106:1–48 Like Pss 105; Psa 106 is a praise psalm that reflects on Israel’s history. However, the psalmist reflects on Israel’s sacred history from the perspective of exile—being scattered among foreign nations as a punishment for unfaithfulness to Yahweh. This is almost certainly a reference to the Babylonian exile (ca. 586–539 bc). After a call to praise Yahweh (vv. 1–3), the psalmist petitions Yahweh to remember His people (vv. 4–5). He identifies with past generations by admitting guilt (v. 6). He describes Yahweh’s provision for them (vv. 7–12) and their disobedience of Yahweh (vv. 13–43). The psalmist describes Yahweh’s faithfulness to them and expresses hope in Yahweh’s mercy (vv. 45–47). The psalmist expresses that, even though Israel deserves their punishment, they hope that Yahweh will have mercy on them again. This is the last psalm in Book Four of the Psalms (see note on 1:1–6); in that regard, v. 48 is a doxology, closing Book Four, and likely not originally part of the psalm itself.

Types of Psalms Table

106:1–3 The psalmist begins by praising Yahweh for His steadfast love, mentioning His mighty works, and affirming the importance of keeping Yahweh’s commands. These themes form a backdrop for the rest of the psalm.

106:1 Praise Yah The psalm opens and closes with the Hebrew phrase hallu-yah (v. 48). See note on 104:35; note on 105:45.

Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loyal love is forever In the Hebrew text, this phrase is repeated verbatim in 107:1, creating a connection between Psa 106 and 107.

106:2 Questions such as the one in this verse could have had a liturgical function in a public worship setting

the mighty deeds of Refers to God’s wonders or miracles.

106:3 In this verse, the psalmist answers the question he posed in v. 2. See note on 94:12.

justice Probably refers to a general category of justice. See 94:15 and note.

at all times Describes continual observance of God’s commands.

106:4–5 The psalmist personally identifies himself with Israel’s communal hope in Yahweh’s love and saving help. The mention of Yahweh’s chosen ones and His inheritance (v. 5) anticipates the mention of the covenant in v. 45.

106:4 Remember me The psalmist begs to be included in God’s blessings.

your people The psalmist now begins to identify himself and his people with his ancestors (see vv. 6, 47).

deliver Compare v. 47.

106:5 your chosen ones The term bachir can refer to one who is “pious” or “chosen.”

your inheritance The Hebrew word used here, nachalah, often references the land of Israel and also can refer to the people of Israel as a nation. Compare v. 40.

106:6–12 The psalmist equates the current generation with their ancestors. He recalls the incident at the Red Sea, where Israel failed to trust Yahweh following the plagues against Egypt (see Exod 14–15). The psalmist recounts episodes from the Pentateuch until Ps 106:34.

106:6 We have sinned along with our ancestors The psalmist asserts that, just as Israel sinned in times past, the current generation of Israel has sinned in the present. He hopes that God will have mercy on Israel in his time just as He had in the past.

sinned See vv. 6–39.

106:7 in Egypt The psalmist may refer to the Israelites’ enslavement in Egypt, or the miraculous events of the exodus.

did not understand Indicates a lack of thoughtful reflection. See note on 101:2.

your wonderful works See 96:3.

they rebelled Refers to the events by the Red Sea in Exod 14:10–14. The psalmist describes Israel’s complaining and lack of faith as rebellion.

the Red Sea The site of God’s final act against Egypt. See Exod 14 and Exod 15.

106:8 for the sake of his name The revelation of Yahweh’s name—that is, His character and nature—is often related to Yahweh’s salvific action. See Ps 91:14 and note; 23:3 and note; compare Exod 3.

106:9 he rebuked Refers to the events of Exod 14:21–22.

106:10 redeemed them Refers to rescue from a form of bondage through outside help. See Ps 103:4 and note.

106:11 their adversaries Refers to the events of Exod 14:27–28.

106:12 they sang See Exod 15.

106:13–15 The psalmist recounts how Israel complained about meat, and Yahweh punished them with an overabundance of quail and a plague (see Num 11:4, 13, 31–34).

