Psalms 105:1-45 - G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

Reader Related Verse
Bible Comments

This and the following psalm are companions. They reveal the two sides of the relation between God and His people during a long period. This one sings the song of His faithfulness and power; while the next tells the sad story of repeated failure and rebellion on the part of His people.

In singing His praise the psalmist opens with an appeal which recognises the responsibility of those who have been recipients of blessing. The words, “Make known His doings among the peoples” reveal this. The leaders and singers of these people repeated this message of responsibility with almost monotonous reiteration, and yet it was not obeyed. In order that the doings of God may be proclaimed, he calls upon men to “remember,” and he proceeds to trace the Divine hand in their history. First, he goes back to the ancient covenant, and sings of how God cared for them while they were few in number in the land, rebuking kings for their sakes.

The follows a recognition of the government of God as overruling even what appeared so disastrous a matter as the famine. Through that, Joseph was given his opportunity, and the people were brought into Egypt, for the time being a place of quietness and increase.

The master word in the psalm is the pronoun “He.” In constant repetition it shows the one thought uppermost in the mind of the singer. It is that of perpetual activity of God in all those experiences through which His people have passed. Verse Psa 105:23 commences with a statement which is almost startling - “He turned their heart to hate His people.” Yet this is a recognition of the fact that circumstances which appeared to be most disastrous, were nevertheless all under His government. It was a baptism of suffering which toughened the fibre of the national life, and prepared for all that lay ahead.

Then the singer passes in review God's wonderful deliverance of them from Egypt, until a graphic sentence he writes, “Egypt was glad when they departed.” Finally the song speaks of the bringing of them into possession of the land. It is a noble song of the might of God, and of His fidelity to His people. With unswerving loyalty to His covenant, in spite of all difficulties, and by means of suffering as well as joy, He moved in their history ever onward. Such a song is prophecy, in its function of interpreting history, and revealing the orderliness in the economy of God, of days and events which seem to be the most calamitous.

Related Commentaries of Psalms 105:1

Psalms 105:1-45

1 O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.

2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.

3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

4 Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

5 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

6 O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.

7 He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth.

8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

9 Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;

10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:

11 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lota of your inheritance:

12 When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.

13 When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;

14 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;

15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

16 Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.

17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:

18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: heb was laid in iron:

19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.

20 The king sent and loosed 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:c

22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators 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 subtilly with his servants.

26 He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen.

27 They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.

28 He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not 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 spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.

32 He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.

33 He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.

34 He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,

35 And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.

36 He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.

37 He brought them forth also 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:d

44 And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;

45 That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praisee ye the LORD.