“Seed of Abraham, His servant,

Son of Jacob, His chosen ones:”

(Psalm 105:6)

This verse is more of a clause than a sentence unto itself. It speaks of those to whom David is speaking as he writes the words of this psalm. It is this body of people who are to remember the works of God and who are to sing praises to Him for said works. To whom, then, is the psalmist speaking? He is speaking to all of those who are in Christ Jesus, for if you are in Christ Jesus, you are Abraham’s seed (Galatians 3:29). 

What is interesting about the structure of this verse is that while they contain similar ideas, the first line speaks in the singular and the second is plural (in addition, this is quoted almost verbatim by Isaiah (Isaiah 41:8). Abraham is referred to as God’s servant twice in this psalm (also see verse 42), but it is also one of the designations that God gives to the early patriarch of the faith (Genesis 26:24). 

So, what is the significance of shifting from the singular to the plural? Abraham has a singular role in God’s redemptive history which should be noted and honored. In contrast, those who descend from Abraham (through Isaac and then Jacob) will multiply greatly. And indeed, we who descend from Abraham are referred to here as “chosen ones.” And yes, when this verse was translated into Greek by the early Jewish rabbis, they used the term ἐκλεκτός (eklektos) — “elect ones.” So often those who squirm under the language of the sovereignty of God, like to overlook language like this. Yet, this is the language of Scripture. Just as God elected to save and work through Abraham, to too, does God elect to save and work through all of His servants — all of His “Elect Ones.”