This page gives you ready-to-use study questions for Psalm 105, with a short leader’s answer or discussion note for each one. It suits a small group, a Sunday class, or a personal study where you want to move from simply reading the chapter to understanding it and living it out. Each section works on its own, so you can use all of it or pick the questions that fit your time.
Psalm 105 at a Glance
Psalm 105 is a song of thanksgiving that calls God’s people to remember what he has done. It opens with a summons to praise and proclaim (verses 1-6), then recounts God’s covenant faithfulness to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (verses 7-15). From there the psalm traces Joseph’s journey into Egypt and the family’s growth there (verses 16-24), before describing the plagues and the Exodus itself (verses 25-43). It closes by tying the whole story to God’s purpose that his people keep his statutes (verses 44-45).
Because the psalm moves through history in order, it works well to read it in its three movements: the call, the covenant, and the deliverance. Keep that shape in mind as you work through the questions below.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an interpretation. Ask the group to point to the exact words of the text, and let them answer slowly so that the details of the psalm are noticed before they are explained.
Psalm 105:1-3
1 Give thanks to the LORD! Call on his name! Make his doings known among the peoples. 2 Sing to him, sing praises to him! Tell of all his marvelous works. 3 Glory in his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
(WEB)
Read these opening verses first to set the tone of joyful, public thanksgiving. They invite the whole group into the psalm as a call to praise rather than a history lesson.
Psalm 105:8-11
8 He has remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations, 9 the covenant which he made with Abraham, his oath to Isaac, 10 and confirmed the same to Jacob for a statute; to Israel for an everlasting covenant, 11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance”…
(WEB)
Reading the covenant promise aloud helps the group hear the emphasis on God’s faithfulness across generations. It anchors the rest of the psalm in God’s word rather than in circumstances.
Psalm 105:17-19
17 He sent a man before them. Joseph was sold for a slave. 18 They bruised his feet with shackles. His neck was locked in irons, 19 until the time that his word happened, and the LORD’s word proved him true.
(WEB)
This passage about Joseph gives the group a moment to reflect on suffering that God used for a larger purpose. Read it slowly so the sequence of hardship and vindication is clear.
Psalm 105:39-41
39 He spread a cloud for a covering, fire to give light in the night. 40 They asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of the sky. 41 He opened the rock, and waters gushed out. They ran as a river in the dry places.
(WEB)
These verses show God providing light, food and water in the wilderness. Reading them aloud reminds the group that God’s care continues even in dry and uncertain places.
Psalm 105:43-45
43 He brought his people out with joy, his chosen with singing. 44 He gave them the lands of the nations. They took the labor of the peoples in possession, 45 that they might keep his statutes, and observe his laws. Praise Yah!
(WEB)
Ending the reading with these verses brings the psalm to its purpose: joy, deliverance and a call to keep God’s statutes. It gives the session a clear and hopeful close.
Memory Verse for Psalm 105
Psalm 105:1
Give thanks to the LORD! Call on his name! Make his doings known among the peoples.
(WEB)
This verse is short enough to memorize easily and captures the whole psalm’s invitation to give thanks and to make God’s deeds known. Encourage the group to repeat it together and to say it aloud during the week as a reminder to share what God has done.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to you with thanks, because you remember your covenant forever and keep every promise you have made. Thank you for the way you led Joseph through hardship and brought your people out of Egypt with joy. Help us to remember your works in our own lives, to make them known to others, and to seek your strength when we feel weak. Teach us to keep your statutes out of gratitude for your faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
