Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 105:4

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 105:4. Seek the Lord — Worship the one only Supreme Being, as the only and all-sufficient good for the soul of man.

And his strength — Man is weak; and needs connexion with the strong God that he may be enabled to avoid evil and do good.

Seek his face — Reconciliation to him. Live not without a sense of his favour.

Evermore. — Let this be thy chief business. In and above all thy seeking, seek this.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 105:0 God’s faithfulness to his covenant

God’s covenant people Israel, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, are reminded to worship their God continually and to tell others of the great things he has done (1-6). In particular they are to remember God’s faithfulness to the covenant he made with Abraham. This covenant was his work alone. He chose Abraham from all the people of the world, and promised to make through him a nation and to give the land of Canaan to that nation for a homeland (7-11).
In the early days, when the covenant family was small, enemies could easily have wiped it out, but God miraculously preserved it (12-15). When a famine hit the land, God preserved his people through Joseph. Although Joseph’s brothers sold him as a slave, God exalted him to high office so that he could provide for his needy family (16-22).
Through Joseph, all the chosen family moved to Egypt, where they grew into a strong and unified people (23-24). Unfortunately, this brought envy and oppression from the Egyptians (25), but God worked terrible miracles to punish the Egyptians and free his people (26-36). Having freed them, God guided and preserved them according to the covenant promises given to Abraham (37-42). Finally, God led his people into the land he had promised them. This was not because of any virtue in the people, but solely because of God’s grace. In thanks for his covenant faithfulness, they should be faithful in obeying his law (43-45).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

INTRODUCTION

"O give thanks unto Jehovah, call upon his name; Make known among the peoples his doings, Sing unto him, sing praises unto him; Talk ye of all his marvelous works. Glory ye in his holy name: Let the heart of them rejoice that seek Jehovah. Seek ye Jehovah and his strength; Seek his face evermore. Remember his marvelous works that he hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth."

"Make known among the peoples his doings" This is a commandment for the people of Israel to tell among the Gentiles the wonderful deeds of the Lord.

Without any doubt, the most astounding events in human history are those clustered around the choice of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by none less than God Himself. The miracles of the most monumental character attended the development of the Chosen People and God's displacing the nations of Canaan, re-populating it with Israel. Why this heavenly `partiality,' if we may call it that, to the Jews?

In the purpose of God this elevation of Abraham's posterity to a "preferred status" in God's sight was absolutely necessary.

When the entire Adamic race became so corrupt that God destroyed them in the Great Deluge, the human family had another beginning in the family of Noah; but when it soon became evident that the race of mankind was again on the road to total departure from God, Abraham and his descendants were selected for the purpose of preserving the knowledge of God on earth until the First Advent of Christ. Thus, Abraham was not chosen merely for his own sake, but for the sake of all mankind. Moreover, it was the particular ability of Abraham to command his children after him that entered into God's choice (Genesis 18:19). The redeemed of all ages, therefore, may thank God for the ability of Abraham. In God's first announcement of the choice of Abraham, he made it clear that "all the families of the earth" were included in God's purpose of salvation (Genesis 12:3).

"Remember his marvelous works, his wonders, and the judgments" This is the theme of the psalm. It is customary to break a psalm like this up into paragraphs; but as Rawlinson noted, "Such divisions here could be made only arbitrary, because there are no really marked divisions."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 8-B, p. 414.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Seek the Lord and his strength - Seek strength from him; seek that his strength may be imparted to you; seek him as a Being of almighty power; as One by whom you may be strengthened. The Septuagint and Vulgate render this, “Seek the Lord, and ‘be strengthened.’” Strength comes from God, and it is only by his strength that we can be strong; only by our making use of his omnipotence in our own behaIf that we can discharge the duties, and bear the trials of this life. Compare the notes at Isaiah 40:29-31.

