Salmos 106

1 ALELUYA. Alabad á Jehová, porque es bueno; Porque para siempre es su misericordia.

2 ¿Quién expresará las valentías de Jehová? ¿Quién contará sus alabanzas?

3 Dichosos los que guardan juicio, Los que hacen justicia en todo tiempo.

4 Acuérdate de mí, oh Jehová, según tu benevolencia para con tu pueblo: Visítame con tu salud;

5 Para que yo vea el bien de tus escogidos, Para que me goce en la alegría de tu gente, Y me gloríe con tu heredad.

6 Pecamos con nuestros padres, Hicimos iniquidad, hicimos impiedad.

7 Nuestros padres en Egipto no entendieron tus maravillas; No se acordaron de la muchedumbre de tus misericordias; Sino que se rebelaron junto á la mar, en el mar Bermejo.

8 Salvólos empero por amor de su nombre, Para hacer notoria su fortaleza.

9 Y reprendió al mar Bermejo, y secólo; E hízoles ir por el abismo, como por un desierto.

10 Y salvólos de mano del enemigo, Y rescatólos de mano del adversario.

11 Y cubrieron las aguas á sus enemigos: No quedó uno de ellos.

12 Entonces creyeron á sus palabras, Y cantaron su alabanza.

13 Apresuráronse, olvidáronse de sus obras; No esperaron en su consejo.

14 Y desearon con ansia en el desierto; Y tentaron á Dios en la soledad.

15 Y él les dió lo que pidieron; Mas envió flaqueza en sus almas.

16 Tomaron después celo contra Moisés en el campo, Y contra Aarón el santo de Jehová.

17 Abrióse la tierra, y tragó á Dathán, Y cubrió la compañía de Abiram.

18 Y encendióse el fuego en su junta; La llama quemó los impíos.

19 Hicieron becerro en Horeb, Y encorváronse á un vaciadizo.

20 Así trocaron su gloria Por la imagen de un buey que come hierba.

21 Olvidaron al Dios de su salud, Que había hecho grandezas en Egipto;

22 Maravillas en la tierra de Châm, Cosas formidables sobre el mar Bermejo.

23 Y trató de destruirlos, A no haberse puesto Moisés su escogido al portillo delante de él, A fin de apartar su ira, para que no los destruyese.

24 Empero aborrecieron la tierra deseable: No creyeron á su palabra;

25 Antes murmuraron en sus tiendas, Y no oyeron la voz de Jehová.

26 Por lo que alzó su mano á ellos, En orden á postrarlos en el desierto,

27 Y humillar su simiente entre las gentes, Y esparcirlos por las tierras.

28 Allegáronse asimismo á Baalpeor, Y comieron los sacrificios de los muertos.

29 Y ensañaron á Dios con sus obras, Y desarrollóse la mortandad en ellos.

30 Entonces se levantó Phinees, é hizo juicio; Y se detuvo la plaga.

31 Y fuéle contado á justicia De generación en generación para siempre.

32 También le irritaron en las aguas de Meriba: E hizo mal á Moisés por causa de ellos;

33 Porque hicieron se rebelase su espíritu, Como lo expresó con sus labios.

34 No destruyeron los pueblos Que Jehová les dijo;

35 Antes se mezclaron con las gentes, Y aprendieron sus obras.

36 Y sirvieron á sus ídolos; Los cuales les fueron por ruina.

37 Y sacrificaron sus hijos y sus hijas á los demonios;

38 Y derramaron la sangre inocente, la sangre de sus hijos y de sus hijas, Que sacrificaron á los ídolos de Canaán: Y la tierra fué contaminada con sangre.

39 Contamináronse así con sus obras, Y fornicaron con sus hechos.

40 Encendióse por tanto el furor de Jehová sobre su pueblo, Y abominó su heredad:

41 Y entrególos en poder de las gentes, Y enseñoreáronse de ellos los que los aborrecían.

42 Y sus enemigos los oprimieron, Y fueron quebrantados debajo de su mano.

43 Muchas veces los libró; Mas ellos se rebelaron á su consejo, Y fueron humillados por su maldad.

44 El con todo, miraba cuando estaban en angustia, Y oía su clamor:

45 Y acordábase de su pacto con ellos, Y arrepentíase conforme á la muchedumbre de sus miseraciones.

46 Hizo asimismo tuviesen de ellos misericordia todos los que los tenían cautivos.

47 Sálvanos, Jehová Dios nuestro, Y júntanos de entre las gentes, Para que loemos tu santo nombre, Para que nos gloriemos en tus alabanzas.

48 Bendito Jehová Dios de Israel, Desde el siglo y hasta el siglo: Y diga todo el pueblo, Amén. Aleluya.

Salmos 106 Commentary

Chapter 106

The happiness of God's people. (1-5) Israel's sins. (6-12) Their provocations. (13-33) Their rebellions in Canaan. (34-46) Prayer for more complete deliverance. (47,48)

Verses 1-5 None of our sins or sufferings should prevent our ascribing glory and praise to the Lord. The more unworthy we are, the more is his kindness to be admired. And those who depend on the Redeemer's righteousness will endeavour to copy his example, and by word and deed to show forth his praise. God's people have reason to be cheerful people; and need not envy the children of men their pleasure or pride.

Verses 6-12 Here begins a confession of sin; for we must acknowledge that the Lord has done right, and we have done wickedly. We are encouraged to hope that though justly corrected, yet we shall not be utterly forsaken. God's afflicted people own themselves guilty before him. God is distrusted because his favours are not remembered. If he did not save us for his own name's sake, and to the praise of his power and grace, we should all perish.

Verses 13-33 Those that will not wait for God's counsel, shall justly be given up to their own hearts' lusts, to walk in their own counsels. An undue desire, even for lawful things, becomes sinful. God showed his displeasure for this. He filled them with uneasiness of mind, terror of conscience, and self-reproach. Many that fare deliciously every day, and whose bodies are healthful, have leanness in their souls: no love to God, no thankfulness, no appetite for the Bread of life, and then the soul must be lean. Those wretchedly forget themselves, that feast their bodies and starve their souls. Even the true believer will see abundant cause to say, It is of the Lord's mercies that I am not consumed. Often have we set up idols in our hearts, cleaved to some forbidden object; so that if a greater than Moses had not stood to turn away the anger of the Lord, we should have been destroyed. If God dealt severely with Moses for unadvised words, what do those deserve who speak many proud and wicked words? It is just in God to remove those relations that are blessings to us, when we are peevish and provoking to them, and grieve their spirits.

Verses 34-48 The conduct of the Israelites in Canaan, and God's dealings with them, show that the way of sin is down-hill; omissions make way for commissions: when they neglected to destroy the heathen, they learned their works. One sin led to many more, and brought the judgments of God on them. Their sin was, in part, their own punishment. Sinners often see themselves ruined by those who led them into evil. Satan, who is a tempter, will be a tormentor. At length, God showed pity to his people for his covenant's sake. The unchangeableness of God's merciful nature and love to his people, makes him change the course of justice into mercy; and no other change is meant by God's repentance. Our case is awful when the outward church is considered. When nations professing Christianity, are so guilty as we are, no wonder if the Lord brings them low for their sins. Unless there is general and deep repentance, there can be no prospect but of increasing calamities. The psalm concludes with prayer for completing the deliverance of God's people, and praise for the beginning and progress of it. May all the people of the earth, ere long, add their Amen.

Chapter Summary

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.