Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 107:20

He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered [them] from their destructions.

20. He sent &c.] R.V. sendeth healeth delivereth. Jehovah’s word is here almost personified as a delivering angel. It is His messenger (Psa 147:15; Psa 147:18), which performs His will (Isa 55:11; cp. Psa 9:8). It is His instrument in His dealings with men (Psa 105:19) as well as in the work of creation (Psa 33:6). Such passages prepare the way for the use in the Targums of the periphrasis ‘the Word of Jehovah’ ( Mmr or Dibbr) for Jehovah in His intercourse with men; and for the fuller revelation of the personal Word, the Logos (Joh 1:1). In connexion with this thought, it should be noted that in Job 33:23 the restoration of the sick man to health of mind and body is attributed to the intervention of “an angel, an interpreter” (or mediator).

from their destructions ] Lit. pitfalls (Lam 4:20); the graves into which they had all but fallen. Cp. Job 33:18; Job 33:22; Job 33:24; Job 33:28; Psa 103:4.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

He sent his word, and healed them – He did it by a word; it was necessary for him merely to give a command, and the disease left them. So it was in the life of the Saviour, who often healed the sick by a word Mat 8:8; Luk 7:7; and so now restoration from disease often seems to be accomplished as if some word had been spoken by one who had power, commanding the disease to depart. In all cases, also, whatever means may be used, healing power comes from God, and is under his control. Compare Psa 30:2.

And delivered them from their destructions – From what would have destroyed them, if it had not been checked and removed.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Psa 107:20

He sent Him word, and healed them.

The healing influence of Gods Word

Those who do not enjoy Divine revelation are in a very miserable state: they sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. Their habitations are full of darkness; their lives are full of sin and misery, and they have no hope in their death; for, where there is no vision the people perish. He sends his word and heals them, and delivers them from their destructions.

I. Some observations concerning the written word of god.

1. It was Divinely inspired.

2. It is necessary to discover unto us most important truths.

3. It is most profitable unto men, for the doctrines which it teaches, for the precious effects which it produces on the hearts of men, and for the reformation which it is calculated to accomplish in the world.

4. The written Word of God may be considered as a sacred trust committed to Christians, to be improved by themselves, and conveyed unto others.

II. The manner in which the Word of God, written and preached, has been sent to man, and how it ought to be sent by us to the heathen, that they may be healed, and delivered from their destructions.

1. The Word of God, written and preached, was sent to man by God Himself.

2. The Lord sends His written and preached Word by the ministers of the Gospel.

3. The Lord sends His Word accompanied with the Divine Spirit, who renders it effectual to salvation.

4. The Word of God should be sent unto the heathen, accompanied with much fervent prayer for its success.

III. Obstructions which the Word of God is calculated to remove. The Word of God is excellently adapted to–

1. Remove out of the world, and from the hearts of men, darkness, ignorance, and superstition.

2. Heal division, and to promote the peace and happiness of civil and religious society.

3. Heal the soul of those injuries which, by sin, it sustains.

4. Produce hope in the soul. (W. Gould.)

Delivered them from their destructions.—

Delivered from destructions

What! Are there many destructions to a man? Oh yes, a great many! I have known one man destroyed by his shop, another by his wife, another by his children. Many a woman is destroyed by her clothes; many a man is destroyed by his eating; millions are destroyed by their drinking. Everything about us will destroy us unless God saves us. There are a thousand gates to hell, though there is only one road to heaven One man may perish by debauchery; another may perish by respectability. One man may be lost in the ale-house; another man may be lost through his teetotalism, if he makes a god of it. One man may go down to hell by his want of common decency, and another by his pride, and prudery, and self-righteousness. Do not deceive yourself–the way to ruin is easy, and many crowd it. A little matter of neglect will land you in hell. But it is not a little matter of thought that will bring you to heaven; there must be a stirring up of the entire soul–an awakening of the whole man to seek after God in Christ Jesus; or else you shall perish. Surrounded, then, with destructions–snares about your bed, snares about your table, snares in your solitude, snares in the street, snares in your shop, snares at dawn of day, and snares at set of sun–you are in awful, terrible danger; and yet persons surrounded with destructions have been saved, and why should not you? They have cried to God in their trouble, and He has delivered them out of their destructions; will He not do the same at your cry? (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 20. He sent his word, and healed them] He spoke: “Be thou clean, be thou whole;” and immediately the disease departed; and thus they were delivered from the destructions that awaited them.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