Seek his face evermore - His favor. His smiling upon us, his lifting up the light of his countenance, is synonymous with his favor. See Psalms 24:6; Psalms 27:8. Compare the notes at Psalms 4:6.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

4Seek ye Jehovah, and his strength ⁽²⁰⁴⁾ Although he had in the preceding verse characterized the faithful by the honorable designation, those who seek God, yet he again exhorts them to earnestness in seeking him, which is not an unnecessary exhortation. Seeking God, it is true, is the mark by which all genuine saints are particularly distinguished from the men of the world; but they come far short of seeking him with due ardor; and, accordingly, they have always need of incitements, to urge them on to this exercise, although they run of their own accord. Those whom the prophet here stirs up to seek God are not fickle persons, nor such as are altogether indolent, and who cleave to the impurities of earth, but those who with a prompt and ready mind already aim at doing this; and he thus stimulates them, because he perceives that they are obstructed by many impediments from advancing in their course with sufficient rapidity. However willing then we may be, we have notwithstanding, need of such incitement to correct our slowness. The strength and face of God, doubtless refer to that kind of manifestation by which God, accommodating himself to the rudeness of the times, drew at that time true believers to himself. The ark of the covenant is in many other places called both the strength and the face of God, because by that symbol the people were reminded, that he was near them, and also really experienced his power. ⁽²⁰⁵⁾ The more familiarly then God showed himself to them, with the more promptitude and alacrity would the prophet have them to apply their hearts in seeking him; and the aid by which God relieves our weakness should prove an additional stimulus to our zeal. Modesty also is recommended to us, that, mindful of our slowness in seeking God, we may keep the way which he has prescribed to us, and may not despise the rudiments through which he by little and little conducts us to himself. It is added continually, that no person may grow weary in this exercise, or, inflated with a foolish opinion of having reached perfection, may neglect the external aids of piety, as is done by many, who, after having advanced a few degrees in the knowledge of God, exempt themselves from the common rank of others, as if they were elevated above the angels. Again, the injunction is given to remember the marvelous works which God had performed, in the deliverance of his people from Egypt, when he displayed his power in new and unusual ways. By the judgments of his mouth, some understand the law. But as I read all the three expressions, his marvelous works, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth, as referring to one series of events, I prefer explaining it rather of the miracles by which God subdued the pride of Pharaoh. Still, however, there is some doubt as to the reason of this manner of speaking. Some are of opinion, that these miracles are called the judgments of God’s mouth, because he had foretold them by Moses, which is highly probable. At the same time, the expression might be taken more simply, as denoting that the power of God was manifested in an extraordinary manner in these miracles; from which it would be easy to gather, that they were performed by him. I do not mean to exclude the ministry of Moses, whom God had raised up to be a prophet to the Egyptians, that in denouncing what was to come to pass, he might show that nothing happened by chance. Yet I think there is an allusion to the manifest character of the miracles, as if it had been said, Although God had not uttered a word, the facts themselves evidently showed, that he was the deliverer of his people.

(204) “For וזו, his strength, the LXX. seem to have read עזו, be strengthened, and accordingly render it κραταιωθὢτε, the Latin ‘confirmamini ’, ‘be confirmed,’ and so the Syriac, ‘be strengthened.’ This the sense would well bear, ‘Seek the Lord, and be confirmed;’ let all your strength be sought from him. So the Jewish Arab, ‘Seek the Lord, and seek that he would strengthen you, or strength from him, or you shall certainly be strengthened,’ if by prayer you diligently seek him.” — Hammond. Horsley also reads, “Seek the Lord, and be strong.”

(205) With this agrees the interpretation of Lowth: “The holy ark, and the shechinah which remained upon it, the symbol of the divine presence, is called the face of God; and to seek the face of God, is to appear before the ark, to worship at the sanctuary of God, which was required of the Israelites thrice a year. — See 2 Samuel 21:1; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalms 27:8; Exodus 23:17, — Lectures on the Sacred Poetry of the Hebrews, volume 2, page 24l.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 105:1-45 :

O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk of all of his wondrous works ( Psalms 105:1-2 ).

