Psalm 105 · a question people ask
"Don’t touch my anointed ones!" (105:15). Is the psalm speaking of Jesus?
The psalm says whom it means. The verses before speak of those who were "but a few men in number, yes, very few, and foreigners in it" (105:12), who "went about from nation to nation" (105:13), after the covenant "which he made with Abraham, his oath to Isaac" (105:9), confirmed "to Jacob for a statute" (105:10). "He allowed no one to do them wrong. Yes, he reproved kings for their sakes" (105:14), and then come the words, "Don’t touch my anointed ones! Do my prophets no harm!" (105:15). In Hebrew my anointed ones is plural, bimshichai (tap anointed), and it is the only plural of mashiach in the Psalms. No New Testament verse quotes this line. 1 Chronicles 16's chapter sets beside it the kings Genesis tells of, and Genesis 20's chapter shows Abraham called "a prophet" (Genesis 20:7); these notes don't repeat them, and they don't read the verse as speaking of anyone the verses before it don't speak of.
The verses
“the covenant which he made with Abraham, his oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute; to Israel for an everlasting covenant, saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance,” when they were but a few men in number, yes, very few, and foreigners in it. They went about from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people. He allowed no one to do them wrong. Yes, he reproved kings for their sakes, “Don’t touch my anointed ones! Do my prophets no harm!””
“Now therefore, restore the man’s wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you don’t restore her, know for sure that you will die, you, and all who are yours.””
“He allowed no man to do them wrong. Yes, he reproved kings for their sakes, “Don’t touch my anointed ones! Do my prophets no harm!””