Charles Spurgeon

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, “Amen!” Hallelujah!

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. Has not his mercy endured for ever, and should not his praise be of like duration? Jehovah, the God of Israel, has blessed his people, should they not also bless him?”

and gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

“And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. Gathering follows upon redeeming.”

Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no path to a city in which to dwell.

“They wandered in the wilderness. They wandered, for the track was lost, no vestige of a road remained; worse still, they wandered in a wilderness, where all around was burning sand.”

They were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them.

“Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. The spirits sink when the bodily frame becomes exhausted by long privations. Who can keep his courage up when he is ready to fall to the ground at every step through utter exhaustion?”

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.

“Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble. Not till they were in extremities did they pray, but the mercy is that they prayed then, and prayed in the right manner, with a cry, and to the right person, even to the Lord.”

For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

“For he satisfieth the longing soul. This is the summary of the lost traveller's experience. He who in a natural sense has been rescued from perishing in a howling wilderness ought to bless the Lord who brings hint again to eat bread among men.”

Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and chains,

“Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. The cell is dark of itself, and the fear of execution casts a still denser gloom over the prison.”

He humbled their hearts with hard labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help.

“Therefore he brought down their heart with labour. In eastern prisons men are frequently made to labour like beasts of the field. As they have no liberty, so they have no rest.”

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.

“Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble. Not a prayer till then. While there was any to help below they would not look above.”

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke away their chains.

“He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death. The Lord in providence fetches out prisoners from their cells and bids them breathe the sweet fresh air again, and then he takes off their fetters, and gives liberty to their aching limbs.”

For He has broken down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron.

“For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of Zion in sunder. This verse belongs to that which precedes it, and Sums up the mercy experienced by captives.”

Fools, in their rebellious ways, and through their iniquities, suffered affliction.

“Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. Many sicknesses are the direct result of foolish acts. Thoughtless and lustful men by drunkenness, gluttony, and the indulgence of their passions fill their bodies with diseases of the worst kind.”

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.

“Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble. They join the praying legion at last. Saul also is among the prophets. The fool lays aside his motley in prospect of the shroud, and betakes himself to his knees.”

He sent forth His word and healed them; He rescued them from the Pit.

“He sent his word and healed them. Man is not healed by medicine alone, but by the word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God is man restored from going down to the grave.”

Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men.

“Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men. It is marvellous that men can be restored from sickness and yet refuse to bless the Lord.”

Others went out to sea in ships, conducting trade on the mighty waters.

“They that go down to the sea in ships. Navigation was so little practised among the Israelites that mariners were invested with a high mystery, and their craft was looked upon as one of singular daring degree of and peril.”

They mounted up to the heavens, then sunk to the depths; their courage melted in their anguish.

“They mount up to the heaven. Borne aloft on the crest of the wave, the sailors and their vessels appear to climb the skies, but it is only for a moment, for very soon in the trough of the sea they go down again to…”

They reeled and staggered like drunkards, and all their skill was useless.

“They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man. The violent motion of the vessel prevents their keeping their legs, and their fears drive them out of all power to use their brains, and therefore they look like intoxicated men.”

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress.

“Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble. Though at their wit's end, they had wit enough to pray; their heart was melted, and it ran out in cries for help.”

They rejoiced in the silence, and He guided them to the harbor they desired.

“Then are they glad because they be quiet. No one can appreciate this verse unless he has been in a storm at sea.”

Let them exalt Him in the assembly of the people and praise Him in the council of the elders.

“Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people. Thanks for such mercies should be given in public in the place where men congregate for worship. And praise him in the assembly of the elders.”

and fruitful land into fields of salt, because of the wickedness of its dwellers.

“A fruitful land into barrenness. This has been done in many instances, and notably in the case of the psalmist's own country, which was once the glory of all lands and is now almost a desert. For the wickedness of them that dwell therein.”

He turns a desert into pools of water and a dry land into flowing springs.

“He turneth the wilderness into a standing water. With another turn of his hand he more than restores that which in judgment he took away.”

He causes the hungry to settle there, that they may establish a city in which to dwell.

“And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, where none could dwell before. They will appreciate the change and prize his grace; as the barrenness of the land caused their hunger so will its fertility banish it for ever, and they will settle down a…”

They sow fields and plant vineyards that yield a fruitful harvest.

“And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase. Men work when God works. His blessing encourages the sower, cheers the planter, and rewards the labourer.”