Psalms 105

1 Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

2 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.

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

4 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

5 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,

6 you his servants, the descendants of Abraham, his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.

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

8 He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations,

9 the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.

10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

11 “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit.”

12 When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it,

13 they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.

14 He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:

15 “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.”

16 He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food;

17 and he sent a man before them— Joseph, sold as a slave.

18 They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons,

19 till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true.

20 The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free.

21 He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed,

22 to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.

23 Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob resided as a foreigner in the land of Ham.

24 The LORD made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes,

25 whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants.

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

27 They performed his signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.

28 He sent darkness and made the land dark— for had they not rebelled against his words?

29 He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die.

30 Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.

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

32 He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land;

33 he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country.

34 He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number;

35 they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil.

36 Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood.

37 He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered.

38 Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them.

39 He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night.

40 They asked, and he brought them quail; he fed them well with the bread of heaven.

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

42 For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham.

43 He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy;

44 he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for—

45 that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the LORD.^[a]

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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.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Cross References 74

1. S 1 Chronicles 16:34
2. Psalms 80:18; Psalms 99:6; Psalms 116:13; Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21
3. Psalms 30:4; Psalms 33:3; Psalms 96:1
4. Psalms 7:17; Psalms 18:49; Psalms 27:6; Psalms 59:17; Psalms 71:22; Psalms 146:2
5. S Psalms 75:1
6. S Psalms 89:16
7. S Psalms 24:6; Psalms 27:8
8. S Psalms 40:5
9. S Deuteronomy 7:18; Psalms 77:11
10. ver 42
11. S Deuteronomy 10:15; Psalms 106:5
12. S Genesis 9:15; Psalms 106:45; Psalms 111:5; Ezekiel 16:60; S Luke 1:72
13. Genesis 12:7; Genesis 17:2; S Genesis 15:18; S Genesis 22:16-18; Luke 1:73; Galatians 3:15-18
14. Genesis 28:13-15
15. Isaiah 55:3
16. S Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:15; Genesis 15:18
17. S Numbers 34:2
18. Genesis 34:30; Deuteronomy 7:7
19. Genesis 23:4; Hebrews 11:9
20. Genesis 15:13-16; Numbers 32:13; Numbers 33:3-49
21. Genesis 35:5
22. Genesis 12:17-20; S Genesis 20:3; S Psalms 9:5
23. S Genesis 26:11; S 1 Samuel 12:3
24. S Genesis 20:7
25. S Genesis 12:10; Genesis 41:54; S Leviticus 26:26; Isaiah 3:1; Ezekiel 4:16
26. S Genesis 37:28; Genesis 45:5; Acts 7:9
27. S Genesis 40:15
28. S Genesis 12:10; Genesis 40:20-22
29. Genesis 41:40
30. Genesis 41:14
31. Genesis 41:43-44
32. S Genesis 41:40
33. Genesis 46:6; Acts 7:15; Acts 13:17
34. Genesis 47:28
35. S Psalms 78:51
36. Exodus 1:7,9; Acts 7:17
37. S Exodus 4:21
38. Exodus 1:6-10; Acts 7:19
39. S Exodus 3:10
40. S Exodus 4:16; S Numbers 33:1
41. S Numbers 16:5; Numbers 17:5-8
42. ver 28-37; Ex 7:8-12:51
43. S Exodus 4:17; S Exodus 10:1
44. S Exodus 3:20; Daniel 4:3
45. S Genesis 1:4; S Exodus 10:22
46. S Exodus 7:22
47. S Psalms 78:44
48. Exodus 7:21
49. S Exodus 8:2,6
50. Psalms 107:25; Psalms 148:8
51. Exodus 8:21-24; S Psalms 78:45
52. Exodus 8:16-18
53. Exodus 9:22-25; S Job 38:22; S Psalms 78:47
54. Psalms 78:47
55. Exodus 10:5,12
56. Psalms 107:25
57. S Ex 10:4,12-15
58. S 1 Kings 8:37
59. Joel 1:6
60. S Exodus 4:23; S Exodus 12:12; Exodus 12:29
61. S Exodus 3:21,22; Exodus 12:35
62. Exodus 12:33; Exodus 15:16
63. S Exodus 13:21; 1 Corinthians 10:1
64. Nehemiah 9:12; S Psalms 78:14
65. Psalms 78:18,24
66. S Exodus 16:13
67. S Exodus 16:4; John 6:31
68. Exodus 17:6; S Numbers 20:11; Psalms 78:15-16; 1 Corinthians 10:4
69. Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 13:14-17; Genesis 15:13-16
70. Exodus 15:1-18; Psalms 106:12
71. Exodus 32:13; Joshua 11:16-23; Joshua 12:8; Joshua 13:6-7; Psalms 111:6
72. Deuteronomy 6:10-11; Psalms 78:55
73. S Deuteronomy 4:40; Deuteronomy 6:21-24; Psalms 78:5-7
74. S Psalms 104:35

Footnotes 1

[a]. Hebrew "Hallelu Yah"

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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible