Psalms Chapter 105 — God's Faithfulness to His Covenant
Psalm 105 is a hymn of praise that recounts the history of Israel, focusing on God's miraculous works and his faithfulness to the covenant made with Abraham.
1Give thanks to the LORD!*LORD or GOD in all caps is from the Hebrew יהוה Yahweh except when otherwise noted as being from the short form יה Yah. Call on his name!
2Sing to him, sing praises to him!
3Glory in his holy name.
4Seek the LORD and his strength.
5Remember his marvelous works that he has done:
6you offspring of Abraham, his servant,
7He is the LORD, our God.
8He has remembered his covenant forever,
9the covenant which he made with Abraham,
10and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute;
11saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan,
12when they were but a few men in number,
13They went about from nation to nation,
14He allowed no one to do them wrong.
15“Don’t touch my anointed ones!
16He called for a famine on the land.
17He sent a man before them.
18They bruised his feet with shackles.
19until the time that his word happened,
20The king sent and freed him,
21He made him lord of his house,
22to discipline his princes at his pleasure,
23Israel also came into Egypt.
24He increased his people greatly,
25He turned their heart to hate his people,
26He sent Moses, his servant,
27They performed miracles among them,
28He sent darkness, and made it dark.
29He turned their waters into blood,
30Their land swarmed with frogs,
31He spoke, and swarms of flies came,
32He gave them hail for rain,
33He struck their vines and also their fig trees,
34He spoke, and the locusts came
35They ate up every plant in their land,
36He struck also all the firstborn in their land,
37He brought them out with silver and gold.
38Egypt was glad when they departed,
39He spread a cloud for a covering,
40They asked, and he brought quails,
41He opened the rock, and waters gushed out.
42For he remembered his holy word,
43He brought his people out with joy,
44He gave them the lands of the nations.
45that they might keep his statutes,
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Psalms 105:1
“Give thanks to the LORD! Call on his name!”
This opening verse sets the tone of the chapter as a call for public testimony of God's actions.
Psalms 105:8
“He has remembered his covenant forever,”
This verse highlights the central theme of the psalm: God's enduring commitment to His promises.
Psalms 105:15
“Don’t touch my anointed ones!”
This verse emphasizes God's specific protection over the patriarchs during their travels across nations.
Chapter Summary
Psalm 105 calls the people of Israel to praise God and remember His wondrous deeds throughout their history. It begins by emphasizing the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, promising them the land of Canaan. The narrative moves through the arrival of Joseph in Egypt, his rise to power, and the eventual arrival of the house of Israel. It details the plagues sent upon Egypt—such as the turning of water into blood and the swarm of frogs—as God's means of delivering His people. The chapter concludes with the Exodus, where God provided a cloud for covering, quails for food, and water from a rock in the wilderness. The psalmist explains that these miracles were performed so that the people would keep God's statutes and laws in the land He gave to them.
Frequently Asked Questions
The main message is a call to remember and praise God for His historical faithfulness to Israel. It highlights how God kept His covenant promises through the lives of Abraham, Joseph, and Moses.
The psalm notes that God sent Joseph ahead of his family and that his feet were initially bruised with shackles. However, the king eventually freed him and made him lord over his house to teach and lead.
The psalm recounts several plagues including darkness, the turning of water into blood, swarms of frogs, flies, hail, locusts, and the death of the firstborn. These are presented as signs of God's power to deliver His people.
Study Note
Psalm 105 is classified as a historical psalm, specifically designed to recite the acts of God as a form of communal worship and instruction.
Related Chapters
Genesis 15
Contains the formal establishment of the covenant with Abraham mentioned in this psalm.
Exodus 12
Describes the historical events of the Passover and the departure from Egypt recounted here.
Psalms 106
The following psalm provides a companion historical overview, focusing on Israel's responses to God.
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