: His wonders (supply אשׁר עשׂה) towards the children of men (Luther, Olshausen, and others). The two ל coincide: their thankful confession of the divine loving-kindness and wondrous acts is not to be addressed alone to Jahve Himself, but also to men, in order that out of what they have experienced a wholesome fruit may spring forth for the multitude. נפשׁ שׁוקקה (part. Polel, the ē of which is retained as a pre-tonic vowel in pause, cf. Psalm 68:26 and on Job 20:27, Ew. 188, b) is, as in Isaiah 29:9, the thirsting soul (from שׁוּק, Arab. sâq, to urge forward, of the impulse and drawing of the emotions, in Hebrew to desire ardently). The preterites are here an expression of that which has been experienced, and therefore of that which has become a fact of experience. In superabundant measure does God uphold the languishing soul that is in imminent danger of languishing away.