Psalms 105:16He called for a famine on the land. He destroyed the food supplies.
The setting
Temple worship, Jerusalem, ~1000 BC. The psalmist recounts the seven-year famine that drove Jacob's family to Egypt, setting up Israel's 400-year slavery and eventual exodus from modern-day Egypt.
The emotion here: wonder at God's mysterious sovereignty over seeming disasters
The original word
shabar (שָׁבַר) — to break in pieces, shatter completely, break the staff of bread
Why it matters
This famine affected the entire ancient Near East for seven years, documented in Egyptian records
Read with care
What most readers miss in Psalms 105:16
God 'called for' this famine — it wasn't random disaster but divine orchestration to position Joseph
Common misconceptionPeople see this as God punishing people with famine, but it was actually God setting up the rescue plan — the famine drove Jacob to Egypt where Joseph could save the family line.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Psalms 105:16
Bible Genome reading
Psalms 105:16 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Psalms 105:16 comes from the book of Psalms, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to David. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 40% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include God's sovereignty, divine judgment. Notable phrases: called for a famine; destroyed the food supplies.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same worship
“Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one:”
— Deuteronomy 6:4
“and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”
— Deuteronomy 6:5
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”
— John 14:6
“Jesus said to them, "Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM."”
— John 8:58
Your reflection
What does Psalms 105:16 mean to you, today?
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