angela hormberg

Tag: Matthew Henry’s Commentary

  • Psalm 106

    Psalm 106

    Commonplace –

    “Praise ye the Lord, O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever” (Psalm 106:1).

    Matthew Henry’s comments regarding Psalm 106 are very helpful.

    “We must give glory to God by making confession, not only of his goodness but our own badness, which serve as foils to each other. Our badness makes his goodness appear the more illustrious, as his goodness makes our badness the more heinous and scandalous. The foregoing psalm was a history of God’s goodness to Israel; this is a history of their rebellion and provocations, and yet it begins and ends with Hallelujah; for even sorrow for sin must not put us out of tune of praising God” (Henry 522).

    The point that Matthew Henry makes is no small thing: we must begin and end with praising God. The focus should not be ourselves, whether we are outspoken over our own accomplishments or glorifying our guilt; in both of those situations, we put the focus on ourselves first. May we always begin and end with a Hallelujah. Amen.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 106.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 105

    Psalm 105

    Commonplace –

    “Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance” (Psalm 105:11).

    Matthew Henry had some thoughtful insight regarding this psalm:

    “Some of the psalms of praise are very short, others very long, to teach us that, in our devotions, we should be more observant how our hearts work than how the time passes and neither overstretch ourselves by coveting to be long nor over-stint ourselves by coveting to be short, but either the one or the other as we find in our hearts to pray” (Henry 517).

    In particular, I was struck by God’s promise to the Israelites to give them the land of Canaan, which is found in verse 11. Matthew Henry notes,

    “God’s promise to the patriarch’s, that great promise that he would give to their seed the land of Canaan for an inheritance, which was a type of the promise of eternal life made in Christ to all believers” (Henry 518).

    So, we can receive this promise from God. We, too, have a Canaan promised to us, and all we have to do is receive it.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 105.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 104

    Psalm 104

    Commonplace –

    “Bless the Lord, O my soul”

    “I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord” (Psalm 104:1, 33-34).

    Psalm 104:1 echoes the words of Psalm 103:1. The psalmist is calling himself to worship. Matthew Henry compares the two psalms in the following way:

    “It is very probable that this psalm [104] was penned by the same hand, and at the same time, as the former [103]; for as that ended this begins, with “Bless the Lord, O my soul!” and concludes with it too. The style indeed is somewhat different because the matter is so: the scope of the foregoing psalm [103] was to celebrate the goodness of God and his tender mercy and compassion, to which a soft and sweet style was most agreeable; the scope of this is to celebrate his greatness, and majesty, and sovereign dominion, which out to be done in the most stately and lofty strains of poetry. David, in the former psalm, gave God the glory of his covenant-mercy and love to his own people; in this he gives him the glory of his works of creation and providence, his dominion over, and his bounty to, all the creatures. God is there praised as the God of grace, here as the God of nature. (Henry 512).

    Verses 33-34 are a call to the believer to meditate on God and the great works of His hand. Doing so is a blessing, because it puts the world into perspective. It minimizes our troubles and maximizes His dominion over all.

    Matthew Henry’s thoughts on verses 33 and 34:

    “I will sing unto the Lord, unto the Lord, unto my God, will praise him as Jehovah, the Creator, and as my God, a God in covenant with me, and this not now only, but as long as I live, and while I have my being.” Because we have our being from God, and depend upon him for the support and continuance of it, as long as we live and have our being we must continue to praise God; and when we have no life, no being, on hearth, we hope to have a better life and better being in a better world and there to be doing this work in a better manner and in better company” (Henry on v.33).

    “My meditation of him shall be sweet; it shall be fixed and close, it shall be affecting and influencing; and therefore it shall be sweet. Thoughts of God will then be most pleasing, when they are most powerful. Note, Divine meditation is a very sweet duty to all that are sanctified: “I will be glad in the Lord; it shall be a pleasure to me to praise him; I will be glad of all opportunities to set forth his glory; and I will rejoice in the Lord always and in him only.” All my joys shall centre in him, and in him they shall be full” (Henry on v. 34) (Henry 517).

    Psalms 103 and 104 are terrific lessons on how to stir up one’s soul to praise God aright.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 104.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 103

    Psalm 103

    Commonplace –

    “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.

    But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto his children’s children.

    As from man his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

    For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more” (Psalm 103:1, 17, 15-16).

    This psalm, like a few previous ones, begins with the psalmist stirring up his soul to worship. Matthew Henry notes the following:

    “This psalm calls for more devotion than exposition; it is a most excellent psalm of praise, and of general use” (Henry 509).

    With particular attention to verses 1-5, Henry states,

    “[In Psalm 103], David is here communing with his own heart, and he is no fool that thus talks to himself and excites his own soul to that which is good” (Henry 509).

    I found this particularly helpful, because it is important. How do I talk to myself? When I am down, what words do I use to turn myself around? If nothing else, my takeaway from the psalms is this responsibility of the believer to turn my mind to God and excite myself to worship him. It’s my job to turn my own mind. It’s with my own will that I must turn away from the distractions of the world, which do not satisfy, and turn my heart to worship him. But how do I do this? According to David, who wrote this psalm, the believer must:

    “forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2).

