Psalms 106:20 Meaning Explained

Psalms 106:20

They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The phrase "an ox that eats grass" is a deliberate, almost scornful detail, highlighting the utter absurdity of trading the all-sustaining Creator for a creature that itself requires constant feeding. This wasn't just a mistake; it was a profound debasement, exchanging the infinite glory of God for something so limited, so dependent, and ultimately, so lifeless in comparison.

What Psalms 106:20 means

This passage comes from a lament, where the Psalmist recounts Israel's repeated failures to trust God, even after witnessing His mighty acts. Following their rebellion at Sinai and the sin of the golden calf, where they exchanged God's glory for an idol, the Psalm continues to detail further instances of disobedience and forgetfulness. These verses serve as a stark reminder of their unfaithfulness, contrasting their actions with God's steadfast love and their own supposed privilege as His chosen people.

God's Glory vs. Graven Images

What does it mean to exchange 'the glory of God'? It wasn't just a simple swap, but a profound downgrade.

The True Glory vs. the Fake

The Psalmist declares that the Israelites "exchanged their glory for the image of an ox that eats grass." What was this "glory" they traded away?

God Himself!

The Unseen Reality: God, in His invisible, majestic presence, was Israel's unique glory. No other nation had this intimate relationship with the Creator of all. He was their source of life, their protector, their very identity (Deuteronomy 4:6-8).
The Visible Lie: The "image of an ox" represents something utterly contrary to God's nature. It's a created being, dependent on eating grass for sustenance, unable to sustain itself, let alone others. It's a picture of limitation and need, not the infinite, self-sufficient Creator.
The Exchange: By worshipping the golden calf, they traded the infinite, living God for a manufactured, lifeless idol. They took the Creator and reduced Him to the level of His creation, a powerless animal that needed to be fed. This was a radical devaluation of God's worth and their own relationship with Him.

The Absurdity of Animal Worship

Why single out an ox eating grass? The details here are packed with meaning, exposing the folly of idolatry.

The Humiliation of the Idol

The phrase "an ox that eats grass" isn't just descriptive; it's deeply insulting to the idea of God.

What the Ox Represents:

Dependence: Unlike the self-sufficient God who gives life and sustenance to all, an ox eating grass is utterly dependent on its environment. It needs to be fed; it cannot feed itself or others. This is the opposite of the Lord who "sustains all things."

Understand the original words

Original language

gloryכָּבוֹד

kabod · Hebrew Noun

The weight, splendor, brilliance, or majesty of God’s manifested presence. It encompasses all that makes God who He is, which humans are prone to replace with inferior substitutes.

imageתַּבְנִית

tabniyth · Hebrew Noun

A physical representation, often carved or molded, used as an object of devotion; biblically, an idol represents a failure to worship the invisible, sovereign Creator, preferring a tangible, limited substitute.

Historical context

Written: Likely around 1400-1000 BC.
Author: Traditionally understood to be written by Moses, though the Psalms are a collection by various authors over time.
Location: Likely written from the wilderness during the Exodus, or later reflecting on that period.
Genre: Poetry, specifically a communal lament that uses narrative elements to recount Israel's unfaithfulness.

Historical background

This verse powerfully condemns the Israelites' egregious sin of idolatry, specifically referencing the golden calf incident at Sinai. It highlights a deep-seated spiritual failing throughout Israel's history, where they consistently exchanged the glory of the true, invisible God for visible, earthly images, forgetting His mighty acts and covenant faithfulness.

c. 1446 BC— this verse
Golden Calf Incident at Mount Sinai
While Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments, the Israelites, impatient and influenced by Egyptian culture, fashioned a golden calf and worshipped it as their God. This act directly symbolized exchanging the true God for an idol.
Throughout the Wilderness Journey
Persistent Idolatry and Rebellion
Despite numerous divine interventions and judgments, the Israelites repeatedly turned to idolatry and rebelled against God and His appointed leaders, demonstrating a recurring tendency to forget His works.
Conquest of Canaan
Influence of Canaanite Religions
Upon entering the Promised Land, the Israelites were exposed to and often adopted the religious practices of the Canaanites, incorporating idol worship and syncretism into their own worship.
Period of the Judges
Cycles of Apostasy and Deliverance

Key themes

01Exchanging divine glory
02Idolatry's foolishness
03Forgetting God's provision
04Rejecting true worship

Cross-references

Romans 1:22-23

Paul directly echoes this lament, describing how people 'exchanged the truth about God for a lie' and worshipped created things instead of the Creator, much like the Israelites worshipping an ox image.

Jeremiah 2:11

This prophetic passage also critiques Israel's spiritual betrayal, asking if any nation has ever exchanged its gods, even though they are not gods. This highlights the unique gravity of Israel exchanging the true God, their glory, for idols.

Deuteronomy 4:16-18

This passage warns against making any carved image or likeness of animals, directly prohibiting the very act described in Psalms 106:20 and explaining the underlying principle that God is to be worshipped as spirit, not represented by earthly forms.

Exodus 32:4

This verse describes the making of the golden calf, the specific event the Psalmist is likely alluding to, showing the Israelites' literal exchange of God's glory for a molten image fashioned by human hands.

Scholarly commentary

Psalms 106:20: "Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass."

Verse 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 cou…
pulpit

Psalms 106:20: "Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass."

Thus they changed their glory - That is, their God, who was their glory; and they worshipped an ox in his stead. See the use St Paul makes of this, Romans 1:23 (note); see also the note there. The incorruptible God was thus served by all the heathen world.
clarke

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What Psalms 106:20 means

Original language

gloryכָּבוֹד

kabod · Hebrew Noun

The weight, splendor, brilliance, or majesty of God’s manifested presence. It encompasses all that makes God who He is, which humans are prone to replace with inferior substitutes.

imageתַּבְנִית

tabniyth · Hebrew Noun

Historical context

Written: Likely around 1400-1000 BC.
Author: Traditionally understood to be written by Moses, though the Psalms are a collection by various authors over time.
Location: Likely written from the wilderness during the Exodus, or later reflecting on that period.
Genre: Poetry, specifically a communal lament that uses narrative elements to recount Israel's unfaithfulness.

Historical background

c. 1446 BC— this verse

Golden Calf Incident at Mount Sinai

While Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments, the Israelites, impatient and influenced by Egyptian culture, fashioned a golden calf and worshipped it as their God. This act directly symbolized exchanging the true God for an idol.

Throughout the Wilderness Journey

Persistent Idolatry and Rebellion

Despite numerous divine interventions and judgments, the Israelites repeatedly turned to idolatry and rebelled against God and His appointed leaders, demonstrating a recurring tendency to forget His works.

Conquest of Canaan

Influence of Canaanite Religions

Upon entering the Promised Land, the Israelites were exposed to and often adopted the religious practices of the Canaanites, incorporating idol worship and syncretism into their own worship.

Period of the Judges

Cycles of Apostasy and Deliverance