Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 105:28
He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.
28. It is difficult to say why the ninth plague (Exo 10:21 ff.) is placed first here. Possibly, like the fifth and sixth, it was not originally mentioned, and the verse was the marginal gloss of a reader who noticed the omission, which was subsequently inserted in the text in the wrong place. If however the text is sound, perhaps the ninth plague is mentioned first, because it is regarded as the plague which wrought conviction in the minds of the Egyptians, who were already anxious that the Israelites should be allowed to depart (Exo 10:7; Exo 11:2-3); though the further plague of the death of the firstborn was needed finally to convince Pharaoh. The plague of darkness was specially calculated to inspire the worshippers of the sun-god with the sense of Jehovah’s power. The next line and they rebelled not against his words confirms this interpretation. ‘They’ must refer to the Egyptians, and the allusion must be to their change of feeling towards the Israelites after the plague of darkness, described in Exo 11:2-3. Some commentators suppose that ‘they’ refers to Moses and Aaron, who did not disobey God’s commands, as they afterwards did at Meribah (Num 20:24; Num 27:14), but accepted their perilous mission. Such a statement however does not seem natural in the present context. Others read they observed not ( for ). Others follow the LXX and Syr. in omitting the negative. So in effect Coverdale (following the Zrich Bible, ‘dann sy warend seinem geheyss nit gehorsam’), for they were not obedient unto his word; P.B.V. and they were not &c. But the remark would be out of place at the point when the resistance of the Egyptians had been overcome.
his word ] So the Q’r; R.V. his words follows the K’thbh, which is supported by the LXX, Aq., and Jer.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
He sent darkness, and made it dark – Exo 10:21-23.
And they rebelled not against his word – More literally, his words. The reference is to Moses and Aaron; and the idea, as expressed here, is that they were obedient to the command of God; that they went and did what he ordered them; that, although he required them to go before a mighty and proud monarch, to denounce against him the vengeance of heaven, and to be the instruments of bringing upon the land unspeakably severe judgments, yet they did not shrink from what God commanded them to do. They were true to his appointment, and showed themselves to be faithful messengers of God. Others, however, suppose that this refers to the Egyptians, and that it is to be taken as a question: And did they not rebel against his word? The language might bear this, and the translators of the Septuagint seem to have so understood it, for they render it, And they rebelled against his words. But the most natural construction is that in our common version, and the design is evidently to commend the boldness and the fidelity of Moses and Aaron.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 28. They rebelled not against his word.] Instead of velo maru, “they rebelled,” some think that a shin has been lost from before the word, and that it should be read velo shamru, “they did not observe or keep his word.” Or the words may be spoken of Moses and Aaron; they received the commandment of God, and they did not rebel against it. They believed what he had spoken, and acted according to his orders. It could not be spoken of the Egyptians; for they rebelled against his words through the whole course of the transactions.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Either,
1. The darkness and other plagues; which obeyed Gods word, and instantly came at Gods call. So this may be a reflection upon the Egyptians, that those brutish or unreasonable creatures were more obedient to the will and command of God than they were. Thus diseases are said to come or go at Gods command, Mat 8:8. Or rather,
2. Moses and Aaron, mentioned Psa 105:26, and called they, Psa 105:27, whose obedience in denouncing and inflicting these plagues, and especially that plague of darkness, is noted and commended here as an act of great faith and fortitude, because they inflicted that plague after Pharaoh had threatened them, Exo 10:10; as the obedience of their parents is commended as a great act of faith, because they preserved and hid their son contrary to the express command of the king of Egypt.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
28-36. The ninth plague is madeprominent as peculiarly wonderful.
they rebelled notMosesand Aaron promptly obeyed God (Heb11:27); (compare Exo 7:1-11;Psa 78:44-51, with whichthis summary substantially agrees). Or, rather, the “darkness”here is figurative (Jer 13:16),the literal plague of darkness (Exo 10:22;Exo 10:23) being only alludedto as the symbol of God’s wrath which overhung Egypt as a dark cloudduring all the plagues. Hence, it is placed first, out of thehistorical order. Thus, “They rebelled not (that is, no longer)against His word,” refers to the Egyptians. Whenever Godsent a plague on them, they were ready to let Israel go,though refusing when the plague ceased.
