Psalms 106

23. he said--namely, to Moses ( Deuteronomy 9:13 ). With God, saying is as certain as doing; but His purpose, while full of wrath against sin, takes into account the mediation of Him of whom Moses was the type ( Exodus 32:11-14 Deuteronomy 9:18 Deuteronomy 9:19 ).
Moses his chosen--that is, to be His servant (compare Psalms 105:26 ).
in the breach--as a warrior covers with his body the broken part of a wall or fortress besieged, a perilous place ( Ezekiel 13:5 , 22:30 ).
to turn away--or, "prevent"
his wrath--( Numbers 25:11 , Psalms 78:38 ).

24-27. The sin of refusing to invade Canaan, "the pleasant land" ( Jeremiah 3:19 , Ezekiel 20:6 , Daniel 8:9 ), "the land of beauty," was punished by the destruction of that generation ( Numbers 14:28 ), and the threat of dispersion ( Deuteronomy 4:25 , 28:32 ) afterwards made to their posterity, and fulfilled in the great calamities now bewailed, may have also been then added.
despised--( Numbers 14:31 ).
believed not his word--by which He promised He would give them the land; but rather the word of the faithless spies (compare Psalms 78:22 ).

26. lifted up his hand--or, "swore," the usual form of swearing (compare Numbers 14:30 , Margin).

27. To overthrow--literally, "To make them fall"; alluding to the words ( Numbers 14:39 ).
among . . . nations . . . lands--The "wilderness" was not more destructive to the fathers ( Psalms 106:26 ) than residence among the heathen ("nations") shall be to the children Le 26:33,38 is here, before the Psalmist's mind, the determination against the "seed" when rebellious, being not expressed in Numbers 14:31-33 , but implied in the determination against the fathers.

28-30. sacrifices of the dead--that is of lifeless idols, contrasted with "the living God" ( Jeremiah 10:3-10 ; compare Psalms 115:4-7 1 Corinthians 12:2 ). On the words,
joined themselves to Baal-peor--see Numbers 25:2 Numbers 25:3 Numbers 25:5 .
Baal-peor--that is the possessor of Peor, the mountain on which Chemosh, the idol of Moab, was worshipped, and at the foot of which Israel at the time lay encamped ( Numbers 23:28 ). The name never occurs except in connection with that locality and that circumstance.

29. provoked--excited grief and indignation ( Psalms 6:7 , 78:58 ).

30. stood--as Aaron "stood between the living and the dead, and the plague was stayed" ( Numbers 16:48 ).
executed judgment--literally, "judged," including sentence and act.

31. counted . . . righteousness--"a just and rewardable action."
for--or, "unto," to the procuring of righteousness, as in Romans 4:2 , 10:4 . Here it was a particular act, not faith, nor its object Christ; and what was procured was not justifying righteousness, or what was to be rewarded with eternal life; for no one act of man's can be taken for complete obedience. But it was that which God approved and rewarded with a perpetual priesthood to him and his descendants ( Numbers 25:13 , 1 Chronicles 6:4 , &c.).

32, 33. (Compare Numbers 20:3-12 , Deuteronomy 1:37 , 3:26 ).
went ill with--literally, "was bad for"
Moses--His conduct, though under great provocation, was punished by exclusion from Canaan.

34-39. They not only failed to expel the heathen, as God
commanded--( Exodus 23:32 Exodus 23:33 ), literally, "said (they should)," but conformed to their idolatries ( Psalms 106:36 ) and thus became spiritual adulterers ( Psalms 73:27 ).

37. unto devils--Septuagint, "demons" (compare 1 Corinthians 10:20 ), or "evil spirits."

38. polluted with blood--literally, "blood," or "murder" ( Psalms 5:6 , 26:9 ).

40-43. Those nations first seduced and then oppressed them (compare Judges 1:34 , 2:14 , 3:30 ). Their apostasies ungratefully repaid God's many mercies till He finally abandoned them to punishment ( Leviticus 26:39 ).

44-46. If, as is probable, this Psalm was written at the time of the captivity, the writer now intimates the tokens of God's returning favor.

45. repented--(compare Psalms 90:13 ).

46. made . . . pitied--( 1 Kings 8:50 , Daniel 1:9 ). These tokens encourage the prayer and the promise of praise ( Psalms 30:4 ), which is well closed by a doxology.