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Psalms 106

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Introduction: A Call to Praise and Prayer 1–5

1
Praise ye Jehovah. Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever. ​
2
Who can utter the mighty acts of Jehovah, Or show forth all his praise?
3
Blessed are they that keep justice, And he that doeth righteousness at all times. ​
4
Remember me, O Jehovah, with the favor that thou bearest unto thy people; Oh visit me with thy salvation, ​
5
That I may see the prosperity of thy chosen, That I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, That I may glory with thine inheritance.

The Sins of the Fathers: The Red Sea 6–12

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 lovingkindnesses, But were rebellious 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 a 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 adversaries; There was not one of them left.
12
Then believed they his words; They sang his praise.

Rebellion and Idolatry in the Wilderness 13–33

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 Jehovah.
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 a molten image.
20
Thus they changed their glory For the likeness of an ox that eateth grass. ​
21
They forgat God their Saviour, Who 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 destroythem. ​
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 Jehovah.
26
Therefore he sware unto them, That he would overthrow them in the wilderness,
27
And that he would overthrow their seed among the nations, And 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 doings; 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 reckoned unto him for righteousness, Unto all generations for evermore.
32
They angered him also at the waters of Meribah, So that it went ill with Moses for their sakes;
33
Because they were rebellious against his spirit, And he spake unadvisedly with his lips. ​

Compromise and Sin in Canaan 34–46

34
They did not destroy the peoples, As Jehovah commanded them, ​
35
But mingled themselves with the nations, And learned their works,
36
And served their idols, Which became a snare unto them.
37
Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons, ​
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 works, And played the harlot in their doings.
40
Therefore was the wrath of Jehovah kindled against his people, And he abhorred his inheritance.
41
And he gave them into the hand of the nations; 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 were rebellious in their counsel, And were brought low in their iniquity.
44
Nevertheless he regarded their distress, When he heard their cry:
45
And he remembered for them his covenant, And repented according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. ​
46
He made them also to be pitied Of all those that carried them captive.

Prayer for Deliverance and Doxology 47–48

47
Save us, O Jehovah our God, And gather us from among the nations, To give thanks unto thy holy name, And to triumph in thy praise. ​
48
Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. And let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye Jehovah. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalms 106

Verse 1

Praise ye the LORD — Halal, to praise, with Yah, the short form of the divine name: the Hallelujah. The call 'for he is good' is taken up in 1 Chr 16:34 and Ps 136:1; 'mercy' is chesed, covenant kindness. The psalm closes with the same Hallelujah (v.48).

Verse 3

keep judgment — Mishpat, justice or ordinance, is 'kept' (shamar, guarded) and tsedaqah, righteousness, is done 'at all times'. 'Blessed' is esher, an exclamation of happiness. Ps 15:2 pairs 'worketh righteousness' with walking uprightly; Rev 22:14 blesses 'they that do his commandments'.

Verse 4

Remember me, O LORD — Zakar, to remember, here as favour toward a person; 'favour' is ratson, delight, and 'visit' is paqad, to attend to. 'Salvation' is yeshuah, deliverance. The dying thief's prayer is close: 'Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom' (Luke 23:42).

Verse 6

We have sinned with our fathers — The three verbs, chata (miss the mark), avah (make crooked) and rasha (be wicked), are the same confession as Dan 9:5, 'We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly'. 'With our fathers' joins this generation to the history that follows.

Verse 7

provoked him at the sea — Marah, to be bitter, to rebel. At the Red sea the people said to Moses, 'Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?' (Ex 14:11). 'Understood not' is sakal, to act with insight; the wonders were seen but not grasped.

Verse 8

for his name's sake — Shem, the name, his own character and renown, is the reason for rescue, not Israel's merit. Ezek 20:9 says the same of the Exodus: 'I wrought for my name's sake'. The 'mighty power' is gevurah, might, as in v.2; Ex 9:16 states the purpose.

Verse 13

They soon forgat his works — Mahar, to hurry, with shakach, to forget. The song of v.12 (Ex 15:21) is followed at once by murmuring: 'What shall we drink?' (Ex 15:24). 'Counsel' is etsah, his plan; Ps 78:11 has the same charge, 'forgat his works'.

Verse 15

sent leanness into their soul — Razon, thinness, wasting, with nephesh, the person. The request was for meat; the LORD 'brought quails from the sea' (Num 11:31), and the place was named Kibrothhattaavah, 'because there they buried the people that lusted' (Num 11:34). Ps 78:29 notes 'he gave them their own desire'.

Verse 20

changed their glory — Kavod, glory, weight, is the LORD himself, exchanged for the likeness of a grass-eating shor, ox, at Horeb (v.19). Jer 2:11 repeats the charge, 'my people have changed their glory'; Paul uses it in Rom 1:23, 'changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image'.

Verse 23

stood before him in the breach — Perets, a break in a wall, with Moses as the man who fills it. Ezek 22:30 uses the figure, 'stand in the gap before me for the land', and finds none. 'Chosen' is bachir, the word of v.5. The intercession is recorded in Ex 32:11–14.

Verse 28

Baalpeor — At Shittim 'Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor' (Num 25:3), after whoredom with the daughters of Moab (Num 25:1). 'Joined' is tsamad, to be yoked; Hosea looks back on it in Hos 9:10. The 'sacrifices of the dead' are offerings to lifeless idols (cf. 1 Cor 10:20).

Verse 30

executed judgment — Palal, to judge, also to intercede. Phinehas, 'the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest' (Num 25:11), thrust through the man and the woman, and 'the plague was stayed' (Num 25:8). The LORD gave him 'the covenant of an everlasting priesthood' (Num 25:13); v.31 counts it as righteousness.

Verse 33

spake unadvisedly — Bata, to speak rashly. The people 'provoked his spirit' (marah, as in v.7) and Moses said, 'Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?' (Num 20:10), then smote it twice (Num 20:11). Deut 1:37 gives the cost: 'angry with me for your sakes'.

Verse 34

They did not destroy the nations — Shamad, to destroy utterly. The command was explicit: 'thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them' (Deut 7:2). Judges 1:21 records one failure, the Jebusites left in Jerusalem; Judg 2:2 rebukes the leagues made.

Verse 37

unto devils — Shed, a demon. Moses said the same of Israel's early idolatry: 'They sacrificed unto devils, not to God' (Deut 32:17), and Paul of the Gentiles in 1 Cor 10:20. Children were burned at Tophet (Jer 7:31); v.38 calls it 'innocent blood'.

Verse 45

remembered for them his covenant — Zakar, the verb of the plea in v.4. 'Repented' is nacham, to be moved to compassion, as when 'the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people' (Ex 32:14). 'Mercies' is chesed, the word of v.1; the ground is his covenant (Ps 105:8).

Verse 47

gather us from among the heathen — Qavats, to gather, the dispersed brought together. This verse and v.48 are echoed in 1 Chr 16:35–36, 'Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together'. Ezek 36:24 gives the promise: 'I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries'.

Verse 48

from everlasting to everlasting — The doxology matches Ps 41:13, which closes Book I, and closes Book IV here. Amen means sure, truly. The people's answer is recorded in 1 Chr 16:36, 'And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD'; the psalm ends as it began, with Hallelujah.