Psalms 106:4

Translation
King James Version
Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;
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KJV (with Strong's)
Remember H2142 me, O LORD H3068, with the favour H7522 that thou bearest unto thy people H5971: O visit H6485 me with thy salvation H3444;
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Complete Jewish Bible
Remember me, ADONAI, when you show favor to your people, keep me in mind when you save them;
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Berean Standard Bible
Remember me, O LORD, in Your favor to Your people; visit me with Your salvation,
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American Standard Version
Remember me, O Jehovah, with the favor that thou bearest unto thy people; Oh visit me with thy salvation,
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World English Bible Messianic
Remember me, LORD, with the favor that you show to your people. Visit me with your salvation,
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Remember me, O Lord, with the fauour of thy people: visite me with thy saluation,
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Young's Literal Translation
Remember me, O Jehovah, With the favour of Thy people, Look after me in Thy salvation.
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See also
Psalms 119:132Luke 23:42Nehemiah 13:31Nehemiah 13:14Psalms 25:7Nehemiah 13:22Acts 15:14
In the KJVVerse 15,656 of 31,102

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SUMMARY

Psalms 106:4 presents a deeply personal and poignant plea for divine intervention, embedded within a corporate psalm of national confession and historical remembrance. The psalmist, identifying with the repeated failures and rebellion of Israel, humbly requests God's active remembrance and benevolent intervention. He asks to be included in the special favor God consistently bestows upon His covenant people and to experience God's saving power, thereby demonstrating a profound trust in God's unchanging character and enduring covenant promises despite the nation's—and implicitly, his own—transgressions.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Psalms 106 is the concluding psalm in a trilogy (Psalms 105-107) that provides a sweeping historical survey of Israel's relationship with God. While Psalms 105 celebrates God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises, Psalms 106 serves as a stark counterpoint, detailing Israel's persistent rebellion, idolatry, and ingratitude from the Exodus through the wilderness wanderings and into the Promised Land. This psalm vividly portrays the profound contrast between God's enduring mercy and His people's consistent unfaithfulness. Verse 4, though a personal petition, is strategically placed within this corporate narrative of sin and judgment. It acts as a pivot, shifting from the lament over national sin (e.g., Psalms 106:6) to a hopeful appeal for divine grace, demonstrating that individual salvation is often intertwined with the destiny of God's people. The psalmist's plea is not for an isolated blessing but for inclusion in God's redemptive dealings with His chosen nation.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The psalm likely reflects a post-exilic or exilic period, as it concludes with a prayer for the gathering of the dispersed (Psalms 106:47). The recounting of Israel's history, particularly the wilderness generation, served as a powerful reminder to a people who had experienced national judgment, specifically the Babylonian exile, due to their continued disobedience. In the ancient Near East, the cultural understanding of "remembering" (Hebrew: zakhar) was not merely cognitive recall but implied active, effective intervention. When God "remembers," He acts on behalf of those He remembers, fulfilling His promises or delivering from distress. Similarly, "visiting" (Hebrew: paqad) could mean to inspect, appoint, or intervene, either for blessing or judgment. Here, the psalmist clearly seeks a visitation of blessing and salvation. The concept of God's "favor" (Hebrew: ratson) was deeply tied to the covenant relationship, signifying God's benevolent disposition and delight in His chosen nation.
  • Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes prevalent in Psalms 106 and the broader Psalter. The overarching theme is the contrast between God's steadfast love (חֶסֶד, hesed) and Israel's unfaithfulness. Despite Israel's rebellion, God's mercy endures, a truth echoed throughout the psalm, particularly in Psalms 106:1. The verse also highlights the theme of divine remembrance and intervention, emphasizing that God's active care is essential for His people's well-being and deliverance. The psalmist's personal plea within a corporate lament underscores the interconnectedness of individual and communal identity within the covenant. Finally, the desire for "salvation" points to God's ultimate power and willingness to deliver His people from their enemies and their sins, a theme consistently found in passages like Isaiah 12:2.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Remember (Hebrew, zâkar', H2142): This word signifies far more than a mere mental recollection or cognitive recall. In biblical usage, particularly when applied to God, "remembering" implies an active, effective, and often redemptive intervention. It means to call to mind with the intent to act on behalf of someone or something, often in fulfillment of a covenant promise or in response to a plea. For the psalmist, it is a prayer for God to turn His attention and power towards him with a purpose of blessing and deliverance.
  • Favour (Hebrew, râtsôwn', H7522): This term denotes goodwill, delight, acceptance, or pleasure. When used of God, it describes His benevolent disposition and active delight in His people, leading to blessings and prosperity. The psalmist is not asking for a generic blessing but specifically for the kind of favor that God uniquely bestows upon His chosen covenant people, desiring to be included in that special relationship and its accompanying benefits.
  • Salvation (Hebrew, yᵉshûwʻâh', H3444): This is a comprehensive term for deliverance, rescue, welfare, and victory. It encompasses physical deliverance from enemies or distress, spiritual well-being, and ultimate liberation. It is the same root from which the name "Jesus" (Yeshua) is derived, pointing to God's ultimate and complete deliverance. The psalmist seeks God's active power to bring about wholeness, rescue, and a state of flourishing.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Remember me, O LORD": This is a direct, personal, and urgent appeal to the sovereign God. The psalmist, despite the preceding national confession of sin and the implicit acknowledgment of his own complicity, dares to ask for individual attention and action from the Almighty. It acknowledges God's supreme power and His ability to intervene directly and effectively in one's life. This plea is rooted in a profound trust in God's character and His covenant relationship.
  • "with the favour [that thou bearest unto] thy people": This clause defines the nature and basis of the requested remembrance. The psalmist does not appeal to his own merit, worthiness, or past performance. Instead, he appeals to God's consistent, benevolent disposition and delight towards His covenant people, Israel. He desires to be a recipient of the same special goodwill, acceptance, and blessings that God characteristically bestows upon the collective body of His chosen ones, thereby demonstrating a profound desire for inclusion in the covenant community's blessings and divine care.
  • "O visit me with thy salvation;": This is the specific desired outcome and manifestation of God's remembrance and favor. The request for God to "visit" implies a direct, active, and powerful intervention, a personal encounter with the divine presence. The ultimate goal of this visitation is "salvation," a comprehensive term encompassing deliverance from distress, spiritual well-being, wholeness, and divine rescue from all that oppresses. It is a plea for God to manifest His saving power in the psalmist's life, bringing about a state of complete liberation and flourishing.

