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Psalms 106

1

Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

2

Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praise?

3

Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.

4

Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;

5

That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.

6

We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

7

Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.

8

Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.

9

He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

10

And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

11

And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.

12

Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.

13

They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:

14

But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.

15

And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

16

They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the Lord.

17

The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.

18

And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.

19

They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.

20

Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.

21

They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;

22

Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.

23

Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.

24

Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:

25

But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord.

26

Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:

27

To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.

28

They joined themselves also unto Baal–peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.

29

Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.

30

Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.

31

And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.

32

They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:

33

Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.

34

They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the Lord commanded them:

35

But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.

36

And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.

37

Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,

38

And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.

39

Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.

40

Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.

41

And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.

42

Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.

43

Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.

44

Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:

45

And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.

46

He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.

47

Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.

48

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord.

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Psalms 106

Psalm 106 is a communal confession acknowledging Israel's repeated unfaithfulness while affirming God's persistent redemptive love, exemplifying the theological concerns of Book 4. The psalmist employs vivid imagery and direct address to God, establishing the intimate dialogue between worshiper and the divine that characterizes the psalmic tradition. The theological assertions center on God's character as both judge and redeemer, creating a comprehensive vision of divine justice and mercy integrated with human experience. The psalm reflects on both personal circumstance and communal identity, suggesting that individual faith finds validation through shared experience with the covenant community. The liturgical context indicates this psalm's function in worship where personal piety integrates with communal celebration of God's acts and attributes. The concluding movement typically affirms confidence in God's faithfulness, exemplifying the psalmic pattern of transformation through prayer and remembrance of divine acts throughout history.

Psalms 106:1

Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. This opening mirrors Psalm 105:1-2 but shifts theological emphasis from God's mighty acts to his intrinsic goodness and covenant love. The declaration that God's 'steadfast love endures forever' establishes the foundation for the confession that follows: God's commitment persists despite human failure. This verse sets up a stark contrast between God's unchanging fidelity and Israel's repeated unfaithfulness, the tension animating the entire psalm.

Psalms 106:2

Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or show forth all his praise? The rhetorical question opens space for human inadequacy before divine glory, suggesting that no human voice can fully capture God's greatness. The pairing of 'mighty deeds' and 'praise' connects God's actions with the appropriate response they elicit. This verse establishes humility about human capacity to express divine majesty, preparing for the community confession that follows.

Psalms 106:3

Blessed are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times. The beatitude shifts focus from God's deeds to human responsibility, establishing that blessing accrues to those who embody covenant obedience. The parallelism between 'observe justice' and 'do righteousness' emphasizes the comprehensiveness of ethical demand. The phrase 'at all times' removes any loophole or exception, suggesting that covenant obedience is unconditional and continuous.

Psalms 106:4

Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you deliver them.

Psalms 106:5

That I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, and rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your heritage.

Psalms 106:6

We have sinned, and done iniquity; we have committed wickedness. The shift from 'I' to 'we' marks the transition to corporate confession, as the psalmist assumes the voice of the entire community. The three verbs—'sinned,' 'done iniquity,' 'committed wickedness'—intensify the acknowledgment of communal guilt. The present-tense confession ('we have') takes ownership of past unfaithfulness, establishing solidarity with all Israel across time.

Psalms 106:7

Our fathers made light of thy wonderful works in Egypt; they did not remember the abundance of thy steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, even at the Red Sea.

Psalms 106:8

Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power. Despite rebellion, God continues to save, motivated not by Israel's worthiness but by God's own 'name' and 'mighty power.' The phrase 'for his name's sake' suggests that God acts to preserve his own reputation and purposes. This verse establishes the theological pattern whereby human unfaithfulness cannot nullify divine commitment, and God's gracious action accomplishes divine purposes despite human rejection.

Psalms 106:9

He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; and he led them through the depths as through a desert.

Psalms 106:10

So he saved them from the hand of the foe, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

Psalms 106:11

And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. The destruction of Egyptian forces in the Red Sea provides visible vindication of God's power and commitment to Israel. The completeness ('not one left') emphasizes God's thoroughness in dealing with threats. This verse represents the moment of God's overwhelming triumph, after which Israel's rebellion appears all the more ungrateful.

Psalms 106:12

Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. The moment of faith follows deliverance: belief and praise become the appropriate response to God's saving acts. The sequence—deliverance, then belief—suggests that faith arises from experience of God's power. Yet the following verses reveal this faith to be shallow and short-lived, setting up the psalm's litany of repeated unfaithfulness.

Psalms 106:13

But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.

Psalms 106:14

But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert.

