Psalm 105

1 Give thanks to the Lord, and call upon his name; declare his works among the heathen.

2 Sing to him, yea, sing praises to him: tell forth all his wonderful works.

3 Glory in his holy name: let the heart of them that seek the Lord rejoice.

4 Seek ye the Lord, and be strengthened; seek his face continually.

5 Remember his wonderful works that he has done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

6 ye seed of Abraam, his servants, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

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

8 He has remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded for a thousand generation:

9 which he established as a covenant to Abraam, and he remembered his oath to Isaac.

10 And he established it to Jacob for an ordinance, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant;

11 saying To thee will I give the land of Chanaan, the line of your inheritance:

12 when they were few in number, very few, and sojourners in it.

13 And they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people.

14 He suffered no man to wrong them; and he rebuked kings for their sakes:

15 saying, Touch not my anointed ones; and do my prophets no harm.

16 Moreover he called for a famine upon the land; he broke the whole support of bread.

17 He sent a man before them; Joseph was sold for a slave.

18 They hurt his feet with fetters; his soul passed into iron,

19 until the time that his cause came on; the word of the Lord tried him as fire.

20 The king sent and loosed him; even the prince of the people, and let him go free.

21 He made him Lord over his house, and ruler of all his substance;

22 to chastise his rulers at his pleasure, and to teach his elders wisdom.

23 Israel also came into Egypt, and Jacob sojourned in the land of Cham.

24 And he increased his people greatly, and made them stronger than their enemies.

25 And he turned their heart to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants.

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

27 He established among them his signs, and his wonders in the land of Cham.

28 He sent forth darkness, and made it dark; yet they rebelled against his words.

29 He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.

30 Their land produced frogs abundantly, in the chambers of their kings.

31 He spoke, and the dog-fly came, and lice in all their coasts.

32 He turned their rain into hail, and sent flaming fire in their land.

33 And he smote their vines and their fig trees; and broke every tree of their coast.

34 He spoke, and the locust came, and caterpillars innumerable,

35 and devoured all the grass in their land, and devoured the fruit of the ground.

36 He smote also every first-born of their land, the first-fruits of all their labour.

37 And he brought them out with silver and gold; and there was not a feeble one among their tribes.

38 Egypt rejoiced at their departing; for the fear of them fell upon them.

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

40 They asked, and the quail came, and he satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

41 He clave the rock, and the waters flowed, rivers ran in dry places.

42 For he remembered his holy word, which he promised to Abraam his servant.

43 And he brought out his people with exultation, and his chosen with joy;

44 and gave them the lands of the heathen; and they inherited the labours of the people;

45 that they might keep his ordinances, and diligently seek his law.

Psalm 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.

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.