Literary Devices

The verse employs several powerful literary devices that enhance its emotional and theological impact. Apostrophe is prominently featured as the psalmist directly addresses God ("O LORD"), creating an intimate and immediate tone of earnest supplication. The structure of the verse exhibits parallelism, specifically a form of synonymous or complementary parallelism. The first line, "Remember me, O LORD, with the favour [that thou bearest unto] thy people," is reinforced and expanded by the second, "O visit me with thy salvation." "Remembering with favor" is closely linked to "visiting with salvation," suggesting that God's active remembrance of His people's plight culminates in His saving intervention. The use of "favour" and "salvation" can also be seen as metonymy, where these abstract qualities represent the tangible blessings, acts of deliverance, and expressions of divine goodwill that flow from God's character and covenant relationship. The entire verse functions as a profound supplication or prayer, a direct and earnest plea to God for His benevolent and redemptive action.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Psalms 106:4 profoundly connects to the broader biblical narrative of God's covenant faithfulness and His people's reliance on His grace. It underscores the truth that God's remembrance is not passive but active, leading to His saving intervention. The psalmist's plea to be included in the "favor" God shows His people highlights the corporate dimension of God's redemptive plan; individual blessing is often experienced within the context of the covenant community. This verse serves as a powerful reminder that even in times of national or personal failure, believers can appeal to God's character and His unwavering commitment to His covenant people, trusting that His salvation is available to those who seek Him.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

This verse offers a profound model for personal prayer, especially when we are acutely aware of our own shortcomings or the failures of the community around us. It teaches us to anchor our petitions not in our perceived worthiness or accomplishments, but in God's unchanging character and His steadfast covenant commitment to His people. We are invited to humbly ask for God's active remembrance, trusting that when God remembers, He acts decisively and redemptively. This means seeking His specific "favor"—the unique goodwill, delight, and blessing He pours out on those who are His—and His "salvation," which encompasses comprehensive deliverance from all forms of bondage, spiritual renewal, and holistic well-being. It encourages us to identify with the larger body of believers, recognizing that our personal walk is deeply intertwined with the corporate experience of God's grace, and that we receive blessings as part of His family, the Church. Our prayers should reflect both personal need and communal solidarity.

