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Psalm 106
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Scripture (KJV)
1Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praise?
3Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
4Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;
5That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.
6We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
7Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.
8Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
9He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.
10And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.
12Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.
13They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:
14But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
15And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
16They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the Lord.
17The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.
18And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.
19They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.
20Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
21They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;
22Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.
23Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
24Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:
25But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord.
26Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:
27To cause their seed to fall among the heathen, and to scatter them in the lands.
28They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.
29Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.
30Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.
31And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.
32They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:
33Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
34They did not destroy the nations, of whom the Lord commanded them.
35But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.
36And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
37Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
38And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
39Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
40Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
41And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.
42Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.
43Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.
44Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:
45And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.
46He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.
47Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.
48Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord.
Summary
Psalm 106 is a confessional hymn that recounts Israel’s long history of rebellion alongside God’s persistent mercy. It opens with praise for the Lord’s enduring mercy and a confession—“We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.” The psalm then walks through the failures: provoking God at the Red Sea, lusting in the wilderness, envying Moses and Aaron, worshipping the golden calf, despising the pleasant land, murmuring in their tents, joining Baalpeor, provoking God at the waters of strife, failing to destroy the nations, and even sacrificing their children to idols. Each rebellion is met with judgment, yet again and again God raises deliverers—Moses standing in the breach, Phinehas executing judgment—and remembers His covenant.
The refrain of grace sounds in verses 44-46: “Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry,” and the psalm closes with a plea for God to gather the scattered people and a doxology. The major themes are confession, rebellion, mercy, intercession, and covenant remembrance. The psalm teaches that honest confession of corporate sin is the path to renewed mercy. Practically, it warns against forgetting God’s works and mingling with the world’s idols, while holding out hope that the Lord hears the cry of the repentant. The great lesson is that human failure is great, but God’s mercy is greater.
Key Themes
A Prayer from Psalm 106
Lord, I give thanks, for You are good and Your mercy endures forever. I confess with the fathers before me: we have sinned, committed iniquity, done wickedly. We have forgotten Your works, lusted in the wilderness, and provoked You with our inventions. We have worshipped the works of our hands and mingled with the ways of the world. Nevertheless, You have regarded our affliction when we cried out; You have remembered Your covenant and repented according to the multitude of Your mercies. Raise up intercessors to stand in the breach, and make us to be pitied by those who carry us captive. Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name and triumph in Your praise. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. Amen. Praise the Lord! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Reflection Questions
- 1Where do I see the pattern of “forget—sin—cry out—deliverance” in my own life?
- 2What idols of our age are a snare to me, and how can I tear them down?
- 3Who might God be calling me to stand “in the breach” for through intercession?
- 4How does the refrain “Nevertheless he regarded their affliction” give me hope?
Related Psalms
Psalm 78
“Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.”
A long historical psalm teaching Israel to remember and not rebel.
Read morePsalm 105
“O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.”
Psalm 105 is a historical hymn that recounts God’s faithfulness to His covenant from Abraham to the conquest of Canaan.
Read morePsalm 78
“Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.”
A long historical psalm teaching Israel to remember and not rebel.
Read morePsalm 107
“O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
Psalm 107 is a thanksgiving hymn for the redeemed, structured around four vivid portraits of people in distress whom the Lord rescues.
Read morePsalm 130
“Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.”
Psalm 130 is one of the "Penitential Psalms" and a Song of Ascents, beginning in the depths and rising to hope.
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