Psalms 105:38

Psa 105:38 Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.

Ver. 38. Egypt was glad when they departed] For they said, We are all dead men, Exo 12:33. The devil for like cause spake Christ fair to be rid of him, Mar 1:24.

For the fear of them fell upon them] God can make the very name and countenance of his servants fearful to their oppressors.

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.

38. (Psa 105:38) Glad was Egypt at their going forth, for their fear had fallen upon them. This panic terror, which followed the last plague and facilitated the escape of Israel (Exo 11:1; Exo 12:31-33), accounts for the readiness with which the Egyptians gave whatever was demanded, and completely vindicates the children of Israel from the charge of borrowing what they never meant to pay. The terms used in the history denote the acts, of asking and giving, not those of borrowing and lending. The terms of the last clause are derived from Exo 15:16, Deu 11:25.

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

For God’s plagues caused them rather to depart with the Israelites, than with their lives.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

38. Egypt rejoiced at their departure The Psalmist sets forth the power of God from the additional circumstance, that the Egyptians willingly allowed the chosen people to depart, when yet nothing was farther from their intention. Although they wished them destroyed a hundred times, yet they thought that they had the wolf by the ears, as we say; and thus the fear of revenge made them more determined to blot out the memory of that people. Whence it follows, that when they all at once laid aside their former purpose, it was a secret work of divine providence. To the same effect is the statement in the preceding verse, that they were brought forth with gold and silver The Egyptians could never have had the heart voluntarily to strip themselves, to enrich those whom they would have willingly deprived of life. This was then the bounty of God, in whose hand, and at whose disposal, are all the riches of the world. He might have taken by force from the Egyptians what he had given them; but he bowed their hearts, so that of their own accord they denuded themselves. The expression, for their terror had fallen upon them, is to be understood passively; for the Israelites were not afraid of the Egyptians, but, on the contrary, were terrible to them. Nor does the prophet speak of an ordinary fear. A little before fear had stirred them up to cruelty and tyranny; but as even to that day, they had endeavored, with indomitable audacity, to shake off all fear, God suddenly laid them prostrate by the extraordinary terror which fell upon them. It is, therefore, here justly reckoned among the displays of the wonderful power of God, that he subdued the impetuous fury with which the Egyptians boiled before, that they might allow those to depart free, whom they had determined to handle rudely, and to waste in servile employments; which was like rendering sheep terrible to wolves.

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.

38. Cp. Exo_12:33.

for the fear &c.] For dread of them had fallen upon them. Cp. Exo_15:16.

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.

He spread a cloud for a covering,.... That is, the Lord spread one over their heads as an "umbrella", to protect them from the heat of the sun; this refers to the pillar of cloud, Exo 13:20, though that seems to have been in an erect posture, and to go before the children of Israel to direct them in their journey, and not a covering to them. Kimchi says it was a covering to them when they rested, but not when they journeyed: but when they rested it only covered the tabernacle, not the people, for anything we read of it, Num 9:21, it looks as if there were more clouds than one, and indeed the Jews speak of many, and particularly make mention (e) of one that was over the heads of the Israelites, that the heat of the sun, and the hail and rain, might not have power over them; and of such use this cloud was, at least at certain times, if not always; a type of Christ, who is the covering and shelter of his people from the heat of the fiery law, of the flaming sword of justice, of the wrath of God, of the fiery darts of Satan, and of the fury of wicked men.

And fire, to give light in the night: this respects the pillar of fire which gave them light by night; an emblem of Christ, who is the light of his people, when it is a night season with them, as it sometimes is; a night of affliction and distress, of darkness and desertion, of temptation, of carnal security and sleepiness; when Christ arises as a light in darkness, and enlightens by his presence, by his Spirit, and by his word; as well as is as fire to warm, refresh, quicken, and comfort them when chill and cold, in such seasons.

(e) Vid. Targum in Cant. ii. 6.

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

Egypt was glad when they departed - They had suffered so many plagues; the land was so utterly desolate, there was so much sorrow in their dwellings, from the calamities which had come upon them for refusing to let the Israelites go, that at last they were glad to have them depart, and they were willing to aid them that they might get rid of them. This will, in part, account for the fact that they were willing to give them what they asked - even silver and gold - if they might thus facilitate their departure.

For the fear of them fell upon them - The fear of them, as being under the protection of God; and the fear of the judgments, which must follow if they continued to oppress them.

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

Of them, i.e. of the Israelites, lest God for their sakes should destroy them.

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

Ver. 38. Egypt was glad when they departed, which would not have been the case had the gold and silver been borrowed by the Israelites, for men do not carry their goods into a far country. The awe of God like to see borrowers lad to nay them to be was on Egypt, and they feared his people and were glad to pay them to be gone. What a change from the time when the sons of Jacob were the drudges of the land, the offscouring of all things, the brick makers whose toil was only requited by the lash or the stick. Now they were reverenced as prophets and priests;

for the fear of them fell upon them, the people proceeded even to a superstitious terror them. Thus with cheers and good wishes their former taskmasters sent them on their way: Pharaoh was foiled and the chosen people were once more on the move, journeying to the place which the Lord had given to them by a covenant of salt. "O give thanks unto Jehovah; call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people."

Psalms 105:39*

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

38. Egypt was glad—God had prepared Israel, by their bitter bondage, to leave Egypt without regret; and by his judgments on Egypt had made the Egyptians willing, even glad, that they should depart. Exo_12:31-33. The Egyptian account of the affair was, according to Josephus, (Con. App. 1:26, 32,) that the Egyptians expelled them by force of arms on account of their leprosy, their hatred of the Egyptian gods, and their military invasion of the kingdom, and pursued them into Syria. Compare with this, for absurdity, the Pharisees’ story of the resurrection of Jesus, Mat_28:11-15. But, contrariwise, the masses of the people took sympathy with the Israelites. Exo_11:2-3; Exo_12:36. See note on Psa_105:37

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

Egypt was glad when they departed. (see Exo_11:1, 8 12:31, 33) For the fear of them fell upon them. The Egyptians "were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men". (Exo_12:33)

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