Psalm 105

Psalm 105 belongs to Book Four of the Psalms (Psalms 90–106). Following Psalm 104, which praises God for creation, it celebrates God's faithfulness to His covenant throughout the history of Israel. The next psalm, Psalm 106, looks back on the same history from the perspective of the people's disobedience.

Structure

• Verses 1–6 The psalmist calls the people to give thanks to God, to sing to Him, and to remember His works. The Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Hangeul) prints the content of verse 6 as part of verse 5.
• Verses 7–11 The psalm recalls the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the promise of the land of Canaan.
• Verses 12–15 God protected the patriarchs, who were few in number and strangers in the land, and reproved kings for their sakes.
• Verses 16–22 When famine came, God sent Joseph ahead. Sold as a servant and bound in iron, Joseph became ruler over the king's house.
• Verses 23–25 Israel entered Egypt and multiplied, and the Egyptians came to hate the people.
• Verses 26–36 God sent Moses and Aaron. Darkness, blood, frogs, flies and lice, hail, locusts, and the death of the firstborn follow in succession.
• Verses 37–41 The people go out with silver and gold and receive guidance by cloud and fire, quail and bread from heaven, and water from the rock.
• Verses 42–45 God remembered Abraham and gave the people the land. His purpose was that they might keep His statutes, and the psalm closes with "Hallelujah."

Key Verses

• Psalm 105:1 "O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name": the call to thanksgiving and proclamation that opens the entire psalm.
• Psalm 105:8 "He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations": an expression of God's faithfulness to His covenant, the theme that unifies the psalm's retelling of history.
• Psalm 105:45 "That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws": the conclusion that the grace of salvation should lead to obedience.

People and Places

• Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: the patriarchs who received the covenant.
• Joseph: the son of Jacob who was sold by his brothers and taken to Egypt.
• Moses and Aaron: the brothers who led the Exodus.
• Canaan: the land God promised to give to the patriarchs.
• Egypt: also called "the land of Ham" in verses 23 and 27.

Points for Reflection

• Verses 1–15 are nearly identical to the song (verses 8–22) that David appointed to be sung after bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem in 1 Chronicles 16.
• The order of the plagues differs from that in Exodus. Darkness comes first, and the plague on livestock and the boils are not mentioned. The common interpretation is that the psalm condenses and retells the history in poetic form.
• The fetters and iron of verse 18 are not mentioned in the account of Joseph in Genesis (Genesis 39).
• Verse 25 states that God turned the hearts of the Egyptians. This verse figures in discussions of divine sovereignty and human responsibility.
• In the New Testament, the Song of Zacharias (Luke 1:72–73) celebrates the same theme of God remembering His covenant with Abraham. Stephen's sermon (Acts 7) also recounts the same history.

In the Korean Church

Verse 15, "Touch not mine anointed," is sometimes cited as grounds for not criticizing or harming pastors. This use has been disputed, however: in context the phrase refers to the patriarchs, and the New Testament teaches that all believers have received an anointing (1 John 2:20). Verse 1, with its exhortation to give thanks, is also cited in Thanksgiving sermons.