Psalm 105:8-23

8 He forever remembers His covenant, the promise He ordained for a thousand generations-

9 [the covenant] He made with Abraham, swore^[a] to Isaac,

10 and confirmed to Jacob as a decree and to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

11 "I will give the land of Canaan to you as your inherited portion."

12 When they were few in number, very few indeed, and temporary residents in Canaan,

13 wandering from nation to nation and from one kingdom to another,

14 He allowed no one to oppress them; He rebuked kings on their behalf:

15 "Do not touch My anointed ones, or harm My prophets."^[b]

16 He called down famine against the land and destroyed the entire food supply.^[c]

17 He had sent a man ahead of them- Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

18 They hurt his feet with shackles; his neck was put in an iron collar.

19 Until the time his prediction came true, the word of the Lord tested him.

20 The king sent [for him] and released him; the ruler of peoples set him free.

21 He made him master of his household, ruler over all his possessions-

22 binding^[d] his officials at will and instructing his elders.

23 Then Israel went to Egypt; Jacob lived as a foreigner in the land of Ham.^[e]

Psalm 105:8-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 105

This psalm was penned by David, and sung at the time when the ark was brought from the house of Obededom to the place which David had prepared for it; at least the first fifteen verses of it, the other part being probably added afterwards by the same inspired penman, as appears from 1Ch 16:1-7. The subject matter of the psalm is the special and distinguishing goodness of God to the children of Israel, and to his church and people, of which they were typical: the history of God's regard to and care of their principal ancestors, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph and of the whole body of the people, in bringing them out of Egypt, leading them through the wilderness, and settling them in the land of Canaan, is here recited, as an argument for praise and thankfulness.

Footnotes

• [a] Lit and His oath
• [b] 1 Ch 16:8-22
• [c] Gn 41:53-57
• [d] LXX, Syr, Vg read teaching
• [e] Egypt