Psalm 106:43

Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Psalm 106:43-46. Many times did he deliver them — This seems to refer to the times of the judges; when God, many times, raised up deliverers, and wrought deliverances for them; and yet they relapsed to idolatry. They provoked him with their counsel — By forsaking God’s counsel, and the way which he had appointed, and following after their own evil inclinations. Nevertheless, he regarded their affliction — Yet such was his tender compassion toward them, he did not absolutely refuse to help even these base revolters. When he heard their cry — When, in their distress, they made supplication unto him, and promised amendment. And he remembered his covenant — The covenant made with their forefathers, in consideration of which, notwithstanding their horrible violation of it, he frequently and graciously delivered them. And repented, &c. — Changed his course in dealing with them, as penitent persons usually do. He made them to be pitied of those that carried them captives — By changing their opinions of them, and so inclining their hearts toward them, that they did not endeavour to effect their total extirpation.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

106:34-48 The conduct of the Israelites in Canaan, and God's dealings with them, show that the way of sin is down-hill; omissions make way for commissions: when they neglected to destroy the heathen, they learned their works. One sin led to many more, and brought the judgments of God on them. Their sin was, in part, their own punishment. Sinners often see themselves ruined by those who led them into evil. Satan, who is a tempter, will be a tormentor. At length, God showed pity to his people for his covenant's sake. The unchangeableness of God's merciful nature and love to his people, makes him change the course of justice into mercy; and no other change is meant by God's repentance. Our case is awful when the outward church is considered. When nations professing Christianity, are so guilty as we are, no wonder if the Lord brings them low for their sins. Unless there is general and deep repentance, there can be no prospect but of increasing calamities. The psalm concludes with prayer for completing the deliverance of God's people, and praise for the beginning and progress of it. May all the people of the earth, ere long, add their Amen.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Many times did he deliver them - From danger of invasion; from foreign arms; from entire overthrow. Numerous instances of this are recorded in the history of the Hebrew people.

But they provoked him with their counsel - This does not mean that they gave counsel or advice to God; but it refers to the counsel which they took among themselves; the plans which they formed. These were such as to offend God.

And were brought low for their iniquity - Margin, "impoverished or weakened." The Hebrew word means to melt away, to pine; and hence, to decay, to be brought low. See Job 24:24, where it is rendered "brought low," and Ecclesiastes 10:18, where it is rendered "decayeth." The word does not occur elsewhere. The meaning is, that they were weakened; their national strength was exhausted as a punishment for their sins.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

40-43. Those nations first seduced and then oppressed them (compare Jud 1:34; 2:14; 3:30). Their apostasies ungratefully repaid God's many mercies till He finally abandoned them to punishment (Le 26:39).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Provoked him with their counsel, by forsaking God’s counsel and the way which he had appointed, and following after their own inventions and evil inclinations, as charged them, Psalm 106:39. See the like Numbers 15:30.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Many times did he deliver them,.... By means of the judges, Othniel, Ehud, Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, and others.

But they provoked him with their counsel; in asking a king, whom he gave in his anger, and took away in his wrath, Hosea 13:11, and with their idolatries which they devised, setting up the calves at Dan and Bethel; and by taking counsel of others, and not of the Lord; seeking for help from the Assyrians and Egyptians, and trusting in them, Isaiah 30:1, all which was very provoking, and showed great ingratitude, after so many deliverances: or, "though they provoked him with their counsels" (b); with their inventions, as in Psalm 106:29, yet such were his grace and goodness, that he frequently wrought salvation for them.

And were brought low for their iniquity: or "when they were weakened", or "impoverished by their iniquity" (c) so that they could not help themselves; as they were particularly by the Midianites, Judges 6:1. Unless this should rather refer to some later times, as the times of Ahaz, when Judah was brought low for their transgressions, 2 Chronicles 28:19 as also the time of the Babylonish captivity. Sin is of a weakening and impoverishing nature; it has weakened all mankind, and took from them their moral strength to do good; and has brought them to poverty and want; to be beggars an the dunghill; to a pit wherein is no water; and left them in a hopeless and helpless condition: yea, it brings the people of God oftentimes after conversion into a low estate, when God hides his face because of it; temptations are strong, grace is weak, and they become lukewarm and indifferent to spiritual things.

(b) "quamvis ipsi", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. (c) "et attenuati essent", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Cocceius, Michaellis, Gejerus; "et in paupertatem devenerunt per suam iniquitatem", Tigurine version.

Geneva Study Bible

Many {y} times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.

(y) The prophet shows that neither by menace nor promise we can come to God, unless we are altogether newly reformed, and his mercy covers and hides our malice.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

43. but they provoked him &c.] But they were rebellious in their counsel. Self-will was their bane, as before (Psalm 106:13) when they would not wait for Jehovah’s counsel. The verbs are frequentative: repeated deliverances were met by repeated rebellion (Jdg 2:16-17).

and were brought low] The Heb. verb closely resembles that in Leviticus 26:39, “they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity,” and in Ezekiel 24:23; Ezekiel 33:10, passages which were doubtless in the Psalmist’s mind. The change may have been intentional, or it may be due to a scribe’s error.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 43. - Many times did he deliver them. By Othniel (Judges 3:9), by Ehud (Judges 3:15-29), by Shamgar (Judges 3:31), by Deborah and Barak (Judges 4:4-24), by Gideon (Judges 7:19-25), by Jephthah Judges 11:12-33), by Samson (Judges 15. (8-20), and finally by David (2 Samuel 5:22 - 25). But they provoked him with their counsel; rather, they were rebellious in their counsel (see the Revised Version). And were brought low for their iniquity; rather, in their iniquity (comp. Leviticus 26:39). Psalm 106:43

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The sins in Canaan: the failing to exterminate the idolatrous peoples and sharing in their idolatry. In Psalm 106:34 the poet appeals to the command, frequently enjoined upon them from Exodus 23:32. onwards, to extirpate the inhabitants of Canaan. Since they did not execute this command (vid., Judges 1:1), that which it was intended to prevent came to pass: the heathen became to them a snare (mowqeesh), Exodus 23:33; Exodus 34:12; Deuteronomy 7:16. They intermarried with them, and fell into the Canaanitish custom in which the abominations of heathenism culminate, viz., the human sacrifice, which Jahve abhorreth (Deuteronomy 12:31), and only the demons (שׁדים, Deuteronomy 32:17) delight in. Thus then the land was defiled by blood-guiltiness (חנף, Numbers 35:33, cf. Isaiah 24:5; Isaiah 26:21), and they themselves became unclean (Ezekiel 20:43) by the whoredom of idolatry. In Psalm 106:40-43 the poet (as in Nehemiah 9:26.) sketches the alternation of apostasy, captivity, redemption, and relapse which followed upon the possession of Canaan, and more especially that which characterized the period of the judges. God's "counsel" was to make Israel free and glorious, but they leaned upon themselves, following their own intentions (בּעצתם); wherefore they perished in their sins. The poet uses מכך (to sink down, fall away) instead of the נמק (to moulder, rot) of the primary passage, Leviticus 26:39, retained in Ezekiel 24:23; Ezekiel 33:10, which is no blunder (Hitzig), but a deliberate change.