Psalms 106:40-48

40 And the Lord was wroth by strong vengeance against his people; and he had abomination of his heritage. (And the Lord grew more and more angry in his fury against his people; and he had abomination for his own inheritance.)

41 And he betook them into the hands of heathen men; and they that hated them, were lords of them. (And he delivered them into the hands of the heathen; and so they who hated them, were their lords.)

42 And their enemies did tribulation to them, and they were meeked under the hands of enemies; (And their enemies troubled them/oppressed them, and they were humbled at the hands of their enemies;)

43 oft he delivered them. But they wrathed him in their counsel; and they were made low in their wickednesses. (and often he rescued them. But then they stirred him to anger again with their deeds/But still they chose to rebel against him; and so they were brought down low for their wickednesses.)

44 And he saw, when they were set in tribulation; and he heard the prayer of them (and he heard their prayers).

45 And he was mindful of his testament; and it repented him by the multitude of his mercy. (And he remembered his covenant with them; and he relented because of his great love.)

46 And he gave them into mercies; in the sight of all men, that had taken them. (And he made the people, who had taken them captive, to have compassion for them.)

47 Our Lord God, make thou us safe; and gather together us from nations. That we acknowledge to thine holy name; and have glory in thy praising. (Lord our God, save thou us; and gather us back from among the nations. So that we may give thanks to thy holy name; and receive glory in thy praising.)

48 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from the world and till into the world (Blessed be the Lord God of Israel forever and ever); and all the people shall say, Be it done, be it done.

Psalms 106:40-48 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.