Psalm 106:35-36
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The verse highlights that "mixing" with other nations wasn't just about living near them, but actively adopting their practices. It points to a subtle yet devastating shift: as they learned the ways of the world, they simultaneously forgot and disobeyed God's commands.
but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did. They served their idols, which became a snare to them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After failing to fully conquer and drive out the Canaanite nations as God commanded, the Israelites began to interact with them. This led to intermarriage and cultural exchange, causing them to adopt the pagan practices and idolatrous worship of their neighbors.
God's command to Israel was stark: drive out the nations. Why such severity? This verse reveals the insidious threat that contact posed to their faith.
When Israel entered the Promised Land, God commanded them to completely remove the Canaanite nations. This wasn't arbitrary cruelty, but a divine understanding of human nature. The text here, Psalms 106:35, explains that 'they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did.'
The Slippery Slope
The verse says Israel 'learned their works.' What kind of 'works' were these, and why were they so destructive?
The 'works' that Israel learned from the surrounding nations were not neutral customs, but deeply ingrained patterns of sin and idolatry. This verse serves as a crucial reminder that cultural assimilation can easily become spiritual compromise.
The Nature of the 'Works'
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Understand the original words
arab · Hebrew Verb
To mingle, join with, or associate closely; in a covenantal context, it often refers to the illicit integration of Israel with pagan nations, leading to spiritual defilement.
goyim · Hebrew Noun
Used for foreign or heathen nations outside the covenant of Israel; often associated with idolatry, pagan practices, and moral corruption.
‘atsab · Hebrew Noun
In a biblical context, idols refer to any physical or abstract object, image, or concept that is worshipped or served in the place of, or alongside, the one true God. They are frequently characterized as worthless, powerless, and a source of spiritual deception.
moqesh · Hebrew Noun
A metaphor for a trap, lure, or enticement that leads individuals or communities away from obedience to God and into sin, judgment, or spiritual ruin. It represents the deceptive power of sinful practices to ensnare the heart and life.
This verse highlights a recurring theme in Israel's history: the danger of cultural assimilation. Despite clear commands to remain distinct, interaction with surrounding nations, often through intermarriage and trade, led to adopting their idolatrous practices, a pattern that repeatedly brought divine judgment.
c. 1406 BC
Israel enters the Promised Land
After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, the Israelites, led by Joshua, finally crossed the Jordan River and began the conquest of Canaan.
c. 1406-1350 BC
Partial conquest and occupation of Canaan
The Israelites did not fully drive out the Canaanite nations as God commanded, leading to ongoing interaction and assimilation.
c. 1350 BC
First generation after conquest fails God
The generation that entered Canaan failed to fully obey God's command to eliminate the Canaanites, setting the stage for future apostasy.
Judges period (c. 1350-1050 BC)— this verse
Cycle of sin, oppression, and deliverance
This period was marked by repeated cycles of Israelite apostasy, followed by oppression by surrounding nations, and then deliverance through judges.
c. 1050 BC
Establishment of the Monarchy
Israel established a monarchy with Saul as king, seeking a more centralized leadership, but the underlying issues of disobedience persisted.
c. 931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
Following Solomon's reign, the united kingdom split into two: the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, both facing ongoing challenges with idolatry and foreign influence.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Southern Kingdom of Judah was conquered by Babylon, its temple destroyed, and many of its people exiled, a direct consequence of generations of disobedience and assimilation with foreign practices.
This passage directly illustrates the consequences of Israel not driving out the nations, showing how they began to worship the local gods, mirroring the assimilation described in Psalm 106:35.
Romans 12:2This New Testament passage offers a direct parallel by warning believers not to be conformed to the world, which is the same danger Israel faced when they 'learned their works' from the surrounding nations.
1 Corinthians 15:33The proverb 'Do not be deceived: 'Bad company ruins good morals'' directly echoes the principle seen in Psalm 106:35, where association with the nations led to corrupt practices.
Exodus 34:15-16This passage shows God's explicit warning against Israel making covenants with the inhabitants of the land and intermarrying, as these actions would lead them to worship their gods, the very thing that happened when they mingled with the nations.
pulpitPsalms 106:35: "But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works."
Verse 35. - But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. This was the effect of the continuous contact. "Evil communications corrupted good manners." The command to exterminate, which to moderns seems so terribly severe, and almost cruel, was undoubtedly based upon God's foreknowledge of the fact, that otherwise there would be contact, and if contact, then contamination. (For the actual fact, see Judge…
cambridgePsalms 106:35: "But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works."
35 . But mingled themselves with the nations (R.V.), by matrimonial alliances ( Ezra 9:2 ) and intercourse generally ( Jdg 3:5-6 ).
The verse highlights that "mixing" with other nations wasn't just about living near them, but actively adopting their practices. It points to a subtle yet devastating shift: as they learned the ways of the world, they simultaneously forgot and disobeyed God's commands.
After failing to fully conquer and drive out the Canaanite nations as God commanded, the Israelites began to interact with them. This led to intermarriage and cultural exchange, causing them to adopt the pagan practices and idolatrous worship of their neighbors.
After failing to fully conquer and drive out the Canaanite nations as God commanded, the Israelites began to interact with them. This led to intermarriage and cultural exchange, causing them to adopt the pagan practices and idolatrous worship of their neighbors.
"but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did. They served their idols, which became a snare to them." — The verse highlights that "mixing" with other nations wasn't just about living near them, but actively adopting their practices. It points to a subtle yet devastating shift: as they learned the *ways…
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Last reviewed October 2026
