Psalms 105:13
When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;
Original Language Analysis
וַֽ֭יִּתְהַלְּכוּ
When they went
H1980
וַֽ֭יִּתְהַלְּכוּ
When they went
Strong's:
H1980
Word #:
1 of 8
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
גּ֑וֹי
from one nation
H1471
גּ֑וֹי
from one nation
Strong's:
H1471
Word #:
2 of 8
a foreign nation; hence, a gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
גּ֑וֹי
from one nation
H1471
גּ֑וֹי
from one nation
Strong's:
H1471
Word #:
4 of 8
a foreign nation; hence, a gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
מִ֝מַּמְלָכָ֗ה
to another from one kingdom
H4467
מִ֝מַּמְלָכָ֗ה
to another from one kingdom
Strong's:
H4467
Word #:
5 of 8
dominion, i.e., (abstractly) the estate (rule) or (concretely) the country (realm)
Historical Context
Abraham migrated from Ur to Canaan, Isaac and Jacob moved within Canaan, and Jacob's family eventually went to Egypt. This peripatetic existence characterized the patriarchal period.
Questions for Reflection
- How does viewing yourself as a sojourner affect your attachment to earthly security and possessions?
- What does God's protection of wandering Israel teach about His care during your life transitions?
Analysis & Commentary
When Israel wandered 'from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people,' God preserved them. The patriarchs lived as nomads, moving between territories without permanent settlement. This precarious existence made them vulnerable to hostile powers. Yet God protected them throughout. Their wandering prefigures believers as sojourners (1 Pet 2:11) in this world, awaiting their permanent home. Christ had nowhere to lay His head (Matt 8:20), identifying with this pilgrim status. The Reformed tradition emphasizes believers' heavenly citizenship (Phil 3:20).