Psalms 106:40

Psa 106:40 Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.

Ver. 40. Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled] Sin doth as naturally draw and suck judgments to it as the loadstone doth iron, or turpentine fire.

Insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance] This was the greatest of all miseries, and a piece of hell.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa_106:40-46

Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled.

Four solemn thoughts concerning God

I. Gods abhorrence of mens sins (verse 40). Gods wrath or anger is not a malign passion, but a benevolent principle, antagonism to wrong. Do not blame the sun or the moon because of the shadows they throw upon the earth; rather blame the objects that obstruct their rays. Gods wrath is only the rays of His love obstructed by sin. Remove the obstruction, and all is genial and beaming.

II. Gods dominion over mens minds (verses 41, 42). As the billows of the ocean in furious battle serve the grand cause of nature as well as the placid river in its majestic flow, so does the rage of wicked spirits serve the Almighty plans as truly as the loyal services of the good. His purposes must stand.

III. Gods regard for mens penitence (verses 43, 44; 2Ch_15:4).

IV. Gods forbearance with mens wickedness (verses 45, 46). (Homilist.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

40. (Psa 106:40) And the anger of Jehovah was enkindled at his people, and he abhorred his heritage. This is the strongest form in which his detestation of their sins could be expressed, but does not necessarily imply the abrogation of his covenant with them. The feeling described is like that of a parent towards his wicked children, or of husbands and wives, who do not cease to love each other, though grieved and indignant at each other's sins. The word heritage adds great point to the sentence. He abhorred the very people whom he had chosen to be his, not merely for a single generation, but for many. See above, on Psa 78:59; Psa 78:62.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

106:40-46 The psalmist returns to the Babylonian exile (106:26-27). The Lord judged Israel severely, but he also restrained his wrath, remembering the covenant he had made with Abraham.

106:40 God abhorred Israel’s sin, as he does all sin.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 40. Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled] God kindled a fire in his judgments for those who by their flagitious conduct had inflamed themselves with their idols, and the impure rites with which they were worshipped.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

40. And the wrath of Jehovah waxed hot. The severity of the punishment inflicted upon the people confirms the truth of what we formerly said, that they had been guilty of no trivial offense, in presuming to corrupt the worship of God. And they themselves showed how hopeless their reformation was, in that all this as yet failed to bring them truly to repent of their sin. That the people, who were God’s sacred and chosen heritage, were delivered up to the abominations of the heathen, who themselves were the slaves of the devil, was an awful manifestation of his vindictive wrath. Then, at least, ought they to have held in abhorrence their own wickedness, by which they had been precipitated into such direful calamities. In saying, that they were subdued and afflicted by their enemies, the prophet points out, in a still more astonishing manner, the baseness of their conduct. Reduced to a state of bondage and oppression, their folly appears the more disgraceful, in that they were not truly and heartily humbled under God’s almighty hand. For prior to this, they had been warned by Moses, that they had not casually fallen into that bondage so galling to them, neither had it happened by the valor of their enemies, but because they were given over, and, as it were, sold to it by God himself. That those who had refused to bear his yoke, should be delivered up to tyrants to harass and oppress them, and that those who would not endure to be ruled by God’s paternal sway, should be subdued by their enemies, to be trodden under their feet, is a striking example of God’s retributive justice.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(40-43) Having made review of the sinful past, the poet briefly but impressively describes the punishment which once and again had fallen on the nation. But as his purpose is to make his generation look on the Captivity as a supreme instance of this punishment, and to seek for deliverance by repentance, he mentions only the judgments inflicted by foreign foes.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

40. So Jehovah’s anger was kindled against Israel, a standing formula in the Book of Judges (Jdg_2:14; Jdg_2:20, &c.; cp. Deu_7:4; &c.), and he abhorred his inheritance.

40–46. The alternations of chastisement, pardon, restoration, and relapse in the course of Israel’s history. As in Neh_9:26 ff., the primary reference is to the period of the judges; but doubtless the verses are intended to be a summary survey of the characteristics of the whole course of Israel’s history, leading up to the prayer for restoration in Psa_106:47.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he gave them into the hand of the Heathen,.... In the times of the judges; as into the hands of the Mesopotamians, Moabites, Canaanites, Midianites, and Philistines, to whom they became tributaries; see the book of Judges.

And they that hated them ruled over them; as it was threatened and foretold they should, in case they did not observe the law of God, Lev 26:17.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people - Anger is often compared with a fire; as we say now, a man is “inflamed” with passion. See Est 1:12; Lam 2:3; Psa 79:5; Psa 89:46; Jer 4:4; Jdg 2:14. Of course, this must be taken in a manner appropriate to God. It means that his treatment of his offending people was as if he were burning with wrath against them.

Insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance - He was offended with his people; he treated them “as if” they were an abomination to him. He punished them; he cast them off; he left them to the just results of their own conduct. Were ever any writers more candid and honest than the sacred penmen? There is no effort to vindicate the nation; there is no apology offered for them; there is no concealment of their guilt; there is no attempt to soften the statement in regard to the feelings of God toward them. Their conduct was abominable; they deserved the divine displeasure; they were ungrateful, evil, and rebellious; and the sacred writers do not hesitate to admit the truth of this to the fullest extent.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 40. He abhorred his own inheritance. Whenever great love sinks into great hate it is termed abhorrence. Lorinus.

Psalms 106:41*

see Exposition of Verse 40

see Notes of Verse 40

see Hints of Verse 40

Psalms 106:42*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people. (comp. Psa_78:58, Psa_78:59) Insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance. (see Psa_78:62) It justly increased God"s anger that the sinners were his own people, his own inheritance.

HOMILIES BY C. SHORT Vers. 40-46. Man"s misery and God"s compassion.

"The design of the whole psalm is to awaken the people to a lively consciousness of the truth, that though there is much of sin in us, there is much more of grace in God;" that "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." Suggests

I GOD LOVES ALL HIS CREATURES, BUT HATES THEIR SINS. (Ver. 40) That is, he makes us feel sensible that he is forever opposed to our evil conduct, and creates in us a terror of the consequences of our sins the punishment they entail.

II PART OF THE PUNISHMENT OF SIN IS THAT WE ARE GIVEN OVER TO ITS TYRANNY. (Ver. 41) Give ourselves over. This is a natural consequence, a Divine law of our constitution, and is a galling and terrible penalty of the habit of transgression. Our passions come thus to rule over us, instead of our ruling over them.

III WHEN WE ATTEMPT TO RESIST THIS TYRANNY, WE FIND THAT OUR SLAVERY IS MORE OPPRESSIVE THAN WE THOUGHT. (Ver. 42). Men often may make some effort to break off from evil ways, but discover that they are under a heavier bondage to their sins than they had supposed. This, too, is a part of the punishment of sin its enfeebling, debilitating influence.

IV MEN WHOM GOD SEEMS TO HAVE DELIVERED FROM THEIR SINS, AFTER A TIME RETURN TO THEIR FORMER INIQUITY. (Ver. 43) They are then brought low, or impoverished, or weakened lower than they were before, because now they begin to lose all hope of recovery. House "swept and garnished" is prepared for the return of sevenfold powers of evil, that rule more absolutely than ever.

V SUCH HELPLESS MISERY EXCITES THE DIVINE COMPASSION. (Ver. 44) "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." God pities those whom he cannot save because of their unwillingness. "How often would I have gathered thee as a hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

VI GOD DOES NOT REPENT TILL MEN REPENT. (Ver. 45) God does not change his laws to relieve the disobedient from suffering; but when they change from disobedience to obedience, the result is so great that God seems to them to have changed. To row against the current and to row with the current seems like rowing upon a different river. S.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

So Yahweh was angry with his people ... he despised his own people

"So Yahweh was angry with his people and despised them"

He gave them into the hand of the nations

Here "hand" refers to power or control. AT: "God allowed the nations to take control of them" (See: Metonymy)

those who hated them

"people who hated them"

translationWords

people of God

hand

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.