Psalms — Chapter 106
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1Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
2Who can describe the mighty acts of the LORD or fully proclaim His praise?
3Blessed are those who uphold justice, who practice righteousness at all times.
4Remember me, O LORD, in Your favor to Your people; visit me with Your salvation,
5that I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones, and rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, and give glory with Your inheritance.
6We have sinned like our fathers; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
7Our fathers in Egypt did not grasp Your wonders or remember Your abundant kindness; but they rebelled by the sea, there at the Red Sea.
8Yet He saved them for the sake of His name, to make His power known.
9He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; He led them through the depths as through a desert.
10He saved them from the hand that hated them; He redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11The waters covered their foes; not one of them remained.
12Then they believed His promises and sang His praise.
13Yet they soon forgot His works and failed to wait for His counsel.
14They craved intensely in the wilderness and tested God in the desert.
15So He granted their request, but sent a wasting disease upon them.
16In the camp they envied Moses, as well as Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.
17The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it covered the assembly of Abiram.
18Then fire blazed through their company; flames consumed the wicked.
19At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped a molten image.
20They exchanged their Glory for the image of a grass-eating ox.
21They forgot God their Savior, who did great things in Egypt,
22wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23So He said He would destroy them—had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach to divert His wrath from destroying them.
24They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise.
25They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the LORD.
26So He raised His hand and swore to cast them down in the wilderness,
27to disperse their offspring among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands.
28They yoked themselves to Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods.
29So they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.
30But Phinehas stood and intervened, and the plague was restrained.
31It was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.
32At the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them.
33For they rebelled against His Spirit, and Moses spoke rashly with his lips.
34They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them,
35but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs.
36They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.
37They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.
38They shed innocent blood—the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.
39They defiled themselves by their actions and prostituted themselves by their deeds.
40So the anger of the LORD burned against His people, and He abhorred His own inheritance.
41He delivered them into the hand of the nations, and those who hated them ruled over them.
42Their enemies oppressed them and subdued them under their hand.
43Many times He rescued them, but they were bent on rebellion and sank down in their iniquity.
44Nevertheless He heard their cry; He took note of their distress.
45And He remembered His covenant with them, and relented by the abundance of His loving devotion.
46He made them objects of compassion to all who held them captive.
47Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name, that we may glory in Your praise.
48Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, “Amen!” Hallelujah!
1Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?
3Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
4Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;
5That 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.
6We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
7Our 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.
8Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
9He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.
10And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.
12Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.
13They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:
14But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
15And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
16They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.
17The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.
18And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.
19They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.
20Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
21They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;
22Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.
23Therefore 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.
24Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:
25But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD.
26Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:
27To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.
28They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.
29Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.
30Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.
31And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.
32They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:
33Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
34They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them:
35But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.
36And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
37Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
38And 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.
39Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
40Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
41And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.
42Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.
43Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.
44Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:
45And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.
46He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.
47Save 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.
48Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.
1Praise ye Jehovah. Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his lovingkindness [endureth] forever.
2Who can utter the mighty acts of Jehovah, Or show forth all his praise?
3Blessed are they that keep justice, And he that doeth righteousness at all times.
4Remember me, O Jehovah, with the favor that thou bearest unto thy people; Oh visit me with thy salvation,
5That 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.
6We have sinned with our fathers, We have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
7Our 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.
8Nevertheless he saved them for his name`s sake, That he might make his mighty power to be known.
9He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up: So he led them through the depths, as through a wilderness.
10And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11And the waters covered their adversaries; There was not one of them left.
12Then believed they his words; They sang his praise.
13They soon forgat his works; They waited not for his counsel,
14But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tempted God in the desert.
15And he gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul.
16They envied Moses also in the camp, [And] Aaron the saint of Jehovah.
17The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, And covered the company of Abiram.
18And a fire was kindled in their company; The flame burned up the wicked.
19They made a calf in Horeb, And worshipped a molten image.
20Thus they changed their glory For the likeness of an ox that eateth grass.
21They forgat God their Saviour, Who had done great things in Egypt,
22Wondrous works in the land of Ham, [And] terrible things by the Red Sea.
23Therefore 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].
24Yea, they despised the pleasant land, They believed not his word,
25But murmured in their tents, And hearkened not unto the voice of Jehovah.
26Therefore he sware unto them, That he would overthrow them in the wilderness,
27And that he would overthrow their seed among the nations, And scatter them in the lands.
28They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor, And ate the sacrifices of the dead.
29Thus they provoked him to anger with their doings; And the plague brake in upon them.
30Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment; And so the plague was stayed.
31And that was reckoned unto him for righteousness, Unto all generations for evermore.
