New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Psalm 105
1
Give thanks to the Lord. Worship him. Tell the nations what he has done.
2
Sing to him. Sing praise to him. Tell about all of the wonderful things he has done.
3
Praise him, because his name is holy. Let the hearts of those who trust in the Lord be glad.
4
Look to the Lord and to his strength. Always look to him.
5
Remember the wonderful things he has done. Remember his miracles and how he judged our enemies.
6
Remember what he has done, you children of his servant Abraham. Remember it, you people of Jacob, God's chosen ones.
7
He is the Lord our God. He judges the whole earth.
8
He will keep his covenant forever. He will keep his promise for all time to come.
9
He will keep the covenant he made with Abraham. He will keep the oath he took when he made his promise to Isaac.
10
He made it stand as a law for Jacob. He made it stand as a covenant for Israel. It will last forever.
11
He said, "I will give you the land of Canaan. It will belong to you."
12
At first there weren't very many of God's people. There were only a few. And they were strangers in the land.
13
They wandered from nation to nation. They wandered from one kingdom to another.
14
But God didn't allow anyone to beat them down. To keep them safe, he gave a command to kings.
15
He said to them, "Do not touch my anointed ones. Do not harm my prophets."
16
He made the people in the land go hungry. He destroyed all their food supplies.
17
He sent a man ahead of them into Egypt. That man was Joseph. He had been sold as a slave.
18
The Egyptians put his feet in chains. They put an iron collar around his neck.
19
He was in prison until what he said would happen came true. The word of the Lord proved that he was right.
20
The king of Egypt sent for Joseph and let him out of prison. The ruler of many nations set him free.
21
He put Joseph in charge of his palace. He made him ruler over everything he owned.
22
Joseph was in charge of teaching the princes. He taught the elders how to think and live wisely.
23
Then the rest of Jacob's family went to Egypt. The people of Israel lived as outsiders in the land of Ham.
📍 Ham 2
24
The Lord gave his people so many children that there were too many of them for their enemies.
25
He made the Egyptians hate his people. The Egyptians made evil plans against them.
26
The Lord sent his servant Moses to the king of Egypt. He sent Aaron, his chosen one, along with him.
27
The Lord gave them the power to do miraculous signs among the Egyptians. They did his wonders in the land of Ham.
📍 Ham 2
28
He sent darkness over the land. He did it because the Egyptians had refused to obey his words.
29
He turned their rivers and streams into blood. He caused the fish in them to die.
30
Their land was covered with frogs. Frogs even went into the bedrooms of the rulers.
31
The Lord spoke, and large numbers of flies came. Gnats filled the whole country.
32
He turned their rain into hail. Lightning flashed all through their land.
33
He destroyed their vines and fig trees. He broke down the trees in Egypt.
34
He spoke, and the locusts came. There were so many of them they couldn't be counted.
35
They ate up every green thing in the land. They ate up what the land produced.
36
Then he killed the oldest son of every family in Egypt. He struck down the oldest of all of their sons.
37
He brought the people of Israel out of Egypt. The Egyptians loaded them down with silver and gold. From among the tribes of Israel no one got tired or fell down.
38
The Egyptians were glad when the people of Israel left. They were terrified because of Israel.
39
The Lord spread out a cloud to cover his people. He gave them a fire to light up the night.
40
They asked for meat, and he brought them quail. He satisfied them with manna, the bread of heaven.
41
He broke open a rock, and streams of water poured out. They flowed like a river in the desert.
42
He remembered the holy promise he had made to his servant Abraham.
43
His chosen people shouted for joy as he brought them out of Egypt.
44
He gave them the lands of other nations. He let them take over what others had worked for.
45
He did it so they might obey his rules and follow his laws. Praise the Lord.
Summary of Psalm 105
Psalm 105 is a historical song that tells the story of God's faithfulness to Israel, beginning with His covenant with Abraham and continuing through Joseph, the Exodus, the wilderness, and the inheritance of the promised land. Psalm 105 ultimately teaches that God's faithfulness can be seen across generations and historical circumstances. The psalm does not focus on one isolated miracle. Instead, it tells a long story. Abraham received a promise. Joseph suffered before eventually being elevated to a position of influence. Israel became oppressed in Egypt. Moses and Aaron were sent to lead them out. God provided for them in the wilderness. Finally, He brought them into the land He had promised. The message is that God's purposes can continue even when His people cannot see how the story will end.
The opening command to remember is extremely important. Israel's history was not supposed to be forgotten. The people were encouraged to remember God's works, tell others about them, sing about them, and teach future generations. Remembering history was therefore an act of faith. When people remembered how God had acted before, they had a reason to trust Him in their present circumstances.
