Psalms 105:37 · Bible study
Psalms 105:37 Commentary: No Feeble Among Israel's Tribes
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Psalm 105:37: Did every Israelite leave Egypt healthy? Explore the meaning of 'not one feeble', literal miracle, poetic hyperbole, or fitness for the journey?
Research Summary
- Meaning: God brought Israel out of Egypt not only with material wealth but with complete physical strength, none were unfit for the journey.
- Key words: H3318 (yatsa) “brought out”; H3701 (keseph) “silver/money”; H3782 (kashal) “stumble/be feeble”; H7626 (shevet) “tribe.”
- Main debate: Whether “not one feeble” describes a literal miracle of health or a general statement that all were capable of marching (poetic summary).
- Theological theme: God’s complete deliverance includes both material provision and physical enabling, a holistic salvation.
- Best use: An encouragement to trust God’s provision in times of transition and hardship, acknowledging that he can supply all that is needed for the road ahead.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
He brought Israel out with silver and gold, and none among His tribes stumbled.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He brought them out with silver and gold. There was not one feeble person among his tribes.
KJV King James Version 1769
He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And he brought them forth with silver and gold; And there was not one feeble person among his tribes.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And bringeth them out with silver and gold, And there is not in its tribes a feeble one.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And he brought them forth with silver and gold; and there was not one feeble among their tribes.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And they sacrificed their sons, and their daughters to devils.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y sacólos con plata y oro; y no hubo en sus tribus enfermo.
E os tirou dali com prata e ouro; e dentre suas tribos não houve quem tropeçasse.
Il fit sortir son peuple avec de l’ argent et de l’ or,
Und er führte sie aus mit Silber und Gold; und war kein Gebrechlicher unter ihren Stämmen.
En Hij voerde hen uit met zilver en goud; en onder hun stammen was niemand, die struikelde.
E fece uscire gli Israeliti con argento ed oro, e non vi fu alcuno, fra le sue tribù, che fosse fiacco.
Tedy ich wywiódł ze srebrem i ze złotem, a nie był nikt słaby między pokoleniem ich.
и приносили сыновей своих и дочерей своих в жертву бесам;
他領自己的百姓 帶銀子 金子出來；他支派中 沒有一個 軟弱的。
He took his people out with silver and gold: there was not one feeble person among them.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 105:37
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree this verse celebrates God’s complete provision for Israel’s exodus. The silver and gold refer to the wealth the Israelites received from the Egyptians (Exodus 12:35-36). Barnes notes the Hebrew verb sha’al means “asked” or “demanded,” not “borrowed”, clearing any charge of dishonesty. On the second half, the Hebrew participle kōshēl (from H3782, “to stumble, totter”) describes one who is feeble, lame, or unfit. The Cambridge Bible sees an army simile: “none that stumbled … like a victorious army, with spoils … none are faint or weary” (citing Isaiah 5:27). Jamieson-Fausset-Brown calls it “stumbler, unfit for the line of march.” Wesley and Poole treat the absence of sick or disabled people as a wonderful miracle, given the Israelites’ harsh slavery and the recent plague of the firstborn. Gill adds that the verse refutes pagan writers who claimed the Israelites were expelled because of leprosy. Barnes cautions that the statement “not necessarily … literal” but a general description of the people’s capability. Thus the consensus: whether a miraculous healing of every individual or a poetic summary of their fitness, the verse attributes both wealth and strength wholly to God’s deliverance.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal miracle of health: The text states 'not one feeble person,' and given God’s power in the plagues, he could and did heal everyone; Wesley, Poole and Gill treat it as a wonderful fact.
- Poetic hyperbole / general fitness: Barnes holds it is 'not necessarily literal' but a description of capability; the psalm’s poetic style uses strong language to celebrate God’s provision without claiming every individual was free from any ailment.
- Fitness for military march: Jamieson-Fausset-Brown and Cambridge connect it to Exodus 13:18 ('harnessed') and Isaiah 5:27; 'feeble' means unable to march like a soldier, so the verse says all were fit to travel as an army.
