Psalm 106:12-13
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The verse highlights not the Israelites' inherent belief, but rather God's power to compel momentary faith and praise even from a people prone to forget. Their "believing" and "singing" were immediate reactions to a miraculous deliverance, emphasizing the profound impact of God's direct intervention.
Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage comes after the Israelites have just witnessed God's miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea, with Pharaoh's army destroyed. In this moment of immediate relief and awe, they finally believe God's promises and burst into joyful praise, echoing the Song of Moses. However, this brief flicker of faith is quickly contrasted with their subsequent forgetfulness and rebellion, highlighting the cyclical pattern of their history.
What triggers genuine belief? Is it a choice, or a reaction to overwhelming evidence?
The people's faith in Psalm 106:12 wasn't born from deep theological conviction, but from immediate, undeniable divine intervention. "Then believed they his words," the text states, highlighting that their belief arose while God’s miracles were right before their eyes. This isn't to diminish the reality of their faith, but to understand its context. It was a faith that emerged in the face of the impossible, a spontaneous outpouring of trust prompted by the visible hand of God at work. Think of the Israelites at the Red Sea – the water parted, they walked through on dry ground, and their enemies were destroyed. In that moment, belief was the only rational response.
This kind of faith, often called situational or crisis faith, is powerful and necessary, but the verses that follow in Psalm 106 show its fragile nature. It's a reminder that while God's actions can evoke immediate belief, a faith that endures requires more than just witnessing miracles; it needs to be rooted in a deeper understanding and a consistent choice to trust.
What happens when God’s mighty acts move us? How do we express our awe and gratitude?
The immediate sequel to belief in Psalm 106:12 is singing God's praise. "They sang his praise." This wasn't just a quiet whisper of thanks; it was a public, often communal, declaration of God’s goodness and power. The context here strongly points to the famous Song of Moses sung by the Israelites after their miraculous deliverance from Egypt at the Red Sea.
This connection is vital: when God acts powerfully on our behalf, our response is meant to be both internal (belief) and external (praise). The act of singing praise is a way to solidify our faith, to remind ourselves and others of God's faithfulness, and to give Him the glory due to His name. It transforms a private experience of deliverance into a corporate testimony.
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It's easy to experience God's grace in a moment of need and feel thankful. But the Psalmist is showing us that the intended response is an active, vocal, and ongoing praise that echoes the historic acts of salvation.
Miracles fade, songs end. What happens when the immediate experience of God's power wears off?
While Psalm 106:12 celebrates a moment of vibrant faith and praise, the surrounding context is crucial. Commentators note that this verse, particularly the faith it describes, was momentary. The immediate following verse (Psalm 106:13) says, 'But they soon forgot what he had done; they did not wait for his counsel.'
This is the sobering reality: the same people who, moments before, believed God's words and sang His praise, quickly turned away. Their faith, born of immediate sight, was fragile and didn't withstand the test of time or new challenges. This isn't a condemnation of the moment of faith, but a stark illustration of human nature's tendency to forget God's past faithfulness when new difficulties arise.
This passage calls us to examine the roots of our own faith. Is it dependent on constant miracles and immediate answers, or is it grounded in the unchanging character of God, even when circumstances are difficult? The Psalm emphasizes that true faith endures not just through the Red Seas of life, but also through the wilderness wanderings that follow.
Understand the original words
aman · Hebrew Verb
To have faith in, rely upon, or trust in the truthfulness of God's promise. In the Old Testament, it signifies entering into a firm, secure relationship with God based on His character.
ma'aseh · Hebrew Noun
Acts or deeds of God performed in history to deliver, sustain, or judge His people. These serve as objective evidence of His sovereignty, grace, and power.
etsah · Hebrew Noun
The divine wisdom, purpose, or instruction that God provides for His people. Failing to wait for this implies impatience and a refusal to trust in God's timing and guidance.
This verse captures a pivotal moment of faith and praise right after a spectacular act of deliverance, yet it highlights how fleeting that faith often was for the Israelites, setting the stage for the psalm's broader theme of Israel's persistent unfaithfulness.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
Following God's intervention through the plagues, the Israelites depart from Egypt after centuries of slavery.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Parting of the Red Sea
God miraculously parts the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground while their Egyptian pursuers are drowned.
c. 1446 BC
Song of Moses and Miriam
Immediately after their deliverance at the Red Sea, the Israelites, led by Moses and Miriam, sing a song of praise and thanksgiving to God.
c. 1446-1406 BC
Wilderness Wanderings
The Israelites spend 40 years in the wilderness, during which they repeatedly forget God's mighty deeds, grumble, and rebel against Him.
This passage directly precedes the Song of Moses, describing the people's belief and fear of the Lord immediately after witnessing His power at the Red Sea, mirroring the temporary faith and praise mentioned in Psalm 106:12.
Exodus 15:1-21This is the 'Song of Moses' itself, a direct expression of praise and belief following the Red Sea deliverance, illustrating the very act of singing God's praise after believing His words.
Deuteronomy 1:32-33Here, Moses reminds the people that despite their faithlessness, God continued to lead them, highlighting the contrast between their wavering belief and God's steadfast guidance, which the psalm acknowledges as the basis for their praise.
Psalm 105:5This verse from an earlier psalm urges remembrance of God's 'wondrous works' and 'judgments,' setting a context for Psalm 106 where the people's failure to remember leads to their sin, making their brief moment of belief and praise even more poignant.
clarkePsalms 106:12: "Then believed they his words; they sang his praise."
Then believed they - Just while the miracle was before their eyes.
pulpitPsalms 106:12: "Then believed they his words; they sang his praise."
Verse 12. - Then believed they his words. So in Exodus 14:31, "The people feared the Lord and believed the Lord" - believed, that is, when they could no longer disbelieve. They sang his praise. The allusion is to the "Song of Moses" (Exodus 15:1-18), in which the Israelites generally joined (Exodus 15:1, 20).
The verse highlights not the Israelites' inherent belief, but rather God's power to compel momentary faith and praise even from a people prone to forget. Their "believing" and "singing" were immediate reactions to a miraculous deliverance, emphasizing the profound impact of God's direct intervention.
This passage comes after the Israelites have just witnessed God's miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea, with Pharaoh's army destroyed. In this moment of immediate relief and awe, they finally believe God's promises and burst into joyful praise, echoing the Song of Moses. However, this brief flicker of faith is quickly contrasted with their subsequent forgetfulness and rebellion, highlighting the cyclical pattern of their history.
This passage comes after the Israelites have just witnessed God's miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea, with Pharaoh's army destroyed. In this moment of immediate relief and awe, they finally believe God's promises and burst into joyful praise, echoing the Song of Moses. However, this brief flicker of faith is quickly contrasted with their subsequent forgetfulness and rebellion, highlighting the cyclical pattern of their history.
"Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel." — The verse highlights not the Israelites' inherent belief, but rather God's power to compel momentary faith and praise even from a people prone to forget. Their "believing" and "singing" were immediat…
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Last reviewed October 2026