Questions for Reflection

  • In what areas of your life do you most need God's active "remembrance" and "visitation" today?
  • How does understanding God's "favor" towards His people encourage you to pray for yourself and for the Church?
  • How does the psalmist's plea, made in the context of national sin, challenge your own approach to prayer when you are conscious of your failings?
  • What does it mean for you personally to be "visited with God's salvation" in your daily life, beyond merely spiritual deliverance?

FAQ

What does "remember me, O LORD" truly mean in this context?

Answer: In biblical theology, particularly when applied to God, "remembering" (Hebrew: zâkar) is not merely a cognitive recall, as if God could forget. Instead, it signifies God's active, purposeful attention and intervention on behalf of someone or something. When the psalmist asks God to "remember" him, he is praying for God to turn His divine attention towards him with the intent to act, to fulfill His promises, or to deliver him from distress. It's a plea for God to bring His covenant faithfulness and power to bear on the psalmist's current situation, as seen in God's remembrance of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in Exodus 2:24.

How does the psalmist's request for "favour [that thou bearest unto] thy people" apply to believers today?

Answer: The psalmist's request to share in the "favor" (Hebrew: râtsôwn) God shows His people highlights the corporate nature of God's blessings. He desires to be included in the unique goodwill, delight, and benevolent disposition that God consistently extends to His covenant community. For believers today, this applies to the Church, which is the new covenant people of God. We are called into a corporate body, and many of God's blessings, His favor, and His presence are experienced within this community. To pray for God's favor upon us "with the favor that you bear unto your people" is to ask to be fully included in the spiritual blessings, protection, and purposes God has for His Church, as outlined in passages like Ephesians 1:3-6.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Psalms 106:4 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The psalmist's plea for God to "remember me... with thy salvation" is answered definitively in the person and work of Christ. Jesus is the very embodiment of God's "visitation" and "salvation" (Hebrew: Yeshua). In His incarnation, God actively "visited" humanity, not with judgment, but with grace and truth, as proclaimed by Zechariah in Luke 1:68-79. Through Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross, God remembers His covenant people, extending His "favor" (His râtsôwn) not based on human merit or national performance, but on the perfect obedience and redemptive work of His Son. Believers, by faith in Christ, are grafted into the true people of God, the spiritual Israel, and thereby receive the full measure of God's favor and ultimate salvation. The "salvation" sought by the psalmist—deliverance from sin, distress, and enemies—is comprehensively secured in Christ, who delivers us from the domain of darkness and transfers us to the kingdom of His beloved Son (Colossians 1:13-14). Thus, in Christ, God's remembrance is eternal, His favor is boundless, and His salvation is complete for all who believe and are incorporated into His body, the Church.

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Commentary on Psalms 106 verses 1–5

We are here taught,

I. To bless God (Psa 106:1, Psa 106:2): Praise you the Lord, that is, 1. Give him thanks for his goodness, the manifestation of it to us, and the many instances of it. He is good and his mercy endures for ever; let us therefore own our obligations to him and make him a return of our best affections and services. 2. Give him the glory of his greatness, his mighty acts, proofs of his almighty power, wherein he has done great things, and such as would be opposed. Who can utter these? Who is worthy to do it? Who is able to do it? They are so many that they cannot be numbered, so mysterious that they cannot be described; when we have said the most we can of the mighty acts of the Lord, the one half is not told; still there is more to be said; it is a subject that cannot be exhausted. We must show forth his praise; we may show forth some of it, but who can show forth all? Not the angels themselves. This will not excuse us in not doing what we can, but should quicken us to do all we can.

