Psalm 106:19-23

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 106:21

Verse 21 21.They forgot God The prophet again repeats that the people had sinned not simply through ignorance, but also wilfully, inasmuch as God had already given a very palpable manifestation of his power and glory. And as he makes himself known in the creation of the heavens and of the earth, the blindness of men is totally inexcusable. But far more aggravating is the sin of the children of Israel, who, after God had made himself known to them, in the most condescending manner, cast him off... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 106:23

Verse 23 23.And he said The prophet informs us, by these words, that the people had a feeling sense of their remarkable deliverance from impending destruction, by means of prayer alone, which, for a season, restrained God’s vengeance from bursting forth against them. In a very short time, however, they return to their wonted disposition of mind, a striking proof of the awful perversity of their hearts. To represent how highly God was offended, the prophet says that he had purposed to destroy... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 106:1-48

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 106:1-48

The nevertheless of God's mercy. This is actually expressed in Psalms 106:44 , but it is the theme of the whole psalm. Note concerning it— I. IT IMPLIES PREVIOUS AND TERRIBLE PROVOCATION . And, indeed, there had been such: 1 . In sins actually committed. What a catalogue of them the psalm contains! Sin at the very beginning ( Psalms 106:7 ). The former psalm reviewed the history of God's people as a subject for adoring praise, because of God's never-failing... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 106:6-39

Sin in many forms. It is not only the psalmist who says, "I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord" ( Psalms 32:5 ). It becomes us all to say, "We have sinned … we have committed iniquity" ( Psalms 106:6 ). Sin takes many forms, as this psalm makes clear. We may be guilty of— I. SINFUL FAILURE TO UNDERSTAND . ( Psalms 106:7 .) As the children of Israel "understood not God's wonders in Egypt," so we guiltily fail to recognize the wonderful working of the Divine hand,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 106:6-46

The psalmist now enters on his main subject—the transgressions of Israel in the past, and God's manifold mercies vouchsafed to them. These he traces from the time of the Exodus ( Psalms 106:7 ) to that of the Babylonish captivity ( Psalms 106:46 ). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 106:19

They made a calf in Horeb (comp. Exodus 32:4 ; Deuteronomy 9:8-16 ). And worshipped the molten image; rather, a molten image (comp. Exodus 32:4 , Exodus 32:24 ; Deuteronomy 9:12 , Deuteronomy 9:16 ). The sin was not only against the light of nature, but was expressly forbidden by the second commandment ( Exodus 20:4 , Exodus 20:5 ). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 106:19-20

The sin of the golden calf. "They changed their glory for the likeness of an ox that eateth grass" (Revised Version). "Into the similitude of a calf that eateth hay" (Prayer book Version). The idea is that the revelation of God as an unseen spiritual Being, requiring the service of righteousness, was the distinguishing glory of Israel. But this revelation they did not rightly value, but, at the first opportunity, bartered it away for a material god, of sensual character, who was served... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 106:20

Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass; i.e. they exchanged the spiritual revelation of Jehovah, in all his glorious attributes, for a material emblem, which would naturally suggest low and unworthy thoughts of the supreme Being. So Schultz and Cheyne. The expression, "an ox that eateth grass," emphasizes the contempt of the writer for a people who could so act. He has, probably, in his thoughts not only the golden calf, but the Apis bulls of Egypt. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 106:20

Our God our glory. The "glory" of Israel was found, as this verse indicates, in the God whom her sons worshipped; not in her cultivated fields, not in her varied scenery, not in her peculiar civilization, not even in her temple and its rites, but in her God. No other contemporary nation worshipped one, pure, righteous, pitiful God, who sought the well being, material and spiritual, of all his children. Well may we, to whom God has revealed himself in Jesus Christ, claim that our God is... read more

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