TRV
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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 106:13–33. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
This is an abridgment of the history of Israel's provocations in the wilderness, and of the wrath of God against them for those provocations: and this abridgment is abridged by the apostle, with application to us Christians (Co1 10:5, etc.); for these things were written for our admonition, that we sin not like them, lest we suffer like them.
I.The cause of their sin was disregard to the works and word of God, Psa 106:13.
1.They minded not what he had done for them: They soon forgot his works, and lost the impressions they had made upon them. Those that do not improve God's mercies to them, nor endeavour in some measure to render according to the benefit done unto them, do indeed forget them. This people soon forgot them (God took notice of this, Exo 32:8, They have turned aside quickly): They made haste, they forgot his works (so it is in the margin), which some make to be two separate instances of their sin. They made haste; their expectations anticipated God's promises; they expected to be in Canaan shortly, and because they were not they questioned whether they should ever be there and quarrelled with all the difficulties they met with in their way; whereas he that believeth does not make haste, Isa 28:16. And, withal, they forgot his works, which were the undeniable evidences of his wisdom, power, and goodness, and denied the conclusion as confidently as if they had never seen the premises proved. This is mentioned again (Psa 106:21, Psa 106:22): They forgot God their Saviour; that is, they forgot that he had been their Saviour. Those that forget the works of God forget God himself, who makes himself known by his works. They forgot what was done but a few days before, which we may suppose they could not but talk of, even then, when, because they did not make a good use of it, they are said to forget it: it was what God did for them in Egypt, in the land of Ham, and by the Red Sea, things which we at this distance cannot, or should not, be unmindful of. They are called great things (for, though the great God does nothing mean, yet he does some things that are in a special manner great), wondrous works, out of the common road of Providence, therefore observable, therefore memorable, and terrible things, awful to them, and dreadful to their enemies, and yet soon forgotten. Even miracles that were seen passed away with them as tales that are told.
2.They minded not what God had said to them nor would they depend upon it: They waited not for his counsel, did not attend his word, though they had Moses to be his mouth to them; they took up resolves about which they did not consult him and made demands without calling upon him. They would be in Canaan directly, and had not patience to tarry God's time. The delay was intolerable, and therefore the difficulties were looked upon as insuperable. This is explained (Psa 106:24): They believed not his word, his promise that he would make them masters of Canaan; and (Psa 106:25), They hearkened not to the voice of the Lord, who gave them counsel which they would not wait for, not only by Moses and Aaron, but by Caleb and Joshua, Num 14:6, Num 14:7, etc. Those that will not wait for God's counsel shall justly be given up to their own hearts' lusts, to walk in their own counsels.
II.Many of their sins are here mentioned, together with the tokens of God's displeasure which they fell under for those sins.
1.They would have flesh, and yet would not believe that God could give it to them (Psa 106:14): They lusted a lust (so the word is) in the wilderness; there, where they had bread enough and to spare, yet nothing would serve them but they must have flesh to eat. They were now purely at God's finding, being supported entirely by miracles, so that this was a reflection upon the wisdom and goodness of their Creator. They were also, in all probability, within a step of Canaan, yet had not patience to stay for dainties till they came thither. They had flocks and herds of their own, but they will not kill them; God must give them flesh as he gave them bread, or they will never give him credit, or their good word. They did not only wish for flesh, but they lusted exceedingly after it. A desire, even of lawful things, when it is inordinate and violent, becomes sinful; and therefore this is called lusting after evil things (Co1 10:6), though the quails, as God's gift, were good things, and were so spoken of, Psa 105:40. Yet this was not all: They tempted God in the desert, where they had had such experience of his goodness and power, and questioned whether he could and would gratify them herein. See Psa 78:19, Psa 78:20. Now how did God show his displeasure against them for this. We are told how (Psa 106:15): He gave them their request, but gave it them in anger, and with a curse, for he sent leanness into their soul; he filled them with uneasiness of mind, and terror of conscience, and a self-reproach, occasioned by their bodies being sick with the surfeit, such as sometimes drunkards experience after a great debauch. Or this is put for that great plague with which the Lord smote them, while the flesh was yet between their teeth, as we read, Num 11:33. It was the consumption of the life. Note,
(1.)What is asked in passion is often given in wrath.
(2.)Many that fare deliciously every day, and whose bodies are healthful and fat, have, at the same time, leanness in their souls, no love to God, no thankfulness, no appetite to the bread of life, and then the soul must needs be lean. Those wretchedly forget themselves that feast their bodies and starve their souls. Then God gives the good things of this life in love, when with them he gives grace to glorify him in the use of them; for then the soul delights itself in fatness, Isa 55:2.
2.They quarrelled with the government which God had set over them both in church and state (Psa 106:16): They envied Moses his authority in the camp, as generalissimo of the armies of Israel and chief justice in all their courts; they envied Aaron his power, as saint of the Lord, consecrated to the office of high priest, and Korah would needs put in for the pontificate, while Dathan and Abiram, as princes of the tribe of Reuben, Jacob's eldest son, would claim to be chief magistrates, by the so-much-admired right of primogeniture. Note, Those are preparing ruin for themselves who envy those whom God has put honour upon and usurp the dignities they were never designed for. And justly will contempt be poured upon those who put contempt upon any of the saints of the Lord. How did God show his displeasure for this? We are told how, and it is enough to make us tremble (Psa 106:17, Psa 106:18); we have the story, Num 16:32, Num 16:35.
(1.)Those that flew in the face of the civil authority were punished by the earth, which opened and swallowed them up, as not fit to go upon God's ground, because they would not submit to God's government.
(2.)Those that would usurp the ecclesiastical authority in things pertaining to God suffered the vengeance of heaven, for fire came out from the Lord and consumed them, and the pretending sacrificers were themselves sacrificed to divine justice. The flame burnt up the wicked; for though they vied with Aaron, the saint of the Lord, for holiness (Num 16:3, Num 16:5), yet God adjudged them wicked, and as such cut them off, as in due time he will destroy the man of sin, that wicked one, notwithstanding his proud pretensions to holiness.
3.They made and worshipped the golden calf, and this in Horeb, where the law was given, and where God had expressly said, Thou shalt neither make any graven image nor bow down to it; they did both: They made a calf and worshipped it, Psa 106:19.
(1.)Herein they bade defiance to, and put an affront upon, the two great lights which God has made to rule the moral world: - [1.] That of human reason; for they changed their glory, their God, at least the manifestation of him, which always had been in a cloud (either a dark cloud or a bright one), without any manner of visible similitude, into the similitude of Apis, one of the Egyptian idols, an ox that eateth grass, than which nothing could be more grossly and scandalously absurd, Psa 106:20. Idolaters are perfectly besotted, and put the greatest disparagement possible both upon God, in representing him by the image of a beast, and upon themselves, in worshipping it when they have so done. That which is here said to be the changing of their glory is explained by St. Paul (Rom 1:23) to be the changing of the glory of the incorruptible God. [2.] That of divine revelation, which was afforded to them, not only in the words God spoke to them, but in the works he wrought for them, wondrous works, which declared aloud that the Lord Jehovah is the only true and living God and is alone to be worshipped, Psa 106:21, Psa 106:22.
(2.)For this God showed his displeasure by declaring the decree that he would cut them off from being a people, as they had, as far as lay in their power, in effect cut him off from being a God; he spoke of destroying them (Psa 106:23), and certainly he would have done it if Moses, his chosen, had not stood before him in the breach (Psa 106:23), if he had not seasonably interposed to deal with God as an advocate about the breach or ruin God was about to devote them to and wonderfully prevailed to turn away his wrath. See here the mercy of God, and how easily his anger is turned away, even from a provoking people. See the power of prayer, and the interest which God's chosen have in heaven. See a type of Christ, God's chosen, his elect, in whom his soul delights, who stood before him in the breach to turn away his wrath from a provoking world, and ever lives, for this end, making intercession.
4.They gave credit to the report of the evil spies concerning the land of Canaan, in contradiction to the promise of God (Psa 106:24): They despised the pleasant land. Canaan was a pleasant land, Deu 8:7. They undervalued it when they thought it not worth venturing for, no, not under the guidance of God himself, and therefore were for making a captain and returning to Egypt again. They believed not God's word concerning it, but murmured in their tents, basely charging God with a design upon them in bringing them thither that they might become a prey to the Canaanites, Num 14:2, Num 14:3. And, when they were reminded of God's power and promise, they were so far from hearkening to that voice of the Lord that they attempted to stone those who spoke to them, Num 14:10. The heavenly Canaan is a pleasant land. A promise is left us of entering into it; but there are many that despise it, that neglect and refuse the offer of it, that prefer the wealth and pleasure of this world before it, and grudge the pains and hazards of this life to obtain that. This also was so displeasing to God that he lifted up his hand against them, in a way of threatening, to destroy them in the wilderness; nay, in a way of swearing, for he swore in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest (Psa 95:11; Num 14:28); nay, and he threatened that their children also should be overthrown and scattered (Psa 106:26, Psa 106:27), and the whole nation dispersed and disinherited; but Moses prevailed for mercy for their seed, that they might enter Canaan. Note, Those who despise God's favours, and particularly the pleasant land, forfeit his favours, and will be shut out for ever from the pleasant land.
5.They were guilty of a great sin in the matter of Peor; and this was the sin of the new generation, when they were within a step of Canaan (Psa 106:28): They joined themselves to Baal-peor, and so were entangled both in idolatry and in adultery, in corporeal and in spiritual whoredom, Num 25:1-3. Those that did often partake of the altar of the living God now ate the sacrifices of the dead, of the idols of Moab (that were dead images, or dead men canonized or deified), or sacrifices to the infernal deities on the behalf of their dead friends. Thus they provoked God to anger with their inventions (Psa 106:29), in contempt of him and his institutions, his commands, and his threatenings. The iniquity of Peor was so great that, long after, it is said, They were not cleansed from it, Jos 22:17. God testified his displeasure at this,
(1.)By sending a plague among them, which in a little time swept away 24,000 of those impudent sinners.
(2.)By stirring up Phinehas to use his power as a magistrate for the suppressing of the sin and checking the contagion of it. He stood up in his zeal for the Lord of hosts, and executed judgment upon Zimri and Cozbi, sinners of the first rank, genteel sinners; he put the law in execution upon them, and this was a service so pleasing to God that upon it the plague was stayed, Psa 106:30. By this, and some other similar acts of public justice on that occasion (Num 25:4, Num 25:5), the guilt ceased to be national, and the general controversy was let fall. When the proper officers did their duty God left it to them, and did not any longer keep the work in his own hands by the plague. Note, National justice prevents national judgments. But, Phinehas herein signalizing himself, a special mark of honour was put upon him, for what he did was counted to him for righteousness to all generations (Psa 106:31), and, in recompence of it, the priesthood was entailed on his family. He shall make an atonement by offering up the sacrifices, who had so bravely made an atonement (so some read it, Psa 106:30) by offering up the sinners. Note, It is the honour of saints to be zealous against sin.
6.They continued their murmurings to the very last of their wanderings; for in the fortieth year they angered God at the waters of strife (Psa 106:32), which refers to that story, Num 20:3-5. And that which aggravated it now was that it went ill with Moses for their sakes; for, though he was the meekest of all the men in the earth, yet their clamours at that time were so peevish and provoking that they put him into a passion, and, having now grown very old and off his guard, he spoke unadvisedly with his lips (Psa 106:33), and not as became him on that occasion; for he said in a heat, Hear now, you rebels, must we fetch water out of this rock for you? This was Moses's infirmity, and is written for our admonition, that we may learn, when we are in the midst of provocation, to keep our mouth as with a bridle (Psa 39:1-3), and to take heed to our spirits, that they admit not resentments too much; for, when the spirit is provoked, it is much ado, even for those that have a great deal of wisdom and grace, not to speak unadvisedly. But it is charged upon the people as their sin: They provoked his spirit with that with which they angered God himself. Note, We must answer not only for our own passions, but for the provocation which by them we give to the passions of others, especially of those who, if not greatly provoked, would be meek and quiet. God shows his displeasure against this sin of theirs by shutting Moses and Aaron out of Canaan for their misconduct upon this occasion, by which,
(1.)God discovered his resentment of all such intemperate heats, even in the dearest of his servants. If he deals thus severely with Moses for one unadvised word, what does their sin deserve who have spoken so many presumptuous wicked words? If this was done in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry?
(2.)God deprived them of the blessing of Moses's guidance and government at a time when they most needed it, so that his death was more a punishment to them than to himself. It is just with God to remove those relations from us that are blessings to us, when we are peevish and provoking to them and grieve their spirits.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
"And the fire was kindled in their company; the flame burnt up the sinners" [Psalm 106:18]. This word is not in Scripture usually applied to those, who, although they live righteously, and in a praiseworthy manner, are not without sin. Rather, as there is a difference between those who scorn and scorners, between men who murmur and murmurers, between men who are writing and writers, and so forth; so Scripture is wont to signify by sinners such as are very wicked, and laden with heavy loads of sins.
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Summary
Psalms 106:18 vividly portrays a divine act of swift and decisive judgment, where a consuming fire was supernaturally unleashed upon a rebellious faction within the Israelite community during their wilderness journey. This verse serves as a profound and sobering reminder of the severe and immediate consequences that accompany open defiance against God's established authority and His chosen leadership, underscoring the absolute holiness, unyielding justice, and formidable power of the Almighty in dealing with sin and insubordination.
Context
Literary Context
Psalm 106 is a confessional and historical psalm, forming part of a larger collection (Psalms 105-107) that systematically recounts Israel's tumultuous history of rebellion against God, juxtaposed with His enduring faithfulness and steadfast mercy. This particular verse is embedded within a section (verses 16-18) that specifically recalls the infamous rebellion of Dathan and Abiram, along with their co-conspirators, against the divinely appointed leadership of Moses and Aaron during the wilderness wanderings. The psalm's narrative frequently highlights Israel's repeated cycles of sin, God's righteous wrath, and His subsequent compassion, making the judgment described in Psalms 106:18 a stark example of divine retribution provoked by severe and direct disobedience. This verse immediately follows the psalmist's description of the rebels' envy and their audacious challenge to Moses and Aaron's leadership in Psalms 106:16, setting the immediate stage for the dramatic and divinely orchestrated consequence of their actions.
Historical & Cultural Context
The events recounted in Psalms 106:18 are directly drawn from the detailed narrative found in Numbers 16. Dathan and Abiram, from the tribe of Reuben, along with Korah, a Levite, and 250 prominent leaders of the congregation, mounted a significant challenge to Moses's and Aaron's divinely ordained roles. Their rebellion was not merely a political dispute over leadership but a profound theological assault on the unique, sacred priestly office established by God for Aaron and his descendants. The act of offering incense, which was strictly reserved for the Levitical priesthood, constituted a sacrilegious usurpation of divine authority and a direct affront to God's holiness. This grave act of insubordination prompted God's immediate and fiery judgment upon the 250 men who offered the unauthorized incense, as explicitly recorded in Numbers 16:35, while the earth swallowed Dathan and Abiram and their households (Numbers 16:31-33).
Key Themes
This verse powerfully illustrates several core theological themes woven throughout the Psalms and the Pentateuch. It prominently highlights the theme of Divine Judgment, demonstrating God's swift, precise, and decisive action against those who directly oppose His sovereign will and His chosen representatives. It profoundly underscores the Consequences of Disobedience, particularly the dangers inherent in pride, envy, and challenging legitimate, divinely ordained authority. The narrative emphasizes that open rebellion against God's established order incurs severe and often immediate repercussions, as vividly seen in Numbers 16:31-35. Furthermore, the consuming fire vividly symbolizes God's Absolute Holiness and Unwavering Justice, portraying Him as utterly righteous, pure, and unyielding in His demand for reverence, obedience, and adherence to His sacred decrees, a truth powerfully echoed in Deuteronomy 4:24 and Hebrews 12:29.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
The Hebrew word אֵשׁ (ʼêsh) for "fire" is a foundational and potent term in the Old Testament, carrying diverse theological implications. While it can signify God's manifest presence (e.g., the burning bush in Exodus 3:2), purification, or divine illumination, in the context of Psalms 106:18, it unequivocally denotes divine judgment and wrath. It is a tangible, supernatural manifestation of God's holy indignation against sin, consuming and obliterating that which directly opposes His righteous nature and established order. Here, it is not merely a natural phenomenon but a direct, punitive act of God's justice.
The term עֵדָה (ʻêdâh), translated as "company," "assembly," or "congregation," refers to a stated assemblage or a concourse of people. In the specific context of Numbers 16 and Psalms 106:18, it precisely designates the assembly of the 250 men who joined Korah, Dathan, and Abiram in their rebellion and audaciously offered unauthorized incense. This word emphasizes that the judgment was not indiscriminate but precisely targeted at a specific, identifiable group of individuals who collectively participated in the egregious act of defiance against God's ordained authority.
The Hebrew term רָשָׁע (râshâʻ), used here in its plural form (râshâʻîm), describes those who are morally wrong, guilty, ungodly, or actively rebellious against God's established law and order. It signifies a profound moral and spiritual state of being in direct opposition to God's will and righteous character. By explicitly labeling those consumed by the fire as "the wicked," the psalmist powerfully underscores their profound moral culpability and the inherent justness of the divine retribution that befell them. Their actions were not merely mistaken but fundamentally evil and rebellious in God's holy sight.
Verse Breakdown
"And a fire was kindled in their company;"
This clause describes the immediate, supernatural, and divinely initiated onset of judgment. The passive voice "was kindled" (from H1197, bâʻar, to kindle) strongly implies a divine agent, clearly God Himself, as the source and initiator of this consuming fire. The phrase "in their company" (H5712, ʻêdâh) precisely specifies the target of this judgment: the particular group of rebels who had gathered to challenge Moses and Aaron, specifically the 250 men who presumed to offer incense. This highlights the precise, intentional, and targeted nature of God's wrath against those who directly defied His established order and sacred authority.
"the flame burned up the wicked."
This second clause details the devastating and conclusive outcome of the divine fire. The term "flame" (H3852, lehâbâh) is an intensified and active manifestation of the fire, emphasizing its consuming power and destructive force. The verb "burned up" (H3857, lâhaṭ, to blaze, burn up) signifies complete annihilation and destruction, leaving no doubt about the finality and totality of the judgment. The object of this consumption, "the wicked" (H7563, râshâʻ), explicitly identifies the moral character of those upon whom the judgment fell, unequivocally reinforcing that this was a righteous act of justice against individuals who had acted in profound and unrepentant rebellion against the Almighty.
Literary Devices
Psalms 106:18 employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound message of divine judgment. Symbolism is paramount, with "fire" serving as a multifaceted symbol not only of divine presence and purification but, most prominently here, of God's holy wrath and righteous judgment. This consuming fire is not merely a natural element but a direct, supernatural manifestation of God's indignation against sin and rebellion, demonstrating His absolute intolerance for unholiness. The succinctness of the verse, describing such a dramatic and devastating event with remarkable brevity, contributes significantly to its Dramatic Impact, making the judgment feel immediate, absolute, and unavoidable. Furthermore, the psalmist's explicit choice of "the wicked" provides a clear Moral Categorization, leaving no ambiguity about the culpability and moral state of those who faced this severe divine retribution, thus reinforcing the justice of God's action.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalms 106:18 stands as a powerful and enduring testament to the unchanging nature of God's holiness and justice. While His mercy endures forever, His character also demands that sin, particularly open rebellion against His divine authority and sacred order, be met with righteous judgment. This specific event in Israel's history serves as a perpetual and solemn warning that the Living God is not to be trifled with, and that His standards of righteousness and reverence are absolute and unyielding. The "fire" described here is a prefigurement of God's ultimate and final judgment against all unrighteousness, demonstrating His unwavering commitment to upholding His covenant, His divine decrees, and the sacred order He has established. It serves as an eternal reminder that while God is boundless love, He is also a consuming fire, and His justice is an intrinsic and non-negotiable aspect of His very being, demanding both awe and obedience from His creation.