What is clear: The verse is a celebration of God’s complete provision for Israel’s exodus: they left with material wealth and the strength needed for the journey, whether that strength came through a miracle or a general enabling.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The meaning of 'not one feeble person', literal health or fitness for travel | All traditions agree the verse describes a state of complete ability for the exodus; God enabled the people to leave without hindrance. | Some (e.g., Wesley, Poole) treat it as a literal miracle of health. Others (Barnes, Cambridge) see it as a general description of fitness, not necessarily claiming every individual was free from all infirmity. Both readings affirm God’s provision. |
| The nature of the silver and gold, borrowed or asked/plundered? | Christians agree the Israelites received valuables from the Egyptians, fulfilling a promise to Abraham. | Older English translations say 'borrowed,' raising ethical questions. Commentators (Barnes, Gill) point out the Hebrew verb <em>sha’al</em> means 'asked/demanded,' not 'borrowed,' so no deception occurred. Some traditions emphasize the term 'plunder' (Exodus 3:22), viewing it as just compensation for slavery. |
| Psalm 105 ’s relationship to the Exodus narrative, exact history or poetic summary? | The psalm faithfully recounts events from the Pentateuch and is used for worship. | Some see it as strict history (Matthew Henry); others (Lange) emphasize its lyrical style and selective emphasis. Both agree the events are real but the psalm’s goal is praise, not chronology. |
| Application to Christian life, physical healing promise or spiritual type? | The verse shows God’s care for his people’s needs. | Some Christian traditions (especially Pentecostal/charismatic) see this as a model for physical healing in the present age. Others interpret it typologically: as Israel was strengthened for the exodus, believers are spiritually strengthened for their journey of faith. Both seek to honour God’s faithfulness. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 105 is a historical recital tracing God’s covenant faithfulness from Abraham to the settlement in Canaan. Verses 25-38 recount the plagues and the exodus itself. The psalm is lyrical rather than a strict chronicle (Lange); it selects details to magnify God’s grace. The mention of silver and gold draws directly on Exodus 12:35-36, where the Israelites asked (Hebrew sha’al) their Egyptian neighbours for valuables. The English “borrowed” in older translations obscures the point: the Egyptians gave, and the text calls it plunder (Exodus 3:22; 12:36). In ancient Near Eastern custom, this was back pay for generations of unpaid slave labour, a just wage (Gill). The wealth also fulfilled God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would leave with great possessions (Genesis 15:14).
The claim that not one person was “feeble” (or “stumbled,” BSB) sits against the backdrop of terrible suffering. The tenth plague had just struck every firstborn in Egypt; the Israelites themselves had endured hard bondage that could have broken their health. Yet they marched out on foot (Exodus 12:37), “harnessed” as an army (Exodus 13:18). Cambridge identifies “his tribes” as Yahweh’s tribes (Psalm 122:4), underscoring that God owned and protected them. Pagan historians like Tacitus and Lysimachus accused the Israelites of being driven out because of disease (Gill cites them). This verse directly contradicts that slander: the people were healthy, strong, and ready for the journey. The phrase “there was not one feeble” may be a general description of fitness (Barnes) or a statement of miraculous preservation (Wesley, Poole). In either reading, the point is that God’s deliverance was total, not only from Egypt but also from the weakness that slavery should have caused.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 105:37. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. The Douay-Rheims rendering appears to mistranslate a different line, but the majority of traditions read the verse as given in the MT. Any differences among English versions are interpretive, for example, “feeble person” (KJV, WEB) versus “stumbled” (BSB), reflecting the same Hebrew participle kōshēl.
Reception History
This verse has been read in both Jewish and Christian traditions as a highlight of God’s complete deliverance from Egypt. Jewish liturgy draws on Psalm 105 to recall the exodus, emphasising that Israel left not as refugees but as a free people with wealth and vigour. Early Christian writers saw the silver and gold as a type of the spoils of Christ’s victory over sin; the absence of the feeble pointed to the spiritual health believers receive through redemption. During the Reformation, commentators such as Calvin and Luther used the verse to illustrate God’s faithfulness to covenant promises. In modern times, the verse is sometimes invoked in teachings on divine healing or as an assurance that God will strengthen those he calls. Across centuries, the constant thread has been gratitude: what God began in the exodus, he continues with his people.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s material provision: The silver and gold were not theft but God-ordained compensation for years of slave labour (Exodus 3:22; 12:35-36). This shows that God sees the injustice and provides for his people even as he frees them.
