Psalms 105:16-26

16 And God called hunger on earth (And God called for hunger, or a famine, on the earth); and he wasted all the steadfastness of bread.

17 He sent a man before them; Joseph was sold into a servant (Joseph was sold as a slave).

18 They made low his feet in fetters, iron passed by his soul; (They put his feet in fetters, and an iron collar around his neck;)

19 till the word of him came. The speech of the Lord enflamed him; (until the word of the Lord came as predicted. The word of the Lord proved him right;)

20 the king sent and unbound him; the prince of peoples sent and delivered him. (then the king sent and unbound him; yea, the ruler of the nations sent word, and set him free.)

21 He ordained him lord of his house; and prince of all his possession. (He ordained him lord of his house; and the ruler of all his possessions.)

22 That he should learn his princes as himself (And that he should teach his leaders, or his officials, as he desired); and that he should teach his eld men prudence.

23 And Israel entered into Egypt; and Jacob was a comeling in the land of Ham. (And then Jacob, or Israel, came down to Egypt; and he was a newcomer, or a stranger, in the land of Ham.)

24 And God increased his people greatly; and made them steadfast on his enemies. (And God greatly increased his people; and he made them stronger than their enemies.)

25 He turned the heart of them, that they hated his people; and did guile against his servants. (And then he turned the hearts of their enemies, so that they hated his people; and they were deceitful with his servants.)

26 He sent Moses, his servant; [and] that Aaron, whom he chose.

Psalms 105:16-26 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.