Psalms 105: Remember His Covenant
A psalm of thanksgiving retelling Israel's story from Abraham to the Exodus, celebrating the God who keeps his covenant to a thousand generations.
Psalms 105 (WEB)
1 Give thanks to Yahweh! Call on his name! Make his doings known among the peoples.
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him! Tell of all his marvelous works.
3 Glory in his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek Yahweh rejoice.
4 Seek Yahweh and his strength. Seek his face forever more.
5 Remember his marvelous works that he has done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,
6 you seed of Abraham, his servant, you children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7 He is Yahweh, 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 the covenant which he made with Abraham, his oath to Isaac,
10 and confirmed the same to Jacob for a statute; 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 but a few men in number, yes, very few, and foreigners in it.
13 They went about from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people.
14 He allowed no one to do them wrong. Yes, he reproved kings for their sakes,
15 “Don’t touch my anointed ones! Do my prophets no harm!”
16 He called for a famine on the land. He destroyed the food supplies.
17 He sent a man before them. Joseph was sold for a slave.
18 They bruised his feet with shackles. His neck was locked in irons,
19 until the time that his word happened, and Yahweh’s word proved him true.
20 The king sent and freed him; even the ruler of peoples, and let him go free.
21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all of his possessions;
22 to discipline his princes at his pleasure, and to teach his elders wisdom.
23 Israel also came into Egypt. Jacob lived in the land of Ham.
24 He increased his people greatly, and made them stronger than their adversaries.
25 He turned their heart to hate his people, to conspire against his servants.
26 He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed miracles among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made it dark. They didn’t rebel against his words.
29 He turned their waters into blood, and killed their fish.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the rooms of their kings.
31 He spoke, and swarms of flies came, and lice in all their borders.
32 He gave them hail for rain, with lightning in their land.
33 He struck their vines and also their fig trees, and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the locusts came, and the grasshoppers, without number,
35 ate up every plant in their land; and ate up the fruit of their ground.
36 He struck also all the firstborn in their land, the first fruits of all their manhood.
37 He brought them out with silver and gold. There was not one feeble person among his tribes.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed, for the fear of them had fallen on them.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering, fire to give light in the night.
40 They asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of the sky.
41 He opened the rock, and waters gushed out. They ran as a river in the dry places.
42 For he remembered his holy word, and Abraham, his servant.
43 He brought his people out with joy, his chosen with singing.
44 He gave them the lands of the nations. They took the labor of the peoples in possession,
45 that they might keep his statutes, and observe his laws. Praise Yah!
Psalms 105 (KJV)
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 lot 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: he 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:
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:
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. Praise ye the Lord.
Psalms 105 (ASV)
1 Oh give thanks unto Jehovah, call upon his name; Make known among the peoples his doings.
2 Sing unto him, sing praises unto him; Talk ye of all his marvellous works.
3 Glory ye in his holy name: Let the heart of them rejoice that seek Jehovah.
4 Seek ye Jehovah 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 ones.
7 He is Jehovah 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 The covenantwhich he made with Abraham, And his oath unto Isaac,
10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a statute, To Israel for an everlasting covenant,
11 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, The lot of your inheritance;
12 When they were but a few men in number, Yea, very few, and sojourners in it.
13 And they went about from nation to nation, 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 ones, And do my prophets no harm.
16 And he called for a famine upon the land; He brake the whole staff of bread.
17 He sent a man before them; Joseph was sold for a servant:
18 His feet they hurt with fetters: He was laid inchains ofiron,
19 Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of Jehovah tried him.
20 The king sent and loosed him; Even the ruler of peoples, 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 adversaries.
25 He turned their heart to hate his people, To deal subtly with his servants.
26 He sent Moses his servant, AndAaron whom he had chosen.
27 They set among them his signs, And wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made it dark; And they rebelled not against his words.
29 He turned their waters into blood, And slew their fish.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs In the chambers of their kings.
31 He spake, and there came swarms of flies, And lice in all their borders.
32 He gave them hail for rain, Andflaming fire in their land.
33 He smote their vines also and their fig-trees, And brake the trees of their borders.
34 He spake, and the locust came, And the grasshopper, and that without number,
35 And did eat up every herb in their land, And did eat up the fruit of their ground.
36 He smote also all the first-born in their land, The chief of all their strength.
37 And he brought them forth with silver and gold; And there was not one feeble person among his tribes.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed; For the fear of them had fallen upon them.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to give light in the night.
40 They asked, and he brought quails, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and waters gushed out; They ran in the dry places like a river.
42 For he remembered his holy word, AndAbraham his servant.
43 And he brought forth his people with joy, Andhis chosen with singing.
44 And he gave them the lands of the nations; And they took the labor of the peoples in possession:
45 That they might keep his statutes, And observe his laws. Praise ye Jehovah.
Summary
This psalm of thanksgiving is a song of salvation history, recounting God's faithfulness from the patriarchs to the conquest. It opens with a stirring call to give thanks to Yahweh, to call on his name, to sing his praises, to glory in his holy name, and to seek his face forevermore, remembering his marvelous works. The reason for thanksgiving is the covenant: God has remembered forever the covenant he made with Abraham, his oath to Isaac, confirmed to Jacob and Israel as an everlasting covenant, promising the land of Canaan. The psalm then retells the story. When the patriarchs were few and were foreigners wandering among the nations, God protected them, rebuking kings for their sake. He sent Joseph ahead into slavery and prison until his word came true and he became ruler over Egypt. He brought Israel into Egypt and made them fruitful, then raised up Moses and Aaron and unleashed the plagues on the land of Ham. He brought his people out with silver and gold, not one of them feeble, and led them with a cloud by day and fire by night, feeding them with quail and bread from heaven and water from the rock. He did all this because he remembered his holy promise to Abraham, bringing his people out with joy and giving them the lands of the nations. The purpose was that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws, and the psalm ends, Praise Yah. For Christians, this faithful covenant God reaches his fullest yes in Christ, the offspring of Abraham in whom all the promises are kept.
Voices
- Yahweh the covenant-keeper — The God who remembers his covenant forever, protecting the patriarchs, raising up Joseph and Moses, and bringing his people out of Egypt.
- Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — The patriarchs to whom God swore the covenant and the gift of the land, protected as wandering foreigners.
- Joseph — The man God sent ahead into slavery and prison, then exalted to rule Egypt and preserve his family.
- Moses and Aaron — God's chosen servants who performed signs in Egypt and led Israel out of bondage.
Key Verse
Psalm 105:8 (WEB)
He has remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations,
Lessons Learned
- Remembering God's faithful acts in the past fuels our thanksgiving and trust in the present.
- God keeps his covenant promises across generations, even when fulfillment is long delayed.
- God works through long, painful detours—like Joseph's slavery and prison—to accomplish his saving purposes.
- God's deliverance of his people is entirely his own initiative, rooted in his promise to Abraham.
- All of God's covenant faithfulness comes to its fullness in Christ, the true offspring of Abraham.
- Thanksgiving flows from remembering. “Remember his marvelous works that he has done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth” (Psalm 105:5, WEB). Gratitude is fed by recalling what God has done.
- God keeps covenant across the generations. “He has remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations” (Psalm 105:8, WEB). His promises do not expire with time.
- God guards his people in their weakness. “He allowed no one to do them wrong... ‘Don’t touch my anointed ones!’” (Psalm 105:14-15, WEB). Even when few and vulnerable, his people are under his protection.
- God works through painful waiting. “They bruised his feet with shackles... until the time that his word happened” (Psalm 105:18-19, WEB). Joseph's suffering shows God's purposes ripening in delay.
- Deliverance leads to obedience. He saved them “that they might keep his statutes, and observe his laws” (Psalm 105:45, WEB). Redemption is meant to issue in grateful, holy living.
- What acts of God does the psalm call Israel to remember, and why is remembering so important?
- How does the story of Joseph illustrate God working through suffering and delay?
- What does the psalm reveal about God's faithfulness to his covenant promises over many generations?
- Why does the psalm say God redeemed his people—what was the purpose according to verse 45?
- Looking back over your own life, what acts of God's faithfulness could you “remember” to strengthen your trust today?
- It calls them to remember God's marvelous works, wonders, and judgments (105:5)—his protection of the patriarchs, the rise of Joseph, the plagues, the Exodus, and the provision in the wilderness. Remembering fuels thanksgiving and steadies faith when present circumstances are hard.
- Joseph was sold into slavery and bound in irons “until the time that his word happened” (105:17-19); God used years of unjust suffering to position him to save many. It shows that God's purposes often ripen slowly through hardship, not despite it.
- God remembered his covenant “forever,” to “a thousand generations,” keeping his oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (105:8-10). Across centuries and through slavery and exile, his promises held firm, proving him utterly reliable over time.
- He brought them out “that they might keep his statutes, and observe his laws” (105:45). Redemption was not an end in itself but aimed at a people who would live in grateful obedience—a pattern fulfilled in those redeemed by Christ.
- This is a gentle personal-application question. Invite members to recall specific instances of God's faithfulness in their own past and to let those memories bolster present trust. Encourage them that the God who kept his covenant to Abraham keeps his promises to them in Christ.