his wordHis command tolet Israel go [HENGSTENBERG].Of the ten plagues, only eight are mentioned, the fifth, the murrainof beasts, and the sixth, the boils, being omitted.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
He sent darkness, and made it dark,…. The land of Egypt; either he, God, or it, darkness, made it dark, or it was made dark; the Targum is,
“made them dark;”
that is, the Egyptians; darkness was a messenger of the Lord’s, who forms the light and creates darkness; it came at his word and covered all the land, excepting the dwellings of Israel; even a thick darkness that might be felt, so that the Egyptians could not see one another, nor rise from their place for three days together; such as sometimes rises at sea, and is said to be so dark, that for five days together day and night are the same; this was the ninth of the ten plagues,
Ex 10:21 and was an emblem of the darkness which is on the minds of men in an unregenerate state; who are covered with gross darkness, and are even darkness itself; which is universal as to persons, and the powers and faculties of their souls concerning divine things: and it also bears some resemblance to the darkness which will be in the kingdom of the beast upon the pouring out of the fifth vial, or plague, on spiritual Egypt, Re 16:10.
And they rebelled not against his word: the plague of darkness, and the rest of the plagues which God commanded; these, as they were his servants, were not disobedient to him, they came at his word; see
Ps 105:31, so Jarchi interprets it; or else Moses and Aaron, who were sent of God to inflict those plagues, did not refuse to obey the divine orders; though Pharaoh threatened them hard, yet they feared not the wrath and menaces of the king, but did as the Lord commanded them. Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, mention both these senses, but the latter seems most agreeable. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, leave out the word “not”; and so some copies of the Vulgate Latin version, and Apollinarius in his metaphrase, “and they rebelled against his word”; that is, the Egyptians did not hearken to the word of the Lord, nor to the signs and wonders he wrought, but their hearts were hardened, and they would not let Israel go. But this is contrary to the original text; though Arama interprets it of them, that they did not rebel, but confessed this miracle, which being the greatest of all, as he observes, is first mentioned. Dr. Lightfoot y thinks it is to be understood of Israel, and of some special part of obedience performed by them; which he takes to be circumcision, which they had omitted in Egypt, at least many of them, and was necessary to their eating of the passover, which was to be done in a few days, Ex 12:48 and it was a fit time to perform this service while darkness for three days was upon the Egyptians; in which they were shut up by the Lord, that they might not take the opportunity against his people, now sore through circumcision.
y Works, vol. 1. p. 707.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
In the 28 verse he specifics one of these miracles, which yet was not the first in order, but from which it is easy to gather that God was the author of the deliverance of Israel, and in which the course of nature was entirely changed; for nothing is more astonishing than to see the light turned into darkness. In the second clause, he commends the faithfulness of Moses and Aaron, in courageously executing whatever God had commanded them: And they were not rebellious against his words (224) There was, as if it had been said, the most perfect harmony between the command of God and the obedience of both his servants.
(224) They executed the command of God, with respect to the plagues brought on the Egyptians, although they knew that in thus acting they would incur the heavy displeasure of Pharaoh, and expose their lives to considerable danger. “The import of מרו לא, they resisted not, ” says Hammond, “seems no more than what is affirmed in the story, Exo 10:21, ‘The Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand. — And Moses stretched forth his hand,’ — i.e. , readily obeyed, and did what God directed, and that at a time when Pharaoh was likely to be incensed, and vehemently offended with him and Aaron. For which consideration the story there gives us this farther ground: for as, verse 10, he had before expressed some anger and threats, — ‘Look to it, for evil is before you,’ and ‘they were driven from his presence,’ verse 11; so now, upon the hardening his heart, which follows this plague of darkness, he said to Moses, ‘Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more, for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die the death,’ verse 28. This rage of Pharaoh, Moses in reason might well foresee, but he dreaded it not; but boldly did as God directed, and that is the meaning of “they resisted not God’s word.’”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(28) Darkness.The enumeration of the plagues omits the fifth and sixth, and begins with the ninth, and appends a clause which, from the first, has troubled translators. Of whom is it said, They rebelled not against his words? Of the Egyptians it is not true; and to refer the words to Moses and Aaron, in contrast with their resistance to the Divine command at Massah and Meribah, is feeble. The LXX. and the Syriac solved the difficulty by rejecting the negative. (Comp. the Prayer Book Version.)
