Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt: they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies: And they provoked to wrath going up to the sea, even the Red Sea.

“But let us hear what they next confess: "we have sinned with our fathers: we have done amiss, and dealt wickedly" [Psalm 106:6]. What means "with our fathers"?..."Our fathers," he says, "regarded not Your wonders in Egypt" [Psalm 106:7]; and many other things also, he does relate of their sins. Or is, "we have sinned with our fathers," to be understood as meaning, we have sinned like our fathers, that is, by imitating their sins? If it be so, it should be supported by some example of this mode of expression: which did not occur to me when I sought on this occasion an instance of any one saying that he had sinned, or done anything, with another, whom he had imitated by a similar act after a long interval of time. What means then, "Our fathers understood not Your wonders;" save this, they did not know what You wished to convince them of by these miracles? What indeed, save life eternal, and a good, not temporal, but immutable, which is waited for only through endurance? For this reason they impatiently murmured, and provoked, and they asked to be blessed with present and fugitive blessings, "Neither were they mindful of the greatness of Your mercy." He reproves both their understanding and memory. Understanding there was need of, that they might meditate unto what eternal blessings God was calling them through these temporal ones; and of memory, that at least they might not forget the temporal wonders which had been wrought, and might faithfully believe, that by the same power which they had already experienced, God would free them from the persecutions of their enemies; whereas they forgot the aid which He had given them in Egypt, by means of such wonders, to crush their enemies. "And they provoked, as they went up to the sea, even to the Red Sea." We ought especially to notice how the Scripture does censure the not understanding that which ought to have been understood, and the not remembering that which ought to have been remembered; which men are unwilling to have ascribed to their own fault, for no other reason than that they may pray less, and be less humble unto God, in whose sight they should confess what they are, and might by praying for His aid, become what they are not. For it is better to accuse even the sins of ignorance and negligence, that they may be done away with, than to excuse them, so that they remain; and it is better to clear them off by calling upon God, than to clench them by provoking Him.”

“and they were rebellious by the sea They had little faith; they said, “Just as we ascend from here, from this side, the Egyptians also are ascending from another side, and they will come after us,” until the Holy One, blessed be He, hinted to the sea, and it vomited them out onto the dry land. Then (Exod. 14:30) “Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.” Therefore (ibid. verse 31) “they believed in the Lord,” but in the beginning, they did not believe. I found this.”

“Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt,.... Or, "our fathers in Egypt" (l); while they were there, they did not understand, or wisely consider and attend unto, the miracles there wrought, the plagues inflicted on the Egyptians. These were done in their sight, they saw them with their eyes; yet had not hearts to perceive them, and understand the true use and design of them: not only that these were for the destruction of their enemies, and for their deliverance from them; but that they were proofs of the power of God, and of his being the one only and true God, in opposition to the idols of the Egyptians; and that he only ought to be adhered unto, worshipped, and trusted in. Had they adverted to these things, they would not so easily have given in to a murmuring and repining spirit, to a distrust of the power and providence of God, and to idolatry, as they did; see Deu 29:2, something of this kind may be observed in the disciples of Christ, Mar 6:52. They remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; the mercies of God bestowed on his people are many, both temporal and spiritual; there is a multitude of them; the sum of them is great, it cannot well be said how great it is: but though they are so many as not to be reckoned up in order, yet a grateful remembrance of them should be kept up; it is sinful to forget them, and argues great ingratitude. Past mercies should be remembered, both for the glory of God, and to encourage faith and hope in him, with respect to future ones, as well as to preserve from sinning against him. The stupidity and ingratitude of this people, here confessed, were the source of their rebellion against God, as follows: but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea; or, "sea of Suph" (m); so called, either from a city of this name, which it washed, as Hillerus (n) thinks; see Num 21:14 or from the sedge and weeds in it, or reeds and rushes that grew upon the banks of it. When they were come hither, though just brought out of Egyptian bondage, and had seen the wonders the Lord had done; and though now in the utmost distress, the Egyptian army behind them, and the sea before them; yet neither past mercies nor present danger could keep them from rebelling against the Lord. They provoked him by their language to Moses; because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Exo 14:11. The Targum is, "but they rebelled against thy word.'' (l) "patres nostri in Aegypto", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, &c. (m) "in mari Suph", Pagninus, Vatablus, Schmidt; "in mare carecti", Montanus; "mare algosum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius. (n) Onomastic. Sacr. p. 128, 940.”