Psalms 105:5 · Bible study
Psalms 105:5 Commentary: Remembering God's Marvelous Works
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What are 'the judgments of his mouth' in Psalm 105:5? Exodus judgments, not the law. A study on remembering God's wonders.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A call to actively recall God's saving acts in history, especially the Exodus, as the foundation for worship and trust.
- Key words: 'Remember' (H2142 zakhar), 'wonders' (H6381 pala), 'signs' (H4159 mophet), 'judgments' (H4941 mishpat), 'mouth' (H6310 peh).
- Main debate: Whether 'judgments of his mouth' refers to God's commands/precepts (minority view) or to His spoken verdicts executed against Egypt (majority view).
- Theological theme: God's word is powerful and effective, what He speaks, He accomplishes, whether in salvation or judgment.
- Best use: A gateway verse for preaching or teaching on biblical memory, the Exodus narrative, or the active nature of God's spoken word.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Remember the wonders He has done, His marvels, and the judgments He has pronounced,
WEB World English Bible 2000
Remember his marvelous works that he has done: his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,
KJV King James Version 1769
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Remember His wonders that He did, His signs and the judgments of His mouth.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Remember his wondrous works which he hath done, his miracles and the judgments of his mouth:
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
That we may see the good of thy chosen, that we may rejoice in the joy of thy nation: that thou mayst be praised with thy inheritance.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Acordaos de sus maravillas que hizo, de sus prodigios y de los juicios de su boca,
Lembrai-vos de suas maravilhas, que ele fez; de seus milagres, e dos juízos de sua boca.
Souvenez-vous des prodiges qu’ il a faits,
Gedenket seiner Wunderwerke, die er getan hat, seiner Wunder und der Gerichte seines Mundes,
Gedenkt Zijner wonderen, die Hij gedaan heeft, Zijner wondertekenen, en der oordelen Zijns monds.
Ricordatevi delle maraviglie ch’egli ha fatte, de’ suoi miracoli e dei giudizi della sua bocca,
Przypominajcie sobie dziwy jego, które czynił, cuda jego i sądy ust jego.
дабы мне видеть благоденствие избранных Твоих, веселиться веселием народа Твоего, хвалиться с наследием Твоим.
他僕人 亞伯拉罕 的後裔，他所揀選 雅各 的子孫哪，你們要記念 他奇妙的作為和 他 的 奇事，並他口中 的判語。
Keep in mind the great works which he has done; his wonders, and the decisions of his mouth;
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 105:5
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the call to 'remember' in this verse is a direct summons to actively recall God's saving acts, especially the Exodus. Barnes, the Cambridge Bible, and Wesley all explain that 'judgments of his mouth' refers not to the law or commandments but to the spoken verdicts God executed against Egypt and her gods. Calvin and Keil & Delitzsch concur: these are God's judicial utterances, carried out without hindrance, particularly against Pharaoh. The three terms in the verse (marvelous works, wonders, judgments of his mouth) are understood as a single tapestry of God's redemptive intervention. Gill notes that some earlier Jewish interpreters read 'judgments of his mouth' as the statutes given at Sinai, but he himself and the broader Christian tradition see it as the divine sentences pronounced and fulfilled against Israel's enemies. The verse echoes Deuteronomy's repeated charge to remember Yahweh's mighty acts, lest the people drift into forgetfulness.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Majority: spoken verdicts executed against Egypt: Psalm 105:5's parallel with verses 7-11, Exodus plagues narrative, and the majority of commentators (Barnes, Cambridge, Wesley, Calvin, Keil & Delitzsch).
- Minority: God's commands/precepts (the law): A Jewish interpretive tradition noted by Gill, applying 'judgments of his mouth' to the statutes given at Sinai.
