The Meaning of Psalms 105:28 Explained

Psalms 105:28

KJV: He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.

YLT: He hath sent darkness, and it is dark, And they have not provoked His word.

Darby: He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.

ASV: He sent darkness, and made it dark; And they rebelled not against his words.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He sent  darkness,  and made it dark;  and they rebelled  not against his word. 

What does Psalms 105:28 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 105:16-30 - Wonders In Egypt
The psalmist retells the story of Joseph, as a link in the chain of providences which secured the fulfillment of the Covenant. It may be that it was also introduced to comfort Israel amid the afflictions of the Captivity. Another reading of the second clause of Psalms 105:18 is, "The iron entered his soul." This is what pain does for us all; it puts iron into our blood. In Psalms 105:19 we learn that God's promise, while unfulfilled and apparently contradicted by present facts, serves as a test of a man's reliance upon God. It brings into clear relief his unwavering faith. Joseph was tested and not found wanting.
In Psalms 105:23-27 carry us a step farther in the unfolding of God's purpose. The sojourn in Egypt, with its terrible hardships and the trouble that befell the tyrant, is quoted with direct reference to the action and interposition of the Almighty. The psalmist sees only one hand at work. He does not hesitate to ascribe to God even, the hatred which the Egyptians entertained toward Israel, and which, in Pharaoh's case, meant the hardening of his heart. Such is the inevitable effect when man's pride conflicts with divine tenderness and love. Let us believe that God is in all the incidents of our daily life and of human history. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 105

1  An exhortation to praise God, and to seek out his works
7  The story of God's providence over Abraham
16  Over Joseph
23  Over Jacob in Egypt
26  Over Moses delivering the Israelites
37  Over the Israelites brought out of Egypt, fed in the desert, and planted in Canaan

What do the individual words in Psalms 105:28 mean?

He sent darkness and made [it] dark and not they did rebel against against - His word
שָׁ֣לַֽח חֹ֭שֶׁךְ וַיַּחְשִׁ֑ךְ וְלֹֽא־ מָ֝ר֗וּ אֶת־ דברוו‪‬ [דְּבָרֽוֹ]

שָׁ֣לַֽח  He  sent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
חֹ֭שֶׁךְ  darkness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹשֶׁךְ  
Sense: darkness, obscurity.
וַיַּחְשִׁ֑ךְ  and  made  [it]  dark 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָשַׁךְ 
Sense: to be or become dark, grow dim, be darkened, be black, be hidden.
וְלֹֽא־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
מָ֝ר֗וּ  they  did  rebel  against 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מָרָה  
Sense: to be contentious, be rebellious, be refractory, be disobedient towards, be rebellious against.
אֶת־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
דברוו‪‬  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
[דְּבָרֽוֹ]  His  word 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.