Psalms 105:38 · Bible study
Psalms 105:38 Commentary: Egypt's Gladness at Israel's Departure
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Scholarly commentary on Psalm 105:38: Egypt's gladness as a response to God's power, the fear that fell on them, and its place in Israel's deliverance.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Egypt was relieved when Israel left because the fear of God had fallen on them.
- Key words: śāmaḥ (was glad), settled relief; paḥad (dread), supernatural terror; nāfal (had fallen), a condition imposed by God.
- Main debate: Minimal. Some nuance over whether Egypt’s gladness was genuine relief or merely terrified compliance.
- Theological theme: God’s sovereign power to deliver His people and to make even enemies agents of His purpose.
- Best use: Teaching on God’s faithfulness, the exodus as paradigm, and the fear of God as a missional reality.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Egypt was glad when they departed, for the dread of Israel had fallen on them.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Egypt was glad when they departed, for the fear of them had fallen on them.
KJV King James Version 1769
Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Egypt was glad when they departed; For the fear of them had fallen upon them.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Rejoiced hath Egypt in their going forth, For their fear had fallen upon them.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Egypt rejoiced at their departure; for the fear of them had fallen upon them.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And they shed innocent blood: the blood of their sons and of their daughters which they sacrificed to the idols of Chanaan. And the land was polluted with blood,
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Egipto se alegró de que salieran; porque su terror había caído sobre ellos.
Até o Egito se alegrou com a saída deles, porque seu temor tinha caído sobre eles.
Les Égyptiens se réjouirent de leur départ,
Ägypten ward froh, daß sie auszogen; denn ihre Furcht war auf sie gefallen.
Egypte was blijde, als zij uittrokken, want hun verschrikking was op hen gevallen.
L’Egitto si rallegrò della loro partenza, poiché la paura d’essi era caduta su loro.
Radował się Egipt, gdy oni wychodzili; albowiem był przypadł na nich strach ich.
проливали кровь невинную, кровь сыновей своих и дочерей своих, которых приносили в жертву идолам Ханаанским, - и осквернилась земля кровью;
他們出來的時候，埃及人 便歡喜；原來 埃及人懼怕 他們。
Egypt was glad when they went; for the fear of them had come down on them.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 105:38
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Egypt's gladness at Israel's departure was a direct result of the plagues God had sent. Barnes notes that the Egyptians had suffered so many calamities, the land was desolate, and they were glad to see the Israelites leave, even willing to give them silver and gold to speed their exit. Gill adds that the Egyptians feared for their own lives after the death of the firstborn, and their eagerness to be rid of Israel was not goodwill but terror. The Cambridge Bible cites Exodus 12:33, where the Egyptians urged Israel to leave in haste, saying “We are all dead men.” The Hebrew verb śāmaḥ (was glad) is a Qal perfect, indicating a settled state of relief. The phrase “fear of them fell upon them” uses nāfal (had fallen) with paḥad (dread), a supernatural dread that God had sent to secure Israel's release. Across traditions, this verse shows God's power to turn an enemy's heart from oppression to release, fulfilling His covenant promises.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Egypt was glad that Israel left, and the reason was that a supernatural fear of Israel (and their God) had taken hold of them as a result of the plagues.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of Egypt’s gladness | Egypt was glad because the plagues had devastated them; they wanted Israel gone. | Some (e.g., Barnes) see this as rational relief at the end of suffering; others (e.g., Gill) emphasize that it was a fearful, selfish response, not a change of heart toward Israel’s God. |
| Origin of the fear | The fear that fell on Egypt was from God; it was supernatural and overpowering. | Some traditions (Reformed) stress it as a divine judgment; others (Wesleyan) see it as a gracious restraint allowing Israel’s escape without total destruction. |
| Duration of the fear | The fear was effective at the moment of departure; it secured Israel’s safe exit. | Whether this fear persisted beyond the exodus (see Exodus 15:16) or was temporary is not specified; later events (e.g., Pharaoh’s pursuit) show it was not permanent. |
| Application to the church | The verse shows God’s power to deliver His people from oppression. | Some apply it to spiritual deliverance (the world’s fear of the church under persecution), while others keep it historical, a unique saving act for Israel. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 105 recounts Israel's history from Abraham to the conquest of Canaan, with a focus on God's covenant faithfulness. The immediate context of verse 38 is the final plague, the death of the firstborn (Exodus 11, 12). After that, Pharaoh and his people had had enough. Exodus 12:33 says the Egyptians were urgent with Israel to leave, because they recognized impending doom. This was not a change of heart but a breakthrough of fear.
The fear that fell on Egypt is part of a pattern throughout the Exodus narrative. Exodus 15:16 describes the very same dread falling on the nations of Canaan. Joshua 2:9 confirms that the fear of Israel preceded them into the Promised Land. For Egypt, a nation that worshipped many gods and saw Pharaoh as divine, the plagues were a direct assault on their religious and political order. The final blow, the death of the firstborn, shattered their resistance.
