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Psalms 106

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Introduction: A Call to Praise and Prayer 1–5

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.

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 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.

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 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 Baalpeor, 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. ​

Compromise and Sin in Canaan 34–46

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.

Prayer for Deliverance and Doxology 47–48

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. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · 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.