Psalms 107:22

Psa 107:22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

Ver. 22. And let them sacrifice, &c.] If they have escaped sickness, let them offer a passover; and if they have recovered, a thankoffering. Heathens in this case praised their Esculapius; Papists their Sebastian, Valentine, Apollonia, &c. Ears of wax they offer to the saint, who, as they suppose, cureth the ears; eyes of wax to the saint that cureth the eyes, &c. But it is Jehovah only who healeth us.

And declare his works, &c.] Memorize and magnify them.

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.

Praise and confession of God’s benefits are the true sacrifices of the godly.

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

Verse 22. And let them sacrifice] For their healing they should bring a sacrifice; and they should offer the life of the innocent animal unto God, as he has spared their lives; and let them thus confess that God has spared them when they deserved to die; and let them declare also "his works with rejoicing;" for who will not rejoice when he is delivered from death?

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And let them sacrifice This clause is subjoined by way of explanation, the more strongly to express how God is robbed of his due, if in the matter of sacrifice his providence be not recognised. Even nature itself teaches that some kind of homage and reverence is due to God; this is acknowledged by the heathens themselves, who have no other instructor than nature. We know too, that the practice of offering sacrifices has obtained among all nations; and doubtless it was by the observance of this ritual, that God designed to preserve in the human family some sense of piety and religion. To acknowledge the bounty and beneficence of God, is the most acceptable sacrifice which can be presented to him; to this subject, therefore, the prophet intends to recall the attention of the insensate and indifferent portion of men. I do not deny that there may be also an allusion to the ceremonial law; but inasmuch as in the world at large sacrifices formed part of the religious exercises, he charges those with ingratitude, who, after having escaped from some imminent peril, forget to celebrate the praises of their Great Deliverer.

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.

For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind,.... Winds are not raised by men, nor by devils, nor by angels, but by the Lord himself; who has created them, holds them in his fist, brings them out of his treasures, and sends them forth to do his will; if he speaks the word, gives but the order, a storm arises at once, and executes what he pleases, Psa 148:8.

Which lifteth up the waves thereof; that is, the waves of the sea; it comes down into it, and causes surges; which rise above the ship, and sometimes cover it, and ready to sink it; yea, even they are lifted up to the heavens, as it follows.

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

And let them sacrifice - As in the cases before Psa 107:9, Psa 107:16, this is connected with the preceding part of the psalm, or is a “continuation” of the thought which had been interrupted by the prayer, “Oh that men would praise the Lord.” The particular idea here is, that they who have been sick, and who have been restored to health, should offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving; or, that they are the proper persons to praise the Lord. The word “sacrifice” here is used in a large sense to denote worship or adoration. Let them worship God with thanks or praises.

The sacrifices of thanksgiving - Hebrew, “praise.” Let them offer praise.

And declare his works with rejoicing - Margin, as in Hebrew, “singing.” Let them set forth his “doings” in songs. Compare Psa 9:11.

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

Sacrifices of thanksgiving; either properly so called; or praises and thanksgivings to God, which in Scripture are called sacrifices, because they are no less acceptable to God than costly sacrifices.

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

Ver. 22. And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving. In such a case let there be gifts and oblations as well as words. Let the good Physician have his fee of gratitude. Let life become a sacrifice to him who has prolonged it, let the deed of self denying gratitude be repeated again and again: there must be many cheerful sacrifices to celebrate the marvellous boon.

And declare his works with rejoicing. Such things are worth telling, for the personal declaration honours God, relieves ourselves, comforts others, and puts all men in possession of facts concerning the divine goodness which they will not be able to ignore.

Ver. 22. And let them sacrifice. For their healing they should bring a sacrifice; and they should offer the life of the innocent animal unto God, as he has offered their lives; and let them thus confess that God has spared them when they deserved to die; and let them declare also "his works with rejoicing"; for who will not rejoice when he is delivered from death? Adam Clarke.

Psalms 107:23*

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

And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving; compare the expression, "the calves of our lips", (Hos_14:2) and see also Heb_13:15. And declare his works with rejoicing; i.e. joyfully pro claim the great things that God has done for them.

Thanksgiving when prayer is answered.

Men are much more ready to pray than to give thanks; to express their desires than to recognize the response made to their desires. Men fail in gratitude rather than in petition. Therefore do the apostles specially urge this grace, and require its cultivation by the Christian disciples. (see Php_4:6 Col_4:2 Heb_13:15) The call to thanksgiving is the refrain of the palm. Man is seen to gain no blessing save through the ministry of him who is the "Author and Giver of every good and perfect gift." And man"s sin is seen to be restraining his lips, and failing to make due recognition of "grace abounding." A life full of God"s benedictions should be a life full of God"s praise. In this text the general duty is presented under two figures.

I THANKSGIVING AS A SACRIFICE. The peculiarity of a sacrifice is that it is a silent act. It is something a man does which has its own voice, and need not be accompanied with any words. When the old Jew brought his animal to the priest, according to the rules of the Mosaic ritual, he did not need to say anything by way of explanation. The priest perfectly understood what he meant. Some act of Divine mercy was filling him with thankfulness, and his offering found for it expression. Philip Henry puts this sharply: "Thanksgiving is a good thing, thanksgiving is a better." The self-offered in sacrifice speaks our gratitude to the listening ear of God. A man can show himself grateful by his manner of life. Bouar prays"Fill thou my life, O Lord my God, In every part with praise, That my whole being may proclaim Thy Being and thy Ways. "Not for the lip of praise alone, Nor e"en the praising heart, I ask but for a life made up Of praise in every part.

"I beseech you therefore that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice;" so says St. Paul. And it is to be a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

II THANKSGIVING AS A TESTIMONY. "Tell out his works with gladness." Here thanksgiving is a voiceful act. "I will not refrain my lips, O Lord, thou knowest." "Praise is the only employment in which self finds no part. In praise we go out of ourselves, and think only of him to whom we offer it. It is the most purely disinterested of all services. R.T.

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