Psalms 105

General context

The psalm calls for thanks to the Lord, to make known his deeds, sing, glory in his holy name, seek his face and remember his marvellous works, addressing the seed of Abraham his servant and the children of Jacob his chosen. He has remembered his covenant for ever, made with Abraham, sworn to Isaac and confirmed to Jacob and Israel, saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan. When they were few and strangers, going from nation to nation, he let no man wrong them and reproved kings, saying, Touch not mine anointed. He called for a famine and sent a man before them, Joseph, sold for a servant, his feet hurt with fetters, until his word came and the king loosed him and made him lord of his house. Israel came into Egypt and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham; God increased his people, then turned their heart to hate his people. He sent Moses his servant and Aaron whom he had chosen, who showed his signs: darkness, waters turned to blood, frogs, flies and lice, hail and flaming fire, vines and fig trees smitten, locusts and caterpillers, and all the firstborn smitten. He brought them out with silver and gold and not one feeble person, and Egypt was glad when they departed. He spread a cloud for covering and fire for light, brought quails and the bread of heaven, and opened the rock so waters gushed out, because he remembered his holy promise and Abraham his servant. He brought forth his people with joy and gave them the lands of the heathen, that they might observe his statutes and keep his laws. Praise ye the Lord.

Cited passages: Psalms 105:1, Psalms 105:4, Psalms 105:6, Psalms 105:8, Psalms 105:9, Psalms 105:11, Psalms 105:12, Psalms 105:15, Psalms 105:16, Psalms 105:17, Psalms 105:18, Psalms 105:20, Psalms 105:21, Psalms 105:23, Psalms 105:25, Psalms 105:26, Psalms 105:28, Psalms 105:29, Psalms 105:30, Psalms 105:31, Psalms 105:32, Psalms 105:34, Psalms 105:36, Psalms 105:37, Psalms 105:38, Psalms 105:39, Psalms 105:40, Psalms 105:41, Psalms 105:42, Psalms 105:44, Psalms 105:45

Psalms 105 (KJV)

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

This source prints no superscription; the psalm begins with O give thanks unto the Lord and ends with Praise ye the Lord. The addressees are named in verse 6 as the seed of Abraham and the children of Jacob. The people named are Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Israel, Joseph, Moses and Aaron; the king who loosed Joseph is not named, only called the ruler of the people. Places are the land of Canaan, Egypt and the land of Ham, which appears twice and is paired with Egypt in verse 23. The psalm's order of the signs is its own: darkness first, then blood, frogs, flies and lice, hail and fire, smitten vines and trees, locusts and caterpillers, and the firstborn last. Verse 28 says of the darkness that they rebelled not against his word, without saying who they are. Mine anointed and my prophets in verse 15 refer back to the few strangers of verse 12, and the text says nothing more about them. The psalm reports no sin by the people it addresses; the hostility in it belongs to those who hurt Joseph's feet with fetters and to the heart God turned to hate his people. There is no Selah.

Cited passages: Psalms 105:6, Psalms 105:20, Psalms 105:23, Psalms 105:27, Psalms 105:28, Psalms 105:15, Psalms 105:13, Psalms 105:25, Psalms 105:11, Psalms 105:18

Literary context

The psalm is held together by the verb remember. The hearers are told to remember his marvellous works in verse 5, and the story that follows is framed twice by God's own remembering, of his covenant in verse 8 and of his holy promise and Abraham in verse 42. Between those two verses the covenant word is given, Canaan, and then the story runs away from it, into famine, fetters, Egypt and plagues, before returning to the land in verse 44. Joseph's fall and rise are told in matching lines: feet hurt with fetters, then made lord of his house. Two of the plagues are introduced by he spake, so the signs come as speech. The poem's last line gives the purpose of the whole history in one clause, that they might observe his statutes, and it ends with praise rather than with any report of the people's response.

Cited passages: Psalms 105:5, Psalms 105:8, Psalms 105:42, Psalms 105:18, Psalms 105:21, Psalms 105:31, Psalms 105:34, Psalms 105:45, Psalms 105:44

Key moments

1. Seed of Abraham addressed (Psalms 105:6). The call to remember is aimed at Abraham's seed and Jacob's children.
2. The land of Canaan promised (Psalms 105:11). The covenant is quoted as a gift of Canaan for an inheritance.
3. Joseph sold for a servant (Psalms 105:17). God sends a man ahead of the people, Joseph, into fetters and iron.
4. Moses and Aaron sent (Psalms 105:26). God's servant and his chosen show signs in the land of Ham.
5. The firstborn smitten (Psalms 105:36). The last sign named is the smiting of all the firstborn in their land.
6. Water from the rock (Psalms 105:41). God opens the rock and waters run in dry places like a river.
7. Statutes and praise (Psalms 105:45). The purpose of the gift of the land is that they keep his laws.

For reflection

The psalm tells the story from Abraham to the land without one word about the people's failures. What does the retelling gain, or leave out, by remembering only what God did?

People in this chapter

• Abraham
• Jacob
• Aaron
• Isaac
• Joseph (OT)
• Moses