- God’s physical strengthening: No one among the tribes was feeble. Whether a literal healing or a statement that all were fit to march, it demonstrates that God equips those he calls to move. The journey ahead required endurance, and God supplied it.
- God’s complete salvation: Deliverance is not just release from bondage but also provision for the new life. Psalm 105:37 presents a holistic redemption: wealth, health, and community ready to follow God.
Five-point outline
- God initiates the departure: “He brought them out”, the subject is God throughout the psalm.
- God supplies wealth: Silver and gold, not left empty-handed.
- God sustains health: No feeble person, strength for the march.
- God unifies the tribes: “His tribes”, the people are collectively protected.
- God confirms his covenant: The exodus fulfills promises made to Abraham (Genesis 15:14).
Illustration hooks
- The team that finishes a huge project with no sick days and extra resources in the budget, a small taste of God’s provision.
- A family moving across the country: the car never broke down, the movers arrived on time, and everyone stayed healthy. It felt like a gift.
- The experience of receiving something you did not earn but desperately needed, like an unexpected cheque that covers the last bill.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Did God really make every single Israelite perfectly healthy at the moment of the exodus?
- If God can do that, why doesn’t he always heal all my physical weaknesses?
- How does this verse encourage me when I feel too weak for what God has called me to do?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 105:37 sits in the middle of a song that retells God’s saving acts. It is not a dry history lesson but a call to praise (verse 1) and a reminder that the God who delivered Israel from Egypt is still at work. In this verse, two gifts appear: material provision (silver and gold) and physical strength (no feeble person). The small group can explore what this tells us about God’s character and what it means for our own journeys of faith.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What two things does the verse say God did for Israel as they left Egypt?
- Interpretation: Why is the detail “not one feeble person” striking, given what the Israelites had endured in slavery? (Consider Exodus 1:13-14; 12:29-30.)
- Interpretation: The Hebrew word kōshēl means “one who stumbles” or is “feeble.” The BSB translates “stumbled.” How does that change the picture from “feeble person” to something more active?
- Connection: How does the wealth of silver and gold connect to God’s earlier promise to Abraham (Genesis 15:13-14)? What does that tell us about God’s faithfulness over centuries?
- Application: In what ways have you experienced God’s provision for a difficult journey, whether material needs or unexpected strength?
- Application: Does this verse promise that God will always keep every Christian free from illness? What does it mean to trust God’s provision even when we do feel feeble?
- Outcome: How might this verse shape the way we pray for people who are physically weak or facing a big transition?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 15:14 | I will also judge that nation, whom they will serve. Afterward they will come out with great wealth; |
| Exodus 3:22 | But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who visits her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and clothing. You shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters. You shall plunder the Egyptians.” |
| Exodus 12:35 | The children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they asked of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing. |
| Exodus 12:36 | Yahweh gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. They plundered the Egyptians. |
| Acts 13:17 | The God of this people chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they stayed as aliens in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm, he led them out of it. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that the common translation "borrowed" from the Egyptians is misleading. The Hebrew word simply means "asked" or "requested," with no obligation to return. He also notes that the phrase "not one feeble person" is a general description of the people's fitness for travel, not a literal statement.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin emphasizes that God's countless benefits after delivering Israel from Egypt were not random favors; they were designed to draw faithful covenant keeping and wholehearted service from the chosen people. The psalm celebrates this deliberate purpose, showing the covenant was more than mere words.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible Schools emphasizes that the Exodus was a victorious military march: Israel left with silver and gold as wages for their forced labor, and not a single person stumbled. They also note that the phrase "his tribes" means the tribes belong to the Lord, not to Israel.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
He brought them forth also with siluer and golde, and there was none feeble among their tribes.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that God brought the Israelites out of Egypt not only free but enriched with silver and gold, fulfilling an ancient prophecy and justly compensating them for years of forced labor. He also counters pagan claims by noting that not one person among the six hundred thousand was sick or weak, despite their harsh treatment and the plagues around them.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry focuses on God's direct sovereignty over every detail of Israel's suffering and rescue. He notes that God himself turned the Egyptians' hearts to hate his people, then sent each plague by his own word, and finally brought Israel out with joy so they would keep his laws.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley considers it remarkable that among such a vast multitude of people who had been brutally oppressed, not one was too weak or disabled to travel. The complete absence of anyone unable to make the journey strikes him as a clear wonder.