Chapter 105

This psalm lists the sins of the first people, showing why the Israelites were rejected. Their sins are the following: firstly: “he made God very sad by going up into the Red Sea” (Ps. 105:7), saying: “for not being a grave in Egypt, he ordered us to be destroyed here” (Ex. 14:11); secondly: “tempting God in the desert” (Ps. 105:14); thirdly: “she angered Moses in the camp” (Ps. 105:16); fourthly: “I created a calf in Horeb” (Ps. 105:19); fifthly: “destroying the desired land” (Ps. 105:24); sixthly: “taking communion with Beelphegor” ( Ps. 105:28 ); seventh: “I provoked Him to anger on the waters of strife” (Ps. 105:32); eighth: “they did not consume tongues, even as the Lord spoke to them” (Ps. 105:34), but they even began to worship idols and sacrifice their children. Ps.105:1. Confess to the Lord that it is good... Ps.106:3. Blessed Ones Who Preserve Judgment, etc. For those alone are worthy to “speak the might of the Lord,” who fulfill what is determined by God in the Scriptures, acting in everything with reason and according to reason, always having the judgment of God before their eyes. Such people are naturally the creators of truth, actually fulfilling what is just. Ps.105:4. Remember us, O Lord, in the favor of Your people. Here the face of the Jews is introduced, who pray that they may partake of the salvation given to the pagans. Ps.105:11. Cover [f] the water that chills them, namely cold ones; for whoever came out of the sea, intervening in the ranks of the Israelites, was no longer from among those who had no cold, but believed. Ps.105:12. And you believed His words and sang His praise. For when, by the goodness of God, the waves of the sea came together, immediately believing, they sang to God the song written in the book of Exodus, then they consigned it all to oblivion. And they sang His praise,” when those rejoicing with Mariam came out, saying: “Let us drink to the Lord, for gloriously we shall be glorified” (Ex. 15:21). Ps.105:14. And I tempted God in the abyss. It is said: “and he tempted God in the abyss,” because they angered Him soon after crossing the Red Sea. Ps.105:20. And changing His glory into the likeness of a calf eating grass. Their glory was God; leaving Him, they worshiped the calf. Ps.105:23. If Moses had not been chosen... he became in contrition, when he said: “If thou wilt forgive them sin..., forgive it, or else blot me out of Thy book, Thou hast written it down” (Ex. 32:32). Ps.105:24. And destroy the desired land. This is the fifth guilt after the Red Sea, the wilderness, the insult to Moses, and the calf at Horeb, because the spies, upon their return, except Joshua and Caleb the son of Jephoniah, spoke evil of the land, and thereby seduced others. Ps.105:25. And murmuring in their villages, when the returning spies corrupted the minds of the people. Ps.105:28. And took communion with Veelphegor. This is an Ammonite idol, called Kronos by the Hellenes. Ps.105:30. And a hundred Phinehas and propitiate, when he killed the Midianite woman along with the fornicator. This word teaches us how much the piety of one man can achieve before God. Ps.105:39. And I have gone astray in my endeavors. The books of Judges and Kings show us this, namely, that the Israelites at different times, in order to admonish them, were handed over to the power of various foreign nations: the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Amalekites, the Midianites. Ps.105:41. And those who possess them hate them. The Babylonians and Assyrians took possession of the Israelites for their iniquities. Ps.105:43. I have delivered by multitudes: but they have upset Him with their advice. God, out of love for mankind, was lenient towards them, but they forced Him to be strict. God again saved the people as the Savior, but they perished, destroying themselves by deeds of destruction. What was said “by the multitude” is similar to what was said by the Lord: “How many times have your fellow children desired” (Luke 13:34); also the words “and humbled your iniquities” are similar to the following: “and did not desire” (Luke 13:34). God, punishing them for admonition, again gave place to love of mankind, but they repaid Him with hostile actions. Ps.105:46. And I gave in to generosity before all those who captivated me. He says this, meaning Cyrus, who freed them from captivity, as well as Darius and Artaxerxes, who gave money for the construction of the church. You might be interested in: