Psalms 106:36-48

36 They served their idols, which became a snare to them.[a]
37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.
38 They shed innocent blood- the blood of their sons and daughters whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; so the land became polluted with blood.[b]
39 They defiled themselves by their actions and prostituted themselves by their deeds.
40 Therefore the Lord's anger burned against His people, and He abhorred His own inheritance.
41 He handed them over to the nations; those who hated them ruled them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them, and they were subdued under their power.
43 He rescued them many times, but they continued to rebel deliberately and were beaten down by their sin.[c]
44 When He heard their cry, He took note of their distress,
45 remembered His covenant with them, and relented according to the abundance of His faithful love.
46 He caused them to be pitied before all their captors.
47 Save us, Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, so that we may give thanks to Your holy name and rejoice in Your praise.
48 May the Lord, the God of Israel, be praised from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, "Amen!" Hallelujah![d] BOOK V (Psalms 107-150)

Psalms 106:36-48 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 106

This psalm is without the name of its author, as the Syriac interpreter observes. Aben Ezra, on Ps 106:47, says, that one of the wise men of Egypt (perhaps Maimonides) was of opinion that it was written in the time of the judges, when there was no king in Israel; and another, he says, thought it was written in Babylon: but he was of opinion it was wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, or by a prophetic spirit, concerning their present captivity; and so Kimchi. The petition in Ps 106:47, "gather us from among the Heathen", has led most interpreters to conclude that it was written either in the Babylonish captivity, or, as some, in the times of Antiochus: but by comparing it with 1Ch 16:7, it appears that it was written by David, at the time of the bringing up of the ark to Zion; since the first and two last verses of it are there expressly mentioned, in the psalm he gave Asaph to sing on that occasion, Ps 106:34-36, who therein might have respect to the Israelites that had been taken captive by some of their neighbours, as the Philistines, and still retained; though there is no difficulty in supposing that David, under a prophetic spirit, foresaw future captivities, and represents those that were in them. As the preceding psalm treats of the mercies and favours God bestowed upon Israel, this of their sins and provocations amidst those blessings, and of the goodness of God unto them; that notwithstanding he did not destroy them from being a people; for which they had reason to be thankful.

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