Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 106 (MT) / Psalm 105 (LXX) closes Book IV with a historical-confession — the counterpart to Ps 105's covenant-celebration. Where Ps 105 rehearses God's faithfulness, Ps 106 rehearses Israel's repeated-rebellion across the same historical-period. The psalm ends with exilic-petition (v. 47) and the Book IV doxology (v. 48), which is also the conclusion-of-the-psalm cited at 1 Chronicles 16:35–36. The confessional-memory is structured around 'yet he saved them for his name's sake' (v. 8) — divine-name-fidelity as ultimate basis of covenant-continuity.
Notable Variants
106:47 Book IV closing with exilic-gathering petition; 106:48 Book IV doxology (// 1 Chr 16:35–36); 106:31 'counted to him as righteousness' of Phinehas — the only OT parallel to Gen 15:6 / Rom 4:3 imputation-language; 106:20 golden-calf 'they exchanged the glory of God for an image' → Rom 1:23.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 106 = LXX Ps 105. 48 verses. Closes Book IV (Pss 90–106).
Praise the LORD! Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His faithful love endures forever.
'Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!' tracks MT. HALLELUJAH + CHESED-ENDURES-FOREVER opening — double-formula.
Who can recount the mighty acts of the LORD or declare all His praise?
'Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise?' tracks MT.
Blessed are those who maintain justice, who practice righteousness at all times.
'Blessed are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times' tracks MT. JUSTICE-AND-RIGHTEOUSNESS-BEATITUDE.
Remember me, O LORD, with the favor you show your people; visit me with your salvation,
'Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them' tracks MT. REMEMBER-ME petition — the dying-thief's 'remember me' at Luke 23:42 echoes.
that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may boast with your inheritance.
'That I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance' tracks MT.
We have sinned along with our ancestors; we have done wrong; we have acted wickedly.
'Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness' tracks MT. CONFESSION formula — recurring: Daniel 9:5, Nehemiah 1:6, 9:33–34.
Our ancestors in Egypt did not grasp your wonders; they did not remember the abundance of your faithful love, but rebelled at the sea, at the Sea of Reeds.
'Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea' tracks MT.
Yet He saved them for His name's sake, to make His mighty power known.
'Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power' tracks MT. FOR-HIS-NAME'S-SAKE salvation. Ezekiel 36:22 ('it is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name') extends. Romans 9:17 (on Pharaoh) applies the demonstration-of-power theology.
He rebuked the Sea of Reeds and it dried up; He led them through the depths as through a desert.
'He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert' tracks MT.
He saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
'So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy' tracks MT.
The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived.
'And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left' tracks MT.
Then they believed His words; they sang His praise.
'Then they believed his words; they sang his praise' tracks MT. Miriam's song (Ex 15).
They quickly forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel.
'But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel' tracks MT. SOON-FORGOT — brief-faithfulness.
They craved intensely in the wilderness and tested God in the wasteland.
'But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert' tracks MT. 1 Cor 10:6 ('not crave evil things as they also craved') directly applies.
He gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease into their souls.
'He gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them' tracks MT. 'SENT-WASTING-DISEASE' — Kibroth-Hattaavah (Num 11). The got-what-you-wanted-at-terrible-cost principle.
They were jealous of Moses in the camp, of Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.
'When men in the camp were jealous of Moses and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD' tracks MT. Korah's rebellion (Num 16).
The earth opened and swallowed Dathan and covered the assembly of Abiram.
'The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram' tracks MT.
Fire blazed among their assembly; a flame consumed the wicked.
'Fire also broke out in their company; the flame burned up the wicked' tracks MT.
They made a calf at Horeb and worshipped a cast image.
'They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image' tracks MT. GOLDEN CALF (Ex 32).
They exchanged their glory for the image of a bull that eats grass.
'They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass' tracks MT. ROMANS 1:23 ECHO. 'They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things' (Rom 1:23) directly echoes this verse's exchange-vocabulary (ēllaxanto / they exchanged). Paul reads the golden-calf as the paradigm for universal-human idolatry.
They forgot God their savior, who had done great things in Egypt,
'They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt' tracks MT.
wonders in the land of Ham, terrible deeds at the Sea of Reeds.
'Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea' tracks MT.
So He said He would destroy them — had not Moses, His chosen one, stood in the breach before Him to turn His wrath from destroying them.
'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' tracks MT. MOSES-IN-THE-BREACH intercession. Ezek 22:30 ('I sought for a man … who should stand in the breach') develops.
They rejected the desirable land; they did not believe His word.
'Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise' tracks MT. DESPISED-THE-LAND — the Kadesh spy-rebellion (Num 13–14).
They grumbled in their tents; they did not listen to the voice of the LORD.
'They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the LORD' tracks MT.
So He raised His hand against them, swearing to make them fall in the wilderness,
'Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness' tracks MT. Hebrews 3:11 (citing Ps 95:11 'they shall not enter my rest') reads the wilderness-fall as the paradigm of unbelief-barring-entry.
to cast down their offspring among the nations and to scatter them across the lands.
'And would make their offspring fall among the nations, scattering them among the lands' tracks MT. EXILE-PROPHECY.
They yoked themselves to Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
'Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead' tracks MT. BAAL-PEOR apostasy (Num 25).
They provoked Him with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.
'They provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them' tracks MT.
Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stopped.
'Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed' tracks MT. PHINEHAS-INTERVENED.
It was credited to him as righteousness for all generations forever.
Masoretic (WLC)
וַתֵּחָשֶׁב לוֹ לִצְדָקָה לְדֹר וָדֹר עַד־עוֹלָם
And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever
Septuagint (LXX)
καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεὰν ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος
And it was counted to him for righteousness from generation to generation forever
GENESIS 15:6 / ROMANS 4:3 PARALLEL. This verse — 'it was counted to him for righteousness' (elogisthē autō eis dikaiosynēn) — is VERBALLY IDENTICAL to the Gen 15:6 LXX that Paul cites at Romans 4:3. This is the ONLY OTHER OT OCCURRENCE of the 'counted as righteousness' formula. The pairing is theologically suggestive: Phinehas' zealous-action counts-as-righteousness just as Abraham's faith counts-as-righteousness. The LXX's logizomai ('count, reckon, credit') is the imputation-verb Paul deploys at Rom 4 with Ps 32:2 ('the Lord will not count sin against him').
They angered God at the waters of Meribah, and it went badly for Moses on their account.
'They angered him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account' tracks MT. MOSES-SUFFERS-FOR-PEOPLE — Meribah-waters caused Moses' exclusion from Canaan (Num 20:12).
For they embittered his spirit, and he spoke rashly with his lips.
'For they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke rashly with his lips' tracks MT.
They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them.
'They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them' tracks MT. INCOMPLETE-CONQUEST — Judges 1:27–36 details.
They mingled with the nations and learned their practices.
'But they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did' tracks MT. ASSIMILATION-AS-SIN.
They served their idols, which became a snare to them.
'They served their idols, which became a snare to them' tracks MT.
They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.
'They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons' tracks MT. CHILD-SACRIFICE TO DEMONS. The LXX's daimonia (demons) here corresponds to Hebrew shedim. 1 Corinthians 10:20 ('what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons') deploys this vocabulary.
They poured out innocent blood — the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan — and the land was polluted with blood.
'They poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood' tracks MT.
They defiled themselves by their deeds and prostituted themselves by their practices.
'Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds' tracks MT. PLAYED-THE-WHORE — idolatry-as-adultery imagery (cf. Hosea). James 4:4 ('you adulterous people') extends.
Then the anger of the LORD burned against His people, and He abhorred His own inheritance.
'Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage' tracks MT.
He gave them into the hand of the nations, and those who hated them ruled over them.
'He gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them' tracks MT.
Their enemies oppressed them, and they were subdued under their hand.
'Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power' tracks MT.
Many times He rescued them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and sank low through their iniquity.
'Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity' tracks MT. JUDGES-CYCLE — deliverance-rebellion-subjugation-deliverance.
But He looked on their distress when He heard their cry.
'Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry' tracks MT.
He remembered His covenant for their sake and relented according to the abundance of His faithful love.
'For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love' tracks MT. COVENANT-REMEMBRANCE-AND-RELENTING — the mercy-backstop that sustains covenant through repeated-failure.
He caused all their captors to show them compassion.
'He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive' tracks MT.
Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and boast in your praise.
'Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise' tracks MT. EXILIC-GATHERING PETITION. The psalm concludes from exile — the prayer assumes post-exilic dispersal. Matthew 24:31 ('he will send his angels … and they will gather his elect from the four winds') Christologizes the gathering.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, 'Amen!' Praise the LORD!
'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say: Amen! Praise the LORD!' tracks MT. BOOK IV DOXOLOGY. // 1 Chronicles 16:36. The doxology closes Book IV (parallel to Ps 41:13, 72:18–19, 89:52). The 'let all the people say Amen' congregational-response is one of the strongest biblical-warrants for responsive-liturgy. Revelation 19:4 ('the twenty-four elders … fell down and worshiped God … saying: AMEN. HALLELUJAH!') echoes the double-formula.