Psalms 105:1-15

Psalm 105

105:1 Give thanks to the Lord!

Call on his name!

Make known his accomplishments among the nations!

105:2 Sing to him!

Make music to him!

Tell about all his miraculous deeds!

105:3 Boast about his holy name!

Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!

105:4 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives!

Seek his presence continually!

105:5 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,

his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed,

105:6 O children of Abraham, God’s servant,

you descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen ones!

105:7 He is the Lord our God;

he carries out judgment throughout the earth.

105:8 He always remembers his covenantal decree,

the promise he made to a thousand generations –

105:9 the promise 10  he made to Abraham,

the promise he made by oath to Isaac!

105:10 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,

to Israel as a lasting promise, 11 

105:11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan

as the portion of your inheritance.”

105:12 When they were few in number,

just a very few, and resident aliens within it,

105:13 they wandered from nation to nation,

and from one kingdom to another. 12 

105:14 He let no one oppress them;

he disciplined kings for their sake,

105:15 saying, 13  “Don’t touch my chosen 14  ones!

Don’t harm my prophets!”


sn Psalm 105. The psalmist summons Israel to praise God because he delivered his people from Egypt in fulfillment of his covenantal promises to Abraham. A parallel version of vv. 1-15 appears in 1 Chr 16:8-22.

tn Heb “and the judgments of his mouth.”

tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

tc Some mss have “Israel,” which appears in the parallel version of this psalm in 1 Chr 16:13.

tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

tn Heb “sons.”

tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

tn Heb “in all the earth [are] his judgments.”

tn Heb “[the] word he commanded.” The text refers here to God’s unconditional covenantal promise to Abraham and the patriarchs, as vv. 10-12 make clear.

10 tn Heb “which.”

11 tn Or “eternal covenant.”

12 tn Heb “and from a kingdom to another nation.”

13 tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

14 tn Heb “anointed.”