Psalms 106:36-43

106:36 They worshiped ¹  their idols,

which became a snare to them. ² 

106:37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. ³ 

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. ⁴ 

106:39 They were defiled by their deeds,

and unfaithful in their actions. ⁵ 

106:40 So the Lord was angry with his people ⁶ 

and despised the people who belong to him. ⁷ 

106:41 He handed them over to ⁸  the nations,

and those who hated them ruled over them.

106:42 Their enemies oppressed them;

they were subject to their authority. ⁹ 

106:43 Many times he delivered ¹⁰  them,

but they had a rebellious attitude, ¹¹ 

and degraded themselves ¹²  by their sin.

[106:36]  ¹ tn Or “served.”

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

[106:37]  ³ 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]  ⁴ sn Num 35:33-34 explains that bloodshed defiles a land.

[106:39]  ⁵ tn Heb “and they committed adultery in their actions.” This means that they were unfaithful to the Lord (see Ps 73:27).

[106:40]  ⁶ tn Heb “the anger of the Lord burned against his people.”

[106:40]  ⁷ tn Heb “his inheritance.”

[106:41]  ⁸ tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”

[106:42]  ⁹ tn Heb “they were subdued under their hand.”

[106:43]  ¹⁰ 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”).

[106:43]  ¹¹ 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”).

[106:43]  ¹² tn Heb “they sank down.” The Hebrew verb מָכַךְ (makhakh, “to lower; to sink”) occurs only here in the Qal.