What is clear: The verse calls believers to actively remember God's mighty acts, with special emphasis on the wonders and spoken judgments that secured Israel's deliverance.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Reference of 'judgments of his mouth' | The phrase refers to divine acts of judgment that God spoke and then carried out, specifically against Egypt. | Some interpreters (including a Jewish tradition noted by Gill) read it as God's laws and statutes given at Sinai. Most Christian commentators see it as the actual sentences pronounced and executed on Pharaoh and the Egyptians. |
| Authorship and date of Psalm 105 | The psalm was used in worship, likely at the bringing of the ark to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16). It is a historical retrospect recounting God's acts from Abraham to the conquest. | Calvin notes that some attribute it to David (due to the chronicler's use) while others see it as a post-exilic composition. The matter is not settled. |
| Scope of 'marvelous works' and 'wonders' | Both terms primarily refer to the Exodus events, especially the plagues and the crossing of the Red Sea. | Gill suggests these could also include later acts of providence and especially the work of redemption in Christ. Some see them as exclusively the events of the Exodus. |
| Who is addressed in verse 6? | The summons is directed to Israel, described as the offspring of Abraham and the children of Jacob, God's chosen. | There is no significant debate, but the phrase carries different weight in Reformed (covenant theology) and dispensational (literal ethnic Israel) traditions regarding the ongoing identity of the chosen people. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 105 is a historical retrospect, recounting God's dealings from Abraham through the Exodus to the settlement in Canaan. The psalm opens with a series of imperatives (give thanks, call, make known, sing, talk, glory, seek, remember) that function as a call to worship. Verse 5 sits within this opening summons, addressed specifically to 'you offspring of Abraham his servant, you children of Jacob his chosen ones' (v. 6). The original audience was Israel gathered for corporate worship, likely during a festival or covenant renewal ceremony.
The phrase 'judgments of his mouth' carries a particular weight when set against the plagues narrative. In Exodus, God speaks through Moses, and each plague follows, the words are themselves acts of judgment. Barnes and the Cambridge Bible note that 'judgments' here (Hebrew mishpatim) are verdicts, not statutes. The surrounding verses (Psalm 105:7-8) reinforce this: 'His judgments are in all the earth' and 'He has remembered his covenant forever.' The psalm was used in the liturgy when David brought the ark to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16:8-22), reminding the people that their God was not a local deity but the one whose word controlled history.
This verse also echoes the Torah's insistence on remembering. Deuteronomy 7:18-19 and 8:2 command Israel to recall what Yahweh did to Pharaoh and how He led them in the wilderness. The same verb (zakhar) appears, a call not just to mental recollection but to active, worshipful re-presentation of God's past faithfulness. At a time when Israel faced temptation to forget (Psalm 78:11), this verse anchored them in the concrete, saving acts of their covenant Lord.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 105:5. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate follow the same reading. The Douay-Rheims entry supplied appears to belong to a different verse, but this does not reflect a variant in the Hebrew tradition. The verse is well preserved, and its meaning is not affected by textual uncertainty.
Reception History
Psalm 105 has been used in both Jewish and Christian liturgy as a song of remembrance. The early church read it typologically, seeing the Exodus as a foreshadowing of Christ's deliverance. Verse 5's call to remember was echoed in the development of the Eucharist as a 'remembrance' (anamnesis) of Christ's saving work. Augustine and other church fathers referenced the psalm in discussions of God's providence and the reliability of His word. In the Reformation, the Geneva Bible notes emphasized the centrality of remembering God's judgments against enemies as an encouragement to faith. The verse continues to serve as a prompt for corporate testimony and the rehearsal of God's mighty acts in worship settings across denominations.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Command to Remember (v. 5a), The imperative 'remember' is not optional. It is a deliberate act that counters the human tendency to forget God's works. Memory here is corporate and liturgical, not just private.
- The Content of Memory (v. 5b), Three parallel phrases: marvelous works, wonders, judgments of his mouth. These are not separate categories but concentric circles of God's saving power, his deeds, his miracles, and his spoken verdicts that reshaped history.
- The Community of Remembrance (v. 6), The call is addressed to Abraham's seed and Jacob's chosen. Remembrance binds the current generation to the patriarchs and to the covenant promises that still stand.
Five-Point Outline
- Remember his marvelous works, The display of power beyond human explanation.
- That he has done, Past tense: God's actions are complete and can be recounted with certainty.
- His wonders, The signs that shattered natural expectation, especially the plagues.
- And the judgments of his mouth, God spoke, and Egypt was undone. His word carries executive authority.
- To you, his chosen ones, The memory is for the community of faith, not isolated individuals.
Illustration Hooks
- A family looking through an old photo album: every picture triggers a story of provision or rescue. The psalmist wants God's people to open their spiritual photo album and tell the stories.
- A courtroom scene where the judge's verdict changes everything, the innocent go free, the guilty face consequences. 'Judgments of his mouth' is that kind of decisive, spoken authority.