The story begins with Abraham and the covenant. At that stage, Abraham's family was small and vulnerable. They did not possess the land that had been promised to them. They lived as travelers among other peoples. From a human perspective, the promise could have seemed impossible. Yet God protected the patriarchs and continued moving His purpose forward. The psalm emphasizes that God's promise did not depend on Israel already being powerful.
The story of Joseph demonstrates this principle in an especially powerful way. Joseph was sold as a slave and later imprisoned. His circumstances looked like a complete failure. Yet the psalm describes him as someone God had sent ahead. This does not mean that the evil actions of those who mistreated Joseph were good. Rather, it shows that God was able to work through circumstances that appeared disastrous. Joseph's suffering eventually placed him in a position where he could help preserve his family during famine.
Joseph's rise in Egypt demonstrates how quickly circumstances can change. One moment he was imprisoned. Later he was given authority over the nation's resources and officials. The psalm emphasizes God's role in this transformation. Joseph did not simply escape suffering through personal ability. His story became part of the larger movement of God's covenant purposes. What appeared to be a delay was actually connected with preparation for what came later.
The arrival of Jacob's family in Egypt begins another major stage. Israel became fruitful and numerous. The people who had once been a small family became a large population. Yet their growth eventually produced fear among the Egyptians. The psalm describes the Egyptians becoming hostile toward Israel. This leads naturally into the Exodus story. The same people who had once found protection in Egypt eventually became oppressed there.
God responded by sending Moses and Aaron. The psalm presents them as servants carrying God's authority. Through them, God demonstrated His power over Egypt. The plagues are remembered in a concentrated form. Darkness, blood, frogs, insects, hail, locusts, and the death of the firstborn all appear in the historical sequence. The purpose of remembering these events is to show that Egypt's power could not prevent God's purposes from being fulfilled.
The descriptions of the plagues also show that the natural world itself could become an instrument of judgment. Water, animals, weather, insects, and darkness were all involved. The same creation that provides food and life in other parts of Scripture can also become an instrument through which God confronts oppression. The psalm therefore portrays God as sovereign over both nature and human kingdoms.
The departure from Egypt is presented as an act of God's direct provision. Israel left with silver and gold, and the people were not left behind because of weakness. God was bringing them out as a nation. The Egyptians were afraid as Israel departed because the plagues had demonstrated the power of Israel's God. The Exodus therefore becomes both a rescue of Israel and a public demonstration of God's authority.
The wilderness period shows that freedom from Egypt did not mean that Israel could simply survive on its own. They needed continuing provision. God gave them guidance through the cloud and fire. He provided food when they were hungry. He gave them water in the wilderness. The psalm emphasizes these events because they demonstrate that God's care continued after the initial deliverance. God did not rescue His people and then abandon them.
The reference to the cloud during the day and fire at night also emphasizes guidance. The people did not know the entire route ahead of them, but they were given signs of God's presence and direction. This becomes an important spiritual picture: God's people may not know everything about the future, but they can trust the One who leads them.
Verse 42 brings the entire historical story back to its foundation: God remembered His holy promise to Abraham. This is one of the most important statements in the chapter. The Exodus was not an isolated event. It was connected to a promise made generations earlier. Abraham lived long before Moses, yet the promise continued to shape Israel's history. God's faithfulness therefore extends across generations.
The final stage is the inheritance of the land. God brought His people into the territory that had been promised to their ancestors. But the psalm makes clear that the land was not the final purpose by itself. The people were given the land so that they would keep God's laws and follow His instructions. Blessing created responsibility. God's faithfulness toward Israel called for a faithful response from Israel.
The final command to praise the LORD brings the historical story back to worship. The people are not simply being asked to remember history for academic purposes. They are remembering history so that they will recognize God's faithfulness and respond with gratitude. Abraham's promise, Joseph's suffering, Israel's oppression, the Exodus, wilderness provision, and the inheritance of the land all become reasons to praise God.
Psalm 105 ultimately teaches that God's work often unfolds across long periods of time. Abraham did not see the entire story. Joseph experienced suffering before understanding how his circumstances would be used. Israel experienced oppression before experiencing freedom. The wilderness came before the inheritance. Yet throughout every stage, God's covenant purposes continued. The chapter therefore encourages God's people to remember His works, trust His promises, tell future generations what He has done, and remain faithful to His instructions. The central message is simple: circumstances may change dramatically, but God's faithfulness continues from generation to generation, and His promises remain active even when their fulfillment takes time.