32They angered him also at the waters of Meribah, So that it went ill with Moses for their sakes;
33Because they were rebellious against his spirit, And he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
34They did not destroy the peoples, As Jehovah commanded them,
35But mingled themselves with the nations, And learned their works,
36And served their idols, Which became a snare unto them.
37Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons,
38And 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.
39Thus were they defiled with their works, And played the harlot in their doings.
40Therefore was the wrath of Jehovah kindled against his people, And he abhorred his inheritance.
41And he gave them into the hand of the nations; And they that hated them ruled over them.
42Their enemies also oppressed them, And they were brought into subjection under their hand.
43Many times did he deliver them; But they were rebellious in their counsel, And were brought low in their iniquity.
44Nevertheless he regarded their distress, When he heard their cry:
45And he remembered for them his covenant, And repented according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
46He made them also to be pitied Of all those that carried them captive.
47Save 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.
48Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. And let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye Jehovah. BOOK V Psalm 107
1Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, and his loyal love endures.
2Who can adequately recount the Lord’s mighty acts or relate all his praiseworthy deeds?
3How blessed are those who promote justice and do what is right all the time.
4Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people. Pay attention to me, when you deliver,
5so I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, rejoice along with your nation, and boast along with the people who belong to you.
6We have sinned like our ancestors; we have done wrong, we have done evil.
7Our ancestors in Egypt failed to appreciate your miraculous deeds. They failed to remember your many acts of loyal love, and they rebelled at the sea, by the Red Sea.
8Yet he delivered them for the sake of his reputation that he might reveal his power.
9He shouted at the Red Sea and it dried up; he led them through the deep water as if it were a desert.
10He delivered them from the power of the one who hated them and rescued them from the power of the enemy.
11The water covered their enemies; not even one of them survived.
12They believed his promises; they sang praises to him.
13They quickly forgot what he had done; they did not wait for his instructions.
14In the wilderness they had an insatiable craving for meat; they challenged God in the wastelands.
15He granted their request, then struck them with a disease.
16In the camp they resented Moses and Aaron the Lord’s holy priest.
17The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it engulfed the group led by Abiram.
18Fire burned their group; the flames scorched the wicked.
19They made an image of a calf at Horeb and worshiped a metal idol.
20They traded their majestic God for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21They rejected the God who delivered them, the one who performed great deeds in Egypt,
22amazing feats in the land of Ham, mighty acts by the Red Sea.
23He threatened to destroy them, but Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him and turned back his destructive anger.
24They rejected the fruitful land; they did not believe his promise.
25They grumbled in their tents; they did not obey the Lord.
26So he made a solemn vow that he would make them die in the wilderness,
27make their descendants die among the nations, and scatter them among foreign lands.
28They worshiped Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
29They made the Lord angry by their actions, and a plague broke out among them.
30Phinehas took a stand and intervened, and the plague subsided.
31This was credited to Phinehas as a righteous act for all generations to come.
32They made him angry by the waters of Meribah, and Moses suffered because of them,
33for they aroused his temper, and he spoke rashly.
34They did not destroy the nations, as the Lord had commanded them to do.
35They mixed in with the nations and learned their ways.
36They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.
37They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.
38They shed innocent blood— the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land was polluted by bloodshed.
39They were defiled by their deeds and unfaithful in their actions.
40So the Lord was angry with his people and despised the people who belonged to him.
41He handed them over to the nations, and those who hated them ruled over them.
42Their enemies oppressed them; they were subject to their authority.
43Many times he delivered them, but they had a rebellious attitude and degraded themselves by their sin.
44Yet he took notice of their distress, when he heard their cry for help.
45He remembered his covenant with them and relented because of his great loyal love.
46He caused all their conquerors to have pity on them.
47Deliver us, O Lord, our God. Gather us from among the nations. Then we will give thanks to your holy name, and boast about your praiseworthy deeds.
48The Lord God of Israel deserves praise, in the future and forevermore. Let all the people say, “We agree! Praise the Lord!”
1Praise Yahweh! Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.
2Who can utter the mighty acts of Yahweh, or fully declare all his praise?
3Blessed are those who keep justice. Blessed is one who does what is right at all times.
4Remember me, Yahweh, with the favor that you show to your people. Visit me with your salvation,
5that I may see the prosperity of your chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.
6We have sinned with our fathers. We have committed iniquity. We have done wickedly.
7Our fathers didn’t understand your wonders in Egypt. They didn’t remember the multitude of your loving kindnesses, but were rebellious at the sea, even at the Red Sea.
8Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power known.
9He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up; so he led them through the depths, as through a desert.
10He saved them from the hand of him who hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11The waters covered their adversaries. There was not one of them left.
12Then they believed his words. They sang his praise.
13They soon forgot his works. They didn’t wait for his counsel,
14but gave in to craving in the desert, and tested God in the wasteland.
