Psalms 106:28

106:28 They worshiped ¹  Baal of Peor,

and ate sacrifices offered to the dead. ² 

Psalms 106:34-39

106:34 They did not destroy the nations, ³ 

as the Lord had commanded them to do.

106:35 They mixed in with the nations

and learned their ways. ⁴ 

106:36 They worshiped ⁵  their idols,

which became a snare to them. ⁶ 

106:37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. ⁷ 

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. ⁸ 

106:39 They were defiled by their deeds,

and unfaithful in their actions. ⁹ 

[106:28]  ¹ tn Heb “joined themselves to.”

[106:28]  ² tn Here “the dead” may refer to deceased ancestors (see Deut 26:14). Another option is to understand the term as a derogatory reference to the various deities which the Israelites worshiped at Peor along with Baal (see Num 25:2 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 49).

[106:34]  ³ tn That is, the nations of Canaan.

[106:35]  ⁴ tn Heb “their deeds.”

[106:36]  ⁵ tn Or “served.”

[106:36]  ⁶ sn Became a snare. See Exod 23:33; Judg 2:3.

[106:37]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew term שֵׁדִים (shedim, “demons”) occurs only here and in Deut 32:17. Some type of lesser deity is probably in view.

[106:38]  ⁸ sn Num 35:33-34 explains that bloodshed defiles a land.

[106:39]  ⁹ tn Heb “and they committed adultery in their actions.” This means that they were unfaithful to the Lord (see Ps 73:27).