Do no harm to My prophets!
Prophets in the Old Testament were God's spokespersons, delivering His messages to the people. They often faced opposition and persecution due to the challenging nature of their messages, which called for repentance and warned of judgment. This command underscores the sacredness of their role and the divine mandate to respect and heed their words. Prophets like Elijah, Jeremiah, and Isaiah were pivotal in guiding Israel and Judah, often at great personal risk. The protection of prophets is a recurring theme, as seen in the accounts of Elijah being fed by ravens (1 Kings 17:4) and Elisha being protected from the Aramean army (2 Kings 6:17). This phrase also foreshadows the ultimate Prophet, Jesus Christ, who was rejected and crucified, yet fulfilled the prophetic office perfectly (Deuteronomy 18:15, Acts 3:22-23).

“Do not touch My anointed ones!” (Psalm 105:15)

• The Lord issues an unmistakable command: hands off what belongs to Him. In Genesis 12:17–20 the Pharaoh discovered this the hard way when plagues stopped him from keeping Sarah; God personally intervened to guard His promise to Abraham.

• This same warning reappears almost word-for-word in 1 Chronicles 16:22, underscoring that He means what He says—yesterday, today, and always.

• David lived out the principle when he refused to “stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed” (1 Samuel 24:6). By staying his sword, David showed both trust in God’s timing and fear of violating this protective boundary.

• “Touch” covers every form of mistreatment—from subtle slander to outright violence. God’s people can take heart: hostile cultures, powerful rulers, or spiritual forces cannot lay a finger on us outside His sovereign allowance (John 10:28; Romans 8:31).

An “anointed one” is someone God singles out for a special task and marks with His favor.

• In Psalm 105 the primary referents are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (vv. 8-15). Though they were nomads among hostile nations, God treated them as royalty under His personal guard.

• Later, kings such as David carried the same designation (2 Samuel 22:51; Psalm 2:2). Harming them meant challenging the God who placed them on the throne.

• Under the new covenant, every believer is “anointed … in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 1 John 2:20). While the verse speaks historically, it also shows how deeply God values all who belong to Him today.

“Do no harm” broadens the prohibition from contact to consequence.

• Pharaoh’s armies, Philistine raiders, and Canaanite kings all discovered that intimidation or assault against God’s people provokes divine retaliation (Exodus 15:14-16; Joshua 10:11).

• Elijah called down fire on men who came to seize him (2 Kings 1:10-12). The Lord’s justice may appear in dramatic fashion or through quiet providence, but He never ignores offenses against His own.

• For us, the command is two-sided:

– Never join in gossip, ridicule, or aggression toward God’s servants (James 4:11).

– Rest in God’s pledge that injuries He forbids, He will also avenge (Romans 12:19).

Prophets speak God’s words, making them targets for hostility.

• Abraham was called a prophet in Genesis 20:7, fitting Psalm 105’s recounting of his life. Harming him meant silencing God’s voice.

• Israel later “mocked the messengers of God, despised His words” until “there was no remedy” (2 Chronicles 36:16). Judgment followed because the people crossed the line God had drawn.

• Jesus lamented, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her” (Matthew 23:37). He showed that the principle reaches its climax in Himself—the ultimate Prophet—and carries over to those He now sends (John 20:21).

• Therefore, honoring today’s faithful teachers, pastors, and missionaries is not optional; it is obedience to the God who still speaks through them (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13).

Psalm 105:15 is God’s protective decree over those He chooses to represent Him. He bars every form of assault, pledges personal defense, and warns that mistreating His people equals challenging Him. As heirs of His promises, we respect His servants, refuse to cooperate with harm or slander, and rest confident that the Sovereign Lord guards His anointed and vindicates His prophets.

As to the term "prophet," the poet found it expressly conferred on Abraham in Genesis 20:7.