Psalms 106:26-36

26 Therefore He lifted up His hand against them to overthrow them in the wilderness,

27 to overthrow their seed also among the nations and to scatter them in the lands.

28 They joined themselves also with Baal of Peor, and ate the sacrifices to the dead.

29 Thus they provoked Him to anger with their inventions, and the plague broke in upon them.

30 Then stood up Phinehas and executed judgment, and so the plague was stayed.

31 And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.

32 They angered Him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes,

33 because they provoked his spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips.

34 They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them;

35 but they mingled among the heathen and learned their works,

36 and they served their idols, which were a snare unto them.

Psalms 106:26-36 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.