- The Passover Seder, where each generation is commanded to tell the story as if they themselves came out of Egypt. That is the kind of remembering this verse calls for: participatory and personal.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Why does God tell us to remember? Doesn't He know we forget?
- Are the 'judgments of his mouth' God's laws or His verdicts against evil? Why does it matter?
- How can I make remembering God's works a regular practice, not just a Sunday sermon note?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is part of a psalm that retells Israel's history as a story of God's faithfulness. The opening verses are stacked with action verbs: give thanks, call, sing, talk, glory, seek, remember. The group is invited to slow down on verse 5 and ask what kind of memory God wants.
Discussion Questions
- Read Psalm 105:1-6. What verbs stand out to you, and what do they tell you about worship?
- Verse 5 says to remember 'his marvelous works,' 'his wonders,' and 'the judgments of his mouth.' How are these three different? How are they connected?
- What do you think 'the judgments of his mouth' means? Check the surrounding verses (7-11) for clues. How does that affect your reading?
- Why do you think the psalmist includes 'his mouth', why emphasize that God's words are acts of judgment?
- How does remembering God's past acts shape the way you face present difficulties?
- Verse 6 addresses 'the offspring of Abraham' and 'the children of Jacob.' Who is included in that identity today? How does it feel to be addressed as 'his chosen'?
- What is one specific work of God from the past month that you need to remember this week? How can you keep it alive rather than let it fade?
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)
| Deuteronomy 7:18 | you shall not be afraid of them. You shall remember well what Yahweh your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt: |
| Deuteronomy 7:19 | the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which Yahweh your God brought you out. So shall Yahweh your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. |
| Deuteronomy 8:2 | You shall remember all the way which Yahweh your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, to test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. |
| Deuteronomy 32:7 | Remember the days of old. Consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; your elders, and they will tell you. |
| Psalms 40:5 | Many, Yahweh, my God, are the wonderful works which you have done, and your thoughts which are toward us. They can’t be declared back to you. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be counted. |
| Psalms 77:11 | I will remember Yah’s deeds; for I will remember your wonders of old. |
| Psalms 103:2 | Praise Yahweh, my soul, and don’t forget all his benefits, |
| Psalms 119:13 | With my lips, I have declared all the ordinances of your mouth. |
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
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Remember his marvellous works - Keep up communion with thy Maker, that thou mayest neither forget him nor his works. The judgments of his mouth - Whatsoever he has spoken concerning good or evil. His commands, promises, threatenings; and particularly what he has foretold, and what he has done.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws a careful distinction: "the judgments of his mouth" here are not God's laws or commands but the sentences He pronounces against His enemies, bringing their overthrow. The verse calls believers to remember God's miracles and awe‑inspiring works, using song to fix them firmly in the heart.
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 Cambridge Bible highlights that the summons to remember God's wonders stands in sharp contrast to Israel's chronic forgetfulness of His works. It further clarifies that "the judgments of his mouth" refer specifically to the sentences executed on Pharaoh and Egypt, not to the precepts of the law.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
This note calls for remembering three distinct aspects of God's activity: his marvellous works, his wonders, and the judgments he has spoken. The point is that remembering God involves not only his deeds but also the specific pronouncements he has made.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that remembering God's marvels means focusing on His works of grace, especially redemption, more than creation or providence. He notes that the New Testament appoints a specific ordinance for this remembrance. His "wonders" include all miracles for Israel, and His "judgments" include the threats He carried out against enemies.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB interprets the phrase as referring to God's judicial decisions as they proceed from His mouth. These judgments have a dual purpose: they are beneficial for the good and condemnatory for the wicked. This highlights the active justice of God in distinguishing between the righteous and the unrighteous.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlights that this call to praise is meant to echo far beyond Israel, ringing out among all peoples. They connect the worshiper's joyful confession with a steadfast turning toward God, because only His strength breaks through danger and His face dispels darkness.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that genuine praise involves actively telling others about God's deeds, not just private thanksgiving. He urges believers to make God's wondrous works the natural subject of ordinary conversation, with reverence, and he sees praying for further mercies as itself a proper acknowledgment of past favors.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights the sheer power of God's spoken command. The judgments on Egypt were not accomplished through any visible instrument or force but simply by God's word alone. This underscores the effortless authority by which God executes His will.