Text -- Psalms 106:38-48 (NET)

106:38 They shed innocent blood– the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land was polluted by bloodshed. 106:39 They were defiled by their deeds, and unfaithful in their actions. 106:40 So the Lord was angry with his people and despised the people who belong to him. 106:41 He handed them over to the nations, and those who hated them ruled over them. 106:42 Their enemies oppressed them; they were subject to their authority. 106:43 Many times he delivered them, but they had a rebellious attitude, and degraded themselves by their sin. 106:44 Yet he took notice of their distress, when he heard their cry for help. 106:45 He remembered his covenant with them, and relented because of his great loyal love. 106:46 He caused all their conquerors to have pity on them. 106:47 Deliver us, O Lord, our God! Gather us from among the nations! Then we will give thanks to your holy name, and boast about your praiseworthy deeds. 106:48 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise, in the future and forevermore. Let all the people say, “We agree! Praise the Lord!”

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Psa 106:38

¹ sn Num 35:33-34 explains that bloodshed defiles a land.

NET Notes: Psa 106:39

¹ tn Heb “and they committed adultery in their actions.” This means that they were unfaithful to the Lord (see Ps 73:27).

NET Notes: Psa 106:40

¹ tn Heb “the anger of the Lord burned against his people.”

² tn Heb “his inheritance.”

NET Notes: Psa 106:41

¹ tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”

NET Notes: Psa 106:42

¹ tn Heb “they were subdued under their hand.”

NET Notes: Psa 106:43

¹ tn The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“he would deliver”).

² tn Heb “but they rebelled in their counsel.” The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“they would have a rebellious attitude”).

³ tn Heb “they sank down.” The Hebrew verb מָכַךְ (makhakh, “to lower; to sink”) occurs only here in the Qal.

NET Notes: Psa 106:45

¹ tn The Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) refers here to God relenting from a punishment already underway.

NET Notes: Psa 106:46

¹ tn Or “captors.”

NET Notes: Psa 106:47

¹ tn Heb “to give thanks.” The infinitive construct indicates result after the imperative.

² tn Heb “to boast in your praise.”

NET Notes: Psa 106:48

¹ tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.

² tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.”

³ tn Heb “surely” (אָמֵן, ’amen), traditionally transliterated “amen.”

⁴ sn The final verse (v. 48) is a conclusion to this fourth “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the first, second and third “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52, respectively).