II. To bless the people of God, to call and account them happy (Psa 106:3): Those that keep judgment are blessed, for they are fit to be employed in praising God. God's people are those whose principles are sound - They keep judgment (they adhere to the rules of wisdom and religion, and their practices are agreeable); they do righteousness, are just to God and to all men, and herein they are steady and constant; they do it at all times, in all manner of conversation, at every turn, in every instance, and herein persevering to the end.

III. To bless ourselves in the favour of God, to place our happiness in it, and to seek it, accordingly, with all seriousness, as the psalmist here, Psa 106:4, Psa 106:5. 1. He has an eye to the lovingkindness of God, as the fountain of all happiness: "Remember me, O Lord! to give me that mercy and grace which I stand in need of, with the favour which thou bearest to thy people." As there are a people in the world who are in a peculiar manner God's people, so there is a peculiar favour which God bears to that people, which all gracious souls desire an interest in; and we need desire no more to make us happy. 2. He has an eye to the salvation of God, the great salvation, that of the soul, as the foundation of happiness: O visit me with thy salvation. "Afford me (says Dr. Hammond) that pardon and that grace which I stand in need of, and can hope for from none but thee." Let that salvation be my portion for ever, and the pledges of it my present comfort. 3. He has an eye to the blessedness of the righteous, as that which includes all good (Psa 106:5): "That I may see the good of thy chosen and be as happy as the saints are; and happier I do not desire to be." God's people are here called his chosen, his nation, his inheritance; for he has set them apart for himself, incorporated them under his own government, is served by them and glorified in them. The chosen people of God have a good which is peculiar to them, which is the matter both of their gladness and of their glorying, which is their pleasure, and their praise. God's people have reason to be a cheerful people, and to boast in their God all the day long; and those who have that gladness, that glory, need not envy any of the children of men their pleasure or pride. The gladness of God's nation, and the glory of his inheritance, are enough to satisfy any man; for they have everlasting joy and glory at the end of them.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–5. Public domain.
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Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 106
Next, since God justifies, that is, makes men righteous, by healing them from their iniquities, a prayer follows: "Remember me, O Lord, according to the favour that You bear unto Your people" [Psalm 106:4]: that is, that we may be among those with whom You are well pleased; since God is not well pleased with them all. "O visit me with Your salvation." This is the Saviour Himself, in whom sins are forgiven, and souls healed, that they may be able to keep judgment, and do righteousness; and since they who here speak know such men to be blessed, they pray for this themselves...."Visit us," then, "with Your salvation," that is, with Your Christ. "To see the felicity of Your chosen, and to rejoice in the gladness of Your people" [Psalm 106:5]: that is, visit us for this reason with Your salvation, that we may see the felicity of Your chosen, and rejoice in the gladness of Your people. For "felicity" some copies read "sweetness;" as in the former passage, "For He is gracious;" where others read, "for He is sweet." And it is the same word in the Greek, as is elsewhere read, "The Lord shall show sweetness:" which some have translated "felicity," others "bounty." But what means, "Visit us to see the felicity of Your chosen:" that is, that happiness which You give to Your elect: except that we may not remain blind, as those unto whom it is said, "But now ye say we see: therefore your sin remains." [John 9:41] For the Lord gives sight to the blind, not by their own merits, but in the felicity He gives to His chosen, which is the meaning of "the felicity of Your chosen:" as, the help of my countenance, is not of myself, but is my God. And we speak of our daily bread, as ours, but we add, Give unto us. [Matthew 6:11] ..."That You may be praised with Your inheritance." I wonder this verse has been so interpreted in many copies, since the Greek phrase is one and the same in these three verses....But since this seems a doubtful expression, if that sense be true according to which interpreters have preferred, "That You may be praised," the two preceding verses also must be so understood, because, as I have said, there is one Greek expression in these three verses; so that the whole should be thus understood, "Visit us with Your salvation, that You may see the felicity of Your chosen;" that is, visit us for this purpose, that You may cause us to be there, and may see us there; that "You may rejoice in the gladness of Your people," that is, that You may be said to rejoice, since they rejoice in You; that "You may be praised with Your inheritance," that is, may be praised with it, since it may not be praised save for Your sake....
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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