15He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.
16They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron, Yahweh’s saint.
17The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.
18A fire was kindled in their company. The flame burned up the wicked.
19They made a calf in Horeb, and worshiped a molten image.
20Thus they exchanged their glory for an image of a bull that eats grass.
21They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,
22Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome things by the Red Sea.
23Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had Moses, his chosen, not stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, so that he wouldn’t destroy them.
24Yes, they despised the pleasant land. They didn’t believe his word,
25but murmured in their tents, and didn’t listen to Yahweh’s voice.
26Therefore he swore to them that he would overthrow them in the wilderness,
27that he would overthrow their offspring among the nations, and scatter them in the lands.
28They joined themselves also to Baal Peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.
29Thus they provoked him to anger with their deeds. The plague broke in on them.
30Then Phinehas stood up, and executed judgment, so the plague was stopped.
31That was credited to him for righteousness, for all generations to come.
32They angered him also at the waters of Meribah, so that Moses was troubled for their sakes;
33because they were rebellious against his spirit, he spoke rashly with his lips.
34They didn’t destroy the peoples, as Yahweh commanded them,
35but mixed themselves with the nations, and learned their works.
36They served their idols, which became a snare to them.
37Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.
38They shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land was polluted with blood.
39Thus were they defiled with their works, and prostituted themselves in their deeds.
40Therefore Yahweh burned with anger against his people. He abhorred his inheritance.
41He gave them into the hand of the nations. Those who hated them ruled over them.
42Their enemies also oppressed them. They were brought into subjection under their hand.
43He rescued them many times, but they were rebellious in their counsel, and were brought low in their iniquity.
44Nevertheless he regarded their distress, when he heard their cry.
45He remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
46He made them also to be pitied by all those who carried them captive.
47Save us, Yahweh, our God, gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to your holy name, to triumph in your praise!
48Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting! Let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise Yah!
Summary
A historical psalm of confession closing Book IV, opening with praise for God's enduring goodness before turning to a long, honest recounting of Israel's repeated rebellion (vv. 1-6). Despite seeing God's wonders at the Red Sea, the people forgot his works, grumbled in the wilderness, worshipped the golden calf, despised the promised land, joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and eventually sacrificed their own children to idols in Canaan (vv. 7-39). Each act of rebellion brought God's discipline, yet each time he heard their cry, remembered his covenant, and relented in mercy (vv. 40-46). The psalm ends with a plea for God to gather his scattered people and a doxology blessing the LORD from everlasting to everlasting (vv. 47-48).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Egypt (v.7, v.21): Land to the southwest; place of Israel's bondage and exodus.
- Red Sea (v.7, v.9, v.22): Body of water Israel crossed during the Exodus.
- Horeb (v.19): Another name for Mount Sinai.
Places on this map
- EgyptEgyptA ribbon of irrigated land along the Nile, ending in the Delta where Israel settled in Goshen. Rain-fed Canaan depended on weather; Egypt depended on a river that flooded on schedule, which made it the place everyone went when the harvest failed. Wikipedia
- Red SeaEgypt, Sudan, Saudi ArabiaThe Hebrew yam suph, sea of reeds, covers the Red Sea proper and its two northern arms, the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba, along with the marshy lakes between. Which of them Israel crossed is debated; the northern route is the usual reconstruction. Wikipedia
- Mount SinaiJebel Musa, Sinai Peninsula, EgyptTraditionally Jebel Musa in the granite mountains of the southern Sinai peninsula, about 7,500 feet high. The identification dates from Christian monastic tradition rather than from the text, and other candidates have been proposed, but this has been the pilgrimage site since the fourth century. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Confessing Sin as Part of a Pattern (v.6) — The psalmist confesses sin alongside his ancestors, owning a shared pattern rather than treating his failures as isolated incidents. Are you willing to see your own sin as part of a recurring pattern, not just a one-time slip?
- God Saves in Spite of the Rebellion (v.8) — God is described as acting for His own name's sake even while His people were actively rebelling against Him. Does your view of God's grace account for how undeserved it actually was in your own life?
- Getting What You Demanded Isn't Always a Blessing (v.15) — God grants Israel's insistent request, but it comes paired with spiritual emptiness. Is there something you've been pushing hard for that you should reconsider wanting?
- An Intercessor Who Stood in the Gap (v.23) — Moses' intercession is credited with turning aside God's wrath toward the people. Who in your life needs you to stand in the gap for them in prayer right now?
- Mercy That Outlasts the Cycle of Failure (vv.40-46) — Israel's history repeats sin, judgment, crying out, and deliverance again and again, yet God keeps responding to their cries. Where in your own repeating struggles do you need to trust that God's patience hasn't run out?