    It’s a call to remember all the good things God has done for one. He

    • forgives our iniquities (103:3)
    • heals our diseases (103:4)
    • redeems one’s life from destruction (103:4)
    • crowns one’s life with lovingkindness and tender mercies (103:4)
    • satisfies one’s mouth with good things (103:5)

    In addition to verse 1, I included verses 15-16 and verse 17; these verses give me a right view of who God is and who I am in relation to Him. I am here for but a moment, but he is everlasting.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 103.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 102

    Psalm 102

    Commonplace –

    “But thou, O Lord, shall endure forever, and thy remembrance unto all generations. But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end” (Psalm 102:12).

    It has happened often, as I read and write through the psalms, that I may go a few days and not have time to be in the Word. Every time, when I come back, the psalm I am on is the right one for that moment. This is Holy Week. I have been distracted by events and have not been keeping up with my daily reading. Today, Good Friday, I picked up the Word and read Psalm 102. It is the perfect Psalm for Good Friday. In the title of the psalm is the following description:

    “A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord” (Psalm 102).

    That is the description of Christ on the cross. As Matthew Henry notes,

    “…it is clear from the application of v. 25, 26, to Christ (Heb 1:10-12), that the psalm has reference to the days of the Messiah, and speaks either of his affliction or of the afflictions of his church for his sake” (Henry 504).

    The psalmist does list his afflictions, but he does not stay and wallow there. In verse 12, he turns his eyes to God, and the entire tone of the psalm changes. In this way, we learn again from the psalms how to gain victory over our persecution. We must turn to God and remember that He is eternal, while our afflictions are only for a moment.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 102.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 101

    Psalm 101

    Commonplace –

    “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way” (Psalm 101:2).

    The title of Psalm 101 includes the description, “A Psalm of David”. As Matthew Henry notes,

    “David was certainly the penman of this psalm, and it has in it the genuine spirit of the man after God’s own heart; it is a solemn vow which he made to God when he took upon him the charge of a family and of the kingdom” (Henry 502).

    David was committed to God. Yes, he struggled, but his desire was to do his best for the Lord. Later, Christ came. He also was committed to God and desired to do His best for God. The Bible even tells us Jesus was tempted in every way we are tempted,

    “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15, emphasis mine).

    Christ was able to do what David could not, “behave himself wisely in a perfect way”.

    In regard to living in a ‘perfect way’, Matthew Henry states,

    “When we make the word of God our rule, and are ruled by it, the glory of God our end, and aim at it, then we walk in a perfect way with a perfect heart” (Henry 503).

    We may struggle like David to maintain our solemn vow, but we can be like him and strive towards the goal and be ruled by it.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 101.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 100

    Psalm 100

    Commonplace –

    “For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations” (Psalm 100:5).

    What a blessing and comfort is the assurance of his everlasting truth! As Matthew Henry puts it,

    “His truth endures to all generations, and no word of his shall fall to the ground as antiquated or revoked. The promise is sure to all the seed, from age to age” (Henry 502).

    I stand on this promise of God and rejoice that His truth endures. If that isn’t the greatest comfort we are afforded, I don’t know what is. It is for this reason that I can do as the psalmist directs:

    “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalm 100:4).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 100.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 99

    Psalm 99

    Commonplace –

    “Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions. Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy” (Psalm 99:8-9).

    What a testimony to the faithfulness of God! The psalmist notes that Moses, Aaron and Samuel called on the name of the Lord, and He answered them (v. 6). Not only did He answer them, but He forgave them. Yet He is just, so He had to punish their sin. This is the holiness of God, that He is righteous, and He calls us to be righteous.

    What does righteousness look like? It looks like walking the path of holiness and having mercy, when those (including ourselves) come up short walking this path, and giving forgiveness, when it is in our power to do so. It also means that punishment is part of the process for the sinner. Yet we do not relish the struggle of others but only hope that the punishment turns them to God, who alone is their help.

    “In singing this psalm we must set ourselves to exalt the name of God, as it is made known to us in the gospel, which we have much more reason to do than those had who lived under the law” (Henry 499).

    “The foundation of all religion is laid in this truth, That the Lord reigns. God governs the world by his providence, governs the church by his grace, and both by his Son. We are to believe not only that the Lord lives, but that the Lord reigns. That is the triumph of the Christian church” (Henry 499).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 99.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 98

    Psalm 98

    Commonplace –

    “O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things; his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory” (Psalm 98:1).

    “A song of praise for redeeming love is a new song, such a song as had not been sung before; for this is a mystery which is hidden from ages and generations. Converts sing a new song, very different from what they had sung; they change their wonder and change their joy, and therefore change their note. If the grace of God put a new heart into our breasts, it will therewith put a new song into our mouths” (Henry 498).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 98.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 97

    Psalm 97

    Commonplace –

    “Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 97:10).

    “The Lord reigns; that is the great truth here laid down. The Lord Jehovah reigns, He that made the world governs it; he that gave being gives motion and power, gives law and commission, gives success and event. Every man’s judgment proceeds from the Lord, from His counsel and providence, and in all affairs, both public and private He performs the thing which he himself has appointed” (Henry 495).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 97.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg