Psalm 106 is one of the most impactful texts in the Book of Psalms because it offers a profound analysis of the relationship between humanity and God. With a tone of confession and praise, it recalls the mistakes of a people—and how, despite them, divine mercy remained steadfast.
Psalm 106 – Complete
¹ Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endures for ever.
² Who can recount the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can declare all His praise?
³ Blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times.
⁴ Remember me, Lord, according to the favor You show Your people; visit me with Your salvation,
⁵ so that I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones, rejoice in the joy of Your nation, and glory with Your inheritance.
⁶ We have sinned like our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly.
⁷ Our fathers did not understand Your wonders in Egypt; they forgot the multitude of Your mercies and provoked You at the sea, even at the Red Sea.
⁸ Yet He saved them for the sake of His name, to make His power known.
⁹ He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; He led them through the depths as through a desert.
¹⁰ He rescued them from the hand of those who hated them and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
¹¹ The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived.
¹² Then they believed His words and sang His praise.
¹³ But they soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel.
¹⁴ They gave way to craving in the wilderness and tested God in the wasteland.
¹⁵ So He granted their request but sent leanness into their souls.
¹⁶ They envied Moses in the camp and Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.
¹⁷ The earth opened and swallowed Dathan and covered the company of Abiram.
¹⁸ Fire blazed among their company; the flame consumed the wicked.
¹⁹ They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a cast image.
²⁰ They exchanged their glory for the likeness of an ox that eats grass.
²¹ They forgot God their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,
²² wonders in the land of Ham and awesome deeds at the Red Sea.
²³ Therefore He said He would destroy them—had not Moses, His chosen one, stood in the breach before Him, to turn away His wrath from destroying them.
²⁴ They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His word.
²⁵ They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the Lord.
²⁶ So He lifted up His hand against them, to make them fall in the wilderness,
²⁷ to scatter their offspring among the nations and disperse them over the lands.
²⁸ They yoked themselves to Baal-Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods.
²⁹ They provoked the Lord to anger by their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.
³⁰ Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stopped.
³¹ This was credited to him as righteousness for all generations, for ever.
³² By the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord, and trouble came to Moses because of them;
³³ for they embittered his spirit, and he spoke rashly with his lips.
³⁴ They did not destroy the peoples as the Lord had commanded them;
³⁵ instead, they mingled with the nations and learned their practices.
³⁶ They served their idols, which became a snare to them.
³⁷ They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons;
³⁸ they shed innocent blood—the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan—and the land was polluted with blood.
³⁹ Thus they were defiled by their works and prostituted themselves by their deeds.
⁴⁰ Therefore the Lord’s anger burned against His people, and He abhorred His inheritance.
⁴¹ He handed them over to the nations, and those who hated them ruled over them.
⁴² Their enemies oppressed them, and they were subjected to their power.
⁴³ Many times He delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and sank low through their iniquity.
⁴⁴ Yet He saw their distress when He heard their cry;
⁴⁵ He remembered His covenant and relented according to the abundance of His mercies.
⁴⁶ He also made all their captors show them compassion.
⁴⁷ Save us, Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name and glory in Your praise.
⁴⁸ Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. And let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the Lord.
Verse-by-Verse Explanation of Psalm 106
Psalm 106:1
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endures for ever.
This opening call to praise affirms the goodness and constancy of divine love—even before addressing human failure, the psalm exalts God’s nature.
Psalm 106:2
Who can recount the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can declare all His praise?
The verse highlights the greatness of God’s deeds, which are countless and worthy of eternal adoration.
Psalm 106:3
Blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times.
Happiness is attributed to those who maintain integrity and constant justice—the standard of life God values.
Psalm 106:4
Remember me, Lord, according to the favor You show Your people; visit me with Your salvation.
A personal plea to be included in the blessings intended for God’s people, acknowledging the need for divine intervention.
Psalm 106:5
So that I may see the prosperity of Your chosen, rejoice in the joy of Your nation, and glory with Your inheritance.
The psalmist longs to share in the promises, fellowship, and joy granted to the faithful.
Psalm 106:6
We have sinned like our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly.
A collective acknowledgment of sin—the psalmist places himself within the history of past failures.
Psalm 106:7
Our fathers did not understand Your wonders in Egypt; they forgot the multitude of Your mercies; instead, they provoked You at the sea, even at the Red Sea.
Even after great miracles, the people did not maintain faith and trust, revealing spiritual forgetfulness.
Psalm 106:8
Yet He saved them for the sake of His name, to make His power known.
God acted mercifully—not because of the people’s merit, but to reveal Himself as faithful and powerful.
Psalm 106:9
He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; He led them through the depths as through a desert.
The miracle of the sea crossing is recalled, demonstrating God’s dominion over nature.
Psalm 106:10
He rescued them from the hand of those who hated them and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
God acted as a deliverer, breaking the yoke of oppression.
Psalm 106:11
The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived.
Shows judgment on the pursuers and complete protection over the delivered people.
Psalm 106:12
Then they believed His words and sang His praise.
After deliverance came faith and praise—but that faith would prove short-lived.
Psalm 106:13
But they soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel.
Ingratitude and impatience returned, revealing a cycle of weak faith and rebellion.
Psalm 106:14
They gave way to craving in the wilderness and tested God in the wasteland.
Disordered desire led the people to test divine patience—even after so much care.
Psalm 106:15
So He granted their request but sent leanness into their souls.
God gave what they asked, but it brought emptiness within—what we desire does not always bring fulfillment.
Psalm 106:16
They envied Moses in the camp, and Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.
Even the leaders chosen by God were targets of envy, showing resistance to spiritual authority.
Psalm 106:17
The earth opened and swallowed Dathan and covered the company of Abiram.
Reminds us of God’s direct judgment against rebellion—disobedience has serious consequences.
Psalm 106:18
Fire blazed among their company; the flame consumed the wicked.
Another sign of judgment, reinforcing the seriousness of opposing God’s will.
Psalm 106:19
They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a cast image.
Recalls the episode of idolatry when the people replaced God with a human-made image.
Psalm 106:20
They exchanged their glory for the likeness of an ox that eats grass.
Trading the eternal God for an idol represented severe spiritual degradation.
Psalm 106:21
They forgot God their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,
Forgetting God’s deeds is portrayed as one of the roots of downfall.
Psalm 106:22
wonders in the land of Ham, awesome deeds at the Red Sea.
Reaffirms the miracles already mentioned, which were not valued as they should have been.
Psalm 106:23
Therefore He said He would destroy them—had not Moses, His chosen one, stood in the breach before Him, to turn away His wrath from destroying them.
Moses acted as an intercessor, preventing divine justice from wiping out the people completely.
Psalm 106:24
They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His word.
Even the promise of a good land was rejected because of unbelief.
Psalm 106:25
They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the Lord.
Murmuring replaced faith, revealing constant resistance to obedience.
Psalm 106:26
So He lifted up His hand against them, to make them fall in the wilderness;
Judgment came in the form of a generation that never entered the promised land.
Psalm 106:27
to scatter their offspring among the nations and disperse them over the lands.
Refers to future consequences such as exile and dispersion.
Psalm 106:28
They yoked themselves to Baal-Peor and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
Another act of idolatry, associated with distorted practices.
Psalm 106:29
They provoked the Lord to anger by their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.
Disobedience resulted in physical punishment as a form of correction.
Psalm 106:30
Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stopped.
The decisive action of a leader brought relief and restored order.
Psalm 106:31
This was credited to him as righteousness for all generations, for ever.
Phinehas’s zeal was considered a lasting example of righteousness.
Psalm 106:32
By the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord, and trouble came to Moses because of them;
The people provoked a situation that harmed even their most faithful leader.
Psalm 106:33
for they embittered his spirit, and he spoke rashly with his lips.
Under pressure, Moses acted outside the expected pattern and suffered the consequences.
Psalm 106:34
They did not destroy the peoples as the Lord had commanded them.
Disobedience appeared in their failure to carry out divine instructions.
Psalm 106:35
Instead, they mingled with the nations and learned their practices.
This mixture brought negative influence and weakened the people’s spiritual identity.
Psalm 106:36
They served their idols, which became a snare to them.
Idolatry not only diverts but traps and destroys.
Psalm 106:37
They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons,
The lowest point of spiritual degradation—sacrificing innocents.
Psalm 106:38
They shed innocent blood… and the land was polluted with blood.
The consequences of sin reached even the physical environment, polluting the land.
Psalm 106:39
Thus they were defiled by their works and prostituted themselves by their deeds.
The final result was total corruption—both moral and spiritual.
Psalm 106:40
Therefore the Lord’s anger burned against His people, and He abhorred His inheritance.
God’s reaction to such perversity was righteous and firm.
Psalm 106:41
He handed them over to the nations…
As punishment, the people lost their freedom and were dominated.
Psalm 106:42
Their enemies oppressed them…
Oppression was the direct result of infidelity.
Psalm 106:43
Many times He delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion…
Despite many chances, the people continued provoking divine justice.
Psalm 106:44
Yet He saw their distress…
Even then, God responded to their cry, showing compassion.
Psalm 106:45
He remembered His covenant…
God’s covenant is never forgotten—mercy prevails.
Psalm 106:46
He also made all their captors show them compassion…
Even the oppressors, under divine influence, were led to mercy.
Psalm 106:47
Save us, Lord our God, and gather us…
The psalmist asks for total restoration—spiritual and national.
Psalm 106:48
Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel… and let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the Lord.
The psalm ends as it began—with praise. Human history may fail, but God remains worthy of worship.
Understanding the Context of Psalm 106
Psalm 106 is part of a series of psalms that reflect on the history and conduct of God’s people over time. It is not only a historical retrospective but also a timeless message of forgiveness, repentance, and restoration.
The structure of this psalm follows a clear pattern: acknowledgment of failures, recollection of consequences, and reaffirmation of hope in divine compassion. In doing so, it calls for both collective and individual reflection.
The Central Theme: Mercy Amid Failure
The main axis of Psalm 106 is the contrast between divine faithfulness and human instability. While people easily stray from what is right, God’s response is always patient, offering opportunities for reconciliation.
By addressing this reality, the text shows that even those who have experienced great blessings can commit serious failures. Yet genuine repentance is the path to new beginnings.
Collective Memory and Spiritual Awareness
Psalm 106 uses collective memory as a learning tool. It recalls episodes that reveal repeated patterns of ingratitude and disobedience. This strategy is not meant for condemnation but for learning and transformation.
Bringing these past events to light effectively awakens awareness. It helps us understand that the same patterns can repeat in modern life if there is no spiritual vigilance.
A Call to Sincere Confession
The tone of Psalm 106 is confessional, yet it goes beyond guilt. There is a deep desire for restoration, which makes it ideal for moments of introspection. Recognizing one’s own errors is the first step toward real change.
This content can be useful both individually and in communal contexts such as community gatherings or spiritual reflection meetings—serving as a tool for authentic repentance and alignment with correct values.
Divine Intervention Throughout History
Despite departures from the right path, Psalm 106 recalls several positive interventions. God acts even when His people err—providing rescue, guidance, and protection. This constancy gives confidence to seek forgiveness.
This historical pattern helps develop a more mature spiritual vision. It is not merely about avoiding mistakes but recognizing that restoration is always offered.
Practical Applications of Psalm 106
Though ancient, Psalm 106 carries messages highly relevant to modern life. It applies to relationships, ethics, personal decisions, and moral challenges.
Some practical teachings include:
- The importance of remembering the lessons of the past
- The need for confession when an error is recognized
- Valuing mercy as an opportunity for change
- Collective responsibility in the face of social failings
An Invitation to Gratitude and Humility
Psalm 106 is not only about errors; it is also about gratitude. It shows that, even amid many failures, divine love and patience prevail. Recognizing this generates a spirit of humility, essential for spiritual growth.
Gratitude should arise not only in moments of victory but also in recognizing opportunities to start anew. This psalm teaches us to value such chances and to respond with renewed commitment.
Lessons Psalm 106 Conveys
By analyzing Psalm 106, we can draw valuable lessons that apply directly to daily life. Here are a few:
The need for spiritual vigilance
Often, drifting away from what is right begins subtly. The text shows how small wrong choices can escalate into major consequences.
The power of intercession
Even when a community errs, there is room for mediation and reconciliation. Interceding for others is both noble and necessary.
The strength of spiritual memory
Remembering what went wrong in the past helps avoid repeating the same mistakes. Awareness of history is essential for wisdom.
The constancy of divine love
Regardless of human behavior, the sustaining love behind all things remains unshakable. That love makes new beginnings possible.
Psalm 106: A Mirror for Contemporary Society
Psalm 106 can be read as constructive critique of society. It warns against selfishness, modern idolatry, and ingratitude while offering hope for both individual and collective transformation.
In times of moral confusion and polarization, this psalm functions as an anchor for spiritual balance. It calls us to sincere reflection and a return to principles that foster peace, justice, and responsibility.
Why Psalm 106 Matters
Psalm 106 stands out by uniting history, emotion, and spirituality in one text. It promotes an honest approach to human reality and leads us to consider the value of repentance and new beginnings.
Its power lies in linking past memory with future hope. It teaches that, even after many errors, one can still walk with dignity—provided the need for change is acknowledged.
FAQ about Psalm 106
What practical teaching does Psalm 106 offer?
It teaches about spiritual responsibility, the need for repentance, and trust in mercy—showing that even those who err repeatedly can find forgiveness.
What is the main purpose of Psalm 106?
Its primary purpose is to give an honest account of the relationship between human beings and the divine—acknowledging failures and highlighting faithfulness that remains constant.
How can Psalm 106 be applied daily?
By practicing gratitude, recognizing errors, seeking forgiveness, and committing to more just attitudes—at home, at work, or in community.
Who benefits most from reading this psalm?
It is ideal for anyone wanting deep spiritual reflection—especially in moments of personal evaluation, change, or decision-making.
Why is Psalm 106 often cited in spiritual gatherings?
Because it offers a balanced approach between confession and hope, making it ideal for times of fellowship, teaching, or deeper faith exploration.
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I hope you enjoyed it.