His word; his command, or his blessing, which came with power.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

20. sent his wordthat is, putforth His power.

their destructionsthatis, that which threatened them. To the chorus is added the mode ofgiving thanks, by a sacrifice and joyful singing (Ps50:14).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

He sent his word, and healed them,…. It was his will and pleasure they should be healed, and accordingly they were; he issued his orders for the removal of the affliction, and it was done; diseases are his servants, which come and go at his command; so Christ, in the days of his flesh, healed by speaking a word, Mt 8:3. This is true of Christ the essential Word, who was sent in the fulness of time, and was made flesh and dwelt among men, and went about healing all manner of diseases among the people; and who is also the physician of souls who came with healing in his wings; that is, with pardon of sin, for which his blood was shed: he is the only physician, the skilful, universal, and infallible one, and does all freely, and in a most marvellous manner, by his stripes, blood and wounds, and by an application of these to diseased persons sensible of their case. It may also be applied to the word of the Gospel; the law is the means of wounding, it is the killing letter; the Gospel is the means of healing, the doctrines of it are the leaves of the tree of life, which are for the healing of the nations; it is the doctrine of remission of sins by the blood of Christ, and by it Christ speaks peace and pardon to wounded consciences.

And delivered them from their destructions; from the destruction of the body, of the beauty and strength of it by diseases; restoring to health is a redeeming of the life from destruction; from the grave, the pit of corruption and destruction, so called because in it bodies corrupt, putrefy, and are destroyed by worms; and such who are savingly convinced of sin, and blessed with pardoning grace and mercy, are delivered from the everlasting destruction of body and soul in hell.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

20 He sendeth his word. Again, in saying that they are delivered from destruction, the prophet shows that he is here alluding to those diseases which, in the opinion of men, are incurable, and from which few are delivered. Besides, he contrasts God’s assistance with all the remedies which are in the power of man to apply; as if he should say, that their disease having baffled the skill of earthly physicians, their recovery has been entirely owing to the exertion of God’s power. It is proper also to notice the manner in which their recovery is effected; God has but to will it, or to speak the word, and instantly all diseases, and even death itself, are expelled. I do not regard this as exclusively referring to the faithful, as many expositors do. I own, indeed, that it is of comparatively little consequence to us to be the subjects of bodily care, if our souls still remain unsanctified by the word of God; and hence it is the intention of the prophet that we consider the mercy of God as extending to the evil and unthankful. The meaning of the passage, therefore, is, that diseases neither come upon us by chance, nor are to be ascribed to natural causes alone, but are to be viewed as God’s messengers executing his commands; so that we must believe that the same person that sent them can easily remove them, and for this purpose he has only to speak the word. And since we now perceive the drift of the passage, we ought to attend to the very appropriate analogy contained in it. Corporeal maladies are not removed except by the word or command of God, much less are men’s souls restored to the enjoyment of spiritual life, except this word be apprehended by faith.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(20) He sent His word.In history (see Psa. 105:19), as in the natural world (Psa. 147:18), Gods word is His messenger. (Comp. Isa. 55:10-11.)

Destructions.This follows the LXX., who derive as in Psa. 103:4. A better derivation, however, gives pits, either with metaphorical allusion to the depths of suffering, or literally, of the graves to which the sufferers had drawn near.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

20. He sent his word, and healed them “We detect in such passages the first glimmering of St. John’s doctrine of the agency of the personal Word.” Perowne. See Psa 147:15; Psa 147:18; Isa 55:11: specially, Job 33:23, where, instead of messenger interpreter, read an angel a mediator.

Destructions The word means pits for catching wild animals or men, as Lam 4:20. But according to Psa 107:18 it here denotes graves, grave-pits.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments