Psalm 105:1-15
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 105[a]
God’s Faithfulness to the Covenant
1 [b]Give thanks to the Lord, invoke his name;[c]
proclaim his deeds among the peoples.
2 Offer him honor with songs of praise;
recount all his marvelous deeds.
3 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts[d] of those who seek the Lord exult.
4 Reflect on the Lord and his strength;
seek his face continually.
5 Remember the marvels he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments[e] he has set forth.
6 You are the offspring of his servant Abraham,
the children of Jacob, his chosen ones.[f]
7 He is the Lord, our God;
his judgments prevail all over the earth.
8 He is mindful of his covenant[g] forever,
the promise he laid down for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant he made with Abraham
and the oath he swore to Isaac.[h]
10 [i]He established it as a decree for Jacob,
and as an everlasting covenant for Israel,
11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion of your heritage.”
12 [j]When they were few in number,
an insignificant group of strangers in it,
13 they wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
14 He permitted no one to oppress them,
and in their regard he warned kings:[k]
15 “Do not touch my anointed ones;
do no harm to my prophets.”[l]
Footnotes
- Psalm 105:1 The magnificent hymn in praise of God for creation (see Ps 104) does not suffice for believers. God is he who comes among human beings; hence, they proclaim God’s greatness in history by delivering the human race from slavery and leading it to salvation. In order to voice its joy and thanks, Israel loves to recall the events that marked the beginnings of its adventure: the promise made to Abraham and renewed to the patriarchs (vv. 8-15), the adventure of Joseph (vv. 16-23; see Gen 37–50), Moses and the plagues in Egypt (vv. 24-36; see Ex 1–13), the Exodus and the miracles in the wilderness (vv. 37-43; see Ex 14–15), and lastly the entrance into Canaan, the land promised as an inheritance (v. 44).
Contrary to the following psalm (Ps 106), the author is silent about Israel’s sins; he wishes to sing of nothing but the action of God. The Lord has always kept his word; he has multiplied wonders for his people, and his providence has guided their steps. Now he has a right to expect them to be faithful to him (v. 45).
This psalm becomes the song of the Church, a people chosen by God in Christ and saved by his Passover (see Eph 1). Since our God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (see Mk 12:26), unchanged and also faithful, we can legitimately base our confidence in him on the promises and proofs he gave to our distant spiritual ancestors. Let us not forget, however, that these promises have received eminent confirmation in the life of Christ, whom God has led—through the dreadful detour of death—from this exile to the true Promised Land. This last proof constitutes the primary foundation of our enthusiasm and confidence.
The first fifteen verses of this psalm are found again in 1 Chr 16:8-22. - Psalm 105:1 These three verses can be regarded as a prelude, and they are counterbalanced by the conclusion comprising verses 44-45.
- Psalm 105:1 Name: see note on Ps 5:12. Proclaim his deeds among the peoples: see note on Ps 9:2.
- Psalm 105:3 Hearts: see note on Ps 4:8.
- Psalm 105:5 Judgments: see note on Ps 48:11.
- Psalm 105:6 Here begin the allusions to Genesis (Gen 22:17; see Isa 51:2). Children of Jacob, his chosen ones: most manuscripts read instead: “Children of Jacob, his chosen one,” which seems to fit better with the previous line.
- Psalm 105:8 Covenant: see Gen 15:9-21. This verse (and v. 9) are alluded to in Lk 1:72f.
- Psalm 105:9 The oath he swore to Isaac: another possible translation is “the oath concerning Isaac.”
- Psalm 105:10 These verses recall the promise (see Gen 15:18) on which rest the hopes of Israel (see Pss 47:5; 72:8; Deut 4:31, 40).
- Psalm 105:12 The psalmist recapitulates God’s saving acts for Israel from the making of the Covenant (see Gen 15:9-21) to its fulfillment (see Jos 21:43). In this connection, see the short summary of salvation prescribed to be said by the individual Israelite reaching the Promised Land (see Deut 26:1-11).
- Psalm 105:14 He warned kings: see Gen 12:11ff; 20:7; 26:7ff.
- Psalm 105:15 My anointed ones . . . my prophets: the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were in a sense anointed, that is, consecrated to God, and the recipients of his revelations.
