Psalms Chapter 105

Old Testament Poetry/Hymns 45 Verses

What is Psalms 105 about?

One hundred fifty inspired poems and hymns — Israel's prayer book, spanning lament and praise, confession and trust. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.

Text — American Standard Version (1901)

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
1Oh give thanks unto Jehovah, call upon his name; Make known among the peoples his doings.
2Sing unto him, sing praises unto him; Talk ye of all his marvelous works.
3Glory ye in his holy name: Let the heart of them rejoice that seek Jehovah.
4Seek ye Jehovah and his strength; Seek his face evermore.
5Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,
6O ye seed of Abraham his servant, Ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7He is Jehovah our God: His judgments are in all the earth.
8He hath remembered his covenant for ever, The word which he commanded to a thousand generations,
9[The covenant] which he made with Abraham, And his oath unto Isaac,
10And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a statute, To Israel for an everlasting covenant,
11Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, The lot of your inheritance;
12When they were but a few men in number, Yea, very few, and sojourners in it.
13And they went about from nation to nation, From one kingdom to another people.
14He suffered no man to do them wrong; Yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,
15[Saying], Touch not mine anointed ones, And do my prophets no harm.
16And he called for a famine upon the land; He brake the whole staff of bread.
17He sent a man before them; Joseph was sold for a servant:
18His feet they hurt with fetters: He was laid in [chains of] iron,
19Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of Jehovah tried him.
20The king sent and loosed him; Even the ruler of peoples, and let him go free.
21He made him lord of his house, And ruler of all his substance;
22To bind his princes at his pleasure, And teach his elders wisdom.
23Israel also came into Egypt; And Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
24And he increased his people greatly, And made them stronger than their adversaries.
25He turned their heart to hate his people, To deal subtly with his servants.
26He sent Moses his servant, [And] Aaron whom he had chosen.
27They set among them his signs, And wonders in the land of Ham.
28He sent darkness, and made it dark; And they rebelled not against his words.
29He turned their waters into blood, And slew their fish.
30Their land swarmed with frogs In the chambers of their kings.
31He spake, and there came swarms of flies, And lice in all their borders.
32He gave them hail for rain, [And] flaming fire in their land.
33He smote their vines also and their fig-trees, And brake the trees of their borders.
34He spake, and the locust came, And the grasshopper, and that without number,
35And did eat up every herb in their land, And did eat up the fruit of their ground.
36He smote also all the first-born in their land, The chief of all their strength.
37And he brought them forth with silver and gold; And there was not one feeble person among his tribes.
38Egypt was glad when they departed; For the fear of them had fallen upon them.
39He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to give light in the night.
40They asked, and he brought quails, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41He opened the rock, and waters gushed out; They ran in the dry places [like] a river.
42For he remembered his holy word, [And] Abraham his servant.
43And he brought forth his people with joy, [And] his chosen with singing.
44And he gave them the lands of the nations; And they took the labor of the peoples in possession:
45That they might keep his statutes, And observe his laws. Praise ye Jehovah. Psalm 106

What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · on verse 1
“O give thanks unto the Lord, etc.] These are the words of David, either to the singers, or rather to the whole congregation of Israel, the seed of Abraham, and children of Jacob, (<19A506>Psalm 105:6) stirring them up to praise and thankfulness for their mercies, temporal and spiritual; for the Messiah they had hope and expectation of, typified by the ark now brought home; for the word and ordinances, and opportunities of waiting upon God in them; for heaven and happiness, figured by Canaan’s land given them to enjoy. Or, “confess or celebrate the Lord” f1481; his greatness and goodness: his being and…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“This Psalm gives a detailed confession of the sins of Israel in all periods of their history, with special reference to the terms of the covenant as intimated (Psa 105:45). It is introduced by praise to God for the wonders of His mercy, and concluded by a supplication for His favor to His afflicted people, and a doxology. (Psa. 106:1-48) Praise, &c.--(See on Psa 104:35), begins and ends the Psalm, intimating the obligations of praise, however we sin and suffer Ch1 16:34-36 is the source from which the beginning and end of this Psalm are derived.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“O give thanks unto the Lord - The design here is to show that thanks should be given to the Lord in view of his dealings with his people, as stated in the subsequent portions of the psalm. Call upon his name - More literally, “Call him by his name;” that is, Address him by his proper title; ascribe to him the attributes which properly belong to him; or, address him in a proper manner. Make known his deeds among the people - What he has done in former times. The allusion is to his acts in behalf of his people in delivering them from Egyptian bondage, and bringing them to the promised land. The word “people” here…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · on verse 3
“Glory - Glory in the God whom you serve, as the only true God. Psalms 105:4”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
“Ps 105 This hymn praises the Lord’s faithfulness to Abraham and his descendants in all their journeys—from Ur to Canaan (105:12), to Egypt (105:17, 23), through the wilderness (105:37, 41), and back to Canaan (105:44). All of this fulfilled the Lord’s promise to Abraham (105:9, 42), which was the basis for Israel’s very existence. Joseph, whose suffering was changed into glory, is a paradigm of encouragement for Israel (105:16-25). • Psalm 105:1-15 (along with 96; 106:1, 47-48) is included in David’s song of praise recorded in 1 Chr 16. 105:1-5 The poet begins with the exhortation Give thanks (see also 106:1;…”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 1
“am 2962, bc 1042 (Title), It appears from 1Chr. 16, where the former part of this Psalm, as far as the Psa 105:16, is found with little variation, that David composed it at the removal of the ark to Mount Zion, and he himself probably enlarged it afterwards with the glorious detail of God's merciful dealings with Abraham and his posterity till their settlement in the land of Promise. The Hallelujah, which terminates the preceding Psalm, is made the title of this by the Septuagint, Vulgate, Arabic, and Ethiopic; and the Syriac considers it a paraphrase on the words, "Fear not, Jacob, to go down into Egypt;" "and…”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · on verse 1
“Invitation to the praise - praise that resounds far and wide among the peoples - of the God who has become manifest wondrously in the deeds and words connected with the history of the founding of Israel. הודה לה, as in Psa 33:2; Psa 75:2, of a praising and thankful confession offered to God; קרא בשׁם ה, to call with the name of Jahve, i.e., to call upon it, of an audible, solemn attestation of God in prayer and in discourse (Symmachus, κηρύσσετε). The joy of heart (Note: The Mugrash of ישׂמח with the following Legarme seems here to be of equal value with Zakeph, Ch1 16:10.) that is desired is the condition of a…”
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