Psalms 106:15

And he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting sickness among them.

Psalms 106:16

When they became jealous of Moses in the camp, and of Aaron, the holy one of the LORD, the earth opened and swallowed Korah and his company.

Psalms 106:17

And fire broke out in their congregation; the flame consumed the wicked. The fire consuming rebels (also part of the Korah narrative, Numbers 16:35) becomes another mode of judgment. The conjunction of earth-opening and fire creates multiple, simultaneous judgments, emphasizing divine determination to eliminate rebellion. This verse demonstrates that God's response to covenant-breaking escalates in intensity.

Psalms 106:18

They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a molten image. The golden calf incident (Exodus 32) represents perhaps Israel's most egregious early rebellion, constituting idolatry at the very moment Moses receives the law on Sinai. The act occurs at 'Horeb,' the location of covenant-making, suggesting rebellion at the heart of covenantal relationship. This verse portrays Israel's fundamental violation: replacing the invisible God with a tangible idol.

Psalms 106:19

They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. The 'exchange' language emphasizes the cosmic absurdity of the trade: Israel swaps the transcendent 'glory of God' for a mere animal image. The description of the ox as eating grass reduces the idol to animal substance, emphasizing its utter inadequacy as a representation of divinity. This verse highlights the irrationality of idolatry.

Psalms 106:20

They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, unheard-of wonders in the land of Ham.

Psalms 106:21

Deeds of wonder in the land of Ham, awesome acts by the Red Sea. The reiteration of Egypt's miracles and the Red Sea crossing emphasizes that these experiences ought to have created permanent faith. The adjectives 'awesome' describe the character of God's acts, suggesting that their very nature ought to compel allegiance. Repetition itself becomes a rhetorical strategy, hammering home the tragedy of Israel's forgetting.

Psalms 106:22

So he said he would destroy them—had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them.

Psalms 106:23

Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise. Despite covenant confirmation and Moses' intercession, Israel proves faithless regarding the land promise ('no faith in his promise'). The description of Canaan as 'pleasant land' suggests its objective desirability, making Israel's rejection irrational. This verse connects earlier rebellions to the failure to enter the land (the refusal incident of Numbers 13-14).

Psalms 106:24

They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the LORD. Murmuring and disobedience become Israel's characteristic failures, arising from tent-dwelling communities lacking centralized authority. The 'voice of the LORD' (presumably through Moses and God's revealed word) represents the channel of covenant instruction, which Israel refuses. This verse portrays rebellion as rooted in a refusal to listen to God's authoritative word.

Psalms 106:25

Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness, and would disperse their offspring among the nations, and scatter them over the lands.

Psalms 106:26

Moreover, they attached themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead. Israel's idolatry continues after the golden calf, now through attachment to 'Baal of Peor' (a fertility deity, Numbers 25). The eating of 'sacrifices offered to the dead' involves participation in pagan religious meals, further compromising covenant distinction. This verse portrays idolatry as an ongoing problem, not a single incident.

Psalms 106:27

And provoked the LORD to anger by their deeds, so that a plague broke out among them.

Psalms 106:28

Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stopped.

Psalms 106:29

And that has been reckoned to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever.

Psalms 106:30

They angered him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account.

Psalms 106:31

For they rebelled against his Spirit, and he spoke rashly with his lips.

Psalms 106:32

They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them, but mingled with the nations and learned their works.

Psalms 106:33

And they served their idols, which became a snare to them. Idolatry becomes 'a snare,' a trap that ensnares Israel in perpetual unfaithfulness. The language of snare suggests both danger and entrapment, implying that idolatry is self-destructive and difficult to escape once embraced. This verse emphasizes idolatry as a trap that undermines freedom and covenant relationship.

Psalms 106:34

They sacrificed their sons and daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood.

Psalms 106:35

Thus they became unclean by their acts, and prostituted themselves in their doings. Uncleanness—ritual and moral—results from covenant violation, particularly through idolatry and child sacrifice. The term 'prostituted themselves' suggests unfaithfulness to the exclusive relationship with God, using language of sexual betrayal. This verse emphasizes that covenant-breaking is experienced as defiling and violating the covenant relationship itself.

Psalms 106:36

Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his own heritage. God's wrath becomes active ('kindled') and intensely personal: he 'abhorred his own heritage,' finding his covenant people repugnant. The emotional language ('abhor') suggests that God's response is not merely judicial but involves a personal sense of betrayal. This verse portrays covenant-breaking as evoking profound divine revulsion.

