Land of Promise, by which they brought about the fulfilment of the threat of exile (Psa 106:27); but even there God's mercy was not suffered to go unattested (Psa 106:46). The theme of Psalms 107, finally, is the sacrifice of praise that is due to Him who redeemed them out of exile and all kinds of destruction. We may compare Psa 105:44, He gave them the lands (ארצות) of the heathen; Psa 106:27, (He threatened) to cast forth their seed among the heathen and to scatter them in the lands (בּארצות); and Psa 107:3, out of the lands (מארצות) hath He brought them together, out of east and west, out of north and south. The designed similarity of the expression, the internal connection, and the progression in accordance with a definite plan, are not to be mistaken here. In other respects, too, these three Psalms are intimately interwoven. In them Egypt is called “the land of Ham” (Psa 105:23, Psa 105:27; Psa 106:22), and Israel “the chosen ones of Jahve” (Psa 105:6, Psa 105:43; Psa 106:5, cf. Psa 23:1-6). They are fond of the interrogative form of exclamation (Psa 106:2; Psa 107:43). There is an approach in them to the hypostatic conception of the Word (דּבר, Psa 105:19; Psa 106:20). Compare also ישׁימון Psa 106:14; Psa 107:4; and the Hithpa. התהלּל Psa 105:3; Psa 106:5, השׁתּבּח, Psa 106:47, התבּלּע Psa 107:27. In all three the poet shows himself to be especially familiar with Isa 40:1, and also with the Book of Job. Psalms 107 is the fullest in reminiscences taken from both these Books, and in this Psalm the movement of the poet is more free without recapitulating history that has been committed to writing. Everything therefore favours the assertion that Ps 105, Ps 106, and Ps 107 are a “trefoil” (trifolium) - two Hodu-Psalms, and a Hallalujah-Psalm in the middle.
Ps. 107 consists of six groups with an introit, Psa 107:1-3, and an epiphonem, Psa 107:43. The poet unrolls before the dispersion of Israel that has again attained to the possession of its native land the pictures of divine deliverances in which human history, and more especially the history of the exiles, is so rich. The epiphonem at the same time stamps the hymn as a consolatory Psalm; for those who were gathered again out of the lands of the heathen nevertheless still looked for the final redemption under the now milder, now more despotic sceptre of the secular power.
Verses 1-3
The introit, with the call upon them to grateful