The opening command to remember is extremely important. Israel's history was not supposed to be forgotten. The people were encouraged to remember God's works, tell others about them, sing about them, and teach future generations. Remembering history was therefore an act of faith. When people remembered how God had acted before, they had a reason to trust Him in their present circumstances.
The story begins with Abraham and the covenant. At that stage, Abraham's family was small and vulnerable. They did not possess the land that had been promised to them. They lived as travelers among other peoples. From a human perspective, the promise could have seemed impossible. Yet God protected the patriarchs and continued moving His purpose forward. The psalm emphasizes that God's promise did not depend on Israel already being powerful.
The story of Joseph demonstrates this principle in an especially powerful way. Joseph was sold as a slave and later imprisoned. His circumstances looked like a complete failure. Yet the psalm describes him as someone God had sent ahead. This does not mean that the evil actions of those who mistreated Joseph were good. Rather, it shows that God was able to work through circumstances that appeared disastrous. Joseph's suffering eventually placed him in a position where he could help preserve his family during famine.
Joseph's rise in Egypt demonstrates how quickly circumstances can change. One moment he was imprisoned. Later he was given authority over the nation's resources and officials. The psalm emphasizes God's role in this transformation. Joseph did not simply escape suffering through personal ability. His story became part of the larger movement of God's covenant purposes. What appeared to be a delay was actually connected with preparation for what came later.
The arrival of Jacob's family in Egypt begins another major stage. Israel became fruitful and numerous. The people who had once been a small family became a large population. Yet their growth eventually produced fear among the Egyptians. The psalm describes the Egyptians becoming hostile toward Israel. This leads naturally into the Exodus story. The same people who had once found protection in Egypt eventually became oppressed there.
God responded by sending Moses and Aaron. The psalm presents them as servants carrying God's authority. Through them, God demonstrated His power over Egypt. The plagues are remembered in a concentrated form. Darkness, blood, frogs, insects, hail, locusts, and the death of the firstborn all appear in the historical sequence. The purpose of remembering these events is to show that Egypt's power could not prevent God's purposes from being fulfilled.
The descriptions of the plagues also show that the natural world itself could become an instrument of judgment. Water, animals, weather, insects, and darkness were all involved. The same creation that provides food and life in other parts of Scripture can also become an instrument through which God confronts oppression. The psalm therefore portrays God as sovereign over both nature and human kingdoms.
The departure from Egypt is presented as an act of God's direct provision. Israel left with silver and gold, and the people were not left behind because of weakness. God was bringing them out as a nation. The Egyptians were afraid as Israel departed because the plagues had demonstrated the power of Israel's God. The Exodus therefore becomes both a rescue of Israel and a public demonstration of God's authority.
The wilderness period shows that freedom from Egypt did not mean that Israel could simply survive on its own. They needed continuing provision. God gave them guidance through the cloud and fire. He provided food when they were hungry. He gave them water in the wilderness. The psalm emphasizes these events because they demonstrate that God's care continued after the initial deliverance. God did not rescue His people and then abandon them.
The reference to the cloud during the day and fire at night also emphasizes guidance. The people did not know the entire route ahead of them, but they were given signs of God's presence and direction. This becomes an important spiritual picture: God's people may not know everything about the future, but they can trust the One who leads them.
Verse 42 brings the entire historical story back to its foundation: God remembered His holy promise to Abraham. This is one of the most important statements in the chapter. The Exodus was not an isolated event. It was connected to a promise made generations earlier. Abraham lived long before Moses, yet the promise continued to shape Israel's history. God's faithfulness therefore extends across generations.
The final stage is the inheritance of the land. God brought His people into the territory that had been promised to their ancestors. But the psalm makes clear that the land was not the final purpose by itself. The people were given the land so that they would keep God's laws and follow His instructions. Blessing created responsibility. God's faithfulness toward Israel called for a faithful response from Israel.
The final command to praise the LORD brings the historical story back to worship. The people are not simply being asked to remember history for academic purposes. They are remembering history so that they will recognize God's faithfulness and respond with gratitude. Abraham's promise, Joseph's suffering, Israel's oppression, the Exodus, wilderness provision, and the inheritance of the land all become reasons to praise God.
Psalm 105 ultimately teaches that God's work often unfolds across long periods of time. Abraham did not see the entire story. Joseph experienced suffering before understanding how his circumstances would be used. Israel experienced oppression before experiencing freedom. The wilderness came before the inheritance. Yet throughout every stage, God's covenant purposes continued. The chapter therefore encourages God's people to remember His works, trust His promises, tell future generations what He has done, and remain faithful to His instructions. The central message is simple: circumstances may change dramatically, but God's faithfulness continues from generation to generation, and His promises remain active even when their fulfillment takes time.