John Gill

At the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them.

“They angered him also at the waters of strife,.... Or, "at the waters of Meribah" (z); that is, Meribahkadesh, as it is called in Deu 32:51 to distinguish it from Meribahrephidim, where also were waters of strife or contradiction; at which the people murmured and…”

For they rebelled against His Spirit, and Moses spoke rashly with his lips.

“Because they provoked his spirit;.... Though he was a very meek man, meeker than any upon the face of the earth, Num 12:2, yet, being greatly provoked, let fall some passionate and undue expressions: and this was not only his sin, but the fault of…”

but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs.

“But were mingled among the Heathen,.... Not only dwelt among them, but made covenants and contracts, carried on trade and commerce, and intermarried with them, contrary to the express law of God, Deu 7:2.”

They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.

“Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils. Who have their name here given them from a word that signifies to waste and destroy, they being the destroyers of mankind.”

He delivered them into the hand of the nations, and those who hated them ruled over them.

“And he gave them into the hand of the Heathen,.... In the times of the judges; as into the hands of the Mesopotamians, Moabites, Canaanites, Midianites, and Philistines, to whom they became tributaries; see the book of Judges.”

Many times He rescued them, but they were bent on rebellion and sank down in their iniquity.

“Many times did he deliver them,.... By means of the judges, Othniel, Ehud, Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, and others.”

Nevertheless He heard their cry; He took note of their distress.

“Nevertheless he regarded their affliction,.... Or "looked on them in distress" (d); he saw their affliction, and had compassion on them; he was so far from abhorring and despising the affliction of the afflicted, that he pitied them and sympathized with them; in all their…”

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,.... God is to be blessed as the Father of mercies; as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; and as the covenant God and Father of his people in him, of the true Israel of God…”

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

“And gathered them out of the lands,.... This cannot have respect to the bringing of the children of Israel out of Egypt; for they were not then brought out of several countries, but from one land only: nor to the Babylonish captivity; for, though some…”

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

“They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way,.... Not the people of Israel, as the Targum. These seem not to be particularly intended, whatever allusion there may be to their passage through the wilderness to Canaan's land; but rather, in general, travellers through waste…”

because they rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High.

“Because they rebelled against the words of God,.... All afflictions, as captivity and imprisonment, are generally for sin; which is a rebellion against God, and a transgression of his laws.”

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,.... Their affliction, their hearts being brought down with labour, and they being and finding themselves in a state of darkness, in the shadow of death, in affliction and iron; or in soul troubles, under a sense…”

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

“He brought them out of darkness,.... In which they were by nature, into marvellous light; to see their interest in Christ, and his salvation; and to have the light of joy and comfort in him.”

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

“O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness,.... Or, "confess to the Lord his goodness or grace", or "mercy" (g); own and acknowledge it, in delivering them from such a state of darkness and death, of thraldom and captivity; see Rom 6:17.”

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

“For he hath broken the gates of brass,.... The prison doors made of brass, as sometimes of iron, for the security of the prisoners; see Act 12:10. And cut the bars of iron in sunder; with which they were barred and secured.”

Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare His works with rejoicing.

“And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,.... Not legal sacrifices, but spiritual and evangelical ones, the sacrifices of praise and thankfulness which God has enjoined are well pleasing to him through Christ, glorify him, and are but our reasonable service; see Heb 13:”

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

“They that go down to the sea in ships,.... This is the fourth instance of persons in distress crying to the Lord for help, and, having it, are laid under obligation to praise him; the case of seafaring men: so the Targum introduces it, "mariners…”

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

“They mount up to the heaven,.... The waves which are lifted up by the stormy wind, and the ships which are upon them, and the men in them.”

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

“They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,.... Through the agitation of the water, and motion of the ship, not being able to stand upon deck.”

He turns rivers into deserts, springs of water into thirsty ground,

“He turneth rivers into a wilderness,.... A country abounding with rivers, as the country round about Sodom and the land of Canaan were, Gen 13:10. Such an one is sometimes, by the just judgment of God, turned into a desert.”

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

“A fruitful land into barrenness,.... Or, "into saltness" (t); as Sodom and the land adjacent became a salt sea; and the land of Canaan was threatened to become brimstone, salt and burning, like Sodom; in which nothing was sown, and which bore no grass; see…”

He blesses them, and they multiply greatly; He does not let their herds diminish.

“He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly,.... Not only their fields and vineyards are blessed with an increase, but these husbandmen themselves; as man at his first creation was bid to do, being blessed of God; and as the Israelites were in…”

When they are decreased and humbled by oppression, evil, and sorrow,

“Again they are minished,.... Or "lessened", in their families, cattle, and substance; either the same persons as before, or others.”

But He lifts the needy from affliction and increases their families like flocks.

“Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction,.... On the other hand, the Lord sometimes exalteth men of low degree, raiseth men of mean extract and parentage, who have made a poor figure in life, to high places of honour, free from adversity and…”

The upright see and rejoice, and all iniquity shuts its mouth.

“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…”