Many Times He Delivered Them
24 Yes, they despised the pleasant land. They didn’t believe his word, 25 but murmured in their tents, and didn’t listen to Yahweh’s voice. 26 Therefore he swore to them that he would overthrow them in the wilderness, 27 that he would overthrow their offspring among the nations, and scatter them in the lands. 28 They joined themselves also to Baal Peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead. 29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their deeds. The plague broke in on them. 30 Then Phinehas stood up and executed judgment, so the plague was stopped. 31 That was credited to him for righteousness, for all generations to come. 32 They angered him also at the waters of Meribah, so that Moses was troubled for their sakes; 33 because they were rebellious against his spirit, he spoke rashly with his lips. 34 They didn’t destroy the peoples, as Yahweh commanded them, 35 but mixed themselves with the nations, and learned their works. 36 They served their idols, which became a snare to them. 37 Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. 38 They shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land was polluted with blood. 39 Thus they were defiled with their works, and prostituted themselves in their deeds. 40 Therefore Yahweh burned with anger against his people. He abhorred his inheritance. 41 He gave them into the hand of the nations. Those who hated them ruled over them. 42 Their enemies also oppressed them. They were brought into subjection under their hand. 43 He rescued them many times, but they were rebellious in their counsel, and were brought low in their iniquity. 44 Nevertheless he regarded their distress, when he heard their cry. 45 He remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses. 46 He made them also to be pitied by all those who carried them captive. 47 Save us, Yahweh, our God, gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to your holy name, to triumph in your praise! 48 Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting! Let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise Yah!
The confession runs all the way to child sacrifice, and the fourth book closes on a plea from among the nations.
Yes, they despised the pleasant land. They didn’t believe his word,
The refusal at Kadesh, where the spies' report was believed and the promise was not Numbers 14. Despising the land is the psalm's summary of it, and the verdict is harsher than the narrative's.
They joined themselves also to Baal Peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.
30 Then Phinehas stood up and executed judgment, so the plague was stopped. 31 That was credited to him for righteousness, for all generations to come.
The phrase credited for righteousness is the one used of Abraham's faith Genesis 15:6, and the psalm applies it to an act. What the two men have in common is that each acted on what God had said when nobody else was.
32 They angered him also at the waters of Meribah, so that Moses was troubled for their sakes; 33 because they were rebellious against his spirit, he spoke rashly with his lips.
The psalm's account of why Moses lost the land, and it is more sympathetic than the narrative. He spoke rashly, and the cause given is the wearing down of a man by people who would not stop.
34 They didn’t destroy the peoples, as Yahweh commanded them, 35 but mixed themselves with the nations, and learned their works.
The verb is learned. What follows is what they learned.
37 Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. 38 They shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land was polluted with blood.
The worst sentence in the psalm and it is a confession rather than an accusation against somebody else. The people singing this are saying it about their own ancestors, in worship, and the doubling of the phrase about sons and daughters refuses to let it pass quickly.
He rescued them many times, but they were rebellious in their counsel, and were brought low in their iniquity.
The cycle of the book of Judges compressed into a verse, and the word many is doing the work.
44 Nevertheless he regarded their distress, when he heard their cry. 45 He remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
The psalm's last nevertheless, and it comes after child sacrifice. What is remembered is the covenant rather than any improvement.
He made them also to be pitied by all those who carried them captive.
An unexpected mercy — not release, but the disposition of the people holding them. Someone in Babylon felt sorry for them, and the psalm counts it as an act of God.
Save us, Yahweh, our God, gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to your holy name, to triumph in your praise!
The psalm's only request, and it comes at the very end, from exile. Then the doxology closing the fourth book Psalms 106:48 — and, as at the end of the third, it is placed immediately after an unanswered prayer.
settled What this mark means