CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Psalms 106
Chapter 106 of 150
Chapter Overview
What happens in Psalms 106
A historical psalm of confession, recounting Israel's repeated rebellions against God from the Red Sea to the promised land. Despite their failures, God remembered his covenant and showed compassion. It closes Book 4 of the Psalms.
Scripture
Psalms 106
Praise and Confession
Study note
The psalm opens with praise: the Lord is good and his love endures forever. The psalmist asks God to remember him when he shows favor to his people.
1 Praise the Lord! Thank the Lord, because he is good. His loyal love never runs out. Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Who could possibly list everything the Lord has done? Who could ever give him all the praise he deserves? Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?
3 Happy are the people who treat others fairly and who always do what is right. Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
4 Think of me, Lord, when you bless your people. Visit me with your saving power, Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;
5 Let me enjoy the good life your chosen people have. Let me share in the happiness of your nation. Let me celebrate with the people who belong to you. 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.
Rebellion at the Red Sea
Study note
The people confessed that they sinned like their ancestors. At the Red Sea they rebelled. But God saved them for his name's sake, and they believed and sang his praise.
6 We have sinned just like the people before us. We have done wrong. We have acted in terrible ways. We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
7 When our ancestors were in Egypt, they did not pay attention to your miracles. They forgot about your many acts of loyal love and turned against you there at the Red Sea. 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 But he saved them anyway to protect the honor of his name and to let everyone see how powerful he is. Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
9 He gave the Red Sea a sharp command, and it dried right up. He walked them through the deepest water as easily as crossing a desert. He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.
10 He pulled them to safety, away from the people who hated them, and snatched them out of the enemy's grip. And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11 Water poured over their enemies. Not a single one of them made it out alive. And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.
12 After that, they finally believed what he promised and burst into songs of praise. Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.
Repeated Failures in the Wilderness
Study note
The people quickly forgot God's works. They craved food in the wilderness, tested God, envied Moses, worshipped a golden calf, despised the promised land, and grumbled. At Baal Peor they worshipped false gods. At Meribah they angered God and even Moses sinned.
13 But it did not take long for them to forget everything he had done. They did not bother to wait for his guidance. They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:
14 Out in the wilderness, their cravings took over, and they dared to test God in that empty place. But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
15 He gave them exactly what they asked for. But along with it, he sent a terrible sickness. And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
16 Back in the camp, they grew jealous of Moses and of Aaron, who was set apart for the Lord. They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.
17 The ground cracked open and swallowed Dathan and closed over the group that followed Abiram. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.
18 Fire broke out among their followers, and flames burned up those wicked people. And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.
19 At Horeb, they shaped a calf out of metal and bowed down to worship a statue. They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.
20 They swapped the glory of the living God for the shape of a bull that chews grass. Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
21 They forgot the God who had rescued them -- the one who had done such incredible things in Egypt, They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;
22 amazing deeds in the land of Ham, and terrifying acts right at the Red Sea. Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.
23 God was ready to destroy them. But Moses, the one he had chosen, stepped in between God and the people. He turned God's anger away and stopped him from wiping them out. 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 After that, they turned up their noses at the beautiful land he was offering. They did not trust his promise. Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:
25 They sat in their tents and grumbled. They refused to pay attention to what the Lord said. But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD.
26 So he raised his hand and swore an oath that he would let them fall there in the wilderness, Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:
27 that he would scatter their descendants among foreign nations and spread them across distant lands. To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.
28 Then they attached themselves to the worship of Baal of Peor and ate food sacrificed to dead gods. They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.
29 The things they did made the Lord so angry that a terrible plague swept through them. Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.
30 But Phinehas jumped up and took action, and the plague came to a halt. Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.
31 That brave act has been counted in his favor as the right thing to do, and it will be remembered forever. And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.
32 They also stirred up the Lord's anger at the waters of Meribah, and Moses paid the price because of them. They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:
33 They wore on his spirit until bitterness took hold, and he blurted out words he should not have said. Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
Sin in the Promised Land
Study note
In the promised land they did not destroy the wicked nations as commanded. Instead they mixed with them, worshipped their idols, and even sacrificed their children to demons.
34 They did not get rid of the peoples living in the land, even though the Lord had clearly told them to. They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them:
35 Instead, they blended in with the other nations and picked up their habits. But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.
36 They started worshiping the idols of those nations, and that became a trap that caught them. And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
37 They went so far as to sacrifice their own sons and daughters to false gods. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
38 They spilled the blood of innocent children -- their own sons and daughters -- offering them to the idols of Canaan. The land was stained with blood. 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 They made themselves unclean by the things they did. They were unfaithful to God through their actions. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
God's Compassion Despite Everything
Study note
God handed them over to their enemies, but many times he rescued them. Though they continued to rebel, he remembered his covenant and relented because of his great love.
40 The Lord's anger blazed against his own people. He was so disgusted with the ones who belonged to him. Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
41 He handed them over to other nations, and the people who hated them became their masters. And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies crushed them and kept them under their boot. Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.
43 Again and again he stepped in to save them. But they stubbornly kept on rebelling. They sank deeper and deeper because of their sin. Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.
44 Even so, he noticed their suffering whenever he heard their desperate cries. Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:
45 He thought about the covenant he had made with them. His enormous loyal love made him change course. And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.
46 He caused even the people who held them captive to treat them with kindness. He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.
A Prayer for Restoration
Study note
Save us, Lord, and gather us from among the nations so we can give thanks to your holy name. The psalm ends with a doxology closing Book 4: Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say Amen. Praise the Lord!
47 Rescue us, Lord our God! Bring us back together from all the different nations so we can thank your holy name and find our joy in praising you. 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 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, from the beginning of time to the end of it! Let every person say, "Amen!" Praise the Lord! Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.
Key Themes
Themes in Psalms 106
Israel's repeated rebellion against GodGod's repeated mercy despite unfaithfulnessThe danger of forgetting what God has doneA prayer for national restoration
Apply This Today
Living Psalms 106
This psalm is an honest confession of failure after failure — and God's mercy after mercy. If you look at your own life and see a pattern of falling short, take courage from this psalm. God's compassion is greater than your worst track record. He remembers his covenant even when you forget your promises.
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