The simplest explanation is to take the verb as imperfect subjunctive: He sent darkness, and made it dark, that they might not rebel against his word.
But this fails to supply a reason for the position in the list of the ninth plague, and the suggested emendation of Mr. Burgess is so satisfactory in this respect, that it almost by itself carries conviction with it. By a very slight change, he obtains: He sent darkness, and darkened them, that they might not discern his tokens; taking deber in the same sense that it bears in Psa. 105:27.
Thus the plague of darkness is, by a slight device of the poet, made to symbolise the moral blindness displayed by the Egyptians throughout.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
28. Darkness This was the ninth plague. Exo 10:21-23. The poet does not follow the historic order of the miracles. The causative form of the verb indicates a direct act of God. in producing this phenomenon, as distinct from ordinary natural darkness, fit emblem of the ignorance of the people and the wrath of God.
They rebelled not That is, Moses and Aaron, who are here to be considered the subject of the verb. Though reluctant to begin, (Exodus 3, 4,) they had stood firm to the word of God through all this terrible scene.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 105:28. And they rebelled not against his word Yet they were not obedient to his word. So the LXX and Syriac read; and thus it is rendered in the Liturgy of the Church of England. But Houbigant, thinking the present reading genuine, renders it, and his words were not changed; i.e. “what he had commanded to be done, was done.” Mudge too is for the present reading. “The LXX (says he) read the passage without the negative, understanding it of the Egyptians.” As it now stands, it must be understood of those things of nature to which the divine word was addressed; that they did not disobey it, though the Egyptians had: they readily executed it: and this is made probable by the clause before: He sent darkness, and it darkened; to express the quickness of the execution. He no sooner sent darkness, but it was in fact dark.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 105:28 He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.
Ver. 28. He sent darkness ] Palpable darkness, by reason of most black and thick vapours of the earth mingling themselves with the air; such as Aben Ezra said that he once felt, sailing upon the ocean, the gross vapours there putting out the light of fire and candle, and not suffering them to be re-enkindled.
And they rebelled not against his word
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
darkness. This was the ninth plague (Exo 10:21). All are not mentioned, not being needed. This is put first for the purpose implied in the next line.
they rebelled not: i.e. Israel did not rebel against the command for circumcision. According to Exo 12:48, no uncircumcised person could eat the Passover. This is implied in Jos 5:2 by the expression, the “second time”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
sent: Exo 10:21-23, Joe 2:2, Joe 2:31, Luk 23:44, Luk 23:45, 2Pe 2:4, 2Pe 2:17
rebelled: Psa 99:7, Eze 2:4-8
Reciprocal: Exo 10:22 – thick darkness Job 38:19 – darkness Amo 5:8 – maketh Mar 15:33 – darkness Act 27:20 – neither
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 105:28-31. He sent darkness, &c. This was one of the last plagues, though here mentioned first: God sent darkness, and, coming with commission from him, it came with efficacy; his command made it dark. And they rebelled not against his word That is, the people of Israel were not disobedient to Gods commands by Moses and Aaron, respecting killing the passover, and making preparation, in other respects, to leave Egypt. The old translation follows the LXX., and reads, They were not obedient to his word; which may be applied to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, who, notwithstanding the terror of this plague, would not let the people go; but there is no ground for this interpretation in the Hebrew, the reading of which, however, , Houbigant translates, His words were not changed, that is, What God had commanded to be done was done. Their land brought forth frogs That is, their country brought them forth; for they were produced by their rivers, Exo 8:3. In the chambers of their kings Which entered into the chambers of Pharaoh, and his sons, and his chief nobles, and governors of provinces under him; such persons being often called kings in Scripture. And lice in all their coasts Or borders, that is, in all their land, even to the remotest parts or borders of it. For a further elucidation of the particulars contained in these and the following verses, to Psa 105:37, see notes on Psa 78:43-51.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
105:28 He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they {o} rebelled not against his word.
(o) Meaning, Moses and Aaron.