Psalms 106:37

He gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them. Defeat and subjugation become the punishment: those hostile to Israel gain dominion. The loss of independence and self-determination represents the consequence of covenant-breaking. This verse portrays foreign domination as a tool of divine judgment.

Psalms 106:38

Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand. The oppression and subjection emphasize Israel's loss of freedom and agency, now under foreign rule. The repetition of enemy domination (verses 37-38) stresses that subjugation is comprehensive and enduring. This verse indicates that the consequences of covenant-breaking extend across generations.

Psalms 106:39

Many times he delivered them, but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low by their iniquity. This verse introduces a cyclical pattern: deliverance followed by renewed rebellion and renewed judgment. God's repeated rescues ('many times') demonstrate persistent faithfulness even as Israel persists in provoking. The phrase 'brought low by their iniquity' suggests that Israel's own wickedness becomes their undoing.

Psalms 106:40

Nevertheless, he regarded their distress, when he heard their cry. Despite repeated cycles of rebellion and judgment, God remains responsive to Israel's distress and petition. The verb 'regarded' suggests sympathetic attention, as God hears and attends to his people's desperate cry. This verse indicates that God's compassion persists even after repeated covenant-breaking.

Psalms 106:41

For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.

Psalms 106:42

He also made them to be pitied by all those who held them captive.

Psalms 106:43

Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.

Psalms 106:44

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting; and let all the people say, 'Amen.' Praise the LORD!

Psalms 106:45

The psalmist's affirmation that God remembered His covenant and was moved by compassion establishes that divine faithfulness persists even when the covenant community has utterly failed to maintain its side of the agreement, revealing the fundamental asymmetry of grace at the heart of covenantal relationship. This verse suggests that God's fidelity does not depend on human performance but emerges from God's internal character and commitment, establishing that mercy continually reaches toward the wayward people despite their repeated rebellion and unfaithfulness. The reference to God's remembrance establishes that covenant faithfulness involves active recall and conscious commitment to restore relationship, indicating that divine compassion responds to human need rather than waiting passively for human repentance to be complete. By emphasizing God's moved compassion, the psalmist articulates the deepest mystery of grace: that God's heart perpetually turns toward the unfaithful, continually offering reconciliation and restoration despite accumulating evidence of human incapacity for sustained obedience.

Psalms 106:46

The psalmist's affirmation that God caused the captors to show compassion establishes divine power extending even into the hearts of enemies, transforming their disposition toward the captive people and redirecting their intentions from destruction toward restoration. This verse suggests a theology where God's omnipotence encompasses not merely cosmic forces but also human hearts, establishing that even the most hostile adversaries cannot ultimately resist God's will to show mercy toward His covenanted people. The reference to compassion shown by captors establishes that divine power works not through overwhelming force but through transformation of the will, moving enemies toward mercy and enabling their release of the captive community. By attributing the captors' compassion directly to God's action, the psalmist establishes that apparent natural explanations for deliverance ultimately trace back to divine orchestration, making all rescue and restoration testimony to God's comprehensive sovereignty.

Psalms 106:47

The psalmist's invocation calling God to save the people and gather them from the nations establishes both a present petition and an eschatological hope for comprehensive restoration and reunion of the scattered covenant community. This verse suggests that exile has fractured the people of God, dispersing them among foreign nations and separating them from their land and their sanctuary, requiring divine gathering to restore the broken community to wholeness and shared identity. The call to save and gather establishes that deliverance requires not merely individual rescue from particular dangers but comprehensive restoration of communal identity and territorial possession, addressing the total dimension of exile's damage. By invoking this comprehensive restoration, the psalmist establishes that faith sustains hope not merely for individual survival but for the reconstitution of the people of God as a unified, gathered community capable of offering praise to God with full voice and reestablished religious life.

Psalms 106:48

This concluding verse of the psalm transitions from petition to doxology, blessing God as the source of all salvation and inviting all creation to respond with perpetual affirmation of divine worthiness for praise. The declaration that God is blessed from everlasting to everlasting establishes eternal affirmation of divine excellence transcending particular historical moments or specific acts of deliverance, suggesting that God's fundamental worth remains constant whether or not the faithful perceive His intervention in their circumstances. The call for all people to affirm this blessing transforms doxology from the private expression of one community into the universal response of all creation, establishing the eschatological vision where all peoples ultimately acknowledge God's sovereignty and offer Him honor. By concluding the long recital of covenant history with this universal doxology, the psalmist establishes that the accumulated testimony of God's faithfulness across generations should move all witnesses toward perpetual and comprehensive praise of the God whose covenant mercies endure forever.