Psalms 106:24
Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Psalms 106:24
Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
It's easy to read "despised the pleasant land" as just them being ungrateful, but the text highlights they were so unwilling to face any difficulty for this divinely promised home that they chose slavery over a little risk. Their disbelief wasn't just about the land itself, but a profound distrust in God's promise to empower them to possess it.
Following a devastating report from the spies, the Israelites, instead of trusting God's promise, rejected the fertile land of Canaan. They preferred their former life in Egypt, viewing the promised land as too difficult to conquer and having no faith in God's assurances of victory. This unbelief led them to despise the very land God had intended for them.
Why would anyone despise a 'pleasant land'? This verse describes a land so good, it was literally called the 'land of desire.' So what happened?
A Land Worth Longing For
The text calls Canaan the "pleasant land," but the original Hebrew (as noted in scholarly context) translates to "land of desire." Imagine a place so perfect, so full of promise – ripe with fruit, flowing with milk and honey, a true inheritance from God. This wasn't just any real estate; it was a tangible symbol of God's faithfulness and a foretaste of His eternal promises.
A Choice with Consequences
Yet, the Israelites didn't just overlook it; they despised it. This wasn't a passive rejection, but an active preference for their familiar misery in Egypt over the challenging, yet glorious, path to this promised land. They let the difficulty of conquering it, and the intimidating reports of its inhabitants, overshadow God's powerful promise to give it to them.
The verse clearly states their sin: 'they believed not his word.' What does this deep-seated unbelief actually look like, and why is it so offensive to God?
More Than Just Doubt
The psalmists pinpoints the core issue: "they believed not his word." This wasn't a temporary lapse in faith, but a profound distrust in God's promises and His power to fulfill them. They had seen God's mighty acts, yet when faced with the challenge of possessing the promised land, they let fear and doubt paralyze them.
God's Perspective on Disbelief
To disbelieve God's word is to declare Him a liar. It’s a direct affront to His character – His truthfulness, His power, and His love. The Israelites' unbelief led them to despise the very inheritance God had planned for them. This disbelief carries severe consequences, not just in earthly outcomes but eternally, as it separates us from the God who desires relationship and trust.
Understand the original words
ma'as · Hebrew Verb
To treat with contempt or lack of value; to regard as unworthy of interest or respect, often manifesting in the rejection of God's blessings or truth.
emunah · Hebrew Noun
A state of trusting reliance on God and His word; a foundational posture of the heart that acknowledges God’s truthfulness and sovereign ability.
This verse highlights a critical moment where the Israelites, standing on the brink of God's fulfilled promise, chose fear and doubt over faith, turning away from a 'land of desire' because they didn't trust God's word.
c. 1446 BC
Israelites Leave Egypt
After 400 years of slavery, God miraculously led the Israelites out of Egypt under Moses' leadership, beginning their journey toward the Promised Land.
c. 1445 BC
Spies Explore Canaan
Moses sent twelve spies into the land of Canaan to scout its potential. Ten spies returned with a negative report, focusing on the giants and fortified cities, while Joshua and Caleb urged faith in God's promise.
c. 1445 BC— this verse
Israelites Reject the Promised Land
Discouraged by the negative report, the majority of Israelites refused to enter Canaan, preferring to return to Egypt or die in the wilderness. This act of disbelief and rebellion is the specific event Psalm 106:24 refers to.
c. 1445 BC
God Decrees Wandering in the Wilderness
As a consequence of their unbelief and rebellion, God decreed that the generation that came out of Egypt would wander in the wilderness for 40 years until they all died.
This passage directly describes the Israelites' grumbling against Moses and Aaron, stemming from their fear of the land's inhabitants and their desire to return to Egypt rather than trust God's promise.
Deuteronomy 1:26Moses recounts how the Israelites refused to go up and take possession of the land, despite God's command, showing their defiance and lack of faith in His ability to secure it for them.
Hebrews 3:19The New Testament author uses the Israelites' disobedience in the wilderness as a stark warning, explaining that their unbelief prevented them from entering God's rest, directly echoing the theme of despising God's promise.
Joshua 1:6In contrast to the generation that despised the land, Joshua is exhorted to be strong and courageous to inherit the land God promised, highlighting the critical importance of faith and obedience.
bensonPsalms 106:24: "Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:"
Psalm 106:24-27 . They despised the pleasant land — Canaan, which was so, not only in truth, but even by the relation of those spies, who discouraged them from entering into it. They preferred Egypt and their former bondage before it, Numbers 14:3-4 , and did not think it deserving of a little hazard and difficulty in taking possession of it. They believed not his word — His promise of giving them the land, and s…
wesleyPsalms 106:24: "Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:"
106:24 Despised - Preferring Egypt, and their former bondage, before it, Numb 14:3,4.
It's easy to read "despised the pleasant land" as just them being ungrateful, but the text highlights they were so unwilling to face any difficulty for this divinely promised home that they chose slavery over a little risk. Their disbelief wasn't just about the land itself, but a profound distrust in God's promise to empower them to possess it.
Following a devastating report from the spies, the Israelites, instead of trusting God's promise, rejected the fertile land of Canaan. They preferred their former life in Egypt, viewing the promised land as too difficult to conquer and having no faith in God's assurances of victory. This unbelief led them to despise the very land God had intended for them.
Following a devastating report from the spies, the Israelites, instead of trusting God's promise, rejected the fertile land of Canaan. They preferred their former life in Egypt, viewing the promised land as too difficult to conquer and having no faith in God's assurances of victory. This unbelief led them to despise the very land God had intended for them.
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c. 1406 BC
Israelites Enter Canaan
After 40 years of wandering, the new generation, led by Joshua, crossed the Jordan River and began the conquest of Canaan, fulfilling God's promise to their forefathers.
"Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise." — It's easy to read "despised the pleasant land" as just them being ungrateful, but the text highlights they were so unwilling to face any difficulty for this divinely promised home that they chose s…