Psalms 105

1 ¹Oh give thanks to the LORD; ²call upon his name; ³make known his deeds among the peoples!

2 Sing to him, sing praises to him; ⁴tell of all his wondrous works!

3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!

4 Seek the LORD and his ⁵strength; ⁶seek his presence continually!

5 Remember the ⁷wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and ⁸the judgments he uttered,

6 O offspring of ⁹Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his ¹⁰chosen ones!

7 He is the LORD our God; his ¹¹judgments are in all the earth.

8 He ¹²remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for ¹³a thousand generations,

9 ¹⁴the covenant that he made with Abraham, his ¹⁵sworn promise to Isaac,

10 which he confirmed to ¹⁶Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,

11 saying, ¹⁷"To you I will give the land of Canaan as ¹⁸your portion for an inheritance."

12 When they were ¹⁹few in number, of little account, and ²⁰sojourners in it,

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

14 he ²¹allowed no one to oppress them; he ²²rebuked kings on their account,

15 saying, ²³"Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!"

16 When he ²⁴summoned a famine on the land and ²⁵broke all supply^[a] of bread,

17 he had ²⁶sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was ²⁷sold as a slave.

18 His ²⁸feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron;

19 until ²⁹what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD ³⁰tested him.

20 ³¹The king sent and ³²released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free;

21 he ³³made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions,

22 to bind^[b] his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom.

23 Then ³⁴Israel came to Egypt; Jacob ³⁵sojourned in ³⁶the land of Ham.

24 And the LORD ³⁷ made his people very fruitful and made them stronger than their foes.

25 He ³⁸turned their hearts to hate his people, to ³⁹deal craftily with his servants.

26 He ⁴⁰sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, ⁴¹whom he had chosen.

27 ⁴²They performed his signs among them and miracles in ⁴³the land of Ham.

28 He ⁴⁴sent darkness, and made the land dark; they ⁴⁵did not rebel^[c] against his words.

29 He turned their waters into blood and ⁴⁶caused their fish to die.

30 Their land swarmed with frogs, even in ⁴⁷the chambers of their kings.

31 He spoke, and there came ⁴⁸swarms of flies, ⁴⁹and gnats throughout their country.

32 He gave them hail for rain, and fiery ⁵⁰lightning bolts through their land.

33 He struck down their vines and fig trees, and ⁵¹shattered the trees of their country.

34 He spoke, and the ⁵²locusts came, young locusts without number,

35 which devoured all the vegetation in their land and ate up the fruit of their ground.

36 He ⁵³struck down all the firstborn in their land, ⁵⁴the firstfruits of all their strength.

37 Then he brought out Israel with ⁵⁵silver and gold, and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.

38 ⁵⁶Egypt was glad when they departed, for ⁵⁷dread of them had fallen upon it.

39 He ⁵⁸spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night.

40 ⁵⁹They asked, and he ⁶⁰brought quail, and gave them ⁶¹bread from heaven in abundance.

41 He opened the rock, and ⁶²water gushed out; it flowed through ⁶³the desert like a river.

42 For he ⁶⁴remembered his holy promise, and ⁶⁵Abraham, his servant.

43 So he brought his people out with joy, his ⁶⁶chosen ones with ⁶⁷singing.

44 And he ⁶⁸gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' toil,

45 that they might ⁶⁹keep his statutes and ⁷⁰observe his laws. ⁷¹Praise the LORD!

Psalms 105 Commentary

Chapter 105

A solemn call to praise and serve the Lord. (1-7) His gracious dealings with Israel. (8-23) Their deliverance from Egypt, and their settlement in Canaan. (24-45)

Verses 1-7 Our devotion is here stirred up, that we may stir up ourselves to praise God. Seek his strength; that is, his grace; the strength of his Spirit to work in us that which is good, which we cannot do but by strength derived from him, for which he will be sought. Seek to have his favour to eternity, therefore continue seeking it while living in this world; for he will not only be found, but he will reward those that diligently seek him.

Verses 8-23 Let us remember the Redeemer's marvellous works, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth. Though true Christians are few number, strangers and pilgrims upon earth, yet a far better inheritance than Canaan is made sure to them by the covenant of God; and if we have the anointing of the Holy Spirit, none can do us any harm. Afflictions are among our mercies. They prove our faith and love, they humble our pride, they wean us from the world, and quicken our prayers. Bread is the staff which supports life; when that staff is broken, the body fails and sinks to the earth. The word of God is the staff of spiritual life, the food and support of the soul: the sorest judgment is a famine of hearing the word of the Lord. Such a famine was sore in all lands when Christ appeared in the flesh; whose coming, and the blessed effect of it, are shadowed forth in the history of Joseph. At the appointed time Christ was exalted as Mediator; all the treasures of grace and salvation are at his disposal, perishing sinners come to him, and are relieved by him.

