Psalm 106:36-37
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The verse highlights that these idols weren't just inanimate objects, but "a snare," implying they actively captured and trapped the Israelites. This reveals that idolatry wasn't a passive choice, but a dangerous entanglement that led to ruin and further sin, much like a hunter's trap.
They served their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm reflects on Israel's unfaithfulness after God brought them into the promised land. Instead of fully driving out the Canaanites as commanded, they mingled with them and learned their wicked practices, eventually serving the idols of their neighbors. This departure from God's ways led to their downfall, ensnaring them in sin and ruin, as predicted by God.
The verse says they served their idols. But what exactly were these 'idols'? They were more than just lifeless objects.
The Hebrew word for idols, 'atsabbeyhem,' can also be translated as 'their labors' or 'their griefs.' This gives us a profound insight:
So, when Israel served idols, they weren't just dabbling in a harmless hobby; they were dedicating themselves to things that ultimately brought them pain and ruin.
The verse calls idols a 'snare.' What makes serving them so trapping, and how does it work?
Imagine a hunter setting a trap for a bird or a wild animal. The snare is designed to be almost invisible, drawing the creature in with the promise of something desirable, only to spring shut when it's too late.
Idols function similarly:
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Understand the original words
‘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.
shed · Hebrew Noun
Supernatural, malevolent spiritual entities that oppose God and lead humanity into rebellion, idolatry, and destruction. In the Old Testament, these are often associated with the false gods worshipped by pagan nations.
The verse speaks to a recurring theme throughout Israel's history: the seductive nature of idolatry, which began with a failure to obey God's commands and ended in devastating exile. The 'snare' was not just the idols themselves, but the lingering Canaanite influence and the gradual slide into sin, leading to ultimate ruin.
c. 1400 BC
Israel enters the Promised Land
After wandering in the desert for 40 years, the Israelites finally crossed the Jordan River to begin their conquest of Canaan, as promised by God.
c. 1350 BC
Failure to drive out Canaanites
Despite God's command to utterly destroy the Canaanites and their idols, the Israelites did not fully obey, leaving many hostile nations within their borders.
c. 1350 BC - 1050 BC
Period of the Judges
This era was marked by cycles of Israelite disobedience, oppression by surrounding nations, and deliverance through appointed judges. Idolatry became rampant.
c. 1050 BC
Saul anointed King
The Israelites demanded a king, and Saul was anointed, ushering in the era of the monarchy. However, even kings like Solomon later fell into idolatry.
c. 931 BC
Divided Kingdom
After Solomon's reign, the united monarchy split into two kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Both kingdoms struggled with idolatry.
722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, exiling its people and scattering them, partly as judgment for their persistent idolatry.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The southern kingdom of Judah fell to the Babylonians, Jerusalem was destroyed, and its people were exiled. This event served as a final, devastating judgment for their idolatry.
This passage directly warns Israel that the gods of the Canaanites will become a snare to them if they make any kind of covenant or association with them, directly echoing the sentiment of Psalm 106:36.
Judges 2:11-15This text describes the Israelites' descent into idolatry after Joshua's generation, highlighting how their service to Baals and Asherahs directly led to God's anger and their subsequent oppression, functioning as the snare mentioned in the psalm.
Romans 6:16Paul uses the analogy of slavery to illustrate how yielding to any power, whether sin or obedience, leads to a form of servitude, paralleling how the idols of the Israelites enslaved them, making them a snare.
1 Corinthians 10:20This verse directly contrasts participation in the Lord's Supper with participation in the 'table of demons,' stating that one cannot partake in both without coming into fellowship with demons, reinforcing the idea that serving idols leads to ensnarement in destructive spiritual forces.
cambridgePsalms 106:36: "And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them."
36 . which were &c.] And they became a snare unto them, as they had been forewarned, Exodus 23:33 , &c. P.B.V. which turned to their own decay = which proved their ruin.
clarkePsalms 106:36: "And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them."
They served their idols - עצביהם atsabbeyhem, their labors or griefs - idols, so called because of the pains taken in forming them, the labor in worshipping them, and the grief occasioned by the Divine judgments against the people for their idolatry.
The verse highlights that these idols weren't just inanimate objects, but "a snare," implying they actively captured and trapped the Israelites. This reveals that idolatry wasn't a passive choice, but a dangerous entanglement that led to ruin and further sin, much like a hunter's trap.
This psalm reflects on Israel's unfaithfulness after God brought them into the promised land. Instead of fully driving out the Canaanites as commanded, they mingled with them and learned their wicked practices, eventually serving the idols of their neighbors. This departure from God's ways led to their downfall, ensnaring them in sin and ruin, as predicted by God.
This psalm reflects on Israel's unfaithfulness after God brought them into the promised land. Instead of fully driving out the Canaanites as commanded, they mingled with them and learned their wicked practices, eventually serving the idols of their neighbors. This departure from God's ways led to their downfall, ensnaring them in sin and ruin, as predicted by God.
"They served their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;" — The verse highlights that these idols weren't just inanimate objects, but "a snare," implying they actively captured and trapped the Israelites. This reveals that idolatry wasn't a passive choice, bu…
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Last reviewed October 2026
