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Psalms105

Psalm 105 is a hymn of thanksgiving, recounting God's faithfulness to Israel from the patriarchs to the Exodus and entry into Canaan. It calls for praise, remembrance of His wondrous works, and glory in His holy name. The psalm highlights God's unwavering covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and His miraculous provision and protection for His chosen people. It concludes by stating that God's actions were to enable Israel to observe His statutes.

Call to Worship and Remembrance

1
Give thanks to ADONAI! Call on his name! Make his deeds known among the peoples. ​
2
Sing to him, sing praises to him, talk about all his wonders.
3
Glory in his holy name; let those seeking ADONAI have joyful hearts.
4
Seek ADONAI and his strength; always seek his presence. ​
5
Remember the wonders he has done, his signs and his spoken rulings.
6
You descendants of Avraham his servant, you offspring of Ya'akov, his chosen ones, ​

God Remembers His Covenant

7
he is ADONAI our God! His rulings are everywhere on earth. ​
8
He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded to a thousand generations, ​
9
the covenant he made with Avraham, the oath he swore to Yitz'chak,
10
and established as a law for Ya'akov, for Isra'el as an everlasting covenant:
11
"To you I will give the land of Kena'an as your allotted heritage." ​
12
When they were but few in number, and not only few, but aliens there too,
13
wandering from nation to nation, from this kingdom to that people,
14
he allowed no one to oppress them. Yes, for their sakes he rebuked even kings:
15
"Don't touch my anointed ones or do my prophets harm!" ​

The Lord Prepares the Way through Joseph

16
He called down famine on the land, broke off all their food supply, ​
17
but sent a man ahead of them -Yosef, who was sold as a slave. ​
18
They shackled his feet with chains, and they bound him in irons;
19
until the time when his word proved true, God's utterance kept testing him. ​
20
The king sent and had him released, the ruler of peoples set him free;
21
he made him lord of his household, in charge of all he owned,
22
correcting his officers as he saw fit and teaching his counselors wisdom.
23
Then Isra'el too came into Egypt, Ya'akov lived as an alien in the land of Ham.
24
There God made his people very fruitful, made them too numerous for their foes,
25
whose hearts he turned to hate his people, and treat his servants unfairly. ​

Signs and Wonders in Egypt

26
He sent his servant Moshe and Aharon, whom he had chosen. ​
27
They worked his signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.
28
He sent darkness, and the land grew dark; they did not defy his word. ​
29
He turned their water into blood and caused their fish to die.
30
Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the royal chambers.
31
He spoke, and there came swarms of insects and lice throughout their land.
32
He gave them hail instead of rain, with fiery [lightning] throughout their land.
33
He struck their vines and fig trees, shattering trees all over their country.
34
He spoke, and locusts came, also grasshoppers without number;
35
they ate up everything green in their land, devoured the fruit of their ground. 896
36
He struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their strength. ​

Provision and Inheritance in the Land

37
Then he led his people out, laden with silver and gold; among his tribes not one stumbled. ​
38
Egypt was happy to have them leave, because fear of [Isra'el] had seized them.
39
He spread out a cloud to screen them off and fire to give them light at night. ​
40
When they asked, he brought them quails and satisfied them with food from heaven.
41
He split a rock, and water gushed out, flowing as a river over the dry ground,
42
for he remembered his holy promise to his servant Avraham.
43
He led out his people with joy, his chosen ones with singing.
44
Then he gave them the lands of the nations, and they possessed what peoples had toiled to produce, ​
45
in order to obey his laws and follow his teachings. Halleluyah! ​

Study Notes for Psalms 105

Verse 1

This psalm, likely composed for liturgical use, is a historical hymn calling the community to praise God by recounting His mighty acts on behalf of Israel. It emphasizes proclamation ('make known his deeds').

Verse 4

Seeking God's 'strength' and 'face' is a call to pursue His presence and power continually. This pursuit is rooted in remembering His past faithfulness (v. 5).

Verse 6

The Psalmist addresses the audience directly as the 'seed of Abraham' and 'children of Jacob,' identifying them as the legitimate heirs of the divine covenant promises.

Verse 7

Though Israel is the focus of the covenant, God’s sovereignty is universal; 'his judgments are in all the earth,' meaning His rule applies to all nations.

Verse 8

The covenant is described as eternal ('for ever,' 'a thousand generations'), underscoring God's unwavering commitment despite human failings, a contrast to the focus of the next psalm (Ps 106).

Verse 11

The core of the covenant promise is the land of Canaan, identified as the 'lot of your inheritance,' establishing God's legal and eternal claim over the territory for Israel.

Verse 15

God protected the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) even when they were few. 'Anointed' and 'prophets' describes the unique, holy status of God's chosen representatives who spoke His word.

Verse 16

The famine is presented as a divinely orchestrated event ('he called for a famine') demonstrating that even natural disasters serve God's ultimate redemptive plan.

Verse 17

The sending of Joseph ('He sent a man before them') highlights divine providence. Joseph's suffering was a necessary prelude to his elevation, allowing him to preserve his family.

Verse 19

Joseph remained in prison until the prediction and interpretation of dreams ('his word') were fulfilled, meaning God's promise was testing ('tried') his character and patience.

Verse 25

This verse emphasizes God's sovereignty over the hearts of men. He allowed or caused the Egyptians to hate Israel so that He could demonstrate His power through the subsequent deliverance.

Verse 26

Moses and Aaron are introduced as the chosen agents of God, sent to execute the divine judgments. Moses is titled 'servant' and Aaron 'chosen,' reflecting their specific roles.

Verse 28

The plague of darkness is recounted. The phrase 'they rebelled not against his word' most likely refers to Moses and Aaron, who obediently carried out the difficult command to bring total darkness onto Egypt (Exod 10:20-23).

Verse 36

The death of the firstborn was the climax of the plagues, demonstrating God’s ultimate authority over life and death and compelling Pharaoh to release Israel.

Verse 37

Israel departed enriched with 'silver and gold,' fulfilling the promise made to Abraham (Gen 15:14). The lack of 'feeble person' highlights God’s perfect care and protection during the oppression.

Verse 39

This verse summarizes the miraculous guidance provided by God in the wilderness: the cloud for covering/shade during the day, and the pillar of fire for light and warmth at night (Exod 13:21).

Verse 44

The Psalmist affirms the fulfillment of the land covenant (v. 11), emphasizing that Israel inherited the productive land and infrastructure ('labour of the people') of the previous inhabitants.

Verse 45

This final verse reveals the theological purpose of the entire historical narrative: God rescued and provided for Israel so that they might be a covenant people dedicated to obedience ('observe his statutes').

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