Psalms 106:1

“Praise ye the Lord, etc.] 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 f1515; 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…”

“Although the general theme of this Psalm may have been suggested by God's special favor to the Israelites in their restoration from captivity, it must be regarded as an instructive celebration of God's praise for His merciful providence to all men in their various emergencies. Of these several are given--captivity and bondage, wanderings by land and sea, and famine; some as evidences of God's displeasure, and all the deliverances as evidence of His goodness and mercy to them who humbly seek Him. (Psa. 107:1-43) This call for thankful praise is the burden or chorus (compare Psa 107:8, Psa 107:15, &c.).”

“Praise ye the Lord - Margin, “Hallelu-jah.” The two Hebrew words mean, “praise ye the Lord.” They are the same words with which the previous psalm closes, and are here designed to indicate the general duty illustrated in the psalm. O give thanks unto the Lord - See the notes at Psalms 105:1. For he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever - See Psalms 100:5, note; Psalms 107:1, note; where the language in the Hebrew is the same. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Ps 106 The Israelite community in exile confessed the Lord’s goodness and justice and their own historic sinfulness. From the humble state of exile, they pleaded for redemption and restoration, asking to be gathered back from all the places the Lord had scattered them in his wrath. The psalm does not end in despair but with the memory of the Lord’s former mercy and the hope that his mercy will be renewed (106:44-48). Israel failed, but the Lord is constant. • Verses 1, 47-48 (along with Pss 96; 105:1-15) are included in David’s song of praise recorded in 1 Chr 16:1-43. 106:1 Praise the Lord! This refrain (Hebrew haleluyah) characterizes four small subgroups in the psalms: 104–106, 111–113,…”

“(Title), As part of the preceding Psalm is found in 1Chr. 16, so the first and two last verses of this are found in the same place; and it is highly probable this was composed upon the same occasion as the former, to which it seems to be a continuation; for as that celebrates the mercies of God to Israel, so this confesses and deplores the rebellions of Israel against Jehovah. Praise ye the Lord: Heb. Hallelujah, Psa 105:45 O give: Psa 100:4, Psa 100:5, Psa 107:1, Psa 118:1, Psa 136:1; Ch1 16:34; Ezr 3:11; Jer 33:11; Th1 5:18 for he: Psa 103:17, Psa 119:68; Mat 19:17; Rom 5:20, Rom 5:21 Psalms 106:2”

“The Psalm begins with the liturgical call, which has not coined for the first time in the Maccabaean age (1 Macc. 4:24), but was already in use in Jeremiah's time ( Psa 33:11). The lxx appropriately renders טּוב by χρηστός, for God is called "good" not so much in respect of His nature as of the revelation of His nature. The fulness of this revelation, says Psa 106:2 (like Psa 40:6), is inexhaustible. גּבוּרות are the manifestations of His all-conquering power which makes everything subservient to His redemptive purposes ( Psa 20:7); and תּהלּה is the glory (praise or celebration) of His self-attestation in history. The proclaiming of these on the part of man can never be an exhaustive echo…”