This psalm, likely composed for public worship after the exile, uses the exodus as a template for hope. The community singing this psalm would recall not only Israel's deliverance but the complete disarming of their oppressor. Egypt's gladness was not a compliment to Israel; it was the involuntary response to a God who fights for His people.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 105:38. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, with no variation in the key verbs or phrases. The word paḥad (dread) is consistent; the Septuagint renders it with φόβος (fear), matching the Masoretic. The verse is quoted or alluded to in post-biblical literature (e.g., 1 Esdras) without variation.
Reception History
The early church read this verse as part of God’s plan of salvation, seeing the exodus as a type of Christ’s deliverance of believers from sin and death. Origen and Augustine referenced it in their commentaries on the Psalms, highlighting the fear of God as a pedagogical tool. In the medieval period, it was used in monastic liturgies to celebrate God’s power over earthly rulers. The Reformation (Luther, Calvin) focused on divine sovereignty: God hardens and softens hearts at will. In modern times, the verse has been cited in liberation theology as an example of God siding with the oppressed and disarming their oppressors without violence to the oppressed.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God's power forces the oppressor to let go. Egypt was glad, not because they loved Israel, but because a greater power had broken their will. God's judgments can make even the hardest heart release what it holds.
- Fear of the Lord is a public witness. The dread that fell on Egypt was known to surrounding nations (Exodus 15:16). When God acts for His people, the world takes notice.
- Deliverance leads to praise. The broader psalm frames this event within a call to worship. God's rescue evokes thanks, testimony, and renewed covenant loyalty.
Five-point outline
- Oppression has a limit. God sets a boundary to suffering; the plagues show His timing.
- God uses means. He works through natural and supernatural instruments, locusts, darkness, death.
- Fear can be a tool of grace. Even the wicked's terror serves God's purpose to free His people.
- Deliverance is comprehensive. They left with silver and gold, and no one was feeble (v.37).
- The goal is worship. The psalm ends with “Praise the Lord.” Freedom is not an end but a beginning of service.
Illustration hooks
- School bully. A child who has been tormented finally stands up with a teacher's support. The bully backs off, relieved to avoid consequences. The victim walks free, but not because the bully has changed, because power shifted.
- Hostage release. In a hostage situation, captors may let hostages go because they fear police action. The release is not kindness but calculation. Yet for the hostages, freedom is real and joyful.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why would God use plagues and fear as instruments of deliverance? Does that fit a loving God?
- How can I trust God's timing when my situation feels hopeless?
- Does my life inspire the world to be glad for God's presence, or glad to be rid of me?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 105:38 is a small hinge in a long history. Egypt's gladness is not the main point, God's power is. But this verse forces us to ask how the world responds when God acts. Sometimes the world is relieved to see believers leave; sometimes it trembles. Read Psalm 105:38 and the surrounding verses (34, 45). Then discuss.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What does the verse say about Egypt’s emotional response? What caused their gladness?
- Observation: Look at the Hebrew word for “fear” (paḥad). How is it different from ordinary fear? (See also Genesis 35:5, Exodus 15:16.)
- Interpretation: Why did God make Egypt afraid instead of simply destroying them? What does that reveal about His character?
- Interpretation: Gill compares Egypt’s gladness to the Gergesenes asking Jesus to leave (Matthew 8:34). What is similar? What is different?
- Application: When has God used a hard situation to create a way out for you? How did that experience shape your trust in Him?
- Application: In what ways might our faith cause the world to feel either relieved or threatened? Which response should we pray for?
- Worship: How does this verse lead us to praise? What reasons for gratitude does Psalm 105 offer beyond the exodus?
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 35:5 | They traveled, and a terror of God was on the cities that were around them, and they didn’t pursue the sons of Jacob. |
| Exodus 10:7 | Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve Yahweh, their God. Don’t you yet know that Egypt is destroyed?” |
| Exodus 12:33 | The Egyptians were urgent with the people, to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, “We are all dead men.” |
| Exodus 15:16 | Terror and dread falls on them. By the greatness of your arm they are as still as a stone, until your people pass over, Yahweh, until the people you have purchased pass over. |
| Joshua 2:9 | She said to the men, “I know that Yahweh has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. |
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
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws attention to the severity of Egypt's situation: the plagues had left the land desolate and the people so sorrowful that they were actually relieved to see the Israelites go. This desperation explains why they willingly gave silver and gold just to speed the departure. They also feared the Israelites as a people under God's protection.
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
The commentator notes that the Egyptians' fear is a repeated theme, connecting the Exodus departure itself with the earlier miracles of the wilderness and the eventual settlement in Canaan. This dread, described as falling upon them, is not incidental but a consistent divine work that the narrator deliberately underscores across different stages of Israel's deliverance.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes point out that Egypt felt relief, not loss, when Israel left. The Egyptians were glad to see them go because they had grown terrified of them. Their gladness at the departure came directly from the fear Israel had stirred in them.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that Egypt's gladness at Israel's departure came from fear, not goodwill. They were relieved to be rid of those whose presence had brought divine judgment on them. This reflects how the ungodly world often feels about God's people, wanting them gone.
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.