Psalms 105

1 Give ye thanks to Jehovah -- call ye in His name, Make known among the peoples His acts.

2 Sing ye to Him -- sing praise to Him, Meditate ye on all His wonders.

3 Boast yourselves in His Holy Name, The heart of those seeking Jehovah rejoiceth.

4 Seek ye Jehovah and His strength, Seek ye His face continually.

5 Remember His wonders that He did, His signs and the judgments of His mouth.

6 O seed of Abraham, His servant, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones.

7 He [is] Jehovah our God, In all the earth [are] His judgments.

8 He hath remembered to the age His covenant, The word He commanded to a thousand generations,

9 That He hath made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac,

10 And doth establish it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel -- a covenant age-during,

11 Saying, `To thee I give the land of Canaan, The portion of your inheritance,'

12 In their being few in number, But a few, and sojourners in it.

13 And they go up and down, from nation unto nation, From a kingdom unto another people.

14 He hath not suffered any to oppress them And He reproveth for their sakes kings.

15 `Strike not against Mine anointed, And to My prophets do not evil.'

16 And He calleth a famine on the land, The whole staff of bread He hath broken.

17 He hath sent before them a man, For a servant hath Joseph been sold.

18 They have afflicted with fetters his feet, Iron hath entered his soul,

19 Till the time of the coming of His word The saying of Jehovah hath tried him.

20 The king hath sent, and looseth him, The ruler of the peoples, and draweth him out.

21 He hath made him lord of his house, And ruler over all his possessions.

22 To bind his chiefs at his pleasure, And his elders he maketh wise.

23 And Israel cometh in to Egypt, And Jacob hath sojourned in the land of Ham.

24 And He maketh His people very fruitful, And maketh it mightier than its adversaries.

25 He turned their heart to hate His people, To conspire against His servants.

26 He hath sent Moses His servant, Aaron whom He had fixed on.

27 They have set among them the matters of His signs, And wonders in the land of Ham.

28 He hath sent darkness, and it is dark, And they have not provoked His word.

29 He hath turned their waters to blood, And putteth to death their fish.

30 Teemed hath their land [with] frogs, In the inner chambers of their kings.

31 He hath said, and the beetle cometh, Lice into all their border.

32 He hath made their showers hail, A flaming fire [is] in their land.

33 And He smiteth their vine and their fig, And shivereth the trees of their border.

34 He hath said, and the locust cometh, And the cankerworm -- innumerable,

35 And it consumeth every herb in their land, And it consumeth the fruit of their ground.

36 And He smiteth every first-born in their land, The first-fruit of all their strength,

37 And bringeth them out with silver and gold, And there is not in its tribes a feeble one.

38 Rejoiced hath Egypt in their going forth, For their fear had fallen upon them.

39 He hath spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to enlighten the night.

40 They have asked, and He bringeth quails, And [with] bread of heaven satisfieth them.

41 He hath opened a rock, and waters issue, They have gone on in dry places -- a river.

42 For He hath remembered His holy word, With Abraham His servant,

43 And He bringeth forth His people with joy, With singing His chosen ones.

44 And He giveth to them the lands of nations, And the labour of peoples they possess,

45 That they may observe His statutes, And His laws may keep. Praise ye Jehovah!

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.

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.