Psalm 105:1
“O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
Psalm 105 is a historical psalm recounting God's covenant faithfulness from Abraham through the exodus. Verse 1 opens with a call to thank God and proclaim His deeds.
What Does Psalm 105:1 Mean?
This verse opens a psalm that retells God's faithfulness throughout Israel's history, and it begins with three energetic commands. First, "give thanks unto the LORD" -- the natural response to all God has done is gratitude. Second, "call upon his name" -- to invoke God, to pray to Him and depend on Him. Third, "make known his deeds among the people" -- to tell others what God has done.
That third command is striking, because it turns worship outward. Thanksgiving and prayer are directed to God; but here the psalmist also commands that God's deeds be proclaimed publicly, spread "among the people." Worship is not meant to stay private. What God has done is news worth sharing, and those who know His acts have a part in declaring them to others. The rest of Psalm 105 does exactly this, recounting the story of God's covenant faithfulness from Abraham onward, so that each generation can hear and remember. The verse models a full-orbed response to God: we thank Him for His goodness, we call on Him in dependence, and we testify to others about what He has done. Gratitude that stays silent is incomplete; the psalm urges us to let our thankfulness overflow into witness, making God's mighty deeds known beyond ourselves.
In the Original Language
"Give thanks" renders the Hebrew yadah, to acknowledge and confess publicly; "deeds" (alilah) refers to God's mighty acts, the works the rest of the psalm goes on to recount.
Cross References
“Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:8
“Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;”
- Psalm 107:2
“Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.”
- Isaiah 12:4
Application
Let your gratitude overflow into witness: thank God, call on Him in dependence, and tell others about the things He has done in your life and in His people's story.