Psalms 105:1
in Psalms 105Give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the nations.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Oh give thanks unto Jehovah, call upon his name; Make known among the peoples his doings.
KJV
O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
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This verse in Psalms 105
Commentary
9 notes on this verseO give thanks unto the Lord,.... These are the words of David, either to the singers, or rather to the whole congregation of Israel, the seed of Abraham, and children of Jacob, Psa 105:6 stirring them up to praise and thankfulness for their mercies, temporal and spiritual; for the Messiah they had hope and expectation of, typified by the ark now brought home; for the word and ordinances, and opportunities of waiting upon God in them; for heaven and happiness, figured by Canaan's land given them to enjoy.
This site's exposition
make known His deeds among the nations
on Psalms 105:1-6
The psalm opens with commands and no history yet: give thanks, sing, tell, glory, seek, remember. One of them has no end attached, because His face is to be sought always. Verse 6 names the hearers, Abraham's offspring and Jacob's sons.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Confess to the Lord and call upon his name. Confess and say: because we are sinners, but you are merciful, and you have mercy on us. And call upon his name. So that we may not fashion idols in our hearts, but we will call upon our Lord, and he himself will be our redemption. Proclaim his works among the nations. Let the Jews blush, who say that only within Israel were his wonders and his works accomplished.
This Psalm is the first of those to which is prefixed the word Allelujah; the meaning of which word, or rather two words, is, Praise the Lord. For this reason he begins with praises: "O confess unto the Lord, and call upon His Name" [Psalm 105:1]; for this confession is to be understood as praise, just as these words of our Lord, "I confess to You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth." [Matthew 11:25] For after commencing with praise, calling upon God is wont to follow, whereunto he that prays does next add his longings: whence the Lord's Prayer itself has at the commencement a very brief praise, in these words, "Our Father which art in Heaven." [Matthew 6:9] The things prayed for, then follow....This also follows, "Tell the people what things He has done;" [John 21:17] or rather, to translate literally from the Greek, as other Latin copies too have it, "Preach the Gospel of His works among the Gentiles." Unto whom is this addressed, save unto the Evangelists in prophecy?
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Glory . . . name--boast in His perfections. The world glories in its horses and chariots against the Church of God lying in the dust; but our hope is in the name, that is, the power and love of God to His people, manifested in past deliverances. 5, 6. judgments . . . mouth--His judicial decisions for the good and against the wicked.
O give thanks unto the Lord. Jehovah is the author of all our benefits, therefore let him have all our gratitude. Call upon his name, or call him by his name; proclaim his titles and fill the world with his renown. Make known his deeds among the people, or among the nations. Let the heathen hear of our God, that they may forsake their idols and learn to worship him. The removal of the ark was a fit occasion for proclaiming aloud the glories of the Great King, and for publishing to all mankind the greatness of his doings, for it had a history in connection with the nations which it was well for them to remember with reverence. The rest of the psalm is a sermon, of which these first verses constitute the text.
O give thanks unto the Lord. Jehovah is the author of all our benefits, therefore let him have all our gratitude. Call upon his name, or call him by his name; proclaim his titles and fill the world with his renown. Make known his deeds among the people, or among the nations. Let the heathen hear of our God, that they may forsake their idols and learn to worship him.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
O give thanks - He had been meditating on God’s gracious dealings with their fathers; and he calls upon himself and all others to magnify God for his mercies.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
O give thanks unto the Lord - The design here is to show that thanks should be given to the Lord in view of his dealings with his people, as stated in the subsequent portions of the psalm. Call upon his name - More literally, “Call him by his name;” that is, Address him by his proper title; ascribe to him the attributes which properly belong to him; or, address him in a proper manner. Make known his deeds among the people - What he has done in former times. The allusion is to his acts in behalf of his people in delivering them from Egyptian bondage, and bringing them to the promised land. The word “people” here refers to the Hebrew people; and the exhortation is, that the knowledge of these deeds should be diffused and kept up among them. One of the ways of doing this was that proposed by the psalmist, to wit, by a psalm of praise - by recording and celebrating these acts in their devotions. One of the most effective modes of keeping up the knowledge of what God has done in our world is by songs of praise in worshipping assemblies.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הוֹד֣וּ | hodu | give thanks | H3034 → | 114 times |
| לַ֭יהוָה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| קִרְא֣וּ | kiru | call | H7121 → | 733 times |
| בִּשְׁמ֑וֹ | bishmo | on name his | H8034 → | 864 times |
| הוֹדִ֥יעוּ | hodiu | make known | H3045 → | 945 times |
| בָ֝עַמִּ֗ים | vaamim | among the peoples | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| עֲלִילוֹתָֽיו׃ | alilotav | deeds his | H5949 → | 24 times |
הוֹד֣וּgive thanks
hoduH3034 →114 times
לַ֭יהוָהto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
קִרְא֣וּcall
kiruH7121 →733 times
בִּשְׁמ֑וֹon name his
bishmoH8034 →864 times
הוֹדִ֥יעוּmake known
hodiuH3045 →945 times
בָ֝עַמִּ֗יםamong the peoples
vaamimH5971 →1873 times
עֲלִילוֹתָֽיו׃deeds his
alilotavH5949 →24 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 10:13for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
it leads to
Through
1 Chronicles 16:34Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
it leads to
- Psalms 106:1
Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
- 2 Chronicles 7:3
When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and…
- Psalms 107:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
- Ezra 3:11
And they sang responsively with praise and thanksgiving to the LORD: “For He is good; for His loving devotion to Israel endures forever.” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to…
- Psalms 136:1–26
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. His loving devotion endures forever.
- Psalms 106:1
Through
Psalms 106:1Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Where this verse is studied
About Psalms
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 105; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 5; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Homily 31, on Psalm 104; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.