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psalms 106:13-33

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Psalms 106:13-33

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”

— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

13. They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: 14. But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. 15. And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul. 16. They envied Moses also in the camp, [and] Aaron the saint of the LORD. 17. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. 18. And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked. 19. They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. 20. Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass. 21. They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt; 22. Wondrous works in the land of Ham, [and] terrible things by the Red sea. 23. Therefore 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]. 24. Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: 25. But murmured in their tents, [and] hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD. 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 unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead. 29. Thus they provoked [him] to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake 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 spake unadvisedly with his lips.

Psalms 106:13-33 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Psalms 106:13

Theological / Devotional

Soon forgat. Verses 13–33 are the confession of Israel’s sins in the wilderness: their lust for flesh, their revolt against Moses and Aaron, the sin of the golden calf, the incident of the spies, the sin at Baal-peor, and the murmuring at Meribah.

The successive sins recalled in the psalm follow without formal transition. This tendency to pass immediately from episode to episode without expressed connection is an example of the rhetorical figure called asyndeton. It is a characteristic of Ps. 106 (see vs. 6, 7, 13, 24, etc.). The effect of the asyndeton is to leave the impression of an almost breathless recollection upon recollection of the historic mistakes of the nation of Israel, as if the people were hastening to make a full confession.

Waited not. They ran ahead of God’s plan for them. Whenever we fail to wait for God to reveal His plan for us, we fall into trouble.

By SdaBc