Now we are exhorted here to several things. First of all, we are exhorted to give thanks to the Lord. Secondly, we are exhorted to call upon His name. And thirdly, we're exhorted to share the work of God among people. In the first verse, three exhortations: to give thanks, to call upon Him, and to share His truth among people. Then in the second verse, further exhortation: sing unto Him, sing psalms to Him, and talk of all of His wondrous works.

God loves you to just talk about Him. In fact, there's a scripture that indicates that God eavesdrops whenever you talk about Him. "And they that love the Lord did speak of Him one to another and God kept a record of it. And they shall be accounted as His jewels in that day when He makes up His treasure" ( Malachi 3:16-17 ). People just talking about the Lord, talk about His wondrous works.

And then further exhortations:

Glory in his holy name ( Psalms 105:3 ):

And then rejoice,

let the heart of them that seek the LORD rejoice ( Psalms 105:3 ).

And then we are commanded,

Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore ( Psalms 105:4 ).

And then,

Remember his marvelous works that he has done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth ( Psalms 105:5 );

So all of these exhortations in five verses. Things that we are to do. So whenever you're just sitting around thinking, "What shall I do?" Turn to Psalms 105:1-45 , and you'll have a lot of things that you can do. Things that you'll find will be a very great blessing to you, benefit to you, as you follow these exhortations.

O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. He is Jehovah our God: his judgments are in all the earth. He has remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Which covenant he made with Abraham, his oath to Isaac; And confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance ( Psalms 105:6-11 ):

Now notice the covenant of God has been established with Abraham; He declared it by an oath to Isaac; He confirmed the same to Jacob. So that you wonder about the right of the land of Israel, who it belongs to. By an everlasting covenant God said, swearing to Abraham and to Isaac and confirming it to Jacob, "Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan and the lot of your inheritance." God swore this to them when they were but few in number, very few. In fact, they were strangers in the land when God said, "Look around. As far as you can see to the north, east, south, and west, I've given it to you." And from the top of Bethel God said to Jacob, "Look, Jacob, all around. For I have given you this land." He said the same to Abraham at the same place.

When they were just few in number; they were strangers in the land. When they went from one nation to another, and from one kingdom to another people ( Psalms 105:12-13 );

They were just sojourners roaming around in the land as nomads, as Bedouins. Taking their tent and pitching it and grazing out an area and then moving on. And yet, the land was all theirs. It had been promised to them by God.

And God would allow no man to do them wrong: in fact, he even reproved kings for their sakes ( Psalms 105:14 );

Going back to the history of Abraham. How Abimelech the king and the Pharaoh were reproved by God for the sake of Abraham.

As God said, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm ( Psalms 105:15 ).

God protects His anointed and His prophets.

Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he broke the whole staff of bread. He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold as a servant: his feet were hurt with the fetters: he was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: and the word of the LORD tried him. And the king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. He made him the lord of his house, and the ruler over all of his substance ( Psalms 105:16-21 ):

And so now the psalmist does what the Israelis always love to do, the rehearsal of their history. Steven in the book of Acts rehearsed the history for the people. Now the psalmist here is rehearsing a part of their glorious history, how that God preserved them when the famine came into the land by sending Joseph ahead of them down into Egypt to prepare the food for them so that they'd have food during the time of the famine. And God made Joseph the lord over the house of the Pharaoh and the ruler of all of his substance.

To bind his princes at his pleasure; and to teach his senators wisdom ( Psalms 105:22 ).

So Joseph was second in command; he could bind the princes of Egypt and he taught the senators wisdom.

Israel also came to Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies. He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilely with his servants. He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen. They showed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. He sent the darkness, and they rebelled not against his word. He turned their waters into blood, and he killed their fish. Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings ( Psalms 105:23-30 ).

Frogs in the king's bed and in the kneading troughs of their dough.

