Psalms 105:12

When they were [but] a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.

When they were but a few men {H4962} in number {H4557}; yea, very few {H4592}, and strangers {H1481} in it.

When they were but few in number, and not only few, but aliens there too,

When they were few in number, few indeed, and strangers in the land,

When they were but a few men in number, Yea, very few, and sojourners in it.

Commentary

Psalms 105:12 describes the nascent stages of the nation of Israel, specifically referencing the time of the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—and their immediate families. This verse emphasizes their vulnerability and smallness before God began to multiply them into a great nation.

Context of Psalms 105:12

Psalm 105 is a historical psalm, a hymn of praise and thanksgiving that recounts God's faithful dealings with His covenant people, Israel, from the time of Abraham through the Exodus and the wilderness journey. It serves as a powerful reminder of God's unwavering promises and miraculous interventions. Verses 8-11 establish God's eternal covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, promising them the land of Canaan. Verse 12 then sets the scene for this covenant's initial fulfillment, highlighting the seemingly insignificant status of the patriarchs at that time, making God's subsequent actions all the more remarkable.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Humble Beginnings: The verse stresses that the mighty nation of Israel, which would later grow to countless millions, started from a very small, vulnerable group. This underscores that God often chooses to work through what appears insignificant by human standards, magnifying His power rather than human strength.
  • God's Covenant Faithfulness: Despite their fewness and status as "strangers," God remained true to His covenant promises made to Abraham and his descendants. Their vulnerability did not deter His plan or His protective hand.
  • Divine Protection and Providence: The fact that these "few men" survived and thrived in a foreign land, surrounded by potentially hostile peoples, points directly to God's sovereign protection. They were dependent entirely on His providence. As the psalm continues, it elaborates on how God suffered no man to do them wrong.
  • Sojourners and Strangers: The term "strangers" (Hebrew: gerim) indicates that they were temporary residents or aliens in the land, not its native inhabitants. This status often implied a lack of rights or protection, further emphasizing their reliance on God. This theme of being a sojourner is prevalent throughout the patriarchs' narratives, and it resonates with the New Testament concept of believers being "strangers and pilgrims" on earth.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "few men in number" in Hebrew is metei mispar (מְתֵי מִסְפָּר), which literally means "men of number," conveying a quantity that is easily counted, hence very small. The word for "strangers," gerim (גֵּרִים), refers to resident aliens or sojourners who live in a land without possessing hereditary rights or land ownership, underscoring their precarious position.

Practical Application

Psalms 105:12 offers several timeless lessons for believers today:

  • Trust in God's Plan: Even when our resources or numbers seem small, God is capable of accomplishing great things. Our limitations are opportunities for His power to be displayed.
  • Remembering God's Faithfulness: Reflecting on how God preserved and multiplied a "very few" reminds us of His unwavering commitment to His promises. This strengthens our faith in His ability to guide and protect us through our own challenges.
  • Embracing Our Identity: Like the patriarchs, believers are often called to live as "strangers" in the world, distinct from its values and systems, relying on God for our true home and sustenance.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Deuteronomy 7:7 (7 votes)

    The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye [were] the fewest of all people:

  • Genesis 34:30 (7 votes)

    And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I [being] few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

  • Hebrews 11:9 (6 votes)

    By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as [in] a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

  • Genesis 23:4 (4 votes)

    I [am] a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

  • Deuteronomy 26:5 (2 votes)

    And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish [was] my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:

  • Acts 7:5 (1 votes)

    And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not [so much as] to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when [as yet] he had no child.

  • Isaiah 51:2 (1 votes)

    Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah [that] bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.