106:13 forgot Refers to failing to trust and remain loyal. At many points in the journey through the wilderness, Israel became fearful and resistant rather than believing that God would deliver them.

they did not wait See Num 11:1–6, 31–35.

106:14 they craved intensely See Num 11:1, 4, 13, 31–35; compare Ps 105:40 and note.

106:16–18 The psalmist recounts Korah’s rebellion in Num 16.

106:16 Moses Moses was responsible for leading Israel out of Egypt. See note on Ps 90:title.

Aaron, the holy one of Yahweh God chose Aaron to be priest. See 99:6 and note.

106:17 The earth opened While the psalmist doesn’t mention Korah by name, he identifies his subordinates, Dathan and Abiram (see Num 16:32). These types of omissions can indicate intense disapproval on the part of the ancient author; the author may not even want to mention the offensive person or thing.

106:18 Also fire burned See Num 16:35.

106:19–23 The psalmist recounts the story of the golden calf in Exod 32:1–6.

106:19 Horeb Another name for Sinai, where God revealed the Ten Commandments to Moses.

106:22 Ham One of Noah’s sons; here his name is used to refer to Egypt (see Gen 10:6). Compare Ps 105:23 and note.

106:23 he would exterminate them Recounts the exchange between Yahweh and Moses in Exod 32:7–14.

106:24–27 The psalmist recounts how Israel refused to trust Yahweh and enter Canaan in Num 13–14.

106:24 they refused The Hebrew word used here, ma'as, can mean “to refuse” or “to reject,” and by extension means “to despise” that which is given.

his word This refers to Yahweh’s words in Exod 33:1–2. Yahweh’s promise can be traced as far back as Gen 12:1–3.

106:25 grumbled See Num 14:1–12.

They did not obey God wanted the Israelites to enter into Canaan and trust that He would give them the land.

106:26 against them See Num 14:20–23; Psa 95:11 and note.

make them drop in the wilderness See Num 14:20–38.

106:27 among the nations The psalmist is probably reflecting on the condition of the Israelites at the time of writing this psalm (see Ps 106:47) rather than drawing from a specific episode in history. Just as the rebellious generation of Israelites died off in the wilderness, many Israelites may have been dying outside of Israel, scattered in foreign nations. See note on vv. 1–48.

106:28–31 The psalmist recounts the wilderness generation’s final rebellion with Baal of Peor in Num 25.

106:28 They also attached themselves This refers to the Israelites’ unfaithfulness and worship of other gods in terms of sexual infidelity (see Num 25:1–5). The events of Num 25 represent a definitive act of betrayal.

Baal of Peor A foreign deity. See note on Num 25:3.

they ate sacrifices offered to the dead Numbers 25 does not mention this ritual. The psalmist might be alluding to practices elsewhere in Israel’s history or to events not recorded in Num 25.

106:30 Phinehas A priest who impaled a couple for ritually defiling the tabernacle sanctuary. See Num 25:7–8.

106:31 it was reckoned to him as righteousness This statement reflects the words of Gen 15:6.

106:32–33 The psalmist describes Num 20:10–13 where Moses drew water from the rock at Meribah by striking it instead of speaking to it as Yahweh had commanded (Num 20:8). Following this incident, Yahweh prohibited Moses from entering the promised land (Num 20:12).

106:32 Meribah See Num 20:13.

106:33 he spoke thoughtlessly with his lips The psalmist suggests that Yahweh punished Moses for his words but there is no record of this in Numbers. The psalmist could be using Moses to represent how the people of Israel spoke against Yahweh and His purposes or be alluding to a tradition not recorded in Numbers.

106:34–39 The psalmist now considers the time after Israel entered into Canaan (the promised land). He relates a general historical survey, and seems to depict the overall degeneration of Israel during the period of the book of Judges. Psalm 106:39 ends the list of the crimes of Israel’s ancestors.

