Psalms 106:20

20 They exchanged their glorious God for an image of a bull, which eats grass.

Psalms 106:20 in Other Translations

KJV
20 Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
ESV
20 They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.
NLT
20 They traded their glorious God for a statue of a grass-eating bull.
MSG
20 They traded the Glory for a cheap piece of sculpture - a grass-chewing bull!
CSB
20 They exchanged their glory for the image of a grass-eating ox.

Psalms 106:20 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 106:20

Thus they changed their glory
God, who is glorious in all the perfections of his nature, and is glory itself, and was the glory of these people; it was their greatest honour that they had knowledge of him, nearness to him, the true worship of him among them, and that they were worshippers of him; and who, though he is unchangeable in himself, may be said to be changed when another is substituted and worshipped in his room, or worshipped besides him; which was what the Heathen did, and in which the Israelites exceeded them, ( Romans 1:23 Romans 1:25 ) ( Jeremiah 2:11 ) , the Targum is,

``they changed the glory of their Lord.''

Into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass;
which was monstrous stupidity, to leave the worship of the true God, El Shaddai, God all sufficient, all powerful, that stands in need of nothing, but upholds and supports all creatures in being, and provides them with necessaries; and worship an ox, yea, the figure of one that eats grass, that lives on hay, and is supported by that which is so weak and withering; the Targum adds,

``and makes dung;''

or defiles itself with it, as the ox does while it is eating grass; Jarchi observes, there is nothing more abominable and filthy than an ox when it is eating grass, which then makes much dung, and defiles itself; this the Targumist adds, to make the worship of such a creature the more contemptible.

Psalms 106:20 In-Context

18 Fire blazed among their followers; a flame consumed the wicked.
19 At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
20 They exchanged their glorious God for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
21 They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt,
22 miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.

Cross References 1

  • 1. Jeremiah 2:11; Romans 1:23
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