Psalms 105:24

Psa 105:24 And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies.

Ver. 24. And he increased his people greatly] Against all the power of Egypt set against them.

And made them stronger than their enemies] They were not so for present, but the Egyptians conceited and feared they would be so.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

24. (Psa 105:24) And he increased his people greatly, and made them stronger than their enemies. Increased, literally rendered fruitful. The same verb is used in the promise to Abraham and Jacob (Gen 17:6; Gen 28:2), and in the history of Israel in Egypt, Exo 1:7. The word here used for enemies is one implying persecution and oppression. The singular pronouns in the Hebrew, made him stronger than his enemies, are in strict grammatical agreement with the collective noun people.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

24. And he greatly increased his people The singular favor of God towards his Church is now commended by the additional circumstance, that within a short space of time, the chosen people increased beyond the common proportion. In this matter the wonderful blessing of God was strikingly displayed. So much the more offensive then is the barking of some dogs, who insolently scoff at the account given by Moses of the multiplying of the people, because it goes far beyond what takes place in the ordinary course of things. Had the people increased only at the common rate, these persons would have immediately objected, that therein no work of God was to be seen. Thus the object which they pursue by their cavillings is nothing else than to make it to be believed, that the blessing of God had no connection with the case. But we, who are persuaded that it is unwarrantable for us to measure God’s power according to our own understandings, or according to what happens by the common law of nature, reverently admire this extraordinary work of his hand. The subsequent clause is a little obscure, especially if we read, The people were strengthened; for the prophet does not seem to refer to that period when the Israelites lived at ease and in prosperity, but to the time when they were contemptuously and barbarously dealt with as slaves. We may, however, understand the language as spoken by anticipation, — as pointing to what was to happen. In the following verse, it is affirmed, that the Egyptians having changed their mind, began to treat the people with cruelty. Although then the Egyptians did not as yet openly exercise their cruelty against the people, when they were increasing both in number and strength, yet the prophet calls them persecutors. It is certain, that the Israelites, even when they were oppressed as slaves, were a terror to their enemies; and Moses plainly affirms, (Exodus 1:12) that when they were under tyranny and wrongful oppression, it was still abundantly manifest, that the blessing of God rested upon them.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

24. And he made his people exceeding fruitful,

And made them mightier than their adversaries.

Jehovah is the subject of the sentence. The A.V. fails to bring out the connexion of the verse with Exo_1:7, “The children of Israel were fruitful … and were exceeding mighty.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he increased his people greatly,.... God increased the people of Israel greatly in the land of Egypt; they went down few, and became a populous nation; only sixty six persons, besides Jacob's sons' wives; and when they came out from thence were six hundred thousand footmen; yea, they increased the more they were afflicted, Exo 1:12. So the people of God in this world sometimes increase in number, and that even amidst the persecutions of their enemies; as the Christians did in the first times of the Gospel under the Roman emperors; and they increase in grace, in every grace, and oftentimes the more they are tried and exercised by afflictions.

And made them stronger than their enemies; in their bodies, being more healthy, strong, and robust; and which was seen, observed, and owned by their enemies, Exo 1:9. So saints, being strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, are a match for their enemies; are stronger than they, and are even more than conquerors through Christ, that has loved them.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

And he increased his people greatly ... - God caused them to multiply. Exo 1:7, Exo 1:9.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Not really, but according to their enemies’ apprehensions and expressions, Exo 1:9. Or, more numerous, as this word is elsewhere used. So this latter branch answers to the former. And this was true; for though they were not simply more in number than the Egyptians, yet they multiplied much faster.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 24. And he increased his people greatly. In Goshen they seem to have increased rapidly from the first, and this excited the fears of the Egypt, inns, so that they tried to retard their increase by oppression, but the Lord continued to bless them,

And made them stronger than their enemies. Both in physical strength and in numbers they threatened to become the more powerful race. Nor was this growth of the nation impeded by tyrannical measures, but the very reverse took place, thus giving an early instance of what has since become a proverb in the church"the more they oppressed them the more they multiplied." It is idle to contend either with God or his people.

Ver. 24. He increased his people greatly. Behold here the concealed blessing in the secret of the cross. Under it the people of God are in the most fruitful state. Berleb. Bible.

Ver. 24. Church prosperity desirable. Increase of numbers, increase of rigour. Attainable under great persecution and opposition. Divine in its origin, "he increased." Satisfactory as a text it is only true of "his people."

Ver. 24 (second clause). In what respects grace can make believers stronger than their enemies.

Psalms 105:25*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

24. Made them stronger than their enemies—See Exo_1:7-9, where they are said to be “more and mightier” than the Egyptians; that is, than native born Egyptians; probably, not more than the total population under the government. The defense of the nation rested with the native citizens. Not their numbers only, but the superior strength, of the Hebrews alarmed the Egyptians. At the time of the exodus the Hebrews are commonly computed to have numbered about two and a half millions, and up to the date of Exo_1:8, they had political power. from this to Psa_105:38 the events leading to the exodus are rehearsed.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he increased his people greatly. (comp. Exo_1:7, Exo_1:12, Exo_1:20) And made them stronger than their enemies. So the Pharaoh who introduced the hard bondage, "The people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we". (Exo_1:9)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Yahweh made his people fruitful

The writer speaks of the increase of Israel as if they were a plant that produced a lot of fruit. "God increased the number of his people greatly" (See: Metaphor)

to hate his people, to mistreat his servants

"to hate his people and to mistreat his servants"

They performed his signs among the Egyptians ... his wonders in the land of Ham

These two phrases have basically the same meaning. AT: "Moses and Aaron performed God's miracles in Egypt among the descendants of Ham" (See: Parallelism)

his wonders in the land of Ham

The words "they performed" are understood fromt the previous phrase. They may be repeated here. AT: "and they performed his wonders in the land of Ham" (See: Ellipsis)

the land of Ham

Ham was an ancestor of the people of Egypt. AT: "the land of Ham's descendants" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

people of God

adversary

servant

send

Moses

Aaron

chosen one

miracle

Egypt

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

And He made...fruitful The Holy One, blessed be He, [made] His people [fruitful]. He made them fruitful and caused them to multiply.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.