106:34 They did not exterminate the peoples Probably recounts Judg 2:11–3:6, where the Israelites allowed some of the Canaanites to remain in the promised land after they took possession. This led to some Israelites following Canaanite practices.

as Yahweh had commanded them In general, Israel attempted to interact peacefully with their neighbors. Yahweh commanded the Israelites to eradicate the inhabitants of Canaan as a judgment against those people groups and because He knew that the Israelites would eventually worship the gods of the Canaanites otherwise. See Deut 7:1–5; note on Josh 6:16; note on 6:17.

106:35 but they mingled The psalmist may describe that the Israelites lived alongside other people groups and became syncretic. Alternatively, he may be referring to intermarriage, which was viewed as leading to idolatry. See note on Ezra 9:1–10:44.

with the nations Compare Ps 106:27, 41.

106:36 a snare Refers to a trap or a wooden snare for catching birds.

106:37 They even sacrificed The use of the Hebrew word zavach here may be figurative, referring to the Israelites leading their children into fatal error. However, the reference to blood (v. 38) suggests that the psalmist is referring to actual child sacrifice, which is mentioned at several points.

the demons The Hebrew word used here, shedim, occurs only in the plural in the ot (compare Deut 32:17). It seems to refer to malevolent spirits as a group.

106:38 innocent blood The Hebrew expression used here can extend beyond the literal shedding of blood to include any act of injustice. Compare Psa 94:21.

was defiled with the blood See Ezek 22.

106:39 were unfaithful The Hebrew word used here, zanah, is also used in Num 25:1 (see Ps 106:28–31). By using this expression, the psalmist is probably indicating that Israel’s sins are similar to the sins of the wilderness generation in Numbers.

106:40–43 The psalmist depicts how Yahweh punished Israel for its disobedience and unfaithfulness. The precise episode of punishment he describes is unclear. It may have occurred during the period of the Judges (v. 43); however, the reference to the nations (v. 41) seems to go beyond the regional conflicts of the Judges period, and anticipates the exile and hope of restoration (v. 47).

106:40 his inheritance Compare v. 5.

106:41 the nations It is uncertain which nations the psalmist is referring to (compare vv. 27, 35, 41). He may be referencing the book of Judges, which shows a repetitive pattern of apostasy, oppression, outcry, and then rescue (see Judg 2:11–23). Alternatively, he may refer to the exile (see note on Psa 106:1–48).

106:43 Many times he delivered them Probably refers to the cycle of the book of Judges (see Judg 2:11–23).

106:44–46 In this section, the psalmist mentions the covenant, through which Yahweh showed His consistent concern for Israel’s welfare. Yahweh always remembered His commitment to Israel; therefore, He always helped them. In these verses, the psalmist anticipates that Yahweh will continue to help them. He seems to meld several of Israel’s experiences of oppression into a single expression, such as their enslavement in Egypt and various times of oppression during the time of the Judges.

106:44 he heard their cry Part of the pattern in the book of Judges (e.g., Judg 3:15). Compare Ps 106:47.

106:45 his covenant Refers to the official relationship between God and Israel. See 103:18 and note; 105:10 and note.

106:47–48 The psalmist asks Yahweh to help Israel and gather them from their scattered locations in exile (see note on vv. 1–48). The psalm closes by blessing Yahweh and repeating the opening command of v. 1.

106:47 Save us The psalmist has rehearsed the sad history of Israel’s unfaithfulness, and begs God for help.

and gather us from the nations This seems to refer to the exile and dispersion among the nations. See note on vv. 1–48.

106:48 This verse functions as a doxology or closing to Book Four of Psalms (see note on 1:1–6). The closing verses of each book of Psalms contain statements of blessing to Yahweh. Such formulaic statements of praise to Yahweh are usually called doxologies, and point to some level of intentional arrangement of each book of the Psalms. However, the precise nature of that arrangement is unclear. These statements could indicate that the psalms were collected into these books in stages; they could also indicate that the psalms were transmitted for a time in the form of these books. Doxology ZDBT Doxology HIBD

Praise Yah Echoes v. 1. Compare 104:35 and note; 105:45 and note.