Verses 24-45 As the believer commonly thrives best in his soul when under the cross; so the church also flourishes most in true holiness, and increases in number, while under persecution. Yet instruments shall be raised up for their deliverance, and plagues may be expected by persecutors. And see the special care God took of his people in the wilderness. All the benefits bestowed on Israel as a nation, were shadows of spiritual blessings with which we are blessed in Christ Jesus. Having redeemed us with his blood, restored our souls to holiness, and set us at liberty from Satan's bondage, he guides and guards us all the way. He satisfies our souls with the bread of heaven, and the water of life from the Rock of salvation, and will bring us safely to heaven. He redeems his servants from all iniquity, and purifies them unto himself, to be a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 106:1; 1 Chronicles 16:34; Isaiah 12:4; For ver. 1-15, see 1 Chronicles 16:8-22
• 2. Psalms 99:6; Psalms 116:13, 17; [Genesis 4:26]
• 3. Ps. 145:4, 5, 11, 12
• 4. Psalms 77:12
• 5. See Psalms 78:61
• 6. [Psalms 27:8]
• 7. Psalms 77:11; See Psalms 72:18
• 8. Exodus 6:6; Exodus 7:4
• 9. ver. 42
• 10. ver. 43; Psalms 106:5; [Psalms 135:4]
• 11. Isaiah 26:9
• 12. ver. 42; Psalms 106:45; Psalms 111:5; Luke 1:72
• 13. Deuteronomy 7:9
• 14. Genesis 17:2; See Genesis 22:15-18
• 15. Genesis 26:3
• 16. Genesis 28:13, 14; Genesis 35:11, 12
• 17. Genesis 13:15; Genesis 15:18
• 18. Psalms 78:55
• 19. Genesis 34:30; Deuteronomy 7:7; Deuteronomy 26:5
• 20. Hebrews 11:9
• 21. [Genesis 35:5]
• 22. Genesis 12:17; Genesis 20:3
• 23. Genesis 20:6, 7; [Genesis 26:11]
• 24. Genesis 41:54; [2 Kings 8:1; Haggai 1:11]
• 25. Leviticus 26:26; Isaiah 3:1; Ezekiel 4:16; [Psalms 104:15]
• 26. Genesis 45:5; Genesis 50:20
• 27. Genesis 37:28, 36; Acts 7:9
• 28. [Genesis 39:20]
• 29. Genesis 40:20, 21; Genesis 41:53, 54
• 30. [Judges 7:4]
• 31. Genesis 41:14
• 32. Psalms 146:7
• 33. Genesis 41:40
• 34. Genesis 46:6; Acts 7:15
• 35. Acts 13:17
• 36. Psalms 106:22; [Psalms 78:51]
• 37. Exodus 1:7; Deuteronomy 26:5
• 38. [Exodus 9:12; Romans 11:8]; See Exodus 1:8-14
• 39. Exodus 1:10; Acts 7:19
• 40. Exodus 3:10; Exodus 4:12
• 41. Numbers 16:5; Numbers 17:5
• 42. For ver. 27-36, see Psalms 78:43-51
• 43. [See ver. 23 above]
• 44. Exodus 10:21-23
• 45. Psalms 99:7
• 46. Exodus 7:21
• 47. Exodus 8:3
• 48. Exodus 8:21
• 49. Exodus 8:16
• 50. Exodus 9:23
• 51. Exodus 9:25
• 52. See Exodus 10:12-15
• 53. See Psalms 78:51
• 54. See Psalms 78:51
• 55. Exodus 12:35, 36
• 56. Exodus 12:23
• 57. Exodus 15:16
• 58. [Job 36:20; Isaiah 4:5]; See Exodus 13:21
• 59. Psalms 78:18, 27
• 60. Exodus 16:13
• 61. Psalms 78:24, 25; [John 6:31]
• 62. See Psalms 78:15
• 63. See Psalms 63:1
• 64. ver. 8, 9; Exodus 2:24
• 65. [Genesis 15:14]; See ver. 6
• 66. [See ver. 42 above]
• 67. [Isaiah 35:10]; See Exodus 15:1-21
• 68. Joshua 24:13; [Psalms 78:55]
• 69. Deuteronomy 4:1, 40
• 70. Psalms 78:7
• 71. See Psalms 104:35

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew staff
• [b]. Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome instruct
• [c]. Septuagint, Syriac omit not

Chapter Summary

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.