An exhortation to praise God and to seek out his works, 1-6. The story of God's providence over Abraham, 7-15; over Joseph, 16-22; over Jacob in Egypt, 23-25; over Moses delivering the Israelites, 26-36; over the Israelites brought out of Egypt, fed in the wilderness, and planted in Canaan, 37-45.
1 O give thanks to the LORD. Call upon his name./
Make his deeds known among the people.
2 Sing to him. Sing psalms to him./
Talk of all his wondrous works.
3 Glory in his holy name./
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
4 Seek the LORD and his strength./
Seek his face evermore.
5 Remember his wonderful works which he has done,/
his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,
6 O you offspring of Abraham his servant,/
you children of Jacob his chosen.
7 He is the LORD our God./
His judgments are in all the earth.
8 He has remembered his covenant forever,/
the word which he commanded to a thousand generations,
9 Which covenant he made with Abraham,/
and his oath to Isaac,
10 And confirmed the same to Jacob for a law/
and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,
11 Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan,/
the lot of your inheritance,"
12 When they were a few men in number,/
even very few, and strangers in it.
13 When they went from one nation to another,/
from one kingdom to another people,
14 He allowed no man to do them wrong./
He even reproved kings for their sakes,
15 Saying, "Do not touch my anointed/
and do my prophets no harm."
16 Moreover, he called for a famine upon the land./
He broke the whole staff of bread.
17 He sent a man before them,/
even Joseph, who was sold for a servant.
18 They hurt his feet with fetters,/
and he was laid in iron.
19 Until the time that his word came to pass,/
the word of the LORD tried him.
20 The king sent and released him,/
even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.
21 He made him lord of his house/
and ruler of all his substance,
22 To bind his princes at his pleasure/
and teach his elders wisdom.
23 Israel also came into Egypt,/
and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
24 And he increased his people greatly/
and made them stronger than their enemies.
25 He turned their heart to hate his people,/
to deal subtly with his servants.
26 He sent Moses his servant/
and Aaron whom he had chosen.
27 They showed his signs among them/
and wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness and made it dark,/
and they did not rebel against his word.
29 He turned their waters into blood/
and slew their fish.
30 Their land brought forth frogs in abundance/
in the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies/
and lice in all their borders.
32 He gave them hail for rain/
and flaming fire in their land.
33 He also smote their vines and their fig-trees/
and broke the trees of their borders.
34 He spoke, and the swarming-locusts/
and licking-locusts came—and that without number—
35 And ate up all the herbs in their land/
and devoured the fruit of their ground.
36 He also smote all the first-born in their land,/
the chief of all their strength.
37 He also brought them forth with silver and gold./
And there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed,/
for the fear of them fell upon them.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering/
and fire to give light in the night.
40 The people asked, and he brought quails/
and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out./
They ran in the dry places like a river.
42 For he remembered his holy promise/
and Abraham his servant.
43 And he brought forth his people with joy/
and his chosen with gladness.
44 He gave them the lands of the heathen,/
and they inherited the labor of the people,
45 So that they might observe his statutes/
and keep his laws./
Praise the LORD.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Psalms, Chapter 105[➚]
John Calvin's Chapter Summary:
The Psalmist magnifies the singular grace of God displayed in selecting and freely adopting one people from amongst all nations of the world. To show that it was not in word only that he had made a covenant with Abraham and his offspring, God did not cease, after having delivered them from Egypt, to confer upon them innumerable benefits; and his design in this was, that those who had been delivered might on their part faithfully keep his covenant, and devote themselves unfeignedly to his service.
[v.34] - "swarming-locusts and licking-locusts" - See the note for Joel 1:4.
[v.41] - Reference, 1st Corinthians 10:4.