Reflection and Application
Psalms 106:18, though rooted in a specific historical judgment, carries profound and timeless relevance for believers today. It calls us to cultivate a deep and abiding reverence for God's absolute holiness and to maintain a sober understanding of the gravity of sin, particularly forms of rebellion against divinely appointed authority, whether within the church, the family, or civil society. While we now live under the new covenant of grace, the fundamental principles of God's unchanging character—His justice, His holiness, and His intolerance for sin—remain eternally true. This verse prompts us to engage in honest self-examination, searching our own hearts for any seeds of pride, envy, or dissent that might subtly lead to challenging God's revealed will or His chosen instruments. It serves as a powerful reminder that true humility and genuine obedience are not merely external acts of conformity but flow from a heart that profoundly acknowledges God's supreme sovereignty, His perfect wisdom, and His righteous authority. We are called to live in reverent awe of Him, trusting implicitly in His perfect plan and submitting wholeheartedly to His righteous ways, rather than seeking to usurp His authority or question His divine appointments.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What was the specific rebellion referred to in Psalms 106:18?
Psalms 106:18 refers to the infamous rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, a pivotal event detailed extensively in Numbers 16. This was a significant and direct challenge to the divinely appointed leadership of Moses and Aaron during Israel's forty years of wilderness wanderings. Korah, a Levite, along with Dathan and Abiram, from the tribe of Reuben, gathered 250 prominent leaders of the congregation. They accused Moses and Aaron of exalting themselves above the rest of the congregation, claiming that all Israelites were equally holy and therefore equally entitled to priestly functions and leadership. The "fire" mentioned in Psalms 106:18 specifically consumed the 250 men who, at Korah's instigation, presumed to offer unauthorized incense before the Lord, an act that was a sacred privilege reserved exclusively for the legitimate Aaronic priesthood, as explicitly recorded in Numbers 16:35. In a separate but related judgment, the earth also supernaturally opened up and swallowed Dathan and Abiram and their households alive (Numbers 16:31-33).
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Psalms 106:18 vividly portrays God's consuming fire of judgment against rebellion and sin in the Old Testament, its ultimate fulfillment and most profound theological meaning are found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament judgments, like the fire that consumed the wicked in the wilderness, served as powerful foreshadows of God's absolute holiness, His unwavering demand for justice against sin, and the dire consequences of human rebellion. Yet, in Christ, we witness the ultimate expression of this divine justice perfectly met with boundless mercy. The "fire" of God's righteous wrath, which should justly fall upon all humanity for its pervasive rebellion and sin, was completely absorbed and exhausted by Jesus on the cross. He became the perfect substitute, bearing the full, unmitigated weight of divine judgment, so that all who believe in Him might be spared the consuming fire of God's righteous indignation. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 profoundly declares, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Thus, the solemn warning of Psalms 106:18 points us to the profound and indispensable need for a Savior—one who could stand in the gap, perfectly fulfill the law, and satisfy the infinite demands of God's holiness and justice. For the believer in Christ, the "consuming fire" is no longer a threat of condemnation but a refining fire of purification through the indwelling Holy Spirit, preparing us for eternal fellowship and glorification with the One who bore the judgment for us (1 Peter 1:7). However, for those who persistently reject Christ and His atoning sacrifice, the warning of a future, eternal judgment by fire remains a terrifying reality, as vividly described in New Testament passages like Matthew 25:41 and Revelation 20:14-15.