He spake, and there came forth divers sorts of flies [all kinds of different flies], and lice in all of their coasts. And he gave them hail for rain, flaming fire in their land. He smote their vines also, their fig trees; he broke the trees of their coasts. He spake, and the locusts came, and the caterpillars, and that without number, and they did eat up all the vegetables in their land, and devoured the fruit of the ground. He smote also the firstborn in their land, the chief of their strength. He brought them forth also with silver and gold ( Psalms 105:31-37 ):

That is, now He brought His people forth with silver and gold,

and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. Egypt was glad when they departed ( Psalms 105:37-38 ):

I can imagine... tired of the flies and the lice and the frogs and the caterpillars and the locusts.

He spread a cloud for a covering ( Psalms 105:39 );

Now that cloud by which they were led was more than just something to lead them. It was a covering. They were going through this hot wilderness area. And so what did God do? He put the cloud above them to give them shade, a covering. Not only when the cloud moved was it God's indication for them to move, they followed under the shadow of the cloud. God used it as a covering over them. And when necessary, God brought it down and made it fog behind them to keep the Egyptians from knowing what was going on as they escaped through the Red Sea. The cloud that led them went behind them and settled down and was a thick fog to the Egyptians. So God used the cloud for many purposes. A covering.

the fire to give them light in the evening ( Psalms 105:39 ).

So they could go out at night with the light of the fire of God above them.

And the people asked, and he brought quails, and he satisfied them with the bread from heaven ( Psalms 105:40 ).

The manna that He had given.

He opened the rock, and waters gushed out; and they ran in the dry places like a river. For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant. And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness: And he gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labor of the people ( Psalms 105:41-44 );

He brought them into this land and actually they took over the vineyards and the orchards and all of the people that were there. They inherited all of the rock walls and everything that the people had made.

That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD ( Psalms 105:45 ).

In the Hebrew that is, "Hallelujah. Praise ye Jehovah." "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. Praise for God’s greatness 105:1-6

The unknown psalmist called on Israel (Psalms 105:6) to give thanks to the Lord in prayer, and to broadcast His deeds publicly. The people should sing His praises and take pride and joy in His character. They should also draw near to Him in prayer, seeking His help constantly. They should remember His works that inspire wonder and marvel in the beholder, and in the wise judgments that He has revealed.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 105

This psalm praises God for His faithful dealings with Israel. It reviews Israel’s history from Abraham to the wilderness wanderings (cf. 1 Chronicles 16:9-36), and the Abrahamic Covenant is its centerpiece.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Seek the Lord and his strength,.... The ark, which is called his strength, and the ark of his strength, Psalms 78:61, because he had shown his great strength by it, in dividing the waters at Jordan, throwing down the walls of Jericho, and plaguing the Philistines because of it, when among them. This was a symbol of God's presence, before which he was sought by his people; and was a type of our Lord Jesus, the man of God's right hand, whom he has made strong for himself, and who is called his strength, Psalms 80:18. Some render it, and which Aben Ezra makes mention of, though he rejects it, "seek the Lord in his strength"; or "by it": God is to be sought in Christ; he is the way of access to him. Or the meaning is, seek strength from the Lord; spiritual strength; strength to assist in the exercise of grace, and discharge of duty; seek it from him, in whom are both righteousness and strength. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Syriac versions, render it, "seek the Lord, and be ye strengthened". The way to gain an increase of spiritual strength is to seek the Lord by prayer, or in his ordinances; see Psalms 138:3. The Targum is,

"seek the doctrine of the Lord, and his law.''

It follows:

seek his face evermore: his favour and lovingkindness; his smiling countenance, which beholds the upright; his gracious presence, and communion with him; which is always desirable, ever to be sought after, and will be eternally and without interruption enjoyed in another world.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      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.

