Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 105 (MT) / Psalm 104 (LXX) is a 45-verse historical-recital of God's covenant-faithfulness from Abraham through Exodus-and-Conquest. The psalm's opening vv. 1–15 appear in 1 Chronicles 16:8–22 (David's ark-procession psalm) — suggesting either a shared-liturgical-source or Chronicles' citation. Unlike Ps 106 (its pair), which emphasizes Israel's sins, Ps 105 emphasizes God's covenantal-actions. The central refrain is 'remember' (zakhar) — the divine-and-human remembrance of covenant.
Notable Variants
105:1–15 // 1 Chronicles 16:8–22 ark-procession psalm; the Abraham-Isaac-Jacob-Joseph-Moses-Aaron-Exodus-Conquest historical sweep; 105:15 'touch not my anointed' providing Messianic-anointed protection formula.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 105 = LXX Ps 104. 45 verses. Paired with Ps 106.
Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name; make His deeds known among the peoples.
'Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!' tracks MT. // 1 Chr 16:8.
Sing to Him, make music to Him; meditate on all His wonders.
'Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!' tracks MT. // 1 Chr 16:9.
Boast in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
'Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!' tracks MT. // 1 Chr 16:10.
Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually.
'Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!' tracks MT. // 1 Chr 16:11. SEEK-HIS-PRESENCE-CONTINUALLY — divine-face-seeking prayer.
Remember the wonders He has done, His signs and the judgments of His mouth,
'Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered' tracks MT. // 1 Chr 16:12. REMEMBER-THE-WORKS — historical-remembrance as worship-practice.
O offspring of Abraham His servant, children of Jacob, His chosen ones.
'O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!' tracks MT. // 1 Chr 16:13.
He is the LORD our God; His decrees are in all the earth.
'He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth' tracks MT. // 1 Chr 16:14.
He remembers His covenant forever, the word He commanded for a thousand generations,
'He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations' tracks MT. // 1 Chr 16:15. COVENANT-REMEMBERED-FOREVER — 'thousand-generations' as permanent-remembrance (Ex 20:6). Luke 1:50, 55 (Magnificat: 'from generation to generation … as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever') echoes.
the covenant He cut with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac,
'The covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac' tracks MT. // 1 Chr 16:16.
He established it for Jacob as a statute, for Israel as an everlasting covenant,
'Which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant' tracks MT. // 1 Chr 16:17.
saying, 'To you I will give the land of Canaan, as your allotted inheritance.'
'Saying: To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance' tracks MT. // 1 Chr 16:18.
When they were few in number, very few, and strangers in it.
'When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it' tracks MT. // 1 Chr 16:19.
They wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people.
'Wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people' tracks MT. // 1 Chr 16:20. PATRIARCHAL-WANDERING — Gen 12–50's Abraham-Isaac-Jacob migrations.
He allowed no one to oppress them; He rebuked kings on their account,
'He allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account' tracks MT. // 1 Chr 16:21.
'Do not touch my anointed ones, and do my prophets no harm.'
'Saying: Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!' tracks MT. // 1 Chr 16:22. 'TOUCH-NOT-MY-ANOINTED.' The ma-shichai / christōn mou — 'my christs, my anointed-ones' — applied here to the patriarchs as God's christs-before-Christ. This verse is the scriptural-foundation for the 'do not touch God's anointed' theology of divine-protection over those who are set-apart.
He called a famine upon the land; He broke every staff of bread.
'When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread' tracks MT. FAMINE-SUMMONED — Genesis 41 famine as divine-action.
He had sent a man ahead of them — Joseph, sold as a slave.
'He had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave' tracks MT. JOSEPH-SENT-AHEAD. Acts 7:9 (Stephen's speech) retells the same Joseph-sold-into-slavery pattern.
They afflicted his feet with shackles; iron entered his soul.
'His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron' tracks MT.
Until the time His word came to pass, the word of the LORD refined him.
'Until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him' tracks MT. WORD-OF-LORD-TESTED-JOSEPH — Joseph's prophetic-dream-validated-through-suffering pattern.
The king sent and released him — the ruler of peoples set him free.
'The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free' tracks MT. PHARAOH-RELEASES-JOSEPH — Gen 41.
He made him lord of his household and ruler over all his possessions,
'He made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions' tracks MT.
to bind his officials at will and to teach his elders wisdom.
'To bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom' tracks MT.
Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
'Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham' tracks MT.
He made His people very fruitful and made them stronger than their adversaries.
'And the LORD made his people very fruitful and made them stronger than their foes' tracks MT.
He turned their hearts to hate His people, to plot cunningly with His servants.
'He turned their hearts to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants' tracks MT.
He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron His chosen one.
'He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen' tracks MT. MOSES-AARON sent.
They performed His signs among them, wonders in the land of Ham.
'They performed his signs among them and miracles in the land of Ham' tracks MT.
He sent darkness and made it dark; they did not rebel against His word.
'He sent darkness, and made the land dark; they did not rebel against his words' tracks MT. DARKNESS plague — ninth plague (Ex 10:21–29), here listed first in the psalm's plague-catalog.
He turned their waters to blood and killed their fish.
'He turned their waters into blood and caused their fish to die' tracks MT. BLOOD plague — first plague.
Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings.
'Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings' tracks MT. FROGS — second plague.
He spoke, and swarms of flies came, and gnats throughout their territory.
'He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country' tracks MT. FLIES (fourth) and GNATS (third).
He gave them hail instead of rain, flaming fire throughout their land.
'He gave them hail for rain, and fiery lightning bolts through their land' tracks MT. HAIL — seventh plague.
He struck their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their territory.
'He struck down their vines and fig trees, and shattered the trees of their country' tracks MT.
He spoke, and locusts came, and young locusts without number.
'He spoke, and the locusts came, young locusts without number' tracks MT. LOCUSTS — eighth plague.
They devoured every plant in their land and ate the fruit of their soil.
'Which devoured all the vegetation in their land and ate up the fruit of their ground' tracks MT.
He struck every firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their strength.
'He struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their strength' tracks MT. FIRSTBORN — tenth plague.
He brought them out with silver and gold, and not one among His tribes stumbled.
'Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold, and there was none among his tribes who stumbled' tracks MT. SILVER-AND-GOLD — the Exodus-despoiling of Egypt (Ex 12:35–36).
Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon them.
'Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it' tracks MT.
He spread out a cloud for a covering and fire to give light at night.
'He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night' tracks MT. PILLAR-OF-CLOUD-AND-FIRE.
They asked, and He brought quail; He satisfied them with bread from heaven.
'They asked, and he brought quail, and gave them bread from heaven in abundance' tracks MT. QUAIL and MANNA.
He opened the rock and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert as a river.
'He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river' tracks MT. ROCK-WATER. 1 Cor 10:4 ('that rock was Christ') Christologically.
For He remembered His holy word, His promise to Abraham His servant.
'For he remembered his holy promise and Abraham his servant' tracks MT. REMEMBERED-HIS-PROMISE-AND-ABRAHAM. The Abrahamic-covenant continues to drive the Exodus-Conquest plot.
He brought His people out with joy, His chosen ones with shouts of gladness.
'So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing' tracks MT.
He gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of what peoples had labored for,
'And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' tracks MT. CONQUEST completion.
so that they might keep His statutes and observe His laws. Praise the LORD!
'That they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the LORD!' tracks MT. TORAH-OBSERVANCE as the TELOS of deliverance. Closing with 'Praise the LORD' (halleluyah).