Psalms 105:36-41

105:36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land,

the firstfruits of their reproductive power.

105:37 He brought his people out enriched with silver and gold;

none of his tribes stumbled.

105:38 Egypt was happy when they left,

for they were afraid of them.

105:39 He spread out a cloud for a cover,

and provided a fire to light up the night.

105:40 They asked for food, and he sent quails;

he satisfied them with food from the sky.

105:41 He opened up a rock and water flowed out;

a river ran through dry regions.


tn Heb “the beginning of all their strength,” that is, reproductive power (see Ps 78:51).

sn Verses 28-36 recall the plagues in a different order than the one presented in Exodus: v. 28 (plague 9), v. 29 (plague 1), v. 30 (plague 2), v. 31a (plague 4), v. 31b (plague 3), vv. 32-33 (plague 7), vv. 34-35 (plague 8), v. 36 (plague 10). No reference is made in Ps 105 to plagues 5 and 6.

tn Heb “them”; the referent (the Lord’s people) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

tn The word “enriched” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

tn Heb “for fear of them had fallen upon them.”

tn Or “curtain.”

tn Heb “he [i.e., his people] asked.” The singular form should probably be emended to a plural שָׁאֲלוּ (shaalu, “they asked”), the vav (ו) having fallen off by haplography (note the vav at the beginning of the following form).

tn Or “bread of heaven.” The reference is to manna (see Exod 16:4, 13-15).