Psalm 106:40-41
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It's striking how the verse notes God's anger being kindled against his own people and how He abhorred his own heritage. This isn't just a general judgment; it highlights the pain and offense God experiences when those He has chosen and called His own turn away from Him. It underscores that sin isn't just breaking a rule, but a deep betrayal within a cherished relationship.
Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage; he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalm has just recounted Israel's long history of unfaithfulness, detailing their repeated sinfulness even after experiencing God's mighty acts of deliverance. This verse marks a shift, directly stating the consequence of their persistent rebellion: God's anger is ignited, leading Him to turn away from His chosen people as if they were detestable. The verses that follow will explore the subsequent punishments and God's eventual, though delayed, compassion.
Have you ever felt a righteous anger rise up within you when something precious was defiled or mistreated? The Bible speaks of God's anger, and here it's described as 'kindled.' What does that really mean?
The verse says, 'the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people.' This isn't a fleeting, human temper tantrum. God's anger is a holy and just reaction to sin and rebellion. It's described as 'kindled' – like a fire that ignites and burns. This imagery powerfully conveys the intensity and seriousness of God's displeasure when His people, whom He has chosen and set apart, turn away from Him. Their sin didn't just offend Him; it provoked a righteous and passionate response. This anger isn't arbitrary; it's a consequence of His perfect justice and holiness confronting persistent wrongdoing. The commentators highlight that this wrath is specifically directed because they were His people and His inheritance. Their actions were an affront not just to a distant deity, but to the God who had claimed them as His own.
The idea of God 'abhorring' His own heritage sounds incredibly harsh. How can a God of love abhor the very people He chose?
The psalm continues with a shocking statement: God 'abhorred his heritage.' This doesn't mean God's love for His people is fickle or that He stopped caring. Instead, it describes the depth of His revulsion towards their sin. When His people acted in ways that were diametrically opposed to His nature and His commands, they became abominable to Him. Think of it like a loving parent who is utterly disgusted by the destructive and rebellious choices of their child. The parent's love for the child remains, but their reaction to the is one of abhorrence. For Israel, God's inheritance, this meant He treated them with extreme displeasure and judgment, casting them off in their actions, not in His eternal purpose. The commentators point out this is a reflection of their outward conduct being so vile that it provoked such a strong divine reaction. God's abhorrence is directed at the sin that defiled His inheritance, not the people themselves in their core identity as chosen by Him.
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Understand the original words
aph · Hebrew Noun
A description of God’s righteous, intense, and inevitable reaction against persistent sin, rebellion, and covenant-breaking. It is not an unbridled emotional outburst, but the holy indignation of a just Judge protecting His honor and justice.
nachalah · Hebrew Noun
A term referring to the people whom God has chosen as His own possession, property, or covenantal responsibility. It emphasizes the intimacy and special relationship between God and Israel (or His people), making their rebellion a matter of profound betrayal.
ta‘ab · Hebrew Verb
A strong expression of God’s visceral rejection, intense dislike, or holy repulsion toward sin and those who embrace it. It signifies that the object of this feeling is fundamentally incompatible with His holiness and covenant standards.
gowy · Hebrew Noun
Often translated as 'nations' or 'Gentiles,' it refers to groups of people distinct from the covenant people of God, often characterized by idolatry and opposition to the Lord's people.
This verse speaks to the profound disappointment God experienced when His chosen people, whom He had so faithfully delivered and loved, repeatedly turned away from Him, especially during the time of the Babylonian exile when their unfaithfulness led to the destruction of their homeland and temple.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God miraculously delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, demonstrating His power and faithfulness.
c. 1406 BC
Entry into Canaan
After 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites entered the Promised Land, beginning a new phase of their history.
c. 1070 BC - 586 BC
Period of the Judges and Monarchy
This era was marked by cycles of Israel's disobedience, God's judgment, and subsequent deliverance, often leading to periods of hardship and foreign oppression.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom (Israel)
The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, scattering its people into exile.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and the Southern Kingdom (Judah)
The Babylonian Empire destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling many of the remaining Judeans.
c. 539 BC
Return from Babylonian Exile
Cyrus the Great of Persia allowed the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple.
This passage highlights that God's choice of Israel was not because of their merit, but solely out of His great love and faithfulness, making their later rebellion and His subsequent anger even more profound.
Judges 2:11-15This passage details how Israel's turning away from God and serving other gods directly led to God's anger and abandonment of them, mirroring the cause and effect described in Psalm 106.
Psalm 78:58-59This parallel account describes how Israel's continuous provocation of God, even after witnessing His mighty acts, led to His anger and His 'great abhorrence' of their tents and tabernacle, echoing the sentiments in Psalm 106:40.
Jeremiah 12:7-8Here, God expresses His sorrow and anger over His people, His 'inheritance,' who have acted like wild animals, leading Him to 'utterly forsake' His house and hand them over to their enemies.
clarkePsalms 106:40: "Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance."
Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled - God kindled a fire in his judgments for those who by their flagitious conduct had inflamed themselves with their idols, and the impure rites with which they were worshipped.
pulpitPsalms 106:40: "Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance."
Verse 40. - Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people (comp. Psalm 78:58, 59). Insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance (see Psalm 78:62). It justly increased God's anger that the sinners were his own people, his own inheritance.
It's striking how the verse notes God's anger being kindled against his own people and how He abhorred his own heritage. This isn't just a general judgment; it highlights the pain and offense God experiences when those He has chosen and called His own turn away from Him. It underscores that sin isn't just breaking a rule, but a deep betrayal within a cherished relationship.
The psalm has just recounted Israel's long history of unfaithfulness, detailing their repeated sinfulness even after experiencing God's mighty acts of deliverance. This verse marks a shift, directly stating the consequence of their persistent rebellion: God's anger is ignited, leading Him to turn away from His chosen people as if they were detestable. The verses that follow will explore the subsequent punishments and God's eventual, though delayed, compassion.
The psalm has just recounted Israel's long history of unfaithfulness, detailing their repeated sinfulness even after experiencing God's mighty acts of deliverance. This verse marks a shift, directly stating the consequence of their persistent rebellion: God's anger is ignited, leading Him to turn away from His chosen people as if they were detestable. The verses that follow will explore the subsequent punishments and God's eventual, though delayed, compassion.
"Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage; he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them." — It's striking how the verse notes God's anger being kindled against his own people and how He abhorred his own heritage. This isn't just a general judgment; it highlights the pain and offense God…
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Last reviewed October 2026