      Our devotion is here warmly excited; and we are stirred up, that we may stir up ourselves to praise God. Observe,

      I. The duties to which we are here called, and they are many, but the tendency of them all is to give unto God the glory due unto his name. 1. We must give thanks to him, as one who has always been our bountiful benefactor and requires only that we give him thanks for his favours--poor returns for rich receivings. 2. Call upon his name, as one whom you depend upon for further favours. Praying for further mercies is accepted as an acknowledgment of former mercies. Because he has inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him. 3. Make known his deeds (Psalms 105:1; Psalms 105:1), that others may join with you in praising him. Talk of all his wondrous works (Psalms 105:2; Psalms 105:2), as we talk of things that we are full of, and much affected with, and desire to fill others with. God's wondrous works ought to be the subject of our familiar discourses with our families and friends, and we should talk of them as we sit in the house and as we go by the way (Deuteronomy 6:7), not merely for entertainment, but for the exciting of devotion and the encouraging of our own and others' faith and hope in God. Even sacred things may be the matter of common talk, provided it be with due reverence. 4. Sing psalms to God's honour, as those that rejoice in him, and desire to testify that joy for the encouragement of others and to transmit it to posterity, as memorable things anciently were handed down by songs, when writing was scarce. 5. Glory in his holy name; let those that are disposed to glory not boast of their own accomplishments and achievements, but of their acquaintance with God and their relation to him, Jeremiah 9:23; Jeremiah 9:24. Praise you his holy name, so some; but it comes all to one, for in glorying in him we give glory to him. 6. Seek him; place your happiness in him, and then pursue that happiness in all the ways that he has appointed. Seek the Lord and his strength, that is, the ark of his strength; seek him in the sanctuary, in the way wherein he has appointed us to seek him. Seek his strength, that is, his grace, the strength of his Spirit to work in you that which is good, which we cannot do but by strength derived from him, for which he will be enquired of. Seek the Lord and be strengthened; so divers ancient versions read it. Those that would be strengthened in the inward man must fetch in strength from God by faith and prayer. Seek his strength, and then seek his face; for by his strength, we hope to prevail with him for his favour, as Jacob did, Hosea 12:3. "Seek his face evermore; seek to have his favour to eternity, and therefore continue seeking it to the end of the time of your probation. Seek it while you live in this world, and you shall have it while you live in the other world, and even there shall be for ever seeking it in an infinite progression, and yet be for ever satisfied in it." 7. Let the hearts of those rejoice that do seek him (Psalms 105:3; Psalms 105:3); for they have chosen well, are well fixed, and well employed, and they may be sure that their labour will not be in vain, for he will not only be found, but he will be found the rewarder of those that diligently seek him. If those have reason to rejoice that seek the Lord, much more those that have found him.

      II. Some arguments to quicken us to these duties. 1. "Consider both what he has said and what he has done to engage us for ever to him. You will see yourselves under all possible obligations to give thanks to him, and call upon his name, if you remember the wonders which should make deep and durable impressions upon you,--the wonders of his providence which he has wrought for you and those who are gone before you, the marvellous works that he has done, which will be had in everlasting remembrance with the thoughtful and with the grateful,--the wonders of his law, which he has written to you, and entrusted you with, the judgments of his mouth, as well as the judgments of his hand," Psalms 105:5; Psalms 105:5. 2. "Consider the relation you stand in to him (Psalms 105:6; Psalms 105:6): You are the seed of Abraham his servant; you are born in his house, and being thereby entitled to the privilege of his servants, protection and provision, you are also bound to do the duty of servants, to attend your Master, consult his honour, obey his commands, and do what you can to advance his interests. You are the children of Jacob his chosen, and are chosen and beloved for the fathers' sake, and therefore ought to tread in the steps of those whose honours you inherit. You are the children of godly parents; do no degenerate. You are God's church upon earth, and, if you do not praise him, who should?" 3. Consider your interest in him: He is the Lord our God,Psalms 105:7; Psalms 105:7. We depend upon him, are devoted to him, and from him our expectation is. Should not a people seek unto their God (Isaiah 8:19) and praise their God? Daniel 5:4. He is Jehovah our God. He that is our God is self-existent and self-sufficient, has an irresistible power and incontestable sovereignty: His judgments are in all the earth; he governs the whole world in wisdom, and gives law to all nations, even to those that know him not. The earth is full of the proofs of his power.